HILLEL PRESIDENT TO SPEAK IN CLOSTER page 6

SENATOR CORY BOOKER REPORTS FROM ISRAEL page 9

JERSEY CITY SHUL RECOVERS STOLEN TORAHS page 11
GENE WILDER AND THE BLACK-JEWISH ALLIANCE page 32
SEPTEMBER 2, 2016
VOL. LXXXV NO. 52 $1.00

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The Wandering Israeli:

A Musical Travel Journal
Join actor Elad Shippony and musicians Sagi Eiland and
Eran Edri as they interweave theater, storytelling and
live music into an exciting and humorous adventure
along the Pathways of modern-day Israeli-culture.
This highly-acclaimed stage performance has been
showcased at Israels National Theatre The Cameri
since 2008.
Thur, Sept 15, 7 pm in English, 9 pm in Hebrew, $28/$32

Sensational Asian Cooking

with JoJo Rubach
Join us for a fun-filled, delicious evening as JoJo prepares
some unforgettable Asian dishes. Menu will include such
specialties as Philippino Adobo, Korean Short Ribs, Fried
Rice (different ways), Ginger Scallion Noodles and Chicken
in Lettuce Cups. With unique spices and impressive results,
youre sure to elevate your everyday cooking.
Wed, Sept 21, 7-9:30 pm. $60/$75
Call Judy at 201.408.1457.

Come see what the J is all about!

Featuring sample classes in art, dance, drama and more;
the Thurnauer School of Music Open House, featuring our
famous instrumental petting zoo; community mitzvah
project to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on
9/11; moon bounce, balloonologist, face painter, roaming
entertainers, and giveaways and discounts!
Current and prospective members: Enjoy our water park,
gym, pools & fitness center. Current members: Show your
ID and receive a special gift!*
Join the JCC at the Open House:

sun,
sep 11

Save $150 and get $50 in JCC Cash to be used on classes

and services!*
*Restrictions apply. $150 off offer valid through 10/31/16.
Current members: Show your ID and receive a special gift!**
*Must be current member in good standing, 1 per household
Sun, Sept 11, 1-4 pm

teens

adult

Memoirs

SAT/ACT/PSAT Prep Course

explore your life through writing

with irwin dolgoff and Jerry silverstein

with ruth padawer

academic achievement

This workshop offers you an opportunity to

preserve your memories and reflect on your past.
Along the way, youll gain confidence in your
literary voice and learn valuable writing skills.
All welcome, regardless of writing experience.
4 Tuesdays, Sept 13-Oct 11, 9:30-11:30 am,
$90/$110 (no class 10/4)
Call Judy at 201.408.1457.

SATs dont have to be stressful or scary with our

uniquely designed course! Learn tips and tricks as
well as review the basics for the math and verbal
components.
Open House: Tue, Sept 6, 7-8 pm
Class: 6 Sundays, Sept 11-Oct 16, 8:30-11:45 am &
1 Thursday, Sept 29, 6:15-9:30 pm

trips

Cheese 101 at Murrays

Cheese, NYC
Calling all cheese lovers! Led by a cheese expert,
we will taste seven families of cheese paired with
unlimited pours of house wines. Fee includes bus to
and from the JCC. Space is very limited. No refunds.
Wed, Sept 28, 10:45 am-2:30 pm, $120/$145
Call Kathy at 201.408.1454.

to register or for more info, visit

jccotp.org or call 201.569.7900.

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2 JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

Page 3
Take a walk on the worlds scariest glass bridge
Warning: If youre prone to fear of

heights, you might want to skip this

story.
And its okay if you do. The vertigoinducing bridge this article discusses
isnt even in Israel. Its in China. The Israeli connection is the architect, Haim
Dotan. His Tel Aviv staff of architects
and urban designers has built public
and private projects in Asia, the Persian Gulf, Africa, Israel, and Europe.
Dotans new project is one of the
scariest and most beautiful bridges
ever built. The bridge in the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is creating headlines
across the world because of its length,
height, location, and transparency.
For those of us who cope with

crossing bridges by determinedly

looking down at the pavement rather
than over the railing this is definitely
not a bridge for us.
The specs are jaw-dropping: the
bridge is more than a quarter mile
long, 20 feet wide, and is composed of
99 three-layer transparent glass panes
through which visitors can look down
1,000 feet to the ravine below.
The canyon in Zhangjiajie National
Forest in China, with its jagged rock
formations and lush vegetation, inspired director James Cameron when
he envisioned floating peaks in the
film Avatar.
The site is said to be so beautiful
that Dotan first refused the offer to

design a bridge across the canyon,

according to Wired magazine. [The
developer] asked me, What do you
think about a bridge from here to
there? And I said, No, Dotan told
Wired. He looked at me and said
Why, what are you talking about?
And I said, Why do you want a
bridge? Its too beautiful.
But Dotan did build the bridge, and
though it was completed last December, the official opening took place last
month. It has already notched up some
records, including being the longest
and scariest glass pedestrian bridge
in the world.
Dotans condition for designing the
bridge was that it wouldnt ruin the

beauty of this national park in Hunan

Province. I told [the developer], We
can build a bridge but under one condition: I want the bridge to disappear,
Dotan told Wired.
Indeed, the glass see-through bridge
seems to float above the ground and
offers an unobstructed view of the
Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon.
Chinese authorities want this bridge
to be an international tourist attraction
and are staging promotional stunts:
They have invited volunteers to drive
an SUV across the bridge to prove its
safety; and to prove its durability, they
bashed one of the glass panes with
sledgehammers.
VIVA SARAH PRESS/ISRAEL21C.ORG

Agriculture minister:
From out of Zion will go cannabis
In June, the Israeli government

approved a plan to ease restrictions on growing medical

marijuana in Israel.
Now its working
on the details that
will allow for export.
In two years we will
have protocols in place
that will allow farmers to
grow cannabis, Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel
told Israel Radio, according to a report in the online
Hebrew-language magazine
Cannabis.
Israel is known for its progressive regulations governing scientific
research. This gave scientists the freedom to do much research on cannabis and run clinical tests on its efficacy
against a wide range of illnesses.
The minute there will be exports,
it means that the number of growers and quantity of cannabis to be
produced in Israel can be enlarged

greatly, Dr. Nirit Bernstein, a senior research

scientist at the Agricultural Research
Organizations
Volcani Center,
told the Jerusalem Post.
Instead of growing
peppers in the Arava,
people will grow cannabis. Thats the dream
the dream of many
growers now.
Bernstein also said that the
idea of exporting cannabis is
generating a lot of interest among
prospective farmers in Israel.
We can only imagine.
We bet it will excite a lot of Americans eager to support the Israeli
economy.
And we wonder: wouldnt it be
a violation of New Jerseys new
anti-BDS law for police to intercept
unmarked packages received from
LARRY YUDELSON & ISRAEL21C.ORG
Israel?

Candlelighting: Friday, September 2, 7:08 p.m.

Shabbat ends: Saturday, September 3, 8:06 p.m.

For convenient home delivery,

call 201-837-8818 or bit.ly/jsubscribe

CONTENTS
NOSHES ...............................................................4
BRIEFLY LOCAL ..............................................10
OPINION ............................................................ 12
COVER STORY ................................................. 18
DEAR RABBI ZAHAVY................................. 26
DVAR TORAH........................................... 27
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ................................ 28
ARTS & CULTURE .......................................... 29
CALENDAR ......................................................30
OBITUARIES .................................................... 33
CLASSIFIEDS ..................................................34
REAL ESTATE.................................................. 37

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written permission from the publisher. 2016

JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 3

Noshes

All the rest of them are

either sick or dead.
Donald Trumps gastroenterologist and medical validator,
Dr. Harold Bornstein, who wrote a letter in which he said that Trump
would be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.
Later, he amended his statement; he meant that hed be the healthiest
as of January 2017, when the new president will take office.

MR. REINVENTION:

Yakov Smirnoff,
minus the laughs
Remember YAKOV
SMIRNOFF? Back
in the 1980s, he
was a stand-up sensation, comparing the
good things in America
with the bad or difficult
things in his native Soviet
Union. His signature line
(about America) was:
What a country! Well,
the end of the Cold War
in 1989 ended his big
popularity, although he
kept on performing.
From 1992 to 2015, he
owned a theater in
Branson, Missouri, where
he and other acts
performed. Branson, in
the heart of the Ozarks,
is a long way from
Odessa, where Smirnoff,
born Yakov Pokhris, was
raised. He and his
parents were allowed to
come to America in 1979.
He worked as a busboy
in the Borscht Belt
before making it
in comedy.
Branson has declined
a lot in the last 10 years,
because the senior
citizens who loved its
All-American (Andy
Williams, etc.) entertainment theaters mostly are
gone now. But Smirnoff,
62, already has reinvented himself. In the
last few years, he earned
a masters degree in
psychology from an affiliate of the University
of Pennsylvania. That degree fits in nicely with his

first PBS special, Yakov

Smirnoffs Happily Ever
Laughter: The Neuroscience of Romantic Relationships (premieres
Thursday, September 1,
at 8 p.m. on most PBS
stations). In the show,
Smirnoff offers four keys
to success in a relationship, drawing on reputable studies. He also
recounts heart-warming
stories about his parents
inspiring relationship,
which included a lot of
love and laughter.
On Labor Day,
September 5, at 10
p.m., Comedy
Central will premiere a
roast of actor Rob Lowe.
The roastmaster is David
Spade, and the roasters
include JEFF ROSS, 50.
No doubt, Lowes wild
sexcapades in the 1980s
will be brought up, but
its old news: he has been
happily married to his
Jewish wife for 25 years,
and their two sons were
raised Jewish.
JAMES WOLK, 31,
a quite handsome
fellow, will guest
star on Billions, a Showtime series that begins
its second season next
February. Hell play an
innovative tech billionaire. Hes now co-starring
on CBSs Zoo, which
has got great ratings. Its
second season two-hour
finale airs Tuesday,
September 6, at 9 p.m.

Yakov Smirnoff

Jeff Ross

Newton Minow

Minows mellow moment

James Wolk

Steven Hill

Catch this one, whenever you can

The death of actor
STEVEN HILL on
August 23, at 94,
has been widely noted in
the general and Jewish
press. Of course, he was
best known for playing
the Manhattan district
attorney on Law and
Order. Rightly, most of
the Jewish press has
emphasized how he
gradually became more
religiously observant
during his long career
and how his Shabbat
observance cost him a
great TV role in 1967: He
was the original team
leader on Mission:
Impossible. But heres a
role that was barely mentioned in the obits, but
showed Hill at his best.

The 1988 film Running

on Empty starred JUDD
HIRSCH and Christine
Lahti as a couple of
1960s radicals on the run
for 20 years. They
planted a bomb in a
napalm lab, and accidentally killed a janitor. Their
son, played by the late
RIVER PHOENIX (Rivers
real-life mother is
Jewish), is a very talented high school musician
but he has to forego a
Juilliard scholarship lest
he give his parents
location away. Roger
Ebert called this film,
directed by the late
SIDNEY LUMET and
written by JAKE
GYLLENHAALs mother,
NAOMI FONER, one of
the years best. Ebert
said that the films high

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

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JEWISH
STANDARD1 SEPTEMBER 2, 2016
E-Class_StripAd.indd

Last week, I noted that NEWTON MINOW, 90, gave

Michelle and Barack Obama their first law jobs at his
firm. Well, I didnt realize until this week that a feature
film about their meeting and first date, called Southside Calling, opened on August 26. Sadly, Minow isnt a
character in the film, which got good reviews. Thats too
bad, because Minow relates in the documentary about
his life that he ran into the couple on their first date, and
they were embarrassed because Michelle nominally was
Baracks supervisor. He said he told them to relax and
have a good time. The president, he adds, always says to
N.B.
him that he Minow brought them together.

point comes when Lahti

meets with her rich
father, played by Hill, and
asks him to take her son
so he can attend Juilliard.
In his 10 minutes or so on
screen, Hill conveys all
the pain of this father,
who hasnt seen his

daughter in 20 years.
Somehow he gives us, in
minutes, and with few
words, a precise portrait
of this fathers anger at
his daughter and at the
situation, while still
showing us his enduring
N.B.
love.

California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at

Middleoftheroad1@aol.com

The
All-New
2017
E-Class
Sedan
6/20/16 4:26 PM

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IN
Since
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Some space
available in Teaneck
for fall, ages
2 1/2 to 6

Ages 2 1/2 to 6 years

Gan Yaldenu

Teaneck & Bergenfield

Catering to children from all sects of the
Jewish community 6 weeks to 6 years old
Education based on progressive learning, experimentation
and activities that foster a life-long love for learning.
Hands-on practice in which children are developed cognitively,
physically, emotionally and socially.
Jewish celebrations through stories, arts & crafts, games,
music, movement, dramatic play, science and cooking.
Highly educated, experienced teachers in Early Childhood
that are also trained in CPR and first aid.
Year- round and summer programs.
Outdoor playground and in-ground wading pool.
Nursery program: 9am- 1pm Pre-K: 9am - 3pm
Open 7:30 am to 6:30 pm for extended care hours
After-school program available for siblings up to 6 years old

We welcome visitors. Stop by or call.

Ages 6 weeks to 6 years

JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 5

Local
Fingerhut on Hillel
College organizations president to speak in Closter
JOANNE PALMER
Parents always worry when their children
go off to college.
Who will they meet? Will they eat right?
Will they sleep right? Will they work? Will
they play too hard? Or not at all? Will they
drift away? Will they stay in some other
part of the country? Will they call?
Will they be okay?
And of course Jewish parents have a
whole other set of worries. Will my kid
meet other Jews? Date other Jews? Marry
a Jew? Have Jewish kids?
Most likely, each generation of parents
has had its own specific issues. This generation of Jewish parents has to worry about
what seems to be an upsurge of anti-Zionist feeling on some campuses, and what
seems to turn into anti-Semitism on a few
of them.
There also are quite a few organizations
that help Jewish students stay connected
to the Jewish community, and to counter
the hostility that some might meet and
more might fear meeting. Chief among
those organizations, of course, is Hillel
International, the organization that offers
a home to Jewish students on more than
550 campuses around the world.
Eric Fingerhut, Hillels president, joined
the organization in 2013; before that, hed
gotten an inside view of university life as
chancellor of the Ohio board of regents,
and hed seen governance up close during
a term as a Democratic member of Congress from Ohio. Now, with those and a
wide range of other experiences that combine in a wide-ranging background, hes
running Hillel.
On the Shabbat that begins on Friday,
September 9, hell talk about Hillel and
Jewish life on campus at Temple EmanuEl of Closter. (See box.)
One of the things I love about Hillel is
that we get it all, Mr. Fingerhut said. All?
Whats that? We embrace all forms of
Jewish practice, he said. I can go from
Who: Eric Fingerhut, president of Hillel
International
What: Will be scholar in residence
Where: At Temple Emanu-El of Closter,
180 Piermont Road
When: On Shabbat, September 9-10;
hes speaking at Shabbat services,
which begin at 9, and again informally
at kiddush.
Why: To examine how to be Jewish
and proud on campus.
For information: Go to templeemanuel.com or call (201) 750-9997
6 JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

Eric Fingerhut, Hillels president, relaxes.

a Reform minyan with a guitar to a Conservative minyan led by a woman to a traditional mechitzah minyan, and then we
all get together and have dinner together.
Thats whats so powerful about Hillel. It allows us to connect to all forms of
Jewish life, and to build up one unified
community.
Hillels vision and responsibility is to
inspire every Jewish student to build an
enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel, he continued.
To be realistic, how do you do that? We
take seriously the mission and responsibility to reach every Jewish student on campus today, he said. They are coming
from a very diverse set of backgrounds.
We have many students from families

HILLEL INTERNATIONAL

that are very involved in the Jewish community and others that come from families that have no personal involvement in
the community. We have students from
multifaith families, students of color, students with disabilities. Hillels work is to
engage everyone, and to build a unified
Jewish community on campus, through
some of the most sophisticated peer-topeer engagement strategies that exist anywhere in the Jewish world.
Hes talking about a model that has professionals working with student leaders,
who reach out to their fellow students.
Its wide-ranging work, and it gives the
student leaders the chance to tailor their
approaches, learning how to listen, how to
intuit, and how to bend without breaking.

Its an approach that forms the strongest

commitments, and it also builds student
leadership, Mr. Fingerhut said.
There are about 400,000 Jewish undergraduates in North America, Mr. Fingerhut
estimated, and about 100,000 to 150,000
graduate students; about 85 percent of
them are clustered in no more than 250
campuses on the continent, and the other
15 percent is scattered everywhere else.
Despite what we hear about the hostile environment Jewish students face
on campus, every campus is different,
Mr. Fingerhut said. There certainly are
some schools where students are going to
experience and encounter it it being
anti-Zionism or anti-Semitism or both
in a much more forceful way, although
there are many schools where they will
not encounter it, or they will just in a
minor way.
It is a very diverse ecosystem, ranging from large public universities to small
colleges. But it is certainly a serious issue.
College campuses are a focus of the global
BDS movement, which has organized and
created strategies that affect student life on
campus. (BDS is the Boycott, Divestment,
and Sanctions movement that hopes, so
far unsuccessfully, to create economic
havoc in Israel by delegitimizing and stigmatizing its products.)
How does Hillel help students? I say
two things to parents, Mr. Fingerhut said.
It is important to be part of the community. A community cant come together
just to respond to a challenge.
UJA Federation of New York said that
We were there on 9/11 because we were
there on 9/10. We urge students and parents to be involved in the Jewish community on campus, even if they are so
engaged in Jewish life anyway that they
dont need identity building. We need
them to be part of the community.
Judaism operates as a community.
We dont live on mountaintops, or at
Walden Pond. You have to be part of the
community.
That was point one. Mr. Fingerhuts second point is that you have to be knowledgeable about the issues. We know that
every student is different. We dont expect
them all to be on the front lines of this
or any other issue, but we do hope that
each student will take the opportunity
to become knowledgeable about Israel
or the Jewish people. That way, when
they become involved in a discussion in a
class or in the dorm or at a party, they can
respond effectively.
We want them to go on Birthright. We
are big promoters of Onward Israel and

Local
Masa. We want them to learn as much as
they can, to engage as much as they can, so
when the issues arrive, they can respond
effectively. (Birthright Israel takes Jews
between 18 and 26 years old to Israel on a
free 10-day trip. Onward Israel is the next
step, a six- to ten-week immersive program
in Israel; it is not free but is heavily subsidized. Masa comes next; it offers five- to
12-month internships, volunteer opportunities, and other programs in Israel. Hillel
works closely with all these organizations,
and others as well.)
Some schools environments are particularly hostile, Mr. Fingerhut said. Take,
for example, Vassar College, a liberal arts
school in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., one of the
Seven Sisters. (Full disclosure its my
alma mater, so I am particularly aware of
and horrified by the situation there.)
Vassar is an example of a school where
the anti-Israel environment became pervasive throughout many of the academic
departments, and truly pervasive, Mr.
Fingerhut said. (He did not have enough
time and I do not have enough space to
address why that anti-Israel feeling should
infect academics, but it does. Thats a
given.) It was truly unbalanced, and that
created a fertile environment for antiIsrael students.

Vassars administration was slow to

realize the extent of the problem, he said.
And different kinds of schools pose different kinds of problems. This obviously
would not be so terrifying if it was one
school in a university of 50,000 people,
but its a small school it enrolls fewer
than 2,500 students and anti-Israel
sentiment tends to be more concentrated
in the humanities and social sciences. It
has created an environment where one
side of the issue has not been represented
among the faculty or in the conversation
on campus.
But its not all grim. We have a cooperative working relationship, he said. At a
place like that, Hillel plays an exceedingly
important role. We know that we have to
be prepared and agile.
There are many important concerted
efforts that Hillel is engaged with, both
alone and with partners, to make changes
at the school, he continued. We work
closely with those partners. And weve
brought speakers like Ari Shavit, the
Israeli journalist whose book, My Promised Land, is a highly respected look at all
sides of the political situation in Israel to
campus. Its made a difference, he said.
(In fact, he added, Mr. Shavit has spoken
on more than 40 campuses.)

