1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

Community Observance of Yom HaShoah
(Holocaust Remembrance)
Sunday, April 19, 2015 – 3:00 pm
Community Celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut
JEWISH FEDERATION
OF the desert
69-710 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
(760) 324-4737
Nonprofit
Organization
U.S. Postage
Paid
Permit #113
Santa Ana, CA
(Israel’s 67th Birthday)
Sunday, April 26, 2015 – 11:00 am
See Page 4 For Event Details
On the cover....
Community Observance of Yom HaShoah
(Holocaust Remembrance)
Sunday, April 19, 2015 – 3:00 pm
Community Celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut
(Israel’s 67th Birthday)
Sunday, April 26, 2015 – 11:00 am
See Page 4 For Event Details
jewish federation
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Celia Norian, Chairman of the Board
Sondi Green, Co-chair, Campaign
Libby Hoffman, Co-chair, Campaign
Vernon Kozlen, Treasurer
Bernard Reiter, Secretary
Howard Levy,
Immediate Past President
Roberta Nyman,
Immediate Past President
Board
Joseph Bernstein
William Chunowitz
Elliott Cohen
Nancy Ditlove
Ellen Glass
Phil Glass
Marjorie Kulp
Ron Langus
Allan Lehmann
Allan Nyman
Dr. Paul Ross
Stephanie Ross
Elisa Schwartz
Sandy Seplow
Andrew Teitel
Lainie Weil
Jewish Federation Partnership with Indigent Jewish Burials
The Jewish Federation of the
Desert has been able to partner
with Jewish Family Services of Los
Angeles’ Indigent Burial Program to
ensure that Jews living in the greater
Palm Springs/Coachella Valley Area,
with extremely little or no income,
can have a proper Jewish burial.
We are grateful that we have been
able to establish this partnership.
The Jewish community in Los
Angeles has exponentially greater
resources to perform this mitzvah;
our community’s resources would
be seriously strained if we tried to
provide similar services. Of course
costs vary from year to year, but past
experience suggests we would have
an expenditure of up to $100,000
annually to provide similar services
locally.
This partnership has allowed us
to be able to respond to the spike
in Tzedakah Fund requests for
assistance with rent, utilities, medical
procedures, etc. that we have been
experiencing the past few years.
We are able to focus our resources
on meeting the emergency needs of
our local Jewish community, so that
Bruce Landgarten,
Chief Executive Officer
Table of Contents
Vol. 40 • No. 9
Community Calendar
16-17
Federation
2-6, 15, 24
LGBT Alliance
6
Women’s Philanthropy 12-13
Food
23
Jewish Family Service
8, 10
Simchas & Classifieds
22
Student Programs
18, 20, 21
Temples Listing
16
Tolerance Education Center 10
Tributes
14-15
2 • JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org
they are able to live with dignity in
safe home environments.
Through their Jewish Community
Burial Program, Jewish Family
Services of Los Angeles serves lowincome members of the community
by providing a free burial in the
Jewish tradition. The program
operates according to strict financial
eligibility guidelines. A financial
screening is completed by a social
worker on the deceased individual,
as well as on all first degree relatives.
Pre-need arrangements can also
be made, allowing the mourners
to worry about as little as possible.
Once approved by a social worker,
arrangements are made by a funeral
home in the greater Los Angeles area
to retrieve the remains and place
them for a proper Jewish burial.
Referrals are received from a
variety of sources, including rabbis,
attorneys, hospitals, nursing homes,
and funeral homes, among others.
Federation and Jewish Family
Services works with the referral
source to gather information related
to the deceased and where possible,
with the next of kin. (Jewish Family
Services is not responsible for
locating family and cannot be held
liable to find next of kin (a duty of
the State). The Jewish Federation of
the Desert will pay up to $1,000
towards the transportation cost
from the Coachella Valley to the
appointed memorial park in Los
Angeles.
The funeral home selected
determines when legal authority for
burial has been established. In the
absence of next of kin, Jewish Family
Services of LA makes appropriate
affordable arrangements that insure
a dignified funeral and documents
all arrangements and payments.
Currently funeral home expenses
are fully covered.
When a request for the Indigent
Burial Program arises, the family
or responsible individual needs to
contact (323) 761-8800 to determine
whether the deceased individual or
family qualifies as “indigent,” since
the deceased’s spouse, children,
siblings, and/or parents are expected
to pay for a funeral, if possible.
Angel of the Year
From the CEO
Bruce
Landgarten
Jewish Federation
Chief Executive
Officer
000At Angel View’s 61st Annual
Benefit Luncheon on February 16,
2015, the Jewish Federation of the
Desert was honored as the 2015
“Angel of the Year”, with a special
Donor Appreciation Award going to
Tamarisk Country Club.
Speaking on behalf of the Jewish
Federation Board of Directors and
Tamarisk Country Club, CEO Bruce
Landgarten thanked Angel View for
the honor and continued, “If this
award stands for anything, it stands
for the united spirit in all of us even
though it has our name on it. It is
an honor to support community
partners as we work to help improve
the wellbeing of all the Desert
community. Federation demonstrates
its commitment to the community
through grants that are focused on
investing in organizations that seek to
ensure that there is a community now
that is vibrant — and one that is strong
in the future. There are many signs of
a community’s greatness, including
its culture of collective responsibility.
How a community cares for those less
fortunate is a sign of its compassion
and concern.
“The Federation's relationship
with Angel View goes back almost 30
years. Angel View receives funding
annually from Jewish Federation
through one of Tamarisk Country
Club’s special projects funded by
the annual Jewish Federation Golf
Day Fundraisers. Throughout the
years Tamarisk and Federation have
forged a meaningful and purposeful
partnership in helping to provide for
the vulnerable in our community.
When Federation presents a menu
of projects to Tamarisk committees,
Angel View has always been on the
priority list.
“Our goal has been to address
the need for upgrades in the older
homes, especially Joel's and
Friedman's House. We have funded
the reconstruction of the bathrooms
and kitchens, replaced the AC, funded
utility and lifestyle furnishings such
as electric hospital beds, washers
and dryers, computers, and so much
more, allowing the residents to
live in a dignified and wholesome
environment and relieve Angel View
of some of its financial challenges. We
want Angel View to continue doing
what it does best in providing 24/7
compassionate and competent care.
“Federation is really the Center
for philanthropy and community
development within the Jewish
community, providing a range of
social services and humanitarian
aid, but not exclusively Jewish.
Some of our recipient agencies in
the Desert, along with Angel View,
are Meals on Wheels, FIND, Desert
Aids Project, and Jewish Family
Service. We care for low income
elderly senior adults, keeping them
living independently in their homes
avoiding institutionalization. We
have a vested interest in not only the
Jewish community but the broader
community in the Desert.
“What motivates me is that we
help to impact and touch the lives
of hundreds and hundreds of people
who we and our beneficiary agencies
come in contact with every day. What
we do is of critical importance. We
support organizations to help open
doors, provide opportunities, nurture
skills and teach people to get along and
work together. This is not an accident.
It is why we are in business.
“The more people we inspire,
the more we help leadership to
think differently, the more obvious
it will be to everyone around us that
the Jewish Federation is making a
significant impact and that it is a key
asset of the community. We hope
that the outcome from this kind of
event is that people get pumped
up by the enthusiasm of others, get
inspired by Angel View’s impressive
accomplishments and go home proud
and challenged to do better, to reach
higher and offer more and more to this
community.
“My personal thanks to all of
you for what you have already done
and are doing, for your generosity of
time and dollars, for your diligence
and intellect, for your professionalism
and integrity. Your support to Angel
View is testament of what all of you
are capable of achieving together. The
challenges moving forward are great,
but let’s approach them with great
optimism. Our vision is clear, our
values are powerful, and our mission
is compelling. Thank you.”
Inaugural Federation/AICF Event a Huge Success
Jewish Federation of the Desert
hosted its major donors at a first time
collaboration with New York based
America-Israel Cultural Foundation
at Tamarisk Country Club on February
23rd. The thank you reception was
attended by donors who make a
minimum $5000 annual commitment
per household, and the 60+ attendees
experienced the amazing talents of
two young and acclaimed Israeli
musicians, Asi Matathias on violin
and Victor Stanislavsky on piano.
The America-Israel Cultural
Foundation supports artistic life in
Israel. Since 1939, AICF has played
a leading role in helping develop
and fund many of Israel’s finest
artists and largest cultural institutions.
Jewish Federation CEO Bruce
Landgarten noted, “We decided to
host this smaller venue for these donors
in order to judge the level of interest
in this inaugural event. Judging from
the terrific response received we are
considering hosting a larger venue
next season, so that all our donors
will be able to experience the toplevel talent of these performers. We
thank our three event co-sponsors,
Bernard Reiter, Howard Levy, and
(left to right) Jewish Federation CEO Bruce Landgarten, Howard Levy, Jack Cohen, who helped support
Victor Stanislavsky, Asi Matathias, Bernard Reiter and Josh Salama.
Jewish Federation’s efforts in bringing
Among those supported include supporting institutions and programs, the fine work of the America-Israel
Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, AICF makes a vital contribution to Cultural Foundation’s top talent to our
the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra the cultural foundation of Israel and community.”
and Batsheva Dance Company. strengthens her relationship with the
By encouraging Israeli artists and United States.
JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org • 3
JEWISH
COMMUNITY
NEWS
A Publication of the
Jewish Federation of the Desert
VOL. 40, No. 9
EDITORIAL
Bruce Landgarten,
Chief Executive Officer
Miriam H. Bent, Editor
Bailey & Co., Layout & Design
JCN STATEMENT
The Jewish Community News seeks
to provide news and feature material
of special interest to its readership,
and to create a heightened sense
of Jewish identity through the
dissemination of information about
people, events and issues at home
and abroad. The JCN seeks to serve
as a forum for the exchange of
ideas and opinions in the Jewish
community.
