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OurChildren
Our
Children
About

Useful Information for the Next Generation of Jewish Families

Summer
Is for Kids
Special Local Section

IN

SUE
THIS IS
Sleepy Time
Solutions
Day-Cations
from Here
to There
Supplement to The Jewish Standard
July 2016

BAR/BAT
MITZVAH

ROCKLAND COUNTY SECTION pages 16-19


REDISCOVERING THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN BRIGADE page 6
ISSUE HELPING SYRIAN REFUGEES page 8
IN THIS
CONNECTING WITH YOUR KIDS PRESCHOOL page 10
EXAMINING THE MOSZKOWICZES page 41
JUNE 24, 2016
VOL. LXXXV NO. 42 $1.00

A supplement to the Jewish Standard Spring 2016

NORTH JERSEY

85

2016

THEJEWISHSTANDARD.COM

Weaving a web
of connections

Open Hearts, Open Homes brings


Israeli kids to north Jersey
page 30

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Music has always been Janes passion. When she was diagnosed with multiple
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Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
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2 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

EHMC_oncdrummer_11x14.indd 1

5/6/16 12:29 PM

Page 3

Hummus, American-style, redux


l Back in March, when we reported on
bacon-flavored hummus, we thought
we had discovered the nadir of bastardized Americanized chickpea spread.
Boy, were we wrong.
A friend of ours recently passed by
the Eighth Avenue outpost of the Hummus & Pita Co. and saw a sign advertising Hummus Sweets.
Yes, you can get chocolate-, cake

batter-, and cookie dough-flavored


hummus at any of the Hummus & Pita
Co.s four Manhattan outlets. The nonkosher restaurant menu otherwise is
very traditional, boasting that its cuisine
draws from Greece, Israel, Morocco
and the Middle East.
But sweet hummus?
Only in America.
LARRY YUDELSON

New childrens songs in an old language


l With all the Yiddish
in the air in Manhattan theater, in Central
Park concerts, even
in Teaneck classes
were glad to report
some good news for
another Jewish language: Ladino.
The L.A. Jewish
Journal reports that
singer Sarah Aroeste
has come out with a
new album for toddlers
featuring catchy, easy-to-sing melodies,
simple repetitive lyrics inspired by the
childs everyday world, and elements of
humor and surprise.
But unlike every other childrens
album until now, all the songs are in
Ladino, the medieval Judeo-Spanish
dialect Sephardic Jews took with them
when they were expelled from Spain

Finding Frumpo
l Aryeh Cohen-Wade of Rochester,

N.Y., passed along this license plate he


spotted around town. Cohen-Wade, a
North Jersey native, explains:
For those who dont know, Frumpo
was the sixth Marx Brother. He was
presumed lost at sea on the Lusitania.
LARRY YUDELSON


and Portugal more than


500 years ago.
Aroeste, 40, has
built her career on the
Ladino dialect. Her new
album, titled Ora de
Despertar (Time to
Wake Up), was taken
from her personal experiences as a mother.
Of course, there
are some wonderful
Ladino lullabies that
are beloved very
fun, sprightly songs that, certainly, kids
could enjoy, but they werent written
for kids, Aroeste told the Jewish Journal. I wanted to play music for my kids
in the same vein as all the other CDs I
was receiving in English or Hebrew. I
wanted the equivalent in Ladino and I
couldnt find anything, so I decided to
write it myself.

Lipa Schmeltzer
toasts Pepsi Max
l Lipa Schmeltzer, chasidic pop star

and glasses fashionista, now can add


another line to his resume: Israeli
Pepsi Max endorser.
Lipa, who has broken with his
Brooklyn charedi community in supporting the State of Israel, recorded
a minute-long Pepsi Max commercial
blending Israeli culture with his own
Yiddish roots that showed up on YouTube earlier this week.
He quickly announced the campaigns launch on Facebook.
In the spot, Lipa enters an Israeli
diner crowded with charedi men.
The cashier smiles and offers Lipa
trademark Israeli foods like schnitzel, shwarma, and a mixed meat dish.
Lipa rejects them all. The cashier is
visibly surprised.
Lipa then sees a Pepsi Max cooler
in the back of the restaurant. He gets
an ice-cold bottle and drinks. Suddenly, a dance party breaks out. Lipa
says, Pepsi Max: Thats what Im

looking for, and the commercial cuts


to a slogan, Top Heymish Food,
written in English. Heymish is Yiddish
for comfortably familiar.
The commercial ends with Hebrew
text inviting viewers to take a poll
about their opinions on the most
heymish restaurant in Israel.
This is far from Lipas first foray
into pop culture hes been called
the chasidic Lady Gaga although
were not sure by whom. A few weeks
ago, he sang with lesbian Israeli
composer Corinne Alal. In April, he
appeared in the season finale of the
Comedy Central TV show Broad City.
He is also studying for a degree at
Columbia University.
Lipas dress can be unorthodox at
times. Hes known for his vast collection of unconventional glasses and
often wears colorful shirts and vests.
In the ad, of course, he wears a kippah
embroidered with the Pepsi Max logo.
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CONTENTS
NOSHES4
ROCKLAND16
OPINION20
SUMMER DINING 27
COVER STORY30
GALLERY 38
DVAR TORAH............................................40
ARTS & CULTURE41
CALENDAR 42
CROSSWORD PUZZLE 43
OBITUARIES44
CLASSIFIEDS46
REAL ESTATE48

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JEWISHSTANDARDs unrestricted right to edit and to comment
editorially. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without
written permission from the publisher. 2016

JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 3

Noshes

Raw fish was something were not


used to. We eat herring, but its pickled.
Elan Kornblum, publisher of Great Kosher Restaurants,
explaining the popularity of cooked fish in kosher sushi
establishments, as quoted by the New York Times.

INDEPENDENCE DAY:

The bad aliens


are resurgent
Independence
Day: Resurgence
is a sequel to the
megahit Independence
Day. The basic plot: The
bad aliens who almost
conquered Earth in 1996
are back, and appear to
be able to overcome the
defenses that Earths
countries have created in
anticipation of their
return. As in the original,
only the ingenuity of a
few brave men and women can save our blue
planet. The new tribe
member in Resurgence
is CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG, 44, as a French
scientist. Original flick
returnees include JEFF
GOLDBLUM, 63, as
Jewish scientist David
Levinson; JUDD HIRSCH,
81, as Levinsons religious
father; and BRENT
SPINER, 67, as Dr. Okun,
a UFO scientist just
about everyone thought
was killed in the original.
Spiner told the website
Collider that Okun was
supposed to be declared
dead by a military officer
in the original film script,
but that line was cut. The
cut allowed Okun to be
plausibly alive in the
sequel. Spiner is best
known for playing Data,
the android officer on
Star Trek: Next Generation.
Like the original, the
sequel was co-written
and co-produced by
DEAN DEVLIN, 53, who
once described himself

as a Filipino-Russian
Jew with an Irish last
name. His late father, TV
director DON DEVLIN,
changed his last name
to Devlin from Siegel.
Deans late mother, Pilar
Seurat, played exotic
Asian characters in the
1950s and 60s. Dean is
a practicing Jew whos
married to actress LISA
BRENNER, 42 (born Lisa
Goldstein). She had big
parts on soap operas in
the mid-90s, but now
only takes an occasional
TV guest role. The large
amount of Jewish content in the original film
was mostly Deans doing.
However, he found out
after the films release
that in Lebanon, and
maybe in other Arab
countries, two scenes
were cut: Hirschs kippah-wearing character
leading a Jewish prayer
and Arab and Israeli pilots joining forces against
the invaders.
In recent months,
Donald Trump
has barred a
large number of reporters from his private
campaign plane and the
press section of his
public events. About ten
major outlets, ranging
from the right-wing
National Review to the
left-wing Mother Jones,
have had their press
credentials lifted after
running a story or stories
that Trump deemed
unfair. As with other

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Brent Spiner

Matthew McConaughey and Gary Ross shooting


Free State of Jones.

Fact better than fiction


in Free State of Jones

Dean Devlin

Martin Baron

issues, this position is


making things hard for
Trumps allies. On June
13, Trump de-credited
the Washington Post,
and that brought the
issue to the fore. When
asked about this, House
Speaker Paul Ryan
shook his head and said,
Ive never seen anything
like it.
Bob Woodward, of
Watergate fame, now
an assistant Washington
Post editor, appeared on
the MSNBC show Morning Joe on June 14. He
said, Look, this [barring] isnt right, but were
going to continue doing
this [Trump reporting]
in a very aggressive,
fair way. Woodward
was echoing the words
of his boss, Post chief

editor MARTIN BARON,


61. Baron, whom Woodward says works 24
hours a day, was the
editor depicted in the hit
film Spotlight. (It won
the Oscar for best pic.)
Baron led the Boston
Globe team that uncovered the huge Bostonarea pedophile priest
scandal. If Trumps aim is
to pressure the Post by
cutting off press access,
he couldnt have picked
two men less likely to
cave. Woodward, his
colleague CARL BERNSTEIN, 72, and the Post
management withstood
intense, sometimes
illegal pressure from the
Nixon White House
and Baron took on the
powerful Boston Catholic
N.B.
church hierarchy.

Want to read more noshes? Visit facebook.com/jewishstandard

Free State of Jones is based on a fascinating true


story. In 1864, Newt Knight (Matthew McConaughey), a
white farmer who lived in Jones County in southwestern
Mississippi, led an armed revolt against the Confederacy.
He led other local white farmers and slaves in a rebellion that created the so-called Free State of Jones. He
continued his fight against injustice during and after
Reconstruction and had two families one with his first
wife, who was white and another with his second wife,
who was black, after he separated from his first wife. The
director and screenwriter is GARY ROSS, 59 (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit). The Smithsonian magazines
website has a great article about Ross, how he came to
make the film, and how he had to become an amateur
historian, consulting the best sources, to insure the films
veracity. It also covers Knights life history and how his
many descendants to this day make up a separate group
in the county, not quite accepted by either blacks or
whites. Simply Google Smithsonian and Free State of
Jones and youll find it.
N.B.

California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at


Middleoftheroad1@aol.com

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JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 5

Local
A war of brothers
Eunice Lipton to tell a family tale of the Spanish
Civil War
LARRY YUDELSON
In March 1938, 22-year-old David Lipton
said goodbye to his family and friends in the
Bronx, and in violation of the provisions of
the Neutrality Act inscribed in his American
passport he shipped off to Spain to join the
Abraham Lincoln Brigades fighting for the
Spanish Republic against General Francisco
Franco.
But Davids parents werent worried; he
had told them he was working as a waiter in
the Catskills.
The trenches of the Spanish Republic were
not a strange place for a young Jewish man
just then. Jews made up an estimated third
of the 3,000 American volunteers fighting
alongside leftist Spaniards against the German-backed Nationalists.
David Lipton never came home. He was
shot and killed in December of that year.
Eunice Lipton was born three years later.
Her father, Phil, was Davids older brother.
Growing up, her uncle was a sore spot in
her family. Her fathers relationship to his
dead brother clearly was painful, though he
Eunice Lipton
named Eunices brother, David, after him.
My father had such an ambivalent feeling
about what happened to his brother, she said. He loved his
the Puffin Foundation in Teaneck.
brother, and at the same time said that he died for nothing,
The familial ambivalence did not stem from a problem with
that he threw his life away.
Davids politics.
The roots of this painful ambivalence is one of the threads
My fathers family were communists, Dr. Lipton said. His
of Dr. Liptons new book, A Distant Heartbeat: A War, a Dismother and uncles were communists in Europe.
appearance, and a Familys Secrets. Dr. Lipton will speak
Dr. Liptons grandfather, Max Lifshitz, came to America
about her book, and her uncles story, on Friday, June 24, at
from Latvia with his two oldest children one of them Phil

Photo of David Levine in a trench, discovered in a New York library archive.


6 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

in 1926. Her grandmother, Anna, and David followed them


two years later.
Given his family, it wasnt surprising that David became a
communist. It was communists who joined the Soviet Unionbacked Spanish communists in fighting against the Germanbacked Spanish fascists
It was, perhaps, surprising, though, that it was David, of all
those in his leftist circle in New York, who took up arms.
But it wasnt just Davids death that distressed Phil. My
father did a terrible thing to his brother when he was in
Spain, Dr. Lipton said.
Her father intercepted Davids letters to their parents, and
they did not learn that their son was in Spain until they were
notified of his death.
Meanwhile, in Spain, David repeatedly asked his parents to
write to him. The story really ripped the family apart, Dr.
Lipton said.
Could she imagine herself making the choice her uncle
made at 22 to go off to fight a foreign war?
No. I cant, she said. In part, because when I was 21, I was
just a girl. It was before the womens movement, Dr. Lipton
said. She was born in 1941.
Also, my father inculcated in me a fear of risks, she said.
That is why I wasnt involved in the civil rights movement
and the anti-Vietnam war movement. Not until the womens
movement came around did she become politically active.
Yet Dr. Lipton had a desire for adventure, even if it was not
as strong as her uncles had been, and she was fascinated with
Europe. She first traveled to France when she was 19. Now she
and her husband, Ken Aptekar, live there half of each year.
My father had a fantasy about France, she said. He came
from Latvia, an urban setting where it was more or less comfortable for Jews. For him, culture was French. Literature was

Local
Zola and Balzac. Politics was French. He valued the French Revolution, and that France
was the first country to make Jews citizens.
In her first career she was an art historian
and university professor before she quit to
write full time Dr. Lipton explored French
culture and art. This led to a book, Alias
Olympia: A Womans Search for Manets
Notorious Model and Her Own Desire about
Victorine Meurent, the model for Edouard
Manets most famous paintings.
She interested me because she had a very
direct gaze, Dr. Lipton said. She looked out
at you as if she had autonomy. As a young
teacher, I talked about her a lot. I decided to
research her life.
The book ended up being less a work of
straight art history than a memoir of Dr. Liptons search for her; it was as much about
Dr. Lipton as about Victorine Meurent. My
mother made one appearance in the first
draft, Dr. Lipton said.
When I sold my book to Scribner, my
editor said, I think you wrote this because
you were looking for something about your
mother. I want you to write her in.
My editor was brilliant, Dr. Lipton said.
People were most fascinated by the relationship between me and my mother.
What I learned about my mother as I
wrote Alias Olympia was that she was a

In Spain. David Lipton is in the front row, second on the right.

woman with desire in the largest sense: to


meet new people, see new places, to eat, to
laugh, to schmooze. Being a mother didnt
really suit her. She was born in the wrong
generation, Dr. Lipton said.
Her next book, French Seduction: An
Americans Encounter with France, Her
Father, and the Holocaust, looked at her
father and French history. I had a lot of
bad feelings about French collaboration with
the Nazis, she said.
Dr. Liptons work on A Distant Heartbeat

began 20 years ago. She started her research


with the archives of the Abraham Lincoln
Brigade, and it proved to be unexpectedly
fruitful.
At the New York Public Library, a friend
discovered a picture of David Lipton, standing in a trench in Spain with a gun on his
shoulders.
Her uncle was real. Traces of his life could
be recovered. Dr. Lipton searched for them.
I met the man who was with him when
he was shot, Dr. Lipton said. They had met

on the ship to Spain and hung out together in


France for a day.
I met people he was active with in the
Young Communist League in the Bronx, she
said. Everybody was really happy to talk and
give me their names. With one exception a
woman who probably had been in the communist underground in the 50s. She told me
a lot about my uncle, how kind he was. I got
guys reminiscing about their pasts. Many
had shed their political interests long ago. He
was the only one of their group who went to
Spain.
In her Puffin talk, Dr. Lipton will describe
her uncle as a Jew and an activist. And I
think Im also going to talk about the part
of him that was American and wanted to be
American. Im going to try to create a portrait
of him as somebody who loved New York but
also carried in his heart and his soul a need
to be useful.
I think I have that too.
Who: Author Eunice Liptons
What: Presentation about her new
family history, A Distant Heartbeat
Where: Puffin Cultural Forum, 20 Puffin Way, Teaneck
When: Friday, June 24, 7 p.m.
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JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 7

Local

Local shuls members want to help


Interfaith effort to aid Syrian refugees spurs reflection, discussion
LOIS GOLDRICH

eaching at his synagogues Tikkun Leil Shavuot, Rabbi Joel


Pitkowsky spoke about a Jews
responsibility to help others.
The question is asked every day. Should
we allot our (inevitably limited) resources
only to our own people, or should we help
those further afield? Should we factor in religion when making our decision? What about
geography?
The discussion did not start and end with
the tikkun. For several months, Teanecks
Congregation Beth Sholom has been discussing the place of social justice on the synagogue agenda. Can the synagogue, or any
synagogue, take on causes that do not reflect
the needs of its membership, or the community in which they live? Should it?
Rabbi Lee Paskind, who was a congregational rabbi in Peekskill, N.Y., and now lives
in Teaneck and is a member of Beth Sholom,
would say that our responsibility goes way
beyond our borders, to any group in dire
need.
Rabbi Paskind, who has participated in the
Conservative movements social justice commission for nearly 30 years and now is a parttime consultant on these issues to the movements Rabbinical Assembly, will be joining
about eight other congregants in New York
City on June 26 as they stuff hygiene kits for
Syrian refugees.
Ive been involved in social justice issues
for a long time, Rabbi Paskind said, noting
that his participation this time is as an individual. The synagogue is not taking a formal
role in the effort.
Rabbi Pitkowsky, however, clearly is proud
of his activist congregants. I am thrilled that
this group of Beth Sholom members is moving ahead with the program to create emergency kits for Syrian refugees, he said in an
email. The understanding that each human
being is created in the image of God is a fundamental tenet of Judaism. Acting on that
belief, and working to guarantee the safety
and dignity of each human being, is Gods
work that we should all take part in.
The June 26 project is a joint effort of
the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees,
the American Jewish Joint Distribution

Jerry and Judi Pitkowski

Committee, Heart to Heart International,


and various other groups. Group organizers
hope that some 600 volunteers will turn out
to assemble more than 7,500 kits, which are
to be shipped to Istanbul and distributed to
refugees in many countries.
While most kits will contain basic hygienic
supplies, special packages for women and
girls also are being prepared.
One of pharmaceutical companies is
donating all the materials, Rabbi Paskind
said. He pointed out that the groups organizing this effort have people on the ground in
all the communities to which refugees have
fled, from Jordan and Turkey all the way up
to Europe.
Theyre trying to organize for 600 volunteers, he said. Its a large operation. Theyre
doing it in three one-hour shifts starting at
12:30. There will be people of all religions,
as many groups as they can get. Its intended
to be a very large positive statement about
Americans of all religions reaching out to
help refugees no matter who they are. After
learning of the project through the Rabbinical
Assembly, Paskind sent out information to all
Conservative rabbis in the tristate area.
We dont have an official group in the synagogue that is working specifically on social
justice issues, but a small group has been
having a variety of discussions about possible programming ideas, he said about Beth
Sholom. As part of this effort, Beth Sholom
held a workshop before Pesach, in which participants discussed, among other things, the
plight of Syrian refugees.

Migrants wait to be processed at the increasingly overwhelmed Moria camp on


the island of Lesbos in Greece last October.
SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES

Since then, weve been


but it sends a strong message. Standing side by side
talking about other possibilities, he said. We dont have
with people of other religions means something.
an official name or presence; were trying to decide
Paskind noted that the
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Sociwhat our profile should be.
ety has an entire PDF file
The synagogue, he continued, wants to discuss this
on its website HIAS.org
some more. Its not the type
that advises congregations who would like to be
of activity [it usually does].
involved in supporting refuSome people dont think this
Rabbi Lee Paskind
gees. There are a number of
is the kind of activity a shul
different ways, especially if
should be involved in.
refugees have settled in areas where the synaFor his part, though, Saving life, and this
gogue members live. There are not a lot of
arguably is exactly what these kits will do,
Syrian refugees in the Northeast, he said.
is a mitzvah. Since the Torah commands us
There are more in the Midwest.
to love the stranger in our midst, I believe it
Nevertheless, he added, advocacy is very
is a religious commandment to help people
important, especially since 30 governors
in these kinds of straits. You should see stories about things that have happened [to the
already have said that their states will not
refugees.] The West only became aware of
accept any refugees and Congress is considering cutting out its resettlement program.
this dire situation a few years ago. That was
Let Congress know we should be taking
already three years into the Syrian war.
some action, he said.
The United States, he said, is being
As Jews, we have such a strong history
hands-off, especially after the massacres in
of benefiting from the largesse of this counParis and Brussels. Personally, I understand
try, he said, nevertheless acknowledging
being concerned, needing to be vigilant for
past U.S. failures the United States closed
the security of our country, he said. At the
its doors to Jewish immigrants during World
same time, were simply commanded not to
War II. We know what it means to be able to
look away. We have to figure out how to do
find somewhere safe to land, he said. Some
what we can. This is the easiest thing to do,

Schools Out for Summer


Children who depend on school breakfast and
reduced fee lunch programs need our help

Please drop off donations to our Food Pantry.


