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MARCH 31, 2023 VOL. XCII NO. 27 $1.00

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GPT-4 speaks Yeshivish like a maven l When science fiction writers of the last century imagined the development of infinitely wise supercomputers, their characters posed such questions of them as “Can entropy be reversed?” Not even Isaac Asimov would have imagined that when people are faced with machines which, at least according to their promoters, demonstrate “artificial intelligence,” they would post the following challenge: “Explain nuclear fusion in Yeshivish,” that dialect of English that includes a very large dollop of Hebrew and Aramaic and Yiddish vocabulary and syntax. And yet, here we are. “You know, it’s when the atomisher particles, the hydrogen kind, they get shmushed together, like in a chavrusa. But this chavrusa is so shtark, so intense, it’s mamash like a shidduch made in shomayim,” is how the program known as GPT-4 put it, to quote a piece of the four-paragraph description of the fusion process posted by Twitter user @Hormeze. The paragraphs are notable not only for using the dialect, but for explaining the subatomic processes that fuel the sun using metaphors drawn from the life of a yeshiva student.

But don’t take the program’s fluency in Yeshivish as a sign that the program, like God as imagined by the talmudic rabbis, is itself a yeshiva student. GPT-4’s knowledge and abilities go far beyond that. As one response to Hormeze’s tweet noted, it can similarly handle tough tasks in deciphering Sanskrit, the ancient language of Indian sacred literature, which poses translation challenges similar to classical Hebrew’s lack of vowels and punctuation. “It simply amazed me,” Ravi Annaswamy said of how GPT-4 was able to process and translate an old Sanskrit text. If it’s any comfort, we asked a version of GPT about the commonalities of Yeshivish and Sanskrit — and it stumbled, saying that “both languages have a long tradition of written literature” before, more accurately, admitting that Yeshivish “is a relatively new dialect of English that developed in Orthodox Jewish communities in the 20th century.” Then again, Multivac, Asimov’s fictional supercomputer, didn’t reverse entropy in a day. Oh, and one more thing: The headline on this piece is LARRY YUDELSON courtesy GPT.

NOSHES��������������������������������������������������������� 4 AROUND THE COMMUNITY....�������������30 JEWISH WORLD���������������������������������������34 THE FRAZZLED HOUSEWIFE��������������49 CROSSWORD���������������������������������������������49 OPINION������������������������������������������������������50 NOTEWORTHY������������������������������������������56 OBITUARIES����������������������������������������������� 57 CLASSIFIED������������������������������������������������58 REAL ESTATE....�����������������������������������������61 PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT: (USPS 275-700 ISN 00216747) The JEWISH STANDARD is published weekly on Fridays with an additional edition every October, by The JEWISH STANDARD, 70 Grand Avenue, River Edge, NJ 07661. Periodicals postage paid at Hackensack, NJ and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The JEWISH STANDARD, 70 Grand Avenue, River Edge, NJ 07661. Subscription price is $30.00 per year. Out-of-state subscriptions are $45.00, Foreign countries subscriptions are $85.00. The appearance of an advertisement in The JEWISH STANDARD does not constitute a kashrut endorsement. The publishing of a paid political advertisement does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate political party or political position by the newspaper or any employees. The JEWISH STANDARD assumes no responsibility to return unsolicited editorial or graphic materials. All rights in letters and unsolicited editorial, and graphic material will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and subject to JEWISH STANDARD’s unrestricted right to edit and to comment editorially. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. © 2022

You bet your logo l It takes a lot of chutzpa to mess with the iconic I Love New York logo created in 1977 by the legendary late Milton Glaser. Last week, New York Mayor Eric Adams — who is known to have spent a lot of time on the Jersey side of the bridge — unveiled a mutant version of the classic logo. The new logo dropped its predecessor’s taut typography for an awkward, emoji-flavored heart and replaced NY with NYC. Wall Street Journal reporter Katie Deighton snarked, “Milton Glaser kerning in his grave,” and she’s definitely on to something. But so too, we believe, is the multitalented Noah Diamond, author of “Gimme a Thrill: The Story of I’ll

CONTENTS

Candlelighting: Friday, March 31 — 7:01 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, April 1 — 8:03 p.m. Say She Is, the Lost Marx Brothers Musical, and How it was Found.” Rather than torch the darkness of the new design, he offered his own suggestion. His version replaced the far-too-sentimental-for-Gotham heart with the suitably ironic, theatrical, and wiseguy visage of Manhattan’s native son, Julius Henry LARRY YUDELSON “Groucho” Marx.

Always find us at TheJewishStandard.com For convenient home delivery call (201) 837-8818 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023 3

Noshes

“The Jews — they’re just nice.” —C  omedian Chris Rock, talking specifically about Adam Sandler but more broadly as well, as Mr. Sandler was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Paint, a movie; and the amazing Schoenberg family “Paint” opens in theaters on April 7. The film centers on Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson) who has hosted Vermont’s #1 painting show on TV for about 30 years. (The Nargle character clearly is inspired by the late Bob Ross of PBS fame, but Carl is not nearly as famous as Ross was.) Things change when Carl’s TV station hires a young woman to do a similar show. It’s clear that she’s a better painter than Carl. She steals everything and everyone that Carl loves, and he goes into quite a funk. MICHAELA WATKINS, 51, who has worked regularly on TV, has second billing in the credits as Katherine. The trailer implies that she has some romantic connection to Carl. On March 15, the New York Times ran a very long profile of Dr. MARLENA SCHOENBERG FEJZO, 55, a UCLA geneticist. It focused on her decades-long quest to find the cause of what physicians call hyperemesis gravidarum. The Times says: “ It is a condition whose hallmark symptoms include nausea and

vomiting so severe and relentless that it can cause dehydration, weight loss, electrolyte imbalances and hospitalization.” Two percent of all pregnant women suffer from HG, and some actually die from it. It can ravage them physically and mentally. Dr. Fejzo had HG during her two pregnancies. During her first pregnancy the symptoms were mild enough that she carried her son to term. But she suffered greatly during her second pregnancy and miscarried. For decades, the Times said, women suffering from HG were maltreated by many physicians — they were told that the symptoms were imaginary and/or they were just looking for attention. Dr. Fejzo said that her doctor “pretty much thought it was all in my head.” Dr. Fejzo did research in many fields, including ovarian cancer, and worked on HG largely in her spare time. Research money was tight, even though HG costs patients and hospitals about $3 billion a year. She did some small-scale surveys of HG patents, aided by her brother, RICK

Michaela Watkins

Dr. Marlena Schoenberg Fejzo

Rick Schoenberg

E. Randol Schoenberg

SCHOENBERG, 51, a UCLA statistician, and learned that HG runs in families. Then she asked “23 and Me” if it would include a few questions about nausea and vomiting in pregnancy on their customer survey, and it agreed. Women who said they had these symptoms had their DNA studied (with their permission). About the results found in the large “23 and Me” group, the Times article says: “...

the most striking gene mutation was for one that makes a protein called growth differentiation factor 15, or GDF15. [It] acts in a part of the brainstem that suppresses appetite and sets off vomiting, and it had already been shown to cause appetite and weight loss in cancer patients. Blood levels of the protein are naturally increased in pregnancy and have since been found to be even higher in those with severe nausea and

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vomiting. …GDF15 may have evolved to help pregnant women detect and avoid unsafe foods that might harm fetal development early in gestation. But in HG, this normally protective mechanism seems to run in overdrive. … In a study published in 2022, Dr. Fejzo and her colleagues confirmed the link between hyperemesis and GDF15 in the [studied] patients.” Drug companies have begun testing GDF15 drugs to reduce nausea and improve appetite in cancer patients, with, Fejzo says, “promising early results.” A smaller number of drug companies are working on similar drugs for HG. Here’s the cool side story: I wondered if Dr. Marlena Schoenberg Fejzo is related to the famous Austrian Jewish composer ARNOLD SCHOENBERG (18741951). I checked in other sources and learned that she is his granddaughter. The Times article mentioned her brother, Rick, and her sister, MELANIE SCHOENBERG, 45, a public defender, but it didn’t mention Arnold, or Marlena’s

brother, E. RANDOL SCHOENBERG, 56, a famous attorney. I’m quite sure that most of you have seen “The Woman in Gold” (2015), a critical and box-office hit. The film follows Randol’s legal representation of MARIA ALTMANN, the niece of GUSTAV and ADELE BLOCH-BAUER. The title refers to a famous Gustav Klimt portrait of Adele that came to be called “The Woman in Gold.” The Austrian government refused to return five Klimt paintings to Altmann, the most prominent surviving member of her family. The paintings, including “The Woman in Gold,” were stolen by the Nazis. When Randol took the case, most said Altmann had little chance of getting the paintings back. But she, and Randol, persevered, and won the case. The paintings were sold, and Randol’s contingency fee was $120M. He gave a portion to the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. He is very active in Jewish ancestry organizations and is a board member of –N.B. JewishGen. 

California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at [email protected]

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Local

These photos were taken at rallies in Jerusalem and throughout the country. COURTESY DANIELLE NYMAN

The threat’s from inside the house Abe Foxman analyzes the profound divisions behind Israel’s struggles JOANNE PALMER

A

braham Foxman of Bergen County, the now-retired longtime head of the Anti-Defamation League, has a deeply ingrained self-image as an optimist. As a child Holocaust survivor who grew up on a struggling South Jersey egg farm, and whose five-decadelong career allowed him to see politics at its seamiest as well as its most glamorous, he always has oriented himself toward hope. That’s why it was so startling to hear Mr. Foxman say, in the days leading up to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s temporary pullback from demands that legislation to curb the Israel Supreme Court be passed immediately, that he was so worried that he feared Israel’s survival would be possible only by miracle. And then boom! On Monday evening, Bibi pulled back, at least a little, at least for now. But for once, Mr. Foxman didn’t feel the warm comfort of optimism. “We moved back from the precipice,” he said on Monday evening. “But it is not over yet. It is not over at all.” This is the most serious threat Israel has encountered 6 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

understood that it must continuously since it was formed, Mr. Foxman said. find compromises to the problems it “We moved back from the precipice, but faces internally.” it is not over. It is not over at all. Since Netanyahu was reelected in “I think Israel will never be the same. December, after a series of elections and Not as we knew her.” faint hope and failed attempts at various The experience of seeing Israel about apparently doomed coalitions, the divito become something entirely different was terrifying. “I think that Israelis sions between Israelis have sharpened. and Jews who love Israel experienced a “Democracy survives on compromise,” very frightening moment,” he said. “Our Mr. Foxman said. “If there is no compromise, then one side rules at the expense beloved Israel almost disintegrated, and of the other. That’s what was happennot because of threats from the outside. Abraham Foxman ing. There was a collaboration between These threats were coming from the forces who felt that they had been on inside.” the outside, but now they smelled power. They were For decades — probably for the seven and a half unwilling to compromise.” decades since Israel was created, in 1948 — onlookers The problem is built into Israel’s existence. Israel is have been pointing out that Israelis have been held built on a paradox, the idea that a state can be both together by the dire threats that encircle them, which Jewish and democratic. “We talk about Israel, glibly, allow them to look outward rather than inward. But as being a Jewish democracy, but those terms, Jewish that can work for only so long. and democracy, don’t necessarily live well together,” “Israel is a conglomerate of all kinds of things,” Mr. Mr. Foxman said. Foxman said. “Of ethnicities. Of the secular and the religious. It’s a coming-together of Jews from 70 nations, That agreement can work, up to a point, as long with 70 traditions, cultures, and histories. It has miracas the leaders are willing to compromise with groups ulously survived for 75 years because its leadership whose demands seem outré because they are so alien

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Local to everyone outside the group. That takes selflessness and genuine leadership. “In the past, leadership was more about unity and the country and its well-being,” Mr. Foxman said. “Leaders were willing to make compromises. “Take Ben-Gurion.” David Ben-Gurion was Israel’s first prime minister, and foundationally important to its creation as a state. “Ben-Gurion was a socialist atheist, who had no need for or interest in religion,” Mr. Foxman said. “He made a compromise with the Orthodox that gave them Shabbos, kashrut, and the religious courts. He made the compromise for the sake of unity. So he compromised his beliefs and his party’s beliefs to keep the nation together.

‘We moved back from the precipice. But it is not over yet. It is not over at all.’ “Now, 75 years later, we find a coalition that is not socialist, not liberal, but religious nationalist and illiberal. It wants to impose its traditions and its beliefs on the secular minority” — because the non-religious, Ashkenazi, European-rooted Israeli elites either are being outnumbered by Jews from elsewhere, with far more traditional religious expectations, or soon will be — “and the prime minster, instead of trying to compromise for the sake of unity, for his own personal reasons wants to impose that illiberal nationalist majority on the secular minority.” When it comes to demographics, Mr. Foxman thinks that if secular Israelis are not a minority now, they will be in the next five to ten years. On the other hand, unexpected things happen. Russian Jews are

Rally-goers included parents and children; many people carried Israeli flags.

pouring into the country, and they’re generally secular, although their life experiences in an authoritarian system are unlikely to have made many of them liberal. Back to Israel today, however. The coalition now in power, if only by its fingernails, is shaky. “So unless Israel continues to embrace compromise, we are going to need miracles down the road. Because this is just the beginning. Until now, what has served to force the leadership into compromise was the threat from the outside. Every time the Israelis think that they are at a moment of peace” — a moment likely to end soon

Women dressed as Margaret Atwood’s handmaids to protest legal changes that they say would affect the status of women in Israel. 8 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

anyway, given the shifting alliances jostled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — “that social contract starts disintegrating. “A Jewish democracy is a very delicate thing,” Mr. Foxman continued. “It is not black and white. You need to be smart, you need to be able to compromise, you need to be patient, to be respectful, to be creative. “They’ve been creative for 75 years. When the secular were a majority, they still maintained some of the things that irked a lot of their supporters — the religious courts, the Shabbos regulations — and they did it because they felt it was necessary to keep the nation together. “And here is a moment when a political leader, for his own personal reasons” — Mr. Foxman didn’t list those reasons, but Benyamin Netanyahu is under indictment and being tried for a range of corruption cases — “was willing to undo the social contract that has served the state of Israel for 75 years. So I don’t know if what happened today is in fact going to turn into a commitment to find a compromise, but if it isn’t, everything will disintegrate to where we were yesterday. “We need to look at long-term and short-term consequences,” he continued. “In the short term, we need to deal with the prime minister and his problems and needs and priorities. Therefore, I would say that President Herzog needs to be creative and courageous. I don’t know the ins and outs of his power, but I assume that the president, like any president, has the ability to grant pardons. “I think that he has to offer the prime minister a pardon in advance, if he is found guilty. In exchange, the prime minister would truly engage in compromise, and get rid of Ben Gvir, who certainly is not interested in compromise.” Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s minister of national security, is a far-right politician who might be described as a provocateur. “Ben Gvir is holding the prime minister by his whatevers, and if he cannot free himself of that intimidation, then there is no hope for compromise, and therefore no hope for democracy. SEE FOXMAN PAGE 57

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Local

She’s 83, on a visit, and protesting in Jerusalem Local woman in Israel on nature trip joins and describes two demonstrations JOANNE PALMER

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ost of the time, when you go on a trip to visit friends and family and pursue your passion, you don’t fall straight into history. But everyone who went to Israel during the last few weeks, and most particularly this week, was faced with history in the raw. News as it happened. To be clear, we don’t know what will happen. We do know that just as the situation changed from Saturday night to now, as I write, on Monday, it will have changed, probably many times over, between my now and yours, as you read this. But this is a report of Danielle Nyman’s experiences in Israel last Saturday night. Ms. Nyman, who has lived in Englewood since 1987, was on a trip with the American Friends of the Society for the Preservation of Nature in Israel — an organization whose name is mercifully shortened to Nature Israel at home — as well as to visit people she loves. (She’s on the board of ASPNI.) “While I’ve been here, I have attended two demonstrations for democracy in Jerusalem,” she said over WhatsApp. One was last Saturday night, and the other the Saturday before. The backstory: Soon after Benjamin Netanyahu formed his new government in December, he began to push through highly controversial changes to the way Israel works. His government, a coalition considered to be the most right-wing in the country’s history, has revised or wants to revise many Israeli policies; the most overtly controversial now is the reforms to the judicial system that would result in the Knesset having more power and the courts having less. Because Israel does not have a constitution, it does not have built-in checks and balances, as the United States does; that lack is at the heart of the anger and disruption now. There have been demonstrations in the streets of most of Israel’s big cities for months, mostly on Saturday nights, right after Shabbat ends. They’ve been huge and nonviolent. The biggest so far began the day after Ms. Nyman’s second one, fueled by Netanyahu’s firing his defense minister, Yoav Gallant. But Ms. Nyman’s experiences seem to have been both vivid and representative. “There were thousands of people there, in Jerusalem,” she said. “They were in good spirits, shouting slogans. Most were shouting ‘Democratia,’ 10 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

Hebrew for ‘Democracy.’ “They were milling around with large Israeli flags,” she continued. “They want to emphasize that they are not a bunch of malcontents, or unpatriotic left-wing kooks. They want to show that they are people who deeply love their country, and they are willing to come out week after week to protest the new government’s policies.” The first week that she went to a rally, “it was raining hard, and it was cold,” Ms. Nyman said. “There were people there handing out hot tea. “There were lots of people there. Including me. And I’m 83.” She was struck by the women dressed in the red robes and white bonnets of Margaret Atwood’s breeders in “The

Danielle Nyman

A view of a protest. 

Handmaid’s Tale.” “They were walking with their hands behind them; submissive women there only to bear children for the patriarchy,” Ms. Nyman said. Many Israelis think that Netanyahu’s proposed changes are likely to harm women. “The women were protesting against the government’s policies about women and families that it is trying to push through, which will change the daily lives of people here,” she continued. As for everyone else, “they were dressed casually, in everyday clothes,” she said. “Some men wore kippot,” showing that they are religiously observant. Others did not. “There were religious and nonreligious people there. There were children; little children, being carried on their parents’ shoulders. “There was a sense that it is important,” she said. “A sense that we all need to be out here.” Ms. Nyman joined the protests because “I am a liberal Jew, and I believe in democracy,” she said. “I believe in

checks and balances. It’s a good American notion.” She brings her own history to the protests. Ms. Nyman was born “to a French Jewish family on October 14, 1939, a month and a half after the war began,” she said. “We lived in the north of France, and we fled to a town called Montlucon, in what became Vichy. We lived there for three years until we were able to come to this country. To America.” The family was able to get American visas. That was unusual. “My father was an electrical engineer,” Ms. Nyman said. “He worked in a steel factory in the Vichy area, and he was fired because he was a Jew. “But he stole the blueprint of the factory, and he offered it to the American consul. In return, we were promised visas.” There were very few such visas given. “We were very lucky,” Ms. Nyman said. She grew up on the Upper West Side, went to the High School of Music and Art, where she majored in violin, viola, and conducting, and then on to City

COURTESY DANIELLE NYMAN

College and Columbia. She taught in private and public schools for 45 years; her career culminated in her role as social studies supervisor for kindergarten through 12th grade in Millburn-Short Hills. She’s also a trustee at the Flat Rock Brook Nature Center in Englewood, and she’s on Englewood’s environmental commission. In other words, Ms. Nyman is well positioned to understand political threats, political extremism, the importance of checks and balances in a functioning political system, public service and the responsibility politicians have to the polity, and that the polity has toward politicians. That’s why she protested — and that’s why everyone else did as well. “We weren’t a bunch of leftwing crazies,” she stressed. “We weren’t anarchists ready to bring down the system.” They were just a bunch — a very large and loud bunch —of good-natured Israelis and other Zionists, doing what they felt compelled to do.

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Local ANGRY DWARF CHRONICLES

Why is the Chinese dragon laying eggs in different baskets? And other tales of the war between Ukraine and Russia and of Russia’s new overlord, China JOANNE PALMER

A

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping meet in Beijing in February 2022.

This was a hotel in Bakhmut before the Russians shelled it in July 2022. 12 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF RUSSIA

States sanctioned him for approving a massive purchase of Russian weaponry. “This symbolizes the military union between China and Russia, and it is extremely important to our

modernizing the Chinese army. He’s an aerospace engineer. He’s not from the military — he’s a technocrat. And he has a close relationship with the Russian military, industry, and government. In 2016, the United

FACEBOOK/STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAINE

s a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than 13 months ago, and the bloody war that has continued since then, the world order is shifting, our analyst, Alexander Smukler of Montclair, says. The tectonic plates that have not moved since the end of World War II are in motion once again, he believes; his life experience — a little less than half in then-Soviet Russia, a little more than half here — and his connections in Russia and Ukraine, and his resulting access to sources Alexander give him authority as he details Smukler this belief. First, let’s fill in some backstory. Earlier this month, Xi Jinping was elected to his third term as ruler of China. That’s unprecedented, “and it changed the whole ball game,” Mr. Smukler said. “China is choosing the path of authoritarianism. “He’s like an emperor. If he’s elected to a third term, he can be elected to a fourth or a fifth if he wants it. That changes the whole global ball game.” After Xi was elected, he replaced China’s foreign and defense ministers. “The new minister of defense, General Li Shan Gfu, for many years was in charge of

Soldiers fight in a trench as spring thaws the snow in Bakhmut.

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‘...I watched how Putin behaved in his meetings with Xi. In my mind, it was one of the most shameful pages in Russian history.’ lim enemies, Saudi Arabia and Iran, Sunni and Shia. I understand that the Saudis will have diplomatic relations with Iran, but that is not as important as China playing a key role in this, and the U.S. was completely excluded from the process. “This is the Chinese dragon announcing that these two countries are under its wing. And in order to broker such a deal, it seems to me that China must have promised something to them. I assume that the Saudis got promises about security and safety. Iran is moving quickly toward possessing a nuclear weapon — probably they’re just a couple of months away from that — and the Saudis aren’t getting one.” For years, the Saudis have been talking about receiving powerful anti-missile systems from the United States, Mr. Smukler said, but “they got tired of waiting, and chose China instead of the United States and the Abraham Accords. So both countries now are satellites of China in the Middle East. “Iran soon will become a very, very hot point on the world map.” That of course is a major threat to Israel, “especially in light of the current political situation there,” Mr. Smukler said. “So China is a major player in the global diplomatic arena, and it is playing an active role in supporting Iran,” he continued. “We are witnessing the creation of two different camps. “On the one side, there are China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, and whatever other countries China and Russia control. And on the other side, there are the United States, NATO, and the other European countries. Okay. Now we’re up to the last two weeks. On March 17, the International Criminal Court in the Hague “issued an order to arrest Putin for the illegal relocation of Ukrainian children from the war zone,” Mr. Smukler said; “16,326 children, to be exact. 14 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

COURTESY YAD VASHEM AND THE BAKHMUT LOCAL HISTORY MUSEUM

understanding of what’s going on in this global game of thrones.” China’s new foreign affairs minister, Qin Gang, “is one of the most well-known critics of U.S. policy toward China,” Mr. Smukler continued; in his first speech in his new job, he announced that ‘conflict and confrontation’ are inevitable if Washington does not change its course toward China.” Another ominous development “is the agreement that the Saudis and Iran signed to reestablish diplomatic relations,” Mr. Smukler said. “It apparently was a surprise to the White House. And it was brokered by China. My sources are telling me that the State Department missed the fact of these negotiations, and when the agreement was announced, it was a huge surprise for many politicians in Washington. “Nobody will publicly admit that it’s true, and I could be right or wrong about it, but it’s what I hear. “This is a huge failure, because not only will China be able to have an influence in the Middle East, but it was able to establish a relationship between two major Mus-

After World War II, people tried to identify the victims who were suffocated in Bakhmut’s alabaster mines during the war.

“I don’t know how many of them are orphans, how many were lost or separated from their parents, how many were taken by force, how many were willing to be evacuated from war zones. No one knows these details.” What he does know is “why this arrest order was issued. That’s because it’s very easy to prove that Putin gave a direct order to commit the crime. “Approximately five weeks before the court order was issued, the main Russian governmental propaganda TV channel showed an episode with Putin meeting with a person in charge of protecting children’s rights.” That’s Maria Lvova-Belova, officially Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. “During that meeting, on TV, she reported to Putin that they removed thousands of children. And she said the key words, ‘Based on your instructions, we are saving and moving children from the war zones and placing them in special orphanages and foster families. Many of them are already adopted or we are in the process of finalizing the paperwork.’ “Those key words, ‘in accordance with your instructions,’ were the basis for the arrest order. Usually, it is almost impossible to prove that the president of a country is giving direct orders to violate international laws, but that meeting between Putin and Lvova-Belova, who also received an arrest order, gave the court the opportunity to react quickly. “The children range from babies to 15 or 16 years old. Mostly they were taken from Mariupol during the intense military operations there, but others were captured when the Russians took cities or towns or villages. They found children in shelters and took them. “One of the famous stories that circulated is about two children whose mother died in a bombing and whose father is an officer in the Ukrainian army, fighting for their country. They were both adopted by Russian families. There are many stories like this.” That arrest warrant came just three days before Xi’s visit to Moscow, and a few days after China’s brokering the deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

And then there was that three-day state visit. “I have seen hours of footage of it, and I was shocked when I saw how Putin behaved during his meetings with Xi,” Mr. Smukler said. “In my mind, it was one of the most shameful pages in Russian history. “Russia recognized Xi as its sovereign. It looks like the sovereign” — remember that a sovereign is not a mere ruler, but the ruler with supreme power. The one who rules over all the others — “was visiting his northern territories. “I watched how Putin behaved when he met Xi. I was trying not to listen to what they were saying, because they weren’t really saying anything, but I watched the body language. “It reminded me of how the representative of the Mongol Empire came to ancient Russia. For 800 years, parts of Russia were part of that empire. Representatives of the emperor would go to Russian cities and gave the Russian ruler a document called a yarlyk — which means agreement — that allowed them to rule on behalf of the sovereign. “It looked like the sovereign, Xi, was giving the vassal, Putin, the yarlyk to continue to rule the northern territories for the great Chinese empire. “Xi doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have to. He is silent. Russia is completely laying down and paying tribute to the Great China.” It’s reminiscent of Putin’s meeting with then President Donald Trump in Helsinki in 2018, when onlookers were struck by how deferentially Trump behaved toward Putin. (That was the meeting where Trump said that he believed Putin instead of U.S. intelligence on the question of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.) But in this case, the roles were reversed. There, Putin appeared to be the sovereign and Trump the vassal; in Moscow, Putin was the vassal and Xi the supreme ruler. By visiting Moscow, Xi made clear that he did not care that Putin was wanted by the International Criminal SEE CHINESE DRAGON PAGE 17

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Local FIRST PERSON

‘Call the doctor! There’s a fork in Ma’s leg!’ Let’s not forget when considering the pitfalls of mnemonics ANN K. BRODSKY

G

et it? “Ma’s leg” sounds phonetically just like the Hebrew word ‫ ַמזְ לֵ ג‬, which means “fork.” So the next time you’re in an Israeli café and your place setting is missing a fork, all you have to remember is — an image of your mother with a fork in her leg? Such are the pitfalls of mnemonics, or memory devices. Some take up permanent residency in our brains (who could forget Roy G. Biv?), while others seem to get express check-in and check-out. As a language teacher (and learner) of several decades, I’ve always been fascinated — and frustrated — by vocabulary acquisition. After learning the basics as a baby and toddler, how do we amass vocabularies that researchers variously place between 20,000 and 30,000 words? (Some estimates go as high as 40,000 to 50,000.) For a number of years, back in the days when a high SAT score was the golden ticket to college admission, I was a verbal instructor in an SAT prep course. If you’re of a certain age (if you remember analogies, you’re old enough), you probably recall suffering through lists of arcane words like, well, “arcane.” The common refrain among my students was, “How am I supposed to learn all these words?” The short — and snarky — answer was, “Have you tried reading some books?” But these kids needed to up their scores, and fast. What they wanted was a get-rich-quick scheme for their vocabularies. Learning word roots will surely help — and for some of us, etymology is an endlessly fascinating subject — but for the average 11th grader, just mentioning Latin or Greek means you’ve lost half the battle. Inevitably, someone would mention picture flash cards. These learning aids purported to help students acquire vocabulary through associations with various images. I clearly remember the card for the word “avaricious.” It showed a girl, Ava, greedily gobbling a bowl of rice. See? Ava + rice = greed = avarice! That’s great, provided you make the right association when you encounter “avarice” on the test. It’s possible, however, that the best your brain will come up with under pressure will be thoughts like: “A girl named ...? Something to do with rice? Cooking? Steaming? ...” Mnemonic devices work only when we can retrieve them without asking our brains to jump through too many verbal hoops. I reminded my students that any mnemonic device also must be meaningful to the user. Take the word “cajole,” which means to coax someone into doing something, often with flattery. I have an older brother, Joel, who often got me to do chores by sweet-talking me and playing on my younger sibling naivete. Obviously, I’ll never forget the meaning of “cajole.” But if your brother’s name is Bruce or Steve or Chaim, or if you don’t have a brother, this verbal trick won’t help you. My students often asked how I knew so many big words. I always answered that I regularly come across words I don’t know and — yup — look them up. But I 16 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

Proud new graduates Bernice and Bernie Kramer, Ms. Brodsky’s parents, hold their diplomas, marking their new MAs in English. They are flanked by Ms. Kramer’s parents, Abe and Rose Sherman.

also confessed that my parents were both English teachers, so our home was somewhat atypical (read: I heard a lot of big words). Both from immigrant families, my mother and father were as madly in love with the English language as they were with each other. They met in a graduate English course at the University of Maryland, when one day my mother leaned over my father’s desk, pointed to his notebook, and remarked that his use of the word “psittacismaic” was a bit off the mark. (This word, which refers to speech or language that is mechanical or repetitive, is obsolete today and, I’m guessing, was fairly arcane even in 1947.) My dad was smitten, and they were married six months later. Over the years, my parents’ verbal gems became the stuff of family lore. The love letters from their courtship contain footnotes (one from H.L. Mencken; how romantic!) and an asterisk pointing to a past participle that “may be archaic and dialectic.” My oldest daughter was her grandpa’s “pulchritudinous” first granddaughter because “beautiful” just wouldn’t do. My siblings and I still laugh over family code for our dog’s nightly outing: It was a “nocturnal perambulatory experience” because our pooch would go bonkers if we used the word “walk” in his presence. You get the idea. But if you don’t happen to be the progeny of English teachers, how do you get all those words to stick? And what happens in your brain when you’re trying to learn a new language? Which brings us back to “Ma’s leg,” taught to us by an Israeli shelicha who stayed with our family one summer. She came to New Jersey to work in a local Jewish day camp and teach some basic Hebrew to her campers. Some of the other goodies in her bag of verbal tricks were the oft repeated: ‫( ַּביִ ת‬bayit = house) That’s a nice house; I’d like to BUY IT. ‫( ָדג‬dag = fish) DOUG, could you please pass the fish? (Although, Doug, like Ava and the rice, really doesn’t have any intrinsic connection to fish.) Interestingly, my whole family remembers these

examples from more than 20 years ago. What made them so sticky? Well, they’re undeniably silly. And linguists have noted that the stranger and sillier the scenario of your mnemonic, the more likely you’ll remember it. All this came back to me recently while I was standing on the security line at Ben Gurion Airport. As I fumbled with getting my belongings onto the conveyer belt, I noticed one of the security agents holding up an empty gray storage bin. My laptop apparently needed to be placed in its own ‫ — ַמּגָ ש‬ma-gash. An instant mnemonic was coined: “Oh MY GOSH, I forgot to put my laptop in a separate bin.” (Magash is also the word for a serving tray or platter, which I knew, but airport security lines have the tendency to make my mind go blank.) It turns out that an Israeli linguist, Professor Ghil’ad Zuckermann, has created his own lists of these mnemonics, also known as “linkwords.” Here’s my favorite: “In the living room you can meet Beethoven, but come into my kitchen and MEET BACH.” (The Hebrew for kitchen is ‫ ִמ ְט ָּבח‬, pronounced meet-bach.) Since my magash revelation, I’ve amused myself by creating some more Hebrew-English linkwords: ‫לטל‬ ֵ ‫( לְ ַט‬l’taltail): to shake. The dog shook its TAIL. ‫נַער‬ ֵ ְ‫( ל‬l’na-air): another word for shake. I think of agitating a liquid, which increases the AIR inside it. ‫צה‬/‫( אני ממליץ‬ani mamlitz/ah): I recommend. MOM! LET’S go there. ‫( ְּתנּועָ ה‬t’nuah): traffic. NU? When is this traffic going to let up? Try creating some of your own linkwords over these next few weeks when your mind can’t seem to focus on anything besides where to get extra matzah cake meal. I guarantee it will have you chuckling (HA-CHA) through your Passover preparations ( ‫ ֲה כָ נֹות‬, hachanot). Ann Brodsky of Fair Lawn is an enthusiast of all things language-related. She is a lifelong educator, now at Hunter College, as well as an editor and translator.