BDS is losing ground overall, Mr. Fingerhut said. Its morphed a little bit, because
the pro-Israel community remember
that we have allies, and the pro-Israel
community is not all Jewish has become
more organized.
Among other responses, the Jewish
community has increased resources and
programming available on campus for Jewish and non-Jewish students who want to
learn about Israel.
That has not pleased the communitys
opponents.
In response, there is a growing frustration among the BDS forces, because
theyre not gaining traction, so the result
is that there are fewer BDS campaigns
but a growth of disruptive behavior on
the part of BDS advocates, Mr. Fingerhut continued. This is in many ways
more disconcerting that just a campus
political debate, because you are talking about physical intimidation, about
breaking student codes of conduct, and
of course about safety. So this is an occasion for us to engage with the university
on issues of safety and the question of
what is acceptable behavior and what is
out of bounds.
The good news, he said, is that there
is a huge increase of pro-Israel activity on

campus. We have more than doubled the

number of pro-Israel events, and there has
been a five-time increase in student participation in those events. Our Birthright
recruiting numbers are up.
Hillel also works with many other organizations, including the David Project and
StandWithUs, and it has a relationship
with the Jewish Agency, which has begun
sending representatives Israel Fellows,
or sclichim to more than 70 campuses.
It works with an alphabet soup of other
Jewish organizations, including the ADL
(the Anti-Defamation League, of course)
and the ICC (Israel on Campus). Its also
worked with J Street on some issues,
although that relationship is fraught with
tension, given that J Streets overly political in ways that Hillel is not, and given
that the direction of its politics does not
always jive with those of many other
pro-Israel activists. Still, the relationship
exists. When we can, we work together,
Mr. Fingerhut said.
So, the problems facing Jewish students
on campus are real, and they are new to
this generation of students, but, Mr. Fingerhut said, they are far from insurmountable, and Hillel is there to help not only
with those issues but the perennial ones.
Hes glad to talk about all of it.

Nefesh BNefesh Presents

Behind the Scenes in the Knesset:

MY LIFE IN ISRAEL
AN EVENING WITH

RABBI DOV LIPMAN

Join us at one of these locations

for an inspiring night of anecdotes
and first-hand reflections.

SUNDAY, SEPT 11TH AT 7:30PM

Congregation Ohab Zedek (OZ)
Rabbi Dov Lipman was
elected to the 19th Knesset
in 2013, becoming the first
US-born MK in 30 years.
Rabbi Lipman will share
his journey from new Oleh
to active player on the
Israeli political scene.

118 W 95th St. New York, NY

MONDAY, SEPT 12TH 8:15PM

Congregation Beth Aaron

950 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck, NJ

TUESDAY, SEPT 13TH AT 8PM

Young Israel of Jamaica Estates
83-10 188th Street, Jamaica Estates, NY

For more information,

contact Nefesh BNefesh:
1-866-4-ALIYAH
www.nbn.org.il

These events are free

and open to the community.

JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 7

Local

Parenting center to launch at TEPV

Woodcliff Lake shul aims to provide a partner in the process
LOIS GOLDRICH
It was the right time, said Richard Tannenbaum, executive director of Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley.
After all, the Woodcliff Lake synagogue
had just hired a new rabbi, Loren Monosov
who has two young children of her own
as well as a new director of early childhood education, Debbie Wanamaker. And
last year, TEPV had welcomed a new cantor, Alan Sokoloff. The stars, so to speak,
seemed to be perfectly aligned.
It was almost organic, Mr. Tannenbaum said. Especially since the YJCC in
Washington Township closed, weve been
talking to parents about the things they
need. With new staff in place to meet those
needs, the synagogue was ready to go.
Were very excited, because in this
area, a program like this doesnt really
exist, Mr. Tannenbaum said, noting that
while other institutions in the area do offer
some parenting classes, TEPVs new parenting center will provide a comprehensive, unified program with a uniquely
Jewish blend.
I know that Hackensack Hospital has
something for young parents, and there
are programs at 92 Street and the JCC in
Tenafly, he said. (To be exact, hes talking about the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan and the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades.)
But a dedicated parenting program with a
uniquely Jewish blend certainly is a new
addition to the community.
The center will include a parents lounge,
where people with preschool children can
drop in, have coffee, and speak to friends; a
roster of speakers, drawn from experienced
early childhood educators, and hands-on
programming for infants and toddlers.
Speakers will deal with things on parents minds, whether children with anxiety, child development, how to communicate with your child, or routines and
rituals, Mr. Tannenbaum said. Were
bringing a service to the community. All
community members are welcome and
some of the programs, including the lectures, are free, he added.
Rabbi Monosov is committed to this,

From left, Debbie Wanamaker, the director of the parenting center at Temple
Emanuel; Liz Sagat of Woodcliff Lake; Rabbi Loren Monosov; and shul president
Susan Bromberg stand with Ms. Sagats three daughters as Rabbi Monosov cuts
the ribbon.

Mr. Tannenbaum said. The rabbi took up

her position in mid-July, and soon afterward she created an outdoor classroom
near the playground where children gathered to share stories and watermelon on
Friday afternoons. She calls it Shabbat in
the Shade, he said.
While organizers plan to target specific concerns already voiced by parents,
as the parents get together, well listen
to their needs, Mr. Tannenbaum said.
He noted as well that while the program
is open to the community, a lot of what
we do will be in a Jewish context. Just as
some synagogue nursery schools serve
both Jews and non-Jews, it doesnt alter
the character of the program, he said.
Debbie Wanamaker, the shuls new early
childhood director, said that the new centers mission is to offer insight into the
experience of being a parent, serving as
a unique resource providing support and

education to parents faced with the everyday challenges of raising children.

At the same time, it is a place where
parents can spend time with their young
children and socialize with other parents.
Those parents may well include Rabbi
Monosov, who envisions the center as
a partner in parenting. In most cases,
parents and children will attend classes
together. The intention is that while children are playing and learning, parents will
interact with peers and teachers.
The parenting center program will have
three components.
Parents with infants through 12 months
can attend a free drop-in playgroup, parents and toddlers 12 months through 18
months can participate in the Come Play
with Me program, and parents with toddlers from 18 through 24 months will be
offered a Toddlers-to-Be program, gradually transitioning to the On My Own class.

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Anxiety, academic pressure, bullying school isnt easy for everyone.
If your child is worried about the start of the year,
our professional clinicians are here to help.
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8 JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

According to Mr. Tannenbaum, the

playgroup will give parents an opportunity to play with their children and talk to
other parents. It will give them a sense of
comfort, he said. The Come Play with Me
class, which the synagogue has run before,
will now be under the umbrella of the
parenting center. Theres more foundation
for learning and discovery. It begins the
childrens experiential journey in learning. Toddlers will be offered circle time,
music, and, at some point, some separation from their parents. The parents step
back, Mr. Tannenbaum said. Social interaction is the key.
The parenting center will open officially
in the middle of September and continue
throughout the year. Based on the synagogues past experience with early childhood programming, Mr. Tannenbaum
expects at least a couple of dozen participants initially, but he is confident that
attendance will grow through word of
mouth. Were the address in the Pascack
Valley, he said. When parents move
here, they call us.
PLAYGROUP SCHEDULE
Fridays, twice monthly,
9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Fall dates: September 23,
October 7 and 21, November 4 and 8,
December 2 and 16
Free
COME PLAY WITH ME
Wednesdays, 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
September 28 to December 14,
12-week session
Cost: $240
TODDLERS-TO-BE
Thursdays, 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
September 29 to December 15, 10week session
Cost: $25
All classes are held in the youth
lounge at Temple Emanuel, 87 Overlook Drive, Woodcliff Lake. Registration is required. For information and
registration, call Debbie Wanamaker
at (201) 391-8329 or email her at
debbie@tepv.org, or email Cheryl
Mazen at cheryl@tepv.org.

Local

How Sen. Booker spent his summer vacation

LARRY YUDELSON
Cory Booker is home from Israel.
The New Jersey Democratic senator
spent five days in Israel last month, part
of a Middle East trip that included stops in
Iraq and Jordan.
It was his second trip there this year. He
went with a delegation of eight senators
in January.
This trip started off with just him and his
staff. In Israel he was joined by Republican
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. We
were there to show our bipartisan support
for Israel, Mr. Booker said.
Tim is really an impressive senator, one
of the future stars of the Republican party,
Mr. Booker said.
The two senators are the only African
Americans in the Senate. (In fact, they are
the only two African Americans to have
been elected to the Senate and serve at the
same time.)
The two of us are of African descent,
he said. Thats why he was so pleased; we
got to have a chance to meet with Ethiopian leaders to learn more about the community and the incredible heroic story
of the Israeli Mossad and the Ethiopians
themselves that led to the rescue.
They met with Dr. Avraham Neguise, a
Likud Knesset member who was born in
Ethiopia and came to Israel in 1985, and
with Mehereta Baruch-Ron, Tel Avivs deputy mayor, who emigrated from Ethiopia
when she was 10 years old. The community is making tremendous strides, Mr.
Booker said.
They visited a jewelry company teaching jewelry making to Ethiopian women
also a few men, but mostly women.
If you know Maimonides hierarchy of
tzedakah hierarchy of giving thats the
highest level, training people for jobs, Mr.
Booker said. (Its not surprising to hear
Mr. Booker wax rabbinic; although he is a
practicing Protestant he is well educated in
Jewish texts and has many connections to
the Jewish world.)
We got a chance to go to one of the Ethiopian community centers, to just engage
with some of the young people and hear
more, Mr. Booker continued. Im interested, especially as a former mayor of
Newark, from 2006 to 2013 in how are
you helping communities with that transition, from absolute poverty to being fullfledged Israeli citizens with a strong pathway to the middle class.
It all was very enlightening.
Mr. Booker said that as a member of the
Senates Committee on Environment and
Public Works, he wanted to hear about
Israels progress on water conservation,
how theyve solved so many problems
with their innovations, how their agricultural yields are higher than in other places.
Theres a lot there to take back. Theres so

much genius in their technology and innovations, he said.

His meetings also dealt with security
issues. It was important to do a deep dive
with experts, from former military experts
to current leaders, he said.
He met with former Israeli President
Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When he talked to Mr.
Netanyahu, the fact they stood on opposite sides on the debate over the Iran deal
Mr. Netanyahu opposed it, Mr. Booker
supported it didnt come up.
We may have had differences there but
thats past us, Mr. Booker said. Were
both focused now on the implementation
of the deal. We have to make sure implementation continues to be done with
fierce oversight.
The senator said he heard some vindication for his support of the agreement.
When I met with former military folks,
I found some affirming comments from
them that the immediate nuclear threat
has been pushed back a decade more,
he said.
The Movement for Black Lives, the coalition of activist groups that includes Black
Lives Matter, published an agenda that
criticized Israel for genocide and advocated BDS. What does Mr. Booker make of
it? Im not sure what the controversy is,
he said. This is not the Black Lives Matter
platform. This is an umbrella organization
that has many organizations underneath it.
Anyone who understands Black Lives
Matter knows there is no central leadership making decisions. Its a grassroots
movement with no leaders. Its a movement focused on the U.S. and the criminal
justice system.
Our first concern is knowing those
facts on the urgent issues facing African
American citizens in particular. But all of
us are invested in a criminal justice system
thats fair.
Making the system fair, he said, requires
undoing the damage caused by the war
on drugs, which led to a massive increase
in Americas prison population, and a
disproportionate number of arrests of

African Americans.
Because of the war on drugs, he said, we
have places like Florida, where one out of
every five black people cant vote because
they are felons.
That racial difference in the application of the criminal justice system, he said,
is so contrary to Jewish values. The most

energizing thing about Black Lives Matter is its talking about how we can bring
about justice.
The question of Israel in the platform is
a distraction from an urgency that is not a
black urgency but an American urgency, the
same way Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner spilled their blood together, he said.

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JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 9

Briefly Local
NCJW supplies
children with
school needs

Standing, far left, are Rebbetzins Chana Wolff and Shterney Kanelsky, with
the women taking the tour.
COURTESY BRIS AVROHOM

Ukraine womens group tours

Bris Avrohom headquarters
Recently, a Jewish group of women from
Odessa, Ukraine, under the direction
of Rabbi Avrohom and Chana Wolff,
emissaries of the Chabad Jewish community of Odessa, visited Lubavitch
headquarters in Brooklyn and went to
the grave of the late Rabbi Menachem
Schneerson in Queens. Afterward, they

toured Bris Avrohoms state-of-the-art

Bat Sheva Chaya Esther Mikvah. They
were led by Rebbetzin Shterney Kanelsky, Bris Avrohoms associate director;
the mikvah was named in memory of
one of her daughters. A dinner and farbrengen at Bris Avrohoms headquarters followed.

Ohel hosts retreat

at Bushkill Inn
Last week, more than 120 clients and
staffers from Ohels adult mental
health services clients and staff went
on a three-day retreat to Bushkill Inn
in the Poconos. All the clients live in
an Ohel residence or in Ohels supported housing and apartment programs. With the help of Ohels team of
staff and therapists, many participants
with significant psychiatric disabilities
are effectively managing their illnesses
and lead fulfilled, independent lives,
integrated in the community.
This annual trip provides participants with temporary relief from
the anxieties of life. It gives them an
opportunity to go beyond their normal
limits, and the freedom to push themselves out of their comfort zones.
Ohel serves thousands in need every
day in communities in New Jersey,
New York, California, and worldwide.
For information, call (800)-603-OHEL
(6435) or go to www.ohelfamily.org.

Last month, several members

of the Bergen County Section of
the National Council of Jewish
Women spent an afternoon packaging school supplies provided by
generous members. The supplies
were organized into 20 backpacks
and four large bags. Donations
included backpacks, composition
books, pens, pencils, crayons, and
gift cards.
The supplies were distributed to
children at Youth Consultation Services Holley Center, the Center for
Hope and Safety, Bergen Family
Center, and Womens Rights Information Center.
There is a full list of the community services supported by
NCJWBCS at www.ncjwbcs.org/
Community Services.

From left, Ruth Seitelman and Barbara

Berger-Brill, NCJW BCS vice presidents of
community service, and presidium member
Marcia Levy pack school supplies for children in need. 
COURTESY NCJW BCS

JFSNJ honors Dr. Michael Goldberg

The Jewish Family Service of
Leslies grandmother, Lilli
North Jerseys annual calenMueller, a Holocaust survivor
dar datebook will honor Dr.
whom he treated toward the
Michael Goldberg, an active
end of her life.
Dr. Goldberg also has been
JFSNF board member who
president of Temple Beth Rishas been its vice president,
hon in Wyckoff and a member
coordinated successful events,
of the board of health in Frankand chairs the fundraising committee.
lin Lakes.
Dr. Goldberg brought the
Dr. Michael
The calendar datebook, coGoldberg
DASH program (Dental Assischaired by Susan Nagler and
tance for Survivors of the Holo
COURTESY JFSNJ
Elaine Schlossberg, is a fundcaust), which provides free denraiser that supports the protal care to survivors who cannot afford it.
grams and services JFSNJ has provided
JFSNJ is the only organization in New Jerto Northern New Jersey for 72 years. To
sey, and one of only three in the nation, to
place an ad, go to www.jfsnorthjersey.
provide such care.
org and click on Whats New, or call
A dentist for more than 40 years, Dr.
(973) 595-0111. The ad deadline is September 30.
Goldberg was inspired in part by his wife

Norpac meeting
to hear official

An Ohel participant on a hike at the

Bushkill Inn.
COURTESY OHEL

David and Rena Schlussel welcome back Representative

Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.) at a
Norpac meeting in Teaneck on
Sunday, September 18, at 7:30
p.m. Mort and Esther Fridman
join the Schlussels as event
chairs. For information, email
Avi@NORPAC.net or call (201)
788-5133.

David and Rena Schlussel, left, with Congressman Chris Smith. 

COURTESY NORPAC

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Local

Rabbi Aaron Katz

Just a no-goodnik
Burglarized shul recovers Torahs
as fired caretaker is charged
LARRY YUDELSON
It is a tale of theft, recovery, and perhaps
a deeper loss.
Last week, Congregation Bnai Jacob
in Jersey City was the victim of theft
twice.
On Monday, August 22, someone
broke into the caretakers apartment in
the synagogue and stole two air conditioners, a refrigerator, and a television.
The next night, the criminal struck
again. This time, two Torah scrolls were
taken. So were the congregations silver
Torah ornaments, valued at $50,000.
The silver ornaments were taken from
the synagogues safe, in an office where
the two Torah scrolls that were stolen
had been stored. The Torah scrolls in the
ark were not touched.
This might not seem an auspicious
introduction to New Jersey for Rabbi
Aaron Katz. Rabbi Katz is new to the
congregation, where he started working on July 1. He came to Jersey City
from Miami.
But, the rabbi said last week, This
showed me also how strong the community is, how strong we are, how we
are looking forward to the future. Whats
amazing is to see how the board of directors, how the members, how everyone is
acting and collaborating.
This tzuris makes us stronger, he
said, using the Yiddish word for trouble.
As it happened, it didnt take all that
long for the police to find the thief.
Not many people knew the password
to the safe where the Torah ornaments
were kept. And a security camera outside a nearby parking lot captured the
picture of a suspect carrying the stolen
items in the night.

Before the week was out, police

arrested Thomas Dobles and charged
him with the burglary.
Mr. Dobles had been the synagogues
caretaker. The synagogue fired him on
August 11.
Mr. Dobles, 39, began working as the
caretaker last winter. He took over the
job from his parents, who retired to
Florida after working at the synagogue
for 25 years.
He was doing something incorrect in
the property, Rabbi Katz said, explaining the firing. Then began the tzuris.
Mr. Dobles had at least two run-ins
with the law before the thefts from
the synagogue.
In June, he was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon a dagger
and with providing a false name to
officers after being pulled over in Secaucus for obstructing traffic. In the early
hours of August 12, he was arrested in
Bayhead, in Ocean County, for outstanding warrants.
The two Torah scrolls have been
recovered. It turns out that Mr. Dobles
stashed them in the synagogue, locked
in a cabinet, presumably waiting for his
planned return. The silver Torah ornaments have not yet been found, however, though Rabbi Katz said the police
still are investigating.
It was an awful thing to happen,
Jane Canter of Jersey City, who recently
stepped down as co-president of the synagogue, said. Ms. Canter was one of the
three ladies sitting on a bench with our
babies in carriages and talking back in
1959; that conversation, she said, led to
the synagogues founding.
Were the thefts the biggest disaster in

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JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER
2, 2016
11

Editorial
Saying goodbye
to the summer

ts funny. Just the way the Jewish holidays are never on time
theyre always early or late (and
this year theyre very, very late)
this year Labor Day is fairly late too.
But because although it doesnt
affect the time of sunset or the length
of the shadows or the heat of the sun,
Labor Day marks the end of the summer, no matter when Labor Day falls,
no matter how late it is, its always
too early.
Theres something undeniably
exciting about Labor Day. All of us
were children once; we all remember what a new school year felt like,
the excitement, the thrill, the new
clothes, the new school supplies, the
fresh everything, the uncertainty, the
tiny but undeniable trickle of dread.
Even those of us who have fulltime
year-round jobs still remember how
those lengthening shadows and the
increasingly golden tinge to the everearlier late afternoon light meant that
the summer was over.
Everything starts again now in
absolute earnest school, college,

TRUTH REGARDLESS OF CONSEQUENCES

the High Holy Days, the homestretch

of this unprecedentedly insane presidential election, baseballs pennant
race. Pretty soon well get to wear
long sleeves, and sweaters, and tights,
and boots cozy things and begin
to fantasize about the fireplaces that
will light the coming winter.
So before we let this summer
entirely go, before we say goodbye
to the shorts and sunscreen and the
unmistakable smell of wet bathing
suits scrunched up tightly in rubberlined camp bags and humiditys tight
curls, lets all have one last glorious
barbecue, one more hot-pink watermelon, one more sweet drippy fuzzy
peach, one more late night out as the
sun goes all golden and the air stays
soft and nostalgia for the season just
ending is palpable in the liminal air.
And then onward! The new season beckons. This is the month of
Elul, which leads to Rosh Hashanah,
Yom Kippur, and then the holidays
that follow. But for now, we wish all
our readers a wonderful Labor Day
JP
weekend.

