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February 2019 -- Shevat-Adar 1 5779, Volume 25, Issue 2

Celebrating

Years

1994-2019

Afya Delivers Disaster Relief in Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther KingBY STEPHEN E. LIPKEN

On Monday, January 21st, Westchester Reform Temple {WRT} in Scarsdale, partnered with UJA’s Time for Good, in a Day of Service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. UJA Federation of New York’s J-Teen’s came to the Synagogue to help with the 2019 Disas-ter Relief efforts with the Afya Foundation (Swahili, “health”), involving collect-ing medical and personal hy-giene supplies to be shipped to Puerto Rico, in conjunction with AJC Westchester/Fair-field and Westchester County Youth Council.

“This is a very special event and this day of service involves hundreds of teens coming together for the great-er good,” Afya founder and CEO Danielle Butin stressed. “There is a very significant need in Puerto Rico for people

who are medically frail and el-ders who are frail…

“In 2007 I went on vaca-tion to Tanzania and met a physician who talked about how there was no medical supplies in any of his clinics. I regarded this as a wake-up

call and founded Afya in 2008, calling it that to honor the country. Since 2008 we have rescued and shipped 9 million pounds of medical supplies and equipment.”

“We check for expiration and identify the items,” Erica

Quiroz, Afya Chief Admin-istrative Officer observed. “It takes about 25,000 hours of volunteer time to sort through all of the sup-plies that are constantly coming in.”

“Today is a day of ser-vice across the region,” Guy Felixbrodt, Executive Di-rector, J-Teen Leadership said. “This is 1 location out of 72, drawing 3,000 volunteers and started 13 years ago as a response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Our event drew 200 teen volunteers of all faiths and trains leaders in community service, tik-kun olam.”

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin welcomed the teens to her “spiritual home,” WRT. “We have a tradition as a Jewish people to be “men-sches” (good characters),” Paulin noted. And Governor

Left to right: Guy Felixbrodt, Executive Director, J-Teen Leadership, UJA Federa-tion NY; Lisa Goldstein, Office of Congressman Eliot Engel; Danielle Butin, Founder/CEO, Afya Foundation; NYS Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins; As-semblywoman Amy Paulin; Westchester County Legislator Nancy Barr; J-Teen Leader Abe Baker-Butler.

Andrew Cuomo’s office sent a proclamation in honor of MLK Day.

At the end of the day, the students shipped 3,000 pounds of medical supplies to Puerto Rico from the 5,000

Left, J-Teen Leadership vounteers, white tee shirts; blue UJA Federation NY “mensch” shirts, right.

they sorted. They also wrote 500 letters written in Spanish to be hand delivered by anoth-er J-Teen Leadership service trip delegation to the Boys and Girls Club of Puerto Rico in February.

Westchester Torah Academy Breaks Ground for New FacilitySTAFF REPORT

Excitement was in the air as Westchester Torah Acad-emy {WTA} broke ground at 150 Stratton Road on January 13, for the first Yeshiva Day School in New Rochelle. “We are most proud to have a pres-ence in New Rochelle,” said Judah Isaacs, WTA Director of Finance and Operations. “Our goal is to have the new 16,000 square foot facility on the 8 acre campus ready for Septem-ber.”

A large turnout of par-ents, grandparents and Rabbis attended the ground breaking ceremony to support WTA’s mission including Rabbi Re-

uven Fink, Young Israel of New Rochelle, Rabbi Shmuel Greenberg, Young Israel of White Plains, Rabbi Daniel Rosenfelt, Fleetwood Syna-gogue, Rabbi Eli Kohl, Young Israel of Stamford, Rabbi Don Margulies, Riverdale Minyan, and Rav Tomer Ronen of Ye-shivat He’atid. Deputy Mayor of New Rochelle, Barry Fertel and former New Rochelle Council-woman, Shari Rackman repre-sented the City.

The Modern Orthodox, co-ed Yeshiva Day School, opened in some of Temple Israel of New Rochelle’s class-rooms in 2013, with a mission of enhancing learning while building a sense of community.

They strive to include person-alized, progressive and cre-ative methods of teaching for grades K-8 and are committed to excellence in both Judaic and secular studies.

The new facility is being designed with an open amphi-theater at the entrance. There will be 10 classrooms in the new 2 story building, a lunch-room, gym, auditorium, offices and a middle school wing. Gar-dens and a large play area will also be created on the grounds.

In addition, an existing mansion and carriage house will be renovated to host the early childhood program. The larger mansion will be

continued on page 2

Left to right: Brian Kalb; Chairman of the Board Westchester Torah Academy, Rabbi Shmuel Greenberg; Young Israel of White Plains, Rabbi Reuven Fink; Young Israel of New Rochelle, New Rochelle Deputy Mayor Barry Fertel , Deganit Ronen; Principal of Westchester Torah Academy, former New Rochelle Councilwoman Shari Rackman,Rabbi Daniel Rosenfelt, Fleetwood Synagogue, Rabbi Avi Hoffman; Rav Beit Sefer Westchester Torah Academy.

2 • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 • Westchester Jewish Life www.westchesterjewishlife.com

remodeled to contain a li-brary, Maker’s Space/STEAM lab, Beit Midrash, music room and common areas to facilitate Torah Study, tech-nology and individualized learning.

The WTA family is also looking forward to their 6th annual Shomrei Torah Event taking place February 24 at 7pm. They will be honoring Anita and Moshe Avital of New Rochelle with the Community Award. “Two lifelong educa-tors who have spread their love

and passion for Eretz Yisrael and continue to inspire others with their story.”

The Avitals have been volunteers at WTA explained Isaacs. “They encourage learn-ing and as educators, they both embody the same values as we do at WTA, so we wanted to honor them.”

Other honorees include Miriam Rubin with the Volun-teer Award for her work with the Vaad Horim {PTA} and Nel-lie Harris, the Early Childhood Admissions Director, with the

Faculty Award. Co-chairs of the event are Jamie Feit and Joy Wilson.

“Our new home will edu-cate, inspire and motivate our students and will be designed to support their educational needs,” concluded Isaacs. “For the new building, we are still looking for donations of any kind. We now will have a permanent home in New Ro-chelle.”

To inquire about donat-ing or to attend the February 24 event call 712-6497.

Westchester Torah Academy Breaks Ground for New Homecontinued from page 1

Rabbi Baldachin Visits Guatemala to Support Human Rights Advocates

Rabbi Adam Baldachin of Shaarei Tikvah in Scarsdale is one of 15 influential Jewish leaders who traveled to Guate-mala in January as part of the prestigious Global Justice Fel-lowship run by American Jew-ish World Service (AJWS), the leading Jewish organization working to fight poverty and promote human rights in the developing world.

The group returned on January 20, after meeting with leaders of nonprofit groups working to advance human rights in Guatemala, one of the Central American coun-tries that residents are fleeing to seek work or asylum in the United States.

“I have a responsibility as someone with power to figure out not only how I can help, but also how my government is responsible – and then I have a real duty to respond to that,” said Rabbi Baldachin. He vowed to tell his Scarsdale community about the history of human rights violations in

Central America. He will con-tinue the effort during a visit to members of Congress and other officials in Washington, D.C. in March in the next part of the fellowship.

The rabbinic fellows arrived as Guatemala faced widespread condemnation for ordering a United Nations-approved team of corruption investigators to vacate the country. During a week in the country, the fellows met with

advocates fighting for legal protections for human rights activists at risk of violence, midwives providing maternal health support for indigenous women, and members of an independent journalism col-lective led by young Guatema-lans seeking to expose human rights abuses.

The rabbis learned from human rights advocates about working to improve life in

continued on page 11

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www.shorelinepub.com Westchester Jewish Life • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 • 3

A Meeting of Two Men Named ChaimBY JACK SCHWEIZER, PRESIDENT, LPJC

On December 28, 2018, Lincoln Park Jewish Cen-ter {LPJC}, Spiritual Leader Rabbi Levi Welton hinted to the Yonkers Congregation that there would be a special Sermon on Shabbat morn-ing that would focus on their long time Board member and Holocaust survivor, Chaim (Henry) Grossman.

To emphasize the point, he specifically made mention that the weekly Parsha called Shemot, beginning the Book of Exodus , also called Names, explained that one virtue that Jews retained while in Egypt, is they did not change their name throughout their en-slavement and was unique to each person.

When the sermon por-tion began the following Shab-bat, Rabbi Welton called upon Chaim Grossman to come forward and sit in a chair fac-ing the Bima. The Rabbi pro-ceeded to tell of his encounter while on vacation in Sacra-mento, California. He attend-ed a Bat Mitzvah on Shabbat, the prior week of December

22, for a young lady whose fa-ther, a Mexican American, was named Chaim Valencia.

The Father had changed his name when he converted to Judaism. When the Rabbi asked why he changed his name to Chaim, Valencia re-lated his experience of visit-ing a shul in Yonkers some time ago. He met a Holocaust survivor called Chaim and ob-served numbers on his arm. During the conversation, Va-lencia spoke to Chaim about

his conversion and learned of Chaim’s perspec-tive on his Holo-caust experience.

Chaim stat-ed that he shared a barracks bed with Elie Wiesel and despite the horrors, death, deprivation, and starvation while in the camps, he never lost his belief in Hashem and his love for Judaism. He fur-ther did not hold any ill will to-

wards his oppressors or need for vengeance.

Hearing this story, Rabbi Welton was momentarily at a loss for words since he im-mediately surmised Valen-cia might be speaking about Chaim Grossman. It was im-mediately confirmed.

The Rabbi asked Valen-cia why he assumed the name Chaim. Valencia’s response was, if a person who survives the Holocaust and does not be-lieve in Hashem can be forgiv-

en; but one who survives and believes in Hashem, should be an Angel. For that, Valencia immediately decided he was going change his previous sec-ular name to Chaim in Gross-man’s honor.

Rabbi Welton was excited to learn that a member of Lin-coln Park Jewish Center had such a profound impact on Valencia and that the Rabbi found him 3000 miles away from Yonkers!

Now Chaim Valencia can claim his name as his own and pass it on to future genera-tions. This was why the Rabbi alluded to the Parsha Shemot the previous Friday Shabbat night!

After the California Bat Mitzvah on Sunday, Decem-ber 23, Rabbi Welton had a photo taken with Valencia and promised to bring this story back to Lincoln Park Jew-ish Center and honor Chaim Grossman.

On Shabbat, December 29, Rabbi Welton did just that, with a rousing hosannas from the Congregation. Efforts are now being made to reconnect both Chaim’s.

