Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 • 1 Kislev 5777 • VOLUME 70 NO. 47 • tjpnews.com $1.00

INSIDE

Extra innings

Temple Shalom softball league holds annual awards banquet, p.9

JEWISH AGGIES, OTHERS PLAN PEACEFUL PROTESTA&M offers other options for students during alt-right co-founder’s speech on campus, p.2

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Local Chabad teams with TTI to split task of Talmud readings

By Aaron GreenbergSpecial to the TJP

PLANO — Every year, members of the Chabad movement take part in an

effort to learn the entire Talmud as a group, splitting up portions of the massive text to make it more manageable.

For a smaller community like the Chabad of Plano/Collin County, that means teaming up with other groups throughout the country. This year, the Chabad rabbis in Plano found a local study partner to enhance the experience for their community.

On Nov. 21, college-age students from the Texas Torah Institute, located on Frankford Road in Dallas, came to teach in the traditional yeshiva fashion at Chabad of Plano.

“I’ve always wanted the Chabad of Plano to bring some deeper and more interactive learning to our members,” Rabbi Menachem Block said before the session. “We do have a lot of classes, mostly frontal teaching. The teacher comes in and teaches and the people learn. This learning will be different. Each member will be paired up with a

yeshiva student. This is where the partnership with TTI will come in. We don’t have enough staff (on our own) for study partners.”

The one-on-one instruction of Yeshiva Night may have resembled

the ordinary activity for the students, but it was truly a new experience for both the evening’s students and instructors.

Shared work, united learning

Photo: Victoria Blithshtein Photography

TOP: The 36 attendees at Yeshiva Night were split up into pairs, to learn Talmud with the traditional chavruta method used in yeshivas around the world. RIGHT: Rabbi Mendy Kesselman from Chabad of Frisco learns with Adir Hazan and Yehuda Oziel.

see TALMUD, p.4

Shabbat begins: 5:02 p.m. Fri., Dec. 2

Shabbat ends: 6:11 p.m. Sat., Dec. 3

Photo: Chuck Greenberg

Quick Look6-7 Dallas Doings8 Around The Town10 Health12-13 Simchas14-15 Youth17 Post Pics18 Obituaries19 Services20 Jewish Foodie21 Calendar22-23 Columnists23 D’var Torah

2 | Dec. 1, 2016

By Sean ShapiroSpecial to the TJP

Members of the Jewish commu-nity at Texas A&M and across the state are planning to protest when the founder of a white supremacist group will speak on campus in Col-lege Station on Dec. 6.

The university has planned an “Aggies United” event at the same time, providing an alternative for A&M students.

“You have to fight hate with love, and I think that’s the most important thing right now,” Plano senior Daniel Rosenfield, who is the executive vice president of the Texas A&M Student Government Association, said. “This goes against everything that A&M stands for. This is an open, welcoming campus. Not a place for hate, and we have to send that correct message.”

Richard Spencer is the white nationalist who grabbed national news early in November after

video surfaced with him quoting Nazi propaganda and announcing “Heil Trump” at a white nationalist conference in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the results of the election. That rally also included images of his supporters raising Nazi salutes.

And now Spencer, who graduated from Dallas’ St. Mark’s School of Texas, is coming to speak at a private event at Texas A&M next week.

In 2008, Spencer co-founded AlternativeRight.com and coined the phrase as an alternative conservative movement that many have taken to include institutionalized racism and white supremacy.

He was invited by a former student, who booked the space. According to a university representative, private individuals may book space since Texas A&M is a public university and Spencer will be allowed to speak, but his rhetoric directly conflicts with the

university core values. “I was completely shocked,

gobsmacked really,” Matt Rosenberg, the executive director of Hillel and the campus rabbi at Texas A&M, said. “I was hoping it was just a nightmare.”

Rosenberg and others on campus have urged Texas A&M to cancel the event. So has Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress.

“This man is one of the worst

hatemongers in America, and his white supremacist and other bigoted ideas are sickening. I urge the university to deny him access to any facilities on campus,” Lauder said Nov. 24 in a statement.

The Anti-Defamation League released a statement Nov. 23 saying it was “concerned” about Spencer’s planned speech and urged people not to attend the event.

Texas A&M President Michael K. Young cited freedom of speech and wrote on A&M’s website that the university could not deny him his rights. He also wrote that the Aggies United event would be a chance to “express commitment to unity.”

Rosenberg said there will be a strong response to the event on campus and on social media. Through his Twitter account he continues to encourage students to report the event, while he and other rabbis across Texas will bring congregants to campus in a protest.

Rosenberg was actually scheduled to be in Orlando next week and teach at a Hillel’s Global Assembly. He is not attending that event anymore and will stay on campus to be with the community during the speech.

“I think it’s important that we show this is a one-off, this is a thing that’s happening against what we believe and doesn’t reflect life at Texas A&M,” Rosenberg said. “It really is a great school for Jews and we are leading the response to this. But you will also see other groups and non-Jews stand up with us; this is a place where we are accepting of everyone, and hate isn’t accepted.”

Rosenfield has similar thoughts.“That’s the most important

thing,” Rosenfield said. “If he is going to speak what he believes, and he has the right to do that, we need to be stronger and show what this campus really is about.”

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Peaceful protest, ‘Aggies United’ other options to alt-right co-founder’s Dec. 6 on-campus speech

“For my part, I will not be at the speech. Rather, I am pleased to report that the campus is planning its own gathering that same evening ... . The Aggies United event will be an opportunity (for Aggies to express)their commitment to unity.”

— Michael K. Young,Texas A&M president

Dec. 1, 2016 | 3

By Andrew TobinJTA

TEL AVIV — Call them Israel’s American volunteer fire brigade.

Dozens of firefighters from across the United States put their lives on hold — leaving behind jobs and families — to help subdue the wildfires that swept Israel over the past week. While they all share a love of Israel, only a handful of them are Jewish.

“We’re just firefighters. When guys hear about a situation like

this one, where the Israelis are working as hard as they can,

they want to come help,” said Billy Hirth, a Protestant who retired last year after a 24-year career as a firefighter in Arlington, Texas, and has been coordinating the American effort from Jerusalem. Hirth was joined in Israel by 10 other firefighters from the North Texas area. They are: Keith William Copeman, Christopher Charles Balough, Gregory Dean Clark, Izaac Nathan Daughetee, James Richard Hayward, Jason Michael Eddy, Jeffrey David Miller, Jeffrey Eugene Scott, Phillip Keith Hopkins and Richard Carlton Nessner.

“It’s a brotherhood. Firemen are firemen,” Hirth said.

Hundreds of fires flared up in Israel starting Nov. 22, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee. Some 32,000 acres of forest and brush burned along with hundreds of homes and businesses.

Israeli authorities said the fires started because of an unseasonably long dry spell and high winds, and then were exacerbated by Palestinian and Arab-Israeli arsonists with nationalist motives.

Last Friday, Israel’s Public Security Ministry formally requested firefighting help from the Emergency Volunteers Project, a network of over 950 American volunteers and professional first responders. By Saturday evening, with the fires coming under control, the firefighters started arriving at Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport, from where they were shlepped to overstretched fire departments across the country.

Some went to work battling the remaining wildfires and those that flared up Sunday, while others chipped in with routine firefighting. The Israeli stations remain on high alert, with firefighters having worked grueling shifts over the past week.

“Many of the firefighters here, including myself, had been working for over 90 hours straight,” said

Oren Shishitzky, a spokesman for Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority. “Because most of the Americans were trained in Israel, they are familiar with how we operate, and they were able to easily relieve some of the burden on the crews, whether with regular fire response in local districts or in extinguishing the remaining wildfires.

“I cannot emphasize enough our appreciation that these guys dropped everything around the Thanksgiving holiday to come here.”

“We can be proud that our early action on Thanksgiving Day helped to support a group of local volunteer firefighters travel to Israel with the Emergency Volunteers Project (EVP) to work alongside their Israeli colleagues,” said Bob Goldberg, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

Adi Zahavi, 39, founded the Emergency Volunteers Project in 2009 after serving as an overwhelmed first responder during the second intifada and the Second Lebanon War. He set out to prepare willing Americans to help in future crises, from wars to terrorist attacks to natural disasters. Training sessions are held in the United

States and Israel. The deployment of the volunteers is coordinated with Israeli authorities.

Of the 39 firefighters now in Israel, 33 are full-timers, including the first female firefighter the group has brought to Israel, and six are part-time volunteers. Several, including Hirth, also came to Israel during the 2014 Gaza war, when the south and center of the country were bombarded with rockets. Many are now working alongside firefighters with whom they have built friendships during training.

“The quality of the American firefighters that have arrived is excellent,” Shishitzky said. “They are elite firefighters, with years and years of experience. Many are veterans who serve in some of the best departments in America.

“Where there are distinctions in training and practice, those were overcome long ago with the training we have conducted.”

Elan Raber, 42, is one of seven Jews among the firefighters. He flew in Sunday morning from Los Angeles, where he works for the city fire department. Raber is familiar with the station he is serving at in Petach Tikvah because he trained there with the Emergency Volunteers Program.

He said he has been responding to routine calls, like traffic accidents, elevator accidents and reports of smoke.

“I was here last year and really bonded with the guys, so I wanted to come back. They do have pretty steady action and a lot of equipment to get familiar with,” Raber said. “We’re coming in here while these guys have already been up for three, four days. We can basically help them out and be on standby if the wildfires come back.”

Having been born in Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces, Raber views being here as a part of his “calling.”

“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of bad press for Israel, so I hope to show that people are willing to drop everything to show solidarity with the people of Israel. I think people see that, and it’s a good thing. Firefighting was my calling, so I’m happy to help out,” he said.

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US firefighters ‘dropped everything’ to help Israel

Gil Elan: Call it the “Arson Intifada,” p.23

“We have been in touch with our family in the Western Galilee, our partnership region, where the Galilee Medical Center, a beneficiary of Federation support, is providing extraordinary services.”

Bradley Laye,President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas

Laye also wrote in an email that the Jewish Agency “has opened absorption centers as shelters, the Israeli trauma coalition is providing services to those affected, and JDC is providing social services — all are beneficiaries of the Federation.”

Photo: Emergency Volunteers Program

American and Israeli firefighters posing for photographs after returning from a call in Jerusalem on Nov. 27

see ISRAEL, p.14

4 | Dec. 1, 2016

“It’s good to hear from somebody who doesn’t think the same way as you,” said TTI student Moshe Greenspon. “Most of us think very, very similarly. It’s a nice change of pace.”

“We think in a different way from how they do,” agreed Zvi Keet, one of the learners on the Chabad side. “They say, ‘You know, I never thought of that.’ ”

It took no time at all for the approximately 15 student-teacher pairs to get into the text, Tractate Megillah, which deals with Purim. Within a minute of sitting down, there came the sound of discussion from every bench, rising into a clamor of Jewish learning that did not let up for well more than an hour.

Sharona Ohayon bought

refreshments, which were sponsored by Simon Olshansky in honor of his mother’s yahrzeit.

“This is a great opportunity,” said Rabbi Moshe Tropper, an instructor at TTI. “Although (the yeshiva students) graduated high school, they are on the younger side, and this is a good opportunity to share what they are doing.”

That concept of learning while teaching was shared by his students.

“The feeling was we’d come in and be the expert, but we’re a team,” Shlomo Zalman Kaufman said. “Through our coordinated efforts, we learn it.”

“You have to try and make it interesting, get their insights, not just teaching,” said Baruch Wexler.

The Chabad learners, taking the role of students, ranged from newcomers to those who grew up learning in the yeshiva fashion. Most were two or three times as old as the TTI students, who took

on the role of teachers. But as TTI student Eli Rosenstock pointed out, age is relative. There are rabbis in their 40s at TTI, and newcomers to Talmud who are much older than that.

His classmate Moshe Rothman agreed.

“I never sat down with anyone in the community (to teach), especially two to three times my age to learn Torah with. It was interesting and a fun experience,” Rothman said.

Among the Chabad learners, there was a lot of praise for the TTI students.

“I like the way that he explained it. A lot of patience,” said Gabriel Herschberg, who had not studied Talmud this way before.

Velvel Kantor said it reminded him of a “study buddies” program

at Chabad world headquarters in Brooklyn.

“It became easy to do. It’s actually comforting,” Kantor said.

As for delving into the Talmud itself, Kantor summed it up by saying, “The Gemara always disagrees. It never answers the question in a straightforward way.”

That provided some comfort to Keet.

“It’s intimidating at the beginning. But you realize with five or six different answers, there’s no stupid questions,” he said.

“No question, perfect,” Kantor said of the partnership. “No ‘I know more than you’ experience. It may have been the first time he was reading it. He wasn’t scholarly in this process; he’s learning with me.”

