Daniel Reich

Dr. Mehnaz Afridi

Fr. David Bossman

The Hayyim and Esther Kieval Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies at Siena College has announced its 32^nd annual colloquium for the afternoon of Sunday, Oct.15, and Monday morning Oct. 16.  This year the Institute will host a three-way dialogue, “Teaching Our Children about the Holocaust,” featuring Jewish, Muslim, and Christian speakers: Daniel Reich, curator and director of education, Holocaust Museum and Learning Center, St. Louis, Mo.; Dr. Mehnaz Afridi, associate professor of Religion and director, Holocaust, Genocide & Interfaith Education Center, Manhattan College; and Fr. David Bossman, professor of Jewish-Christian Studies Seton Hall University, N.J. The event is free and open to the public.

Greetings and formal presentations begin on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in the Key Auditorium, Roger Bacon Hall, Room 202 on the Siena College Campus, with Dr. Peter Zaas, the institute’s director, presiding.  The event continues with informal discussion on Monday morning from 10-12 over a kosher brunch, with Rabbi Rena Kieval, the Institute’s chairwoman presiding.  Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese will offer final greetings, and assess the state of Catholic-Jewish relations in the Capital District over the past year.

Those interested in attending may register at siena.edu/Kieval.

The Kieval Institute was founded in 1983, with the late Rabbi Hayyim Kieval as its founding director. It sponsors these annual colloquia, a spring lecture series, the Colonie Jewish Association Annual Lecture, supports the Kieval Collection in the Standish Library at Siena College, supports faculty research and faculty and student participation in Siena’s annual Religious Studies study tours. Dr. Zaas at 518-783-2361 can provide details.

Rabbi Gary Zola

ALBANY–Rabbi Gary Zola, executive director of the Jacob Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, will speak on Friday, Oct. 20, at Beth Emeth, 100 Academy Rd. as part of the congregation’s 180 anniversary celebration. Zola will discuss the congregation’s first rabbi, Isaac Mayer Wise, the early history of the Reform Movement and how Beth Emeth was an early influence on the movement.  Zola’s remarks at 7:15 p.m. will be preceded by a 5:30 p.m. Shabbat service and 6:15 dinner.

Under Zola’s leadership, the physical home of the American Jewish Archives (AJA) has tripled in size and houses electronic classrooms, distance learning centers, and public exhibition galleries. In his academic capacity, Zola edits The Marcus Center’s award-winning biannual publication, The American Jewish Archives Journal—one of only two academic periodicals focusing on the total historical experience of American Jewry. In 2006, Zola became the first American Jewish historian and the first American rabbi to receive appointment to the Academic Advisory Council of the congressionally recognized Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. In April 2011, he was appointed by President Obama to the Commission for the Preservation of American Heritage Abroad.

The cost of the dinner is $18 for adults; admission for children is free. Dinner registration may be made online at bethemethalbany.org. Deb Sokoler at dsokoler@bethemethalbany.org or 436-9761, ext.230 can provide details.

Joselin Linder

SCHENECTADY–The second Gates of Heaven First Thursday Adult Ed Talks on Thursday, Nov. 2, will feature a  talk by Joselin Linder. She will discuss her book, The Family Gene at 7 p.m. at the temple, 852 Ashmore Ave., Schenectady. The free programs, facilitated by Rabbi Matt Cutler and Arnie Rotenberg, are free-standing, so one may attend one, or all the talks. No reservations are needed.

When Linder was in her 20s her legs suddenly started to swell. After years of misdiagnoses, doctors discovered a blockage in her liver. Struggling to find an explanation for her unusual condition, Linder compared the medical charts of her father, who had died from a mysterious disease 10 years prior, with that of an uncle who had died under similar strange circumstances. Then she discovered that her great-grandmother had displayed symptoms similar to her own before she died.

Linder approached Dr. Christine Seidman, the head of a group of genetic researchers at Harvard Medical School, for help. The doctor, worked on the Linder family’s case for 20 years, has confirmed that 14 of Linder’s relatives carried something called a private mutation—meaning that they were the first known people to experience the baffling symptoms of a brand new genetic mutation.

Arnie Rotenberg, director of congregational Jewish living at 518-374- 8173, can provide details.

12Palestinian human rights activist BASSEM EID, right, offers his perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as part of a community lecture series presenting differing points of view at Skidmore College. (Photo by Ruth Fein Revell)

By RUTH FEIN REVELL
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH WORLD
Calling for a global community response of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and equality, Palestinian-Muslim human rights pioneer and political analyst Bassem Eid shared his personal perspective at Skidmore College on Thursday, Oct. 18, about the people, their obstacles and the road to solutions.

What does he think it will take to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Confidence.

“Without building bridges of confidence, I don’t see any possibility of peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” Eid, who is an analyst for Israeli TV and radio, said. “It is only the Israelis and Palestinians who can solve this conflict, not any third parties.”

Eid, who spent the first 33 years of his life in an East Jerusalem refugee camp, is an internationally recognized, Jerusalem-based political analyst and commentator on Arab and Palestinian affairs. As an activist his initial focus was on human rights violations committed by Israeli armed forces, but for many years he has broadened his research to include violations committed by the Palestinian Authority (PA), and the Palestinian armed forces on their own people.

How About Some Electricity?
The fact that two rival Palestinian groups — Palestinian president Abbas’s Fatah movement and the terrorist militant Islamist group Hamas — signed a provisional unity agreement this month in Egypt is not enough to instill hope or confidence, Eid said. “We have already seen five agreements before this. This is not giving the Palestinian people any confidence that anything will change —not until they see changes on the ground — when they have more than four hours of electricity in 24 hours.”

