Jewish Federation Launches
Israel 75 Celebrations
Greater Philadelphia Celebrates
In 1948, despite all odds, Israel became a state. Fast forward 75 years,
the Jewish homeland has become a central hub of history, culture and
innovation. In commemoration of this major milestone, the Jewish
Federation of Greater Philadelphia is hosting four exciting, area-wide events:
a Community Mitzvah Day, Shabbat Gatherings, a Taste of Israel Festival and
an Israel 75 Mission.

“Even when not physically being in Israel, the Jewish people have an
intrinsic connection to the Land of Israel,” said Jeffrey Lasday, the Jewish
Federation’s senior chief of external affairs. “When we celebrate Israel 75 in
Greater Philadelphia, we are celebrating our historic connection to our Jewish
homeland, the amazing accomplishments of a country that is only 75 years
young, and the promise and possibilities of the future.”
One way that local community members can help shape “the promise and
possibilities of the future” is with Community Mitzvah Day, a day of good
deeds and giving back. On April 23, there will be over 25 hands-on volunteer
opportunities offered by organizations throughout the Greater Philadelphia
area, in collaboration with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s
neighborhood Kehillot, for people of all ages and abilities. Each volunteer
project focuses on one or more of the following seven interest areas: social
justice, food insecurity, poverty, older adults, conservation and restoration,
arts and culture and lone soldiers.

“Even when not
physically being in
Israel, the Jewish
people have an
intrinsic connection
to the Land of Israel.”
“All of the celebrations are
representative of each of the ways that
we build community,” explained Gail
Norry, board co-chair of the Jewish
Federation. “These are amazing
opportunities to reconnect after the
nationwide lockdown and bring more
people closer to the work of the Jewish
Federation and to each other.”
This sense of reconnection will surely
be felt on April 28-29, when community
Jeffrey Lasday, the Jewish Federation’s
members are invited to attend various
senior chief of external affairs
Shabbat Gatherings with their families
and friends. There are three ways to
participate in a Shabbat Gathering: attend a public Community Shabbat
Experience – led by local synagogues, organizations, and schools with
the Jewish Federation’s neighborhood Kehillot – host a private Shabbat
Gathering in one’s own home, or, for those ages 20 - 40, join a young adult
Shabbat Gathering in partnership with OneTable.

“I am so proud that we are going to be able to celebrate this major milestone,
and all that it symbolizes, within Greater Philadelphia,” expressed Margie
Honickman, Israel 75 event co-chair. “Israel is more than a geographical
location, it is a peoplehood and a testament to Jewish perseverance.”
Exploring this deeper understanding of Israel is the goal of the Taste of
Israel Festival on May 7, which aims to showcase Israeli culture through the
history of the country’s cuisine. The afternoon at the Saligman Campus will
include a tasting area and cooking demonstrations by five-time James Beard
Foundation Award-Winning Chef Michael Solomonov and other top local
chefs, a number of food and craft vendors, performances by the renowned
male a cappella group Six13, and plenty of family-friendly activities.

All food that is prepared and presented by Michael Solomonov and other
vendors in the main demonstration tent will be under the supervision of
Keystone-K Community Kashrus of Greater Philadelphia and certified as
Glatt kosher. Food provided by other vendors outside of the main demo tent
will be clearly marked indicating their level of dietary observance.

“The Greater Philadelphia Jewish community is one of the strongest in
America,” noted Tamar Silberberg Shiffman, Israel 75 event co-chair. “We
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have faced challenges and now have the opportunity to celebrate and travel to
Israel. It is time to show our strength.”
Over 150 community members will demonstrate that strength by traveling
to Israel from May 14-21. A meaningful, eight-day trip, the Israel 75 Mission
features four personalized tracks to guide their journeys in the Jewish
homeland: adventure, food, wine and culture, tech and business, and people,
places and politics.

“I’m excited to honor Israel’s achievements and get to know more of our
local community members at these festivities,” said David Adelman, Jewish
Federation board co-chair. “Whether you’re looking to strengthen your sense
of community, show your pride for Israel or learn something new about the
Jewish state, there’s a way for every person and their family to participate in
these celebrations.”
Learn more about Israel 75 at israel75.jewishphilly.org
Israel 75 Volunteer Leadership
Israel 75 Chairs
Margie Honickman
Tamar Silberberg Shiffman
Shabbat Gatherings Chairs
Yoella Epstein & Jeremy Kriger
Meredith & Stephen Moss
Community Mitzvah Day
Chairs Allison Goodman
Corie Moskow
Matthew Moskow
Sarah Vogel
Shabbat Gatherings
Committee Members
Robyn Barret
Joyce Brown
Abby Gilbert
Max Novick
Scott Noye
Lysa Puma
Sharon Rhodes
Nason Russ
Josh Weinberg
Community Mitzvah Day
Committee Members
Renanit Baker
Robin Bender Stevens
Rachel Fox
Barbara Glickman
Beth Ladenheim
Robin Rifkin
Barbara Rosenau
Tori Rultenburg
Shelley Sanders
Thierry Steenberghs
Amy Wittenstein
Taste of Israel Festival Chairs
Paula Glazer
Cari & Alan Lasdon
Shelby Zitelman
Taste of Israel Festival
Committee Members
Allison Benton
Alex Freedman
Beth Joseph
Amy Kaminsky
Jacques Lurie
Adi Ozery
Marty Roffman
Selma Roffman
Debbie Rosenberg
Israel 75 Mission Chairs
Jessica & Josh Katz
Susan Schwartz
Mission Track Captains
Adventure: Gregg & Sandi Epstein
Business & Technology:
Harold & Sherri Middleberg
Food, Wine & Culture:
David & Jodi Miller
People, Places & Politics:
Cara Levinson
Mission Bus Captains
Zach & Emily Berman
Steve & Robin Katz
Jon & Meredith Stevens
Brett & Lisa Studner
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia Leadership
Board Co-Chairs
Gail Norry
David Adelman
President and CEO
Michael Balaban
Chief Development Officer
Sarah Bernstein Solomon
Senior Chief of
External Affairs
Jeffrey Lasday



