Jewish Federation of NEPA Non-profit Organization 601 Jefferson Ave. U.S. POSTAGE PAID The Scranton, PA 18510 Permit # 184 Watertown, NY Change Service Requested Published by the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania VOLUME XI, NUMBER 1 JANUARY 11, 2018 FEMA extends assistance to houses of worship BY RON KAMPEAS working for more than 15 years to have sented formidable challenges, precluding ship to receive FEMA assistance, like the WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Federal this policy changed,” Nathan Diament, such relief,” it said in a statement. one it replaced excluding such assistance, Emergency Management Agency will now the O.U.’s Washington director, said in The U.S. House of Representatives is a matter of executive branch policy and extend assistance to houses of worship, a statement. “We thank the Trump ad- in December approved a bill that allows not a congressional mandate. A future reversing years of policy that excluded ministration for righting this longtime federal disaster relief funds to go to houses president could reverse the allowance, such aid. wrong and treating disaster-damaged of worship. The Senate is considering which is why Orthodox groups will still “Private nonprofit houses of worship churches, synagogues and other houses parallel legislation. continue to lobby for the bills in Congress, will not be singled out for disfavored of worship fairly – on the same terms Under rules in place until the end of Diament told JTA. treatment within the ‘community centers’ as other nonprofits such as museums, 2017, relief funds from FEMA could not A bipartisan group of lawmakers has subcategory of … nonprofit applicants,” community centers and libraries stricken go to churches, synagogues and other long pushed for the change. In Septem- FEMA said in guidance for 2018 issued by natural disasters.” houses of worship due to concerns about ber, amid a string of hurricanes ravaging on January 2. Agudath Israel of America said the separation of church and state. Other in- the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean, Pres- Orthodox Jewish groups, which have change is consistent with White House stitutions, like community centers or zoos, ident Donald Trump tweeted his support been lobbying for legislation that would backing for legislation advancing through received the funds. The money reimburses for churches receiving FEMA funds. codify the inclusion of houses of worship Congress. “Unfortunately, unnecessary the institutions for aid they provide to “Churches in Texas should be entitled for assistance, welcomed the change. and unfair limitations placed specifically victims of natural disasters. to reimbursement from FEMA Relief “We at the Orthodox Union have been on houses of worship by FEMA have pre- The new rule allowing houses of wor- Funds for helping victims of Hurricane Harvey (just like others),” Trump said on Twitter. Advancing the bill in the House were Jewish groups find small victories in a Reps. Peter King and Grace Meng, re- spectively a Republican and Democrat, both from New York, and Chris Smith tax bill they otherwise hate (R-NJ). The regions they represent were hard hit by Tropical Storm Sandy in 2012. BY RON KAMPEAS percent, which Republicans say will spur cant economic inequality,” the Reform Leading the Senate’s legislation are Sens. WASHINGTON (JTA) – Most Jewish business. It purports to simplify tax filing statement said. Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill, respec- groups decried a massive tax reform by replacing deductions with tax cuts. B’nai B’rith International, which runs tively a Republican and Democrat from package for what they said were cuts in One nonpartisan analysis predicts it will a network of homes for the elderly, de- Missouri, James Lankford (R-OK) and taxes that would savage entitlements, increase deficits by $1.4 trillion over the cried the risks it said the tax bill posed to Ted Cruz (R-TX). although some groups celebrated discrete next decade. Medicaid as well as to Medicare, which victories in portions of the massive bill. The Reform movement, in a statement subsidizes health care for Americans 65 The Republican-led Senate and U.S. before the Senate vote on December 19, and older. “B’nai B’rith International is 2018 UJA House of Representatives passed the bill said the law “will impose a massive ad- deeply disappointed that Congress has mpaign Upda recently, and President Donald Trump, dition to the debt and threaten effective passed a tax reform plan that does not con- Ca te who hungered for a legislative victory in anti-poverty programs, including Med- sider the negative long-term consequences Pay it forward & give to his first year in office, signed the bill on icaid and SNAP.” Medicaid subsidizes to Medicare and Medicaid – the social the 2018 Jewish Federation December 22. health care for the poor, while SNAP, safety net programs that are a hallmark of Northeastern Pennsylvania The bill, which goes into effect for formerly known as food stamps, provides of this nation’s commitment to those in Annual Campaign! 