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Volume 10, Number 3 Passover/ COVID-19 2020
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Life CYCLE
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If you have a condolence that you would like for us to include in Life Cycle please e-mail the information to jewishnews@bellsouth.net. All submissions are subject to acceptance of the Editor. the late Edward Heller. Alice Miller Jacobs Weiss, wife of Sandra Cotlar Kanter Marc Weiss. Samuel Harold Singer Leslie Young Kastl, wife of Dr. Albin “Sonny” Fisher, the hus- Peter Kastl. band of Barbara Hertz Fisher and J.M. “Jimmy” Fried Jr., husband father of Chuck Fisher. of Mollie and father of Edwin, Jacob Marc Dinner, grandson of Rabbi Lucy Dinner (Jeff) and Mollie & Jimmy Fried. James (Carli). Sandy Peilen Heller, mother of Milly Denegre, and Barbara, CONDOLENCES grandmother of Isabelle Meyers, To Randy Pick on the death of his Edward Denegre, Mathilde Dene- mother, Thaia Pick. gre, and Tobias Heller, and wife of IN MEMORIAM
ChaiLights features announcements of births, B'nai Mitzvahs, engagements, weddings, and honors. To request your special event be published in The Jewish Light send your material to United Media Corp., P.O. Box 3270, Covington, LA 70435 or e-mail jewishnews@bellsouth.net. Events are published on a first come, first served basis, as space permits. Photographs are welcom; professional ones preferred. The must be clear and in focus.
MAZEL TOV To: parents, Jospeh & Goldi Sybony and grandparents, Bruce & Judy Yaillen, on the birth of a healthy baby boy in Israel Leo Sybony was born on Thursday, February 13, 2020 To: Anne Zoller Kiefer on the birth of her granddaughter, Harlee Diane Stevens. Parents are Jay & Jennifer Kiefer Stevens To: the Beerman Family who were honored at this year’s JCRS gala To: A.J. Pereira & Leo Rosen for making it to the T2 Tennis playoffs in Atlanta. To: Susan Hess for being named one of St. Charles Avenue Magazine’s Activists of the Year. To: Peter Webb for winning the Charley V. Wootan Memorial Award for his doctoral dissertation. To: Verdie Richburg on retiring
as the Assistant Director after 40 years with the Jefferson Parish Public Library and was on the selection committee that granted the Loving Cup to Bob Merrick for this year. To: Carlos & Terry Kronberger on the wedding of their son, Alexander Kronberger and Cristina Stanojevich. To: Lauren Levy Neustadter, daughter of Sandy Levy, and Hello Sunshine for being nominated for 2 Golden Globes and featured in the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Luncheon. To: Jeffrey Goldring, who has recently started a term as the President of the Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, which owns the Jazz Fest, and invests the proceeds into many, many community arts and cultural organizations.
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The ‘Painful and Deep’: Jewish COVID-19 SPECIAL COVERAGE Nonprofits Face Dire Economic Prospects During and After Coronavirus By Ben Sales
The main entrance of the StaenbergLoup Jewish Community Center in Denver, July 27, 2018. At the time, the center had staved off financial worries thanks to a newly formed nonprofit that bought its property and infused it with cash to wipe out $14.3 million in debt. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
NEW YORK (JTA) — Some 38,000 people work at Jewish community centers across North America, staffing preschools, camps, gyms, classes, activities for seniors and more. Because of the coronavirus crisis, a lot of them are going to lose their jobs. “The cuts are going to be painful and deep,” said Doron Krakow, CEO of the JCC Association of North America. “They are going to go into what I
would call a hunker-down mode, which means that they’ll be subject to the kind of staff reductions that we are reading about affecting other industries.” When the crisis ends, Krakow said, “The institutions themselves will be smaller, lesser versions of themselves operationally.” In other words: It’s going to be bad. That’s the message leaders across the Jewish organizational world are sending as the scope of the coronavirus-induced financial crisis becomes clearer. In addition to having health concerns surrounding COVID-19, Jewish nonprofits are anticipating layoffs, downsizing and closures during the economic downturn that will most likely deepen over the course of the virus scare. And even as Jewish philanthropic leaders work to shore up shortterm funding, the longer-term prospects for Jewish organizations, as for so many others, appear increas-
Table of Contents Chai Lights
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Covid-19
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Passover
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Education
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Bookshelf
18
Entertainment
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Financial
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The Nosher
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Focus on Issues
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Kveller
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Jewniverse (Jewish Culture & History)
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Opinion
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ingly bleak. “If you go to a zero-revenue model for an undetermined amount of months, even the strongest of institutions is going to be challenged,” said Eric Fingerhut, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, the umbrella organization for a $3 billion Jewish philanthropic network that employs some 10,000 people. “This is literally hitting every single institution in every single community,” he said. “Every synagogue, every JCC, every camp,
A group takes a tour of the Tenement Museum, which tells the stories of Jewish and other immigrants to New York, in 2008. The museum has closed temporarily and shedded most of its staff. (Kiko Niwa)
every human service agency, every, every, every.” JCCs across the country are closed for social distancing. As 80% of their revenue comes from fees that clients pay for services, they are making almost no money. Thus, Krakow said, people like personal trainers, preschool teachers and — depending on the time frame — camp counselors are going to be laid off. Krakow said the other 20% of JCC income comes largely from donors and foundations. As these funders see their stock portfolios dip and endowments shrink, they may donate less to institutions that need money now more than ever. Jewish cultural institutions are hurting, too. The Tenement Museum, which tells the stories of Jewish and other immigrants on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, shrunk last week from a staff of 68 fulltime and 70 part-time employees to a core group of just five that are still receiving full-time pay. Everyone else has either been laid off, had their hours cut or is not receiving salary. The museum had 282,000 visi-
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tors in the last fiscal year. Now it’s closed until at least March 31 — and likely far longer. Its president, Morris Vogel, is working full-time with no pay. But he says he draws optimism from the stories of immigrants who survived the 1918 flu epidemic, as well as an 1892 quarantine of residents on the Lower East Side. “They took enormous risks, they displayed extraordinary bravery,” he said. “We can’t fail in our obligation to keep their stories alive. In doing so we find hope to which we can lay claim in moments that are as unknowable to us as the Lower East Side was to folks who came from the Polish shtetl.” The Jewish Funders Network, which convenes large donors and foundations, has called on funders to increase or maintain their giving — something that CEO Andres Spokoiny said did not always happen after the 2008 financial crisis. The network got 18 foundations to commit publicly to paying out grants for conferences or programs that have been canceled. But Spokoiny said uncertainty about what lies ahead makes long-term planning difficult. “We may have a recession, we may have a depression, we may have See NONPROFITS on Page
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I’m A Veteran Expert In Stopping Epidemics. Here’s Why Jewish Institutions Should Cancel Everything. By Gary Slutkin
CHICAGO (JTA) — I am an infectious disease epidemiologist who worked at the World Health Organization on epidemics in over 25 countries around the world. As a physician and member of the Jewish community, I prize the Jewish teaching that places the saving of a life above all other laws and practices. It is my expert opinion that as a result of the emergence of the novel coronavirus COVID19, the Jewish community (along with all religious and community groups) must change what we are doing immediately: We need to suspend our usual religious services and social gatherings. Many communities have recognized the emergency and already made this change, and more and more are doing so in the hours before Shabbat begins. But others are still making small-scale changes or contemplating what to do next. Each community and individual will have to work within their own traditions and norms. But as an epi-
demiologist, I know that these rec- That’s why I recommend that we as ommendations will save lives. Jews temporarily but immediately I have worked to help stop epi- refrain from attending synagogues and other in-person meetings, no matter whether we live in an area where there is a known case of COVID-19 or not. This virus is easily transmitted through droplets in the air, through hand to hand (to face) contact and on surfaces, and is much more danKeeping the synagogue pews empty gerous than the seasonal flu. The temporarily is seen as one way to stop seriousness and lethality of this the spread of COVID-19. (Getty Images) virus to older people is exceptiondemics of many sizes and infec- ally high, and other adults also have tious patterns — from AIDS in higher risks of serious illness as Africa and Asia, to tuberculosis in well as high likelihoods of causing San Francisco, to cholera in Soma- transmission to older people. lia. I also ran the Intervention Unit First and foremost, we must take for WHO, which guided countries these steps because we value human in epidemic control and the behav- life: our own lives, our families, ioral changes needed. and the greater community and the All serious epidemics disrupt world around us. Stopping group populations, and all require impor- contact is an essential method right tant changes to what the population now for preventing ourselves from does. These changes are necessary getting this easily transmitted and and urgent to avoid preventable highly lethal virus, and also to stop deaths and the spread of infections any spread to our families and the that cause more preventable deaths. community.
Mistakes and delays and less than perfect compliance with new behaviors and practices can be deadly. We have seen this happen already in other countries, like Italy and elsewhere in Europe, and we are witnessing the active spread in Seattle and New York state. Other cities and parts of cities will see lethal outbreaks if they are late or noncompliant. Complacency, denial and overconfidence are common among us, but there is no place for this now. You may get pushback from your family or friends, and you may feel social pressure to go about business as usual. But this is not a time to care about that — now is the time to do as much as we can to prevent the spread of disease and death. Resist these impulses and counter arguments. This pandemic will go on for at least several months – we still don’t know how long. As we learn more, See JEWISH EXPERT on Page
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we will be better able to make more localized and informed decisions about when and how to adjust or attempt to get back to normal, but now is the time to stop any possible potential for getting infected yourself and causing illness, perhaps serious illness to yourself — or for unknowingly infecting others, which you cannot judge by appearances of health right now. Major global and local crises require these adjustments but also challenge us to increase our humanity and the best parts of our communal lives. Synagogues and our religious communities present both significant challenges and value in that regard. However, we must now learn to balance our spiritual and emotional health with the real physical risks to our health today. Therefore, unfortunately: We must suspend our usual religious services and gatherings now. Crowds and close contact risk invisible spread and disease to you and others, and you don’t know who might be carrying the virus. In addition, in our daily lives: Cancel and don’t attend other non-essential in-person meetings. Learning can be done on conference calls, including video services like Zoom, Skype and Google Hangouts. The same goes for meetings. It may sound harsh, but remember, the risk to what we schedule isn’t simply inside the synagogue walls. It also takes place for the participants on transportation, street encounters, etc. We must stop (“ban”) all handshaking, as well as hugs and embraces. Even the “fist bump” and “elbow rub” puts two individuals in closer proximity than is optimal and I recommend we stop this entirely. That doesn’t mean we can’t greet one another with respect and warmth. The heart, “lev” in Hebrew, has been taught in Jewish and other traditions to be the seat of spirituality. Consider alternatively placing your hand to your heart and bowing your head in acknowledgement of an encounter with a fellow community member. It may feel awkward at first, but can help to maintain critical social distance while honoring the encounter. It might even feel good. Practice frequent and thorough handwashing. I cannot overemphasize frequent and thorough handwashing throughTHE
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out the day. An incredibly frequent means of spread of respiratory pathogens is a sick person touching their face, shaking hands with another person and that person then touching their face. We touch our face dozens of times a day, mostly unconsciously. This practice with an unwashed hand is enough to cause the infection through your eye, nose or mouth touched. Develop a different relationship to your hands, be aware if you have touched a door knob, railing or other surface someone may have touched. These surfaces also harbor the virus if they have been touched by someone sick or incubating the infection. Keep social distances. It is best to be further away from people than we usually are. This may seem weird or unusual, but it means in the grocery store, or wherever you go, try to be 6 feet or more away from others. If you are sick with a fever or cough, stay home. Call your doctor to determine if you really need to go in. Some medical facilities are getting full or risk being so, not everything is coronavirus and there are no treatments for now. If you are having shortness of breath or feel seriously ill, of course seek care as usual. For those who are holding small services at home: Don’t kiss communally shared objects. Prayer books, mezuzot and the like should not be kissed for the duration. Even touching communal objects or surfaces should be avoided, unless you can assure handwashing immediately after. Stop sharing challah and kiddush cups — and consider how and if you need to serve food. It is very hard to ensure not spreading respiratory viruses by serving and sharing food. Focus on the Jewish tradition of acts of lovingkindness. While this is not an infection control recommendation, it’s an important Jewish value. Do you have a friend or family member or neighbor at high risk for whom you can run an errand? Many people are at home now working, in self-quarantine or just trying to stay safe. Check in on them safely. Pick up the phone and see how they are doing. See if they need an errand run for them without potentially passing on an invisible infection. The isolation that can help protect our physical health should not erode our mental health. This
important part of Jewish life can be adapted — perhaps not so easily, but we will figure out ways to do this with care and understanding. While this is a moment for inperson synagogue activities to pause, this is an ever more critical moment for the role synagogue can play in the lives of people who are isolated, fearful or just in need of comfort. Nearly everyone is in some level of emotional and mental distress over what is happening. There are brain processes we have as invisible to the eye, yet as powerful as microbial processes and just as crucial. Even in good times, our synagogues and religious communities represent crucial elements in our own sense of wellbeing and social safety net. This is all the more true during a frightening global crisis. While nothing can fully replace human contact, our phones and computers offer a great means to connect in full safety. This is the moment for rabbis and synagogue leadership to be most mindful of preserving human life by using all technology tools — including the phone, of course — to make our communities virtual but still alive until this pandemic is under control. Which we are all now helping to ensure. After decades of working to stop epidemics, I saw many very tough situations and many hard days, weeks and months. Epidemics follow a curve up and then back down, and eventually they end. It is up to us and our most important and trusted institutions to stop the spread now — and to keep the curve of infections a n d deaths as small a n d short as possible. Better days are ahead. O u r synagogues w i l l again r i n g w i t h beauti-
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ful voices and much joy. We will get there with these strong and proactive steps to ensure as many beautiful voices as possible are there to join us. GARY SLUTKIN is a physician and epidemiologist formerly of the World Health Organization, the Founder and CEO of Cure Violence, and an innovator in health, behavior change, and data based approaches to local and global problems. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company,
Warren Montgomery District Attorney
St. Tammany & Washington Parishes
Happy Passover to all my friends in the Jewish Communtity!