Rabbi Levi Welton (left) and Chaim Valencia

Judaism 101 Class Offered at the Shames JCC

The Shames Jewish Community Center on the Hudson is offering a new 16 session class on Judaism, for those who want to learn more about the religion, those who are explor-ing it for the first time or even those who might need a re-fresher on the fundamentals.

Judaism 101, organized by the Rivertowns Jewish Con-sortium, is taught by the Shames’ Jewish Life Coordinator, Rabbi Ben Newman and will cover traditions, rituals, holi-days, and “Jewish Values.”

The comprehensive course will engage participants who haven’t studied Judaism since their Bnei Mitzvah, indi-viduals considering conversion or members of the general community seeking a solid knowledge of the religion.

The course syllabus consists of Jewish history, all the Holidays, Lifecycle events, Jewish ethics and values, an in-troduction to the prayer book, and the Jewish movements of Reform, Reconstructionist, Renewal, Conservative, Or-thodox, Hasidic and others.

Other topics include Israel and Zionism, Antisemi-tism, Jewish views of G-d, the Talmud, and Jewish symbols and objects.

Participants will be given homework and asked to read sections of various books which are included in the price of the course.

For the course outline, suggested reading, and cost go to www.shamesjcc.org and click on the adult section and Jewish education and enrichment. The class meets on Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:30 PM beginning January 31, 2019. For those who register after the session begins, the cost will be pro-rated. Contact Ben Newman at bnewman@shamesjcc.org for more information.

4 • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 www.westchesterjewishlife.com

February Offers “Pink Shabbat” and “Teal Shabbat” Programs at Moishe HouseThe world’s largest peer-

led program for post-college-age Jews is teaming up with the leading organization for Jewish cancer education to get young Jews thinking about inherited risks of breast, ovar-ian, and other cancers.

Moishe House and Sharsheret are collaborat-ing on a nation-wide effort in February, by providing North American Moishe Houses with toolkits to lead Shabbat discus-sions and other programs that raise awareness of Jewish ge-netic mutations for breast can-cer, ovarian cancer and other cancers.

To get younger Jews talk-ing about the importance of learning one’s genetic history regarding cancer, and to plan health protection strategies, Moishe House and Sharsheret are focusing on communal events like Shabbat dinners and challah bakes, though houses are free to create their

own events. Pink Shabbats will focus on breast and Teal Shab-bats will cover ovarian cancer.

Studies have shown that one in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish women who carry the BRCA gene mutation are at increased risk for breast and ovarian can-cer. Each year, approximately 70,000 men and women ages 15 to 39 are diagnosed with cancer in the US. Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women in this age group.

“These are important health issues for our commu-nity to be talking about, and to do it in a low-barrier place like a Moishe House will help Jewish young adults better un-derstand how this could affect them,” said Moishe House CEO David Cygielman.

“Our collaboration with Moishe House is critical in helping us educate young adults in the Jewish commu-nity about their increased risk of hereditary breast and ovar-

ian cancer,” said Sharsheret Executive Director Elana Sil-ber. “The earlier we can reach this demographic, the better they can set themselves up to safeguard their health and their future by asking the right questions to their doctors and staying on top of their breast health, which can ultimately help save lives.”

This is the ninth year the organizations have collabo-rated on raising genetic can-cer awareness. Last year, 20 Moishe Houses across North America and one in Sydney, Australia participated.

Since its founding with a single house and four people who hosted Shabbat dinners in Oakland, Calif., in 2006, the number of Moishe Houses have multiplied worldwide to 107 and counting, with demand booming for peer-led Jewish homes and programs. In 2018, Moishe House is projected to host over 62,000 young adults

Women of the Wall Marks 30th Anniversary with Educational Partnerships

Women of the Wall (WOW) the Jerusalem-based organization that has fought for equal prayer rights for women at Israel’s Western Wall (Kotel) for 30 years, recently launched its first compre-hensive North American educational initiative. On March 8-9, when WOW will celebrate its 30th an-niversary with special Rosh Hodesh programming in Jerusalem, North American synagogues and other Jewish organizations will hold parallel celebrations, - themed “WOW Shabbat” events, - as a way of educating North American Jews about Women of the Wall’s goals and in celebration of the organization’s ground-breaking work.

Synagogues and other groups are encouraged to celebrate “WOW Shabbat” with sermons about religious diversity in Israel and special songs and prayers that have been written for the occasion. Communities that make a donation to WOW will receive commemorative buttons for participants.

“The support of North American Jewish women and men is vital to our achieving the goal of re-ligious equality for women at the Kotel. Since Diaspora Jews have always been essential to our work, we want to create more opportunities for mutual partnership, learning, and support. We are pleased to be sharing this celebration with our sisters and brothers in North America. The passionate re-sponse from congregations has been inspiring” says Lesley Sachs, WOW’s Executive Director.

To learn more about WOW’s 30th Anniversary and “WOW Shabbat” initiatives, contact WOW30thAnniversary@womenofthewall.org.il

For information on involvement with “WOW Shabbat” in North America, contact Rabbi Jo Da-vid (NYC) 917-346-5243 rabbijo@jaf18.org

Yad Vashem and Facebook Israel Announce Joint Holocaust Remembrance Project

Yad Vashem and Face-book Israel have joined to-gether in a project to promote Holocaust commemoration on social media. The Holocaust Remembrance Project will honor victims of the Holocaust with two unique activities: “The IRemember Wall” creat-ed especially for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and “Unto Each Person There is a Story” to be implemented this May.

Yad Vashem’s “IRemem-ber Wall,” launched January 24, allowed Facebook users to share the identity of a Jew-ish victim from Yad Vashem’s Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names. The Names Database will also be used to provide information for “Unto Each Person There is a Story,” a new Facebook Story initia-tive to be launched for Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Over the last 65 years, Yad Vashem, the World Holo-caust Remembrance Center, has been dedicated to restor-ing the identities and honor the memories of the six mil-lion Jews murdered during the Holocaust.

“Yad Vashem works tire-lessly to ensure that the mem-ory of the Holocaust is relevant and constant, while facing the challenge of its global dis-semination,” states Yad Vash-em Chairman Avner Shalev. “Therefore, we maintain an active presence on social me-dia, today’s platforms for con-temporary discourse. The new joint project with Facebook Is-

rael will allow the broader pub-lic to connect with the names and stories of the Jews mur-dered during the Holocaust and enable those who wish to express their commitment to Holocaust Remembrance to do so in a simple and timely way.”

“As we commemorate International Holocaust Re-membrance Day, we dedicate ourselves to turning personal memory into a collective one,” says Adi Soffer Teeni, Face-book Israel Country Director. “Through the use of technol-ogy, we can each connect with the name and the story of one victim of the Shoah. As “am-bassadors of memory,” we have the responsibility to keep their memory alive and relevant for future generations to reflect upon and learn from. Our new cooperation with Yad Vashem will ensure just that.”

Running January 24-29, to mark International Holo-caust Remembrance Day, “The IRemember Wall” provides a

unique opportunity for the wider public to en-gage in an interactive commemorative activ-ity. Participants were randomly matched with one of the men, women or children re-corded in Yad Vashem’s Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names. To date, the Database commemorates some 4,800,000 names of Jews murdered during

the Holocaust. The name of the participant, together with the name of the Holocaust victim they are matched with, will be added to Yad Vashem’s virtual “IRemember Wall” and can then be shared on the partici-pant’s Facebook page.

The second phase of the Holocaust Remembrance Proj-ect will be launched in May 2019 in time for Israel’s nation-al Holocaust Martyrs’ and He-roes’ Remembrance Day. “Unto Each Person There is a Story” is a new initiative consisting of dedicated “Facebook Stories” drawn from the millions of vic-tims recorded in Yad Vashem’s Central Database of Shoah Victims’ Names. The stories of Holocaust victims may then in turn be shared with the world via Facebook.

Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Cen-ter, was established in 1953.

Located in Jerusalem, it is dedicated to Holocaust com-memoration, documentation, research and education.

www.yadvashem.org

Adi Soffer Teeni

attending more than 11,000 programs worldwide.

Each Moishe House en-ables three to five post-college Jewish 20-something profes-sionals to live in a rent-subsi-dized home while dedicating free time each month to host-ing meaningful Jewish experi-ences for their peers, or about 60 programs annually. In the process, the Moishe House residents join an international network of young Jewish lead-ers in 25+ countries around the world.

Moishe House is a pro-gram for young Jewish adults that creates meaningful, welcoming communities for themselves and their peers in a post-college world. Three to

five 20-something residents live together and host ongoing events for their peers. Each year, the 100+ Moishe Houses around the globe hold more than 11,000+ programs for 60,000+ unique participants. Moishe House welcomes people from all Jewish back-grounds and is supported by organizations, individuals and the young adult participants themselves. To find out more about Moishe House, visit www.moishehouse.org.

Sharsheret, Hebrew for chain, a national cancer organization with five of-fices (California, Florida, Il-linois, New Jersey and New York), serves 120,000 women, families, health care profes-

sionals, community leaders, and students, in all 50 states. Sharsheret creates a safe community for women facing breast cancer and ovarian can-cer and their families at every stage of life and at every stage of cancer – from before diagno-sis, during treatment and into the survivorship years. While their expertise is focused on young women and Jewish fam-ilies, more than 15% of those they serve are not Jewish. All Sharsheret programs serve women and men. For more in-formation, visit online at www.sharsheret.org or call 866-474-2774.

For details on the new pro-gram, visit: https://sharsheret.org/moishe-house/.

www.shorelinepub.com Westchester Jewish Life • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 • 5

Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Indus-tries (IAI)’s first lunar space-craft began a historic journey to the moon on January 18, when it was transported in a cargo plane from Ben Gu-rion Airport to Orlando, Flor-ida, ahead of launching from SpaceX Launch Complex 40

(SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Febru-ary..

SpaceIL and IAI recent-ly packed the 180-kilogram spacecraft into a special tem-perature-controlled, sterile shipping container, built to protect the spacecraft and ensure it arrives safely at the

launch site. After landing at Or-lando International Airport, the spacecraft – named Beresheet (the Hebrew word for in the be-ginning) – will then be driven to Cape Canaveral Air Force Sta-tion, where it will be added as a secondary payload by launch service provider Spaceflight. It will be launched on a SpaceX

Falcon 9 rocket together with a geostationary communica-tions satellite built by SSL.

“After eight years of hard work, our dream has come true: We finally have a space-craft,” said SpaceIL CEO Ido Anteby. “Shipping the space-craft to the United States is the first stage of a complicated and historic journey to the moon. This is the first of many exciting moments, as we look forward to the forthcoming launch in Cape Canaveral.”