Ordinary Palestinians just want to survive, he said. “The people of East Jerusalem are less interested in who will control them in 10 years, they care about a better way of life.

“Nobody there is talking about the wall or the state (a Palestinian state) or who will rule them in 10 years. They want education for their children. They want to secure health care for their families. They’re seeking dignity.”

Loss Of Control
The conflict is almost out of the hands of Israelis and Palestinians today, Eid believes. “The international community became a part of the conflict rather than a part of the solution,” he said. “Our frustration is that we are unable to control the conflict. It is very easy to understand and very difficult to find a solution.”

Eid’s message to the international community is: “Don’t say you’re going to recognize the Palestinian State . . . which state, what state?” he asked. “Help us build the state to recognize afterward. Help build it — then recognize it.”

In the meantime, Eid said, “We, the Palestinians, are still holding the key to a better life . . . we need to manage our lives much better than under this management . . . it’s a horrible place to grow up.”

What We Need
He listed monumental obstacles, beyond bad management by the Palestinian authority, including corruption, lack of law and justice, lack of economy and institutions, and no accountability for bad actions and attitudes.

“Homeland is not the place where you are,” Eid said, “it’s the place where you can find dignity, justice and freedom.”

Skidmore sophomore David Solovy organized the program, the first in a Perspective Lecture Series presented by Skidmore’s Hillel International and Christian Fellowship groups as part of the Jacob Perlow Series. Solovy said the series was created “to show different perspectives on Israel, whether or not you agree with the point of view.”

Bassem Eid was formerly a senior field researcher for B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. In 1996, he founded the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group, and in 2016, he became chairman of the Center for Near East Policy Research. He is a critic of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Bob Mankoff

Roz Chast, photo by Bill Hayes

ALBANY – The NYS Writers Institute will present “A Celebration of The New Yorker Cartoons” featuring Roz Chast and Bob Mankoff on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. in the Huxley Theatre, NYS Museum, Cultural Education Center, in Albany. Earlier that same day at 4:15 p.m., Chast and Mankoff will offer an informal seminar in the Standish Room, Science Library on the University of Albany uptown campus. Both events are free and open to the public.

Chast has published more than a thousand cartoons in The New Yorker since 1978. Michiko Kakutani, formerly of The New York Times, said, “Roz Chast feels—and draws—our pain. Our neurotic worries and genuine fears, our mundane and existential anxieties, our daydreams, nightmares, insecurities and guilty regrets.” Her 2014 memoir in cartoons about caring for her aging parents, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, spent more than 100 weeks at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List. Her new book of cartoons is Going Into Town: A Love Letter to New York (2017).

In a profile published in The New York Times on October 11 of this year, Chast was described as: “exactly what you’d expect from her cartoons: a little neurotic, a lot New Yorky, openly phobic, smallish, with chunky glasses and a Brooklyn accent that could probably be traced to a single census tract in Flatbush. She loves the suburbs, she hates the suburbs, she loves the crowded city where you can be alone, and the Upper West Side, where the schleppy old guys of old have given way to the schleppy old guys of now.”

Mankoff, cartoonist and  former cartoon editor for The New Yorker, submitted more than 500 of his own cartoons to that publication before getting his first acceptance in 1977. He became cartoon editor in 1997, and is credited with nurturing a new generation of talent before retiring this past April. He serves as the humor and cartoon editor at Esquire. He is the author of the memoir, How About Never—Is Never Good for You?: My Life in Cartoons (2014). In an interview broadcast on the PBS NewsHour, Mankoff spoke of the hold that cartoons have on us: “Part of what is wonderful about cartoons is, they’re a little stupid, and they connect us with the stupidity of our own consciousness in life. We are ribbing ourselves, our own pretensions, our own middle class. And in doing that, of course, we become connoisseurs of unhappiness.”
The Writers Institute at 518-442-5620 or online at www.nyswritersinstitute.org can provide details.

Last year’s  2016 Mystery Challenge team is the one to beat this year! From left, Richard and Amy Drucker; Rob and Ilana Kovach; Tanya Schwartz, Seth Rosenblum, Ben Schwartz, and Amarit Rosin Rosenblum.

The Daughters of Sarah Senior Community has announced that The Daughters of Sarah 11^th annual Mystery Challenge will be held on Saturday, Nov. 18, at the New York State Museum, 222 Madison Ave., Albany. The evening begins at 7:30 p.m.

The Mystery Challenge provides guest teams with a challenge to solve a set of clues that will take them throughout the galleries of the New York State Museum. Evening highlights will also include a silent auction and a dinner buffet prepared by the executive chefs at Daughters of Sarah.

Members of the Mop & Bucket Company, an improvisational comedy theater group, will help facilitate the Challenge.

Mystery Challenge Committee Co-chairpersons are  Leslie Feinman, Marta Koblenz, Alan Lobel and Murray Massry. Committee includes: Andrew Abramowitz, Kaet Buckwalter, Elisa Harrington-Verb, Debbie Herr, Mindy Holland, Gail Karo, Karen Lobel, Beth Scher, Lynda Shrager, Jerry Sykes, and Rachael Woren.

The Mystery Challenge is a fund-raiser for the Daughters of Sarah Senior Community, a multi-level senior care organization located on Washington Avenue Extension in Albany, which offers a variety of short and long-term care services for adults. The senior community is comprised of:  The Massry Residence for Assisted Living and Respite Care; The Rehabilitation Center at Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center providing short-term and outpatient rehabilitation services (occupational, physical and speech therapies); The Golub Family Memory Enhancement Center at Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center welcoming people who are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s/dementia; the Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center offering distinct pavilions designed to meet the specific needs of its residents.

