Fatal shootings at Kansas JCC, Jewish retirement community p. 9 May 2014 Iyar/Sivan 5774 Vol. 18, No. 9
Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton
The Miami Valley’s Jewish Monthly • Online at JewishDayton.org Marshall Weiss
Architect of Ethiopian aliyah to visit Dayton
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Micha Feldmann
Treating Syria’s wounded
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An Israeli medical worker on the Golan Heights treats a Syrian civil war victim
A safe, sacred space for men Learning to rest — and listen — at Temple Beth Or Men’s Retreat
Film Fest’s glimpse at Israeli leaders
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Golda Meir, The Prime Ministers documentary
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Architect of Ethiopian aliyah at Federation annual meeting For Seniors 55 & better
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with Jewish lineage) from Ethiopia according to their eligibility as established by the Ministry of Interior. More than 125,000 Ethiopians have arrived in Israel over three decades. “As of now, we anticipate that by the end of this year, about 1,000 olim will have come,” Feldmann wrote in an email interview with The Observer from Ethiopia. “Several thousands will have to remain in Ethiopia...most of the Falash Mura who came to Israel in the last 20 years did not come under the Law of Return, because they are descendants of Jews who have converted to Christianity about 100 years ago. Those families where at least one family member could show a maternal lineage to a Jewish woman that had converted to Christianity were allowed to come to Israel according to a special decision of the Israeli government. If there will be no change in the government’s decision, the numbers of olim from Ethiopia will be very small in the coming years.” During the annual meeting, the Federation will also honor volunteers and staff, and will install incoming officers and board members of the Federation, Jewish Community Center, and Jewish Family Services. — Marshall Weiss Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton’s 104th Annual Meeting, Wednesday, May 21, 7 p.m. at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. For more information, call Jodi Phares at 610-1555.
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In 1991, Israel brought 14,325 Ethiopian Jews to the Jewish state in 36 hours on 34 airplanes. One of the key architects of this covert military operation — Operation Solomon — was the Jewish Agency For Israel’s Micha Feldmann. Now the director of the Ethiopian department of Selah — Israel Crisis Management Center, Feldmann will be the keynote speaker for the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton’s 104th Annual Meeting, on May 21. For this year’s annual meeting, the Federation will focus on its history of overseas giving through its annual campaign. Currently, 25 percent of funds the Federation raises through its annual campaign is directed toward Jewish Federations of North America’s global partners, primarily the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. JDC is active in more than 70 countries, providing aid to the world’s poorest Jews including food, medicine and social services for the elderly, Jewish education for children, financial assistance and Jewish identity and renewal programs. This year marks the JDC’s centennial. JAFI — chaired by former Soviet dissident and former Israeli Member of Knesset Natan Sharansky — funds training and educational programs in Israel to help break the cycle of poverty, provides mentoring and enrichment programs for children at risk, and offers services to help new immigrants integrate successfully in Israel. Feldmann worked for JAFI from 1970 to 1994. In 1990, when Israel was permitted to open an embassy in Ethiopia, Feldmann served as JAFI’s representative there and as Israel’s consul. Known to Ethiopians in Israel as Abba Micha (Father Micha), Feldmann is the author of the 2012 book On Wings of Eagles: The Secret Operation of the Ethiopian Exodus and was featured in the locally-made documentary about Ethiopian aliyah (immigration to Israel), Take Us Home. The Israeli government formally ended mass Ethiopian aliyah in 2013, which began with a trickle in the early ‘80s. Last year, Sharansky said JAFI would continue to assist olim (émigrés
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Dayton...............................2
Obituaries.............................25
Fa m i l y Ed u ca t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
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Wo r l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
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Rabbi David Burstein (R) leads Havdalah to mark the conclusion of Shabbat, in the Spirit House at Hope Springs Institute in southeast Ohio’s Hocking Hills during Temple Beth Or’s Fifth Annual Men’s Retreat
Learning to rest — and listen — at Temple Beth Or Men’s Retreat Photos and Story by Marshall Weiss, The Observer One by one, each man has expressed what he hopes to receive over the next 48 hours, and then places a slow-burning candle on a low wooden table in the center of the yoga circle. Each then places photos of his family on the table — or a small blue stone to represent his family — and tells the men about the people closest to his
The Adventures of
heart. Rabbi David Burstein asks the men to close their eyes as he establishes the weekend retreat’s circle of trust, confidentiality, and kindness. Drawing from the traditional Jewish bedtime prayer, he beckons angels to gather and safeguard the group. “Mich-ael, Gavriel, Uriel, Raphael.” He then invokes the Shechinah, the Divine Presence of God, three times. The circle is now open for the 22 men at Temple Beth Or’s Fifth Annual Men’s Retreat,
Bark Mitzvah Boy Happy 66th, Israel. You’ve come a long way, bubbala.
BMB
c O 2014 Menachem
held at Hope Springs Institute in southeast Ohio’s Hocking Hills. “I love retreats. I think it’s the best way for me to do my work, to be of service to the men,” said Burstein, who has served as the Reform temple’s assistant rabbi since 2001. Nine years ago, Burstein started the temple men’s group. “There was a lot of unification in temple events but there really wasn’t anything that was set aside (for men). We decided from the very beginning that we weren’t going to be a brotherContinued on Page Five
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From the editor’s desk
Just as this issue was going to press — and the day before the start of Passover — news broke of the ex-klansman arrested after the shooting deaths of three people at Jewish facilities in Overland Park, Marshall Kansas. There’s no question our law Weiss enforcement system must carefully parse whether this was a hate crime or a case of insanity. But from a societal point of view, hate is insanity. The accused — who was heard to say, “Heil Hitler” when he was taken into custody, who chose the day before the eve of Passover to attack the Jewish community — selected as his victims the elderly and the young. And in a twist of irony, this coward behind a gun took the lives of nonJews in the process; Jewish Community Centers are known for their service to the entire community. The latest reports indicate that the Council on American-Islamic Relations and The American Sikh Coalition stand together with the Jewish community, grief-stricken in solidarity, staring down the evil at the lunatic fringes of society.
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
PAGE 3
I am a
Sinai Scholar! Abby Dickstein
Congregation: Temple Israel Why I attend MVS: When I visited MVS in sixth grade, I had a great experience. The first thing I told my mother was ‘it’s actually cool to be smart there!’ That was the environment I wanted to grow in.
Scholar means not only connecting with the earthly aspects in life, but also the heavenly and spiritual aspects. In my spare time: I enjoy reading, singing, dancing and napping.
Hobbies: I love the arts. I enjoy singing, dance, Sinai Scholar Abby Dickstein drawing, painting, Favorite thing about playing the piano. I am MVS: The number of students very right brain oriented. per class is very small, resulting in an easier learning environI’m most Inspired by: ment. Class discussions are very My mother. She’s the only productive and fruitful, and the member of her family who went academics are challenging to college; not only that, but she but fair. put herself through college. She is a successful, independent, and What being a Sinai Scholar immensely strong woman. She means to me: Sinai makes it inspires me every day to be the possible for qualified Jewish best that I can be. students whose families can’t afford full tuition to attend MVS. In 10 years I see myself: Hopefully, Sinai Scholars enhance the in medical school. I want to diversity at MVS. Being a Sinai specialize in pediatrics.
‘The Sinai Scholar program provides the opportunity for Abigail to obtain the highest quality of education and places her in an environment that not only accepts diversity but truly celebrates it. Abigail is on her way to becoming a global leader and conscientious community servant while enhancing her secular and Jewish education.’ — Shelley Dickstein, Abby’s mother
‘Abby is a joy to teach. She truly seeks to understand the underlying causes of historical developments while simultaneously making connections between seemingly disparate concepts. In particular, she uses her strong grasp of Jewish history and identity to make sense of other historical trends.’ — Blair Munhofen, History Instructor, The Miami Valley School
The Sinai Scholars foundation provides scholarships for qualified Jewish students in grades seven to twelve to attend The Miami Valley School — an award-winning independent school noted for its academic excellence. Sinai currently supports 23 students at MVS with Judaics classes included as part of the curriculum.
Now accepting Miami Valley/Sinai Scholar applications for 2014-15! Contact Susan Strong at MVS, 434-4444 or Patti Schear at Sinai, 367-8168. PAGE 4
DAYTON JWV to place flags at graves for Memorial Day Jewish War Veterans Post 587 is seeking volunteers to help place American flags at the graves of Jewish veterans for Memorial Day weekend. JWV will place flags at Beth Jacob Cemetery on Friday, May 23 at 10 a.m., and at Beth Abraham Cemetery, Riverview Cemetery (Temple Israel), and Temple Beth Or’s section at David’s Cemetery on Sunday, May 25 at 10 a.m. JWV maintains a list of Jewish veterans buried at those cemeteries and places a metal flag holder beside each veteran’s grave. The holders help JWV to quickly find veterans’ graves. To have a flag holder placed at the grave of a Jewish veteran in time for Memorial Day, call Post Commander Steve Markman at 886-9566.
Flower power celebration of Israel Independence Temple Beth Or will host eco-friendly programs on May 3 and 4 to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day. On Saturday, May 3 at 6 p.m., Beth Or will host Groovy Flower Power Party, a 60s-themed dinner with dancing and a costume contest. The cost is $16 in advance, $20 at the door. R.S.V.P. to Leslie Beers at 435-3400. On Sunday, May 4 at 9:30 a.m., families are invited to help with environmentally-friendly projects, and at noon Beth Or and the Jewish Federation will present a community Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration with activity booths for children, Israeli wine tastings, Israeli dancers, a Skype chat with teachers in Israel, Israeli and American cuisine, and guest speaker Lt. Col. Moti Ben-Nun.
Chabad Lag B’Omer Kosher BBQ Cook-Off On Lag B’Omer, Sunday, May 18 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Chabad will host its second Kosher Barbecue Cook-Off. Teams from the Jewish community will barbecue chicken, to be judged and served at the event. Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of counting the Omer, falls on 18 Iyar. It breaks up the seven weeks of semi-mourning between Passover and Shavuot. Lag B’Omer marks the end of a plague among Rabbi Akiva’s students, a victory of BarKokhba’s soldiers over the Romans 2,000 years ago, and the death of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. In Israel, Lag B’Omer is celebrated with picnics, sports, and bonfires. The cost of the barbecue is $15 adults, $5 children ages 3 to 12, free for children under 3. R.S.V.P. to 643-0770 or at chabaddayton.com.
Rabbis’ panel discussion rescheduled for May 27 Beth Abraham Synagogue has rescheduled the panel discussion Philosophical and Theological Underpinnings of Judaism, led by rabbis from across the Dayton community, for Tuesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. Rabbis participating in the panel will be Judy Chessin of Temple Beth Or, Joshua Ginsberg of Beth Abraham, Nochum Mangel of Chabad, and David Sofian of Temple Israel. Each rabbi will discuss the perspective of his or her Jewish movement on a variety of topics. The program is free and open to the public and will conclude with a dessert reception. For more information, call Beth Abraham at 293-9520.
Editor and Publisher Marshall Weiss MWeiss@jfgd.net 937-853-0372 Contributors Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin Michael Fox Rachel Haug Gilbert Rabbi Joshua Ginsberg Marc Katz Candace R. Kwiatek Mark Mietkiewicz Advertising Sales Executive Patty Caruso, plhc69@gmail.com Proofreaders Karen Bressler, Rachel Haug Gilbert, Joan Knoll, Pamela Schwartz Billing Jeffrey Hollowell, JHollowell@jfgd.net 937-853-0372 The Dayton Jewish Observer Policy Committee Joan Knoll, chair Chuck Kardon Marc Katz Larry Klaben Dr. Marc Sternberg Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Dr. Gary Youra President Judy Abromowitz Officer David Pierce Officer Melinda Doner Officer Mary Rita Weissman Officer Cathy Gardner CEO The Dayton Jewish Observer, Vol. 18, No. 9. The Dayton Jewish Observer is published monthly by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, a nonprofit corporation, 525 Versailles Dr., Dayton, OH 45459. Views expressed by guest columnists, in readers’ letters and in reprinted opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Dayton Jewish Observer, The Dayton Jewish Observer Policy Committee, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton or the underwriters of any columns. Acceptance of advertising neither endorses advertisers nor guarantees kashrut. The Dayton Jewish Observer Mission Statement To support, strengthen and champion the Dayton Jewish community by providing a forum and resource for Jewish community interests. Goals • To encourage affiliation, involvement and communication. • To provide announcements, news, opinions and analysis of local, national and international activities and issues affecting Jews and the Jewish community. • To build community across institutional, organizational and denominational lines. • To advance causes important to the strength of our Jewish community including support of Federation departments, United Jewish Campaign, synagogue affiliation, Jewish education and participation in Jewish and general community affairs. • To provide an historic record of Dayton Jewish life.
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
DAYTON
Rabbi David Burstein (L) leads a morning walking meditation at Hope Springs Institute during the Temple Beth Or Men’s Retreat
Men’s retreat Continued from Page Three hood — it was just going to be a group of guys getting together and talking,” he said. “And we would discuss whatever issue would come across. We’ve done everything from legacy to living well, to parenting, to the role of men in Judaism and Reform Judaism, the role of men in a synagogue, what it is to be a man, what it is to be a father, what it is to be a son.” Burstein said about 40 men participate on the periphery of the men’s group, which meets the first Wednesday of each month. A dozen or so form its active core. “It’s a way for men to come to services and see someone that they know, because sometimes it doesn’t happen,” he added. After the men’s group held its first retreat, at Hope Springs five years ago, Burstein said the dozen guys who participated felt a powerful connection and decided to hold one each year. “For the people who have been here more than once, you look forward to it,” said Mark Gruenberg, who has joined all five retreats. “Up front, you know it’s going to be relaxing, although emotionally difficult. You really work hard.” The topic for this year’s retreat was Sabbath. Burstein asked the participants to read Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in Our Busy Lives written by minister Wayne Muller. “It’s one of my favorite books,” Burstein said. “I often look for, when I teach, a multireligion kind of book. Just in general, I think that we have a
lot to learn from other cultures and other religions.” Much of the work the men took up on the retreat explored the importance of rest, and how to remove obstacles that get in the way of true rest. “Part of what I love about these retreat centers is there’s no cell phone access,” Burstein said. “There’s no wireless access that I’ll let you know about. There’s no alcohol, and the food is excellent, all organic and locally grown. It’s vegetarian, which I love.” Gruenberg said he hopes to incorporate rest into home life for himself and his family. “I’m focused on figuring out how to do that,” he said. “I think I’m moving toward setting an example, creating the environment at home.” The father and husband said he values the introspection that comes with each retreat. “It’s OK to look at yourself and the way that you feel, in a place that’s safe so you can make changes, to make things better,” he said. “Ultimately, that’s what we all want. Not only for ourselves but for our families and our communities. To me that’s Judaism. It’s helping your family and your community.” Burstein said he started thinking about approaching the retreat from an interfaith perspective during their second year out. “I was talking about something Jewish and I looked around and there were a lot of partners of Jews that weren’t Jews,” he recalled. “This isn’t just about Judaism. This is about men. Because we have a lot of the same issues. I’ve done some side work with Christian groups too. It’s just the same stuff.” Along with members of the temple, some of Burstein’s
Staffing Needs? Call The Professionals! friends from Cincinnati joined this retreat. Among the men from the temple, some are active with the men’s group, others aren’t. “I’ve never really carved the time out for it (the men’s group), but the retreat, Rabbi David and I have been talking about it for a long time,” said congregant Mike Pickard, a first-time participant. “I don’t know a lot of the guys very well, but I feel I know them better after this weekend.” A husband and father of two teenagers, Pickard said the message to make time for intentional rest resonated for him. “We think it’s selfish, but to sit down, slow down and reflect actually makes you operate with more purpose. I like the idea of no one religion (the interfaith retreat format), that it’s open for different interpretations. I was actually raised and baptized Catholic. My family, we’ve raised Sam and Emma as Jewish here. So we’ve kind of figured out a way to make it all work.” Burstein also presented the men with exercises to understand the importance of active listening; the men practiced actively listening to each other. “The whole concept is how to be a better man, how to be a better partner, how to be of better service to the community, to the temple, to the community in general and ultimately, how to be of better service to ourselves,” said husband and empty nester Corky Katz, a member of the men’s group since its inception. He’s been to three of the five retreats. “It was a leap of faith for me, because I was never a retreat kind of guy. I was not sure what was being done at these kind of retreats. I trusted David, I trusted the process, I decided to give it a try and it’s a really enjoyable weekend for me. “It really begins here and there are people I can talk to at temple about a lot of things that I wouldn’t talk to other people about.” Burstein said the retreat helps satisfy the need men have for intimacy with other men: the ability to really talk to each other. “We had a discussion about this on Wednesday night at our group,” he said. “Why is there a need for men’s groups? One of the guys said it so beautifully: that we often have superficial relationships with other men, and we need some depth. Because it can be really lonely being a guy.”