Hillel and BDS on campus

s Eric Fingerhut, the president of Hillel International,

tells us on page 6, and as
he will tell congregants
at Temple Emanu-El in Closter next
weekend, college life for Jewish students is more complicated now than
it used to be. Anti-Zionism sometimes
morphs into anti-Semitism (not that
were okay with anti-Zionism either,
needless to say), BDS activism sometimes turns ugly, and it is painful and
difficult for our children.
But, as he also tells us, on many
campuses things are looking up, or
at least shifting, and the best thing

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

that Jewish students can do is stay

connected to the Jewish community.
If they dont know much about the
issues, they should educate themselves. And, of course, despite what
they might have heard, like their
parents before them they should
head off to college with self-confidence, excitement, and the expectation that they will learn, grow,
expand (intellectually as well as with
the Freshman 15), and face all the
challenges that confront them with
grace and aplomb.
We wish them all a wonderful year
JP
at school.

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

thejewishstandard.com
12 JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

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

Israelis seem blind

to the seriousness of BDS

ast Sabbath morning I spoke in the

Nitzanim Synagogue in Jerusalem,
delivering the morning sermon. It
was five days after my daughters
wedding and I was in high spirits, but I delivered a somewhat ominous message.
It was a message that Israelis are not accustomed to hearing and to which they are not
immediately receptive: the very legitimacy of
their country is under international assault.
Youd think it would be obvious to Israelis that their country is being demonized
around the world. Youd guess that theyre
well aware that a hypocritical United Nations
is condemning them regularly while turning
a blind eye to near-genocide of
Arabs over the border in Syria.
Youd imagine that seven million Israelis would be aware
that theyre up against an
onslaught of billions who are
unsympathetic or hostile.
Amazingly, theyre not.
Yes, the Israeli people are
deeply familiar with BDS. And
Rabbi
yes, they know that European
Shmuley
anti-Semitism has reared its
Boteach
ugly head yet again, just 70
years after the Holocaust, in the
form of grotesque anti-Israel
bias. But fighting this global onslaught simply is not a priority for the Israeli people. Its
not very high on their radar screen.
After my speech I found myself in spirited
debate with my listeners, many of whom felt
I was overstating the case. Israelis, in their
opinion, have far bigger fish to fry, like stabilizing the security situation, creating affordable housing, reducing unemployment, and
growing the economy.
As an American Jew who visits Israel frequently I can posit a number of reasons for
this glaring misunderstanding.
First, to Israelis, Israels foremost threat
understandably is not a public relations
debacle but physical annihilation. Every day

Israelis face an existential threat from potential Iranian nukes, Hezbollah terror raids,
Hamas rockets, and Palestinian stabbings
and bombs. The last thing thats on their
mind is a couple of students out in Berkeley
who want to pass a BDS motion at the student
council.
Second, Israelis survive through sheer
toughness and pure grit. They know they
are a nation alone. They are conditioned to
not giving a flying damn about what people
think of them. A nation that is proud to call
itself sabras, the famous cactus fruit, with
its prickly exterior, is hardly going to start
worrying what Socialist Worker activists in
Trafalgar Square think of them.
Third, Israelis justifiably feel
that BDS and anti-Israel demonization is not their fight. That
surely American Jews, British
Jews, and Australian Jews, who
are not called upon to risk their
lives dodging Hamas mortar
fire, should have some responsibility for the Jewish future.
No? And theyre the ones who
live in the countries that are
assaulting Israel. So let them
join the fray.
And finally, and perhaps
most importantly, Israelis are convinced that
the justice of their cause is so self-evident
that it requires no response. They scour their
neighborhood, survey their surroundings,
and surmise that the world could not possibly support honor-killing Hamas against
democratic Israel. The global community
could not possibly champion women-stoning, gay-hanging Iran over Israel. So Israelis
retreat from the battle in the belief that ultimately the PR war will settle itself and the
truth will come out.
But little do Israelis realize that they can
build up the strongest army in the world,
but it is useless if it is neutralized by international condemnation that portrays Israel

Shmuley Boteach of Englewood is the executive director of the World Values Network, which
promotes universal values in politics and culture, and is the author of 30 books, including The
Israel Warriors Handbook. Follow him on Twitter @RabbiShmuley.

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Founder
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Max Milians (1908-2005)
Secretary
Ceil Wolf (1914-2008)
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Rebecca Kaplan Boroson

r
y
t

r
y

r
r
.

t
t
r
,
t
y
-

,
-

Opinion
as an aggressor. A single CNN camera can neutralize an
entire brigade, and a New York Times editorial can keep
a squadron of F-15s on the ground rather than hitting
back against Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The PR battle for
Israel, which rages around the world, affects Israel in
every way, from a growing boycott of its goods, to the
demonization of its academics, to the attempt of arresting its government ministers when they travel abroad,
to the threat of physical danger and the murder of its
citizens when they travel abroad.
Is the fight against the Israel haters primarily the
responsibility of diaspora Jewry? I would say yes. But
we cannot fight this battle alone, without the active participation and engagement of the Israeli people. That
is why more diaspora Jewish speakers need to address
Israeli audiences about the level of threat. Simply stated,
Israeli engagement against BDS domestically is vital to
the efforts to defeat it abroad.
In the most straightforward sense, we diaspora Jews
need some of the basic on-the-ground facts and information as weapons in our arsenal for this war. And Im
not talking about facts that can be googled or even those
that I present in my new book, The Israel Warrior,
which gives vital information for Israel activists around
the globe in their battles on behalf of the Jewish state.
Rather, Im speaking about empirical facts that can be
known only to those who experience everyday life in
the Jewish state.
For instance, last week I visited the Jewish communities of Samaria in the West Bank, including Kfar Tapuach
and Yitzhar. We went to the Barkan Industrial Park and
met Palestinian workers at an Israeli-owned plastics factory. If I had not posted a video of some of the workers
comments, you would not believe what they said. How
they felt that their factory was not a business but a family. How the Israeli owners paid them approximately ten
times what they would earn working for Palestinian factories, and how the Jewish owners treated them with
unending dignity and respect. And, most importantly,
how much they detest the BDS movement for attempting to destroy their livelihood and force them to live in
squalor, all in the name of Israel-hatred that masquerades as Palestinian rights.
The money part of the video was when I asked a Palestinian worker what he thinks of BDS and he said he felt
it was Sh-t! Hows that for being politically incorrect?
Now, why havent these Arab men been interviewed before? Why havent they been asked to do a
speaking tour of American campuses, so that rather
than having ignorant and biased anti-Israel Western
students speaking in their name, Palestinian workers
themselves can offer their view of BDS and its harmful effects on Arab rights?
Because we in the United States did not even know
they exist, or that they are courageous enough to
speak out.
The video since has gone viral. But that is no substitute for an in-the-flesh first person account of these
workers exercising their right of free speech to say how
they feel without the Palestinian Authority intimidating
them into silence, or, worse, threatening them or their
families for speaking out on Israels behalf.
Israelis must awaken to the extreme dangers of
BDS and work with the American Jewish community to destroy this new iteration of Jew-hatred and
anti-Semitism.

The opinions expressed in this section are those

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

Senet, a board game from ancient Egypt, dates back to 3100 BCE. This set was found, fully intact, in the
tomb of King Tut.

Let the games begin

ts been a summer of games.

The Olympics awed us, showing us how far we
can continue to push the human body. And when
we turned away from our TVs, we saw people
engaged in a different type of entertainment, Pokemon
Go. The summer has been dominated by these two kinds
of games: one an ancient one, and the other an example
of the latest advancements in gaming augmented reality (AR) adventures, where players use technology to
experience an enhanced world.
Games do date back to our oldest civilizations. The Greeks may be among the
worlds most well-known game inventors
and players, but there were many more
in the ancient world. In Mesoamerica, ball
games invented in the pre-classical period
(2500-100 BCE), probably by the Olmecs,
sometimes were a matter of life and death.
Played, as the Olympics originally were, for
religious reasons, the games ended with the
Tikvah
sacrifice of the losing team.
Wiener
The bread and circus entertainments
of the Roman empire are another notorious
example of the brutal history of games; we
often seem not to have used them to augment reality in
any positive way. Fortunately, examples abound of more
beneficial outcomes of our ability to play. (One of those
example is any kindergarten class.)
Still, parents are right to be concerned about gaming.
Watching or participating in athletic competitions may
be popular and bonding pastimes all over the world, and
we also might connect with friends over Candy Crush or
Settlers of Cattan, but the vastness of the digital gaming
empire can take us aback: its a billion-dollar industry,
attracting millions of users. To return to our Pokemon
Go example, statista.com tells us that 75 million Americans have played it in July and August alone.
As our kids head back to school, we may be starting to
curtail gaming time, but dont be surprised to see games

pop up in the classroom and Im not talking about just

kindergarten. For the past decade, game-based learning
has grown increasingly popular, and with educational
leaders now focused on changing not simply course content or educational technology tools, but the very way
we teach, its no wonder educators are tapping into the
power of games.

The importance of purpose

and hard fun
First of all, games are engaging. Theyre fun,
and part of the fun stems from the rules that
give games their purpose and set forth the
obstacles participants have to overcome.
As gaming guru Jane McGonigal put it in a
2013 convocation speech at the University
of Miami:
Take the game of golf, for example.
The goal is to put a small ball into a small
hole. If you werent playing a game, and
you wanted to achieve this goal, youd just
walk right up to the hole and drop the ball
in. Easy! But when were playing golf the
game, for some reason, we agree to stand
really far away from the hole. And to make things even
worse, we use a stick to try to somehow get the ball
from where were standing into the hole, way over
there. This is a terrible way to try to achieve the goal
of getting a small ball into a small hole. But we love it!
Because golf is a game, and games are about the art of
the hard part. Games remind us that we actually have
more fun when things are more difficult.
Anyone whos watched a baby or young child figure
stuff out knows that the hard-but-fun struggle to overcome obstacles is the natural and engaging way people
learn. Somehow weve forgotten this important truth
over the last 100 years of schooling. Returning games
and fun to the process of learning will help us reach a
SEE GAMES PAGE 15

JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 13

Opinion

Can you hear me now?

s I begin my 33rd
cause of it all, it has nothing
year in higher
to do with the fact that they
education, I cant
are telephones. Remember
help but notice
the days when everyone
that my students are getting
had a distinctive ringtone,
younger and younger every
often a few seconds of a
year while I myself havent
favorite song? When every
changed a bit.
day we saw ads that urged
Now, if youre thinking
us to buy special ringtones
Dr. Lance
that maybe Ive gotten things
from a selection of thouStrate
mixed up a bit, that maybe it
sands? Remember how
only seems that way from my
we spent a considerable
point of view, I invoke in my
amount of time deciding
defense Albert Einsteins theory of relativwhich one to set as the mark of our own
ity. But rather than continue to argue the
individual identity?
point, let me share another observation
Funny how those days have come and
with you:
gone. And the upside is that there are
Cell phones have caused my students
fewer instances when cellphones ring at
bladders to shrink. I know, I know, it
inopportune times because their users
may be hard to see the connection, but
forgot to put them on silent (or turn them
the correlation is quite clear. It used
off, something almost no one does anyto be that students could sit through a
more). They dont interrupt services, or
class of approximately an hour and fifa theatrical performance, or a class, very
teen minutes without a problem, and it
much any more.
was rare that someone would need to
The ringing was more intrusive, but
get up in the middle of class to go to the
at least we all were embarrassed when
restroom. It would happen, of course
it happened, and often enough would
we all are human, after all but not
not answer it. Texts and status updates
very often.
are nowhere near as obtrusive as ringing
But somehow, increasingly in recent
phones, but for that reason they are so
years, students have needed to go more
much harder to ignore. The desire for
and more often. And this coincides with
most of us the need to check the new
the fact that, just like the rest of us, they
message, and to respond to it immedihave come to carry their mobile devices
ately, is all but overwhelming.
with them at all times, including to class.
And you may think that no one sees
Many of them try to hide their cell
the light from your phone shining in the
phones, keeping them on their laps,
darkened movie theater, but we do. Thats
which is why I think the devices are havwhy theaters now ask their patrons to turn
ing a physiological effect. I do try to point
them off
And you may think that no one sees
out, by the way, that this maybe isnt the
you reading your messages or even
best place to put your cell phone, at least
responding to them during services, but
not if you plan on having children some
we do. Back in the day, when a New York
day. I point out that mobile devices do
team was in the World Series and a game
generate electromagnetic radiation, and
was being played during Rosh Hashanah
that we really dont know for sure how
or Yom Kippur, there might be a congrethat affects the body. Do you really want
gant who came to services with a transisto take the chance?
tor radio and earpiece. But he (inevitaOf course, I know that the sudden rise
bly it was a he) would step outside the
in students excusing themselves during
sanctuary or shul to get the update. He
class is not due to the effects of cellular
wouldnt listen to the game in the pews,
signals on their bodies, but rather to the
and everyone understood that this was a
effects of text messages on their minds.
singular exception.
The magnetic pull of our mobile devices
And my students may think that their
is altogether extraordinary, and affects all
professors dont see what theyre doing,
of us, young and old. There even is a new
but we do. We can see that theyre looking
word to describe the compulsion, FOMO
down and tap tap tapping on something
Fear Of Missing Out. The fear is nothwith their fingers. Or for the ones with laping new, but never before has it been so
tops, we can tell when their eyes are glued
intense and unrelenting.
to the screen, and theyre furiously typing
And while our smartphones may be the

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14 JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

Whether its
learning, praying,
conversing, or
simply being, we
all need to put
our mobile
devices down
and just listen.
Listen to others,
listen to the
world, listen to
ourselves.
away far and beyond what might be warranted by taking notes in class.
So why do they get up and leave during class? Perhaps it is out of a sense that
theyre doing something inappropriate
for class, but Sherry Turkle offers a different explanation in her insightful book,
Reclaiming Conversation: The Power
of Talk in a Digital Age. They are seeking solitude so that they can focus on
crafting a response without being distracted by the class. They see it as editing and creating the best possible version
of themselves.
Turkle is rightly concerned about the
negative effects of our smartphones on
all of us and especially on the young.
That we forget or never learn how to

deal with boredom, how to let our

minds wander, how to daydream, and
how to interact with others in a meaningful way. Messaging means never having to apologize, not really, not in a way
that forces you to recognize the effect
you have had on others, to see it in their
faces. Messaging means you never have
to stumble through awkward silences,
difficult exchanges, never have to go
the effort of really relating to someone
else. Conversation among friends, family members, and co-workers is becoming a lost art.
Texting is safe, unless of course were
driving. Think about how much concern
there was about talking on cellphones
and driving, and how much worse it is to
be texting or looking at updates on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Emotionally,
texting is safe, and face-to-face interaction is risky. But without risk, there is no
growth. And dialogue is the best way to
achieve what Martin Buber called I-You
relationships, relating to other people as
people, as opposed to the I-It relationships, relating to others as objects.
In many ways, messaging and especially
updates give us neither I-You nor I-It relationships. Instead, they simply reflect back
our own selves, mirror images that show
only the surface: I-I relationships. And this
brings to mind the warning given by Echo
to Narcissus: Better watch yourself!
In his recent book, Not in Gods Name:
Confronting Religious Violence, Rabbi
Jonathan Sacks notes that the Hebrew
Bible was meant to be heard, not read,
and the stories of family conflict in the
Torah, which often take unexpected
turns, should be understood in this context, one where you cannot see the text
in its entirety, only hear the narrative as
it unfolds, step by step.
It may be hard to believe, but reading
silently was all but unknown until after
the invention of the printing press. And
this is so very important, because when
we listen, we listen together, as one, but
when we read silently, even if we read the
same text at the same time, we read as
isolated individuals.
Dialogue, discussion, debate, and
devotion are communal activities,
very much in the tradition of Judaism.
Whether its learning, praying, conversing, or simply being, we all need to put
our mobile devices down and just listen.
Listen to others, listen to the world, listen to ourselves.
After all, that still small voice that Elijah
heard was not a text message.
Can you hear me now?
Dr. Lance Strate of Palisades Park is a
professor of communication and media
studies at Fordham University in the
Bronx, and the president of his synagogue,
Congregation Adas Emuno in Leonia.

o
-

s
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y
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Opinion
Games
FROM PAGE 13

greater number of learners, and those

interested in game-based learning (GBL)
know this.
Adults, too, are finding that the joy of
gaming provides extra benefits. A recent
New York Times article by Chris Colin,
Your Vacation Mission? Find This Stolen Horse, describes a Bay Area getaway, where adults are launched on a
carefully designed quest to solve the
mystery of a stolen horse. Along the
way, which is peppered with actors
playing the horse owner and the various characters who have come in contact with him and the missing animal,
vacationers are treated to delicious
meals and sumptuous views. The deluxe
version of the trip even includes a Mustang ;) convertible in which to conduct
the investigation.
Colin writes of his and his wife
Amys experience:
Susan Orlean once said travel is best
when you have a purpose of some sort
a quest, a mission, something to focus
you when youre in a new place and
clueless over how to engage it. Attuned
to the task at hand, suspicious of everything, our senses sharpened. We looked
at people more closely, looked at California more closely. Amy noted that shed

never really gazed up at the cathedral of

redwood branches arching overhead on
Lucas Valley Road. We shell shock you
into receptivity, [game designer and
maker of mixed-reality entertainment
Gabe] Smedresman told me later.
So game-based learning is also about
giving kids something sharp to focus
on and a clear purpose that will shock
them into receptivity. Games enable
better and deeper learning.

Pivot or persevere
Another reason gaming has grown more
popular is because it is process-oriented.
Its one of the pedagogies, along with project-based learning (PBL), thats concerned
with how students learn and the success
skills they develop that are crucial for life.
One of those skills is the ability to deal with
failure, but because school has created a
kind of zero sum game when it comes to
success and failure, students dont see the
latter positively at all. And yet failure is a
constant of life, and something that we
need in order to ultimately succeed.
In games, failure is a given. Watching kids play a game, trying to get to
the next level, you know theyre constantly trying to figure out how to best
the game: They have to decipher exactly
what it is theyre doing right and what
it is theyre doing wrong, often while
defeating an opponent at the same

time. And they dont view their failures

in the same devastating way they would
a low test or report card grade. Failure
is simply a way of moving forward in the
game or in discovering what to do better
the next time.
My colleague Sarah Blattner introduced me to the language of gaming,
and to the notion that in games we often
dont refer to failure as failure. Games
instead create a pivot or persevere
mentality, one in which were constantly making decisions about when to
change tack or when to persist in our
actions. And this worldview is so beneficial to a healthy life. Success comes
not in spite of failure, but because of it,
because we were unsuccessful in finding solutions to a problem before we
found the one that worked, or because
we had ideas that went nowhere before
we had an inspired one. Weve had
relationships that petered out or were
fractured and ended badly, and weve
experimented with myriad ways of
being and behaving that were ineffective but that eventually showed us a
path to more healthy living and better
selves. In short, this whole enterprise
of life is just one big game of deciding
when to pivot and when to persevere,
and yet we often insist that the best way
to get at students knowledge is to give
them a test in which theres one right

:
i

answer to a question. On closer reflection, it seems pretty silly to do so,.

Reflection
And speaking of reflection, another part
of process-oriented pedagogies such as
game-based learning is this component
of reflection. Games sometimes ask us to
map decisions and become aware of the
choices were making, and developers
now are interested in exploiting this positive aspect of gaming.
My colleague at Magen David Yeshivah High School, Ariella Falack, won
the Jewish Education Projects Young
Pioneer Award in 2016 for her work in
game-based learning. Shell be leading
a cohort of educators in GBL, and this
summer she attended a GBL conference
where she worked to create an ethics
game with a high school physics teacher
and a professor of ethics at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. The point
of the game, which won funding at the
conference to be developed this year, is
to challenge students to consider multiple perspectives of an ethical dilemma
and to chart the consequences of prioritizing one value over another when
making a final decision. The game
shows students that in real life we deal
not with black and white issues, but
with constant nuance and often competing loyalties. It asks students to reflect
on who they are as people and what
values are most important to them at a
given moment.

