Directory Listings; The information below was provided by many of the advertisers appearing in this issue. - Jewish Telegraphic Agency (2024)

Aberdeen Israel Fund
Investing in Israel Today

By William Scholes, Assistant Investment Manager Aberdeen Asset Management

Aberdeen Asset Management believes there are a number of compelling reasons to take a close look at investing in Israel today. Here are a few:

1. Israel’s economic growth has outpaced that of most other developed economies for the past decade—and it is expected to remain robust in the future.

2. Israel’s young, well-educated and growing population is helping to fuel a thriving technology sector, which in turn, helps Israel boast an impressive ranking as a world leader in innovation.

3. Israel’s public finances are sound and the start of natural gas production from the Tamar field, the reservoir off Israel’s Mediterranean Coast, should support Israel’s economic outlook.

4. Israel’s unemployment rate is low and should continue to support solid domestic consumption trends.

Aberdeen believes Israel is a uniquely positioned market—a potential oasis—in the Middle East. We believe this dynamic country will continue to deliver long-term investment opportunities.

One way to support Israel financially is by investing in the stocks of Israeli companies. Aberdeen Israel Fund, Inc. has been investing in Israel for more than 20 years. Visit the Fund at aberdeenisl.com and enroll in our electronic communication services to be among the first to learn of new portfolio manager comments and other materials.

Speak with your financial advisor or wealth manager today about Aberdeen Israel Fund, Inc. (ISL).

For more information on how Aberdeen invests in Israel and Aberdeen Israel Fund, Inc., please visit

www.aberdeenisl.com.

• Visit our Closed-End Investor Center at: www.aberdeen-asset.us/cef

• Enroll in our online services at: www.aberdeen-asset.us/aam.nsf/usclosed/email

• Watch the latest fund manager films and webcasts on our Closed-End Fund Talk Channel at: www.aberdeen-asset.us/aam.nsf/usClosed/aberdeentv

Aberdeen Asset Management Inc., Investor Relations Tel. (800) 522-5465, InvestorRelations@aberdeen.com

American Friends of Hebrew University
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem:
A Global Presence

Since opening its doors in 1925, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has participated in the international scientific and scholarly community. Flourishing international partnerships promote the exchange of knowledge, facilitate cutting-edge research and foster mutual understanding.

The Hebrew University currently has 238 academic agreements, including joint institutes, with institutions in 43 countries. Pioneering innovations result from these collaborations and demonstrate far-reaching impact in myriad fields.

Of its 37 academic partnerships with countries in Asia, Hebrew University has 17 agreements with academic bodies in China, ranging from student and faculty exchanges to joint research projects. In May 2013, Hebrew University’s first high-ranking delegation, led by HU president, Professor Menahem Ben-Sasson, visited universities in Beijing and Shanghai. This trip culminated in the signing of a cooperative agreement between Hebrew University and China’s renowned Confucius Institute. In the laboratories of Singapore’s Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Hebrew University medical researchers are developing drugs for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Nanotechnology experts in the fields of energy and water are devising applications to help meet the needs of Singapore’s growing population.

Researchers at Hebrew University’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment in Rehovot are driving global efforts to preserve and sustain our natural resources. Overseas teams are protecting crops from insect-borne diseases, developing water purification techniques and fostering the health of the honey bee population.

From joint research in agricultural and environmental sciences to the establishment of the Max Planck–Hebrew University Center for Sensory Processing of the Brain, Hebrew University’s relationship with German academia is strong. This year will mark the launch of a German-Israeli graduate school, bringing together Hebrew University’s Minerva Center for Human Rights and the Free University of Berlin.

Experts from Hebrew University’s Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences are participating in The Human Brain Project with colleagues from 80 countries. Among their projects is the identification of the underlying causes of neurodegenerative diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s.

Hebrew University’s membership in Coursera is making university curricula available online, enabling millions to learn from faculty who are leaders in their fields. Attracting students from around the world, Coursera provides multicultural enrichment.

For the Faculty of Humanities, cooperation with foreign research institutions and universities is essential to the teaching and research of languages, cultures and histories of people around the world. The new Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School for Advanced Studies in the Humanities will strengthen this international endeavor by creating a strong framework for intellectual projects between Israel and overseas graduate students.

Hebrew University’s Glocal Community-Development Studies program prepares students to work with communities and development organizations across the globe. The International Master’s in Public Health trains students to be healthcare leaders in their home countries. Faculty of Law programs teach students how Israeli law is integrated into international law and the business field. Nearly 2,000 students from 80 countries are enrolled at Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School.

