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‘Sefarad’–A Moving Story of Faith, Honor, & Hope

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0
‘Sefarad’ tells the important story of the Jewish community living in Portugal since 1496, specifically noting the impact from the community in Oporto.

By: Jacob Airey

International film director Luis Ismael brings us the moving historical drama Sefarad. It is tells the important story of the Jewish community living in Portugal since 1496, specifically noting the impact from the community in Oporto.

International film director Luis Ismael brings us the moving historical drama Sefarad.

The movie begins in 1496, when an edict is passed by King D. Manuel that prohibited Judaism in Portugal, forcing the Jews to flee. Some stayed and practiced in secret, becoming “Crypto-Jews” which kept most of the traditions alive. Jumping to the 1920s, we are introduced to Captain Barros Basto (Rodrigo Santos), a World War I hero and leader in the community of Jews living in Oporto. He and his friends decide to build a grand synagogue to entice the “Crypto-Jews” back to their communities since the edict of 1496 has been dissolved. He is met with confrontation from all sides.

The “Crypto-Jews” are nervous about leaving their own communities and certain leaders in the Ashkenazi Jews think that their practices are too far gone to be integrated back into Orthodox Judaism. Captain Basto never falters and though he faces tragedy, a smear campaign, politics, and even humiliation, he stays true to his dream as we witness the history of Oporto Jews from Post-World War 1 to the roaring 20s to the tragedy of the Holocaust and finally to the 21st Century.

As I have said before, I am not a huge fan of European films, historical dramas or not. I often find them dreary, nihilistic, pandering, or preachy. However, Sefarad is none of those things. It shows us a small segment of history that is not talked about often, but should be known. Seeing an entire community persecuted for simply having a certain faith only to struggle to rebuild is a sobering reality no one wants to face. Seeing it happen in their own languages was even more sobering.

Luis Ismael does an excellent job of showing this history without any gimmicks. There is no gratuitous violence to shock us or expletive material to make us cringe. Instead, he relies on the story itself to pull the audience into the history he or she is watching. A good storyteller, especially one with such a delicate tale to tell, has to find the right balance, and in my humble opinion, he is successful.

I appreciated the attention to detail on the historicity. The clothing, the backdrops, and even vehicles were straight out of the years they appeared in. The quality of the sound, music, and costumes were spot on.

Now, this is not a perfect film. Some of the time jumps through the different stages were a bit confusing if you weren’t told explicitly what year it was, causing you had to use historical references from the characters to give you clues. That being said, that was a minor detail in this movie. Most of the time, it was stated plainly through captions.

The “Crypto-Jews” are nervous about leaving their own communities and certain leaders in the Ashkenazi Jews think that their practices are too far gone to be integrated back into Orthodox Judaism

I would also like to praise actor Rodrigo Santos as Captain Artur Carlos de Barros Bast, a very real historical figure who helped Crypto-Jews unite with their communities and helped survivors of the Holocaust. Santos portrays him exactly how you would imagine. He is an idealist who believes in the kindness of men and wants to be kind to them. At times, you truly feel for this man as he experiences personal tragedies and attacks on his reputation while he is trying to do good for his family and friends. It is truly well done.

Bottom line, as foreign films, particularly Europeans ones, go, it is one of the best I have seen in a long time. Instead of relying on bleak outcomes, it relies on the hope of the history is dramatizing to enthrall the audience. On that level, it succeeds.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Mild Violence

FAVORITE QUOTE: It is our responsibility.

Times Square Characters Move to Rockefeller Center For The Holidays

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0

By Hadassa Kalatizadeh

Times Square has long been the holiday spot for costumed characters who befriend tourists, pose with them for pictures, and then ask them for tips. Complaints from visitors, pedestrians and shop owners about the sometimes aggressive behavior of the costumed performers led the city to pass a law in 2016 confining the Times Square characters to 8-by-50 foot “activity zones” where they might get in the way of fewer visitors.

The Times Square problem has not exactly been solved, however, it has just moved to the area of Rockefeller Center. As reported by VIN News, this holiday season some of the costumed superheros, Muppets and Disney characters have headed to the equally crowded streets around Rockefeller Center and its legendary Christmas tree.

An all too common scene on a recent weekend included a father taking a picture of his two daughters standing with Minnie and Mickey Mouse characters on Fifth Avenue. He followed up by paying the characters a few dollars, prompting ‘Mickey Mouse’ to complain that it wasn’t enough for both characters to share. Ed Saverino, of New Jersey, pushed his way passed the characters in Rockefeller Center. “I’m from around here,” Saverino said. “So I know the deal. These guys are predatory. If you wanna take pictures with people, then let them come to you. Don’t go running up to people and touching them.”

In an embarrassing episode in September, at Times Square an ‘Elmo’ was arrested for grabbing a 14-year old girl’s buttocks as she posed with him for a picture. Mayor Bill De Blasio had vowed to mandate stricter enforcement to make sure this type of harassment would not recur. He did not, however, specify a plan.

Most of the characters are much less of a hazard, and many visitors describe them as harmless and fun. “I work down here, right by Rockefeller Center, and I think they should be allowed to take pictures wherever they want,” said Jen Radin. “Maybe not during the week because it forms crowds, and it’s already hard enough to walk around here. But on the weekends, I don’t see a problem.” “It’s nice,” she continued. “Plus the ones down here have nothing on the ones in Times Square. They’re ruthless over there. Here, they’re much more polite and respectful.”

“I know the kids love it,” said another parent, Starr Grill, who was a tourist from Maryland. “It’s all a part of that New York charm. It’s what you come here for, really. Because it’s true that no other city compares.”

Rockefeller Center is a privately owned space, unlike Times Square, so owners in Rock Center do have the right to regulate which vendors and performers can come and solicit money in the area of the office buildings, retail space, arcades and outdoor public plazas.

Lately police have been eyeing the area recently after the Post reported that the characters had migrated there. NYPD has been issuing summonses to characters whom they felt got in the way of pedestrians on the already crowded sidewalk. Valerie Khezri, another visitor to the Rockefeller Center tree, said she was glad the police was taking action. “I was in Times Square, and an Avatar totally shook me down,” she said. “They’re standing in front of you with their hands out and don’t stop until you give them what they deem is enough money. Total thieves!”

Williamsburg Domino Development Signs First Office Tenant

By
Sholom Schreirber
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The oldest standing buildings in the Domino Sugar Brooklyn Refinery, which date from 1882. Photo Credit: Wikipedia.com

By Hellen Zaboulani

The Williamsburg waterfront property at the former Domino Sugar Refinery site, has signed its first office tenant.

The colossal property, which is now owned and managed by Two Trees Management, has developed into 380,000-square-feet of office space. Development on the giant mixed-use tower was completed last month. As reported by Crain’s NY, the first commercial lease for 12,000 square feet at 10 Grand Street, was signed to Prose , a custom shampoo maker and haircare brand. Prose touts itself as the first personalized hair care brand, its products personalized and freshly made in NYC. The company signed a deal to occupy the building’s entire eighth and ninth floors.

“I’m thrilled to make our first deal this fast, but I’m not surprised, because we have an excellent product,” said Jed Walentas, Two Trees Management’s lead Principal. “I wouldn’t be surprised if all the office floors we’re offering are absorbed in the next six months.”

Two Trees is a family-owned real estate development firm based in Brooklyn. The company, founded in 1968 by David Walentas, boast s a portfolio with 6,000+ residential units and more than 4 million square feet of office and retail space. The newly completed office space on Williamsburg’ waterfront offers full floor modern offices, comprising of 6,000 square feet offices overlooking Domino Park with “sweeping 360-degree panoramic views and exceptional amenities”, as per the management company’s website. The company was originally hoping that one giant company would occupy all of the office space. There are now 18 single occupant floors, with adjacent floors available for connecting. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the space features 11’-5” height ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, conference rooms with state-of-the-art connectivity and video conference capability, 4 elevators, and communal outdoor deck space.

