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Page 3

JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2

NOSHES ...............................................................4

OPINION ...........................................................20

COVER STORY ................................................26

D’VAR TORAH ................................................42

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ................................43

CALENDAR ......................................................44

GALLERY ..........................................................47

OBITUARIES ....................................................48

CLASSIFIEDS ..................................................50

REAL ESTATE ..................................................52

CONTENTS

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Israelirhinoescapes

— again● Back in January2015, we told youabout three rhinoc-eroses who walkedout of the RamatGan zoo whenthe zookeeper fellasleep.

Some zoos neverlearn.

On Sundayafternoon, a rhinonamed Tibor calmlywalked out thedoors of the zoo,with a zookeeper running behind him. The escape was short-lived; the rhinoback in the zoo. The fate of the zookeeper remains unknown.

We can’t help but wonder: Was the zookeeper born in a barn?LARRY YUD

The new face of Israel activism● Rumor has it thatmost of our jobs are atrisk of being automated.But we thought thatone bit of human capitalwas secure — policingcampus discourse. Now,according to an accountof a Middle Easternstudies event at BrownUniversity, even that roleseems destined for aJohn Henry moment.

Short story: asreported by Brown’schapter of Open Hillel,while students andscholars are havinga discussion aboutPalestinian citizens ofIsrael, a robot — or,more accurately, an iPadfeaturing the face ofStand With Us Northeast

Director Shahar Azaniattached to a suit attached to a “doublerobotics telepresence robot” (that’sright, a robotics robot) — proceedsto chat with students about why theyattended the event. (Brookstone sells

the extremely high-end wheelie robotwithout coat and tie,but we totally get whythey make the wholeshtick more profesh.)

The idea wasthe brainchild of“futurologist” Dr.Roey Tzetzana, whohas no professionalaffiliation with StandWith Us, and whomeant the tool tobe an experimentin “engagementover distance” andan opportunity forstudents to “hear othervoices.” But a numberof students reportedfeeling uncomfortable.We’re thinkingthere might be a

better (if less clever)way to start difficult conversationsthan dressing a robot in a suit andmansplaining over Skype. Not thatthat’s gone so well in the past

LEAH FALK / THEJEWNIVERSE.COM

Mr. Tambourine Man’s hey● For decades, Dylanologists — thisauthor included — have pored overscraps of lyrics to answer the intrigu-ing, if pointless, question: How Jewishis the man born as Robert Zimmer-man?

Now there’s one more scrap ofevidence — this one on paper.

The clue comes in a page from

a notebook that is now in thepossession of the George KaiserFamily Foundation, which boughtBob Dylan’s 6,000 item trove ofnotebooks, typed lyrics, recordingcontracts, address books, andsoundboard recordings for a reported

$15 to $20 million. As shown in thispicture featured on the New YorkTimes’ website, Mr. Dylan took pen tohand to doodle a series of what may— or may not — be the Hebrew letterhey.

The foundation, which boughtthe archives of Mr. Dylan’s heroand inspiration, Woody Guthrie, in

2011, is the beneficiary of GeorgeKaiser, one of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s twoJewish billionaires. (The other is LynnSchusterman.) Following the exampleof Bill Gates, Mr. Kaiser has pledged todonate most of his wealth to charitybefore he dies. A year younger than

Mr. Dylan, who turns 75 in May, Mr.Kaiser was born in Tulsa to refugeesfrom Nazi Germany. Forbes estimateshis worth at $7.4 billion, made mostlyin the oil and energy business; hehas donated more than $4 billionto his foundation, which focuses oneliminating poverty and inequalityand supporting the city of Tulsa.

How much the citizens of Tulsa willbenefit from the city’s new status asa mecca for Dylanologists remainsto be seen. But certainly the fieldis due for a renaissance, with therevelations in the initial press barrageopening up more questions. It is,

after all, impossible to gauge thesignificance of Mr. Dylan’s possiblyHebrew doodles without knowingwhat year the notebook is from. Anthose of us who have found meaninin an apparent reference to a shivahhouse in the lyrics to the song Dign— “Drinkin’ man listens to the voicehe hears / In a crowded room full of

covered-up mirrors” — now have toask: What other Jewish secrets areconcealed in the 40 pages of draftlyrics to the song reported to be inthe archive?

LARRY YUDEL


4/56

Noshes

4 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2016

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

nickname of “Revenant”

cinematographer

EMMANUEL LUBEZKI,

51, who won his third

consecutive Oscar the

same night.

While he certainly

doesn’t look goatlike

now, Lubezki told the

New York Times in 2014

how he got his nick-

name: “When I was 5 a

[Mexican] schoolmate

gave it [to me]. I guess

it was my face looked

like a goat, almost every

boy in the school had

the animal nickname.”

Lubezki, by the way,

filmed “Knight of Cups.”

So I can almost guaran-

tee you “Knight” will be

visually exciting even if

the film is “too arty” for

most tastes.

Recently, I wrote

about Donald

Trump’s familial

Jewish connections, so I

figure it’s time to write

about Hillary’s. Of

course, just about

everyone knows that her

daughter, Chelsea, has

been married since 2010

to MARK MEZVINSKY,

38, an investment

banker who is the son of

two former House

members. They have

one child and another is

on the way. Speculation

is that their children will

be raised in both their

parents’ faiths. Less well

known, although I have

noted this before, is that

Hillary Clinton had a

Jewish “half aunt,” the

late ADELINE ROSEN-

BERG FRIEDMAN.

Hillary was fairly close to

Adeline. This aunt was

the daughter of Hillary’s

paternal grandmot

Dorothy, and her se

husband, MAX ROS

BERG, who was Je

(Adeline was the ha

brother of Hillary’s

father). While Doro

never converted to

Judaism, Adeline d

and lived her life as

Jew.

Early in Febr

“Empire” staJUSSIE SMO

LETT, 32, visited Fli

Michigan, and donat

$10K for relief effort

Oscars night, Febru

28, he joined other

African-American st

on the stage in Flint

raise awareness of t

water crisis and to r

money for Flint resid

Smollett sang a son

son of a Jewish fath

and an African Ame

mother, Smollet (his

words)—identifies a

African American an

Jewish man.” By the

his sister JURNEE

SMOLLETT-BELL, 2

co-stars in “Undergr

in Louisiana,” a new

10-episode series on

cable station WGN.

about the Undergro

Railway, the networ

spirited slaves to fre

dom. Christopher M

(“Law and Order: SV

co-stars. It began on

March 9, but you ca

catch up via encore

online. New episode

Wednesdays at 10 p

Natalie Portman

CHAPTER BY CHAPTER :

‘Knight of Cups’features Portman

Max Greenfield Natasha Lyonne

Mili Avital Mark Mezvinsky Jussie Smollett

“Knight of Cups”

is opening Friday,

March 11. This

Terence Malick film,

which is labeled as

experimental by the

director, stars Christian

Bale as Rick, a success-

ful but unhappy screen-

writer who finds his only

solace in women.

NATALIE PORTMAN, 34,

stars in one of eight“chapters” in the film. All

of the chapters center

on one person in Rick’s

life; Portman plays a

woman Rick once

wronged

“Hello, My Name is Do-

ris” is opening the same

day. It stars Sally Field

as Doris, a woman who

is smitten with John, her

company’s new, much-

younger art director.

MAX GREENFIELD, 35,

who is best known as

Schmidt on TV’s “The

New Girl,” plays John.

Doris mines the Internet

for info on John and

finds out who his hip

friends are and where

they hang out. She

seeks out these friends

and they like her. Over

time she adopts these

friends’ bohemian ways,

and her personal style

loosens up. But her fam-

ily and old friends think

that Doris is making a

fool of herself pursing

her crush on John. Co-

stars include NATASHA

LYONNE, 36.

The director is MI-

CHAEL SHOWALTER,

45 who is best known as

a co-star and co-writer

of “Wet Hot American

Summer” and its recent

Netflix prequel. One

of his more obscure

credits is the 2005 film

“The Baxter,” which he

directed and starred

in. This very quirky and

uneven romantic com-

edy didn’t make muchmoney, but it’s worth

renting. It’s a send-up of

all the romantic comedy

clichés about the “right

guy” sweeping the girl

off her feet at the last

minute. Showalter plays

a nebbishy nice guy who

is repeatedly dumped

for the “right guy.” So I

wasn’t surprised that he

is helming another film

about possibly unrequit-

ed love like “Doris.”

