Jewish Standard, December 14, 2018

DECEMBER 14, 2018
VOL. LXXXVIII NO. 13 $1.00 87 2018
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2 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 14, 2018

Page 3
Crooner’s kippah
fetches over
$9,000 at auction
● It was a very good yarmulke.
A hand-crocheted kippah that once belonged to
Frank Sinatra sold at auction for nearly $10,000.
The black head covering, with musical notes and the
name “Frank” decorating its border, was auctioned off
by Sotheby’s in New York on December 6. Sotheby’s
was selling items that once belonged to the singer’s late
wife Barbara.
The catalog did not indicate who made the kippah or
gave it to Sinatra, although it does note that he was “a
lifelong sympathizer with Jewish causes.”
The yarmulke sold for $9,375, shattering its original
estimate of $200 to $400. ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL/JTA
PHOTO COURTESY SOTHEBY’S
CONTENTS
Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy tells NOSHES ..................................................................... 4
BRIEFLY LOCAL ..................................................... 12
the story of his conversion to Judaism COVER STORY ........................................................18
JEWISH WORLD ................................................... 25
OPINION .................................................................. 32
● The news has been out there D’VAR TORAH ....................................................... 36
for years, but for many rock and THE FRAZZLED HOUSEWIFE .......................... 37
folk music fans it might still be a CROSSWORD PUZZLE ....................................... 37
surprise. CALENDAR ............................................................. 38
Jeff Tweedy, the frontman and OBITUARIES ............................................................41
songwriter for the beloved alterna- CLASSIFIEDS ......................................................... 42
tive rock band Wilco, has convert- REAL ESTATE.........................................................45
ed to Judaism.
Tweedy, who is doing interviews
these days to promote his new al-
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MARK METCALFE/GETTY IMAGES
Tweedy, 51, is married to Sue constitute a kashrut endorsement. The publishing of a paid political adver-
tisement does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate political
Miller, a former talent agent who party or political position by the newspaper or any employees.
is Jewish. Both of their sons have The Jewish Standard assumes no responsibility to return unsolicited edito-
had bar mitzvahs. rial or graphic materials. All rights in letters and unsolicited editorial, and
graphic material will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication
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able and attracted to secular Juda- right to edit and to comment editorially. Nothing may be reprinted in
whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. © 2018
ism,” he said.
When his older son, Spencer,
started to struggle with his bar
Candlelighting:
mitzvah training, Tweedy offered
to go to the synagogue with him to talk with the rabbi. Tweedy said his wife says she can’t go to Germany Friday, December 14, 4:11 p.m.
He said he offered to convert, if the rabbi let him, if because “whenever she hears anyone saying anything Shabbat ends:
Spencer learned his Torah portion. in German she thinks they’re saying, ‘Get in the oven.’” Saturday, December 15, 5:15 p.m.
And convert he did. GABE FRIEDMAN/JTA
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JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 14, 2018 3

Noshes
“Jew-who-few-clue-do-flew-grew-new-
rue-sue-too-you-zoo-slue-glue-view”
— From the blue 19 cent pocket notebook where Bob Dylan wrote
down his first notes for “Tangled Up in Blue” and other songs
from his 1975 “Blood on the Tracks” album, as reported from
the Bob Dylan archives by writer Anne Margaret Daniel
‘THE MULE’S’ MENSCH:
Clint can boast

ties to the tribe
Clint Eastwood’s nod helped her. (2) The judge. The judge, a
“The Mule” is only telephone calls liberal Democrat, did an
opening on December Eastwood always let oral history interview
14. Eastwood, 88 (who though are ones from that is on YouTube. She
also directed), stars as what Clint calls his Jew- was born in Birmingham,
Earl Stone, a character ish mafia — his agent, Alabama, the daughter
based on the late Leo his accountants, and of a Jewish father and a
Sharp, a decorated WWII his lawyers; (3) East- Protestant mother. She
veteran. After the war, wood calls director DON and her much-older
Sharp raised prize-win- SIEGEL (1912-1991) one
brother, Russell, were
ning flowers on his farm. of his prime influences.
raised in no faith, and the
But by 2000 the farm Siegel directed the films
judge, it seems, never
was losing money, and (“Dirty Harry” and four
Sharp became a drug others) that made East- became religious, but
Dianne Feinstein Don Siegel Frances Fisher
mule for a Mexican drug wood more than a star of identifies as Jewish. She
cartel. For 10 years, he Westerns made in Italy, says that the intense
drove his cocaine- and he taught Eastwood social discrimination she
packed car from the how to direct like him — faced as a young Jew in
Mexican border to briskly, with no nonsense Birmingham led her to
Detroit. allowed. (4) From 1990 become a civil rights
The film follows the to 1996, Eastwood’s lawyer. Her brother, she
90-year-old Stone as he romantic partner was ac- says, “went the other
transports cocaine. But tress FRANCES FISHER, way” — became a
as he does, he comes now 66. Fisher’s father devout Christian — and
under the scrutiny of a was Jewish. Their daugh- his son was President
top DEA agent (Bradley ter is actress Francesca Bush’s pastor. She sort of
Cooper). Stone knows Eastwood, 26; and (5) In chuckled when she said
that he may be arrested 2004, a reporter start- her nephew was “Father
or taken out by the cartel ed to ask Clint about Jake Tapper Alice Paul Tapper Johanna Levenson Levenson.”
before, as the film’s pub- the Oscar chances for Fitzpatrick Retired Senator Alan K.
licity says, “He has time “Mystic River” (2003), Simpson, who eulogized
can Valor” (2013). This coming out! It’s a picture book. (The profits will go
to right past wrongs.” a film he directed. He
critically acclaimed book for children, called to the Girl Scouts.) President Bush, said that
There aren’t any major exclaimed: “Kinehora!”
bestseller tells the story “Raise Your Hand.” Jake Bush never lost his sense
Jewish connections to Clint then laughed and
of a horrendous attack explained that his daugh- Notes on a funeral of humor because he
this film. But, I thought, explained it was a Jew-
after all the funeral on an American base in ter noticed that boys raise Wondering about knew that “humor is the
ish expression meant to
oratory last week, that ward off a jinx. Afghanistan. Tapper their hand in class much the Episcopal universal solvent against
it would be good to list noted that it is being more than girls, even priest Russell Jones the abrasive elements
some of Eastwood’s Jake kvells directed by ROD LURIE, if they don’t know the Levenson, Jr., who was of life.” I thought that al-
Jewish-related nuggets CNN anchor JAKE 56. Lurie, who was born answer. Last year, Tapper the late President Bush’s though it wasn’t his inten-
here, now, while he’s still TAPPER, 49, had a in Israel, is a West Point tweeted about how Alice personal pastor? He tion, Simpson encapsulat-
very much alive. Let this lot to kvell about last graduate, and a former had created a new Girl spoke at both the funeral ed in one sentence why
short list enhance your week, when he was a U.S. Army officer. (Scott Scout badge, “Raise Your in Washington and the so many Jews are funny.
viewing: (1) Eastwood is guest on “Late Night Eastwood, Clint’s son, is Hand,” to encourage class service in Texas. Well, the Simpson, I should add,
mostly a Republican. But with Seth Meyers.” First, an “Outpost” co-star.) participation. N.Y. Times story of how a Levenson is one funny WASP, and
he endorsed DIANNE he and Meyers discussed The conversation editor BARI WEISS saw became a minister was if anyone creates a site
FEINSTEIN in 1994, when a movie now being shot then turned to Tapper’s the tweet and asked Alice told by his aunt, called “Old WASPs Telling
she first ran for the Sen- that’s based on Tapper’s daughter, ALICE PAUL to write a Times op-ed JOHANNA LEVENSON Jokes,” they should call
ate. That first race was book, “The Outpost: An TAPPER, 11. Next March, on the subject, which she FITZPATRICK, 72, a on Simpson first.
tough, and Eastwood’s Untold Story of Ameri- Alice has her first book did. That article led to the retired Virginia appellate –N.B.
California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at

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Local
Jerusalem and Babylon
U.S.-born Israeli scholar examines Jewish connections across denominational divides
JOANNE PALMER Union adopted in 2017 that forbids female
T
Orthodoxy clergy,” Dr. Ferziger said. “I will
here’s something about seeing be looking at how, when you analyze the
things from more than one angle text, you can see that in responding nega-
at the same time that can lead to tively to the desire for innovation they are
both insight and discomfort. innovating themselves.” In the process
Insight, because truth is almost always of responding to a desire for innovation
more complicated than an either/or “they are redefining or reconceptualizing
assumption can allow; discomfort, what are the core characteristics of the
because it is almost always the case that Orthodox rabbinate.”
truth would be more palatable if it were On Shabbat morning, he will take on
just less, well, complicated. the often-barbed subject of the way
But sometimes insight and discomfort American and Israeli Jews see themselves
can combine to produce hope. And that and each other. After a long period when
kind of complicated alchemy is what Dr. Israelis just assumed that Americans sup-
Adam Ferziger does; next weekend, he’ll ported them no matter what, “the last
be scholar-in-residence at Congregation few years have been eye-opening on all
Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck, he’ll examine sides,” Dr. Ferziger said. “A lot of Ameri-
the relationships between Orthodox and cans have been very clear about their
liberal Jews, and American and Israeli feeling alienated from Israel in many
Jews, and he’ll manage to find some way ways, and Israelis are starting to come
to thread through the minefields. (See around to the idea that they have to think
box for details.) more creatively and with greater respect
Dr. Ferziger, who grew up in Riverdale about the nature of this relationship.”
and went to SAR and Ramaz and then This has been a tumultuous year for
to Yeshiva University, where he earned American Jews, capped by the murders
undergraduate and graduate degrees in Pittsburgh and the differences in the Dr. Adam Ferziger
as well as rabbinic ordination, moved American and Israeli reaction to it, he
to Israel 31 years ago. He now holds the said. This year, Natan Sharansky left idea that all America Jews will support a response to Pittsburgh. “The spirit was
Samson Raphael Hirsch Chair at Bar his position as the head of the Jewish specific Israeli government — that never quite remarkable,” Dr. Ferziger said.
Ilan’s Department of Jewish History and Agency; when he did, “the Western Wall was the case, whether the government “What happened was tragic, but it bred a
Contemporary Jewry and is the founding plaza issue exploded again.” (The issues was Labor or Likud or whatever. But on great deal of warmth and caring.
director of the new Center for the Study are the questions surrounding the men’s, religious issues, the sense of alienation “I know that in the Riverdale Jewish
of Judaism in Israel and North America. women’s, and mixed-gender areas of the regarding acknowledgement of Jewish- Center” — the Orthodox synagogue where
“I label myself an insider and an out- Kotel — the mixed-gender ones that are ness” — whether, for example, someone he grew up — “they put out 11 empty
sider,” he said. Even after more than far away, and the women’s section where whose father is a Jew but whose mother is chairs next to the bimah, with open sid-
three decades as an Israeli, “I’m still an women are not allowed to bring Torah not, and who is raised as a Jew, is Jewish, durs.” That despite the fact that the mur-
immigrant, not a sabra.” He is an Ortho- scrolls or tallitot — and the agreements as the Reform movement says, or is not ders were in a Conservative synagogue.
dox Jew, but “as an academic, I am trying that had been signed about them and Jewish, as the Conservative and Orthodox That didn’t matter at all. “Jewish people
to observe and provide insight.” then ignored.) establishments say — “and gender issues. were killed as they were praying to God.
On Friday night, Dr. Ferziger will Does this have anything to do with the These are things that have become more No one was denying that, even if they
talk about Orthodox feminism and the presidency of Donald J. Trump, about up front and more bothersome. didn’t agree with them theologically.”
response it has evoked from the Orthodox whom Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews “There is some irony in this,” he contin- On the other hand, non-Orthodox
establishment. The discussions that center tend to disagree? “Some of this relates ued. “In the past, there was a tremendous American Jews’ willingness to believe
around the issue unsurprisingly tend to to Trump, but there have been divisions conflict between Orthodoxy and the other the worst of the Israeli rabbinate made
be tense, as comfortable longtime under- in the American Jewish community in denominations in the United States. Now, many of them quick to accept that when
standings about what halacha will and respect to Israel, whether between AIPAC in the United States, we have entered an the country’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi,
will not permit butt up against assump- and J Street or regarding the BDS move- increasingly post-denominational period, David Lau, seemed unwilling to call Tree
tions that have filtered into the commu- ment that have existed for a long time,” and a decline in fierce competition.” of Life, where the massacre took place, a
nity from the outside world in which its Dr. Ferziger said. Basically, he suggests, the local reli- synagogue, it was bias, not an unwieldly
members very much live. “I will focus on “When it comes to political issues, it gious environment is characterized by translation of someone genuinely trying
a major rabbinic decision the Orthodox is clear that there were divides, and the calm. “That said, some of the alienation to express not only sympathy but also
and animosity between denominations solidarity. “That was really fascinating to
Who: Dr. Adam Ferziger has manifested itself through non-Ortho- see,” Dr. Ferziger said. “It unfortunately
What: Will be scholar-in-residence at Congregation Rinat Yisrael dox alienation from Israel, because Israel is an example of how the animosity of
is viewed as the more aggressively Ortho- denominationalism is focused on Israel.”
When: The Shabbat that starts on Friday, December 21. At the oneg, at 7:30, he’ll talk
dox framework,” he said. The modern Orthodox world in which
about “Female Clergy and Male Space: The Ritualization of the Orthodox Rabbi.” At
the minyanim that begin at 8:30 and at 9 on Shabbat morning, he’ll take on “Jeru- The relative calm is a change. “There the 54-year-old Dr. Ferziger grew up was
salem and Babylon in the 21st Century.” And later that day, after Mincha, he’ll tackle were huge tensions in the 1980s, when the less insular than it is now, he said. “It
“Love and Death: Reform Marriage and Reform Burial in Contemporary Halacha.” patrilineal descent decision came out, and used to be that YU did outreach to the
Where: Rinat is at 389 West Englewood Ave., Teaneck Reuven Bulka wrote ‘The Coming Cata- broader Jewish population and the cha-
clysm.’ No one talks that way anymore.” redim focused on their own.” Now that
For more information: Go to www.rinat.org/adultednews or call (201) 837-2795
That change was evident in the seems to have changed; “not just Chabad

Local
but Lakewood and Chofetz Chayim “Israelis often look at America, they Auschwitz,” when the Nazis and their religious behaviors that in principle they
types are more likely to engage with the look at all the challenges of being a Jew collaborators gassed and then burned found to be theologically problematic.
world; they’re more self-confident, and in America, and they are so perplexed,” the bodies of millions of Jews. “One of “So it is not coming from a place of
also they need the funds.” On the other he said. “It doesn’t fit in their model of my areas of research is contemporary judgement or exclusion. Instead, I dis-
hand, “the YU world has become more what it means to be a Jew, about what a Jewish law. There are huge debates in covered some inclusionary tropes that
insular socially, and so have places like synagogue means, and what it means to Orthodoxy about what to do with some- were illuminating to me.
Teaneck, Englewood, Riverdale, and create a Jewish family.” American Jews one who decides to be cremated. Can you “My work in general is focused on
the Five Towns. Everyone living there is similarly don’t understand what it means bury their ashes in a Jewish cemetery? modern and contemporary Judaism,”
working, they have good educations and to live in a mainly Jewish country. That “These issues begin with a techni- Dr. Ferziger summed up. “Much of it has
good jobs, but rarely do they have close lack of understanding “isn’t a cognitive cal question, but when you read the dif- been looking at diversity on the one side,
social connections with Jews who aren’t thing,” he added quickly. “People are ferent approaches of the decisors more and at the same time at the adjustments
Orthodox. very smart. They understand this cog- closely you see they perceive the ques- that have been made in a wide vari-
“I went to Orthodox schools that were nitively. But they don’t make the jump tion in terms of whether people who are ety of denominations, even among the
more heterogeneous; in modern Orthodox from the cognitive to appreciating how cremated, or who act in a certain devi- traditionalists.
settings there was more diversity, more this manifests itself in such huge gaps in ant manner, have in some way abdicated “That is surprising to people, but they
overlapping with Conservative kids.” how Judaism has evolved on the ground.” their Jewish identity. In the case we will did it in order to facilitate ongoing posi-
Despite the growing lack of outreach, When he takes on this large, unwieldy focus on, it turns out that looking at the tive contact” with other Jews.
Dr. Ferziger finds hope in the response subject, “I will talk about the alienation, and debate has tremendous implications for “I am a scholar, and I will not white-
to Pittsburgh, which he thinks is more about the move toward a more mutually how Orthodox rabbis perceive other issues wash,” he continued. “The world is com-
than just symbolic. In his Shabbat morn- beneficial dynamic that the Center is trying such as marriages done by Reform rabbis. plicated.” In his first book, “Exclusion
ing talks, “I will propose a new model, to identify and work out, using the finest fac- “I will look at some sources that talk and Hierarchy: Orthodoxy, Nonobser-
predicated on Jerusalem and Babylon. ulty of Jewish studies in the world to focus about the burial of Reform Jews who ask vance, and the Emergence of Modern
“Even though Jerusalem had its par- on it, in a laboratory-type environment.” to be cremated, and the marital status Jewish Identity,” published by the Univer-
ticular elevation and holiness and pre- For his third talk, Dr. Ferziger will focus of Reform Jews who were married by a sity of Pennsylvania in 2005, which “was
eminence, there was a recognition that on text — specifically about how Jews Reform rabbi. about the attitudes of Orthodox Jews
there were other very culturally power- look at cremation. “It deals with a major “The reason these questions interest toward non-Orthodox Jews” in 19th and
ful and rich communities.” Those places, number of halachic issues, but there are me is not simply to note the divisions, early 20th century Europe, “I saw that
particularly the profound and powerful huge social implications,” he said. but to see that some of these authorities except for very fringe groups, there were
diaspora community of Babylon, “had to “Cremation is an issue that was debated of previous generations demonstrated a a lot of adjustments made in order not to
be appreciated.” at the turn of the 20th century and then great deal of thought and effort in try- undermine the fundamental connections
How does that work for us today? took an unbelievably tragic turn after ing to appreciate the positive lessons of SEE BABYLON PAGE 24
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11/30/201814, 2018AM7
11:40:40
Local
‘The word is very near to you’

