I have read many articles in the past few months, written by people with disabilities, noting that Covid-19 has given people without disabilities a very small taste of what their lives are like—from people with mobility issues regularly not being able to attend in person meetings or getting around the office easily, to deaf people feeling left out of meetings due to lack of interpreters.  They all end by hoping the world will just be bit more understanding and accommodating for everyone if and when we return to work.

My hope and prayer is that the Jewish World will also continue to be more inclusive and accommodating.  We are off to a good start!  Countless synagogues of all denominations and entire Jewish communities have worked hard to meet the needs of congregants unable to attend in person services, life cycle events or classes.

In this blog, I have documented a few, from community wide shofar blowing on the streets of New York and LA, to virtual classes.   There were countless Shabbat Shuva drashes, as well as rich online pre-holiday programming for people of all ages.

I have been particularly struck by the number of pre-holiday Yizkor services offered.   I attended one this past Thursday offered by Manhattan’s Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun.  And Chabad held a Yizkor service at 9 am Sunday (Erev Yom Kippur), advertising, “Join thousands as we remember our loved one…”   In the KJ Yizkor, Rabbi Chaim Steinmatz noted that Yizkor is traditionally recited when the community gathers, and that, this year, many in the community were gathering virtually.

All the years I have been attending synagogue, I have noticed people rushing to shuls of all denominations to “say Yizkor”—even if they had to then turn around and go back to work.  Or they had to get to shul at great cost.   It is not easy for everyone to get to shul—due to age, disability, financial means and more.  Offering Yizkor virtually, especially before the holiday when technology use isn’t an issue for the more observant, is brilliant—and inclusive.

There are obvious halachic (Jewish law) challenges.  Though we are seeing innovation and creativity in both the Conservative and the Orthodox worlds.  There is an old say: “Where there is a rabbinic will, there is a halachic way.”  This may not be true in all cases—but it means there is room for more “play” within the system. 

Some Conservative rabbis were not comfortable using Zoom on Shabbat and holidays. They were a bit more comfortable when they learned they can leave Zoom “on” for the whole service without touching the controls. Then, Rosh Hashanah came along.  Zoom apparently ends a meeting automatically after 24 hours of being on.  The two-day holiday of Rosh Hashanah would have been problematic—until a clever Conservative rabbi working on this issue contacted a colleague in California who had a congregant who was a higher up at Zoom.  Lo and behold—they found a way to allow Zoom to stay on for 48 hours!

And finally, a playful accommodation.  A clever Jew in Melbourne, Australia found a way to bring the kaparah ritual to Australian Jews on lockdown—he rented a plane with chickens aboard and had the pilot fly “kaparah patterns” over Melbourne!

I pray that 5781 is a year of continuing to be creative and therefore even more inclusive!  

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Original Article Published On The Jerusalem Post

The Danish Jewish Museum in Copenhagen presents 400 years of Jewish life in Denmark.

This High Holy Days period – when most synagogues around the world have made the difficult decision to tell members not to come for in-person services – I am transported back to a special Yom Kippur four years ago at Copenhagen’s Great Synagogue.

I spent the holiday in the synagogue where the current rabbi, Jair Melchior’s great-grandfather, Chief Rabbi Marcus Melchior, also told the congregation on Rosh Hashanah Eve 1943 (September 29) not to come for Rosh Hashanah services. His congregants were not facing a pandemic; rather the Jews of Denmark were facing a roundup and likely extermination by the Nazis.

The miraculous outcome for nearly all of the Jews of Denmark offers inspiration and hope to all of us living through difficult times.

A compassionate German diplomat tipped off Rabbi Melchior, who stood at the bimah and urged the Jews to hide or flee, and to share the urgent message with their friends and family members. Non-Jews in Denmark mobilized and hid Jews in homes, churches, convents, schools and hospitals.

Nearly 7,200 Jews and 680 of their non-Jewish family members were helped to safety by Danish fishermen who shuttled the Jews by fishing boats across the water separating Denmark from Sweden. Nearly 500 Danish Jews who did not make it out in the fall of 1943 were eventually deported to the Czech town of Terezin, or Theresienstadt in German. Yad Vashem planted a tree in the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations in honor of the Danish underground and its rescue of the Jews.