You might have

heard Charles

Randolph, a

co-Oscar winner for his

“Big Short” screenplay,

say “I love you, Mili” in

Hebrew from the Oscar

stage. He was speaking

to his wife, Israeli actress

MILI AVITAL, 43. As

noted in my story about

the Oscars, their son is

being raised Jewish. You

also might have heard

best actor winner

Leonardo DiCaprio and

“Revenant” director

Alejandro Iñárritu thank

“Chivo” in their speech-

es. “Chivo” means goat

in Spanish, and it’s the

California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at

[email protected]

“ings got a little awkward when the gutelling me about how Jews controlthe media asked if I was Jewish.”

— Huffington Post reporter and Teaneck native Daniel Ma

discussing the reporting for his article “How Trum

Inspiring A New Generation Of White Nationa

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6JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2016

‘A cop is a cop is a cop’First responders go to Israel with Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey

ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN

Was Paramus Detective Sgt.

John Devine scared about

traveling to Israel for the

irst time?

“Yes. I was scared because I was so

excited,” the strapping police detective

replied with a grin. “I’m ecstatic to be here,”

he added. He was at dinner in Jerusalem

with the rest of his co-travelers — a delega-

tion of irst responders invited by the Jew-

ish Federation of Northern New Jersey to get

an up-close look at the Jewish state and its

police and emergency services.Sgt. Devine and Paramus Police Chief

Kenneth Ehrenberg said they were inter-

ested in learning how Israeli law enforc-

ers deal with constant security threats and

what systems they use day to day to protect

their infrastructure, schools, and malls.

They noted that Paramus is not only a

city of many shopping malls but also of

many Jewish residents and institutions,

including four synagogues, the federation

ofices, and most of the Jewish day schools

in Bergen County. Chief Ehrenberg was

head of the city’s detective division in

2012, when arsonists targeted two Para-

mus synagogues.

“Certain things we saw here are applica- ble for us and certain things aren’t,” Chief

Ehrenberg said.

For example, all Israeli shopping malls

have guards and metal detectors at every

entry point. “I hope we never have to raise

our mall security to that level,” he said,

given that a typica l Saturday can bring

40,000 people to the Garden State Plaza

alone. At the same time, he acknowledged,

in November 2013 “someone came with a

fully loaded assault weapon to the Garden

State Plaza, and even though by God’s

grace nobody was killed, it was an awak-

ening for us.”

Watching their counterparts in action

at the Nahariya police station, the North-

ern District regional police command, and

SWAT and anti-terrorism units, the members of the delegation observed more simi-

larities than differences.

“It was pleasant to see that a cop is a cop

is a cop, whether in Israel or in the United

States,” Chief Ehrenberg said. “We all use

the same equipment and procedures.”

Captain Jacqueline Luthcke of the Ridge-

wood Police Department said she wanted

to ind out how Israelis secure large public

gatherings, with an eye toward enhancing

security at such Ridgewood events as the

Fourth of July parade and the Memorial

Day Run.

“I’m hoping to learn how to make it

safer for our residents,” she said. “But

the funny thing I’ve learned so far is how

similar the Israelis are to us, and I was not

expecting that. Even their proceduresare very similar to ours, although some

of their technologies are better, like their

computer systems.”

Bergenield Police Chief Cathy Mad-

alone said she was “very surprised at how

similar we are to the police here as far as

dispatching, answering calls, even the

SWAT team procedures. We have the same

things they have, but the main diffe

is that the Israel Police is one big d

ment and we are 70 small departme

Bergen County.”

Chief Madalone said she was hap

be invited on the trip. “I have a very

Jewish population in my town. We

square miles and we have three Ort

synagogues, so I am very, very conn

with my Jewish community, and I thit would be a phenomenal opportun

me to learn more about Israel. My

had some hesitations about my going

didn’t at all. I’m loving every second

Miriam Allenson, the federation’s

tor of communications, accompani

group. She said that the federation’

nership2Gether missions for emer

Jersey legislative delegation visits a variety of sites

A weeklong New Jersey legislators’

study mission to Israel overlapped with

the Jewish Federation of Northern

New Jersey’s first-responders mission

in late February to early March.Organized by the New Jersey State

Association of Jewish Federations

and co-chaired by Assemblywomen

Pamela Lampitt and Holly Schepisi, the

mission included a bipartisan, multi-

ethnic group of 15 legislators, who paid

their own way.

“This is not a lying-on-the-beach

trip,” said Mark Levenson, head of the

New Jersey State Association of Jew-

ish Federations, an umbrella body en-

compassing 10 Jewish federations.

“Our overall goal is to educate the

legislators about Israel and to give

historical perspective for what goes

on here. Four of our participants are

sponsors of anti-BDS legislation that

we expect to be passed in mid- to late

March.”

Among other items on its full itiner-

ary, the delegation toured several IDFbases, Israel’s national defense college,

Tel Aviv University, the Golan Heights,

Kibbutz Erez, and Sderot near the

Gaza Strip.

They met with U.S. Ambassador Dan

Shapiro; Speaker of the Knesset Yuli

Edelstein; Minister of National Infra-

structures, Energy, and Water Yuval

Steinitz; Foreign Ministry representa-

tives; participants in Roots, a dialogue

group between Israelis and Palestinian

Arabs, and Civil Aviation Authority of

Israel Director Giora Romm, who was

a prisoner of war in Egypt in 1969 and

was deputy Israel Air Force command-

er during the 1991 Gulf War.

“As a county legislator and as a

board member of Jewish Federation

of North Jersey, this journey has been

majorly impactful,” said Tracy Silna Zur,

vice chairwoman of the Bergen CountyBoard of Chosen Freeholders.

“Our bipartisan group traveled from

north to south to see and understand

what Israel is all about and to under-

stand the importance of the relation-

ship between Israel and the United

States and specifically with the state

of New Jersey,” she said. “We met with

everyone from kibbutz members to

a Palestinian working toward nonvio-

lence to the speaker of the Knesset.”

Ms. Zur said it is important for New

Jersey residents “to know that this

group, as a whole and as individuals, is

dedicated to understanding the chal-

lenges in Israel and the importance of

anti-BDS legislation, as well as lear

best practices from one another.”

She said the group is coming ho

with ideas for strengthening partne

ships between Israel and New Jers

trade and economic development,

possibly incorporating Israeli techn

gies into the state universities.“It’s also a religious journey,” Mr. L

enson said. “All but two of the legis

tors on this mission are Christian, a

they were able to see their roots in

Jerusalem and in Tiberias.”

During one emotional moment o

the trip, Mr. Levenson gave a $125,0

check to the Regional Council of G

Etzion from the Jewish Federation

Greater Clifton-Passaic toward buil

ing a promenade commemorating

three teenage boys kidnapped ther

and killed by terrorists in 2014. The

donation was given in memory of M

and Eta Levenson’s son, Eric Elieze

who recently died. He was 28 years

From left, Lafe Bush, Cathy Madalone, John Devine, Dr. Ja

Pruden, Jacqueline Luthcke, Todd Pearl, Timothy Torell, a

Kenneth Ehrenberg stand in a gallery at the Knesset.



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medical, ire, and security personnel are

geared toward “influencers, the kinds of

people who can change minds and hearts.

“These people go back to their com-

munities as ambassadors for Israel, whocan speak to misconceptions about Israel

because they understand on a gut level

and an intellectual level what Israel is to

America,” she said.

The itinerary is designed “to show the

real Israel behind the headlines, and the

only way to do that is by being here,” she

added. “When those people go back and

talk about it, it’s like throwing a stone in

a pool and watching the rings that ripple

out from the stone. This type of mission is

an ANumber-One priority for federation.”

Lafe Bush, director of emergency ser-

vices for the Valley Health System in Ridge-

wood, said he enjoyed the group’s tour of

Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, the

federation’s partner city in the WesternGalilee. This hospital has treated many

victims of the Syrian civil war, and has full

underground facilities in case of attack

from Lebanon.

“The Centers for Medicaid and Medi-

care Services in America and the Joint

Commission, an accrediting body for hos-

pitals, are starting to look at emergency

management and demands on hospitals’

physical infrastructure and the improve-

ments they can make,” Mr. Bush said.

