Howard's Blog

It's Time to Learn

2012-01-27T11:51:00.000-05:00

Last week I along with JFCM president Natalie Rudolph visited the MetroWest Jewish Day School in Framingham.

We met with staff, board members and visited the classrooms. Our community has a presence at the school not only with 5 students from our area, but staff as well. In addition our young emissaries spend a day a week there developing a greater understanding of Israel.

In our community, the Yeshiva continues to provide a sound educational experience to its students and would welcome visitors to see its dynamic program.

Hebrew High continues to provide a great Jewish educational experience for our teens, and our adult education courses, lectures and discussions inspire us to discover more about ourselves and our relationship to any and all things Jewish.

This fall a new community afterschool religious school will open its doors for the first time and welcome students from Beth Israel and Temple Emanuel in a joint educational endeavor.

Yes it's time to learn...take advantage of all the community has to offer...you will not be disappointed.

Another year

2011-12-20T14:55:00.000-05:00

It seems that at this time of year everyone is coming up with their top ten lists-movies, songs, events.

Did you ever consider coming up with your own top ten lists? Would they include family milestones-births, marriages, bar/bat mitzvahs? Vacations?Finding a job?A new home?Being promoted?

We all have different criteria for determining what we would consider as our own top ten. Mine would include a big birthday this past year, visiting Russia for the first time and experiencing the regeneration of Jewish life there, spending the summer in Israel, and number one would be becoming a grandfather for the first time.

It would probably be a lot of fun for families to get together before the end of 2011 to develop their own top ten list. What a great way to remember those things we consider to be the most important events of our year and to keep a permanent record of our top ten events.

I hope that all of you will end this year on a very happy note and begin 2012 in the same way!

December

2011-12-02T12:04:00.000-05:00

The Chanukah-Christmas dilemma is upon us. This year Chanukah actually coincides with Christmas. For a very interesting article on how one family deals with this issue I would direct you to the December issue of our emagazine www.jewishcentralvoice.com

We will also be celebrating Chanukah this year by devoting one night's gift to Beit Singer, a home for at risk children in our Partnership2Gether region of Afula/Gilboa. This project in partnership with Beth Israel, Beth Tikvah, Temple Emanuel, B'nai Shalom Temple Sinai and the Worcester JCC will officially kick off at the family Chanukah Havdallah Happening at B'nai Shalom on Dec 17 from 6-8 PM.

There will be lots happening in our community over the next few weeks in celebration of Chanukah..check out www.jewishcentral.org for all the great info.

A Time To Give Thanks

2011-11-16T11:39:00.000-05:00

With our fall holidays now over, we turn to one that all Americans celebrate regardless of religion or ethnicity - Thanksgiving.

There will be many of us travelling to be with family and friends. With families spread all over the country it is nice when everyone has the time off to come together and celebrate as one.

Airports will be busy, the roads will be packed and we will wonder why are we enduring this ordeal, only to be reminded what is on the other side. There have been many movies made about the trials and tribulations of family reunions at Thanksgiving. In spite of the angst, hurt feelings, unsaid sentiments, hidden emotions and family tensions, most of those movies end happily with an understanding that we all do the best that we can and that we need to do our best to tolerate one another and work out unresolved issues.

Even if we have to wait until next Thanksgiving.

Safe travels, feast on that big juicy turkey (or facsimile), and enjoy your friends and family...

Visiting Israel

2011-11-04T11:51:00.000-04:00

What a trip!

I have just recently returned from a Federation trip to Israel. What a joy to spend a week with fellow community members exploring and rediscovering the new and modern Israel while visiting newly uncovered archaelogical sites throughout the country.

With all of Israel's many security and social challenges, it is still remarkable to learn about the tremendous strides being made by this small country in the arts, culture, technology, and medicine.

We ate at amazing restaurants where the food was plentiful and delicious. Breakfasts are always a treat. Fresh fruit, vegetables served with a variety of breads and cheeses.

One of the most important elements of a successful mission is the guide.And we had an outstanding guide. Yona Lefetsh moved from the world of High Tech to the world of showing visitors all that Israel has to offer.

We were briefed on security issues, the social challenges that Israel faces and had a very enlightening explanation of the differences between our political system and Israel's. Prior to our visit to Israel's Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem, we were priveleged to hear some personal recollections of a child of survivors who now works at Yad Vashem.

We spent the better part of a day in our sister communities of Afula/Gilboa and visited several programs that our Federation funds, and were hosted for dinner by friends from Afula/Gilboa.

We returned home excited and inspired with a much better understanding of Israel and the important role it plays in our Jewish identity and well being.

Join us in 2 years when we will going once again as a community to Israel...and ask our mission returnees to better understand how meaningful and important this trip was.

The Power of Women

2011-09-16T10:36:00.000-04:00

Last Tuesday the Federation held its annual meeting. Natalie Rudolph was elected president. Natalie becomes the second woman president of the Federation. Nancy Leavitt, who now lives in Gloucester served as president from 1984-1987.

We cannot underestimate the role that women have played in the development of our community. It is indeed an honor to once again have a woman leading our community.

On our list of events on www.jewishcentral.org, you will note that a Federation woman's event is being held this Thursday Sept 22. This luncheon will feature Dr. Shira Sanders, who oversees the Womans Empowerment Center in Afula our sister community in Israel. This program is funded by our Federation.

Once again you will be able to see how the power of women makes a huge difference in the lives of so many.

Here we go

2011-09-02T11:34:00.000-04:00

Yikes! It's September. Where did the summer go?

Our last long weekend of the summer is upon us.

As the summer transitions to the fall, our level of activity grows exponentially. It seems that we are all awakened from a short nap, only to be refreshed and reinvigorated to start the rest of the day.

So many exciting things to look forward to and so many issues to debate and discuss.

New Rabbis at our congregations, Consul General of Israel to New England Shai Bazak speaking at the Federation annual meeting on Sept 13 a week before a vote on Palestinian statehood goes before the United Nations General Assembly, a mission to Israel from Oct 23-31, the final planning for a new community religious school to start operations in the fall of 2012, a new community wide adult educational program to be unveiled during the High Holidays, Torathon at a new location, Rabbi Daniel Gordis kicking off our Cotton Leadership program in November, a new community singing group, and so much more...

Take a deep breath...enjoy the end of the summer, and gear up for what promises to be an amazing fall and winter in our Jewish Community of Central Massachusetts.

Back from Israel

2011-08-19T10:02:00.001-04:00

I have returned from an 8 week Sabbatical in Israel. I have shared some of my experiences with you in my weekly fedmail and will have a lengthy article in the upcoming September issue of our emagazine JewishCentral Voice.

Israel continues to be a fascinating country, where the beautiful Tel Aviv beaches compete with the beauty of the Negev desert and the Hills of Galilee. For a small country one wonders at the diversity of landscape and the geographical differences....beaches and desert, plains and mountainous regions, major metropolitan areas and communal villages.

One hears so much about this tiny country-its politics, its economy, its people. Yet so few have visited it to truly understand it.

Join us at the end of October as we experience Israel in all its many facets. For complete details check out our website www.jewishcentralmass.org

Summertime in Israel

2011-08-01T11:34:00.000-04:00

Summers in Israel are hot. The only way to escape the heat is to spend some time at the beach, preferably in the morning when the sun is not as scorching and there seems to be a nice breeze or relax in the cool air of an air conditioned apartment store or restaurant.

The beaches are packed with tourists and Sabras, especially on Fridays, when most Israelis don't work or on Shabbat when everyone is off.

This week, Gordon Beach in Tel Aviv is hosting the European sand volleyball championship which is bringing more people to the beach. The beaches in Tel Aviv while busy are clean, and beautiful. The 13 kilometer boardwalk that stretches from the old port in North Tel Aviv to Old Jaffa in the south is full of joggers, walkers, and cyclists, once again proving that in spite of the hot and humid weather, there are still some pretty strong resilient Israelis.

Several weeks ago while dining at a restaurant at one of the many Tel Aviv beaches, closer to Old Jaffa, we were surprised to see a group of Arab women in full regalia, from head to toe wading and completely dunking themselves in the Mediterranean Sea.

There husbands of course with no such dress restrictions were swimming separately in the water.

Youth Village and School, Kadoori

2011-07-21T11:19:00.000-04:00

The youth village and school, Kadoori, located in the Lower Galilee was the institution that Yitzchak Rabin graduated from. In the lobby of the currently being renovated original building, the report card of the tragically assassinated prime minister was on display. I am happy to report that his behavior received an excellent grade.

There is much to describe about the school which world ORT has adopted and is being transformed into a "smart school" where technology is part and parcel of the interactive learning environment. But I want to talk about the 15 Eritrean refugees that have been rescued from detention centers and are now being taught and nurtured at Kadoori.

These youngsters escaped the war and bloodshed in Eritrea to seek refuge in a country that they had heard about that could become a safe haven for them and a place where they could find work in order to send money to their impoverished families in Eritrea. These refugees are not Jewish, and enter the country illegally. Along the way to Israel, they faced many hurdles, and near death incidents. They bribed their way across the border between Egypt and Israel and most are placed in detention centers until the government can figure out what to with them.

Here comes the magic of Israel. The director of Kadoori goes to these detention centers in the Negev and personally signs for a select number of these refugees and brings them to the school. Because they are personally guaranteed by the director, they are allowed to come under his tutelage and guardianship. They receive room, board and an education. Most of these young refugees want to travel to Tel Aviv to work in order to send money back to their families, but Hillel, the school director ' s philosophy is that providing real opportunities for these kids will be more important to them and their families in the long run. This refugee issue is one of the myriad of the many issues that Israel faces. How can a country as small and as besieged as Israel is, cope with illegal immigrants who are not Jewish, potentially flooding the country. Yet as a country founded to be a safe haven for Jews, how can it be insensitive to the needs of those in the world who are facing such intolerable circumstances in countries like Eritrea. I asked this group sitting around a table in an impromptu moment: Why Israel?