Coming from that background, what the students went through was familiar to one of the Chabad leaders, too.

“I remember the first time I taught outside the yeshiva. It’s like a different world,” said Rabbi Yehuda Horowitz, director of programming for Chabad, who helped make Yeshiva Night possible.

“Every yeshiva student learns, but wants to teach, share with others,” Rabbi Block said. “We are giving them a chance to do that.”

It’s the kind of learning envisioned during the annual Talmud exercise. Traditionally, the Chabad year of Talmud ends with the 19th of Kislev as the finishing date, when the Alter Rebbe, the founder of Chabad, was released from prison, “seen as a sign from on high his teachings were accepted,” Rabbi Horowitz said.

Being part of the two groups working together had a lot of meaning for Jesse Ohayon, who studied with Chabad and praised the area’s resources.

“The main thing, these boys were not Chabad boys. The Plano community is growing,” he said. “We are drawing people north. There’s no way this community can’t grow. They don’t have to go to the south community, because we have this.”

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TALMUDcontinued from p.1

Photo: Victoria Blithshtein Photography

Andrew Fowler (right), a senior at Plano Senior High, and Ephraim Wiedermann (left) of Academy High School enjoy learning Talmud with Moshe Greenspon of TTI.

Dec. 1, 2016 | 5

Ongoing series targets Indian Jews, culture

Submitted report

Congregation Tiferet Israel will hold its fourth installment in a series exploring Jewish life in foreign countries at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 11. Jewish life in India will be the focus.

Each session in the series has featured presentations on the history of a particular Jewish community, its culture, and the experience of those who have lived in that country or have traveled there. A bountiful kosher buffet presenting a variety of dishes from each country to show how Jews incorporated local ingredients and cooking techniques into their traditional Jewish cooking has been a significant element of each of the programs.

Event Chair Debby Rubin, popular Dallas kosher caterer, has led the preparation of the buffets. She organizes the programs along with her committee: Nadine Bell, Esther Hazan-Cohen and Sonia Meltzer. Debby’s passion for interesting food combinations has made the events a spectacle of food from each of the countries studied.

The series began in May with the Jews of Morocco. In addition to exploring its history, several speakers including Debby Rubin related their own experience of living in Morocco. Jews have been

in Morocco for thousands of years. Sometimes they were treated well and at other times miserably, depending on the policies of the government in power. Before the founding of Israel in 1948, 250,000 to 350,000 Jews lived in the country, which gave Morocco the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world. When Israel was established in 1948, its government arranged with the king of Morocco for the Jews of Morocco to move to Israel in exchange for cash payments. Today, fewer than 3,000 Jews remain. Tiferet’s Morocco event was held the day after Passover in honor of the Moroccan Mimouna festival held annually on that day to honor the friendship and unity of the Jewish and non-Jewish communities in Morocco.

The buffet menu included mufletta, shakshuka, Moroccan spiced roasted carrot hummus, warm sweet couscous, metaxas (Moroccan baklava), and stuffed dates.

The Jews of Italy were the subject of Tiferet’s second event held in July. The program followed the same format of presentations on the history and culture along with a buffet of kosher Jewish Italian cooking. Jews have lived in Italy for over 2,000 years, beginning in the first and second centuries BCE when they arrived as merchants or were brought as slaves from territories conquered by the Romans. Like Morocco, how Italy’s Jews were treated was depended on who was in power. Today, there are about 45,000 Jews

in Italy. The buffet menu included Italian marinated fried fish, butternut squash and zucchini frittata, dolce di tagliatelle (Italian Jewish apple noodle pudding), Jewish caponata, fried ricotta balls, pizza dolce Romana (Jewish dried fruit pie), sfratti (nut filled cookie sticks), and cannoli filled with sweet ricotta.

In September, the focus was the Jews of Mexico. Jews have been in Mexico since the early 1500s when they were expelled from Spain and Portugal. Initially, they were

subject to the same Inquisition policies common in Spain and Portugal until Mexico gained its independence and a policy of religious tolerance was declared in the mid-1800s. Interviews with several individuals who lived in Mexico or visited family there regularly revealed that Jews were reasonably well treated as long as they maintained a low profile. This third event in the series included a Skype interview with Susan

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see INDIA, p.21

6 | Dec. 1, 2016Compiled by Sharon Wisch-Raysharon@tjpnews.com

Warren Buffett invests $5 million in Israel Bonds

David Litman and his daughter Anna recently met Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett when he welcomed 43 U.S. Israel bond investors to Omaha Sunday, each of whom made a minimum $1 million new investment, to participate in an exclusive evening with the famed “oracle of Omaha.”

The evening opened with a tribute video from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said, “Warren is one of the most brilliant and successful investors of our time. He knows a good investment when he sees it. That’s why he invests in Israel.”

Buffett, who made Israeli company Iscar his first overseas acquisition, spoke warmly of the Jewish state, calling it “a remarkable country.” He stressed that “the United States and Israel have a common destiny,” saying, “If you

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Dec. 1, 2016 | 7 are looking for brains, energy and dynamism in the Middle East, Israel is the only place you need to go.”

Buffett also spoke positively of investing in Israel bonds, calling the investments “a terrific tribute to the country.” He said he would invest $5 million in Israel bonds in his personal portfolio if participants at the event matched his investment. In doing so, Buffett stated, “I wanted — through the last-minute challenge — to set the bar even higher for future events.”

He added, “You can tell prospective investors that I would have taken a perpetual bond if you had offered one. I believe Israel is going to be around forever.”

As a result, Israel bond sales directly attributable to the event totaled $60 million. In addition to Buffett’s $5 million investment, Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio has included Israel bonds since its acquisition of Guard Insurance in 2012, now known as Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Companies.

The evening was the result of an April meeting held in Omaha between Buffett and then-Bonds President and CEO Izzy Tapoohi, Vice President for Sales Stuart Garawitz and Pennsylvania Region Executive Director Harold Marcus.

In commenting on the meeting, Buffett said, “I learned quite a bit more about the Bonds program and said I’d love to do (the event).”

In expressing appreciation to Buffett, new Israel Bonds President and CEO Israel Maimon said, “This event tells me that Warren Buffett, famed for his investment expertise, continues to view Israel as a sure bet.”

The evening was hosted by Henry Davis, president & CEO of Greater Omaha Packing.

— Submitted by Karen Garfield

The Legacy at Home named as a Top Agency of the 2016 HomeCare Elite

The Legacy at Home has been named a Top Agency of the 2016 HomeCare Elite, a recognition of the top-performing home health agencies in the United States. Founded in 2011, The Legacy at Home is the largest not-for-profit home health provider in Greater Dallas. The agency also provides comprehensive Medicare-

certified in-home health care, nursing and personal assistance with the activities of daily living to seniors with the same level of distinction and professionalism that has defined The Legacy Senior Communities since 1953.

Seniors can receive high-quality care when returning home from a hospital stay or while rehabilitating from an illness or injury at home, in addition to assistance with daily living. For more than 10 years, HomeCare Elite has annually identified the top 25 percent of Medicare-certified agencies. The ranking is developed by ABILITY Network, a leading information technology company helping providers and payers simplify the administrative and clinical complexities of health care, and is sponsored by DecisionHealth, publisher of Home Health Line, The Complete Home Health ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding Manual and The Home Health Coding Center.

“We’re honored to receive this prestigious recognition,” said Charlene Bishop, administrator of The Legacy at Home. “Our efforts throughout the past year have focused on the importance of coming together as a team to build upon the quality of care we provide our clients and enhance their overall experience.

“As a team, we looked at all of the small enhancements we could make to our service that would have the biggest impact. It’s been amazing to see how we continue to benefit not only our clients, but our team members as well. Our team has pushed themselves and given everything they can to provide the best service we possibly can. It’s an

incredible feeling to receive this recognition as a reminder of what we achieved throughout the year.”

Bishop credits enhancing quality care, lowering re-hospitalization rates and enriching the overall patient experience as the reasons the agency achieved this recognition.

“We were absolutely thrilled to hear about this honor,” said David Eisenberg, chair of the board of directors of The Legacy at Home. “Our team is committed to providing high-quality care to our clients across the Greater Dallas area, and I want to applaud the staff for a job well done.”

“Improving quality of care and the patient experience continue to underpin a rapidly evolving health care environment,” said Christine Lang, senior director, Product Management, for ABILITY Network. “At the same time tracking, measuring and interpreting data that support these efforts is becoming more complex. The 2016 HomeCare Elite winners have demonstrated the highest-quality care in their communities, which is a remarkable achievement. We congratulate The Legacy at Home on being one of the top home care agencies in the country.”

Winners are ranked by an analysis of publicly available performance measures in quality outcomes, best practice (process measure) implementation, patient experience (Home Health CAHPS), quality improvement and consistency, and financial performance. In order to be considered, an agency must be Medicare-certified and have data for at least one outcome in Home Health Compare. Out of 9,406 agencies considered, 2,353 are recognized on the 2016 HomeCare Elite winners list

overall.“We are proud to recognize

the HomeCare Elite agencies for demonstrating a commitment to improving quality patient care at low costs. The clinical best practices and data tracking skills these agencies have implemented can

position them for future success in government programs such as value-based purchasing and star ratings,” said Marci Heydt, senior content manager, DecisionHealth.

“We are extremely proud of Charlene and the entire The Legacy at Home team for the superior care they provide to seniors throughout Greater Dallas,” said Brian Barnes, CFO/COO of The Legacy Senior Communities. “The Legacy at Home was created with the intention of reaching those we normally could not because they lived outside of our senior living communities. It is gratifying to see our team members receive recognition and praise for their hard work and dedication.”

The entire list of 2016 HomeCare Elite agencies can be downloaded by visiting the Ability Network website at abilitynetwork.com/homecare-elite.

— Submitted by Amy Jones

SHOW US YOUR #FEDPROUD! Engage with us on social media by using #FedProud and assigning it to those

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DALLAS DOINGS

Submitted photo

The Legacy at Home team

8 | Dec. 1, 2016

By Jane CohenSpecial to the TJP

For the first time in 32 years, Beth-El Congregation, the Reform Jewish synagogue in Fort Worth serving Tarrant County, will install a new spiritual leader, Rabbi Brian Zimmerman, during an activity-filled installation weekend, Dec. 9-11, that is open to the community. Rabbi Zimmerman is the 13th rabbi to lead the 114-year-old congregation.

Zimmerman took over rabbinical duties July 1 from longtime Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger following Rabbi Mecklenburger’s retirement. Weekend activities will include a special Friday night installation service, unique Saturday morning worship options with guest speakers

and study sessions that continue Sunday morning.

“As excited and overwhelmed as I am about a Friday night in which my father, Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman, my family, my friends and my congregation install me, I am equally excited about a special learning day we are offering all Shabbat day for congregants and community. These special learning opportunities represent what I really want my rabbinate at Beth-El to symbolize,” says Brian Zimmerman, a 12th-generation rabbi who was ordained at the Hebrew Union College in New York City in 1993.

Saturday activities include a Torah session with Sheldon Zimmerman, a special yoga Shabbat experience with Rabbi Danny Burkeman, an exploration of the

meaning of Shabbat through text, film and television with Micol Zimmerman from Hebrew Union College and a discussion on Open Orthodoxy and a changing and challenging American Jewish landscape with Rabbi Asher Lopatin. Sunday, Sheldon Zimmerman will

explore “ah-ha moments” and a new way to look at Torah.

Before leading Beth-El Congregation, Brian Zimmerman was the regional rabbinic director for the South District of the Union for Reform J u d a i s m and served clergy and congregations in an 11-state d i s t r i c t comprising 195 congregations. He was the rabbi at Congregation Beth Am in Tampa, F l o r i d a , from 1999 to 2006, and the assistant rabbi at Congregation Beth Ami in Rockville, Maryland, from 1993 to 1999.

Through his temple classes and other outside commitments, Zimmerman merges his two passions — Judaism and film, the latter of which he studied at Boston

U n i v e r s i t y . He has served as co-chair of Cinema E m a n u - E l in Dallas, a major summer Jewish film festival that

attracts more than 2,000 a t t e n d e e s , and was chair of Film P roc u rement for the Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival.

He enjoys teaching classes that explore religious themes in American films.

Zimmerman has served on boards and on numerous committees, including as vice president of the Rabbinic Association of Greater Dallas and president of the Tampa Rabbinical Association. In 2015, he was featured as one of Tablet magazine’s “15 American Rabbis You Haven’t Heard Of, But Should.”

“As Jewish leaders, we must constantly challenge ourselves to make Judaism joyous, meaningful and transformative,” says Rabbi Zimmerman. “Above all, our synagogues must be safe places for sacred conversations.”

