Aug 15 2013

Non-profit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE PAIDPermit # 482Scranton, PA

PLUSOpinion ..........................................................2D’var Torah ................................................10Preparing for the High Holidays ......... 11

AUGUST 15, 2013

Candle lighting

Jewish Federation of NEPA601 Jefferson Ave.Scranton, PA 18510

Change Service Requested

INSIDE THIS ISSUEA jeweler in SoHo

Israeli jeweler Michal Negrin is opening stores in the U.S., including her flagship store in SoHo.

Story on page 12

White Rose remembered The non-Jewish White Rose resistance group in Nazi Germany is remembered 70 years later.

Story on page 13

Jews in the South Jewish newcomers to small communities in the South bring optimism, but can they revive them?

Story on page 6

August 16 ........................................7:42 pmAugust 23 ........................................7:32 pmAugust 30 ........................................7:20 pm

Federation on Facebook

The Jewish Federation of Northeast-ern Pennsylvania now has a page on Facebook to let community members know about upcoming events and keep connected.

The

Jewish Federation of Northeastern PennsylvaniaPublished by the

VOLUME XI, NUMBER 16

4” lable here

The Hester Street Troupe has been sched-uled to perform at the Federation’s Super Sunday Fun Day on Sunday, September 29, from 1-4 pm, at the Scranton JCC, in the Goodman Lounge.

The Hester Street Troupe, composed of Jay and Alan Sweifach and Jim Bazewicz, specializes in klezmer and Jewish entertain-ment. For more than 30 years, they have performed klezmer music, songs from the Yiddish Vaudeville and Second Avenue Theatres, and classic older and more con-temporary Jewish melodies.

The group has produced three record-ings. Its most recent, “On Second Av-enue,” has been called “a celebration” of songs from the Yiddish Vaudeville and the Lower East Side, as well as traditional Klezmer medleys. The group’s first re-cording, “Generation to Generation,”

Hester Street Troupe to perform at Federation’s Super Sunday Fun Day on Sept. 29

L-r: Hester Street Troupe members Alan and Jay Sweifach and Jim Bazewicz.

connects listeners with the traditions of the Jewish experience and asks, “Who will be the zaydes of our children?” The second, “Sounds of the Shtetl,” focuses on the old Jewish community of the shtetl.

The troupe has performed throughout the Northeast, as well as in Florida, and has played to standing-room-only audiences. The group combines “a special brand of shtick with popular Jewish songs,” accord-ing to program organizers.

No strangers to Northeastern Pennsyl-vania, Jay and Alan have spent summers with their family in Emerald Lakes, near Long Pond, since they were children. Their grandfather and his brother had established a kosher bungalow colony along Long Pond Road called Ramat Lakes in the 1940s. This area was included in what was to become Emerald Lakes.

SPOTlIGHT ON eUROPeAN JeWSIn Kiev, a website reconnects young Jews one post at a time

L-r: Juice co-organizers Inna Yampolskaya and Igor Kozlovskiy, Ukrainian Chief Rabbi Yaakov Rabbi Bleich and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s Lilya Vendrova at a Juice event in Kiev in November 2012. (Photo courtesy of Juice)

Screenshot of jewishnet.ru, a growing social network with 80,000 daily users.

By Cnaan LIpHSHIzKIEV, Ukraine (JTA) – Hours after as-

sailants shot Rabbi Artur Ovadia Isakov on a street in the Russian republic of Dagestan on July 25, mainstream Russian media were still scrambling to ascertain his identity. But Isakov’s name and condition already were known to the readers of Jewishnet.ru, a growing social network with 80,000 daily users that has relied on user par-ticipation to cover Jewish news and help connect fast-assimilating Jews across the

Russian-speaking world.The first report about Isakov was posted

by a user from Israel, where the rabbi is recovering from what authorities say may have been a hate attack. Other users added new information on Jewishnet’s Facebook page, including details about Isakov’s evacuation to Israel and pictures of the rabbi’s family.

“Traffic on the website usually picks up when something dramatic happens in the Middle East or involving the Jewish commu-

nity,” said Igor Kozlovskiy, a technology professional and the site’s co-founder.

While English-speaking Jews have a number of social networks to share news and connect around shared inter-ests, Russian-speaking Jewry had none when Kozlovskiy founded Jewishnet with a partner, Roman Gold, in 2011. The site, which maintains sec-tions devoted to dating, couch surfing and finding travel bud-dies, is used as well to promote Jewish events in Kiev, home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union and one of the most highly assimilated.

According to 2008 figures from the Jewish Agency, 80 percent of Jewish newlyweds in the former Soviet Union married a non-Jew, a figure dramatically higher than the rate in the United States. The vast majority of Ukraine’s

360,000 Jews are non-observant, and only a small fraction is affiliated with the or-ganized Jewish community, which many young Jews find obsolete and rife with internal discord.

Social networks, Kozlovskiy says, have the potential to keep Jews, intermarried and not, connected to Jewish life. “If we don’t reach out to the unaffiliated, they will assimi-late and will be lost to the Jewish people,” Kozlovskiy said. “The fact that our website isn’t affiliated with any denomination or Jewish institution has allowed us to be a portal for any Jew.”

Jewishnet functions much like any other social networking platform, allowing users to post news stories, share tips, ask ques-tions, connect with old friends and promote events. But mindful of the limitations of many web-based networking sites, organiz-ers of Jewishnet have taken steps to provide users with opportunities for real-life engage-ment with the Jewish community.

A platform called Juice, which is run party through Jewishnet, invites young Jews – many of them young and unaffiliated – to meetings with community leaders, Jewish businessmen and journalists. Reports of the events often are published on Jewishnet and users can submit questions online in advance

See “Website” on page 6

THE REPORTER ■ augusT 15, 20132

A MATTeR Of OPINION

leTTeRS TO THe eDITOR

“ The Reporter” (USPS #482) is published bi-weekly by the Jew-ish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania, 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510.

President: Jeff RubelExecutive Director: Mark Silverberg

Advisory Board Chair: Margaret Sheldon

Executive Editor: Rabbi Rachel EssermanLayout Editor: Diana SochorAssistant Editor: Michael NassbergProduction Coordinator: Jenn DePersisGraphic Artist: Alaina CardarelliAdvertising Representative: Bonnie RozenBookkeeper: Gregory Senger

FeDeraTIon weBSITe:www.jewishnepa.org

How To SUBMIT arTICLeS:Mail: 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510e-mail: [email protected]: (570) 346-6147phone: (570) 961-2300

How To reaCH THe aDverTISIng repreSenTaTIve:

phone: (800) 779-7896, ext. 244e-mail: [email protected]

SUBSCrIpTIon InForMaTIon: phone: (570) 961-2300

opInIonS The views expressed in edi-torials and opinion pieces are those of each author and not necessarily the views of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania. LeTTerS The Reporter welcomes letters on subjects of interest to the Jewish com-munity. All letters must be signed and include a phone number. The editor may withhold the name upon request. aDS The Reporter does not necessar-ily endorse any advertised products and services. In addition, the paper is not responsible for the kashruth of any advertiser’s product or establishment.DeaDLIne Regular deadline is two weeks prior to the publication date.

fROM THe DeSk Of THe execUTIve DIRecTOR

MarK SILverBerg

To the Editor:Sometimes you don’t realize that when

you’re having an impact on others, you may be having a greater impact on yourself. This summer, from July 28-30, I attended a BBYO experience in Pittsburgh, along with Ethan Kreinces.

The program, Impact Pittsburgh, was a three-day program that focused on how to make a difference in your community. Ethan and I were in a small group of 20, where we volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House and at a local synagogue’s vegetable garden. Through that, we experienced – hands-on – the big change one person can make in a small amount of time. The garden’s caretaker told us it would have taken him 60 hours to do the amount of work we did in two.

We also learned how to bring our causes back home and how to initiate change. Each one of us learned what it takes to make an impact. I learned that it takes passion, perseverance and creativity, but the best part about the program was that while we had all made an impact on the city, it was really the other way around. I can’t wait to help make a difference in our own community, one vegetable garden at a time.

My name is Ellie Sullum, and I am going into my sophomore year at Abington Heights High School in Clarks Summit, PA. I have been in BBYO for two years and both my Scranton Chapter, BBYO #5348, and I look forward to the new year. Upcoming is our Regional Leadership Training Convention,

Reprinted with permission of Israel National News – Arutz Sheva

On July 28, Israel’s Ministry of Justice disclosed the names of Palestinian terrorists who will be released throughout the next nine months as the price Washington is demand-i n g f r o m the Israelis to entice the Palestinian A u t h o r i t y to rejoin the talks they’ve been boycotting for the past four and a half years. Failure to do so would have resulted in a serious diplomatic crisis between Israel and the U.S. Nevertheless, Israeli opposition to the release, and espe-cially to U.S. pressure on Israel to force that release, is growing.

According to Israel Hayom, Times of Israel and Ynet News, among the 104 Palestinian terrorists scheduled to be re-leased are Issa Abed Rabo, convicted of the murder of Revital Seri and Ron Levy near the Cremisan Valley in October 1984; Mohamed Dawd from Kalkilya, who threw a Molotov cocktail at a car in 1987, kill-ing Ofra and Tal Moses; Jumaa Adem and Mahmoud Kharbish, who hurled a firebomb at a bus in the Jordan Valley in 1988 in an attack that left five dead, including Rachel Weiss and her three children, as well as a soldier, David Dolorosa, who tried to save the four; Jamal Muhsan from Jenin, who stabbed Shlomo Yehia, 76, in Kadima in 1991; Mahmoud Moamed, who murdered Israel Prize Laureate Menahem Stern in the Valley of the Cross in 1989; and Mahmoud

Little by little, we’re changing thingswhere members will learn how to run their own chapters and inspire others. If you have any questions about Scranton BBYO and what we’re up to, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].

For more information on our BBYO Liberty region, contact Jeff Koch, senior regional director, at [email protected].

Ellie SullumaBoUT BByo

BBYO is considered to be “the lead-ing pluralistic Jewish teen movement in America.” It aspires to involve more Jewish teenagers in more meaningful Jewish experiences.

For 90 years, BBYO’s leadership pro-grams – Aleph Zadik Aleph, a high school fraternity, and B’nai B’rith Girls, a high school sorority – have provided leadership programs and identity enrichment experi-ences to more than 400,000 people. Mem-

bers of BBYO’s alumni are considered to be among the most prominent figures today in business, politics, academia, the arts and Jewish communal life. BBYO’s network of Jewish teenagers, alumni, parents, volun-teers and philanthropists serves as the Jewish community’s “most valuable platform for delivering meaningful, affordable and fun experiences to the post bar and bat mitzvah audience.” With year-round activities and worldwide travel experiences in hundreds of local communities, BBYO enables teenag-ers to explore areas of leadership, service, civic engagement, Israel education and Jewish values.

BBYO has noted that the organization should not be referred to as the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, but rather by its acro-nym, BBYO.

