JEWISH FEDERATION OF CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS
TRIP TO ISRAEL
NOVEMBER 2 – 12, 2013

The face of Israel changes from year to year; from the Tel Aviv skyscrapers to the excavations at the City of David in Jerusalem; from the new award winning wineries to the high tech industries in Central Israel; from the renovated, expanded and newly opened museums to the cutting edge approaches to human services.   Israel is more than our preconceived notions of what Israel is all about.

Our journey will take in the old and the new. It will provide opportunities to meet with Israelis from all walks of life, it will expose us to some of the triumphs and challenges facing Israel today…politically, economically, militarily, socially and yes, religiously as well.

As part of the trip (November 2-12), the Jewish Federations of North America will be holding its annual conference in Jerusalem. You will have the option of participating in this exciting conference or continue touring the country.

Special trip discounts will be made available to those who make minimum commitments and increases to our annual Federation campaign.

Rooms have been reserved for you…

Take a look at our preliminary schedule….and start planning your trip of a lifetime as we embark on a magical mystery tour by clicking on this link:  http://jewishcentralmass.org/page.aspx?id=259548

For more information, please contact Howard Borer, Executive Director JFCM, at 508.756.1543 or hborer@jfcm.org

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The most important thing to know is that you certainly are not alone. There are many others dealing with similar issues, and a great place to find them is in a support group. Sharing with others who know, first-hand, what you’re facing can help you find new advances in treatment, ideas or strategies to manage problems or just a safe place to vent frustrations or concerns.

There are several ways to find support groups in Central Massachusetts. Many care facilities run support groups for residents and families, but may welcome community members. Whether your loved one still lives at home or resides in a care facility, speak with the care facility’s social worker to explore options.

Here are some more regional resources:

Alzheimer’s Association, Mass/NH Chapter
This webpage directs you to a list of active groups in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Call the 24/7 helpline for more information: 800-272-3900.

Dodge Park Rest Home
This Worcester, Mass., rest home hosts an active, long-standing caregiver support group: 508-853-8180.

Central Mass Agency on Aging: Senior Connection
Sponsors several on-line support groups or chats for caregivers; click on the link for Support Groups and Chats in the upper right: 508-852-5539;

Elder Services of Worcester, Inc
Sponsors the Family Caregiver Support Program and maintains a list of support groups in the area: 508-756-1545.

If you’re uncomfortable or unable to participate in a group in-person, here are some additional online resources:

Alzheimer’s Association Message Boards
Whatever you’re dealing with, chances are you’ll find information here from someone who’s posted on the message boards.

Aging Care Caregiver Forum
Ask a question, start a discussion or just browse for answers to your concerns about a wide range of issues that caregivers face.

Caring.com Online Support Groups
Find support for Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Parkinson’s, cancer, caring for a spouse and much more.
President of Deborah Fins Associates, PC, since 1995, Deborah Liss Fins is a licensed independent clinical social worker and certified geriatric care manager. Drawing on more than 30 years of professional experience in geriatric care management, DFA offers comprehensive assessments and planning, guidance in selecting appropriate care, help identifying resources for financial support and professional consulting.

But what’s in your hamburger? Or should I say, “horse-burger?”

No, I’m not horsing around. Google: “UK horsemeat scandal” for a plethora of recent news items.

Horsemeat has somehow entered the European food supply chain and has been fraudulently labeled as beef. From the British Isles to Poland, Spain to Scandinavia, Europe is reeling from shock and disgust over widespread equine consumption. Horsemeat has been found in a variety of food products, including lasagna and TV dinners. In fact, many products sold in supermarkets and restaurants throughout Europe claiming to be 100% cow meat — such as Angus hamburgers and meatballs — were in fact entirely horse.

Where’s the beef, you ask? That’s a good question. No one’s sure what happened to it, and how it got replaced with horsemeat. Interestingly, lots of pork was found illegally marked as beef too, but for some strange reason, no outcry was heard. Europeans must have a soft spot for swine. (Donkey meat has allegedly been found too, and the list may be growing.)
And now, the widening scandal is spreading to Asia and the Wild Middle East. Will it soon be “Giddy-up Morsi?” (I sure hope so.)