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DAYTON
Nazi manipulation of legal system focus of exhibit
Lawyers Without Rights will be By Marc Katz on display at Temple Israel Special To The Observer May 14-June 8. The final day Nazi Germany’s plan to of the exhibit coincides with eliminate the Jews was helped Lawyer Dr. Michael Siegel the temple’s Jewish Cultural considerably when in 1933 complained to Munich Police Festival. Hitler gained power and in April 1933 when one of his clients was taken into Holocaust survivor Bob Kahn moved quickly to refuse access ‘protective custody.’ They cut first read about the exhibit a to courts for all Jewish judges, the legs off Siegel’s trousers public prosecutors and lawyers. few years ago. He contacted and led him barefoot through After that, it became simpler the American Bar Association, the streets with a board that which also had become into move Germany into ‘legalread: ‘I will never complain to izing’ the extermination of mil- volved in the project. the police again!’ “They said if your comlions of people, including more ing Kristallnacht in 1938, his than six million Jews in Europe. munity is interested in it, we’ll school and synagogue were With the justice system left in make it available,” Kahn said. burned and the Nazis forced “I became involved the hands of criminals him to play his violin while through the Commuand those afraid to he watched his father being nity Relations Council stop them, there was about a year and a half beaten. no official way to halt In 1940, at age 18, he made ago. First you have to the Nazis. get people interested in his way to the United States. He In 1998, the German served in the U.S. Army during the subject.” Federal Bar conceived An extensive exhibi- World War II and worked in of a plan to exhibit not intelligence at Wright-Patterson tion, the project cononly what happened to Air Force Base. He has been a sists of several 7-foot the German legal sys- Bob Kahn local resident ever since. panels of pictures, tem under the Nazis, Kahn actually knew one of stories and timelines. but to find out what became of the lawyers in the exhibit, but “The exhibition reflects a the lawyers, judges and others time in Germany when the indi- says, “the exhibit speaks for abruptly removed from their vidual rights and the rule of law itself. The message will resonate positions. with all persons. When you were utterly neglected,” reads The result is the traveling look at the portraits of these an introduction to the exhibit exhibit Lawyers Without Rights: people, you have to be remindendorsed by both the German Jewish Lawyers in Germany and American Bar Associations. ed of the lawlessness of Hitler’s Under the Third Reich. Through reign, that people “Many non-Jewish sponsorship from the Jewish ‘People could could be executed German lawyers Community Relations Council at will and taken to in those days kept be executed of the Jewish Federation and camps for no reasilent. They did not at will and the Dayton Bar Association, son whatsoever.” say a word. There taken to camps The exhibit will was no real resisopen on Wednestance. Most of them for no reason day, May 14 with did not even try whatsoever.’ a 7 p.m. recepto help their coltion and a talk by leagues. Why? We University of Pennsylvania do not know, and this exhibition does not give an answer to Law School Adjunct Prof. Harry Reicher about how the Nazis this question either.” perverted Germany’s legal Lawyers Without Rights prosystem. vides some clues; it has been The next day, the Bar Assoshown in more than 70 cities ciation will present a continuaround the world since 2000 ing legal education seminar and comes to Dayton from an exhibition at the Daniel Patrick at Temple Israel for attorneys, judges and law students. Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in Though there are no other New York. posted hours for visitation, Kahn, 90, grew up in individuals or groups interested Mannheim, Germany. Durin attending the free exhibit may call JCRC Director Beth Adelman at 610-1779.
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Lawyers Without Rights
The Jewish Community Relations Council and Dayton Bar Association present the exhibit Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany Under the Third Reich, May 14-June 8 at Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. For information, call JCRC Director Beth Adelman at 610-1779.
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
DAYTON
Volunteers and staff with area Jewish community organizations met on April 3 with Kelly Geers (Center), district director for U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, to express their hopes that negotiations will resume in the Middle East, opposition to Palestinian unilateralism, and concerns about a nuclear Iran. Shown here with Geers (L to R): Dayton Jewish Community Relations Council Member Andy Schwartz and JCRC Chair Rick Carne, American Jewish Committee Cincinnati Region Director Barbara Glueck, and Dayton JCRC Director Beth Adelman.
Temple Beth Or’s Rabbi David Burstein, shown here with his daughter Emma, was among approximately 60 rabbis to shave their heads on April 1 at the Reform movement’s Central Conference of American Rabbis in Chicago as part of the Shave for the Brave campaign that raised more than $570,000 for pediatric cancer research in memory of 8-year-old ‘Superman’ Sam Sommers, son of Rabbi Phyllis and Michael Sommers of Chicago
Temple Israel Administrative Assistant Ellen Finke-McCarthy (L) had Karen Rose of Shear Joy (Center) shave her head as part of the Shave for the Brave fund-raising campaign, at the temple’s Purim carnival on March 16, with Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz standing by for support Israeli photographer Yochanan Kishon (standing, center) talks about photo settings with Samuel Lauber as Joyce Hill works on perspective shots at the Boonshoft CJCE on April 4 as part of the JCC and Partnership2Gether’s three days of workshops with Kishon. Participants learned digital photography techniques, attended a night photography workshop at Cox Arboretum, and learned how to improve their photo-taking skills overall. Partnership2Gether is a program of the Jewish Agency and Jewish Federation to build people-to-people relationships through cultural, social, medical, educational and economic programs. Dayton’s Partnership is with 14 communities in the central United States connected to Israel’s Western Galilee.
Devorah and Rabbi Nochum Mangel (Center), founders and co-directors of Chabad of Greater Dayton, receive an album of photos and tributes from community members at Chabad’s 20th Anniversary Founders’ Dinner, March 19 at the Dayton Convention Center. Shown here with the Mangels (L to R): Dr. Dan German, Amy Bloom, Lee Schear.
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S. Isaac Mekel, director of development of the American Society for Yad Vashem, and his assistant, Michelle Sinnreich (Center), visited Dayton on April 8 to discuss snow storm damage to the memorial gardens and the rail car used to transport victims to concentration camps, on the grounds of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, and to raise funds for their repair. Shown here with Mekel and Sinnreich are Dr. Jeffrey and Suzi Mikutis (L) and Julie and Dr. Robert Bloom.
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THE WORLD
On Ukraine, Israel & neocons not on the same page for peace for all its citizens and hopes By Ron Kampeas, JTA that the situation will not deteriorate to WASHINGTON — When it comes a loss of human life,” said the statement to Ukraine, Israel is parting ways with published in the Israeli media. “Israel some of its staunchest American allies, namely neoconservatives — and it’s not expects the crisis in Ukraine will be handled through diplomatic means and the first time. will be resolved peacefully.” Israel’s reluctance to side too closely Israel abstained from a March 27 with the United States in its bid to United Nations General Assembly vote isolate Russia is typical of an Israeli condemning a March 16 referendum in realpolitik that has led to past conflicts Crimea in favor of joining Russia; it was with the American neoconservatives, virtually alone among who prize humanitarian intervenAmerican allies in not tionism. voting for the resoluBut Israel’s stance is not suftion. ficiently consequential to set off a Republicans in fight between friends, neoconserCongress allied with vative scholars said. the neoconserva“There’s generally, when it tive movement have comes to the categories of differblamed what they say ences of opinions between Israel is the Obama adminand neoconservatives, two categoistration’s fecklessness ries: the ones that directly impact for fueling Russian U.S. policy and the ones that President Vladimir don’t,” said Seth Mandel, assistant Sen. John McCain Putin’s boldness. editor at the neoconservative Jew- (R-Ariz.) “On the issue of ish magazine Commentary. Ukraine, my hero, Teddy Roosevelt, Ukraine does not rise to the level of used to say talk softly but carry a big an Israeli policy that would rattle the stick,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) chasrelationship, Mandel said, as opposed tised Secretary of State John Kerry at a to earlier examples of disagreements, congressional hearing. “What you’re including Israeli policy on the Arab doing is talking strongly and carrying a Spring and the Israeli sale of arms to very small stick — in fact, a twig.” China. The United States has led the impoAn Israeli government official — sition of economic sanctions on Rusone in regular contact with what he sia, but Kerry at the hearing rejected described as some of “Israel’s best proposals to arm Ukrainians against friends” in Congress — agreed, saying the possibility of further that the Israelis had not Russian incursions. heard complaints from Neocons have An aide to a Senate neoconservatives, as clashed openly Republican who, like they had in the past, like when Israel opposed the with Israel in the McCain, has been critiof Obama adminis2011 ouster of Egyppast, particularly cal tration Ukraine policy tian President Hosni said it would not be fair in the early Mubarak. to demand of a small “Israel is wrong on 2000s over country like Israel the Syria, wrong on Egypt, confrontational posture wrong on lots of things,” Israel’s sale of Danielle Pletka, the vice weapons to China that Republicans expect from the United States president of the Amerias a superpower. can Enterprise Institute, The aide said Israel had to consider the flagship neoconservative think tank, wrote in an email. “It doesn’t affect sup- Russian cooperation in keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and in port for the democratic state of Israel among American friends. That’s not the dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons capability. way it works. They’re an independent “We just don’t know the underlying country, and have the right to be foolnature of the Israeli-Russia relationish; I don’t think anyone devotes even a minute to considering the Israeli posi- ship,” the aide said. “It’s incredibly complex with secret intelligence deals tion on Ukraine.” going on, trade-offs for what Russia It took nearly a week for Israel to will or won’t do with Iran. In the end, issue a response to the Feb. 28 Russian I’m sure that’s what this is all about for takeover of Crimea. Israel — but America doesn’t have that The March 5 statement by Foreign luxury; we are the superpower.” Minister Avigdor Liberman, himself a Neoconservatives have clashed Russian-speaking native of Moldova, openly with Israel in the past, particuwas terse and did not mention Russia, larly in the early 2000s over Israel’s sale whose leadership Liberman has long of weapons to China, which was seen favored cultivating. as an affront to a bedrock stance of the “Israel is following with great concern the events in Ukraine, it is anxious Continued on Page 12 PAGE 8
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
THE WORLD
Jewish organizations on alert after fatal shootings in Kansas City By Heather Norris, JNS.org Baltimore Jewish Times Kansas’s tight-knit Jewish community was rocked just one day before the beginning of Passover as an alleged gunman took the lives of three people and injured another in attacks just minutes apart outside the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City in Overland Park and a local retirement village. According to various news reports, at about 1 p.m., shots were reported outside the JCC’s theatre entrance, where auditions were being held for a singling competition for area teenagers. One man was reportedly killed at the scene, while another died at a local hospital. The suspect — described later in the day by police officers who apprehended him as a bearded white male in his 70s—then fled to the Village Shalom community and opened fire, killing one woman before fleeing to a school, where he was arrested. Two others were shot at, but not injured. Some reports said that the gunman asked people if they were Jewish before firing his weapon and that he shouted “Heil Hitler” about the time of his arrest. As people in cities across the country finished their lastminute Passover preparations, JCCs, benefited from a beefedup police presence. While the FBI and local police have not officially called the violence a hate crime, many national organizations are not waiting for confirmation to denounce the shootings. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time there has been a shooting at a Jewish Community Center,” read a statement from B’nai B’rith International. “Comments attributed to the shooter after police had him in custody demonstrate a blind hatred toward Jews.” Jamie Squire/Getty Images
An Overland Park police vehicle at the JCC of Greater Kansas City, Kan., after shootings there and later at a nearby assisted-living complex that killed three April 13
The Anti-Defamation League, meanwhile, noted that just a week before, it released a security bulletin to communal institutions warning of the increased potential for violence around Passover and the April 20 birthday of Adolf Hitler. That day “has historically been marked by extremist acts of violence and terrorism, including the violence at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, and the Oklahoma City bombing,” read the statement. “We mourn the tragic loss of life in today’s shootings
‘...made us all realize that we all have a voice and we can all be leaders and stand up and speak out for what’s right.’ — Anytown Graduate
in the Overland Park, Kan., Jewish community,” Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said in a statement. “Information about the perpetrator is still being uncovered, but early reports indicate that antisemitism may have been a factor. If so, it is a tragic reminder, this day before Jews around the world observe Passover, of the hatred that continues to plague our world. It is also yet another horrific instance of an act of senseless violence involving the use of guns to take innocent lives.”
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Suspect white supremacist, SPLC says The suspect in the deadly shooting attack on two Jewish targets in a Kansas City, Kan., suburb on April 13 was identified as a prominent white supremacist. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a hate group monitor, identified the alleged gunman as Frazier Glenn Miller, 73, of Aurora, Mo., and said he was the “grand dragon” of the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1980s and subsequently a founder of the White Patriot Party. The center in a statement said Miller served three years in prison on weapons charges and for plotting the assassination of its founder, Morris Dees. CBS News also identified the suspect as Miller, and a security source confirmed to JTA that the suspect had a long history in the supremacist movement. Miller is suspected of killing a grandfather and his grandson on Sunday at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, Kan., and then shooting to death a female resident of Village Shalom, a Jewish assisted-living facility a few blocks away. The family of the victims killed at the JCC identified them as William Lewis Corporon and his 14-year-old grandson, Reat Griffin Underwood, ABC news reported. KSHB, a local TV station, said they were members of the Church of Resurrection. The JCC was hosting a dance class and an audition for a play, both for teenagers, according to reports. President Obama in a statement “pledged the full support of the federal government” in the investigation. — JTA
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
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THE WORLD
Does Adelson buying another newspaper imperil Israeli media?
