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Jews in Sports Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Pittsfield, MA Berkshire Permit No. 19 JEWISHA publication of the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, serving V the Berkshires and surrounding ICE NY, CT and VT Vol. 28, No. 8 Tishri/Cheshvan/Kislev 5781 October 12 to November 22, 2020 jewishberkshires.org Middle East Update 2020 Zooming Into Fall “Is there light at the end of the Middle East tunnel?” Federation connected families from across the with Dennis Ross and David Makovsky Berkshires online over the holidays On Wednesday, November 18 at About Our Speakers 7:30 p.m., the Jewish Federation of David Makovsky is the Ziegler the Berkshires welcomes two distin- Distinguished Fellow and Director of guished guests to our Middle East the Project on the Middle East Peace Update 2020, Dennis Ross and Process at The Washington Institute for David Makovsky, both fellows at The Near East Policy. He is also an adjunct Washington Institute for Near East professor in Middle East studies at Policy. Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. In light of the recent ground- Nitze School of Advanced International breaking treaties brokered by the Studies. Trump administration between Israel Author of numerous Washington and Persian Gulf states the United Institute publications on issues related Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well to the Middle East peace process as with the European Muslim nation and the Arab-Israeli conflict, he also of Kosovo, Ross and Makovsky’s topic co-authored the 2009 Washington Post will be, “Is there light at the end of the bestseller Myths, Illusions, and Peace: Middle East tunnel?” Finding a New Direction for America At press time, all Jewish Federation in the Middle East with Ambassador of the Berkshires programs were Dennis Ross. His 2011 maps on scheduled to be presented via Zoom alternative territorial solutions to or other platforms – please check your the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were emails from Federation to find the reprinted by The New York Times in the necessary links, or visit our calendar of paper’s first interactive treatment of an Families celebrated Rosh Hashanah together during an interactive Zoom program events online at jewishberkshires.org. op-ed. on September 3 with educator Rabbi Jarah Greenfield (top row center) – enjoying Makovsky is a lifetime member a craft activity, reading a story, dipping apples in honey, and making some noise of the Council on Foreign Relations (with the shofar). Participants explored the birthday of the world and celebrated and the London-based International the contribution that each and every creature from the mightiest elephant to the Institute for Strategic Studies. His smallest child can make. For more, please see pages 8 and 9. Inside commentaries on the peace process and the Arab-Israeli conflict have been Preserve Our Freedoms – Vote! .............2 widely published, and he appears Federation’s General Assembly Living As Good Neighbors ........................3 frequently in the media to comment on Arab-Israeli affairs. He also has testi- Your Federation Presents ......................4-9 fied before Congressional committees 2020 – Online Israel to be a “Cyber Superpower”? ......10 and subcommittees on foreign rela- Ensuring a strong, flourishing Jewish community. tions and foreign affairs. Gaucho Marx? ...........................................12 Today. Tomorrow. And for generations to come. What's for Lunch? ....................................15 MIDDLE EAST UPDATE, continued on page 5 From October 25 through Plenary two, JewishTogether, will October 27, the Jewish Federations take place on October 26 at 1:30 p.m. of North America (JFNA) will hold its It will showcase the depth and breadth 2020 General Assembly online. of Jewish communal life and share This GA is underwritten by JFNA stories of how Federation responded, “The Shtetl Kitchen,” with and its sponsors to make it available at reimagined and shined together. For no cost to participants. this event, JFNA hopes to have as co-owners of The Gefilteria At this pivotal time for our commu- much of our broad Jewish communal nity and communities everywhere, base in attendance as possible, along On Monday, October 19 at GA 2020 will bring our entire Jewish with Federation stakeholders. 