Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on February 21, 2022

City officials are speaking out and police have been alerted after people in a Colleyville neighborhood woke up to anti-Semitic and other racist materials tossed onto lawns over the weekend.

Lynda Harris lives in the Ross Downs neighborhood of Colleyville, a city roughly 20 miles outside of Dallas.

Shes stunned by the hate-filled messages. She said what shes experienced in the neighborhood over the last 25 years makes this even more hurtful and shocking.

We have neighbors around us of all ethnic backgrounds and races," she said. "Its been a wonderful neighborhood."

On Sunday morning, dozens of people woke up to plastic sandwich bags weighed down by rocks. Inside the bags, they found anti-Semitic, anti-Black, white separatist messages.

Im really sorry for the person that felt so much hatred in their heart, that they had to distribute a flyer to tell other people about that, Harris said. I dont get it.

This comes just over a month since members of a Colleyville synagogue, Congregation Beth Israel, were taken hostage by a gunman. The synagogue released a statement after hearing of the flyers. The statement reads in part:

The latest news from around North Texas.

Unfortunately, anti-Semitism is a reality in the United States and around the world. Each of us has a responsibility to root out hate, and work towards building a community where all belong, and all can thrive.

Colleyville Mayor Richard Newton also released a statement that says in part:

I am saddened that individuals chose to bring this intolerance to Colleyville. These viewpoints do not reflect those I find in our community members. Our citizens have consistently chosen to love and support one another, no matter their religious beliefs or heritage.

Harris said even with this shes hopeful that an upcoming interfaith community gathering will quell fears and promote peace. She reflected on what shed like to see moving forward.

That people will stand together to be a witness against that type of behavior and that type of hatred, she said. Theres enough of it already in this world. We dont need anymore.

Colleyville Police said theyve been in touch with the FBI and are investigating the act as a hate crime.

Similar flyers have been reported in Denver, San Francisco, and Miami over the last month. In his statement, Mayor Newton acknowledged that this appears to be a coordinated effort across the country.

Colleyville Police have asked anyone with information or video to call the non-emergency line at 817-743-4522.

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Colleyville Neighborhood Wakes Up to Flyers with Hate-filled Messages Tossed onto Lawns - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

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Posted By admin on February 21, 2022

University of Arkansas

Volunteer Action Center, Multicultural Center and University Programs are proud to present Envisioning Justice: The Campus Voice, a two-day conference highlighting topics on civil rights, environmental health, sexual assault awareness and mental health.

Here are our speakers and workshops for Feb.24(Sexual Assault Awareness and Environmental Health):

Here are our speakers and workshops for Feb.25(Civil Rights and Mental Health):

Please register through our Givepulse pagewhere you can find speaker and workshop descriptions, as well as room assignments. There will be one service hour offered per event attended!

And don't forget to check out Red Talks on Wednesday, Feb.23,in Old Main Giffels Auditorium, where students will be speaking about their experiences with LGBTQIA+ allyship, food insecurity, mental health and grief, sexual assault, anti-Semitism and cross cultural health. Students may register for this event on the same Givepulse link as above!

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Envisioning Justice: The Campus Voice This Week With Speakers and Workshops - University of Arkansas Newswire

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Posted By admin on February 19, 2022

ALBANY Bnai Sholom Reform Congregation brings back its Synagogue Scholars series with a discussion, led by University at Albany professor emerita Martha Rozett, of "Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued Millions of Yiddish Books," by Aaron Lansky, the founder and president of the National Yiddish Book Center, Friday, Feb. 25.

The program will begin immediately following the congregations 7:30 p.m. Shabbat service at 420 Whitehall Road, Albany. The service and program, open to all who wish to worship and learn, will be in person and via Zoom. Masks are required at all times while in the synagogue. For Zoom link, contact the Bnai Sholom office.

Lanskys 2004 account of his adventures, which began when he was 23, is a wonderful collection of tales about a ragtag group of young people who saved Yiddish books from extinction, one trip at a time, with borrowed cars and rented trucks, last-minute phone calls and a growing circle of supporters.

They visited with elderly Jews who had no one to pass their books on to, and in the process forged a community and preserved a history and language that was in danger of being forgotten. The book is often hilarious, always heartwarming and above all a record of the way the Yiddish language and culture, once thought to be dead, outwitted history by surviving and flourishing. The National Yiddish Book Center is in Amherst, Mass.

A Shakespeare scholar, Rozett is the author of "When People Wrote Letters: A Family Chronicle" (The Troy Book Makers, 2011), a story told through family letters and autobiographies about the travels and careers of her mother and great-aunt and about a romance threatened by the differences between New England Episcopalians and New York Jews. Rozett holds a doctorate in English from the University of Michigan.

Begun in 2004, the Synagogue Scholars series spotlights individuals in the Capital Region Jewish community who are recognized authorities in their fields.

For more information, visit http://www.bnaisholomalbany.org or contact Bnai Sholom: office@bnaisholom.albany.ny.us or 518-482-5283.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Bnai Sholom Reform Congregation in Albany is a home for contemporary Reform Judaism in the Capital Region. Nearly 130 diverse households from six counties seek religious, educational and social fulfillment at Bnai Sholom. For information about Bnai Sholom and the benefits of belonging, visit http://www.bnaisholomalbany.org or contact the office at 518-482-5283 or office@bnaisholom.albany.ny.us.