Their answer was swift and to the point. Israel is a good place, where people are treated well and where we can find jobs. In Egypt we would be killed.

Imagine that the only alternative these teenagers had was Israel.

I do not mean to diminish the ongoing issue that this illegal migration to Israel could cause. But in this one instance, the moral and ethical decision to rescue these Eritrean young men from detention is truly a remarkable glimpse of what the unofficial Israel is all about.

Bad weather

2011-06-10T11:55:00.000-04:00

Last week, Western Massachusetts suffered a traumatic experience when tornadoes touched down in several locations, including downtown Springfield. For the most part, the Jewish institutions were spared damage. However the building which houses the Harold Grinspoon Foundation was hit. Luckily all those working there were unharmed.

We have absolutely no control over natural disasters. There have been too many this year. Floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunamis have wreaked havoc in so many parts of the world.

It brings into focus the need to take charge of what we have control over. Do we make the right decisions? Are we considerate of others? Do we take into account what really matters in life? Do we take the time to say thank you? Do we really appreciate the good things we have?

It's never too late to ask and answer those questions.

Over the next few weeks I will be blogging from Israel. Hope you take the time to read them.

Netanyahu and Obama

2011-05-20T11:01:00.000-04:00

This week will an interesting one.

Prime Minister Netanyahu meeting with President Obama at the White House, major speeches by Obama and Netanyahu before 10,000 delegates to the AIPAC policy conference, and a joint session of Congress being addressed by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

All this follows the major Middle East foreign policy address given by President Obama on Thursday.

What will be the results of all these meetings? We will see...but it will be interesting!

Post Passover Blues

2011-04-29T12:02:00.001-04:00

Are any of you suffering from post Passover blues?

Probably not....after all as much as we might like matzah, it does get a bit tedious.

Yet, aren't we lucky...onion matzah, whole wheat matzah, chocolate covered matzah, egg matzah, vegetable matzah crackers, and so many different varieties- yet it's still matzah.

Now that we are past Passover, the community moves into high gear. The next 6 weeks are filled with events, programs, annual meetings, not to mention all the graduations that so many of you will experience.

Take a look at our community calendar at www.jewishcentralmass.org and join in the fun. There is something for everyone and if not, let me know...and we'll see what we can find together.

Change is in the air!

2011-04-22T11:08:00.001-04:00

Looks like we will actually experience spring later on next week. Temperatures are expected to reach into the 70's. To say it's about time, would be redundant!

With the spring of 2011 upon us, it is time to think about the changes that will take place this summer and fall in our religious community.

Three rabbis will be leaving their congregations: Rabbi Larry Milder of Congregation B'nai Shalom, Rabbi Seth Bernstein of Temple Sinai and Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky of Congregation Beth Israel. Different circumstances for all three have precipitated career moves and changes. Their service to their congregations and the community has been much appreciated. They all have brought their unique talents and approaches to their congregations and all will be missed.

Several people have wondered out loud that this seemingly mass exodus of community Rabbis speaks to the further erosion of our Jewish community. This could not be further from the truth. It is indeed coincidental that these three Rabbis will be leaving at the same time. Lest one think that we will not have skilled talented and motivational religious leaders this fall, let me assure you that both B'nai Shalom and Temple Sinai have already hired interim Rabbis for the coming year, and Beth Israel is in the midst of its search.

By the fall of 2012, all three congregations are planning to have on board their full time permanent rabbis to lead their respective congregations. New personalities bring new ideas and approaches.

Yes, it is always somewhat disconcerting to say good bye to those who have been our spiritual leaders. But in Hebrew we say L'hitraot: not good-bye, but see you again!

Afula Part 2 and Passover

2011-04-14T15:19:00.000-04:00

Jews worldwide will usher in Passover with a seder on Monday evening.

Of all the Jewish holidays, the Passover seder is the most widely celebrated event in the Jewish calendar. Probably because its message is one of freedom-we were freed from slavery and this struggle is used as an example of how peoples around the world still need to struggle for their freedom.

Seders will be conducted in formal settings, informally in as many places as one could imagine and in countless creative ways to meet the needs of the seder participants.

This whole thing started when Joseph sojourned to Egypt. Initially welcomed, Joseph and his cohorts flourished, but as guests sometimes do, they overstayed their welcome, and their hosts became somewhat agitated.

Eventually the Egyptians turned on those Israelites and their journey to Freedom is memorialized in the Passover seder.

The freed slaves were promised a land flowing of milk and honey, but once having arrived, realized that such was not the case. Much work had to be done to reclaim the land and make it prosper.

Even today there is still much to do. The Gilboa region has embarked on one novel approach:

While in Israel, we visited Sha'ar Hagilboa, a new ski site and tourism complex in the Gilboa region. The Gilboa ski as it is called is located on the northern slope of Mt. Gilboa and allows visitors to ski on an intriguing slope that offers a beautiful view of the Gilboa scenery. The Gilboa is mentioned in the bible in the Book of Samuel. On the Gilboa, David said in his Lamentation to Jonathan: "Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is viley cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil".

Standing on Mt Gilboa overlooking the Jezreel Valley where so many Biblical stories occurred, our Jewish history came alive. And combined with the new tourist attractions in the region created a sense that our present is truly interconnected with our past. The modernity of a man made ski resort on the Gilboa where David roamed is truly a remarkable experience.

The struggles for freedom are not over...in the Afula/Gilboa region, immigrants from Ethiopia are learning how to be free...Arab and Jewish Israelis are struggling to learn about one another...

But at this Passover season, we celebrate the freedoms we have here and in Israel, and the freedoms that we all hope for, for all peoples.

Visit to Afula Part 1

2011-04-07T15:46:00.001-04:00

Whenever I travel to Israel and Israelis ask me where in the country I will be spending most of my time and I respond: "Afula", they look at me quizically and ask "why".

I suppose that I could answer that in a national poll asking the question where can you eat the best falafel, Afula's Melech Falafel was named the number 1 falafel stand in the country.

I suppose I could also answer that the best garinim, or sunflower seeds are grown in the Afula/Gilboa area and that the freshest and best tasting cashews, almonds and pumpkin seeds can be purchased at the nut stand next to Melech Falafel.

Or I could repond that the Gilboa region in which Afula is situated is one of the most picturesque areas of the country which boasts many tourist attractions, including the very recently opened ski slopes.

But the real reason why 11 participants from our Southern New England Consortium (SNEC) were in Afula was for an historic meeting between members of our American steering committee and our Israeli counterparts. We were there for a planning retreat to discuss, deliberate and come to terms on what we needed to do to make our partnership more meaningful and stronger.

Gone are the days when we in America were looked upon as the rich uncle who doled out financial favors to its poor cousins. Yes, it is true that the gap between the haves and the have nots in Israel is growing wider, and that we will most certainly continue to fund certain program and projects that help to narrow that gap, but a true partnership is not based on one side giving while the other takes. And our Israeli friends stated over and over again that we need to develop more people to people exchanges so that we Jews here can better understand Israeli Jews and vice versa. One of the most successful programs to accomplish this is our young emissary program, and although it is the biggest and well known program that is offered here, it is not and cannot be the only one.

Over the next few weeks I will fill you in what we did, what we hope to accomplish and how all of us can help strengthen the connections between our 2 regions.

Join Us in Israel this Fall

2011-03-18T10:18:00.000-04:00

With so much going on in the world, many of us still have a hard time understanding how Israel copes with all the new realities facing it:

-changing political environment in the Arab world

-existential threats from Iran

-ongoing stalemate with the Palestinians

-ongoing efforts to integrate the newest wave of Ethiopian immigrants

-the efforts to portray Israel as a pariah nation by conducting a boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against it

In spite of all of the above, we also are amazed at the innovations that Israel has created:

-technological advances that far outstrip any country of its size

-new cultural expressions that are innovative and cutting edge

-new approaches to create educational and social opportunities for the underpriveleged

-the cultural center of the Jewish people.

We want all of you to experience the new Israel this fall by learning, viewing, discussing, touring,socializing and interacting with all the parts that make up the new Israel.

Mark October 23-31 2011 on your calendar for an Israel experience you will remember for a lifetime.

The New Israel

2011-03-11T11:28:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, I attended Israel Education Day, where over 80 people heard from Dexter Van Zile speak about the BDS campaign.

Dexter is a Christian media specialist who works for CAMERA, a media watchdog that monitors reporting from the Middle East.

He emphasized the human rights abuses that the Christian minorities, women, gays and other populations experience in the Arab world, and highlighted the scant attention that is paid to those injustices. Yet, Israel is the one country in the Middle East where women are equal, gays serve in the military, and Christian minorities as are all minorities treated fairly and equally.

We also heard from two other speakers about the technological and medical advances that Israel has given to the world...a treasure that no other country its size or population has come close to.

I would like to invite you to see what they are were talking about when we visit Israel from Oct 23-31, 2011.

Get a true picture of what is really happening...from a political, economic, cultural and security point of view.

Experience the New Israel.

Free Speech?

2011-03-04T09:59:00.000-05:00

Our Supreme Court has issued its opinion:It is ok to shout obscenities and slurs at the funerals of fallen soldiers as long as the screaming is done from public spaces.

At the same time as this ruling is being issued, the French government is prosecuting John Galliano, the top designer at the House of Dior for allegedly making anti-Semitic slurs at two women who were not Jewish. He could face up to 6 months in jail and be fined up to $31,000.

Does anyone see the irony in this?