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
By Ben Sales, JTA TEL AVIV — What happens when one man controls three major Israeli news outlets? That’s the question Israeli media experts are asking after Sheldon Adelson, the American casino magnate and Republican mega-donor, purchased the respected conservative weekly Makor Rishon for nearly $5 million. On March 30, a Jerusalem court approved Adelson’s purchase of the paper, which had acquired the now-defunct Maariv newspaper and its website, NRG.co.il, in 2012. Adelson already owned Israel Hayom, a free daily tabloid he founded in 2007 that is Israel’s most widely distributed paper. With the new purchase, Adelson now has control of Israel’s major right-wing media outlets, as well as two of the country’s four major newspapers. “Adelson’s purchase of Makor Rishon is sad,” said Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, head of the Israel Democracy Institute’s Media Reform Project. “It consolidates the media market, which is bad for content, but we shouldn’t mourn it. There are opportunities we haven’t seen yet.” Adelson’s increasing hold on Israeli media has prompted concerns of increasing ideological conformity and less government criticism. A staunch supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Adelson
is widely seen as having used Israel Hayom to increase popular support for the Israeli leader. Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, the chairman of the pro-settler Jewish Home party, likened Israel Hayom to Pravda, the state newspaper of the former Soviet Union. “The paper is the trumpet of one man, the prime minister,” Bennett told Galei Tzahal, the Israel Defense Forces radio station. “At every intersection, every point of friction between the national interest and the prime minister’s interest, it chooses the prime minister’s side. I very much hope that Makor Rishon will maintain an independent, nationalist position. “ The CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., with a net worth of more than $28 billion — the 11th richest American, according to Forbes magazine — Adelson has never been shy about using his wealth to advance his political interests. In 2012, he was a generous supporter of the failed presidential campaign of Newt Gingrich. When Gingrich dropped out, Adelson threw his support behind Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, donating $20 million to a Romney-supporting Super PAC. In March, a number of Republican presidential hopefuls gathered at Adelson’s Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas for what some were calling the “Sheldon primary” in recogni-
tion of the casino magnate’s power as a Republican kingmaker. In Israel, there is little expectation that Adelson’s latest deal will augur the death of Israel’s free press. Israel’s other dailies — the centrist Yediot Acharonot and the left-wing Haaretz — are both critical of Netanyahu and remain widely read. Maariv, once Israel’s most popular paper, fell on hard times in recent years and ceased publication in Sheldon Adelson (L) is escorted to his seat to listen to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie March. during the Republican Jewish Coalition spring leadership meeting in Las Vegas Still, some worry that Adelson’s purintellectual for Makor Rishon.” Netanyahu from the right?” chase may narrow the paramThe closing of Maariv, along A Makor Rishon reporter who eters of public discussion. In with recent financial struggles wished to remain anonymous March, in an effort to maintain at Haaretz and across Israel’s acknowledged that political competition in Israel’s media print media landscape, raise the market, Knesset members from correspondents are “a little question of whether a country worried,” but said the Adelseven parties — including the of 8 million people can sustain right-wing Jewish Home — pro- son deal will allow the staff to four daily papers in the age of posed a law that would require continue its in-depth reporting the Internet. and analysis from a right-wing readers to pay for Israel Hayom. “The market in Israel is very “There can be two right-wing perspective. small,” Altshuler said. “Its abil“For us as journalists, it was papers that think differently,” very reassuring to know people ity to sustain three papers or said Tamir Sheafer, a professor three TV stations, that’s somelike the paper and want to buy of communications and jourthing people don’t pay attention it,” the reporter said. “They see nalism at Hebrew University. to. It was clear that one of them the importance of holding on “There can be a right-wing needed to close.” to this type of paper. I would paper that criticizes the prime Altshuler sees a potential always joke that if I wrote the minister from the right. But if boon for Israeli media in the same article for Maariv and Sheldon Adelson has a favorgrowth of online journalism. Makor Rishon, I would dumb able attitude toward NetanBut Tal Schneider, who writes yahu, will Makor Rishon criticize it down for Maariv and keep it the Plog, a well-respected Israeli political blog, says her work cannot replace the staff of a large newspaper. “On my blog, we are not 100 reporters — we are a two-person business,” Schneider said. “We cannot provide the (same) extent of coverage. I cannot replace Maariv or Makor Rishon.” Despite the worry, few see Adelson’s growing control of Israeli publications as an immediate threat to the country’s free press. But should the rise of digital media continue to erode the financial viability of traditional publications, that could change. “I don’t think this specific deal will create irreparable damage,” said Sheafer. “But we need to make sure it doesn’t expand such that every media that gets into trouble goes to Sheldon Adelson.”
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
THE WORLD
Israelis treating Syria’s wounded confront complex injuries, cultural gaps Israel Defense Forces has set By Ben Sales, JTA up a field hospital there, and SAFED, Israel — When an Israeli army ambulance brought transfers patients it cannot care for to nearby hospitals. In some an injured Syrian man to Ziv Medical Center in this northern cases it brings a family member as well. Israeli city two months ago, Northern Israel’s hospitals the doctors didn’t know where have extensive experience dealexactly he was from. ing with patients wounded in They saw that his leg had battle — most recently during been amputated, and based on Israel’s 2006 war with the Lebahis own fragmented account nese terrorist group Hezbollah. and the physical evidence, the But in that conflict, the wounddoctors surmised he had been ed typically received medical hit by a shell. But they didn’t know exactly attention quickly. Joseph Guilbard, the director how he had gotten there. And of pediatric neuwhen he leaves rosurgery at the the hospital Hundreds of Rambam Medilater this month, cal Center in they don’t know victims of Haifa, recalled an where he’s going. Syria’s 3-yearespecially severe “I’m not case in which a scared,” said the old civil war 12-year-old SyrSyrian, whose have received ian boy arrived name was withlife-saving in a deep coma held by the with a severe hospital because treatments in brain injury. Israel and Syria Israeli hospitals. Guilbard are in a state of performed war. “Nothing multiple surgerworse will hapies, reducing excessive pressure pen to me, so who cares if I’m on the brain, removing parts in Israel?” of his skull and replacing them Despite decades of hostilwith acrylic. When he was disity between Israel and Syria, charged, the boy was walking. hundreds of victims of Syria’s “If you see yourself as a 3-year-old civil war have received life-saving treatments in doctor, a surgeon and a trauma specialist, you give the same Israeli hospitals. Israeli medical personnel say treatment to everyone,” said that while they’re happy to treat Hany Bathoth, the director of Syrians, the wounded pose a unique set of challenges. For one, their injuries are often complex, owing to the heavy artillery used in the New Guardian Angel conflict. They sometimes arrive Andi Rabiner at the hospital as much as days after suffering the injury, comNew Angels Eric Friedland plicating treatment. Sarah Moore Leventhal And the wounded often are wary of Israelis they have been Double Chai taught to despise, making it Linda & Jeff Albert hard for Israel to address their Toby Blume emotional traumas in addition Lori Appel-Cohen Beverly Lipson Dlott to their physical ones. Shirley & Gotlieb Frankowitz “As nurses, it’s unique to Arlene Furst deal with wounded like this,” Ivan & Sonia Goldfarb said Refaat Sharf, a nurse at Bea & Rick Harris Ziv, which has treated 162 SyrMartha & Martin Jacobs ian patients. “We hadn’t been Michael Jaffe used to these injuries, neither Mr. & Mrs. Jack Jenefsky Brad Kennedy in terms of their character nor Doug Kinsey their frequency.” Ronni & Marc Loundy Since last year, more than Leonard Press 700 wounded Syrians have Stephen M. Renas come to Israeli hospitals via Franklin & Renee Rubin Handel the Syria-Israel border cross& Family Beverly Saeks ing on the Golan Heights. The
Kobi Gideon /GPO/FLASH90
A medical worker on the Golan Heights treats an individual wounded in Syria’s civil war in February
the trauma unit at Rambam. “In every trauma, that’s how it is. You feel like you helped the injured. That gives you strength.” Hospital personnel tasked with providing emotional support say Syrians are reticent to open up about their experiences. Besides the trauma of war, there is the additional fear of being in an enemy state. Israeli
Arabs who share a language and certain cultural norms with the wounded are employed at all levels at Ziv and Rambam and say they help Syrian patients navigate the cultural gaps they encounter. “If you want to talk about respect for men and women, (a male Syrian patient) can’t see a woman, say hi to a woman,” said Johnny Khbeis, an Israeli
Arab who works as a medical clown at Ziv. “There are women who change their sheets, and that’s hard for them because that doesn’t happen there.” Adi Pachter-Alt, Rambam’s deputy director of social work, said the patients’ reluctance to speak openly about their feelings comes more from the Continued on next page
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
PAGE 11
Israel & neocons
Continued from Page Eight neoconservative movement — defending the interests of Taiwan. The arms sales led the administration of President George W. Bush to suspend its strategic dialogue with Israel from 2002 to 2005, until Israel acquiesced to a U.S. demand that the Pentagon vet Israeli arms sales to China. Bush’s decision to suspend the dialogue was made on the advice of prominent neoconservatives in his administration, among them Douglas Feith, then the undersecretary for defense. In 2011, Mandel said, neoconservatives were dismayed again when Ehud Barak, then Israel’s defense minister, made the case against backing rebels seeking to oust Syrian President Hafez Assad at a time when American neoconservatives were arguing that it would make sense to assess which rebels deserved more robust U.S. backing. In each of those cases, Mandel said, Israel’s posture had U.S. policy consequences — for instance, in the case of Syria, Obama administration officials could cite Barak’s argument in pushing back against intervention. “That was a situation that directly impacted American policy,” he said. “It’s not clear whether Russia gets to that point.”
Syria’s wounded
Continued from previous page trauma of being injured and less from ill will toward Israel. “It’s hard for us to give overall emotional support because they mistrust us,” Pachter-Alt said. “It’s not due to the state of war. It’s because you’re in a different state after trauma. You’re very alone, very suspicious.” Medical personnel said that when they do leave the hospital, Syrians are grateful for the care they received. The Syrian patient in Ziv said his opinion of Israel had flipped during his stay there. “Before the revolt, the authorities told us Israel was the enemy and we must fight them,” he said. “But after the recent events there, I saw that in Israel they take care of the patients. All of the Israelis I met, Arabs and Jews, seemed unified.” PAGE 12
OPINION
CALENDAR
Beating back the assault on Israel’s legitimacy By Jerry Silverman and Steve Gutow Leaders of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement say they are protesting Israel’s policies in the West Bank. They are doing far more than that. BDS advocates routinely oppose a two-state solution and seek to delegitimize the sovereign Jewish state of Israel. In some cases, BDS becomes the latest form of antisemitism. The BDS movement aims to isolate and punish Israel, using the same techniques applied to apartheid South Africa. Not hesitating to misrepresent facts and ignore context, these Israel bashers take advantage of ignorance and naïveté within civil society circles, mostly in Western Europe, to advance their anti-Israel agenda. BDS advocates view the situation in the West Bank through a one-way lens, seeing only a single perspective. They cite, for example, the security checkpoints that make life difficult for Palestinians but conveniently overlook the reasons for those checkpoints. They ignore the fact that hurting Israel’s economy would also hurt Palestinians who earn their livelihoods from Israeli-owned businesses. BDS backers don’t bother to protest the many countries that have horrific human rights records, instead singling out the world’s only Jewish state, often based on false or misrepresented information. A tipping point for the Jewish community’s response to BDS came in 2009 when a number of anti-Israel groups called for a boycott of the Toronto International Film Festival because one of its themes was Tel Aviv’s 100th anniversary. The Toronto and Los Angeles Jewish federations joined forces and, with the involvement of major figures in the entertainment industry, fashioned an effective response. With calls for BDS escalating in the mainline Protestant churches, on college campuses and elsewhere, Jewish com-
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co-op, the most effective opmunity leaders realize that the ponents of these initiatives are situation calls for more than an ad hoc approach: Local commu- the people who travel in those nities need a strategic approach circles. While we in the organized with national support and Jewish community should not coordination. remain silent in the face of IsraIn 2010, the Jewish Federael’s delegitimization, we should tions of North America, repstrongly support and accentuate resenting more than 150 local federations, allocated significant the efforts of these third-party validators who share our values resources so that the Israel Acand viewpoints. tion Network could serve this The 247 (and counting) unipurpose. The Jewish Council versities and colleges that have for Public Affairs — with its denounced academic boycotts 16 national member organizagenerally — and academic boytions, including all four of the cotts of Israel specifically — are religious movements, and 125 just such validators. Jewish community relations It is not enough to only councils, which work with expose the true goals of the boynon-Jewish coalition partners cotters and their allies. Israel’s on a range of international and supporters must also go on the domestic concerns — was the offensive and drain the swamps JFNA’s obvious partner. of ignorance that allow the One principle that guides poisonous ideas of the Jewish this work is that we should understand our audiences. And state’s opponents to incubate. when we speak with others, we Thus, we are taking the initiative to inoculate vulnerable should do so with a respect for politically progressive secthe sensitivities of that contors, presenting a more factual stituency so that our important perspective on Israel and taking messages are authentically heard. Whether on a campus, in prominent leaders to the region to see the real situaa church or speakOne principle tion firsthand. ing with an LGBT The Israel Action group, we should that guides Network, of course, always be clear this work is does not work that we stand as that we should alone in this arena. partners, sharing On a daily basis, the goal of a future understand numerous organiwith peace and security — not one of our audiences. zations stand up for Israel. Through the conflict and BDS. Experience and research dem- IAN, JFNA and JCPA are working together to convene around onstrate that what works best a common strategic planning with these audiences — mostly table not only our affiliates but made up of political and relialso a range of other North gious progressives — is not an American, Israeli and European all-good-vs.-all-bad charactergroups in order to share best ization of Israelis and Palestinpractices and coordinate our ians. Instead, a more nuanced narrative is the one that is likely collective resources in confronting this global danger. to defeat the one-sided and There is no imminent threat hostile stance of those seeking to the critical and broad North to delegitimize Israel. This means honestly convey- American support for Israel. But American support for Israel is ing the situation’s complexity, not something to be taken for expressing empathy for sufgranted in light of the organized fering on both sides (without campaign we now face. implying moral equivalency) While should not be panand offering a constructive icked, we cannot be complacent pathway to helping the parties either. We pledge to continue to move toward peace and reconciliation based on two states for work hard to prevent any erosion of that support. two peoples. Whether we are dealing with Rabbi Steve Gutow is president a boycott of Israeli academic and CEO of the Jewish Council for institutions adopted by the Public Affairs. Jerry Silverman is American Studies Association president and CEO of the Jewish or an attempt to remove Israeli Federations of North America. products from a Brooklyn food
Beth Abraham Synagogue Classes: Sat., May 3, 12:30 p.m.: Why Jews Do What They Do w. Rabbi Ginsberg. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. 293-9520. Chabad Jewish Learning Institute: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Six Mondays, 7:30-9:30 p.m. beginning May 12. $69 includes textbook. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 643-0770. Temple Beth Or Classes: Sun., May 4, 11, & 25, 1 p.m.: Adult Hebrew w. Rabbi Chessin. Wed., May 7, 14, 21 & 28, 6-9 p.m.: Israeli Folk Dancing w. Janifer Tsou. Wed., May 7, 7 p.m.: Men’s Circle w. Rabbi Burstein. Wed., May 14, 7 p.m.: Spirituality w. Rabbi Burstein. Sun., May 25, 10:30 a.m.: Tanach Study w. Rabbi Chessin. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 435-3400. Temple Israel Classes: Wednesdays, 10 a.m.: Lattes & Legends w. Rabbi BodneyHalasz at Wash. Sq. Dorothy Lane Mkt. Noon: Talmud w. Rabbi Sofian. Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.: Torah w. Rabbi Sofian. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496-0050.
Discussions
Beth Jacob Congregation Book Club: Mon., May 5, 7:15 p.m. The Dove Keeper by Alice Hoffman. 7020 N. Main St., Harrison Twp. 274-2149. Jewish Family Services Bereavement Group: w. Mary Ann Hemmert & Rabbi Bernard Barsky. Six Wednesdays, 3:304:30 p.m. beginning April 23, Starbucks Community Room, 2424 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. R.S.V.P. to JFS, 610-1555. Temple Israel Brotherhood Ryterband Lecture & Brunch Series: Sun., May 4, 10 a.m.: Temple Israel Senior Rabbi David M. Sofian. $5. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496-0050.
Exhibit
Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany Under the Third Reich: May 14-June 8. Sponsored by JCRC and Dayton Bar Assn. At Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr. Opening reception Wed., May 14, 7 p.m. For info., call JCRC Dir. Beth Adelman, 610-1779.
Young Adults
YAD at Hazy Shade Belmont Park Disc Golf Course: Sun., Continued on next page
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
You’rE I nv ItE d to
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Continued from previous page May 25, noon-3 p.m. Frisbees, drinks & dessert provided. Pack lunch. Free. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 610-1555 by May 21.