Local Chinese Dragon FROM PAGE 14

Court, Mr. Smukler said. In fact, he strongly endorsed the Russian strongman ““I know that the Russia presidential election is next year. Russia’s development has significantly improved under your firm leadership. I believe that the Russian people will continue to strongly support you,” he was reported as saying. “So Xi Jinping gave Putin the blessing to rule Russia as a nuclear country. China is a member of the security council, and Xi gave a green light to a war criminal. “Now the masks are off. “The conflict that started as a regional conflict now has become a global conflict, China now is 100 percent on Russia’s side, and our administration missed the opportunity to convince China not to support Russia in that conflict.”” As to the war itself, “the situation on the front line is exactly as it was two weeks ago,” Mr. Smukler said. “The Russians are not capable of moving forward, and they are not capable of achieving any success in the enormously intense fight against the Ukrainians. They are not able to take Bakhmut, and according to Ukrainian sources, the Russians are losing around 1,000 soldiers every day there. “That battle obviously will be written about in every military textbook. The Russians have been in Bakhmut for more than eight months with no success. The city basically doesn’t exist anymore. It’s been completely leveled.”

That might be just as well — on some ghastly level it might be poetic justice — when you consider the terrible Jewish history of Bakhmut. “Bakhmut used to be a well-known Jewish shtetl before the war,” Mr. Smukler said. (That of course is World War II.) A census taken in 1939 showed that the town had 3,636 Jews. “When the Wehrmacht invaded in August of 1941, they created a ghetto. On November 16, 1942, they removed 3,000 people from the ghetto. It was announced that they would be moved to a different location. They all had to go there.” Bakhmut — then called Artemovsk — had both salt and alabaster mines. About 3,000 of the town’s Jews did as they were told and reported to an alabaster mine. “It was a huge cave, and they were sealed in alive,” Mr. Smukler said. “By concrete.” They all died. “In 1943, the Red Army liberated Bakhmut. Of course, local people knew that all the Jews had been sealed into the mine. The Russian soldiers exploded it, and they found thousands of skeletons.” About 3,200, to be exact; “we don’t know if they were all Jews. Some sources say a few hundred local resistance members were there too.” Later, the cave was made into a wine cellar. “It was only in 2016 that the Ukrainian government gave permission to put a plaque on the wall, saying that this is where 3,000 Jews had been killed in a most brutal way.” They were sealed in the cave, he added, “because

nobody wanted to bother to transport them to the gas chambers.” There were a few survivors, Jews who managed to hide so they were not in the cave. (No one escaped from it.) “There is an article about it written by a witness, Mark Goldberg, who was hidden by a Ukrainian family,” Mr. Smukler said. “His father, mother, grandparents, and sisters were killed there. He stayed in Ukraine and emigrated to the United States in the 1970s. He wrote a memoir, and he left it to Yad Vashem. That’s how we know the story. “Goldberg wrote that his father told him just before the Wehrmacht took the city, ‘We have no reason to worry about Germans.’ He said they’d occupied Ukraine before, in 1918, “and they were very nice to the Jews. So we had no business to worry or to move or to run away.’ “The Goldbergs were a wealthy family,” Mr. Smukler said. “And Mark’s father thought that because the Germans were people of culture they’d never be bad to Jews.” And another turn of the screw. “According to Mark Goldberg, there were almost no Germans in the city when they sealed the Jews in the cave. It was all done by Ukrainians.” Eastern Europe is an extraordinarily complicated place. But it’s where the world is being reshaped, and according to Mr. Smukler, “It will be a really different world.” A world that will be dangerous no matter what happens, but much more dangerous unless the Ukrainians win this war.

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It’s the people, stupid! RABBI DEBRA ORENSTEIN

I

want to bring you along with me, dear reader, on a journey of discovery. But the title of this story might be a spoiler. I baldly write “It’s the people, stupid,” with a nod to James Carville, because I think we all need to be reminded of the obvious sometimes. Profound learning is largely remembrance. Recently, synchronicity and repetition got my attention. Event after event drove home the point that change and connection occur most reliably when they are about people. Not facts or statistics. Not persuasive arguments or ingratiating communication. Not exciting announcements or terrific ideas. People and their stories motivate other people. My first “hit in the head” with this perspective came from Miriam Brosseau of Tiny Windows Consulting. She gave a workshop in early 2023 sponsored by SLI (the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey’s Synagogue Leadership Initiative) called “Communications and Marketing Strategy.” One of her bon mots was “people don’t care about your programs. They care about people.” She encouraged synagogues and other organizations to share stories and pictures on social media. That advice is not exactly revolutionary, but it’s important — and too often ignored. Social media is, to coin a term, social. So are Jews. And people generally. Cue the song “People” from “Funny Girl.” On the Friday of Martin Luther King weekend, my synagogue hosted the 13th annual Freedom Shabbat, celebrating the legacies and friendship of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Dr. Abraham Joshua Heschel. Each year, faith leaders from varied backgrounds and communities join my congregation, adding readings, songs, and a guest sermon to our Shabbat prayers. This year was particularly moving to me. We all relished gathering in person again. People arrived early and lingered afterward. Guest speakers from earlier years came back just to listen. This year’s guest sermonizer, Rev. Mark Suriano of Park Ridge, drew on his own personal story and the story of Moses, inspiring empathy, allyship, and kindness. The absence of a few Rabbi Debra Orenstein, spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Israel in Emerson and instructor at the Academy for Jewish Religion, teaches online and regularly serves as a scholar-in-residence. Go to RabbiDebra.com to learn more. 18 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

Evan Robbins stands with some of the young people he’s helped free from slavery.

regular attendees was noted; they were missed. There was an air of reunion, even as we welcomed new people. A critical mass of participants had spent enough time together to form genuine and lasting connections. At this year’s Freedom Shabbat, I realized that somewhere along the line, we had graduated from the status of being strangers of good will and shared values to friends — even kin — despite all our demographic and devotional differences. In that way, we didn’t just tell the story of Heschel and King. We lived it. That evening, and the earlier years of engaging meaningfully with one another, influenced the response of my community when the earthquake in Turkey hit on February 6. Members of my synagogue immediately reached out as brothers and sisters to the dozen or so Muslims from Turkey who had attended a Freedom Shabbat. We are continuing to help in that region, even as members of Peace Islands, the Turkish Muslim community, contribute, with us, to the federation’s March Mega Food Drive. On Thursday, we gathered for a kosher Iftar (Ramadan-break-the-fast) dinner hosted by our congregation, with other faith communities attending, too.

When I teach and mentor rabbinical students, I find that sometimes they are overwhelmed by the many tasks and endless mitzvah opportunities that a career in the rabbinate entails. Rabbis juggle life-cycle events, administration, curriculum development, teaching, preaching, pastoral care, counseling, preparing and leading services, outreach, in-reach, programming, interfaith dialogue, social justice work, and more. (Of course, rabbis are not alone in filling many roles and feeling themselves stretched.) The longer I have served the Jewish people, the more I am convinced: simply getting to know members of the community is vital. It is holy work in and of itself, and it also inspires and contributes to other holy work and collaborations. I have been to my share of meetings that I thought were a waste of time (who hasn’t?), but I have never spent time, one on one, with anyone in my synagogue or the wider community and regretted it. Just visiting with people and connecting soul to soul is valuable. It is easily pushed off, due to pressing matters with deadlines attached. But when it comes to spiritual calling and leadership — and I mean this kindly — it’s the

people, stupid! Note to self (and feel free to read over my shoulder): Even when time is tight, make time for getting to know individuals. Life becomes more expansive when you do. As a history of the shtetl declared in its title, Life Is With People. Another reminder that “it’s the people”: The latest meeting of the North Jersey Board of Rabbis, led by Rabbi Jen Schlosberg, featured training on community organizing by Michael Stanley of New Jersey Together and Jeannie Appleman of Join for Justice. The theme was “building relationships across lines of race, faith, and class.” Role-playing breakout sessions were simple but powerful exercises in listening. It turns out that asking people to tell their stories fuels rapport, connection, and your own genuine curiosity. Who’d have thunk it? Only everyone who has ever paid attention! Yet how often do we fail to pay attention? This winter, the New York Times offered a 7-Day Happiness Challenge. Journalist Jancee Dunn cited a famous longitudinal study of Harvard graduates, local Bostonians, and their descendants that started 85 years ago and is still going. “If you do one thing this year to ensure your own health and happiness,”

Local she summarized, “find the time to nurture and develop relationships.” Doink! Another hit in the head — this time by social scientists from Cambridge. Connecting in person and in depth with other human beings is restorative — for you and for them. As spring arrives, and Passover with it, Jews gather with friends and family — check! — to find inspiration and relevance in the shared, foundational story of our freedom — double check! For the last several years, I have worked to raise awareness and funds to help liberate people now enslaved and to end human trafficking. Given our immersion in the Exodus narrative, how could Jews not “love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt”? Evan Robbins was motivated to help child slaves when he read an article in the New York Times featuring a 6-year-old who had been kidnapped to work on fishing boats on Lake Volta in Ghana. His daughter was 6 at the time, and the story spoke to his heart. It was not the widespread practice of enslaving children that ignited him, but the humanity of one child which touched his own. Here is what I have noticed: When

you tell people that “25% of the approximately 41 million people enslaved today are teens and children under the age of 18,” it registers. That’s more than 10 million enslaved kids! But when you show people a picture of child slaves in quarries, sweatshops, brothels, or fishing boats, they feel it. When a survivor of slavery tells their story, people cry. Over the last 17 years, Evan has used his platform as a high school social studies teacher to educate students about the persistence of slavery, through the stories of individual human beings who have been treated as chattel. Working to save one child at a time, he eventually built a school in Ghana for children freed from slavery. Some of those kids are now adults, whom Evan and a small band of supporters — including students from Metuchen High School and the Golda Och Academy in West Orange — have shepherded into wellness, productivity, connection, and joy. The photo that accompanies this article puts faces to the statistics on child slavery. The radiant smiles tell a story of hope and resilience. You can learn more and donate at Breaking the Chain Through Education — btcte.

org. You can emulate Evan by learning the stories of oppressed people and supporting them in gaining freedom, justice, and dignity.

‘...change and connection occur most reliably when they are about people. ...People and their stories motivate other people.’ Like Evan, I was moved to help child slaves in Ghana by reading an article. It was a profile of Jessica Baer, who, after hearing Evan speak, raised money with her bat mitzvah project to help free 30 slaves. I photocopied the Jewish Standard

article and wrote in Sharpie above the headline: “This is what a 12-year-old can do; what can you do?” When it comes to eradicating slavery, “it’s the people, stupid!” To discover and execute on a soul mission and sense of purpose, people need and inspire each other. If you were waiting for a new insight, I am sorry to disappoint. But I do hope that repeating my theme relentlessly might prove helpful. Let it sink in. For health and happiness, for freedom and fulfillment, there is no substitute for really seeing people and hearing their stories, nor for being seen and heard. I have sat with enough people at the end of their lives to know that what matters most at that poignant time, looking back with sharpened clarity, is not usually a “what” at all. In the end, it’s “who” that matters most. Missions, passions, purposes, achievements, lessons, memories, good deeds, and accumulated wisdom are valid, even crucial, in a well-lived life. But who loves you and whom you love fill up your living and your dying. Any legacy is a legacy to someone. It’s the people, sweetheart.

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Local

Taking the stodgy out of seder Barnert Temple workshop provides food for thought and fresh insights DEBORAH BRESLOW

W

e all may be used to our own seders — parts of them might be boring, parts might be fun, but usually little of it is new. It can be exciting, even inspirational, to be exposed to ways to introduce something different into something as beloved but stodgily unchanging as our seders can be. Last Sunday, Barnert Temple in Franklin Lakes offered both members and nonmembers a lively, interactive four-session workshop that included humor, history, eclectic recipes, and song parodies, as guest speakers borrowed ideas from the oldest rituals outlined in the Haggadah. The “Preparing for Passover” program gave attendees a chance to laugh, reflect, taste, sing — and learn. Rebecca Rund of Franklin Lakes, Barnert’s new fulltime communication and engagement coordinator, has been a member, volunteer, and lay leader at Barnert for 20 years. Speaking of the program with great enthusiasm, she said: “We have a diverse group of temple Rabbi Eliza Scheffler teaches at Barnert Temple. On the wall behind her, drawings of recently retired Rabbi Elyse Frishman and her predecessor, Rabbi Martin Freedman, look out at the room. members who come from varying towns and family backgrounds. Many of us follow the Passover recipes passed down to us that images can tell us about the aspirations are seen through an Ashkenazi Jewish and anxieties faced by Jewish communities throughout the centuries, she said. lens.” For example, often the wise son is Convinced that food helps in making connections, Ms. Rund said several shown as an observant Jew sitting at a Barnert members whose backgrounds desk with a book; he’s studious, pious, are not Eastern European described scholarly. But an early Israeli Haggadah how their families would prepare charwritten in 1952 portrays the wise son as oset, the mixture of apples, nuts and a strong and brawny person of the land; wine meant to symbolize the mortar with his sleeves rolled up, he’s prepared the Jews used while enslaved in Egypt. to get his hands dirty. Cantor Marina Voronina Rabbi Eliza Scheffler Rebecca Rund Coming from the Hebrew word cheres, “In analyzing images depicting the meaning clay, the sweet mixture offsets four sons from as early as 1879 to the about ideas for unusual and often wild contemporary the bitterness of the herbs served on the seder plate. present, it is not always clear what perspective the versions of the seder in general, and in particular, about “We learned different variations on the old standard authors and artists of the haggadot are trying to offer asking the Four Questions. As noted in a 2002 New recipes of our youth,” Ms. Rund said. “The stories told us,” Rabbi Scheffler said. “It’s open for the readers to York Times article by Frederick Kaimann, Dr. Spiegel about the recipes from various cultures added depth to interpret.” has found that many seder innovators are motivated each recipe.” Charoset from Curaçao, Italy, India, Iran When we look at a particular image, we might ask by their children’s short attention spans. “I want the and Greece, along with a sprinkling of Sephardic and which is the wise son. Is it the studious one who pores seder to be a new experience for people and not someAshkenazi old favorites were provided to the attendover scripture, or the businessman who is assimilated ees in tasting cups. The charoset-makers regaled the thing that results in ‘oh this old thing again?’” he said into the outside world, or the boxer who fights to group with memories of family debates over the spethen. From Arabic to Zulu to the anapestic tetrameter defend himself and brings pride to the Jewish people? cific portions and ingredient details. “So many recipes, of Dr. Seuss to the iambic pentameter of Shakespeare, Is it possible for the wise son to be all of these: the one handed down from generation to generation, are not Dr. Spiegel told new and different ways to ask the Four who immerses himself in his studies, earns a living, and necessarily written down,” Ms. Rund said. “Food can Questions. fights for the continuity of the Jewish people? often express identity.” Attendees left with handouts of Barnert Temple’s assistant rabbi, Eliza Scheffler, who The images of the wicked son from a Polish Haggadah made in early 1934 reveal a man looking to emulate recipes for each of the delicious versions. “It was charoversees adult education, joined the congregation last oset with a twist.” Hitler, with a porkpie hat and toothbrush mustache. He July, after a rabbinic internship at Congregation Beth Like the rabbis and Jewish educators he’s read about seemingly wanted to eschew his Jewishness and presElohim in Brooklyn. She led a discussion-based class ent himself as a Nazi-like character. This characterizaand learned from, Murray Spiegel of Roseland, who is a featuring the four sons in the Haggadah. The earliest tion exhibits the fears we might have about how the software engineer, speech researcher, and author, has source texts are rooted in the Torah; next, they’re next generation of Jews will carry on rituals and tradienjoyed thinking out of the box to design engaging and found in the Mekhilta (a collection of midrashim about tions or abandon them, possibly leading to an atrophycreative multicultural seders for Jews of various affiliathe book of Exodus from the first and second centuries tions. His book, “300 Ways to Ask the Four Questions,” ing of Jewish identity. of the common era) and in the Jerusalem Talmud. More uses puzzles and games to make the Passover seder The attendees were asked how they might have interrecently, various haggadot offer a more expansive view preted the children described in the Haggadah. Is there both fun and interesting. of the four sons as four children, perhaps even as four one in particular with whom they identify? Is it possible In keeping with the workshop’s theme of making daughters. that each of us at one time or another has had the charYOUR seder night different from all other nights, Dr. Rabbi Scheffler showed images various artists have acteristics of each of the four children? Was it possible Spiegel offered a humorous multimedia presentation drawn of the four sons throughout the centuries. Those 20 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

Happy Passover!

JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023 21

Local that the four images they looked at were chronological images of the same person as their identities changed? To make this more clear, Rabbi Scheffler elaborated: “At the seder, we might be feeling excited about the ritual (the wise one), alienated by parts of the tradition (the wicked one), confused by the parts we don’t understand (the simple one), and not even know where or how to begin (the one who does not know to ask).” Rabbi Scheffler noted that since at least 1996, some contemporary haggadot show four children; others, including “The Wandering Is Over,” produced by Jewish Women’s Archive in Boston, show four daughters. Marina Voronina, Barnert Temple’s accomplished cantorial soloist, has been with the congregation for seven years. Cantor Voronina was born in the Soviet Union. She and her mother arrived on Long Island in 1990, when she was 11. Her older brother arrived a few years later with her grandmother, aunt, uncle, and cousins. Her passport was stamped Jewish, just as other peoples were stamped Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, or Polish. “Jewish, the religion, was considered a nationality in the Soviet Union at that time,” Cantor Voronina said. “But even with that stamp, I knew nothing about being Jewish.” When she got to America, she found the local synagogue in Kings Park welcoming. “We were given rides to the two

22 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

annual neighborhood seders and later to Hebrew school,” she said. Cantor Voronina recalls being terrified, knowing that the youngest child would be asked to recite Ma Nishtanah — the Four Questions. “I didn’t know Hebrew, but everyone sang along with me.” As a member of Kings Park Jewish Center, a Conservative shul, she learned many tunes while participating in community seders. “I wanted to learn as much as I could about Judaism,” she said. Later, as a student at Brandeis University, Cantor Voronina participated in different types of services that took place concurrently for different types of Jews. “Reform Judaism offered different tunes from those I grew up with,” she said. She collected a repertoire of tunes in both Hebrew and Russian. “Everyone grew up with different traditions and learned different melodies, but often people forget the words to the songs of their youth or skip over the lines they don’t know,” Cantor Voronina said. “The internet is a wonderful resource for Passover songs.” Providing song sheets that included both traditional Passover songs and parodies of some of them, Cantor Voronina led the group as they sang new words to the tune of the Brady Bunch’s theme song and “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music.” The Passover story was retold in song, and everyone enjoyed finishing the program with festive music.

These three versions of the Four Sons, from three haggadot from different times and places, are a primary source for social history.

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Local FIRST PERSON

My cancer, the world’s Ukraine Looking back at a very difficult year with very real hope JONATHAN LAZARUS

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t’s been slightly more than a year since two events unfolded in my life, totally unrelated but nevertheless totally intertwined, one internal, one external. One thousands of miles away, the other closer than a heartbeat. In February 2022, I was hospitalized in the oncology wing at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, receiving chemotherapy while staying riveted to cable news reports on the massing of Russian forces along Ukraine’s borders. Tens of thousands of troops, columns of tanks and armored vehicles, and convoys of rolling stock stood poised to blitz the country in an operation that would take but a few days, according to the expectations of the Kremlin’s botoxed, bullying leader, the angry dwarf, Vladimir Putin. (At this point, I wish to acknowledge my debt to the spot-on Ukraine articles in the Jewish Standard/and New Jersey Jewish News offering the insights and analysis of Alexander Smukler and the reporting and interviewing of Joanne Palmer, and to both especially for christening the diminutive, delusional Putin as the angry dwarf. And just last week, the pariah acquired an additional title: War criminal, courtesy of the International Court in the Hague.) We all know how the dictator’s expectations blew up in his face and continue to do so as carnage and destruction not seen on the continent since 1945 surge into a second year. But as I sat in the hospital that day, absorbing the first chemo infusion for lymphoma, my thoughts turned repeatedly to a nation I could barely trace on a map just weeks before (even though it is Europe’s second largest after its tormentor, Russia). A gripping David-and-Goliath drama unspooled before millions of viewers across the globe. I was born during World War II, when the Soviet Union was an ally, and then I came of age at the height of the Cold War, when it wasn’t, so I had watched newsclips of Moscow’s tanks crushing a democratic uprising in Hungary in 1956 and 12 years later doing the same dirty deed in Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring. The Cuban missile crisis in between these all-too-short flickers of freedom put an exclamation point on East-West tensions and edged the world closer to the nuclear brink. Later, when the Berlin Wall crumbled spectacularly and the Solidarity movement toppled the Polish Communist regime, I rejoiced for the oppressed people of Eastern Europe and hoped better days were ahead for the average Russian. I naively believed former Soviet republics now would be free to pursue their own destinies. We had gone to the moon and triumphed in the Cold War, and now I could look back at the Sputnik science scare and my 1950s civil defense classroom drills as illusory and unnecessary. It was time to let the Jonathan E. Lazarus of West Orange is a retired editor of the Star-Ledger and a copy editor for the Jewish Standard and the New Jersey Jewish News. 24 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

Jonathan Lazarus before and after his treatments began. In the before photo, he’s with his wife, Gail.

Doomsday Clock expire. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Chechnya, Crimea, and Syria should have been the tells. I scarcely knew about Ukraine’s history (though my mother was born there and brought here at nine months in 1905), except that it had been brutalized by czars and starved by Stalin in the 1930s, during his collectivization frenzies. I had no appreciation of how deeply the seeds of democracy had taken root in a country that had served as a vassal state of the Soviet Union, or that it had ousted a pro-Moscow puppet president in 2014 after the Maidan Revolution, or that its current president was Jewish in a nation dogged by an antisemitic past, or that Ukraine had glorious artistic, linguistic, and cultural traditions of its own. I did know, however, that when referring to Ukraine, we were to drop the THE — it no longer was the Ukraine. (My managing editor at The Star-Ledger, Andy Stasiuk, made sure the entire newsroom understood that.) I also knew that Ukraine had been in the Pale of Settlement, while Russia proper had not. Czarist decrees designating its Jews as shtetl-confined nonpersons still weren’t enough to exempt my grandfather, Max Adelman, from serving in Nicholas II’s army for five years before he fled to America. I also had come to know Ukraine as a focal point of MAGA Republicans in Congress, who tried to spin sinister scenarios about Hunter Biden’s role as a consultant for a corporation trying to do business with Kyiv before the last presidential campaign. Expect more yawn-inducing political theater as House GOP extremists attempt to resurrect this pseudo drama and other specious, shallow investigations in the months ahead. (This should not imply that Ukraine has earned a spotless

reputation on eliminating government corruption.) If you had asked me a year ago February if I thought I had a better chance of recovering from cancer (in my case large B cell lymphoma of the spleen) than Ukraine did of holding Russian aggressors in check, I would have said yes without a moment’s hesitation. Armed with the oncologist’s assurance that my form of the disease was highly treatable, I cultivated an optimistic outlook and eventually wrote about the experience for the Jewish Standard/NJJN. My perspective on Ukraine then was markedly different from what it is today. Like many others, I feared the nation’s position was untenable at best and something a lot darker at worst. But when I was discharged from the hospital after two weeks to continue receiving chemo as an outpatient, I, like the rest of the world, had witnessed and processed the deeply affecting spectacle of a defiant, resilient country of 45 million (now millions fewer, factoring in fleeing refugees and those killed, wounded, captured, or missing) standing up for its heritage and values. By then, the conflict had exposed Russian forces for what they were, a Potemkin army led by inept generals waging war at the behest of a megalomaniacal leader. While the fighting intensified and I continued watching the news as intently as possible, my perspective on cancer treatment also shifted. I now realize that I had conflated the words treatable and curable during the first round of chemo. So confident was I that it was a one-and-done process, rather than rinse and repeat, that I asked the doctor to remove my chest port after receiving the prescribed course of six infusions. Wisely, he declined. After four “clean” months, the lymphoma returned, manifested by a swelling of the nodes. Biopsies sent to the National Cancer Institute confirmed the original diagnosis, with the addition of a Hodgkin’s strain. My oncologist at Cooperman Barnabas felt that this gray-zone overlap of malignancies might qualify me for a relatively new type of cellular therapy known as CAR T. (The acronym is Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell.) In New Jersey, the Rutgers Cancer Institute of Robert Wood Johnson hospital in New Brunswick administers the protocols, one of only 50 health facilities nationwide authorized to do so. Since Barnabas and RWJ are part of the same corporate structure and interface patient records, the transfer and approval came about quickly. Barnabas is now in the midst of building a freestanding cancer center at its suburban Livingston campus and could qualify for CAR T in a few years. And Robert Wood Johnson, just blocks from where I attended Rutgers in the early 1960s, is also caught up in the bustle of a major physical expansion in a densely developed area between the fringe of the university and downtown. During my initial interview, the head of lymphology at RWJ explained that in typically 60 out of 100 cases, the returning cancer is the same as the original. Thirty-seven patients present a new strain, and just three exhibit both the old and the new. I fell into the last rarified category, and in the next hour I received an indoctrination into CAR T 101. Scans and tests over several weeks determined that

Local at nearly 81, I could withstand the rigors of treatment. Then the collection of my ineffective T cells, a process called leukapheresis, began, with a catheter placed in the jugular. A pumping device circulated my blood and chemically filtered out cells in a painless procedure lasting about three hours. A small plastic bag held the precious harvest, which was shipped to a lab for reprogramming with the use of cellular therapy. Three weeks later, the new CAR Ts were ready for infusion. But first I received back-to-back-to-back chemotherapy treatments to prepare my system. At Zero Hour, two tiny vials containing the potentially life-altering CAR Ts were slowly pushed through my chest port, sort of modern magic bullets. Three days later, as per protocol, I was admitted to the hospital’s cell transplant wing for monitoring of possible side effects, which could range from mild to severe. Needless to say, I felt extremely anxious in the days leading up to and following these procedures. More than a month has elapsed since receiving my re-engineered cells. I was hospitalized for five days and discharged early after exhibiting virtually no reactions. A regimen of heavy meds has helped prevent infection, seizures, cytokine release syndrome, and neurotoxicity. Blood chemistry readings surpassed expectations and my immune system boosted back up. The care I received as a patient and during my weekly follow-ups reflects compassion and thoroughness. I’ve still not been given the green light to resume driving, but I have

been allowed to return to JCC MetroWest for workouts, and I will be gradually weaned off my meds, except for the antibiotics. Blood work and scans will be part of my open-ended evaluation. The irony in all this is that I’m not a fan of big pharma or the Food and Drug Administration (my father owned a small generic pharmaceutical company forced to

‘... as I sat in the hospital that day ... my thoughts turned repeatedly to a nation I could barely trace on a map just weeks before...’ accept a larger buyer by a heavy-handed FDA in the early 1970s). The CAR T therapy, though, involved a treatment called Breyanzi, developed by Bristol Myers Squibb and approved by the FDA only three years ago. Because of its newness, I gladly enrolled in a database tracking the progress of patients and also agreed to

donate my harvested but unused T cells to a Rutgers study investigating the wider application of CAR T. During this stressful period, the hospital social worker connected my wife and me to a support group funded through BMS called Cell Therapy 360. Since I live more than an hour away in West Orange and might have needed emergency care during my outpatient treatment, Cell Therapy 360 provided hotel and dining reimbursement in New Brunswick for me and Gail, who was as fully and emotionally invested in my recovery as anyone could hope for. Clearly, cancer realities have dominated the past year. But as a lifelong reporter, editor, and news junkie, I felt myself drawn almost as much to the historic Ukraine struggle as to my own battle, both of which have played out on parallel timelines. Perhaps this is because Ukraine is providing me with a clear sense of what true suffering and deprivation can be, and how bravely the nation has held up under unrelenting duress while embracing the underdog role. Although there is absolutely no comparability between my cancer treatments and Ukraine’s fight for survival, both realities remain embedded in me, like double helix strands of DNA. I’m not in the results business and have learned to keep my tendency to project in check, but I can let my hopes and prayers run wild, especially during springtime. So here goes: I hope and pray that the cancer is gone from my body and the Russians are gone (or ejected) from Ukraine.