The JCN is published monthly,
ten months a year by the Jewish
Federation of the Desert,
69-710 Highway 111,
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270,
760-324-4737, fax 760-324-3154.
Articles & Advertising,
Miriam H. Bent, Editor
760-323-0255
[email protected]
ADVERTISING
The JCN does not endorse the
goods or services advertised in its
pages and makes no representation
as to the kashrut of food products
and services in such advertising.
The publisher shall not be liable
for damages if, for any reason
whatsoever, it fails to publish an
advertisement or for any error in
an advertisement. Acceptance of
advertisers and of advertising copy is
subject to the publisher’s approval.
The JCN is not responsible if ads
violate applicable laws and the
advertiser will indemnify, hold
harmless and defend the JCN from all
claims made by government agencies
and consumers for any reason based
on ads carried in the JCN.
4 • JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org
OF PALM SPRINGS & DESERT AREA
Decrying the Rise of Anti-Semitism
000The Jewish Federation of the
Desert is outraged by the precipitous
rise in violent anti-Semitic activity in
Europe and elsewhere, and stands
with Jews around the world who
continue to be targeted by anti-
Jewish extremists. It is clear that the
world-wide Jewish community feels
itself on edge, as the resurgence of
anti-Semitism and violent acts against
Jewish is undeniable. Too often over
the last months and years we have
been the focus of anti-Semitic vitriol
and attack, seen in synagogues,
schools, homes, cemeteries and
memorials. Shops and buildings
are vandalized and attacked. Jews
have been victims of heinous crimes
motivated solely by hate.
Anti-Semitism, along with other
forms of bigotry and hatred, are
direct affronts to American and
Jewish values of inclusivity and
pluralism, and to our belief that
all human beings are created in
the image of G-d. The freedom to
identify as part of a religious or ethnic
minority group, openly and without
fear, is a foundational value of our
democracy.
We reiterate our dedication to
freedom of speech and expression,
and our unqualified support for those
public servants who risk their lives
every day to uphold this inalienable
right.
Representing Buyers and Sellers throughout
the desert for more than 27 years
When you think of real estate, "Just Ring a Bell"
760.902.9206
[email protected]/www.beverlybell.com
JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org • 5
Angel View Luncheon
SUPPORTED BY
OF THE DESERT
Shabbat Dinner a Success
Jewish Federation’s March 13th
LGBT Alliance Shabbat Dinner was
extremely successful. The attendees
were greeted with a great deal of
enthusiasm by the organizers: Stewart
Fleishman, Bruce Radler, Spencer
Howard and Don Stein.
Thanks to everyone who came Above: Angel View Executive Director Dave Thornton, Jewish
out. It was a fun event and we look
Federation CEO Bruce Landgarten holding the “Angel of the
Year” Award presented to the Jewish Federation and special
forward to engaging you in the near
donor appreciation plaque for Tamarisk Country Club, and Dr.
future.
Walter Johnson, Board President of Angel View.
To learn more about future programs
please visit www.jfedps.org.
Right: Jewish Federation CEO Bruce Landgarten receiving
awards from Angel View Executive Director Dave Thornton.
Federation Men’s Group Volunteers at FIND
assistance annually,
to an average 90,000
individuals in its
service area each
month. They do so
through a network of
over 100 communitybased partners, whose
programs include
food pantries, soup kitchens, afterschool and summer care, senior
Again this year, the Federations
Men's Group chaired by Arnie
Gillman volunteered at FIND (Food
In Need of Distribution) Food Bank,
one of Jewish Federation’s recipient
agencies.
FIND is the only regional food
bank serving eastern Riverside and
southern San Bernardino Counties in
southern California. FIND distributes
more than ten million pounds of food
centers, faith-based organizations,
and homeless shelters.
Each member of the Federation’s
Men's Group makes a minimum
investment of $100 to Federation in his
own name, as a statement of personal
responsibility for Jews in need at home
and abroad. Through this program
and other initiatives, the collective
power of philanthropic investments is
changing lives in Coachella Valley.
Two Gentle Stories from Israel
As we are about to celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s 67th birthday, enjoy these two little stories that illustrate the specialness of
our beloved homeland. –Ed.
vicinity to help fill in a minyan.
uniform to accompany Shani.
Minyan
Always Being There
Rosa Yerushalmi died after 50 years
at the side of her husband Alex. The
two Holocaust survivors had worked
day-In day-out in their tiny shoe repair
shop in Mazkeret Batya – a moshava
on the outskirts of Rechovot, after
immigrating to Israel from the Ukraine
in 1974.
When Segev Afriat, the head
of the Holocaust survivor welfare
organization Shorashim Shel Nitan
(Roots of Giving of Oneself) which
had assisted the Yerushalmis during
Rosa’s illness, found Alex bereft and
beside himself with grief 30 minutes
before the funeral, he posted a note
on Facebook asking anyone in the
Two hundred strangers appeared
out of nowhere for the funeral. During
the seven days of mourning, a followup post filled the house with perfect
strangers who came from as far away
as Haifa, to embrace the widower,
offering a sympathetic ear, bringing
home-cooked food and helping to
put the house in order.
Nofer, 25, who took off work early
to make a shiva call, explained her
motivations: “I don’t know him or her
personally. The Facebook post simply
touched my heart…that an elderly
man whose wife was all his life should
be sitting shiva alone. I didn’t want
this to happen to him.”
6 • JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org
It was an only-in-Israel moment.
It is a tradition that when a girl is
about to be drafted into the Israel
Defense Forces, she is brought to
the Induction Center by her mother.
When 18 year-old Shani Winter
arrived at the induction center to be
drafted she wasn’t accompanied by
her mother Anat Rosen-Winter; she
lost her mother when she was an
infant – in a suicide bombing at the
Apropo Café in Tel Aviv on Purim
1997. Yes, her father Miki and her
four grandparents were there for this
rite of passage, but so was someone
else: Tziona Bushari was there in
The photo of a policewoman
carrying the wounded 6 month-old
Shani in her clown costume from
the scene has remained etched on
the collective memory of Israelis.
Tziona Bushari, it turns out, has
followed Shani’s growth through
phone calls and visits all these years.
“You can relax. You’re a very special
girl and I know you’ll succeed in
the army. I know what you’re going
through today when everyone’s here
with their moms,” said Bushari, “but
you should know that every place
you go, I’ll be there for you.”
Israeli Elections a Referendum of Netanyahu’s Leadership
The Jewish Community News goes to
press before Israel’s President Reuven
Rivlin formally calls the leaders of the
major parties and invites one to form a
government. However, three days after
elections, the following demographics
are known:
One hundred and twenty lawmakers
from 10 parties will take up their posts
in the coming weeks, 40 of them rookie
lawmakers, following Israel’s 20th
general elections for the Knesset.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
looks to have retained the premiership
after his Likud party garnered 30 seats
to become the largest party in the
plenum, in elections that were largely
a referendum of his rule.
Isaac Herzog’s Zionist Union party
stood at 24 seats, the (Arab) Joint List
won 13, Yesh Atid 11, Kulanu 10,
Jewish Home 8, Shas 7, and Yisrael
Beytenu 6, tied with United Torah
Judaism. Meretz was the smallest party,
Left: Meeting with Congressman Dr. Raul
Ruiz (middle row, second from right): (Back
row) Gordon Kramer, California Senator Jeff
Stone (representing the California Legislature
Jewish Caucus), and Daniel Gryczman.
Middle row: Cheryl (sister of Barbara
Kane from San Diego), Barbara Kane, Eva
Kramer, Marcia Stein, Rick Stein (member,
AIPAC National Board), Congressman Ruiz,
Jewish Federation of the Desert CEO Bruce
Landgarten. Front row: Diana Stein with a
wounded warrior, whose mobility has been
enhanced by Israeli technology.
AIPAC 2015 Policy Conference
Jewish Federation CEO Bruce
Landgarten joined Desert Area
representatives at AIPAC’s 2015 Policy
Conference March 1-3 in Washington,
DC, attended by 16,000 delegates
from around the United States.
Langarten observed, “Attending these
conferences, whether AIPAC or the
Federations’ General Assembly, is a
great way to learn more, get more
connected, and come back inspired.
It was a very unique opportunity to be
at Capitol Hill during a special Joint
Session of Congress, in proximity
to the chambers of the House of
Representatives, amidst the pomp
and circumstance of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to
Washington. I am so very proud
that each member of California's
Congressional Delegation attended
the Prime Minister's speech.”
AIPAC (The American Israel Public
Affairs Committee) is a lobbying group
that advocates pro-Israel policies to
the Congress and Executive Branch of
the United States. Describing itself as
"America's Pro-Israel Lobby", AIPAC
has more than 100,000 members. It
has been called "the most important
organization affecting America's
eBay Removes Sale of Soap Made from 'Holocaust Victims'
By Tova Dvorin, Arutz Sheva
Dutch prosecutors have successfully
blocked the eBay listing of a bar of
soap dating back to the Nazi era, the
Daily Mail reported March 7th, after
it claimed to be made from "the fat of
Jewish Holocaust victims."
A Dutch owner attempted to hawk
the soap on the auctioning site for
a starting price of 199 euro ($215);
however, moderators on the site
removed the post seconds after it
went live.
The antiquities vendor then handed
himself in to police for questioning
shortly after the sale was cancelled;
in doing so, he also handed over
two bars of soap now being tested
for traces of human remains.
