October 4-10, 2019 Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton Volume XLVIII, Number 40 BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK Memorial service at Holocaust Memorial Monument on Oct. 6 By Arieh Ullmann was a social and philanthropic group formed place to say Kaddish. More than 250 names Area rabbis will lead a memorial service in 1948 by 13 German speaking Jewish were inscribed and placed in a copper box on Sunday, October 6, at 10:30 am, at the women – mainly rural women and wives that was buried at the foot of the monument. Holocaust Memorial Monument in the of cattle dealers – who had resettled in the It listed the names of individuals who had Temple Israel Cemetery on Conklin Avenue Southern Tier after fleeing Nazism. perished without a marked grave. They in Conklin. The placement of a memorial stone was were remembered by prayers recited at the The memorial stone – which was orig- considered to be the “most ambitious” proj- unveiling of the monument by the rabbis, inally dedicated on Sunday, November 9, ect of the Get Together Club. The project followed by one of the survivors reading 1952 – is one of the earliest acknowledg- came about in response to a comment of the names written on the scrolls. ments in the United States of the Holocaust. a member’s husband who bemoaned the Arieh Ullmann is a former past presi- It is also one of the few memorial stones of fact that his parents, who perished in the dent of the Jewish Federation of Greater its kind in the United States to contain the Holocaust, had no grave and thus he had no Binghamton. names of loved ones lost to Nazism. The service will continue a tradition of holding a ceremony at the memorial on Sima Auerbach honored the Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. After the memorial’s original dedication, the tradition lasted for about 20 years; it then resumed several years at Federation brunch ago, following a long hiatus. It was the spontaneous reaction to Professor Rhonda The Holocaust Memorial Monument in the Levine’s talk about the Get Together Club Temple Israel Cemetery on Conklin Avenue at the Federation’s Super Sunday. The club in Conklin. Salute to Jewish Womanhood on Oct. 6 Very last-minute reservations are still that?!” The event will include a fall lunch being accepted for the Chabad Women’s buffet and desserts. League’s Salute to Jewish Womanhood The couvert is $18. Sponsorships, which to be held on Sunday, October 6, at 12:30 include entrance for one, are Friend $54, pm. The luncheon will feature Lieutenant Sustainer $72 and Benefactor $100. Res- Commander Laurie Lans, who will address ervations are necessary and can be made “Live from Sadam Hussein’s Palace: What’s by calling Chabad at 797-0015 or online a nice Jewish girl doing in a place like at www.Jewishbu/womanhood. Spotlight More than 150 community and Auerbach family members attended a brunch honoring former Jewish Federation Executive Director Sima Auerbach on September 22.(See page Meet the new JFS 3 for more photos of the event.) director Rose Shea is the new direc- Q: Tell us about your connec- Happy High Holidays tor of Jewish Family Service. tion to Broome County? The Reporter did an e-mail A: I was born and raised in interview with her about her Binghamton, and have lived in experience and connections to Johnson City for my married the community. life for the past 30 years with Question: What is your past my husband, Kevin, and two experience in this field? sons. I have strong family and Answer: I have years of ex- community ties to the Southern perience as an M.S.W. working Tier, and partake in the array of in the hospital, hospice and community events offered. community in direct practice. Q: What do you do for fun Q.: What made you want to when you are not working? take the JFS job? Rose Shea A: I have a passion for learning A: I am excited to be learning and growing. I enjoy the range of about a culture and tradition that is new music, art and cultural programs offered in to me. I plan to use my skill set, expertise the area, and enjoy taking classes and sem- and passion to meet the needs of those inars of interest. Volunteering is important who are vulnerable, struggling and in to me: I serve within my own church in an need of compassion. array of roles, assist my elderly neighbor, Q: What do you hope to accomplish? serve on an agency’s Board of Directors A: I hope to provide an attentive ear along and mentor at-risk youth. As a Syracuse with support and assistance to community University alumna, I attend basketball and Children in the Jewish Community Center’s Early Childhood Center learned about members in need. I also want to maintain football games with friends, and support Rosh Hashanah. ECC Judaic Coordinator Wendy Green (not pictured) guided the previous directors’ legacies and establish the educational needs of students pursuing children in an “apple” making craft.