Families
JCC Camp Shalom Nature Program: Sun., May 18, 1:30-3 p.m. For grades K-2 and parents. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 6101555. JCC Camp Shalom Family Weekend at Camp Livingston: Fri., May 30, 6 p.m.-Sun., June 1, noon At Camp Livingston, 4998 Nell Lee Rd., Bennington, Ind. $85 child, $100 adult. R.S.V.P. by May 19 to Karen Steiger, 610-1555.
Seniors
Jewish Family Services Events: See Federation newsletter in center spread. JCC Active Adults Book Club: Fri., May 16, 10:30 a.m. at the home of Dr. Judy Woll. Old Fifth R.S.V.P. to Judy, 470-0113.
JCC Lynda A. Cohen Yiddish Club: Sun., May 18, 1:30-3 p.m. Starbucks, 2424 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. R.S.V.P. to Dr. Judy Woll, 470-0113.
JCC Film Festival
See listings on Page 22.
Community Events
Temple Beth Or Groovy Flower Power Party: Sat., May 3, 6-9 p.m. Dinner, dancing, costume contest. $15 in advance, $20 at door. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. R.S.V.P. to 435-3400. Temple Beth Or Eco-Friendly Family Projects: Sun., May 4, 9:30 a.m. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. R.S.V.P. to 4353400. Israel Independence Celebration: Sun., May 4, noon sponsored by Temple Beth Or and Jewish Federation. At Temple Beth Or, 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. Hillel Academy Meet The Director Fund-Raiser: Tues., May 6, 6:45 p.m. w. director Barry Avrich. CADC Art Gallery, 45 S. St. Clair St. Food drinks,
ticket to Quality Balls, 7:40 p.m. at the Neon, 130 E. 5th St. Call Hillel, 277-8966. Beth Abraham Synagogue Women of Valor Luncheon: Wed., May 7, 11:30 a.m. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. 293-9520. Beth Abraham Synagogue Men’s Club Complimentary Mother’s Day Brunch: Sun., May 11, 10 a.m. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. R.S.V.P. by May 9 to 293-9520.
Extravaganza
In honor of National Nursing Home Week
Saturday, May 17 at 2pm - 3pm
Free Kona Ice for Senior Citizens - Adults/Kids $2.50 per cup • Get more information about Medicare coverage • Schedule a free consultation to review what your insurance would pay for a stay here • Register to Win a Gift Certificate • Take a tour to see our newly remodeled facility • Ask about our 5 Star Rating from Medicare!
Chabad Lag B’Omer Kosher BBQ Cook-Off: Sun., May 18, 4:30-7:30 p.m. $15 adults, $5 children 3-12, free under 3. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 643-0770. Jewish Federation 104th Annual Meeting: Wed., May 21, 7 p.m. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. 610-1555. Rabbis’ Panel Discussion: Philosophical & Theological Underpinnings of Judaism. Tues., May 27, 7 p.m. Beth Abraham. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. 293-9520.
694 Isaac Prugh Way, Kettering, OH 45429 • 937-297-4300 LincolnParkSeniors.com
Is your son or daughter graduating from high school this year? The Observer is happy to offer you a FREE announcement, including a photo, in our June graduation issue. To receive a form for this free announcement, contact Karen Steiger at 853-0372 or KSteiger@jfgd.net. All forms must be received by May 2 to be included in our graduation issue.
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Call 754.3100 today for an appointment for yourself or someone you love. 5467 Cedar Village Drive Mason, OH 45040 Tel: 513.754.3100 www.cedarvillage.org THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
PAGE 13
KVELLING CORNER
Mom deserves the best on her day.
Ray Must’s artwork will be on exhibit at the Dayton Visual Arts Center. The retrospective, Oil & Water: Raymond Must and Ernest Koerlin, runs May 9-June 21 and was selected from 117 applications through DVAC’s call for exhibitions. Ray and Ernest taught drawing,
Rachel Haug Gilbert 1132 Brown Street, Dayton, Ohio 45409 Easy access parking behind the Shoppe 937-224-7673
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printmaking and painting at Wright State for more than 30 years. DVAC also honored Ray at its 20th Annual Art Auction Anniversary Party in April; Ray was among the auction’s founders. Karin Hirschkatz and Dr. Neil Katz’s daughter, Elana Hirschkatz, spent two months traveling in Chile and Argentina. She backpacked, climbed, and worked on a farm. She’s now back in Los Angeles.
Joe Gruenberg was featured as Barrister of the Month in the December issue of Dayton Bar Briefs magazine, published by the Dayton Bar Association. The piece profiles Joe’s humble beginnings as a child in Tarnopol, Poland, his family’s move to the United States, and his 45 years in law practice. Dr. David Novick received an honorable mention in the 2014 Erma Bombeck Writing Competition for his essay, Rose, the Tarantula. David practices gastroenterology with Digestive Specialists and is working on a humorous book on gastroenterology, intended to entertain, educate, and advocate for colon cancer screening and high-quality care of digestive disorders.
Self portrait by Ray Must
Bernstein’s Fine Catering Vice President Adam Baumgarten will receive a 2014 Dayton Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award on May 22 at the Schuster Center.
Dr. Marti Moody Jacobs received the volunteer recognition award from South Community Inc. Marti serves on the SCI board and volunteers helping adolescents with mental health issues. She uses her background as a physician and author to tap into kids’ creativity to teach them to use writing as a tool to deal with their challenges. Matthew Diamond completed his fourth season on the Centerville High School Bowling Team with a second return to the OHSAA State Tournament as an individual advancer from the Southwest District in as many years. Matthew finished third at state with a 690 series (210-214-266). He finished his high school bowling career earning the season high two game series of 492, high three game series of 712, and the MVP Award. He’ll bowl for the University of Pikeville, K.Y. in the fall. Matthew is the son of Susan and Rob Diamond. Send your Kvelling items to Rachel at kvellingcorner@gmail.com or to Rachel Haug Gilbert, The Dayton Jewish Observer, 525 Versailles Drive Centerville, OH 45459
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
DAY TON: FUNdraising is just the beginning Is it just a coincidence? Jewish Federation of GREATER DAYTON Sunday, May 4 › Yom Ha'atzmaut Noon - 3PM @ Temple Beth Or (5275 Marshall Rd, Dayton 45429) Celebrate an environmentally friendly Israel Independence Day with Family and Friends. Wednesday, May 14 › Lawyers Without Rights Opening Night 7PM @ Temple Israel (130 Riverside Dr., Dayton 45402) Keynote speaker Harry Reicher joins us to kick off opening night of the Lawyers without Rights exhibit (see page 6 of this issue of the Observer for more information). Wednesday, May 21 › Annual Meeting 7PM @ Boonshoft CJCE Join us as we celebrate local and world Jewry at our 2014 Annual Meeting, featuring keynote speaker Micha Feldmann. Sunday, May 25 › YAD Discgolf 12PM - 3PM @ Hazy Shade Belmont Park Disc Golf Course (723 Watervliet Ave. Dayton, Ohio 45420) Calling all YAD singles, couples and families, let’s enjoy the sun and have some fun. Frisbees provided! Pack a lunch, drinks and dessert provided.
If you are into word games like me, you can easily see that “fun” is the first word you derive from FUNdraising. It would seem counterintuitive to combine those two words. However, this is one of the greatest benefits derived from doing good, as purported in a recent op-ed article in the New York Times, by Arthur C. Brooks, social scientist and president of the American Enterprise Institute. Brooks goes on to say that giving to causes important to you raises happiness and has some links to individual prosperity. I have one other reason to put on the table: the great relationships we develop in the process. As we approach a “changing of the guard” on our JFGD Board of Directors, I reflect on the wonderful experience I’ve had with Gary Youra as my partner and president during my freshman year at the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton. Gary has provided strong level-headed leadership, insightful input and deep passion for the work we do. Many thanks to Gary for his support; I won’t forget my first year in Dayton. You have made it rewarding and fun.
Cathy L. Gardner
ABOVE: Federation CEO Cathy Gardner with Federation President, Gary Youra.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton
TRIBEFEST 2014 offers YAD members unique experiences THE POWER OF THE COLLECTIVE The Dayton Federation’s Young Adult Division (YAD) joined over 1,200 Jewish young adults (ages 2245) from across North America in New Orleans last month to attend Tribefest. Being in such an amazing city like New Orleans with 1,200 young Jewish adults is a feeling like no other. For three whole days you experience how powerful, cool and inspiring it is to be Jewish. I felt a constant connection to everyone else in the room whether we were listening to a jazz band, sharing a meal or parading down Bourbon Street, accompanied by a New Orleans marching band to board the ferry, where we danced till dawn, TRIBEFEST! Where else will you meet a new friend every time you ride the elevator, TRIBEFEST! Where else can you be in a room and be deeply inspired by speakers such as Emmy nominated, award winning writer David Weiss, who wrote Shrek, TRIBEFEST! Jacob Rapport, a new member of YAD here in Dayton, had this to say about his experience at Tribefest: “Going to Tribefest made me realize that the Jewish community is a global community, and that I can
ABOVE: Canadian YAD members Ezra Rabinsky and Amia Kurs socialize with Dayton YAD members Ehud Borovoy and Jacob Rapport in New Orleans at Tribefest.
(and will!) be a part of it by participating here in Dayton through YAD! Going to Tribefest and being able to see and feel this community helped me understand how my Judaism is a fundamental part of my identity. I attended my first YAD event last week and I couldn’t believe how many other Jewish young adults like me lived here in Dayton. “ Dayton’s attendance at TribeFest is the beginning of a long and collab-
orative effort to build participation in YAD. Gathering a group of young Jewish adults to connect, collaborate and just have fun together in Dayton is our chance to feel the power of the collective. Get involved! Ready to join us? Our next YAD event is Frisbee Golf at Hazy Shade, Belmont Park Disc Golf Course on Sunday, May 25th from 12PM to 3PM. YAD singles, couples and families are welcome. Let’s enjoy the
sun and have some fun! Pack a lunch, Frisbees and dessert will be provided! If you have any questions or would like to become involved in YAD please do not hesitate to contact me at 937-610-1555 or hzappin@jfgd. net.
Hilary Zappin COMMUNITY OUTREACH MANAGER Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton
Annual Meeting 2 0 1 4
RSVPs are due at least 1 week before event. Events with no price listed are free. PLEASE CONTACT KAREN STEIGER REGARDING ALL EVENTS UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE: 610-1555, ksteiger@jfgd.net
SAVE THE DATE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 7PM - 9PM @ THE BOONSHOFT CJCE
JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON AGENCY NEWSLETTER | MAY 2014
Active Adults enjoy the jackpot of friendship Committee aims to keep those young at heart engaged and active Jewish Community Center of GREATER DAYTON Thursday, May 1 › Bethlehem 7:15PM @ The Neon $9 adults / $8 sudents. FOR MORE MAY FILM FEST LISTINGS, PLEASE SEE PAGE 22 OF THIS ISSUE OF THE OBSERVER.
Our goal for the Active Adults Committee is to plan and implement activities and events for the young at heart. We strive to offer diverse programs-both social and educational. We plan trips, speakers and musical entertainment and we always have plenty of good food. The chairs, Ira Segalewitz and Marion Chadwick, are always open to new ideas! One of our most popular outings is our annual casino trip. We will head to the Hollywood Casino in
Columbus on June 26. For more information about this trip, or to pass on information to the committee, contact Rachel Wilson at 401-1541. Come join the fun — watch for future programs in The Dayton Jewish Observer, and the mailings sent out by the Federation. We look forward to welcoming you soon!
Marion Chadwick Vice Chair JCC Active Adults Committee
EARLY CHILDHOOD: Practice makes perfect
Friday, May 16 › Active Adult Book Club
10:30AM @ Judy Woll’s home Old Filth By Jane Gardam Contact Judy Woll, 470-0113
LEFT: Maggie Gaster practices shaving Isabella MacKenzie (with a popsicle stick!) like Daddies do while learning about families in the Brachot Cheder. PHOTO CREDIT: LISA SIEGEL. BELOW: Jake Davis sees how many words per minute he can get on an “old fashioned” typewriter Miss Cindy brought in for her Mitzvah Cheder. PHOTO CREDIT: RACHEL SCHUBELER.
Sunday, May 18 › Camp Shalom Nature
Program & Pre-Camp Event 1:30PM @ Boonshoft CJCE Inviting children in grades K - 2 and their parents to help prepare our Camp Shalom Garden. Come get a little messy and have fun outdoors followed by a cool snack and tour of the facility. Sunday, May 18 › JCC Yiddish Club 1:30PM @ Oakwood Starbucks (2424 Far Hills Ave.) Bintl Briefs with Allan Spetter Contact Judy Woll, 470-0113 Friday, May 30, Saturday May 31, & Sunday June 1 › Camp Shalom Family Weekend Starting 6PM Friday, through 11AM Sunday @ Camp Livingston (4998 Nell Lee Rd, Bennington, IN 47011) Get a taste of Jewish camping with your family! $85 per child and $100 per adult (include lodging, food and activities).
RSVPs are due at least 1 week before event. Events with no price listed are free. PLEASE CONTACT KAREN STEIGER REGARDING ALL EVENTS UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE: 610-1555, ksteiger@jfgd.net
ABOVE: Active Adult Annual Casino Trip – June 2013 at Scioto Downs in Columbus. L to R: Jack & Bernice Bomstein, Clara Hochstein, Phyllis Levine, Gert Kahn, Shirlee & Ron Gilbert
›Mamaloshen A little bit of Yiddish to share with friends, courtesy of the JCC Yiddish Club, in memory of Lynda A. Cohen.
Mid : \MEED\ Adjective Tired, weary. Phrases with mid:
SHARING TRADITONS: Passover
The Fifth in its series of intergenerational programming between the JCC and Chabad, Sharing Traditions: Passover included traditional Passover foods, making Elijah’s cup, searching for the Afikomen, and singing Passover songs. This program is made possible through funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton’s Innovation Grants. From Left to Right: Jenna Greenberg, Audrey Mackenzie, Pat Jones, Ranon & Elior Ginsberg, Chaya Simon, Lily Ray, Yoel Simon, Rachel Gilbert, Shoshanna Farrel, Menechem Simon, Shmuel Simon, Rochel & Levi Simon, and Avi & Chava Gilbert.
JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON AGENCY NEWSLETTER | MAY 2014
1. mid un mat - worn out; 2. mid vi a hunt - as tired as a dog; Expression with mid: 3. Der vos zukht laykhte arbet geyt mid tsu bet - He who seeks light work goes to sleep weary.
L’Chaim,
To Life! R E I N V E N T I N G O U R S E LV E S T H R O U G H E N R I C H M E N T, E N G AG E M E N T, & E D U C AT I O N
» Is there is a voice inside you that says: “I now have time to learn something new” or “It’s time to expand my horizons”? Your life will be enriched on July 10th when you attend the L’Chaim ,To Life! Fair sponsored by Jewish Family Services at Temple Israel, July 10, 10AM - 2PM.
