“Project Ezra” Food Drive Brings Pesach to Elderly and Homebound
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WESTCHESTER March 2015 — Adar-Nisan 5775, Volume 21, Issue 3 JewishWESTCHESTER COUNTY’S ONLY MONTHLY JEWISHLife NEWSPAPER HaZamir, The International “Project Ezra” Food Drive Brings Jewish High School Choir Pesach to Elderly and Homebound Performs at Lincoln Center BY STEPHEN E. LIPKEN establish fantastic relationships HaZamir, The Interna- and New York City. with elderly residents in these tional Jewish High School The Jerusalem teens will Westchester Jewish Center areas. The kids that go are able to Choir makes its debut at Avery visit the Solomon Schech- (WJC) in Mamaroneck, inaugu- learn about their stories in this Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center ter School of Westchester on rated its Project Ezra (Hebrew, important mitzvah of collecting on Sunday, March 22, 2015 at Thursday morning March “help”) Food Drive on Sunday, and delivering food. What is nice 4pm. The gala concert features 19th. Later they will visit the March 1, collecting Kosher for about this is that our nursery three hundred and fifty sing- Solomon Schechter School of Passover food for homebound school kids sort all of the food elderly residents on Manhat- we collect, under Sharon Silver’s tan’s Lower East Side. The Food guidance.” Drive will end on Sunday, March “This is part of our Social 22, when Religious School stu- Action Committee,” WJC Direc- dents pack the food into cartons tor of Communications Pat Tinto and have WJC members deliver added. “They provide a warm, to Congregation Sons of Israel, personal contact with those who Briarcliff, along with donations may have little contact with the from other synagogues, to be outside world.” taken by a Project Ezra truck to Organized in 1972 on Man- Manhattan. hattan’s Lower East Side, Project WJC volunteers, coordi- Rosie Aronin, WJC Administrative Assistant (left) and Lizz Goldstein, WJC Ezra is an independent, non- nated by Ruth Obernbreit Glass, Youth Director, donate food to synagogue’s “Project Ezra” Pesach food drive profit grass-roots organization, also traveled to the B’nai B’rith Passover food to deliver to clients have had this fantastic relation- providing a variety of services to Building at 2050 Bartow Avenue known by the agency. ship with Project Ezra,” WJC a largely homebound population, near Coop City in the Bronx, “For a number of years un- Assistant Rabbi Loren Monosov offering social work services as ers from cities across America Manhattan and the Yeshiva of where the Bronx Jewish Com- der leadership of many of our lay stated. well as support, counseling, cri- and Israel. Now celebrating its Flatbush, as well as historical munity Council provided them leaders, including Sharon Silver “Every year we have a group sis intervention and referrals to 22nd anniversary, HaZamir is and cultural sites in New York with names, maps and bags of and Ruth Obernbreit Glass we of people that deliver food and appropriate agencies. a project of the Zamir Choral City. Foundation, the only interna- During the concert, Mae- tional organization dedicated stro Matthew Lazar, the found- Many Faiths Mourn French Terror Victims with One Heart to using Jewish choral music as er and director of the Zamir a vehicle to foster Jewish iden- Choral Foundation, shares the ella Swartz, Jewish, gave bio- BY STEPHEN E. LIPKEN tity, community and continu- stage with conductors from graphical profiles of four of the ity. A remarkable achievement HaZamir’s twenty-six chap- victims, “Je Suis” (I am). Over 200 citizens of many in both music and education, ters. The concert includes “Can the tradition of faiths and denominations HaZamir draws together a net- music from three continents mourning help us with those stood shoulder to shoulder at work of twenty-one American (US, Europe and Asia) span- gunned down in such a violent an Interfaith Memorial Service chapters and five Israeli chap- ning three centuries and three way,” Cantor Benjie Schiller held at the French American ters. Each chapter trains its languages, English, Hebrew of Bet Am Shalom Synagogue School of New York {FASNY} singers throughout the year and Yiddish. The program dis- asked, before reciting the El in Larchmont, sponsored by in a sophisticated repertoire plays the high caliber and vari- Mole Rachamin. “‘Shloshim,’ the American Jewish Commit- of classical and contemporary ety of Jewish music available in 30 days after a death, dating from tee Westchester/Fairfield and Jewish choral music. the 21st century and also dem- 30 days after Moses’ death on the many Faith-based organiza- On Monday, March 16th, onstrates the commitment plain of Moab, concludes the ini- tions on Sunday, February Left to right: American Jewish Committee Westchester/Fairfield Executive 37 teens from 2 HaZamir chap- and discipline of the singers, tial process, allowing mourners 8, honoring the memory of Director Scott Richman; Reverend Stephen C. Holton, Chair, Episcopal-Muslim ters in Israel arrive