His ongoing interests include all things youth group, Bruce Springsteen, scary movies and conversations about God, although not necessarily in that order. He lives in Fort Worth with his wife, Mimi, and two children, Saul and Molly.

— Submitted by Jane Cohen

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Rabbi Brian and Mimi Zimmerman with their children Saul and Molly at Molly’s bat mitzvah a year ago

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Beth-El to install Zimmerman as 13th rabbi

Dec. 1, 2016 | 9

By Deb SilverthornSpecial to the TJP

The Temple Shalom Brotherhood Softball League has rounded the bases again — and at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 11, in Temple Shalom’s Radnitz Social Hall, it will close the books on its 42nd season.

The Shalom League Softball Awards Banquet is open to the community and will host guest speaker Chuck Greenberg, CEO and managing partner of the Frisco RoughRiders. It will toast the league’s spring and fall seasons including its division winners, championship teams, MVPs, rookies of the year, the fan of the year, and the recipient of the Mr. Shalom Brotherhood award.

“We’re here again and what a season — we had a record number of participants, a record number of teams, and it just keeps getting better and better,” said Bob Weinfeld, event chair, who works with League Commissioner Wayne Casper, Mark Fishkind, Larry Silverman and others to coordinate the affair. “Chuck Greenberg joining us is a home run and I think that everyone

who comes out, whether they have been a part of the League or not, will have a great time. It’s a family — that’s what we are.”

The Shalom League, open to all adult males, first saw action in 1975. With just six teams at Churchill Park in North Dallas, it has made Heritage Yards in North Plano its home field since 2000. This year’s teams had 396 players suiting up with a record 228 playing on 19 teams in the spring and 168, on 14 teams, in the fall.

This year’s Spring Division Champions were Weinfeld’s Pirates and the Season Champion Tigers were captained by Brian Conn. The Fall Division champion Rangers were led by Brian Ortega and the fall season champion, the Iron Pigs, had Captain Ryan Alford at the helm. Also receiving honors will be spring 2016 award winners: Batting Champion Scott Lawrence, Home Run Champion Jason Niswonger, Gold Glove winners Darius Wu and Brandon Yamauchi; MVPs: Scott Lawrence, Drew Waggoner and Andrew Williams; Rookies of the Year: Juan Espinosa, Tim Meyer and Jason Niswonger, as well as the fall Home Run champions

— in a tie, Juan Espinosa, Brian Ortega and Darius Wu.

Winners of the Phyllis Unell Scholarship Fund, the 2016 inductees to the Shalom League’s Hall of Fame, its Veterans Hall of Fame, the Fall MVPs and Commissioner’s Awards will also be named.

“What a great season and we are on tap to have 20 teams next year. We hope anyone reading who is interested will contact us and take a look at the website, which is filled with detailed information and

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The Temple Shalom Softball League Fall champions, the Iron Pigs, captained by Ryan Alford

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10 | Dec. 1, 2016

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HEALTH

By Mara FahlJNS.org

For most organizations, moving underground would be an ominous decision. For Israel’s national blood services center, it’s an exciting one.

Nov. 16 marked the groundbreaking for the Jewish state’s new state-of-the-art central blood bank. Located in Ramla, the facility will be the world’s first completely underground national blood services center. Israel’s challenging reality affects every key aspect of the design of the center, including its subterranean location.

Every day, bright yellow vans traverse Israel to collect blood donations. Many who donate through the vans are simply passing by, and sometimes communities organize blood donor events. Yet essentially all Israelis are familiar with these vans, which they can’t help but notice. The fully equipped vehicles, which collect 17 percent of Israel’s annual blood supply, are the most visible part of the mobile units of Magen David Adom (MDA) — Israel’s national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service. The entire system of mobile units gathers 90 percent of the blood that is donated annually.

What happens to the blood after it is collected? That is lesser-known — and it will soon be even harder to see.

Just 15 minutes outside of Tel Aviv, Israel’s technology and culture capital, is the country’s current central blood bank.

The National Blood Services Center is a clearinghouse for sorting, packaging and storing blood, which is then delivered to hospitals and critical care units around the country. Of the 280,000 blood units that pass through the center’s doors each year, 250,000 are sent to hospitals around the country as needed. An additional 37,000 liters of surplus plasma are used by MDA’s pharmaceutical plant to prepare products such as Factor VIII, albumin and gamma globulin.

No drop of this precious resource goes to waste, but because it is concentrated in a single and vulnerable location, there is a risk that major damage to the center could decimate the nation’s entire system of blood resources. In fact, any damage to the center could reverberate throughout Israel if it slowed down or cut off the blood supply for hospitals and emergency centers.

Securing the blood supply

After the Hamas terror group’s rockets rained down on Tel Aviv during the Gaza conflicts of 2012 and 2014, forcing the current central blood bank to operate from what it described as the woefully insufficient workspace of a bomb shelter, the need to secure the country’s blood supply became clearer than ever. Israel has responded by starting the construction of the forthcoming underground blood services center in Ramla. But security is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the carefully considered

elements of the center.While Ramla is not one of Israel’s largest

cities, it is one of the country’s most centrally located municipalities and is about 11 miles from Ben Gurion International Airport. Even though Israel is a small country, the new building’s easy access to major highways is crucial for the quick delivery of blood to hospitals.

The dangers that Israel faces, meanwhile, are not always related to war and terrorism. Israel lies on two massive geological fault lines and is subject to small-scale earthquakes somewhat regularly. Although there hasn’t been a major earthquake in the country in 100 years, earthquakes are a real concern in the Israeli construction industry, and the new center will meet the highest level of safety standards.

When Israel’s current national blood

center was built in 1987, the country’s population was just 4.4 million. Today it is more than 8 million. With MDA supplying blood for both civilians and members of the military in need, capacity is as much a concern as security, said MDA Director General Eli Bin.

The facility will be named the Marcus National Blood Services Center following the Marcus Foundation’s recent $25 million donation toward the cost of the $110 million project. A total of about $74 million has been raised for the project so far, largely as a result of the efforts of American Friends of Magen David Adom, the Israeli organization’s U.S.-based fundraising arm. Once the center is built, Israel’s current National Blood Services Center will be used as an annex, allowing MDA to expand its services even further.

Israel’s blood services center goes underground

Illustration: Magen David Adom

A sketch of Israel’s new national blood services center

Dec. 1, 2016 | 11

Shearith Israel’s Roffman shares life of stage, scriptureSubmitted report

Congregation Shearith Israel’s Associate Rabbi Adam Roffman came of age during the renaissance of Broadway when Cats, Les Miserables, and Phantom of the Opera were all the rage. He studied at Circle in the Square, the only conservatory associated with a Broadway theater, yet somehow Roffman ended up as a Conservative rabbi at one of the largest synagogues in the United States.

The “somehow” is where this gets interesting. That’s where the plot thickens, the music swells, a conflict arises, a pulse-quickening love story emerges, our hero finds his voice, answers his calling, and … well, you really need to hear him sing it to understand how great this story is.

The “somehow” is what Rabbi Roffman will explore in an evening of cabaret titled Sing for Your Siddur, which he will perform at Congregation Shearith Israel on Saturday night, Dec. 10.

Rabbi Roffman grew up in Baltimore, where he attended Jewish day school and developed abiding passions for baseball (“Go Orioles!”), musical theater and the study of Torah. He attended Amherst, a prestigious liberal arts college, where he applied himself to political science and starring in plays before moving to New York, where he got his chance on Broadway.

“Musical theater is a deep source of wisdom,” Roffman says. “The canon is full of songs that beautifully express complex human emotions. One of the things Stephen Sondheim teaches us is that life is full of contradictions and most of the time we live in between the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. Even when we get what we want, that doesn’t mean we are going to find happiness.”

This nuanced, insightful candor is one of the hallmarks of Rabbi Roffman’s personality. Impassioned, sensitive intelligence, combined with Roffman’s warm authenticity, is what his Dallas congregants value in their spiritual leader.

“Adam is 100 percent sincere and is the real deal,” says Congregation Shearith Israel’s President Gail Mizrahi. “He’s passionate about life, deeply and

truly concerned about people, and one who genuinely pursues peace. Adam is strongly rooted in Conservative Judaism and is authentic to that life, but he’s never pretentious about his position in our community. He’s a successful leader because people want to follow him. He is truly graceful and there is not a false note in his repertoire.”

So, how did Rabbi Roffman, whose wry and youthfully intense stage presence seemingly destined him to play the conflicted young man, get from the Circle in the Square to a starring role at the pulpit of one of the largest Conservative synagogues in the United States?

“Traveling in my theater and Jewish tribes exclusively of each other, I spent a decade trying to find this powerful community that shared important ideas through a wonderful medium and believed theater could be this transformative thing,” Rabbi Roffman says.

“Sometimes it is, but I had a realization that Judaism is always like that. We gather together to

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Rabbi’s journey from Broadway to bima

Submitted photo

Shearith Israel Associate Rabbi Adam Roffman poses with his wife, Rabbi Shira Wallach, and daughter Hannah. Roffman believes theater can be a “transformative” way to reach out to other Jewish people.see SIDDUR, p.16

12 | Dec. 1, 2016 SIMCHAS

BAR MITZVAHRyan Jacob Uzick

Ryan Jacob Uzick, son of Dr. Kenneth and Stacy Uzick of Dallas, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, at Chabad of Plano. Rabbi Menachem Block and Rabbi Yehuda Horowitz will officiate. Ryan is the brother of Michael, 14, and the grandson of Sandra and Joel Cotter of Frisco and the late Saralyn and Maurice Uzick of Houston.

A seventh-grade Pre-AP student at Parkhill Junior High, Ryan enjoys football, robotics, video gaming and spending time with his friends. He plays trumpet and is a member of the school band. He loves animals, and is especially fond of cats.

The weekend will begin with a Shabbat dinner lovingly hosted by grandparents Sandra and Joel Cotter. A Havdallah service will follow with a celebration Saturday

evening, hosted by his parents. The farewell Sunday brunch for out-of-towners will be hosted by Ryan’s aunts, uncles and cousins: Rhonda and Doug Taub, Beverly and Sheldon Budman, Merle Hacker, Marc Cotter, Cherie Uzick, Rebecca and David Uzick, Andy and Kay Uzick, Hilarie Bursten, Andi and Jimmy Hakes and Deborah and Jay Leshefsky.

The Uzick family looks forward to welcoming numerous out-of-town guests and family and friends to Ryan’s bar mitzvah celebration.

B’NAI MITZVAHJoshua and Sarah Bransky

Joshua Stephen Bransky and Sarah Victoria Bransky will be called to the Torah as b’nai mitzvah at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 10, 2016, at Congregation Anshai Torah. Rabbi Stefan Weinberg and the Branskys’ cousin, Rabbi Michael Beals of Delaware, will co-officiate the service.

Sarah and Josh will carry on the tradition of reading from their family’s personal Torah, the same one used by their older brother, mother and other family members at their simchas. Josh and Sarah are the children of Adrienne and Aaron Bransky, and the younger siblings of Matthew. They are the grandchildren of Gail and Arthur Raphael of Dallas (formerly of Northbrook, Illinois), and the late Leah and Mel Bransky of Highland Park, Illinois.

Josh is an eighth-grade honor student at Shelton. He is a competitive swimmer with ATAC (Academy of Texas Aquatic Champions) Swim Club and puts in 12+ hours of practice a week. His favorite stroke is the breaststroke. Last summer, he represented the Team Dallas at the JCC Maccabi Games for swimming. Aside from winning several medals for his swimming, Josh was awarded a coveted Midot Medal by the Australian Delegation for his display of courage and determination in the face of adversity. In his free time, Josh enjoys hanging out with his friends, and playing Minecraft, Pokemon and other computer games.

Sarah is a sixth-grade student at Parish Episcopal. She is on her school’s Destination Imagination team. Last year she and her team placed second in the Improvisational

Challenge. This year they are hoping to best their score and go on to regionals. Sarah also enjoys singing in her school choir, spending time with her friends and reading. Sarah has spent her last three summers at Greene Family Camp and can’t wait to go back again this coming summer!

Autism Speaks is an organization near and dear to the Bransky Family as Josh is on the spectrum. Josh and Sarah have participated in the DFW Walk Now for Autism Speaks for the past six years, and did so again this year for their mitzvah project. Both raised funds for their walk team. Together through Sarah’s sixth annual “Lemonade 4 Autism” event and Josh’s fourth annual “Yard Sale 4 Autism” they raised more than $2,000.

Dec. 1, 2016 | 13

ENGAGEMENTFrenkel-Engelson

Charlene and Mark Frenkel of Parker, Colorado announce the engagement of their daughter, Kayla, to Mr. Sammy Engelson, son of Marcie and Jon Engelson of Plano.

