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Winter 2015

*Federation touches more Jewish lives on the planet than any other organization. With programs in

over 70 countries around the world, our work includes: aiding over 70,000 poverty-stricken Jews in

war-torn Ukraine; helping needy Holocaust survivors worldwide; providing Jewish education for

children and teens; helping connect young Jewish adults to their religion, culture and to Israel. And so

much more.

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Dear Friends,

My first year as the Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties has just

come to a close. It has been a very exciting year. We have developed new programs, partnered with new organiza-

tions and reached out to new friends, all while strengthening and renewing our traditional friendships and commit-

ments.

Our world is changing quickly and it’s important that your Federation change with it. We have been listening to

young leaders in our community about how they see the Jewish world and particularly our community, and working

with them to keep the goals of our Federation current while remaining faithful to our values and mission. I’m hap-

py to say we are off to a great start and look forward to the new things coming down the pike.

As always, we are open to constructive input from all members of the tri-county area. So please feel free to reach

out to me, the Board or staff any time. We would be very happy to hear your thoughts. It’s how we grow and im-

prove.

I must say, I am looking forward to my second year with great excitement. Our up-and-coming leaders are heading

off to Israel in February, our second annual men’s event will be taking place in the early spring, the Business Net-

working Group already has sponsors for all of their wonderful events for the year, many of whom are new to the

group. Women’s Philanthropy is working hard to help disabled veterans in Israel and here at home, and the Com-

munity Relations Council is planning a very exciting event for the 8th to 12th grade students from all of our local

Hebrew high schools.

Please read through this issue of the Speaker to find out the details of these exciting opportunities for you to be-

come engaged with our wonderful community.

Thank you to everyone who helped make my first year a successful one, and I look forward to many more years of

working together with all of you.

Sincerely,

Robin Wishnie

Executive Director

A Letter from the Executive Director

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The future and growth of a Jewish community is dependent on its

organizations, synagogues and Jewish “presence” in the community. One

way to insure its continuity and growth is determined by the vitality and

life of these institutions.

What better way to keep them going and growing than by assuring the

future leadership exists and moves forward with these organizations?

That is the basis for the Blank Leadership Fellow Program.

With the help and guidance of existing leaders and Rabbis, we feel

fortunate to have chosen 17

young leaders who we expect will

have this impact on the communities of Somerset, Hunterdon and

Warren Counties. They are going through a monthly orientation

program including areas such as Jewish history (it’s hard to know

where you’re going if you don’t know from where you came…

Jewishly.), Jewish leadership, the importance of fundraising, tzedakah

and social justice, and an overview of Israel are all parts of the

growth opportunities this program will provide. These will be

followed by a week in Israel that we believe will provide an overall

frame of reference for the importance that Israel, its yesterday, today

and tomorrow play in our Jewish world and the

world at large.

When we return we fully expect that the Fellows

will be ready to take on new leadership

challenges in the community. We hope you will

be inspired by their growth and development.

Harriet & George Blank

B L A N K

L E A D E R S H I P

F E L L O W S

George Blank , co-founder of the Blank Leadership

Development Program

Alan Finkelstein, President Emeritus of Jewish Community Centers of North

America, leading a discussion on leadership in the November session.

Robert Lichtman, Executive Director, The

Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life

discussing the “History of our People” in the

October session

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Under the banner of “Spread Hummus Not Hate,” Jewish and Muslim groups are joining in a campaign to combat Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and other forms of bigotry.

The program, organized by the New York-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, includes widespread participation by Jewish organizations and in-dividuals in New Jersey.

Following a Nov. 1 interfaith rally in Trenton, the events

will include a gathering of several hundred Muslim and Jewish women in Princeton on Sunday, Dec. 6.

Members of 16 chapters of the Sisterhood of Salaam/

Shalom from across the United States will come together for an all-day conference at Princeton University on the role of women in reconciliation between the Jewish and Muslim communities.

Their gathering will follow several interfaith actions spon-sored by FFEU. One was a Nov. 5 bus tour of 15 Muslim and Jewish activists of institutions in the Washington, DC, area, including a synagogue, a mosque, and a Muslim community center.

