Shabbat Shalom, Gesher Shalom!

The Torah opens with the story of the creation of the world by God in six days, culminating in the formation of the human beings on day six and the inauguration of Shabbat on day seven.

This numerical narrative is followed by the story of the Garden of Eden, in which one human being - Adam - is created initially, and the "Garden" and other life forms thereafter. Finding no suitable mate among the animals for Adam, God fashions Eve from one of Adam's ribs. We learn of two special trees within the Garden from which Adam and Eve are not permitted to eat; when they do, it results in their expulsion from Paradise (in Hebrew, pardes in a garden) and their mortality.

We learn subsequently of the birth of Cain and Abel, and the enmity between the two brothers, which leads to Abel's murder and Cain's banishment. A third son, Seth, is born to Adam and Eve.

The sidra concludes with a genealogical list that spans ten generations. The stage is set for next week's story of Noah and the flood, with a final comment about the sinful nature of human beings and God's regret in having created them.

Tonight: Evening service at 7:00 p.m.

Tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.

Minha, Seudah Shlishit, Ma'ariv & Havdalah at 5:15 p.m.

During Seudah Shlishit we will continue to read

I Was Protested At Bard College for Being A Jew by Batya Ungar-Sargon

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

Marianne Wolff will be observing yahrzeit for her husband, Herbert Schainholz on Friday evening, October 25th

Carolyn Tauber will be observing yahrzeit for her grandmother, Lena Horowitz on Saturday evening, October 26th

Sharon Starr will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Frieda Ellis on Sunday evening, October 27th

Hilda Reisner will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Chana Leah Bortz on Monday evening, October 28th

Shlomo Peled will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Moshe Feldworm on Monday evening, October 28th

Jerome Goldfischer will be observing yahrzeit for his mother, Bella Goldfischer on Monday evening, October 28th

Terry Plawker will be observing yahrzeit for her mother, Sara Kurland on Monday evening, October 28th

Sheila Scherl will be observing yahrzeit for her husband, Dr. Newton Scherl on Monday evening, October 28th

Steven & Suzette Kolitch will be observing yahrzeit for their son, Alan Kolitch on Tuesday evening, October 29th

Alan Stern will be observing yahrzeit for his father, Bernard Stern on Wednesday evening, October 30th

Barbara Margolin will be observing yahrzeit for her father, William Kreitzberg on Thursday evening, October 31st

Important/Interesting Reads

Elizabeth Warren, joins Sanders and Buttigieg in Saying Reducing US Aid to Israel is Definitely "On the Table"

Responses:

Mark Mellman , Director of The Democratic Majority for Israel:

"U.S. military aid to Israel helps both the U.S. and Israel. It has little to do with the Palestinians in the West Bank and mainly helps protect Israel from threats presented by Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and its proxies. President Obama promised U.S. military aid to Israel for 10 years in writing. Presidents Obama and Clinton both understood that aid was vital for the U.S. and Israel, and never publicly threatened to cut it. Both also got Israel to freeze settlement construction without such public threats. Unfortunately, the Palestinians never reciprocated those moves as those Administrations asked them to."

Rabbi Rick Jacobs , President of the Union for Reform Judaism:

"U.S. aid to Israel has long had bipartisan support. Aid strengthens both nations, and is essential to advancing U.S. interests in a volatile region."

J Street:

Candidates who care about Israel's future as a democracy and a Jewish homeland should *absolutely* be considering how the US can do a better job of curbing settlement expansion and working to end the occupation. Props to @ewarren for doing so.

Jordan's Queen Rania Has Become a Lightning Rod

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is Making a Political Comeback in Argentina, and the Jews There Are Split The former president has been accused of obstructing the investigation into the AMIA Jewish center attack. But Argentine Jews will "vote as Argentinians, above all" in upcoming elections, one expert says.

