The Jewish Federation Launches New Initiative To
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NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE PAID The Jewish Federa on of NEWBURGH, NY Greater Orange County PERMIT #135 292 North Street Newburgh, NY 12550 FALL 2017 | ELUL TEVET THE JEWISH FEDERATION LAUNCHES NEW INITIATIVE TO COMBAT LOCAL ANTI-SEMITISM BY SUZANNE LEON he Jewish Federation is pleased to announce it has issues, promote discussion and understanding, and 2018, the Jewish Federation is planning a county-wide received a major gift of $50,000 to create a new transform school cultures. The activities will include, Day of Education, that will be open to all public, TFund to Combat Local Anti-Semitism in Orange but are not limited to, professional development trainings private and parochial school faculties and students. County. The Zachor Fund, named in remembrance of the for educators, school assemblies and the creation of This event will feature lectures and workshops on the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, has been a Stop Hate media campaign. Our goal is to create a Holocaust and related themes. The event will take place established in response to a disturbing and growing trend model program in Warwick that can be shared with other at Washingtonville High School from 4pm-8pm. The in Anti-Semitic incidences in Orange County since the school districts in the county. program is free. Reservations will be required for all fall 2016. Since then, there have been multiple incidents In addition, under the direction of the Jewish participants in advance. Please check our website for involving students across the county from harassment, Federation’s Community Relations Council, we are future updates. intimidation and bullying at schools, to distribution pleased to announce a special community lecture by For more information or to contribute to the Jewish of hate propaganda using school listserves and the Mark Potok who is a nationally recognized expert on Federation’s Zachor Fund, please contact Suzanne Leon, desecration of Jewish burial grounds. These trends hate groups and a former senior fellow at the Southern Executive Director at 845-562-7860 or Suzanne@ mirror increases nationwide and represent a real threat to Poverty Law Center. This program will take place on jewishorangeny.org. our civil liberties and Jewish communal life generally. Sunday, November 5th at 3:00pm at the Newburgh Free The Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County has Academy, North Campus. There is no admission charge, developed a multi-pronged strategy to combat Anti- though for security reasons, reservations are required at Semitism and is working closely with the Warwick jewishorangeny.org. This event is made possible with a School District to roll out a series of programs and grant from the Kaplan Family Foundation. initiatives in 2017/18 that will raise awareness of these Finally, on the evening of Yom Hashoah, April 11, CONGRESSMAN MALONEY TO SPEAK AT 2018 CAMPAIGN KICK-OFF BY LESLIE GREEN ederation’s 2018 campaign kickoff will be held at the parented three wonderful children who gifted them with six Susan and George Levy arrived in Newburgh in 1983, when Powelton Club in Newburgh New York. This yearly grandsons. Joe became the Monroe Temple President and a life George joined Finkelstein & Partners, Fevent celebrates our loyal donors and volunteers and member of the board. Joan served as the Temple treasurer for where he is now a senior trial partner. honors individuals who have made a diff erence in the Jewish 17 years and holds a position as a honorary life member of the They immediately became active in Community of Orange County. The event will take place board. The Birnbaums have been members of Federation since the Jewish community, always quick on Sunday, October 22nd from 3-5PM. A light meal will be its inception where Joe went on to become the President and is to volunteer in any capacity. George catered by Itai Azulay of Sova Kosher Caterers. now a Life Member of the Federation Board. The Birnbaums has been training volunteers for over We are excited to announce that Congressman Sean Patrick feel fortunate to have raised their family in a spiritually 25 years while Susan raises funds at Maloney will be our featured speaker. Representative inviting, and vital Jewish environment and feel blessed that Federation’s yearly Super Sunday Maloney has served as the U.S. their six grandsons were the benefi ciaries of their parent’s event. George served two terms as Representative for New York's 18th exposure to the warmth and vitality of the Jewish community President of Temple Beth Jacob and Congressional District since 2013. their grandparents helped create. continues to lend his musical talent to Born in Quebec, and raised in Abbe and Joe Distelburger reside in Goshen and are services. Susan also