Kayla earned a B.A. in sociology from the University of Kansas. She is a human resources generalist at ThoughtWorks, Inc. in Chicago.

Sammy earned a B.S. in management and leadership from the University of Kansas. He is a third-year law student and juris doctorate candidate at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He is an intern at Laner Muchin, Ltd.

With family in attendance, Sammy proposed to Kayla over Labor Day weekend where they met — KU. A September 2017 wedding is planned in Littleton, Colorado.

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14 | Dec. 1, 2016

By Jordana Bernstein and Dorit SchonbrunnSpecial to the TJP

There is more to Hanukkah than what can be purchased on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. At some point in time, many of us have forgotten that Hanukkah is about miracles, and the miracle that we still exist today — not about the giving and receiving of gifts.

While we would never want to suggest that there is something wrong with giving gifts, with Hanukkah being an eight-night

holiday, we would like to offer some ideas of how to make Hanukkah as meaningful as possible for your families.

• Give gelt: There is a tradition to give gifts of money on Hanukkah and one of the reasons is particularly meaningful and worth sharing with your children. The Gemara teaches that you must spend money on Hanukkah candles before spending on wine for Kiddush because of the requirement to publicize the miracle. Thus, with regard to the poor, by giving them gelt, they were able to buy both and

maintain their dignity. So make one night “gelt night,” and share the beautiful significance behind it with your children.

• Give a Hanukkah experience: Consider giving your children the gift of an experience instead of a physical object. This is something you can choose to do on one or more nights and will create lasting memories and family connection. An experience could be as simple as cookie decorating or as elaborate as a Hanukkah version of Chopped. How much fun would it be if you gave your family ingredients to choose from and they had to come up with a yummy (or not so yummy) new latke or doughnut recipe? Cousins versus cousins, sisters versus brothers, grandparents versus grandchildren, this will surely bring more laughs and joy than another toy. Some other ideas include: a Hanukkah scavenger hunt in your home, Hanukkah Pictionary or charades, or creating a Hanukkah play where

you have to choose from a bag of ridiculous props. Have a family slumber party in the family room (fort included!). Be creative and have fun!

• Give an outing: This doesn’t have to involve spending money or it can if you so choose. What about playing dreidel in the park (weather permitting)? What about going to a candlelighting ceremony at the mall and then count how many stores have menorahs in their windows? Were you invited out to someone’s house for a Hanukkah party? Great! That’s the outing for the night, no gift or other plan necessary! Ice cream and ice skating outings are fun too!

• Give a book/get a book: Make one night about reading. Give your child a new book and then have them pick a book out of their library to donate. We know people who make book night on Friday afternoon. Since they observe the Sabbath and their children don’t use electronics, the book they get on Friday afternoon is a special treat for them to have for Shabbat.

• Give tzedakah: Make one night completely about giving back. There are lots of ways to

do this. Take your children to the store and have them pick something out to give to a child in need. Get a list ahead of time of volunteer opportunities and choose one as a family to give your time to. Make a snack bag party and have your children invite friends over to put together snack bags to donate to the Jewish Family Service (JFS) food pantry. Make a penny hunt in your house and have your children put all of the pennies into the tzedakah box. They can then help decide where to donate the money.

Although we may not be able to make every night of Hanukkah about the miracles that occurred in our history, by taking some of the focus off gifts, we can make each night more meaningful. That way, we remember how lucky we are and take advantage of our opportunity to celebrate this special holiday with friends, family and loved ones. And maybe that’s the real miracle!

Jordana Bernstein, M.Ed., is the early childhood director, and Dorit Schonbrunn is an early childhood educator and the pedagogical coordinator, at Akiba Academy of Dallas. Both have been passionate about the field of early childhood education for more than 20 years.

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How to make Hanukkah meaningful for familyYOUTH

File photo

Jordana Bernstein (left) and Dorit Schonbrunn

A fellow Jew on the other side of the country helped bring Raber to Israel on short notice. Eli Row — the Orthodox Jewish owner of Jet911, an air ambulance company based in the Queens borough of New York City — scrambled to arrange flights for the firefighters over Shabbat, something that Jewish law requires if it could mean saving lives. Row landed in Israel on Monday afternoon to thank the American firefighters for their

service.Back in the U.S., 25 firefighters

are standing by in case the wildfires again begin to spread. If not, and the weather conditions improve as hoped, the firefighters in Israel are to return home at the end of the week.

Both the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas and the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County are participating in an appeal raising emergency funds for fire-stricken areas in Israel. To donate, visit http://bit.ly/2fuC1bJ in Dallas or http://bit.ly/2g2M5pT in Tarrant County.

ISRAELcontinued from p.3

Dec. 1, 2016 | 15

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By Rosie BernsteinSpecial to the TJP

From top-ranked sports teams to Ivy League acceptances, Yavneh Academy boasts it all.

But despite accomplishments in both academics and extracurriculars, what puts Yavneh on the map above all else is its community service. Yavneh students have found ways to make global impacts in foreign regions such as Darfur and Israel.

Two students, however, felt that Yavneh’s impact wasn’t reaching close enough to home. On Nov. 20, 2016, that changed.

After a short hiatus, Co-Presidents Aaron Minsky and Sophia Fineberg decided to revive the Yavneh club Helping Hands for the Homeless. However, they decided that the original mission statement of the club did not fit the community they intended to help.

“I realized with Sophia that if we changed our mission statement to help the disadvantaged Dallas-Fort Worth community instead of just the homeless Dallas-Fort Worth community, we could help more people. Therefore, we were able to help organizations like the Dallas Street Choir and Café Momentum — not just homeless people, but anyone going through a tough time,” Minsky said.

After assembling a team of devoted Yavneh students, the club began to brainstorm possible ways they could help the community in need. After receiving a tip from past presidents of the club about the Dallas Street Choir, Minsky and Fineberg decided they wanted to benefit the organization along with Café Momentum, which Minsky knew about through relatives. When the school year started, the planning for the event began.

Originally, the club hoped to host the event at Café Momentum itself, but challenges with bringing in kosher food pushed the club’s leaders to move the event to the Schultz-Rosenberg Campus.

The club divided into five committees: the Outreach Committee chaired by junior Sam Schultz, the Decorating Committee chaired by senior Jenna Katz, the Auction Committee chaired by sophomore Maayan Abouzaglo, the Food Committee chaired by junior Roy Einhorn and senior Leanor Attar and the Social Media Team chaired by juniors Zach Denn and Griffin Levine.

The club faced various roadblocks along the way such as raising donations and signing up enough attendees. Luckily, in the week leading up to the event, the club received a surge of over 100 responses.

“I like to think (the surge of responses) comes from the fact that they realized that Thanksgiving is a time of need and a time of giving,” Minsky said. “Our event perfectly embodied what people feel during the time of thanks.”

At 6:30 p.m. on the long-anticipated Sunday evening, more than 220 people filed into the atrium at the Schultz-Rosenberg Campus to enjoy the fruits of Helping Hands’ labor. After hors d’oeuvres and shmoozing, dinner commenced in Pollman Hall.

All food was served by members of Café Momentum, an internship program for young adults coming

out of juvenile facilities. After opening remarks from

Head of School Dr. David Portnoy, Principal Rabbi Maury Grebenau and Co-Presidents of Helping Hands for the Homeless Aaron Minsky and Sophia Fineberg, Khalil Miller, a graduate of Café Momentum, took the stage and shared his story.

“Your past mistakes are meant to guide you not define you,” Miller said. “A lot of people in my shoes feel defined by their past, but it’s really about what gets you forward and leads you to your opportunities.”

Next, the auction began. Phillip Pierceall, a professional auctioneer with a specialty in nonprofits and a company called Swing City Auction Company led the auction. He began by auctioning off

Yavneh students look closer to home for community service

YOUTH

Photos: Jolene Risch (top), Rosie Bernstein

TOP: Brennan Bliss, Sofia Fineberg and Aaron MinskyABOVE: Khalil Miller shares his story.LEFT: Dallas Street Choir Member Debra Scott performs a solo.

see YAVNEH, p.16

16 | Dec. 1, 2016

packages that would directly benefit the two organization being helped by the dinner and continued with donated items such as horseback riding lessons and jewelry.

After the winners of the raffle were called, a video produced by Yavneh students about Helping Hands was displayed. The video featured a song performed by the Dallas Street Choir. The Wednesday before the event, Minsky and Fineberg were informed that the software the video was created on would not open. The club’s

members put their heads together to find a solution without having to completely remake the video. They decided to send all of the raw footage to Yavneh graduate Benji Zoller in Israel, who worked tirelessly with the help of his brother, senior Sam Zoller, to put the video back together.

“When it was Shabbat for Benji, Sammy was working on it and vice versa,” Minsky explained. “We really could not have done it without the Zoller boys.”

When the video ended, Margaret Windham, chief development officer of Café Momentum, spoke about the work that her program does to get kids off the street.

Founder and Conductor of the Dallas Street Choir Dr. Jonathan Palant spoke about the roots of the Dallas Street Choir, explaining that in just two years, the Dallas Street Choir has helped just under 2,000 people. He then introduced guests Debra Scott and Daniel Harp, who performed two songs for the energetic audience. The pair had people standing, crying, laughing and singing along.

“Once you find out what God has given you to give, it will all come full circle. I’m speaking life,” Scott said.

Minsky and Fineberg then bid everyone farewell and thanked all who helped make the event

possible.“I can’t thank everyone enough

for all that they did for this evening,” Minsky said. “While we had a few hurdles along the way, we definitely jumped over them and did a good job maintaining composure and making sure the night went smoothly.”

The consensus heard from all who attended was how impressed they were that the entire evening was put on by students.

“It really gave light to the organizations that the night was about in a beautiful way,” Yavneh Judaics teacher Daniella Lieberman said. “I cannot believe that high school students pulled

this together. I am inspired to give back.”

The event raised over $35,000, and the members of Helping Hands for the Homeless could not be more pleased with how the evening went.

“It honestly could not have gone any better,” Fineberg said. “I’m so grateful for all of the student volunteers, generous donors and our two incredible beneficiary organizations. It would not have been what it was without every single person’s help and hard work.”

To learn more about Helping Hands for the Homeless or to donate now, visit their website at helpinghandsdfw.org.

YAVNEHcontinued from p.15

think not just about who we are but what the world is and what the value of life is…and Judaism is all about community. I was searching for community, for meaning and I was looking in the theater when I discovered it was right there in Judaism.”

Describing his journey as one “from nebbish to mensch,” Roffman says: “I have never tried to synthesize these two experience of theater and Judaism. People will learn, if they listen carefully to this performance, that I am very wary of combining these two worlds because too often when theater is infused with Judaism, you end up with kitsch — it cheapens both the theater and Judaism. Sometimes, productions of Fiddler on the Roof can be an example of that — if you pass the whole thing off as shtick, you lose the power of what these people were going through.”

“What I learned as an actor is to channel emotional energy for a specific intention. You want to affect the other people you share the stage with — in an emotional and spiritual way — and that’s the rabbinate. But it can’t be a performance; it has to be real.”

Sing for Your Siddur, Roffman’s evening of cabaret, is a fundraiser to purchase new siddurim for Shearith Israel.

“The siddur is the Jewish people’s script for our dialogue with God,” Roffman says. “It is so important that we find ourselves in this book. If you hand an actor a script and they don’t make a personal investment in that script, they are not going to deliver a good performance. The words of the prayer book contain ideas and values and beliefs that are central to who we are and it is an invitation for us to intentionally grapple with these things several times a day. That doesn’t mean we have to agree with every word of the text; we have to find our own way in by making a personal connection to the ideas.”

The evening is about the reconciliation of Rabbi Roffman’s passion for theater and his belief in and commitment to Judaism.

“I believe ‘Aleinu’ is what theater-goers would call an ‘11 o’clock number’ because what the siddur does through the order of our prayers is move from the individual to the community outward to the entire world.”

Sing for Your Siddur will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 in Topletz Auditorium at Congregation Shearith Israel, located at 9401 Douglas Ave. in Dallas.

This is an exclusive one-performance event. Seating is limited to just 150-175 people. General admission is $50 and tickets are $36 for Shearith Israel members. Please visit www.shearith.org or call the shul at 214-361-6606 to reserve your seats.

— Submitted by Judy Tashbook-Safern

SIDDURcontinued from p.11

scores and postings. This really is a great group of guys and a great organization,” said League Commissioner Wayne Casper, who has been involved with the Shalom League since 1999, seven years as commissioner, at press time up for re-election. This year, Casper and his son Kyle played together on the fall season Rangers, with son and younger brother Logan — just 5 years old and the league’s 2015 Fan of the Year waiting his turn at bat. “The camaraderie and friendship that happens on the field, and the relationships that extend off the field, are made of the fabric of all who have ever participated.”