“One of the ideas they have talked about

is bombprooing the emergency rooms

and building underground ERs. I don’t

know if it will get to that point because

building an underground ER would be a

multimillion-dollar task in existing hospi-

tals, although it could potentially be built

in a new hospital. So it was very in

ing for me to see that Nahariya has a

done that. When their regular emer

room was bombed they were able to

underground.”A trauma surgeon at Galilee M

Center described mass casualty pla

procedures and the checklist the

tal uses to assure that incoming pa

with different types of injuries will b

cessed appropriately.

“I’ve worked on preparedness f

healthcare system, so this was an o

tunity for me to see how people wh

had frequent exposure to unusual c

stances responded and how they

adjustments in their response, and

if there is anything we can take hom

their experience,” said Dr. James Pr

an emergency care physician at St. Jo

Regional Medical Center in Paterson

“The difference is the real and pthreat that exists in Israel, and so

commitment to preparedness is

ably at a higher level than at hospi

the United States,” he said. “What’

lar is the general stratey of rapid

At the police academy in Beit Shemesh, an instructor shows Chief Kenneth Eh-

renberg a knife. Dr. James Pruden, who is partially hidden, and Captain Jacque-

line Luthcke look on.

SEE FIRST RESPONDERS PA


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‘People were so open,’ Barnert rabbi saysGathering in friendship over food breaks down barriers

LOIS GOLDRICH

What keeps her awake at

night is fear, Rabbi Elyse

Frishman wrote in a

recent article. Fear of

wasting time and of spending “more time

thinking about why I can’t do something

than getting out and doing it.”

To address at least one communal fear

— the fear of Muslims — Frishman, the reli-

gious leader of Barnert Temple in Franklin

Lakes, joined with other members of the

Oakland/Franklin Lakes Interfaith Clery,

as well as with religious leaders from the

wider Muslim community, to bring their

diverse congregants together for an eve-

ning of “safe conversation.”

Since there are no mosques in the grou p’s cat chm ent area, the cou nci l

invited representatives from the Islamic

Center in Midland Park, from the Muslim

Society of Ridgewood, and from the Peace

Island Institute, a Turkish Muslim group

involved in outreach and education.

In publicizing the meeting, the council

issued a statement noting that it “came to

the realization that conversation between

different faith groups, in a person-to-per-

son setting, was crucial to create under-

standing of, and relationships with, each

other.”

Taking this to heart, Rabbi Frishman

wrote to her congregants, telling them

that after the shul’s High Holy Days driveto raise awareness of the Syrian refugee

crisis — every member of the congregation

was asked to call President Barack Obama,

urging him to accept more refugees — she

began meeting with her interfa ith col-

leagues to discuss the issue.

“We realized that many people are

afraid of the refugees because they are

afraid or suspicious of Muslims; much of

this stems from not knowing any Mus-

lims,” Rabbi Frishman said. To rectify that,

she told her members, “we have organized

the irst social gathering of Muslim, Jews,

and Christians in western Bergen, hosted

by us at Barnert.”

The gathering, held on March 6, was

hugely successful, Rabbi Frishman said.

Jews, Christians, and Muslims talked to

each other for hours, despite the fast-

approaching inal episode of “Downton

Abbey.” Some participants were so ener-

gized by the table talk — they chatted dur-

ing a potluck supper — that they resolved

to go out to eat together at a later date to

inish their conversation.

The evening, called “Make Love Not

War — Christians, Jews and Muslims from

Our Neighborhoods,” began with a brief

cross-denominational service, including

elements of Jewish, Christian, and Mus-

lim prayers. The dinner that followed,

to which all attendees contributed, was

vegetarian.

“That way, we didn’t have to worry

about dietary restrictions,” Rabbi Frish-

man said. “Everyone brought food, and it

was so much fun that people asked for a

cookbook of all the recipes.”

In planning the evening, she added, “We

decided not only to bring people together

in the sanctuary but to have a potluck sup-

per where we could break down xenopho-

bic barriers.” Members of the interfaith

council brought members from their own

congregations, and tables were arranged

so that they included people from all reli-

gious groups. It also was geared to all age

groups, with separate rooms for tee

elementary school students.

“There were facilitators at the t

asking social questions like where a

from, and what books do you like to

Rabbi Frishman said. “It was safe c

sation, nothing controversial. And

the irst of what will become many o

tunities for people to get together.”

In all, the gathering drew som

adults and 40 teens. “There was

thing for everyone,” Rabbi Frishman

And when it was over, “there wa

nomenal feedback,” she added. “It

simple it was brilliant — opening th

Before dinner, from left, Barnert’s Rabbi Elyse Frishman, Imam Moutaz and Ammar Charaf, both of the Elzahra Islamic

Center in Midland Park; Rabbi Daniel Freelander, president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism; Rev. Kathryn

King of St. Albans Episcopal Church and Rev. Lou Kilgore of High Mountain Presbyterian Church, both in Franklin Lake

the Peace Institute’s Ercon Tozan; Mahomoud Hamza of the Elzahra Islamic Center; Rev. Alison V. Philip of the United M

odist Church in Franklin Lakes; Meryem Teke of the Peace Institute, and Rev. Nathan Busker of Ponds Reformed ChurcOakland stood together.


9/56

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to look into each other’s eyes. I was surprised by how

easy it was.

“People were so open. Especially with what’s going

on in our nation right now — we’re overwhelmed by

absurdity, anger, polarization, and we don’t buy into

that. People want to get to know each other, to break

down barriers. They don’t want to be afraid or igno-

rant of the other. They just need the opportunity.”Rabbi Frishman said the clery council will meet

soon to brainstorm its program for the coming year,

looking to facilitate “small and large gatherings for fur-

ther dialogue and conversation. We need to build faith

and trust one another.” Eventually, the communities

may move on to discuss more controversial issues. In

the meantime, “There are a lot of different opportuni-

ties, like book groups, and teens working in the gar-

den. It depends on what people are interested in. The

door is wide open.”

Other religious leaders were thrilled as well.

Rev. Alison V. Philip, pastor of the Franklin Lakes

United Methodist Church, said, “Sometimes, with-

out realizing it, cynicism builds up within me. Last

night at the interfaith friendship gathering, instead

I felt illed up with hope that change can really hap-

pen in our world and that it happens through humanrelationship.

“One thing that sticks with me is a conversation I

had with an imam who identiied the struggles refu-

gees face in this country,” she continued. “Prejudice

is a huge problem from elementary-aged children

and up, and it only perpetuates animosity between

groups. Distrust of the stranger in turn produces dis-

trust within the stranger.

“My hope going forward is to ind ways as faith

leaders to address prejudice, perhaps by continuing

to offer opportunities for people to connect human

being to human being, and to become truly neighbors

rather than strangers.”

Asked if anything surprised her at the gathering, the

Rev. Philip said, “It shouldn’t surprise me but it still

does — each time when I meet someone who seems

different from me and as we talk I realize how simi-

lar we are. It doesn’t erase differences, of course, but

it grounds me in the truth that people have sharedhopes and values and dreams.”

Rev. Nathan Busker of Ponds Reformed Church in

Oakland was moved as well, noting that “With all the

rhetoric about building walls and fearing the stranger,

the power of love during the interfaith event was pal-

pable. Last night, the space between us disappeared

as bridges of friendship were built.”

Ercan Tozan, executive director of the Peace Island

Institute, said, “We are polluting the world with our anger,

jealousy, envy, animosity, hatred, prejudices, ego, and

many other contemptuous feelings with the excuse of a

better life, nationalism, or religion.” For harmony to flour-

ish, it is “vital that we get to know each other. Knowing is

the irst step in the road leading to love and peace.”

It doesn’t erasedifferences, ofcourse, but it

grounds me in thetruth that people

have shared hopesand values and

dreams.


10/56

Local


‘The best kind of career’Teaneck millennial video-makingmusician talks about his choices

LIZ POSNER

“Do you want to be in a music video?” Teaneck

musician and entrepreneur Jeremy Katz

asked me as soon as I stepped into his home

studio. I’ve never had an interviewee begin

with a question for me, let alone an invitation to live out my

teenage fantasy of becoming a pop star. Eagerly, I agreed.