I think of this incredible story every Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I had the wonderful opportunity to pray with the Jewish community of Copenhagen for slihot (penitential poems and prayers) and Shacharit (morning services) during the week leading up to Yom Kippur, and for all Yom Kippur services. My wife and several other observant Jews were in Copenhagen for a conference and knew it would be impossible to return home to America or Israel in time for the start of the holiday. Some left the conference early; a handful were lucky enough to experience Yom Kippur in Copenhagen.

On my early morning walks through the dark streets of Copenhagen to the synagogue built in 1833, on Krystalgade 12, and during my long daily walks through the beautiful city, I learned that there are many reminders of the Holocaust, both obvious and subtle. A fellow worshiper, a 6th-generation Dane who informed me of the sizable Danish-Jewish community in Ra’anana I never knew about, pointed out a nondescript law office building that once served as Nazi headquarters and was rebuilt after a bombing by the Allies.

When I first arrived in Denmark, I set out for the Chabad House to introduce myself to Rabbi Yitzi and Rochel Loewenthal, the Chabad shluchim (emissaries), to arrange Shabbat and holiday meals. The Chabad House, located at 10 Ole Suhrs Gade, is on a street with old-world charm, between the Botanical Gardens and Sortedams Lake. A careful observer may spot a green door with a mezuzah – and a gold sign overhead that reads: Chabad Huset, or Chabad House. The building was once used as Nazi headquarters.

IT IS now the Chabad House and the home of the Loewenthals, who arrived in Copenhagen in 1996 to serve the Danish-Jewish community. This community traces its history in Denmark back to the 1600s. In the early 1600s, King Christian IV founded the town of Glückstadt and allowed Albert Dionis, a Jewish merchant, to settle in the city. He later extended this right to a few other Jews in 1628. Jews were offered protection, and the right to hold private religious services and maintain their own cemetery, which they founded in 1693. Since 1900, another Jewish cemetery has been used as the burial ground in Copenhagen for more than 6,000 Jewish people.

By 1780, approximately 1,600 Jews lived in Denmark. At this time, the king instituted a number of reforms that helped Jews integrate more fully into Danish society; they were permitted to attend university, join guilds, build schools and own real estate. In 1814, Danish Jews were granted civic equality; they received full citizenship rights in 1849 – one of the first countries in Europe to do so. Nearly 3,000 Jews came to Denmark in the early 1900s to escape such events in Russia as the Kishinev pogrom of 1903 and the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

The Danish Jewish Museum in Copenhagen, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, presents 400 years of Jewish life in Denmark. The design of the museum offers another reminder of the Holocaust experience in Denmark. The word “mitzvah” constitutes the emblem and concept of the museum, and the museum was reportedly designed around the courage demonstrated by the Danes.

The Chabad House itself contains some important pieces of Danish Jewish history. The England-born rabbi and his American wife, who have learned Danish and continue to speak to their children in English, Yiddish and Hebrew, proudly display two pieces of local history on the wall of the main room of the Chabad House: a 400-year-old coin from King Christian the Fourth, bearing the tetragrammaton in Hebrew; and a yellow Jewish star from the Holocaust.

The Loewenthals have the important responsibility of helping to look after the Danish-Jewish community, which now numbers about 7,000 people. There are few kosher shops or restaurants in Copenhagen, few kosher-certified products in local grocery stores and kosher meat is hard to find and expensive, mainly because of Denmark’s laws prohibiting shechita (kosher ritual slaughter). Thus, all kosher meat must be imported. Rabbi Loewenthal regularly visits companies where he oversees kosher supervision, teaches local Danish school students about Judaism and teaches at the Jewish day school.

Rabbi Loewenthal prays each morning, either next door to the Chabad House at Machsike Hadas (if there is a minyan) or at the Great Synagogue, a 15-minute walk from his home, through the Botanical Gardens or up Gothersgade Street, or even past Rosenborg Castle, the National Gallery of Denmark or Copenhagen University. I met the rabbi at services each pre-Yom Kippur morning. Security was tight, even on a weekday morning, partly as a result of the February 2015 shooting death of Jewish security guard Dan Uzan, 38, by Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, during a bat mitzvah celebration outside the Great Synagogue.

SECURITY WAS especially tight on Yom Kippur evening, when the entire community assembled for Kol Nidre. A Danish police officer, after questioning those seeking to enter, used a special key to open the shul gate. Flowers outside the synagogue served as a reminder of the killing a year and a half earlier.