Earlier this month, Two Trees Management expanded its ownership on the Williamsburg waterfront with the $150 million purchase of a nearby site from Con Edison. As per the Brooklyn Eagle, it plans to create the River Street project, with 1,000 apartments, 250 of which will be affordable units for lower-income residents. The project is slated to include plenty of community amenities including a water-centric park with a public beach and natural habitats such as a salt marsh, freshwater wetland and tidal pools. The land will first need to be approved for rezoning, which will need some community support, and is often difficult to attain. The company, however, does have the experience as it recently designed Domino Park, the 11-acre residential and office complex on the site of the former Domino sugar factory.

The First ‘Virtual Reality’ Chanukah Comes to Brooklyn

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0
Guests at Tech Tribe's 2017 Chanukah event explore using an Augmented Reality Menorah. This year, participants will take part in a Virtual Reality Chanukah celebration. (File photo/Tech Tribe)

High-tech holiday experiences around the world engage and entertain

By: Rochel Schwartz

With Chanukah beginning on Sunday night, Chabad centers around the world are full force into preparing for holiday events. Meaningful and inspirational merges with entertaining and engaging at the typical Chabad event, characteristic of what emissaries offer to communities large and small. And what’s more engaging these days than the latest technological advances?

For years, Chabad has been at the forefront of intriguing new ideas—from a 3D-printed menorah to a GIF menorah to an Augmented Reality menorah. These developments have been led by Tech Tribe, an affiliate of Chabad Young Professionals that crafts events and experiences for young Jews in technology and digital media under the leadership of Rabbi Mordechai and Chana Lightstone. Tech Tribe will hold its annual Chanukah event on Monday, Dec. 23, at YokeyPokey, a Virtual Reality (VR) Club in downtown Brooklyn. The event will feature an educational 360-degree VR experience of the Chanukah story, complete with traditional oil-based foods such as latkes and jelly doughnuts.

The story behind the VR experience is one that underscores the synergy between Chabad emissaries and their community members. Ben, the publicity-shy gallery owner, had been involved in the Chabad center in Brooklyn Heights under Rabbi Aharon and Shternie Raskin. Later, he and his wife moved to the Rivertowns in New York’s northern suburbs, where they met Rabbi Benjy and Hinda Silverman, co-directors of Chabad of the Rivertowns in Dobbs Ferry.

“When Ben moved to the community,” says Rabbi Silverman, “he enrolled his children in our Hebrew school. In time, we’ve gotten to know their family. Over Shabbat dinner at our home, we were discussing the recent virtual-reality projects that Ben had been working on, and I proposed the idea of creating a Chanukah Virtual Reality for the Jewish community. Ben was very excited about the idea and eagerly turned the proposal into his personal project.”

Together with the rabbi, I worked on writing the script, and with his leadership, we made it happen,” Ben told Chabad.org. “My friend Ruvym introduced me to Rabbi Mordechai Lightstone, and together we put the finishing touches on planning an event for Chabad at Yokey Pokey. We will also be bringing the VR experience to Chabad of the Rivertowns event.”

The program is made up of five parts. First, participants will watch an educational 360-degree video on the history of Chanukah. Dreidel-spinning and Latke-making games add a real-life element to the traditional experiences. Next comes the quest for pure olive oil, where participants find themselves surrounded by ruins with the goal of finding a jug of oil.

Passionate about Chabad’s quest to merge technology with Judaism, Ben said “Chabad Centers like Tech Tribe deserve to be celebrated. Connecting Judaism and technology is a great concept, being that there are so many people that have an interest in both.”

 

Islington’s Hi-Tech Chanukah

Rabbi Mendy and Hadasa Korer, who have been serving the Jewish community of Islington, a borough of Greater London, for the last eight years, will be holding a Chanukah event featuring a singular type of menorah. The world’s first kinetic laser menorah will be lit this week at their annual event on the first night of Chanukah.

The program will take on a “futuristic spin” with electro klezmer music and storytelling about “Chanukah in Space,” featuring a guest appearance by robots and space debris. “Dreidel of the Future,” and traditional latkes and doughnuts complete this science-fiction-themed Chanukah event.

The Islington menorah-lighting has grown to be the second-largest public lighting in the United Kingdom, bringing together Jews and non-Jews alike who have noted that the event is a memorable occasion for all.

 

West Coast Events for the Tech-Savvy

In downtown San Francisco, Rabbi Shmulik and Tzippy Friedman, who are also involved with young professionals in the epicenter of San Francisco’s startup scene, are gearing up for this year’s Chanukah events.

“The correlation between technology and Judaism comes up all the time at our Chabad center,” says Friedman. “I am constantly bringing in examples about how many of the ideas found within Chassidism and Jewish law fit perfectly with the concepts found in modern technology. I’ve seen how people relate to and are excited about the strong parallels they see.”

“We will be holding our annual Bill Graham large menorah- lighting in Union Square,” said Friedman. “In the past, we’ve actually had a robot light the menorah. It was quite a scene. For young adults, we will hold an event featuring gourmet latkes, doughnut- tasting and comedy. We also generally visit local tech companies and hold Chanukah events there,” including offices of companies such as Credit Karma, Uber, Airbnb and Salesforce.

In a sense, he observes, Chabad is a bit of a haven for people who are constantly engaged in technology, noting that “the hub of meaningful social interactions and sense of community Chabad provides is actually somewhat of a ‘digital detox’ for people who are constantly ‘plugged in.’ ”

             (Chabad.org)

Delta & Wheels Up Partner to Make Private Aviation More Accessible to Individual & Corporate Customers

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0
Wheels Up CEO Kenny Dichter (Source: www.wheelsup.com)

Delta Private Jets to combine with Wheels Up, establishing one of the world’s largest owned and managed fleets of private aircraft.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) and Wheels Up are partnering to create one of the world’s largest owned and managed fleets of private aircraft. The partnership will make private aviation accessible to more consumers and provide unparalleled travel options. The companies have reached a definitive agreement for Delta Private Jets, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta, to combine with Wheels Up. The transaction will pair Wheels Up’s membership programs, innovative digital platform and world-class lifestyle experiences with Delta Private Jets’ renowned reliability, safety, service and scale.

When the transaction closes, Wheels Up will have a fleet of more than 190 private aircraft and over 8,000 members and customers. Delta will also hold an equity position in Wheels Up. “This groundbreaking partnership will democratize private aviation – making the convenience of private jet travel accessible to more consumers,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “Wheels Up’s lifestyle experiences and innovative digital platform, combined with the scale and service of Delta Private Jets, help further Delta’s mission of connecting people and communities worldwide through travel. This agreement is the latest step in Delta’s ongoing effort to build partnerships that extend Delta’s brand beyond its core business.”

Wheels Up King Air 350I on the Mountain Tops (Source: www.wheelsup.com)

“Bringing together our complementary businesses, which represent the best consumer brands in private and commercial aviation, is transformative and a first for the industry,” said Wheels Up’s Founder and CEO, Kenny Dichter. “The combination of Wheels Up and Delta Private Jets, along with the partnership commitments between Delta and Wheels Up, aligns with our growth objectives and vision of building a platform that will make private flying and the private flying lifestyle accessible to significantly more individuals and businesses in the US and around the world.”

The transaction will provide an array of new products and valuable features for existing and prospective customers of Wheels Up, Delta Private Jets and Delta to make private aviation travel more accessible to all. Details will be announced when the transaction closes. Wheels Up Founder and CEO Kenny Dichter will continue in his role leading the Wheels Up senior management team as it builds its partnership with Delta. Additionally, Wheels Up is committed to providing ongoing career opportunities for Delta Private Jets employees, who provide world-class private travel, safety and service.

The transaction is expected to close early next year, and in the interim, Delta Private Jets and Wheels Up will continue to serve and communicate with their existing employees, customers, members, partners and vendors in the same manner in which they do today. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and required governmental and regulatory approvals. Financial terms of the transaction will not be disclosed, and there is no expected impact to Delta’s 2019 financial guidance.

