xt7c862bcr82 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7c862bcr82/data/mets.xml Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Kentucky Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass 2013-08 Newspaper of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, previously named the Central Kentucky Jewish Association and Central Kentucky Jewish Federation. Published ten times annually. The Federation seeks to bring Jewish community members together through holiday parties, lectures, Yiddish courses, meals, and other celebrations of Jewish heritage and culture. They also host fundraisers and provide financial assistance for Jews in need, both locally and around the world. This collection is part of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records, 2016ms010. newsletters 2016ms010 English Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Inc.  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records Jews -- Kentucky -- Lexington Jews -- History Shalom, August 2013 text image Shalom, August 2013 2013 2013-08 2025 true xt7c862bcr82 section xt7c862bcr82 August 2t}! i

 

 

Mi‘111111igful ways; if) Q glflblfiii’
the High Holidays;

Reprinted from P] Library blog
posted on September 26,2011

THE HIGH HOLIDAYS

are upon us. Whether your family at-
tends synagogue for Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur or observes the holi—
day in your own way, it's undoubtedly
a time for sweetness, creation, waking
up, and casting away.

Below are some of the ways you can
honor the High Holidays to—

NATURE &; THE SHOFAR
According to the Rabbis, Rosh Hasha-
nah is the anniversary of the sixth day
of creation. To celebrate the completion
of our beautiful world, spend some holi-
day time surrounded by nature.
Whether it’s a hike, or a picnic at a local
park, point out and enjoy the many
beautiful things God created.

Take a shofar with you on a hike, and
allow your children to use it. Xi?

 

gether as a family.

SWEET-TASTING TRA-
DITIONS

One of the themes of Rosh Ha-
shanah is, of course, sweetness.
(A traditional greeting is “May
you have a good and sweet
new year”) Apples dipped in
honey symbolize that sweet-
ness.

Before Rosh Hashanah, make a
trip to a local apple orchard to
collect several varieties of local
apples. On the holiday, sample
the apples using sweet recipes.
If you are hosting a potluck
holiday meal, ask your guests
to bring a dish featuring apples
or another traditional, symbolic
food.

 

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lhe Joys of Summer (. amp

By Isabelle Booker and Rachel Kline

The best summers are summers spent

at a Jewish summer camp. There is
something special about camp that

you just can’t find anywhere else. As
much as you try, you will never find the
magic of a Jewish summer camp. Camp
is where you can be yourself. The crazy,
wild you that you would never be back
home, but are proud to show at camp.
The people that accept your craziness
are the people that end up being your
best friends for the rest of your life. You
spend months away from these people,
but a day doesn’t go by when you aren’t
thinking about them, and the memories
of the fun times you had together. Jew-
ish summer camp truly is a special and
magical place that we can’t live Without.

This summer, the Lexington community
has children attending or serving as
counselors at; Goldman Union Camp
Institute, Henry 3. Jacobs Camp, Camp
Ramah Darom, Camp Livingston, Camp
Young Judaea Midwest, Camp Shalom,
and other area Jewish camps. 4"“:

Linda and Leon Rae/Vin
Remixed by the Comm unity

On June 2, 120 people came to the Hi]-
ton Suites at Lexington Green to honor
Linda and Leon Ravvin and support
the 2013 annual campaign. The guest
speaker for the evening was Dr. Henry
Abramson, the Ravvin’s nephew. Dr.
Abramson, a rabbi and scholar, dis—
cussed the nature of Jewish communal
structure and the importance of main-
taining community. Dr. Abramson is
Dean of Academic Affairs at Touro Col—
lege in Miami.

More than $130,000 in campaign
pledges was raised from the people who
attended the dinner. This represented a
5 % increase in contributions that these
donors gave in the prior campaign.

The funds raised by the community
campaign support local programs such
as Jewish Family Services and Camp

Shalom and human service programs in
Israel and in endangered Jewish com-
munities around the world. 32

If you have not yet made your commitment
to the annual campaign, please contact the
Federation oflice, at 268-0672 or ]'fli@jewish-
lexingtonorg.