Historian Arthur Haraf linked the
soap to Nazi concentration camp
Westerbork, a prime camp for Dutch
Jews in the northeastern Netherlands.
Haraf noted that the sale of the soap
is a "terrible crime" - not only due to
its possible contents, but because any
property from the camp belongs to the
museum on the site.
Jewish groups responded with
with 5 seats.
A record 28 female Mks (23.3%)
were slated to enter the Knesset, up
slightly from 27 in the 19th Knesset
and 21 in the 18th Knesset.
There was also a large increase in
the number of Arab MKs, 17, up from
12 after the previous elections.
Voter turnout stood at 72.3 percent,
the highest since 1999, when it was
78.7%.
disgust to the sale. "It is saddening and
disgusting to find out that there are
people interested in gaining money
from the Holocaust," spokesperson for
the Dutch Jewish organization CIDI,
Ron Eisenman, told the daily. "We can
only watch and hope that collectors
will use healthy logic and will not
relationship with Israel," and one of
the most powerful lobbying groups
in the United States.
participate in these things."
In November 2013, eBay removed
Holocaust memorabilia sales from
its site after another expose from
the Daily Mail, but other auctions including the sale of Adolf Hitler's
furniture and a rare edition of Mein
Kampf in French auction houses - have
been subject to various legal battles
before being cancelled or retracted.
JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org • 7
Sci-Fi Medicine Sees Corals Turned Into Bone Grafts
By Yali Barkan, NoCamels
Far from the ocean, deep in Israel’s
Negev Desert, man-made coral
reefs are being grown inside large
aquariums to be turned into bone
grafts.
One company, OkCoral, has been
growing coral for over six years in
the Negev, and now another Israeli
company, CoreBone, is manufacturing
bone grafts (bone replacements) from
coral grown in the desert – for use in
orthopedic and dental procedures.
In 2008, Assaf Shaham, the CEO
of OkCoral, started growing coral
in his controlled-environment farm
near Eilat for aquarium enthusiasts.
But three years ago, when he
partnered with Ohad Schwartz, the
CEO and co-founder of another
Israeli company called CoreBone,
he realized that he’d been targeting
the wrong market. According to
Schwartz, the bone grafting market
is a $4.5 billion market and the best
bone graft substance is made out of,
you guessed it, coral.
Bone grafts are usually used as
scaffolding for real bone to grow on,
when treating injured bone or bone
implants, such as dental implants.
This is especially important for older
patients, whose bones are slow to
rehabilitate by themselves. At first,
bone grafts were extracted from a
cadaver or an animal, but after a
few documented cases of people
contracting diseases following the
graft, synthetic alternatives started to
show up. In order for these synthetic
bone grafts to be accepted by the
body and to induce bone growth,
stem cells are added. However, only
some synthetic bone grafts are as
hard and as effective as the biological
ones.
Apparently, coral have essential
qualities that are very similar to those
of the human bone: their chemical
composition is mostly made out of
calcium, they provide a vascular
pathway and they’re as strong as the
human bone. “The main problem
with using coral as a bone graft is
that they are not bioactive. They don’t
have the ability to induce biological
activities and ‘communicate’ with
the cells of the body,” to attract new
bone cells and creating new bone
ingrowth.
8 • JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org
So, when Schwartz and his partner,
Prof. Itzhak Binderman, the former
head of the dental department and
hard tissue laboratory at the Sourasky
Medical Center, founded CoreBone
in 2011, they started developing a
coral-based, bioactive bone graft.
Bioengineering expert Binderman
b e g a n c o m b i n i n g b i o a c t iv e
substances with the coral’s usual diet,
so when they are made into bone
grafts they contain the qualities of a
biological bone graft without the risk
of contracting diseases.
At the OkCoral farm near Eilat,
coral in aquariums grow ten times
faster than they do in the ocean. The
team achieves that by controlling the
chemical compound of the water
the coral are in, monitoring and
controlling their light and temperature,
as well as creating artificial waves to
help their growth.
“There are four qualities you
want a bone graft to have: strength,
biocompatibility, remodeling and
bioactivity,” Schwartz explains. “It
should be as strong as the human
bone, biocompatible so that the body
won’t reject it, enable remodeling
(the formation of a new bone as it
degrades), and bioactive so that it
stimulates the growth of a new bone
on its surface.”
The company claims it has
developed the only non-biological
bone graft that has all four qualities.
It will be used for both dental and
orthopedic purposes. According to
Schwartz, their bone grafts will also
cost less than the ones available today
in the orthopedic market, which
can cost up to $5,000, including
hospitalization.
Later in 2011, CoreBone joined
the Mofet incubator, funded by the
TrendLines Group, and registered a
patent in Europe and in the U.S. for
their special ‘coral diet’ and methods
of growing coral in a controlled
environment. Since then, the company
has been developing and testing its
product successfully with the latest
results even showing that bone grafts
implanted in animals create bone
marrow, as if they were actual bones.
CoreBone expects to begin human
trials in selected hospitals in Israel
and in France soon.
JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org • 9
Jewish Family Service
of the Desert
“Count on us… for life”
801 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 202
Palm Springs, CA 92262
73750 Catalina Way, Ste. A,
Palm Desert, CA 92260
(760) 325-4088 • www.jfsdesert.org
Free movies are shown
Wednesdays at
10:00 am and 1:30 pm
Jewish Family Service of the
Desert is Pleased to Announce
APRIL IS GENOCIDE
AWARENESS MONTH
Michael Childers
Presents
One Night Only
April 1• Shake Hands with the Devil
(2007) [R]
April 8 • Ararat • (2002) [R]
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
McCallum Theatre
April 15 • Judgement at Nuremberg
(1961) [NR]
Contact JFS at 760-325-4088
for more information
April 22 • Darfur Now • (2007)
[PG]
PROGRAMS & SERVICES
April 29 • Welcome to Sarajevo
(1997) [R]
For further information about these services and
others, please call the JFS office, 760-325-4088.
COUNSELING & FAMILY SUPPORT:
Experienced therapists help individuals,
couples, and families address life's
challenges.
DESERT HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM: JFS
counselors serve elementary school children
in Palm Springs Unified School District with
on-site counseling and now with a new
5th grade curriculum to teach drug refusal
and interpersonal skills to prepare them for
success in middle school.
SOLUTIONS FOR SENIORS: Serves older
adults to maintain independence and help
them enjoy a higher quality of life.
BEREAVEMENT GROUP: Free to the
local community. This group meets every
Wednesday at the JFS Palm Springs office,
3.30-5.00 p.m.
FRIENDLYVISITORS: JFS volunteers visit home
bound seniors to provide companionship and
support. For more information please call
760-779-9400 Ext. 204.
SHABBAT- IN- A- BAG: JFS volunteers provide
companionship and celebration during the
Shabbat observance to home bound seniors.
For more information please call 760-7799400 Ext. 204.
CAFÉ EUROPA GROUP: Social programming
for holocaust survivors. Transportation
available, for dates, times & more information
please call 760-779-9400 Ext. 204.
The Desert Holocaust Memorial is located in the Palm Desert Civic Center Park
at San Pablo Avenue & Fred Waring Drive.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit this moving memorial,
a place of remembrance and monument of hope.
10 • JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org
LET’S DO LUNCH! PROGRAM: Bimonthly activity program for homebound
or isolated seniors. Participants take part in
social activities; transportation and lunch are
provided. Some restrictions apply. Please
call Lisa Schmid for further information and
to register 760-779-9400 Ext. 205.
Nazi Drum Made from Torah Scroll Arrives in Israel
Jerusalem Online
A drum made from a Torah scroll
was found last month by volunteers of
the “From the Depths” organization
in the basement of a man who lived
in a village near the central Polish
city of Lodz, and whose estate was
put on sale. The volunteers came to
the sale after hearing that the objects
belonging to the man, a former
member of the Nazi Hitler Youth
movement, contained several that
were connected to Jews.
Jonny Daniels, the Israeli founder of
From the Depths, bought the drum and,
after consulting with the Israeli chief
rabbinate on how it should be treated
in view of religious laws on handling
Holy Scripture, decided to incorporate
it into a traveling exhibition the group
is preparing this year.
Daniels said the segment of
parchment that was used to make the
drum is “incredibly well preserved.”
It likely came from one of the many
synagogues that serviced the area’s
Jewish communities, which before
the Holocaust had tens of thousands
of members. “During the war all the
synagogues were destroyed and no
one knew what happened to the
Torah scrolls,” Daniels said. “After
70 years, the generations of survivors
are leaving us too fast. Now we
become responsible to carry on this
memory.”
The action was carried out in memory
of the family of Joe Levkovitch — a
Poland-born, 88-year-old Jew whose
parents, among other relatives, were
murdered in the Belzec death camp
and who last July emigrated from
Canada to Israel.
No More Searching for the Elusive Vein
Israeli hospitals will soon start working with a special device which detects veins, preventing nurses' failed attempts at finding the vein.
By Linda Lovitch
Children and needles are not
exactly a love story. For those who
need a shot or infusion have, they
no choice. After being admitted to
the hospital a week ago, Dor is still
not used to the needles. Sometimes
finding the vein is not a simple task. If
you miss, you have to stick the patient
again. However, a new device used in
Israeli hospitals will make this much
simpler. This $7,000 device uses a
laser beam to show the veins on the
patient's skin. The health care worker
can then detect the best vein for the
needle. It is like Waze for veins.
The nurse shows Dor through the
device a vein which was used in the
past and therefore not a candidate for
the latest infusion. Dr. Roni Lubetski,
head of Pediatrics in Ichilov Hospital
explains, "Searching for a vein is such
an unpleasant situation for the child
– sometimes you have to hold him
down. This makes taking blood and
giving infusions much speedier and
less traumatic."
