The Publisher’s Perspective - 12/26/19

The following is my piece in the December 26, 2019 edition of the Philadelphia Jewish Link:

When gunshots rang out in Jersey City, New Jersey on December 10, for many people it was merely yet another deadly shooting that they read about in the news. There was no personal connection; it was “just another shooting.” The tragic loss of life that we hear about on what seems to be a regular basis has left far too many people immune to the fact that this is an epidemic that must be stopped.

However, the Jersey City shooting hit closer to home for many of us than some of the other shootings that we read about, and I’m not only referring to the relative geographic proximity of Jersey City to the Greater Philadelphia area and Cherry Hill.

The Jersey City shooting claimed the lives of several members of the city’s Orthodox Jewish population as they were gunned down in the JC Kosher Supermarket, as well as the lives of an employee of the supermarket and a member of the Jersey City Police Department.

The victims included 39-year-old Detective Joseph Seals, a 13-year veteran of the force and a father of five, 24-year-old Moshe Deutsch, 33-year-old Mindel Ferencz, the owner of the supermarket and a mother of three, and 49-year-old Douglas Miguel Rodríguez, an employee of the supermarket.

The senseless violence that cut their lives short is hard to process and is something that will haunt their grieving families and communities for quite some time.

Yet, the story doesn’t end there. It was some of the troubling events that unfolded in the aftermath of the shooting that left the greater Jewish community contemplating what transpired and wondering, what next? Where do we go from here?

A disturbing video was circulated after the shooting in which bystanders were seen angrily shouting anti-Semitic comments, blaming the Jews for the shooting, and expressing a desire for the Jews to get out of Jersey City. Watching the footage and listening to the expletive-laden diatribes sent shivers down my spine.

In addition, a Jersey City Board of Education member was under fire after she posted inflammatory comments on social media which denigrated Jews and seemed to imply that there was value in the twisted message the gunmen were trying to send to the Jewish community. While Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and NJ Governor Phil Murphy both called on the Board of Education member to resign, the fact remains that she had no qualms about posting such incendiary anti-Semitic sentiments in the public realm.

These incidents are a stark reminder that anti-Semitism is alive and well in our own backyard and throughout the United States. As comfortable as we may feel in American society, we must never forget for a moment that there are people who resent us solely because we are Jewish.

However, we can find solace in the fact that the Jewish community is able to find light even in the darkest of times and we have the innate ability to illuminate our lives and generate inner strength and resolve when the world around us may seem bleak and cold.

The notion of bringing light to darkness was on full display at the recent menorah lighting alongside the JC Kosher Supermarket in Jersey City. A crowd gathered to light the Chanukah menorah at the very scene where shots rang out just a few short weeks ago. People, young and old, joined together not just to remember those who perished in the deadly attack, but also to celebrate life.

“The first night of Chanukah at the very place of this shooting, which created so much darkness and negativity, can bring light and positivity,” said Rabbi Moshe Schapiro, one of the organizers of a menorah lighting.

Although we may live in turbulent times, it is imperative that we always keep things in perspective and never forget the power of positivity, the power of prayer, and the power of the Yad Hashem.

May the lights of the Chanukah menorah continue to inspire us, reinforce our faith, and light up our lives.

JRA: Helping Those Who Need it Most

The following is my cover story in the December 12, 2019 edition of the Philadelphia Jewish Link about the Jewish Relief Agency (JRA) and the important work it does in the Greater Philadelphia community:

JRA: Helping Those Who Need it Most

As we get caught up in our daily lives, it can be very easy to forget that there are people in our local Jewish community who may be less fortunate than we are and in dire need of our help. Fortunately, there is an organization in our midst that spends its time serving as a lifeline for thousands of individuals and families throughout the Greater Philadelphia area.

When Merion Station resident Marc Erlbaum worked with Rabbi Menachem Schmidt in the summer of 2000 to rent a U-Haul truck and deliver food to 19 Russian-speaking families who needed help, little did they know that their efforts would beget what has since become the Jewish Relief Agency (JRA).

A lot has happened over the past 19 years. They have gone from helping 19 families to delivering to 3,246 households last month, they have outgrown two warehouses, and their volunteer base has swelled to approximately 1,000 per month. In short, the JRA has become an indispensable part of the community and one of the area’s leading chesed organizations, and it has built a vast network of dedicated volunteers along the way.

“Directly connecting the volunteer and the recipient was the magic of JRA’s model from the beginning,” said JRA Chairman of the Board Daniel Erlbaum. “At a time when people were really motivated to touch and feel the good they were doing, JRA was a vehicle for exactly that.”

