the Celebrating Today’s Active Adults A SUPPLEMENT TO THE MAY 5, 2022 Luxury Rental Community for Residents 55+ Community Clubhouse in Eastern Montgomery County, Upper Dublin Township, PA Resort Style Living! Clubhouse, State of the Art Fitness Center, Community Room with Kitchen Facilities, and Pool. PLUS many resident events and activities for you to enjoy! Call Now to Reserve Your Apartment Home! 215.283.2121 S. Limekiln Pike/Route 152 & Dreshertown Rd., Dresher, PA 19025 www.DublinTerrace.com A Bruce E. Toll Community Meet Elaine. She wanted to foster new and meaningful relationships, to share her art, and to be involved. Living with her oldest son and daughter-in-law wasn’t providing the colorful life she needed. Now, at 92, she’s more engaged than ever, and happily living out her passions. “She’s got friends there. She does her painting, which she wasn’t able to do before, because there really wasn’t a place for her to paint at my house. She teaches art there, and painting … she’s in her element. She’s amazing.” – Linda L., Elaine’s daughter-in-law Call 215-902-9553 for a virtual or in-person private consultation today. Learn more about our community and hear from Elaine and her family: Hover phone camera over the QR code or visit wrcsafe.com/logansquare. 2 Franklin Town Boulevard • Philadelphia, PA 19103 • logansquare.watermarkcommunities.com I N D E P E N D E N T L I VI N G • PERSO N A L CA RE M E M O RY CA R E • REH A BI L I TATI O N & SK I L L ED N URSI N G 22-WLS-0913 In this Issue... 90-plus Jewish Boys Become Men on Their Bar Mitzvah Days 18 Painter Creates A Century’s Worth of Art 12 Artist Diane Hark Continues to Paint,Teach 22 Lawyer Performs Interpretives Dances of Past Cases ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY Casino Night THURSDAY, MAY 12 4 – 7 PM Join us for a few happy hours to celebrate our first full year in King of Prussia. Come enjoy live entertainment and delicious cuisine at our casino party. Bring a friend, too! This will be a socially distanced event. Masks required. RSVP REQUIRED: 484-390-5315 ANTHOLOGY OF KING OF PRUSSIA 350 Guthrie Rd. / King of Prussia, PA Independent Living / Personal Care / Memory Care AnthologyKingofPrussia.com 4 MAY 5, 2022 THE GOOD LIFE JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Cover Photo: GlobalStock / iStock / Getty Images Plus 6 Jewish Exponent PHILADELPHIA 2100 ARCH STREET | PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103 MAIN PHONE NUMBER: 215-832-0700 Publisher & Chief Executive Officer Craig Burke cburke@midatlanticmedia.com Associate Publisher Jeni Mann Tough jmann@midatlanticmedia.com EDITORIAL Editor | Andy Gotlieb 215-832-0797 • agotlieb@jewishexponent.com Staff Writers Jesse Berman, Alex Krutchik, Sasha Rogelberg, Heather Ross, Jarrad Saffren, Lindsay VanAsdalan ADVERTISING Account Executives Lisa Gaglia, Alan Gurwitz, Pam Kuperschmidt, Jodi Lipson, Taylor Orlin, David Pintzow, Sara Priebe, Mary Ramsdale, Sharon Schmuckler, Kim Coates Schofield, Shari Seitz, Stacie Shapero, Sylvia Witaschek MARKETING Audience Development Coordinator Julia Olaguer 410-902-2308 • jolaguer@midatlanticmedia.com Own Your Retirement! “Beaumont is a manageable, comfortably- sized Life Plan Community. Not huge…so I know all my neighbors. There’s a real sense of camaraderie.” Beaumont resident since 2017 CREATIVE Art Director | Steve Burke Graphic Designers | Ebony Brown, Rachel Levitan, Paul McGuigan, Jay Sevidal, Frank Wagner, Carl Weigel Digital Media Coordinator James Meskunas BUSINESS Accounting Manager Pattie-Ann Lamp 410-902-2311 plamp@midatlanticmedia.com accounting@midatlanticmedia.com Senior Accounts Receivable Specialist Shelly Sparks ssparks@midatlanticmedia.com At Beaumont, you’ll never stop growing. Residents cooperatively own the not-for-profi t community, and Beaumont’s internal management and health care teams deliver the 5-star lifestyle, support and care you’d expect – for life. Beaumont is a nationally recognized Life Plan Community. Schedule your visit today by contacting Audrey Walsh at 610.526.7000 or via www.BeaumontRetirement.com. Accounts Receivable Specialist Sarah Appelbaum sappelbaum@midatlanticmedia.com Legal Notices legals@jewishexponent.com Main Office: 215-832-0700 editor@jewishexponent.com 215-832-0797 circulation@jewishexponent.com 215-832-0700, ext. 1 sales@jewishexponent.com 215-832-0700, ext. 2 classified@jewishexponent.com 215-832-0749 JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 601 N. Ithan Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 THE GOOD LIFE MAY 5, 2022 5 