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My Family Is Among The 80,000 Israelis Living In Quarantine. This Is Our Story. ByUriel Heilman MODIIN, Israel (JTA) — When our seventh day of quarantine began with a knock on the door from a guy in a hazmat suit, it was almost a relief finally to have a visitor in the house. He had come to test my wife and me for coronavirus. My four children eyed the man warily as he unpacked the testing kits at our dining room table. Barely halfway through a mandatory 14-day quarantine, we were beginning to go a little stir crazy.
Our kids, who range in age from 2 to 10, could not attend school or leave home. Our living room was littered with board games, Legos and the remains of half-finished art projects. We were starting to run low on some essentials, and I realized with dismay one day at lunchtime that I somehow had forgotten to change out of my pajamas. Articles with quarantine recommendations often list things like binge-worthy TV shows, advice for working from home or how to exercise and eat right. They don’t include many tips for keeping four young children occupied or a family of six from going insane.
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It wasn’t until after we awoke on our first morning in northern Italy for a much-anticipated, first-ever family ski vacation in Europe that we realized we had landed in the newest coronavirus hot spot. At first, we tried to shrug off the foreboding news. The epicenter of the outbreak was a three-hour drive away, in the Lombardy region near Milan, and we were in the Dolomite Mountains some 130 miles away. So we slid into our snow pants, piled into our rental car and drove past the unfortunately named Corona Hotel to the base of the gondola that would take us up to the Pinzolo ski area. That evening, however, as increasingly worrisome reports proliferated about the virus’ rapid spread, we began to grow anxious. By the next night, we had decided to cut our trip short and fly back to Israel, where we’re living this year — mostly to try to avoid a possible quarantine order. We had a family bat mitzvah scheduled that weekend, and a host of other things we didn’t want to miss, including a national academic achievement awards ceremony honoring our oldest child. But the morning after we landed, we learned that anybody returning from Italy after midnight the night b e f o r e would be required to be isolated at home for two weeks. Our flight had landed at 1 a.m. Within hours, the quarantine was extended retroactively, and within days a growing list of countries joined the mandatory quarantine list: France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland. It seemed only
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The author is tested for coronavirus while under quarantine in Israel. (Courtesy of Uriel Heilman)
a matter of time before Israel banned flights from the United States, too. Inside our apartment, however, all this was simply background noise. Our main focus was to get through the next 14 days with no school and no extracurricular activities. Also, no supermarket runs, no walks, no cleaning lady, no Purim and no seeing other people. There were a few bright spots: I can work from home. And fortunately we have a large backyard, so we wouldn’t have to be cooped up inside all the time. Incredibly, our friends and community really stepped up to help. My phone buzzed incessantly with messages of sympathy and offers to drop off food, books, games and necessities. Unsolicited cakes and cookies showed up at our doorstep. Students at my children’s school phoned my kids every night on a rotation to ensure that our kids didn’t feel forgotten. Their teachers sent home assignments (much to my kids’ chagrin). At least once a day we got a call from the Israeli health authorities checking in on us. Our yard is about 15 feet below street level, and nearly every day someone comes to the fence that overlooks it to say hello. We’ve taken to calling it the “Shouting Wall,” named for the Shouting Hill at the Syrian-Israeli border on the Golan Heights, where families separated by the 1967 Six-Day War still communicate with each other by shouting across the border. When our family visits, our kindly next-door neighbors let them traipse through their house to their yard, which abuts ours separated by a low fence. That’s the “Good Fence” — named for the border area where friendly Lebanese used to cross into See FAMILY on Page
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Before The Coronavirus, I Hadn’t Gone To Synagogue In Years. Now I’m More Jewishly Connected Than Ever. By Allison Darcy
(Ezra Bailey/Getty Images)
CREEDMOOR, N.C. (JTA) — “Are you going to the singing thing?” my camp friend texts me. It’s 11:58 a.m., I’m working, and she’s 543 miles away. The song session begins at noon. “Coming soon,” I respond. I get there before she does, the music just beginning when I arrive. The energy is welcoming and joyous, and even though I’m not sure I know anyone, I start to sing along — loudly. My friend shows up by the end of the song, though I can’t see her walk in or hear her voice join mine. We’re on a Facebook livestream, and by the end of the hour, over 90 others will be watching and singing along with us. I can’t stop smiling. People keep commenting “my heart is so full.”
This is the first time in years that I’ve been a part of a group coming together just for the sake of being Jewish — and it only took an international pandemic to make it happen. As a grad student with chronic illness living in a rural community, staying involved in Jewish life has been difficult at best. The hour drive to services doesn’t feel doable very often, and when it does, I’m often exhausted. Or I’m short on gas money. Or the dog is throwing up. Or I remember how the membership chair introduces himself every time I go, even though I joined three years ago. Something always comes up, and after a certain amount of time away, returning is embarrassing — and so somehow, I’ve become just another one of those disengaged 20-somethings, a different sort of pandemic feared by synagogues everywhere. But in the face of COVID-19, something is happening that’s gotten me involved again: As community spaces close their doors for the
sake of public health, a number of wildly diverse Jewish offerings have started appearing online. Finally, Judaism is accessible for all. My calendar this week is fuller than it could be at any physical shul I know of, even if other factors didn’t keep me home. There is Torah study, challah baking class, rabbi-led meditation, readings by Jewish authors. There are more options for Shabbat services or daily minyans — like the one being offered every weekday by MyJewishLearning — than I could attend in a year. Sure, livestreaming services have existed for a while now. But every time I tried one before, it meant watching from a camera placed on a balcony or in an aisle, the backs of people’s heads reminding me I was only an observer of someone else’s community. Now I can see the rabbi’s eyes. I can chat with everyone there. I may be welcomed by name. It’s not that this isn’t a terrifying time. It is. But isolation has given
me access to exactly what I need to get through the panic: connection. Ritual. A community that feels ancestral and enduring. Suddenly I have the adult Jewish life I once dreamed of and had nearly given up on. Quite frankly, I’m overjoyed. What’s going to happen in the weeks to come? Four days ago, I would have said I’m socially distancing with the goal of joining my family safely for Pesach. Today I registered for a workshop on leading a virtual seder. Nobody knows how long we’ll be at this or what the world will look like when it’s through — but what I’m more interested in is what happens then. Will all these offerings disappear? Will virtual services return to the webcam-on-a-balcony model, leaving those of us stuck at home where we were before? I’m hoping for a different story. It’s no secret that Jewish organizations worry about youth disenSee SYNAGOGUE on Page
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I’m Not A Doctor, But I Am A Rabbi. Here’s My Spiritual Prescription For The Coronavirus. By Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz
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A sanitary gel is used as a precaution against the coronavirus. (Yasin Ozturk/ Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
PHOENIX (JTA) — I am not a medical professional, an epidemiologist or an expert on pandemics. I leave the serious information in those important fields for the professionals who have the appropriate training to help us get through the coronavirus epidemic. Even though I do not possess medical knowledge, as a rabbi and social activist, I believe I can try to humbly prescribe ethical vaccines that can remedy jilted nerves and worried minds. My words are not meant to heal physically but to inspire spiritually. At this challenging time, it seems appropriate that those in the positions to (re)build confidence should do so. In that spirit, I am sharing thoughts on how we might be able to spiritually cope with the uncertain reality that has rapidly spread throughout the world. The coronavirus is not only a disease of the body, but also presents an existential crisis that has put governments, businesses and, most important, communities and individuals on edge. I pray that we can get through it all. People are scared — and rightly so. We are truly living in an era of plague; we are largely unprepared. Communities throughout the world have been caught off-guard by the virus’ potent potential for wanton havoc and daily disruption. But hope can’t be lost. At this moment, we want to protect ourselves and our families; this is human nature. From a Jewish perspective, from a social justice perspective, from a human perspective, we cannot descend into pointed tribalism at a time when we must come together as a collective of mind and soul. The coronavirus is a huge burden placed on humanity, but one that can be handled through shared action, compassion and a
desire to see this disease contained before more lives are needlessly lost. As I reflected inward about how the coronavirus is affecting the world, I thought about soul remedies that could help guide us — in the Jewish community and beyond — through this arduous ordeal and into a brighter tomorrow. Here’s my six-part prescription for getting through this crisis with our souls intact. 1. There is no value in placing blame. We are already seeing our worst impulses play out in this crisis. Because the present strain of coronavirus originated in China, some are blaming “the Chinese” or even all Asians for the outbreak, which is absurd and hateful. And then there are community leaders such as an ultra-Orthodox rabbi who bizarrely blamed the LGBTQ community for spreading the disease. These are the wrong reactions: Whatever we do, we cannot fall into the trap of blame. Blame harms more than it helps; it is myopic and never leads to practical solutions. Of course, we must hold reckless public officials accountable if they neglect public welfare, but this is different from directing baseless blame at large populations. Rather than join the blaming team, we should join the helping team. There are times where we cannot help as much as we’d like, but we can still do as much as we can from a distance. We must simply adjust our mindset to think about how we can all effectively work together with the help of experts to deal with the task at hand. 2. Be afraid. Yes, this must sound like unusual advice in a time of pandemic. But we must be skeptical of those in office who say “Everything is fine. Stop panicking and live your life!” It is a natural human emotion to be afraid of the unknown and the uncertain. We live in times where every day’s events constitute a reminder that we cannot control the world as much as we might want. Politically, culturally and spiritually, the world is experiencing levels of disequilibrium that are difficult to endure. It would seem then that,
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rationally, we should live in fear of what tomorrow may bring. Rather than denying that human impulse to have fear in the face of serious risks, we can channel that fear productively. Hold the fear. Hold your love ones close. But don’t be held motionless — physically, emotionally or spiritually — by this disease. Feel it but own it, refine it, control it. Use it. We need to react boldly to situations such as the one that challenges us right now and with the clarity of mind that tells us that fear should inspire us to be courageous; troubling times calls for passionate and resolute leadership. Our fear can inspire us to hold one another even closer and with deeper resolve. 3. Wipe out evil. In the Jewish tradition, the nation of Amalek is synonymous with the worst evil imaginable. The Amalekites saw the most vulnerable among the Israelites and instead of helping them, pursued and killed them, targeting in particular the weakest among the weak. The Torah records the deeds of the Amalekites and their actions, juxtaposing the meekness of the Jewish people with the pure cruelty of the nation of Amalek. We are commanded to vanquish Amalek and eliminate its memory from this world. The coronavirus — the disease itself! — is Amalek-like since it appears to have the most serious consequences for some of the most vulnerable among us, the elderly and the immunocompromised. By protecting and supporting the most vulnerable people around the world, we have the ability to live up to the commandment to wipe out Amalek once more. As tensions among communities may run high, we must learn again the lessons of interdependence: The coronavirus demonstrates the profound ignorance of the belief that we keep ourselves “safe” by building walls to separate us from our neighbors and by locking up immigrants at the border. In a world as interconnected as ours, we keep ourselves safe by respecting the truths revealed by science, by coopSee PRESCRIPTION on Page THE
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I Planned Two Weeks of Dinners for Quarantine So You Don’t Have To By Shannon Sarna
Image by Shannon Sarna
(JTA)Thanks to the spread of the novel coronavirus, schools are closing one by one, and people are heeding advice to practice social distancing. As we learn more about COVID-19 each day, this is a vastly new and scary experience for all of us, especially as this story continues to unfold before our anxious eyes. As parents, many of us are wondering: What are we going to do if — when?? — schools are shut and we’re home with our kids for a week, or more? And what happens if we are exposed to the virus and need to stay quarantined for a twoweek period? And most of all, if we can’t go out and about, what the hell are we going to eat?? Luckily for you, I have been immersed in dystopian fiction for most of my life. I am also a dedicated planner and a cookbook author — and the editor of Kveller’s sister site, the Nosher — and I am prepared with an easy-to-follow meal plan. Over the past few weeks, I have been buying extras of our staples — nothing crazy, just an additional jar or two of things we use fre-
quently — and trying to take inventory of our pantry, fridge, and freezer. This week, I sat down and planned out what 14 nights of dinners could look like based on what I currently have. The kinds of things I have stocked up on include: • Pasta • Canned beans • Lentils • Coconut milk • Frozen vegetables • Frozen fruit • Applesauce • Cookies and snacks • Non-dairy milks • Meat and chicken • Eggs • Cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese • Onions, garlic, and ginger • Pizza dough • Chicken nuggets • Baking supplies • Vegetables that will keep like sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash I realize I share all this from the position of extreme privilege: I have a house, not a small apartment, and I have an extra fridge and freezer in my basement which, yes, is the most Jewish and suburban thing ever. I recognize not everyone has this ability and I wouldn’t want to brush off this fact. Still, given the uncertainty of the situation, it’s important to be prepared to the best of our abilities.
