SHABBAT SHALOM, GESHER SHALOM!


 
March 8th 2019
 
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Shabbat Times: 
Candle Lighting
Evening Service
Morning Service
Minha
5:37 pm
7:00pm
9:30am
5:00pm
 
  Forecast: 46/partly cloudy

IN THIS ISSUE...
Shabbat Kiddush
Join us for Kiddush on Shabbat. This is the perfect opportunity for us to experience community and get to know each other better.

Birthdays and Anniversaries 
Chase Barnett
Bonnie Weisner
Eloise Polinsky
Fred Wolodiger
Jerome Goldfischer
Susan Davis
Jill Rak
 
Marjorie & Irwin Berger
Nancy & Seymour Green
Nili & Alvin Cohen


   UPCOMING EVENTS
 
Saturday 3/9
Morning Service 9:30 am
Minha , S'uda Shlishit (3rd Shabbat Meal), timely topic, Maariv and Havdalah 5:00 pm
Wednesday 3/13
Sentimental Journey: Celebrating the music of Gershwin and the Big Band Eras with Lois Goldrich 1:00 pm
Thursday 3/14
Rabbi's Class "Talmud and Tangents" 10:30 am
Purim Gift Bag Packing: come help the Sisterhood 11:00 am
Friday 3/15
Bible Class 11:30 am
Friday Night Dinner & Musical Service 6:00 pm
 
 
It's not Springtime yet,
but it is TIME TO SPRING FORWARD:
Tomorrow night please set your clocks 1 hour ahead
We are making every effort to offer you monthly Shabbat dinners.
But we can only continue to do this if you make timely reservations.
Why not call the Office now?

Torah Rea ding   567        Haftarah 580
P'KUDEI

The total cost incurred in the construction of the Sanctuary was counted at Moses' command under the direction of Itamar, Aaron's youngest son. The weight of the gold amounted to 29 talents and 730 shekels; of the silver to 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, and of the brass to 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. The work, having been completed with the making of the priestly garments, was inspected and approved by Moses, who blessed the people for their magnificent achievement.
 
On the first day of the first month (i.e. Nisan, almost a year after the departure from Egypt), the Tabernacle was erected under Moses' personal supervision, and the contents were arranged in the prescribed order. A cloud covered the Tabernacle, which was filled with God's glory. Whenever the cloud lifted it gave the signal to the Israelites to continue their journey.
 
With the Sidra P'kudei we conclude the Book of Exodus.

Tonight: Evening service at 7:00 p.m.
Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.
We're going to try something different: in lieu of a sermon we are going to try to replicate our Shabbat afternoon discussions on a larger scale.     
Please bring your copies of the Messenger or a print-out of the Bret Stephens' piece:  The Progressive Assault on Israel 
A movement that can detect a racist dog-whistle from miles away is strangely deaf when it comes to some of the barking on its own side of the fence.
Tomorrow afternoon at 5:00 p.m.
During Seudah Shlishit we will continue reading Michelle Alexander's NYT op-ed Time to Break the Silence on Palestine, which will be followed by three refutations: Alan Dershowitz, Peter Buchsbaum and Thane Rosenbaum.


This Week's Yahrzeit Observances
We hope that our weekly listing of yahrzeit observances will serve 2 purposes:
1)     To remind those who have the yahrzeit for a second time, much closer to the date of the actual observance
2)     To alert friends and acquaintances that someone they know is observing a yahrzeit. We hope that you will show them your support by joining them at our minyanim, and helping to assure that Kaddish can be recited with a minyan 
 
Steven Kolitch will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Bernard Kolitch on Sunday evening, March 10th
Marvin Kochansky will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Abraham Kochansky on Monday evening, March 11th
Naomi Altschul will be observing yahrzeit for her father, Maurice Heller on Tuesday evening, March 12th
 



Genetic Research: Almost a Quarter of Latinos, Hispanics Have Jewish DNA   
Unprecedented genetic research undertaken by dozens of professors from around the world has provided evidence that almost a quarter of Latinos and Hispanics have significant Jewish DNA.   
Measles Outbreak: 1 Student Got 21 Others Sick                                                                                                               The city's Department of Health had issued an order requiring schools to prohibit unvaccinated students from attending. A yeshiva in Brooklyn ignored it.                                                                    


Israel's Secret Founding Fathers
Everyone knows the name David Ben-Gurion. Why don't we know about the spy Jamil Cohen?        