IAI Director of Logistics

Eyal Shitrit said that though IAI has extensive experience in complex ship-ping projects, “the transport-ing of Beresheet is a unique chal-lenge since this is a once-in-a-lifetime mission and there is no backup plan – this spacecraft must arrive

safely.” In addition to the con-

tainer holding Beresheet, two more containers will be included in the cargo plane, which itself is temperature controlled. SpaceIL and IAI engineers will accompany the spacecraft on the flight to Flor-ida, and more engineers will join them in Cape Canaveral. Beresheet will undergo final tests before being launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Upon completing its lu-nar mission, the first in Isra-

el’s history and the first that’s privately funded, Israel would join superpowers China, Rus-sia and the United States in landing a spacecraft on the moon.

Since the establishment of SpaceIL, the task of landing an Israeli spacecraft on the moon has become a national project, with educational im-pact, funded mainly by Mor-ris Kahn, a philanthropist and businessman who took the lead in completing the mission, serving as SpaceIL’s president and financing $40 million.

“The excitement we all feel today will only intensify moving forward, and I can’t wait for the next milestone,” said Kahn. “This is only the be-ginning.”

Additional donors in-clude Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson – whose $24 million contribution enabled the proj-ect to continue – and Lynn Schusterman, Steven and Nan-cy Grand, Sylvan Adams, Sami Sagol and others.

Masa Israel Teaching Fellows, New Program for College Graduates

Ramah will begin its first-ever immersive Israel experience for college gradu-ates. Ramah Israel has been selected to run the Masa Israel Teaching Fellows (MITF) pro-gram in Jerusalem, starting in August 2019. The MITF in-vites English-speaking college graduates ages 21-35 to come to Israel for 10 months as English teachers and teachers’ aides in schools across the country.

At Ramah, they celebrate their bond with and love for Israel. MITF is an innovative way to engage Ramah alumni and other young professionals in creating a new community, offering them the opportunity to impact the future of Israeli society, experience day-to-day life in Israel, and build their own Ramah kehillah in Jeru-salem.

MITF is a partnership between Masa Israel Journey and the Ministry of Education.

As the program is highly subsidized, the cost to par-ticipate in MITF Jerusalem is only $1,000 for the entire 10-month program.

Beyond the teaching experience itself, the MITF program provides extensive opportunities for personal and professional growth and enrichment. Fellows receive training before and during

their teaching assignments. In addition, Fellows participate in organized tours and travel, learn in a Hebrew ulpan, and volunteer in a variety of settings. The program provides housing, a monthly living stipend, and medical insurance.

Aliza Grabin, former as-sociate director and guidance counselor for Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim (TRY), the Ramah Jerusalem High School, will be directing this program. With her vast experience and exper-tise in the world of Ramah and Israel programs, Grabin will be an exceptional asset to the MITF program.

If you are between the ages of 21-35, or if you know someone who might be interested in this exciting opportunity, visit MITF Jerusalem website or contact mitf@ramah.co.il. All are wel-come to apply for the program; Ramah experience is not re-quired.

Aliza Grabin

Greenburgh Hebrew Center to Host Annual Blood Drive

The Greenburgh Hebrew Center {GHC} of Dobbs Ferry is hosting its annual com-munity Blood Drive on Sunday, February 3, 2019 from 8:30 am – 1 pm. GHC is happy to announce that it will be renewing its association with New York Blood Center. New York Blood Center provides blood to approximately 200 hospitals in the NY/NJ region. New York Blood Center is coordinating the blood drive and is available at (800) 688-0900 to answer eligibility questions.

All eligible donors 16 years old and over, weighing at least 110 lbs. -- are welcome to participate. 16 year old donors require parental permission on a form available at www.nybloodcenter.org.

Donors are encouraged to make an appointment by emailing blooddrive@g-h-c.org or going on-line to www.nybc.org. Walk-ins are welcome too. Bring your NYBC donor ID card or other identification with you. Donors under age 19 require an ID with a birthdate.

Refreshments will be provided to all donors after they are done with their donation. For additional information, contact the synagogue office at 914-693-4260 or send an

email to Dr. Andrew Goldstein at blooddrive@g-h-c.org. For directions to the Greenburgh Hebrew Center, located at 515 Broadway in Dobbs Ferry, go to http://www.g-h-c.org.

The Greenburgh Hebrew Center is a fully egalitarian Conservative synagogue serving the Rivertowns and adjacent communities. The synagogue welcomes traditional, inter-faith, and blended families, singles and LGBTQ participants, and has daily services that are spirited and participatory.

Beresheet Spacecraft Headed for the Moon

cmw.org or call 472-3300 to learn more.

AJC Westchester/Fairfield presents The 2019 Westchester Jewish Film Festival at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleas-antville from April 2-17, 2019. For tickets and information visit ajc.org

{914}Cares and Kids Closet will hold a Fashion Show Gala on March 10 at The Willow Ridge Country Club, 123 North Street, Harrison from 4-6:30pm. RSVP to 914cares.org/2019-fashion-show/

FEBRUARYFeb 2Temple Israel of New Rochelle, 1000 Pinebrook Blvd., will host The Immigrant Song: the 2nd annual Benefit for Music at 7:30pm. To attend call 235-1800.

The Westchester Community for Humanistic Judaism presents Jews in Rock-n-Roll, a talk with Bennett Muraskin at 2:30pm at the Community Unitarian Congregation, 468 Rosedale Avenue, White Plains. Havdalah will follow the talk. For more informa-tion visit wchj.org or call Charlotte Klein at 218-8535.

Feb 3 From 8:30am -1pm, Greenburgh Hebrew Center, 515 Broad-way, Dobbs Ferry will be having their annual Blood Drive. To make an appointment email blooddrive@g-h-c.org or call 693-4260 for questions.

Temple Israel of New Rochelle, 1000 Pinebrook Blvd. will fea-ture a Solidarity Fair with organizations that work for social jus-tice and human rights. For information call 235-1800.

The Shames Jewish Community Center, 371 South Broadway, Tarrytown, will host a Camp Fair from 1-3pm with special kid’s activities. To attend, register at 366-7898

Feb 4At 6:45pm, free singing lessons for Men will be offered by the Westchester Chordsmen Chorus for 6 weeks, at Congregation Kol Ami, 252 Soundview Avenue, White Plains. Register in ad-vance at chordsmen.org or call 298-7464, leave message and phone number with questions.

Feb. 5 At 8pm, Chabad of the Rivertowns, 303 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry will present a lecture called Against all Odds, How One Jew Took on the Soviet System with former Soviet Refusenik Yosef Mendelevich. For tickets go to chabadrt.org/lecture or call 693-6100.

Feb. 6At 7pm, Friends of the IDF in partnership with Westchester Jew-ish Council and the Five Synagogues of White Plains, will fea-ture the IDF Band and active IDF Soldiers at Congregation Kol Ami, 252 Soundview Avenue, White Plains. For more informa-tion call Michael at 646-274-9645.

Feb 9 At 7:15pm, the 43rd Annual Gala of Westchester Jewish Coun-cil will take place at Congregation Kol Ami, White Plains, honor-ing Tracey Bilski, Elizabeth Lampert and Harry Mamaysky. To attend, RSVP to Donna Bartell at 328-7001

Feb. 10At 7pm, Beth El Synagogue Center, 1324 North Avenue, New Rochelle will feature a Community Musical gathering with Is-raeli Musician Netanel Goldberg accompanied by Nimrod Nol on violin. RSVP to Rabbi Sitkin at zsitkin@bethelnr.org to attend.

Feb 11 At 7pm, Carmel Academy, 270 Lake Avenue, Greenwich, Ct., presents an evening with author Naomi Schaefer Riley who will discuss her new book, “Be the Parent Please: Stop Banning Seesaws and Start Banning Snapchat.” Open to the Commu-nity. Register at carmelacademy.com

Feb. 20At 7pm, join the Westchester Region of Hadassah and help plan programs and events for 2019 at the Region office, 10 New King St., {GPS West Harrison.} RSVP to westchesterregion@ha-dassah.org or call 937-3151.

Feb 24The 6th Annual Shomrei Torah Annual Dinner of Westchester Torah Academy, 1000 Pinebrook Blvd., New Rochelle will take place at 7pm. To attend, visit westcherta.org

february calendarUPCOMING UJA Federation of New York in Westchester will present the following programs: February 11 at 10 am, author Lynda Co-hen Loigman discusses her new book, “The Wartime Sister” at Congregation B’nai Yisrael, 2 Banksville Rd., Armonk. Register at ujafedny.org/event/view/we-writer-series or call 385-2108; February 13 at 7pm, Westchester Guys Night Out at West-chester Table Tennis Center, 175 Tompkins Ave., Pleasantville. Register at ujafedny.org/event/view/guys-night-out or call 385-2122; February 28 at 11am, in collaboration with the JCC of Mid Westchester, Exploring Women Artists at the Metropoli-tan Museum of Art at the JCC of Mid Westchester, 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale, presented by Page Knox. Register at ujafedny.org/event/view/women-at-the-met or call 385-2125.

SAT Prep classes at the JCC of Mid-Westchester, 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale are as follows: SAT Spring Class for May/June 2019 test will be held February 3 through April 28 at 10am, and April 23 from 6:30-9pm. Register online at jccmw.org

A class in Beginners Hebrew will be led by Cantor Isabel Kop-stein every Monday at 1:30pm at Yorktown Jewish Center, 2966 Crompond Road, Yorktown Heights. Contact the office at 245-2324 to attend.

Issues in Contemporary Israel, an ongoing class will meet at Beth El Synagogue Center, 1324 North Avenue, New Rochelle, led by Rabbi Molly Karp on Wednesday mornings. For ques-tions or to attend contact rabbimollykarp@gmail.com

Join the first Woman’s Yoga Retreat February 15-18 at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, 116 Johnson Road, Falls Vil-lage, Ct. To register call 860-824-5991.

Rabbi Molly Karp will be teaching 2 groups on Mussar, one group will meet Friday afternoons monthly in Chappaqua and one group will meet twice a month on Thursday evenings in Southern Westchester. To learn more, write rabbimollykarp@gmail.com.