Jeremy directed me to his drum set in front of a large green

screen, which he has set up permanently in front of a digital

camera and a MacBook. He hit “play” on his speakers and

“record” on the camera, and I drummed awkwardly along to

David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.” A quick few minutes later,

Jeremy had uploaded the v ideo, chosen a backdrop, and

added spliced footage of himself on guitar and vocals. The

green screen disappeared, replaced by a full football ield.We watched the inal product: me, on drums; Jeremy at the

mic and another Jeremy strumming the guitar in front of a

screaming stadium of thousands. I have to say, Jeremy, his

clone, and I make quite the trio.

Wearing many hats comes naturally to Jeremy, 24, a Frisch

School and Yeshiva University graduate. His professional web-

site, JeremyKatzMusic.com, showcases his various passions,

which range from instrumentals and vocals to writing original

music, video production, and gear reviews.

Music is in his blood. As a teenager he played in a blues

band with his family. “My father, older brother, and younger

brother used to rehearse together,” he said. “Our basement

was always like a mini-studio.” He plays 14 different instru-

ments, including drums, banjo, mandolin, and guitar. “My

father used to record us playing together on a daily basis.

We’d dance all day and he’d ilm us. It’s fun to go back

and watch the videos now.”

Some young musicians give up their dream of

making it big once they graduate and realize

open-mic nights won’t cover their rent or col-

lege loans. Not Jeremy. In the pragmatic tradi-

tion of the Jewish people, he found a way

to turn his passion for music into a career.

“I wanted to ind a way to showcase the

fact that I play 14 instruments,” he said.

On his YouTube channel, which

has more than 900 subscrib-

ers, Jeremy produces and stars

in music video covers of pop

songs old and new, includingsingles by some of his all-time

favorite artists: Queen, Elvis,

Maroon 5, and Bruno Mars.

Some have gone viral — his cover

of The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My

Face,” for example, has more than

9,500 views.

“Not everyone is nice on YouTube,

but I try to listen to what everyone

has to say,” he said. “I also respond

to all of the comments viewers leave.

I’ll sit down once a week and answer

everyone’s questions. It makes any-

one who comments feel important.”

Jeremy Katz, above, plays the drums in his Teaneck home studio. Right, Katz on guitar,

one of the many instruments he’s mastered.


11/56

Maybe Jeremy’s most valuable asset is the healthy

sense of humor he brings to his videos. He frequently

dons costumes to heighten his music videos into trib-

ute-parody hybrids. “The costumes are the best part,”

he said. “It’s one thing hearing me, and it’s another

thing seeing me play.”

Performance certainly is on his mind throughout the

creative process. “I try to make it as entertaining as pos-sible. I thought, I’m doing a Queen song, why not dress

up like Freddie Mercury? I’ll just put the mustache on,

get the wigs, and go for it. I want you to watch my music

and be like ‘damn, that was a really good song and at

the same time, that was funny as hell.’”

Jeremy launched his entrepreneurial enterprise in

2015. So far, he has worked with major companies

like Shell Oil to create music videos for corporate

team-building. He combined his love of music, enter-

tainment, and video editing to jumpstart his music

video production career. “It was an awesome experi-

ence. I had a such a great time working with Shell, I

thought, why not keep doing this?”

For his most recent project, he created a video for

Campus Pursuit, which organizes scavenger hunts

for college students to connect them with brands.

“They’re using the music video more for advertisingand marketing,” he said. “I leave the creative decisions

up to them — I give them certain production clues.”

The rest is up to the company.

Jeremy does not see a strict divide between his cur-

rent projects. “It’s goes two ways,” he says of his You-

Tube channel and his corporate work. “The people

in the companies will share it all around, so the more

people I work with, the more my channel grows.”

Like most ambitious millennials, Jeremy uses social

media to build his personal brand. “I use Twitter, Ins-

tagram, Snapchat. I’m not the best at Twitter but I’ll

tweet something special for famous dates, like the day

John Lennon was killed, or on Elvis’ birthday I’ll post a

picture of myself dressed as Elvis.” Social media helps

him interact with younger fans, though he says some

older admirers often leave comments on his videos.

“I’d say I’m best at piano and guitar. I hated piano

when I irst started it. I wanted to play guitar because

my dad always played rock, but then I realized I loved

listening to Billy Joel and Elton John, and that’s allpiano. So I started teaching myself piano again when

I was ive or six. Then I realized I liked the saxophone

part in another song, and so I picked up the sax.”

Some instruments are more challenging than others.

“By far, the hardest instrument is the violin. I still play

it, but saxophone only took me a couple of months to

learn. But the violin, it’s like no matter how hard I try,

I can’t get down.”

So why don’t you just give it up? I asked him.

“Because I’m dying to play ‘The Devil Went Down

To Georgia,’” he said jokingly, but I could hear the

seriousness in his voice. “You can’t half-go at music.

With these videos, I had to dive in head-irst. It takes

me about four days to make a music video now. The

By far, the hardest instrument is the

violin. I still play it,but saxophone onlytook me a couple of

months to learn.

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irst time, it took me three weeks. It’s trial and error, but I

decided ‘I’m doing this,’ and so I did it.”

Like anything, hard work is just that: hard work. The

video production aspect of his business is the most dificult

for Jeremy. “It’s frustrating at times. Like with the violin,

sometimes I want to break the instrument. But I give it a

day and try again.”

He plans to build his personal brand by continuing to cre-ate music videos, both the corporate ones and the ones he

makes for fun. “I want to have a big, successful YouTube

channel. At the same time, I want to build my corporate

work. They go hand in hand.” His videos already have been

syndicated to TV networks worldwide, and he has a large

fan base in Germany.

Growing up in a Jewish home had a major impact o

“My Jewish background has influenced me tremend

he said. “Jewish homes always have a lot of music.

about it — when you’re learning about your religio

child, they teach you through songs.”

As a fellow 24-year-old pursuing my own creative

I told Jeremy how much I admire his commitment to what he loves. What’s his advice for other young as

musicians, I asked. “When you ind a career that you’

sionate about, you’re going to give it 110 percent,” he s

wake up and I want to inish a song or a video I’m w

on. That’s the best kind of career you can have.”


12/56

Local


Scouts build bridgesLocal high school senior earns highest rank of Eagle

ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN

During one of his walks around the TenaflyNature Center, 18-year-old Avi Samuel of

Teaneck noticed a patch of dirt near the pond

that was unprotected by footboards and prone

to muddiness.

Instead of complaining about the problem, he remedied

it as his Eagle Scout service project.

Mr. Samuel planned and built a walkway extension with

the help of eight scouts and other volunteers under the

supervision of Amanda Shuster, the nature center’s scout

coordinator and environmental educator.

“I took woodworking classes at summer camp one time,

but this was my irst big project,” Mr. Samuel said.

“The actual building took about four hours, but get-

ting all the permissions and signatures took a long time,

and we had to plan and design it over many hours,” he

explained. “The nature center told us what they wanted,

and my dad helped with the design and materials.”They used composite decking material and pressure-

treated lumber.

“Avi’s footboard project was helpful in extend

stretch of elevated walkway next to our pond, whic

flood seasonally and with heavy rainfall,” Ms. Shuste“By adding the footboards — which matched the ex

footboards seamlessly — he has helped to prevent e

that can occur when people widen the path by walk

avoid muddy areas.”

On February 28, Avi, who is Troop 226’s senior

leader was feted at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor

Jewish Center of Teaneck, where the Jewish Boy

troop meets.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank in the Boy Scou

requires earning at least 21 merit badges and comp

a service project. Nationally, only about 5 percent o

Scouts achieve this level.

“Relatively few scouts ever attain the rank of Ea

as the scoutmaster of the troop, I am proud when a

does achieve this honor,” said Daniel Chazin, a r

Teaneck attorney who has led Troop 226 since 1977

“I have never kept an accurate count, but I canof about a dozen Eagle Scouts that we’ve had in the

since I became scoutmaster,” he added. “I know

Eagle Scout Avi Samuel; his older brother, Adam Sam-

uel; Zachary Fishman; Avi’s cousin Zachary Samuel,

and Yoni Stern worked on the Tenafly Nature Center

footboard project. DAVID SAMUEL

Wild birdmakes forfoul guestSaturday, the turkeycame for breakfast

LARRY YUDELSON

It is the stuff of suburban nightmares.