Israel



Bibi and the Elections                       

Is Israel Approaching its Watergate Moment?
Bibi Slams AIPAC Criticism of Alliance with Otzma Yehudit 
Will Israelis Say Bye-Bye to Bibi?  
The accusations against the PM are grave. Graver still, though, is his reckless assault on rivals, the media, the cops and the legal system as he fights desperately to retain power. As the investigations against him have intensified, the prime minister's verbal assaults on those who dare to question him have become fiercer, and the range of targets has widened one by one, to ultimately include all the foundations upon which our free society rests.

Bret Stephens: Time for Netanyahu to Go 
Donniel Hartmann: Which Torah Shall Emanate Out of Zion? 
Can Israel Survive Without Netanyahu? Israelis Imagine the Future  Could Ayman Odeh Help Topple Bibi?  In a fiery speech, the country's top Arab politician imagines what was previously considered impossible: a Jewish-Arab coalition to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu    






 
Haredi Orthodox Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Won't Speak at a Conservative/Masorti Movement Venue            

Bedouin Father, Jewish Mother, and Golani Heart
On Thursday, Golani company commander Shaker Kozly awarded the brown beret of the elite infantry brigade to his little brother, Adam; the family may be of mixed ethnicity, but love of the IDF is in their blood    

MAHAMEED BECOMES FIRST MUSLIM WOMAN TO RIDE A MEDICAL MOTORCYCLE     
Supporting and Empowering Women in Israel                                     
Michal, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, worked in the kitchens of prestigious restaurants before deciding to open her own confectionary shop and catering service on her grandparents' farm in the Jezre'el Valley. 

Tourism to Israel Stays Strong in February




BDS / Anti-Semitism / anti-Zionism
This week she gets her own sub-heading:  Ilhan Omar
She is duplicitous; she is not naïve . Last week at a well-known DC restaurant/forum, "Busboys and Poets", when a supporter shouted, "It's all about the Benjamin's", she smirked/smiled/laughed, as others cheered. If her earlier apology for that remark was really sincere, she should have rejected and reprimanded her supporter.
She is the victimizer, but, aided and abetted by her supporters and by those who just want this to go away, she has become the victim.
This controversy, taken together with Bibi's shameful gambit to empower Oztma Yehudit...it makes our job as advocates of a strong, bi-partisan relationship with Israel all the more difficult-and all the more important.
Time is short. Please contact me about coming to AIPAC March 24-26. I promise you it will be exciting. And I promise that you will be safe.
kas



If you read nothing else in this heading, read this, please ( I am mulling over Stephens' second-to-last paragraph; not sure if I agree):
Ilhan Omar Knows Exactly What She Is Doing                                                                                                                     As the criticism of Omar mounts, it becomes that much easier for her to seem like the victim of a smear campaign, rather than the instigator of a smear                
 
How Influential Is AIPAC? Less Than Beer Sellers, Public Accountants, and Toyota
A list of lobbies and their spending may surprise Congresswoman Omar and her supporters                  

Video: Why Ilhan Omar Faces Charges of Anti-Semitism             
Wow! In the Forward! Please read on:
The Left Is Making Jews Choose: Our Progressive Values or Ourselves                                                                   Omar's supporters based their defenses around a bizarre, self-contradictory combination of denying that her words evoked anti-Semitic stereotypes while implicitly admitting her words did evoke those stereotypes with elaborate deflections and whataboutisms. ("Don't throw the book at a Muslim woman of color while ignoring the many, many white Christian members of Congress who've trafficked in anti-Semitic tropes and tell me you're doing it to protect Jews" was a typical sentiment.)                     

Ilhan Omar's Criticism Raises the Question: Is AIPAC Too Powerful? 
"AIPAC does not lobby on behalf of Israel. But it almost always sides with the Israeli government, no matter who is in charge                                                              
 
I agree with much that Freidman writes; however he does not acknowledge the constraints under which AIPAC must operate as an advocate for every/any Israeli government, no matter what its policies are. That is both the beauty of AIPAC...and its burden. I can't wait for AIPAC to support the policies of a more tolerant, less polarizing Israeli government coalition!   -  kas
Gotheimer and Colleagues: Why, as Members of Congress, We Must Call Out Rep. Ilhan Omar's Comments                                          
                                                                   