“While feeding individuals and families in need will always be our North Star, activating an empathetic, kind and unified community in its own right has become central to our mission,” Erlbaum added. “The vision of over 1,000 volunteers in the JRA warehouse on distribution Sundays, representing all ages, means, affiliations and geographies within Greater Philadelphia, working arm-in-arm to do good, is as gratifying as it gets.”

While the majority of JRA’s clients are Jewish, they don’t turn anyone away and they feed some non-Jewish clients as well. “It’s very inclusive,” said Marianna Salz, JRA’s Director of Client Services.

All of the food delivered by JRA is not only non-perishable and nutritionally balanced, but it is also strictly kosher, with the kashrut supervision under the guidance of Rabbi Menachem Schmidt. All of the food included in JRA’s packages is pareve.

While JRA’s primary programs center around delivering boxes of food to those who need it, they also have a program called Everyday Essentials, through which they deliver toiletries to families. In addition, they have a partnership with an organization called Cradles to Crayons that delivers clothing to children 12 and under. JRA also partners with an organization called Tools for School to provide backpacks to clients who could use them, and they also distribute materials for the Philadelphia Diaper Bank.

JRA works in partnership with a number of social service agencies, area hospitals and other Jewish institutions who refer clients to them. In addition, JRA works with a number of individuals in Rhawnhurst and Wynnewood who help facilitate anonymous food drop-offs for people who wish to maintain anonymity.

Individuals and families wishing to receive provisions from JRA have to fill out an application with the organization and must fall within 150% of the federal poverty guidelines in order to qualify, although each situation is evaluated individually. In addition, applicants have to live within JRA’s delivery zone, which currently includes 97 zip codes in the Greater Philadelphia area, including Montgomery County, Southern Bucks County, and parts of Chester and Delaware Counties. They also deliver to Cherry Hill as well as some other areas in South Jersey.

“It’s a fairly simple process,” Salz said referring to the application procedure. “There is almost no waiting period, and within a month, someone could receive a box.”

Under JRA’s guidelines, a family of four gets one food box while a family of five or more gets two boxes. Anyone who has children 16 and under also gets a family friendly box, which includes snacks for school.

“I am so thankful for what JRA does,” said Maralyn, a JRA client. “I feel cared for. Around the Jewish holiday time, it’s like a portable family that you unpack in a box.”

“Words cannot express my appreciation for the JRA food box,” said Gloria, another JRA client. “I look forward to the food box every month. The food is so nourishing and delicious. The Jewish Relief Agency is a total blessing to me. I also want to thank you for the birthday cards you send me every year – I am overjoyed! I also want to thank the nice people who deliver the food.”

While they thoroughly enjoy their work and relish the opportunity to deliver food to people in need, the JRA staff recognizes how wonderful it is when a client’s situation changes and they don’t require JRA’s help any longer.

“Sometimes people call us and say thank you so much, we no longer need your services, and that’s a great phone call to get,” said Elvera Gurevich, JRA’s Program and Communications Manager.

Although JRA’s main distribution takes place on Sunday, they have expanded that to a pre-distribution Friday, at which time they pack the family friendly bags, the toiletry bags, and the first approximately 300 boxes of food because some people pick up boxes early on Sunday and they need to be ready ahead of time.

With an average of 1,000 men, women and children in the JRA warehouse every month packing and distributing the boxes for the community, there is no question that the volunteers play an invaluable role in JRA’s day-to-day operations. “Without our volunteers, we can’t function,” Salz remarked.

As a result, JRA has unveiled a number of innovative programs over the years that are designed to make the packing and distribution easy, fun and meaningful for their volunteers.

For example, there are people designated as “Route Owners,” which are individuals who have been delivering the same routes for months and years. “These individuals have built significant, real relationships with the recipients that are getting the food,” Gurevich said. “It’s pleasant for a recipient to see the same face every week and know that someone is really caring for them.”

In addition, there is the “Yellow Capper Program,” through which longtime volunteers serve in more of a leadership role in the JRA warehouse. These 25-30 individuals are there every month and are essentially an extension of the staff. With just seven full-time staff members at JRA, the “Yellow Cappers” offer much-needed help in handling 1,000 volunteers and 3,000 boxes. There are also “Junior Yellow Cappers,” which are high school students who perform similar functions.

Several years ago, JRA started its “Tiny Tots Program,” in which children age six and under come to the warehouse with their parents at 8:30 on Sunday morning and they’re the only ones there. The children get a cart, they put a box on the cart, and they go down the assembly line and put one item in the box at a time. “It gives them the opportunity to do the food packing at a pace that’s comfortable for them,” said Gurevich. “It’s a great hands-on experience,” noted JRA Program Specialist Rachel Loonin Steinerman.

“A culture of kindness starts by sensitizing children to societal needs and the value of giving from the earliest ages,” Erlbaum said.

