North Jersey Jewish Standard, May 22, 2015

NORPACS MASSES GO TO WASHINGTON page 6
A EUROPEAN RABBINICAL STUDENT IN RIDGEWOOD page 12

MAKING ART FROM RUTH AND JONAH IN TEANECK page 14
THE DEEP JEWISHNESS OF MAD MEN page 44
MAY 22, 2015
VOL. LXXXIV NO. 35 $1.00
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2015
NORTH JERSEY
JSTANDARD.COM
Whole lotta love
Israeli veterans and

American Jews bond
through Zahal Shalom
page 26
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Page 3
George W. Bush made a

painting for Sheldon Adelson
l Jewish casino magnate and politi-
How Sam Catchem davens Mincha

l Weve been reading the reviews
of the Apple Watch from trendsetters who have been using the
seasons hottest gadget for a few
weeks now. The device offers the
promise, first conjured by the Dick
Tracy comic strip back in the 1930s,
of wrist-based video chats. Alas,
reviews say the watchs tiny speaker
makes conversations sound tinny.
Yet if the Apple Watch doesnt
quite meet Dick Tracys needs (its
only version 1.0, after all), a new update from Jewish software developer
RustyBrick would make the phone
very handy for one of Mr. Tracys
partners, Sam Catchem. Catchem,
introduced in the comic strip in 1948,
is Jewish. RustyBrick has released a
new edition of its Siddur App for the
iPhone, which links up to the Apple
Watch. The watch now can remind

you to pray Mincha before sunset,
Maariv after sunset the text of
both prayers are on the watch
and locate the nearest (Orthodox)
minyan. Perhaps best of all for the
busy detective on the beat, if you are
about to recite Grace after lunch and
your boss calls with the latest bulletin
on Flattop, you can press a button
and the watch will remind you about
benching in 15 minutes. Its a snooze
button for praying, in other words.
The RustyBrick Siddur app is
$9.95 for the iPhone, with the Apple
Watch functionality thrown in for
free. The Apple Watch starts at
$349 but with luck, you can get
one for free by entering our annual
Readers Choice survey at jstandard.
Larry Yudelson
com/survey
When shes 65
l A 65-year-old charedi Orthodox
woman became the oldest woman

in Israel and one of the oldest in
the world to give birth to a child.
Chaya Sarah Schachar of Bnei
Brak delivered her first child, a
healthy boy, on Monday at the Meir
Hospital in Kfar Saba, the Jerusalem
Post reported.
Schachar, who is chasidic, had
been trying to get pregnant since
she got married, more than 45 years
ago. The baby, delivered by Caesarean section, was conceived with
donor sperm.
Schachar and her husband, Shmuel, attributed her successful pregnancy to a blessing from their rabbi,
according to the Times of Israel.
Last year, a 61-year-old woman
gave birth to her first son at Shaare
Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem.
It is not clear who is the oldest
woman in the world to have given
birth. In 2013, the United Kingdoms
Daily Mail reported that Rajo Devi

Lohan of India was the recordholder, having given birth six years
earlier at 69. However, ABC News
in 2008 reported on another Indian
woman, Omkari Pankwar, who gave
birth to twins at 72.
Dr. Tal Biron, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Meir Hospital, told the
Jerusalem Post that Schachar can
breastfeed the baby despite her age.
While noting that we do not
recommend attempting pregnancy
beyond age 54, Biron said, We
were very excited during the delivery. I have no doubt she will be an
excellent mother. She is a very special person. The baby is very cute.
All this raises the question: How
long can this trend of ever-older
mothers continue? Will Hadassah
Hospital best the biblical Sarahs
record of 90? Will one day doctors
fulfill the old Jewish blessing, until
JTA Wire Service
120?
cal mega-donor Sheldon Adelson is

now the proud owner of a painting by a
reclusive artist whose works are rarely
seen in public and happens to be a
former U.S. president.
The New York Times recently reported that George W. Bush, who after
making a bold imprint on the canvas of
the Middle East early this century began painting amateur portraits in 2012,
gave Adelson one of his original paintings at last months Republican Jewish
Coalition conference in Las Vegas.
According to the Times, the painting
is of Adelsons Marina Bay Sands resort
and casino in Singapore, which is one
of the most expensive buildings ever
constructed.
The fiercely pro-Israel Adelson will
likely spend tens (if not hundreds) of
millions on the next Republican presidential candidate.
Since his sister Dorothys email account was hacked in 2012 and the
world learned of his artistic exploits,
Bush has focused mainly on portraits
of world leaders, such as former Italian
WikiMedia Commons
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He
has even painted former Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert.
So perhaps the gift was more than
just a selfless gesture?
Either way, if the painting is comparable to Bushs previous portraits, it will
be, in the words of one art critic, of at
least high amateur quality. The question is, where will Adelson display it?
Gabe Friedman / JTA Wire Service
On the cover: Amanda Zoneraich of Wyckoff (center) and Zahal Shalom

soldiers Sagi Salah and Hezi Reuven
Photo by Johanna Resnick Rosen/Candid Eye
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to New Jersey Jewish Media
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CONTENTS
Noshes4
oPINION20
cover story 26
shavuot 35
torah commentary 39
crossword puzzle40
arts & culture 41
calendar 42
obituaries 45
classifieds46
real estate48
Jewish Standard MAY 22, 2015 3
Noshes
The greatest songwriter of

modern times is Bob Dylan.
David Letterman, introducing Mr. Dylan,
who then played a song Frank Sinatra recorded in 1941.
FUTURIST FANTASY:
Clooney, Robertson
trek to Tomorrow
Tomorrowland
is a sci-fi fantasy
starring George
Clooney as a former boy
genius who bonds with a
bright, science-minded
teen (Britt Robertson).
Together they embark on
a dangerous, life-altering
mission to a mysterious
place called Tomorrowland. The screenplay is
by DAMON LINDELOF,
42, who also produced it.
A Teaneck native, hes
best known as the
creator of the TV series
Lost and The Leftovers.
Fantasy of a more horrific sort is found in Poltergist. Yes, it is a remake of the classic 1982
film about evil spirits invading a suburban home
and capturing a young
child, which was written by STEVEN SPIELBERG. The new version
has been brought into
the present day and
co-stars Sam Rockwell
and Rosemarie DeWitt.
It was produced by SAM
RAIMI, 55, a master of
horror, and directed by
GIL KENAN, 38. Kenan,
who was born in Israel
and raised in Los Angeles, has directed two big
studio movies: Monster
House (2006), a charming animated film that
was a hit and an Oscar
nominee, and City of
Ember (2008), a fantasy that wasnt a hit.
Youve probably
heard that
HARRY SHEARER, 71, has opted to walk
away from a multimilliondollar contract renewal
with Fox rather than
allow them to have veto
power over his outside
projects (although
rumors say they still may
make a deal). Shearer is,
of course, the voice of
many Simpsons
characters, including Mr.
Burns, Waylon Smithers,
Ned Flanders, Rev.
Lovejoy, and Kent
Brockman. Fellow Jewish
cast member JULIE
KAVNER, 64, will stay on
as the voice of Marge
Simpson.
Shearers other notable roles include playing a member of the rock
group Spinal Tap, the
hilarious 1984 mockumentary he co-wrote. By
the way, this is not the
first time that Shearer
left a lucrative role. He
was a child actor with a
few minor credits when
he appeared in the 1957
pilot for Leave it to Beaver, He played Frankie,
a not-so-nice boy. (His
character probably
was a model for Wallys
friend, the creepy Eddie
Haskell.) When Beaver
was put on the schedule, his parents declined
an offer for Shearer to
be a series regular. They
thought it was too much
Damon Lindelof
Harry Shearer
Duchovny plays cop

on Manson trail
David Schwimmer
work for a child.
The first season of
American Crime Story,
a true-crime spin-off of
American: Horror Story,
the hit FX series which
tells a different horror
story each season, is now
being filmed. This first
season is subtitled The
People v. O.J. Simpson.
In many ways, the arrest
and trial of O.J. Simpson
was the first celebrity
reality show. So its fitting
the Kardashian family,
who have built a marketing powerhouse based
on their own reality series, figure prominently in
the story.
DAVID SCHWIMMER,
48, of Friends fame,
plays the late Robert Kardashian, a great friend of
Selma Blair
O.J.s and a lawyer who
briefly represented the
football star after his arrest. SELMA BLAIR, 42,
another Jewish thespian,
plays Kris Kardashian
Jenner, Roberts ex-wife.
But the biggest real-life
Jewish players in the O.J.
saga, defense attorney
ROBERT SHAPIRO, now
72, and prosecutor MARCIA CLARK, now 61, are
played by two non-Jewish actors, John Travolta
and Sarah Paulson.
Actress Helen
Mirren will
receive the
World Jewish Congress
Recognition Award for
her role as MARIA
ALTMANN in the biopic
The Woman in Gold.
The film chronicles
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StripAd_Rev.indd
David Duchovny
Aquarius stars DAVID DUCHOVNY, 51, as Sam

Hodiak, Los Angeles police sergeant who is looking for
a missing teen in early 1968. He is aided by Brian (Grey
Damon), an undercover officer dressed like a hippie.
Unknown to both of them, their investigation will lead
them to Charles Manson, a year or so before Manson
became infamous worldwide. You can watch Aquarius
on TV (premieres Thursday, May 28, at 9 and every week
thereafter at that time), or you can watch the entire
13-episode first season online starting on May 29. (Yes,
N.B.
NBC is pulling a Netflix.)
Altmanns effort to
reclaim a famous Gustav
Klimt portrait of her aunt,
ADELE BAUER-BLOCH,
from the Austrian
government. (The Nazis
stole the painting from
her late uncle.) Mirren
said about the award,
Being a part of this film
and preserving Maria
Altmanns legacy has
been a truly exceptional
experience from the
start. I am utterly moved
to be receiving an award
from the World Jewish
Congress, an organization that does such
important work all over

the globe in advocating
for Jewish rights. By the
way, you now have the
opportunity to see both
Klimt portraits of Adele
for the first time since
they were recovered. The
more famous portrait,
Adele Bauer-Bloch I,
nicknamed the Woman
in Gold, is on permanent
exhibit at the Neue
Gallery (very near the
Metropolitan Museum)
and Adele Bauer Bloch
II is on special long-term
loan to the Museum of
N.B.
Modern Art.
California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at

Middleoftheroad1@aol.com
Discover.
benzelbusch.com
5/4/15 11:01 AM
Jewish Federation
OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY
Womens Philanthropy
On May 12, almost 500 womenand a few
mengathered at the Rockleigh Country
Club to celebrate the impact women have on
philanthropy within the Jewish community.
Honored this year were Sari Gross, Eleanor
Epstein, and Rachel Adler. Co-Presidents, Rena
Klosk and Carol Newman thanked those who
have already made their gift to the 2015 Annual
Campaign. They extended a special thanks to
Spring Luncheon Co-chairs, Geri Cantor, Jill
Maschler, and Paula Shaiman. A highlight of the
day was Dana Post Adlers impassioned speech
about the importance of giving to Federation.
Orchid Sponsor
ARTISTIC TILE
Lily Sponsor
TAPESTRIE
JEWISH STANDARD MAY 22, 2015 5
Local
Everybodys on the bus
Bergen, other local counties send 1,500 to lobby for Israel on Capitol Hill
LOIS GOLDRICH
The relationship between Israel and the
United States might be somewhat strained
right now, so at least 1,500 concerned Jews
from around the area traveled to Washington,
D.C., last week to plead Israels case.
Many of the members of that Norpac delegation are from Bergen County.
It was very gratifying, said Norpacs president, Dr. Ben Chouake of Englewood. Norpac brought 33 buses to the nations capital
on May 13.
We cut off registration on May 4, the
deadline date, he said, noting that while the
organization has been known to extend the
deadline, this year, as the number of wouldbe attendees steadily grew, that was not
possible.
The turnout was really impressive, said
Dr. Chouake, adding that the large number
of legislators who cleared time in their calendar to meet with members of his group was
impressive as well.
In fact, Dr. Chouake said, the group
arranged for some 470 meetings.
Describing itself as a bipartisan, multi-candidate political action committee working to
strengthen the United States-Israel relationship, Norpac brings about 1,000 people to
Washington each year to advocate toward
that end. Generally, participants attend a
brief plenary session, where they hear from
members of the Congressional leadership.
Next, they meet in small groups with members of Congress and their staffs to discuss the
years talking points.
Arranging meetings is no easy job, said
Dr. Chouake, who noted that he had spent
the last couple of weeks getting the appointments. He attributes his success to the fact
that Norpac is well known to legislators,
prepares its members well, and sends the
printed resources to members of Congress
before the meetings.
Unlike most groups, the training of our
members who go down to Washington is
substantially better, Dr. Chouake said. We
send out talking points ahead of time, and we
show a video on the way down. The Norpac
delegation is knowledgeable, practiced, and
prepared, and well trained on the issues.
Often, congressional meetings are secured
by members who have a connection, he
said. If they have a connection, we use it;
the better the connections, the better the
meetings. Sometimes, members of Congress ask to meet only with their own constituents, but the vast majority are considerate
enough to give time to members even though
theyre not constituents.
Norpac was founded in Bergen County
and grew concentrically from here
From left, Shira Rachlin, Dr. Eli Rachlin, Sharon Kintslinger, Diane Fogel, Rep. Tom MacArthur, Nancy Friedman, Renee
Brown, Ellen Gertler, Milton Markovitz, and Dr. Howard Kaufman. The visitors were among the 1,500 delegates Norpac sent
to Washington last week.
This was
May Muskins
first trip to
Washington
with Norpac.
From left, Sen. Bob Menendez, Dr. Ben Chouake, mission co-chair Dr. Richard
Schlussel, and NORPAC board member David Schlussel wait their turns to speak.
outward, Dr. Chouake said. The group now

includes people from central Jersey, Highland
Park, Rockland County, Westchester, and
New York City. Were also getting people
from Deal, he said.
On May 13, We met with everyone, leaders
of the House and Senate, Dr. Chouake said. If
a senator or representative was in a meeting,
Norpac delegates met with his or her staff. I
was supposed to meet with [John] McCain,
he said, but he ended up chairing a closed
session of the armed services committee.
That meeting also precluded a visit with ranking member Jack Reed, who couldnt come
but called me on the phone.
Most of the members know us, he said.
We go down every year and theyre familiar
with us. Still, there are a lot of new members, a lot of turnover. That makes it more of
a challenge, but by and large what works is
our consistency.
Not only do Norpac members visit Washington each year, but we hold meetings
[with members of Congress] each year in our
homes. We have about 35 fundraising events
for Congress every year, so about 15 percent
of Congress is in one of our homes every two
years. Thats a lot.
Dr. Chouake said that Norpac targets legislators based on the importance of the member on a specific issue or on a key committee,
like armed services or foreign affairs. In the
House, he said, decision-making is a pyramid. While leaders are clearly at the top, the
committee chairs are like cardinals, and the
majority party has huge amounts of authority
compared to the minority party.
In the Senate, however, Every senator
is a priority a power center. Every senator can jam the works for example, by
engaging in a filibuster.
Each year, Norpac selects different issues
related to specific pieces of legislation to present to members of Congress.
Foreign aid is always on agenda, Dr.
Chouake said, pointing out that the armed
services committee has asked for millions
of additional dollars for the Iron Dome
missile defense system, most of it targeted
toward the anti-ballistic missile system
called Davids Sling.
Norpacs goal is to convince legislators to
vote for both authorization and funding.
I met with [Sen.] Barbara Mikulski, ranking member of the appropriations committee, Dr. Chouake said. It was very positive.
This is a priority for her. She is a leader on
the issue, and the first one to introduce supplemental appropriations for Iron Dome, he
added. I also spoke with [Sen.] Patty Murray,
who said that funding is tight, he said. Still,
she agreed that this was a priority, especially
in the current environment. We shouldnt
be hostages to small countries that develop
these weapons.
He said he was pleased to see that Sen.
Murray still displays a Norpac award with the
likeness of a shofar in her front office.
Local
Generally speaking, everyone is talking
about partisanship, Dr. Chouake said, noting that there certainly is friction between
the two major parties. But missions like
this help that a lot, he said. It reinforces
the bipartisan nature of the relationship, and
leaves people feeling good.
Norpac delegates also expressed their
concern about the Hezbollah sanctions bill,
recently introduced in the House and soon to
be raised in the Senate.
Sen. [Richard] Shelby will get it to committee, Dr. Chouake said. Last year it passed
in the House but didnt get to committee. This
year it will get through. Were expecting it to
be successful, with the chair in support.
A major issue of discussion was the threat
posed by Iran.
The biggest threat is an Iran armed with
nuclear weapons, Dr. Chouake said. We
put most of the other issues on a secondary
tier, because the prospect of nuclear genocide overshadows everything. What we did is
explain the dangers of Iran to the members
of Congress. Even if they know it, theyve got
a gazillion things on their plate. When you
explain it, it gets better attention and focus.
When members understand it, they can
explain it to constituents.
Dr. Chouake said a U.S. agreement with
Iran must have the backing of the members
and the American people. This means that

these constituencies must understand the
nature of the issue. Norpac is looking to help
provide that information.
The issue of Iran was put front and center in the groups talking points, supplemented by a score card for evaluating any
agreement that would come before members
of the House and Senate based on a statement by the administration and the framework they described, Dr. Chouake said. A
scorecard was sent to legislators before the
mission, and many of them indicated that
they found it helpful.
It was extremely well received, he said.
Easy to read and a fabulous tool. We spent
an enormous amount of time doing this, he
added, noting that his organization had consulted three experts in the production of this
resource. And while Norpac often works with
other organizations, he said, the materials
we put together have yet to see their equal in
terms of usability and practicality.
The nature of the [Washington] meetings
was positive, he concluded. Members were
attentive. They read and appreciated our
materials, and on an incredibly busy day they
gave us a lot of time. We are very grateful.
This was the first time May Muskin of
Teaneck participated in a Norpac mission.
Why now?
Theyre concerned with a whole bunch of

issues close to my heart, she said. I couldnt
get off from work [in other years], but I could
this year. I was glad to use this time to go on
the mission.
Ms. Muskin said she was somewhat surprised seeing the sheer number of people
on the mission. It was quite impressive,
she added, noting that our presence alone
counts for a lot. Its gratifying to see so many
supporters of Israel congregate in one place.
The relationship between the U.S. and Israel
is especially strained recently. Its more
important than ever.
She said she found the trip to be a tremendous learning experience in terms of how
the U.S. government works. While she has
been to Washington before, You have better
access with a group like this and having that
type of access was very gratifying. It was an
opportunity to learn things I couldnt learn
otherwise.
There was a range of reactions and ways
in which we were welcomed, Ms. Muskin
continued. Some were very welcoming and
well-informed, while others were not so wellinformed. We were bringing to their attention
things they didnt know about, like the Hezbollah sanctions law.
In addition, Its important to thank those
who have supported us in the past, and those
on the fence we can have some positive

impact on, she said, adding that she particularly enjoyed the speech by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who spoke from the heart. Hes
taken a bullet for us, she said. He spoke
about our homeland, our roots, that we were
not formed as a consolation prize, a result of
the Holocaust.
It was brilliant, and he was public about
it, she said.
She and eight or nine other participants
also spent time with legislators from California and Indiana. The latter, she said, spent
25 minutes with us and had a good grasp of
the issues. It was a high point.
Ms. Muskin agreed that the Iran scorecard was excellent. It really crystallizes
different issues regarding the framework
of dealing with Iran, she said. She also
appreciated the training session Norpac
offered before the visit.
This is the first time I have been this
active, she said. Maybe it will encourage
me to become more actively involved. In the
meantime, I will actively encourage people
to do this. Theres strength in numbers and
articulating the arguments we need to make.
We cannot take anything for granted or rest
on our laurels.
We need to advocate for Israel, and for a
good relationship.
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JEWISH STANDARD MAY
22, 10:49
2015AM7
Local
The North, the South, the Civil War, and us

In Teaneck, Princeton rabbi to examine the wars roots, its results, and its effects on the Jews
JOANNE PALMER
aybe you think that we fought the Civil War to

stop slavery.
Maybe you think that the causes of the war
were entirely economic, and had nothing to do
with slavery.
Maybe you think that good and evil were clear in the Civil
War, and that the North that would be us represented
unsullied virtue.
Well, youd be wrong, according to Rabbi Eric Wisnia of
Congregation Beth Chaim in Princeton Junction. The North
was as morally culpable as the South in the great vice of slavery. There were no angels. He will discuss his understanding
of American history at length and in detail during Kabbalat
Shabbat services at Temple Emeth in Teaneck on Friday, May
29, at 8 p.m., in a talk hes called An Impartial Jewish View
of the War of Yankee Aggression. The talk coincides with the
150th anniversary of the wars end.
Rabbi Wisnia, who grew up as an avid supporter of the
North, came by his love of freedom and of liberators logically.
His father, David, came from Warsaw; he was imprisoned in
Auschwitz, sent out to work as a forced laborer my daddy
was strong. We Wisnias are a hale, hearty bunch, he said
jumped off a train, was picked up by American soldiers,
worked as the personal interpreter for the captain in charge
of the parachute regiment that rescued him, and eventually
was given U.S. citizenship.
(His father recently went back to Auschwitz for the commemoration of its liberation, 70 years ago; it was David Wisnia, now 86, who chanted El Moleh Rachamim there.)
When he came to the country, David Wisnia became a salesman. He sold encyclopedias so well that his company moved
him, his wife, Hope, and their children to Levittown, Pa.
Rabbi Wisnia is an unstoppable storyteller, unable to resist
the lure of any side story as it beckons to him. Soon after World
War II, Bill Levitt built two eponymous towns. One was on
Long Island, the other in Pennsylvania. Both were filled with
mass- produced houses that also were sturdy, well-planned
and well-constructed, and affordable to recently discharged
servicemen and their families, particularly through the G.I.
Bill. Bill Levitts daughter is a member of my synagogue now,
he said. Bills wife, Sonia, is still around, and I tell her how
wonderful Levittown was.
It was through Levittown that he developed his lifelong
obsession with the Civil War, Rabbi Wisnia said.
There I was, little Eric Wisnia, living in Levittown, Pennsylvania. In the late 1950s, a craze hit America. It was the Civil
War Centennial a nationwide commemoration that began
in 1957 and ended in 1965. Everybody was talking about it.
Everybody.
It was in Life magazine. It was in Look magazine. It was the
Harpers Ferry insurrection
cool thing to talk about.