Adults are also afraid of needles.
According to research – 5% of adults
to be exact. Some even faint at the
sight of a needle. While the device
does not prevent the need for sticking
the patient altogether, it causes less
attempts and less time spent staring
into the eye of the needle.
JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org • 11
Lion of Judah Luncheon
7
6
1
2
3
4
8
9
20
11
5
13
12
16
23
17
24
25
18
26
19
27
28
20
21
29
22
30
14
1 Women’s Philanthropy Chair
Lainie Weil, Keynote speaker
Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger, and
Lion of Judah Chairs Susan Good &
Barbara Weisberg
2 Women’s Philanthropy Director Tina
Friedman, Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger,
and Lion of Judah Chairs Susan
Good & Barbara Weisberg
3 Women’s Philanthropy Chair Lainie
Weil, Jewish Federation CEO Bruce
Landgarten, and Lana Landa
4 Myrna Odwak, Annette Novack
(Past Women’s Philanthropy
President) & Stephanie N. Ross
(Women’s Philanthropy
Fundraising Chair)
5 Roberta Nyman (Past Federation and
Women’s Philanthropy President) &
Barbara Fromm
6 Ruth Beschloss, Frances Horwich &
Carol Horwich Luber
7 Bobbi Holland, Dr. Bernd
Wollschlaeger & Barbara Fromm
8 Carol Resnick, Gail Scadron, Joanne
Chunowitz & Adrienne Garland
9 Sally Helfer & Barbara Platt
(Past Federation and Women’s
Philanthropy President)
10 Lenore Wyatt, Loreen Jacobson &
Peggy Greenbaum (Past Women’s
Philanthropy President)
11 Eileen Zoll, Pat Levy, Joni
Maltzman & Audrey Bernstein
12 Ann Lehrer & Marion Cowle
13 Sheri Borax & Susan Langus
15
14 Lola Pawer & Sylvia Cristall
15 Helen Varon & Chickie Steinberger
16 Tammy Birnberg, Maxine
Kirshenbaum & Joan Lehr
17 Barbara Schrayer, Nora Rado &
Judy Hecktman
18 Lila Rauch, Bertel Lewis &
Joyce Freund
19 Diane Gershowitz, Trudy Pekarsky,
Susan Duman & Reni Belzberg
20 Shirley Pigeon
21 Jeanne Levitt
22 Muriel Becker & Dorothy Palay
23 Carol Horwich Luber &
Joan Goldberg
24 Cathy Pitts & Joni Maltzman
25 Rochelle Gluckstein & Lois Zoller
26 Helen Greene & Ellen Bakst
27 Toby Berman & Stephanie Ross
28 Bobbie Stern & Gail Richards
29 Sande Fineman & Joyce Frank
30 Nora Spak & Cookie Miller
NEW LIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY:
Muriel Becker
Joyce Brandman
Tina Friedman
Rochelle Gluckstein
Susan Langus
Trudy Pekarsky
Shirley Pidgeon
Carol Resnick
Chickie Steinberger
Tribute Card Donations
Sending tributes and memorials is a meaningful way to honor loved ones.
Honorarium Tributes –
In Appreciation For:
•
Sandra Borns, Happy Birthday from
Audrey Bernstein.
•
Joy Bratter, In honor of your 85th birthday, from
Dodie & Dan Cadiff, and Marion Cowle.
•
Billy Davids, Happy 90th birthday, from Sheila &
Ralph Gurevitch.
•
Wendy & Billy DeWoskin, Thank you from Sanford
& Rosemary Hertz.
•
Susie & Bobby Diamond, Thank you from Dodie
& Dan Cadiff, Judith & Elliott Cohen, Judy & Marty
Cohn, Nancy & Dennis Ditlove, Edith & Arnold
Familian, Toni & Bobby Garmisa, Phil & Ellen Glass,
Margot & Jerry Halperin, Sanford & Rosemary Hertz,
Libby & Buddy Hoffman, Ruth & Mal Kaufman,
Eunice & Jerry Meister, Marnie Miller & Joe Noren,
Barbara Platt, Iris & Jerry Pollan, Gail & Bob
Scadron, Barbara Schrayer & Cal Levin, Gloria &
Michael Scoby, Susan & Burt Sunkin, Leslie & Barry
Usow, Arlene & Irwin Volk, Lainie & Tom Weil.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ruth Dvorkin, Happy 75th birthday, from
Renee & Herb Powell-Rothman.
Phyllis Eisenberg, Thank you from Roberta Nyman.
Suzanne & Jeff Feder, Thank you from Dodie
& Dan Cadiff, Judith & Elliott Cohen, Nancy &
Dennis Ditlove, Edith & Arnold Familian, Toni &
Bobby Garmisa, Phil & Ellen Glass, Margot & Jerry
Halperin, Sanford & Rosemary Hertz, Libby &
Buddy Hoffman, Ruth & Mal Kaufman, Eunice &
Jerry Meister, Marnie Miller & Joe Noren, Barbara
Platt, Iris & Jerry Pollan, Gail & Bob Scadron, Barbara
Schrayer & Cal Levin, Gloria & Michael Scoby, Susan
& Burt Sunkin, Leslie & Barry Usow, Arlene & Irwin
Volk, Lainie & Tom Weil.
•
Margot & Jerry Halperin, Thank you from Sanford &
Rosemary Hertz.
•
Judy Spitzer, Best wishes for a speedy recovery,
from Gail & Bob Scadron.
•
Gordon & Pat Hubbard, Thank you from Judith &
Elliott Cohen.
•
Allan Steinberg, Glad you are feeling better, from
Gail & Bob Scadron.
•
Joan & Pat Kerns, Thank you from Dodie & Dan
Cadiff, Judith & Elliott Cohen, Nancy & Dennis
Ditlove, Edith & Arnold Familian, Toni & Bobby
Garmisa, Phil & Ellen Glass, Margot & Jerry Halperin,
Sanford & Rosemary Hertz, Libby & Buddy
Hoffman, Ruth & Mal Kaufman, Eunice & Jerry
Meister, Marnie Miller & Joe Noren, Barbara Platt,
Iris & Jerry Pollan, Gail & Bob Scadron, Barbara
Schrayer & Cal Levin, Gloria & Michael Scoby, Susan
& Burt Sunkin, Leslie & Barry Usow, Arlene & Irwin
Volk, Lainie & Tom Weil.
Ted & Cora Ginsberg, Happy Anniversary from
Lila Rauch.
•
Shelly & Susan Good, Thank you from Sande &
Ed Fineman.
•
Melinda Goodman, Thank you from Barbara Platt.
•
Myra Gordon, Thank you from Sande Fineman and
Rosemary Hertz.
•
Stanley & Rosalind Hack, Thank you from Gloria &
Michael Scoby.
14 • JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org
Memoriam Tributes –
Condolences Sent To:
•
Enid Busch, In memory of your loved one, from
Ruth Goldberg.
•
Burt Chudacoff, In memory of your beloved
wife Evette, from Judith & Elliott Cohen, Ruth
Goldberg, Sherry Kaplan and Irving Sachs & Marion
Hochstadter.
•
Susie & Bruce Konheim, Thank you from Sanford &
Rosemary Hertz.
•
•
Dick Leshgold, Thank you from Sanford & Rosemary
Hertz.
Mr. & Mrs. Norton Farnoff, In memory of your
beloved mother, from Ruth & Mal Kaufman.
•
•
Dolly Levy, Happiness on your special birthday,
from Judy & Marty Cohn.
•
Pearle Rae Levy, Thank you from Rosemary Hertz.
Tina Friedman, In memory of your beloved father
Morris Levy, from Judith & Elliott Cohen, Nancy &
Dennis Ditlove, Libby & Buddy Hoffman, Rabbi
Yankel & Rochel Kreiman, Carol Horwich Luber,
Roberta & Allan Nyman, Barbara Platt, Stephanie &
Paul Ross, Claude & Elaine Steinberger.
•
Bertel Lewis, Thank you from Fefe Passer.
•
•
Graci Novack, Mazel tov on your Bat Mitzvah, from
Mary Levine.
•
Cydney & Bill Osterman, Thank you from Margot &
Jerry Halperin, Sanford & Rosemary Hertz..
Joan Holland, In memory of your beloved husband,
Eli, from Richard & Marsha Bernhard, Dodie & Dan
Cadiff, Diane & Hal Gershowitz, Ruth Goldberg,
Mary Levine & Alan Goldstein, Donna & Jim Levitas,
Sandie Ovesen, Larry & Cathy Pitts and Elise & Lee
Sacks.
•
Mimi & Harold Paley, Thank you from Dodie
& Dan Cadiff, Judith & Elliott Cohen, Nancy &
Dennis Ditlove, Edith & Arnold Familian, Toni &
Bobby Garmisa, Phil & Ellen Glass, Margot & Jerry
Halperin, Sanford & Rosemary Hertz, Libby &
Buddy Hoffman, Ruth & Mal Kaufman, Eunice &
Jerry Meister, Marnie Miller & Joe Noren, Barbara
Platt, Iris & Jerry Pollan, Gail & Bob Scadron, Barbara
Schrayer & Cal Levin, Gloria & Michael Scoby, Susan
& Burt Sunkin, Leslie & Barry Usow, Arlene & Irwin
Volk, Lainie & Tom Weil.
•
Laura Lewinson, In memory of Nancy’s beloved
mother, from Nancy & James Petersen.
•
Claire Marks, In memory of your beloved father,
from Gerri & Paul Hinkes.