It’s not just about mislabeling and deceiving consumers. It’s also a public health concern. Apparently, a drug called phenylbutazone, also known as “bute,” has been found in numerous horses slaughtered in the UK, and is thought to have entered to human food chain. Used as an anti-inflammatory painkiller for sporting horses, bute has been banned for animals intended for eventual human consumption, as it is may be harmful in large concentrations.

Do you think your meat is safer here in the US? I remember back in the seventies when a variety of non-bovine meat was allegedly found in “beef” dishes in fast food chains across the US. Just last year, US consumers awoke to news reports of so-called “pink slime” in our food chain, labeled as “beef.” Although pink slime, officially known as “lean finely textured beef,” does come from cow, it does not necessarily come from muscle tissue, what one would normally call “meat,” but from cartilage, connective tissue and sinew. Sounds kind of slimy to me.

As far as the current horsemeat scare is concerned, no horsey surprises have been found in the US food supply just yet, but that might just be because there are no horse abattoirs in the US. Americans aren’t particularly fond of horses for eating, but just for riding, according to a recent “Gallop” poll (just kidding).

But all horse jokes aside, how can you be sure what you’re eating, anyway? Can you trust the USDA (or what ever the British version is) to ensure that you’re actually getting what you think you’re buying? Well, some folks think that government quality control is infallible, but I say they’re backing the wrong horse. And thanks to relying on Euro-gov’t “quality control,” the wrong horse has ended up on their very own dinner plates.

Society has always told us not to put the proverbial cart before the horse. But for crying out loud, don’t put the horse into your shopping cart.

I know for some, fast food and frozen dinners are an excuse to “eat like a horse.” But for goodness steak, don’t eat the horse!!

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean to beat a dead horse or anything. Nor am I anti-government. I certainly appreciate the USDA’s efforts to keep us safe, and far be it from me to look the gift horse in the mouth. But all I’m saying is, we cannot rely on government agencies alone to certify what we put into our bellies. Trusting government to keep us healthy might just be a modern Trojan Horse. And health isn’t just bodily. There’s spiritual health too. If you’re Jewish, to ensure maximal spiritual and bodily health, there’s only one way to go: kosher.

Several years ago, I had a discussion with a friend about why to only buy strictly kosher meat. After explaining the criteria of kosher animals, the rules of shechita (ritual slaughter) and koshering process, and the spiritual benefit of keeping kosher, I also explained that kosher meat requires constant supervision of a mashgiach (a reliable, Torah-observant Jewish individual who serves as kosher supervisor) until it is packaged, sealed and labeled. We then discussed other foods like dairy and fish that require hashgacha t’midit, constant supervision, in order for the consumer to be ensured that they are indeed kosher.

My friend was skeptical. “What are the chances of pig or horse milk entering the human food supply?” he scoffed.

Quite frankly, after last week’s news, nothing would surprise me.

From a kosher perspective, however, no one should be alarmed about the horsemeat scandal. You see, non-kosher beef is every bit as treif (unkosher) as horse, ham or donkey.

If you buy kosher, the hechsher (Rabbinic seal of approval) vouches for the authenticity and kashrut of the beef you’re buying. And if you don’t buy kosher, well, then you may just as well be eating horsemeat anyway, from a kosher perspective, at least. So quit beefing about it.

We have a giant supermarket here in Northborough that claims to sells kosher meat in its deli. The only problem is that there is no kosher butcher, and the kosher meat is removed from its original packaging, cut up and put on display. The supermarket’s butcher does have separate knives and cutting boards that he claims only to use for the kosher products. But alas, according to the strict laws of kashrut, due to its lack of hashgacha supervision, the so-called “kosher” deli meat is 100% NOT kosher.

I’ve discussed this with numerous local Jews. Many people have argued that while it may not be authentically kosher, it’s (sic) “close enough for me.”