I started hearing about
it as a good Northern boy in
Levittown, how those nasty
Southerners were racists,
and the good Northerners
were the boys who saved the
black man. And I bought it. I
drank the Kool Aid.
And of course the Southerners lived up to their stereotype by beating up civil
rights workers, Rabbi Wisnia said. It was pretty clear
Rabbi Eric Wisnia
to me that we Yankees had
fought the war to free the
slaves, and that those Southerners were bad.
In August of 1957, however, a black family tried to move
into Levittown, Pennsylvania, Rabbi Wisnia said. They were
not well received.
There was a cross burned on their lawn, and then there
were race riots.
So here I was, an 8-year-old boy, studying the Civil War,
and then to see this I kept saying, No, no, no. This is not
true. This cannot be happening in Levittown. This is not
Georgia.
What I began to find out in a hard way is that racism is
as American as apple pie, he said. The Yankees have managed to whitewash their conscience by blaming racism on the
South. But the stories we have always been taught about the
Confederacy it aint necessarily so.
That was the beginning of a lifelong passion for Rabbi Wisnia. He is a self-taught but serious historian of the Civil War. His
undergraduate degree, from the University of Pennsylvania,
John Brown
Robert E. Lee
was in religion logical enough for someone who knew he

wanted to be a rabbi and his ordination was from Hebrew
Union College, but his spare-time reading was all about the
antebellum period, the war itself, and its aftermath.
Wait. What about the Jews? The Charlestown census
of 1860 shows that before the war, there were about 800
Jews living there. They were free and equal, and those
Jews owned 50 slaves. I am not proud of that fact, as a
rabbi, but lest you condemn those Jews, you will notice,
right near that in the census, that there were 1,000 free
black citizens of Charleston.
They were free and equal, those black citizens. And they
owned 1,500 slaves.
This sorry story started far before the Civil War.
When some of my colleagues and friends get on their high
horses as Yankees, often I point out to them that of course
they should have supported the British during the colonial
rebellion, because the British freed all their slaves.
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free blacks, he said. There had been slaves in the city, but
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New Jersey was a slave state, he said. Hes right. PresiOpen Seven Days
dent Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation
freed only the slaves held by the South. The Thirteenth
Amendment, which outlawed slavery, was passed in 1865,
over New Jerseys objections, Rabbi Wisnia said. New
Jersey did not ratify it until 1966; it was one of the last
states to do so.
There are many romantic myths that cloak the brutality, madness, and fratricide that made up the Civil War,
Rabbi Wisnia continued. He believes that John Browns
raid at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, was the catalyst that
started the war, and that John Brown was not a hothead
or a stern abolitionist pushed to sacrifice by and for God,
but a sociopathic butcher.
John Brown was a murderer, and he decided that the
only way to free this country was to cleanse it with blood,
Rabbi Wisnia said. He decided that he would take the
armory in Harpers Ferry, give guns to the blacks, and
TM
have them rise up and slaughter the white Southerners.
Ironically and tragically the first man killed in the
raid was Heyward Shepherd, a free black man whose
Limit 5 gallons
Rejuvenate your deck. ARBORCOAT is formulated to improve the
per customer with
one coupon.
job was to guard the arsenal. Virginia allowed him to
look of wood today, and protect it from damaging UV rays over time.
carry a gun, Rabbi Wisnia said. He refused to hand
look of wood today, and protect it from damaging UV rays over time.
over his keys to John Brown and John shot him. (One
of the ways that Rabbi Wisnias deep immersion in the
Civil War manifests itself is his tendency to talk about
TM
its characters by their first names, as if he knew them
then. Certainly he knows them now.)
Brown was crazy, and he scared the crap out of
every Southerner, Rabbi Wisnia continued. The
newspapers handled it as if he was a hero. And so from
that point on, they were convinced that the Northernlook of wood today, and protect it from damaging UV rays over
time.
523906009866
523906009866
ers would free the slaves and give them guns, and that
theyd kill everyone.
Thats what led to the secession of the first Southern
states, he said. The second group of states left over the
LODI, NJ 126 ESSEX ST (201) 843-5325 07644
PARSIPPANY, NJ 160 ROUTE 46 WEST (973) 276-0400 07054
ARDMORE, PA 2340 HAVERFORD AVE (610) 642-3223 19003
TEANECK, NJ 1430 TEANECK RD (201) 837-3468 07666
EATONTOWN, NJ 315 RTE 35 N (732) 578-1120 07724
AMBLER, PA 38 W SKIPPACK PIKE (215) 643-1260
Limit519002
gallons
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your
deck.
ARBORCOAT
is formulated
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GREEN
BROOK, NJ 396 ROUTE
22 WEST
(732) 868-4200
08812
principle of states rights, but the first seceded because
BRICK, NJ 500 BRICK BLVD (732) 920-8504 08723
PAOLI, PA 1544-46 E LANCASTER AVE (610) 647-6663
19301with
one coupon.
FAIR LAWN,
NJ 17-12 RIVER
RD (201)
796-3500
07410
HOWELL, NJ UV
6521 HIGHWAY
9over
(732) 370-0980
07731
PHILADELPHIA, PA 2041 ORGEGON AVE (215) 462-8027 19145
look
of
wood
today,
and
protect
it
from
damaging
rays
time.
MORRISTOWN,
NJ
1284
MOUNT
KEMBLE
AVE
(973)
425-1221
07960
they were afraid that if they did not, President Lincoln
MANAHAWKIN, NJ 511 E ROUTE 72 (609) 488-3000 08050
WAYNE, PA 394 W LANCASTER AVE (610) 293-0471
19087
Valid only
at Ricciardi Brothers Paint Stores on ARBORCOAT. Limit 5 g
EDISON, NJ 975 NEW DURHAM RD (732) 287-9440 08817
one coupon
per customer. Retail stores may limit offer to certain in-s
POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ 3130 ROUTE 88 (732) 899-2183 08742
DOYLESTOWN, PA 73 OLD DUBLIN PIKE, UNIT 9 (267)Limit
880-1644
18901
PATERSON, NJ 425 MCBRIDE AVE (973) 345-4444 07501
would arm the slaves, and the slaves would kill them.
cash. Not
valid on gift cards. Not valid with any other offer, coupon, or certi
SEA GIRT, NJ 2175 HIGHWAY 35 (732) 449-9129 08750
EXTON, PA 403 E LINCOLN HIGHWAY (484) 872-8781
19341
NEW! HILLSDALE, NJ 416 HILLSDALE AVE (201) 666-0300 07642
Void
where
prohibited.
Void if sold, exchanged, transferred or reproduced.
TOMS RIVER, NJ 214 ROUTE 37 EAST (732) 341-7000 08753
MEDIA, PA 511 EAST BALTIMORE PIKE (610) 566-8330 19063
MORRISTOWN, NJ 145 SOUTH ST (973) 538-3222 07960
Limit 5 gallons
Most Southerners did not own slaves,Rejuvenate
Rabbi Wisnia
your deck. ARBORCOAT
formulated
to762-3830
improve
ABERDEEN, NJ 1071 ROUTE 34 N (732) 696-9200 07747
PHILADELPHIA,
PA 8002 GERMANTOWN AVE (215) 248-6030 19118
MAPLEWOOD, NJ is
1915
SPRINGFIELD AVE (973)
07040 the
per customer
with
oneNEW!
coupon.
BLOOMFIELD, NJ 287 BLOOMFIELD
AVE NJ
(973)
748-3030
07003
SUMMIT, NJ 317 SPRINGFIELD AVE (908)
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455 SOUTH
OXFORD VALLEY RD (215) 486-4541ARDMORE,
19030
LODI,
126
ESSEX
ST (201)
843-5325 NEW!
07644
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NJ 160 ROUTE
46FAIRLESS
WEST HILLS,
(973)PA276-0400
07054
PA 2340 HAVERFORD AVE (61
look of
woodwere
today, and protect it from damaging
UV
rays
over
time.
said. That did not stop them from prejudice.
They
Limit
5 gallons 07724
TEANECK,
NJ 1430 TEANECKto
RD improve
(201) 837-3468the
07666
EATONTOWN, NJ 315 RTE 35 N (732)
578-1120
Limit 5 gallonsAMBLER, PA 38 W SKIPPACK PIKE (215)
Rejuvenate your deck. Rejuvenate
ARBORCOAT
is deck.
formulated
per customer with
your
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is
formulated
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per customer with
GREEN
BROOK,
NJ
396
ROUTE
22
WEST
(732)
868-4200
08812
one
coupon.
PAOLI, PA 1544-46 E LANCASTER AVE (61
all bigots, he said firmly. But it did mean that they
one coupon.
lookdid
of wood today, and
protect
it from
damaging
UV
over
time.
is
our UV
passion.
Satisfaction
is our promise.
look
of wood
today,
and
protect
it(201)
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damaging
rays over time.
FAIR
LAWN,
NJ
17-12
RIVER
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Paint
796-3500
07410
HOWELL, NJ 6521 HIGHWAY 9 (732) 370-0980 07731
PHILADELPHIA, PA 2041 ORGEGON AVE (2
MORRISTOWN, NJ 1284 MOUNT KEMBLE AVE (973) 425-1221 07960
not have the same economic interest in slavery that the
MANAHAWKIN, NJ 511 E ROUTE 72 (609) 488-3000 08050
WAYNE, PA 394 W LANCASTER AVE (610
EDISON, NJ 975 NEW DURHAM RDwww.ricciardibrothers.com
(732) 287-9440 08817
POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ 3130 ROUTE 88 (732) 899-2183 08742
DOYLESTOWN, PA 73 OLD DUBLIN PIKE, UNIT 9
slave-owner had.
PATERSON, NJ 425 MCBRIDE AVE (973) 345-4444 07501
SEA GIRT, NJ 2175 HIGHWAY 35 (732) 449-9129 08750
EXTON, PA 403 E LINCOLN HIGHWAY (484
NEW! HILLSDALE, NJ 416 HILLSDALE AVE (201) 666-0300 07642
And theres more.
TOMS RIVER, NJ 214 ROUTE 37 EAST (732) 341-7000 08753
MEDIA, PA 511 EAST BALTIMORE PIKE (61
PHILADELPHIA, PA 8002 GERMANTOWN AVE
MAPLEWOOD, NJ 1915 SPRINGFIELD AVE (973) 762-3830 07040
It cost $2,000 to buy a good black male slave, Rabbi
BLOOMFIELD, NJ 287 BLOOMFIELD AVE (973) 748-3030 07003
NEW! SUMMIT, NJ 317 SPRINGFIELD AVE (908) 277-4440 07901
NEW! FAIRLESS HILLS, PA 455 SOUTH OXFORD VALLE
Wisnia said; that would be the equivalent of $60,000
TM
today. Lets say that you were to buy 10 slaves. That
523906009866
523906009866
52390
would be a lot of money. Youd have to go to the bank to
Valid only at Ricciardi Brothers Paint Stores on ARBORCOAT. Limit 5 gallons. Coupon expires May
www.ricciardibrothers.com
Valid only at Ricciardi Brothers Paint
finance them.
31, 2015. Limit
one coupon per customer. Retail stores may limit offer to certain in-stock items in store.
TM
TM
Limit one coupon per customer. Retail
Not redeemable for cash. Not valid on gift cards. Not valid with any other offer, coupon, or certicate. Not
And guess where the banks were? In New York. So who
cash. Not valid on gift cards. Not valid w
Limitrefundable.
5 gallons Not transferable. Void where prohibited. Void if sold, exchanged, transferred or reproduced.
uvenate your deck. ARBORCOAT is formulated to improve the
LODI, NJ 126 ESSEX ST (201) 843-5325 07644
PARSIPPANY,
NJ
160
ROUTE
46
WEST
(973)
276-0400
07054
ARDMORE,
PA
2340
HAVERFORD
AVE
(610)
642-3223
19003
Void where prohibited. Void if sold, exc
per customer with
523906009866
523906009866
really owned all the slaves in America? New York banks!
one
coupon.
EATONTOWN,
NJ 315 RTE 35 N (732) 578-1120 07724
AMBLER, PA 38 W SKIPPACK PIKE (215) 643-1260 19002
of wood today, and protect it from damaging UV rays over time.
GREEN BROOK, NJ 396 ROUTE 22 WEST (732) 868-4200 08812
PAOLI, PA 1544-46 E LANCASTER AVE (610) 647-6663 19301
FAIR LAWN, NJ 17-12
RIVER
(201)ESSEX
796-3500 ST
07410
Rabbi Wisnias defense of the South is not a defense of
HOWELL, NJ 6521 HIGHWAY 9 (732) 370-0980523906009866
PARSIPPANY,
07731 523906009866
PHILADELPHIA,
PA 2041
AVE (215) 462-8027
19145
LODI,
NJRD 126
(201) 843-5325 07644
NJ 160 ROUTE
46
WEST
ORGEGON
(973) 276-0400
07054
523906009866
ARDMORE, PA 2
523906009866
MORRISTOWN, NJ 1284 MOUNT KEMBLE AVE (973) 425-1221 07960
MANAHAWKIN,
NJ 511 E ROUTE 72 (609) 488-3000 08050
WAYNE, PA 394 W LANCASTER AVE (610) 293-0471 19087
TEANECK,
NJ
1430
TEANECK
RD
(201)
837-3468
07666
Limit
5
gallons
EDISON,
NJ
975
NEW
DURHAM
RD
(732)
287-9440
08817
EATONTOWN,
NJ
315
RTE PA
35 73
N OLD
(732)
578-1120
(267)
07724
AMBLER, PA 3
Limit
5
gallons
slavery,
or ofisbigotry,
of racial
discrimination.
our
deck. ARBORCOAT
formulated
to improve
the It is an
POINT
PLEASANT
BEACH,
NJ
3130
ROUTE
88
(732)
899-2183
08742
DOYLESTOWN,
DUBLIN
PIKE,
UNIT
9
880-1644
18901
k.
ARBORCOAT
is formulated
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improve
the
per
customer
with
PATERSON,
NJ 425
MCBRIDENJ
AVE
(973)
345-4444
22
07501
per
customer
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GREEN
BROOK,
396
ROUTE
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(732) 868-4200
08812
SEA GIRT,
NJ 2175 HIGHWAY 35 (732) 449-9129 08750BRICK, NJ 500 BRICK
EXTON,BLVD
PA 403
E(732)
LINCOLN920-8504
HIGHWAY (484)
872-8781 19341
08723
PAOLI,
PA 1544
one
coupon.
one
coupon.
NEW!
HILLSDALE,
NJ
416
HILLSDALE
AVE
(201)
666-0300
07642
LODI,racism
NJ 126 ESSEX
(201) 843-5325 07644
PARSIPPANY, NJ 160 ROUTE 46 WEST (973) 276-0400 07054
ARDMORE, PA 2340 HAVERFORD AVE (610) 642-3223 19003
attack
hypocrisy
and
denial.
Iover
think
isSTtertoday,
and it
protect
it against
from damaging
UV
rays
time.
RIVER, NJ 214 ROUTE 37 EAST (732) 341-7000 08753
MEDIA, PA 511 EAST BALTIMORE PIKE (610) 566-8330 19063
FAIR
NJ
17-12
RIVER
RD (201) 796-3500TOMS
07410
nd
protect
from
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UV rays
over
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MORRISTOWN,
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145 SOUTH
ST (973)
07960
HOWELL,
NJ 19002
6521
HIGHWAY 9 (732) 370-0980 07731
PHILADELPHIA, PA
EATONTOWN,
NJ 538-3222
315 RTE 35
N (732) 578-1120 07724
AMBLER, PA 38 W SKIPPACK PIKE
(215) 643-1260
PHILADELPHIA, PA 8002 GERMANTOWN AVE (215) 248-6030 19118
MAPLEWOOD,
NJ 1915 SPRINGFIELD
AVE (973)
762-3830
07040 AVE (973) 425-1221
GREEN
BROOK,
NJ
396
ROUTE
22
WEST
(732)
868-4200
08812
MORRISTOWN,
NJ
1284
MOUNT
KEMBLE
07960
PAOLI, PA 1544-46 E LANCASTER AVE (610) 647-6663 19301
rible, he said. I think skin color is lessFAIR
important
than
MANAHAWKIN,
511642-3223
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ROUTE
(609)
488-3000
WAYNE, PA 39
BLOOMFIELD,
NJ 287 BLOOMFIELD AVE (973)
748-3030NJ
07003
NEW!
SUMMIT,NJ
317 SPRINGFIELD AVE (908)
277-4440
NEW!
72
455
SOUTH
OXFORD
VALLEY RD 08050
(215) 486-4541 19030
LODI, RD
NJ 126
ST (201)
843-5325
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160 ROUTE 46 WEST (973)
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AVE
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(201)ESSEX
796-3500
07410
LODI,
NJ 126 ESSEX
NJ
(201)
843-5325
07644
PARSIPPANY,
NJ 160
ROUTE 46 WEST
(973)
276-0400
07054
6521
HIGHWAY
9 (732)
07731
PHILADELPHIA,
PA 2041
ORGEGON
AVE
(215) 462-8027 19145 ARDMORE, PA 2340 HAVERFORD AVE (610) 642-3223 19003
EDISON,
NJHOWELL,
ST975
NEW
DURHAM
RD 315
370-0980
(732)
08817
TEANECK,
NJ 1430
RD (201)
837-3468
07666
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RTE 35 287-9440
N (732) 578-1120
07724 NJ 315 RTE 35 N (732) AMBLER,
38 W SKIPPACK
PIKE (215)
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1284 MOUNT
KEMBLE
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(973) 425-1221
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(201)
837-3468
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EATONTOWN,
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07724
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868-4200
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MCBRIDE
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07501
BRICK,
NJ 500
BRICK BLVD (732) 920-8504 BRICK,
08723NJ 500 BRICK BLVD (732) PAOLI,
PA 1544-46
E LANCASTER AVE (610) 647-6663
BROOK, NJ POINT
396 PLEASANT
ROUTE 22 WEST
(732)
868-4200
08812
920-8504
08723
PAOLI, PA 19301
1544-46 E LANCASTER AVE (610) 647-6663 19301
BEACH,
NJ 3130
ROUTE
88 (732) 899-2183 08742
DOYLESTOWN, PA 73 OLD
DUBLIN PIKE,
UNIT 9 (267) 880-1644 18901
FAIR LAWN,
NJ(973)
17-12
RIVER RD 07501
(201) 796-3500
LAWN,
07410 NJ 17-12
PATERSON, NJ 425 MCBRIDE
AVE
345-4444
SEA
GIRT,
NJ AVE
2175
HIGHWAY
(732) 449-9129
08750
EXTON, PA 403
HOWELL,
6521
HIGHWAY
9 (732)
370-0980
07731
PHILADELPHIA,
PA 2041
ORGEGON
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462-8027
35
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RIVERNJ
RD
(201)
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Paint
isHOWELL,
our
Satisfaction
is 19087
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promise.
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HILLSDALE,
416796-3500
HILLSDALE
AVE
(201)
666-0300
07642
NJ passion.
6521
HIGHWAY
(732)
370-0980
07731
PA 2041 ORGEGON
AVE (215) 462-8027 19145
understand our history.
SEA GIRT,
NJ 2175
HIGHWAY
35 (732)
449-9129
08750
EXTON,
PA 9403
E LINCOLN
HIGHWAY
(484) 872-8781 19341 PHILADELPHIA,
MORRISTOWN,
NJ 1284
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MORRISTOWN,
(973) 425-1221
NEW! HILLSDALE, NJ
416 HILLSDALE
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(201) 666-0300
07642
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(973) 425-1221
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488-3000
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NJ
214
37
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(732) 341-7000
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MEDIA, PA 511 E
TOMS
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NJ
214
ROUTE
37
EAST
(732)
341-7000
08753
MEDIA,
PA
511
EAST
BALTIMORE
PIKE
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566-8330
19063
EDISON,
NJ
975
NEW
DURHAM
RD
(732)
287-9440
08817
MORRISTOWN,
145
SOUTH
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538-3222
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BEACH,
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ROUTE
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(732)
DOYLESTOWN,
PA
73
OLD
DUBLIN
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UNIT
9
(267)
880-1644
18901
NJ 3130 ROUTE
88 GERMANTOWN
(732) 899-2183AVE
08742
DOYLESTOWN, PA 73 OLD DUBLIN PIKE, UNIT 9 (267) 880-1644 18901
The Yankees whitewashed the war
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Local
A band of sisters
Family-based band Glaser Drive has local roots
LOIS GOLDRICH
t makes sense, really. There was

music everywhere. They were a
family immersed in music, four sisters who sang together for years, a
talented songwriter, and dreams for the
future that always included music.
What else could the Glaser sisters do?
I always wanted to be a singer in a
band, said the eldest sister, Faige Glaser
Drapkin, 34, who, with her sister Chaya,
one year younger, helped make that dream
come true.
Chaya, too, wanted music to be a big
part of my life.
Much of it had to do with the link
between music and family. When I saw
the Mamas and Papas on Ed Sullivan, I
actually thought they were a family, she
said. I loved their harmony, spirit, and
colors, and it looked like they loved what
they were doing! I knew that I wanted in
on that beautiful fun too.
Then, I learned that they werent a
family at least not by blood but that
didnt change anything.
So, although, according to her older sister, she has a phenomenal talent as a
song writer, Chaya didnt want to sing her
songs alone. It was all about family.
I started arranging them with Faige,
Chaya said. Then we started singing and
performing around the city.
The sisters grew up in Teaneck and San
Diego. Faige, a music and Jewish studies
teacher at Congregation Rodef Shalom on
Manhattans Upper West Side now married and the mother of a 16-month-old
has returned to Teaneck, where her parents live as well. Chaya, a music teacher
at the Ramaz School, lives in Manhattan.
After several years of performing as a
duo, my two younger sisters, Eden and
Doren, got older and moved to the city,
Chaya said. It was a natural transition to
have them join us. Doren is an early childhood special education teacher, and Eden,
whose full name is Eden Glaser Mehl,
works in the fashion industry.
So then there were four, and Chaya,
Faige, Eden, 26, and Doren, 25 together
with three musical friends: a drummer, a
bassist, and a guitar player formed Glaser Drive, which performs throughout
the New York area. In March the group
released its debut EP, Come and Find
Me, a CD that contains five of their songs.
The group recently participated in the
Cape May Singer Songwriter Festival and
has been asked to give two performances
at the Make Music Festival on Governors
Island in June. Also in June they will perform at Manhattans Rockwood Music Hall.
The band, incidentally, was not named
Glaser Drive is, from left, Doren Glaser, Eden Glaser Mehl, Faige Glaser Drapkin, Chaya Glaser, Erik Nausland, David Keesey,
and Elly Geldwerth.
ABBIE SOPHIA PHOTOGRAPHY
after the sisters family.

