Jerusalem Takes Center Stage As Movement Opposes US Policy Shift

Editorials ..................................... 4A Op-Ed .......................................... 5A Calendar ...................................... 6A Scene Around ............................. 9A Synagogue Directory ................ 11A JTA News Briefs ........................ 13A WWW.HERITAGEFL.COM YEAR 42, NO. 16 DECEMBER 22, 2017 4 TEVET, 5778 ORLANDO, FLORIDA SINGLE COPY 75¢ A light in the face of darkness It’s a world record for largest human menorah! (JTA)—Students at a Jewish school in New Jersey broke the world record for the world’s largest human menorah. Over 500 students from Ben Porat Yosef, a private school in Paramus, stood in the shape of a Chanukah cande- labra on Wednesday morning, the first day of the Jewish holiday, Paramus Patch reported. A representative from Guinness World Records certified that the formation was indeed the largest one in the world. Sami Kuperberg and Rayna Exelbierd. Students dressed in colors to make the menorah come to life, with the younger pupils wearing red or orange to sym- bolize the flame and the older ones in white to represent the candles and dark colors to represent the menorah itself. By Christine DeSouza JSU is an after-school club that provides any high It only takes one person to school student a Jewish ex- strive to make a difference. perience through programs Sami Kuperberg is such a that strengthen their Jewish Jerusalem takes center stage as person. She had endured anti- identity. Semitism since her freshman Kuperberg planned a pro- year at Oviedo High School. gram titled “One Day Starts Students would tease her Today” with the support of movement opposes US policy shift because she is Jewish. One JOIN Orlando and StandWi- student wouldn’t let her raise thUs, a non-profit pro-Israel By Deborah Fineblum speeches and workshops, in her hand in class to answer education and advocacy or- JNS the hallways between ses- questions and grabbed her ganization that believes that sions, and over sandwiches arm and drew a swastika on education is the road to peace. BOSTON—Rabbi Rick Ja- at lunch. it. She was even punched “I have been fighting every cobs used his pulpit to com- Jacobs, the URJ’s president, and kicked just because she single day for this event and fi- pare the difficulties between had stated last week that is Jewish. nally in less than a week it will Israel and Reform Jews to Trump’s announcement as Kuperberg heard of a pro- all come together,” Kuperberg those of Joseph and his “ill-timed,” breaking with gram called Jewish Student stated on her Facebook page brothers in last week’s Torah the relatively broad Jewish Union, and reached out to before the event. “My goal is portion of Vayeshev. communal support of the Rabbi Gabi Gittleson of JOIN to fill 600/600 seats there and It was a huge congregation Jerusalem recognition. Orlando to start the club at Jacobs was addressing: the “While we share the presi- her school. Light on page 14A record-breaking 6,000 Re- dent’s belief that the U.S. form Jews gathered in Boston embassy should, at the right for the Union for Reform Juda- time, be moved from Tel Aviv ism’s 74th North American to Jerusalem, we cannot In stunning upset, Biennial General Assembly. support his decision to begin But it was President Donald preparing that move now, ab- Trump’s announcement that sent a comprehensive plan for Jones trumps Moore the U.S. has recognized Jeru- a peace process,” said Jacobs, salem as Israel’s capital and whose position was echoed Union for Reform Judaism President Rabbi Rick Jacobs be the first Democrat elected will be moving its embassy by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D- speaks at the organization’s biennial convention in Boston. to the Senate from Alabama there from Tel Aviv that was Mass.) when she addressed the since 1992. Moore said he the subject of much of the URJ conference Dec. 8. that 70 years ago Reform Maurice N. Eisendrath Bearer would not concede until conversation at the Dec. In an interview with Is- Judaism was not around the of Light Award, the Reform absentee ballots are counted. 6-10 convention of Ameri- rael Radio this week, Natan communal table when the movement’s highest honor, Moore, a former state can Jewry’s largest religious Sharansky, chairman of The state of Israel was conceived the award-winning Israeli chief justice twice removed denomination—in formal Jewish Agency for Israel, of,” Kariv told a standing- novelist—whom the left-wing for ignoring U.S. Supreme said the Reform response to room-only crowd. J Street lobby lists as one of Court rulings on church- Trump’s Jerusalem recogni- Kariv covered what he its strongest Israeli support- state separation and on gay tion was “terrible.” called “the ideological debate” ers—was openly critical of marriage, had been beset by “Everything that comes over non-Orthodox Jews’ push Israel’s political and