About Delta:

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is the U.S. global airline leader in products, services, innovation, reliability and customer experience. Powered by its 80,000 people around the world, Delta continues to invest billions in its people, delivering a world-class travel experience and generating industry-leading shareholder returns. With its constant drive to invest, innovate and expand, Delta today is the world’s No. 1 airline by total revenues. Delta serves nearly 200 million people every year, taking customers across its industry-leading global network to more than 300 destinations in over 50 countries.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta offers more than 5,000 daily departures and as many as 15,000 affiliated departures including the premier SkyTeam alliance, of which Delta is a founding member. Delta has been recognized as a Fortune’s top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the eighth time in nine years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented eight consecutive years and named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies Worldwide for two consecutive years.

More about Delta can be found on the Delta News Hub as well as delta.com, via @DeltaNewsHub on Twitter and Facebook.com/delta.

About Wheels Up

Wheels Up is a leading private aviation company that delivers a total aviation solution. It offers three membership options—Connect, Core, and Business—that significantly reduce the cost to fly privately, while providing unparalleled safety, service, flexibility, and quality to over 6,000 Wheels Up Members across North America. Wheels Up gives its members guaranteed access to a fleet of over 115 private aircraft, consisting of the King Air 350i, Hawker 400XP, Citation Excel/XLS, and Citation X—up to 365 days a year, with as little as 24 hours’ notice, and at fixed hourly rates for time flown only.

In addition to its Wheels Up fleet of aircraft options, Wheels Up offers its members access to its Charter Marketplace, an innovative digital platform that allows them to search a ready-when-available inventory of over 1,250 private aircraft from Wheels Up safety-vetted and verified operators with real-time pricing, which can be instantly booked. Popular Wheels Up Membership features such as Shared Flights, empty-leg Hot Flights, Shuttle Flights, and The Community, an online platform of members-only forums to facilitate flight sharing, give members the opportunity to further reduce their cost of flying private.

Delta Air Lines and Wheels Up are partnering to create one of the world’s largest owned and managed fleets of private aircraft. The partnership will make private aviation accessible to more consumers and provide unparalleled travel options. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Renowned Signature Events and added-value benefits from among the world’s preeminent lifestyle brands make up the company’s Wheels Down program. To learn more about Wheels Up, go to Wheels Up.com. Follow Wheels Up on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google. Wheels Up Partners LLC (“Wheels Up”) does not operate aircraft; FAA licensed and DOT registered air carriers participating in the program exercise full operational control of all flights offered by or arranged through Wheels Up.

For on-demand flights and shuttle flights operated as scheduled service, Wheels Up acts solely as an agent for Wheels Up members and guests in arranging these flights on their behalf. For shuttle flights operated as Public Charter service, Wheels Up acts as principal in offering these flights subject to the DOT’s Public Charter rules contained in 14 CFR Part 380. All aircraft owned or leased by Wheels Up are leased to the operating air carrier and are operated exclusively by that air carrier.

In Jersey City, a Focus on Education as White House Envoy Visits Community in Pain

By
Sholom Schreirber
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Among those who joined a community forum in Jersey City were, from left: Rabbi Moshe Schapiro, co-director of Chabad of Hoboken and Jersey City; Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop; Elan Carr, the Trump administration’s Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism; Jason Shames, CEO and executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey; New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal; and New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan. (Photo: New Jersey OAG)

Elan Carr brings condolences to victims of the Dec. 10 attack and local residents

By: Mendel Super

Rabbi Moshe Schapiro assists Elan Carr in putting on tefillin before the meeting.

Outside on Martin Luther King Drive, snow fell gently. Inside the JC Kosher supermarket, it looked like a war zone. The glass panels that just days ago were the entrance to the storefront were smashed and on the ground, shattered by hundreds of bullet holes. Food was strewn across the floor, the aftermath of the violence that took place on Dec. 10 in the once-peaceful community.

As a delegation that included Elan Carr, the Trump administration’s Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism, made its way down the streets of Jersey City’s Greenville neighborhood, visitors and local residents paused to express their condolences to one another. An entire community is hurting.

They walked to the Ropshitz Shul, where a community forum took place with Carr, local residents and elected officials.

Carr comforts the mourners, including Moshe Ferencz, seated center, whose wife, Leah Minda, was killed in the attack. Her brother, Yoel Greenfeld, is seated next to Moshe Ferencz. (Photo: Mendel Super)

The pain at the meeting was palpable.

Rabbi Moshe Schapiro, co-director of Chabad of Hoboken and Jersey City with his wife, Shaindel, took the floor and spoke passionately about educating children to love others and having a moment of silence each day at school: “Parents must teach their children to think about what their purpose is here in this world. They should have a conversation, so when their teacher gives them a quiet moment to reflect, they should be focusing on this.”

Noting how parents must set the tone, Schapiro continued, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to have that kind of family dynamic where every child has the opportunity to think, ‘I can make a difference and make this world a better place?’ ”

Condolence notes left outside the store. (Photo: New Jersey OAG)

“Every child matters, and when someone looks different than us, it doesn’t take away from us because every human being has a mission to make this world a better place; the difference of the other child only adds to the dimension in a most amazing way.”

Addressing Carr, Schapiro remarked: “They call you the anti-Semitism czar. Maybe the title should be the ambassador of love!”

“Agreed,” Carr concurred. “I’m known by many titles.”

 

Fighting Darkness With Light

The delegation, including U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer, center with flowers, walks to the site of the attack. (Photo: New Jersey OAG)

After the meeting, the delegation headed several blocks away, to the site of last Tuesday’s deadly shooting, inspecting the damage to the bullet-ridden store. During a news conference held in the foreground of the store, Carr relayed sympathies on behalf of the Trump administration, saying, “I came to Jersey City today to express the personal condolences of the president of the United States, and the entire administration that stands in absolute solidarity with the Jewish community here in Jersey City, and with the entire Jersey City and New Jersey.”

“My message,” continued Carr, a veteran with almost two decades of military service, “is that we’re in the season of Chanukah, and Jews all over the world will be lighting Chanukah lamps, commemorating an occasion where Jews were victorious over those who would profane the holy. And that’s what this is; this act of savagery was to profane the holy. They just stepped into a kosher market, a place of service and faith, and I have not seen that many bullet holes since I left Iraq–I spent a year in a combat zone.”

Rabbi Schapiro speaks at a news conference. (Photo: Mendel Super)

Before heading to the shiva house–where Moshe Ferencz is mourning his wife, Leah Minda Ferencz–Rabbi Schapiro said to the media: “The message the community has is, ‘We get along with our neighbors; this is an isolated incident.’ But unfortunately, it’s thriving all over the world. We see it in New York; we’ve seen it in Brooklyn in the last few months. People who look Jewish are attacked so often. The best way to fight hate–as the special envoy said so well–is with love, and the best way to fight darkness is with light.”

Concluding the press conference, Jason Shames, CEO and executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, said emotionally, “One of the most difficult aspects of this experience for me is having to meet an 11-year-old boy who on his 11th birthday buried his mom, who was killed solely for being Jewish. He now will be saying the holy Jewish mourner’s prayer–the Kaddish. To have to learn that as an 11-year-old is a tragic, sad and horrific thing to do.”

Inside the store: the shattered panes of the storefront, the address still visible. (Photo: Mendel Super)

Meeting the widower and family of Leah Minda Ferencz at their urban Greenville home, Carr heartfully wished, “My prayer is that this loss will bring the world to a better place; people should be kind and decent to one another, banish hate from their hearts and treasure the tzelem elokim—the humanity and G dliness within us.”

 

The Importance of Education

On Friday, at a meeting with elected officials and faith leaders from across the state, Schapiro echoed the words of the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—on the importance of educating children to lead a life of goodness and kindness, “We need to teach our children from a very young age that there’s a G d who created this very complicated world, and he continues to supervise this world. We, human beings created in his image, are accountable to G d; yes, many children get it at home, but kids spend most of their day at school. If we can start teaching our children that we are not living in a jungle, we can make this world G d’s garden, making it a better place.