American Friends Hebrew University, One Battery Park Plaza, 25th Floor, 800-567-AFHU (2348), www.afhu.org/

American Friends of Soroka Medical Center

What are the connections between breast cancer and bone health, breast cancer and heredity, and obesity and cancer risk? Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva hosted their first annual New Frontiers in Cancer Research conference last month, co-chaired by Dr. David Geffen, Soroka’s chief of breast oncology and Dr. Larry Norton, medical director of the Evelyn Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Norton, considered one of the world’s foremost breast cancer researchers, emphasized the general theme of the conference of how the bodies “microenvironment” — genetic factors and obesity, for example — affects the growth of cancer. “Most early cancer research focused on the cancer cell, while recently we’ve been paying more attention to how they relate to the cells in their environment, such as blood cells. We’ve realized the entire human body is involved, because of the extraordinary communication between cells and the chemical receptors that make this possible”.

The Israeli venue for this major conference was an obvious choice, according to Norton: “To move into exciting new areas takes a pioneering spirit, confidence and courage, and I feel this spirit in Israel, and especially at Soroka, where the comprehensive setup has what it takes to be a world center in this area.” Soroka CEO Dr. Ehud Davidson emphasized that with the growth of the Negev, Soroka is positioned “to become a larger player in groundbreaking research and advanced healthcare. This conference helps us realize this dream”, and we will continue to explore these themes in future conferences.

Soroka, the teaching hospital for Ben-Gurion University Medical School, is the sole medical center serving the diverse population of the Negev Desert. It has launched a $40 million development project to construct a state-of-the-art Comprehensive Cancer Center to better serve patients.

The patient diversity and Soroka’s world-class Clinical Research Center and Genetics Institute are the reasons Norton selected Soroka for a long-term study of breast cancer and bones with his colleague Dr. Ethel Siris, director of the Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center at Columbia University Medical Center. “Soroka was carefully chosen for this research,” Norton says. “It serves many people in one geographic area; it keeps immaculate records; it has superb clinicians and great science; and it has a university right there. I’ve been setting up cancer programs for decades, and this is literally made in heaven.”

The study challenges the assumption that women who have breast cancer don’t get osteoporosis, and vice-versa. Siris and Norton suspect that medications to manage breast cancer over many years might harm bones. “The relationship with bone health has intrigued me for decades because most of the long-term patients I treat also have abnormalities in bone — sometimes too strong and sometimes too weak,” says Norton.

The conference keynote speaker was Larry Norton. Other MSKCC presenters included Ken Offit, the Chief of Clinical Genetics Service; Elizabeth Comen, an expert in metastatic breast cancer; Neil Iyengar, an expert in obesity & breast cancer; and Robert Benezra, a cancer biologist.

Additional information is available at www.soroka.org or call 914-725-9070.

American Technion Society
Repairing the World

The brilliant faculty members and students at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology view BDS as antithetical to scientific progress. Like responsible scientists everywhere, they are dedicated to helping people around the world live better, safer lives while securing Israel’s future.

Together with tens of thousands of illustrious Technion graduates, Technion scientists and students are tackling the difficult work of responding to the enormous challenges facing all of us — from diseases that plague humankind to the environment that threatens our future, and terrorism that wreaks havoc within our societies.

These scientists are responding by developing futuristic solutions.

They’re growing human heart tissue for possible use in future transplants; inventing robots that can crawl like snakes into tight, dangerous spaces in collapsed buildings for search and rescue; creating an exoskeleton that allows paraplegics to rise out of wheelchairs and walk marathons! Imagine that!

And there’s more.

Technion researchers are investigating how sensors can enable artificial skin to sense touch, temperature and humidity.

They’re developing environmentally friendly batteries, made of silicon and oxygen, which can potentially supply non-stop power for thousands of hours.

And it was a team comprised largely of Technion graduates that developed the powerful Iron Dome anti-missile system to keep Israel’s people safe from enemy rockets.

The Technion’s influence is known the world over, and a growing number of universities, municipalities and businesses are eager to partner with it. No collaboration speaks to the Technion’s reputation more than its partnership with Cornell University, selected to create a new applied science educational institution in New York City.

All this and more have been possible thanks to academic freedom and the open exchange of ideas and opinions enjoyed by all members of the Technion community for more than 100 years. Progress depends on these values that are at the core of future innovation.

The American Technion Society, 55 East 59th Street 
New York, NY 10022, Tel: 212-407-6300 E-Mail: info@ats.org, www.ats.org

Birthright Israel Foundation is proud to introduce the launch of its new planned giving program – Foundation Futures. Please join us on June 12th at 10-11:30am or 7-8:30pm at the UJA-Federation in White Plains (701 Westchester Avenue, White Plains, NY) for an informational discussion about how to plan for your financial future while simultaneously supporting the longevity and continuity of an experience that has changed the lives of an entire generation of young Jewish adults – the Taglit-Birthright Israel trip. Discover ways to utilize various financial vehicles to protect income for the long-term, avoid tax on capital gains, and reduce income taxes. For more information or to RSVP please email or call Ruvym Gilman, Director of Planned Giving, at ruvym.gilman@birthrightisrael.org or (646) 833-1311. You can also RSVP and learn more about Foundation Futures by visiting our website at

http://www.birthrightisrael.org/foundationfutures.

