REMEMBERING ED EPSTEIN page 6

BAR-ILAN SCIENTIST PREDICTS ALZHEIMERS VACCINE page 8

JEWS AND THEIR GENOMES page 10
PORTRAITS OF MARCH OF THE LIVING page 56
DECEMBER 4, 2015
VOL. LXXXV NO. 12 $1.00

NORTH JERSEY

84

2015

THEJEWISHSTANDARD.COM

Let the lights go out?

Also for Chanukah:
A new short story
The history of the
Jewish Center of
Teanecks menorah
Reconciling Jews
through olive oil
page 28

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Page 3
8 of the coolest menorahs
for this Chanukah season
Another Chanukah season means an-

other chance to impress with a creative

menorah choice. Here are eight of the
most inventive menorahs weve spotted this year. Buy one as a gift or buy
each of them for yourself, and youll
guarantee your Festival of Lights will
consist of eight memorable nights.
1. The bike chain
The biker or
environmental
activist in your life
will appreciate this
menorah its
made from actual
recycled bike chains
in Moradabad, India.
So you can play
with the chanukiyah and shape it in
any way youd like within reason
while feeling virtuous about recycling.
Recycled Bicycle Chain Menorah; Ten
Thousand Villages; $29
2. The octagon
Each side of this
elegant octagonal
menorah its actually
an octahedron has
a different number of
slots to turn it onto a
new side to fit another
candle. Chanukah 21
Menorah by EightDays
Design; Jewish
Museum; $1,100

3. The bong
Jewish stoners of the world, rejoice!
This device might not be great at
holding actual candles, but it definitely
will inspire its users to consume plenty
of latkes. GRAV Menorah; Grav Labs;
$699.

5. The magnet
If youve ever felt like sticking
your Chanukah candles in wacky
sideways arrangements or in
random magnetic places,
this is the menorah for
you. The possibilities
are endless because it
has eight detachable
magnetic candle holders and
its designed for travel, too, for those
wishing to hit the road during the
Festival of Lights. Thinking Out of the
Box Menorah; Laura Cowan Judaica; $85
6. The bottle cork
Another clever
travel menorah,
the Copper
Cork menorah
transforms any
bottle of wine
into a menorah.
Great menorah
for the college
student! reads a
description on the
products retailer
web page. Well
vouch for the menorah but whether
or not college students actually drink
corked beverages remains subject to
debate. Copper Cork Menorah; Decor
craft; $18
7. The Statue
of Liberty
This handpainted
piece of folk art
practically screams:
Give me your
tired, your poor,
your huddled
masses yearning
to celebrate
Chanukah! Then theres the cheeky
ruby high heel peeking out under Lady
Libertys robe, which reminds us that
theres no place like home. Statue
of Liberty Menorah by Acme Animal;
Jewish Museum Shop; $400

Scientists now know beans

about the Neolithic diet
Life may have been tough ten

thousand years ago, but well never

know for sure: We have no diaries
from that Neolithic era, since writing
hadnt been invented yet.
One thing we now know about
those prehistoric humans, however:
Like us, they ate their hummus.
At least, those in the Galilee did.
This conclusion was reached
after fava seeds were discovered
during an excavation by the Israel
Antiquities Authority, showing
that prehistoric people living in the
southern Near East some 10,000
years ago preferred a diet of
legumes. The joint IAA-Weizmann
Institute research project, which
examined fava seeds unearthed in
recent years at archaeological sites
in the Galilee dating to the Neolithic
period, sheds light on the eating
habits of the prehistoric people who

lived nearby.
We judge the age of contemporary
hummus by checking the expiration
date on the accumulated containers
in our refrigerators. The Israeli
archaeologists had a trickier task.
But using their advanced methods,
they were able to determine
the exact age of the fava beans
they examined, enabling them to
conclude they had found the worlds
oldest domesticated fava seeds. The
seeds, researchers say, teach us that
the diet of the indigenous people at
the time comprised primarily fava
beans, chickpeas, lentils, and other
types of peas.
On the whole, it sounds delicious.
But wow, those Neolithic humans
must have been been overjoyed
when they invented tahini for a touch
of variety.
LARRY YUDELSON/JNS

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Shabbat ends: Saturday, December 4, 5:13 p.m.

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CONTENTS
4. The dreidel
Menorahs and dreidels are the two
most identifiable symbols of the
Chanukah season why not combine
them into one product? This menorahs
small separate candleholders click
together to form a multicolored dreidel.
Just dont try to make it do both things
at once. Chanukah Dreidel Modular
Menorah; Agayof Design; $144

8. The pomegranate tree

Perhaps its not a surprise to see a
menorah made in Israel depict the
pomegranate, one of the most symbolic
foods in the Jewish tradition. But this
classic, colorful chanukiyah will add
sweetness and flavor to any holiday
gathering. Blue Chanukah Menorah
with a Pomegranate Tree and Birds
Design; Yair Emanuel Judaica; $89
GABE FRIEDMAN / JTA WIRE SERVICE

NOSHES ...............................................................4
OPINION ............................................................ 18
COVER STORY ................................................ 28
GALLERY ..........................................................40
KEEPING KOSHER......................................... 42
CHANUKAH GREETINGS ............................ 45
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ................................54
DEAR RABBI ZAHAVY................................. 55
ARTS & CULTURE .......................................... 56
CALENDAR ...................................................... 57
OBITUARIES .....................................................61
CLASSIFIEDS .................................................. 62
REAL ESTATE..................................................64

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JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 3, 2015 3

Noshes

Hanukkah Donuts, Not as Healthy

as Beer
Headline on Haaretz story noting that with a minimum of 500 calories,
sufganiyot are fattening. The bottom line: Go ahead. Eat a sufganiya. One.
Make it an occasion, and enjoy.

HIGH NOTES:

Sandler lights up
a new version
for Chanukah
On November 17,
ADAM SANDLER,
49, performed a
new version of The
Chanukah Song (#4) at
a New York charity
benefit. Videos of the
performance went viral,
but within two days
Warner Music had all of
them removed from the
Internet. No word yet if
an official performance
video will be released
before Chanukah 2015.
The full lyrics can be
found here: http://tinyurl.
com/owryuof. Almost all
the celebs in the song
are first timers, including
soccer star David
Beckham, just named
Peoples 2015 Sexiest
Man Alive. (Sandler
correctly notes that
Beckham is one quarter he had one Jewish
grandfather.)
On Friday, December
4, Netflix will release A
Very Murray Christmas,
a comedy/musical special starring Bill Murray.
Set in a fancy New York
hotel, the special opens
with Murray preparing
to host a live international holiday broadcast.
After a blizzard shuts
down the production,
he makes the best of
the situation by singing and celebrating with
friends, hotel employees,
and anyone else who
drops by. Those people
dropping by include
RASHIDA JONES, 39,
PAUL SHAFFER, 65,

JASON SCHWARTZMAN, 35, and MAYA RUDOLPH, 43. The specials

trailer looks funny, and
maybe they will have a
little Chanukah bit.
On Monday, December 7, at 8 p.m., Fox will
air a special called TVs
Funniest Animated Stars:
A Paley Center Special.
There will be clips and interviews with (living) creators of animated shows
and performers who
do the voices of prominent cartoon characters, including PAMELA
ADLON, 49 (Bobby Hill
on King of the Hill);
H. JON BENJAMIN,
49 (scores of characters, including Bob and
Sterling Archer, on The
Archers); ALEX BORSTEIN, 42 (Lois Griffin on
The Family Guy); and
SETH GREEN, 41 (Chris
Griffin on The Family
Guy). I expect that they
will have to include the
late MEL BLANC, who
created the voice of, and
voiced, virtually every
Warner Bros. character,
including Bugs Bunny
and Porky Pig. He was
and remains the king of
cartoon voice actors, and
on top of that, he was an
extraordinarily kind and
generous man. You can
watch the very interesting and really entertaining 2008 American
Masters documentary,
Mel Blanc: Man of a
Thousand Voices, on
YouTube.

Adam Sandler

Rashida Jones

Pamela Adlon

Adam Levine

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Bob Dylan

On Sunday,
December 6, at 9
p.m., CBS will
broadcast a special,
Sinatra 100 An
All-Star Grammy Concert, in honor of Frank
Sinatras 100th birthday.
The concert will be taped
a few days before
broadcast, and only a
handful of the scheduled
performers names have
been announced. All of
them are Grammy
winners; they include
Tony Bennett, Alicia
Keyes, and ADAM
LEVINE, 36. Sinatra had

many good sides and

many personal flaws; in
the first category, there
was his fierce opposition
to racism and anti-Semitism and his strong
support for Israel. He
visited the country three
times and his many
financial donations in
support of Israel included $1 million to build the
International Student
Center at Hebrew
University.
Heres the short
version of a Sinatra
story with an Israel
twist: In 1967, just before

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the start of the Six-Day

War, Sinatra provoked
the hulking CARL
COHEN, the tough
manager of the Las
Vegas Sands Hotel, into a
fight, and Cohen quickly
ended it with a punch to
Sinatras mouth. The
story goes that Cohen
became a hero to every
Vegas hotel employee
who had seen Sinatras
nasty side. Sinatra
obliquely referred to
Cohen, and to their fight,
and to Israels stunning
war victory, in his next
performance. He said,

You got to be careful

about getting into fights
with those desert
people.
Quotes of the
week:
I had three
strikes against me. First, I
was Jewish, and the Wall
Street firms were just beginning to accept Jews.
Then I was a woman. But
the killer was my daughter, Jane, who was 4 by
then. Justice RUTH
BADER GINSBURG, 82,
speaking to the New
York Times about looking
for a job in 1959, after finishing first in her Columbia Law School class.
BOB DYLAN was right
when he sang theres no
success like failure, but
wrong that failure is no
success at all. Science historian Michel
Janssen, explaining to
the New York Times that
ALBERT EINSTEINs general theory of relativity,
which is now 100 years
old, does not resolve all
relativity issues but
Einsteins quest to prove
it did result in his solving
some other important
problems. I like that a
lyric written by one highly
influential tribe member
helps explains another
Jews work.
If your GPS werent
adjusted according to
[Einsteins] calculations,
it would track within several miles instead of just
a few feet. Historian
N.B.
David Scalia.

California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at

Middleoftheroad1@aol.com

Discover.
benzelbusch.com
12/1/15 2:41 PM

ah
k
nu
a
Ch
y
pp
a
H

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JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 5

Local
Remembering
Edward Epstein
Living the American dream
JOANNE PALMER

here are some things that everybody mentions when they

talk about Edward Epstein of
Englewood Cliffs, who died on
November 24 at 90.
They talk about his smile, his eternal
optimism, his movie-star looks, his integrity, his generosity, his physical fitness,
his love of Israel. They talk about his overwhelming love for his wife, Eleanor, his
four sons and four daughters-in-law, his six
granddaughters, six grandsons, and seven
great-grandchildren and the two more
soon to be born.
They talk about a man who was a true
leader, and who lived the American
dream.
Eddie Epstein was born at home in East
Flatbush, Brooklyn, in 1925. His parents,
Louis and Rose, were born in Russia; they
both crossed the Atlantic when they were
young and met on our side of it. They
were enterprising business people and
saw a niche for themselves, the way natural-born entrepreneurs do, in the 1920s,
in the years before the Great Depression.
There was a great need for liquid chlorine
bleach, and they filled it.
My grandfathers customers were
mainly laundries, which required bleach,
and also diaper services, Mark Epstein of
Alpine, the Epsteins oldest son, said. It
was about half a century before the invention of disposable diapers, so sending

diapers off to be laundered and sterilized

wasnt as much a luxury as a necessity,
even during the Depression, if you wanted
to keep your baby and your family diseasefree. The business, which also manufactured the cement-lined tanks necessary to
contain the bleach, continued to flourish
during the Depression.
Louis and Rose Epstein also bought
land. In Russia, Jews couldnt own land,
their daughter-in-law, Laurel Epstein of
Saddle River, said. So, free and prosperous in the New World, unburdened by
anti-Semitism, they bought 250 acres up
in Carmel, New York, and they had a bungalow colony there, she said.
Eddie Epstein went to high school a few
blocks away from his Brooklyn home, at
Samuel Tilden. My dad turned 18 in February 1943, during the middle of his senior
year, Mark Epstein said. Instead of waiting
to be drafted, he enlisted in April and in
May he entered the service.
Edward Epstein fought in the Battle of
the Bulge and in the Rhineland campaign.
He was a machine-gunner and a squad
leader; he carried an 80-pound machine
gun, his son marveled. It also seems clear
that he was a natural leader. Mr. Epstein
won a Purple Heart he was wounded,
although not seriously and suffered no
lasting physical harm and a Bronze Star,
among many other medals.
When he was discharged and returned
home in 1946, Mr. Epstein and an army
buddy did what young Israelis famously

Eleanor and Edward Epstein

do now as soon as their army service is

over. They took a long trip not abroad,
but cross-country. They drove all the way
to California, Mark Epstein said. I have
a picture of him in Wyoming, on a bucking bronco, and another one of him standing on the roof of the car in Yosemite, in
front of the giant redwood with a tunnel
running through it. The photos are classic
postwar Americana.
The Epsteins always had been strong
Zionists. Mr. Epstein inherited his love of

The always-smiling Eddie Epstein with two grandsons, Jacob Epstein and Brett Epstein, and celebrating his 90th birthday
with three granddaughters, Erika Epstein, Amanda Godfrey, and Jessie Rudin.
6 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

Israel from his parents, his son said. My

grandmother was in an organization called
the Pioneer Women. She would raise
money for Israel. She did it constantly
and creatively. In the bungalow colony,
she would sell ice cream, he said. People
would sign for the numbers of ice creams
they took, and at the end of the summer
she would collect the money and send it
all to Israel.
Back from the war, with the creation of
the state of Israel drawing closer and the
conflicts around that birth threatening to
explode, Mr. Epstein worked for Israel.
He was a passionate and committed fundraiser, then as later, quick to give of himself, quick to set an example, and quick to
ask others to follow him.
Also, according to family lore, he did
what he could to help behind the scenes.
There are stories that he was among the
returned war vets who went down to
the Brooklyn docks at night, working in
the dark, unpacking arms and repacking
them on boats headed to Palestine. It was
important and unsung and dangerous
work; the young men who undertook it
did it because they believed in the rightness of the state of Israel and the need for
a state for the Jews with all their hearts and
all their souls. Eddie Epstein was among
those young men.
In 1947, working for the family business
after a stint at Brooklyn College, Mr. Epstein
was introduced to Eleanor Levinson, then
a student at NYU. They were engaged in

Local

Eddie and Ellie Epstein proudly display

their new baby, Mark.

Mr. Epstein rides a bronco in Wyoming

during his post-war road trip.

1948 and married in 1949; in 1950, yours

truly came along, Mark Epstein said. Larry,
Andrew, and Steven followed.
The family business, called Alden Leeds
and Jet Line, remained in Brooklyn until
the 1950s, when Mr. Epstein, then in
charge, moved it first to Newark and then
to Kearny. Were now a fourth-generation
business, Mark Epstein said. We now do
swimming pool chemicals and swimming

pool equipment, and we also now are in

the packaging business. Its been a logical progression from chlorine to other
pool chemicals, and from there into pool
equipment in one direction, and into
packaging using the information learned
from packaging chemicals in another
direction.
In 1961, the Epsteins moved to Englewood Cliffs; the sons grew up there and

Donate
to Jewish
National
Fund and
build a
stronger,
healthier,
more secure
Israel.

The War Department sent a letter

announcing Mr. Epsteins Purple Heart.

went to high school at Dwight Morrow

in Englewood. Much later, Eleanor and
Edward moved to Fort Lee, and spent
much time in Florida as well.
In Bergen County, all the Epsteins
involved themselves in local culture and
philanthropy, both Jewish and general.
They were active in the JCC when it was

in Englewood, and among

the leaders when it moved
to Tenafly. Ms. Epstein was
the first woman to become
president of the JCC on the
Palisades.
They were incredible
role models for the whole
community, Laurel Epstein
said. They were among
the main families there
were about six of them in
moving the Jewish Home at
Rockleigh from Jersey City
to Rockleigh, and they made
things happen. The community wouldnt be the way it
was now if it hadnt been for
those families.
Both Epsteins also played
leadership roles in the Jewish Federation
of Northern New Jersey.
Ms. Epstein met her future husband,
Andrew, when she was 14. They were in
high school together. I met Eddie a year
or two after that, she said. He was such a
strong, imposing man, definitely the patriarch of his family, and he had such love for
his family. He wasnt afraid to hug his sons,
or to kiss them. It was such a huge thing
SEE EPSTEIN PAGE 12

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JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 7

Local

Creating a vaccine for Alzheimers disease

Bar-Ilans Eitan Okun shares the promises and premises of his research
LARRY YUDELSON

r. Eitan Okun has more than a

professional interest in protecting people from Alzheimers
disease.
Dr. Okun heads the Paul E. Feder Alzheimers Research Lab at Bar-Ilan University. He
was scheduled to speak on Wednesday at
the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
to mark the centennial of the Jewish Home
Family; the evening was sponsored as well
by the hospital and American Friends of BarIlan University.
Dr. Okun is confident that eventually
there will be a vaccine to protected people
from Alzheimers, and he has developed one
such vaccine that works in mice.
But it will be too late for his father, who is
69 and already suffers from dementia.
My father was a gerontologist, a physician who treated the elderly, Dr. Okun said.
He saw such people all his life. All of these
cases went through his hands, and at some
point he himself succumbed to this disease.
It was very difficult for me. It still is.
His fathers illness gave Dr. Okun a
ringside seat to the painful process of an
Alzheimers diagnosis. I saw the inability of
clinicians to diagnose properly, and then the
stage of understanding that without a cure,
theres nothing you can do, he said. Its
very difficult to see in your own father.
His laboratory research are not just projects for me. I understand there are people
and their families behind these diseases.
The vaccine is not his only path toward
conquering Alzheimers. Im constantly
thinking of how to attack the disease from
various angles, he said.
Dr. Okun is 36. He and his wife and five
children live in Kibbutz Alumim, in the
Negev near the Gaza Strip.
Most of Dr. Okuns academic career has
been spent at Bar-Ilan. He studied there as
an undergraduate, and earned his masters
and doctorate in immunology there. Only a
post-doctoral fellowship from the American
National Institute of Health took him away
from Bar Ilan he spent four years in Baltimore for that fellowship.
He was bitten by the research bug as an

undergraduate majoring in biology, when a

course took him to a laboratory to conduct
experiments. Research is contagious for
some people, he said. It infected me, this
entire concept of conducting experiments
and observing results.
His masters research looked at how stress
affects immunity to disease. We know that
people in chronic stress start to get more
sick, he said. But how does that happen?
We worked with fish. We induced stress in
fish and saw how their immune system gets
compromised.
For his doctorate, he focused on the
details of the immune system. He looked at
the different modes of the immune systems
in responding to different kinds of threats,
and how the immune system can be tricked
to shift from one mode to another.
His post-doc taught him about cognitive
neuroscience.
In his lab, he combines the two fields into
psychoneuroimmunology. Its a mouthful that accurately describes the work he
is doing with his vaccine for Alzheimers
disease.
Vaccines work by priming the bodys
immune system to be ready to attack an
infection before it arrives. They are effective
against viruses, and have eliminated smallpox and polio. Alzheimers isnt caused by
a virus what actually causes it in most
cases remains unknown. Instead, the vaccine that Dr. Okun has developed, and that
has proved effective so far in initial mouse
studies, targets the amyloid beta proteins
that accumulate in the brain of people with
Alzheimers.
Were trying to help the body to attack
this protein, he said.
One question Dr. Okun had to deal with
was the type of mouse he should use to test
his vaccine. What seems like a silly question
is really a stand-in for another one: What
type of person can the vaccine be tested on?
According to the Alzheimers Association,
one in nine Americans over 65 has Alzheimers. For those 85 or older, the number is one
in three. There are two subgroups, however,
made up of people who have far higher odds
of getting the disease. There are people who
inherit the disease they get it in their 50s.

And then there is the group

show up in an MRI. He
that gets Alzheimer with
hopes to construct a protein
the highest frequency and
that could enter the bloodstream, make it through the
at the youngest age: people
blood-brain barrier, bind to
with Down syndrome, who
the amyloids, and then be
generally get Alzheimers in
visible in an MRI scan.
their 30s or 40s.
Dr. Okun does not plan to
As it happens, there are
limit his work to Alzheimvarious mice that have been
ers. He received a grant
engineered to mimic Down
from the Michael J. Fox
syndrome, with extra copDr. Eitan Okun
ies of the genes that correFoundation to research
spond to those on the extra
a similar imaging biomarker to look for Parkinsons disease in
21st chromosome that causes the syndrome
an MRI.
in humans. Dr. Okuns vaccine stops such
Psychoneuroimmunology may indeed be
mice from developing Alzheimers disease.
a mouthful. But Dr. Okun is sure that it will
So how long until the vaccine is ready for
provide breakthroughs that specialties with
people to use?
shorter names have failed to deliver.
Jumping into human studies is a matter
What you can do to prevent Alzheimers?
of something like five years, he said. Such
Dr. Eitan Okun doesnt want you sitstudies, which would determine whether
ting around waiting for the success of his
the vaccine actually works in humans, and
research into detecting, preventing, and perwhether it causes side effects, would take
haps even curing Alzheimers disease.
more time.
When he decides that theyve learned all
There are interventions that are proven
they can from the experiments on mice, his
in the lab to delay the onset of various
lab will apply to the Israeli government for a
pathologies including Alzheimers, he said.
grant to help get it to the point where it will
Among them: Being more physically
be interesting for the deep-pocketed pharactive and engaging in physical exercise.
maceutical companies that are equipped to
Physicians tell people with diabetes to
carry out human trials. His is not the only
have a more active lifestyle, he said. That
lab working on such a vaccine, so he cant
can ameliorate the disease. People can do
know whether it will be his vaccine that
a lot more for themselves but they often
turns out to be the one. But he is a hundont do it.
dred percent convinced that a vaccination
Whats true for diabetes is true for
approach is the way to go with neurodegenAlzheimers and other brain diseases as well.
erative diseases.
The brain, however, demands an addiEarlier efforts to vaccinate against
tional set of exercises.
Alzheimers failed, Dr. Okun said, because
There is this concept of environmental enrichment. People should be conthey didnt properly consider what he called
stantly engaged in mental activities, seeing
the two-edged sword of the immune
new things, doing the opposite of staying
response, which can both protect the body
between the walls of your house. If you conand also damage it. Previous attempts
stantly expose yourself to stimuli they can
caused some sort of mortality, he said, but
be visual or audio it makes the brain more
eventually we will get there. Researchers
functional. The brain is like a muscle. You
throughout the world are doing their best to
train it and it gets better.
promote therapeutics for Alzheimers.
He said the combination of mental and
Another of Dr. Okuns projects would
physical exercise has an impact on the promake it possible to diagnose Alzheimers
gression of Alzheimers and other diseases.
earlier in the diseases progression and to do
You have the ability to affect your future
so more accurately. The idea is to make the
health, Dr. Okun said.
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JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 9

Local

Jewish genomics
A high-tech approach is available to explore ancient roots
MIRYAM Z. WAHRMAN, Ph.D.

had my genome sequenced,

Dr. Karl Skorecki said. I
didnt find out anything
about health related genes.
But its important for someone my age and
above to transmit it to the kids.
Dr. Skorecki explained that a DNA
sequence is a legacy of helpful information,
particularly if there are genetic predispositions that have not yet led to disease. Everyone should give their DNA sequence to the
kids, and deposit their DNA for future use,
he said. It will be more and more impactful.
Dr. Skorecki is a professor at Technion
Israel Institute of Technology, where he
directs the laboratory of molecular medicine, and talked to me at the Jewish Genomics Evening: Heritage to Health, held on
November 19 at the New York Genome Center in lower Manhattan. The program was
designed to explore how the revolution in
genetic research has transformed the way
we think about Jewish identity.
A genome comprises a persons entire
set of genes, and it is responsible for that
persons physical makeup a multitude
of traits that are expressed in that persons
lifetime. Sequencing refers to reading the
entire genetic code found in a persons
cells, in order to decode the DNA language.
When DNA is sequenced it can be compared,
genetic letter by letter, to sequences of other
people and populations, leading to a better
understanding of the genetic basis of disease,
as well as migration and human history. President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister
Tony Blair announced a working draft of the
first human genome sequence with much
fanfare; it was completed in 2000 and cost
almost $3 billion. Thanks to rapidly progressing technological breakthroughs, the cost of
a complete human sequence has plummeted
to about $1,500 per person.
The prospects of a $1,000 sequence has
been greeted with excitement, anticipation,
and some trepidation, since the collection of
detailed personal data carries with it questions related to privacy as well as equal access
to the technology. The New York Genome
Centers mission is to implement advanced
genomic researchin order to help solve
diseases. We harness the diversity of New
Yorks institutions and people to drive scientific discoveries that will vastly improve clinical care ethically, equitably and urgently.
The New York Genome Center, which was
founded in 2010, moved into its $50 million
downtown Manhattan facility in 2013. It is an
independent, nonprofit consortium of academic, medical and industry leaders across
the globetranslating genomic research into
clinical solutions for serious diseases. Its
12 prestigious institutional founding members include the Albert Einstein College of
10 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

Carl Zimmer, Cece Moore, Yaniv Erlich, and Karl Skorecki were panelists at the
Jewish genomics conference in November.

Medicine, Columbia University, Memorial

Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and the Rockefeller University.
The Jewish genomics evening brought
together experts from the NYGC and other
institutions to discuss the implications of
genome sequencing for understanding
unique aspects of Jewish genes, genealogy,
and genetic disease in the Jewish community.
Professor Skorecki, who is a renal specialist (My day job is kidney disease), became
involved in genomics research when he
observed in his synagogue that modern day
kohanim Jews descended from the biblical
high priest Aaron are a diverse group, and
include Ashkenazim as well as Sephardim.
As a kohen himself, he wanted to pursue
this issue at a genetic level. If all kohanim
are descended from one man, he reasoned,
then all male kohanim should carry a Y chromosome (which is transmitted from father
to son) with similar genetic markers. His
research in the late 1990s confirmed the common ancestry of many modern day kohanim,
who share certain genetic sequences on their
Y chromosomes.
The panelists of the evening were able to
explore the question of Jewish genomics in
more depth, because today we have access
to the complete set of genes, not just a few
markers on the Y chromosome. The NYGCs
Dr. Yaniv Erlich, who opened the program,
asked, Are we a group of people who like
gefilte fish? Are we from Europe? Are we from
the Levant? We can learn about ancestry
and health from a genetic perspective, he
said.
Panelist and moderator Carl Zimmer, a
columnist for the New York Times, said that
he was initially asked to attend as a journalist, but his role became integral to the program. When Yaniv asked are you Jewish?

I said, Its complicated. My fathers Jewish,

my mother is not. I converted and got a bar
mitzvah, so I guess I am. He became one of
four Jews whose DNA was sequenced for the
Jewish genomics evening.
Dr. Skorecki explained how genomics
could be used historically. Since mutations,
or genetic changes, occur with some regularity over time, the divergence from one persons genome to another can be traced back
to a common ancestor, and that timeline can
be estimated in numbers of generations and
years. For instance, he said, we can date the
founder [of the kohanim] to 104 generations
back, which fits with the biblical idea of the
Aaronite founder, whoever that person was.
Panelist Cece Moore talked about how
modern sequencing can delve into genealogical questions. Ms. Moore, who worked
as a consultant on the PBS show Finding
Your Roots, with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and
co-founded the Institute for Genetic Genealogy, said that genetic genealogy can approach
sequence studies from three perspectives. Y
chromosome DNA studies give insight into
paternal lineage. Mitochondrial DNA studies
document the lineage from mother to children (children inherit mitochondrial genes
only from their mother), and autosomal DNA
documents the transmission of all the genes
from generation to generation.
Ms. Moore reported that through sequencing, I discovered that I have distant Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, which was not known
in the family.
I work with a lot of people of unknown
parentage, she added. Adoptees and people
who were conceived using donor sperm or
eggs who want to learn more about their
genetic heritage can do so through DNA
sequencing.
One case Ms. Moore reported involved a

baby switched at birth about 100 years ago.

One family was Irish and the other Ashkenazi Jewish, she said. It was the story of Alice
Collins Plebuch, who began to explore her
own genetic genealogy using an online DNA
test. She expected to find that she was Irish,
English, and Scottish, but the test revealed
that she was 50 percent Ashkenazi Jewish.
Her six siblings were tested and had the same
results, leading them to speculate that one of
their parents was switched at birth. Through
genetic analysis and a dogged search of birth
records, they learned that their father and
another newborn were sent home with the
wrong parents. They eventually made contact with the offspring of the other man, discovering long-lost blood relatives.
It can be pretty shocking if you thought
you were 100 percent Italian and find out you
were donor conceived and are half Jewish,
Ms. Moore said. Theres always something
surprising and [the genome] shows more
diversity than what people expect.
Yaniv Erlich took a small device, an illumina flow cell chip, from his pocket, describing how it is used for sequencing. The device,
which costs several thousand dollars, can
sequence up to eight genomes. From the
ancestry point of view, you dont have to
choose, Dr. Erlich said. You can look at
all the autosomal DNA and get one big picture. You can also look at the genetic variations, which can have profound effects on the
health side the clinical side.
We use these tools with archeology and
history, Dr. Skorecki said. A genetic bottleneck is when a group of people has been dramatically reduced in number, then expanded
in later generations. There were just a few
hundred founders [of the Ashkenazi Jewish population] not that long ago, he said.
If some of them carried a disease-causing
mutation it would have been magnified.
Mutated genes responsible for such diseases
as Tay Sachs, Canavan, and cystic fibrosis
appear at a higher incidence in Ashkenazi
Jewish populations because of the genetic
bottleneck effect. Other populations, such as
the Finns, carry a higher incidence of other
genetic glitches, because of their own historic
genetic bottlenecks.
Nathan Pearson, NYGCs senior director of
scientific engagement and public outreach,
described four peoples genomic results.
There is no such thing as a pure genome,
he noted. Singer and song writer Jill Sobules
DNA showed that she is 99 percent Ashkenazi
and 1 percent other. Alisa Robbins Doctoroff, president of UJA-Federation of New
York, had similar results, with 98 percent
Ashkenazi Jewish and 2 percent other Mediterranean. Mitochondrial DNA research on
these women suggested that their ancestors
route of migration over tens of thousands
of years took them from Africa through the
Levant and into Europe.

More than
291,000 likes.
Journalist A.J. Jacobs, a self-described guinea pig, relished the experience of DNA sequencing, but said he was
disappointed with the results, which showed him to be
99.9 percent Ashkenazi Jewish and 0.1 percent other. I
wanted a little Roma, or Scandinavian, he quipped.
Carl Zimmers DNA analysis showed more diversity.
Autosomal analysis showed him to be 50 percent Ashkenazi Jewish, 35 percent Northern European, 7 percent
Southwest European, and 8 percent Southern European.
He always knew that his father is Jewish and his mother
of English, German, and Irish descent, so only the Southern European contribution was surprising. My mother
is shaking her head in total refusal, Mr. Zimmer said,
smiling at his parents, who were sitting in the audience.
I always thought of myself as a mongrel. Clearly we have
a lot more research to do.
Sometimes DNA turns up something that is not in the
paper trail, Ms. Moore said. The DNA doesnt lie. But
sometimes the paper trail does. Carl Zimmer is 8 percent
Southeastern European. She said that the DNA could be
from one great grandparent or from many lines further
back. It is possible to do more analysis to reveal the origin
or origins of that genetic line, she added.
Dr. Pearson revealed medical related findings from the
four people whose DNA had been sequenced. A.J. is a
carrier of cystic fibrosis, but he has a unique variant, from
France, not Ashkenazi. Carl Zimmer has an FMF variant
Familial Mediterranean Fever. Cece has no history of

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Sometimes DNA turns

up something that is
not in the paper trail.
The DNA doesnt lie.
But sometimes the
paper trail does.
CECE MOORE

CF [cystic fibrosis] in her family but is a carrier for CF.