Local residents left flowers and good wishes at the site of the attack. (Photo: New Jersey OAG)

If children grow up hearing this message—knowing that we can’t harm anyone else, that our lives are sacred—hopefully, when they’re a little older that message they heard at home and at school will have an effect on them.”

The solution, Schapiro declared, is to go “back to the basics.”

On Monday, at pre-Chanukah menorah-lighting at the Governor’s mansion, Schapiro spoke of the importance of bringing prayer and faith into our lives, noting that the next night marks the 19th of Kislev, the New Year of Chassidut, which brought prayer to the fore. He told those assembled that it is not enough to pray in tragic circumstances; individuals must also bring G d into their lives when all is well.

(Chabad.org)

Stealth Newspapers & Posters Expose Jew Hatred on California Campuses

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0
A poster included in the pages of each newspaper highlights the role that Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has played in promoting the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

By: Sara Dogan

In a stealth campaign to expose the malignant threat of Jew hatred that has invaded America’s college campuses, the David Horowitz Freedom Center distributed thousands of newspapers listing the “Top Ten Colleges that Promote Jew Hatred and Incite Terrorism” on three Southern California campuses this week. UCLA, UC-Irvine and Pitzer College were all targeted by the campaign.

“American universities like UCLA allow these terrorist allies to use their authority and prestige to lend this genocidal offensive an aura of respectability. Our campaign intends to expose SJP and other supporters of BDS as fronts for Hamas and to press universities to cease their funding and support of these organizations.” – David Horowitz

All three campuses were named in the Freedom Center’s recent report “From Campus to Congress: Allied with Terror,” on the growing prevalence of Jew hatred and its ties to the Islamic terror organization Hamas.

“Jew hatred is no longer solely the purview of academic outliers, those institutions known for radical activism and absurdist teachings,” the report explains. “The Jew hatred promoted by Hamas through its front group Students for Justice in Palestine has now trickled down to infect less typically activist campuses in the heartland.”

The report also documents how the anti-Israel terror group Hamas funds the BDS movement on American campuses by funneling money to chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) through an intermediary organization named American Muslims for Palestine (AMP).

In a stealth campaign to expose the malignant threat of Jew hatred that has invaded America’s college campuses, the David Horowitz Freedom Center distributed thousands of newspapers listing the “Top Ten Colleges that Promote Jew Hatred and Incite Terrorism” on three Southern California campuses this week. UCLA, UC-Irvine and Pitzer College were all targeted by the campaign.

AMP is headed by the notorious anti-Semite and jihad supporter, UC Berkeley professor Hatem Bazian, the co-founder of SJP and its board is dominated by former leaders of the Holy Land Foundation which was successfully prosecuted by the US government for funding Hamas. Aided by this funding from Hamas, Students for Justice in Palestine is the chief campus sponsor of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel—a Hamas orchestrated campaign to isolate and financially strangle the Jewish state.

A poster included in the pages of each newspaper highlights the role that Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has played in promoting the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The poster features images of Rep. Omar and Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, accompanied by a notorious tweet from Omar stating “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.” The caption above this image states “BDS: Finishing the Work that Hitler Started.” These same posters were also hung in public locations on the UCLA, UC-Irvine and Pitzer campuses.

“For nearly two decades, SJP has promoted Hamas lies and propaganda in order to establish a beachhead of support for anti-Israel terrorists on American campuses, resulting in a dramatic rise in anti-Semitic incidents and the harassment of Jewish students,” said David Horowitz, founder of the Freedom Center. “

“Jew hatred is no longer solely the purview of academic outliers, those institutions known for radical activism and absurdist teachings,” the report explains. “The Jew hatred promoted by Hamas through its front group Students for Justice in Palestine has now trickled down to infect less typically activist campuses in the heartland.”

“American universities like UCLA allow these terrorist allies to use their authority and prestige to lend this genocidal offensive an aura of respectability,” Horowitz continued. “Our campaign intends to expose SJP and other supporters of BDS as fronts for Hamas and to press universities to cease their funding and support of these organizations.”

The report also chronicles the role that U.S. Congresswomen Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) have played in promoting Jew hatred and bringing anti-Semitism into the mainstream. Omar was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Muslim Students Association in her collegiate days at North Dakota State University, and has frequently professed anti-Semitic views and voiced her support for BDS. Tlaib is a graduate of Wayne State University, one of the schools profiled in the report, and has also promoted the BDS movement.

Visit https://stopuniversitysupportforterrorists.org/ for more on the Freedom Center’s campaign to battle Jew hatred on campus and to read our new report on the “Top Ten Colleges that Promote Jew Hatred and Incite Terrorism.”

  (FrontPageMag.com)

Parshas Miketz – The Art of Forgiveness

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0
Artist’s rendition of the biblical Joseph revealing his true identity to his brothers who had sold him into captivity, 22 years prior.

By: Rabbi Osher Jungreis

In this week`s parsha we read the dramatic story of Joseph who is now Viceroy of Egypt meeting his brethren after 22 years of separation.

The brothers do not recognize Joseph and when he accuses them of espionage they are overcome by trepidation. They immediately attribute their troubles to the heinous sin that they committed so long ago when they sold Joseph into slavery. In voices full of torment, they cry out, “Aval”–”Indeed”,, we are guilty concerning our brother inasmuch as we saw his heartfelt anguish when he pleaded with us, and we paid no heed; that is why this trouble has befallen us” (Genesis, 42-21) The brothers could of course, have ascribed Joseph`s accusation to the whim of a mad Egyptian despot, but herein lies their greatness. Instead of shifting blame, they searched their souls and looked within themselves.

We can appreciate the depth of their self-scrutiny through an examination of the Hebrew word “aval”–”indeed” which has a double meaning. It can also be translated as “but” At first glance, these disparate words appear contradictory. The Torah however, is teaching us a profound lesson. Most people, when explaining themselves, prefer to use the word “aval” as “but” to justify their negative behavior. They readily concede that their conduct was incorrect, but then they go on to say “But, there were mitigating circumstances beyond their control,” thus rationalizing their deed and giving themselves license to continue to follow the same ill begotten path.

The brothers–the tribal patriarchs of the Jewish people, taught us how to repent, how to shed our bad habits and improve our character traits. They use the word “aval” not as “but” (a loophole), but rather as “indeed,” meaning, “Yes indeed” we have sinned, we are accountable–and thus they showed the path of repentance for all generations.

On Yom Kippur, when we confess, we repeat these very words–”Aval anachnu chatanu…”–”Indeed, We have sinned–no ifs ands or buts.” Our sin came about because we used the word “aval” as a rationalization to justify our misbehavior. So when people say, “I know I did such and such, “but”, they give themselves license to continue along the same corrupt path. The brothers however, reversed all that and confessed without excuses–”Indeed, we have sinned.” To make such a confession is very painful and because of that, most people shy away from it. It`s so much more convenient to blame others and circumstances, but if we are to change, if we are to grow spiritually, we must find the courage for honest introspection, as agonizing as that may be.

Most of us are good and decent people. It is the excuses that we make with “but” that allow us to stray from the path. We have a choice…we can emulate the tribal patriarchs by saying “Indeed,”–grow, change and realize our potential, or we can indulge ourselves with “but” and sink into our weaknesses. It all depends on us.

THE ART OF FORGIVENESS

The awesome saga of Joseph continues. Of all the tribal patriarchs, it was Joseph alone who was called “Tzaddik “- righteous and holy. You might ask what were the character traits that earned him this noble title. In this week’s parsha, as in that of last week, and the ensuing weeks, we encounter Joseph’s greatness through small happenings which, upon scrutiny, prove to be not so small at all.