Chuck Greenberg, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduated from Tufts University and the University of Michigan Law School. Throughout his former legal career, Greenberg lent his expertise to the acquisition and sale of more than two dozen franchises in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer and lacrosse. He is the former owner of the Altoona (PA) Curve, and managing partner and CEO of the Texas Rangers. Greenberg is currently chairman and managing partner of the Myrtle Beach (SC) Pelicans and the State College (PA) Spikes and, since 2014, general partner and CEO of the Frisco RoughRiders. The RoughRiders, readying for its 15th season with a most hometown, family sensibility and feel, truly shares the best essence of the Shalom League.

“I love our RoughRiders and that it’s a place where people from all walks of life and all ages can come together in a wholesome environment to enjoy a great experience every single game,” said Greenberg. The father of three grown sons — Jeff, Jack and Ben — he can appreciate the Shalom Softball League’s generational bonding. “Really, not so different and a lot of parallels, the multicultural and multigenerational connections of the Shalom League, and I think it’s great that the community has this opportunity. I’m so happy

to be called back to be a part of their celebration.”

Documentarian Randy Kramen will screen an excerpted preview of the second installment of Temple Shalom Softball: Second Inning during the event. Kramen’s First Inning recently screened at Dallas VideoFest 29. The film, in a Ken Burns format, shares ringers, rivals, and replicas of baseball moments, and mustachioed re-enactments and interviews, bringing his audience a 40-minute seat in the stands of the history of the Shalom League.

This year’s professional baseball season went full throttle to the very end with spirit and charge, the likes of which

are seen through the players of Shalom League’s spirit year in and year out.

“This League has been so much a part of my life, even at 42 years almost half of my life, and it’s a great privilege to chair our Awards Banquet,” said Bob Weinfeld, one of the league’s founders and 42-year captain of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who enjoys putting the annual soiree together. “It’s a challenge and a pleasure and I live for it. I just turned 90 and I’m booking myself in this post for at least the next 10 years. After that, I might renegotiate my contract.”

Breakfast is free for spring and fall season players and all Shalom Brotherhood members in good standing, and $5 for all others. For more information or to RSVP, call Bob Weinfeld at 972-814-6214 or email robert.weinfeld@tx.rr.com. For more information about the Shalom League, including applications to play in the spring 2017 season, visit shalomleague.org.

Photos: Brian Conn (above), Chuck Greenberg

ABOVE: The Temple Shalom Softball League Spring Champions, the Tigers, captained by Brian ConnLEFT: Frisco RoughRiders’ General Partner and CEO President Chuck Greenberg (left) will be the featured speaker at the 42nd An-nual Shalom League Softball League Awards banquet on Dec. 11. In July, Greenberg wel-comed Shalom League co-founder and ban-quet chair Bob Weinfeld to the mound to throw out the first pitch on the occasion of Weinfeld’s 90th birthday.

SOFTBALLcontinued from p.9

Dec. 1, 2016 | 17

More than 450 attend stylish soiree, fundraiser at JCCContributed report

On Saturday, Nov. 12, The J partnered with Neiman Marcus to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its

annual “be.” fundraiser, which helps to raise monies to support year-round J programs and services.

Boasting the title “be. the Look” this year’s event, held at sixty five hundred, featured a full-size catwalk spanning the length of the venue to greet guests. Twenty-three community role-“models” — selected for their inspirational work as leaders, volunteers and philanthropists — proved they had “the look” walking the runway as part of the New York Fashion Week theme. Following the community role-models show, Neiman Marcus’ Ken Downing curated and orchestrated an epic fashion show for attendees to enjoy. After the show, guests danced the night away while enjoying delicious food and drinks and the true spirit of community that “be.” creates.

“The ‘be.’ event continues to get bigger and better, and the 10th anniversary was no exception,’ ” said Artie Allen, The J’s CEO. “We are so honored to have partnered with Neiman Marcus for this year’s event and to see our community come together for an amazing and successful fundraiser. And on behalf of The J, I’d like to thank all of our incredible role-models for all they do in support of our work to maintain a strong and vibrant Jewish community.”

The honorary chairs for “be. the Look” were Carol and Steve Aaron and Karen and Alan Katz. They were recognized for their tremendous contributions to The J and other causes throughout North Texas and beyond. The star-studded line-up of community role-models working the runway included: Todd Aaron, Abby Bates, Jarrod Beck, Bennett Glazer, Marion Glazer, Lisa Goldberg, Roslyn Goldstein, Grant Herlitz, Austin Holley, Cole Horowitz, Tracy Kaye, Jeffrey Kollinger, Lauren Korenvaes, Rachel Ladin, Zeck Lieberman, Ilana Narosov, Michael Newman, Louis Okon, Ryan Pearlman, Melissa Plaskoff, Harlan Pollock, Laura Seymour, Jody Stein and Bonnie Whitman. The evening’s lucky winners of the $10,000 Neiman Marcus gift card raffle item were Allison and Alan Levy. Ilana and Seymon Narsov won the trip to Paris Fashion Week, which was sold via live auction at the event.

be. the Look event celebrates 10 years in style

1: Neiman’s Fashion Show2: (Left to right) Commu-nity Role–“model” Bennett Glazer, Sherry Goldberg, Community Role-”model” Marion Glazer, Jon Ross, Linda Garner, Kimberly Ross3: Auctioneer Dean McCurry4: Angela Aaron Horowitz (pictured, Carol Aaron and Steve Aaron)5: (Left to right) Barbi Cohen, Scott Cohen, Julie Liberman, Jay Liberman6: (Left to right) Robin Stone, Ynette Hogue, Jay Liberman, Angela Aaron Horowitz, Lisa Lieberman, Ellen Ungerman, Dana Gas-wirth (be. the Look chairs) (not pictured: Ruthie Shor and Wendy Stanley)7: Community Role–”model” Michael Newman

Photos: Jim Woods

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18 | Dec. 1, 2016James Alexander

James Richard Alexander (Jimmy), born to Helen and Harry Alexander in Cleveland, Ohio, passed away Nov. 24, 2016, in Dallas at the age of 93. James is survived by his loving wife, Rosalie Cinnamon Alexander, and his cousins, Stuart J. Sharpe and Shayna Sharpe Grundman. He was preceded in death by his parents, Helen and Harry Alexander.

James graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1943 with a Bachelor of Business Administration and the University of Texas Law School in 1946 with a Doctor of Jurisprudence. He practiced law in Dallas for 70 years.

James was a lifelong member of Temple Emanu-El and a founding member of Temple Shalom. He was a member of the Temple

E m a n u - E l Brotherhood, Dallas Jewish H i s t o r i c a l Society, the American Bar A ssoc iat ion, the State Bar of Texas,

the Dallas Estate Planning Association and the Dallas Bar Association. James exemplified lifelong membership in Sigma Alpha Mu. He was initiated into Sigma Alpha Mu at SMU (Mu Alpha Chapter) in 1941 and was active at the University of Texas (Sigma Theta Chapter) where he earned his law degree. As an undergraduate, Alexander was noted as a “Campus Star” in the January 1943 issue of the Octagonian. He served as a two-term prior of his Mu Alpha Chapter, as first president of Hillel at SMU, and on the IFC Judiciary

Board.James was the 15th recipient of

Sigma Alpha Mu’s Distinguished Service Award in recognition of more than seven decades of continuous volunteer service. He held the following volunteer positions: Regional Governor, House Corporation Trustee, Consul of the Octagon, Supreme Recorder, 1958 Dallas Convention Chairman, Honorary Chairman of 1987 Dallas Convention, Longtime Chairman of Sigma Alpha Mu’s Expansion Committee, Sigma Alpha Mu Foundation Director, and Fraternity Historian. James endowed two scholarships for the benefit of students through the Sigma Alpha Mu Foundation. He was also one of the first donors to support the Foundation’s Centennial Campaign in 2009 and was noted as a Centennial Founder. James actively worked to make Sigma Alpha Mu better. He demonstrated a desire to serve and pushed the fraternity’s leadership to make sure Sigma Alpha Mu thrived.

A memorial service was held at Temple Emanu-El on Nov. 27, followed by a reception and then ending with a minyan service. Please make a contribution to any of the following: Temple Emanu-El Rabbi’s Good Works Fund or Temple Emanu-El Music Fund, 8500 Hillcrest Ave., Dallas, TX 75225 or North Texas Food Bank, 4500 S. Cockrell Road, Dallas, TX 75236.

Karen Ruth Adelson Cohen

Karen Ruth Adelson Cohen passed away Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, after a short and severe illness. She fought it all the way, but in the end, the damage was too severe. To say we will miss her is an

understatement. Mrs. Cohen was 52.

Born Aug. 31, 1964, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Karen was the daughter of Morton David and Sarah Cohen Adelson. The family moved to the Wedgewood area of Fort Worth in 1969 and a few years later to Dallas. Karen graduated from Hillcrest High School in 1982 and Carnegie Mellon University in 1986. She worked in all areas of information systems, including document design, database design and AI. She published two books and contributed to others.

Karen loved decorating the house, thoughtful movies and listening to podcasts. She enjoyed binge-watching HGTV shows and picking apart their designs. But, most of all, Karen was proud of the people her children have become.

She was preceded in death by her father.

In addition to her husband, Jeffrey Robert Cohen, Karen is survived by her son and daughter, Max and Kelsey Cohen; her mother, Sarah Adelson; sister, Hilda Adelson; brother, Ed Adelson and his partner, Barbara Leary; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, in the chapel at Robertson Mueller Harper with Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker of Congregation Beth Israel, Colleyville, officiating. Following committal prayers, she will be laid to rest in the Beth-El Section of Greenwood Memorial Park.

Karen’s family entrusted her care and services with E. C. “Trey” Harper III and Robertson Mueller Harper Funerals & Cremations.

Mitzi Efron

Mitzi Efron, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend passed away quietly Nov. 16, 2016, in San Antonio, Texas.

Mitzi was born Feb. 17, 1942, in Dallas to Grace and Leonard M u l l e r , of blessed memory. She moved to San Antonio in

1959 and soon after spotted the man of her dreams.

On Dec. 3, 1961, Jack Efron became her most loving and devoted husband, whom she supported in every way. Between Jack and Mitzi, a greater love there never was and their beautiful union produced three children and six grandchildren, who all survive her. Her life was devoted to her family, friends and organizations that she loved, such as Congregation Agudas Achim and the Agudas Achim Sisterhood, where she held the office of president for three terms. She was devoted to Judaism and her synagogue life and expended much time and energy in Jewish causes.

She devoted her heart and energy to her husband, Jack Efron and her children Loraine (Lori) Efron, and Lanie Bailey and son-in-law Ed Bailey, son

Barry Efron and daughter-in-law Cathy Efron, and grandchildren Rachel and Stephanie Kutler, Abby and Adam Efron, and Evan and Andrew Bailey. Additionally, she is survived by her loving sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and Ronnie Argo, and brother-in-law, Richard Efron, nieces, nephews and lifelong friends. She radiated warmth and love, which was felt by all who were near and dear to her, and her generosity was felt by many. She was a dear and loyal friend and a precious and loved wife, mother and grandmother.

Graveside services were held on Nov. 18 at the Agudas Achim Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Congregation Agudas Achim, 16550 Huebner Road, San Antonio, TX 78248.

Shirley Shapiro

Shirley G. Shapiro, beloved wife, mother and grandmother passed away Oct. 28, 2016. She was born Dec. 1, 1919, in Denver, Colorado, to Nathan and Lillian Rosen Goldberg.

S h e married Harry W. Shapiro in 1943; they were married 60 years until his death in 2004. They e n j o y e d t r a v e l i n g

and visited many countries in Europe and Asia as well as Israel, where she had several relatives. In addition to her husband, preceding her in death were her parents, brother Marvin Goldberg, nephew Stephen Goldberg and grandson Ryan Jeffrey Shapiro.

Shirley is survived by children Mitzi and husband Howard Milstein of Longview and Jay Shapiro of Dallas; grandchildren Randy Milstein of Plano, Jeff Milstein of Longview, Amy Milstein of Frisco, Marc Shapiro of New Orleans and Megan Shapiro of Dallas.

She is also survived by great-grandchildren Lily, Zack and Emma Shapiro of New Orleans and Abby and Hannah Milstein of Plano, as well as niece Bonnie Goldberg Saliman and nephew Len Goldberg, both of Denver. A graveside service was held Oct. 30 at Temple Shalom south section of Sparkman Hillcrest with Rabbi Andrew Paley officiating.

The family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the charity of your choice. Services entrusted to Stephen B. Blend.