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Local

These headstones mark the graves of veterans of the Spanish American War, World War I, and the Vietnam War.

Honoring Jewish war vets Cemetery Association of Northern New Jersey will mark graves in 18 cemeteries JOANNE PALMER

understand and respect that. “There is at least one veteran of the Spanish-American war buried here, and there are veterans of World Wars I and II. I haven’t seen one yet, but I’ve been told that there are veterans of the Korean war, and so far, I’ve found one who served in the war in Vietnam.”

T

he Cemetery Association of Northern New Jersey was created to undertake a task that most people acknowledge is important, but few want to assume. The group takes care of the largely abandoned graveyards built and filled by members of Jewish communities that have moved on, leaving their 19th-century urban homes for newer ones in the suburbs in the decades after World War II. There are 18 such cemeteries in Bergen and Passaic counties, filled with the graves of people whose descendants, now generations removed from them, largely know nothing about their lives, much less where they are buried. Mickey Levine, the Paterson-born descendant of generations of leaders of Temple Emanuel of North Jersey, which moved from Paterson to Franklin Lakes, heads the association. He lives in Manhattan now, but he goes to North Jersey to walk through the cemeteries three times a week. What he sees gives insight into a great many areas of life. There are birds and small mammals; there are the trees whose great roots topple headstones, and there are the weeds that have to be uprooted. There’s a great deal of history and demographics to be gleaned from birth dates and death dates and changing fashions in first names (and sometimes last names) and what sort of information was seen as appropriate for gravestones at which period. Mr. Levin has learned that there are many veterans of the United States armed forces buried in the 18 cemeteries. That information is engraved on many of the headstones. But those graves should be marked as well by the Jewish War Veterans of the United States, and by American flags, Mr. Levin and the 26 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

‘All veterans have given something to our country, and we have to at least signify that we understand and respect that.’ Mickey Levine heads the Cemetery Association of Northern New Jersey.

organization’s board decided. So they’ve gotten markers from the JWV, and flags from Passaic and Bergen counties’ veterans departments. They’ve found about 300 graves holding veterans so far, and their goal is to have all of them marked by Memorial Day. “We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do,” Mr. Levin said. “All veterans have given something to our country, and we have to at least signify that we

There are many veterans buried in at least two of the group’s cemeteries — the Stein Joselson and the A&M White Lodge, both in Totowa — Mr. Levine said, and he knows of at least one in all but one of them. That’s Ahavath Joseph in Hawthorne. “But I’m not saying that there aren’t any there,” he said. “I just don’t know of any. Yet.” Mr. Levine assumes that there are more veterans buried in the cemeteries than the ones he’s found so far. He’s compiled a list “based on what was on the headstone or footstone,” he said. “We know that there have to be more; we’re sure that there are some that weren’t marked. “So it’s a matter of people coming forward and

Local saying, ‘Yes, my father,’ or ‘Yes, my uncle,’ or ‘Yes, my friend was a veteran.’ “We don’t care how we get the names. And we are not asking for proof. We are taking people’s word for it. Nobody is going to mess with this.” Also, he said, anyone who knows that a relative or friend or acquaintance was a veteran and is buried in one of the association’s cemeteries need not know where in the cemetery the grave is, or even in which cemetery. “As long as they’re in our database, we’ll know,” he said. “It shows who’s buried where. Just give me the name. If you know the cemetery too, that’s fine. If not, that’s okay too.” He plans on having “students and other young people put flags in markers” in one of the cemeteries before Memorial Day. “We think it’s a great thing for them to do,” he said. “It’s part of history. This is what Memorial Day is all about.” The association is undertaking this effort, he said, “because if you’ve served in the military and you pass away, you are entitled to whatever the service has to offer. You served. You need to be honored.” If you know about a veteran who is buried in one of the 18 cemeteries that the Cemetery Association of North Jersey oversees, email Mickey Levine at [email protected].

These are the cemeteries that the Cemetery Association of North Jersey oversees: Elmwood Park (Chabot Lane) Workmens Circle #13 Hawthorne (Brockhuizen Lane) Ahavath Joseph Saddle Brook (Midland Avenue) Americus B’nai Israel Yavneh Academy Saddle Brook (Passaic Junction) B’nai Shalom Old Temple Emanuel Ozerkower Cemetery Workmens Circle # 121 Workmens Circle # 970 Yanover Woodland Park (McBride Avenue) Independent United Jersey Verein Nathan & Miriam Barnert Passaic County Club Silk City Cemetery Water Street Shul Totowa (River Road) A&M White Lodge Cemetery Stein Joelson Mr. Resnick was a veteran of World War I.

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Local

‘It’s nice to see Jews being Jews’ JYC, a Friday-night group for young professionals, grows in Morristown DEBORAH BRESLOW

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hat do two eligible young Jewish bachelors, one from Bismarck, North Dakota, and the other from Highland Park, have in common? A lot, it turns out. Both of them — Nathan Vaisbort of North Dakota and Asher Weinstein of New Jersey — are interested in meeting nice young Jewish adults who share similar values, cherish the traditions of their culture, and are eager to engage in community. Mr. Vaisbort, the 30-something investment banker and co-founder of Jewish Young Community of Morris County grew up in the capital of North Dakota, a city with just half a dozen Jewish families. The city’s only rabbi had left years earlier. It wasn’t until his parents moved to Las Vegas when he was 12 that Mr. Vaisbort made a meaningful connection with Judaism, he said. “I recall our temple’s members being horrified as to how little Jewish knowledge I had.” After his bar mitzvah in a Conservative shul, Mr. Vaisbort embraced the importance of being surrounded by other Jews who shared his ideals and values. But between the time when he became bar mitzvah and when he went to college at 18, he yearned for a spiritual and social connection that he could not find. Mr. Vaisbort’s experience at the University of Nevada Las Vegas brought him back Left, Cantor Shana Onigman cooks and bakes for Jewish Young Community; right, Nathan Vaisbort, holding the to a spiritual center. “I became close with poster, and Asher Weinstein are the co-creators of JYC. Rabbi Brochtain, the rabbi at UNLV, who led the campus Chabad” where, he said, he other Jews,” Mr. Vaisbort said. “The young profession30-something digital marketing specialist and Highland was “taught and inspired.” Mr. Vaisbort later joined the als who attend Jewish Young Community events share Park native, attended Drexel University in Philadelphia. Chabad for Young Professionals, also run by the UNLV a similar trajectory of experience.” Chabad. “Rabbi Brochtain served as a mentor to me “When I returned to Highland Park after college, I took Mr. Weinstein agreed. “Unless they’ve attended a colpart in a myriad of social activities out there for young in my college years and in life events throughout my lege with a strong Jewish presence, most Jewish young Jewish people,” he said. “With an interest in inviting young adulthood.” adults tend to fall out of involvement after their bar or young professionals to meet and gather on Friday eveMr. Vaisbort said that he felt at home at Shabbatons nings following services, I spearheaded the Oneg group. bat mitzvahs.” and other lively events, where he could interact regularly with anywhere from 40 to 60 Jewish peers. When I reached out to five or six synagogues requesting space While Mr. Weinstein had joined only a handful of he relocated thousands of miles away to New Jersey to accommodate groups of 50 to 60 young Jewish peoShabbat dinners hosted by the Morristown Jewish Cenple. The attendees arrived once the Friday Shabbat serter, he and Mr. Vaisbort hoped to organize something for a job promotion, it was important to him to sustain vice crowd had departed.” that offered community, engagement, and inclusivity. close ties to other Jews. Knowing no one but hoping to Food, snacks, and drinks were provided; guests They began by scheduling a meeting with both Ms. deepen his connections, he took the plunge and made brought wine and beer. “It was fun for a while, but I Loew and the Morristown Jewish Center’s rabbi, David the 2,500-mile move. was doing all the work myself,” he said. Nesson. They were anxious to show their peers that celBecause New Jersey has a Jewish population six times ebrating Jewish heritage and culture could be fun. Four years later, after moving to Morristown, Mr. larger than Nevada’s, Mr. Vaisbort assumed the transition would be smooth. But after trying to connect on Since the synagogue’s cantor, Shana Onigman, had Weinstein and Miriam Loew, education and lifelong internet dating sites and other online meet-ups, he been preparing scrumptious free dinners for the synalearning director at the Morristown Jewish Center, met gogue’s members before Friday night Shabbat services, found barriers to entry. “I realized quickly that there to brainstorm activities for young Jewish adults. When the two men approached her one evening with their was a serious gap somewhere,” he said. “I did not Asher met Nathan at a Purim event at the Morristown proposition. understand why there were so many Jewish people, but Jewish Center in 2022, they hit it off immediately. Eager Would she be willing to cook for a group of young very few went to any of the Chabad Young Professionto figure out how best to get 20-something Jewish proals of Morristown events. After many calls to Chabad, fessionals off the couch on a Friday night to do someJewish people from different towns and communities thing different, they put their creative heads together. I was put in touch with groups and sites like Tribe, who wished to make social connections with their Mesorah, and Moishe House, but found them exclusive “We each knew so many young people like us, who’d peers? The answer was yes! The seed for the Jewish attended Chabad or Hillel during college, only to find and far.” Events in Hudson County were a 55-minute Young Community Morris County Area was planted. themselves as young adults unsure how to interact with trek from his home in Morristown.Asher Weinstein, a “Cantor Shana is extremely generous with her time,”

28 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

Local Mr. Vaisbort said. “In addition to her cantorial duties and haunting melodies chanted each Shabbat, she’s committed to providing delicious food to Shabbat dinner attendees.” Mr. Vaisbort and Mr. Weinstein rave about her homemade challah — she offers a baking and braiding class — which is just one of the specialties served to those who register for a Friday night dinner and a meaningful service afterward. “The shul has a kosher commercial kitchen, which makes cooking for so many people much easier,” Mr. Vaisbort said. “We typically serve Cantor Shana’s signature soup, roasted chicken, and a vegetable. We ask guests to bring their own kosher wine, and sometimes a little schnapps. Cantor Shana really tries to cater to her audience’s needs, making vegan, gluten-free, and dairy dishes.” While the rise in covid cases caused delays in the organization’s start up in 2022, throughout the past six months, JYC has been providing dinners and community to groups of more than 30 young Jewish men and women who register before Shabbat. The two men are pleased with the response they’re getting to the events. “If someone finds their bashert through JYC, we’d be elated,” Mr. Weinstein said. “However, we are a group of singles, couples, and married young adults. Everyone is welcome.” While a core group of people seem to come back week after week, there has been a substantial growth in the number of those joining from Bergen, Essex, Warren and Hudson counties since the organization launched. Some people have also come from Brooklyn.

The cofounders sense an ease and comfort among the attendees. “It’s nice to see Jews being Jews.” “What started as a handful of people coming to services to get back into the spirit of Judaism has turned into a word-of-mouth phenomenon,” Mr. Vaisbort said. “We advertise on most social media platforms: Yelp, Google Business, Facebook, EventBrite, and Instagram.”

‘What started as a handful of people coming to services to get back into the spirit of Judaism has turned into a word-of-mouth phenomenon.’ While Mr. Vaisbort is somewhat introverted, Mr. Weinstein is more outgoing. “We balance each other out,” Mr. Weinstein said. “Nathan handles all of the behind-the-scenes work, such as fundraising, registration, and promotion. He’s created a WhatsApp group for people to connect before and after Shabbat events.” Both cofounders believe they can get along with anyone, but often feel closest to those with whom they can

make a Jewish connection. “Helping others find community fills my soul and makes me appreciate what I do,” Mr. Weinstein said. Mr. Vaisbort hopes to expand JYC to other types of activities, such as hiking, movie and game nights, synagogue-hopping, and wine tastings. Mr. Weinstein’s advisory role is to direct the marketing efforts and vote on the JYC board. Although they have active full-time jobs, both young professionals contribute more than 10 volunteer hours to their organization every week. Now affiliated with Morristown Jewish Center Beit Yisrael, JYC accepts donations. “While the goal is to keep our meals free to participants, as we expand, we may ask for a nominal donation,” they say. Mr. Vaisbort and Mr. Weinstein are committed to spending their off hours communicating with more shuls in Northern New Jersey to expand their reach. At their most recent Friday night event, JYC used the support of One Table, a national nonprofit that provides a platform to invite guests to Shabbat dinners and offers funding for food served to up to 30 people. “While most young people don’t yet relate to the temple membership model, we offer many opportunities to help with cooking, setup, and cleanup and appreciate contributions of wine and desserts,” Mr. Weinstein said. For more information about JYC and its Shabbat dinner experiences, go to its Facebook page at Jewish Young Community ( JYC) Morris County Area or email Nathan Vaisbort at [email protected]

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Around the Community Reminder: Passover begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 5, and ends at nightfall on Thursday, April 13.

Saturday

Sunday

APRIL 1

APRIL 2

Schacter, z’l,” for Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck. 7:45 p.m. www.rinat.org.

Monday APRIL 3

Dr. Jeffrey Rubenstein

Ana Vidovic

Shabbaton in Tenafly:

Guitar master class:

Congregation Adas Emuno of Leonia, Temple Emeth of Teaneck, and Temple Sinai of Bergen County in Tenafly join for a Shabbaton at Temple Sinai. There’s study at 9 a.m., a lunch and learn at noon; and then again at 7:30 p.m., with a staged reading of “As a Driven Leaf” and dessert. The day includes two talks by Dr. Jeffrey Rubenstein; services will be led by the rabbis, Adas Emuno’s cantorial student, Joseph Flaxman, and his predecessor, cantorial student Iris Karlin. Reservations required. Email scollins@ templesinaibc.org or call (201) 568-3035.

Ana Vidovic, a guitarist with an international performance career, leads a master class at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly. 2 p.m. (201) 408-1461 or JCCOTP.org.

Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter

Passover shiur: Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter gives a shiur, “Seeking Redemption on the Holiday of Redemption: Reflections on the Tenth Yahrzeit of Rabbi Herschel

Maccabi USA president coming to Wyckoff Jeff Bukantz, president of former Maccabiah games Maccabi USA, will speak on participants, who will Sunday, April 9, at noon, describe how their experiences in the internafor the Henry and Elaine tional Maccabiah Games Kaufman Center for Jewish Living at Temple Beth became a transformational moment in their Rishon in Wyckoff. He will Jewish lives. talk about how Maccabi Tickets for the public USA continues to build JewJeff Bukantz ish pride around the world are $25 per person and through sports., and giving Jewchildren under 18 years old are free. ish athletes the chance to compete Sponsorships are available. Sign up at against each other. bethrishon.org, call (201) 891-4466, or The afternoon also will include email [email protected].

Dr. Samira Mehta

Mixed race belonging: Dr. Samira Mehta reads from and talks about her book “The Racism of People Who Love You: Essays on Mixed Race Belonging.” It’s in celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and sponsored by the Gross Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies at Ramapo College of New Jersey with the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Compliance, and Hillel of North Jersey. In person and on Zoom. Friends Hall, 1 p.m. Refreshments. ramapo.edu/holocaust. For parking on the Ramapo campus, email [email protected].

Jewish business group meets with state Attorney General The NJ Jewish Business Alliance met with New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin last week to discuss rising hate crimes and antisemitic incidents, specifically when it comes to Jewish owned businesses. From left: NJJBA’s vice president of communications, Ameya Pendse; NJJBA’s vice president of member engagement and president of the ROC of NJ, Josh Pruzansky; NJJBA’s executive director, David Rosenberg; NJ Attorney General Matt Platkin; and Moshe Schwartz, the director of Hatzolah of Hudson County.

Rabbi Kanelsky gives benediction

Wayne Interfaith Network honors volunteers

Rabbi Mordechai Kanelsky of Bris Avrohom recently gave the benediction at the joint session of the New Jersey Legislature when Governor Phil Murphy relayed the budget. The Senate president, Nicholas Scutari (D-NJ District 22) is behind him to the right; the General Assembly speaker, Craig Coughlin (D-NJ District 19), is behind him to the left.

The Wayne Interfaith Network Food Pantry recently held its second annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. It was at the Wayne Y. The town’s mayor, Chris Vergano; WIN’s president, Barbara Cohen; its vice president, Cathy Czar; and its secretary, Betty Singer, also were there, along with many volunteers. Ms. Cohen, a former member of Wayne’s Congregation Shomrei Torah and Chabad communities, told the group that WIN was honored with the CD 11 Heroes award. Barbara Cohen and Mayor Chris For information about WIN and Vergano COURTESY WIN to learn how to make a donation or receive services, go to winfoodpantry.org or call (973) 694-1800, ext. 3281. All funding comes exclusively from donations, with no government subsidies.

Passover in Paterson The Paterson Shul @Seniors Tower, at 510 E. 27th Street in Paterson, will hold several Passover minyans. On Shabbat HaGadol — that’s Saturday, April 1 — there will be a pre-Passover minyan at 9 a.m. On Thursday, April 6, the first day of

Passover, the minyan is at 9:30 a.m. On Thursday, April 13, the last day, the minyan is at 9:30 a.m., followed by Yizkor at 10:30. For more information, email [email protected] or search for the Paterson Shul on Facebook.

30 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

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Blue square raising antisemitism awareness On Monday, the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey joined a large coalition of organizations, both Jewish and non-Jewish, for Stand Up to Jewish Hate. The new campaign aims to raise awareness about antisemitism and mobilize Americans to show support for the Jewish community as it addresses growing hatred and intolerance. The movement was officially launched on NBC’s “The Voice.” The campaign asks everyone to post and share #■ on social media, and to use the blue square emoji on your phone, as a simple but powerful symbol of solidarity. The small blue square ■ will take up 2.4% of television and digital screens, billboards, and social feeds. The square symbolizes the discrepancy between the size of the Jewish

population in the United States — 2.4% — and the 55% of all reported religion-based hate crimes in the country that target Jews. New polls say that more than half of Americans do not believe “antisemitism is a big problem” and nearly half believe that “Jews are more than capable of handling issues of antisemitism on their own” But antisemitism is a largely under-told story in this country. The blue box also will be featured on the social media feeds of many celebrities and influencers, as well as in partnership with Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube. Commercials will appear in popular programming, including the NBA and NHL playoffs, and in coverage of the NFL draft. For more information, go to StandUptoJewishHate.org.

Rabbi Sacks Legacy offers Pesach interactive activity In time for Passover, the Rabbi Sacks Legacy launched a new interactive activity for adults and teens. It’s a scavenger hunt — a creative way for families to celebrate the holiday while exploring its deeper meanings and significance. Featuring 10 thought-provoking challenges and questions and an answer card, the game can be downloaded at www.rabbisacks.org/ seder. The inspiration came from Rabbi Sacks’ essay “The Missing Fifth,” where he wrote: “Just as an x-ray can reveal an earlier painting beneath the surface of a later one, so beneath the surface of the Haggadah there is another pattern to be discerned.” The essay can be downloaded at the same page, www.rabbisacks.org/seder. “The seder is a time for people to join together and share insights about

Passover,” Joanna Benarroch, the Rabbi Sacks Legacy’s chief executive, said. “We are proud to offer this new activity, based on the teachings of Rabbi Sacks, to engage, challenge and inspire.” Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of Great Britain, died on November 7, 2020. At that time his professional initiative, the Office of Rabbi Sacks, transitioned to become the Rabbi Sacks Legacy to perpetuate the timeless and universal wisdom of Rabbi Sacks as a teacher of Torah, a moral voice, and a leader of leaders. Through innovative programs and an active digital and social media presence, the legacy continues to bring the vision and philosophy of the world-renowned leader directly to generations to come. For more information, go to www.rabbisacks.org.

32 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

COURTESY CHABAD

Around the Community

Valley Chabad CTeens: from left, Noah Gurevitch of Montvale, Geri Lenkowsky of Upper Saddle River, Noah Berger of Woodcliff Lake, Jaden Dimentman of Saddle River, and Meir Orenstein of Woodcliff Lake, met on March 26 to load packages for needy families with Passover items donated by Wegmans in Montvale.

Pesach in Woodcliff Lake Rabbi Yosef and Estie Orenstein will host Valley Chabad’s first night community seder on Wednesday, April 5, at 7 p.m. There will be appetizers, stories, Haggadah insights, kiddush, matzah, dinner,

dessert, and songs. Reservations are due April 1. It costs $80 for adults and $40 for children 12 and younger. For reservations, go to valleychabad. org/passover23 or call (201) 476-0157.

Try this fun recipe from PJ Library PJ Library offers this Passover recipe that it says “may become your kids’ Passover favorite.” I think it might become an adult favorite as well! PJ Library has other easy-to-prepare Passover recipes, activities, story ideas, books and more on its website, PJLibrary.org.

Matzah pizza lasagna 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1 (24-ounce) container small-curd cottage cheese 1-2 tablespoons fresh Italian herbs (oregano, Italian parsley, basil), chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced pinch of salt and pepper 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1 (23-ounce) jar marinara sauce 6 sheets of matzah Your favorite pizza toppings Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, fresh herbs, garlic, salt and pepper, and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Set the mixture aside. Grease a 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish and spread a thin layer of marinara sauce over the bottom. Lightly dampen the matzah with water (run quickly under a faucet, so as not to completely soak), then place two sheets on top of the layer of marinara. Spread a third of the remaining marinara over the matzah, and spoon half of the cottage cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella over the cottage

cheese mixture and add the first layer of pizza toppings. Continue to layer ingredients, adding another two sheets of matzah, half of the marinara, the remaining cottage cheese mixture, half of the mozzarella, and more toppings. Add the last two sheets of matzah and the remaining marinara, mozzarella, and toppings. Loosely cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Then remove the foil and broil the lasagna for 3 to 5 minutes, or until top is browned to taste. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving. COURTESY PJ LIBRARY

Our Children JEWISH STANDARD

APRIL 2023

Family Activities for Passover Plus Family Health • B’nai Mitzvah • Special Needs

PASSOVER

Six meaningful family activities for your seders tions between your guests. Plus, you might learn something you didn’t realize about your own family! Tip: Place all of these items in a small suitcase that you can bring out for this portion of the seder. This way, kids can help remove the items from the suitcase.

RABBI YAEL BUECHLER

T

he seders are around the corner! With all the Passover preparations, from making sure our home is chametz-free to making sure the matza ball soup is cooked to perfection, sometimes the actual ebb and flow of the seder gets “passed”-over! Here are six family-friendly tips to make your seder as meaningful as can be for all generations present.

#5 DRESS UP

#1 SONG PREP Pre-plan with children what they will be leading at the seders. This way, they’ll have even more to look forward to as the seders approach! If they would like to sing a song they learned in preschool, print the words for that song in advance (in case they need help in-themoment!). Kids will also be proud to hold up their song sheet as well. The younger member(s) of the seder traditionally recite the Ma Nishtanah. Feel free to rock out to several versions of the Ma Nishtanah in advance of your seders to help reinforce the words and tune. I curated a popular Passover playlist on Spotify (search for “Passover Kids Music 2023” by The Leffell School) which includes the Ma Nishtanah. Given the late start to the seder—especially on the second night— you might want to front-load any performances to the beginning of your seders. Additionally, not all children may be excited to lead something in public so be prepared with backup options. Tip: You can even add a post-it to the Ma Nishtanah in your Haggadah-of-choice in advance to help show kids which part they will be leading at the seder.

#2 LET’S BUILD Last Shabbat my kids were overlooking me reading a magazine with an advertisement for a tour of Egypt, complete with a sphinx and pyramid in the background. “Is that what Bnai Yisrael built?” my older son inquired. I replied that I didn’t think that photo showed Pitom and Ra’amses, the storage cities Bnai Yisrael (the children of Israel) built for Pharoah, but that they were likely similar. One of my favorite and simple activities for kids is encouraging them to build things with cups. We regularly build walls and towers in our home on Shabbat. And at the seders, we build pyramids! On your next grocery run, pick up a big bag of plastic solo cold cups (any color works) and you’ll be more than set for hours of engaging seder play. Tip: This activity is a quiet one until the cups fall down so it’s best to take play with the cups before kids begin with bedtime.

#3 PASSOVER SHELFIE Build a “Passover shelfie” or book nook in the room where you are having seder, complete with all of your Passover favorites! We have many PJ Library books on our shelfie this year including In Our Teeny Tiny Matza House by Bill and Claire Wurtzel (Apples & Honey Press). The food photos and humor in this book are very entertaining! I also really love Alligator Seder by Jessica Hickman (Kar-Ben Publishing) and The Best Four Questions by Rachelle Burk (Kar-Ben Publishing). My kids decorated the top of our Passover shelfie, which is a wooden cube organizer, with other Passover-themed-item including seder plates they’ve made in year’s past at nursery school. This is a great way to display artwork without fear of grape juice spills at the actual seder table. Tip: Encourage kids to help build this “shelfie” with you! If you want to display books like in the photo, use acrylic easels or recipe book stands.

#4 WHAT’S YOUR EXODUS? At the seder each year we relive our Exodus from Egypt. This is a great opportunity to share your family’s Exodus stories. Perhaps a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent came here from another country. Encourage a few seder guests to bring a physical representation of an Exodus that took place in their family, from a travel papers, to photos of a town they left behind, or photos of their family members. This is a powerful way to bring more modern stories to the seder and build connec-

Rabbi Yael Buechler (@midrashmanicures) is the founder of MidrashManicures.com, where she designs meaningful Jewish fashion items for families, including Matza and Shabbat Pajamas. Rabbi Buechler produced a popular “Yay or Nay” series on Instagram and TikTok where she shared the funniest Passover finds at Seasons of Clifton, The West Orange Fooderie, and more. 2 OUR CHILDREN APRIL 2023

The Haggadah teaches “v’chol hamarbeh lesaper b’yetziat mitzrayim, harei zeh meshubach,” that “whoever expands upon retelling the story of the Exodus from Egypt, is all the more praiseworthy.” What better a way to expand upon the retelling of the story of our Exodus than with dress up! At the height of the pandemic, I bought pajamas for my kids to wear at the seders since we weren’t having any guests. My younger son called one of the pairs “matza pajamas” because they were yellow. His comment inspired me to create actual Matza Pajamas (they are crumb free!). Seeing the experience of my own kids (and many grownups too) wear Matza Pajamas at the seders speaks to the power of creativity and experiential education. Plus, Matza Pajamas make the transition to a later bedtime much smoother for kids! If you don’t have time to order Matza Pajamas (we ship priority from New York) for this year, feel free to use a small towel and an exercise sweatband as a head covering to pretend you are a Hebrew leaving Egypt. You can also have a guest dress up as Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet) to surprise everyone when you open the door! No one knows what Elijah looks like so Elijah could be dressed in any costume you have around the house! My hope is that more Passover dress up will make our retelling of the story of the Exodus even more dynamic and fun. Tip: Encourage kids to be a part of the costume planning process. Maybe that Elsa costume can turn into Pharaoh’s daughter!