Stay healthy in May by learning more about high blood pressure What is Blood Pressure? Blood Pressure is the pressure used by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels while it is moving through the body. With each heartbeat, there is a maximum and minimum amount of pressure used. This is known as systolic (maximum) and diastolic (minimum) pressure. Systolic pressure is the highest pressure used while your heart is pumping; the diastolic number is the lowest pressure used
on the blood vessels when the heart is relaxing. Blood Pressure is read as a fraction, with the systolic number first, then the diastolic. Healthy blood pressure is within the range of 90-119 for systolic and 60-79 for the diastolic, read as 90/60. Having high blood pressure can lead to serious health problems. With High Blood Pressure (also known as Hypertension), there is more stress on the heart which could make it enlarged,
weakened, or thickened. High Blood pressure can also lead to heart attacks, chronic renal failure, heart failure, strokes, and a shorter life expectancy. Risks for having high blood pressure include but are not limited to stress, older age, weight, smoking, lack of exercise, poor diet, and genetics. The only way to find out you have high blood pressure is to get tested for it. The test is quick, easy, and painless. There are several ways to help
control your blood pressure including; eating healthy, managing stress, being physically active, avoid tobacco and excessive alcohol use, and regularly taking any prescribed medications. It is important to keep track of your blood pressure. It is helpful to test and record your blood pressure at home. Staying healthy and having knowledge about your blood pressure can create a healthy, happy, and long life.
VOLUNTEERS: Helping hands Tim, Larry, Josh, Kenny and Kyle (Left to right), Food pantry volunteers, were thrilled to receive free tickets from Jewish Family Services for a trip to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery.
OSHIIP MEDICARE EVENT TO BE HELD AT BOONSHOFT CJCE OSHIIP, the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program and part of the Ohio Department of Insurance invites you to "Welcome to Medicare: 2014", a free service, providing unbiased information and counseling to people covered by Medicare on Thursday, May 22 at 6PM at the Boonshoft CJCE (525 Versailles Drive, Centerville), OSHIIP and the Department of Insurance host free Welcome to Medicare events throughout the state each year to answer questions and concerns about their health insurance and to explain and remind those enrolled or those wanting to enroll of important deadlines for certain benefits. New and soon-to-be beneficiaries can meet with our professional staff and learn about Medicare benefits, supplemental insurance policies, Medicare Advantage plans and prescription drug coverage.
— Connie Blum
Certified OSHIIP Medicare Counselor
Jewish Family Services of GREATER DAYTON
Tuesday, May 6 12:30 @ Covenant Manor Down Memory Lane Friday, May 9 NOON @ Covenant Manor Fresh Friday- Enjoy a delicious home cooked meal prepared by Bernstein’s Fine Catering. Tuesday, May 13 12:30PM @ Covenant Manor Entertainment presented by Don Simones – Piano, Vocals, Ukulele Wednesday, May 14 12:30PM @ Covenant Manor Craft Circle Tuesday, May 20 12:30PM @ Covenant Manor Understanding hearing loss and new technology, presented by Tommy Riddell from Avada Hearing Center. Friday, May 23 NOON @ Covenant Manor Fresh Friday- Enjoy a delicious home cooked meal prepared by Bernstein’s Fine Catering. 12:30PM Bingo Tuesday, May 27 12:30 @ Covenant Manor Glen Parks, Banjo Player Extraordinaire 12:30PM Bingo
PLEASE CONTACT CHERYL BENSON REGARDING ALL COVENANT MANOR EVENTS : 854-6319
JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON AGENCY NEWSLETTER | MAY 2014
PHILANTHROPY: The Book of Life JEWISH FOUNDATION BEGINS NEW CHAPTER, SHARES STORIES Some of the most valuable things we can share with others are our precious memories, our family heritage and our hopes for those who come after us. The Jewish Foundation of Greater Dayton is proud to embark on the creation of our community’s Book of Life.
Jewish Foundation of GREATER DAYTON
The Book of Life will feature stories from those who have established an endowment fund with the Foundation, either during their lifetime or through their will. In addition to a picture, personal stories may include family information, why the en-
What is a donor advised fund? » A donor advised fund (also
known as a philanthropic fund) allows you, or anyone you designate, to make grant recommendations to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations (tax exempt nonprofit organizations). Requests are not limited to Jewish 501(c)(3) organizations – any qualifying 501(c)(3) organization can be recommended.
What is an endowment fund? » An endowment fund allows
you to give in perpetuity. A restricted fund can be used to support the Annual Campaign; the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, Jewish Community Center or Jewish Family Services; or a specific program or event. You may also decide to establish an unrestricted endowment, which is available to the organization for general use.
» If you would like more
information about establishing a donor advised fund or an endowment fund, please contact Cathy Gardner, CEO or Cheryl Carne, chief development officer, 937-6101555.
» Do you have a donor advised fund or endowment fund through the Jewish Foundation of Greater Dayton? We want to share you story! If you would like to submit information, please contact Alisa Thomas at anelligan@jfgd.net or 937-6101796.
dowment was established, why tzedakah is personally important, or anything the donor feels is significant and would like to share. These stories are meant to beautifully convey the generosity and rich history of the Dayton Jewish community, as well as inspire future generations to create legacies of their own. We invite you to join us as we create what is sure to become a Jewish Foundation of Greater Dayton treasure. If you have an endowment with the Jewish Foundation of Greater Dayton and would like to be a part of this meaningful project, please contact Alisa Thomas at anelligan@jfgd.net or 937-610-1796 by May 23, 2014.
Legacies, Tributes, & Memorials FEDERATION CAMPAIGN IN HONOR OF › Elaine Bettman receiving the YWCA Women of Influence Award Susan and Stanley Katz › New granddaughter of Debbie and Bruce Feldman › Susie Katz receiving the Beth Abraham Women of Valor Award › Melinda Doner receiving the Beth Abraham Women of Valor Award Bonnie and Sandy Mendelson IN MEMORY OF › Sylvia Weissman Cheryl and Rick Carne Mary and Dr. Gary Youra › Davideen Swanger Emalee Weisman LINDA RUCHMAN FUND IN HONOR OF › Birthday of Marshall Ruchman Diane and Jim Duberstein › Joe Gruenberg being named Barrister of the month by the Dayton Bar Association Natalie and Franklin Cohn
IN MEMORY OF › Arthur H. Field Natalie and Franklin Cohn JCC ACTIVE ADULTS IN HONOR OF › New granddaughter of Jane and Dr. Gary Hochstein Shirlee and Dr. Ron Gilbert Helene Gordon › Harriet Klass receiving the Beth Abraham Women of Valor Award Sylvia Linsker FILM FESTIVAL IN MEMORY OF › Robert Coleman Jane and Dr. Gary Hochstein JOAN AND PETER WELLS FAMILY, CHILDREN AND YOUTH FUND IN HONOR OF › Birth of Zoey Lader Cathy Gardner IN MEMORY OF › Sylvia Weissman Cathy Gardner
BEN AND DOROTHY HARLAN CHILDREN’S FUND IN HONOR OF › Speedy recovery of Judy Lipton Marla and Dr. Stephen Harlan IN MEMORY OF › Beverly Elovitz The Breakfast Club Group FAMILY SERVICES SENIOR SERVICES IN HONOR OF › Speedy recovery of Nancy Schwartzenfeld Esther and DeNeal Feldman › Speedy recovery of Judy Lipton Jane and Dr. Gary Hochstein SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE IN HONOR OF › Speedy Recovery of Shirley Frankowitz › Speedy recovery of Larry Briskin › Speedy recovery of Lewis Kest › Jerome and Goldye Kopmar’s continued kindness to the Jewish community Hyla and Dr. Raymond Weiskind
FOOD PANTRY IN HONOR OF › Elaine Bettman receiving the YWCA Women of Influence Award Jane and Dr. Gary Hochstein IN MEMORY OF › Sylvia Weissman Jane and Dr. Gary Hochstein FOUNDATION JEREMY BETTMAN B’NAI TZEDEK YOUTH PHILANTHROPY FUND IN HONOR OF › Elaine Bettman receiving the YWCA Women of Influence Award Helene Gordon IN MEMORY OF › Sylvia Weissman Jean and Todd Bettman › Brother of Dr. Ron Gilbert Elaine and Joe Bettman
Donating to an endowment fund is a wonderful way to honor someone. To make a contribution, call Sheila Myers at 937-6105538. Let us know what fund you would like to donate to, or we will be happy to help you choose a fund.
JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON AGENCY NEWSLETTER | MAY 2014
Area lawyer’s ties to Macedonian film about Shoah By Marc Katz Special To The Observer Hardly lost in a film of drama, love and a mostly Jewish football (soccer) team that beat a German team — despite the harshest of consequences — is the Nazi elimination of more than 7,000 Macedonian Jews during World War II. Ninety-seven percent of Macedonia’s Jewish population was sent for termination to the Treblinka death camp. Transportation for the mass murder was orchestrated through the Bulgarians, willing agents of the Nazis. In contrast to that stark reality, “It’s a movie about love,” says Alan Gabel, a lawyer from Dayton who lived in Macedonia in 2011 when the feature film The Third Half was filmed. Gabel helped producers line up some pre-funding dollars and was able to introduce them to a Hollywood friend The JCC Film Festival presents The Third Half on Sunday, May 18 at 7:15 p.m. at the Neon Movies, 130 E. 5th St., Dayton. Following the film, attorney Alan Gabel will talk about his connections to the movie. Tickets are available at the door, at jewishdayton.org, at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville or by calling Karen Steiger at 610-1555.
of his who helped the filming process along. Eventually, most of the funding came from the country of Macedonia, and as Gabel watched the project take shape, he gained a deep knowledge of the country and the Jews who used to and still live there. “It’s about religious tolerance,” Gabel says of The Third Half. “It’s about loyalty. It’s about sports. The good guys won, knowing if they won they could be shot and killed by the Nazis.” The Third Half is the final film for this year’s JCC Film Fest, on May 18 at the Neon. Gabel will be on hand to add commentary about the film, and about life in Macedonia — the country just north of Greece and formerly a part of Yugoslavia — where only about 200 Jews live today, mostly in Skopje, the capital, with a few in Stip and Bitola. That Gabel was involved in the filming was a matter of circumstance. He had lived in Azerbaijan (a former part of the Soviet Union) for more than a year beginning in 2007 when he took a volunteer job with the American Bar Association to work on Azerbaijan’s criminal defense program. Alan Gabel
Kino Oko
There, he became friendly with a member of the U.S. Department of Justice who later asked Gabel if he wanted to work in Macedonia as part of a U.S. program to help Macedonia modernize its government human resources program. A two-year com- Katarina Ivanovska as Rebecca in The Third Half mitment turned have a Purim gathering, they still have a to three, and during this time Gabel Seder. But overall, they struggle with it.” became involved with The Third Half. That struggle has grown since the He’ll talk about Macedonia’s small community does not have a rabbi, synagogue, its Jewish museum, and its complicated argument with Greece over although it had one for a short time until he left for Israel. the legal name of the country. That leaves no one to answer ques“Macedonia struggles with the Jewish tions, since the community is small and issue,” Gabel says. “The few Jews who also not well-versed in Jewish ways. and still remain have a difficult time. They a rabbi would have to speak Macedostill have a shul on the second floor of nian as well. their activity building, and it’s As for integrating into the communice. But not many Jews have nity at large, Gabel says, “the Jews are a lot of tradition. Not only did accepted, but there are so few of them. the Nazis kill most of the Jews They get along, but they don’t stick there, Macedonia became part out.” of Yugoslavia, which is ComGabel is back in Dayton, rebuilding munist, so they didn’t practice his law practice. The sense is, he’d go religion. So there’s been a long back to Macedonia, even if just for a time since there’s been a strong visit. He might talk some others into goJewish worship. They still ing with him. celebrate Chanukah, they still
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
PAGE 19
David Steinberg’s Quality Balls
Dudy to his friends and family. By Gerri Miller, Jewish Journal Although he was pressed to do so, of Greater Los Angeles “I never changed my name because “I would have been a lousy rabbi,” nothing about that made sense to me,” confided David Steinberg, candidly rehe said. “Why would you want to get flecting on what would have happened known as anything other than who if he’d continued his yeshiva studies you are?” Steinberg said he was deterand followed in his father’s footsteps. mined to prove to an English teacher The rabbinate’s loss is comedy’s gain, and Steinberg has 50 years of memories who didn’t think he would amount to to show for it — as a performer, person- anything that he could make a name for himself — as himself. ality and in-demand director. Steinberg grew up in an Orthodox For the past three years, he’s turned home, the youngest of four children the spotlight on other comedians with born to Russian immigrant parents; his his Showtime series Inside Comedy. But the focus of the Showtime biographical documentary Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story directed by Barry Avrich, is personal. The film follows his life and career from the Jewish community in Canada’s Winnipeg, to Chicago’s Second City troupe, to New York and Hollywood, including archival clips and testimonies from his comedy peers. Quality Balls will have two showings at the Neon as part of the JCC Film Fest, on May 6. David Steinberg yuks it up with Jerry Seinfeld The title comes from a comment made by his good friend Jerry father owned a grocery store and ran a shul. He was exposed to live comedy Seinfeld. and radio shows early on because “teleWhen a Canadian company pitched vision came late to Winnipeg,” and comthe documentary to Steinberg, now 71, ics like Jack Benny and the duo Wayne more than a year ago, he wasn’t interand Shuster sparked his imagination. ested. “When you’re listening, you’re “It struck me — and it still does strike creating pictures in your head. But I me — as a little on the self-indulgent never thought of it as a profession. I just side.” But his wife, Robyn, insisted he do it, laughed and loved them,” he said. “I had no plan to be in show business.” “and I reluctantly agreed.” Busy with That is, until he discovered directing projects and the five and fell in love with theatre at months a year he spends on the University of Chicago. Still, Inside Comedy, Steinberg hadn’t he can’t pinpoint the moment done stand-up for a few years, he realized he was funny. so he booked the La Jolla “It’s like saying, ‘When did Playhouse to work out new you realize you were breathmaterial last summer. Not only ing?’ It’s just something that did it provide fodder for the you do. It is who you are,” film, it rekindled his interest Steinberg said. in doing stand-up, leading to As for what attracts him to subsequent solo bookings and the stand-up medium? a 20-city tour with Robin Williams last “It makes you think about what’s goyear. ing on around you all the time,” SteinQuality Balls also covers Steinberg’s berg said. “You have to have an opinion, appearances on The Tonight Show with even if it’s unpopular. It’s an incredible Johnny Carson — 140, including guest hosting — his controversial-for-the-time platform to express your point of view.” Observing that stand-up comedy is political humor and his Jewish roots, a more prestigious career option than which indelibly impacted his comedy. it used to be, Steinberg quipped, “You “It’s certainly part of my comedy can’t swing your arms and not hit a Jew DNA and my DNA in general. It’s in Beverly Hills who doesn’t have a son important to me as anything. It’s who I am,” said Steinberg, who is known as Continued on Page 30 The JCC Film Festival will present two showings of Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story on Tuesday, May 6, at 7:20 and 7:40 p.m. at the Neon Movies, 130 E. 5th St., Dayton, in partnership with Hillel Academy. Following each showing, Quality Balls director Barry Avrich will lead a Q&A. Tickets are available at the door, at jewishdayton. org, at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville or by calling Karen Steiger at 610-1555. Prior to the showings at the Neon, Hillel Academy Jewish day school will host a fund-raiser with Avrich at 6:45 p.m. at the CADC Art Gallery, 45 S. St. Clair St. Admission to the fund-raiser includes food, drinks and a ticket to the film. For more information, call Hillel at 277-8966.