Two Teaneck scholars report on their experiences as finalists
in the Champion of Champion rounds of the International Bible Contest
ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN
Y
air Shahak not only knows
how many proverbs King Solo-
mon was said to have written
— 3,000 — and which biblical
figure was described as “a maker of par-
ables” — Ezekiel — but he was able to con-
jure up those facts — quickly, on live TV, in
fluent Hebrew — as one of 16 contestants in
SHLOMI COHEN/FLASH90
the International Bible Contest Champion
of Champions competition held in Jerusa-
lem during Chanukah.
Bergen County was well represented
among the 16 finalists; both Mr. Shahak
and fellow contestant Rabbi Ezra Frazer
live in Teaneck. Finalists in the International Bible Contest Champion of Champions onstage at the Jerusalem Convention Center on De-
They were eligible to try out for the cember 6. Rabbi Ezra Frazer is second from right in the top row; Yair Shahak is second from left in the bottom row.
contest by virtue of their achievements
in previous international adult Bible con- from Beit Shemesh was crowned Cham- unlikely we would place that high. But I addition to his bar/bat mitzvah and wed-
tests. Mr. Shahak, 30, tied for first place pion of Champions. knew if I had a good experience in Israel ding gigs as a vocalist and violinist (note
in 2016, and Rabbi Frazer, 40, placed However, they said they were thrilled to I’d walk away happy, and we both had a the violin on his tie in the photo) and his
second in 2012. (Rabbi Frazer also won take part in the one-of-a-kind event, staged great time.” “Not much time” is quite an duties as cantor of the Rimon Center for
the U.S. National Bible Contest for Youth by the Education Ministry in honor of the understatement for these two busy teach- Jewish Learning in East Windsor.
in 1994, placed fifth in the international 60th year of the Chidon HaTanach (Bible ers and fathers. “The last half a year has been a whirl-
youth contest in 1995, and coordinated Contest) and the 70th anniversary of the Mr. Shahak and his wife, Yaelle Frohlich, wind of changes, and I was fully aware that
the National Bible Contest from 2009 State of Israel. became first-time parents less than 30 my time for studying for the Chidon was
to 2016.) The syllabus was almost impossibly days before the written qualifying test probably going to be an hour a week, so
In the end, neither of these serious Bible broad, encompassing 842 of the Hebrew was given in August. They had just moved why did I do this? I told my students that
buffs had enough accumulated points to Scriptures’ 929 chapters. “Neither of us to Teaneck and Mr. Shahak was about to Tanach is something that goes beyond
progress past the first round of the tele- had that much time to study for it,” Rabbi start a new full-time job teaching Hebrew meaning a lot for me. It’s really part of who
vised oral quiz, and Elior Yehuda Babian Frazer said. “We knew going in it was at the Frisch School in Paramus. That’s in I am,” Mr. Shahak said. “Every single day I
Aleh’s new development director

Josh Pruzansky to raise funds for Israeli nonprofit helping children with complex disabilities
J
LOIS GOLDRICH themselves what Aleh is doing. “I want
people to go and volunteer and see how
osh Pruzansky has served the Jewish they can help the most vulnerable of chil-
community in many ways. dren,” he said. “It’s amazing if you have a
“I’ve worked for 29 years in the chance to see it. There’s a huge rehabilita-
nonprofit world, whether in advo- tion center in the Negev, and they recently
cacy, in a yeshiva, or as an OU state direc- received permission to build a town next
tor,” Mr. Pruzansky said. And now he has to the village, allowing family and staff to
a new job. He’s the development director live there. There’s also a huge facility in
for Aleh, an Israeli organization that serves Jerusalem. The original building was in
children with complex disabilities. B’nai Brak, established in 1982. The fourth
His previous experience with Jewish non- branch is in Gedera.” A
profits will prove invaluable, Mr. Pruzansky Mr. Pruzansky said that while there are a
said. “I’m used to working with bureau- many special needs facilities in Israel,
cracies and trying to get funding. This is “there are none like Aleh. It’s not just a
another challenge — an opportunity to work special ed school, but its operates 24/7.
with an organization that few people have Aleh volunteers help a child learn how to drum at one of the organizations’s Kids live there when they can’t live at
heard of, one of Israel’s best-kept secrets.” rehabilitative facilities. home because of severe disabilities. It has
The organization, which has interna- hospital wings, doctors, nurses, and medi-
tional offices in the United States, Great educational, and rehabilitative care at the hospitals, with no opportunities for reha- cine. But the kids are also able to go to spe-
Britain, Germany, Spain, Holland, Canada, organization’s four facilities. In addition, bilitation, education, and the love and cial ed classes. They’re not losing out.
and Switzerland, “has changed the face of Aleh provides thousands of outpatient warmth of a home.” “There are so many people who work
rehabilitative care in Israel,” he continued. treatments annually. Mr. Pruzansky is eager to bring that with these kids, not only staff but volun-
“More than 750 children with complex dis- “Without Aleh, many of these children message to the United States and Canada. teers from all over the world.”
abilities receive state-of-the-art medical, would be forced to spend their lives in And he wants people to go and see for He cited, for example, high school

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in taking the initial qualifying quiz, he replied that
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adequate time to prepare.
“But then I figured it can’t hurt to take the test and
take advantage of an amazing opportunity to be able
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to go to Israel,” he said.
Both Mr. Shahak and Rabbi Frazer have married
siblings and nieces and nephews living in Israel, so
they were particularly pleased to qualify for the con-
test from among 18 diaspora hopefuls who tried out
in August.
In Israel over Chanukah, they had time to spend
with their relatives despite taking part in group activi-
ties and a written 40-question preliminary round with
the other 16 finalists, seven of whom came from out-
side Israel.
One of their activities was a visit to a state facil-
ity where they were shown fragments of Dead Sea
Scrolls not yet revealed to the public. Mr. Shahak
noted that one of the recently deciphered fragments
was inscribed with verse 14 of Deuteronomy 30,
which translates in part as “The word is very near
to you, in your mouth, and in your heart,” referring
to the Torah.
It was a singularly apt description of how near and
dear the words of the Bible are to these 16 masters of
the timeless text.
A volunteer assists a wheelchair-bound resident

at an Aleh center in Israel.
graduates from Holland who come for a few months to

work with Aleh children. “And this includes non-Jews
as well,” he said. “People walk around with a smile.
Some say we gain more from the kids than they get
from us.”
He noted as well Aleh’s Tikkun Olam program, in
partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Education, which
exposes tens of thousands of high school youth to
people with disabilities and to the concepts and prin-
ciples of accessibility. According to the organization’s
SEE ALEH PAGE 24

Local
Mysterious case of the Ritzeh prayer

Student from Teaneck investigates origins of the siddur
LARRY YUDELSON
W
here did the prayers in the
prayer book come from?
Answering that ques-
tion is the work of a detec-
tive — or a graduate student — or both. One
such detective is Yitz Landes, a Teaneck-
born doctoral student in the Department
of Religions of Mediterranean Antiquity at
Princeton University.
This summer, Hebrew University’s
Magnes Press published Mr. Landes’s
Hebrew-language book, “Studies in the
Development of Birkat ha-Avodah,” based
on the master’s thesis that he wrote there.
Birkat ha-Avodah is the prayer toward the Yitz Landes’s Hebrew language book
end of the Amida that begins, in Hebrew, ‘Studies in the Development of Birkat
with the word “Ritzeh.” In English, the text ha-Avodah,’ above, has gone on sale
starts with “Be pleased, Lord our God, with at bookstores in Israel.
Your people Israel and with their prayer,
and restore the service to Your Holy Tem- “It’s fairly certain that the authors of the Judaism. “I’m focusing specifically on the
ple; be pleased to receive the prayers and piyyutim lived in the fifth century in the transmission of rabbinic literature. How it
fire offerings of the people of Israel in love.” Land of Israel,” Mr. Landes said. “Using might have gotten from Place A to Place B.
In the mid-20th century, the Conserva- their work I’m able to reconstruct their ver- How it got from the land of Israel to Babylo-
tive movement tweaked the prayer to be sions of the Amida.” nia and North Africa.”
less full-throated in its call to revive worship And then there’s the question of what This research too is taking place among
through animal sacrifices. But Mr. Landes is can be learned from the existing, medieval manuscripts of the Mishna and piyyutim.
looking at its earlier evolution, focusing on manuscripts. “I go through a lot of medieval Mr. Landes went to Princeton for the
its awkward balancing of Jewish worship manuscripts in the book,” he said. chance to learn from “scholars who don’t
now, which is through prayer, and Jewish Different communities have different do Jewish studies,” he said. “In Jerusalem,
worship in the past and hoped-for future, in texts. “The Persian siddur is very impor- I was used to talking about the Mishna or
the Temple, which involves ritual sacrifice. tant,” he said. “French and German sid- Amida and people would know what it was
“I was very interested in the shift from durim as well.” referring to. At Princeton, I’m having to
Second Temple Judaism to post-Temple “By comparing them, we’re able to pay always explain these things to scholars of
Judaism,” he said. “The ways in which Jews attention to the common elements and iso- the period who aren’t familiar with them.
dealt with that by imbuing ritual with new late the common elements to reconstruct It helps me realize things that are unique
meaning. I’m also interested in the longing the different kinds of kernels of earlier for- about them.
for the Temple in Jerusalem. This blessing in Yitz Landes mulations that are shared by multiple com- “The Mishna is a very weird book — if you
particular was really a great text to focus on munities. I put together a history where can even call it a book. A very weird text.
to address those two issues.” Where the references do line up, that’s those elements were there earlier than A big thing in the current study of rabbinic
Mr. Landes said the detective work of also a problem, because the earliest Mishna other elements. literature is orality. Most of it was transmit-
tracking the origins and history of the manuscripts are also long past the time of “One of the arguments I make is that the ted by heart for a long period of time. There
prayer book is “interesting and exciting. In the Mishna’s composition. If the prayers had blessing we have today is a combination of are a lot of assumptions within Jewish stud-
general, the siddur is a very complicated changed since the second century, it’s possi- two blessings joined together over time. ies about how Jewish manuscripts are pro-
thing to understand. It’s hard to know ble that the Mishna, which began as an oral Essentially, the two themes were two sepa- duced that strike outside scholars of the
where it comes from.” tradition, had been modified along those rate blessings. The first concerned the con- period as odd and surprising. It has forced
In a more boring world, the authors of the lines by the time it was first written down. tinued presence of God in Jerusalem. The me to question those claims as well.”
prayers would have registered their work So Mr. Landes has looked beyond the other was about the acceptance of sacrifice One example concerns the very nature
with a copyright office; modifications also usual sources of the Mishna and Tal- and prayer. Then those two blessings were of the Mishna, which the rabbis who com-
would have been preserved for posterity. mud, with their description of liturgy, joined together, a common thing we see posed and studied it described as the oral
History would be clear. and the actual recorded prayers from in Jewish liturgy. In another context, the law, too sacred to be written down. But
That, of course, is not how the Jewish centuries later. Gemara says, given there are alternate ver- whatever the holiness, keeping the Mishna
prayer book came to be. In one chapter, he looks at “a fascinating sions of a prayer, we say all of them. It’s a oral had economic ramifications and per-
There is an enormous gap between the first Christian source from around the fourth very common operating mechanism in Jew- haps economic causes.
descriptions of the structure of Jewish prayer, century, which seems to have incorporated ish liturgy. Instead of choosing one of com- “Judaism never really had state-spon-
in the Mishna from the second century, and the Amida,” he said. “This prayer seems to peting versions, we just say both.” sored scriptoria, places where manu-
the first scraps of parchment with the text of have been translated into Greek and Chris- Did this research have any impact on his scripts were written,” Mr. Landes said.
prayers, found in the Cairo Geniza and dating tian elements were embedded into it.” day-to-day life as a praying Jew? “So who was paying for the manuscripts
from perhaps 800 years later. Remove the Christian elements, and this “Certainly,” he said. “In preparing the to be written? It would take the hides of
That’s a lot of time. source might offer a glimpse at how the book, I had to familiarize myself with the dozens of cows to physically produce the
And the two sets of data don’t always Amida was prayed at this formative time. scholarship in general on prayer. The manuscript of the entire Mishna. One
align. Another source is piyyut, the elaborate heightened attentiveness to the meaning could perhaps argue that oral transmis-
“There are references to Ritzeh in rab- poems written precisely during those cen- of prayer had an impact. Certainly when sion was cost-effective — in antiquity, it
binic literature that don’t necessarily line turies between the Mishna and the manu- I lead services.” was much cheaper to teach somebody
up with what we have in the siddur,” Mr. scripts. (The Hebrew word piyyut derives For his Ph.D. work at Princeton, Mr. the entire Mishna by heart than to buy
Landes said. from the Greek word poetis, meaning poet.) Landes is looking at the spread of rabbinic them a written copy.”

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Briefly Local
The mahjong fundraiser in Alpine will help women and children in need.
Mahjong aids philanthropy Historian speaks in Woodcliff Lake

More than 200 people about his Holocaust survival
attended the Jewish Fed- Norbert Strauss, historian and witness Holocaust survivor, has dedicated
eration of Northern New to Kristallnacht, spoke to the Bergen much of his life educating genera-
Jersey’s “Mah Jongg with County community at Temple Eman- tions about the Holocaust, specifically
Meaning” on November 27, uel of the Pascack Valley. Strauss, a Kristallnacht.
at the Montammy Country
Club in Alpine. They were
there for food, fun, and
philanthropy. Funds raised
Jewish community security forum
PHOTOS COURTESY JFNNJ
will support women and Jewish Federation of Northern New Delaney, and Paramus Police Chief
children in need. Jersey offers a forum of security, Kenneth Ehrenberg.
The event committee “Your Safety and Security Matter,” on The organiz ations sponsor ing
included, top row, from Wednesday, December 19, at 7 p.m., at the forum with JFNNJ include the
left, are Karen Farber, JFNNJ headquarters, 50 Eisenhower Paramus police department, the New
Shirley Altman, Iris Drive, Paramus. Jersey Office of the Attorney General,
Wormser, Ariel Jacobs, Topics include critical security 21/21 Community Policing Project,
Donna Weintraub, Geri Cantor, and Donna Kissler. Susan Benkel, Sarah Nanus, awareness, bias crimes synopsis, and Community Security Services (CSS), and
Rachel Harris, and Joy Shorr are in the middle, and Casey Halper, Karly Klein, security risk assessment. Guest speakers the Orthodox Union.
Stephanie Cohn, and Shira Feuerstein are in the front. Ariel Jacobs, Sarah Nanus, include acting Bergen County Prosecutor There will be limited seating. For
and Rachel Harris were the event chairs. Dennis Calo, Bergen County Assistant information, call Debbie Gottlieb at (201)
Prosecutor Vered Adoni, Bergen County 820-3928, or email her at DebbieG@
Senior Assistant Prosecutor Martin jfnnj.org.
JNF women’s event features celebrity
On Giving Tuesday, November 27, the Young leaders help the FIDF
Jewish National Fund held “The Power of
Women,” a special Women for Israel event with a gala gathering in N.Y.
in Livingston. Siggy Flicker of Tenafly, a Over 1,300 gathered to
relationship expert, motivational speaker, support Israeli soldiers at
television personality, and author, was the the Friends of the Israel
guest speaker at the fundraiser. Defense Forces Young
Ms. Flicker, the daughter of a Holocaust Leadership New York
survivor, Dr. Mordecai Paldiel, is a sup- gala earlier this month at
porter of Israel and the Jewish people who Metropolitan Pavilion. The
credits her strength to her Israeli roots. event, with gourmet food,
“We were so thrilled with the success of open bar, casino-style
our ‘Power of Women Event,’” said Marci games, and luxury prizes,
Robinson, a Central NJ Women for Israel which also celebrated
co-chair. “The warmth in the room was Alyson Chananie, left, a Power of Israel’s 70th birthday,
palpable; Siggy spoke beautifully and was Women event ambassador, with raised $500,000.
such a gracious guest. We thank her for speaker Siggy Flicker. “Throughout the year
her participation and welcome her to our PERRY BINDELGLASS PHOTOGRAPHY we have the incredible Ali Faivus of Englewood, FIDF Young Leadership-
Sapphire Society.” oppor tunit y to meet New York board vice president, left, with Talia
dozens of soldiers from Hermesh, gala co-chair; a former unnamed IDF
the IDF, each one a soldier, and Alex Berman, FIDF YL-NY board
hero,” said FIDF Young president, at the New York FIDF gala. COURTESY FIDF
Keep us informed Leadership-New York
We welcome photos of community events. Photos must be high resolution jpg files. Please president Alex Berman. “And whenever young professionals coming together
include a detailed caption and a daytime telephone. Mailed photos will only be returned we do so, we want it to be a reminder to celebrate, honor and support our
with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Not every photo will be published.
to them that they have friends, family brothers and sisters in the IDF?”
[email protected] and supporters across the globe. Funds raised at this event will go
NJ Jewish Media Group
1086 Teaneck Rd., Teaneck, NJ 07666 What better example of that and what toward FIDF well-being and educational
(201) 837-8818 x 110 better show of strength than 1,300 programs for IDF soldiers.

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Chanukah around the Community
COURTESY LUBAVITCH ON THE PALISADES

COURTESY CHAI LIFELINE
COURTESY LOTP
Nearly 60 families from northern New Jersey
COURTESY TBT
celebrated Chanukah with Chai Lifeline at the Funplex
in East Hanover. Activities included bumper cars,
arcade games, and rides; food included pizza and Emma Katz with her Inger Wolff kindles the
sufganiyot. The party ended with the distribution of “Squishy Menorah,” above, menorah on the fourth night
dozens of toys collected for Chai Lifeline families as and the Kandy family’s Stephanie Shore and Jennifer of Chanukah at Sunrise of
part of the annual toy drive. Chai Lifeline will distribute “Scooter Menorah” were the Seligman at “Latkes and Vodkas,” an Cresskill as Arielle Gorbatov,
more than 50,000 toys to children and families battling winners in Lubavitch on the adult Chanukah celebration at Temple a Tenafly Chabad Academy
pediatric illness around the world this Chanukah Palisades’ menorah contest Beth Tikvah in Wayne. student, observes.
season. Chai Lifeline is an international children’s health at its Chanukah Family
support network, providing emotional, social, and Festival. Music, donuts, arts
financial support to children with life-threatening or and crafts, and a menorah
lifelong illnesses and to their families. lighting were featured. SEE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS ON PAGE 16

MICHAEL LAVES
COURTESY GRJ
Chanukah festivities at Glen Rock Jewish Center included lots of About 100 children and adults attended the Jewish Center of Teaneck’s youth Chanukah party,
latke making. which included magic by Alex Mehl, music, sufganiyot, and prizes.
BARBARA BALKIN
COURTESY SSDS
Rabbi Fred Elias poses with Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County Temple Emeth in Teaneck’s religious school students are in Holy Name Medical
students as they prepare latkes for the school’s annual Chanukah Fry-Off. Center in Teaneck’s chapel during Chanukah. They lit the menorah, sang songs,
Students also tested their dreidel-spinning acumen, competing for chocolates, and shared Chanukah cheer. Another celebration was held at the shul during
and eating jelly donuts. Shabbat services.