At any given distribution at the JRA warehouse, there are parents who come with their children and grandparents who come with their grandchildren. It is truly a multi-generational experience and a great bonding experience for families.

“JRA’s monthly food packing and distribution is an incredible sight to see,” said Ilana and Mitch Appleson of Bala Cynwyd, who have been volunteering regularly at JRA with their children. “People from all different age ranges and backgrounds come together to pack and deliver boxes each month for those in need. Our experience at JRA has helped our children understand the importance of helping others and making a difference in our community.”

While the majority of the volunteers spend their time in the warehouse packing boxes, the delivery aspect of the operation is equally critical, and there is always a need to get more volunteers to help in that area.

While discussing how impactful the distribution is for the volunteers, Gurevich noted that, “the delivery component is the more meaningful component of the distribution because you actually see the person who is getting the food.”

“It’s part of the foundation of JRA,” said Loonin Steinerman. “It’s that hand delivering with a smile.”

JRA’s volunteers come from all walks of life, and they include a wide variety of groups who come to participate in the packing and distribution. This past year, JRA had approximately 150 groups come, including shuls, schools, camps, corporate groups and families. Churches come, as do fraternities and sororities from local colleges. Corporate groups come as well, including CVS and Target. They also work with special needs organizations who are really key in helping with the distributions.

“We do a lot of outreach to many different aspects of the community and we really rely on them,” said Loonin Steinerman.

Among the other programs offered by JRA is a B’nai Mitzvah program, where the goal is for students who are in their Bar or Bat Mitzvah year to do 10 hours of community service, packing and delivering on three food distributions. There is also a birthday card making program, where volunteers make birthday cards that get sent to every single JRA client in the month of their birthday.

In 2017, JRA established its “Leadership Academy,” which according to Gurevich, “is a non-profit boot camp for young professionals to get involved to volunteer and to understand how a non-profit organization really works.” There are currently 11 young professionals involved with this program.

JRA also has a grant from “Seed the Dream Foundation” to provide food for Holocaust survivors. They presently feed approximately 350 survivors through this remarkable initiative. JRA is working with Drexel Hillel on this program, and the students have a specific delivery route and their mission is to establish relationships with the survivors on that route.

While discussing the numerous programs that JRA oversees on a daily basis, Erlbaum noted the vital role that the organization’s lay leaders play and the synergy between them and the dedicated staff members, each of whom is integral to JRA’s success in serving the community.

“One of the things that makes JRA incredibly special is the way the professional staff and volunteer leadership work together,” he said. “As JRA was run for many years purely by volunteers, led by my brother Marc, our Board has always been involved in even the nitty-gritty. That dynamic is evolving somewhat as our small but mighty staff gets stronger and tighter, under Jodi Roth-Saks’ leadership and thanks to the institutional knowledge and loyalty of long-time team members, Julie Roat and Marianna Salz. Given the unusual level of commitment on the part of both lay and professional leadership, JRA gets more done with less than most nonprofits.”

JRA is currently planning “Day School Day at JRA,” which will take place on March 22, 2020, during the distribution for the Pesach food. They hope to get as many local Jewish day schools as possible, including elementary, middle, and high schools, to participate by bringing a group of people to represent their respective school and take part in this very important packing and distribution before Yom Tov.

People interested in taking part in “Day School Day at JRA” or volunteering at any other point during the year, can contact Madeline Levine-Wolf, JRA’s Volunteer Program Manager, at 610.660.0190, x104.

“Jewish unity and a culture of kindness are two conditions the world desperately needs,” Erlbaum remarked. “We believe JRA is a unique agent of both and we’re looking to scale it as much as we can with the result of massively reducing the pangs of poverty and otherwise bettering the world.”

The Publisher’s Perspective - 12/12/19

The following is my piece in the December 12, 2019 edition of the Philadelphia Jewish Link:

I got to reminisce a little bit this week. When Rabbi Ephraim Epstein shared with me some photos of Rabbi Berel Wein during his recent visit to Cherry Hill, it turned back the clock for me and I was instantly transported back to my high school years.

Rabbi Wein was the Dean and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Shaarei Torah in Suffern, New York, which is the high school I attended decades ago. An extraordinary personality whose breadth of knowledge seems endless, Rabbi Wein is someone who commands respect not because he craves it, but because his standing as a Talmid Chacham and scholar warrants it.

His status as a Jewish history maven is well-known. People around the world are familiar with his Jewish history tapes, CDs and MP3s, which captured over 1,000 of his lectures during the past quarter-century, and his numerous literary works on the subject are renowned. I used to marvel at how Rabbi Wein would walk into our Jewish History class without a sheet of paper or a single note, ask us where he left off at the end of the last class, and then pick up from that very point in history without skipping a beat.