in New who master a demanding rep- to get themselves up and move the 17 victims of terrorism— Relations Committee; Clifford Wolf, Co-Chair Interreligious and Intergroup York - 24 are from HaZamir ertoire and learn about their forward in their lives.” Jews, Christians and Muslims Relations, AJC Westchester/Fairfield; Father Brian McWeeney, Director, Ecu- Kfar Saba and 13 are from heritage in the process. The Noam Ohana, President among them, brutally mur- menical and Interreligious Affairs, Catholic Archdiocese of New York. HaZamir Jerusalem. The Jeru- concert boasts a dazzling array of “Tzarfat,” an organization of dered in Paris, France. salem chapter will be staying of vocal arrangements – from French Jews pointed out that, traditions. “Voltaire was jailed 50 the terrorists. But people in the FASNY students Sarra in host homes in Westchester. soaring, large-scale works concerning the death of the po- years before the Declaration of Kosher Supermarket buying Eddahiri, Muslim; Adrian They will do a few days of am- sung by the entire choir, to litical cartoonists, irreverence Independence. He offended the challah offended no one.” Lafuente, Catholic; Alienor bassadorship in Westchester ...continued on page 3 Motte, Secularist and Gabri- and satire have long been French Church. Journalists offended ...continued on page 4 Covering all of Westchester for 20 Years! Visit www.westchesterjewishlife.com 2 • March 2015 — Adar-Nisan 5775 • Westchester Jewish Life www.westchesterjewishlife.com Lauren Keats of Scarsdale Elected to International Board at BBYO Convention The BBYO International philanthropists attended Many area teens Synagogue Temples Trem- fraternity) and the B’nai Convention (IC) 2015 is an to converse with each oth- attended the conven- ont and Emanu-El; Emma B’rith Girls (BBG, high school annual event that began 90 er, and with teens, about tion along with sister Weiner, Allyson Werner, sorority) have been providing years ago as a way for BBYO how to engage this age and brother, Lauren and Ross Glinkenhouse and exceptional leadership pro- members to connect once a group in Jewish life now Spencer Keats from West- Mara Young from Woodlands grams and identity enrich- year, but has now grown to and in the future. chester Reform Temple Community Temple, Green- ment experiences, shaping be a setting for individuals The convention in Scarsdale. Lauren was burgh; Gracie Aaronson from the confidence and character across the Jewish commu- was also host to the Co- elected to the next Inter- Temple Beth Am, Yorktown of more than 400,000 alum- nity to learn, lead and work alition of Jewish Teens national Board along with Heights; Sam Barnett and ni who are among the most together toward ensuring a (CJT). Teen leadership 9 others from all over the Hannah Bergman from Tem- prominent figures in busi- strong Jewish future, spear- from the five major youth U. S. ple Shaaray Tefila, Bedford ness, politics, academia, the headed by the next genera- movements (BBYO, NCSY, Additional West- Corners; and Seth Marion arts and Jewish communal tion. This year, from Febru- NFTY, USY and Young Ju- chester County teens from Larchmont Temple. life. Now, BBYO’s network of ary 12 – 16, more than 2,200 daea) met for 24 hours attending the Conven- The International Board Jewish teens, alumni, par- Jewish teens (a 24% increase concurrently to the Sum- tion included; Timothy helps chart the organization’s ents, volunteers and philan- from 2014) and 1,100 Jewish mit on Jewish Teens to Chizzik from Temple vision for the coming year, thropists serves as the Jewish adults – including some of the strategically plan ways Israel of Northern West- and provides leadership and community’s most valuable community’s top educators, Jewish teens everywhere chester, Croton-on- support to teen leaders in lo- platform for delivering to the professionals and philan- can work across organi- Hudson; Justin Thaler cal communities throughout post Bar/Bat Mitzvah audi- thropists – from 20 countries zational borders to build from Temple Beth El of the BBYO system. They work ence fun, meaningful and af- joined in Atlanta for this un- a stronger, united Jewish Northern Westchester, to strengthen regions and fordable experiences. precedented moment. community. They drafted Chappaqua; Leah Mo- chapters by enhancing the Ju- This past year, the BBYO For the first time ever, a mission statement for nack, Tess Nienaltow, daic, social, educational and Westchester Region has char- tered an AZA and BBG chapter The Jim Joseph Foundation, their work moving for- Lauren Keats Jonathan Holtz, Hope community service program- The Marcus Foundation, The ward: “We, the Coalition and Sarah Barkley and Leah ming throughout the network. in partnership with Westches- Schusterman Family Founda- of Jewish Teens, stand united Monack from Temple Beth BBYO is the leading ter Reform Temple, 255 Mama- tion and The Paul E. Singer to shape the Jewish future we all come together,” said Abraham, Tarrytown; Beth pluralistic Jewish teen move- roneck Road in Scarsdale.