•
Fern Miller & Family, In memory of your beloved
husband Burt, from Roberta & Allan Nyman.
•
Carol Price, In memory of your mother, from Myra
& Hilly Spira.
•
Monty and Rella Rifkin, Thank you from Gail & Bob
Scadron, Barry and Leslie Usow.
•
•
•
Rella Rifkin, Thank you from Rosemary Hertz.
Barry & Leslie Usow, Thank you from Judith and
Eiliott Cohen.
Barbara Rosenfield, In memory of your brother, Bob
Yellin, from Audrey & Joe Bernstein, Sandra & Bob
Borns, Judith & Elliott Cohen, Lois & Tom Davidson,
Ellen & Phil Glass, Cal Levin & Barbara Schrayer.
•
Mr. & Mrs. Stuart Rosenberg, In memory of your
sister, from Richard & Marsha Bernhard.
•
Marilyn Tischauer & Family, In memory of your
beloved husband Randy, from Rabbi Yankel &
Rochel Kreiman, Frances & Bob Miller, Sheila Seaton
& Rhoda Katz.
Larry & Shirley Zipkin, In memory of your mother,
from Sanford & Rosemary Hertz.
Betty Feinberg, Thank you from Ron &
Natalie Tambor.
Joel Fishman, Happy special birthday, from Leslie &
Barry Usow.
All contributions received by the Jewish Federation for
Tribute Cards are placed in our special Tzedakah Fund,
which provides direct monetary intervention for needy
Jews living in the Coachella Valley.
•
Shelly & Steve Zucker, Thank you from Nora and
Don Rado.
Refuah Shleimah –
Get Well Wishes To:
•
Ruben Poplawski, You are in my thoughts and
prayers, from Barbara Platt.
•
Tribute Card Donations Continued
Barbara & Bernie Fromm –
Jewish Youth Enrichment Fund
•
Bernie Fromm, In honor of your 80th birthday, from the Fromm Family: Davida, Reid,
Michael, Susan, Lou, Rhona, Hannah, Jeremy, Jake, Casey, Jordan & Jamie.
•
Bernie Fromm, In honor of your 80th birthday, from Ellen & Jim Labes.
•
Barbara Fromm, In honor of your birthday, from Susan & Michael Fromm.
•
Susie & Bobby Diamond, Suzanne & Jeff Feder, Joan & Pat Kerns, and Mimi & Harold
Paley, Thank you from Barbara & Bernie Fromm.
Call to attend the next
informational meeting for
our November 4-13
Mosaic 2 Israel Mission
760-324-4737
Going the Extra 6,000 Miles
Defense Force base, helping out
and demonstrating their support of
Israel with ‘borrowed boots’ on the
ground.
Mast braved a cold winter front
while leaving a very pregnant wife
and two kids on the home front –
explaining he was more than willing
“to fill sandbags or stir the soup” to
demonstrate he stands with Israel and
rejects revisionist rhetoric that casts
Israel as a villain and the aggressor.
From Yediot, Channel 20
000American army veteran Brian
Mast lost both his legs when serving
in Afghanistan, but that didn’t stop
the former sapper from giving a hand
to Israel.
Mast - who is not Jewish and
hails from Florida - first encountered
Israel bashers on campus at
Harvard University where he is
studying economics and business
administration. Watching anti-Israel
demonstrations during the summer
2014 Protective Edge campaign, he
felt he had to speak up.
Write a Facebook post? Send a
Tweet? Not this 34 year-old vet!
The former staff sergeant volunteered
with Sar-El, the program for civilian
volunteers to spend several weeks
in Israel in uniform on an Israel
Brian Mast
JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org • 15
Shabbat and Weekday Service Information
Check the websites or call for times of services.
BETH SHALOM
(Member, United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism)
Ken Hailpern, Spiritual Leader
79-733 Country Club Drive, Bermuda
Dunes, CA 92203
bethshalom18.wordpress.com
760-200-3636
8 pm Friday/9:30 am Saturday
Shabbat Services.
8:30 am Monday & Thursday Morning
Minyan, followed by light breakfast.
No Friday night Shabbat service
April 3, first Seder night.
Yizkor Saturday, April 11 9:30 am
CENTRO CULTURAL HEBREO
DE MEXICALI
(Conservative)
Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Contact: Ron Cohen
www.judiosdemexicali.com
760-960-3392 US
(686) 216-7152 Mexico
CHABAD OF PALM SPRINGS &
DESERT COMMUNITIES
Rabbi Yonason Denebeim
425 Ortega, Palm Springs, CA 92264
www.chabadpalmsprings.com
760-325-0774
Shabbat services Friday/Saturday; daily
morning and evening minyan.
Check website for Pesach service
schedule.
CHABAD OF PALM DESERT
A project of Chabad of Palm Springs &
Desert Communities
Rabbi Mendy Friedman
www.chabadpd.com
760-969-2153 / 760-969-2158
CHABAD OF RANCHO
MIRAGE
A project of Chabad of Palm Springs &
Desert Communities
Rabbi Shimon Posner
72295 Via Marta, Rancho Mirage, CA
92270 www.chabadrm.com 760-7707785 Shabbat services Friday: check
website for service times. Saturday
10 am; daily morning and evening
minyan. M-F 7:00 am; Sundays 8:00
am/check website for mincha/maariv
times. Saturday, April 11 Yizkor service
at approximately 11:30 am.
Seders both nights at 8:15 pm.
Reservations required.
Call 760-770-7785.
CONGREGATION HAR-EL
(Member, Union for Reform Judaism)
Rabbi Richard Zionts
47-535 Hwy 74, Palm Desert, CA
92260 [email protected]
760-779-1691
5 pm Friday evening Shabbat Service,
followed by speaker or discussion.
Note: No service April 3. Reservations
required to attend Seder. Monthly
Shabbat Morning Torah Study 10:15
am and Worship Service 11:00 am
followed by Oneg. April Shabbat
morning service April 11.
TEMPLE ISAIAH
(Conservative)
Rabbi Sally Olins
332 West Alejo Road, Palm Springs,
CA 92262 www.templeisaiahps.com
760-325-2281 7:30 pm Friday/10 am
Saturday Shabbat Services; morning
minyan Mondays & Thursdays - 8:30
am. Friday, April 3 - 55th annual
Community Seder. Reservations
required. Saturday, April 11 Shabbat
Services 10 am - Yizkor
TEMPLE SINAI
(Reform)
Rabbis Larry and Linda Seidman
1320 Williams Ave., Banning
Contact 951-769-3678/769-7514
Shabbat Service 3rd Friday/ Havdallah
1st Saturday evening.
(Reform) Rabbi Andrew Bentley
73-251 Hovley Lane West, Palm Desert
www.templesinaipd.org 760-568-9699
7:30 pm Friday/10 am Saturday
Shabbat Services.
Friday, April 3 Shabbat services at 5:30
pm Friday, April 10 Yizkor Service 10
am Friday, April 17 Shabbat Zimra with
Rick Recht.
DESERT HOT SPRINGS
BIKUR CHOLIM
CONGREGATION
SHALOM BAYIT
Monthly Friday Shabbat Service with
Rabbi Faith Tessler September through
May. Contact 760-324-4737 for more
information.
A project of Chabad of Palm Springs
& Desert Communities (Community
Outreach) Rabbi Yankel Kreiman
www.BikurCholimPS.com
760-325-8076
April Community Calendar
Wednesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
10:00 am and 1:30 pm Tolerance
Education Center free movies. See
page 10 for April movie schedule.
Wednesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
9:00 am Temple Sinai Introduction to
Judaism.
Wednesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
10:30-11:30 am and 6:30-7:30 pm
Chabad of Rancho Mirage Torah and
Tea. A weekly journey into the soul of
Torah. Call 760-770-7785.
Wednesdays, April 1, 15, 22, 29
12 Noon Temple Sinai Lunch and
Limud.
Wednesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
3:30-5:00 pm Jewish Family Service
Jewish Bereavement Group. Meets
weekly at the JFS Palm Springs Office,
801 East Tahquitz Canyon. Free to
local community and reservations not
required.
Thursday, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
1:00 pm Temple Sinai Adult Education:
“Kabbalah” led by Rabbi Andrew
Bentley.
Course: April – June. $36 members/$72
non-members. Drop in fee for
individual session $5 members/$7
non-members. Call 760-568-9699.
Monday, April 6
10:00 am Tamar Hadassah brunch
“with Pesachdic delights.” Speaker:
16 • JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org
Marcia Stein “Growing Anti-Semitism
in the U.S. and Globally.” $12
couvert. Reservations required. Call
760-321-9941.
Monday, April 6, 13, 20, 27
7:00 pm Chabad of Rancho Mirage
Men’s Torah Class with Rabbi Benny
Lew. For more information call 760636-2897 or email rabbibenny@
chabadrm.com.
Tuesdays, April 7, 14, 21, 28
10:00 am Mamaloshen at Sinai.
Thursday, April 7
6:00 pm Tolerance Education Center
Commemoration of 100th Anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide. Dr.
Lawrence Baron: “The Armenian/
Jewish Connection: The Influence of
Holocaust Cinema on Feature Films
about the Armenian Genocide.”
Admission FREE; reservations
required See ad page 10.
Thursday, April 9
11:30 am Jewish Family Service Seder
for Café Europa/Holocaust Survivors.
Call 760-779-9400, ext. 204, for
details and reservations.
Saturday, April 11
7-9 pm LGBT Shalom Group Matzoh
Madness Dinner: An fun elegant
evening with friends. At Temple Sinai.
$25 until April 5, $30 after. RSVP to
www.shalomgroupps.com or call
760-972-4422.