Courtney Lopchinsky was drinking her coff

sharing a breakfast of cookies and ice cream

two of her children on a recent Shabbat mo

Her husband and youngest child already had left fo

She looked out the kitchen window and saw fou

turkeys fly up to her neighbor’s roof and perch ther

She didn’t know that one of those birds had her nu

The number turned out to be 6,000.

That’s how many dollars of damage ensued when

the birds flew off the roof and straight

charging right through her kitchen winNo one ever said turkeys were smart

With the loud crash of a plate glas

dow, shards of glass and feathers ille

air of the Teaneck kitchen and a t

Clockwise, from top right: A wild tu

splattered blood on the window sill

a Teaneck home and left debris on t

kitchen floor when it crashed throug

window, now boarded up, and disru

breakfast for the Lopchinsky family.


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scouting has meant a great deal to Avi, and I’m pleased

to see how his work in earning the Eagle badge has

helped him grow and mature.”

Avi is a senior at Torah Academy of Bergen County

in Teaneck and has been an active member of Troop

226 since he was a sixth-grader at Yavneh Academy in

Paramus.

“I enjoy scouting,” Avi said. “It’s a unique opportu-nity to learn many life skills such as camping, survival,

and leadership. It’s fun at the same time.” He especially

enjoys hiking and rock-climbing trips with the troop,

which now has 12 active members.

Troop 226 is Bergen County’s only Jewish-sponsored

Boy Scout troop and one of only a handful in the state

that is Sabbath observant, although 11- to 18-year-old

boys from all religious backgrounds are welcome to join.

Mr. Chazin said that Troop 226 was established in

1970. “It was originally chartered to the Moriah School of

Englewood and moved to the Jewish Center of Teaneck

around 1975,” he said.

The irst Jewish Boy Scout troop in the country was

formed at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan in 1913. Today

there are about 60 Jewish Cub Scout packs and 70 Jew-

ish Boy Scout troops nationally. Of those, about 40

percent are Sabbath observant. (There also are JewishDaisy, Brownie, and Girl Scout troops across the coun-

try, including Junior Girl Scout Troop 5826 in Teaneck.

As of press time, Girl Scouts of the USA did not respond

to inquiries for details.)

Sabbath-observant troops do not have regular meet-

ings or activities on Saturdays, but they do offer weekend

camping experiences that give scouts an opportunity to

learn skills that straddle Jewish and scouting traditions.

They include building an eruv — the boundary that legally

transforms a campsite into a private area in which you arepermitted to carry on Shabbat — and cooking cholent, the

traditional Shabbat stew that stays on a continuous flame

from Friday before sundown until Saturday lunch.

David and Jodi Samuel, who are members of Congre-

gation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck, believe scouting has

been beneicial for their son.

“Boy Scouts gave him the opportunity of learning how

to work his way up in organizations like you would in a

company,” Mr. Samuel said. “As he got older, he learned

leadership skills and the necessity of sticking to a pro-

gram, starting at the bottom and working his way up.

We’re quite proud of him.”

Avi acknowledged that extracurricular activities, like

scouting, can be dificult to squeeze into the weekly

schedule for students in Jewish day schools, which have

a longer day and a double curriculum of secular and

Jewish studies.“It was kind of hard, but I got my homework done fast

so I could go to meetings on Mondays,” he said.

landed on the table.

Ms. Lopchinsky grabbed her

two children and “literally ran

for our lives,” she recalled this

past week.

They ran next door andcalled 911 from the neighbor’s

house.

Teaneck police were initially

skeptical, she said. But the

skepticism fell away when they

saw Ms. Lopchinsky and her

daughter pulling glass shards

from their hair.

Ms. Lopchinsky returned to

her kitchen with the police. The

turkey had been cut by his jag-

ged entrance and was bleeding.

He was muddy. He spread his

wings and puffed up his feath-

ers and glass and dirt flew onto

the floor.

“It was disgusting,” Ms. Lopchinsky said.The police chased the turkey around the kitchen

and around the house. He jumped up to the sink. He

knocked the slow cooker with cholent off the coun-

ter. He pecked at another window, hoping to escape.

“Finally, they caught him,” she said.

But if Ms. Lopchinsky was hoping for the turkey to be

taught a lesson, she was disappointed.

“They just let him go,” she said.

Apparently, breaking and entering isn’t prosecuted in

Teaneck, if the perpetrator is a bird.

Sadly, it turned out that Ms. Lopchinksy’s homeown-

er’s insurance also didn’t mete out just rewards when

the perpetrator is a bird.

Her policy’s coverage speciically exempts damage by

birds, as well as by snakes and other reptiles, according

to its ine print.Secondary damage from the broken glass, however,

was covered. Not, though, the feathers, the blood, the

mud, and the glass shards the turkey left all over the

house.

It took two industrial cleaning companies to clean up

the mess.

A week later she found glass fragments in her child’s

Lego box.

The turkeys continue to roam in her corner of

Teaneck.

Soon, a new window will replace the wooden board

that has covered the damage.

“We asked the window guys, is it a turkey-proof win-

dow? He said he couldn’t guarantee anything.”

Wild turkeys make their way across a suburban Teaneck street.

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14/56

Local


L’chaim! To life — and good tasteRoyal’s Kosher Food and Wine Experience returns to Chelsea Piers

JOSH LIPOWSKY

Kosher Champagne from Cham-

pagne, France? Cabernet sau-

vignon sorbet? Perhaps a little

pastrami babka?

A sold-out crowd of approximately 1,600

packed into New York’s Chelsea Piers on

February 29 for Royal Wine’s tenth annual

Kosher Food and Wine Experience to try

these and other delicacies.

Bayonne-based Royal Wine returned

the show to Chelsea Piers, overlooking the

Hudson River. To take advantage of the

setting, the show offered a docked yacht

with a new VIP section featuring sushi,

special selections from Teaneck’s Etc

Steakhouse (such as carved roast turkey

and pastrami), and older vintage wines.Three hundred VIP tickets sold out within

48 hours, according to Mordy Herzog,

executive vice president of Royal Wine.

Mr. Herzog credits the show’s popularity

to kosher wine consumers expanding their

tastes and trying new flavors.

“Five years ago everybody just wanted

cabs on the red and chards on the white,”

Mr. Herzog said. Now, “the consumer is

opening up and people are more inter-

ested to try new varietals.”

There was no shortage of variety. With

more than 200 wines and 30 restaurants

and caterers at the show, it is impossible

to do justice to every delectable dish and

wine. So below we present you with justa few of our choice selections from this

year’s show.

Fireside, MonseyFireside has been open for just nine

months and made its irst appearance this

year at KFWE. Executive chef Alex Remer,

who lives in Teaneck, brought a Chicago-

style deep-dish fleishig pizza topped with

house-made beef bacon, ground beef,

shredded salami, a wild mushroom med-

ley, and a maple aoli. Tumbleweed onions,

crisp red onions served with a special

house sauce, were on the side. Both dishes

are on Fireside’s regular menu. The tum-

bleweed onions have been on the menu

since the beginning, while Mr. Remerintroduced the pizza about six months

ago. Both have been big hits, he said.

This is not Mr. Reme’s irst visit to

KFWE; he had been there when he worked

at Teaneck’s Etc. Steakhouse. People tend

to think of Monsey as “upstate,” he said. “I

knew KFWE was a great place to introduce

ourselves to the greater kosher-eating

community.”

Pomegranate, BrooklynEvery year this kosher market brings new

flavors and experimental dishes to KFWE.

This year was no different. Pomegranate

offered one of the largest booths at the

show, and standing out among its offer-

ings were its pastrami-illed babka and

corned beef-illed babka. And they tasted

exactly as you would expect — like a delisandwich on babka. How could you go

wrong?

Teaneck DoghouseCo-owner Jonathan Gellis likes to try new

wines and foods to keep the restaurant

uptempo, its manager, Josh Pinsker, said.

Mr. Pinsker managed the Doghouse’s

table while Mr. Gellis explored the show.

The Doghouse offered a few staples

from its menu: pulled brisket sliders,

barbecued salami tossed in a barbecue

sauce, and sausage eggrolls in a sweet

chili sauce. “Now we’re just trying to

show everybody what’s so great about

Teaneck,” Mr. Pinsker said.