For more information on BBYO, visit www.bbyo.org.

The 22 children and staff from BBYO’s Impact Pittsburgh program posed for a group photo.

when fantasies becomes policiesIssa, who led the terror cell that kidnapped and murdered Border Guard officer Nissim Toledano in June 1993.

Israeli Arab citizens who are to be part of the prisoner release include Agbariya Hassan Mohammed, Agbariya Mustafa

Mohammed Yehieh, Jabarin Mohammed Tawfik Suliman Yosef and Agbariya Hassan Mahmoud Ibrahim – members of Palestin-ian Islamic Jihad who infiltrated an army base in 1992, murdering three soldiers; Fatah members Younis Abdel Latif Abdel Kader Maher and Younis Younis Fadel Fadel Karim, who kidnapped Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg and murdered him; Al-Khatib Abdallah Kaid Bashir, a member of Fatah Force 17 who murdered Israeli civil-ian Chaim Hai Haktouk; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine members Abu Moch Ibrahim, Biadsa Abdel Razak Ahmed Ibrahim, Dakah Nimer Assad Walid and Abu Moch Hamdoun Mohammed Rushdi, who kidnapped and executed Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam; Daagna Nofel Mohammed Mahmoud, of the PFLP, who initiated and planned the murder of Israeli civilian Sarah Sharon; and Hamas member Baroud Ahmed Mohamed Fares, who stabbed an Israeli civilian to death.

There is no doubt that the pending release of Palestinian terrorists with Israeli blood on their hands constitutes a capitulation to American pressure. Netanyahu claims to have had little choice given the strategic and security-related considerations presented to him – the most important of which, according to rumor, seem related to U.S. undertakings to support an Israeli air strike against Iran’s nuclear reactors – a promise of questionable value given that the Obama administration continues to pass on Iran’s nuclear “red lines” and sees Iran’s new

president, Hasan Rouhani, as a “moderate” – the same man who two days before he officially took office described Israel as a “wound on the body of the Islamic world that must be removed.”

But realistically, how can anyone compel the release of convicted terrorists in return for the start of negotiations that are certain to fail? Is Secretary of State John Kerry so fanatically committed to the “peace process” that he is oblivious to the Middle East reali-ties unfolding before his eyes?

What is being done to restore Israeli confidence that has been trampled both by the Second Intifada and by thousands of missiles that fell on Israel after it withdrew from Gaza in 2005?

What is being done to stop Palestinians’ incitement to hatred and martyrdom ema-nating from their mosques, their media and their educational system?

What is being done to counter Palestinian efforts to demonize and delegitimize Israel at the U.N. and in international courts; in their naming of kindergartens, schools, summer camps, streets, squares, community centers and sporting events after terrorists; in their using maps of Israel’s internation-ally recognized borders, plus Gaza and the West Bank – all emblazoned with the Arabic letters for “Palestine”; in their mur-derous violence directed toward religious minorities – especially Christians; in their desecration of Jewish holy sites like the Cave of the Patriarchs; and in their continu-ing anti-Israel and antisemitic programs, songs and “music videos” as documented by Palestine Media Watch and the Middle East Media Research Institute?

Why must Israel, the only true de-mocracy in the Middle East, place itself in peril for U.S. fantasies that have no chance of success?

Would America ever do what it is forc-ing Israel to do? Would the U.S. ever think of releasing any of those convicted and currently serving long jail sentences for involvement in the 9/11 attacks or any other terrorist assault on the United States and its citizens? How can we, as Americans, mor-

ally justify demanding that Israel do what we ourselves would never do?

So what exactly does the U.S. administra-tion hope to achieve in return for forcing this release? After all, the maximum Netanyahu can offer is far less than Palestinian Author-ity President Mahmoud Abbas will accept. The U.S. administration is more than aware that Palestinian parades in Judea, Samaria and Gaza will be held in honor of these murderers, flowers will be thrown at the bus carrying them home, poems will be written about their “glorious” exploits, horns will honk, cars will trail streamers behind them, and a “national day of celebration” will be held. Given all this, it should be abundantly clear to the U.S. that the Palestinians cannot be trusted if they revere terrorists as heroes because they have murdered Israelis. Peace is not possible with a society that sanctifies death and that fact alone symbolizes the unbridgeable gap that separates Israel from its enemies.

The U.S. cannot seem to understand that Abbas has no intention of preparing his people for peace with Israel and nothing that happens in Washington can or will change that. As Walter Russell Mead wrote recently in American Interest, “Signing a deal with the P.A. will not stop rockets coming from Gaza; will not stop Palestinian exiles from continuing a campaign of de-legitimization against Israel; will not stop foreign powers like Iran supporting rejectionist factions of the Palestinians with weapons, money and diplomatic cover; and will not end Hezbollah’s terror campaign against Israelis and Jews worldwide. Given all that, it is hard for many Israelis to see enough benefit to justify serious territorial concessions for a Potemkin peace.”

The idea of releasing prisoners in the hope that the Palestinians will be more merciful in their propaganda attacks will only result in an increase in those attacks. For more than 20 years, Israeli governments have been freeing prisoners, providing jobs and allowing the flow of goods and donations as goodwill gestures and confidence-building

See “Fantasies” on page 4

3 AUGUST 15, 2013 ■ THE REPORTER

Visit the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania on the web at www.jewishnepa.org or on FacebookÊ

cOMMUNITy NeWS

DEADLINE

DEADLINESThe following are deadlines for all articles and photos

for upcoming Reporter issues.ISSUE

Thursday, August 15 .........................August 29Tuesday, August 27, early .......... September 12Tuesday, September 10, early ..... September 26Tuesday, September 24, early ..........October 10

By JUDy HaMerBluegrass music was performed

by the Mail Pouch Express Band to a crowd on July 21 at the Jewish Fellowship of Hemlock Farms. The group harmonized together and told stories throughout the concert. The band members included founding member Dave Stever, on fiddle and mandolin; Larry Peters, on guitar; Jim Schaffer, on bass; and Dan Marcus, on banjo, who is also the president of the JFHF Men’s Club. Many community members were not aware of Marcus’ abilities as a banjo player.

Peters presented a brief history of bluegrass music, which was inspired by the music of Appala-chia. It has mixed roots in Scottish,

The Jewish Fellowship of Hemlock Farms will host a “Pizza in the Hut” dinner to celebrate the holiday of Suk-kot on Friday, September 20, at 6:30 pm. The meal will be followed by an Intergenerational Sukkot and Shabbat

By Lee eMerSon The Hester Street Troupe played a return engagement

at Congregation B’nai Harim on July 21. As part of the annual concert series, Congregation B’nai Harim holds a concert every summer. This summer, the Hester Street Troupe returned after performing several years ago. The group plays klezmer music, with the clarinet, drums and other instruments blending to make music called “both upbeat and soul searching.”

Other upcoming B’nai Harim activities include Lox Academy, an adult education program, on Sunday, August 18. Led by historian Bruce Tucker, the story of “Aliyah Bet and the Jewish Secret Fleet” will be presented. “Using

Intergenerational Sukkot supper and services at the JFHFservice, which will consist of prayers and Hebrew and English songs and stories appropriate for adults and chil-dren of all ages.

The event will be open to everyone and there will be

no charge, but reservations will be required. To make reservations or for any questions, call the Fellowship of-fice at 775 7497 or e-mail Ellen Raffman at [email protected].

Congregation B’nai Harim holds concert, plans eventsformer Canadian warships for a makeshift rescue from the European Holocaust, the volunteers braved the storms of the Atlantic Ocean to sneak past the British Navy during the British Mandate and bring refugees to what became Israel,” said program organizers.

The congregation is planning a High Holiday season, with a free family service for Rosh Hashanah on Friday, September 6. The program will be an opportunity for participants to learn about the meaning of the prayers and customs. To register, call 646-0100. Those interested will be called with times and directions.

For more information, visit site www.bnaiharimpoconos.org.

The Hester Street Troupe played a return engagement at Congregation B’nai Harim on July 21.

Mail pouch express at the Jewish Fellowship of Hemlock Farms

L-r: Dave Stever, Jim Schaffer, Larry Peters and Dan Marcus sang “Cumberland River.”

The Mail Pouch Express Band played “Same Old Day” as the crowd clapped and stomped their feet. L-r: Dave Stever, on mandolin; Larry Peters, on guitar; Jim Schaffer, on bass; and Dan Marcus, on banjo.

The Jewish Fellowship of Hemlock Farms enjoyed an ice cream social after the performance of the Mail Pouch Express Band. L-r: Ice cream servers Ellen Raffman, Barbara Sirotkin, Phil Lipsky and Heather Greenfield.

Dan Marcus gave an instrumental interpretation of “Santa Claus” on the banjo.

Welsh, Irish and English traditional music. In bluegrass, one or more instruments each take turns playing the melody and improvising around it, while the other instruments per-form accompaniment.

The Mail Pouch Express began in the early 1980s in a pub in Sch-necksville, a little town eight miles north of Allentown. The band reached what they consider “the height of their success” when they performed at the Lincoln Center Out of Doors for a sum-mer concert series. The current band consists of some original members as well as some newcomers.

The band received a standing ova-tion at the end of the concert. After the performance, the audience enjoyed an ice cream social.

no m

atter h

ow

You lo

ok a

t it

...Your a

d s

hould

be h

ere!

For in

form

ation

,p

lease con

tact Bo

nn

ie Ro

zenat 1-800-779-7896, ext. 244 o

r b

on

nie@

therep

ortergro

up

.org


efforts, with an organization that, to this day, has not bothered, even for the sake of keeping up appearances, to change its Charter, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist. There is no Palestinian leader today who would be willing to sign a peace deal with Israel unless it includes Jerusalem and guarantees a complete right of return of millions of Palestinian “refugees” to Israel proper, something which no Israeli government would ever accept.

Moreover, the Palestinians have not de-clared any willingness to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, nor are they prepared to recognize the legitimacy of any such state – no matter where its borders are drawn. With P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas sitting right next to him as he spoke recently, the P.A.’s Religious Affairs Minister Mah-moud el-Habash compared the decision of the P.A. leadership to negotiate with Israel to the agreement of the Prophet Muhammad on a 10-year truce with his Jewish rivals in the Quraish tribe of Mecca, known as the Treaty of Hudaibiya, reached in the year 628 CE. The significance of the treaty is that Mohammad reneged on the promise and used the respite to build up his forces and conquer the Quraish.

Habash’s sermon mirrored the incendiary historical comparison made by deceased P.A. President Yasser Arafat in a Johan-nesburg speech he delivered on May 10, 1994, when he compared the Oslo Accords to Hudaibiya.

Fast forward to 2010, when a poll spon-sored by The Israeli Project found most Palestinians refuse to accept the idea of Israel as a Jewish state and, while some accept the concept of two states, they regard it as a first step toward one state ruled by Palestinians.