PAGE 20
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
Selective, insider glimpse at Israel’s prime ministers GPO
By Michael Fox Special To The Observer Depending on your perspective and politics, Moriah Films’ adaptation of The Prime Ministers is a pride-inducing tour of the first three decades of Israel’s existence or a stunningly blinkered view of ancient events That’s the nature of oral history: It’s resolutely subjective. The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers, a nearly two-hour Prime Minister Golda Meir with Israeli troops on the Golan illustrated interview with Heights during the Yom Kippur War Amb. Yehuda Avner that draws on his bestselling naturally takes up a chunk of the film. memoir, screens with the JCC Film Festi- Avner emphasizes that Yitzhak Rabin, val on May 12. then chief of staff for the Israel Defense The British-born Avner originally Forces, argued forcefully for taking moved to Palestine in 1947, but it wasn’t east Jerusalem from Jordanian soldiers, until the mid-‘50s that he settled perand the Temple Mount happily came manently in Israel and found himself under Jewish control for the first time in drawn into the inner circles of power as centuries. a press aide and speechwriter. The war also put thousands of An enthusiastic raconteur, he recalls Palestinians under Israeli military rule, detailed anecdotes like the one about a situation that continues to this day. Levi Eshkol and Lyndon Johnson bond- Avner never mentions them, except for a ing over a newborn calf at the presireference or two to terrorists. Neighbordent’s Texas ranch, and the resulting ing countries, meanwhile, are enemies agreement to sell Phantom jet fighters to whose relevance on the geopolitical Israel. scene is as pawns of the Soviets or purAvner provides 90 percent of the veyors of oil. dialogue in the film, augmented by Understandably, Avner evinces a subspeeches, texts and conversations deliv- tle “you’re with us or you’re against us” ered by actors. In a misguided strategy attitude throughout the film. Richard of employing name talent, Nixon is revered for airlifting director Richard Trank miscast tanks, planes and materiel Leonard Nimoy as the voice to Israel in the middle of the of Levi Eshkol, Sandra BullYom Kippur War (even as ock as Golda Meir, Michael the Watergate scandal was Douglas as Yitzhak Rabin and eroding his hold on the presiChristoph Waltz as Menachem dency). Begin. The segment on that war Trank has produced and/ reveals Avner’s tacit posior directed numerous featuretion that Israel is incapable of length documentaries for Momistakes. In fact, the nation riah (the film division of the was not merely surprised by L.A.-based Simon Weisenthal Center), the holy day attack but militarily unincluding the beautifully crafted Acadprepared. Golda Meir was subsequently emy Award-winner The Long Way Home forced to resign, thanks in part to a push (1997). from Rabin that Avner considers disreMoriah’s extensive body of work, spectful or worse. which includes It Is No Dream: The Life He tells a story of Golda speaking to a of Theodor Herzl (2012), amounts to an group of reservists on the Golan Heights impassioned, multi-pronged argument during the war, ostensibly to suggest she for Zionism. While one may concur that was a much better human being than the basis for a Jewish state needs to be politician. In fact, one comes away from reiterated when Israel’s unpopularity The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers with and antisemitism (which are not the the feeling that Israel’s first and greatest same thing) are rising, one must also be leaders were anything but Machavelsensitive to advocacy taking precedence lians or ideologues. over a broader view of history. The great attraction of oral history is The Six-Day War, for example, access to the inner dealings of powerful or talented people. At the end of the day, Avner provides that in abundance, with The JCC Film Festival presents The the sense of intimacy — and history — Prime Ministers: The Pioneers on enhanced by a trove of marvelous archiMonday, May 12 at 7:15 p.m. at the val footage and still photographs. Neon Movies, 130 E. 5th St., Dayton. Moriah is in production on a sequel, Tickets are available at the door, at The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacejewishdayton.org, at the Boonshoft makers, that picks up after 1974 and is CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville or slated to be released later this year. by calling Karen Steiger at 610-1555.
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
Traitor or hero?
Film examines role of Jewish rescuer who also aided Nazis By Sue Fishkoff, j.weekly Walter Süskind, the hero of this dramatized version of his life, was a German Jewish businessman who escaped to Amsterdam in 1938 and became trapped there when the Nazis marched in. In 1942, the Jewish Council of Amsterdam put him in charge of the Dutch Theatre, which was being used as a holding pen for Dutch Jews as they were rounded up and deported to Westerbrok Jeroen Spitzenberger as Walter Süskind transit camp, and then — alall to prolong the inevitable just a little though few knew it — on to their deaths. His terrible bit longer. And yes, in late 1944 when orders were to make sure his wife and daughter were deported to Auschwitz, the real Süskind chose to go the “operation” went as with them, knowing it would be their smoothly and quietly as last ride together. possible. This isn’t an easy movie to watch, The white armband Süskind wore as a coun- knowing the history of the Holocaust and of Süskind himself. Watching the cil member saved him, his wife and their young self-satisfied men of the council saving their own skins and refusing to believe daughter from immediate transport — stories of the gas chambers to which and marked him as a collaborator to they were sending their fellow Jews, the many. viewer is tempted to scream out to the But even as he funneled tens of men and women lining up politely at thousands of his fellow Jews to the gas the train station, Stop! Run! chambers, he used his position to save A toddler drops his teddy bear. A nearly 1,000 infants and children, spiritmother screams as she’s torn away from ing them away to safe houses in the her children. Sure, we’ve seen these Dutch countryside. scenes in countless Holocaust movies. Traitor or hero? That was the agoBut they never fail to tear nizing question put at our souls. to every Judenrat, the Given the constraints Jewish councils set up in of working with a German-occupied lands true story, the director, ostensibly to manage screenwriters and actors social services for the managed to turn out a local Jews but really to compelling film. aid in their roundup and Oddly, and somewhat deportation. disappointingly, the Do you help the Nazis most interesting characif you can save even a ter in the film is aus der handful of Jews? Or must Funten, probably because you refuse to work with his inner conflicts are them at any cost? These most clearly expressed. questions and others are Süskind’s face, by contrast, is most ofraised in the Dutch film Süskind. ten a mask — we imagine what he must If this weren’t a true story, the film might be dismissed as unbelievable and have felt when forced to decide, for example, between putting 13 orphans overly sentimental. But in fact Süskind on the next transport or replacing them and his helpers from the Dutch resistance did sneak out children right under with a 13-member Jewish orchestra, brilliant musicians all. Did that really the eyes of the Nazis. And yes, the real Süskind did pretend happen? It must have, if not to Süskind, then to someone else. to befriend the bitter and lonely Nazi Director Rudolf van den Berg, who officer in charge of the deportations, SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Ferdinand aus der also co-wrote the screenplay, might have done well to emulate Steven SpielFunten, passing him cigars and brandy, berg, who ended his remarkable film Schindler’s List with a shot of the real-life The JCC Film Festival presents Süskind survivors coming toward the camera on Thursday, May 8 at 7:15 p.m. at the in a field in Israel. Surely some of the Neon Movies, 130 E. 5th St., Dayton. children saved by Süskind are still alive. Tickets are available at the door, at Where are they now? What do they look jewishdayton.org, at the Boonshoft CJCE, like? That would have been a powerful, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville or by more uplifting ending to this real-life calling Karen Steiger at 610-1555. tearjerker.
Do you help the Nazis if you can save even a handful of Jews? Or must you refuse to work with them at any cost?
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
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CONGREGATIONS
RELIGION
Beth Abraham Synagogue Conservative Rabbi Joshua Ginsberg Cantor/Dir. of Ed. & Programming Andrea Raizen Monday through Friday 6:50 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. Fri., 5:30 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. Sundays at 8:30 a.m. 305 Sugar Camp Circle, Oakwood. 293-9520. BethAbrahamDayton.org
The realization of a dream
Beth Jacob Congregation Traditional Mornings: Sun., Mon., Thurs., 7 a.m. Sat. 9:30 a.m. Evenings: Sun. through Fri. 7 p.m. 7020 N. Main St., Dayton. 274-2149. BethJacobCong.org Temple Anshe Emeth Reform Friday, May 9, 7:30 p.m. Rabbinic Intern Marc Kasten 320 Caldwell St., Piqua. Call Eileen Litchfield, 937-5470092, elitchfield@woh.rr.com. Correspondence address: 3808 Beanblossom Rd., Greenville, OH 45331. ansheemeth.org Temple Beth Or Reform Rabbi Judy Chessin Asst. Rabbi/Educator David Burstein Fridays 7:30 p.m. Tot Shabbat 4th Friday, 5:30 p.m. Saturdays 10 a.m. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 4353400. templebethor.com Temple Beth Sholom Reform Rabbi Haviva Horvitz See Web site for schedule. 610 Gladys Dr., Middletown. 513-422-8313. thetemplebethsholom.com Temple Israel Reform Rabbi David M. Sofian Rabbi/Educator Karen Bodney-Halasz 1st & 2nd Fri., 6 p.m. Other Fri., 7:30 p.m. Tot Shabbat 4th Fri., 6 p.m. Sat., 10:30 a.m. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496-0050. tidayton.org Temple Sholom Reform Fridays 6 p.m. 2424 N. Limestone St., Springfield. 399-1231. templesholomoh.com
ADDITIONAL SERVICES Chabad of Greater Dayton Rabbi Nochum Mangel Associate Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin Youth & Prog. Dir. Rabbi Levi Simon. Beginner educational service Saturdays 9 a.m. adults, 10 a.m children. Sundays 9 a.m. Tuesdays & Wednesdays. 6:45 a.m. 2001 Far Hills Ave. 643-0770. www.chabaddayton.com Yellow Springs Havurah Independent Services 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 10-noon. Antioch College Rockford Chapel. Contact Cheryl Levine, 937-767-9293. PAGE 24
By Rabbi Joshua Ginsberg Beth Abraham Synagogue A rebbe and his devoted disciple were on a journey. Night was falling as they passed a forest, so they had to stop, make camp, and set up a tent for the night. After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep. Some hours later, the student woke the rabbi and said, “Rabbi, look toward the sky. What do you see?” The rabbi replied, “I see millions of stars.” “What does that tell you?” asked the disciple. The rabbi pondered for a minute then stroked his beard
ert, into a highly developed nayears to the day of that entry, tion with a first-class economy on May 14, 1948 (Iyar 5, 5708) that has made the desert bloom. the state of Israel was born. Israel today is one of the fastHerzl had big dreams for Israel, as he states in the conclu- est growing, dynamic, entrepresion of his book The Jewish State: neurial and innovation based start-up nations in the world. “The Jews who wish for a state will have it. We shall live at last Little Israel, with less than 1/1000th of the world’s popuas free people on our own soil, lation, has the largest number and die peacefully in our own of startup companies homes. The world in proportion to its will be freed by our population than any liberty, enriched by other country except our wealth, magnified the United States. by our greatness. And Israel, known as the whatever we attempt Silicon Wadi, creates there to accomplish for and exports cutting our own welfare, will edge medical, comreact powerfully and puter, agricultural, beneficially for the and military and secugood of humanity.” rity technology used Herzl’s vision Rabbi Joshua around the globe. continues to grow and Ginsberg Remarkably, Israel develop with each and said, “Astronomically ranks 16th among the world’s passing year. speaking, it tells me there are 187 nations and territories on In 66 years, Israel has surmillions of galaxies. Time wise, passed the dreams of its found- the U.N.’s Human Developit’s a quarter past three in the ment Index, has the highest ers, emerging as the prospermorning. Theologically, Hashratio of university degrees to ous homeland for the Jewish em is all powerful, and we are population in the entire world, people. small and insignificant. Meproduces more scientific papers At Israel’s independence in teorologically, it seems we will per capita than any other nahave a beautiful day tomorrow. 1948, the country consisted of tion, and since its founding in 650,000 people. Today, Israel’s And turning dreamily toward 1948, Israel has had more Nobel population has multiplied 10 his pupil, the rabbi asked, and Prize winners per capita than times over, absorbing Jews what does it tell you, my son?” any other country. “Shmendrick!” yells the Cha- from all corners of the globe, As David Ben-Gurion, the including Holocaust survivors sid. “It tells me that somebody first prime minister of the state from Europe, Jews expelled stole our tent!” of Israel aptly said, “In Israel, in from Arab countries, Ethiopian To be a Jew is to be a dreamorder to be a realist, you must and Russian immigrants. er, to overlook the harsh realiThis makes Israel the largest believe in miracles.” ties of the moment and see past “What (truly) sets Israel immigrant-absorbing nation on them to the stars. Arguably the apart from so many other naearth relative to its population. greatest Jewish dreamer was Despite the challenges involved tions,” Foxman notes, “is its Theodor Herzl, who by the desire and ability to help others force of his personality, indomi- in absorbing these different population groups — including in need.” table spirit, brilliant mind and For example, following the major political, cultural and repolitical connections, almost ligious differences — the ADL’s devastating earthquake in single-handedly created modAbraham Foxman observes that Haiti in 2010, Israel had one ern Zionism. of the first rescue teams on the Israel has rarely succumbed to Despite being ridiculed and ground, and operated the only internal violent conflict. dismissed by many Jewish fully functioning field hospital Even more amazing, Israel leaders of his time, on Aug. in the country. has miraculously grown from 29, 1897 he convened a group Last year, Israel sent 150 IDF a “third-world” country with of nearly 200 Jewish delegates personnel, comprising national a tiny economy, existing on a from all over the world in search-and-rescue unit officials small slip of mostly rocky desBasel, Switzerland for the First WZO and senior doctors in Zionist Congress. the medical corps, to Afterward Herzl provide care for the wrote in his diary: casualties of Typhoon “If I were to sum up Haiyan in the Philipthe Basel Congress in a pines. single phrase I would Of the hundreds of say: In Basel I created thousands of Syrthe Jewish state. Were ian casualties from I to say this aloud I Syria’s three-year civil would be greeted by war, more than 700 universal laughter. wounded — includBut perhaps five years ing children and the hence, in any case, cerelderly — have been tainly 50 years hence, treated in Israel, in an everyone will perceive it.” Continued on Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, reads the Israeli Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948 Almost exactly 50 next page
Perspectives
May
Iyar/Sivan Shabbat Candle Lightings May 2: 8:13 p.m. May 9: 8:20 p.m. May 16: 8:27 p.m. May 23: 8:33 p.m. May 30: 8:39 p.m.
Torah Portions May 3/3 Iyar Emor (Lev. 21:1-24:23) May 10/10 Iyar Behar (Lev. 25:1-26:2) May 17/17 Iyar Bechukotai (Lev. 26:3-27:24) May 24/24 Iyar Bamidbar (Num. 1:1-4:20) May 31/2 Sivan Naso (Num. 4:21-7:89)
Yom Hazikaron
Israel Memorial Day May 4/4 Iyar Memorial Day for all who died serving Israel. Concludes with a siren blast as stars appear and Independence Day begins.
Yom Ha’atzmaut
Israel Independence Day May 5/5 Iyar Celebrated by Jews around the world. Israel celebrates with parades, singing, dancing and fireworks.
Lag B’Omer
33rd Day of Omer May 18/18 Iyar The 33rd day of the Omer breaks up the seven weeks of semi-mourning between Passover and Shavuot. It marks the end of a plague among Rabbi Akiva’s students and a victory of Bar-Kokhba’s soldiers over the Romans 2,000 years ago. It is celebrated with picnics and sports.
Yom Yerushalayim Jerusalem Day May 28/28 Iyar
Marks the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty during the Six Day War, on June 7, 1967.
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
OBITUARIES
RELIGION Continued from previous page IDF high-tech field hospital in the Golan Heights. Here is what one rebel fighter being treated at the facility said: “They taught us about the Zionist enemy, the Zionist oppressor; but when we saw the Zionists (we realized), they were nothing like what we’d been told. They’re human beings just like us, human, and even more than that.” Many Israeli-Arabs would say the same, despite some outstanding issues of inequality. Guess who graduated first in last year’s medical school class at Technion, Israel’s MIT? The answer may surprise you, writes Diana Bletter for the Huffington Post: “It’s a 27-yearold stereotype-buster: a charming, feminist, smart, openminded and observant Islamic woman named Mais Ali-Saleh who grew up in a small village outside of Nazareth, in Israel’s Galilee.” As Ben-Gurion dreamed about his newly found nation, “In our state…(non-Jews) will be equal citizens; equal in everything without any exception; that is: the state will be their state as well.” Ben-Gurion understood that to be a Jew is to be a dreamer; to overlook the harsh realities of the moment and see past them to the stars. This may be the reason why Israel is one of the happiest countries in the world, despite the fact that Israel has been in a perpetual state of war — or under the threat of war — since it declared independence in May 1948. Yet, the World Happiness Report released by Columbia University’s Earth Institute ranked Israel the 11th-happiest country, according to the survey of 156 countries. This puts Israel just behind their mates in Australia and ahead of our own country coming in at 17th, and way ahead of all its neighbors in the Middle East. Theodor Herzl said, “Im tirtzu, ein zo aggadah, if you will it, it need not remain a dream.” The dream can become a reality. What an amazing reality it is. Just because Israel still faces many critical challenges, this should not invalidate the miracle of the dream realized; it just means that it is time for the next dream to be realized — the dream of peace that will take Israel to the next level. Let’s raise a glass of worldclass Israeli wine and toast to 66 spectacular years and many, many more. L’chaim!