90-plus Jewish Boys Become Men on Their Bar Mitzvah Days David Solis, center, with his family on his bar mitzvah day Courtesy of Pam Goodman Jerry Weiner and David Solis go through the process a second time JARRAD SAFFREN | JE STAFF H untington Valley resident Jerry Weiner and Jenkintown’s David Solis are 92 and 95, respectively. Yet by the end of spring, both men will become bar mitzvahs for a second time. Weiner will celebrate his second bar mitzvah on the 80th anniversary of his first: May 7 at Ohev Shalom of Bucks County in Richboro. Solis became a man again on March 12 at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park. Weiner found religion again after his wife Evelyn and son Larry died within months of each other during the first year of the pandemic. He began attending Zoom services every night at Ohev Shalom, where his grandsons had gone through their own bar mitz- vah processes. Around the same time, he found his original bar mitzvah certificate and 6 MAY 5, 2022 THE GOOD LIFE JEWISHEXPONENT.COM JEWISHEXPONENT.COM THE GOOD LIFE MAY 5, 2022 7 a light went on in his head. “I’m leaning in,” he said. “I’ve developed a closeness to Judaism.” Solis decided to resume his Hebrew study because “it was just something I wanted to do,” he said. He lives in what he describes as “an old folks’ home,” and he spends much of his time in his room. “Doing nothing,” he said. “You don’t feel very worthwhile.” But Solis certainly felt worthwhile on the day of his ceremony. About 10 or 12 family members came to Elkins Park to support their patriarch, including Solis’ two sons, his daughter- in-law and one of his grandsons. His girlfriend Reeta Goodman and her daughter Pam Goodman were also in attendance. Pam Goodman, who is Jewish, called Solis’ effort and perfor- mance on the bimah inspiring. “He did a really good job,” she said. “It’s not the age that counts. It’s the heart and effort you put into it.” After the service, the family went out for lunch at the Drake Tavern in Jenkintown. Dr. Andrew Solis, David’s son, said younger brother Rob Solis drove from Connecticut for the event. “It was a great day, and it was fun because we had members of my family, members of his girlfriend’s family,” Andrew Solis said. “It was a nice family gathering.” The bar mitzvah, according to Andrew Solis, was also not just something to do. The Solis family history in the United States dates to Colonial times. The doctor’s sons were the “We did everything together.” JERRY WEINER Jerry Weiner with his wife Evelyn 8 MAY 5, 2022 Courtesy of Debbi Katz THE GOOD LIFE JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Memory Care with Love! David Solis and his girlfriend Reeta Goodman V isit! Courtesy of Pam Goodman 10th generation of boys in the family to become men in America through bar mitzvahs. David Solis faced some antisemitism as a kid. As Pam Goodman explained, he still remembers other kids refusing to play with him because he was Jewish. “He believes the continuation of Jewish life is important,” Andrew Solis said. Jerry Weiner always believed the same thing, but he grew to believe it more intensely after the deaths of his wife and son. The Weiners were married for 68 years and their lives were “intertwined,” Weiner said. “We did everything together,” he added. That included caring for their son, who had Down’s syndrome and lived with his parents until moving into a group home at the age of 60. So, after his wife and son died, Weiner was suddenly alone. But when he started going to services on Zoom, he rediscovered a part of himself. He was a member of a different synagogue, Beth Chaim on Street Road, for 35 years. But he never joined another one after it closed, only attending services on High Holidays. That was until the fall of 2020 when the Ohev Shalom members welcomed him with open arms. Weiner joined for services every night and became friendly with the other members on Zoom. When JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Come Your loved one becomes a cherished h d member of our family in our special Memory Care program. Our memory care team provides compassionate care and meaningful days for your loved one. For additional information and to schedule your in-person or virtual tour, please go to www.TheHearthAtDrexel.org/Visit or call 1-877-205-9428. Assisted Living • Memory Care • Respite Care 238 Belmont Ave. | Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 THE GOOD LIFE www.TheHearthAtDrexel.org MAY 5, 2022 9 “I respect it. It’s commitment. I think back to my bar mitzvah. It was hard. It was a lot of work.” ERIC KATZ A Weiner family dinner  Courtesy of Debbi Katz Here, you’re 100% in charge. Please let it go to your head. Ask About Our Special Spring Savings!