HAKOL - February 2014

com.UNITY with Mark Goldstein 2

Women’s Division 4

LVJF Tributes 10

Jewish Family Service 11

Jewish Community Center 14-15

Jewish Day School 16

Community Calendar 22-23

No. 364

BOWLING FOR FUN Young Adult Division hits the lanes. See page 5.

AZA VOHK! (WHAT AT WEEK!) Lehigh Valley’s Stein family enjoys week of KlezKamp. See page 17.

WHAT HAPPENS AT 2 A.M.? Find out from lone soldier, Sami Meir-Levi. See page 21.

The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community FEBRUARY 2014 | TEVET/SH’VAT 5774

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PAIDLehigh Valley, PA

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702 North 22nd StreetAllentown, PA 18104

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Ariel Sharon, one of Israel’s last warrior statesmen, whose military and political careers were woven into his nation’s triumphs and failures, has died.

Sharon, 85, died Jan. 11 at the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv after eight years in a coma. “He went when he decided to go,” said his younger son, Gilad, who has become the fierce guardian of his father’s legacy.

Sharon was among the last of Israel’s founding fathers, fighting in every Israeli military conflict in the first three decades of the state.

As a military general, Sharon helped turn the tide of the Yom Kippur War with Egypt in 1973. As defense minister, he plunged his nation into the crucible of Lebanon in 1982, an engagement that nearly cut short his career after he was found to bear indirect responsibility for the massacre of Palestinian refugees at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon.

But Sharon would rise from the ashes of that calamity to an astonishing about-face as prime minister, orchestrating the evacuation of thousands of Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip after spending the bulk of his career championing the settlement enterprise.

As prime minister, Sharon began the construction of Israel’s controversial security fence in the West Bank. His overriding concern, Sharon always said, was to protect a nation built on the ashes of the destruction of European Jewry.

“I arrived here today from Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel, the only place where Jews have the right and capability to defend themselves

by themselves,” he said in a May 2005 visit to Auschwitz to mark 60 years since the Holocaust.

He forged affectionate bonds with Diaspora Jewish leaders, interspersing his English with Yiddishisms and often urging them to emigrate to Israel.

“Sharon worked his entire life for the unity of the Jewish people,” said a statement from the Jewish Federations of North America. “He was closely engaged with Jewish communities around the world, and acutely aware of their needs and aspirations. In all his leadership roles, and especially as prime minister of the Jewish state, Sharon engaged with Jewish communities across the Diaspora.”

Ideological loyalties meant little to the man known in Israel simply as Arik. In 1973, he helped cobble together the Likud party from a coalition of interests that had little in common except that they had been frozen out of government for decades by the ruling Labor party.

A generation later, in 2005, he bolted from Likud to form Kadima, a centrist party that attracted lawmakers from Likud and Labor, including his old

partner and rival Shimon Peres.As agriculture minister in

the first Likud government, from 1977 to 1981, Sharon vastly expanded Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, areas conquered in the 1967 Six-Day War. In 2005, he led the disengagement from Gaza, overseeing the evacuation of nearly 10,000 Israelis from 21 communities in Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank.

“Sharon did what no one on the left was able to do,” said Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of the progressive magazine Tikkun. “Split the right, marginalize the extremists who believe that holding on to the biblical vision of the Land of Israel is a divine mandate, and acknowledge that a smaller Israel with defensible borders is preferable to a large Israel that requires domination of 3 million Palestinians.”

Born Ariel Scheinermann in 1928 to Russian-speaking parents in the village of Kfar Mala in the central part of pre-state Israel, Sharon for much of his career was known more for his impetuousness than his

Ariel Sharon remembered as warrior statesman

By Annabel WilliamsJFLV Marketing Intern

Robby Wax remembers the first day he dropped his oldest son, Ben, off at Pinemere Camp in Stroudsburg seven years ago.

Having already spent time there with his father as a child, Ben, then 8, was begging to go. “While Ben was ready, I became a complete mess,” Wax said. “I cried in my bedroom the morning of drop off.” Seven years later, Wax said Pinemere is Ben’s “favorite place in the world.”

The Wax family values Pinemere for its diverse activities, which mean both Ben and his younger brother Danny can find programs that suit their interests. Ben is able to participate in flag football, tennis and street hockey, and Danny enjoys performing in the camp show, woodworking

Camping through the generations: Sharing and creating summer traditions

Ariel SharonContinues on page 18

Continues on page 12 with our special camp section

Natalie and Julia Sams, last day of Camp Harlam.

JTS Professor with local connection Shamma Friedman wins Israel PrizeJTS Press Release

Editor’s Note: Professor Friedman is the father of Adina Re’em and

father-in-law of Rabbi Moshe Re’em of Allentown’s Temple Beth El. Mazel tov to the entire family!

The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is proud to announce that Shamma Friedman, Benjamin and Minna Reeves Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics at JTS, will receive the 2014 Israel Prize at a ceremony to take place on Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day), which falls on May 6. The Israel Prize is Israel’s highest honor, awarded to those who are preeminent in their fields and have made extraordinary contributions to Israeli life and culture.

“Professor Friedman was selected in light of his remarkable endeavor to research

the various forms of talmudic literature,” wrote the prize committee. “He has acquired an international reputation as a leading figure in the study of the Mishnah and Tosefta in questions regarding the literary structure and development of the text of the Babylonian Talmud, the development of motifs in Aggadic literature, lexicographical studies of rabbinic language and the study of rabbinic literature from the time of the Geonim and Rishonim.”

Friedman has been at JTS since 1958, when he enrolled in The Rabbinical School and, following ordination, became one of the first two JTS students to earn a PhD. He joined the JTS

faculty in 1964. “I am greatly encouraged

by winning the Israel Prize,” Friedman said. “It gives me additional strength to face the challenges that lay ahead in researching talmudic literature. Receiving the Israel Prize is another expression of how much I enjoy my work and how each day I am rewarded anew by discoveries found in this vast tract of knowledge.”

With over $22 million in the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation, the community endowment fund of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, we take very seriously our fiduciary responsibility.

One of those responsibilities is investment. We have a very active investment committee chaired by Stan Wax and assisted by Jim Mueth, our director of planned giving and endowments, and Temple Coldren, our director of finance and administration.

Maintaining sound business practices, this year we evaluated our investment performance and our investment managers. After a complex process of RFPs, mountains of proposals, screening meetings and presentations, our Investment Committee recommended the engagement of Goldman, Sachs & Co. as our new investment manager. I am certain Goldman Sachs, working closely with our Investment Committee, will be a positive move for our Foundation’s investments.

But who really knows if an investment will be a good one or a bad one? Without being too speculative, we are all looking for great investments. A sure bet that will pay off. But as good as our investment managers might be, they never really know if something will be a

sure bet and an investment that will pay off handsomely in the future.

But I do.Every decade or so,

yet another survey or demographic study reveals the obvious: while America has provided tremendous opportunity for Jewish creativity, expressions and personal freedoms, it has also created many challenges to Jewish affiliation and Jewish identity. Each time, the community circles back to what we know works: high-quality Jewish education, Jewish resident camps and Israel programs. These are effective identity builders, and will generate excellent investment returns.

Our Federation invests heavily in our Jewish Day School to make it as affordable as possible and to support its quality education. But many people are unaware of our financial commitment to Jewish summer camps and trips to Israel.

Let me preface by noting that the Jewish camps and Israel programs available today are wonderful. Specific to camps, our children sacrifice nothing by attending a Jewish camp. There are sports specialty and arts specialty camps. There are camps for those interested in virtually any “flavor” of Judaism. Most importantly, these camps have happy campers.

What makes for a happy camper? Friendships are the reason kids return year after year to the same camp, and the return rates at most camps, Jewish or not, are extremely high. The well-kept secret is that it has little to do with the size of the lake, the vintage of the bunks, the number of tennis courts or the quality of the food (which, happily, I am told is much better than what I was fed as a camper).

And what should matter to us as parents? Our children will be happy at almost any camp they attend because they will make friends and create lasting memories of the time they spent together. Given insignificant differences in the experience offered today by Jewish and non-Jewish camps, it’s really a shame to miss out on one of the absolute best opportunities for children to form positive Jewish connections and create Jewish memories in truly fun and creative ways.

And the same goes for trips to Israel.

Our Federation offers a savings incentive program for trips to Israel. The VISIT program provides parents the opportunity to save over a number of years for their teen’s trip to Israel. The Federation match of up to $1,600 enables a return of over 60 percent on the family’s savings deposits

(which are fully refundable). For summer residential camps, we offer needs-based scholarships.

Information about both of these programs is available on our website, www.jewishlehighvalley.org, or by calling the Federation office at 610-821-5500.

As a parent who had sent her son to both a Jewish and non-Jewish private camp recently told me, “I don’t know of kids who come back from private camps talking about how cool it is to be Jewish, but they do when they come home from Jewish summer camp.” And again, the same can be said about trips to Israel compared to trips to France or Spain.

We’ve got such little

time to set the course for our children educationally, morally, ethically and Jewishly. We want so much for them as adults. The least we can do is to invest in programs that we know are sure bets and investments that will pay off handsomely in the future.

2 FEBRUARY 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEYHAKOL is published 11 times per year for the Jewish communities of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and vicinity by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONSSubmissions to HAKOL must be of interest to the entire Jewish community. HAKOL re-serves all editorial rights including, but not limited to, the decision to print any submit-ted materials, the editing of submissions to conform to style and length requirements, and the placement of any printed mate-rial. Articles should be submitted by e-mail or presented as typed copy; “Community Calendar” listings must be submitted by e-mail to [email protected] or online at www.jewishlehighvalley.org. Please include your name and a daytime telephone number where you can be contacted in the event questions arise. We cannot guarantee pub-lication or placement of submissions.

Mail, fax, or e-mail to: JFLV ATTN: HAKOL 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104

Phone: (610) 821-5500 Fax: (610) 821-8946 E-mail: [email protected]

HAKOL STAFFJennifer Lader Editor

aLLison Meyers Graphic Designer

diane McKeeAdvertising RepresentativeTeL: [email protected]

JFLV EXECUTIVE STAFFMarK L. GoLdsTeinExecutive Director

Judy diaMondsTeinAssistant Executive Director

TeMpLe coLdrenDirector of Finance & Administration

sTephanie sMarTschanDirector of Marketing

JiM MueTh Director of Planned Giving & Endowments

aaron GorodzinsKyDirector of Outreach & Community Relations

Taffi neyDonor Development Officer

Barry J. haLperPresident, JFLV

EDITORIAL BOARDMonica friess, Acting ChairBarBara reisner

JudiTh rodwin

sara ViGneri

Member American Jewish Press Association

All advertising is subject to review and approval by The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley (JFLV). JFLV reserves the right to decline, withdraw and/or edit any ad. The appearance of any advertising in HAKOL does not represent an endorsement or kashrut certification. Paid political adver-tisements that appear in HAKOL do not represent an endorsement of any candidate by the JFLV.

JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY MISSION STATEMENTIn order to unite, sustain, and enhance the Lehigh Valley Jewish community, and support Jewish communities in Israel and around the world, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is dedicated to the following core values:

• Supporting Jews in need wherever they may be.• Supporting Israel as a Jewish homeland.• Supporting and encouraging Jewish education in the Lehigh Valley as

a means of strengthening Jewish life for individuals and families.• Supporting programs and services of organizations whose values and

mission meet local Jewish needs.

To accomplish this mission the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is committed to the following operating guidelines:• Raising and distributing funds to support the core values.• Developing Jewish leaders.• Building endowments to support implementation of core values.• Committing to ongoing Jewish community strategic planning.• Fostering cooperation among organizations and community building.• Evaluating all decisions with respect to fiscal responsibility.• Identifying unmet needs and investing in community initiatives to help

get them started. • Coordinating and convening a community response as an issue or

need arises.• Setting priorities for allocation and distribution of funds. • Acting as a central address for communication about events,

programs and services of the Jewish community as a whole.

Approved by the JFLV Board of Directors on November 15, 2000

JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEYWe gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship by requesting that trees be planted in the Yoav--Lehigh Valley Partnership Park.