Speech is not free-it comes with a price tag. Just ask those kids in school who are bullied incessantly with insults and put-downs. What about those bosses who bully their employees, and create an environment of anxiety and hostility.

We have always understood the impact that bullying has on its victims; yet it took the deaths and suicides of bullying victims for our society to take notice and implement consequences to those acts.

Speech is not free in those instances, so what makes hurling slurs ok if they are done by a different group to a different audience.

I guess then it's ok for Holocaust deniers to have a legitimate claim to spew their venom in our country. Yet in Germany it is illegal...and France prosecutes those who are found to be uttering anti-Semitic insults.

There are limits to "free" speech. And we put ourselves in terrible danger if we do not realize that there are boundaries to everything we do.

Weather

2011-02-25T12:58:00.001-05:00

OK...looks like the groundhog might be right after all...our snow is melting, the rain is falling, the temperatutes are a little warmer...hey a guy can hope, can't he?

The weather is always the common denominator...easy to discuss, non-controversial, something everyone can talk about and have a non controversial opinion about.

So unlike so many other topics: religion, politics, money.

Yet there is so much to talk about that we need to talk about but choose not to, because it easier not to.

Almost everyone has an opinion about how our community operates. And we would love to hear what you think-the good the bad and the ugly. Lets open up that topic and see what you have to say.

Communication

2011-02-18T11:29:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought that facebook, smartphones, tweeting and the internet would be having such a profound effect on how nations are being altered. The Arab world is in turmoil as these new immediate ways of communicating have taken over. Information is free flowing and uncensored. For populations that have never known freedom, this is truly a revolution.

Locally, we are trying to communicate through our social networking site www.jewishcentral.org

Hopefully this is just the beginning. Communication must be swift, immediate and meaningful.

Any suggestions....let us know!

Middle East Uncertainty

2011-02-11T11:03:00.001-05:00

It's never easy to decipher developments in the Middle East.

Cetrainly, one thing is certain and should be very evident to all, including all of Israel's detractors in the world:

The only true democracy in the Middle East is Israel.

We might all have our opinions on how the Israeli electoral system works. We might have concerns about how a small group can influence political decisions in a widely diverse politic. We might vehemently support or oppose political, social and religious decisions made by the Israeli Knesset or Parliament. But one thing remains perfectly evident: Israel is the beacon of democracy and freedom in the entire Middle East. Freedom of the press,freedom of assembly, active opposition parties, an unencumbered judiciary are all hallmarks of Israel's democracy.

Political leaders are brought to trial and judged based on evidence...A flourishing human rights infrastructure guards against real and/or perceived injustices: Arab and Jew alike.

As I watch developments unfold in Egypt, I am ambivalent. It makes me angry that the Egyptian government does not understand that the movement towards freedom stems from the frustration that most Egyptians have felt since Gamel Abdul Nasser was president. He led Egypt into a disastrous war with Israel which became known as the 6 day war.

His successor, Anwar Sadat saw the ills of his predecessor's way and realized that the enemy was not Israel and was bold enough to sign the first Arab peace treaty with Israel. How triumphant he was upon his arrival in Israel and how jubilant was the entire Israeli nation. Yet, the peace treaty was his ultimate undoing and he was assassinated. Hosni Mubarak took over and declared martial law, ruling with emergency powers until this day. In spite of the cold peace that has existed between Israel and Egypt over the past 30 years, Mubarak has had it both ways: maintaining important links with the Israeli politic, while keeping the flames of anger and animosity towards Israel alive in their hearts.

One can only hope that when Mubarak is finally gone, Israel will not be blamed for his reign or accused of keeping him in power,and by extension subjugating the will and freedom of the Egyptian people. One would hope that a 7,000 year civilization will finally come to terms with how they can continue to be at peace with Israel. I unfortunately am not holding my breath.

Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow

2011-01-28T12:08:00.000-05:00

Are you about as fed up as I am about our snowfall this winter?

I get the "but you're from Canada" reaction all the time when we talk about the snow.

Yes (ay) I know...but everyome seems to forget that before I moved to Worcester 10 years ago, I worked at the Federations in Louisville KY. and Tampa Florida, not known for their below zero temperatures and their huge seasonal snowfalls.

Having grown up in that winter wonderland of Montreal, I do remember huge storms....going for my drivers license with my father and getting stuck in a snowstorm on the way back home and having to leave the car at the side of the road because of the extreme snow and returning the next day to pick up the car...waiting at the bus stop with a small pathway for the bus to pass, and watching one bus after the other pass us by because they were too full to allow anyone else on....

I do remember one snow storm in Louisville however. The only snowplow that the city owned broke down the first time it went out to clear the streets.

We were not plowed out for 4 days...and the city stopped functioning for a week.

At least here, we know that the snow will fall, schools will be closed and work will be temporarily halted only to be followed up with a quick and efficient clean-up.

So , let it snow, let it snow, let it snow......somewhere else!

Another Wake Up Call

2011-01-10T12:20:00.000-05:00

What a terrible tragedy!

The nation is shocked by another senseless act of violence.

I have communicated our community's condolences to the Jewish community in Tucson through my colleague and friend at the Tucson Jewish Federation Stu Mellon.

Stu's wife had actually, at one time, worked for Congressman Giffords.

Things are getting too out of hand...too many senseless acts of violence.

We also mourn the death of Jewish singer song writer Debbie Friedman..Debbie revolutionized contemporary Jewish folk singing and composed many of the tunes of our liturgy that are used today.

Every day we have is precious....no point in holding grudges, being overly stressed, forgetting what's important in life....life is way too short.

Communication

2011-01-07T11:46:00.001-05:00

Although there are numerous new ways of communicating with one another, there still seems to be a problem communicating community news to our constituents.

There is so much going on in our community, but getting the message out in this media savvy world still seems to be a difficult task.

One of the ways we hope to overcome this is by creating an e-magazine which will highlight events, news and personalities in the Jewish community of Central MA.

Our first issue will be available soon....your suggestions about content would be greatly appreciated. I hope that this vehicle together with jewishcentral.org, and our community websites including jewishcentralmass.org will continue to provide the news and information that will help you to become connected to community.

New Year

2010-12-23T14:30:00.001-05:00

Everyone has their top ten lists at the end of the year.

What are your top 10 movies?

What were your top ten tv shows?

What were your top ten songs?

Who were your top ten heroes?

We usually don't list our top 10 Jewish moments...but wouldn't it be fun to do so?

Lets consider our local community....what would you list? An event at your congregation, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar lecture, the creation of jewishcentral.org, PJ Library reaching 200 members, the Israel Bond reception for Lois Green...

What about our personal Jewish moments...a family wedding, birth of a child or grandchild, a birthday, anniversary, a family trip to Israel, a family seder...

And all other international Jewish events...

Create your own lists and post them on Jewishcentral.org

Lets see your top ten Jewish moments of 2010.

And Happy New Year!

The Flame and the Fire

2010-12-10T09:58:00.000-05:00

Chanukah began peacefully enough with the first candle being lit...

A small flame to mark the beginning of the Festival of Lights.

That small flame turned into a raging inferno as devastating forest fires raged through the Carmel Mountain forests close to Israel's third largest city, Haifa, as the holiday began to be celebrated.

The Holiday of Lights became a Holiday of Horror, and for several days the fires burned out of control.

Thankfully the fires are now under control.

Chanukah marks a victory of freedom over oppression, and the miracle of the oil in the Holy Temple lasting for 8 days instead of the expected one.

Today we are thankful for the outpouring of aid in taming the fires that came from countries around the world.

A holiday for all

2010-11-19T09:56:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving: A holiday for everyone.

What a great American tradition that helps unite all.

Food, family, friends, community gatherings, all combine to make this holiday a lot of fun. Yes, we have all heard the stories and seen the movies about the dysfunctional families that come together on Thanksgiving-the wayward son, the divorced mother, the insensitive parent, the wacky uncle and the sourpuss aunt. I remember the scene in the movie, Avalon, when the entire Thangiving dinner is basically ruined by latecomers to the table..." I can't cut the turkey, until everyone is here" (said in a thick yiddish accent).

Yet in spite of all the stereotypical depictions of the holiday, Thanksgiving is a wonderful time for all of us to give thanks and to celebrate together. Enjoy the holiday!

General Assembly

2010-11-12T10:26:00.000-05:00

Having just returned from the GA, the annual conference of the Jewish Federations of North America, I was struck by the issues we are now facing as a global Jewish community:

- the worldwide effort to de-legitimize the State of Israel
- the growing distance between the Jews of the Diaspora and the Jews of Israel
- the changing affiliation and identity patterns of today's Jewish community.

Yet I was encouraged by the efforts to face the new realities and our communal efforts to deal with these issues.

- A new initiative called the Israel Action Network-a community driven effort by the North American Jewish community to proactively lead the conversation about the legitimacy of the State of Israel and counter those who challenge her legitimacy

- A new focus on Jewish peoplehood and an expansion of exchanges of Israeli and North Americans. Over 250,000 young people have experienced Birthright Israel. Our own young emissary program is creating a new understanding of our connection to Israel.

- Re-imagining the Jewish community to meet the diverse needs of an ever changing Jewish population not tied to the traditional modes of identification. Check out our own community Young Jewish professional group. We will be hearing from Dr Steven Cohen this weekend who is the preeminent scholar researching these new trends and offering innovative alternatives.

Lots of important issues that we all need to be aware of.

Learning Together

2010-11-05T11:26:00.000-04:00

Our community has been organizing community wide learning programs for over 15 years. Yes, we were one of the first to initiate the concept of bringing everyone together to learn from one another within a community setting. Today we here about "innovative" approaches to community learning like Limmud and others.

We should all know that while others were thinking about this, we we were doing it!