The JCC of Mid Westchester, 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale will offer a Jewish cooking Adventure Series for families with chil-dren in grades 4-8 on March 10, April 7 and May 19. Check jc-

Large scale color photographs of The Borscht Belt by Photog-rapher and Professor Marisa Scheinfeld will be on view at West-chester Community College’s Fine Arts Gallery, Academic Arts Building, 3rd floor, 75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla until February 22. Call 606-6835 for viewing times.

through Feb. 22

At 2pm on February 3, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra will perform with Zubin Mehta and Itzhak Perlman in Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium, NYC. For tickets call 212-247-7800

february 3

www.shorelinepub.com Westchester Jewish Life • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 • 7

January 7 - Seffi Kogen on Jewish Life on CampusJanuary 21 - Moment Magazine Editor Nadine Epstein on Israel, antisemitism and more

A Lost Love: One Family’s Forgotten History

Westchester Jewish Center’s Holocaust Learning Center and World Jewry Committee will welcome author and journalist Sarah Wildman on Sunday, March 3rd from 10-11am. at Palmer and Rock-land Avenues, Mamaroneck.

Years after her grandparents passed away, Wildman discovered a cache of love letters sent to her grandfather by a former lover in pre-war Vienna. In her debut book, Paper Love: Searching for the Girl My Grandfather Left Behind, Wildman details her search to discover in-formation about the mysterious woman, her family’s escape from Nazi persecution, and all that was left behind. Wildman will discuss her research as she pieced together the story of a woman who was desper-ate to escape Europe and still clinging to the memory of a love that defined her years of freedom.

A mom herself, Wildman will also talk about how to approach topics like the Holocaust with our children. How do we impart this knowledge without imposing trauma? How do we keep ourselves teth-ered to the past while looking to the future? And how do we decide how to define ourselves going forward?

Breakfast will be served and books will be sold. For more information call 698-2960.

Global Awareness Initiative for International Holocaust Remembrance DayThe World Jewish Congress launched its

annual #WeRemember campaign, to combat anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred, geno-cide and xenophobia. The campaign, which ran January 6-27, took off simultaneously in 50 countries, in 20 languages, with a number of partners including several social media giants and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Educational Organization (UNESCO).

The 2019 #WeRemember initiative, now in its third year, urged people around the world to

photograph themselves holding a #WeRemem-ber sign and post it to social media, to spread the message that never again must mean never again. Last year, the campaign reached more than 650 million people – more than one out of 11 people worldwide.

Participant photos, interviews with Holo-caust survivors, and messages from influenc-ers of varied backgrounds, professions, ages and religions were projected on the walls of Auschwitz-Birkenau and live streamed from

January 24-27. International Holocaust Remem-brance Day was on January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp in 1945.

Social media companies, including Twitter and Snap-chat, supported the World Jewish Congress’ campaign in various ways. On Snapchat, for example, the Our Story coverage of the day, including content related to Holocaust education, was available on the Discover page on January 27. Snapchatters joined the conversation by submitting their Snaps to the public Our Story using the available Fil-ters.

The United Nations Edu-cational, Scientific, and Cul-tural Organization (UNESCO) also joined the WJC as an in-tegral partner, after launch-ing together a joint website on Holocaust education (aboutholocaust.org). Roberta Grossman and Nancy Spiel-

berg, the filmmakers of Who Will Write Our History, and their distributor Abramorama, were supporting the We Remember project dur-

WJC President Ronald S. Lauder. (c) Shahar Azran / Courtesy of World Jewish Congress

continued on page 12

Julia Dorf Initiates the Fun Buddy Reading Program

Mamaroneck Public Library and the Mamaroneck High School {MHS} Future Business Leaders of America {FBLA} Club invites children aged 6-10 to a Fun Buddy Reading Program and Craft Day on February 16, March 23 and April 6.

Developed by Julia Dorf, the Com-munity Service Director of the FBLA Club, the MHS Junior initiated the program as a way to mentor young chil-dren. Teens from the FBLA club will vis-it the Library from 2-3pm on the above dates to read to the students, create art projects and hold conversations with the young participants.

The program will allow the MHS students to become leaders while help-ing young children grow as learners. Each child will have one-to-one time with a MHS student. “If the program is a success, we are looking to expand to other librar-ies,” Dorf explains.

In addition to her work on the Buddy Reading Program, Dorf is V.P. of the Students for the Protection of the Environment {SPEC} Club where they are organizing a beach cleanup with the Sheldrake Environmental Center. Other volunteer endeavors include the STEM Club, Lions Heart and participating at The Learning Zone in Chatsworth School.

She has been an enthusiastic supporter of The Midnight Run Club at the High School. Dorf ’s interest began through her Bat Mitzvah project at Larchmont Temple, as the syna-

gogue recruited members to help the Larchmont Avenue Church make their visits to deliver goods to the homeless in NYC. She con-tinues to take part in the Midnight Runs.

The Mamaroneck resident has recently won a FBLA Community Service Award for 200 service hours helping at The Coachman Fam-ily Center in White Plains, reading and designing art projects with the children once a month. “In April, I will get a pin at the FBLA State Con-ference in Binghamton for my com-munity service work,” she proudly adds.

“We are hoping for a good turnout at the Fun Buddy Reading Program,” Dorf concludes. “Any young child is welcome to partici-pate.”

Registration for the program is required by calling 630-5894.

Staff Report

Julia reading at Coachman Family Center

Julia Dorf

8 • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 • Westchester Jewish Life www.westchesterjewishlife.com

The Passing of Amiel Wohl, Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Israel of New Rochelle

Amiel Wohl, Rabbi Emer-itus, Temple Israel of New Rochelle, and former New Rochelle, resident, died on January 16, 2019 at the age of 88. For more than 40 years, Rabbi Wohl was a pillar of the Jewish community, whose commitment and passion for bringing together diverse peoples of different faiths and backgrounds, had far reach-ing impact on the larger New Rochelle and Westchester communities.

Rabbi Wohl served as Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel of New Rochelle for 27 years, from 1973 to 2000, when he re-tired. During that time, his ef-forts and reputation for racial harmony extended far beyond Westchester County. He co-founded the Black-Jewish dia-logue group, the Coalition for Mutual Respect, with the then pastor of St. Catherine A.M.E

Zion Church in New Rochelle. The Coalition is still going strong, holding dialogues, con-ferences and social events with Black and Jewish members of the community.

Within the walls of the synagogue, Rabbi Wohl cre-ated a warm and welcoming environment, inspiring and in-fluencing several generations. He was devoted to his congre-gation, which continued long after he retired and became Rabbi Emeritus. Rabbi Wohl was known for his hard-hitting sermons on important social and religious topics and even published a book, Entrusted with the Word, with his 50 best sermons.

In addition to his role as the Senior Rabbi, Rabbi Wohl co-founded and served as President of the Interreligious Council of New Rochelle. He served both on the Human

Rights Commission of New Rochelle and the Westchester County Human Rights Com-mission.

In the aftermath of the

Yom Kippur War in 1973, Rabbi Wohl organized a county-wide Israel Action Committee to plan and coordinate politi-cal action, programmatic and

charitable work for Israel. This grew into the Westches-ter Jewish Conference, now the Westchester Jewish Coun-cil, of which he was the first President. He represented the Central Conference of Ameri-can Rabbis on the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations in the United States and is the past-Presi-dent of the Westchester Board of Rabbis.

Rabbi Wohl was instru-mental in creating a religious broadcast for every Sabbath, the only one in the Metropoli-tan Area, and he hosted a live call-in radio show with Judge Samuel Fredman to discuss issues of the day. Rabbi Wohl also hosted The Coalition for Mutual Respect cable TV pro-gram.

Before coming to New Rochelle, Rabbi Wohl served congregations in Texas,

Maryland and California, and was Chaplain for the Califor-nia State Senate; Rabbinic overseer of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute Reli-gion; Chaplain for Maryland Law Enforcement Officers and auxiliary Jewish chap-lain for the United States Air Force and chaplain for the New Rochelle Police Depart-ment.

Born on June 29, 1930, in Cincinnati, the son of Rab-bi Samuel and Belle Wohl, Rabbi Wohl graduated from the University of Cincinnati and was then ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute Religion. He received an honorary Doc-tor of Divinity from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Insti-tute Religion and honorary doctorate degrees from the College of New Rochelle and Iona College.

Amiel Wohl, Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Israel of New Rochelle

JCC Social Action Event Benefits WJCS Programs

In celebration of Martin Luther King Day, January 21, 2019, WJCS partnered with JCC of Mid-Westchester, Westchester Reform Temple and UJA Federation of New York, and hosted an extremely successful social action event. A group of 160 dedicated volunteers came together and packed hun-dreds of food bags for individuals in WJCS programs throughout Westchester County. Volunteers also wrote inspiring messages of hope and encouragement.

Open Mind Summit Deals with Mental Health

One in four adults will expe-rience a mental health problem over his or her lifetime. Half of those problems start before the age of 14. The students at Solo-mon Schechter Upper School of Westchester chose to devote a full day of learning on January 10 to mental health awareness and de-stigmitization.

Brenda Haas, WJCS Part-ners in School Consultant (far left) worked with head school psychologist Bill Blank, Psy.D. and the students to shape the agenda of the “Open Minds” Summit.

In his opening words, Mi-chael Orth, Commissioner of Westchester County Department of Mental Health, (right photo on far left) talked about the neces-sity to “change the narrative” about mental health issues.

Stephanie Marquesano of The Harris Project (right photo, second from left), Randi Silver-man of Youth Mental Health Project (right photo on far right), as well as WJCS Rabbi Pam Wax and WJCS psychology expert Levi Lipovenko all played important roles.

Topics included: bullying, depression, suicide, anxiety, stress, LGBTQ, and body image. Students from Maria Regina, Westchester Day School, Irvington High School, IONA Prep and

Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County also attended this very special program. Over 600 students and parents attended.

www.shorelinepub.com Westchester Jewish Life • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 • 9

A New Light Shines on The Borscht BeltWith an homage to the

past, Westchester Communi-ty College Fine Arts Gallery is featuring a traveling exhibi-tion based on Marisa Schein-feld’s widely acclaimed book, The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America’s Jewish Vacationland {Cornell University Press}, on view until February 22.

The exhibition includes over 30 large scale color pho-tographs and a selection of archival Borscht Belt ephem-era including postcards, brochures, menus, soaps, pa-per weights and more from the authors own collection, giving context to the once famous resort hotels of the Catskill Mountain region.

Raised in the Catskills, Scheinfeld took her first black and white photography class at age 15. In 2002, she graduated from The State University of New York at Albany having stud-ied under photographer Phyllis Galembo and photographer Abby Robinson at The School of Visual Arts.