The participants sang peace songs and shared pita and

hummus with people they met, as they asked them to sign pledges to confront bigotry in their own communi-ties.

“The point of ‘Spread Hummus Not Hate’ is to show that grassroots Muslims and Jews can come together as close friends and collaborators and take a united stand against Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and other manifestations of bigotry,” said Walter Ruby, FFEU’s Muslim-Jewish pro-gram director. “We are here to demonstrate that we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers and will stand up for

each other if either community is under attack.”

In an earlier action on Nov. 1, 36 organizations, including 11 from the Jewish community, gathered at the New Jer-sey State Museum in Trenton for a rally titled “Stand Up

for the Other.”

It was organized by the FFEU, the New Jersey Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee, the Islamic Society of Bask-ing Ridge, the NJ State Association of Jewish Federations,

and the Jewish Catholic Muslim Dialogue of Southern New Jersey.

“At a time of increased violence, fear, and mistrust among members of diverse faiths and ethnicities, the ‘Stand Up for the Other Rally’ offers a critically important

opportunity for Jews, Muslims, Christians, and people of all faith traditions from across New Jersey to issue a call of conscience: reject violence, bigotry, and incitement

against members of any faith or ethnic community and stand up for each other,” said Jacob Toporek, executive director of the NJ State Association of Jewish Federations.

The rally kicked off what FFEU called its fourth “Season of Twinning,” a series of annual meetings among people of many faiths. Faith communities join together in feeding the hungry and homeless and standing together against Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

Speakers at the rally included state Senators Ray Lesniak (D-Dist. 20) and Linda Greenstein (D-Dist. 14); Jonathan Golden, director of Drew University’s Center on Religion, Culture & Conflict; and Dr. Ali Chaudry, president of the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge.

Chaudry urged participants to promise that “while inter-

acting with members of my own faith or ethnic communi-ty, or with others, if I hear hateful comments from any-one about members of any other community, I pledge to stand up for the other and challenge bigotry in any form.”

Lesniak told NJ Jewish News, “This movement can save

civilization from destroying itself. This is a global initiative that can bring all faiths together to stand up for each other. It has never been done before, and it is needed now more than ever.”

Among the Jewish organizations that participated in the Trenton rally were Adath Israel Congregation of Law-renceville, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Community Relations Committee

of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, Congregation Or Ha Lev in Mount Arlington, the Jewish Labor Committee, and White Meadow Tem-ple in Rockaway.

Muslims and Jews join in twinning’ events After rally in Trenton, faith groups spread ‘hummus, not hate’

Robert Wiener of NJ Jewish News

November 11, 2015

Jews and Muslims share lunch and the FFEU’s “We Refuse

To Be Enemies” message in Washington.

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WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY DIVISION

MISSION STATEMENT

The Women's Philanthropy Division of

The Jewish Federation of

Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties

will endeavor to educate, engage and

energize the women of our community so

that they may have a positive impact on the

lives of Jewish women and children in need

locally, in Israel and throughout the world.

We salute the women in our community

who through their passion and

commitment, donate at the Pomegranate or

Lion of Judah level. These women embody

the leadership needed to accomplish our

mission.

Visit

www.jfedshaw.org/women

to learn more and to get involved!

Alissa Fox Laura Boretz

Women’s Philanthropy

Co-Chair

Women’s Philanthropy

Co-Chair

On October 27th, the Women’s Philanthropy Division

of The Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren

Counties held their annual “Imagine “ event, at the Raritan

Valley Country Club in Bridgewater, New Jersey. This year’s

focus is on helping disabled Veterans both in our own com-

munity and in Israel. After much research and deliberation,

the Philanthropy Division, co– chaired by Alissa Fox and

Laura Boretz, decided to focus their efforts on 52 Reasons to

Love a Vet and The Zahal Disabled Veterans Fund .

