T orah P ortion
Ignore Noise, Focus on Mission
BY RABBI SHLOMO RISKIN
Parshat Balak
“MY NATION, remember
what Balak the king of Moab
advised and what Bil’am the
son of Be’or ... answered him in
order that you may know the
compassionate righteousness
of the Lord” [Micha. 6:5].

Who, or what, defines Israel,
and why does it matter? If deeply
concerning trends continue
in the United States, research
and ample anecdotal evidence
indicate that those succeeding in
affecting views toward Israel are
the very people who attack it as
a racist, discriminatory occupier
lacking any moral or political
legitimacy. Noble attempts to
brand Israel as a high-tech haven
(“start-up nation”) notwith-
standing, Israel is increasingly
being effectively defined by foes,
not friends. What, if anything,
can be done to reverse these
deeply troubling developments?
In our weekly biblical portion,
Balak, we read that efforts by
enemies to define the Jewish
people have ancient antecedents.

King Balak of Moab, fright-
ened by the “Biblical Israelis,”
vastly overestimates their global
designs as well as their military
Survivor Continued from Page 7
organization Facing History and
Ourselves and is supported by
the Jewish Community Relations
Council of the Jewish Federation
of Greater Philadelphia.

Seltzer explained that, as a
relatively new organization, 3G
Philly will continue to develop
its initiatives according to the
interests of members.

“We want to see what the
community feels it needs and
wants, and try out different
programs to see what sticks,”
she said.

Cindy Silverman Chronister
20 JUNE 24, 2021
CAN DL E L IGHTIN G
June 25
July 2
8:15 p.m.

8:15 p.m.

might: “This multitude will lick
up all that is round about us as
the ox licks up the grass of the
field” (Num. 22:4). He therefore
turns to Bil’am, a magician and a
soothsayer, an accomplished poet
and master of the spoken word,
to curse the Israelis in order to
vanquish them (ibid., v.6).

Bil’am represents the giant
media corporations and social
media platforms that play a
dominant role in shaping public
opinion. Is it not true that these
manipulators of minds have the
power to destroy a world with a
word? And indeed, Bil’am sets
out to curse the Israelites.

Nevertheless, the Torah
goes on to say that the prophet
ultimately blesses the Israelites.

At first, he is struck by his
donkey’s refusal to take him
where he wanted to go.

Apparently even a donkey can
be amazed by the miraculous
events that contributed to the
preservation and preeminence
of Israel from abject slaves to
recipients of God’s presence at
Sinai, despite their smallness in
number and scarcity of power.

And then Bil’am sees for
himself — to the extent that
at least he attempted to record
the truth as he composes his
tweets and Facebook posts. He
may have come to curse, but
he stays to praise. He evokes
Jewish destiny in glowing
terms, extolling the unique-
ness of Israel (ibid., 23:9) and
evoking our ultimate messi-
anic victory (ibid., 24:17–19).

He affirms unmistakably that
“no black magic can be effec-
tive against Jacob and no occult
powers against Israel” (ibid.,
23:23) — evil words spoken
by evil people are impotent
before the modesty and integ-
rity expressed by the Israelites
in their daily lives.

Ultimately, however, it is not
the speaking donkey that will
succeed in changing the minds
of the many Bil’ams around
us; rather, it is the deeds of the
Jewish people itself that will
evoke change: “Your deeds will
bring you close, your deeds
will distance you” [Mishna,
Eduyot 5:7].

First of all, Bil’am takes
note of the military success of
this fledgling nation against
every one of her enemies —
Israel had just emerged from a
great military victory against
the terrorizing Amorites. And,
more importantly, the chaste
and sanctified lifestyle of the
Israelites and their commit-
ment to their traditions and
ideals made an even greater
impact on Bil’am.

“How goodly are your tents,
O Jacob, your Sanctuaries, O
Israel” [Num. 24:5]. Bil’am
was amazed as to how the
Israelite encampment (ohel)
was constructed to respect
everyone’s privacy, so that no
one could see into his neigh-
bor’s home. He was moved by
the sensitivity toward inter-
personal relationships, the love
and respect displayed toward
one another by family members
and the harmony with which
neighbors lived together.