"Who will give me wings...I will fly..."
“ ‫אעופה‬...‫”מי יתן לי אבר‬
~ Tehillim/Psalms 55:7 ~
ANNUAL
BENEFIT DINNER
SUNDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 24, 2019
Marriott Glenpointe Hotel, Teaneck NJ
Honoring
CROSS RIVER LOGO USAGE
3D Hero logo
Dr. Robert & Shari
Refer to the 3D hero logo as the default for most cases.
Dr. Bin & Penina Rabbi Michael & Ayelet
ALTER GOLDMAN HOENIG
2019 COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIP AWARD
It is only through
Special tribute in memory of your compassion and generosity
our beloved Associate Director that our vital work can continue
Rachel Schulman, A"H PLEASE REMEMBER US IN YOUR
YEAREND CHARITABLE GIVING
and dedication of the We accept gifts of
Rachel Schulman Memorial Fund appreciated securities
Special education for children with a wide range of developmental,

intellectual, and complex learning disabilities
www.sinaidinner.org • 201-833-1134 x106

Chanukah around the Community
COURTESY SHOMREI TORAH
COURTESY TBENV
PHOTO PROVIDED
Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley celebrated “Havdalah and Temple Beth El of Northern Valley in Closter held
Chanukah” on Saturday evening, December 8, the seventh night of its 22nd annual “101 Menorahs” multigenerational
Shomrei Torah in Wayne held a Chanukah, led by Matty Roxx. A latka party and dinner followed. Shabbat. Families brought their own menorahs and
Chanukah program that included a candles to celebrate the sixth night of Chanukah.
menorah-making family workshop. An oneg with latkes and donuts followed.
COURTESY OF FIDF
COURTESY BCHSJS
Hundreds of Israel Defense Forces soldiers had Chanukah celebrations at the Ananot Base
Bergen County High School of Jewish Studies teacher Barnett thanks to Jack and Sheila Usdin, supporters of the New Jersey Friends of the Israel Defense
Goldman, left, with students Julia Holzsager, Brianna Leopold, Forces. FIDF’s team in Israel brought messages of hope and light — and sufganiyot — to
and Annabelle Simhon, at the BCHSJS Chanukah celebration with the IDF’s Erez Battalion of the Military Police, which the Usdins adopted as part of the FIDF
sufganiyot, latke-making, chocolate gelt, and ugly Chanukah sweaters. Adopt-A-Battalion Program.

COURTESY TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM
COURTESY CHABAD
On the eighth night of Chanukah, Temple Beth Sholom in Fair Lawn held its
annual ad journal dinner dance celebrating Israel’s 70th anniversary. Rabbi Dozens of children and parents enjoyed a menorah-building workshop at Home
Alberto Zeilicovich and Cantor Andrew Schultz led the chanting of the blessings Depot in Paramus coordinated by the Friendship Circle and Chabad of Paramus.
while people at each table lit a chanukiah.

UPCOMING AT KAPLEN JCC on the Palisades
Make This Your Year!
JOIN THE J NOW DURING OUR WINTER MEMBERSHIP
PROMOTION AND SAVE BIG
JOIN AND GET $100 OFF
Take a tour and check out our year-round indoor/ & A MASSAGE OR PERSONAL TRAINING SESSION FOR EACH ADULT.**
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options available.
For details, visit membership, call 201.408.1448
or email [email protected] and save!
*Valid on new, annual memberships; 1 massage or personal training
session per adult on membership, maximum 2; through 1/31/19;
A Family Wellness Center

may not be combined.
Winter Registration Opens

for All, December 17
CLASSES BEGIN ON JANUARY 27
We have a great season lined up, including classes in

dance, drama, music, sports, art, science, cooking and
Not just a gym,
more. Try our classfinder tool at jccotp.org/classfinder

to get personalized recommendations based on your
child’s interest, age and availability.
SIGN UP TODAY! Visit jccotp.org for a full list
of programs.
December Vacation Camps

FILL YOUR CHILD'S DAY WITH FUN AND
LAUGHTER WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT!
AGES K-5: Trips to Bounce U, Bowler City,

Liberty Science Center and more!
Mon, Dec 24; Wed, Dec 26; Thur, Dec 27;
Fri, Dec 28; & Mon, Dec 31; 9 am-4 pm
AGES 3-PRE–K: Magic Show, PJ Library
Storybook Theater, Child's Play Challenge
Course, Shabbat Shaboom!, and more!
Fri, Dec 14; Mon, Dec 24; Wed, Dec 26;
Thur, Dec 27; Fri, Dec 28; & Mon,
Dec 31; 9 am-4 pm
Contact Melissa Peters at 201.408.1467 or
[email protected] for more information.
ATHLETICS ART KIDS
Experience the Spa They Risked Their Lives: THE LEONARD & SYRIL RUBIN NURSERY SCHOOL
at the JCC! Poles Who Saved Jews Open House

Discover the luxury of an exceptional spa During the Holocaust PA 3 Months-Kindergarten
experience. Our tranquil oasis is the best WALTUCH GALLERY
Looking for a warm, child-centered preschool
destination for you to relax, unwind and with a progressive curriculum rooted in Jewish values?
This exhibition recalls the faces, stories and Come see for yourself and tour our facilities and
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therapy, body scrubs, wraps and more. learn what makes our school academically
risked their lives to rescue Jewish families. and developmentally appropriate for your child.
New! Walk-In Appointments Now Available! Exhibition on loan from the Embassy of the
Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C. Tue, Dec 18, 7-8 pm, registration required
Therapists now on-site weekdays 9 am-7 pm,
jccotp.org/nsopenhouse
Fridays to 4 pm during winter months, Includes a special screening of Szymon’s Return,
& Sundays, 9 am-5 pm. about a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFO
Visit jccotp.org/spa for our full menu of services. The film’s director Sławomir Grünberg will VISIT jccotp.org
introduce the film and hold a Q&A.
STAY IN THE KNOW! LIKE US ON
On Display Dec 3-31; Special Film Screening of
Program offered as part of the JCC Patron of the
facebook.com/KaplenJCCOTP
PA
Arts Program. Find out more at jccotp.org/patrons. Szymon’s Return, Wed, Dec 19, 6:30-7:30 pm, Free
KAPLEN JCC on the Palisades TAUB CAMPUS | 411 E CLINTON AVE, TENAFLY, NJ 07670 | 201.569.7900 | jccotp.org
Cover Story
A documentarian’s life
Slawomir Grunberg talks about growing up
sort-of-Jewish in Poland, reclaiming it here
I
Joanne Palmer filmmaker when I am in Poland. Other been over for six years but “it was there, in in a coal mine,” Mr. Grunberg said. “He
times, I think of myself as an American the air, in the streets of Warsaw. Having a didn’t want to tell me much about that
s he a Polish-American film- with Polish roots.” Polish education, you would go to concen- time. What he remembered was hunger.
maker? An American-Jewish What about the Jewish part? “It doesn’t tration camps. The war surrounded you, “But he came back with his mother,
filmmaker? A Polish-Jewish film- matter,” he said. “People look at me and even though it was over.” and they stayed in Poland, and my father
maker? A Jewish-Polish film- see my last name, and already they assume Mr. Grunberg’s father, Karol Grünberg, became a professor of history, first in War-
maker? Or maybe a Polish-Jewish- I am Jewish. But in Poland, people are was 16 in 1941; he and his mother, Hancia saw, and then at the University of Torun,
American filmmaker? Or maybe… afraid to ask the question, because even Levi, lived in the part of Poland controlled his son said. He specialized in modern
okay. You get the idea. today the word Jew, among Poles who are by the Soviet Union. “When the Germans European history. “The Second World
Slawomir Grunberg, who was born in not Jewish, sounds like a bad word. invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, War was his subject. He wrote more than
Lublin, grew up in Warsaw, and now lives Mr. Grunberg, who will talk about his they took a train and got off it at the last 20 books; the most well-known of them
in north Yonkers, just south of Hastings- most recent film, “Szymon’s Return,” stop.” That was in Armenia, they waited is a biography of Adolph Hitler. He wrote
on-Hudson, plays with those questions. “It at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades on out the war there, and returned to Poland one about the SS, and about the Hitlerju-
depends on who asks the question,” he said. Wednesday (see box), grew up in Poland. in 1945, the only survivors of an extended gend,” the Nazis’ youth group. His work
“I consider myself a Polish-American He was born in Poland, in 1951; the war had family of 60 people. “My father worked never was translated into English, though.
Slawomir Grunberg shoots his

new documentary, “Still Life,” in
the Jewish cemetery in Lodz.
18 Jewish Standard DECEMBER 14, 2018

“He and his mother stayed in Poland,” Mr.
Grunberg said. “They never immigrated to
Israel, even after 1968, when a lot of Pol-
ish Jews were forced to leave.” But that was
when he left the University of Warsaw for
Torun, a much smaller, less visible school.
Mr. Grunberg’s mother, Jadwiga Nowicka,
meanwhile, was born to parents who had
converted to Catholicism around the turn
of the 20th century. “She was brought up
Both
grandmothers
loved me so much
that the Polish-
converted one
decided to
baptize me, and
the other one
decided to
circumcise me.
Slawomir Grunberg, now and then; above, filming “Szymon’s Return” in Ukraine; below, in film school in Lodz in 1979.
as a Catholic, but she and her mother both
had a very obviously Jewish look. During And you have to realize that at that time,
the war, they had the right papers, but they people were still afraid. They were afraid
found it necessary to hide anyway. that the war was not really over, that it
“But my grandfather” — his name was would come again in some form or other.
Stefan Czosnowski — “was arrested and exe- So it was better to be covered.”
cuted in Katyn Forest” — he was one of the Mr. Grunberg went to university in War-
approximately 22,000 Poles slaughtered by saw, and then he moved to Lodz for film
the Soviet Union in the spring of 1940. “My school; he graduated five years later, in
grandmother had a boyfriend in the village. 1981. His first film was about one of the
That’s how she and my mother ended up founders of the Solidarity movement,
there,” and that’s how they survived. Anna Walentynowicz.
His parents’ marriage ended in divorce, That film, “Anna Proletarian,” got him
and Mr. Grunberg was brought up mostly noticed.
by his mother’s parents. Even though “The Museum of Modern Art in New
they nominally were Catholic, he wasn’t York sent me a letter that said that they
brought up in that religion; his grand- would be interested in screening the film,”
mother’s husband was a communist then, he said. “Using this letter, I was able to get
so any kind of observance was seen as a a passport from the Polish government to
relic of more primitive times. He often premiere the film.”
would see his other grandmother, though, But the government didn’t release the
and she kept “a Jewish home. It wasn’t reli- film — “it was November 1981, and the gov-
gious, but I would see there oranges and ernment declared martial law six weeks
other fruits from Israel.” His other grand- later,” he said. “The film was arrested,” he
parents were “quite poor,” so there was no said. “It was never released.”
fruit of any kind. But there was Slawomir Grunberg, a
“Both grandmothers loved me so much married man with a new baby back in
that the Polish-converted one decided to Poland, adrift in New York, “with no film.
baptize me, and the other one decided to I had no idea that the film was arrested. I
circumcise me,” he said. “I was covered. was waiting for it to arrive.”
Jewish Standard DECEMBER 14, 2018 19

Cover Story
Luckily, he had spent some Bombay, who had a pushcart.

time in Great Britain during His office was in Hell’s Kitchen,
university. “I would travel in a little restaurant. I went
there to make money, working there and he said ‘Okay, here is
for restaurants and construc- a pushcart full of nuts. You can
tion and so on.” (That was way sell it on the streets and keep
pre-Brexit.) “So I spoke good 30 percent of what you sell.’”
enough English.” Why did he want artists?
One problem down, but They’re flexible, Mr. Grunberg
many others to go. said. “And he was kind of art-
That’s how he found himself ist, and he knew that artists are
selling peanuts on 42nd Street. always looking for work.” And
“I arrived in an apartment also it wasn’t entirely legal…
in Washington Heights,” he Mr. Grunberg stationed him-
Young Slawomir with his grandmother, Chancia Levi Chancia with Slawomir’s father, Karol Grünberg said. “I had no money. I had to self on Fifth Avenue, right by
survive. the public library. “I was there
“I found an ad in the Village for nine months,” he said. “I
Voice. It said ‘We are looking did great business.”
for artists to become street At the same time, he put
vendors.’” together “a group of young
What? Polish filmmakers who like
“Yes, it said exactly that. myself had ended up in New
“When I read that part, I like York, and we started to screen
it because of the part about films that were already in the
artists, but I didn’t know what States,” he said. “Poland was
the word ‘vendor’ meant,” he front-page news at the time.
added. “It wasn’t a word I had We would show these films
seen. So I went there without at universities, at Columbia,
knowing what vendor means. at NYU, and we would travel
It was an Indian guy from with them.
HIs other grandmother, His mother, Karol Grünberg
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Cover Story
“I was here on a tourist visa, and at one filmmaking.”

point it expired. So now I am stuck. Since then, he’s made more than 40 films;
“You have to remember — when I left he also works as a cameraman, and he’s
Poland I was married, with a six-month- won many awards, including two Emmys,
old child, and I left for six weeks. And they and has been nominated for Oscars.
were there and I was here, and suddenly What about the Jewish part of his
there was martial law, and no communica- identity?
tion. No letters. No phones. No nothing. “When I came to the United States, I
“So I was stuck. I wanted to go back to could talk loudly about my Jewish past,
Poland. It was never my intention to immi- and I was not scared of using the word
grate. But I was getting information that Jew,” Mr. Grunberg said. “Suddenly my
my film and my name were on the front identity started to change. I got involved in
page of the military newspaper, as some- many documentaries that dealt with Jew-
one who used public money to support ish subjects.” He worked on a documen-
anti-communist propaganda. tary called “Shtetl,” directed by Marian
“When I got this information, I knew Marzynski. “That was in 1996, and it took
that I was not going back. So now the ques- me to this subject, and then I did close to
tion was how to bring my wife and daugh- a dozen films about Polish-Jewish relations
ter to the States.” or other Jewish subjects. One of the most
First, he had to fix his own immigration Mr. Grunberg, right, filming “Szymon’s Return” outside the syngogue in Lodz. important films I did was Karski,” about
status, Mr. Grunberg said. Applying for asy- the Polish resistance fighter. “Szymon’s
lum was the obvious choice, but it would no papers, and he said ‘I believe that I can daughters together. From Cincinnati, he Return,” the film that the JCC will screen,
have taken too long and would be subject get you visiting scholar status.’” He did. taught in Chicago and then in St. Louis, is another of his Jewish films.
to quotas and a nearly random system. So he became a visiting scholar, and and then spent four years at Ithaca College “Now I’m working on a film called ‘Still
“My chances were very small,” he said. then a professor of film and photography in upstate New York. Life,” he said.
Instead, he went to MIT, where he went at the University of Cincinnati. Eventually, “I was there from 1986 to 1990, but It’s a true story, the story of a still life, a
to see the influential documentarian Rich- his wife and daughter joined him. “My in 1990 I stopped teaching,” he said. painting of “a table with fruits and vegeta-
ard Leacock — “he was a guru in the docu- child was 4 ½ when I met her in Chicago,” “I resigned from a tenured position. I bles and flowers and a curtain, quite big,”
mentary world,” Mr. Grunberg said. “I told he said. That marriage eventually ended, thought, ‘My heart is somewhere else.’ that hung in an apartment in Lodz for more
him that I was in this situation, that I had but first he and his wife had two more And I went to full-time documentary than 100 years. “A Jewish family bought the
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Jewish World
In Brzezany, Ania Kontsevych, who saved Shimon,

sits with him.
painting and hung it and lived there with it until 1939,”

when the Germans forced them into the ghetto and
then to a concentration camp, where they died.
The next family to move in was German; “there
were empty apartments in Lodz, so when the Germans
moved in they moved to this apartment. They were den-
tists. When they left” — they were expelled at the war’s
end — “they couldn’t take it with them, it was too big, so
like the Jewish family they left the still life behind.
Shimon Redlich at Brzezany, Ukraine, where he survived during the war. “And then the family of a woman who lives in Bos-
ton — Lilka Elbaum — it ended up in her family’s hands
when they moved to this apartment. She is main nar-
rator. She is Jewish; she was thrown out in 1968.
Est. since 1991
“Her family was saved by Poles during the war.
“After that, a Polish family lived in the apartment.
Friends of Lilka’s family — business buddies — bought
Taking the painting with the rest of their furniture. They still
CHINESE CUISINE  COCKTAIL LOUNGE live in Lodz, but they have a summer house, and they
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“In one of the film’s scenes, we bring it back to the
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Jewish World
“Szymon’s Return” is the story of Simon Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews. “I
Redlich, a professor who retired from Ben go to Poland for the Jewish cultural festival there
Gurion University. Dr. Redlich and Mr. Grunberg every year,” he said. “Everyone in the Jewish com-
met in Israel. “He was saved by a Polish family, munity there knows my name. They know how to
and he also was saved by a Ukrainian family,” Mr. find me.”
Grunberg said.
“He had been a child actor after the war; he
What: A photography exhibit, “They Risked
acted in a film called ‘Unzer Kinder’ — ‘Our Chil- Their Lives: Poles Who Saved Jews During the
dren’ — the last film made in Yiddish in Poland,” he Holocaust”
continued. “He loves to travel back to the places
Where: At the Waltuch Gallery at the Kaplen
where he lived. He is a very energetic person. He JCC on the Palisades, 411 East Clinton Ave.,
likes to sing. He likes to dance. He likes to enter- Tenafly
tain. He is a perfect character for the documentary. When: Until December 31
“We went to the village where he was saved, and
What Is It: An exhibit, on loan from the Em-
he went to Lvov, where he hid in an attic when the
bassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington,
Jews were gathered in the ghetto. showing images of stories that were collected
“He is a happy man.” as part of the Warsaw-based Polin Museum
Mr. Grunberg also has a happy life. He has three project called “The Polish Righteous — Recall-
daughters — Karolina is an artist, Sarah teaches ing Forgotten History.”
sociology at Ithaca College, and Joanna is a pho- Also: A screening of Slawomir Grunberg’s
tographer. Just as he and his wife both have been documentary “Szymon’s Return,” followed by a
married more than once and have children from discussion with Mr. Grunberg.
different marriages, so too did both of his parents Where: At the JCC; the gallery’s on the second
marry more than once. His family is both com- floor.
plicated and close. He has two brothers and two When: Wednesday, December 19, from 6:30–
sisters, all from different marriages; all but one 7:30 p.m.
brother live in the United States. They’re all formi-
How much: It’s free
dably well-educated and have impressive careers.
For more information: Go to www.jccotp.org
Mr. Grunberg goes back to Poland often; he’s an Shimon Redlich at the apartment in Lodz where he lived after the
or call (201) 569-7900
active member of the JCC in Krakow and of the war.
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Brightview. FROM PAGE 9
website, “Since the launch of the proj-
son. In 2005, Mr. Pruzansky co-founded
Yeshiva Me’On HaTorah, now in Monsey,
Bright Life! ect, there has been a noticeable spike in

youth-led volunteerism and social activ-
N.Y., and he still sits on its board. Most
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dents from a diversity of spheres across worked to secure funding for the area’s
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areas of the country.” of the New Jersey-Israel Commission,
“Society needs to understand that whose mission is to foster economic,
these kids deserve a life like other scientific, educational, and cultural ties
kids,” Mr. Pruzansky, who lives in High- with Israel.
land Park, said. “Israel is giving them a When he was in Israel recently, Mr.
chance. The government finances part of Pruzansky said, he went to see Aleh’s
it, but there are extras that Aleh needs, facilities “and was surprised by the cul-
whether mechanized wheelchairs or ture.” Because the work is so intensive,
Discover exceptional senior living more physical therapy than the govern- he expected to find a stressful envi-
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MUNICH — Weeks after they emigrated from Russia
and moved to Germany, the Nedlin family sought to
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Registering for membership in a Jewish community
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significant step for the Nedlins, who had grown up in
the repressive Soviet Union before they immigrated in
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The experience of the Nedlins, who eventually were
allowed to join the synagogue, was a typical account
of many of the 170,000 Russian speakers who immi-
grated to Germany after the Soviet Union collapsed in
the early 1990s. The newcomers faced a rift with the
30,000 co-called postwar Jews whom many expected
to welcome them to Germany.
The split has had a deep, lasting, and polarizing
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revival. It flares up in local communal politics, but
30 years on, it is mostly healed. Now, more often the
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When the post-Soviet immigration began, Jews in
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SEE IMMIGRATION PAGE 44