There is famine in the land of Canaan, and Joseph’s brethren come to Egypt to purchase food supplies. Joseph has risen to the position of Viceroy and the brothers are brought into his presence. Although many years have passed, Joseph recognizes them immediately, but they do not recognize him, and they bow down reverently before him.

Joseph now sees the fulfillment of the prophecy that he beheld in his dreams so long ago–that his brethren would prostrate themselves before him. One would imagine that this would have been the perfect moment for Joseph to reveal himself to the brothers who betrayed him and sold him into slavery. It would have been logical for him to say, “I am Joseph whom you mocked and abused. I am Joseph whose dreams you ridiculed, and here you are in fulfillment of my dream.” Instead of reveling in such sweet revenge, the Torah states: “Joseph saw his brethren; he recognized them; but he acted as a stranger toward them (Genesis 42.7).

Rabbi Levi Yitzchok, the Berdichiver Rebbe, said that Joseph did not make himself known at this point because he did not want his brothers to experience the anguish that is the lot of those who have to confront the tragic error of their ways. Although Joseph had undergone much suffering because of his brethren, now that he had the upper hand, he was careful not to bring shame upon them. A lesser person would have seized the opportunity to tell it like it is, to inflict some of the hurt that he had experienced on those who had hurt him. But Yosef was Tzaddik. He went out of his way to shield his brethren from pain and embarrassment. When Joseph did reveal his identity (which we find in next week’s parsha), he assures his brothers that all that had transpired was for the good, directed by G-d Himself. Therefore, they should not agonize or blame themselves in any way, for it was all basherte–meant to be.

We can all learn from the example of Joseph. There are of course people who will argue that they are not on the level of Joseph–they cannot forgive the hurts that were inflicted upon them. To be sure, none of us are on the level of Joseph, but we can certainly try to emulate him–and to help us along the way, let’s try to weigh the benefits of forgiveness versus the benefits of harboring anger.

Anger begets more anger–the war continues until the anger consumes us and literally chews us up. On the other hand, through peace, we gain inner serenity. We acquire new friends and our family circle expands. But best of all, if G-d sees that we forgive each other, then G-d will forgive us as well, so let’s try to follow in the path of Joseph. It’s the high road of forgiveness that befits our Jewish people.

(Hineni.org)

Parshas Miketz & Chanukah–From Darkness to Light

By
Sholom Schreirber
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What Chanukah teaches us is that the Torah has the power of light—the ability to dispel whatever challenge is posed by the particular darkness of the time.

By: Rabbi Kenneth Auman

The Medrash Rabba at the beginning of Parshat Miketz, the parsha that is read on Shabbat Chanukah this year (and in most years), speaks about a Chanukah-appropriate theme — light and darkness:

“It was at the end of two years.” The verse (Iyov 28:3) states “An end was set for darkness,” [The Almighty] set a time limit on how many years the world will operate in darkness because as long as the evil inclination is in the world, darkness and the shadow of death are in the world as is stated (ibid) “the stones of darkness and the shadow of death.” Once the evil inclination is uprooted from the world, there is no darkness and shadow of death. Another explanation, “An end was set for darkness,” a time was set for Yosef how many years he would remain in the darkness in prison. When that time ended, Pharaoh had a dream. Bereishit Rabbah, Parshat Miketz no. 89

The Medrash provides two interpretations of darkness. In the first, it represents the yetzer harah, the evil inclination. What does the Medrash mean when it states that there is an end to this type of darkness? Must we wait until Messianic times, or can we hope for it to be earlier? The events that occurred on Chanukah teach us that we do not have to wait until Messianic times to do away with darkness. At the time when the Chanukah story took place, there was a great deal of darkness foisted on Klal Yisrael. It was not only religious coercion that threatened Torah life, but it was the allure of Greek culture that captivated the hearts and minds of many Jews without any coercion as well. There were certain elements of Greek culture that were capable of enhancing and even glorifying Judaism:

The verse (Bereishit 9:27) states, “God shall beautify Yefet and he will dwell in the tents of Shem” . . . the beautiful aspects of Yefet (i.e. of Greek culture) will be in the tents of Shem (i.e. the Jewish people). Megillah 9b But there were other elements, such as Greek paganism and philosophy that were incompatible with Torah ideology. And those ideas had a certain attraction to many Jews at the time. Nevertheless, the Torah ultimately triumphed. Perhaps this is why the miracle occurred specifically with the nerot (candles) and not with some other aspect of the Beit Hamikdash — to demonstrate that it is the light of Torah that eventually shines through and dispels the darkness.

Throughout the ages, different types of evil inclinations have appeared and challenged us. But they’ve all gone away, once the light of Torah was able to shine on them and dispel them. The ideas of Aristotle, Plato and other Greek philosophers once posed serious threats to Torah Judaism; today they are not credible threats at all. They may today be significant as subjects of academic study, but they do not provide attractive alternatives for living one’s life in the 21st century.

In more modern times, there were many other “isms” that were, for relatively short periods, potent evil inclinations, but today are no longer dangerous—communism and socialism today no longer pose the challenges to our faith that they did in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

“An end was set for darkness.” Today’s difficulties are different from those of yesteryear, and tomorrow’s will be again different. What Chanukah teaches us is that the Torah has the power of light—the ability to dispel whatever challenge is posed by the particular darkness of the time.

Ironically, however, we today are faced with challenges that in certain ways resemble the old threat presented by elements of the ancient Greek culture. What was the basis of the Greek outlook? If one reads Greek mythology, one reads the stories of their gods. The gods were described as powerful beings, but with all the foibles of humans. They lied, cheated, and stole. They were jealous and selfish. The Greeks created gods who resembled them; they were basically worshipping themselves.

On the other hand, the whole idea of the Torah is to put G-d at the center of our universe, and thereby aim for perfection: Whenever one benefits from this world, one’s intent should not be for personal pleasure but for the service of G-d as it states

(Mishlei 3:6) “know G-d in all of your ways,” and our rabbis taught, all of your actions should be for the sake of heaven, even matters that are optional such as eating, drinking, walking, sitting, standing, marital relations, conversations, and all physical matters should be geared towards the service of G-d or something that enables service of Him.–Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 231:1

One might argue that a central tenet of American society is also the concept of worship of self, albeit in a different fashion. Our society, too, emphasizes the notion that we are the most important thing there is. “You deserve this and this,” “Treat yourself to this.” And self-fulfillment is the most important thing one should seek. And many of the ills of our society—the rampant sexual freedom, the unbridled materialism, are all symptoms of this notion.

The light that triumphed áéîéí ääí was only able to shine because of the great dedication and sacrifices of the Chashmonaim. And today as well, the Torah will only overcome the problems of our society with great dedication to it on our part…

The Medrash has another interpretation of darkness as well, symbolized by Yosef’s stay in prison. This represents physical danger and the threat of annihilation. And this danger too has an end, as is seen in the story of Chanukah and in the countless threats to our survival that we’ve experienced in our millennia of existence.

In every generation, [nations] stand over us to destroy us and

the Holy One Blessed be He saves us from their hand.- Passover Haggadah The world certainly appears very dangerous to us at the current time as well. Chanukah, though, gives us encouragement because it testifies to the power of me’atim (outnumbered), chalashim (weak) and tzaddikim (righteous) against what appeared to be far greater might.

May we merit both types of light—the spiritual light of the Torah and the physical light of redemption.

             (yutorah.org)

Rabbi Kenneth Auman is on the Judaic Studies faculty at Stern College for Women and is the Rabbi at the Young Israel of Flatbush

Laws of Lighting the Hanukkah Menorah Away from Home

By
Sholom Schreirber
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In-depth laws of the menorah for travelers and guests

By: Rabbi Elozor Barclay & Rabbi Yitzchok Jaeger

  1. Must one light the menorah at home?

The mitzvah of lighting the menorah is described as being “a light for a man and his home.” From this we learn that the mitzvah is not only a personal one but also one that pertains to the home. Therefore, a person cannot fulfill his obligation by lighting anywhere other than at home. For example, a man may not light at work but must return home for the mitzvah.