Cece has Ashkenazi Jewish sequences, including this CF
variant.
I recommend that you do carrier tests and pass on
this information to your family, Dr. Erlich said. When
people discover that they are carriers, this information
can empower them to make important decisions, and to
inform family members of possible disease risks.
Do it responsibly, Dr. Skorecki cautioned. There is
a controversy about do-it-yourself genetic testing, since
health phenotypes and genetic information need to
be carefully considered. One thing I can pass on to my
children is health information, coupled with my genetic
sequence.
When I learned I was a carrier it was important to my
family, Ms. Moore said. My nieces were tested and none
were carriers. It made me a personal genomics advocate.
Information on the New York Genome Center is
online at www.nygenome.org. The phone number is
(646) 977-7000, and it is at 101 Avenue of the Americas.
Information on The Institute for Genetic Genealogy is
at www.i4gg.org.
Dr. Miryam Z. Wahrman is professor of biology at William
Paterson University and author of The Hand Book:
Surviving in a Germ-Filled World, which explores how
handwashing can reduce the risk of disease in health-care
settings, homes, schools, the workplace, and anywhere else
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1:25 PM11
JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER
4, 2015

Local

The truth about detention

NCJW speaker to discuss plight of asylum-seekers
LOIS GOLDRICH
There is no doubt that fleeing persecution is traumatic. Being placed in detention in the country that you hoped would
save you in this case, the United States
increases that trauma immeasurably.
And, Sally Pillay says, the idea of mandatory detention for asylum seekers is not
only deplorable, but in strictly economic
terms, it is not cost-effective.
On December 15, Ms. Pillay, who lives
in Hackensack and is the director of First
Friends of NJ & NY, will speak about this
issue at a Lunch and Learn program of
the Bergen County section of the National
Council of Jewish Women.
According to Ms. Pillay, detention,
Who: First Friends Director Sally Pillay
will discuss what happens to immigrants who are detained in the process
of seeking political asylum
What: At NCJWs Lunch and Learn
program
When: On December 15 at noon
Where: At Temple Emeth, 1666 Windsor Road, Teaneck
Cost: $18 members; $23, nonmembers.
Checks should be mailed by December 9 to NCJW BCS, 75 S. Washington Ave., Bergenfield, NJ 07621. They
should be made out to NCJW BCS and
marked Lunch and Learn.
For more information, go to http://
www.ncjwbcs.org.

Epstein
FROM PAGE 7

for me to see.
She saw another part of Mr. Epstein
when she began to work for him during
summer vacations. I saw the integrity he
had, she said. If there ever was a question about doing anything the right way
it was done the right way, no matter
what. He was an amazing man, and so
generous! There was not a petty bone in
his body.
Dr. Sandra Gold of Englewood who
later became the second woman to be
president of the JCC on the Palisades
was close with Eleanor and Eddie
Epstein. We used to kid Eddie because
he was always smiling, she said. Ellie
told me that he even smiled in his sleep.
He was a great dancer, and he was very
proud of the fact that he looked much
younger than his years.
He was his own man.
Dr. Gold also talked about the Epsteins
12 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

which has a huge traumatizing effect,

is a full-profit business for the companies that take on the detaining. Theres
no accountability, so human rights violations occur. There are 2,200 (men and
women) detained in New Jersey at any
given time. In the U.S., there are 34,000
on a given day.
While the government has handed
over the job to private companies, Ms.
Pillay said, there are cheaper and more
humane ways of implementing the countrys policy of mandatory detention.
Cost-effective alternatives include
releasing people on bond, ankle bracelets, or community supported enforcement programs, she said. The problem is
that we miss the bigger picture. Seeking
refuge is not illegal. The United States
supports the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and has agreed to
give refuge to people fleeing persecution.
By detaining refugees, we turn our backs
on what the United States stands for.
Why is this such a huge issue? she
continued. Its a money-making business, with $2 billion allocated for immigrant detention. They dont look for
cost-effective alternatives. We need to get
people to think about this. Its not about
undocumented [aliens] or illegals. Its
about people in need.
Ms. Pillay said her organization,
founded some 13 years ago, upholds
the inherent dignity and humanity
of detained immigrants and asylum
seekers, through volunteer visitation,

resettlement assistance, and advocacy.

She has been associated with the group
since 2008.
When she came to the United States
from South Africa, having been part
of the process that felled apartheid, I
realized that my calling was social justice.
When I came to finish my studies here
and went to grad school, I wanted to do
something in international community
development related to social work and
human rights.
Becoming involved with First Friends
which originally was associated with the
Jesuits but now is an independent nonprofit organization I was very shocked
to find asylum-seekers in detention and
shocked by the conditions there. She
knew, she said, that her work would
focus on this group.
Leaving the organization for a while
to become certified in geriatrics, Ms.
Pillay went on to do some work in that
field. But, she said, she was drawn back
to First Friends, this time as a social
worker, becoming increasingly involved
in its work. Ultimately, she was named its
director.
The goal, at first, was for organization
members to be a first friend to an asylum
seeker, ending the isolation, providing
support, and giving them hope and compassion. The role of the group, though,
has both changed and increased. Now,
First Friends advocates for rights in detention as well as for immigration reform. It
tackles a wide range of issues, Ms. Pillay

said, reaching out to both local legislators

and policy makers in Washington, D.C.
Twice a year we hold vigils, during
the Columbus Day weekend and on Ash
Wednesday, she said. Theyre nonviolent demonstrations outside detention
facilities calling for awareness of immigration issues. We also collect stamps,
stationery, and money for phone cards
to link (detainees) to the outside.
The group is active with five detention

unswerving commitment to Israel.

Whenever they would travel anywhere,
Ellie would say, they would stop off in
Israel. If they were going to the East,
theyd go to Israel. And if they went to
Europe, theyd detour to Israel.
The Epsteins funded many projects in
Israel, the Naamat Technical High School
in Holon and the Neve Yosef Community
Center in Haifa chief among them. The
school was for poor young immigrants
who wanted to learn a trade as they integrated into Israeli society, and the community center, like the residential apartment building, also Epstein-funded, also
in Haifa, similarly provided a haven for
immigrants and their children.
Mr. Epstein held fewer public positions than his wife did, she said, but
that did not detract at all from his position at the head of his family. You cant
be president of something like the JCC
as a woman unless your husband supports you in it, she said. He was a huge

supporter of Ellies. He was very proud

of her. She was president of the JCC, and
he was president of the company. And of
the house.
Dr. Gold is a fundraiser, she said, and
she remembers the way that Mr. Epstein
helped her. You didnt ever have to
convince Eddie Epstein to make a gift,
she said. His hand shot up as soon as
anybody asked. When we started the
Gold Foundation the Englewood
Cliffs-based Arnold P. Gold Foundation,
named after her husband, works toward
incorporating humanism into medicine,
and has had great success introducing
the White Coat Ceremony into medical
education Eleanor and Eddie went to
their country club and made parties to
introduce the community to it.
You didnt ever have to ask them.
Thats a beautiful thing. Most people have
to be asked, but he always had his hand
way up. And I think that the biggest compliment to him is that his children have

Andy, Mark, and Eddie Epstein display

their catch on an Arctic fishing trip.

Sally Pillay feels the United States

is missing the bigger picture
when it comes to the treatment of
asylum-seekers.

Local

facilities: the Bergen County Jail, the Hudson County

Detention Center, the Elizabeth Detention Center,
Delaney Hall in Newark, and the Essex County Correctional Facility. Originally based in Elizabeth, it
now is headquartered in Hudson County.
We have toll-free lines if individuals need us, Ms.
Pillay said. We also have a pen-pal program and try
to find host families for post-release. We work with
different housing entities, to transition (detainees)
to self-sufficiency.
Ms. Pillay, who earned a masters degree in social
work specializing in international community development, focusing in human rights and social justice,
at Monmouth University, serves on the board of the
Bergen County Sanctuary Committee, a coalition of
religious and humanist communities, human rights
organizations, and other groups and individuals in
the greater New York City and New Jersey area. The
committee serves as a sponsor organization for asylum seekers released from detention and provides
humanitarian support and advocacy services.
Right now, about 90 percent of detained immigrants are of Hispanic origin from Central American
countries, due to the refugee crisis caused by gangs,
Ms. Pillay said. There are a lot from Africa, mostly
from Nigeria, Ghana, and Burkina Faso; and some
from the Middle East, including Pakistan and Syria.
It changes. Theres also a fair amount from Bangladesh. The time spent in detention varies from case
to case, although, said Pillay, on average it is six
months to a year to indefinitely. Detainees include
both men and women, 18 and older.
Ms. Pillay hopes that more people will go to her
organizations website, www.firstfriendsnjny.org,
to learn more about this issue. She noted that the
group, which is self-supported, needs both financial
contributions and volunteers.

followed in that mode.

All four of the Epsteins sons and daughters-inlaw live in Bergen County. Not only do Laurel and
Andrew live in Saddle River, and Mark and his wife,
Jodi, in Alpine, but the other two couples Larry
and Nancy and Steven and Robin live in Tenafly.
Mark Epstein agreed that his parents valued family
overwhelmingly. He would bring the family on vacation to celebrate milestones to Hawaii, to Israel,
to just anywhere you could imagine, he said. He
would bring a huge party, family, 20 or 25 people.
He and my mom passed down a very ingenious
way of instilling philanthropy in all the grandchildren, he continued. They established a $20,000
endowment fund for each of them when they graduated university. It was to be used as each of the kids
saw fit but only for Jewish charities.
Not all of the grandchildren have graduated from
college yet, but they all are very well grounded, and
they all are serious-minded when it comes to serious
matters, Mr. Epstein said.
Edward Epsteins chapter of his very American
story has now ended, but the Epsteins American
adventure clearly continues.

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201.262.9898 www.ssdsbergen.org

JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 13

Local

Herring
herring
everywhere
and also lots to drink
Local shul hosts 2015
Bergen Herring Festival
on Saturday night
HEIDI MAE BRATT
Question: What fish on a dish can inspire
feelings of nostalgia and novelty?
Answer: Herring!
The 2015 Bergen County Herring Festival, set for the tomorrow night thats
Saturday, December 5 at Congregation
Netivot Shalom in Teaneck is sure to stir
up sentimentality about the glistening,
bony fish. After all, its a kiddush staple of
yesteryear, and there also is culinary curiosity about newfangled versions, such as
herrings bathed in wasabi, Tex-Mex, dill,
or fresh garlic sauce to name just some.
Nostalgia and curiosity aside, one thing
is sure: With a dizzying array of mouthwatering herrings to sample and snack
on, and an array of premium vodkas and
single-malt scotches to chase down the
tidbits, the festival, which is a fundraiser
to benefit the Orthodox synagogue, as
well as the Friends of the IDF, is going to
be an evening of food and fun, said Rabbi
Nathaniel Helfgot of Netivot Shalom.
Its really a wonderful event that brings
together people in Bergen County, and
What: 2015 Bergen County Herring
Festival
Where: Netivot Shalom, 811 Palisade
Ave., Teaneck
When: Saturday, December 5
Time: 8:30 to 11 p.m.
Cost: $50
To benefit: The Orthodox synagogue,
with 10 percent of the proceeds donated to the American Friends of the IDF.
Bring along: An appetite for all things
herring, and thirst for premium vodkas
and scotch.

from outside our area, Rabbi Helfgot said.

They come for an enjoyable evening that
not only benefits the shul, but also the
Friends of the IDF.
Rabbi Helfgot confessed that he is looking forward to sampling classic schmaltz
herring and the debut of kippered herring,
a festival first.
This years Bergen County Herring Festival marks the fourth such event it is held
every two years and since its inception
in 2009, it has grown in scope and popu-

But if you really

do want your
grandfathers
herring, it will be
there, too, at the
old-school table.
larity, Jonathan Shore, Noah Rothblatt and
Barry Herzog said. The trio, all shul members, are the festivals organizers.
We dont want to do it every year,
because we like to keep it a novelty, Mr.
Rothblatt said. But when we do have the
festival, reservations fill quickly.
The Bergen County Herring Festival
grew out of a typical Shabbat kiddush,
which Mr. Shore helped set up each week.
He started bringing in a variety of herrings
he found when he worked on the Lower
East Side. The festival itself was born
after he and his friends learned about an
upscale herring tasting at a Manhattan
penthouse by appetizing icon Russ and
Daughters. With that inspiration and

Herring Fun Facts

Herring is very good for you. The oily fish is rich in
omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.
Herring can grow to about 18 inches long and
weigh up to 1.5 pounds. The cold-water fish are plentiful in the northern Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans,
14 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

their love of all things

herring they figured why not create a chichi herring event in Bergen County?
I think a lot of peasant food
has become very trendy, Mr.
Shore said.
There are a lot of herring lovers
in the Jewish community, Mr. Herzog added.
The festival also has given several
vendors a venue to show up and show
off their prized pickled, creamed
and marinated victuals.
Stuart Kahan, co-owner of
Maadan in Teaneck, said he
plans to bring nearly 100 pounds
of herring, including varieties in dill
sauce, Tex-Mex, wasabi, garlic sauce,
Swedish matjes with scallions, Swedish
matjes with peppercorn, spicy, and at
least two new mystery flavors revealed at
the event. This is not your grandfathers
herring, he quipped.
But if you really do want your grandfathers herring, it will be there, too, at the
old-school table.
There also will be smoked salmon and
roes, breads, olives, potatoes, beets, and
hard-boiled eggs in the traditional Finlandian style.
Two other vendors will join Maadan
The Pickle Guys of New York City, who
will bring matjes in wine sauce, matjes,
spicy schmaltz and regular schmaltz
and Raskins Fish of Brooklyn.
Herring is having a revolution,
Raskins owner, Shlomo Raskin, said. He
plans to bring some of the most popular
of the 30 flavors that his company creates
to Teaneck.
These days, herring is being enjoyed by

and can live up to 19 years.

Herrings are known as the silver of the sea because of its silver color and highly appreciated meat.
As a food source, herring has a long history. The
earliest record of people eating herring is 3000
B.C.E.
There is no such fish as a red herring. That term
refers to a particularly strong kipper, a fish (typically

hipsters, women, and children, he said.

In the old days, you had to eat it at shul
because your wife didnt let you bring it
home. But now, herring is like the new
sushi. Its hip, funky, and hot.

a herring) that has been cured in brine or heavily

smoked. The intense process makes the fish pungent
and turns its flesh reddish.
The Dutch are so enamored of herring that they
serve it raw, accompanied with pickles and onions,
from its many city street-side stalls. Its kind of like
the hotdog vendors who dot the sidewalks of New
York City.

JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 15

Local
River Vale menorah lighting
dedicated to young mom
Valley Chabad and
River Vale will hold
its annual community
menorah lighting at
the River Vale Community Center on Monday, December 7, at
6:30 p.m. This years
lighting is dedicated to
the memory of Elizabeth Lewison, a young
mother and River Vale
resident who died of
cancer last month.
Her children, Bridget
and Grant, will light
the menorah in her
David and Elizabeth Lewison and their children,
memory. Ms. LewiEthan and Bridget, are pictured with a friend,
son welcomed new
Claudia Dojknik, right, front row, at last years River
residents to the River
Vale Chanukah celebration.
COURTESY VALLEY CHABAD
Vale community and
was involved at Valley
music, and crafts and prizes for the
Chabads Hebrew school.
children. For ore information, go to ValElected officials, including the mayor,
leychabad.org/Chanukah or call (201)
will be at the lighting, which will be followed by latkes, donuts, hot coffee,
476- 0157.

Millie Leben

Reuben and Joan Baron

JNF dinner announces honorees

For more than 50 years, the Jewish
National Fund has been honoring area
residents with its prestigious Circle of
Excellence awards; its first honoree was
the late New Jersey State Senator Matthew Feldman.
This years JNF awards dinner is set for
Monday, December 14, at 7 p.m., at Congregation Beth Sholom, 354 Maitland
Ave., Teaneck. Shani Abrams Simkovitz,
the director of the Gush Etzion Foundation, is the guest speaker. Joan and

Reuben Baron of Congregation Beth Sholom, Joyce Bendavid and Millie Leben,
both of Congregations Rinat Yisrael and
Bnai Yeshurun, and Rabbi Steven Penn
of Young Israel of Teaneck are Circle of
Excellence award honorees.
Maadan of Teaneck will cater the buffet and dessert reception. Proceeds will
benefit JNFs work with Gush Etzion. For
information, call Jocelyn Inglis at (973)
593-0095, ext. 823, or email her at jinglis@jnf.org.

Steiners are NYTF,

museum honorees
A special gala performance of The Golden
Bride, from the Second Avenue Yiddish Theatre, being revived and restaged by the National
Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, will be on December 8 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage A LivDavid and Sylvia Steiner
ing Memorial to the Holocaust. NYTF, celebrating its inaugural year in residency at museum, will honor David and Sylvia Steiner. There
will be a VIP reception at 5:30 p.m., with an awards presentation and champagne toast
to the Steiners. After the show, there will be a party with live music. Performances begin
December 5 and continue through January 3. Visit www.mjhnyc.org.
16 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

NCJW is not just for women

program, which works with
The National Council of Jewish
people who have multiple
Womens Bergen County section named Michael Silverstein
sclerosis. He has co-chaired
as its November Volunteer
the program for many years.
of the Month. Michael, a life
He also volunteers with other
member of NCJW BCS, has volNCJW members at Family
unteered for the organization
Promise of Bergen County
for nearly 17 years. His first
Walk-In Center, feeding the
project was hanging T-shirts
homeless. He has picked up
for the Clothesline Project for
bread at a local bakery to
Michael Silverstein
the Rape Crisis Center, part of
deliver to the Center for Food
NCJW StoP (Strategies to PreAction and helped set up
vent Domestic Violence) program.
NCJWs waiting room, a space set aside for
When Ms. Silverstein retired as a fullvictims of domestic violence at the Bergen
time professor at the Fashion Institute of
County Courthouse.
Technology about 17 years ago, his wife,
For more information, go to www.
Ina Miller-Silverstein, an NCJW past presincjwbcs.org or email office@ncjwbcs.org.
dent, volunteered him for NCJWs Swim-In

YU volleyball player chosen

for PanAm Maccabi games
G av r i e l a C o l t o n o f
Gavriela represents
Te a n e c k , a j u n i o r
the fourth generation
at Yeshiva Universiof her family to attend
tys Stern College for
YU. The familys connection with the school
Women, will head to
goes all the way back to
Chile to compete in the
her great-grandfather,
Pan American Maccabi
Rabbi Joseph Karasick,
Games on the USA Womens Volleyball Team.
who graduated from
The games are from
YU-affiliated Rabbi Isaac
December 26 to January
Elchanan Theological
5. A middle blocker on
Seminary in 1945. Her
the womens volleyball
grandparents, parents,
Gavriela Colton
COURTESY YU
team at Stern, Gavriela,
and cousins also all were
who was scouted for the
YU students, and her
Maccabi team by YU coach Joseph Agrest
younger brother, Yehuda Colton 17 YUHSB,
at preseason training, also is a forward
is a starting center on the Yeshiva University High School for Boys/Marsha Stern Talon the womens basketball team and was
mudical Academy Lions.
named an Athlete of the Month by YU Athletics, competing in Division III sports.

Ambassador Oren speaks

in memory of Ruth Wildes
To mark the 20th yahrzeit
of Ruth Wildes, who was the
wife of Wildes & Weinberg
senior partner Leon Wildes
and the mother of managing
partner and former mayor of
Englewood Michael Wildes
and Rabbi Mark Wildes, the
community was invited to
hear MK Michael Oren speak.
Manhattan Jewish Experience, a nonprofit organization founded by Rabbi Mark
N. Wildes in 1998, sponsored the event, which drew
Rabbi Mark Wildes, left, former Englewood Mayor
more than 450 people to the
Michael Wildes, and former Israeli ambassador to
Ramaz School.
the U.S. Michael Oren.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Michael Oren is a member
of the Israeli Knesset, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States, a historian, and the best-selling author of
Ally and Six Days of War.

upcoming at

Kaplen

JCC on the Palisades

professional childrens theater series

A Magical Journey for Chanukah

Get ready for some laughter, smiles and applause!
Yeladudes Theater presents a magical tale for the
magical holiday of Chanukah. An exciting bi-lingual
show about two children who magically travel to
Israel and go far and wide visiting amazing historical
characters. Q&A with actors, candle lighting and
Chanukah songs follow the performance.

Happy Chanukah

from the JCC

Sun, Dec 13, 2 pm show

$12 advance sale per show, $17 day-of

thurnauer chamber music series 23rd season

Around the World in 80 Minutes

A world tour of music featuring folk songs and
traditional melodies from France, Hungary, Tibet,
and American Klezmer. Series made possible by a
generous contribution from Eva Holzer and the
Konikow Chamber Music Fund.
For info and tickets visit jccotp.org/thurnauer or
call 201.408.1465.
Sat, Dec 12, 7 pm, $16/$20

the leonard & syril rubin

nursery school open house

Come See What Were All About!

Our school provides innovative programming that allows
children to explore and understand new concepts in a
fun, dynamic way. Curriculum includes cognitive learning;
fine and gross motor skills; reading readiness skills; arts,
gym; swimming; preparation for Kindergarten and beyond.
Options for toddlers through Kindergarten. To RSVP, or
for more info, call Elissa at 201.408.1436.
Dec 11, Jan 15, 9:30-10:30 am

ART

KIDS

FILM

Art For All

Chopped for Kids

special talents art show

grades 3-5

Join us for our annual art exhibit featuring

the artistic talents and accomplishments
of individuals in our community with
special needs. Pieces include paintings,
photography, drawings, ceramics, fabric
sculptures, box sculptures, mosaics and
more. For more info, call Mindy Liebowitz,
201.408.1490.

Sign up your children for this fun opportunity to cook

some great food and learn from Eitan Bernath, a kid
chef who was featured on Food Networks Chopped.
Children will observe a demo from the young chef as
well as participate in friendly competition judged by
the pro himself!

Beneath the Helmet: From High

School To The Home Front

On Display December, Waltuch Gallery

Opening Reception: Sun, Dec 6, 1-3 pm

Sat, Dec 19, 7:30-9:30 pm, $25/$30

Registration Deadline: Dec 14

A coming-of-age film about five Israeli high school

graduates who are drafted into the army to defend
their country. These young men and women come
to discover that they are not only defending their
homes, but learning the tremendous values of
peace, democracy, religious tolerance and
womens rights.
Thur, Dec 17, 7:30-9 pm, $10/12
to register or for more info, visit

jccotp.org or call 201.569.7900.

Kaplen

JCC on the Palisades taub campus | 411 e clinton ave, tenafly, nJ 07670 | 201.569.7900 | jccotp.org
JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 17

Editorial
On Chanukah

hanksgiving, which ushers in the

crazed shopping season and begins
the disease that afflicts our Christian friends and neighbors and
even some of us and Christmas, which ends
it, are the poles around which Chanukah, our
own holiday of lights, does a sort of formal
gavotte.
It dances around those two immovable
holidays the last Thursday in November,
December 25 flashing like a flame between
them, sometimes autumn, sometimes winter. A few years ago it was Thanksgivvukah,
an absurdly early winter festival. Next year, it
will be the day before Christmas at the end of
December, ridiculously late.
Chanukah always falls during the dark time
of the year, though; this year, like most years,
we are heading toward the shortest days,
when the sun takes forever to come up and
plunges back down almost immediately.
Last week, Thanksgiving weekend, we
wrote about the importance of gratitude, and
how the extraordinary freedoms, unprecedented in human history, that our country
gives us should compel if not actively demand
our thanks. Thanksgiving is a time to think
about the civic virtues that have liberated us

KEEPING THE FAITH

all of us, those of us who live in the United

States of America in so many ways.
This week, we plunge into the darkness
and light our brave little candles, which dont
light much but do their absolute best with
what they have. The lesson of Chanukah has
changed as Jewish history has evolved, but it
seems to be at its heart the idea that the few
can challenge the many, and that sometimes,
eventually, when right is on their side, they
will win.
This seems to be a big, frightening world
that is staring back at us right now.
There are very real threats that face us us
could be Israel, it could be European Jews, it
could be civilization itself, it sometimes seems,
on the blackest days but the message of Chanukah is that you fight, and you light another
candle, and another one, one more every day,
and you keep going, and eventually, surprisingly, sooner than you think is possible, its
spring.
Soon it will be spring.
Until then, light the candles. Also, eat the
fried stuff. Do the best with what you have,
and remember fried stuff always helps.
We at the Jewish Standard wish all our readers a happy and light-filled Chanukah. JP

Saying goodbye
to another local pioneer

dward Epstein, another of the

philanthropists and supporters
of Israel and the Jewish community who made this area what it is
today, died last week. (The story is on page 6.)
With his death, the ranks of the leaders who
built the precursor agencies to the Kaplen
JCC on the Palisades, the Jewish Federation
of Northern New Jersey, and the Jewish Home
Family have thinned even further.
Each of those leaders brought something different to the community. Most of them children
of immigrants, most of them born in the 1920s,
into a different age, successful in a time not
entirely identical to this one, they used their
understanding of their responsibility to their
communities, their mandate to build and maintain, to create something remarkable here.

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

As we say goodbye to Mr. Epstein and thank

his wife, Eleanor, who worked and created
alongside him, we know that the generations
that follow them their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren and in
fact all of our children and grandchildren
and great-grandchildren will continue their
work. They will do it differently, of course,
and they should do it differently. Different
times call for different approaches, different
solutions, different creations. But we know
that the generation of the communitys founders have left an indelible impression on those
of us who follow them.
Whether or not we are related to the communitys founders by blood, we are all related
in a deeper sense. We are all one community.
JP


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

jstandard.com
18 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

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

Why Chanukah won

the popularity contest

hat about Chanukah

date for their nativity festival, probably in
makes it so popular a
the fourth century
Jewish holiday?
Neither the winter solstice nor its
On a scale of 1 to 10 on
pagan observances played a role in the
the list of festivals, after all, Chanukah, a
choice of Kislev 25 for Chanukah. The
minor festival, probably should be a 1. start of the festival was based on a historical fact the rededication of the
Yet Chanukah may even top Pesach on
Temple on Kislev 25, 3586, following the
the popularity scale. Most Jews observe
defeat of the Seleucid army. The date
it for the entire eight days (and let us not
forget the endless series of presents), reportedly was chosen because it was
the third anniversary of the day Antiowhereas only the Pesach seder on the first
chus IV Epiphanes ordered the Temple
night outstrips it as an observance.
altar to be defiled.
One possible reason is timing. The
The solstice, then, was not the reason
month of Kislev falls in mid-to-late
for Chanukah, but the festivals eventual
November and runs into December
emphasis on lights may be one reason it
on the secular calendar. (In 2016, it
caught on.
will begin on December
This brings us to the sec1, which means the first
ond possible reason for
day of Chanukah, Kislev
Chanukahs popularity
25, will fall onoh, figure
light as symbol. Chanukah
that one out for yourself.)
may have become popular
In other words, Chanukah
because it marked the vicoccurs when the nights
tory of a Jewish army over
are the longest, meaning
an oppressive foreign occuduring the winter solstice.
pier. In the darkest of days
A festival of lights is a
Rabbi
of the year, Jews had cause
perfect counter to days
Shammai
to celebrate their emerof darkness, which is
gence from yet another
why winter solstice festi- Engelmayer
vals were commonplace
dark period in their history.
in the ancient world. In
This also may explain
ancient Greece, for example, this was
why Chanukah remained popular from
the time for a festival to Dionysius, then on. It is one thing to celebrate a
the deity Greeks believed ruled over
miraculous deliverance from Egypt; it is
all things wine-related. The Romans
quite another for an oppressed people
marked December 25 as the birthday
to celebrate a time when they broke the
of the sun. This observance may have
yoke of oppression seemingly by their
been the reason it was co-opted by early
own hand (which also would explain the
Christian leaders, according to a medi- popularity of Purim).
eval manuscript.
Light enters the observance in a figuraIt was a custom of the pagans to cele- tive sense, as is noted in Josephus Antiqbrate on the same 25 December the birth- uities (see at 12.7.6-7).
day of the Sun, at which they kindled
Indeed, wrote the historian Josephus
lights in token of festivity, the Christian
of the victorious Judeans, they were so
document states. In these solemnities
very glad at the revival of their customs
and revelries, the Christians also took
and, after so long a time, having unexpart. For that reason, the document con- pectedly regained their right to worship,
tinues, early Christian leaders chose the
that they made it a law for their posterity
Shammai Engelmayer is the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel of the Palisades in
Cliffside Park and Temple Beth El of North Bergen.

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Production Manager
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Ruth Hirsch

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

r
r
-

r
.

,
y

Opinion
that they should keep a festival celebrating the restoration of their Temple worship for eight days. And from that time
to this we celebrate this, which we call
the Festival of Lights because, I imagine,
beyond our hopes this right was brought
to light, and so this name was placed on
the festival.
Support for light being used in the figurative sense may be found in this fact:
Neither Josephus nor anyone before him
mentions the actual lighting of anything
as part of the observance. The earliest
mentions of actual lights come in postJosephus rabbinic literature.
Josephus, in using the words I imagine, also seems to suggest that the reason it was called the Festival of Lights
was forgotten by then. This is another
possible indication that actual lights
were not involved. Think about it: So
extraordinary an event as the miracle
of the oil would not have gone unremarked in contemporaneous texts, yet it
is nowhere to be found in the First Book
of Maccabees or anywhere else. Thus, it
is unlikely that it or anything like it was
attached to Chanukah in pre-rabbinic
times. Therefore, there would seem to
be no reason for any kind of lamp-lighting ritual back then.
Originally, of course, Chanukah was a
festival honoring the rededication of the
altar (chanukat ha-mizbe-ach), or more
accurately the dedication of the new
altar that the Hasmonean leader Judah
Maccabee had ordered built to replace
the one defiled three years earlier. That
Josephus did not use the name Chanukah may suggest it was not the popular
one in his day, if it existed at all; it is,
however, the term used in the rabbinic
literature that came after him.
We are not the oppressed Jews of old,
however. Our story has evolved. Most
Jews no longer live under oppression.
More to the point, we take the existence
of a standing Jewish army in a reborn
Jewish state for granted, as well as its
track record of vanquishing those who
would harm Jews. As for the solstice,
technology, too, has evolved. Electricity
ameliorates the effects of the darkness.
Yet, while the probable reasons for its
popularity are no more, Chanukah may
be more popular now than ever.
Unfortunately, Christmas likely has
a lot to do with that because it coincides with Chanukah. The Christian
holiday is celebrated with bright lights
and expensive gifts, giving it a faade
of attractiveness unlike any of our
holidays. Chanukah affords Jews the
opportunity to adapt that faade to
a proximate Jewish observance. The
association is made even stronger by
the insistence of some that huge chanukiot be erected in public spaces.
Whatever your reason is for celebrating Chanukah, may this years observance be a joyous one.