#6 PASSOVER PLAY My kids love reusable sticker sets so I decided to design one for Passover with Sari Kopitnikoff of @ThatJewishMoment! The “Matza Playhouse,” a double-sided reusable stickerboard, can provide hours of seder entertainment, as kids help an adorable mouse family prepare for their Passover seder. If don’t have a Passover-themed play set, you can ask kids to move their toy kitchens to the seder room and prepare “kosher for Passover meals” for your seder guests. The process of sorting kosher for Passover foods and foods that contain chametz will take half the seder! Enjoy as your plastic ice cream scoops transform into delicious “matza” balls. Tip: Pre-make a sign that says your child’s name on it which you can display at the seder–i.e., “Jessie’s Matza Cafe.” I hope all these seder tips lead to less kvetching and more Passover fun! For additional inspiration, follow me on Instagram at @midrashmanicures. You’ll find hand motions to the seder introduction song “Kadesh Urchatz” and other seder pro-tips!

Contents APRIL 2023

2 Meaningful Seder activities Rabbi Yael Buechler shares ideas 4 Editor’s letter Musings on Passover memories 5 Braised short ribs Recipe for your Seder main meal 6 Chocolate mousse Recipe for Passover desserts 9 Elisabeth Morrow students Kids work to help the community 10 School listings Hebrew, religious, nursery, day schools 12 Passover books Good reads for about and for the holiday 13 Plant-based diet Giving kids nutrition for health 13 Special treatment Valley Home Care’s Butterflies program 14 Safe spring Tips for your kids 15 Bnai mitzvah Gift ideas for the bar and bat mitzvah 17 Special needs World Autism Month 18 Pet page Spring checklist for pets 19 Gallery Photos of our kids

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Our Children MISSION STATEMENT Our Children is designed to help Jewish families in our area live healthy, positive lives that make the most of the resources available to them. By providing useful, current, accurate information, this publication aims to guide parents to essential data on faith, education, the arts, events, and child-raising — in short, everything that today’s Jewish family, babies to grandparents, needs to live life to the fullest in North Jersey and Rockland County. James L. Janoff Publisher Heidi Mae Bratt Editor Natalie Jay Advertising Director

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OUR CHILDREN APRIL 2023 3

Our Children LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

M

y mother’s was a labor-intensive fresh, ground-fish affair, boiled for hours until the aroma filled the rooms beyond the kitchen. Mine is a frozen loaf that I peel off the paper and pop into the oven spiced and bake. My mother’s gefilte fish. My gefilte fish. The tastes of Passover that we look forward to and remember. Different but the same. Matzah brei. Some make it year-round, but we save the matzah and egg dish for the weeklong chag. My mother’s was crispy, cooked in oil and spread with jam. Mine is soft, sauteed in butter and sprinkled with salt. Both delicious. It is one of the wonderful things we anticipate about the holiday — the food. From the ritual foods on the Seder plate that we symbolically eat during the Seder as we gather with family and retell the story of our exodus from Egypt to the once-a-year special Passover dishes that we enjoy, food remains in our culinary

memory to conjure up and pass along to the generations. My earliest Passover Seder memories are the huge gatherings at Aunt Pessy’s Brooklyn home. She was my first father’s cousin but was given the honorific of aunt because of her role as matriarch. So many members of her family — grown children, grandchildren, cousins, their children — gathered there. Her dining room extended into extensions in the living room. The grownups sat at their tables and the children at theirs. It was a massive affair, replete with lots of holiday fun, for instance, the negotiations between the kids and the adults for the return of the afikomen! I remember the food was always good. It was Aunt Pessy’s gefilte fish that was a bit controversial. She, of course, made it from scratch. (She taught my mother.) The gefilte fish controversy? The amount of pepper. “Too much!” “Perfect!” “Pass the water!” “Delicious!”

(Thankfully, my mother’s version really tasted just right.) Still, it remains a delicious memory. When Aunt Pessy retired her home from the Seders, her daughter, Ruthie hosted them in the basement of her Brooklyn home where there was more room. The gefilte fish? Well, Aunt Pessy continued to make her famous fish and brought it along. So of course, the drama and debate didn’t abate. “Too much pepper!” “Perfect!” “Pass the water!” “Delicious!” In the end, we were all sated, body and soul, from a wonderful and warm experience. So, here’s to recalling our delicious memories from our Passovers past and to creating delicious new ones. Wishing all a very sweet holiday. Cheers,

Heidi

Heidi Mae Bratt Editor, Jewish Standard Our Children

@ber genPACPAS•2014828194•educ at i on@ber genpac . or g•1DepotSquar e, Engl ewood, NJ 4 OUR CHILDREN APRIL 2023

PASSOVER

Delicious main beef dish for seder or any time This recipe a mouth-watering, succulent beef dish from “The Giving Table” by Naomi Ross published by Menucha Publishers (www.menuchapublishers.com)

Braised Short Ribs with Port and Pomegranate Reduction

Rich and indulgent, these are not ribs for the faint-hearted; these are special occasion ribs. Port is a sweet brandy-fortified wine that deepens the intensity of this reduction sauce, balancing the tart acidity of pomegranate molasses. (Kosher port is available in many liquor stores or online. Cook’s Note: The expense and work of this reduction makes it worth keeping even long after the short ribs are all gobbled up. Freeze any leftover sauce to repurpose for another day — a special finish to any steak or roast.

INGREDIENTS

MU OM N

Y IT

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4–5 pounds beef short ribs 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided (or more to taste) 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 medium carrots, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 3–4 stalks celery, chopped 8 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 tablespoons) 1 1/2 cups dry red wine (cabernet or merlot) 2/3 cup port 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) crushed tomatoes 1 cup low-sodium chicken or beef stock 1/3 cup pomegranate molasses (a concentrate available from Sadaf) 1 Tablespoon honey (or more to taste) 1 bay leaf 2 Tablespoons minced parsley pomegranate seeds, for garnishing

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle ribs with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sear ribs: Heat oil in a heavy, large, oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over high heat (do not heat to smoking point). Working in batches, brown ribs, turning occasionally, about 2–3 minutes per

side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Sauté: Reduce to medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and celery to the pot. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Sauté for about 5–8 minutes, or until vegetables become tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; stir to blend, and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Deglaze: Add red wine and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add port, tomatoes, broth, pomegranate molasses, honey, and bay leaf; stir to blend. Return to a boil, then simmer for about 6–8 minutes, until mixture is slightly thickened. Return ribs to the pot. Cover and transfer to oven; bake until meat is tender and almost falls off bone, about 2 hours (if you don’t have an ovensafe pot, transfer mixture to a baking pan and cover). Degrease: Skim off and discard excess fat from surface. Using tongs, transfer ribs to a large bowl. Return pot to stove over medium-low heat; bring to a simmer. Add minced parsley and simmer liquid, stirring occasionally,

until reduced by a third and slightly thickened, about 10–15 minutes. Season to taste, adding more salt, pepper, or honey as needed. Remove from heat and top ribs with sauce. (For perfectly smooth sauce, pass through a fine sieve, discarding strained vegetables). Serve over mashed potatoes or couscous. Garnish with more parsley or pomegranate seeds. Serves 4–6 Prep Time: 15–20 minutes Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours

ELEVATING THE PHYSICAL Jewish wisdom teaches not to divorce ourselves from physical pleasures, but rather to elevate and use them towards holy purposes. I try to reserve fancy or expensive recipes for holiday times as a way of bringing honor and joy to the day, making it an extra special experience. When it comes to super-rich restaurant-quality recipes like braised short ribs, a little goes a long way. As we savor each and every melt-in-your-mouth bite, we take a moment to say “simchas yom tov!” — how sweet it is to enjoy the holidays!

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PASSOVER

Delectable dessert for Passover or any time This dessert is from “Food You Love: That Love You Back” by Rorie Weisberg (Artscroll/Mesorah publishiser)

Chocolate Mousse with Cookie Crumble

This mousse was always my grandmother’s masterpiece. We all looked forward to Yom Tov meals at Grandma’s house because we knew that in addition to all her incredible

food, we would be enjoying her chocolate mousse! As I learned to adjust my Yom Tov cooking, I knew that her chocolate mousse still had to be on our menu. The cookie crumble is so outstanding that we bring a bowl of it to the table so we can keep on adding more. When serving a crowd, I make it in a springform pan; otherwise, I make it in individual ramekins so they can be pulled

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PASSOVER minutes. Remove from oven.

out of the freezer as needed. Sometimes (okay, more than sometimes) we find ourselves having one on a random weekday.

In a small saucepan or double boiler, combine chocolate chips and oil, cooking over low heat and stirring until smooth. Allow to cool.

MOUSSE INGREDIENTS

In a stand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff. In a second bowl, whisk egg yolks with coconut sugar; add to cooled melted chocolate and stir. Using a spatula, gently fold chocolate mixture into the beaten egg whites until a mousse forms.

7 ounces 50-80 percent dark chocolate chips or baker’s chocolate 1/2 cup unrefined extra virgin coconut oil 7 eggs, separated 1/2 cup coconut sugar or white sugar Reduce sugar to 1/4 cup for lower-sugar option. silan, for serving

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CRUMBLE INGREDIENTS 2 1/2 cups almond flour 4 Tbsp coconut oil 2 Tbsp honey 1/2 cup 50-80 percent chocolate chips Coconut whipped cream 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk 1 tablesoon honey Pareve Yields 2 1/2 cups

DIRECTIONS Prepare the chocolate mousse: Preheat oven to 350°F.
 Grease a round 8-inch (20-cm) springform pan or 10 ramekins with coconut oil.

While crumble is still hot, add chocolate chips, stirring to coat. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Prepare the coconut whipped cream: Refrigerate the can of coconut milk overnight. Chill a glass or metal bowl and the mixer beaters in the freezer for at least 30 minutes or overnight. (This step is optional but will help create a fluffier cream.)

Add one-quarter of the mousse mixture to prepared springform pan; bake for 15 minutes. To bake in ramekins, put a spoonful of mousse into each; bake for 8 minutes. Alternatively, divide mousse among ramekins and freeze without baking. Remove from oven. (The baked mousse may rise while baking and then fall when cooling.) Top with remaining mousse mixture, dividing between ramekins, if using. Cover; freeze until solid. Remove from freezer 20 minutes before serving. Prepare the chocolate chip cookie crunch: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a spoon, mix flour, honey, and oil in a small bowl, then mix with your hands until crumbly. (Keep the pieces bigger to get a chunkier crumble.)
Spread crumble on prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10

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Remove coconut milk from the fridge; scoop off the cream that has risen to the top. (The leftover coconut water is delicious used in shakes.) Place cream into chilled bowl; beat with cold beaters on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2–3 minutes. While continuing to beat, drizzle in the honey. Transfer whipped cream to a container with a lid; refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, drizzle silan on a plate; top with a slice of mousse. Add coconut cream, sprinkle with crumbs, and enjoy! Pareve Yields 1 (8 or 9 inch) springform pan or 10 ramekins

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PASSOVER

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Friendship Circle prepares for Passover

Elisabeth Morrow students design new package prototype for local food program

S

tudents from The Elisabeth Morrow School partnered with Englewood’s Center for Food Action to give back to the Bergen County community and help local children who may be experiencing food insecurity. Center for Food Action’s Weekend Snack Pack program provides food care packages filled with healthy, kid-friendly, and easy-to-prepare food items to help prevent young children from going hungry over the weekend and other times when school meal programs are not available. With the support of teachers and staff, students in first through eighth grades assembled 500 snack packs. Guided by NuVuX Design Education Fellow Ben Johnson, who incorporated this snack pack design challenge into a design studio unit within the STEAM curriculum, the school’s sixth-grade students also collaborated with the Center for Food Action to innovate possible new designs and content for future snack packs. The students identified and conceptualized ways to improve sustainability, reduce food waste, and include foods that their peers would enjoy. The students created various prototypes of their ideas, which they refined as they gathered more information and had the opportunity to participate in the snack pack assembly. The students presented their final prototypes to Center for Food Action representative Lori Oliff and Joselyn McDonald, a design education specialist at NuVuX. Center for Food Action will consider the students’ ideas for future updates to the snack pack. “These moments are at the core of who we are and why our learning environments are so powerful,” says Marek Beck, head of school “At EMS, we arrive each day believing that every one of our students is infinitely capable. When you couple that mindset with empowering our students to innovate for outcomes that improve the world, amazing things start to take place. Our partnership with the Center for Food Action continues to be a powerful experience for our students as they learn to lead with empathy and increase their awareness of how we all support the rich diversity that makes up our local communities.” This packing event marks the ninth year of this annual Elisabeth Morrow School community service event, generously sponsored by board trustee Jen Maxfield Ostfeld and her husband, Scott Ostfeld. “We are grateful for the generous support from Elisabeth Morrow School over the years with monetary donations, food donations, and reusable bags,” said Ms. Oliff, “And to Jen Maxfield Ostfeld, a sponsor of our MLK Day of Service, who provides Elisabeth Morrow School with funding to host this snack pack event. Jen is an original supporter of this program to reduce childhood hunger, and she is passionate about engaging children to help other children.” “It is powerful to have the kids participate as they can see what is needed firsthand,” said Liza Hards, Elisabeth Morrow School Director of Auxiliary Programs, who helps organize the event each year. “When they notice that some of the foods in

the snack pack are the same in their lunch boxes, it forms a strong connection and a sense of purpose to help their neighbors.” In addition to the new Snack Pack design challenge, this is the first year that Morrow House students (Grades 5–8) paired up with Little School students (Grades 1–4) to help prepare the snack packs, allowing them to show leadership and grow as role models.

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inclusive environment for children Grades K-10 to experience the study of Judaica and Hebrew in the context of a Reform Jewish education. Our Rabbi, Cantor, Religious School Director and staff bring a high level of commitment and enthusiasm each Sunday morning during the school year. Our parents take an active role through their participation in special programming and events. Please see our ad on page 12.

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Choose Chooseyour yourchild's child's JEWISH PATHWAY at the JEWISH JEWISHPATHWAY PATHWAY Choose your child's at the at the Glen Rock Jewish Sundays Center's Hebrew School from 9:00 - 10:55 am Glen Rock Jewish Center's Hebrew School JEWISH PATHWAY Glen Rock Jewish Center's Hebrew School at the

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with a 30-minute dinner/social break Shorashim (Roots) One Day/ Week Anafim (Branches) TwoDays/ Days/ Week • Tuesdays fromWeek 3:45 – 6:00 pm Anafim (Branches) Two • Tuesdays from 3:45 – 6:45 with a 30-minute break • Sundays from 11:15 amdinner/social ––pm 1:10 pm Anafim (Branches) Two Days/ Week • Sundays from 11:15 am 1:10 pm with •aTuesdays 30-minute dinner/social break from 3:45 – 6:00 pm Tuesdays from 3:45 – 6:00 pm All 3rd 6th grade students will meet •• Sundays from 11:15 am – 1:10 pm with a 30-minute dinner/social break a 30-minute dinner/social break Tuesdays 3:45 – 6:00 pmpm as a•with community from 3:45 – 5:30 on Tuesdays. Anafim (Branches) Two from Days/ Week All 3rd - 6th grade students will meet with 30-minute dinner/social break All as 3rd -community 6th agrade students meet a from 3:45am – will 5:30 pmpm on Tuesdays. • Sundays from 11:15 – 1:10 Mondays from 3:45 - 5:45 pm as from 3:45 –– 5:30meet pm All a 3rd - 6th grade students will •community Tuesdays from 3:45 6:00 pm on Tuesdays.

COMMUNITY HEBREW SCHOOL OF BERGEN COUNTY Fair Lawn: 10-10 Norma Ave, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 Paramus: E. 304 Midland Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652 Contact: 201-815-8136 or [email protected] www.CHSBC.org Programs for PreK through 7th Grade

The Community Hebrew School of Bergen County is a joint venture between the Fair Lawn Jewish Center/Congregation B’nai Israel and the Jewish Community Center of Paramus/Congregation Beth Tikvah. It is open to all students in the area as well as members of other congregations. Marcia Kagedan serves as the Educational Director with a staff of highly qualified teachers. Our free preschool program meets monthly and is open to all 3-5-year-olds accompanied by an adult. CHSBC meets Sunday mornings and Tuesday afternoons and alternates locations at regular intervals between Fair Lawn and Paramus. Our curriculum is rich with hands-on learning, family involvement, and holiday-based activities. Individualized Hebrew reading instruction is available to all. Please see our ad on page 10.

Mondays from 3:45 -from 5:45 pm – 5:30 pm on Tuesdays. as awith community a 30-minute 3:45 dinner/social break Mondays from 3:45 - 5:45 pm Dr. Mark Silk All 3rd -from 6th grade Mondays 3:45 -students 5:45 pm will meet Dr. Mark Silk of Education as a community from 3:45 – 5:30 pm on Tuesdays. Director of Director Glen Rock Jewish Center Education Glen Rock Jewish Center Dr. [email protected] Silk 682 Harristown Rd., Glen NJ07452 07452 • 201.652.6624 • www.grjc.org [email protected] 682 Harristown Rd., GlenRock, Rock, NJ • 201.652.6624 • www.grjc.org Director of Education Glen Rock Jewish Center Mondays from 3:45 - 5:45 pm Dr. Mark Silk 682 Harristown Rd., Glen Rock, NJ 07452 • 201.652.6624 • www.grjc.org Glen Rock Jewish Center 682 Harristown Rd., Glen Rock, NJ 07452 • 201.652.6624 • www.grjc.org Glen Rock Jewish Center 682 Harristown Rd., Glen Rock, NJ 07452 • 201.652.6624 • www.grjc.org

[email protected] Director of Education [email protected] Dr. Mark Silk Director of Education [email protected]

GLEN ROCK JEWISH CENTER HEBREW SCHOOL 652 Harristown Road Glen Rock, NJ 07452 201-652-6624 grjc.org

Our K–7 students have fun while developing the tools and desire to be knowledgeable participants in the Jewish community. The curriculum focuses on seeing the world through the lens of Jewish values, exploring personal and communal Jewish rituals, developing proficiency in synagogue/prayer skills, and connecting with the land and people of Israel. The curriculum is enhanced with engaging family Shabbat programs. Third through 6th graders may choose a one or two day path. Curriculum questions: Dr. Mark Silk, Director of Education [email protected]. Enrollment/tuition questions: office@grjc. org or 201-652-6624. Please see our ad on page 10.

TEMPLE BETH RISHON OF WYCKOFF-FRANKLIN LAKES — RELIGIOUS SCHOOL

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Shabbat Centered · Social Skills and Social Justice Arts and Multiple Intelligences Approach Engaged Parent Community We welcome all types of learners. Small classes with excellent teacher ratio. Congregation Sons of Israel, Upper Nyack, NY www.csinyack.org-845 358 3767 Educational Director Suzanne Strichartz

HEBREW/RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS and one day per week, depending on grade level. We offer a fun, flexible, full learning program for families of all backgrounds. We support your child’s spiritual growth and Jewish learning, while fostering connections and friendships among students from many surrounding towns. Please see our ad on page 11.

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We are ready for your child to learn in-person in a nurturing Jewish community. At Temple Emanu-El, children experience Judaism tangibly, emotionally, and intellectually. We foster a life-long connection to Judaism and instill a sense of purpose and pride in our students. With a well-trained, dedicated staff, full-time learning specialist and music teacher, we blend formal and experiential learning. Students enjoy regular interaction with the clergy, and special projects and programs. Highlights include learning about Jewish holidays and traditions, practicing acts of kindness, how to pray in a synagogue service, connecting to Israel, creating Jewish friendships, feeling proud of being Jewish, reading Hebrew, studying Torah, Mitzvot and Jewish values, and understanding

Israel’s past and present. We believe in building community and building Jewish identity. For more information, please contact Rabbi Jeremy Ruberg at [email protected] or call us at 201-750-9997. Please see our ad on page 11.

TEMPLE EMANUEL OF THE PASCACK VALLEY RELIGIOUS SCHOOL 87 Overlook Drive Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677 201-391-0801 www.tepv.org K – 2nd - Sunday mornings 3rd – 6th - Sunday mornings and Wednesday afternoons 7th - Online Sundays and In-Person Wednesdays

TEPV students explore Jewish text and tradition in a joyful and spirited learning environment. Interactive classroom projects are enhanced by co-curricular electives and clubs, including art, drama, social action, and debate. Our values-driven curriculum engenders pride in Jewish identity and lays the foundation for lifelong engagement. On-site specialists accommodate learning needs. To learn more about the program and curriculum contact Rabbi Micah Liben, Education Director (mliben@tepv. org), and for registration information contact our office ([email protected]). Please see our ad on page 10.

DAY SCHOOL: GOLDA OCH ACADEMY

Wilf Lower School Campus 122 Gregory Avenue West Orange, NJ 07052 973-602-3700 Jessica Wise Assistant Director of Admissions, Lower School [email protected] Eric F. Ross Upper School Campus 1418 Pleasant Valley Way West Orange, NJ 07052 973-602-3600 Sari Allen Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management [email protected] www.goldaochacademy.org Grades Pre-K through 12 We nurture the unique potential of each student in grades Pre-K to 12 through an exceptional Jewish and general studies education. Innovative Jewish thinkers begin their journey here. Our students explore the world through the lens of Jewish values and develop a love of learning, a personal relationship with the State of Israel and its people, and a commitment to the betterment of the world through tikkun olam. Please see our ad on page 3.

OUR CHILDREN APRIL 2023 11

PASSOVER

Don’t pass over these holiday books for your kids Besides helping the family with holiday cooking, baking, cleaning, and planning fun chol hamoed outings, your kids can also prepare for Passover with these great reads.

The Best Four Questions Written by Rachelle Burk, illustrated by Melanie Florian Now old enough to ask the Four Questions at her family’s seder, Marcy wants to do a great job. She asks four questions — funny ones not in the Haggadah. Her family humors her before she and her brother proceed to read the real ones.

Kayla and Kugel’s Almost-Perfect Passover Written and illustrated by Ann Koffsky Kayla loves having Passover seder with her family and her dog, Kugel even though he almost spills the grape juice, makes a mess of the matzah, and takes off with the afikomen. This story touches on the highlights of the Passover seder with warmth and humor.

The Family (and Frog!) Haggadah Written by Karen Rostoker-Gruber, Rabbi Ron Issacs, illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic Take a traditional Haggadah text, add vibrant and historical artwork, engaging activities, and compelling thought questions and activities to it, add a hopping, wise-cracking frog you’ll get Family [and Frog!] Haggadah.

The Carp in the Bathtub Written by Barbara Cohen, illustrated by Joan Halpern What has become a classic tale, two intrepid children try to rescue the carp their mother plans to make into gefilte fish for the seder.

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HEALTH

C

Planning a balanced, plant-based diet for kids

aregivers who follow a vegetarian, vegan or other plant-based diet may wonder whether it’s wise for their children to follow the same eating plan. A well-balanced vegetarian diet can meet a baby or child’s needs, although it’s important to make sure children eating plantbased diets are getting enough protein-rich plant foods and other essential nutrients.

IRON Starting at about 6 months, babies’ iron reserves are low, and they need iron from food sources. Iron is essential for brain development and healthy immune systems, as well as overall growth. Heme iron from animal-based foods is absorbed better than nonheme iron found in plant foods, but you can increase the absorption of non-heme iron by offering meals that include a plant source of iron, which is found in foods like beans, legumes, quinoa, chia seeds, leafy greens, nuts, nut butters and tofu - and a vitamin C-rich food, such as broccoli, straw-

berries or cantaloupe. Vitamin C helps boost non-heme iron absorption.

VITAMIN B12 Important for development of the nervous system, vitamin B12 also plays a role in the prevention of anemia and affects some behavior and mood regulation. Dietary sources of B12 include primarily animal products (meat, fish, eggs, and milk), although some B12 can be found in nutritional yeast and fortified cereals. Infants likely get enough vitamin B12 from breast milk or formula, but as their milk intake begins to taper between 9-12 months, vegan babies may benefit from supplementation.

VITAMIN D Most people know vitamin D is good for strengthening teeth and bones, but it also supports calcium absorption and promotes optimal functioning of the immune system. The only known naturally occurring plant-based food source of vitamin D is some varieties of mushrooms. Formula-fed infants drinking

more than 32 fluid ounces do not generally need a supplement, but breastfeeding infants may need to be supplemented.

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS These essential fatty acids are important for brain development, learning and behavior. There are three types of omega-3s, including EPA, DHA and ALA. EPA and DHA, the most critical, are found mainly in fish or algae. Breast milk and formula often contain omega-3s, as well. For plant-based tots who don’t eat fish, the ALA in foods like chia seeds, flax seeds and walnuts can be an important source of omega-3 fatty acids.

CALCIUM Calcium is important for strengthening bones and teeth, as well as muscular and nervous systems and heart function. For most infants, formula, breast milk or a combination of the two will provide adequate intake of calcium. Plant-based dietary sources of calcium include tofu, beans, fortified cereals, green leafy vegetables, tahini, sesame seeds and almond butter.

ZINC In addition to the important role, it plays in immune health, overall growth and development, zinc is a vital component of cell turnover and repair. Breast milk provides adequate zinc to meet a baby’s needs, but over time the concentration of zinc in breast milk decreases (even if the mother takes supplements). Whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, beans, legumes, chickpeas, and nuts are all plantbased sources of zinc.

PROTEIN Most children who eat plant-based diets easily meet their needs for protein, which is essential for adequate growth and development. Sources of plant-based protein include beans, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds and soy. Caregivers should speak with their pediatricians or registered dietitians about any nutrition-related concerns and always consult them before starting any supplements. Find more information to support your child’s nutrition needs at plumorganics.com.  Family features

Offices in Tenafly, Teaneck, Fort Lee, Closter, Paramus, Oakland, Clifton, Hoboken, Park Ridge, and NEW in Glen Rock

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Valley Home Care’s Butterflies Program

or infants and children who have been diagnosed with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses, Valley Home Care’s Butterflies Program provides comprehensive home care services that focus on palliative care, or the comfort and relief of suffering for the child, as well as support for their parents, siblings, and extended family members. “We call it butterflies because a lot of our patients are in a transition,” said Mary Fayden, RN, a community health nurse for Valley Home Care. “I feel blessed to meet these special families and help them during such a difficult time.” Professional services can be delivered at home and may include nursing visits, comfort and pain/symptom relief, disease management treatment, clinical social work for support and resources, rehabilitation, spiritual counseling, respite care, hospital visits, hospice services, and more.

The Butterflies team works in collaboration with a patient’s physician to ensure the patient and family receive the care and support they need, the Butterflies team includes a medical director; nurses; social workers; chaplains; home health aides; volunteers; art therapists; dietitians; physical, occupational, and speech therapists; pet therapists; and end-of-life doulas. Valley Hospice and Home Care accept Medicaid and many private insurance plans. All children in Bergen and Passaic counties are accepted regardless of their ability to pay. Admission to the Butterflies Program is determined by the team consisting of the child’s physician, the Butterflies administrative team, and the children’s parent (s) or guardian (s). For more information on the program, please visit ValleyHealth.com/ Butterflies or call 201-291-6335.

Safely seeing both well and sick patients at ALL of our office locations Weekend sick visits are seen at our Teaneck and Paramus locations Call our main office to schedule a FREE virtual “Meet-the-Doctor” visit. Meet a physician!

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PEDIATRICS

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HEALTH

Spring tips for children’s safety

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ith longer daylight and birds returning from winter retreats, we welcome spring and say goodbye to winter. Playing outside is an important part of childhood. It encourages curiosity and physical activity, promotes children’s development and social skills, and gives your kids a greater appreciation of nature. However, an accident outside can ruin a beautiful spring day and potentially lead to injuries. Follow these safety tips to maximize fun family activities when outside this spring season:

DEALING WITH STINGING AND OTHER INSECTS Warmer temperatures bring out all types of flying and crawling insects for your kids to discover. While some are cool to explore, others can be dangerous. So, proceed with caution when exploring this season. Make sure you are using the appropriate insect repellant and wearing proper outdoor clothing. The insects responsible for most stings include yellow jackets, paper wasps, hornets, honeybees, and fire ants. Learn to recognize and avoid these insects. These insects generally do not attack when there is no perceived danger. However, they are territorial, and will become aggressive when their territory is invaded. Yellow jackets may sting multiples times. Hornets release a large amount of venom with each sting. Regardless of where it is coming from, a sting can be painful and life-threatening. If you are stung, make sure to leave the area immediately to prevent further attack. Remove the stinger with a quick scrape of a fingernail or credit card edge. Stinging may cause redness, swelling, itching or discomfort. Wash the sting site with soap and water. Then apply cold compresses. You also may use antihistamines or calamine lotion to treat site reaction. Seek immediate medical help if your child has tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, swelling of the tongue, hoarse voice, dizziness, nausea, or a loss of consciousness. Use an injectable dose of epinephrine (EpiPen) if available. If your child has a previous known allergic reaction, make sure to always carry an EpiPen with you.