Celebrate Israel Parade

As stunning as it sounds, this year marks the 50th year that the New York Jewish community has gathered together to celebrate Israel on the streets of Manhattan. What started as a four-block walk up Riverside Drive has evolved into a five-hour Parade featuring 35,000 marchers, dozens of floats, marching bands, special guests from Israel and hundreds of thousands of spectators. Thanks to the throngs of people who come out to the Parade every year, the Celebrate Israel Parade has become the largest public event in the world in celebration of Israel.

Mirroring the country that it honors, the Parade has grown over time. A few years ago, the Parade made its way to television and the web so that viewers in the metropolitan area and beyond can celebrate with us. Similarly, the Parade’s adoption of social media enabled people around the globe to join the conversation and be #TogetherOnFifth.

This year, the Parade welcomes SpaceIL to Fifth Avenue, before taking Israel to the moon. Then, the US-IL Flying Club will join us with a flyover of more than a dozen single-prop airplanes. And there’ll be a delegation of members of the Knesset leading the parade, followed by performances from Israeli recording artists Chen Aharoni, Hagit Yaso and DJ Mr. Black. And for the first time ever, we’ll be using two Israeli mobile apps – AppMyDay and Askem – to add even more fun.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of NY, the producer of the Celebrate Israel Parade, would like to thank our many supporters for making this great parade possible especially UJA-Federation of New York, the Jewish Communal Fund, the State of Israel, Bank Leumi, Israel Bonds and the Israeli American Council.

So please join us on June 1st as we come together to say with one voice, Am Yisrael Chai. For more information go to celebrateisraelny.org

Emunah Travel
EMUNAH’s Long History of Bringing People to Israel

Under the leadership of Melanie Oelbaum, Honorary National President, the EMUNAH

Missions Department has dedicated itself to bringing thousands of people to Israel since 1968. The customized family and group trips to Israel have been enjoyed by generations of satisfied travelers. The missions department understands that each group has its own needs, and the unique itineraries are designed to satisfy the most discerning of travelers.

EMUNAH specializes in unforgettable personalized Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations in Israel, creating meaningful memories that last a lifetime. In addition, the celebrant can choose to celebrate with a child at an EMUNAH residential home.

The success of the department is a result of the professional staff, which is renowned for its commitment to delivering the best Israel experience possible.

In the words of the one of our happy traveler: “ Our trip was fabulous and the price was great. Adding up all the things we did and all the places we visited, and of course the hotels we stayed at, without EMUNAH it would have cost us double the price. THANK YOU EMUNAH! Where to next?

We do it all. Your flights, your hotels, your touring.

Call us and we will tell you more! 212.947.5454 x321, x 320 travel@emunah.org emunah.org

Eretz Israel Movement

For 29 years we have been providing the best price and way to experience a fabulous journey of a lifetime exploring ancient Jewish history, culture and people from an orthodox biblical perspective. You will travel the length and breadth of the country for an adventure into Israel’s natural beauty. see modern Israel and meet the people who built the new nation. Spend Shabbat in the Holy City of Yerushalim. We offer inexpensively priced two week tours throughout the year, including our sellout Succot program. All tours are led by licensed English speaking guides. Join one of our regular tours or let us help you create your own special program. Our summer tours often sell out with many families coming together to experience the wonders of the country. Late fall and early spring tours are geared toward active seniors. Winter programs coincide with the yeshiva breaks and are great for parents or grandparents visiting children studying in Israel. Most tours spend nine nights in Jerusalem. You have your choice of either the Kings Hotel or Leonardo Plaza and 3 nights up north or down south. Each day we provide two kosher meals, breakfast and dinner. On Shabbat day we provide breakfast and lunch. Travel is via air-conditioned coach bus. Highlights include Jerusalem old and new, Massada, Dead Sea, Hevron, Sfat, Golan and Galilee area, Haifa, Old Yaffo, Eilat and Negev region and much more. Call for brochure:

212- 684-7370. www.israelmovement.com

Gefen Publishing

Gefen Publishing House publishes and prints more than thirty original books in Israel each year. Subjects are diverse and include a wide variety of themes – fiction and nonfiction – among them biblical commentary, Israeli historical novels, Holocaust memoirs, multilanguage dictionaries, Haggadot, cookbooks, and award-winning children’s books.

We pride ourselves on publishing books that represent all aspects of Israel, the Holy Land, and the Jewish people.

Our books are available in bookstores throughout the world, as well as through Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Ingram, and online at Amazon.com and GefenPublishing.com.

For more information contact us at: info@gefenpublishing.com, 516-593-1234 (USA), 972-2-538-0247 (Israel), Facebook.com/learningaboutisrael

Ha’Ulpan

Hebrew has been spoken for thousands of years, yet the language has evolved to remain fresh in modern times. Used exclusively for study and prayer for two millennia, it was revived as a spoken language by Eliezer Ben Yehuda in the late nineteenth century.

Today, Hebrew is spoken by seven million people in Israel, many of whom learned the language through the ulpan system. The ulpan method was created to give immigrants an intensive introduction to both the Hebrew language and the culture of their new country.