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8 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

Local
European nations already have closed their borders, but
German Jews have been working actively to help the refugees, who are increasingly vulnerable to scourges such as
human traffickers.
The Syrian refugees are very much at risk, he said.
There are hundreds of thousands of children without parents, people displaced in Syria and abroad, a million in
Jordan. They dont have facilities to take care of them. He
mentioned the work of Rabbi Ari Hart, a clergy member
at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, an Orthodox congregation in New York. Hart, he said, spent some time in Lesbos, a transit point for refugees.
Writing a piece on his experience based on the theme
If not now, when? Rabbi Hart spoke of what he saw
there when he was embedded with a humanitarian nongovernmental organization called Israaid. Representing his synagogue, Rabbi Hart said, he went to support
Israaids medical and psychosocial relief efforts and bear
witness to the largest refugee crisis since WWII.
Rabbi Hart wrote: There was no official coordination
on the beaches, only teams of international volunteers,
working together to help bring people ashore and care
for the dead who didnt make it across. I witnessed the
panic of separated family members, the despair of meager
possessions lost at sea. We helped warm, clothe, and comfort hundreds of crying, shivering children. Together with
volunteers from Denmark and California, I lifted a woman
my grandmothers age out of the bottom of a boat, and
then assembled her waterlogged wheelchair so she could
be wheeled up the beach.
Reflecting on his experience, the rabbi asked, If I am
just for myself, what am I? If we begin and end with our
own needs, ignoring the suffering of millions of innocents,
what do we become? If I, the descendant of refugees who
were sent away by country after country, turn my back,
what does that make me?
Judi and Jerry Pitkowsky of Fair Lawn, Rabbi Pitkowskys parents, heard about the June 26 project from
Rabbi Paskind. They plan to volunteer.
If you follow the horrific situation of the poor people
in Syria, you see that they are pawns in whats going on,
Mr. Pitkowsky said. Its not a small number. The number
of those who have been killed is approaching 400,000.
And those leaving Syria number in the millions. A tremendous number have been forced to leave their homes, the
country they grew up in.
He added that Israel has taken in hundreds of wounded
Syrians and provided them with medical care. There are
stories of children who were injured, and their families
brought them to hospitals in Israel, he said. Later, they
said how welcoming the Israelis were who took care of
them.
While the Pitkowskys contribute time and money to a
variety of Jewish organizations, Judi Pitkowsky sees no
problem with helping the Syrian refugees. Doing one
does not exclude the other, she said, noting that the
involvement of JDC and HIAS in this effort is an incredible example for all of us. We live in America in a wider
community. Weve got to reach out to whoever is in the
greatest need.
The couple said the June 26 project will work on multiple levels for the individual, who will be doing the right
thing; for people who hear or read about it, maybe causing them to think twice, and for those getting the kits.
Im grateful for the opportunity to help, Ms. Pitkowsky said. We are so fortunate. We have so much, and
we live in America. Now we have an opportunity to help
those who are suffering terribly.
As a Jew, looking back at our relatively recent history,
you cant help but feel that you have a responsibility to
others, she said. If only others had felt that responsibility to us, many of our fellow Jews would have been saved.

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JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 9

Local

Heres looking
at you, kid
Israeli start-ups new platform
allows teachers to share photos
and thoughts with parents
JOANNE PALMER

hen you talk to educators, you hear


about making connections. About forming and maintaining genuine
relationships.
Much of those connections are intellectual, to
ideas and texts, and emotional, to teachers and
other students. On a broader level, there is the
many-stranded, multidirectional network that
connects the various constituent groups that
make up a school community.
When it comes to preschool, though, most of
the connection or at least the connection that
has to be nurtured consciously is between the
parents and the school. The children are too
young to realize that connections take work for
them, they dont but for the grown-ups, they do.
Technology has helped parents connect with
their kids schools, but it poses its own set of
demands. First, it takes a great deal of teachers
time. (More on that later.) And it also takes a great
deal of tweaking to make it work for schools. The
internet, for all its fabled near-magical ability to
give everybody everything, right away, can be a
very rigid place.
A few young Israeli entrepreneurs (note that
when you use any two of those three words, the
third inevitably follows) saw an opening that they
are illing with a new product called Remini, which
is used a great deal in Israel, to some extent across
this country, including by Barnert Temple in Franklin
Lakes, Gan Aviv in Fair Lawn and Bergenield, and
by schools as far aield in every way as one in Dubai.
Raz Wasserstein, 33, one of those entrepreneurs,
has been spending some time in northern New
Jersey, promoting his product. Like many Israelis
involved in high tech, he met his partners and gained
his skills in the Israeli Defense Forces. He has what he
calls his irst and second degrees his undergraduate and masters degrees in information and systems engineering; the IDF sent him to school, made
him an oficer, and put him to work in the prime ministers ofice. Israel is now old and well-established
enough to have a history of such training; my parents
did the same thing, on the same course, Mr. Wasserstein said.
When he and his friends brainstormed about what
niche they could ill, they thought of providing software
that would allow parents and schools to be in touch, using
any device they wanted. They decided to name it Remini,
a real-sounding nonsense word in Hebrew, as it is in English. Its taken from the word reminiscence. Someone
thought it would be a good name, Mr. Wasserstein said,
working on the theory that if you have a top-notch new
product, you can lay off a bit on the branding.
Remini allows teachers and other educators to upload
10 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

These are sample screens


as teachers see them.
REMINI

photos and messages to parents. Messages can go to the


whole school, an entire class, a speciic group of parents, or just one set of them. Parents can save photos
and messages on the childs own timeline its backed
up in the cloud so a childs entire early childhood can
be documented and parents and grandparents, should
the parents decide to invite them can gain access to it
easily. Parents cannot upload content to the main part
of the app, although they can to the timeline, but if the
teacher or administrator agrees, they can exchange private messages.

It can be organized in any way that the educators


choose, and it can be used on all platforms phones,
tablets, and desktops. Each parent has a separate private
place for each of his or her children.
Its been more than three years, and were kind of big
in Israel, Mr. Wasserstein said. We have agreements with
the biggest preschools in Israel, and we have thousands of
preschools there. In North America, Remini has signed
agreements with the United Synagogue of Conservative
Judaism and the Union for Reform Judaism. It has signed
SEE REMINI PAGE 12

Think big. Make it a wildly improbable dream


that motivates youone that wakes you up in the
morning ready to attack your day, to persevere and
persist until you accomplish it.

New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft,


Yeshiva University 2016 Commencement Speaker
and Honorary Degree Recipient

Yeshiva University Graduates Dream Big


Whether they are pursuing medicine, law, business, social work, psychology, Judaic studies
or the rabbinate, YU alumni are fulfilling their dreams and making an impact across the globe.
See where our graduates are going. Visit www.yu.edu/dream.

JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 11

Local
a monthly letter from the director. More
parents expect a lot more.
The technology is easy, theoretically
at any rate, and parents expect to hear
about whats going on right away, and all
the time. At times their expectations are

Remini
FROM PAGE 10

schools in California, Chicago, Miami,


Ohio, and Boston so far.
Not all of the schools are Jewish.
Which brings us to the school in Dubai.
It was quite a surprise for us, Mr. Wasserstein said. We found out when we saw
the Arabic names in our database. Most
of the names we have are Hebrew, and
then there was Fatma and Anwar. The
school, an English-language preschool,
had responded to an email that did not
hide the fact that Remini is Israeli but did
not trumpet that fact either.
There are interesting differences
between preschools in the United States
and Israel, Mr. Wasserstein added parenthetically. In the United States, there are
usually between four and 20 classes in a
preschool. In Israel, there are at most two
or three classes per school. Thats not
because classes are not organized by age,
but because each school caters to children
of just one age group, and children age out
of school after school as they grow older.
Also, the student/teacher ratio is much
higher in Israel than here. In most preschool classes, there is the teacher and
assistant teacher, and then about 30 kids,
he said. That means that Remini is used
differently here and there. In Israel, we
see more material uploaded for the whole
class; here, there are more individual uploads than there
are in Israel, Mr. Wasserstein added.
Alice Berdy, Barnert Temples preschool administrator,
is excited about Remini, which she hopes can be launched
this summer, for the synagogues camp; if not, it will be up
by the time school starts in the fall.
Until now, the school had been using a regular photosharing platform, which was not created as a communications device for preschools and parents, and is not flexible
enough to be adapted for that use. Remini is different, she
said.
Using this product, you have the ability to follow a child
from when they are in our little sprouts program when
they are babies all the way through to our kindergarten,

Using this
product, you
have the ability
to follow a child
from when they
are in our little
sprouts program
when they are
babies all the
way through to
our kindergarten.
ALICE BERDY

she said. This will make such a difference to parents. We


can document everything.
Maxine Handelman, who is based in Chicago, is United
Synagogues early childhood specialist, and she, too, is
excited about Remini.
Early childhood programs have a very big need to
communicate with parents, Ms. Handelman said. They
have a lot going on. Truly, the more a school can make
the learning experience visible, the better the education
can be, because the parents can better understand their
childrens experience.
Technology has changed the way schools operate, she added. There used to be a weekly newsletter,
which might or might not have pictures, and thered be

These photos, from Barnert Temples preschool, soon will be uploaded on Reminis app.
12 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

unreasonable sometimes they expect


that they can text their childrens teachers during the day and get an answer right
away.
Remini gives teachers and directors a
tool to communicate with parents and tell them whats
happening.
There is a trade-off, of course, but one thats good for
teachers. The best schools recognize that this level of
communication takes time, and they budget it into teachers salaries, Ms. Handelman said. In fact, it takes a great
deal of time, particularly when teachers take photos of
each child and then send those photos, along with notes,
to each of the parents in the class. Thats part of the deal
with using a system like this, she said. Its also about
valuing teachers and the experience that children and
teachers have.
And, Ms. Berdy pointed out, it also shows the parents
how cute their children are.

BARNERT TEMPLE

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Local

Aging with passion


Author/psychologist
to speak in Ridgewood

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Dr. Frieda Birnbaum of Saddle River is
no stranger to challenges.
A psychotherapist, radio and TV analyst, and the daughter of Holocaust survivors, Dr. Birnbaum said that she spent
the early part of her life protecting her
parents from the discrimination suffered
by new Jewish immigrants. Years later,
after confronting challenges in her own
professional and personal journey, she
became a news item herself.
Giving birth to twin boys eight years
ago she was 60 at the time Dr. Birnbaum appeared on Oprah and 20/20
to discuss her experience as the oldest
woman in the United States to give birth
to twins.
And that, of course, brings its own
challenges, she said, but the downside
had nothing to do with age. It has to
do with the activities of twin boys. One
moment they love each other; the next
minute theyre killing each other.
Dr. Birnbaum will hold a book signing in Ridgewood on Sunday to discuss
her new book, Life Begins at 60: A New
View on Motherhood, Marriage, and
Reinventing Ourselves. (The talk will be
taped for television.) Men and womens
aging is perceived differently, she said.
When men have children later in life,
theyre considered virile. When women
do that, unless theyre celebrities, they
are considered crazy. Still, she noted,
women live longer than men.
Called upon by the media frequently
to talk about current issues she has
appeared on PIX 11 talking about what
is trending, or depression, or politics;
on WNBC, talking about politics; and on
Fox 5, speaking about New Years resolutions and events in our lives Dr. Birnbaum said in a television interview, I
may have been the oldest person to give
birth to twins in the United States, but I
am of course not the first person in history to experience a profound sense of
reinvigoration when society was telling
me to slow down and sit quietly in the
background.
Age has to be redefined, she said.
Life continues on and we must continue to see ourselves in a way where
age will not define us. We will be who
we are as the essence of our passions,
productivity, and the feeling that we
can make a difference. If this necessitates a second career or even a fundamental life change, so be it. It is
more important to identify ourselves
and have permission to do what we
want to do. While her own experience

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Dr. Frieda Birnbaum
involved giving birth, I tell other
women, do what you want. Its not
about having children but listening to
what you need to do. Thats something
personal.
Dont fear getting older, she tells
women. She said she feels reinvigorated, and has developed even stronger
passions than she had before. She wrote
the book, she said, as a result of my progression in life. My story is about what
happens when you get older. The messages we are given are not right. The new
message is, were younger, living longer,
and can start a second career. These
should be our peak years. The theme of
aging has to be revised.
This message has struck a chord
among younger women, she said. They
appreciate the fact that aging does not
have to be a fearful experience. They
can look forward to vitality and youth in
later years.
Pointing out that some men become
depressed when they retire, she said, to
live is to feel productive. We just have
to identify changes. In redefining our
lifestyles, we may even have an advantage. For example, if we do choose to
pursue a second career, its not a dress
rehearsal. Pick something that identifies
who youve become and who you are.

What Life Is Like at Brightview Tenafly


It is a full day to look forward to.
Rediscovering favorite pastimes. Sharing meals with friends. Enjoying the privacy
to hear yourself think.
Brightview Tenafly is filled with people who are comfortable, who feel at home,
who are rejuvenated and gain the energy to pursue their passions.
An appreciation for possibilities rather than limitations is the focus.
Everyone enjoys Brightview.
Residents are engaged in a full calendar of intellectual and cultural pursuits,
sports and exercise, music, art and travel.
Mom and Dad enjoy themselves and are no longer isolated in a house that has
gotten to be too much.
Everyone sleeps better at night.

Who: Dr. Frieda Birnbaum


What: Will speak and sign her
book, Life Begins at 60: A New
View on Motherhood, Marriage, and
Reinventing Ourselves (Skyhorse
Publishing, May 2016)
When: On Sunday, June 26, at 2 p.m.

Tenafly
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201-510-2060

55 Hudson Ave. Tenafly, NJ 07670

Where: Bookends, 211 East


Ridgewood Ave., in Ridgewood

Jewish Standard JUNE 24, 2016 13

Courtesy JCCOTP

Briefly Local

Robert Katz of Fair Lawn, Ohels chief development officer, with Mariano
Rivera and one of his fans. 
Photo courtesy Ohel

Mariana Rivera pitches in for Ohel


Mariano Rivera, the former Yankees
pitcher and future Hall of Famer, came
out to support Ohel at a pre-Fathers
Day barbeque at the Brecher home in
Lawrence, N.Y. The evening began with
a meet-and-greet with Mr. Rivera. Next,
there was a baseball toss where children

Heichal HaTorahs building committee 

played catch with him; those players


included children who had been part of
Ohels foster care program. A barbecue
followed. Many of the guests were from
New Jersey.
Robert Katz, Ohels chief Development Officer, organized the day.

Photos by Kruter Photography

Heichal HaTorah holds annual dinner


Building on the
Past Ensuring Our
Future was the
theme of Heichal
H a To r a hs t h i rd
annual dinner on
June 15, when it dedicated its new building at 70 Sterling
Place in Teaneck.
Rabbi Aryeh Stechler, head of school, addresses the
Sarah and Corey
430 dinner attendees.
Tarzik were the
guests of honor,
Suri and Dr. Benjamin Fogelman were the parents of the year, and Nechama and
Teaneck Jewish Center President Isaac Student received the Dor LDor award. The
Bonei HaHeichal award went to the Heichal building committee: its chair, Moshe
Insel; Rabbis Jackie Feigenbaum, Mark Karasick, and Simcha Katz, and Yitzy Karasick
and Gail Stechler. For information, go to HeichalHaTorah.org.
14 Jewish Standard JUNE 24, 2016

Celebrating teen achievements


at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades
The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in
Tenafly recently hosted an end-of-year
banquet to celebrate the achievements
of the teens who are part of the leadership, philanthropy, and social action
programs at the JCC. Those programs
include the Teen Philanthropy Institute, the Middle School Teen Leadership Council, the High School Teen
Leadership Council, and the Commit
Fellowship. A banquet highlight came
when TPI participants presented their
$5,000 in allocations to three charities
they researched and chose to support.
TPI, a two-year program for Jewish
eighth- through tenth-graders, gives
participants in-depth exposure to the
world of philanthropy and fundraising.
Commit, a year-long JCC fellowship
offered in partnership with the Jewish
Federation of Northern New Jersey,
provides teens with the opportunity to

design and execute their own projects


to fight such social injustices as poverty,
homelessness, gender-based violence,
mental health, and more. The annual
JCC Teen Leadership Conferences, held
separately for middle and high school
students in partnership with the Bergen Family Center, allow students from
schools throughout Bergen County to
tackle a multitude of difficult topics and
concerns facing teens today.
The banquet also featured a keynote
address by Valerie Weisler, CEO of the
Validation Project, a global organization that she founded when she was
a teenager. The Validation Project so
far has mentored 6,000 teens in 100
countries, working with its kindness
curriculum to help them overcome
bullying and other struggles.
For information on programs for
teens at the JCC, go to www.jccotp.org.

Artist/student Gavi greets


Jewish Standard publisher
Jamie Janoff, who bought his
artwork at the recent Unique
Inspirations Student Art Show
and Auction. The show was
presented by the Bergen
County-based Sinai Schools
and Bear Givers, a New
York-based organization that
provides children in need with
opportunities to feel the pride
and joy of engaging in acts of
kindness and generosity. All
the artwork was created by
students as part of the PaleyMironov art therapy program
at Sinai Schools.

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National Council of Jewish Women Bergen County Sections executive


committee 
Photos courtesy NCJW

NCJW celebrates installation


The Bergen County section of the
National Council of Jewish Women held
its 93rd annual installation and luncheon
on June 7 at the Estate at Florentine Gardens in River Vale.
Fran Einiger of Hackensack, Marcia
Levy of Englewood, Bea Podorefsky
of Teaneck, and Elaine Pollack of Bergenfield were installed for their second
term as a presidium. Jane Abraham
of Teaneck and Marilynn Friedman of
Tenafly, who will be vice-presidents of
advocacy/education, and Elizabeth Halverstam of Tenafly, who will be vice-president of administration, are the new officers. Board trustees included three new
members: Bari Lynn Schwartz, Phyllis
Grossman-Kaplan, and Joan Ornstein.
Members of NCJW also honored Richard Mingoia, who is the CEO of Youth
Consultation Services, and chapter
members Evalyn Brownstein and Elizabeth Halverstam. Mr. Mingoia received
the prestigious Hannah G. Solomon

Evalyn Brownstein receives NCJWs Woman


of the Section award.

award in recognition of his work to provide care to children with special needs.
He accepted a check for $4,000 for medical equipment for the Holley Center
Infirmary from the NCJW/Renee Guller
bequest fund.
Ms. Brownstein, who lives in Teaneck
and co-chairs NCJW BCSs HIPPY (Home
Instruction for Parents of Pre-School
Youngsters) program as well as the section scholarship committee, received
the Woman of the Section award for
her years of service to the chapter.
Ms. Halverstam was honored with the
Emerging Leader award. State Senate
Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and
Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle,
both NCJW life members, presented the
awardees with resolutions on behalf of
the State Senate and Assembly.
In addition, Estelle Greene, 96,
received a surprise Thrift Shop Volunteer Extraordinaire award for her 55
years of service to the NCJW Thrift Shop.

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Jewish Standard JUNE 24, 2016 15

Rockland

Lets put on a show!


Rockland shul brings talented young Israeli
boarding school students on exchange program
JOANNE PALMER

Some kids start out life with lots of things


stacked up against them and then lots of
other things in their favor.
As Cantor Anna Zhar of Temple Beth
Sholom of New City learned, the children at Yohana Jabotinsky, a governmentfunded boarding school in Rechovot,
Israel, are disadvantaged. Many of them
are immigrants; most who were born in
Israel are the children of parents who were
not. Many start at the high school with the
problems that growing up in poverty often
confer. Many did not speak Hebrew when
they started at the school.
But the thing about the school is that its
for talented kids. Its near the Weizmann
Institute, looks for academically gifted
13- to 18-year-old students, and nurtures
their analytic gifts and scientific ability. It
also seeks out teenagers who are gifted in
music and in the visual arts, and it allows
them and their talents to learn, to
grow, even to flourish.
The students have made aliyah from
all around the world from Russia, other
European countries, Ethiopia, Morocco
Cantor Zhar said. The school does very
good work, she added.
She learned about Yohana Jabotinsky
when she was in Israel for a family wedding. (She officiated at the wedding, her
first Reform wedding in Israel; a fascinating experience but another story, she said.)
One of the relatives in her nieces new family, an Israeli ambassador, took her to the
school. It has about 900 students, and
each child has a story, she said. Not necessarily a happy story they were not all
coming from happy childhoods. But the
school gives them a chance to flourish and

The Israeli visitors performed at Temple Israel on Manhattans Upper East Side.

Cantor Anna Zhar with Yuli Kushnir,


the Israeli schools musical director.

it nurtures their talents, so it gives them a


chance to have a great life in Israel.
She saw one of the schools concerts.
They were doing a Broadway-style show,
with their own sets, that they made,
and they wrote the whole play thats

including book, music, and lyrics and


they performed it. It was amazing. It was
unbelievable.
So I was sitting in the backyard with
my brother and my niece and our new
relatives, after the concert, thinking about
how we could help these kids, and if we
could bring them to the United States,
Cantor Zhar continued. And then came
the idea of the exchange program.
She wanted to bring some students to
New City, where they could perform for
the congregation and its friends, and then
complete the circle by taking some of her
synagogues teens to Israel.
Everyone starts with an idea, but I
never thought that we could pull this
one off, she said. There are so many
exchange programs! And they all require
a lot of money.

Everyone involved in the Israeli teenagers visit guests, hosts, and other volunteers gather outside Temple Beth
Sholom in New City.
TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM

16 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

But she pursued it and it happened.


We went to the ministry of tourism in
Israel, and when I got back I went to all the
past presidents of my congregation, Cantor Zhar said. I met with the rabbi, with
the director of the nursery school, with
the principal of the religious school. And
everyone supported me.
It was a crazy idea, but an amazing
one, and they were all for it.
We started to collect money, and we
purchased tickets for nine children,
she continued. They also brought over a
19-year-old assistant teacher and a voice
coach, as well as two older teachers; 12
people in all.
They came here from April 13 to April
21, and they did their show, which they
wrote themselves, Cantor Zhar said.
They called it Reset Heaven. It was a
modern take on the creation story that
begins the biblical book of Genesis, with
a modern twist. Among many other
changes, the story now included another
day of creation, which involved the
appearance of Google Translator, without
which the world could not stand. It was
hilarious, Cantor Zhar said.
The students were hosted by local Rockland families. The host families included
their own teenagers, which made the
guests feel more at home.
It was one of the best experiences I
have had as a cantor, Cantor Zhar said.
I had never seen such camaraderie at the
temple.
The students gave three performances,
all at Reform synagogues. One was at Beth
Sholom, one at Temple Israel of the City
of New York, on Manhattans Upper East
Side, and one at Temple Sinai in Roslyn
Heights. The second two synagogues both
are huge, and both had contributed to the
students trip.
The students also got to tour New York;
they saw such prime tourist destinations
as the Statue of Liberty and Times Square.
During Thanksgiving week, Beth Sholom will take its own students to Israel,
along with some of their parents, as it fulfills the second part of the exchange program. We are going to stay at the boarding school, and we are going to perform
there, Cantor Zhar said. Her students will
not write their own material, she added.
This makes everything real, she said.
When people see the news about Israel
on TV, all they see is war and the Gaza
Strip. Israel is so much more than that.
The idea was to bring real teenagers, and

Rockland

make a real connection.