Joseph Benjamin Braunstein, age 97, of Dayton, passed away April 5. He was born Jan. 14, 1917 in Cincinnati and moved to Dayton shortly thereafter. Mr. Braunstein was preceded in death by his parents, Nathan and Esther Braunstein, sister, Bette Getline, and stepson, Thomas May. Mr. Braunstein is survived by his wife, Janice, sons, Jeffrey (Clara) Braunstein, Larry (Lynn) Branton, Michael (Mannetta) Braunstein, daughter Beth Braunstein, stepson Jeffrey (Valerie) May; stepdaughters Sharon (Robert) Stettner, Sheryl (Larry) Purcell, stepdaughter-in-law Laura May; four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, eight step grandchildren and three step great-grandchildren. Mr. Braunstein was a member of Temple Israel and a charter member of Temple Israel Brotherhood. Before retiring in 1987, he was the owner of The Braunstein Insurance Agency Inc. Mr. Braunstein was an avid lover of the arts and was a member of The Dayton Art Institute and a longtime attendee of the Dayton Philharmonic. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave. Dayton, OH 45420, or the charity of your choice. Robert K. “Bob” Emoff, age 81, of Dayton, passed away April 3 at Hospice of Dayton. Mr. Emoff was the CEO of Emoff’s Furniture, a member of Temple Israel, a graduate of Northwestern University and was honorably discharged as a lieutenant from the U.S. Navy after four years of service. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Marjorie Jane Emoff. Mr. Emoff is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, Todd Emoff, Michael and Anita Emoff, Tom Emoff, Mitchell and Kelly Emoff; grandchildren, Caroline, Katherine, Daniel, Brent, Cole, Grant, Adam, Victoria, Alexandra, Thomas, Courtney, Hope and Paige Emoff; and many other relatives and friends. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton. H. Marvin Felman, age 88, of Dayton, passed away March 28. Mr. Felman was born Oct. 12, 1925 in Detroit to David and Eva Felman, who preceded him in death. He was also preceded
in death by his wife of 40 years, Edith Mayer Felman, and his sister, Esther Acker. Mr. Felman is survived by his wife of 20 years, Carol Denmark Felman, his daughters Judith Felman, Jan Felman and her husband Harvey Schwartz, Jyl Lynn Felman and her spouse, Lynne S. Brandon, grandson, Eric Felman Schwartz, stepchildren, Dr. Scot Denmark and his wife Linda Denmark, Lisa Denmark and her husband Dan Flanagan, Dinah Denmark and her wife Alice Greene. Mr. Felman was a graduate of Fairview High School, The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in history and his law degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and attended flight preparatory school. After graduating from college, Mr. Felman took over his father’s parking and real estate business in downtown Dayton. He believed in downtown Dayton and was devoted to its future through developing properties which would attract other businesses. Mr. Felman also maintained a general law practice with emphasis on real estate. He was a voracious reader, enjoyed drawing, playing the piano as well as watching and playing sports. Mr. Felman was committed to his family and his faith. Interment was at Beth Abraham Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Beth Abraham Synagogue or the charity of your choice. Phyllis Heider, age 86, of Hallandale, Fla., formerly of Dayton, passed away April 4. Mrs. Heider was born Fela Kleiner, in Sosnowiec, Poland to parents Moishe and Liba Kleiner on Dec. 7, 1927. Liba saved Fela from being sent to Auschwitz, first by saying Fela was older than she was, and then when Liba entrusted Fela
to the care of a Polish woman named Mrs. Pachowa, who hid Fela in a concentration camp, under her supervision. Fela cried and resented her mother, not knowing this would be her best chance for survival. Mrs. Pachowa hid Fela in a large kettle in the camp kitchen. The SS discovered Fela and were going to send her to Auschwitz but Mrs. Pachowa asked to have Fela sent instead to Bergen-Belsen, where Fela was ultimately liberated in 1945. About the same time, her future husband, Sam Heider, was liberated at Dachau. He was sent to a DP camp at Landsberg am Lech, Germany. Sam learned that young Jewish women were at Bergen-Belsen and went there for a dance, where he met Fela. Af first, he asked her in Yiddish if she would like to dance. She didn’t understand Yiddish so he asked her in Polish. She told him she didn’t know how to dance. Sam replied, “Don’t worry. I don’t know either.” A year later, they were married in the DP camp at Landsberg. Shortly thereafter, the couple immigrated to America with their son, Morris, and settled in Dayton. While in Dayton, Mrs. Heider began searching for her sister Frania, knowing only that she had escaped to Russia during the war. After years of searching, during a Chanukah party in Cincinnati for Holocaust survivors, a friend from Mrs. Heider’s childhood in Sosnowiec, Poland told Mrs. Heider of a woman she met in Israel who also originated from Sosnowiec, named Frania Kleiner. After 36 years, the two sisters were reunited. Mrs. Heider is survived by her beloved husband of 68 years, Sam; three children and spouses, Morris Heider and Kathy LeGrand-Heider, Linda and Larry Richards, and Sharon Heider; grandchildren Lea, Matthew and Mason
Richards, Max and Mallory Green, Kelly and Molly Weiner. Interment was at Beth Jacob Cemetery. If desired, memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Heider’s memory to The Holocaust Education Fund, c/o Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, 525 Versailles Dr. Dayton, Ohio 45459. Doris Tolpen died Nov. 15. Mrs. Tolpen and her husband, Herb, moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico 10 years ago. They were married for 60 years. Mrs. Tolpen was born Nov. 3, 1934. She was a 1952 graduate of Fairview High School in Dayton. She is survived by her husband, Herb; son Farley Tolpen of Australia, daughter Maxine Marshall of London, England, and Dr. Anthony Tolpen of Irvine, Calif. During her years in San Miguel, she worked tirelessly to improve the lives of both the Mexican and foreign communities. Mrs. Tolpen was a member of Ohav Shalom Synagogue and was active with the Mid Day Rotary, Shalom San Miguel, and served on the board of the Red Cross Auxiliary and the executive committee of Democrats Abroad. The Tolpens were among the founding members of San Miguel Democrats Abroad. She was also the first person from San Miguel to serve in the national office of Mexico Democrats Abroad. As national vice chair, Mrs. Tolpen represented Mexico at important international conferences of Democrats Abroad in Vancouver, Canada and Heidelberg, Germany.
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
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JEWISH FAMILY EDUCATION
Mishpacha & Menschlichkeit The Jewish Family Identity Forum
Bible rescue A look at the Holy Book series Preparing the kitchen for Passover is a grueling process. Packing away the chametz (leaven). Polishing the silver. Cleaning the oven. And the list goes on. Rescuing me from some of the tedium this year was the
Candace R. Kwiatek popular reality television show Bar Rescue. In each episode, nightlife industry consultant Jon Taffer analyzes a failing pub or nightclub and then works with its owners and staff along with outside professionals to overhaul the business. While the physical remodeling was invariably dramatic, it was the transformation — or not — of the staff that I found most engaging. As the episodes played endlessly in the background, I started to notice the behavior patterns that inevitably con-
tributed to failure. Each time those negative patterns were eliminated, the business turned around. At the same time, by their own admission, everyone on the staff became happier, more productive, and ultimately successful. And that’s where the connection to the Bible comes in: the more I watched, the more I realized that the principles for managing successful businesses echo the ones we find in the Bible for managing ourselves. Rescue Rule 1: Rules rule, not emotions. The common denominator in nearly every one of the failing bars was emotionbased decision-making. The owner would hire unqualified friends and family members, fail to enforce consequences for theft, hesitate to terminate incompetent workers, or allow staff to choose their preferred jobs, all to avert hurt feelings, give second chances, avoid personal discomfort, be understanding, or keep the peace. What the owner ended up with instead was chaos.
Recognizing this human ten- dissatisfaction, staff and patron illness, and hazardous mold dency to make moral decisions — what is right or wrong, good and fire conditions. Similarly, biblical rules are or bad — based on emotions, for the moral health of the comthe Bible instructs otherwise. munity. Don’t gossip. Don’t put Judges must not pervert a stumbling block before the justice by showing partiality blind. Apply laws universally. to the poor or favoritism to Don’t use inaccurate weights the great in court (Lev. 19:15). and measures. Observe ShabLandowners must leave part bat and the festivals. Don’t of their fields and vineyards make gods out of worthless for the needy and the stranger things. Rules have a purpose: (Lev. 19:9-10). An ox (domessometime obvious, sometimes ticated animal) that kills a obscure, but invariably relhuman must be destroyed (Ex. evant. Dismissing them as ar21:28). cane, old-fashioned, or simply Rebuke must be (appropribothersome, you end up with ately) given to someone when no way to objecnecessary (Lev. tively judge when 19:17). These are The principles you’re morally off just some of the for managing track. many emotionRescue Rule laden situations successful the text address- businesses echo 3: Being good means doing es, cautioning the ones we good, not believthat when emotions alone rule, find in the Bible ing you’re good. Many of the the moral charfor managing worst offenders acter of society ourselves. in the bar scesuffers. narios believed Rescue Rule 2: Rules have a purpose. Another they were good: the chefs and bartenders and owners who, universal factor in the failing despite moldering stockrooms, bars was inattentiveness to or even a purposeful disregard for scrapped meals, abandoned drinks, bug-littered liquor health and safety rules. bottles, and accounts in the red, Warm draft beer in old still pointed to their degrees kegs. Vegetables and raw meat and titles in deluded pride. prepared on the same surfaces. Believing and doing are not Uninspected fire extinguishthe same. It is interesting to ers. Lackadaisical nightly note that God self-identifies to cleanings. These and other Moses as “I am that I am.” violations resulted in customer God is a verb, David Cooper concludes in his book of the same title. If we are to imitate God, then our identity is found in action, not thought. Do good. Be Torah. Rescue Rule 4: You are responsible. At the failing nightclubs, whatever went wrong, it was always someone else’s fault: the picky manager, the slacking dishwasher, the ignorant customer. On the other hand, the earliest chapters of Genesis teach that each human has free will
Is your son or daughter graduating from high school this year?
and alone is responsible for choices and their consequences. From the prophets to the Babylonian exile to the High Holy Day prayers, the challenge has been to take responsibility for our behavior and improve ourselves as individuals and as a community instead of looking for someone to blame. Rescue Rule 5: You can’t live in the past, but you have no roots without it. One episode of a similar reality show, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, featured the son of Italian immigrants who started a restaurant. Unable to modernize after they died and he took over, he saw it go downhill as the neighborhood’s demographics changed. Unwilling to give up his legacy, the son worked with Ramsay to maintain the restaurant’s Italian roots while updating its menu and ambiance. His story is not unlike that of the Jews in Babylonia: how do we maintain a strong Jewish identity while adapting to the majority culture? What things are “roots” that cannot change in order for us to remain Jews, and what things are the “menu and ambiance” that can be altered? The early chapters of Genesis teach that the entire universe reflects the orderliness of creation. Thus, it is no surprise to me that the successful moral business is founded on the same principles as the successful moral individual. So don’t wait until you or your business are in need of rescue. Pick up your Bible and read and reflect on it a bit today and every day. Family Discussion: Looking over the rescue rules above, which one is most challenging for you? Why? How do you think you or your projects might improve if you applied that rule?