Its named after a street in San Diego,
Faige said.
Describing their music as folk Americana, with a bit of rock, depending on the
song, Faige said that Chaya writes most
of the music. Her lyrics are phenomenal.
They really paint a picture. She added
that whoever looks beyond the voices and
the rhythm into the words will see that
theyre very beautiful, very descriptive.
Something happens and I want to write
about it, Chaya said. The melody follows
the experience.
Both Faige and Chaya play guitar, and all
four singers use percussion instruments
or tambourines when the music calls for
them.
Faige said that singing with her sisters
is a joy.
It flows, she said, citing, for example,
the process of working out harmonies.
We go over the same word, or same three
words, over and over. Its intense, but then
we reach the aha moment. It sounds
beautiful.
Or sometimes, she said, Chaya will make
up the harmony and teach it to the other
sisters.
Harmonies are arranged so that singers

can weave in and out and no one is left
singing a whole part, Chaya said. While
she and Faige are sopranos, Eden and
Doren are altos, but can also sing soprano.
Performing with her sisters, often in
front of friends and people she knows,
there are connections, Faige said. Our
other life is there when were performing.
Its an experience every time.
Chaya said that with a family so close,
they do occasionally butt heads, but,
as someone said, The family that sings
together stays together. Even when we
get intensely passionate about our visions
for a particular song, we end up having
fun.
Both Chaya and Faige credit their family
with influencing their lives. Dad plays jazz
piano, both parents sing, and my mother
plays folk guitar, Chaya said. Both parents sang us to sleep, and they were always
singing show tunes. As they grew up, the
children also were close with their great
aunts and uncles, who sang four-part harmony versions of spirituals.
They would sing to us all the time,
Faige said. They sang old folk and gospel
tunes and Yiddish tunes.
We listened and enjoyed their spirit,

Chaya said, noting that Jewish songs
helped draw the family closer to tradition.
Every Shabbat, the whole family sang.
Each of the sisters also attended a Jewish
day school.
Chaya said that she and Faige are 15
months apart, and Eden and Doren are 14
months apart. There is a seven-year-gap
between the two sets of Glaser sisters.
In the beginning, she said, because we
were older, Faige and I had more experience singing; but now we kind of all even
each other out.
Chaya said its not likely that Faiges
new status as a mother will hinder her
participation in the band. After all, she
pointed out, We had a performance 25
days before her due date. She estimates
that the group has performed some 20
times a year since becoming a full band
in 2012.
Until Glaser Drive hits it big, the women
all will keep their day jobs, Chaya said. But
she is passionate about teaching, Faige
said, so if the group does taken off, shell
want to continue to teach.
For more information, go to the bands
website, www.glaserdrive.com.
upcoming at
Kaplen
JCC on the Palisades
need Summer Camp Plans?

From exciting summer-long full day camps to
week-by-week specialty camps in sports, dance,
drama and music, travel camp and everything in
betweenthe JCC has it all. Dont miss out...sign
your camper up TODAY!
For more info, applications, or to register, visit:
jccotp.org/camps
Welcome to Emek
an israeli language and cultural

after-school program
We bring everyday spoken Hebrew into every

childs life in a fun, hands-on way. We offer a
well-established program designed specifically
for non-native Hebrew speakers, small classes and
individual attention. Contact Aya at 201.408.1427 or
visit jccotp.org/emek.
chalav udvash: For Kindergartners & 1st graders
ivrit beivrit: For 2nd-5th graders
Fall enrollment now open
Family Caregiver Training
Arm yourself with essential information,

acquire day-to-day strategies and skills, and
learn how to properly prepare for a new role
as a caregiver for a loved one. Topics to be
addressed include recognizing early warning
signs of Alzheimers and dementia and
techniques on how to best deal with them.
Hear from Eldercare law experts; get advice
for proper legal and financial planning, and
learn essentials of monitoring associated
health issues. Register online or contact
Marlene at 201.569.7900, ext. 439.
4 Tuesdays, Jun 15, 22, 29 & Jul 6, 7-8:30 pm,
$80/$100
jUDAicS
Abraham Lincolns
Religious Worldview and
the Jewish Perspective
On the 150th anniversary of Lincolns

assassination, Rabbi Yossi Prager offers an
in-depth look at Lincolns second term, with
a focus on his religious beliefs, his view of
Judaism, and how that impacted his presidency.
Offered as part of the Swift Lecture Series,
held at Congregation Ahavath Torah, 240
Broad Avenue, Englewood, NJ. For additional
information, call 201.568.1315.
Thur, May 28, Mincha/Maariv 8:05 pm,
Lecture 8:30 pm
Kaplen
for
ALL
CSA: Community
Supported Agriculture
Buy a share in a local farm and receive

fresh, organic produce each week from
late spring to mid-fall. Full shares average
7-10 vegetables a week. Fruit, butter,
egg and maple syrup shares available as
well. Pick-up on Tuesdays for 22 weeks.
Registration ongoing through May or
until shares sell out. Contact Ruth at
ryung@jccotp.org or 201.408.1418.
ADULTS
ADL Global 100:
an index of anti-semitism
Joshua Cohen, the Anti-Defamation Leagues

Regional Director in NJ will discuss the magnitude
of anti-Semitism around the world; where it is
most problematic and how pervasive it is in certain
regions. Sponsored by the Berit and Martin Bernstein
Open Forum Endowment Fund and the Edwin
Soforenko Foundation.
Mon, Jun 1, 7:30 pm, Free
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
11 Jewish Standard MAY 22, 2015
Local
How to become a liberal Europe rabbi

Russian rabbinical student, intern at Temple Israel in Ridgewood, tells his story
JOANNE PALMER
Its a neat trick, but Alexander Grodensky
pulls it off.
At just 32, he manages to be an entirely
singular person, with a life that has taken a
number of unpredictable turns, and at the
same time a walking, breathing symbol of
Jewish life in Europe today.
Howd he do it? And what does he
symbolize?
Lets start at the beginning.
Mr. Grodensky who will become
Rabbi Grodensky in August, when he is
ordained by the Abraham Geiger College,
part of the University of Potsdam is in
Ridgewood through the end of May. Hes
here for a six-week stint shadowing Rabbi
David Fine of Temple Israel and Jewish
Community Center in Ridgewood. Rabbi
Fine teaches at both Geiger and the new
Zacharias Frankel College, also at the University of Potsdam.
Note that Abraham Geiger College, like
its namesake, and like Mr. Grodensky, is
Reform. Zacharias Frankel College, again
like its namesake, and like Rabbi Fine, is
Conservative. File that fact away for now.
Its part of the European side of the story.
Mr. Grodensky was born in Dushanbe,
Tajikistan, in 1983, to parents whose own
parents had fled to that Central Asian
Soviet republic from Oshmyany, in what is
now Belarus, during World War II, and had
stayed there. His grandfather, an engineer,
was in the Soviet military. His father, Boris,
also an engineer by trade, was in the military as well; in 1990, when he was posted
in the Soviet Republic of Komi, he took the
family Alexander, Alexanders mother,
Marina, and his sister, Evgenia to live in
its capital city, Syktyvkar.
Komi is in Russias far north, in Europe,
west of the Ural Mountains. The Komi peoples language resembles Finnish, but not
many people speak it; most people spoke
Russian, Mr. Grodensky said. There was
no anti-Semitism, but there also were very
few Jews. Although many people who lived
there were from elsewhere, and although
you speak the main language, still, you
dont belong to the regional affiliation. You
always feel like an outsider.
During my childhood, the only Jewish
connection I had was through family, he
continued. We were a typical Soviet Jewish family, with no religion at home. As a
kid, I never went to synagogue.
I felt Jewish, and since we were always
outsiders it was kind of in the air I
never felt completely Russian.
A side story about Mr. Grodenskys family it is very compact, he reported.
Thats because his mothers mother
and his fathers father both died when
their children were young. When Mr.
Alexander Grodensky, left, with Rabbi David Fine in Ridgewood

JOHANNA RESNICK ROSEN/CANDID EYE
Alexander Grodensky and Isak

Schneider
Grodenskys parents married, their widowed parents met each other, fell in love,
and married. So I grew up with one set
of grandparents, and we all had the same
surname, he said.
When Mr. Grodensky graduated from
high school, I used the first opportunity
to get out of Komi, he said. He went to
university in the closest big city, St. Petersburg. The system is different there, he
said; a university is far more like a trade
school than a liberal arts college here,
Rabbi Fine explained later. We have a
straightforward five-year program, and
you graduate with a masters, Mr. Grodensky said.
He studied public administration and
political science at school; out of school,
acting out of a newly discovered hunger,
he devoured Jewish learning and explored
Jewish life.
When I was in St. Petersburg, it was
the first time I could feel Jewish, he said.

I went to services. I joined Hillel. I had
student jobs in the Jewish community. I
started to work in a Jewish kindergarten,
and then a rabbi from the community
asked me to work with him as an assistant.
I was a kind of liaison between the rabbi
and the schools.
Next, he took courses at a local yeshiva;
eventually, he went to Israel for a year of
study.
These were very transformative years
for me, Mr. Grodensky said.
Why was he so drawn to Judaism? The
extremely articulate Mr. Grodensky is
uncharacteristically unable to explain it
clearly, although he gives it a game try. I
guess its from a feeling that youre always
an outsider, but you dont understand
what kind of outsider you are, he said. In
high school, I saw that although everyone
was secular, they all had some kind of connection to their ethnic communities. But
my connection to the Jewish people was
basically only biological for me.
It was kind of very shallow. I wanted to
go deeper.
So he did.
There was a bit more, of course. I was
attracted by tradition, by being part of
something bigger than I am, by connecting
to generations. And I know that my great
grandmother and that generation were
pretty traditional. For me, it was a restoration of the connection.
The infrastructure of the Jewish community in St. Petersburg, and in much
if not most of Russia, is Chabad. Its
mainstream there, Mr. Grodensky said.

Therefore, the rabbis try to be more open
and accommodating. They are trying to fill
the rabbinic role not as a Chabad rabbi
but as the rabbi of a city. (And of course
the concept of a city having a chief rabbi,
as is true in so many places around the
world, is foreign to Americans.)
I didnt go to the yeshiva full time I
had my own life in the university, Mr.
Grodensky said. But I was observant. I
kept kosher. I was shomer Shabbat. I was
Orthodox.
That was easy to do at school, he said.
Russia then was a new country. I didnt
have any problem being Jewish. Americans assumptions that Russia was teeming
with anti-Semitism are inaccurate, based on
the experiences of people who left in the
1970s and 80s, when it had been. I didnt
really have any problems in my life with
anti-Semitism, he said. Of course, I did
grow up in a completely non-Jewish area,
where nobody knew what Jewish even was.
In my university, it just was not an issue.
There was one thing that both attracted
Mr. Grodensky to Chabad and kept him
from becoming fully part of it. I didnt
really think then that I was gay, he said.
I wanted to escape gayness. I was nave.
I thought that I was attracted to men, but
maybe it was just a phase, and with the
right training and lifestyle I could have a
regular Jewish family.
But it didnt work.
The Orthodox community was quite
comfortable. No one asked me any questions about why I wasnt dating. We just all
decided not to notice.
It was during this time that Mr. Grodensky went to Israel to study at Shvut Ami,
a charedi Russian-speaking yeshiva. Its
Litvak, and I felt more connection to them
intellectually than to Chabad.
After he graduated from university in
2006, Mr. Grodensky had to decide what
to do next. It was a question of whether
I should continue to work in the Jewish
community, or I go for public service. And
in Russia, the entry-level public service salary is so much less than the salary in the
Jewish community. In Russia, if you work
for the federal government, the salary is
almost nothing, and in the provincial government it is a very little more than almost
nothing.
And the question also was whether I
wanted to live in Russia anyway. Being Jewish, understanding that I am gay, I knew
that I wanted to have a Jewish family
but with a man. There was no option in
Russia.
What to do?
He learned about a business school
that the American philanthropist Ronald Lauder had founded in Vienna. It is
Local
Jewish, Mr. Grodensky said. It is a public

school, funded by the Austrian government, so its admission department must
be ethnicity blind, but they did direct
marketing only to the Jewish community, so it is about 90 percent Jewish. The
other 10 percent is Austrians who want
to learn English.
(Mr. Grodenskys own fluent, nearly
flawless English had its genesis in high
school; he has buffed and refined it ever
since. He did not speak German then.)
I already had cut my ties with
Chabad, and when I got to Vienna I had
a kind of religious crisis, he said. I
didnt have to be a professional Jew, so
I could take my time, and find meaning.
Being gay, and being analytical, I read
books, history, philosophy, everything I
could find. For certain amounts of time
I wasnt observant. I had to find my own
way.
I went to a Reform synagogue in
Vienna, Or Chadash, a small community,
basically bilingual. It was very difficult
for me. It was very foreign to me. I felt
like I was in a church at the beginning. I
felt that it was not authentic.
But both because he was gay and
because he had developed real theological differences with Orthodox theology,
including its position on the status of
women, that world no longer was right

for him either.
Or Chadash was very small, and they
needed people, so I thought that I will
get involved and change things, make it
more traditional, he said. It was difficult to change anything on Friday night,
so I started having Shacharit on Shabbes
morning. They had it once a month, but
we started every Shabbes. It was fun,
and I knew that I could go further.
Mr. Grodensky finished business
school, and then I thought that actually this business stuff doesnt interest
me. He worked in the Jewish community again, he taught Judaism in a proIsrael Christian evangelical school, and
I started looking for rabbinical schools,
he said.
He also met Isak Schneider, the communications consultant who now is his
husband.
Mr. Schneider, who now is Jewish,
comes from Vienna. His mother is Danish; his father is half Persian and half
Austrian, and the Austrian part is Jewish, Mr. Grodensky said. And his Christian background is both Catholic and
Protestant.
It is a very multicultural family,
he understated. And thats why his
SEE GRODENSKY PAGE 17
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Local
Debbie Schore created this artwork featuring pirates and a Jew to represent the Book of Jonah.
Old books, new art

Artists Beit Midrash at Teanecks
Beth Sholom displays creations
Larry Yudelson
The Threshing Floor by Maxine Silverman of Nyack.

heres a 10-year-old cover from the

Jewish Standard pinned to a panel
in the social hall of Congregation
Beth Sholom in Teaneck.
The cover is from the first time this paper
reported on Beth Sholoms Artists Beit
Midrash. While the program is now concluding its 11th year, the art produced by its
students is new. It will be on display at Beth
Sholom over the Shavuot weekend.
The Beit Midrash or study hall has
three components. There is an hour of text
study, led this year by Rabbi Gary Karlin, a
doctoral student in Jewish education at the

Jewish Theological Seminary, who is writing
a curriculum on Jonah for the Schechter day
school network. In the six fall sessions the
group studied the book of Jonah, which is
read during the afternoon on Yom Kippur; in
the six spring sessions it looked at the Book
of Ruth, which is read on Shavuot. Then
there is an hour of more artistic study, led by
Harriet Finck this year. Ms. Finck brought in
art and literature related to the biblical texts,
and she led discussions of the third component: The art project that students worked
on at home.
The program is open to everyone. Many
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This sculpture by Irving Fruchter of Englewood

portrays how Ruth (symbolized by the threshing floor at the bottom) led to David (represented by the silver crown at the top).
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participants are members of the congregation, but
some come from as far as Nyack.
You sit in the same room and study the same thing
and you get all these different perspectives, Myra
Schulman of New Milford said. Ms. Schulman made
a tallit bag for her grandson featuring Jonah. When
God tells you to do something, do it! she said, summarizing the books message for her grandson.
Rabbi Karlin said the text study influenced the art
produced by the students.
By and large these works are pretty well known.
People can tell you the outline, he said. People, even
with strong day school backgrounds, realized how little they knew of the details.
The overall theme of his teaching of the Book of
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Jewish standard MaY 22, 2015 15
Local
Ruth was some of the strangeness of it.
He advises those who will read Ruth
over the holiday to keep in mind these
questions: Whats the point of this
story? And why are we reading it now
on Shavuot? Beyond the barley harvest,
whats the connection?
Ms. Finck is a painter and art teacher.
She brought in works as diverse as E.
M. Forsters Howards End, Herman
Melvilles Moby Dick, Jean-Franois
Millets The Gleaners, and images of
ancient boats to lend perspective on the
biblical texts.
Adrienne Isacoff
of Closter looked
at the bond
between Ruth
and Naomi and
their journey to
Bethlehem.
We are
all Jonah
by Maxine
Silverman
Artwork by Carol Karlin included

verses from Jonah (above) and
Ruth (below).
Jonah by Roselyn Altman
The Chronicles of Jonah by Vivian Weinstein-Brisman

God in the Higher Realms by Vivian

Weinstein-Brisman portrays the conversion of Ruth.
A tallit bag by Myra Schulman. The

ship at left is modeled after a 7th
century b.c.e. image.
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Grodensky
FROM PAGE 13
conversion to Judaism was much easier

than it would have been had he come to
it out of the blue.
The two men had a civil ceremony in
2011, but this summer, in July, we will
have a chuppah in Vienna, Mr. Grodensky said. It will be the first gay chuppah
ever in Vienna.
It is an exciting time for Mr. Grodensky. He has a job waiting for him after
ordination a pulpit in Esch-Sur-Alzette,
the second-biggest city in Luxembourg.
I never had heard of it or thought of
going there either, he said. I went there
for an interview without ever thinking
that I would take this position. It seemed
completely strange. It is far away from
anywhere, a tiny city in a tiny country.
But the community is so nice, and I
felt such a good energy there, the people
seemed to like each other so much and
these are feelings you dont usually see
a lot in Germany. Here in the United
States that is normal. Not there. So
the fact that they were friendly was so
very attractive.
It is a beautiful country. And in Luxembourg, the clergys salary is paid by
the state, if you are a registered community. It started with the Catholic church
but they cannot discriminate, so that
expanded. I will get public servant status, with all the benefits and security
that come with it. The community is
beautiful.
So I said why not?
There is one obvious disadvantage
the countrys main language is French,
which he does not speak. But he will be
following a British rabbi; the community
is bilingual and happy to use English.
Mr. Grodensky, who after all grew up
in Komi, a place about which virtually
none of us has heard, is going to another
place that weve heard of but most likely
know next to nothing about. It is a
country with almost no army, he said.
It has 700 soldiers, and 49 of them are
musicians. It also has no wartime history about which it can feel proud. It
was occupied by Germany, and of course
they collaborated. A report from a historians commission said that of course
they could not really resist the Germans,
but they didnt even try. They had an
order to hand over their Jews and they
did it.
Many of the Jews escaped to France
or Switzerland, but not everybody could
escape. Now, 70 years after the war, the
government made a declaration that it
would accept responsibility and do some
restitution.
Luxembourg is also the richest country, per capita, in the world, he added.
There are two synagogues in the country; his, which used to be Orthodox and
now is Reform, and the one in Luxembourg City, which used to be Reform
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and now is Orthodox. The synagogues,

as elsewhere in Europe, do not have
names; when it is necessary to give them
one, they are called by the names of the
streets where they stand.
Mr. Grodensky is a Reform Jew, but
not in a way that is familiar to most
American Reform Jews. He wears a kippah everywhere and he keeps kosher.
In Europe, Reform is very traditional,
he said. We dont have a clear-cut distinction between Reform and Conservative, because the movements are so
weak there. In continental Europe, what
we call Liberal Judaism is left-wing Conservative by American standards.
We live in a post-denomination age.
Swords,
He is impressed by what he sees of
Jewish life in New Jersey and New York.
Knives,
It is more normal to be Jewish here, he
Helmets,etc.
said. In Europe, there was the interruption of the war. People who live in Germany now are not German Jews. It is like
starting from scratch, and searching for
Swords,
identity. Here, it is no big deal to be part
Knives,
of the community. I see that people are
Helmets,etc.
not terribly religious, but there is a sense
that we are together. There is friendship
in the community, and its not because
everyone is against us.
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SI-99699301
other.
Rabbi Fine agreed that European Jewish life is different than it is here. All the
students in rabbinical school have stories, and they are all new stories.
SI-99699301
It is a new Judaism that is developing
ONE WAY
there.
In Europe, where the numbers are
5
significantly smaller, they dont have
the luxury of drawing denominational
lines, so basically the division there is
just between Orthodoxy and liberal
Judaism. Liberal Judaism encompasses
Reform and Conservative, just as it did
in the old days. It is only in this country
that we have the division into two distinct institutional cultures.
As for Mr. Grodensky, Alexander is
wonderful in the synagogue, Rabbi
Fine said. He is Temple Israels first
intern, but Rabbi Fine hopes that he
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between
European
and American
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explained their plans, and there was
an overwhelming mazal tov, Rabbi Fine
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Local
Locals among Yeshiva Universitys
valedictorians
Paul and Martha Resnick
Libby and Dennis Klein
Jo Resnick
Courtesy CBS
Beth Sholom in Teaneck

feting four at gala
Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck will
honor Libby and Dennis Klein and Martha
and Paul Resnick at its gala on Sunday, May
31, at the shul.
Libby Klein, a life member of the CBS
board, also has been the shuls vice
president and was on its Shabbaton and
mishloach manot committees. Dennis
Klein has chaired and is a member of the
adult education committee. Together the
Kleins co-chaired the young couples club.
Martha Resnick teaches chumash and
mishnah at the Solomon Schechter Day
School of Bergen County. Last year Paul
Resnick completed his 25th year as director at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. He
began his work there as the camps first
assistant director after receiving rabbinic
ordination from the Jewish Theological
Seminary in 1987.
Cocktails are at 5 p.m., followed by a
tribute program, dinner, and dancing.
The shul will publish an ad journal commemorating the dinner. For information
on the gala or the journal, go to www.
cbsteaneck.org/2015gala or journal@
cbsteaneck.org.
More than 600 students from

Yeshiva Universitys undergraduate schools received their
degrees at YUs 84th commencement exercises at the Prudential Center in Newark on May
17. Nine of the students were
honored with the designation of
valedictorian for their academic
achievement.
Daniella Grodko of Teaneck
was the valedictorian of the
Rebecca Ivry Department of
Jewish Studies at Stern College
for Women, and Jonathan Katz
of New Milford was YUs Isaac
YU valedictorians Jonathan Katz and
Breuer College valedictorian.
Daniella Grodko.
Courtesy YU
Ms. Grodko majored in philosophy and Jewish studies and
plans to study Jewish philosophy at
in accounting program at the Sy Syms
Hebrew University and earn a teaching
School of Business next year. He was an
degree at Herzog College in Israel.
academic tutor at Sy Syms and box office
Mr. Katz, who earned a BS in accountmanager for the Yeshiva College Dramating with an associate of arts degree in
ics Society.
Judaic studies, will attend the masters
The Ocers, Board, and Sta of
Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey

mourn the passing of
Yvette Tekel
Yvette Tekel was the rst president of the Womens
Division of the Jewish Federation of Northern New
Jersey (formerly Federation of Bergen County) and
one of its Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.
She was a past board member of the Jewish
Community Relations Council and past UJA Trustee.
Yvette was a Lion of Judah Endowment donor
and a member of the Circle of Partners (a donor to
Federation for 25 years or more).
She founded the Northern Valley Chapter of

Hadassah and held several national board positions
with them.
She was also responsible for the building of 113 units
for low-income elderly and served as the President
of the Rockland County Jewish Home for the Aged
until 2007. Yvette leaves behind her husband, Louis,
children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
May they be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. May her memory be for a blessing forever.
Jewish Federation
Zvi S. Marans, MD
President
Jason M. Shames
Chief Executive Ocer
50 Eisenhower Drive, Paramus, NJ 07652 (201) 820-3900
Jerry Weiner is
Fair Lawn honoree
The Fair Lawn Jewish Center/
Congregation Bnai Israel will
honor its outgoing president,
Jerry Weiner, at a gala brunch
in the shul on Sunday, June 7
at 11 a.m.
Before the shuls merged,
the Weiners were active in
Bnai Israel, where they were
Jerry Weiner
honored as Menschen of the
Year. In the community, Jerry
Weiner served on the board of education, is a member
of the library board, and is active with the Knights of
Pythias.
Yvette tekel
The officers and members of the Board of

Governors of the Jewish Home Family, our staff
and our seniors note with profound sorrow the
passing of Yvette Tekel, wife of Jewish Home at
Rockleigh board member, Louis Tekel. The Tekel
family has been long time, dear friends and
supporters of the Jewish Home. Yvette was a
special person who, along with her lifelong
partner Lou, exhibited deep commitment to
humanitarian, Jewish and community causes.
She will be greatly missed. We extend our deepest
sympathy to her beloved husband Lou, her
children Harvey and Jill, Tova, her grandchildren
and great grandchildren and her entire family.
May her name be for a blessing.
Eli Ungar, Chairman
Carol Silver Elliott, President and CEO
Paid notice
Editorial
Two holidays
havuot and Memorial Day.

