Kol K .I. February 2021 learn. inspire. grow. together. Shevat / Adar 5781 16 Colt Road l Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201 l 413.445.4872 l knessetisrael.org • Rabbi David Weiner l Richard Simons, President A Special Gift Lives dedicated to learning and giving —by Ed Udel Knesset Israel has received a generous is Levine (a life-long member of gift arranged by Jeanne Hirshberg and Knesset Israel). All of the sisters were Mark Alimansky, niece and nephew of encouraged to continue their edu- Rita and Sol Toscher who were long- cations beyond high school and in time residents of Pittsfield and members the mid-1930’s, Rita enrolled at the of Knesset Isreal. Rita (Levine) Toscher University of Alabama. She chose (1915-1997) and her husband Sol Toscher the school for its climate which was (1917-2004) established the Rita and Sol more favorable to her health, as she Toscher Memorial Fund many years ago. had polio. There, through participa- Now the balance of that fund (approxi- tion in Hillel, she met Sol Toscher of mately $48,000.00) will be gifted to our Denver, Colorado. Sol said it was the congregation. only place he could live on $5 a week during the Depression. In his letter of acknowledgement to Sol and Rita Toscher Jeanne and Mark, K.I. President Richard After the two married, they lived in Simons stated that over the years the Pittsfield until their retirement. Rita that grants from this fund be distribut- Toscher Fund has enabled the congrega- became a career-long librarian at the ed annually to Pittsfield organizations tion to provide “…a meaningful educa- Berkshire Athenaeum principally serving they had supported and which had sup- tion to the children of K.I.” The balance in area hospitals and extended care facil- ported them, such as Knesset Israel, The will now be placed in our endowment ities, while Sol worked at General Electric Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, the portfolio and established as the Rita and as a manufacturing specialist. Though local YMCA, and the Berkshire Museum, Sol Toscher Endowment Fund. He also childless, they loved children, especially as well as four research universities in Is- stated that he recalled with great affec- their nieces and nephews who all recip- rael, and (of course) to Hillel. tion the time he spent with Sol, and the rocated their love. loving way in which he talked about Rita. With affection, respect and gratitude, we Family and community were primary remember Rita and Sol Toscher and their Rita was born in Pittsfield, the young- in their minds. When they died, they deep and abiding commitment to our est of six daughters of Anna and Lew- left a charitable fund with instructions congregation and our community. In This Issue Member Mitzvahs & Mazel Tovs Case for a Kidney ...................................3 From the Rabbi....................................4 February Birthdays From the President ..............................5 n John Frankenthaler .............February 3 n Donald Sugarman ..............February 17 February Calendar .........................6 & 7 n Pamela Wax ..........................February 3 n Kika Cook-Dubin .................February 17 Celebrate Purim Programming .............7 n Kaetah Klein .........................February 3 n Jerome Socolof ....................February 18 Order Hamantashen ............................9 n Herman Rotenberg ............February 4 n Matthew Herzberg .............February 20 Hebrew School / Families Together ......10 n Leslie Fishbein .....................February 4 n Michael Stoll .........................February 21 Spotlight On: Phil Coleman .. .............14 n Beth Radsken .......................February 5 n Arthur Wasser ......................February 22 In the Land of Israel Program .............16 n Gabriel Dahari ......................February 5 n Myra Promisel ......................February 26 Yahrzeits, Funds & Endowments, ...18-21 n Barbara Mandler .................February 6 n Harry Waizer .........................February 26 and more!! n Elaine Shindler .....................February 8 n Diana Geller ..........................February 28 n Nan Bookless ........................February 9 n Estelle Leibowitz .................February 28 K.I. Staff n Eugene Leibowitz ...............February 10 OFFICE PHONE 413-445-4872 n Joseph Weinberg ................February 10 Celbrate! n Susan Abramowitz .............February 11 RABBI DAVID WEINER Ext. 10 [email protected] n Ashley Todd ..........................February 11 DIANA MACFARLANE Ext. 10 n Everett Lamm .......................February 12 Office Manager n Adam Lehrer .........................February 14 [email protected] Anniversaries n Alexandra Hochfelder .......February 14 ED ROBINSON n Marcie Kammel ...................February 16 Michael and Ellie Geller [email protected] ........................................................... February 7 n Ronney Rosenberg ............February 16 MYRNA HAMMERLING Ext. 16 Michael and Barbara Ende Director of Adult Education n Carole