52 Reasons to Love A Vet was started by a local mom

of Lebanon Township , Ella Rue . Her son is a sergeant in the

Army National Guard. Last year he was sent out of a VA hos-

pital with open MRSA sores, after being told he'd had all the

medical care he was entitled to. While he will be okay, says

his mother, Ella wants to help other soldiers and vets who

find themselves needing sevices and financial assistance be-

yond that provided by the military. In collaboration with Bob

Wise, CEO of Hunterdon Healthcare, set up this new non-

profit.

Artists from all over were invited to create pictures on

the theme of veterans and what their nation owes them.

These pictures are then used on a deck of playing cards,

where the “52 Reasons” organization takes its names from.

The nonprofit's mission is to offer financial assistance to vet-

erans for educational, health, dental or mental-health needs.

The Zahal Disabled Veterans Fund has many locations

throughout Israel. They are the first to admit that the State

of Israel, with its many challenge and its limited resources,

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cannot cope with the many needs of the disabled

veterans in their long rehabilitation process. To

be able to raise the necessary funds to answer

these needs, the Zahal Disabled Veterans Fund

(ZDVF) was established by the Zahal Disabled Vet-

erans Organization (ZDVO).

The Fund’s goals are to raise funds in Israel

and abroad for building Beit Halochem Centres,

purchasing equipment and operating the vast re-

habilitation network of the Zahal Disabled Veter-

ans Organization. This includes the wide array of

physiotherapy, sports and cultural activities.

Funds are also used to support Special Pro-

jects such as a Scholarship Program offering High-

er Education Scholarships and Sports Scholarships

(for achievement oriented sports), enabling those

disabled veterans with potential to integrate into

the framework of the international competitions

circuit.

The “Imagine” event was a way for our

community to come together and give back to

these two wonderful organizations. Women came

in the early morning to shop local vendors who

later donated 20% of their sales to the cause.

Shopping was followed by a quick talk from both

organizations and then a lovely brunch. It was a

wonderfully inspirational morning and everyone

who attended made a difference that day.

We would like to thank all of our event

sponsors; PNC Wealth Management, Drs. Alissa

and James Fox, Dr. Arthur and Mrs. Elizabeth Ro-

swell, Mr. George and Mrs. Harriet Blank,

ShopRite of Hunterdon County, Helen Goldson,

Mr. & Mrs. David A. Neibart, Susan Friedman,

Debby Feldman, Susan Darien, Nancy Gorrel, Ni-

colas & Emily Soonthornchai, Beverly Landstrom,

Ronit Zilberboim and Gray’s Florist & Garden

Center. We would also like to thank all of the

vendors who attended and also donated items to

the silent auction and Pandora’s Box.

A special thank you goes out to all those

who attended and made it a wonderful way to

start the day. Donations are still open. Please visit

www.jfedshaw.org/imagine2015 to donate to-

day and to view all the photos from the day of

the event!

Ella Rue selling books and decks of playing cards at Imagine 2015.

A live Klezmer band played throughout the event, while

people shopped and ate.

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TRENTON - Legislation sponsored by Senator Bob Gordon and Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg to protect monetary reparations received by Holocaust

survivors from being seized is now law. "The dreadful atrocities suffered by people young and old during this time period will forever be a stain on history," said Gordon (D-Bergen / Passaic). "The

monetary reparations received by Holocaust survivors and the family members of those who endured these horrible crimes must be permanently protected from seizure. These are long-overdue payments that we have an obligation to ensure remain with the individu-als to whom they were owed and their loved ones."

The law (S2676) stipulates that, except for child support payment orders, monetary reparations desig-nated for or received by a Holocaust survivor of Nazi persecution from any governmental source or victim

assistance source shall be exempt from all claims of creditors and from levy, execution, attachment or other legal processes. "It is our obligation to ensure that the reparations

received by survivors and their families, which were provided years after these horrid crimes were commit-ted, are protected," said Senator Weinberg. "By making sure the payments are exempt from seizure by credi-tors and others, we will provide safeguards for those living in our state so that the money owed to them is

not further diminished." Under federal law, Holocaust reparations payments are exempt as assets / resources for the purposes of determining eligibility for Medicaid as long as the pay-

ments are "separately identifiable," that is, maintained in a separate account. Any interest or dividends earned on the reparation payments, however, are not exempt from Medicaid's calculation of income and assets / re-sources. The new law will continue the exempt status of

the reparations payments upon the death of the Medi-caid recipient by providing that they are not part of the Medicaid recipient's estate and, therefore, not subject to recovery in an estate proceeding of a Medicaid recip-ient.