The case for Woodrow Wilson

hile the week of Thanksgiving was hardly a slow

newsweek, the other
paper that I read regularly seemed to devote an extraordinary
amount of space to a coordinated campaign against the twenty-eighth president
of the United States.
Beginning with a front page news article
on November 23, followed by an unforgiving op-ed on November 24, and culminating with its lead editorial on November
25 called The Case Against Woodrow
Wilson, the New York Times embraced
student protests at Princeton against the
legacy of Woodrow Wilson, arguing that
Woodrow Wilson in 1902, when he
his record as a white supremacist and segwas president of Princeton University.
regationist calls for Princeton University to
take his name down from the school and
credulity made them easy dupes. A petty
dormitory named in his honor.
favor, a slender stipend, a trifling perquiThe argument was hailed by some and
site, a bit of poor land, a piece of money
ridiculed by others. Should we remove
satisfied or silenced them.
Washingtons name from the
It was enough, for the rest,
federal capital, one respondent argued, because he was
to play upon their passions.
a slaveowner?
They were easily taught to
Wilsons legacy is particuhate the men who had once
larly significant to New Jerheld them in slavery, and to
seyans. He made his name in
follow blindly the political
our state, first as a popular if
party which had brought
controversial president (and
on the war of their emancipation (vol. 5, p. 46).
alum) of Princeton, and then
Rabbi
In discussing the Ku Klux
as the 43rd governor of New
Dr. David
Klan, Wilson writes that it
Jersey. While Wilsons term
J. Fine
became the chief object of
in the White House was 100
the night-riding comrades
years ago, he was the last
to silence or drive from the
and so far the only New Jersey governor to be elected president.
country the principal mischief-makers of
Wilson always has been my hero,
the reconstruction regime, whether white
decades before I became a New Jerseyan.
or black. The negroes were generally easy
My parents bought for me a small portrait
enough to deal with: a thorough fright usually disposed them to make utter submisof him from his birthplace in Staunton,
sion, resign their parts in affairs, leave the
Virginia, which I hung above my desk. It
country do anything their ghostly visistayed there through high school and college. I seem to have been reading books
tors demanded. But white men were less
by and about Woodrow Wilson for the past
tractable (vol. 5, pp. 62-63). And while
30 years. He has inspired me; he was an
these passages might be dismissed as a
academic who took his ivory tower idebenign gentlemanly racism, especially
als into the real world, a wartime presias Wilson carefully chides the Klan as
dent who sacrificed his health pursuing
destructive (Brutal crimes were committed; the innocent suffered with the guilty;
a vision of world peace, a reformer who
a reign of terror was brought on, and socicrafted the foundations of the liberal democratic agenda that has continued to win
ety was infinitely more disturbed than
the overwhelming support of the majority
defended [vol. 5, p. 64]), he presided over
of American Jews, and the president who
a policy of segregation and what we might
successfully pushed through the womens
call racist cleansing of federal service
suffrage amendment and appointed the
during his administration.
first Jew to the U.S. Supreme Court, the
While Wilson admitted to being
outspoken Zionist Louis Brandeis.
shamed over the spate of lynchings that
But Woodrow Wilson was racist. He did
plagued the country after the armistice,
not consider the African American to be
he continuously disappointed the African American leaders who appealed to
the equal, or even the potential equal, of
him for protection and justice. His biogthe Anglo-Saxon. Writing, in his five-volume History of the American People,
raphers note that the segregationism of
about African Americans in the South and
his administration was driven by certain
how they were influenced by the carcabinet secretaries who were given leepetbagger northern Republicans who
way under Wilsons management style.
worked in the Reconstruction era, WilThey also note that Wilson made several
son explains how their ignorance and
appointments of African Americans in the

Albert Einstein in 1921, explaining

relativity.

District of Columbia, and he faced fierce

opposition from segregationist members
of Congress over those appointments. But
at the same time, they tell the story of how
the president watched Birth of a Nation,
a film that glorified the Ku Klux Klan, at
the White House, even though he may
not have realized or intended to give his
approval to it.
Wilsons legacy of racism is ambivalent.
While he certainly was prejudiced, he was
no Klansman, and he may be more guilty
of allowing racist policies to take hold in
his administration than of driving it himself. But we must remember one key fact:
Wilson was born in antebellum Virginia,
deep in the Shenandoah Valley. He was,
in fact, the first Southerner to be elected
to the White House after the Civil War.
While he earned the Nobel Peace Prize for
envisioning a new era of peaceful relations
after the world war, he still was a product
of his upbringing.
As Jews, we are particularly sensitive
to racism and prejudice. But just as we
have learned through our long and painful history how to recognize the dangers
of such thinking, we also have learned how
to contextualize it and live with it. Harry
Truman, whom Jews laud as being the
first to extend recognition to the State of
Israel, was also remembered as exclaiming during a cabinet meeting about Jewish leaders: Jesus Christ couldnt please
them when he was here on earth, so how
could anyone expect that I would have any
luck? (Henry Wallace, The Price of Vision,
p. 607; cited in Dennis Ross, Doomed to
Succeed, p. 17). So President Truman still
blamed us for being Christ killers. It is
often in bursts of anger that our true feelings are revealed. But that did not prevent
him from recognizing Israel, nor us from
remembering the good that he did.
During the same week that the New York
Times ran its revision of Wilsons legacy,
the paper printed another article, also
posted from Princeton, this one a retrospective on Einstein and relativity as this
SEE WILSON PAGE 22

JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 19

Opinion

Muslims please act before it is too late

people in the name of intolerzra Schwartz, Hadar

Buchris, Eitam and
ant radical Islam.
Naama Henkin,
In Judaism we have the conHelene Muyal, Asta
cept of chilul Hashem or
Diakite, Ariane Theiller, Halima
desecration of Gods name.
Saadi, Lurii Shein, Anastasila
It is perhaps the greatest sin of
Sheina.
all; many rabbis say it is unforAnd the list goes on.
giveable. Is there any greater
There have been so many
desecration of Gods name and
recent victims of radical Islamic
religion today than the murder
Lee Lasher
terror in Israel, in Paris, over
of people in restaurants, soccer
the Sinai, in Africa, and elsestadiums, concert halls, drivwhere that I find myself in a fog, wondering
ing on the roads, at gas stations, on buses,
what has become of this world. Is this the
trains, and planes, in all the name of radical
most challenging global time that I have expeIslam? Done by murderers who are screaming
God is great? How can decent, kind, caring,
rienced in my 52 years? Each victim means a
informed Muslims, including religious and
world shattered, a family in great searing pain,
other leaders around the world, not scream
and human potential destroyed. Like many
out Enough? Does the Muslim world want
of the more than 7,000 people who watched
its religion hijacked by cruel murderers,
the live feed of Ezra Schwartzs funeral, I sat
thugs, and psychopaths? I can only believe
in tears and solidarity with the family, thinkthat the answer is a resounding no.
ing of my own children who spent their gap
Over the centuries, Islam taught the
years studying in Israel. And despite all this,
world so much. Ironically, for hundreds of
I wonder if Islam itself eventually will be the
years we Jews had better relationships and
greatest victim of this vile, inhuman terror
experiences within the Muslim world than
campaign, devised and implemented by tens
in the Christian world. Now the free world is
of thousands and condoned by millions of

in peril. While we need stronger leadership

and resolve, moral clarity, and action, what
we need most is for Muslim leaders and others to be brave. They must stand up against
those within Islam who are causing death
and destruction in all corners of the world.
And they must do it now, before more people are killed and Islam is forever tarnished
as a religion of death and destruction, not a
religion of peace.
Where is the peace? If I were a Muslim I
would question my faith. I would question
the tsunami of destruction it is wreaking
around the globe. I have no doubt that many
Muslims are starting to think this way. They
must be starting to wonder what their religion truly stands for.
A few years ago, on a mission to Israel
with my synagogue, Congregation Ahavath
Torah in Englewood, we met Professor Sari
Nusseibeh, a leading Palestinian intellectual.
We asked Professor Nusseibeh about terror
attacks in Israel which he condemned
and why Palestinian and Muslim leaders
do not come out against it more forcefully.
He answered that the leaders were weak,
at times they used violence for political

reasons, and no one paid much attention to

them. Years have passed, violence worsened,
and there have been more and more victims.
How many more memorial ceremonies
must we have before the Muslim world
wakes up and takes back its religion and
its true purpose bringing goodness to the
world?
I write this as I look at a photo of the smiling face of Koby Mandell, who was 13 years
old when he is was murdered by Palestinian
terrorists near his home in Tekoa in 2001.
Kobys parents, Rabbi Seth and Sherri Mandell, created the Koby Mandell Foundation,
which provides hope and healing for victims
of terror. The Mandells have injected much
light and goodness into the world despite
experiencing hate and darkness. This is the
best of religion.
I call out to decent, kind, caring, informed
Muslims and to Muslim religious and other
leaders around the world. Where is your
light and goodness? We need you. Act
quickly, before it is too late.

Lee Lasher of Englewood is a vice president of

the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey
and of the Koby Mandell Foundation, and a
past president of Congregation Ahavath Torah.

Strength and consciousness together can combat terror

erusalem, whose very

level of anxiety among Israelis.
name means city of
This time, there are no
peace, is again at war.
sirens to warn of an impending
The violence has
attack. This time, there is no
spread to parts of Israel that
feeling that Israeli intelligence
have been unscarred until now.
forces will strike at the root of
A violence in which there are
the terror and the branches
Palestinians, overcome with
will die. This time, there is no
anger and frustration, who
root. A knife flashes, blood
start their day in the kitchens
flows, and simply managing
Dr. Mark
looking not for coffee but for a
the conflict is failing as a soluGold
knife. They venture out looking
tion. There are those who claim
for a Jew to stab. To kill. Reactthat this is not a third intifada
but in fact what we are seeing
ing to this wave of terror, the
is what a one-state solution
Israeli response is to shoot first
would look like.
and ask questions later. Tension
On Thursday, November 19,
again is a part of daily life.
Ezra Schwartz was killed in a
The first intifada, which
terror attack. He was a gapplagued Israel from 1987 until
year student from Sharon, Masthe Oslo Accords in 1993, was
an uprising of stones. The secsachusetts, studying at Yeshiva
Ashreinu in Beit Shemesh, part
ond intifada erupted in 2000
Hiam Simon
of a program supported by the
and served up attack after
Jewish Agency. Ezra was with
attack of suicide bombers and
classmates, delivering food packages to solbus explosions. One thousand Israelis and
3,000 Palestinians died over five years, until
diers, when a Palestinian armed with an Uzi
the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit between Abbas
submachine gun opened fire on a group of
and Sharon restored calm.
cars. Two other victims of the shooting died
The violence now is from knives and of
Yaacov Don, an Israeli resident of Alon Shvut,
murder by vehicular homicide. At the time of
and Shadi Arafa, a Palestinian from Hebron.
this writing, there have been 25 Israelis and
The killer was apprehended.
100 Palestinians killed, a much smaller count
That day, the U.S. ambassador to Israel,
than in the past, because unlike the previous
Dan Shapiro, condemned Ezras murder in
two uprisings, this time the violence is not
a statement issued shortly after news of his
organized. The lack of a central command
death, as did Natan Sharansky, the head of the
and the fact that the violence comes from
Jewish Agency. The U.S. State Department follone-wolf attackers has prevented an escalalowed with a statement on Friday. President
Barack Obama himself called Ezras parents
tion of atrocities, while creating a formidable
20 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

and offered his profound condolences.

Ezra was neither the first or last victim. As
Jews and Americans, we might feel his death
more poignantly, but all the victims of these
cowardly attacks deserve our sympathy and
compassion. What they had most in common
was their vulnerability. There is no cause that
can justify the murder of innocents, and no
good end can be promoted by such deeds.
Ezras death, and the deaths of the others, come in the wake of the ISIS attacks in
Paris. Meant to terrorize, the Paris assault has
united people globally in their revulsion, and
strengthened nations determination to combat ISIS and its ideology of pseudo-religious
fascism and thuggery. The attacks in the West
Bank and Israel have some apparent similarities to the ISIS assault, but they are not
the same. The attacks in Israel and the West
Bank are not centrally organized. They represent a broad-based despair specifically at
the occupation and a deepening repression.
They are not fighting to create the next Islamic
caliphate.
It is important for that difference to be
acknowledged and understood, just as
it is important to say that these random
attacks cannot be justified by any cause. In
some cases, motivation for the attacks may
have included a vicious ethnic or religious
hatred that must be condemned. Indeed it
is precisely in these times that we need to
strengthen our commitment to religious tolerance and the struggle against ethnic hatred.
Among those killed in the sweep of violence
in Israel was an Eritrean immigrant, Haftom
Zarhum. He was a victim in the aftermath of
an attack that left Israeli soldier Omri Levy

dead, and about a dozen others wounded. A

panicked security guard shot, thinking, based
on Zarhums appearance, that he was an
accomplice. As Haftom lay wounded, he was
assaulted by bystanders who shouted Death
to Arabs. Haftoms beating was captured in a
recording, and he died later of what doctors
said was a combination of injuries.
We must be especially careful not to
become the mirror image of the things we
condemn in others.
Vahavta lreiacha kamocha loving your
neighbor as yourself is not a sufficient strategy for security. Still, in its broadest application, it must be the foundation of all of our
efforts. Without it, peace and security remain
unattainable. Knives will not bring Palestinians a state. Calm and safety will not grace
Israelis without compromise, and the recognition that the Palestinian dream of a state
of their own is only the other side of the coin
minted by our commitment to Zionism and
Jewish self-determination.
Dr. Mark Gold of Teaneck holds a Ph.D. in
economics from NYU. He is on the executive
board of Partners for Progressive Israel, a
member organization of the American Zionist
Movement and an affiliate of the World Union
of Meretz.
Hiam Simon of Englewood is the chief
operating officer of Ameinu, the leading
progressive Zionist membership organization
in the United States. He lived in Israel for many
years, where he was the dean of students for
what is now the Alexander Muss High School,
and he was an artillery sergeant in the IDF.

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JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 21

Opinion

Chanukah in Paris
A time to celebrate life, express unity, and be proud

hat do JanuFrench Jews have made aliyah

ary 7 and 9,
since the start of 2014, compared to 580 during the same
2016, mean
period the previous year. This
to you?
represents an extraordinary
Unless these dates have
289 percent increase, and the
some personal significance to
numbers continue to climb.
us we who live in the relative
This is a sure sign of an emergsecurity of the United States
ing sense of despair, danger,
they probably conjure up nothing significant in our minds.
Juda
and isolation being felt by Jews
Engelmayer
To the people of France and
of Europe.
especially those in Paris, howOur hearts surely go out to
ever, those dates are burned
those who look to start anew in
into their consciences. That is because they
Israel, the United States, or even the United
mark the one-year anniversaries of two
Kingdom. Yet many Jewish families have chosen to stay where they are. They are unwillsevere attacks that were inspired by radical
ing to yield to the terror and hatred that surIslamic ideologies and blatant anti-Semitism.
round them.
The first was the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris
January 7 and January 9 may not ring
on January 7, 2015, and the siege at the Hyper
bells in our heads, but they should. What
Cacher kosher supermarket in the Porte de
is required now from us who live in relative
Vincennes neighborhood of eastern Paris
safety is a demonstration of solidarity with
two days later. Many were killed, the city was
those who do not, meaning the Jewish comwounded, and the people were expected to
munities of France specifically and throughlive in fear.
out Europe generally.
Then, on November 13, Paris was given yet
That is why Nachum Segal, the host of the
another shock, with the highly coordinated
Nachum Segal Networks popular JM in the
Islamist terror attacks throughout the city
AM radio show, should be applauded for
that killed 130 and wounded 368 others. The
what he is about to do. In the heart of Paris,
more recent news that other attacks had been
on the evening of December 9, Segal will host
planned for that day, to be aimed at Jewish
an international concert, Let There Be Light:
areas, transport networks, and schools, has
The Concert of Jewish Unity.
given so many a moment to reflect on the
It has been in the works for some time now
growing sense of intolerance. Needless to say,
and the date was not chosen lightly. It comes
the attacks have taken an emotional toll on
about a week after the children of the Jewthe people of France, the Jewish communities, and by extension, European Jewry as a
ish shoppers murdered in the Hyper Cacher
whole.
attack end their 12-month-long recitation of
Jews in France and many of parts of
the Mourners Kaddish for their parents.
Europe live in a growing climate of fear. Many
Above all, however, the evening of December 9 marks the fourth night of Chanukah, the
have chosen to uproot themselves because
Festival of Lights. The story of the Maccabees
of it. According to the Jewish Agency, 2,254

is well known: At a time when the Jewish people were being persecuted because they were
Jewish, one family, the Hasmoneans, stood
up against the awesome power of Antiochus
IV Epiphanes and his Hellenized Assyrian
army. Through the stubborn tenacity of the
Hasmoneans, the Jewish people not only survived but thrived.
That same tenacity is being shown today
by the majority of Jews of France and Europe.
Let There Be Light: The Concert of Jewish
Unity is not meant to mourn death, but to
celebrate the lives of the victims, and to give
courage and support to the Jews who stand
as defiantly today against unbridled hatred
as did Matthias and his sons in those days at
this time, in the words of a Chanukah prayer.
Segals concert is intended as a celebration of Parisian life, and as a demonstration
of Jewish unity that proclaims that we can be
knocked down but we can never be defeated.
The resilience of French Jewry today
undoubtedly has its roots in the Nazi invasion of France and the Vichy government
of Marshal Philippe Ptain that flowed from
it. Many of the parents and grandparents of
todays French Jewish community not only
survived the Nazi era, but they also chose to
stay in France and rebuild their lives. It is this
resilience that underpins Let There Be Light:
The Concert of Jewish Unity.
It will be an event to be remembered, with
some well-known names in Jewish music
performing, including Yehoram Gaon, Ohad
Moskowitz, Itzik Dadya, Amir Haddad, Ouzia
Tzadok, and Avi Miller. Other celebrities will
attend, and leaders of the French and Jewish
communities will deliver messages of hope
and support. Naftali Bennett, leader of Israels Jewish Home party, will deliver a video
message. There will be singing, dancing, and

nature of Torah from Sinai. That is, the

commanding word of God always is mitigated by how each generation understands
that word in its own terms, from its own
perspective. A classical rabbinic teaching advises us that the Torah is written in
the language of men. We are warned not
to judge Torah on what we know today,
because it was written in a language that
the ancients had to be able to understand.
For this reason I tell people not to walk
away from Judaism in anger when they
come to synagogue and read a book that
not only starts off with how the world was
created in six days but goes on to condone
mass slaughter and human slavery and
find spiritual salvation through the myriad
details of animal sacrifice.
That is not the way to read the Torah,
I explain. A more sophisticated reading
would understand that although the Torah

was written to make sense to those who

lived two millennia ago, its lessons can
scream out to us from between the lines.
So too with Woodrow Wilson. He surely
was a product of his time, a Southern gentleman of the late 19th century. But he had
ideas that continue to inspire the course
of world history: the idea that war is legitimate only when it is fought on a path to
peace; the idea that individual peoples
have the right of self-determination, to
chose their own destinies rather than be
ruled by others (a worldview that created space for Zionism and Israel, by the
way, on the international stage); the idea
that free and open debate and deliberation between people ultimately will bring
them together through the determination of common ground; the idea that the
political process ought to be driven by the
charge to make the world a better place

Wilson
FROM PAGE 19

year marks the hundredth anniversary

of Einsteins general theory. What a contrast there! The relativity article tracked
the 100-year staying power of a scientific
idea about how the nature of reality is flexible, whereas the Wilson articles sought
to apply a current standard of morality
to a moment and person 100 years ago
in history, a discipline of knowledge that
examines the changes and development in
human society and culture.
What frustrated me about the Times case
against Woodrow Wilson was its lack of historical perspective, that is, that our sense of
morality is relative to time and place.
This touches upon one of the fundamental problems of Jewish theology, the
tension between the eternal and temporal

22 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

Nachum Segal host of the JM in

the AM radio show interviews the
mayor of Houston, Annise Parker, at
the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center in that city on July 7,
2015.
JACOB KAMARAS

festivities to mark Chanukah and the Hasmonean spirit that still lives.
Local leaders likely to be at the concert
include Yeshiva Universitys president, Richard Joel, New York State Assemblyman Phil
Goldfeder, and the chairman of the Cross
River Bank, Gilles Gade.
Just as a single jar of oil kept the eternal
flame of the Temple in Jerusalem lit for an
extra seven days as new oil was prepared, the
light emanating from this concert is likely
to reverberate well beyond Paris, bringing
cheer and hope in the place where the perpetrators of these vicious crimes sought to
JNS.ORG
spread despair and hopelessness.
Juda Engelmayer of Teaneck is a senior vice
president at 5W Public Relations.

(what we call tikkun olam), and the faith

that history is moving toward an attainable
future of peace and harmony (what we call
faith in the coming of the Messiah).
By all means, Princeton University
should expose and struggle with the racism and prejudice that men like Woodrow
Wilson carried with them. But to erase his
name from the fabric of the university is to
concede that the darkness from which he
came overcomes the light that he sought to
establish for the world.
God forbid.
David J. Fine, the rabbi of Temple Israel and
Jewish Community Center of Ridgewood,
earned his doctorate in modern European
history at CUNY. He is also an adjunct
professor of Jewish law at the Abraham
Geiger and Zacharias Frankel Colleges at
the University of Potsdam, Germany.

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JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 23

Letters
A response to Rabbi Boteach

I do not intend to reply to Rabbi Boteachs ad hominem

attacks, this time against me, and turn the columns of this
paper into a ring for him and me to duke it out (Responding
to a rabbis attack, November 27).
Rabbi Boteach asks why I am obsessed with him? I am
not. In fact, I think the only one who is obsessed with Shmuely is Shmuely. Perhaps that is the core of our divergence.

Suffice to say, I disagree with his portrayals. Boteachs

assaults on me are the very behavior that was the impetus
for me to call him out. Clearly, I am the latest in an evergrowing list of people whom Americas Rabbi has in his
crosshairs. Considering the source, I will wear it as a badge
of courage.
Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner
Temple Emanu-El of Closter

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24 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

Robust defense divinely sanctioned

The book Our Promised Land by Charles Selengut levels criticisms at the settler movement for the religious
basis of their extremism (The new Jews, November
27). Selenguts thoughts are flawed from the start. The
very impetus for the modern State of Israel derives solely
from our religious views and texts. The secular aspects
came much later. The Israeli Defense Forces actions are
just as religiously substantiated as those of the settlers
who attempt to defend themselves, because the act of
a robust defense of our people is divinely sanctioned.
The perception that Jews did not see violence, when
needed, as a legitimate means of protection was a foreign
concept to our ancestors. The Jews did not shirk from battle with the Amalekites, Canaanites, Philistines, Greeks,
and Romans. In fact, the Jewish rebellions of 66 C.E., 117
C.E., and 132 C.E. were major undertakings, supported
by the majority of the Jews against the vile predations of
the Romans. Only with exile and defeat did we become
the doormat of history. This lowly status yielded 100,000
dead at the hands of the Cossack Chmielnicki, tens of
thousands dead at the hands of the Catholic Crusaders,
and millions dead at the hands of the Germans.
The Jews who live in the settlements have the right
to defend their families and homes in any and every way
possible, especially when the government of Israel fails
to protect its citizens (which was the case under various
governments). Please note that Arabs view the settlements as including all areas in which Jews live. The 1948
border is simply a joke, as they clearly state that they
want the entire land.
Jerusalem is considered a settlement. The Golan
Heights is a settlement. And all the Jews stabbed and
murdered since the beginning of the state by Arabs are
considered settlers. To think otherwise is a sad leftist
delusion. It is a religious imperative of the Jewish people
not to commit suicide, nationally or individually. There
is nothing wrong with the Jewish pride that says we will
be like normal people and not lay down to the slaughter
ever again.
This is the Jewish truth.
Scott David Lippe, M.D.
Fair Lawn

USCJs support of college students

We were very pleased to see your coverage of the 2015

USCJ convention and the Shoshana S. Cardin Award
winner Eric Leiderman (Asking the Right Questions, November 20). I did want to clarify one point,
however, regarding USCJ and our support of college
students.
USCJ still runs several Israel-based programs to support young Jewish adults, including Nativ, a college
gap year and leadership training program; Yozma, a
gap-year program for students with disabilities; and
the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem, which offers a
9-month gap year and accredited study abroad programs for college students.
At our just completed 2015 convention, we held a
college leadership training for more than 20 emerging
college leaders to equip them with strategies to engage
Conservative Jewish life on their campuses. Some of
the biggest universities in the United States were represented, including the University of Pennsylvania, the
University of Maryland, Princeton University, Northwestern University, and SUNY Binghamton.
This demographic is a priority for USCJ and we are
continually exploring how to improve our outreach
efforts.
Rabbi Steven C. Wernick
CEO, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
New York, NY

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Opinion
2015 Americas Got Talent Finalist

People outside the French Embassy in Warsaw left candles and flowers for
the victims of the November 13 Paris attacks.
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How terrorisms victims are responding

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26 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

elgiums justice minister came

is to position themselves as the dominant
in for a fair bit of criticism this
power in the Muslim world.
week over some injudicious
In this melee, the West has failed sigobservations about the Novemnally in staking out its own position;
ber 13 Islamist terrorist massacre in Paris.
namely, that the destruction of the Assad
Its no longer synagogues or the Jewregime and the elimination of Irans ability
ish museums or police stations, its mass
to finance terror is a necessary condition
gatherings and public places, said Koen
for the destruction of Islamic State. We are
Geens, as he tried to encapsulate the
closer, in fact, to a partnership with Iran,
deadliest security dilemma that Europe
Assads most loyal backer, in the limited
has faced since the height of the Cold War.
war being waged on Islamic State-held terOf all the obvious terrorist targets that
ritory in Syria and Iraq.
Geens could have picked, he chose two
Victims of terrorism Ive been speaking
that were distinctly Jewish among a list
with find all this deeply frustrating. Iran
of three. To some ears, it sounded suspiis the leading state sponsor of terror, said
ciously like Geens was saying that terrorDaniel Miller, who survived a 1997 terror
ist attacks on Jews were atrocities that he
attack carried out by Hamas on Jerusacould, with regret, live with, so long as
lems busy Ben Yehuda Street. To call
they didnt then spiral into similar attacks
them a partner in fighting Islamic State
upon the broader populace.
will only allow them to retain the crown.
As distasteful as some
Miller strongly believes
may have found Geenss
that the campaign to cut terphrasing, in technical
rorism financing is the best
terms, this Belgian minisway for those frustrated
ter a member of a governwith Western dithering to
ment that must be smarting
make their voices heard. In
from continuing references
2003, Miller and other victo its territory as the weaktims of Iranian-backed terest link in Europes battle
ror won a default judgment
with jihadi terror is absoof more than $300 million
Ben Cohen
lutely correct. With life in
against the Tehran regime,
Brussels mothballed for sevbut the lack of tangible Iraeral days by credible threats
nian assets in the United
of a Paris-style assault in many locations,
States is one reason why the reparations
the Islamists have sent the unmistakable
havent been collected.
message that no mass gathering and no
Thats why, in his recent testimony to
public place is safe. This, the Islamists
Congress, Miller said that he was shocked
know well, is how submission starts.
and horrified to learn that the terms
Yet picking a target in response is not
of [the nuclear deal with Iran] include
as it easy as you might think. Islamic State
unfreezing more than $100 billion in Irais a monstrous perversion of everything
nian oil revenues and handing it over to
that is human, but it is also the product of
the party responsible for devastating the
a broader context; one, chiefly, in which
lives of so many.
If Iran cant supply money, then Iran
Russian, Iranian, and Turkish regional
cant sponsor terror attacks, Miller told me.
ambitions now are starting to clash. EveryBut, he added, that method can work only
one is fighting fake wars against Islamic
if the United States shows enough resolve in
State: the real goal of the Russians is to
going after Tehrans assets and that resolve
preserve the Bashar al-Assad regime in
is glaringly conspicuous by its absence.
Damascus, the real goal of the Turks is to
Miller emphasizes that the sources of
crush Kurdish aspirations for self-determiIslamic State funding should be pursued
nation, and the real goal of the Iranians

Opinion
with the same vigor that hes working
for in the case of Iran. Its a view echoed
by Sarri Singer, an American citizen
wounded in the suicide bombing of a
Jerusalem bus in 2003. All terrorist
groups are the same to me, said Singer,
whose Strength to Strength network
offers counseling to victims of terrorist attacks. And they all need money,
which is why we have to cut off the financial supply line. I dont want any more
innocent people to have to join this club
of terror victims.
While American victims of terror can
have some trust in their courts, in other
countries justice is more elusive. Nobody,
for example, has been convicted for the
1994 Iranian-backed bombing of the AMIA
Jewish Center in Buenos Aires, in which 85
people were murdered, while the investigation into the suspicious death of AMIA
investigator Alberto Nisman this January
has gone nowhere. Argentina now has
a centrist, pragmatic president in the
form of Mauricio Macri, who already has
announced that he is breaking with the
pro-Iranian leanings of his predecessor,
but he wont pursue the AMIA bombers

on his own. The next American administration, however, conceivably could offer
him a hand in doing so.
We should be helping people in all
countries, because the overall goal is to
defund terrorism, Daniel Miller told me.
Im a civilized person, Im not going to go
and blow up an Iranian target, so the only
path left to me is to go after their money.
If another country experiences the kind of
horrific terrorism I experienced in Israel,
as Argentina did, then the more we need
them as a partner.
I cant express the importance of this
cause any more clearly than these victims
of terror have done. But I can add that
they have a strategy for response and
that, in this time of declining American
leadership, is something worth noting.
JNS.ORG

Ben Cohen, the 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.

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JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 27

Cover Story

A light-filled
Chanukah tale

cUrT levianT
arry Samson took the
Chanukah lamp out of
the cabinet and stood
resolutely in the middle of the living-room.
Tonight Im going to
light the candles by the front window, he
announced to his wife.
He watched his wifes eyes move away
from her book and up to his face. Youve
always lit them in the kitchen, she said.
Not always, he said. You remember
in New York.
These past four years here have not
been New York, she pointed out.
Harry paced the living-room floor. For
once I dont want to hide it. So this is a hick
town in the South. So what! The lights are
supposed to be seen for many reasons.
As a reminder to a passing stranger. For
everyone to see how the Maccabeans overcame Syrian-Greek tyranny more than two
thousand years ago.
His wife, Vera, understood. Still, she
said, But were the only Jews here. Who
will you inspire?
Harry curled his fingers around the
lamp. No more hiding. This is a holiday
of lights. A light in the darkness is no light
at all.
28 Jewish standard deCeMBer 4, 2015

They looked at each other in silence,

absorbing the words and feeling the loneliness of four years of isolation. In the small
town in Georgia, even the peoples names
were so Anglo-Saxon that you couldnt
even have the pleasure of conjecture
maybe . . . maybe hes a Jew. Scattered in
the nearby towns were a few Jewish families, but not nearly enough to shape a
community.
So the Samson home became synagogue and house of study combined.
But a house of meeting it could never
be. On the horizon stood the day when
Harry and Vera would be able to leave
town, when Harry would have a teaching
job in the big city. There they wouldnt be
island-dwellers. There they would participate once more in communal life. Still,
Harry persuaded himself that the gifts of
the spirit were everywhere.
Their neighbors were silent, distant
people. Like Fire Chief Brown across the
street, estranged not only from the Samsons but from his other neighbors as
well. A silent, brooding man, looking as if
some kind of guilt rode perpetually on his
shoulders. Never close to anyone, he just
did his job. Harrys other neighbors too
were polite but distant friends. And so the
Samsons companionship was centered
around the faculty of his school, from

whom they sustained their social and intellectual nourishment.