* Take Charge at The Pinnacle at Plymouth Meeting Senior Living What to do? Up to you. When to exercise? Up to you. Who to see? Your call. There are a million choices to make every day and they’re truly all yours. (610) 271-8232 215 Plymouth Rd Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 Lic #147200 *Limited time offer. Ask for details. Independent Living • Personal Care • Memory Care • pinnacleatplymouthmeeting.com 10 MAY 5, 2022 THE GOOD LIFE JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Ohev Shalom reopened in 2021, he started going in person, too. “It was a blessing,” Weiner said. And it’s a nightly ritual that he keeps to this day. He likes the feeling of looking forward to services each night. Weiner only missed one in the past year-and-a-half: for his grandson’s wedding in Washington, D.C. “It gives me an inner peace, a close- ness to my religion, a closeness to God,” he said. “I look forward to talking to the people there.” When Weiner looks back on his first bar mitzvah, he sees it as a stepping stone. He became a man that day according to Jewish law, and it pushed him to work toward actually becoming one. Now he sees his second bar mitzvah similarly. “It’s a fundamental part of my Jewish upbringing and learning, and that compelled me to continue on,” Weiner said. At 92, he wants to enjoy his remaining years with his son, his daughter and their spouses. He also wants to enjoy them with his new synagogue family. “The good Lord is giving me years and, whatever years I have left, I want to make the most of them,” he said. Most of those people, as well as Weiner’s grandsons from California and D.C., respectively, will be in attendance at the May 7 bar mitzvah. A luncheon will follow at the synagogue, and there will be an intimate dinner that evening with the family. But it’s not just going to be Weiner’s day. It’s going to be his late wife and late son’s day, too. For his bar mitzvah project, Weiner raised almost $2 million to build a sports complex and a playground in Northampton Municipal Park. The complex will be for special-needs athletes, and the playground will be wheelchair accessible. A bench in the outfield will honor Evelyn Weiner and Larry Weiner. “My mom was my dad’s guiding light,” said Debbi Katz, Weiner’s daughter. Both Katz and her son, Eric, also said it’s very much in character for Weiner to go all out like this. He did it during his career as a pharmacist, as a father and as a husband, and now as a 92-year-old bar mitzvah boy. “I respect it. It’s commitment,” Eric Katz said. “I think back to my bar mitz- vah. It was hard. It was a lot of work.” JE jsaffren@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM LIVE YOUR BEST YEARS AT OXFORD ENHANCED SENIOR LIVING! DISCOVER THE OXFORD DIFFERENCE: ● ● ● The community is close to shopping, theater, dining and St. Mary’s Medical Center Enjoy independent living with peace of mind, knowing there are three levels of care on-site Dedicated service from many long-term staff means a familiar face each day Call us at 215-750-7575 to arrange a visit. Learn why Oxford is the premier choice in the area. 2 9 0 E tsa W ni c h e rets A v .e Langhorne, PA 19047 oxfordenhancedsl.com Spring Into Carefree Living Picture Yourself at Masonic Village best of suburban living amidst stunning architecture and manicured landscapes. Inside, safety, comfort and all the necessary services await, so you can live worry-free today and in the future. Masonic Village Resident Ruth F Even if you’re considering a move years list today, so we’re ready when you are. CALL TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION 484-534-2087 801 Ridge Pike, Lafayette Hill, PA | MasonicVillageLafayetteHill.org | THE GOOD LIFE Open for Everyone MAY 5, 2022 11 Photo by Jerry Hark Artist Diane Hark Continues to Paint, Teach The former she has always done; the latter she picked up later in life JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER T en or 15 years ago, Diane Hark started teaching watercolor painting at nursing homes in South Jersey and Philadelphia. She drove there, gave everyone materials and paper and taught for two hours. Over time, the Jewish artist added 20 to 30 nurs- ing homes to her regular rotation. Hark, then in her late 60s, had showcased her watercolor paintings in local galleries for decades. But the professional artist had yet to try and pass on what she