THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010 28 TEVET, 5770 SHABBAT: FRI 5:21 – SAT 6:21 CINCINNATI, OHIO VOL. 156 • NO. 25 SINGLE ISSUE PRICE $2.00
ISRAEL How Israel is implementing the settlement freeze Page 9
CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE AJC's 2009 Community Service Award Page 11
Rockwern Academy will not offer 7th and 8th grades for the 2010 – 2011 school year by Avi Milgrom Assistant Editor On Jan. 6, 2010, the Rockwern Academy Board of Trustees voted unanimously to not offer 7th and 8th grades for the 2010 – 2011 school year. The families in those grades, as well as the faculty, were informed immediately. Describing the decision as one that was “proactive” and “business minded,” Head of School Peter Cline explained that the 57 year old institution had made this same decision twice before. Explained board president, Barry Finestone, in a letter to Rockwern parents:” The sacrifices in quality that would have been necessary in order to make grades 7 and 8 financially viable were simply not acceptable to the school’s leadership. The numbers for 7th grade in 2011 – 2012 look
Izzy’s new store is one-of-akind, and one of nine
strong, and it is our intention at this time to offer 7th grade during that school year.” The decision was consistent with basic principles established three years ago by a community task force convened by the school. Continued Finestone, “ Among the requirements of that plan was the hiring of a head of school, creating a marketing plan, upgrading admissions standards and practices, re-branding the school, and the creation of a long-range business plan grounded in best practices — all of these guided by a commitment to
offer only excellence in all areas to our young people. “While we have met these goals and others, we are in the final phase of solidifying the business plan.” The decision, according to Cline, will improve the overall position of the school, consistent with the plan. Those in the community familiar with the school have seen changes arising from the plan, including an increase in tuition for pre-school through 6th grade, the restructuring of offerings in the
Cincinnati’s YU student, Josh Zimmerman, helps JNF aid Gaza evacuees by Avi Milgrom Assistant Editor
DINING OUT
Perhaps most affected by this decision are the families of students heading for middle school.
preschool division as well as the new flexible, multi-year tuition plan aimed at the middle class and designed to complement and supplement Rockwern’s traditional financial aid program — being readied for implementation. Visible benefits of the effort include lower attrition, greater enrollment and the creation of new programs. Perhaps most affected by this decision are the families of students heading for middle school. Promised Finestone, “We recognize that as difficult as this has been for the school’s leadership, it will be more difficult still for many of our families and students. Not only do we recognize this, we respect it. The school’s resources will be offered to the families who need them as they work through this unexpected transition in our lives.”
In the summer of 2005, under the Sharon-Olmert government, Israel pulled out all of its settlers and soldiers from the Gaza strip, ostensibly to improve Israeli security. Most of the 8,000 settlers came from some 20 settlements in the southwest edge of the Gaza strip along the Mediterranean Sea,
an area referred to as Gush Katif. The settlers included Orthodox and secular Jews as well as several hundred Muslim Bedouins.Jews have lived in the area for over 1600 years. For this reason, the area is considered by many settlers part of the “Land of Israel” and thus “deeded” Jewish land. According to one report the settlers, who had been in Gaza for over 30 years, contributed some
$200 million annually to Israel’s exports - roughly 15 percent of Israel’s agricultural exports. Among the industries developed by the settlers was a substantial greenhouse operation facilitated by original technology developed to grow organic lettuce, greens, tomatoes and vegetables as well as geraniums. In addition to the greenhouses, the area had the largest plant nurs-
ery in Israel and the second largest dairy in the country. Other settlers worked in telephone sales and in printing. After the settlers were removed, a foundation funded by the European Union agreed to purchase the greenhouses for $14 million and transfer them to the Palestinian Authority in order that ZIMMERMAN on page 19
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Should Israel be a model for U.S. airport security? by Gil Shefler Jewish Telegraphic Agency
TRAVEL 2009: The year in retrospect Page 20
NEW YORK (JTA) — As U.S. officials try to figure out how to improve airport security in the aftermath of the failed Christmas Day bombing attempt of a Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit, many North Americans are looking to Israel as a model. The New York Times opened a forum for readers to discuss the pros and cons of Israeli airport security. The Toronto Star interviewed an Israeli airport security
expert who said the best way to nab a terrorist is to “look them in the eye.” David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, wrote a piece for The Huffington Post about the lessons U.S. airport security officials can learn from their counterparts in Israel. “From the perspective of security, one is in a class by itself: Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport,” Harris wrote. “In the wake of the thwarted terrorist attempt on Northwest Flight 253, it’s time to revisit the Israeli
model, as other countries ask what more can be done to prevent such near-catastrophes.” El Al, Israel’s national airline, has been the target of more attacks and specific threats than any other airline in the world. After a number of shootings and hijackings by terrorists during the late 1960s and early 1970s, the governmentowned company introduced a set of stringent security measures aimed at thwarting future terrorist attacks. The enhanced security extended to Ben Gurion International Airport, which also had been the
site of terrorist attacks. Security there is comprised of a number of rings, only some of which are visible. Passenger profiling has been a major component of the security success. Security officials question passengers before sending their luggage and screen them based on their answers and backgrounds. Passengers considered a potential risk are taken aside for further questioning and thoroughly searched. SECURITY on page 22
MatureLiving 2010 SPECIAL SECTION.