Well, to this I say: “close” only counts in horseshoes.

Bottom line: if you really want to avoid horse for your main course, you just gotta just adhere to a higher source — the Torah, perforce.

It’s time to beef up our kosher observance, folks.

Ok, some of you might be thinking: “Hey come on, Rabbi! Get off your high horse. You can buy kosher meat galore in Jewishly-saturated neighborhoods like Brookline or Newton, but we live out here in horse country. No kosher butcher here for of miles.”

To you I say, whoa! Hold your horses. How do you know there’s nothing kosher nearby? Have you checked in your local supermarkets? You may be pleasantly surprised. If they don’t stock it, maybe if you apply pressure, they might agree to carry it. I have recently found kosher poultry and beef in the most unlikely of places, like Walmart, Price Chopper and Stop ‘n Shop.
If there’s a will, there’s a way. Throughout our long history, Jews have managed to keep kosher in the most remote and exotic of locations, from the Wild West to the Far East, in the best of times and the worst of times. Certainly in twenty-first century suburban USA with an all-time high percentage of food items sold in average supermarkets being kosher, one can put forth the effort and manage to keep kosher.

No one ever said being Jewish is easy. So stop kvetching and experience the joys of kosher living!

It doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.” One can begin keeping kosher observances gradually, “yiddle by yiddle,” as they say.

A Jewish family struggling to find their comfort level in Jewish observance once confided to their rabbi: “We keep a strictly kosher kitchen, but we sometimes eat out…”

Replied the rabbi: “Then you have kosher pots and a treife boich!” (an un-kosher belly).
When told the same comment by a congregant, Rabbi H. Fogelman of Worcester, MA, once responded : “Then I guess you’re dishes will go to heaven.”

Sigh. I guess you can lead a horse to the water…

But in all seriousness, Jewish observance doesn’t have to be 100% or zero. It’s not just “Yea or Neigh.”

Take baby steps. Start by cutting pork, seafood, and shall I say, horsemeat. Then begin to separate between dairy and meat. Then eliminate treif chickens and beef altogether. In short time, you’ll be champing at the bit to “go kosher” entirely.

Don’t feel you’re too set in your ways to make a change. In Judaism, it’s never too late to change horses midstream.

Not surprisingly, in the wake of the horsemeat scandal, kosher meat sales are surging in the UK (according to an article I read today). Here in the US, kosher consumption has been on the rise for years. According to a recent statistic I read, a whopping 85% percent of kosher consumers in the US aren’t even Jewish! Everyone’s catching on.

So whether you’re pedestrian or quedestrian or equestrian, trot over to your local kosher food store and buy Kosher.

If you’re a novice, gallop over to a reliable website to learn the rules of kosher.

Better yet, visit your local rabbi for kosher instruction. It’s always better to hear it straight from the horse’s — I mean Rabbi’s — mouth.

And while you’re at it, why not prance over to shul and attend a crash course on the laws of kosher (but please don’t crash on the way, especially if you’re horseback).

As for me, I’ll continue to whinny until I’m hoarse, “Keep Kosher!”

By Rabbi Michoel Green, Rabbi, Chabad of Westborough

Clinic site in Dominican Republic

On March 23rd, a group of UMass Medical School students and UMass affiliated preceptors including Dr. Rob Honig, past-President of the Jewish Federation, flew together to La Romana in the Dominican Republic. Our goal was to deliver medical care to patients not covered under the island’s national healthcare system – mostly the families of the Haitian sugarcane plantation (‘Batey’) employees who were not covered by the DR health system due to non-citizenship, or by the plantation’s healthcare due to their non-employee status.

It was an incredible experience to see how our patients lived. As a Spanish speaker, I was able to talk directly with them to learn about their lives, priorities, and knowledge. I was taken by the patients’ generosity and friendliness.