WATCH FOR CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS Springtime means new and fun sport activities for your kids. It’s important that you learn about concussion symptoms before they start sports this spring. Make sure that your kids are using appropriate sport gear for safety and to prevent injuries. A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head that alters the way your child’s brain functions. These are a few of the common symptoms of a concussion: temporary loss of consciousness; headache or a feeling of pressure in the head; confusion or feeling as if in a fog amnesia surrounding the traumatic event; dizziness or “seeing stars.” Some symptoms of concussions may be immediate, and others may be delayed in onset by hours to days after injury. It also is important to be alert for symptoms that worsen over time. Concussion is a serious condition that can be life-threatening. However, with proper treatment, most kids recover with no

long-term effects. Seek immediate care when your child develops these symptoms, or his or her behavior changes after an injury.

MAKE BICYCLE SAFETY ROUTINE Bicycles are a fun way for everyone to exercise in warmer weather. Check that every rider has a bicycle helmet that properly fits before you get the bikes out of winter storage. Each helmet should have a durable outer shell and polystyrene liner. It should sit low and level on your forehead. Take the time to adjust all straps so it fits securely. To ensure helmets are well-fitted, you should only be able to place one finger between your chin and the helmet straps. A helmet that moves with head movements should be readjusted. Parents should model good behaviors and wear a helmet when they ride. Do not use helmets that have been in an accident, even if they appear to be undamaged. Avoid nighttime biking. Remind your kids that riding with the flow of traffic not only is recommended — it’s the law. Also, they should stop at all stop signs and check for traffic before turning. Ensure that your bicycle is functioning properly before setting out to ride.

DON’T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN Spring’s sun rays can be surprisingly intense, especially if you have been indoors for most of the winter. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses when outside. Sunscreen should have a sun protection factor, or SPF, of 30 or higher. Apply sunscreen on all exposed body areas. Use sunscreen on cloudy days, in the shade and especially when in or near water. Remember that the sun’s rays are strongest during the midday, so keep children out of the sun during this time. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. With the warmer weather, sun and outdoor activities also comes the risk for dehydration leading to heat exhaustion or heatstroke. So, make sure you and your kids drink plenty of water, even if they are not thirsty, and find shade on those sweltering days. When your child develops signs of dehydration or heat exhaustion, stop whatever activity he or she is doing, cool the child down and encourage fluids. If your child does not improve or show signs of heatstroke, seek help. Some signs and symptoms of heatstroke to watch for include: clammy, pale or flushed skin; confusion, agitation or irritability; dizziness; dry mouth; fatigue; headache; lack of tears with cries; muscle cramps; nausea or vomiting; rapid breathing; rapid heart rate;

TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE Hiking is a great way to get exercise, as well as explore the best sights and sounds within and around your community. A quick trip to a local park or trail is great for weekdays but try venturing out further on weekends by visiting a new community. See a list of regional hiking trails to try with your family this spring. Make sure to wear proper footwear and clothing. Finally, don’t forget to pack water and a small first-aid kit, and stay on marked trails. Source: mayoclinichealthsystem.org

B’NAI MITZVAH

What to get the bar or bat mitzvah? A few gift ideas COMPILED BY HEIDI MAE BRATT Of course, you want to gift the bar or bat mitzvah boy or girl for their effort and hard work and for stepping into their new Jewish role. Sure, they are now a “man” or a “woman” in the eyes of Jewish law, but really, they are still just 12 or 13 years old. So, what are some good and fitting gifts for the celebrant? We’ve compiled a few items here that may fit the bill.

GUITAR MEZUZAH CASE Got a guitar-playing bar mitzvah boy? This guitar cleft mezuzah is a precision cut from mahogany wood, hand-painted and based on high-quality anodized aluminum with self-adhesive backing. This beautifully crafted mezuzah is the perfect gift for the music-loving kid who lives in the room in which it will grace its entrance. Moderntribe.com

CASH Cash is always accepted and appreciated. These days, according to some, the average bar mitzvah cash gift typically ranges from $36 to $360, or any other denomination of 18, the number chai for life. This is a good place to start when thinking about how much to spend. The amount might be determined by how many are attending the party, how close you are to the celebrant and of course, your budget. Any amount is great, though.

Simchas

Tall stainless steel pomegranate candlesticks by Israeli designer Yair Emanuel. These beautiful stainless-steel candlesticks feature a unique hammered finish, tapered middle, and gold pomegranate branch detail. Fits tea light candles.

Simcha Submissions Families are welcome to send births, b’nai mitzvah, and graduations to: [email protected]

BIRTH

BAR MITZVAH

Stevie Hunter Weil

Elliot Strudler

A daughter, Stevie Hunter (Henshe Beyle) was born to Rina (Cohen) and Eric Weil of Tarzana, California, on November 12, 2022. Her maternal grandparents are Sharon and Arnee Cohen of South Orange and Bena Weil of Fair Lawn is her paternal grandmother. Stevie Hunter Weil is named in memory of her paternal grandfather, Steven Weil, and her maternal great-grandmother, Hilda Cohen.

Elliot Strudler, son of Andra and Keith Strudler of Allendale and brother of Sloan, celebrated becoming a bar mitzvah on March 25 at Temple Beth Rishon in Wyckoff.

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B’NAI MITZVAH COLORED BAT BASEBALL MENORAH The love affair between Jews and baseball goes back to the early part of the 20th century. It is beautifully chronicled in such movies as “Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story” and “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg.” “Bat” candleholders surrounding an authentic baseball used in an MLB game, the Colored Bat Baseball Menorah is the perfect gift for the baseball fanatic in your life. This baseball bat Menorah is made entirely from hand – from the hand routered base to the hand-painted bats candleholders (the colors of which are your choice). This menorah exemplifies the love affair that the Jewish people have with our nation’s game. Moderntribe.com

FUN AND FUNKY T-SHIRT Check out this “Bar Mitzvah Leveled Up to Man Gamer” T-shirt. It’s a fun wear for the bar mitzvah boy who is “becoming a man.” Available in solid colors in a range of pure cotton and cotton and polyester blends. This is a cool design for a boy that turned into a man, especially the gamers who are celebrating their rite of passage. Amazon.com

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Seeka hand painted colorful hamsa necklace is a beautifully made piece of jewelry. The hamsa is a is a symbolic hand which represents protection in both Jewish and Islamic cultures. Relating to Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed (the founder of Islam), and Miriam, the sister of Moses, this symbol directly correlates back to various religions and cultures. This hamsa necklace sits on a laser-cut stainless-steel frame, adorned with Swarovski crystals, and sealed with artist’s resin. Seeka originated in 1997 from the love story of two Israeli artists colliding in New York. In their home studio, while raising a young family, Nachshon Peleg and Stavit Allweis launched Seeka. To the age-old craft of Judaica, Nachshon brought advanced technological solution while Stavit infused traditional symbols with playful strokes of color and liberal use of found objects. Moderntribe.com

JEWISH WISDOM BALL

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Based on the toy and plaything the 8-ball, this Jewish wisdom ball is a spin on this party prop. Simply ask the Jewish Wisdom Ball a yes or no question, shake and turn over to reveal one of 20 answers imbued with the vast wisdom of our heritage. There’s a good chance that the question will be answered with a question. And why not? Some of the answers included classics such as So now you need my help?; Better you shouldn’t ask; Feh; You call that a question?; You should be so lucky! Moderntribe.com

MICHAL GOLAN MEZUZAH IN PINK A feminine and sweet mezuzah makes a great bat mitzvah gift. The mezuzah is a piece of art made from enamel, Swarovski crystals, opal and brass electroplated with 24karat gold. Each one is handmade at Michal Golan Studios in New York. Moderntribe.com

WALLET You can consider the Runbox wallet, a slim wallet that measure a little more than 4 by nearly 3 inches and less than a half inch in depth. It fits perfectly in your front pocket and is well-suited for everyday carry. The multifunctional wallet has 6 card slots and 1 ID window and can store up to 10 cards, credit, debit, and bills. There is also a removable metal money clip. This wallet is perfect gift for the bar mitzvah boy. Amazon.com

SPECIAL NEEDS

World Autism Day is April 2 QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK REGARDING WORLD AUTISM MONTH. AUTISM SPEAKS GIVES THE ANSWERS.

A

How can I light my home, commercial building, or public structure blue? You can purchase Phillips Autism Speaks blue light bulbs at Home Depot stores or visit www.homedepot.com and search “Autism Speaks Lights.” Visit www. rosco.com/LIUB for information on commercial lighting options.

utism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families through advocacy and support, increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism, and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions.

WHAT IS WORLD AUTISM MONTH? Every April, Autism Speaks celebrates World Autism Month beginning with United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. Throughout the month, we focus on coming together in unity and collaboration by fostering worldwide support, sharing stories, and connecting to create a more inclusive world. This year, we are committed to standing together to make a world of difference where all people with autism can reach their full potential.

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE? Everyone is encouraged to participate. Whether you have autism, love someone who does or are looking to support a diverse, accepting, and inclusive community – you’re invited to pledge your support to stand together to make a world of difference for all people with autism. Pledge: Make a world of difference by pledging your support and uploading your photo to become part of our worldwide mosaic of unity and collaboration. Give: Make a meaningful, lasting impact for people with autism with your gift. It’s one of the easiest and best ways to show your support. Donate today. Share: Join our 2.8 million social community and help foster understanding and acceptance by sharing the stories of people on the spectrum or telling your own. Submit your story here. Connect: Engage in random acts of kindness at school, work and in your community. Join our Kindness Campaign and create a kinder, more inclusive world for autistic people. Discover other ways to get involved.

HOW CAN I GET A RECEIPT FOR MY ONLINE DONATION? WHERE CAN I GET ITEMS TO SHOW MY SUPPORT OF AUTISM SPEAKS? Please visit the Autism Speaks eStore to purchase t-shirts, bracelets, pins, yard signs and other promotional products to spread kindness. Printed materials such as posters, flyers and brochures can be downloaded for free.

CAN I USE THE AUTISM SPEAKS WORLD AUTISM MONTH MARKS FOR MY EVENT/FUNDRAISER? Yes. Logos may be downloaded from the resources page and used for informational or educational purposes during World Autism Month. All uses of the Autism Speaks World Autism Month logo must comply with the following Terms of Use: The logo must remain intact. You may not change or add anything to it. You may not place the logo on any product or use for selling purposes. In the United States, any fundraising activity utilizing the World Autism Month marks (or any Autism Speaks marks) must have the authorization of Autism Speaks. Contact [email protected] and an Autism Speaks representative will contact you directly to review guidelines.

CAN MY CHARITY PARTICIPATE IN WORLD AUTISM MONTH ACTIVITIES? CAN WE RAISE FUNDS FOR AUTISM-RELATED RESOURCES? Yes. Your charity may plan and execute fundraising activities to support autism and may use the Autism Speaks World Autism Month marks in their entirety (no modification is permitted). Please note that U.S.-based charities must comply with terms of use above.

WHAT IS LIGHT IT UP BLUE? The Light It Up Blue initiative was created by Autism Speaks in 2010. Since that time, joined by the international autism community, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings, homes and communities around the world light blue on World Autism Awareness Day (April 2) in recognition of people with autism.

All online donations are acknowledged at the time of donation and through email confirmation. We recommend that donors print out their acknowledgement or save the email for tax purposes.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? Email at [email protected]  Source: autismspeaks.com

Give your child the Jewish education he or she deserves and the inclusive, individualized SPECIAL EDUCATION that only SINAI can provide.

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PET PAGE

Spring seasonal checklist for pets

W

armer weather means it’s time to spring clean, get grooming and prepare your pets’ diets to support them through the season. Keep your furry friends happy and healthy this spring with these six tips:

GIVE SKIN AND COATS A LITTLE TLC Many pets form winter coats during the colder months to help them stay warm and comfortable then shed the coats in the spring to prepare for warmer temperatures. Some pets may need extra help maintaining their shiny, healthy

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coats, especially if mats have formed in their fur or if they are breeds that develop a thick undercoat. Professional grooming, at-home brushing and regular bathing can all be helpful ways to speed up the process to remove some of the extra fur and decrease the prevalence of dander, dust and pollen that can attach to fur and skin through the season.

ADD SEASONAL ALLERGY SUPPORT WITH SUPPLEMENTS Just like humans, furry friends can develop and experience seasonal allergies, too. Giving your pets’ immune systems some extra support can help ease some common allergy symptoms. Supplements such as Zesty Paws Aller-Immune Bites for Cats and Aller-Immune Bites for Dogs are chewables that provide seasonal allergy support by aiding normal immune functions, skin health and gut flora, and may also help maintain normal histamine levels.

EASE BACK INTO EXERCISE

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The change in weather means more time for outdoor adventures with your pets, but don’t forget to cool down and warm up as you and your pets ease back into the season. Planning for short, leashed walks and timed play sessions can help your pets gradually prepare their hips and joints for fun, warm weather activities.

WATCH OUT FOR PET PESTS Once temperatures start to rise, the tiny, creepy critters start crawling. Fleas, ticks and other pests can cause serious health concerns for pets. This spring, make sure your pest control programs are primed and ready for added protection. Talk to your veterinarian about the best routine and products for your pets.

FRESHEN UP BEDDING AND BOWLS It’s important to keep a clean environment by scrub-

Cute Pet

CUTE PET CONTEST Email a photo of your child with your pet along with your name, address, phone and email to: [email protected]

YOU COULD WIN A $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM DOUGIES BBQ, TEANECK Drawing on April 17, 2023 from all entries received. 18 OUR CHILDREN APRIL 2023

Rob Breslow of Wyckoff and his Golden Retriever, Jessie, having fun.

bing, sweeping and vacuuming regularly to decrease allergens in the home. When you’re tackling this year’s spring cleaning, remember to put your pets’ bedding and bowls on the list, too. Updating or disinfecting your pets’ blankets, litter boxes, toys and other supplies is a good way to keep them feeling safe and comfortable in the home.

SCHEDULE AN ANNUAL VET VISIT Spring is a good time to schedule your pets’ annual vet visits. Make sure they’re up to date on all vaccinations, get their dental health checkups and re-evaluate nutrition plans.  Family features

GALLERY COMPILED BY HEIDI MAE BRATT

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR BELLA MILLER AT VALLEY CHABAD TEEN LEADERSHIP The Valley Chabad Teen Leadership Initiative launched its tenth year of the Eternal Flame Fellowship with the powerful words of Holocaust survivor Bella Miller, seated center. “You were not anymore a human being,” Ms. Miller said, “you were a number and believe me that number will never leave my mind. A24977: That’s what I was.”

THE ADDAMS FAMILY JOINS TEMPLE EMETH Families enjoyed the merriment and fun of Purim at Temple Emeth in Teaneck. Among the costumed were Rabbi Steven Sirbu dressed up as Gomez and cantor Ellen Tilem at Morticia, both of the Addams Family.

NAOMI NACHMAN COOKING EVENT AT MA’AYANOT Food personality and cookbook author Naomi Nachman, far left, joined the eighth graders at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School recently for a fun Chopped event.

A WHIFF OF WINTER Winter weather came and went in a flash, but that didn’t make playing in the snow any less fun for the kids at the Glen Rock Jewish Center Nursery School Early Childhood Center.

PURIM FUN WITH STUDENTS

PRESERVING THE DIGNITY OF THE ELDERLY TABC Students, with Rabbi Ezra Stone, prepared mishloach manot for Project Ezra, a nonprofit that benefits the Jewish elderly.

At The Helen Troum Nursery School at Temple Beth Sholom Purim Carnival, Debora Lesnoy, the executive director, celebrated with costumed students.

JCC HITS THE PURIM HIGH NOTES. The Purim carnival drew families galore for a fun carnival chock full of activities at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly OUR CHILDREN APRIL 2023 19

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JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023 33

Jewish World A chaotic response to Israel’s turmoil reveals fraught new dilemma for Jewish legacy organizations WASHINGTON — Major American Jewish organizations that hoped to send a unified message about the turmoil in Israel on Monday instead found themselves tussling, partly in the public eye, about what exactly they wanted to say. Should they praise the massive anti-government protests that have taken shape in recent months? Should they criticize Israel’s sitting government? What, if anything, should they endorse as a next step in the ongoing crisis? Five large Jewish organizations — all known for their vocal pro-Israel advocacy — began Monday afternoon trying to answer those questions in a unified voice that sent a positive message: praise for a decision to pause the government’s divisive judicial overhaul. Instead, in a somewhat messy process that unfolded over the course of the afternoon, they ended up sending out a number of different statements that contrasted in subtle yet telling ways. The scramble to publish a statement reflecting consensus — and the resulting Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, delivers a speech on the stage during a protest impression that consensus was lacking against the judicial overhaul in Tel Aviv on Feb. 25, 2023. — was a reflection of how Israel’s politics have created a rift in the U.S. Jewish establishment. American Jewish groups have felt more comfortable The Jewish Federations of North America sent out For decades, large American Jewish groups have pubadvocating for policies that they believe will allow more an addendum to the statement that was sympathetic to licly supported Israel’s foreign policy, and mostly stayed of their constituents to feel welcome in the Jewish state. anti-Netanyahu protesters. quiet on its domestic conflicts. Now, a domestic policy But events this year have prompted the groups to And the American Israel Public Affairs Committee issue threatening to tear Israel apart has compelled at speak out on another Israeli domestic issue: the judiultimately opted out of the statement altogether — but cial overhaul being pushed by Prime Minister Benjaleast some of them to do two unusual things: opine on not before a version had already been released in its min Netanyahu, which aims to sap the Israeli Supreme Israel’s internal affairs, and publicly chide the governname.  ment that in their view is responsible for the crisis. Court of much of its power and independence. In the None of the five groups responded to requests for “For a long time any criticism of Israel, even critipast, the court has defended the rights of vulnerable comment on the process behind the statement, but cism of very difficult policies, was thought to be dispopulations in Israel, including women, the non-Orthoinsiders said the differences between the statements, dox, Arabs, and the LGBTQ community. loyal, and couldn’t be spoken out of love,” Rabbi Rick and AIPAC’s opting out, had little to do with policy differences. Instead, they blamed the confusion on mis“The recognition that what happens in Israel, the Jacobs, the president of the Union for Reform Judaism, steps in the rush to get the statement out in the minpolicies of the Israeli government, and a broader range said. The URJ did not sign the statement but is a constituent of the group that organized it. “I think we now utes after Netanyahu’s remarks, which aired in Israel of issues in this particular case — on judicial reform, understand that there’s plenty of legitimate criticism at 8 p.m. and in the early afternoon on the East Coast, the perception of Israel as a vibrant democracy for all and activism that comes from that very place.” where all the groups are based. of its citizens — that perception has a significant impact The statement that ultimately appeared, after declarThe five groups that began composing the statement on American Jewish life and American Jewish engagement,” Gil Preuss, CEO of Washington, D.C.’s Jewish feding that the groups “welcome the Israeli government’s together were the Jewish Federations of North America, eration, said. suspension” of the reforms, said that the raucous debate the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation Most of the five groups previously had endorsed calls and protests over the legislation were “painful to watch” League, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the American Israel Pubfor compromise on the judicial reform proposal. The but also “a textbook case of democracy in action.” lic Affairs Committee. All historically have been seen as A key line included rare advice to Israel from the federations also had come out against one of its key elements. So when Netanyahu announced on Monday — in centrist, pro-Israel, and representative of the American establishment Jewish groups: “As a next step, we the face of widespread protests and dissent from allies Jewish establishment, speaking for American Jews in encourage all Knesset factions, coalition and opposition — that he would pause the legislative push to allow time international forums and in meetings with elected offialike, to use this time to build a consensus that includes cials. All have annual budgets in the tens of millions of for dialogue, they all hoped to express their support.  the broad support of Israeli civil society.” dollars, if not more. What to write after that sentiment, however, proved The Conference of Presidents was the first to release Any vocal criticism from those groups largely has contentious. A version of the statement put out by the the statement, just past 2 p.m., less than an hour after been limited to Israel’s treatment of non-Orthodox American Jewish Committee included sharp criticism of Netanyahu had completed his remarks. It listed its Jews. Because most American Jews are not Orthodox, Israeli politicians that was not in the other statements.  co-endorsers as the AJC, the ADL, and JFNA. 34 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

MATAN GOLAN/SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES

RON KAMPEAS

Jewish World Five minutes later, the AJC put out a version of the same statement that added AIPAC to the endorsers. It included the same sentence offering advice, plus another two that added criticism and a caution: “Israel’s political leaders must insist on a more respectful tone and debate. A hallmark of democracy is public consensus and mutual consideration.” Statements from JFNA and ADL, which went out subsequently, hewed to the Conference of Presidents version. An AIPAC official said the group did not want to sign onto the statement because it had wanted more time to add edits. Just before 3 p.m., more than 40 minutes after its initial email, AJC sent out an email advising recipients that its inclusion of AIPAC was an error. But its new statement still included the line criticizing politicians, which the other groups had eschewed. In the end, AJC removed that line, too: It is absent from the version of the statement posted on the group’s website. AIPAC ultimately settled on posting a tweet that stuck to praising Israel for its democratic process, without further comment. “For many weeks, Israelis have engaged in a vigorous debate reflective of the Jewish state’s robust democracy,” it said. “Israel’s diverse citizenship is showcasing its passionate engagement in the democratic process to determine the policies that will guide their country.” JFNA, in an explanatory email to its constituents

attached to the joint statement, was more pointed in its criticism of Netanyahu. On Sunday night, the prime minister had summarily fired his defense minister, Yoav Galant, for publicly advocating a pause on the legislation. That decision sparked protests across Israel, which in turn prompted Netanyahu to announce exactly the same pause and compromise that Gallant had proposed. “The response across Israeli society was immediate and angry,” said the email signed by Julie Platt, the chairwoman of JFNA, and Eric Fingerhut, its CEO. “Spontaneous protests gathered in the streets and commentators expressed shock at a decision to fire a Defense Minister for having expressed concern about the risks to the country’s military position … Netanyahu’s own lawyer in his corruption trial announced that he could no longer represent him.” The groups weren’t alone in releasing pained statements about Israel’s volatility — which also has stirred anguish among groups that previously have defended the Israeli right. This week, Rabbi Moshe Hauer of the Orthodox Union, who met earlier this month with far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, praised Israel’s leaders for “the recognition of the value of taking time, engaging with each other with honesty and humility, and proceeding to build consensus.” (Smotrich, for his part, supports the overhaul and opposed pausing the legislation.) “Our Sages taught, ‘Peace is great; discord is

despised’,” Hauer, the group’s executive director, said in an emailed statement. “We are deeply shaken by the upheaval and discord that has gripped our beloved State of Israel. In recent weeks, the Jewish tradition and the democratic value of vigorous debate have been replaced by something very dangerous and different.” The two largest non-Orthodox movements were open about their opposition to the overhaul. “We believe ardently that the proposed judicial reform is fraught with danger and goes against the principles of democracy,” the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly said in a statement released on Tuesday. A statement from the leadership of the Reform movement, including Jacobs, castigated Netanyahu for agreeing to create a national guard under the authority of Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister, and for being “willing to risk the safety and security of Israel’s citizens to keep himself and his coalition in power.” That strong language, Jacobs suggested, reflects the wishes of those who fund establishment Jewish groups and congregations. He said those groups were hearing from donors whose frustration with the Netanyahu government is reaching a boiling point. “I hear of donors telling organizations, ‘I have to tell you, I don’t hear your voice, speaking out in favor of Israel’s democracy at this very vulnerable moment. So I’ll tell you what, why don’t you hang on to my phone number when you find your voice?’” JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

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Jewish World

Leading Jewish security organizations form super group called the ‘Jewish Security Alliance’ JACOB HENRY

A

fter police officers arrested two armed men at Penn Station last November and accused them of planning to attack Jews, it soon emerged that a local Jewish security agency had provided the tip that thwarted the attack. In fact, the tipoff and arrest were due to the work of many Jewish security groups all active in the New York City area, leaders of those groups say. Evan Bernstein, the CEO of the New York-based Community Security Service, said it received intelligence about the men from a

Jewish watchdog in the United Kingdom. It then passed that information on to the Community Security Initiative, which shared it with law enforcement agencies.  The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, meanwhile, found that one of the men had tweeted a stream of antisemitic and misogynistic messages, according to Gothamist.  Now that partnership between the organizations, which have similar missions and similar names, is being formalized, leaders of the groups announced at a press conference on Tuesday. A new umbrella coalition called the Jewish Security Alliance will aim to act as the central

point of contact for New York City-area and New Jersey law enforcement on issues affecting the Jewish community. The organizations all signed a “memorandum of understanding” formalizing the partnership, which they said has existed informally for the last six months. “Coordination and intelligence in moments of crisis is critical,” Bernstein said at the press conference. “It is something that needs to be replicated across the United States. We cannot afford to be operating in silos. This type of working partnership makes our Jewish community safer.” The new alliance is a partnership between the ADL; the Community Security Initiative, which coordinates security for local Jewish institutions; and the local branch of the Community Security Service, whose main mission is to train volunteer security patrols at synagogues. The partner-

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ship also includes a number of Jewish federations in New Jersey, including the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey and the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, as well as others in metropolitan New York, including the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Rockland County. “Antisemitic threats don’t stop at town or state borders,” Jason M. Shames, the CEO of JFNNJ, said; his federation serves Bergen, Hudson, and parts of Passaic counties. “This alliance codifies and strengthens the ongoing cooperation of Jewish security operations in our area and will better protect our combined Jewish community against risks and acts of violence.” “Security preparedness and awareness have become paramount in our planning and practice,” Dov Ben-Shimon, CEO of JFGMW, which covers Union, Essex, Sussex, Morris, and parts of Somerset County, said. “On a daily basis we’re grappling with this new reality, and we’re grateful for a combined approach to help develop this vital task further.” “We are stronger, more capable, more adaptable and more secure when we work together,” Ari Rosenblum of the FJJRC said. “We look forward to sharing best practices developed in building our local security initiative and learning from the experiences of our partners.” Tuesday’s press conference was held at the ADL’s investigative research lab, in front of a wall of computer screens highlighting incidents of hate across America that resembled the headquarters of a surveillance agency in a James Bond film. “There may be an incident that happened in Rockland, Nassau County and New Jersey, and SEE SECURITY ALLIANCE PAGE 40

36 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

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Jewish World

Greece arrests 2 men suspected of planning attacks on Jewish sites in Athens

G

reek authorities arrested two men on Tuesday who were planning mass terrorist attacks on Jewish sites in Athens, including a Chabad outpost and a Jewish restaurant, according to reports. The Mossad, Israel’s spy agency, which contributed to the investigation, told the Associated Press that the men, who are Pakistani nationals, also are part of an Iranian terror network. A third man is wanted for questioning. The group reportedly entered Women enter a Jewish restaurant in central Athens on March 28, 2023. Greek police Greece from Turkey illegally four sources said they arrested two men who targeted the building. months ago. “After the investigation of the unsolved shootings at German synahunted through Istanbul for an Iranian suspects began in Greece, Mossad assisted cell that reportedly had been tasked with gogues are believed to be connected in unraveling intelligence of the infrastructure, the methods of operation, and the targeting Israeli tourists. Also last year, to Iranian operatives. In Greece, home to between 2,000 connection to Iran,” the Israeli agency said the Washington Post reported that Iran and 3,000 Jews, the attacks were in a statement. had targeted prominent Jews and Israelis believed to be imminent, officials The arrests offer the latest indication around the world, including the French that Iranian operatives are active across Jewish philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy. Europe and frequently targeting Jews. Last Josef Schuster, the head of the Central summer, as a record number of Israelis visCouncil of Jews in Germany, also has been ited Turkey, Israel’s intelligence service, targeted, according to German authorities, who recently also revealed that many the Mossad, and its Turkish counterpart

said, noting that the suspects “had received final instructions” to carry them out. Police searched for the suspects in Athens, southern Greece, and the island of Zakynthos. “Their aim was not only to cause the loss of life of innocent citizens, but also to undermine the sense of security in the country, while hurting public institutions and threatening Greece’s international relations,” Greek police wrote in a statement. The statement did not name the restaurant targeted by the attackers, but Gostijo, a kosher Sephardic Mediterranean restaurant, is housed within the Chabad of Athens near the city’s tourist center. The United States has classified Iran as a state sponsor of terrorist activity around the world since 1984. Security analysts say the country is more often turning to soft targets, such as Jews and Israelis, because its high-level assassination plots too often were foiled. JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

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GABE FRIEDMAN HarperCollins has revised many novels by the famed British mystery writer Agatha Christie to remove references to Jews and other minorities that sensitivity readers considered to be offensive. The edits, which the British Telegraph first reported on Sunday, add Christie to a growing list of authors whose work is getting tweaked for contemporary audiences. Roald Dahl, the children’s book author whose family recently apologized for his antisemitism, also had versions of his books recently revised to eliminate potentially offensive language. Christie, whose detective stories, often featuring the characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, published between 1920 and 1973, made her one of the best-selling fiction writers of all time, included several references to Jews that prominent critics found antisemitic. She also included racist language that was more common

when she wrote, including the N-word and the term “Oriental” to describe characters with Asian heritage. Descriptions of characters as Jewish, Black or “gypsy” have been scrubbed from many books. In one example, Poirot’s description of a character as “a Jew, of course” in “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” has been deleted. The Forward noted in a 2020 analysis that right after World War II and the Holocaust, Christie authorized her U.S. publisher to remove other language about Jews that the company deemed controversial. The Guardian reported that at least one of the titles of her books was changed to remove racist language in the 1970s. “As her circle of acquaintances widened and she grew to understand what Nazism really meant for Jewish people, Christie abandoned her kneejerk anti-Semitism,” wrote Gillian Gill in her 1990 book “Agatha Christie: The Woman and Her Mysteries.” 

