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My Travels Started In The Chappaqua Library

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PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN G. FRANK

“I travel the world.”

It’s now the summer of 2018, and I hold the copy of my fourth edition of A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe (Pelican Publishing), 752 pages, with photos, maps, a bibliography and index and say to myself:

“And to think it all began in the Chappaqua Library.”

I picture driving down Quaker Road on Saturday mornings to the library. That’s the day many fellow residents did their chores, such as ferry their kids to soccer, basketball, and other sport games; while others play tennis, golf, enjoy the pool clubs or sleigh riding in Gedney Park, depending on the season.

I spent my Saturdays in the library: First, doing research to prepare myself for forthcoming trips to exotic lands such as Tahiti, India, Morocco, Cuba, Monaco, and Peru. And then, once I landed in Europe, for instance, I people-watched on the Champs-Elysees and the Via Veneto; I stared at stately statues in London; I danced at a bar mitzvah party in Marseille; I prayed in the oldest functioning synagogue in the world, the Atlneuschul in Prague; and I spent hours at the Shoah Memorial and Holocaust Center in Paris.

In Tudela, Spain, I wrote in the new edition of my travel guide: “There are no Jews in Tudela. But I went anyway. You see, Tudela is the birthplace of my namesake, Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela. In the 12th century, he became the first Jewish travel writer, pioneering an entire branch of writing.

Like that travel writer: I chronicle the Jewish world of Europe; I record the Jewish population and describe the people; relate their history; comment on their rulers and define the Jewish Community.”

I also made sure that my travel book would be a practical, anecdotal, and adventurous journey through Jewish Europe, including in the text: kosher restaurants, cafes, synagogues, and museums, plus cultural and heritage sites.

Years after the first edition of A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe came out in 1992, a Florida woman reminded me of a phrase I used in my first travel guide. Like most authors, I felt good when a reader of one’s work, recalls a specific quote. The saying in question dates back to early 1930s-Poland, a decade later the site of the Nazi death camps. Then, Alfred Doblin, writer and novelist, wrote: “I realized I didn’t know any Jews, So, I asked myself and I asked others: ‘Where do Jews exist?’ I was told: ‘Poland.’ And so I went to Poland.”

This writer also went to Poland. Only my comment after the Holocaust was: ‘Someplace along the Polish road, you will shed a tear.’ It’s true, said the woman who remembered my quote.

After sojourning to those far off lands–24 countries in Europe alone, I would return to Chappaqua and, yes, spend Saturdays in the library, checking observations against fact. And so it went for the better part of the wonderful 37 years that my wife, Riva, resided in the hamlet including the years our two sons, Marty and Monte, were at home, until they left the nest.

What, therefore, is the essence of  A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe? My publisher put it succinctly: “This newly updated handbook from travel historian, Ben G. Frank, guides travelers through Jewish customs, neighborhoods, and historical sites in Europe. From kosher dining in France to memorials in Scandinavia, Frank combines practical information, intriguing stories, and an enlightening investigation into the Jewish contributions to European history.”

Not only did I include travel information for the tourist, I always wanted to update the political and social conditions, as well as historical information on Jewish life in Europe. Country by country, I discussed the rise of anti-Semitism, hate speech and hate crimes, especially in East Europe, as well as the rising nationalism in nations such as, Hungary, Poland and Austria.

I uncovered an interesting phenomenon:  European Jews are not only immigrating to Israel but many are relocating within Europe. In fact, Jews are moving from France to the UK, from the UK to Germany, and from Turkey to Spain and Portugal.

Thinking about my new work, I believe this new edition of A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe will help the reader understand the past history of Jews in Europe, as well as the present and the future.

So, let’s travel. As the Chinese say: “the journey of a 1,000 miles begins with the first step.”

UJA-FEDERATION OF NEW YORK’S J-1-1 INFORMATION & REFERRAL CENTER CONNECTS THE NEW YORK JEWISH COMMUNITY WITH LOCAL PASSOVER SEDERS

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Have-You-Ever-Attended-Passover-Seder

UJA-Federation of New York’s Find-a-Seder resource is back for 2016, listing pre-Passover celebrations and Seders on the first two nights of Passover at local community centers and synagogues of all denominations throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester.