Granite • Marble • bronze 8921 C.F. HAWN FREEWAY,

DALLAS, TEXAS 75217(214) 398-4459

Fax: (214) 398-6672

DON SPRADLING, PRESIDENTHOME: (972) 222-0672

GARY SPRADLING, VICE PRESIDENT

WE SUPPORT ISRAEL!

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OBITUARIES

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Dec. 1, 2016 | 19

Conservative

AGUDATH JACOB4925 Hillcrest Drive, Waco

254-772-1451, www.agudath-waco.org

Rabbi: Ben-Zion Lanxner

CONGREGATION AHAVATH SHOLOM4050 S. Hulen St., Fort Worth

817-731-4721, www.ahavathsholom.org

Rabbi: Andrew D. Bloom

Cantor: Shoshana Abrams Kaikov

ANSHAI TORAH5501 W. Parker Road, Plano

972-473-7718, www.anshaitorah.org

Rabbi: Stefan Weinberg

Assistant Rabbi: Michael Kushnick

BETH TORAH720 W. Lookout Drive, Richardson

972-234-1542, congregationbethtorah.org

Rabbi: Elana Zelony

KEHILLAT CHAVERIMFar North Dallas

972-403-0473, Kehillat.chaverim.info@

gmail.com, www.kehillatchaverim.org

NISHMAT AM2113 W. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano

972-618-2200, www.nishmatam.org

Rabbi: Yitzchak Cohen

SHEARITH ISRAEL9401 Douglas Ave., Dallas;

Beit Aryeh: 18011 Hillcrest Road, Dallas

214-361-6606, www.shearith.org

Transitional Senior Rabbi: Daniel

Pressman

Associate Rabbis: Adam E. Roffman, Shira

E. Wallach

Orthodox

ACHDUT ISRAEL [Seph-Isr]5821 McShann Road

972-877-4881, www.achdut-israel.org

Rabbi: Binyamin E. Terenyo

CHABAD OF ARLINGTON and the MID-CITIES1861 Brown Blvd. Suite 213, Arlington

817-451-1171, www.arlingtonchabad.org

Rabbi: Levi Gurevitch

CHABAD OF DALLAS6710 Levelland Road, Dallas

972-818-0770, www.chabadofdallas.com

Rabbis: Mendel Dubrawsky, Moshe

Naparstek

CHABAD FORT WORTH/ TARRANT COUNTY5659 Woodway Drive, Fort Worth

817-263-7701, www.chabadfortworth.

com

Rabbi: Dov Mandel

CHABAD OF FRISCOFrisco

214-460-7773, www.chabadfrisco.org

Rabbi: Mendy Kesselman

CHABAD OF PLANO/ COLLIN COUNTYLang Chabad Center

3904 W. Park Blvd., Plano

972-596-8270, www.chabadplano.org

Rabbis: Menachem Block, Yehuda

Horowitz

DATA FAR NORTH JEWISH LEARNING CENTER7130 Campbell Road #204, Dallas

214-987-3282, www.datafarnorth.org

Rabbi: Shlomo Abrams

DATA OF PLANO3251 Independence Parkway, Plano

214-987-3282, www.dataofplano.org

Rabbis: Nasanya Zakon, Yogi Robkin

MAGEN DAVID [Seph]17631 Hillcrest Road, Dallas

972-386-7166, www.magendaviddallas.

org

Rabbi: David Moyal

OHEV SHALOM6821 McCallum Blvd., Dallas

972-380-1292, www.ohev.com

Rabbi: Aryeh Rodin

OHR HATORAH6324 Churchill Way, Dallas

972-404-8980, www.ohrhatorahdallas.

org

Rabbi: Aryeh Feigenbaum

SEPHARDIC TORAH CENTER OF DALLAS [Seph]6715 Levelland Road, Dallas

917-678-0385, www.

sephardictorahcenter.org

Rabbi: Zecharia Sionit

SHAARE TEFILLA6131 Churchill Way, Dallas

972-661-0127, www.shaaretefilla.org

Rabbi: Ariel Rackovsky

YOUNG ISRAEL OF DALLAS [Seph]6504 Dykes Way, Dallas

214-774-9223, www.youngisraeldallas.

org

Rabbis: Ronen Shimon, Ariel Rachovsky

Reform

ADAT CHAVERIM6300 Independence Parkway, Suite A,

Plano

972-491-5917, www.adatchaverim.org

Rabbi: Ben Sternman

BETH-EL CONGREGATION4900 Briarhaven Road, Fort Worth

817-332-7141, www.bethelfw.org

Rabbi: Brian Zimmerman

Assistant Rabbi: Jordan Ottenstein

Ralph D. Mecklenburger, emeritus

BETH EL BINAHNorthaven United Methodist Church

11211 Preston Road, Dallas,

214-500-8304, www.bethelbinah.org

CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL6100 Pleasant Run Road, Colleyville

817-581-5500, www.

congregationbethisrael.org

Rabbi: Charlie Cytron-Walker

BETH SHALOM1212 Thannisch Drive, Arlington

817-860-5448, www.bethshalom.org

Rabbi Emeritus: Ned J. Soltz

Cantor: Sheri Allen

KOL AMI1887 Timber Creek Road, Flower

Mound

972-539-1938, www.kolami-tx.org

Rabbi: Geoffrey Dennis

NER TAMID751 Hebron Parkway, Suite 340,

Lewisville

972-416-9738, www.

congregationnertamid.org

Cantor/Para Rabbi: Patti Turner

SHIR TIKVAH7700 Main St., Frisco

469-269-0718, www.shirtikvahfrisco.

org

Rabbi: Heidi Coretz

TEMPLE BETH EL208 S. 15th St., Corsicana

214-293-6515, www.rabbifrankjoseph.

org

Rabbi: Frank Joseph

TEMPLE BETH EMETH306 N. Rusk St., Sherman

903-892-9326, www.temple-beth-

emeth.org

Rabbi: Ana Bonnheim

TEMPLE EMANU-EL8500 Hillcrest Road, Dallas

214-706-0000, www.tedallas.org

Senior Rabbi: David E. Stern

Associate Rabbi: Debra J. Robbins

Assistant Rabbis: Dan Utley, Kimberly

Herzog Cohen

Cantors: Vicky Glikin, Leslie Niren

TEMPLE SHALOM6930 Alpha Road, Dallas

972-661-1810, www.

templeshalomdallas.org

Senior Rabbi: Andrew M. Paley

Rabbi: Ariel Boxman

Rabbi Emeritus: Kenneth D. Roseman

Cantor: Devorah Avery

Cantor Emeritus: Don Croll

Traditional

TIFERET ISRAEL10909 Hillcrest Road, Dallas

214-691-3611, www.tiferetdallas.org

Rabbi: Shawn Zell

Other

IRVING HAVURAH [Community]

1832 Cooper Drive, Irving

214-293-6515, www.rabbifrankjoseph.

org

Rabbi: Frank Joseph

Please call for dates and times.

AHAVAT YISRAEL [Egalitarian]101B Greenbriar, Belton

254-304-1484, rabbifrankjoseph.org

Rabbi: Frank Joseph

Please call for dates and times.

Senior

GOLDEN ACRES2525 Centerville Road, Dallas214-327-4503, ext. 158

LEGACY PRESTON HOLLOW11409 N. Central Expressway, Dallas214-363-5100 www.thelegacyph.org

LEGACY WILLOW BEND6101 Ohio Drive, Suite 400, Plano972-468-6200, www.thelegacywb.org

Relationships and community give life meaning.

We appreciate and value this because we’ve had

the privilege of serving the Jewish community

for nearly four generations. It’s a long-standing

association that we take immense pride in.

SPARKMAN/HILLCREST

Sparkman-Hillcrest.com 214-363-5401funeral home • memorial park • mausoleum

www.prepaidfunerals.texas.gov

REFLECTING ON LIFE, TRADITION AND FAMILY FOR OVER A CENTURY.

SERVICES

20 | Dec. 1, 2016

By Ronnie FeinJTA

Koshary, an Egyptian specialty, is one of the best vegetarian dishes I have ever tasted.

It’s a street food, sold everywhere you look, including carts and stalls in Cairo — along with everywhere else in Egypt. It’s carb-loaded and comforting, bountifully flavorful and rib-sticking.

My grandma would have said that koshary has the “tata and the mama” in it. Indeed, this dish contains a lot of stuff! It includes pasta, rice, lentils, chickpeas and fried onions topped with a cumin-infused, gently spicy tomato sauce.

Koshary developed as an offshoot of other Middle Eastern and South Asian foods by people who migrated to Egypt during the late 19th century, when the British occupied parts of both areas. It’s similar to both mujadarah (Middle Eastern) and kitchari (an Indian specialty), which are both based on rice and lentils but don’t include tomato sauce. There is also some speculation that koshary’s closest ancestor is an Iraqi Jewish dish called kichri, although that dish has no pasta and is often eaten topped with a fried egg or a dollop of yogurt.

Although you have to cook koshary’s several parts separately, you can do the work piece by piece and ahead of time, then put the different elements together at the last minute and reheat the dish in the oven. I’ve even nuked it in my microwave oven. For serving, you can arrange the different elements in layers or side by side, as you wish, serve the sauce on top or separately.

Koshary

Tomato Sauce:• 2 tablespoons olive oil• 1 large clove garlic, chopped• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger• 1 cinnamon stick (2 inches)• 28-ounce can Italian-style tomatoes, including liquid, chopped• ½ teaspoon ground cumin• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander• ¹/8 teaspoon cayenne pepperKoshary:• 6 oz. small pasta such as elbows• ½ cup lentils• ½ cup white rice• 3½ tablespoons olive oil• 2 large onions, sliced• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

First, make the sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the

garlic and ginger and cook briefly. Add the cinnamon stick and cook briefly. Add the tomatoes, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and set aside.

Heat the oven to warm (about 225 degrees).

Next, make the koshary elements: Cook the macaroni until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Cook the lentils in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Combine the rice with 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat but keep the cover on the pan to keep the rice warm.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over low-medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the onions to a bowl and set aside in the oven to keep warm.

Next, reheat the tomato sauce.

Add ½ tablespoon olive oil to the sauté pan used for the onions. Add the cooked macaroni and cook over medium heat without stirring, for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom is crispy. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes to crisp the pasta. Remove the pasta to a serving dish.

Add ½ tablespoon olive oil to the sauté pan. Add the lentils and cook for 1-2 minutes or until lightly crispy. Spoon the lentils on top of or alongside of the macaroni. Add the rice to the serving dish.

Add ½ tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add the chickpeas and cook briefly to warm them. Spoon the chickpeas onto the serving dish.

Spoon the caramelized onions onto the serving dish. Spoon the tomato sauce on top or serve separately.

Ronnie Fein is the author of four cookbooks: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cooking Basics, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to American Cooking, Hip Kosher and The Modern Kosher Kitchen.

Challah French Toast with Chai Spices Recipe

By Shannon SarnaThe Nosher via JTA

Summer Sundays are for yogurt parfait and long walks in the sun. But once the leaves start falling and the cozy sweaters are unpacked, it’s time to hunker down with pumpkin bread, pancakes and French toast on lazy, snuggly Sundays. After all, evolution says you need those extra calories for survival.

This challah French toast recipe is warm and cozy, sweet and spicy, and the perfect pick-me-up for weekends when you just want to hide under the covers.• 6-8 slices of challah bread• 4 eggs• 1 ½ cups whole milk• 2 tablespoons sugar• 1 teaspoon vanilla• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon• ¼ teaspoon allspice• ¼ teaspoon cardamom• Pinch ground cloves• Pinch ground black pepper• Pinch salt• 2 teaspoons butterFor serving:• ½ cup powdered sugar• ¹/8 teaspoon ground cloves• Additional butter (optional)• Maple syrup

Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla and spices.

Soak bread in egg-milk mixture for 1-2 minutes.

Add 2 teaspoons butter to a large pan set over medium heat. When butter starts to bubble slightly, add 2 to 3 pieces of bread to the pan. Cook each side 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and repeat 2 minutes.

Mix ½ cup powdered sugar with 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves. Top French toast with spiced powdered sugar, more butter and maple syrup.Shannon Sarna is the editor of The Nosher.

The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.