“I look at photography as an act of preser-vation. You capture a slice of life and time,” she explains. “I worked at the Concord Hotel while I was in High School, so years later, when I was working on the book, I wanted to celebrate the Borscht Belt, even though things have changed. Capturing the abandoned remains with my cam-era, I was mourning the loss but also cherishing it.”

As a photographer, she is highly motivated by her interest in ruins and the history embed-ded in them. “The remains of the Borscht Belt became an intriguing adventure as it was a place that had a huge impact on me and the commu-nity at large. Of the 50 or so bungalows in years gone by, more than one quarter are now eradi-cated. A majority of people stopped vacationing in the region and left crumbling buildings.

“You can’t recreate the past but you can preserve it. One of my recent favorite photo-graphs from the book and the exhibit, is the picture with the fern growing out of the pool. It shows something new coming out of the past. The cover of the book was also very important to me. It was taken at Grossinger’s and it was just

a picture of a single lawn chair. Today, many small Catskill area towns are being revitalized and the future is emerging.”

Her career path took her to California in the early 2000’s. In 2009, she was accepted into the graduate program at The School of Art, Art History and Design at San Diego State University and over the course of her studies worked with Arthur Ollman, photographer and founding director of MoPA, photographer Kim Stringfel-low and Dr. Carol McCusker, Curator of Photog-raphy at the Harn Museum at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Scheinfeld received her Master of Fine Arts in the spring of 2011 and re-located back to her home state of New York.

Currently, an adjunct instructor of Photog-raphy at SUNY Purchase and Westchester Com-munity College, the Katonah resident is work-ing on a second book. Interested in landscapes, history and folklore, she is tinkering with ideas she says, using a broad theme that involves New York State and the Hudson Valley.

When Scheinfeld had her book published in 2016 with 129 photographs. “I was very appre-ciative of the response it received. The Center for Jewish History helped develop the exhibit with me,” she mentions. “Even though there is a pathos that runs through the project, it has toured in many places. And in 2020 the exhibit will be featured in the New York State Museum in Albany!”

Scheinfeld’s photographs have been exhib-ited widely and her work has been featured in various publications including Newsweek, The

New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Her photo-graphic projects and work as a guest lecturer, have taken her from the United States to Israel, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, India and beyond.

To view the exhibit while in the County, visit Westchester Fine Arts Gallery in the Academic Arts Building, 3rd floor, 75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla. Gallery Hours are Monday through Saturday 10am-3pm and Thursday evenings, 4-6pm. Synagogue groups that wish a private tour with the pho-tographer should visit borscht-beltbook.com

Staff Report

Outdoor Pool, Rosemond Hotel, Woodridge, NY

Indoor Pool, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY

Jen Vegh

WESTCHESTER

JewishLife

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and beyond with local news you need to know.

We are asking our loyal readers of our print and on-line editions to send in their comments and

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10 • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 • Westchester Jewish Life www.westchesterjewishlife.com

Rabbi Dr. Ariel Burger Speaks Lovingly of Mentor Elie WieselBY STEPHEN E. LIPKEN

Writer, artist and teacher Rabbi Dr. Ariel Burger, Ph.D. 43, Sharon, MA. presented his new book, Witness Lessons in Elie Wiesel’s Classroom, 2018 National Jewish Book Award winner in the Biography Category at Young Israel of Scarsdale on Wednesday, January 23rd, sponsored by UJA Federation Westchester.

Speaking privately before the program, Rabbi Burger noted, “I was privileged to be a student of Elie Wiesel for many years. I met him after a lecture at the 92nd Street Y in New York City in 1990 when I was 15 and later became his Teaching Assistant at Boston University.

“I wrote a book about his legacy as a teach-er…and tried to capture his voice. Now I am

sharing stories from the book and hearing peo-ple’s questions about Wiesel’s…themes of faith, doubt and activism…

“It is a call to action to bear witness to the survivors of the past, to those who lived through experiences we can hardly imagine. I believe this deeply changes the way we act towards one another and the most vulnerable in our society...”

Introducing Dr. Burger, UJA volunteer Kar-en Hammerman stressed that there are 45,000 Holocaust survivors in the New York Area, 40% living in poverty, supported through UJA’s Community Initiative for Holocaust Survivors (CIHS).

“In his book, Night, Wiesel stated that after his liberation, he looked into a mirror and saw ‘a corpse.’ Yet he emerged with great joy. Later,

a student asked Wiesel the secret of his happi-ness. ‘Learning,’ he replied, saying that he asked Red Cross representatives for the same volume of Talmud that he was studying before the war.

Rabbi Burger noted that many students in Wiesel’s class were not only grandchildren of Holocaust survivors but grandchildren of Nazi officers, trying to come to terms with their iden-tity as Germans.

“Wiesel often said that listening to a wit-ness makes you a witness. The opposite of a witness is a spectator, someone who watches indifferently.

“This is the first of several reasons why I named my book ‘Witness.’ It is a verb as well as a noun, calling people to action,” Burger con-cluded.Rabbi Dr. Ariel Burger, Ph.D.

(914) Cares and Kids’ Kloset Fashion Show Gala

Kids' Kloset will hold its annual Fashion Show Gala on Sunday, March 10 from 4 - 6:30 PM at Willow Ridge Country Club, 123 North St, Harrison.

Kids' Kloset, a division of (914) Cares, founded by Executive Director, Stephanie Roth, is a vol-unteer-driven program that provides Westchester County children and families in need with donat-ed clothing and related items free of charge. Since Kids' Kloset was opened in 2011, it has provided approximately 17,000 local children with clothing, diapers and other items. Adopted by non-profit (914) Cares in 2018 with a move to a larger location, Kids' Kloset can now help even more families across Westchester County.

The Kids' Kloset Fashion show is an exciting event where 60 kids from across Westchester County, including several recipients of the charity, have the opportunity to walk the catwalk to raise money for Kids' Kloset. Kids from across Westchester County who walk the runway, purchase their outfits for the day and donate it to Kids' Kloset following the gala fashion show, for families in need. It’s a great opportunity for moms, dads and grandparents to watch their fashionistas strut their stuff! This year's fashion show will be hosted by Lindsay Brooke Weiss of the style blog, Coco in Cashmere and will be honoring Diane Katz, for all of the support she has given Kids' Kloset through-out the year.

Reservations are required in advance. The price of tickets is $ 150, which includes one adult and a child. Price of a VIP ticket, which guarantees a front row table to the fashion show, is $350 and covers one adult. There will be cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, silent auction and a fabulous kids' fashion show, all in support of Kids' Kloset.

To purchase tickets, sponsor or to make a donation to the Kids' Kloset Fashion Show Gala visit, https://www.914cares.org/2019-fashion-show/

To learn more about (914) Cares and Kids' Kloset, visit https://www.914cares.org/kids-kloset/

Hadassah Names Rabbi Rebecca W. Sirbu Director of Member and Unit Services

Rabbi Rebecca W. Sirbu has been named Director of Member and Unit Services (M&US) for Hadassah The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA), according to Execu-tive Director / CEO Janice Weinman. Rabbi Sir-bu’s duties and responsibilities for Hadassah’s M&US will include increasing membership, tar-geting younger women in particular, overseeing leadership development and training, and deliv-ering increased services to Hadassah chapters across the country.

HWZOA Executive Director / CEO Janice Weinman states, “HW-ZOA’s centennial celebra-tion this year has brought a renewed sense of pur-pose to the organization and strengthens our commitment to women’s empowerment and sup-port for the State of Is-rael. Rabbi Sirbu will lead our efforts and marshal our resources to target, engage and welcome the next generation of Hadas-sah members.”

Rabbi Sirbu comes to Hadassah directly from her position as founder and director of Rabbis Without Borders at CLAL - The National Jewish Cen-ter for Learning and Lead-ership, where she was responsible for growing a network of 240 pluralist rabbis and reaching over 2 million people. Sirbu is also the founder of www.RabbiCareers.com, an employment search website for rabbis and their employers. Previously, Sirbu was the director at the Cen-ter for Jewish Life and the Metro West Jewish Health and Healing Center at the JCC in West Orange, NJ. Sirbu also held the position of chap-lain at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Hadassah M&US Coordinator Kacy Spiv-ack states, “Rabbi Sirbu brings a fresh perspec-tive and exciting new vision to HWZOA’s M&US Division at an extraordinarily exciting time in

Hadassah’s history. From member engagement and leadership development to exploring the potential of our professional councils, Rabbi Sir-bu brings energy and vitality and a strong sense of purpose to HWZOA’s mission of empowering women and support for the State of Israel.”

Rabbi SIrbu adds, “Hadassah’s mission speaks to everything I care most passionate-ly about, women’s empowerment, access to healthcare, and building connections to Juda-ism and Israel. Using my skills in creating in-

novative programing, lead-ership development, and meaningful engagement, I am excited to connect a new generation of women to Hadassah. Given the rise of the new women’s move-ment in the US, the time is right for Hadassah to grow its network and empower a new generation of women who do!”

Rabbi Sirbu is pub-lished in several books, including “I am Here: The Untold Stories of Every-day People” (Story Shelter; 2015); “Faithfully Feminist: Jewish, Christian and Mus-lim Women on Why They Stay” (White Cloud Press; 2015) and “The Sacred Call-ing: Forty Years of Women in the Rabbinate” (CCAR Press; 2016).

Rabbi Sirbu received her Rabbinical Ordination and Master of Arts from the Jewish Theological Seminary of Amer-ica (JTS) and completed a certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship at Columbia University. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vassar College where she received her Bachelor of Arts in His-tory and Religion from Vassar College. She is also the recipient of the JTS Lillian M. Lowen-feld Prize in Practical Theology and the Abra-ham Berliner Prize in Jewish History. She was named as one of America’s “Most Inspiring Rab-bis” by The Forward newspaper in 2013.

For more information, visit www.hadas-sah.org.

Rabbi Rebecca W. Sirbu

2019 Westchester County Public Health Awards To Recognize Adult and Youth Volunteers

The Westchester County Board of Health is now seeking nominations for the 2019 Pub-lic Health Service Awards. The Board plans to recognize adults and/or non-profit programs as well as young people who have demonstrated creativity and commitment in their efforts to improve public health in West-chester. The Board encourages community leaders, health-care professionals, educators, and residents to submit nomi-nations by Feb. 11 on behalf of the unsung volunteer heroes in their communities.

“Help inspire others to join us in tackling the diverse

work of public health,” said Robert Baker, MD, president of the Westchester County Board of Health. “Nominate local heroes who have volun-teered their time and talents to promote and improve public health in Westchester.”