I’m not suggesting that anyone freak out — and lets’ stop hoarding toilet paper, OK people? — but if you haven’t yet stocked up on pantry staples, now is the time to do that. And since waste sucks — that’s true whether or not there’s a pandemic — it’s an optimal time to assess what you’ve got in the back of your freezer so you can finally use it, should the need arise. This was a deeply gratifying process for me, personally. Based upon what’s in stock at my house, here are some easy, crowdpleasing (read: kid-friendly) dinners, along with links to recipes. I leaned heavily on some frozen staples or things that would keep well. 1. Baked Asian chicken wings + steamed rice + edamame (frozen) 2. Homemade pizza (or frozen pizza!) + fruit smoothies 3. Sweet & sour meatballs + noodles + roasted sweet potatoes. (Not a fan of sweet & sour at your house? These Asian inspired meatballs are an excellent swap.) 4. Falafel (frozen)+ pita bread +
hummus + pickles + olives. (Yes, that’s a link for homemade pita, but the store-bought stuff is also tasty and keeps in the freezer just fine.) 5. Mac & cheese (hey, buy the box!) + roasted carrots with butter. 6. Cheese, pumpkin & corn enchiladas. (Also delicious? Trader Joe’s frozen enchiladas or burritos.) 7. Cornflake drumsticks + peas + corn. (I use margarine or oil instead of butter for the chicken.) 8. Pancakes + fruit smoothies 9. Lentil soup + garlic bread 10. Chicken soup with matzah balls (Whether or not you’re sick, we could all use some “Jewish penicillin” right about now!) 11. Roasted chicken with potatoes and carrots (or other root vegetables). Chickpea curry with spinach (frozen) + rice 13. Crispy sesame beef + broccoli (frozen) 14. Spaghetti Bolognese + string beans. (An extra comforting alternative? Baked spaghetti — you can leave out the meat.)
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My Husband and I Are Self-Isolating, Separately. Here’s Why. By Shoshana Forester Smith
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Since the coronavirus has effectively shut down life across the globe, a lot of us are either in quarantine or self-isolation with our immediate family. (And if you’re not doing your part to flatten the curve, honestly, you need to get
with the program.) In our busy world, this gift of time to be with our families is the upside of an otherwise dreadful situation. I’m self-isolating too, but my situation is extreme: I am separated from my husband. I am 37 years old and, as a result of some complex and severe medical problems, I live in a chronic care unit at a long term care hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada called Riverview Health Centre. It’s essentially akin to a medicine unit for people who have needs that cannot be met in the community, are too complex for a nursing home,
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and are stable enough to not need to stay in an acute care hospital. I live here so I can get my IV therapy and tubefeed and other care needs met by 24/7 nursing care. There is also always a doctor available on-site. People here have a variety of diagnoses, ranging from multiple sclerosis, quadriplegia, COPD, and gastroparesis to diabetes. The goal is to provide individualized care that promotes the best quality of life possible. I have lived here since March 2017. Before coming here, I spent eight years spending upwards of 10 months a year in the hospital. So this definitely was a move to enhance my quality of life. My husband and I were happy that the facility had a very liberal visiting policy— basically, I could have visitors whenever I wanted. Before COVID-19, it was a joke amongst the staff how many visitors I would get. In addition to regular visits from my family and friends, my husband, Brent, typically came by multiple times a day. He came every morning before work for a quick visit and to bring me a cup of coffee. Sometimes he would come back for lunch, as he works nearby. And after work, he would stop by the grocery store for some food and come spend the evening with me until it was bedtime. On the weekends, he was here all day and all evening, save running some errands and board meetings at our synagogue. Like all marriages, we had our routines. Certain days we watched certain shows. We went for walks. I would read interesting news stories aloud (I am a news junkie). We talked about everything. He would rub my feet, change my bedsheets, and made sure I always had plenty of seltzer in the fridge. We even
took naps together (he has his own comfy chair at the foot of my bed). We hugged and kissed goodnight every night. In January, however, things slowly started to change, as we learned about the mysterious virus wreaking havoc in China, and then South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy. Late February brought even more cause for concern, as we watched the news of the virus in nursing homes in Washington state, and then in British Columbia. I began to worry about what would happen if the virus got in here, as most of the nearly 400 patients and residents who live here are at high risk for complications or death from COVID-19. On March 22, our visiting hours were cut to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., down from 24 hours. Then, they started screening all visitors for respiratory symptoms and fever, as well as their travel history. Everyone was expected to also use hand sanitizer before and after leaving the unit. The next day, we were only allowed one visitor at a time. By the end of visiting hours on March 23, the edict went up: no visitors of any kind until further notice. In order to protect us, as well as the staff, we have to control the flow of people in and out of the facility. So, on Monday, at 5:55 p.m., I said goodbye to my husband from six feet away, not knowing when I would see him again. No hug, no kiss, no touching whatsoever because it wasn’t worth the risk. I couldn’t even watch him leave. Even as I write this, the tears are flooding down. I hate to think about this, but if I do end up getting sick, or if anything bad happens to me, I will be facing it alone and without ever seeing or feeling the touch of my beloved ever again. Or anyone else, for that matter. It’s not just not seeing my husband, which is bad enough. I don’t get to see anyone: my parents, my in-laws, my sisters, my friends or my rabbi. This is proving to be really hard. Yes, I’m keeping as busy and as connected as possible, but it’s not the same. At times, it hits me like a pile of bricks: I am overwhelmed by loneliness, sadSee SELF-ISOLATING on Page
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After The Latest Election, Israeli Democracy Is No Longer A Given — But There’s Hope
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and wife Sara thank Likud supporters at a Tel Aviv celebration of the party's election victory, March 3, 2020. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The results of the latest round of elections in Israel — the third in less than a year — has thrown the country’s democratic institutions and norms into question. This is not simply a matter of prevailing political trends. It is hardly surprising that the Israeli right gained the upper hand in the balloting held Monday. Since Menachem Begin’s triumph in the 1977 elections, the right’s hold on power has remained constant, with only brief interludes of centrist or leftof-center governments. What is new, however, is the virulent rhetoric by Likud leaders
that undermines the country’s democratic institutions. I know this because I monitored the vulnerability of Israel’s democracy for more than two decades as the founding president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a think tank that has championed numerous reforms aimed at strengthening the democratic foundations of Israel. Here’s the situation: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has served for nearly a year while Israel has been mired in political deadlock. In the meantime, he was indicted in late January on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. His trial is set to start March 17. Netanyahu’s political rival, Benny Gantz, has announced a plan to propose a law that would bar politicians under indictment from serving as prime minister, and the idea is winning wide support. Even still, Netanyahu’s political allies are declaring that by again voting for the prime minister, the Israeli public has rendered its verdict: Netanyahu should not have to stand trial. The failure to distinguish between the decisions of voters and authori-
ties entrusted to enforce the law poses a tangible threat to the future of Israeli democracy. Those authorities required to enforce the law — among them the police, the state attorney’s office and the attorney general — determined after conducting a long and thorough independent investigation that the law demands Netanyahu be tried in court on serious criminal charges. However, his Likud supporters argue that the political decision by Israeli voters overrules the decisions made by the state’s legal authorities. About 2,300 years ago, Socrates rejected his students’ pleas to flee from the death penalty imposed by the Athenian court, explaining that he could not violate the contract between the citizens and the laws of the state. By contrast, Netanyahu and his supporters are playing a game that is contrary to the fundamental rules of democratic societies in the 21st century. Since the investigations against Netanyahu began about four years ago, he has incessantly waged a rhetorical attack against each of the legal authorities involved in the
probes. This rhetoric reached a crescendo after the indictment was filed in January. Netanyahu, now desperate to avoid prosecution, seems ready to jettison any remaining concern for the rule of law. The fragility of Israel’s democratic foundations can largely be attributed to the fact that the Jewish people had no tradition of responsibility for political sovereignty to build upon when establishing the state and expressing its right to selfdetermination. This type of tradition was impossible to develop during 2,000 years of exile. The lack of a tradition of political sovereignty accentuates the deep divisions in Israeli society, which has changed at an unprecedented pace over the course of seven decades. Demographically, Israel has grown by 1,200% during this period, and it has failed to slow the downward slide from diversity to division. The lack of a tradition of political sovereignty explains why the state’s founding fathers See DEMOCRACY on Page
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In A Dramatic Step, Israel To Require 14-Day Quarantine For All Travelers From Abroad By Philissa Cramer
The El Al departure counter at Ben Gurion International Airport is empty after the airline canceled flights to Italy amid a coronavirus outbreak, Feb. 27, 2020. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)
(JTA) — Israel will require all travelers from abroad to complete a 14-day quarantine, according to the latest regulation aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus in the country. The decision, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced late Monday, capped days of open deliberations about how far Israel would to go to stop the disease’s spread. The country had taken aggressive early action against the disease and last week began requiring quarantines for travelers from more than a dozen European countries. But it had not instituted the step for travelers coming from the United States, even as multiple outbreaks in New York, California, and Washington state signaled a growing
presence of the coronavirus there. Reports in Israeli media suggested that Netanyahu was reluctant to follow the recommendations of health officials because of the close ties and economic relationship between the United States and Israel. “After a day of involved considerations, we have made a decision,” Netanyahu said in a video message. Anyone arriving to Israel from overseas will enter into quarantine for 14 days. This is a difficult decision, but critical to maintaining the health of the Israeli public. And the health of the public is above all. The decision will be in force for two weeks, and at the same time we are making decisions to preserve Israel’s economy.” Israelis already must enter quarantine when returning from abroad. The new regulation will go into effect for non-Israelis in 72 hours and will not apply retroactively. Elad Strohmayer, a spokesperson for the Israeli embassy, said foreigners who arrive in Israel will need to show proof that they have the ability to be quarantined for two weeks.
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DEMOCRACY Continued from Page 11 gave up on establishing a constitution. The lack of this tradition and, consequently, the lack of a constitution, is what enables Netanyahu — unlike Socrates — to try to evade the wheels of justice by railing against law enforcement authorities and spewing incitement that widens the divides. Israel is a formal democracy with institutions and procedures. It conducts elections and its parliament enacts legislation. But it is not a substantive democracy. It does not rest upon a written constitution anchored by a bill of rights that outlines the respective authorities and responsibilities of each of the three branches of government and ensures its continuity. A written constitution is not only a guide for sound conduct by institutions and other stakeholders. First and foremost, a constitution is an educational document designed to instill the guiding values of civic behavior in all members of a society. In the coming days, Israel’s Supreme Court will need to address a lacuna in the state’s legal system. According to its previous rulings, government ministers and mayors cannot continue to serve in their positions once an indictment is served against them. On the other hand, under Israel’s Basic Law, an indicted prime minister cannot be removed from office until a final judgment is rendered. As noted, however, Netanyahu is now only an acting prime minister. In the wake of Monday’s election, he can try to form a government if assigned to do so by President Reuven Rivlin. But can the president assign this task to someone who is under criminal indictment? Someone who will have to appear as a defendant in Jerusalem District Court three times a week? Nearly 1,000 former Israel Air Force commanders and members of elite commando units, business leaders and professors have peti-
Happy Passover to all of my Jewish friends!
tioned the Supreme Court to rule that the president cannot assign the task of forming a government to a Knesset member who is under criminal indictment. The court will convene in an expanded panel of 13 justices to rule on this petition. What will happen if the court rules with the petitioners, thus disqualifying Netanyahu from forming a government? How will his allies respond, those who have already declared that the decision at the ballot box overrides the dictates of the law? How will the incited public respond? How will this affect the perceived legitimacy of law enforcement authorities and, in particular, the Supreme Court? Israeli democracy has entered dangerous uncharted territory. But there is a silver lining that could have long-term consequences. By voting in unprecedented numbers, the Arab citizens of Israel made a political declaration by choosing to become full partners in the Israeli democracy. The incoming Knesset will have the greatest number of Arab representatives ever. This is a significant response to the incitement against the Arab citizenry by leaders of right-wing parties. It is also a fitting response to the leaders of centrist and moderate-left parties, who dismissed the political importance of Arabs as equal citizens in Israel. And it offers hope that the country’s democratic foundations can be shored up for the future. Arye Carmon is the founder of the Israel Democracy Institute and a 2009 recipient of the Israel Prize. He is the author of the book: Building Democracy on Sand: Israel without a Constitution (Hoover Institution Press, Stanford). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
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We’re Tracking The Impact Of The Coronavirus On The Jewish World. Here’s What We Know. By Philissa Cramer And Laura E. Adkins
A Yeshiva University student wears a face mask on the grounds of the university on March 4, 2020 in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
NEW YORK (JTA) — Like the rest of the world, the Jewish world is reeling as the novel coronavirus spreads. We’ll be tracking the latest developments here. Have an idea or question? Reports of coronavirus in your community? Send us an email. Communal religious life is adapting. In Milan, an epicenter of infection, houses of worship were ordered closed. That meant a scaled-down celebration for one bar mitzvah boy, whose party was supposed to have 600 people but instead was for family only. (A Syrian Muslim donated a tree in the boy’s honor after reading our story.) In the United States, many synagogues are taking a wait-and-see approach. Here’s a dispatch from the Bay Area. Purim and Passover are approaching. Many synagogues and communities are rethinking their plans for Purim, the one-day holiday that is traditionally celebrated with festivals and large gatherings. Some 130 kosher-for-Passover resorts around the world are watching their reservations closely. A few in Italy had already canceled by early March. With fewer Israelis than usual expected to travel this year, some are concerned about a local short-
age of matzah. A cluster of cases involves New York Jews. Several Jewish institutions are closed, at least one person is in the hospital and several others are quarantined amid an outbreak centered on an Orthodox attorney who lives in suburban New Rochelle and works in Manhattan. Follow our coverage here. Schools are closing and adjusting. Three schools in the greater New York City area — SAR Academy, Westchester Day School and Westchester Torah Academy — closed temporarily. So did Yeshiva University. All had ties to the New York outbreak. Some of those schools switched to online courses during their closure — a move that has some Jewish educators excited about opportunities for rethinking the contours of Jewish education. Travel is affected. The 18,000-attendee AIPAC conference for Israel supporters in early March went on as planned. But at least some attendees had previously been in contact with someone who was later diagnosed with the coronavirus. The Auschwitz Memorial and Museum has called on organizers of trips to the historical site to refrain from bringing visitors from countries affected by the coronavirus. Israel reacted early and firmly. Israel opened special quarantine voting sites for the national election on Monday. But some workers, fearing disease, have declined to open ballots from those sites. Tighter travel restrictions mean that as many 80,000 Israelis are living under home quarantine.