had learned. As it turned out, she really enjoyed it. And she’s been teaching ever since. After the pandemic broke out in 2020, she shifted her operation to Zoom. 12 MAY 5, 2022 “I never thought I would teach,” Hark said. “I never thought I would’ve wanted to.” The painter teaches four classes a week. She has her own Zoom account and keeps her own Excel spreadsheets. “She’s running her own business,” daughter Lisa Hark said. “I’m incredibly impressed with what she’s doing.” Hark’s students say she has a way of clar- ifying the artistic process. First and foremost, Hark tells her students to look carefully at their canvasses, accord- ing to Cynthia Saltzman, a Hark student and Wynnewood resident. Then, once they start painting, she repeats a key question. “Where is the light coming from?” Saltzman said. That question can also be asked in another, more literal, way, she said. THE GOOD LIFE A painting Diane Hark completed of her grandchildren. Courtesy of Diane Hark JEWISHEXPONENT.COM “What are you trying to accentuate?” Saltzman said. For example, is it the tree or the bridge? Whichever one it is, you need to make it stand out on the canvas. It must be the figurative center, even if it’s not literally in the center. It must be the light. “What she’s doing is really breaking down the steps you need to use in order to see like an artist,” Saltzman said. Saltzman tries to start a painting in a Tuesday class and finish it by Friday. When she started taking classes with Hark, she often had too many competing subjects. But now, Saltzman is fairly skilled. She’s proud of her paintings of Golda Meir, of candles and an etrog and of various still-life landscapes. She sends her family members her new painting via email each Friday. “When you’re new to something and you’re a student, it’s almost like you’re a child,” Saltzman said. “She’s able to put us at ease and say to us, ‘This is not easy. You need to realize that as you’re working through this.’” Another student, Abby Horowitz, said Hark takes the time to go around to each student during class to offer comments. Her suggestions often do not seem consequential at the time — until the students finish their paintings and see the difference. Friends make the journey sweeter. Discover new passions, make lasting friendships, and live life to the fullest! Our welcoming hospitality and inclusive culture are unmatched. Come see for yourself. Schedule a visit! 610-546-7460 WhiteHorseVillage.org Ask about our spacious new Coach Homes Now taking priority reservations * 535 Gradyville Road | Newtown Square, PA *Pending township approval JEWISHEXPONENT.COM THE GOOD LIFE MAY 5, 2022 13 14 MAY 5, 2022 THE GOOD LIFE JEWISHEXPONENT.COM JEWISHEXPONENT.COM THE GOOD LIFE MAY 5, 2022 15 A recent Diane Hark painting of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Courtesy of Diane Hark Horowitz gave her parents a couple of the paintings she completed in Hark’s classes; now they’re framed in their house. One is of a platter of fruit. The other is a boathouse with some rowboats. “By the end of the class, you’ve painted it,” Horowitz said of Hark’s suggestions. “It completely changes the painting.” Hark developed her instincts over a lifetime of making the art that she teaches about; but she had the artistic gene even before she started learning, she explained. When Hark cooks, she does not follow a recipe. She does it her way. She takes the same free-flowing approach to gardening, designing clothes and making flower arrangements. Hark’s sister makes fun of her because she can’t follow a recipe. But it’s just who she is. “You’re born an artist,” Hark said. “I certainly couldn’t be an accountant.” But when your own kids are born, you have to become more than what you are and, after having four children, Your thing. Is our thing. At Rydal Park and Waters, only one thing matters. Keeping you connected to the things that matter to you. If it makes you feel happy, motivated or secure, you’ll find it here. To schedule a tour, call (215) 999-3619 or visit RydalPark.org Welcome to Life Plan Community Living. 