The Dr Harold Keltz Distinguished Public Health Service Award is presented annually to a person or com-munity-based organization, whose efforts have made an extraordinary contribution to the public health of Westches-ter residents but who is not professionally engaged in pub-lic health work.

The J.R. Tesone Youth Public Health Service Award is an annual award to a student up to age 21 for his or her cre-ative contribution to public health in Westchester. The award was created in 2014 in memory of J.R. Tesone, a Board of Health member with a life-long commitment to West-chester children.

The Board also will high-light the compassion, creativ-ity and commitment demon-strated by a select group of nominees, who will be named Public Health Honorees.

These awards will be an-continued on page 13

www.shorelinepub.com Westchester Jewish Life • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 • 11

Guatemala and how American Jews and others can support this work.

The rabbis, who were joined on the trip by AJWS Global Ambassador Ruth Messinger, also met with top leadership at the U.S. Embassy.

“There is a positive as-pect of anger—it compels you to act,” said Rabbi Baldachin. “You decide that there’s a sense of conviction and confidence that you didn’t have before.”

The fellowship program empowers leading American rabbis to advocate in support of international policies that advance the human rights and well-being of some of the world’s poorest and most op-pressed communities.

In addition to traveling to Guatemala, each rabbi in AJWS’ Global Justice Fellow-ship engages in six months of human rights education and action, including training with AJWS staff in the United States.

The fellows will travel to Washington, D.C. in March to educate members of Congress and other government officials about pressing international human rights issues. With the new Congress challenging the Trump administration on is-sues of American foreign aid, support for human rights and funding for a border wall, these fellows will play a key role in ed-ucating the public and elected officials about the importance of U.S. leadership on the global stage in standing up for human rights and ending poverty.

Years after its civil war concluded, Guatemala contin-ues to grapple with tensions over land, ethnicity and eco-nomic inequality. Indigenous communities make up a major-ity of the country, yet they have little power in government or in shaping decisions that affect their lives. They face intense discrimination and poverty – especially indigenous women, who are doubly disadvantaged, and who suffer from a lack of health care services.

Guatemalan human rights activists and journalists who expose or speak out about these injustices face harassment, in-timidation and violence.

“At a time when human rights in Guatemala are under attack and hard-working resi-dents are fleeing the country and seeking a new life in the United States, it is crucial that these influential Jewish lead-ers learn first-hand from cou-rageous advocates,” said Rob-ert Bank, President and CEO

of AJWS. “Our fellows bring back what they learn to their communities and to the halls of Congress. Together, these rabbis will issue a moral call to action to their communities and persuade decision-makers in the United States to support human rights and end poverty in Guatemala and the rest of the developing world.”

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is the leading Jewish organization working to pursue justice and fight pov-erty in the developing world. By supporting hundreds of social change organizations in 19 countries, they respond to the most pressing issues of our time—from disasters, genocide and hunger to the persecution of women and mi-norities worldwide. With Jew-ish values and a global reach, AJWS is making a difference in millions of lives and bringing a more just and equitable world closer for all. Learn more at www.ajws.org.

Rabbi Baldachin Visits Guatemala to Support Human Rights Advocatescontinued from page 2

Shames JCC Offers Two Exceptional Programs Related to the Holocaust by Prize Winning Translator

Sandra Smith, the prize winning literary translator of Irène Némirovsky, Camus and Guy de Maupassant will be at the Shames Jewish Community Center on the Hudson on several occasions beginning in February.

The noted translator studied at NYU and the Sorbonne. She taught French Literature at Cam-bridge University for many years before moving back to New York, where she has lectured at Bar-nard, Columbia, Harvard and Sarah Lawrence.

The Shames JCC is proud to have Smith give a 4-part lecture series on Irène Némirovsky, the famed French author who died in Auschwitz in 1942. Born in Kiev in 1903, Némirovsky, gained fame in Paris at 16 when she wrote “David Golder.” She is best known for her acclaimed novel “Suite Fran-çaise”, the story of the war as it was unfolding under German Occupation.

Smith, who translated Némirovsky’s 12 novels, will discuss the author’s life as well as “Suite Francaise” in detail, including a showing of the movie of the novel, in a 4 part series, on Thursdays beginning February 7, 2019.

On February 11th, Smith will give another lecture at the Shames JCC entitled, “Jacques Schif-frin: A Jewish Publisher in Exile in New York“. Schiffrin was the founder of Pléiade Editions in Paris, but was fired during the Nazi Occupation, because he was Jewish. With the help of others, he made his way to New York after a very “Casablanca-ish” journey and ultimately co-founded the Pantheon Press Publishing House. Smith’s translation of Schiffrin’s biography will be published next year by Columbia University Press.

Both these programs are being offered to JCC members and the general community. Visit www.shamesjcc.org for more information, the cost, and to register.

Special Meal Deal for Kids at Ben’s DeliFrom February 1 to 28, 2019, all seven Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers loca-

tions are offering a $3.99 Ben’s Kids Meal Deal with the purchase of a regular-priced adult sandwich or entrée available at Ben’s Scarsdale, Woodbury, Carle Place, Greenvale, Bayside, and Manhattan locations. For years, Ben’s has set aside the month of February as a time to provide customers with delicious, freshly prepared, quality meals for children ages 10 and under that don’t break the bank.

The great price is only the beginning. What sets the Ben’s Kids Menu apart from other restau-rants is the parent-approved choices like hand-breaded chicken tenders; real, unprocessed turkey; lean-sliced brisket; fresh ground steak burgers; and other wholesome menu items. Other menu op-tions include lean slices of roast beef or brisket, homemade mini-meatballs with pasta, omelets with their choice of deli meat, and scrumptious hot dogs.

Ben’s is well-known for its homemade cooking and quality ingredients, but did you know that their children’s meals are made from scratch, too? The fries, mashed potatoes and even the pasta sauce are all made in-house. All kids’ meals come with pickles and fresh-cut coleslaw, plus a bottom-less fountain drink and a yummy dessert guaranteed to keep your child smiling and keep your bank account satisfied as well.

“We know that families are feeling the financial effects of the holiday season, so we wanted to give them an option that is wallet-friendly and made with the best ingredients,” says Ronnie Dra-goon, Founder/Owner, Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers.

For more information regarding the $3.99 Kids Meal Deal and other great Ben’s promotions, visit www.bensdeli.net.

Creating Community for Young Adults with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities

BY BARBARA GREENE

For typical 20 and 30 year olds, making friends, building relationships, finding a job, and participating in social and cul-tural activities is what they do. Yes, it takes effort to plan a post-college life but the opportuni-ties are all around.

The POINT (Pursuing Our Independence Together) pro-gram creates such a community for young adults, ages 21 and up, with developmental and intel-lectual disabilities, including people on the autism spectrum. Members of the community live in many apartment buildings in downtown White Plains within walking distance of each other and POINT’s community cen-ter. Members participate in life skills training and social and pre-vocational activities led by staff. With guidance from the POINT staff, our participants are helped to make good deci-sions, able to date, explore who they are, and, most importantly, reach their potential in inde-pendent living and working.

POINT, which just cel-ebrated its 10th anniversary, is administered through a col-laboration of Westchester Jew-ish Community Services (WJCS) and JCCA, and is supported by POINT Family and Friends PFF), a parent advocacy group that is a vital ally in providing fund-raising dollars to enhance our ability to offer exceptional op-portunities to the community. Through the generosity of PFF we are able to offer special les-sons in cooking, technology, art, health and wellness classes, and

more-all led by professionals. Their support also enabled us to enjoy group trips to a variety of destinations, including Nash-ville, TN, Williamsburg, VA, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Niagara Falls.

The opportunities to so-cialize and celebrate holidays and milestones together is vital to the spirit and connection that POINT participants feel. They enjoy celebrations for Memo-rial Day, Halloween, Chanukah, Thanksgiving--and any other reason we can come up with! There is a full social calendar available to participants each month that reflect their inter-ests and needs. Recreational activities include going bowling, seeing movies, going out to res-taurants, and gardening.

The services provided ensure that our members re-ceive the support and services they need to achieve overall health and well-being. Each POINT participant works with a Program Specialist (either a social worker or mental health counselor) who provides over-sight and guidance in order to promote independence and ac-tive participation in daily living within the home and communi-ty. Program Specialists also pro-vide crisis management and 24 hour/7 day emergency coverage.

POINT’s pre-vocational services include group and in-dividual internships as well as a Job Support Group with a 15-week JOBSS curriculum that teaches the soft skills necessary for successful employment. In addition to having created a gen-

uine community, the vocational rate of POINT young adults is more than 50% in paid employ-ment vs. a national rate of 85% unemployment among persons with developmental disabilities.

The sense of community between POINT participants was on full display recently, dur-ing an early season snowstorm when our scheduled social activ-ity was cancelled at the last min-ute. Rather than return to their apartments, POINT participants bundled themselves up, and traipsed through the snow, wind and cold to find a restaurant so they could enjoy dinner together. What could have been a disaster turned into a terrific opportuni-ty for an impromptu outing with friends and an adventure in the snow just like any other group of young adults would do in those circumstances.

POINT is a unique commu-nity of people with developmen-tal and intellectual disabilities who want to live the same life as their siblings and friends. If you know of someone in the metro-politan area who might benefit from POINT, please contact me at bgreene@wjcs.com or call (914) 761-0600 ext. 175. Barbara Greene is Director of the WJCS POINT program.

12 • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 www.westchesterjewishlife.com

ing the global event screening in over 200 venues around the globe.“With levels of antisemitism, xenophobia and Holocaust-denial rampant and rising across the

world, it is imperative that the memory of the Holocaust be shared more widely than ever, to ensure that the atrocities we witnessed just seven decades ago never repeat themselves,” said World Jew-ish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder. “A concerning report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) last month found that nine out of 10 European Jews said they believed antisemitism was getting worse, and a shocking CNN poll released shortly before that found that more than one-third of Europeans know little to nothing about the Holocaust. With fewer survivors among us, it is the responsibility of the next generation to keep their stories and memories alive. Together, we must remember the past to protect our future for generations to come.”

Lauder added, “Education is the key to combatting the spread of antisemitism and hatred, and given today’s digital sphere of influence, social media is the best tool to reach the masses. Since the #WeRemember initiative began, it has become a grassroots movement of wide impact.”

Previous campaign participants include: Pope Francis, United Nations Secretary General An-tónio Guterres, First Lady Melania Trump, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Belgium Charles Michel, Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Senator of New York Charles Schumer, actress Gal Gadot, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Sigmar Gabriel, Holocaust survivors, and support-ers from all walks of life fighting rampant antisemitism.