The Daughters of Sarah Mystery Challenge honorary committee (as of Sept. 25) includes:

Andrew Abramowitz, Daniel Bernstein, Joyce and Sanford Bookstein, Linda and Chris Carothers, CDPHP, Debbie and Jeff Cohen, Janet Adler Conti, Rabbi Matt and Sharon Cutler, Joy Davidoff and James Finale, Nona and Stephen Deitcher, Talya and Alan DiStasio, Rabbi David and Jodi Eligberg, Audrey Ellowitz, Malka and Eitan Evan, Assemblymember Patricia Fahy, Abbey Farbstein and Joe Herd, Evy and Larry Farbstein, Leslie and Barry Feinman, Rabbi Roy and Rachel Feldman, Sherry and Marvin Freedman, Gail Kendall and David Galletly, Dorothy and Robert Ganz, Carolyn and Bruce Ginsburg, Karen and Mark Glaser, Kathy and Billy Golderman, Neil and Jane Golub, Gwen and Jeffrey Grossman,  Dan Hershberg, Mindy and Jesse Holland, Margaret and Barry Hollander, Laura and David Hollander, Sharon Flom and Steven Huz, Laura and Ed Jacobs, Rosalind and Gary Judd, Judy and Bill Kahn, Gail and Ron Karo, Rabbi Rena and Shalom Kieval, Julie and Jim Knox, Marta and Mark Koblenz, Ilana and Rob Kovach, Bette and Stuart Kraut, Mindy and Steven Lam, Sara Lee and Barry Larner, Jane and Mark Levine, Nancy and Norman Levine, Karen and Alan Lobel, Sheila and Ira Lobel, Jill Goodman and Arthur Malkin, Penny and Neil Manasse, Esther and Morris Massry, Mallory and Murray C. Massry, Micki and Norman Massry, Eileen and Bob Michaels, Moore Fire Extinguisher Co, LLC, Leslie Baker and Geoffrey Patack, Robert & Dorothy Ludwig JCC of Schenectady, Bonnie and Stuart Rosenberg, Joan and Jack Rosenblum, Amarit Rosin and Seth Rosenblum, Rachel and Jay Rourke, Carole Ju and David Rubin, Lois and Richard Rubin, Randie and Del Salmon, Beth and Mark Scher, Ruth and Michael Schulman, Nancie and Ken Segel, Karen and Gavin Setzen, Honorable Kathy M. Sheehan, Sidney Albert Albany JCC, Shara and David Siegfeld, Beth and Andrew Swartz, Ilene and Jerry Sykes, Congressman Paul D. Tonko, Terry and Dan Tyson, Herm Ungerman, Barbara Wachs, Ruth Margolis Yorker, and Nini Wu and Ira Zackon.

Reservations may be made online at www.daughtersofsarah.org or at 518-724-3261. Tickets are $100 per person, or $50 for those under 40.

Members of the TRIBE  gather at a recent function, from left, Bradly Morris, Marcus Domfort, Rachel Burnetter, Andrew Ross Abramowitz, Charlie Fishbaum, Emily Handelman, Lauren Bushnell, Sara Cooper, Rafi Mills, Madison Laks, Michael Baruch, Joel Ehrlich, and Caitlan Swyer.

ALBANY–Congregation Beth Emeth’s newest community organization, the TRIBE will offer programming and opportunities to young Jewish professionals throughout July. Organizers report that the group has now formally organized a board and is planning  a variety of summer activities.

Among the peer-organized social events, community action programs and professional development opportunities in July will be Israeli dance and sushi on Thursday, July 6; a bonfire at a TRIBE member’s  home on Saturday, July 15; Hudson River Rafting in collaboration with the Beth Emeth Brotherhood on Sunday, July 16, and a Mel Brooks night at a TRIBE member’s home on Saturday, July 29.

Information may be obtained from www.bethemethalbany.org, or  Andrew Abramowitz,  andrew.ross.abramowitz@gamil.com.

The Maccabeats

ALBANY–The Maccabeats, a Jewish music and a cappella group will be the headliner act at the opening ceremonies for the 2017 Capital Region Maccabi Games. Opening ceremonies are set for  the Times Union Center at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 6.  The Maccabi Games will be Aug. 6-11. The Maccabi Games is an Olympic-style sporting competition for Jewish youth from around the world. It is being held locally, one of three locations, for the first time. The games are the second largest organized sports program for Jewish teens in the world. The Sidney Albert Albany Jewish Community Center and the Robert and Dorothy Ludwig JCC of Schenectady jointly brought the games to this region.

Originally formed in 2007 as Yeshiva University’s student vocal group, the Maccabeats have a fan base, which includes 10 million views on YouTube. The Maccabeats’ ideology and identity play an important part in what they do. Strongly committed to the philosophy of Torah u-Madda, the integration of traditional Jewish and secular knowledge, the Maccabeats perform an eclectic array of Jewish, American, and Israeli songs. According to some, the group’s piece, Lecha Dodi, is the epitome of this synthesis, combining beloved words of Jewish liturgy with Leonard Cohen’s melodic Hallelujah music.

 This summer, the games will be held in three U.S. locations: Miami, Fla., Birmingham, Ala. and in this area. Approximately 700 teen athletes from around the world, along with their coaches, delegation chairpersons, parents and other spectators will be this region’s guests for the games. Athletes from as far away as Mexico and Israel will attend the games and participate.