Christine Blackman is a spokesperson for Bnai Sholom Reform Congregation.

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UAlbany scholar to tell synagogue how Jewish youths saved millions of Yiddish books - Albany Times Union

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Posted By admin on February 19, 2022

A Super Bowl party was held at a Milwaukee homeless shelter Sunday night. It meant typical game daystapleslike a big TV and a smorgasbord of food andso much more.

Repairers of the Breachhomeless shelterin partnership withthe Milwaukee Synagogue for Russian Jews hosted their second Super Soul Party together.

"It's been a tough year," said Pastor James West, executive director of the shelter. "We've had so many restrictions. And now, it's Super Bowl time and we just thought it was a way that we could connect in a different way."

"It means a lot," said Milwaukee native Reginal Jones, 45. "It's like family. I get to come here and spend time with my family."

Over the past decade, Jones said, the shelter hashelped him withrapid re-housing,transportationthrough bus tickets and it also connectedhim with a snow removal job. It'sprovided him "peace of mind" and a place to go to rest or read.

"It's really been uplifting in my life," he said. "This feels good just being here today."

"We just wanted to hang loose and show that we're family and that we're going to do what all other families are doing today: Watching the game, eating good food and just smiling," West said.

Food offerings included traditional Jewish dishes, such asRussian Jewish potato salad, macaroni kugel and coleslaw, as well as hot dogs, chips, salsa, brownies, cupcakes and beverages, said Ester Riva Milchtein,assistant executive director of the synagogue.

There was also entertainment, like juggling and piano playing, raffles for cash and gift cards, and dozens of bags filled with personal care items that people could take.

"There's many people experiencing homelessness," Milchtein said. "It transcends religion or culture. Some people have it difficult. Everybody should take the opportunity to step up to the plate and help out if it's something they can do."

The party was part ofanational effortlaunched four years ago to provide resources anda safe space for the homeless in conjunction with what is often referred to as the country's largest unofficial holiday.

A 62-year-old man, who identified himself as Chuckey, has been coming to the shelter off-and-on for the past three or four years.

"If people need to come and don't have nowhere to go, come here," he said. "Knock on the door, they'll let you in. They don't refuse nobody ... This is a good place for me to be coming."

Chuckey is planning to move to Minnesota with his daughter next month. But if there's a Super Bowl party at the shelter again next year, he said he's going to make a trip back for it.

"This is the place to be," he said. "They take care of you."

By game time, more than 30 people had joined the gathering.

"It's unfortunate that people have to be in a situation where they're experiencing homelessness," Milchtein said. "I'm glad they have a place to be, a warm place and a good place with people that care about them."

Contact Hannah Kirby at hannah.kirby@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HannahHopeKirby.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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'Means a lot': A Milwaukee homeless shelter gave its 'family' a Super Bowl party with the help of a local synagogue - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Posted By admin on February 19, 2022

Autism Society of Greater Akron Posted Feb 17, 2022 at 1: 00 PM

580 Grant Street, Akron OH 44311

330-940-1441 | AutismAkron.org

What have you learned about transitioning services during COVID-19?

ASGA was able to quickly pivot our programming during COVID to meet the needs of individuals with Autism and their families. We listened to the struggles families experienced and adjusted our programming accordingly. This meant creating online social clubs to connect people, activity boxes to keep families engaged, relying on local partners to provide informational webinars to help families continue to navigate the complex world of disabilities amongst a pandemic. Virtual platforms broke down some barriers to accessing programs that we offer such as our workshops, where challenges often include a lack of transportation and childcare. We missed our volunteer engagement which is a huge component for some programs we offer like our iCan Bike Camp. Collaboration with community partners and our sister Autism Society affiliates was helpful to hear what other organizations were experiencing and doing to adjust.

How can the community help you?

Follow and engage with us on social media, share our resources and programs, sign up for our newsletter, make a donation, or make a team and participate in our Annual Step Into Autism Walk with Family Fun Day and Disability Fair on June 18 at Lock 3 in Akron.

How will your organization be different when COVID-19 ends?

We will adapt in whatever way needed so we can continue to connect individuals with Autism or other developmental disabilities and their families to the resources they need, when they need them. We found that certain programs delivered virtually can reach a wider audience; allowing us to expand the types and number of programs offered. Other programs still show the greatest impact from in-person delivery.

One Pollock Circle, 22001 Fairmount Blvd., Shaker Heights, OH 44118

216-932-2800 | bellefairejcb.org

What have you learned about transitioning services during COVID-19?

We learned that youth are resilient and that education plays an important role in the social and emotional development of children and teens.

How can the community help you?

We are so grateful for the ongoing support from the community. Both monetary and in kind donations help us to meet the ongoing needs of those we serve.

How will your organization be different when COVID-19 ends?

We expect that telehealth will play a larger role in our delivery of services than it has in the past but aside from that our focus remains on fulfilling our mission of providing the highest quality behavioral health and education to vulnerable and at-risk youth.

27900 Gates Mills Blvd., Pepper Pike, OH 44124

216-377-3000 | FriendsCleveland.com

What have you learned about transitioning services during COVID-19?