For more than 25 years, UJA-Federation’s J-1-1 Information and Referral Center has been working to match Jewish families with communal Seders in the area. This resource details more than 75 community Seders that are open to families looking to observe the tradition–rich holiday.

The list of Seders can be found here: http://www.ujafedny.org/passover/find-a-seder/.

Individuals or families looking to Find-a-Seder can contact UJA-Federation’s J-1-1 Information and Referral Center Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 877.852.6951 or J11@ujafedny.org.  J-1-1 is a free information and referral service that connects the New York Jewish community with available programs and resources. Space for Passover Seders may be limited. Fees vary by venue, and not all venues offer a Seder on both nights. Please note that J-1-1 will be closed starting at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, April 22, 2016, and will be closed all day on Friday, April 29, 2016. UJA-Federation of New York is working to make the Jewish holidays a warm and welcoming experience for all.

About UJA-Federation of New York
For nearly 100 years, UJA-Federation has inspired New Yorkers to act on their values and invest in our community for the biggest impact. Through UJA-Federation, more than 50,000 donors address issues that matter most to them, pooling their resources to care for New Yorkers of all backgrounds and Jews everywhere, to connect people to their Jewish communities, and to respond to crises close to home and around the globe. Working with nearly 100 beneficiary agencies, synagogues, and other Jewish organizations, UJA-Federation is the world’s largest local philanthropy; our reach spans from New York to Israel to more than 70 other countries around the world, touching 4.5 million people each year. For more information on how to donate or volunteer, please visit our website at www.ujafedny.org.

On “Giving Back to a Jewish Population in Cuba”

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TBE Congregants delivered supplies to a Temple Beth Shalom in Havana
TBE Congregants delivered supplies to a Temple Beth Shalom in Havana

By Matt Smith

There is an old Hebrew saying, which stems from an early 20th century Zionist folksong: “Livnot uI’hebanot.” Translated into English, this saying means, “To build and to be built by it.” You may also know this saying: “It’s better to give than it is to receive.” However you know the adage, we’re sure you can agree it’s one to live by. And it’s certainly one Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester kept in mind this past winter when he sojourned to Cuba with a group of congregants for a project in community outreach.

“I think that for every generation of American Jews, there has always been an inspirational challenge to rise up,” explains the Rabbi. “[And as] I believe the theory of [Jewish American historian] Jonathan Sarna points out, my generation of American Jews is at a loss because of a lack of a challenge that way. We don’t have some all-encompassing, inspirational task to which we can dedicate ourselves.”

Entrance to Havana Jewish Cemetery
Entrance to Havana Jewish Cemetery

Given this fact, the Rabbi took it upon himself to create one for the people of his congregation. He turned his attention toward the tumultuous relationship between the United States and Cuba, which he saw as an opportunity to heal wounds–“an amazing goal to center the congregation around”–and a way to “fulfill that need” for a present-day, inspirational challenge by giving back to the Jewish population in Cuba.

And so, the trip was constructed under the auspices of “bringing supplies and donations to the needy populations, especially the Jewish populations, in Cuba.” The group of congregants, which totaled around 25 people of various ages, brought in over 2,000 pounds of supplies–medical, hygienic, dental, and school/office–and donated an additional $2,000 to various Jewish communities throughout the country.

While there’s no doubt he enjoyed his time in Cuba (the group took part in walking tours, scuba diving, music and food), the Rabbi admits that, during the trip, his eyes were opened to how much the country is still struggling culturally and economically– and found that especially humbling when he found himself without his American luxuries.

“It’s hard to lead a synagogue trip when you can’t use a credit card or cell phones,” the Rabbi acknowledges. “And that’s [the case because] the bureaucracy and the limited markets available make things very difficult at times.” Additionally, he notes that “not only did they not have cell phones, but even the nice hotels don’t have voicemail [systems available] in the rooms. So, if you wanted to contact someone, you went downstairs and you had someone write down a note and go up and slip it under the person’s door. It felt like we were stuck in the Stone Age from a communication standpoint.”