  1. When may a person light or become a partner at the home of a friend or relative?

Lighting or becoming a partner at another person’s home is permitted only when sleeping at that place. A person who intends to sleep the night at his own home must light there and nowhere else. A boarder may be an exception to this rule.

  1. What if a person is away from home for part or all of Chanukah (e.g. on business) but his family remains at home?

The wife or son over bar mitzvah must light the menorah at home. Strictly speaking, the husband also fulfills his obligation by this and is not required to light separately. However, according to the widespread custom, the husband lights his own menorah at the place where he is sleeping. He should make the blessings only if he lights earlier than the menorah is lit in his home. If he lights later than the menorah is lit in his home, he should not recite the blessings himself, but rather listen to someone else who is making the blessings wherever he is.

  1. What if a woman is away from home during Chanukah but her husband is lighting at home?

The wife fulfills her obligation through her husband’s lighting and is not required to light her own menorah. If possible, she should try to hear the blessings being recited by someone else lighting.

  1. What if the wife is at home but the husband will arrive only later in the evening?

There are two options:

  • The wife can wait for her husband to light the menorah when he arrives.
  • The wife can light the menorah at the correct time and exempt the husband from lighting when he arrives. If possible, he should try to hear the blessings being recited by someone else lighting.

To avoid any misunderstanding, the couple should discuss the situation beforehand and come to a mutually acceptable arrangement.

  1. What if the husband is at home but the wife will arrive only later in the evening?

If the wife agrees, the husband should light on time, thus fulfilling the obligation for himself and his wife. If the husband senses that his wife may be upset to miss the lighting of the menorah, he should wait until she arrives.

  1. What if both the husband and wife go away together for a few days?

During the days that they are away from home, they should light the menorah in their new location. If any other members of the family remain at home they must light a menorah for themselves at home.

  1. What should an unmarried person do when sleeping away from home?

A man should light his own menorah in the place he is lodging. A woman should become a partner with the family where she is lodging, but if she is lodging alone she must light her own menorah.

  1. What if a person is sleeping away from home at one location and eating at another?

Preferably he should light at the place that he eats. If this is difficult, he may light where he sleeps.

  1. Where should a person light on the day he leaves his home?

If he leaves before lighting time, he should light at his destination. But if he leaves after lighting time, he should light at home before he leaves.

  1. Where should a person light on the day he returns home?

If he leaves before lighting time, he should light at home. But if he leaves after lighting time, he should light at the place he has been temporarily.

  1. Does the same apply to a person who returns home on Saturday night after being away for Shabbos?

A person who intends to return home immediately after Shabbos should light when he arrives home. In this case, every effort should be made to return home quickly. A person who intends to remain at his temporary location for a while after Shabbos should light at the place he has been during Shabbos.

  1. Where in a hotel should a guest light?

If permission is given, he should light in his room since this is considered his home. It is praiseworthy to eat at least one meal a day in the room. If the hotel insists that he light in the communal dining room, he may fulfill his obligation there.

  1. What if a person is travelling through the night?
  • If he begins his journey after plag haMincha (1 1/4 hours before sunset), he should light before he leaves.
  • If he must leave before this time but will arrive at his destination before dawn, he should light when he arrives.
  • If he must leave before this time and will arrive after dawn, he should light while traveling (see next question).

Excerpted from “Guidelines” – more than 200 commonly asked questions about Chanukah (Targum/Feldheim).

(Aish.com)

Major Strides Made in Fight Against Litter in Poconos

By
Sholom Schreirber
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The Poconos has more than 163 ski trails and lots to do on winter vacations. Photo Credit: poconomountains.com

Pick Up the Poconos and Pocono 3C highlight 2019 successes

Edited by: TJVNews.com

In its first full year, Pick Up the Poconos has achieved remarkable results in the effort to curb unsightly litter and to help improve our communities throughout the four counties which make up the Pocono Mountains.

Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos. Photo Credit: Wikimedia.com

“This success could not have been achieved alone,” said Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau President & CEO Chris Barrett. “Our community partners were integral to making our region more beautiful and helping those less fortunate in the process.”

Pick Up the Poconos was launched in the spring of 2018 to raise awareness of the negative ways litter affects our region including the destination’s curb appeal to the nearly 28 million visitors to the Poconos. Not only that, but the campaign has enlisted volunteers and organizations to get involved in removing as much litter and debris as possible from alongside our roadways and public spaces.

Soon, the effort expanded to three more counties in the region to form an anti-litter coalition in Luzerne, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Then in June, the Pocono Mountains United Way, RHD’s Street 2 Feet Outreach Center and the Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority joined forces with the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau to create Pocono Community Caring Company (Pocono 3C).

The program is designed to give individuals facing homelessness a job helping to clean litter from the roads while receiving counseling on their way to permanent housing and possible full-time employment. The PMVB, along with numerous partners throughout the region, are extremely pleased to share the following results:

  • Pocono 3C (June 2019–November 2019)
  • 58 men and women participated
  • 3,472 bags collected
  • 185 tires collected
  • 162 miles cleaned
  • 25 men and women found permanent housing as a result of participating in Pocono 3C
  • 2nd Annual Pick Up the Poconos Day (September 29, 2019)
  • 371 volunteers
  • 738 bags collected
  • 60 miles cleaned across 8 municipalities in Monroe County
  • Adopt A Highway Maintenance Corp. (2019)
  • 3,560 bags collected weighing approximately 32,040 pounds
  • Cleaned medians, ramps and shoulders of Interstate 80 and Interstate 380
  • Grand Total: 7,770 bags of litter

Reaction

“Pick Up the Poconos was a great success this year because we had so many volunteers contributing to the beautification of our township,” said Middle Smithfield Township Supervisor Mike Dwyer. “Pride in the Poconos was exemplified by the residents and business owners who donated just a few hours and made significant improvements.”

“We’ve come from one of the worst to one of the best in the state,” said Senator Mario Scavello (R-40th District). “With the amount of traffic on our roads we’ve done a phenomenal job at keeping the Poconos clean. It’s a testament to the PMVB and its partners. When people work together, good things happen.”

“Pick Up the Poconos was a great success this year because we had so many volunteers contributing to the beautification of our township,” said Middle Smithfield Township Supervisor Mike Dwyer. “Pride in the Poconos was exemplified by the residents and business owners who donated just a few hours and made significant improvements.”

“Since the inception of Pick Up the Poconos, there has been a major improvement on the roads,” added Monroe County Commissioner John Christy. “We are trying to put the best foot forward and create awareness that Monroe County is a wonderful place to live, work and play.”

Go to PickUpthePoconos.com for more information on how our communities can stay clean and green.

Pocono Mountains visitor information is available online at PoconoMountains.com or by phone at (570) 421-5791. Follow @PoconoTourismPR on Twitter to stay current with up-to-date information. Established in 1934, the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau is a private, non-profit membership organization. The PMVB is the official destination marketing organization for the four counties of Wayne, Pike, Monroe, and Carbon in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

About the Pocono Mountains

With 2,400 square miles encompassing Pennsylvania’s Wayne, Pike, Monroe, and Carbon counties, the Pocono Mountains region is home to rolling mountain terrain, breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls, thriving woodlands and 170 miles of winding rivers. Winters offer guests the opportunity to ski, snowboard, snow tube and even snowshoe their way through snowy wonderlands encompassing more than 163 ski trails, while summers also cater to the active traveler allowing exploration of 261 miles of hiking and biking trails, more than 30 golf courses, whitewater rafting, boating, fishing and open access to nine state and two national parks.

Beauty, Destruction and Jewish History: The Many Faces of Dresden

By
Sholom Schreirber
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Dresden’s New Synagogue. Credit: Wikipedia.com .

By: Orit Arfa

Cross the August Bridge over the Elbe River towards the Altstadt (Old Oity) of Dresden on a tour bus, and you’ll likely hear “oohs” and “aahs” from tourists as they behold the restored Baroque skyline that made Dresden the “Florence of the Elbe.”