And when Bil’am saw the
commitment the Israelites
had to their study halls and
synagogues (mishkan) — their
fealty to traditional values
and teachings and their faith
in Divine providence — he
understood and proclaimed the
invincibility of this Divinely-
elected people.

Alas, what a person might
— and words could not — do
to the Israelites, the Israelites
managed to do to themselves.

Bil’am and Balak returned
to their homes to leave Israel
in peace — but the Israelites
themselves self-destructed.

They chased after the hedonistic
blandishments of the pagan
societies of Bil’am and Balak.

The very next chapter opened
with, “And the people began
to commit harlotry with the
daughters of Moab ... and Israel
joined himself to the [idolatry
of] Ba’al Peor [Bil’am ben
Beor]” (ibid., 25:1–3).

We failed in the desert not
because of what our enemies
did or said, but rather because
of our own moral weakness and
rejection of the birthright that
had initially formed our nation’s
definition and mission. Indeed,
we are “a people who dwells
alone, not subject to the machi-
nations of other nations” (ibid.,
23:9). In this generation, in which
detractors and haters attacking
the Jewish people and Israel
are on the ascent in capturing
public opinion, we must
remember to ignore the noise
and to focus on our national
mission. To rephrase Ben Gurion,
indeed it is not what the nations
say that matters, but rather it is
what we do or what we do not
do, especially in the spheres of
ethics and morality, which is of
supreme significance. l
was excited to join 3G Philly and
participate in WEDU to share
the story of her grandparents,
her family’s sole survivors during
the Holocaust. Her grandfather
was an electrician whose store in
Vienna, Austria, was destroyed
during Kristallnacht. After her
grandparents fled to the United
States, they talked little of their
life in Austria, and Chronister
did her own research to piece
together their story.

“It has been inspiring to
meet and connect with other
3Gs and to hear their families
stories of survival,” Chronister
said. “It has taught me not only
how to educate others by using
historical facts along with
capturing the personal nature
of my family’s story, but to tell
it in such a way that is moving,
powerful and educational.”
As survivors age, their
grandchildren feel an urgency
to preserve their stories.

“3Gs are the last living link
to survivors and we feel a deep
commitment to know and tell
our family stories, and to place
them within the great context
of the Holocaust,” Chronister
said. “These personal stories
serve as a pathway to educate
diverse communities about the
perils of intolerance.”
3G Philly has a variety of
upcoming events planned this
summer. Their first in-person event,
a family-friendly gathering, is
scheduled for June 27. It will
include a celebration of the
newest 3G Philly WEDU trainees
and a talk from Sophie Don, a
grandchild of survivors and the
administrative and operations
manager of the Philadelphia
Holocaust Remembrance
Foundation. Those interested
in attending are encouraged to
email 3GPhilly@gmail.com for
location details.

The organization will also
continue to hold virtual gather-
ings. 3G Philly’s Holocaust
Education Committee will
have its first meeting on June 30
on Zoom, and at the beginning
of July, 3G Philly is launching
a monthly peer support group
for the grandchildren of survi-
vors to discuss everything
from generational trauma to
antisemitism to talking about
the Holocaust with children.

Later in September, 3G
Philly will host a reading and
Q&A with Rachael Cerrotti,
a podcaster and author of the
forthcoming book “We Share
the Same Sky.” The memoir
tracks her experience learning
about the story of her grand-
mother, a Holocaust survivor. l
JEWISH EXPONENT
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is the founding
chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel.

JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



C ommunity / mazel tovs
ENGAGEMENT SHARE your engagement, wedding,
birth, Bar/Bat Mitzvah announcement
and any other simcha on both
jewishexponent.com and the weekly
Jewish Exponent newspaper for ... FREE
FREE. KRUEGER-GOLDIN
Helaine Zwanger of Montgomery Township and Amy
and Martin Goldin of Gulfport, Mississippi announce the
engagement of their children Brett Jason to Jodi Heather.

Brett is a graduate of LeBow College of Business, Drexel
University. Jodi is a graduate of Indiana University and
Parsons, The New School of Design. Brett works in finance
and Jodi is in fashion. The couple reside in Manhattan.