When COVID-19 forced Friendship Circle to transition to virtual and socially spaced programs, we discovered the enormous amount of resilience of the families of children of all abilities, the dedicated teen friend-makers, and the supporting community. We learned that friendship and socialization were needed more than ever during the pandemic. The effects of the pandemic on children of all abilities were brutal, causing severe loneliness and depression.

Quickly pivoting from in-person programs to virtual programs and outreach such as Porch Pals (socially spaced home visits from teens), tailgate holiday events, birthday balloon surprises and care package deliveries, Friendship Circle was able to bring sorely needed friendship, connection, and support to families when they needed it most. Many parents expressed that the virtual programs brought their children out of depression, as they had been feeling extremely isolated. They enjoyed the fun, social interaction with others over Zoom. The virtual programs gave them something to look forward to every day.

How can the community help you?

The community can help Friendship Circle by spreading the word about its services to families who can benefit from them and to Jewish teenagers who are looking for an opportunity to make an impact on other childrens lives while enhancing their own. The community can also help support the Friendship Circle mission and its programs through donations: friendscleveland.com/donate.

How will your organization be different when COVID-19 ends?

Coping with COVID-19 has magnified our awareness that our community is incredibly strong, and we can overcome major challenges when we focus on our mission: to spark friendship, connection and support for children of all abilities, their families and Jewish teens. Since the need for friendship and connection will be more important when COVID-19 ends, we are striving to increase our reach by doubling in size to serve more children, create more impact through innovative programs, and expand our services to adults in a way that can build friendships for life.

29125 Chagrin Blvd, Pepper Pike, OH 44122

216-292-3999 | jfsa-cleveland.org

How can the community help you?

JFSA is always looking for great volunteers to help in our programs. We need folks to help young adults with autism or other intellectual disabilities to do fun outdoor activities like gardening or trail building in the Cleveland Metroparks. We need computer coaches to help folks with mental illness stay connected to their counselors or friends via Zoom. We are always looking for friendly visitors or phone friends for our older adults that are homebound. Anyone interested in learning more about these opportunities should contact our volunteer coordinator, Laura Kestin at 216-378-3475.

How will your organization be different when COVID-19 ends?

Our mission is to enhance every individuals ability to thrive in the community. Our legacy has always been about inclusion. As far back as 1973, we were partnering with NCJW to move people from psychiatric institutions into the community. Council House, a beautiful home in Cleveland Heights for men with mental illness opened in 1979. Lomond House, a home in the Shaker Heights community for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities opened in 1986. We now serve individuals with disabilities in over 60 locations across Cuyahoga, Geauga and Summit counties. At JFSA, its always a month to focus on disabilities and inclusion.

26001 S. Woodland Road, Beachwood, OH 44122

216-831-0700 | mandeljcc.org

What have you learned about transitioning services during COVID-19?

As an organization that values diversity and inclusion, Mandel JCC has always been a welcoming place for people of all abilities. In addition to making our programs accessible to everyone, we partner with many community organizations to provide enriching opportunities including Cuyahoga East Vocational Education Consortium, Youth Ability, Bellefaire JCB, Naaleh and Rec2Connect.

COVID-19 presented several challenges to maintaining access to normal programming and services in-person. Although health and safety policies impacted our partnerships and resulted in a temporary pause, we were able to quickly change the delivery of many of our programs to virtual, including arts and culture classes, Cleveland Jewish Book Festival, Cleveland Jewish FilmFest, youth social programming and fitness classes. This allowed accessibility for the community to remain intellectually and physically engaged with Mandel JCC.

How can the community help you?

The community can volunteer in the Mandel JCCs J-Day Camps youth summer camp and Kids Club After School Program, which are open to children with disabilities. J-Day Camps also has opportunities for individuals to be trained as inclusion aides to provide extra support and accommodations to help children with disabilities join in the fun of summer camp.

How will your organization be different when COVID-19 ends?

The J has been adaptive and has learned which programs and services are important to its members and community. It changed how it delivered programs and adopted virtual offerings. Post-pandemic, The J will continue to offer an array of virtual fitness programs for individuals who prefer to work out remotely. Many of The Js arts and culture programs will have virtual options in addition to

in-person events. The J will continue to adapt its health and safety policies and procedures to ensure a healthy and safe environment for all. It will strive to offer even more robust programs and services aimed at benefitting people of all ages and abilities.

27100 Cedar Road, Beachwood, OH 44122

216-910-2794 | menorahpark.org

What have you learned about transitioning services during COVID-19?

Rabbi Akiva Feinstein said they definitely made use of the idiom, less is more, making events and services shorter but sweeter, cutting out parts, but maintaining and focusing on our favorite tunes and most heart-warming parts.

Although challenging, it is possible to offer small services to small groups in a meaningful way, and in-place, not just in a central location. For example, for Rosh Hashanah we had over 40 different shofar blowings to make sure everyone was included across our campus. On the High Holy Days, we held more than 10 services per day across the campuses rather than focusing on centralized services at our synagogues. This takes far more staff resources but it can be done.

Virtual /online is not ideal, and while is a stop gap residents prefer in-person services.