6:45 p.m., join Jeffrey Yoskowitz and world together – from across back- In addition to these two special Liz Alpern, co-authors of The Gefilte grounds, political viewpoints and plenaries, the GA will feature three Manifesto: New Recipes for Old World even continents – to blocks of programming: Jewish Foods and co-owners of The enlighten, engage and Workshops: On Gefilteria, a food venture that has inspire. Together with October 25 and 26, been reimagining Old World Jewish Federations from across there will be workshops Foods since 2012. Expect an evening North America, we’ll designed to explore of dynamic discussion on Eastern celebrate accomplish- questions and challenges European Jewish foodways, past and ments over these past currently facing Jewish present, in a talk called “The Shtetl tough months, examine life and the Jewish Kitchen.” This program is rescheduled our current challenges, and work to people. from August 6. ensure a strong, flourishing Jewish FedLab: Jump into the 2020 This program will be presented via community. Today. Tomorrow. And for phase of the FedLab experience on Zoom. Please visit jewishberkshires.org generations to come. October 27 and explore solutions to for registration links. This year’s GA is composed of two the challenges now facing our Jewish From their website, gefilteria. main plenaries, the first targeted to world. By invitation only. com: “The Gefilteria is a new kind of Federation lay and professional teams Cohort Convenings: Federation food venture launched in 2012 with and the second for all members of the affinity groups, including National the mission of reimagining eastern Jewish community: Women’s Philanthropy and National European Jewish cuisine, adapting Plenary one, FederationTogether, Young Leadership, will be holding classic dishes to the values and tastes Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern will take place on Sunday, October 25 special gatherings during the virtual of a new generation. We’re the people at 7 p.m. It will tell the story of how GA. with the chutzpah to believe that Old events. Along the way, we’re looking to Federations worked together to Full lineups and registration details World Jewish foods can be beautiful, inspire others to reimagine and redis- address the unprecedented challenges were not available at press time. Please inspiring and delicious. We produce cover this incredible cuisine in their brought on by the COVID pandemic. visit www.generalassembly.org for limited runs of our signature artis- home kitchens.” This plenary will feature a video that details. anal gefilte fish in the spring and the They’ll share insights about takes a look back and comments on The Jewish Federation of the fall. While don’t have a storefront, seasonal Jewish eating, holiday Federations most powerful moments. Berkshires will provide additional we’re regularly cooking a wide range cooking, and culinary wisdom, which JFNA hopes to have every member of information as it becomes available of Jewish foods from the Ashkenazi – together will transform everything the Federation lay and professional through email and Facebook, along central and eastern European Jewish SHTETL KITCHEN, team in attendance. with links. You can reach us by phone – culinary tradition, for unique dining continued on page 5 at (413) 442-4360, ext. 12. Page 2 Berkshire Jewish Voice • jewishberkshires.org October 12 to November 22, 2020 In My View Doing What is Necessary to Preserve Our Freedoms Taking her immigrant grandmother’s wisdom to heart in turbulent times By Dara Kaufman During my sophomore year in college at I asked my grandmother to share her wisdom. Her UMASS Amherst, I took a women’s studies class. My major and my interests at the time were busi- one-sentence response was surprisingly simple and ness, law, and finance, and I have to admit that I only took the class to fulfill one of my last elec- direct. “Don’t ever take for granted the freedoms you tive requirements. Having grown up in a liberal have in this country and always make sure you vote.” Jewish family with a full-time working mother who owned and ran two businesses together with my father, my two sisters and I were raised to be independent women who were fully capable “looking over their shoulders,” she intuitively knew how precious that was. A few of going out into the world to make a life for years later, Vera and her family moved to the United States where she later met ourselves. my grandfather Sam and settled in New Haven to raise their family. Yet when I took this course in 1987, I As we approached the end of our interview, I asked my grandmother to share remember being a little surprised at how many her wisdom. Her one-sentence response was surprisingly simple and direct. of the freedoms of gender equality and women’s “Don’t ever take for granted the freedoms you have in this country and always rights were really fairly recent developments in our make sure you vote.” evolving society. I recall very robust discussions I have tried to heed her advice over the years, on the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Roe vs. although there was a period of time when living in Israel Wade, access to birth control, and equal pay for that I did not always vote in the US election. I always felt equal work. It was an eye-opening class that put a a little guilty about that. new perspective on many things that, as a young I wish that I had spent more time with my grand- woman, I had taken for granted. mother and asked her more questions.
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