Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks Non-Profit Organization Jewish Cultural Center, PO Box 14925 U.S. Postage PAID Reading, PA 19612-4925 Permit No. 2 readingjewishcommunity.org Reading, PA Change Service Requested Enriching Lives Volume 51, No. 4 April 2021 Nissan - Iyar 5781 ShaloThe Journal of the Reading Jewish Communitym published by0 the Jewish4 Federation2 of Reading/Berks1 Your Federation Supports: Female resistance is subject Jewish Education Food Pantry of Yom Hashoah keynote Friendship Circle By Amanda J. Hornberger is an unforgettable true tale of war, the fight Chevra A major myth of the Holocaust is that for freedom, exceptional bravery, female Community Shabbat the Jews did not put up any resistance friendship and survival in the face of staggering to the Nazis. In “The Light of Days: odds. The book has been optioned by Steven Reading Jewish Film Series The Untold Story of Women Resistance Spielberg for a major motion picture. Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos,” author Judy If you have a family member who PJ Library Batalion brings to light the extraordinary perished during the Holocaust and would Jewish Family Service accomplishments of brave Jewish women like their name read aloud during our who became resistance fighters — a group event, please email Amanda Hornberger Jewish Cultural Center of unknown heroes whose exploits have at [email protected] with the name, Lakin Holocaust Library never been chronicled until now. age and any other known details by April 5. The community is invited to gather together Learn more about this unknown Holocaust & Resource Center on Erev Yom Hashoah on Wednesday, April history when Batalion joins us for a discussion 7, at 7 p.m. to commemorate Yom Hashoah on Wednesday, April 7 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Israel & Overseas with Batalion. We will be joined by members Judy Batalion is the author of “White Camp Scholarships of the Bender JCC of Greater Washington for Walls: A Memoir About Motherhood, the keynote and candle lighting. Immediately Daughterhood and The Mess in Between.” Israel Trips following the keynote you are invited to stay She has written for The New York Times, for a reading of names of victims of the Vogue, The Washington Post and many Jewish Community Holocaust. other publications. Prior to her writing High School Witnesses to the brutal murder of their career, she was an academic and is fluent families and neighbors and the violent Judy Batalion in Yiddish and Hebrew. Emergency Support destruction of their communities, a cadre You can register by visiting our website: of Jewish women in Poland — some still German soldiers; bribed them with wine, https://readingjewishcommunity.org/home/ Lakin Preschool in their teens — helped transform Jewish whiskey, and home cooking; used their Aryan literatour Signed copies of the book will Richard J. Yashek Lecture youth groups into resistance cells to fight looks to seduce them; and shot and killed be available for purchase through the the Nazis. With courage, guile, and nerves them. They bombed German train lines and Literatour Berks official book vendor, Reads Transportation of steel, these “ghetto girls” paid off Gestapo blew up a town’s water supply. They also & Company of Phoenixville. guards, hid revolvers in loaves of bread and nursed the sick and taught children. Thank you to the sponsors and patrons Maimonides Society jars of marmalade and helped build systems Powerful and inspiring, featuring 20 black- of Literatour Berks for making this event Your Jewish Legacy of underground bunkers. They flirted with and-white photographs, “The Light of Days” possible. 92ND ST Y Programs Joint Distribution Committee Meir Panim Vaccine clinic a huge success Annual Campaign Jewish Agency for Israel Yemin Orde School Education Programs Interfaith Unity Council Israel Advocacy Youth Events Great Decisions Series Jewish Community Relations Council Community Holiday Programs Women’s Philanthropy Jewish Federations of North America Counseling Services Leo Camp Lecture Shabbat B’Yachad Pharmacist Tracy Rossi delivers a COVID-19 vaccination during a community clinic held at the JCC on March 7. She was one of the driving forces behind the event, which vaccinated 320 people. See Page 3 and Pages 10 and 11 for more on the event. Page 2 SHALOM April 2021 How each of us can make a difference By Bill Franklin at home. You reassure extended family with JFS and Helping Harvest to feed more You can help make a difference. members who cannot be with their loved than 250 families each month at our two One way is to support the work of our ones here in Berks County. You ensure our Food Pantries. Federation supplements these Jewish Family Service. Carole, Sari, and community members receive services they groceries with donated items like children’s many volunteers work to give hope to both need. As our senior population ages, you books and school