16 MAY 5, 2022 THE GOOD LIFE JEWISHEXPONENT.COM the artist put them first. She was a stay-at- home mom who taught her children how to cook, stay organized and be produc- tive, according to Lisa Hark. All the kids, Lisa and her younger brothers David, Richard and Jeffrey, grew up to do well for themselves, Lisa Hark said. Today, the family includes 11 grandchildren, and they all still gather in Margate, New Jersey, every summer. “We’re very capable children,” Lisa Hark added. But even while staying at home, the artist wasn’t. She kept painting and painting, and then coordinated with local institutions, like the Cosmopolitan Club of Philadelphia, the Woodmere Art Museum and the Philadelphia Sketch Club, to put up galleries of her work. Stay-at-home mom is not a fair classi- fication of Hark’s role, as she continued working professionally throughout her children’s young lives. But her favorite paintings remain the ones of her family. There’s one of the grandchildren standing together in the ocean, arms around each other, water washing up against their ankles. There are also the 11 individual portraits that Hark crafted as Chanukah presents for her grandkids. Her kids and grandkids even some- times depend on their matriarch to enliven their offices and homes. Lisa Hark has a house full of her mother’s paint- ings, according to Diane Hark. Hark’s granddaughter, Jamie Finkelstein, also has several paintings in her home, of the beach, of a scene from Israel, of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and of Philadelphia City Hall. Yet none of the artist’s paintings stand out quite like the ones that her whole family sees every summer down the shore. The kitchen and living room in their Margate house are filled with creations from when the grandkids were young, according to Finkelstein. There are rainbows, an ice cream cone and a portrait of the Margate Yacht Club. “They spark joy,” Finkelstein said. For Hark, now 83, they also give her a sense of peace. Much like her teaching, Hark’s living, breathing paintings make her believe that her work will outlast her. “It comes down to sharing your life experience. That’s what it’s all about,” the artist said. “It’s that connection. That unbroken connection. L’dor v’dor.” JE | Investments | Asset Management | | Capital Markets | Financial advice from a knowledgeable neighbor. E. Matthew Steinberg Managing Director – Investments Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. 165 Township Line Road Jenkintown, PA 19046 (215) 576-3015 matthew.steinberg@opco.com Serving Investors in Philadelphia and South Jersey for 28 Years Forbes is not affiliated with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Transacts Business on All Principal Exchanges and Member SIPC. 4504954.1 jsaffren@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM THE GOOD LIFE MAY 5, 2022 17 Painter Creates A Century’s Worth of Art Philip Cohn and his studio SASHA ROGELBERG | STAFF WRITER Photos by N inety-eight-year-old artist Philip Cohn has a rotund gray and white cat that loves to walk figure-eights around his legs and walker. The beloved companion with the French name for cat — Minette — is more than just a friend to Cohn; she’s all-encompassing of his values as a painter. “There’s a Japanese saying: If you want art, look at your cat,” Cohn said. “Every position is a work of art.” The inspiration Cohn draws from for his paintings are likewise infinite. Cohn’s house, shared with his niece Marlene Kalick, is filled with more than 500 pieces of his impressionist artwork, with paintings assembled on the walls like Tetris pieces, barely any paint from the walls to be seen. Some paintings are of Italian beach scenes filled with imaginary subjects (including an elusive house cat crouched near a rock), a dormant Mount Vesuvius lying in the background; another shows colorful clowns dancing in the streets of Philadelphia during the Mummers Parade of New Year’s Days past, before COVID took the raucous event down a couple of notches. Cohn was inspired by the French, Dutch and Italian impressionist scene of the late 19th century and was afforded the privilege of seeing the painting of his heroes — Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, Camille Pissarro — in person decades before. His own art has clear impressionist influences: bold brush strokes and colors that create dazzling effects of light. It was Cohn’s enduring love of painting that attracted the attention of Old City Jewish Art Center Director Rabbi Zalman Wircberg. The art center’s April exhibit, “A Lifetime of Impression,” spotlighted Cohn’s works, and a few pieces remain in the space’s permanent collection. Cohn reminded Wircberg of something OCJAC neighbor Larry Becker of Larry Becker Contemporary Art once said: The sign of an artist is someone who is compelled to create something every day. “He’s not taking a day off. He’s not sitting and contemplating. He’s creating,” Wircberg said. 18 MAY 5, 2022 A Philip Cohn painting of a beach scene THE GOOD LIFE Courtesy of Michael Kalick