Serious play
Though the history of games shows that
even when they are married to religion,
they sometimes could be brutal, today
were seeing an interest in using games to
build values and the ability to make valuesbased decisions in our students. In a recent
training session with teachers at Yeshivat
Noam in Paramus, we bandied about an
idea for a simulation, a game based on
Build-a-Bear, where students would have
to build their ideal presidential candidate.
Over the course of the game, theyd have
to figure out how to speak politely with
someone who holds opposing political
beliefs. The teachers and I discussed how
to get kids to apply the rules of chavruta
learning, where you are engaged in active
and lively but respectful debate, to
conversations about political difference.
We imagined what it would be like for students who engaged in this kind of game
to then enter the world as citizens, ones
who are informed and curious and who
knew how to treat any person, even an
opponent, with dignity.
Now that would be an augmented reality.

d
t
s

g
r
d
n
t
e
s

Alanna Kotler, who heads the game-based learning cohort for the Avichai Foundation, ran a GBL workshop in early August
at the West Coast Summer Sandbox, the I.D.E.A. Schools Network teacher training program.

Tikvah Wiener of Teaneck is co-founder

and director of the I.D.E.A. Schools
Network and chief academic officer at
Magen David Yeshivah High School in
Brooklyn.
JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 15

Opinion

Iran isnt giving up on Latin America

till flushed with the

that Zarif typically deploys
success, for the Irawhen speaking to Western
nians anyway, of the
leaders and the Western press.
2015 nuclear deal
Without a leading outside
reached with the United States
power to put a brake on his
and other powers, this week
activities, or even point out the
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad
appalling destruction wreaked
Zarif embarked on a five-nation
by Iran and its allies in Syria,
tour of Latin America.
Iraq, and Lebanon, Zarif has
Ben Cohen
He was spreading the mesno reason to delay his charm
sage that Tehrans global influoffensive. As he sees it, the
ence is on the way up.
world is finally ready to accept
Zarif is one of those Iranian leaders eagerly
that Iran is, firstly, a pillar of the new, multiembraced as a moderate by the Obama
lateral global order, and secondly, that Iran is
administration. Like other Iranian officials of
a viable commercial partner now that sanchis rank, Zarifs room for maneuver is strictly
tions essentially have been lifted.
regulated by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans
Speaking before his plane landed in Cuba,
supreme leader. Still, the notion that he repthe first stop on a tour that also takes him
resents a genuinely reformist faction within
to Nicaragua, Bolivia, Chile, and Venezuela,
the Islamic Republic has been a convenient
Zarif emphasized the importance of the 60
and comforting tool for persuading a skeptiexecutives from the Iranian private sector
cal public that Tehran will abide by its interwho were accompanying him. The comnational commitments. That perception has
position of the delegation, Zarif informed
been boosted by the soothing diplomatese
Press TV, the regimes English-language

mouthpiece, is indicative of the significance

that both the private and the state-run sectors of the Islamic Republic of Iran attach
to the enhancement of relations with Latin
America.
Absent from that description of the trips
purpose is the one element for which Iran
is renowned in Latin America the spread
of terrorism and of terror-supporting ideologies. Zarif hinted at these links when he
praised the Cuban people by which he
means the Communist regime still in power
for resisting the atrocities leveled by the
U.S. empire. For his part, Cuban Foreign
Minister Bruno Rodriguez praised Iran for
the success of its foreign policy and reiterated the Communist governments support
for all countries to develop nuclear enery
with pacific ends.
Not everyone in Washington has followed
these developments with indifference. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), chair of
the House Subcommittee on the Middle East
and North Africa, told the Washington Free

Beacon that the timing of Zarifs visit is significant as Iran could use many of these rogue
regimes to circumvent remaining sanctions,
undermine U.S. interests, and expand the
drug trafficking network that helps finance its
illicit activities. Tehrans classic playbook is to
use cultural centers, new embassies or consulates, or cooperative agreements on various areas to act as faades aimed at expanding Irans radical extremist network.
Its not as if we dont already know the
havoc and suffering that network is capable
of inflicting. Iran, after all, was responsible
for the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish
center in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, which killed 85 people and wounded
hundreds more, just two years after a similar
attack on the Israeli embassy in the same city.
Its worth noting that Argentina is not
among the countries that Zarif is visiting,
and its doubtful that he would be welcome
there. For more than 20 years the AMIA case
has remain unresolved, and not a single Iranian identified by Interpol as involved with

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Opinion

The aftermath of the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, which has been blamed on Iran and its proxy Hezbollah.

the atrocity has been arrested. In fact,

for the last two years, that investigation
has been diverted as a result of the likely
murder of Alberto Nisman, the prosecutor in charge of the case, in January 2015.
Nisman was found dead in his apartment
with a bullet in his skull, just hours before
he was due to launch a report charging
that the government of former President
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner colluded
with the Iranians to shield those responsible for the AMIA bombing.
Kirchner was defeated in last years
election by the centrist Mauricio Macri,
a former mayor of Buenos Aires. Under
Macris government, the wheels of Argentine justice slowly have started to turn
again, and thats not good news for the
Iranians. Over the last fortnight, amid
persistent rumors that Kirchner ordered
Nismans assassination, the Argentine
judiciary once more is examining both the
circumstances of the AMIA bombing and
Nismans accusations against Kirchner.
As Eamonn MacDonagh, who has written
extensively on the AMIA case, pointed
out, its hard to avoid the suspicion that
[Judge Claudio] Bonadio and [Judge Fabiana] Palmaghini are responding to a signal
of some sort from the executive branch
that the government is finally interested
in having both Nismans death and his
allegations properly investigated.
Any investigation inevitably will lead
back to Tehran, into the highest echelons
of the Iranian regime. But Argentina wont
be able to secure the extradition of the
AMIA suspects without international support, especially given the emerging Middle
Eastern alignment between Iran, Turkey,
and Russia. If the next American president
is serious about curbing Iranian mischief,
securing justice for the AMIA victims is as
good a place as any to start.
In the meantime, Iran will continue to
back Latin American governments out
of favor with their own citizens. Zarif s
presence in Venezuela, at a time when

th
12
Annual

Irans foreign minister, Javad Zarif.



WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

the majority of the countrys voters are

demanding a referendum on the future of
its current leader, Nicolas Maduro, is a clear
signal that Iran is intent on maintaining a
mini-empire of its own, despite Tehrans
protestations about American meddling.
Maduros policies, based on those of his
predecessor, Hugo Chavez, have brought
Venezuela to its knees. Hunger is rampant,
crime has reached record levels, and hospitals have run out of basic medicines.
Indeed, one look at the sorry state of
Venezuela once the richest Latin American country, with huge oil reserves
should be enough to persuade the most
skeptical observer that an alliance with
Iran is part of a package that also includes
economic ruin and political repression.
But until we take the necessary steps in
Latin America, and in other regions vulnerable to Iranian influence, the mullahs
JNS.ORG
have no incentive to pull back.
Ben Cohen, senior editor of TheTower.
org and the Tower magazine, writes a
weekly column on Jewish affairs and
Middle Eastern politics. His work has been
published in Commentary, the New York
Post, Haaretz, the Wall Street Journal, and
many other publications.
JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 17

Cover Story

The majestic Bambergers department

store sits astride Market and Washington
streets in 1940s Newark. Inset, Louis Bamberger.

Louis
Bambergers C
big store

JOANNE PALMER

Local historian writes about

the Jewish merchant prince
who gave Newark its center

18 Jewish standard sePteMBer 2, 2016

onsider Mark Zuckerberg. Steve Jobs.

Larry Page. Sergey
Brin. Jeff Bezos. Larry
Ellison. Bill Gates.
To varying degrees,
with different back
stories, all are (or, in Jobs case, were)
entrepreneurs, visionaries, technocrats,
philanthropists, and, to some extent,
social engineers. Not all, but many if
not most of them were Jews. Each one
of these men (and yes, they all are men)
changed the way America and, eventually, the world did business. And
they also changed the way people shop.
Because, as it turns out, the way we
shop both mirrors and changes the way
we live.
It was these men who moved us from
the tactile, brick-and-mortar, touch and
eyeball and sniff and taste act of shopping that physical adventure that
involved picking out goods, carting
them to the cashier, paying for them,

and carrying them home to doing our

buying privately, at all hours, at home,
as an almost faith-based act of trust in
electrons and FedEx.
We all shop differently now.
But also consider Isidor Straus.
John Wannamaker. Julius Rosenwald.
Benjamin Altman. Marshall Field.
Edward Filene.
And, of course, and most relevantly to
New Jersey, Louis Bamberger.
To varying degrees, with different
back stories, all were entrepreneurs,
visionaries, technocrats, philanthropists, and, to some extent, social engineers. Not all, but many if not most
of them were Jews. Each one of these
men (and yes, they all are men) changed
the way America and, eventually, the
world did business. And they also
changed the way people shop.
Because, as it turns out, the way we
shop both mirrors and changes the way
we live.
Louis Bamberger is the subject of a
new biography by independent scholar
Linda Forgosh, who says that Bamberger

r
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t
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r

Cover Story
who never married and devoted his considerable intellectual energies first to his
store and later to the world around him
presided over huge changes in retailing, helped maintain Newark as the great
city that it then was, earned the undying
loyalty of his employees, and later was
responsible for such accomplishments
as getting Albert Einstein into the United
States and establishing the Princeton- (but
not Princeton University-) based Institute
for Advanced Studies.
His biographer, Ms. Forgosh, herself is a
New Jersey native whose story in some ways
is a story of the Jewish community here.
Lets start with Louis Bamberger.
In the late 19th century, Newark was a
manufacturing center, Ms. Forgosh said.
It was the fourth biggest city in America,
and you name it, they made it. Leather
goods and patent leather and jewelry and
bugy seats, among many other things;
the emphasis on leather was because
of Seth Boyden, a pioneer in the field,
whose businesses were in Newark. It also
produced a huge range of early plastics,
lamps, and dentures. Thomas Edison
invented the stock ticker in Newark. It was
a seaport and a major rail hub. It was the
brewing center for the whole eastern seaboard. It was full of immigrants and teeming with life.
It had a huge Jewish population. The
citys best-known Jewish neighborhood,
Weequahic, unpronounceable to outsiders, made legend by Philip Roth but actually entirely real and the ancestral home
of countless Jersey Jews, at its peak, in the
1950s and 60s, had as many as 17 synagogues in a 54-block radius, Ms. Forgosh
said. I would say that the whole city had up
to 150 synagogues, counting the sometimes
nameless little neighborhood shtiebels.
Louis Bamberger was born in Baltimore
in 1855, six years before the start of the
Civil War. His maternal grandfather, a successful merchant, founded a highly successful and influential general store, Hutzler Brothers, in that city; Louis father and
his uncles worked there, and soon Louis
did too. Bamberger learned the business
just sitting in his parents dining room,
Ms. Forgosh said. During the Civil War,
they were the largest manufacturers of
uniforms for the Army, and of clothing
items in general. They all discussed business, and he was a quiet sort of guy, who
just sat there and absorbed it.
He worked at his uncles store, and he
spent his life learning the retail business.
But the business was his uncles, not his
fathers, and I think that one morning
he woke up and told himself I will never
advance here, so he moved to New York.
There, he gained more experience, realized that he wanted to work for himself,
found a business partner, went to Newark, and took a big chance.
He opened his new store, L. Bamberger
and Co., in 1892.
Bamberger did not pioneer the concept of the department store, which Ms.

Forgosh defined as a series of departments selling a series of specialties, all

under one roof. It was a break
from the tradition of many
small stores, each selling a
small range of products, most of
them handmade.
Bamberger based his new store
most closely on Filenes, the
brainchild of another German
Jew, and on other department
stores across the country, but he
refined and expanded the idea.
Linda Forgosh
He bought the stock of a company that had gone bankrupt,
called Hill and Cragg, Ms. Forgosh said. It was just two stories, and it
faced a very unattractive street, with a lot
of saloons on it. It had its wares displayed
on the sidewalk.
Louis was advised not to open there,
on Market Street, but to move it to Broad
Street, which really was broad, and a
much better address. But he always maintained that if you have something to offer,
customers will find you.
And they did.
You could find whatever you wanted
in Bambergers, Ms. Forgosh continued. Of course you could buy clothing
mens, womens, childrens, babies
clothing. You could buy a bird and buy
a cage and birdseed for it. You could find
the post office inside and do mailings.
You could find an extension of the Newark public library and borrow books. You
could go to the photography department
and buy a camera or get your picture
taken. You could buy a tennis racket or
you could get your tennis racket restrung.

Elegant early 20th century fashions are on display at Bambergers.

Jewish standard sePteMBer 2, 2016 19

Cover Story
You could buy a wedding dress and get it
altered there.
The radio station WOR also had its start
in L. Bamberger & Co. Somebody had to
come up with an idea about how to sell
a new invention radio tubes, Ms. Forgosh said. The tubes were manufactured
in Newark. Bamberger came up with the
idea of starting a radio station. The store
was the first one in the country to have its
own station.
The store, in other words, offered services as well as goods. And it reflected the
growth of the country, Ms. Forgosh continued. It was progressive and democra-

You could find

whatever you
wanted in
Bambergers
You could buy a
bird and buy a
cage and
birdseed for it.
tizing. Its opening coincided with the Chicago Exposition; every new invention and
home device could be seen at the exposition like home washing machines! all
found their way to Bambergers.
The store sold technoloy that made
housewives lives easier.
In fact, the stores made womens life
in general easier. Although it employed
men, most people who worked there
were women.
Bambergers, like other department
stores but even more strongly, emphasized
service. They offered refunds, prices
were competitive, and there was one
price. You didnt have to haggle; you just
looked at the price tag, Ms. Forgosh said.
Soon, department store owners
decided to form a cooperative, where
they all would share information, she
said. Bamberger opened the store to anyone who wanted to do the research. They
figured out why he was so successful.
The answer was one word. Volume.
That was the secret.
Another similarly not-so-closely-held
secret was that the same attention that
he paid to his customers he paid to his
vendors. The commandment was Thou
shalt treat all vendors with respect, and
pay them on time. That paid off for
Bamberger later, when wartime needs
demanded that many goods be directed
first to the armed forces. That left less for
everyone else, but when Louis needed
stuff for his stores, he got it, Ms. Forgosh
said. His vendors remembered him.
Bamberger also started a magazine,
called Charm, a glossy womens publication with high production values one

Left, Louis Bambergers purchase of Hill & Cragg led to the opening of his new store. Right, a Bambergers delivery
carriage makes its rounds in this 1909 photo.

of its covers was designed and signed by

Pablo Picasso which did not promote
any of the stores products directly but
instead positioned New Jersey as a desirable place to live.
Bambergers promotions were gargantuan in scale, calculated not only to
impress but to educate and enlighten as
well. In 1936, he brought the Met as
in the Metropolitan Opera to Newark
to perform La Boheme. It wasnt a concert performance, either; the company
brought costumes and sets. The whole
enchilada, Ms. Forgosh said. Bamberger
loved music.
And do you think that the Thanksgiving Day Parade was a Macys innovation?
Nah, Ms. Forgosh said. That was Bambergers; when, eventually, Macys bought

Bambergers, the parade went with it. (To

be fair, other department stores in other
cities sponsored similar all-out events.)
About that sale in 1929, Louis Bamberger sold the store to Macys, although
the name stayed until 1986, Ms. Forgosh
said. They were afraid to take the name
off the building.
He had spent an entire lifetime branding that name.
Louis Bamberger was a serious philanthropist. He gave to everything that
walked, talked, or breathed, Ms. Forgosh said. He was not religious, but there
would be no Jewish hospital in New Jersey
if it wasnt for Bamberger and his partner,
Felix Fuld, who later became his brotherin-law as well. They raised all the funds for
Newark Beth Israel Hospital. And there
An ad heralds the wonders of the new
department store.

Louis Bamberger started Charm, a high-values publication aimed at upscale women consumers.

20 Jewish standard sePteMBer 2, 2016

Cover Story

The Newark Y at the corner of High Street (now MLK Boulevard) and Kinney
Street, funded wholly by Louis Bamberger.

would have been no Y Newarks YMYWHA had he not brought it there.

And there would have been no Newark
Museum. He was the sole donor. Not one
other person put a dime into it. He backed
the first Jewish social service agency in
Newark, and the first Jewish day nursery.
He sat on about 30 boards in all, Ms.
Forgosh said; once he decided a cause was
worthy enough for him to join its board,
other peoples money generally would follow his. His name on the letterhead was
like cash in the bank, Ms. Forgosh said.
He did not restrict his concern to the
Jewish world; instead, he gave a considerable amount of money to civil rights
causes, including the Urban League.
(This was early in the civil rights movements history.)
Louis Bambergers family was unusual.
He was one of seven children, Ms. Forgosh

said; still, his parents had only one grandchild. Of the two brothers and five sisters,
only two married, and only one had a
child. But Bamberger was deeply loyal to
his family; he had no close friends other
than his siblings.
Despite his love for Newark, Bamberger
did not live in the city. He had a 35-acre
estate in South Orange, which included a
working farm, Ms. Forgosh said, and this
was just one of his many homes.
Bambergers interests included the Institute for Advanced Studies, an early (and
still extant and much expanded) think
tank. He endowed it with the proceeds of
the sale of Bambergers, and among other
things it provided an academic home for
Albert Einstein. Bamberger and Einstein
were friends, Ms. Forgosh said. They
shared many things German Jewish culture, the German language, their love of

The Newark Evening News headlined one of the Bamberger familys donations.

A modest plaque speaks to the

generosity of Louis Bamberger and
his sister, Carrie Bamberger Fuld.

music. But what they most had in common

was social justice. By the end of his life,
Bamberger gave the institute $19 million
dollars, a lot of money now but an absolute kings ransom at the time.
Louis Bamberger was a strong American patriot.
Through the sheer dint of personality and determination, he found and purchased the signatures of all 56 signers of
the Declaration of Independence, Ms.
Forgosh said. Each was a separate signature, assembled into one piece. They
were exhibited at the Bicentennial, in 1976.
But he made a very big mistake.
His will did not restrict its use, so some
stupid group of trustees of the New Jersey
Historical Society, which received it, sold
it at auction for an undisclosed amount of
money. And there it went.
Its never been seen in public since, and
its whereabouts are unknown. Thats a
huge loss, Ms. Forgosh said.
Louis Bamberger belonged to Congregation Bnai Jeshurun, a large Reform
synagogue in Newark, since relocated
to Short Hills, although he did not go
there very often. But when he died, in
1944, 1,200 mourners showed up for his
funeral, Ms. Forgosh said.
Had it not been for Louis Bamberger,
she added, New Jerseys Jewish community would have been far less rich, not
only materially but in institutions, in its
understanding of philanthropy, and in its
ability to reach outside itself.
Ms. Forgoshs own relationship with
New Jersey is generations deep. (Lest you
not realize it, all you have to do is ask her
to pronounce the name of the city whose
chief department store she has chronicled. Nork, she says, in that inimitable
Jersey way.)
Her great grandparents, Esther and
Nathan Grossman, settled in what is now
called Avenel but then was Demarest-onthe-Hill in 1852. The towns early settlers
were Dutch, and the Grossmans, who ran

a small grocery store, were its only Jews.