It was the first night of Chanukah. As on
each holiday, their aloneness was accentuated by the starkness of no one sharing
their joy. Harry carried the candle-holder
and placed it on the window sill facing the
street. He put the first candle into position and lit it with the shamash candle. He
sang the blessings sweetly, looking at his
wife. As they sang the traditional Chanukah songs, Veras eyes were focused on the
flame, as if seeking out its mystery.
Harrys hand shook as he passed the
flame to the candle. He waited anxiously
for the next day.

Business on the street as usual. He

taught his classes in basic chemistry; his
wife ran their little arts and crafts shop;
the world remained a tiny norm. That evening Harry Samson lit the second candle.
Still the quiver of the flame reflected in
his mind. Soon someone would inquire.
He was impatient for someone to ask
Why?
The next day a question was asked.
Fire Chief Brown stopped him on the
street, saying, Excuse me, Mr. Samson,
but, uh . . . can you tell me where you buy
those little candles? The ones . . . you were
burning in your window last night.
Harry expected him to ask, Why?
Instead he asked Where? But Harry was
ready with an answer.
You cant get them here. Harry forced
a laugh. You get them ten miles out in
the supermarket. You know. A few Jewish
families are scattered around there. Harry
watched Browns face. His lips didnt form
the word Why. In that case, Harry would
ask him, Why did you want to know, Mr.
Brown?
Thought I would test them for . . . fire
hazard, quick burning quality, and . . . we
cant be too careful, you know.
They both laughed, Harry again exploding the artificial smile into a laugh. Yes,
you can get them at the supermarket, he

Cover Story
repeated foolishly.
When he told his wife the story, she
laughed and said, Maybe hes Jewish.
Harry joined in with the joke. Maybe Im
a fire chief. But underneath his tongue the
words were forming: What will he really
do with them?
Two days later he saw some men talking
on the street. They were huddled together
strangely. He couldnt hear what they were
saying and his sensitive mood imagined
the worst. He packs a powerful wallop,
said one man, raising his fist. But then he
heard, That guy is some boxer.
He walked by the firehouse, purposely,
wanting to meet Mr. Brown, wanting to
bring the situation to its inevitable conclusion. He saw him standing there, an
intense look on his round face, the lips
puffed out, the eyes half closed. He was
about to say something. Harry signaled
his attention by lifting his head upwards
in a half nod.
Hell tell me about the fire hazard. And
Ill have to remove the candles from the
window. But Mr. Brown was silent. He just
looked at Harry, made another motion,
as if to walk toward him, but then walked
slowly back into the shaded firehouse, his
hands in his pockets.
The continued silence of the town hung
heavily like a curtain in Harrys mind. By
the fourth night he was ready to remove
the candles from the window. All he
needed was an official excuse. His zeal
had done nothing but set him on edge.
His wife noticed it. And maybe she was
right. All this would have been fine in a
Jewish community. But here? Here it was
just stubbornness. His wifes thoughts
were now, somehow and mysteriously, his
own. With each lit candle his head buzzed
with vague fears. Something had to come.
It was slowly building up. He knew it. He
breathed it in the air of the streets. He
saw it in the looks of the peoples eyes. He
heard it in the rumblings of daily life.
As soon as he finished lighting the fourth
nights candles he resolved, This is the
last night. As if confirming his decision,
the phone rang. There it is, he thought.
He stood watching the candles as his wife
answered the phone. The little flames
leaped higher and higher and disappeared
into the air. Yet more flames always sprang
up from the wick. Thus our people against
the tyrants, he thought. He let his eyes
relax, filling them with light, filling his
whole being with the warmth of the light.
Its for you, Harry. His heart bounced
with the leaping flames.
This is Fire Chief Brown, he heard the
voice say. Get those candles off the window, he thought. But instead a soft voice
said, Do those candles have to burn in the
window?
Very subtle, thought Harry. How do
you mean? Harrys voice was not his own.
The cords in his throat tightened as he
spoke. The sound was in a higher, odder

pitch. He swallowed.
Mr. Brown continued. Is it part of the
religious ceremony to do that?
Come out with it, Harry thought, and
tell. Dont play with me. Dont keep me in
suspense. Tell me now. Let me explain
the significance of the candles, Mr. Brown
. . .
Harry was cut short. If you dont mind,
just tell me, is it better if they burn in
view?
Yes, Harrys thoughts exploded. It is
better if they are seen, if they communicate their message to the others . . .
Good. Thats all I wanted to know. The
message was communicated. Thank you.
And click the phone was dead. Harry
looked at the mouthpiece for a while and
set it back.
Whats the matter, Harry? his wife
asked. She stretched her hand out to him.
He took her warm hand into his and felt
his fingers trembling against hers. The nervousness leaped with the touch into her.
What is it? What did he say? the edge of
her lips quivered. Youre all upset.
I dont understand, Vera. He said, The
message was communicated.
Harry, Vera said softly. Since you
started this candle-lighting in the window
you havent been the same. You worry
about every word, every sound, every
flame. Either go back to the privacy of the
kitchen, or accept your own move.
Harry knew his wife was right, but still
he felt that his wife was deserting him, by
asking about it in the open, by verbalizing
what had previously been unsaid. Gloomily
he looked at the candles and at the street
below, scanning the houses across the
street mechanically. His mind was playing
tricks again. Two of his four candles had
gone out already. In the window opposite
his, symbolically enough in Mr. Browns
window, the reflection of his Chanukah
lights were shining. He looked at their
reflection. Suddenly he called his wife.
Come quickly. Im having a vision.
Vera came running, afraid something
was wrong with him.
Look. Look across the street. In Mr.
Browns window.
She held her breath. They couldnt
believe it. A living reflection.
Strangely, a third candle appeared to be
shining in Mr. Browns window, while only
two remained in theirs.
Hes kindling Chanukah lights, Harry
shouted. Vera, do you know what that
means? Chanukah lights by Mr. Brown?
Across the street, the lit candle illumined Mr. Browns shadowy, brooding
features, and the flickering flames cast a
glow on his face as he lit the fourth candle.
A light from the darkness, Vera whispered. Another miracle.
Writer, teacher, and Yiddishist Curt
Leviants new novel, King of Yiddish, will
be published this month.

Buddy Ungers handiwork still crowns

the Jewish Center of Teaneck. Inset, a
closeup of the chanukiyah.

Booboo,
Buddy, and
the menorah
How the Teaneck
Jewish Center got
its chanukiyah
Joanne Palmer
You know how the things were used to
seeing are just, well, part of what we see
every day?
We often dont notice them, not really,
although if theyre removed we often
have some vague sense that something
used to be there, even if were not exactly
sure what.
We also rarely think of how things
got to where we see them. Its as if they
were just dropped there, or grew there
somehow.
There is a very large menorah on the
roof of the Jewish Center of Teaneck. Its
always been there, right? Except that it
wasnt. It was built by one man Bertram Unger in his Teaneck basement.
Mr. Unger was an electrician by trade,
and he was pretty atypical for a Jewish
guy, his daughter Robin Unger Weber
said. He could do anything, build anything, create anything. Except plumbing
if you told him that the kitchen sink was
leaking, hed say, So go call a plumber
My father was the only Jewish guy
youd find on a Sunday morning with his
head under a car, she continued. He
could do anything under a car. Whenever
anything went wrong anywhere, someone would call him. I remember that one
hot summer night, my parents were having dinner at a Chinese restaurant and all
the power went out.
Everyone else was freaking out, but my
father just went downstairs and fixed it.

Freda and Bertram, aka Booboo and

Buddy.

Ms. Weber lives in West Orange now,

but she grew up in Teaneck as the Jewish community first began to root itself
there, and her familys story is to some
extent the story of those beginnings.
Her mothers familys local roots go
back three generations; Freda Druskin,
Ms. Webers mother, was born in Englewood. My grandparents, Hyman and
Esther Druskin, were among the founders
of Ahavath Torah there, Ms. Weber said.
And her parents nicknames were so
very much of their time happy postwar
America and their place the growing
green suburbs. Their official names were
Freda and Bertram, but everyone knew
them always as Booboo and Buddy, Ms.
Weber said.
Buddy Unger was in the U.S. Navy during World War II, stationed in Hawaii.
Even then, he was talented at making and
fixing things. He worked on airplane
engines, his daughter said.
Booboo and Buddy Unger moved to Bergenfield after their wedding at Ahavath
Torah and then, in 1954, they moved to
Teaneck, where they would stay for about
a quarter of a century before downsizing
to Hackensack and then decamping to
Florida for another 30 years.
The Ungers had three children Barry,
See chanukiyah page 31

Jewish Standard DECEMBER 4, 2015 29

Cover Story

On Chanukah, just let the lights go out

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LOS ANGELES Theres a popular

Chanukah song recorded by Peter,
Paul and Mary, Light One Candle.
Its chorus insists we dont let the
light go out but Ive been thinking that maybe we should.
Not that I want to leave all those
Maccabee children stumbling in
the dark on cold December nights,
or abandon them without an image
of light and hope to plug into. But
sometimes, letting the light go out
kindles an altogether different kind
of luminance, and in that unearthly
light we can examine the moments
of our lives that we hold dear.
So my urging that we watch the
light go out is a literal one while
we love to bask in the glow of our
menorahs, what really is illuminating is watching the candles go out.

The fire of my
imagination
lights up as
their wicks
burn down.

Happy Hanukkah
Wishing you love and joy
during the Festival of Lights

30 Jewish Standard DECEMBER 4, 2015

N5110955B.indd 1

11/17/15 3:13 PM

Watching them burn out, one by

one, makes me think about how
remarkable it is to kindle light.
In a time when LED menorah
decorations are plentiful and we can
use an app to light the candles on
our smartphones, please give me
little blue, yellow, red, and white
candles. The fire of my imagination
lights up as their wicks burn down.
One Chanukah after our family menorah was lit, the blessings
chanted, the songs sung, the gifts
opened everyone trudged upstairs
to watch TV. I stayed downstairs
alone and watched the menorah
burn low. Though the communal
and commercial push on Chanukah is toward shopping mall candle
lightings, house parties, and group
crafts for kids, I wanted to see if
the holiday also could be quiet and
contemplative.
Im not talking silent night here
thats that other holiday but a
real chance to take in the play of
shadow and light and to contemplate what Chanukah means.
The Jewish life cycle, from bris or
baby naming to funeral and shiva,
leaves little time for individual
reflection. Judaism calls for a group,
a minyan, to experience much of
what it offers. Even on Yom Kippur,

Flickr Commons

Edmon J. Rodman

we do not confess our sins alone,

but together as community.
So I admit that sitting alone and
watching the candles burn down
seemed a little downbeat and weird
at first.
But the traditional prayer
Hanerot Halalu (These Lights)
which reminds us, as we look
upon the candles, to thank and
praise God for the wondrous miracle of our deliverance helped
me see this solo experience in a different, well, light. While watching
the flames, I finally connected with
the words of the prayer, realizing
that after eight nights of parties and
presents (as well as latkes, sufganiyot, and black cherry soda), I felt
miraculously delivered, like I was a
Maccabee who emerged victorious
from the combat zones of holiday
shopping.
Casting a shadow on my reverie,
however, was the Chanukah Meditation in my Sim Shalom prayer
book. It suggested that in the last
glimmer of spiraling flame, I should
be able to see the spark of Maccabees, martyrs, men and women of
valor.
Try as I might, staring at the candles burning down, all I could make
out were colorful driblets of wax.
I wondered: Was there some
other message?
Flames reach out at us from
almost every part of Judaism. Looking into our menorahs, they can
draw us into a light of memory, like
a yahrzeit candle lit at the anniversary of a loved ones death. Flames
also light us up with celebration
think of illuminating the candles of
Shabbat or setting bonfires on Lag
BOmer.
In the window of my dining room,
another candle connection was
burning up right before me. The
shamash, the candle used to light
all the others on the menorah, was
burning out first, making me ask:

Who had been my shamash? A basketball coach, a college lecturer, the

rabbi where I grew up, a kid from
Scouts and, to a well-earned round
of applause, my parents, all took
their turns in the candle light. In
turn, they had showed me how to
move my feet, write, parse Torah
commentary, cook, and strive
toward menschhood.
In the Sefer Yetzirah, the Book
of Creation, the earliest foundation
text of Kabbalah, there is a passage
about a flame in a burning coal.
Aryeh Kaplan, an Orthodox rabbi
who was known for his knowledge
of physics and Kabbalah, wrote that
it can be used as a meditation. In his
book Sefer Yetzirah: The Book of
Creation in Theory and Practice,
various parts of the flame correspond to the Sephirot, or attributes
through which Ein Sof the infinite is revealed.
In Kaplans meditation, the wick
represents the physical world. The
blue flame closest to the wick is
the counterpart of malchut,or
kingdom, which is our perceptions
of Gods actions and attributes.
Surrounding this is the bright yellow flame, which corresponds to
the sephirot of kindness, strength,
beauty, victory, splendor, and
foundation.
The hottest part, the white flame,
is the sephira of binah, or understanding, with the light radiating
from the candle, corresponding to
chochmah, or wisdom.
The only way in which the flame
can rise is for all of these parts to
come together, Kaplan wrote.
And rise they did, growing
brighter first, and then sputtering
out, one by one, but leaving me
JTA Wire Service
with a glow.
Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist
who writes on Jewish life from Los
Angeles. You can reach him at
edmojace@gmail.com.

Cover Story
Chanukiyah

Flickr Commons

from page 29

Carol, and then Robin. The family joined

the Jewish Center of Teaneck. My brother
had his bar mitzvah there my sister and I
didnt have bat mitzvahs and we all went
to Sunday school there, Ms. Weber said.
We all went to youth group there. It was a
big part of our life.
True to form, her fathers skills were in
demand at the familys new shul. Theyd
call him all the time. He could repair anything, and he was more than happy to do
it, Ms. Weber said. And his work there was
not confined to appliance repair or electrical intervention. My father was always the
one on the entertainment committees for
the dinner dances, creating decorations
and coming up with themes, she added.
He was probably the first person in the
world to have a theme party.
The one I remember the most was a
Hollywood theme party. It was a dinner
dance, a fundraiser, and he got himself a
gorilla costume. At some time during the
event, he got behind the big drapes in
front of the huge windows in the social
hall, and he leaped out from behind the

drapes as King Kong.

Given his proprietorial interest in the
Teaneck Jewish Center, as well as his talents, what happened next seems logical.
Some time in the mid 70s probably
before 1976 around this time of year, holiday time, he was driving home from work
and looking at all the Christmas lights. We
all thought they were so pretty. And something came over him that one day, and he
thought, Why arent there any Chanukah
lights?
I was away at college, and unbeknownst to me, he went down to the basement and built that menorah, and then he
placed it on the roof.
Shes not even sure if he made the
menorah as one piece, made a few pieces
and assembled them in the basement,
or combined them on the roof. Shes not
sure what its made of although I know
its not copper because it hasnt turned
green. She knows that her parents didnt
talk about it much my first cousin and
my aunt, who were at the house all the
time then, didnt even really know about
it, she said. A lot of my other relatives
said they didnt know much either. It was

In 1946, Booboo and Buddy got married at Ahavath Torah in Englewood.

just something that my dad did, and didnt

make a big deal about.
My parents were sort of private people. They had a lot of friends, but they
didnt brag.
On December 14, 1983, a handwritten,
xeroxed letter invited the congregation
to dedicate a plaque to Buddy Unger; Ms.

Weber still has a copy of the letter, and the

plaque still hangs underneath the menorah,
facing out to the shuls parking lot, today.
Her mother, Booboo Unger, died in
1986, Ms. Weber reported, and Buddy
Unger died this year, on July 4. The menorah he installed on the roof of the Jewish
Center of Teaneck still stands.

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Beer and wine divide

but olives can unite

FREE
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Dr. Jon Greenberg likes his Chanukah

menorah as much as anyone.
He can tell you why the olive, and its
burning oil, makes a perfect unifying
symbol for the Jewish people after the
victory of the Maccabees.
But as a scientist and scholar who uses
the tools of botany and ethnobotany to
understand Judaism, a hint of wistfulness seems to enter his voice when he
describes a Chanukah practice described
in the Book of Maccabees, a practice that
never caught on but did use five kinds
of plants.
The Book of Maccabees isnt part of the
Tanach, the Jewish Bible. But it was preserved by Christians, who kept it in their
scripture. It doesnt tell the story of miraculous eight days of flame from one days
worth of oil. (Thats from the Talmud,
which was later.) Instead, it explains that
because the Maccabees who were fighting against the Greeks were hiding out in
caves and mountains, they were unable
to celebrate Sukkot. After they captured
and reconsecrated the Temple in Jerusalem, they wanted to make up for the
Sukkot they missed, Dr. Greenberg said.
It was meant to be a do-over.
That eight-day celebration reenacting the seven days of Sukkot and
the eighth day of Shmini Atzeret was
repeated in subsequent years and
became Chanukah. In that first year, the
Maccabees took the four plant species
of the Sukkot holiday the lulav, the
willow, the myrtle, and the etrog and
wrapped them in a fifth species, an ivy,

probably because it was the symbol of

victory in Greek culture.
Apparently it didnt catch on, Dr.
Greenberg said.
As to why the olive reflects unity in
Jewish culture first a word about the
topic of his program, set for 8:30 p.m.
on Saturday night at Teanecks Congregation Rinat Yisrael: The Culture War
That Shaped Jewish History. The Rinat
Yisrael talk is only for those 21 or older.
Reservations are required for the evening, which costs $15, but there is limited drop-in availability on a first-come,
first-serve basis according to one of the
events organizers.
The culture war that Dr. Greenberg
will speak about is between wine and
beer. It goes back to the origins of beer.
Theres a lot of evidence now that
beer-making preceded agriculture, Dr.
Greenberg said. It may have been one
of the driving forces of civilization, of settling into towns.
The theory goes like this. Before people grew crops on their own, they collected wild seeds to eat. They would
cook some of them, and they would
make a soup out of the leftovers. It
was a gruel made of wild grasses, Dr.
Greenberg said.
People discovered that if the gruel was
thick, like a porridge, they could put it
back in the fire and get bread, which was
a good thing
If it was thin, the soup would ferment
and become beer, which, by some measures, was an even better thing.
This led people to collect and store
more grain. And then eventually they

Breakfast

Cover Story

THIS SUNDAY!

CHAYAH & YOEL FULD

I N V I T E YO U F O R A

TO B E N E F I T T H E L I F E S AV I N G WO R K O F

realized what it meant when some of

the stored grain would sprout. They
could plant the sprouts and grow more
grain. Voila! Agriculture, and beer to
toast it with.
In the cities of Egypt and Mesopotamia, Dr. Greenberg said, the fermented
beer became a point of cultural pride
and a part of their religion. In Egypt,
there was a goddess associated with
beer, he said.
The beer was weak. Sometimes it
was stained red with pomegranate juice
for ritual use. But it was not portable.
Nomads couldnt take beer with them
on their travels, because their jugs and
jars would kill the carbonation. The fizz
would be gone.
Instead, nomads rejoiced when wine
was discovered. Wine also provided
alcohol and nutrients, and it could be
carried from place to place. Archaeologists have found little figurines of camels
carrying amphorae of wine, Dr. Greenberg said.
In time, the different beverages symbolized the differences between the settled and nomadic cultures, and became
associated with differences in religion,
he said. Jews to this day prefer wine to
beer for kiddush or havdalah, he said.
Which brings Dr. Greenberg to the
Joseph story, and this weeks Torah
portion.
Theres some evidence that Egypt
was conquered by the Hyksos, who
came from the north shortly before
Joseph arrived, he said. The Hyksos
had connections to the Greeks. They
were wine drinkers.
Would the new rulers respect the local
culture and become beer drinkers? Or
would wine become the new elite beverage for Egypt?
While this debate was going on,
apparently quite a few Egyptians were
kept in the civil service, Dr. Greenberg
said. The first thing the Torah tells us
about Potiphar is that he was ish mitzri,
an Egyptian man. In other words,
an Egyptian in a Hyksos occupation
government.
In Dr. Greenbergs telling, the wine

steward and the baker whose dreams

Joseph interpreted in prison were victims of the rulers impatience with the
culture wars. The wine steward also
translated as butler represented wine.
And the baker, in this telling, stood in for
beer, which at this stage in the evolution
of brewing technology was formed not
from porridge but from soaked bread.
Each had a dream. Joseph sort of
wanders into the middle of this. Eventually you have this wine-drinking culture
getting close to Pharaoh, and the wine
steward is restored and the baker killed,
he said.
Later on, he said, the rules of Passover can be seen as rejecting Egyptian
culture. Egypt baked fancy bread and
brewed from leaven; bread and leaven
were banned on Passover. Egyptians
worshipped a ram god; Passover called
for a lamb to be roasted.
It had to be cooked directly over the
fire, the most primitive method, he
said. As if we were saying to Egypt, We
dont care that you have the most sophisticated methods of cuisine, were going
back to primitive means of making bread
and cooking meat.
With this understanding of how food
can separate cultures from each other,
we can return to the unifying aspect of
the olive on Jewish culture.
For its size, Israel is the most ecologically diverse country in the world,
Dr. Greenberg said. It has deserts, forests, mountains, until the 1930s it had
swamps with crocodiles. But if you grow
olive trees in Israel, your olive trees will
flower within two weeks of everyone
elses. Your olives will be ready to harvest within two weeks of everyone elses
throughout the country.
Thus, the olive tree became a symbol
of national unity.
After the Maccabean revolt, which was
in large measure a civil war, there was
a need for the reunification of the Jewish people, he said. There was a winner and a loser and they had to reconcile
somehow. The olive oil appealed to people in a way that the ivy-wrapped four
species didnt.

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Jewish Standard DECEMBER 4, 2015 33

Jewish World
Many of our merchants throughout the Cedar Lane
Business District are collecting for the U.S. Marines

Conservative movement
profiles its practices

Toys for Tots Program

Donations of new unwrapped toys can be made at:

Marine Collection Day
The marines will be accepting direct donations at a tent in the
Pedestrian Plaza on Saturday, December 19th from 1-4pm.
Special Guest Santa will be there to see the children.
In-Store Drop-off
Bring your donation to any of our participating stores until December 16th.
Over 25 Cedar Lane Merchants will be available to collect for the program.
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Hair Master West
Int'l Beauty Supply / Salon
J & J Pharmacy/Liquors

Survey shows shuls spend more on operations

than they do on outreach efforts to youths

onservative Jewish synagogues

are focused more on operations than youth engagement,
and they are more than twice
as likely to have a cantor than an associate rabbi, a new survey of synagogue
staffing found.
About 50 percent of Conservative synagogues employ a youth director, but in
only about 12 percent is that a full-time
position, according to a survey of Conservative shuls conducted by the United
Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
While about 54 percent of Conservative
synagogues have a cantor 37 percent
of them full time fewer than 25 percent
have assistant or associate rabbis, and
only 18 percent have a full-time associate rabbi.
The most common position in Conservative synagogues is rabbi; about 93
percent of synagogues have one. That
is followed by custodian (70 percent),
administrative assistant (66 percent),
bookkeeper (about 65 percent), executive director (61 percent), education
director (59 percent) and cantor (54 percent), according to the survey.
When only full-time employees are
counted, 85 percent of Conservative
synagogues have a rabbi, 56 percent
have an executive director, 46 percent
have an administrative assistant, 43 percent have a custodian, 38 percent have
an education director, 37 percent have
a cantor, 35 percent have an early childhood director and about 34 percent have
a bookkeeper.
The survey relied on data provided
by 331 of United Synagogues 580 member synagogues in the United States and
Canada. The findings were presented at
the umbrella organizations recent conference in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Staffing tends to lead toward operations, not engagement, said Ray Goldstein, USCJs kehilla relationship team
leader. (Kehilla, Hebrew for community, is the organizations preferred
term for synagogue.)
When a synagogue comes into
money, they hire an executive director before they hire an assistant rabbi,
Goldstein said. The data does not support that our kehillot are putting money

Rabbi Steven Wernick, CEO of the

United Synagogue of Conservative
Judaism, speaks at the groups conference in Schaumburg, Illinois, on
November 15. 
USCJ

into hiring youth directors.

The survey, which was led by Goldstein and Barry Mael, United Synagogues director of kehilla administration and finance, also found that despite
much talk in the movement about creating new kinds of positions to address
the movements changing needs, none
of those innovative positions have taken
hold in any meaningful way.
Not surprisingly, the synagogues least
likely to have a rabbi are those that are
smallest: Only 23 percent of those with
fewer than 100 members have a fulltime rabbi, compared to 80 percent of
those with 100 to 199 members. Associate rabbis mostly appear in synagogues
with more than 450 members, while
executive directors show up among synagogues in the 100- to 199-member category or above. 
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With Israeli-EU relations strained,

Netanyahu looks toward Asia

Sunday, December 13 11 AM
Ask for Stuart

Ben Sales
JERUSALEM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, sat kiddy-corner
in armchairs at this weeks international
climate summit near Paris, talking and
laughing.
We have the best of relations, and they
can be made even better, Netanyahu told
Modi at the meeting.
To which Modi responded, I am happy
that often we can talk easily on the telephone. We can discuss everything.
A brief encounter between Netanyahu
and European Union foreign policy envoy
Federica Mogherini was far frostier. Mogherini approached Netanyahu in the hallway, and they shared little more than a
handshake.
The contrast reflects an Israeli warming to the East, just as its relations with
Europe have cooled amid disagreements
over the peace process and Irans nuclear
program. In recent years, trade between
Israel and Asia has shot up, while Israel
and Asian powers have made diplomatic
overtures toward each other. And even as
Israels strongest diplomatic ties remain
with the West, there are signs of a pivot
eastward.
Israel is considering an eastern option
if things dont go the right way with
Europe and the United States, Alon Liel,
a former director-general of Israels Foreign Ministry, said. In the last year and
a half, there wasnt a peace process, and
in Europe there was disappointment that
there wasnt a peace process.
Israel has had amicable relations with
Europe, ranging from defense cooperation to economics, for a long time.
Today, the European Union collectively
is Israels biggest export destination, and
Israel competes in such European athletic and cultural competitions as soccer
tournaments and the Eurovision musical
competition.
The ties also are historical. Israel was
founded on the European model of a
democratic nation-state. Many of Israels

citizens are of European descent.

Recently, however those ties have deteriorated. Israel almost withdrew from
the EUs Horizon 2020 program, which
funds scientific research and innovation,
because of a disagreement about funding
projects in West Bank settlements. And it
bristled at a French proposal this year to
have the United Nations Security Council
oversee Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
European-Israeli relations are at a low
point now over recently released EU
guidelines to label goods produced in
Israeli settlements. Israel has lambasted
the guidelines as approaching a boycott. In response, Israels Foreign Ministry has cut off all coordination with EU
institutions on issues related to the peace
process.
We regret that the EU has chosen, for
political reasons, to take such an exceptional and discriminatory step, inspired
by the boycott movement, read a Foreign
Ministry statement on the labeling guidelines. This recent step raises questions
regarding the role that the EU aspires to
play.
Israeli relations with Asia, meanwhile,
have been on the upswing. Israeli exports
to Asian countries tripled between 2004
and 2014, totaling $16.7 billion last year
one-fifth of Israels total exports. Last
year, Asia surpassed the United States as
Israels second-biggest export destination
behind Europe.
Meanwhile, Japan didnt sell its cars in
Israel until the 1990s in order to avoid a
boycott in the Arab world. But last year,
trade between Japan and Israel rose
nearly 10 percent, to $1.75 billion. Israel
increased government grants for joint
Israeli-Japanese research by 50 percent
this year. Netanyahu also met with Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe in Paris this
week.
Israel and China, which established
formal relations only in 1992, are working on a free-trade agreement, and Netanyahu created an Israel-China task force

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Jewish Standard DECEMBER 4, 2015 35

Jewish World
FIRST PERSON

Letter from Amsterdam

Why I hired a Belgian butcher to circumcise my son
Cnaan Liphshiz
AMSTERDAM They warn you that parenting means doing a
bunch of stuff you never imagined yourself doing.
I had always assumed this applied to saying to children

things like, You watch your tone of voice, young lady or,
Lets not eat things we find in our underwear.
But in my case, the moment came before my son was
even born, when I found myself begging a Belgian kosher
slaughterer, or shochet, to come to the Netherlands and

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circumcise him.
In my native Israel or the United States, securing the
services of a ritual circumciser, or mohel, is as easy as
picking up the phone. But in the Netherlands, where
Jews have lived since the 12th century, it can be an
ordeal involving international travel, community politics, Holocaust-era trauma and unexpected objections
by close family members.
Negotiating these hurdles helped me to fully understand the fears, long expressed by community leaders,
that the dearth of religious services pose a long-term
threat to communal survival. Indeed, the Conference of
European Rabbis last month set up a think tank charged
with bettering circumcision and kosher food services to
small communities, calling the lack thereof a major
concern.
On paper, I shouldnt have had any problems. Circumcision, which was last outlawed here by the Nazis,
is perfectly legal in the Netherlands, which has about
40,000 Jews. The countrys Orthodox Jewish communities keep a list of about five mohels, plus a number of
Reform physicians who perform circumcisions for their
congregants.
But in a country where 50 percent of Jews dont circumcise their sons, the Reform physicians have much
less practical experience with the body part in question.
Unimpressed by fancy titles, my wife and I preferred a

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humble mohel with thousands of foreskins under his

belt to a celebrated professor with many diplomas but
far fewer penile notches on his.
That proved difficult to find. The Dutch one recommended to us had about 1,500 on his meter but had
to be flown in at our expense from Israel, where he
moved some years ago. So we widened the search to
Belgium, where about half the countrys 40,000 Jews
are Orthodox.
There we finally found our guy.
He really knows his meat, said one of the many people who recommended the shochet to us.
Widely considered one of the best mohels in the
region, the shochet accepted in principle. But he needed
special permission from the Dutch Jewish community for
poaching on their turf the result of recent administrative problems that arose just a few months ago.
I need it because I dont want to get in trouble with
your people, the shochet said.
Which is when I started begging.
Ultimately, the shochet agreed to circumcise our
son if we cut through the red tape for him. I got on the
phone, hoping train traffic would not be interrupted
because of the current terrorist threat in Belgium.
The shochet, a hulking and patient rabbi from Antwerp, arrived on our doorstep on Sunday, a few days
after the babys eighth day, when the ritual is traditionally performed. The bris went off without a hitch, but
for a brief moment when the shochet held up the boy
briskly to test his strength.
Hes handling him like a chicken! an aunt from
Brussels exclaimed.
The search left me with many unanswered questions.