I was struck by the range of people – and by their outfits. Some wore fancy dresses, jewels and furs; others wore shorts and Guns & Roses T-shirts. Some stayed for the entire service – led by a cantor and an all-male choir. Some stayed only for the brief Kol Nidre part; yet others left after the very moving reading of “the names” in Danish. The rabbi movingly read the names of the members of the community killed by the Nazis.

Community members were welcoming, though most were not well-versed in the High Holy Day liturgy. The voices of the Israeli cantor and choir were heard while those of congregants were barely audible.

The current chief cantor, Edan Tamler, is a very hip 20-something, American-born Israeli who made aliyah in 2012 and lives in the mixed religious/secular yishuv of Esh’har in the Lower Galilee. Tamler was a contestant on The X Factor Israel TV show in its first season, reaching the finals as part of a boy band named Fusion that the judges built around him. He was subsequently signed by Israeli pop star Ivri Lider, X-Factor judge and mentor to Tamler.

Tamler has been in Denmark for several weeks this August, serving as full-time cantor and teaching music at the Jewish school. “It’s been great to be back in Denmark and getting to pray with a congregation once again,” reports Tamler. “It hasn’t really been possible in Israel since the novel coronavirus started. I’m so excited to be reunited with the community and looking forward to leading the Yamim Noraim (Ten Days of Repentance) services that are less than a month away! It’s a true honor to be able to lead prayers in such a magnificent synagogue and beautiful community with so much history.” The Loewenthals, who provided tasty pre- and post-Yom Kippur sustenance when I was there for the holiday, continue to care for the needs of the community – even during these unusual times. “Obviously COVID-19 has had an effect. Denmark closed down very early, but started reopening in April with the shuls – big and small – opening since Shavuot. We have reopened the shuls – big and small–  albeit with precautions and a limited capacity.

“The same is true of the Chabad House, where we have classes, though most are also online, and for meals we have families sitting together with space between the family groups. We have seen that some people are concerned and stay home, and I suspect that will last for a while. Most families with children are more or less back to normal business. For Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we are taking precautions and will probably put a tent outside to help accommodate more people in the correct fashion,” says Rochel Loewenthal.

The Lowenthals are busy preparing for the High Holy Days. Yet, she has time to say kind words about the talented young cantor in town. “Edan is a great guy. A wonderful hazan and he brings a youthful perspective and fresh tunes to the shul.”

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in Denmark promise to be meaningful – even during these unusual COVID-19 times.

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Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson and Dean Kremer?!

The first four are the Baltimore Orioles pitchers from my childhood who accomplished the unimaginable—these four were 20-game winners in a single season—1971.  Dean Kremer?  Well..there is no way he can win 20 games in a season, given the 2020 season only has 60 games!  We are proud of Dean, nonetheless.

I have been following Dean Kremer, the Israel Baseball player for many years. Now, he is Oriole, bringing pride to Baltimore baseball fans, Jewish and non-Jewish alike.  WJZ-TV in Baltimore captured the excitement with its headline before his first MLB start against the New York Yankees: 

Mazel Tov! Orioles’ Dean Kremer Becomes 1st Israeli to Reach Majors, Debuts Sunday Against Yankees”

Kremer came to the Orioles as part of the Manny Machado trade in 2017. He almost reached the big leagues last season with his 3.72 ERA and 122 strikeouts over 113 2/3 innings across three levels of minor league baseball.  He went 9-4 in 15 starts with Double-A Bowie, and went as far as AAA.

According to WJZ, he assumes the roster position of pitcher David Hess, who was optioned Saturday night, and took the rotation spot of Asher Wojciechowski.  Kremer debuted on Sept. 6 against the New York Yankees.  He allowed only one run and one hit, struck out seven batters in 6 innings and was credited with the win as the O’s beat the Yanks 5-1.

Kremer pitched 5 more innings vs. the Yanks on September 12 with 7 more strikeouts.  His third start was against the Devil Rays on September 17, where he pitched 5 innings and had 6 more strike outs. Kremer didn't factor into the decision in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Rays, giving up one run on three hits and three walks. Kremer reported, “I didn’t have my best stuff today, but I really needed to compete,” Kremer said. “They put eight lefties in the lineup so it took me a while to get my breaking ball going. It’s a good thing I had my cutter to get me through, but it was definitely a day where I had to grind through each at-bat.”