For more information, visit weremember.wjc.org.

Global Awareness Initiative for International Holocaust Remembrance Daycontinued from page 7

WJC welcomes US government’s passing of Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder has welcomed the US govern-ment’s approval of the Elie Wi-esel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act, which calls on the State Department to estab-lish a mass atrocities task force to help prevent and respond to such crimes. US President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on Monday, January 14, following overwhelming bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

“The US government has taken an important lead-ing step today in speaking out against genocides and atroci-ties and affirming its critical re-sponsibility in working to erad-icate these cancers from within

our society,” said Lauder.“There is no more ap-

propriate person to name this law after than Elie Wiesel, who throughout his life served as a moral compass for humanity. Elie taught the world that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. It is imperative that this message continues to live on,” Lauder said.

“We cannot sit by in si-lence amid the growing threats of terror, racism, xenophobia, and antisemitism,” Lauder. “We must actively pursue the tolerance and security that we wish to see, to make this world a better place for our children and their children. I thank the US government for making it absolutely clear that this criti-

cal issue must be addressed head on by all.”

“Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, the World Jew-ish Congress, together with hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, will hold signs that read We Remem-ber, to post social media using the hashtag #WeRemember,” Lauder said.

“On the face of it, this may seem like a small and insig-nificant act. But it is actually an act of great importance, of global solidarity and resolve to raise awareness about the horrors of the Holocaust, and to fight hatred everywhere and anywhere it may raise its head,” he said.

need to be changed too often; however, sometimes life gets in the way and we need to do a minor tweak here and there or, perhaps even a major re-boot. In fact, good practice dictates that you go for regular, periodic dental check-ups to prevent future problems. The same thing is true for estate planning. You shouldn’ just put your will in a drawer and never re-visit your estate plan-ning again. Remember, it’s not so simple.

Bernard A. Krooks, Esq., is a founding partner of Littman Krooks LLP and has been hon-ored as one of the “Best Law-yers” in America for each of the last seven years. He is past President of the National Acad-emy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and past President of the New York Chapter of NAE-LA. Mr. Krooks has also served as chair of the Elder Law Sec-tion of the New York State Bar Association. He has been select-ed as a “New York Super Law-yer” since 2006. Mr. Krooks may be reached at (914-684-2100) or by visiting the firm’s website at www.elderlawnewyork.com.

Nothing is Simple When it Comes to WillsBY BERNARD A. KROOKS, CERTIFIED

ELDER LAW ATTORNEY

When you think about wills, what person would actu-ally want a complicated will or estate plan? Probably not very many or perhaps no one at all. Upon reflection, however, we think what clients are actually saying is that they want an in-expensive will. In reality, who really cares if a will is simple or not; what we really care about is how much it costs.

So, how do we know what type of estate plan you really need? Well, the best way to do that is to sit down and talk to you. We call this an initial consultation and it generally takes about 60-90 minutes. It’s amazing what we can learn during this time. It’s impor-tant that you be totally honest so that we may help you ac-complish your estate planning objectives. We can’t possibly help you accomplish these ob-jectives if we don’t know what they are.

The problem will likely get worse if not addressed now. Estate planning often costs less to address situations that we know about, than it does to solve problems once they happen. Your lawyer needs to know about all your assets, how they are titled, who your family members are and much, much more in order for the lawyer to do the job properly.

By the end of the conver-sation, we will likely be able to give you a flat fee cost for doing

your estate planning. There may even be some additional options for you to consider, depending on how much you want to spend on your estate planning. Of course, we would not even suggest those options to you if there was not any potential benefit to you. Ul-timately, the final call on how to proceed and what to do and not to do rests with you, the cli-ent. We give you the options, tell you how they may help you and then you decide what you want to do. Ask as many ques-tions as you want, we are here to help.

Keep in mind, even if you really do need a simple will, you will also need advance health care and financial di-rectives so that your loved ones can make decisions for you if you become incapacitated be-fore you die. To many, this is at least, if not more, important as deciding who gets your assets when you pass away.

In any event, there is nothing “simple” about estate planning. It is a process and one that is ongoing. Even af-ter you have completed your estate planning, it still makes sense to review it every few years or upon the happening of a major life event such as the birth of a grandchild, divorce of a child or some other signifi-cant family event.

As lawyers, we do our best to make sure your estate plan is fluid and as flexible as possible so that it doesn’t

NY Congressional Delegation Meets with Gov. Cuomo

On January 8, New York House Delegation met with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in Washington DC. As the Dean of the New York City House delegation, and co-Dean of the State del-egation, Congressman Engel welcomed the Governor to discuss New York’s priorities at the Federal level.

Rep. Engel offered the following statement after the meeting: "As Dean of the New York City Congressional delegation and Co-Dean of the State delegation, I want to thank Governor Cuomo for joining us today in Washington to discuss New York state priorities at the federal level. We are all in agreement that the best way to help New York is to reject the radical Trump agenda that has already hurt us significantly with the passage of last year's GOP tax scam, and is now threatening the SNAP benefits of 2.7 million New Yorkers thanks to the Trump shutdown.

“We send a clear message today with the Governor that New York will not stand idly by while the President holds our country hostage over a ridiculous wall. It's time for the GOP to end the un-certainty for New York families, end the uncertainty for the 16,000 federal employees in New York, and end this shutdown. My thanks to Governor Cuomo for his continued partnership and strong leadership on these critical issues."

Governor Cuomo meeting with Congressman Engel

John E. Baer, SRES, SRS is a NYS licensed real estate salesperson associated with Berkshire Hathaway HomeSer-vices Westchester Properties of Scarsdale and Larchmont. He can be reached for questions at 914/844-2059. His website is www.WestchesterHomes.info.

www.shorelinepub.com Westchester Jewish Life • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 • 13

Westchester Library System Launches Tutor.com’s Learning Suite

Libraries in Westchester County launched a new pro-gram that offers students of all ages live, one-to-one help from professional tutors on-line. Any Westchester resi-dent with a library card can access Tutor.com’s Learning Suite from any computer or mobile device connected to the Internet.

The Tutor.com Learning Suite, a service of The Princ-eton Review, combines on-demand, real-time tutoring with several self-study tools to create a robust, personalized learning or job search experi-ence. The live, online tutoring and job search support is avail-able 7 days a week from 3 pm – 10 pm. Many other features such as The Princeton Re-view’s SAT/ACT Essentials Test Prep are available 24/7.

“This program is indi-vidualized to help every stu-dent be successful in school, whether the child is an honor student tackling new concepts or an English language learn-ing student who needs help developing his or her reading and writing skills,” says Terry Kirchner, Executive Director of WLS. “In addition, it offers

job seekers live, one-to-one help from professional career tutors online. “

Students of all ages and job seekers can find the help they need with Tutor.com. It has a network of over 3,000 professional academic and career tutors who are ready to help with just about any ques-tion you may have. The self-study tools provide additional modes of support that are available 24/7.

Students in kindergarten through second-year college students as well as adult learn-ers can get help with home-work, test preparation, skills and concepts they are learning in class as well as Advanced Placement® test preparation and college entrance exams. Subjects include math, sci-ence, English, Spanish, social studies, ACT®/SAT®, GED®/HiSET®, Microsoft® Office and writing.

Adults or Students work-

ing on essays, book reports, short stories, college/scholar-ship application essays, résu-més and cover letter or tough math problems can drop-off their document or problem for an overnight review to receive detailed guidance and expla-nations.

SAT/ACT Essentials from The Princeton Review’s self-study modules are available to help prepare for the SAT or ACT. SAT/ACT Essentials includes full-length practice tests, a diagnostic score re-port, supporting video lessons and practice drills and college application advice. Get the edge you need to achieve your college dream.

Students preparing for an end-of-chapter test, a final exam or standardized test can use Tutor.com’s Practice Quiz-zes to assess their knowledge on over 100 areas in math, sci-ence and social studies.

The Tutor.com SkillsCen-

ter Resource Library provides 24/7 access to thousands of ed-ucationally sound resources. Students can watch instruc-tional videos, download prac-tice worksheets, customize their own flashcards for study-ing and get test taking tips and much more. Job seekers have access to résumé templates, job search websites and career advice.

Work one-to-one with professional job search coach-es in a supportive and encour-aging environment for help with job searching, online ap-plications, resume writing, interview preparation and much more. This service is easy to use and coaches are ex-perienced in working with job seekers at all levels.

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University. To access Tutor.com visit www.tutor.com/westchester or your local Westchester Library website.

Real Estate Matters by John E. Baer, SRES, SRSIf Your Thinking of Selling Your Home, Do So in 2019

New home buyers are still entering the market. Few people are predicting that 2019 will be a record-breaking year for home prices.

But relatively speaking, 2019 might be the best time for you to put your home on the market. Especially if you’re on the fence about selling this year or next, says Nick Ron, CEO of House Buyers of America.

With available housing inventory remaining low, even with rising interest rates, in 2019 the biggest wave of new homebuyers will be millennials, who are mostly first-time buyers. In a Harris Poll survey of 2,000 U.S. adults commissioned by real estate information com-pany Trulia, more than one-fifth of Americans between ages 18 and 34 said they plan

to buy a home within the next 12 months. The bottom line: Buyers remain active and it’s still possible to prof-it from your home sale.

Interest rates are still low-ish. On January 25, 2019 mortgage rates averaged 4.375% for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage, per data from Freddie Mac. While rates are at their highest level since February 2011, they remain much lower than the historic high of more than 18 percent in 1981. But let’s take a look at what is hap-pening here in Westchester. As mortgage rates increase, owning a home becomes more expensive and sales of homes typically decline. Further, the housing market in Westchester is increas-ingly being impacted by the recent tax bill, its cap on the deductibility of mortgage

interest, and high state and local property taxes. All of these factors negatively af-fect seniors and may just be what seniors need to elect 2019 as the year to sell, par-ticularly before a likely re-cession in the next year or so.

You have high equity. Homeowners who bought during the recession or shortly after benefitted from historically low interest rates and, up until around 2015, lower home prices that were still in recovery mode. If you fall into that category, your home equity has risen with nearly every mortgage payment, each renovation you made to your home and all the other homes on your block that sold for a higher price.

The higher your equity in your home, the more you

net from the sale, which can easily go toward the down payment on your next home. The larger your down pay-ment, the better you look to lenders and the lower your interest rate will be.