JEWISHEXPONENT.COM SPRING IS BETTER WITH FRIENDS! Join the warmth and friendliness that is Paul’s Run. Enjoy friends in our brand new culinary venues in addition you will have a multitude of lifestyle programs. There is so much to love about living at Paul’s Run! Contact Jennifer and Rebecca to schedule your personal visit at Sasha Rogelberg 1-877-859-9444 PaulsRun.org/Welcome *Offer expires May 31, 2022 JEWISHEXPONENT.COM THE GOOD LIFE FIRST TWO MONTHS FREE! * Retirement Community 9896 Bustleton Avenue • Philadelphia, PA 19115 MAY 5, 2022 19 Every morning, Cohn climbs the years serving. stairs of his home and paints in his When the war ended, the studio for 3-4 hours. Cohn’s artis- Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, tic practice was particularly fitting or GI Bill, opened doors for Cohn, for OCJAC’s April exhibit, which who opted to remain in Europe. He spanned Passover and, according to began his formal art education in Wircberg, should therefore encom- Shrivenham, England, at an Army- pass an idea from the holiday. established college campus two hours “Every day, we’re leaving our from London. Mitzrayim, our limitations, our Cohn visited the National Gallery boundaries, our comfort zones,” on most weekends, where he came Wircberg said. face-to-face with paintings by Peter According to Wircberg, Cohn is Paul Rubens and Rembrandt, a an artist who pushed his boundaries limitless well of inspiration for him, to become the prolific painter behind A Philip Cohn painting of the Philadelphia Mummers despite the lean collection of the Parade Courtesy of Michael Kalick the exhibit. museum after the war. The son of immigrants — his “You look at something for a father from Russia and his mother from Poland — Cohn had a while, and you want to do something,” Cohn said. long journey to becoming a painter. His art education continued in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania His family settled in Vineland, New Jersey, and Cohn was Academy of Fine Arts, where the GI Bill continued to buoy him. born in 1923, the youngest of five sons. Though Vineland was Cohn was awarded $90 per month during his time at PAFA, and he was able to afford art supplies and rent for a studio apartment. home to several Jewish farm settlements at the time, his father By 1947, Cohn began submitting materials to local competi- worked several factory jobs. tions and was accepted into the Barnes Foundation, where Albert As his brothers grew older and moved to Philadelphia, visiting Barnes noticed Cohn’s talent and briefly mentored him. the city became a romantic idea to Cohn, who escaped into the His brother Bernie sponsored a trip to Florence, Italy, where worlds of “Flash Gordon” and “Tarzan,” copying panels from his Cohn stayed for a year, traveling from city to city and finding favorite comics, his foray into art. lodging at an Italian boarding house. “I always drew, even before I went to art school,” Cohn said. Still, upon his return to Philadelphia, Cohn couldn’t sustain As Cohn came of age, the World War II draft thwarted any himself as an artist. He worked night shifts at Mid-City Press in desire to move to the city or pursue art more seriously, though he the 1950s (which then printed the Jewish Exponent), so he would balanced military duties and figure drawing during his couple of 20 MAY 5, 2022 THE GOOD LIFE JEWISHEXPONENT.COM In the 1960s, Philip Cohn’s art was featured heavily at the Chestnut Hill Gallery.  Courtesy of Michael Kalick be able to not only afford his apartment and supplies, but so he could capture scenes for his paintings during the day. In the 1960s, Cohn had his works shown in the Chestnut Hill Gallery, then the Hahn Gallery, which helped him stabilize his income as an artist. After meeting his second wife Collette, who was from Paris, while at a community dance, the couple spent years traveling around Europe and were married for 42 years until her death in 2017. Much has changed since Cohn’s heyday as an artist. The pandemic limited where he could go to people-watch. Cohn has since adapted; he does pastel portraits of friends who stop by and paints from his dozens of sketchbooks littered across his studio, pages filled with landscapes from his days of traveling. Cohn considers himself a “lucky guy.” “He is a lucky and blessed person to have been married to the love of his life and be fulfilled with his love of art, family and travel,” nephew Michael Kalick said. “He views life through the eyes of an artist.” Cohn’s studio is crammed with stacked paintings and jars of brushes, hats and