Commonwealth Graves Desecrated with Swastikas in Haifa

Sudan's Lost Jewish Community - in Pictures (BBC)

Yiddish: Not Just for Jews

Why non-Jews are drawn to the language and its culture

PJTN (Proclaiming Justice to the Nations) PRO-ISRAEL EVANGELICAL ORGANIZATION PUT ON SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER LIST OF HATE GROUPS

SPLC Say PJTN is Anti-Muslim

Israel

Israel Develops New Defense Against (Iranian) Cruise Missiles

Israel's Defense Industries Adjust to U.S. Aid Restrictions

In a Deeply Split Israel City, Both Sides Urge Unity

Number of Arab University Students in Israel Doubled in 10 Years

After Hurricane, Israel Provides Bahamas with Water Technology

World's Oldest Leftovers Found in Cave in Israel

Israel and Gulf States Are Going Public with Their Relationship

Mysterious Private Jet Flight from Israel to Saudi Arabia Has Media Guessing

BDS / Anti-Semitism / anti-Zionism

The Lawfare Project Wins Major Victory Against Anti-Israel Boycott in Spain

Czech Lawmakers Condemn BDS

Antisemitism's Perfect Storm

Yet again, hatred of Jews plagues the world

How Germany is Rethinking Security for its Jewish Community Following the Yom Kippur Synagogue Attack The Halle shooting is leading some states to beef up the police presence around Jewish institutions - but some say there's a better way

The Belgium Parade Anti-Semitism Controversy Continues, with Caricatures of Orthodox Jews Ahead of 2020 Event

The Dark Night of Anti-Semitism in Turkey

Hate Crimes Against British Jews More than Double

Dear Kenneth,

Approximately nine out of every ten American Jews believe antisemitism is a problem in America.

More than eight in ten say it has gotten worse over the past five years.

Nearly half of American Jewish young people say they have been victims of antisemitism.

These deeply disturbing figures are just some of the findings from a landmark survey of American Jews on antisemitism in America, conducted by AJC and released this morning, days before the first anniversary of the deadly attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

This unprecedented survey is the largest and most comprehensive examination ever of American Jews' experiences and perception of antisemitism.

I am including an overview of some of the key findings below. For the full results along with in-depth analysis, go to AJC.org/Antisemitism-Survey-2019.

I also invite you read my op-ed in today's edition of USA Today, discussing the findings and what they mean for the conversation about antisemitism in America.

This survey makes clear that American Jews view antisemitism as a significant problem in America-and one that is getting worse, coming from the far right, the hard left, extremists claiming to act in the name of Islam, and movements that target the State of Israel.

AJC is the leading organization combating antisemitism around the world. The results of this survey will inform our advocacy and the national conversation around antisemitism for years to come. Working with policymakers, faith and ethnic leaders, and everyday Americans, AJC will continue educating on this charged subject and advocating for national solutions.

If these results compel you to act-and how can they not?-I urge you to get involved with AJC.

American Jews are calling out. The time for action is now.

In partnership,

Avi Mayer
AJC Managing Director
Global Communications

Antisemitism in America

88% of American Jews believe antisemitism is a problem in America today and 84% say it has increased over the past five years, including a plurality-43%-who say it has increased a lot.
More than a third of all American Jews (35%) say they have personally been the targets of antisemitism over the past five years: nearly a quarter (23%) say they've been targeted by antisemitic remarks in person, by mail, or by phone; a fifth (20%) say they've been targeted by antisemitic remarks online, and 2% say they've been physically attacked for being Jewish.
Nearly a third-31%-of American Jews have avoided publicly wearing, carrying, or displaying things that might help people identify them as Jewish, while 25% say they avoid certain places, events, or situations out of concern for their safety or comfort as Jews at least some of the time.
Young people between the ages of 18-29 are the most vulnerable, with nearly half (45%) saying they have been the victims of antisemitism over the past five years and four in ten (38%) saying they have concealed their Jewishness in public - more than any other age group.

Antisemitism and Israel

American Jews overwhelmingly believe that anti-Zionism-that is, the belief that Israel should not exist-is a form of antisemitism: 84% of respondents said the statement "Israel has no right to exist" is antisemitic.
80% of respondents said the statement "The U.S. government only supports Israel because of the Jewish money" is antisemitic and 73% said so about the statement "American Jews are more loyal to Israel than to America."
Only 14% of American Jews say the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement targeting Israel is not antisemitic: over a third (35%) characterized the movement as mostly antisemitic, while 47% said it is not mostly antisemitic but has antisemitic supporters. The more familiar American Jews are with the BDS Movement, the more likely they are to consider it to be antisemitic, with a majority of those who say they are "very familiar" with the movement characterizing it as mostly antisemitic.

Government Response

72% of American Jews disapprove of President Trump's handling of the threat of antisemitism in America, compared to only 24% who approve. Respondents' assessment of President Trump's response to antisemitism varied vastly by their political affiliation, with 84% of Republicans expressing approval of the President's response, compared to only 4% of Democrats.
81% of American Jews characterize U.S. law enforcement's response to antisemitism as either very or somewhat effective, compared to only 15% who said the response is not too effective or not effective at all.