Democrats Revising Anti-Semitism Resolution After Pressure from Party's Left    

 
House Votes to Condemn All Hate as Anti-Semitism Debate Overshadows Congress    
Watch Congressman Ted Deutch's impassioned speech from the Well of the House here:
"Today the House of Representatives voted to condemn anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, bigotry, racism, and hatred of all kinds. All are worthy of condemnation. I joined my colleagues in condemning them all. But I feel let down by some colleagues who seem to have questioned those of us who feel the weight of history when we hear classic anti-Semitic language - history that has led to targeting Jews, expelling Jews from their countries, violence against Jews, and attempts to exterminate the Jewish people.
Anti-Semitism is worthy of being condemned, singularly .  I hope this painful week is never repeated in this Congress."
 
Now we know for sure that Rep. Omar's remarks are, at a minimum, over the top (next 2 articles):
Neturei Karta Express Support for Ilhan Omar                                                        
 
Former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke Heaps Praise on Rep. Ilhan Omar                                            
                                     
Top Foreign Affairs Democrat Rebukes Rep. Ilhan Omar for "Vile Anti-Semitic Slur"                                           
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Says Ilhan Omar is Subject to a Double Standard in Congress                                 

Ilhan Omar Controversy Caps a Month of Stumbles for Democratic Leaders
Some Democrats Running Out of Patience with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
 "For the second time in two months, we're diverting the floor of the U.S. House to address an issue directly because of her." 

Dear Reader,
Ilhan Omar is a big deal. She's a new Congresswoman, and when she assumed office she pushed to get the House rules changed so she could wear her  hijab  - which means Jews can wear yarmulkes. She's a Somali refugee and a Democrat who represents a district in Minnesota.

She supports BDS, a fact she revealed only  after  she was elected. And she's been accused of making  anti-Semitic remarks .
Whether you've been following the news about her already or just tuning in, we want to help you make sense of what's happening.
Most recently, Omar  tweeted  about "allegiance" to Israel. She was condemned and defended with equal ferocity. Our reporter Ari Feldman, a Minnesotan himself, surveys key players to find out what we're talking about when we talk about Ilhan Omar:  Israel, or anti-Semitism ?
If you need a bit of a primer, we've created a  timeline   for you, by news writer  Alyssa Fisher . It will help you understand what's happened in the past week, and how we got here.
  You might also be interested in how her Jewish constituents say that they've already tried to school her on anti-Semitism; you can read about it in  this article  by Aiden Pink, our politics reporter, who also hails from Minnesota. Is a primary challenge in the offing? Follow  @aidenpink on Twitter for news on that.

Opinion Editor Batya Ungar-Sargon suggests that you read    this  criticism,  this  defense, and this  lament to get a sense of the debate swirling around Omar. And you can go to our   Opinion section for even more.

We hope you find these articles useful. Please let us know! We're always eager to hear from you.
 