IN HONORELI ENGLERTHappy Tu B’Shevat Roni and Thomas EnglertJACKSON ENGLERTHappy Tu B’Shevat Roni and Thomas EnglertLENNY GURVITZHappy 90th Birthday Elaine Lerner

JEFF NULLMANSpeedy Recovery Mark GoldsteinSTAN AND VICKI WAXIn honor of their hospitality The Diamondstein Family

IN MEMORYSAM GROSSMAN(Uncle of Ben Grossman) JFLV

CAROLE KOVED(Sister of Stan Wax) Peter and Karen Cooper Roberto and Eileen FischmannMARY CATHERINE WRIGHT(Mother of Jennifer Lader) Staff of HAKOL

TO ORDER TREES, call the JFLV at 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.

com.UNITY

A sure investment paying great dividends

FROM THE DESK OF MARK L. GOLDSTEINExecutive Director | Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

[email protected]

Dear Readers,

We may well ask how we are to go on when a key figure is no longer with us. It’s certainly a question in this month, which sees much written on Ariel Sharon, z”l. For such a controversial figure, the legacy becomes like a bag of seeds that must be sorted for planting -- what to keep and what to discard? There is such variety not only in deeds but also in the course of a life: After his military career, Sharon beat the proverbial sword into a plowshare, pursuing peace

through the political process. Today, there are changes

afoot for others as well: Congregation Brith Sholom’s Rabbi Juda offers us a last clergy column before retiring to “civilian life” in Bethlehem. In it, he speaks of “planting and harvesting.”

Elsewhere, we learn that the maple sap will soon run in the far north, where farmers are set to produce syrup from trees planted by others long ago. And so here is our answer: If we are fortunate, we may reap the best of what others have sown, enjoy the bounty

together and plant anew.

Shalom,Jennifer Lader

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | FEBRUARY 2014 3

Even if you know your way around Jewish Lehigh Valley, there may be a few

surprises out there and Shalom Lehigh Valley will bring them to you.

Coming in the fall of 2014, this full-color magazine will focus on what's new, noteworthy

and right next door. While you anticipate Shalom Lehigh Valley, see if you recognize this

photo. Visit www.shalomlehighvalley.org to find out where it came from. Or, if you already

know, test a friend's knowledge of Jewish Lehigh Valley.

MONDAY, JUNE 9at Lehigh Country Club2319 S. Cedar Crest Boulevard | Allentown

SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES AVAILABLE NOWFor information, go to www.jewishlehighvalley.org

A Lexus of Lehigh Valley Champions for Charity Event to benefit the Annual Campaign of the JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY

save the date

Join over 1,500 Jewish young adults (ages 22-45) from across North America for an entertaining, interactive and educational celebration.

The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is offering subsidies that

COVER THE COST OF ADMISSION - a $500 value!

Contact Aaron Gorodzinsky, 610-821-5500 or [email protected], to learn more.

Jewish Federations of North America

Vice President Joe Biden has unveiled a major new initiative of the federal government in col-laboration with Jewish Federa-tions and Jewish Family Service agencies to address the social needs of aging, low-income Ho-locaust survivors in the United States.

The initiative follows years of discussions between the White House, members of Con-gress, Jewish Federations and Jewish Family and Children’s Service agencies to address the social service needs of Holocaust survivors through fundraising and legislative efforts.

“Our country took a major step forward toward addressing the needs of many Holocaust survivors,” Michael Siegal, Chair of the Board of Trustees at The Jewish Federations of North America, said of the new initiative.

“We are looking forward to working with the Special Envoy to raise awareness and help ensure that Holocaust survivors receive the support of programs to help them live with dignity and comfort,” he said.

The Jewish federations have made the issue of Holocaust survivor care a top priority, advocating vigorously for the Responding to Urgent needs of Survivors of the Holocaust (RUSH) Act, which would pro-vide support for tens of thou-sands of survivors who need services to age where they live. This is critical for survivors, for whom being moved to a senior facility or [anything resembling] an institution could prove emo-

tionally traumatic.Of approximately 127,000

survivors in the U.S., three-quarters are over the age of 75 and about two-thirds live alone. Many struggle to afford basic needs, such as adequate food and healthcare.

More than half of the survi-vors who arrived from the for-mer Soviet Union since 1967 fall below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, meaning they earn less than $21,660 annually. Com-pounding the problem is that many survivors live alone and have little or no family support.

Vice President Biden an-nounced the White House would take several steps to help aging survivors, including:

• Appointing a special envoy at the Department of Health and Human Services to act as a liaison for Holocaust survivors and the nonprofit community organizations that serve them. The Special Envoy will support programs that help Holocaust survivors live with comfort and security and will help raise awareness of the challenges

survivors face;• Creating a partnership

with the AmeriCorps VISTA program to dedicate volun-teers to increase the capacity of community organizations to serve impoverished Holocaust survivors. The volunteers would engage in capacity-building ac-tivities such as fundraising and outreach for Jewish family and children’s service agencies;

• Exploring public-private partnerships to address funding shortfalls, so that community organizations can continue to serve Holocaust survivors.

Vice President Biden praised Jewish community organiza-tions for helping Holocaust survivors including providing access to nutrition and other services, as part of the effort to help these survivors.

Biden said most Holocaust survivors he has known, like the late Tom Lantos (who was his staff member and later became chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee) were not poor. Biden was surprised to learn that about 25 percent of

survivors live below the poverty line, and about half of survivors in New York live in poverty.

Holocaust survivors in South Florida brought this issue to Biden’s attention and he and President Obama decided to act.

“As Jewish Federations con-tinue to raise needed funds to support social service programs for Holocaust survivors, we will

use the momentum from the vice president’s announcement to draw extra attention to this cause,” said Jerry Silverman, JFNA’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Enabling Holocaust survi-vors to age in place is vital for health, comfort and security and brings dignity to this vulnerable population,” Silverman said.

VP Biden unveils effort to support Holocaust survivors

snowy

By Annabel Williams JFLV Marketing Intern

Linda Scherzer, former Middle East correspondent for CNN and Israel Television, will be the featured speaker at Congregation Brith Sholom’s Federation-sponsored Shabbat service on Saturday, March 22.

Scherzer was the correspondent for CNN in Jerusalem from 1988 through 1993, covering the

first Palestinian uprising, or Intifada, the Gulf War and the Middle East peace process. She has been at the forefront of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and is well known for her interview done in gas masks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel was undergoing a Scud missile attack.

Currently, Scherzer is a public relations and media consultant, working with clients such as the Conference of Presidents

of Major American Jewish Organizations, advising the Jewish community on how to combat negative media images of Israel. Scherzer will be touching on this topic at the service, as well as speaking on the struggles that Jewish and pro-Israel college students face on campuses across the United States.

“At no point should a student feel uncomfortable about expressing their opinions,” said Scherzer in a recent interview about her upcoming talk. Her motivation for mentoring college students came about after Gary Rosenblatt, current editor and publisher of The Jewish Week of New York, asked her to help create Write On for Israel, a program that informs and empowers top high school students to become educated about Israeli conflict and the Middle East.

Scherzer found that the many Jewish students on college campuses were “under-confident and deeply conflicted about the second Intifada.” From these realizations, her goal now is to provide a confidence in

opinion and belief for these young adults. Scherzer has been educating students for the past 11 years with the hope that this upcoming generation will continue on in higher education to be leaders and representatives of the Jewish community with the power to speak up for Israel in the midst of diverse opinions. Scherzer will speak about the kinds of challenges Jewish students should expect to face inside and outside of the classroom.

Scherzer’s career as a correspondent has shaped her current workings in education. She described her transition from communicator to PR expert to educator as an “evolution.” Along with working for CNN as a correspondent, Scherzer also worked as the Arab affairs correspondent for Mabat on Israel TV, the Israeli Hebrew language news program, and she has produced the documentary “Through the Eyes of Enemies: Is the Middle East Ready for Peace?” All of Scherzer’s first-hand experience in the Middle East has led her to her

passion for preparing young adults and their parents for what to expect from anti-Israel protestors at colleges and universities.

“It’s a golden age to be a Jewish student on campus,” said Scherzer. When asked about how she thinks college students can educate those around them about Israel she said, “the best way to really ‘move the needle’ is by forging relationships with those on campus, go after the opinion makers.” She encourages students to find a support group, whether it be through Hillel or another Jewish student organization, and start conversations with friends and professors.

The service will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Congregation Brith Sholom, 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem. It is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and is open to the public.

If you’re expecting, know someone who is,

or have a new baby, PLEASE LET US KNOW!

Contact Abby Trachtman, 610-821-5500 | [email protected]

WELCOMING NEW BABIES to the Lehigh Valley

SPONSORED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY’S WOMEN’S DIVISION


MAXSHAWN

son of Alysha and

Marc Messer

ANDREW JAY

son of Caren and

Keith Lowrey

Lunch & LearnWEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014Finding the Hero in You12 to 1:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown Neil Dicker, a retired Lehigh Valley dentist and active member of the Jewish community, will talk about his experience with can-cer and the stem cell transplant that saved his life.

Diagnosed with a rare form of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2005, Neil underwent several years of conventional treatment before receiving a matched unrelated donor transplant in 2009. Since recovering, he has become a passionate speaker on behalf of the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation, encouraging every-one to become a part of the international genetic registry.

Neil, father of four and grandfather of two, is also an avid amateur cyclist. He and his wife, Linda, have been members of Temple Beth El in Allentown for 25 years. Program is $12, including lunch. Men and women are welcome. To RSVP, please call 610-821-5500 or e-mail [email protected].

CAROL WILSON Women’s Division President

Lunch & Learn programs are a community education initiative coordinated by the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

PLEASE BRING NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS FOR THE JFS FOOD PANTRY

Eva Grayzel of Bnai Abraham Synagogue drops off the congregation’s donation for the Women’s Division’s Shalom Baby bags – copies of her CD. The musical offerings are a highlight for all families “Shalomed” by Federation volunteers. The bags include gifts from many area congregations and businesses to welcome the newest members of the community.

THANKS, EVA!

Former Middle East correspondent to speak at Federation Shabbat

Maimonides Society BAGEL

BRUNCH

NEW DATE!Sunday, February 2310:15 a.m., JCC of Allentown

OH, MY ACHING BACK! Join Maimonides Society physicians for a

discussion on a universal ailment -- back pain.

DR. ROBERT WILSON, Pain Specialists of the Greater Lehigh ValleyDR. MICHAEL RINGOLD, Progressive Physician Associates

DR. JOSHUA KRASSEN, VSAS Orthopedics

Brunch is free for Maimonides Society members and spouses, $10 for community members.

Contact Judy Diamondstein at 610-821-5500 or [email protected] to RSVP.


Young Adult Division Strikes the New Year

Above right, Aaron Alkasov, Alan Raisman, Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Director of Outreach and Community Relations Aaron Gorodzinsky and YAD Co-chair Justin Corsa.

Above left, Joy Rothman and Melanie Franklin.

Left, Jessi Edwards, Nurit Golenberg, Hila Emanuel and Allison Rusgo.

Mira Biller, Rebecca Trela, Alexa Moses, Aaron Alkasov, YAD Co-chairs Erin and Justin Corsa and Alan Raisman.

On Jan. 16, the Young Adult Division celebrated the new year at Revolutions in Saucon Valley. The group welcomed new members from all different back-grounds, allowing them to connect with each other and build new relationships.

“I was very excited to see the number of people who came to an event for the first time and how committed people in the Lehigh Valley are to attending Jewish young adult events,” said Justin Corsa, co-chair of the Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

The Young Adult Division brings together young Jews for social outings, networking and volunteering. Look for future events at www.jewishlehighvalley.org.

Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

YOUNG ADULT DIVISIONSOCIAL OUTINGS

NETWORKINGVOLUNTEERING

... and so much more!

The Young Adult Division of the

Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

is the place to build connections. Join us for our next

exciting event.

Find out how you can get involved

Contact

Aaron Gorodzinsky, 610-821-5500, [email protected]

or visitjewishlehighvalley.org


In my practice, I hear many concerns from women regarding their mood swings, mixed emotions and heightened anxiety after birth. Many women have a sense of guilt about feeling this way and some hesitate to admit that they are struggling. Women are bombarded with messages about the happiness that they think they are supposed to feel after giving birth to a healthy baby. However, family strife, lack of sleep, fluctuation of hormones and the stress of the additional responsibility of caring for a newborn can wreak havoc even on women with no previous mental health history. But what is considered “normal” and at what point should you ask for help?

Many new mothers experience what is known as “the baby blues,” typically crying spells and mood swings that are mild to moderate in intensity and fade quickly. This can be startling to moms who are not prepared for this as well as for family members who may be concerned about the mental health of the individual. These fleeting feelings of sadness and irritability are a normal part of the postpartum period for many women.

However, some women experience a deeper sense of depression, guilt and anxiety that require treatment. Some women also experience sleeplessness or excessive sleep. If the negative feelings are persistent or if the individual has difficulty performing routine daily activities and responsibilities, she may benefit from medication and/or psychotherapy.

Postpartum depression can often be observed through questions asked by the OB-GYN at the individual’s six week postpartum check-up, but often the baby’s pediatrician detects it through a checklist given to the mom at the infant’s first few well visits. It is important to be honest during these visits about possible symptoms of depression, as lack of treatment may cause a worsening in symptoms or difficulty forming a bond between mother and baby.