One of my favorite experiences was the day I handed out de-worming solution to the children on one of the Bateys. I asked each child how old they were and then measured out the right amount – since this wasn’t instantaneous, the kids got a bit rowdy, like kids everywhere. A few moms came over and helped me restore calm and convince them to line up. After everyone had received de-worming solution, we “painted” some nails with markers and I learned a clapping game in Spanish… just like kids everywhere. Another part I loved about this exercise was that when a kid, frequently a toddler or baby, would be carried over by a woman,  I would ask for the child’s  exact age for measurement purposes.  The woman would reply, “Ask the mom! She’s right over there.“  Then the mom, usually holding onto another kid, would tell me. I thought it was so wonderful that the families were so integrated with one another in the community. It made me think a lot about how we sort of isolate ourselves with our own priorities and independent spaces – whereas if we reached out more, we might feel more connected as a community.

Jews and non-Jews of UMASS participating in Seder. Robert Honig seated 3rd on right side.

Another beautiful experience I had during the trip was a Seder!  It turned out that the trip fell during the week of Passover… but luckily, Dr. Rob Honig of JFCM (along with Dr. David Katz, another Jewish doctor from Western Mass) were both here with me and saved the day. Together, the three of us prepared a small Seder, including Haggadot, matzo, and delicious charoset prepared according to a great recipe from Dr. Honig.  Everything was set out on a plastic Seder plate decorated with toys to represent the plagues. Unexpectedly, almost a dozen older students and preceptors along with fifteen or twenty of the first-year students joined us at the Passover table!  We said a few of the blessings, and then Dr. Honig and I took turns telling the story of Pesach, beginning with “Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt” followed by the Midrashic stories of baby Moses putting the coal in his mouth, and the Hebrew children walking all the way into the Red Sea before it parted and ending with our celebration and redemption on the far shore. It was a wonderful event and it was frequently mentioned during and after the trip by a number of people as one of highlights. It really brought new meaning to the idea of being strangers in a strange land and inviting others to share in the celebration of Passover.

I will carry the many lessons I’ve learned during my trip with me at future interactions with patients, and with the Jewish community. I hope to become more generous, thoughtful, and full of a welcoming spirit as a result.

By Miri Madsen

Miri Madsen is a member of the Young Adult Council of the Jewish Federation of Central Mass.  She is a newcomer to the Central Mass area as a Medical Student at UMASS Medical School. JFCM/YAD has partnered with Miri and other UMASS’ers to help revitalize JewMass, the Jewish student association at UMASS.

Later, I would attend Worcester State College and Clark University before leaving New England for San Diego (1992-2008) where I would end up working in the wine industry as a Sommelier; a VP for a boutique winery;  an advisor for the San Diego State University Business of Wine program; and host 80 wine events for the Jewish Federation’s Young Adult Division in San Diego.  In 2006, as a member of San Diego’s YAD Executive Committee, I attended Tel Aviv One which sent about 1200 “young” Jewish leaders to Israel as a group. I was so impressed with how Israel had evolved in 26 years since my first and only time there (including the wines) that in 2008 I made aliyah settling in Ra’anana, just northeast of Tel Aviv.

I had no family or friends in Israel or an idea what I would do; just a passion for Israel and a proven knowledge and talent working with wine and a desire to marry the two.  After working at a winery and starting to travel the country visiting some or now most of Israel’s 300 wineries, I brought to bear another passion of mine to the mix: Writing!!!

I had been writing for publications since before I was a teenager and won a poetry contest at twelve sponsored by Big Brothers that awarded me a small plane trip around New England which truth be told scared me to the core but still filled me with a desire to write more and more. I would write for AZA’s international publication, my college newspaper, company newsletters, and for magazines and newspapers in every city I lived in about almost anything including interviewing celebrities, inner city crime, holistic health (I became certified as a Holistic Health Practitioner in San Diego in 1994) and national and international politics. I’d also publish two poetry/art books that sold 1,000 copies each.