Lets learn together this weekend at Torathon!

Partnership 2000

2010-10-22T10:12:00.000-04:00

This past week we were visited by Judith Antonelli and Eshel Fram from our community's Partnership 2000 community of Afula/Gilboa in Northern Israel.

We allocate $20,000 to fund programs in the region which help to create living bridges between our 2 communities. We are part of a 12 community consortium which includes all the 9 Federations in Connecticut, along with Springfield and New Bedford MA that partner with Afula/Gilboa.

Together our collective contribution to the region is over $200,000. What is so meaningful about this contribution is our ability to vet each program that we fund for its value and effectiveness.

One of the programs that you might be aware of is the young emissary program. This program now operates in 7 of the communities which make up our 12 community consortium. Two post high school students, who defer their army service for one year, spend a year in our communities working with many groups within our community to bring Israel alive, and to help build a better understanding between our 2 communities.

Another program which was established over 5 years ago is the Rape Crisis Intervention and Womens Empowerment Center in Afula. This program was established by funds we contributed to Afula/Gilboa, and would not exist without the contributions we provided. Since its inception, it has grown to be valuable and much needed service to the women of the Gilboa region. Hundreds of women have been saved and have been able to find dignity and value.

Often times,. people think, that when giving to the Federation, the funds just go into this big black hole....not true...and we will be more than happy to continue to highlight where our money goes.

Find out more...Attend services on Oct 22 at Bnai Shalom Westboro) at 7:30 PM,on Oct 23 at Beth Israel (Worcester) at 10 AM or join Temple Emanuel (Worcester) for breakfast at 10 AM on Sunday Oct. 24

Welcome Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

2010-10-15T11:52:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Worcester!

The NBA Hall of Famer and all time points leader will be our guest at the Hanover Theatre this Sunday Oct 17 at 4 PM. Thanks to the Harold N Cotton Memorial Fund, this program is free and open to the public. His book "Brothers in Arms" will serve as the focal point of his lecture.

Abdul-Jabbar has become an appealing speaker in the Jewish world.

Richard Lapchick, who chairs the DeVros Sports Busines Management Graduate Program in the College of Business Administration at the University of Central Florida and directs the school's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports said "Many people no doubt come to see a basketball legend. But no one could leave thinking only about Abdul-Jabbar's athletic fame."

A Q&A and book signing will also take place.

First Visit to Israel

2010-10-07T15:11:00.000-04:00

It dawned on me about a week ago that my first visit to Israel was in 1970. Yikes....40 years ago....

It was a time when Israel felt invincible. I travelled the length and breadth of Israel without any fear or apprehension. Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Jericho, Sinai were within bounds to visit.

The Arab market in the Old City of Jerusalem teemed with people every day.

We had access to the Temple Mount where the Al Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock stand. We went into the mosques and felt safe.

So many of the places mentioned above are now off limits,or have been given back or are now ruled by the Palestinian Authority. Those young soldiers who patrolled and fought for their country who were the same age as I was then, are now the parents and in some cases the grandparents or grandparents to be of the current soldiers.

The period between the Six Day War in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War in 1973 were considered to be the Golden Age of Israel...people felt safe, as they were lulled into a false sense of security and comfort.

Although many of the creature comforts that we were used to in North America were not available in Israel at the time, it really did not seem to matter. We felt connected and part of the nation building process. Naive? Idealistic? Perhaps.

Forty years later, so much has changed. Israel is a technological powerhouse. The 'Russian" immigration helped to propel the explosion of high tech innovations and discoveries. Every creature comfort you could possibly ask for is there....

But in spite of all the changes one thing remains elusive...for every step forward there always seem to be two steps back...in the pursuit of a lasting and true peace.

No matter how one feels about the current status of the peace efforts being undertaken...there is one thing that remains unshakeable to me: the importance that Israel plays in the lives of the Jewish people and the critical role that Israel plays in the identity of Jews worldwide.

Yes, the political forces that create roadblocks and seemingly senseless objections to peace from both sides frustrate and anger us. Our underlying support for Israel at times becomes shaky and suspect in light of what some see as unrealistic postions taken by politicians. But we must also remember that only 62 short years ago we could not have even had these disagreements...one segment of our people chose to join those who had lived in Israel for generations to rebuild a Jewish homeland where any Jew could reside in dignity and "peace".

Well we do now live with dignity in Israel....the peaceful part however is still elusive.

Yet we all have to believe that peace is attainable....as difficult as it always seems....one step forward 2 steps back. And I guess that is where the naive and idealistic parts of me return.

Over the years, we have heard that if peace does not happen now, it will never happen...For 25 years Israel was at war with Egypt...yet peace was achieved.....Jordan entered into peace with Israel years later....so even though we thought it could never happen, it did.

Prospects of peace with the Palestinians are so close but yet so far...and even if a peace treaty were signed tomorrow with the Palestinian Authority, what happens with Gaza and the ruling Hamas?

Yet, Israel is too important and vital to us to forget why it was finally reestablished as a sovereign country in 1948. As outdated and parochial as it sound today..It is a homeland for all Jews. And we are all better off because of it.

Yom Kippur

2010-09-17T10:19:00.001-04:00

The holiest day of the Jewish year is upon us...Yom Kippur on the Sabbath is truly the holiest of all....

Take the time to cleanse your soul and your body over that 24 hour period.

Keep in mind the changes you want to make and the new paths you want to follow.

May we all be sealed in the Book of Life.

Happy New Year

2010-09-03T12:43:00.001-04:00

Happy New Year 5771!

Labor Day and Rosh Hashanah all in the same week!

It is a time for us to reflect, make amends, and set a course for the year.

A time for friends and family

A time to rest and feast.

A time to take time off from our normal hectic everyday life.

However you celebrate the New Year, I hope it will be meaningful and invigorating for the body and the soul.

Shanah Tovah 5771

Excitement is in the Air

2010-08-27T11:45:00.000-04:00

Wow! Summer is almost over. Where did it go? At least we will be having great weather over the next few days.

As we ease into the Labor Day next weekend (and no, I don't mean to rush into it), we are beginning to feel the pulse of the community quicken...kids going back to school, synagogues gearing up for the High Holidays, our Federation campaign about to kick-off....

So many great things to look forward....the life of a community reawakening after the summer months. Welcome back and I look forward to a great fall.

There are a Million Reasons

2010-08-19T16:38:00.000-04:00

There are a million reasons.

And we want you to be aware of as many as we can.

Many of us do not know what the Jewish Federation Annual campaign is all about. It seems as if it is too big, too anonymous. Many of us would like to follow our money to see where it is going and what it is doing. Often,when one gives to an "umbrella" campaign, we can lose sight of how the money is being spent. This year we want everyone to better understand how our gifts to the 2011 Federation campaign actually make a difference in people's lives.

We will give everyone an opportunity to experience first hand what it means to be a donor to the Federation campaign and how each and every one of us can benefit from the tzedakah we give.

There are a million reasons to give to the campaign and over the next few months we will be telling the stories of what makes up that million.

Europe

2010-08-06T10:59:00.001-04:00

I certainly hope you are enjoying the summer. I just returned from a visit to Berlin, Prague and Budapest where I had the opportunity to learn more about the history of the Jewish communities.

It is one thing to learn about those communities in textbooks; another to experience it where the events of that history actually took place and to hear it from those who are the descendents of those who lived or died through that history.

Although there were many unforgettable experiences two stand out:

We took a day trip to Therezenstadt, the “show” concentration camp 40 minutes outside of Prague. As many of you know, this camp was used to showcase how “humanely” the Nazis were treating their Jews, allowing them to express their creativity through art, music, literature, theater etc.

Our guide, Pavel, was an 87 year old Therezenstadt survivor. It was a very sunny day, with the temperature hovering around 95 degrees. Yet here was this old man describing his personal experiences while showing us where his barracks were, where he worked, and how he survived. Every single Jew from Prague was transported to Therezenstadt and from there most were sent to Auschwitz for extermination. Pavel survived.

We asked this man how he can continue to do these visits. He responded matter of factly: “When I wake up in the morning I have aches and pains, but as soon as I begin telling the story, these aches and pains disappear. It is my duty and obligation to tell the story.”

And the cemeteries in Berlin, Prague and Budapest….almost no headstones in the old Jewish cemetery in Berlin, wiped clean by the Nazis….headstone on top of headstone, 5layers deep because the Jews of Prague were only allowed to have that small piece of land for burial…and in Budapest where Jews were buried outside the Great Budapest synagogue, because there was no place else to bury them….a garden turned into a graveyard.

Yet, Jewish life in those places is being reborn. Our 25 year old Jewish guide in Budapest could have been one of our children or grandchildren….the outdoor Budapest Klezmer Band concert was well attended and obviously well received as evidenced by the laughter and banter of the audience after the remarks made between the band’s numbers (in Hungarian of course)…and the return of Jews to Germany especially from the Former Soviet Union.

We need to remember how fortunate we have been in this country. And we need to be thankful that we can continue to mature and grow as a proud and engaged Jewish community.

Berlin, Germany!

2010-07-23T11:08:00.002-04:00

Berlin was the first stop on our trip to Europe this summer.

It is a young vibrant diverse city which has changed incredibly since the fall of Communism and the reunification of East and West Berlin. Most of the interesting sites, museums and historic locations are in what was formally East Berlin.

Our first outing once settled into Berlin was a visit to the official Berlin Holocaust Memorial, a stone's throw away from th Brandenburg Gate. This is one of the stops on the Hop On Hop Off bus tour of the city.

The memorial is a massive site of concrete blocks spread out over a very large area with no names, dates, or explanations. It does convey the vastness of the destruction. For a more detailed understanding however, an "information" center underground makes the memorial more personal by focusing in on specific individuals and families. Although called an information center it is really a mini museum dedicated to those killed in the Holocaust.