In a small percentage of women, symptoms become severe enough to require hospitalization. This is known as postpartum psychosis and usually develops in the two weeks following birth. Symptoms can include paranoia, hallucinations and delusions,

severe depressive symptoms and thoughts or attempts to harm one’s self or the baby. Call your doctor immediately if you think you are suffering from this condition or go to the emergency room for evaluation.

If a women has previously experienced depression or been treated for a mental health condition, it is important that the OB-GYN be informed of this so that this condition can be adequately addressed both during pregnancy and during the postpartum period.

Feelings of guilt about not connecting with the baby may inhibit some mothers from sharing the severity of their symptoms, but treatment is often required to get the symptoms under control and the individual back to feeling like herself. It is estimated that at least 10 to 15 percent of mothers experience postpartum depression in the first year after giving birth.

Antidepressants can improve symptoms within several weeks. It is important to remember that any medications taken will pass into breast milk, so it is essential to discuss the risks and benefits of antidepressants with your doctor. These medications are often prescribed by a family doctor, OB-GYN or psychiatrist and will typically be evaluated frequently at first to determine if the medication is effectively addressing symptoms. After several months, it will be determined by the individual and her doctor if continuing on the medication is necessary.

Psychotherapy can also be helpful for the individual to find ways to cope with her feelings, improve relationships, address concerns and set realistic goals. Talking to a therapist provides a non-judgmental space to openly address these issues and set a road map for recovery.

After giving birth, it is important for all new mothers to engage in self-care. Asking for help from family members and friends with the baby, other children and household responsibilities is important to reduce stress. Getting enough sleep should be a priority to control normal mood fluctuations and irritability. It is important for the mother to be honest with those close to her and with her doctors about how she is feeling so that they can be helpful to her and any abnormal symptoms can be addressed.

What do I do about the ‘baby blues’? BY LISA ELLIS, PSY.D.

Q: A:WHAT’S UP, DOC?

maimonides society

DR. PAUL LEMBERGCOLUMN EDITOR

MORAVIAN ACADEMY Ignite a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

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SPANISH IMMERSIONIN THE FALL OF 2014-2015 BEGINNING IN KINDERGARTEN!

MOR AVIAN ACADEMY IS PLEASED TO OFFER

WWW.MOR AVIANACADEMY.ORG

Come to an Information Sessionto learn about the benefits of achieving fluency in a second

language while receiving a stellar education!For details and dates or to schedule a personal visit,

go to www.moravianacademy.org or call 610-868-8571.

Jewish Telegraphic Agency and JFLV Staff

A bipartisan slate of 134 U.S. Congress members wrote a letter to the American Studies Association protesting its decision last month to boycott Israeli universities. (See page 1 story, January 2014 HAKOL.)

“Academic cooperation can be an important tool to help foster peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but you have chosen the unproductive path of isolation,” said the letter dated Jan. 17, initiated by Reps. Pete Roskam (R-Ill.), the chief deputy whip of the House of Representatives, and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), the senior Democrat on the House Middle East subcommittee (originally from Bethlehem, Pa.). “We hope that the ASA will learn to appreciate the mutually beneficial academic ties

between the United States and Israel and work with us to promote peace and academic freedom.”

The ASA, which has fewer than 5,000 members, was the largest of three academic organizations to recommend boycotts against Israeli institutions last year, a breakthrough in the United States for the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign.

Nearly 200 U.S. universities have repudiated the boycotts. The larger academic groups, such as the American Association of University Professors, have pushed back such attempts.

For details and updates, the website Legal Insurrection is constantly researching and updating the list of such schools on their website, http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/12/list-of-universities-rejecting-academic-boycott-of-israel/.

Congressional members blast ASA for boycott decision


Thanks to the generousity of the Annual Campaign, the JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY is offering needs-based scholarships for Jewish resident summer camps such as Ramah, Pinemere, Harlam, Galil, Young Judaea, and Moshava.

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Jewish Telegraphic Agency Edgar Bronfman, the billionaire former beverage magnate and leading Jewish philanthropist, died Dec. 21 at the age of 84.

As the longtime president of the World Jewish Congress, Bronfman fought for Jewish rights worldwide and led the successful fight to secure more than a billion dollars in restitution from Swiss banks for Holocaust victims and their heirs. As a philanthropist, Bronfman took the lead in creating and funding many efforts to strengthen Jewish identity among young people.

According to a statement, he died peacefully at his home in New York, surrounded by family.

Bronfman spent the 1950s and 1960s working with his father, Samuel, at Seagram Ltd., the family’s beverage business. He became chairman of the company in 1971, the year of his father’s death.

Just a year earlier, in 1970, Bronfman took part in a

delegation to Russia to lobby the Kremlin for greater rights for Jews in the Soviet Union. He would later credit the trip with inspiring his increasing interest in Judaism.

“It was on those trips to Russia that my curiosity was piqued,” Bronfman said. “What is it about Judaism, I asked myself, that has kept it alive through so much adversity while so many other traditions have disappeared. Curiosity soon turned into something more, and that ‘something more’ has since turned into a lifelong passion.”

In 1981, Bronfman became the president of the World Jewish Congress, stepping up the organization’s activism on behalf of Jewish communities around the world. From his perch at the WJC, in addition to battling with the Swiss banks, he continued the fight for Soviet Jewry, took the lead in exposing the Nazi past of Kurt Waldheim and worked to improve Jewish relations with the Vatican. In 1991, he lobbied President George H.W. Bush to push for the rescission of the United Nations resolution equating Zionism and racism.

“In terms of defending Jews, I’m a Jew,” Bronfman told JTA in a 2008 interview. “And I was in a position to do so, so I did so.”

Bronfman’s final years as president of WJC were marred by allegations of financial irregularities revolving around his most influential adviser on Jewish political affairs, the organization’s secretary general, Rabbi Israel Singer. Bronfman was never implicated in any of the financial allegations, but the controversy and feuding surrounding his top aide dominated the final years of his decades-long stint as WJC president.

The office of then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer issued a report in 2006 that found no criminal offense, but criticized the WJC’s financial management, and it ordered that Singer be prohibited from making financial decisions in the organization. Bronfman initially stood by Singer before ultimately firing him in 2007. Several months later Bronfman stepped down.

But Bronfman did not disappear from the public stage. A staunch supporter of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, he continued to be a vocal and public backer of liberal politicians in the United States and Israel. And as president of the Samuel Bronfman Foundation, he dedicated most of his final years to his Jewish philanthropic causes.

He founded the Bronfman Youth Fellowship in 1987, a young leadership program that brings together Jewish high school students from Israel and North America. In the 1990s he worked to revive Hillel, serving as the founding chair of the campus organization’s board of governors. In 2002, he provided the funding to launch MyJewishLearning, a digital media entity that now also includes the Jewish parenting site Kveller and boasts 1 million visitors per month.

Bronfman and his first wife, Ann Loeb, had five children: Sam, Edgar Jr., Matthew, Holly and Adam. He and his second wife, Georgiana Webb, had two daughters, Sara and Clare. In 1994, he married the artist Jan Aronson. He is survived by Aronson, his seven children, 24 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, as well as a brother, Charles, and a sister, Phyllis Lambert.

Edgar Bronfman fought for Jewish rights worldwide and took the lead in creating and funding efforts to strengthen Jewish identity among young people.

OBITUARY

Edgar Bronfman, philanthropist and Jewish communal leader, dies at 84

Israel announces five-athlete Winter Olympics delegation

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Israel will send five athletes to the upcoming Winter Olym-pics in Sochi, Russia.

The delegation will include male figure skater Alexei Bychenko, pairs skaters Evgeni Krasnopolski and Andrea Davidovich (above),

speed skater Vladislav Bykanov and skier Virgile Vandeput.

Krasnopolski and Da-vidovich will be Israel’s first pairs figure skating entry ever. The pair, and Bychenko, train in Hackensack, N.J.

The Sochi Winter Olym-pics will be held Feb. 7- 23.


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Rep. Charlie Dent and Yaron Sideman, consul general of Israel to the Mid-Atlantic Region, meet in January to discuss their mutual priorities and reinforce the strong and important relationship between both nations. Pictured are Mark L. Goldstein, Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley executive director, Dent, Tali Efraty, director of public and academic affairs for the consulate, Sideman and Barry J. Halper, Federation president.

NATION TO NATION: Representatives meet

By Ethan WegSpecial to HAKOL

I stood for the Hazti Kadish before the Shabbat Ma’ariv Amida; Yossi Garr, sitting next to me, asked, “Why are you standing?” I shrugged my shoulders, he smiled, and I thought about it. Garr is the director of Nativ: The College Leadership Program in Israel for Conservative high school graduates. He would later suggest that I was standing because I was simply following the people around me; he was right, that’s what I had learned from watching the people around me.

After I responded to Gar, I examined the kehila, the spiritual community in which I was praying; the room was filled with United Synagogue Youth’s international leaders, USY executive staff and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism’s board members and employees – some of Conservative Judaism’s foremost leaders. We were in New Orleans, La., on the Friday night before USY’s International Convention. Known as IC by the USYers, IC is an annual large-scale convention that brings together hundreds of USYers from all over the United States and Canada.

The Eastern Pennsylvania (EPA) region brought a number of distinguished USYers to IC this year, including convention co-chair Jake Wassermann, currently on Nativ, and international Israel affairs vice president Eden Strassburg, currently a student at Hofstra University. Both led USY admirably at the convention and were honorably discharged from their positions at the closing of the convention.

In addition, USY executive staff members and Muhlenberg College students Alex Brizel, Joshua Ull and me, along with Hanegev regional staff member and Lehigh University graduate student Stefani Pila, all made the trip to New Orleans.

The Beth El USY chapter of Allentown was one of 17 chapters that were nominated for the USY International Chapter of the Year Award; they unfortunately did not win, but they were nevertheless recognized alongside the other regions’ top chapters.

USY’s International Convention is a time to acknowledge those USYers who have led USY on the international level and recognize those individuals, chapters and regions that have achieved excellence in the past year. However, IC also serves as a celebration of the learning and experiences of teenage Conservative Jews. IC is the culmination of a year of hard work on the chapter level, intensive strategizing and coordinating on the regional level, long-term planning on the international level, and growth and participation on USY Summer Programs like USY on Wheels and USY Israel Pilgrimage.

Later that Shabbat, before all the craziness and fun of IC, Rabbi David Levy, director of teen learning for USCJ, opened a d’var Torah by asking: How do Jews know how to practice Judaism? Various responses were given, including: Jews learn from their parents, Jews learn by example and Jews learn from Jewish day school or Hebrew school. The conclusion was that the practice of Judaism is something that is not hereditary or instinctual, but rather it is something that must be learned.

USYers, whether during prayer at the Grand Canyon while on USY on Wheels, at a local chapter event in Allentown or at IC in New Orleans, are always learning. They absorb ideas by observing their parents, fellow congregants in their local communities and fellow USYers. They take what they see and put it into practice; this process is a fundamental learning instrument within Judaism – one that has helped Judaism endure throughout history.

Ethan Weg is a student at Muhlenberg College and active in both USY and Hillel. He is currently collecting chumashim to be used by Muhlenberg’s Hillel for Saturday morning Shabbat services. The books need not be new or in great condition. For information on donating a chumash to Hillel, contact him at [email protected] or contact [email protected].

USY International Convention Co-Chairs Gaby Roth and Jake Wassermann pose for a picture with keynote speaker Jessica Abo.

USY gets a taste of New Orleans


“Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present.” As I approach retirement as the rabbi of Brith Sholom at the end of June, the above quote from Roger Babson, founder of Babson College and an early 20th century entrepreneur and author, really makes an impression. It also reminds me of a well-known Talmudic story which is often retold around Tu B’shevat. We just cel-ebrated the “Birthday of the Trees” a few weeks ago and the report from the tractate of Ta’anit, page 23a, gave me pause for additional reflection this year.

“One day Honi the Circle-Drawer was journeying on the road and saw a man planting a carob tree. Honi asked him, ‘How long does it take for this tree to bear fruit?’ The man replied: ‘Seventy years.’ Honi then further asked him: ‘Are you certain that you will live another 70 years?”

The man replied: ‘I found ready grown carob trees in the world, as my ancestors planted these for me. So I, too, plant these for my children and descendants.’”

My first thought this year was that the story is really a metaphor for my career and that of every rabbi, cantor and Jewish educator. We have inherited Jewish tradition and we spend our professional, as well as our personal, lives planting saplings of Jewish continuity. It is not enough for us, for me, to be satisfied with current accomplishments. We are most eager, we are very concerned, we are absolutely committed to see-ing Judaism and the Jewish people develop and flourish in the future. We work constantly in the present with the hope our efforts will bear fruit for the next 70 years and far beyond.

