The Urgency to Help Jewish Families Meet Their Basic
Needs is Growing – Help Fill the Gap
Name: Jewish Fed. of Greater Phila. 1
Width: 9.25 in
Depth: 11 in
Color: Black
Comment: JE-Cover Wrap
Ad Number: 00092583
M A I M O N I D E S F U N D M ATC H W I L L B R I N G A N A D D I T I O N A L
$500,000 I N TO O U R J E W I S H C O M M U N I T Y
From housing and food support to medical and mental
care, human service agencies in Greater Philadelphia are
addressing the needs of more clients than ever before.

Today, the Jewish Federation and its community of generous
supporters can make their contributions go farther than
ever before – thanks to a national matching fund.

In order to swiftly address the growing human service gaps
being felt across the country, Jewish Federations of North
America (JFNA) is offering a generous matching grant to
its network of more than 148 Federations. Through this
partnership with JFNA, our community has the unique
opportunity to make a deeper impact with their end of year
giving. If our Greater Philadelphia Jewish community
can raise one million dollars by December 31 st , JFNA will
contribute an extra $500,000 in matching funds.

“Food insecurity and mental health are two of the areas we
wanted to focus our COVID-19 philanthropic dollars on,”
shared Bethany and Garett Shiner who made their gift to
the fund early.

“We know that a lot of people are
struggling this year and feel fortunate
to be able to make our gift go further
and help even more people by
supporting the Maimonides Fund.”
— Bethany and Garett Shiner
With the community’s help, $1.5 million can be distributed
among the human service agencies in Greater Philadelphia
that are on the frontlines helping homebound seniors,
individuals suffering from job loss, people facing food
and financial insecurity, those with growing mental health
issues, and so much more. The following agencies will
benefit from these funds to our community:
• Abramson Senior Care
• Federation Housing Inc.

• Female Hebrew
Benevolent Society
• Friendship Circle
• Golden Slipper Gems
• Hebrew Free Loan Society
• JCHAI
• JEVS Human Services
• Jewish Family and
Children’s Service (JFCS)
• Jewish Relief Agency
(JRA) • KAVOD SHEF
• KleinLife
• Mitzvah Food Program
The fund will also provide emergency cash assistance for
grants to individuals in need as well as address emerging
issues related to reducing social isolation, trauma informed
training and PPE.

“Thank you to the Jewish Federation for leading the
Maimonides Fund drive and for your focus on Human
Services during this most challenging year,” said Anna
Boni, Chair of the Board for Jewish Family and Children's
Service (JCFS) of Greater Philadelphia.

“Part of the funds raised would
enhance JFCS programs that are
vitally needed at this time, in the areas
of mental health support, food
delivery, and rent and utility relief.”
— Anna Boni
During this time of year, there are many worthy causes
to support. But there is no other contribution that
enables one’s donation to be leveraged to make as deep
an impact in the community as the Jewish Federation’s
Maimonides Fund.

ELIGIBILITY • First time donation to the Jewish Federation
• Increased donation from one’s 2021 Jewish Community
Fund contribution (the increase is eligible for match)
• Donation from a donor who has not made a contribution
in the past 18 months
HELP PHILADELPHIA SECURE THIS
M ATC H TO DAY !
Contact Melissa Greenberg, Jewish Federation
Executive Vice President at mgreenberg@jewishphilly.org
or 215.832.0635.




ON THE
FENCE LONG NIGHTS
Fencer Maia Weintraub works toward her
goal of competing in the Olympics.

DECEMBER 3, 2020 / 17 KISLEV 5781
PAGE 22
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM — WHAT IT MEANS TO BE JEWISH IN PHILADELPHIA —
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LOCAL Chanukah Events
Plentiful Despite
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Page 4
OPINION Orthodox Rabbi
Discusses High
Court Ruling
Says little will
change for his
congregation. Page 16
OPINION Hunger Crisis
Often Overlooked
MAZON leader calls
on citizens to push
for added help.

Page 17
Volume 133
Number 34
Published Weekly Since 1887
Dentists See
Care Delayed
Due to
Pandemic SOPHIE PANZER | JE STAFF
IF YOU HAVEN’T SET FOOT inside
a dentist’s offi ce this year due to anxiety
about COVID-19, you’re not alone.

Many of Dr. Frederic Barnett’s patients
haven’t scheduled an appointment since
the pandemic began, either.

Th e chairman of the Maxwell S.

Fogel Department of Dental Medicine at
Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia is
concerned. “Most dental disease develops without
any symptoms and without any signs. And
then, when fi nally something does begin
to hurt a patient, it needs more extensive
management and, of course, it’s always
more expensive as well,” he said.

Many Jewish dentists like Barnett have
seen their practices change in signifi cant
ways since the pandemic began, from
fl uctuating demand to stringent cleaning
protocols to increased cases of certain
dental problems.

Dentists in Pennsylvania faced intense
restrictions on their practices in the early
days of the stay-at-home order, and were
Left: The cover of a Congregation Mikveh Israel record book concerning marriages, births and
deaths between 1776-1843. Right: In one entry, Haym Solomon describes the circumstances under
which a prominent member of the community was nearly excommunicated.

Courtesy of Congregation Mikveh Israel and the Philadelphia Congregations Early Records Project
Mikveh Israel Archives ‘a
Mirror of Today’
JESSE BERNSTEIN | JE STAFF
TO READ THROUGH the archives
of Congregation Mikveh Israel, which
are slowly but surely being digitized and
transcribed by professional staff and
volunteers in a project concerning the
oldest congregations in Philadelphia, is
to encounter the repeated occurrence of
See Dentists, Page 14
Name: Joseph Levine & Sons
Width: 5.5 in
Depth: 1.231 in
Color: Black plus one
Comment: JE-FCS
Ad Number: 00091148
certain eternal practices.

Ledgers record births and deaths from
as long ago as the American Revolution.

Similar documentation is made of
marriages, britot milah and an applica-
tion to the city of Philadelphia requesting
permission to construct a mikvah.

But the archival records that seem to
most tickle Rabbi Albert Gabbai of the
See Archives, Page 15