Sharing in the couple’s happiness are Brett’s sister, Elyse;
Jodi’s siblings, Betsy, Melissa and Ryan; Brett’s grandparents,
Shirley and Bennett Zwanger; Jodi’s grandmother, Florence
Goldin; and several nieces and nephews.

Jodi is the granddaughter of the late Jack Goldin and
Janice and Max Adlestein.

Courtesy of the Goldin family
J E W I S H E X P O N E N T . C O M / S U B M I T - M A Z E L - T O V
COMMUNITYBRIEFS NMAJH Names Chief Advancement and
Strategy Officer
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM of American Jewish
History announced the appointment of Carole
Zawatsky as its new chief advancement and strategy
officer. NMAJH said Zawatsky has served Jewish organi-
zations and cultural institutions for three decades
in a variety of leadership roles, from educator to
CEO. Zawatsky is known for creating partnerships
between the funding community and the institutions
she represents and has raised nearly $100 million,
including multiple multimillion-dollar gifts.

Chief advancement and strategy officer is a new
position for the museum. Zawatsky will be responsible
for all development activity, overseeing major gifts,
membership, donor stewardship and fundraising
events, as well as future NMAJH strategy.

Zawatsky previously led the Edlavitch Jewish
Community Center of Washington, D.C., where she
oversaw a $21 million capital campaign to renovate
an historic building. Prior to that, she managed a
team of 60 as chief program officer for arts, culture
and Jewish life at the JCC of San Francisco.

She also launched The Maltz Museum of Jewish
Heritage in Cleveland, serving as its founding
Carole Zawatsky
Courtesy of the National
Museum of American
Jewish History
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM executive director. Early in her career, she served
as director of education at The Jewish Museum in
New York City, director of public programs of the
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington,
D.C. and as a museum educator at the J. Paul Getty
Museum and the Skirball Museum.

Boy Needs Funds for Bone Marrow Transplant
A 5-year-old Cherry Hill, New Jersey, boy diagnosed
with a rare, possibly life-threatening genetic disorder,
is getting a bone marrow transplant, but his family is
struggling to raise the funds needed to cover the costs
of his medical care.

Rafi Meles was diagnosed with X-linked
Lymphoproliferative Syndrome, or XLP. It causes his
immune system to respond abnormally to some viral
infections, his father, Dovi Meles, said.

One of Rafi’s brothers, who is 10 months old, is a
match, and his bone marrow will be used in the trans-
plant at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The family has set up a fundraising campaign via
The Chesed Fund to raise $100,000 to cover treatment
costs not covered by insurance, including tutoring
and physical therapy, as Rafi will miss an entire
school year. As of noon on June 21, about $61,000 was
pledged. The fund for Rafi Meles can be found at thechesed-
fund.com/melesfamily/melesfamily. Einstein Doctor Honored by Gold Foundation
Dr. Eric Sachinwalla, medical director of infection
prevention and control for Einstein Medical Center
Philadelphia, was recognized as a Champion of
Humanistic Care by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation
“for his courage and compassion in caring for
patients during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Einstein
announced. Aside from his duties as a frontline physician,
Sachinwalla plays a pivotal role on Einstein’s Incident
JEWISH EXPONENT
Eric Sachinwalla
Courtesy of Einstein
Healthcare Network
Command Center, which is a network-wide initiative
created to handle the pandemic. He monitors regula-
tions and protocols from the City of Philadelphia and
the Pennsylvania Health Departments, as well as the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sharing
the information with the command center team and
Einstein’s more than 8,000 employees.

Sachinwalla also helps reduce the social isolation
patients with COVID-19 experience by collaborating
with Einstein’s chaplaincy program so chaplains can
visit patients, and makes iPads available so family
members can communicate with their loved ones.

KleinLife Receives Grant from Subaru
KleinLife received a grant of $6,638 from the
2020-2021 Subaru Share the Love Event as a member
of Meals On Wheels America, KleinLife President
and CEO Andre Krug announced.

This is the eighth year KleinLife has received a
grant from Subaru.

“Because of the additional help provided by Subaru
of America, we have been able to continue our efforts
to prepare, package and deliver 70,000 nutritious
meals annually to seniors in Philadelphia, Bucks and
Montgomery counties who cannot shop or cook for
themselves,” Krug said. l
JUNE 24, 2021
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