I very much enjoy the experience of backyard gardening, nurturing my blueberry bushes and plant-ing various vegetables and herbs. Although it is physically taxing, it is mentally refreshing. I am outdoors and it is beautiful and quiet. I also realized some years ago that there is a great satisfaction in knowing the result of my efforts within a few months. I plant in the spring and harvest in the summer or fall. Some years the weather, the variet-ies I have selected and the absence of plant diseases all cooperate to yield a large bounty. Other years a fungus or too much rain or too little rain conspire to deprive me of my produce. But either way, by the end of October I know the results.

Working with people, especially children, it takes years to decades

to know what really is happen-ing. People have often asked me about a child’s bar or bat mitzvah, “How was it?” The vast majority are wonderful days for the Bar or Bat Mitzvah teen and his or her family. But I am more interested in know-ing about the effect of the years of religious school that have preceded it and of those few hours on a Satur-day morning on the rest of a child’s life. For those results, every rabbi, cantor and educator has to wait … and pray.

The same waiting applies to adults as we Jewish clergy attempt to use our words and actions, our teaching and preaching and daven-ing to inspire adults to engage in more serious and committed Jewish life. Occasionally, we may see a fast transformation. More often, adults become increasingly involved over time and it takes years, even de-cades, to feel that we rabbis have done our part to strengthen Judaism and the Jewish people.

Retirement will give me more control over my time and I hope to use it wisely. I will surely spend more hours in the garden. I will read for pleasure without looking for stories or quotes that I could use in a d’var Torah, bulletin article or column in HAKOL. I plan to give more time to our family. I hope to volunteer for causes that I have valued over the decades of my adulthood and career: seniors, the poor, interfaith dialogue and encouraging serious Jewish practice. I will try to be cognizant that every day is a gift and that I want to thank God for having a pres-ent that allows me to look ahead to the future.

W R I T I N G S F R O M T H E

C L E R G Y

RABBI ALLEN JUDA Congregation Brith Sholom

Of planting, and the harvest

Musikfest Café™ at SteelStacks™

101 Founders Way | Bethlehem, PA 18015Tickets/Lineup: artsquest.org | 610-332-3378

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Strawberry Fields: The Ultimate Beatles TributeFebruary 6 | 7:30 pm

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The Amish Outlaws February 14 | 8:30 pm

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The SteelStacks Stunner Ball:Red and WildFebruary 14 | 9 pm

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IN MEMORYBERNIE COHEN(Father of Abby Trachtman) Barbara and David SussmanROBERT GREENE(Brother of Ken Greene) Wendy and Ross BornSAM GROSSMAN(Husband of Naomi Grossman) Roberta and Alan PennHERBERT HYMAN(Husband of Mina Hyman) Richard and Lynda Somach Joe and Jeanmarie WolfCAROLE KOVED(Sister of Stan Wax) Lenny Abrams Wendy and Ross Born Kira and Richard Bub Sam and Sylvia Bub Marilyn Claire Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald Henry and Monica Friess Carol and Stewart Furmansky Allan and Sandra Futernick Karl and Sara Glassman Barry and Carol Halper Joan and Ron Harrison Mark and Amy Holtz Robert and Roberta Kritzer Suzanne Lapiduss Gail Levine Elaine and Leon Papir Adam and Penny Roth

Donald and Randi Senderowitz Michael and Eileen Ufberg Richard and Cherie Zettlemoyer(Aunt of Robert Wax) Sam and Sylvia BubBETTE LACKWITZ(Stepmother of Kathi Katzman) Barbara and David SussmanLES LERNER(Husband of Elaine Lerner) Richard and Lynda SomachELLIE MORSE(Stepmother of Richard Morse) Melissa and Harvey HakimFLORENCE PITCHNICK(Mother of Susan Levin) Jeanette and Eduardo EichenwaldIRVING POLLACK(Father of Lynda Pollack) Wendy and Ross BornMAX STETTNER(Husband of Shelley Stettner) Sam and Sylvia Bub Audrey Eisler Cherney Marilyn Claire Patrick and Karen Dempsey Louis and Shirley Furmansky Phil and Ellen Hof James and Andrea Jesberger Elaine Lerner Judy and Mort Miller Norman Moses Roberta and Alan Penn Suzanne Schechter Don and Randi Senderowitz Richard and Lynda Somach Barbara and David Sussman Phyllis and Dave Sussman Joe and Jeanmarie Wolf(Father of Beth Delin) Barry and Carol Halper(Father of Lisa Glennon) Ronni Lederman(Father of Mark Stettner) Barry and Carol HalperIRVING WEINGROD(Father of Robin Rosenau) Wendy and Ross Born Jeanette and Eduardo EichenwaldHAROLD WEINSTEIN(Husband of Louise Weinstein) Richard and Lynda SomachMARY CATHERINE WRIGHT(Mother of Jennifer Lader) HAKOL Editorial Board Barry and Carol Halper JEAN YUDIS(Mother of Barbara Yudis) Judy, Marc, Noah, & Molly Diamondstein

IN HONORMARCIA AND MILES BERKOWMarriage of son Melissa and Harvey HakimELLIS AND LISA BLOCKBirth of grandchild Richard and Lynda Somach

MICHAEL AND RITA BLOOMBirth of grandson, Drew Marilyn ClaireJONATHAN EPSTEINCongratulations Barry and Carol HalperSTEWART AND CAROL FURMANKSYBirth of grandchildren Richard and Lynda SomachSALLY GILBERTHappy Birthday Selma RothELLEN AND MICHAEL GORDONBirth of granddaughter, Lily Robert and Roberta KritzerKAREN KUHNBirth of grandson, Asher Jacob Kuhn-Watson Marc, Judy, Noah, & Molly Diamondstein Suzanne Lapiduss Elaine and Leon Papir Roberta and Alan PennDONALD AND LOIS LIPSONBar Mitzvah of grandson Jeanette and Eduardo EichenwaldLENNIE MARANTZHappy ‘Big’ Birthday Selma RothEDITH ORGLERHappy 75th Birthday Fred and Barbara Sussman Lainie SchonbergerLENO AND HELENE SCARCIASpecial Anniversary Jeanette and Eduardo EichenwaldBARRY AND LINDA SCHEIDERSBirth of grandson, Brody Richard and Lynda SomachNINA SILVERSTEINHappy 80th Birthday Marshall SilversteinEILEEN AND MICKY UFBERGBonnie & Manny’s Chabad Honor Karl and Sara Glassman

BOB WOOD HUNGER FUNDIN MEMORYMAX STETTNER(Husband of Shelley Stettner) Judy and Larrie Sheftel

HELEN & SOL KRAWITZ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUNDIN HONORRYAN KATZCongratulations Lynda and Stuart KrawitzIN MEMORYMAX STETTNER(Husband of Shelley Stettner) Lynda and Stuart Krawitz

We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship through recent gifts to the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation. The minimum contribution for an Endowment Card is $10. Call 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishle-highvalley.org to place your card requests. Thank you for your continued support.

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Jewish Telegraphic Agency

The Senate confirmed Janet Yellen as chairwoman of the Federal Reserve, making her the first woman and the third consecutive Jewish top U.S. government banker.

Yellen was confirmed in a 56-26 vote. She succeeds Ben Bernanke, who followed Alan Greenspan in 2006.

Yellen, 67, has been vice chairwoman of the Federal Reserve since 2010.

She has pledged to continue Bernanke’s commitment to transparency and is noted for her emphasis on diminishing unemployment over tackling inflation.

“As one of our nation’s most respected economists and

a leading voice at the Fed for more than a decade -- and vice chair for the past three years -- Janet helped pull our economy out of recession and put us on the path of steady growth,” President Obama said in a statement. “Janet is commit-ted to the Fed’s dual mandate of keeping inflation in check while also addressing our most important economic challenge by reducing unemployment and creating jobs.”

According to media reports, a top contender to replace her in the vice chairman's post is Stanley Fischer, a former World Bank chief economist who from 2005 to 2013 was governor of the Bank of Israel. Fischer holds dual Israel-U.S. citizenship.

Senate confirms Yellen as Fed chairwoman



classes, swimming and soccer. “When it became time to select an overnight camp,

it was an easy decision for us,” said Wax, who attended Pinemere as a camper from 1982 to 1988 and then returned as a counselor and basketball coach from 1990 to 1992. Later Wax would work as a young lawyer for the camp and then go on to join the board of directors.

Though years apart in camping at Pinemere, Wax and his sons hold on to the dear traditions of camp through familiar songs and their desire to triumph in the intercamp games. “Although some of the other overnight camps might be great places, we all take great pride when Pinemere wins the intercamp games,” Wax said.

Eileen Ufberg and her husband, Mickey, know Pinemere across three whole generations. Mickey Ufberg attended Pinemere as a camper from 1947 to 1955. All five of the Ufberg children attended Pinemere during their camping days, and now, 10 of 14 of the Ufberg grandchildren will be headed to Pinemere this summer.

“The values have remained the same, and there’s a wonderful Israeli influence and positive identity with Judaism,” Eileen said. Both Mickey and Eileen have helped in Pinemere’s infirmary over their children and grandchildren’s camping years. “I have witnessed firsthand the fantastic job the camp has done to instill the values we believe in,” Eileen said.

Though many families gravitate to sending their children to the same camp they attended as campers, other parents have their children branch off to different camp experiences. Dr. Frank Tamarkin grew up in rural Pennsylvania where he said “there were only a handful of Jewish families.

“I always felt like an outsider with regards to being Jewish, camp was where I could be comfortable as a Jew and begin to define myself, my personality and my Jewish Identity,” Tamarkin said. He attended Camp Harlam, a URJ camp located in Kunkletown, Penn. “Growing up at a reform synagogue,” said Tamarkin “the natural choice for my summer camp experience was Camp Harlam.”

Tamarkin started his six-year stint as a camper in 1982, traveled to Israel on the Harlam/NFTY trip, returned as a CIT for a year and finally became a counselor for two years after that. “In all, these 10 summers were the best of my life,” he said. “They not

only defined me, but they also gave me the opportunity to make the closest life-long friends.”

Tamarkin’s wife, Tama, attended a JCC camp in upstate New York based out of Rochester, and when the couple had to decide where to send their own children to camp, they chose Pinemere. “From being accepted for who they are, to making lifelong friends, to a love of all things Jewish including Shabbat, my children are having a similar experience to my wife and myself,” Tamarkin said. “Like my parents, I could not think of a better investment in my children’s Jewish future than Jewish summer camp.”

Amy Miller Sams has also passed on her camp experience to her children. Sams, raised in Allentown, attended the JCC Day Camp from 1971 until 1976. She has “lots of fond memories singing camp songs on the bus” and learning how to swim. Her two daughters, Natalie and Julia, have grown up in the JCC day camp as well, and also speak fondly of singing and swimming at camp. Both Sams and her daughters graduated from JCC day camp and attended Camp Harlam for overnight stay.

Sams holds tradition from Camp Harlam close to heart and said that she and her daughters “share many of the same Shabbat memories: walking to the chapel on the hill … and feeling connected to our Jewish heritage.” When asked what camp means in the Sams household in one simple word she said, “family.”

CampingContinues from page 1

Left to Right: Hannah Tamarkin, Gabe Tamarkin, Ben Wax and Danny Wax.

Julia Sams with friends at Camp Harlam.

"Come on, sing along!" Danny Wax at Pinemere.

"Almost there!" Climbing at Pinemere.


First-Time Campers:

$1,000 tuition assistance Call now for details.

By Barrie SaiasJCC Camp Director, Kochavim in Center Valley JCC Camp Kochavim is pleased to announce the roll-out of the Leader-In-Training program. LIT is open to boys and girls entering ninth and 10th grade. This is a must-do for teens looking to further develop their integrity, social justice and character. LIT will give valuable experience that can be added to the resume, college application and applications for future employment.

A leader-in-training will gain valuable experience working with children. Leaders-in-training will spend part of the day working with a specific group at camp. Assisting counselors at activities and engaging with younger children helps prepare them to be counselors, specialists and formal leaders at camp.

In addition to assisting with the camp program, leaders-in-training will participate in workshops led by community leaders. Workshops will include topics such as Leading an Organization, How to Apply for a Job, Successful Business Practices, Community Management, First Aid Preparedness, Decision-Making, Martial Arts Master Circle and Social Media Safety. Leaders-in-training will take part in teambuilding activities that emphasize self-confidence and enhance group cohesion.

Leaders-in-training acquire leadership skills, while still enjoying a fun camp experience. In addition to leadership training workshops, they will participate in camp activities, field trips, community service projects, a late night and an overnight.

For information about LIT or any of our other programs at JCC Camp Kochavim, please contact Barrie Saias, camp director at 610-435-3571, ext. 180, or [email protected].