 

 

 

  

IN THIS ISSUE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President’s Message 3
Editorial 3
JFS: At Your Service 4
The Jewish Cemetery in Lexington 4
Refer a Friend to PJ Library and receive a $10 Starbuck’s Card! ........................ 6
Ask A Rabbi 8
MAZON: A Jewish Response To Hunger 8
Israel 21c: Jewish-Muslim troupe seeks peace through drama ........................ 9
Creative Energy — Lorne Dechtenberg 10
PJ Library at Baby Moon 12
Linda and Leon Ravvin Honored by the Community ......................................... 13
Green Team News From Tai 15
The Great Escape: A Mini Vacay Getaway 16
B’tayavon 16
Celebrate Tashlich this Rosh Hashanah with the Family .................................... 17
Rosh Hashanah Begins Sept. 4 17
Sim Shalom: Congregation News 18
The Lexington Chapter of Hadassah 19
Temple Adath Israel 20
Ohavay Zion Synagogue 21
The Lexington Havurah 22
Around the Community 23

 

 

Shaking

Published ten times per year by the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, Inc.
1050 Chinoe Rd., Suite 112, Lexington, KY 40502
Phone (859) 268-0672 - Fax (859) 268-0775
email: shalom@iewishlexingtonorg

AUGUST 2013, VOLUME X, ISSUE 6
Michael Grossman, President
Judy Wortman, Executive Director
Tamara Ohayon, Marketing and Outreach Director
Mimi Kaufman, JFS Director
Lori Bernard, Coordinator of Informal Jewish Education
Kathie Kroot, Administrator

SHALOM EDITORIAL BOARD
David A. Wortman, Editor-in-Chief
Hanna Smith, Chairperson
Jane Chaput, Susan Cobin, Betty Nigoff

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Vivian Bitensky, Isabelle Booker, Rachel Kline, Hanna Smith

LOCAL DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Lowell and Betty Nigoff 3

Production Services by Georgetown News-Graphic

The editorial staff has the right to edit all articles submitted for publication in Shalom. Articles should not ex-
ceed 500 words. The appearance of any advertising in this publication does not represent either a kashruth
or any other endorsement on the part of the Federation or any other agency or organizations.

Opinions expressed in Shalom are not necessarily those of the Shalom editorial staff or the JFB or its con-
stituent organizations.

Shalom is partially supported by the advertisements appearing in the paper.

Copyright © 2013, Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass. All rights reserved. For reprint permission contact
David Wortman, Editor—in-Chief, Shalom, at shalom@jewishlexingtonorg

2 | August 2013 Shalom

 

   

Lier'

IEWISN I‘D“!!! STOMES I“ Sfiflfvi

of Judaism through books and music.

   

The 1’] Library is a national program offered locally, which mails free,
high-quality and age appropriate Jewish children’s literature and music to
families on a monthly basis.

All families raising Jewish children ages six months to eight years are welcome to
enroll. IFB is proud to offer your family, through our partnership with local donors and
the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, this opportunity to explore the timeless core values

Enroll your children or grandchildren today! Call us at 859.268.0672 or
visit www.pjlibrary.com and visit our Lexington community page.

 

 

 

 

Lunch and Learn with our
Lexington community rabbis

August 27 with Rabbi David Wortman

I. At 12 noon on the last Tuesday of each month,
in the IFB office, rabbis, on a rotating basis,
will be discussing the holidays, the Torah

ortion of the week, and other topics of
interest. A dairy lunch is offered at a nominal
charge. If you are interested in attending,

, please call Judy Wortman at 859—268—0672
lni‘ llull“iglgll‘f‘s‘iggg’g; so we can order lunch for you.

"'l

L.

 

 

  

send your name and

   

Of 1% W55

n‘\ l‘lir‘jivuix'li li‘rlri'aiiun

Executive Committee Board Members
Jane Chaput
Michael Grossman, President Susan Cobin
Evalyn Block, Vice President Gail Cohen
Hanna Smith, Secretary Jenn Garlin
Gary Yarus, Treasurer David Feinberg
Bob Grossman, At~Large Mickey Hernandez
Seth Salomon,At-Large Larry Kant
Minna Katz—Brown
Amy Faust Mayer

if you are: not “3.03.. . mg Jester fleet}; email and would like to, please
email address to 1:57.451de ie.2'ishlexington.org

Angie Ornstein
Jenny Rice

Kae Schennberg
Pat Shraberg
Marty Solomon
Paul Tillier

Elissa Weinstein
Judy Worell

     

 

Shalom Deadline

Deadline for articles for the September Shalom is August 1 0.
Elnailarticlesto .s’halotnéjewishlexingtonnrg

 

  

 

President’s Message
Judy B. Wortman, JFB Director

 

New Babies for a New Year

This summer has been a time of growth
in the local Jewish Community. In spite
of the assumption that our population is
aging, we have witnessed the birth and
adoption of four new children since the
end of May.