Responsibility for Antisemitism

89% of American Jews believe the extreme political right represents a threat to Jews in the United States, while 85% say the same of extremism in the name of Islam and nearly two thirds-64%-say so about the extreme political left.
American Jews assign greater responsibility to the Republican Party for the current level of antisemitism in the United States than they do to the Democratic Party. When asked to assign responsibility on a scale of 1 (no responsibility) to 10 (total responsibility), respondents assigned the Republican Party an average score of 6.2, while the Democratic Party scored a 3.6.
While those who identify as Republican or Democrat tend to assign greater responsibility to the opposite party, American Jews also view their own parties as having some responsibility for the current level of antisemitism in America, with each rating their own party with similar scores of 2.7.

Tzipi Livni's Israel Talk at Duke Interrupted by Student Protesters

Who Gets to Define 'Antisemitism' at U of Illinois?

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Student Government is considering a resolution condemning "the constant conflation of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism." The measure also calls for the school's chancellor to apologize "for wrongfully categorizing Anti-Zionism as Anti-Semitism" in a campus-wide email he sent last week.

Chancellor Robert Jones wrote that a presentation "with anti-Semitic content" made at a mandatory housing meeting last month "incited division, distrust and anger." After apologizing, he announced internal and external reviews of the programs responsible for the content - and that antisemitism training for all housing staff would begin by the end of the semester.

Students attending "Great Return March: Palestinian Resistance to 70 Years of Israeli Terror" said the presentation described pro-Israel students as "pro-terrorist," called the existence of Israel a terrorist enterprise and endorsed martyrdom. A statement from the school's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine criticized the chancellor for "demonizing a student presentation on Palestine" and "equating the concept of anti-Zionism presented by the student as being equivalent to anti-Semitism."

University of Illinois Chancellor Robert Jones deserves praise for recognizing that a campus presentation which sought to demonize and delegitimize Israel was literally antisemitic. And, of course, for his swift and forceful condemnation: "acts and expressions of anti-Semitism are acts and expressions of hatred and discrimination." Now that the student council has drafted a resolution stating anti-Zionism is not antisemitism, Chancellor Jones should address the relationship between the two forms of bigotry - and call for the university to formally adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism.

The IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism specifies how criticism of Israel that crosses the line into delegitimization, demonization or double standards may be a concealed expression of antisemitism. Eleven nations and the U.S. Departments of State and Education have already adopted the definition. Both the E.U. and U.N. have called upon all member nations to adopt it. The definition makes clear that "criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic."

A framework to protect the rights and safety of Jewish students across America was established by California State University's historic settlement last March. Universities facing similar challenges, such as the University of Illinois, should waste no time adopting its specific set of safeguards.

Colleges and universities have a responsibility to create a safe environment for all students and faculty. Campus leadership is key to leveling the playing field so that Jewish students who support Israel are not silenced by intimidation. Lively debate belongs on campus, and students should expect their opinions to be challenged. But free speech must never cross the line to where anyone feels their personal safety is threatened.

Iran / Syria / Hezbollah

IDF Sees Iranian Moves in North as Its Central Challenge
IDF Unveils Multi-Year Plan for Defending Israel

Israeli Security Officials Warn of Looming Iranian Threat

Senior Air Force Commander: Israel Mounted "Hundreds of Strikes" Against Terror Targets in "Campaign between the Wars"

Iran Is Losing the Middle East, Protests in Lebanon and Iraq Show

Lebanon's Aoun Invites Protesters to Talk, Hints at Government Reshuffle

Israel Preparing for Iranian Cruise Missile or Drone Attack

Hizbullah under Rare Pressure in Lebanon's Street Protests Senior Israeli Official Attends Bahrain Security Meeting on Iran

BAHRAIN FM URGES ITS CITIZENS TO LEAVE LEBANON IMMEDIATELY

Iran Again Fails to Enact Anti-Terror Finance Measures

Iran Banned from World Judo until It Agrees to Face Israel

Arms Embargo on Iran Due to Expire in 2020

The Palestinians

Hamas Arrests Dozens in Bid to Deter Gaza Protests

Imam Tawhidi on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

PA Blocks 59 Critical Websites of Its Policies/Leaders

Palestinian Who Converted to Judaism Arrested, Badly Beaten by PA Police

Jordan to Increase Electricity Exports to Palestinians

Hi-Tech

Southern Israel to Rely on Solar Energy 100%

This Incredible Jewish Astronaut Was Part of the First All-Female Spacewalk

Israeli-Swedish NASA Astronaut Participates in First All-Female Space Walk

"As much as it's worth celebrating, many of us are looking forward to it just being normal"