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Passover In A Pandemic: Families On Zoom, Solo Seders And Broken Traditions By Ben Sales
A Jewish man reads the Passover Haggadah during a seder in Ontario, Canada, April 19, 2019. (Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(JTA) — Rena Munster was looking forward to hosting a Passover seder for the first time. In past years, her parents or another relative hosted the meal. But this year she had invited her parents, siblings and other extended family to her Washington, D.C., home. Her husband, an amateur ceramics artist, was making a set of dishes for the holiday. And she was most excited for her family’s traditional day of cooking before the seder: making short-rib tzimmes, desserts that would pass muster year-round, and a series of harosets made by her uncle and tailored to each family member’s dietary restrictions (one with no cinnamon, another with no sugar, another without walnuts and so on). Then came the new coronavirus. Now the family is preparing to scrap travel plans and hold the seder via video chat, like so much else in this new era. Munster expects to enjoy her family’s usual spirited discussions and singing. But she will miss the meal. “The hardest thing to translate into an online platform is going to be the food,” she said. “The family recipes and all the things that we’re used to probably won’t be possible. … We always get together to help
with the preparations, and that’s just as much a part of the holiday as the holiday itself.” In a Jewish calendar packed with ritual observances and religious feasts, the Passover seder is the quintessential shared holiday experience. It is perhaps the most widely observed Jewish holiday ritual in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center’s 2013 study of American Jewry. And the story of the journey from slavery to freedom, along with the songs, customs and food, have become a core part of Jewish tradition. But all of that has been upended by COVID-19 and the restrictions necessary to contain its spread. Israel has limited gatherings to 10 people — smaller than many extended families — and President Donald Trump on Monday asked Americans to do the same. Countries are shutting their borders, making Passover travel near impossible. Hotels and summer camps that have held Passover programs, as well as synagogues that hold communal seders, are canceling. And families are scrapping traditions as Passover, like so much else in Jewish life, is remade for the current moment. “Something like a Pesach seder has a lot of people in a pretty close space,” said Mari Sartin-Tarm, who is immunocompromised due to medications she is taking following a January kidney transplant. “I’m concerned that if things are the way they are right now, if people are still kind of self-quarantined or schools are closed or businesses are closed, I don’t know that I could justify taking the risk of being at a Pesach seder. It’s
really hard to say that as a Jew.” Kosher food professionals say shelves of kosher grocery stores will probably still be stocked with matzah and other Passover staples. Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of the Orthodox Union’s Kosher Division, said that due to social distancing, some kosher supervisors have been supervising food production plants via a livestreamed walkthrough. But he said the food is still being produced. “Most of the kosher-for-Pesach production began a long time ago,” he said. “There’s not going to be any problem at all in terms of availability of products for Pesach.” On the other end of the supply chain, Alfredo Guzman, a manager at Kosher Marketplace in Manhattan, said two deliveries of Passover food that were slated to come Monday had canceled, though the suppliers hoped to arrive later in the week. Guzman was worried as well that because of social distancing measures, he would only be allowed to let in a limited number of customers at a time during one of the busiest times of the year. “I really don’t know what we’re going to have, what is coming, what is not coming, regarding products for Passover,” he said. “A lot
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of people are going to get nervous. … It’s not good for business, this situation, and it’s not good, I believe, for the people.” Even if the food does make it to the shelves and into people’s kitchens, the limitations on large gatherings could be a problem for people like Alexander Rapaport, who runs the Masbia network of soup kitchens in New York City. Masbia hosts two seders every year for the needy, usually drawing around 40 people per night. Rapaport stressed that because many observant Jews having little trouble finding an invitation to a family or communal seder, those who come to a Masbia seder truly have nowhere else to go. “We are hoping for the best and we will definitely follow the Health Department guidelines on how to operate a seder — spread out the seating, limit capacity,” he said. “It depends how severe it will be three weeks from now. I hope we don’t have to cancel.” As Passover nears amid the coronavirus outbreak, some Jews would find any kosher grocery store a luxury. Rabbi Ariel Fisher, who is See PANDEMIC on Page
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Preparing For The ‘WorstCase Scenario’: Jewish Aid Groups Scramble Amid The Coronavirus Outbreak By Josefin Dolsten
Masbia kosher supervisor Pesach Gittleson assembles boxes containing food for people who may be quarantined or unable to obtain food due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Alexander Rapaport)
NEW YORK (JTA) — The runup to Passover is the busiest time of the year for Masbia, a nonprofit that operates three kosher soup kitchens in Brooklyn and Queens. The organization has to order all kosher-for-Passover food and scrub one of its locations’ kitchens so it can prepare food without any trace of bread or other leavened products. Right before the holiday is also when most people show up to stock up on groceries — swelling from 2,000 families in a typical week to about 4,000. “Before Passover, everybody comes,” Executive Director Alexander Rapaport said. But that’s in a normal year, and this year is shaping up to be anything but normal. With the coronavirus wreaking havoc on communities, Rapaport is scrambling to provide for the people who depend on his organization to feed their families — and whose need might deepen as quarantines, school closures and work cancellations become more widespread. “Some of the people in the first rounds of quarantines in New York were people who were able to take the personal hit financially, meaning to say they were able to order food from ordering services or give their friends or family a credit card and things like that,” Rapaport said. “If people who were hand to mouth, paycheck to paycheck or the very poor who are already struggling with food will be hit with quarantines or with kids home from school, that will immediately affect their ability to feed themselves.” Demand at the pantry has already soared as people stock up ahead of
possible quarantines and food shortages, Rapaport said. Meanwhile, volunteers worried about the virus have been coming in less often. “The whole food economy may collapse on different levels, so [I’m] kind of anticipating the worst-case
People wear face masks in Times Square in New York City after the city confirmed cases of the rapidly spreading coronavirus, March 3, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
scenario,” he said. Rapaport is far from the only Jewish social service provider grappling with the emerging consequences of the coronavirus, which the World Health Organization labeled a pandemic on Wednesday. The situation is posing unique challenges for those who rely on Jewish social services and the organizations that serve them. Masbia is now preparing boxes with enough food to feed one person for two weeks, the length that people potentially exposed to the virus are being asked to quarantine, rather than just providing items to supplement recipients’ diet. The Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse, which supports victims in the Washington, D.C.area, announced that it is “safety planning with people who may be quarantined with their abuser.” The group urged those needing help to call its helpline. And organizations that provide interest-free loans say they are making emergency aid available — but have concerns about when and whether people whose jobs are suspended will be able to make repayments. On Sunday, Hebrew Free Loan of San Francisco — an organization that provides interest-free loans See PREPARING on Page
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mostly to members of the Jewish community — announced that it is offering emergency loans of up to $20,000 to those suffering economically as a result of the coronavirus breakout. Three people have already applied and are in the process of being evaluated, the organization said. “We’ve learned that the important thing is to get out right away to offer assistance,” Executive Director Cindy Rogoway said. Rogoway anticipates that some people who already are receiving loans from the organization may not be able to pay back on schedule if they are unable to work due to the coronavirus. She said the organization “depend[s] very heavily on the repayments in recycling the loan flow.” “I am concerned,” Rogoway acknowledged. “We will have enough for the immediate onslaught, but I think what we also have to look at is that people may need to ask for payment forgiveness or [to slow down] their monthly payment, and that could start to really hurt the cash flow.” The New York-based Hebrew Free Loan Society, which serves Jewish and non-Jewish residents of New York City, Westchester County and Long Island, launched a similar program on Monday. It will provide interest-free loans of $2,000 to $5,000 to those in financial struggle because of the coronavirus. “We are prepared for a whole raft of financial needs that people will be experiencing because of coronavirus outbreak,” said Rabbi David Rosenn, the group’s executive director. The Hebrew Free Loan Society typically requires applicants to provide two guarantors who can assure that loans will be repaid, but in this case the organization is only requir-
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ing one. It is raising money from private donors and working with the UJAFederation of New York to cover the costs of the additional loans. The federation is coordinating with a number of other Jewish organizations, including synagogues, nursing homes and educational institutions, to anticipate needs that may arise as the outbreak progresses. For Shabbat, UJA-Federation delivered 600 boxes of meals last week to congregants of Young Israel of New Rochelle, an Orthodox synagogue that was closed after a member tested positive for the virus and many members were quarantined. “This is a preparation phase, and we feel like the best information we have and the best thing to do is to be prepared,” said UJA-Federation’s chief planning officer, Deborah Joselow. The Met Council, a Jewish organization that provides annual aid to 225,000 New Yorkers of all backgrounds, is working to ensure that its programming — including providing food to low-income recipients and housing to seniors — will continue to run smoothly amid the outbreak. The organization is ordering food and other essentials while making arrangements for its nonessential programming to take place remotely. “We are working on projections to determine what additional food and resources we would need if in fact folks would have limited access or lower-income folks wouldn’t have enough money to purchase that,” CEO David Greenfield said. Meanwhile Rapaport, the director of the soup kitchen network, said he’s trying his best to prepare in a situation full of unknowns. “There’s no protocol we can follow or something that was done at a different disaster,” he said. “Especially before Pesach, it is just unprecedented.”
Best Wishes to my many Jewish Friends and constituents for a Happy Passover!
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Kirk Talbot
State Senator District 10
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It Could Be Easy To Lose Sense Of Time During The Coronavirus Pandemic. Jewish Tradition Has An Antidote For That. By Rabbi Benjamin Resnick
(Fabrice
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(JTA) — Among the most enduring comforts of Jewish life are its endless patterns and repetitions — the seven-day rhythm of work and rest, the cycle of holidays, the endless carousel of Torah readings. Whatever else is going on in our lives — and however the rigors of the moment impinge on our individual Jewish journeys — these things happen, offering us a constant reminder that whoever we are and wherever the winding roads of life take us, we are in some sense marching together, along a singular path, even when we are separated from one another. As a rabbi — and as a person deeply enmeshed in Jewish rhythms — I am usually aware of where we are in the cycle of readings. Most often I know what is coming up and what has just passed. But with everything that has happened over the last weeks, I admit that I forgot our place until just before Shabbat last week. And when I set out to remind myself, I hardly made it past the first word of the week’s portion: Vayakel, “and the people gathered together.” It never fails to amaze me how the parashah, the weekly Torah reading, so often does seem tailored to the specific moment in which it appears, as if it had been selected rather than simply encountered. The first line of last week’s portion is “vayakel moshe et kol adat b’nai yisrael” — “And Moshe assembled the entire congregation of Israel together …” It was truly a stunning — and disquieting — phrase to read as we sat at home, our schools and synagogues closed, our gatherings impossible. It offered a reminder, even as we try to stay connected with one another in new ways, just how much we will miss over the coming weeks and months. We will forgo shivas and weddings, baby namings and family seders. At the school where I work, our students will miss trips and performances THE
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and, perhaps more important, for of a story that the Baal Shem Tov distance. It was only two months the time being they will miss out on once shared about his approaching ago that I danced with hundreds of the simple act of coming together in the Tree of Life. When he saw the others at my sister’s wedding. It was the same space to live and learn and tree in the distance, he was sur- two weeks ago that we shared a joygrow as a “kahal,” a community. rounded by throngs of people. But ful Purim at school — a luxury, I I told this to our school’s stu- the crowds grew thinner and he know, at a time when many commudents and staff, but the same goes drew near until suddenly he was nities had already begun to separate. for Jews all over. We are lucky to be standing directly beneath its branchIn time, we will all dance those blessed with a brilliant and creative es and he realized he was by him- dances again. And for now, may we community and, as we move online self. The takeaway is clear: Cling- all have the strength, the courage for the coming weeks, we will con- ing to the Tree of Life sometimes and the faith required to be there for tinue to learn and laugh with one requires being alone. one another even as we are apart. another. But it will not be the same. This story, like the juxtaposition The views and opinions expressed We cannot fully replace or replicate of Vayakel and Pekudei — gathering in this article are those of the author some of what we’ll lose and it’s OK together and separating off — and do not necessarily reflect the to be sad about that. Judaism, after reminds us that the wells of Jewish views of JTA or its parent company, all, is a face-to-face endeavor, living offer up deep waters for all 70 Faces Media. except for now it cannot be and we occasions. We all live life on an are all thinking hard about what oscillating spectrum of connectedthat means for all of us. ness and loneliness, of embrace and When I get questions about what this moment will mean long-term Best BestWishes WishestotoMy MyMany manyFriends Friends&& for our community, this is my Associates for Associates for aaHappy HappyPassover! New Year response: I wish I could tell you Thank you for your support! that I know. But I do not and probably will not anytime soon. Judge Piper Griffin What I do know is that the Torah Civil District Court Division I rarely, if ever, leaves us hanging completely. Last Shabbat we in fact read a double portion, the second Best Wishes to my many Jewish friends half of which, Pekudei, is about conand constituents for a happy Passover structing the Mishkan. “Pekudei” — the word in context means “records” or “accounts,” but it can also mean “to take note of” or “to take care.” If Vayekel begins with Justice of the Peace the people gathering together, the Jefferson Parish 3rd Justice Court construction of the Mishkan is about carefully and rigorously setting a corner of the world apart. Chamber by chamber the Happy Passover to our many Customers and Friends in the community falls Jewish Community from the Paretti family of dealerships away until finally we reach the Holy of Holies, which is the realm of God alone and into which only one, the High Priest, may go. I am reminded
Charlie Kerner
Paretti Mazda Paretti Jaguar Metairie and Baton Rouge Land Rover New Orleans and Baton Rouge www.thejewishlight.org
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Bookshelf
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have to clean our homes again? A young boy finds the perfect solution. Kids will be tickled by Nelkin Wieder's delightful picture book. Kober, an award-winning Israeli illustrator, captures the frenzy of scurrying mice, bewildered villagers and the joy of community celebrations.