supplies. Our pantries are our Jewish and non-Jewish communities. enable JFS to offer ways they can remain “staffed” by 20 to 40 different volunteers, and t Jewish Community engaged with the Jewish community. new volunteers are always welcome. Jewish Family Service (JFS) serves The Federation’s JFS, with your caring As Jews, we know we have an obligation families and individuals struggling with support, helps families and individuals with to care for one another. Ensure the safety physical or emotional issues of health, aging, basic everyday needs. We place a priority and health of those around you and the n relationships or finances. You help people on food, health, and shelter by helping to needs of our Jewish community. If you can, live as independently as possible, ensuring close gaps in utility bills, monthly rent, and please help by giving to the Community our Jewish neighbors and friends do not medical expenses. Campaign today. become isolated. You help caregivers with Each of us can make a difference. e Outside of our Jewish Community aging spouses or parents with adult children You supply the groceries in partnership Together we make change. All-Star Passover Concert scheduled for April 1 m By Amanda J. Hornberger Musical Passover Seder on Thursday, Joanie Leeds and Rick Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks April 1 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. Recht! and PJ Library in Reading are incredibly The concert features Jewish kids You can register by p excited to invite you to a very special music superstars Ellen Allard, Shira visiting our website: https:// musical Passover Seder celebration! Kline, Nefesh Mountain, Elana Jagoda, readingjewishcommunity. Join us for the JKids Radio All-Star Eliana Light, Rabbi Josh Warshawsky, org/ o l e Tot Shabbat & PJ Library Present v e Ladino Sing Along Join Sarah Aroeste for some Buen Shabat! Learn about D “Magic Jewish Spanish” (also known as Ladino) as Sarah reads from her PJ Library book, "Buen Shabat, Annual Campaign Shabbat Shalom", and gets hands clapping and feet Women’s Philanthropy dancing with some Sephardic song and fun! Maimonides Society Your Jewish Legacy Chai Circle Saturday, April 17, 2021 L’Chaim Society Book of Life Zoom Meeting Letter of Intent Time: 10:00 AM RSVP: Email RCOS office or Amanda for the link: DONATE NOW [email protected] TO OUR or JEWISH [email protected] COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN Please visit ReadingJewishCommunity. org Make your gift today! PJ Library in Reading is generously sponsored by the Sue B. Viener Memorial Fund of Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks April 2021 SHALOM Page 3 From the President’s Desk Vaccination event brings sage Jewish wisdom to life By William D. Franklin Jewish Federation, working with Reform Hispanic, Islamic, African-American, On Thursday, March 5, we received President Congregation Oheb Sholom, Kesher Zion and interfaith communities. As a result, them. We sprang into action. Our JFR Our great sage, and Chabad, developed a list of Jewish 160 members of their communities staff, Tracy Rossi, her pharmacy team Rabbi Hillel, is known community members in the 1A category received the other half of the 320 and 14 volunteers spent hours calling, for many wise sayings. for vaccination. Carole Robinson, Sari vaccinations administered by Tracy filling out required paperwork and One of his most Incledon and Brenda Seidel checked and her associates. We have received managing the logistics three days later, famous is: our community calendar directory and many thank-you notes and several on Sunday, March 7. “If I am not for the JFS client list to make the list as contributions from these very grateful We were able to follow Hillel’s myself, who will be for comprehensive as possible. Over 580 recipients. dictum, and because we were prepared me? If I am only for community members were contacted And last, “If not now, when?” We to perform the mitzvah “now”. The myself, who am I? If by e-mail or phone. We did not receive were told in early February that most clinic’s success was the result of the not now, when? “ replies from 216, and we learned 206 likely we would have 300 or more intense focus, preparation, and hard This is a prescription for ethical Jewish community members had received vaccines available but did not know work of many people. We are looking behavior, not only in its content but in its the vaccine. This left us with 160 Jewish when or exactly how many. We chose forward to working again with Tracy sequence. community members to vaccinate. Our to hold a clinic on a Sunday, put our and Eric Easterbrook and our other First, “If I am not for myself, who will be first concern was caring for our community. lists in order, ordered necessary community institutions to hold several for me? “In February, Tracy Rossi, working But “If I am only for myself, who equipment, and established and more vaccination clinics.