ISRAELI DEVELOPS PISTON ENGINE THAT RUNS ON WATER, ALCOHOL - NO GAS

Israeli Startup Plans Pilot Production of Clean Meat

Pop Culture

What It's Like to Play Tevye - in Yiddish - At a Time of Increasing Anti-Semitism

Who Is Irena Sendler, The Catholic Holocaust Hero Who Gal Gadot Will Play In Upcoming Biopic?

Who To Root For In The World Series - The Jewish Star Or The Underdog?

6 Biennale Artists On Why Art In Jerusalem Matters

"A Serious Man" Came Out 10 Years Ago. Here's What Real Rabbis Think of the Coen Brothers Film

Some think the film perpetuated anti-Semitic stereotypes. Others think it was a profound philosophical masterpiece

Billy Eichner's "Billy on the Street" is Coming to Netflix

"Stage Fright" is an Intimate, Extremely Jewish Portrait of Jenny Slate

Israeli Crowned Miss Congeniality at Miss Asia-Pacific Pageant in Philippines

Dear friends of J-ADD,

Reminder, our annual Walkathon will be held on Sunday, October 27, 2019 at Van Saun Park, Pavilion C (same location as the past three years) . Please be generous and go to the walk website and donate now so that your donation can be used to enhance the lives of the adults with developmental disabilities within our community.

The walk is scheduled for 10am on October 27. Please register and come enjoy the festivities. There will be a carnival, music and food for everyone!

Look forward to seeing you there.

Thanks so much from the J-ADD Walkathon Committee

Idan Raichel - The Piano Songs
November 14 | 7:30 pm
NY Society For Ethical Culture
Producer, keyboardist, lyricist, composer and Performer Idan Raichel is a global music icon who has brought his inspiring example and soul-stirring music to some of the planet's biggest stages.

Dance
Ella Rothschild
October 28-November 16
BAC Space Resident Artist
Choreographer Ella Rothschild begins a new creative process stemming from the question of how personal story can reveal broader phenomena about society. The work lingers on common images that define the physical and emotional environment in which we conduct ourselves, and leaves room for distinct characters who move the narrative forward through tensions, conflicts, and untenable situations..

Dance
Ephrat Asherie
November 5 | 7:30 pm
November 7 | 8 pm
JOYCE
Choreographer and "bona fide b-girl" (The Boston Globe) Ephrat Asherie brings a high-energy, hybrid work that layers breaking, hip-hop, house, and vogue. In their second collaboration together, the choreographer teams up with her brother, jazz pianist Ehud Asherie, whom The New Yorker has called "a master of swing and stride."

Literature
Book Launch: Zeruya Shalev presents PAIN
November 5 | 7:30 pm
Greenlight Bookstore
In conversation with Lauren Groff
Reception to follow
In her remarkable novel Pain, bestselling Israeli author Zeruya Shalev explores the power of heartbreak, and the consequences that can come from continuously mourning the life we almost had.
Ten years after Iris was almost killed in a suicide bombing, the pain of her injuries return. She's shocked when her doctor turns out to be the love of her teenage years, Eitan. Caught in her past and the overwhelming feelings of seeing Eitan again, she starts a secret, passionate affair. For the first time in decades, and despite the guilt of betraying her family, Iris is alight with passion and love. She soon finds herself with a difficult choice: try to reclaim the life and love she should have had, or work to fix her broken family. Pain is a powerful, astute novel that exposes how old passions can return, testing our capacity to make choices about what is most essential in life. Joining Shalev in conversation is Lauren Groff, author of Florida, Fates and Furies, and other works of fiction. A reception follows to celebrate the book's launch.

Music
Yemen Blues Plays Hallel
October 29 | 8 pm
Symphony Space
Hailed by NPR and Time Out for performing some of the most exciting world fusion music happening today, Yemen Blues blends Yemenite Jewish and ancient Arabic music with Afro-funk into a sound all its own. In this special event, lyrics derived from the Hebrew text from Tehillim (Psalms) meld with high-energy performances for a truly transcendent experience.