Carb-loaded, street-fare koshary flavorful treat

JEWISH FOODIE

Photo: Ronnie Fein

Koshary

Dec. 1, 2016 | 21

CalendarFRI., DEC. 2

Playground Plus10:30 a.m.-noonBaby and Me Yoga, baby massage, Shabbat songs and more.Contact: Chantal Umana, cumana@shearith.orgShearith Israel, 9401 Douglas Ave., Dallas

Israel Advocacy Dinner6:30-9 p.m.Congregation Anshai Torah’s Israel Advocacy Dinner will follow the 6:30 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat service. The guest speaker is Dr. Stephen Berk. professor of Holocaust & Jewish studies at Union College, in Schenectady, New York. Cost for members is $21 per adult; nonmembers are $25 per adult. Kids ages 4-10 are $9, 3 and younger are free. There’s a $55 maximum per family. RSVP to Debbie Butvin. Contact/RSVP: receptionist@anshaitorah.org, 972-473-7718Congregation Anshai Torah, 5501 W. Parker Road, Plano

MON., DEC. 5

Tycher Library Joint Session with Holocaust MuseumNoonPeer-led discussion of The Fantastic Laboratory of Dr. Weigl: How Two Brave Scientists Battled Typhus and Sabotaged the Nazis by Arthur Allen. The group will Skype with the author from the Tycher Library.Contact: Nina Stenzler, 214-239-7132, nstenzler@jfgd.orgTycher Library, 7900 Northaven Road, Dallas

TUES., DEC. 6

Plano-Area Jewish High School Lunch11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m.Congregation Anshai Torah’s very own Wolfstein’s Deli will provide free lunch for all Plano area Jewish high school students in 11th and 12th grades. Both lunches. Come join us for a delicious lunch and the opportunity to schmooze with friends and the Rabbis. Contact: Connie Hochman, eventcoord@anshaitorah.org, 972-473-7718

Fiction Flicks at Tycher Library6 p.m.Program focusing on novels made into film. Participants are encouraged to read Dancing Arabs by Sayed Kashua before viewing the film A Borrowed Identity and to participate in the discussion. Food will be provided. RSVP required.Contact/RSVP: Nina Stenzler, 214-239-7132,

nstenzler@jfgd.orgTycher Library, 7900 Northaven Road, Dallas

DJHS/DGS Jewish Genealogy Workshop7 p.m.The Dallas Jewish Historical Society and the Dallas Genealogy Group host speaker Beri Schwitzer, director of congregational learning at Congregation Beth Torah. The meeting will have an opportunity for members to share ideas, methods and how to get started researching.Contact: info@djhs.org, 214-239-7120Location: Dallas JCC, 7900 Northaven Road, Dallas

FRI., DEC. 9

Tot Shabbat at Anshai Torah5:30-7:15 p.m.Congregation Anshai Torah’s monthly young family Shabbat celebration. The Kofim class will be singing along with the regular family program, dinner, Kabbalat Shabbat Service, fun, dessert and story time. Families with children ages infant through grade 2 are welcome. Cost is $25 per family. Prepaid RSVP required.Contact/RSVP: Debbie Butvin, receptionist@anshaitorah.org, 972-473-7718

SAT., DEC. 10

Sing for your Siddur7:30 p.m.Contact: Chantal Umana, cumana@shearith.orgShearith Israel, 9401 Douglas Ave., Dallas

FRI., DEC. 16

Carlebach Shabbat6 p.m.Contact: Sandi Burt, sandib@shearith.orgShearith Israel, 9401 Douglas Ave., Dallas

Munchkins Minyan Shabbat6 p.m.Families with young children, join Temple Shalom in the Rabiner Children’s Library for Munchkins Minyan Shabbat celebration with Rabbi Boxman and Mr. Farris. Sing some songs, say the blessings over the challah and juice and read a story. All young children and families welcome.Contact: Temple Shalom, 972-661-1810Temple Shalom, 6930 Alpha Road, Dallas

Carlebach Shabbat6 p.m.Usher in the holy peace of Shabbat with Hazzan Zhrebker and our choirs in the Beck Family Sanctuary, then stay for Shabbat dinner and discussion with special guests.Contact: Sandi Burt, sandib@shearith.orgShearith Israel, 9401 Douglas Ave., Dallas

SAT., DEC. 24

Temple Shalom Young Family Hanukkah Service10:30 a.m.Join Temple Shalom for a morning of celebration in the Epstein Chapel.Enjoy a morning of Hanukkah songs, stories, dancing and Torah fun!This service is open to the community and families with children of all ages are welcome. Grandparents, aunts and uncles are welcome, too.A delicious Hanukkah Kiddush will be served after services.Contact: Raymond@raymondfarris.com, 214-288-7297.Temple Shalom, 6930 Alpha Road, Dallas

THURS., DEC. 29

College Connection at Shearith Israel7 p.m.For Shearith Israel college-aged/graduate school-aged students. Chanukah-themed with drink specials. Free to attend.Contact: Katie Venetsky, kvenetsky@shearith.orgShearith Israel, 9401 Douglas Ave., Dallas

FRI., DEC. 30

Shearith Israel Chanukah Shabbat Service and Dinner6 p.m.A Shearith community dinner to celebrate Chanukah, with Chanukah-themed foods and singing.Contact: Katie Venetsky, kvenetsky@shearith.orgShearith Israel, 9401 Douglas Ave., Dallas

UPCOMING/ONGOING

Jewish Enrichment ProgramTuesdays 4:30-8 p.m.Jewish Art Zone: Dec. 6, 13Explore Jewish heroes through artistic expressions. Develop creativity and skill, discover art materials and techniques and create masterpieces.Cost is $80 for the set of four classes, which began Nov. 22.Contact: Rishi Gurevitch, 817-451-1171, rishi@arlingtonchabad.orgChabad of the Mid-Cities, 1861 Brown Blvd., No. 213, ArlingtonJewish Association of Professional Salespersons (JAPS)11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. every first, third WednesdayThe Jewish Association of Professional

Salepersons is an industry-exclusive networking group.One person is allowed per industry. Contact Lorrie Semler for more information and location, 972-416-3417.

Hebrew School of the ArtsSundays 9:45 a.m.-noonHebrew School of the Arts inspires Judaism through the universal language of the arts. The school is made possible in part by the Dan Danciger/Fort Worth Hebrew Day School Supporting Foundation.Contact/Registration: Rishi Gurevitch, 817-451-1171, rishi@arlingtonchabad.orgChabad of the Mid-Cities, 1861 Brown Blvd., No. 213, Arlington

Special Exhibit — Rebirth After the Holocaust: Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons Camp, 1945-1950 at Dallas Holocaust MuseumOct. 6-Jan. 31This exhibit depicts the true story of Jewish survivors who, after experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust, rebuilt their lives from the ground up in the Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons Camp — one of Nazi Germany’s most infamous concentration camps.The exhibit, organized by the World Federation of Bergen-Belsen Associations, is presented by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Museum. Cost is $8-10.Contact: ablack@dallasholocaustmuseum.orgDallas Holocaust Museum, 211 N. Record St., No. 100, Dallas

Israeli Dancing7-8 p.m. (Women only)8-10:30 p.m. every WednesdayAll dancers are welcome! This group meets every Wednesday evening in the multipurpose room (unless otherwise noted on the organization’s calendar).Free for CBT members. $5 for non-members. For full schedule/weekly reminder, email Linda Kahalnik (see below).Contact: Linda Kahalnik, rikudchik@gmail.comBeth Torah, 720 W. Lookout Drive, Richardson

Jan. 7Havdallah and Game Night6:30 p.m.Have you been meaning to dust off that old copy of Monopoly? Or are you looking to learn some new board games? Join Shearith Israel for Havdallah and game night where you can close out Shabbat with some games, snacks and good people!Contact : Katie Venetsky, kvenetsky@shearith.orgCongregation Shearith Israel, 9401 Douglas Ave., Dallas

Schmidt from the website: www.mexicanjewish.com (also known as Challa-Peno). As she describes on her website: “I’m Susan, a Jew who was born and raised in Mexico

City. I learned how to cook by standing on a chair and watching my Hungarian grandmother every Sunday. The other great influence on my cooking was my mother-in-law. Both my and my husband’s grandparents emigrated from Europe to Mexico in the late 1920s, bringing with them the traditions

and flavors of the old country. Combining these with the fresh ingredients that were available in the mercado led to a unique fusion of flavors.”

The offerings of the Jewish Mexican buffet were characteristic of Jewish fare adapted to traditional Mexican spices and style of cooking

such as chilaquiles breakfast casserole, salmon ceviche, mango salsa, Mexican rice pudding, Mexican wedding cookies, pumpkin flan, and bolitos de nuez (chocolate walnut balls).

Cost to attend the event about the Jews of India on Dec. 11 is $15. For more information, to

see videos of the previous events, and to sign up online, visit http://tiferetisrael.org/jewish-life-around-the-world or contact Jennifer at Tiferet Israel at 214-691-3611 or Jennifer@tiferetisrael.org. This program is supported by a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas.

INDIAcontinued from p.5

22 | Dec. 1, 2016

Dear Rabbi,As you requested, I have written down some of my

thoughts that I shared with you last week at the JCC concerning our contemporary culture. As you know, I did not grow up observant nor have I studied in a yeshiva; these thoughts are my own from what I have culled from our culture and from my own personal life:

I believe that social media is highly addictive and is an environment that affects people in not only conscious but unconscious ways that can be detrimental. I’ve seen many successful people that have become addicted to social media, engaging in “people talk” and “people watching,” and observed how it adversely affected their lives.

I personally have found that starting with keeping Shabbos I could have a wonderful 24-hour hiatus from social media. After realizing this benefit about two years ago, I got off social media altogether, which has transformed my life. Rather than turning to browse what everybody else is up to (aka gossip), I now spend my time reading and learning and starting to develop an understanding of who I am, the essence of my being.

My guide and environment is no longer seeing and watching what others are doing on social media (the cars they have, the friends they have, the places they travel, the beautiful women that hang on their shoulders, or the number of kids they have). I now use my immediate environment of Torah-knowledgeable Jews as my barometer for what is right and wrong. And I’ve come to realize that everything that is good in life is the byproduct of doing the right thing. Things that provide immediate pleasure are usually fleeting.

Recently I heard Rabbi Taub from Pennsylvania speak at Learningfest and say that the only way to cure an addiction is a spiritual relationship with God. My ultimate conclusion is the following: There will be many

people becoming religious in the next few years. The psychological benefit is so tremendous and it will be a response to addiction of instant gratification and social media and narcissism of our society. Being disciplined about speech is the keystone habit change that provides individuals with the sensitivity to transform their entire lives.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share my thoughts with you and your readership.

Micheal J. Dear Micheal,It has truly been refreshing to watch you in your

odyssey of the discovery of Torah thought and depth, and how profoundly you have inculcated that depth into your own thoughts and in your life. You have embarked upon a journey which affords yourself the opportunity to enrich your life greatly, while freeing yourself from the shackles of much of the narcissism and gossip so prevalent in our generation, as you have commented.

I would only hope that this depth will not remain, as you note, a response to the instant gratification, social media and narcissism of our society. Torah should not be an escape from negativity, although that negativity may be the catalyst for one’s search into Torah. Ultimately one needs to recognize the wisdom of Torah in its own right, and how its depth and profundity is what has kept us alive as a nation despite myriad negative influences and philosophies over the generations which have challenged its wisdom and our eternity. Keep up the great work!

ASK THE RABBI

By Rabbi Yerachmiel

D. Fried

“Let’s remember Pearl Harbor, as we go to meet the foe..

Let’s remember Pearl Harbor, as we did the Alamo…”

Pearl Harbor. Dec. 7, 1941. The day that Franklin Roosevelt said would “live in infamy.” But it hasn’t, not really. Over time, enemy nations become friends again, just like kids on the playground. That’s history.

Here’s how I remember Pearl Harbor: I was a child of 7 at a fancy luncheon recognizing my Grandpa Dave for his longtime service to the Knights of Pythias. The meal had been eaten; the master of ceremonies had presented the honoree with a gold pocket watch, beautifully engraved with name and date; and Zaidy had just risen to make his thank-you speech when noisy shouting exploded outside the Lodge hall. There were really newsboys then, and they really did shout “Extra! Extra!” The attack had happened, the president had responded, and we were at war!

Life goes on. After the initial excitement, we calmed down and resumed our seats. My Zaidy stood again, tore up his prepared remarks, then spoke directly to his five sons: “You will all go. I hope you will all come back.” And then he cried. I had never seen him cry before; I never saw him cry again.

The next day, my five uncles all enlisted in various branches of the service. But before they left, they took that pocket watch to a jeweler and had him add another line to its engraving: “Remember Pearl Harbor.”

World War II veterans are now dying at the rate of a thousand a day, or more. My five uncles all did come back, but four are already gone. The one who remains was the youngest; he enlisted at 19 and is now 94, still of sound mind and body and the patriarch of our family, which because of him and my two great-grandsons now can boast of five generations. We have taken lots of pictures. We are truly grateful.

But I think back every year at

this time to that song I learned in school, that kids all learned to sing: “Let’s remember Pearl H a r b o r … ” There are not too many around now who do. Nobody sings it any more.