This year they happen at the
same time. What can we make of
that?
Shavuot commemorates the giving of the
Torah, the day when, as we are told, the
Israelites gathered around Mount Sinai, listened to the thunder and watched the lightning, and were given and accepted what is
still our most foundational text, the tie that
still binds us (as frayed as occasionally it
might appear).
We usher Shavuot in by studying all night,
and then greeting the new light in the morning, by eating dairy rather than flesh, by glorying (at least in this latitude) in the heavily leafy branches and the dappled sunlight
that comes through them, in the new flowers and perfumed air of late spring.
Memorial Day marks the sacrifice of the
members of the armed forces who fought
so the rest of us back home would be safe.
Some of them died, some came back home
wounded or haunted, some to heroes welcomes, some to jeers, some to nothing at all.
Some of the United States wars were just
and necessary, some more controversial,
but all of the men and women who fought
them, and who often came back to lessthan-open-armed welcomes, deserve nothing less than our heartfelt gratitude.
Memorial Day also is inseparable from
the late spring. There is no doubt irony
in remembering death at the time of year
when life is all around us, green and insistent, often weedy and pollen-laden and
demanding, but it is important for us to
remember both, and to remember them
always.
We as American Jews are lucky to have
both Shavuot and Memorial Day, days when
memory and anticipation, great responsibility and the promise of a wide blue-skied
future, our lives as Americans and our lives
as Jews, come together so perfectly.
JP
Chag sameach.
Share the magic
ur cover story this week

focuses on Zahal Shalom,
the program that brings ten
Israeli veterans to spend two
weeks in America. The itinerary checks
all the boxes on the tourism lists the
Metropolitan Museum, Central Park,
Washington Square Park, the Washington
Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, Bergen Town Center in Paramus but the
real agenda is about relationships. Each
soldier gets to know two American Jewish families: One that provides the soldier with a bed and breakfast, and one
that goes on tours with the group during
the day.
We salute those of you who open your
houses and your hearts for this and
those of you who open your wallets as
well. The program costs about $4,500 for
each visiting Israeli. And we urge readers
who think that they can commit to hosting an Israeli next year to get in touch
with the programs organizers. Details
Jewish
Standard
1086 Teaneck Road
Teaneck, NJ 07666
(201) 837-8818
Fax 201-833-4959
Publisher
James L. Janoff
Associate Publisher Emerita
Marcia Garfinkle
can be found at zahalshalom.com.

The one thing that bothers us about
the program is how few such programs
exist. Bergen County is one of only six
North American communities hosting
disabled Israeli veterans in conjunction
with the Zahal Disabled Veterans Organization. Now, we do believe that the
Jews of Bergen County are exceptional.
Were generous, we love Israel, and were
closer to the sights of New York City than
many. But if Pittsburgh can host, why
not Queens? San Francisco? Nyack? Great
Neck? Silver Spring?
So heres our appeal to you this week:
Spread the word about Zahal Shalom to
your out-of-Bergen-County friends. Help
the program spread. The fine folks of
greater Ridgewood have been doing it for
23 years, and they will be glad to mentor
new communities. And they will testify
eagerly about how successful the program
is in creating strong, loving connections
LY
between Israelis and Americans.
Editor
Joanne Palmer
Associate Editor
Larry Yudelson
Guide/Gallery Editor
Beth Janoff Chananie
About Our Children Editor
Heidi Mae Bratt
jstandard.com
Correspondents
Warren Boroson
Lois Goldrich
Abigail K. Leichman
Miriam Rinn
Dr. Miryam Z. Wahrman
Advertising Director
Natalie D. Jay
Classified Director
Janice Rosen
Join the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey in New Yorks Celebrate
Israel Parade, just as these walkers did a few years ago. Buses will be leaving
from the Paramus area. Email joyceg@jfnnj.org (201) 820-3907 for information.
KEEPING THE FAITH
Let your feet speak
ircumstances being what they

chess tournamentthat were held in honor
are, there is an event occurring
of terrorist murderers of Jews, Israeli and
next weekend that demands
otherwise. All these events were gleefully
your active participation. Com- reported in the PAs official daily newspamon sense demands it. Practical politics
per, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida.
demand it. Jewish law demands it.
The world, the United States to a degree
The event is the annual
included, prefers not to
Celebrate Israel Parade along
see any of this. The Vatican, which recently signed
Manhattans Fifth Avenue.
a formal treaty of friendship
Among the circumstances
with the State of Palestine,
is the overarching one: Israel
offered the latest example
increasingly is being demonized on the world stage.
of this head-in-the-sand
World leaders refuse to
approach to statecraft. (For
acknowledge the realities of
the record, news reports
the Israel-Palestinian dispute.
that Pope Francis called PA
Shammai
They prefer to see Israel as
President Mahmoud Abbas
the harsh occupier of a help- Engelmayer
an angel of peace were
less people who yearn for
false. Rather, he wisely said
peace and freedom.
to Abbas, May you be an
Never mind that the Fatah move- angel of peace. There is a big difference,
ment, the central player in the Palestin- and the New York Times and others should
ian Authority, only last week publicly
be ashamed of themselves for such inaccurate reporting, which only furthers the
reiterated the PAs true end goal: From
demonization of Israel.)
its [Mediterranean] Sea to its [ Jordan]
Another circumstance demanding feet
River..., [all the land] is ours. (See Fatahs
on the ground at the Celebrate Israel
main Facebook page; the statement was
Parade is the waning importance of, and
published on May 13.)
Never mind that in the first half of 2015, even support for, Israel among what the
Pew Research Center calls Jews of no relithe PA either sanctioned or at least actively
gion, and especially among the under-30
promoted events including an indoor
crowd.
football tournament, a marathon, and a
Shammai Engelmayer is rabbi of Temple Israel Community Center | Congregation
Heichal Yisrael in Cliffside Park and Temple Beth El of North Bergen.
Advertising Coordinator
Jane Carr
Account Executives
Peggy Elias
George Kroll
Karen Nathanson
Brenda Sutcliffe
International Media Placement
P.O. Box 7195 Jerusalem 91077
Tel: 02-6252933, 02-6247919
Fax: 02-6249240
Israeli Representative
Production Manager
Jerry Szubin
Graphic Artists
Deborah Herman
Bob O'Brien
Receptionist
Ruth Hirsch
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
Opinion
According to last years Pew survey on Jewish life in the
United States, while [a]mong Jews 65 and older, about
half (53%) say caring about Israel is essential to what being
Jewish means to them, only 32 percent of Jews under 30
believe that.
The report also noted, Jews of no religion are more
likely to see having a good sense of humor as essential to
what it means to be Jewish than to see caring about Israel
as essential to their Jewish identity (40% vs. 23%).
Of lesser importance, perhaps, is an antipathy caused
by a smear campaign run by extremists on the far right
against parade participants on the far left, especially the
New Israel Fund, but essentially also targeting Americans
for Peace Now, Partners for Progressive Israel, and Truah:
The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. The purpose of the
campaign was to force the parades organizers to take
back permission for the NIF and the others to march in
the parade.
Yes, these groups have some wrong-headed ideas, but
to call them Israel-hating and to do so in mean-spirited
and even vicious language in op ed after op edis way
beyond the pale. All this campaign has managed to do is
turn some people off from wanting to attend.
The world needs to see Jews from the far left to the far
right marching side by side in support of the Jewish state.
It needs to see that regardless of whether Jews support
the policies of the present government in Jerusalem, they
continue to support the safety and security of Israel.
Politicians count heads. If there is waning attendance at
the parade, they will interpret it as waning support among
American Jews for Israel. That must not happen.
From the Torah on, it is clear that Jews in the diaspora
have an absolute obligation to support the State of Israel
in every practical way possible, including showing the
flag when circumstances warrant it. In this case, that
means standing on Fifth Avenue as the parade marches by.
This obligation even pre-dates the conquest of Canaan,
which marked our assumption of our patrimony. It goes
back to the days of the sojourn in the desert, following
the Exodus.
We see the birth of the diaspora in Chapter 32 of Numbers. Virtually on the eve of Israels crossing over to the
west bank of the Jordan to claim its rightful inheritance,
at the very moment Israel has to be united, Moses creates
the diaspora, with Gods obvious approval, if not under
His direction. Moses does so by granting the tribes of
Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe the right to live outside
the Land.
There can be only one explanation for such a remarkable event: The diaspora was created to benefit Israel.
Moses made that clear in Deuteronomy 3:18-20, when he
recalled the moment he approved the request of the twoand-a-half tribes to live outside the Land of Israel:
And I commanded you at that time, saying, The
Lord your God has given you this land to possess it;
you shall pass over armed before your brothers the
People Israel, all who are fit for the war.[And there
you shall remain] until they also possess the Land
which the Lord your God has given them beyond the
Jordan. And then shall you return every man to his
possession, which I [in this case clearly referring to
God] have given you.
Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe may have thought
living outside the Land was their idea, but Moses said it
was Gods plan all along.
The right to live outside Israel exists only for those
who actively assist the people inside Israel to live
securely. For those who are not active in assisting
their brethren in Israel to live securely, that right never
existed and they sin every moment they live anywhere
but Israel.
Plan to be on Fifth Avenue on May 31.
Akdamut Millin
A masterpiece of piyyut for Shavuot
ne thousand years ago, poet-cantors living in

the Jewish communities of the Rhine Valley
composed soaring piyyut (liturgical poetry)
for the Sabbath and holiday services.
A handful of these piyyutim became staples of the Ashkenazic liturgy.
Rabbi Meir ben Yitzhak Sheliach Tzibbur (agent of
the congregation) was a giant among those poets. Recognized by contemporaries for his scholarship, artistry, and
piety, Rabbi Meir was active in Worms in the latter half
of the eleventh century, on the eve of the First Crusade.
Akdamut Millin (Introductory Words) is his masterwork.
The poem does not lend itself to casual recitation. It can
be difficult to approach because of the Aramaic in which
it was composed, its compressed style, the lack of stanzas, and the complex of biblical, midrashic, and liturgical allusions underlying every line and half-line. Akdamut
becomes fully accessible, even to those who know it, only
after close study.
Like the prayers themselves, virtually all piyyutim were
composed in Hebrew; the Aramaic of Akdamut is related
to its original function. In the taxonomy of piyyutim,
Akdamut is a reshut, a preface to a prayer or reading in
which the leader asks for the congregations consent. This
reshut was written for the reader of the Aramaic translation of the Torah (the Targum); hence it too is in Aramaic. While the ancient synagogue practice
of alternating the Hebrew verses of the Torah
portion with the Targum fell into disuse, it
continued in medieval Germany for special
readings such as the Ten Commandments on
Shavuot. But even after the Shavuot Targum
was discontinued, Akdamut persisted on its
own, and it is still recited by Ashkenazim on
the first day, just before the Torah reading.
Akdamut is an artistically sophisticated
David S.
and emotionally affecting work.
Zinberg
It is an intensely sensory piyyut. Its 90
lines overflow with vivid, almost cinematic
imagery. Like a crowded allegorical painting
by a Renaissance master, a library of images and symbols
fill the poets canvas Creation, ministering angels, mythical creatures, and the delights awaiting the righteous.
Unlike typical piyyutim, Akdamut is structured as a narrative that sweeps through time and space, both natural
and metaphysical. Rabbi Meirs story begins before creation and concludes with a grand eschatological vision.
On the way, he makes multiple scene changes: From Gods
throne and His heavenly court (a composite of Isaiahs and
Ezekiels theophanies), to Israel, the nations, and, finally,
the End of Days.
The narrative axis around which the poem turns is a
symbolic confrontation between the gentile nations and
Israel. Here the poet alludes, obliquely but unmistakably,
to the social and theological pressures facing the Jews of
Germany in the eleventh century.
Borrowing imagery from the Song of Songs and its
related allegorical midrashim, the poet imagines Israel as
a beautiful woman longing for her distant beloved (God,
in the allegory) while being harassed by the daughters of
Jerusalem (the nations). The nations suggest that Israels
tireless but painful devotion to God is unrequited, and

they attempt to seduce her with social acceptance and
political power:
From where and who is your Beloved, most beautiful
/ For whose sake you perish in the lions den? / How dear
and lovely you are! If you join our hegemony / We will
grant whatever you desire, everywhere.
This unexpected narrative turn follows a meditation
on Gods preference of Israels prayers over those of the
angels. The poet abruptly changes scenes to a coalition of
nations gathering, like waves, to accost the Jewish community. This sudden shift may be a deliberate attempt to
evoke the instability of Jewish life as known to Rabbi Meir
and his community. The scene may also allude to public
disputations at which Jewish scholars were required to
defend their faith.
Jews were welcomed into some German towns, but
their security often was short-lived. Persecution and tolerance were alternating features of Jewish life. While writing Akdamut, Rabbi Meir surely would have been mindful
of the expulsion from nearby Mainz in 1012. But he also
may have known of the charter written in 1084 by Bishop
Rudiger of Speyer for Jews who took refuge in his town;
according to a contemporary Jewish source, Rudiger pitied us as a man pities his own son. The charter was reaffirmed in 1090 by Emperor Henry IV, only six years before
the First Crusade massacres devastated the
Rhine communities. (Rabbi Meirs son may
have been a victim.)
How then, in the narrative of Akdamut,
does Israel respond to the Gentiles challenge? Rabbi Meir provides the Jewish people with a clear and strident retort: Of what
value is your greatness compared to that
glory / The greatness He grants me when salvation arrives? This is followed by a detailed
and colorful portrayal of the messianic era
including an apocalyptic battle between
Leviathan and Behemoth in which the
righteous finally are rewarded for their loyalty. The poems last line provides a segue to the Torah
reading, and also summarizes the poems argument: He
desired and wanted us, and so gave us the Torah.
This, essentially, is Israels answer: If God favors his
people over the angels, he certainly favors them over the
Gentiles. God gave us, and only us, the Torah; our relationship is immutable. There is no match for the Jewish
people, either in Heaven or on Earth, despite claims that
God abandoned the Jews and made Christians the New
Israel. Empire and Church may threaten us, but we will
prevail.
Some may find this response inadequate, even naive,
in light of subsequent events the tragedy that befell
German Jewry soon after Rabbi Meirs death, and especially the unfathomable horrors of the last century. But
Akdamut somehow endures, resonating with worshippers
a millennium later, as an incomparably beautiful hymn to
God and his faithful people.
David Zinberg lives in Teaneck with his wife and three boys
and works in financial services. His blog is Realia Judaica.
Opinions expressed in the op-ed and letters columns are not necessarily those of the Jewish Standard. The Jewish Standard
reserves the right to edit letters. Be sure to include your town. Email jstandardletters@gmail.com. Handwritten letters will
not be printed.
Opinion
Life with a capital L

How Judaism teaches us to live with a full heart
here is a debate in
a police officer pulled me
Talmud between
over. He explained that my
Rabbi Hanina and
registration was expired,
Rabbi Hiyya. Rabbi
handed me a ticket with a
Hanina says to Rabbi Hiyya,
pretty large price tag, and
Do you dispute with me?
said that I was lucky because
Were the Torah, God forbid, to
he decided not to call a tow
be forgotten in Israel, I would
truck to haul my car away
restore it by means of my dialike he should.
Thalia
lectical arguments. Rabbi
I thanked the police offiHalpert Rodis
cer, he walked away, and I
Hiyya responds by saying that
sobbed into my hands on the
he would never let the Torah
side of the road.
be forgotten in the first place,
I am 25 years old, and I have decided
because he would live the mitzvot of Torah
that this is the year that Id like to wave my
every day and would teach Torah to children
magic wand so that time can stand still. I
who in turn would teach each other. Rabbi
often wake up early in the morning and
Hiyya is declared one of the greatest Talmudic rabbis.
cant go back to sleep. Thoughts of aging
This year has been very difficult for my
creep through my brain and engrain themselves into cells of my throat, stomach,
family. My paternal uncle, Pano, and my
and toes, so that I am very fully awake. It
maternal aunt died of cancer within two
quickly becomes clear: I will not make it
weeks of each other, and my grandmother
into Dreamland, a fortress of escape.
moved into a nursing home.
So far, though, its not my own age that
On the drive over to the nursing home,
bothers me. The thought of becoming
where I was to explain to my immobile
older and eventually dying does not make
grandmother why she couldnt fly out
me quiver. At 25, I would like to think that
to California for her daughters funeral,
I am far removed from that reality. No, it

is not my own death that terrifies me. It
is the aging of my loved ones that makes
sleeping so hard.
The notion that the beloved older adults
in my life all someday will be gone is too
hard to know. Every year that I get older,
the opportunities to share laughter, conversations, hugs, and stories with them
get smaller.
These are the people who taught me
how to love the world through their own
love for me. How to love to read through
their love for reading how to sew and
cook special meals, and how to ride a bicycle. How to climb trees and throw softballs.
Why its necessary to see pain as a part of
humanity, and why integrity and honesty
Standing together to fight BDS
his week, the holiday of Shavuot celebrates the Jewish

people receiving
the Torah at Sinai.
The entire Jewish nation,
having left Egypt en masse
w e e k s e a r l i e r, s t a n d s
together to receive this simulLaura
taneous revelation, a remarkFein
able moment of Jewish unity.
The astounding response of
the Jewish people, naaseh
vnishma, begins with a call to action:
Naaseh. We will do.
This week marked the anniversary of
another historic call to action that our
people bravely answered defending
our reborn nation of Israel and reuniting our historic capital of Jerusalem.
Seeing a re-creation of the famous 1967
photo of three young paratroopers at the
Kotel, now with civilian clothes and gray
hair, brought both smiles and tears. How
miraculous that our 2000 year yearning
has been fulfilled! And how tragic that
there are still those who would divide
our beloved city once again, negating the
achievement for which so many risked,
and lost, their lives.
We must work to recapture our sense
of unity. The threats that face our people
have only grown in recent

years, and all our strength
as a nation will be needed to
fight back. In recent years,
we have seen a dramatic
increase in the number of
anti-Semitic incidents in the
United States, echoing the
rise seen in Europe. This is
especially true on college
campuses, where students
are threatened not just with
words, but with ongoing
harassment and physical threats.
There has been a great deal of communal hand-wringing in response, as well as
some excellent directed action both on
the part of students on individual campuses and by various dedicated organizations within the Jewish communal world.
What there has not been, however, is
united recognition of what underlies the
uptick in these disturbing incidents: an
extravagantly funded, sophisticated campaign to undermine Israel as a Jewish
nation and ultimately destroy it.
The BDS movement is founded and
funded not by peace lovers seeking to
encourage compromise, but by uncompromising anti-Semites who want to force
the Jews into the sea. They do not accept
the legitimacy of Israel in any place, in
any borders. In Europe they are aided

largely by descendants of those who only
two generations ago forced Jews not into
the sea rather into ovens. Today these
human rights activists chant Jews
to the Gas not only at specifically antiIsrael demonstrations, but outside synagogues and even at soccer matches. At
American universities, pro-BDS efforts
become overtly anti-Semitic with alarming frequency, and the goal of eliminating
Israel is clear in the from the river to the
sea chant.
Of course not everyone who supports
BDS is so coarse. But we cannot remain
naive about the motives of the movements driving forces, and those who
align themselves with BDS cannot escape
the taint even if their personal motives
differ. The BDS movement is morally
indistinct from previous efforts to economically isolate Jews, including by the
Arab boycott of pre-1967 Israel and the
Nazi boycotts of Jewish businesses. Like
those predecessors, the object of BDS
is to harm Jews, and to force them from
where they live.
In both Israel and the United States,
the threat of BDS is being addressed
through legislation and lawsuits. A recent
Israel Supreme Court decision upholds
a law that allows those harmed by BDS
Iconic photo of Israeli paratroopers at

the Kotel in 1967.
to sue for damages, and describes calls
to boycott as political terrorism from
which the state must defend itself. Proposed amendments to the pending federal trade bill aim to discourage BDS
among U.S. trade partners, especially in
Europe. Some states, including Tennessee and Indiana, have passed declarative resolutions condemning BDS, while
Local
are essential to living a good life.
Time is funny. Reality is what you see and what you
know, and after a period of time, reality shifts. Everything that I am and that I know today will be a memory
in a year. In 20 years, I wont remember most of my 25th
year, but I will remember small important segments of
it. When I am 95 years old, who will foster those memories other than me? It must be hard to live in a nursing
home, a fortress full of memories.
I am sure that everyone has had these thoughts. They
must be growing pains a harsh awareness that each
person must reach at a certain age. And accordingly,
each person must find a way to pursue a meaningful life
in the midst of this pain.
My aunt and uncle were connected by remarkable
threads. They both were professors, explorers, and
pursuers of answers to lifes questions. They sought
after knowledge, taught what they learned to their
students, and strove to learn from people who were
unlike them.
At my aunts funeral, her daughter told us that her
mother spoke of lifes big moments, including the hard
ones, as Life with a capital L. These are moments that
a person cannot shirk. These moments must be met
with strength and integrity.
My uncle always pushed his loved ones to learn as
much as they could, and he strove to find authenticity
in every person he met. He often spoke of living life
with a full heart loving fully and finding goodness in
each person that you meet.
My aunt and uncle lived appreciating the present
moment and with the future in their horizons. They
others, notably Illinois, have proposed legislation

with more teeth, such as barring state pension funds
from investing in companies that support BDS, or
requiring state contractors to certify their anti-boycott practices. These and similar legislative and legal
efforts must be vigorously supported by the Jewish
community.
Jewish communal organizations must take a firm
stance against BDS in all its forms, including efforts
that distinguish between Israeli companies operating on either side of the 1967 armistice lines. As a
community we have been far too tolerant of those
who want to harm Israel and, ultimately, Jews, by
exploiting the Jewish communitys genuine tolerance and commitment to big tent inclusiveness.
The Jewish community must be careful not to legitimize any boycotts of Israeli companies and products, as that strengthens the BDS movement and
directly harms Israel and Jews, supports a movement
proven to be anti-Semitic, reinforces Israels isolation on the world stage, and ultimately undermines
the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish nation.
We must come together as we have in the past, and
affirm our commitment to take action against this
common enemy. When we unite there is no limit to
what we will do.
Laura Fein is the executive director of ZOA-NJ, part of
the Zionist Organization of America. She will speak
in Ridgewood on June 11. For more information, or
to volunteer, or if you are an attorney interested in
assisting these efforts, email ZOANJ@zoa.org.
were young when they died, but their lives were rich in
love, wisdom, and compassion. Those traits were passed
on to the thousands of students that they taught, and
became engrained in their families.
To live fully, I have learned, live like Rabbi Hiyya. Do
your best to live a righteous life, to fight for justice, to see
people with compassionate eyes. Most importantly, teach
others to live life with a full heart so they can greet Life
with a Capital L with integrity and hope.
I have learned that honoring the people whom I will miss
most comes from living with gratitude for each day and from
treating people well. I sleep better when my day looks like this.
Most importantly, I have learned that it is important to
pursue a fulfilled life far into old age. I will strive to learn
as much as I can, and to share these lessons with my students. They are the newest generation that needs to learn
how to read, how to be honest, how to ride bicycles, and
how to love.
How to live life with a full heart.
Thalia Halpert Rodis of Glen Rock is a Hebrew teacher
and writer.
SAVE THE DATE
NEW JERSEY NCSY
Honoring
CARYN AND YIGAL MARCUS
AYELET AND RABBI