Music
Dina Pruzhansky - Piano
November 10 | 3 pm
92Y
Music Faculty Concert Series:
Join us for an afternoon of new original art song, instrumental, theatre, and operatic compositions by 92Y School of Music faculty member Dina Pruzhansky.
The concert features Dina Pruzhansky at the piano along with celebrated New York performers:
Claire Kuttler, soprano
Inbar Goldmann, mezzo-soprano
Pavel Suliandziga, tenor
Edward Pleasant, baritone
Gabriel Gurevich, boy soprano
Tyler James, cello
Free and open to the public.

Film
NewFest
October 23-29
Cinepolis Theater 7
NewFest is an LGBTQ film festival from October 23-29, based at the Cinepolis Chelsea Theater. Two of the films being screened are Israeli: Jonathan Agassi Saved My Life, directed by Tomer Heymann, and 15 Years, directed by Yuval Hadadi.

Film
Advocate at Philadelphia Film Festival
October 27 | 12:30 pm
Ritz Five
Directed by Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaïche
World-premiered at Sundance, played on the Canadian International nonfiction festival Hot Docs, soon to be featured on the Philadelphia Film Festival, and won top prizes at Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, Kraków Film Festival, Hong Kong International Film Festival and Docaviv Festival, Advocate is a documentary about an Israeli lawyer's journey, navigating the judicial system.

Film
Synonyms- a film by Nadav Lapid
Opens October 25 in New York
Quad Cinema
Film at Lincoln Center
Synonyms is an artistically captivating film about a young man who escapes his original, Israeli identity to find a new one in France. Grappling themes on language, history, trauma, and renaissance, this modern and intense film will leave you thinking for days on end.
Won the Golden Bear at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival.
Based on writer-director Nadav Lapid's own experiences, Synonyms explores the challenges of putting down roots in a new place. Yoav's attempts to find himself awaken past demons and open up an existential abyss in this tragicomic puzzle that wisely knows how to keep its secrets.

Dance
Maya Beiser/ Wendy Whelan - THE DAY
October 22 - 27
JOYCE
A collaboration among legends, THE DAY is a new music/dance work by cellist Maya Beiser, beloved dancer Wendy Whelan, iconoclastic choreographer Lucinda Childs, and Pulitzer Prize winning composer David Lang.

Literature
And the Bride Closed the Door- With Jessica Cohen and Bethany Ball
November 11 | 7:30 pm
The Strand
On the 2nd floor, the Strand will be hosting an event for acclaimed Israeli novelist Ronit Matalon's final novel, And The Bride Closed The Door. In conversation will be Jessica Cohen, the books translator, novelist Bethany Ball, and literature professor Gil Hochberg.
Ronit Matalon (1959-2017) was the author of nine novels and a liberal social activist. The daughter of Egyptian immigrants to Israel, she worked as a journalist for Haaretz and reported from the West Bank and Gaza. Her last book, And the Bride Closed the Door, was awarded Israel's prestigious Brenner Prize the day before her death at age 58.

Music
ECCO (East Coast Chamber Orchestra) & Shai Wosner, piano
October 27 | 3:00 pm
Kaufman Concert Hall - 92Y
The "superb pianist" (The Washington Post) Shai Wosner joins ECCO in a performance of Mozart's harmonically adventurous Piano Concerto No. 14 in E-Flat Major before premiering a new work of Christopher Cerrone, based on the writings of Elena Ferrante.

Film
13th Annual Other Israel Film Festival
November 14-21
JCC
The Other Israel Film Festival, founded in 2007, presents cinema that inspires conversation and takes an in-depth look into Israeli and Palestinian societies and minority populations in Israel. It is an annual weeklong festival of award-winning international films, as well as engaging conversations on hot topics. These films and interactions inform and intrigue audiences, and illuminate the diversity of Israeli society. All screenings are followed by Q+As with filmmakers and other special guests. In addition to the screenings, we present panel discussions related to the films and their topics, opening and closing night galas, and other special events.

Theater
Geneva Camerata
David Greilsammer. Music Director
November 6 | 7:30 pm
92Y
Straying from the demeanor of a usual orchestra concert, Juan Kruz Díaz de Garaio Esnaola has devised choreography for dancer Martí Corbera and for the entire ensemble, who perform in motion while playing the music from memory.

JCC of Fort Lee/Congregation Gesher Shalom

1449 ANDERSON AVE. FORT LEE NJ 07024 MAIN OFFICE: (201)-947-1735