2018 tax filings, institutes some moderate nutritional assistance to the poor. “It makes need,” it said. Goal: cuts for individual filers and slashes the the tax code more regressive and less fair, The National Council of Jewish Women $910,000 corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 deepening our country’s already-signifi- See “Tax” on page 7 For information or to make a donation call 570-961-2300 ext. 1 or The year 2017 was a good one for Europe’s send your gift to: Jewish Federation of Northeastern $792,324 Pennsylvania as of Jan. 5, 2018 extremists 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510 The first upset came in March, when (Please MEMO your ANALYSIS the Dutch anti-Islam Party for Freedom pledge or gift 2018 UJA Campaign) BY CNAAN LIPHSHIZ for the first time since its creation in 2006 became the country’s second largest, with PARIS (JTA) – On the surface, at least, 13 percent of the vote. Those elections also Europe has not changed much over the past allowed the Denk party to enter parliament 12 months. In fact, when it comes to Eu- for the first time in the history of that ropean politics, this year may appear mild far-left movement, which was founded in comparison to 2016, which saw several by Muslim immigrants on a platform of dramatic and shocking developments, resistance to integration and which Dutch such as Brexit, a refugee resettlement Jews accuse of antisemitism. crisis and the terrorist attack in Nice on An AfD poster in Berlin on September 26. In December, the Austrian Freedom Bastille Day, France’s national holiday. (Photo by Steffi Loos/AFP/Getty Images) Party, founded by a former SS officer Federation Across much of the continent in 2017, in the 1950s, for the second time in its however, populists were blocked from Justin Trudeau, over his conservative history joined the coalition government reaching power by centrist parties. To predecessor in 2015. after garnering 26 percent of the vote in on Facebook the relief of the continent’s estimated But a closer examination suggests that elections two months earlier. The Jewish Federation of Northeast- three million Jews and other minorities 2017 nonetheless has been a watershed In September, the populist Alternative ern Pennsylvania now has a page on with bitter memories of extremism, the year for the continent’s far-right and far- for Germany entered parliament for the Facebook to let community members European Union certainly saw no upsets left movements. They have had unprece- first time with its best electoral result ever: know about upcoming events and keep of the scale of President Donald Trump’s dented successes in a series of elections 12.6 percent of the vote in the federal connected. succession of Barack Obama, or that of thanks to discontent, economic anxiety, election. And in Bulgaria, the far-right the liberal prime minister of Canada, nationalistic sentiment and xenophobia. See “Extremists” on page 9 Candle lighting January 5 .................................... 4:29 pm INSIDE THIS ISSUE January 12 .................................. 4:37 pm Unfinished business Jewish food scene News in brief... January 19 .................................. 4:45 pm The documentary “Remember Chicago’s new kosher deli is next Reflections on the myriad myths PLUS Baghdad” posits Jews have to Wrigley Field; a look at the rising and facts surrounding the Israeli Opinion .......................................................2 “unfinished business” in Iraq. popularity of Israeli cuisine. victory during the Six-Day War. Jewish Community Center News ........6 Story on page 5 Stories on pages 12-13 Story on page 15 D’var Torah ...............................................8 2 THE REPORTER ■ JANUARY 11, 2018 A MATTER OF OPINION The enduring struggle over Jerusalem, city of peace BY DAVID FALLK Testament. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. annexed the West Bank and eastern Je- However, for peace to come, the For at least two millennia the world Major Jewish rituals, including the Pass- rusalem and ethnically cleansed all Jews Palestinians must decide that they have has engaged in an enduring struggle to over seder and the Yom Kippur service, from its midst. The Jewish Quarter of more to gain by recognizing Israel as a separate Israel from Jews and its Jewish- end with the affirmation, “Next year in eastern Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jewish state and its chosen capital than ness, and Jerusalem from Israel. Whether Jerusalem.” In the Quran, Jerusalem is Mount of Olives Cemetery desecrated. by perpetuating the conflict until Israel it was the forced Diaspora by the Roman not mentioned even once. Muslims pray The original 1964 PLO charter has been annihilated. But that has prov- Empire and its renaming Judea as Pal- facing Mecca. claimed neither the West Bank nor Gaza en problematic. The annual Palestinian estine, centuries of foreign invaders, or Despite many efforts over centuries or mentioned Jerusalem, but was aimed Authority budget commits almost $350 the three wars of attempted extinction by by colonial powers and Arab pressure to at destroying the entire Jewish state.