The next day we took a walking tour of Jewish Berlin, or what was Jewish Berlin before the war. This is where the synagogue was, this is where most Jews llived, this is where they were rounded up to and confined to.

The grave of Moses Mendelson was one of the very few left, at what was once the Jewish cemetery. No other gravestones remained...they were totally destroyed and rolled over by the Nazis.

Yet, as part of our tour, in the midst of what was once the heart of Jewish Berlin, we heard music from a building next to the old cemetery. It was a Jewish Day School completeing its last day of school for the year!

Walking in this fascinating city, one could not help but wonder that only a few decades ago, this was hell for all Jews. Yet, today Germany is a staunch ally and good friend of Israel. Many Russian Jews have made their home here. The German government since the fall of Communism has taken responsibilty for the atrocities perpetrated during the Holocaust with reminders throughout the city in many different ways.

Many still feel ambivalent about Germany or still feel anger and hatred. A vist to Berlin today might not change one's feelings, but it does help to realize the positive changes that have taken place and the steps that the country has taken to accept full responsibility for its inhumanity during the second World War.

Campaign 2010 Closes

2010-07-02T10:17:00.000-04:00

Our 2010 annual Federation campaign officially closed on June 30. I am sorry to report that we did not reach the $880,000 mark that we needed to reach in order to meet the allocation commitments we made to our community partners. We will therefore need to cut all of their allocations by about 2%

It is indeed painful to report that there are so many in our community who have the capacity to give, but for whatever reason do not.

The amount we are short is only $15,000. All in the community will bear equally in this cut

We are now preparing for our 2011 annual campaign which will officially kick off on Sept 15, 2010.

We can all play a part in increasing our campaign...we might have many diverse opinions and beliefs but we are the only Jewish community we have.

We want and need your involvement, input, suggestions etc. We want everyone to have an understanding of what Federation is.

There are tons of misconceptions out there. Over the next few months in my blog, on our website and on our social networking site, I hope to be able to dispel some of those misconceptions.

Do You Remember Me

2010-06-21T11:42:00.000-04:00

Are you kidding? Do you think I can recognize you after all these years.

That was my refrain as I returned to my hometown of Montreal for my Grade 7 (that' s the way they say it in Canada) Jewish Peoples School reunion.

We were 45 students who graduated.6 are no longer with us. One died of cervical cancer;one from breast cancer;one from MS;one from Legionnaires Disease;one committeed siucide at 19;and one was killed in an accident while attending med school in Mexico.

Of the 39, 26 attended the reunion. It was amazing how easily we reconnected after ahem, 45 years.

We reminisced about the teachers who seemed ancient, the empty cardboard milk cartons we used as pucks in the school yard, those ropes we could not climb in the gym.

We looked at the class pictures taken every year around Chanukah or Purim, all decked out in costumes that were refective of the holiday. I also discovered that I was the valedictorian of my Grade 7 class...thanks to the graduation program that someone had saved. And we laughed at the report cards...G for good, VG for very good and comments on our behavior.

Needless to say it was a wonderful weekend.Who knew that after so many years, our bonds of friendship would be reconnected.

Community needs your support

2010-06-11T11:50:00.003-04:00

Ok…I understand.

We all expect everything to be there when we need it…JCC, synagogues, Birthright Israel, cemeteries, schools, emergency assistance, community advocacy, senior adult services, preschool support.

Yes, I know.

Thanks to those who came before us, we have a community infrastructure that is able to meet those needs.

But, I also know.

Those services do not exist in a vacuum or independently. All community services count on the support of its members.

So, I am confused.

Why are there so many in the community unwilling to help support the community. Services have already been reduced and will continue to be reduced if continuing support is withheld.

You are angry.

Why? Reach out to the right party…express your concerns…will you always be satisfied…maybe not, but don't let your anger fester..after all who are you hurting?

You don't agree.

No one agrees with everything…does that mean we should stop supporting community…we can always find a reason why not to do something. The trick is to look at the positive…and figure out a way how to do something.

Yes, here we go again.

The Federation has allocated funds to community agencies, programs and projects for FY2011. In order to meet all those commitments we are currently $33,000 short of the mark. Your pledge to the 2010 annual campaign will help us meet our objective…if not we will need to reduce the funds that the Worcester JCC, JFS, Federation, Temple Emanuel, Temple Sinai, Beth Israel, B'nai Shalom, Beth Tikvah, the Yeshiva, the Boroughs JCC, the young emissary program, immigrant resettlement programs in Israel, support of elderly Holocaust survivors in Eastern Europe, the PJ Library project, and outreach efforts receive.

We should all understand.

We are a community that deserves the best! With everyone's help and support we will have the best!

Please make your pledge to the 2010 Annual Federation campaign by clicking here.

Click here to find out about the campaign.

And please respond now. The campaign officially closes on June 30, 2010. Make sure you are among those of us who value and support the totality of our community.

So, What Else is New

2010-06-04T14:33:00.002-04:00

Imagine a flotilla of "activists" sailing towards Miami with illegal immigrants aboard with the intention of allowing them to disembark in Florida.

I wonder what the reaction would be if the US Coast Guard asked the "activists" to turn back which they refused to do and kept sailing to the Port of Miami

And what would happen if the Coast Guard had no choice but to board the ship and were attacked by some of the "activists".....Would the world be focusing their attention on this incident. Would the United Nations Security Council be convening with the intention of censuring the US. Would our allies like Turkey be threatening to sever diplomatic relations. Would the responsibility of the US to safeguard its borders and protect its citizens be subject to world condemnation and scorn.

Israel made it clear to the flotilla "activists" that they were free to arrive at the Port Of Ashdod, where their cargo would be inspected and all humanitarian aid would then be transferred to Gaza through the normal channels that Israel uses regularly to transport humanitarian aid. It would obviously confiscate materials that it has banned.

The "activists" answer was given loudly and clearly.

Yes, I am sure there were many well intentioned and peace loving "crew" aboard the ships bound for Gaza, but there were also those whose sole intention was to create chaos and violence to bring attention to their cause.

Let us not forget-Given the opportunity, Hamas who rules Gaza illegally, would destroy Israel in a heartbeat...

Summer is just around the corner

2010-05-27T14:51:00.000-04:00

Memorial day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer.
Ours began earlier this week when temperatures reached record highs.
Over the next few weeks many organizations will celebrate annual meetings. And the very busy months of May and June will come to a close, leading to a slower more relaxed July and August.
I am starting my weekend by attending my 7th Grade Jewish Day School reunion. We were 45 graduates who spent our elementary school years at the Jewish Peoples School in Montreal. The school's ideology was a Labor Zionist one, where Yiddish was the spoken language. Being in Montreal, we also learned French and of course Hebrew.
What a hoot it will be to see how we have all fared and how our lives have taken shape over these many years. It will also be interesting to see how our class has involved itself in the Jewish community.
Take care this weekend and stay safe!

Another full weekend in Worcester County

2010-05-14T11:04:00.001-04:00

It must be May...lots of celebrations..graduations, annual meetings, receptions.

This weekend the community fetes Judy Shriber for 42 years of service as Temple Emanuel education director. Cantor Marina Shemesh of Congregation Beth Israel and cantors from around the country celebrate Jewish music on Sunday evening.
Community activist Lois Green, a member of our community who has devoted her life to improving the lives of so many, will be honored at the State of Israel Bonds reception. Lois had a book signing of her memoirs The Last Chapter at the Willows of Worcester yesterday. Scholar in Residence Rabbi Scott Saulson will speak to the community on Sunday May 23 on seniors issue. Sababa Musical Group visits B'nai Shalom on May 22 for a lively concert.

And of course we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot this Wednesday and Thursday, when many synagogues honor their confirmation students.

What's YOUR #ish? It has begun!

2010-05-07T11:40:00.001-04:00

The Jewish Federation of Central MA today launched whatsyour#ish, an integrated online campaign that encourages young Jews of all stripes to share what being Jewish means to them – their #ish – while raising awareness of the work of Jewish Federations. The innovative project launch in partnership with the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) went online today with a series of humorous rich media ads, promotional videos on YouTube and pages on social networking sites (facebook and twitter) all intended to generate conversation on and traffic to the campaign dedicated website whatsyourish.com. For every #ish response JFNA will donate 25 cents to a $50,000 ish fund for charity.

GO TO whatsyourish.com >>

The fund will cover the core thematic needs supported by the Jewish Federation annual campaign including poverty, elderly care, Jewish identity, Israel solidarity and more. While highlighting the fact that being Jewish means different things to different people, the website also helps participants learn what being Jewish means to the work of Jewish Federations. To that end, participants are being invited to vote on how they would allocate the ish fund. “The ish fund campaign is a fun, innovative way for younger Jews to learn about the life saving work of the Jewish Federation.” said Howard Fixler, JFCM President. Along with the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts dozens of other Jewish Federations and partner organizations are actively participating in this initiative.

The Jewish Federation movement collectively represents one of the top ten charities on the continent. “What’s your ish really allows younger Jews to express themselves in a creative way while learning about their local Jewish Federations.” said Adam Smoyler, Senior Vice President for Strategic Marketing and Communications at JFNA. It’s a campaign that presents an authentic conversation by using online tools this group already uses.

Sunny Weekend

2010-04-30T10:01:00.000-04:00

It must be New England...30's on Wednesday...80's this weekend.
We deserve the great weather..and lets enjoy it while it's here. Lots going on this weekend in the community-especially Sunday when several Lag B'Omer programs are planned.

Keep your eye on www.JewishCentral.org to keep abreast of all that's going on. And if you have not signed up yet on our new community social web site, now is the time to do it.