Ulpanim can now be found around the world and in the United States, where people learn Hebrew to prepare for aliyah, enhance their travel experience, communicate with family in Israel, or just to connect with their Jewish heritage.

For the most authentic experience, look for an ulpan that employs native-speaking instructors and uses Israeli learning materials. The most rigorous programs offer intensive classes, which provide daily reinforcement and an accelerated learning pace.

If you hope to become fluent, seek out an ulpan that emphasizes conversational skills. Classes that incorporate singing can help learners overcome hesitancy in speaking a new language. Students can gain additional benefits from classes that offer outings to Israeli restaurants or even trips to museums, where they can acquire real-world experience in using the Hebrew language.

For more information, contact Ha-Ulpan at Machon Avi at 917-446-6266, or visit our website at www.ha-ulpan.org. We have locations on the Upper West Side, Brooklyn, and Queens.

Meir Panim Meir Panim:
Easing the Burden for Israel’s Neediest

More than 1.7 million Israelis – about 22% of Israel’s population – are living below the poverty line, according to the 2013 National Insurance Institute’s annual report. This data shows that one out of three children and more than 180,000 elderly live in poverty. While the report showed a 0.5% drop in the number of people living in poverty, 439,500 Israeli households still are living below the poverty line.

Since 2000, Meir Panim has been responding to this crisis in a variety of ways. Meir Panim – which literally means “lighting up faces” – serves all Israelis, regardless of ethnicity or religious background through food and social service programs that give dignity, respect and relief to many of the country’s neediest residents. Annually, the organization serves at least 300,000 free meals out of restaurant-style soup kitchens, which also prepare meals for delivery to the elderly and homebound. In addition, Meir Panim targets children in impoverished areas, offering hot lunches, after-school clubs and summer day camps.

Ruth is 85 years old and a regular at Meir Panim’s free restaurant in Jerusalem. Widowed, Ruth fell into a serious depression after her husband passed away five years ago. Today, Meir Panim helps her stay socially active, well-fed and happy. “They take care of us and are kind,” she said. “Whoever thought of and built this institution is doing a huge mitzvah taking care of us – the people of Israel who have no family or work to sustain us.”

To team up with Meir Panim in easing the burden of poverty in Israel, visit www.meirpanim.org or email info@meirpanim.org.

Donations can be sent to 5316 New Utrecht Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11219, or by calling toll free 877-736-6283. All contributions are tax-deductible.

Nefesh B’Nefesh

The prestigious ‘Bonei Zion’ Prize, awards to English-speaking immigrants the ever-growing impact of Western Aliyah (immigration to Israel) on the Jewish State.

On May 15th, the Speaker of the Knesset (Israeli Government), MK Yuli-Yoel Edelstien hosted a special award ceremony in the Knesset Auditorium, honoring seven English-speaking immigrants who are making a significant contribution to Israel in various fields.

As Aliyah from western countries continues to increase, English-speaking Olim are making a remarkable impact on the Jewish State – economically, socially and culturally – contributing to Israeli society in many areas.

The Nefesh B’Nefesh ‘Bonei Zion’ Prize formally recognizes the achievements of outstanding Western immigrants, acknowledging those who encapsulate the spirit of modern-day Zionism by contributing in a significant way towards developing the State of Israel.

The recipients of the inaugural Nefesh B’Nefesh ‘Bonei Zion’ Prize were:

• Community & Non-Profit Award – Joseph Gitler: Founder and Chairman of Leket Israel.

• Education Award – Rabbanit Malke Bina: Founder and Chancellor of “Matan”.

• Entrepreneurship & Technology Award – Yosef Abramowitz: a Nobel Prize-nominated educator and founding father of Israel’s $20 billion solar market.

• Culture, Sports & Arts Award – Yaakov Kirschen: Creator of “Dry Bones” comic strip.

• Science & Medicine Award – Professor Jeffrey Hausdorff: Professor at Tel Aviv University and Director of the Neurodynamics and Gait Research Laboratory at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.

• IDF/National Service Young Leadership Award – Lt. Nira Lee: Head of Hasbara at the headquarters of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), responsible for ensuring that international humanitarian aid is dispensed to the Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

• Lifetime Achievement Award – Professor Shimon Glick: Professor and Dean Emeritus of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben Gurion University.

Nefesh B’Nefesh, North American Office, 50 Eisenhower Drive, Paramus, NJ 07652, Telephone-1-866-4-ALIYAH, 1-866-425-4924. email: nbnusa@nbn.org.il

Park East Synagogue
Focusing on Our Children

Rabbi Arthur Schneier Park East Day School educates students from toddlers through grade 8. It is our responsibility and mission to provide academic excellence in both General and Judaic Studies so that our graduates will have their choice of leading high schools in the independent, Jewish, and public high school domains. We are proud of our graduates’ academic achievements in all areas with particular emphasis on their math, science, and technology expertise. Extra curricular involvement in music, art, drama, and sports as well as an emphasis on community outreach and participation help facilitate the growth of well rounded, poised, confident and mature young adults who are ready for the next level of their educational careers. Rabbi Schneier’s International Visitors Program adds sophistication and maturity as our students learn from world leaders in politics, religion, economics, and culture. A Park East education provides a solid academic foundation for graduates who will excel in their chosen fields and be active participants in the global society. They are taught the importance of becoming future Jewish leaders, MiDor L’Dor, from “generation to generation.” Mazel tov to our graduates, their families and friends as well as to the entire faculty and staff of the Day School.