Will she do it again? She hopes so, she
said, but it wont be next year. This was
such an overwhelming program, she said.
Our members were moved by it. Because
the workload was so formidable, and the
fundraising demands so steep, though, she
will need some time to regroup. She hopes
that she can try again in a few years.
I also hope that the kids can develop
lifelong relationships through it, she said.
Now, everyone is constantly on Skype
with each other.
This was a chance that the kids from
Israel would never have had if we hadnt
done it. I am very proud of it.
As for her own shuls experience, It
was transforming, she said simply. It was
amazing, and it really was transforming.

The American hosts greeted their guests as the Israelis disembarked at JFK.

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Services under the stars


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The Nanuet Hebrew Center holds its annual start-ofsummer Meet & Mingle Shabbat barbecue tonight,
Friday, June 24. The celebration begins with Tot Shabbat at 5 p.m., barbecue at 5:30, and services under the
stars at 6:30.
The synagogue is at 411 South Little Tor Road, off
exit 10 of the Palisades Interstate Parkway in New
City. For more information, call (845) 708-9181 or go
to www.nanuethc.org.

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18 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

Yosef Dov Gottlieb

Avi Jacob

Monsey men among


Lander valedictorians
Yosef Dov Gottlieb and Avi Jacob, both of Monsey,
were among the five valedictorians honored on May
30 at the Lander Colleges 42nd commencement exercises, held at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center. Both
students graduated from the Lander College of Arts
and Sciences in Flatbush; Lander is part of the Touro
University system.

Save the date


for benefit brunch
The Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance and
Education is planning its annual benefit brunch on
Sunday, November 6, at Rockland Community College in Suffern at 10 a.m. This years honoree is Lillian
Adler. Event chairs are Marsha and Gary Forman, Judy
and Paul Galan, and Lyn and Hank Meyers. For information, call (845) 574-4099 or email holocaustrcc@
gmail.com.

Shabbat at West Point


The mens clubs from the Hudson Valley region of the
Federation of Jewish Mens Clubs host cadets at a Shabbat service and dinner in the West Point Jewish Chapel
on Friday, July 22, at 7 p.m.
Participants, 16 and older, must bring a picture ID to
enter West Point. For information, call Andy Alper at
(845) 638-4634 or email alper5@optonline.net.

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Open House:
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Tuesday, June 14
Wednesday, June 29
Thursday, July 14

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12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

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Minimum Bid $140,000
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Community-wide candlelight
vigil for Orlando victims
A candlelight vigil honoring the memory of the 49 people killed in an Orlando
nightclub on June 12 was held at the
Rockland County Courthouse in New
City on June 15. Organized by Penny
Jennings, the County Commissioner of
Human Rights, and Ed Day, Rockland
Countys chief executive, the vigil drew
representatives from all Rockland faith
communities.

Participants included Rabbi Jeremy


Ruberg of the New City Jewish Center,
who is president of the Rockland Board
of Rabbis; Gary Siepser, CEO of Rockland
Jewish Federation in West Nyack; and
Rabbi Dov Oliver of Rockland Community College. They were joined by representatives from the Nanuet Hebrew Center, the Orangetown Jewish Center, and
the Jewish Federation and Foundation of
Rockland.

Open House:
Thursday, June 9
Monday, June 13
Thursday, June 30
Wednesday, July 13

10:00 am - 12:00 pm
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

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From my spacious apartment and nutritious kosher meals, to the
fabulous Fountain of Youth pool, spa, and fitness center, everything is
right at my fingertips.

Holocaust museum is renovating


The Holocaust Museum & Center for
Tolerance and Education Museum in
Suffern is under renovation. On June 1,
more demolition and the construction
of the new museum and educational
exhibits began. The new museum is
designed to be a formidable educational
institution for students of all ages, at all
levels of Holocaust and human rights
education.

Fall programs include How Trauma


and Resilience Cross Generations, set
for Tuesday, September 20, at 7 p.m.,
at the West Clarkstown Jewish Center
in New City. A community-wide Kristallnacht commemoration will be held on
Wednesday, November 9, at 7 p.m., at
Temple Beth Sholom in New City. For
information, call (845) 574-4099 or go to
www.holocauststudies.org.

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JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 19

Colors

Notes:

Editorial
Summer connections

ts amazing, isnt it? Summer the season of long lazy days, soft golden shadows, the smell of the sea and sunscreen
starts, and that means the days already
have started getting shorter.
Theres probably a deep truth in that, but its
too dispiriting to think about too deeply. Far
better to bask in the sunlight and glory in it.
(And of course to remember that sunscreen.)
Meanwhile, we choose to think about the
summer not as a long slide into darkness but
as the season of connection.
We cannot help but notice that the Standard
has been full of stories of connection recently
really, it always is, but the words gotten a
workout in the past few issues, and we think
we know why.
Its the tribal thing.
We Jews are connected to each other. Its
hard to explain to outsiders, how its not
something we work at, its not something we
have to cultivate, its not something were ever
taught. It just is. We are part of a network, a

TRUTH REGARDLESS OF CONSEQUENCES

small group with ancient roots and an extraordinarily unlikely survival story, and we value
each other for that reason.
Its not as if we dont value people outside
our group. Of course we do. Some of us might
be insular, but some of us are married to nonJews, and very few of us do not count nonJews among our friends and increasingly our
relatives as well. We welcome people who are
Jews by choice into our midst (although, sadly,
some Jews do it grudgingly, although we all are
urged to do it whole-heartedly).
But that atavistic bond that connects us is
so very strong.
Thats why this weeks stories about young
Israelis coming for short stays in Bergen and
Rockland counties, and forging relationships
that have and will continue to last for far longer, are in some senses not at all surprising. Of
course we feel those bonds.
We hope that everyone who shares that
bond considers contributing to the programs
JP
that strengthen them.

Gun culture, here and in Israel

hy is it that we cannot
approach the issue of gun
safety in this country with
anything approaching sanity?
Why, even as the shock waves from the perhaps-all-to-predictable slaughter in Orlando
continue to reverberate, cant we pass any
kind of legislation that would keep guns and
its funny, how the word gun is an oddly
dainty way to describe an automatic assault
rifle, sort of like calling the rope on a gallows
a piece of string out of the hands of people
we do not let on airplanes because we do not
trust them? The lists may not be accurate in
fact probably theyre not but thats not why
all four proposals were defeated.
For more on what its like to carry an assault
weapon, read the op ed on page 22.
Meanwhile, in Israel, where almost all young
men and many young women serve in the
armed forces, and most of them are mandated
to carry weapons, the rate of gun deaths is far

Jewish
Standard
1086 Teaneck Road
Teaneck, NJ 07666
(201) 837-8818
Fax 201-833-4959
Publisher
James L. Janoff
Associate Publisher Emerita
Marcia Garfinkle

below the rate here. Last year, Daniel Gordis


wrote, Americans shot each other 33 times
more often, per capita, than Israelis, despite
the ubiquity of guns in Israel.
Why? According to a column by Ron Kampeas, who develops this argument further,
on page 37, thats because all but 4 percent of
guns in Israel are issued by the military, and
those guns, the soldiers who carry them, and
the way those soldiers use them are governed
by military rules rules the soldiers overwhelmingly obey.
In a country where violence is far more of a
constant threat than it is for more of us here,
guns are not glorified. They are tools, not
symbols.
If only here they were seen as tools, to be
used only as needed, which is rarely; if only they
could be seen as symbols of failure the familiars of such loser-killers as Adam Lanza, Dylann
Root, and Omar Mateen rather than of freedom, we all would be infinitely better off. JP

Editor
Joanne Palmer
Associate Editor
Larry Yudelson
Guide/Gallery Editor
Beth Janoff Chananie
About Our Children Editor
Heidi Mae Bratt

thejewishstandard.com
20 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

Correspondents
Warren Boroson
Lois Goldrich
Abigail K. Leichman
Miriam Rinn
Dr. Miryam Z. Wahrman
Advertising Director
Natalie D. Jay
Classified Director
Janice Rosen

Gays in Muslim countries


face annihilation

e continue to learn
new information
about Omar Mateen,
the man who carried
out the massacre in the Orlando
nightclub, but many questions
remain unanswered. They may
never be answered, bec ause
we are unable to question the
murderer.
We dont know at this point, for
example, if he took Islams teachings about homosexuals literally
and acted on them, or if he had
some other motivation. Nevertheless, this tragedy must
bring out into the
open the serious antigay bigotry and persecution of homosexuals found in much of
the Islamic world.
B r i t i s h f i l m m a kers went undercover
at the London Central Mosque, consid- Rabbi
Shmuley
ered one of the most
prestigious in Britain, Boteach
to see if its imams
preached something
different privately, that clashed
with the moderate image they
projected in public. The documentary exposed imams teaching the
faithful that God orders them to
kill homosexuals.
This was taught in Western
Europe. Imagine what Muslims
learn in madrassas in the Middle
East. Saudi Arabia produces textbooks used inside and outside
the kingdom that teach that the
punishment for homosexuality is
death. One book quotes Ibn Qudamah, who said, The companions

of the Prophet were unanimous


on killing, although they differed in the description, that is,
in the manner of killing. Some of
the companions of the Prophet
stated that [a homosexual] is to be
burned with fire. It has also been
said that he should be stoned, or
thrown from a high place.
Obama may call ISIS thugs. To
their mind they are Muslims acting
according to their beliefs, which
has led them to execute at least 30
homosexuals. At least three gay
men were thrown off the top of a
building in Mosul.
This punishment is
consistent with the
views of Sheikh Yusuf
al-Qaradawi, one of
the most influential
Sunni clerics. When
asked how homosexuals should be treated,
he said, Some say we
should throw them
from a high place, like
God did with the people of Sodom. Some
say we should burn
them.The important thing is to
treat this act as a crime.
Homosexuals may be sentenced
to death under Islamic law in 12
countries, including Iran, Yemen,
Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Some of our Arab allies, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar have
similar laws. Homosexuality is illegal in 64 other countries, including Egypt, Syria, and Oman. Last
month a group of 51 Muslim states
blocked 11 gay and transgender
organizations from attending a UN
meeting on ending AIDS.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach of Englewood is the founder of the World Values


Network and the author of 30 books, including his forthcoming The Israel
Warriors Handbook. Follow him on Twitter @RabbiShmuley.

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Production Manager
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Founder
Morris J. Janoff (19111987)
Editor Emeritus
Meyer Pesin (19011989)
City Editor
Mort Cornin (19151984)
Editorial Consultant
Max Milians (1908-2005)
Secretary
Ceil Wolf (1914-2008)
Editor Emerita
Rebecca Kaplan Boroson

,
f
t

y
a

f
f

,
.
-

r
N

Opinion

Houdini whodunit
Who speaks out for gay Muslims? There was
a Washington-based organization (it couldnt be
located in the Muslim world), al-Fatiha, which
claimed to be the principal international organization promoting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender Arabs. The group dissolved in
2011.
In the Palestinian Authority homosexuality is
taboo, and gays often fear for their lives. Palestinian police keep files on homosexuals, blackmailing them into working as spies and informants. In
February, a gay Hamas commander was tortured
and executed by his organization for moral violations. Meanwhile, Western advocates for Palestinian rights are silent about the mistreatment of
homosexuals in the West Bank and Gaza.
According to lawyer Shaul Gannon, of the Israeli
LGBT organization Aguda, around 2,000 homosexuals from the Palestinian territories live in Tel Aviv
at any one time. Many flee to the one country in
the Middle East where gays are not only tolerated
but protected by law Israel. Yes, the country Palestinians are taught from birth to vilify is a haven
for Muslims whose only crime is their attraction to
someone of the same sex.
Even in a country where Orthodox Jews play a
major role in shaping the laws and mores of society,
Israel is one of the most gay-friendly countries in
the world, and Tel Aviv is one of the favorite destinations for gay travelers.
This does not mean Orthodox Judaism condones
homosexuality. But unlike parts of the Muslim
world, Israel fully protects LGBT rights.
As for the Jewish position on homosexuality, I
have long argued that the Bible consists of 613
commandments. One of them is that a man should
marry and have children, and another is that a
man should avoid gay sex with another man. That
leaves 611 commandments for gay men to observe.
That should keep them pretty busy. Homosexuality
should be treated like lighting fire on the Sabbath
or eating non-kosher foods, both biblical prohibitions. Eating shellfish also is called an abomination, as homosexuality is. The word abomination
appears more than 100 times in the Bible, only
twice referring to homosexuality. Moreover, as I
have written at length elsewhere, the prohibition
of homosexuality is not a moral sin but a religious
sin, akin to, say, eating on Yom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement, as there is no injured innocent party.
Clearly not all Muslims accept the anti-gay teachings of their faith, and even if they do, most do not
act on them. Omar Mateen may, however, be one
of those who took these instructions literally. Pretending, as President Obama does, that Islam does
not teach bigotry or promote violence enables Muslim extremists to spread their message and inspire
other Omar Mateens to kill and maim homosexuals
and other innocents of all faiths.

The opinions expressed in this section


are those of the authors,
not necessarily those of the newspapers editors,
publishers, or other staffers.
We welcome letters to the editor. Send them to
jstandardletters@gmail.com.

y son was about 8 or 9 when we had our first


family outing to Six Flags Great Adventure in
Jackson.
As I recall, it was his first time in the amusement park, and my first time as well. And I was pleased to
discover, soon after entering, an attraction called Houdinis
Great Escape. It paled in comparison to anything that can
be found at one of Disneys or Universals theme parks, but
I was happy to have the opportunity to introduce my son to
the great Jewish showman Harry Houdini.
Houdini was a household name when I was growing up,
immediately recognizable as the world-famous escape artist
of a bygone era. The fact that Houdini was Jewish also was
well known, especially within the Jewish community.
Houdinis fame persisted long after his death in 1926, at
Stone Walls Do Not a Prison Make For Houdini,
the age of 52, but it began to fade in the waning years of the
this 1898 publicity photo from Famous Players-Lasky
20th century. I wonder how many millennials have heard
tells us. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, MCMANUS-YOUNG COLLECTION.
of him these days. For that reason, I applaud Six Flags for
keeping his memory alive. I am particularly grateful to all
Harvey Keitel, Norman Mailer, and Adrien Brody. In this
those who protested when Great Adventure closed the ride
role, Weston looks Jewish, but not in a way that might be
in 2008, and convinced Six Flags to bring it back in 2011.
deemed stereotypical or particularly overt. His speech
We bought my son a hamster about a month or two after
does not feature any obvious form of Jewish (or Hungarour trip to the amusement park, and I asked him what name
ian) accent, although it does strike me as very
he wanted to give to his pet. He answered,
similar to the kinds of voices I hear at my conHarry. I smiled and said, So you want to
gregation. In short, in this series, the fact that
name him after Harry Houdini? No, he
Houdini is Jewish is downplayed significantly
replied. After Harry Potter.
but it is not entirely absent.
I immediately realized that Houdinis Great
Houdini & Doyle is a TV version of the
Escape made a much greater impression on
buddy film genre, a type of narrative espeme than it did on him, and that there was no
cially commonplace in American popular culcompeting with the young adult novels by J. K
ture, no doubt due to the diversity of AmeriRowling, and even more so with the Warner
can society. Thats because it depends on
Bros. film adaptations, with their amazing speDr. Lance
cial effects, which made magic seem real. This
strange bedfellows, or if you prefer Neil Simon
Strate
amounts to a bit of a reversal, as stage magito Will Shakespeare, an odd couple team-up.
cians produced some of the first special effects
The buddies often contrast opposing qualities
to appear in early cinema.
rich and poor, white and black, male and
Houdini himself started out as an illusionist performing
female, young and old, professional and amateur, and so on.
in vaudeville, before achieving widespread fame by specialThe great French anthropologist Claude Lvi-Strauss,
izing as an escapologist. He also starred in a few silent films
argues that a cultures myths are ways of symbolizing significant polar oppositions, and scholars analyzing popular culbetween 1906 and 1923, but he did not enjoy the same success on the screen as he did in live performance.
ture, such as Arthur Asa Berger, have applied this approach
Significantly, Houdini was devoted to stage magic as a
to film, television, and other media. Looking at Houdini &
profession, and led the Society of American Magicians as
Doyle through this lens can be quite revealing.
president of that organization for almost a decade, his tenTo begin, Houdini is American and Doyle is British,
ure cut short by his untimely death. The society pays for
Houdini is ethnic while Doyle is a white Anglo-Saxon Protthe maintenance and care of Houdinis grave site, which is
estant (WASPs are an ethnicity, of course, but traditionally
in the Machpelah Cemetery in Queens. The monument disthey are presented as non-ethnic in American popular culplays both his stage name, Houdini, and his actually family
ture), and Houdini is an American immigrant while Doyle
name, Weiss; he was born Erik Weisz in Budapest, the son
is native to Britain. (The show is set in London.) Houdinis
of a rabbi, and was only about 4 years old when his family
background is not emphasized in the first few episodes,
emigrated to the United States. Thats when Erik Weisz was
but in the third episode, In Manus Dei, he falls ill and
changed to the German version, Erich Weiss.
his mother, who has accompanied him on his travels and
Though Houdini died almost 90 years ago, his name
speaks with a noticeable accent, gives him chicken soup as a
recently has been resurrected on television with the airing
cure. Her character, Houdinis own devotion to her, and the
of Houdini & Doyle, a series launched last month on Fox.
insecurity associated with being an immigrant is featured
Its based on the actual friendship between the great escapmore prominently in episode 5, The Curse of Korzha, and
ologist and Arthur Conan Doyle, the British author best
the fact that Houdini is Jewish is discussed briefly in episode
known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes. While drawing
6, The Monsters of Nethermoor.
on bits and pieces of historical fact, essentially the series is
On the one hand, it is quite positive that a Jewish-American immigrant can serve as a symbol of an American in
fictional and full of anachronisms, blurring the line between
general. On the other hand, Houdinis Jewishness mainly is
fiction and nonfiction in ways that have become quite common in recent decades. The central fiction is that Houdini,
reflected in his being a victim of prejudice, as he reveals in
who is performing in London, teams up with Doyle to solve
episode 6. This also makes him a champion of tolerance,
mysteries that baffle the police.
as he defends another character facing discrimination and
In this new series, Michael Weston (ne Michael
scapegoating, which is commendable. But in this respect,
Rubinstein, grandson of Arthur Rubinstein) became the
there is no contrast with Doyle, who is sympathetic, albeit
most recent of at least a dozen actors to have portrayed
revealed as never having been the victim of bias, while the
SEE HOUDINI PAGE 27
Harry Houdini. His predecessors include Tony Curtis,
JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 21

Opinion

Shooting an M-14
A one-time reservist on using an assault weapon

hen I arrived at Fort Dix in


the winter of 1965 to start
basic training, I probably
did so with fewer apprehensions than many recruits. Even though
the fighting in Vietnam was heating up and
I had never fired a weapon before, my fortunate status as an Army reservist guaranteed me a return to civilian life after only six
months of active duty.
I recall this now because my immersion in
the military still wasnt enough to prepare me
for the ongoing carnage from gun violence.
Army training helped galvanize my views
on keeping firearms away from people who
didnt need them, or were unqualified to use
them. It made me respect the destructive
power of weaponry and worry about assault
rifles falling into the hands of the unstable or
of terrorists. Yet what has been happening
domestically exceeds every norm to which I
was accustomed.
More Orlandos may be in the offing as the
gridlocked gun-control debate rages on. On
Monday night, the Senate shot down four
fairly reasonable competing proposals to
prevent gun ownership by people on the nofly list. Politics, posturing, and the specter
of the NRA in the background preordained
the outcome. It is in this volatile, depressing
context that I offer up my own experiences
and thoughts on our pre-eminent national
nightmare.
Following graduation from Rutgers School
of Journalism in May 1964, I began work as
a reporter for a North Jersey daily. The only
intangible in my life then was the draft. I

wanted to pursue my new profession and felt


distanced from Vietnam politically and culturally. But the real possibility of ending up
there weighed heavily on my career-building
mind.
One respectable route to avoid conscription was to join the National Guard or Army
Reserve. But no units in the area seemed to
have openings. Apparently most guys my age
facing Vietnam service had the same idea.
Reports surfaced daily about thousands of
dollars exchanging hands between Guard
and Reserve recruiters and young men desperate to buy into slots or be advanced on
waiting lists. And relocating to Canada was
definitely not an option.
In November 1964 I passed the Army physical and told my parents and my editors that
I could be leaving for boot camp any day.
Then, providentially, a friend called and said
he had found an Army Reserve unit in Morris
Plains, located midpoint between Greystone
Park hospital and the Rabbinical College of
America. The unit was discharging World
War II, Korea, and Berlin crisis veterans who
had either reached their pension requirements or wanted no part of the ferment in
Southeast Asia.
My friend and I beelined to the reserve center. My sudden good fortune improved even
more when the warrant officer in charge,
amiably named Mr. Peach, informed me that
I was to become company clerk because of
my typing and word skills. Why, the colonel
might even need me to polish his reports.
And, in a final fillip, Mr. Peach said I was to
be inducted one pay grade above the lowest

infantrys basic assault weapon. The Army


private, because of my two years ROTC at
took rifle training very seriously, and for
Rutgers.
the next three weeks the recruits would be
I quickly took the oath and practically
immersed in every aspect of caring for and
floated out of the General Brehon Somervell
mastering our new best friend.
USAR Center. No money had changed hands,
Developed as the successor to the
a cushy clerks job awaited, the possibility of
renowned M-1 of the Second World War, the
Vietnam assignment virtually vanished, and
M-14 was considered by some experts as comthe prospect of monthly meetings and twopromise hardware designed to accept the 7.62
week summer camps until 1970 wouldnt
mm cartridge used by all NATO nations. Othinterfere with my journalism ambitions.
ers, however, saw its commonality as a virAt 22, I was one of the oldest guys in my
tue in the era of defense by alliance. RegardFort Dix recruit company. My college years
less, it could be fired in both automatic and
conditioned me to refer to the new red brick
semi-automatic modes, was lighter than the
barracks as dorms, a fact First Sergeant Frank
M-1, accepted its clip underA. Bagnato failed to appreciate. My ROTC training, which
neath the barrel as opposed
I declined to continue past
to the top-down M-1 slot, and
my sophomore year because
produced less recoil than its
of electives I wanted to take,
predecessor.
stood me in good stead initially
But it was manufactured for
with drill, military courtesy,
a European war against Soviet
and the rudiments of Army life.
bloc troops, not jungle combat
When I made the decision
pitting U.S. draftees against
not to commit to the final two
guerrillas and North VietnamJonathan E.
ese cadres fighting on their
years of officer training and its
Lazarus
home turf with the superior
attendant financial aid, Vietnam wasnt even in my geoChinese-model Kalashnikov
graphical awareness. Besides,
AK-47.
my extended family was practically devoid of
We trainees didnt know it then, but the
any military tradition. Dad had a brief fling
United States was developing the high-tech
in the New York National Guard in the 1920s
(for its time) M-16 to outgun the AK-47. It
before being separated for joining up underwouldnt reach our troops in Vietnam until
age. My uncles served long stints in World
1970 and immediately encountered teething
War II, one as a doctor stationed stateside,
problems because of its tendency to jam if
the second as a MASH unit technician in Italy,
not kept spotlessly clean. The Army solved
and the third as a quartermaster in Europe.
the defect with a massive education campaign and issued new maintenance kits to all
With the exception of the latter, my Uncle
the troops.
Hesh, they definitely werent blood-and-guts
The civilian model of this assault weapon
types.
was marketed as the AR-15. With its variants,
As we entered the third week of basic training, the tone and atmosphere changed as we
add-ons, and European counterparts, all sold
began classroom instruction in the M-14, the
or available freely (often illegally) within our