Watch out for the national What's your #ish initiative....sneak preview is on jewishcentral.org

Celebrating US-Israeli ties: As I see it

2010-04-23T11:43:00.002-04:00

As Israel celebrates its 62nd anniversary this week, it is worth remembering that only 11 minutes after Israel declared its independence in 1948, President Harry Truman recognized the new Jewish state. The state itself was established by a vote of the United Nations on Nov. 29, 1947, countering any argument that is now being promoted by anti-Israel proponents that seek to delegitimize Israel as a sovereign state.

As a democracy, both Israel and the United States are committed to freedom, equality and tolerance for all people regardless of religion, race or gender. While Israel was established as a homeland for the Jewish people, Israeli society is a mosaic of many peoples, including Jews, Muslims, Druze and Christians. All Israeli citizens enjoy equal rights. There are even 13 elected Arab representatives in the Israeli Parliament.

Israel, about the size of New Jersey, has worked collaboratively with the U.S. in the areas of science, technology, education, space, industry and medicine, not only to benefit the citizens of both countries, but citizens of the world as a whole.

It is worth noting the following accomplishments that have helped cement the friendship of the two countries, and how each and every Worcesterite has benefited from this relationship.

•Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is open to all religions, and all have free, open and unhindered access to all holy sites. Before 1967, when Jordan governed East Jerusalem, such an arrangement did not exist.

•The cell phone was developed in Israel by Israelis working in the Israeli branch of Motorola. Both the Pentium 4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel. Voicemail technology was developed in Israel. The technology for the AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in 1996 by four young Israelis.

•According to industry experts, Israel has designed the airline industry’s most impenetrable flight security protocol. Many U.S. airports, including Boston’s Logan Airport, have engaged Israeli security experts to enhance their security efforts.

•Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no radiation diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer. An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment. Israel’s Given Imaging developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits in a pill. It is used to view the small intestine from the inside to detect abnormalities such as cancer and digestive disorders. An Israeli company was the first to develop and install a large-scale, solar-powered and fully functional electricity plant in southern California’s Mojave desert.

•Israel has always been one of the first nations to respond to natural disasters around the world. One of the most admired teams to assist earthquake victims in Haiti was the Israeli contingent, which was one of the first to establish a fully equipped and functioning field hospital. Not to mention Israeli efforts in Bosnia, Turkey and Ethiopia.

With so much criticism of Israel in the media, and so much negative attention heaped on it, it is worth remembering some of the accomplishments that Israel has realized to help us here in the U.S. and around the world. For its size, Israel has contributed far more than its share to innovations in health, wellness, technology and computing.

How many detractors of Israel have been helped by Israel’s innovations? How many lives of Israel’s enemies have been saved by its discoveries? As we continue to hear of Iran’s threats to annihilate Israel with its planned nuclear arms, let us remember how poorer this world would be today without Israel.

We should all be proud as Americans that we have such a strong friendship with Israel as we salute it on its 62nd anniversary.

Spring in Worcester County!

2010-04-09T10:05:00.001-04:00

You will need an iphone, ipad, blackberry or jewishcentral to keep up with all the activities happening over the next few weeks...starting tomorrow evening when Temple Emanuel will be hosting the Afro-Semitic Experience at their Friday night services at 7:30 PM...Yom Hadash at Temple Sinai on Saturday night...several Israel Independence day celebrations at the JCC next Sunday and Tuesday April 18 and 20, the launching of our new young Jewish professionals group on April 18....and much more.

And join the community at its Yom HaShoah commemoration at Beth Tikvah synagogue in Westboro on Sunday April 11 at 4 PM

Stay up to date by joining www.jewishcentral.org

Passover-Easter-Jerusalem

2010-03-26T11:08:00.001-04:00

There are 2 times a year when major Jewish and Christian holidays coincide. We are about to enter one of those periods. Jesus's Last Supper was the Passover seder so it is no coincidence that Passover and Easter fall within a few days of one another.

And where did the Last Supper occur? In Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is the holiest city for the Jewish people and is pretty high up there for the Christian community. At the time of the Last Supper and at the time over 3,000 years ago when Kind David proclaimed Jerusalem as the capital city of the Jews there was no East Jerusalem or West Jerusalem.

The common bond that Jews and Christians have for Jerusalem was manifested last week at the AIPAC policy conference where over 7500 delegates, Christians and Jews alike expressed their support and love for Israel.

Future construction in a part of North Jerusalem that is not inhabited by any Palestinians seems to be a distraction that is taking on much more than it should. There will be no displacement of people, no demolition of homes no disruption to life....Gaza has been returned, Israel left Lebanon long ago, the Sinal was returned, Israel still is subject to rocket attacks from Gaza and Lebanon, many roadblocks and checkpoints have been removed in the West Bank, families are now being permitted from both sides of the Seam Line to visit. Concessions? What else should Israel be doing? No Jewish construction in Jerusalem in areas that are out of the conflict zone? Israel gave up Sinai, Gaza, when real nogitiations took place. What makes anyone believe that In a real final peace solution Israel would not continue to make sacrifices for peace and security.

Which brings me back to Passover and Easter and Jerusalem.

At this time when Jews celebrate their freedom from slavery and Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ, one common thread is evident-the role that Jerusalem plays in the lives of both peoples.

Israel and the US

2010-03-19T12:05:00.001-04:00

The past few days have seen a flurry of diplomatic missteps in the Israel-US relationship.But lets not get too caught up in this. The moral, political, historic and strategic bonds that unite these two countries will not be shattered by the unfortunate incident of last week.

Israel's interior minister was totally out of line to announce new construction in East Jerusalem while the US Vice President was visiting in what was in essence a trip to reassure Israel that the US remains an unshakable ally.

But we must also remember that in PM Netanyahu's pledge to halt new construction in the West Bank for a period of 10 months, he did not include East Jerusalem.

The American administration as was expected expressed its displeasure at the announcement.Benjamin Netanyahu apologized, and that should have been it. But subsequent statements emanating from both sides kept the controversy alive.

Unfortunately, the reaction of the American administration was seen as license for Palestinians to take to the streets in East Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank to violently protest Israel's decision. It seems that by now the US should understand that they way they react publicly will have a direct impact on how Palestinians react, and almost like clockwork, the US's criticism of Israel will spark violence on the part of some Palestinians.

Diplomacy is, I would hope, now taking place behind the scenes to de-escalate this issue, especially in light of the AIPAC conference next week, where both Israeli PM Netanyahu and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton will be speaking.

A dear friend passes away

2010-03-05T10:07:00.002-05:00

I was awakened early this morning with the news that a dear friend of mine-Elly Dlin-had passed away suddenly, the victim of a heart attack. I met Elly in 1968 when we were both campers at Camp Biluim, Canadian Young Judaea's leadership training camp in Huntsville Ontario.Elly was a larger than life personality . A "westerner" from Edmonton Alberta,Elly was gregarious and was the type of person loved by all. Large in physical stature, Elly could not be missed. But his stature was overshadowed by his fun loving and warm personality-the kind of person that everyone loves.
Elly was my tentmate at camp, my roommate when we spent the year together in Israel, my travelling partner in Western Canada, my host when visiting him in Israel,my colleague in the Jewish professional world, but most importantly a dear and beloved friend.

I always wondered how someone so fun loving and disinterested in the formalities of life, could be such a brilliant scholar and teacher. While living in Israel for over 20 years, he worked at Yad Vashem, Israel's National Holocaust Center. Among his many responsibilities there, he directed the Valley of the Lost Communities a 2.5 acre exhibition at the museum where he lectured, provided tours and developed curricula. When Esther and I took
our boys to Israel in 1994, it was Elly who got us front row seats for Israel's National Commemoration of the Shoah at Yad Vashem.
When Elly returned to North America to complete his Phd at the University of British Columbia, a wonderful opportunity became available-the directorship of the new Holocaust Museum in Dallas Texas. He had worked there, and not surprisingly developed a wonderful educational center, recognized for its excellence throughout Texas and the nation.

I saw Elly for the last time at my son Matt's wedding almost 2 years ago. He looked great, had lost a ton of weight, and was looking forward to the future in Dallas.
I will miss Elly, as will all that knew him. He is survived by his 4 sons, his dear mother Helen and his siblings Bonnie and Arnie.
Life is way too short, and the end comes too soon, for far too many, at too young an age.
Live it well....and live it like Elly-warm,friendly, caring, compassionate,fun loving. May he rest in peace!

This past Saturday night, the Israel ballet performed Don Quixote at the Hanover Theater.

2010-02-23T13:29:00.000-05:00

A group of students from Clark University representing a Palestinian student group, decided to picket the theater to protest the appearance of an Israeli group in Worcester.

How misguided!

But it also uderscores the need for all in the community who care about Israel to be aware of the efforts of the Arab world to delegitimize the state of Israel and to isolate it from the rest of the world....once upon a time it seemed that sports and culture could be somewhat immune from these efforts, but no longer.

2010-02-19T10:14:00.002-05:00

The Federation is about to begin its deliberations on how to allocate funds raised in the 2010 annual campaign. It is never an easy process: how do we allocate funds to programs that meet the needs of the Federation's strategic plan when there are so many needs out there.
The easiest solution to that prblem is to raise more money. After all the Federation exists to raise funds to then allocate them back to the community. If we had more money, we would have more to allocate.
You can help meet those needs and make the task of the allocations committee that much easier by making a donation to the Federation annual campaign. Just click onto www.jewishcentralmass.org.
And thank you.

2010-02-12T09:44:00.002-05:00

The Winter Olympics begin tonight in Vancouver. Although it has been 24 years since we moved to the States, I will be watching with a great deal of pride as my native country welcomes the world.

