Community to Commemorate Yom Hashoah Starting on May 4 at BU

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Community to Commemorate Yom Hashoah Starting on May 4 at BU April 29-May 5, 2016 Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton Volume XLV, Number 18 BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK Community to commemorate Yom Hashoah starting on May 4 at BU The Binghamton community will com- The first program will be held at 7 pm in against student photography taken after the student Jeannie Parnes Wechsler will share memorate Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remem- the Mandela Room at Binghamton Universi- destruction during trips to Europe. her story. Community members and Bing- brance Day, with a series of commemorative ty, where participants will reflect on Jewish Immediately afterward, at 7:30 pm, the hamton students will speak in order to honor events starting on Wednesday, May 4, held culture and the history of Jews in Europe annual Yom Hashoah ceremony will be- those who perished. by Hillel at Binghamton’s Third Generation before the Holocaust through a gallery of gin, also in the Mandela Room. Holocaust Following the ceremony, the annual 25- Holocaust Survivors Committee. passed down family pictures, juxtaposed survivor and grandparent of a Binghamton hour name reading vigil will commence. “Jewish Noir” editor Wishnia to speak on May 1 The Joint Temple Concord/Temple Israel that if you follow the right path, of noir in today’s culture. The (Rabbi Rachel Esserman’s review of the Adult Education Committee has announced everything will turn out well for collection features stories by a book can be read on http://thereportergroup. that its next brunch program will be held you in the end. In Judaism, you variety of award-winning Jewish org/Article.aspx?aID=4209.) on Sunday, May 1, at 10 am, at Temple can follow the right path and still literary and genre writers. Organizers of the event have asked those Concord. Author Kenneth Wishnia will get screwed – just ask Job. That’s The stories in the collection interested in attending to leave early to get speak about and read from his new book, noir,” explained Wishnia. explore the question of how Jew- to the program, as the Binghamton Bridge “Jewish Noir,” a collection of stories said Edited by Wishnia, “Jewish ish identity produces a particular Run will be occurring and traffic may be to be about “the underside of the Jewish Noir” (PM Press, October 2015) tendency toward the cynical voice diverted from some of the major roads. experience in America.” is an anthology of new stories by of noir. They range from noirish To make a reservation for the brunch, “To put it in rather simplified form, a some of the many crime writers literary to pulpier crime stories which costs $5, call Temple Concord at majority of the world’s Christians are taught examining the re-emergence Kenneth Wishnia and examine numerous issues. 723-7355. Day trip to the Brooklyn Museum and Botanic Garden to see exhibit of Israel photographs By Razi Lissy be at 7 am. The bus is scheduled to return a tour of the botanic garden. Lunch at the explores the complexity of Israel and The Jewish Federation and Jewish to the JCC by 8 pm. museum will be included, as well. the West Bank “as place and metaphor.” Family Service, together with the Jewish The cost to attend the day trip will be To make a reservation, call JCC’s main The exhibit features more than 600 pho- Community Center’s adult program depart- approximately $125. A minimum participa- office at 724-2417. tographs, taken by 12 photographers. The ment, are planning a day trip to the Brooklyn tion of 35 people will be required. Payment Anyone interested, but in need of assis- project was initiated by photographer Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Botanic is required in full by Tuesday, May 3, and tance due to physical limitations, must be Frédéric Brenner. Garden. The trip is planned for Thursday, is non-refundable. The cost covers the bus accompanied during the trip. Charlotte Cotton, project curator, wrote May 19. Bus departure from the JCC will fee, a guided tour of a museum exhibit and The museum exhibit, “This Place,” See “Museum” on page 5 Temple Beth-El recognizes rabbi’s 40 years of service Beginning last October and running scholars have pre- To recognize and former director of the National Jewish through next year, Temple Beth-El of sented lectures on Glass’ activities in Democratic Council, as well as an advi- Ithaca is marking the 40th anniversary topics of Jewish the general commu- sor to many in politics. Moline’s topic of its rabbi’s service to the community interest, and the nity and to welcome on Monday, May 16, at 7:30 pm, will be with a series of lectures and classes in his congregation hosted the community’s “Adventures in the First Amendment,” an honor. Rabbi Scott Glass arrived in Ithaca a scholar-in-resi- participation in the address about interfaith relations. His