Bob and Barbara Grossman have adopt-
ed a beautiful two-year old girl, Jessica.
After many years on the waiting list

for a baby from China, the Grossmans,
with big brother Ben, and Bob’s parents,
traveled to China to bring Jessie home.
Bob is the immediate past president

of our Federation. He and Barbara left
for China the morning after our annual
meeting when Bob turned over the pres—
idency to Mike Grossman. Several days
later Elissa and Alan Weinstein and big
sister Arly welcomed a new baby girl,
Emma Claire. Elissa is currently chair of
Camp Shalom and had been the assis-
tant director of our camp a number of
years ago. Jessica and Emma join other
Federation board babies, Elliot Mayer,
son of board member Amy Faust Mayer

4 and Mike, and Ephraim Guzman, son of

board member Jenn Garlin and Marcelo
Guzman, both babies were born in the
last year.

Several weeks later, we welcomed new
baby girl Eve Paulina McKee, daugh-
ter of Heather Ravvin McKee and

Kirt McKee, sister of Myer and grand-

daughter of
Linda and
Leon Rav-
vin. Linda
preceded Bob
Grossman

as president
of the federation. Two weeks later
brought another blessing, the birth of
Jonah Ethan Cohen Siegel, son of Rabbi
Sharon Cohen and Jeffrey Siegel. Jonah
joins Ashira Smolkin in the rabbinic
baby club. Ashira was born last October
to Talia and Rabbi Moshe Smolkin.

All of our community’s new babies

are welcomed with new baby baskets
provided by the Federation that contain
their first PJ Library book, aleph-bet
soft nesting blocks, a teething toy, and
an invitation to become part of the PJ
Library family. If you know of a Jew-
ish family in the area with a new baby,
please call us and let us know about the
birth. Federation is committed to pro-
viding services for children and families
through programs such as 1’] Library
and Camp Shalom. .,
As I write this articlefDavid and [just
heard that we have a brand new grand-
daughter. Her parents are Zhanna Beyl
and Ari Wasserman.

I wish you and your families a wonder-
ful New Year surrounded by family and
friends. L'Shana Tova Tikatevu. a

 

tamara@jewishlexingtonorg

 

SALES TEAM NEEDED
FOR SHALOM NEWSPAPER!

The Jewish Federation is in need of new sales
associates to bring in advertising for Shalom.
Set your own hours—earn your commissions.

Contact Tamara Ohayon at the JFB office if you are interested in
joining our team. (859) 268-0672 or

OF THE BLUEGRASS

H l \\ Thejewish Federation

 

 

Editorial

David Wortman

 

First, Jodi Arias. Now George Zim-
merman. If you watch the twenty-four
hour news channels, you might think
that there is nothing else going on in
the world. What is it about Americans’
interest that has so many glued to their

The same photos occurred repetitiously
on CNN and other outlets.

I will admit that the first time I noticed
this phenomenon was long before
24-hour news. It was in 1963, in the
aftermath of the assassination of Presi—
dent Kennedy. The coverage went on
for days. It still is re-broadcast today, 60
years later. In that case, a nation went

been murdered. No matter what your

of 100 years, four American presidents
had been assassinated.

Yet, there is a world of difference be-
tween a presidential assassination, on
the one hand, and a gruesome, lascivi—

into his own hands, on the other. 1%3
was appropriate. 2013 is not.

I find this to be insulting. Whether
perpetrated in the editing booths of
Fox News, MSNBC, or CNN, or deriv-

 

TV sets, watching the same footage over
and over again? Remember the Intifada?

into mourning. A man of great hope had

politics were, you felt a deep loss. Inside

ous murder or a vigilante taking the law

ing from the banal consciousness of the
viewers, this non-stop focus on ”high
profile” incidents accomplishes exactly
the opposite of what was intended. The
criminals become celebrities. How many
of us remember David Berkowitz, Ted
Bundy, Osama bin Laden, Ted Kaczyn-
ski, and a dozen other? How many of us
remember the names of their victims?

Perhaps I am a curmudgeon, a throw-
back to days long ago. However, even
then I would have opposed the 19th
century glorification of western outlaws
and Indian hunters. Further, the sancti—
fication of the mobsters of the 205, 305,
and 405 deserves rethinking.

