F TAY-SACHS
R F R E E E E
H eadlines
Review Continued from Page 1
January Jewish Educators Talk About
How Things Have Changed
During Pandemic
After having a semester to
adjust to the pandemic condi-
tions, with circumstances
feeling a little less “unprece-
dented,” Jewish day school
leaders began the spring
semester anew. Some schools
set up indoor classrooms; other
administrators opted to rotate
students in and out of the
building with hybrid learning.

As teachers learned how to
instruct their students over the
pandemic, the students showed
resilience and adaptation to the
new school structure.

Jewish Groups Respond to
Early Biden Agenda
Shortly after President Joe
Biden’s Jan. 20 election, Biden
laid the groundwork for plans
to combat the coronavirus, as
well as create an agenda to
make immigration to the U.S.

easier, expand refugee admis-
sions and condemn violent
extremism, including antisem-
itism. Area Jewish leaders
lauded Biden’s proposals.

February Elkins Park Trio Helps Seniors
Get Vaccines
Beth Sholom Congregation
member Danielle Otero
teamed up with Sarah Levin
and Rebecca Klinger and
partnered with the Kehillah of
Old York Road during the early
days of the COVID vaccine
rollout to help older commu-
nity members schedule their
appointments to get the jab.

March One Year of the Pandemic:
Those We’ve Lost
In April 2020, the Exponent
created a segment called “Those
We’ve Lost,” documenting the
lives and deaths of those lost
to COVID. In commemora-
tion of the anniversary of the
pandemic’s onset, we compiled
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM the profiles of those named in Complaints
the segment. COVID deaths
A disinvitation of the
in the United States have now Moshava Israeli food truck
from a Philadelphia food
surpassed 800,000.

festival prompted an uproar
April from community members.

From Building an Ark to Vaccine Organizers Eat Up the Borders
Awareness: B’nai Mitzvah Plans and Sunflower Philly disinvited
Get Creative
Moshava for fear of poten-
Jewish tweens came of tial boycotts of the event, as
age in 2021 in a way much there was no Palestinian food
different than the previous truck also present at the event.

generation. Celebrating Jewish AJC, Jewish Federation of
adulthood over Zoom fell short Greater Philadelphia, Jewish
for some families who missed Community Relations Council,
the presence of clergy and Anti-Defamation League, Jews
relatives. Other families held in ALL Hues and the Board of
in-person gatherings with strict Rabbis of Philadelphia met with
COVID precautions, and some the event organizers in July.

becoming b’nai mitzvah used
the pandemic as inspiration July
for mitzvah projects, such as Ventnor Couple Victims of
supporting the vaccine rollout. Surfside Condo Collapse
On June 24, a condo in
Summer Camps Plan 2021
Surfside, Florida, collapsed,
Safety Protocols
resulting in the deaths of
After a year of canceled almost 100 residents and
summer camps, camp direc- visitors, many of whom were
tors were committed to having Jewish. Among the lives lost
campers return in 2021 to were the couple Bonnie and
participate in the treasured David Epstein, Northeast
Jewish tradition. Campers Philadelphia natives who spent
created their own pods, ate many of their summers down
meals outside and signed the shore.

community covenants asking
them to follow their camps’ August
policies. With smaller atten- Coming Home: An Interview
dance, camps were able to With New Jewish Federation
ensure COVID exposures President and CEO Michael
were minimized, and only a Balaban
On July 1, Michael Balaban
few camp activities were elimi-
became the Jewish Federation
nated for the year.

of Greater Philadelphia’s new
May president and CEO. In an
Israel Supporters March
interview with the Exponent,
Down Parkway
he outlined his plans to combat
May saw the most recent antisemitism and build a more
bout of violence in the Israel- Jewish future by adapting the
Hamas conflict, and some Jewish Federation’s business
Jewish Philadelphians were model during his tenure.

quick to show their support of
Israel following the series of September
rocket attacks. Organized by the Ida Floods Jewish Community
Israeli-American Council, the Services Building, Sports Hall
Philadelphia march to support
In the aftermath of
Israel was one of 19 held nation- Hurricane Ida, which flooded
wide. This particular rally was the Schuylkill River, brackish
attended by nearly 100 people. water filled the basement
of the Jewish Community
June Services Building, destroying
Israeli Food Truck
the Philadelphia Jewish Sports
Disinvitation Prompts
Hall of Fame and displacing
JEWISH EXPONENT
myriad Jewish organiza-
tions in the area. The Sports
Hall of Fame seeks to relocate
after having rescued and
restored many of its objects.

October & & TAY-SACHS
CANAVAN CANAVAN
SCREENING SCREENING
CALL (215) 887-0877
FOR DETAILS
e-mail: ntsad@aol.com;
JFNA Announces $54M
visit: www.tay-sachs.org
■ Security Initiative
Screening for other
Jewish Federations of
Jewish Genetic
Diseases North America President
also available.

and CEO Eric Fingerhut
This message is sponsored by a friend of
announced on Oct. 2 a grant
program to help Jewish
organizations bolster their
security. The creation of the
Nat’l Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases
Association of Delaware Valley
grant came after a surge of
antisemitism in the United
States since 2016, according to
the Anti-Defamation League, December
which included the shooting Central Bucks Leaders
at the Tree of Life synagogue Condemn Antisemitism
complex in
Pittsburgh In November, members
in 2018.

of the Pennsbury school
board received threats, some
November of which were antisemitic
Holiday Gatherings Back On
in nature, after a school
This Year
board meeting to discuss
After many Philadelphians the district’s equity policies.

received their
vaccines, At a Dec. 6 school board
they were eager to return to meeting, members of the
in-person Chanukah celebra- board, including President
tions. Many families who Dana Hunter and Central
reunited during the holiday Bucks Superintendent Abram
cited the vaccine as the reason Lucabaugh, condemned the
they were able to do so, saying antisemitic remarks. l
they all felt safe gathering
indoors after receiving their srogelberg@jewishexponent.com;
COVID vaccines.

215-832-0741 DECEMBER 30, 2021
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