MICHAEL HOENIG
Young Leadership Award
Ahavat Torah Award
REVA AND DANNY JUDAS

Community Service Award
DENISE AND DR. LEONARD

SCHRIEBER
Parents of the Year Award
Sunday, June 21, 2015

At the home of
Alissa and Shimmie Horn
465 Winthrop Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666

Breakfast Reception at 9:00 AM
Rabbi Ethan Katz
New Jersey NCSY Regional Director
Dr. Murray Leben

New Jersey NCSY Chairman
Rabbi Micah Greenland

NCSY International Director
For more information, visit newjersey.ncsy.org

NCSY is the international youth
movement of the OU.
Opinion
Obtaining a get in New Jersey

Obstacles faced and solutions proposed
here is possibly no news item that raises public ire

more than perceived institutional injustice against
innocent victims, especially when that institution
is a religious one.
Few stories have riveted the tabloids more the past few
months than the recently concluded trial of the rabbis
accused of using illegal pressure tactics to force Jewish men
into giving their wives a get (religious divorce) to permit the
NOTICE
ANNUAL MEETING OF JEWISH FEDERATION
Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
at Yeshivat Noam
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT, pursuant to Article II, Section 2 of the By-Laws of the
above named Corporation, the Annual Meeting of its members will be held on Thursday, June
25, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at Yeshivat Noam, 70 West Century Road, Paramus, NJ 07652.
Jason M. Shames, Chief Executive Ofcer

and Executive Vice President
Date: May 22, 2015
NOMINEES FOR ELECTION AS OFFICERS FOR ONE (1) YEAR TERM

PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENTS
SECRETARY
Jayne Petak
Roberta Abrams Paer, Campaign

Bruce Brafman, Planning & Allocations
Stephanie Goldman-Pittel
Lee Lasher, Treasurer

Will Rukin, At Large
IMMEDIATE
PAST PRESIDENT
Zvi S. Marans, MD
NOMINEES FOR ELECTION AS TRUSTEES FOR TWO (2) YEARS

Gale S. Bindelglass
Ruth Cole
Julie Eisen
Jodi Epstein
Karen Farber
Fred Fish
Merle Fish
David Goodman
Joan Krieger
Sue Ann Levin

Dr. Jonathan Mangot
Ronald Rosensweig
Alan Scharfstein
Daniel Shlufman
Leon Sokol
Donna Weintraub
Tracy Zur
Other members may be nominated for election as Trustees by the ling of a petition in the ofce
of the Chief Executive Ofcer and Executive Vice President within fteen (15) days after such
notice. Each petition shall be signed by not fewer than twenty-ve (25) members who will be
qualied to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Jewish Federation
201-820-3900 www.jfnnj.org welcome@jfnnj.org
wife a religious remarriage.

By the same token, the plight
of the agunah, or chained
woman, who is forever captive to a psychologically abusive and financially abandoning spouse, became a much
discussed subject throughout the media. That even a
Robert B.
beth din-issued shtar seruv
Kornitzer,
a contempt order could
Esq.
not force a recalcitrant husband to abide by an order to
grant the get became well known.
The question then becomes what, if anything, can be
done, either religiously or secularly, to bring the number
of agunahs as close to zero as possible?
New York State has addressed a spouses refusal to
grant a get through legislation that requires cooperation
in obtaining one. Section 253 of the New York Domestic
Relations Law is titled Removal of Barriers. Although
nondenominational in language, the clear intent at the
time it was written, around 30 years ago, was related to
the issue of get refusal. The law requires someone filing
a complaint for divorce to remove any barrier to the
[other spouses] remarriage following the annulment or
divorce. This law further applies to the spouse who did
not file the complaint but consents to the actual divorce.
The barrier referred to is clearly intended to be the
granting of the get.
In 2010 the New York Legislature enacted Domestic
Relations Law Section 236, which gave additional stature
Update on
Nostra Aetate
JOANNE PALMER
fter our story Nostra Aetate 50 years

later was published in last weeks Jewish
Standard, the Vatican issued two statements that we would have recognized
there had they come out even days earlier.
The first was the churchs announcement that it is
about to sign a treaty that will recognize the state
of Palestine. Although the decision to recognize the
state was not new, the move to do so officially was.
Our story focused on Rabbi Noam Marans of
Teaneck, the American Jewish Committees director
of interreligious and intergroup relations. Like much
of the rest of the organized Jewish world, the AJC has
responded to the churchs decision with sadness and
dismay. Its formal response came from its executive
director, David Harris.
Formal Vatican recognition of Palestine, a state
that, in reality, does not yet exist, is a regrettable
move, counterproductive to all who seek true peace
between Israel and the Palestinians, Mr. Harris said.
There is a reason why the U.S., the European
Union and others have long agreed that statehood
can only be achieved through direct, bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Meanwhile, the West Bank is ruled by the Palestinian Authority, whose leader, Mahmoud Abbas, just
marked the tenth anniversary of what was meant to
be a four-year term, and Gaza is governed by Hamas,
a terrorist organization. What and where exactly is the
State of Palestine today?
Opinion
to premarital agreements requiring rabbinic arbitration
on a practical level. The law also has been used to allow
for economic pressure if the husband does not grant a get.
The overriding practical problem, despite the efforts
made in New York, is that if the husband is not inclined
to cooperate by giving a get, his civil pleadings will reflect
that lack of cooperation. He will not be the party initially
filing the complaint, and if he is responding he will oppose
the divorce, so he doesnt fall under the requirements of
the New York law.
In New Jersey, the courts cannot force the husband to
give the wife a get. There isnt even a law similar to New
Yorks, which recognizes the problem and attempts to
address it. Even if the parties are divorced civilly and they
agree to cooperate to obtain a get, the court cannot force
final cooperation. The husband can ignore a court order
that he abide by his agreement, and the court cannot
force him to perform.
The halachic premarital agreement has been a step in
the right direction with regard to husbands who do not
want to be hit with a seruv. This has been used for approximately 20 years. Before marriage, both parties agree that
if the marriage breaks up, they will appear before a beth
din a Jewish court of law at which time the get determination will be made. The agreement also includes that
if the man refuses to provide a get to the woman, he must
continue to support her (often at the rate of $150 per day)
until the get is given.
This premarital agreement is considered enforceable
under New York law, as discussed above, and most likely
under New Jersey law as well, since premarital agreements are presumptively enforceable. However, there are
many rabbis who will not require this premarital agreement. It

is evident that at this time there is no method to guarantee cooperation of all husbands in giving their wives a get. However, as
a matrimonial attorney, I believe that the New York legislation
(which I hope to see in New Jersey) and the halachic premarital
agreement all serve a very useful purpose.
The process of reaching a divorce settlement is an extended
process of give-and-take. Important and sensitive issues, such as
custody, child support, alimony, and division of marital assets,
must be discussed and we hope they will be resolved.
It is a basic fact of human nature that when they are under
pressure, people often resort to using whatever leverage is at
their disposal to achieve the best result. There is no more single significant and powerful piece of leverage than the ability
to withhold a get unless significant financial and even custodial
concessions are made. Unfortunately, I have personally witnessed too many cases where this is precisely what happens.
The power of having the above-discussed legislation or halachic premarital agreement in place is that it removes much of
this leverage from the men who do not want to be viewed poorly
within the community. Most Jewish men, if ordered to give a get
or face a seruv, will give the get. It stands to reason that a more
equitable result will occur when both parties are on equal footing, and one doesnt have the unfair advantage of being able to
hold hostage the others future. So even if the agunah problem
will not be quickly eliminated, at least it will be lessened.
Robert B. Kornitzer is a partner at the law firm of Pashman Stein
in Hackensack, and the chair of its family law department. His
practice focuses on all aspects of family law.
We are fully cognizant of the Popes good will and

desire to be a voice for peaceful coexistence, which is
best served, we believe, by encouraging a resumption
of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, rather than unilateral gestures outside the framework of the negotiating
table, Mr. Harris concluded.
A few days later, the pope was quoted as having
called Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian
Authority, an angel of peace, although there is some
dispute over whether those actually were his words,
and over what those words might mean.
Here, Rabbi Marans responds to them:
Pope Francis is a friend of the Jewish people and an
activist in furthering the historic progress in CatholicJewish relations.
The question is not whether Pope Francis actually
called Mahmoud Abbas an angel of peace or rather
prayed that he might become an angel of peace, or
whether the Vatican actually recognized the State of
Palestine for the first time or rather affirmed an ongoing Vatican diplomatic position.
The question is whether the Vaticans support
of the Palestinian bid for statehood outside the confines of direct, bilateral negotiations between Israel
and the Palestinian Authority is the right path. It is
not. Thats why the U.S., the European Union and
others actively support resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Encouraging Palestinian unilateralism is not the
path to peace.
Cover Story
Indescribable
connections
Zahal Shalom brings Israeli veterans to Ridgewood for touring, love

Larry Yudelson
hat happened when the

alarm went off in the Pentagon was a reminder of
one of the reasons local
volunteers behind Zahal Shalom are so
eager to open their homes, their schedules, and their wallets to 10 wounded
Israeli veterans each year.
During their two-week stay, the Israelis get to see New Jersey, New York, and
Washington, D.C.
In Washington, they visited the monuments, ate in the Senate dining room, and
took a tour of the Pentagon, where and
this was not on the five-page itinerary a
fire drill caused alarms to clang loudly.
For Anat Nitsan, the alarm brought back
memories from the Yom Kippur war, more
than 40 years ago. Now an art curator,
then she was a soldier at the air force base
at Sharm el-Sheikh, at the southern tip
of Sinai. She survived the initial surprise
The Israelis at the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central

Park. Back row: Nasif Abu Rish, Sagi Salah, Oren Luzzatto,
Yehuda Maman, Anat Nitsan, Tal Hazan, and Omer Kuzniez.
Front row: Shachar Romi, Hezi Reuven, and Eliron Haroni.
attack from the Egyptian air force. And

then, in a case of friendly fire, she watched
in horror as a missile seemed to target her
directly. Somehow she survived that too
though not without a case of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Several other of the visiting Israelis suffer PTSD as well a condition for which
loud alarms while in the company of uniformed men is not the ideal prescription.
What is the ideal prescription, Omer
Kuzniez said a couple of nights later, is
unconditional love. And that is something

that the visiting Israelis received from their
American hosts.
Thank you for building the trust we
need, Mr. Kuzniez said.
Its unbelievable, Ms. Nitsan said.
People are so nice. We are like in a dream.
The way they received us: so full of kindness and love and happiness.
Yet the prospect of helping veterans is
only one part of what draws people to support Zahal Shalom. What proves decisive,
Cover Story
what keeps hosts coming back year after

year, is the warm connections that are
forged with the visiting Israelis.
The connection you feel with the soldiers is indescribable, said Robin Steiner
of Montvale. Theyre so loving.
Tzahal Shalom recruits two families
for each of the soldiers. The host family
is responsible for providing a bed, breakfast, and transportation to Temple Israel in
Ridgewood. The buddy family shares the
work of providing home-cooked meals and
hospitality, and accompanies the Israelis on their sightseeing adventures. Some
days are left free, encouraging bonding
between the Israelis and the Americans.
Nancy Bortingor of Ridgewood, who
heads the placement committee, said she
encourages the host and buddy families to
pull their children from school for a day
to accompany the Israelis on their travels.
Theyll remember this longer, she
said.
The motto of Zahal Shalom is In our
homes for two weeks. In our hearts
forever.
Its amazing, said Debbie Corwin, who
had hosted soldiers for five years.
When she and her husband went to
Israel last year, they saw the soldiers they
had met over the previous years, and met
their families. The warmth they had given
in New Jersey was reciprocated in Israel.
The people who agree to host are
unique and special, Ms. Bortinger said.
They have very big hearts and love for
Israel and for doing mitzvot and an ability to put aside the routines of everyday
life for at least two weeks.
While most of the hosts are from Ridgewood or the immediately surrounding towns, this year they had one from
Teaneck and in the past we had people
shlepping in from Wayne, she added
Last Thursday night, 160 people showed
up for a fundraising dinner at Temple
Israel. The mayors of Ridgewood and Hawthorne were there. And there were people
who were wistful because in other years
they had hosted Israelis, but this year had
to bow out because their time was claimed
by a graduation or the expected arrival of
a grandchild.
Its amazing, its wonderful, to see
Eliron Haroni, Hezi Reuven, and Tal Hazan
All photos Johanna Resnick Rosen/Candid Eye/www.joresnickrosen.com unless otherwise credited
Jennifer Gibli of Fair Lawn and her daughters, Maya

and Soleil, were Zahal Shalom buddies this year.
Anat Nitsan and Evie Rotstein, her buddy from

Woodcliff Lake
Larry Yudelson
Sagi Salah, Amanda Zoneraich of Wyckoff, and Hezi Reuven at the

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
On the bus: Hezi, Sagi, and Eliron

Cover Story
people who care so much for us, Mr. Kuzniez said. It gives
us the feeling we have another home.
Zahal Shalom began in 1993, but the origins of the program
date back to the immediate aftermath of the Six Day War,
when the Jewish community of Geneva hosted wounded
Israeli veterans. On the Israeli side, the program is run by
Zahal Disabled Veterans Organization and its network of rehabilitation centers, Beit Halochem. Bergen Countys Zahal Shalom is one of only six such programs in North America. The
others are in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto, and
Montreal.
Oren Luzzatto is the groups guide. Retired after 26 years
in the IDF, he spends his days volunteering in the Beersheva
office of Beit Halochem. He was a member of a delegation to
Pittsburgh. This was his second trip as a leader. He handled
the connection between Israel and New Jersey. And he did the
work needed to create the group in Israel both the mundane
tasks of making sure visas were in order, but also the work of
preparing the group, creating group cohesion, and allowing
them to know what to expect.
In New Jersey, he said, the connection is excellent. The
best ever. There is a big heart. People give their all. You feel
a lot of love.
Mr. Luzzatto was wounded by terrorists in Lebanon in 1990.
Then he was more seriously hurt in an auto accident. But he
continued to serve.
Nasif Abu Rish is Druze. Hes from the Druze village of Yarka
11 miles southwest of Nahariya.
Its a wonderful land, he said of America, speaking in
Hebrew. Its gorgeous. But Israel is better, because it is my
land. There I live and there I will die. We have a wonderful
land. We have a strong army. Theres nothing to fear. All the
Jews can come to Israel.
The Americans he met the Zahal Shalom volunteers
are very nice. They love the State of Israel. They give to the
state.
We are 10 soldiers, said Shahar Romi, speaking at the dinner. Here we have 160 soldiers in the United Sates. We need
to clap for you.
Its amazing what you do. We appreciate it so much.
Shachar Romi shakes hands with a veteran in Washington.
Hezi Reuven, Sagi Salah, and Yehuda Maman at

the Lincoln Memorial
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Sagi Saleh and buddy Jennifer Gibli
Tal Hazan with host Bonnie Lipeles of Wyckoff
Opinion
Washington summit highlights

Arab displeasure with Obama over Iran
will be interested to see if Saudi Arabias King Salman

gets the Bibi treatment from the news media this
week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
youll remember, was accused of snubbing President
Barack Obama when he addressed Congress on the Iranian
nuclear threat back in March. Contrastingly, King Salman
can be said to have snubbed the president by not coming to
Washington for his May 14 summit with Gulf Arab leaders.
In any case, supporters of Israel should feel some relief at
the political heat being directed, if only temporarily, about a
thousand miles east of Jerusalem. We should also regard this
as an opportunity to remind the American public of how the
Saudi Arabias King Salman meets with U.S. SecreGulf states regard a nuclear Iran as such a peril that theyve
tary of State John Kerry in the Saudi capital, Riyadh,
lined up with Israel to stop that outcome.
in March.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
As unpleasant as it is to see Israeli democracy aligned
with these regimes, whose human rights records are abomCouncil had lobbied hard for the United States to agree
inable, theres no denying the strategic significance of this
to a defense pact, ahead of the summit. Still, the pact was
de facto alliance. Above all else, it demonstrates conclunot forthcoming, with one analyst, Frederic Wehrey of the
sively that the Iran deal Obama is trying to drive through is
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, surmising
opposed by most of the Middle East.
that the administration didnt feel compelled to bend over
It also underlines that the Obama administrations bilatbackwards to countries that repress basic human liberties.
eral relations have hit rock bottom with the Arab tradition(That might have been a sound argument
alists, as well as with the Israelis. When King
were it not for the Obama administrations
Salman recently said that he would not attend
generally feeble commitment to human rights
the summit after all, he did so two days after
globally, from Syria to China.)
the White House announced that he was comMoreover, Arab leaders know that their dising. Perhaps it was an exceptional breach of
pleasure with Obama is not the only obstacle
protocolofficially, it was explained as a timin the way of a final deal with Iran. Domesing problem, because the summit coincides
tically, Obama has to contend with the Iran
with a planned ceasefire in Yemen, where
Nuclear Agreement Review Act, which passed
the Saudis have been fighting Iranian-backed
the Senate last week in a 98-1 vote. The presiforcesbut this is an exceptional situation.
Ben Cohen
dent still can push a deal through in the face
What makes it even more awkward for
of bitter opposition, but he will do so on the
the White House is the fact that King Salman
defensive, forced to justify an arrangement
is not alone. Most of the other Gulf states,
that leaves the Iranian nuclear program intactand withincluding Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates,
out the intrusive, round-the-clock monitoring that an effecwill be represented only at the ministerial level. The issue
tive inspections regime requires. If, indeed, a final deal is
that those who have turned up want to discuss is Iran, and
reached by the June 30 deadline, the U.S. State Department
they will do so without pulling any punches at Camp David.
will need to make sure that any fact sheets it publishes are
We see Iranian support for terrorist organizations and
cleared with the Iranians first, so as to avoid the radically diffacilitating the work of terrorist organizations, so the chalferent interpretations of what was supposedly agreed durlenge will be in how to coordinate U.S.-Gulf efforts in order
ing the last round of talks in Lausanne, Switzerland.
to collectively face these aggressive moves on the part of
Those divergent interpretations were not concerned with
Iranthat statement came from Saudi Foreign Minister
insignificant points. Ultimately, the administrations failure
Adel al-Jubeir, though if you switch the word Gulf to
to make an effective case for its Iran deal rests on its inabilIsraeli, you can imagine Netanyahu saying exactly the
ity to answer the burning questions. Will sanctions be lifted
same thing.
the day an agreement is signed, as the Iranians claim, or will
I dont think [Gulf leaders] have a deep respect, a deep
they be phased out in accordance with Iranian cooperation,
trust for Obama and his promises. There is a fundamental
as Washington would have us believe? Exactly what kind of
difference between his vision of post-nuclear-deal Iran and
inspection regime will be acceptable to the Iranians, and
their vision, Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, a professor of politiwill it include unimpeded rights of access to military installacal science at Emirates University, told the Associated Press.
tions like Fordow, an enrichment facility located in a bunker
Abdullah added, They think Iran is a destabilizing force
beneath a mountain? What will be the fate of the stockpile
and will remain so, probably even more, if the sanctions
of enriched uranium that the Iranians originally promised
are lifted.
would be shipped to a third party, before reneging on that
The message is clear. Like the Israelis, the Gulf states are
shortly after?
convinced that the deal now being negotiated will weaken
Arab leaders are skeptical that the Obama administration
their security fatally. Their hostility to sanctions relief also
can deliver an acceptable deal, given these stakes. So are the
is revealing, and suggests that European businesses looking
Israelis. And so is an enormous chunk of the U.S. Congress.
to get back into the Iranian market could face penalties on
JNS.ORG
This isnt over yet.
the Arab side as a disincentive.
One recent development that reportedly has alienated the
Ben Cohen, senior editor of TheTower.org, writes a weekly
Arab states further is Obamas rejection of their proposed
column for JNS.org on Jewish affairs and Middle Eastern
common defense treaty with the United States a decision,
politics. His writings have been published in Commentary,
ironically, that will make them more dependent on Israel
the New York Post, Haaretz, the Wall Street Journal, and
if there is any military confrontation with Iran. According
many other publications.
to Foreign Policy, key members of the Gulf Cooperation
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Jewish World
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Come visit and ask about our free one-WeeK trial.
Jimmy Wales on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: You present what all sides
have said, and leave it to the reader to come to the answer.
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Wikipedia co-founder
Jimmy Wales, in Israel,
likes it but stays neutral
BEN SALES
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TEL AVIV In 2003, two years after