The KFWE App

Every year KFWE attendees have receiveda spiral-bound notebook listing all the

wines and foods available for tasting. A

week later, many struggle to re ad their

handwriting or ind the pages on which

they scribbled their new favorite bottles.

This year, KFWE did away with the book

and created a unique phone app for the

event. The app offers users the ability to

take notes and pictures of each wine and

dish they try, without the hassle of deci-

phering hurried handwriting.

“We just decided it was time to move

into a higher tech version of the book,” Mr.

Herzog said.

Herzog Wine Cellars

Herzog brought an interesting com

tion, which head winemaker Joe Hur

referred to as the “Battle of the BaTwo cabernet sauvignon wines usi

same grape but one aged for nine m

in American oak and the other ag

nine months in French oak. Wine

in American oaks tend toward str

flavors, while wines aged in French

tend to have more subtle flavors. “

an exciting concept,” Mr. Hurliman

(This reporter preferred the French

AppleationAppleation showcased three

ciders: dry, sweet, and cinnamon fla

It’s like apple pie in liquid form.

Joe Hurliman shows the

latest vintages from Herz

Appleation showcased

three varieties of hard cider

Teaneck Doghouse displayed

specialties from pulled brisket

sliders to barbecued salami.

Mordy Herzog,

executive vice

president of

Royal Wine.

Babka from

Pomegranate

is stuffed with

corned beef or

pastrami.

Executive chef Alex Remer from

Fireside presents his fleishig pizza.


16/56

Local


Party planned for LGBTQ teens

The LGBTQ Connection holds the Un-

Masquerade Ball, sponsored by Jew-

ish Family Service of Bergen and North

Hudson and Sha’ar Communities, with

funding from the Jewish Federation of

Northern New Jersey.

The party, a celebration of individual-

ity, acceptance, and self-expression in a

Jewish context, for eighth- to 12th-grad-ers, is on Wednesday, March 23, from 8

to 10 p.m., at the Kaplen JCC on the Pali-

sades in Tenafly, where there will be a

Megillah reading at 6:45.

According to Sha’ar’s Rabbi Adina

Lewittes, “Four in 10 of these teenagers

say that the community in which they

live is not accepting of LGBTQ people.

Given our strong and cohesive Jewish

community, the alienation experienced

by these adolescents is likely even more

intense, often leading to deep feelings of

isolation. We wanted to provide an inclu-

sive event, focused on our shared faith,

while having a great time.” The ball will

include a DJ, food, and opportunities to

meet new friends. JFS’ LGBTQ Connec tion serve s les-

bian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and

questioning Jewish adolescents and their

parents. Entry fees will be donated to

Keshet and GLSEN. For information, call

JFS at (201) 8379090 or email Lauren.

[email protected].

Joy Kurland to be honored in MayThe Jewish Historical Soci-

ety of North Jersey will

honor Joy Kurland for her

contribution to the Jewish

community at its annualtribute dinner, Tuesday,

May 17, at 6:30 p.m. The

informal celebration,

which will be at Temple

Beth Rishon in Wyckoff,

offers a chance to share

memories.

Joy Kurland’s work in northern New

Jersey included fostering intergroup

relations, building coalitions, advocat-

ing for Israel, strengthening govern-

ment relations, and promoting initia-

tives that contributed to enhancing

Jewish community relations.

Throughout her career, she received

many honors, awards, a

recognitions for her cont

butions to the communi

from organizations includi

the Anti-Defamation LeaguBergen County NAACP, t

Jewish Federation of Nor

ern New Jersey, Drew Univ

sity Hillel, and Bergen Cou

ty’s Brotherhood/Sisterho

Interfaith Coalition.

Ms. Kurland is a member and p

chair of the Bergen County Hum

Relations Commission. She is t

immediate past president of the JC

Directors Association of the Jewi

Council for Public Affairs. Ms. Kurla

also is on the board of the Jewish H

torical Society of Northern New Jerse

For information, call (201) 300659

Women’s League spring program“Step Up For Israel,” the spring program

from the Garden State Region of Wom-

en’s League for Conservative Judaism, is

on Sunday, April 10, at 9:30 a.m., at Tem-ple Beth O’r/Beth Torah in Clark. The

program will include presentations and

an interactive discussion led by experts

on Israel, focusing on the myths and the

facts in the media and the college cam-

pus. Participants will gain the practical

tools to advocate for Israel and develop

synagogue-wide connections with Israel.

Speakers include Miri Kornield, the

executive director of high school affairs

at Stand With Us; Shimon Mercer-Wood,

consul for media affairs at Israel’s Con-

sulate General, and Janet Tobin, thepresident of Mercaz USA and a past pres-

ident of Women’s League for Conserva-

tive Judaism.

An Israeli-style breakfast will be

served. High school and college students

are welcome. Reservations are due April

4. For information, call (732) 2544966 or

email [email protected].

Project Sarah breakfastThe 10th annual Project Sarah

breakf ast, the organization’s

biggest fundraiser, i s Sunday,

April 3, at 9:30 a.m., at Congre-

gation Keter Torah in Teaneck.

Robin Niman of the Five

Towns, who used to work at

Project Sarah, will receive the

Magen Yeladim Hero award;

Rabbi Haim Jachter will be

given the Rabbinic al Support

award; and Marcia Levy will accept the Vol-

unteer Recognition Award on behalf of theNational Council of Jewish Women.

Judy Brown, the author of “Hush” and

“This Is Not A Love Story” will be the key-

note speaker.

Project Sarah (Stop Abusive Relation-

ships At Home) is a program that works

to overcome cultural, lega

religious barriers confro

victims of domestic violen

sexual abuse. No one is t

away because of race, gend

inancial dificulties. The

is funded by the N.J. Depar

of Law and Public Safety, t

Department of Justice’s Of

Violence Against Wome

N.J. Department of Childre

Families, Jewish Family Service &

dren’s Center of Clifton-Passaic, an vate donations and foundations.

The breakfast is free and babysitti

be provided. Reservations are req

make them at www.ProjectSARAH.o

information, call (973) 7777638, ext

Attending medical school in IsraelDr. Gabriel Farkas, a graduate of Ben-

Gurion University’s Medical School for

International Health and Yeshiva Univer-

sity, spoke to students at Stern College forWomen about going to medical school in

Israel and transitioning to practice in the

United States. Dr. Farkas is an anesthesi-

oloy resident at New York Medical Col-

lege in Westchester. Beth Chesir, MSIH’s

admissions coordinator, and Kelly Cole-

man, a recruitment coordinator, were

also there. Yeshiva will host another infor-

mation session on March 20.

MSIH, one of Ben-Gurion University’s

two medical schools, is on the universi-

ty’s Beer Sheva campus. It is an English

language North-American style medical

school that incorporates global health

coursework into all four years of study.

For information on information ses-

sion or about attending medical school

in Israel, email [email protected] or

[email protected] or call the MSIH

ofice at (212) 9951231.

Lander College welcomes gradsfor annual alumni Shabbaton

More than 100 former students

returned to their alma mater

for the sixth annual Lander Col-

lege for Men Alumni Shabba-

ton. Alumni came from acrossthe tristate area, Baltimore,

Dallas, Los Angeles, and Israel.

Including faculty, spouses, and

children, 300 people were at

the reunion.

Speakers included the col-

lege’s dean, Dr. Moshe Sokol,

and its rosh yeshiva, Rabbi

Yehuda Shmulewitz. The

weekend included communal

meals, davening, and a variety of shiurim

and divrei Torah. After Shabbat, juggling

comedian Michael Karas performed for

the adults, while Uncle Moishy’s character

Nachum the Clown entertaine

children.

The Lander College for Men is an u

graduate division of Touro College.

Judy Brown

Joy Kurland

NORPAC hostsHouse leaderin TeaneckOn Sunday, March 13 at 7 p.m., Drs. Mort

and Esther Fridman will host a NORPAC

meeting in Teaneck for House of Repre-sentatives Majority Leader, Congressman

Kevin McCarthy (RCalif.). For informa-

tion email [email protected] or call (201)

7885133.

Congressman Kevin McCarthy, left,

with Esther and Mort Fridman.