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Jewish World Security Alliance FROM PAGE 36

because of the different geographies and different jurisdictions, no one law enforcement agency would necessarily know about it,” said Mitch Silber, executive director of the CSI, who had been the director of intelligence analysis at the NYPD. “Because we’re that connective tissue between the communities among the different agencies, we can connect those dots.” Jason M. Shames, Dov Ben-Shimon, Ari Rosenblum In addition to liaising with law enforcement agencies, the partnership will provide security training and recommendations to Jewish institook place in New Jersey and New York state. The tutions and their members, according to a press release. audit also found that the majority of the 111 antisemitic assaults in 2022 targeted Orthodox Jews, and that It will also aim to be a “reliable and inclusive source of nearly half of the assaults, 52, took place in Brooklyn, information on threats or other security issues” and which the report called the “epicenter of assaults.” An will collect incident reports from Jewish institutions additional 14 took place elsewhere in New York City.  and community members. The ADL has established At the press conference, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenseveral other partnerships with Jewish organizations, blatt also highlighted another recent report by his orgasuch as Hillel International and leading organizations of nization that found that there are more people in the the Conservative and Reform movements, to facilitate U.S. harboring antisemitic beliefs than any time in the reporting of antisemitic incidents. past 30 years.  The announcement of the partnership comes days “This is personal to me,” Greenblatt said. “I live here. after the ADL released its annual national audit of This is my community. I go to synagogue every Saturantisemitism for 2022, which reported a 36% rise in day. My kids are at Hebrew school every week. I get incidents relative to the previous year. More than a angry. I’m outraged. We’re seeing those [antisemitic] quarter of the 3,697 incidents included in the report

beliefs create real harm.”  Scott Richman, the regional director of ADL’s New York-New Jersey office, called the partnership “a formal declaration of a reality that has existed for some time.” Bernstein said that before this partnership was formed, Jewish community organizations were “not really communicating” with one another.  “Everybody was repeating themselves and being off message a little bit,” Bernstein said. “As we react to something, if we have a unified force, for law enforcement to see that unification, and for the community to see that unification, and for it to have collectively the same voice across the board, is very important.”  After the press conference, Bernstein said that this is “a pilot program” that he would like to see expand nationwide. According to a map of antisemitic incidents displayed at the press conference, Southern California and Miami also were hotspots of antisemitic activity. Bernstein said that CSS has branches in both those areas.  “This will be a case study,” Bernstein said. “If it does well, everybody is excited about this not becoming a one-off program. It’s gotta have some serious legs here to show that this really works long-term before we can think about other communities.” JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

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Jewish World

Biden says Israel ‘cannot continue down this road,’ says he won’t invite Netanyahu soon RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said he remains concerned about the turmoil in Israel even after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paused legislation that would enact far-reaching reforms to the judiciary. Biden

also said he had no plans to meet Netanyahu anytime soon. “Like many strong supporters of Israel, I’m very concerned, and I’m concerned that they get this straight,” Biden said Tuesday when reporters asked him about the health of Israel’s democracy. “They cannot continue down this road,” he said at a

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press conference during a visit to Durham, North Carolina. “And I’ve sort of made that clear. Hopefully the prime minister will act in a way that he can try to work out some genuine compromise, but that remains to be seen.” Biden said he does not plan to interfere in the fate of the judicial reform but that he has made his opposition clear, and later said that he hopes Netanyahu “walks away from it.” He suggested that his stance dovetails with that of American Jews. “We’re not interfering,” he said. “They know my position. They know America’s position. They know the American Jewish position.” Biden answered with an emphatic “No” when he was asked if he is inviting Netanyahu to the White House. “Not in the near term,” he said. That dampened an expectation that his ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, stoked on Tuesday morning when he said he expected Netanyahu to travel to Washington sometime after Passover. Nides later said there was no set date for such a visit. Biden’s nixing a visit by Netanyahu anytime soon and his skepticism about Netanyahu’s good faith in suspending the legislation is not the lowest point in U.S.-Israel relations. But it stands out because both men describe each other as friends of years’ standing. Netanyahu, who, according to Israeli media reports, is anxious to receive a U.S. invitation, responded to Biden’s comments on Twitter by mentioning that relationship. “I have known President Biden for over 40 years, and I appreciate his longstanding commitment to Israel,” he tweeted. “The alliance between Israel and the United States is unbreakable and always overcomes the occasional disagreements between us.” But, Netanyahu added in another tweet, “Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.” On Monday evening, Netanyahu yielded to weeks of mass protests against his proposed reforms, which would sap the courts’ powers and independence, and said he would pause the legislation until May and would invite opposition leaders to negotiate modifications to the legislation. An initial SEE NETANYAHU INVITE PAGE 46

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Jewish World

Israeli tensions spill over into Berlin at summit of European Jewish leaders DAVID I. KLEIN & TOBY AXELROD BERLIN — Novelist Ruby Namdar’s appearance at a major conference of European Jewish leaders wasn’t meant to include a speech to an empty chair. But there he was last Sunday night, addressing the chair he had thought would

hold Amichai Chikli, Israel’s minister for Diaspora affairs. Chikli had been scheduled to address the summit, organized by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the European Council of Jewish Communities, but arrived too late to speak and left early on Monday, amid a political crisis in Israel.

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“In Israel right now under this government… our house has become rotten and corrupt,” Namdar told cheering conference attendees. “We have lost all shame in Israeli politics. It must be restored.” Namdar, an Israeli who lives in the United States, said that he spoke out because he worried that others at the conference would not. “A large part of the Jewish leaders of the world and of Europe are here, and I know that many of them, if not most, are very concerned, very worried, feel very alienated,” he said. “But they’re not able to voice it because they’re instinctively so used to supporting Israel, even though it has become harder and harder with every passing year.” The episode reflected the degree to which Israel’s political crisis is affecting Jews abroad, even reshaping what is discussed during convenings meant to elevate Diaspora Jewish life. On Monday, the saga took a sharp turn, after a historically large protest movement forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay controversial proposed reforms to the country’s judicial system.  It was the fifth edition of the summit and the first one held in person since the pandemic hit three years ago. The gathering included leaders and Jewish professionals from 35 communities across Europe and covered a broad range of topics, from how to combat antisemitism to how European Jewish communities have responded to Russia’s war against Ukraine; from gender issues to the challenges of “creating Judaism with no synagogues.” Rates of emigration to Israel from parts of Europe have been high in recent decades, in the wake of the Ukraine war, the rise of right-wing populism, and several violent antisemitic attacks by Muslim extremists and neo-Nazis. But some attendees at the conference said the recent crisis there was shaking the sense of safety that many European Jews associate with Israel. “Democracy is a very important part in our lives especially as young leaders because we have been preached that it is such an important dogma,” Joelle Abaew, a German-Jewish teenager and member of the youth group BBYO’s international board, said. “When, especially as young Jews, most of us identify with our homeland in Israel and if we don’t see that [strong democracy] there, we might question: Is that even our homeland, can we even identify with what they are doing?” Jonathan Marcus, who is active in several Jewish organizations in Berlin, said he had seen people moving back from Israel to Germany in recent months “because of the current climate,” reflecting a trend of liberal Israelis considering emigration in response to the crisis. He also said he was worried about the religious agenda that some in Israel’s right-wing government want to advance — doing so in the language most often used to describe concerns about religious law in Europe. “I worry on a personal level: What can I do to make sure we don’t wake up in a Jewish mullah regime?” Marcus said. “Will Israel be where my family and friends live, and be a part of my life?” Namdar was not the only one to speak out against SEE BERLIN PAGE 60

44 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

Jewish World

At counterprotest, right-wing demonstrators air grievances against Israel’s courts WE PRINT EVERYTHING, BUT MONEY.

BEN LYNFIELD JERUSALEM — After three months of demonstrations dominated by detractors of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul plan, supporters of the proposed reform took to the streets Monday, making their voice heard in Jerusalem and across Israel. Thousands of pro-reform protesters, including settlers bused in from the West Bank, gathered outside the Knesset as they sought to back Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, even as the prime minister announced his intention to suspend the plan temporarily. “We are trying to create counter-pressure to the demonstrations of the left,” said Yisrael Entman, who lives in the Kokhav HaShahar settlement and was accompanied by his wife and five children. It was the first major demonstration by supporters of the Netanyahu government’s now-paused legislation to overhaul the country’s judiciary to sap the independence and power of the Supreme Court. Both proponents and critics of the legislation say it would benefit Israel’s right, which largely believes that the courts are out of step with mainstream sentiment. They also share the view that the dispute is not just about how Supreme Court justices are appointed but about what values will prevail in Israel. “Israel cannot have a liberal approach devoid of Judaism,” Entman said. “If you destroy the Jewish character of Israel, we have no justification for being here.” He and others at the rally offered a laundry list of grievances against the court, including the way it has deployed the 1992 Basic Law on Human Freedom and Dignity, which the court has at times used to combat discrimination against minorities. Entman repeated the claim that the court had used the law to prevent the expulsion of African asylum seekers despite complaints from Israeli residents of south Tel Aviv. In fact, the court only limited the government’s ability to lock up asylum seekers in a Negev facility. It was Netanyahu who brokered a third-country expulsion agreement only to backtrack on it the next day. Entman’s wife said bitterly that the court had “expelled settlers,” an apparent reference to court-ordered evacuation of Jewish settlers trespassing on private Palestinian property. The massive demonstrations from right and left marked the culmination of a dramatic day in Israeli history, following Netanyahu’s firing of Defense Minister Yoav Galant after Galant urged a delay on the divisive judicial reform legislation, citing concerns about national security. The firing triggered an outpouring of public rage and ultimately led Netanyahu, for the first time since retaking office in December, to offer a compromise, promising to suspend legislation for at least a month and enter talks with opposition leaders. The larger demonstrations were by critics of the government. But pro-reform organizers said more

than 100,000 people attended demonstrations Monday across the country. In Jerusalem, more than a dozen cabinet ministers and Knesset members from coalition parties attended the rally, including Itamar Ben-Gvir, the head of the far-right Jewish Power party, and Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party. The men were reportedly among the last holdouts opposing the legislative pause, and both addressed the crowd. The pro-government protests drew members of La

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Jewish World Familia, a notoriously racist group of fans of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer club, alongside other right-wing activists. After the protest ended, several demonstrators made their way to Jerusalem’s Sacher Park where they clashed with police forces. In another incident in Jerusalem, protesters identifying as supporters of the judicial reform attacked an Arab taxi driver, injuring him and damaging his car. A theme of the pro-government protest was that efforts to oppose the judicial reform legislation represent a form

of election denial, a critique that government lawmakers had advanced, citing their majority after last November’s election. One man wore an Israeli flag as a cape and held up a sign that read, “They are stealing the election.” Yehiel Zadok, an 18-year-old from the Har Bracha settlement, who voted for Netanyahu’s Likud party, said, “The left lost the election and it’s time [for them] to admit it.” He argued that the battle over Supreme Court appointments is no more than an effort by the left to deny the right its ability to rule the country.

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Zadok, who said he plans to study in a yeshiva before joining a military combat unit, offered a long list of grievances against the Supreme Court. “It harms settlement, ties the hands of the army and takes power that doesn’t belong to it.” And while Zadok expressed support for Netanyahu’s decision to suspend the legislative drive and to enable dialogue, he warned that if the prime minister drops the plan altogether, he, for one, will abandon Likud in the next election and vote for Ben-Gvir’s party. “Netanyahu needs to know that he is indebted to a huge number of people who voted for him and the reform,” Zadok said. His friend, Yaakov Klein, who is also 18, said he was there not only to show support for the proposed judicial overhaul, but also for a greater cause. “This is not just about the reform,” Klein said. “It is about control of the country, about whether the right can rule.” Like many other supporters of Netanyahu’s government, he feels sidelined in a society that, he claims, is dominated by the left. “The left held on to centers of power like the army and the Histadrut,” he said, referring to Israel’s largest labor union, which joined a call for a general strike to protest the government on Monday. “Something has been exposed by the left’s protests: that when you take a little bit of cheese away from them, they burn down everything. “The media isn’t presenting the truth,” Klein added. “It doesn’t show the other side.” JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

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FROM PAGE 42

negotiation took place Tuesday, but it is unclear what concessions Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition will be willing to make. Biden administration officials have singled out a number of reasons why Biden is appalled at the legislation. Biden’s foreign policy stresses democratic values — the State Department is running a virtual “Summit for Democracy” this week — and rollbacks in democratic rights in one of the United States’ closest allies sounds a jarring dissonance with that policy. Israel’s courts are seen as a bulwark against the erosion of rights for vulnerable communities, including women, Arab, the LGBTQ community, and non-Orthodox Jews. Additionally, top Israeli security officials, including the defense minister, Yoav Galant, have said the deep divisions sowed among Israelis by the legislative push have created vulnerabilities that Israel’s enemies are eager to exploit. The Biden administration is counting on Israel to contain the ambitions of Iran and has staged a number of joint military exercises with Israel in recent months. JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

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Jewish World DeSantis going to Jerusalem to talk about ‘unnecessarily strained relations’ RON KAMPEAS

E

ven though he hasn’t officially declared his Republican presidential campaign (yet), Ron DeSantis has been pitching his governance of Florida as a model for running the United States — telling Fox News last week, for example, that “we can get America back on track and back on our foundations” by following Florida’s example. This week, he repeated the pitch with a twist: His close relations with Israel are a template for the U.S.-Israel relationship, he said — and he’s ready to make that case next month in Jerusalem. “At a time of unnecessarily strained relations between Jerusalem and Washington, Florida serves as a bridge between the American and Israeli people,” DeSantis said, announcing his participation in a conference on April 27 cosponsored by the Jerusalem Post and the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance. The “unnecessary strain” DeSantis mentioned is likely a reference to increasingly fraught relations between the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Biden administration over Netanyahu’s planned overhaul of the Israeli judiciary, which would sap the Supreme Court of much of its power and independence. “They cannot continue down this road,” Biden said about Netanyahu’s judicial reform, which the prime minister recently paused in the face of massive protests.

48 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

Netanyahu responded to Biden on Twitter, praising the U.S.-Israel alliance but adding, “Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.” In his statement to the Post, DeSantis noted how Israel-adjacent his administration has been: He held one of his first Cabinet meetings, in 2019, in Jerusalem, and has toughened laws restricting the state’s dealings with companies that boycott Israel. He also alluded to the influx of Orthodox Jews to his state during the pandemic, a period when Florida’s restrictions on schools were less strict than in the northeast. “A few months after my inauguration for my first term as governor of Florida, I traveled to Israel for a state visit with the largest ever trade delegation from the sunshine state to the Jewish state,” DeSantis said in the statement. “Since that time, we have strengthened the relationship between Florida and Israel through increased investment by Israeli companies in our state, fighting the scourge of BDS, and being home to the fastest growing Jewish population in the United States.” DeSantis has also been popular with organizations representing the interests of Orthodox Jews, who tend to vote Republican. This week he signed into law a bill that transfers roughly $8,000 per year to any parent who wants to send their child to private schools, a decision that was effusively welcomed by Orthodox Jewish

groups and will affect parents who pay tuition at Jewish day schools. Maury Litwack, managing director of public affairs at the Orthodox Union, which has pressed to enact a similar voucher program nationwide, said the Florida law could act as a template. “The historic achievement of universal scholarships in Florida is just the beginning,” Litwack said in a release. The announcement of the trip comes as DeSantis has, for the first time, begun to parry attacks by former President Donald Trump — who has made clear that he sees DeSantis as his chief rival for the 2024 Republican nomination. Trump officially declared his candidacy last year. Last week, DeSantis mocked Trump for potentially facing legal trouble over an alleged payoff to to porn star Stormy Daniels. That was seen as a signal that DeSantis is closer to making a decision about running in 2024. And this week, an independent political action committee backing DeSantis hired a roster of Republican power players. DeSantis has already banked $80 million in his state political committee, a stunning amount for a governor who, due to term limits, cannot run for reelection. The Jerusalem Post noted that at next month’s conference, DeSantis will speak to “a crowd of 400 participants, including around 120 U.S. Jewish philanthropists,” at least some of whom will likely be major political donors. JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

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Babka goes to Israel

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fter planning for months and talking about it for months and anticipating it for months, I am finally in Israel. The last time I was here was three years, two months and 25 pounds ago. I had gone to visit Son #3 on an eating tour of Jerusalem. This tour was not an official one, like when Susie Fishbein goes, it was when Son #3 and I ate in many different restaurants over the course of six days and five nights and took pictures of each meal, what we ordered, and what number meal of the trip it was. It was actually surprising that I didn’t gain 25 pounds on that trip. What was also interesting about that trip was that it coincided with some sort of diplomatic convention, so there were many heads of state staying in the King David Hotel and traveling around town. When more important politicos were out and about, the police closed the roads not only to vehicular traffic, but to foot traffic as well. This meant that I, along with every other guest at the Inbal, was not allowed to leave the hotel until security got the all-clear. So there I was, not knowing how I was going to meet Son #3 at our designated location at our appointed time. About 20 of us were standing in the lobby, discussing how crazy it was that we weren’t allowed to leave the hotel. “Are they even allowed to do this to us?” we kept asking. “This isn’t normal. How come we can’t walk outside?” These discussions only became crazier when covid hit, just a few Banji short weeks later, and no one was allowed Ganchrow to go anywhere. Funny how things work out. (Not funny ha ha of course. Funny ironic.) And speaking of the King David Hotel, Husband #1 and I stayed there for a few nights on our honeymoon. (Knowing how I describe Husband #1’s spending habits, you know it had to be something really really special for us to stay at the King David.) We were thrown out of our room (nicely, of course) because the King of Siam was coming to town and they needed the whole floor. (It wasn’t really the King of Siam, I just can’t remember who it was.) I often wonder if they enjoyed their stay, because our room was infested with mosquitoes and I left there looking like I had a really bad case of the chickenpox because those buggers ate me alive. Apparently Husband #1 isn’t as sweet as I am, because he left the hotel totally unscathed. In any event, here I am, thank God, back in Israel. On my way to the airport, I started to say that I forgot to get my dad a birthday card because his birthday is March 31. Weird how things like that happen. I am happy that I am here for his birthday instead of at home, because I am hoping that it will make it a little less traumatic and that being with Danish also will ease that pain. And eating at Waffle Bar will help too. Yes, food is love. You knew I was going to say it. On a lighter note, Son #2, Dil #2, and Danish met me at the airport. Son #2 decided it would be fun for me to take a train from the airport and then a bus to his apartment. If any of you have been following the news in Israel, there has been a whole political hullabaloo and tons of protests. And, wouldn’t you know it, hundreds of those protesters were on our train and when we got to our stop and all those folks poured out into the station, they were chants being shouted and drums being beaten and whistles being blown and one very freaked out Babka, who was ready to kill her son for possibly putting Danish in harm’s way. And not letting me take a car service home from the airport, but that is a whole other bone of contention. And so it begins, the adventure that I have been hoping for since they moved here over a year ago. Looking forward to sharing more of it with you next week… Banji Ganchrow of Teaneck is hoping that Husband #1 will agree to be a guest columnist after flying 12 hours with Strudel next week…

Across 1. Airy lobbies 6. Dorm heads, for short 9. Israeli plaza 14. Beach Boy Wilson 15. Havdalah need 16. “Calendario” start 17. “Madam Secretary” actress Téa 18. NCAA basketball champs of 2000 19. “Path”, for HaShayara or HaAsara 20. Have some matzah 21. *First name behind “Dr. Strangelove” and “Spartacus” 24. Half an African fly? 25. Audiophile’s acquisition 27. Masted ship 29. Banks of “America’s Got Talent” 30. Menachem’s predecessor 34. Crime-fighter Eliot 35. *Action required for building the Tabernacle 38. AKA name 41. The bane of many men 42. TV director Linka Glatter 46. *Bi-weekly Jewish ceremony 48. *It’s fine for groggers but not for (kosher) shofars 50. “___ you with this...” (final thought worlds) 51. Take the offensive 52. Palindromic negative prefix 53. A Shtisel on “Shtisel” 57. Key chess piece, in Spain 58. Essential part of the Seder....or an alternative title to this puzzle 63. Otherworldly being 65. 1-1, e.g. 66. Ceremonial cutter 69. Transit option in D.C. or L.A. 70. Drink that’s chametz 71. Amazon option 72. Toys you can walk or swing 73. 42nd and Elm: abbr. 74. Instagram option

Down 1. Best-suited for a job 2. Versailles event of 1919 3. Protester who goes too far 4. NFL announcer Eagle 5. Herb that tastes like licorice 6. Rabbi Moses Isserles, with “The” 7. AAA member?: Abbr. 8. Synagogue 9. Birthplace of Obama’s father 10. It makes Joseph or Paul feminine 11. Kind of corn or drum 12. Comes up 13. Nomads 22. Caesar wrap 23. Actor Morales helpful to many crosswords 26. Best Western rival 28. Consume 31. Shalom preceder 32. Shlep 33. Bit of rain 36. Uncle of Yissachar 37. GPS above-the-Equator fig. 38. Related 39. Eponymous Disney islander 40. Kind of politics 43. Locale for Kirk 44. Head hunters’ targets? 45. Disgusting, in kid-speak 47. Synonym for 40-Down 49. Concerning the congregation 54. Infinitesimal amounts 55. Made like Noah or Betzalel 56. Brady broke some of his major recrods 59. Avigdor Kahalani, e.g. 60. Son of Seth, in Genesis 61. “Safe!” crackers? 62. Study steadily, with “over” 63. Youngest of the fictional March sisters 64. Pride papa 67. One of the Big Four record companies, once 68. Place to eat grass

The solution to last week’s puzzle is on page 60. JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023 49

Editorial I

Jewish Standard 70 Grand Avenue River Edge, NJ 07661 (201) 837-8818 Fax 201-833-4959 Publisher James L. Janoff Associate Publisher Emerita Marcia Garfinkle

on abstractions. Let’s leave local issues strictly to the municipalities, so there are no local alliances, and no questions about constituent services. Let’s arrange it so that tiny groups can hold inordinate amounts of power (because of course the more radical you are, the more willing you are to blow everything up, and the less you care about the scorched earth and chaos and demolition you leave behind, the more power you snatch). Israel, as observers tell us, is on the verge of a complete breakdown. There are good things that have come out of the situation so far. Most of them have to do with the behavior of the crowds who assemble in vast numbers. People are moved to come out and to bring their children. They don’t get violent. They don’t even get nasty. They just come and show up and by now they are unignorable. In their ordinariness, they are heroic. As we move toward Pesach; as we gather around our tables and tell the stories of liberation and of our people and also of our own families, as some of us talk about the haggadah and others of us talk about politics and others of us talk about our children and our parents and our memories; as we feast on the foods whose aromas bring us back to other tables, to happy times, to sad times, to our own long-lost dead whose seats are filled now but who never are forgotten, we hope for better times for all of us. We hope that the situation in Israel will resolve in a way that keeps the intricate minuet between Jewishness and democracy going, that the music that animates the dance keeps playing, and that our joy emerges and increases. We hope for a sweet and liberating Pesach for all of us. —JP Chag sameach.

Editor Joanne Palmer Community Editor Beth Janoff Chananie Our Children Editor Heidi Mae Bratt Copy Editor Jonathan E. Lazarus

thejewishstandard.com 50 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

A ‘telling’ requirement

T

Pesach, Israel, and liberation

t seems like far more and far less than a year since the last Pesach, when we still were grappling with covid, getting back together tentatively. Remember the year before? That’s when we were sunk in the middle of the pandemic, not knowing if it would end, some of us having small seders, some of us sitting at prudent distances from our families. And then there was the year before, 2020, the pandemic just a month old, vaccines not even a glint in Dr. Fauci’s eye, everything strange and each one of us little individual self-contained cells; if we were lucky enough to be in a family, perhaps a multi-nucleus cell. (Is that a real thing? It is so easy to be carried away by language!) And of course for many of us at least there were dogs and cats. Now we can concentrate on the message of Pesach, about liberation. About moving from darkness to light. There’s an awful lot of darkness around us right now. Authoritarianism is back in fashion. The world is changing, as Alexander Smukler points out in these pages. The postwar peace seems to be ending. Even as constant an optimist as Abe Foxman is feeling despair — a despair that he fights back — as also is clear in these pages. The situation in Israel is unlike anything any of us have seen there; it’s easy to say that with confidence because nothing like it ever has happened there before. In some ways Israel is like a mad scientist’s democracy laboratory: Let’s try a parliamentary system! Run by Jews! Let’s make it even less polite and orderly than the one the Brits have! But let’s not moor it to places, so that elected members of the parliament — I know! Let’s call it the Knesset! — run entirely

Opinion

Correspondents Leah Adler Warren Boroson Lois Goldrich Banji Ganchrow Abigail K. Leichman Miriam Rinn Dr. Miryam Z. Wahrman Contributor Larry Yudelson

omorrow is Shabbat Hagadol, the haggadah is silent. One would need the Shabbat before Pesach. Trato have studied how our Sages of Blessed ditionally (and ideally), we are Memory sought to explain it (see the Babylonian Talmud tractate Pesachim 116a). supposed to spend some time Even so simple a requirement as recitthis Shabbat studying the text of the haggadah. Our s’darim, after all, are meant ing the kiddush, the seder’s first step, to be meaningful, not just enjoyable. We provides an opening for a discussion achieve this meaningfulness through the because the order of the blessings is the seder’s 15 steps, which are designed to subject of a debate between the schools spark two types of discussions: about of Hillel and Shammai (see Mishnah Pesachim 10:4). An interesting discussion the Exodus, and its significance for us could emerge in trying to understand then and now, and about some of the why each school ruled as it did — but that laws of Pesach and how these relate to discussion would require studying BT the Exodus. Pesachim 114a. For most of us, such discussions will That is why studying the haggadah not come easily without some advance on Shabbat Hagadol (or at any other study of the haggadah, the text of which time before the first seder) is so critical. is meant to lead us into these discussions. When we read the text cold at the seder, The haggadah, however, is based on an we have no way of explaining why this outline provided in Mishnah Pesachim paragraph or that one is included, what 10:4, a text written 1,800 years ago that connection a paragraph required knowledge even has to the Exodus and its then that most people lacked meaning, or what other and still do. purpose that paragraph These haggadot are not serves at the seder. We user-friendly for anyone not cannot discuss what we steeped in rabbinic teachings. do not understand. You would be hard-pressed, Early on in the critifor example, to find any serious discussion of the Exodus cal Magid section (step in its pages. It is there, but it 5) the traditional haggaShammai dah makes clear what is couched in rabbinic stateEngelmayer ments that on the surface do the seder is all about. It not seem very relevant. declares: “Even if all of us Sometimes, for example, are wise, all of us people no explanation is given for a ritual item. of understanding, all of us elders, all of us Step No. 8 is the eating of a piece of bitter knowledgeable in the Torah, we are nevertheless obligated to tell the story of the herb (maror) that is dipped into a sweet Exodus from Egypt (y’tziat mitzrayim). apple-based concoction (charoset). The And those who dwell for a long time on blessing we make is “who commanded telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt us on the eating of maror,” but if charoset is also required, why is there is no are considered praiseworthy.” mention of it? What does the charoset The haggadah then illustrates its point represent? Why must it contain an apple by relating what appears to be an allas its main ingredient? Why are spices night seder held in B’nei B’rak at which included, and why must the charoset be the sole participants were the Sages Rabbis Eliezer, Joshua, Eliezer ben Azariah, a thick concoction? Akiva, and Tarfon. There is much about the enslavement This seder, however, likely never that could be discussed in this step, but Shammai Engelmayer is a rabbi-emeritus of Congregation Beth Israel of the Palisades and an adult education teacher in Bergen County. He is the author of eight books and the winner of 10 awards for his commentaries. His website is www.shammai.org.