religious allegations that when he was out of Trump is bad, from [the to conduct egalitarian prayer policies. He urged the audi- in his 30s he wooed teenage Reform movement’s] perspec- at the Western Wall, a site ence, which gave him several girls. Two women accused tive,” Sharansky said. “When long separated by gender, as standing ovations, to “make him of sexual assault. the leader of a superpower well as the fact that Reform your presence known more Moore drew criticism recognizes Jerusalem, first rabbis are not recognized by than ever before.” from some Jewish quarters you have to welcome it, then the Israeli Chief Rabbinate. He Though he said he “can’t in the last week for suggest- offer disagreement. Here it noted that all Reform rabbis understand” values like those Democrat Doug Jones wins ing that billionaire liberal was the opposite.” spend a year of their training of the Palestinian mother who the Alabama Senate seat. philanthropist George Soros At odds with Israeli policies in Israel and that each year, celebrates her child’s attacks was headed to hell and that Many of Reform Jews’ con- 500 young Israelis spend time on Israelis and hopes her other WASHINGTON (JTA)—In his agenda was “not our cerns about Israeli politics— in Reform camps in North children follow suit, Gross- a stunning upset, Roy Moore, America culture.” That was including growth of what they America “to teach and also man leveled his most intense the controversial Republican compounded by his wife, consider settlements, and the to learn from us.” criticism at Israel’s leaders, nominee backed by President Kayla Moore, at his final state’s religious policies such “If Israel is the nation-state of blaming them for alienating Donald Trump in a Senate rally on Monday night, when on conversion and Western the Jewish people, then all Jews Reform youths. race in Alabama, was pro- in defending the couple’s Wall prayer—were aired at wherever they are have respon- Grossman described him- jected to lose against his “Israel at 70: Ensuring a Jew- sibilities and rights too,” Kariv self as “a secular person and Democratic challenger. Jones on page 15A ish and Democratic State,” told JNS after the workshop. an atheist,” but he did allow his Networks called the race a workshop featuring Rabbi “Certainly not in a decision- children to celebrate their bar late Tuesday night for Doug Gilad Kariv, president of the Is- making role, but the right to mitzvahs in a Reform temple Jones, a former prosecutor. rael Movement for Reform and be heard and respected.” in Israel. The counting closed with Progressive Judaism (IMPJ). When David Grossman took Jones 1.5 percent points “We need to understand the stage Dec. 7 to accept the Jerusalem on page 15A ahead of Moore. Jones would PAGE 2A HERITAGE FLORIDA JEWISH NEWS, DECEMBER 22, 2017 Federation has created a bear-y special mitzvah Shown here (l-r): Emily Bradley and Jenna Mathis, of Nemours Children’s Hospital, and PJ Library Families Committee members Oshrat Molayem and Fiona Anavi show off some of the stuffed animals that were delivered to the Lake Nona hospital by the Federa- Rabbi Rick Sherwin entertains the children and explains how they are helping the chil- tion earlier this month. dren in the hospital. Smiles and bear hugs were dren’s Hospital in Orlando. Families Committee co- Since 2015, Federation Even Build-A-Bear de- ish children’s literature and in abundance on a recent Federation volunteers, along chair, who has attended the has delivered nearly 100 scribed Federation’s Family music to more than 140,000 Sunday afternoon as the with PJ Library Coordinator event since its inception bears and cards—and count- Mitzvah Day as an “...incred- children around the world, Jewish Federation of Greater Jennifer Cohen, delivered the in 2015, said, “One of my less bear hugs and special ible project! We applaud the including more than 600 Orlando held its third annual bears to Nemours in early favorite programs is our wishes—to the hospital. great work you are doing families in Central Florida. PJ Library Family Mitzvah December. annual Mitzvah Day! To see Joining the families again that’s inspiring children in The program is administered Day at Build-A-Bear in Al- “We are extremely grate- so many little children lov- this year was Rabbi Rick the community to give back and underwritten locally tamonte Springs. ful and appreciative of the ingly give away an adorable Sherwin, a chaplain at and make a difference in by the Jewish Federation of More than 70 moms, dads, partnership with the Jew- bear—because they truly Nemours. Rabbi Rick helps another child’s life,” wrote Greater Orlando. babies, kids and grandpar- ish Federation of Greater understand they are doing make Family Mitzvah Day Ellie Tymorek, associate Federation’s PJ Library ents took part in this increas- Orlando and look forward a mitzvah—is priceless.

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