COURTESY NORPAC



KAPLEN JCC on the Palisades TAUB CAMPUS | 411 E CLINTON AVE, TENAFLY, NJ 07670 | 201.569.7900 | jccotp.org

UPCOMING AT KAPLEN JCC on the Palisades

TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFO, VISIT

jccotp.org OR CALL 201.569.7900.

ADULTS FILM MUSIC

JCC U Film School SeriesJoin us as we explore film noir —Hollywood crime

dramas from the years immediately following

World War II. Connect with fellow movie lovers and top

film studies expert, PHILIP HARWOOD, as he leads a

discussion on three film noir features:

Mar 23, Crossfire (1947); Apr 6, Kiss of Death (1947); &

Apr 20, The Naked City (1948).

Call Esther at 201.408.14563 Wednesdays, 10 am, $40/$50 ($16/$20 one day)

A Sunday of Strong WomenAUTHORS, LUNCH, INSPIRATION

Join us for a day of inspiration (lunch included)

as four women authors teach us how to empower

ourselves. Their work will entertain, entice, inspire,

inform and empower you in ways you never

thought possible. Great occasion for a girl’s day

out!

Authors include LISA GREEN On Your Case;

CHEF ROSSI The Raging Skillet ;

ELYSSA FRIEDLAND Love and Miss Communication;

and GERALYN LUCAS Then Came Life.

Visit jccotp.org/ssw for details

Sun, Mar 13, 10 am-2 pm, $36/$44

Cello Master Class withPaul Watkins

Gain insight into the music and the artistic processin this intimate, public coaching featuring Paul

Watkins, cellist of the Emerson String Quartet. Part

of the Sylvia and Jacob Handler Master Class series.

Thu, Mar 31, 4 pm, Free

Top Films You May HaveMissed: Her An Oscar winning 2013 romantic science-fiction

comedy-drama. Joaquin Phoenix plays a professional

writer in the midst of a divorce from Amy Adams.

He buys and bonds with an intelligent computer

Operating System, Samantha, played by Scarlett

Johansson. Film followed by optional discussion.

Coffee and snacks included.

Mon, Mar 14, 7:30 pm, $7/$10

Upcoming: Apr 4, A Stranger Among Us;

Apr 18, Blue Jasmine; May 16, Serpico

Rubach Family Purim CarnivalBring your children in their favorite Purim costumes to

enjoy bounce houses, slides, games, prizes, life-size cartoon

characters, cotton candy, a costume parade and more.

Sun, Mar 20, 1-4 pm

Suggested entrance donation: $1 per person or

non-perishable food item to be donated to the

Center for Food Action.

All ride & game tickets sold on $25 cards for 30 tickets

Carnival opens at 12 pm for families with children

with special needs

The Incredible, Edible EGG!WITH CHEF MICHAEL WOLF

You’ll be amazed at the versatility of this surprisingly

simple food and how it can transform your meals.Learn the quintessential techniques for making

frittatas, omelets, soufflés and meringues.

Call Michele at 201.408.1496

Mon, Mar 28, 7-9:30 pm, $60/$75

FamilyPurimCarnival

Step right up to theRUBACH


18/56

Sinai


Nearly 850 people attended the Sinai Schools

annual beneit dinner at the Marriott Glenpointe

Hotel in Teaneck on February 28 to support

Sinai and its unique model of inclusive special

education.Rena and Jerry Barta of Teaneck, Eve and Heshy

Feldman of Englewood, Karen and Rabbi Steven

Finkelstein of Bergenield, Rosalyn and Stephen

Flatow of West Orange, and Annette and Jerry

Kranson of Fair Lawn were honored. The Commu-

nity Partnership award was presented to Alfred

Sanzari Enterprises, celebrating 30 years of Sinai

dinners at Sanzari’s Glenpointe Hotel.

The program included the dedication of

Sinai’s Bayrish Schreiber Music Therapy Pro-

gram, by AJ and Leah Schreiber, and short ilms

about the issues facing parents of children with

special needs. A highlight was the premiere

of this year’s feature documentary, “Saving

Freddy,” which addressed the topic of depres-

sion and suicidal ideation in teens on the autis-

tic spectrum. Presentation speeches and ilms

at the dinner are online at www.sinaischools.

org/2016-dinner-videos.Sinai partners with inclusive Jewish day and

high schools in New Jersey to provide secular and

Jewish special education to children with a wide

range of disabilities. Sinai creates a completely

individualized program for each child based on

his or her social, emotional, and academic needs,

translating into a 1:2 professional staff-to-student

ratio and several different in-house therapies, with

specialists on staff at each school.

If they do not get signiicant inancial aid, Sinai’s

tuition — which reflects its own costs — is beyond

the reach of most families.

For information or to make a donation, call (201)

8331134, ext. 105, or go to www.sinaischools.org.

1 Rabbi Wallace Greene with honorees Rosalyn and Stephen Flatow. 2 Esti Herman, Sinai’s chief development officer,

with honorees David Sanzari, the president and CEO of Sanzari Enterprises, and Jerry Barta, its vice president.

3 Sam Fishman, Sinai’s managing director, with honorees Jerry and Annette Kranson. 4 Leah and AJ Schreiber, sponsors

of Sinai’s Bayrish Schreiber Music Therapy Program. 5 Rabbi Steven and Karen Finkelstein 6 Rena and Jerry Barta

7 Eve and Heshy Feldman 8 Honoree Karen Finkelstein with Sinai’s dean, Rabbi Dr. Yisrael Rothwachs.

Sinai Schools holds 30th annual benefit dinner1

2 3

4 5 6

7

8



B artenure’lE*

Freilichen Purim! *Bartenura Moscato is now available in adorable375 ml bottles, perfect for your Mishloach Manos!


20/56

Editorial

1086 Teaneck RoadTeaneck, NJ 07666(201) 837-8818Fax 201-833-4959

PublisherJames L. Janoff

Associate Publisher EmeritaMarcia Garfinkle

EditorJoanne Palmer

Associate EditorLarry Yudelson

Guide/Gallery EditorBeth Janoff Chananie

About Our Children EditorHeidi Mae Bratt

CorrespondentsWarren BorosonLois GoldrichAbigail K. LeichmanMiriam RinnDr. Miryam Z. Wahrman

Advertising DirectorNatalie D. Jay

Classified DirectorJanice Rosen

Advertising CoordinatorJane Carr

Account ExecutivesPeggy EliasGeorge KrollKaren NathansonBrenda Sutcliffe

International Media PlacementP.O. Box 7195 Jerusalem 91077Tel: 02-6252933, 02-6247919Fax: 02-6249240Israeli Representative

Production ManagerJerry Szubin

Graphic ArtistsDeborah HermanBob O'Brien

ReceptionistRuth Hirsch

JewishStandard

jstandard.com

FounderMorris J. Janoff (1911–19

Editor EmeritusMeyer Pesin (1901–1989

City EditorMort Cornin (1915–1984)

Editorial ConsultantMax Milians (1908-2005

SecretaryCeil Wolf (1914-2008)

Editor EmeritaRebecca Kaplan Boroso

Stop it now, Donald Trump!

W

e don’t endorse can-

didates for politicalofice at the Jewish

Standard. It would

be neither wise nor appropriate for

us to do so. In fact, although each

one of us has strong feelings both

in favor of and against some candi-

dates, we keep those personal feel-

ings as far as possible from the com-

munal editorial voice of the paper.

Okay, sometimes that editorial voice

is a touch snarky, often it is a little bit

irst-person, but it’s never ragingly

partisan about politics.

But not only has Donald Trump

broken all the rules, he is making it

impossible for us not to break one

as well.We are not going to argue about

Donald Trump’s policy proposals

here. We will not argue about his

extraordinary vulgarity. We are very

happy for him that he is so thrilled

with the size of his various body

parts that he wants to share that joy

with us. We will avert our eyes and

move on.

We will not even argue about the

flatness of his jokes.

We cannot ignore the ugliness of

his attacks on large groups of peo-

ple — on, say, women’s looks and

on their tendencies to bleed from

their whatevers, thus impedingtheir thought processes. We cannot

ignore his attacks on war prisoners,

whose courage and ability this battle-

untested man derides. We cannot

ignore his attacks on immigrants —

we here are all the children, grand-

children, and great grandchildren of

immigrants who found safe haven in

this miraculous country.