Information about  hosting youth, becoming a sponsor, or volunteering in another capacity may be obtained at www.CapitalRegionJCCMaccabi.org. The events will rely on volunteer support, according to organizers.

Tickets for the opening ceremonies are free for area residents (although they must register online first).

 The 2017 Capital Region JCC Maccabi Games co-chairwomen are  Lauren Finkle, Joanna Goldberg, Debbie Gordon, Lauren Iselin and Michelle Ostrelich. U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko is the honorary chairman of the games.

The presenting sponsor of the 2017 Capital Region Maccabi Games is Albany Medical Center.

Marilyn Tanner

SCHENECTADY– The exhibit, “Faces and Other Spaces” by artist and craftswoman Marilyn Tanner continues at the Robert and Dorothy Ludwig Schenectady Jewish Community Center, 2565 Balltown Rd., Schenectady through December 31

“Faces, human or otherwise, capture my imagination,” said Tanner.  “I collect and create them. I have eclectic tastes in art and design and my collection of oddities has inspired my own creative efforts. I am an autodidact and love to dabble in different modalities and styles. I am passionate about collecting and creating.”

 The exhibition includes works using zentangle, needlepoint, collage, ceramics, polymer, art quilting, painting, needle felting, and weaving.

Tanner is a life-long resident of Niskayuna,. She attended Temple University in Philadelphia and briefly lived in Israel on Kibbutz Na’an. Tanner is a

Lady: Zentangle technique and marker by Marilyn Tanner.

member of both Congregations Gates of Heaven and Beth Israel.

Lady: Zentangle technique and marker by Marilyn Tanner.

From left, Schenectady JCC Executive Director Mark Weintraub, Community Service Honoree Sharon Cutler, and SJCC Board of Directors Chairman Marv Garfinkle, and Niskayuna Town Supervisor Joe Landry.

SCHENECTADY–The Schenectady Jewish Community Center (SJCC) will host the annual Robert J. Ludwig Community Service Awards Gala on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. It will be held, for the first time, at the Robert and Dorothy Ludwig SJCC on the Golub Family Campus, 2565 Balltown Rd. The program will feature cocktails, kosher food stations, the awards presentation, and entertainment. 

For the past six years, Schenectady JCC has recognized individuals, organizations and businesses for their service in the Schenectady community at the gala, according to organizers.

The late Ludwig was an educator, a volunteer, and gave his time and his talents to the Center. He served as program director for the SJCC early in his career and then later, returned to serve on the board of directors.  “Community service was a life-long commitment to Bob…to better his self, to better the people around him, and to better his community,” said Mark Weintraub, SJCC executive director.

 According to organizers, the 2017 Robert J. Ludwig Community Service Award honorees are:

Sharon Cutler, Community Service Award
Cutler has served as a member of the leadership team at the Center, officially and unofficially, for many years. She served as chairwoman of the Early Childhood Education department while her children (now adults) were enrolled, and then became active on the board of directors Eventually  she served as president of the board. Cutler continues to be involved as a volunteer on several Center committees and as an active member in various SJCC programs.

M&T Bank, Corporate Partnership Award
M&T Bank is a regional financial services company with more than $120 billion in assets. Through its investment in SJCC and in programs, such as Leadership Tech Valley, the bank sets an example of good corporate citizenship. The Center has benefited from financial counsel over as a client of M&T Bank, and has benefited from the M&T Bank Charitable Foundation, which contributes millions of dollars to a wide-range of community-based organizations.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region, Philanthropic Leadership Award
Ronald McDonald House, through a global network of 300 chapters, provides a haven of comfort, love, hope and support —free of charge — for critically ill children and their families. The Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile provide stability and resources to families while children are receiving care. In past years, Ronald McDonald House has helped support the SJCC Early Childhood education playground and its Teva Play. The Center’s Tween Campers have volunteered time on mitzvah days to the Ronald McDonald House.

Information and ticket reservations may be obtained by contacting Andy Katz at 518-377-8803 or andrewk@schenectadyjcc.org.

Dr. Sharon Goldman

The Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York will host a community-wide joint affinity society event featuring Dr. Sharon Goldman of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. Goldman will discuss “Challenges Facing American Zionists in 2017” during the program at Agudat Achim Synagogue, 2117 Union St., Schenectady. The evening will include a dinner and dessert reception. The event is open to the entire Jewish community.

Goldman is the deputy director for AIPAC’s Northeast Region. She is responsible for managing AIPAC’s political, development, and communication efforts which work to advance AIPAC’s policy agenda in the tri-state area. Previously serving as its northeast regional political director, she managed AIPAC’s legislative mobilizations, conducted educational briefings with candidates, and tracked and analyzed local political races.

Goldman earned a doctorate in political science from Yale University. She was a National Science Foundation fellow. She served as an assistant professor of political science at Ramapo College before joining the AIPAC team.

Goldman previously spoke at a community-wide joint society event on the “Iran Nuclear Deal and the Future of the Middle East.” She also spoke during a Federation Mission to New York City.

The affinity groups sponsoring the program are the Brandeis Baruch Society for Jewish business, financial and legal professionals, the Chaim Weizmann Society for Jewish academic, government and technology professionals and the Maimonides Society for Jewish medical and health professionals.

For those making reservations prior to noon on Friday, Dec. 8, the cost to attend is $20 per person for ages, 20-40, and $30 for those older than 40. After that deadline, admission will be $40. Reservations may be made on-line at www.jewishfedny.org or by calling the Federation at 518-783-7800.