For more information please visit www.parkeastdayschool.org or call 212.737.7330

Plaza Jewish Community Chapel, Inc.

Plaza Jewish Community Chapel is here for you. That may seem like a simple and obvious statement, but it is all too uncommon. Plaza is not like other funeral chapels. Not

in philosophy, not in practice. Plaza is dedicated to the belief that the process of grief is not a business proposition but rather an emotional,human passage to be treated with dignity and conscience. That is our sole motivation. Plaza is not like others, nor do we strive to be. We promise to take you through this difficult time with care, with sensitivity, and with thoughtfulness. We do not hurry decisions. We do not feel there is a relationship between what is spent and what has been lost. There is only what is right for you and your family. We encourage you to decide what your own approach and values dictate, what makes you comfortable, what your loved one would have wanted, and to follow that guidance.

For further information contact: Stephanie Gary, Director of Community Relations, Plaza Jewish Community Chapel, Inc., 212-769-4400 www.plazajewish.org

QUEENS JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL

The Queens Jewish Community Council serves as a non-profit, non-partisan body for action and services for residents and organizations in Queens. Established in 1968, QJCC is pledged to improving the economic, cultural and social prosperity of the needy in the borough through a wide range of social services, and cultural and educational programs. It is the leading agency of 146 faith-based organizations serving over 15,000 clients from birth to advanced senior years annually.

Thousands of Jewish poor and near-poor are positively impacted by the work of the Queens Jewish Community Council coming for assistance and support services including entitlement assistance, medical insurance facilitation, immigrant services, senior programming, women empowerment, pre-job training, family counselling, domestic violence victims’ assistance, youth mentoring, The kosher food pantry distributes over 1,500 packages a month and kosher meals-on-wheels are delivered to 130 advanced aged homebound elderly.

QJCC is committed to preserving the Jewish presence in Queens by offering year round cultural events, workshops and programming emphasizing the borough’s active and diverse Jewish community. To celebrate the unique aspects of the Jewish musical heritage, QJCC coordinates a free summer concert series, entitled “Jewish Music Under the Stars” at Cunningham Park, 196th Street and Union Turnpike in Hillcrest, NY .

QJCC is the united voice of Queens representing the borough’s Jewish institutions and organizing actions and events on behalf of Israel and other Jewish causes.

For further information and assistance please contact: Queens Jewish Community Council, 119-45 Union Turnpike, Forest Hills, NY 11375, 718-544-9033.

Rambam/AFORAM:
World’s Largest Underground Hospital – Haifa, Israel

The Rambam Health Care Campus in Israel has been reaching its goals and maintaining its mission only through the help of its new and continued loyal supporters and donors. Rambam has been at the center of healthcare, helping to lead Israel through the Second Lebanon war, when the hospital was treating civilian patients and wounded soldiers from the front while being under continuous rocket attacks, the Flotilla incident and the northern fires. Rambam is a 1,000-bed, full service teaching hospital and Northern Israel’s largest medical center and tertiary referral center for 11 district hospitals. Located in Haifa, Rambam serves more than two million residents.

Rambam is undergoing its most extensive site improvement ever. Designed to dramatically improve hospitalization services, patient care and research, it will also prove to transform Rambam into one of the most advanced medical centers in the world. The western campus plan includes the construction of the 2,000-bed Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital (due to soon open) and an above-ground complex to include the Biomedical Discovery Tower, a cardiovascular hospital, Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital, and Joseph Fishman Oncology Center.

The Underground Emergency Hospital is the largest of its kind in the world. “In 2006 we had to face impossible challenges when the hospital came under missile attack, while at the same time tending to the wounded among civilians and soldiers ,” explained Prof. Rafi Beyar, Director and one of the initiators of Rambam’s underground hospital. “We decided to take our fate into our own hands. Eight years later, here stands a structure built with careful planning to benefit patients in the region. I hope we never have to use this facility, but if the day comes—we’ll be ready for any scenario.”

Visit aforam.org (American Friends of Rambam) to learn more and make the expansion a reality through your generous gift. To schedule a meeting please call American Friends of Rambam 212-292-4499 or contact info@aforam.org

American Friends of Rambam Medical Center, 521 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1731, New York, NY 10175, 212-292-4499, www.aforam.org

Royal Wine
Herzog Wine Cellars

Sensational White Wines for Shavuot, by Jay Buchsbaum

Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks, is the day, according to tradition, when the Jewish People received the Torah. There are many venerable customs associated with this holiday—staying awake until dawn to study Torah, reciting the ancient liturgical poem “Akdamut,” and, of course, serving dairy foods at the holiday meals.