knickknacks, with only a small window in the corner providing the room’s natural light. It looks down at the street, with the view interrupted by an ugly telephone wire. When Cohn looks out of it, though, he sees untapped potential, yet another scene to be painted. “Nature is endless,” Cohn said. “It’s endless! It will never stop ... There’s no question of running out of material.” Cohn’s art, some available for purchase, can be viewed at philipcohnartist.com. JE Living to the Power of You SageLife communities reflect priorities that matter most: dynamic lifestyle, adaptable care, and sophisticated amenities. Our mission is to encourage, empower and celebrate successful aging. Our communities are thoughtfully designed to reflect our commitment to ‘aging well’. Living to the power of you. NO W OPEN AMBLER, PA 215-461-4880 MALVERN, PA 484-568-4777 WALLINGFORD, PA 610-690-1630 PAOLI, PA 610-640-4000 The501.com LivingAtEchoLake.com PlushMills.com DaylesfordCrossing.com RETIREMENT LIVING RETIREMENT LIVING RETIREMENT LIVING SUPPORTIVE LIVING SUPPORTIVE LIVING SUPPORTIVE LIVING SUPPORTIVE LIVING & MEMORY CARE srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM THE GOOD LIFE MAY 5, 2022 21 Appeal and Applause Lawyer Performs Interpretives Dances of Past Cases SASHA ROGELBERG | STAFF WRITER F or Jonathan Stein, combining law and dance wasn’t the join- ing of two incongruous practices. A lawyer at Community Legal Services, which provides legal counsel to low-income individuals in Philadelphia, for 50 years and a student of modern dance for almost as long, Stein has long believed that dance is the combination of body and mind. It’s the perfect format with which to share his career accomplish- ments to the greater community. In April, Stein performed an interpretive dance to a poetic adaptation — written by formerly Philadelphia-based poet CAConrad — of three cases he argued during his half-century run at CLS as part of Rehearsing Philadelphia, a performance art project by Drexel University and the Curtis School of Music. Th e 25-minute dance, “27 ONWARD: Dancing in the Revolution,” had Stein undulating his arms, lunging forward and back and spinning around furniture at his old CLS offi ce space for 12 performances, a combination of improvised and scripted movement. In one performance, Stein ducked behind a chair, removed his threadbare dancing shoes falling off his feet and continued the dance in socks. As he moved, a speaker system sounded a narration of Stein’s three cases in poetry: Two of which, regarding immigration and medical assistance to disabled children, respectively, made it to the Supreme Court, where Stein fi rst argued at age 27. Th e third dealt with racist housing policies from the Frank Rizzo era. “When you hear Jonathan talk about these cases, you begin to imagine the positive, life-changing impact he has had on millions of lives,” Conrad said. “In the text, I diff erentiate 22 MAY 5, 2022 Jonathan Stein developed an interest in modern dance in the 1970s and ’80s when he was in his 30s. Courtesy of Jonathan Stein THE GOOD LIFE JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Independent Senior Living on a beautiful 43-acre, Bucks County campus. (Fresh Air Included) An Exceptional Community Focused on Maximizing Wellness at Every Stage of Senior Living. Call or Visit Today 800.992.8992 • PINERUN.ORG • 777 FERRY RD, DOYLESTOWN, PA 18901 Pine Run Retirement Community is part of Doylestown Health which includes Doylestown Hospital. Jonathan Stein performs “27 ONWARD: Dancing in the Revolution” at the Community Legal Services offi ce as part of Rehearsing Philadelphia Screenshots of John Thornton’s documentary “Jonathan Stein, Onward in Law and Dance” between ‘forward’ and ‘onward.’ ‘Forward’ means to move in the direction you are facing, but ‘onward’ means to move forward in a continuous motion, never resting, always ready for what is to be done next.” Stein and Conrad were partnered with each other for the project as part of Rehearsing Philadelphia’s solo modules, which connected an artist with a professional from one of fi ve of Philadelphia’s “power centers.” Stein, the “professional” was paired with Conrad, the artist, who interviewed Stein for fi ve hours to eventually come up with their eight-page script. It was Conrad’s fi rst time collaborating with a dancer. “He is 78 years old, and he dances in ways that I cannot imag- ine doing at 56,” Conrad said. To prepare for the performances, Stein completed months of aerobic and strength training, yoga and Pilates. But the performance