Warmly,
Helen Chernikoff
Senior News Editor
 
And this came from JTA's Ron Kampeas:
Democrats' All Lives Matter Moment
Democrats came to an agreement on a resolution to denounce anti-Semitism and other forms of bias, but few -- particularly the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi -- seemed especially satisfied.
There was agreement on a resolution that forcefully denounces the "dual loyalty" species of anti-Semitism that a Democratic freshman, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, has peddled. It also tweaks Republicans by denouncing the brand of bias critics most closely identify with President Donald Trump -- Islamophobia -- and taking aim at the white supremacists who have declared themselves his supporters.
At her weekly news conference, Pelosi said she had spoken with Omar and explained why her remarks about refusing to pledge "allegiance" to Israel were hurtful to Jews and others, in that they suggest that supporters of Israel are more loyal to a foreign country than their own.
But Pelosi made clear that Omar Just. Didn't. Get. It: "I don't think that the congresswoman perhaps appreciates the full weight of how it was heard by other people, although I don't believe it was intended in an anti-Semitic way," said a subdued Pelosi, announcing that the revised resolution would come to the floor the same day.
In other words, this issue isn't going away. Here are some reasons why:
* Omar is feeling emboldened: The 37-year-old lawmaker has twice apologized for peddling two other anti-Semitic tropes -- that Israel had "hypnotized" the world and that lawmakers backed Israel only in exchange for campaign donations. She's not apologizing this time. Instead, Omar is having a Twitter battle with veteran Jewish colleagues like Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee.
* Omar has friends: A gross Islamophobic attack on Omar at a West Virginia GOP event (an attack denounced by Republicans) that coincided with her "allegiance" controversy drew plenty of sympathy from colleagues, who may already feel protective of the newcomer and pathmaker -- she's the first Somali refugee and one of two Muslim women in Congress.
The House whip, James Clyburn of South Carolina, went so far as to suggest that Omar's sense of hurt is more "personal" because she is an actual refugee -- unlike, say, the descendants of Holocaust survivors or Japanese Americans interned during World War II. That prompted a rebuke from the Anti-Defamation League.
"The Holocaust was a singular tragedy resulting in the death of six million Jews," ADL said on Twitter. "It's offensive to diminish the suffering of survivors and the continuing pain of Jews today."
* Some of those friends are in high places: Four Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, have issued statements on the controversy. Harris, Sanders and Warren cast Omar as a victim, while only Gillibrand chided her for employing "anti-Semitic tropes.
Sanders and Warren, additionally, said Omar was being targeted for her tough posture on Israel, although only one Democrat, Juan Vargas of California, had mentioned Israel policy - caucus criticisms of Omar focused entirely on the anti-Semitic tropes. Batya Ungar-Sargon at the Forward writes about how unsettling this is for Jews watching the 2020 presidential race.
* Jews are not happy. Reports that Democrats were revising the resolution to include other forms of bias led to concern that the message would be diluted.
"I don't want to see this all-lives-mattered," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said on CNN before the resolution was published -- referring to attempts by white critics to defuse the Black Lives Matter movement.
Rep. Ted Deutch issued an impassioned appeal on the House floor: "When a colleague invokes anti-Semitic lies three times, then this body must condemn anti-Semitism," Deutch said. "Anti-Semitism is worthy of being condemned on its own."
The text of the actual resolution is less diffuse than those fears warranted: Its focus is on anti-Semitism, with an emphasis on the dual loyalty canard invoked by Omar, and the rest is mostly about Islamophobia.
"The message of the condemnation of anti-Semitism will be very clear," Halie Soifer, who directs the Jewish Democratic Council of America, told me.
* The timing isn't great: The tussle comes just weeks before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee annual policy conference, expected to draw 18,000 activists to Washington. AIPAC will emphasize bipartisanship and demand no booing from attendants; that might get observed in the breach. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to attend in person, and will meet with President Donald Trump, who is likely to seize the opportunity to present himself as the savior of the Jews. He has already taken aim at Democrats on Twitter.
* And not just Trump: Republicans naturally are making hay of splits within a Democratic caucus that until now had scored impressive victories, including forcing Trump to back down from a government shutdown.
"I took for granted as a result House Democrats would at least, at least make good on their plan to symbolically condemn anti-Semitism," Sen. Mitch McConnell, the majority leader in the Senate, sneered on the Senate floor. "I at least assumed a few pages of symbolism was not too much to ask.
* The bright side: Non-Jewish House Democrats who have forcefully denounced Omar's rhetoric include some usual suspects - Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York. But it also drew out some unusual ones, including Rep. Betty McCollum, a fierce critic of Israel. She said in a statement that her fellow Minnesotan "must take responsibility for the effect her words have on her colleagues, her constituents, and the policies Democrats seek to advance."
Also chiding Omar was Rep. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey: "What we've seen are statements suggesting that our fellow Americans who back our current policy are motivated not by sincere conviction, but by money or loyalty to another state," he said on Twitter, naming Omar. "The overwhelming majority of us have and will continue to condemn that way of thinking."
The Republican Jewish Coalition had made Malinowski, a freshman, a target in the last election because for a time he worked for Human Rights Watch, a group stridently critical of Israeli policies, and because he was a veteran of the Obama administration's State Department. (Malinowski's brief did not include Israel).

                                          
The Young German Jews Who Left Everything Behind - and Moved to Israel                                                   Increasing anti-Semitism and a general feeling of foreignness are pushing more and more German Jews to move to Israel. Despite the many obstacles that stand in the way, they seem to have no regrets.                       