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33rd A

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Jewish World
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Facebook.

Cnaan Liphshiz and Iris Tzur prepare for their

sons bris in Amsterdam on November 19.
CoURteSy oF lipHSHiz

How could Judaisms initiation rite be such an ordeal

in a country with a Jewish community that dates back
more than 800 years? Are these difficulties the cause or
the effect of the fact that only half of Dutch Jews circumcise their children, according to a 2009 survey?
Part of the complication, according to Bart Wallet, a
historian from the University of Amsterdam who specializes in Dutch Jewry, is the system in which Jews pay
annual membership fees (it can reach more than $1,000
per year) in exchange for religious services. Only 20 percent of Dutch Jews are paying members of a Dutch Jewish community, according to Wallet. With Dutch congregations straining to finance Jewish communal life here,
theres little reason to make it easy for people like me,
who eschew membership and consume religious services a la carte.
But as with many things in Dutch Jewish life, ultimately it all goes back to the Holocaust. Prior to the
war, the Netherlands had 140,000 Jews spread across
the country and several traveling mohels servicing farflung congregations, according to Wallet. After the war,
in which 75 percent of Dutch Jews were murdered, the
practice fell off.
Jewish life, including circumcision, never fully
restored here, Wallet said. Many Dutch Jews skipped
the circumcision as a lesson from the past, when
their relatives could be identified by taking off their
underwear.
For my Amsterdam-born wife, the Holocaust consideration is a distant second to her main issue with
circumcision, namely that it involves causing pain for
symbolic reasons. She regards it as a necessary evil
necessary only because of my insistence on it.
Some of our relatives here are less resigned. One
called me to appeal our decision, citing the main argument used by the European liberals that it supposedly violates childrens rights. This was the grounds
on which a German court enacted a temporary ban on
circumcision in 2012, which inspired similar moves in
nearby countries. Since circumcision has no real medical benefits, my relative argued, it was not my decision
to make.
At our sons bris, Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs
made a short speech in which he raised this argument
in acknowledging what he called the attack on circumcision in Europe.
You dont ask the baby whether they want to be
born, either, but we have them to continue our legacy,
Jacobs countered.
As for me, I told the relative (who was circumcised)
that circumcision comes down to tribalism.
I respect that, he replied, but cant you just give
him a T-shirt or something instead?

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Jewish standard deCeMBer 4, 2015 37

Jewish World

With a little planning

you can leave a gift that strengthens the Jewish
community, continues the work you believe in, and

Western Wall rabbi

ordered to let women
into candle-lighting

makes a lasting impression on the ones you love most.

Lets talk!
The coffee is on me.
Robin Rochlin, Managing Director,
Endowment Foundation, 201.820.3970

The staff of the

Jewish Standard
wishes its readers

Jewish Federation

a very happy

ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION

Chanukah!

OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY

Just because youre too far to

hear the ambulance sirens,
doesnt mean youre too far to help.

When you support Magen David Adom, its like youre sitting in the ambulance next to the driver,
sharing in the mitzvah of saving lives. As Israelis face terror attacks and other emergencies, MDA
medics are counting on you to ensure they have the equipment and training they need.

As we celebrate Chanukah, please give the gift of life, and make your year-end
tax-deductible donation today.
AFMDA Northeast Region
352 Seventh Avenue, Suite 400
New York, NY 10001
Toll-Free 866.632.2763 northeast@afmda.org
www.afmda.org

JeRUSaleM The attorney generals office in Israel

has ordered the rabbi of the Western Wall to include
women in the annual national candle-lighting ceremony for Chanukah.
Preventing women from participating in national
ceremonies is wrongful discrimination and we request
that you ensure this fact is not taken for granted and
that steps are being taken to include women in the
national candle-lighting ceremony on this coming
Chanukah at the Western Wall, Assistant Attorney
General Dana Zilber wrote Monday in a letter to Rabbi
Shmuel Rabinowitz, administrator of the Western Wall
and Holy Places.
The letter came in response to a campaign by the
Women of the Wall, which claimed the state-sponsored exclusion of women from the national Chanukah ceremony at the Western Wall, or Kotel, is discrimination and a violation of government regulations
banning discrimination in the public sphere.
It is almost graphic how Women of the Wall were
the match that ignited the flame on the first candle
to ever be lit by a woman at the national Chanukah
ceremony at the Kotel, Anat Hoffman, Women of the
Walls chair, said in a statement. Whatever woman
is chosen for this great honor, she is standing on the
shoulders of Women of the Wall who struggled for 27
years to achieve freedom for women at the Western
Wall. It is clear to me that one candle dispels a whole
lot of darkness but no amount of darkness can extinguish that candle.
In a response to reports about the attorney generals
decision, Rabinowitz noted that a month ago, he had
invited female government ministers Gila Gamliel and
Miri Regev to the national ceremony.
To my regret, they are exploiting my wish to bring
peace to the Kotel to undermine and harm the delicate balance, Rabinowitz said in a statement sent to
journalists on Tuesday. I will continue in every way
to find a bridge even in the face of those who would
sabotage this from all sides. To that end, the idea of
setting up an Ezrat Israel would provide an answer
to all demands and is the way to a solution to all of the
demands.
Ezrat Israel refers to the egalitarian section set up at
Robinsons Arch, next to the Western Wall Plaza.
We cannot solve one problem only to spark a fire
(which is already burning) on the other hand, Rabinowitz said.
Last year, Rabinowitz denied a request by Women
of the Wall to hold a Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony in the womens section of the holy site, saying the menorah lit on the mens side can be seen by
all. Instead, the women brought 28 menorahs into the
womens section and lit Chanukah candles, though
several others were confiscated by guards at the site
who said they were operating on Rabinowitzs orders.
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38 Jewish standard deCeMBer 4, 2015

Jewish World

Explaining the scandals

Shelly Silver faces jail
as Willie Rapfogel is
headed to work release
Uriel Heilman

he two men used to share the same synagogue pew. Ones wife was the others
chief of staff. Now both share an ignoble
distinction: guilty of accepting millions
through illegal kickback schemes.
There is one thing Sheldon Silver and William Rapfogel wont share, however: a jail cell.
Within the space of less than a week, Silver, the
former New York Assembly speaker, was found guilty
on seven counts of corruption charges, while his
old pal Rapfogel, the disgraced former CEO of New
Yorks Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, was
released from prison.
On Monday, a jury found Silver, 71, guilty of honest
services fraud, extortion, and money laundering for
obtaining nearly $4 million in kickbacks in exchange
for using his position to benefit a cancer researcher
and two real estate developers. Each of the seven
charges carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in
prison.
In April 2014, Rapfogel, now 60, pleaded guilty
to stealing $9 million from the taxpayer-funded Met
Council, including more than $1 million for himself,
in a grand larceny and kickback scheme spanning
two decades.
Sentenced in July 2014 to 3 1/3 to 10 years in prison
and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution, Rapfogel was transferred last week to a minimum-security work release prison in Manhattan, across the
street from Central Park. By next week, Rapfogel
will be allowed to leave during the day to go to work,
according to a prison spokesman cited by the New
York Daily News. The ex-charity head reportedly was
offered a job at a real estate company.
Silver, who for decades has been one of the states
three most powerful politicians along with the governor and the State Senate majority leader also was
one of New Yorks most visible Orthodox Jews. Rapfogel, who unlike Silver always wore his kippah, was
another.
Rapfogels wife, Judy, was Silvers chief of staff.
After her husband was arrested, Judy Rapfogel
claimed that she had no knowledge of her husbands
criminal malfeasance, and she remained on Silvers
staff.
The arrests of Silver and Rapfogel both sent shock
waves through New Yorks Jewish establishment,
where the two were well known and generally highly
regarded. Silver received an honorary degree from
Yeshiva University, where he earned his bachelors
degree in 1965. He also had been honored by Jewish federations, was feted by the Council of Jewish
Organizations, and had been a mainstay of New York
legislative missions to Israel.
Rapfogels scheme devastated the Met Council,
and along with the collapse a year ago of the Jewish social service agency FEGS it raised questions
about UJA-Federation of New Yorks oversight of its
main network agencies. But Silvers guilty verdict will
reverberate far beyond the Jewish community.
Silver had been in the Assembly for nearly 40

capital for his dark suits, heavy jowls,

years. He was arrested in January, and
deep baritone, laconic speech, and hard
resigned as speaker early the following
stares.
month, though he maintained his seat.
But Silvers personal and professional
The verdict already is being seen as the
lives were deeply intertwined illelatest of many indictments of the political culture in Albany, the states notorigally so, according to the guilty verdict
ously corrupt capital. The verdict also
reached on Monday. Silver had two real
means that Silver must resign his Assemestate development firms, Glenwood
bly seat.
Management and the Witkoff Group,
In the close-knit Orthodox commumove tax business to a law firm, Goldnity on Manhattans Lower East Side, the
berg & Iryami, that secretly paid fees to
ignominious fates of the two men known
Silver, who in exchange supported rent
affectionately as Shelly and Willie also
legislation championed by Glenwood
are felt as a personal blow. Silver and
and met with lobbyists for the company.
Former New York Assembly
Rapfogel were among the most promiBy deliberately keeping secret from
Speaker Sheldon Silver arrives
nent members of their Orthodox shul,
the public any information about this
at the federal courthouse in
the Bialystoker Synagogue, and they
lucrative side-deal, prosecutors said,
Manhattan on November 24. 
often sat together in the sanctuary on
Silver broke the law.

Seth Wenig/AP Images
Shabbat morning. Rapfogel wore a knit
He also steered two grants from
yarmulke and always had a ready smile.
the state Health Department totaling
Silver, who wore a black skullcap atop his salt-and-pepper
$500,000 to Dr. Robert Taub of Columbia University for
hair, was quieter, and in recent years had taken to going to
mesothelioma research, while Taub sent mesothelioma
the no-frills early minyan on Shabbat mornings.
patients to Silvers personal injury law firm Weitz & Luxenberg. Silvers lawyers maintained there was no quid pro quo,
Until a few years ago, on Sunday mornings Silver could be
but the jury determined otherwise.
found on the basketball court at a local Jewish community
In all, Silver netted nearly $4 million from his illegal
building, the Educational Alliance, where insiders remember him having a nice shot. On the hardwood, Silver cut a
schemes, prosecutors said.
JTA Wire Service
very different figure from the man better known in the state

Join our warm congregation for a

CHANUKAH
CELEBRATION
December 7th 6:30 at the Synagogue.

Gifted Pianist Zhanna Rubinshteyn

will serenade us with Chanukah music,
Tango music, Broadway favorites ,
Jewish and Russian selections.
Refreshments will be served.
Tickets $20 per person.
Please call Synagogue by December 4th
to reserve your tickets.

THE NEW SYNAGOGUE OF FORT LEE

1585 Center Avenue, Fort Lee, NJ

201-947-1555
Jewish Standard DECEMBER 4, 2015 39

Gallery
2

n 1 The Kids in Action group at the Chabad Center of Passaic

County in Wayne enjoyed a Chanukah Fun Day. Participants
brought gifts to be donated to the less fortunate and also
made menorahs and squeezed olives in a press.

n 5 Yitzchok Cohen, left, was honored by the Jewish Center of

Teaneck with the Lev Tov award and a gift, a megillah holder.
Synagogue president Isaac Student made the presentation at the
Lev Tov breakfast. NECHAMA STUDENT

COURTESY CHABAD

n 2 The Kaplen JCCs Thurnauer School of Music sponsored a

concert with virtuoso Chase Park at River Vales Jewish Home
Assisted Living. Chase, a senior at Northern Valley High
School in Demarest, began his musical training at Thurnauer
when he was 4. The concert was sponsored by Berit and
Marty Bernstein. COURTESY JHAL
n 3 and 4 Recent Norpac gatherings - 3 Congressman Eliot
Engel (D-N.Y.) with Miriam and Allen Pfeiffer. Representative
Engel will run for re-election in 2016. 4 Daniel Straus, left,
Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Dr. Ben Chouake at a
recent Fort Lee event, hosted by Mr. Straus.
PHOTOS COURTESY NORPAC

40 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

n 6 At Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley, Cantor Alan

Sokoloff made pickles with the Zayin religious school class.
COURTESY TEPV

n 7 Bob and Helen Levine flank Shani Abrams Simkovitz and

Racheli Fraenkel during a Jewish National Fund presidents
mission. The mission was to include a visit to Gush Etzion which
was canceled because of the situation in Israel. Instead, Gush
representatives spoke to the group. Ms. Simkovitz heads the Gush
Etzion Foundation and Ms. Fraenkel is the mother of the late
Naftali Fraenkel, who was kidnapped and murdered last year in
Israel along with two friends. COURTESY JNF
n 8 As an expression of thanks and appreciation, Yeshivat Noam
students are writing and sending letters to soldiers in Israel to
thank them for defending the country. COURTESY YESHIVAT NOAM

The Kaplen JCC

on the Palisades
Hosts Sensational
Big Night Out
CeleBraTInG sTrOnG wOMen,
sTrOnG COMMunITy

Tenafly, new Jersey: Several hundred people

gathered at the Museum of Jewish Heritage
on Saturday, November 14, to celebrate Big
Night Out, where three extraordinary women
Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Gayle Gerstein and Eva
Rubach were honored by the Kaplen JCC on the
Palisades for their instrumental roles as strong
women with far-reaching impact on the local and
global Jewish community.

Guests congregated in the museums vibrant

setting, which celebrates Jewish life and
traditions worldwide, and were greeted by
gifted young violinists from the JCC Thurnauer
School of Music. They then attended an elegant
dinner reception, where they dined, socialized
and toasted the evening honorees, who were
recognized in a moving awards ceremony led by
Jen Maxfield, weeknight reporter for NBC 4 New
York, who served as the Master of Ceremonies. A
special highlight of the evening was a sensational
guest performance by Grammy Award-winning
artist Miri Ben-Ari Israeli-born violinist, who at
age 12 was gifted with a violin by Isaac Stern and
has gone on to an illustrious career where she
has been named one of the ten most influential
Israelis in America.

Strong women who possess the courage and

conviction to change the world inspire us and we
are grateful to recognize three such incredible
and passionate women with honor and pride
tonight, says JCC CEO Jordan Shenker. I also
want to recognize everyone who supported the
evening, as proceeds will provide life skills for
children and young adults with special needs,
meals and an engaging environment for hundreds
of seniors; and scholarships to Early Childhood
families facing financial difficulty. This is a big
night out for everyone involved!
The honorees were recognized for their gifts as
strong women, building strong community.
Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a Board-certified
Ob-Gyn, is the countrys leading voice on
womens health. As co-host of the Emmy
award-winning medical TV show, The Doctors,
and Senior Medical Contributor and Chief
Womens Health Correspondent for ABC News
Good Morning America/World News Tonight,
Ashton is a role model for women everywhere.
Gayle Gerstein, who serves on the JCC Board of
Trustees, demonstrates her strength as a strong
woman and strong community builder in her
enormous dedication to her local community
and the Jewish world at large. She is currently
serving her 4th term as councilwoman in Alpine,
where she also serves as Fire Commissioner and
a member of the Education Foundation. She is

also on the Board of Trustees at UJA Federation

& Englewood Hospital and Medical Center; and
is about to assume the presidency of the Jewish
Home at Rockleigh.
Eva Rubach, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor,
escaped to the US with her family during the
Hungarian Revolution in 1957. Familiar with
hardship and inspired by her Jewish roots and
values, Eva became a passionate philanthropist
and displays her strength as a strong woman in
her lifelong commitment to social justice and
to Jewish life and learning. Eva and her family
are generous, philanthropic supporters of the
JCC, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center,
the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Mount Sinai
Hospital in Florida and the Aventura Jewish
Center in Florida.
The evening ended with dessert, where guests
celebrated the JCC as a pinnacle for Jewish life
and culture. For more information on how to
support the JCC and its programming, please
call Sharon Potolsky at 201.408.1405 or or
spotolsky@jccotp.org.

TOP lefT Honorees Eva Rubach (L) and Gayle Gerstein (rt) with JCC President JoJo Rubach
TOP rIGHT Jordan Shenker (JCC CEO), Jen Maxfield, Jennifer Damashek (Event Chair), Debra

Hirschberg (Event Chair) Miri Ben-Ari, Judy Taub Gold (Event Chair), JoJo Rubach,
Amy Zagin (Special Events Chair)
BelOw lefT Avi Montia, Amy Montia, Mel Gerstein, Gayle Gerstein (honoree), Ted Gerstein,
Chris Gerstein, Madeline Simon, Scott Simon
BelOw MIDDle Violinist from the Thurnauer School of Music performing for guests
BelOw rIGHT Bri Rubach, Jill Rubach, Jason Rubach, Leon Rubach, Eva Rubach (honoree),
JoJo Rubach, Elle Rubach, Cami Rubach

JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 41

Keeping Kosher
Boys Town cookies
for Chanukah

Cedar Market upgrades salad bar

Say hello to a beautifully upgraded salad
bar at Cedar Market,
646 Cedar Lane in
Teaneck. The onestop kosher supermarket has upped its
game once again with a
brand-new salad bar located it in its bakery section. Decorated with bright colors
from a large assortment of fresh fruits
and vegetables, the salad bar is part of

For Chanukah, Boys Town Jerusalem chef

Avi Chamal is preparing sweet, crispy
Moroccan cookies, called chebakia. According to Chamal, the cookies reflect a sweet
golden hue reminiscent of the oil in the
miraculous Chanukah flask and the 900
Boys Town Jerusalem student diners will
anxiously await this Chanukah treat!

Chebakia Cookies
in Syrup
Ingredients:
8 cups flour
6 tablespoons sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup margarine (butter if making dairy)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup beer
1 cup water, as needed
Syrup:
Combine and cook for 10 minutes:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
Juice of one lemon
2 whole cloves (or ground cloves to
taste)
Combine the dough ingredients in electric mixer. Add water till the dough is
pliable. Remove dough and let it rest.
Divide dough into circles approximately
3 ounces each. Open the circles, and use

Chef Avi Chamal holds Chebakia

cookies. The Israeli-born chef has
headed the Boys Town Jerusalem
kitchen for 14 years. COURTESY BOYS TOWN
a rolling pin to roll each piece into 1/2
thick squares, 3 in diameter. Score 4
evenly spaced slits in each dough square
using a pastry wheel with a flouted edge
or a pizza cutter. Do not cut the slits all
the way to the ends. Shape each square
into a flower by loosely slipping a fork
through the slits and twisting the dough.
Heat oil for deep-frying until it simmers.
Using a second fork, remove each dough
circle and drop it into the oil and fry till
golden, 2 or 3 minutes on each side. (Fry
several flowers at a time). Remove and
drain on paper towels. Dip each cookie
in syrup, and then in ground coconut,
candy sprinkles, or ground almonds.

Cedar Markets focus

on healthy eating and
purchasing even more
local produce. Recent
additions to Cedar
Market also include a
delicious-looking deli
counter and a daily
menu of hot soups. Coming soon? A coffee bar and a sandwich and panini station. Call (201) 855-8500.

Try this spin on latkes

Shifra Klein of Joy of Kosher Magazine
shared a few awesome recipes with latkes
with surprise insides, including pulled brisket and BBQ sauce, cheese and marinara
sauce, apples and sour cream, and salmon
and green goddess (the recipe is below).
A latke with a surprise in the middle is
a great way to update the classic Chanukah
dish, she said. Be creative, and stuff latkes
with anything you have on hand. Maybe
even use it as a way to get your kids to eat
their veggies by adding peas, broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini, or spinach. To begin, start

important to make sure that the oil is hot

enough to crisp up the potatoes but not
too hot that the potatoes will burn. Place
a heaping spoonful of latke mix into the
pan. The latkes should sizzle and crisp up
quickly. Once latke gets crisp, place filling
inside. (See one option below). Top with
another spoonful of latke mix on top of
filling and make sure that the potato mix
on top of the filling completely covers
the filling. Flip over and fry for about a
minute. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Salmon and
Green Goddess
Stuffed Latkes
The crispy potato latke, with the smooth
fresh taste of salmon makes for a great
combination. Green Goddess dressing,
a mixture of herbs and sour cream, adds
color and flavor to this impressive latke.
Favorite Latke Recipe
1 6-ounce salmon fillet thinly sliced
1 6-ounce package of baby spinach
1 cup basil
1/2 cup fresh dill, stems removed
1/2 cup fresh parsley, stems removed
1 cup sour cream or yogurt (use pareve
sour cream or soy yogurt for meat
meals)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

COURTESY CIBO

CIBO market in Newark Airport

CIBO Express Gourmet Markets, an exclusive OTG brand, opened the first-of-its-kind
kosher market in Newark Liberty International Airport near gate 139 in Terminal C. It
will feature more than 60 freshly prepared
Grab & Go items, made by Fresko, CIBOs
kosher foods partner. The freshly prepared
items, including sandwiches, salads, wraps,
dips, snacks, and more, will be delivered to
Terminal C daily.
Unique kosher snacks and sweets include
red velvet cookies, chocolate and cinnamon rugelach, and non-dairy brownies

and blondies. There also will be traditional

brand items, such as Coca-Cola and KIND
Snacks, that maintain kosher certification.
All Fresko products are certified Stark and adhere to the highest standards of
kashrut. All dairy products are certified
cholov yisroel and all breads are pas yisroel.
OTG was responsible for the 2014 transformation of Terminal C at Newark Airport,
which now includes new chef-driven restaurants, expansive food halls, gourmet
markets, and world-class retail and dutyfree shops.

42 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

with her favorite basic latke recipe below.

Basic Latke Recipe

5 Idaho potatoes
1 Spanish onion
2 eggs beaten
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons of flour (optional)
Oil for frying
Latke stuffing of choice (see below)
Grate the potatoes and onion using a
food processor or hand grater. Add eggs,
salt, and pepper to mixture. Then add
flour (optional). In a large frying pan, heat
1/2 inch oil on medium/high heat. It is

Start with your favorite latke recipe. In a

large frying pan, heat about 1/2 inch of
oil on medium/high heat. Place a heaping spoonful of latke mix into pan. Place
a slice of salmon into latke mix. Top with
another spoonful of latke mix. Flip over
and fry for one minute. Serve hot with
green goddess dressing.
To make the Green Goddess dressing:
blend spinach, basil, dill, parsley, sour
cream or yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon
juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place in
container until ready to serve.
For information on the magazines
Chanukah issue, go to www.joyofkosher.
com/subscribe.

Keeping Kosher

Raising the bar on Rothschild bubbly

JAY BUCHSBAUM
The name Rothschild is a formidable and
storied one, especially in the world of wine
even kosher wine. While their foundations
remain in the fine-wine world of Bordeaux,
decades ago the family branched out with
numerous wine projects around the world.
Their Jewish roots enticed parts of the family
to dabble in kosher wine production as well.
Among the many and varied quality kosher
wines theyve produced are several outstanding kosher wines from Bordeaux, and even a
few from Argentina. Thankfully, we may now
add premium kosher Champagne to the list.
The project began in 2005. As Philippe
Sereys de Rothschild, chairman of Baron
Philippe de Rothschild SA, and son of the
late Baroness Philippine de Rothschild (19332014), once explained to an interviewer in
Bloomberg: Quite a long time ago we were
always thinking, lets try and do a Champagne. But how do we do it? Do we buy a
little maison du champagne? Do we buy a
brand? Do we buy both? How do we do it? So
we never really went forward, until a couple
of years ago we started going in the region to
see what people were doing.
The three French winemaking branches
of the familyBaroness Philippine de

Mdoc, and added Rothschild to the

estates name.
More than a century later, in
1973, Baron Edmond de Rothschild,
great-grandson of James, bought
and renovated two lesser-known
Mdoc estates, Chteau Clarke and
Chteau Malmaison. Having long
since branched out of Bordeaux, the
Rothschilds winemaking empire is
truly global with wine estates across
North America, South America,
South Africa, Australia, and finally
now also Champagne.
However surprising it is, Philippe
Sereys de Rothschild told Bloomberg, the
Champagne region was very unknown to
us, so we sort of tiptoed in and finally spotted a place that was the closest to what we
wanted: Cave Vertus.
So the family contracted with Cave Vertus in Reims (Champagne) to make wine for
them to their rather exacting specifications.
The Rothschilds demand excellence in their
wines, and command only the very best from
their grape growers. After extensive research,
grapes were sourced from the Champagne
regions best terroirs, including Cte des
Blancs (Chardonnay) and Montagne de
Reims (Pinot Noir). The Champagne Barons

Rothschild and her son Philippe Sereys de

Rothschild of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild
(also known as Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA), Baron Eric de Rothschild of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (aka Domaines Barons de Rothschild), and Baron Benjamin
de Rothschild of Chateau Clarke (aka Compagnie Vinicole Edmond de Rothschild)
joined forces for the first time in their
history to pursue the allure of the effervescence of Champagnes wine.
The named Rothschild which is today
synonymous with fine French wine began
its winemaking journey in the 19th century. Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812),
founder of what was to become the Rothschild family banking empire, sagely decided
to extend the familys influence and further
safeguard the business by dispatching his five
sons to Frankfurt, Vienna, Naples, London,
and Paris, the commercial centers of Europe.
James de Rothschild, the youngest of Mayers
sons, founded the Paris branch in 1811. In
1853, James daughter Charlotte and her husband Nathaniel de Rothschild, a cousin from
the London branch of the family, bought
Chteau Brane Mouton in Bordeauxs Mdoc
region and renamed it Mouton Rothschild. A
little more than a decade later, in 1868, James
himself bought Chteau Lafite also in the

de Rothschild Brut Cuve is a complex assemblage, or blend, of 60

percent Chardonnay and 40 percent
Pinot Noir. They also blended in 40
percent reserve wines as an added
assurance of exceptional quality and
consistency over time. This is unmistakably premium winemaking.
As Philippe Sereys de Rothschild
declared at the initial release of the
Champagne: I have been passionate about this project with the vision
to create for the family a grand
Champagne. It is the Chardonnay that gives
our Champagne the character, personality
and balance and expresses all the nuances
that remind us of what made the quality of
our wines for over 160 years, and the expression of the terroir.
Exclusively imported by the Herzogs Royal
Wine Corporation, the worlds largest kosher
wine producer and importer, the kosher
Champagne Barons de Rothschild Brut
Cuve is available now at roughly the same
price as its award-winning non-kosher counterpart ($90). It is also mevushal, no doubt
easing its forthcoming appearance on kosher
restaurant wine lists in the near future. The
bar of excellence for kosher bubbly has just
undoubtedly been raised.

Serving The Kosher Way Since 1976

Kosher Market
Meats Chicken Deli Appetizing
Prepared Foods Groceries Frozen Foods Catering
67 A. East Ridgewood Ave. Paramus, NJ 07652

201-262-0030
www.harolds.com

MON-WED 8-6; THURS 8-7; FRI 8-4; SUN 8-3; CLOSED SATURDAY
UNDER RABBINICAL SUPERVISION

RLD OF
O
W
GOODIES

HAPPY CHANUKAH!
h"b

World Of Goodies has all you need to

celebrate the miracle of Chanukah

DELI RESTAURANT CATERING

Avi & Haim
Proprietors

Annual
Readers
Choice
Poll

New Jersey

Under Rabbinical Supervision

www.koshernosh.com

KOSHER

894 Prospect Street

Glen Rock, NJ
Tel: 201-445-1186
Fax: 201-670-5674
RCBC

HAPPY CHANUKAH
19-09 FAIR LAWN AVE
FAIR LAWN
201 796-6565

2015
READERS
CHOICE

FIRSTFIRST
PLACEPLACE
TOP 3
BAKERY
CHALLAH

CUPCAKE
CHEESECAKE

STRICTLY KOSHER shomer shabbos

UNDER RCBC cholov yisroel pas yisroel

Nut Free
Where Quality and Freshness Count!
Large selection of delicious
Challah Pastries cookies bobkas pies & More...

www.ZadiesBakeShop.com ZadiesBakeshop@yahoo.com

We carry a full line

of Chocolate,
Candies, Dried Fruit
and Nuts and create
Gift Baskets that are
out of this world!
198 W. Englewood Ave. Teaneck

201-833-9950

order@worldgoodies.com

LOCAL
DELIVERIES
WE SHIP
THRU USA

BUY ONE
DONUT
GET
ONE

FREE!
With This Ad

1406 Teaneck Rd. Teaneck, NJ

(201) 862-0062
186 Elmora Ave. Elizabeth, NJ
(908) 289-9327
JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 43

Keeping Kosher
...............................................

Gourmet kosher mochi ice cream

Cedar Markets Spectacular

CHANUKAH

CONTEST

Super Sushi Platters

New York Giants or Jets Tickets
Spectacular Spa Package
Dinner For Two
Samsung Galaxy 8" Tablet 16GB Wi-Fi
Amazon.com Cash
Weekend Getaway
Cedar Market Shopping Spree

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$150
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WANT TO ENTER FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN?

SIMPLY E-MAIL INFO@THECEDARMARKET.COM

44 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

Mochidoki, a new frozen treat, puts a modern spin on traditional Japanese mochi ice
cream. In time for the holidays the company has a new flavor (Double Chocolate
Chip) and a four-piece gift box, pictured.
The ice cream is certified kosher, under
the supervision of Rabbi Aaron Mehlmen
from the National Kosher Supervision. The
ice cream can easily be enhanced with Chanukah or sugar decorations or syrups.
Double Chocolate Chip is a chocolate
mousse ice cream with decadent semisweet chocolate chips. It can be paired with
a hot chocolate or decorated with whipped
cream and drizzled with syrup.
The holiday gift box retails for $10 and
features two classic Vanilla Chocolate
Chip mochi and two Double Chocolate
Chip mochi. Larger packs are available
with flavors ranging from traditional
favorites like Matcha Green Tea, Black
Sesame, and Azuki Red Bean, to modern flavors like Lychee Colada, Mandarin
Orange Cream, Raspberry White Chocolate Crunch, and Salted Caramel.

Mochidokis premium mochi ice cream

is made using the highest quality sweet
rice flour that is steamed and carefully
kneaded until it becomes chewy and
soft mochi. The mochi is then carefully wrapped around gourmet ice cream
for an enchanting combination of taste
and texture. Mochidoki is made in small
batches using natural ingredients, with no
artificial sweeteners or colors. Mochidoki
also offers gluten-free options. Mochidoki
is only available for purchase online at
www.mochidoki.com.

Chanukah Greetings

Wishing Everyone a Happy Chanukah

Happy
Chanukah!

at Temple Emanu-El
Kosher and Glatt Kosher Catering
& Off-Premise Catering
180 Piermont Rd. Closter 201-750-0333

Happy
Chanukah

Jewish War Veterans Post 651

Melvin Kaplan, Cmdr., Fair Lawn, NJ

Happy Chanukah!

Happy
Chanukah

Broadway

MEDICAL SUPPLY COMPANY

60 Washington Avenue Westwood, NJ 07675

201-666-2112 201-666-4661 FAX
www.BroadwayMedicalSupply.com

ALVINS PHARMACY
115 Cedar Lane, Teaneck

201-836-4586
OPEN 7 DAYS FREE DELIVERY

Best Wishes
for a Chanukah
filled with
Joy and Light

A Senior Care Company

Trust In Our Care
With 30 centers throughout New Jersey, including
convenient Bergen County and Passaic County locations

www.care-one.com

JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 45

May Your
Home be
Blessed with
Joy and
Peace this
Chanukah

Chanukah Greetings

Happy
Chanukah

A Sweet and Healthy Chanukah

to all our friends and customers

Jodi & Allen

Rapaport
councilman
police commissioner
Borough of Norwood

396 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck

www.juliosfruit.com 201-836-4135

www.teaneckchamber.org

Warm wishes for a Chanukah filled with

health, happiness and special blessings.