Jewish World
Kushner keeps pushing for a peace process

that lacks both traction and adherents
GRAND
RON KAMPEAS Kushner and his team — top negotiator Jason Green-
blatt of Teaneck and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David
WASHINGTON — Jared Kushner, the presidential son-in- Friedman — have been focused on a deal for two years,
law and adviser, rarely speaks in public. It was no surprise, so this isn’t exactly new. Trump said in September that
then, that a rare appearance on cable news TV was with a he wants to see a deal by January.
friendly network, Fox News, and with a friendly interviewer, There’s a not unsubstantial chance that we may
Sean Hannity. never see this thing. “And we’re hopeful in the next
Kushner seemingly said little about the Israeli-Palestinian couple of months we’ll put out our plan, which again
peace deal he hopes to strike, but in reading between the not every side is going to love, but there’s enough in
lines, some nuggets emerge: The release of the proposal is it, and enough reasons why people should take it and
not absolutely certain, and statehood for the Palestinians move forward,” said Kushner, whose second “hopeful”
seems to be a nonstarter for now. But Kushner also recog- in 30 seconds sounded to many as less than hopeful.
nizes that he can’t get much else done in the region without Trump may want this deal, but insiders say its pros-
an Israeli-Palestinian deal. Jared Kushner leaves a weekly Senate Republican pol- pects of success are virtually nil given the Palestinian
On Hannity’s show Monday night, the host and Kushner ran icy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol, November 27, 2018. Authority’s unwillingness to participate since Trump
through three issues. The first two were President Donald CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital a year ago, and
Trump’s efforts to replace his chief of staff after nearly two the continued pre-eminence of the rejectionist Hamas,
fraught years with John Kelly (Trump is looking for some- men have struck a close friendship and political alliance. a terrorist group, in the Gaza Strip.
one with “great chemistry,” Kushner said) and an impending Kushner quickly got Khashoggi out of the way. “I think The Trump administration, reportedly at Kushner’s
rare legislative win for Trump, passing prison reform. our intelligence agencies are making their assessments behest, has severed all assistance to the Palestinians
Then Hannity asked whether tensions over the murder of and we’re hoping to make sure that there’s justice brought as an incentive to get them back to the table. It hasn’t
Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi were overwhelming Kush- where that should be,” he said. worked. Kushner also hoped the Saudi crown prince
ner’s quest for what his dad-in-law calls the “deal of the cen- The intelligence agencies have already made their assess- would get the Palestinians on board, but even before
tury” between Palestinians and Israelis. ment, holding the crown prince, known by his nickname, his Khashoggi troubles, the Palestinian leadership was
Saudi officials murdered Khashoggi in Turkey, and U.S. MbS, responsible. disinclined to heed MbS.
intelligence agencies believe the Saudi crown prince, Pivoting to Middle East peace, Kushner said, “We’re So a dead-on-arrival peace process may be the last
Mohammed bin Salman, ultimately was responsible for the focused now on the broader region, which is figuring out thing Trump needs as he heads into a Congress in
operation. Kushner reportedly has led the effort within the how to hopefully bring a deal together between the Israelis which the Democrats control the U.S. House of Rep-
administration to let the crown prince off the hook; the two and the Palestinians.” resentatives and are pledging many investigations,
including into Trump’s alleged Russian ties.
0003574344-01_0003574344-01 10/4/13 4:12 PM Page 1 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has
been close to Kushner’s family for years, also may be
less than enthused, for electoral reasons of his own.
Netanyahu must call a vote by next fall, and is feeling
GRAND OPENING
more pressure from his right flank than his left, at least
0003574344-01_0003574344-01 10/4/13 4:12 PM Page 1 for now. Giving in to the slightest of Trump-demanded
concessions could harm his prospects.
Don’t mention statehood. “I’ve been saying a
GRAND OPENING
lot that you shouldn’t be hijacking your children’s’
future because of your grandparents’ conflict,” Kush-
ner said. “This is a conflict that has been going on for
way too long, and the way that people are living in
Gaza and in the West Bank right now is not accept-
able and there’s a lot that we can be doing to improve
their quality of life, but it comes with resolving some
of these core issues.”
For decades, Palestinians have said that statehood
was a baseline for any deal. Trump has retreated from
years of U.S. policy that calls Palestinian statehood a
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Jewish World
The latest poll on

anti-Semitism in
Europe looks bad.
Trust me: It’s true.
CNAAN LIPHSHIZ
MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

AMSTERDAM — The last time that a stranger directed an
anti-Semitic insult at me, I was carrying supplies for my
son’s birthday party.
It was on a Sunday afternoon on Dam Square. Carry-
ing Star of David party decorations in a see-through bag,
I paused to snap some pictures of an anti-Israel rally on
my cellphone.
I was busy sending them to a friend who had inquired
about such events in the Netherlands when a bearded man
with a Moroccan accent said loudly in my direction: “Can-
cer Jew. You’re all made up. You’re fake. You’re fake dogs.”
The incident was far from extraordinary — I have expe-
rienced much worse abuse during my years of covering Danish soldiers guard the Jewish Synagogue in Copenhagen, Denmark, on September 29, 2017.
European Jewry and its problems — but I found myself
recalling it last week following the publication of the this year said that they avoid Jewish events or places out was “the most pressing problem” facing them. Nearly 40
unsurprisingly grim results from Europe’s largest survey of fear for their safety. A similar number said they have percent said they had experienced an anti-Semitic inci-
of Jews on anti-Semitism. considered emigrating in the past five years because they dent over the past five years, and of those, 79 percent said
About a third of the 16,395 Jews in 12 countries that the did not feel safe as Jews. they didn’t report it because they thought doing so would
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights polled More than 80 percent of respondents said anti-Semitism be a waste of time.
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JEWISH COMMUNITY
SECURITY FORUM Vera Jourova, the EU commissioner for
justice, consumers, and gender equality,
called some of the poll’s data “shocking”
occurrence,” Prime Minister Edouard
Philippe said last month.
In the United Kingdom, the country’s
in an address she delivered in Brussels as former chief rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, said
• Critical Security the report was presented. that many people in his community feel
YOUR Awareness She vowed tougher action on anti- they are facing “an existential threat” in
SAFETY Semitic crimes, especially online, and the supporters of Labour Party leader
• Bias Crimes
AND called on all EU member states to adopt Jeremy Corbyn. Sacks, one of contem-
Synopsis
SECURITY the International Holocaust Remem- porary Judaism’s most eminent repre-
MATTER! brance Alliance definition of anti-Semi- sentatives, called the far-left politician
• Security Risk
tism, which includes some forms of anti- an anti-Semite. Corbyn, who has called
Assessment
Israel rhetoric, because “you cannot Hamas and Hezbollah his “friends” and
fight it if you can’t define it,” she said. who has suggested that British “Zionists”
The respondents appeared more affil- are incapable of irony, has rejected the
Wednesday, December 19, 2018 | 7-9 pm iated than the average European Jew, allegation vociferously.
with 45 percent saying they keep kosher In Sweden, anti-Semitic harassment
Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey at home and 84 percent declaring they by far-right activists led to the shuttering
50 Eisenhower Drive, Paramus fast on Yom Kippur. A sample with more of a Jewish community anywhere in the
respondents for whom Judaism is a less European Union out of security concerns
Guest Speakers central element of life may yield differ- for the first time since World War II. The
ent results. dissolution of Umea’s Jewish community
Bergen County Acting Prosecutor Dennis Calo
But even for a secular Jew like me, the was a sad precedent in a country where
Bergen County Assistant Prosecutor Vered Adoni report was no more shocking than the Jews are regularly assaulted by Muslim
Bergen County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Martin Delaney presence of the armed special forces extremists, often with Israel as a pretext.
Chief of Police Kenneth Ehrenberg officers at our children’s Jewish kinder- Still, the news out of Brussels isn’t all
garten, where they block off the entire bad when it comes to the fight against
road twice a day, during pickup and anti-Semitism.
drop-off hours. Last week, the European Council — the
My reporting has made me so used to EU’s executive branch — made a declara-
such sights — the result of several terror- tion against anti-Semitism, calling on EU
ist attacks by Islamists on Jewish institu- member states to shoulder Jewish com-
Limited Seating | RSVP to Debbie Gottlieb [email protected] | 201.820.3928 tions, including the 2012 bloodbath at a munities’ security costs and urging coor-
Toulouse school — that I was genuinely dinated action against anti-Semitism.
surprised by how disturbing this is to And while some European govern-
my wife, who is Jewish but rarely attends ments 20 years ago took pains to deny
Jewish community events. the resurgence of anti-Semitism after the
Certainly the head of the European Holocaust, as well as the reasons driv-
PREMIER Jewish Association wasn’t surprised by

the EU report.
ing it forward, mainstream politicians
in Europe today seem to be more con-
CHECKING
Anyone who is shocked, Rabbi Men- scious of the problem’s nature and more
achem Margolin said in a statement, is interested in confronting it.
“disconnected from the reality on the Significantly, in her address Jourova
ground.” mentioned not only anti-Semitism, but
Like so many of the poll’s respon- also anti-Zionism — a reference that
Earn 2.55%
APY1 dents, I also brushed off the anti-Semitic many believe would have been unthink-
incident I had experienced without able only several years ago, coming from
reporting it to police. a high-ranking EU official. She also men-
After all, I do not believe Dutch police tioned “Islamist anti-Semitism.”
on balances of $5,000 – $25,0002 and receive perks like: would have identified the man who Such rhetoric reflects a reluctant
accosted me. But if they did, he could acceptance in Europe of the effect of
The EMV Debit Card: with Purchase Rewards, have accused me of assaulting him the arrival to the continent of millions of
Mobile Wallet, and Fraud Alerts and back his claim with false witnesses immigrants from anti-Semitic societies in
from his rally — which would land me in the Muslim world. Whereas many inte-
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Deposit, Money Management Tools, and more… The refusal by Dutch police even to ies and adopted their values, others have
FREE Checks: Choose from a wide variety of designs investigate a Jewish community leader’s rejected them and reintroduced into the
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me that they have my back. have been suppressed in Europe as part
Access to over 75,000 Surcharge-Free ATMs and 5,000 The Dutch government’s resistance of the lessons of the Holocaust.
shared branching locations (in the US and Overseas) to adopting an internationally accepted Labeled “new anti-Semitism,” this
definition of anti-Semitism also was of mutation of Jew hatred has baffled Euro-
little assurance. Nor was a Dutch court’s pean progressives, who struggled to
Open an account online or visit one of our failure in July to charge a Syrian man come to terms with the systemic target-
branch locations today! with a hate crime for smashing up a ing of one minority group by members
greateralliance.org | 888-554-2328 x280 kosher restaurant while waving a Pales- of another.
tinian flag. Watchdog groups say that the vast
1. APY = Annual Percentage Yield will be paid for all balances between $5,000 - $25,000 and for balances above $25,000 0.15% APY will be paid. 2. If the account balance These problems are not exclusive to majority of violent attacks on Jews in
falls below $5,000 during any month a $15 minimum balance fee will assessed and no interest will be paid during that month. Only one Premier Checking account per
member. Member must enroll for Online Banking and e-Statements and must have $500 direct deposit into the checking account each month. If these conditions are not the Netherlands. Western Europe today come from peo-
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provided up to $25 value including shipping. All individuals must have or open a share (savings) account and are required to maintain a minimum balance of $100 in their
In France, where half a million Jews ple with Muslim background. But accept-
personal savings account after their first six months of becoming a member. Fees could reduce the earnings on the account. All terms are subject to change live and the volume of anti-Semitic ing or admitting this has proven difficult
without notice and all members subject to review by ChexSystems. Accounts only available to members and membership in the credit union requires a
minimum deposit of $100. incidents increased by 69 percent in for some advocates of Europe’s immigra-
2018, such events have become a “daily tion policies.

Jewish World
Yet last year, French President Emman-

uel Macron vowed that France will “not
surrender to anti-Zionism because it is a
reinvention of anti-Semitism.” It was the
first time that a French president made
such an equation.
Following France’s lead, Belgium, Ger-
many, the Netherlands, and several other
countries mounted formidable efforts to
protect Jewish community institutions,
in some cases leading to a reduction in
incidents.
Yet even under Macron, French authori-
ties, who in the early 2000s downplayed
the scale of anti-Semitic crimes, showed
signs of relapsing. Last year, France’s
National Consultative Commission on
Human Rights asserted that it “had no evi-
dence” to support what it called “the new
anti-Semitism hypothesis.”
In May, a study published by a German
federal entity said that anti-Semitism in
Europe is unaffected by recent Muslim
immigration, prompting a prominent critic
to call the report selective and flawed. European Union officials Frans Timmermans, left, and Vera Jourova at a news conference on the EU’s response to a new
As the debate rages on, many Jews like survey about anti-Semitism at the body’s headquarters in Brussels on December 10, 2018. JOHN THYS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
me are increasingly contemplating their

futures in Europe — despite major steps Because amid polls, reports, discus- Jews “freedom of belief and the freedom of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights,
designed to ensure our ability to live freely sions, and declarations about the need to to live without fear remain distant aspira- put it during his address in Brussels.
and safely here. balance freedoms, for too many European tions,” as Michael O’Flaherty, the director JTA WIRE SERVICE
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Jewish World
Israel has a bobsled team (U.S. based),

and it wants to compete in the Olympics
JOSEFIN DOLSTEN been participating in the sport for
14 years, this was the first time the
In the span of just a couple of days, Chaim Raice went from disabled athlete would take part in a
never having been on a bobsled to being a contender to rep- competition for able-bodied people,
resent Israel in the 2022 Winter Olympics. instead of competing in a para-ath-
And it all started with a Facebook post. lete competition.
Raice, a house builder based in Pomona, New York, was “I was a little shocked,” Raice said
browsing the social media site in November when he saw about finding out about Nicholl’s
a post saying that the Israeli bobsled team needed another status.
athlete to compete in the North American Cup, beginning The rules of bobsled, which has
that month. two- and four-person teams, actu-
COURTESY OF NICHOLLS
He thought it was a joke, but still he reached out. Though ally make competing for wheel-
Raice, 46, didn’t know much about bobsledding, he had chair users less of a challenge than it
participated in several other sports as an amateur, and his would be in most other sports. Team
Israeli citizenship meant that he would qualify to compete members typically push the sled and
for the country. then jump in before going down the
It turned out to be a perfect match. track, but the rules allow an athlete
So, just two days after having reached out, Raice was driv- to start seated and the other team Dave Nicholls pilots the bobsled as Chaim Raice pushes.
ing up to Lake Placid to compete. members to push. (That’s less of a
“I was kind of shocked that it actually worked out,” he disadvantage in the four-person sled than in pairs.) Before the first day’s run, Nicholls made what he
said last week. Nicholls, who sustained spinal damage in a skiing acci- calls “a rookie mistake”: He loosened his helmet strap,
Raice had been told that he would be teaming with an dent 15 years ago, says it is the first time in the history of causing it to slide down over his eyes and block his line
athlete whose partner had dropped out because of sched- the sport that a disabled person is competing against able- of vision on the track. With Nicholls not able to steer
uling conflicts. The other competitor would be the team’s bodied athletes. JTA reached out to the International Bob- properly, the sled flipped on its side. He broke several
pilot, sitting at the front of the racing sled and steering, sleigh and Skeleton Federation to confirm the claim, but the fingers, and the team could not complete the race.
while Raice would be the brakeman, pulling a lever to get organization did not respond by publication time. But it didn’t stop the pair from competing the follow-
the go-kart-like sleigh to slow down after it crossed the Raice arrived in Lake Placid on November 29, just a day ing day. They finished in 11th place, ahead of two teams
finish line. before the two-day competition. He and Nicholls, who is in that were unable to complete the race. But Nicholls still
What he didn’t know was that his partner, Dave Nich- his 50s and based in Park City, Utah, were able to practice will participate in additional races as he tries to qualify
olls, uses a wheelchair to get around. Though Nicholls had on the racetrack twice before the big day. for the World Cup, a prerequisite for the Olympics.
With seven athletes, the Israeli bobsled and skeleton
team has a record number of members. Though the
team is based in the United States, all the athletes have
Israeli citizenship — some from birth, others from mak-
ing aliyah to compete for the country.
Earlier this year, an Israeli sledder competed for the
first time in the Olympics, as American-Israeli A.J. Edel-
man represented the country in one-person men’s skel-
eton. David Greaves, who leads the team as head of the
Israeli Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, hopes that in
2022, the team will compete not only in men’s skeleton
but in the women’s race and bobsled as well.
“There are a lot of small countries that are involved
in these sports who struggle every year to find ath-
letes to compete,” said Greaves, who is based in Win-
nipeg, Canada. “And we have done something in terms
of growing our program that most small nations have
not been able to do successfully.”
Raice said that competing for the first time was
“way more bone jarring and exhausting than I ever
imagined.”
“You think you’re getting into a sled and slide
down,” he said, “but it’s a really fast track and the
G-forces are unreal. You feel like you almost get black-
out on some of the curves.”
Still, he said he has become “slightly addicted” to
the sport and hopes to continue with the goal of par-
ticipating in the Olympics together with Nicholls. For
his part, Nicholls says that representing the Jewish
state holds a special significance.
“I’m wearing the Star of David when I compete,”
he said. “I’m wearing on my left hand a blue and
white glove, and on my right hand a USA red, white
and blue glove. People know now that I’m Team
Israel, and it’s great to hear that over the loud-
speaker when they’re announcing the different driv-
ers and the different countries.” JTA WIRE SERVICE