In 2000, a global settlement agreement and plan of distribution was ratified which included the establish-ment of an $800 million settlement fund designed to provide restitution to Holocaust victims and their survi-vors for money illegally obtained from Swiss banks by

the Nazi regime. The Claims Resolution Tribunal has received over 32,000 claims from Nazi victims or their heirs to assets deposited in Swiss banks in the period

before and after World War II. At about the same time, the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insur-ance Claims established a program to settle insurance claims never paid to Holocaust victims or their heirs. Recently, Holocaust survivors or their heirs have begun

to receive reparations payments from the funds estab-lished for this purpose. It is estimated that approxi-mately 4,500 Holocaust survivors live in New Jersey.

Because these funds represent reparations for mon-ey improperly seized or withheld, the sponsors hope to ensure that they are not further diminished by remain-ing subject to creditor or other claims. The new law al-so exempts these funds from estate recoveries under

the Medicaid program. Under State and federal Medi-caid law, a state must seek recovery from the estate of the deceased Medicaid recipient for all services received when the recipient was 55 years of age or older, such as nursing home services, home and community-based

services and related hospital and prescription drug ser-vices. The bill was approved 75-0-1 in the Assembly and 31-0 in the Senate. The governor's office announced

Monday that it was signed into law. The law takes ef-fect immediately.

Gordon-Weinberg Bill to Protect Holocaust Reparations Now Law

News From The Senate Democrats

November 11, 2015

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Local leaders enjoyed the chance to enjoy kosher hot dogs and hamburgers this past September

during the Annual BNG Poolside BBQ, while getting the chance to learn, network, and chat about their own

business ventures. We are thrilled that everyone found this event so valuable and look forward to future

Business Networking Groups with the community!

A special thank you to Rich Cohen, J.D., CFP(r) and PNC Wealth Management for sponsoring the

BBQ and our chairs Kenneth M. Kaplan, owner of Quantum Floats , and Michael B. Lehner, CPA/ABV, CFE,

ASA, Principal, Litigation and Valuation Services, zbt Certified Public Accounting & Consulting, LLC.

We are so glad that many businesses choose Federation to be a place where they can network with

other leaders in the community.

Business Networking Group

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The Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren’s Emerging Leadership Division is comprised of Jewish leaders from across all of the synagogues and Jewish communal agencies in our area, and represent our community’s’ unified commitment to coming together to do great work in our area.

The Emerging Leadership Division’s winter volunteer meeting is on December 22nd at 7PM. We will be

discussing volunteer opportunities with the “Good Deeds Corp” and “Family Mentoring Program”, part of Jewish Family Service of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties.

Good Deeds Corp - Many seniors are isolated, alone and vulnerable; often weakened by physical ill ness, emotionally upset due to multiple losses and stressed daily by limited finances. Managing day to day alone becomes difficult. By volunteering as little as one time a month you can make a difference.

Family Mentoring- Many families struggle without the emotional support and benefit of an older person’s wisdom and advice about parenting and when confronting the challenges of raising a family. The Family Mentor Program provides a volunteer to make weekly home visits of one hour each to pro vide this kind of support and guidance.

The only requirement to join the Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren’s Emerging Leadership Division is to have a clear mind and full heart.

For any questions or concerns, please contact Dan Fahrer @ 908- 725-6994 x253 or dfahrer@jfedshaw.org

Get to know our JFed SHAW Board Members! As the Federation’s Vice President and Campaign Chair, it seemed only natural that we highlight Michael Saul next!

Michael is a Wealth Management Advisor and has been serving his

clients at Merrill Lynch for the past 20 years! Michael lives in Basking

Ridge with his wife Christine and their dog Reo. Their triplets, Ryan,

Emily and Kyle are now attending their first years of college.