(See more photos on page 9.) new programs and community events. an M.S.W. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Lighting the way Holidays News in brief... Special Sections A new solar plant is a step toward Area congregations announce EU lawmakers urged to break ties Legal Notices ................................... 4 Israel’s goal of a future powered their Yom Kippur and erev Sukkot to BDS groups; cousins separated Health Care Greetings .............. 5, 7-9 by renewable energy. services; recipes. in WWII reunited; and more. Dineout ............................................ 6 ........................................Page 6 ............................ Pages 8 and 10 ...................................... Page 12 Classifieds ..................................... 12 Page 2 - The Reporter October 4-10, 2019 Off the Shelf Viewing the Torah through rabbinic eyes RABBI RACHEL ESSERMAN One of the fascinating things about Torah study is that his own experiences as a rabbi – both as a pulpit rabbi for true. This flexibility of interpretation has served Judaism there is always something new to learn. Sometimes these Conservative synagogues in the U.S. and his work for the well, enabling us to liberate the text from the strictures ideas can be found by mining the writings of the sages Masorti movement in Israel. He also served as dean of of literalism and broaden the scope of our beliefs to keep (the ancient rabbis) and other times through reading the the Israel programs at the Jewish Theological Seminary them in accord with the times.” thoughts of contemporary spiritual leaders. Both of these in Jerusalem, and was a founding director of the Institute In his discussion of Shemini (from Leviticus), Hammer can be found in Rabbi Reuven Hammer’s “A Year with of Jewish Studies (now known as the Schechter Institute). speaks about the “alien fire” offered by Aaron’s sons at the the Sages: Wisdom on the Weekly Torah Portion” (The Hammer’s approach can clearly be seen in the first Torah tabernacle. After the offering, a fire from God appeared – Jewish Publication Society). In his introduction, Ham- portion, Bereshit (Genesis). The passage chosen focuses on one that killed Aaron’s sons. The exposition from the sages mer, who died earlier this year, noted that he welcomed Adam and Eve’s eating of the forbidden fruit. The rabbinic shows how the ancient rabbis differed on what occurred. the invitation to write this work because it gave him “yet passage quoted comes from Avot de-Rabbi Natan, which Some said the two young men had not committed a grave another opportunity to delve into the writing of the Sages, speaks to a barrier created by Adam – one that led Eve to sin and that God was troubled by the fact they had to be to probe ways in which they chose to interpret Torah, and sin. Hammer notes what he feels is the sages’ conclusion punished. Others felt their sins were so great they deserved to demonstrate how their thinking is still relevant to our about Adam’s speech: “We must be careful about adding to die. Hammer notes that the sins suggested tell more contemporary life as Jews.” He considers not only the too many prohibitions, because if there are too many, in about the rabbis’ time period than that of Aaron’s sons. weekly Torah portions, but those read on Jewish holidays. the end none will be observed. Piling restrictions may lead He sees their comments as aimed at their own students, Each chapter is divided into four sections. Hammer to contempt for what is truly important.” This leads to a with the rabbis using the text as a teaching moment. In opens with the Torah verses he wants to discuss. These personal reflection about a problem that occurred when his personal reflections, Hammer ties this to the problem are followed by a simple explanation of the Torah text. he was the head of the Rabbinical Court of the Rabbini- of agunot, women who cannot obtain a divorce because Hammer continues by offering writings from different cal Assembly of Israel. Hammer writes of the difficulties Orthodox practice says that only a man may legally offer a sages that contain intricate, and sometimes contradictory, Israelis face when they adopt non-Jewish children from divorce. He writes about the changes that have been made ways of viewing the portion. In conclusion, Hammer other countries. The Chief Rabbinate told the parents that to the Conservative ketubah (the wedding document that is offers a “personal reflection” that allows him to speak of it would not convert their children unless they promised to signed before a marriage) that prevents this from happening.