Happy Chanukah

J&J PHARMAC Y
CEDAR CHEMISTS, INC.

Happy
Chanukah

Michael Fedida, R.Ph., M.S.

TEL: (201) 836-7003

527 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ 07666
EMAIL: fedidamichael@yahoo.com

EVELYN STEIN LEONIA

Est. since 1991

CHINESE CUISINE COCKTAIL LOUNGE

HILLSDALE
JAPANESE & CHINESE CUISINE SUSHI BAR
FRANKLIN LAKES

Happy Chanukah
Daily Luncheon Specials
Take out or Dine in Ample Parking
Reservations Recommended
Gift Cards Available
Best Chinese
Party Facilities Available
Restaurant
for up to 100 People

Wishing all our friends a

Very Happy Chanukah
SHOP-RITE of TALLMAN
250 RT 59 TALLMAN, NY
SHOP-RITE OF WEST NYACK
243 EAST ROUTE 59
WEST NYACK, NY

SHOP-RITE OF NEW CITY

66 NO. MAIN ST. NEW CITY, NY
SHOP-RITE OF GARNERVILLE
56 WEST RAMAPO ROAD
GARNERVILLE, NY

SHOP-RITE OF STONY POINT

22 HOLT DRIVE
STONY POINT, NY

Happy

Chanukah
1055 Hamburg Turnpike
Wayne, NJ 07470
46 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

2014

Barbara Kleiber
Deborah Clark
Pharmacist in charge

Pharmacy 973-696-6667
Surgical 973-696-7337
Fax 973-872-0088

READERS
CHOICE

Best Sushi
Restaurant

Recommended by: Rated Excellent by The Record

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

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

(By Market Basket)

www.goldendynastynj.com

Happy
Chanukah
REP. BILL PASCRELL, JR.
9th Congressional District, NJ
Paid for by Pascrell for Congress, Inc.

The perfect Chanukah

recipe for everyday miracles.
1. Fry up some latkes.
2. Light the menorah.
3.

Give generously to
Jewish Federation
of Northern
New Jersey.

Your gift creates small miracles for lives in Israel,

70 countries around the world, and here at home.
Be a part of it!

Jewish Federation

OF
OF NORTHERN
NORTHERN NEW
NEW JERSEY
JERSEY

Give to Jewish Federation.

www.jfnnj.org/AMiracle

TRANSFORM LIVES. INCLUDING YOURS.

JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 47

Wishing You a Joy-Filled Chanukah!

Beth and Robert Chananie
Joshua, Arlene, and Kylie Chananie
Rachel, Adam, and Rebecca Jay
Michael Chananie and Alyson Angstreich

Wishing the Community a

Happy Chanukah!

CareOne at Teaneck Wishes the Community

A Wonderful Illuminated Holiday
544 T
eaneck Road
T
eaneck, NJ 07666

2 01 - 8 6 2 - 3 3 0 0

A
G L AT T
KO S H E R
SENIOR
RESIDENCE

274093

w w w. c a re - o n e. c o m / t e a n e c k

A Jewish Continuum of Care Facility

155 HAZEL STREET CLIFTON, NJ 973-772-3700

www.daughtersofmiriamcenter.org

544 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, NJ 07666

Daughters of Miriam Center/The Gallen Institute is a

beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey.

201-862-3300

A GLATT KOSHER
SENIOR RESIDENCE

274093

www.care-one.com/teaneck

Happy Chanukah
David
J. Goodman
David
J. Goodman
CPA**CPA**
Stuart
B. Herrmann
CFP,CFP
CPA*
Stuart
B. Herrmann
, CPA*

544 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, NJ 07666

201-862-3300

www.care-one.com/teaneck

Bram Alster,

201-791-3393

stu@chadwickllc.com 32-16 Broadway, Fair Lawn, New Jersey, 07410.

*Securities offered through

American Portfolios Financial Services,
Inc. Broadway,
(APFS) Member FINRA/SIPC.
Investment
201-791-3393
stu@chadwickllc.com
32-16
Fair Lawn,
New Jersey, 07410.
274093

A GLATT KOSHER
SENIOR RESIDENCE

Advisory Services offered through Chadwick Wealth Management, LLC which is not affiliated with APFS. Chadwick
*Securities
offered
through
Portfolios
Financial
Services,
Inc.
Member
FINRA/SIPC. Investment
Financial Services
Group,
LLC isAmerican
not affiliated
with APFS.
** David
J. Goodman
is (APFS)
not registered
nor affiliated
Advisory Services offered through Chadwickwith
Wealth
APFS.Management, LLC which is not affiliated with APFS. Chadwick
Financial Services Group, LLC is not affiliated with APFS.
** David J. Goodman is not registered nor affiliated
with APFS.

DMD, PA

FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY

We Make Your Natural Smile Even More Beautiful!

From our family to yours

Wishing you a Happy Chanukah

20-20 Fair Lawn Ave Fair Lawn 201-797-3044

www.BramAlsterDMD.com
(next to the Radburn Train Station)
48 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

HAPPY

hanukkah

HADASSAH THE WOMENS ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA, INC.

2015 Hadassah, The Womens Zionist Organization of America, Inc. Hadassah is a
registered trademark of Hadassah, The Womens Zionist Organization of America, Inc.

Chanukah Greetings
Wishing You a
Joy-Filled
Chanukah

Glen Rock Jewish Center

682 Harristown Road
Glen Rock, NJ 07452

Happy
Chanukah
to our Clients
and Friends

Best Wishes for a

Happy Chanukah

Adelphi Educational
Services

Senator

Ronnie & Howard Silver

Happy Chanukah

s Cucina
o
d
l
A
OPEN NEW YEAR'S EVE

Cantor
10/15/08 5:09 PM
Barbra Lieberstein

0002441714-01.qxd

Page 1

Certified Cantor with

MAGAZINE AD
BAR &12+
BATyears
MITZVAH
of pulpit 0002441714-01

Lessons inexperience
your home
Learn to read
Hebrew

LIEBERSTEIN, BAR
Learn toFri, Oct 24, 2008
Hebrew
read
1 cols, 2.13 x 2.50"
Happy
Process Free
Group and
Chanukah!
Lisa Spadevecchia
private lessons
Parent Paper
in your home
BarbraCeremonies,Carine
Officiant atCantor
Bar/Bat Mitzvah

FROM DISTRICT 38

Bob Gordon
Assemblyman

Tim Eustace

Baby201-818-4088
Namings and Weddings

Assemblyman

Cell: 201-788-6653

Joe Lagana

Officiant
for Baby Namings
e-mail: cantorbarbra@aol.com
www.cantorbarbra.com
Certified
Cantor with 12+ years
of pulpit experience

BISTRO CAFE

___ Art Direction

_X__ E-Proof

___ OK AS IS

Happy Chanukah

R I S T O R A N T E I TA L I A N O

___ OK W. CHANGE

777 Hamburg Turnpike Wayne NJ 07470

Phone: (973) 872-1842 Fax: (973) 628-8660

_______________
approved by

Happy Chanukah

J. Rapaport Wood Flooring

Wood Floors Installed, Repaired, Sanded & Finished

Allen Rapaport

158 Linwood Plaza, Fort Lee

201-363-6500 www.jrapaportwoodflooring.com

www.njfcu.org

973.567.6768

Paterson l Newark l Garfield l Totowa

National Council of Jewish Women

Bergen County Section
www.ncjwbcs.org

Bergen County Executive

Bergen County Executive

James J. Tedesco, III

James J. Tedesco, III
Wishes all Friends
and Constituents

A Happy Chanukah
Paid for by Tedesco for County Executive 2018
Treasurer John
Ten
242forOradell
Avenue,2018
Paramus, NJ 07652
Paid
forHoeve,
by Tedesco
County Executive

Our Schechter Community

Wishes You

jna ohrut dv
A Hanukkah Filled
With Light and Joy

Want to learn more about us?

Go to www.ssdsbergen.org

Treasurer John Ten Hoeve, 242 Oradell Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652

JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 49

Chanukah Greetings

Happy Chanukah
United States Senator

CORY BOOKER
Wishing you
a joyous
festival
of lights
Paid
byby
Cory
Booker
for Senate
Paidfor
for
Cory
Booker
for Senate

Happy Chanukah
We Wish
All Our Friends
A Chanukah
Filled with
Good Health,
Peace,
Happiness,
Love and Light!

Celebrating 30 years
of educating future
Jewish Leaders

Happy Chanukah
to Our Friends and
Customers
655 Pomander Walk Teaneck, NJ 07666

201-836-7474

www.FiveStarPremier-Teaneck.com
Call 201-836-7474 to learn more about senior living
at Five Star Premier Residences of Teaneck
2012 Five Star Quality Care, Inc.

INDEPENDENT LIVING
50 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

ASSISTED LIVING

Steve & George Siderias

River Edge Diner

& Restaurant
516 Kinderkamack Rd River Edge, NJ
201-262-4976

Chanukah Greetings

Warm wishes for a Happy Chanukah

from our family to yours

at Cresskill

A 5-Star
Facility
221 County
RoadRated
Cresskill,
NJ 07626
201.567.9310 Fax: 201.541.9224
221 County
Road,
Cresskill
www.care-one.com
201-567-9310
www.care-one.com

Happy Chanukah

Chanukah Greetings
Wishing
All Our Friends
Joy and
Continued
Cheer

Crows Nest

The

Route 17 Southbound Hackensack, NJ

For reservations: 201-342-5445 or Fax 201-487-2488
www.crowsnest.com

St. Marys General Hospital

350 Boulevard, Passaic, NJ 07055
973-365-4300 www.smh-nj.org

District 37 State Legislators

Senator Loretta Weinberg
Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson
Assemblywoman Valerie V. Huttle

We Wish the Jewish Community

A Happy Chanukah

Paid for by Weinberg, Johnson and Huttle

New Earth Landscape, Inc.

Design & Installation of Custom Landscapes

Association of Professional Landscape Designers, Associate Member

Creative Plantings
Ponds & Waterfalls
Paving Stone/Stone Retaining Walls
Landscape Lighting
Drainage Work

201-944-8895

Fax: 201-750-5058 Email: newearthjt@aol.com

From our family to yours,

may light fill your home
and heart this Chanukah

Wishing
Everyone a
Bright, Happy,
and Peaceful
Chanukah

to our Friends &

h
a
k
u
n
a
h
Patr
C
y
p
ons
aH p

John L. Terranova
Landscape Designer
WE CATER
FOR ALL
OCCASIONS

FREE
DELIVERY

Corporate Accounts
Available

641 Main St. Hackensack, NJ

(201) 489-3287 (Eats) Fax (201) 489-4442
of Bergen and North Hudson

Sun-Thurs 7am-11pm Fri, Sat 7am-12pm

Email: fairmounteats@aol.com www.fairmounteatsnj.com

Let us have your fax number. We will fax you daily specials and soups.
JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 51

Chanukah Greetings

0003574344-01_0003574344-01 10/4/13 4:12 PM

30 years in business
We look forward to your continued patronage

Cestaros
Custom Furniture
reFinishing

Spanish & Portuguese Cuisine

We appreciate your confidence and trust in us

120 TERHUNE DRIVE WAYNE, NJ 973-616-0999

Ann Cestaro 973-278-5570

www.vilaverderestaurant.com

Happy Chanukah

A Bright, Happy Chanukah To All!

GRAND
Park West

The Best Selection of

Talliot and
Kippot anywhere.
Exquisite Styles
for Women, Men,
Bar and Bat Mitzvah
Mention this ad for

Diner Cafe

Rt. 45 West Little Falls, NJ

973-256-2767

10% OFF

HAPPY
CHANUKAH!

Beautifully Beaded, Crystal,

Crocheted, Suede, Lace
Kippot, Tallit Clips
Happy Chanukah Lisa Prawer
Convenient Bergen County Location 201-321-4995
www.thetallislady.com info@thetallislady.com

Park Wayne

Diner Cafe Bar

721 Hamburg Turnpike Wayne, NJ

973-595-7600

Happy
Chanukah

HAPPY
CHANUKAH! GRAND OPENING
0003574344-01_0003574344-01 10/4/13 4:12 PM Page 1

Happy Chanukah
from our family
to yours

Choose a
pharmacy
that stands
apart from
the rest...

Parkview
Pharmac

CHINESE CUISINE
Gift Certificates Available
Daily Lunch Specials Ample Parking
Gift Certificates Available
Take-Out/Dine-In
Daily Lunch Specials Mon. Thurs. 11:30am 10:00pm
Ample Parking
Fri.& Sat. 11:30am 11:00pm
Sun. 12:00 noon 10:00pm
/ Dine-In
May your season of light be Mon.Take-Out
Thurs. 11:30am 10:00pm
peaceful and prosperous.Fri. & Sat. 11:30am 11:00pm Sun. 12:00 noon 10:00pm
BYO
Scan Code for
Menu & Website

Best New
Scan Code for
Mahwah 201.529.8288
3 Franklin Turnpike,

Restaurant

Menu & Website

Visit our website at: www.imperialdynastynj.com

800.448.PROV ProvidentNJ.com
52 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

3 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah

201.529.8288
Order online at:
www.imperialdynastynj.com

Discounted Freeda, Solgar, and Blue Bonnet Vitamins

Greeting Cards AHAVA
Full Prescription Service Accepting All Insurances

Choose a pharmacy that

stands apart from the rest...

Parkview Pharmacy
1430 Queen Anne Rd. Teaneck, NJ Tel 201-837-6368
Monday to Friday 9AM-6PM Saturday 9AM to 1PM
FREE DELIVERY

Your one-stop
independent pharma
for over 30 years!

Happy Chanukah

HHH
The Record

Oyster Bar & sea Grill

tel. 201-796-0546
www.OceanOsrestaurant.cOm
2-27 saddle river rOad
Fair lawn

Chanukah Greetings

Happy Chanukah
Sharry Friedberg
Sales Associate
Cell: 201-819-8181

TO LIGHTS! TO LIGHTS! LCHAIM!

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
50 Broadway Hillsdale, NJ 07642
Office 201 930-8820 x 216
2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC.

E-Mail: Sharry.Friedberg@CBmoves.com

NEW JERSEY SHOWROOMS: EAST HANOVER | EATONTOWN | GREEN BROOK | PARAMUS

Happy Chanukah
And Best Wishes
for 2016
42 Regional Oces
1-800-273-3406 www.kearnybank.com

MEMBER
FDIC

Wishing You and

Yours a Happy,
Healthy & Joyous
Chanukah
Best Wishes,
Your Sheriff,

Mike Saudino
and Staff

PAID FOR BY SAUDINO FOR SHERIFF,

116 RANDOLPH AVENUE, EMERSON, NJ

We wish the
Jewish Community
a Very Happy
Chanukah
TEMPLE AVODAT SHALOM

385 Howland Avenue River Edge, NJ

(201) 489-2463 www.avodatshalom.net

We wish all of our members

and the Jewish Community
a Peaceful and Joyous
Chanukah
Temple Beth Tikvah
A Reform Congregation in Wayne
950 Preakness Ave. (973) 595-6565
templebethtikvahnj.org
JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 53

Happyah
k
u
n
a
Ch

HHH
The Record

Crossword
CHANUKAH HITS BY YONI GLATT

KOSHERCROSSWORDS@GMAIL.COM
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: MANAGEABLE

Authentic Greek Cuisine

2 3 8 B ROA DWAY E L M WO O D PA R K , N J 2 01- 7 0 3 - 9 2 0 0

Wishing
You a
Happy
Chanukah!
A&T Healthcare serving Bergen, Hudson, Passaic & Rockland Counties
Aetrex, Englewood
Alaris Health at The Chateau, Rochelle Park
Bergen Veterinary Hospital, Teaneck
B Dinelli for Hair, Teaneck
Carlyz Craze, Teaneck
Cedar Lane Management Group, Teaneck
Cresskill Performing Arts, Cresskill
Eden Memorial Chapels, Fort Lee
Estihana, Teaneck
Ginger Stores, Westwood
Hans Salon, Leonia
Linda Schmider, Guild Optician, Teaneck
Marcias Attic for Kids, Englewood
Marriott Teaneck at Glenpointe, Teaneck
Mishelynes Fashions, Teaneck
Portage & The Jewelry Box, Englewood
Rudys Restaurant, Hackensack
Teaneck Dentist, Teaneck
Yarndezvous, Teaneck
54 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

Across
1. Bench player or part for Zach Braff
6. Jews may have fought with them
in the Colosseum
11. Genre for Matisyahu, at times
14. Like Elijah when he wandered
the desert
15. Daniel Day-Lewis, e.g.
16. Dell key
17. Ricky Martin hit?
19. Civil rights org.
20. Dead Sea ___
21. Like a fresh HEBREW
22. Jacobs encounter with an angel,
once
24. JDate, e.g.
25. Plague
26. KC and The Sunshine Band hit?
31. Major works by Singer or Stein
32. Like those who eat way too many
jelly doughnuts, perhaps
33. Film written by Anne Spielberg
34. La-la lead-in
35. Its ___ ___, words of rejection
38. Real first name of Borat
41. Opposite of Og and the like
44. Way of listening to 17, 26, and
57-Across thats tops?
48. Tefillin have them
49. Some lodging locales on Moshavs
50. He starred with Joseph in The Dark
Knight
51. Like an Orlando Bloom character
53. 36-Downs less talented cousin
56. Give an uzi to
57. John Legend hit?
60. ___ LDodi
61. A new ___ on life, someone who
says Gomel might have one
62. What a date will do over time
63. Kings and most rabbis
64. Like Maccabi Tel Aviv players
65. Julian Edelman has it

The solution to last weeks puzzle

is on page 63.

Down
1. Mineo of Exodus, and others
2. Congress did this a lot for Bibi
3. The Old City
4. What singer Ben Lee might call college
5. Kind of manner
6. Fungus problem not common in the
Negev
7. Coach in the Jerry Goldsmith scored
Rudy, and others
8. Bet Shemesh, e.g.
9. AK native
10. Tribal VIPs
11. 17 film for Wilder
12. Prayer said at least six times a day,
by some
13. Like the most skilled cantor
18. Mercedes cabs in Israel, e.g.
23. Setting of a 1996 Tom Hanks film
whose title song was written by
Adam Schlesinger
24. Theyre numbered in NYC
25. Work a kibbutz field
26. One of TVs Bluths
27. Prefix with center (Jerusalem is one)
28. Schlep
29. WarGames org. Israel is not a
member of
30. YU schedule abbr.
34. Commandment pronoun
35. Where the Wild Things ___ (Jonze
film)
36. Wilf and Krafts league
37. It was dissolved in the US four years
before the Mossad was formed
38. Info. on Ryan Braun
39. Tel Avivs streets are full of it
40. Airer of a show with Mayim Bialik
41. Levis material
42. Mark Spitz and Sarah Hughes
43. They can help business
44. ___ tovah!
45. G-ds existence, poetically
46. Charlie Sheen played him in The
Three Musketeers
47. Made like Simon and Garfunkel
51. Flamboyance or an Israeli name
52. What Epsteins team did to the Mets
in October
53. Ecclesiastic mantle
54. Favorite word of a schnorrer
55. Holy follower
58. Seinfeld uncle
59. Bit of Binyamina

Dear Rabbi Zahavy

Your Talmudic Advice Column

Dear Rabbi Zahavy,
our blessings.
Chanukah is upon us, and for
You ask, What shall we
eight nights I feel I will be lying
do then with the inaccurate blessings that we have?
when I recite the blessing ...
Here is one way to rethink
asher kidshanu bmitzvotav
the blessings. I look at them
vtzivanu lhadlik nayr shel
not as theological claims of
Chanukah Who sanctified
divine authorship. I see them
us with His commandments
as mindful and meditative
and has commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light. We all
Rabbi Tzvee
framing mechanisms for our
Zahavy
know that God commanded no
religious actions.
such ritual. The concept that
Any person can light a candle to create an illumination
Chanukah candles are a commandment was instituted by the rabbis. Ive
for the purely practical purpose of lighting
grown up hearing the unsatisfying explanaa room in the darkness of night. But a medtion Of course God didnt command this,
itative Jew kindles a menorah to conjure
but its just as though He did since He did
up a host of meanings historical, mystical, and meditative in the season of a
command us And you shall do according
special celebration.
to the word which they (the rabbis) shall tell
A Chanukah menorah can be a cosmic
you. (Deuteronomy 17:10).
That sounds as ludicrous to me as credsymbol, a tree of life and light in the uniiting a batting coach for hitting a home
verse in the darkest period of the year. It
run that is hit by the batter he coaches: Of
also can be infused with historical meanings, recalling the victories of the forces
course Coach Smith didnt hit the home
of light (the Maccabees) over the forces
run, but its just as though he did since he
of darkness (our enemies). And it does
taught Joe Hardy how to hit, and Joe hit the
remind us of Gods miracles on behalf of
home run.
Since God commanded us to follow the
our ancestors long ago.
words of the rabbis, instead of making
Our blessings ought to be our mindful
everyone lie, for century after century, why
instruments to take us from the ordinary
couldnt the blessing be composed truthpassage of time into illo tempore, that
fully? ... Who sanctified us with His comideal instance where time becomes sacred,
mandments and has commanded us to do
and where the lighting of lights take on
according to the word of the rabbis who comtranscendent meaning, uniting the past,
manded us to kindle the Chanukah light. I
present and future.
believe the reason for the wording is that if
And accordingly, I apologize on behalf of
the blessing were formulated more truthall rabbis past, present and future, for not
fully, people would be lax about kindling the
making our blessing formula more granular, more accurate, and more truthful.
menorah because theyd be reminded that
Nevertheless, here is my advice. I urge
the ritual was commanded by mortal men,
you to be generous, to overlook the shortnot by God.
cuts that my colleagues have taken with
Assuming that is so, does it justify compelling Jews to be untrue about this eight nights
their meditative formulas and mechanisms, and their limited expressions and
every year?
Truth Seeking in Teaneck
methodologies. I suggest that as you recite
the standard blessings, you embrace with
Dear Seeking,
vigor the vivid meanings of our wonderful,
You are technically right. According to our
rich, and inspiring religion.
traditions, God did not directly command
Dear Rabbi Zahavy,
anyone to light Chanukah candles.
I am a widow in my 60s. I am seeing a nice
Our theology proposes, however, that
gentleman, also in his 60s.
God dictated the crux of the system of the
For my entire life, I have observed the laws
Torah, and that human beings, many of
of family purity. Now that I am in my postthem rabbis, are responsible for formulating and promulgating most of the detailed
menopausal years, I am inquiring about the
practices of Judaism throughout the ages.
halachic perspective on engaging in sexual
According to our theology, two Torahs
relations without being married.
Widow in Teaneck
were given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai,
the written Torah and the oral Torah.
Dear Widow,
My teacher, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik,
Halachah is the word that rabbis use to
used to explain that the Sinai revelation
describe rules they assembled to bestow
contained a set of principles in the oral
meaning on life and to regulate society.
Torah, which were transmitted and interpreted over the ages into the detailed pracTheir idea is that there is a halachah, one
tices of rabbinic rituals.
set of rules for all Jews, whether young or
Since rabbis believe they have the franold, passionate or passionless, romantic or
chise from God to create rituals, it is not a
pedantic. Looking more closely, though,
lie to express this in the blessing formula.
you can see that there are nuances. Some
But the rabbinic role is not spelled out in
rules dont apply to young children and

some apply to women or to men only.

In some special instances, rules can be
changed.
The rabbis say, as I pointed out in the
previous question, that their system is
special because, they say, its based on the
Torah and grounded in a revelation that
comes from God.
Within the system in Orthodox communities today, sex is permitted only between
a husband and a wife. It is part of kiddushin, the sanctity of marriage. You imply in
your question that you know this, and you
respected religious rules for sexual practices in all their complexity for your whole
life, including by observing the weighty
system of menstrual laws and taboos.
Up until now, that is. Some things have
changed for you. You are widowed. I
speculate that you may have felt alone
without your husband. And it is fair for
me to assume that since you are 60 (by
the way, the term for that is sexagenarian), you are more aware of what you
want from your life. When we get older,
we confront our mortality with greater
urgency and clarity.
And in that context, you met a man. And
you entered into a relationship with him.
Its probable that you are attracted, you
are friends, and perhaps you feel something special again.
You say that you are considering
whether to add sex to your relationship,
without marrying your gentleman friend.
Presumably both of you agree that you
are interested in taking your friendship
beyond the purely social, to add a sexual
dimension.
You are not the only Orthodox couple
today to confront this kind of question.
The numbers of people who delay marriage has increased, divorce rates have
risen, and the numbers of active, healthy
widowed singles has grown. Average life
expectancy has gone up, along with a
higher quality of life and concomitant
greater expectations for personal happiness. Nowadays, people in their eighties
and beyond meet and date and find happiness together.
You write because you want me as a
rabbi to give you at least permission, if not
an outright blessing, to engage in sex outside of marriage.
Im willing to offer you counsel only, but

not a halachic ruling. And as such, I cannot

print you a permit to engage in sex without
getting married.
Here then is my advice. There comes a
time in life, for some of us, when we have
to take ownership of our own happiness.
Your husband died, you were observant of
rules and taboos for many years, and you
are more mature now.
Should you or should you not engage in
sex outside of marriage? I will agree that
the physical and emotional aspects of
sex, of touching, of warm embraces, can
instantly make you feel alive and bring
excitement to your life. But such activity may not last long in helping you find
a deeper, lasting joy, or in alleviating your
existential loneliness.
On the other hand, if you do add more
sustained romance and meaningful sex
to the mix, that can take a real friendship
and turn it into a source of wonderful
happiness, and perhaps even transform
your life.
May I ask, why not marry the man? That
way you wont feel guilty about creating
discord with your traditions or questions
with your Orthodox kith and kin, or reasons to write in to a rabbis column.
If you cannot or will not marry, then
please take this guidance. You are entitled
to go right ahead and seek your joy. But I
urge you to be sensible in conducting your
relationship so that your peers, your community, and your families will not be made
uncomfortable by your actions. You do not
want to discomfit or embarrass anyone
near or dear to you.
While this columns advice does not
carry with it the claim to authority that
other rabbinic advisers may say comes
from God, I trust that my discussion and
counsel will convey some insights for you,
based on sensitivity, experience, and common sense, and that you always will act
accordingly with prudence.
Tzvee Zahavy earned his Ph.D. from Brown
University and rabbinic ordination from
Yeshiva University. He is the author of many
books, including these ebooks available at
Amazon.com: The Book of Jewish Prayers
in English, Rashi: The Greatest Exegete,
Gods Favorite Prayers and Dear Rabbi
Zahavy which includes his past columns
from the Jewish Standard and other essays.

The Dear Rabbi Zahavy column offers timely advice based on timeless talmudic wisdom. It aspires to be equally respectful and meaningful to all 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.

www.thejewishstandard.com
JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 55

Arts & Culture

Witness from March of the Living
New book looks at the many generations of visitors to the sites of anguish
DR. WALLACE GREENE

he maxim Of writing books

there is no end, from Ecclesiastes 12:12, seems to apply to the
genre of Holocaust literature.
Every year we see new works of Holocaust fiction, history, narratives, politics,
philosophy, and theology. It is a rich field
to mine, and every volume sheds a bit
more light on this transformative period
in Jewish history.
A new book, Witness, by Eli Rubinstein with March of the Living, artfully
tackles the issue of transmitting the fact
and lessons of the Holocaust into the
future, when there will be no more survivors left to tell the story, and to say definitively I was there. The March of the Living is an educational program that brings
students from all over the world to Poland
every year. There, the students study the
history of the Holocaust firsthand, and
examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance and hate. Since the first March of
the Living was held in 1988, more than
250,000 participants from 35 countries
have marched down the path leading
from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust
Remembrance Day.
Participation in this international program, which brings together leaders from
around the world, aging survivors, liberators, and students from very diverse
backgrounds, empowers March of the Living participants to become ambassadors
in their communities and on their campuses, combating Holocaust denial, promoting Holocaust education, and fighting
anti-Semitism.
This richly illustrated volume is based
on a recent United Nations exhibit called
Witness: Passing the Torch of Holocaust
Memory to New Generations, prepared
by the International March of the Living.
It will be displayed in Auschwitz-Birkenau
this year. In 2016, the exhibit will appear in
Polin: The Museum of the History of Polish
Jews, as well as in many other locations.
The book features stories, quotes, and
poems from survivors, going back over 25
years. An interactive feature in the book
allows readers to point their smart devices
toward the image of the featured survivors, righteous Gentiles, and liberators,
and thus to gain access to their testimonies
on the USC Shoah Foundation or March
of the Living websites. This novel feature
very well could presage a new direction in
historical publications.
Holocaust material often can be unsettling, traumatic, depressing, and generally
56 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

Students in the March of the Living walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

A student, left, listens intently as a U.S. Army veteran, right, who participated in the liberation of the camps, recalls the
experience for the March of the Living group.

disturbing. This book is uplifting and

that is not something anyone would say
about most Holocaust books. The narratives of young people from every country,
race, religion, and ethnicity gives us hope
for the future. The stories told by aging
survivors and liberators will be passed
on. The horrors of the Holocaust are not
sugar-coated, but they presented honestly,
in a way that affects the next generation,
who will continue to tell the story.
The witnesses to the witnesses become
witnesses themselves, especially when
standing in a barracks, gas chamber, cemetery, or killing field.
The tapestry of Holocaust history is well
thought out, condensed, and skillfully

woven into this collection of narratives.

First-person accounts and the reactions
of young people to these events, told by
those who experienced them, is a powerful force to blunt Holocaust denial. One of
the results of creating a new cadre of witnesses to the Holocaust is their commitment to fostering tolerance and combating prejudice.
The compiler of this work, Eli Rubenstein, for 27 years the national director of
March of the Living, is a key figure in the
planning and execution of the March in
Poland. He has chosen stories and photographs carefully to graphically convey in
print what every March participant has felt
viscerally during and after this powerful

experience. Death camps, crematoria,

gas chambers, destroyed synagogues, and
cemeteries can be gloomy. This presentation from Pope Francis introduction to
interviews with Elie Wiesel, liberators, survivors, and young people from all over the
world give us hope for the future.
It is a book that should be owned and
shared by all who believe that the lessons
learned from the Holocaust must be disseminated in order to create a world of
peace and harmony.
Wallace Greene of Fair Lawn has taught
Jewish history, including Holocaust studies,
at Yeshiva University, Queens College, and
Upsala College.

Calendar
career and experiences
playing for the New York
Yankees at a bagel and
latke Chanukah breakfast
and book-signing at
Temple Israel and JCC,
10:30 a.m. 475 Grove St.
(201) 444-9320.

Friday
DECEMBER 4
Shabbat in Glen Rock:
The Glen Rock Jewish
Center holds its family
Shabbat Club service,
5:30 p.m., followed by
dinner and dessert,
crafts, and activities at
6. 682 Harristown Road.
(201) 652-6624.