Fighting BDS with the facts

eing a producer, it is natural for


me to have great affection for
film. But more and more, I find
there to be lessons for today in
the most surprising places. Who remembers
the following verse?
Lets start at the very beginning,
A very good place to start.
When you read you begin with A B C
When you sing you begin with Do Re Me
Sound familiar? These lyrics are part of the
collective memory of anyone who has lived
in the United States during the last 56 years.
Of course, Do Re Me is a song from a Rogers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound
of Music. This song has been taught countless times to children starting in pre-school.
Though it is carefree and fun, it has left an
indelible mark upon us.
So why has this admittedly light-hearted
song been playing in my head since attending the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
conference at the United Nations earlier this
month? What is the connection? Yes, Oscar
22 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

Hammerstein was known for his commitment to fighting injustice, and using his work
to express what he thought was important.
Who can forget Youve Got To Be Carefully
Taught from South Pacific, exposing the
truth that prejudice is taught, not something
you are born with. That just one of so many
other songs and musical librettos he wrote
dealing with serious social issues.
But Do Re Me?
Puzzling, yes. Yet after some thought, I
understood.
Underlying all allegations by the BDS
movement is the so-called fact that Israel
is the child of colonization and occupation.
After all, the Jews of Europe were given land
stolen by the Europeans after the Holocaust
in order to assuage European guilt. The Jews
therefore are interlopers in the land that
belonged to the Arabs and, as such, they
oppress the indigenous population. Through
BDS we can right this wrong, fight the Jewish oppressors, and give back the land to the
rightful, oppressed owners.

Those who know the history


of the Jewish people in the land
of Israel understand that this is
a completely false narrative,
and many great organizations
have been working hard to stop
it from gaining momentum.
There is evidence to suggest
that the divestment resolutions
Martha
being presented on college
Cohen
campuses today are not an end
in themselves but a strategy to
begin to indoctrinate the uninformed, determining their future actions,
and eventually United States policy. Thats
because those students will become influential in the decades to come.
The people behind the BDS movement
are serious and strategic. We know about
notorious cases at universities including
Rutgers, UC Irvine, Columbia, and Michigan, but what about the propaganda that is
being spread more subtly in classes and at
campus events with professors who support

the BDS movement but do not


advertise that fact? Some have
affixed their names to divestment petitions, but that is not
always the case.
For instance, this year, there
was a program at a New Jersey university called War and
Occupation, Broken Promises
to Refugees from Palestine to
Syria featuring side-by-side
photos. One was captioned
Syrians having been forced to
flee their homes and the other said since the
1948 UN partition of Palestine and the forced
exile, known as the Nakba, Palestinians have
been trying to return to their ancestral homeland. The panelists were to discuss these
tragic histories and explore the themes of
betrayal and broken promises in light of these
two ongoing humanitarian crises. One of the
panelists, a professor at the university, is a signatory to a BDS petition, although you would
have to do a web search to learn this. Another

Opinion
borders, these weapons of unrestrained firepower were used to withering effect in Newtown, Aurora, San Bernardino, Fort Hood,
Columbine, Orlando, and other places that
have received less publicity.
This litany of heartbreaking events
remained decades away as my company
began M-14 training, huddled against the
Fort Dix chill in huts with coal-fired stoves.
I had heard rumors (and basic training was
rife with all kinds) that the Army still tried
to force lefties to learn right-side firing for
uniformitys sake, and to avoid the crossover bolt stringencies of the old M-1, but this
proved unfounded. I was allowed to proceed
southpaw.
The classes, presented by noncoms of
varying teaching abilities, often proved
numbing. Coal fumes permeated the hut,
and being short on sleep didnt help our
alertness. But somehow during that week we
managed to learn the complexities of firing
positions, breathing control, sighting down
the barrel, the contact point between hand
and cheek, and the weapons component
parts and maintenance. We soon were able
to break down and reassemble the M-14 with
confidence.
Sgt. Bagnato, a veteran of World War II
and Korea, almost took my head off during an inspection when he found rust in my
trigger-housing assembly. He tugged me into
the latrine by the ear, muttering something
along the way about college boys. Then he
showed me, quite counterintuitively, how to
run hot water over the part and wash away
the rust. He barked out that I was to oil the
mechanism as soon as I got back to the squad
bay.
The following week we were trucked to
the snow-covered rifle ranges of Fort Dix
and spent the next five days zeroing in our

weapons and honing marksmanship from


various firing positions at varying distances,
always expressed in meters. The M-14 began
to feel comfortable as well as lethal. Although
it was too cold to bivouac, the Army insisted
on serving us complete hot meals in the field,
resulting in the gravy congealing on the pot
roast before the ice cream cup was dumped
on top of it.
My closest brush with disaster came that
Friday, when I suddenly broke out in fever
and spots while on the range. Sgt. Bagnato
hustled me off to the base hospital, still muttering about college boys. Much to my dismay, I was diagnosed with German measles.
But two days later I sneaked out of Walson
Army Hospital and stole back to my unit,
wobbly but determined not to miss out on
record firing. If I did, I would be recycled
to zero week, and that would have been
intolerable.
The bout with rubella left me groggy and
bleary eyed. In the record-fire exercise,
I did the best I could with a weapon I now
respected but did not fear. My score qualified me as sharpshooter, the middle designation between expert and marksman.
In morale-boosting Army nomenclature,
those who fared poorest still graduated as
marksman.
The M-14 held one more surprise for me.
The first time I pulled the trigger in night firing, an angry yellow-blue flame flared out
the sides of the barrel. I thought for sure
the weapon imploded. Instead, a sergeant
told me that the slotted flash suppressor had
done its job brilliantly, in both literal and
figurative terms. Until that moment, I never
quite realized the explosive force and energy
expended in just one squeeze of the trigger.
After Fort Dix, I was sent to clerk school at
Fort Polk, Louisiana. The only weapon I used

professor was the moderator but a review


of the other panelists made one wonder why
a moderator would be needed.
At the same university, another professor
has resurrected Edward Said, dead more
than a decade, via video, in an introductory
International Relations class, no less. The students did not know who Said was, or that his
views were, at best, controversial, and he is
presented as an expert, with the implication
that his teachings should not be questioned.
Many students with no prior background,
with no alternative views presented, would
not even know what questions to ask.
The indoctrination is insidious. As Buddha
said, a jug is filled drop by drop.
Most people who do know the history
and this includes the Jewish community
are part of the baby boomer generation and
older. But with all the support that comes
from the many organizations that fight
against BDS, why is the movement still gaining ground with our young people?
And then I understood why this song
had been echoing inside my head since
the conference. How many people choose
not to engage in the fight because the

preponderance of information can seem


overwhelming? In other words, it seems like
they are in the advanced class, when they
havent taken the first lesson yet.
And thus the brilliance of Do Re Me.
We need to start at the very beginning.
By identifying a few basic facts that go
directly to the underpinnings of the BDS
movement, we can make serious strides
in the eradication of this dangerous
propaganda.
Lets ask everyone rabbis, Jewish leaders,
organizations, youth groups, and our families
to commit to communicating these three
facts to our Jewish community throughout
the upcoming year, 5777 (2016-2017), and
then ask them to reach out to their friends,
neighbors, teachers, and community leaders of all backgrounds so we can pre-empt
the false narrative from taking hold due to
ignorance.
The three facts are:
Israel was not created in 1948, it was
re-established.
The Jewish people crossed into the land
after they left Egyptian slavery circa 1250 BCE
and established a kingdom, initially led by

there was an old Remington the typewriter,


that is. Back at the reserve center, we drilled
with carbines and then added bayonets for
riot control formations. Mercifully, my unit
was never activated for any of the disorders
plaguing Jersey cities in the summer of 1967.
Five years passed, and as my enlistment
neared its end, the unit received full-fledged
M-1s as the result of some inexplicable Army
equipment shuffle. We convoyed to Fort
Dix and spent the day on those same frozen
ranges where I trained originally. In the morning, we received the shorthand M-1 course
and zeroed in the weapon. In the afternoon,
unit members were issued unlimited clips of
World-War II ammunition and told to pop off
as many rounds as they wanted because the
ordnance was getting unstable. An orgy of
mindless firing ensued.
That was the last time I ever handled a firearm. In the ensuing 46 years, I have, thankfully, never experienced the urge to do so, or
to own a gun or rifle for either home protection or hunting. I belong to the school that
believes that we would inadvertently shoot
ourselves in the foot when confronting an
intruder at night. As far as hunting goes, I prefer meat from the supermarket and observing the beauty of wildlife with my eyes, not
through the sights of a rifle. (This, though, is
pushed to the limit when I spot deer nibbling
my shrubs.)
I believe pretty much in any legislation
that makes owning a weapon more difficult.
I want the lapsed national law that banned
assault rifles reinstated. I want loopholes
closed for straw buyers at gun shows and
online. I want the unevenness between state
laws ironed out so that interstate trafficking is
dealt with. I want better background checks,
longer waiting periods, law enforcement
computers that actually talk to each other

and keep the worst of the worst from acquiring firearms.


I also want mental health screening
ramped up and educational programs
broadened. I want concealed-carrying gun
laws overturned. And I want the latest safety
technology and childproof smart guns fully
developed and marketed. Mostly though, I
want the gun culture in this country changed,
and the National Rifle Association cut down
to size.
In short, I want it all, but in this political climate I will take practically anything I can get.
Actually, on the day the Senate faltered with
the no fly-no buy bills, the U.S. Supreme
Court rejected a challenge to Connecticuts
strict post-Newtown gun controls. So there
may be glimmers.
As I watched the horror of Orlando
unfold, with the cumulative distress of all
the incidents that proceeded it, I reacted
with both fury and sadness. President
Obama has had to comfort the survivors of
mass shootings and the victims families 15
times in his tenure. And Americans were
wrenched through the collective grieving
process once again.
We should be a nation of people, not of
guns, but we are in danger of a deadly priorities reversal. The New Jersey legislature now
is poised to try to override the governors
veto of a measure to prohibit weapons sales
to domestic abusers. If they succeed, it would
be the first time lawmakers trumped Governor Christie.
The legislation is a modest, logical proposal. But since when did modest and logic
intersect with gun control?
Jonathan E. Lazarus of West Orange is a
proofreader for the Jewish Standard and a
former news editor of the Star-Ledger.

Mary Martin and friends in publicity shot for the original Broadway production of
The Sound of Music.

King Saul circa 1020 BCE. Jewish exile dates


back to the destruction of the Second Temple
in 70 CE.
Jews are indigenous to the land of Israel.
Jewish communities predate both Christian and Muslim history.
The Temple Mount is the holiest site in
Judaism.
It is the site of Mount Moriah, understood to be the spot where Abraham
brought Isaac as a sacrifice. That act
which he was not allowed to complete
was, in essence, the beginning of the Jewish people, and why both Temples were

built on this very site.


These three facts are not overwhelming,
but they go to the heart of the BDS argument. A key foundation is no longer missing, enabling more elaborate information
to be absorbed and shared. A foundation
that makes clear that Israel is the home of
the Jewish people.
And everyone deserves a home, right?
Its as simple as Do Re Me.
Martha Cohen is an award-winning producer
and creative executive. She lives in Fort Lee
with her husband and son.
JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 23

Opinion

Orlando atrocity highlights Americas divisions

n the days since the


massacre of 49 people
and the wounding of
hundreds more by an
Islamist gunman at Pulse,
a gay nightclub in Orlando,
Americas political leadership
has sounded more discordant
than ever.
Ben Cohen
Never mind the absence of
a bipartisan consensus about
what we should do; our politicians are engaged in unsightly squabbling about the
nature of the problem itself.
In one corner, we have the Democratic Party, led
by President Barack Obama, aggressively steering the
national debate toward gun control. According to this
camps account, there was this vague, slippery phenomenon known as hatred that prodded and pushed the
febrile mind of gunman Omar Mateen, but what really
matters is the fact that he legally purchased an assault
rifle to carry out his bestial attack.
In the other corner, we have presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and his rainbow coalition of the angry, the cheated, and the merely racist.
Listening to Trump again advocating for a ban on Muslims entering this country, you could easily picture the
many Republicans who gladly would transfer to a parallel universe where a Marco Rubio or a Ted Cruz or even a
Jeb Bush is leading their partys response to the Orlando
massacre. That they are stuck with Trump after eight
years of the Obama administration tells you all you need
to know about how the American conversation about
national security has degenerated.
It can and should be recognized that there are many
legitimate concerns bound up with the Orlando bloodbath: access to guns, immigration policy, the ugly persistence of homophobia, the vulnerability of soft targets
like clubs and restaurants, the fetish for violence that is a
feature of nearly all extremist ideologies and individual
pathologies. But none of these particular aspects should
divert us from appraising the root cause of all thisthat
is, Islamism.
Depressingly, this argument should be obvious, but
it isnt. Most Americans have known since 9/11 that
Islamism, whether in its constitutional Muslim Brotherhood guise, or its Shia Iranian variant, or in the Sunni
version that has spawned both al-Qaeda and Islamic
State, is founded on the principle that coexistence with
Western civilization and its values should be opposed
at all costs. It is violently anti-Semitic, violently homophobic, and violently anti-democratic, and it cannot be
anything else. These core precepts explain why Mateen
was able to declare support for the Shia terrorist group
Hezbollah as well as the Sunni Islamic State.
Yet everywhere this understanding of Islamisms
essence, reinforced by each attack, is compromised by
parochial agendas. To listen to many Democrats, youd
think that Islamic State was just one of several extremist
groups native to America, rather than a creation of the
Middle East region (specifically, of the power vacuum in
the region left by the Americans, and filled by the Russians and the Iranians). That, of course, brings us neatly
to matters like gun control, hate speech, bullying, and
all the other progressive bugbears. Most importantly,
it means we can avoid a discussion about our foreign
policy and ignore the reality that Islamic State is a global
phenomenon that has struck in Paris and Brussels as
well as in Orlando.
24 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

In Manhattan, a vigil for the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting.

Trump is no better. He, too, wants to present the


Islamist threat as a domestic issue, with his solution
involving a ban on Muslims entering the country instead
of more restrictions on gun ownership. The corollary
of this offensive, lazy, and downright stupid proposal
is that we leave the policing of the Middle East to Russian dictator President Vladimir Putin, the one foreign
leader idolized by Trump. That means, at least in the
short term, the further empowerment of the Iranian
regime and its Syrian puppet, President Bashar al-Assad.
Where would that leave the United States? That depends
on who you think is better placed to manage and leverage the next evolutions in the Middle Eastern balance of
powera former KGB officer, or a reality TV star whose
hair would fall out at the first crackle of gunfire. And if
your answer is Hillary Clinton, Im afraid that only generates another set of difficult questions, among them
whether she can get tough with our enemies with the
progressive wing of the Democratic Party breathing down
her neck, and how she would sell a future foreign military
engagement to the American public with the disastrous
intervention in Libya on her record.
This is the reality that we must deal with: two presidential candidatesone compromised by her past
record, the other a vulgar neophytecompeting for the
votes of a deeply polarized nation. No longer do terrible
events like the Orlando atrocity bring us together. To
the contrary, they shine a blinding light on our political
divisions.
In times of grief, it is natural to seek comfort. In the
wake of Orlando, though, comfort is in scant supply.
There are no soothing words to offer, nor is there much

ELISA S VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Never mind the


absence of a bipartisan
consensus about what
we should do; our
politicians are engaged
in unsightly squabbling
about the nature of the
problem itself.
prospect of a positive change in policy on the horizon.
All that is visible are the threats: more terrorist attacks
here and in Europe, the collapse of the nuclear non-proliferation regime inside and outside the Middle East, the
continued flow of refugees from Syrias brutal civil war.
Most of all, our real enemies will multiply outside our
borders while we obsess about the phantom enemies,
from transgender celebrities to Muslim taxi drivers,
JNS.ORG
within them.
Ben Cohen, senior editor of TheTower.org and the
Tower magazine, writes a weekly column for JNS.org on
Jewish affairs and Middle Eastern politics. His writings
have been published in Commentary, the New York
Post, Haaretz, the Wall Street Journal, and many other
publications.

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In Biblical times, the entire Jewish nationadults, children


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This year is a Hakhel year, and although the mitzvah is only


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JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 25

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Come play with us and join the fun to enrich the lives
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of golf or one of our exciting womens events including
your choice of Tennis, Mah Jongg, Bridge, Canasta or
Rummi-Q, a delicious brunch, dinner reception, and
sensational online and live auctions.
For more information, please contact Michal Kleiman
at 201.408.1412 or mkleiman@jccotp.org.
Mon, Aug 1, Alpine Country Club, Demarest, NJ
Visit jccotp.org/golf

Incredible Camp+Summer Swim


Club & Gym For Your Whole
Family=Win Win!
Sign up for 1 week or more of our incredible
summer camps and be eligible for a Camp Family
Membership with full use of the JCC for only $750,
or just $250 for those new to the JCC!
Visit jccotp.org/camps for all of our camp offerings
for children 2-18 years. Camps run 9 am-4 pm and
are ALL-INCLUSIVE! Transportation and extended
care options available.
Hurry camps are filling up. Call 201.408.1448 for
membership details.

children

Kids Club
after school picK-up service and
childcare program, grades K-6

Let us handle the end of the day craziness for you!


We provide doorto-door transportation, snack, and
homework help. If your child is enrolled in an after
school class, well escort them to that too. Kids Club
is a terrific place to unwind with lots of games, books,
and open playtime. Call 201.408.1467 for details.
Mon-Thur, Sep-Jun, after school-6 pm
to register or for more info, visit

jccotp.org or call 201.569.7900.

JCC on the Palisades taub campus | 411 e clinton ave, tenafly, nJ 07670 | 201.569.7900 | jccotp.org

26 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

Jewish World
Houdini
FROM PAGE 21

third main character, Constable Adelaide Stratton, Scotland Yards first policewoman (an anachronism), also
is subjected to significant prejudice and therefore is in
favor of tolerance.
Having viewed seven out of the 10 episodes that
comprise the first season of the program, a joint British, Canadian, and American production, I would have
wanted to see Houdinis Jewishness reflect something
more than ethnicity and open-mindedness. I would have
liked it to reflect as well some aspect of his religious heritage. But of course that would undercut his role as a
symbol of Americans in general.
Other contrasts come into play. Houdini is a famous
and self-promoting entertainer, while Doyle enjoys the
quieter esteem accorded as an author, one somewhat
embarrassed by the popularity of his Sherlock Holmes
stories. Houdinis success makes him relatively affluent
and his brashness marks him as nouveau riche, while
Doyle is the model of upper-middle-class propriety, as
befits a physician. (Thats his day job.) There is a bit of
a contrast between low and high culture, between the
sensationalism of the popular performer and the reserve
of the man of letters, which also maps onto the egalitarianism of American society and the elitism of the British
(Doyle eventually receives a knighthood). Its also the

contrast between the rags-to-riches story of the ethnic


immigrant and the conservative narrative of old money.
Additionally, there is a contrast between Houdinis
physicality, as an escape artist and also as a fighter, and
Doyles cerebral quality.
The major opposition on which the program turns,
however, is between Houdini as a skeptic and rationalist
and Doyle as a believer and spiritualist. While the belief
that it is possible to communicate with the spirits of the
dead is age-old King Saul speaks to the ghost of Samuel in the Tanach the spiritualism movement began
in the 19th century. It was inspired in large part by the
ethereal (but decidedly earthly) form of communication
introduced by the invention of the telegraph, and later
by messages sent over the air by radio.
Doyle actually was an ardent believer in spiritualism.
He believed in it so strongly that this difference of opinion eventually brought his friendship with Houdini to
an end. And Houdini actually was firmly committed to
debunking anyone claiming to have psychic powers or
the ability to communicate with the dead, invariably
revealing them as scam artists using the same methods
as stage magicians.
Houdini & Doyle draws on these historic facts to
set up the programs main opposition. Its similar to
The X-Files, except that Gillian Andersons Dr. Dana
Scully was the skeptic and David Duchovnys Fox Mulder was the believer. Doyles scientific background as a

physician does come into play when he solves mysteries, but it does not prevent him from believing in psychic phenomena. Interestingly, Houdinis and Doyles
roles are reversed in The Monsters of Nethermoor, but
only because the unearthly phenomenon being investigated is, in fact, alien beings, and Houdini is willing to
believe in the scientific notion that life on other planets
is possible.
Houdini, then, comes across as something of a 20th
century Spinoza, a modern secular humanist, in contrast to Doyles apparent superstition. And the episodes
clearly favor science over spiritualism, while portraying
both buddies as sympathetic characters. Here too, however, I would wish for something more than rejection
of belief on Houdinis part. Id have liked some positive
expression of Jewish faith, its emphasis on ethics, even
a touch of true spirituality.
Still, I applaud the shows creators for bringing the
spirit of Houdini back to life and with renewed vigor.
This doesnt seem like the kind of program that will gain
much of an audience, or even make it to a second season. But escaping cancellation may just be Houdinis
greatest trick of all.
Dr. Lance Strate of Palisades Park is a professor of
communication and media studies at Fordham University
in the Bronx, and the president of his synagogue,
Congregation Adas Emuno in Leonia.