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Opinion happened. Aside from the fact that it suggests that these Sages left their families to fend for themselves that night, it appears nowhere else in rabbinic literature. It also apparently recasts a similar event that involved a different cast of Sages: “On one occasion, Rabban Gamliel and other Sages were gathered together in the home of Boethus ben Zonin in Lod, and they were occupied with studying the laws of Passover all night until the rooster crowed.” (See Tosefta Pesachim 10:12.) For the paragraph in the traditional haggadah to serve its purpose requires its readers to know the apparent origin of the story, so they can unpack its text, and specifically in two areas: • To explain why different Sages were substituted for the seder’s original participants. • To explain why the activity was changed from studying the laws of Pesach to retelling the Exodus story. Recasting the participants allowed for two lessons from one text. Rabbi Akiva descended from converts; his ancestors never were slaves in Egypt. Rabbis Elazar Ben Azariah, Eliezer, and Tarfon all were priests (kohanim), and Rabbi Yehoshua was a Levite. In other words, all four were from the one tribe (Levi) that tradition says never was enslaved by Egypt. By substituting these Sages, not only is the “even if we all of us were wise” statement illustrated, for the attendees surely were, but we also are shown five people who would seem not to need to retell the Exodus saga. Since they must do so, how much more so must the rest of us. As for why the change of activity from studying laws to retelling the story that led to those laws, it apparently was meant to come down on one side of a debate over the focus of the seder, which is a Torah-derived event based on Deuteronomy 6:20. Some Sages contended the mitzvah is to study the laws, while others argued it was to dwell on the actual telling of the story. This paragraph chooses telling the story. That does not mean the issue is decided. There is yet another unpacking necessary. Just two paragraphs later we reach the part about the Four Sons. The traditional haggadah has this to say about how to respond to the Wise Son: “And you should say to him regarding the laws of Passover, ‘After eating the Pesach sacrifice, we may not eat an afikomen.’” In other words, we should teach him the laws of Pesach. (We do eat the afikomen, of course, so a discussion as to why this law, found in Mishnah Pesachim 10:8, has been turned on its head.) True, the Wise Son represents the one referenced in Deuteronomy 6:20, but the

answer the Torah prescribes to his question in its very next verse is, “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.” That answer involves telling the story. The answer in the haggadah involves teaching the laws. This likely is a compromise. In the Sages story, the telling wins out. From the Four Sons on to the end of the haggadah’s critical Maggid portion, the teaching wins out. Here is another example of a text that requires explaining why it appears in the haggadah: “Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said, ‘Behold I am like a man of 70 years, but I failed to understand why the Exodus from Egypt should be said at night until Ben Zoma illuminated it.’” This Sage is quoted in the Talmud as having said, “Behold I am like a man of 70 years” (see BT B’rachot 27b-28a), but it had nothing to do with the Exodus or the laws of Pesach. Rather, it reportedly was what he said when he suddenly had the leadership of the Sanhedrin ( Judaism’s official governing body) thrust upon him. Because he supposedly was only 18 years old at the time, it prompted him to declare that he had been given the responsibilities of one who was much wiser and more learned. At the seder, there should be some discussion of why this “70 years old” statement is quoted out of context. One possibility is that it is there to tell us that regardless of how learned you are — teenagers still have much to learn and septuagenarians have learned a great deal, after all — it is still incumbent on us to keep digging into the Exodus and the Pesach laws because there is always more to learn. Is it any wonder that too many of us find it difficult to enter the traditional text and become part of its conversation? We sit at the seder and read its paragraphs, but we miss the whole point of why we are reading those paragraphs, which defeats the purpose of the seder. That is why we should take time to study the haggadah before we sit down to the seder. There are modern versions of the haggadah that are more relevant and more understandable. As long as they incorporate all the elements considered important, they are the ones we should be studying in preparing for the seder. They are certainly useful, as well, at the seder itself. True, these haggadot usually are written mostly in English. The haggadah, however, should be recited in the language with which a person is most comfortable. (This is based primarily on a discussion in BT Sota 32a.) If we do not understand what we are saying, there is no point in saying it. Enjoy your s’darim, and may they be meaningful ones.

The opinions expressed in this section are those of the authors, not necessarily those of the newspaper’s editors, publishers, or other staffers. We welcome letters to the editor. Send them to [email protected]

I’VE BEEN THINKING

Sadly, the war is not over

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recently read two articles authorities, both in Israel and the about Jewish divorce law and United States, who accept the second position in theory and in pracagunot. An agunah (singular of tice. Thus, in several actual cases, agunot) is a “chained woman,” these authorities have successfully separated from her husband and imposed such types of sanctions on languishing in (i.e., chained to) a recalcitrant husbands, resulting in dead marriage, without the ability to remarry because she has not the delivery of a (valid) gett and the received a gett (a Jewish divorce docfreeing of the agunah. ument). Most often — and certainly We are also told how deeply some too often — this situation arises leading rabbinic figures care about because her husband, who accordthe agunah issue. Thus, R. Jachter ing to halacha ( Jewish law) must quotes a prominent 20th-century deliver a gett to his wife American halachic to effectuate a Jewish authority who compares the withholddivorce, refuses to do so. ing of a gett until Both articles discuss unjust monet ar y the issue of coercion; demands are met to that is, the question of murder, and notes whether a gett given that another such by a husband who has authority calls recalbeen coerced to do so citrant husbands is valid. One, “Harchakot D’Rabbeinu Tam” “‘oppressors’ and Joseph C. by Rabbi Haim Jachter, urges helping their Kaplan is a halachic analysis of wives.” this question and how R. Jachter is a wellit plays out practically known and highly today. The other, by Eliezer Finkelthought of rabbi, talmid chacham man, deals with the broader issue of (Torah scholar), author, teacher, and agunot and is less analytical. Rather, rabbinic judge specializing in Jewish it is, as its title suggests, “A Parable divorce whom I’ve known personally and respected for many years. I About Divorce and Remarrying.” wasn’t surprised, therefore, that his While the parable appeared first, it article explains the halacha clearly can be read, I think, as a response, and accurately. And yet, I think the at least in part, to R. Jachter’s article. article paints an upbeat picture of R. Jachter explains that a gett the situation that doesn’t tell the delivered by a husband under coercion generally is invalid. The definiwhole story and, indeed, misses tion of coercion, though, is complex. some of the truly distressing aspects For example, there is a halachic of this sorry state of affairs. dispute as to whether certain sancThus, while the positive stories at tions imposed upon a recalcitrant the end of the article about sanctions husband by a Jewish court — e.g., having worked are gratifying, they’re refraining from doing business with possible only according to some him or refusing to circumcise his authorities. For those rabbis who sons or bury his deceased relatives don’t accept the validity of a gett that — are deemed by halacha to be the is granted following such sanctions, type of coercion that invalidates a this technique offers no relief. gett. Some decisors rule it constiMore importantly, though, even tutes coercion, thus resulting in an for those (likely including most of invalid gett. Others declare the gett the Modern Orthodox rabbinate) valid because they do not deem it to sanctioning sanctions, is this how be halachic coercion. halacha should work? Is that the best Thankfully, as R. Jachter notes, our highly sophisticated legal system SEE WAR NOT OVER PAGE 54 there are important leading rabbinic Joseph C. Kaplan, a regular columnist, is a long-time resident of Teaneck. His work also has appeared in various publications including Sh’ma magazine, the New York Jewish Week, the Baltimore Jewish Times, and, as letters to the editor, the New York Times. JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023 51

Opinion

Empty pews — the decline of religion in America

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ast week, I was on a panel discussing the “Future of Houses of Worship.” The session was sponsored by the Religious News Association, which is a professional organization for journalists at secular news organizations and for reporters who are at religious publications not owned by denominations. Mark Eldson, author of “Gone for Good,” a book about how church property can be repurposed for greater societal good, said that more than 100,000 churches will be sold by 2030. That’s an astounding figure. The other speakers reported on their efforts to transform church property into affordable housing and other creative solutions consistent with their religious mission. As a consultant for the Jewish Community Legacy Project, I considered our work. Founded about 15 years ago by David Sarnat, the former executive of the Atlanta Jewish Federation and my former boss, JCLP is the only Jewish organization to work exclusively with small conall. Affiliation with a religious denominagregations around the country. Its mission tion has cratered. “If nondenominational is to help congregations plan, whether for were a denomination, it would be the the short or the long term. If the congrelargest Protestant one,” Daniel Silliman gation’s future is dim, we help it develop a wrote in Christianity Today. If anything, these trends are even legacy plan so that proceeds from the sale more pronounced within the Jewish of a building or other assets can fund an community. According to the most endowment that can support cemeteries, recent Pew study of the Jewish populaa downsized congregation if feasible, or Max L. tion, a third of Jews between the ages projects deemed by the congregation to be Kleinman of 30 and 49 don’t identify as Jewish in worthy of support. JCLP is completely independent and coordinates its work with the religious terms. This number increases major Jewish religious denominations and to 40% for those between the ages of Jewish Federations of North America. During its short 18 and 29. Other studies have shown that the Jewish history, JCLP has worked with more than 100 congrenones identify less with Israel and engage less with gations and has fielded inquiries from more than a huntheir Jewishness. dred more. The Heritage Foundation and the Pew Research Center, among others, have demonstrated the important Dozens of renewal plans have been developed using role religion plays in the social fabric of American sociinput from leadership and members via surveys of ety. Regular attendance at religious services is linked membership and phone interviews. Regional cohorts to healthy, stable family life, strong marriages, and have been developed throughout the United States well-behaved children. Religious practice leads to a bringing resources to small congregations that would reduction in domestic and substance abuse and addicbe beyond their financial reach. When synagogues no tion, better physical and mental health, longevity, and longer are viable, JCLP has helped facilitate the transfer of close to 70 sifrei Torah to Hillels, fledgling coneducation attainment. gregations, and Jewish camps. In addition, more than This is not surprising as synagogues promote community. In addition, religious people are more philan$8,500,000 in congregational endowments have been thropic, consistent with scripture’s teachings. invested in Jewish community foundations, insuring At a time when social mores are a moving target, relithat the legacy of these congregations is maintained. gion serves as a ballast against the moral relativism so More than 30 archives consisting of minutes, photographs, and other memorabilia have been transferred pervasive in our body politic. Religious people don’t to the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati or to necessarily follow Yogi Berra’s admonition that “if you local historical societies. come to a fork in the road, take it.” The moral absoThen I addressed the elephant in the room, the signiflutes that religion provides help us navigate the rigors icant erosion of the place religion plays in our society. of daily life. The decline is staggering. The share of Americans belongWhat are some of the initiatives we can undertake to ing to churches dipped from around 70% in the 1940s stem this tide? through the ’90s to below 50% today. There is a surging We ought to recognize that a synagogue president population of so-called nones, who claim no religion at faced with these daunting demographic challenges, aggravated by covid, needs peer support. It’s a lonely Max Kleinman of Fairfield was the CEO of the Jewish job. Learning from peers tackling the same issues, Federation of Greater MetroWest from 1995 to 2014. He is and receiving emotional support from them, is imperative to prevent burnout. Toward that end, JCLP has the president of the Fifth Commandment Foundation and launched a presidents’ forum to address pressing issues consultant for the Jewish Community Legacy Project. 52 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

while providing emotional support for more than 100 synagogue presidents. The days of the edifice complex during the boom years of the last century largely are over. Greater decentralization and more flexible program spaces are preferred as demonstrated by Chabad’s success. Membership dues structures should be evaluated to envelop a more consumerist mentality. Providing free or reduced membership as “loss leaders” or “pay what you can” should be considered while stewarding major donors to help pick up any gaps in operating income. Developing a bequest program to insure the continuity of the synagogue is a must, particularly for long time members. Providing named endowments for programs and key clerical positions should be considered. Making the programming relevant for contemporary issues, whether social justice, combatting antisemitism, the environment, promoting spiritualism and the like must be part of the synagogue’s toolkit. The synagogue should embrace the “one-stop shopping” model of meeting the congregants’ needs. Be in constant touch with members and prospective members and elicit their input on a regular basis. The Pew Study reported that three-quarters of American Jews feel that remembering the Holocaust is essential to being Jewish. While studying about the Holocaust, the worst catastrophe of our history, is essential, using it as the linchpin of Jewish identity is troubling. With the rise of antisemitism, this emphasis on Jewish victimhood rather than Jewish pride and the joy of Jewish living will have a counterproductive impact on young Jewish lives. Communities must reach out to the hundreds of thousands of young adults whom we invested in Birthright Israel to be part of the solution rather than passive bystanders. We are living in very troubling times, with looming geopolitical challenges. The support that our religious institutions play in providing safe harbors for its members while nourishing our social fabric should be part of our collective marketing approach with all religious groups. America can still be a light unto the nations and the city on a hill, as our founders envisioned that it would be.

Opinion

‘Is this some sort of puzzle?’

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was standing at the entrance of my friend’s office, foods but extends to the individuals sitting at the seder holding a beautifully wrapped package of handtable. made shmura matzah as a gift for Passover. Throughout the seder night, we witness this concept The secretary seemed curious about the packin action. age and couldn’t figure out what it was. We start the Haggadah with a statement that serves as an open invitation to To her, it resembled a puzzle. all: “All those who are hungry, come eat!” As I looked at the package in my hand, I We acknowledge that some individuals couldn’t help but burst out laughing. The might not have what they need to celecover picture featured flat crackers (i.e., brate, and we welcome them with open matzah), a large piece of lettuce, an egg, arms. horseradish, and other Passover items, Next, we read about the four children all arranged in a precise way that did present: the wise, the wicked, the simpleindeed resemble a puzzle. ton, and the one who doesn’t know how “No,” I said, still chuckling. “This is a Rabbi Mendy to ask. Each one receives personalized matzah for Passover.” Kaminker attention, and we listen to their quesUpon departing the office, I realized tions and provide answers that cater to that the secretary was right. The Passover seder is, in fact, one big puzzle. It their understanding. encompasses so many pieces, each looking different, And then there are those who don’t show up at all; but all necessary to create the beautiful experience of they require us to seek them out and invite them to the the Passover seder. seder too. This idea of a puzzle is not limited to the Passover In a monumental letter 66 years ago, the Lubavitcher rebbe called on us to pay attention to the fifth child. Mendy Kaminker is the rabbi of Chabad of The rebbe wrote: Hackenack. He welcomes your comments at rabbi@ “While the ‘Four Sons’ differ from one another in ChabadHackensack.com their reaction to the seder service, they have one thing

in common: they are all present at the seder service... “Unfortunately, there is, in our time of confusion and obscurity, another kind of a Jewish child: the child who is conspicuous by his absence from the seder service; the one who has no interest whatsoever in Torah and Mitzvot, laws and customs; who is not even aware of the Seder-Shel-Pesach, of the Exodus from Egypt and the subsequent Revelation at Sinai. “This presents a grave challenge, which should command our attention long before Passover and the seder night. For no Jewish child should be forgotten and given up.” More than six decades have passed since the rebbe penned this letter, yet its message remains as crucial today as it did back then. Unfortunately, many individuals remain unaware of their Jewish heritage and continue to be considered “fifth children.” However, my personal experience and encounters with such individuals have shown me they hold their Jewish identity dear to their hearts. Despite their limited knowledge of Passover, they readily accept any invitation to join the seder and reconnect with their roots. By embracing the rebbe’s mindset that no Jew should ever be left behind, our future looks bright. Wishing you a happy and kosher Passover.

‘Let all who are hungry, come and eat’

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n Wednesday evening, our The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks asked: people will gather in their “What kind of invitation is this? What hospitality is it to offer the hungry — matzah! homes or in the homes of It is a taste of slavery, of suffering, a poor family and friends to celebrate Passover and the timeless tradiperson’s bread.” Rabbi Sacks continued: tions of the Passover seder. After we “In fact, it is a profound insight into the recite the Kiddush and eat the karpas, nature of slavery and freedom. Matzah representing the arrival of spring, we represents two things: It is the food of pause before the children ask the four slaves and it is the food our ancestors ate Rabbi Paul questions and we recite the following as they left Egypt in liberty and freedom. David Kerbel formula: What transforms the ‘bread of affliction’ “This is the bread of affliction which into ‘the bread of freedom’ is our ability to our ancestors ate in the land of Mitzshare with others.” rayim. All who are hungry, let them enter and eat. All And the late Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik explains who are in need, let them come celebrate Pesach. Now a seeming redundancy in the formula; after all, isn’t we are here. Next year in the Land of Israel. Now we “let all who are hungry” and “all who are in need” the are enslaved. Next year we will be free.” same thing? He taught: “‘Let all who are hungry’ refers Paul David Kerbel is the rabbi of Temple Beth El Mekor Chayim in Cranford. He is a member of the Jewish Federation of MetroWest New Jersey’s Rabbinic Roundtable and Israel Partnership Network and chairs the Rabbinic Advisory Council of the New York-New Jersey Region of the Anti-Defamation League.

to those truly in need of food.” (It is estimated that approximately 20 percent of all Jews — here and in Israel — live in poverty.) But then he teaches, “‘Let all who are in need’ does not necessarily refer to food but to those who are lonely and in need of friendship and companionship.” We stand and open the door for Elijah the Prophet later in the seder. Some rabbis suggest that we should not only uncover the matzah for this important invitation but we should rise and open the door, just as we do for Elijah. If we truly want to help those in need, our doors should be open, and all who wish to celebrate should be invited into our homes to celebrate Pesach. At its heart, Passover is about sharing and community. Let all who are hungry, let all who are alone, let all who seek freedom and redemption be invited into our homes — and if they are not invited physically into our homes, we must contribute to the variety of Jewish charities that will provide for those in need, here and around the world to make sure that every Jew has what they need to celebrate Passover.

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JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023 53

Opinion

Lunch with Marty

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arty and I grew up in the Weequahic section of Newark in the 1940s and 1950s. Neighborhoods like ours just do not exist anymore. They were transitional even then. Most of our parents were the children of first-generation Americans, those who had left poverty in Europe to make better lives for their offspring, and often so the men could evade the draft that would sweep them into the armies of Poland or Russia. These moves usually were difficult and challenging, but ultimately quite successful, creating rapid ascension to the middle class for most of our cohort. Our famous high school bore its eponymous name with great distinction, sending almost all of its students to four-year colleges. A mere one or two generations out from the shtetl, our classmates at Weequahic High School, a bastion of Jewishness, the vast majority of the student body proud Jewish strivers, rarely were religiously observant, but they usually shared the goals of financial security and academic success. In 1939, when Marty and I were born, war in Europe already had commenced, but our childhoods remained untouched and unscathed. We were a mere three months apart in age, living in a four-family house at 83 Aldine Street that my Zayda built. We both spent our entire Rosanne childhoods and adolescences living in Skopp that house, like family. In adulthood we were rarely in touch, as careers and distance kept us apart. Nonetheless, we remained on each other’s radar and shared a few major life events. And then, just last week, we had a reunion in Potomac, Maryland. He came for Shabbat lunch, bearing flowers and wine. His gait was stiff, like mine, but he was immediately recognizable although we hadn’t seen each other for quite some years. I had wondered before his arrival how we would greet each other, and whether we would revert immediately to what had been. We did. It was comfortable and easy, relaxed. The time lost went unnoticed. We were to each other what we had always been — siblings who immediately evoked the many years past as if any gap hadn’t existed. Like my own, and like all of ours, his life had its triumphs and its more somber events. He arrived for that lunch as a recent mourner, having lost his long-suffering, deeply loved wife shortly before a thankless Thanksgiving four months ago. She had Alzheimer’s and suffered mightily for many, many years. He was managing his grief, and I was glad that he would spend part of his long and lonely Shabbat with us. We were spending that weekend in Maryland, attempting to help our rabbi grandson with his three very little boys, our great-grandchildren, ages infant through 6, while his wife attended a family wedding in Israel. Meals had to be served, and kids had to be supervised, especially during the many hours that their Abba was in shul. Truly, we earned that final exhaustion as we put our heads down for the night, Rosanne Skopp of West Orange is a wife, mother of four, grandmother of 14, and great-grandmother of three. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and a dual citizen of the United States and Israel. She is a lifelong blogger, writing blogs before anyone knew what a blog was! 54 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

War Not Over FROM PAGE 51

a short night indeed, realizing that in our 80s we are not as limber, as up to the challenges of young kids, as we had been in our 20s, when our own four were keeping us busy. As we finalized the plans for our trip, I thought of my friend, my friend from earliest childhood, my partner in a friendship that is and would continue to be lifelong. He too lived in Maryland, conveniently very near to our family’s home. I knew lunch would be hectic but lively. I invited him, and he accepted. My friend, Martin to his law clients, lived on the first floor of our house with his mother and father, who I knew as Aunt Rose and Uncle Willy. Twenty years growing up together in our formative years meant sharing our days and our very lives. A friendship like that might be tested by time and distance but the unique closeness would always be there. And so it was. We shared the playpen in the back yard, and seemingly in an instant the years flew by. We threw hardballs at a charcoal rendition of Hitler, without any understanding of who he was. Soon we were shooting baskets at the hoop hanging on the garage and playing endless games of ping pong in the spooky gray cellar. This was no knotty-pine-paneled finished basement with nice shiny tile flooring. This was a dark and damp home for the gigantic belching green furnace, and the ultimate destination for hanging laundry that refused to dry on the upstairs clotheslines on rainy days, and that would mutate towels into boards like sandpaper. Luckily the ping-pong table stood apart, supreme and unobstructed. Over the years Marty and I competed thousands of times, and we both became accomplished masters of the sport. Our game was ongoing, constant, never boring, and always a source of rich entertainment. I confess that he beat me more than I beat him, but not always. I was still stiff competition! Twenty years after my birth, Alvin and I were married. Marty served as an usher. Shortly thereafter Marty returned the honor, and Alvin was an usher at his wedding. These two events, close to each other chronologically, removed us from our childhood home and, as is typical, separated us. The ping pong games stopped entirely. The career and childbearing years were upon us. Our children and Marty’s do not know each other at all. Marty’s wife, Susan, was blessed with a magnetic personality, bursting with life, intellect, enthusiasm, and beauty. She sparkled and made friends quickly. She was clever and witty and a seriously committed Jew. Marty will miss her forever. Their youngest son, Wayne, is a prominent author and magazine editor. His most recent book, a non-fiction story called “The End of Her,” depicts Susan’s life and the pain of her final years, entwined with that of her maternal grandmother, who was murdered as a young woman in Winnipeg. That crime was never solved, and the book is fascinating as Wayne writes of two of his forebears, Susan and her grandmother, both inexplicably lost. It is a fascinating read, and I commend it to you all. As for Marty, he is picking up the pieces of his life in his typical unassuming fashion. May he once again be blessed with happiness.

and the great minds behind it can do — make threats, ostracize people, and punish their relatives in the hope the recalcitrant husband will comply? Moreover, sanctions are not particularly effective because our modern context is so different from the era in which they first were instituted. Then, Jews lived in kehillot — corporate communal bodies which had varying degrees of police power. In such societies, where leaving the kehillah was often difficult and even more often remaining a part of the kehillah highly desirable to its members, those circumstances made it possible for communal leaders to use permissive coercive measures effectively, thus significantly minimizing the problem. In our current open Jewish society, which is structured very differently, husbands are, for many social reasons, often not susceptible to such threats. And sometimes, even when serious sanctions are imposed and effectuated, they don’t get the desired result. Thus, although Israeli law allows for the jailing of gett withholders, the agunah’s chains are not unlocked if her husband decides to sit in jail, as was the case for one husband who remained in jail for 30 years. It’s even worse on this side of the Atlantic, where rabbinical courts do not have the state power that the Israeli rabbinical courts do. And so, ORA (Organization for the Resolution of Agunot), which does commendable work in helping free agunot, including sometimes applying pressure successfully, has limited success. Just look at the page of its website called Recalcitrant Parties, which has pictures of 19 men against whom sanctions have been issued or who are eligible for sanctions. A separate page includes the names of 80 agunot. Note, as the pictures make clear, this is a local story as well, since one of the recalcitrant men, Ari Satz, is from Bergenfield. And although our local Rabbinical Council of Bergen County deserves praise for imposing sanctions against him, the sanctions so far have proven ineffectual. And one final example: the infamous case of Meir Kin, a well-known gett withholder, which has even been reported in the New York Times. While that case has many twists and turns, the bottom line is that despite rabbinical support for not burying his relatives, his mother is buried in Israel, he continues to refuse to deliver a gett, he’s been “remarried” for almost a decade, and his unfortunate agunah wife (I’m tempted to write “ex-wife,” but while that’s true in reality, it’s not true in halacha) remains imprisoned in her shackles. So much for the broad efficacy of sanctions. As for the supportive statements of eminent rabbinic leaders, while they certainly have rhetorical power — a recalcitrant husband is like a murderer. Wow! — they fall flat in practical terms. Does halacha truly treat these destroyers of people’s lives like murderers? Halacha isn’t reluctant to use harsh and coercive techniques against potential murderers if that will preclude the spilling of innocent life. And yet it bans coercion in the supposedly analogous situation of improperly withholding a gett. Similarly, the language of “oppressors” and “help” is also strong on rhetoric but weak in reality. If, because of the strict laws banning coercion (and other similar stringencies), the only help against the oppressors is too often limited to either advising a wife to pay to her husband a ransom to release the gett or bemoaning the wife’s unfortunate situation,

Opinion how helpful is such help? I understand the importance of words. But they shouldn’t be used as a substitute for real solutions. Which brings me to Eliezer Finkelman’s “Parable,” whose strength lies in its focus on the imbalance between weak rhetoric and the unfairness and injustice that actually exists for too many Orthodox Jewish women. It imagines a parallel universe where women, not men, are the ones required to deliver a gett and where women (ditto) constitute the members of the battei din (religious courts) rendering rulings about divorce. The parable begins with a man who wishes to remarry though his wife has not given him a gett. He goes to an all-woman tribunal (remember it’s a parable) that he hopes has the power to release him from his marriage. His hopes are dashed when he’s told only his wife has that power. He explains that, not surprisingly, his wife has no interest in helping him gain female companionship, remarrying, or starting a new family. Sorry, he’s told. It’s up to her. And on and on, with the man receiving from the beit din all the answers — or, perhaps more accurately, lack of useful answers — that women seeking help in being freed from dead marriages receive in our real universe where men wield the power: e.g., sorry, we need the husband’s cooperation; sorry, the former rules allowing remarriage in certain cases without the husband’s agreement are now deemed to be against current tradition; sorry, the tribunals that rule otherwise are non-traditional renegade ones whose decisions are not accepted; sorry, the tribunal’s lack of men who might be more understanding of and sympathetic to his situation is an immutable tradition notwithstanding a case in our holy scriptures to the contrary; and on and on with yet more sorrys as to why they can’t help him remarry. (I highly recommend that you read the full parable; my summary does not really do it justice.) Skipping to its end, the husband begs the tribunal to threaten to ruin his ex-wife’s life just as his life is now being ruined, hoping that might finally push her to deliver the gett. Sorry, that won’t help either, he’s told, because such threats are the type of coercion that can invalidate a gett. One final, unavailing, protest by the husband: But you said I could buy her off with money. Isn’t that coercion? Sorry yet again. The question the parable wants us to ask when we finish reading it, I think, is whether men would stand for such unfairness in a system that proclaims itself to be the word of God. And I believe its unspoken answer is that we (being male, I use that pronoun) would storm the gates of heaven demanding fairness. This is why, when I transpose this story back to our real universe of male dominance, I read it, in part, as a response to R. Jachter’s analysis. Unlike his upbeat presentation on the usefulness of sanctions and rabbis’ supportive words, the parable highlights how that perspective and the ineffectual solutions for all too many cases does little to ameliorate the basic unfairness that continues to destroy lives. (Remember the analogy to murder?) Let me interrupt myself for an admission. As the butler said to Pharoah after hearing of his sovereign’s dreams, et hata’ai ani mazkir hayom (Genesis 41:9) – I must mention here a past error. In 1999, I wrote an article sponsored by the Orthodox Caucus’s ROVE project (Responsible Orthodox Viewpoints and Editorials) titled “Let Us Declare the War is Over” (with thanks to Phil Ochs, the great songwriter and troubadour of the 1960s, for the title). It too was about agunot, and discussed a number of what I then thought were recent positive developments to improve their situation: i.e.,

the acceptance by many Orthodox rabbis of a new halachic prenuptial agreement; an amendment to New York’s Get Law (N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law §236 Part B 6(d)); the withholding of privileges from those who refuse to participate in gett procedures (the sanctions R. Jachter discussed); and the involvement in major rabbinical courts by individuals especially sensitive to this issue and committed to doing all they could to correct it. Based on these improvements, I concluded that the search to find and finally implement a fix to the agunah problem was promising. Thus, I argued that the war of words hurled by women’s advocates against Orthodox rabbinic leadership for its failure to solve this problem should be ended and replaced by pressure, lovingly applied.