These days, most people don’t associate the capital of the German state of Saxony with its historic beauty. The infamous Anglo-American firebombing of February 1945 turned the Old City into rubble, killing an estimated 40,000.

The House of Meissen near Dresden. Credit: Wikipedia.com

While other German cities suffered equal or greater devastation, Dresden captures the public’s imagination because the city houses some of the world’s most stunning Baroque churches and palaces—like the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) and the Zwinger, both destroyed in the bombing and later rebuilt—as well as fine Renaissance artworks.

When Dresden was part of the German Democratic Republic after World War II, East German leaders invested only in the renowned Semperoper opera house. After 1990, a unified Germany undertook the meticulous reconstruction of the city’s domed—and doomed—landmarks.

According to Gablinger Tours, a company offering Dresden day trips from Berlin led by Hebrew-speaking and English-speaking guides (including this reporter), Israeli tourists discovered post-communist Dresden a decade before it became a renewed international attraction. Currently, the city draws approximately 10 million tourists annually.

“About 10 years ago, American tourists had no idea what they were going to see,” said Nadav Gablinger, CEO of Gablinger Tours. “They were in shock when they arrived in Dresden. They expected ruins.”

In the 1990s, Tel Aviv-Prague was a more frequent route than Tel Aviv-Berlin, and Israeli travel agents often tacked Dresden onto Prague tour packages; Dresden is equidistant from Berlin and Prague, reachable by a two-hour train ride. Today, Berlin is Israel’s top European destination, and websites like TripAdvisor have put the “Baroque Pearl of the North” firmly on the tourist map.

Unless they book a private tour, Gablinger said, Jewish tourists don’t necessarily come for Jewish content, which is more plentiful in Berlin. In 1933, some 6,000 Jews lived in Dresden compared to Berlin’s 160,000.

Yet Dresden Jews have made their mark. The city’s tragic Jewish history and the community’s slow revival is aptly symbolized by an odd building that doesn’t fit the picturesque skyline: the New Synagogue on the banks of the Elbe, inaugurated in November 2001. Two rectangular structures representing a tent and temple enclose the site of the Old Synagogue, which was designed in Moorish tones in the late 1830s by the opera house’s architect, Gottfried Semper. Dresden artist Otto Griebel recorded the prophetic cry of a passerby who watched the Semper synagogue go down in flames during the Kristallnacht pogrom of November 1938: “This fire will return. It will follow a large curve and then return to us.”

The returning fire was documented by one of the city’s best-known Jewish residents, Victor Klemperer. The son of a rabbi, Klemperer had converted to Protestantism, but Hitler’s regime forced him to wear the yellow Jewish star patch. His diaries, “I Will Bear Witness,” are considered among the most important diaries of the Nazi era after Anne Frank’s. Klemperer and the dozens of Jews alive in Dresden in 1945 had been spared deportation as the spouses or children of “Aryans” (ethnic Germans)—until the week of the bombing. The firestorm occurred days before their scheduled deportation, and Jewish survivors in the city ripped off their patches and fled, posing as Aryan refugees.

The 1945 bombing destroyed a world of art and architecture created with some Jewish influence. The man who beautified the Altstadt was the legendary Saxon prince and art-lover, August the Strong (1694-1733). “Court Jew” Berend Lehmann, August’s financier, helped him leverage his Saxon capital to essentially purchase the throne of Poland in 1697 and to fill the royal court with the intricate, jewel-laden treasures now on display at Dresden’s flagship museum, The New Green Vault. The Polish king, in gratitude for the services rendered, petitioned to allow Lehmann, who was also a Jewish philanthropist, to build a home in Dresden at a time when Jewish property rights were curtailed.

King August augmented his wealth when he took a chance on an “alchemist” who promised to turn base metals into gold. Eventually, the trickster churned out “white gold,” the nickname for Meissen porcelain, one of the world’s finest porcelain brands. Tourists spending more than a day in Dresden can visit the House of Meissen, situated half an hour away from the city, for insight into how Dresden became a mecca for “finearbeit” (precision work).

Jewish tourists staying for Shabbat can attend services at the progressive New Synagogue or the traditional Chabad center, which also offers a kosher Friday night meal. Today, some 2,000-2,500 Jews live in Dresden, including about 100 Israel families.

One modern manifestation of Dresden’s fine arbeit is its high-tech industry. “Silicon Saxony,” as it’s also known today, boasts a technical university whose graduates have created a start-up culture that employs some Israelis, signaling a fresh start for a city that continues its rise from the ashes of World War II.

            (JNS.org)

Dr. Mitchell Katz, MD, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, Named One of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare

By
Sholom Schreirber
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Katz is recognized for his work expanding access to primary care services while making the health system more financially stable

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Mitchell Katz, MD, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals has been named in Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” list for his work expanding access to primary care services while making the health system more financially stable. Dr. Katz’s most successful initiatives during his time as President and CEO of the country’s largest public healthcare system are driven by the organization’s overall goals of strategic investment to aid in transforming care and increasing access. Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” program honors individuals in healthcare who are deemed by their peers and the outlet’s senior editors to be the most influential individuals in the industry, in terms of leadership and impact. Others highlighted by Modern Healthcare include notable administrators in the field and a number of American politicians best recognized for their advocacy around healthcare policy. Dr. Katz is ranked 91st among his peers. Earlier this year, Dr. Katz was also recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the “50 Most Influential Clinical Executives.”

“I am honored to be ranked among such notable people in the healthcare industry, said Mitchell Katz, MD, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. “The “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” recognition is a reflection of New York City’s priority in ensuring healthcare is accessible to all residents. I am proud that the tremendous work our doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and staff do every day is being recognized.”

“This recognition testifies to the tireless efforts of Dr. Katz to unlock access to health care for all New Yorkers while setting our public hospital system on the course to financial stability,” said Dr. Raul Perea-Henze, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. “Dr. Katz is effectively leading the transformation of the nation’s largest municipal health system to deliver high-quality care that improves the health and well-being of patients. This honor acknowledges his instrumental leadership in making our vision of thriving communities in New York City a reality.”

“This is a well-deserved recognition for Dr. Katz and his tireless work in elevating our City’s public healthcare system. There is no one more committed than Dr. Katz to our mission of guaranteeing care to all New Yorkers regardless of status or ability to pay,” said José A. Pagán, PhD, Chair of the Board of NYC Health + Hospitals.

“Dr. Katz has a profound understanding of the lives of New Yorkers in need and how they interact with the health care system, and he translates that into advocacy and action. Dr. Katz is an effective and innovative manager of the NYC Health + Hospitals system,” said Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried. “I congratulate him on this recognition and look forward to continuing to work with him.”

“Dr. Katz is a national leader on one of the most pressing issues of our time, and New York City is lucky to have him,” said Speaker Corey Johnson. “My colleagues in the Council and I salute his service to our city and look forward to continuing our work to increase access to healthcare for all New Yorkers.”

“I am not surprised by this well-deserved recognition of Mitch’s work. His commitment to high-quality and public healthcare delivery is unparalleled, and his efforts to transform the NYC’s municipal hospitals and clinics are truly transformational. He is setting an important example of the great role and value of public healthcare in America today,” said Dr. Herminia Palacio, President and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute and former NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services.

“Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) applauds Dr. Mitchell Katz and his strong focus on primary care to transform and improve care for all New Yorkers,” said PCDC Chief Executive Officer Louise Cohen, MPH. “His commitment to turn NYC Health + Hospitals into an agency that focuses more on primary care to reduce the need for hospital care is right in keeping with both PCDC and NYC Health + Hospitals’ vision and mission to improve the health of the most vulnerable and underserved New York City communities.”