In New Passover Children's Books, Meet A Googly Eyed Gator And Spend A Seder In Outer Space By Penny Schwartz
BOSTON (JTA) -- Miriam the Prophetess, Elijah the Prophet and the Four Questions take center stage among this spring's crop of new Passover books for kids penned by some of today's best writers. The sparkling assortment includes stories by Jane Yolen, known as America's Hans Christian Anderson; Leslea Newman, who garnered a Sydney Taylor Jewish Book Award for children's literature for her lifetime body of work; and Naomi Ben-Gur, one of Israel's most acclaimed and popular writers for children. Other new reads take children to Passover celebrations with googly eyed alligators in the swamps of Florida, a zero-gravity seder with a space-traveling family, and back in time to an Old World village where scurrying mice with crusts of bread
may upend the start of the eight-day Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili, holiday. illustrated by Angelika Scudamore Passover, also known as the Fesparing for Passover in the Sunshine tival of Freedom, begins this year State. In rhyming verse they hunt on the evening of April 8. for chametz, recite the Four QuesToddler board books, ages 1-4 tions and crunch their matzah. The youngest ones are in for a lively time with these colorful books that introduce the foods and traditions of Passover.
"I Love Matzah"
Kar-Ben Join the fun with a family of friendly Florida gators who are pre-
Jessica Hickman, illustrated by Elissambura
Preschool to older readers, Ages 3-9
"The Passover Mouse"
Clay Madden
Mandeville City Councilman-At-Large And Now As A Candidate For Mayor In The June 20, 2020 Election. • Born and raised in Mandeville • LSU graduate with B.S. in Political Science and Masters of Public Administration • Two term Mandeville City Councilman-AtLarge � Organized first Mandeville Traffic Summit to help alleviate traffic congestion and facilitate infrastructure improvements � On record for reducing overall budget and cutting/lowering property taxes � Authored legislation to create budget forecasting and revenue estimating practices � Fully supported increased funding for our police department � Authored legislation to ban electronic signs ENDORSED BY
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"Asteroid Goldberg: Passover in Outer Space"
Brianna Caplan Sayres; illustrated by Merrill Rainey Intergalactic Afikomen (ages 4-8)
Kar-Ben A young boy proudly shares all the delicious ways he likes to eat matzah. Rhyming words and bright, cartoon-like illustrations will keep kids hungry for the matzah treats.
"Alligator Seder"
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When a space-traveling family's rocket ship is delayed for landing right before the holiday, it's no obstacle for the young daughter Asteroid, who fills the spaceship's pantry with Passover food from the far reaches of the Milky Way: matzah balls from Jupiter's moons and crunchy matzah from Saturn's rings. Rainey's large, animated illustrations are a laugh-out-loud blast as Asteroid and her family fly around the zero gravity seder table. Even the matzah balls float. Relatives pop in from Mars and Venus. A back page includes a glossary and a link for information on Jewish astronauts.
"Who Will Ask the Four Questions?"
Joy Nelkin Wieder; illustrated by Shahar Kober- Random House (ages 3-7)
This delightful tale inspired by a Talmudic passage features a white mouse carrying a piece of bread in Naomi Ben-Gur; illustrated by Carmel its mouth scurrying from the home Ben-Ami. Translated from Hebrew by of a widow who has cleaned her Gilah Kahn-Hoffmann Green Bean Books (ages 4-7) home to make it chametz-free before the holiday When the mouse In this endearing story, a young races to the cobbler's home, and we meet another mouse and a cat both boy named Eitan is eagerly awaiting his family's seder, when he will sing with bread, the zaniness ensues. Now the quarreling villagers race to the rabbi's home and ask: Do we See CHILDREN'S BOOKS 28 on Page
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‘One Jewish Boy,’ An English Play About A Mixed-Race Interfaith Couple, Sold Out Shows — And Ignited A Storm Of Anti-Semitism
Asha Reid, left, as Alex, and Robert Neumark-Jones as Jesse in "One Jewish Boy." (Alex Fine)
(JTA) — Stephen Laughton is a British-Jewish playwright on the road to stardom. His third play, “One Jewish Boy,” received rave reviews a little more than a year ago when it ran at the Old Red Lion Theater, a London equivalent of an off-Broadway house. It was so successful, in fact, that it scored a movie deal, a national tour and, starting Tuesday, a run in a prestigious West End theater. One more thing: The play also unleashed the rage of anti-Semitic trolls. “I was shocked,” Laughton, 39, said in a telephone interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency from his office at New York’s Museum of Natural History, where he is a writer in residence. “I thought I’d get a bit. But I didn’t expect how virulent they were.” Posters of the play were defaced, ripped down, urinated on. AntiSemitic screeds were posted on social media: “Who cares about Jews. This looks shit”; “Perhaps you could write a play about Palestinian kids getting blown to pieces by Jews”; “You’re a f***en enabler. You Jews disgust me.” There were threats of physical violence and, worse, some crazies discovered his home address. “I was getting [letters] to my
Stephen Laughton didn’t expect his play to trigger a deluge of anti-Semitism. (Courtesy of Laughton) THE
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house,” he said. The irony is that this visceral and irrational hatred hurled at Jews is at the very center of “One Jewish Boy.” The protagonist Jesse is Jewish and married to Alex, a mixedrace woman. Both have experienced hatred, though from different perspectives. Because he was violently beaten in an anti-Semitic attack in London, Jesse’s fear of the non-Jewish world becomes obsessive and eventually affects their marriage. “They shoot Jews in supermarkets in Paris,” Jesse says at one point. “They shoot Jews in Jewish schools in Paris.” The play skips alternately from their initial meeting at a resort to courtship, marriage, parenthood and ultimately separation. The relationship explores different interfaith and interracial issues — Alex admits that she wouldn’t want to circumcise their child and Jesse crosses the road after seeing a black man he finds threatening. Alex isn’t the only one bothered by Jesse’s attitude. His fixation on his internal angst makes him less than likable. When that’s pointed out to Laughton, he agrees — in fact, he rewrote the part for the West End version to make Jesse more palatable. “It did work in the room. Audiences did like him. But it was a failure on my part,” Laughton said. “I held him too close. I only let the fear come out of him. That fear undermines him.” Laughton insists that he is not Jesse but adds: “Some of his fears are potentially based on me.” The playwright has been harassed because of his identity, including while working for the BBC in the summer of 2014, during the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas. Tensions were high at the BBC offices, and it didn’t help that activists regularly held competing proIsrael and pro-Palestinian rallies. Both sides accused the BBC of bias. One time he was accosted at a rally. See JEWISH BOY on Page
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Flow Kana products on display at the 2019 Emerald Cup, Northern California’s largest annual cannabis event, held at the Sonoma County Event Center at the Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. (Rachel Weil)
(J. The Jewish News of Northern California) — Michael Steinmetz was uncertain about inviting his grandmother to visit his marijuana factory in Mendocino County. Masha Steinmetz is 89 and an observant Jew who cared for Holocaust victims as a nurse in Israel after the war. Originally from Romania, she lived most of her life in Venezuela, a predominantly Catholic country where cannabis is widely considered taboo. For her visit to Mendocino, she brought enough kosher food to last her four days at the rural facility, off an unmarked road about 2.5 hours from San Francisco. “I thought it was going to be a shock,” the younger Steinmetz said. Steinmetz pulled out his smartphone to show me a photo of himself with Masha. They’re wearing
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Michael Steinmetz is the Jewish entrepreneur behind Flow Kana and the Flow Cannabis Institute. (Courtesy of Flow Kana)
white lab coats and holding giant bags of unprocessed cannabis flower. Both are grinning triumphantly. “When I told her about the medical benefits and she saw the level of sophistication” at the facility, Steinmetz said, “she was pretty proud.” California’s king of cannabis is a nice Jewish boy from Caracas, Venezuela, with an engineering degree from Carnegie Mellon University. He’s worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and was an investment banker for Merrill Lynch, though neither of those jobs quite suited him. Ultimately, he said, he wanted to engage his “entrepreneurial heart and spirit.”
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Now 36, Steinmetz is the cofounder and CEO of Flow Kana, one of the hottest privately held cannabis companies in North America, and one of the largest in California. It has taken in $147.5 million in investment funding since its founding in 2014, according to startup tracker Crunchbase, though Steinmetz says the total is closer to $175 million when it includes early investment stages. Though the company would not release revenue figures, its trademark opaque brown jars and handpacked pre-rolled joints are ubiquitous at weed stores in the Bay Area and across California. After recreational marijuana use was legalized in January 2018, Flow Kana became the top-selling cannabis flower brand in the state. (As opposed to oils, edibles, tinctures, lotions and vapes, cannabis flower is simply the marijuana plant after it’s been grown, harvested, cured and trimmed.) “We’ve been called the Willy Wonka of weed,” Steinmetz told a “60 Minutes” correspondent who interviewed him at the factory for an October story. He’s also been featured in the New Yorker, Forbes and Men’s Journal, which crowned him “the new king of weed.” Flow Kana does not actually grow marijuana. The company buys it from approximately 200 private farms in the historic epicenter of the once-illegal pot haven known as the Emerald Triangle — the sparsely populated region in the northwestern corner of the state covering Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity counties. Flow Kana focuses on “craft” cannabis, which is grown outside on small farms, without pesticides, often by families who have been doing it for generations. On the sprawling, rural campus that Steinmetz and his partners named “Flow Cannabis Institute,” employees ride around in what look like all-terrain golf carts, skipping from warehouses to construction sites to offices to residences, where a handful of executives live (most have second homes in the Bay Area). With the help of investors, Steinmetz purchased the 300-acre property in 2017. The campus became See KING OF WEED on Page THE
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KING OF WEED Continued from Page 20 Flow Kana’s processing hub, and Steinmetz and his wife, Flavia Cassani, a filmmaker, moved in the day after closing. (They also keep a home in San Francisco). The cannabis is processed on a production floor at the center of the campus. It looks at first like any factory floor, but instead of assembling furniture or packing jars of peanut butter, employees are sifting through containers of cured marijuana to pick out morsels appealing enough to sell outright. They assemble prerolled joints with the rest. After the product is inspected, processed and packaged, employees load it on trucks to be shipped to distribution hubs in Sacramento, Los Angeles and Oakland.