To Argue for the Abolition of the Jewish Homeland Flirts with Anti-Semitism 
 
In Britain's Labour Party, Jewish Women Endure the Worst Abuse
It's Not Quite Clear Who Is Who in the World of the Yellow Vests /Macron / Anti-Semitism
 Finkielkraut claimed that he had not been attacked as a Jew, but as a supporter of the State of Israel. He then added that the man who had insulted him did not speak like a "yellow vest" and that the words "God will punish you" is an expression from "Islamic rhetoric". Police who watched the video identified the man as a radicalized Muslim, and the next day arrested him.                                                                                                         

Europe's Ubiquitous Anti-Semitism  
Cornell University President Shares "Strong Opposition to BDS" for 'Unfairly' Singling Out Israel, Questioning Jewish State's Right to Exist




The Palestinians

Israel Tells Hamas to Rein in Border Violence or Face Military Action   
 
And it's not just Hamas who may be spoiling for war: a war would probably burnish Bibi's pre-election image, too:
WILL WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS BREAK OUT BEFORE ELECTIONS?                                                                 A continued deterioration of Gaza's civilian infrastructure will continue to put pressure on Hamas, which could lead to another violent clash with Israel.       
 Egypt Seeks to Consolidate Truce in Gaza 
Arab Religiosity and Support for the Palestinians 
There are more webpages in Arabic for the al-Aqsa mosque than webpages on Palestinian resistance. In English, there are triple the number of webpages on Palestinian resistance than on the al-Aqsa mosque, reflecting a more secular public than in the Arab world. To understand the Middle East, you have to think in Arabic and take religion much more seriously.                                                                               

Is Abbas Behind the Tension on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem?  
The Golden Gate in History                                                                                  
Senior Israeli Delegation Visits Jordan over Temple Mount Crisis 
EU Court Upholds Terrorist Listing for Hamas and Upholds Freeze on Its Funds                                          













                                            
We Need Volunteers From Our Congregation
WE NEED YOU!!!

To volunteer, please email Hilda Froelke-  hfroelke@aol.com  


















 

February 2019 / Adar I 5779

Dear  Families,

I am pleased to make you aware of National Ramah's Affordability Initiative, which provides substantial funding for families in crisis to send their children to Camp Ramah.

If you know of someone in your community who might be interested in Ramah but cannot afford any tuition, please let us know. We will make every effort to make it possible for the child to attend a Ramah camp.

This scholarship assistance applies to our regional  overnight camps and  day camps offering four-week and full summer sessions, as well as the two-week sessions at  Ramah in the Rockies and our newest camp,  Ramah Sports Academy in Fairfield, CT. This also applies to children and teens with disabilities for whom our  Tikvah programs might be appropriate.

Please reach out to me or your local camp director if you have any questions or want to recommend a specific family.

Many thanks,

Mitch

Rabbi Mitchell Cohen, Director
National Ramah Commission, Inc. of The Jewish Theological Seminary






68TH ANNUAL ISRAEL FOLK DANCE FESTIVAL AND FAIR

A GALA CELEBRATION OF ISRAEL IN NEW YORK CITY

Sunday, March 24, 2019
 
 
 
On Sunday, March 24, 2019, The 68th Annual Israel Folk Dance Festival and Festival of the Arts will be held at a new venue, The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, 524 West 59th Street (between 10th & 11th Avenues), New York, NY.  The Festival is an annual gala celebration in Dance, Music and Song, this year reflecting the theme of MABAT L'ACHOR - TZA'AD KADIMA, Looking Back - Stepping Forward. The Festival Performance will be at 3:00 pm, preceded by the free Festival Fair from 11:30 am to
2:30 pm.
 
A highlight of this year's festival will be performances by Galgaley Rishon, an inspiring wheelchair dance troupe from Israel. They will be joined by multiple generations of dancers and singers from Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. Every year the festival performers share the diverse styles and moods that constitute Israel's evolving folk culture in a thrilling and uplifting stage production.
The Festival day  begins with Rivkaleh's Fair, a once a year indoor event for the whole family featuring community Israeli dancing for all plus arts, crafts, cultural exhibits and activities, and of course, kosher food.
Mark your calendar! MABAT L'ACHOR - TZA'AD KADIMA, A Gala Celebration of Israel in Dance and Song on Sunday, March 24th, 2019 at John Jay College, 524 West 59th Street (between 10th & 11th Avenues), New York, NY.  Fair begins at 11:30 am, Festival performance at 3:00 pm. 
Tickets are available for the Festival at $20 / $15 for students, seniors and groups of 15 or more. 

Admission to the Fair is free.