topic in August 1976 to serve a congregation dence weekend in celebration, Temple on Tuesday, May 17, at 7:30 pm, will be of approximately 100 families. In the March with rab- Beth-El will host “A Guide to Political Values – from the earliest years, he focused his attention on binic leader Rabbi two events with Mishnah!” and will be about the 2016 the religious school and the youth of the Bradley Shavit Art- Rabbi Jack Moline, presidential election. congregation. The “support and encourage- son, the dean of the the president of the This will be Moline’s second visit to Itha- ment of an active laity” are credited with Ziegler Rabbinical Interfaith Alliance ca. He came in May 2011 at the invitation helping the congregation grow to almost School at American Rabbi Jack Moline Rabbi Scott Glass in Washington, DC. of Temple Beth-El and First Congregational 300 families and expanding the activities Jewish University (Photo by Olan Mills) Moline is the rabbi Church, in dialogue with Reverend Greg of the congregation. in Los Angeles. The series will continue emeritus of Congre- Mobley, as part of the church’s Foote lec- To celebrate Glass’ 40th year, local through 2017. gation Agudas Achim in Northern Virginia, ture, “From Tolerance to Relationship.” Spotlight on Yom Hashoah How a Southern Baptist and a Portuguese Holocaust hero came together By Karen McDonough was a dive into history, politics and musical not on the right side of history,” Bruce told Vashem – the state of Israel’s official -Ho JNS.org exploration. JNS.org. Some of Bruce’s previous work locaust memorial and research institute – as On the surface, it seems unlikely that an Bruce, who was raised a Southern Bap- includes a Bill of Rights musical and a “Righteous Among the Nations,” the highest American composer – let alone a Southern tist, considered converting to Judaism after Bubonic Plague rock opera. Israeli honor given to non-Jews who stood Baptist from Alabama – would write a a cousin married a Jew, and he was further New York City’s Center for Jewish His- up to Nazi genocide. In fact, Sousa Mendes musical treatment about a largely unknown exposed to the culture and theology. Though tory is hosting a Sousa Mendes exhibition, saved far more people than Oskar Schindler, Holocaust hero. But for musical composer he didn’t, his strong interest in Judaism “Portugal, The Last Hope: Sousa Mendes’ the German factory owner who rescued Neely Bruce, creating an oratorio depicting remained. What pulled him to the project, Visas for Freedom,” through September 1,200 Jews by employing them in his fac- the life of Aristides de Sousa Mendes, a though, was the political backstory. “This 9. It’s likely that many who visit will learn tory, and whose story is depicted in Steven Portuguese diplomat who rescued thousands wasn’t just one man doing a good thing. He about this unsung Holocaust hero for the Spielberg’s movie “Schindler’s List.” of Jews from the Nazis during World War II, was defying his government, which was first time, despite his recognition by Yad See “Hero” on page 8 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Preschool Literacy Day Sisterhood events Saving the environment Special Sections The JCC will host its annual TC Sisterhood will hold a Victorian A look at some of the Israeli Legal Notices ................................... 4 communitywide Preschool tea party; Jan DeAngelo will innovations in water conservation, Gifts for Moms and Grads............. 6-7 Literacy Day on May 5. entertain the BD Sisterhood. recycling and renewable energy. Dine Out ....................................... 8-9 ........................................Page 3 ........................................Page 5 ........................................Page 9 Classifieds ..................................... 12 Page 2 - The Reporter April 29-May 5, 2016 Opinion Our kids aren’t the only ones who need training By Danya Ruttenberg a juicy story to tell you about a mutual acquaintance? them, because it helps regenerate them, even if they (Kveller via JTA) – When my son Yonatan was about There are rules about gossip. There are rules about wouldn’t necessarily choose to sleep if left to their own 2, we began instructing him in the fine art of acquiring a how to observe each of the holidays and when to pay devices. That’s kind of how I am with ritual practice a bagel. We helped him learn that you have to wait in line, your employees. You’re cooking and something funky lot of the time, honestly – whether prayer or Shabbat patiently, and not cut in front of other people. When it’s may have gotten into your soup? Oh, there are rules. or other things. It’s the rejuvenation I didn’t know I your turn, you have to ask for the kind of bagel you want So many rules. needed and often the thing without which I’d be a whiny, (sesame, toasted, with cream cheese, in our case), and say I think how Jewish law functions is, in some ways, cranky mess.
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