By Sara Bressler-RutzChabad of the Lehigh Valley

As we long for summer in the winter months, recollections of camp come to the forefront for all the Camp Gan Israel campers. Recollections include making new friends, growing closer to old ones, exciting trips, learning new things and the feeling of excitement in knowing that adventure is just around the corner. Camp is a place where children learn about themselves and others while they are riding on the bus, sitting under the stars or gathered around the lunch table; this is the magic in the Camp Gan Israel experience, a camp that is unique in its traditions, programs, with a high level of care put into each individual camper.

For children all around the Lehigh Valley, Camp Gan Israel is a yearly source of friendship and excitement, and each year a great amount of work is put into the camp to ensure it stays that way. Counselors are carefully selected from all over the world, to make certain that they are only the best role models, providing friendship and care, and are the next best thing to mom. New field trips are planned, everything from cherry-picking to laser-tag, from science exhibits to arcades, all the best that the Lehigh Valley has to offer.

With Camp Gan Israel’s unique Create-A-Camp program, campers are able to pick what they want to do to express and develop themselves. Whether the camper is a sports fiend or an artistic crafter, there is something for everyone, and each year new options are added to enhance the camp experience. There are never children sitting on the sidelines, shuffling their feet and wishing they had something to do; rather, there are children sitting together, wishing they had more time to do everything.

As a parent, picking through the many options

available to children is never an easy task. With sporting events, summer schools, summer camps or just plain vacation time, there is always a variety from which to choose. It’s a rare but wonderful occurrence when you find one place that has everything you want for your child, and Camp Gan Israel is it: Loving staff, nurturing environment, amazing itinerary, sense of unity and, lest we forget, supervised

swimming. Most importantly, Camp Gan Israel provides those warm memories they can cherish for their lifetime, the kind of memories that they will regale to their children one day when summer creeps back into the air and again brings with it their fond memories of camp.

For more information about Camp Gan Israel or to sign up, contact Chabad of the Lehigh Valley at 484-351-6511.

JCC’s Leadership-in-Training program offers teens the opportunity to develop leadership skills as they work with campers.

JCC announces Leader-In-Training Program

Camp Gan Israel offers create-a-camp and more

Austin Hedden of Bethlehem, wearing the hat, and friends at Camp Ramah in the Poconos, an overnight Jewish summer camp located in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains for kids and teens grades 2-10.

Another popular spot for campers


Beneficiary Agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley


Beneficiary Agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley


Member of RAVSAK: Jewish Community Day Schools

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

2313 W PENNSYLVANIA ST. ALLENTOWN, PA 18104

610-437-0721 | WWW.JDSLV.ORG

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2014-15 ENROLLMENT

We welcome you to

visit the JDS. To schedule a personal tour, contact CAROLYN KATWAN Director of Marketing & Admissions, at 610-437-0721.

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Matzo Ball Soup

2013BLUERIBB NSCHOOL OFEXCELLENCE

By Barbara WeinrachCongregation Sons of Israel

Congregation Sons of Israel will hold its annual Purim Gala on Sunday, March 23. Honorees for this major event are Murray and Marcia Schechter, longtime Lehigh Valley residents and dedicated volunteers. Together they have spent numerous hours of their time using their skills, talents and energy to benefit seven different organizations in our community: Congregation Sons of Israel, Congregation Brith Sholom, Jewish Family Service, Hebrew Family League, the Chevra Kadisha, Kashrut Commission and Emunah.

Professionally, our honorees also have made important contributions to our Lehigh Valley community. Murray taught mathematics at Lehigh University for 42 years. Marcia began to work as a home health aide and with her ever advancing education became a nurse at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation facility for 10 years. Later, she was hired as a social worker by Meals on Wheels. Presently, she is working for Jewish Family Service where she has been for the past seven years.

Join us as we celebrate with our honorees. The Gala begins at 6 p.m. at the synagogue. A superbly catered dinner will be

served. Entertainment will be provided by a classical music duo Appassionato.

To place your ad in this event’s journal or for more information, please call the Congregation Sons of Israel office at 610-433-6089.


The Federation is accepting contributions, including named scholarship funds, to increase the availability of scholarships granted.

JEWISH TEENS:Experience/Education Scholarships availableScholarships will be awarded to individuals for Jewish teen education experiences that will enrich the recipients, enhance the community, and increase the likelihood of future engagement with Jewish life.

Scholarships are provided by the JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY’s annual campaign, on a non-needs basis.

TEENS MAY REQUEST SCHOLARSHIPS FOR: n Conventionsn Jewish youth group summer programsn Jewish summer campsn Certain trips to Israeln Leadership development programs

DEADLINE: MARCH 31, 2014LIMITED FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE.

Scholarship forms are available at www.jewishlehighvalley.org

For details on all scholarship opportunities, contact:

610.821.5500 | www.jewishlehighvalley.org

SOI to honor Murray and Marcia Schechter

Temple Covenant of Peace hosted a Tu B’shevat seder with Bnai Abraham Synagogue for religious school children and their families on Jan. 12 for the “birthday of the trees.” Rabbi Daniel Stein of Bnai Abraham and Rabbi Melody Davis and Cantor Jill Pakman of Covenant of Peace led the seder, and the families feasted on fruits and nuts, danced and sang because, among other reasons, “the olive trees are standing.”

‘The olive trees are standing’

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By Diane SteinSpecial to HAKOL

Aza vohk! What a week! My husband, Phil, and our two teenage children, Matthew and Lisa, and I just returned from five days at KlezKamp, an annual Yiddish Folk Arts Program in the Catskills. This was our second time at KlezKamp. It was fantastic last year and even better this year! As I’m writing to you, I have Yiddish songs and klezmer tunes swirling through my mind along with images of the smiling faces of many new friends.

Imagine spending five days with more than 200 Jews and some non-Jews, too, from around the world, ranging in age from toddlers to octogenarians and older, who share a love of Yiddish language, culture or arts. We are all surrounded by awe-inspiring talent. That is KlezKamp.

KlezKamp participants arrived at the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa in Kerhonkson, N.Y. on the last Sunday in December and spent Monday through Thursday attending up to four classes a day, eating kosher meals together and experiencing amazing entertainment every afternoon and evening with the opportunity to dance late into each night. Faculty and students shared and learned side-by-side at KlezKamp. Two extra-special treats were the Faculty Concert early in the week and the Student Performances Concert on the last evening.

One of my classes was with Steve Weintraub, a teacher of traditional Yiddish dance at festivals and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Steve is a remarkable dancer and teacher, and his class was educational and great fun! By the way, we in the Lehigh Valley will be very fortunate to have Steve Weintraub here at Temple Beth El on Sunday,

May 4, to teach and lead us in Yiddish dance with live Klezmer music. Watch for details in the upcoming weeks, and mark your calendars now; this will be an afternoon that you will not want to miss!

It amazes me how many musicians at KlezKamp play several instruments and play them all well. They also play all genres of music. For example, one night, after the dance party was over, a group of musicians gathered in the hallway outside of the dance hall and broke into bluegrass music and several people started clogging. Another night, Matthew and the other violinists in the Reading Band played a rousing rendition of Monte Czardas on the stage in between klezmer dance tunes.

The last night at KlezKamp was quite spectacular and emotional. After the student performances were finished and the dance party had ended around midnight, the Ear Band began playing at the back of the dance hall and then marched in a procession through the hallway and into the main lobby of the hotel, where smaller groups of musicians had been jamming all week. The Ear Band, which Matthew joined, played non-stop music for the next couple of hours while circles and snake-lines of people formed and started dancing and kept on dancing late into the night.

Mixed in with these musicians and dancers were onlookers, many taking photos, everyone in his or her own way holding onto this intense and amazing few days that we had together. Some people did go up to bed, but many of the teens and young adults stayed up all night in the hotel lobby, playing tunes, singing together, talking, dozing, not wanting KlezKamp to end and looking forward to seeing each other again next year.

Yiddish, schmoozing, klezmer, shpiln, listening, tantsn, zingn, essn, hugging, smiling, sharing, kibitzing, remembering, looking forward. That is KlezKamp.

To learn more about KlezKamp, go to www.livingtraditions.org and click on the KlezKamp link.

KlezKamp music to the ears


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pragmatism.His bravery in the battle for

Jerusalem in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence made the infantry unit commander the stuff of legend at the age of 20. He took a bullet to the stomach and, when all seemed hopeless, ordered the soldiers who were able to retreat. He eventually crawled to safety.

Five years later, Sharon led a raid on the Jordan-ruled West Bank town of Kibya in retaliation for a terrorist attack that killed an Israeli mother and her two children. The raid killed 69 Palestinians, half of them women and children. Sharon claimed he hadn’t known there were people in the homes he was blowing up, but the stain marked his subsequent military and political careers.

In the 1956 war with Egypt, Sharon captured the strategic Mitla Pass in the Sinai Peninsula after defying orders not to advance. During the 1973 war, he again challenged his superiors who feared crossing the Suez Canal was a risky maneuver that would incur too many losses. But Sharon prevailed, leading his forces across the canal and trapping an Egyptian army unit, a move many consider a turning point in the conflict.

His penchant for insubordination making it unlikely he would ever secure the top military job, Sharon quit the army in 1972 -- returning only to fight in the Yom Kippur War -- and launched his political career. His ability to keep an unruly coalition in line helped Likud leader Menachem Begin win the 1977 elections, ending the hegemony that Labor leaders had enjoyed since the founding of the state.

Sharon was rewarded with the agriculture portfolio, ostensibly because of his farming roots, but also because he turned the ministry into a cash cow for the settlement movement. After another hard-fought Likud victory in 1981, Begin could hardly deny Sharon the prize he had sought for so long: the Defense Ministry.

A year later, in June 1982, Sharon launched Israel’s invasion of Lebanon to push back Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization from its mini-state in southern Lebanon. The invasion rankled both the Reagan administration, which had brokered a mostly successful cease-fire with the PLO nine months earlier, and Sharon’s government colleagues.

On Sharon’s orders, the army breached the 40-kilometer line the government initially said was its goal, pursuing the PLO all the way to Beirut, where it laid siege to the city.

“If he gets the chance, he’ll surround the Knesset with his tanks,” Begin once reportedly joked of Sharon.

The Lebanon war also would give birth to one of the darkest stains on Sharon’s career -- the September 1982 massacre of hundreds of Palestinian refugees by Israel’s Lebanese Christian allies. A state commission subsequently cleared Sharon of knowing in advance of the massacre, but held him indirectly responsible, asserting that he should have anticipated and prevented the carnage.

The commission recommended Sharon’s dismissal, and by the beginning of 1983 he was gone from power. The exile would not last long, however. Sharon rebuilt his reputation, this time as a careful nurturer of alliances. He was an architect of the national unity governments that lasted until 1990.

When Likud returned to power in 1996, Sharon became national infrastructure minister and later foreign minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Americans and Palestinians alike said they appreciated Sharon’s role as an elder statesman who would make sure Netanyahu kept his word. Sharon was critical in achieving the 1998 Wye River Accords that kept the peace process alive through the rest of Netanyahu’s term.

In 1999, Labor’s Ehud Barak ousted Netanyahu, who temporarily retired from politics, and Sharon became head of the Likud. The following year, Sharon visited the Temple Mount accompanied by a large escort of security officers, inflaming Palestinians and -- some have charged -- helping to provoke the second intifada.

The uprising derailed Barak’s efforts to accelerate peace talks and Sharon was overwhelmingly elected prime minister in February 2001. In a flash, the sidelined statesman and disgraced defense minister, the soldier once marked as brilliant but uncontrollable, was in charge. His contemporaries who had kept him back were dead, retired or marginalized.

Sharon and President George W. Bush, who assumed power at the same time, had an affinity dating to 1998, when Sharon hosted the then-Texas governor on a helicopter flight across Israel and the West Bank. Their friendship culminated in Sharon’s greatest diplomatic triumph: the 2004 White House letter recognizing some of Israel’s largest West Bank settlements as realities on the ground and dismissing the demand for a “right of return” of Palestinian refugees to Israel.

In 2005, Sharon carried out one of the most astonishing moves of his career, abandoning his longstanding support for Israeli settlements by evacuating thousands of settlers from Gaza and relocating them inside Israel proper. Months after the disengagement was completed, he broke from Likud, much of which had opposed the operation, and formed Kadima.

His appetites, like his personal ambition, knew few bounds. He routinely feasted on grilled meats on Jerusalem’s Agrippas Street, famous for its late-night eateries. He had gallstones and kidney stones

removed, suffered from gout and, at 5 feet, 7 inches tall, was extremely obese.