the website was founded, the editors
of Wikipedia faced a dilemma: How
should they refer to the part-fence,
part-wall Israel was building along the
West Bank border?
The articles first iteration published amid the bloody second intifada, or Palestinian uprising called
it a security fence and focused on
Israeli support. Within half an hour,
another editor added a sentence about
a United Nations condemnation. Later
that day, the Palestinians preferred
term, apartheid wall, appeared.
Following thousands of edits on the
free online crowdsourced encyclopedia, the article now calls it the Israeli
West Bank barrier and links to a list
of alternative names, from separation
fence to wall of apartheid.
The right thing to do, if youre new
to the issue, is you should be told what
is this debate about, Jimmy Wales, a
Wikipedia founder, said on Sunday during an interview here. Thats a struggle. You have to be taught about those
issues. You dont want to, in an unclear
way, use language that carries with it a
hidden conclusion.
Wales was in Israel hes been here
more than 10 times, he says to accept
the Dan David Prize, an international
award of $1 million given yearly at Tel
Aviv University. Wales was chosen for
spearheading what the prize committee called the information revolution.
We could come together and give

the great gift to the world of a free
encyclopedia for every single person
on the planet, Wales said during his
acceptance speech, describing Wikipedias mission. Wikipedia is not just this
one website but a movement to share
knowledge globally.
Wales prizes neutrality on Wikipedia,
and few topics present as great a challenge to that value as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where every word or
snippet of information can be imbued
with ideology. His response is to provide as many facts as possible, aiming
to overwhelm any chance of bias.
You can imagine some historical
incident where [the late Israeli Prime
Minister] Ariel Sharon said this, [the
late Palestinian Authority President
Yasser] Arafat said that, Wales said.
You present what all sides have said
and leave it to the reader to come to the
answer.
Not all Israel advocates agree. In
2010, the right-wing Israeli organization My Israel recruited activists to edit
Israel-related Wikipedia articles and
give them a Zionist slant. Wales said
nothing came of the effort, though now
only registered Wikipedia editors may
edit the Israel entry.
Rather than risking bias, each Wikipedia articles multiplicity of voices
makes it more valuable, says Hagit
Meishar-Tal, a professor at the Holon
Institute of Technology, who studies
Wikipedias influence in the classroom.
Readers who follow links to the history
Jewish World
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Wales prizes neutrality

on Wikipedia, and
few topics present
as great a challenge
to that value as the
Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
of the situation, and to discussions among Wikipedia
editors, can gain a deeper understanding of an issue.
This discussion can create relevant information
on where theres disagreement, on what the arguments are between Wikipedians, Meishar-Tal said.
The mechanism tries to create consensus, and
thats a beautiful thing.
While Wikipedia strives for objectivity on Israel,
Wales is unabashedly pro. The annual Wikimania
conference, hosted by the nonprofit that runs Wikipedia, was held in Haifa in 2011, and Wales appeared
at the Israeli Presidential Conference that year.
Before the Haifa conference, Wales defended
Israel in a Facebook exchange with a pro-Palestinian
activist, Joey Ayoub, that Ayoub subsequently published. Responding to Ayoubs accusations of Israeli
apartheid, Wales wrote, How about those rockets?
Complaining any about those? Presumably he was
referring to Hamas shooting rockets into Israel from
Gaza.
Im a strong supporter of Israel, so I dont listen
to those critics, Wales told JTA.
Wales said he backs Israel for all of the standard reasons the support for freedom of speech is
very important to me, the rights of women, proper
democracy. You can support all those things while
still having criticism of actions and policies that
arent good.
After this trip Wales, whose work has largely been
not-for-profit, will return $900,000 richer (10 percent of the prize goes to doctoral students).
Along with Wales, this years Dan David Prize was
awarded to historians Alessandro Portelli and Peter
Brown, and bioinformaticians Cyrus Chothia, David
Haussler and Michael Waterman. In the past, figures
such as former Vice President Al Gore and filmmakers Joel and Ethan Cohen have won the award.
JTA WIRE SERVICE
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Jewish World
We who live will learn

70 years on, Hitchcock Holocaust doc finds an audience
GABRIELLE BIRKNER
A still from German Concentration Camps Factual Survey shows

children smiling through barbed wire as Allied troops approach in
April 1945.
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
TORAH ACADEMY OF BERGEN COUNTY

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This was a woman, the narrator explains,

as the camera pans over a figure so emaciated and burnt that its barely recognizable as
human.
Its one of the more arresting scenes in
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey, a highly unusual Holocaust documentary shot and scripted 70 years ago, and
crafted with the help of the legendary director Alfred Hitchcock. But it almost didnt see
the light of day.
The recently completed film has begun
making the rounds, and held its New York
premiere Tuesday night at Manhattans
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Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the

Holocaust.
German Concentration Camps draws heavily on
the footage taken at Bergen-Belsen, Auschwitz, and
Dachau by combat and newsreel cameramen in the
weeks after liberation. It shows former prisoners who
had managed to survive gas chambers, typhus epidemics, and starvation taking the first steps toward
rebuilding their lives. They are deloused. They get hot
showers for the first time in years. They get hot meals.
There are piles of clean clothes, and women rejoice
as they try on the donated dresses, pumps, and widebrimmed hats.
Some of the most touching parts show the restoration of what I can only call humanity, said Jane Wells,
a documentarian and the daughter of the films producer, Sidney Bernstein.
An Englishman, Bernstein led the film division of
the Allied forces propaganda effort and was tasked
with chronicling the Nazis crimes for the German
public. To this end, the film includes copious footage
of former camp guards carrying the dead bodies of
their victims to mass graves and tossing them, with
callous disregard, into the giant pits.
Bernstein enlisted Hitchcock, a close friend, as the
films treatment adviser. Hitchcocks influence can
be seen in the long panning shots that leave no room
for doubt that what the audience is seeing is no fabrication. Bernstein and his team worked on the film
through the spring and summer of 1945.
But by later that year, many Germans had toured
the concentration camps and seen newsreels of what
had happened there. There was a sense that the films
time had passed, and the British government shelved
the project.
In recent years, however, Britains Imperial War
Museum restored the footage and set out to finish
the film using the original script and shot sheet. The
words are lyrical (They say a dead mans boots bring
bad luck; what of dead childrens toys?) and they are
judgmental. (Germans knew about Dachau but did
not care.)
Hewing to the original vision meant making a film
that contained some factual inaccuracies (the number of dead) and omissions (about whom the Nazis
targeted).
It didnt emphasize how disproportionately the
Jews had suffered, Wells said of the film, which refers
to victims by their nationality rather than their religion. It showed it as more of a universal Holocaust
than one that was predominantly Jewish. (In a short
film that follows the documentary and attempts to correct the record, scholars surmise that the filmmakers
did not want to portray Jews as a people apart.)
An HBO documentary about the long-delayed Hitchcock project, Night Will Fall, premiered in January. The title is a line from German Concentration
Camps: Unless the world learns the lesson these
pictures teach, night will fall. But by Gods grace, we
who live will learn.
Bruce Ratner, a real estate developer and a minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, was
instrumental in bringing the film to the Museum of
Jewish Heritage, where he serves as chairman of the
board.
JTA WIRE SERVICE
Mission to Washington 2015
Laurie Baumel, PhD Richard Schlussel, MD David Steinberg
Bracha Berg Mindy Berman Sandi Dube Avi Schranz
Shavuot
On Shavuot, remembering the day

I almost dropped the Torah
EDMON RODMAN
LOS ANGELES On Shavuot, we are reminded that the Torah
is a tree of life to which we are to hold fast.
But what happens when that hold slips from your grasp?
Its a question I found myself asking six weeks before Shavuot,
late in the Torah service on the last day of Passover.
My wife, Brenda, and I had gone to Temple Beth Emet, in
Anaheim, Calif., where I grew up. We both had come for the
Yizkor service there, and to see her family, who continues to
pray there. Not far from Disneyland, its a shrinking kingdom of
Jewish memories, where, as I walked down the aisle to my seat,
I could see my Hebrew school teacher, and the familiar faces of
those who had been friends of my parents.
A little while after we were seated, the gabbai came down the
aisle, blue card in hand, and asked me if I wanted to be hagbah that is, to raise the Torah after it was read. Thank you,
I said, accepting the honor.
When my wife joined me, we quickly exchanged notes and

found that we were going to be a Torah team, since while she
was out in the lobby, the gabbai had asked her to be gelilah
the person tasked with dressing the Torah.
As the scrolls were taken from the ark, I nudged her, saying
the larger of the two scrolls probably was the one I should lift. As
I sized it up, I could see that this scroll was longer than the one
I had grown accustomed to lifting in my minyan in Los Angeles.
Torah scrolls vary quite a bit in size, from short study ones
weighing only a few pounds up to tall, arm-length versions that
can weigh up to about 50 pounds.
Besides being a holy object, a Torah scroll also is expensive. It
takes a scribe a year or more to write its 304,805 letters by hand,
and it costs between $30,000 and $60,000, depending on its
size and the quality of the script and parchment.
Trying to keep this out of my mind, I counted down the aliyot,
the sections in which the Torah is read, until the completion of
the eighth and final reading. Quickly, I walked up the few steps
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Hagbah, or raising the Torah, can be difficult.

PIKIWIKI ISRAEL
to the bima where I had chanted, in what seemed like a

million turns of the Torah ago, for my bar mitzvah.
Grabbing the wooden handles, known as the Trees of
Life, I rolled each tight, so that three columns of text were
left showing in the middle of the scroll. I carefully slid it
toward me, and then, using the Torah reading tables edge
as a fulcrum, I slid the remaining section down, bent my
knees, and levered the Torah up.
With the handles about even to my shoulders, I turned
my back to the congregation, with the scroll facing the
congregation, so the worshippers could see the writing,
and I raised it higher.
I took about four steps to the chairs where I knew I was
supposed to sit, and where my wife would tie the scroll
and dress it.
Only, there was a problem.
The least stable time during hagbah is right after you
sit down, says the National Chavura Committees website, and this is the truth. While lowering my body to sit,
I lost the tension between the two halves, and the half in
my left hand began to wobble. Thrusting my arm out to
steady it only caused the scroll to gyrate more, in what
began to appear to me as a slow-motion disaster.
Now, being asked to raise the Torah is a great honor
or, as the gabbai had put it, greater than them all. Rabbi
Joseph H. Prouser of Temple Emanuel of North Jersey
in Franklin Lakes, citing the Mishnah in an article called
Raising Awareness: The Symbolic Significance of Hagbah
and Gelilah, explained: lifting the Torah scroll is a public
act of qinyan, of establishing ownership rights.
But if that were the case, those rights, remembered
on Shavuot with the celebration of the giving of the Torah,
were wobbling away both from me and from the congregation. If I dropped the Torah, everyone there would have
to decide how to reassert their ownership. Would they
fast? Give tzedakah?
One more wobble, and then my wife, seemingly coming
out of nowhere, grabbed the top of the errant roller, and
even though the parchment buckled into an S-like shape
that widened my eyes, she stopped its fall.
Good save, someone said to her as she returned to
her seat.
In another era, according to Rabbi Prouser, the raising and dressing of the Torah was executed by a single
individual. But today I was ecstatic to be part of a team:
a husband and wife, who had been juggling work, children, family, and Judaism for so long, coming together,
after some juggling of my own, finally to take grasp of the
Torah and own it.
She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, says the
Book of Proverbs, and whoever holds on to her is happy.
JTA WIRE SERVICE

Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist who writes on Jewish
life from Los Angeles. Email him at edmojace@gmail.com.
Shavuot
Tnuva celebrates Shavuot
with quality dairy cheese products
Tnuvas wide selection of quality dairy
cheese products provides the key ingredients for an array of Shavuot dishes that
can be served during the festive holiday.
This is helpful, because Shavuot immediately follows Shabbat this year. This timing is a challenge for both amateur and
gourmet chefs. Ingredients for delectable dairy dishes are in the dairy cheese
department at local markets.
Tnuva offers more than 40 different
dairy and cheese products, ranging from
light and flavorful cheese spreads, bold
and delicious premium cow and sheep
feta cheeses, low-fat Labaneh cheeses,
and low-fat Quark Creamy Soft Cheese,
cheese spreads, and puddings.

In addition to the traditional Mediterranean-style dairy collection, Tnuvas
new mozzarella, parmesan, muenster,
and cheddar are gaining popularity for
their fresh tastes and versatility. These
cheeses feature the New Square Rabbinical Council hashgacha, the OU kashrus
symbol, and Vaad Mehadrin (Israel)
supervision.
Below is a specially crafted Shavuot
recipe from Tnuvas chefs.
Visit this weeks Cooking with Beth blog
at www.jstandard.com for more Shavuot
recipes from Tnuva.
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SERVES 10
Prepare in a large loaf pan
For the cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy soft cheese, at room
temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 medium sized eggs, at room
temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup self-rising flour
extra butter to grease the pan
For frosting:
1 tablespoon granulated instant coffee
1 tablespoon boiling water
1/2 cup dark chocolate
For topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 cups popcorn kernels
INSTRUCTIONS:
For the topping: Preheat oven to 250
degrees and line a baking tray with
baking paper. Place the sugar in a thin
layer in a pot and melt over low heat
until it reaches a deep amber-colored
caramel. Remove from heat and add
the butter and salt. Return the pan to
the heat and stir constantly. Gradually
pour the heavy cream into the mixture
and stir until it forms a thick sauce.
Remove from heat. Add the popcorn
into the sauce and stir well. Arrange
the popcorn evenly onto the baking
tray and bake for about 60 minutes
until golden. Make sure to occasionally

flip the popcorn so that it does not
stick together. Remove from the oven
and let cool.
To prepare cake: preheat oven to
320 degrees. Grease and line the
loaf pan with baking paper. Using a
mixer, whip the butter, cream cheese,
and sugar until the mixture is fluffy
and airy. While mixing, gradually add
the eggs. Add the vanilla extract and
lemon zest and continue to mix. Add
the flour and blend until fully mixed.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan with
a spatula and smooth until even.
Bake for about 30 minutes until
golden. Test with a toothpick to
ensure that the center is fully baked;
the toothpick must come out dry. Let
the cake cool for about 10 minutes
and remove from the pan. Let it cool
on a baking rack.
To prepare the frosting: Melt the
coffee grains in boiling water. Add
chocolate and mix well.
To assemble the cake: Pour the
frosting onto the cake and smooth
with a spatula. Sprinkle the sweet
popcorn on top and enjoy.
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Local
Netanyahu: We build in Jerusalem
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said
he has a clear position that the Israeli government
will build in Jerusalem.
I ordered the construction of the Har Homa neighborhood, and today there are tens of thousands of
residents there, making it a city within a city, Netanyahu said during a special Knesset session marking
Jerusalem Day, which was celebrated on May 17.

I ordered the construction of the Maaleh Hazeitim
neighborhood. We are building in Ramot, we are building
in Gilo, we are building in Pisgat Zeev, and we are building
in Ramat Shlomo. We are building inside [ Jerusalem] and
we are building in its peripheral neighborhoods.
Netanyahu vowed that Jerusalem will never return to
being a frontline or a border city.

We removed the fences, walls, fortifications, and mine
fields. ... We have put its parts back together, he said.
This is not to say the unification is perfect, but we will
not go back to the past. Jerusalem is located in the heart
of Israel and we will not permit any enemy who seeks our
JNS.ORG
destruction to be there.
Seeking greater
integration, IDF to
disband Druze-only unit
after 41 years
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi
Eizenkot on Monday decided to disband the IDFs
Druze-only unit, the Sword Battalion, 41 years after
its creation.
The IDF said the decision followed lengthy deliberations, extensive preparatory work, and consultations with heads of the Druze community. Recent data
indicates that the majority of Druze military recruits
explicitly ask to serve in other combat units, with only
5 percent of Druze recruits expressing a preference for
the Sword Battalion.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said the decision reflects the fact that the IDF facilitates the integration of every soldier, regardless of their origin.
The integration of Druze soldiers in the ranks of
the IDF is a stellar example of that, Yaalon said, Israel
JNS.ORG
Hayom reported.
Illinois legislature
passes bill banning
pro-BDS firms from
state pension funds
The Illinois State House of Representatives on Monday
unanimously passed a bill that prohibits state pension
funds from including in their portfolios companies
that participate in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. Illinois Governor Bruce
Rauner said on Twitter that he will sign the bill into law.
The measures 102-0 House passage follows its 49-0
passage in the Illinois State Senate. State legislatures in
Indiana and Tennessee last month passed resolutions
condemning BDS, but those measures were non-binding, as opposed to the Illinois bills specific economic
action.
Illinois is the first state to take concrete, legally
binding action against the Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions campaign, providing a legislative model for
the rest of the country, said Jacob Baime, executive
director of the Israel on Campus Coalition.
The Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago said that it strategized closely with
the governors office and Senator Ira Silverstein and
Representative Sara Feigenholtz, the bills chief cosponsors, to help ensure its successful passage.
At the core of the BDS movement is a quest to delegitimize Israel as a sovereign, democratic and Jewish state, said JUF President Steven B. Nasatir. This
bipartisan legislation sends a strong message that Illinois will not tolerate such efforts.
JNS.ORG
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Dvar Torah
Bemidbar: Where are you?
he very first question God ever

asked was, Ayeka? Where
are you? Adam and Eve had
just eaten fruit from the Tree of
the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They lost
their innocence and realized their nakedness. And so Adam hid with Eve among the
trees. (Can you imagine them there, crouching, covering up?)
Gods question to Adam referenced this
rather undignified location and stance. But
its obvious that the question was not really
about Adams physical place in the world.
God wasnt asking for directions. God was
asking Adam to assess his own spiritual direction. Where are you, Adam, and where are
you going?
Religion has been defined as a way of
finding ones place in the world. Where do
I stand? not just on the issues, but in relation to others. Where do I stand in life?
The book of the Bible we begin reading
this week is aptly called Numbers in English,
because of the censuses with which it begins.
As the people prepare to enter and conquer
the Land, they count the men above military age; the Levites one month or older in
age who will serve in the Temple there; the
Levites between ages 30 and 50, who will
care for and transport the Tabernacle and its
accouterments; and the first-borns, whose
role and status will effectively be taken over
by the Levities.
But, perhaps surprisingly, how many
is not the ultimate question, as Numbers
begins. The ultimate question is where?
This weeks Torah portion, Bemidbar,
describes the placement of the Children of
Israel as they traveled through the desert.
The Levites surrounded the Tabernacle and

Tent of Meeting. Among the Levites, the Gershon family camped west of it. The Kehat
family camped to the south, and the Merari
family, to the north. Moses, Aaron, and their
immediate families, who are descended from
Kehat, camped to the east of the Tabernacle.
Another protective ring around the Tabernacle was formed with the tribes of Ephraim,
Manasseh, and Benjamin to the west; Reuben, Simon, and Gad to the south; Dan, Naftali, and Asher to the north; and Judah, Issachar and Zebulun to the east.
And in the center of it all was the Tent of
Meeting, where God spoke to and met with
Moses and where the ark was kept. The Ark
of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments it held were, literally, at the center of
the community.
Once the men are counted for a military
census, we learn: The Children of Israel
pitched their tents, each person in his camp,
each under his tribal banner, according to
their divisions. These are they who were
numbered among the Children of Israel,
according to their ancestral families, all [the
military-age men who] were counted from
the encampments, according to their divisions. Thus they encamped under their
[tribal] banner, and thus they traveled, each
man with his tribal family, based on his ancestry. (Numbers 1:52, 2:32,34)
Each person had a place to call home even
amidst desert wanderings. All the people of
Israel knew, literally and figuratively, where
they stood. They found their place in relationship to their own families and to other Israelites, with the Ark and the Tablets given by
God defining their center.
As we approach Shavuot,
were instrumental in bringing
the time of the giving of the
Torah to the world.
Ten Commandments, the oriThis potent analogy
entation of Numbers is worth
between mountain and nation
remembering. We may not
was delivered in the Sinai desert between the land of our
know much about some of the
enslavement and the Promtribal leaders named in this
ised Land. Spiritually speakTorah portion, and the numbers may not (without gematria
ing, if not geographically, that
Rabbi Debra
gymnastics and deeper mystiis where we are, still, today.
Orenstein
cal understanding) seem sigThank God, we have been
Congregation Bnai
nificant, in and of themselves.
freed from where we used
Israel, Emerson,
But each of us can challenge
to be (geographically: Egypt;
Conservative
ourselves to question how we
spiritually: oppression, idolatry, other sins, addictions, toxic
stand in relation to our ancestral families, what banners we
relationships, etc.). Unfortunately, we are not yet where we seek to be
stand behind, and, most of all, where we
(geographically: Israel in a sustainable,
stand in relation to God and Torah.
peaceful, and secure position; spiritually: fill
Heschel famously and poetically prioritized time over space. Like Shabbat, Sinai is a
in your own blanks here).
cathedral in time. Sinai is re-enacted every
The revelation of Sinai happened in the
Shavuot, every time we stand to read the Ten
eternal present. That is to say: Now. And
Commandments in synagogue, and more
now. And still now. And again now. It is accessible at any time, if you will only listen to
often than that if we are paying attention.
Gods voice (Psalm 95:7).
We arent even sure which mountain is Sinai.
Yet, it matters that we stood together, in
All we know is that, apart from being the site
one place and one time, originally. Regardof a mass theophany and astonishing miracles, it is indistinguishable from other nearby
less of whether or how you believe in the
elevations. It is a humble, low-rise mounhistorical accuracy of the Sinai experience as
tain in the Sinai desert. Clearly, the geograit has been transmitted to us, the narrative
phy of Sinai is not our main concern.
has many sacred messages to teach. Among
But geography is not incidental, either.
them: Community counts. Finding and occupying your place in it matters. God and Torah
There is a message in it. Remember: The
have the greatest impact when they are proChildren of Israel received the Torah on an
tected by you and held in your core. For maxotherwise humble and indistinguishable
imum holiness, stick close to your ancestral
low-rise mountain. We as a people are to the
tribe and listen. At least occasionally,make
nations of the world as Sinai is to the other
sure to ask yourself one of Gods great quesmountains. Any sense of majesty or chosentions: where are you?
ness we have is derived from the fact that we
Kotel barriers locked to prevent women from getting Torah scroll