Summer Dining

ExcellentThe Record, 3/17/2000

2013, 2014, 2015

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#1
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#1
Best
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Open 7 Days
A Week
Bergen Health & Life, Sept 2009

Voted Top 5
BYOB
Restaurant
Italian
Spring 08
Restaurant
Winner 2009

Italian
Restaurant
Winner 2009

Open 7 Days A Week

132 Veterans Plaza, Dumont, New Jersey 201.384.7767


(Corner of West Madison Ave.) www.njdiningguide.com/ilmulino

Beau

#1 Italian Res
#1 Best Prices

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You dont hav


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regular dinner me
Mondays through
diners can order o
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Voted #2
BYO Restaurant
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Voted #3
Italian Restaurant
Winter 2009

141-147 N. Dean Street


132
Veterans
Dumont, NJ 201.384.7767
132 Veterans Plaza, Dumont,
Jersey
Plaza,
201.384.7767
BestNew
Value
even during
these economic
Englewood, NJ (Corner of West Madison Ave.) times,
www.njdiningguide.com/ilmulino
www.ilmulinoofdumont.com
you can afford
to dine at Il Mulino.
Not affiliated with Il Mulino, NY

Excellent

RISTORANTE

#1 Best Prices #1 Family Friendly Restaurant

Best Value
Bergen Health & Life, Sept 2009
diners can order off the specially priced Sunset
Even
during
these
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menu,have
which
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regular
dinner
menu
entres
cost
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The Record
3/17/2000

Voted
of tothe
Most
Popular
PartiesOne
up to 120
fit any
budget,
call Jimmy.Italian Restaurants
in All
of Bergen
County by Top Vote-Getters from
Beautifully
Renovated
ExcellentThe Record, 3/17/2000
#1 Italian Restaurant
#1 BYOB Restaurant
Various Magazines
and Newspapers

201-568-8088

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2012
#2 Best Italian
#2 BYOB
#2 Prix Fixe Menu

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2011
#1 Best
Restuarant
#1 BYOB
Restaurant

BE

2009
#1 Italian
Restuarant
#1 BYOB
Restaurant
#1 Family Friendly
Restaurant

WE
DELIVER!

Open 7 Days a Week

Best Value

times, you can


JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 27

Open

132 Veterans Plaza, Dumont, New Je

(Corner of West Madison Ave.) www.njdinin

GRAND OPEN

Summer Dining

Experience the vintage era


of old New York. Featuring
an extensive menu of
old-fashioned homemade
diner classics, fresh seafood,
chopped salad station,
sandwiches, Italian gelato,
delicious desserts
and a full bar.

003574344-01_0003574344-01 10/4/13 4:12 PM Page 1

GRAND OPENING

Where Good Food


Meets Good People

RISTORANTE

Fine Dining in
a Relaxed Atmosphere
Before or After Dinner Enjoy Live Music
in our Lounge Fri. & Sat. Evenings

CHINESE CUISINE
Gift Certificates Available

Gift Certificates
DailyAvailable
Lunch Specials Ample Parking
Daily Lunch Specials
Online
Ample Parking
Take-Out/Dine-In
Ordering is
Mon. Thurs. 11:30am 10:00pm Available
Take-Out / Dine-In

Fri.& Sat. 11:30am 11:00pm


Mon. Thurs. 11:30am 10:00pm
Scan Code for
Sun. 12:00
noon 10:00pm
Fri. & Sat. 11:30am 11:00pm Sun. 12:00 noon
10:00pm
Menu & Website
Runner-Up
Best Chinese
Restaurant

3 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah 201.529.8288


Scan Code for

Menu & Website


Visit our website at: www.imperialdynastynj.com

3 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah


201.529.8288
Visit our website at:
www.imperialdynastynj.com

BYO

Daily Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Specials

Salads Sandwiches Burgers


Paninis Wraps Soups Pasta
Steaks Seafood

Free Delivery No Minimum Order Required

201-398-9700
201-943-5664

39-10 Broadway Fair Lawn NJ


Fri. & Sat. Open 24 Hrs.

550 Bergen Blvd. Ridgefield NJ


www.gothamcitydiner.com

Open 7 Days A Week 6am-2am

Excellent - Zagat
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2014

ASK ABOUT OUR PARTY FACILITIES


Lunch 11:30 am - 3 pm Dinner 5 pm - 11 pm
Lunch on Saturday from 1:00 on
Open Monday-Sunday for lunch & dinner

53 W. Passaic St., Rochelle Park

201-843-1250

F R E S H F I S H . F L O W N I N D A I LY.
T H E U LT R A - F R E S H S E A F O O D E X P E R I E N C E

Spanish & Portuguese Restaurant


Why Go to Newark? Come Once, Youll be Back!
Specializing in Seafood and Steaks
Private Room Available For All Occasions
Birthdays, Anniversaries, Corporate Functions

Gift Certificates Available


Daily Lunch Specials
Ample Parking

Shower Packages

Other Packages Available, Call For Details

Open Seven Days For Lunch & Dinner


Full Bar and Extensive Wine List
TAKE OUT AVAILABLE

* Voted By The Wine


and Dine Restaurant
Researcher Society &
The Record
120 Terhune Drive
Wayne, NJ
973.616.0999
Call For Reservations

www.VilaVerdeRestaurant.com

T H E S H O P S AT R I V E R S I D E | 1 7 5 R I V E R S I D E S Q U A R E | 2 0 1 . 3 4 3 . 8 8 6 2
THEOCEANAIRE.COM

28 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

DAILY SEAFOOD
SPECIALS

Cucina PEARL
s

o
d
l
A

Est. since 1991

American Italian Nouveau Cuisine

Quiet, Comfortable Atmosphere

PRIX FIXE MENU


$26.95 Per Person

Specializing in Seasonal Dishes

Sunday through Thursday

Where Quality and Tradition


Go Hand in Hand
Semi-Private

PARTY ROOM
for Corporate Dinners
tro & Cafe/Cappucino
Bar
Birthdays, Anniversaries
Graduations, Holidays
and more

UR NEW BISTRO
CAFE MENU
Menu & Party Packages
www.aldoscucina.com

FRESH PASTA

Made Daily by
Nonna
36p0Carmela of Sicily
BYO Regular Menu Available
Outdoor Seating
Private Party Room

ENJOY
LUNCH &
DINNER!

Like us on Facebook - Pearl Restaurant.


Follow us on Twitter @pearlridgewood.

COCKTAILS
LUNCH
LUNCH
DINNER
DINNER
MEZE
MEZE
COCKTAILS
COCKTAILS
LUNCH
DINNER
MEZE
COCKTAILS

R E S TAU R A N T

RISTORANTE ITALIANO

17 S. Broad St. Ridgewood 201-857-5100


777 HAMBURG TPK WAYNE, NJ 973-872-1842
Tues.-Thurs. 12-10 Fri. 12-11 Sat. 5-11 Sun. 1-9

Mesn
Madrid

g Turnpike Wayne, NJ 07470

Located next to municipal parking lot

pearlridgewood@gmail.com www.pearlridgewood.com

FORT LEE SUBURBANITE

MAY 4, 2012

New
Greek
NewGreek

2.1842 Fax. 973.628.8660

www.aldoscucina.com/org

18PIERMONTROADTENAFLY,NJ
201-569-59 9AXIAT VERNA.COM

Meson Madrid in Palisades Park is well

OFF
& Dinner
validfrom
known
forLunch
its authentic
cuisine
The Next Well10%
known for its authentic cuisine from Spain,
Monday-Thursday
for
May.
only the freshest seafood as serving only the freshest lobsters and seafood
Best Thing to Spain,Mustserving
bring ad in. Valid for table check of $50 for dinner or
for large
lunch. Discount
for cash
payment only, tapas
not valid and as well as its large menu selections, tapas and
well as$30its
menu
selections,
with credit cards. Offer is only one per table and
Dining in Spain
daily specials.
daily specials
cant beincluding
used with otherSteak
offers. Mesn.

er
GW Bridge
t
ooms (25-150 guests)
rporate catering
vered offering a
ety of menus to
t your event

LIVE MUSIC EVERY TUESDAY


LIVE MUSIC EVERY TUESDAY
Considered by many to be a staple in Bergen
New York Times

Very Good
County, it remains
a landmark for being one
New York Times
of the areas finest
Spanish
restaurants and the
Very Good
only one CRAINS
in New
Jersey
to
have
received
NY
THE RECORD
4 Stars from the New York Times.
CRAINS NY

THE RECORD

Going to New York City (VISIT OUR SISTER RESTAURANT


perfect
for hosting
MESON SEVILLA
IN N YC place
www.mesonsevilla.com
212-262-5890)

ntonia's

large and small events


with private rooms that will
accommodate
25-150 guests.
By
The Park

0003284569-01

Some of the famous dishes served are:


Steak Meson a 3lb original, Twin 1 lb.
lobsters, Shrimp Plancha as well as many
other delicious entrees.

Bergen Blvd., PalisadesMesn


Park, NJ Madrid
201.947.1038
www.MesonMadrid.com
is the

Avail bleforp ivateparties&catering

Happy Science
18 PIERMONT ROAD TENAFLY, NJ

Italian - Iberian Restaurant


Serving Bergen County from more than 30 years
pen for Lunch & Dinner M
You must love beyond the
ONDAYaily Specials
THURSDAY 343 Bergen Blvd.
SPECIAL Palisades difference
Park, NJ of all religions,
Available for private parties & catering
rving Brick Oven Pizza Com
plimentary
all nations, and all races.
ve Entertainment Friday glawitssh ofevewinry e 201.947.1038
AvailableMaster
for private
parties
& catering
Ryuho
Okawa
entree
www.MesonMadrid.com
You are originally one.
d Saturday
Founder & leader, multiple #1
appy Hour 3:00pm-7:00pm
Free Meditation Classes:
bestselling author with over 100

201-569-5999
AXIATAVERNA.COM
18 PIERMONT ROAD
TENAFLY, NJ
201-569-5999 AXIATAVERNA.COM

ivate Party Room for all occasions


Ave., North Bergen
w.antoniasbythepark.com

3263869

mplimentary Appetizers (at bar only)

Summer Dining

Every Sat. & Sun. 11am/Thurs. 6:30pm million books sold, 800 books
published, & given 1,600+
201.313.0127 / nj@happy-science.org
725 River Rd. #200, Edgewater, NJ 07020 lectures to audiences of 50,000+
(Edgewater Plaza building)
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

CHINESE CUISINE COCKTAIL LOUNGE


HILLSDALE
JAPANESE & CHINESE CUISINE SUSHI BAR
FRANKLIN LAKES

Daily Luncheon Specials


Take out or Dine in Ample Parking
Reservations Recommended
Gift Cards Available
Best Chinese
Party Facilities Available
Restaurant
for up to 100 People
2014
READERS
CHOICE

Best Sushi
Restaurant

Recommended by: Rated Excellent by The Record


The Best Chinese Restaurant in the Pasack Valley Zagat
Great service, great food, and is arguably one of the consistently
best Chinese restaurant in the Rockland/Bergen area
Rated by The Courier
Rated by Gail Gerson for the NY Daily News
Everything on the menu there is good. New Jersey Monthly
295 Kinderkamack Rd, Hillsdale 201-358-8685

825 Franklin Lakes Rd, Franklin Lakes 201-891-7866


(By Market Basket)

www.goldendynastynj.com

Let us cater your


special occasion

Weddings Bar/Bat Mitzvahs


rehearsal dinners Bridal Parties
Birthdays CorPorate events

Open for
Lunch & Dinner

Only thing better than the food is the view.


Located in West Haverstraw Marina
606 Beach Road, West Haverstraw, NY
845-271-4046
www.hudsonwaterclub.com
Boat slips available at no charge!!!
JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 29

Cover Story

Opening T
hearts

Here and at top right, participants from eight years of trips meet for a reunion in Israel in 2014.

Open Hearts
Open Homes
brings young
Israelis for R&R
in Bergen County

JOANNE PALMER

30 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

hink of it like a web.


Not entirely the internet
kind of web. Remember
when we used to call it the
World Wide Web, a decade
or so ago, when we were
young? (Okay. Younger.)
Keep the world wide part, but drop the
virtual aspect. This web is physical.
For 15 years now, Open Hearts Open
Homes has been bringing young Israelis to
stay with families during the summer, and
to participate in travel and day programs
at local Jewish institutions. As the world
has changed, Israel has changed, those
young people have grown up, demographics marched on, and the institutional landscape here in northern New Jersey and
Rockland County has changed as well. And
so has Open Hearts Open Homes.
But the program doesnt end for the
young Israelis and their host families once
the summer has ended and everyones
back home. Instead, those relationships
continue. Thats the physical web part.
Every year, more and more Israeli and
American families are woven into this web.
Every year, we bring over all of these
children, supported by two counselors,
Cindy Mendelaw of Hillsdale, who has

been involved in the program since it


began 15 years ago, said. This year, there
will be 20 teenagers, ranging from 11 to 13
years old, and Ms. Mendelaw, who now is
a program co-chair, was part of the interviewing and vetting process that chose
them.
Ive hosted 31 children over 15 years,
and Im still in touch with many of them,
Ms. Mendelaw said. I see many of them
almost every year, when I go to Israel. In
the last few years I have been going in the
springtime, specifically because I know
that they are more available then.
We have had reunions. This year, I
went to visit a young lady who stayed at
my home 10 years ago. She is now an officer in the IDF. She is lovely. She had two
siblings killed during a bar mitzvah terrorist attack; she was 13 when she came
to us, and the attack had been three years
earlier. We got together with her and her
mother in April.
That, she said, was just one of the many
visitors with whom she has maintained a
relationship. When I see these children
and their parents, when were in Israel,
the parents come up to me and hug me
and kiss me, and say How can we ever
repay you for what you did for our child?

3
s
-

It changed their lives.


And I say You dont repay me. We
do this because we want to. Because it is
important.
The program is particularly important
to her, Ms. Mendelaw said, because of her
relationship to Israel. It goes far back into
her adolescence, when she lived on a kibbutz. Her husband his name is Shimi,
but his real name is Shimson, she said
is Israeli. We have an exceptionally large
family in Israel, she continued. Shimi is
one of 11, and we have 46 nieces and nephews and about 125 great nieces and nephews on his side.
So when Harold Benus, who was the
director of the YJCC in Washington Township 15 years ago, and who started Open
Hearts Open Homes, came to me and
said I am looking for some people to
help, I said Count me in.
The teenagers who come to
be part of the Open Hearts
Open Homes program are terror victims, related to victims,
or, increasingly, living in such
places as Sderot, where the
threat of missiles from over the
Gaza border is constant. There
are firm criteria they must speak
English, because it is important that
they be able to communicate with their
host families. They must be academically
capable, and leaders in their own communities the idea is that they will be
exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking
and being that they can share with their

Jayne Petak and Herb Levine with some young Israelis


who have been part of Open Hearts Open Homes.

This summers counselors, Michal Bechar and Ron


Blecher, in Israel.

a
n

When you hear


the stories about
the kids who are
coming, you
cant not want to
give them your
whole heart.
ELANA PREZANT

friends once theyre back home. And they


must never have traveled overseas Open
Hearts Open Homes is for kids whose families means do not allow for such luxuries.
Once they were chosen, there used to
be a chance for participants to meet each

Leslie and David Smith with other hosts and guests.

Ms. Petak with Nitzan Avir, who had been


a guest at the Petaks house and remained
close with them.
JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 31

Cover Story
other in Israel. This year, there were a few
such meetings, including one at the Tel
Aviv Rowing Center; professionally run
exercises encourage bonding. By the time
they come to this country, the children
will know each other fairly well. (By the
time its over, usually groups have melded
firmly, and the Israelis continue to see
each other.)
Open Hearts Open Homes participants
are assigned to host families. Each family
takes two Israeli kids, so no kid ever feels
abandoned in a houseful of foreign strangers. Each trip is accompanied by two
Israeli counselors, who are in their midtwenties, young enough so that they can
relate to the children, and old enough to
be mentors, Ms. Mendelaw said.
Once they are here, participants spend
the trips three weeks seeing this part of
the country. They spend nights at the
Y camps, and at Camp Getaway in Connecticut, Ms. Mendelaw said. They will
be going to water parks and amusement
parks; we will take them to New York City,
where they will see the Blue Man Group,
take a boat ride and a bus tour. We will
take them either to the Statue of Liberty
or the Empire State Building, and to Times
Square. Weve learned that they love the
Hershey store, and the M & M store. And
we take them to Little Italy for dinner.
Some plans have been adapted, given
kids reactions in other years. We have
taken them to see the Yankees, Ms. Mendelaw said. They go, and theyre all
excited. They get to the stadium, and its
amazing, and they say Look at this! and
Look at that! and they run around and look
at everything. And then after one inning
theyre bored out of their minds. They go
to the concession stand, they walk around,
they do everything but watch the game.
They dont know from the game.
We have learned from experience that
baseballs not necessarily the best thing for
them.
The visitors pay nothing for any of this.
All the costs are borne by the committee
and private donors. The program is overseen by Abby Leipsner, the CEO of the
Washington Township YJCC, and administered by Elana Prezant of Haworth. The

two went to Israel to recruit


and interview students for the
trip; Cindy Mendelaw joined
them for a day.
Its all private funding, and
the chairpeople raise it, Ms.
Prezant said. From the beginning, David and Leslie Smith
were the co-chairs; years ago,
Cindy and Shimi Mendelaw
joined them. Its a fully independent group, and everything that is donated goes into
the program. Its all based on
relationships that the chairpeople have developed. The
funding comes from them
soliciting their friends.
This year has presented a
particular challenge because
Participants from eight years of visits gathered for a reunion in 2014.
some of the institutional programs that Open Hearts Open
Homes used to work no longer exist. The
young, kids can identity where the bombs
teen program to Open Hearts Open Homes.
most obvious is the YJCC itself. It now is
are coming from. They can hear it. They
Thats for three days and two nights, and
operating on a skeleton basis as its leadcan hear the bombs being launched before
its three quarters of what we needed to
ership tries to decide what form it should
the sirens go off.
pay, Ms. Prezant said. The New Jersey Y
take; although it still is running some proThis mother has a 10 year old, who two
Camps has given the group a two-day, onegrams, it no longer can provide either
years ago was able to identify whether he
night free stay at Camp Nah-Jee-Wah, and
the physical base for Open Hearts Open
was hearing bombs from Gaza or fire from
Temple Beth Sholom of Pascack Valley in
Homes or the teen programming the
the IDF.
Park Ridge will host the group for a Shabbat
Israeli kids can join.
The kibbutz is beautiful. I can see the
dinner during their stay. So will the Smiths.
Another change is that host families
For a few years, Open Hearts Open
appeal of living there. And then you see
used to be centered around the northHomes also used the 92nd Street Ys teen
the buildings where there are patches to
ern part of Bergen County, but now they
programming, but trucking its kids to join
cover the bomb damage. One bomb fell
come from farther away, from Haworth
the Manhattan-based institutions groups
near the gan, the preschool. The contrast between the beauty and the danger
and Tenafly.
proved too tiring and time-consuming to
Ms. Prezant is deeply moved by some of
is so strong.
be practical.
the stories she heard as she interviewed
And then you meet the kids, and they
This year, with the YJCCs building entirely unavailable, Open Hearts
potential trip participants. The more you
are all full of life. They all want to give, and
Open Homes planned to work with the
know about it, the more it touches your
to do.
Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly,
heart, she said. When you hear the stories
Ms. Prezant talked about a public school
but just a few months ago the JCC said
about the kids who are coming, you cant
in Sderot whose students mostly come
that its summer teen programs would be
not want to give them your whole heart.
from lower-income households. Eight of
Theres a girl whose father was injured
discontinued.
the schools students will be on the trip
two years ago. He was in the hospital
Out of what could be a disheartening
this year. The schools computer club,
for a year, and she and her siblings were
situation, Open Hearts Open Homes supunder the leadership of a boy who was
porters have found new possibilities.
farmed out to friends and relatives. When
on Open Hearts Open Homes last year, is
For one thing, the Rockland JCC is hosthe came home, the family had to make
taking apart old computers, refurbishing
ing the visitors for one week. The Kaplen
major adjustments. She is now living a life
them, and giving them to kids who dont
JCC has invited the visitors and their hosts
that is so very different from her life two
have computers. This is an afterschool
to a Fourth of July party. Beyond that, it is
years ago. Theres a boy whose father was
club, in a school basement, Ms. Prezant
transferring the deposit it made to Camp
a bus driver. There was a bomb on the bus.
said, and this is how its members chose
Getaway, in Kent, Connecticut, for its own
He suffered post-traumatic stress disorder,
to spend their time. These kids just want
and it took him years to be able to drive a
to give. (As an aside, she said that the
bus again.
club was a roomful of boys and one girl.
Although she has been to Israel many
I asked the girl, so where are your girlfriends? and she said they dont want to
times, speaks Hebrew fluently, and feels
do this but I do want to do this. That girl
she knows the country and its culture,
is coming on our program.)
unless you see it you see exactly where
One of my questions to the children
the kids are coming from, exactly what
was Have you ever been away from
theyre experiencing, exactly what provides the background for their nightmares
home? That was one of my main concerns. They said that theyd all been sent
you dont know what they mean. So
away during Operation Protective Edge,
shes done some traveling within the
two summers ago. Theyd been sent away
country.
to safety to stay with family or friends.
Many of the recent participants come
You ask this question and you expect
from Sderot, so she went there too. I went
answers like Yes, to camp or Yes, on a
to a kibbutz where one of the kids comes
trip, but those were not the answers we
from, she said. They talk about its proximity to Gaza. From their homes, you can
got, she said.
One of the stories that touched her most
see the buildings in Gaza. One of the mothNitzan Avir with Jayne and David Petaks sons, Aaron and Derek.
was about a boy who will be coming on the
ers told us that from the time they are very
32 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

Cover Story
trip. He was referred to Open Hearts Open
Homes through the One Family Fund,
which, Ms. Prezant knew, means that he or
someone close to him was the victim of terror. We asked him about it, she said. He
said that his mother had been in the shuk
and there was a bomb. She was injured.
He didnt tell us but we found out later
that he had been with her. He was holding her hand the whole time. They live in
Dimona, and it took them seven hours to
get to Jerusalem for the interview. Shes
a single parent, shes Russian, and they
speak Russian at home. The two of them
live alone together. You just want to protect him. You just want to hug him.
Some of this work is emotionally difficult.
In between interviews with the One Family kids, we had had to compose ourselves,
Ms. Prezant said. Sometimes we cried.
They accepted the 20 children for whom
they had space, but there were more than
20 wed have liked to have taken, she said.
David and Leslie Smith of River Vale can
trace their involvement in Open Hearts
Open Homes all the way back, and he
recalls its roots. I wouldnt call myself
a founder, but I was involved since the
beginning, Mr. Smith said; he and his wife

When these kids


from Israel come
into our lives,
they dont come
into our lives
for just three
weeks. They stay
in our lives.
DAVID SMITH

were active with Tzahal Shalom, which


brings injured IDF veterans to this country. When Harold Benus came back from
Israel 15 years ago, it was with this idea
that we could help kids affected by terrorism in a similar vein, but integrate them
more into Bergen County by integrating
them into a teen travel program.
The Smiths have hosted many kids.
Leslie and I feel very strongly about sharing the program with others, he said. We
dont want to be in the position of taking
kids every year, and not allowing others to
have that experience.
Of course, its not every year that we
have an overabundance of host families,
he said ruefully, although this year he did.
One of this summers activities, a barbecue, is being planned and hosted by two
families who were not able to take guests
they came too late, and there were too
many would-be hosts already but wanted
to do whatever they could to entertain the
Israeli kids.
A few years ago, we had two girls from

This summers visitors met before the trip; here they are learning to row and to bond in Tel Aviv.