In December 2005, Sharon was rushed to the hospital after aides noticed impairment in his speech. He was released two days later having suffered a mild stroke. Weeks later, in January 2006, Sharon suffered a second stroke that left him in a vegetative state from which he would never recover.

Here, too, Sharon defied expectations, holding on for eight more years, fed by a tube but breathing on his own. About a year ago, scientists reported that Sharon had exhibited brain activity in response to external stimulation, a finding that suggested he might have regained some ability to comprehend what was going on around him.

His medical condition began deteriorating significantly shortly before his death, prompting renal failure followed by a decline in organ function.

Throughout his career, Sharon’s motivations were a subject of considerable speculation. How could the man who had cleaned Gaza of terrorists as southern commander in 1971 and helped sire the settlement movement wind up endorsing the 2003 road map for peace and evacuating thousands of settlers?

As a soldier and statesman, Sharon always maintained an acute sense of the possible and the improbable. And unlike some Likud colleagues who were ideologically wed to the notion of Greater Israel, Sharon showed himself capable of putting strategic considerations above other loyalties.

“The Palestinians will always be our neighbors,” the man who once bridled at the mere mention of the word “Palestinian” told the United Nations in September 2005. “They are also entitled to freedom and to a national, sovereign existence in a state of their own.”

Sharon is survived by two sons: Gilad, 46, who has been a keeper of his father’s flame, tending the family farm and publishing a compilation of his father’s writings in 2011, and Omri, 49, who served in the Knesset from 2003 to 2006 and carved out a niche as an environmentalist. Omri Sharon quit because of a corruption probe and served a four-month prison sentence in 2008.

Sharon’s first wife, Margalit, died in an automobile accident in 1962. Two years later he married her younger sister, Lily, who died of cancer in 2000. A son, Gur, from his first marriage died in a shooting accident in 1967. Matthew Berger and Ben Sales contributed to this report.

Ariel SharonContinues from page 1

Chile’s Palestine soccer club stirs furor with map uniform Jewish Telegraphic Agency

A soccer team in Chile’s top league has ignited controversy with its uniforms showing the entire map of Israel as Palestine.

The uniforms of the Palestine Football Club, which was founded in 1920 by Palestinian immigrants to Chile, has the map on the back of the jerseys replacing the numeral.

Local and global Jewish leaders have protested the political nature of the uniforms to FIFA, soccer’s international governing body.

“We know that FIFA prohibits such actions,” Gerardo Gorodischer, president of Chile’s Jewish community, told reporters. “You cannot make a political claim and import the Middle East conflict using the platform of football, using the sport to lie and hate.”

Gorodischer is demanding an apology from the Santiago-based team, whose name in Spanish is Club Deportivo Palestino, and is asking Chile’s national soccer association to ban the shirts.

The shirts debuted on Jan. 4 in the first match of the season, against Everton, which the Palestine team won.

The Palestinian Federation of Chile responded to the Jewish protests.

“We reject the hypocrisy of

those who blame this map but they talk about the occupied territory as disputed territory,” the Palestinian Federation said in a statement.

The Information Department of the Palestinian Federation also criticized “the Chilenean Zionists, who send young Chileneans to Israel to receive military training.”

In a letter to the president of the Chilean National Football Association, the Simon Wiesenthal Center called for the Palestine FC to pay a penalty “for fomenting terrorist intent.”

The Palestinian community in Chile is believed to be the largest outside of the Middle East. At least 300,000 Chileans are of Palestinian descent, according to reports.

French cities ban Dieudonne performances Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Several French cities banned performances by the anti-Semitic comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala following a recommendation by the interior minister of France to the country's mayors.

Shows were banned by mayors in Marseille, Bordeaux, Tours and Nantes, the opening venue of the comedian's national tour that was to launch in January, Reuters reported.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls sent the non-binding recommendation to French mayors to cancel Dieudonne

performances.“I am calling on all

representatives of the state, particularly its prefects, to be on alert and inflexible,” President Francois Hollande told a meeting of senior government officials in Paris, Reuters reported. “No one should be able to use this show for provocation and to promote openly anti-Semitic ideas.”

Dieudonne, whose first name translates as "God given," has been convicted seven times for inciting racial hatred against Jews and is facing an eighth trial for suggesting during a show that the French Jewish journalist Patrick Cohen belonged in a gas chamber. He also is the originator of the quenelle, the increasingly popular gesture in France and Europe that has been called anti-Semitic and a quasi-Nazi salute.

After 10 years, largest eruv in U.K. going operational Jewish Telegraphic Agency

The United Kingdom's largest eruv has become usable for the first time.

The Manchester eruv took 10 years to plan and construct and is the U.K.'s most technically complex enclosure, according to the London Jewish Chronicle.

Eruv experts from Jerusalem spent 10 days inspecting the enclosure before declaring it ready for use in mid-January, the newspaper reported. The boundary is 13 miles long and cuts across three boroughs of Manchester.

According to Jewish law,

the eruv permits religious Jews to carry items in public on the Sabbath, including pushing baby carriages.

Meanwhile, the Conference of European Rabbis has published what it says is the first comprehensive list of kosher products certified by European kashrut authorities. The items are searchable by country, brand name, food type and kashrut authority.

“This online resource is a fantastic example of how modern technology can be used to make religious life a little easier," Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, said in a statement. "The project comes following a huge amount of hard work over recent months, and we will of course continue to update and improve it."


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Fill out the High School Seniors profile form at www.jewishlehighvalley.org or call the JFLV office at 610-821-5500 DEADLINE: Send your senior photo to the JFLV office or [email protected] by APRIL 24, 2014 to be included in June’s graduating seniors special issue of HAKOL.

LET’S SEE YOUR SMILE!seniorsGraduating

AROUND THE WORLD


By Rabbi Yitzchok YagodCongregation Beth Avraham Winter has set in for most of us in the United States and all the more so across the North Country, in places such as Quebec, New England and northeastern Canada, where snows are deep and millions of acres of forest stand silently under the pristine, light cover of snow. You could be forgiven for thinking there is really nothing happening in these forests for another few months. However, if your livelihood involves maple syrup, you know that there are a lot of things happening now and more that is about to happen.

February is a very busy time for the maple syrup producer. That’s because days become longer once again, prompting a flurry of activity inside the maple trees. So begins the very short, unique season for collecting and producing their sweet bounty.

Let me take you on a little tour of a maple forest located in the parish of St. Joseph. This is a small town in the northwest corner of New Brunswick, Canada, far away from almost any civilization, in a most unspoiled and pristine setting near the border of Quebec. To get there, an approximately 12-hour drive from New York due northeast will take you to the town of Madawaska, the eastern-most city in the U.S. Upon arrival in this city, you will cross the border into Canada and continue driving for another half hour, until the paved roads end. At this point four wheel vehicles are more than just recommended; they become basic necessities.

Unless, of course, you have a

snowmobile. Either way, an additional

20-minute drive on a bumpy road will lead you to the access road to Coulis-Divin, the award-winning producer of an entire line of maple products. This name essentially means “divine syrup” and, truly, it is divine.

Upon entering this factory, the immediate impression is of an incredible level of cleanliness. The place is so clean, even the trash pails are gleaming so that you can see your reflection. But now I’m getting carried away. Let me take you through the process so that you will appreciate what goes into your maple syrup.

It starts in the woods. You may expect the sight of a farmer in a warm coat riding a sleigh from tree to tree, bucket in hand, putting a tap into each tree and letting it drip into a bucket. If so, you’ll be disappointed because the process is actually a great deal more sophisticated.

Right behind the factory is a massive forest of more than 30,000 trees. It would take a team of people several weeks to go from tree to tree. Plus, all the sap needs to be taken at about the same time and there is little notice before the sap starts to run.

Instead, there is an entire system for sapping the trees. A series of blue plastic pipes run from tree to tree, almost like a computer network. As soon as the sap starts running in a tree, it drops into these pipes, which widen as they pass more and more trees, similar in this way to local roads feeding into a highway system during rush hour. The pipes reaching the factory are very large, several

inches in diameter. What is quite amazing is the

incredible layout of these pipes. All are laid out to be exactly level; it’s a real sight to watch this entire pipe network emerge from the forest. At the end of this piping is a central pipe leading to a pumping station, which propels the sap into the factory.

The sap is watery and thin in its natural state, so the pumper sends the sap to the evaporator, where it is boiled until it loses most of its volume. Over 30 gallons of sap are used for just one gallon of syrup.

The newly produced syrup then goes through a massive filter, which is actually a series of filters, to remove all impurities and thus give this syrup a clean and golden appearance. Some of the syrup is boiled once again until all the water is out, and what remains is a very tasty and natural sugar, otherwise known as maple sugar. The rest of the syrup is now ready for bottling or packaging in large containers.

The process is organic and natural, with no chemicals or artificial additives. In the case of Coulis-Divin, this maple syrup is totally kosher. Also produced are small amounts of maple butter and maple taffy that have maple syrup as a key ingredient. As a result, all of these products are naturally sweetened.

So, the next time you take a walk outside in the cold, consider what a maple farmer is doing for you at this time. Be well and have a sweet month.

Rabbi Yitzchok Yagod provides kosher supervision in many U.S. and Eastern Canadian companies, including Coulis-Divin, under his trademark symbol.

Ingredients:3 lbs. yams, peeled and cut into ¼-inch rounds

scant 2 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, halved, cored & cut into ¼-inch slices

3/4 c. pure maple syrup1/4 c. apple cider

4 T. salted butter, preferably Keller's

Technique:Set oven at 375 degrees. In a buttered 13”x9” Pyrex pan, alternate the

apple and potato slices, putting them in rows, standing them on end and packing them tightly. Put the remaining ingredients in a heavy saucepan

and bring to a boil. Immediately pour this mixture over potatoes and apples. Cover tightly and bake for 1/2 hour. Uncover; let stand at room temperature for 3 hours, basting occasionally. Set oven at 350 degrees.

Bake for another 1/2 hour, until potatoes and apples are soft, basting occasionally. Let stand for 15 minutes. This dish will be thickly glazed

and delicious! Serve with tilapia coated with macadamia nuts.

February sweet for producers, consumers of maple syrup

Maple-glazed yams with apples

BY SANDI TEPLITZ


Editor’s note: Sami Meir-Levi graduated from high school in the Lehigh Valley in the spring of 2012, then headed for Israel. She writes to us each month of her experiences as a lone soldier -- an Israeli soldier without family living in Israel.

Shalom HAKOL readers,

This weekend, I had the honor of “closing” Shabbat on base! By “honor” I mean I have to stay on base for the weekend while all my friends are at home having fun … It’s Thursday and that’s when most of the people on my base go home, usually around 3 p.m. So while I’m still in my “Bet” uniform, ev-eryone is changing into their pretty, nice “Alef” uniform, carrying their backpacks, standing outside the base, waiting for the bus. And I’m watching … from inside the base … by myself … bye bye, friends.

Being alone at the cross-ing isn’t that bad, I still have my friends who work there, who are not in the army, and they’re good people. My unit takes care of all permits and goods coming in and out of Gaza and the West Bank. My job is to check whether people have permits and also take care of internal organiza-tions and diplomats, making sure they don’t have any problems crossing to Gaza or to Israel. After a certain time I have to do a few reports and

then I can go back to the base. It’s not Shabbat yet, so

I can still open the gym tonight! The combat soldiers love that the gym is now open, though only in the eve-nings and early morning.

Boker tov, Friday morning! Today is usually an easy day because we close at 1 p.m., so after a few more reports, I’m free for the rest of the week-end, until … the ambulances come. This is the reason a soldier from the crossing has to be on base on the weekend and this is why I don’t have to do any guarding either. If there is an ambulance, no matter how severe the patient is or what time, I have to go to the crossing and coordi-nate everything.

Don’t get me wrong, I do like my job, talking with my Palestinian friends, and the weekends can be interesting except when I’m sitting in my bed, wide awake, reading my book, 2 p.m. and no ambu-lance, nothing, nada and then at 2 a.m., I get a call from my commander saying there’s an ambulance coming in 30 minutes. It makes me wonder … Why? Why? Why now?

When I get this call I often think it must be a dream and I say: “No, there’s not.”

And my commander an-swers back “Yes, Sami, there is.”

I roll out of bed and try to put my uniform on as well as possible. After the ambulance is done going in or out, I can

go back to the base and con-tinue sleeping. Once Satur-day night comes it’s all good, I can open the gym, get ready for the week and everything is back on track.

I’m guessing you all are thinking “Wow, what a bor-ing way to close on base,” but I did leave out my one favorite part of closing: Fri-day night dinner. Now don’t jump to conclusions and think “Oh, wow, Shabbat; they must have a super duper yummy meal.”