Checks should be made payable to the Israeli Dance Institute and mailed to Israeli Dance Institute, P.O. Box 124, New York, NY 10025 and received before March 15th. Tickets can also be purchased online

The Israel Folk Dance Festival and Festival of the Arts is a project of the Israeli Dance Institute in partnership with Jewish National Fund with the support of Bnai Zion, the New York Board of Rabbis and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.
68th Annual
ISRAEL FOLK DANCE FESTIVAL
and Festival of the Arts
MABAT L'ACHOR - TZA'AD KADIMA, Looking Back - Stepping Forward 



Sunday, March  24, 2019
The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College
524 West 59th Street (between 10th & 11th Avenues)
New York, NY

A Day-Long Celebration!
 
Special Guest Performers - Galgaley Rishon, wheelchair dance troupe from Israel!

Rivkaleh's Fair 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
The Fair is a great prelude to the show with lots
to see and do for the entire family!
A marketplace of Judaica and crafts vendors
Dancing for adults and children
Kosher food and snacks
Admission to the Fair is free!

Performance: 3:00 pm
Dancers and singers from Israel and across 
the United States join together on one stage!
See below for ticket information.
 
Presented by The Israeli Dance Institute in partnership with Jewish
National Fund with the support of Bnai Zion, The New York Board of
Rabbis and the Jewish Community Relations Council Of New York.

ORDER NOW!  Tickets:  $20 per person      
                        Student/Senior/Groups of 15 or more: $15
                       
For information: www.israelidanceinstitute.org | E-mail:
festival@israelidanceinstitute.org | Tel: 917-689-7677
Detach the order form below and mail with your payment to: 
Israeli Dance Institute, P.O. Box 124, New York, NY 10025
or purchase online

Israeli Films at the NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival NYSJFF 2019
March 6 thru March 20, 2019
Center for Jewish History
The New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival (NYSJFF2019) announces its action-packed program featuring 12 NY US, and World première films, 10 special appearances by filmmakers, and 6 Pomegranate Awards recognizing Sephardi excellence in the arts. This special celebration of the diversity of Jewish experiences features narratives and documentaries, comedies and critical perspectives, with films touching on communities in Morocco, France, Spain, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, Syria, and Iraq.

 
Film
The Unorthodox
Israeli Films at the NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival 2019
Director, Eliran Malka
Israel | 2018 | 92 min.|Narrative
Sunday, March 17 | 7:00 pm *
Center for Jewish History
Eliran Malka directorial debut is a dramatic underdog story filled with comedic relief. This close-to-reality account of the founding of Shas, the Sephardi Haredi political party, has been an audience favorite everywhere it goes. Exposing the injustice and discrimination that Shas sought to challenge, its first successes in the early 1980s, its ultimate achievement in winning 17 of the 120 Knesset seats in 1999, followed by the in-fighting and corruption behind the scenes. Fun, funny and poignant & not to be missed.Born in 1980 in Nahariya, Israel * Followed by Q&A with director Eliran Malka.
Hebrew with English subtitles


 
Film
Labor, Rebellion, Upheaval From the Ancestral Sin Series (NY Premiere)
Israeli Films at the NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival 2019
Directors; David Deri, Ruth Yuval & Doron Galezer
Israel | 2018 | 50 min.| Doc.
Sunday, March 17 | 4:00 pm *
Center for Jewish History
From the director of the electrifying documentary, THE ANCESTRAL SIN (NYSJFF 2018), comes a controversial new film about immigrant children from North Africa who are placed in vocational schools in periphery towns in Israel. While the systematic policy was meant to keep newcomers from Asia and Africa at the bottom of the social strata, the second generation created a grassroots movement for social and economic justice, ultimately rejecting exclusion and neglect.  * Followed by Q&A with Director David Deri.  Hebrew with English subtitles


 
Film
The Lost Crown
Israeli Films at the NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival 2019
Director, Avi Dabach
Israel | 2018 | 65 min.
Saturday, March 16 | 9:00 pm *
Center for Jewish History
Billed as "A Syrian Sephardi Thriller" ...
The Aleppo Codex, aka The Crown, is considered the most accurate and valuable edition of the Hebrew Bible. After being safeguarded for seven centuries by the Syrian Sephardic community of Aleppo, more than a third of its pages disappeared when it was smuggled to Israel in 1957. As Avi Dabach, the filmmaker and great-grandson of the Crown Keeper navigates the dark corridors of hidden history, archival documents and rare testimonies reveal an astonishing story involving an Israeli president, Mossad agents, passionate rabbis, and antique dealers.  English and Hebrew with English subtitles