JERUSALEM A male supporter of Women of the Wall
was arrested after trying to pass a Torah scroll to the womens section of the Western Wall during prayers for the
new Jewish month.
The partitions separating the mens and womens sections were locked together and metal barriers placed
alongside them on Tuesday morning to prevent the
women from receiving a Torah scroll from the mens side.
Activist Nitai Groen was detained by police after trying
to pass a Torah scroll over the partitions, called a mechitzah in Hebrew, and over the barriers, according to Women
of the Wall. He was later released.
Despite being unable to pray using a Torah, the group
celebrated the bat mitzvahs of six 12-year-old girls who
had been prepared to chant from the scroll.
Regulations at the site set by the office of the Rabbi of
the Western Wall and the Holy Sites of Israel, headed by
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, have prevented women from
using a Torah scroll in their section.
Just a day after the city celebrated the historical liberation of the Western Wall, Jewish people in Israel and
around the world were once more reminded that the holy
Last month, men attempted to pass the women

a Torah scroll over the mechitzah, and other men
tackled them to stop them. This is the aftermath of
the struggle.
MIRIAM ALSTER
site is still not a place they can freely pray according to

their tradition, read a statement issued by Women of the
Wall. The Western Wall has been hijacked from being
a national site welcoming Jews of all denominations to
becoming run by an ultra-Orthodox minority, with regulations discriminating against women at the site.
Last month, the women chanted from a full-size Torah
kept in the mens section, which was passed to them by
moving apart segments of the mechitzah. Charedi Orthodox men praying at the Wall physically attacked the men
who helped the women with what the group described in
a statement as their carefully planned help to obtain the
scroll, and then broke through the mechitzah barrier and
attempted to take the scroll away from the women.
An April 2013 Supreme Court ruling acknowledged
womens right to pray at the Western Wall according to
their beliefs, claiming it does not violate what has come to
be known as local custom.
Women of the Wall gather at the Western Wall at the
start of each Jewish month for the morning prayer service.
The groups members have clashed frequently with staff
from Rabinovitchs office and with police for holding services that violate the rules enforced by that office, including singing, wearing prayer shawls and other customs that
are forbidden to women under the offices interpretation
JTA WIRE SERVICE
of Orthodox Jewish law.
ng Mon th!
Ma yM
is aByetitserBHeetatreinrgHMeoanrith!
Crossword
A LIVING LEGEND BY YONI GLATT
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Across
1 Like films by Eli Roth
6 For Mosess wife, it was a widows peak
10 Irene who sang the title song to
Bruckheimers Flashdance
14 Banks who played with Ken Holtzman
15 Cholent might have a strong (and
pleasant) one
16 King after Manasseh
17 1971 classic by 58-Across set between
1939-1941, with The
19 Rabbi Moses Isserles
20 Birds where they light Chanukah candles in summer
21 Shekels in Romania
22 Like a young Esau
23 Portmans V for Vendetta co-star
24 1951 maritime classic by 58-Across,
with The
27 Dip alternative to hummus
29 Trevor Smiths NHL team, on the scoreboard
30 Moses to Korach, in slang
31 The ends of cities Ashkelon and Ramat
Gan?
33 Basic hydroxyl compound that chemists like Chaim Weizmann study
34 Bklyn. J with many Jewish businesses
35 See 58-Across
38 Location of by-gone Kosher chat
rooms
40 Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken
to Obama, e.g.
41 Early career letters for Samberg and
Sandler
42 Busy Jew in April, stereotypically
43 Moses to Aaron, in slang
44 Makes a parnassah
48 1959 work by 58-Across subtitled The
Jewish Way of Life
53 Eizeh Yofi
54 Brother who found the nation that
would destroy the Bet Hamikdash
55 Boating need for the Kinneret
56 A chip for Erik Seidel
57 One way to get to Tel Aviv
58 Pulitzer Prize winner whose date of
becoming a 35-Across is May 27, 2015
61 Theres often more than one in a kosher
kitchen
62 Up and ___! (Boker Tov!)
63 Become accustomed (to), like a new
Oleh with Hebrew
64 Tests srs. in Israel dont take

65 Lech follower
66 Purim heroine, to Fritz
Down
1 Warsaw escape routes, for some
2 Peninsula that was once proposed as
becoming a Jewish state
3 Like Rosh Hashanah
4 Clears (of), as chametz
5 Ken of Israel?
6 ___ Aviv (Bet Shemesh neighborhood)
7 Einstein contemporary Hubble
8 Torch Song Trilogy costume part
9 Pilot in Hellers Catch- 22
10 Artscroll proof mark
11 Steve Stone, Steven Spielberg, or Rabbi
Alysa Stanton, e.g.
12 Last name of Jewish oppressor
Alexander III
13 Make like Freud
18 End of a big schnozz
22 Like a fancy shtreimel
24 Rav Moshe Feinstein forbade its use
25 Volcano thats more than 4000 km
from Jerusalem
26 They called Jews dhimmi
28 Go on a shidduch date (or two)
32 Prevents tzimmes from sticking to the
pot
33 Haifa to Tzfat dir.
35 One bringing a case to Bet Din
36 Biblical kingdom
37 ___ mode, milchig dessert option
38 Jamie Lee Curtis, e.g.
39 Jamie Lee Curtis role in Trading Places
45 Needed to buy more farfel
46 Mother rival to God
47 Not emes
49 Acts like a Bar Mitzvah boy who just
wants to get it over with
50 ___ deah
51 Radiation in much of Stan Lees work
52 Light name?
56 Barley beards, pre-cholent
58 Kubricks computer
59 Like Seinfelds yada yada: Abbr
60 ___ Wieder! (German for Never
Again!)
The solution to last weeks puzzle

in on page 47.
Arts & Culture

Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohens
Jewish roots very much intact
ROBERT GLUCK
t 80, Leonard Cohen fits many

descriptionssinger, songwriter, poet, novelist, monk.
He also always has explored
his spiritual side, beginning with his Jewish upbringing in Canada, and his search
still is ongoing.
On May 8, the singer-songwriter released
his latest album, Cant Forget: A Souvenir
of the Grand Tour, on iTunes; the CD version was released on May 12. It features live
recordings from his 2012 and 2013 world
tours. Last year, Rolling Stone magazines
readers rated Cohens Popular Problems
as one of the 10 best albums of 2014.
Cohen was born into a middle-class
Jewish family in Westmountan Englishspeaking neighborhood of Montreal
in September 1934. His mother, Marsha
Klonitsky, was the daughter of Rabbi Solomon Klonitsky-Kline, the author of Otzar
Taamei Hazal, a work that examined
biblical verses as cited in the Talmud. His
paternal grandfather, whose family had
emigrated from Poland, was Lyon Cohen,
founding president of the Canadian Jewish
Congress. On the topic of being a kohen
(descendant of the ancient Jewish high
priests), Leonard Cohen has said, I had a
very Messianic childhood.
The singer Sharon Robinson, who
has toured with Cohen for decades and
wrote a book called On Tour with Leonard Cohen, called Cohen a scholar, a
thoughtful individual whose Jewish background is very much intact.
After taking pictures of Cohen for herself and her friends, Robinson realized
that the project she had begun was something special. The eventual result was her
December 2014 book.
I didnt want to forget a moment of it,
she said about being on tour with Cohen.
After some of the photos were on social
media, they came to the attention of a publisher who wanted to do the book.
In 2004 Cohens manager stole his life
savings, forcing him out of planned retirement into the current phase of his musical career. Robinson has been associated
with Cohen since the Field Commander
Cohen tour of 1979-80, first as a singer
and then as his co-writer and producer.
She was drafted into the current iteration of Cohens band, The Unified Heart
Touring Company, from its onset, and has
been at his side for more than 400 shows.
Photographically, she has captured her
Leonard Cohen in concert
experience behind the scenes with the

unique access afforded by her position.
[Cohen] loves his Jewish faith and is
observant, Robinson said. The human
heart resonates through his work. Its who
he is. He comes from a long line of rabbis. References to Judaism can be found
throughout his work, probably in every
song. There is a very deep and profound
connection with his Jewish faith.
Indeed, Cohen said in 1974, Ive never
disguised the fact that Im Jewish, and in
any crisis in Israel I would be there. I am
committed to the survival of the Jewish
people. A year earlier, he had performed
for Israeli soldiers during the Yom Kippur
War.
Cohens music explores religion, politics, isolation, sexuality, and personal relationships. Sylvie Simmons, author of the
August 2013 book Im Your Man: The Life
of Leonard Cohen, said listeners feel the
LEONARD COHEN PRESS PHOTO
weight of Cohens authority.

I was in my early teens when his first
album came out in 1967, so I didnt really
understand the full weight of it, but I felt
the weight of it, Simmons said. I felt
this was somebody who wasnt just singing about angst and misery and anger, but
somebody who had authority who came
to tell me personally something. There is a
certain intimacy as well as a hypnotic element to his voice that imparts what hes
saying. So even if you dont know exactly
what hes talking about, somehow you
absorb the feeling of it.
Perhaps Cohens best-known song is
Hallelujah, first released on his studio
album Various Positions in 1984. The
song had limited success at first, but found
greater popularity through a 1991 cover by
John Cale. Hallelujah has been performed
by almost 200 artists in various languages,
and more than 5 million copies of the song
sold in CD format before 2008. The song

has been the subject of a BBC Radio documentary and a book Alan Lights The
Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff
Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of Hallelujah. It also has been featured in the
soundtracks of many films and television
programs.
But before Hallelujah, there was
Suzanne. In 1967, disappointed with his
lack of financial success as a writer of novels and poems, Cohen moved to the United
States to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter. That year, Cohens Suzanne
became a hit for singer Judy Collins. It was
his most-covered song for many years.
Simmons, who has studied Cohens
early years, said the singers family of origin was distinguished and important
one of the most prominent Jewish families
in Montreal.
SEE COHEN PAGE 47
Calendar
MAY
31
The Jewish Peoples Philharmonic Chorus, conducted by Binyumen Schaechter with soloists including
Di Shekhter-tekhter and Cantor Joel Caplan, presents From Paris to Peretz: A Musical Tour on Sunday,
May 31, at 4:30 p.m., at Symphony Space, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. (212) 864-5400, www.
TheJPPC.org, or www.SymphonySpace.org.
FALPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Friday
MAY 22
Shabbat in Woodcliff
Lake: Temple Emanuel
of the Pascack Valley
offers Shabbat Tikvah,
a service of inspiration
and renewal, 8 p.m.
87 Overlook Drive.
(201) 391-0801 or www.
tepv.org.
Saturday
MAY 23
Jewish education. In
Israel, he teaches at
Yeshivat Har Etzion,
Yeshivat Shaalavim,
Midreshet Lindenbaum,
and at Yeshiva
Universitys Gruss Center.
950 Queen Anne Road.
(201) 836-6210 or www.
bethaaron.org.
Shavuot in Woodcliff
Lake: Temple Emanuel of
the Pascack Valley holds
Tikkun Leil Shavuot on
Conversion to Judaism,
after services, 8:45 p.m.
87 Overlook Drive.
(201) 391-0801.
they negotiable? And if a

convert stops practicing
Judaism, is his or her
conversion revoked? and
studies the 613 mitzvot
for Tikkun Leil Shavuot,
10:30 p.m. and again at
1 a.m. Cheesecake and
ice cream. 11 Harold St.
(201) 871-1152 or www.
chabadlubavitch.org.
Shavuot in Fair Lawn:

Anshei Lubavitch
offers all-night Torah
studies with Rabbis
Neubort and Bergstein,
11:55 p.m. Refreshments.
10-10 Plaza Road.
www.flchabad.com or
(201) 794-3770.
Sunday
MAY 24
Shavuot in Closter:
Rabbi Menachem
Leibtag
Yitz Cohen
Shabbat in Teaneck:
Shavuot in Teaneck:
Rabbi Menachem
Leibtag will speak twice
at Congregation Beth
Aaron. At about 9:30
a.m., after the Hashkama
minyan, he will discuss
The Meaning of the Word
Torah in the Torah. At
6:50 p.m., he will talk
about Omer: Something
to Count or Something
to Eat? The Biblical
Connection between
Shemitta and Har Sinai.
Rabbi Leibtag is known
for his essays on the
weekly Bible portion and
is a pioneer of online
MICHAEL LAVES
Teacher Yitz Cohen

discusses Shavuot: the
Rodney Dangerfield of
Jewish Holidays. Lets
Show it Some Respect
during Tikkun Leil
Shavuot at the Jewish
Center of Teaneck,
10:15 p.m. Dairy delights.
70 Sterling Place.
(201) 833-0515, ext. 200.
Shavuot in Tenafly:
Rabbi Mordechai Shain
at Lubavitch on the
Palisades asks What are
the criteria for a proper
Jewish conversion? Are
Temple Beth El offers

services led by Rabbi
David S. Widzer and
Cantor Rica Timman;
Yizkor is at 10:30 a.m. 221
Schraalenburgh Road.
(201) 768-5112.
Shavuot in Tenafly:
Lubavitch on the
Palisades offers a
chanting of the Ten
Commandments and two
programs, 10:30 a.m., and
again at noon. Make your
own sundae. 11 Harold St.
(201) 871-1152 or www.
chabadlubavitch.org.
Shavuot in Fair Lawn:

Anshei Lubavitch offers
a chanting of the Ten
Commandments, an
ice cream party, and

dairy dessert buffet,
10:30 a.m. 10-10 Plaza
Road. www.flchabad.com
or (201) 794-3770.
Tuesday
18 Delaware St. Karen,

(973) 772-3131 or join
North Jersey Jewish
Singles 45-60s, at www.
meetup.com.
MAY 26
In New York
Blood drive in Teaneck:
Sunday
Holy Name Medical

Center holds a blood
drive with New Jersey
Blood Services, a
division of New York
Blood Center, 1-7 p.m.
718 Teaneck Road.
(800) 933-2566 or www.
nybloodcenter.org.
MAY 31
Sunday
MAY 31
Concert in Ridgewood:
At Temple Israel, a
congregant, pianist
Jonathan Taylor, plays
Beethoven, 3 p.m.
Reception with artist
follows. 475 Grove St.
(201) 444-9320.
Singles
Sunday
MAY 31
Singles dance and
dinner in Clifton: North
Jersey Jewish Singles 4560s at the Clifton Jewish
Center offers a social,
dance with a professional
DJ, and buffet dinner
with dessert, 5:30 p.m.
Israel parade: New Yorks

Celebrate Israel Parade,
the worlds largest public
gathering honoring the
State of Israel and
celebrating its 51st
anniversary, marches up
Fifth Avenue, from 57th
to 74th streets,
11 a.m.-4 p.m. A one-mile
fun run beginning at 11,
following the parade
route, is new this year.
Check local synagogues,
JCCs, and organizations
for participation. Go to
celebrateisraelny.org or
(212) 983-4800.
Conference at YU:
Yeshiva Universitys
Zahava and Moshael
Straus Center for Torah
and Western Thought,
in partnership with
Mosaic and the Tikvah
Find, offer a conference,
What America Owes
the Jews, What Jews
Owe America, at
Congregation Shearith
Israel, 4-8:30 p.m.
Participants include
author and Brandeis
University professor
Jonathan Sarna;
Harvards Dr. Eric Nelson,
author of The Hebrew
Republic; Dara Horn,
author of A Guide for
the Perplexed and
other novels; Norman
Podhoretz, author of
My Love Affair with
America and Why Are
Jews Liberals?; essayist
and Jewish Current
Issues blogger Rick
Richman; and Rabbi Dr.
Meir Soloveichik, director
of the Straus Center.
Moderated by political
commentator and
Weekly Standard editor
William Kristol. 2 W.
70th St., New York City.
strauscenter@yu.edu.
Calendar
Team Yachad participants in a previous Generosity Series 5K. COURTESY YACHAD
Join team Yachad for a walk/run

Participants can join Team Yachad, the
Orthodox Unions National Jewish Council for Disabilities, as they participate in
the Generosity Series 5K Charity Walk/
Run in Clark on Sunday, June 7. The race
will begin at 9 a.m. at Oak Ridge Park.
The Generosity Series is an organization that arranges multi-charity 5K
running events nationwide to provide
charities a fundraising platform for their
participants.
Yachad provides unique social, educational and recreational programs for
individuals with learning, developmental and physical disabilities with the goal
of their Inclusion in the total life of the
Jewish community.
According to OU executive vice president Allen Fagin, I am excited that
Yachad will be participating in Generositys 5K run/walk. Yachads goal of Inclusion is to bring everyone together. It is
my great pleasure to invite and encourage all individuals to support and participate in this exciting opportunity.
A 5K is only 3.1 miles, so even participating at a normal walking pace should
take no more than an hour or so. Children of all ages can participate and even
strollers are allowed on the course. The
fundraising goal for this run is $200 per
participant.
Sign up at www.teamyachad.com.
Registration closes on Wednesday, June
3 at 11:59 p.m. For information, call
Stephanie Weprin, at (646) 459-5178 or
email her at WeprinS@ou.org.
The Wheels for Meals Ride to Fight Hunger committee from last years event
poses in front of the banner displaying last years sponsors. From left, are JFS
development associate Jaymie Kerr, Mara Miller, Ximena Flores, Barbara Bender,
David, Robert, and Shira Feuerstein, JFS executive director Susan Greenbaum,
and JFS board president Geoffrey Lewis.
COURTESY JFS
Wheels for Meals

A charity ride to fight hunger
Jewish Family Service of Bergen and North
Hudson will hold its fifth annual Wheels for
Meals A Ride to Fight Hunger ride and walk
on Sunday, June 14, at the Jewish Home at
Rockleigh, 10 Link Drive in Rockleigh. Riders,
walkers, sponsors, and donations are being
sought. Proceeds from the day fund JFS
kosher Meals on Wheels program and food
pantry, which serve the homebound elderly
and disabled people.
The Wheels for Meals A Ride to Fight
Hunger is a critical part of our ability to serve
our neighbors in need, JFSs executive director, Susan Greenbaum, said. Many people
dont realize that JFS delivers more than
28,000 nutritionally balanced meals a year
in addition to providing many other vital
services for Bergen County residents who
are struggling. Event coordinators exprect
more than 500 riders this year to raise over
$150,000.
Cyclists can register for courses ranging

from 3 to 50 miles, depending on their age
and ability, and a 3-mile fun walk for all ages
will be available. Family teams get a discount
on their entry fee.
Returning sponsors for Wheels for Meals
2015 include Stop & Shop, the Jewish Standard, Sharp Electronics, Pepsico, Becton
Dickinson, Tenafly Bicycle Workshop, If You
Care, and the Jewish Home at Rockleigh; new
this year is Eastwick College.
For sponsorship opportunities, email Barbara Bender at barbara.bender@yahoo.com.
Vendor opportunities are available at the
registration area, where hundreds of riders,
walkers, and spectators congregate before
and after the ride/walk. In addition, JFS is
seeking volunteers to work both before and
during the event, in a number of roles.
For information, go to www.RidetoFightHunger.com.
Film addresses womens rights
Training for OXC.
COURTESY OHEL
Ohels extreme challenge

This year, join OXC- Ohels Xtreme Challenge on Sunday, June 7, at the newly
built obstacle course at Camp Kaylie in
Wurtsboro, N.Y. Nearly 200 participants
will run, climb, jump, crawl, and muscle their way through the 5-mile and
1.5-mile obstacle course. Separate start
times/waves for elite, men, women, and
families are available. Modeled after
Tough Mudder and Spartan runs,
OXC includes options for children and

adults with disabilities. All participants
will challenge their bodies and test their
limits in support of children and adults
with disabilities, who face greater challenges every day.
There will also be an all-day barbecue,
festival with food vendors, and blow up
rides.To register, visit www.oheloxc.org or
call (718) 972-9338.
The film Honor DiariesCulture is no Excuse for Abuse, will

be screened at Teaneck Cinemas, on Wednesday, May 27, at 7:30
p.m. Raheel Raza, one of the films stars, and president of the
Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow, will speak.
Jewish Federation of Northern New Jerseys Jewish Community Relations Council and Womens Philanthropy host the
event. For information, call (201) 820-3944 or visit www.jfnnj.
org/honordiaries.
Raheel Raza
New community theater in Tenafly

The School of Performing Arts at the Kaplen
JCC on the Palisades is establishing Palisades
Players, a community theater that will offer
theater production and performance opportunities for people of all ages and levels.
An initial planning meeting is set for
Thursday, May 28 at 7:45 p.m. at the JCC.
All are welcome to the meeting that will
explore everything from financial to artistic
considerations. The group also seeks those

with professional theater experience, those
who are willing and able to help finance the
productions, and also to serve on a production committee.
For information, or for those who may be
interested but cannot make the meeting, call
Deb Roberts at (201) 408-1492 or email droberts@jccotp.org.
Jewish World
Why Mad Men was one of

TVs most deeply Jewish shows
GABE FRIEDMAN
AMCs ad campaign for the second half of
the final season of Mad Men centered on
the phrase The End of an Era.
The clever double meaning of the
phrase was that this was not only the
end of an era within the show, as the plot
spilled into the 1970s and left the 60s
behind it might also be the end of an era
of sublime television albeit a relatively
brief one largely ushered into existence
by the success of Mad Men.
When the revered show aired its final
episode on Sunday night, it is likely that
most viewers were more concerned with
these poignant endings, not the fact that
television was losing one of its most unexpectedly Jewish shows.
Apart from Mad Men, this recent socalled Golden Age of Television (which
is more accurately the Second Golden Age,
after the first golden epoch of the 50s) has
not been very Jewish.
Take any of the dramas commonly
associated with televisions comeback
in quality The Wire, Breaking Bad,
Game of Thrones, True Detective,

