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Meet Jonathan Greenblaand his new VP,Shari Gerstenof Tenafly
201685NORTH JERSEY
LOCAL FIRST RESPONDERS RESPOND TO ISRAEL page 6
MEETING MUSLIMS IN FRANKLIN LAKES page 8
TEANECK’S MUTANT NINJA TURKEY page 12
PEW REPORT FOCUSES ON ISRAEL’S DIVISIONS page 30
MARCH 11, 2016VOL. LXXXV NO. 27 $1.00
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face
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1 0 8 6 T e a n e c k R o a d
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2/562 JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2016
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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
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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
“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
benzelbusch.com
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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 mem- bers 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.
8/19/2019 Jewish Standard, March 11, 2016
7/56JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2
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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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8JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2016
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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.
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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.
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Local
10JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2016
‘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.
8/19/2019 Jewish Standard, March 11, 2016
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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.”
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12JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2016
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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14JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2016
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.
8/19/2019 Jewish Standard, March 11, 2016
15/56JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 20
8/19/2019 Jewish Standard, March 11, 2016
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16JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2016
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.
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
8/19/2019 Jewish Standard, March 11, 2016
17/56JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 20
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
8/19/2019 Jewish Standard, March 11, 2016
18/56
Sinai
18JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2016
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
8/19/2019 Jewish Standard, March 11, 2016
19/56JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 20
B artenure’lE*
Freilichen Purim! *Bartenura Moscato is now available in adorable375 ml bottles, perfect for your Mishloach Manos!
8/19/2019 Jewish Standard, March 11, 2016
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.
20JEWISH STANDARD MARCH 11, 2016
RabbiShammai
Engelmayer
8/19/2019 Jewish Standard, March 11, 2016
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
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