Event chairpersons representing the Brandeis Baruch Society are Lianne Pinchuk Wladis, Alan Lobel, and Randy Shapiro. Event chairpersons representing the Chaim Weizmann Society are Gary Ginsburg, Dr. Malcolm Sherman, and Eric Schwartz. Event chairpersons representing the Maimonides Society are Dr. Rachelle Brilliant, Dr. Michael Fuhrman, and Dr. Eric Moses.

Marcia Pasternack,  left,   Lisa Gally, Project 5 coordinator, right.

By LISA GALLY
Imagine only leaving your house for medical-related visits. Some compare it to being a prisoner in your own home. This is the case for many Jewish senior citizens right here in the Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer areas. Many individuals are not affiliated with a synagogue or other organization. They feel isolated and lonely. Even if they are living in senior housing, they may feel different from most of their non-Jewish neighbors. They celebrate different holidays and have had different experiences. There are many seniors that find they do not have viable transportation to essential medical appointments, trips to the grocery store, and quality of life programs, dinners, mahjong or elsewhere.

Many seniors who live in the tri-county area and beyond do not have transportation to get places, but have transportation needs. They may be too frail or unable to walk far enough for to catch the bus.  Transportation concerns are second only to health concerns for the 60 plus age set.

The Fifth Commandment
We live in an age when children do not live near their aging parents, or are busy caring for their families and working. There are many seniors that simply do not have children.

This is where Project 5 comes in! It’s a transportation program specifically for Jewish seniors, ages 60 and up. The name Project 5 come from the 5^th

Rhoda Morrison, left,   on the right, Scott Hollander

commandment, honor thy mothers and fathers. That  is exactly what the volunteers do. It’s an arm through arm, door through door service provided by volunteers who drive in the comfort of their own cars.

Some passengers are in need of more help than others, while some may want more independence.  The driver pulls up, gets out to open the door for the passenger and some respond as Arlene does, “get back in the car, I can do it,” while others are happy for the assistance. Some use the service when they worry that the weather will not be optimal for them to drive, like Marilyn. Some use it to do their weekly grocery shopping like Anitta. Blanche wants an outing at the mall once or twice a year. It is out to lunch with friends for Eleanore and Ilene after their weekly program at the JCC. Carl calls when he needs to go to the bank, grocery shopping, the barber, an event with the NNORC or at the JCC or to attend Friday night services.

Keep Them Safe
To qualify for the program, passengers, 60 or older,  must be able to get in and out of cars on their own, and Jewish. Many Project 5 passengers use walkers and canes. Time and time again the volunteers hear passengers state, “I don’t know what I would do without Project 5, they are like my second family!”

For many people in the “sandwich generation” it’s difficult to watch our loved ones get older. We worry about our parents, aunts, uncles and neighbors. We worry about their safety.  Are they safe driving their car? Are they cognizant of their abilities?  Most seniors know when it’s time to give up the keys, but it’s extremely scary to become dependent on others. They are adults and deserve to be treated with respect. As children we are taught to treat our elders with respect.  Project 5 does just that.

On the left in the car, Carl Myers, Sandi Zarch is at right.

Commitment Concerns?
Clara who is extremely busy with getting her master’s degree and has a large family, drives once or twice a month, states “I feel like I am honoring my mother who, unfortunately, I can no longer drive around.”  Ruth, who usually drives a couple of times a week and says, “Being somewhat new to the area and most of the passengers have lived here for many years  they often have recommendations for restaurants and interesting places to visit. They are always grateful, when it’s me that should be thanking them.” Sandi who has driven for Project 5 for many years, sums it up with: “L’Dor V’Dor, from generation to generation.”

Volunteering with Project 5 is easy! Drivers can commit to one ride a month or as many as they want, whatever they are available to do. Debbie can only drive during school hours because she is busy with her kids after-school. Scott and Ellen head to warmer climates in the winter, while Wendell heads off to his summer home. Sometimes it’s as easy as dropping someone off at a doctor’s appointment or at the JCC.  Done in 20 minutes or less.

Project 5 has flexibility when it comes to scheduling. Beginning in December, the Project 5 scheduler will be more automated. We are acquiring a new program that will allow the volunteers to sign up on a secure web-based program for the rides that they are available to provide. There will still be times when we will need to personally contact volunteers if someone needs a last-minute ride.

It’s takes a village to raise children, and it also takes a village to care for our elders. They still have so much to give! Open your heart and your car door.

Project 5 is a not for profit program funded primarily by Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY and private donations. To inquire about getting rides, or to perform a mitzvah by volunteering to drive,  call me, Lisa Gally, coordinator of Project 5, at Jewish Family Services, 518-514-2143.

Family or no family there are many seniors that find they do not have viable transportation to essential medical appointments, trips to the grocery store, and quality of life programs at the JCC, dinners, mahjong or elsewhere.

More people are living longer, sometimes well into their 90s.  As the baby boomers age there will be more and more people in need.

Dana Rabinowitz, age 18, singer from Sde Nitzan.

The Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York invites the community to attend two concerts in December, featuring visiting teen musicians from the Federation’s partner region, Eshkol, Israel. Both concerts are free and open to the community.

The Green House Project featuring six of its band members, will play a medley of modern Hebrew, Chanukah, and other songs.  The “Green House” is the after school activity center of Eshkol, and home to a music group of 55 teens from 8^th to 12^thgrade.

The first concert is set for Monday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 509 Broadway, Saratoga Springs. The second concert on Tuesday, Dec. 19, will be at WMHT Recording Studios, 4 Global View, Troy. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and those attending the 6:30 p.m. concert must arrive prior to the concert start. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Dec. 19 concert will also stream live on WMHT’s Facebook page and later air on WMHT’s radio station.