Orange is the New Black, The Walking
Dead and nothing significantly Jewish comes to mind, even though many
of the writers and producers are Jewish.
(Comedies like Weeds and Curb Your
Enthusiasm have had considerable Jewish content, but its debatable whether
they make the Golden Age cut.) Sure,
there are two standout characters named
Saul in the mix Mandy Patinkins Saul
Berenson on Homeland and Bob Odenkirks faux-Jewish Saul Goodman on
Breaking Bad (and for what its worth,
Homeland is a remake of the Israeli
series Prisoners of War). But while
these shows may tackle big questions in
the same graceful ways as Mad Men,
none feature consistent, standout Jewish
themes.
However, longtime fans of Mad Men
(and those who have binge-watched all
seven seasons in the past months to catch
up) should have no trouble recalling all
the shows memorable Jewish moments,
themes, and characters. Who could
forget Rachel Menken, the confident
department store company heiress who

chats with Don about Israel and asks him
in mocking disbelief if shes the only Jew
he knows in New York? Or Abe Drexler,
Peggys passionate journalist boyfriend,
who covers race riots and evokes the ire
of Peggys staunchly Catholic mother?
And of course, no true fan ever will forget
the lovable yet insane copywriter Michael
Ginsberg, who loses his mind in the most
unfortunate way on screen.
Nonetheless, take a step back, and it
becomes clear that the shows Jewishness
runs much deeper than isolated scenes
and characters. In fact, creator and showrunner Matthew Weiner (who, unsurprisingly, is Jewish, and has talked at length
about the subtle anti-Semitism of his
native 1960s and 70s Los Angeles) has said
so himself throughout the months of the
series last half-season of episodes.
I dont like sweeping generalizations
about the show, but if you want to say its
the story of how we all feel like outsiders,
absolutely, Weiner said at an interview
at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in late
March. That [assimilated Jewish] identity
COURTESY OF AMC
is the same story as Dons identity how

do we become white, how do I get my kid
to go to Wesleyan [Weiner is a Wesleyan
grad] so he can be in that line, whats it
going to take?
Specifics and winding story lines aside,
Mad Men is at its heart a complex metaphor for Jewish life in 20th-century
America. The shows core story of Don
Drapers second identity, forged out of a
tragedy, and his struggles to live a fulfilling
life is really a Jewish story.
The Washington Posts Lisa Lednicer
put it succinctly last week: Mad Men is
about the rise of meritocracy in the
workplace and the decline of the WASP
establishment. Its about outsiders seeking a way in, grasping for a gauzy version
of the American Dream while blotting out
their grimy pasts
In other words, its a story about the
Jewish American experience
So without Mad Men, television not
only will mourn the loss of one of historys
most acclaimed series, it will also be a lot
less Jewish.
JTA WIRE SERVICE
Obituaries
Olga Goldshmit
Olga Goldshmit, 86, of

Cliffside Park, died May
14. Arrangements were by
Louis Suburban Chapel,
Fair Lawn.
Elizabeth Menzul
Elizabeth Menzul, 91, died

May 11.
Born in Berdichev,
Ukraine, she came to the
United States 40 years
ago to escape religious
persecution.
Predeceased by her
husband, Idel (Leonid),
and a daughter, Eugenia
Kirstein, she is survived
by a daughter, Faina,
two grandsons, and four
great-grandchildren.
Arrangements were by
Robert Schoems Menorah
Chapel, Paramus.
Albert
Nussenbaum
Albert C. Nussenbaum,
80, of Fair Lawn, formerly
of Brooklyn, died May 13.
He served in the U.S.
Army, was a member of
Temple Beth Sholom, and
the Knights of Pythias,
Cardozo Lodge #163, both
in Fair Lawn.
He is survived by his
wife of 50 years, Dolly;
children, Elisa Hirsch
(Eric), and Gary (Tricia);
siblings, Seymour (Vera),
Betty Haimes, and Rita
Grubard ( Jack); and five
grandchildren.
Donations can be sent
to Knights of Pythias,
Cardozo Lodge #163, Fair
Lawn, or the Valley Hospital Foundation, Ridgewood. Arrangements
were by Louis Suburban
Chapel, Fair Lawn.
Clara Schlomovitz
Clara Schlomovitz, 87, of
Fair Lawn, died May 14.
Arrangements were by
Louis Suburban Chapel,
Fair Lawn.
Yvette Tekel
Yvette Tekel, ne Gitlow,

died May 17.
Born in Brooklyn,
she was a fundraiser
for charities.
She was a board
member of Hadassah
for 30 years, the first
female president of the
Womens Division of UJA/
Federation of Northern
New Jersey, and was
president of the Rockland
County Jewish Home for
the Aged.
She is survived by
her husband, Louis;
children, Harvey ( Jill)
and Tova Szporn; four
grandchildren; and three
great-grandchildren.
Contributions can
be sent to the Yvette
Tekel Memorial Fund
c/o Hadassah, 40 Wall
St., POB 1100, NY, NY
50268-1100. Arrangments
were by Gutterman and
Musicant Jewish Funeral
Directors, Hackensack.
Robert Schoems Menorah Chapel, Inc

Jewish Funeral Directors
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We spend a lifetime planning for milestones such as
weddings, homeownership, our childrens education,
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End-of-Life issues are another milestone. You
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Call our Advance Planning Director for an appointment
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Classified
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
3RD TO 8TH GRADE TEACHERS

Due to increased enrollment,
openings for teachers for 2015-2016 school year
Elementary grades 3 - 5
Junior High School Language Arts, Math and Science
Boys school located in North Jersey. Mon -Thurs afternoons.
Bachelors degree preferred in Education. Alternate route
acceptable. Experience is a must.
email resume: bhykop@gmail.com
fax:
973-778-5697
maayanot YESHIVA HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

seeks
dynamic Teachers to join our team in September.
Full time:
Physics, Chemistry and Engineering
Part time(mornings):
Computer Coding
AP Psychology
Spanish
Public Speaking
(201) 837-8818
Vacation Home For Rent
NICHOL AS
ANTIQUES
Estates Bought & Sold
Fine Furniture
Antiques
T
U
Accessories
Cash Paid
SHORE HOUSE FOR RENT

On LBI 7/9 Bdrms, 7.5 Bths with
LARGE POOL & HOT TUB.
Remaining openings in 2015:
Memorial Day Weekend
4 days
$3,950.
Week June 27-July 4 ( call)
Week Aug. 29-Sept 5 (call)
Full details & pictures:
http://www.njshorerental.net
Email:
inquire@njshorerental.net
Tele: 908-315-3217
1-888-290-1080
bookkeeper Experienced.
Must be knowledegable in
Word, Excel, Quickbooks,
Accounts Payable/Receivable.
Must have experience in office
management. Work in a professional environment located in
Carlstadt, NJ
icohen@lot-less.com
YBH OF PASSAIC seeks the
following afternoon positions:
Are you elderly and need

someone to take care of
you?
Call Carol
201-357-2088
646-705-2050
I am honest, loyal
and trustworthy.
chha -live-in/out, own transportation, to care for elderly, clean
house, cook. References upon request. Call 973-517-4719
a caregiver with over 10 years experience looking to care for elderly
Monday thru Friday/daytime. Reliable! Very good references! Drives!
551-404-2349
Middle School Science

(Earth Science/Chemistry)
Middle School Language Arts
Boys Jewish Music
(1 day a week)
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Masters & experience preferred.

Prospective candidates should
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Top Dollar For Any Kind of Jewelry &

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Situations Wanted
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certified Home Health Aide. I

take care of elderly people! Liveout. Day or night. Experienced!
Good references! Call for more
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chha certified in CPR is looking
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Reliable. Own car. Speaks English.
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BABYSITTER
for Teaneck area.
Help Wanted
academics AT GERRARD ERMAN DAY SCHOOL
seeks
Full-time Math Teacher for middle school and coordinate

grades 1-5 math program
Full or part-time - Judaic Studies Teacher for elementary grades
Full-time Language Arts Teacher for middle school and
coordinate 1-5 LA program
Half-Time -
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skills required.
Technology skills, Communication skills, Team player required.
Salary depending on experience and training.
Candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to:
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We pay cash for

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Cohen
FrOM PaGe 41
Leonards ancestors had built synagogues and

founded newspapers in Canada, she said. They had
funded and presided over a lengthy list of Jewish philanthropic societies and associations. Leonard never knew
his grandfather Lyon, but Lyons principles, his work
ethic, and his belief in the aristocracy of the intellect
all sat well with Leonards own persuasion.
Cohen has written poetry and novels. His poetry collections include Let Us Compare Mythologies, The
Spice-Box of Earth, and Book of Longing. His novels
include The Favorite Game and Beautiful Losers. Yet
undoubtedly he will be remembered for his songs.
Theres a lot of mystery to the songs, that draws
people back again and again, Simmons said. Theres
something about them that makes you listen again and
again to get to the heart of them. Hes really working
through the same things that he started with, way back
in the beginning of his life.
Cohen is a member of the American Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and the
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also a Companion of the Order of Canada, that nations highest
civilian honor, and in 2011 he received Spains Prince of
Asturias Award for literature.
Sharon Robinson said Cohen appreciates the
Jewish Music with an Edge

Ari Greene 201-837-6158
AGreene@BaRockorchestra.com
www.BaRockOrchestra.com
accolades he has received, but that his focus is

elsewhere.
He doesnt take any of that (the awards) for granted,
she said. He works very hard on the work itself. The
focus is more on the work. He appreciates the honors,
especially in the case of Canada.
Judaism has remained a significant part of Cohens
life, even when he studied Zen Buddhism. In the tradition of Zen that Ive practiced, there is no prayerful worship and there is no affirmation of a deity, Cohen told
the New York Times in 2009. So, theologically, there is
no challenge to any Jewish belief.
Involved in Buddhism since the 1970s, Cohen was
ordained a Buddhist monk in 1996, but he still considers himself Jewish. He has said that he observes Shabbat
while on tour.
In 2009, Cohen recited Jewish prayers and blessings
in Hebrew before his audience at a concert in Ramat
Gan, Israel, after opening his show with the first sentence of the Ma Tovu song. In the middle of that concert, he said Baruch Hashem (Blessed be God). Then,
staying true to his lineage, he ended the show by reciting
Birkat Kohanim (the Jewish priestly blessing).
He is a very kind and thoughtful guy, Simmons
said. He studies everything. He doesnt give an opinion lightly.
JNS.ORG
Jewish standard MaY 22, 2015 47
Real Estate & Business

Lander College for Men hosts Back-To-Yeshiva Week
reAdy to sell? reAdy to buy?

Call Dana to Get Results!
More than 80 alumni returned to Lander College for MenBeis Medrash LTalmud (LCM) for its first-ever Back-toYeshiva Week, a four-day homecoming that included shiurim
and opportunities to reconnect with rebbeim and former
classmates.
We wanted our former talmidim to have an opportunity to
CRESSKILL - $3,488,000
DEMAREST - $2,850,000
Classic & timeless col set high on the East Hill on a pvt acre
has an amazing pool w/3 waterfalls & custom lighting, a blend
of urban sophistication and comfortable family living, chefs
kitch w/sunny brkfst room opens to covered patio, 7 BRs, 6.5
baths, 4 fplcs, skylights & heated 3-car garage.
Stunning new col on lovely tree-lined street, gourmet kitch

w/quartz cntrs, 2 islands & 2 pantries, 2-story great room
w/gorgeous fplc & magnificent windows, main level guest
suite. Upper level has 4 BRs, ea w/bath + mstr ste w/fplc &
luxurious spa bath. Lwr lvl is exquisitely finished.
Friedberg
ProPerties
& AssociAtes
Dana Yehuda
Realtor, Sales Associate
Cell: 917-412-0606
danalyehuda@yahoo.com
20 W. Clinton Avenue, tenAfly

201-894-1234 WWW.friedbergProPerties.Com
Like us on Facebook
facebook.com/jewishstandard
48 Jewish standard MaY 22, 2015
FORT LEE - THE COLONY

Now is the time to buy!
EQUALHOUSING
EQUAL
HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
OPPORTUNITY
1Br Hi floor. Renovated. Freshly painted. Move-in. $99,900

2Br 2 Baths. River view from every room. Laundry.
$339,000
2Br 2.5 Baths. High floor. Renovated. All river views.
$319,900
3Br 3.5 Baths. Extended kitchen, laundry and more.
Fabulous SE view. $699,000
Allan Dorfman
Broker/Associate
201-461-6764 Eve
201-970-4118 Cell
201-585-8080 x144 Office
Realtorallan@yahoo.com
come back and learn Torah

with their rebbeim, especially since Shavuot is coming up, said Rabbi Aryeh
Young, director of the LCM
Alumni Association, who
organized the event.
Each night consisted of
a dinner catered by Carlos
and Gabbys Mexican Grill,
opportunities for alumni
to socialize with their classmates and a shiur by an
LCM rabbi, some of which
were in a question-andanswer format. Magid Shiur
Rabbi Dovid Mirskys gave
a sicha on The Torah-Tefillah Combo; Rosh Yeshiva
Rabbi Eliyahu Soloveichik
spoke about YMei HaSefira; for his sicha, Chavivus
Eretz Yisrael, Menahel and
Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yehuda
Shmulewitz discussed how
and why Israel should hold
a special place in our hearts;
and Magid Shiur Rabbi
Ephraim Tanenbaum delivered a sicha titled, Respect,
to the 24,000th Power,

which examined the relationship between the two focuses
during Sefirat HaOmer: counting the days to receiving the
Torah, and the deaths of Rabbi Akivas students.
It was very satisfying to see some of the talmidim at a more
advanced stage in their lives, and hearing them talk about
their careers and families gave me a sense of having contributed toward something special, said Rabbi Tanenbaum.
And of course, seeing their interest in coming back to yeshiva
showed me that the connection to Torah they made during
their time here was meaningful and lasting.
I was gratified to see so many of our talmidim participate
in this wonderful initiative, said HaRav Yonason Sacks shlita,
Rosh HaYeshiva of the Beis Medrash LTalmud. When I meet
our students for the first time, I tell them that as talmidim in
our yeshiva, they will establish relationships with rabbeim and
friends that will last a lifetime. Back-to-Yeshiva Week is one of
many examples of this ongoing connection.
The Lander College for Men is an undergraduate division
of Touro College, in service to the Jewish community. Established in the fall of 2000 and located in Queens, the Lander
College for Men is grounded in a dual curriculum of intensive
Torah study and a wide range of academic programs, and students major in professionally oriented disciplines.
OPEN HOUSES
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Sameach!
Wishing You & Your Family
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4 Highwood Avenue
Tenafly, NJ 07670
201-569-6300
201-370-7089 direct
mcspiritbeckett.com
tobygold@optonline.net
Let Us Finance Your

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246 Elm Ave.
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BANK-OWNED PROPERTY
942 Country Club Drive
Teaneck
$428,900
Martin H. Basner, Realtor Associate
(Office) 201-794-7050 (Cell) 201-819-2623
GARDEN STATE HOMES

25 Broadway, Elmwood Park, NJ
TM
$395,000
1-3 PM
Stunning Colonial. Totally Updated & Beaut Decorated.

Spacious 1st Flr w/ open feeling. Feels like NYC
Brownstone. Lov LR/Fplc, Form Din Rm, Ultra Isle Kit w/
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Flr Brms, New Full Bath. C/A/C, Gar.
BY APPOINTMENT
Just Listed! Charm Tudor. EF, Lg LR/Fplc, Den, FDR, Brkfst

Area. 3 Brms, 2 Baths. Fin Bsmt. 2 car Gar. Beaut Oak Flrs.
$360s
Lov 3 Brm Tudor Colonial. Deep 147' Property. Large Liv
Rm w/ Fplc, Din Rm, Fam Rm w/.5 Bath, Kit w/ Skylit Brkfst
Area. Fin Bsmt. Gar. $370s
W Eng Area. Brick expanded cape. LR/Fplc open to Din
Rm, Updated Kit, 4 Brms, 3 Baths, Den. Game Rm Bsmt.
60' X 156' Prop. $390s
C Club Area. Mint Cond Cust Cape. LR, Din Rm, Updated
Isle Kit open to Vaulted Ceil Fam Rm/Skylites/Deck. 3 Brms,
2 Baths. Bsmt. Gar. $440s
W Englewd Area. Beautifully Updated 3 Brm Tudor. Liv
Rm/Fplc, Din Rm/Slid Doors to Deck, Beaut new Eat In Kit,
2.5 New Baths. C/A/C. $450s
ALL CLOSE TO NY BUS / HOUSES OF WORSHIP /

HIGHWAYS / SHOPPING / SCHOOLS & NY BUS
Larry DeNike
President
MLO #58058
ladclassic@aol.com
Daniel M. Shlufman
Managing Director
MLO #6706
dshlufman@classicllc.com
Classic Mortgage, LLC

Serving NY, NJ & CT
25 E. Spring Valley Ave., Ste 100, Maywood, NJ
201-368-3140
www.classicmortgagellc.com
MLS
#31149
ENGLEWOOD
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$1,275,000
At the very top of Englewoods East Hill on a pretty cul-de-sac, sits this light & bright
center hall colonial w/wonderful flow, family room w/fireplace, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths,
eat-in kitchen w/island opens to beautiful deck w/awning, park-like
property w/lots of privacy.
ALPINE/CLOSTER
TENAFLY
RIVER VALE ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS TENAFLY
894-1234
768-6868
CRESSKILL
Orna Jackson, Sales Associate 201-376-1389
666-0777
568-1818
894-1234 871-0800
For Our Full Inventory & Directions

Visit our Website
www.RussoRealEstate.com
2014
READERS
CHOICE
FIRST PLACE
REAL ESTATE AGENCY
(201) 837-8800
www.jstandard.com
SELLING YOUR HOME?
Call Susan Laskin Today

To Make Your Next Move A Successful One!
BergenCountyRealEstateSource.com
Cell: 201-615-5353
2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC.
www.jstandard.com
WISHING
R
FO
THE
Summer learning loss is a phenomenon

parents and educators have long acknowledged as a significant setback to academic
achievement. Math proficiency is particularly susceptible to the summer learning
slide. Most students lose 2 to 2 1/2 months
of the math computational skills that they
learned during the school year.
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the summer slide can have
long-lasting effects on a students academic
life. Early summer learning losses have
later life consequences, including high
school curriculum placement, whether
kids drop out of high school, and whether
they attend college.
Just as experts widely agree that summer learning loss in math is a big problem, they also agree that summer math
studies provide a solution. Studies have
shown that students who attend summer
programs with a math component score
higher on math tests the following school
year than students who were unable
to participate in summer instruction.
Indeed, Mathnasium students have shown
significant increases in performance in
fewer than 20 sessions. This number of
learning sessions can easily fit into the
summer months, giving kids a substantial leg up for the school year ahead, and
ENTIRE COMMUNITY
enabling retention of mathematical concepts theyve already learned.

In addition to preventing summer learning loss, studying math during the more
relaxed summer break provides some
significant advantages over studying during the school year. Take advantage of
the more relaxed environment of summer break as a golden opportunity to
improve math performance, suggests
Larry Martinek, chief instructional officer
at Mathnasium.
During summer break, children typically have a lot of unstructured time,
allowing them to unplug their busy minds
and become more focused. These are
ideal conditions for effectively absorbing
new information and having a sudden
aha moment when concepts click into
place. We have found the summer to be
a great opportunity for students to work
on mathematics and have seen children
make great strides with a serious commitment of just two to three hours a week,
Mr. Martinek says.
Contact Mathnasium at (201) 862-1600 or
visit http://www.mathnasium.com/teaneck
to schedule summer sessions. Mathnasium
of Teaneck is offering a free trial session
before May 31. It is also enrolling for end of
year test prep, ACT, and SAT programs.
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

2200 N Central Avenue 7L, Fort Lee. Beautifully renovated sunny
and bright largest 3 bedrooms in most desirable Northbridge. Spacious
living in this south facing apartment with all upgrades and custom
finishes. Foyer to a living room overlooking interior courtyard and the
George Washington Bridge/New York City views. Gourmet kitchen opens
to dining area and living room. Professional range, sub-zero refrigerator,
2-drawer dishwasher, custom cabinets, black granite countertop, tiled
backsplash. Spacious hallway leads to 2 full size bedrooms with walk-in
closets and a renovated bath. The master suite has 2 walk-in closets,
a sitting area, and a renovated bath. Hardwood floors throughout,
beautiful base and crown moldings, recessed lighting, wall sconces,
California closets throughout. A doorman building, security, pool, tennis,
and more!
AC
TLRE
N
A
COS
ROR
DEF
AC
Students see significant results

in as few as two hours per week of study
E
AL
R
NT
E
ND
Avoid the summer slide

with Mathnasiums summer math program
CO
UN
36 Carnot Ave, Woodcliff Lake, One Acre Property
356 Broad Ave, Englewood, Tudor Colonial
Ayelet Hurvitz
Exceptional Service,
Exceptional Results
Recipient of the NJAR
Circle of Excellence
Sales Award 2012-2014
Direct: 201-294-1844
Alpine/Closter Office:
201-767-0550 x 235
ahurvitz12@yahoo.com
www.ayelethurvitz.com
AC
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151 E Palisade C5, Englewood, Renovated 2 Bedrooms
The Art of Real Estate

NJ: T: 201.266.8555 M: 201.906.6024
NY: T: 212.888.6250 M: 917.576.0776
Jeffrey Schleider
Broker/Owner
Miron Properties NY
TENAFLY
LIS JUS
TE T
D!
TENAFLY
Y
DU OUN
PL G
EX
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TENAFLY
Ruth Miron-Schleider
Broker/Owner
Miron Properties NJ
TENAFLY
J
SO UST
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Unique Contemp. Fab open floor plan. $1,890K
Lovely 3 BR/3.5 BTH townhouse. $4,500/mo
Gorgeous 4 BR/4 BTH Colonial. Prime area.
Old Smith Village. Impeccable Colonial.
ENGLEWOOD
ENGLEWOOD
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Young modern home. Beautiful finishes.
Elegant 4 BR townhouse. Numerous amenities.
Great 5 BR/3.5 BTH Colonial. $1,175,000
Gorgeous 7 BR/5.5 BTH Victorian. $1,740,000
TEANECK
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Charming brick & stone Colonial Cape.
Exquisitely renovated Center Hall Colonial.
Time to customize. Oversized lot. $929,000
Exquisite Tudor. 6 BR/5.5 BTH. $1,200,000
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CLINTON HILL
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Gorgeous 3 BR/3.5 BTH renovated brownstone. The Hermitage. Incredible condo. $1,050,000
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Contact us today for your complimentary consultation!
www.MironProperties.com
Each Miron Properties office is independently owned and operated.

North Jersey Jewish Standard, May 22, 2015

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NORPACS MASSES GO TO WASHINGTON page 6

A EUROPEAN RABBINICAL STUDENT IN RIDGEWOOD page 12

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Congratulations Dean Steven Huberman!

Building Bridges, Changing Lives. We Are Touro.

2 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 22, 2015

Touro is an equal opportunity institution. For Touros complete

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Jewish Standard MAY 22, 2015 3

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Special Centennial Events!

State of the State

Centennial Spring Yiddish Concert

Vice President, NJ Hospital Association and

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THURSDAY JUNE 4, 2015

SUNDAY 6.7.2015 7:30AM 5K CLARK, NJ

SUNDAY MAY 31, 2015

Challenge yourself and run with Team Yachad in the

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Location: Jewish Home at Rockleigh

Location: Jewish Home at Rockleigh

Guests must RSVP: 201-784-1414 x5538 or

Crawl, Walk, Stroll, Jog or Run everybody can participate!

BiB and T-shirT PiCk uP aT 7:30 am

Yachad/NJCD is dedicated to enhancing the life opportunities of individuals

Yachad is an Agency of the Orthodox Union

Time: 6:00 PM Light Dinner

Please join us! For more information call 201-750-4231.

The North, the South, the Civil War, and us

aybe you think that we fought the Civil War to

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