 His ERA is currently an impressively low 1.69. 

The Orioles are officially out of the pennant race.  Kremer faces the Boston Red Sox’s Nathan Eovaldi (3-2) in Boston tonight, his final start of the season.

Kremer was born in Stockton, California to Israeli parents and is the first Israeli to sign with an MLB team.   He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 38th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft.  He chose not to sign. He was drafted again–by the Los Angeles Dodgers–in the 14th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.

Kremer previously pitched for the Team USA baseball team in the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel, where the team won the gold medal.  In 2014 and 2015, Kremer pitched for Israel in the qualifying for the European Baseball Championship, where he received the Most Valuable Pitcher award. He also pitched in September 2016 in the qualifier for Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

We are excited to watch Dean Kremer continue to accomplish great things—both in the MLB and for Israel.  Fellow Californian and Team Israel teammate, Ryan Lavarnway, proudly wears double chai (#36) for the Florida Marlins, where the 33-year-old has served as backup catcher and had 4 hits in 11 at bats.  Lavarnway was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2008, and has played for several major league teams, with a career .215 average in 419 at bats. (see my 2019  Jerusalem Post article about Ryan!

Go Dean and Ryan!

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Rosh Hashanah featured major changes, some sadness, and even a possible miracle.

Rosh Hashanah was just different this year, regardless of your level of observance, preferred place of worship, or at home customs.  Services took place on Zoom, they took place outdoors, they were shorter, socially distanced, they featured shofar blowers in various neighborhoods, and there were no big festive meals.

And Jews woke to the sad news that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died Erev Rosh Hashanah (Friday) from complications of metastatic cancer at the age of 87

But there was also a happy story—perhaps even of a miracle—which may have slipped by without notice this Rosh Hashanah.  Diego Schwartzman, a very nice, proudly Jewish 28-year-old professional tennis player from Argentina, stunned Rafael Nadal in straight sets on Saturday at the Internazionali BNL D’Italia Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome.  True, he wasn’t in synagogue this Rosh Hashanah, but there is a parallel between Schwartzman’s actions, and the story Jews who were in synagogue were reading. 

On the first day or Rosh Hashanah, we read about Abraham and Sarah, and the birth of Isaac, after many years of waiting.   Maimonides, the famous rabbi and commentator from the Middle Ages, notes that Abraham had to undergo 10 trials or tests from God.  Two of the tests are alluded to in this reading:  God tells Abraham to send Hagar (Sarah’s maidservant) away after having a child with her, and he becomes estranged from his first son, Ishmael. 

Abraham’s 10th and final test is the story we read on the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah—the Binding of Isaac, when God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on the altar, then calls him off after he passes the test.

I don’t think Schwartzman (#15) was thinking about this story while on the clay with Nadal (#2).  But, he, too survived his 10th test—he beat Rafa after losing their nine previous matches.  Schwartzman’s Rosh Hashanah miracle was beating Rafa 6-2, 7-5 in just over two hours in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open.  Nadal is ranked No. 2 in the world; Schwartzman is 15th.  Schwartzman excitedly said, “For sure, it’s my best match ever.  I played a few times against the three big champions in tennis. I never beat them until today. I’m very happy.”

On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Schwarzman defeated Denis Shapovalov, the 21-year-old Canadian, who was born in Tel Aviv.  Schwartzman won Sunday’s semifinals match, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (4).

Today, Schwartzman squared off against world #1, Novak Djokovic, in the finals.  What a difference a few days and weeks makes.  I wrote in the Jerusalem Post about Schwartzman’s shocking first round loss in the US Open. And every news outlet in the world covered the story of Djokovic being  disqualified from the US Open just a week ago for unintentionally hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball.

Djokovic has beaten Schwartzman in all four previous matches before today’s finals—though Schwarzman took Djoker to five sets in the 2017 French Open.  And he took him to 3 sets in last year’s Rome semifinals.  In today’s finals, Djokovic defeated Schwartzman 7-5, 6-3. 

Schwartzman may not have been in shul this year, then again, who was?!  Thank you, Diego, for bringing us so much pleasure this Rosh Hashanah.  They say that what happens on Rosh Hashanah is a siman, a sign of what is to come this year.  Best wishes for a sweet, successful year on and off the court, Diego!

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