My mother was the oldest of the dozen children born to and raised by my Zaidy and his wife, my Boubby the Philosopher. They hung a five-star flag in a front window and went about their business. When the five “boys” came back, they went to work with their father. My uncles talked some about their war experiences, and I picked the brains of one of them when I was in high school and had to write a paper on a foreign city of my choice; I chose Liege, Belgium, because he had been there. Over the years, I learned from the others about other places. For them, like so many very young men who went off to war and returned from it, service had been — whether for good or ill — the great adventure of their lives.

After my mother died, I went back to the house where I grew up to go through her things. In the back of a closet was the maroon taffeta dress I had worn to that luncheon and never again; pinned on it was a note: “Remember Pearl Harbor.” That was her souvenir.

And here is mine: When the last of his four brothers passed away, my one living uncle gave me that gold pocket watch, the one my Zaidy received on Dec. 7, 1941. I wear it now, on a gold chain, on every patriotic occasion. I will wear it again next Wednesday, the 75th anniversary of the day that was supposed to live forever in infamy, but like so many other important days has been transformed by the passage of time and faded into a faraway past. Still, as long as I live, I will Remember Pearl Harbor.

IN MY MIND’S I

By Harriet P. Gross

Dear Families,There are countless articles

on the skills that youth need in the 21st century and, as parents and workers with children know, these skills are essential. However, that doesn’t mean that people of all ages should not develop or increase these skills. The list and discussion below from Miriam Chilton and Liz Hirsch was posted on ejewishphilanthropy.com. They add that important “Jewish twist” to a special set of skills.

The skills listed are from filmmaker Tiffany Shlain’s documentary titled The Adaptable Mind. The five skills are: curiosity, creativity, initiative, multi-disciplinary thinking, and empathy. Chilton and Hirsch remind us that each of these teachings exist in the Torah, Talmud, Midrash and our liturgy. Here are a few Jewish connections to the skills:

• 1. Curiosity — Torah is the gateway to infinite learning and discovery. Learning independently, as well as with, and from, others is considered essential. The Talmudic process of studying with a friend is well known. The chavruta experience enhances our learning — learning alone is good but discussion/argument/challenging interpretation comes from

communication with others.• 2. Creativity — Hiddur mitzvah, meaning

“beautification of the commandment,” stems from the idea that one can perform a commandment... simply… or if we employ creativity, we can make it more meaningful. Approaching any experience or problem with creativity and intention expands the potential.

• 3. Multi-disciplinary thinking — The Torah was prescient in teaching how strength, beauty and meaning can be achieved through crowdsourcing multiple talents and viewpoints. This is a great idea from the past for today — we need others to bring all the talents to the table for any experience.

• 4. Empathy — We learn the concept of B’tzelem Elohim, teaching us that humanity is created in the image of God. We must see ourselves in every person to be a part of this world.

5. Initiative — As the Jewish people, our initiative and courage are much of what has helped us survive. Abraham, Moses, Aaron — the list goes on! We must take the first step and encourage others to do the same.

As we continue growing and challenging ourselves to gain new skills, let’s put these five on the list to work on this year.

Shalom … from the Shabbat Lady.

Laura Seymour is the director of Camping Services at the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center.

SHALOM FROM THE

SHABBAT LADY

By Laura Seymour

Maroon dress, Pearl Harbor forever linked

Wisdom of Torah not found on social media

5 skills from The Adaptable Mind

In their words . . .Columnists, opinion from the TJP

Dec. 1, 2016 | 23 In their words . . .

HAIFA, Israel — When we bought our apartment on the 10th floor of a new high-rise residential building in Tirat Carmel, less than a mile south of Israel’s port city of Haifa, we knew that the view from the north-facing balcony would be amazing.

About half a mile to the north we see Haifa, and its suburbs sprawling up the slopes of Mount Carmel.

A few hundred yards to the East we have a beautiful view of the Carmel Mountain range, sloping down to the edge of Tirat Carmel.

And best of all — just a few hundred yards to the west is the Mediterranean Sea that every evening blesses us with a stunning, bright red spectacle as the sun slowly sets into the water.

Yes, the view is amazing, but these past few days it was also frightening … we had front-row seats to what is now being called the “Arson Intifada.”

We watched as the wildfires wreaked havoc in the Haifa suburbs just 1,200 feet up the hills to our east. The flames, burning homes and trees alike, lit up the sky.

From time to time the strong, dry, nonstop winds from the east blew sparks down the hillside in our general direction, setting a few trees and bushes on fire on the mountainside. Within minutes

two firefighting planes swooped in dumping s e a w a t e r and red fire-r e t a r d a n t c h e m i c a l s , extinguishing the fires and soaking the surrou nd i ng area.

Since the wind was blowing to the northwest, away from our building, we were never really in danger.

But not everyone in the area was so lucky. As the wind-driven flames got nearer to the beautiful and heavily populated hilltop suburbs, the police ordered “immediate” evacuation of more than 70,000 residents from 11 neighborhoods, including Danya, Romema and Ramat Sapir. Whole families ran to escape the fires with literally nothing but the clothes they were wearing. Police and firefighters then risked their lives to make sure no one remained, and to personally evacuate invalid residents of a retirement home, just minutes ahead of the flames.

The good news is that as of this writing, thanks to the amazing efforts of the Israeli police, firefighters and IDF soldiers, there has been no loss of life and

minimum injuries.The sad news is that many of

those who evacuated returned yesterday and today only to find that their homes and all their belongings, including pictures, computers, furniture and clothing are gone.

In a preliminary report, Haifa city officials said yesterday that the fire damaged between 600 and 700 homes, leaving over 527 uninhabitable and 37 completely destroyed.

But the fires were widespread around the country. While the Carmel fire was the biggest, simultaneous blazes broke out around the country over a 48-hour period, with extensive loss of property and afforestation in Judea and Samaria, the road to Jerusalem, and the Galilee.

So how did it happen?More than any other month,

November has always been prone to fires in Israel. It’s when the strong, warm and dry wind from the east (known as the “Sharqia”) blows across the country. Since this year the rains are late, the forests and fields are bone-dry — creating perfect conditions for wildfires.

To start a deadly fire, all a terrorist has to do is set fire to some brush to the east of a forest and/or community and let the wind take over. As of right now, the

police and fire departments have determined that at least 30 percent of all the fires over the past five days were started on purpose with the intent to cause as much death and destruction as possible.

It’s not yet clear if this was organized and/or whether it was incited on social media. 37 suspects have been detained on suspicion of arson or incitement (Palestinians, Israeli Arabs and one Israeli Jew).

Here is the latest summary as of this writing:

• 650 fires; at least 1/3 suspect-ed as arson

• 2,500 firefighters involved, including 12 from the Palestinian Authority and 69 from Cyprus

• 3,000 IDF soldiers commit-ted

• Firefighting aircraft from Israel, Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, Tur-key and the United States used

• 1.5 million tons of seawater and retardant dropped during 480 sorties.

• Over 560 buildings de-stroyed

• 1,600 people left homeless• Zero casualties• 133 injured (one seriously)Will the fires continue next

week? Now that might need a miracle since:

• The Sharqia wind is dying down and shifting

• The forecast for later this

week calls for heavy showers all over

Will this be an ongoing new phase in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

I doubt it:• 1. Israeli authorities now

suspect that some of the fires may have been of criminal origin and only a few linked to the Israeli-Pal-estinian conflict.

• 2. The Palestinian leader-ship has come out strongly against arson that destroys “their” home-land.

• 3. They sent four manned fire-engines to assist.

• 4. Social media is heavily monitored here with good coop-eration between Israel and the PA.

• 5. Israel has made it clear that the maximum punishment for arson without casualties is 20 years.

There still may be a few outbreaks, but I think that we’ve seen the last of this “Arson Intifada” … at least until next November.

Agree or disagree, that’s my opinion.

Lt. Col. (IDF reserve) Gil Elan is president and CEO of the Southwest Jewish Congress, and a Middle East analyst. Email: gil@swjc.org

Upcoming briefings and SWJC events are listed at: www.swjc.org

DISCLAIMER: Opinions are the writer’s, and do not represent SWJC directors, officers or members.

Recent wildfires called the ‘Arson Intifada’

MIDDLE EAST

BRIEFING

By Gil Elan

This Torah reading is titled Toldot — “children.” The theme is struggle. Relevant messages pervade the text. First, we read how children don’t always turn out the way parents want. A feud between brothers, Jacob and Esau, over inheritance turns ugly. And if there was ever an indication for nature over nurture within Torah, this is the portion.

The tension between two brothers begins in the womb — “the children struggled inside her” (Genesis 25:22). The midrashic interpretation of this verse is that they had opposite inclinations. “When their mother Rebekkah walked neared a place of sacred study, Jacob struggled to come out. When she passed a temple of idol worship, Esau got excited. ‘Two nations are inside you,’ a wise man told her.”

As the children grow, it becomes more evident that one son is naturally inclined toward goodness, the other toward evil doings. Jacob is described as “a humble man, dwelling in tents” — a pious scholar. Esau is a “man of the field,” a deceitful child who eventually becomes a brute thief and murderer.

The common understanding is the stereotypical golden child versus the black sheep; Jacob was born pure, a person of perfection and refinement, while his twin and nemesis was a rough and untamed villain. The story can be seen from a different angle wherein the tendency toward immoral behavior is not itself bad.

Sweet and sour

Maimonides explains: “There are two general categories of people: a refined person of noble spirit and someone who must struggle to overcome negative tendencies.” Each character type serves a different purpose and has advantages.

When it comes to being “a noble person” only a select few have it easy. Most people fall into the second category, needing to engage in a lifelong effort to refine their character. Throughout Jewish literature, this character imperfection is not viewed as misfortune — it is by design. It also highlights the unique quality of a human being:

Unlike other creatures, we are

not bound by our initial i nc l i n a t ion s ; with resolve and determination we can bend or even transform our nature. (To be sure, almost any animal can be tamed, trained t h r o u g h reward and p u n i s h m e n t — but its basic

character will likely remain. This limitation applies to the highest spiritual creatures and angels, who are termed omdim —“stationary beings” — in the sense that they cannot alter their nature. In contrast, human beings are called mehalchim — “travelers” — for although they fall, they can also learn from mistakes, and progress.)

By design

In an imperfect world, flawed people cause suffering to themselves and others. And in the moral arena,

success is not always black or white. “Good” can mean improvement through effort. “Bad” can mean staying the same, becoming too comfortable.

In the mystical discussions of our duality — the well-known tug of war between an evil inclination and a divine soul — the drive for evil is the stronger force.

Returning to our parasha, the commentaries explain that within Esau’s untamed nature lay enormous potential, even greater than his mild-natured brother whose internal flame burned with less rage. This idea echoes the famous statement in the Talmud: “The greater one’s negative tendencies, the greater his positive potential.”

Applications

Two main messages emerge: There is purpose and potential within a negative inclination. Struggle to improve oneself is valuable. Everyone has their “custom-built” challenges. For some individuals, improving involves little things, such as being less self-centered or envious. For others, the

change involves major tests such as overcoming depression or addiction.

We must work with what we’re given while appreciating that there is deeper value in the struggle itself. While society’s judgments may be centered on results, in the spiritual realm accurate judgment takes into account effort and personal progress. In this context, one act of kindness, a simple mitzvah, performed out of one’s comfort zone can be worth more than an abundance of good deeds done routinely.

The same theme can be applied to judging others. It is difficult to “judge every person favorably.” But our perspective improves when effort and potential are kept in mind. Without knowing the inner struggle, one becomes more cautious in labelling the person. Finally, when educating a child, the praise bestowed should ideally depend on the achievement relative to abilities and effort — not purely performance-based. A “difficult child” is often a misunderstood child. If the educator can help channel the chaotic energy properly, there is often potential for tremendous accomplishment.

For most of us, continual striving to fix ourselves equates to good work

D’VAR TORAH:

PARASHAT TOLDOT

By Rabbi Dan Lewin

HEADLINEPLACEHOLDER

State Representative Phil King and State Senator Brandon Creighton have introducedHouse Bill 89/Senate Bill 134 that prohibits discriminatory trade practices against Israel.

Contact our legislators and urge themto support the Texas Anti-BDS bill.

For more information and a listing of legislators with contact information, visit jewishdallas.org/BDS. Sample letters, talking points/scripts, Facebook posts and Tweets are also available on the website.

For questions, please call 214-615-5293 or email jcrcdallas@jfgd.org.

SUPPORT THE TEXAS ANTI-BOYCOTT,DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS (BDS) BILL

SUPPORT THE TEXAS ANTI-BOYCOTT,DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS (BDS) BILL

#STOPBDSTEXAS #FedProud jewishdallas.org/bds

SOUTHWEST JEWISH CONGRESS

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