So, it was a melding of actually three passions when I started writing about Israeli wines in 2008. I would end up writing hundreds of articles for various magazines and websites including ESRA magazine ( English Speakers Residents Association) the Diplomatic Club magazine (which is sent to diplomats, foreign journalists and UN and Red Cross workers serving in Israel), Viewpoint magazine (for the Young Israel movement in the US), Travelujah.com (a popular site for Christian tourists visiting Israel) Hakerem ( israel-wine.org) & Pride of Israel (wines-Israel.co.il/en/) the two most popular English websites about Israeli wine as well as appearing weekly in Hebrew (translated from English) at Alchol V’Chateau (foodis.co.il) one of the more popular Hebrew food & wine sites in Israel. Now, I’m one of only two writers writing weekly about Israeli wines in English and the only one I know both in English and Hebrew. For three years, I also produced and appeared as the featured guest for over 100 episodes of the world’s only weekly English radio show and podcast about Israeli wines and it helped me gather a world wide following that continues today.

Since writing for publications has become less and less lucrative since the advent of the internet and blogs, I’ve adopted many vocations surrounding wine in Israel. I’ve given lectures about Israeli wine at Tel Aviv University to visiting physicians. I’ve trained Israeli diplomats to talk about Israeli wines before they go overseas. I’ve lectured to culinary students about Israeli wines and how to match food and wine. I’ve conducted dozens of events including several for US diplomats, as well as acted as consulting Sommelier for restaurants; a promoter for wine festivals; a marketing consultant for wineries & vineyard growers; a wine broker and hosted VIP events and tours featuring Israeli wines including for two top chefs from New Orleans.

Yet, two of my proudest accomplishments were to honor and host three VIPs from my life in Worcester. In 2010, my mother, Worcester native Janice Goldstein, visited Israel for the first time and we traveled the country for a month spending about 1/2 the time visiting wineries and wine festivals as I worked (seeing the typical cultural sites the other 1/2 of the time). She then knew after 30 years why I fell in love with Israel in 1980. Just a few months ago, I had the pleasure to tour a wine festival in Jerusalem with Rabbi Davids and Resa. They now live half their year living in Jerusalem and the other half in the US. To give the couple who first introduced me to Israel a tour on Israeli wines was for me closing a circle and a journey that started over 30 years ago that I hope will never end.

David Rhodes is a California trained wine writer born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, living in Israel since 2008. David has written hundreds of articles about Israeli wine and also writes about Israeli politics and culture for various publications. David can be reached at israeliwineguy@gmail.com

Some of the contest winners present at the Community Yom Hashoah program at B’nai Shalom on April 7th: left to right. Ben Black, Becky Feldman, Bayla Cohen, Rachel Black, Emma Black, Caleb Polsky, Hannah Mainhart, and contest sponsor Larry Cann.

This year’s writing and artistic challenge was focused on the righteous, specifically the Danish people who saved nearly the entire Jewish population of Denmark.  Awards are given based on 2 age groups, seniors, grade 8-12, or juniors (grades 6-7).  Aside from cash prizes for 1st and 2nd place winners, a donation to Beit Singer (a residence for at-risk children in Afula) is made in the winner’s name.  As every student who participates in this contest is a winner, all receive a Certificate of Participation.

Here is this year’s first place senior essay winner entitled “Righteous Among the Nations,” written by Chaya Muska Green, and first place in poetry, Orit Cohen, for her piece entitled “Equal.”

 Righteous Among the Nations

Innocent Jews being tortured, gassed, and executed. Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children perishing every day as if they never existed. The nations of the world stood by and watched, horrified at the sight, but petrified to even get close. No country stood up for the unfortunate people, who were, day after day, being murdered and slaughtered by the cruel Nazis, like animals devouring their prey. Some didn’t care to help, and others were too frightened to get involved. They were scared enough for their own lives to help those being rounded up and deported. The countries gave their Jewish inhabitants over to Hitler, little by little, with no city concerned enough about their neighbors to fight for them, to stand up for them, or to save their lives. Blood stained the streets of France, Poland, Russia, and Germany. Death shadowed over the once bright and alive air. The darkness spread a haunted gloom over the cities which seemed unstoppable. The whole world watched in amazement and shock, waiting for something to happen or someone to do something. But no one did.