Holidays and Shabbat are sanctuaries in time and make us feel settled and connected no matter what pandemics may bring us keeping these in place at least in a symbolic or virtual way helps us all get through more effectively. We kept a commitment to have a form of Seder, a taste Rosh Hashanah, etc. no matter what the pandemic threw our way.

Kindness is our human fuel. When we can help others, we can raise our spirits and not fall into the melancholy of the pandemic grind.

How can the community help you?

Helping put together creative activities that can be brought to our campuses and with the help of staff shared with residents, under infection control guidelines. Consider volunteering and coming on campus to help we are not fully open for volunteers but select specialized opportunities are now opening

Just by visiting. Having more people on our campuses visiting, stopping in (but of course with masking, etc and being careful to not come in when you are not well) brings the life back. And when you are on your way to visit your loved one or friends, say hi to everyone you see, and brighten their day too.

How will your organization be different when COVID-19 ends?

We will be tougher, learning to be more creative, learning to be more flexible, and will so much appreciate the ability to just have fun and be together again. We learned that we can all help each other out, outside of our typical staff roles. Rabbis can help bring food trays to residents, and maintenance staff can sing.

To emphasize not only the big events, but to be there for everyone, even those who do not engage so much and prefer to stay in their rooms COVID-19 taught us that everyone has unique needs for engagement, and that we need to put our strengths into both big banner programs as well as 1:1 room visits with residents.

4853 Galaxy Parkway, Suite A, Warrensville Heights, OH 44128

216-464-7600 | milestones.org

What have you learned about transitioning services during COVID-19?

The Milestones free autism Helpdesk, milestones.org/helpdesk, has helped support and connect families, autistic individuals and professionals who serve them with resources and information throughout the pandemic, as always. Milestones provides family and individual consultations in virtual and in-person options with COVID-19 precautions. Our COVID-19 resources for families web page includes useful information and social stories on different topics, bit.ly/3BrTQ34. We have met the evolving needs and questions people have, including dealing with school and mental health issues. We learned how to serve some families in rural areas or autistic individuals better, using strategies from the pandemic era. COVID-19 taught us about universal accommodations like providing closed captioning during our conference and other educational workshops. Everyones understanding was enhanced because we could provide this new accommodation we learned about during COVID-19.

The virtual Milestones National Autism Conference provides a trusted, convenient learning opportunity for the whole autism community families, autistic individuals and professionals with continuing education units offered in 12 disciplines. This years conference will be a virtual event on June 15 and 16 with on-demand access to all content through Aug. 15. Experience interactive, evidence-based sessions, engage with experts in the field and gain valuable professional development all from the comfort of home. Find out more at milestones.org/conference.

How can the community help you?

Spread the word about the Milestones free autism Helpdesk, milestones.org/helpdesk, and our groundbreaking new Milestones Autism Planning Tool, milestones.org/map. The MAP serves as your online guide step by step from early childhood through adulthood on a wide range of topics. We walk you through everyday life issues with practical information and tips to build skills over time and to navigate each new step.

Milestones is grateful for donors who help ensure these critical services are available. Our fun, family-friendly Strike It Big Your Way campaign started Feb. 15, inviting participants to fundraise their way by choosing an activity that fits their interests. You can run a 5K, bake for your neighbors or host a game night with friends whatever you choose. We will celebrate our fundraising efforts on April 3 at Spins Bowl in Independence while following COVID-19 safety precautions. To find out more, visit milestones.org/strikeitbigyourway.

How will your organization be different when COVID-19 ends?

Milestones is proud to be celebrating our 20th anniversary this year. We are dedicated to supporting, educating and connecting the autism community and helping individuals reach their unique potential. We will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the community as we did during the pandemic and seek new ways to provide that support.

Knesseth Israel Temple

1670 Cleveland Road, Wooster, OH 44691

330-262-3516 | kitemple.org

What have you learned about transitioning services during COVID-19?

Cantor Beth Friedman-Romell said we have found that offering first Zoom, then hybrid services provides an ability to connect with members and others who are, for many reasons, not able to attend in person. Also, since I serve the community part-time and live 60 miles away, Zoom has enabled me to participate in Board and committee meetings that I was never able to attend before. Bar mitzvah training is also easier on Zoom than by phone. I see students in person twice a month, and remotely twice a month. Being a small congregation, we have also partnered with other small Jewish communities across Ohio to offer joint online programming that has been well-attended.

How will your synagogue be different when COVID-19 ends?

We will never stop offering hybrid services and programs. It has proven so valuable to us internally, and also in our ability to connect with people all over the country and internationally.

Administrative offices only: 2245 Warrensville Center Road, Suite No. 215, University Heights, OH 44118

216-320-1498 | kolhalev.net

What have you learned about transitioning services during COVID-19?

We are grateful to have been able to pivot to online offerings so quickly, and to a largely receptive audience. For the foreseeable future, most of Kol HaLevs programming and services will take place on Zoom or in a multi-access format (which people can attend on Zoom or in-person). We welcome guests to Shabbat services, High Holy Days services and some additional programming; non-members who wish to attend on Zoom can follow the instructions on our website homepage, kolhalev.net.

530 Gulf Road, Elyria, OH 44035

440-366-1171 | tbaelyria.org

What have you learned about transitioning services during COVID-19?