Jewish World
BRIEFS
18 groups ask Mike Pompeo any state claims to individual and communal property.” “Why is this woman not famous?” British writer Gwyn
The letter references an import restriction request by Headley wrote in a 2010 blog post. “Without Ms. Berezin
to safeguard Jewish artifacts Algeria that the State Department is considering. Last there would be no Bill Gates, no Steve Jobs, no inter-
in import restriction pacts year, JIMENA protested an agreement that the United net, no word processors, no spreadsheets; nothing that
JOSEFIN DOLSTEN States reached with Libya, saying it did not exclude Jew- remotely connects business with the 21st century.”
ish artifacts. The State Department later said that certain JTA WIRE SERVICE
Eighteen Jewish groups urged Secretary of State Mike Jewish artifacts were exempt from the deal.
Pompeo to exclude Jewish artifacts when making import
Kirk Douglas, 102, honored
JTA WIRE SERVICE
restriction agreements with countries in the Middle East
and North Africa. by his hometown in N.Y.
In a letter sent to Pompeo on Tuesday, the organiza- Evelyn Berezin, who built SAM SOKOL
tions said they were worried that deals meant to curb and marketed first word
looting would prevent Jews now living in the United The latest honor for Jewish actor Kirk Douglas came in
States from retrieving personal and community belong-
processor, dies at 93 the upstate New York town where he was raised on his
ings from their countries of origin. ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL 102nd birthday.
Jews were forced out of countries in the Middle East Evelyn Berezin, a Bronx-born daughter of Jewish immi- Friends and relatives gathered in Amsterdam on Sun-
and North Africa amid heavy persecution after the estab- grants from Russia who built and marketed the first com- day to unveil a historic marker for a sign that will say
lishment of the state of Israel in 1948. puterized word processor, died in Manhattan last Satur- that Douglas “Rose From Poverty To Appear In Over 90
The letter was organized by Jews Indigenous to the day. She was 93. Films In Hollywood,” The Associated Press reported.
Middle East and North Africa, or JIMENA, and signed A founder in 1969 of the Long Island-based Redactron The sign will be erected near his home in the town,
by organizations including the Anti-Defamation League, Corp., Berezin created the Data Secretary, a processor- which is about 30 miles from Albany, the state’s capital.
the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish enhanced typewriter that jump-started a market later to Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch to Yiddish-speak-
Organizations, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and the be dominated by IBM and brands like Osborne, Wang, ing immigrant parents. He has starred in such films as
World Jewish Congress North America. Tandy, and Kaypro. “Spartacus” and “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.”
It calls on Pompeo to ensure “that a policy is in place She sold the company to the Burroughs Corp. in 1976 His son Michael Douglas also is an accomplished actor
that protects Jewish and Christian heritage by explicitly and went on to careers in venture capital and consult- and director who won the Genesis Prize, also called the
excluding them from any import restrictions and rejecting ing, according to her obituary in the New York Times. “Jewish Nobel,” in 2015. JTA WIRE SERVICE
BABYU

JEWISH
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Editorial
Anti-Semitism and radical empathy
KEEPING THE FAITH
The Torah nails it

F when it comes to
or those of us lucky enough to be born in a wonderful title!), a dean, and the vice president of
the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area academic affairs at Union Theological Seminary, the
after the end of the World War II, anti-Sem-
itism is more or less an elusive thing, not a
Protestant school right across Broadway from JTS in
upper Manhattan. She is also a Catholic nun. leadership qualities
A
memory for any of us, more a bogey than any kind The two women have taught together many times
of reality. over the course of just about a decade, Dr. Schwartz s 2018 heads for the history
It is to our horror that we see that we were wrong; said; last spring, they headed a course on Jewish books, national leadership
although still most of us have not experienced anti- Christian relations to a class divided just about in has risen to the front pages
Semitism firsthand, we know that it has not gone away, half between Christians and Jews. All were studying in almost every corner of
that it is not a leftover old European nightmare. for leadership positions, mainly but not entirely as the globe.
We also know that it is not only anti-Semitism that clergy members. “What grew out of that experience On Saturday, December 1, Andrés
seems to have resurged, or at least resurfaced from was something very hopeful,” Ms. Schwartz said. “I Manuel López Obrador took office as
the sewers where it hid and bred and festered here for feel and Mary shares my feelings about confronting Mexico’s president. In the days that fol-
more than half a century. Racism is back. To be more the painful experiences and really working through lowed, Angela Merkel signaled the end
accurate, racism never has gone away, any more than them together.” of her reign as chancellor of Germany, Shammai
anti-Semitism has, but it’s become less hidden. Just Anti-Semitism more or less as we know it is just about while in France, demonstrators took to Engelmayer
like anti-Semitism. as old as Christianity, she said, and grew out of the the streets in at times violent protests
Is there any hope? Christians’ need to differentiate themselves from the against President Emmanuel Macron
Yes, there does seem to be. religion with which at first it shared so much. “They had and his government. This Wednesday, voters in Madagascar will
The murderer in Charlottesville, who rammed his a lot of nasty things to say, and once those words were choose their next president. Brazil’s next president, Jair Bolsonaro,
car into people peacefully protesting the moronically out, they were out,” she said. “Words matter. takes office on New Year’s Day.
evil tiki-torchlit march the night before, when the “And so it became very much part and parcel of the In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads the
brave thugs who did not wear masks but still tried to way the church understood Jews.” Soon enough that Likud party, is down to a tenuous one-vote Knesset majority, follow-
hide their identities (and who suffered repercussions base was mixed with the power politics of the medi- ing Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu party’s mid-Novem-
when their IDs hit the internet, because most people eval period. Nothing good ensued. ber departure from the ruling coalition.
are horrified by them) paraded shouting “Jews will not “Once those anti-Semitic tropes are there, they are Exacerbating matters, on erev Chanukah, police recommended to
replace us,” the man who killed Heather Heyer, whose available to be used as the basis for new theories of Attorney General Avichal Mandelblit that Bibi be indicted on charges
presence in the world would have made the world a anti-Semitism,” Dr. Schwartz continued. “Societies relating to fraud, bribery, and breach of trust. Police still are consid-
better place, just was sentenced to life in prison. (To are often looking for scapegoats. So all the forms of ering asking for indictments in two other cases. Finance Minister
be specific, his sentence was passed down by a jury, as modern anti-Semitism are overlaid on this foundation. Moshe Kahlon already has announced that he and his Kulanu party,
is done in Virginia; the judge has to ratify it. The jury “Anti-Semitism is like the canary in the coal mine. with its 10 Knesset seats, will leave the coalition if Bibi is indicted,
sentenced him to life plus 419 years in prison, along When societies begin tolerating anti-Semitism, it is thereby assuring his government’s collapse.
with a fine of $480,000. And I am not using his name a very bad sign.” And it is not coincidental that the In the United States, the new year will mark the beginning — hard
because he does not deserved to be called by name.) upswing in anti-Semitism and violence began with the as it is to contemplate or even tolerate, given the length of time and
When the synagogue murderer killed 11 people in presidential campaign of 2016 and gone upward ever the nature of current political discourse — of the 2020 presiden-
Pittsburgh, the reaction was immediate and over- since then. tial campaign. Last weekend, for example, Senator Corey Booker
whelming. It was of grief and disgust and appalled rec- Still, she feels hope. (D-N.J.) said in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hamp-
ognition that such evil was possible. It was not positive, “Part of what gives me hope, and impelled Mary shire that he will decide about running by New Year’s.
except perhaps in the nether reaches of the dark web. and me to do this, is that thank God there have been Then there was the funeral of the late President George H.W. Bush,
We also know that there are some local institutions, decades of interfaith dialogue, not only in this country in which the eulogies focused on the positive qualities he brought to
particularly schools, where anti-Semitism is a low- but particularly in this country. the White House, perhaps as a way of contrasting his style of leader-
level but hideous, joy-sapping thing, and that there “When I turned my phone back on after Shabbat ship to that of the current president.
often is discussion about whether it is better or worse when Pittsburgh happened, and texted with my kids Given all this, examining what Torah in its broadest sense (mean-
to expose it, better or worse to go after the kids who and everyone else I know to see how everyone was ing both the written and oral law) has to say about the nature of
do it, better or worse for their victims to have to deal dealing with it, I found a text from Mary. leadership is in order.
with the aftermath of the exposure. Because yes, it “It was beautiful. When there was a memorial ser- While these laws apply to us alone in our own governance, as
gets better, but often before it gets better it gets worse. vice at my shul the next night, she was there. God’s “kingdom of priests and holy nation,” our task is to dem-
Dr. Shuly Rubin Schwartz, the professor of Jewish “I think that the experience of confronting pain onstrate by example how all people should conduct themselves,
history at the Jewish Theological Seminary who also together, of being present for one another, of having including how leaders should lead.
is the provost there, is feeling some hope. It’s a feeling that kind of radical empathy, really matters.” The place to begin, of course, is with the ultimate Jewish leader,
she planned to share at an open talk with her good We all can use radical empathy, both directed at us
friend Dr. Mary C. Boys last Wednesday. and beaming from us. It’s a practice; we can start to Shammai Engelmayer is rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel of the
Dr. Boys is a professor of practical theology (what work on it now. —JP Palisades, now in Fort Lee.
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Opinion
Moses. The Torah does not give us a stated reason why God chose
him, but we can glean the answer from the biography we are given. Immune to reason?
Moses abhorred injustice. We see this in his attack on the Egyptian
overseer beating a Hebrew slave, his subsequent confrontation with Jewish anti-vaxxers and the resurgence of measles
T
the two unnamed Hebrews fighting with each other, and his com-
ing to the rescue of Jethro’s daughters, who were being harassed he celebrated chasidic mas- Nachman was not alone in his avid
by male shepherds (see Exodus 2 for these three incidents). He had ter Rabbi Nachman of Brat- endorsement of Jenner’s vaccine.
no qualms about speaking truth to power, as witness his repeated zlav (1772-1811) is remem- According to the late British chief
appearances before Pharaoh and his frequent challenges to God. bered for timeless pearls rabbi (and renowned medical ethicist)
In Exodus 5:22, for example, he chastises God for making matters of wisdom and sage spiritual counsel, Lord Immanuel Jakobovitz, Jenner
worse for the Israelites rather than alleviating their suffering. such as “All the world is a very narrow was “hailed with enthusiasm by Israel
Moses also stood up for his people even when he knew them bridge, and the essential thing is not Lipschuetz and other leading rabbis.”
to be in the wrong, notwithstanding an amazing offer from God. to be afraid.” Also: “Every shepherd Lipschuetz, the author of Responsa
Exodus 32:10, for example, tells us: “Now, therefore, let Me alone, has his own melody.” Rabbi Nachman Tipheret Yisrael, also listed Jenner “as
that My anger may burn hot against them, and that I may consume also was famously skeptical of physi- Rabbi Joseph a ‘Righteous Gentile’ for the develop-
them,” God says to Moses following the sin of the Golden Calf; “and cians: “It was difficult for the Angel of H. Prouser ment of the smallpox vaccine that
I will make of you a great nation.” Death to kill everybody in the world, saved hundreds of thousands of lives.”
On this occasion, as on several others, Moses refuses the offer. so he appointed doctors to assist him” Rabbinic authorities expressed
His job, given to him by God against his will, was to shepherd and (Sichot Ha-Ran #50). Nachman distrusted “modern” enthusiastic halachic support for immunization
protect Israel. To accept God’s offer would be to violate a trust he medicine as spiritually objectionable, the contempo- protocols even before Jenner’s historic medical
held sacred. (There is a wonderful midrash on this conversation to rary equivalent of magic and sorcery. breakthrough. Rabbi Abraham Nanzig, who was
be found in the Babylonian Talmud tractate B’rachot 32a.) It is instructive that so jaded a critic of medical sci- associated with London’s Hambro Synagogue and
There also was Moses’ great humility (see Numbers 12:3). The ence nevertheless issued a pointed and unambigu- its Ashkenazi beit midrash, wrote a brief but impas-
Sages of Blessed Memory ranked humility high on the list of lead- ous endorsement of immunization against infectious sioned treatise called Aleh Terufah, published in
ership qualities. Thus, we are told in BT Chagigah 5b: “Our rabbis disease, deeming such health protocols a non-nego- London in 1785. Nanzig, who had lost a son and a
taught: Over three things the Holy One, Blessed Be He, weeps every tiable religious duty. daughter to smallpox, endorsed the practice of
day...[including] over a leader who lords it over the community.” Rabbi Nachman wrote: variolation, a precursor to the more effective vac-
The Midrash (Exodus Rabbah 27:9) also notes the need for humil- “We must be exceedingly careful about the health cine. Variolation involved the deliberate infection of
ity when it quotes God as saying to the new leader: “[Now] go, hum- of our children, especially when they are still small. patients with smallpox or cowpox to cause a mild
ble yourself at the dust of the feet of princes and those greater than One should in no way be lax in this matter…. One form of the disease, that would result in immunity to
you....” must vaccinate every baby against smallpox before smallpox upon recovery. That essentially is the same
The 19th century chasidic leader Rabbi Moses Ben Israel Polier of the age of three months, for if one does not do so, principle operative in more refined and reliable vac-
Kobrin had this to say about a leader’s need for humility (as quoted he is like those who shed blood. And even if one cines. Nanzig deemed submission to variolation “an
by Martin Buber in his “Tales of the chasidim”): “A leader must not lives far from the city, one must travel there even if eager act of religious devotion, which reflects the
think that God chose him because he is a great man. Does a peg in the season is very cold, etc.” (See Kuntres Hanhagot Commandment to ‘be particularly careful of your
the wall, on which the king hangs his crown, boast that its beauty Yesharot, 5-6.) wellbeing’ (Deuteronomy 4:15).”
attracted the king’s attention?” Rabbi Nachman’s specific emphasis on smallpox Nanzig cited a still earlier medical protocol aimed
The qualities we see in Moses are echoed in the so-called “king’s reflects his times. Edward Jenner’s effective vac- at producing limited immunity against smallpox.
law” in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. It makes clear that Judaism known cine against that disease was introduced in 1796. This was described to him by Rabbi Shalom Buza-
nothing of a “divine right of kings,” even if his appointment was Nachman’s warning not to be deterred by cold gli, a kabbalist who was born in Marakesh, Morocco,
seen as having been made by God Himself. The king may not even weather reflected his personal experiences of the in 1700 and served on London’s Ashkenazi beit din.
consider himself above everyone else; “his heart [may] not be lifted Polish and Ukrainian winter in Medzhybizh, Bres- Buzagli reported that a child who survived small-
up above his fellows,” the king’s law says, meaning the leader (male low, and Uman. pox and was in the final stages of recovery would
or female; gender is not an issue) governs a nation of equals in the Were Rabbi Nachman writing today, he would be given a handful of raisins to hold until they were
eyes of the law, and is subject to the same law as everyone else. He note that more than 1,400 cases of measles were warmed in his hands. The raisins would be given to
or she also must rule for the benefit of the people and the nation, reported in Israel just this year. More than half of a healthy child to eat. That would produce the same
not for his or her own material profit. those cases were in Jerusalem, predominantly effect as variolation — a mild infection resulting in
Among other things, following the Torah’s enactment, the leader among ultra-Orthodox families. He would observe immunity. Nanzig concludes by noting the implicit
at all times must respect the people he or she leads. “Rabbi Yitzchak that rates of infection have risen dramatically here support for this treatment by “men of renown
says: ‘The awe of the public should always be upon you.’” He then in the United States as well, notwithstanding the among the great scholars of Israel, and the yeshiva
cites the example of the kohanim, who, out of respect for the peo- fact that in 2000, the Centers for Disease Control of Rabbeinu Yitzchak Alfasi (the ‘Rif’)” in Fez.
ple, would face them when blessing them, even though that meant declared that measles — like smallpox — had been Rabbi Nachman and Rabbi Nanzig and Rabbi
turning their backs on “the Divine Presence.” (See BT Sotah 40a.) eradicated. Nachman would add that as of Novem- Buzagli and the Rif — that is to say, authoritative rep-
It follows, then, that the king also is not an absolute monarch ber 2018, 220 individual cases of measles had been resentatives of the normative halachic and Jewish
in any sense. He must share power in a tripartite system of gov- confirmed in 26 states (including New Jersey) and in ethical tradition — would, like their attentive disci-
ernance. Said the sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, there are “three the District of Columbia. He would warn that that ples today, all be aghast at the resurgence of vaccine-
crowns” —priesthood, kingship, and Torah (in this case meaning number is rising daily to epidemic proportions. preventable infectious diseases such as measles and
the prophets in biblical times and their spiritual heirs, the rabbis, Bratzlav chasidim presciently expanded upon pertussis, among others – due to lagging immuniza-
after them). (See Mishnah Avot 4:13.) their founder’s principle to include more recent tion rates and the refusal of many parents (religious
From a halachic standpoint and from tradition, then, our leaders developments in immunology: “So, too, in our time, Jews conspicuously among them) to allow their chil-
should be above reproach; they should put communal concerns when children are given immunizations against all dren to be vaccinated.
ahead of their own, they should not make themselves rich on the kinds of serious illness, like paralytic poliomyelitis A number of leading contemporary Orthodox rab-
backs of the people they lead, they should exemplify and spread (God save us!) or the like, we must act accordingly. binic leaders have addressed this health crisis and
the traits required of “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” and Let no one think himself clever for evading this, for decried those who are negligent in securing vacci-
they should not let their posts go to their heads. it is a matter of mortal peril.” nations. Among these principled voices of rabbinic
Finally, there is a discussion in BT Arachin 17a that deserves con- reason that are raised in response to the spiking
sideration. According to one sage, Rabbi Yehudah Nesi’ah, “As the Joseph H. Prouser is the rabbi of Temple Emanuel of rates of infection and resultant deaths in the United
generation, so the leader,” meaning that if a generation is virtuous, North Jersey in Franklin Lakes. SEE REASON PAGE 35
its leader will be virtuous. His colleagues, however, saw it the other
way around: “As the leader, so the generation.” The opinions expressed here are those of the authors, not necessarily those of the newspaper’s editors,
Either way, we are being told that a generation gets the leaders publishers, or other staffers. We welcome letters to the editor. Send them to [email protected].
it deserves.