Not even close. If anything, the food itself

on base is my least favorite part of Friday night dinner. I like it so much because everyone who is on base is at these big long tables: combat soldiers, not-combat sol-diers and commanders. One person says the prayers while everyone stands and listens. It’s nice to have a big dinner with everyone and talk about how we don’t want to stay on base and just be miserable together, that’s what counts.

I’m sort of joking about the miserable part, but any-way, this is my favorite part of the weekend. Miss you all, come visit me!

Love,

Sami Meir-LeviThe Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and other Federations in North America fund the Lone Soldier program.

Lone Soldierwrites home

Sami (seated) getting coffee with friend, Rachel, before “closing” on their bases.

Join Us for These Special Events in Conjuction with Our Production:

Sunday, February 23, 2014 • 5:30 p.m. Chair of theatre Dennis Razze and director of development Deb Walter will host a casual, themed dinner and “behind-the-scenes” conversation. Featuring a full open bar (opening

immediately after the performance), followed by a multi-course dinner.

Dinnerwith

Dennis & Deb

Tickets & information: 610.282.3192Or order online at: desales.edu/act1

Labuda Center for the Performing Arts2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034

WINNER!The 1956 Tony ® Award for

BEST PLAY, the 1956 New

York Drama Critics Circle for

BEST PLAY, and

the 1956 Pulitzer Prize

for DRAMA!

The Diary of Anne Frank By Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett • Directed by Wayne S. Turney

February 19 to March 2, 2014Hiding for two years in a small attic home during the Nazi occupation, young Anne Frank uses her diary to document her deepest feelings. The result is a haunting and lyrical story that reminds us of all that is beautiful and good. In the words of John F. Kennedy, “Of the multitude who throughout history have spoken for human dignity in time of suffering, no voice is more compelling than that of Anne Frank.”

“Out of the truth of a human being has come a delicate, rueful, moving drama.” –The New York Times

Sunday, February 9, 2014 • 3:00 p.m. A featured panel of guest speakers host a spirited dialogue designed to enrich your understanding of the cultural significance of this historic play. Advance purchase is required.

Tea Talk

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 30Muhlenberg Speaker Series: The Image of the Jew as Anti-Imperial Rebel in the Ancient Roman World7 p.m., Muhlenberg College Hillel. With Muhlenberg Professor William Gruen. The first in a year-long series of lectures on “Imagining Jews: From the Ancient World to the American Present.” Program is free and open to the public thanks to a grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31TBE Shira Chadasha7:30 p.m., Temple Beth El. Temple Beth El invites you to share in our Shira Chadasha service. Come cel-ebrate a musical Shabbat service with contemporary American and Israeli music.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 & FEBRUARY 1Annual Shabbos with the ShabbatonesCongregation Sons of IsraelSons of Israel’s Youth Department invites you to join them for their annual Shabbos with the Shabbatones, There will be a special Kabbalat Shabbat davening led by the Shabbatones on Friday at 5 p.m., followed by a delicious family Chinese dinner. Cost: $15 for adults, $10 for children under 12, with a $40 maxi-mum per family. A dessert oneg, brimming with the Shabbatones’ best melodies and zemirot, will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. New this year: Children will learn special songs with the Shabbatones and perform them at the oneg and on Shabbos morning!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2Men’s Club Sunday Morning Breakfast 9:15 a.m., Congregation Sons of IsraelThe Men’s Club of Congregation Sons of Israel invites you to a delicious Sunday morning breakfast where Jeanette Eichenwald will speak on “What’s New in Allentown?” The cost is $6 per person. Please RSVP with your payment by January 28.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2Bethlehem Easton Hadassah Brunch11 a.m., Home of Sandy Weiner, 3230 Highfield Circle, Bethlehem. Annual Hadassah winter brunch. Contact 610-882-2223 for more information.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4PJ Library Presents: Play at the J9 a.m. to 12 p.m., JCC of Allentown, Room LL2. Join PJ Library for a free introductory Parent and Me class for infants and toddlers at the JCC. Featuring a child-friendly Jewish environment with space to crawl and age-appropriate play, structured and unstructured fun including music, crafts and stories and the opportunity to make new friends. Older siblings are welcome and families are welcome to bring nut-free, kosher-style snacks. The 8-week program that follows from Feb. 11 – April 1 is $60 per family, or $40 for JCC members, and is open to the community. Register at the JCC Welcome Center or call 610-435-3571.

FEBRUARY 6, 8 & 9Stagemakers Presents: Willy Wonka Jr. Feb. 6 - 7 p.m., Feb. 8 - 7 p.m., Feb. 9 - 2 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Roald Dahl’s timeless story of the world-famous candy man and his quest to find an heir comes to life in this stage adaptation of “Char-lie and the Chocolate Factory,” which features the songs from the classic family film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” This scrumdidilyumptious musi-cal is guaranteed to delight everyone’s sweet tooth. Tickets will be sold at the door or can be purchased in advance at the Welcome Center.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 PJ Library Tot Shabbat10 a.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. Bring the little ones for a Tot Shabbat service with songs and bless-ings and of course, a PJ Library story. For more infor-mation contact KI at 610-435-9074 or Cantor Jenn at [email protected].

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10TBE Men’s Club Poker7 p.m., Temple Beth El. Come and “Ante-Up,” Texas Hold-em-style. Come play cards with us, and bring your friends. The TBE Men’s Club is sponsoring an evening filled with laughter, refreshments, a big game on TV and a “Flush,” “Straight,” “4 of a Kind,” and “Full House” card playing skills – highest totals at the end of the night win prizes! Enjoy a relaxing evening to socialize and snack. This event is open to the entire community. Cost: $10 per person. Please RSVP “All-in” to Roy Benasaraf at [email protected] or call 610-216-0190.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11Bethlehem Easton Hadassah Book/Film Club1:30 p.m., 218 Georgia Ave., Bethlehem. Book Discus-sion: “Homesick” by Eshkol Nevo. Contact: Roberta Diamond, 610-865-3357.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 122014 Pre-Lent Workshop9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Muhlenberg College, Seegers Union, Rooms 111-112. Limping Into Jerusalem: A Post-Holo-caust Encounter with Holy Week. Henry F. Knight, direc-tor of the Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. $35 Registration Fee. www.ijcu.org.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12Re-Imagining Religion, Nationalism and Justice from the Israeli Margins4:10 p.m., Lehigh University, Maginnes Hall, Room 102. With Atalia Omer, assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Focusing on the perceptions and histories of marginalized groups and hybrid identities within Israeli and Jewish contexts, this talk will show how such voices provide creative resources for conflict analysis and peacebuilding. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies. For more information, contact 610-758-4869, [email protected] or cjs.cas2.lehigh.edu.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14-15Scholars-in-Residence Rabbi Allen Schwartz and Esti SchwartzCongregation Sons of Israel. We are happy to invite you to participate in our program as we host Rabbi Allen Schwartz and his daughter Esti Schwartz. Shab-bat dinner, Friday, 6:30 p.m. with Rabbi Schwartz on the topic “What Happened to the Ten Lost Tribes.” Dinner catered by Boscov’s, cost $20 per adult, $10 per child. Babysitting will be available. RSVP to April, 610-433-6089, and make payment prior to February 11. Shabbat morning, Rabbi Schwartz will give the morning sermon. On Shabbat afternoon, Esti Schwartz will speak to the Women’s Class (men invited) at 3:30 p.m. on “An Analysis of Parshat Ki Tisa and the Golden Calf Debacle.” At 4:15 p.m., Rabbi Schwartz will speak on “Mistaken Customs Based on Mistaken Readings.” For Shalosh Seudot, Esti Schwartz will speak on “A Navi Like Moshe?: Eliyahu vs. Moshe Rabbeinu.”

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15J Nights: Let’s Play! 7:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Chase away those winter blues with an Adult Game Night at the JCC. Join us for games with friends. Sweet and savory light fare; beer; wine and a specialty cocktail included. $25 per person. JCC member value price: $18. Open to adults 21 and up. Stop by or call the JCC Welcome Center at 610-435-3571 to register.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22Java & Jeans10 a.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue. Join us for our monthly Shabbat service designed to discuss current topics of interest as they relate to Jewish laws and practices.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23Maimonides Society Bagel Brunch: Oh, My Aching Back!10:15 to 11:45 a.m., JCC of Allentown. Join Mai-monides Society physicians for a discussion on a universal ailment -- back pain. Featuring Dr. Robert Wilson, Pain Specialists of the Greater Lehigh Valley, Dr. Michael Ringold, Progressive Physician Associates, and Dr. Joshua Krassen, VSAS Orthopedics. Brunch is free for Maimonides Society members and spouses, $10 for community members. RSVPs appreciated. Con-tact Judy Diamondstein at 610-821-5500 or [email protected] to RSVP or for more information.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23“Bethlehem”2 p.m., Lehigh University, Whitaker Labs, Room 303. “Bethlehem,” winner of six Ophir Awards (Israel’s Os-cars) and the country’s entry in the foreign-language category of the Academy Awards will be presented. The film tells the story of the complex relationship be-tween an Israeli Mossad officer and his teenaged Pal-estinian informant. Shuttling back and forth between conflicting points of view, the film is a raw portrayal of characters torn apart by competing loyalties and impossible moral dilemmas, giving an unparalleled glimpse into the dark and fascinating world of human intelligence. This event is co-sponsored by the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies and the JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival. It is free and open to the community. Refreshments after the screening.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25Muhlenberg Speaker Series: Imagining the Vanishing World of the Roman Ghetto7 p.m., JCC of Allentown. With Muhlenberg Professor Daniel Leisawitz. Part of a year-long series of lectures on “Imagining Jews: From the Ancient World to the American Present.” Program is free and open to the public thanks to a grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project.

Community CalendarTo list an event in the Community Calendar, submit your information on our website, www.jewishlehighvalley.org, under the “Upcoming Events” menu.

All events listed in the Community Calendar are open to the public and free of charge, unless otherwise noted. Programs listed in HAKOL are provided as a service to the community. They do not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. The JFLV reserves the right to accept, reject or modify listings.

Celebrate the beauty of Shabbat

Shabbat & Yom Tov Candlelighting Times

Friday, Feb. 7 5:11 pm




Friday, March 7 5:42 pm

Friday, March 14 6:50 pm

Karen Berta

Karen Berta, member and musical director of Congregation Keneseth Israel, will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Monday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Isaac Stern Auditorium. Composer, conductor and pianist Joseph Martin invited Berta to sing with the choir for the 75th anniversary of Shawnee Press music publishers. Martin currently holds the honorable position of music editor for Shawnee Press.

The concert will feature two acts. The choir of Act I will be conducted by Tim Seelig and Mark Hayes. Berta will be singing in the Act II choir conducted by Joseph Martin and Greg Gilpin. Berta will rehearse for this concert in New York City before the performance.

Tickets can be purchased by phone at CarnegieCharge, 212-247-7800, or online, www.carnegiehall.org. Group tickets can be purchased at 212-707-8566 ext. 307 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Want to see your accomplishments in the pages of HAKOL? E-mail them to [email protected].

Honorable MENSCHens

FRIDAYS 8 - 9:30 AM WMUH 91.7

Featuring Cantor Wartellmuhlenberg.edu/wmuh


SUNDAY to FRIDAY

DAF YOMI 7:30 a.m., Congregation Sons of IsraelAre you intrigued by thought-provoking, stimulating and provocative religious dis-cussion? Are you enamored by the depth and scope of the Jewish legal system? Are you curious about Judaism’s perspective on marriage, tort law, Jewish burial, holi-day observance, prayer, blessings and, for that matter, nearly any Jewish topic? Then Sons of Israel’s daily “Daf Yomi” class is for you. Meeting all year long, this class cov-ers the gamut of Talmudic law, studying one page of the talmud each day, and completing the talmud over the course of seven and a half years. Basic Jewish background is recommended.

SUNDAYS

JEWISH WAR VETERANS POST 239 2nd Sunday of the month, 10 a.m., JCC of Allentown A brunch follows each meeting – bagels, cream cheese, lox, herring, pastry and coffee. The veteran and significant other are invited as the guest of the Ladies Auxiliary. Come and enjoy camaraderie and we will even listen to your “war story.” Questions? Call David Weiner at 484-764-7466 or 610-739-2755.

TEFILLIN CLUB & ADULT HEBREW SCHOOL 9:30 a.m. Tefillin; 10 to 11 a.m. Adult Hebrew, ChabadTefillin is for Jewish men and boys over the age of Bar Mitzvah, to learn about, and gain appreciation for, the rich and enrich-ing Jewish practice - the mitzvah - of don-ning Tefillin. Adult Hebrew is an opportunity for you to learn about your heritage and expand your Jewish knowledge so that you can keep up with your child. Contact 610-351-6511.