Israel summer program/

gap year fair: The
Bergen County High
School of Jewish
Studies hosts its
annual Israel summer
program and gap
year fair at the Moriah
School in Englewood,
11 a.m.-1 p.m. Program
features representatives
from USY, BBYO, March
of the Living, NCSY,
Friends of Israel Scouts,
Young Judaea, and Masa
Israel. (201) 488-0834
or email Galeet at
studentactivites@bchsjs.
org.

Shabbat in Fort Lee:

The JCC of Fort Lee/
Congregation Gesher
Shalom holds a preChanukah dinner and
contemporary musical
service featuring the
musicians from High Holy
Day services. Dinner,
6 p.m., service, 7. Dinner
reservations required.
1449 Anderson Ave.
(201) 947-1735.

Chanukah in Fort Lee:

The Shirah Community Chorus on the Palisades, led by its

founding director, Matthew Lazar, and its associate conductor,
Marsha Bryan Edelman, will perform its 22nd annual Chanukah
concert on Sunday, December 6, at 2 p.m., in the Eric Brown
Theater in the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly. The program will
feature celebratory songs from the Jewish choral tradition in Hebrew,
English, and Yiddish. Go to jccotp.org/Thurnauer or call (201) 408-1465.

DEC.

Tizmoret
Shabbat in Wyckoff:
Tizmoret, Queens
Colleges premier Jewish
a capella group, led by
Daniel Henkin, performs
at Temple Beth Rishon.
Shabbat dinner at 6 p.m.
At 7, Tizmoret joins
Cantor Ilan Mamber,
Rabbis Ken Emert and
Lois Ruderman, and
the shuls adult choir
for a pre-Chanukah
service. The Tizmoret
concert, supported by
the Channa Mamber
Memorial Music Fund,
is at 7:45. 585 Russell
Ave. Dinner reservations,
(201) 891-4466 or www.
bethrishon.org.

Wendy Stern
Shabbat in Closter:
Temple Beth El of
Northern Valley
welcomes flutist Wendy
Stern at its guest artist
Shabbat, 7:30 p.m. She

is a member of the
group Flute Force, has
performed and coached
chamber music all over
the world, and has many
Broadway credits. 221
Schraalenburgh Road.
(201) 768-5112 or www.
tbenv.org.

Saturday
DECEMBER 5
Boutique in Teaneck:
Temple Emeth holds
a boutique featuring
designer wear and highend items, 5-8 p.m.
1666 Windsor Road.
(201) 833-1322.

Herring in Teaneck:
Congregation Netivot
Shalom hosts the Bergen
County Herring Festival,
8:30-11 p.m. Participants
include Maadan of
Teaneck, the Pickle Guys
of NYC, and Raskins of
Brooklyn. The event will
showcase a tasting of a
wide variety of herrings,
fine vodkas, and select
single malt scotch. 10%
of all profits will be
donated to American
Friends of the IDF. Email
herringfestival@gmail.
com.

welcome. Route 4 East.

Past Commander Stan
Hoffman, (201) 836-0814.

Bazaar in Teaneck:

Dr. Jon Greenberg

Shaping Jewish history
in Teaneck: The adult
education committee
of Congregation Rinat
Yisrael presents Noahs
Wine vs. Pharaohs
Beer the Culture War
That Shaped Jewish
History, led by Biblical
botany expert Dr. Jon
Greenberg of TorahFlora.
org, 8:30 p.m. Wine, beer,
dessert. The talk is only
for people 21 and older.
389 West Englewood
Ave. (201) 837-2795,
www.rinat.org.

Sunday
DECEMBER 6
War veterans meet
in Hackensack: The
Teaneck/New Milford
Post #498 Jewish War
Veterans meets for
breakfast at the Coach
House Diner, 9 a.m.
Prospective members

Temple Emeth holds

its annual bazaar,
with a food court,
9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Early
birds welcome at 9 with
a $10 donation; free after
that. A new Facebook
page lets you preview
some of the available
items. 1666 Windsor
Road. (201) 833-1322 or
www.emeth.org.

Chanukah in Fair Lawn:

Northern New Jersey
Jewish Academy and
the early childhood
committee at Temple
Israel & Jewish
Community Center
in Ridgewood offer
Dummies & Dreidels
for children 3 and
older at Temple Beth
Sholom, 9:30 a.m.-noon.
Ventriloquist Jonathan
Geffner and his whimsical
wooden sidekicks
perform the Maccabee
Mishegash Puppet Show.
Latkes courtesy of the
mens clubs of Temple
Israel and Temple Beth
Sholom. 40-25 Fair Lawn
Ave. Rabbi Estelle Mills,
emills@synagogue.org.

Jews in sports: Dr.

David Kristol talks
about Jews in Sports
at Congregation Adas
Emuno in Leonia,
10 a.m. Dr. Kristol is
a professor emeritus
at the New Jersey
Institute of Technology.
Refreshments. 254 Broad
Ave. (201) 592-1712 or
www.adasemuno.org.

Chanukah at Home
Depot: Chabad of
Upper Passaic County
partners with Home
Depot in Riverdale for
a Chanukah menorah
workshop, 10-11:30 a.m.
Free workers apron and
Chanukah treats. The
Home Depot, 106 Route
23. (201) 696-7609 or
JewishHighlands.org.

Ron Blomberg
CHRISTOPHER T. MARTIN

Ron Blomberg in
Ridgewood: Ron
Blomberg talks about his

The JCC of Fort Lee/

Congregation Gesher
Shalom participates
in the community
Chanukah candle
lighting with songs at
the Triangle (Main Street
and Lemoine Avenue),
4:30 p.m. (201) 947-1735.

Chanukah in Fort Lee:

Chabad of Fort Lee
celebrates Chanukah
with a menorah lighting,
latkes, dinner and donuts,
entertainment by bubble
artist Jeff Boyer, gelt,
and dreidels, 4:30 p.m.
(201) 886-1238 or www.
chabadfortlee.com.

Chanukah in Woodcliff
Lake, River Vale,
Allendale, and
Westwood: Valley
Chabad will light five
public menorahs in the
Pascack and Saddle
River Valley communities,
followed by celebrations
on each of the first five
nights of Chanukah.
Valley Chabads Rabbi
Dov Drizin organized
the lightings. Tonight at
4:30 p.m., the Woodcliff
Lake lighting is at the Old
Mill Pond on Werimus
Road. On Monday, it
will be at the River Vale
Community Center, 628
Rivervale Road, at 6:30.
Tuesday, the Allendale
lighting is at Allendale
Borough Hall, 500 West
Crescent Ave., at 6:30.
On Wednesday, meet at
Veterans Memorial Park,
next to the train station
in Westwood at 7, and
on Thursday, a menorah
will be lit at Tices Mall
Corner Marketplace, 453
Chestnut Ridge Road
in Woodcliff Lake at
6. Visit ValleyChabad.
org/Chanukah or call
(201) 476-0157.

JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 57

Calendar
Chanukah in Ringwood,
Bloomingdale,
Wanaque, and West
Milford: Chabad of
Upper Passaic County
lights four public
menorahs followed
by community-wide
celebrations organized
by Chabads Rabbi
Mendy Gurkov. Tonight,
Ringwoods menorah
lighting is at 5 p.m., in
front of Wells Fargo
Bank. Bloomingdales
lighting is on Monday,
7 p.m., in front of
Bloomingdale Town Hall.
Wanaques lighting is
Tuesday at 7 p.m., in front
of the new Wanaque
Town Hall. West Milfords
lighting is Thursday
at 7 p.m., in front of
West Milford Town
Hall. Local officials will
participate. Afterward,
there will be dancing,
singing, hot latkes,
donuts, gelt, crafts,
and glow giveaways.
(201) 696-7609 or www.
JewishHighlands.org/
Chanukah.

Chanukah in
Ridgewood: The
Jewish community of
Ridgewood holds its
annual menorah lighting
party at Memorial Park,
Van Neste Square,
5:30 p.m., with musical
entertainment and
refreshments. Public
lighting continues
Monday through
Thursday and Sunday
at 4:30 p.m., Friday at
4, and Saturday at 5:30.
www.synagogue.org.

Chanukah in Wayne:

noon. 10-10 Norma Ave.

(201) 796-5040.

DECEMBER 7
Music lecture in Tenafly:
Dumont historian Dick
Burnon talks about
Women Who Mattered:
Funny Ladies of the
Stage and Screen
at a meeting of the
Senior Activity Center
at the Kaplen JCC on
the Palisades, 11:15 a.m.
411 East Clinton Ave.
(201) 569-7900, ext. 235,
or www.jccotp.org.

Book discussion: The

Fair Lawn Jewish Center/
Congregation Bnai Israel
continues its Book and
Lunch program as Rabbi
Ronald Roth discusses
Lev Golinkins novel A
Backpack, A Bear and
8 Crates of Vodka,

Folk dancing in Leonia:

Congregation Adas
Emuno welcomes folk
guitarist/dance leader
Jim Gold, 7:30 p.m.
$10. 254 Broad Ave.
(201) 592-1712.

Wednesday
DECEMBER 9
Chanukah in Paramus:

Edith Sobel

Chabad of Paramus
lights a menorah in
Lord & Taylor Court at
the Westfield Garden
State Plaza Mall, 6 p.m.
Donuts, crafts, music.
(201) 262-7172 .

Hadassah meets: The

Teaneck-Hackensack
chapter of Hadassah
meets at Congregation
Beth Sholom in
Teaneck for a Chanukah
luncheon,12:30 p.m. Edith
Sobel, a local raconteur,
will talk about situations
that American Jews now
face. 354 Maitland Ave.
Rachel, (201) 836-9689.

Old NYC in Teaneck:

Marty Schneit, a licensed
New York City tour
guide, gives an illustrated
lecture about New York
City during World War
II at Heritage Pointe in
Teaneck, 4 p.m. 600 Frank
W. Burr Boulevard. Joel or
Janice, (201) 836-9260 or
HeritagePointeofTeaneck.
com.

Chanukah in Wyckoff:
The Chabad Jewish
Center lights the Town
Hall menorah and
celebrates with the
mayor and local officials,
6 p.m. Minion movie
characters, live music,
latkes, refreshments,
glow giveaways,
and a grand raffle.
(201) 848-0449 .

Chabad of Passaic
County hosts the Glow
in the Dark party with
menorah lighting, glowin-the-dark activities,
and refreshments,
3-5 p.m. Chabad Center,
194 Ratzer Road.
(973) 694-6274 or
Chanig@optonline.net.

Monday

giving them the

chance to connect
with each other and
the Jewish community,
at Solomon Schechter
Day School of Bergen
County, 9:30 a.m. 275
McKinley Ave. Jessica,
(201) 820-3917 .

Rabbi Shmuel Goldin

Chanukah secrets: Rabbi
Shmuel Goldin leads The
Secrets of Chanukah,
a Lunch and Learn, at
Congregation Ahavath
Torah in Englewood,
noon, followed by a
presentation by the
Moriah School Choir. 240
Broad Ave. Reservations,
(201) 568-5921.

Chanukah in Fort Lee:

The Englewood & Cliffs
chapter of ORT America
and the sisterhood of
Congregation Gesher
Shalom/JCC of Fort
Lee host a party and
luncheon at noon.
Election of officers and
entertainment by singer
Lois Bruno. Latkes
and gifts for all. 1449
Anderson Ave. Naomi,
(201) 568-9274.

Chanukah in Paramus:
Chabad of Paramus
lights a menorah in Lord
& Taylor Court at the
Westfield Garden State
Plaza Mall and also at
Whole Foods Court in
the Bergen Town Center,
6 p.m. Donuts, live
music, crafts, and gelt.
(201) 262-7172 or zeesy@
bcfriendship.com.

Feature film: The Kaplen

JCC on the Palisades
in Tenafly screens La
Strada, 7:30 p.m., as
part of a series, Top
Films You May Have
Missed or Want to See
Again. Introduction
and discussion sessions.
411 E. Clinton Ave.
(201) 408-1493.

Tuesday
DECEMBER 8
Play group in New
Milford: Shalom Baby
of the Jewish Federation
of Northern New Jersey
offers a Chanukahthemed group with
stories, songs, crafts,
and snacks for moms
and dads of newborns
through 3-year-olds,

58 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

Chanukah in Franklin
Lakes: The Chabad
Jewish Center lights the
Town Hall menorah and
celebrates at 6 p.m.,
with participation of
Mayor Frank Bivona
and local officials. Meet
the Minion characters,
live music, latkes,
refreshments, crafts at
the Ambulance Corps
building, glow giveaways,
and a grand raffle.
(201) 848-0449 or www.
chabadplace.org.

Chanukah in Paramus:
Chabad of Paramus
lights a menorah in front
of Paramus Borough Hall,
6 p.m. Donuts, crafts,
music. 1 West Jockish
Square. (201) 262-7172 or
zeesy@bcfriendship.com.

Chanukah in Mahwah:
The Chabad Jewish
Center lights the Town
Hall menorah and
celebrates at 6 p.m.,
with participation of
Mayor Bill Laforet and
local officials. Minion
movie characters,
live music, latkes,
refreshments, crafts
at the senior center,
and glow giveaways.
(201) 848-0449 or www.
chabadplace.org.

Adult Chanukah in
Wayne: The Jewish
Book club in New
City: The Nanuet
Hebrew Center Book
Club discusses Lady
Chatterleys Lover by
D.H. Lawrence. Lunch
at noon; discussion at
12:30 p.m. 411 South
Little Tor Road, off Exit
10, Palisades Interstate
Parkway. (845) 708-9181.

Chanukah in Wayne:
Chabad of Passaic
County hosts a teen
party with donuts and
Chanukah treats. Bring
a Chanukah gift to
wrap and donate to a
child, 7 p.m. Chabad
Center, 194 Ratzer Road.
(973) 694-6274.

Chanukah in Paramus:
Chabad of Paramus lights
a menorah at Bergen
Town Center, 6 p.m.
Donuts, crafts, music.
(201) 262-7172 or zeesy@
bcfriendship.com.

New York Blood Center,

10 a.m.-4 p.m. 1600
Queen Anne Road.
(800) 933-2566 or www.
nybloodcenter.org.

Bulletproof Stockings
Music for women:
Bulletproof Stockings,
an all-woman chasidic
Jewish rock band from
Brooklyn, performs a
Chanukah unity concert/
dance party for women
and girls at Rockland
Jewish Community
Campus, 7:30 p.m. Made
possible by a grant from
the Jewish Federation
of Rockland County.
(845) 574-4422.

Thursday
DECEMBER 10
Blood drive in Teaneck:
Torah Academy of
Bergen County holds
a blood drive with
New Jersey Blood
Services, a division of

Womens Circle of
Chabad of Passaic
County offers an adult
party to learn the art
of cookie decoration
by Petite Treats of
NYC, 7 p.m. Latke bar
and Chanukah-themed
desserts. 194 Ratzer
Road. (973) 694-6274 or
email Chanig@optonline.
net.

Yiddish in Woodcliff
Lake: Temple Emanuel
of the Pascack Valley
continues its six-session
Yiddish club with Rabbi
Gerald Friedman,
7:45 p.m. 87 Overlook
Drive. Gail@tepv.org and
or REBYOSSEL@verizon.
net.

Chanukah in Fort
Lee: Chabad of Fort
Lee offers a night of
light and laughter
with an open bar, sushi
, gourmet latkes and
donuts, entertainment by
ventriloquist John Pizzi,
and a menorah lighting,
7:30 p.m. 808 Abbott
Blvd. (201) 886-1238 or
www.chabadfortlee.com.

Friday
DECEMBER 11
Chanukah in Wayne:
Temple Beth Tikvah has
a potluck dinner for
families, couples, and
singles, preceded by
services, 6 p.m. Crafts for
kids and performance
by students. Bring a
ready-to-eat main or
hearty side dish to serve
8-10 people. No dairy.
950 Preakness Ave.
Reservations, (973)
595-6565 or www.
templebethtikvahnj.org.

Shabbat in Closter:
Temple Beth El invites
the community to 101

Menorahs, a familyfriendly Shabbat/

Chanukah service led
by Rabbi David S.
Widzer and Cantor
Rica Timman, 6:30 p.m.
Bring a menorah and
seven candles. Latkes
after the service. 221
Schraalenburgh Road.
(201) 768-5112 or www.
tbenv.org.

Shabbat in Teaneck:
After dinner at 6 p.m.,
Temple Emeth holds its
annual family Shabbat
Chanukah service with
Kol Emeth, the shuls
adult choir at 8. Bring
menorahs, candles,
and friends, and a
non-perishable food
item to donate to the
Center for Food Action.
1666 Windsor Road.
(201) 833-1322 or www.
emeth.org.

Saturday
DECEMBER 12
Shabbaton: Temple
Emeth of Teanecks
Viewpoints Committee
offers a Shabbaton with
a discussion What
does a Jew Look Like
to You? by Vanessa
Hidary from BeChol
Leshon (In Every Voice),
3 p.m. Viewpoints is a
shul committee that was
formed to celebrate the
diversity of the Jewish
community and includes
programs that highlight
the interfaith, interracial,
and LGBT communities.
1666 Windsor Road.
(201) 833-1322.

Chanukah in Fort
Lee: JCC of Fort Lee/
Congregation Gesher
Shalom hosts the
community Chanukah
candle lighting and
Havdalah, 5:45 p.m.,
at the Triangle, Main
Street and Lemoine
Avenue. Followed by
raffle and food at the
shul, 1449 Anderson
Ave. Reservations,
(201) 947-1735.

Chanukah in Leonia:
Congregation Adas
Emuno hosts a
community lighting,
Havdalah, and party
beginning at 7 p.m.
Latkes and donuts. 254
Broad Ave. (201) 592-1712
or www.adasemuno.org.

Singer in Mahwah:
Singer Julie Budd, winner
of the Emma Lazarus
Award for Jewish Women
in the Performing
Arts, performs at
the Berrie Center at
Ramapo College of
New Jersey, 8 p.m.
505 Ramapo Valley
Road. (201) 684-7844
or www.ramapo.edu/
berriecenter.

Calendar
Chanukah recital
in Fort Lee
The New Synagogue of Fort Lee celebrates Chanukah with a concert by pianist
Zhanna Rubinshteyn. The evening will
include Chanukah, tango, Broadway, Jewish, and Russian music. It is set for Monday, December 7, at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. The shul is at 1585
Center Ave. For information, call (201)
947-1555.

Anna Katznelson, left and Rebecca Altshul

Charity Israel solidarity concert

Zhanna Rubinshteyn

Ridgewood shul lists social events

BYachad, Temple Israel & JCCs informal
social group for 20- to 40-year-olds, has
planned upcoming events that include
outings (with and without children), potlucks, and other get-togethers. These days
offer an opportunity for singles and couples to meet new friends and connect to
the Jewish community through fun and

inclusive activities.
Potluck dinners are scheduled tonight,
December 4, and again on January 1 and
March 18. A latke fest is set for after sundown on Saturday, December 12, and family bowling is on February 21. For information or to join the groups email list, email
office@synagogue.org.

Chanukah retreat in Connecticut

Singer Lipa Shmeltzer, an American chasidic singer and composer, will perform
at the third annual Chanukah retreat
over the Shabbat Chanukah weekend,
December 11-13. The retreat, sponsored
by Chabad of NW Connecticut, is at the
Heritage Hotel & Spa in Southbury, Conn.
Inspirational lectures and shiurim by
Rabbi Shais Taub are included; catering

We Stand With Israel, a charity concert in solidarity

with Israel, will be held Sunday, December 13, 2 p.m.
at Temple Avodat Shalom in River Edge. Performers include a piano duo with Anna Katznelson and
Rebecca Altshul, Vladimir Zaslavskys jazz trio with
pianist Karina Bruk, and a chamber choir under the
direction of Rebecca Altshul that will perform a Fiddler on the Roof medley. All proceeds benefit New
Jersey Support Israel, Inc., whose mission is to address
and provide relief to victims of terror and their families in Israel. The concert is supported by Jews of the
Former Soviet Union living in Bergen County. Checks
are payable to NJSI and additional donations are welcome. The temple is at 385 Howland Ave. For information, call (201) 342-1616 for English, or (201) 773-3788
for Russian/English, or email iarolovich@gmail.com.

is by Table One Catering. The hotel has

many amenities, including a 24-hour tea
room. Participants are invited to join the
annual Chanukah on the Slopes on Sunday, December 13, with skiing, snow tubing, and Chanukah crafts. Day camp is
included and babysitting will be available.
For information, call (475) 235-2254 or
go to www.cretreat.org.

Karina Bruk

Vladimir Zaslavsky

Chamber choir
under the direction
of Rebecca Altshul

Kindness Calendar returning

Jewish Museum features

global menorah display
The Jewish Museums permanent exhibition, Culture and Continuity: The Jewish
Journey, features a display of more than
50 menorahs from its collection. They
come from Austria, Australia, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece,
India, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Russia, Ukraine,

and the United States, and cover three

centuries of artistic production. Many of
the lamps are made from such traditional
materials as copper, silver, and brass, but
others are ceramic or steel boilerplate,
and one was made from souvenir Statues
of Liberty. Go to www.thejewishmuseum.
org.

Areyvut, a Bergenfield-based nonprofit organization whose mission is

to infuse the lives of Jewish youth and
teens with the values of chesed (kindness), tzedakah (charity), and tikkun
olam (social action), offers its 2016 A
Kindness a Day Calendar.
This flip calendar offers 366 suggestions 2016 will be a leap year that
people of all ages can use to better
themselves, their communities, and
the world at large. For example, the
entry for January 1 suggests, Make a
New Years resolution that will positively impact someone elses life. Other
entries remind readers to call and wish
Shabbat Shalom to an out-of-town relative or to assist someone who is unemployed with writing a resume and finding
a job. Beneath each act of kindness is a
traditional Jewish text that explains what
inspired it.
Areyvut debuted A Kindness a Day in
2005 and continued to create calendars
through 2009, the last year that the flipbook was published. Now, after a 6-year
hiatus, the A Kindness a Day calendar
has returned.
Charity, kindness, and social justice
must be an integral part of everyones

day, said Daniel Rothner, Areyvuts

founder and director. The 2016 calendar allows for these core Jewish values
to become more aligned to the context of
peoples daily lives. A Kindness a Day is
a great educational tool for children and
adults alike; as well as homes, schools,
and other organizations; both as a guide
to help instill Jewish values into ones life
and as a springboard for discussion and
study.
Buy a calendar on Areyvuts website,
www.areyvut.org/shop. For sample
pages, and information, email social@
areyvut.org.

JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 59

Jewish World
Israel, Jordan to collaborate on canal project

No such thing as male or female brain,

Tel Aviv University researchers say

Israel and Jordan announced the issuing of an

international tender for the construction of a
canal between the Red Sea and the shrinking
Dead Sea.
The two countries made the joint
announcement Monday after a meeting
between Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Silvan
Shalom and Jordanian Water and Irrigation
Minister Hazim El-Nasser. The meeting was
held on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea.
The canal will carry water from the Red
Sea north to the Dead Sea, which has been
drying out steadily. A fixed amount of canal
water will be siphoned off and desalinated to

A new study by Israels Tel Aviv University

used more than 1,400 MRI scans to demonstrate that human brains cannot be categorized as male or female.
Each person possesses a unique mosaic
of characteristics, some more common in
females compared to males, some more
common in males compared to females, and
some common in both, said the studys lead
author, Professor Daphna Joel of Tel Aviv Universitys School of Psychological Sciences and
Sagol School of Neuroscience.
She and the other researchers found that
a mix of male and female traits make up

BRIEFS
supply drinking water to Israelis, Jordanians,
and Palestinians, with the saline byproducts
used to replenish the mineral-rich Dead Sea.
Today we took an additional historic
step to save the Dead Sea, Shalom said.
The joint international tender to be published tomorrow is proof of the cooperation
between Israel and Jordan, and a response
to those who cast doubt on whether the
canal project would ever go ahead. This is
an exceptional environmental and diplomatic achievement that testifies more than
anything to the fertile cooperation between
JNS.ORG
the countries.

the vast majority of brains, regardless of gender, rather than most men displaying exclusively male characteristics and most women
displaying exclusively female ones.
Joel completed the study in conjunction
with other Tel Aviv University researchers, as
well as scientists from the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig and the University of Zurich.
Published on Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study weakens popular claims that
men and women have different brains and
should be taught or treated differently based
JNS.ORG
on gender.

Highest-ranking Soviet spy caught

in Israel dies at 97 in his Paris home

Netanyahu says Israel and Russia

will increase military coordination

Marcus Klingberg, the highest-ranking Soviet

spy caught in Israel, died at his home in Paris
on Monday. He was 97.
Klingberg, a biologist, was arrested by
Israels Shin Bet in January 1983 and subsequently convicted of spying on Israel for the
KGB over the previous three decades. He was
born in Poland in 1918 and fled to the Soviet
Union after the Nazi invasion of Poland in
1939. In the Soviet Union, Klingberg studied
medicine and served in the Red Army as a
medical officer.
In 1948, Klingberg immigrated to Israel
with his wife and daughter and was drafted
into the Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps,
eventually reaching the rank of lieutenant

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel and Russia
will deepen military coordination amid
Russias ongoing operations in Syria.
I just had an important talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin. We agreed
to deepen the coordination between us in
order to prevent mishaps and to do so on
a broad basis, Netanyahu told reporters
after his meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the Paris climate conference on
Monday.
I think that every citizen of Israel
understands today, in light of recent
events on the Turkish border, the great
importance of my trip to Moscow and

colonel. In 1957, he was appointed deputy

head of the Israel Institute for Biological
Research in Nes Ziona.
Klingberg was arrested secretly by the
Shin Bet in 1983 after a lengthy investigation into his activities. Upon interrogation,
he admitted being a spy and was sentenced
to 20 years in jail. In 1998, Klingberg was
released to house arrest. After his 20-year
sentence ended in 2003, he left Israel to go
live with his daughter and grandson in Paris.
Publicly, he never showed any remorse for
his actions.
To this day I dont consider myself a spy,
Klingberg once said. I am not proud of what
JNS.ORG
I did, but I do not regret it either.

Thousands in Jerusalem commemorate

Jews expelled from Arab countries
Thousands of people attended Israels first
official commemoration event for Jews
expelled from Arab countries and Iran, held
in Jerusalem on Monday.
Social Equity Minister Gila Gamliel spearheaded the initiative, calling the event Longing for Home. The ceremony began with a
moment of silence for Jews killed in pogroms
in Arab countries and Iran. Afterward, emigrants from those countries told their stories
and performers took the stage including
singer Kobi Oz (of Tunisian heritage), actress
and singer Liraz Charhi (of Iranian descent),
musician Gilad Segev (of Syrian descent),

musician Haim Oliel (of Moroccan heritage),

musician Yair Dalal (of Iraqi descent), singer
Dikla (of Egyptian heritage), singer Rita Shalhoun (of Lebanese descent), and actor-singer
Guy Zu-Aretz (whose family is from Libya).
Gamliel said the ceremony corrected the
lack of acknowledgment of the suffering of
more than 800,000 Jews who were forced
to flee or were expelled from Middle Eastern and North African countries in the 20th
century.
We will work to introduce Jewish heritage
from Arab countries and Iran to the Israeli
JNS.ORG
education system, she said.

Israel suspends diplomacy with EU

over fallout from product labeling
In the aftermath of the European Unions
decision to drop Made in Israel labels on
Israeli products from the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday suspended Israels relations with EU diplomatic
contacts on their involvement in the IsraeliPalestinian peace process.
Israel will continue to have government-togovernment contact with individual EU member nations, but not with EU-wide institutions
60 JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015

until Israel reassesses the European blocs

diplomatic role in the peace process.
An EU spokesperson said Monday that the
EU would keep working on the peace process through the Middle East Quartet (United
Nations, United States, EU, and Russia) as
well as its Arab partners despite Israels decision, because peace in the Middle East [is]
an issue of interest to the entire international
community and also to all Europeans. 
JNS.ORG


Asia
FROM PAGE 35

within his office this year. Last year, Israel

had what was called China Week, when a
variety of Chinese government officials and
business leaders visited Israel.
Indias Modi has said he plans to visit as
well. Meanwhile, Indian President Pranab
Mukherjee traveled to Jerusalem in October, becoming the highest-ranking Indian
official ever to come to Israel.
We are very deeply part of the West in
many, many ways, but we look to the East,
Netanyahu said at the state dinner during
Mukherjees visit. We appreciate Europe,
but we admire Asia.
In 2013, then-Economy Minister Naftali
Bennett said during a visit to China that
increased trade could open an avenue for
economic diplomacy with the worlds
most populous country. As opposed to
Europe, Bennett said, Chinese companies
dont let the Israeli-Arab conflict get in the
way of business.
They never once asked us about the
Arabs, or the Palestinians, or the occupation, or the shmoccupation, or anything
else, he said in a video statement. The
only thing that interests them is Israeli
high-tech.
India abstained from endorsing the U.N.

these ongoing contacts with the Russian

president, he added.
Netanyahus announcement comes on
the heels of a statement by Israeli Defense
Minister Moshe Yaalon praising security
coordination with Russia that has prevented Russia-Israel clashes in the region.
According to Yaalon, a Russian jet recently
breached airspace, but the issue was
immediately fixed through communications channels.
In late September, Netanyahu met with
Putin in Moscow to establish a mechanism
in order prevent any inadvertent clashes
between Israeli and Russian forces operating in Syria. 
JNS.ORG

report on last years war in Gaza, which

accused Israel of possible war crimes. All
the European countries on the U.N. Human
Rights Council, meanwhile, endorsed the
report.
But analysts caution that Israel should
not view India and China as diplomatic
alternatives to Europe and the United
States. Before Modi took office last year,
India historically had been pro-Palestinian,
supporting Palestinian causes in the United
Nations, and Asian nations generally have
taken less of an interest than Europe and
the United States in Israeli foreign affairs.
While the U.S. has a longstanding policy
of vetoing anti-Israel resolutions at the U.N.
Security Council, China typically votes
against Israel. Given the size of Chinas
economy, analysts say a few more billion
dollars in Israeli trade likely wont mean an
end to a Chinese veto.
Economic relations are driven by the
business sector, not because the government wants to give priority, said Oded
Eran, the former director of Tel Aviv Universitys Institute for National Security
Studies. We need to remember that China
and India are very pragmatic, but they
havent changed and I doubt if they will
change their vote in the U.N. because of
improved economic relations. 

JTA WIRE SERVICE

Obituaries
Selma Fine

Selma Leah Fine, ne Cohan, 89, of Morristown, formerly of Fort Lee, Cliffside
Park, and Paterson, died on Nov. 25.
She owned a small gallery.
She is survived by her children, Joseph
of Montclair, Robert of Massachusetts,
and Carol of Highland Park; a sister,
Annette Fischer; grandchildren, Anthony,
David, Eric, and Leslie; great-grandchildren, Emma and Lewis; and nephews
and nieces.
Arrangements were by Robert
Schoems Menorah Chapel, Paramus.

Chevra Kadisha Taharath Jacob Isaac

Obituaries are prepared with

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

Wishing Everyone
A Very Happy
Chanukah

Serving the needs of the Jewish community for 35 years

with respect, dignity and strict adherence to halacha
through many funeral homes in the tri-state area.
Family operated for three generations.