Ms. Forgoshs grandfather, David Grossman, and his wife, Eva Levy Grossman,
stayed in Avenel. David Grossman was an
ambitious entrepreneur. He said, First
you go into business, and then you worry
about what you do, she reported. His
business was manufacturing concrete and
cinder blocks; Capitol Concrete, as it was
called, was extremely successful.
He manufactured lawn jockeys they
came from his molds, Ms. Forgosh said.
He also made bird baths, garden gnomes,
Madonnas, and rabbits; he basically made
any piece of garden statuary you can call
to mind. It was a four-generation family business, she added. My grandfather took care of the rest of the family I
wouldnt have gone to college if he hadnt.
That part of the family is gone from New
Jersey now. They sold the business eventually, and then my grandparents moved to
Miami Beach, she said. Other retirees buy
apartments. My grandparents bought an
apartment building on Collins Avenue.
Ms. Forgoshs father died when she
was young. Her fathers family name
had been Solovetchic; she doesnt know
what the connection to the famous
Soloveitchics might have been, but she
does know that her father, wanting to
sound less Jewish, changed his last name
to Berman. (Go know)
Ms. Forgosh always was fascinated by
history. At least in part, she said, thats
because she grew up surrounded by it.
New Jersey is the crossroads of the American revolution, she said. More battles
were fought here than in any other state.
A thorough New Jerseyan, she did not
leave the state even for college, spending
those four years at Rider University in Lawrenceville. Shes now the executive director
of the Jewish Historical Society of New Jersey, headquartered at the JCC in Whippany
and funded in part by the Jewish Federation of MetroWest. Sitting here in Whippany, we are within eight or so miles from
Morristown, where Alexander Hamilton
met his wife, she said. George Washington
slept all over the area. He had his headquarters in Morristown. One of the most
important sculptures documenting the revolution, called the Alliance, shows Washington flanked by the Marquis de Lafayette
and Hamilton. Its in Morristown.
Ms. Forgosh has written books about
local Jewish history, but her large, ambitious biography of Louis Bamberger is the
first such book she has written, and it is also
the first book to tackle Bambergers life.
Often, when she talks about her subject,
Ms. Forgosh called him Bamberger, and
sometimes its Mr. Bamberger, but often
its Louis. Thats because she has come to
know him well and to admire him greatly,
she said. I call him Louis because his family was so generous and gave me access to
his papers, and that really made his story
come to life.
That was a real gift, and I loved every
minute of it, she said.
Jewish Standard SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 21

Jewish World

Why Tel Aviv is so crazy about dogs

ANDREW TOBIN
TEL AVIV Its not every day you see a
dog getting a massage. But in this Israeli
city, somehow it seems expected.
At Tel Avivs first official dog festival,
hundreds of dogs took over Yehoshua Park
and its dog park on Friday afternoon. As
canine customers wandered among vendors who were selling dog-related products and services, a DJ kept tails wagging
with pop hits.
One of the longest massages of the day
went to a luxuriating yellow Labrador mix.
Nearby, a pair of well-kept poodles snacked
on maki tuna rolls and posed for professional photos. Leashed shoppers sampled
organic gluten-free kibble, tried on boutique collars and leashes, and eyed bespoke
dog tags and local dog-themed art.
Orange Tel Aviv-branded dog bowls
were regularly refilled with bottled water.
Meanwhile, the dogs owners mingled
and forked over the necessary shekels,
seemingly unfazed by their reduced role
in the whole affair. After all, Tel Aviv is a
dog city.
The reasons for that are both global and
local.
Everywhere in the world is fighting
for the creative class, and one of the ways
to do that is to make life better for those
people in the city, Mira Marcus, Tel Avivs
international press director, said. I think
many creative people are dog owners.
Many times, when I walk into a startup
company in Tel Aviv, there are dogs everywhere. Its very, very common for people
to bring their dogs to work here.
This city is home to 25,000 registered
dogs, along with more than 400,000
people. Ahead of its dog festival, called
Kelaviv (a portmanteau of kelev, Hebrew
for dog, and Tel Aviv), Tel Aviv declared
itself the friendliest world city for dogs,
with the most dogs per capita.
(New York Citys Economic Development Corporation might beg to differ, putting the number of dogs in the Big Apple at
600,000 with a population of 8.4 million
humans, or 1 percentage point higher than
Tel Aviv. But whos counting?)
Dogs crowd the streets of Tel Aviv,
encouraged by its year-round sunshine
and walkability. Theyre allowed in most
cafes, stores, and even high-end restaurants, as well as on city buses and trains
and in taxi vans. Tel Aviv boasts 70 dog
parks and four dog beaches. The regular
parks and legally dog-free beaches have
their fair share of canine visitors, too.
Despite the regulations, many of them are
off-leash.
True, most of Israels nearly 400,000
dogs dont live in Tel Aviv. But like elsewhere
in the world, an increasing number of Israelis are migrating to the city, and many of
them want dogs. The number of dogs in Tel

Aviv has more than tripled since

1996, according to the city.
Israeli experts on human-dog
relations say that the animals play
the role of children in the lives of
urban millennials, who are waiting longer than ever to marry. For
Israelis, whose national culture
has roots in the ethos of the kibbutz, dogs also may help ease the
isolation of urban life, they add.
We still have a very strong
memory of our collectivist past,
and dogs help us cope with the
loneliness of the postmodern
present, Orit Hirsch-Matsioulas,
a doctoral student in anthropology at Ben-Gurion University of
the Negev, said. We opened the
apartment door to dogs and made
them part of the family. People
understand their dogs as their
own children.
Mira Marcus, the city of Tel Avivs director of international press, with her dog, Shani, at
Florencia Aventuriny, a 27-yearthe festival. 
ANDREW TOBIN
old media manager, and Hod
Kashtan, a 31-year-old software
photographs of their dogs on Whatsapp,
engineer, each had a dog in tow at Kelaviv.
in your area, Marcus said. It can be a
and Dogiz, an app that helps owners find
In the month the two Tel Avivians have
reminder for your annual rabies shot thats
dog walkers in their neighborhood and lets
been dating, their dogs, Sandy and Chuni,
mandatory in Israel. It can be a discount
them track the walks in real time.
have been part of the relationship.
on dog food in a dog store in your area
The market is growing along with the
I grew up with a dog outside Tel Aviv,
thats participating in the program.
Dogs also have cultural cache in Tel Aviv.
urban population, Dogiz CEO Alon Zlatand it was nice, but not the same, Aventuriny said. In Tel Aviv you take your
kin said, noting there are now six dog
Rescuing them from shelters is a full-blown
dog everywhere, and hes part of your
walking and doggie day care companies
trend. Several shelters were represented at
community.
in the city. Our research shows millenKelaviv. And at least two set up shop on the
nials in Tel Aviv, as in Europe, are more
Perhaps more than other urbanites,
streets of the city every weekend, lining up
focused on their careers. Their dogs are
Tel Avivians demand that their dogs be
dogs to be adopted or fostered, or to recruit
like their kids, and they need a solution
accommodated. Businesses know that bardonations and volunteers. In the Florenring dogs means losing business, and that
tine neighborhood in south Tel Aviv, which
while theyre working long hours.
theyd be likely to hear about it on Facemany call the citys hippest enclave, the city
The city of Tel Aviv must answer to dog
book. It helps that Tel Aviv is an informal
estimates every third person has a dog.
owners, too. Though there is more than
People think we cant really do anycity, in an informal country, where T-shirts
one dog park every square kilometer,
thing about all the horrible things that are
and sandals are appropriate attire at most
according to the city, some Tel Aviv residents complained that they had to walk 15
going on around us, some of which were
restaurants, not to mention weddings.
minutes to reach one and they would like
partly responsible for, Dafna Shir-Vertesh,
Even Hotel Montefiore, a premier local
more greenery for their pooches to play in.
an anthropologist who studies humanrestaurant and hotel, welcomes dogs.
Dog parks have even become part of politianimal relations at Ben-Gurion University,
Many businesses leave out bowls of
cal campaigns in municipal elections.
said. Even if we become activists, helping
water for thirsty dogs. Some go even further. Asaf Gorelik, 34, was at Kelaviv with
Kelaviv was the brainchild of Tal HolPalestinians or whatever, it would be hard
lander, a Tel Aviv resident who was in
his girlfriend, Dana Galant, and his two
to make a change. But maybe this is our
Yehoshua Park with his dog when he was
dogs, Nelly and Rahat. Gorelik owns a
way of making a change in the world.
struck with inspiration. He contacted the
trendy Tel Aviv barber shop chain called
By flaunting their dog friendliness, secular Tel Avivians also distinguish themselves
city, which helped him plan the event over
Barberia, where next month he will be selling posters of rescued pit bulls sitting in
from Israels poorest communities, Arabs
several months.
his retro barber chairs to raise money for a
and charedi Orthodox Jews, for whom dog
Many people had doubts about this,
charity that rehabilitates the animals.
ownership is rare. Thats partly because
Hollander said. How will the dogs
I love dogs, and I always wanted to
there are traditional taboos about dogs
behave? That was the biggest question.
help, Gorelik said. Dogs are an accepted
in both Judaism and Islam, according to
But I had faith in the dogs, and I was lucky
part of Tel Aviv. When I leave the city, peoShir-Vertesh.
to find a nice girl at the city who wanted
ple are like, What are you doing bringing
But dont tell that to Agriculture Minister
to help.
dogs in here?
Uri Ariel, a member of the religious ZionIn 2017, the city plans to launch a service
More and more Tel Aviv-based businesses
ist Jewish Home political partys more relicalled DigiDog to give pet owners in Tel
gious faction, Tkuma. Along a doggy red
exist specifically to serve dogs. You cant
Aviv personalized updates on pet-friendly
carpet at Kelaviv where mutts and purewalk more than a few blocks in the city
events and services, as well as deals from
breds could strut their stuff, he was among
without coming across a pet store. Many
local pet companies. The service will be
the politicians who appeared on a series of
such businesses were at Kelaviv, including
based on the citys award-winning Digitel
posters promoting animal adoption.
high-tech startups like DogMen, a fast-growservice for human residents.
ing dog walking service that sends owners

JTA WIRE SERVICE
It can be a new dog park thats opening

22 JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

Jewish Standard SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 23

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Celebrate the New Year

with raw, unfiltered honey
With erev Rosh Hashanah coming on Sunday, October 2, its
time to start thinking about adding sweetness to the holiday.
Rices Lucky Clover Honey, a
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There are two varieties, L.R.

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Ingredients:
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one sheet frozen puff pastry,
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3 medium apples, peeled,
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3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter,
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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Keeping Kosher
Rosh Hashanah recipes at ShopRite
Christina Kamilaris, the registered dietitian at ShopRite of
Paramus, offers New Year, New You, healthy Rosh Hashanah dessert recipes, on Sunday, September 18, noon - 3 p.m.,
in the stores kosher department. The event is under OU
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Christina Kamilaris

Challah-making taught in Jersey City

Salsa Metsuyans new outdoor patio seating

The new Mexican restaurant in Teaneck

Salsa Metsuyan has come to Teaneck. The
glatt kosher restaurant, under RCBC rabbinical supervision, also has an extensive
catering menu. Along with burritos, taco
bowls, Mexacali seared chicken, miso barbecue chicken, and vegetarian options, it
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A bonus is the affordable kids menu, with
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Stop in and have a delicious meal
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p.m.; and on Saturday, motsei Shabbat in
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Salsa Metsuyan
192 W. Englewood Ave.
Teaneck
(201) 837-8888
www.metsuyan.com

Congregation Bnai Jacob in Jersey City

offers a Rosh Hashanah challah-baking
class on Sunday, September 25, at 10:30
a.m., taught by Lauren Siegel.
Ms. Siegel will teach different braiding
techniques, about the mitzvah of challah,
creative ways to spice up a loaf of challah,

and technical baking tips that will yield

great results. Each person will go home
with recipes and a personal challah.
Space is limited and reservations are
required. The shul is at 176 West Side
Ave. Call (201) 435-5725 or go to www.
bnaijacobjc.com.

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JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 25

Dear Rabbi Zahavy

Your Talmudic advice column

Dear Rabbi Zahavy,
the devastation that Rome
My friends and I are having
brought upon us. Such lamentations are not in any way
ongoing heated discussions
useful political activities.
about the presidential election. Some of us prefer Hillary
Meanwhile, in their neighboring churches, Christians
Clinton, and others of us prefer Donald Trump. And some
emphasized a simpler narrative. They said that the
of us would like to have a third
Romans are so powerful,
viable choice. I recently saw
Rabbi Tzvee
they were able to crucify and
that 45 Orthodox rabbis issued
Zahavy
kill our God. The lesson: we
a condemnation of Trumps
need to respect the might
policy statements, and I know
of Rome and work producthat other Orthodox rabbis
tively with the powerful forces in our
support him. I often have turned to Jewish
world. The outcome was not immediate.
traditions for guidance in matters of morality, ethics, and social justice. This year, I am
But over time, Christianity made accommodations with Rome; eventually it was
confused about who our religious teachings
effective. A major Christian headquarters
guide us to vote for in this upcoming election. Can you help to clarify this please?
was and is situated in the middle of the
Politically Puzzled in Paramus
city of Rome.
Bottom line lessons: Rabbis, with their
Dear Politically Puzzled:
combination of hubris and their politically
Since you raised the question of rabbis
nave understanding of power, ignored
opining on politics, let me first consider a
the realities of their world, instituted onerous, uninspired, counterproductive fasts
trend in our history, namely how terribly
and laments, and fostered equally bad
awful rabbinic Jews have been in the realm
political decisions.
of politics for the last 2,000 or so years.
Let me make it clear. I believe that we
Meanwhile, Christians went on to fashion and promulgate dramatic religious
have the greatest religion in the world.
narratives, and made the necessary
We have an enormously comprehensive and expressive set of narratives and
compromises and accommodations that
beliefs, and an equally impressive set of
allowed them to adapt, and to embed
rituals and actions for the cycles of the
their religion into the real political world
year, for the cycles of our lives, and for all
around them.
The result of the centuries of our hisother purposes.
We could have and we should have
tory there are now 2.2 billion Christians in the world and 14 million Jews.
won the election and become the
And yes, it would be nice to believe the
world religion with the greatest number of adherents. Back in prior centuries
anti-Semitic narratives that in spite of
and millennia we had many chances to
our small numbers, we Jews control the
become the worlds dominant religion.
press, or the entertainment industry, or
But time after time, rabbis made bad politwhatever it is that is the conspiracy story
ical choices and elected to emphasize the
of the moment.
The plain fact, however, is that we lost
wrong aspects of our faith, our culture,
the competitions (the elections) many
and our history.
centuries back for many reasons. Among
Consider one critical example how
them it is fair to say that our leaders did
centuries ago Jews made wrong political decisions about how to relate to the
not highlight, feature, or emphasize the
Roman Empire.
politically potent aspects of our belief and
This is not a matter of debate. Great
practice systems, and they did not negotiate effectively enough with the powerful
rabbinic leaders, like Rabbi Akiva, supported rebellion against Rome. As leaders
political entities of their world.
As the resulting metrics show, as a faith
they were ineffective standing up to the
community, we were bad at politics, and I
empire. And worse, to compound their
think we continue to be terrible at it. We do
failings, after they lost to Rome they instituted commemorations that were politinot know how to compromise effectively,
cally devastating. Take the example of the
and that works constantly against us.
Why is this? Its not just that our rabfast of Tisha BAv. Its basis is that Romans
bis have no training in politics or politiwere bad to us they destroyed our
cal science. It is that our fealty to our
Temple, we lost, and we fast and lament

The Dear Rabbi Zahavy column offers mindful advice based on Talmudic
wisdom. It aspires to be equally open and meaningful to all of the varieties
and denominations of Judaism. You can find it here on the first Friday of the
month. Please email your questions to zahavy@gmail.com.

26 JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

cumulative ineffective traditions leads us

down many wrong roads. And so those
who try to bring our religion into play
to guide us in the political arena are not
doing us any favors.
What about those 45 Orthodox rabbis who condemned Trump? If he wins,
where does that leave them? Way outside
of political power and influence, thats
certain. And if he loses, its not going to be
because these 45 clergymen boldly spoke
up. They will garner no praise.
My advice to you is that you ignore rabbis who preach and practice bad politics.
Rabbis should keep quiet about presidential politics.
But if they cannot, they should urge that
candidates with bad policy ideas, like Mr.
Trump, repent and change. They should
implore them to reconsider their negative political stances and tone down their
rhetoric. That is what our rabbis, who purport to be moral leaders, speaking on the
authority of God and Torah, should do.
Implore and instruct that is the correct rabbinic activity. Those who condemn with pompous indignation that is
the most awful of the bad politics and the
bad rabbinical instruction that you should
stay away from.
Accordingly, let me be clear. I cannot
guide you based on Jewish traditions
to vote for or support one or another of
the candidates. And anyone who implies
or insinuates that our Judaic heritage
demands that we favor either Hillary or
Donald is misrepresenting Judaism and
its teachings to you.
Why do I say that? Ive given you some
historical reasons. Let me now be analytical
and look with you at the highly ironic proclamation of the 45 Orthodox rabbis criticizing Donald Trump and his policy opinions.
The rabbis condemn Trump for inflammatory and discriminatory policy statements. Whats wrong with that, you ask.
Well, we Orthodox Jews dont just proclaim, we practice gender segregation in
our synagogues. And we dont just opine,
we practice outright discrimination
against non-Jews. And we dont just editorialize, we continue to maintain overt
theological condemnations of gays and
gay lifestyles.
So for Orthodox spokesmen to critique Trump for views that he very well
could drop and change tomorrow that
is highly ironic and hypocritical. Every
day, rabbinic Judaism practices, as core
policies, what Trump says in theory, in
hyperbole, and in rhetoric about fearing
and excluding the other.
Orthodox rabbis are quite vehement in
preaching against a Jew marrying a nonJew, and non-Jews are not welcome to partake in our Jewish tradition or its rituals.
Gays still are classified as living abominations before the Lord. And, believe it or

not, in this 21st century, Orthodox Jewish women still sit in the shul behind the
mechitzah, and cannot receive Torah
honors or lead the services. They cannot
divorce their husbands, no matter how
abusive and awful the spouses are.
And those are just the highlights of the
discriminatory, segregationist character of
the Orthodox world. The discrimination
runs deep, and it runs strong. And to top
it all off, the rabbis say that what they are
preaching and doing is Gods will.
Mr. Trump may have wrong ideas and
policies, but he does not attribute them
to divine origins. And being the flighty,
erratic, capricious, opportunistic person
that he is, tomorrow Trump could turn
around and disavow all those bad ideas.
Prudence dictates that at least the
Orthodox rabbis stay silent about the
biases and discriminatory policies of others, until they have cleaned up their own
acts in these areas. And by the way, that is
not likely to happen anytime soon, if ever.
Accordingly, let me underline that
sadly our traditions continue to support
discrimination and targeted segregation,
even after all the reforms in America of
the past generation have moved the main
legal barriers away and brought American
culture and politics closer to affording fair
and equal civil rights across the board to
all of our citizens.
The 45 rabbis are wrong to pluck this
and that out of our tradition to condemn
the rhetoric of a specific man at this precise time. Its a near perfect case of a segregationist and racist pot calling a segregationist and racist kettle black.
But, you may insist further, isnt it
urgent and moral to call out an imminent
danger to our country, if that is what you
believe Trump represents? Well of course,
yes. But do you know what? Even if this
ruthless man Trump were to be elected,
I am sure that his awful, ridiculous opinions never would become law or practice
in our land.
Our democracy is strong, and our systems of checks and balances make it
impossible for one dangerous man, even
if he is elected president by some compounded quirks of our voting, to dictatorially impose ruinous policies on our
nation. His harmful racist views will not
become our laws. It will not happen.
Ultimately, I urge that you go out and
vote based on your own innate practical
and secular assessments. In this matter,
please, do not seek out the advice of religions or of rabbis.
Tzvee Zahavy received his Ph.D. from
Brown University and his rabbinic
ordination from Yeshiva University. He is
the author of many books about Judaism,
including Jewish Magic, a new Kindle
eBook on Amazon.

Dvar Torah/Jewish World

Reeh: A spiritual checklist

his Shabbat marks the beginning of Elul, the month when

Jews traditionally prepare
for the High Holy Days. In
anticipation of the Day of Judgment, we
judge ourselves, conducting a full cheshbon hanefesh (accounting of the soul).
The Torah portion Reeh can serve as a
checklist for forgiveness, repentance and
renewing our lives. Its various laws and
themes each suggest avenues for real and
lasting change:

in the mikvah (ritual bath)

while holding onto a snake.
Sin and harm must be relinquished for real change to
begin. Is there anyone or
anything in your life that is
corrupting or corrosive?

Create a
spiritual home

Rabbi Debra
Orenstein

the elevation of both body

and soul. The laws in Reeh,
like those for Yom Kippur,
include restrictions on what
we eat and how we treat our
skin. Many sins are committed through the body, but the
solution is to love the body
more, not less. Rav Kook
teaches that making peace
with your body is a prerequisite to other forms of repentance. How will you honor
your body this year?

The Israelites stand at the Jordan, a minor

crossing that will take them into the Promised Land. So it is with the small changes
of teshuvah (repentance). Turning to God
is ein klein drei (one small turn), and yet it
covers an immeasurable distance: as far
as East is from West (Psalms 103:12). What
is the Jordan that you need to cross?

