Miss Israel 2021, an IDF Gaza vet, to share her story at women's event

By Carl Zebrowski
Editor

Miss Israel is how most people knew Noa Cochva. The Miss Universe Pageant crowned her with that title in 2021. She spent the next couple of years traveling the world, seeing exotic places, making friends, and building a promising modeling career. 

Then Hamas attac…

1st Maimonides Society in America celebrates 40th year

By Carl Zebrowski
Editor

Dr. Larry Levitt is one of the people you think of when you think of the Jewish Federation’s Maimonides Society of healthcare professionals. He was there at the very start—which happens to be 40 years ago this year. 

“I’m proud to have been involved in the…

Advocate inspires Valley women to speak out for Israel and Jews

 

By Carl Zebrowski
Editor

Social media influencer and advocate Shai Albrecht offered a challenge to the dozens of women gathered at Temple Beth El on February 3 eager to take their advocacy for Israel and the Jewish community to the next level. 

“In this time,” she told the audienc…

As JFS prepares to honor Debbie Zoller, she looks back at her tenure

By Carl Zebrowski
Editor 

Debbie Zoller joined the Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley as executive director in December 2012. The JFS Community Food Pantry at the time has been famously described as two shelves and a cabinet. Today it serves 253 people. 

That’s quite a growth s…

Allentown's Edna Brill foiled Nazis as a kid. A new book tells her story

By Janet Bond Brill
Author of “Little Edna’s War”

Edna Brill was a beloved fixture of Allentown’s Jewish community for almost 60 years. Moving here in 1966 with her husband, Harry, and their two young sons, Sam and Eli, and becoming members of Congregation Sons of Israel and later C…