We cannot and should not — in

fact we must not — ignore his hesita-

tion in refusing the endorsement of

David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan. Mr.

Trump said that he knew nothing

about them, and then, bizarrely, he

said, “I don’t like to disavow groups

if I don’t know who they are. I mean,you could have the Federation of

Jewish Philanthropies in ‘groups.’”

To which the only possible responseis “What????”

But now Mr. Trump, at whose

rallies violence often threatens —

his crowds are volatile, their emo-

tions are roiled, and their tempers

are enflamed — has begun to ask

his audiences to give a stiff-armed

salute. The gesture is a pledge to Mr.

Trump. He is quoted as saying, at

a North Carolina rally: “Raise your

right hand. ‘I do solemnly swear that

I — no matter how I feel, no matter

what the conditions, if there’s hurri-

canes or whatever — will vote, on or

before the 12th, for Donald J. Trump

for president.’”

On its face, that is odd. But whenyou look at — when you see videos or

still shots of this salute — it is chilling.

It is a Nazi salute.

Abraham Foxman of Bergen

County, who survived the Holocaust

as a small child and retired last sum-

mer as the longtime head of the Anti-

Defamation League (see story, page

26), inds the gesture chilling.

Mr. Trump “is a great marketing

person,” Mr. Foxman said. “He put

his name out there for years, on

buildings, parks, other enterprises,

and he is now collecting on what he

had invested. He is asking for alle-

giance to his own name.”Did Mr. Trump know the history

of the gesture he was asking his fol-

lowers to make?

“There are two possibilities,” Mr.

Foxman said. “At best, it is innocent

and ignorant. If that’s the case, it’s

pretty sad, that a man who claims

to be so worldly, so smart, so know-

ing, doesn’t know what that salute

means. At worst, he knows exactly

what it means. That is just such a

bizarre idea.

“No matter what he is in the rest of

his life, he is campaigning as popu-

list, and populism can morph into

something worse — into fascism or

neo-fascism,” he continued.“Mr. Trump has broken so many

of our taboos,” Mr. Foxman said.

“There is a social contract, a civilcontract, against insulting people.

You can say that it’s just political cor-

rectness, but political correctness is

a social contract. You may feel a cer-

tain way, but you don’t say it publi-

cally. He does.

“He has broken all the taboos of

what is acceptable, and he has got-

ten rewarded for it.

“The way people are being treated

at his rallies is frighteningly reminis-

cent of totalitarian environments,

where they don’t tolerate other

points of view.”

Mr. Foxman sighed. “It makes

Holocaust survivors quiver even

earlier than most other people when they see it,” he said. “And

what’s even more scary than Donald

Trump are the people who follow

him. There is so much anger and

frustration and anxiety and fear in

the country now, and he is playing

on all of it.”

We’re with Mr. Foxman. All parti-

san issues aside, we know that his-

tory teaches that breaches of basic

civility, of the normal rules of con-

duct, a descent into crudeness, bul-

lying, and brutishness, is deeply

bad for society. We all should work

to stop it now, before it goes any

further.We are sure that Mr. Trump, as

loutish as he is, does not think of

himself as Hitler. He is not asking

for a Nazi salute because he fancies

himself a Nazi, or a fascist. In fact,

he has disavowed any knowledge of

what the salute might mean, claim-

ing to be, in Mr. Foxman’s words,

“innocent and ignorant.”

“I don’t know about the Hitler

comparison. I hadn’t heard that,

but it’s a terrible comparison. I’m

not happy about that certainly,”

he said on ABC’s “Good Morning

America.

But the emotions he is roiling

are unhealthy, and he should stop.We should not encourage him. —JP

KEEPING THE FAITH

Letter of the law

A letter to the editor in last week’s issue of the Jewisdard (“Scalia on changing the law”) raises some in

ing points. I thank its author, Rabbi Gary Karlin, f

letter because it provides an opportunity to exp

the discussion begun two weeks ago.

In my last column, “Scalia would have stewed over a Sh

staple,” I equated the U.S. Constitution to the “constitution

Jewish people,” meaning the Torah, and suggested that had

been a rabbi, and had his view prevailed, “Judaism probably

have disappeared by now, dead under the heavy weight of i

words.”

That is because the late Supreme Court justice believed the

good Constitution is a dead Constitution,” meaning it is not o

subjective reinterpretation, whereas Judaism’s ability to sur

directly related to the Torah being open to just such subjec

interpretation. Torah law has been able to evolve because it w

stuck in time and place, and b

individual rabbis and groups bis recognized that and acted u

Karlin, it seems, actually a

with me on this point. “In th

chic system,” he wrote, “rabb

and continue to formulate, wr

seminate, challenge, and chan

ish law.”

In his letter, Karlin argued th

Torah and the U.S. Constitutio

little in common. (So did sever

ple who responded to the Ti

Israel blog posting, although n

the kind of reasoned argumen

lin proffered.)

The “Jewish legal tradition that got us to [this] point is very

ent from the American jurisprudence,” he wrote. “Where docomparison between American and Jewish law break down?

ish law, unlike in American law, there is no separation of pow

To be fair, what Karlin wrote is correct in fact; Judaism op

the way he outlined.

“Rabbis are both judges (dayanim) and halachic authoritie

kim) who issue rulings,” he wrote. “A rabbi is the inal voice o

authority in his or her community … and may join others

ment their authority….

“For millennia, there has been no formal, authoritative

congress legislating laws. No Jewish chief executive. No su

Jewish court. Just individual rabbis, working to keep Jewish

evant and real….”

That is the system we have, but it is not the system we were

If not for the system we were given, the system we have pro

never would have come to be.

Shammai Engelmayer is the rabbi of Congregation Beth Isrthe Palisades in Cliffside Park.


RabbiShammai

Engelmayer


21/56

Opinion

That is a head-spinning statement, to be sure, but

perhaps it will make sense as we address some of the

rabbi’s speciic points.

It is true; there is no separation of powers in the

current Jewish legal system. That, however, is the

consequence of history. Originally, Israel was to be

ruled by three “branches”: king, priest, and prophet.

Each had his role to play. That is why a prophet,Nathan, could stand before the mighty King David

and proclaim him guilty of horrendous crimes. In

any eastern court then and for many centuries after,

the man who so accused the king would quickly have

his head separated from his shoulders. In Israel, it

was the king who had to bow to the prophet’s judg -

ment. (See 2 Samuel 12.)

Eventually, Israel was exiled, prophecy ceased, the

Temple was destroyed (twice), and there no longer

were kings, priests, or prophets to govern. There was

a power vacuum, and the rabbis illed it.

How did they get the authority to do so? Aside

from creating a direct line from Moses to themselves

(see Pirkei Avot, Chapter 1), they took several verses

from the Torah and reinterpreted them in their own

favor. (See Deuteronomy 17:914.) They could do

so because the Torah is subject to reinterpretation when the need arises.

Karlin did allow that “[p]erhaps one can claim that

Jewish communities, and in a broader sense, k’lal Yis-

rael, the Jewish people as a whole, balance rabbinic

authority,” but in practical terms, that is not the case.

But it is supposed to be.

To begin with, according to black letter Jewish

law, rabbis, by acting in concert, can even stand the

Torah on its head, if by doing so they would bring

people closer to the Torah and to God.

Maimonides, the Rambam, states this concept

clearly. In his Mishneh Torah volume Rebels [Mam-

rim] (2:4), he says of the rabbis: “If they should

conclude that it is necessary to suspend a positive

[Torah] commandment or nullify a negative one in

order to restore the people to the faith or to savemany Jews from otherwise becoming lax in matters

[of observance], they may act as the needs of the

time require.”

By this, the Rambam means that if a clear major-

ity of the People Israel have abandoned observance

of a particular God-given commandment, the rabbis

have the power (perhaps even the duty) to suspend

that commandment temporarily, rather than see the

entire halachic system plummet down a slippery

slope. (Does putting a string around Route 4 really

create a “private domain” allowing people to carry

on Shabbat? The eruv’s purpose is to provide a way

for people to do what they would do in any case —

carry on Shabbat — without thinking they are violat-

ing Shabbat by doing so. Otherwise, they might start

to ignore other Shabbat rules.)

Fi

Jewish Standard, March 11, 2016

Documents

Transcript of Jewish Standard, March 11, 2016