Federation organizers report that the Eshkol Region, a 300-square-mile portion of Israel’s western Negev desert bordering Egypt and Gaza,

Or Bakshi, age 18, bass player from Ein HaBesor.

shares a connection to this area. Since 2006, the local Federation has partnered with the Eshkol Region through Partnership2Gether (P2G), a program akin to a sister city relationship.  

The local Federation at www.jewishfedny.org or 518- 783-7800 can provide details.

Rose (Lynn Cohen) tests her latest batch of pickles in “The Pickle Recipe,” which be shown at the Schenectady Jewish Community Center on Dec. 30 and 31.

SCHENECTADY–“The Pickle Recipe,” the fourth film of 2017-2018 Jewish Film Festival series, will be screened on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 7:15 p.m. (film and discussion) and on Sunday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. at the Schenectady Jewish Community Center, 2565 Balltown Rd., Schenectady. 

“The Pickle Recipe” (2016, 97 minutes, English) is a comedy, which highlights the importance of tradition and family.

The story relates how Rose’s closely guarded pickle recipe has kept Irv’s Deli a popular eatery for decades. Now her down-on-his-luck grandson, Joey, schemes to get the secret recipe and make a few much needed bucks as his daughter’s bat mitzvah approaches. Featuring an ensemble of character actors, Lynn Cohen plays matriarch Rose and guardian of the family secret, Toronto comic Jon Dore is Joey and hapless David Paymer is Uncle Morty, whose conniving plants the seed for Joey’s plot.

The movie was directed by Michael Manasseri and features a screenplay by Sheldon Cohn and Gary Wolfson.

After the screening on Saturday, Dec. 30, Antonia Lauria will share memories of her family, life, and traditions at the Gershon’s deli in Schenectady. Gershon’s, has been located on Union Street for over 60 years.

Individual films are $5 for Center members and $10 for community members. Admission is free for students with school ID. Admission includes film, discussion, and refreshments.

Information  and registration  is available by calling Judy Ben-Ami at 518-377-8803.

Ben Cutler

SCHENECTADY– Congregation Gates of Heaven continues its 2017-2018 season of First Thursday Adult Ed. Programs with a Genealogy Expo Thursday, Jan. 11, at 6 p.m. The programs, which feature a variety of guest speakers and topics, are held at the temple, 852 Ashmore Ave., Schenectady. Ben Cutler will be the main presenter on what is actually the second Thursday of January.

Cutler grew up in Schenectady, and was active in his congregation’s community and youth group. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 2015 with degrees in both history and education. At the university he worked at the National Archives, as a teacher’s aide in a special education classroom, and his student taught at a local high school. Cutler has researched his family’s genealogy, and that culminated in the awarding to his great-grandfather a Purple Heart. Cutler lives in New York City and is studying social studies education at the Teachers College of Columbia.

Cutler’s search for his family ancestry will be discussed to help those attending understand the “lay of the land” for researching one’s own genealogy, according to organizers. He will relate where to search for records and provide other clues that may help one search. Other experts will be available from 6 to 8 p.m.  too. Resources for beginners including tips and tricks will be reviewed  and personalized assistance offered. Computers will also be available to help build a family tree .

The program, facilitated by Rabbi Matt Cutler and Arnie Rotenberg, director of Congregational Jewish Living, is free and open to the public. Each talk is freestanding, and no reservations are needed. Rotenberg at 518-374-8173 can provide details.

Several core TRIBE members pose after Rosh Hashanah services in 2017. From left, Jackie Vetrano, Sarah Stiefel, Heather Higgins, Rachel Burnetter, Brad Morris, Gayle Abrams, Andrew Abramowitz, Emily Handelman, Julie Thompson and David Lieberman.

BY SUE WOLLNER
When Andrew Abramowitz joined Congregation Beth Emeth in Albany a few years ago it became clear as he looked around the sanctuary during services that he, a young man in his early 20s, was in the minority. A recent graduate of the University at Albany he was not surprised, knowing that his demographic group was the least likely to be engaged with a Jewish congregation.

“When I first came to Beth Emeth, the young adult presence wasn’t that strong,” Abramowitz reports.

Abramowitz, now 26, and a core group of friends began a campaign to mobilize their contemporaries to attend services together, organize social events and participate in community service activities.

Challenging The Demographic
The organization that they, and the congregation created, the TRIBE, was tailored to offer 20 and 30-somethings a cultural link to their faith.

“Our mission is to bring young adults into the congregation, provide them with a spiritual home, and a fun and meaningful connection to Jewish life,” Abramowitz said.

While millennials may have been involved with their congregations as children and teens and participated in Hillel and Birthright in college, it is common for them to disengage until they start their own families. They may be distracted by establishing relationships, building careers and often moving around the country in pursuit of better jobs.

Overall, congregational participation in the United States tends to attract an older demographic, which may make it less appealing for young adults who are often in a new environment away from their home congregation.

The TRIBE’s mission is not solely to get young adults to attend services. While some are more interested in the religious aspects of their faith like rituals and services, others just want a cultural and social connection with others in the region. “For many young adults this is their only connection to Judaism,” Abramowitz said. “We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable,” he said.