Why don’t we make teachers our
heroes? Why not devote news time to
hunger in South America, AIDS in Af-
rica, cooperative programs among Jews,
Christians, and Moslems in the Middle
East?

It needs to stop. Our never-ending
fascination with evil will not lead to the
triumph of good. As we enter the New
Year, may we turn our thoughts away
from evil, pray for the redemption of
humankind, and pledge ourselves to
champion the good in people. It!

 

J B Jewish

Family
Leisure Club

  

at JFB Conference room

Complimentary Lunch

 

Services

Tuesday, August 13 - Noon

Guest speaker from Bluegrass ElderAbuse Prevention Council

For more information about these events, to RSVP, or to arrange transportation to the event location,
please contact Mimi Kaufman at (859) 269—8244 or jfs@jewishiexington.org.

 
 
  

 

 

August2013 Shalom | 3

 

 

 

  

 

JFS: AtEYOur SerViCe

Mimi Kaufman, JFS Director

 

 

An elderly woman breaks her wrist
while refusing to give her adult grand—
son money to buy drugs. She is an ac-
tive member of her synagogue, but she
fears talking to her rabbi about the situ-
ation because it is too shameful. Such
stories, sadly, are becoming increasingly
common according to social workers,
elder care lawyers, and medical experts
in the fields of aging. It is an upset—
ting topic that we don’t like to think
about. But the statistics are somewhat
frightening, and they are growing in
numbers probably due to our increased
life expectancies and growing number
of elderly people. According to the
Administration on Aging, 2.1 million
Americans each year fall victim to elder
abuse, exploitation, or neglect. The
agency believes that many more cases
go unreported, and the actual number
of victims could be as high as 12 million.

In general, elder abuse refers to inten-
tional or neglectful acts by a caregiver
or ”trusted” individual that lead to, or
may lead to, harm of a vulnerable elder.
Physical abuse, neglect, emotional or
psychological abuse, financial exploita-
tion (very common), sexual abuse, and
abandonment are all considered forms
of elder abuse. It can occur anywhere
and affects seniors across all socio-
economic groups, cultures, and races.
There are lots of contributing factors.
Isolation, cognitive impairment, pov-
erty, mental illness and substance abuse
contribute to higher risk. Interestingly,
according to some smaller studies when
dementia is involved, the rate of abuse
and neglect rises whether the abuser is a
family member or hired help.

Unfortunately, it is a problem that is

very much underreported. People
feel ashamed, like they are somehow

4 | August 2013 Shalom

Growing Awareness

and Response to
Elder Abuse

responsible for the problem. In the Jew-
ish culture the saying shalom bayit or
keeping peace in the home sometimes
comes into play. Shalom bayit is a noble
goal but it was never intended to entrap
a victim in an abusive situation.

The good news is that awareness is
definitely also growing. There has been
a response in our government with leg-
islation and funding to help combat this
problem. The Administration on Aging
in the US Department of Health and
Human Services has declared 2013 ”T he
year of Elder Abuse Prevention.” There
have also been some great innovative
local efforts to combat the problem.
Jewish organizations are in the fore-
front of some of the efforts as well. We
are starting to see shelters that provide
services to our elderly population as a
response to prevention. Closest to home
would be the Shalom Center for Elder
Abuse and Prevention at Cedar Village,
which is in Mason, Ohio — a suburb of
Cincinnati.

So what should you do if you suspect
someone you know is being abused?
First, do not assume that someone has
already reported a suspicious situation.
You can call your local Adult Protective
Services agency. To reach the Kentucky
APS Abuse Hotline, call 1-800-752—6200
or 1-877-597-2331. To report suspected
abuse in a nursing home or long-term
care facility, contact the local Long-term
Care Ombudsman at 1-800-372-2991.
The agency receiving the report will ask
what you observed, who was involved,
and who they can contact to learn more.
You do not need to prove that abuse is
occurring; it is up to the professionals to
investigate the reported suspicionsfi

The Jewish Cemetery in

Lexington

By Hanna B. Smith

Cemeteries reflect the history
of the locations they serve. The
age of a community, who lived
there, and the economic status
and health of its residents are
some of the information that
can be gleaned from the cem-
etery itself and from its written
records.