In addition to his status as a preeminent historian and Torah sage, what always struck me about Rabbi Wein was the path he took to get to the rabbinate and the secular knowledge he acquired along his journey. He was a practicing attorney before taking a pulpit in Miami Beach and subsequently in Suffern. The vast experience he garnered during his various professional careers manifested itself in both his public and private interactions. As a high school student, Rabbi Wein always impressed me. As I grew a bit older, Rabbi Wein also inspired me. He epitomizes what it means to successfully meld the secular and religious spheres, without compromising his Judaism one iota.

Thinking of Rabbi Wein in this way reminded me of the story of Chanukah, which we’ll be celebrating shortly. The Jews became far too comfortable with Greek culture, and the Seleucids tried to compel the Jews to forsake their Judaism and adopt the Greeks’ beliefs. A large swath of Jews who became known as Hellenists embraced the Greek way of life and took tangible steps to renounce their Judaism. It wasn’t until Matisyahu and the Chashmonaim stood up to the Greeks and rejected their bold attempts to destroy the Jews through assimilation that the tide was turned, and the Jewish people ultimately persevered.

Now, over 2,000 years later, Jews face the same danger yet again. Assimilation threatens to destroy our people, and the willingness of far too many Jews to abandon their religion for the allure of modern culture is alarming. However, people like Rabbi Wein remind us that Judaism and modernity are not mutually exclusive. We can be Talmidei Chachamim and worldly all at the same time. We can be proficient in Gemara and Halacha, while also being knowledgeable about literature and philosophy. We can be committed Jews while also living in the real world. Yes, we must establish boundaries and ensure we are duly insulated from external forces that seek to weaken our resolve and undermine our faith. We have to focus on not getting too complacent, lest we become vulnerable. However, we don’t need to live in a bubble and shut everyone and everything out. We just have to stay true to the tenets of our faith and have the good sense to always remember where our real priorities lie.

If more of us could strive to be like Rabbi Wein, it wouldn’t take an army like the Chashmonaim to defeat those who wish to dilute our Judaism. We’d be armed with the confidence and conviction necessary to rebuff those who attempt to poke holes in our beliefs and ensure that the lights of the Chanukah menorah illuminate our hearts and souls for generations to come.

The Publisher's Perspective - 11/28/19

The following is my piece in the November 28, 2019 edition of the Philadelphia Jewish Link:

When the colonial Pilgrims enjoyed a feast in 1621 celebrating the harvest, little did they know that meal would beget an annual tradition which would be celebrated by families across the United States for generations.

While Thanksgiving brings with it a strong focus on delectable delicacies, including turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and pumpkin pie, as well as the sacrosanct tradition of watching football, there is another essential element of the day.

The concept of “giving thanks” is central to the Thanksgiving holiday. In fact, many families have a tradition of going around the Thanksgiving table, one by one, to declare what each person is thankful for. “I am thankful for my family,” says Grandma. “I am thankful for my toys,” says the young boy. “I am thankful for the new bicycle I got for my birthday,” said the young girl. “I am thankful for the wonderful vacation we were able to take this year,” says Mom. “I am thankful that the Sixers are playing well,” says the teenage boy.

This ritual of “giving thanks” is often replete with a degree of formality and seriousness as each family member nods in approval as their parent, child or sibling bares his or her soul while the turkey is sitting on the table getting cold.

While I agree that there is something noble about this tradition that has taken hold in many homes, I take exception to the fact that “giving thanks” in this fashion is something that is limited to a once-a-year experience for far too many people.

As Jews, we give thanks every single day of our lives. Our spiritual being and entire religious experience are predicated on the notion of “giving thanks,” whether it be to God or to our fellow man. We thank Hashem for everything we have and everything we are able to do. We thank Him for allowing us to wake up each morning and we thank Him for the food He provides us with. We thank Him for keeping us healthy or helping us recover from an illness and we thank Him for the privilege of living life as Jews.

As Jews, we begin each day by uttering the words “Modeh Ani Lefanecha,” a tefillah through which we thank Hashem for restoring our soul within us, even before we venture out of bed. Each time we recite Shemoneh Esrei, we say “Modim Anachnu Lach,” we give thanks to You. The list goes on and on, and the ways in which we give thanks to God are virtually endless.

Giving thanks is at the very core of our existence as Jews, and it is something we do habitually and assiduously. While it is nice that people put their annual Thanksgiving feast on hold for a few moments so each family member can announce with great fanfare what he or she is thankful for, it simply is not enough.

Our world would be a far better place if people took more time to regularly reflect on what they have, ruminate on the precious gifts they have been given in life, and say “thank you” for all of it. It should not merely occur once a year on the fourth Thursday of November.

For Jews, every day is Thanksgiving.