April Community Calendar Continued
Tuesdays, April 14, 21, 28
1:00 pm Temple Sinai Adult Education
“The Wisdom of the Talmud” led
by Rabbi Andrew Bentley. Course:
April – June. $36 members/$72 nonmembers.
Drop in fee for individual session $5
members/$7 non-members.
Call 760-568-9699.
Tuesdays, April 14, 21, 28
(NOTE: Not April 7)
5:00-7:00 pm Chabad Rancho Mirage’s
weekly BBQ. Reservations not
required, but helpful:
760-770-7785.
Friday, April 10
6:00 pm Tolerance Education Center:
Jaci Davis, with the Derek Lewis Trio:
“Liza & Ella & Babs, Oh My”, $15.
RSVP to 660-328-8252.
See ad page 10.
Sunday, April 12
11:00 am Third Temple Isaiah Speaker
Series: Jon Entine “Israel, DNA &
Being Jewish: How Genetics Has
Shaped the History of the Jews.” $18.
At Temple Isaiah. See ad page 5.
Monday, April 13
10:30-11:45 am Har-El Galen Monthly
Book Course. “Our Crowd” by
Stephen Birmingham. Registration
required. Call 760-779-1691 or email
[email protected].
Wednesday, April 15
2:00 pm Jewish National Fund
Women’s Afternoon Tea with special
guest speaker Terry Katz. See ad page
5 for details and reservations.
Monday, April 20
11 am Community Kaddish
Observance for Yom Ha'Shoah at
Holocaust Memorial, Palm Desert.
See page 5.
Wednesdays, April 15, 22, 29
4:00 pm Temple Isaiah Adult Education
Class “The Song of Songs” led by
Rabbi Sally Olins. Call 760-844-7302
for more information.
Tuesday, April 21
11:00 am Temple Sinai Sisterhood
Book Club
Wednesday, April 15, 22, 29
5:30 pm Temple Isaiah Beginning
Hebrew. Instructor: Rabbi Sally
Olins. Call 760-844-7302 for more
information.
Friday, April 17
Follows 5 pm service: Har-El Discussion
Series: Presenter: Cantor Melanie
Fine, “Report on Recent Trip to Israel
and New Start-Ups in Technology
Field.”
Wednesday, April 22 & 29, May 6
4-5:30 pm Har-El Galen Trimester
Course “The World Changed
Again: That Was Then, This Is Now
– How Are We the Architects for
Israel and America?” Fee. For
information and enrollment, call
760-779-1691 or email harurj@
gmail.com.
Wednesday, April 22
6:00 pm Jewish Family Service Gala
Evening: Michael Childers presents
“One Night Only.” Contact the
McCallum Theatre or Jewish
Family Service (760-325-4088) for
information and tickets.
OF PALM SPRINGS & DESERT AREA
Sunday, April 19
3:00 pm COMMUNITY
OBSERVANCE OF YOM HA’SHOAH.
Galen Auditorium at the Annenberg
Center; Eisenhower Medical Center.
Speaker: Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger.
For details, see page 4.
Wednesday, April 22
6:45-8:00 pm Women’s Rosh
Chodesh Society. “Reservations
for Two: Defining Marriage
Boundaries” Chabad of Rancho
Mirage. For information and to
register call Chaya Posner at 760272-1923.
OF PALM SPRINGS & DESERT AREA
Thursday, April 23
3:00 pm Jewish Federation Annual
Meeting. See page 2.
OF PALM SPRINGS & DESERT AREA
Sunday, April 26
11:00 am COMMUNITY
OBSERVANCE OF YOM
HA’ATZMAUT, Israel’s 67th
birthday. U.C. Riverside/Palm
Desert Campus auditorium.
Program: In Joy Orchestra with
Gilat Rapaport. For details, see
page 4.
Tuesday, April 28
11:00 am Temple Sinai Sisterhood
luncheon.
Thursday, April 30
4:00 pm Beth Shalom Book Study
Discussion.
Friday, May 1
4:30 pm Har-El Reception Honoring
Har-El Presenters; followed by
services at 5:00 pm.
Tackling ‘Untreatable’ Brain Tumors
New hope for tens of thousands diagnosed with gliomas as Tel Aviv University study shows potential way to stop brain tumor cell proliferation.
By Viva Sarah Press, Israel 21c
A new Tel Aviv University study may
offer hope to the tens of thousands of
people diagnosed with ‘untreatable’
brain tumors every year.
There are no effective available
treatments for sufferers of Glioblastoma
multiforme(GBM), the most aggressive
and devastating form of brain tumor. And
the fatal disease has a survival rate of only
six-18 months
But new research out of Israel has
promising results. “I was approached
by a neurosurgeon insistent on finding
a solution, any solution, to a desperate
situation,” said Prof. Dan Peer of
TAU’s Department of Department of
Cell Research and Immunology and
Scientific Director of TAU’s Center for
NanoMedicine. “Their patients were
dying on them, fast, and they had virtually
no weapons in their arsenal. Prof. Zvi
Cohen [Director of the Neurosurgical
Oncology Unit and Vice Chair at the
Neurosurgical Department at Sheba
Medical Center at Tel Hashomer] heard
about my earlier nanoscale research
and suggested using it as a basis for a
novel mechanism with which to treat
gliomas.”
A pioneer of cancer-busting nanoscale
therapeutics, Peer has adapted an earlier
treatment modality — one engineered
to tackle ovarian cancer tumors — to
target gliomas. Published recently in
ACS Nano, the research was initiated by
Cohen. The Israeli Cancer Association
provided support for this research.
“When I heard about Dan’s work in the
field of nanomedicine and cancer, I knew I
found an innovative approach combining
nanotechnology and molecular biology
to tackle brain cancer,” said Cohen. Peer’s
new research is based on a nanoparticle
platform, which transports drugs to target
sites while minimizing adverse effects
on the rest of the body. Peer devised a
localized strategy to deliver RNA genetic
interference (RNAi) directly to the tumor
site using lipid-based nanoparticles
coated with the polysugar hyaluronan
(HA) that binds to a receptor expressed
specifically on glioma cells.
Peer and his team of researchers tested
the therapy in mouse models affected
with gliomas and control groups treated
with standard forms of chemotherapy.
The results were, according to the
researchers, astonishing. “This is a proof
of concept study which can be translated
into a novel clinical modality,” said Peer.
“While it is in early stages, the data is so
promising — it would be a crime not to
pursue it.”
JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org • 17
Inland and Desert Hillel
negative energy and give
thanks and appreciation
for where we are today and
how we shall continue to
work together and thrive.
Our event calendar for
April is packed with events
in collaboration with
many other student and
community organizations,
ranging from the observance
of Yom HaShoah, Yom
Ha'atzmaut, Krav Maga
lessons in the park, cooking
classes, Israeli dancing
and Shabbat services and
By Kevin Giser, Hillel Director of Jewish Student Life
000The Inland and Desert Hillel
Council prides itself on being the
“Foundation of Jewish Campus Life,”
on the campuses we serve. As on
college campuses around the country,
we face anti-Semitism and the
coordinated attempt to pass student
referendums that condemn the State
of Israel. The “Boycott, Divest and
Sanction” movement impacts the
lives of our Jewish college students.
While our Hillel faces these issues
at UC Riverside, it has fostered an
environment of true strength and
perseverance in our young, Jewish
leaders. We are able to take this
Left: Keley Horan blesses
Shabbat candles at a recent
UC Riverside Shabbat Dinner
dinners. Our Passover Seder at the
University of Redlands will serve over
200 students, faculty and professors
from our area. We continue to be
dedicated to educating young Jewish
leaders on our Jewish heritage and
the importance of the Jewish State
of Israel.
We thank the Jewish Federation
of the Desert for its vital support of
the Inland and Desert Hillel Council,
and look forward to continuing the
partnership. Our Director of Jewish
Student Life can be reached at hillel@
iehillel.org, and we welcome all ideas,
suggestions and questions. Together,
our Jewish community is strong, and
we will continue to flourish!
Temple Sinai Teens Attend Washington, DC Retreat
By Leslie Pepper, Director of Education, Temple Sinai
In late February seven teens
from Temple Sinai, accompanied
by Rabbi Andrew Bentley, traveled
to Washington, DC to participate
in the Reform movement’s “L’Taken
Religious Action Center Retreat.” The
L’Taken Social Justice Conference
attracted nearly 2,000 high school–
aged students to expose them to a
variety of public policy issues and to
explore Jewish values.
Our Palm Desert Teens had the
opportunity to lobby Congressman
Raul Ruiz’s office while on Capitol
Hill. The trajectory of programming
went from broad to narrow, first
having the teens explore a range of
topics and then encouraging them to
focus on a single specific issue. They
had the choice to attend programs
on a wide range of topics including
Israel, the environment, reproductive
Sinai teens in front of the Capitol
rights, LGBTQ civil rights, church/
state separation, International
relations and more. The group had
the opportunity to visit the National
Holocaust Memorial Museum and
18 • JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org
(l to r) Megan Eslamboly, Evelyn Monetatchi , Arianna
Freedman, Alana Mittelman, Rabbi Andrew Bentley, Ian
Feldman, Jordan Taran, and Joanna Berkowitz outside
Congressman Raul Ruiz’s office
the Smithsonian National Mall. They
celebrated Havdalah at the Jefferson
Memorial.
As a unified voice they became a
part of fulfilling the commandment
“Justice, justice you shall
pursue, Tzedek, tzedek, tirdot” ”
(Deuteronomy 16:20).
A Showcase of Israeli Diamonds and Technology
Hundreds of buyers wowed by new technologies at 2015 International Diamond Week in Ramat Gan.