‘We need a paradigmatic shift in the way we look at these issues, considering the world and circumstances in which we live. And that shift, if adopted, based on arguments and opinions found within the corpus of halachic literature, can result in real and positive change.’ (The article appeared only online, and I can’t find any link to it. If anyone with greater tech skills than mine — a very low bar — can do so, I would be eternally grateful.) Some of the points I made in the article are, I still think, valid. For example, the halachic pre-nup has been used by many, like my married daughters and their husbands, in the Modern Orthodox community, and has had some real, though limited, positive results. However, with the benefit of hindsight (like my eyes after cataract surgery, not quite 20-20 but certainly much better than before), I realize I was overly optimistic. Decades later, the Jewish divorce system still treats men and women unequally, with built-in unfairness to women who too often are its innocent casualties. Thus, the only real way to end the war I wrote about is for those with halachic power to finally take real steps to eliminate the plight of the agunah from our midst. Which, of course, raises the $64,000 question (yes, kids, at one time before the quiz show scandals, that actually was a lot of money): how can that be done? And here, as a lawyer and not a halachic scholar, I’ll have to punt — but only partially. I can’t construct and present a comprehensive set of rules that will obviate this issue. That will take those with greater expertise and power. But I’ve heard enough lectures and shi’urim and read sufficient articles and books about the agunah issue to have come to the conclusion that solutions exist if only there were the will and courage necessary to implement them. I’ve heard of proposed solutions a number of times only to also hear “but we can’t do that because of this reason or that” — often a stringency or the strictest opinion or some public policy or meta halachic principle. One problem, though, is that these reasons are piled on the backs of the agunot, and it is they, and not the rabbis who raise the stringency, public policy, or meta halacha, who must bear the dire consequences of the status quo.

My thoughts about agunot, and their connection to the two articles discussed above as well as the memory of my long forgotten (by everyone other than me) 1999 article, were brought to the fore by a learned halachic presentation I recently heard at Davar. (Davar, in a nutshell — and it deserves an entire bowl of nuts — is an institute that invites a fascinating and broad range of speakers to Teaneck six or seven times a year to deliver three lectures over Shabbat in a tefillah — and kiddush — setting.) The speaker analyzed issues, as discussed in rabbinic literature, concerning situations of ending a marriage by rabbinical power. He concluded his presentation with a discussion of a different way of understanding this power based on an analysis of it by a mid-20th-century rabbinic scholar, Rabbi Chanoch Henoch Eigis, in his book of responsa, Ha-Marcheshet (Part 2, Se’if 11). Building on R. Eigis’s formulation of rabbinic power, he suggested a way of applying it in relevant situations today. This could be useful, he argued, in taking the sole power of divorce out of the hands of recalcitrant husbands and placing it more meaningfully into the hands of Jewish courts, thus significantly easing the plight of agunot. (The speaker made clear more than once that he was speaking theoretically and not halacha le-ma’asseh — declaring a halachic conclusion to be followed in practice today. But that could change, of course, if he were joined by enough other important halachic voices.) In the midst of this presentation, which welcomed questions and comments, a scholar in the audience cried out after hearing the last idea, “but we pasken like the Rashba.” What I understood he meant by that comment was that the accepted halachic understanding among earlier scholars regarding rabbinic power to end a marriage was based on the position of Rav Shlomo ben Avraham ibn Aderet (the Rashba), a highly regarded 13th-century leading halachic authority. And the questioner’s point was that the Rashba’s opinion wouldn’t allow for the suggestion based on the Marcheshet. “You’re correct,” was the response. “And that’s my point. We need a paradigmatic shift in the way we look at these issues, considering the world and circumstances in which we live. And that shift, if adopted, based on arguments and opinions found within the corpus of halachic literature, can result in real and positive change.” (The quotes in this paragraph are a free paraphrase of what was actually said on that Shabbat morning based on my memory, since no video or written notes could be used.) As my readers well know, I’m not a rabbi and I don’t issue halachic decisions. But as a relatively knowledgeable layman, and one interested in law, halacha, and the role of women in Judaism and the impact of halacha upon them, I’ve known for a long time that the problem of agunah is one that is a stain on the soul of Orthodoxy; that easing that plight cannot depend solely on caring rabbis and ad hoc solutions that sometimes work and often do not; and that too many lives of innocent women committed to halacha have been ruined by the evil and spiteful acts of men with whom they once had a loving relationship. And I know that we’re long past the time for rabbis to bemoan the fact that their hands are tied and they are unable to stop one group of Jews using halacha to exploit a second, powerless group. As a result, I believe — and as one who has studied and observed halacha throughout my life, I need to believe — that if halacha is truly the law of a loving and caring God, it must hold within its mysteries and complexities a solution for this desecration of His name. I know the time is long overdue to find and implement such a solution. I know it’s time for action. JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023 55

Noteworthy

Deliciously fulfilling the mitzvah of the four cups GABRIEL GELLER

P

assover celebrates the Jewish people’s redemption from slavery in Egypt. The purpose of breaking free from Pharaoh was to be able to fulfill God’s promise to our forefathers and be His servants. Every mitzvah we do is part of this covenant with God, including the Passover seder and the four cups of wine. Of course, we are free to choose which wines to use for this mitzvah, and today, the list of kosher wines is more extensive than ever. There are different customs regarding the type of wine to drink at the seder. At my seder, I use rosé for the four cups. According to most halachic opinions, rosé is a shade of red and counts as such as it is made from red grape varieties. The winemaker decides how red the wine will be by limiting the contact between the must, the grape juice, and the grape’s skins, from which the color comes. The rosé wines I plan on enjoying this Passover: The Herzog Lineage Rosé 2022 blends refreshing acidity

Englewood summer apprenticeships available Englewood residents entering their junior or senior year of high school are invited to apply to participate in this summer’s Englewood Business Apprenticeship Program, funded by the City of Englewood. The program, now in its 10th year, will be managed by the North New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and The ZONE — a school-based youth services program — of Bergen Family Center. The program provides students with an opportunity to gain valuable skills, work experience, and support from mentors. Apprentices are expected to work 25 hours per week, Wednesday, July 5 through Friday, Aug. 9, including two-hour-long business-skill-building workshops each Wednesday morning. Each student will receive a stipend of $2,000. A committee of local business people and nonprofits will select students from among the pool of applicants. The deadline for submission of applications is Friday, April 7. Applications are available at Dwight Morrow High School and the Englewood Clerk’s Office, or go to forms.gle/o3mCqp7acbxEhWtS8 or cityofenglewood.org, nnjchamber.com. For information, call 201-862-6282 or 201-567-2381. 56 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

and mouthwatering fruitiness. On the higher end, the superb Razi’el Rosé 2021, with its complex notes of tart strawberries, vanilla cream, and herbaceous undertones. The sophisticated Château Roubine Lion & Dragon Rosé 2021 pops in the mouth with layers of berry and stone fruit flavors, combined with lively acidity and a masterfully integrated structure and oak notes. For the seder meal, I will serve with one of my favorites from Israel, the Carmel Limited Edition 2007,

which I have aged for quite a few years. The current 2019 vintage is also excellent. For the second seder, I will open a mature bottle of Château Malartic-Lagravière 2005. Another popular custom involves starting with a light wine — it can also be a rosé, like the Hagafen Rosé 2022, but it can also be a pinot noir, such as the Vitkin Pinot Noir 2021. Then, you can next enjoy a bigger wine, like the Binyamina Chosen Tarshish  Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, which is rich and layered with complex, black fruit and herbaceous notes. You can then move back to your rosé or pinot noir or keep going with the Binyamina. For the fourth cup, perhaps a sweet dessert wine? The Or Haganuz Har Sinai, for instance. Port-style wines are heavier, high in alcohol, but the sweetness and balance allow a unique drinking experience to wrap up the ceremony. May these delicious wines and any you choose enhance your seders. Chag Pesach kasher v’sameyach! L’chaim! Gabriel Geller is the director of public relations and client services for Royal Wine Corporation.

Healthy choices for Passover eating GABI MOSKOWITZ

go-to dishes. You can make a large batch of these patties and freeze them for later use (make sure to March is National Nutrition Month, a time to use kosher-for-Passover panko crumbs). focus on healthy cooking and eating. Now that Cooking oil used to be a bit of a problem on Passover; it seemed like there weren’t many choices we are at the end of this month, most of us are other than cottonseed oil. Today there are many thinking about Passover, which begins the evening of April 5. Some people fear that the resohealthier choices on the market, including olive, lutions they made in March to stick to healthy avocado, walnut, and safflower oil, to name a few. eating habits will go out the window, with For daily menu planning, there are plenty of Gabi Moskowitz matzah, holiday cakes and cookies, chocolates, healthy options. Instead of matzah with butter for potatoes, and more potatoes really taking a toll. breakfast, try having a vegetable omelet or avocado But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little change in “toast” using whole wheat matzah. Instead of butter, spread ingredients and some new recipes, everyone can eat healthalmond butter on matzah. For lunch, instead of potato latkes fully during the holiday. or matzah pizza, how about salmon with roasted asparagus The first step is to change old thinking (and recipes!) and and a tri-color quinoa salad. For dinner, replace the usual start thinking of all the healthy foods we can eat during Passchicken and matzah ball soup with a more nutrient-dense over and how we can incorporate them into our daily menu. choice, such as butternut squash soup or a hearty vegetable There are so many new cookbooks and on-line recipes that soup. Instead of brisket, potatoes, and matzah farfel, try an can help us maintain a healthy lifestyle. herb-rubbed grilled chicken with roasted sweet potato and We want to make our meals colorful and balanced, with red cabbage salad. fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. There are plenty of delicious and healthy snacking We look for variety at each meal — as well as extra fiber to options. How about a fruit torte with a roasted nut crust. counteract the effects of matzah. Whole-wheat matzah is a Bake kosher-for-Passover muffins using fruit and honey or good substitute for regular matzah as a source of extra fiber. applesauce as a sweetener. My family loves traditional Passover chocolate chip cookies, but this year I found a delicious Nuts, a good source of protein and fiber, can be eaten as a recipe that didn’t include margarine. snack or added to recipes on Passover. There are endless possibilities for eating healthfully during Quinoa, which is technically a seed but has been classified as a whole grain, has grown in popularity and is kosher Passover. Get creative in the kitchen and create new family for Passover. It is low in calories and a good source of profavorites for everyone to enjoy. tein and fiber as well as iron, zinc, manganese, folate, phosWe look forward to adding healthy choices to the Passover phorus, and other antioxidant and anti-inflammatory commenu at the Jewish Home at Rockleigh this year and hope pounds. It is versatile and easy and quick to prepare — even you will too. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday! easier and quicker in a rice cooker. The new “Best of Kosher Cookbook: Iconic and New Recipes from your Favorite CookGabi Moskowitz is chief clinical dietitian at the Jewish Home at book Authors” includes a recipe for Quinoa Sweet Potato Rockleigh kosher skilled nursing facility; she can be reached at Spinach Patties that has become one of my family’s new [email protected].

Local/Obituaries Foxman FROM PAGE 8

“In the short term, we need to find a way to free the prime minister from the political extortion that the extremists in the coalition hold over him. “My father, of blessed memory, taught me to be careful of God’s Cossacks,” Mr. Foxman continued. That included not only the actual Cossacks, the enemy, but “our God’s Cossacks, who are just as dangerous, because they believe that they possess the only truth. God’s truth. “That’s Ben Gvir and Smotrich” — Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister and another far-right politician allied with Netanyahu — “who politically extort him. “God’s Cossacks don’t believe in compromises.” That’s the short-term solution. “In the long run, Israel has to change its political system so that it is not dependent, as it is today, on two or three votes.” Those members of Knesset in a prime minister’s coalition hold a disproportionate amount of power — in some ways, although the system is different, they are the equivalent of the MAGA members of the U.S. House of Representatives, because of their willingness to burn down the system if they don’t get their way. “Their alliance is to their party, not to the electorate. That has to change.” Mr. Foxman being Mr. Foxman, he was able to see some good in the situation. Another miracle, he said. “It is a miracle that people went into the streets

exercising democracy without violence or threats. We are talking about half a million people in the streets, standing up for democracy, in a country that has been apathetic in terms of protests for 75 years. There has been corruption, and the Israeli people have paid heavy prices for it, and yet they did not ‘rebel.’ So it is with a sense of pride that I saw that we are different. “Look at what happened in Washington on January 6. We Americans pride ourselves on being a civilized people, but look at the violence that day.” The protests in Israel “were spontaneous, and free of violence. It is with a sense of pride and hope for the future that I say that if things fall apart again, they can come together again.” But wait, Mr. Foxman. You said that Israel never will go back to where it had been. Yes, he replied. That’s true. “Israel has shown itself that we are not as one a people as we thought we were. We had two slogans. First, that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. Well, we almost lost that distinction, and it isn’t over yet. “Second, we say that the Jewish people are one. Well, we haven’t been in the last three months, so we have to stop just saying it and start acting it. “We have come so close to the precipice that the scars always will be there,” he said. “There is a conflict between democracy and Jewishness. There is a tension between the secular and the religious nationalists. We can’t take anything for granted anymore.”

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Manuel Robert Kaplan of Mahwah, 75, died on March 23. He was a member of Temple Beth Rishon in Wyckoff. Predeceased by his wife, Karyn, he is survived by his siblings, Barbara Lane and Howard (Sandy); his children, Steven Kaplan (Alison), Harrison (Beth), and Allison; and three grandchildren. Arrangements were by Louis Suburban Chapel, Fair Lawn.

Lawrence Meade

Lawrence Meade of Jackson, formerly of Bergenfield, 82, died on March 18. He was a music teacher at Cresskill High School. Predeceased by his wife, Helen, he is survived by his sons, Paul (Laura) and Steve (Leesa); four grandchildren; and his partner, Sena Warner. Arrangements were by Gutterman and Musicant Jewish Funeral Directors.

Esther Stone

Esther Stone, née Curland, of Old Tappan, 73, died on February 3. She was a teacher and later the director of human resources for the Jewish Home Family. She is survived by her husband, Sheldon; her siblings, Renee Schwam and Nathan Curland; her children, Lesley-Anne (Dave Malkoff ) and Jaime (Dave Santin); and four grandchildren. Arrangements were by Gutterman and Musicant Jewish Funeral Directors.

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Lewis Weinberg of Ramsey, 79, died on March 21. He was a teacher and school administrator. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, née Sloman, his daughters, Erika Weinberg (Matthew Nord), and Melanie Silverman (Raymond); and two grandchildren. Arrangements were by Louis Suburban Chapel, Fair Lawn.

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WE LOVE ANTIQUES! ANS has been in this business for over 25 years. Our attention to detail and skilled knowledge of antiques makes us unique among buyers and sellers, ensuring each client receives accurate information about each item and each seller receives top dollar. We purchase entire collections as well as single items. We also do complete estate clean-outs. We will purchase the entire estate Call today to schedule a meeting. including real estate. We can also work with your favorite charity.

ANS Antiques

We pay cash for: Art Glass Antique Furniture Modern Furniture Modern Art Oil Paintings Bronzes Silver

Porcelain Mens & Ladies Watches Cameras Judaic Art and Silver Top Dollar for Any Kind of Jewelry& Chinese Porcelain Military Items

58 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

Coins – Individual or Entire Collections Entire Home Contents Property/Real Estate Purchases – Fast Closings

We come to you • Free Appraisals 201-861-7770 • 201-951-6224 Visit us at www.ANSAntiques.com [email protected] Sam Guidan Shommer Shabbas

Classified

Furniture Wanted

Get Top Dollar for your 50s, 60s & 70s MODERN Furniture, Lighting and Art.

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Antiques

TYLER ANTIQUES Thank You For Your Votes!

EST 1940

EST 1940

WE BUY • Jewelry • Oil Paintings • Silver • Watches • Judaica • Tiffany Items • Bronzes • Marble Sculpture • Porcelains • Oriental Rugs • Furniture • Chinese Objects

We Specialize In Estate Jewelry A Heimishe Family Business for Three Generations! SHOMER SHABBOS

201-894-4770 · 718-496-9484 [email protected]

Excellent references available!

JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023 59

Classified/Jewish World Berlin Chikli. A protest like the ones that have taken place across Israel and the Diaspora took place outside the conference venue, the Hilton Berlin. Inside the hotel’s dining room where Chikli was due to speak, conference guests found fliers distributed clandestinely on each table announcing that hosting him was “a slap in the face of hundreds of thousands of Israelis defending democracy for us too.” Alexander Oscar, president of Shalom, Bulgaria’s main Jewish umbrella group, said that he’s been to other conferences and know that such statements would never have been aimed at Israeli government officials. He said that though many European leaders are not Israeli citizens, “we all have our families in Israel and consider the state of Israel our homeland.” “This is the first time ever I have seen this in conferences with other, you know, other countries, but never for the State of Israel.” Oscar said. “And it makes me happy, because what it says is that Israel is a democracy, and that it has a strong civil society.” The protesting dovetails with a widening gulf he says that he and other Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe are finding with Israel. “Over the past several years, we are seeing how, in

COURTESY OF THE JDC

FROM PAGE 44

Panelists speak at the Summit of European Jewish Leaders in Berlin.

various ways, the State of Israel is actually more prone to supporting the individual states in Europe, sacrificing the interests of the local Jewish communities,” Oscar said. “I’m speaking, in particular, about countries like Poland, like Hungary and Bulgaria nowadays. The local Jewish community is fighting with different groups, and

even with the authorities, in terms of preventing the Holocaust distortion, and also combating antisemitism.” “So we are ending up when the State of Israel is not defending the Jewish communities, in areas where until five, six years ago, it would have been impossible even JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY to think of,” he added.

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Solution to last week’s puzzle. This week’s puzzle is on page 49.

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Call us. We’re waiting for your classified ad! 201-837-8818

Real Estate DEAR MONTY

How to decide to accept an offer RICHARD MONTGOMERY Dear Monty: We were selling our home and listed it with a real estate agent we know. We just finished the final touches to show the house, so it goes on the market in a few days. The agent has a customer who looked at it a few days ago. We listed it for $424,900. This customer offered $415k. We said we wanted to put it on the market before we could answer. They returned with a $430k offer and a preapproval letter and will close in 30 days. Is there a relationship with the agent? Has she mispriced the house? We are still determining how to handle it. What should we do? Monty’s Answer: You need more important information about your question, which you may or may not know. The way to respond to your question is to provide some direction on critical information to gather that will give you the confidence to make the best decisions. At the same time, I’ll provide some options to consider once you have that information.

Information you need

• Your hyperlocal market behavior. Agents often overlook this data as it seems peripheral, but it is a critical factor. Hyperlocal means within a few blocks of your home rather than an expansive ZIP code that could contain all three hyperlocal market types: buyer’s, seller’s and balanced markets. If there are four comparable homes for sale and each one has been for sale for 60 to 90 days, that is a buyer’s market. If there is one comparable for sale 20 days and 30 days ago, and three are now sold or pending, then it’s a seller’s market. • Your home’s range of value. Judging value is relatively easy as they are all in your neighborhood. Make a judgment on the three sold comparable homes that come closest to your home. All three will have sold

Options to consider

There are three options to consider based on the information you shared. There may be other options that develop in the negotiation. You can accept the offer on the table, counteroffer (which is a rejection) or wait to gather market exposure.

The pros and cons of each option

• Accept the offer. The pros are that you receive a higher than list price, and a significant decision is behind you. The cons are the possibility of obtaining an even higher price. • Counteroffer. The pros are an even higher price if the buyer accepts the counter. The cons are that your counter turns them off, and you cannot achieve the offer you countered when you test the market. • Test the market. The pros are higher than the initial buyer was willing to pay. The cons are that you cannot achieve the offer you countered, and you lose COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM some time.  Richard Montgomery is the author of “House Money: An Insider’s Secrets to Saving Thousands When You Buy or Sell a Home.” He advocates industry reform and offers readers unbiased real estate advice. Follow him on Twitter at @dearmonty, or at DearMonty.com.

Fit workbench size to person’s height Dear James: I am having trouble finding a sturdy workbench that is not too tall for my short height. Do you have any ideas for how I can build my own smaller-sized one? — Darlene T. Dear Darlene: Most workbenches you find at big-box stores are sized for a six-foot man’s convenience. You can place some type of low platform in front of it, but that can create a stumbling risk. Most of the small child-sized workbenches are probably not strong enough to be useful. It is not safe to work on an awkwardly tall workbench. There will be a greater likelihood of your whacking your finger with a hammer or cutting it with a saw — Ouch! Also, the more substantially built your workbench is, the easier and more precise your projects will be. Even if the overly large size were not a problem, it is still a good idea to make your own workbench. It

BOGOTA BY APPOINTMENT

for different prices. The highest sale price becomes the top end of your range, and the lowest is the bottom end. • Your financial risk tolerance. You are the one who can make this decision. Due diligence educates you and produces knowledge that allows you to decide confidently. To hand this off to someone not in your shoes is riskier than you making the decision. You are the only one here that knows your financial circumstances. Keep someone from deciding with no skin in the game and potential conflicts.

HERE’S HOW

JAMES DULLEY

Constru

will definitely not be flimsy, like some of the kits that you saw, and you can design it with the specific features that you want. Plan on spending over $100 to build a good workbench. This may sound like a lot, but it will last a lifetime. The money you save with many do-it-yourself home repair and improvement projects will pay back the material costs many times over. I recommend building a workbench with a good-quality hardwood top and finished edge over a plywood base. Standard 3/4-inch, tongue-and-groove oak hardwood flooring works great. This not only looks good (unfortunately, it won’t stay that way for long), but it holds up well to hammering, vibrations from sawing and torque from bending pipe. No matter how experienced you are, you will still occasionally miss a nail head and pound the top with a hammer. Hardwood will dent slightly, but not at all like standard plywood or, even worse, just pine lumber. Finish the top with several coats of urethane. This looks great and resists oils and other common chemicals.

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(201) 837-8800 873 TEANECK ROAD · TEANECK, NJ 07666

Chag Pesach Sameach!

Jimmy the Junk Man

2

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL WE CLEAN OUT: BasementsJUNK • AtticsREMOVAL • Garages • Fire & Damage Construction Debris • Hoarding Specialists CLEANOUTS WE RECYCLE

WETODAY RECYCLE AND DONATE CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE CALL TODAY FOR A 20 1-66 1- 4940 FREE ESTIMATE

We do not transport solid or hazardous waste

201-661-4940 845-600-5941 We do not transport solid or hazardous waste

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LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION The place to be seen is Jewish Standard/ New Jersey Jewish News Call today!

Natalie: 201-837-8818 ext. 121

JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023 61

Real Estate Many workbenches are typically 35 inches high, about 28 inches deep and four to five feet long. With your smaller stature, size yours to be about 31 inches high, 26 inches deep and five to six feet long if you have the space in your garage. A longer workbench is more stable when you have a long heavy item in the vise on one end. My favorite workbench design uses two horizontal frames (made from 2-by-6-inch wood studs) attached to strong vertical legs. The lower frame supports the lower shelf, and the upper frame supports the top work area. For a professional look, notch the corners of the lower shelf plywood for the vertical legs, so that it is flush with the edges of the frame. If you want to build it right, use 4-by-4-inch wood studs for the legs, not just 2-by-4-inch ones. Use treated lumber for the legs if your garage floor is damp or you spray it out regularly with a hose and cleaners. Cut the legs square on both ends and 1.5 inches shorter than the finished top height (the top is 1.5 inches thick). Size the horizontal frames to allow for a 10-inch top overhang on each end and a 3-inch overhang in the front. Ten inches is adequate to mount your vise and other devices. The vertical legs are mounted inside the frame corners with

A GREENER VIEW

Tree problems JEFF RUGG

3-inch-long screws, or better yet, onequarter-inch lag bolts. Screw the top plywood base to the upper frame. Nail the hardwood flooring to the plywood. 

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM

Send your questions to Here’s How, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45244 or visit www.dulley.com. To find out more about James Dulley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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BUY, SELL or RENT STEVEN L. FINKELSTEIN Your Neighborhood BROKER Associate OFFICE

201-837-8800 X44

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DIRECT

917-804-2618 [email protected] 873 Teaneck Rd., Teaneck, NJ · www.RussoRealEstate.com

62 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023

Q: The elm tree in our front yard has a disgusting, brown, slimy mess running down the trunk. As it dries it is leaving a white streak on the bark. What can we do to stop this? A: Your tree has a bacterial infection called slime flux or wet wood. Many tree species can get this infection, but for some reason, practically every elm tree is affected to some degree. Trees over 10 years old are more likely to get it than younger trees. The bacteria enter the tree through exposed wounds, such as pruning cuts, damage from lawn mowers, cut roots, storm damage and where two trunks grow together. As the bacteria consume carbohydrates and cellulose, they release gases. The gases create pressure that pushes sap out of the tree trunk. The sap may include some of the bacteria, but on the surface of the trunk, it can become contaminated with yeast and other organisms. It often becomes a stinky and unsightly mess running down the trunk. It seems to run more during wet weather. It will stain the bark white, and it will not wash off easily. The slime is toxic to the surrounding live tissue in the trunk, but it won’t spread and kill the tree by itself. We used to suggest installing a drainpipe into the tree to relieve the gas pressure, but it doesn’t do any good, and installing the pipe damages the tree. If the tree is otherwise healthy, it will probably stay that way. Just rinse off the slime while it is still wet to get a little less of the white stain on the trunk. Q: We have a sycamore tree that has had a problem leafing out in the spring during the past two years. What can we do to help keep it healthy? A: Sycamores often get a serious fungal disease called anthracnose. Other tree and shrub species get anthracnose problems, but the symptoms are worse in sycamore trees. It attacks and kills the leaves and small twigs. It attacks the trees in the spring when the weather is cool and wet. All the new leaves are killed until the weather warms up and dries out and the fungus cannot spread. The fungus remains dormant in the litter that falls off the tree. Over the summer, new branches of

leaves will grow. They may die next spring. All of the short, dead branches on the ends of long branches give the tree the visual effect of looking like a tree made from a bunch of broom handles. During the summer, remove any dead leaves and twigs from the ground around the tree. A sick sycamore tree uses a lot of stored food to produce leaves and branches that are killed in the spring. It then has a shorter summer season of healthy leaves to produce the starches that it needs to survive the winter and grow new leaves next spring. To keep the tree healthy, water and fertilize it during the summer. Sycamores are native to lowlands, so they need more water than a typical suburban landscape tree. Next spring, when the new growth begins to sprout, the tree needs to be sprayed with a fungicide weekly until the weather warms up. Sycamores are pretty trees, but they do not make good urban landscape trees for small landscapes. They have an unusual white bark that is produced by dropping the corky outer layers of bark onto the lawn, adding to the maintenance.  

COPYRIGHT 2023 JEFF RUGG DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@ greenerview.com. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

WE LOVE ANTIQUES! ANS has been in this business for over 25 years. Our attention to detail and skilled knowledge of antiques makes us unique among buyers and sellers, ensuring each client receives accurate information about each item and each seller receives top dollar. We purchase entire collections as well as single items. We also do complete estate clean-outs. We will purchase the entire estate including real estate. We can also work with your favorite charity.

Call today to schedule a meeting.

We pay cash for: Art Glass Antique Furniture Modern Furniture Modern Art Oil Paintings Bronzes Silver Porcelain Mens & Ladies Watches Cameras

Judaic Art and Silver Top Dollar for Any Kind of Jewelry & Chinese Porcelain Military Items Coins – Individual or Entire Collections Entire Home Contents Property/Real Estate Purchases – Fast Closings

ANS Antiques We come to you • Free Appraisals 201-861-7770 • 201-951-6224 Visit us at www.ANSAntiques.com [email protected] Sam Guidan Shommer Shabbas

JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 31, 2023 63

Chicken Legs

Chicken Cutlets

$299

$699

American Black Angus Beef

American Black Angus Beef

$999

$899

Super Family Pack

Super Family Pack

LB

LB

Shoulder Roast LB

Mehadrin

Skim Plus

Assorted

64 Oz

Leben

Milk

6 Oz

LB

Miller’s

Of Tov

Cedar

Mozzarella or Cheddar Only

Chicklicious, Nuggets, or Dinosaur Only

20 Oz

Shredded Cheese 8 Oz

Chicken Nuggets 2 Lb

Deckle Roast

Homemade Gefilte Fish

Meal Mart

Gluten Free Mild Buffalo Wings 32 Oz

4/$

$449

2/$

$1399

$499

$1299

Redemption

Yehuda, Aviv, Streit’s or Manischewitz

Domino

Lieber’s

Haddar

Manischewitz or Streits

5

EA

Hand Shmurah Matzah 1 Lb

Matzos 5 Lb Box

6

Sugar Bag 4 Lb

EA

Potato Starch 24 Oz

EA

Spices Assorted 1.23 Oz

EA

Matzo Meals or Cake Meals Original Only 16 Oz

$1999

$699

2/$

2/$

99¢

2/$

Streit’s or Manischewitz

Gefen

Hollywood

Tabatchnick

Goodman’s

Gefen or Lieber’s

32 Oz

32 Oz

Original Only

25.4-28 Oz

EA

Matzo Farfel 1 Lb

$499 EA

EA

Crisp Flats Assorted 5.2 Oz

$399 EA

6

Safflower Oil

$899 EA

6

Chicken Broth

EA

Onion Soup Mix 2.75 Oz

4

2/$

3

2/$

7

Tomato Ketchup

$399 EA