Selling in 2019 vs. 2020. If not selling your home in 2019 means putting your house on the market in 2020, the sooner option is the best one. In a survey of 100 U.S. real estate experts and economists by real es-tate information company Zillow, released in May, 2018 almost half expect the next recession to occur in 2020. Another 14 percent believe the recession will hold out until 2021, while 24 percent of panelists expect the re-cession earlier – sometime in 2019.

If you believe we are headed for a recession in the

next year or so, keep in mind when unemployment rises and real incomes fall, more homeowners experienc-ing financial difficulty are forced to sell their homes. Depending on the sever-ity of the recession, this can add a substantial amount of homes to the existing inven-tory of homes for sale. And, when supply increases rela-tive to demand, this causes housing prices to decline. The bottom line: If you are seriously planning to sell your home, do so in 2019.

nounced and presented April 4th to spotlight National Public Health Week, and the honorees and their achievements will be featured on the health department’s web pages. Recent youthful winners have promoted awareness of the opioid crisis on cam-pus or increased sustainability and Earth Day programming, advocated for children affected by cancer or created an app to foster communication between teens with Type 1 diabetes.

Adult volunteers were recognized recently for promoting the construction and preservation of affordable housing and ad-vocating for comprehensive mental health care for low-income residents. Non-profit programs also have been selected for their work to reduce health disparities, improve health literacy, and improve access to care.

Nomination forms are available at www.westchestergov.com/health.

2019 Westchester County Public Health Awards To Recognize Adult and Youth Volunteerscontinued from page 10

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www.shorelinepub.com Westchester Jewish Life • February 2019 • Shevat-Adar 1 5779 • 15

Mazel TovWestchester Jewish Council Celebrates 43rd Anniversary

The Westchester Jewish Council (WJC) will celebrate its 43rd Anniversary Gala, on Sat-urday, February 9, 2019 at 7:15pm at Congrega-tion Kol Ami, 252 Soundview Avenue, White Plains. The celebration will honor Tracey Bilski of Chappaqua, Elizabeth Lampert of Edgemont and Harry Mamaysky of Scarsdale, for their dedication and service to the Westchester Jew-ish community. The evening will feature a cock-tail dinner and dessert by Foremost Caterers with entertainment by comedian Lenny Mar-cus. Kosher dietary laws will be observed.

Tracey Bilski is a philanthropic entrepre-neur with more than 25 years of leadership experience. Her work for the past decade has been defined by the Jewish teenage experience. She co-founded and chaired J-Teen Leadership (2006 to 2013), an award-winning community service and Jewish leadership program engag-ing more than 500 high school students annual-ly. J-Teen Leadership, a program of WJC (2009 – 2018), was recognized by Slingshot as one of the most innovative organizations in North Ameri-ca (2013). During her tenure, Tracey organized fourteen-led service trips to New Orleans and Baton Rouge, LA after Hurricane Katrina, and five teen-led humanitarian missions to Cuba to bring needed supplies to the Jewish community there.

A Harvard MBA and a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program, Tracey has a repu-tation for bringing innovation and metrics to non-profit organizations. She previously worked with the Center for Entrepreneurial Jewish Philanthropy, and has volunteered with UJA-Federation of New York since 1990. As a UJA lay leader, she served as Co-Chair, West-chester Young Leadership (1992-1994), Chair of the Westchester Women’s Philanthropy (2003 - 2005) and presently serves on the Board of Directors and chairs, the Westchester Regional Advisory Council (part of the new Community Lab). Tracey and her husband Mark have lived in Chappaqua since 1989 and have 3 grown daughters; Amanda, Meredith, and Charlotte.

Elizabeth Lampert serves on the Board of the Westchester Jewish Council in which she was invited to serve on the Council’s Security Committee and currently co-chairs this com-mittee. While residing in Australia, Elizabeth volunteered for the Parent Safety Group (PSG) at her childrens’ school, patrolling the outside perimeter of the school at drop off and pick up. Then the Communal Security Group (CSG) re-cruited her. The training included self-defense, and she thought, “Why not? At least I’ll get in shape.” She was hooked in no time, and soon led PSG teams at the school and put in countless hours standing outside synagogues on Shabbat and holidays with CSG.

The family returned to their home in Edge-mont in July 2010. With her security knowl-edge, Elizabeth joined the security committee at Shaarei Tikvah and wrote a Department of Homeland Security grant in 2011. The Com-munity Security Service (CSS) presented at a Westchester Jewish Council Security Round-table, and she began training again. She is also a member of the security committee at the Solo-mon Schechter School of Westchester. She and David celebrated their 25th wedding anniver-sary in 2018. Their daughter Sarah, a senior at Tulane, will make aliyah next year. Emma is a freshman at UCLA, and Daniel is a junior at Solo-mon Schechter. They also have two dogs.

Harry Mamaysky was born in Odessa, Ukraine and came to the US with his family in 1979. He grew up in Rhode Island, where he was educated at the Providence Hebrew Day School and Brown University. While at Brown, Harry met his wife Kelly, who was then a student in New York. After graduating from Brown, he moved to New York and worked as a program-mer at Citicorp. After two years in the business world, Harry went back to school to earn a PhD in financial economics from MIT, after which he worked for two years as a professor at the Yale School of Management. Harry left Yale for what he thought would be a one year sojourn back in the business world, but he ended up staying in the “real world” for thirteen years. At some point, not ready to give up on his academic am-bitions, Harry returned to academia. Harry now teaches at Columbia Business School, where he is also the Director of the Program for Financial Studies.

In addition to his professional interests, Harry has a lifelong commitment to Jewish causes. Having come to America as a child and having been embraced by the Rhode Island Jew-ish community, he has always felt an obligation to give back to the community. Harry has been a member of the Board of the Westchester Jew-ish Council for four years. At the WJC, Harry co-chairs the WJC Security Committee, which works to enhance security preparedness in the Westchester Jewish community. Harry also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester. Harry, Kelly and their children have lived in Westchester for more than ten years.

The Westchester Jewish Council con-nects Westchester’s Jewish communities and strengthens relationships among over 140 Jew-ish organizations and other ethnic and faith based groups, elected officials, Israel and the community at large.

This event is open to the entire commu-nity. For more information contact the Council at 914-328-7001.

Tracey Bilski Elizabeth Lampert Harry Mamaysky

Robert Kraft, New England Patriots Owner, Announced as the 2019 Genesis Prize Laureate

On January 9, The Genesis Prize Founda-tion announced prominent American philan-thropist and owner of the New England Patriots football team, Robert Kraft, as the 2019 Genesis Prize Laureate.

The annual $1 million Genesis Prize, dubbed the “Jewish Nobel” by Time Magazine, honors extraordinary individuals for their out-standing professional achievement, contribu-tion to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values and Israel. The Prime Minister of Israel will present the award to Robert Kraft at a gala ceremony in Jerusalem in June.

In keeping with the Genesis Prize tradi-tion, Kraft has chosen to forgo the $1 million monetary award so that funds can be granted, in his honor, to initiatives combatting anti-Sem-itism and other forms of prejudice as well as at-tempts to de-legitimize the State of Israel.

The award comes during an alarming re-surgence of anti-Semitism and other forms of ethnic- and racially-motivated hate crimes. Ac-cording to the FBI, anti-Semitic incidents in the US increased by 37 percent between 2016 and 2017, while in Europe violent attacks against Jews dur-ing the past several years claimed victims in Brus-sels, Paris, Toulouse, Mar-seille, and elsewhere.

As of 2018, anti-Se-mitic incidents (including those not involving physi-cal violence) were being reported in France and Germany at an average rate of four per day. And the UK has experienced record levels of anti-Semitic activ-ity which have stretched from street level incidents to mainstream politics.

Most dramatically, 2018 saw the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in US history, when eleven Jewish congregants were killed at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in October.

For decades, Kraft has spoken out publicly and donated generously to organizations com-bating prejudices, including anti-Semitism and the de-legitimization of the State of Israel.

Noting the disturbing trends in the U.S. and Europe, Kraft recently made a public pledge that he would further his efforts to help combat anti-Semitism and all hate crimes. As part of this effort, Kraft’s Major League Soccer team, the New England Revolution, will host Chelsea Football Club (UK) in a benefit match at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts in May. All the proceeds from the match – as well as an additional $1 million personal contribution from Kraft, will be granted to initiatives to com-bat prejudices, including anti-Semitism.

Head of the Genesis Prize Selection Com-mittee and Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel Isaac Herzog said, “I applaud Robert Kraft’s decision to focus his energies and the

Genesis Prize award funds on combating anti-Semitism, the de-legitimization of Israel, and ra-cially-motivated hate crimes. The rising tide of anti-Semitism is a threat not only to Jews, but to the very fabric of any democratic society where it is allowed to take place. We cannot be blind to history’s lessons. The time to act is now.”

Larry Summers, a member of the Genesis Prize Committee, President Emeritus of Har-vard University, and the United States Treasury Secretary in the Clinton Administration, said, “Robert Kraft’s extraordinary vision and leader-ship brought enthusiasm and pride to the world of sports. His compassionate philanthropy and the charitable programs funded by the New England Patriots touch many lives in the United States and Israel. He is an American patriot and a great global citizen firmly connected to his Jewish heritage and devoted to the State of Isra-el. He is truly a worthy Genesis Prize Laureate.”

“I am honored to receive the Genesis Prize and thank the Genesis Prize Foundation for its recognition and willingness to direct my prize

monies to such worthy causes,” said Kraft. “This award amplifies my abil-ity to raise both aware-ness and additional funds to fight anti-Semitism, attempts to de-legitimize Israel and other forms of prejudices. It is important that we continue to sup-port organizations that focus on combatting preju-dices by building bridges and uniting people of dif-ferent backgrounds.”

Robert Kraft becomes the seventh Genesis Prize Honoree. Previous honor-ees include U.S. Supreme

Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who re-ceived the Lifetime Achievement Award; former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; actor, producer and peace activist Michael Douglas; “fiddler to the world” maestro Itzhak Perlman; sculptor and advocate for refugees Anish Ka-poor; and actress Natalie Portman, one of the leaders of the women’s empowerment move-ment.

“We are delighted to welcome Robert Kraft to the outstanding family of Genesis Prize Lau-reates,” said Stan Polovets, co-Founder and Chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation. “I cannot think of a more worthy laureate to follow U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Gins-burg, whom we honored last July. Like Gins-burg, Kraft has spent most of his life advocating for a more just society, tolerance and inclusive-ness. He is one of the world’s most generous philanthropists whose charitable giving reflects the Jewish value of tikkun olam – repairing the world.” Polovets added, “Our foundation looks forward to working with Robert and leveraging the power of sports to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of hate and prejudice.”

Robert Kraft