That is, there is absolutely no basis for the belief that yielding the territory gained by Israel in the Six-Day War will pacify its Arab neighbors. The Palestinians do not want peace with Israel. They have never wanted peace with Israel and there will be no peace with Israel, despite the charade in Washington, because they will accept noth-ing less than the complete annihilation of Israel and the removal of every Jew from what they regard as their land, notwithstand-ing any agreement signed. The Palestinian

definition of ending the conflict is simple: They win.

Nevertheless, knowing in advance that this will be a costly lesson in futility, Ne-tanyahu agreed to negotiate with the P.A. because Israel remains a besieged country and dependent on American support. As a result, Israel will be told to make further concessions while getting nothing in return from the Palestinians except more hollow promises, another worthless agreement, more terror and new threats of war.

The U.S. would never place itself in such peril, although it does not seem to have any qualms in forcing Israel to do so as a means of promoting its so-called “peace process.” Instead of applauding Kerry’s success in forcing Netanyahu to take this step, this administration should be ashamed, given that this release is being forced upon Israel by an American ally to further a process that even P.A. officials admit is nothing more than a ruse, rather than a genuine pursuit of peace.

That makes it doubly disgraceful, and suggests that the true motive behind this latest U.S. “peace effort” is to shore up this administration’s failed policies in Egypt, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Lebanon, Tunisia and Yemen... at Israel’s expense.

The Palestinians now know that they need not kidnap Israeli soldiers to obtain the release of future Palestinian terrorists by the “Zionist entity.” The U.S. will do it for them. What the Israelis should tell Kerry and the Palestinians is that there will be no release until there is an agreement satisfac-tory to Israel – an agreement that includes an IDF presence in any future Palestinian state (however territorially defined) to ensure that it is truly demilitarized, an end to Palestinian anti-Israel and antisemitic incitement (the details of which are set out above), and unequivocal and universal Arab recognition of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.

But don’t wait for it. It’s not going to happen any time soon.

Mark Silverberg’s articles have been archived at the Ariel University Policy Research Center, www.acpr.org.il. An expanded version of this editorial appears online.

Fantasies Continued from page 2

By CHaIM DavIDSonAccording to organizers of the Jewish

Discovery Center, a sold-out crowd of 350 attended the Jewish Food Festival, which helped raise funds and awareness of the JDC’s educational programs.

Rabbi Benny Rapoport, co-director of the JDC, was reportedly “thrilled” at the turnout. “It’s truly amazing to see so many people together in one room... the celebration has grown from year to year,” he said. “Seeing the crowd, feeling the energy and excitement, the people of all ages and from all backgrounds, this re-ally gives me hope and inspiration for the future of the Jewish community.”

Joseph Peters, the cultural center’s execu-tive director, said he was “delighted” to have the center host the festival. “It’s called the cultural center, and an event like this really puts the emphasis on culture.”

The Jewish Food Festival featured both traditional and new foods, such as deli selections of potato and kasha knishes, and corned beef on pumpernickel or rye; middle-eastern food, such as humus, falafel and salads; and more, including dishes such as Peggy’s pulled chicken, spicy buffalo wings and grilled Moroccan beef. Attendees also enjoyed various appetizers, including grilled pineapple with basil and watermelon, cucumber with chopped liver pate, as well as mini Chinese eggrolls with plum sauce.

The feature performance was the 8th Day Band from Los Angeles, CA, which has been called “the most original Jewish band.” Instead of klezmer or Israeli folk, their music consisted of original songs in the style of modern pop and rock that featured traditional Jewish values and ideals. “Their performance proved that the message can come via many routes,” said organizers of the festival.

Gail Scaramuzzo, of Scranton, who

Hundreds enjoyed “great food and great music” at Jewish Food Festival

attended with her husband, Art, said, “The food was spectacular, the band was top shelf and the company was, of course, the best in the world! We had a great time!”

Eric Goldberg of Waverly, said, “Ev-eryone had an amazing time. I’ve always enjoyed 8th Day but I was blown away by their live performance!”

Rapoport said that the surge in this year’s event was not only in the atten-dance and the show. “We were delighted to welcome many new sponsors that have helped make the event a financial suc-cess,” he said.

Corporate sponsors of the event included Penn Security Bank, Cartridge World, ERA One Source Realty, Geico Local Office, PNC Bank, Nivert Metal, Allied Services, Arley Wholesale, Riggs Asset Management, Jerry’s Comfort Flooring, Comprehensive Pain Management Special-ists, David Elliot Poultry Farm, Geisinger-CMC, The UPS Store and Eric Goldberg Pediatric Dentistry.

Rocco Riccardo, from Riccardo’s Market and Kosher Deli, served knishes, corned beef and pasta salad.

See “Food” on page 5

The 8th Day Band performed at the Jewish Food Festival.

Are you on the Jewish Federation’s email list?We send updated announcements and special

event details weekly to those who wish to receive them.

Send Dassy Ganz an email if you would like to join the list.

[email protected]

Jewish Federation of NEPA

Facebook ® is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc

Effective immediately, send

all articles and ads to our new E-mail address,

[email protected].

pleasenote!

Effective immediately,please send all articles & ads to

our new E-mail address, [email protected].

Planning on leaving town for a few months? Going on a long vacation? Moving any time soon?

You can help save the Jewish Federation money by informing us of your plans and preventing the U.S. Postal Service from charging us for returned

mail and address change notices.

Before you go, call the Federation office or send us an email and let us know if you would like the mail sent temporarily to a different address, at no charge to you, or halted for a certain number of months. Give us a chance to get it

right for you on the first mailing.

Contact Dassy at (570)961-2300 or [email protected]



Participants of all ages attended the musical performance of the 8th Day Band.

Food sponsors included Riccardo’s Ko-sher Deli, Peggy’s Wing Sauce, Wegmans Supermarket and Posh Restaurant at the Scranton Club, which prepared kosher food for the event.

Media sponsors included The Scranton Times, Lamar Advertising, Bold Gold Media

Food Continued from page 4and the David Medeira Show.

The Jewish Discovery Center thanked all of the sponsors and volun-teers for helping to make the event “a great success.”

To view the complete photo gallery, visit www.jewishnepa.com.

L-r: Jewish Food Festival attendees Ed and Phyllis Brandes and Mel and Marylin Wolk.

More than 350 attendees filled the Scranton Cultural Center’s grand ballroom to capacity.

L-r: David Malinov, Paul and Harriet Weinstock and Ellen Raffman, of Hemlock Farms, attended the Jewish Food Festival.


that are asked by moderators during the actual event.One of the first Juice talks brought dozens of young

Jews last November to a talk with three rabbis, including the chief rabbi of Ukraine, Yaakov Bleich. The goal, ac-cording to Juice co-organizer Inna Yampolskaya, was to build bridges between young Jewish professionals and the establishment from which many feel estranged. Those in attendance proceeded to grill the rabbis with questions, asking why synagogue seats are sold and why philan-thropists fund projects in Israel when there are so many unaddressed challenges at home. Some questions were submitted anonymously online because participants felt uncomfortable posing them publicly.

“It was a unique experience because it was the first time participants could ask a rabbi anything they wanted,” said Inna Yampolskaya, one of Juice’s volunteer organiz-ers. “Transparency is new in Ukraine, where everything including Jewish life used to work top to bottom, not the other way around.”

The New York-born Bleich addressed the questions that were put to him. But in an interview with JTA, he stressed that the message is less significant than the medium. In a society only recently liberated from the strictures of Com-munist rule, the discussion helped to erode longstanding cultural taboos on challenging authority and connect oth-erwise unaffiliated Jews to Jewish life.

Others turn to Jewishnet for functions more typical of social network users the world over. Liliya Vendrova, an employee of the Joint Distribution Committee’s Kiev office, uses the site to find news and make contacts for events she organizes. Ira Philatova, a high-tech professional in her 20s, connects with childhood pals. “It was a pleasant surprise to see old friends on the platform, people I found after years of not speaking to them,” Philatova said.

The site also has enabled Russian-speaking Jews who live abroad to keep abreast of developments at home. But it also functions in reverse, permitting users to connect with wider developments in the Jewish world. “Many people their age are not interested in participating in organized Jewish life and they are reaching out to those people,” Bleich said. “One of the reasons that this is succeeding is the authenticity.”

website Continued from page 1

Jewish newcomers bring optimism, but can they revive small towns in the South?

Upper Cumberland Jewish Community President Nort Goldman, left, Rabbi Marshal Klaven and Becky Ackerman led a Simchat Torah service in Crossville, TN, in October 2010. (Photo courtesy of Institute of Southern Jewish Life)

The May wedding of Doug Friedlander and Anna Skorupa was the first Jewish nuptials in Helena, AR, since 1989. (Photo courtesy of Doug Friedlander)

By JoSH LIpowSKy(JTA) – Standing beneath the chuppah during his wed-

ding in May, Doug Friedlander said he felt a “magical moment,” and it wasn’t just because of his blushing bride. Theirs was the first Jewish wedding in Helena, AR, in more than 20 years.

An ailing Mississippi River town of 12,000, Helena once was home to a Jewish community of 150 families.

Today, fewer than a dozen Jews remain, most of them 85 or older.

By 2006, the community could no longer support a synagogue, and Temple Beth El was turned over to the state, which remade it as a community center. Friedlander rented the facility for his wedding, which still has a Star of David on the glass dome above the former sanctuary and Hebrew passages inscribed in the doorways.

“I had a feeling it was the end of young people getting married here,” said Mary Lou Kahn, whose daughter, Caroline, was the last person to be married in the syna-gogue, in 1989. “It was great that the attendance was so large that many people could see what became of our beautiful temple.”

Helena’s story is a familiar one in the South, where many once-thriving, small-town Jewish communities have all but disappeared, their young people drawn away to better opportunities in bigger cities.

But Friedlander’s recent wedding — indeed, his very presence — is among a number of signs of new Jewish life in the South, which, while perhaps not enough to reverse long-term demographic trends, has injected a dose of opti-mism into towns accustomed to a narrative of decline.

“We understand one family can truly make a differ-ence for the world and certainly for these small towns,” said Rabbi Marshal Klaven, director of rabbinic services at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, which provides

resources to small Jewish communities in the region. “If they participate in some sort of communal Jewish existence, then Judaism is still alive.”

In 2010, Klaven was asked to lead a holiday service by members of the Upper Cumberland Jewish Community, a small chavurah of fewer than 20 people in Crossville, TN, a city of about 11,000 people east of Nashville. When Klaven showed up, he was surprised to find 70 people there.

The community now holds Friday night services every other week for about 20 people; up to 75 may show up for holidays services, according to Nort Goodman, the com-munity president. An interfaith Passover seder earlier this year drew about 150.

“We don’t have a real synagogue and we don’t have a rabbi,” Goodman said. “There are probably more Jews than we know of. But for the ones who do it, it’s a way to cling to their faith and socialize with other Jews.”