While the braised briskets, pot roasts, and roast turkeys that are such staple during most Jewish holidays cry out for rich red wines, the fish, cream sauces, blintzes, and cheesecakes that are typical Shavuot fare demand good white wines. And nobody makes a better (or more affordable) variety of kosher white wines than the Herzog Wine Cellars.

Joe Hurliman, Herzog’s Head Winemaker, has a special touch with white wines. His whites are all crisp and fruity, with nuanced flavors, and range from light-bodied and bone-dry to full-bodied and super-sweet. No matter what your tastes or menus call for, Herzog Wine Cellars is likely to produce the right whites for you.

If you like your wines dry, start your Shavuot meal with Baron Herzog Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a crisp, dry straw colored wine with fruity flavors and aromas of, pears, lemongrass, Meyer lemons, and a hint of spice. It’s a great accompaniment for salads and lighter fish dishes.

If you’d rather start your meal with something a bit sweeter try Baron Herzog’s Chenin Blanc. This frequent award-winner is semi-dry, and has bright, fruity flavors of orange, pineapple, kiwi, and passion fruit, with a lovely touch of honey on the finish. This wine would be perfect to serve with a cold fruit soup.

Try one of Herzog Wine Cellar’s excellent Chardonnay’s to accompany rich main courses, such as poached salmon in cream sauce. Weinstock’s Cellar Select, Chardonnay is a straw colored, medium-to-full-bodied wine, which has flavors and aromas of apples, pears, quince, and toasty oak, with notes of vanilla and cream. Or step it up to Herzog’s Special Reserve Russian River Chardonnay, perhaps the best kosher Chardonnay on the market—aged for fifteen months in a mixture of American and French oak, this medium-to-full-bodied, bright straw colored wine has flavors and aromas of apples, lemons, freshly mowed grass, cream, and toasty oak, with a delightful whiff of wild flowers.

Pair your cheese blintzes or cheesecake with Herzog’s Late Harvest Orange Muscat. It’s a sweet, light-orange-blush colored wine, with a medium body and a grapy flavor with elements of citrus, lichee and apricots.

And after the table is clear, enjoy a glass of Herzog’s Late Harvest White Riesling, a digestif, the perfect finish to a rich dairy meal. This super rich, sweet, full bodied white has a nose of lavender, lime, and kumquat, and a nutty, toffee flavor, with elements of pineapple and orange. This is a wine to sip and savor.

As you put together your Shavout shopping list, don’t forget to include some of Joe Hurlimans whites from Herzog wine cellars.

For further information, please contact: Royal Wine Corporation, www.royalwine.com,

Schwartz Brothers-Jeffer Memorial Chapels

Over twenty years ago, Jennifer Martin, made a commitment to serve the Jewish community at large. While discussion of her career choice as a funeral director often turns heads in social situations, it’s how she guides families in their greatest time of need that really sets Jennifer apart in a crowd.

In fact, it’s believed that Jennifer is the first observant Jewish woman to become a funeral director. This has shaped and inspired the unique perspective she brings to work every day. “It’s about education and guidance – Helping families make the best decisions for them, regardless of their level of observance,” says Martin, Manager at Schwartz Brothers-Jeffer Memorial Chapels. “Every detail of an arrangement from the initial phone call, to coordination with the Chevra Kadisha (Jewish Burial Society) and cemetery, needs to be managed with the utmost of care and compassion,” added Martin.

In addition to time of need services, Jennifer provides “pre-paid” funeral options too. A pre-paid arrangement eliminates the need for difficult decision-making during the most stressful of times, since decisions are made and set in advance. Plus, pre-paid plans lock in today’s prices and offer options to pay for a funeral over time. This eliminates any surprise financial burden and can benefit clients in a Medicaid spend-down situation. “People often tell me that making the decision to pre-pay your own funeral is the hardest part, but once the arrangements are made, they feel like a huge weight has been lifted,” added Martin.

For more information about funerals and funeral planning, contact: Jennifer Martin, Schwartz Brothers-Jeffer Memorial Chapels, 114-03 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, NY 11375, 718-263-7600.

Sinai Chapels
Serving New York’s Jewish Community

Sinai Chapels in Fresh Meadows, Queens is in the fourth generation of family ownership. Generations of Jewish families have placed their trust in Sinai Chapels. Sinai’s commitment starts with compassionate understanding, quality service, and attention to every detail. Their continuous improvements reflect the traditions established by our family over a century ago.

Sinai’s licensed staff helps families through the arrangement process and guides each family through the options that best fit their needs and desires. Sinai Chapels provides a staff Director of Pastoral Counseling. Rabbi Michael Strasberg is available to help families through religious counseling and support.

Sinai’s two chapels accommodate services large and small.