Sderot, Mr. Smith said. One of them


was still sleeping with her mother, at 13,
because of the bombing. She came into
our home, with another girl, and they both
were as sweet and as wonderful as any
weve ever had. We made a special bond
with them.
They tried to get us to promise that we
would never have any other girls stay with
us, because they were our daughters. Of
course we couldnt make that promise,
but we have stayed in touch with the families, to the extent that last year friends of
ours in Mahwah had a son who had a bar
mitzvah in Israel, and he went to one of
the girls homes and spent the day with the
family.
It was such a wonderful connection
that we made that not only is it our connection, but now they also have a lifelong
connection with the son of our friends.
When these kids from Israel come into
our lives, they dont come into our lives for
just three weeks. They stay in our lives.
Now that changing tastes and demographics seem to have ended most local
teen travel programs, Open Hearts Open
Homes is revamping. In a way, its now
the best of all worlds, Mr. Smith said.
Were doing some things with Rockland,
and were doing some of our own programming. We can have our kids do the
New York experience in a way that local
kids dont want to do they dont want
to be tourists in the city. He, his wife,
the Mendelaws, Elana Prezant, and Abby
Leipsner handle all the fundraising and
the programming.
He is confident that the program will
continue next year, as this years challenges have been surmounted. We will
always be involved, as long as there is an
Open Hearts Open Homes, Mr. Smith said.
Jayne and David Petak of River Vale also
are longtime Open Hearts Open Homes
hosts; she also is the president of the

This years group has fun with more bonding exercises in Israel.

Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey.


We have long discussions with host
families, making sure that they understand the responsibilities that come along
with hosting, Ms. Petak said. We have to
make sure that the children go to families
that will be sensitive to them. It is the first
time that many of them have been away
from home and theyre a long way from
home. The families have to care for them
as they need to be cared for.
The host families often have kids the
same age as the visitors, or younger, and
so the Israelis become surrogate big brothers or sisters.
She remembers being in Israel a few
months ago, on federation business. We
were in Sderot, opening the animal therapy center, she said. All of a sudden,
this young man taps me on the shoulder, and I turn around and get this giant

bear hug. Hed been in the program three


years before but not in her home, so
she didnt know him nearly as well as the
participants who had been. It took me a
second to recognize him, but he said that
wed met in the States, and thanked me for
being there, and for the program.
He was now going to school, moving on
with his life. He was much bigger than he
had been then, of course, and thats why
I had to stare at him. Its the connections
that you make.
Although Open Hearts Open Homes
is flourishing, it always needs funds, and
now it needs them more than ever. More
donations would be greatly appreciated,
Ms. Prezant said. This year, we dont
have the YJCC behind us. To support it,
or to get any questions about the program
answered, email her at eprezant@yjcc.org
or call her at (201) 666-6610.
JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 33

Jewish World

Top officials put a Jewish stamp


on the Rio Olympics
MARCUS MORAES
RIO DE JANEIRO Mazel tov!
That might be how the big shots in charge
of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the first to
take place in South America, will toast victories when the competition gets underway
on August 5.
Three of the top officials of the Rio 2016
Organizing Committee, including its president, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, are Jewish.
But in the run-up to the games, there have
been more oy gevalts than mazel tovs as
organizers deal with reports of unfinished
venues, polluted swimming and sailing
sites, and worst of all, concerns about the
mosquito-borne Zika virus.
In an interview, Nuzman said that the
number of Zika cases in Rio has dropped
sharply in recent weeks, and they are
expected to fall even further during the dry
months of the Brazilian winter, as Rio 2016
organizers emphasized at a news conference
on June 7. Last month, the World Health
Organization said that there is no public
health justification for postponing or canceling the Games.
None of the top athletes have declared
not to come. If theres a second-layer one
who wont come, good for him, an irritated
Nuzman said.
One of Brazils most prominent sports figures, Nuzman, 77, is a former president of
the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation and
has been president of the Brazilian Olympic

Committee since 1995.


Nuzman preferred to talk about the robust
Jewish connections at the games, including a
ceremony to honor the 11 Israelis murdered
by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich Olympics in 1972, the Israeli company that is providing security for the games and his own
deep ties as athlete, sporting official, and
Jew to Brazilian sports.
My connection with Judaism and with
Israel is through sports, said Nuzman, who
was part of the first Brazilian male volleyball
team in 1964 when the sport debuted at the
Olympic Games. I started my career playing at the Brazilian Israelite Club and I have
attended four Maccabiah Games in Israel.
The grandson of Russian immigrants, Nuzman was born in Rio, home to an estimated
25,000 Jews. He is an active member of the
440-family Conservative synagogue Congregacao Judaica do Brasil, which is led by
Rabbi Nilton Bonder, his nephew. Nuzmans
father, Izaak, presided over the Rio Jewish
federation, the Hebraica Club, and the local
Keren Hayesod-United Israel Appeal.
He was one the greatest leaders of our
Jewish community. He brought Ben-Gurion
and Golda Meir to Brazil, Nuzman boasted,
noting the late prime ministers of Israel.
Nuzman relies on other prominent members of the local Jewish community as his
deputies. Sidney Levy, a business executive,
is the Rio 2016 committees chief executive
officer and has a $2.2 billion budget to manage. Leonardo Gryner, a communications

Rio 2016s first test event, in August 2014, was an international sailing regatta
that drew 326 athletes from 35 countries. 
ALEX FERRO

The Jewish trio in charge of the Rio Olympics: Carlos Arthur Nuzman is
flanked by Sidney Levy, left, and Leonardo Gryner. 
MARCIO RODRIGUES

and marketing director who was part of


the Rio 2016 bid, is deputy CEO.
I have no connection to sports at all,
Levy said in an interview published on
Keren Hayesods website. My duty is
totally business-related.
The Jewish trio at the helm of Rio 2016
is behind the ceremony to honor the
Munich victims. The August 14 event at
Rios City Hall will be co-led by the International Olympic Committee, along with
the Olympic committees of Israel and
Brazil.
Four yeas ago, the IOC rejected
appeals for a moment of silence at the
opening ceremonies of the London
Games in 2012, the 40th anniversary
of the tragedy. Critics at the time were
not appeased by various events marking
the anniversary that took place at other
venues.
The IOC also announced a special
area in the Rio Olympic Village to commemorate the memory of all Olympians
who have died. In addition, a moment
of reflection in honor of all dead Olympians will be held during the closing
ceremony.
There will be no minute of silence
at the opening ceremony, read an IOC
note, frustrating many families longstanding request.
Instead, the widows of weightlifter
Yossef Romano and fencing coach Andre
Spitzer will light 11 candles at the City

Hall event. The Israeli government will


be represented by its minister of culture
and sport, Miri Regev.
The mayor will open the doors of his
house in a gesture of great friendship
with the Brazilian Jewish community
and the whole people of Israel, Israels
honorary consul in Rio, Osias Wurman,
said. We are deeply moved. Symbolically falling on Tisha bAv, one of the
saddest days of the Hebrew calendar, the
event will be a unique moment.
The security of the 12,000 athletes
and anticipated 500,000 visitors is
among the most sensitive issues for organizers, and the Israeli company International Security and Defense Systems, or
ISDS, won the international tender to
secure the games. ISDS has coordinated
security at previous Olympics and World
Cups, and will provide services from
consulting to security supply systems.
Its an honor for ISDS to be the very
first ever Israeli group to be part of the
Olympic family, Leo Gleser, ISDS president and a former Mossad agent, said.
Last November, a French national
identified as an executioner in ISIS propaganda videos tweeted, Brazil, you
are our next target. Brazils counterterrorism director, Luiz Alberto Sallaberry,
recognized the statement as credible.
I cant speak much about security
or it wont be security anymore, Nuzman said.

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Jewish World
Brazil long has regarded itself as an
unlikely target for extremists, thanks to its
historical standing as a nonaligned, multicultural nation. Security experts have
warned that many Brazilian officials do not
realize how big a stage the Olympics is for
anyone seeking to sow terror.
Israel, making its 16th appearance at
the Olympics, will bring its largest delegation ever to Rio. There will be nearly 50
Israeli athletes there for the Olympics and
another 50 for the 2016 Paralympic Games
that follow immediately afterward. Some
10,000 Israelis are expected to make it
to Rio to root for their national heroes. A
temporary Israeli consulate will be established in Rio to serve the Israeli population
during the games.
The local Jewish community enjoys
seeing the Olympics team in international
cooperation with other countries. The federal police have very well trained staff. We
are very optimistic, Octavio Aronis, head
of security of the Brazilian Israelite Confederation, said.
Rios Jewish federation president, Paulo
Maltz, is more guarded.
There is always a first time, it has

An aerial view of Rio 2016 Olympic Park during construction.



GABRIEL HEUSI/BRASIL2016.GOV.BR

happened twice in Argentina and Brazil is


not free of it, he said, citing the Buenos
Aires bombings of the Israeli Embassy in
1992 and the AMIA Jewish center in 1994.
Well be on total alert.

Schools will be closed during the Olympics, following a Rio municipality decision
to move the winter school vacations from
July to August, in large part to reduce traffic. Its a relief, Maltz said.

Those who make it to Rio will be able


to take part in two special Shabbat ceremonies. Some 300 guests are expected at
Bonders synagogue, including Regev, the
Israeli sports minister. Chabad will host a
Shabbat event during the Paralympics.
In a joint educational project around Rio
2016, students from four Jewish schools
and four municipal public schools will
produce a book about the Munich murders
and the Olympic spirit.
Children must understand the evil
caused by terrorism, said Sergio Niskier,
one of the project organizers and a former
Jewish federation president. Its fantastic
to see Jewish schools and public schools
from the municipality, despite their abyssal social and economic realities, working
hand in hand in this project.
The Israeli singer Ester Rada, whose parents were Ethiopian immigrants, will perform at official sites where fans can watch
the sporting action on big screens.
Its an example of the polyvalent, multicultural aspect of the Jewish state, which
is formed by over 70 different origins that
make up the Israeli society, the honorary
JTA WIRE SERVICE
consul, Wurman, said. 

Meet the Orthodox American Ninja Warrior


training to be a rabbi
LUCY COHEN BLATTER

ike his fellow competitors on


American Ninja Warrior,
25-year-old Akiva Neuman
pushed himself to his physical
limits climbing, jumping and running
through an intense obstacle course in
the hopes of making it to the national
finals in Las Vegas.
But unlike the dozens of athletes who
competed with him at the Philadelphia
qualifiers, which will air June 27 on NBC,
Neuman prepared by saying the Shema.
He also wore tzitzit and a kippah throughout the competition.
Dubbed #ninjarabbi for the occasion,
Neuman is an Orthodox Jew and rabbinical
student at Yeshiva University. He will finish
his smicha while he starts a full-time job
at Deloitte in the fall yes, in addition to
Ninja training and studying to be a rabbi,
Neuman also is pursuing a masters degree
in taxation at St. Johns University.
Tune in to watch the sure-to-be compelling profile of Neuman after all, the
shows emotional, behind-the scenes stories have been parodied by Drake on Saturday Night Live and to witness his supporters cheering rabbi, rabbi, while he
shows off his strength, speed, and agility.
As of press time, we dont know whether
or not Neuman, who lives in New York,
makes it to Vegas. In the meantime, read

on for six interesting facts about the ninja


rabbi.
He found out about the show while at
the gym.
Neuman was working out at the gym
with a friend when he saw American
Ninja Warrior for the first time. (The
show, which was based on a Japanese competition, now is in its eighth season in the
United States and has something of a cult
following. In fact, the Wall Street Journal
recently asked Is American Ninja Warrior the Future of Sports?.)
It had my name written all over it its
competitive and athletic, but its not cutthroat, and theres a certain level of camaraderie required, Neuman said. (The
coaches, contestants and viewers cheer
each other on.)
I thought, whats the worst that happens? I get rejected? So what?
Neuman also figured that being an
Orthodox Jew could be his hook. He submitted a video that showed him sitting
with an open Talmud surrounded by other
religious texts; it also shows him rock
climbing and running.
I love American Ninja Warrior, he
says in his video. But I also do this stuff
because if I didnt Id be on shpilkes!
But most of his working out is done at
home.
Neuman says hes always been athletic
SEE NINJA PAGE 36

Akiva Neuman with his wife, Chani, and son, Yaakov Shmuel. 

EMUNI Z.

JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 35

Jewish World
Ninja
FROM PAGE 35

and competitive; he was the captain of the


soccer and hockey teams at his yeshiva high
school, where he also played basketball. But
considering that hes studying for his masters and rabbinical ordination and he has
a young child at home his workouts usually have to be done early in the morning or
at night.
Im probably only working out four or
five hours a week, but to build muscle its all
about consistency, even if youre just doing
a little at a time, he said.
In Neumans must-watch submission
video, hes seen at home making impressive
use of a pull-up bar and doing pushups while
his 6-month-old son, Yaakov Shmuel (aka
Koby), reclines
on an activity mat.
HOURS: MON.-WED. 10AM-6PM THURS.-FRI. 10AM-8PM SAT. 10AM-6PM SUN. 12PM-5PM
And he really does that stuff, he told us.
271 Livingston St, Northvale, NJ (Next to Applebees)
Just 10 minutes a day of physical activity
can change your attitude, your health, and
it gives you more energy, he says.
Hes also a synagogue youth director
with an athletic streak.
I have
myMON.-WED.
days, nights
and weekends
HOURS:
10AM-6PM
THURS.-FRI. 10AM-8PM SAT. 10AM-6PM SUN. 12PM-5PM
Akiva
Orthodox Jew who is studying to be a rabbi, competing in the Philadelphia qualifying round of Amercovered,
saidLivingston
Neuman, who St,
in addition
to
271
Northvale,
NJ Neuman,
(Next toanApplebees)
ican Ninja Warrior. 
MITCHELL LEFF/NBC
studying works as the youth director at the
Young Israel of Holliswood, in Queens.
Israeli army-style boot camp for the kids.
thats our focus, Neuman said. My
Hes known for getting the kids active.
moving on to prayer or studying texts, Neuman said.
He is always combining physical activintellectual growth both in terms of my
We usually start with a game, so the kids
On Yom Haatzmaut he organized an
ity with Torah in ways that motivate and
Torah learning and secular learning is
can connect, and then we go from there,
inspire the kids, Ronit Farber, a memthe focus for me, too. But we also need
ber of the synagogue, said.
to take care of ourselves physically.
The first time we met Akiva, we had
Theres a commandment that says we
him and his wife for dinner, said Rachel
have to guard our souls, and the Rambam [Maimonides] elaborates that were
Klein, another Young Israel congregant,
who was one of several community
members who traveled to Philadelphia
of the
HOURS: MON.-WED.
10AM-6PM THURS.-FRI. 10AM-8PM SAT. 10AM-6PM SUN. 12PM-5PM
to cheer on Neuman with posters that
said Team Akiva, as well as American
271 Livingston St, Northvale, NJ (Next to Applebees)
Ninja Warrior in Hebrew letters. After
dinner, his wife had to drag him home
because he was busy playing soccer with
our kids all over our house.
Neuman also is a star performer in the
of the
annual Purim shpiel, dazzling the audience every year with his dance moves,
flips, tricks and splits, she added.
NY Times Bestselling Author
He takes the fact that hes representAKIVA NEUMAN
ing Jews seriously, Neuman said. I know
that the general feeling is that Orthodox
also commanded to take care of our bodJews arent fit especially not rabbis.
Great Summer Read!
ies. Were scoring points by exercising,
And I wanted to show that thats not
and fulfilling what God wants of us.
always the case.
Athleticism runs in the family.
But
he
knows
that
by
wearing
religious
NY Times Bestselling Author
Neuman and his wife, Chani, grew up
garb while filming it was his idea, and
near each other in Highland Park. Shes
the show was fine with it he instantly
sporty, too. When we were dating, we
became a national symbol of observant
used to go to Dave and Busters a lot, he
Jews.
Great Summer Read!
of the
said. She always beat me in basketball.
I bear it with great responsibility, and
We keep joking that next year itll be
Im also really nervous about it, he said.
BOOK PURCHASE NECESSARY FROM
the rebbetzins turn, he added.
Thats part of the reason Neuman
BOOKS & GREETINGS TO ATTEND EVENTS!
And the two are banking on the fact
said the Shema right before he started
that their athleticism will carry on to the
the course. I wanted one more experience to be closer to God, and was thinknext generation.
ing, You have to help me through this,
Were waiting for him to crawl first,
because Im not just doing it myself, he
but as soon as that happens, well have
said.
a soccer ball at his feet, he said of Koby.
BOOK PURCHASE NECESSARY FROM
He sees physical fitness as a matter of
Were actually hoping he runs before
NY
Times
Bestselling
Author
BOOKS & GREETINGS TO ATTEND EVENTS!
Jewish principle.
he walks.

JTA WIRE SERVICE
Were the people of the book, and

As Seen In

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As Seen In

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RICKY DILLON
YOU TUBE SENSATION

SATURDAY JUNE 11TH 4PM


R TUBE
& B SINGER
YOU
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BOBBY
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RICKY
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AsMONDAY
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RON
DARLING
BOOKS&GREETINGS
BOBBY
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R & B SINGER
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MONDAY JUNE 13TH 7PM

YOUCARLOS
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& HIS SERVICE DILLON


DOG TUESDAY
RICKY
SUNDAY JUNE
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JUNE26TH
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4PM
NY METS

RCARLOS
& B SINGER
LUIS
MONTALVN
DOROTHEA BENTON
FRANK

BOBBY BROWN

& HIS SERVICE DOG TUESDAY


TUESDAYJUNE
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CARMINE
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CARLOS MONTALVN
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TO THE STARS
NY METS

201-784-2665
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DOROTHEA BENTON FRANK

Great24,
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36 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE
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TUESDAY JUNE 28TH 7PM

I know that the


general feeling
is that Orthodox
Jews arent fit
especially not
rabbis.

Jewish World

PRESERVE

ANALYSIS

How Israel stays a well-regulated


militia with so many guns around
RON KAMPEAS

irty, hot, and exhausted Israeli soldiers waiting for their bus home from the army base
tend, understandably, to be in a hurry to get
on board.
But when I was living in Israel during the first intifada,
or Palestinian uprising, soldiers didnt jostle to be first
in line. Rather, the most coveted position was second.
Thats because the bus driver had the right under
rules issued by the army and made clear to each armed
soldier before she or he left the base to order any soldier to sit in the front seat and remain alert. And the first
one to get on board was the obvious choice.
If youd just finished three weeks of training, with rare
interruptions for sleep, and you were looking forward to
a snooze on the long trip home, this definitely would be
a downer. But it was necessitated by the rash of Palestinian terrorist attacks on bus drivers at the time.
One of the first things visitors to Israel notice is the
ubiquity of young people with automatic weapons. Yet
Israel suffers the tiniest fraction of the mass killings the
United States does. Daniel Gordis, writing last year in
a Bloomberg column, reported that Americans are 33
times more likely to kill each other with guns than Israelis. How is that possible?
The answer is couched in that front seat the Egged bus
driver kept empty for a soldier.
It may not be obvious immediately, but the Israelis
you see armed on the beach or at the cafe are just as
subject to the army hierarchy and its regulations as they
would be if they were on the front line or a base.
Calev Ben-David, an old friend, wrote this week in the
Jerusalem Post about the differences between gun use
in the United States and in Israel. He noted that just 4
percent of guns in Israel are not military issue.