The first and most detailed his-
torian of the Lexington Jewish
cemetery was Moses Kaufman,

 

    

A picture of the double grave stone of the David
twins from Section E-1. Their’s was the first burial
in the newly acquired cemetery on Tates Creek Pike,
and is therefore of historic importance. The grave
and stone were later transferred to the cemetery lot
in the Lexington cemetery on West Main Street, after
the cemetery on Tates Creek Pike was abandoned.

w-i—n-y—li—tmdnfl

,AAHH

 

charter member and secretary
of the Spinoza Society, the Jew—
ish burial society. In 1887 Mo-
ses Kaufman wrote that Jews
settled in Lexington in any ap-
preciable number only around
the time of the Civil War. There
were about twenty families in
Lexington in 1872, the year that
the Spinoza Society was formed. Judg-
ing by the number of charter members
and officers of the Society, each family
may have been represented.

By 1872 the Jewish community in Lex-
ington was established enough to see
the need for a cemetery and to be able
to acquire land for this purpose. Until
then the Jewish dead had to be taken
for burial to Louisville or Cincinnati,
an onerous and expensive undertaking.
On July 28, 1872 the Jewish community
met and founded a burial society. After
obtaining a charter from the State Leg-
islature the burial society was named
Spinoza Society.

According to Moses Kaufman, the so-
ciety was named after Baruch Spinoza,
the 17th century Jewish philosopher. He
did not say why this name was chosen
other than that the founders considered
Spinoza to be ”one of the greatest phi-
losophers of modern times”.

On August 11, 1872 the society pur-
chased one acre of land from Mlliam

The text on the double stone is as follows: 1
INFANT SONS OF
JOSEPH 8 HENRIETTA DAVID
DIED MAY 24,1873
Their souls are bound in the bond of life
(This last sentence is the translation of the He—
brew letters underneath the date.)

Tanner for $175.00 for the purpose of
establishing a cemetery. This land was
situated 3 1/2 miles out of town on Tates
Creek Pike. The first burial there was

of the twin infants of Joe and Henrietta
David. Joe David was one of the charter
members. a.

Locating the cemetery so far out of town
proved to be a serious mistake because
it made maintenance very difficult.
Worse yet, the road there was impass-
able in winter. Intermittent attempts

at change were made over the next few
years, but it was 1884 before the Jewish
community acquired an acre of ground
from the Lexington Cemetery Company.
Henry Loevenhart and Julius Marks
formed the committee which negoti-
ated with the trustees of the Lexington
Cemetery Company. On December 2,
1884 the Cemetery Company set aside
”40,186 square feet, not counting alleys
between lots” ”for the perpetual and
exclusive use of the Jewish dead.”

Moses Kaufman’s relief and gratitude

see Jewish Cemetery, page 5

 

 JEWiSh Cemetery (from page 4)

is palpable as he praises the Lexington
cemetery trustees for their liberality,
kindness, and “Kentucky chivalry."

On April 4, 1885, the bodies from the old
cemetery were reburied. That ground
was then sold to William Simpson for
$100.00. Thirty bodies had been re-
moved from the old cemetery in 1885.
By July 1, 1887 three more adults and
infants of five families had been buried
in the new cemetery.

Moses Kaufman’s narrative ends here.
He carefully records the names of the
officers and charter members of the
Spinoza Society as well as those who
conducted and who supervised the
reburial ceremony in 1885.

On May 15, 1941 the Spinoza Society re-
vised its constitution and by-laws. Part
of the constitution and by-laws were
further amended in 1946 during the
presidency of L.K. Frankel. I. Jay Miller
moved in favor of accepting the amend-
ments, and Jay D. Weil, later the Soci-
ety’s secretary, seconded the motion.

On Jay D. Weil’s death on March 31,
1959, the Spinoza Society paid tribute

to him for his devoted services with an
entry into the minutes and a copy sent
to the Weil family. James S. Frankel was
president of the society at that time.

In 1976, during the presidency of

James Frankel, Jr., the Spinoza Society
acquired section E-2 of the Lexing-

ton cemetery because section E—l was
almost filled. Sections E-1 and E-2 are
near each other but do not abut, because
at the time of purchase no contiguous
plot was available. Landscape architect
D. Lyle Aten of Scruggs and Hammond,
Inc. was hired to design the new lot.

In an interview in 2013, Mr. Aten said
that he envisioned section E-2 to be
markedly separate from its surround-
ings. He had a hedge planted that arced
at the opening to the section and that
presented a formal entry. Section E-2
feels like a garden, calming and beauti-
ful, separate from yet also part of its sur-
roundings.

The first burial in section E-2 occurred
on January 12, 1977.