For emergencies, 24 hours, 201-530-5822

Happy Chanukah to you and your family

from the members of the Jewish Memorial Chapel
Ahavas Achim Bloomfield
Amelia Lodge Cli on
Beth Israel Fair Lawn
Bnai Shalom West Orange
Chevra Thilim Passaic
Cli on Jewish Center Cli on
Adas Israel Passaic
Agudath Israel Caldwell
Ahavas Israel Passaic
Beth Ahm Verona

Beth El Rutherford
Jewish War Veterans Post 47 Cli on
Beth Shalom Pompton Lakes
Knights of Pythias Memorial
Associaon Cli on
Shomrei Emunah Montclair
Daughters of Miriam Cli on Pine Brook Jewish Center Montville
Temple Emanuel Cli on
Farband Passaic
Hungarian Hebrew Men Pinebrook Temple Ner Tamid Bloomfield
Tifereth Israel Passaic
Jewish Federaon Cli on
Passaic Hebrew Verein Passaic
Young Israel Passaic

841 Allwood Road Clifton, NJ 07012

973-779-3048 Fax 973-779-3191
www.JewishMemorialChapel.org
Vincent Marazo, Manager
NJ License No. 3424

The Board of Directors

Mount Moriah Cemetery

685 Fairview Avenue, Fairview, NJ 07022
24 Hour phone 201-943-6163

COMMUNITY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1921 NON@PROFIT

www.mountmoriahcemeteryofnewjersey.org

www.thejewishstandard.com

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

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Handicap Accessibility From Large
Parking Area

Gary Schoem Manager - NJ Lic. 3811

Conveniently Located
W-150 Route 4 East Paramus, NJ 07652

201.843.9090

1.800.426.5869

201-791-0015

800-525-3834

LOUIS SUBURBAN CHAPEL, INC.

Exclusive Jewish Funeral Chapel

Sensitive to Needs of the Jewish Community for Over 50 Years

May You Enjoy

A Very Happy Chanukah
13-01 Broadway (Route 4 West) Fair Lawn, NJ
Richard Louis - Manager
George Louis - Founder
NJ Lic. No. 3088
1924-1996

Gutterman-Wien Chanukah JS_Layout 1 11/26/13 10:33 AM Page 1

HAPPY CHANUKAH
TO YOU AND
YOUR FAMILY

From the entire staff

of Gutterman-Musicant and Wien & Wien
Observing traditions and holidays like Chanukah
is an important way to celebrate our faith.
GUTTERMAN AND MUSICANT
JEWISH FUNERAL DIRECTORS

WIEN & WIEN, INC.

MEMORIAL CHAPELS

Alan L. Musicant, Mgr. N.J. Lic. No. 2890

Martin D. Kasdan, N.J. Lic. No. 4482

Headstones, Duplicate Markers and Cemetery Lettering

With Personalized and Top Quality Service

1-800-522-0588
Fax: 201-489-2392
1-800-322-0533
402 Park Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601
Serving all of Florida

Please call 1-800-675-5624

Advance Planning conferences conveniently arranged at our chapel or in your own home

Established 1902

www.kochmonument.com
76 Johnson Ave., Hackensack, NJ 07601

www.GuttermanMusicantWien.com
JEWISH STANDARD DECEMBER 4, 2015 61

Classified
Antiques

(201) 837-8818

Florida Condo For Sale

Antiques Wanted
WE BUY
Oil Paintings

Silver

Bronzes

Porcelain

Oriental Rugs

Furniture

Marble Sculpture

Jewelry

Tiffany Items

Chandeliers

Chinese Art

Bric-A-Brac

Tyler Antiques
Established by Bubbe in 1940!

tylerantiquesny@aol.com

201-894-4770

coral LAKES COACH HOUSE

Beautiful! Private Elevator

2 Bdrm, plus Den
Active Clubhouse
Marilyn Tako
Signature Intl R.E.
561-901-1138

Wanted: Apartment To Share

ROOM RENTAL NEEDED
Very responsible, Kosher, college female, freshman in need
of a furnished or unfurnished
room w/bath to rent in Teaneck
or Bergenfield, near bus. In private home or carriage house,
fine. Please call or text:
201-233-1119 or 201-250-6230

Cemetery Plots For Sale

beth el/cedar PARK, Paramus, N.J. Memorial Park Section,
8 graves, lot #691, Block 29.
Moved out of State, priced to sell
quickly. 215-444-9055

Situations Wanted

veteran/college graduate
seeks employment in telephone
sales. 25 years experience in purchasing and marketing of diverse
products. Proven success in generating new business through
building strong relationships, senior
buyer of toys, hobbies, hard goods
and bulk toys. Honest, hard worker. email:yendisid@optonline.net

DAUGHTER
FOR A DAY, LLC

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clean, shop, & cook. 201-737-4348

experienced
BABYSITTER
for Teaneck area.
Please call Jenna
201-660-2085

Help Wanted
teachers WANTED PASSAIC
Boys School seeking
4th & 5th Grade Teacher
1:30 -4:45,
no Fridays
At least 1 year teaching

Email: bhykop@gmail.com
or Fax: 973-778-5697

Are you elderly and

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646-705-2050
I am honest, loyal
and trustworthy.
experienced CHHA looking for
a night position to care for you or
your loved one. Drives/own car.
Speaks English. 201-663-1486

Shomer Shabbos

NICHOL AS A NTIQUE S

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

ESTATES BOUGHT & SOLD

T Fine Furniture Antiques Accessories U

Cash Paid

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Used Furniture
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Bronzes Silver
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We come to you Free Appraisals

Call Us!

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www.ansantiques.com
62 Jewish Standard DECEMBER 4, 2015

Congregtion Bnai Jacob of Jersey City is seeking a

full-time/part-time Rabbi to serve as the religious, spiritual and
educational leader to our congregation. This person will partner closely with a dedicated Board of Directors to reinvent and
modernize the Synagogue. The person should be innovative,
inspiring and energetic. Primary responsibiliy is Religious
Services, Synagogue Development and Community Building.
Years of experience are flexible. Recent graduates of
Rabbini-cal School are welcomed to apply as well as seasoned
Rabbis.
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Solution to last weeks puzzle. This weeks puzzle is

on page 54.

PARTY
PLANNER
To advertise call
201-837-8818

Jewish Music with an Edge

THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

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AGreene@BaRockorchestra.com
www.BaRockOrchestra.com

Jewish standard deCeMBer 4, 2015 63

Real Estate & Business

Opening of Brightview Tenafly celebrated
Residents, family, friends, professionals, and neighbors celebrated the grand opening for Brightview
Tenafly, a new senior living community in Tenafly.
The community buzzed with excitement at the evening event everyone chatted and mingled, sipping
cocktails and enjoying hors doeuvres.
This is an important day for all of us, said Alina
Vanden Berg, executive director. We are thrilled to
officially welcome our wonderful residents and their
families as well as thank everyone who was instrumental in bringing this community to life. The community
is beautiful.
Janet Mantel, whose father Herbert Schwartz chose
the community when it was only plans and a construction site, spoke of the connections that have developed
between associates and residents and their families.
I am touched by the strong bonds that have
formed, Ms. Mantel explained. In a few short months
Brightview Tenafly opened in June Ive seen special
relationships develop between residents and families
and associates.
The high quality of care, service and support as
well as the compassion and dedication of associates
is outstanding. We are grateful to the associates at
Brightview Tenafly. Dad is so happy.
Brightview Senior Livings fourth community in
New Jersey, Brightview Tenafly, features assisted living
apartment homes for people who need some support

Links Residential
welcomes Gnesha Shain
Links Residential, a boutique real
estate agency, welcomes Gnesha
Shain to its growing team as sales
associate/realtor.
Born and raised in New York,
and living in New Jersey since
2002, Ms. Shain brings many
years of sales experience to all
her real estate transactions.
Her background in accounting
Gnesha Shain
gives her an additional understanding of her clients needs for
purchasing and selling properties. Ms. Shain works with clients patiently, with honesty and integrity, guiding them every
step of the way to ensure that they achieve their real estate
goals. Her professionalism, dedication, and deep understanding of the market is the perfect combination for success.
Ms. Shain is a member of the National Association of Realtors, Eastern Bergen County Board of Realtors, New Jersey
MLS, and Ocean County MLS.
We are excited to welcome Gnesha to the Links Residential
team. Her success is driven by her commitment to provide
the highest level of service and truly understanding what her
clients needs are. said Marc Stein, broker/owner of Links
Residential.
To learn more, visitwww.LinksNJ.com or call (201)
992-3600.

Residents celebrate the grand opening of

Brightview Tenafly.
services and are looking for a vibrant lifestyle, and
Wellspring Village, Brightviews specially designed
neighborhood for people living with dementia and
memory impairment.
Weve seen the community come alive since the
spring, said Sherry Zimmer, community sales director. Its been remarkable. There is something special
going on here.
To learn more about Brightview Tenafly, call Ms.
Zimmer at (201) 510-2060 or visit visit www.brightviewseniorliving.com.

MORE listings. MORE experience. MORE sales.

TEANECK

TEANECK

TEANECK

TEANECK

NEW CONSTRUCTION

286 Winthrop Road

693 Downing Street

518 Northumberland Ave.

289 Ogden Avenue

$530,000 127 DEEP PROPERTY

$1,899,000 7 BEDROOM 5.5 BATH

$1,349,0007 BEDROOM, 136 FT FRONTAGE

$609,000 3 BEDROOM, 60 FT FRONTAGE

TEANECK

TEANECK

BERGENFIELD

BERGENFIELD

PRICE CHANGE

1351 Sussex Road

$669,000 5 BEDROOM 132 DEEP PROPERTY

977 Country Club Drive

$455,000 4 BEDROOMS, 80 FT FRONTAGE

vera-nechama.com
64 Jewish Standard DECEMBER 4, 2015

82 Surrey Lane

$494,900 4 BEDROOMS, 3.5 BATHS

201.692.3700

79 John Place

$1,200,000 EXECUTIVE 5 BEDROOM, 4.5 BATH

VERA AND NECHAMA REALTY 1401 Palisade Avenue Teaneck, New Jersey
facebook.com/VeraNechamaRealty

info@vera-nechama.com

Friedberg

Happy
Chanukah

Happy
Chanukah
from
all of us at
Volpe Real Estate

640 Palisade Avenue Englewood Cliffs, NJ

201-567-8700 Fax 201-567-6828

FROM

MaRlyn FRiedbeRg
& assOciates

CUSTOM BROKER RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL

SALES RENTAL LEASING

BANK-OWNED PROPERTY
PRICES NEGOTIABLE

ALPINE/CLOSTER RIVERVALE ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS TENAFLY

768-6868

666-0777

568-1818

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY!

BRIDGE PLAZA - FORT LEE

1 Br 1.5 Baths. Spectacular sunset view. $105,000

1 Br 1.5 Baths. High floor. Full river view. Renovated and
freshly painted. Move in. $195,000
2 Br 2 Baths. Total renovation and redesign. Laundry, new
windows and more. Full river. A must see. $395,000
3 Br 3.5 Baths. Extended kitchen, laundry and more.
Fabulous SE view. $699,000

353 Demott Ave. $379,999

942 Country Club Dr. $379,900

Happy
Martin H. Basner, Realtor Associate
Chanukah (Office) 201-794-7050 (Cell) 201-819-2623

GARDEN STATE HOMES

25 Broadway, Elmwood Park, NJ

Wishing you a
Happy Chanukah
from all of us at
Anhalt Realty

428 Windsor Rd.

$489,000
1-3PM
Just Listed. Totally Updated. Identical 2 Family. 80' X 105' Prop.
Oak Flrs. Large LR, Din Rm open to New Kit, 2 Brms, New Full Bath.
Fin Bsmt/.5 Bath. All new Sep Utils, C/A/C, Whole House Generator.
$489,000

ENGLEWOOD

577 Overlook Pl.

$450,000
1-3 PM
Contemp S/L. 3 Brms, 2.5 Updated Baths. 100' X 126' Lot. LR/Vault
Ceil/Sky Lites, FDR, Eat in Kit. Steps down to Spacious Fam Rm,
French Drs to Fenced Yard & 2-Tiered Pond. A few steps down to
High Ceil Recrm Bsmt, Off/Guest Area. C/A/C. Gar.

240 Grand Avenue

Englewood, NJ

HAPPY
CHANUKAH

201-568-3300
info@anhaltrealty.com
www.anhaltrealty.com

Allan Dorfman

Broker/Associate

201-461-6764 Eve
201-970-4118 Cell
201-585-8080 x144 Office
Realtorallan@yahoo.com

Happy Chanukah
to all our Friends
and Clients

TM

TEANECK

BRIGHT

$519,000

New listing is renovated & move-in ready, open floor plan, high end finishes,
new kitchen w/granite & stainless, living room w/hardwood floors, fireplace, 4-5
bedrooms, finished basement w/new bath, fenced yard.
DIR: Queen Anne Rd to 272 Edgemont Terrace

ALPINE/CLOSTER
TENAFLY
RIVER VALE ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS TENAFLY

894-1234
768-6868
Larry DeNike
President

MLO #58058
LadcLassic@aOL.cOM

CRESSKILL
Orna Jackson, Sales Associate 201-376-1389

666-0777

568-1818

894-1234 871-0800

DaNieL M. ShLufMaN
Managing directOr

MLO #6706
dshLufMan@cLassicLLc.cOM

Classic Mortgage, LLC

201-368-3140
Proudly serving the Jewish Community.
Mortgage BankersNJ/NY/CT

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6

Teaneck

2 Br 2 Baths. Fully Renovated. Great closet space.

Formal dining room. $138,888

THE COLONY - FORT LEE

OPEN HOUSES
BERGENFIELD

CRESSKILL

894-1234 871-0800

DE S OP
C. UN EN
6 DA
1- Y
4P
M

y
e
-

Real Estate & Business

www.thejewishstandard.com

TEANECK

156 Copley Ave.

$850,000

12-2 PM

Spacious & Beautiful! Expand & Remodeled CH Colonial/272' Deep

Prop. 6 BRs, 5.5 Baths. Oak Flrs. LR/Fplc, Lib, Banq DR, Gorgeous
Designer Isle Kit open to Fam Rm & Deck. Super Master BR/
Shower & Sep Tub + 3 more 2nd Flr BRs. Fin 3rd Flr/Guest Suite
+ Priv Bath. Recroom Bsmt/Bath+Brm. Multi Zone HVAC. Quality
Throughout.
325 Johnson Ave.
$699,770
12-2 PM
5 BR, 3 Bath Col. Exp & renovated throughout. Great Loc. Deep 135'
Prop. Multiple Fplcs. LR, Huge DR, Mod Eat in Kit open to Fam Rm.
Fin Playrm Bsmt. C/A/C. $719,770
107 Bennett Rd.
$519,000
1-3 PM
Charming New England Colonial. Gracious Entry Hall, Lg LR/Fplc,
Form DR, Vaulted Ceil Fam Rm off Lg Mod Island Kit. 3 BRs, 2 Bath.
155' Deep Prop. C/A/C. C Club Area.

BY APPOINTMENT
TEANECK

Country Club Area. Large Liv Rm/Fplc open to Din Rm, Large Eat
In Kit. 4 Brms, 2 Baths. Bsmt. Gar. $320,000
Renovated Col. Spacious, 4 BRs 2 Baths. C/A/C. Granite Peninsula
Kit/SS App. Inlaid H/W Flrs. Fplc. Fin Bsmt. Huge 175' deep yard.
Det Gar. $349,000

ALL CLOSE TO NY BUS / HOUSES OF WORSHIP /

HIGHWAYS / SHOPPING / SCHOOLS & NY BUS
For Our Full Inventory & Directions 2015
Visit our Website
READERS
CHOICE
www.RussoRealEstate.com
FIRST PLACE

(201) 837-8800

Jewish Standard DECEMBER 4, 2015 65

Real Estate & Business

SELLING YOUR HOME?

Call Susan Laskin Today

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

JTS hosts discussion on disabilities,

inclusion, and Jewish education
The Jewish Theological Seminary will
host Disabilities, Inclusion, and Jewish Education on Tuesday, December
8, at 7:30 p.m.
The speakers will consider how the
Jewish community helps individuals
with a range of disabilities participate
meaningfully in Jewish education and
Jewish life. They will discuss key innovations and challenges in the field as they
apply to both formal and informal Jewish
education, and will explore which programs, services, and opportunities are
still missing.
The speakers include: Howard Blas,
director of the National Ramah Tikvah
Network, which offers the inspirational
Ramah camp experience to Jewish children and young adults with disabilities;
Dori Frumin Kirshner, executive director
of Matan in New York City, an organization that influences Jewish special needs
education by training current and future

leaders in a variety of settings; Arlene

Remz, executive director of Gateways:
Access to Jewish Education, the central
organization for Jewish special education
in Greater Boston; and Ilana Ruskay-Kidd,
the founder and head of the Shefa School,
a new Jewish day school in New York City
for children with learning disabilities.
The program will be moderated by
Abigail Uhrman, Ph.D., assistant professor of Jewish Education at the William
Davidson Graduate School of Jewish
Education of JTS, who conducts research
among parents of children with special
needs, about Jewish day schools, and
about educational decision-making. The
program will take place at JTS, 3080
Broadway (corner of 122nd Street) in
New York City. Admission is free; RSVP
at www.jtsa.edu/inclusion. Please have
photo ID available at the door. This event
will also be live-streamed at www.jtsa.
edu/live.

Cell: 201-615-5353

2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC.

NVE-1303 Mortg 5x6.5BW:NVE-1303 Mortg 5x6.5BW

10/29/10

2:40 PM

Page 1

Wishing you a
Chanukah
DontHappy
let mortgage

NVE MISSION #15: Keep our hometowns and customers thriving.

rates like these

pass you by!

Theres never been a better time to refinance with NVE.

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Dont wait, call our Mortgage Specialist
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1-866-NVE-BANK nvebank.com

*APR= Annual Percentage

APR is accurate
as of
10/29/10. Englewood,
Loans are 1-4 Hillsdale,
family New Jersey
Offices inRate.
Bergenfield,
Closter,
Cresskill,
owner-occupied properties only. Rates and terms are subject to change without notice. As an example,
Leonia,
New
Milford,
Teaneck
and
Tenafly
the 10-year loan at the stated APR would have 120 monthly payments of $9.89 per thousand borrowed
based on a 20% down payment or equity for loan amounts up to $500,000. Payments do not include
amounts for taxes and insurance premiums, if applicable. The actual payment obligation will be greater.
Property
insurance
is required.DECEMBER
Other rates and
66
Jewish
Standard
4, terms
2015 are available. Subject to credit approval.

Offices in Bergenfield, Closter, Cresskill, Englewood, Hillsdale, Leonia, New Milford,

Teaneck and Tenafly

December events at the new Black Box

span comedy, karaoke, and improv
Throughout the month of December
a number of events open to the public
will be held in Black Box Studios new
home at 200 Walraven Drive, just off
Palisade Avenue in Teaneck.
On Saturday, December 12, at 8 p.m.,
local professional actors and BBS teaching artists will convene for a reading of
the comedic play Cloud 9 by Caryl
Churchill, a time-shifting comedy that
created a sensation Off-Broadway in
the early 1980s. The New York Times
called it Intelligent, inventive, and
funny. Seating is limited for this dramatic reading of Cloud 9, and viewer
discretion is very much advised. Tickets, all $10, are available at www.blackboxnynj.com. Space permitting, seats
will be available at the door about 30
minutes before showtime.
On Monday, December 21, at 9 p.m.,
Black Box will hold a live band karaoke
night. Why sing along with a CD when
you can front a real live rock band? It
will feature staff members from Black
Box Rox: The Rock Music Academy of
Teaneck. There is a $10 cover charge
at the doors, which open at 8:30 p.m.,
and refreshments provided by The
Teaneck Doghouse will be on sale
throughout the evening.
There will be a jazz jam and open mic
on Wednesday, December 23, at 9 p.m.,
featuring staff members from Black Box
Rox. There will be a $10 cover charge
at the doors, which open at 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, January 2, at 8 p.m.,
the arts center will host Improv Bowl
II: Team Format Improvisational

Teaneck residents took part in

and watched Improv Bowl I on
November 22 at the new Black Box
Performing Arts Center of Teaneck.
Improv Bowl II is slated for Saturday,
January 2 at 8 p.m. 
A. Rosen

Comedy. Two teams of improv artists

go head-to-head in a series of hysterical and vibrant short form games all
led by host/referee Huey Esquire. For
general admission spectator tickets,
just $7, visit www.blackboxnynj.com
or come to the door about 20 minutes
before the 8 p.m. start time (space permitting). The Teaneck Doghouse, as
always, sells refreshments throughout
the festivities.
For further information, visit www.
blackboxnynj.com, or email richard@
blackboxnynj.com and/or matt@
blackboxnynj.com.

May your Hanukkah be as lovely and bright as the warm glow of candle lights!
May you and your loved ones always be blessed with joy and happiness!
Jeffrey Schleider
Broker/Owner
Miron Properties NY

NJ:
NY:

TENAFLY

201.266.8555
T: 212.888.6250
T:

TENAFLY
SO

Ruth Miron-Schleider
Broker/Owner
Miron Properties NJ

201.906.6024
M: 917.576.0776
M:

TEANECK
SO

LD

LD

TEANECK

SU
N
HO OP DA
US EN Y
E1
-3

SO

LD

7 GLENWOOD ROAD

136 OAK STREET

36 LINDBERGH BOULEVARD $799,000

1044 E. LAWN COURT

ENGLEWOOD

ENGLEWOOD

ENGLEWOOD

ENGLEWOOD

32 SUTTON PLACE

212 MAPLE STREET $1,600,000

42 LEXINGTON COURT $1,695,000

200 S. DWIGHT PLACE $2,200,000

FORT LEE

FORT LEE

FORT LEE

CO UN
NT DE
RA R
CT
!

FORT LEE
SO

EX
CO TRA
NS OR
TR DI
UC NA
TIO RY
N!

SO

LD

LD

LIS JUS
TE T
D!

OF ST
-T AT
HE E-A
RT
!

LIS JUS
TE T
D!

CO UN
NT DE
RA R
CT
!

WHITEMAN HOUSE, #7-I

THE PALISADES, #2507

THE COLONY, #14-P $138,000

THE PLAZA, #26-A

CROWN HEIGHTS

BEDFORD STUYVESANT

EAST VILLAGE

GREEN POINT

J
SO UST
LD
!

CO UN
NT DE
RA R
CT
!

N
FE O
E!

J
SO UST
LD
!

1292 SAINT MARKS AVENUE, #3

CHOCOLATE FACTORY, #4-I

THE ROBYN. 2 BR. From $2,995/month.

67 SUTTON STREET

LOWER EAST SIDE

WILLIAMSBURG

MIDTOWN EAST

UPPER WEST SIDE

60 EAST 55TH STREET, PH1 $8,290,000

THE APTHORP, #7-C. $6,995,000

N
FE O
E!

SO

207 MADISON. 3 BR. $3,495/month.

34 NORTH 7TH STREET, #8-E

AV PAR
PL EN K
AC UE
E!

LD

LIS JUS
TE T
D!

Contact us today for your complimentary consultation!

Jeff@MironProperties.com Ruth@MironProperties.com
www.MironProperties.com
Each Miron Properties office is independently owned and operated.

Jewish Standard DECEMBER 4, 2015 67

STORE HOURS

646 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666

SUN.-TUES. 7AM-9PM
WED. 7AM-10PM
THURS. 7AM-11PM
FRI. 7AM-1 HOURS
BEFORE SUNDOWN
SAT. CLOSED

Tel: 201-855-8500 Fax: 201-801-0225

Sign Up For Your

Loyalty
Card
In Store

Sale Effective
12/6/15 -12/11/15

69

69

Sweet
Honeydews

Cubanelle
Peppers

LB.

Sunday Super Savers!

Fresh

Bananas

49

FOR

LB.

Fresh

Whole Chickens

$ 29

Super Family Pack

Fresh

Lb

Save On!

Super Family Pack

Save On!

Glicks
Chick
Peas

4 $5

La Choy
Light
Soy Sauce

2 $4

89

15 OZ.

10 OZ.

FOR

Natural

2 $5

12 OZ.

Chocolate

20 OZ.

99

2 $3

17.6 OZ.

Mozzarella or Pizza

$ 79
Save On!

Calavo
Fresh Guacamole
12 OZ.

2 $7
FOR

$ 99

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Stonyfield
Organic Yogurt
6 OZ.

99

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Polly-O
Ricotta Cheese

2 LB.

$ 99

MARKET

DELI SAVINGS

646 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666

201-855-8500 Fax: 201-801-0225
www.thecedarmarket.com
info@thecedarmarket.com

FISH
`

Hod Golan

Grilled Teriyaki
Salmon Roll

$ 95ea.
$

1699

Mixed
Deli
Wrap

75
ea.

Lb.

$ 99

4 In Love
Roll

Corned
Beef

Vegetable
Roll

1295
ea.

Ea.

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Upgraded Salad Bar

$ 99
Assorted

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Cottage Cheese
16 OZ.

25
$

FOR

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$ 69

Lb

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FOR

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or Lapidor

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69

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

FROZEN

FOR

Assorted

2 $5
14.4 OZ.

FOR

Diced

BGan
Philadelphia
Butternut Squash
Cream
Cheese
24 OZ.
8-10 OZ.

25
$

FOR

Assorted

Sincerely Brigitte
Sliced Cheese Tray
7 OZ.

$ 99

24
$

FOR

Mazors
Puff Pastry
Squares

10 PK. 12 OZ.

$ 99

Carmit

Milk Chocolate
or Dairy

4 1
$

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

LB.

FOR

Save On!

Cedar Market
Gefilte
Fish

Dole
Blueberries

$ 99

$ 99

20 OZ.

Save On!

BGan
Crispy Fries
32 OZ

2 5
$

FOR

Original

Morning Star
Grillers

2 $7
10 OZ.

FOR

BUY 2 GET 1

FREE

12 OZ.

Save On!

Hoffmans
Pizza Snaps
20 OZ.

$ 99
Save On!

Empire Chicken
Nuggets

2 LB.

$ 99

Save On!

16.9 OZ.

2 $4

$ 49

FOR

In Juice

Original Only

Dole Fruit
Dole
Crushed Diced Peaches
Cup
Pineapple
4 PK.

2 $3 2 $5

12.25 OZ.

20 OZ.

$ 99

Chocolate
Coins

45 CT

Birds Eye
Califa Farms
Almond Milk Broccoli Cauliflower
Blend
48 OZ.

2 $7

$ 99

Save On!

FREE Tuna Salad

Cheeze
Blintzes

Honey
Nut
Cheerios

Laffy
Taffy
Tub

Original

BUY 2 GET 1

Original

Lb

General Mills

Assorted

Ner Mitzvah
Colored
Candles

44 CT.

7.5 OZ.

4 $1 2 $5

B&G
Dill
Gherkins
32 OZ.

HOMEMADE DAIRY

Natural Earth Natures Own

Apple
Balsamic
Juice
Vinegar
64 OZ.

Save On!

12 CT

Kosher

Check Out Our New Line

of Cooked Fish

Original

Save On!

Save On!

Blooms
Pop
MMs
1 OZ.

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

59 OZ.

LB.

Lb

Ready to Bake

$ 99

Lb

LB.

King
Salmon

Shwarma Style
Chicken Wings

$ 99

1499

Tree Ripe
Orange Juice

1099

$ 99 $1999

Lb

Oven Ready

$ 99

Save On!

Save On!

$ 99

99 79 2 $4

Liquid

11 OZ.

Ground
Lamb

Beef Marrow
Bones

Lb

Lb

Candles

$ 99

Fresh & Healthy

Oneg
Milk
Shredded
Cheese
64 OZ.
2 LB.

Fage
Greek Yogurt

LB.

SUSHI

FOR

FOR

Save On!

DAIRY

Assorted

$ 99

12 OZ.

5 OZ.

Noushka Milk & Honey

Sweet
Baking
Chili
Sauce
Bar
7.5 OZ.

Green
Beans

Save On!

Manischewitz
Medium or Fine
Egg Noodles

La Choy
Chow Mein
Noodles

$ 99

FOR

LB.

Loyalty
Program

Pickled Deckle Onion Crusted

Corned Beef Chicken Cutlets

Save On!

Save On!

Mikee
Sauce

FOR

Fresh

FOR

Honey Garlic

Nakano
Rice
Vinegar

27
$

1099

Lb

GROCERY

29 OZ.

LB.

Blackberries

Boneless
Flanken

$ 29

$ 99

Lb

Hunts
Tomato
Sauce

2 $5

EA.

Ground
Chuck

Blade & Round Bone

Save On!

Assorted

59

YOUR
CHOICE

$ 99

Lb

Lamb Chops

$ 99

Have An Apple Day!

Fuji Gala, , McIntosh,
Golden Red Delicious,
Macoun, Crispin
Apples

Top of the Rib

Roast

Shoulder

Chicken
Fingers

69

$ 89

Lb

LB.

Chicken
Cutlets

Cut Up in 1/4s & 1/8s

EA.

Fresh

at:
Visit Our Website om
et.c
www.thecedarmark

646 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666

201-855-8500 Fax: 201-801-0225
www.thecedarmarket.com
info@thecedarmarket.com

Cedar Markets Meat Dept. Prides Itself On Quality, Freshness And Affordability. We Carry The Finest Cuts Of Meat And
FISH
The Freshest Poultry... Our Dedicated Butchers Will Custom Cut Anything For You... Just Ask!
Salmon
Fresh Florentine
Fresh
Save On!
American Black Angus Beef
Fresh

MEAT DEPARTMENT

Two in a Pack

Only

2/$

79

LB.

Red
Plums

CEDAR MARKET

ORGANIC ORGANIC ORGANIC

Hass
Avocados

Loyalty
Program

Fresh Sweet

Slicing
Tomatoes

Mixed Green
Peppers

49

Only

Only

MARKET

TERMS & CONDITIONS: This card is the property of Cedar Market, Inc. and is intended for exclusive
use of the recipient and their household members. Card is not transferable. We reserve the right to
change or rescind the terms and conditions of the Cedar Market loyalty program at any time, and
without notice. By using this card, the cardholder signifies his/her agreement to the terms &
conditions for use. Not to be combined with any other Discount/Store Coupon/Offer. *Loyalty Card
must be presented at time of purchase along
with ID for verification. Purchase cannot be
reversed once sale is completed.

CEDAR MARKET

ORGANIC ORGANIC ORGANIC

PRODUCE
Sunday Super Savers!

Fine Foods
Great Savings

FOR

FOR

Elite
Chocolate
Coins

Liebers or Paskesz

Candy Filled
D reidels

Dairy or Parve

99

2 OZ

24 PK BOX

$ 49

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

Kineret
Mini Potato
Latkes

30 OZ.

BAKERY

Black & White

Seven Layer
Cake

$ 99 $ 99
Vanilla

Tofutti
Cuties

12 OZ.

$ 99

Macabee
Mozzarella
Sticks
2 LB.

$ 99

22 OZ.

PROVISIONS
Assorted

Tirat Zvi
Turkey

2 $6
5 OZ.

FOR

Aarons or Shor Habor

Sliced
Pastrami

$ 99

6 OZ.

We reserve the right to limit sales to 1 per family. Prices effective this store only. Not responsible for typographical errors. Some pictures are for design purposes only and do not necessarily represent items on sale. While Supply Lasts. No rain checks.