In Deuteronomy, Jerusalem
Congregation Bnai
is established as the central
Israel, Emerson,
spiritual home. Each of us
Conservative
needs to create centralized
places for spiritual focus.
Tithe to the temple
Which synagogue will be the locus of
and the poor
your spiritual work this year? Where in
Bonding to God without supporting comyour home will you pray, eat mindfully,
munity is an incomplete Jewish spiritual
and practice rituals, as the Israelites did
expression. What have you done this year,
in Jerusalem?
and what might you do next year, to create
Choose a leader
a regular schedule and/or percentage by
worth following
which you will support a local synagogue
It is a mistake, we know, to follow those
and the needy?
who desecrate Gods name or ask us to
Forgive debts
violate divine principles, no matter how
Reeh talks about forgiving monetary
charismatic or successful they appear. We
debts. Elul is the time of year when we
need to guard against the tendency to add
tear up the IOU on emotional debts. What
to, or take away from, the Torah. Checking an idea or opinion against the Word of
grudge, expectation, or righteous indignation can you release to enter the New
God is a good test to prove its worth. Who
Year lighter?
are your spiritual mentors? Who is a worthy political leader? How will you filter and
Love freedom
assess advice this year?

Destroy idolatry

Your body is holy

Blessing and curse

The power to choose is staggering and

inescapable. Will we align ourselves with
mitzvot and blessings or rebellion and
curses? It might seem that our choices are
not so stark, or that we can remain safely
in neutral territory. But Deuteronomy
asserts that, on some level, the options we
face will incline us either toward life and
blessings or toward death and curses. How
will you choose life this year?

You are on a journey

Trying to repent while holding onto sin

is, in Maimonides image, like immersing

Repentance isnt abnegation of the body

in favor of the soul. Repentance requires

more than security

The servant who would rather remain

with his master than go out into the world
is Reehs extreme example, but all of us

have, at one time or another, chosen security over freedom. A familiar sin can seem
appealing compared to the unknown,
open territory of a changed life. Repentance is a daring act because it requires
that we abandon comfortable behaviors
and predictable consequences. Is there a
destructive pattern in your life that feels
like home, which you are now willing to
give up?

Give first and best

to God

Many people give tzedakah based on how

much money is left at the end of the year.
Or we give so much of ourselves at the
office that we have little energy to offer
family or community. What if, as Reeh
instructs, we paid godly causes first? What
if we gave the best that we have materially and spiritually to what is most
holy, rather than what is most pressing
or lucrative?

Honor tradition
throughout the year

Reeh reviews the three pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
How might the themes and observances
of those holidays support your cheshbon
hanefesh? How does each holiday represent a pilgrimage back to yourself, as well
as back to Jerusalem? What holiday observances will you engage in again, or newly,
this year?
May you find inspiration in Torah, as
step by step, inquiry by inquiry, you prepare to enter the High Holidays.

Anti-immigrant and white supremacist, maybe.

But is the alt-right anti-Semitic?
RON KAMPEAS
WASHINGTON Can you go alt-right without going
anti-Semitic?
The movement that has emerged from conservatism
and in some ways has turned against it appears to
be nudging its way into the American mainstream as it
attaches itself to the success of Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee. Its followers and intellectuals
also have been associated with anti-Semitism.
Now experts on extremism are contemplating whether
the claim the alt-right has on establishment politics
through its ride on Trumps coattails also means a mainstreaming of anti-Semitism.
You can have some of the ideas of the alt-right, which
is anti-immigration, anti-multiculturalism and anti-globalism, without it being anti-Semitic, said Marilyn Mayo, who
tracks the alt-right at the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center
on Extremism. However, a good deal of the people who
are talking about the ideology of white identity, white culture, focus on Jews as part of a problem for them.
The ADL defines the alt-right as an extremely loose
movement made up of different strands of people

Pepe the Frog, an internet meme, has become a

symbol of the alt-right.
TWITTER/LIOR ZALTZMAN

connected to white supremacy.

Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty
Law Center, which tracks extremists, said that some of the
movements ideologues explicitly rejected anti-Semitism,
seeing Jews as a branch of the white nationalism movement they embrace.

Nonetheless, he said, the movement has its share of

explicit anti-Semites. More substantively, Potok said, its
embrace of white identity had roots in movements that
have been dangerous to Jews.
The alt-right, whether nominally anti-Semitic or not,
certainly poses dangers to the Jewish community, he
said. It is fixated on America as a country birthed by
Europe and by a core population of Europeans, and for
enormous numbers of people that description does not
include Jews.
The question of Jewish viability within the movement
came to the forefront last week when Joshua Seidel, who
is Jewish, proclaimed his robust backing for the alt-right,
saying its willingness to stand up for Western civilization
made it a better protector for Jews than the liberal movements favored by most American Jews.
I sometimes wonder what Jews who enthusiastically
go on about white privilege think the endgame is, Seidel
wrote in the Forward.
He acknowledged that the alt-right is the most aggressively offensive political movement in existence, and
it often targets the Jewish community. (In the essays
SEE ANTI-IMMIGRANT PAGE 28

JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 27

Jewish World
Anti-immigrant
FROM PAGE 27

Crossword
RIO REVIEW BY YONI GLATT

KOSHERCROSSWORDS@GMAIL.COM
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: EASY
all key tenets making up an emerging
racist ideology known as the alt-right.
Trump has not embraced the movement
explicitly, but its champions have rejoiced
in his upending of the Republican Party
establishment. They also have identified
with his central platform plank, calling for
blocking immigrants, including Muslims

comments section, he engaged with multiple self-proclaimed alt-righters who

argued sometimes in threatening terms
imagining Seidels elimination that his
Jewishness necessarily excluded him from
the movement.)
Alt-righters came to wide attention earlier this year after they targeted Jewish
writers and reporters online who criticized Trump, and they have excoriated
Jews as being at the forefront of those who
would promote diversity. They use images
that cross into anti-Semitism; one tweeted
by Trump, casting Democratic rival Hillary
Clinton as corrupt and accompanied by a
six-pointed star spread over a pile of cash,
emerged from the alt-right. (Trumps campaign later removed the tweet, though the
candidate said he would not have.)
In targeting Jewish reporters, members of the movement have created illustrations that show their targets in a gas
chamber while Trump, in a Nazi uniform,
flips the switch.
Seidel said the movements flirtation
with anti-Semitism was a function of its
willingness to shatter taboos, which was
what made it refreshing. I enjoy the
nasty talk in the alt-right, he wrote. I
enjoy spending rhetorical time with people who might otherwise hate me. The
alt-right has energy, it has vitality, its
something NEW and creative, its honest
and forthright.
Pratik Chougule, who was a policy coordinator for the campaign of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee last year, said that
anti-Semitic expression may be a function of
the movements exasperation with taboos.
Any issue that is considered off limits by
the mainstream, they gravitate to and relish, Chougule, who also worked with the
Trump campaign and has tracked the movement closely, said in an interview. Is that
an expression of anti-Semitism or more a
statement about political correctness?
He said the movement eventually will
have to answer the question. If they
choose the anti-Semitic path, they will
marginalize themselves, Chougule said.
It may be too early to define the movement, said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center,
but expressions of Jew hatred by some of
its adherents must be watched closely. It
is wrong to accuse every person who associates themselves as part of the alt-right
movement as an anti-Semite, Cooper wrote
in an email. However, there are overt antiSemites that are part of this movement.
Clinton explicitly linked Trump to the
movement in a speech last week, noting
the hiring of Stephen Bannon as CEO of
the Republicans campaign. Bannon held
the same job at Breitbart News, the online
magazine that has published paeans to the
movement and promotes many of its ideas.
Race-baiting ideas, Clinton said after
reading out some Breitbart headlines.
Anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant ideas

28 JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

If they choose
the anti-Semitic
path, they will
marginalize
themselves.
PRATIK CHOUGULE

and Mexicans, who Trump says threaten

the American character.
While sharing some of the alt-rights
antagonisms toward Black Lives Matter,
Mexican immigration and Muslims, Breitbart has adamantly rejected Clintons
claims, made in the same speech, attaching it to the anti-Semitism found on the
alt-right.
They say that we are anti-Semitic,
though our company was founded by
Jews, is largely staffed by Jews, and has an
entire section (Breitbart Jerusalem) dedicated to reporting on and defending the
Jewish state of Israel, it said in a statement
after Clintons speech.
The sites founder, Andrew Breitbart,
died in 2012.
News since has emerged that one of
Bannons ex-wives said in legal papers that
Bannon opposed enrolling their daughters
in a Los Angeles private school because he
did not want to expose them to Jewish children. Bannon has denied the claim. The
Breitbart site declined an opportunity to
comment for this story.
Trump has at times, with reluctance repudiated the support he has
attracted from the far right. In an op-ed
that appeared on Tuesday in the Hill, a
newspaper that covers Washington politics, Chougule said that the movement had
barely registered when he worked for the
Trump campaign.
The inspiration behind our campaigns policy work comes from more
familiar sources think tanks like the
Heritage Foundation, policy staffs in
Congress, and center-right publications
where conservative wonks tend to publish, he wrote, describing both the Huckabee and Trump campaigns.
Even if Trump did not embrace the
alt-right, the Southern Poverty Law Centers Potok said, his enthusiasm for ideas
embraced by the movement made him
responsible for its insurgence.
Donald Trump has opened up a political space that was completely off limits
until a short time ago, he said.
JTA WIRE SERVICE

Across
1. Like many Biblical films
6. Levis ___-washed jeans
10. Most readers of this publication
14. Feldshuh of The Walking Dead
15. A Netanyahu
16. Son of Rebecca
17. She won silver and gold in Rio
19. ___ On Down The Road (song from
Lumets The Wiz)
20. Actor Hammer in The Social Network
21. ___air
23. Electricity that could disrupt El
Al instruments
26. Israeli medalist in Rio
31. Joan of Arc (figure once played by
Leelee Sobieski)
32. Use challah to have soup
34. ___ Ben Peles, early plotter with
Korach (Var.)
35. One in Davids flock
36. Session at Stern
38. Cousin of a kumzits (in Waikiki)
40. Fudd voiced by Mel Blanc
42. Israeli medalist in Rio
45. Lights singer Goulding
47. Emanuel whos mayor of Chicago
48. Not (chalav) yisroek
51. With 37-Down, drink option for chilling
out in Eilat
52. Have some latkes, e.g.
54. Dead Sea relaxation locale
56. ...rose ___ rose... (Gertrude Stein)
57. Actor who made a surprise visit to
Simone Boles
60. Syrup that makes a poison victim brech
62. Troop org. that sells (mostly)
kosher cookies
63. Gumbo veggies that would also work
in a cholent
65. Say afternoon services
68. Moment of ___, what was finally held
at the Rio Olympics for the Munich 11
73. Gefilte fish fish
74. The Times They ___-Changin (Dylan)
75. Shalom
76. IDF division
77. Appendage of Fievel Mousekewitz
78. One who catches fish not used in
kosher sushi bars

The solution to last weeks

puzzle is on page 35.

Down
1. Ben Gurion posting (Abbr.)
2. Neighbor of Ger. that once had the most
Jews in Europe
3. Students who are part of Yales Chai
Society are also part of this League
4. Sterling Jewelers measure
5. Lewis of Lamb Chop, and others
6. Amora often mentioned with Rav Ammi
7. Stan Lee makes one in most Marvel films
8. Lyricist Gershwin
9. Like many a Jew who escaped to
Sweden during WWII
10. What Islam el-Shabai heard from the
crowd after refusing to shake the hand
of 26-Across
11. ___ Einai
12. Word between it and good
in Genesis
13. Bring to a beth din, perhaps
18. What one without a coat at the top of
Hermon might say
22. Less mashuga
23. Observed shiva
24. Shalosh, in Pisa
25. Like Linda Richmans fake nails
27. ___ it (spends a night in a bedouin tent,
for some)
28. Hebrew or Arabic
29. Have an interest-free loan out
30. Shabbat or Tamid
33. ___ Rican (like Juan Epstein)
37. See 51-Across
39. Word with Bkoach or Hashem
41. In Israel theyre kgs
43. Eilat and Cairns have them
44. Kingdom of kosher chicken?
45. ___ Chaim
46. Carews CA team, on the scoreboard
49. Fifth king in the House of David
50. Computer pioneered by Jobs and
Raskin, for short
53. Resting spot of Noahs Ark
55. Color War relay race at many
Jewish camps
58. Nation of Islam el-Shahabi
59. ___ Aviv (Beit Shemesh neighborhood)
61. Lauder of makeup
64. Whole (Jewish community)
65. 1994 Jeremy Piven campus comedy
66. Campaigned, like Sanders
67. Pauls role in Exodus
69. Second Temple or Hasmonean
70. Like a choleh
71. ___ Torm! (1959 album)
72. ...will not fail thee, ___ forsake thee
(Josh. 1:15)

Arts & Culture

Putting God Second
How Rabbi Donniel Hartman wants to save religion from itself
AVRAHAM BRONSTEIN

abbi Donniel Hartman begins Putting God Second: How To Save Religion
From Itself by questioning the conflation of the metaphysical and the martial.
He recalls standing in an Israeli military cemetery, wondering why the chaplain had to assert
that his brother-in-law, a casualty of Israels 1982
Lebanon War, fell al kiddush haShem, in sanctification of Gods name. After all, that war now is widely
regarded as a fiasco that wreaked a devastating toll
on the Lebanese civilian population,
To Hartman, the chaplains talk represented
a disquieting mixture of the concerns of a state
and those of the deity worshipped by many of its
citizens.
This conflation is hardly unique to Israel and
Judaism. Back when Secretary of Defense Donald
Rumsfeld regularly briefed President George W.
Bush on the progress of the war in Iraq, his reports
often included cover sheets with triumphant Bible
verses superimposed on full-color military action
photos. And the first two letters of ISIS stand for
Islamic State. Its hard to look at the state of the
world without discussing atrocities committed or
justified in the name of God. No surprise, then, that
since September 11, 2001, religious apologists have
moved somewhat from discussing whether or not
God exists to the more practical matter of whether
religion, writ large, is a force for good in the world
Rabbi Donniel Hartman
or not.
One approach, taken by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in
his recent Not In Gods Name, is to argue that religion
for God intoxication is to identify and
must be quarantined from state power to prevent it from
prioritize the sources within Jewish
becoming a tool for those who might misunderstand or
tradition that emphasize empathy with
cynically pervert it.
human beings over obedience of God.
Hartman, though, refuses to place all the blame on
These include Hillels maxim, That
states and power. Instead he identifies two inherent (and
which is hateful to you, do not do unto
somewhat overlapping) problems at the core of religious
your fellow, or those that see the ultimate goal of religious
practice itself that naturally gravitate toward fanaticism
service in acting in accordance with an independent ethiwhat he calls religions autoimmune disorders.
cal vision.
The first problem, which he labels God intoxication,
Likewise, Hartman combats God manipulation by callis the tendency for religious devotion the desire to carry
ing on religious followers to hold God accountable, as it
out what we perceive to be Gods will to overpower both
were, to an external moral standard. The Abraham whom
our instinct for self-preservation and our natural empathy
we need to emulate, he argues, is the one who challenged
for each other. Rabbi Akivas ecstatic martyrdom on one
God over the destruction of Sodom and Gemorrah, not the
hand, and Abrahams willingness to sacrifice his son on
one who meekly and obediently acquiesced to the bindthe other, demonstrate both the power and the danger
ing of Isaac. Finally, just as the Talmud records incidents
of this phenomenon. For Hartman, these examples, both
in which the rabbis seem open to a moral critique of their
glorified in the rabbinic tradition, are too close to a conlaw from their Roman counterparts, hearing perspectives
temporary suicide bomber for comfort.
on how Judaism is perceived and experienced from the
The second problem he identifies, God manipulation,
outside is an important check on our perspective.
is the impulse to draft God, as it were, into the service of
In this way, Hartman continues to develop his fathers
our own self-interest. Here, Hartman most directly targets
covenantal approach to Judaism. To Rabbi David HartJewish nationalism and chosenness, and the tendency to
man, God is a partner in an ongoing dialogue, soliciting
self-justify crimes and injustices against others by cloaking
and responding to human demands and moral arguments.
them in religious garb.
The younger Hartman, though, navigates a narrow path.
If these problems are inherent to religion, how can they
On one side he has to carefully assemble a collection of
be avoided? Hartman would insulate our moral intusources that do not involve some level of surrender or subition so that religious study and practice cannot replace
mission to the Divine will. On the other, he struggles to
an innate moral sense, but can only reinforce it. The cure
explain the value of a religion whose primary purpose is

merely to remind people of the moral values they

already know.
Hartmans primary innovation is characterizing
religious practice as inherently self-destructive if it
lacks proper introspection and course correction.
The flip side of this coin, though, means he does
not consider how social, political, or cultural factors are reflected in toxic forms of religious expression. If a particular society finds the tragedy, violence, and submission of the binding of Isaac
narrative particularly compelling as a template for
religious life, it is not enough to offer other, less
resonant teachings in its place. Rather, we must
understand why those themes are so meaningful
to those people at that particular time.
In this context, I also was disappointed at the
paucity of contemporary real-life examples in the
book. Though Putting God
Second shares an editor,
Rabbi Charlie Buckholtz, with
David Hartmans final book,
The God Who Hates Lies,
the latter used modern-day
questions, personal stories,
and halachic decision-making
to illustrate the theological
stakes. In contrast, after the
opening graveside story, Putting God Second feels somewhat detached from reality, and
oddly so.
Given Hartmans position at
the helm of the Shalom Hartman Institute, a remarkably
large and vibrant organization
that focuses on the intersection
between pluralistic Jewish principles and public life and policy,
I was hoping for many more
concrete applications. What, for example, does it mean
to Put God Second when it comes to the recent surge of
religious youth volunteering for elite IDF units or applying
for officer commissions? Does a Roman scholar critiquing
unbalanced halachot to the rabbis centuries ago teach us
anything about the perspective of a Palestinian waiting at
a checkpoint in the contemporary State of Israel? I know
that Hartman spends a great deal of time working on these
very issues, which is why their absence from this book
feels like an omission.
His discussion and arrangement of sources often is provocative and bold, but in the end Hartman falls short of
his titles ambition. To his credit, though, he comes closer
than others in his genre, which generally suffers from the
lack of a target audience. Someone considering moving to
Syria and fighting for ISIS is not likely to be convinced by
Jonathan Sacks reading of Genesis, for example, nor by
Hartmans insistence on the primacy of Hillel. Hartman,
at least, does have something to say to his natural readership, which is that the gap that separates them from their
religions dark side is much narrower than they may like to
think. If nothing else, that sobering thought makes Putting God Second a worthwhile read.
JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 29

Calendar
Friday

Thursday

Saturday

SEPTEMBER 2

SEPTEMBER 8

SEPTEMBER 10

Piano sale in Tenafly:

Shabbat in Closter:

The Thurnauer School

of Music at the Kaplen
JCC on the Palisades and
Forte Piano of Paramus
will hold its 12th annual
sale of upright, grand,
and electronic pianos
at greatly reduced
prices over Labor Day
weekend at the JCC.
Hours are Friday and
Sunday, 10 a.m.6 p.m.,
by appointment only;
and Monday open
to the public from
10 a.m.6 p.m. 411 East
Clinton Ave., Tenafly.
Call (201) 265-1212 or
(800) 742-6655.

Film in Suffern: The

Holocaust Museum &
Center for Tolerance and
Education in Rockland
screens Watchers of
the Sky 6:30 p.m., in
the Technology Center
at Rockland
Community College.
Amy SaNogueira,
museum director of
education, leads an
informal discussion.
145 College Road. Jo,
(845) 574-4099 or
HolocaustRCC@gmail.
com.

Sunday
SEPTEMBER 4
Birthday celebration
in Teaneck: Cedar
Market throws itself
a birthday party,
1-4:30 p.m. Festivities
include a concert with
a surprise singer, rides,
live music, prizes, clowns,
magic shows, balloon
sculptures, jugglers,
giveaways, rock climbing,
science experiments,
cotton candy, popcorn,
and raffles. 646 Cedar
Lane. (201) 855-8500 or
thecedarmarket.com.