Our congregants love being on Zoom, especially during the winter months. It has made is possible for older and disabled congregants to attend that otherwise would not have been able to. We have had people from near and far (members and associate members) join us for services. Attendance has been great.

How can the community help you?

Support from the community has been outstanding. We improvised our yearly indoor Bagel Brunch to a drive-thru, which was very successful. In light of antisemitism and the hostage situation in Texas, a Christian church in Elyria has made a donation to the ADL in honor of Temple Bnai Abraham. Were very grateful for the support our community has shown.

How will your synagogue be different when COVID-19 ends?

We will be offering hybrid services. Services will be on Zoom for those who are unable to attend in person. Our building will be open for those who want to attend services in the temple.

30799 Pinetree Road, No. 401, Pepper Pike, OH 44124

216-509-9969 | theshul.us

What have you learned about transitioning services during COVID-19?

We have moved our Shabbat and holiday services, as well as our study groups to Zoom. We have been able to hold some bat and bar mitzvah services as in-person occasions. The same is true for baby namings and other ceremonies that celebrate transitional moments in life. While far from ideal, online events of all types are workable and meaningful, though we do miss the opportunity to gather as a community.

How can the community help you?

Vaccinate and mask in order to keep people safe. We should do this for each other and especially for those who are medically vulnerable. Also it is still necessary to limit the size of public events and observe social distancing protocols when attending these events.

How will your synagogue be different when COVID-19 ends?

We will welcome the opportunity to join together again. We will also continue to utilize technology for the advantages that it offers. And we will miss those who have been lost to COVID.

2403 S. Belvoir Blvd., University Heights OH 44118

216-299-1004 | yachad.org/Cleveland

What have you learned about transitioning services during COVID-19?

We have learned to adapt to the current situation and that there really are no barriers to inclusion. Whether someone needs to be isolated due to COVID restrictions or isnt able to come to an in-person event, we really strived to go the extra mile to give our members the best opportunities as possible. We immediately offered daily virtual programming, phone and study buddies, support groups, new apps and technology, at-home kit deliveries and more. And we have also learned all the cool Zoom features and we have gotten really good at muting and unmuting ourselves.

How can the community help you?

I think the best way is the old way we have always had strong community support and it has continued. We ask that people just keep reaching out for help, keep including our members in your daily life and in communal spaces, rituals and celebrations. Keep allowing everyone their rightful place and treating our participants as vital members of our community. This is especially relevant now as the struggles and isolating repercussions of the pandemic are still lingering. Recognize that its new territory to all of us so its OK to not have all the answers. But at least show people that you are there. Financial support is also always appreciated as we have continued to provide highly subsidized programming and services and have offered free membership for the last two years.

How will your organization be different when COVID-19 ends?

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JDAIM programs, services offered by Northeast Ohio synagogues, organizations - Cleveland Jewish News

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Posted By admin on February 19, 2022

After the attack on Jewish Synagogue in Texas last month, I read an essay by Deborah Lipstadt, a professor at Emory University in Georgia. She is Jewish and started the piece with what apparently is a common Jewish prayer of blessing (in English): God, sovereign of the universe, who frees the captives."

Ms. Lipstadt said that she and many other Jews around the world recited that prayer with tears after the Texas incident. She praised a tragedy averted. Indeed, after an 11-hour standoff, four people, including a rabbi at a Jewish Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, escaped an armed man who held them hostage. Ms. Lipstadt also talked about the scars that remain. She discussed how difficult the incident was for the family of the rabbi and how that will affect them for some time. All very understandable and not surprising.

But then, Ms. Lipstadt revealed that Jews, particularly rabbis, in the U.S., now feel that it is an act of courage, defiance and faith to simply go to synagogue for daily prayer. She mentioned people attending services while searching for the nearest exit or safest place to hide. Jews have learned to be afraid beyond the synagogue. She described other acts: violence to Jews eating at a kosher restaurant in Los Angeles, violence in New York toward a Jewish man wearing a skullcap. But the pain is greater when the violence occurs in the synagogue. She described the process of visiting a synagogue for services only after calling ahead and then being checked in advance to be sure it is safe for them for her to go in.

What really hit me was when she said that she had not walked through the entrance to her local synagogue for years, since the October 2018 shooting in Pittsburgh, because the door could not be secured. To keep people safe, they permanently locked that door. Then, she lamented passing a large church on a Sunday, entry doors wide open, and congregants happily meeting people as they arrived.

I then realized that Jewish people are yet another group left out in our country from the privilege of the dominant class. Yes, I am using the term "privilege," in this sense, Christian white privilege. When I attend my predominantly white church, the doors are not locked, I dont look for the exits or a place to hide. I am more concerned about catching COVID than being shot because of my faith or other attribute. I have heard of some churches taking precautions in case a shooter comes on the scene. This is more of the recognition of the proliferation of guns in our country. They are everywhere and we can be exposed to gun violence at the school, at the shopping center, anywhere, really.

Checking further, I see some instances of gun violence at white Christian churches in our country, some even done with religious animus. But this is not so prevalent that it seeps into our consciousness as we attend church here in West Michigan. I have not had conversations with others at church about checking for the exits in case a Christian-hater comes in to wipe us out. This is another problem that only some have to deal with regularly, that we are just now learning about, because we dont have to face it.