Closter Furs & Fashions

This means that the use of 96 percent of guns is governed by army rules of conduct. As a soldier, youre
answerable to a military tribunal if you break army rules
and use a gun without orders or if you fail to use a gun
when youre under standing orders to do so. For example, if a terrorist boards the bus youre being forced to
stay awake on.
The training Israeli soldiers receive also helps keep
gun violence down. When Gabby Giffords, the Jewish
congresswoman from Arizona, was shot in 2011, an
armed passerby recalled later to his own horror that he
nearly opened fire on the people who were restraining
the gunman.
Donald Trumps assertion that a club full of armed
French concertgoers would have headed off last years
Bataclan massacre is belied by the chaos engendered
when shooters lack training not just in proper shooting of the weapon, but in identifying when and where it
is safe to shoot.
The careful use of guns in Israel is about being answerable to a hierarchy, beyond being answerable to the law.
This is the opposite of the right to bear arms in the
American ethos. There is no right to bear arms in
Israel there is a duty to bear arms, according to strict
regulations.
This is why current and former military officers, even
the right-wingers among them, have been appalled by
public support for the soldier in Hebron who in March
allegedly shot an attacker after he was subdued. As
much as killing a subdued man is wrong, in Israels
military culture, using a weapon outside the command
structure is equally taboo.
In some ways, then, Israel is the well regulated militia promised by Americas Second Amendment. That
component of the amendment, however, has all but
been ignored in recent American court rulings.

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Soldiers attend the funeral of Alon Albert Govberg, who was killed in a terror attack in Jerusalem last
October. 
HADAS PARUSH/FLASH90
JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 37

Gallery
1

n 1 The Frisch school held its


annual graduation ceremony.
Gabriel Dardik gave the
valedictory address and Zachary
Abraham was salutatorian.
Dr. Daniel Rynhold, associate
professor of modern Jewish
philosophy at the Bernard Revel
Graduate School of Jewish Studies
at Yeshiva University, gave the
parents address, and Stephen
Flatow presented the Sara R.
Duker Tikkun Olam award to
Jonathan Seidel and the Alisa M.
Flatow Shem Tov Memorial award
to Tali Ramras. COURTESY FRISCH

n 2 Students from Temple


Beth El of Closters 10th grade
confirmation class stand with
Cantor Rica Timman and Rabbi
David Widzer. Ninth graders
from the religious school also
participated in the service,
which was held on Shavuot.
n 3 During erev Shavuot services,
Temple Emeth in Teaneck held
a confirmation ceremony, led
by Cantor Ellen Tilem, left,
and Rabbi Steven Sirbu. The
confirmands, from left, Regina
Fink, Naomi Friedman, and Claire
Fink, received gifts, including a
chumash. Claire Fink received
the Wilford Weill Memorial
Essay award. BARBARA BALKIN
n 4 The Young Peoples Chorus at
the Thurnauer School of Music at
the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades
in Tenafly won four awards in the
Music in the Parks competition

in Bethlehem, Pa., on June 10. The Cantare


Choir, made up of singers from the McCloud
Elementary School in Englewood who
study at Thurnauer, won first place superior
for its performance. The Concert Choir, an
ensemble of singers from the JCC, earned
second place; percussionist Gaddiel Renteria
was named best overall student accompanist,
and Cassie Bartels was awarded the
solo vocalist award. COURTESY JCCOTP
n 5 Earlier this month, 2,500 Jewish
activists attended the American Jewish
Committee Global Forum in Washington,
D.C. More than 60 of them came from
New Jersey, including Simone Wilker,
left, with Eugene Lipkowitz, Shari Haber,
and Alain Sanders. PHOTO PROVIDED

38 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

JFS Wheels-for-Meals Ride to Fight Hunger

THANK YOU!
With your support, Jewish Family Service raised over $120,000 to support the
kosher meals on wheels program and the JFS food pantry.

Recognizing our generous sponsors


Gold
If You Care Jewish Home Family Newman & Leventhal Caterers Eastwick College
Optima Fund Management Stop and Shop

Silver
Teaneck Doghouse Becton Dickinson Sealed Air

Bronze
Ben and Jerrys Care One Diamond Chemical Co., Inc. Ellkay Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
Executive Care Shoprite of Englewood Hackensack University Medical Center JCC on the Palisades
The Jewish Link The Jewish Standard Kind Snacks NVE Bank OritaniBank Charitable Foundation
RAB Lighting Inc. Risk Strategies The Shopping Maven Tenafly Pediatrics Westwood Cycle

Small Business
EJ Pizza FitWerx Greenback Capital Honda of Tenafly La Promenade River Palm Terrace
Majestic Signs PepsiCo Reyna's Paper dolls Venus Laboratory

And our Top Fundraisers


Teams

Individuals

Team David
The Men's Club of Temple Emanu-El of Closter
Double Chai
Temple Israel BMC
Rutland
Bar Mitzvah Boyz
Might Marshals
NV Teens for Tomorrow
Beth Sholom Teaneck
D4

David Feuerstein
Donna Weintraub
Alan Yung
Freddie Sufian
Liz Millner
Shira Feuerstein
Jeffrey Mayer
Denis Vogel
Carla Vogel
Karen Farber

Your hard work will make it possible for JFS to provide over 40,000 meals on wheels this year, and to
continue to support the over 800 people fed through our food pantry.

Kol Ha Kavod!

JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 39

Dvar Torah
Behaalotecha: Guided on our journey

y family is moving this month. We arent


going very far. Google Maps tells me that
the new home is only seven tenths of a mile
away from the old home. Its a couple of
right hand turns and a short left, not even 2 minutes by
car. I happen to like logistics and sequence puzzles, so getting all of our belongings from one house to the other has
been a good theoretical challenge. But I will confess that
the actual process of organizing, sorting, boxing, taping,
packing, transporting, placing, and unpacking everything
we own has been a monumental undertaking to plan.
Given my current preoccupation with moving, theres a
section of Behaalotecha that really resonates with me this
year. The Israelites are in the wilderness, in the second
month of the second year since leaving Egypt. Theyve
already received the Torah and built the Tabernacle. And
now the time comes for them to set out on their journey to the Promised Land. There are a lot of them over
600,000 men of fighting age, to say nothing of the women
and children and other men in the camp. In precise detail,
the Torah tells us their marching order, tribe by tribe, as
they set out on their way (Numbers 10:11-28). Wed been
given a preview of this a few chapters earlier (Numbers
2:1-34), when each tribe received its location in the camp
and its designated role in the procession. But now they
are actually on their way, hundreds of thousands of Israelites, or more, moving as one. (For the record, by way of

comparison, Im only moving 4 members of


We dont know where we will find ourselves
my family, including me.)
after Election Day. And, unlike the Israelites,
How did they know where they were
Im not counting on rays of divine light to
going? What guided them on their way?
point out our path. I dont expect God to pick
Better than Waze or Siri, the Israelites have
winners and losers in our electoral journey.
an awesome navigation system, in the truI do hope, however, that we are guided
est sense of the word awe-some. The
through this election season by Jewish values and American ideals. Let us seek candiTorah tells us that there was a cloud over
dates who are humble like Moses, wise like
the Tabernacle. When it lifted and moved,
Rabbi David
Deborah, upright like Abraham, and kind
the Israelites would break camp and folS. Widzer
low the cloud. When it settled, the Israellike Rebecca. When we disagree with one
Temple Beth El of
ites would stop and make camp (Numbers
another, may we do so respectfully and tolerNorthern Valley,
antly. Let our discourse be civil, shying away
9:17). The Midrash even hints that, as they
Closter, Reform
from the evil ways words can be used. May
journeyed, a ray of light would come forth
we strive for a society built on justice and
from the cloud from time to time to point
righteousness, compassion and generosity,
them in the correct direction (Tanhuma,
grace and lovingkindness. Let us reject hatred, divisiveBemidbar, section 12). This was divine Providence at its
ness, and fear. Let us pursue peace.
best. God was directing their every step, giving them
My familys journey to our new home is simple geograguidance and direction.
phy. A map and a sense of direction, combined with solid
The metaphor of journey has particular meaning during an election year such as this one. Pollsters love to ask,
logistical planning, will get us there. The Israelites had a
Do you think the nation is headed in the right direction?
more difficult journey in traversing the wilderness, but
Candidates tout their ability to set the country on the right
they were guided by Gods sheltering Presence, helping
path. As we make our way from the primary season to
them organize and navigate the challenges that lay ahead.
the general election, I suspect well hear this metaphor
Our countrys journey through this election season may
more often in the months ahead. But, unlike my family, we
test our mettle as a nation. May we always be guided on
dont necessarily know where our final destination will be.
our way by our values and our ideals.

BRIEFS

Israel declares new


holiday honoring
immigrants

Jordans King Abdullah


vows to strike with iron fist
after suicide attack

The Israeli Knesset has formally declared


a new holiday, National Aliyah Day, to celebrate the countrys history of immigration and immigrants contributions to the
Jewish state.
The new holiday, which will fall on
the seventh day of the Hebrew month of
Cheshvan (which can be any time from
late October to early November, depending on the Gregorian calendar year), will
be marked by celebrations in the Knesset;
a special cabinet session; and events at the
presidents residence, schools, and army
and police facilities.
Israels prosperity was achieved, in
part, thanks to those who left what they
had behind and moved to the land of
Israel, according to the bill that formalized the new holiday.
Moreover, the immigration to Israel is a
symbol of Jewish history, during which the
Jews lived in Israel, were expelled, but never
abandoned it for a moment and returned to
it their historical home as part of the
Zionist national miracle, the bill added.

Jordans King Abdullah vowed to strike back with


an iron fist following a suicide bombing attack
that killed six soldiers in a remote area near the
Jordanian border with Syria on Tuesday.
Jordan will respond with an iron fist against
anyone who tries to tamper with its security and
borders, Abdullah said during a meeting with
senior military officials, AFP reported.
Such criminal acts will only increase our determination to confront terrorism and terror gangs
that target army personnel who protect the security of the country and its borders, he added.
According to the Jordanian military, the suicide
bombing killed four border guards, one member
of the countrys security services, and one member of the civil defense directorate. Fourteen others were wounded.
While there was no immediate claiming of
responsibility for the attack, Jordan is part of the
U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State terror
group in Syria and Iraq. Jordan has been targeted
by Islamic State in the past, when a Jordanian
fighter pilot was captured after his plane went
down and was later gruesomely burned alive by
the terror group.

JNS.ORG

40 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

JNS.ORG

Israel and Turkey reportedly nearing


deal to normalize relations
Former Middle East allies Israel
and Turkey reportedly are nearing
a deal to normalize relations.
Delegations from both sides,
headed by Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun
Sinirliolu and a special envoy representing the Israeli prime minister, Joseph Ciechanover, are scheduled to meet June 26 to declare the
restoration of ties, Turkeys Hurriyet Daily News reported.
Sources cited by the Hurriyet
Daily News said that after the declaration, an agreement would be
finalized and signed in July by foreign ministry undersecretaries, and
relations would be officially normalized by the end of that month.
Turkish-Israeli relations broke
down after the 2010 Gaza flotilla
incident, in which nine Turkish
militants were killed in clashes after
they attacked Israeli commandos
who boarded a ship that was trying
to breach the blockade on Hamasruled Gaza.

There have been many reports of


impending reconciliation between
the former allies in recent years,
but a normalization agreement has
yet to materialize. In 2013, Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Turkey for the
flotilla incident. In late 2015, Israel
and Turkey began secret negotiations, with other rounds continuing in 2016 in Geneva and London.
According to reports, the two
sides have met halfway on Turkeys demand that Israel lift the
blockade on Gaza. Israel, meanwhile, has accepted procedures for
a hospital to be built in Gaza and
has agreed to not block Turkishdistributed supplies of medicine
and personnel for the hospital.
Additionally, Turkey and Germany
will jointly build a power plant
in Gaza, and Turkey will build a
desalination plant there. All Turkish aid to Gaza will be delivered
through Israels Ashdod port.


JNS.ORG

Arts & Culture


Drug abuse, shame, and the Holocaust
Grandson makes film about family of notorious Dutch lawyers
CNAAN LIPHSHIZ

Max Moszkowicz, left, and his brother Robert near Maastricht, the Netherlands, in 2015.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

AMSTERDAM In a country where 75


percent of Jews were murdered in the
Holocaust, the Moszkowicz family of lawyers stood out as a unique Jewish success
story.
The four sons of Max Moszkowicz,
a steel-willed Auschwitz survivor who
became Hollands first modern celebrity
attorney, all lawyers, took the family business to new heights, turning their name
into a household brand here with winning
arguments in some of the countrys most
famous trials.
In 1987, Max Moszkowicz himself won a
mere 4-year sentence for the kidnappers
of the beverage mogul Freddy Heineken.
In 1976, his second son, Robert, became
Hollands youngest person to pass the bar
exam. He was 23 then, and became a millionaire by 29. Another son, Bram, kept
making international headlines including winning the acquittal, of the anti-Islam
politician Geert Wilders, who had been
charged with hate speech in 2010.
The Moszkowiczes were widely recognized as legal geniuses in the media and at
events held in their honor.
But over the past decade, they have
fallen from grace. Three of Max Moszkowiczs sons were disbarred for improprieties, starting in 2005 with Robert a
former heroin addict and flamboyant
womanizer who was accused of cheating
his clients and ending in March with the
oldest brother, David.
This month, the Moszkowiczes once
again are making headlines in Holland
because of We Moszkowicz, the first
revealing documentary film about the
remarkable family. Made by the first-born
son of Robert Moszkowicz, the television production retraces the Holocausts
deep effects on three generations that for
many represent Dutch Jewrys struggle
to return to normalcy after the trauma of
the genocide.
Combining footage from Amsterdam,
Jerusalem, and Auschwitz, the critically
acclaimed work by Max Moszkowicz
the 37-year-old filmmaker is named for
his 89-year-old grandfather offers an
unprecedented insight into the rise and
fall of a now notorious family.
The filmmaker describes to his father
his own panic as a child at seeing Robert
then still a celebrated and practicing lawyer collapse into a drug-induced stupor
at his mansion near Maastricht. Heroin
was in plain sight at his fathers Amsterdam apartment, the filmmaker recalls.
When Max was a child, Robert told him

Max Moszkowicz, right, with his son Bram in court in Amsterdam in 1987.

that the beige powder and tin foil were for


making special flu medicine.
Standing opposite his father, Max Moszkowicz confronts him over his shame at
elementary school following Roberts publicized arrest. Over the space of six years,
the filmmaker followed his father around,
assembling the portrait of a vain, sometimes selfish, and ultimately unrepentant
man who never apologized for actions that

apparently have scarred several of his nine


children, whom he had with four women.
But We Moszkowicz is no damning
indictment, filmmaker Max Moszkowicz said in an interview last week about
his film, which the Volkskrant daily
described as confrontational, moving,
and often painful.
Instead, its a story about three generations of a troubled but loving family, and

COURTESY OF MAX MOSZKOWICZ

an attempt to examine their dysfunctions


in light of secondhand emotional damage as siblings attempt to live up to their
fathers ideals and legacy. The film reveals
that the patriarch, determined to rebuild
the Jewish family destroyed by the Nazis,
disowned Robert because he married
a non-Jewish woman the filmmakers
mother.
The rejection was so absolute that in
1993, the elder Max Moszkowicz and
three of his sons appeared as a family on
a television talk show without ever mentioning Robert.
Four musketeers, Bram Moszkowicz
told the host in describing his family on
the show. One for all, all for one.
David concurred, saying with a grin: I
couldnt have said it better myself.
Filmmaker Max Moszkowicz said the
images, which he saw when he was 14, cut
like a knife.
I wanted to understand what my father
had done to be cut from the family as
though he never existed, he said.
Ostracized by his kin, Robert Moszkowicz, a handsome fast talker who enjoyed
Italian designer suits and expensive cars
though he struggles with debts, he still
owns a late model Jaguar was driven
over the edge after the death of his third
child. Jair lived less than one year. He was
born to Robert and his second wife, a
SEE MOSZKOWICZ PAGE 44

JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 41

Calendar
Friday

From Fait dhiver

JUNE 24

Cantor Ilan Mamber


Shabbat in Wyckoff:
Temple Beth Rishon
holds Shabbat Tzavta
(Shabbat together), a
participatory service
that includes selections
from contemporary and
classical repertoires, folk
rock melodies, liturgical
selections, traditional
motifs, and Israeli and
Argentinian synagogue
music, 7 p.m. Service led
by Cantor Ilan Mamber
with the Beth Rishon
Klezmer AllStars: Jane
Koch on keyboards,
Gale Bindelglass on
vocals, Adam Mester
and Mark Kantrowitz
on guitar, Jimmy Cohen
on percussion, and
Len Stern on trumpet.
The service will be
outdoors, weather
permitting. Dessert
and coffee. 585 Russell
Ave. (201) 891-4466 or
bethrishon.org.

Wednesday
JUNE 29

The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly hosts the touring exhibition Asbury
Shorts An Evening of the Worlds Best Short Films on Tuesday, June 28, at
7:30 p.m. The exhibit includes award-winning films, curated from the top global
film festivals; it features a mix of Oscar Award-winners and nominees in short
film comedy, drama, animation, and documentary. Films include Fait dhiver, directed by Dirk
Belien; The Timmy Brothers Water, directed by Paul Riccio, and Hypothetically, directed by
Peter Zinn. Sponsored in part by Brad-Core, Humanism in Building. Kathy, (201) 408-1454 or go
to jccotp.org.

JUNE

28

Sunday
JULY 3
Film in Cliffside Park:

Opera for seniors in


Tenafly: Cantor Bill
Walton will perform arias
from Mozarts opera Don
Giovanni at the Kaplen
JCC on the Palisades,
11:15 a.m. Lunch available.
411 E. Clinton Ave. Helene,
(201) 408-1451.

Friday
JULY 1
Shabbat in Cliffside
Park: Congregation Beth
Israel of the Palisades
holds an Independence
Day barbecue, 6 p.m.,
with musical Kabbalat
Shabbat services,
Maariv services, and
an oneg Shabbat.
207 Edgewater Road.
Dinner reservations,
(201)-945-1759 or email
selkam3208@icloud.com.

Congregation Beth
Israel screens the film
Operation Thunderbolt
in commemoration of the
40th anniversary of the
rescue at Entebbe, 2 p.m.
207 Edgewater Road.
(201)-945-1759 or email
selkam3208@icloud.com.

Monday
JULY 4
BBQ in Paramus:
The JCC of Paramus/
Congregation Beth
Tikvah hosts an
Independence Day
barbecue, 12:30 p.m.
$5 per person. 304
E. Midland Ave.
(201) 262-7691.

Wednesday
JULY 6
Blood drive in Teaneck:
Holy Name Medical
Center holds a blood
drive with New Jersey
Blood Services, a
division of New York
Blood Center, 2-8 p.m.

42 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

718 Teaneck Road.


(800) 933-2566 or www.
nybloodcenter.org.

Dudu Fisher in
Englewood: Chabad
of Bergen County
hosts the Unity Concert
with Dudu Fisher, the
voice of Jerusalem and
Broadway, at the Bergen
Performing Arts Center,
7:30 p.m.; doors open at
6:45. Rabbi Moshe Bryski,
director of Chabad of
the Conejo in California,
will be guest speaker.
30 North Van Brunt St.
(201) 227-1030 or www.
bergenpac.org.

Club. The Metro YMCAs


of the Oranges is a
partner of the YM-YWHA
of North Jersey. 1 Pike
Drive. (973) 595-0100 or
www.wayneymca.org.

In New York
Monday
JUNE 27

Singles

Thursday
JULY 7

Friday
Tony Blair

Ventriloquist in Wayne:
The Summer Concert
series at the Wayne
YMCA kicks off with a
performance by John
Pizzi, who blends magic,
ventriloquism, and
comedy, 7 p.m. Hes
appeared on Letterman,
Good Morning America,
the Daily Show, and
Showtimes Comedy
Club Network and is a
regular at Atlantic Citys
Borgata and New York
Citys Carolines Comedy

talks with Rabbi Peter


Rubinstein, director of
Jewish Community and
the Bronfman Center
for Jewish Life at the
92nd Street Y and copresident of the U.S.
board of the Tony Blair
Faith Foundation, about
the world situation,
especially the Middle
East, extremism,
governments, and
education, at the Y,
7 p.m. 1395 Lexington
Ave. (212) 415-5500 or
www.92Y.org.

JUNE 24
Bergenfield Shabbaton:

Rabbi Peter Rubinstein


PHOTOS COURTESY 92ND ST Y

Middle East discussion:


Tony Blair, former prime
minister of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland,

The Shidduch Project


hosts Be My Hero
for modern Orthodox/
machmir singles, 23-39,
at Congregation Beth
Abraham. Speakers
include Rabbi Yaakov
Neuberger of Beth
Abraham; Dr. Shani
Ratzker, author of
Finding Your Bashert
and the Survival Guide
to Shidduchim, and
Rabbi Simcha Weinstein,

a.k.a. the Comic Book


Rabbi. Includes all
meals, oneg with dating
mentors, speed dating,
interactive meals,
and melave malkah/
kumsitz. Hosted by
Rachel Ruchlamer
and Dr. Ratzker.
Shidduchprojects@
gmail.com or call
(201) 522-4776.

Announce
your events
We welcome announcements of upcoming events.
Announcements are free.
Accompanying photos must
be high resolution, jpg files.
Send announcements 2 to 3
weeks in advance. Not every
release will be published.
Include a daytime telephone
number and send to:

pr@jewishmediagroup.
com 201-837-8818 x 110

Calendar
Trip to Lubavitcher rebbes grave
To mark the 22nd yahrzeit of the
Lubavitcher rebbe, Menachem M.
Schneerson, Lubavitch on the Palisades
will host a trip to his ohel his grave in
Queens on July 5.
Thousands of people come to his ohel

Crossword

PULITZER WINNERS BY YONI GLATT


KOSHERCROSSWORDS@GMAIL.COM
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: CHALLENGING

at all hours to pray for inspiration, blessing, and guidance.


Buses will leave from 11 Harold Street
in Tenafly at 6 p.m., and a light dinner
will be served. Call (201) 871-1152 or go to
www.chabadlubavitch.org/oheltrip.