In one small country, at the edge of Europe, there was a tiny light shining in the hours of the blackest shade of darkness. One nation, putting itself in great danger, decided they would not tolerate this cruelty. They told the Nazis who had invaded their city that “there was no Jewish problem,” and they were determined to fight for their Jewish friends using whatever it took, even if it meant subjecting themselves to torture and death. The Danish people, the “Righteous Among the Nations,” rescued thousands of Jews with their own hands. They understood that Jews were individuals just like they were, and would not allow human beings to be slaughtered before their eyes.

When the non-Jewish Danes heard that the Nazis planned on rounding up all of the Jews on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, they quickly began to do all that they could to help. They warned the Jews, hid them in their own houses, and helped them escape, whether they were friends or even total strangers. Within two weeks, thousands of Jewish citizens were secretly smuggled over to Sweden, a neutral country. Peter Ilsoe, a Danish resident, who was 23 years old at the time, said, “We felt that the Jews were Danes like us, and we knew we had to help them. Everyone felt that way.” The entire country protested the German “decree” to round up the Jews.

The Lutheran Church, which was the official state church of Denmark at that time, took a very big part in saving the Jews and fighting anti-semitism. The Bishop of Copenhagen wrote a statement signed on all of the church’s behalf, sent it to the Germans, and read it aloud throughout all of Denmark protesting the brutality. The Danes also provided food and money for the Jews and hid their Torah scrolls. Rabbi Bent Melchior, who was fourteen years old at that time, said, “The Danes knew that the punishment for hiding Jews was death, but they didn’t dream of handing us over. Boats of every color, shape, or size were used to transport Jews to Sweden. Some people were brought in large fishing boats, while others even used kayaks and rowboats.”

The Danish people are truly righteous and deserve to be acknowledged. Their heroic acts saved more than 7,000 Jewsfrom torture, concentration camps, and gas chambers. They gave the Jews life, showed them hope, and turned death into light. An excellent example of “Righteous Among the Nations” is the honorable Danish men and women, wh0risked their lives for the lives of others.

EQUAL

Cries, Whimpers, Sobs, Grief
Hands shaking
Heart beats pounding
Confused
Are we different?

An outstretched hand
Warmth, Strength, Power, Kindness
Raises me up
My equal

Leads me
Guides me
Protects me

Why?

It could mean death
It could mean pain
It could mean the end

Maybe,
We are not different

Maybe,
We deserve life

Maybe,
Going on knowing one did nothing is death itself

But to risk their lives
For me,

Why?

Sometimes,
It means more
Sometimes,
There is an impulsion

Sometimes,
It hurts to stand by and watch

And as for me,
I will always remember

I will always see that face

I will always keep pushing through

When I thought it was my turn,
I gave up

Everything

I will never lose hope again

I have been taught,
There is always reason to live

Someone to live for
Something to live for
Maybe,
We are not different

Maybe,
We deserve life

Maybe,
Going on knowing one did nothing is death itself

But to risk their lives
For me,

Why?

Sometimes,
It means more
Sometimes,
There is an impulsion

Sometimes,
It hurts to stand by and watch

And as for me,
I will always remember

I will always see that face

I will always keep pushing through

When I thought it was my turn,
I gave up

Everything

I will never lose hope again

I have been taught,
There is always reason to live

Someone to live for
Something to live for

But to live

As long as I am alive,
It is my duty, my job, my responsibility

To save a life when I can

For a life is a life, and no one can claim otherwise

I am to you as you are to me

The Holocaust was a horrific event that will never be forgotten. We will always remember and grieve over those who lost their own lives or the lives of loved ones. It is hard to imagine the unimaginable, and what the Nazis did to the Jews and other minorities was truly barbaric. However, were it not for the Danish people, the righteous among the nations, thousands of more Jews would have perished in this genocide. And for that, this heroic nation, in which so many risked their lives for their fellow Danes, deserves to be recognized for its tremendous bravery.