Siegel ........................February 17 .........................................................February 23 and Programming [email protected] CHRIS GOETZE Ext. 20 Facilities Director/Head Custodian KOL K.I. PUBLICATION NOTES [email protected] Editor: Susan Miller • Co-Editor/Photo Editor: Nan Bookless JUDITH WEINER Ext. 15 Production: Nan Bookless • Printed by Aldam Press Director of Families Together, and Hebrew School Administrator We welcome submissions. Publication will be at the discretion of the editorial staff, [email protected] and may be subject to editing for clarity, facts, and length. ELISA SNOWISE B’Nai Mitzvah Teacher /Coordinator Submit articles & photographs VIA EMAIL to: [email protected] Susan Miller at [email protected] LIZ DEMARCO, Web Administrator, [email protected] Your community wants to share KNESSET ISRAEL in your good news! Send KOL K.I. editor, 16 Colt Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201 Susan Miller the details about any happy 413-445-4872 news we can celebrate with you! 413-496-9378 (fax) Susan Miller: [email protected] knessetisrael.org High resolution photographs welcome! 2 n KOL K.I. • FEBRUARY 2021 • SHEVAT / ADAR 5781 Kol K.I. The Case For A Kidney K.I. member Paul Green is seeking a living kidney donor Paul Green is in need of a kidney from a living donor. A prominent musician, he is married to Lisa Green, both Knesset Israel members who live in Pittsfield with their dog, Jolene. Paul has advanced Stage 4 kidney disease and has been placed on the kidney transplant list at UMass Memorial in Worcester. However, the list’s waiting time for a kidney from a cadaver can be more than five years, while a trans- plant from a living donor can happen very quickly. It will also last on average twice as long as one from a deceased donor. That’s why he has begun “kidney campaigning.” More than 113,000 people in the United States are waiting for transplants, but the demand for organs far exceeds the supply. Living donation offers another choice for transplant candidates. Paul has been living with kidney disease for a long time. “The first signs of it occurred almost 30 years ago,” Paul says. “Fortunately, the disease progressed slowly, and I’ve lived a very full life despite it. But I am getting close to having to go on dialysis, and while I’m glad it exists, it can be debili- tating, and it is much better for my prognosis if I am able to get a kidney transplant before I have to start dialysis.” people. Lately I’ve been getting great satisfaction from my newfound talents as a composer and arranger. I fear that with- The waiting time for a kidney from a out a transplant, I will not be able to function long enough to cadaver can be more than five years, fulfill my musical explorations or even—once this pandemic is over—continue performing, which, frankly, would be more while a transplant from a living donor devastating to me than anything else.” can happen very quickly. A living donor doesn’t have to be a family member. (Paul’s one sibling has diabetes, which rules him out.) He or she doesn’t It’s a daunting prospect to find a living donor. Who really wants even need to be a “perfect” match. The new anti-rejection drugs to ask someone to donate an organ? But in doing his research, have made the “matching” of donor/recipient much easier. If Paul has learned that the best way to find a willing donor is to the donor/recipient are not compatible, the kidney paired- get his story out, and have others share his story as widely as exchange programs allow these donors to be paired and possible. matched with other incompatible pairs. There’s really no age limit for a donor; the most important factor is that the donor is “You probably wouldn’t know to look at me that I have end- in relatively good health. The donor’s medical expenses would stage kidney disease, at least right now,” Paul says. “I’ve always be paid by Paul’s insurance. taken care of myself physically, and I’ve maintained a success- ful career in music. I’m going public with this because there’s Any potential donor will have a lot of questions, and there is so much more that I want to accomplish in my life. I am still a lot of information to impart. Some of the excellent websites expanding my musical horizons, finding relationships between about living kidney donation are the Living Kidney Foundation Jazz and Klezmer music. I am always learning new music and Network (lkdn.org), UNOS, United Network for Organ Sharing feel like my purpose in life is to play music and share it with continued on page 5 KOL K.I. • FEBRUARY 2021 • SHEVAT / ADAR 5781 n 3 From the Rabbi Carpe Purim Life in the face of uncertainity The K.I. social hall still party, all enjoined upon for a people that barely has a claim on smells like hand sanitizer, the Jews in perpetuity by her; a foreigner, Haman, who becomes but lately there seem to be Queen Esther and Morde- Prime Minister; laws that are meant to top-notes of raspberry jam cai, once upon a time in be bent and broken; a king who is pris- and hamantashen.