Although I became a US citizen several years ago, I still have a great allegiance and fondness for Canada. Over the next few weeks there will be many articles and features about Canada in the media.
Many of them will deal with the nature of Canadians and how they differ in their approach to things.Canadians are polite,or some might say bland. Canadians are respectful, and passive, they might say. Canadians are knowledgeable about the world, especially when it comes to all things American. Canadians grow up in the shadow of the US...and this close relationship plays itself out in so many ways. "We are not Americans...we are Canadians" would be our indignant reply to those who mistook us for US citizens. Their reaction would immediately change from one of hostility to friendliness. If that was the only legacy of being Canadian, that worked fine for us.We must rememeber that Canada evolved into a parliamentary democracy through arduous negotiations that were resolved in 1867....why, Canada did not even adopt its official Maple Leaf flag until 100 years later. The U.S. became independent through revolution, making its official beginnings as a country in a manner vastly different from Canada's.

Canada is a nation with a national anthem in two languages that has different lyrics. Canada has had to deal with how it defines itself in light of the overwhelming economic, cultural and social impact that its southern neighbor plays in its daily life. So many things Canadian are inextricably tied to what happens in the US. Nonetheless, Canada is an amazing democracy-a multi cultural nation that has always celebrated its diversity-a land of unparalled beauty (as you will see over the next 2 weeks as the Olympics are telecast from beautiful British Columbia)and a land rich in natural resources.

I have grown to appreciate the assets of both Canada and the United States over the years, but tonight I will once again be the proud Canadian, as the Canadian Olympic team marches into the arena, carrying the red Maple Leaf.

2010-01-25T16:36:00.002-05:00

How is it that Israel was able to set up a fully equipped field hospital in Haiti so quickly? And why does the world not realize that given the opportunity to secure a real peace that this accomplishment would only be the beginning.

Read Dan Senor's Start Up Nation to get a feel for Israel's ingenuity. Instead of wasting precious time and energy dealing with the misinformation, inaccuracies, and outright lies of the Goldstone Report, think of all the positive contributions that can be realized by spending the time on things that really matter.

2010-01-13T18:15:00.002-05:00

On my visit to Israel last week, I had the opportunity to experience security checks in 4 different airports: Boston, Rome,Tel Aviv and Amsterdam. My trip took place at the beginning of this year, about 2 weeks after the foiled terrorist attack on the Northwest flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.

Let me give you the lowdown

Boston: No extra security at all. No extra time in line. No sniffing dogs.From start to finish 5 minutes from the check-in counter to the gate.

Rome: What a mess. All transit passengers from all airlines and all locations had to pass through the transit area: a room where pushing and shoving was the norm... lines if you could call them that, were regularly rearranged depending on the pushing in back of you. Cutting into the lines was met with shouts and police moving these intruders to the back of the very long circuitous line.
Then upon arrival at the security check,there semed to be no rhyme or reason to the procedure...keep shoes on, take computer out, keep in or keep out those famous plastic sandwich bags...anyway, I made it.

Tel Aviv: A police check at the entrance to Ben Gurion Airport.Then a long ride around the outer road to get to the entrance to the terminal. Once inside the terminal, the in your face interview takes place as you wait in line to put your luggage through the Xray machine...What were you doing in Israel? Where were you? How do you know Hebrew? Where do you live? What's your Hebrew name? For those of who pass the test (and most do) you proceed to the Xray machine and onto the ticket counter. For those who don't pass the test, a thorough search of suitcases is followed by more interrogation.

Amsterdam:They are trying to adopt a new method of security check. I arrived from Tel Aviv and proceeded to the Delta gate to await my flight back to Boston. At each airplane gate bound for the US, passengers must once again wait in line to be processed through. Once one gets to the front of the line, someone (and I am not sure who these someones are)asks you a few questions, then you go through the metal detector, and are patted down. Already in place but not functioning are those infamous body scanning machines which apparently leave nothing to the imagination. And finally another check of your hand luggage.

Travelling was always a tiring ordeal...and even more so now! Bon Voyage!

2009-12-29T14:56:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I blogged....no excuses.
Well, it's the end of a decade, the first of the 21st century. Pretty cool!
It was a tough one though.Terrorism both here and in Israel initiated the decade and ends it as well.
A stock market boom to a stock market bust.Tsunamis and Hurricanes inflicting pain and suffering throughout the world.

Historically this decade will not go down as one of our finest.
We have entered the world of social networking.And the question is : How many friends do you have? And how do we define friends today...why we can even unfriend someone, and do it publicly.

We have all had our own personal ups and downs this decade.And only you know what they are. Hopefully the weddings, births, graduations, anniversaries, birthdays, family reunions, reconnecting to old friends, overcoming illnesses, new explorations, challenges and discoveries have all helped to make the decade a good one.

I wish you all the best for a very happy and healthy 2010!

2009-12-01T15:02:00.002-05:00

Now that we are over the Thanksgiving holiday, we are in a trajectory to the "holiday season".
Whatever one might celebrate, December marks a time for people to brush off their anger and frustration, and smile while basking in the glow of all the lights. People wishing one another Happy Holiday becomes the norm.

Yet, many of us are still reeling from a very difficult economic climate. Joblessness is still high, delinquent mortgages are more common than ever,and food banks are becoming the supermarket of choice for so many. When thinking of giving gifts this year, think of giving one to the Federation. We feed the hungry at home,supply medicine for the elderly Holocaust survivor in Minsk, and provide counselling for those suffering from the trauma of war in Israel.

2009-11-20T13:04:00.002-05:00

Ah...Thanksgiving!

I grew up in Canada and Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated in October (OK-no more Canadian jokes).

No turkey, no pilgrims,to us it was another day off from school.And it always seemed to correspond to Sukkot and we always felt ripped off if Thanksgiving fell on Sukkot or vice versa since the 2 days off from school became 1.

What a difference when we moved to the States in the mid 80's.
Thanksgiving truly is a MAJOR holiday for everyone and it is indeed one that took no getting used to.

Lets all enjoy a restful peaceful holiday with family and friends before the hectic December holiday period begins.

2009-11-11T13:06:00.003-05:00

Back from DC and the GA.
What a great line up of programs.
A who's who of Israeli politicians including PM Netanyahu and opposition leader Tzipi Livni who spoke to us at a lunch meeting for presidents and execs of Federations.
Rahm Emanuel pinch hit for President Obama who was at the Memorial Ceremony at Fort Hood,
A moving tribute to the Jewish men and women in the US military and inspiring stories from Israel...real stories about the remarkable achievements: New olim, start up companies, progress on economic development on the West Bank...so much to take in in 48 hours.

In the exhibit area, a myriad of new Jewish internet companies seeking to connect Jews in new and innovative ways...

The national Federation system unveiled its new name-Jewish Federations of North America- and logo, which we will probably migrate to in the next few months.

Next year in Orlando...Hope you can join us there.

2009-11-06T10:37:00.002-05:00

UJC, the United Jewish Communities, is changing its name to the Jewish Federations of North America. About 10 years ago, UJA (the United Jewish Appeal) and CJF (Council of Jewish Federations) merged to create one unified national agency that would meet the planning, fundraising, leadership and advocacy support needs required by federations across the continent. Our federation is part of that system. When the 2 organizations merged, which was a feat unto itself,the issue of a proper name refecting the enhanced nature of this new organization was debated. At the time 4 names were suggested and federations across the continent were asked to weigh in on their preference....
Name recognition and branding is a key element in giving identity to any organization. Many at the time wanted to retain the UJA name since it was a well established recognizable name to so many...you know the joke...if you are stranded on a deserted island, don't worry, UJA will find you.
No one was really happy with the UJC name and it never really reflected who we were.
Well, we now have a new name for our national organization...The Jewish Federations of North America- the key element of the change was to ensure that the word "federation" appears in the name.The goal for JFNA now is to ensure that Federations across the country adopt the name the Jewish Federation of________________, if they are not so identified as such now. A great example of that is Boston's Federation which is known as CJP....What are the chances of CJP changing their name to The Jewish Federation of Greater Boston? Time will tell
The goal is to have every federation have the word federation in its name and now that the national organization will have federation in its name..it should make it easier for a very mobile national community to find the federation in its area.

The new name will be officially rolled out at this week's national conference-the GA- being held in Washington DC from Nov 8-10.
The Federation system will be honored to host President Obama on Tuesday morning of the conference This will be the president's first appearance before a national Jewish group since becoming president. He will be preceded on Monday morning by an appearance from Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

2009-10-28T16:14:00.002-04:00

A great event is just around the corner: Torathon will take place on Saturday evening November 7 at Congregation Beth Israel from 6:30 PM...
Over 50 presentaions dealing with all aspects of Jewish life will be crammed into 4 sessions throughout the evening-History, Israel, Health Care, Current events, Arts and Culture-you name it Torathon will have it.

A special teen program is being organized for that evening by our young emissaries-Hadas and Itai.

Check Torathon out at www.jewishcentralmass.org

2009-10-27T14:23:00.003-04:00

Federation Shabbat is a way to inform our congregations about the Federation. Two have already been held - one at Temple Sinai and the other at B'nai Shalom.
Three more are scheduled:
Saturday Nov. 7 Howard Fixler JFCM president and our young emissaries Hadas and Itai will be the the presenters at Beth Israel
Friday Nov. 13 Temple Emanuel will host JFCM president Howard Fixler and our young emissaries
Friday Nov. 20 Beth Tikvah will welcome Federation executive director Howard Borer and JFCM president Howard Fixler.