May 5th: Grab your garden gloves, rakes, leaf blowers, clippers, et al and help with the spring cleaning of  Worcester Jewish Cemetery at 9:30 am.  Immediately following, join us for a lunch BBQ at Lisa and Justin Holtzman’s house.  Address given upon RSVP on the Facebook page below.

C’mon Get Happy!! 

YAD’s Thursday Night Monthly Happy Hour 6:30– 8:00 pm..first round on us!

May 9:  Armsby Abbey, Main Street, Worcester

Monthly Shabbat Dinner

May 17:  Home of  Melissa Green.  7:00 pm.  RSVP what you are bringing and for address via the YAD Facebook page below.

Kosher Sex—Part II

May 19th: Home of Sara K.  Address given upon RSVP. 5:30—7:30 pm. Rabbi Gurevitz from B’nai Shalom will be guest host answering all of your burning questions!

PLEASE NOTE: Event times and places may change  last minute for unforeseen reasons.  Unless otherwise noted, please RSVP , and keep up to date on all our  events on Facebook, Jewish Central or our Meet-Up page:

www.facebook.com/groups/centralmassyad/
www.jewishcentral.org   or,
www.meetup.com/WorcesterYJP/

Join us for a fun-filled morning when PJ Library visits with the Beth Tikvah and  Boroughs JCC preschools for  a celebration of an all-school Shabbat on Friday, May 17th from 9:30 am – 11:00 am at their homes at 45 Oak Street, Westborough, MA.  Please arrive on time as there is so much for your children to do and enjoy!!!

Activities include:

• Music and Movement
• Challah Baking
• A Special Shabbat Craft
• PJ Library Storytime  and Snack

Our Israeli Emissaries Riv and Ziv will also be there to meet everyone.

This event is open to all prospective, current and future PJ Library members of all ages along with their parents, grandparents or caregivers.

is a program of the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts, Harold N. Cotton Memorial Leadership Fund in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

As Chair of the Yom Hashoah Contest Committee, Larry Cann goes on to share his pride in our young community, “All of our young people went beyond the given outline and created what they were feeling, keeping in mind the mitzvah to remember…Zachor.”

So you too can see what thought, passion and work went into this project, here is  some of the artwork entered:

Rachel Gow – Senior Art

Naomi Russo – Senior Art

Hannah Mainhart – Senior Art

Emma Black – Junior Art

Elana Kates – Senior Art

Caleb Polsky – Junior Art

Yet due to the unbelievable reaction of bystanders, medical professionals, volunteers, storekeepers, restaurant staff, and so many others, a greater loss of life was averted.

We all sat riveted watching the eventual capture of one of the perpetrators of this cowardly event. It is unfathomable to those who value life to even imagine the hate that these individuals possessed, even more so in a country that they adopted as their own and gave them so much.

But acts like the Boston Marathon bombing are bewildering to us, for just that reason: for us there is no way to comprehend the minds of fanatics. There is no rational thinking; there is no way to engage or communicate effectively with individuals whose ideology leaves no room for any discussion or compromise.

Israel who has lost over 1,000 lives to terrorism over the past decade understands the imperative to be constantly vigilant and to do all that it can to avert these attacks. But we can also learn an important lesson that we also learned after September 11, and that Israelis have learned as well. Life must go on and we must continue to live our lives as before.

One of the things that keeps us all grounded in times like these are our families and communities. We reach out to one another, seek to help where we can, provide comfort and solace to those in need and provide encouragement to those who require it.

We are indeed fortunate to live in a community that embodies the values outlined above. We care for each other, and do our best to respect the opinions of others in our community. At times like this it is important for our community to pull together and not to pull apart. It is time to listen to one another and not be impatient or intolerant. If we can learn anything from the April 15 events, it is that we are all fragile, there is a time limit for all of us, and that we are much stronger when we work together to solve any issues that might confront us.

Howard Borer
Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Central MA