Whether Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox, Sinai provides services that are ceremonially correct, appropriate and dignified. Sinai also offers families the choice of traditional or non-traditional services.

Some families choose to have a service at an alternative location such as a gravesite, synagogue, or other place of significance to the family. Many families choose to have Sinai’s staff of trained professionals coordinate the many details of such ceremonies.

Sinai’s experienced pre-planning advisors can meet with you privately or in the comfort of your home, with no cost or obligation. All Sinai plans are FDIC insured. Sinai also has in-house monument specialists.

Sinai Chapels and the Resnick family are proud sponsors of leading Jewish Community Organizations such as: the Queens College Center for Jewish Studies, Kupferberg Holocaust Center at Queens Community College, and the United Jewish Appeal.

For more information, please contact: Sinai Chapels, 162-05 Horace Harding Expy., Fresh Meadows, NY 11365, 800-446-0406, www.JewishFunerals .com

Skyview Wine & Spirits

“Top rated 27 points by Zagat 2013, Skyview Wine & Spirits is metro New York’s leading kosher wine and spirits retailer. Recognized as “the best wine store in the Bronx” by Food and Wine Magazine and Jewish Week Readers, Skyview offers the largest kosher retail selection in the United States. Some 600 wines and spirits are regularly in-stock.

Skyview is a “Destination.” Celebrating it’s thirty year anniversary, customers throughout the United States who seek the best in kosher wines, seek Skyview. Gary Wartels, Skyview Wines & Spirits’ proprietor, says “we pride ourselves on finding the best offerings in the kosher marketplace. Skyview offers top value, selling wines and spirits at the lowest possible prices. We ship almost anywhere.” Skyview’s entire inventory is available for viewing and ordering through its web site

www.skyviewwine.com.

Stand With Us
BDS: The Latest Form of Organized Hatred

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement [BDS] is the latest incarnation of a century-old battle against the existence of a Jewish state in the Middle East. But today, that battle is being imported into liberal democracies, especially the U.S., by dedicated anti-Israel activists. They have launched an ideological assault on Israel’s legitimacy and public image to erode American support for Israel, and to discredit and silence Israel’s supporters.

BDS cloaks itself as a human rights movement, but it does nothing to promote peaceful co-existence and instead spreads demonizing anti-Israel propaganda in churches, colleges, corporations, and among performing artists.

BDS activists repeatedly expose their extremism and ugly underbelly. Paul McCartney reported receiving death threats for not cancelling his Israel concert. At Vassar College, the BDS chapter [Students for Justice in Palestine–SJP] posted a 1944 Nazi anti-Semitic cartoon. Vassar’s President condemned it as “racist” and anti-Semitic, and plans to review SJP’s status as an approved club. At UCLA, SJP guest Omar Barghouti hurled blood libels against Israel, and supporters of SJP’s divestment resolution made libelous statements about Israel and pro-Israel students during hours of debate. When divestment lost, SJP demanded that student senate candidates sign a discriminatory “ethics statement” pledging not to go on educational trips to Israel with pro-Israel organizations. No other countries or organizations were mentioned.

BDS can be combated. Its extremism and bigotry are sparking a backlash. More important, whenever BDS hits, pro-Israel leaders suddenly emerge to stand tall for Israel. StandWithUs is proud to actively join hands with them to empower tomorrow’s leadership for Israel.

Stand With Us, www.standwithus.com

State of Israel Bonds Israel Bonds

ISRAEL BONDS MAKE YOU A STAKEHOLDER IN ISRAEL’S ECONOMY

By Izzy Tapoohi, President & CEO

Information released by Israel’s Finance Ministry detailing 2013 economic indicators shows the nation’s economy continues to remain strong.

In 2013, Israel’s real GDP growth outperformed the economies of many members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, including the United States and the Euro Zone. Moreover, the Institute for Management Development 2013 World Competitive Yearbook ranked Israel fourth for economic resilience.

What is Israel’s secret? The answer is four-fold.

First, Israel has become an outstanding example of disciplined fiscal and monetary policy. Second, the historic influx of Soviet Jewry played an invaluable role in turning Israel toward a science and knowledge-based economy. This in turn brought about the third factor, Israel’s ground-breaking high-tech sector, a primary reason exports have expanded 16,000 percent since independence.

Finally, massive natural gas finds will make energy a pillar of Israel’s economic growth for decades to come.

It is also appropriate to note the role of the Israel Bonds organization. In 2013, U.S. sales alone totaled more than $1.12 billion, nearly double the numbers for 2011. Domestic sales for 2014 have already exceeded half a billion dollars, and worldwide sales since the first bonds were issued in 1951 are approaching $37 billion.

Investing in Israel bonds provides you with a reliable investment and makes you a stakeholder in one of the world’s most resilient economies.

Of course, not everyone applauds Israel’s achievements , most especially the BDS movement, which ferments economic confrontation. Yet, each and every Israel bond investment sends an unmistakable message to BDS advocates: we are resolute, and Israel’s economy will remain strong.