Speaking of presidents, the other one, Barak Obama, will be speaking at this year's General Assmbly, the annual conference of UJC-The Jewish Federations of North America. The GA will be held in Washington DC from Nov 8-10 Check it out at www.ujc.org

2009-10-23T10:23:00.003-04:00

It's always interesting to see who is reading my blogs....although I can't identify who is reading them..I can tell where the readers are from...I now know I have readers from Israel, Sweden and Canada, and the US (and yes there are even some readers from the Central Massachusetts area).

This weekend the Patriots will be playing the Bucs in London. Having lived in Tampa for 6 years, and having been a proud season ticket holder at Raymomd James Stadium, people ask me: "Now that you live in New England, who do you root for?"

Well, I have to be honest-I have now been in Worcester longer than Tampa. I have always said that the Bucs are my NFC team, and the Patriots are my AFC team-but when they tee off against one another on Sunday I will be rooting for the New England Patriots. Sorry, Glazer family.

2009-10-21T16:19:00.003-04:00

This morning I bumped into a neighbor in the garage of my condo building. His mother was taken ill and was just being released from Fairlawn Rehab Center. He was hoping that enough services could be provided to her at home (she lives in a condo in the same building)so that she could continue to live as independently as possible. But he was not convinced that that would be the best solution and had recently visited Eisenberg Center, our only Jewish sponsored assisted living facility.

Although members of the Jewish community, neither are connected in any way to the community...

Yet when it might come to providing a warm, secure, and protected environment, the Assisted Living Facility they are looking to is the one sponsored by the Jewish community.

Got me thinking...for all of those in our community that are unaffiliated and unattached, there are those of us who do contribute to the community and it is we who are able to provide those services when needed to all in the community...

How do we educate that large group in our community that we all need to be part of the community....our concept of Tzedakah is to do the right thing.....so we are pleased when we can offer the appropriate services to those who need them....but we must also expect that they too must be contributing members of our community; not only when needed but at all times.

2009-10-20T14:36:00.001-04:00

The 1931 campaign committee for $20,000 to help the Jews of Europe and to build the new land of Israel invites all the Jews of Worcester to attend a mass meeting on Sunday evening May 21 1931 at the Bancroft Hotel Ballroom.

This flyer in Yiddish, prepared by Harold Gurwitz's father, the then owner of Mercantile Press was distributed to Jewish households in Worcester.

1931-Early pioneers in Palestine were beginning to settle the land and join other Jews who had lived on the land for close to 2,000 years, after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Jews living in Palestine under foreign rule

1931-Soon the darkest period in Jewish history-the Holocaust-would take the lives of millions of Jews.

Yet Jews in Worcester MA were raisng funds to support Jews in Europe and Palestine....in 1931!

Today 78 years later, with our Jewish world so different, we are still looking after those in need in Europe, Israel and at home.

The final sentences of that 1931 flyer read:

We all know that times are very bad in America
We might not be able to give as much as we did in the past, but everyone must give as much as they can to improve the situation of our sisters and brothers who are waiting for our help.

2009-10-19T13:13:00.001-04:00

The winter weather came early as our volunteers peered out the window yesterday.
They were here to make calls to their fellow community members for the 2010 annual campaign pledge to the Federation.
Over 175 individuals were reached and we raised over $23,000 for the community

2009-10-16T09:28:00.002-04:00

Dr. Orna Blondheim, medical director of the Emek Medical Center was hosted by our community yesterday. Accompanied by Larry Rich, the hospital's development director and VP for international relations,Dr. Blondheim met with top UMassMemorial administrators at a special lunch meeting at the hospital. Umass staff led our guests on a tour of the emergency, trauma, and obstetrics departments of the hospital and shared notes with one another.We hope this will become the first of many exchanges between UMassMemorial and the Emek Medical Center. It would be great if we were able to arrange medical exchanges between the 2 hospitals.The Emek Medical Center is located in Afula which is our community's Partnership 2000 community in Israel...to read more about P2K, check it our here at www.snecp2k.org

Last evening, Dr. Blondheim and Mr Rich were hosted by Dr. Howard Fixler and his wife Jody at a reception for health care professionals at their home. Dr Blondheim described some of the challenges the hospital faces and some of the unique characteristics of the hospital which serves a large percentage of Israeli Arabs. The Hospital is located in the Gilboa region, an area which is approximately 60% Jewish and 40% Israeli Arab.

Dr. Blondheim also spoke about the health care system in Israel. All citizens in Israel-Arab and Jew-have health care insurance. The Israeli philosophy is that health care is a right, not a privelege.

Over 30 health care professionals attended the event. More events will be planned in the future.

If anyone is planning a trip to Israel, the hospital would be pleased to welcome you. I would be pleased to help facilitate that or any visit to our P2K community of Afula/Gilboa.

2009-10-15T10:37:00.002-04:00

Dr Orna Blondheim CEO of the Emek Medical Center in Afula will be visiting us today. She will be meeting with several UMassMemorial officials and touring several departments at the hospital. She will be the guest this evening at a gathering of health care professionals at the home of JFCM president Howard Fixler.

It is our privilege to host Dr. Blondheim and Larry Rich director for international relations for the hospital to our community.

Whenever we visit the Medical Center in Afula, we are always warmly welcomed by Dr Blondheim and Larry Rich. It is our hope to forge closer relations between our medical community and theirs

2009-10-09T11:36:00.002-04:00

We always need to remind ourselves when the rain begins to fall and the wind begins to blow that Sukkot was never meant to be a New England holiday...

After all the Jews sat in the sukkah in the desert and the fall weather in Israel is just about as perfect as one would want....

Moral of the story...celebrate Sukkot in Israel!

2009-10-06T15:10:00.002-04:00

Where have all the young Jews gone?
At least those in their 20's and 30's. Many who grew up in the Worcester area did not return home after college...the lure of larger cities, greater social opportunities, new relationships, career choices are all factors that play into this equation. In addition, with all the pluses of growing up in a smaller community that is tightly knit, there are negatives that play out as well. The need for greater challenges, the need to break away from home, the attraction of something new and different and more diverse are all reasonable explanations for this phenomenon, not only here but in many places around the nation...How lucky are those few who have their families close by...
Yet, there are still those who have returned. The comfort of returning to a warm community, job opportunities available, the desire to be close to family, the ever changing and exciting nature of areas like Shrewsbury Street, the Canal District, and the ability to become involved in community life more easily are all contributing factors to the return of some natives.
And we have those who are moving to the greater Worcester area for the first time...these are the newbies who are looking to connect....
How are we connecting these young Jews? Frankly we are doing a terrible job...To be honest, though, we don't even know who they are and to be fair, how can we connect them if we don't know who they are...
So that's our challenge....we need to find out who's here...we have set up several social networking sites for this group, but they are only as good as the people we can drive to these sites.
Do you know of anyone who fits the age criterion of 20's and 30's...
Please let me know and we can begin to deal with this challenge.

2009-10-01T15:58:00.002-04:00

This week I had the pleasure of meeting with Dr Melinda Boone, the new superintendent of schools for Worcester at a meeting arranged by us to introduce Dr Boone to the Worcester Jewish community. JFCM president Howard Fixler and Community Relations Council chair Carol Goodman Kaufman accompanied me to the meeting. We delivered a Jewish holiday calendar to her as well as informing her of Torathon and our young emissary program, among other topics. The following day we met with the T&G: Publisher Bruce Gaultney, Editor of the Editorial Pages, Chris Sinacola and Editor Leah M Lamson. We had a warm and friendly visit with them and discussed many issues.
We left both meetings knowing that we have friends at the school board and the T&G, and comfortable in the knowledge that we all care about Worcester and making it better.

2009-09-29T13:20:00.004-04:00

OK...I am new to this blogging phenomenon...but if Anderson Cooper can blog while hosting his show, I can at least try to blog a few times a week. Once I can get comfortable with blogging, maybe I can even give twitter a try.

Seems that in order to become au courant (That's current for you non French speakers-after all I have not totally forgotten the French I learned for umpteen years while growing up in Montreal), and to keep in touch with all of you out there, blogging is the next best thing since white bread (personally I prefer sliced Challah).

So here we go again:
I love hearing from friends after spending time in synagogue
The aftermath of the High Holiday services are always so interesing..."hated the Rabbi's speech" "Loved the Rabbi's Speech" "Did you see what she was wearing" "services...way too long" "Too much standing" "where was everybody this year"...etc etc.

That's what's so cool about our Jewih community...I have been hearing the same comments for years no matter where we have lived: Edmonton Alberta or Louisville Kentucky or Tampa Florida. We say we are one community....we cry when our brothers are in danger, we rejoice collectively in our triumphs and we kvetch (another French term) at the imperfections of our community....but at least we care enough to kvetch and hopefully care enough to make things better.

Happy Sukkot

2009-09-25T14:50:00.001-04:00

Hard to believe we will be fasting again this week...did we not just do that? (I am not one who fasts during all the times in the Jewish calendar when we are supposed to...).

Time for reflection, forgiveness and contemplation and then we begin all over again....

Lets see if we can all do better this year...be better people, be more sensitive to others,ask for forgiveness, spend more time with those most important to us....

And volunteer more, donate more and participate in community (however you define that) more.

Welcome to my first blog

2009-09-23T15:27:00.002-04:00

Hello all,

So much happens on a weekly basis that needs to be communicated. I will be blogging frequently to pass information along or to give you my take on issues.

Check out the Federation's new video. Your feedback is welcome...the purpose of the video is to portray what we believe to be the exciting and dynamic community that Worcester is and can be as seen through the eyes of the Jewish community. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu8yWP6jncU

We are very pleased to let you know that we have started a PJ Library family reading group that will be meeting this Sunday Sept 27 at 10 AM at Borders in Shrewsbury....this will be the second meeting of the group...families with kids between the ages of 6 months and 5 and a half years are welcome (of course older siblings can join the fray).