Monday
SEPTEMBER 5

Hebrew reading in
Woodcliff Lake: In time

The Bergen Performing Arts Center in

Englewood presents the Russian Grand
Ballets performance of Pyotr Ilyich
Tchaikovskys Swan Lake in Englewood
on Thursday, September 22, at 8 p.m. The ballet is
in three acts with two intermissions, with music by
Tchaikovsky, choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev
Ivanov, and libretto by Vladimir Begichev and Vasily
Getzer. 30 North Van Brunt St. (201) 227-1030 or www.
bergenpac.org or www.ticketmaster.com. COURTESY BERGENPAC

SEPT.

22

Tuesday
Jonathan Milgram

SEPTEMBER 6

Laws of the Tannaim:

Jonathan Milgram,
Ph.D., author of From
Mesopotamia to the
Mishnah: Tannaitic
Inheritance of Law in
its Legal and Social
Contexts, discusses
How to Study the Laws
of the Tannaim in the 21st
Century at Congregation
Rinat Yisrael, 8:45 a.m.
He is also an associate
professor at the Jewish
Theological Seminary.
389 West Englewood
Ave. (201) 837-2795 or
www.rinat.org.

League draft, 7:30 p.m.

180 Piermont Road.
(201) 750-9997 or www.
templeemanu-el.com.

Wednesday

Jason Shames
Belle Rosenbloom
facilitates a discussion
on Saving Sophie
by Ronald Balson at
the JCC of Paramus/
Congregation Beth
Tikvah, 6:45 p.m.
Refreshments. East
304 Midland Ave.
(201) 262-7691 or
jccparamus.org.

Hadassah meets in
Paramus: TriBoro

Fantasy football in
Closter: Temple EmanuEls Mens Club holds
its Fantasy Football
30 JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

Book club in New City:

The Nanuet Hebrew
Center Book Club
discusses Wild Swans
by Jung Chang. Lunch
at noon; discussion at
12:30 p.m. 411 South
Little Tor Road, off Exit
10, Palisades Interstate
Parkway. (845) 708-9181
or www.nanuethc.org.

Friday

Hadassah meets to
hear Jason Shames,
CEO of the Jewish
Federation of Northern
New Jersey, on Views of
the Jewish Community
in the Diaspora and
Israel at the JCC of
Paramus/Congregation
Beth Tikvah, 1 p.m.
East 304 Midland Ave.
(201) 384-8005.

Sunday
SEPTEMBER 11
Hebrew high school
open house in
Englewood: The Bergen
County High School
of Jewish Studies,
which meets at the
Moriah School, holds a
new and prospective
student orientation
there, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
53 South Woodland St.
(201) 488-0834.

Harvest celebration/
park clean up: Temple
Emeth in Teaneck
holds its annual harvest
celebration with a park
clean-up and short
commemoration of the
15th anniversary of 9/11,
10 a.m. 1666 Windsor
Road. (201) 833-1322.

SEPTEMBER 9
Shabbat in Montebello:
The Montebello Jewish
Center hosts a barbecue
and Shabbat Alive
services, beginning at
5:30 p.m. 34 Montebello
Road, Suffern, N.Y.
(845) 357-2430 or
office@montebellojc.org.

Shabbat in Closter:

SEPTEMBER 7

Book club in Paramus:

for the High Holidays,

Valley Chabad offers
Read It In Hebrew, a
five-week, flashcardbased language course
in beginner Hebrew
reading, led by Rabbi
Yosef Orenstein, 8 p.m.
Open to all regardless of
affiliation. 100 Overlook
Drive. (201) 746-0157
or valleychabad.org/
Hebrew.

Temple Emanu-El
welcomes scholar-inresidence Eric Fingerhut,
president and CEO
of Hillel International.
During Shabbat morning
services at 9 a.m., he will
discuss Being Jewish
and Proud on Campus;
dessert reception and
informal discussion
follow. Sponsored by
Hillel International.
180 Piermont Road.
(201) 750-9997.

Temple Beth El in Closter

invites the community
to its Back to Shul family
service, 6:45 p.m. 221
Schraalenburgh Road,
Closter. (201) 768-5112.

Shabbat in Teaneck:
Temple Emeth offers
family services, 7:30 p.m.
1666 Windsor Road.
(201) 833-1322 or www.
Emeth.org.

Shabbat in Emerson:
Congregation Bnai Israel
hosts its casual Jersey
Boys Shabbat service,
with traditional prayers
set to the music of the
Four Seasons and the
Broadway hit, 7:30 p.m.
Oneg follows. 53 Palisade
Ave. (201) 265-2272 or
www.bisrael.com.

COURTESY JCCOTP

JCC open house in

Tenafly: The Kaplen
JCC on the Palisades
holds a community open
house, 1-4 p.m. JCC
staff will provide guided
facility tours, where
members and guests can
enjoy JCC gyms, chair
massages, outside pools,
and the water park, try
sample classes, and use
the adult and youth
fitness centers. There
also will be activities
for children, including
a moon bounce, face
painting, glitter tattoos,
Thurnauer Music school
open house, petting zoo,
and 9/11 commemoration
with a community
mitzvah project. E.
Clinton Ave. (201) 4081448, email join@jccotp.
org, or www.jccotp.org.

Calendar
Tuesday
SEPTEMBER 13
Holocaust survivor
group in Fair Lawn:
Jewish Family Service
of North Jerseys Cafe
Europa, a monthly social
and support program
for Holocaust survivors,
meets at the Fair
Lawn Jewish Center/
Congregation Bnai
Israel, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The
Syncopated Seniors
will perform and lunch
will be served. Made
possible through grants
from the Conference on
Jewish Material Claims
Against Germany, Jewish
Federation of Northern
New Jersey, and private
donations. 10-10 Norma
Ave. Transportation
available. (973) 595-0111
or www.jfsnorthjersey.org.

Book club in Paramus:

The JCC of Paramus/
Congregation Beth
Tikvah offers a discussion
on Elie Wiesels
Night, 6:45 p.m.
Dairy refreshments.

East 304 Midland

Ave. (201) 262-7691 or
jccparamus.org.

Elections and Judaism:

Lubavitch on the
Palisades in Tenafly
offers Elections 2016:
What Does Judaism
Say? a two-session JLI
CLE-accredited course
led by Rabbi Mordechai
Shain, 8 p.m. 11 Harold St.
(201) 871-1152, ext. 512,
or chabadlubavitch.org/
adulteducation.

Singles
Sunday
SEPTEMBER 11
Seniors meet in West
Nyack: Singles 65+
meets for a social bagels
and lox brunch at the
JCC Rockland, 11 a.m. All
are welcome, particularly
if you are from Hudson,
Passaic, Bergen, or
Rockland counties. 450
West Nyack Road. Gene
Arkin, (845) 356-5525.

Thursday
SEPTEMBER 15
Widows and widowers
meet in Glen Rock:
Movin On, a monthly
luncheon group for
widows and widowers,
meets at the Glen Rock
Jewish Center, 12:30 p.m.
682 Harristown Road.
$5 for lunch. Upcoming
dates, November
17, December 15.
(201) 652-6624 or email
Binny, arbgr@aol.com.

Wednesday

Lamdeinus new semester nears

Lamdeinu, a center for Jewish learning,
will begin its semester on Monday, September 12. Dean Rachel Friedman will
teach Parshanut HaMikra Bereishit: Avot
ve-Imahot on Mondays, and on Tuesday
mornings she and Dr. Chaviva Levin
will co-teach a three-part High Holy
Day series. Rabbi Daniel Fridman will
teach Masekhet Kiddushin on Tuesday
afternoons and parashah and haftarah
pointers on Thursday afternoons. On

Wednesday mornings Rabbi Dr. Yitzhak

Berger will delve into Yonah In the Garden of Eden and Wednesday afternoons
Rabbi Hayyim Angel will teach Readings of the High Holidays: Torah and
Haftarot.
New students are welcome to join any
class. Lamdeinu is at Congregation Beth
Aaron, 950 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck.
For information, go to www. lamdeinu.
org or email lamdeinu@aol.com.

SEPTEMBER 21

JFSNJ offers caregiver program

Seniors meet in
Orangeburg: Singles

Jewish Family Service of North Jersey is

offering a mindfulness group for caregivers; it is open to all caregivers, including
adult children and spouses.
The eight-session workshop, particularly aimed at unpaid full- and part-time
caregivers, is coordinated by Melanie
Lester, JFSNJs community outreach
coordinator. It incorporates a variety
of mindfulness techniques, including

65+ of the JCC Rockland

meet for dinner at
Hogans Diner in
Orangeburg, N.Y., 6 p.m.
Individual checks. 17
Dutch Hill Road. Gene,
(845) 356-5525.

Auditions for singers, musicians

scheduled at the Kaplen JCC
The Shirah Community Chorus
on the Palisades, led by conductor Marsha Bryan Edelman,
invites new members to join the
chorus. Rehearsals begin Tuesday, September 6.
Founded in 1994 by Matthew
Lazar, the chorus rehearses on
Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. at the
Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in
Tenafly. Membership is open to
the public and no previous experience is necessary.
From a recent Shirah chorus concert.
For more information, call
(201) 408-1465, go to jccotp.org/Thurcombos for teens and adults, led by Debnauer, or email shirah@jccotp.org.
bie Keefe and Steve Johns, are 12:302 p.m.

Auditions for chamber music ensembles

The JCC Thurnauer School of Music invites
(groups of three, four, or five) coached by
musicians of all ages from the tristate area
Alexander Rees, are 24 p.m., and for the
to its ensemble auditions on Sunday, Sepaward-winning Young Peoples Chorus at
tember 11, 11 a.m.5:30 p.m. Call or email
Thurnauer, led by Emma Brondolo, for
to schedule a time.
children 6 and older, 4:305:30.
Auditions for the string camerata, led
To schedule an audition, call (201) 569by Matthew Lucero, and the Thurnauer
7900, ext. 375, or email rsearles@jccotp.
Symphony Youth Orchestra, led by Diego
org. Alternate dates or video presentations may be arranged for people who are
Garcia, are 11 a.m.1 p.m. Auditions for
unable to attend on September 11.
the TeenTown Jazz Big Band and small

meditation, to help recharge and cope

with the stress and responsibility of providing care.
The support group, made possible
with a grant from WellCare Health
Plans, will be held in the evening in
either Wayne or Fair Lawn depending on
the makeup of the group. It is free, but
advance registration is required; space is
limited. Call Ms. Lester at (973) 595-0111.

Enrollment opens for fall classes

at the Citizens Police Academy
The Bergen County sheriff s office is
taking applications for the 19th class of
the Citizens Police Academy, a 10-week
course designed to give residents a working knowledge of law enforcement policies and tactics. Bergen County residents
18 and older are eligible to participate.
BCSOs Citizens Police Academy is
designed to educate participants on the
functions of the sheriff s office and the
role the agency plays in Bergen County.
The academy is offered in a classroomstyle format and includes demonstrations of the equipment and tactics law
enforcement officers use in a broad
range of contexts, including motor

vehicle stops, medical operations,

disaster preparedness, homicide investigations, K-9 patrol and detection, fire
safety, and crime scene analysis.
The class also will tour the Bergen
County Jail and the Bureau of Criminal
Investigations.
The class begins on Thursday, September 29, at 7 p.m., in the Bergen County
Jail, and concludes with a graduation
ceremony on November 10.
The deadline to register is September
21. Go to www.bcsd.us and click on Community Outreach > Adult Programs, or
call (201) 336-3540.

Verismo Opera family season resumes

The New Jersey Association of Verismo
Opera, the house opera company of the
Bergen Performing Arts Center, is resuming the Bring the Family to the Opera initiative, which introduces children and
the extended family to live, fully staged
performances of grand opera. On September 8, the programs first special

ticket rate will be available for a performance of Giuseppe Verdis Rigoletto

on October 23 at 3 p.m. at bergenPAC.
Offers are for sale only at bergenPACs
box office, 30 North Van Brunt St., in
Englewood. For information, call (201)
227-1030 or go to www.verismopera.org.

Announce your events

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

From a recent youth orchestra concert.

PHOTOS COURTESY JCCOTP

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

JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 31

Jewish World

In Blazing Saddles, Gene Wilder helped

recall a fading black-Jewish alliance
Wilder consoles him with a
gentle monologue: What
did you expect? Welcome,
ast year I joined
sonny? Make yourself at
some 3,000 peohome? Marry my daughter?
ple at the New
Youve got to remember that
Jersey Performthese are just simple farmers.
ing Arts Center in Newark
These are people of the land.
for a wide-screen showing
The common clay of the new
of Mel Brooks 1974 Western
West. You know... morons.
parody Blazing Saddles. In
(Why does that speech
the onstage interview that
sound particularly apropos
followed, Brooks, then 89,
in 2016?)
was beside himself in his
Later, the two will rally
delight at sharing his 42-yearRock Ridge against a mercenary army of bad guys that
old comedy with a real
includes, in addition to your
live audience.
There was only one awkstandard Western lineup of
ward moment in a joyous
hustlers, cutthroats, murderers, bounty hunters [and]
and hilarious evening, and it
desperadoes, robed memcame when Brooks asked if
bers of the Ku Klux Klan, helanyone in the audience actually lived in Newark. One
meted Nazis, and camel-riding Arabs. Talk about your
person, in the balcony, said
common cause.
yes. Brooks couldnt know
The amity between his
it, but it was a reminder of
black and white protagothe sad history of Newark
nists grew out of the writing
and the white ethnic populations, including a vibrant
room itself, Brooks recalled
Gene Wilder, right, and Cleavon Little in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles.
Jewish community, that fled
after the Newark screening,

WARNER BROS./COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES
the city for the suburbs
explaining that Pryor wrote
an exodus that culminated
the Jewish jokes, the Jews
with the riots that scarred its downtown
wrote the black jokes.
By the late 60s, however, identity poliThe chemistry between the characters
tics, black militants rejection of colonialIn an essay for NPR, Nadya Faulx once
in 1967. The Performing Arts Center is
and the actors is apparent from their
ist Zionism, and riots that hollowed out
noted that the interracial relationship
an attempt to woo back suburbanites,
first encounter.
Newark and dozens of other cities drove a
between Bart and Jim wasnt unprecalthough few linger after the concerts
Are we awake? Bart asks the drunk
edented in film, but it was one of the
wedge between blacks and Jews.
and performances end.
cowboy hanging upside down from
first in which race wasnt treated as an
And yet something in the friendship
Brooks inadvertent reminder of the
his bunk.
obstacle. Blazing Saddles came after
of Black Bart and the Waco Kid echoes
yawning divide between mostly black
Were not sure. Are we ... black?
The Defiant Ones, in which Tony Curtis
what once was. Wilders character never
Newark and its mostly white suburbs
Jim replies.
and Sidney Poitier literally are shackled
is identified as a Jew, but Wilder, with a
was particularly poignant considering
Yes, we are, Bart says.
together as a white and black (and Jewish
frizzy Jewfro that he barely can contain
the themes of racial bigotry and reconThen were awake, Jim says, but
ciliation that he doesnt just sneak into
and black) odd couple. Blazing Saddles
under his ten-gallon hat, is the furthest
were very puzzled.
Blazing Saddles, but are in fact its
also anticipated a string of black-white
thing possible from the central casting
The we there is telling, as is Wilders
comic engine.
buddy movies to come, include Wilders
idea of the movie gunfighter. (You can only
stating the obvious from the get-go. His
Co-written in part with the black comic
own collaborations with Pryor on Stir
imagine what the film would have been
character isnt racist he understands in
genius Richard Pryor, Blazing Saddles
Crazy and other comedies, as well as
had Brooks first choice for the role, the
an instant that black men do not become
is about a lily-white town in the desolate
Beverly Hills Cop, Lethal Weapon,
typically handsome actor Gig Young, not
sheriffs in the mythical American West.
West that is in the way of a railroad being
and 48 Hours.
shown up too drunk to handle the movie
From this brief encounter grows one of the
The black-Jewish alliance never was as
built by the villainous Hedley Lamarr,
shoot. If you want an alcoholic, dont cast
cinemas greatest onscreen friendships, as
solid as some survivors of the 60s like to
played by Harvey Korman. To rile the peoan alcoholic, Brooks once said.)
well as a brief reminder of an off-screen
ple of Rock Ridge and make it easier for his
claim. Philip Roth, the bard of lost JewLike the slickly urban Little in his taiblack-Jewish alliance that already was fading, if not dead, by the time the movie
lored buckskin outfits, Wilder lands in the
ish Newark, once recalled that when he
henchmen to drive them away, Korman
came out.
movie like a visitor from the multiethnic,
was growing up in the city in the 30s and
appoints a black railroad worker, played
Jews and blacks had made common
post-civil-rights-era future, as if the two
40s, we were all Irish, Italians, Slavs,
by a dashing Cleavon Little, as their new
cause in the early years of the civil rights
met at a jazz club in the West Village, not a
blacks, Jews settled and secure in differsheriff, inevitably named Black Bart. The
ent neighborhoods. There was barely any
movement out of mutual self-interest,
one-horse town in the Badlands.
townspeople are appalled, and much of
social overlap.
its true, but also a sense of idealism repreWilder also plays a role that recalls the
the plot, such as it is, involves Little trying
sented by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s
Blazing Saddles is, perhaps, a movie
black-Jewish dynamic of the civil rights
to win over the bigots and unite the town
frequent invocations of the Old Testament
about what could have been and what
movement the Jewish consigliere. The
against Kormans robber baron.
and the Jewish kids who traveled south to
might still be: a better world in which Jews
Waco Kid is Black Barts only ally against
Thats where Gene Wilder comes in. The
agitate for black voters rights. Jews were
and African-Americans win out over racthe racist townspeople, and while Bart
orange-haired, blue-eyed master of the
ism, xenophobia, ignorance and a rapaoverrepresented in the NAACP, especially
faces most of the real physical dangers, Jim
comedic pause and the slow burn, who
cious tycoon through the power of friendamong its legal teams, and the big Jewish
provides some muscle and moral support.
died on Sunday at 83, plays Jim, aka the
ship, cunning, some bloodless gun play.
organizations often adopted the civil rights
When Bart is upset that hes been
Waco Kid, a washed-up gunslinger whom
And the occasional fart joke.
cause as their own.
rejected by the citizens of Rock Ridge,
Little finds sleeping it off in the town jail.

ANDREW
SILOW-CARROLL

32 JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

Obituaries
Eric Fields

Eric Harrison Fields, 78, of Upper

Saddle River, formerly of Teaneck,
died August 20.
He was an aide and personal pilot
to many, including former governors William Cahill and Christine
Todd Whitman. He was a volunteer
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary pilot
and his was among the first planes
ordered by Homeland Security to
photograph the wreckage of the
Twin Towers. He was honored many
times and received the Distinguished
Lifetime Service medal after 9/11.
He incorporated the Northern
New Jersey Credit Adjustment
Bureau. He was appointed to the
New Jersey Supreme Court Special
Civil Part Practice Committee, the
only non-lawyer, non-civil service
employee to ever serve.
He is survived by his wife of 35
years, Lynne D. Feldman; daughters,
Erica Leigh Fields (Simon Knott)
of Upper Saddle River; and Andrea
Stone of Sarasota, Fla., and a grandson, Adam Nathan Knott.
Donations may be made to St.
Jude Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, or the Humane Society.
Arrangements were by Gutterman &
Musicant Jewish Funeral Directors,
Hackensack.

Fred Goldsmith

Fred Goldsmith, 96, of Highland

Beach, Fla., formerly of Teaneck
and Washington Tonwship, died
August 23.
Born in Germany, he came to
America on the Queen Marys
maiden voyage in 1937. He served
in World War II as a sergeant in
the Army Corps of Engineers. He

founded Superior Tape Corporation

in 1949, retiring as its head in 2000.
He served on the national executive
board for Boys Town Jerusalem, was
president of the Gummed Industries
Association, was a lifetime trustee
of the Teaneck Jewish Center, and a
board member of UJA and of Beth
Ami Congregation.
Predeceased by his wife of 61
years, Edith, ne Lehmann, he is
survived by sons Gary, Jeffrey (Amy),
and grandchildren, Justin, Samantha, and Allison.
Contributions can be made to
www.boystownjerusalem.org or
Beth Ami Congregation, Boca
Raton, Fla. Arrangements were by
Robert Schoems Menorah Chapel,
Paramus.