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, who led his people out of the crime scene in Texas, did an interview after the escape. He had let the man into the synagogue that day and gave him hot tea. During prayer, the rabbi heard a click, which sounded like a gun. It was, but he didnt know it yet. He went to the man and talked to him gently. The man then pulled out the gun. After 11 hours, the rabbi figured out a way to get out of there without bloodshed.

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When asked if he would offer tea to a stranger again, he said he would. Hospitality means the world, said Rabbi Cytron-Walker.

To the gunmans family, the rabbi said, I am so sorry that you had to endure this tragedy. Its horrible for all of us."

Such grace during a time of intense discrimination against Jews. I cannot help but feel that this rabbi exemplifies all of the teachings that I value in my faith, those which Jesus showed us and taught us. Grace, love, forgiveness. This rabbi gives this to all. He and his people deserve to live a life free of fear. They, as everyone, should have that privilege.

Community Columnist Marcia Meoli is a Holland attorney and resident. Contact her at Meolimarcia@gmail.com.

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Marcia Meoli: Jews shouldn't have to life with this intense fear - HollandSentinel.com

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Posted By admin on February 19, 2022

Faith and Light: The Architecture of Judaism

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Few religions have as much history and symbolism as Judaism. As the world's oldest monotheistic religion, it dates back nearly 4,000 years. In Judaism, architecture and houses of worship serve as places not only for liturgical services but also for assembly and study. Today, architects are rethinking the design of synagogues and community gathering spaces to celebrate Judaism, reflection and community.

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There is no single synagogue type, and not all synagogues are architecturally distinct. Every synagogue, however, must have a few essential features. These should include the bimah, the platform where the leader of the service stands and from which the Torah is read, as well as the ark, the cabinet which holds the Torah scrolls. Together, they hold a physical relationship to one another and respective roles in Jewish service. Modern synagogues carry on the same basic functions associated with ancient synagogues, but also have come to include social, recreational, and philanthropic programs. Exploring contemporary Judaism through synagogue design, the following projects respect tradition while establishing new forms for gathering, study and prayer.

The Santiago Jewish Community which operated for mostly fifty years at the Great Synagogue on Serrano Street in south downtown, decides to move its seat to the eastern part of the city, thus, housing larger community, social and cultural activities, beyond the religious ones. The assignment not only consisted in combining a wide and hybrid program differing in type and size, category and use, but also required to provide a high quota of symbolism to the promenade and spatial experience overall.

The SoHo Synagogue is the communitys first ever synagogue and represents a fresh vision that translates the inspiration of Judaism to a new generation. With a forward thinking approach, Rabbi Dovi Scheiner along with his wife Esty, founders of SoHo Synagogue,built a religious platform that invites the community to fully integrate their religion within their modern lifestyle. Mindful of the open mindset of lower Manhattan's Jewish population, The SoHo Synagogue seeks to reinvent the synagogue as a comfortable and enjoyable setting for personal growth and communal connection.

Dresden is characterised by two destructions: Gottfried Sempers synagogue in the "Reichskristallnacht" on 9th of november 1938 and the entire historical city on 13th and 14th february 1945 by allied bombings. The destructions are historically linked. Yet the architectural consequences couldn`t be more different. On the one hand Dresden reproduces the historical monuments, establishing a false continuity and a problematic pretension of architectural stability. On the other hand the new synagogue represents an attempt which investigates the conflict between stability and fragility.

emple Sinai, the oldest and largest East Bay Jewish synagogue, has grown around their 1918 landmarked sanctuary with new buildings in a way that has disassociated all of their different activities. The Temples new building program included a new chapel, classrooms, a preschool, administrative offices, and a library, but most importantly the temple wanted a new design to organize these disparate elements into a place where their congregants could feel a greater sense of community where people could meet each other in casual spaces for spontaneous conversation.

Babyn Yar is a wooded area with a deep ravine located in the west of Kyiv, Ukraine, that used to mark the edge of the city. It is the site of one of the worst massacres of the Nazi regime, when on September 29th and 30th, 1941 approximately 35000 Jews were shot and killed by German troops.The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Foundation has started a process of implementing a series of smaller and larger interventions over the coming years to commemorate the history of the site in all its complexity. The Babyn Yar Synagogue represents the first building within this initiative.

While not a synagogue in a traditional sense, this project comes from the necessity of the whole of the Jewish Community in Mexico to keep and preserve its history in a safe and public place. Built on a small area beside the existing 1930s Rodfe Sedek Synagogue in the resurgent Colonia Roma in Mexico City, the new building serves as the pathway to enter the old, which gains a new purpose functioning as a museum and a library of documents that show relevant information about the Jewish culture, especially in Mexico.

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Faith and Light: The Architecture of Judaism - ArchDaily

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Posted By admin on February 19, 2022

Walking to the United Synagogues Head Office on a frosty Wednesday morning, I had no idea what to expect. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a small army of very friendly, masked volunteers, already hard at work packing food and toiletries.

Food poverty is not something I really associate with the Jewish community. Yet, volunteers were packing parcels for families in Elstree, St Johns Wood, Bushey, and Hampstead. Every corner of North West London is touched by this cost of living crisis.