Dr. Katz was appointed President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals in January 2018. During this time, Dr. Katz has focused on advancing the transformation of the public health care system with numerous new initiatives to expand access to primary care services, reduce administrative costs, invest in more front-line clinical staff, and build financial stability. Fiscal year end 2019 results showed the health system was able to close 65 percent of its $1.8B structural gap through additional revenue, savings, managed care negotiations, and getting New Yorkers enrolled into insurance. In August 2019, NYC Care, a healthcare access program for New Yorkers who are not eligible for or cannot afford health insurance, launched in the Bronx under Dr. Katz’s stewardship.

Previously, Dr. Katz was the Director of the Los Angeles County Health Agency, an agency that combines the Departments of Health Services, Public Health, and Mental Health into a single entity so as to provide more integrated care and programming within Los Angeles.

Before he came to Los Angeles, Dr. Katz was the Director and Health Officer of the San Francisco Department of Health for 13 years. He is well-known for funding needle exchange, creating Healthy San Francisco, outlawing the sale of tobacco at pharmacies, and winning ballot measures for rebuilding Laguna Honda Hospital and San Francisco General Hospital. He is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Medical School. He completed an internal medicine residency at UCSF Medical School and was an RWJ Clinical Scholar.

Dr. Katz is the Deputy Editor of JAMA Internal Medicine, an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences (previously the Institute of Medicine) and the recipient of the Los Angeles County Medical Association 2015 Healthcare Champion of the Year.

1st Night of Chanukah Candle-Lighting in Jsl’m; PM Netanyahu & U.S. Amb Friedman at Kotel

By
Administrator
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Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife, along with U.S. Ambassador David Friedman and his family, lit the first Chanukah candle this evening at the Western Wall Plaza with Rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, and the Director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Mordechai (Suli) Eliav.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife, along with U.S. Ambassador David Friedman and his family, lit the first Chanukah candle this evening at the Western Wall Plaza with Rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, and the Director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Mordechai (Suli) Eliav.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

The Prime Minister said, “New decrees are being created against the Jewish nation.  The anti-Semitic decrees of the international court that says that the Jews standing here next to this wall in this city in this land have no right to live here, and if we live here, we are committing a war crime.  Anti-Semitism for its own sake. We will not bow our heads before this injustice, and we will fight it with everything we have. I say this here on this festival of Chanukah, against all the decrees, against all this new anti-Semitism.  Just as we were victorious then, we will be victorious today.”

The Ambassador said that he “is happy to be here as the ambassador of the United States government that sends its blessings for a Happy Chanukah to Jews around the world.  Chanukah is the “festival of light”, every day we make the light brighter. This is not just symbolic. It is our essence that we illuminate the world with the values we have, and this is very special to light a Chanukah candle adjacent to the site of the miracle where the Maccabees purified the Temple.  Being here with the Jewish nation saying the same prayer they did 2,000 years ago, in the same language, in the same place where those prayers were recited. There is no better place at which to begin the Chanukah festival.”

Rabbi of the Western Wall, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, said, “Two-thousand and three hundred years ago, the greatest empire in the world wanted to erase Jewish identity, and the Jewish nation fought valiantly, right here, in order to preserve Jewish light in the world.  The light of Chanukah, the light of freedom, and the light of faith that were lit here, illuminate powerfully today all around the world. It sheds light in the State of Israel. It sheds light in the United States of America. It sheds light wherever there are people who believe in the Blessed be He, believe in freedom, and believe in hope.”

Husband of NY Architect Killed by Falling Masonry Delivers Emotional Eulogy

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By Howard M. Riell

Erica Tishman’s death was tragic, and her husband’s eulogy was heartbreaking.

Steven Tishman spoke eloquently about his wife, who was killed at the age of 60 when she was hit by a falling piece of building masonry during a walk in Midtown Manhattan.

To the 2,000 mourners inside an Upper East Side synagogue who attended the funeral, Tishman said, “She packed 100 years of love and friendship and activities into 60 years. She lived a full life and she had no regrets at all. I have been in love with her from the very first day that I met her in Princeton, in October 1978.”

He continued, “Our love was unconditional and pure. We had an incredible marriage. We never took a day off from each other in 37 years of marriage. The greatest gift that Erica ever gave me, other than my children, was my wedding ring. I truly believe that I hit the jackpot. You don’t know this but from every morning from the day that we met — every day since 1982 — told her that I loved her and I took her face in my hands and kissed her before I left for work every day.

“For 37 years we did that every day. And Erica would always say that that particular kiss wasn’t good enough. It was our little joke, that she wanted another kiss. Those were the last words she said to me on Tuesday before she passed away. I will never be able to do that again.”

The funeral took place within the confines of the Central Synagogue at Lexington Avenue and 55th Street. Tishman was killed at West 49th Street and Seventh Avenue.
“A lifelong New Yorker and mother of three adult children, she died just 10 minutes from the Zubatkin Owner Representation construction project management firm where she had served as vice president,” reported The New York Post. “The Harvard grad was walking past 729 Seventh Ave. when a piece of its facade broke free and fatally struck her. The tower had been cited in April for “failure to maintain exterior building facade and appurtenances,” according to city building records. Protective scaffolding has since been erected around the building, where a worker described the facade’s limestone and stucco as “just crumbling.”

In the aftermath of the accident, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson called for an investigation. “This was a tragedy, and I am devastated for Ms. Tishman and the loved ones and friends she leaves behind. We need a full investigation into how this happened, and all those responsible need to be held accountable. We need to hear loud and clear from the Department of Buildings what they are doing in terms of enforcement to ensure that New Yorkers do not have to fear death from above due to crumbling and mismanaged buildings.”

Just In Time for the Holidays: Jeffrey Epstein Trendy Sweaters

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Administrator
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One sweater currently for sale on Amazon.com shows Epstein, who was Jewish, wearing a Santa cap. The caption reads, “Christmas lights are a lot like Epstein — they don’t hang themselves.”

What could be better than finding Jeffrey Epstein under one’s Christmas tree?

The late billionaire pedophile’s face is now adorning a growing collection of holiday sweaters that – for some macabre reason – have caught the public eye.

By: Randy Steinbart

And it’s not just sweaters, but Xmas tree ornaments and other seasonal paraphernalia. Perhaps the selling point is the bizarre conspiracy that has sprouted up following his death in a jail cell, which some still maintain was suicide.

One sweater currently for sale on Amazon.com shows Epstein, who was Jewish, wearing a Santa cap. The caption reads, “Christmas lights are a lot like Epstein — they don’t hang themselves.”

“During Christmas, an elf may sit on a shelf, but Epstein didn’t kill himself,” rhymes a different Amazon-stocked sweater, this one available in eight colors and priced to move at $29.99 in eight different colors.

Another reads, “Dasher & dancer & prancer & Epstein & didn’t & kill himself & Donner & Blitzen.”

A gingerbread-themed Christmas ornament has three boxes: naughty, nice and “Epstein didn’t kill himself.” That, by the way, is the box that is checked.

The front cover of a notebook that sells for $6.99 says: “Merry Christmas! Epstein didn’t kill himself.”

Yet another sweater features a ransom note bearing the phrase “Epstein Didn’t Kill Himself.” Also available on the garment are photos of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and – curiously — Kim Jong-un.

The alleged Epstein conspiracy is more than just a great gift idea. Federal prosecutors said they have found surveillance video of the area around the cell, according to a new court filing.

“Earlier this week, they said the footage was missing. The video, which prosecutors said was actually preserved by jail staff as previously requested, was being sought by lawyers for Epstein’s former cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan,” reported cnbc.com. “That cellmate, former Westchester County, New York, police officer Nicholas Tartaglione, claims he helped save the life of the wealthy investor Epstein during his suicide bid at the federal jail on July 23.”

As reported by palmbeachpost.com, a congressional committee “is laying groundwork for possible hearings in which former Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer could be asked to testify about how he handled the case in 2006. Now that House Democrats are done with impeachment, they are following up with their promise to look into “the role of state or local officials” in the secret nonprosecution deal and cushy jail treatment gifted to serial sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein in Palm Beach County more than a decade ago.”

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