By Viva Sarah Press, Israel 21c
Hundreds of buyers from around
the world jammed the trading floor at
the Israel Diamond Exchange to find
the best gems during International
Diamond Week in February. They
were also introduced to the latest
technological advances in the
diamond industry.
“For years, the diamond industry
was seen as archaic, working with
dated technologies to treat the
diamonds,” IDE President Shmuel
Schnitzer told exhibitors. “But these
times are long gone. The polishing
process, as well as the manufacturing
process and trade, are done using
cutting-edge technologies that are
constantly improving.”
Israel’s export of polished and rough
diamonds totaled some $9.324 billion
last year, up from $9.166 billion in
2013. Diamonds constitute 20 percent
of Israel’s total industrial export.
Israel is not only a top diamond
exporter but is also considered the
most advanced in diamond polishing.
Israeli technology is used in the
international diamond industry’s
cutting, bruting and automatic
polishing machines, as well as
computer-aided design systems,
according to the Israeli Diamond
Industry. “The name of the game is
to keep the qualitative edge. And
we’re always one step ahead,” says
Israel Diamond Exchange Managing
Director Moti Besser.
The International Diamond Week
event attracted 400 buyers from 24
countries, including large delegations
from the US, Belgium and Turkey.
There were representatives from
India, UK, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan,
Thailand, Japan, Italy, Austria and
South Africa, among others.
“We are cutting diamonds in
a most precise way,” says Majestic
Jewelry Managing Director Roni
Stschik. “We create from smaller
stones a look of larger diamonds.
For example, a diamond of one carat
looks like three and a half carats. A
lady can wear something that costs
$5,000 that looks like $50,000 to
$100,000. It’s high-tech in jewelry.”
Appraising Diamonds Online
The event’s DiamTech exhibit
featured leading Israeli players in
imaging and diamond-processing
advances needed for today’s sellers
and buyers doing business in the
online marketplace. “Every diamond
in a piece of jewelry makes its rounds
around the world before it is set,”
said Yaakov Almor, the diamond
exchange’s director of public relations.
“We have been able to reduce the
travel around the world because
of the technology. We’ve reached
the pinnacle of technology insofar
as seeing inside the rough without
having to touch it.”
The Shirtal DiaCam360 tabletop
scanner, which produces 360-degree
photos and videos of diamonds,
made its world debut at the exhibit.
This high-tech tool enables clients
in distant locations to view Shirtal
diamonds easily from every angle,
as if they were holding the stone in
their hands.
Besser says Israeli technologies
also support the critical process of
decision-making.” In the past, in order
to estimate what you can manufacture
from the rough diamond, there were
a few specialists who could estimate.
Now there’s this MRI-like machine
that can look and see what exactly
you can do with the rough diamond
[and] what is the value of the polished
diamond,” eliminating the need for
manual microscopic inspection.
“Without technology, the industry will
not be able to compete. Technology
enables the diamond industry to
prosper.”
Sarine CEO Uzi Levami said,
“This new generation of consumers
wants to know the story behind the
diamonds they are buying, and without
technology this would be impossible.
In recent years, we are witnessing the
integration of technology in sales,
and I believe that this trend will only
grow.”
A memorandum of understanding
with Alrosa, a Russian group of
diamond mining companies, calls for
developing new methods of sorting
and analysis of the origin of diamonds.
It also opens the door to joint research
on new technologies for diamond
cutting and polishing. Alrosa exports
some $550 million worth of rough
diamonds to Israel annually, and this
number is expected to grow.
JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org • 19
Community Schools
Shalom
RELIGIOUS/HEBREW SCHOOLS
Aleph Academy
A Project of Jewish Sunshine Circle
Director: Shaindy Friedman
73-550 Santa Rosa Way, Palm Desert, Ca. 92260
alephacademy.org • 760-413-4425
Temple Sinai
Director: Leslie Pepper
73-251 Hovley Lane West, Palm Desert, CA 92260
www.templesinaipd.org • 760-568-9699
NURSERY SCHOOL
Temple Sinai Tikvah Pre-School
Director: Debbie Midcalf • 24 mos - Pre-K
73-251 Hovley Lane West, Palm Desert, CA 92260
760-568-6779
To apply for
Emergency Funds
from the
TZEDAKAH
Shalom
The finest in Jewish Living FUND
call the Jewish Federation 760-324-4737
20 • JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org
2015 CTeen Shabbaton in New York
“I could not believe that there were
so many Jews in one place without
being scared,” Cyril Buchinger, a
high school senior from France said
in astonishment, as he and some 100
of his peers danced as Jews, Saturday
night on Manhattan’s Times Square.
At the CTeen International Shabbaton
in New York, Cyril and others among
the 1400 teens from countries where
Jews are not safe to freely express
themselves, were brought to tears
by the sheer of joy of an uninhibited
(Left to right) Melanie Peretz, Yael Hezkiya,
Rebbitzin Chaya Posner, David Kraman,
Addison Kraman, Alexander Campbell
(behind Addison), Rabbi Shimon Posner,
Adi Srulovitz, Golan Bosnino and Jasmine
Bosnino. (Shir Ketyai and Melissa Finger
joined the desert group in New York)
CTeens at Times Square
display of their identity.
Ten desert teens, accompanied by
Rabbi Shimon and Rebbitzin Chaya
Posner of Chabad of Rancho Mirage
left our desert sunshine for a very chilly
New York to be part of the annual
CTeen Shabbaton weekend. Teens from
countries plagued by increased antiSemitism interacted with teens who
live in communities, as the Coachella
Valley, where living Jewishly can be
freely and openly expressed, and each
learned from the other.
CTeen was created, in the words of
its Director, Shimon Rivkin “to harness
the incredible power of youth to affect
positive change in the world.”
Report Praises Israel’s Effort to Prevent Civilian Casualties in Gaza
IDF Went Far Beyond Its Legal Obligations, Says Panel of Former Senior U.S. Military Officials and Legal Experts
The Times of Israel
Israel’s military went far beyond its
legal obligation last summer during
its Gaza operation to prevent civilian
casualties, according to a report by a
panel of former senior U.S. military
officials and legal experts.
The Gaza Conflict Task Force
report, which was released March
11, 2015, was commissioned by the
Jewish Institute for National Security
Affairs, or JINSA. The task force
called the conflict “Hybrid Warfare:
where non-state actors equipped with
advanced weapons operate in densely
populated urban areas, disregarding
the safety of civilians and capitalizing
on its enemy’s efforts to comply with
the law.”
The report praised the Israel
Defense Forces for its effort to limit
civilian casualties, such as alerting
residents in a targeted area through
phone calls, leaflets and low impact
explosives, but also emphasized that
the United States and Israel should
study the conflict in order to find a
balance between mitigating civilian
casualties and achieving mission
objectives.
Michael Makovsky, JINSA’s chief
executive officer, said the task force
compiled the report after making a
fact-finding mission to Israel, where
they met with Israeli, United Nations
and Palestinian officials, as well as
analyzing primary and secondary
research.
JINSA, a Washington-based
nonprofit group, advocates for a strong
U.S. military relationship with Israel.
Amnesty International and Human
Rights Watch have accused Israel of
committing war crimes and violations
of the laws of war during its Operation
Protective Edge against Hamas in
Gaza.
Suriname Pres’s Son Convicted in U.S. for
Attempting to Assist Hezbollah for Money
By Tom Dolev, Jerusalem Online
The son of Suriname’s President was
sentenced to 16 years of prison, after a
U.S. court in New York convicted him
of trying to establish a Hezbollah base
in his country. The son had contacted
American undercover agents who
presented themselves as Hezbollah
representatives, offering them refuge in
Suriname in exchange for two million
dollars.
Suriname, the smallest country
in South America, is considered a
politically stable country, and has been
ruled by President Dési Bouterse since
he was democratically elected in 2010.
Bouterse had also controlled the country
in the 80's as a dictator.
His 42-year-old son, Dino Bouterse,
was accused by the Manhattan court of
inviting people who he thought were
Hezbollah members to establish a base
for the organization in his country, in
exchange for money. In addition,
Bouterse admitted to trafficking drugs
and other dangerous substances. The US
State Department declared Hezbollah
a terror organization in 1997, and thus
any assistance to Hezbollah is forbidden
by law.
Before receiving his sentence, Bouterse
stated: “What I did does not really
represent my country.” He claimed that
his arrest would bring harm to his eleven
children, aging 2 to 19. “I really regret
my actions, and I am deeply, deeply,
deeply ashamed of myself. I take full
responsibility,” he added.
The prosecutor initially requested that
Bouterse be sent to 30 years of prison,
the maximum punishment allowed by
law. “It is very severe that a country, any
country, is willing to open its borders
to a terror organization in exchange for
pay,” stated Attorney Michael Lockard.
Suriname’s Foreign Ministry has yet to
address the verdict, and it is still unclear
how it will affect relations between the
countries.
JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org • 21
Simchas
Excited to learn that Jeremy Ginsberg
has received a six month internship
with MASA Israel Journey which
offers study internships in Israel.
He will be leaving in June after
graduating from UC Santa Barbara
with a degree in History and Global
Classifieds
KRISTINE A. KAUFFMAN - SENIOR
CARE SPECIALIST. Driving for
appointments, shopping, dining,
etc; Errands (groceries, banking, etc);
Bill paying and other miscellaneous
tasks; Companionship. Dog sitting,
walking. References available.
4-hour minimum 760-902-3490.
PERSONAL ASSISTANT/PERSONAL
AFFAIRS MANAGER Excellent local
references. Bill paying, reconcile
bank statement, run errands, drive
to appointment. Computer help:
MS Office, QuickBooks, emails.