Since March 2020 the United Synagogue has been providing food and toiletries to just under 200 families in the community every week. As the cost of living crisis bites and bills soar, the number of people needing this service is expected to grow, and grow.

The now essential service actually started by accident, Michelle Minsky, the United Synagogues Head of Chessed, explains. Every Pesach the United Synagogue would provide needy families with a kosher food parcel, however in March 2020 as people lost jobs and hid in their homes, demand for food continued to grow, so the United Synagogue continued to provide. Need never stopped, so the programme never ended. They expect the service to now run indefinitely and are even moving to a bigger facility in Bushey.

She confesses that the process has been streamlined immensely since it first started two years ago. Theyve set up production lines and come up with nifty tricks to help with packing like resting half-filled food parcels on chairs, so volunteers dont have to keep bending down whilst packing.

To me the whole process seemed very impressive. Bags were packed with ready-made kosher dinners, dried goods, fresh food including fruits and vegetables, cleaning products, and toiletries. Volunteer drivers then collect the food and drop the bags straight to peoples front doors, preserving the anonymity of recipients.

Speaking to the volunteers, who were giving up their Wednesday to help those in need, it was clear that they just wanted to give back to the communities that had served them so well over the years. Michelle Minsky explains that the United Synagogue understands that it has a new responsibility to support its members. No one should be left to starve.

Sabrina saw the effort volunteers go to, to help those in need as the cost of living crisis bites.

Frankly, it is simply unacceptable that our next door neighbours are debating whether they can feed their families or heat their homes. This is a choice that no one in the United Kingdom should have to make.

The touching testimony from food parcel recipients really highlights the importance of this service and the work that these volunteers do. The United Synagogue is hosting a fundraiser in March to fund the food packing programme and from someone who has been inside the bowels of this operation, it is obviously a really worthy cause.

Its clear that there is a real crisis in the UK. It is ordinary, everyday people, with ordinary, everyday families who are struggling. So it is ordinary people who must step up to help them.

Sabrina is a former Jewish student activist at the University of Bristol, and now a journalist for Jewish News. She has previously been featured in The Telegraph, The Whip and TechRound

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Realities of food poverty in the community are tough to swallow - Jewish News

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Posted By admin on February 19, 2022

Two popular drinking spots in Perth and Northbridge have been identified as close contact COVID-19 exposure sites.

Anyone who visited Market Grounds in Perth and Henry Summer in Northbridge on the weekend are being advised to get tested and isolate immediately.

These new locations come after five COVID-19 exposure sites, including two regional locations, were added to WA Healths list on Thursday afternoon.

The Federal Hotel in Fremantle, The Gold Bar Valentines Day Party in Subiaco, and The Old Synagogue Complex (including The Arbour) in Fremantle were among the sites listed and anyone who visited for longer than two hours at the specified times are required to get tested and isolate for seven days.

Shell Petrol Station and Red Breeze in Tom Price are also deemed close contact exposure sites however, visitors only need to monitor for symptoms.

WA Health no longer lists all potential exposure sites on its Healthy WA website, scrapping the casual contact definition and only listing sites visited by confirmed close contact cases.

These new exposure sites were listed just a day before Premier Mark McGowan announced WAs hard border will be dismantled on March 3 just short of four weeks after the original date set for the resumption of quarantine-free travel.

The Premier revealed the new date at a press conference on Friday afternoon after WA Health reported 194 new local cases in the latest reporting period.

The full list of WA exposure sites can be found here.

The Federal Hotel, Fremantle

Sunday 13/02/2022 10.30pm to 2.00am Monday 14/02/2022

Advice: If you visited longer than two hours during the timeframe, get a PCR test immediately and isolate for 7 days from your last date and time of exposure.

Gold Bar Valentines Day Party, Subiaco

Saturday 12/02/2022 10.00pm to 4.00am Sunday 13/02/2022

Advice: If you visited longer than two hours during the timeframe, get a PCR test immediately and isolate for 7 days from your last date and time of exposure.

The Old Synagogue Complex (includes The Arbour), Fremantle

Friday 11/02/2022 8.00pm to 1.30am Saturday 12/02/2022

Advice: If you visited longer than two hours during the timeframe, get a PCR test immediately and isolate for 7 days from your last date and time of exposure.

Shell Petrol Station, Tom Price

Friday 11/02/2022 6.00pm to 6.15pm

Advice: Monitor for symptoms

Red Breeze, Tom Price

Friday 11/02/2022 12.00pm to 2.00pm

Advice: Monitor for symptoms

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WA exposure sites: The Old Synagogue, The Federal Hotel, two Tom Price locations among COVID exposure sites - PerthNow

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Posted By admin on February 19, 2022

For Conservative Judaism in America, the news lately has been ominous. Looking back over the years, its even worse! Which raises the question: does it have a real future?

I started thinking about this when a friend sent me some news from my old Washington Heights neighborhood (in Upper, Upper Manhattan) where I grew up. The main Conservative synagogue there, Fort Tryon Jewish Center, had to sell off its building to a condominium contractor. A minor piece of news, I thought and then a larger item appeared a few days ago: the American Jewish University in Los Angeles (other than the JTS, the only Conservative Rabbinical Ordination school in the US) was selling off its lovely campus! Yes, it plans to continue working, as the JTA reported: American Jewish University announced the decision in a letter to its students that said the sale would help pay for more academic offerings and community programs as the institution increasingly turns digital. Virtual education might help future rabbis to deal with Zoom prayers, but thats not what minyan Judaism is all about.