The annual kever avot service, the cus-
tom of visiting the graves of loved ones
between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kip—
pur and praying there, continues to be
held in section E-1 because of tradition,
space, and available benches.

Until 1990 the Lexington Jewish com—
munity did not have a chevra kadisha,
the group of men and women who pre-
pare the body for burial in accordance
with Jewish tradition. According to
Leon Cooper, bodies were transported
to Myer's Funeral Home in Louisville
for preparation and then returned to
Lexington for burial, a costly and time
consuming operation.

In 1986 Rabbi Uriel Smith, then rabbi

of Ohavay Zion Synagogue, met with
two synagogue members, Leon Cooper,
chair of the religious committee, and
Evelyn Geller, nursing instructor at

the University of Kentucky, to discuss
forming a chevra kadisha in Lexington.
According to Mr. Cooper, he and Ms.
Geller first tried to recruit medical and
dental professionals because of their
experience of working with cadavers.
When not enough medical professionals
were available, other members of the
Jewish community were approached.

In addition, shomrim were recruited,
people who sat with the body until the
funeral. This proved easier because the
shomrim have no direct contact with the
dead.

By 1990 the chevra kadisha was fully
formed, both a men’s and a women’s
group. Information manuals were
assembled and a training session was
held. In July 1990 the chevra kadisha
was called upon for the first time. Since
then the chevra kadisha has been avail-
able for every funeral in the Jewish
community.

There is now a memorial to the right

of the entrance to section E-2 for the
children who perished in the Holocaust.
The memorial was dedicated in 1996

by the children of Temple Adath Israel

and Ohavay Zion
Synagogue and by
members of the Cen-
tral Kentucky Jewish
Federation.

In 2013 the Spinoza
Society installed a
genizah in section
E—2, opposite the
Children's Holocaust
Memorial. A genizah
is a receptacle for
prayer books and
ritual objects that

are no longer usable.

 

 

According to Michael
Ades, this genizah is
an underground con-
tainer with concrete
sides, a dirt floor,

and a removable top.
Further plans are

for a head stone for the genizah, with

a community-wide dedication service
led by the rabbis of Temple Adath Israel
and Ohavay Zion Synagogue.

Another recent innovation is the place-
ment of baskets with pebbles for the
use for visitors to place them on the
graves of loved ones. For the longest
time, mourners who wanted to observe
the old custom of leaving a stone as a
token of their presence had to either
bring their own or search the cemetery
ground for loose pebbles.

During the century and a half of its exis-
tence, the Lexington Jewish community
produced remarkable members whose
talents and hard work contributed to
the well-being of both the Jewish and
general community.

The above-mentioned Moses Kaufman
moved to Lexington in 1867 and
opened a clothing store. According to
the Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish
Communities, he soon became active in
local politics. In 1879, Moses Kaufman
was elected to the city council where he
became a leader of the reform faction
that challenged boss rule in Lexington.
He and his allies succeeded in provid-
ing that the Lexington mayor be elected
by popular vote. In addition to serving
on the city council, for some years as
its president, Moses Kaufman served

 

r
“at

View of Section E-Z - the tall tree with a couple of stones in the
foreground, a stone bench in the middle distance, everything
shaded by a tall tree. The mood is one of serenity that the ar~
chitect who designed this lot wanted to achieve. The architect
who designed Section 15-2 is D. Lyle Aten.

as city treasurer and as city auditor. In
1896, he was elected to the state leg-
islature. In 1915, President Woodrow
Wilson appointed Moses Kaufman as
postmaster of Lexington.

Lexington's Julius Marks Elementary
School is named after another leader

of the 19th century Jewish community.
Julius Marks and Henry Loevenhart
negotiated with the Lexington Cemetery
Company for land for a Jewish cem-
etery. Leo Marks, his son, a Cincinnati
business man, donated money towards
the building of Temple Adath Israel.

In 1903, a group of Jewish women es-
tablished a local chapter of the Council
of Jewish women, focusing on charity
work in the larger community, accord-
ing to the Encyclopedia of Southern
Jewish Communities. The chapter was
active in tuberculosis control and later
in drug education. Unfortunately the
Encyclopedia does not list the names
of the women who founded the CJW
chapter.

Mary Wenneker is one of the two
women mentioned in the Encyclopedia.
She was instrumental in starting the
Wenneker shoe business which eventu-
ally expanded to seven stores.

see Cemetary, page 7

August 2013 Shalom | 5

 

 

 Refer a Friend to P]
Library and receive a
$10 Starbuck’s Card!