Slew Of Activities
Since its inception in September 2016 when the TRIBE held its first social event at the Recovery Room in Albany, support for the group has grown. In its first year the TRIBE held a variety of social and cultural events with many organized around food. For example, the TRIBE holds regular potluck dinners after Shabbat services and has held several cook-off contests including a hummus cook-off, a matzah dessert cook-off at Passover and an apple dessert cook-off for Rosh Hashanah with members of the congregation’s brotherhood and sisterhood serving as judges. Other social events the group sponsored in its first year included whitewater rafting, hiking, laser tag, Israeli dancing, a fitness workout and trivia nights.

About 100 young adults attended events or expressed interest in the TRIBE in its first year, Abramowitz said. Between 50 and 70 people have attended at least a few TRIBE events so far, with a core group of regulars, he added. Most TRIBE members are single, but some are married. While the majority of members are affiliated with Beth Emeth, several come from other congregations in the region. It’s also common for members of the TRIBE to bring friends and spouses of all faiths to programs, according to Abramowitz.

Networking
Now in its second year, the TRIBE has a full board. The group is tech-savvy and communicates to its membership through Facebook, a weekly e–mail and advertisement through the temple and the Jewish Federation. The 2017-18 TRIBE board includes Andrew Abramowitz, president; Rachel Burnetter, vice-president; Emily Handelman, communications director; Brad Morris, membership director; and Gayle Abrams, finance director.

“In our second year our plan is to get more involved in Beth Emeth and find ways to collaborate with other groups and give back, especially for the 180^th anniversary of the congregation,” Abramowitz said. For example, the group is holding a session on how to use Google Aps for the community at Beth Emeth at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18.

Abramowitz is always looking to connect with other organizations of young people. Recently, the TRIBE organized a web exchange with young adults from the JCC in Krakow, Poland to share programming ideas.

Synergy
In early December, Abramowitz attended the Union for Reformed Judaism’s Biennial in Boston, Mass. where he networked with young adults from other congregations about their efforts to reach out to their peers. In recognition of his work with the TRIBE he received an honorable mention award called the Belin Award for Audacious Hospitality at the Biennial. The award is designed to honor URJ congregations with innovative programs that increase diversity in their congregations.

I look forward to seeing what other brainstorming we can do. We have a lot of synergy,” Abramowitz said.

The TRIBE has received moral support as well as some financial backing from the congregation for its programming. “The welcoming environment at Beth Emeth to its young adult members is a big factor in making us come back over and over,” he said.

Information about the TRIBE is on the group’s website, www.bethemethalbany.org or Brad Morris, membership director, at bamorris1991@gmail.com can provide details.

Sue Wollner is a Beth Emeth congregant.

SARATOGA SPRINGS– Saratoga Jewish Community Arts will present the Golfstrom Quartet at the National Museum of Dance, 99 South Broadway. Saratoga Springs on Sunday, Jan. 14, at 3:30 p.m. A dessert reception will also be featured.

According to Phyllis Wang, festival coordinator, the quartet brings audiences on a journey around the world playing traditional melodies, lullabies, ballads, and standards; klezmer as well as waltzes, tangos, and and foxtrots. The music that the group presents is inspired or colored by Jewish musical traditions. Golfstrom will feature music by Jewish composers and others from Russia, the Ukraine, Germany, France, the United States, Israel, Canada, and Latvia. Singing will be in Yiddish, Ladino, Hebrew, English, French, and Russian.
Golfstrom features Sergei Nirenburg on accordion and vocals, Jonathan Greene on clarinet, Brian Melick on percussion, and Bobby Kendall on string bass.

The quartet’s front man, Nirenburg, when not engaged in his musical avocation, is doctorate-holding cognitive scientist who helps run a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute facility known as the Language-Endowed Intelligent Agents Laboratory, home of robotics/artificial intelligence research.

Greene is an active jazz, world, and classical multi-instrumentalist. He has performed with groups that opened for Jay Leno at Proctors and Marcus Roberts and Anat Cohen at the Troy Music Hall.

Melick is a drummer and multi-hand percussionist, and an educator, author, and designer/manufacturer. Kendall plays string bass and acoustic guitar and is a professional singer and songwriter.

A $10 admission donation requested. Reservations and details are available at 518-584-8730 , ext. 2 or www.saratogajewishculturalfestival.org and on Facebook.

Benjamin “Ben” and Ruth Mendel

Ruth and Leo Phaff

The Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York presented three awards at its June annual meeting. The Jewish Federation honored Leo and Ruth Phaff with the Sidney Albert Community Service Award, Benjamin and Ruth Mendel with the President’s Award, and Daniel Bernstein with the Samuel E. Aronowitz Young Leadership Award.

Ruth and Leo Phaff, recipients of the Sidney and Albert Community Service Award, were among the founders and creators of Temple Israel in Albany and The Hebrew Academy of the Capital District.

The Federation established the Sidney Albert Community Service Award for those leaders within the Jewish community who have demonstrated a lifetime of Jewish community involvement.

At the outset of their relationship, Ruth and Leo agreed that both wanted a large family, and that both were committed to helping to make the local Jewish community welcoming and flourishing.

Leo would be the president of Temple Israel twice, and spearheaded fund-raising initiatives to ensure the stability of the congregation and to support the Temple’s education center. Ruth became the Temple’s secretary and was on its building committee.

For decades, Leo raised money for Israel Bonds, The Hebrew Academy, Temple Israel, and the Federation. He served on the boards of the Albany Jewish Community Center and the Federation, and was vice president of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association. Ruth is a Hadassah life member.

Both have been honored for their work by the Hebrew Academy, B’nai B’rith, Maimonides Hebrew Day School School, State of Israel Bonds, and by Temple Israel.

The Phaffs had six children, 19 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren.