served as President of TBJ, was involved nearby Hanover, New Hampshire, Associate Brokers at Keller in the operation of their Judaica shop and Co-President of he earned his Bachelor of Arts and Williams Realty, where Joe is Noar Hadassah. George serves on the Board of the Greater Juris Doctor from the University a partner. He is also President Newburgh Symphony Orchestra and continues as the voiceover of Virginia. He entered politics of Distelburger Livestock talent for Jacoby & Meyers and Finklestein & Partners. Susan as a volunteer for Bill Clinton's Sales. Fleeing Nazi Germany and George have two children and three grandchildren. Their presidential campaigns, and later in 1938, Joe’s parents settled daughter Allyson, an independent radio promoter, is married served as his senior West Wing in Middletown, joined Temple to Joshua Greenstein who is VP of the Israeli Wine Producers adviser and White House Staff Secretary. After the Clinton Sinai and became an integral Association. Their son Ross is Director of Youth Engagement Administration, he served as the First Deputy Secretary to New part of the Jewish community. at Main Line Reform Temple in Philadelphia and is married to York Governors Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson. Abbe grew up in Baltimore and moved to Orange County when Cantor Amy Levy. The event will feature a performance by the Hudson Opera she married Joe. Both their parents instilled a strong sense of For more than 40 years, Federation has been meeting the Theatre String Quartet. Their selections will include music tradition and Jewish community involvement. They are proud needs of the community. With our donors’ partnership we will composed and originally performed during WWII in the Jewish that they have successfully transmitted that commitment and continue to ensure a vibrant future for our children and our concentration camp in Terezin, in occupied Czechoslovakia. passion for Judaism to their children, Eric, an attorney at Jones children’s children. In dozens of ways, your gift will work to Day in NYC and Betsy, a Physician’s Assistant at Mt. Sinai. strengthen Jewish life in Orange County, Israel, and over 70 Our honorees for this event Joe is a member of numerous committees at Temple Sinai, countries. Your donation can help a child build the foundation have worked diligently and having served 2 terms as president there. He has served as of a lifelong identity at Jewish summer camp. You can help us generously on behalf of our a volunteer for Federation in many capacities. Abbe joined to work to fi ght growing Anti-Semitism and intolerance. And Jewish community. the Board of Federation in 2002 and has served in many you can make sure our youth stay connected to their heritage Joan & Joe Birnbaum have capacities, including secretary, Vice President and President of and to Israel. lived in Monroe since 1954, the Board. Donors who commit to a $500 pledge for 2018 are invited to where Joe set up an optometry attend. Please RSVP to [email protected]. practice and together they THE NEW YEAR IS COMING! THE NEW YEAR IS COMING! BY RABBI PHILIP WEINTRAUB RABBI’S CORNER t may feel like summer, but for us, the time to REPENT is This is called t’shuvah, which while commonly translated as NOW! How often do we use that language? Why do we repentance, is really returning. When we correct our behavior, Ineed to repent? We are generally good people. We try hard. we are returning to our ideal selves. How will you return to We try to be nice to our families, our friends, and even those yourself this year? How will you reach a higher spiritual plane? FALL 2017 who are not so nice to us. Why are our rabbis and prayerbooks How will you fi nd love and healing? Open your mouth, change ELUL - TEVET giving us the guilt trip? your behavior and join us at shul. The holidays are coming; it’s Jewish Federation of On my phone I have too many alerts. I get buzzed for texts, time to repent, repent and sin no more! (Or at least try to cut Greater Orange County emails, calls, news, etc., etc. They interrupt my day and cause back!) See you soon, I hope! 292 North St. me to momentarily change course. They sometimes distract me Newburgh, N.Y. 12550 from the people in front of me. For this, I need to repent! First ABOUT RABBI WEINTRAUB 845-562-7860 I need to repent to the people in front of me. I have to apologize While originally a New Yorker, with parents from www.JewishOrangeNY.org for thinking that the person on the phone is more important than Brooklyn and Queens, Rabbi Weintraub grew PRESIDENT: Carla Wise the person with me. Second I must apologize to God. What up in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA. Being asked EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: does God have to do with my answering my phone while in regularly to explain Jewish ideas and prac ces, he was inspired to become a rabbi.