Michael Steinmetz and his grandmother Masha during her recent visit to the Flow Kana factory. (Courtesy of Flow Kana)
Steinmetz’s house is a white colo-
nial that employees refer to as the “White House.” It was about a week before Christmas, and stockings hung from the mantle and two 3-foot nutcrackers stood astride the fireplace. A small Hanukkah menorah poked out from behind the tinsel. “We have both,” Steinmetz said with a laugh. “My parents are both Jewish, but Venezuela is a predominantly Catholic Christian country. So I was raised with both a hanukkiah [menorah] and a Christmas tree.” He said he celebrated Shabbat dinners and Jewish holidays with his grandparents. Steinmetz says that while Venezuela has a conservative attitude toward marijuana, things were different in his family. “My mom consumed cannabis for medical reasons,” he said. “I grew up in a cannabis-friendly home.” He was into cannabis culture long before he became involved in the business and still enjoys smoking weed. Steinnmetz’s decision to enter the cannabis industry didn’t come via a lightbulb moment; it was more like a gradual awakening. Between 2010 and 2012, he was running a distribution company in Venezuela that traded stevia, the plant-based sweetener, and he was
working on a photo sharing app similar to Instagram that never materialized. He and his wife alternated between Caracas and Palo Alto, spending around three months there and three months here. With his medicinal marijuana card, he visited the early patchwork of dispensaries operating in the Bay Area under Prop 215, the “Compassionate Use” law approved by voters in 1996 permitting medical use. Every time he returned to California from Caracas, he would see new developments in the industry. “New dispensaries, new products, new brands,” he said. “I just felt the growth and the momentum of it.” When he realized California came close to legalizing recreational use under Prop 19 in 2010, it gave him an inkling of where the market might head. “I thought, wow, this is really going to happen in our lifetime.” In 2013, he experienced just how much money could be made in the industry. He volunteered as an unpaid business consultant at a medical dispensary in the East Bay. It took in between $80,000 and $100,000 in sales every day. “It was so unsophisticated, so mom-and-pop,” he said. “Inventory
everywhere. It was a disaster.” In 2014 he co-founded Flow Kana with two fellow Jews: Adam Steinberg and Diego Zimet, a Uruguayan who built the company’s first website. Steinmetz said he met Zimet through a network of Latino Jews in Palo Alto. In many ways, California’s Gold Rush of the 19th century is now its green rush of the 21st. The Golden State is the top-grossing cannabis state in the country, with over $3 billion in legal sales in 2019. That’s $1 billion more than its nearest competitor, Colorado, and about three times more than all of Canada. And yet, stringent regulations, burdensome taxes and prohibitive local laws still severely hamper the industry’s growth, Steinmetz and other cannabis business leaders say. In order to actually sell cannabis within a given municipality, it has to be approved by local officials. According to Marijuana Business Daily, about two-thirds of municipalities still prohibited retail sales as of last year. Marin and San Mateo counties, for example, prohibit marijuana storefronts. Simply put, there are not nearly See KING OF WEED on Page
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WHO IS JONATHAN? I. EXPERIENCE - Licensed to practice law in the state of Louisiana for over 20 years - Former Special Assistant Attorney General - Former General Counsel, Louisiana State Board of Private Investigators - Former Special Assistant Parish Attorney - Currently in private practice. - Past President of the Louis A. Martinet Legal Society - Past member of the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors II. EDUCATION - B.A. Degree in Political Science, Southern University - Juris Doctorate Degree, Southern University Law Center III. FAMILY - Married to Yvonne Edmonds of Monroe, LA. - Father of four children: Jonathan, Haile, Zachary and Nicholas IV. MY VISION FOR DIVISION “C”
ELECTION DAY: June 20, 2020 Paid for by the committee to elect Jonathan Holloway for Judge
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1. Saturday Court: To accommodate working men and women and all Citizens who cannot take time off during the work week to attend court; 2. Work in conjunction with the Clerk of Court of Baton Rouge City Court, private attorneys and the City Prosecutor’s Office to improve court services; 3. Evening Court: To accommodate working men and women and all Citizens who cannot take time off during normal business hours to attend court; 4. Early Court: To accommodate working men and women and all Citizens who would prefer attending court before the business workday begins so that they will not miss a day of work 5. Amnesty: work in conjunction with the Constable’s office and the City Prosecutor’s office to continue this feature; and 6. Fairness and Respect for all that appear before Division: “C”
For more information, contact the Jonathan Holloway Campaign at: holloway4judge@gmail.com www.thejewishlight.org
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Mimouna Is The Most Delicious Way To Celebrate The End Of Passover By Sonya Sanford
(JTA via The Nosher) – You may already be familiar with Mimouna, a Sephardic holiday that originated in Morocco and marks the end of Passover. On the night following the last day of Passover, the end of eight hametz-free days is celebrated with a feast of treats. In Morocco, neighbors travel to each other’s houses, it is customary to leave all doors open to welcome any possible guests. Tables are laden with symbols to ensure a good year: blossoming spring flowers, fish for abundance and fertility, and dates sweetened with honey to inspire an equally sweet life. The next day, festivities continue with barbecues, picnics, and large gatherings. One of the most common dishes prepared for Mimouna is the crepelike mufleta (or moufleta). You might also find nougat, fazuelos (a fried thin pastry), couscous-au-lait (sweet couscous with milk), almond cookies, marzipan, stuffed dates, and a variety of other sweet and savory baked goods Mimouna’s popularity has expanded in recent years beyond North Africa and is even widely celebrated in Israel. Two of my favorite dishes for this holiday are the crepe-like mufleta and sweet stuffed dates. My stuffed dates are a slight deviation from the norm. Instead of mar-
zipan, these dates are stuffed with a combination of pistachio and almond. They are sweetened only slightly with honey, and then drizzled with tahini, and a generous pinch of flaky salt. They are a delicious celebratory treat, but they also make a delightful snack any time. I hope this year brings you your own Mimouna parties, or a chance to throw your own with these delicious treats. Here are the two recipes:
MUFLETA Ingredients: • 1½ cups warm water • 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast • 1 teaspoon sugar • 4 cups all purpose flour, plus more if needed • 1 teaspoon kosher salt • Oil as needed (sunflower, canola or a neutral tasting oil) Directions: 1. Combine the yeast and sugar with the warm water, make sure the water is not too hot or too cold, or your yeast won’t properly activate. Allow the yeast to get foamy and bubbly, about five minutes. 2. Combine the flour and salt together. 3. Make a well in the flour, and then add the water and yeast mixture. Using your hands, incorporate the water into the flour. The amount of flour you need can depend on the brand of the flour as well as the humidity/temperature in your kitchen. You want the dough to be slightly tacky to the touch, but it shouldn’t stick to your hands. If you find your dough is too sticky, add a little
more flour as needed. 4. Once the dough is formed into a ball, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about five minutes. 5. Lightly grease the bowl with oil, and then place the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp, clean dish towel and allow to rise for 40 minutes. Some folks form their dough into balls before letting it rise, and some prefer to do it after. 6. Generously drizzle a baking sheet or pyrex with more oil. Pull off golf ball-sized rounds of dough and form them into balls. Roll them in the oil and then let them rest for about 5 minutes. 7. Form one round of dough into a paper-thin circle, about 10 inches in diameter. You want each layer to be as thin as possible, and you can do this by flattening and pressing the dough into a circle shape with your fingers, or with the help of a rolling pin. Don’t worry if a few small holes pop up here and there. 8. Over medium heat, add a few teaspoons of oil to a large nonstick or castiron skillet. Place the first round of formed dough into the skillet Turn down the heat slightly at this point and cook the mufleta over medium low, so that it doesn’t burn. Allow the mufleta to turn golden brown, and then flip it onto the other side. This is the only layer that will get browned on both sides. 9. While the first side is browning, form the next layer of dough. Once you flip the first layer of the mufleta over, place the raw formed dough round on top of that cooked layer. Form another round of dough while the next layer is browning.
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10. Once golden brown, flip again and place another layer of raw dough on the top browned side of the mufleta while the bottom cooks. You can add a little more oil to the pan after each flip. Continue this process for as long as you can manage to flip the pile of layers. If the stack gets too big to flip, remove the entire stack, and begin a new one. SWEET STUFFED DATES Ingredients: • 20-30 large fresh dates (Medjool, Khadrawy, or Halawy) • 1 cup toasted almonds • 1 cup toasted shelled pistachios • 6 tablespoons honey • Pinch of salt • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom • Tahini, to taste • Flake salt (like Maldon), to taste Directions: 1. In a food processor, combine the almonds, pistachios, honey, salt, and spices until very finely chopped, but be careful not to overmix or the mixture can become like a nut butter. (If you don’t have a food processor you can finely chop the nuts by hand and combine everything together in a bowl). 2. Slice the dates down the middle lengthwise, removing the pit, but keeping them intact. 3. Fill the dates with the nut mixture. Just before serving, drizzle the dates with good quality tahini and a sprinkle of salt. 4. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week without the tahini and salt.
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On Sunday, The Rabbi Logged On To Zoom: A Bride And Groom Were Waiting
FoCUs Issues on
Happy Passover.... ....to all My Friends in the Jewish Community! Louis Fitzmorris
By Ben Harris
Jalna Silverstein and Asael Papour are married in New York, March 22, 2020. (Courtesy of Silverstein)
(JTA) — Before everything changed, Jalna Silverstein and Asael Papour were planning a wedding much like many other Jewish nuptials on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. They had a band and caterer lined up, a ceremony planned for the synagogue where Silverstein grew up and all the little details mapped out, from the napkins to the chair coverings to the types of utensils. And they had a date: March 29. In February, as the coronavirus pandemic became more urgent in news headlines, the couple felt the first faint stirrings of concern. An elderly friend of the groom’s family, citing his elevated risk for the disease, informed them he couldn’t make it. Still, there were very few cases in New York, and the cancellation seemed more like a speed bump than a barrier. As March arrived, however, things began to look much bleaker. “People with families and highrisk people started to show concern and ask us, are we still on for the wedding? And what’s the plan”? Papour told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. So, they put out some feelers to their guest list: Were people still planning to attend? Should they persevere or pull the plug? “Nobody knew what to tell us,” Papour said. As with so many things in the age of coronavirus, things moved slowly at first — and then very quickly. On March 11, the United States announced a 30-day ban on travel from Europe. Papour’s family in Israel and Germany would not be able to get there. “At that point things had escalated here, too,” Silverstein said. “To my mother’s dismay, after hard planning and utter disappointment, THE
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I had to break it to my mom that I don’t think this is going to happen.” At least not as originally planned. They canceled the band and the caterer and bumped up the date a week, hoping to stay ahead of an expected ban on public gatherings. But they were determined the wedding was going to happen in some form. That form wound up being online. A small group would gather in Silverstein’s synagogue — immediate family, a handful of close friends and a rabbi — and everyone else could watch a livestream. It seemed, amid the swirling chaos all around them, the wedding would still happen. Then on Friday afternoon, with two days to go to the now onlineonly ceremony, the rabbi called. “He sounds awful,” Papour said. “It sounds like he can’t breathe.” At a time when even a light cough can inspire mortal fear, the couple decided to wait and check in after Shabbat. But when the rabbi called on Saturday night, the news was bad: He felt worse. He had an idea, though: If the guests could participate in the ceremony over videoconference, why couldn’t the officiant, too? So, on Sunday afternoon, Silverstein and Papour — she in a white gown, he in a black suit — stood in front of a camera in the chapel at Ansche Chesed on West 100th Street, the disembodied head of Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky staring back at them from a laptop screen perched on a rostrum. Friends tuning in online got decked out in tuxedos and other wedding finery (“I’m going to do my hair for the first time in three weeks,” one told Silverstein). The handful of guests in the room with the newlyweds kept a respectful distance in keeping with social distancing regulations. Hours later, the governor issued a statewide lockdown order that banned nonessential gatherings of any size. And Kalmanofsky’s coronavirus test came back negative. “It’s been a fun turn of events,” Papour said. “Luckily we’re both mutable enough to go with the flow. We really didn’t have a choice.”
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Impartial • Open-Minded • Listens • Fair • Caring • Committed Compassionate • Non-Political • Protecting the Public “Sometimes Bad Things happen to Good People” I am asking for your support to serve the residents of Baton Rouge as a City Court Judge.
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Elect Greg Cook Baton Rouge City Court Judge, Division C
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Prior to serving as Senior Deputy Clerk at City Court, I served the Greater Baton Rouge area and State of Louisiana as a private practice attorney concentrating in the areas of family law, criminal law, personal injury, successions and civil litigation. I have served the community in various ways such as feeding the hungry, coaching youth sports, and assisting with developing and training youth in business and personal development. Paid for by the Committee to Elect Greg Cook • votecook4citycourt.com
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kVelleR JEFFERSON PARISH DISTRICT ATTORNEY
PAUL CONNICK, JR.
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I Asked Alexa Questions About Passover. Here’s What Happened. By Arielle Kaplan
Happy Passover to all my friends in the Jewish Community.
Happy Passover to all of my many friends in the Jewish Community! Thank you for your continued support! Good luck and kindest regards,
Jon Gegenheimer Clerk of Court, Jefferson Parish
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Best Wishes for a Happy Passover!
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(Kveller via JTA) – My relationship with Amazon’s Alexa is complicated. I love that she’s politically informed and shares the latest news with me, and she has really great taste in music. Since she’s come into my life, I can’t imagine not waking up next to her every morning -- but sometimes she gets on my last nerves. Her listening comprehension skills aren’t the best, she never pronounces my name correctly and she often lies to me about the weather. Alexa also can be very rude and impolite when she interrupts my conversations completely unprovoked. Alexa and I are about to enter a new phase in our relationship: This is the first Passover that we are spending together. Since this is such a big step, I wanted to test her knowledge on one of the most important Jewish holidays. She sure knows a lot about the Mueller report, but what about the Haggadah? Me: Alexa, why is this night different from all other nights? Alexa: On all other nights we eat all vegetables, and on this night only bitter herbs. My commentary: Hmm … not quite, Alexa. It’s true, we do eat bitter herbs on Passover, but all vegetables are welcome! Half a point for Gryffindor! Alexa, what are the Four Questions? The mahn Four Questions is usually defined as the four questions about the significance of the seder service, traditionally asked at the Passover seder by the youngest person, and answered by the reading of the Haggadah. The “mahn” Four Questions? What the heck does that mean? Or did she say “none?” Is “mahn” short for Ma Nishtanah, the Hebrew name for the Four Questions? I think we’ll never know. Let’s circle back to our first question. Alexa, why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we don’t dip our food even once, and on this night we dip twice. I mean, I dip my cookies in milk every night. The key words missing after “dip our food” are “in saltwa-
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ter.” Close, Alexa, but no cigar. Let’s try again. Alexa, why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat all vegetables, and on this night … Ugh, Alexa, no! I get it, you love bitter herbs! Alexa, why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat sitting or reclining, and on this night we only recline. There we go! I knew she had it in her. Let’s pick that robotic brain a bit more … Alexa, why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat all vegetables, and on this night … Jeez Louise, is this a smart speaker or a broken record?? Time to switch gears! OK, Alexa, what do we eat on Passover? Sorry, I’m not sure about that. Seriously? This is the most basic Pesach trivia question I can ask. Alexa knows pi but not matzah? Jeff Bezos, a word, please? Maybe I should rephrase. Alexa, what is matzah? The mahn matzah is usually defined as unleavened bread in the form of large crackers, typically square, and corrugated, eaten by Jews during Passover. Ah, there we go. But again with the puzzling “mahn” thing. What does it mean? Still, I’m tempted to bestow half a point for the clever use of “corrugated” to describe matzah. Alexa, why do we eat matzah? Hmm, I don’t know that one. Deep down I know you do! Perhaps you need another rephrase. Alexa, why do we eat unleavened bread? Sorry, I don’t know that one. Our complicated relationship is leaning more toward hate than love, Alexa. Step it up or we’re through. What are the 10 plagues? I know about four plagues, and they’re bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, septicemic plague and pestis minor. OK, well, actually Alexa, pestis minor is just a benign form of bubonic plague. I think we’re done here. Crap, I’m late for work! THE
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The Jewish History Of America’s Most Famous Ice Cream
Happy Passover!