Opinion
I’VE BEEN THINKING
Life’s not a cabaret in this ‘My Fair Lady’
I
’ve always loved Broadway theater, especially musi- And so, two weeks ago I had good news Henry was disappointing, though; the actor
cals. I went to my first show in sixth grade (more on and less good news. The good news was that playing him was much better suited in his role
that below) and haven’t stopped since. When I was I won the lottery. The less good news was that of assistant private secretary to the queen on
in high school and college, living in dorms in Wash- it wasn’t for umpteen hundreds of millions of “The Crown” (which, now having Netflix, I’m
ington Heights, I often would go to revivals at City Center dollars, but rather for two tickets (at $39 each up-to-date on).
(where I saw “The King & I” and “Brigadoon,” among other rather than for the list price of $182) to the And then there was the Eliza understudy.
great old shows), sitting in the nosebleed seats for about revival of “My Fair Lady” at Lincoln Center. If this were the plot of a movie, or, indeed, a
$2.50. Indeed, my wife and I did not meet for the first time I’d been playing that lottery for a while, so we Broadway show, we all know the ending. She
at one of those shows. (No, that’s not a typo, but it’s a story were pretty excited. would have seized her big opportunity and
for another time.) When we got to the theater, though, our Joseph C. been a smashing success, going from under-
The summer after we were married, we spent a week in excitement abated a bit. The role of Eliza Kaplan study to star in one performance. Indeed, a
London, where we saw eight shows for an average of about $5 recently had been taken over by Laura Benati, star would have been born before our very
each — still usually sitting way up high, though moving down who’d received rave reviews. In fact, my nephew own eyes. (Hey, with a bit of massaging that’s
at intermission if possible. We didn’t go on Shabbat, of course, Steven, a theater professional, had seen the production when not a bad title for a movie, don’t you think?)
but matinee days were, for us, two-show-a-day days. it first opened, and he is planning to see it again. She’s sup- But it was not to be. The understudy, with a pleasant
Our visits to Broadway continued when we lived on the posed to be that good. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to go on enough soprano voice, was no better than adequate. She
Upper West Side, with TKTS becoming a second home. I often that night and was replaced by her understudy. knew the score (as do I, though my wife, wisely, still refuses
would go to Duffy Square at lunchtime and could usually get The production was in many respects top-notch, with a to allow me to sing or even hum along), was a decent actress,
something decent for that evening. After (a) the arrival of kids, majestically beautiful Lerner & Loewe score and lyrics, great and if it had been summer stock we would have enjoyed it
(b) moving to Teaneck, and (c) sharply increased ticket prices, featured actors (Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Higgins were por- well enough. But there was no oomph, no charm, no per-
theater became more difficult and expensive, so our show- trayed wonderfully, as the two formidable women they are, sonal magnetism, no charisma, none of the oh-so-difficult to
going tapered off somewhat. But it never stopped. and Alfred’s “Get Me to the Church on Time” and Freddy’s describe star power that you know when you see it.
Now, however, with the advent of lotteries, rush tickets, “On the Street Where You Live” brought down the house), So back to my first Broadway show. It was, of course,
TDF (I have two daughters who are teachers), and retirement a rousing ensemble, and (here my wife dissents) divine cos- “My Fair Lady.” I didn’t see it with the original cast, Julie
— and having raised children to love Broadway as much as we tumes (except for Eliza’s ball gown, which was a sickly shade Andrews and Rex Harrison. My Eliza and Henry were Sally
do and who know that birthday or anniversary presents of of peach and didn’t come close to the wow factor of her stun- Ann Howes and Edward Mulhare, two young actors, worthy
tickets are appreciated — our visits are on the upswing. always ning red satin ball coat and the Ascot gowns). successors to Julie and Rex, who went on to very successful
We have to fight for ourselves

“I know how comfortable it is to curl up with a nice, fat meeting in New Jersey, we had a personal toward Israel so strong that you’ll protect a
book full of big words and think you’re going to solve all and painful understanding of this horrific terrorist organization doing harm to the Pal-
the problems in the universe. But you’re not, you know. A loss. Two of our committee members, who estinian people?”
bit of action is required every now and then.” had watched Adar grow up, talked about The U.S. resolution passed 87 to 57,
their memories of Adar as a student, an with 33 abstentions, but it ultimately was
D
- CAROL BELDON, “MRS. MINIVER”
athlete and part of their community. We defeated when the Palestinians engineered a
uring the last days of Chanukah, Partnership- did not grieve only as sympathetic Jews in two-thirds procedural vote. As frustrating as
2Gether, the collaboration between the Jew- the diaspora, or as non-Jewish Americans, the loss is, the trend is in the positive direc-
ish Federation of Northern New Jersey and its but more like extended family. We may not tion for Israel. This same procedural tool was
Israeli partner city, Nahariya, held its annual have known Adar personally, but we did Martha used this summer when Ambassador Haley
steering committee meeting. We alternate sites, so this know Ilan and Rachel. Through our friend- Cohen added an amendment condemning Hamas
year we met in New Jersey. As we meet, we reflect on cur- ship with them and our relationship with to a U.N. resolution condemning Israel for
rent programs and discuss how we will move forward in the people of Nahariya, we commiserated its actions when Gazans stormed Israel’s
the next few years. We also socialize. on a much deeper level. So much so that even in the last southern border in June. The amendment passed, but it
Programs developed and executed over the years have few days, more than four years later, we talked about was discarded when the two-thirds option was employed.
enriched both communities, in areas as far ranging as Adar during the committee meeting. However, there were only 62 votes for that condemnation
youth leadership and STEM to security and the arts. In And it is tragic to realize that more than four years later, of Hamas, as opposed to the more recent vote of 87. That’s
fact, our partnership brought the practice of bloodless there is still fighting, missiles and now fire balloons com- 25 more votes standing with the United States and Israel,
medicine to Israel; it first was introduced at the Western ing from Gaza, terrorizing all Israelis who live in the south, and against Hamas and its supporters.
Galilee Hospital and now is part of the medical protocol who wonder each day if they will make it to a shelter in The relationships between Ambassador Haley and
throughout the nation. the few seconds they have before a missile explodes. Now and Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, and
All of this is wonderful, but the deeper purpose of the Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in the Lebanon, is digging tunnels between President Donald J. Trump and Israel’s prime
annual meeting is to bring Nahariyans and those in our in the north, using the southern tunnels as models, look- minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, are very strong partner-
area closer together, to eliminate any misconceptions ing to infiltrate and even take a community hostage. And ships. We can only hope that if she is confirmed, Heather
or walls that may isolate us, given that we are a part of the fact that Russia is giving Syria the S-300 antiaircraft Nauert, the State Department spokesperson who has been
two allied but different nations. Agreement is nice, and system only further complicates Israel’s security. nominated to replace Ambassador Haley, will continue in
we need it to green light a project, but it not the most Though the positive changes of the past two years on the same manner.
important goal. Understanding, mutual respect, and the diplomatic front are welcome, there is still a strong The last two years have seen numerous actions by our
the appreciation of each person and the character and will to isolate Israel from the community of nations. As government in normalizing Israel in the world, including the
needs of each community is what is important. And in in earlier years, more United Nations resolutions were suspension of funding of UNWRA pending reform, and with-
many cases it leads to deep and lifelong friendships. passed against Israel in 2018 than any other country and drawal from the U.N. Human Rights Council, a true oxymo-
And so, in July 2014, when a 20-year-old man named by a large margin. Standard U.N. fare, but there was one ron given that is has the likes of Venezuela, China, and Saudi
Adar Barsano was killed during the Gaza war, when difference. This month, the United States offered a draft Arabia as members. Of course, we did not do this to be kind
terrorists breached the Israeli border into Kibbutz resolution to condemn Hamas. As Ambassador Nikki to another nation but to support our own security needs
Beeri and at the same time our steering committee was Haley said, “Peace must be built on truth.... Is the hatred and in recognition of what Haley said — peace can only be

Opinion
careers. And having seen Rex light up the movie, where all I need is about 60 seconds Reason sins in the first person plural.
screen in the movie version and Julie being to know exactly who is going to marry whom FROM PAGE 33 Some people who refuse to immunize
simply enchanting on stage in “Camelot,” I after the obligatory problems arise and are States and Israel are the late Rabbi simply are negligent.
know how a true star could have brought then resolved, often at the Christmas gala. In Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, Rabbi Asher Some so-called anti-vaxxers claim
Eliza to life and energized the audience — these types of shows, there’s rarely true sus- Weiss, Rabbi Mordechai Halperin, and that immunizations pose an inherent
which our understudy simply didn’t do. pense or the possibility of ultimate failure; Rabbi Hershel Schachter. All of them mortal risk and have been linked to
Other headliners I’ve seen on stage — like hearts may be broken but they’re repaired have deemed vaccination a commu- autism. This irresponsible and insidi-
Zero Mostel, Danny Kaye (even playing Noah by the final commercial or bow. nal responsibility, a religious obliga- ous latter claim has not been merely
with a broken leg), Lauren Bacall, Ethel Mer- Success, though, is worthwhile only when tion, and a moral mandate. Ignoring disproven. It has been thoroughly
man (with a voice as recognizable and spine- there can also be failure. It’s no big deal that that mandate, they say, is met properly debunked as based on maliciously
tingling on the telephone as it was on the in the show “42nd Street” the understudy with expressions of opprobrium and fraudulent studies.
stage), Patti Lupone, Hume Cronyn and Jes- didn’t return to Allentown (hi Tara!) but rabbinic remonstrance. Such fears and spurious claims are
sica Tandy, James Earl Jones, Mary Martin, or, went on stage and was a hit. Her success To this list must be added Rabbi unworthy of members of the Jewish
as I saw just recently, Janet McTeer — not only was writ in stone; good music, great danc- Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, who until community. We are heirs to the reli-
take over the stage but their characters fill the ing, but no real possibility of failure. his death in 1995 was the dean of gious tradition that teaches humanity
theater, transporting the audience to another Some day in the future it will be truly Israeli Orthodox poskim (halachic reverence for human life, the tradi-
level of consciousness. Moments spent with meaningful when an understudy in real life decisors). Rabbi Auerbach tellingly tion that asserts that truth is “the seal
such artists in live theater are memorable will give a spectacular performance, deserve ruled that it is even permissible to set of God,” the tradition in which God is
and endure for years. The only thing from the standing ovation she receives, and launch aside observance of Shabbat to receive approached through intellectual rigor
the show that I saw a few weeks ago that will a glorious career. But it will be meaningful an immunization, if foregoing the Sab- and served through penetrating ana-
live on for me is, well, this column. only because we know that, like in the “My bath opportunity would necessitate an lytical study.
And so I learned once again that life is not a Fair Lady” we saw, she could have failed. unacceptable delay, thus creating a life- Other people fail to immunize
Broadway musical or a movie. In real life, the I love musicals for entertainment, but threatening situation. because — frankly speaking — they are
guy who loses the girl doesn’t always get her give me real life for living. Rabbinic agreement about the reli- spoiled. As S. P. Calandrillo wrote in the
back; happily ever after can turn into divorce; gious and moral obligation to immu- University of Michigan Journal of Law
the rookie sometimes strikes out in the bot- Joseph C. Kaplan, a regular columnist, is nize against infectious disease tran- Reform: “Vaccines are becoming a vic-
tom of the ninth with the championship at a longtime resident of Teaneck. His work scends denominational boundaries tim of their own success — many indi-
stake; Jimmy Stewart’s bank can go bust; and, also has appeared in various publications and institutional affiliation. The viduals have never witnessed the debil-
yes, the understudy can be a dud. including Sh’ma magazine, the New York Responsa Committee of the Reform itating diseases that vaccines protect
But who would want to live in a Broadway Jewish Week, the Baltimore Jewish Times, and, movement’s Central Conference of against, allowing complacency toward
musical or, for that matter, in a Hallmark as letters to the editor, the New York Times. American Rabbis declares: “Jewish immunization requirements to build.”
tradition would define immunization In recent months we have witnessed
as part of the mitzvah of healing and the devastating consequences of that
recognize it as a required measure…. complacency. It has no place in the Jew-
built on truth. That is a change in our policy if we fight it only on the world stage. How- There are no valid Jewish religious ish community.
in the Middle East, and one that we should ever, if we are to stop the increasing anti- grounds to support the refusal to Rabbi Nachman and Rabbi Nanzig and
never stray from. Semitism that is beginning to grow in our immunize as a general principle.” Rabbi Buzagli and the Rif all saw small-
And the lesson for us is one for the ages. As communities, our colleges, and within The Conservative Rabbinical Assem- pox and polio and measles and other
the young Carol Beldon put it in “Mrs. Mini- some halls of power, we must exhibit the bly’s Committee on Jewish Law and deadly diseases — and the suffering they
ver,” one of the finest movies made about the same conviction and courage. We need to Standards unanimously adopted the entailed — firsthand. So did our parents
British people under assault at the beginning speak publicly and frankly about baseless position that failure to immunize and grandparents and many elders still
of WWII, it is never talk or lofty ideas that win hatred being promulgated on multiple lev- against vaccine-preventable disease among us. They were not complacent.
the day when lives are at stake. That is the els, beginning in schools and places of wor- is “a serious, compound violation of The circumstances permitting our own
time when action is required. ship and within communities and even at Jewish law,” noting that rabbinic lit- relative unfamiliarity with those diseases
And so, as we end 2018 and look toward certain nonprofits. erature has linked the halachic obliga- and their catastrophic costs in human
2019, I’m grateful for the United States’ rec- Without taking on this responsibility and tion to vaccinate with no fewer than lives and misery are all but miraculous.
ognition of Jerusalem as the eternal capi- testing our relationships now with frank five positive and three negative Bibli- I write these words even as we are cele-
tal of Israel, the only home of the Jewish talk, things only will get worse, and the cal commandments. brating Chanukah, thanking God repeat-
people. I’m grateful for the opening of the isolation and harassment will continue to In 1905, the United States Supreme edly each day “al ha-nisim” — “for the
American embassy in Jerusalem, finally nor- grow, just as it has in France, England, and Court, ruling in Jacobson v. Massachu- miracles, the wonders, the acts of salva-
malizing for the state of Israel something many other European countries. setts, established the right of states tion, and the triumphs” of our history.
that every other nation has but was denied At the end of “Mrs. Miniver” the small to compel citizens to submit to vac- As Jews, we never should allow the hid-
only to the Jewish people, the right to select English town is bombed. Many civilians, cination. The City of Cambridge had den triumphs and miraculous conditions
their own capital. men, women, and children, are killed. In fined Mr. Jacobson $5 (!) for refusing to under which we are profoundly privi-
As you may recall, a year ago this month, response, the rector gives a stirring speech, comply with a city ordinance requir- leged to live to be taken for granted.
the U.N.’s General Assembly voted on a reso- asking rhetorically why civilians were killed, ing residents to be vaccinated against Or as Rabbi Nachman might put it,
lution castigating the United States for mov- rather than soldiers. “This is the people’s smallpox. Noting the danger to the even if we are all shepherds with our
ing our embassy to Jerusalem. The response war!” he says. “It is our war! We are the public weal inherent in Jacobson’s fail- own melodies, we have obligations to
to the vote was something these countries fighters! Fight it then! Fight with all that is in ure to immunize, and his consequent others who have a song to sing, an obli-
had not heard, at least not recently. Haley us, and may God defend the right.” potential as a source of contagion, the gation to consider the needs and wellbe-
said, “the United States had the courage and The frustrating thing about the Jewish Supreme Court described the alterna- ing, the health and lives of those among
honesty to recognize a fundamental reality. people is that as much as we are ready to tive to compulsory vaccination: “The whom we live our lives. We have an obli-
Jerusalem has been the political, cultural, fight for others, we find it hard to fight for spectacle would be presented of the gation to submit to safe and time-tested
and spiritual homeland of the Jewish peo- ourselves. There is still time to stop this welfare and safety of an entire popula- vaccines, to contribute to the herd
ple for thousands of years. They have had hatred from growing in our country, but tion being subordinated to the notions immunity that protects us all from infec-
no other capital city. But the United States’ everyone must do their part. One thing is of a single individual who chooses to tion, shepherds and flock alike. “For
recognition of the obvious — that Jerusalem certain, we all will lose if we remain on remain part of that population.” Such if one does not do so (as recent events
is the capital and seat of the modern Israeli the sidelines. radical individualism should be anath- have made all too clear) he is like those
government — is too much for some.” Since ema to Jewish morality, which places who shed blood.”
then, other countries plan to follow — the Martha Cohen is an award-winning such value on community, and which “All the world is a very narrow
latest is Brazil. producer and creative executive. She lives in expresses both our loftiest prayerful bridge, and the essential thing is not to
We cannot get hatred of the Jews to cease Fort Lee with her husband and son. aspirations and confesses our darkest be afraid.”

D’var Torah
Vayigash: When sorrow is embedded
I
wonder what it would have been like Memory and Resolution” “... in his heart.” He controls But who is Joseph? Joseph is still a son,
to be Joseph at that moment. Was he functions as...a display of gen- himself, until he can’t any- still a brother, and he is still afraid, filled
standing or was he seated? Did he erosity, not only by endear- more, until the tears begin with grief, and deeply traumatized. The
fall to the ground, shaking, as the ingly acknowledging the deep to flow and the flood- pain has never left him, and it never
waves of incessant, uncontrollable tears bond between Jacob, Joseph gates open. will. Yet still, he is Joseph. In the fullness
poured through him? Did anyone try to and Benjamin (44:20), but Va-yitein et kolo biv-chi, and the glory of his deep wounding and
comfort him, to offer any wisdom, to place also by verbalizing yet again Genesis 45:2. And Joseph trauma, he is present before his brothers,
a hand on his shoulder, to stand by him as the traumatic event, this time brought forth his voice in and he knows who he is.
the memory of the trauma that he had suf- through the father’s eyes (vv. tears, and Egypt heard, And all Joseph can do, is offer the
fered poured out of him? 27-29); and by its expression Rabbi Paul and the House of Pharaoh moments of his pain to God, because if
With Joseph’s goblet having been found of binding commitment to Jacobson heard (my own transla- he holds on to the blame, the victimiza-
in Benjamin’s bag (the conclusion of Mik- Jacob and Benjamin, even at Temple Avodat tion). There are those tion any longer, it will eat away at his soul
Shalom, River
etz, last week’s parasha), Joseph’s broth- the price of self-sacrifice (vv. Edge, Reform
among us, in our own way and destroy him. Even in the midst of a
ers have rent their clothes (a sign of deep 30-34).” And it is this display of and our own right, who terrible emotional breakdown, a collapse
mourning), and returned to Joseph’s generosity, which leads Joseph know full well what crying that is heard far and wide, Joseph knows
house, throwing themselves on the to reveal his shattered truth. like that sounds like; gasping, breathless who he is. Saying Ani yosef, is a state-
ground, pleading for clemency. Joseph The text, in Parashat Vayigash, is sobs that we think will never stop, tears of ment, that he is Joseph in his success, as
holds the power; all the cards are in his resplendent in the Hebrew. V’lo yachol deepest grief that rack us to the very core much as he is Joseph in his deepest sor-
hand. He can imprison all of his broth- yosef l’hitapek, Genesis 45:1. JPS trans- of who we are, all captured in four words row. No matter the time elapsed, no mat-
ers, enslave them, and possibly go so far lates this phrase as “Joseph could no in Hebrew. ter the lessening of the wound, the pain
as to put them to death. Joseph decides to longer control himself before all his The expression of Joseph’s pain is so remains there, always lurking beneath
enslave Benjamin, sending the rest of the attendants.” The BDB Lexicon takes the raw, and so real, that the first words he can the surface, for some encounter, mali-
brothers away. Until... translation a step further, suggesting muster are very simply, very plainly, “Ani cious or inadvertent, that triggers the
Judah approaches Joseph with the gen- that apek (aleph-pei-qoph), means that yosef, I am Joseph.” And who is Joseph? He feelings, leading them to bubble to the
tlest of requests, a reminder that if Benja- Joseph couldn’t hold himself together is a dreamer, a visionary, a favorite child. surface once more.
min were to leave his father Jacob forever, or be strong any longer; he couldn’t He is someone who has been thrown No, Joseph reminds us. Life never
then Jacob would die. Judah’s emotional channel his emotions any further. Rabbi into a pit, left for dead, sold into slavery, leaves us. No matter how much we try to
request, according to Dr. Meira Polliack, Samuel ben Meir (Rashbam) comments, harassed, imprisoned, and who finally, in run away, no matter how far we might go,
lecturer in Biblical Studies at Tel Aviv Uni- “Because until now, Joseph was complet- a foreign country, found a way to ascend to body and soul always seems to have a way
versity, in her paper “Joseph’s Trauma: ing all of his work by controlling himself a position of great importance. of remembering.
BRIEFS
On last day of Chanukah, still lays in ruin and has not yet been excavated. of the Christian IDF Officers Forum, Capt. (res.) Shadi
archaeologists find an “The Mishnah, tractate Shabbat, discusses what mate- Halul; Muslim social activist Kazim Khalilieh; and Druze
rials may and may not be used as wicks to light Shabbat attorney and activist Hazar Gadben.
ancient wick in the Negev lamps,” Sukenik said in a statement. “There, too, linen is “There is no country that is more just than Israel, which
A unique lamp wick dating back to the Byzantine period mentioned as a high-quality material for wicks because provides full and equal rights to all of its citizens,” Halul
was uncovered by the Antiquities Authority at the Negev it burns long and beautifully.” Although the ancient res- said. “As a minority, I can testify to all the horrors that Chris-
Desert Roman Empire settlement of Shivta, according to idents of Shivta were Christians, linen was a common tians experienced and continue to experience in Lebanon,
an announcement on the last day of Chanukah. material for wick-making at the time. Syria, Iraq and Egypt. But in Israel, we live freely in peace.”
This wick, which is just a few centimeters long, is esti- According to the archaeologists, the use of linen wicks Kazim Khalilieh, who presents pro-Israel lectures
mated to be 1,500 years old. According to archaeologist in a location where flax does not grow indicates that the around the world, discussed the difficulties of advocating
Dr. Naama Sukenik, the wick, which is confirmed to have linen or the wicks themselves were likely imported. for Israel as a member of the Muslim community.
been made of linen, managed to survive because of the The wick, along with other objects recovered from the “It’s not easy to go against the current,” Khalilieh said.
dry climate of the Negev. Colt expedition at Shivta, will be on public display at the “Two years ago, my parents stopped talking to me because
Christians lived in the town of Shivta (also known as Hecht Museum in Haifa beginning on January 24. JNS.ORG of my support for Israel. But that is who I am; I need to
Subeita) during the Roman and Byzantine periods. It is stand up for the truth.”
believed to have been a stop for Nabatean spice trades Hazar Gadben said “all the radical-left Jews who slander
until the region was conquered by the Romans in 106 C.E. Zionist group uses conference and demonize Israel need to wake up and understand that if
and transformed into wealthy towns with churches. to put emphasis on human rights they were the minority in Israel, they would go back to being
In the 1930s, the excavation of Shivta began under Har- ‘Jews with big noses’ and would be oppressed to no end.”
ris Dunscombe Colt — leader of the American Colt expedi- At conference, Israeli minorities praise Jewish state The panel was followed by a discussion on the topic of
tion — and was revived by the University of Haifa in 2015 The Zionist organization Im Tirtzu held its sixth annual Israel’s legal rights, featuring Ze’ev Jabotinsky, grandson of
under Professor Guy Bar-Oz and Dr. Yotam Tepper. Zionist Conference for Human Rights Tuesday in Tel Aviv. the famous Revisionist Zionist leader, and Yishai Fleisher,
The Colt team erected a stone-housing edifice out of large During the conference, which takes place annually on spokesperson of the Jewish Community of Hebron.
blocks taken from the ruins of Shivta, which now houses a international Human Rights Day, Im Tirtzu CEO Matan The conference concluded with an award ceremony,
family that operates a bed-and-breakfast from the site. Peleg explained that the conference aims to underscore in which Im Tirtzu’s Zionist Prize for Human Rights was
The adjacent Shivta national park is open to visitors, the unbreakable connection between Zionism and human awarded to social activist and bereaved father Boaz Kokia,
who can see ancient churches, government edifices, and rights, and to counter those who use the call of human whose son Ron was murdered last year in a terror attack,
other buildings. While the excavation has managed to rights to slander and delegitimize Israel. and Rabbi Arie Levy, the founder of Rescuers Without Bor-
uncover many of the large structures, complete with stone The event opened with a panel on the topic of the inte- ders, which provides medical assistance to those in need
etchings and even mosaics, a significant part of the site gration of minorities in Israel and featured the chairman throughout the world. JNS.ORG