Rabbi Jaffe was also particularly struck to see the lack of resources firsthand–and the impact the loss had on the town’s residents. “We were walking around the very small town of Trinidad,” the Rabbi explains, “and [we had] a college student [who] was drinking out of his Gatorade bottle… and a man approached him and asked if he could have the [Gatorade] bottle because he needed something to feed his child milk. They don’t have baby bottles. It makes you realize how privileged we are.”

Considering this overall American privilege, and the relationship Cuba has not only with America in general, but specifically, the Jewish people, Rabbi Jaffe comments that he felt the trip “was an amazing experience in Jewish peoplehood.”

“We share a common bond, a common history, a common ancestry, and that wherever you go in the world, you can always find a Jewish population and [know] that you’ll be treated as an insider rather than an outsider. And that it’s this beautiful global aspect of Judaism, in that you have to leave your community and your shell in order to experience that.”

Observing how his own group of congregants experienced the trip was a source of joy too. “[We had people] from nine years [old] through their mid-70s [and] the group just beautifully gelled. It was really nice to see.” Livnot uI’hebanot. “And,” says the Rabbi, with a smile, “we are all closer for it in the end.”

Congregation B’nai Yisrael Celebrates New Rabbi and Educator

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rabbi_josh_stromRabbi Josh Strom has joined Congregation B’nai Yisrael (CBY) of Armonk as its new permanent rabbi. Rabbi Strom previously served as an Associate Rabbi for Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from Colgate University and was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2008.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Rabbi Strom to our congregation and local Jewish community,” said Lisa Broomer, president of CBY. She added, “Rabbi Strom brings just the right combination of new ideas and respect for tradition to our congregation with boundless amounts of enthusiasm and passion for our shared Jewish values and beliefs. We are looking forward to many years of fulfilling worship, meaningful learning and heartfelt outreach both within and beyond our community with Rabbi Strom, in partnership with our beloved Cantor, Hayley Kobilinsky, who just celebrated ten wonderful lyrical years with CBY.”

“I am both humbled and thrilled to be joining this strong congregation and local Jewish community,” said Rabbi Strom. “CBY has a rich history for upholding both cultural and social values rooted in Jewish beliefs and traditions. I am eager to help lead and build CBY’s congregation and presence as it embarks on the next great chapter of its future.”

Melissa Cohavi also joins CBY as the new education director after serving Temple Sinai of Stamford, CT for 10 years. Melissa’s extensive education includes a Master of Arts in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and a Masters in Social Work from Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

Lisa Broomer shared, “The Board of Trustees and congregation are very excited and inspired by the additions of Rabbi Strom and Melissa Cohavi.
Their dynamic personalities have already had a big positive impact in a short amount of time.”

Welcoming video interviews of Rabbi Strom and Melissa Cohavi are available through CBY’s website, www.CBYArmonk.org Founded in 1970, Congregation B’nai Yisrael of Armonk is a Reform congregation with nearly 350 family members.

Congregation B’nai Yisrael of Armonk Elects New Permanent Rabbi

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rabbi_josh_stromCongregation B’nai Yisrael (CBY) of Armonk announced today that its congregation elected Rabbi Joshua Strom as its new permanent Rabbi, effective July 1, 2015.

Rabbi Strom is currently serving as an Associate Rabbi for Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from Colgate University and was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2008.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Rabbi Strom to our congregation and local Jewish community,” said Lisa Broomer, president of CBY. She added, “we think that Rabbi Strom will bring just the right combination of new ideas and respect for tradition to our congregation with boundless amounts of enthusiasm and passion for our shared Jewish values and beliefs. We are looking forward to many years of fulfilling worship, meaningful learning and heartfelt outreach both within and beyond our community with Rabbi Strom, in partnership with our beloved Cantor, Hayley Kobilinsky, who just celebrated ten wonderful lyrical years with CBY.”

“I am both humbled and thrilled to be joining this strong congregation and local Jewish community,” said Rabbi Strom. “CBY has a rich history for upholding both cultural and social values rooted in Jewish beliefs and traditions. I am eager to help lead and build CBY’s congregation and presence as it embarks on the next great chapter of its future.”

Rabbi Strom replaces Rabbi David Katz, who has been serving as CBY’s Interim Rabbi while the temple conducted its search for a permanent Senior Rabbi.

Founded in 1970, Congregation B’nai Yisrael of Armonk is a Reform congregation with nearly 350 family members.