When Michael’s not working, he enjoys running, going down to the

Jersey Shore, walking their dog, and attending/watching Penn State

Football games.

As a member of the Board for the past 12 years, Michael hopes to see

the Federation’s relevance and importance to the community increase

over time. He is also happy about the recent cohesiveness of the local

Jewish community.

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Sen. Menendez Statement on 20th Anniversary of

Assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez on November 5th, 2015 issued the following statement

marking the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:

“We remember the tragic assassination of former Israeli Prime Minister

Yitzhak Rabin, twenty years ago today, in a place we now call Rabin Square.

Prime Minister Rabin was not only a hero in war—commanding the Israeli

Defense Forces to victory against all odds in the Six-Day War—but a leader

for the cause of peace and reconciliation with the Palestinian people.

Through the course of his career, Rabin served our great ally, Israel, as

Chief of Staff to the Israeli Defense Forces, Ambassador to the United

States, Minister of Labor, Minister of Defense, member of the Knesset, and

of course as a great Prime Minister. In remembering his loss, twenty years

ago today, we also remember his life—a life dedicated to defending his

country and making the world a more peaceful and secure place.”

The Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties

appreciate the support of Senator Menedez.

"Jews of Sicily: A Forgotten History"

with Sergio Caldarella

The saga of Jewish history has no simple chapters, and the chapter on Sicilian Jews is certainly no ex-ception. While the histories of Galician, Indian, and Japanese Jews have been studied extensively, one of the oldest communities of the Diaspora has been generally neglected. The biggest island of the Med-iterranean Sea, Sicily, has been for millennia one of the most important crossroads of the early civiliza-tions.

Jews have left their mark in many Sicilian areas, from their language, to their culinary traditions, to the topography of cities, and in the names of the people. Most of these connections remain to be investi-gated, and much is yet to be done to better understand these Jewish communities, which have lived for more than fifteen centuries on the island, leaving us precious pearls still waiting to be discovered.

Join us for a free lecture with Sergio Caldarella, a passionate reader of poetry, physics and philosophy. Author of ten books, several papers and two theater pieces staged in Italy and Germany, lives in Prince-ton, NJ.

JANUARY 28TH, 2016

7:30PM—9:00PM

SHIMON AND SARA BIRNBAUM JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

775 TALAMINI ROAD. BRIDGEWATER, NJ 08807

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Basic Latkes

Made Even Better Three things make latkes different:

You squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the potatoes before adding the

other ingredients to make them extra crisp

You add your favorite fresh or dried herb to boost the flavor

You fry them in delicious olive oil

* Each pound of potatoes makes about 15 3-inch latke

1 pound baking potatoes

1 small onion, peeled

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg, lightly beat-en

2 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp of your favorite fresh herb or 1 tsp of a dried herb Olive oil for frying

Coarsely shred the potato and onion in a food processor or on a grater. Transfer to a colander and press out liquid, or wrap in cheesecloth and squeeze dry.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg, salt and pepper together. Stir in the potato/onion mixture. Add herbs. Try fresh parsley or dill, or dried rose-mary or sage.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Drop heaping tablespoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with a spatula. Cook until the edges are golden, about a minute and half, and then flip and cook about 1 minute on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Add more oil to the skillet as needed

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Steven B. Lieberman

Kalman Barson

George Blank

Mark Chazin

Elaine Dunst

Alissa Fox

Leonard Knauer

Sandra Krawitz

Eric Lavitsky

Pamela Nemeth

Evelyn Rauch

Arthur Roswell

Michael Saul

Edward Tolman

Gerald Weissman

STAFF

Robin Wishnie

Executive Director

Daniel Fahrer

Campaign Manager

Susan Giardina

Financial Services Manager

Kim Lazarus

Development Coordinator

Topaz Weinglass

Program Coordinator

Find us on...

The Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties is the umbrella organi-

zation of the area’s Jewish community, bringing together agencies, organizations, and

communities to support and fulfill the needs of the Jewish people.

The Federation raises funds to coordinate services, and supports agencies that touch the

lives of Jews in Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties, in Israel, and throughout the

world.