TSS HEBREW & ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES10 a.m., JCC of AllentownInterested in learning Hebrew for the first time or brushing up your skills? Marcia Berkow teaches adult Hebrew beginning at 10 a.m., followed at 11 a.m. by David Vaida, who will you take you through the great moments across all 5,774 years of Jewish history. Free and open to all. RSVP at [email protected] or 610-820-7666.

TALMUD CLASS FOR BEGINNERS! 10 to 11 a.m., Congregation Beth Avraham of Bethlehem-EastonFor information,contact Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod at 207-217-1094.

MONDAYS

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., JCC of Allentown Friendship Circle is a place for people to meet, make new friends and enjoy each other’s company. We welcome all adults over 50. Friendship Circle meets weekly for lively and enjoyable programs and a delicious lunch. Annual dues - $25. Regu-lar weekly meetings and lunch - $6. First visit - NO CHARGE.

THE RHYTHM OF JEWISH LIVING8 to 9 p.m., Temple Beth ElTaught by: Rabbi Moshe Re’em. This course will examine the ideas, beliefs and practices that define and shape Jewish life through daily, weekly, annual and life-cycle observances. The course is designed as a year-long course for those wishing to learn more about the religious observances of Judaism, theology of the holidays and ritual practices. The course is organized around the Jewish calendar, but includes other daily Jewish rituals.

TUESDAYS

COFFEE WITH RABBI STEIN1 to 2 p.m., Wegmans on Rt. 248, Easton/Nazareth“Meet under the Guitar” and chat about any subject of interest, national, world, community, congregation. Come with your thoughts and point of view. Contact Bnai Abraham Synagogue, 610-258-5343, [email protected].

YACHAD TORAH STUDY GROUP1:30 to 2:30 p.m., JCC of AllentownIt doesn’t matter how much you know, it matters how much you want to know. Bring your curiosity to thet Yachad Torah study group and discover the wonders, adventures and meaning of the Torah. Each FREE session is taught by one of our dedicated clergy members or a respect-ed Jewish educator. Held in the Teach-ers’ Learning Center/Holocaust Resource Room (lower level, JCC). Call 610-435-3571 for information about individual sessions.

JFS-LV’S YIDDISH CLUB 1:30 p.m., Jewish Family ServiceKibbitz in the mama loshen! You don’t need to be fluent — just come and enjoy! Call 610-821-8722 for more information.

100,000 MILES/YR FOR KOSHER!First Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Open to all. Fascinating vignettes from a mashgiach who drives approximately 100,000 miles/year (yes, per year!) to keep the kosher supply chain intact. From rural Arkansas to frigid Nova Scotia, winter and summer, the demands are always there. Contact Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, Kashruth Hotline (24/6), 610-905-2166/207-217-1094, [email protected].

THE DAVEN-CI CODE: UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF JEWISH PRAYER8 p.m., Congregation Beth AvrahamWeekly discussion group focusing on the structure, nuance and poetry of Jew-ish prayer. (Hebrew competence is not required.) Free and open to all.

LATTE & LEARN8 to 9 p.m., Starbucks, Schoenersville Road, BethlehemCome help us figure out the weekly Torah portion! Laid back, lots of fun, no Hebrew required. This event is sponsored by Con-gregation Beth Avraham. This event is free and open to the public. For information, Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod at 207-217-1094.

WEDNESDAYS

CHRONIC CONDITIONS SUPPORT GROUPSecond Wednesday of the month, 10 a.m., Jewish Family ServiceStarting Feb. 12, this new support group will meet monthly for six months. Cost is $5 per group, assistance available if needed. If interested, contact Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper at 610-821-8722 to set up a pre-screening appointment.

JEWISH CURRENT EVENTSFirst Wednesday of the Month, 1:15 p.m., Country Meadows, BethlehemRabbi Stein conducts a current events class at Country Meadows. Residents ex-press their opinions and have the oppor-tunity to ask questions. Sponsored by Bnai Abraham Synagogue. For more informa-tion, call 610-258-5343.

HADASSAH STUDY GROUPEvery other Wednesday, 1:30 p.m., Temple Beth ElAllentown Hadassah presents a stimulating series of short story seminars. All are wel-come to attend these free sessions in the Temple Beth El library. The group will be reading selections from anthologies avail-able from Amazon.com. For dates and stories, e-mail Lolly Siegel at [email protected] or call 610-439-1851.

BETH AVRAHAM TORAH STUDY7 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Torah: It is the common heritage that binds all Jews together. Explore the an-cient healing wisdom of Torah together. All are welcome. Who knows? It might even be fun! RSVP: Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, 207-217-1094, [email protected].

IN-DEPTH STUDY OF THE BOOK OF JUDGES7 p.m., Sons of Israel Abby Wiener teaches an in-depth study of the Prophets. We are currently learning the book of Judges with commentaries and other resources to give us a feel of the time, the people and the lessons in the story. We are a friendly group who have been studying different books of the Prophets almost every Wednesday night for four years, but we’d love you to join and add your thoughts and knowledge to

the discussions. For class location, please call Congregation Sons of Israel at 610-433-6089.

HUSBANDS ANONYMOUSFirst Wednesday of the month, 7:30 p.m., location provided upon signupJoin Rabbi David Wilensky from Congre-gation Sons of Israel for a class for men on ways to improve their marriage. All wives are encouraged to encourage their husbands to attend.

TORAH STUDIES: A WEEKLY JOURNEY INTO THE SOUL OF TORAH7:30 p.m., ChabadTorah Studies by JLI presents: Season Two: A 14-part series. Cost is $36 for the com-plete 14-week series (textbook included). For more information contact 610-351-6511 or [email protected].

THURSDAYS

ADULT EDUCATION CLASS10:15 to 11:15 a.m., Bnai Abraham SynagogueNo preparation or prior knowledge is required. Rabbi Daniel Stein leads an eager-to-learn group. We examine the Torah, Judaism, the holidays, Hebrew and Yiddish literature, well-known stories and poetry. Cost: $10 each semester. Contact 610-258-5343, [email protected].

MOMMY & ME 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., ChabadLed by Morah Devorah Halperin and Mrs. Alli Lipson, Mommy & Me is an innovative program for babies and toddlers to experi-ence Jewish traditions in a stimulating, fun and creative atmosphere. Cost is $10 per class, $40 for full session. For informa-tion and to register, [email protected].

SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Congregation Keneseth IsraelJoin Rabbi Seth and a friendly group of seekers who are exploring the proposed new Reform High Holy Day Machzor to discover its ancient wisdom and modern sensibilities. Newcomers always welcome. Knowledge of Hebrew not required. Come with an open heart and do your part to improve your High Holy Day experience. Contact Ms. Sandra Hari, 610-435-9074. Free and open to the community.

TORAH ON TILGHMAN 12:15 p.m., Allentown Wegmans Cantor Ellen Sussman of Temple Shirat Shalom leads a lunch and learn on the Torah. Shopping is optional. RSVP to [email protected] or 610-820-7666.

FRIDAYS

TCP TOT SHABBAT SERVICE4th Friday of the month, 5 p.m., Temple Covenant of PeaceThis wonderful program introduces children to Shabbat ritual and songs with activities designed especially for our youngest congregants and their families. Arts and crafts, stories and prayer round out the children’s activities.

SHABBAT

INTRODUCTION TO TALMUD8:15 a.m., Sons of IsraelOn Shabbat mornings, come to an Introduction to Talmud class with Dr. Henry Grossbard. This class is free and open to the public.

CHAVURAT TORAH STUDYEach Shabbat following kiddush lunch, Temple Beth ElNo sign-up needed for this class. Taught by Shari Spark. Enrich your Shabbat experi-ence by studying the parashat hasha-vua, the weekly Torah portion, with other congregants, each Shabbat in the library at approximately 12:45 p.m. No previous knowledge or long-term commitments are required to participate as we discuss Torah together.

BNEI AKIVA 5:45 p.m., Congregation Sons of IsraelOn Shabbat afternoons, SOI holds Bnei Akiva, an Israel-centered fun program for kids ages eight to 14. This program is free and open to the public. For information and to RSVP, call 610-433-6089.

Community CalendarCongregations BNAI ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE1545 Bushkill St., Easton – 610.258.5343Rabbi Daniel Stein, ConservativeMORNING MINYAN services are Thursday morn-ings at 7:25 a.m., SHABBAT EVENING services are Fridays at 8 p.m., SHABBAT MORNING services are Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are Wednesdays at 4:15 p.m. and Sun-days at 9:30 a.m..

CHABAD OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY4457 Crackersport Rd., Allentown – 610.336.6603Rabbi Yaacov Halperin, Chabad LubavitchSHABBAT EVENING services are held once a month seasonally, SHABBAT MORNING servic-es are held Saturdays at 10 a.m., RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are held Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m.

CONGREGATION AM HASKALAH1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.435.3775Student Rabbi Tamara Cohen, ReconstructionistWeekly Shabbat services and a monthly fam-ily service with potluck dinner. Religious school meets Sunday mornings. Email [email protected] to learn more.

CONGREGATION BETH AVRAHAM439 South Nulton Ave., Palmer Township – 610.905.2166 | Rabbi Yitzchok Yagod, Orthodox SHABBAT EVENING starts half an hour after candle lighting. SHABBAT MORNING starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by a hot kiddish.

CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.866.8009Rabbi Allen Juda, Conservative MINYAN is at 7:45 a.m. on Mondays and Thurs-days, 9 a.m. on Saturdays and holidays. RELI-GIOUS SCHOOL classes every Tuesday/Thursday at 4:15 p.m.

CONGREGATION KENESETH ISRAEL2227 Chew St., Allentown – 610.435.9074Rabbi Seth D. Phillips | Cantor Jennifer Duretz Peled, ReformServices begin at 7:30 p.m. every Friday night. The first Friday of the month is a FAMILY SERVICE and celebration of birthdays and anniversaries.RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are held Wednes-days at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 a.m.

CONGREGATION SONS OF ISRAEL2715 Tilghman St., Allentown – 610.433.6089Rabbi David Wilensky, OrthodoxSHACHARIT: Sundays at 8:30 a.m., Mondays and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:45 a.m. For MINCHA, MAARIV.

TEMPLE BETH EL1305 Springhouse Rd., Allentown – 610.435.3521Rabbi Moshe Re’em | Cantor Kevin WartellConservativeWeekday morning minyan services at 7:45 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. Shabbat evening services at 7:30 p.m. with the last Friday evening of the month featuring our Shira Chadasha Service . Shabbat morning services at 9 a.m. followed by Kiddush. Religious school classes every Tuesday/Thursday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. Midra-sha school classes Monday at 7 p.m. Shalshelet — Temple Beth El’s new innovative high school program — meets bi-monthly on Monday eve-nings from 7 to 9 p.m. Shalshelet (the chain) is open to ALL 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students in the Lehigh Valley. For more information contact Alicia Zahn, religlious school director, at school at bethelallentown.org.

TEMPLE COVENANT OF PEACE1451 Northampton St., Easton – [email protected]; tcopeace.orgRabbi Melody Davis | Cantor Jill PakmanReformTCP holds Shabbat evening services every Friday night at 7:30 p.m., and a Renewal Shabbat morn-ing service on the 4th Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. A Family Shabbat Service is held on the second Friday night of each month. Our services reflect a diverse culture of traditional, innovative and musical experiences with a Reform Jewish context. Religious School meets on Sunday morn-ings from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. We have family potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Friday of the month. For more information about our temple and activities, see our website at www.tcopeace.org or look us up on Facebook.

TEMPLE SHIRAT SHALOMCantor Ellen SussmanFriday night SHABBAT WORSHIP SERVICES held at 7 p.m. at The Swain School, 1100 South 24th St., Allentown. For more information, Contact Us at templeshiratshalom.org or 610-820-7666.

Ongoing Events

Balloons by Paulette

NILES DUBIN Integrated Massage Therapy

THANKS FOR BEING A SUPERHERO

Super Sunday was a super success! Visit the Jewish Federation’s Facebook page

for photos, and be sure to check your March issue of HAKOL for complete coverage.

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORSAND TO THE JCC FOR HOSTING SUPER SUNDAY

Confronting Anti-SemitismTAKING ACTION AGAINST HATE

Have you ever heard someone make an anti-Semitic joke or remark and felt that you didn’t know how to respond? Are you prepared to speak up? Join the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation as we partner with the ADL to address this issue.

Sunday, March ��, ��12:30 - 3:00 p.m., JCC of Allentown

A FREE WORKSHOP FOR MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS... AND THEIR PARENTS

Learn how to ...• Confront insensitive or hateful comments and behaviors• Challenge anti-Semitic myths with facts• Respond to hate-motivated incidents in school and the community at large• Utilize national and regional resources to fight anti-Semitism on all levels

To learn more or sign up today, contact Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610-821-5500, [email protected], or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.

Documents

HAKOL - February 2014