In Dothan, AL, a program that provides $50,000 grants to young families or retirees willing to stay for three years has attracted six takers since 2008. The program, which drew national headlines when it was first launched, has helped reverse the fortunes of Temple Emanu-El, which by 2008 was down to 50 families from 110 in the 1970s.

“We’ve been able to really help reinvigorate the Jewish community here in Dothan,” said Robert Goldsmith, the temple’s membership chairman.

See “South” on page 12

JFS VEHICLE DONATION PROGRAM

To Donate, Call Today Toll Free: 1-877-537-4227

Visit Us on the Web at:

www.jfsoflackawanna.org

Support JFS with a donation of your car, truck, RV, boat or motorcycle

• Fast, Free Pick-up and Towing • Receive a Tax Deduction for your Donation • All Vehicles Accepted Running or Not!




THE REPORTER ■ augusT 15, 201310 D’vAR TORAH

By raBBI STeven naTHan, JewISH FeLLowSHIp oF HeMLoCK FarMS, THe SynagogUe oF pIKe CoUnTy

Ki Tetze, Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19This week’s parasha, Ki Tetze (Deuteronomy 21:10-

25:19), contains the greatest number of mitzvot/command-ments of any Torah portion. The 72 mitzvot found in the parasha focus on such issues as the treatment of captives, defiant children, lost animals, suspected adulterers and the poor. This amalgam of mitzvot may seem random at times, and yet there is a guiding principle that reminds us not to be indifferent to other people and the world around us.

One of the mitzvot found in the parasha is that we must return lost property, no matter what it may be or how long ago we may have discovered it. There is a Chasidic tale that relates to this mitzvah. In the story, there was a man who came to the great Rabbi Aaron of Chernobyl to tell him of a terrible recurring nightmare he was having. The man had found a wallet containing a fortune. When he could not find the owner in the crowd he kept the money, and with it became even wealthier than he could have imagined. In his nightmare, the man to whom the money had originally belonged became destitute and had to beg in the streets. He died leaving his wife and children in poverty so that his children could not even afford an education.

The rabbi instructed the man to find the one who had originally owned the money and give him half of the wealth he had accumulated. Once he did so, the man’s nightmares ceased.

There exists another parable that teaches about this mitzvah in a more indirect manner. In this talmudic story (Ta’anit 25a), men carrying two measures of barley visited Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair. They deposited the barley with him and seem to forget about it. Seven years later, the men returned to find that Rabbi Pinchas had sowed the barley and reaped great harvests. When he saw them, Rabbi Pin-chas told them, without hesitation, to take everything from “your storehouses filled with grain.” The original grain had belonged to them, and so did all that was subsequently produced from that grain.

In the first story, the man unable to abide by the fact that he had profited from the loss of another, was instructed not to return his entire fortune, but instead to share the wealth

Caring for others as we care for ourselveswith the man to whom the money had originally belonged. In the second story, Rabbi Pinchas didn’t simply share the wealth, but he handed all of the remaining grain back to the original owners.

Both stories operate based an underlying assumption that there is someone who is the “rightful” owner and someone else who is simply a “proxy” or “temporary” owner who must eventually relinquish the original property as well as all or part of what had accumulated. Both stories remind us that we must care for others as well as for ourselves. We have no right to profit from the misfortune, negligence or forgetfulness of others. Nor can we profit completely from that which is not completely ours. They also remind us that following these teachings is part of creating a caring society, just as much as the laws that protect the widow, the orphan, the poor and the stranger that we also find in this week’s parasha.

However, I believe that there is another underlying as-sumption within these parables, for both seem to be based on the belief that the property is owned by anyone at all. Yet, in Psalm 24, we read “the world belongs to God in all its fullness, the earth and all who dwell on it...” In other words, everything on this earth belongs to God. Nothing is truly owned by any human being. An extension of this can also be found in the central teachings of mindfulness practice that nothing truly belongs to anyone and that nothing in life is permanent. Everything is temporary and ephemeral. We must rejoice in the moment, because that is all we have. We must rejoice in what we have now because we do not know if it will be “ours” the next moment, if indeed it ever was “ours.”

We spend so much of our lives focusing on acquiring things, whether money, property, books, music, etc., that we often forget to enjoy what and who is in front of us at any given moment. In both of the stories above, there was an assumption that something belonged to someone and therefore needed to be returned. Yet, there was also an assumption that nothing truly belonged to anyone, or else neither of the “finders” would have dared to profit at all, or to keep or return any of what they had amassed.

In writing this, I couldn’t help but think of the survivors of personal or communal tragedies, for their losses truly

See “Caring” on page 12

Dear Friend of The Reporter,

Each year at this time the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania calls upon members of our community to assist in de-fraying the expense of issuing our regional Jewish newspaper, The Reporter.

The newspaper is delivered twice of month (except for December and July which are single issue months) to each and every identifiable Jewish home in North-eastern Pennsylvania.

As the primary Jewish newspaper of our region, we have tried to produce a quality publication for you that offers our reader-ship something on everything-from opinions and columns on controversial issues that affect our people and our times, to publicity for the events of our affiliated agencies and orga-nizations to life cycle events, teen columns, personality profiles, letters to the editor, the Jewish community calendar and other

columns that cover everything from food to entertainment.

The Federation assumes the financial respon-sibility for funding the enterprise at a cost of $26,400 per year and asks only that we

undertake a small letter writing mail campaign to our recipi-

ents in the hope of raising $10,000 from our reader-ship to alleviate a share of that responsibility.

We would be grateful if you would care enough to take the time to make a donation for our efforts in bringing The Reporter to

your door.

As always, your comments, opin-ions and suggestions are always

welcome.

With best wishes,Mark Silverberg, Executive Director

Jewish Federation of NE Pennsylvania601 Jefferson Avenue

Scranton, PA 18510

Friends of The Reporter

I WILL SUPPORT CONTINUATION OF OUR EXPANDED FEDERATION REPORTER BY CONTRIBUTING

$36 $54 $100 OTHER AMT $

Name (s) (as you wish to appear on our list of “FRIENDS”)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone:_________________________________________________________________________________________

__Check here if you prefer your name not to be published

Please write and send tax deductible checks to Jewish Federation, 601 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510

ABINGTON TORAH CENTER Rabbi Dovid SaksPresident: Richard RuttaJewish Heritage Connection108 North Abington Rd., Clarks Summit, PA 18411570-346-1321 • Website: www.jewishheritageconnection.orgSunday morning services at 8:30 amCall for other scheduled services throughout the week.

BETH SHALOM CONGREGATIONRabbi Yisroel Brotsky1025 Vine St., Scranton, PA 18510, (corner of Vine & Clay Ave.)570-346-0502 • fax: 570-346-8800Weekday – Shacharit: Sun 8 am; Mon, Thurs. & Rosh Chodesh, 6:30 am; Tue, Wed & Fri, 6:45 am; Sat & Holidays, 8:45 am. Mincha during the week is approx. 10 minutes before sunset, followed by Maariv.

BICHOR CHOLEM CONGREGATION/ CHABAD OF THE ABINGTONSRabbi Benny RapoportPresident: Richard I. Schwartz216 Miller Road, Waverly, PA 18471570-587-3300 • Website: www.JewishNEPA.comSaturday morning Shabbat Service 9:30 am.Call or visit us online for our bi-weekly schedule

CHABAD LUBAVITCH OF THE POCONOSRabbi Mendel Bendet570-420-8655 • Website: www.chabadpoconos.comPlease contact us for schedules and locations. CONGREGATION BETH ISRAELAffiliation: Union for Reform JudaismRabbi Allan L. SmithPresident: Henry M. SkierContact Person: Ben Schnessel, Esq. (570) 222-3020615 Court Street, Honesdale, PA 18431570-253-2222 • fax: 570-226-1105

CONGREGATION B’NAI HARIMAffiliation: Union for Reform JudaismRabbi Peg KershenbaumPresident: Phyllis MillerP.O. Box 757 Sullivan Rd., Pocono Pines, PA 18350(located at RT 940 and Pocono Crest Rd at Sullivan Trail 570-646-0100 • Website: www.bnaiharimpoconos.org Shabbat Morning Services, 10 am – noon; every other Saturday Potluck Shabbat Dinner with blessings and program of varying topics, one Friday every month – call for schedule.

JEWISH FELLOWSHIP OFHEMLOCK FARMSRabbi Steve NathanPresident: Steve NattForest Drive 1516 Hemlock Farms, Lords Valley, PA 18428570-775-7497 • E-Mail: [email protected] evening Shabbat service 7:30 pm, Saturday morning Shabbat Service 9:30 am.

MACHZIKEH HADAS SYNAGOGUERabbi Mordechai FinePresident: Dr. Shaya Barax600 Monroe Ave., Scranton, PA 18510570-342-6271

OHEV ZEDEK CONGREGATIONRabbi Mordechai Fine1432 Mulberry St, Scranton, PA 18510Contact person: Michael Mellner - 570-343-3183

TEMPLE HESEDUnion of Reform JudaismRabbi Daniel J. SwartzPresident: Eric Weinberg 1 Knox Street, Scranton, PA 18505, (off Lake Scranton Rd.)570-344-7201Friday evening Shabbat, 8 pm;Saturday morning Shabbat, 11:15 am

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF DUNMOREPresident: Isadore Steckel515 East Drinker St., Dunmore, PA 18512Saturday morning Shabbat 7:30 am; also services for Yizkor

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF THE POCONOSAffiliation: United Synagogue of Conservative JudaismRabbi Baruch MelmanPresident: Dr. Sharon AlfonsiContact person: Art Glantz 570-424-7876711 Wallace St., Stroudsburg, PA, 18360(one block off Rte. 191 (5th Street) at Avenue A)570-421-8781 • Website: www.templeisraelofthepoconos.orgE-Mail: [email protected] evening Shabbat, 8pm; Saturday morning Shabbat, 9 am

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF SCRANTONAffiliation: United Synagogue of Conservative JudaismRabbi Moshe Saks918 East Gibson St., Scranton, PA, 18510(located at the corner of Gibson & Monroe Sts.)570-342-0350 Fax: 570-342-7250 • E-Mail: [email protected], 8 am; Mon & Thurs, 7:15 am; Tue, Wed & Fri, 7:25 am;Rosh Hodesh & Chagim weekdays, 7 am; Shabbat Morning Service, 8:45 am; evening services: Sun – Thurs, 5:45 pm; Friday Shabbat and Saturday Havdalah services, call for times.



PRePARING fOR THe HIGH HOlIDAyS

By MoLLIe KaTzenJNS.org

In the traditions of many Jewish holidays, there’s a poetic relationship between the festival’s culinary laws and that season’s foods. While the relationship linking Rosh Ha-shanah with apples and honey never grows old, the elegant and elusive pomegranate is less acknowledged, though it is tied to biblical literature and ancient agriculture.