The Frazzled Housewife Kosher Crossword
“Jerusalem: Top to Bottom” By Yoni Glatt
[email protected]
Difficultly Level: Medium
To Cleveland, to Cleveland,
to Cleveland we go!
L
ittle kids, little problems; big waking them up. They are so excited that
kids, big problems. When I we are coming to stay with them!” (And
first heard this saying and my since they are out-of-towners, they prob-
kids were little, I thought, “Ha, ably really were excited that they were
ha. You don’t know what you are talking coming to stay with them!) In true my-
about.” After all, once you finish toilet son-form, they found a Shacharit (morn-
training your kids, what problems could ing prayer) minyan, a Mincha (afternoon
you possibly have after that? I think prayer) minyan, and last but not least, a
someone should write a book and list all Maariv (evening prayer) minyan.
of these problems. In age order. Solving Of course there was a catch. The
each problem with specific answers and game started at 1, and Mincha was at
techniques. 4:30. What happened if the game went
What to do when your child is a biter? into extra innings? (Oops, wrong sport.)
(I only had one child bitten once by What happened if the game went into
another child, so that wasn’t my prob- overtime? What happened if the game
lem.) What to do when your child isn’t a ran late due to circumstances beyond
good sharer? (Also not a problem I had anyone’s control? The possibilities of
with my perfect progeny.) missing a minyan were
What to do when your child endless — and husband
uses bad language? (Hmm, I #1 wanted nothing to do
think that is actually a prob- with it. Because the other
lem that I have.) And an all- catch was that husband
time favorite — what to do #1 and crazy mom didn’t
when your child likes wear- really want the boys to
ing the same item of cloth- go. You get nervous when
ing every single day? (Again, your kids drive around
not a problem I had…. I am the block, but letting
so blessed.) Banji them drive to Cleveland,
Across Down
Then there are the more Ganchrow by themselves, was too
1. Sephardic character on “Srugim” 1. Room at the top
complex problems, which much for our delicate
5. “ASAP!” 2. Taj ___
aren’t really problems, but stomachs to handle. 9. Winston Churchill’s “___ Country” 3. Sendler who rescued Warsaw children
are issues. Like what do you do when But no one was listening to us, because 13. Trendy chips 4. Go bad
your child becomes more religious than the boys were so excited about going 14. It grows on you 5. Eye-covered prayer: Var.
you are? What do you do when your — but more importantly, about going 15. Org. in “Interstellar” 6. Items on some shoes
16. Elevated spot in the Old City 7. Isn’t well
child becomes less religious than you together. And very few things make a
19. Baseball All-Star Kinsler 8. ___ Asar (12 Prophets)
are? What do you do when your child boymom happier than having her boys 20. Collie of TV 9. “Wheel of Fortune” request
drops out of high school and wants to want to spend quality time together. 21. Word before a maiden name 10. Animals, collectively
sell watermelons by the highway? What Except, of course, if those same boys 22. Music symbols 11. “Mary Tyler Moore Show” co-star
do you do when your child votes for want to spend quality time with each 24. Former Russian VIPs 12. Insurance and interest
26. Albania currency unit 17. “Is there anyone ___?”
Trump? Yup, someone really needs to other AND their mom….
28. ___ Air 18. Administer, with “out”
write a book of solutions. The sun set over Teaneck, the Chanu- 29. Looney Tunes brand 23. Jetted
And then, there is this. What do you kah candles were lit, and off they went. 32. “Laugh-In” comedian Johnson 25. Cabbage, carrots and mayo
do when two of your boys tell you that Twenty-nine hours later, my beauti- 35. A Biblical king and a Gray 27. “Hard” in Hebrew
they want to drive 13 hours to and from ful boys were back and were chock full 39. Locale lower than 16-Across 28. He said “It gets late early out there”
42. “Velvet” or “cant” ending 29. George Peppard TV series, with “The”
Cleveland to go to a football game? of stories of things that I knew noth-
43. Rabbi Isaac Luria 30. Some Jeeps
Of course, the game is the Cleveland ing about, but I was so happy that they 44. “The way” of the East 31. Cited formally
Browns against the Carolina Panthers. were talking to me that I pretended I 45. Gallery display 33. Israel’s 6 and 20: Abbr.
For those of you who have been paying had some idea what they were talking 46. Electric autos 34. Blue hue
attention to past columns, son #3 has about. Because with all of the prob- 47. Fall back, as the ocean 36. Space relayer
48. Moses alternative 37. Vase material
been a Carolina Panthers fan since his lems and issues, it’s nice to know that,
50. He’s got the whole world on 38. Shlumps
problems included carrying his “boppy” every once in a while, you do some- his shoulders 40. “ ___ Extra-Terrestrial”
around EVERYWHERE…. (After he thing right… 52. Locales lower than 39-Across 41. Hebrew month
finally relinquished it, we ripped off a 57. ___ (Hilario), Brazilian-born 49. Court figure, for short
piece and put it in the freezer, where it Banji Ganchrow of Teaneck is sad to 57-Down player 51. Brief and to the point
58. As a result 53. Lose air, as a tire
will stay for all eternity.) say that the Carolina Panthers are not
59. Bar or bat mitzvah, e.g. 54. Word with “crime” or “believer”
Son #1 and son #3 were so excited making it to playoffs this season, after 61. Has attachment? 55. Like the Giants’ season
about this plan — a plan that only two five consecutive losses. I couldn’t tell you 62. “Lang Syne” preceder 56. Says “yes” without saying a word
clueless boys would find exciting. Driv- what the Rams were doing because the 63. Thorn site, on a flower 57. See 57-Across
ing six and a half hours after Shabbos, son who followed them has been in a 64. “___ I” (“Ditto”) 60. Dark and depressing, as music
65. Command and Control
showing up in Cleveland at 2:30 in the beit medrash learning for the entirety of
66. Gateway Arch designer Saarinen
morning, and staying at a friend’s par- football season. Not that there is anything
ents’ house. “Don’t worry, we won’t be wrong with that….
The solution to last week’s puzzle is on page 42.

Calendar Blood Services, a Shalom presents visiting
Tuesday division of New York
Blood Center, 2-8 p.m.
scholar Rabbi David
Fine of Temple Israel &
DECEMBER 18 389 W. Englewood Ave. JCC in Ridgewood with
(800) 933-2566 or www. a new series, “Jews in
nybloodcenter.org. Germany: A Complicated
Legacy.” Refreshments
Documentary in at 12:30 p.m., program at
Tenafly: In collaboration 12:45. Series continues
with the art exhibit December 27, January
“They Risked Their Lives: 3, 10, 17, and 24. 1449
Judge Rachel Freier Poles Who Saved Jews Anderson Ave., Fort Lee.
During the Holocaust,” (201) 947 1735 or www.
Shabbat in Teaneck: the Kaplen JCC on geshershalom.org.
Judge Rachel Freier the Palisades screens
discusses “ My Journey “Szymon’s Return,”
to the Bench” at 6:30 p.m. The film’s Friday
Congregation Rinat Book talk in Fort Lee: director, Sławomir DECEMBER 21
Yisrael in Teaneck, 4 p.m. The sisterhood of the Grünberg, will introduce
Judge Freier, whose JCC of Fort Lee’s Book the film and host a Shabbat in Teaneck:
career was highlighted Club meets to discuss Q&A after. Dr. Maria H. Temple Emeth offers
in the documentary Antonio Iturbe’s “The Makowiecka of Bergen musical services with
film “93Queen,” was Librarian of Auschwitz,” Community College, who the Temple Emeth Band,
elected as a civil court 1 p.m. Refreshments. helped curate the exhibit Cantor Ellen Tilem and
judge in Brooklyn. 389 1449 Anderson Ave. at the JCC’s Waltuch Rabbi Steven Sirbu,
West Englewood Ave. (201) 947-1735. Gallery, also will speak. 8 p.m. 1666 Windsor
(201) 837-2795. In conjunction with the Road. (201) 833-1322 or
Senior program in POLIN Museum of the www.Emeth.org.
Wayne: The senior
Sunday daytime series at
History of Polish Jews
in Warsaw. 411 E. Clinton
DECEMBER 16 Temple Beth Tikvah Ave. (201) 408-1406 or Sunday
meets to discuss the [email protected]. DECEMBER 23
life of Elie Wiesel,
1 p.m. Refreshments.
950 Preakness Ave. Thursday Book discussion in
Teaneck: The Jewish
(973) 595-6565 or www. DECEMBER 20 Center of Teaneck hosts
templebethtikvahnj.org.
the Leaves of Faith Book
Parkinson’s support: Club with a discussion
Laurence Fine, leader Hebrew in Jersey
DEC. City: Temple Emanuel
The Jewish Home of Isaac Bashevis
of Students Demand Family continues a Singer’s “Gimpel the
15
of Bayonne and
monthly support group Fool: And Other Stories,”
Action Bergen Congregation B’nai
for patients with a focusing on “Gimpel the
Jacob of Jersey City
County, speaks at Book club in Paramus: host the 21st annual
diagnosis of Parkinson’s Fool,” “The Gentleman
the kiddush after 9 a.m. Shabbat Phyllis Waterstone Read Hebrew America
disease, their families, from Cracow,” “The
facilitates a discussion on and caregivers, with Little Shoemakers,”
services at Temple Israel & JCC in Tara Westover’s memoir,
and Canada, a free
Kavannah yoga at and “The Unseen,”
five-week, nationwide
Ridgewood to mark National Gun “Educated,” at the JCC of Hebrew reading crash
the Jewish Home at 8 p.m. 70 Sterling
Violence Prevention Shabbat. 475 Paramus/Congregation course, at B’nai Jacob,
Rockleigh, 10 a.m. At
10:30, Howard Katz will
Place. (201) 833-0515
Beth Tikvah, 10 a.m. or jcot.org.
Grove St. (201) 444-9320 or www. Refreshments. East
6:30 p.m. 176 West Side
discuss “Kavannah Yoga
Ave. (201) 435-5725 or
synagogue.org. 304 Midland Ave. bnaijacobjc.com.
for Mood Enhancement.”
(201) 262-7691 or www.
jccparamus.org. Film in Teaneck:
Refreshments. 10 Link
Drive. (201) 750-4246 Singles
Temple Emeth’s adult or parkinsons@
Friday Saturday Film in Franklin Lakes:
Temple Emanuel of North
education group screens jewishhomefamily.org.
Thursday
a Jewish-themed movie
DECEMBER 14 DECEMBER 15 Jersey screens the 1945 as part of its “Movies
DECEMBER 20
classic musical “Ziegfeld That Matter” series,
Shabbat in Fort Lee: Shabbat in Wayne: Follies,” 1:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Refreshments. Widows and widowers
JCC of Fort Lee/ Congregation Shomrei Popcorn and ice cream. 1666 Windsor Road. meet: Movin’ On, a
Congregation Gesher Torah holds a learners 558 High Mountain Road. (201) 833-1322 or emeth. monthly luncheon
Shalom hosts a post- minyan where (201) 560-0200 or www. org. group for widows and
Chanukah Shabbat participants can explore tenjfl.org. widowers, meets at
dinner, 6 p.m., and the prayer service the Glen Rock Jewish
musical service at and ask questions, Wednesday Center, 12:30 p.m.
7:15. 1449 Anderson 10:45 a.m. 30 Hinchman DECEMBER 19 682 Harristown Road.
Ave. Reservations, Ave. (973) 696-2500, Rabbi David J. Fine (201) 652-6624 or
(201) 947-1735. ShomreiTorahWCC.org, Blood drive in Teaneck: [email protected].
Jews in Germany: The
Congregation Rinat CSI Scholar Fund of
Yisrael holds a blood the JCC of Fort Lee/
drive with New Jersey Congregation Gesher

Calendar
Young family Shabbat in Englewood

Join young families at Congregation lunch follows services. The shul is on the
Kol HaNeshamah for services led by premises of St. Paul’s Campus, 113 Engle
Rabbi Lindsey Healey-Pollack, Saturday, St. For more information send an email
December 15, 11:15 a.m. Kiddush and to [email protected] or www.KHNJ.org.
Rabbi leads mystical look

at weekly Torah portion
Rabbi Leiah Moser leads “Mystical Parshat HaShavua,”
an ongoing class at Temple Israel & JCC in Ridgewood, on
Thursdays at 2 p.m.
Rabbi Moser delves into the Torah portion as seen through
Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley choir the lens of some of the classics of Jewish mysticism. Partici-
pants read a part of the parasha alongside commentary from
Chanukah music in Woodcliff Lake the Zohar or the chasidic masters and discuss the insights
they learn. For information, email rabbileiah@synagogue.
Rabbi Leiah Moser
Voices in Harmony, an ensemble of “Light the Lights, a Chanukah Choral org or call (201) 444-9320.
synagogue choirs and guests from Celebration.” The concert is on Sunday,
Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley, December 16, at 4 p.m. The synagogue
Temple Beth Rishon in Wyckoff, Beth is at 87 Overlook Drive in Woodcliff
Haverim Shir Shalom in Mahwah, and Lake. For more information, call (201)
Temple Beth Or in Washington Town-
ship, gather at Temple Emanuel for
391-0801 or go to www.tepv.org. Herring lovers, take note
Congregation Netivot Shalom in Teaneck select single malt scotches.
will host the Bergen County Herring Fes- Ten percent of the net proceeds will be
tival on Saturday, December 15, 8 p.m. donated to Jewish Family and Children’s
Seeking artists to exhibit at the JCC Herring selections from Ma’adan of
Teaneck, Rockland Kosher of Monsey,
Services of Northern New Jersey.
The shul is at 811 Palisade Ave.,
The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades is looking weeks and include a meet-the-artist recep- and Raskin’s of Brooklyn, will be show- Teaneck. For information, go to www.
for painters, photographers, digital artists, tion hosted by the artist, who purchases cased for tasting along with vodka and netivotshalomnj.org/herring.
and other creative designers to exhibit at food through the JCC Cafe. The JCC will
its Waltuch Art Gallery, located on the cen- provide coffee, tea, and paper goods.
ter’s second floor. The focus of the gallery All exhibit work should be for sale,
is to exhibit thematically Jewish artwork or allowing a portion of the proceeds to sup-
art produced by Jewish artists. port JCC programming. The JCC publicizes Jewish homes need volunteers
To be considered for a solo exhibition, all shows and receptions in local newspa-
submit a brief bio and artist’s statement; pers and websites, as well as in JCC mar- to bring cheer to residents
show title and theme; three or four high keting materials and on its website. Volunteers are needed to entertain resi- cookie decorating, and a balloon toss;
resolution jpegs of pieces that you’d plan Submissions should be sent to Nina dents of the Jewish Home at Rockleigh there will be a concert too. Volunteer
to include in the show; price range; and Bachrach at [email protected]. and the Jewish Home Assisted Living in opportunities are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
website, if you have one. For more information, call Nina at River Vale on December 25. For more information, email Stacey Orden
Exhibits typically run monthly for four (201) 408-1406. Activities include wrapping and at [email protected]. or call
delivering homemade chocolate cookies her at (201) 518-1175
to residents, crafts, sandwich-making,
Yiddish concert
at Bronx center
The Jewish People’s Philharmonic Chorus,
conducted by Binyumen Schaechter and
accompanied by pianist Seth Weinstein,
performs a Yiddish-language concert, “To
Everything There Is a Season: The Year
in Yiddish Song” at the Sholem Aleichem
Cultural Center. The concert is set for
Sunday, December 16, at 1:30 p.m. The
center is at 3301 Bainbridge Ave., at 208th
Street. For information, go to thejppc.org.
DAVID KHABINSKY