Emanuel Singer

Fred Lorsch

Dr. Seymour Strum

Fred Lorsch, 90, of Paramus, died

August 26.
Born in Germany, he came to
America with his family and was
a World War II U.S. Army veteran,
serving in the Philippines. He graduated from the American Institute of
Television and was a technician and
service manager in the electronics
and television industry. He was a
longtime member of the JCC of Paramus/CBT, where he was a co-chair
of the religious committee, and a
member of the Jewish War Veterans
Post 669.
He is survived by his wife of 62
years, Melitta, ne Nathan; sons,
Alan (Lori), and Sidney (Dori); and a
grandson, Adam.
Services were held at JCC/
CBT. Arrangements were by Robert Schoems Menorah Chapel,
Paramus.

Emanuel Manny Singer, 95, of

Glen Rock, formerly of Brooklyn,
died on June 19.
A Navy veteran, he was a CCNY
and Rutgers University graduate.
An electrical engineer, he worked
for ITT Corporation for 32 years in
space and defense communications.
Predeceased by a son, Aaron Justin, and his seven siblings, he is survived by his wife of 65 years, Daisy;
a daughter, Eugenia Gigi who was
seriously injured on 9/11; and his
aide, Esther Aboagye.
Donations can be sent to Valley
Hospice, Paramus.
Arrangements were by Robert Schoems Menorah Chapel,
Paramus.

Dr. Seymour E. Strum of Fort Lee,

formerly of Teaneck, died August
20.
He was a neurologist in Teaneck
for 40 years.
He is survived by his wife,
Dorothy; daughters, Roni Strum
and Susan Cohen (Barry); a sister Janice Fuld (Harry), and
three granddaughters.
Contributions can be sent to
senior programs at the Kaplen JCC
on the Palisades, Tenafly, or the
rabbis discretionary fund at the Jewish Home Rockleigh.
Arrangements were by Gutterman
& Musicant Jewish Funeral Directors, Hackensack.

Obituaries are prepared with information

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

Robert Schoems Menorah Chapel, Inc

Jewish Funeral Directors

Family Owned & managed

Generations of Lasting Service to the Jewish Community
Serving NJ, NY, FL &
Throughout USA
Prepaid & Preneed Planning
Graveside Services

Our Facilities Will Accommodate

Your Familys Needs
Handicap Accessibility From Large
Parking Area

Gary Schoem Manager - NJ Lic. 3811

Conveniently Located
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Established 1902
Headstones, Duplicate Markers and Cemetery Lettering
With Personalized and Top Quality Service
Please call 1-800-675-5624
www.kochmonument.com
76 Johnson Ave., Hackensack, NJ 07601

The Five Wishes booklet,

a simple Living Will guide
on how to document
desired care for medical
needs, including emotional
and spiritual needs as well.
To obtain your
complimentary Five Wishes booklet
or to learn more about preplanning
options, call or visit us.

A Traditional Jewish Experience

Pre-Planning Specialists Graveside and Chapel Services

Barry Wien - NJ Lic. No. 2885

Frank Patti, Jr. - NJ Lic. No. 4169
Arthur Musicant - NJ Lic. No. 2544
Frank Patti, Sr. Director - NJ Lic. No. 2693
327 Main St, Fort Lee, NJ

201-947-3336 888-700-EDEN
www.edenmemorial.com

GUTTERMAN AND MUSICANT

JEWISH FUNERAL DIRECTORS
800-522-0588

WIEN & WIEN, INC.

MEMORIAL CHAPELS
800-322-0533

402 PARK STREET, HACKENSACK, NJ 07601

ALAN L. MUSICANT, Mgr., N.J. Lic. No. 2890
MARTIN D. KASDAN, N.J. Lic. No. 4482
IRVING KLEINBERG, N.J. Lic. No. 2517
Advance Planning Conferences Conveniently Arranged
at Our Funeral Home or in Your Own Home
GuttermanMusicantWien.com

www.thejewishstandard.com
Jewish Standard SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 33

Classified
Florida Houses For Sale
del RAY BEACH, FLA.
2 Bdrm, + Den, 2 FBth.
Private inground pool,w/spa
.Gated Community.
near House of Worship
$399,000
201-214-3992

Crypts For Sale

sanctuary Abraham & Sarah,
2 Crypts in main building, 1st floor
at Cedar Park Cemetery, Paramus,
N.J. $11,000. 732-477-5862

Help Wanted
new Bergen County Womens
Mikvah seeks attendent for once
weekly position. Contact:
lkanner@juno.com

(201) 837-8818

Help Wanted

Situations Wanted

classroom AIDE
for Instructional Support,
middle grades,

full-time (9:30am - 5:30pm).

Education experience
preferred. Knowldeged of MS
curriculum a plus.
Strong communication &
collaboration skills necessry.
Oakland, N.J
Resume to

rsmolen@ssnj.org

Antiques

NICHOL AS
ANTIQUES
ESTATES
BOUGHT & SOLD

Fine Furniture Antiques Accessories

Cash Paid

201-920-8875

Sterling Associates Auctions

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chha available full-time, MondayFriday. 7 years experience. Reliable. Speaks English. Drive own
car. Willing to do light housekeeping/cooking. 973-619-8800
CHHA Certified Nurses Aide/Long
time care - 15 years experience
caring for the elderly with Alzheimers/dementia. Knowledge of
kosher food preparation, will shop,
clean, administer medication and
drive client to MD appointments.
References upon request. 201310-3149
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COMPANION: Experienced, kind,
trustworthy person seeking part
time work. Weekends OK. Meal
preparation, laundry, housekeeping. Will drive for doctors appointments; occasional sleepovers. 973519-4911
Home Health Aide/Nurses Aide.
20 yrs experience with Elder Care
seeking live-in/out position. References Call 973-356-4365

Help Wanted

SEEKING CONSIGNMENT AND OUT RIGHT PURCHASES

Ad for Substitute Teachers

Sculpture Paintings Porcelain Silver

Jewelry Furniture Etc.

The Academies at the Gerrard Berman Day

School in Oakland, NJ seeks qualified candidates
for substitute teaching positions for both General
and Judaic Studies. Candidates for Judaic Studies
must be Hebrew speakers. Candidates should
have at least 2 years of college and experience
working with children in an educational setting.
Candidates should send their resumes to
Rabbi Traiger at ytraiger@ssnj.org.

TOP CASH PRICES PAID

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info@antiquenj.com

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FREE APPRAISALS TUESDAYS FROM 12-2

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WE BUY
Oil Paintings

Silver

Bronzes

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Bric-A-Brac

Tyler Antiques
Established by Bubbe in 1940!

tylerantiquesny@aol.com

201-894-4770
Shomer Shabbos
34 Jewish Standard SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

experienced
BABYSITTER
for Teaneck area.

Reliable lady w/ 20 years experience. Excellent references/drives.

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at $10/hr or willing to live-in . Call
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Please call Jenna

Cleaning Service

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RITA FINE

Antiques

201-214-1777

We pay cash for

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Oil Paintings
Porcelain
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Chinese Porcelain Art
Jewelry & Costume Jewelry
Men & Women Watches
Other Antiques

ANS A

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We come to you Free Appraisals

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Shabbas

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Situations Wanted

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Established 2001
veteran/college graduate
seeks employment in telephone
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buyer of toys, hobbies, hard goods
and bulk toys. Honest, hard worker. email:yendisid@optImum.net

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references.
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Driving Service

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School Transportation

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Handyman

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Cleaning & Hauling

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the Junk Man

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

WE CLEAN OUT:
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Construction Debris Hoarding Specialists
WE REMOVE ANYTHING!

CALL TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE

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Classified
mAsonry

Home improvements

Solution to last weeks puzzle. This weeks puzzle is

on page 28.

MASONRY PROBLEMS?

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BH

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Specializing in all Types of Masonry Repairs

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Painting
Decks
Kitchens
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Basements
Paving/Masonry
Bathrooms
Drains/Pumps
Maintenence
Plumbing
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Boilers Hot Water Heaters Leaks

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NO JOB IS TOO SMALL!

201-358-1700 Lic. #12285

Jewish Music with an Edge

CAr serviCe

A PLUS

Limo & Car Service

Ari Greene 201-837-6158

AGreene@BaRockorchestra.com
www.BaRockOrchestra.com

The most reliable and efficient service

at all times for your transporation needs.
Our professional and courteous team works together for you.

Serving the Tri-State Area, New York and Bergen County

EWR $39 LGA $42 JFK $59

Tolls, parking, wlt, stops & tps are not included Extra $7 Airport Pickup
Prices subject to change without prior notice. Price varies by locations.

Fuel surcharge may add up to 10% Additional charge may be applied to credit card payment

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Call us.
We are waiting for
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201-837-8818
Jewish standard sePteMBer 2, 2016 35

jstandard shab-bus ad 5777.qxp_jstandard full page 8/28/16 11:31 AM Page 1

To our members and friends in

NORTHBERGEN, EDGEWATER,
CLIFFSIDEPARK, and FORTLEE

The SHAB-BUS is coming on September 10!

Why bother looking for a parking space, when you can

RIDEINCOMFORTINA 14-SEAT MERCEDESSPRINTERLIMOUSINE

WITHOUTVIOLATINGSHABBATRESTRICTIONS?
The Shab-bus is a halachically viable alternative,
utilizing the same basic rules as a Shabbat elevator.
The Shab-bus will run continuously
from 9:15 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. every Shabbat morning!
If you are interested in using the service,
call 201-945-7310 and let us know.
When the route is finalized, well let you know,

CONGREGATIONBETHISRAELOFTHEPALISADES
207 Edgewater Road in Cliffside Park

Take the Shab-bus to shul on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, too!
If you need to reserve seats for the High Holy Days, call us ASAP.
This advertisement is not intended to solicit members away from other area synagogues.

36 JEWISH STANDARD SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

Real Estate & Business

Earn college credits at bergenPAC Performing Arts School

The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC is establishing a pilot program with Bergen Community College
as to offer college credits to high school students ages
16 and up. The dual enrollment program includes
advanced jazz, chorus, acting, and participation in
the summer musical as well as guided independent
studies in arts focused pursuits such as costume and
set design for up to three credits for each course, and
six for the musical.
Students can use credits awarded through bergenPAC specifically towards Bergen Community Colleges
associate of arts degree, toward other programs at
Bergen Community College, or any other college or
university that accepts credits from Bergen Community College. These supplemental studies are offered
to high school students and offer instruction in a
variety of artistic pursuits with the instruction of seasoned and professional bergenPAC teachers. In order
to receive credit, students must be sixteen and older
and register by January 2017.
As the only performing arts school that offers a
college credit-based program, we have created the
opportunity for a great number of local students to
pursue artistic studies and to be rewarded for that pursuit, Dominic Roncace, bergenPAC CEO, explained.
It gives them the freedom to explore the arts while
simultaneously working towards a college degree
before they even enroll in college.
While there are a number of high schools that offer
college credits, none of them are arts-focused.
Dual enrollment represents one of the many
programs Bergen has developed to help streamline the path to a college degree, Bergen Community College President B. Kaye Walter said. Joining
approximately two million of their peers nationwide, more than 1,300 Bergen County high school
students enrolled in the Colleges program last year.

Get healthy
at the Teaneck
Farmers Market
The Teaneck Farmers Market is planning another
health-related event for Thursday, September 8.
Holy Name Medical Centers Healthy Living Department will share advice for healthy nutrition for families and for adults on the go. Club Fit is joining the
market for the first time, and will demonstrate exercise routines.
Bergen County Community Blood Services will
bring its Bloodmobile to the market from 1 to 5 p.m.
Donors must weigh at least 110 lbs., eat before donating, and bring I.D.
The market will continue on Thursdays through the
end of October.

More than 384,000 likes.

Like us on Facebook.
facebook.com/jewishstandard

Bergen students in a production of Les Misrables

Our newest partner, the acclaimed Bergen Performing

Arts Center, will add a new dimension to our dual enrollment offerings and provide a unique opportunity for high
school students.
In this inaugural collaboration, the school is offering a
concentrated number of courses to kick-start the program;

COME TO
FLORIDA

however, with the level of enthusiasm shown by students,

teachers, and administrators alike, the program plans to
expand. Students register and participate as usual at bergenPAC and pay additional tuition to Bergen Community College at 50 percent off the regular college tuition rate, which
is $69.25 per credit.

BY APPOINTMENT

t TEANECK t

Advantage Plus
FORMER NJ
RESIDENTS
SERVING BOCA RATON,
DELRAY AND BOYNTON BEACH
AND SURROUNDING AREAS

601 S. Federal Hwy

Boca Raton, FL 33432

Elly & Ed Lepselter

(561) 302-9374

Specializing in: Broken Sound, Polo, Woodfield, Boca West,

Boca Pointe, Valencia Reserve, Valencia Isles, Valencia Pointe,
Valencia Palms, Valencia Shores, Valencia Falls, Valencia Cove,
Villaggio Reserve and Valencia Bay and everywhere else you want to be!

FOR SALE
Dental Office

Bergenfield, NJ
Office is currently set up with 3 fully-equipped
operatories that include:
Rear delivery systems
Overhead track lighting
In-wall plumbed nitrous lines
Office space is 2200 sq. ft. with an additional 2200 sq.
ft. basement!
Digital Panorex and wall-mount x-ray unit are included
Rent is currently $3,200 per month
This sale is facility only - the office has been a
satellite office. There is no active patient base.
Contact at # below or at exo8s@aol.com with any
questions
Asking $120,000

Sprawling Brick Ranch. C Club Area. 3 BRs, 2.5 Baths. Sunken LR

open to Form DR, Fam Rm/Built-ins, Mod Eat In Kit. Full, Semi-fin
Bsmt. Corner Lot, 2 Car Att Gar. Room for Exp. $799,900
Charm Expand Ranch. Great for Extend Fams. High Ceils. Oak Flrs.
Grand LR/Fplc, DR, 2/3 BRs, 2 Full Baths, Fin Grnd Flr/Outside Ent.
C/A/C, 2 Car Gar. $319,900
Co-op Overlooking Courtyard. Updated 1 BR Unit. LR, Ceramic
Tiled Updated Kit/SS Appl, Jr. DR, Updated Marble Bath. Oak Flrs.
1 Car Priv Gar Incl. $142,900

ALL CLOSE TO NY BUS / HOUSES OF WORSHIP /

HIGHWAYS / SHOPPING / SCHOOLS & NY BUS
For Our Full Inventory & Directions
Visit our Website
www.RussoRealEstate.com

(201) 837-8800

Contact: 201-314-8890
Jewish standard sePteMBer 2, 2016 37

Real Estate & Business/Local

CellSavers Uber for smartphone repairs raises $15m
Viva Sarah Press
Smartphone users in New York, Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas,
Chicago, and Atlanta are already using
the CellSavers technology platform which
sends highly-vetted technicians to quickly
fix smartphones at the time and place of
the customers choice. Now, new customers around the U.S. will benefit from this
on-demand repair service thanks to a successful $15 million financing round.
CellSavers often dubbed the Uber of
smartphone repairs recently announced
the new capital financing round, led by
Carmel Ventures, with participation of
Sequoia Capital Israel. The current funding follows the companys $3 million
round in seed funding led by Sequoia Capital in December 2015.
CellSavers vision is to reliably, easily,
and quickly repair or replace any malfunctioning technology product. For this purpose, we have built a very sophisticated

technology infrastructure, which allows

a real-time matchmaking between technicians, skills, parts, and consumers,
said Eyal Ronen, CEO and co-founder
of CellSavers.
In the near future, when any electronic
device game console, smart TV, Wi-Fi
router, or any other device will need to
be fixed, a skilled technician, specifically
trained for the task and equipped with all
necessary replacement parts, will arrive
at the location of the consumers choice
within 60 minutes. The technician will
provide a professional, warranty-backed
service, complemented with full customer
service, said Ronen.
CellSavers platform is based on an endto-end technological and operational solution, which enables the company to match
consumers and skilled professionals in
real time. The company says its qualified
and vetted local Savers aim to reach customers within 60 minutes, regardless of
their location.

Eyal Ronen and Itai Hirsch, CellSavers.

CellSavers service is already available

across the United States in 18 major metropolitan areas. The company will use
the capital raised to further accelerate the
growth of its platform and service.
CellSavers was founded in 2015 by the
entrepreneurs Ronen and Itai Hirsch, who
gained a significant track record of founding and managing global B2C companies
and teams. CellSavers employs 30 development, operations, and marketing staff

at two centers in California and one center

in Israel.
Eyal Ronen and Itai Hirsch are impressive entrepreneurs with creative business
thinking who have demonstrated that a
strong company vision combined with
strict operating discipline can yield tangible results. They have built a stable business based on an existing need in the real
world, and created strong foundations for
a national consumer brand in the United
States, said Daniel Cohen, general partner at Carmel Ventures, who will join the
CellSavers board of directors following
the investment.
We are thrilled to be business partners with Eyal, Itai and the entire CellSavers team. We continue to be extremely
impressed with the rapid, healthy and
sustained growth of CellSavers and with
the positive unit economics the company
has already achieved in a few major markets, said Gili Raanan, general partner at
Israel21c.org
Sequoia Capital. 

Mobileye-Delphi to produce self-driving system by 2019

Viva Sarah Press
Mobileye and Delphi Automotive have
announced a partnership to jointly develop
a complete SAE Level 4/5 automated driving solution. The new technology partnership between these two top auto suppliers
is meant to put self-driving cars on the roads

by 2019.
The Mobileye and Delphi relationship
started in 2002 with the implementation of
what was one of the most advanced active
safety systems of the time. Our long history
together is key to the success of this ambitious endeavor, said Dr. Amnon Shashua,
Mobileye chairman and chief technology

SELLING YOUR HOME?

officer. Our partnership with Delphi will

accelerate the time to market and enable
customers to adopt Level 4/5 automation
without the need for huge capital investments, thereby creating a formidable
advantage for them.
Earlier reports by other automakers
and suppliers highlighted 2020-2021 for
initial deployment of self-driving cars.
This partnership will allow us to give
our customers an increased level of automated capabilities faster and more cost
effectively, said Kevin Clark, Delphi
president and chief executive officer.

Torahs
from page 11

Call Susan Laskin Today

To Make Your Next Move A Successful One!
BergenCountyRealEstateSource.com

Cell: 201-615-5353

2016 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC.

38 Jewish Standard SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

the synagogues 57 years?

Well, there was the day, after three
years in a small house, when the congregation was going to dedicate its new
building. Nine hundred people were
expected that night. Ms. Canter was
working in the synagogue that afternoon, helping with the preparation that
morning, and one of our members
came in and said, The president has
been shot.
It was November 22, 1963, the
day that President John F. Kennedy
was assassinated.
I still remember that day like it was
yesterday, Ms. Canter said. That was
a disaster, but not for our synagogue. It
was a disaster for the world.
The thefts, and the arrest of the synagogues former caretaker, hurt more
than had the burglar been a stranger,

The collective expertise of our two

organizations will accelerate the creation of new approaches and capabilities
that would likely not have been possible
working alone. This is a win-win for both
companies and our customers.
Mobileye, based in Jerusalem, is
the world leader in computer vision
systems, mapping, localization, and
machine learning focused on the automotive domain. Delphi is a world leader
in automated driving software, sensors,
and systems integration.
Israel21c.org

even if his haul had included the

same treasures.
I remember him as a child, his
mother walking him up the block to his
school, Ms. Canter said. I never would
have expected this, just never. He may
have had some problems in his life,
but I just never thought it would come
to this.
Ms. Canter said that after the first theft
from the apartment, the synagogue had
all the exterior locks changed. Then he
seemed to get in again. It turned out that
Mr. Dobles had climbed in through an
exhaust fan on the roof over the kitchen.
He knew our synagogue better than
all of us, she said.
I sort of felt this guy needs a little
money, a little income, and were a synagogue, well do a mitzvah. Well give this
guy a minimal job.
I never thought he would do this. I
was wrong. Hes just a no-goodnik.

The Art of Real Estate

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Jewish Standard SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 39