Israeli ‘Idol’ winner tells 10/7 survival story at Beth El

By Carl Zebrowski
Editor

Hagit Yaso woke up early on October 7, 2023, in her home in Sderot, Israel, near the Gaza border. The weather was perfect and she headed out for a run. It was Shabbat and, as a Jew who keeps Shabbat, she didn’t take her phone. 

Yaso, a daughter of Ethiopian Jews…

Lauren Rabin to become Women’s Philanthropy president

By Carl Zebrowski
Editor

Lauren Rabin understands what it’s like to be a young mom with young kids and still want to volunteer in the community. 

Fifteen years ago she moved to the Lehigh Valley with her husband, Doron, and two young children. With no local family to help out with the k…

Lehigh Valley and Yoav, Israel, liaisons bond during week in Greece

By Connor Hayes
Director of Community Programming

Members of the Lehigh Valley and Yoav, Israel, Partnership2Gether committees left their homes for a March 16-23 trip to Greece with several goals in mind. These were not only to hold the annual joint steering committee meeting, at which comm…

Community hears story of pianist’s rebirth after stroke silenced right hand

By Carl Zebrowski
Editor

John Bayless was not Liberace (for those who remember Liberace and his scintillating rhinestone suits and polished candelabra atop his grand piano—and his performance prowess). But Bayless was heavily inspired by Liberace, working incessantly to amass showmanship …

Get those costumes ready. It’s time for the Purim carnival

By Simon Katz
JCC Membership and Program Associate

As we flip our calendars to March, one thing on most of our minds is how many more days until we can bid this foul weather adieu and welcome spring back into our lives. Fortunately, before we get to do that, there’s fun to turn our attent…