Pomegranate seeds offer the kind of culinary beauty that cause us to slow down, take note and absorb the scared spirit of newness. That being said, they can be a pain to wrangle. Here are some strategies to help you conquer the pomegranate this Rosh Hashanah.THe eaSy (anD Un-MeSSy) MeTHoD For MInIng a poMegranaTe

Have ready a big bowl of water. Cut the fruit into quar-ters and submerge them. Peel them under water and keep them in there as you comb through with your fingers to loosen the seeds. The skins and inedible pith will float to the surface (skim this away thoroughly and discard) and the seeds will sink to the bottom. Strain, and you’ve got the goods.roaSTeD aCorn SqUaSH rIngS wITH poMegranaTe-LIMe gLaze

Simple and sweet, these golden circles topped with the contrasting tart glaze will round out your dinner plate. Be careful slicing the squash. Use a very sharp paring knife, inserting the point first and using a gently sawing motion. The easiest way to remove the seeds is to cut loose the strand around them with scissors, and then scrape them away with a spoon. You can make the glaze well ahead of time. It keeps indefinitely.

Olive oil for the baking tray2 medium-size acorn squash (about 3 lbs.) – skin on and

cut into ½-inch ringsPomegranate-Lime Glaze (recipe follows)Acorn squash directions:1. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat

the oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with foil and coat it lightly with olive oil. (You can use one of the squash rings to spread it around.) Arrange the squash slices on the prepared tray and place the tray in the oven.

2. After about 15 to 20 minutes (or when the squash is fork-tender and lightly browned on top and around the edges), remove the tray from the oven and spoon or brush the still-hot squash with a light coating of the glaze.

3. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, decorated with pomegranate seeds. Pass a little dish of extra glaze at the table.

Yield: 6 servings (about 3 pieces per serving)Pomegranate-Lime Glaze directions:¼ cup pomegranate molasses1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (possibly more to taste)1. Combine the pomegranate molasses and lime juice

in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Taste to adjust lime juice.

Author Mollie Katzen helps you conquer the pomegranate this Rosh Hashanah

2. Serve at room temperature, spooned over hot or room temperature food.

Yield: 1/3 cup (about 1 Tbsp. per serving). Good on all vegetables, grains, tofu, chicken, meat etc.CUrrIeD eggpLanT SLap-Down wITH yogUrT, onIon reLISH anD poMegranaTe

Adapted from “The Heart of the Plate.”Small eggplants, artfully prepared, can

be an elegant appetizer or a light lunch, in addition to a welcome side dish.

2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil or peanut oilUp to 1 tsp. unsalted butter (op-

tional)1 tsp. curry powderFour 4-ounce eggplants, trimmed

and halved lengthwise ½ tsp. salt (plus a big extra pinch)¼ cup Greek yogurtAnother scant tablespoon oil (hot, so

the seeds will sizzle on contact)1 tsp. cumin seeds¼ tsp. (big pinch) turmeric1 cup minced onionPomegranate seeds and/or pomegranate concentrate or

pomegranate molasses1. Place a medium (9-inch) skillet over medium heat

and wait about a minute, then add ½ tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Melt some butter into the oil, if desired, and sprinkle in the curry powder, which will sizzle upon contact.

2. Add the eggplant halves with their cut sides facing down into the oil, swishing them around (as though you’re wiping the pan with them) to both distribute and acquire the curry. Turn the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and cook undisturbed for about 8 minutes – until each eggplant half becomes tender. (Peek underneath a few times to be sure the cut surfaces are not becoming too dark. If they are, lower the heat and/or turn the eggplants over onto

their backs sooner than I am about to advise in step 3.) The eggplant is cooked when the stem end can easily be pierced with a fork.

3. Flip the eggplants onto their backs, sprinkle with a ¼ teaspoon salt and transfer to a plate. Spoon a little yogurt onto each open surface, spreading it to cover; set aside while you prepare the onion.

4. Keeping the same pan over medi-um high heat, add another ½ tablespoon oil, swirling to coat the pan. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds and turmeric (both should sizzle on contact), and mix them a little to pick up some of the flavor that may have adhered. Add the onion and a big pinch of salt, tossing to coat. Cook quickly over medium heat (about five minutes, or until tender-crisp), then remove the pan from the heat. Divide the onions evenly among the four halves, spooning them over the yogurt (and scraping and maximally including any remaining tasty bits from the pan).

5. Top with pomegranate seeds and/or a drizzle of pomegranate concentrate or pomegranate molasses. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servingsenDIve SaLaD

Adapted from “The Heart of the Plate.”Cook the wild rice ahead of time. You’ll need only ½ a

cup – it’s OK to use leftovers. If you can find both colors, it’s nice to use a combination of green and red Belgian endive in this salad.

4 Belgian endives (about a pound), chopped crosswise½ medium jicama (about ¾ pound, peeled and cut into

matchsticks or any shape bite-sized pieces)1 medium-sized red apple, sliced

Curried eggplant slap-down with yogurt, onion relish, and pomegranate, by chef Mollie Katzen. (Photo by Mollie Katzen)

See “Katzen” on page 13

Style C

May you be inscribedin the Book of Lifefor good health,

peace, and prosperity.

Your Name(s)

(August 29 issue) August 21 deadline

Your Name(s)

Style EHappy Rosh Hashanah

Style B

Your Name(s)

Style A

Style G

ROSH HASHANAH 5774

Checks should be made payableto The Reporter, 500 Clubhouse Rd., Vestal, NY 13850

We accept r Visa r Mastercard r American Express r Discover

Name ________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________

City _________________________________________________

State __________ Zip _________________ Phone ____________

Greeting Style _________________________________________

Message ______________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

How you would like it signed _____________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Print Name on Card ____________________________________

Card Number _________________________________________

Expiration Date ________________________________________

Address, City, State, Zip (Registered billing address of card) _________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

ROSH HASHANAH

Once again this year, The Reporter is inviting its readers and local organizations to extend New Year’s greetings to the community by purchasing a New Year’s greeting ad, which will appear in our August 29 issue. Rosh Hashanah begins this year on the evening of September 4th. You may choose from many different designs, messages & sizes. You may also choose your own message, as long as it fits into the space of the greeting you select. The price of a small ad is $18 (styles B & E), a larger one is $36 (styles A & C), and the largest one is $72 (not shown). To ensure that your greeting is published or for more information on additional styles, sizes & designs, please contact Bonnie Rozen at 1-800-779-7896, ext. 244 or [email protected]. Checks can be made payable to The Reporter and sent to: The Reporter, 500 Clubhouse Rd., Vestal, NY 13850.

Contact Bonnie at

1-800-779-7896,ext. 244

or bonnie@

thereportergroup.org

for information on

additional styles,

sizes and designs!


Jewish life in the South has been helped along by a trickle of young, college-educated newcomers drawn to the area by the small-town vibe and the opportunity to do the kind of meaningful work that’s much harder to find in a big city.

One of them is Matty Bengloff, who grew up in Man-hattan, came to the South six years ago, and now owns a frozen yogurt shop in Cleveland, MS, with his fiancée. He attends a monthly Shabbat service at the small city’s Temple Adath Israel led by Harry Danziger, a Reform rabbi from Memphis. The synagogue has only about 20 members left, but the monthly gatherings draw about a dozen non-Jews, intrigued by the service and eager to support their Jewish neighbors.

“It’s a little bit more laid back,” Bengloff said. “I defi-nitely enjoy everyone knowing each other here.”

The monthly services include Torah readings, a sermon and a potluck dinner. Danziger said the community’s com-mitment to Jewish life, including three bat mitzvahs in recent years, is cause for optimism in the South.

“It really flies in the face of a stereotype that Jews from the South are excluded or outsiders,” he said. “There’s a great sense that Jews are part of the community.”

It’s hard to imagine that even these bright spots can reverse the long decline of Jewish life in small towns in the South. Even in Helena, which has managed to continue holding prayer services in a private home after giving up the synagogue, it’s unlikely the arrival of a young newcomer is going to restore the community to

anything like what existed decades ago.“I’d like to get more young Jewish people here, but

there’s nothing for them to do,” said David Solomon, the 97-year-old patriarch of Helena’s Jewish community. “Until the economy grows, we’re not going to get the population back.”

Debra Kassoff is a Reform rabbi who traveled regularly to Helena as part of the Institute for Southern Jewish Life from 2003-06 and officiated at Friedlander’s wedding. She now works as a part-time rabbi at a Reform synagogue in Greenville, MI, a 133-year-old congregation with fewer than 50 members.

“When folks from my congregation start bemoaning there aren’t any Jews left, I’m amazed they’re still looking for people to join the congregation because I don’t think that’s terribly realistic,” Kassoff said. “I remind them what a great congregation they’re a part of. And there’s value in that – in the same way people who work with geriatric populations and individuals can find meaning, even though they’re working with people nearing the end.”

A New York native, Friedlander came to Helena in 2004 as a science teacher with Teach For America, the New York-based nonprofit that sends young graduates to teach in low-income communities across the country. Today, he heads the county’s chamber of commerce, where he is focused on bringing new business and opportunities to Helena, which he believes is ready for its Cinderella moment.

“For me,” Friedlander said, “it’s a place ready to be picked up, dusted off and taken to the ball.”

South Continued from page 6

put into perspective the need to appreciate what we have in the moment, for it may not be here the next.

These two stories bring to light an essential paradox in life with which we must struggle that I believe is also highlighted by the loss experienced by the victims and survivors of great tragedies. Given the nature of society as it has developed, we must realistically focus on “owner-ship,” and, yet, if we look at the grand scheme of things, we really don’t own anything. Those who choose to be-come monastic or practice a life of true simplicity give up everything except what they need to keep themselves warm and fed. Most people are not willing to do that, nor is that what I am proposing. For we are also commanded to rejoice in God’s world and everything in it.

However, we should never lose sight of the fact that everything is temporary, from a human perspective, while everything is eternal, from a Divine perspective. How to enjoy what we have and who is in our lives in this very moment, while knowing deep down that the next moment everything may change, is one of the significant and un-avoidable challenges of life. Acknowledging the truth that

everything is temporary can cause us to despair, if we let it. Yet, we are commanded to rejoice in all we have and everyone who is part of our lives at this very moment. Therefore, we must participate in life and in bettering God’s world with all our heart, all our soul and all our might, so that we can experience that joy.

May we experience this Shabbat and every day as the series of moments in time, which they are. May we be mindful of and experience all the joy that each moment has to offer. May we remember to be grateful for everything and everyone with whom we share each particular moment. And may we do so acknowledging that nothing and no one can ever truly belong to us, nor can anything or anyone be permanent and eternal.

Still, knowing this, and knowing that each moment will end, and a new one begin, we must praise, give thanks and rejoice for what we have. In that way we can honor God, humanity and the universe, and we can also honor the memory of everyone we have lost and all that we once thought belonged to us, even though we realize now that it never did.