Jewish World
Key scene from ‘Beale Street’ features

a kippah-clad and very ‘loving’ Dave Franco
STEPHEN SILVER
“If Beale Street Could Talk,” the new film

from “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins,
is at heart a film about African-American
love during a time of rampant racism.
It’s an adaption of James Baldwin’s heart-
breaking 1974 novel of the same name,
which depicts a young African-American
couple in 1970s New York whose love
story is derailed unjustly.
But one of the film’s most powerful —
and most talked about — scenes begins
ANNAPURNA PICTURES
with a close-up of the back of the head of
a kippah-wearing man as he walks up the
stairs of a Manhattan apartment.
The narrative of “Beale Street,” which
opens today and is considered an award
season contender, alternates between
the present and various stages of the Barry Jenkins, right, directing Stephan James, center, and Dave Franco on the set of “If Beale Street Could Talk.”
couple’s life together. The scene in ques-
tion takes place almost two-thirds of the premiere party, is it a disruption of the
way through, and the kippah wearer is movie’s carefully considered tone to hand
named Levy. one of the most pivotal emotional beats to
Levy, played by Dave Franco, is a pro- the guy from ‘Neighbors’?”
spective landlord for Fonny (Stephan The scene also paints a rosy portrait of
James) and Tish (Kiki Layne). It has been the black-Jewish relationship at the time,
established in an earlier scene that Fonny when in reality it was far more compli-
and Tish, who are looking for an apart- cated. In the 20th century, and especially
ment together after learning they are in New York City, tensions between blacks
expecting a child, have been rejected and Jews often manifested through land-
repeatedly by other landlords because lord-tenant relations — a topic addressed
they are black. elsewhere by James Baldwin himself.
“Sometimes Tish and I go together, “When we were growing up in Harlem,
sometimes I go alone, but it’s always the our demoralizing series of landlords were
same story, man,” Fonny tells a friend, Jewish, and we hated them,” Baldwin
played by Brian Tyree Henry, in the ear- wrote in the New York Times in 1967 in
lier scene. an essay titled “Negroes Are Anti-Semitic
Levy is different — not only does he not Because They’re Anti-White.”
reject them, he plays along with Fonny as “We hated them because they were
he mimes moving a refrigerator into the terrible landlords, and did not take care
unfurnished space. Later, in a discussion of the building. A coat of paint, a broken
on the roof, Fonny asks what the catch is, Dave Franco at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Au- window, a stopped sink, a stopped toilet,
why he is willing to rent the apartment to ditorium in Los Angeles on January 21, 2018. Franco plays a Jewish landlord in a sagging floor, a broken ceiling, a dan-
them when no one else would. “If Beale Street Could Talk.” FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAGES gerous stairwell, the question of garbage
“We’ve been looking for a long time, disposal, the question of heat and cold, of
and there’s no reason for you to treat two screenplay floating around online did not But it’s like no, there are us [sic], people roaches and rats — all questions of life and
Negroes so nicely,” Fonny says. include it. raised right by our mothers, and there death for the poor, and especially for those
Levy responds with an impassioned The novel puts the “he dug people who are them, who maybe haven’t been. We with children — we had to cope with all of
speech about love. loved each other” line in the mouth of nar- can’t even blame them for that because these as best we could.”
“Look, man, with me it’s pretty simple — rator Tish rather than in Levy’s. maybe their mothers didn’t have the But Baldwin goes on to note in the same
I dig people who love each other,” he says. Jenkins — the film’s writer and direc- capability to raise them the way that we essay that most of the white people who
“Black, white, green, purple, it doesn’t tor, whose debut “Moonlight” won three were raised.” had treated him poorly probably weren’t
matter to me. Just spread the love.” Oscars, including for best picture, in 2017 Despite his good intentions, some on Jewish, and after all, “it is not the Jew
When Fonny asks if he’s a hippie, Levy — has described the scene as one of the the festival circuit found the scene a little who controls the American drama. It is
replies, “I don’t know. I’m just my moth- most pivotal in the movie. corny and even jarring — mostly, as Vulture the Christian.… The crisis taking place in
er’s son. Sometimes that’s all that makes “There’s this very simple scene where also pointed out, because of the casting of the world, and in the minds and hearts of
the difference between us and them.” his character walks into the film and is Franco, who has come to be associated black men everywhere, is not produced
A version of the scene exists in Bald- appointed this very important task,” Jen- with the many wacky comedies in which by the Star of David, but by the old, rug-
win’s novel, although it’s a bit different kins said of Franco in an interview with he has starred in recent years, like “Neigh- ged Roman cross on which Christendom’s
there. Levy is described on the page Vulture at the Toronto Film Festival. “I was bors” and “The Little Hours.” most celebrated Jew was murdered. And
as an “an olive-skinned, curly-haired, really careful about writing into the source “Is this scene a poignant moment under- not by Jews.”
merry-forced” 33-year-old from the material too much, but it just felt like there lining the necessity of human connection So in the end, the Franco scene is just
Bronx. Franco (the younger brother of was something that this character needed to cut through oppressive power struc- a touching moment meant to remind us
James) happens to be 33 and Jewish in to say to our main characters. tures, as Jenkins clearly intends?” Nate of the kindness of people of all races. And
real life, but the speech is an invention “You would assume black people are Jones wrote. “Or, as some viewers who it adheres not only to Jenkins’ vision, but
of the movie, and an older version of the one of us and white people are one them. found it pretty corny argued at the movie’s also to Baldwin’s. JTA WIRE SERVICE

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Jewish World
Immigration
FROM PAGE 25
until 1992, Heinz Galinski, hired dozens

of Russian-speaking Jews to help with
the absorption of others. And many Jew-
ish communities tried to assist penniless
newcomers however they could — includ-
ing charity.
But these well-intended steps sometimes
stoked tensions.
It made some “wrongly frame” commu-
nal politics as “a struggle between Russian
speakers in power who do shady things and
German-speaking opposition,” according
to Sergey Lagodinsky, a Russia-born jurist
who has run for leadership roles in the Ber-
lin Jewish community’s elections.
And some dismissed Russian-speaking
Jews’ desire for contact with Jewish life as
utilitarian, he added. In the European con-
text, joining the community allows a mem-
ber access to facilities as well as free or
subsidized services for weddings, circumci-
sions, and b’nai mitzvah.
That suggestion was especially insulting
to families like Knochenhauer’s. Her moth-
er’s family was so attached to their Jewish
identity that they continued holding Pass-
over seder dinners in communist Russia
(though, out of caution, they neither read
the Haggadah nor told the children what
the bizarre dishes and customs were all
about, she said).
Yet Nedlin and Knochenhauer’s own life Children place white roses on a Star of David sculpture at the construction site of a new synagogue in Potsdam, Germany,
stories reflect their divided community’s on November 9, 2018, the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht. BERND SETTNIK/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
ability to transcend the challenges of this

culture clash, which ended up becoming Russian-German divide became a perma-
the community’s lifeline. nent issue in internal elections campaigns,
This year, both women married Jewish according to Lagodinsky, the jurist. “There
men descended from postwar families. was a lot of disappointment” among Rus-
Anna Nedlin was married at a Cologne sian speakers over how they were received
synagogue to Roni Lehrer, whom she met by German-speaking Jews, he said.
10 years ago at the Mahane Jewish camp. Some politicians “played up” this senti-
The couple, both historians, are expecting ment, he said, naming the current presi-
their first child. dent of the Berlin Jewish Community,
Lehrer, 30, credits the Russian-speak- Gideon Joffe. Born to Soviet immigrant
ing influx with more than just continuing Jews in Israel, he moved to Germany
his own Jewish family. “We wouldn’t be when he was a child. According to Lago-
around if not for their arrival,” he said. “We dinsky, Joffe has “in Trumpian style played
would’ve been doomed as a community.” up the Russian-speaking identity card”
Lehrer’s mother, he said, joined the in elections.
Jewish community of Cologne in the early Lagodinsky and others accused Joffe of
1980s, when it was “a dwindling group of rigging the internal elections of 2015 and
1,000 people.” She did not expect Jew- clinging to power with “tricks right out of
ish life to survive in Cologne, planning to the Soviet period,” as Lagodinsky put it.
move to Israel at some point so that her Sergey Lagodinsky and Dana Golan are at a discussion in Berlin about Israel, Joffe, who has denied the allega-
children would grow up with Judaism, her April 30, 2015. HEINRICH-BÖLL-STIFTUNG/FRANK ROEHL tions, did not reply to many requests for
son said. But a decade later, “we’re a com- an interview.
munity of 5,500 people.” be identified by name in the article. (Kno- Knochenhauer said. But the fact that Joffe’s main chal-
This resulted in the 2002 re-establish- chenhauer said his preference for keeping Still, the arrival of many thousands lenger, Lagodinsky, also speaks Russian
ment of a Jewish school in Cologne, the a low profile was typical of postwar Jews, of Russian speakers has had a lasting as a mother tongue “shows we’ve moved
Lauder Morijah School, and the opening of and it is one of the things that sets them and often divisive effect on communal as a community passed the language
other Jewish institutions. Two-thirds of the apart from Russian speakers who “won’t politics, shaping the processes of some divide and are focusing on the main
60 counselors trained annually by the com- stay silent.”) communities to this day, everyone inter- issues,” Lagodinsky said.
munity for youth work in Cologne come Her family “makes enough food for an viewed for this article agreed. To Lehrer, the historian, the internal
from Jewish homes with at least one Rus- army, which always makes me wonder One of the first parties representing Rus- divide “is a generational issue.”
sian-speaking parent, Lehrer said. just how many people they plan on host- sian speakers in the internal elections of the “People aged 20 to 40 don’t care about
Language and food differences are some ing,” Knochenhauer’s husband said. But Berlin Jewish Community was called “Silent this anymore,” he said. And whereas some
of the minor issues younger mixed couples these minor differences are not compara- Majority.” Its main platform was the mem- aspects of the problem are “alive, it is quite
can expect, according to Knochenhauer’s ble to the challenges of interfaith marriages bers’ identify as Russian speakers. literally dying out.”
Berlin-born husband, who asked not to with partners from very different cultures, From the mid-1990s onward, the JTA WIRE SERVICE

Real Estate & Business
Maricris Salazar joins Miron Properties as transaction coordinator

Miron Properties announces the addition of Maricris Salazar to its team Originally from Baguio City, Philippines, Maricris graduated from the
of real estate professionals. Maricris serves as transaction coordinator for University of the Cordilleras with a major in office administration. She
Miron Properties and plays a vital role in streamlining the success of every went on to excel in various positions such as customer service and sales
real estate transaction. She is tasked with coordinating and overseeing all supervisor, a top-producing fragrance adviser, and a real estate executive
of Miron Properties’ deals, handling everything from writing up listings, assistant coordinating offers and transactions, managing listings and con-
leases, letters of intent and contracts, to managing and chronicling these tracts, and providing support for database management.
documents every step of the way. Maricris is goal-oriented, hardworking professional. Outside of work,
Maricris also enjoys creating virtual tours for all of the firm’s listed her favorite activity is playing volleyball. Maricris was a varsity player in
properties, building dedicated websites for each exclusive listing, post- college on full scholarship and has shared her love for the sport by creat-
ing property videos and slide shows on social media, and designing ing a program that teaches youths to play. She additionally trains in box-
impactful e-blasts, brochures and flyers to showcase homes at their ing regularly at the gym.
best. Her creativity blends perfectly with her keen organizational skills To contact Maricris, call her at (201) 537-5224, or email her at Maricris@ Maricris Salazar
and uncompromising attention to detail that keeps transactions mov- MironProperties.com. For additional information, visit Miron at www.
ing smoothly. MironProperties.com.
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Real Estate & Business
Tel Aviv boasts a host of new hotels

Tourism is booming and here are some exciting additions
to the most intriguing neighborhoods of the White City
ISRAEL21C STAFF artistic and professional faces of Tel Aviv in in South Tel Aviv’s American-German Pawson and Ramy Gill transformed
a prime shopping district. Colony, The Drisco has 42 rooms, some the original structure into a blend of
A whole new crop of remarkable hotels Dave Gordon’s no-elevator four-story pre- offering views of the Mediterranean and modern-meets-historic.
opened this year in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, mainly in served Bauhaus building is furnished with others overlooking Jaffa or the hotel’s In the lobby you can see the remains
the trendy southern neighborhoods near the flea-market finds and “funky, weird, daring courtyard. of a 12-century Crusader-era wall uncov-
Jaffa flea market and port, Carmel Market, and fun” novelties. Guests get vouchers for A second historic building, the Nor- ered during more than two decades of
Nahalat Binyamin artisans fair, high-tech meals at two neighborhood cafés and a dis- ton House, is part of the complex. This renovations. The hotel offers 120 rooms
Rothschild Boulevard, artsy Neve Tzedek count on a nearby gym. three-story wood structure, renamed and suites overlooking Jaffa, the Mediter-
and hip Florentin. Address: 17 Gordon St. The Villa Drisco, has a five-room suite ranean, and a hotel courtyard.
Other new hotels are sited in central or Amenities: Video game console, library, and Maine-style porches. Address: 2 Louis Pasteur St.
“Old North” Tel Aviv for a more traditional sitting courtyard, bike rentals Address: 6 Auerbach St. Amenities: Don Camillo Italian restau-
taste of the city. All are just a hop, skip and Parking: In nearby public lot on Frishman Amenities: Lounge bar, rooftop bar, rant, L. Raphael Beauty Spa, The Chapel
jump from the city’s famous Mediterranean Street and chef restaurant Zada featuring a con- meeting/reception/party space
beaches and vibrant nightlife options. temporary spin on the Ottoman cuisine Parking: Valet, underground parking
THE DRISCO: Best new restored hotel Parking: Valet garage
Here are some of the The Hardegg Jerusalem Hotel, built in the
best new hotels in Tel Aviv: FABRIC: Best new theme hotel
1860s by John and George Drisco, was the LIGHTHOUSE BY BROWN HOTELS:
Bunk-bed room at the Fabric. Each
region’s first luxury hotel until it was taken Best new youthful hotel
DAVE GORDON HOTEL: Best new low-bud- bed has own TV screen and a privacy
over in 1940 as a British military headquar- Soft-opened in September, Brown’s
get boutique hotel ters and later as a shelter for Jewish refugees
curtain. Lighthouse Hotel is located in a 1970s
If you’re looking for relatively low-cost from Europe. The Atlas boutique hotel chain’s 10th Brutalist-style former office tower at
accommodations in Tel Aviv, this quirky A $35 million investment and 10-year res-
Tel Aviv property takes its name from the corner of Ben Yehuda and Allenby
property from Brown Hotels’ new “Son of toration project brought the hotel back to
the fabric district concentrated in this near the beach.
a Brown” brand fits the bill. Its central loca- life earlier this year as The Drisco, part of the
vivacious area of South Tel Aviv. The 100-room property eventually
tion near the beach gives equal access to the Leading Hotels of the World group. Situated
Fabric was designed as a “neighbor- will include 60 additional rooms and
NVE-3560 Fall Mortgage $549 Ad 5x6.5_NVE-3560 Fall Mortgage $549 Ad 5x6.5 9/27/18 10:43 AM Page 1 hood saloon” featuring a rough, indus- suites, outdoor swimming pool, addi-
trial design and furniture along with tional cocktail bar, gym and a sprawling
colorful art throughout its 43 rooms. 18th-floor rooftop with an active line of
In keeping with Tel Aviv’s dog-friendly events.
ambiance, pets are allowed on request. Brown Hotels describes Lighthouse
A variety of room configurations as “a high-energy hotel” geared to
includes those with bunk beds — rare for “young and fun-seeking” guests. To
a hotel that’s not a youth hostel. Fabric’s help set the mood, new arrivals check
all-day bar (“from coffee till cocktail”), in at a hybrid reception-bar area, where
the Bushwick, is a joint collaboration you get a cocktail along with your room
with Tel Aviv’s famous Imperial Cocktail key. Twelve terrace rooms offer expan-
Bar group. sive balconies with outdoor Jacuzzis
Address: 28 Nahalat Binyamin St. surrounded by greenery.
Amenities: All-day cocktail bar, free Address: Corner of Ben Yehuda and
happy hour, free bicycle rental Allenby streets
Parking: In nearby public lot Amenities: Rooftop Sky Bar, 2 sun-
deck terraces, spa, kosher Mediterra-
CASH BACK AT CLOSING THE JAFFA HOTEL: Best new Jaffa hotel
The Jaffa was built within the walls of a
nean-style dairy/fish restaurant, con-
ference and event facilities
19th century complex that once housed Parking: In nearby lot
Jaffa’s French Hospital. Architects John ISRAEL21C.ORG
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DECEMBER 14, 2018

VOL. LXXXVIII NO. 13 $1.00 87 2018

NORTH JERSEY THEJEWISHSTANDARD.COM

Rabbi available for patients and families Electric Shabbat candles

2 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 14, 2018

JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 14, 2018 3

Clint can boast

California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at

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Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey is dedicated to preserving,

We are the eyes, ears and voice of our Jewish community

Call Laurie Siegel for assistance.

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Treasury Bill Indexed Money Market Account

www.applebank.com Established 1863 · Member FDIC

apple bk - JEWISH STANDARD - TREASURY MM - 12-31-18.indd 1 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER

‘The word is very near to you’

Aleh’s new development director

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Local Our pharmacy stands Parkview

WILLS, ESTATES & TRUSTS

A volunteer assists a wheelchair-bound resident

graduates from Holland who come for a few months to

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Mysterious case of the Ritzeh prayer

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ACCELERATE YOUR CAREER

Learn More at www.apply.yu.edu/katz/MKT

BUILDING TOMORROW, TODAY

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Mahjong aids philanthropy Historian speaks in Woodcliff Lake

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ACCELERATE YOUR CAREER

Collaborate with world- Apply innovative theoretical Access highly rewarding

Learn More at www.apply.yu.edu/katz/MQE

BUILDING TOMORROW, TODAY

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COURTESY LUBAVITCH ON THE PALISADES

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CROSS RIVER LOGO USAGE

Special education for children with a wide range of developmental,

www.sinaidinner.org • 201-833-1134 x106

COURTESY SHOMREI TORAH

16 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 14, 2018

A Family Wellness Center

Winter Registration Opens

We have a great season lined up, including classes in

more. Try our classfinder tool at jccotp.org/classfinder

December Vacation Camps

AGES K-5: Trips to Bounce U, Bowler City,

ATHLETICS ART KIDS

at the JCC! Poles Who Saved Jews Open House

Slawomir Grunberg shoots his

18 Jewish Standard DECEMBER 14, 2018

Jewish Standard DECEMBER 14, 2018 19

Luckily, he had spent some Bombay, who had a pushcart.

Strollers · Furniture · Car Seats

Our questionnaire drawing 500 Cedar Lane · Teaneck, NJ

“I was here on a tourist visa, and at one filmmaking.”