Literature to share
The Observer is happy to offer you a FREE announcement, including a photo, in our June graduation issue. To receive a form for this free announcement, contact Karen Steiger at 853-0372 or KSteiger@jfgd.net. All forms must be received by May 2 to be included in our graduation issue. PAGE 26
Jerusalem Besieged by Eric Cline. Just in time for Jerusalem Day (May 28), this well-researched volume combines archaeology, biography, primary sources, maps, legends, travelogues, art, and current events into an informative and easy-to-read, story-like history of this most significant city. My all-time favorite Jerusalem resource. Lights Out Shabbat by Sarene Shulimson. This delightfully illustrated PJ Library paperback highlights the rituals of Shabbat celebrated by a little boy and his grandparents despite a snowstorm that knocks out the electricity. The beauty of tradition, the light of Shabbat, and the warmth of family all come alive in this lovely book for preschoolers. THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
Arts&Culture
Gary Shteyngart’s super sad but true day school story SSSQ, which he attended from first By Julie Wiener, JTA through eighth grade are “mixed.” If it is true that there is no such thing Would Shteyngart, who spoke almost as bad publicity, then Gary Shteyngart no English when his parents enrolled may be one of the best things to haphim at Schechter, have fared any better pen to the Conservative movement’s at a public school? (It was an option at-times-beleaguered Schechter Day that his parents avoided, he writes in School Network. his book, because “we are scared of Shteyngart, the Soviet Jewish imblacks.”) migrant writer known for acclaimed “During my book tour, I’ve met comic novels like Absurdistan and Super many people my age who émigrated Sad True Love Story, devoted an entire around the same time who were pulled chapter in his bestselling new book to out of Schechters by their parent and his experience at his alma mater, the sent to public school, and they found Solomon Schechter School of Queens. the diversity there to be a lot more welThe problem is, nothing of what he has to say in Little Failure — a tragicom- coming,” he explained. “I’m sure there are people who’ve had the opposite ic memoir — is particularly flattering experience also.” toward the school he attended for eight However, he said that his alma mater years. His classmates are designerclothes-wearing, “noisy, undisciplined” seems to have improved since his time there in the 1980s. bullies, the coursework unchallenging, “I think there are tons more kids the school rabbi “large” and “sweaty.” from the former Soviet The school was an Brigitte Lacombe Union in SSSQ and “unhappy, alien place” there’s much more of for a Russian boy new an effort to integrate to the country. When them,” he wrote. “This he first enrolled, is very positive.” Shteyngart relates, he Rabbi David Fine, sat alone in the cafetea classmate of Shteynria, unable to speak gart’s (described English, unfamiliar as the Mighty Khan with the Hebrew Caesar in the book), prayers, ashamed to recommended Little speak in class and Failure in a post on a mocked by his fellow Listserv for Conservastudents. Author Gary Shteyngart tive rabbis, noting, On the other hand, “while it, like everything else, is not Schechter is hardly the only institution spared his biting satire and critique, that Shteyngart skewers in the book, and while Shteyngart does not come and his descriptions of virtually everyout of the Movement identifying as a one, including himself and his parents, Conservative Jew…nevertheless the are also frequently unflattering. publication of this book will probably The Solomon Schechter School of bring the name ‘Solomon Schechter’ Queens, or SSSQ, is currently featuring to more people than ever before. This Shteyngart in the Spotlight on Alumni marks an important ‘mainstreaming’ section on its website, which promotes moment, even as presented through his books and describes him as an the immigrant experience of a satirical “award winning author” but neglects humorist.” to mention the school’s featured role in For its part, the Schechter network — Little Failure. which a few years ago launched a “re“I do believe the insights of a brilbranding” effort, but has nonetheless liant, articulate graduate offer a rare shrunk considerably in the past decade, gift of understanding into the nuanced as several of its schools have closed or impact a school can have on a child,” become pluralistic “community” Jewish Rabbi Shira Leibowitz, SSSQ’s curschools rather than specifically Conrent head, told JTA via e-mail. “While servative-affiliated schools — does not The Solomon Schechter School of profess concern about the negative PR Queens has changed since the time from one of its most famous graduates. Gary Shteyngart attended, he offers Elaine Cohen, executive director of important perspective relevant today the Schechter Network, told JTA she has in a school with a very large immigrant not yet read Little Failure, but said she population.” does not believe “parents will make a In recent years, the Queens school’s day school choice based on the comstudent body has been roughly onements of an acerbic, idiosyncratic comic third from Russian-speaking housewriter.” holds, one-third Israeli and one-third Asked if he would consider sending American Jews whose families have his own children to a Jewish day school, been in the United States for multiple Shteyngart said he plans to send his generations. child, a boy born last fall, to a “progresIn an email interview with JTA, Continued on Page 31 Shteyngart said his feelings about THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
Arts&Culture
Finding a home for Take Us Home
Meet the director
Producers of documentary about Ethiopian aliyah consider next steps Le Blanc Productions
By Marc Katz Special To The Observer Even though the locallyproduced documentary Take Us Home is a little past its film circuit prime, it continues to have a shelf life as producer and director Aileen LeBlanc and Dayton’s Levin Family Foundation, the film’s primary sponsor, work to push it further. The documentary about the Falash Mura — Ethiopians of Tuesday, May 6, 5:45-7:40 p.m. Jewish descent, who attempt CADC Art Gallery to make aliyah (immigrate to 45 S. St. Clair St., Dayton Israel) — was filmed on location and edited in the Dayton area, where LeBlanc lived at the time; it has won awards but not commercial success. “When people think you’re Documentary filmmaker Aileen LeBlanc during filming in a Falasha Barry Avrich, director of “Quality Balls, the making movies, they think village in Ethiopia in August 2008 for Take Us Home David Steinberg Story” visits Dayton before you’re making money,” said the screening of his film. Join us as he talks she said. “The purpose was to LeBlanc, who worked at WYSO group of people who find out about Madmen, Monsters and Moguls: in Yellow Springs when she about a population they had no tell a history story. I can report m :40 p 7 t Fascinating Stories from Hollywood and a to you Worku, who is one of the made the film, but now is at idea about. s Start on e the Entertainment Industry. N station KMUW operated by “It’s the same thing that hap- featured boys in the film, is in The computer training in the Israeli Wichita State University in pened to our grandparents (in Food, drink and Dayton Jewish International Kansas. Europe), that happened to these military and is being considFilm Fest ticket included. ered to become an officer. He is “Documentaries don’t make Ethiopians. It’s just their skin doing excellent.” money. Usually, they are a labor color is different. This is a film For tickets and information, call 277-8966. Unfortunately, most Ethioof love and very painful. Once about history and it will never pians haven’t thrived in Israel. you get your film done, which go out of style.” And the Jewish state signifiis hard and long, then it’s like, LeBlanc isn’t sure where the cantly slowed down aliyah for ‘What do you do with it?’ And film will resurface, or who will Proceeds benefit Hillel Academy. Falash Mura last year. Until that’s where we are now with find favor in it. Expecting it to their rescue and absorption, Take Us Home.” be most popular at Jewish film Take Us Home will continue to Since its world premiere at festivals, it has become more tell the story. the Philadelphia Independent popular at black film festivals. Film Festival in June 2012, the She has also found that most movie has won some awards Jewish film festival documen— including the Van Gogh taries today have a Palestinian Film Editing Award for World component that highlights Hillel AdBarryAvrich3.indd 1 3/31/14 10:54 AM Cinema Documentary from the conflict in and around Israel. 2012 Amsterdam “I didn’t see this Film Festival and Expecting it to film as a Jewish Best Documentary be most popular film or a black Assisted Living Community with specialty alzheimer’s care at the 2014 Texas at Jewish film film,” LeBlanc Home is more than a Black Film Fessaid. “I just saw it living space; it is the festivals, it has as a film.” tival. It has also Locally Owned and Managed center of memories for screened at film LeBlanc, workbecome more families and friends. Our festivals in Dallas, ing at a new job, popular at black goal is for you to have the San Diego, Palm has not pushed Beach, Nashville, film festivals. the movie as much comfort you desire, the Louisville, Los lately, but she did compassion you need and Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, say, “it still seems to have a the respect you deserve. and has a request from Chicago life of its own. It’s doing pretty for a showing there. well. you deserve. The Carlyle House takes It’s been shown in class“It’s about people. I think it a fresh new approach to rooms — including colleges could have a longer life (than senior living. Community — and has been pitched for usual for a documentary of this and family are at the core public television, though Karen type). The University of Dayton Levin, executive director of the brought me back for a screenof what we stand for and Levin Family Foundation, said ing a couple of months ago (in we want each and every the film would have to be cut November). A class used it for House resident to enjoy their 15-20 minutes to fit a television a project for the semester. It senior years to the fullest format. was important for us to have an extent possible. “My goal is to get it to educational component from Israel,” Levin said. “There are the beginning.” still thousands of people left beTo Levin, her interest never 3490 Far Hills Ave., Dayton, OH 45429 • CarlyleHouseAssistedLiving.com hind (in Ethiopia). Every time changed. “The purpose of this a group sees it, it’s one more was never ‘to make money,’”
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
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THE JEWISH INTERNET FOOD — Rescheduled —
Israel, Jews, and the Wiki wars
Philosophical and Theological Underpinnings Of Judaism
Rabbi Chessin Rabbi Ginsberg Rabbi Mangel Temple Beth Or Beth Abraham Chabad
Rabbi Sofian Temple Israel
Tuesday, May 27, 7 p.m. Panel discussion with dessert reception to follow. Free and open to all.
Tikkun Leyl Shavuot Tuesday, June 3 6:30 p.m.
Beth Abraham is Dayton’s only Conservative synagogue, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
Dairy Dinner • Study Session Evening Service
We are an enthusiastically egalitarian synagogue. Beth Abraham is Dayton’s We also have an eneronly Conservative getic Keruv program that synagogue, affiliated with reaches out to intermarried the United Synagogue of couples and families in our Conservative Judaism. synagogue and in the Dayton Jewish We arecommunity. an enthusiastically
aham is Dayton’s servative ue, affiliated with d Synagogue of tive Judaism.
n enthusiastically an synagogue.
ave an eneruv program that ut to intermarried nd families in our ue and in the Dayton mmunity.
egalitarian synagogue. For a complete schedule of Forevents, a complete our go toschedule of our events, go to bethabrahamdayton.org. bethabrahamdayton.org.
Men’s Club Complimentary Mother’s Day Brunch Sunday, May 11 10 a.m. Featuring lox and bagels, blintz souffle, musical entertainment . R.S.V.P. to 293-9520 by May 9.
mplete schedule of s, go to hamdayton.org.
2014
Graduate Shabbat
Saturday, May 24, 9 a.m.
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It is the sixth most popular website on the planet. It has become the go-to repository for information replacing venerable — and dusty — encyclopedias. And it’s where controversy over Israel and Judaism are a daily affair. Welcome to the Wikipedia edit wars. If you are like most people, you visit Wikipedia to read up on practically any topic under the sun. While the text may seem pretty sedate and respectful, each page has tabs labeled Talk and View History where you are likely to discov-
Mark Mietkiewicz er cauldrons boiling with arguments, sarcasm and worse. That’s where Wikipedia editors hash out controversial content and attempt to reach some type of consensus. A typical debate raging behind the scenes is whether the Wikipedia Israel page should carry an infobox describing Tel Aviv as the country’s “second capital (bit.ly/wikiwars6).” Or whether Jerusalem should be described as “the third holiest city in Islam” or “generally considered the third holiest city in Islam (bit.ly/wikiwars7).” Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, has noticed these debates but he’s not worried that accuracy is being warped. “Topics relating to Israel and Palestine are…in the group of articles that are always heavily edited, heavily discussed, heavily debated…and of course it will happen every day that someone will come in with an agenda, in any direction, trying to push that agenda, but the community is quite vigilant about trying to be neutral, trying to follow reliable sources, and I think in general we succeed (bit.ly/wikiwars1).” Wales is referring to some of the ground rules designed to keep Wikipedia content as accurate — and the discussion as civil — as possible. If you follow them, you too are welcome to
Steinberg
Continued from Page 20 that wants to be a comedian.” His own stand-up plans include a likely Northeast run this summer, but he noted that controversial topics in his act are a thing of the past. “I’ve lost my edge. I don’t deal with politics anymore,” he said. Steinberg hopes to return to directing and to continue to produce Inside Comedy, which he called “one of my favorite things I’ve done.” Over the years, he has also directed episodes of Newhart, Curb Your Enthu-
join in. But break a rule and your contribution will probably disappear in minutes. Here’s a tutorial to get you going editing Wikipedia (bit.ly/wikiwars2). You don’t have to be passionate about Israel to find debate. Researchers recently sized up the 10 most controversial topics in each of the most popular language versions of Wikipedia. Here’s a sampling of topics causing waves: Circumcision (English), Muhammad (Arabic), Adolph Hitler (German), Criticism of the Koran (Persian), Telepathy (Czech), Islamophobia (French). The full research is available online and is a fascinating read (bit.ly/wikiwars3). What do Israelis (or at least Hebrewspeakers) like to argue about on Wikipedia? Just about everything from religion to politics with some sports thrown in for good measure. Here are The Top 10 Controversial Entries in the Hebrew Wikipedia (bit.ly/wikiwars4): 10. Ariel Sharon 9. Beitar Jerusalem F.C. (football club) 8. Gaza War 7. Daphni Leef (Israeli social activist and organizer of a Tel Aviv tent camp, sparking the 2011 housing protests in Israel.) 6. Jewish settlement in Hebron 5. Benjamin Netanyahu 4. B’Tselem (Israeli non-governmental organization) 3. 2006 Lebanon War 2. Chabad messianism 1. Chabad Sometimes, arguments are best kept in the family. Over at the Judaism entry some people feel there are just too many photos depicting Ashkenazi-orientated Jewish objects. How’s this rebuttal: “Like which photo? The shofar, the chanukia, the mezuza, the Jerusalem succah? If these objects are Ashkenazi oriented, you seem to imply that Sephardi people don’t do mitzvot!…Take your inferiority complex somewhere else, please (bit.ly/wikiwars5).” Mark Mietkiewicz may be reached at highway@rogers.com. siasm, Designing Women and Seinfeld, among other programs. Reflecting on his success, Steinberg attributes a lot of it to being in the right place at the right time. “The most important ingredient is luck, and that’s what I’ve had all the way through, and then being able to cash in on it.” As for the notion raised in Quality Balls that he was the subject of Carly Simon’s hit song You’re So Vain, Steinberg demurs. “You’d have to ask Carly about that. She’s a close friend of mine, and I am vain,” he said. “But I can’t confirm or deny.” THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
LESHON IMA - MOTHER TONGUE
Tzahal: Israeli Defense Forces This month we celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. We are proud that the state of Israel is a beacon of hope to the Jewish people around the world. We are proud of Israel’s achievements in the sciences, in medicine, in technology and in the arts. We are also proud of Israel’s strong
Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin military, which protects the Israeli population from constant threats and attacks. And, since defense is the key to Israel’s existence, let us explore the meaning of the word Tzahal, a collective name for the Israeli Defense Forces. On May 26, 1948 Tzahal was officially declared as Israel’s defense force. Tzahal is an acronym built on three Hebrew words: Tz’vah, meaning army of, Haganah, meaning defense, and LeIsrael meaning for Israel. To this day, Tzahal is the force, which protects the state and her population by a strong air force, an exceptional navy and an unusually dedicated army. Tzahal is a merger of different Jewish defense organizations, which preceded it. The Hashomer (the guard), the Haganah (the defense), the Irgun (the organization), and Chyl (the Jewish Fighting Brigade), all of which fought either in pre-state Israel proper or in Europe to defend the unprotected Jewish population. It should be noted that the groups out of which Tzahal evolved repre-
Shteyngart
Continued from Page 27 sive, nondenominational” school. Despite his critiques of his day school — which he refers to in his memoir as a “Hebrew school” — Shteyngart has made small donations to it, earmarking his dollars for students from the former Soviet Union. Did he gain anything from his years there? “Well, I learned a lot about the religion which is certainly useful for my work and for writing about other religions and cultural experiences,” he responded. “There were at least two wonderful teachers there, a substitute teacher who encouraged me to write and had me read my stuff out to kids at the end of English period, and a social studies teacher who began chipping away at the insanely conservative person I was. Furthermore, I don’t think there are too many writers who enjoyed their early schooling, else they would have become productive members of
sented the Jewish political and social spectrum. For example, Hashomer was an organization of young volunteers defending Jewish settlements in Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel) during 12 long years of Arab terror (1908 -1920). The Haganah was established in 1920 to protect the Jewish population from further Arab attacks. It grew in size and by 1929 was an organized force in whose ranks served Jewish volunteers who fought in World War I as well as those who fought in pre-state Israel proper. Another part of the spectrum was the Irgun, a group that in 1931 separated itself from the Haganah and organized as the underground to fight the British Army and its colonial control of Eretz Yisrael. Last but not least, we should mention Chyl, a Hebrew acronym for Chativah Yehudit Lochemet, meaning The Jewish Fighting Brigade, a group of volunteers from Israel who joined the British military and in 1944 was recognized as a special Jewish unit. The Brigade fought during World War II alongside the British army, particularly in Italy. The fighters of the Brigade also helped bring Jewish survivors to the safe shores of Israel after the war. On this Yom Ha’atzmaut, the Day of Israel’s Independence, we salute Tzahal the force, which succeeded to unite under one flag all Israelis regardless of social and political persuasions, assuring all of us a joyful celebration of the modern miracle of statehood. Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin is a professor of biblical literature at Spertus College in Chicago and an adjunct professor of Bible and Hebrew at New College of Florida. society.” Ultimately, perhaps the Leningradborn author best sums up the complicated Shteyngart-Schechter relationship toward the end of the book, as he describes attending SSSQ’s 25th reunion. “And as I glance around at my former classmates, a thought occurs to me. This is a community. These people know one another, understand one another, came of age with one another,” he writes. “They were tied by kin and outlook, as were their parents before them. Moms making rugelach in advanced baking ovens, dads talking mileage on their new Lincolns, the drowsy, hypnotic hum of cantors and rabbis on Saturday mornings.” The issue, as he explains it, was that he was an outsider to this tight-knit American Jewish milieu. “What happened here, this was nobody’s fault,” he continues. “We Soviet Jews were simply invited to the wrong party. And then we were too frightened to leave. Because we didn’t know who we were. In this book, I’m trying to say who we were.”
bigger and better more to eat and drink
Jewish favorites reinterpreted by C’est Tout, El Meson, Pasha Grill, & Smokin’ Bar-B-Que reflect the flavors of France, Latin American, the Mediterranean and the southern U.S.
more music to hear
The Cincinnati Klezmer Project, rock and folk music from local favorites, the Shimmy Cats Dance Troupe, and two surprise guest appearances!
more to learn
Learn about Righteous Gentiles, the history of storytelling, and interfaith dialogues. Play kids’ games and make projects that teach about Jewish holidays and celebrations!
more to win
Win a television, Dayton Dragons tickets, limited edition bicycle, an item from Weber Jewelers, dining certificates or $500 cash. Purchase tickets from a volunteer, at Temple, or on Temple’s website.
noon to 6:30 pm
June 8
130 Riverside Drive • Dayton, OH 45405 • www.tidayton.org
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014
PAGE 31
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014