Development Corporation for Israel. This is not an offering, which can be made only by prospectus. Read the prospectus carefully before investing to fully evaluate the risks associated with investing in Israel bonds. Member FINRA

For additional information, please contact: Israel Bonds, 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022, Toll Free No: +1 (888) 244-4808, Fax No: +1 (212) 644-3792, Email: newyork@israelbonds.com

United Synagogue Youth
Metny USY/Kadima Encampment 2014

Imagine you are a teenager and it is the end of August. You have been sharing a bunk with people who are now your best friends and you cannot believe all of the things you have the chance to do. You swam in a lake for the first time and learned how to kayak. You and two kids from another group are working on a song for the talent show on Sunday. You have opened your eyes to social action and participated in a Tikkun Olam art project to share with children’s hospitals. You have baked the best cinnamon challah anyone has ever tasted. You were picked to be on the bowl team for the camp trivia contest. You overcame your fear and went down the zip line, twice. You have competed in sports events and yesterday your team even won Maccabiah. Now it is time for Shabbat and you are overcome by the beauty of experiencing Kabbalat Shabbat services outside on the lake as the sun is quickly setting. Everyone is singing together and it is just truly amazing. All you can think to yourself is how much you wish that the summer would never end.

This sounds like a great sleep away camp, right? Well it’s not. This is METNY Encampment. We do in 9 days what most camps do in 8 weeks. Friendships and experiences here will stay with you for years. And if you’re not having fun, you’re doing the wrong thing.

Taking place August 18th to 26th at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, METNY Encampment is open to all kids in Kadima (grades 6 – 8) and USY (grades 9 – 12). They will spend their time participating in meaningful activities including sports, art, nature, learning and most of all having fun by making lasting relationships with other campers and staff. For more information or to sign up go to: http://www.metnyusy.org/encampment

American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science:
Science for the Benefit of Humanity

Since its establishment in 1934 in Rehovot, Israel, the Weizmann Institute of Science has grown into one of the foremost centers of multidisciplinary research and graduate study in the world. With a 2,700-strong scientific community in a garden-like 280-acre campus, it fulfills Dr. Chaim Weizmann’s vision that it be a place of peace, collaboration, and scientific excellence. Weizmann scientists focus on improving health and medicine; fighting cancer; protecting our planet; advancing technology; improving education; and exploring the physical world.

The Institute’s fundamental research has led to discoveries and practical applications with a major impact on the global scientific community, as well as on the everyday quality of life of millions of people worldwide. This commitment to basic science provides Weizmann researchers with freedom to explore the unknown, in an environment where curiosity and collaboration flourish, free from commercial or academic constraints.

The Weizmann Institute’s commitment to innovation and collaboration benefits Israel in many ways. Institute alumni are prominent at leading universities, laboratories, and corporations in Israel and numerous other countries, contributing to the globalization of scientific knowledge. The Institute is responsible for much of Israel’s widely admired success in education, helping create a science-literate society and ensuring that new generations of scientists will be nurtured. Weizmann advances are responsible for creating dozens of Israeli companies and thousands of new jobs. Products resulting from Weizmann research contribute billions of dollars per year to Israel’s economy.

The Weizmann Institute’s technology transfer arm, the Yeda Research and Development Company, founded in 1959, was the first company of its kind in Israel and today it is used as a model for academic facilities around the world to move research from the lab to the marketplace. As it strengthens the intellectual and economic foundations of Israel, the Weizmann Institute continues to improve quality of life for people everywhere.

For information visit WEIZMANN-USA.ORG, email: info@acwis.org, or call 800.242.2947

Westchester Hebrew High School

Westchester Hebrew High School has a diverse student body from Westchester, Connecticut, Manhattan, Riverdale, Rockland, the Bronx, and New Jersey. Our curriculum reflects our mission of providing academic excellence tailored to the needs of each individual student. There are three levels for every substantive academic course in both General and Judaic Studies. We offer Honors and AP courses for accelerated students, as well as a Learning Center for those requiring academic support. Our unique EDGE Program provides the opportunity for independent study and real-life experiential learning, helping students to explore and discover their personal and educational interests.

Our low student-teacher ratios ensure that students are actively engaged in the classroom. Lively round-table discussions enable students to delve more deeply into content. Students naturally become more intellectually curious, contributing meaningfully in discussion and learning to think critically. Emphasis is placed on issues affecting Israel, as we prepare and encourage our graduates to become activists on their campuses.

Consistent with our goal of making education relevant and meaningful to the lives of our students, our integrated curriculum involves cross-over among Secular Studies courses and between Judaic and Secular Studies classes. Community Service is an integral part of our in-school education, rather an individualized out-of-school experience.

We are proud to be one of a select group of Jewish Day Schools chosen for Educational Leadership Advancement Initiative (ELAI), a program designed for Jewish education professionals who aspire to increase their impact on their schools.

To learn more about us, contact admissions@whhsny.org or call 914.698.0806 ext. 308.