was, of course, more than 50 years in the making. A law degree at the University of Pennsylvania brought Stein, a Jewish Brooklynite, to Philadelphia aft er he completed a bach- elor’s at Columbia University. He matriculated in 1964 and, inspired by the civil rights movement, took Penn’s fi rst poverty law course on law and income insecurity. “Law, essentially, has historically been about enforcing power and wealth, and not about redistribution of income with social justice,” Stein said. Federal anti-poverty laws passed in the 1960s helped launch the legal aid movement that not only provided legal services to those who could not aff ord it, but also tackled poverty as a systemic issue, using litigation and class action lawsuits to bring appeals to the supreme court and work to pass more progressive legislation. 24 MAY 5, 2022 Following summers working at the legal services department of Mobilization for Youth in New York and a year at the London School of Economics aft er receiving his law degree, Stein returned to Philadelphia as a lawyer at the newly formed CLS in 1968. At the time, CLS was looking to hire fresh and young lawyers; to create systemic change, they wanted to disrupt the old boy’s club of lawyers. “I just felt this was such an extraordinary place to work and still is for younger people here in the city,” Stein said. “It allowed me to do so many things; it was very supportive.” Th ough Stein gained credibility as a lawyer at a young age aft er arguing in front of the Supreme Court, he continued to pursue cases close to his heart throughout his career. In 2010, he became focused on immigration and welfare, particularly the lack of availability of Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, which served a similar role as Social Security. During the ’90s, many Jewish Russian refugees needed SSI but could not get it. “Th e biggest hit was taken by noncitizens, immigrants who could no longer get SSI, even though they were disabled or elderly and poor — which are the criteria for SSI benefi ts — and there was a tiny sliver of eligibility for immigrants who were asylees or refugees,” Stein said. Stein, along with a now-95-year-old Holocaust survivor, led a class-action law suit to address the lack of SSI availability. Th ough they did not successfully change the Social Security Act provision, they settled, and the two still keep in touch. As Stein became a more seasoned lawyer, he developed a curi- osity for the modern dance movement that emerged in the ’70s and ’80s. He was always a lover of culture and arts and his wife Judy Bernstein, whom he married in 1965, was an art historian and curator at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. Stein was particularly enamored with contact improvisation, THE GOOD LIFE JEWISHEXPONENT.COM LIFE, on a Scale of You . Rediscover your passions or devote more time to life-long hobbies, the choice is yours. Foulkeways is based on Quaker values and respect for the environment. Discover us today! foulkeways.org | 215-283-7010 1120 Meetinghouse Rd, Gwynedd, PA A Life Plan Community Jonathan Stein (center) at the 1963 March on Washington at age 19 Courtesy of Jonathan Stein a variety of modern dance that involves shift ing weight, rolling with and oft en- times carrying another person. He called it a form of “organized play.” “I found these really wonderful people who were dancers, choreographers and teachers,” Stein said. “And they were fascinating people, artists who I had not known before.” Th ough Stein still serves as counsel at CLS, his years as a lawyer are likely over, but he feels his time as a dancer, or at least an appreciator of dance, is plentiful. In 2011, he started thINKingDANCE.net, an online journal where he and other artists publish pieces on the dance world. He’s writ- ten 30-40 pieces in the past 10 years. Stein enjoys writing about the ephem- erality of dance and, in that spirit, he doesn’t think too hard about pursuing other opportunities to dance. He trusts he’ll stumble upon them when the time is right. “I just maintain an openness to oppor- tunities,” he said. JE srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Decidedly Different. Decidedly Engaging. You’ve worked hard for these carefree days and now it’s time to enjoy them. A day at our continuing care retirement community might include a session in the floral design studio, a book discussion group, and outdoor yoga. Plus, Philadelphia’s cultural resources are close at hand. Contact us today to find out more. 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