YOU SHOULD KNOW ...

Paul Farber
Sasha Rogelberg | Staff Writer
Photo by Gene Smirnov
A s co-founder and director of Monument Lab, a Philadelphia-
based public art and history studio nonprofit, Paul Farber is
concerned with memory.

According to Farber, 40, memory can be consecrated in large forms,
such as Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and small
forms, such as cookbooks or his childhood handprints and footprints
that are stamped on the playground of the Germantown Jewish Centre,
the synagogue where he grew up.

Most recently, Farber studied the memorial of one of Philly’s great
fictional heroes, Rocky Balboa, as the host of WHYY’s “The Statue.”
The six-part podcast wrapped up on Feb. 14.

“To tell the story of Rocky in this city and the Rocky statue is actually
to tell the story of a city, of its people, of its immigrants, of the way that
history moves, inspires and pushes us,” Farber said.

“That would be an approach to thinking about a monument — not
just to look up at it, but to kind of place
yourself there and look around and see
what you can learn from the perspec-
tive of the statue,” he added.

The Rocky statue is, to Farber, the
epitome of what makes monuments
unique: They do not just represent a
person and ask an audience to explore
what makes this person worthy of public
memory; monuments also contain the
history and stories of those who inter-
act with them.

Farber is just one of many
Philadelphians with loose ties to the
statue and the man it represents.

His great-great-grandmother and
great-grandparents immigrated to the
U.S. and became naturalized citizens
at the Washington Avenue Immigration
Station. Like many Jewish immigrants,
the family operated a pushcart and
then a small store. Farber’s grandfa-
ther attended South Philadelphia High
School and became a member of the
boxing club there.

Farber’s family’s roots in Philadelphia
are what made him interested in explor-
ing memory in the first place. He often
heard stories from his mother about
visiting his family’s store. A photo of
the Washington Avenue Immigration
Station hangs on Farber’s wall.

“Memory lives in our family histories
because it’s not often in monument
form,” he said. “It’s often our customs
and our books and our photo albums
and our recipes. And there’s a way in
which those who have come before us
are kept — their spirit is kept alive — in
really meaningful ways.”
With the preservation of memories
comes with it the knowledge that
memories are also lost and forgotten,
through trauma or assimilation.

“What could we know that was brought
forward with us? But also how do you
deal with very real gaps?” Farber asked.

Born and raised in Mount Airy, where
he lives now, Farber grew up in a multi-
faith community, “where to be Jewish
was both about honoring tradition and
pushing to build bridges,” a foundation
that shaped his upbringing and path.

Farber attended Quaker school and
later worked with Baptist ministers.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree
in urban studies at the University of
Pennsylvania, Farber left his hometown
to get a master’s degree and doctorate
in American culture from the University
of Michigan.

His dissertation took him to Berlin to
study how American writers and artists
documented the Berlin Wall. The paper,
and later a book, “A Wall of Our Own:
An American History of the Berlin Wall,”
was inspired by a Jewish photographer
who, in 1961, took pictures of an African
American soldier guarding the wall,
capturing the complexities of America’s
role in protecting global democracy
while also grappling with its own racism.

The research made Farber curious
about how Jewish history was honored
and preserved for other visitors of
Berlin, Jewish or not.

“How do we honor the past and make
room for ways that we persist into the
future?” Farber said. “I’m constantly
interested in the ways that people make
memories in big and small ways, in
ways that are official and unofficial.”
Farber returned to Philadelphia and
founded Monument Lab in 2012 with
Ken Lum as a series of classroom
conversations at Penn that evolved into
a nonprofit.

Today, Monument Lab uses its defini-
tion of monuments as “statements of
power and presence in public” to look
at the implications and meanings of
monuments around the country and
internationally. This spring, Monument
Lab will launch another podcast series
called “Plot of Land,” exploring how land
ownership and housing has changed in
the U.S. as a result of public memory
and racist policies.

“Not just in Jewish culture, but kind
of across boundaries, is the idea that
the past, present and future are not
so separated,” Farber said. “There’s
not a linear history … We carry forward
with us traces of the past, and we’re
constantly renewing and reimagining
it.” ■
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
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