The President’s Award was established to recognize individuals for their substantial contributions to the Jewish Federation and to the community. Benjamin “Ben” and Ruth Mendel, recipients of The 2017 President’s Award, are members of Congregation Beth Emeth in Albany. Ben is a past president and Ruth is a former board member.

Ruth is a former member of Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy Board and Steering Committee. She participated in the Melton Adult Jewish Education Program.She shares her Holocaust family history with student groups as a presenter for the Holocaust Survivors and Friends Education Center. She also volunteers for the Capital Region Jewish Coalition for Literacy ROAR program.

Ruth is a founder of Person to Person, a high school mentorship program in the Bethlehem school district. She is a former board member of The American Red Cross and a Girl Scouts of the USA life member and former troop leader.

Ben is a past chairman of the board for the Union for Reform Jewish Camp Eisner and Crane Lake Camp. He is a former treasurer of the Federation’s board and has served on several committees for Congregation Beth Emeth.

Ben is a member of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Committee for the Capital Area Council of Churches and is a former board member of Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Various community awards have included the State of Israel Bonds Scroll of Honor and Congregation Beth Emeth’s Sisterhood Award. Ben was honored with the B’nai B’rith Covenant Award, Four Chaplains Brotherhood Award, and named Jewish Family Services Volunteer of the Year. Ruth was honored by Bethlehem High School for her years of involvement with the PTA.

Ben is a retired architect and Ruth worked in publicity for Voorheesville Central Schools.

Ruth and Ben have two daughters and five grandchildren.

The Samuel E. Aronowitz Young Leadership Award was established to acknowledge an individual who has demonstrated leadership qualities. The award includes a stipend to assist the recipient in attending an appropriate conference or mission. The award recipient this year was Daniel Bernstein.

Bernstein is an attorney with Iseman, Cunningham, Riester & Hyde LLP, practicing in labor and employment, health care, and litigation. Bernstein grew up in Albany, and graduated from the Hebrew Academy.

He was the president of the Cardozo Society Jewish student organization while attending Albany Law School, and worked with other area organizations to bring pro-Israel speakers to the school to combat the rhetoric of vocal and prevalent anti-Israel students and organizations. He has continued his philanthropic work in the Jewish community and has been on the board of directors of a variety of local Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Family Services, Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center, and the Federation. In 2016, Bernstein attended a Jewish Federation mission to the Eshkol Regional Council in Israel, which included the presentation of grants to assist infrastructure and support in the border region. Bernstein is also a volunteer teacher at the Mifgash Jewish Community High School program at Temple Israel.

CATSKILL–Zoe, B. Zak, rabbi of Temple Israel of Catskill will lead havdalah on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 6 p.m. Havdalah, which means to separate in Hebrew, marks the end to the Sabbath. The rabbi will end the Sabbath and welcome the new week with melody and songs.

Puzzle Israel chefs Nir Margalith and Guy Marom will create a full five course Israeli dinner to follow the service.

The cost of the meal is $36 per person. Reservations are required by Jan.14. with Ellen Ludman at mohican2@yahoo.com, or by calling 518–943- 5758.

Stephen C. Ainlay

SCHENECTADY–Congregation Gates of Heaven will commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a community Shabbat on Friday, Jan. 19, at the temple, 852 Ashmore Ave. The evening will begin with Shabbat service at 5 p.m.  At 6 p.m., the annual Soup Shabbat Dinner will be featured. Then at 7 p.m. guest speaker Stephen C. Ainlay, president of Union College since 2006, will lead an open conversation on diversity.

The congregation will serve 12 different homemade soups (and individuals may try them all!) along with breads and dessert. Those attending the soup dinner are requested to make a donation in the amount an individual would spend to go out to eat.

Reservations for the dinner may be made  with Kathy Laws at klaws@cgoh.org or by calling 518-374-8173.Those planning to attend are also asked to bring a donation of a school supply.

The program is held in collaboration with the Schenectady Clergy Against Hate. The organization’s mission: To bring the community together under the auspices of houses of worship; to encourage unity through prayers, songs, and talks; to highlight the diversity of faith, color, sexual-orientation, gender, backgrounds, origins in community; to draw attention that all of us are proud Americans, but not all of us feel connected to the American political system; to speak out to hate-filled rhetoric and bigotry plaguing our communities; to encourage all of us to speak in our own voices and to be acknowledged by others with respect and dignity.

The coalition is comprised of: Rabbi Matt Cutler, Congregation Gates of Heaven; Rev. Bill Levering, First Reformed Church; Imam  Genghis Khan, Schenectady County Jail; Father James McDonald, St. Stephen’s Church; Gurpreet Singh, American Sikhs for Humanity; Rev. Horace Sanders, Jr., Mt. Olivet Missionary Baptist Church; Jamshaid Minhas, Islamic Center of the Capital District; Father Robert Longobucco, St. Kateria Tekawitha Parish; Rev. Viki Brooks, Union College; Rabbi Ted Lichtenfeld, Congregation Agudat Achim; Rev. Peter JB Carman, Emanuel Friedens Church; Rev. Stacey Midge, First Reformed Church; Rev. Phillip Grigsby, SICM; Rev. Jason Fulkerson, Niskayuna Reformed Church; Rev. Alan Kinney, Eastern Parkway Methodist Church; Rev. Sara Baron, First Methodist Church; Rev. Robert Long, Schenectady Interfaith; Humera Khan, Islamic Center of the Capital District; Dr. Paul Uppal, Guru Namak Darbar Albany; Rev. Dustin Wright, Messiah Lutheran Church;  and Rev. Lynn Carman Bodden, First Reformed Church of Scotia.