Caring Continued from page 10

Israeli jeweler Michal negrin opens flagship store in SoHo

Israeli jeweler Michal Negrin at the opening of her company’s new store in Paramus, NJ, on June 21. (Photo courtesy of Michal Negrin)

Inside the new Michal Negrin store at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ. The store opened on June 21. (Photo by Michal Negrin)

By MaxIne DovereJNS.org

Iconic Israeli costume jeweler Michal Negrin, who for more than 25 years has been bringing romantic and vintage-inspired designs to the global fashion scene, is expanding her brand to a new level in the U.S. this summer. Negrin plans to open more than two dozen U.S. boutique locations over the next few years. June 21 marked the opening of a location at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ, and Negrin’s New York City flagship shop, in the fashion-focused SoHo area, launches on August 15.

Asked what has inspired her designs, Negrin – a native of Kibbutz Na’an, a large manufacturing-focused kibbutz about 20 minutes away from Tel Aviv – said she was en-couraged by her mother to “create her own world.”

“The Victorian design [of my jewelry] comes from many inspirations, especially childhood memories that are a part of my roots,” Negrin said in an interview with JNS.org. Negrin said she “always wanted to think differently.

“I preferred to stay at home, do the things I loved and follow my own directions,” she said.

In 1988, with the encouragement of her husband Meir, Negrin launched her first official jewelry collection. Negrin’s first retail store, on Shenkin Street in Tel Aviv, was designed as a reflection of her childhood home, using that home’s fur-nishings, clothing, pictures and flowers to create a complete, recognizable package. The design of the first piece she sold was based on her Russian grandmother’s jewelry.

Negrin began designing jewelry as a child. Her first marketing was at street stands, as she sold her wearable art pieces one by one. Her personal life and her business career were changed forever when she met and married Meir, who took his wife’s designs from street sales to a larger commercial scale. About 15 years ago, amid the growing success of the Tel Aviv store, Michal and Meir opened their factory in Bat Yam.

Now Negrin is at the forefront of a dramatic change in the Israeli jewelry industry. In 30 years, a once male-dominated industry that was widely known as a world-class center of diamond cutting has become the domain of female designers. In addition to the pioneering work of Negrin, Aya Azrielant has been creating Mediterranean Sea-themed pieces and has gained retail placements in such stores as Saks Fifth Avenue.

“I consider it very good that women have taken the lead in the industry and can express their creativity,” Negrin

See “Jeweler” on page 14

In an effort to make room for new titles, the Jewish Federation has “like new” DVD’s on sale.

Please contact Dassy at 570-961-2300 (x2) or Rae (x4) to make a purchase.

The following are available for $5 each:

A Film Unfinished A Woman Called Golda Angel Levine, The Broken Silence Budapest to Gettysburg Couple, The I Have Never Forgotten You In Darkness Nora’s Will Rashevski’s Tango Sarah’s Key Ushpizin

Just added to theJewish Federation’s

Film Lending Library!Non- Feature Films Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy Orchestra of Exiles The Flat

Feature Films Avalon The Other Son The World of Sholom Aleichem

Notice to our Pocono ReadersNotice to our Pocono Readers911 Emergency Management Services has been updating mailing addresses in Monroe County and Lehman Townships in Pike County. Please don't forget to notify the Federation so you

will continue to receive The Reporter.Thanks,

Mark Silverberg, Executive DirectorJewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania

In an effort to make room for new titles, the Jewish Federation has “like new” DVD’s on sale.

Please contact Dassy at 570-961-2300 (x2) or Rae (x4) to make a purchase.

The following are available for $5 each:

A Film Unfinished A Woman Called Golda Angel Levine, The Broken Silence Budapest to Gettysburg Couple, The I Have Never Forgotten You In Darkness Nora’s Will Rashevski’s Tango Sarah’s Key Ushpizin

Just added to theJewish Federation’s

Film Lending Library!Non- Feature Films Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy Orchestra of Exiles The Flat

Feature Films Avalon The Other Son The World of Sholom Aleichem



Seeds from a medium-sized pomegranate½ cup cooked wild riceBlue Cheese-Yogurt Dressing (recipe follows), as

needed Black pepper½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, lightly toasted1. Toss the vegetables, fruit and rice together in a me-

dium-large bowl. 2. Keep tossing as you add the dressing (stirred from the

bottom, to reincorporate, and also to include all the tasty bleu cheese bits) until everything is coated as you like it. You might or might not end up using all the dressing.

3. Grind in some black pepper toward the end of the tossing and serve topped with pecans.

Yield: 4 to 5 servingsBlue Cheese-Yogurt Dressing ¼ cup plain yogurt (low- or non-fat, or whole milk)1 heaping Tbsp. finely minced shallot¼ tsp. salt2 Tbsp. apple juice1 tsp. cider vinegar1 tsp. pure maple syrup3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil2 Tbsp. crumbled blue cheese (possibly more, to

taste)Black pepper1. Combine the yogurt shallot, salt, apple juice, vinegar

and maple syrup in a small jar with a tight fitting lid, or in a medium-small bowl. Whisk until thoroughly blended.

2. Keep whisking as you drizzle in the olive oil.3. Stir in the bleu cheese, then taste the dressing. Add

more cheese, if you like.4. Cover tightly, and refrigerate until use. Shake or stir

from the bottom before using.Yield: ¾ cupMollie Katzen has sold more than six million books and

is listed by The New York Times as one of the best-selling cookbook authors of all-time. She has been named by Health Magazine as one of “The Five Women Who Changed the Way We Eat.” Her new book, “The Heart of the Plate: Vegetarian Recipes for a New Generation,” is being published in September by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Katzen Continued from page 11

Holocaust resistance of white rose group remembered 70 years later

At left: A monument t o H a n s a n d Sophie Scholl and the Holocaus t resistance group White Rose at the University of Munich in Bavaria, Germany. (Photo by Gry f f indor v ia Wikimedia Commons)

Professor Kurt Huber of the Holocaust resistance group White Rose. (Photo courtesy German Federal Archives)

By roBerT gLUCKJNS.org

Among the various events in Holocaust history mark-ing their 70th anniversary this year – including the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, the Nazis’ failed assault on Stalingrad and a Washington, DC, march by 400 rabbis who urged President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to rescue Europe’s Jews – what stands out for author Jud Newborn is the White Rose episode.

In February, July and October 1943, the Nazis executed the six members of the White Rose non-Jewish resistance group, which distributed leaflets opposing Hitler. The found-ing historian of New York’s Museum of Jewish Heritage, Newborn travels around the country giving his presenta-tion on White Rose. He is the author, along with Annette Dumbach, of the book “Sophie Scholl and the White Rose,” an animated narrative that reads like a novel.

Whether presenting at a synagogue during the year or at a campus event like the 13th annual Dorothy Koppelman Memo-rial Holocaust Lecture at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ, this summer, Newborn said his dramatic multi-media lecture program grabs the attention of listeners. “People are deeply inspired by this story,” Newborn told JNS.org. “My program includes a number of images that movingly put the story of the White Rose in its time and place.”

Newborn first went to Germany in 1980 to do his doctoral fieldwork on the Holocaust for the University of Chicago. “As I entered the University of Munich’s vast atrium and saw a white rose carved in marble with the names of the members who had been executed carved above it, including Hans and Sophie Scholl and Willie Graf, I was moved to

know that young people who resisted the Nazis were being honored at the very site where their most dramatic act of public protest took place,” Newborn said.

Five non-Jewish university stu-dents – Sophie and Hans Scholl, Christoph Probst, Alexander Schmo-rell and Willie Graf – and their profes-sor, Kurt Huber, launched the White Rose group as a clandestine campaign against the Third Reich. The group exhorted the German people to stand up and fight for freedom, risking their lives to reveal the persecution of the Jews months before news reached the outside world. After a film about the group was released in Germany, Newborn realized that people in the United States knew next to nothing about White Rose.

“The film did not explain who they were and where they came from, and why they did what they did, it just showed the action,” Newborn said. “I realized English

speakers needed a full-fledged book that would tell the whole story of the White Rose. It was that important and that inspiring and that surprising a true story.”

First published as “Shattering the German Night” in 1986, Newborn’s book took on a life of its own through multiple re-printings and an interna-tional edition.

Newborn is not the only one marking the White Rose anniversary this year. The University of Nevada Las Vegas’s Lied Library is hosting an exhibit, “White Rose,” through August 22 that focuses on those who resisted Hitler’s rule. After UNLV,

the exhibit, a collection of photos and stories curated and created by the White Rose Foundation, travels to Michigan Tech University.

Peter Michel, head of exhibits for the UNLV Libraries, hopes visitors to “White Rose” will begin to understand

See “Holocaust” on page 15

Continuing aRosh Hashana fundraising tradition

started by Roseann Smith Alperin (O.B.M.), as we begin 5774.

• A gift bag with a Kosher Challah (plain or raisin), apples, a container of honey, candy, and two Yom Tov candles.

• A large flowering plant—mums. Last year the mums were huge and beautiful. This is the ideal gift for someone who cannot accept outside food items.

• Proceeds benefit Youth Religious Education •

We are delivering the fresh Challah gift bags and the beautiful mums on Erev Rosh Hashanah: Wednesday, September 4.

To order: Please makechecks payable to

“Temple Hesed Sisterhood”. Specify plain or raisin

challah or the flowering mum.

Mail to: Carol Leventhal, 125 Welsh Hill Road,

Clarks Summit, PA 18411. For more information,

call Carol at 570-587-2931or email [email protected].

DELIVERIES WILL BE MADE TO ANY ADDRESS IN SCRANTON OR THE ABINGTONS

Hesed, Hallah and Honey Order FormOrder before August 25 • Delivered September 4

Name __________________________________________

Address _________________________________________

________________________________________________

Phone __________________________________________

Enclose check, made payable to: Temple Hesed Sisterhood

Mail order to:Carol Leventhal125 welch Hill road Clarks Summit pa 18411

Hesed, Hallah and Honey

all orders Must Be In By august 28, 2013

Volunteers Needed! To assemble gift bags at 1 pm, Tuesday, Sept. 3 at the Leventhalresidence located at 125 Welsh Hill Road in Clarks Summit.

To make deliveries on Wednesday morning, September 4

Call Carol or Jeff at 570-587-2931 to volunteer.

Gift Bag $20 • Mums $22

YOU

R N

AM

EG

ETTIN

G G

IFTS

Name __________________________________________

Address _________________________________________

________________________________________________

Phone __________________________________________

¨ Challah _____= $20/each____ plain ____raisin

¨ Mums ______= $22/each

Name __________________________________________

Address _________________________________________

________________________________________________

Phone __________________________________________


¨ Mums ______= $22/each

Name __________________________________________

Address _________________________________________

________________________________________________

Phone __________________________________________


¨ Mums ______= $22/each


said. “Everyone can follow her own design. Israeli women are creating a new language of beauty.”

Negrin’s company now includes 60 stores in two dozen countries worldwide, including Japan, Israel, Italy, Rus-sia, France, Austria, Mexico, China and the U.S. (Para-mus and Atlantic City, NJ, Boston, Los Angeles and, on August 15, SoHo). All of Negrin’s shops use the same conceptual design.