 
Film
STOCKHOLM (U.S. Premiere)
Israeli Films at the NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival 2019
Director, Daniel Syrkin
Israel | 2018 | 110 min.| TV serial
Monday, March 11 | 7:00 pm *
Center for Jewish History
When a renowned economist is found dead in his bed, his friends decide to hide his death for five days, enough time to allow him to win the coveted Nobel Prize in Economics. Determined to retain some integrity for their friend, while also gaining, by proxy, some notoriety for themselves, the plan threatens to unravel in a nail-biting, hysterical, thoughtful, not-to-be missed popular series with an all-star cast: Sasson Gabay (THE BAND'S VISIT), Doval'e Glickman, Gidi Gov, and Tikva Dayan.  * Followed by Q&A with Sasson Gabay, 2019 Ronit Elkabetz A"H Pomegranate Award recipient.  Hebrew with English subtitles


 
Film
Mory Shabazy's Riddle "YemeNight"
Israeli Films at the NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival 2019
Director, Israela Shaar Meode
Israel | 2018 | 55 min.| Doc.
Saturday, March 9th | 8:00 pm
Center for Jewish History
How does Rabbi Shalom Shabazi, a 17th century Judeo-Arabic rabbinical poet in Yemen, get remixed by Madonna? Who was this Mori (spiritual leader)? While his oeuvre contains over 800 poems, only four biographical details are known. Director and ISEF scholarship recipient Israela Shaar Meoded embarks on a playful and imaginative journey in the footsteps of the greatest Yemenite poet, who, 400 years after his birth, is still read and beloved.  Hebrew & Arabic with English subtitles

 
Film
Pepe's Last Dance(NY Premiere)
Israeli Films at the NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival 2019
Director, Michael Alalu
Israel | 2016 | 63 min.| Doc.
Sunday, March 17 | 2:00 pm
Center for Jewish History
After decades of political struggles, Pepe Alalu, the leader of the left party in Jerusalem decides to run for mayor of the Holy City. Although it's a slim shot, Pepe believes in presenting the public with an alternative. Michael, his son and the movie's director joins him and together they embark on a Don Quixote Sancho Panza battle against the powerful windmills of the most complicated city in the whole world-Jerusalem.  Hebrew with English subtitles

 
Film
Photo Farag
Israeli Films at the NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival 2019
Director, Kobi Farag
Israel | 2017 | 77 min.|Narrative
Wednesday, March 20 | 8:00 pm
Center for Jewish History
A riveting documentary, Photo Farag recounts the tale of ten siblings from Iraq who immigrated to Israel and revolutionized photography. Faraj Bilbul started photographing in Baghdad when he was nine years old and continued after he immigrated with his family to Israel. The brothers opened the largest chain of photography studios in the country. Using rare archival footage, nephew Kobi Faraj tastefully embarks on a journey to solve the riddle that is his family.
Post-screening Iraqi-style Megillah Reading followed by a Purim Party Reception.  Hebrew with English subtitles

 
Film Festival
Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia 2019
March 16 - April 7, 2019
Philadelphia, PA
In our 2019 season, the Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia marks its 23rd year.
The Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia is a celebration of Israeli culture, with the aim of enriching the American vision of Israeli culture and society through film. Each season, a slate of feature films and documentaries are selected to provide a diverse and impartial reflection of Israel.


 
Dance
One. One & One
Vertigo Dance Company
Choreographer, Noa Wertheim
Wed., March 13th | 8:00 pm
The Kay Theatre | The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
Vertigo Dance has grown steadily from its humble beginnings a quarter-century ago, when young choreographer Noa Wertheim and erstwhile air force pilot Adi Sha'al began meeting in the dance studio in part to explore their budding relationship. They are now married parents at the helm of one of Israel's largest dance organizations, which has in turn launched a sustainable communal living-and-teaching space and a sizable education network. Their groundbreaking productions have candidly explored politics, sexuality, physical handicaps, and other socially salient topics, using visceral and athletic choreography to pull dance into urgent international conversations. Choreographed by Wertheim for a full cast, One. One & One pushes us squarely in front of a mirror and demands we reckon with what we see.





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