PJ Library is a wonderful Jewish fam-
ily engagement program that mails

free, high—quality Jewish children's
literature and music to families across
the continent monthly. The program is
underwritten by the Harold Grinspoon
Foundation and a partnership with very
generous local sponsors here in Lexing-
ton. PJ Library enables young families to
explore the timeless core values of Juda-
ism through books and music on a daily
basis in their homes. All families in the
central Kentucky area who are raising
Jewish children from age six months up
to eight years of age are welcome to sign

up.

Here in Lexington, we have reached
over 140 children over the past two plus
years. This is well above our goals as
set by PJ Library, but we refuse to rest
here on our past accomplishments. Our
goal is to continue to reach out and find
Jewish families with young children and
sign them up for PJ Library. We want
every young Jewish family to receive
books and music and participate in

the fantastic programming we offer in
Lexington.

In an effort to find more families, we are
running a REFER A FRIEND campaign.
From now through September 2013, if

you refer an eligible friend to P] Library,
we will give you a $10 Starbuck’s gift
card. That’s right, you will get a $10
Starbuck’s gift card for every eligible
friend you refer to us at the Jewish Fed-
eration of the Bluegrass.

For a friend to be eligible for their
child(ren) to be a part of PJ Library, at
least one parent must be Jewish and
they must live in the central Kentucky
area. In order for you to get your Star—
buck’s gift card, your friend will need
to mention your name when they either
sign-up with us at the JFB office (859-
268—0672 and ask for Lori) or online at,
http:/ / www.pjlibrary.org/ , search for
the Lexington community and then click
on "enroll in this community” on the
right-hand side of the page). It’s that
easy! This campaign is open to every-
one in the community. You don’t have
to have children enrolled in P] Library
to be eligible to receive your Starbuck’s
gift card.

So reach out, introduce yourself to new
families at services, and ask if they get
PJ Library books. Maybe you will make
a new friend, introduce them to P] Li—
brary, and get a Starbuck’s gift card for
your efforts. in:

 

 

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Emitter

@JFedofBluegrass

 

 

 

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OF THE BLUEGRASS

“Like” us on

  

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www.facebook.com/
JFedoftheBluegrass

  

 

RM HM
CW

The Officers, Board of
Directors and Members of
The Lexington Havurah
Wish all members of the
Community
a Most Peaceful and

Healthy New Year

Stan Saxe, president

 

 

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G? THE BLUEGRASS

 

 

 

 

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6 | August 2013 Shalom

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

On behalf of the Board of Directors and
staff of the Jewish Federation of the
Bluegrass, we pray that this New Year will
be one of joy, happiness, and well being.
May we celebrate community and family
and strive to strengthen the bonds between
us. May this be a year of peace for Israel
and its neighbors and a year of healing for
the entire world.

Lit/Jana tova ti/catevu,

Nlichael Grossman, Pledge/1t
Judy Wortman, Executive Director

 

Jewish Cemetery (from page 5)

Not mentioned in the Encyclopedia is
Lena Skuller, Mary Wenneker’s contem-
porary. Following the untimely death
of her husband, Lena Skuller continued
the couple’s jewelry store which she ex-
panded to include fine china and silver
ware. According to her descendants,
Ms. Skuller was a highly successful
businesswoman and a philanthropist.
The founders of the Lexington Jew-

ish community and their descendants,
whose bodies now rest in the Jewish
cemetery, shared a sense of commu-
nity obligation, and this obligation

also extended to the wider community.
They supported community institutions
with their labor, their talents, and their
money. They arrived as immigrants and
helped build a viable community.

Whether we are their direct descen-
dants, newcomers, or transient residents
of today’s mobile society, it behooves us
to uphold the founders’ memory and to
continue their work of supporting this
community.

Currently Michael Ades is President

of the Spinoza Society. Trustees are
Ben Baker, Joe Rosenberg, and Simone
Salomon.

Visitors to the Lexington Cemetery often
have difficulties locating the Jewish sec-
tions. Here is a guide: after entering the
cemetery gate on West Main Street, con-
tinue along the cemetery’s main avenue
until Section 1-1, turn left; Section E-1
will be on your left, just past Section 1-1.
To reach Section E-2, continue past Sec-
tion E-l, past Section D—l on your right.
Section E-2 will be ahead, opposite Sec-
tion 48’s G