“She creates here own world of beauty and design,” Ifat Pasternak, marketing manager at Michal Negrin, told JNS.org. “People just fall in love with Michal – the reaction is universal.”

Negrin credits her initial worldwide success to the suggestion of an Israeli man who visited her shop after traveling in Japan. The man carried her designs to Japan, where they were an immediate success – today there are 13 Michal Negrin shops in that country.

But despite the company’s global expansion, all the manufacturing at Michal Negrin is still performed in Is-rael. “Everything is designed in Israel and handmade in the factory,” Noam Hanuka, Michal Negrin’s CEO, told JNS.org. “Even the packaging, which is very special, is all made in Israel.”

At the Michal Negrin Visitor Center in Bat Yam, items ranging from linens to shoes to yarmulkes – and, of course, her signature jewelry and clothing lines – are on display. The facility is part of the company’s manufacturing complex, employing more than 400 people. Within her workforce, Michal makes a concerted effort to employ individuals with special needs and disabilities.

The Michal Negrin jewelry collection is about 90 percent costume jewelry, made with materials not con-sidered to be “precious.”

“The shiny parts are Swarovski crystal,” Hanuka said. “Negrin is the second-largest buyer of Swarovski crystal in the world.”

A small percentage of the Michal Negrin designs are more traditional. Those are created in gold and use real or semi-precious stones. Overall, the Michal Negrin designs “intend to evoke images of a fantastic world filled with optimism and happiness,” Hanuka said.

“The home décor items designed by Michal celebrate romance and spirituality,” he said.

Looking forward to the opening of her flagship store in Manhattan’s SoHo district this month, Negrin said, “New York is a dream come true.

“New York is a city of great love,” she said. “It has an attitude of excitement with many surprises. The shop has the attitude of holiday all year-round. Its creativity is unique.”

The Michal Negrin boutique will join several other Israeli-originated businesses in Soho. “The Israeli shops [in SoHo] are kind of a symbol of Israeli-Jew-ish entrepreneurs doing business in the city,” Hanuka said. “We are trying to bring the same giving Israeli spirit to the United States. Everything is done accord-ing to the ideas of the brand: open-mindedness, love, tolerance, and respect for other cultures. They say that there is no household in Israel without some piece of Negrin jewelry or some household items – a menorah, earrings, linens – something.”

Negrin said that in the future, she would not limit her business to material goods – she is planning to launch a new line of cafés. “I want to create gallery-coffeehouses, place where people can meet, enjoy cultural events, and come together in the common language of beauty, art and culture,” she said. “I am proud to be a woman able to express my art and happy to see my co-designers showing the world a side of Israel that is positive and colorful.”

Jeweler Continued from page 12

elaine reichek exhibit The Jewish Museum in New York City will

hold the exhibit “Elaine Reichek: A Postcolonial Kinderhood Revisited” from August 23-Octo-ber 20. This is an undated reinstallation based on

a previous exhibit that explored Reichek’s personal identity. The original exhibit probed the fears and embarrassments – real or imagined – that prevailed among many American Jews. In order to reimagine her childhood bedroom, Reichek displayed her parents’ acquisition of the American dream through colonial-style furnishings.

In the reinstallation, the artist has added several components, including a video, “Bon Voyage,” made from a 1934 home movie of her in-laws’ honeymoon. A bulletin board displays documentation of the original installation; another includes information about the process of making the piece, along with family pictures and other personal memorabilia.

For more information, visit www.thejewishmuseum.org, e-mail [email protected] or call 212-423-3200.

New Season ofFilms!

• Non-Feature Films •Blessed is the Match - In 1944, 22-year Hannah Senesh parachuted into Nazi- occupied Europe with a small group of Jewish volunteers from Palestine. Theirs was the only military rescue mission for Jews that occurred in World War II.

*Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy - This entertaining documentary, narrated by the award winning Joel Grey, examines the unique role of Jewish composers and lyricists in the creation of the modern American musical. There are interviews alongside standout perfor-mances and archival footage.

Budapest to Gettyburg - The past and present collide as a world-renowned historian confronts a history he has refused to study-his own. Gabor Boritt is an expert on Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War. But it took his son’s urging to get him to return to his native Hungary and learn about the Jewish experience there from the time of his childhood until, together with his family, he escaped to the United States.

Constantine’s Sword, is a 2007 historical documentary film on the relationship between the Catholic Church and Jews. Directed and produced by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Oren Jacoby, the film is inspired by former priest James P. Carroll’s 2001 book Constantine’s Sword.

Inside Hana’s Suitcase - A real-life Japanese schoolteacher, who appears throughout the film, sparked this entire story by gathering artifacts for a Holocaust educational center she was developing along with a group of girls and boys called The Small Wings. After applying to receive Holocaust artifacts, a large box arrives with a handful of artifacts, including a battered brown suitcase labeled with Hana Brady’s name. The teacher and her students begin searching for the story behind the suitcase. What they discover will surprise you. They wind up unlocking--and showing us in the film--a whole series of deeply moving memories and other related artifacts and photos. Finally, Hana’s surviving brother George travels to Japan to meet the Japanese students.

Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story - This excellent documentary, narrated by Dustin Hoffman, portrays the contributions of Jewish major leaguers and the special meaning that baseball has had in the lives of American Jews. Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story was shown at the Opening Event for the 2012 UJA Campaign.

The Case for Israel: Democracy’s Outpost - Famed attorney, Alan Dershowitz, presents a vigorous case for Israel- for its basic right to exist, to protect its citizens from terrorism and to defend its borders from hostile enemies.

*The Flat - This gripping autobiographical documentary tells the story of the filmmaker, Arnon Goldfinger who travels to Tel Aviv to clean out the apartment of recent deceased German-born Jewish grandmother. Goldfinger discovers, while going through her belonging, he finds evidence that his grandparents were good friends with Leopold von Mildenstein, a leading official within the Nazi propaganda agency and that they remained friends after World War II. He journeys to find out the details of this disturbing revelation.

The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg - As baseball’s first Jewish star, Hammering Hank Greenberg’s career contains all the makings of a true American success story.

*Orchestra of Exiles - This riveting documentary tells the story of how Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, watched Jewish musicians being fired from classical orchestras when Hitler came to power. Huberman decided to build a new orchestra in Palestine encountering many obstacles along the way. He ultimately succeeds and the Palestine Symphony gave its first performance December, 1936. (When Israel gained independence in 1948, the orchestra was renamed the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, which remains to this day a world class orchestra.)

• Feature Films •A Matter of Size - Winner of numerous international awards, this Israeli comedy is a hilarious and heart-warming tale about four overweight guys who learn to love themselves through the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. (not rated)Avalon- Sam Krichinsky and his extended family arrive in American to find the American dream in a place called Avalon. We watch the Krichinsky family move from poverty to prosperity,facing their changing world with enduring humor and abiding love.

Crossing Delancey - This is a warm comedy taking place in New York City. Isabella Grossman desires to rise above her family’s Lower East Side community but her grandmother has other matchmaking plans.

Footnote - The story of a great rivalry between a father and son, both eccentric professors who have both dedicated their lives to work in Talmudic Studies departments of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Though the father shuns overt praise for his work and the son is desperate for it, how will each react when the father is to be awarded the most sought after prize, the Israel prize? This Oscar nomi-nated film will entrance from the start.

Frisco Kid - It’s 1850 and new rabbi Avram Belinski sets out from Philadelphia toward San Francisco. Cowpoke bandit Tom Lillard hasn’t seen a rabbi before but he knows when one needs a heap of help. Getting this tenderfoot to Frisco in one piece will cause a heap of trouble- with the law, Native Americans and a bunch of killers.

Good - In an attempt to establish its credibility, the new Nazi government is seeking out experts to endorse its policies and they come across Johnnie Halder’s novel of a husband who aids his terminally ill wife in an assisted suicide. Because of this the Nazis flatter Johnnie arranging for high paying and prestigious positions. Never evil, Johnnie Halder is an Everyman who goes along, accepts what he is told without question until he is an unwitting accomplice to the Nazi killing machine.

Hidden In Silence - Przemysl, Poland, WWII. Germany emerges victorious over the Russians, and the city comes under Nazi control. The Jewish are sent to the ghettos. While some stand silent, Catholic teenager Stefania Podgorska chooses the role of a savior and sneaks 13 Jews into her attic. Every day, she risks detection--and immediate execution--by smuggling food and water to the silent group living above her. And when two German nurses are assigned to her living quarters, the chances of discovery become dangerously high. This is the true story of a young woman’s selfless commitment and unwavering resolve in the face of war.

Noodle (PAL version- can only be played on computer NOT regular DVD players) - At thirty-seven, Miri is a twice-widowed, El Al flight attendant. Her well regulated existence is suddenly turned upside down by an abandoned Chinese boy whose migrant-worker mother has been deported from Israel. The film is a touching comic-drama in which two human beings- as different from each other as Tel Aviv is from Beijing- accompany each other on a remarkable journey, one that takes them both back to a meaningful life.

Operation Thunderbolt - The true story of the Entebbe hijacking and rescue. “Operation Thunderbolt,” was filmed in Israel with the full cooperation of the Israeli government, and is an exciting re-creation of the events of those tense days. We see the full scope of the story, from the original hijacking to the passengers’ captivity in Uganda to the agonized debates at the highest levels of the Israeli government over a diplomatic vs. a military solution. “Operation Thunderbolt” is the thrilling and true story of how one small country refused to let their people be killed by terrorists and took action to prevent it. People who claim that Israel is a “terrorist state” should see the film and be reminded who the real terrorists are.

Orthodox Stance (documentary-2007) - Dimitriy Salita, a Russian immigrant, is making history as a top professional boxer and rigorously observant Jew. While providing an intimate, 3-year long look at the trials and tribulations faced by an up and coming professional boxer, ORTHODOX STANCE is a portrait of seemingly incompatible cultures and characters working together to support Dmitriy’s rare and remarkable devotion to both Orthodox Judaism and the pursuit of a professional boxing title.

Playing for Time - An outstanding cast brings life to this Fania Fenelon autobiography about a Jewish cabaret singer and other Jewish prisoners whose lives were spared at Auschwitz in exchange for performing for their captors.

The Angel Levine - Things couldn’t get worse for Jewish tailor Morris Mishkin (Zero Mostel). His shop has gone up in flames, his daughter has married outside the faith and, worse yet, his wife is slowly dying. But just when he decides to give up on God, a mysterious man (Harry Belafonte) appears, claiming to be his Jewish guardian angel! Doubtful that the stranger is Jewish, never mind an angel, Mishkin must overcome his skepticism if he wants one last chance at redemption.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Set during World War II, this is the story of Bruno, an innocent and naïve eight-year old boy who meets a boy while romping in the woods. A surprising friendship develops.

The Couple - Based on the true story of a Jewish Hungarian’s desperate attempts to save his family from the Nazi death camps. Mr. Krauzenberg (Martin Landau) is forced to hand over his vast wealth to the Nazis for the safe passage of his family out of occupied Europe, only to find his two remaining servants are left trapped in a web of deceit and danger. Their only hope for survival relies on the courage of Krauzenberg.