By Joanna O'Leary
(Getty Images)
This story originally appeared on The Nosher. Chunky Monkey. Rum Tres Leches. Banana Nut Fudge. Who gave the world the gift of these delectable ice cream flavor inventions? While Italian immigrants are traditionally given credit for opening the first ice cream parlors in the United States in the early 20th century, a series of savvy Jewish entrepreneurs are responsible for the development of gourmet ice cream flavors and their subsequent rise in popularity among the general public. The name Haagen-Dazs leads many to assume it to be Nordic in origin. Surprise — this internationally renowned ice cream company that has over $2 billion in sales annually was actually the brainchild of a Polish Jew named Reuben Mattus. Just after immigrating to America in the 1920s at the age of 10, along with his widowed mother, Mattus went to work for his uncle’s Italian lemon ice business in Brooklyn. By the early 1930s, the family had expanded its product line to include chocolate-covered ice cream bars, ice cream pops and ice cream sandwiches. Mattus was convinced he could deliver even higher quality ice cream to his customers, and engaged in a thorough self-education on the science and culinary methodology required to create the richest, most superior frozen confections. Mattus’ real stroke of genius, however, was his recognition that his new ultra-premium ice cream needed a certain cosmopolitan cache to make it appeal to his target audience: sophisticated, moneyed Americans. Thus he decided to give it a “foreign-sounding” name, specifically a Danish(ish) one to pay tribute to the country’s effort to save Jews during World War II. Remarkably, at about the same time, another Jewish entrepreneur on the other side of the country THE
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was launching his own ice cream experiment. Irv Robbins, a Canadian, was self-taught, first gaining skills working in his father’s store and then teaching himself more advanced techniques while crafting ice cream as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during WWII. In 1945, Robbins opened the Snowbird Ice Cream parlor, in part with funds from his bar mitzvah (how’s that for foresight?) in Glendale, California, and quickly won rave reviews for the wide variety of flavors. Shortly thereafter, Robbins’ brother-in-law Bert Baskin opened his own shop, and in 1948, the fraternal pair established a joint establishment and soon-to-be company Baskin-Robbins. They came full circle when, nearly 50 years later, Baskin-Robbins merged with Dunkin’ Donuts — founded by the Jewish entrepreneur William Rosenberg. Steve Herrell, whose spouse and business partner was Jewish, observed the strides made by Haagen-Dazs in broadening consumers’ tastes for ice cream and decided to capitalize on that momentum by opening an ice cream shop in the 1970s that proffered flavors more exotic than the standard chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Located in Somerville, Massachusetts, Steve’s served then-novel varieties of creams such as chocolate pudding, cookie dough and peanut butter, as well as afforded customers the opportunity to add “mix-ins” like M&Ms, chocolate sandwich cookies, sprinkles and toffee bits. And just as Herrell was inspired by Haagen-Dazs, his ice cream innovations would influence other ice cream entrepreneurs, including two mensches who would arguably go on to become America’s greatest creators and purveyors of gourmet ice cream: Ben (Cohen) & Jerry (Greenfield). After witnessing firsthand Herrell perform his mix-in technique at his eponymous parlor, the dynamic duo started their scoop shop in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont. They initial-
ly followed Herrell’s style of manually incorporating different toppings, then moved on to churning out pints pre-blended with different candies, baked goods and sauces, thus paving the way for the emergence of Phish Food, Chubby Hubby and other iconic Ben & Jerry’s flavors. When it comes to ice cream, how sweet it is to be loved by Jews.
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Wishing my many friends and supporters in the Jewish Community a safe, healthy, and happy Passover. We will make it through these times together! Candice Bates-Anderson Chief Judge Juvenile Court Section C
Passover/ COVID-19 2020
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Opinion
Passover and Easter Secrets in the Dead Sea Scrolls By Neil Altman
Are there some secrets in the Dead Sea Scrolls that scholars are not telling us about? Secrets about Passover and Easter? This year, on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Passover on April 8th, Christians in the West will commemorate Good Friday two days later. As the 8-day holiday of Passover begins, new findings in the Dead Sea Scrolls have come to light to add a new understanding and a new surprising dimension to these holy days. In the scholarly world, unfortunately, the clock ticks very slowly. It may take months, or even years, before a confirmation of new discoveries will come back from Scroll scholars, or be met with silence if their theories on the Dead Sea Scrolls are challenged. For example, the theory has long been held that the Scrolls are supposedly ancient texts (many of
them Biblical). They were found in cliff caves above Israel’s Dead Sea around 1948. During the late 1940s and 1950s, many senior scholars claimed that the Scrolls were not ancient, but other scholars believed that the Scrolls dated around 200 BC to 100 BC. There were allegations that scroll texts were kept away from possible scrutiny that might challenge the consensus thinking. So, what do Scroll scholars know that we don’t? The late Professor Peter Flint, a leading expert on the Qumran Isaiah Scroll, found that “the Great Isaiah Scroll does contain a new and important theological, many would say messianic, reading later in the [53rd] chapter.” He further revealed, in a personal scholarly report on a “new reading in Isa. 53:11” that “in the traditional MT [Masoretic Text], the Servant of the Lord will suffer and die and
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bear our iniquities (for Christians, signifying Jesus’ death on Good Friday). However, the Great Isaiah Scroll has a different [more messianic] text: ‘he will see light’ which signifies the hope of something more, life beyond death, or resurrection.” Another discovery in The Meaning of The Qumran Scrolls for the Bible, by the late Professor William Hugh Brownlee, a Hebrew expert and Dead Sea Scroll scholar, also profoundly broadens our understanding of the “suffering servant” prophecy. Brownlee pointed out that the wording, “the God of all the earth will He be called,” added to the text by the Qumran Scribe, “is quite appropriate immediately before the ‘Great Servant Song’ of Isaiah 52:13-53:12....” This eye-opening addition clearly makes the Suffering Servant to be God. Since one of the most hot-button issues of Biblical scholarship is the interpretation of Isaiah chapter 53, Professors Flint and Brownlee’s findings add fuel to the fire. Some interpretations of this entire chapter in Isaiah are that it refers to “Israel” or an idealized Israel. But most
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Biblical scholars say that Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering Servant of the Lord is the Messiah. The late Professor Edward Kutscher of Hebrew University also found an alteration in Qumran Isaiah 52:14, that sheds a new light on the “Servant.” As he revealed, in The Language and Linguistic Background of the Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa), “This seems to be an expression of the scribe’s conception of the ‘Lord’s Servant’ as the anointed Messiah.” In a startling admission, Brownlee stated, “… my eyes were suddenly opened to the vital significance of these Messianic variants…. These variants represented deliberate alteration of the Hebrew text in order to produce the desired Messianic interpretations.” While scholars have fiercely debated the dating of the Dead Sea Scrolls— whether they are B.C or really A.D— they all agree that the Dead Sea Scrolls are Jewish and written by Jewish scribes. According to Orthodox Rabbi Dr. I. W. Slotki, in his Soncino Press translation and commentary, Isaiah, this entire prophecy, from See DEAD SEA SCROLLS on Page
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Happy Passover! 26 Passover/ COVID-19 2020
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PRESCRIPTION Continued from Page 8 erating and working together within and among nations, by caring for the most vulnerable among us, and by creating a society that keeps as many of us as possible healthy and financially secure. In a world so focused on “us vs. them,” the coronavirus reminds us that in a profound sense, there is only us. The only sane path forward is more compassion, more justice, and more humility about the degree to which we need each other. 4. Embrace a sabbatical. One of Judaism’s great gifts to the world is the idea of the Sabbath, the sacred break from the labors of the week. But the Sabbath is more than lounging around with nothing to do. It’s about renewal and the need to nourish the soul through extra time to study. One of the side effects of the coronavirus might be the ability for those who need to stay home to use that time away from the workplace or the outside world productively. Some folks need to show up at work, travel and go about business as usual. But to the extent that one can, it will be vital to care of yourself and those that you love. Through the gift of physical and spiritual rest, we may experience breakthroughs that will allow our society to manage this disease more effectively. 5. Be gentle. Always be gentle with others. Everyone is doing the best they can. Human beings are fundamentally frail. To compensate for uncertainty and imperfection in this moment, some people will act out with pure hubris. But this hubris hides vulnerability and pain. We do not know what others go through on a daily basis. The coronavirus may give us the ability to realize that humility in the face of great challenge can be a factor leading us toward communal healing. To be under quarantine, as whole countries are essentially imposing at this point, cannot be a pleasant feeling. It’s isolating and humiliating. To be gentle also means to be empathetic to those who find themselves cut off from society. This disease has upended routines all over the world. We can be understanding of how it has ruined the daily lives of people who only want to support themselves and their families. This universal reality brings us together rather than tearing us apart. Let us have the strength to be understanding and kind in this time of great tumult. THE
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COVID-19 SPECIAL COVERAGE 6. Love is contagious, too. The coronavirus is highly contagious, but so are the actions we can take inspired by love and joy. We are reminded yet again of the total interconnectedness of all life on this planet. The amazing phenomenon of life and its parallel humbling frailty can inspire wonder and deeper empathy. While, of course, we must heed medical experts to undertake precautionary measures to avoid the spread of the virus, we can also do our best to spread happiness and positivity, international cooperation and a positive attitude to help quell this virus. To give up on the better angels of our nature is akin to defeat. At the least, to acknowledge people’s good intentions and engage others out of love rather than fear are ways to help defeat the trials put before us by the coronavirus. Spread love, spread warmth, spread optimism. The times may seem bleak, but we can all do our part to ensure that a brighter tomorrow is around the corner. Friends, this is a difficult time for all. No one has been spared from the effects of the coronavirus. Not all of us will be infected by the virus, but we are already affected. There is no denying that the global attention to this ailment has radically shifted the world’s power landscape indefinitely. But, for a moment, looking past these macroeffects can offer an opportunity to consider how each of us, at an individual level, can be spiritually renewed in our collective efforts to halt this disease and get through this moment. RABBI SHMULY YANKLOWITZ is the President & Dean of the Valley Beit Midrash (Jewish pluralistic adult learning & leadership), the Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek (Orthodox Social Justice), the Founder and CEO of Shamayim (Jewish animal advocacy), the Founder and President of YATOM, (Jewish foster and adoption network), and the author of seventeen books on Jewish ethics. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s and do not represent any organizations he is affiliated with. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
KING OF WEED Continued from Page 21 enough legal retailers in California to satisfy the state’s massive appetite for weed. As a result, the illegal market in California still takes in about $8.7 billion per year, more than twice as much as the legal market, according to the research firm BDS Analytics. Steinmetz called the situation a “disgrace.” Investment in the industry reached a fever pitch in 2018 with more than $13 billion raised, according to Viridian Capital Advisors. But despite big promises, marijuana remains banned under federal law, and companies still can’t trade across state lines, let alone international borders. Traditional banks still refuse to cooperate with cannabis companies, no matter how lucrative they are. As a result, growth has been disappointing. In November, Flow Kana had to lay off about 20 employees, most at the corporate office in Oakland. It joined a number of other cannabis companies in the state in a series of layoffs that left hundreds of workers jobless.
(Courtesy of Flow Kana)
Still, there is good reason to be optimistic about the future of California weed — and Steinmetz certainly is. Californians spend more than $1 billion on marijuana each month, between legal and illicit sales. Over the next four years,
aroUND
THe
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legal sales in California are projected to more than double. So what does Steinmetz envision for the future of his business? He says he does not make decisions thinking of a buyout. Instead he plays “the infinite game.” His sights are trained on tomorrow’s industry: the end of federal prohibition, the slackening of local regulations and the beginning of a new day for cannabis, when it will be treated like any other regulated substance. “Our decisions are five, seven years out,” he said. Almost everywhere you look at Flow Cannabis Institute, there is temporary fencing, dirt movers, laborers and the din of construction. The company is expanding beyond its core product, renovating an 18,000-square-foot warehouse to manufacture concentrated oils for use in popular products like vape pens and edibles. It is working on a 40,000-square-foot showroom the size of an airplane hangar and five stories high. He envisions distributors and retailers from all over the world visiting Mendocino County to browse “just shy of a million pounds” of cannabis in the showroom, displaying “thousands and thousands of different strains” at “hundreds upon hundreds of different price points.” Ultimately, Steinmetz is placing a big bet on California. “The long-term dream is to make it accessible for out-of-state, and from other countries, to be able to access the best cannabis in the world from the best growing region in California,” he said. “I think nobody’s going to care for Nebraska-grown cannabis, or Massachusetts-grown cannabis, or indoorgrown cannabis somewhere else. “We want to put the Emerald Triangle on the map, globally.” Call Our Trained Experts & Experience the Difference
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THE
JEWISH BOY Continued from Page 19 “I’m walking out onto the plaza where there was a pro-Palestinian rally was going on. This kid who absolutely was not Palestinian, he was Caucasian, hands me a flyer,” Laughton recalls. “I reach for it and he sees I have a tattoo on my wrist. It’s the Hebrew word ‘herut,’ which means freedom. He asks me what language that is, and when I say Hebrew, he asks me if I’m Jewish, grabs my wrist, lifts it in the air and says, ‘We have a Jew.’” Laughton escaped unharmed, but the sense of rage and fear he felt in the moment stuck with him. Growing up in Worcester, England, with a Greek Cypriot father and a Jewish mother, he didn’t feel very connected to Judaism or his Jewish identity.
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CHILDREN'S BOOKS Continued from Page 18
The play explores issues that come up in an interfaith and interracial relationship. (Alex Fine)
He says he always “felt it was deep in in me,” but it wasn’t until after Laughton moved to London in his 20s, where “there were more Jewish people around,” that it began to emerge. “The Jewish side of me began to win out,” he said. These days, Laughton thinks the anti-immigrant rhetoric surrounding Brexit has “given voice and permission to racism” and “made anti-Semitism respectable.” England has been shaken up by a yearslong anti-Semitism controversy involving the country’s liberal Labour Party, which until recently was the political home of most British Jews. Laughton has tried to reach out to some of the anti-Semites he has crossed paths with online. During the Red Lion run, he even invited some of those “who had a go at me online” to be his guest at the show and sit next to him. He believes some of them showed up to past performances. Laughton only asked them in his invitation that if they had a problem with him to just get up quietly and leave without disturbing the show. No one did.
illustrations reflect the story's contrasts between inside and outside. Newman in the author’s note the Ma Nishtanah, the Four Ques- explains the custom of filling a cup tions, traditionally recited by the of wine for Elijah and the holiday's youngest in the family. But his little theme of welcoming guests. sister, Evie, insists it's her turn for "Miriam at the River" the honor. Eitan rejects Grandma Naomi's suggestion that he help his sister learn the questions and tries to persuade Evie to change her mind. Will the quarreling siblings find a way to join their voices together? Ben-Ami's double-page spreads burst with high energy and expressive illustrations.
"Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale With a Tail"
Jane Yolen; illustrations by Khoa Le Kar-Ben (ages 5-9)
Lesléa Newman; illustrated by Susan Gal - Charlesbridge (ages 5-8)
A young boy inside his warm and light-filled home celebrates the seder with his family and guests while outside, a small white kitten sits alone in the windy darkness of night. With each turn of this poetically written and beautifully illustrated book, the simple verse compares the joyful seder rituals and festivities inside with the lonely kitten outside. When it's time to open the door to welcome Elijah, the boy's favorite holiday ritual, he discovers the kitten meowing at his doorstep. Gal's large, gloriously colored
Yolen, a master storyteller, will enchant a new generation of young readers with this imaginative, lyrical retelling of the biblical story of Miriam, the older sister of Moses. Set in ancient times along the banks of the Nile River, a 7-year-old Miriam finds the courage to save the life of her baby brother. The story sets the stage for the future of the Exodus story. Le illustrates with swirls of color and ripples of water as the basket with baby Moses drifts past a lush landscape of storks and a hippopotamus. An author’s note gives the biblical background and explains the recurring ties between Miriam and water in the Exodus story.
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Happy Passover...
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SELF-ISOLATING Continued from Page 10 ness, and fear. It’s been well over a week since I have had a hug. Everything I hear, watch, and read tells me this could go on for months. And the fear of COVID-19 getting into my facility is real. It’s decimating long-term care facilities elsewhere. On the other hand, I am relieved by these extreme measures, because all it takes is one person — knowingly or unknowingly sick — to bring the walls around here crashing down. If COVID-19 gets in here, it is likely that many people here will get very sick and some of those people will die. We also have to protect the health of the staff who look after us. Everyone is making sacrifices right now, so we have to do our part. Making sacrifices to save lives is in fact a very Jewish thing to do. Pikuach nefesh (saving a life) is a principle of Jewish law that the preservation of life basically supersedes any religious rules. So while it may feel bad to not go to shul on Shabbat, or not hold a shiva for a deceased relative, God understands. Heck, God is giving us a pass. Judaism is so rooted in community that I think people are grieving the loss of the things we normally take for granted like our JCCs, our Shuls, book clubs, delis, Hebrew schools and so on. But the shutdown is inspiring a lot of innovation and creativity. Synagogues are live-streaming services, rabbis are doing FaceTime tutoring and visits, virtual bar mitzvahs are celebrated. Chesed organizations are popping up to get provisions to vulnerable Jews who cannot get food or medications due to selfisolation or quarantine. As Jews, we are rising to the occasion (we have a tradition of doing that when times are tough). I am pretty much glued to my phone these days. FaceTime, texting, and Messenger are my mainstays for keeping up with my husband, family, and friends. Another cool app is Marco Polo, which lets you record and share videos that people can watch at their convenience. There are so many ways to stay connected. That is the one bright spot. We have all this technology to help us keep in touch. In that sense, we are blessed. My room looks out onto a lovely courtyard. While spring has officially sprung, there is still snow on the ground. But that doesn’t deter THE
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my husband from trekking through the snow every day so we can see each other from my second floor window and do our daily wave. We try to FaceTime too, although with everyone in the world using the Internet, sometimes the connection can be a bit slow. We text a lot. And we’re going old school and doing something we almost never did anymore: we are talking to each other on the phone. I wasn’t the biggest fan of telephone calls before all this happened but I am becoming a convert. We are also writing each other letters and he’s leaving me care packages. In other words, we are making the best of the situation. And in some ways, I think we are becoming more thoughtful of each other. If there is any takeaway from this whole situation, it’s that we all need to be resilient. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. I feel safer with no visitors coming in. I am willing to make the sacrifice of no visitors, if it means keeping us all here safe. But it still doesn’t make my broken heart feel any better. I encourage you to connect virtually with your loved ones and friends who are isolated. Spread kindness, not coronavirus.
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PANDEMIC Continued from Page 14 living in Dakar, Senegal, for the year while his wife conducts field research for her doctorate in anthropology, hopes to return to New York City to officiate at a wedding and spend the holiday with his parents. But if travel becomes impossible, he may be stuck in the West African city, where he estimates that the nearest kosher store is more than 1,000 miles away in Morocco. Now he is scrambling to make sure that they will have enough matzah and kosher wine for the holiday. He is hoping the local Israeli diplomats will be able to get a shipment of matzah, and also asked a good friend in the local U.S. embassy — which has access to Amazon Prime — to order some for him online. Barring that, he will try to import matzah all the way from South Africa. And if all of that fails, he plans to make matzah himself — starting with the actual wheat. In any case, if Fisher and his wife end up in Senegal for the holiday, they plan to host a seder for the tiny community of Jews there who also would be unable to travel. “If we are actually here for Pesach, it will be the first Pesach in my life that I won’t have a Pesach store to go to to buy my Pesach supplies,” Fisher said. “While it’s not an ideal situation, the prospect of sharing Pesach with the friends and Jewish community that we’ve built here over the past few months is exciting.” Others now face the unusual prospect of conducting the communal meal alone. Efrem Epstein, who lives alone in Manhattan, planned to join with friends or family, or a synagogue, for the seders. Now he’s wondering whether he’ll end up hiding the afikomen and finding it himself.
“Throughout the Haggadah, we read about many accounts of our ancestors, whether it be in Egypt or whether it be hiding in caves or any other times, that are going through some very challenging times,” Epstein said. “I’m an extrovert. I like being around people, but I also know that there are sources saying that if one is doing seder by themselves, they should ask the Mah Nishtana of themselves. If that’s what I have to do this year, I accept it.” If people are limited to small or virtual seders on the first nights of Passover, they might have a kind of second chance, said Uri Allen, associate rabbi of Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn, New York. Allen is in a group of rabbis pondering the renewed relevance of Pesach Sheni, literally “Second Passover,” a day that comes exactly a month after the first day of Passover. In ancient times, Pesach Sheni was a second chance to make the paschal sacrifice for those who had been unable to on the holiday itself. Allen said that in any event, Jews should have a seder on the first night of Passover. But if they are looking for a chance to make a communal seder with friends or family, then depending on the coronavirus’s spread, they might be able to do so on Pesach Sheni — without the blessings or dietary restrictions. “I’m imagining both for my family and also probably many other families who are used to a certain kind of seder, larger gatherings and things like that, that probably won’t happen a lot this year,” Allen said. “I would definitely encourage and advocate, if your seder got interrupted or disrupted because of the coronavirus, why not have the seder that you wanted on Pesach Sheni — provided everything is clear and people can resume some sort of normal life.”
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FAMILY Continued from Page 6 Israel to shop during Israel’s 18-year occupation of South Lebanon. One of our first acts under quarantine was to set up an online supermarket order. When the deliveryman arrived with our groceries, I opened the door, stepped back 6 feet and explained the situation. He quickly backed away, a frightened look on his face. “It’s all for you!” he said, gesturing to the packages and running for the building stairwell. “Wait! What about the crates?” I called out. “Keep them!” he cried, already out of sight. “I have a family! I have children at home!” “We’re not sick,” I shouted after him. “It’s just that we got back from Italy yesterday! You can have the crates back.” “I wish you good health. But I’m not coming back! They’re yours!” The irony of having become objects of pity and charity because of our “misfortune” at having taken a European ski vacation isn’t lost
30 Passover/ COVID-19 2020
COVID-19 SPECIAL COVERAGE on us. And as we count down the days, trying to keep our nervousness at bay every time someone coughs or has a headache, we’re reading the news about the virus’ spread with growing alarm. Friends and family on distant continents have been subject to quarantine, too. Even once our quarantine is over, we won’t be in the clear. We’ll be out in the world with the rest of you, at risk of contamination. In some ways, quarantine is a protective cocoon. Like spending a lot of time with family, it’s a mixed blessing. In any case, I’d like to wish all people around the world good health and a hearty “l’chaim.” Unfortunately, I’ve run out of scotch to do a proper toast. This story originally appeared on Kveller. Uri Heilman is JTA's former managing editor. He is now director of business development at JTA's parent company, 70 Faces Media.
NONPROFITS Continued from Page 3 massive economic impact, we may not,” he said. “In other words, funders are trying to find out what the needs are going to be not today but in the medium and long term. It’s not the time to cut down on grants.” Layoffs by JCCs and other Jewish organizations could spark a vicious cycle that deprives other Jewish groups of fees from those people, he said. “When somebody has no money, they can’t pay for synagogue membership or JCC membership or day school tuition,” he said. “Crises have a domino effect.” But philanthropies, particularly ones with large cash reserves, also have an obligation to use whatever money they have to help people impacted by the crisis, said Lila Corwin Berman, an expert in American Jewish philanthropy. During the Great Depression, she said, Jewish nonprofits pulled out all the stops — even at the risk of going broke — to help their constituents. “I’m worried that this is going to make philanthropic organizations feel like they need to be really tightfisted when I actually think it’s the opposite,” said Berman, an American Jewish history professor at Temple University. “It is for moments like this that that money must be directed toward the public quickly.” In the face of lost service fees and a potential decline in donations, Jewish nonprofits are joining others in looking to the federal government for help. A letter signed by dozens of nonprofits across the country, including Jewish groups groups like the Jewish Federations of North America, JCC Association and Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, requests that $60 billion in
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government stimulus funds be set aside to shore up the country’s nonprofit sector. A bill that would provide some of that stimulus funding is now stalled in the Senate. The nonprofits are asking as well for increased access to another set of emergency loans and requesting that taxpayers be allowed to deduct a larger share of their philanthropic donations from their taxable income. “America’s charities are frontline responders providing food, shelter, medical services and other critical services to those in need in their communities,” the letter reads. “Without dramatic and immediate financial and programmatic backstop from government, America’s charitable nonprofits and the people we serve face a precipitous decline in mission services at a time when our efforts are needed like never before by the most vulnerable in our communities.” Even as they face down an uncertain future themselves, many Jewish organizations are also trying to respond to the crisis in real time. The Tenement Museum is providing its curricula on immigrants free to the New York City Department of Education, which has switched to online learning. The Jewish Funders Network conference, which begins Monday, has been moved online, and most of its sessions deal in some way with the coronavirus crisis. The Jewish Federations of North America is sending fundraising tips to local federations, as well as security guidelines for shuttered institutions. Local JCCs are providing online programming for kids, delivering meals to homebound seniors and providing child care for the kids of medical professionals. “Once you close all these institutions and move everything online, people adapt to this new way of operating, we think there will be some fundamental changes … in how institutions deliver services,” Fingerhut said. “We hope and intend to help when the world reopens.”
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DEAD SEA SCROLLS Continued from Page 26 Isaiah 52:13 through all of chapter 53, deals with “the servant’s martyrdom and ultimate triumph.” This messianic theme of the suffering Servant of God is also represented in Jewish Passover tradition, as the symbolic Passover Lamb: Rabbi Slotki’s translation of Isaiah 53:7 reads, “as a lamb that is led to the slaughter.” Now, in modern times, our focus at Passover centers on God’s delivering us out of Egypt, but, previously, that was not the main emphasis. Hebrew University Professor Israel J. Yuval, in Passover and Easter: Origin and History to Modern Times, informs us that shortly after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD, “… the Seder [the Passover ceremony] changed from being a celebration emphasizing sacrifice … to a celebration of the Exodus event and the redemption it symbolized.” The renowned ancient Rabbi Gamaliel taught that “Whoever does not explain … three symbols at the Passover Seder has not fulfilled his duty.” One of these symbols on the Seder plate is a shank
bone, which represents the lamb that was sacrificed on the eve of Passover. The Jewish Catalogue (1973) tells us that the holy day of Passover in Hebrew is referred to as “Hag ha-Pesah—Festival of the Pascal [Passover] Sacrifice.” Isaiah clearly used this theme of a lamb sacrifice in his prophecy of the redeeming suffering Servant of the Lord. Neil Altman is a Philadelphiabased writer who specializes in the Dead Sea Scrolls and religion. His articles were carried by the New York Time Syndicate for 10 years and by other international syndicates. Also, they have appeared in the Washington Post and many other national and international papers, including Jewish newspapers. He had done graduate work at Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning, Conwell School of Theology and Temple University. He has a Master’s degree in Old Testament from Wheaton Graduate School in Wheaton, Illinois, and was an American Studies Fellow at Eastern College. This article with the assistance of Taegeun Yoo is an updated version that previously appeared. Copyright ©2020
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SYNAGOGUE Continued from Page 7 gagement. But based on my social feeds this week, they don’t need to be — and I don’t think it’s just because we’re in a pandemic. I believe if we had this sort of access all the time, the problem would disappear. This Saturday, I’ll celebrate Havdalah with a group I’ve been trying to get together with for over a year. When I’m healthy and available and interested in an event some time in the future, I’ll be more likely to attend knowing the awkward first introductions are behind me. When my illness keeps me home for weeks at a time, an occasional Zoom Torah study would help keep me from feeling too ashamed to return. If I’m studying too late, I’d feel fine clicking into an ongoing service that I’d never attend if I had to walk in late and interrupt. Being able to attend from bed? It makes a huge difference. The Jewish community should be taking notes right now: Accessibility helps everyone, and virtual experiences can be just as creative and engaging as in-person ones. People want to be involved. You just have to make it easy for them.
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Laughing emojis fill the screen of the song session. Someone’s just written in the comments, “if you don’t know the lyrics to this, it’s nai nai nai nai nai nai.” I’m starting to recognize people’s names, even though I’ve never seen most before today. “So, where’s everybody from?” scrolls by. People check in from California, Missouri, Tel Aviv. And then I see someone say: “Why did we wait until a virus to do this?” There’s not a good answer. We didn’t have to. We just did. At a time of uncertainty, these online gatherings give me hope — for the current moment, yes, but also for my future Jewish life and the future of the Jewish community as a whole. I wish I’d had this before. I’m glad I have it now. Let’s not wait to do it again, please. Not even when the coronavirus pandemic is done. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
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