N o t a r y. 2 h o u r s m i n i m u m .
Trustworthy, discreet, dependable.
760-408-5260.
DOOR PROS We specialize in
repair of garage doors, sliding glass
and screen doors. Reasonable
pricing. Same day service. Fully
insured and licensed #889442.
760-360-9300.
Studies.... Eileen
Eisenberg and
Marc Kashinsky
of Palm Desert
are pleased to
announce the birth
of their second
grandchild, Fiona
Fiona Kashinsky
Nat Kashinsky, on
November 28, 2014 in Wilmington,
DE. Fiona is the daughter of
Michelle and Josh Kashinsky and
little sister to Rose Kashinsky, age
2. Other grandparents are Susan
Fadem and the late Rod Fadem of
St. Louis, MO. Great grandmothers
are Frances Eisenberg of Voorhees,
NJ and Char Sherman of St. Louis,
MO ... Congratulations to Bob Fey
on assuming the presidency (for
DAVID’S CONSTRUCTION
Conscientious licensed, insured,
bonded, general contractor.
Catering to all your home repair
needs. No job too small or big.
Room additions, remodeling,
patio covers, decks, carpentry,
electrical, plumbing, masonry,
drywall, cement, wood floors,
tile, fences, painting, sprinklers,
landscaping, swamp coolers,
custom homes and more. License
#506-370. davidsconstruction@
ymail.com 760-671-4476.
CAREGIVER AVAILABLE. Let
me give you a helping hand at
a reasonable rate. Experienced
in personal care. Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s and Stroke cases.
Cooking, errands and light
housekeeping. Strong. Reliable.
References and background
check available. 760-6686764.
JFS VOLUNTEERS WELCOME: JFS
has rewarding volunteer opportunities
available and is now accepting
applications for the following
positions: Let’s Do Lunch! Program
Driver, Let’s Do Lunch! Program
Volunteer, Friendly Visitor, JFS Express
Senior Ride Transportation driver,
Front Office Assistant. For more
information contact 760-779-9400
Ext. 204.
Congregation Har-El SHABBAT
LECTURE SERIES FINAL
PRESENTATION for the 2015
Season will be Friday, April 17,
2015 at 5 PM. Cantor Melanie Fine
will discuss “High Tech Start-Ups
in Israel.” Cantor Fine just returned
from Israel as a delegate visiting high
tech companies. For information
on Spring/Summer programs,
services, Shabbat dinners and
Galen Trimester courses, contact:
[email protected] or call the
Har-El Office: 760-779-1691.
the second time
around) of Temple
Isaiah. Share your
Simchas with us.
Email Miriam Bent
at mhbentjcn@
earthlink.net or
call 760-3230255.
Bob Fey
SHOP Temple Sinai Sisterhood's
newly renovated gift shop for all
your Passover needs for adults and
children including toys, haggadahs,
kipot, matzo covers, afikomen bags,
candlesticks, Kiddush cups; just to
name a few. Special arrival of new
mezuzahs and inserts to adorn all
the door posts of your home and
gates. Hours from 10 to 1 Tuesday
to Friday, Sunday from 9:30 to 12;
and by appointment. Cash, check
and your credit cards welcome.
CATA L I N A WAY S E N I O R
APARTMENTS New One Bedrooms
$900/month 73582 Catalina Way
Palm Desert 92260 Manager
on site or call for appointment
818-404-0787.
SOLVE YOUR FRUSTRATING
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS!
Installation, technical issues, even
how-do-I-do-this problems. No
charge if problem not solved. Call
me for your Computer, TV, Phone,
Audio, Ipad, etc. technical needs.
References. Very reasonable rates.
David (Bonded. Ex-special ed
teacher) 760-989-4260.
Candle Lighting Times
Friday, April 3
Saturday, April 4
Friday, April 10
Friday, April 17
Friday, April 24
Shabbat Pesach
6:26 pm
2nd night Pesach
After 7:52 pm
Shabbat Pesach
6:31 pm
Shabbat Shmini
6:36 pm
Shabbat Tazriah-Metzora
6:42 pm
We Mourn the Passing of...
Sharon Amov, Howard Appleman, Gladys Becker, Morris
Levy, Jordan Orenstein, Albert Rosen, Vivian Slor, Jeff Stratyner and
Randy Tichauer. Our deepest sympathies to their families and friends.
May their memories endure as a blessing.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WELCOMED The Jewish Community News welcomes letters to the editor Publication will be based on appropriateness of material and
available space, at the discretion of the editorial staff. We reserve the right to edit submissions. Submit letters of 250 words or less by e-mail to: mhbentjcn@earthlink.
net, fax to 760-320-6085 or mail to the Jewish Federation, 69-710 Hwy. 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, attn: Editor, JCN.
22 • JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org
Laugh out Loud
Stories in the news that bring a smile!
FATAL ATTRACTION
What makes a particular person attractive to another person?
Researchers have theorized its body chemistry – smell and hormones,
but physicians at Beilenson Hospital think they’ve found the real
key.
Genetic attraction!
An Israeli study of 1,310 couples whose genetic material was used
to establish paternity – that is, while not all were married to one
another, all had been intimate at some time in the past – revealed
they share certain genetic elements, regardless whether they came
from the same cultural background or ethnicity. The same patterns
where genes lined up like celestial constellations did not appear when
researchers matched up men and women randomly.
OFF THE TOP OF HIS HEAD
The bone of contention in a recent medical negligence suit was truly
unique: The plaintiff was a 58 year-old man whose head was bashed-in
during a brawl in a wedding hall, requiring brain surgery at Rambam
Hospital to stop the hemorrhaging. However, several months later,
when it came time to put back in place a piece of his skull that had
been removed to access the brain cavity, the hospital’s bone bank
personnel were left scratching their heads, forced to admit the missing
piece was nowhere to be found.
The former patient was forced to have an artificial plate attached (not
surprisingly, choosing another hospital to do the procedure). He
then filed a medical negligence suit against Rambam … but not only
for the wayward bone segment. Unabashed, the patient demanded
untold millions for loss of memory and field of vision, depression,
and seizures as well, which he now claims were the doctor’s fault.
What about the three assailants who bashed in his head? Oh, they
do appear in the case. As co-defendants.
Have A Nosh With Miriam
By Miriam H. Bent
For more than 15 years our
family, and all our guests at
our Seders, were blessed to
have preeminent baker Harriet
Goldberg provide all our Pesach
cookies. Platter after platter of wonderful baking
arrived hours before the first Seder and lasted
through the week. A few months ago, after the
passing of her husband, Harriet moved back to the
Bay Area and not only will she not be part of our Seders, but I have had to pull out
my Pesachdic baking recipes and start baking myself again! I’ve selected three
easy recipes to share with you, containing just 4, 5 and 6 ingredients respectively!
Warmest wishes for wonderful Seders, surrounded by family and friends. And,
Harriet, we all will miss you! Chag samayach. MHB
CHOCOLATE CHIP MIRACLE BARS
2 cups ground almonds (see note)
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9" x13" pan. Mix ingredients together and
spread in pan with spatula. Batter will be thick but do not add water. Just mix it well.
Bake for 23 minutes. Cool then cut into squares.
Note: Grind almonds in your food processor but watch carefully as you grind them
so they don’t become almond butter! Adding a little of the sugar in with the almonds
helps with controlling the grinding.
CRUNCHY PECAN COOKIES
6 oz. pecans (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Scant 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Special equipment: parchment paper
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large
baking sheet with parchment paper. Coarsely chop 1 cup pecans and set aside.
Pulse remaining 1/2 cup pecans in a food processor with sugar, potato starch, salt,
and cinnamon until finely ground (be careful not to pulse to a paste), then stir into
egg whites. Stir in remaining cup chopped pecans.
Drop 1/2 tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on baking sheet and bake until cookies
are lightly browned and slightly puffed, 15 to 17 minutes. Slide parchment onto
a rack and cool cookies completely (cookies will crisp as they cool), then remove
from paper. Bake and cool 2 more parchment-lined sheets of cookies in same
manner. (Can be made 1 week ahead and kept in an airtight container). Makes
about 42 cookies.
SUGAR FREE COCONUT MACAROONS
THE GAME GOES ON
117 grandmasters and 100 Israelis were among the 250 players from 33
countries taking part in the European Individual Chess Championship
competition in Jerusalem in late February/early March. Competitors
took a free day for a trip to the Dead Sea ... but chess was not left
behind, as lightweight chess boards floated in the Dead Sea’s buoyant
waters and the games went on.
2 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar substitute
1 teaspoon almond extract
2¼ cups grated coconut
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large
bowl. Beat until stiff peaks form. Continue beating, adding the sugar substitute.
Fold in the almond extract, then fold in the grated coconut. Mixture will be stiff.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Remove to
a wire rack to cool. Cookies will be 1" in diameter. Makes 35 cookies (1.25 grams
carbohydrates per cookie).
JCN • April 2015 • Nissan/Iyar 5775 • www.jfedps.org • 23
HELP US ANSWER THE NEEDS OF
THE JEWISH WORLD
Our Jewish Federation in the desert has been supporting, sustaining and revitalizing Jewish
life for over half a century. Today our work is far from finished. And we need your support.
Your contribution helps to care for our entire Jewish community, enabling us to use your gift
whenever it’s needed most … at home, in Israel and around the world.
With our 2015 campaign underway, we ask that you give generously. The needs are great.
The time is now.
OF PALM SPRINGS & DESERT AREA
The Strength of a People.
The Power of Community.
69-710 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
760-324-4737 • www.jfedps.org