The Debt - Academy Award winner Helen Mirren and two-time Academy Award nominee Tom Wilkinson star in The Debt. In 1966, three Mossad agents were assigned to track down a feared Nazi war criminal hiding in East Berlin, a mission accomplished at great risk and personal cost… or was it?

*The Other Son - The dramatic tale of two babies switched at birth, The Other Son creates a thoughtful presentation of what could be a soap opera type event. Instead, director Lorraine Levy and a wonderful screenplay takes the viewer down a very different path allowing each to come to his/her own conclusions.

*The World of Sholom Aleichem - Three of Sholom Aleichem short stories are adapted for the stage and broadcast on the 1959 televi-sion series “The Play of the Week”.

Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story - Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story is an incredibly riveting, Emmy award-winning, fact-based story about a hero who helped over 100,000 Hungarian Jews escape from the Nazis during the Holocaust.

August 2013

*Just added to the Jewish Federation’s Film Lending Library!



NeWS IN bRIef

there was open opposition and resistance to the Nazi regime among the German people – even in Munich, the birthplace of the Nazi Party. “Particularly for American students to understand the history and role of student resistance in Nazi Germany, and that university students risked their lives to oppose and publicize the atrocities and genocide being committed by their own government, for which they ultimately paid with their lives,” Michel told JNS.org.

Michel said he has been “surprised and impressed” with the impact the exhibit has made so far. “I have talked to students who have been deeply moved, and shocked, and who have indicated that they never knew about this, and how glad they are we were able to provide them the opportunity to experience, however briefly, this one moment in history,” he said.

Michel hopes the exhibit will “make people more aware of the power and necessity of resistance, by whatever groups that are suffering persecution, be they Jews, Catholics, Protestants or any other ethnic or religious group.”

“We hope that our students who visit this exhibit will afterwards have a better understanding of this history and perhaps identify with other young people who have suffered and are still suffering from oppression,” he said.

As part of his presentation, Newborn talks about in-dividuals risking their lives today in an effort to fight for human rights. He cited the example of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani student known for her educational and women’s rights efforts who was shot in the head and neck in an as-sassination attempt by Taliban gunmen on October 9, 2012, while returning home on a school bus.

History shows that in spite of the executions, the White Rose leaflets made their way throughout Germany and Nazi-occupied Europe, were smuggled into Switzerland and Sweden, and from there were sent to London. “Once they reached the West,” Newborn writes in his book, “the leaflets of the White Rose were reprinted – now in the tens of thousands – and dropped from Allied aircraft over the cities of Germany.”

In the foreword to Newborn’s book, author Studs Terkel writes, “Whenever I see a white rose, I think immediately of those two [execution victims, Hans and Sophie Scholl], and of their heroism amidst the horror. They let us know that even in Nazi Germany there were some among the young, however few in number, who represented the best that there was in the world.”

White Rose members Hans and Sophie Scholl, as well as Christoph Probst, were executed on February 22, 1943. Alexander Schmorell and Professor Kurt Huber were killed on July 13 that year, and Willie Graf on October 12.

Newborn told JNS.org that the Scholls, in the only public protest against Nazism since the Nazi Party took power, “pushed hundreds of leaflets over a balustrade in the Uni-versity of Munich’s atrium so they came floating down over the heads of astonished students milling about below.

“Why are members of the White Rose so inspiring today? The injustice and oppression did not end when the Nazis were defeated. It continues to appear in many forms throughout the world, including right here in the United States,” Newborn said.

Holocaust Continued from page 13

From JTA

Israel oKs construction in west Bank and eastern Jerusalem, riling palestinians

Israel gave the final approval to build 1,200 apartments in eastern Jerusalem and the West Bank – a move Palestinian peace negotiators said could destroy chances for peace. The Aug. 11 announcement came three days before peace negotiations were set to restart in Jerusalem and on the same day that the special U.S. envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Martin Indyk, met with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ra-mallah. The final approval by Israel’s housing and construction minister is the last stage before allowing contractors to bid on the construction rights. Nearly 800 apartments are set to be built in eastern Jerusalem, including 400 in Gilo, 201 in Har Homa and 183 in Pisgat Zeev. Hundreds of units will go up in the West Bank – in Ariel, Efrat, Maale Adumim and Beitar Illit. “No country in the world takes orders from other countries where it can build and where it can’t,” Housing and Construc-tion Minister Uriel Ariel said in a statement announcing the approvals. “We will continue to market the homes and to build in the entire country.” Palestinian negotiator Mohammad Shtayyeh reportedly said the announcement proves Israel is “not serious in the negotiations” and the approvals are “a slap in the face of the Americans.” Shtayyeh called on Washington to take “a firm and clear position to rein in this Israeli attack on the West Bank and especially Jerusalem.” On Aug. 8, the U.S. raised concerns with Israel over its approval of 147 new West Bank settler homes and its plans for 949 more. “We are speaking to the government of Israel and making our concerns known,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a news briefing in Washington. “The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity and op-poses any efforts to legitimize settlement outposts.” Secretary of State John Kerry had “worked arduously” to get the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. The Palestin-ians had called for a settlement freeze in order to return to the talks. Israel has agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners held since before the 1993 Oslo Accords in a phased release over the next eight months as negotiations progress.Israel staying mum on airstrike near egyptian border

Israel is neither confirming nor denying that it was re-sponsible for a drone attack on terrorists near its border with Egypt. In a statement issued late Aug. 10, Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said that “Israel respects the full sov-ereignty of Egypt,” and that Israel is “aware of the Egyptian military’s increased activity against terror infrastructures in the Sinai Peninsula.” Yaalon said “rumors and speculation” over the drone strike on Aug. 9 would not harm the peace between Egypt and Israel. It is believed that Israel and Egypt cooperated in stopping a rocket launch against Israel. The strike killed four armed members of a terrorist organization preparing an attack on Israel, according to reports. Egyptian officials at first said Israel perpetrated the attack, but later said an Egyptian helicopter launched the airstrike, accord-ing to the Associated Press. The attack came a day after Israel closed its Eilat airport for two hours, reportedly after warnings from Egypt that terrorists could target the area. Ansar Jerusalem, a terror group linked to al-Qaida, said its members were the targets of the drone attack.Israel’s peer nets first tennis tourney win in four years

Israeli Shahar Peer won her first Women’s Tennis As-sociation tournament in four years. Peer defeated China’s Saisai Zheng, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, in the finals of the Caoxijiu Suzhou Ladies Open in China on Aug. 10 for her sixth career WTA tournament victory. The Israeli, who was seeded third, picked up $125,000 by beating the 19th-seeded Zheng and now has won $5 million for her career. With the victory, Peer is expected to move back into the top 100 of the world rankings at No. 83. Most recently she had been ranked at 113; in 2011 she was No. 11.

Beitar Jerusalem soccer booting games on the Sabbath

The Beitar Jerusalem soccer team said it will stop playing on the Jewish Sabbath. Eli Tabib, the team’s new owner, made the decision to stop playing from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday in order to allow its religious and traditional fans to attend home games, the team said in a statement issued on Aug. 10. Home games will be held on Saturday nights or weekdays, the statement said. Beitar Jerusalem made headlines earlier this year with the signing of two Chechen Muslims that spurred fan protests and the torching of the team’s trophy room. Its fans also attacked several Arabs at Jerusalem’s Malha Mall earlier this year.report: eilat airport was closed following warning by egypt

Israeli authorities ordered the closure of Eilat’s airport based on a tip from Egyptian security services, the Palestin-ian news agency Ma’an reported. The Egyptians warned their Israeli counterparts that a radical Muslim terrorist cell planned to launch mid-range missiles at the airport, according to a report on Aug. 9 by Ma’an. The southern city’s airport was closed on Aug. 8 on orders from the Israel Defense Forces until its reopening one day later. Three weeks ago, the Israel Defense Forces deployed an Iron Dome missile interception system near Eilat as Egyptian army forces cracked down on armed groups in the Sinai peninsula. The report, which quoted an unnamed “senior Egyptian security official,” also said that the same terrorist cell was plotting to carry out an attack in the Suez area. In addition to targeting the Eilat airport, terrorists were planning to target airplanes with shoulder-held anti-aircraft missiles, the report said.reward offered for info on Jewish teens’ attackers in zanzibar

The Zanzibar government has offered a $6,170 reward for information on attackers who threw acid at two British Jewish women. Kirstie Trup and Katie Gee, both 18 and from London, sustained injuries on their faces, chests and hands after two men on a moped threw acid at them on Aug. 7 in Zanzibar City, the capital of the island off of eastern Africa. The island’s police commissioner, Musa Ali Musa, told the BBC there was “no prime suspect” for the nighttime attack and that many people had been questioned. Musa said the investigation was continuing. The victims, who were volunteering as teachers for the charity Art in Tanzania, were flown back to Britain on Aug. 9. The London Jewish Chronicle reported that both were Federation for Zionist Youth members. Musa described the incident as “alien” to the police and said officers had no idea as to the motive. The attack took place in Stone Town, the old part of Zanzibar’s capital. Zanzibar President Ali Mohammed Shein said the assault had “brought chaos and confusion to our country and outside.” Speaking to Muslims celebrating the Eid al-Fitr festival, he said, “It was not a civilized act, it is not Islam. It was very cruel to throw acid on these innocent young girls.” The BBC’s Tulanana Bohela, reporting from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s capital, said Islam is the main religion of Zanzibar. In more remote parts of the island, away from tourist beaches, there are signs asking foreigners to respect the local culture and cover up, she said. Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous archipelago, is part of Tanzania.Israel asks Congress to be included in sequester cuts

Israel has asked Congress not to exempt it from aid cuts under the sequestration. Budget sequestration, a law passed in 2011 and triggered in March of this year when Congress and the administration failed to agree on a budget, mandates across-the-board cuts of about 8 percent. Israel has requested that any budget cuts apply equally to the defense assistance it receives annually from the U.S. government. Michael Oren, the Israel ambassador to Washington, confirmed the request. “The American people are bearing the burden of sequestra-

tion and we will bear that burden with them,” he said in a statement to JTA. In the coming fiscal year, Israel is due to receive $3.1 billion in defense assistance with an additional $607 million for its Iron Dome anti-missile system, which Israel says was instrumental in repelling rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip during last November’s war. Also potentially affected would be more than $450 million in American con-tributions to joint U.S.-Israel anti-missile programs. Hoyer said he did not know which programs would be cut and by how much, noting that debate over the budget would begin in earnest after the August recess. Hoyer said the sequester was adversely affecting the U.S. defense posture. “It’s go-ing to have adverse effects not only on Iron Dome but on America’s own national defense investments,” he said.

To get Federation updates via email, register on our website www.jewishnepa.org

Pledge or Donateonline at

www.jewishnepa.org/donate

r


Documents

Aug 15 2013