Yoga on the Green at the JCC


The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades will host
its annual Yoga on the Green, featuring
yoga instructors MaryBeth Sigler, John
Quirk, Robert Hoon, and Jill Schwalbe,
on Sunday, July 10, at 9 a.m. The free
event is held on the JCC grounds and
will feature a one-hour yoga class. People of all ages and levels are encouraged
to attend this one-of-a-kind fitness event,
which promotes relaxation, reduces
stress, and clears the mind.
Yoga on the Green will be held in
collaboration with Kula for Karma,
a nonprofit organization that offers

therapeutic yoga, meditation, and stress


management programs at no cost to
populations in need who face physical
and mental health challenges. Contributions to Kula for Karma will be accepted.
Participants should bring a mat, a
towel, and a water bottle, and wear sun
screen. The program will be held in the
Taub Gym if the weather is inclement.
Register online at www.jccotp.org/yoga.
The class is free, but participants must
click add to cart to register. For information, email group exercise director
Hagit Tal at Htal@jccotp.org.

Yanni to play
bergenPAC

Yanni

Tickets are on sale for performances


by Yanni at the Bergen Performing Arts
Center in Englewood on July 11 and 12.
Both shows are at 8 p.m.
Yanni, a multi Grammy Award-nominated composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and performer, will be
accompanied by his 15-member master
musician international orchestra. For
tickets, go to www.ticketmaster.com
or call the box office at (201) 227-1030.

Across
1. First name behind The Prophet
Jeremiah
5. Kind of korban
9. Kallahs path
14. One is equal to about half a meter
15. Where many a Jew might retire, for
short
16. Israeli winery
17. Pulitzer Prize winner about...a lost
sukkah?
20. Scott Feldmans baseball team
21. Evening, at the Venice ghetto
22. Increases (the settings at a seder)
23. Style of music running through
Braffs Garden State
25. Start of a seder?
27. ...Jonahs journey to Nineveh? (with
The)
36. Sergey Brin to Google
37. Tzanhanim scrub
38. Homer said she puts the she in
yeshiva
39. It can clean a tallit
41. ...what many Jewish settlers established?
44. World War II loser
45. Was guilty of Bal Tashchit (and a
chillul Hashem) on Halloween
47. Where to find Hagafen Cellars
49. One who sang Mazel Tov! and
LChaim! in a 2009 hit
50. ...what Indiana Jones made sure not
to see in the Ark?
54. Adam did it at 930
55. YU hs
56. Everything is Illuminated author
60. Home of the Great Choral
Synagogue
63. Some Sanders ideas, to Trump
67. ...Yom Haatzmaut
70. Ta who married Duchovny
71. Home of Day-Lewis
72. Maimonides attained it
73. Notable Lauder
74. Unlike Elijah, according to some
75. Way down Hermon

The solution to last weeks puzzle


in on page 47.

thejewishstandard.com

Down
1. Half an Israeli martial art
2. Book after Joel
3. Lewis Black might go on one
4. Not an ideal place to be put
5. Whom Ewan played opposite Natalie,
for short
6. Purim
7. Feeling after schlepping too much
8. Unfounded emotion felt by many a
44-Across
9. Bar Mitzvah requirement
10. Home state of Dear Abby
11. Went in headfirst, like Braun
12. It was promised
13. Makes Havdalah, e.g.
18. 38-Across, e.g
19. Biblical verb
24. ___ before Tu BShvat (When
Shabbat Shira must fall according to
the Jewish calendar)
26. Timid Nobleman
27. A chanukiah, for one
28. Janet who married Tony Curtis
29. Car that once had a Star of David
logo
30. Word to describe the First Temple
era
31. Who was a greater prophet than
Moses?
32. Jewish start of the day, to the bard
33. Rickman opposite Radcliffe
34. The Irgun
35. A Mossad agent might have one
40. Achbar!
42. Pit near Sinai Temple in Los Angeles
43. Non-kosher can
46. Made like Crystal as Davis Jr.
48. Shtick
51. Popularized Zuckerberg button
52. Did some religious reading
53. Crooks
56. The Knesset might seal one
57. And all their wealth, and all their
little ___ (Gen. 34:29)
58. Mitzvot that are testimonies
59. Kats Thor co-star Russo
61. Singer Brickell married to Paul Simon
62. Aloe in some Ahava products
64. Saul Berensons frenemy Dar on
Homeland
65. Dub at a bris
66. Green ___ monster, it violates a
Commandment
68. Big Apple order
69. Ryerson in Ramis Groundhog Day

JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 43

Arts & Culture/Obituaries


Moszkowicz
FROM PAGE 40

heroin addict who kept injecting throughout her pregnancy.


After his first arrest for drug dealing, in
the 1990s, Robert received a visit in jail
from his father, who despite their harsh
disagreements took on his sons legal case
because not doing so wouldve meant losing my son forever, as the patriarch said
during a television interview.
During the charged jailhouse meeting,
the father told his wayward son that the
facility reminded him of the concentration camp.
Thats what I want to experience, Robert replied in what he explained in the film
as a typical desire to feel what my father
felt in the Holocaust.
Its a key moment in the documentary,
helping viewers understand the Moszkowiczes self-destructive streak, the
best-selling Dutch Jewish author Leon
de Winter said. Its no coincidence that
three sons of this amazing family were

disbarred, he added.
Bram Moszkowiczs disbarment for
mismanagement of funds was disproportionate, de Winter said, noting that it

I saw my bloodied
reflection in
a mirror at the
party, and I could
see my fathers
self-destructive
pattern.
MAX MOSZKOWICZ

ultimately came from legal transgressions


motivated by an insatiable drive to please
the family patriarch, parents and two siblings were murdered during the Holocaust.
The patriarch Max raised his boys to

be invincible, de Winter said. And they,


in their desperate love and dedication
to him, felt the only way to get close and
equal to him was to follow him into hell.
And though they built an empire, the
Moszkowiczes always remained outsiders in the Netherlands post-Holocaust,
separated from the intellectual elites
they frequented by their own traumas,
as well as their weakness for flashy cars
and expensive clothes. Its as though
they overcompensated in a delayed and
tragic effect of the hell that Max Moszkowicz went through in Auschwitz, de
Winter said.
For all its tragic retrospection, We
Moszkowicz also offers a sense of hope
and redemption.
The filmmaker and his father are close,
their bond cemented on a two-week trip
they made to Israel in 2014. In one of the
films most moving scenes, Robert Moszkowicz, who is somewhat observant Jewishly and recites his prayers in Hebrew,
is overcome with emotion at the Western

Wall. His son hugs him as he cries, leaning


against the ancient stones.
Robert also is a devoted father to his
youngest children with his fourth wife.
Opening up in this unprecedented manner
to his sons camera, the filmmaker said, is
his way of making up for mistakes.
It was with an eye to the future that the
younger Max Moszkowicz began making
the film in the first place, he said. He did
not want to repeat his fathers mistakes
with his own first son, Ilai, who was born
last year.
Six years ago, I came drunk to a house
party with a bloody mouth that I got from
falling down en route, the filmmaker
recalled. I had an alcohol and drug problem. I saw my bloodied reflection in a mirror at the party, and I could see my fathers
self-destructive pattern.
That evening, filmmaker Max Moszkowicz decided to take the hard look at his life
that resulted in the film.
I feel I treated my demons, he said. I can
JTA WIRE SERVICE
move on with my life.

Don Bloom
Painter, illustrator, cartoonist, and art
educator, DON BLOOM, 83, died June 12,
2016, at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New
York.
Born in Roxbury, Mass., he settled in East
Brunswick, NJ in 1968. He received his
Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Massachusetts
College of the Arts in 1953, attended the Art
Students League of New York on scholarships
from 1953 to 1955, and in 1956 was awarded
a full scholarship to the renowned Instituto
Allende, San Miguel, Mexico, where he received
his MFA in Painting in 1957. That same year
the Newark News featured him as one of the 5
Artists of the Year in New Jersey.
In 1960 Bloom was awarded the John Simon
Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Painting,
and in 1964 and 1965, he was a resident fellow
at the Huntington Hartford Foundation in
Pacific Palisades, CA. His work was featured
in the Whitney Museum Annual in 1960, and
he has had dozens of one-man exhibitions
in the US and Mexico at museums, galleries,
colleges, and libraries. His painting earned
him numerous accolades and awards at the
state and national level.
His paintings are held in hundreds of private
collections and in numerous New Jersey colleges,
public institutions, and libraries, including the
East Brunswick and South River Libraries, the
South River Council of Congregations, and the
East Brunswick Senior Center.
For 34 years Bloom worked as an art educator

in the Piscataway Public Schools, serving as


Department Chairman from 1966-1983. He
was also an instructor in drawing and painting
for several northern New Jersey art centers,
including the Livingston and Morris County
Art Associations, the Summit Art Center,
and the Montclair Adult School. He was an
instructor for Bloomfield College and Trenton
State College (now the College of New Jersey),
and taught a workshop for teachers at the
Livingston Schools. Bloom also delivered
lectures and demonstrations for numerous art
groups, and was frequently sought as a judge
for art shows and exhibits.
Bloom was also an acclaimed editorial
cartoonist. For 12 years, his editorial drawings
appeared in the Greater Media newspapers,
and he illustrated for the Forbes newspapers
as well. Ten of his editorial cartoons are in
the permanent collection of the International
Museum of Cartoon Art, in Boca Raton,
Florida.
Bloom was a member of the National
Cartoonists Society, The Associated Artists
of New Jersey, the National Education
Association, the NJ Education Association,
and the Middlesex Country Retired Educators
Association. His biography first appeared
in Whos Who in American Art in 1970,
in publications of the Dictionary of
International Biography, and he was featured
in the National Cartoonists Society Album,
50th Anniversary Edition, published in 1996.
Paid notice

44 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

Bloom illustrated several books, including


Piscataways Story, a history of Piscataway
for children, authored by Margery Oleskie.
He executed numerous First Day Covers
for the Old Bridge Philatelic Corporation and
Mendlowitz, Weitsen, CPAs, including those on
Babe Ruth, Roberto Clemente, Jim Thorpe, all
the US Presidents, and many others. In 1998,
these cachets were awarded a second prize at
the Americover Societys Annual National
Conference. Some have been shown at the
Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY.
He was a member of the East Brunswick
Jewish Center, serving in several leadership
positions for more than 25 years, where he was
named Man of the Year in 1987. In 1998, the
Northern New Jersey Region selected him as
Man of the Year, its highest honor.
From November 2000 to March 2001,
Bloom was recognized through Mayoral
Proclamations by East Brunswick, North
Brunswick, and South River townships.
Mr. Bloom was married to Jeanette Bloom
for 36 years, until her death in June, 2004.
He is survived by a son, Richard Julius of
Durham, NC; 2 daughters, Lisa Hughes and
her husband Gary of Ocean, NJ, and Deborah
Berman and her husband, Andrew of Tenafly,
NJ; and 5 grandchildren: Melanie, Meghan,
Hannah, Sarah, and Julia.
Services were entrusted to MOUNT SINAI
MEMORIAL CHAPELS, East Brunswick
(www.msmc.us).

Obituaries
Sim Ashkenazi

Sim Ashkenazi, 93, of Fort Lee, died June 18.


Born in Bulgaria, he was a Holocaust survivor,
an accounting auditor, and a member of the JCC of
Paramus/Congregation Beth Tikvah.
His wife, Laura, and daughter, Annette, survive him.
Arrangements were by Eden Memorial Chapels,
Fort Lee.

Dr. Martin Blechman

Dr. Martin G. Blechman, 92, of Paramus and Boca


Raton, Fla., died June 16.
A World War II Army veteran, he earned medals
including the Combat Medic Badge and a Bronze Star.
He earned a masters from Columbia University and
a medical degree at Thomas Jefferson University. He
was on staff at Hackensack University Medical Center
for 41 years and in private practice. He was president
of the New Jersey Affiliate of the American Diabetes
Association and a member of many organizatons,
including the JCC of Paramus/Congregtion Beth Tikvah.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Dr. Charlotte
Sokol-Blechman; daughters, Barbara, Linda Busch, and
Rachel Devine ( John); a sister, Helen Bolnick; and five
grandchildren.
Donations can be sent to the Bergen Volunteer
Medical Initiative. Arrangements were by Louis
Suburban Chapel, Fair Lawn.

Ruth Schweid

Ruth Schweid, ne Wortzman, 95, of Fort Lee, died


June 20.
Born in New York City, she was a member of the
Benjamin Storch Family Circle.
Predeceased by her husband Sam in 2006, she is
survived by children, David of Englewood Cliffs and
Fran Levene Sweren of Fort Lee; four grandchildren
and three great- grandchildren.
Arrangements were by Eden Memorial Chapels,
Fort Lee.

Obituaries are prepared with


information provided by funeral homes.
Correcting errors is the responsibility
of the funeral home.

David Zeigerman

David Zeigerman of Malmo, Sweden, and New Jersey,


died June 17 in Edgewater.
Born in Vienna, he worked in advertising as an
award-winning art director, artist, collector, and
entrepreneur. He advocated for Holocaust awareness,
supported Israel, and was a member of Temple
Emanu-El of Closter.
His wife, Mindy Gale, children, Arianne and Zara,
and a brother, Ziggy, survive him.
Arrangements were by Gutterman and Musicant
Funeral Directors in Hackensack.

Olga Ilina

Olga Ilina, 54, of Fair Lawn, died June 8, 2016.


Arrangements were by Louis Suburban Chapel,
Fair Lawn.

Iris Kessler

Iris Kessler, 91, of Paterson, died June 15.


Predeceased by her husband, Marvin, she is survived
by children, Marsha Cohen (Melvin), and Dr. Scott
(Debby); and grandchildren Max and Zoe.
Arrangements were by Robert Schoems Menorah
Chapel, Paramus.

Beatrice Kleinman

Beatrice Kleinman, ne Bernstein, 83, of


Hackensack, died June 16.
She was a teacher at the Radburn School and a
former member of Temple Beth Sholom, both in
Fair Lawn. Predeceased by her husband, Albert, and
brothers, Irving and Sidney Bernstein; she is survived
by children, Michael, and David (Deb Dover); a brother,
Allen Bernstein (Cynthia); nieces and nephews.
Arrangements were by Louis Suburban Chapel,
Fair Lawn.

Robin Rubinstein

Robin Rubinstein, 59, of Glen Rock, formerly of


Manhattan and Fair Lawn, died June 17, of Lou Gehrigs
Disease.
She earned a masters from Columbia University and
worked in government including as Mayor Ed Kochs
assistant representative on the New York City Board of
Estimate. She was also a Glen Rock Board of Education
elected trustee.
Predeceased by her parents, Shirley and Abe
Rubinstein, she is survived by her husband of 33 years,
Eric Hutner, and a daughter, Andrea Andie, 26.
Arrangements were by Robert Schoems Menorah
Chapel, Paramus.

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JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 45

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To express interest, please submit CV
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46 JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016

CEDAR Park Cemetery,


Sanctuary Abraham & Sarah,
Paramus
2 Crypts, Bldg IV, Level 4
Cemetery price $18,750.00
Asking $13,750.00
transfer fees paid by seller
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JEWISH STANDARD JUNE 24, 2016 47

Real Estate & Business


Teaneck Creek Camp introduces
youngsters to the outdoors
The Camp at Teaneck Creek brings the great outdoors
right into the neighborhood. The program, for children entering grades 4 through 7, takes place from
August 15 to 19 and August 22 to 26. The prices are offset by a grant by the Puffin Foundation. Camp Creek is
guided by professional educators.
In a program called Fairy Tale Trials: Out of the
Woods and Into the Courtroom, children become
immersed in courtroom adventures through improvisational theater activities. In the Nature and Discovery

program, kids explore the natural world of the Teaneck


Creek. Each experience is different for each session.
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These experiences build confidence and self-esteem,
encourage social interaction, and provide outdoor
experiences in a beautiful and natural setting. Enrollment is limited, so register early.
For complete details about the program, hours, fees,
and registration, call the Teaneck Community Education
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48 Jewish Standard JUNE 24, 2016

On the rooftop of the Mishor Adumim industrial park


in the desert between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea,
an acre of herbs and lettuces provides employment
for about 20 people representing the entire Israeli
mosaic: Jews and Arabs, religious and secular, Israeliborn and immigrants.
We all work together and value each others contribution, says Bentsion Kabakov, a religious Russian
immigrant who established the Aleinu Sustainable
Aeroponic Greenhouse as a prototype six years ago.
We are convinced that no matter how harsh the
political challenges are, there is always a basis for
mutual respect and coexistence. At Aleinu, thats our
guiding line.
Women in hijabs chat easily with Ethiopian-Jewish
women in the packing and labeling room. Everyone
from pickers to technicians works in a comfortable,
air-conditioned environment and goes home at a set
time every day.
In all its social, business and environmental aspects,
this is truly a farm of the future.
The word aleinu in Hebrew means both above us
and our leaves, aptly conveying the concepts of rooftop farming and a shared sense of purpose.
Though rooftop and urban agriculture are becoming more widespread as the worlds population centers shift to cities, the system created by Kabakov and
fellow engineers from the former Soviet Union is one
of a kind, explains Shelley Brinn of Tour Adumim, who
brings groups to see, smell and taste the produce of
Aleinu and learn about its social, ecological and educational facets
Based on the concept of aeroponics growing
plants in humid air rather than soil or water Aleinu
incorporates several proprietary technologies that
bring an unprecedented level of automation and efficiency to the process while eliminating problems of
conventional farming such as unpredictable weather,
the expense of land, and the need for long hours of
outdoor toil by many workers.
As a result, this aeroponic greenhouse yields 50
times more produce per square meter than does
a traditional farm, while consuming 20 times less
water. Compared with other aeroponic greenhouses,
Aleinus harvest is three times more abundant, according to Kabakov.
The 25 different greens and herbs including basil,
lettuce, kale, arugula, parsley, chives, thyme, sage,
mint and oregano are certified insect-free and meet
stringent international quality standards.
See Farm page 50

Real Estate & Business

BANK-OWNED PROPERTIES

BergenPAC
gala is success
Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood recently
hosted its 11th annual gala, which was sponsored by
Benzel-Busch Motor Car Corporation and benefited
the Performing Arts School at bergenPAC. The evening
featured Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band. BergenPAC
honored Dr. Hetal Gor with the Rising Star Award
and long-time staff member Rosalie Berlin with the
Distinguished Service Award.
Funds raised contribute directly to programs hosted
by the Performing Arts School. The schools goal is to
foster arts education for all, regardless of economic,
physical, or cognitive barriers.
At the gala, BergenPACs new state-of-the-art sound
system was unveiled. It features two Yamaha CL5
digital audio consoles and four Rio 3228 input/output
boxes.
The centers new sound got rave reviews from the
former Beatle.
I love the sound of this venue! The sound kicks, Im
telling you! Mr. Starr said during his performance.

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Martin H. Basner, Realtor Associate


(Office) 201-794-7050 (Cell) 201-819-2623

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Serving NY, NJ & CT

25 E. Spring Valley Ave., Ste 100, Maywood, NJ

201-368-3140

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FIRST PLACE

(201) 837-8800

Jewish Standard JUNE 24, 2016 49

Real Estate & Business


Farm
from page 48

Seeds are sown one by one mechanically in blocks of sterile mineral wool
(made from recycled industrial waste),
which are placed in long plastic troughs
(conduits) with holes.
Resting on a computer-controlled
dynamic field of conveyor belts, the
troughs are close together at first. As the
plants grow, the distance between the
troughs automatically adjusts as they
move gradually from the planting end to
the final harvesting end of the field.
Misty air circulates inside of the troughs,
providing the roots with water, nutrients
and oxygen. Sensors in the field alert operators to any nutrient imbalances that can
be corrected quickly by computer. A wet
corrugated wall opposite a wall of fans
keeps the entire space humid.
In this controlled environment,
the plants grow more quickly, Brinn

explains. They have smaller roots


because they get all the nutrition they
need from above and can use their
energy to grow upward.
An overhead platform travels across
the dynamic field, enabling just one or
two workers Brinn calls them herbal
cowboys to tend the troughs and crops
as needed from above, so little floor
space is wasted on walkways. Propellers
mounted on the moving platform suck up
bugs from the plants into huge nets.
Far fewer insects are attracted to an
industrial rooftop than to a conventional
farm. Aleinu uses natural pesticides sparingly, mostly relying on a patented system of various physical obstacles to prevent insects from coming into contact
with the plants.
For now, the model farm sells three
million packages of produce per year in
Israeli supermarket chains.
However, Kabakov hopes that once
people become more familiar with the

Bentsion Kabakov in his Aleinu


Sustainable Aeroponic Greenhouse.

Aleinu brand and mission, he will be able


to establish a direct-to-consumer sales
network. Only by shortening the time
from field to plate can the vitamins in
veggies be preserved, he tells ISRAEL21c.
An applied mathematician whose
grandfather was a farmer, Kabakov envisions satellite locations and mini home

and school versions of his farm supplying Israeli households with fresh-picked,
locally grown, virtually bug-free and
chemical-free produce.
Neighbors, families and friends can
get together and turn rooftops, yards,
balconies and even flights of stairs into
sustainable urban mini-farms. Our technology and equipment are safe, userfriendly and easily accessible, says
Kabakov.
Aleinu offers workshops for professional farmers and others interested in
starting aeroponic farms.
Kabakov welcomes inquiries from
abroad and can provide tours in English, Hebrew, Russian or French. The day
before ISRAEL21c visited, he hosted a delegation from China eager to learn more
about his made-in-Israel technologies.
We have four patents, and everything
you see was made by our hands, he says.
We continue to innovate new technoloISrael21c
gies in our R&D center.

NVE-3091 Consumer Red Door Ad 5x6.5_NVE-3091 Consumer Red Door Ad 5x6.5 4/8/16 11:32 AM Page 1

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50 Jewish Standard JUNE 24, 2016

thejewishstandard.com

The Art of Real Estate


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Jewish Standard JUNE 24, 2016 51

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