And then the true shocker appeared in the news: next year there wont be enough new Conservative rabbis to fill all the vacancies in the movements American synagogues!If the most important role in an organization cant find enough workers, that sounds like the beginning of the movements death knell.

In a sense, none of this should surprise anyone. As a PEW survey in 2021 noted: a quarter of adults who are currently Jewish or were raised that way say they were brought up in Conservative Judaism, while 15% identify as Conservative Jews today. For every person who has joined Conservative Judaism, nearly three people who were raised in the Conservative movement have left it.In short, the Conservative movement has been losing adherents for several decades. It was by far the largest of the three main Jewish-American denominations in the 1950s and 1960s. It barely beats out Orthodoxy today and has fallen far below Reform Judaism.

What happened? The short answer is that for any religious sect or denomination its tough to be caught in the middle. Religion has a tendency to push people to extremes: either liberal universalism (Reform Judaism; Christian Unitarianism) or dogmatic particularism (Orthodox Judaism; Catholicism). Put another way, its easier to either go with general societys zeitgeist flow or hunker down and adhere to strict traditionalism. Finding a middle way is fraught with compromises not something that religion excels in.

Perhaps the best example of this conundrum in which the Conservative Movement found itself was the mass Jewish migration after WW2 from the cities to the suburbs. The problem: in the suburbs people tended to live much further away from the synagogue not in walking distance for most congregants. The question became: should the Conservative movement go along with Reform Judaism that permitted driving to synagogue on the Sabbath, or stick to age-old halakhic proscriptions that traditionally forbade this (because the autos internal combustion engine involved fire)? After much internal, earnest, halakhic debate, a decision was issued to split the baby in half: only driving to synagogue was permitted, but not to anywhere else on the sabbath. It doesnt take a social psychologist to understand that this distinction would not be understood by the movements parishioners, nor adhered to.

Worse yet, not only was the decision halakhically untenable (using fire is one of the 39 totally strict prohibitions regarding Sabbath activity), but this only further encouraged the movements adherents to live further away from the neighborhood where the synagogue was located thereby distancing Conservative Jews from each other even during the week! Any sense of a tight Jewish community quickly evaporated.

Whether because of this decision or not related at all, the ensuing decades were witness to a growing sociological gap between the Conservative leadership (rabbis, etc.) and the laity. Whereas the former (the Jewish Theological Seminary leading the way) continued to try and adhere to Jewish halakha in its decisions (most of the time successfully), many and then most of its Jewish constituency lived lives increasingly disconnected from Jewish law for example, at first eating non-kosher only outside the home, and then also inside the home. There was a limit to how liberal the JTS could be (even the School of Hillel 2000 years ago was flexible only up to a point), and the laity either jumped ship or simply ignored the JTS strictures from on high. Indeed, one of the reasons that there arent enough Conservative rabbis today is precisely this disconnect: who would want to shepherd a flock that refuses to follow the path?

Let it be said that the Conservative movement has done some wonderful work. Its Camp Ramah network is a jewel (I worked there for several years as sports director and educator). The Solomon Schechter Jewish Day School chain has provided great Jewish education to tens of thousands of the movements youngsters. But neither could fully service the million or more congregants that Conservatism had decades ago.

Of course, if the Conservative movement ultimately disappears, that is not to say that its adherents would stop living Jewish lives. Many will continue to move leftwards to Reform Judaism, itself becoming more Jewishly traditional over the years; others will move rightwards and find common cause with Modern Orthodoxy especially its more egalitarian wing that is making mighty efforts to square Orthodoxy with the circle of womens equality. It is questionable whether American Jewry will really suffer in any way if only two major denominations survive (three, if you want to count ultra-Orthodoxy as distinct, which in many ways it certainly is). The future of American Jewry is not a question of how many denominations survive; rather, its a matter of how many Jews remain altogether within the Jewish fold, living lives that can be said to have significant Jewish content.

Prof. Sam Lehman-Wilzig (PhD in Government, 1976; Harvard U) taught at Bar-Ilan University (1977-2017), serving as: Head of the Journalism Division (1991-1996); Political Studies Department Chairman (2004-2007); and School of Communication Chairman (2014-2016). He was also Chair of the Israel Political Science Association (1997-1999). He has published three books and 60 scholarly articles on Israeli Politics; New Media & Journalism; Political Communication; the Jewish Political Tradition; the Information Society. His new book is VIRTUALITY AND HUMANITY: VIRTUAL PRACTICE AND ITS EVOLUTION FROM PRE-HISTORY TO THE 21ST CENTURY (Springer Nature, Dec. 2021): The book's description, substantive Preface and full Table of Contents can be freely accessed here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-16-6526-4#toc. For more information about Prof. Lehman-Wilzig's publications (academic and popular), see: http://www.ProfSLW.com

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Conservative Judaism: The Beginning of the End? | Sam Lehman-Wilzig | The Blogs - The Times of Israel

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