REACH THE JEWISH SENIOR COMMUNITY WITH YOUR ADVERTISING MESSAGE Deadline for ad submission is Thursday, January 21 Publishes on Thursday, January 28 To Advertise or For More Information, Contact Ted Deutsch at 621-3145 or publisher@americanisraelite.com
LOCAL
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Speed dating for Jewish young professionals, Feb. 13 Access is sponsoring a speed dating party on Saturday, Feb. 13th for Jewish young professionals, ages 21-35, from Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville and Toledo. The event will be held at downtown Cincinnati’s Westin Hotel on Fountain Square.. Guests will mix over cocktails and appetizers while they go on dozens of “mini dates.” Later, couples can spend more time with one
another as the party moves to downtown bars for a Saturday Night HeBREW Happy Hour Hop! “Recently we hosted a very successful Speed Dating party for Jewish young professionals in Greater Cincinnati,” said Lisa Hacker, Access Program Manager. “Quite a number of matches were made that night, and our guests had so much fun we decided to do it again, only this time, we thought we would branch out and open it
up to the entire region.” “For those who feel they already know all the eligible Jewish men and women in their own community, this will be the perfect opportunity to meet a whole new group of people, all who live within a reasonable driving distance,” added Hacker. The event is free but advance reservations are required. For more information call Access at the Mayerson Foundation.
‘Women’s education day: Exploring the strengths of our generations,’ Jan. 24 On Sunday, Jan. 24, the Cincinnati chapter of Hadassah and Jewish Family Service will sponsor a women’s education day. The topic for this workshop will be the distinctive characteristics of different generations of women as they are manifested in home and workplace such as finances, creativity, design, and technology. The generations that will be explored include the Greatest Generation, World War II Babies, Baby Boomers, Generation X,
Generation Y, Millennials and those in-between. There will be four breakout sessions. Glynnis Reinhart, financial advisor at AXA Advisors, will explain how to “Take Control of Your Financial Destiny”. Marion Corbin Mayer, creative life coach and artist, will offer “Accessing Your Creativity at Every Age”. Paula J. Gross, president and principal designer for the IDEA
Group, will lead a workshop on “Lifestyle Design: Home and Office Transitional Design”. And Amy Greenbaum, Jewish educator, will speak on “Bridging Generations Through Technology. The workshop will be held at Rockwern Academy (formerly Yavneh Day School). The community is welcome. There is a fee. The event includes lunch. Call the Cincinnati Hadassah office or Jewish Family Service for more information.
J Spa now offers manicures and pedicures The J Spa now offers manicures and pedicures for all ages and genders. The “Signature Manicure” includes cuticle trimming, nail shaping, exfoliating, massage and professional OPI-brand polish. Manicures for men and children are available as well. The “Signature Pedicure” is similar to the manicure, and also includes callus softening. The “Deluxe Pedicure” provides the added bonus of a foot mask that relieves muscle tension in the feet. Also new is the “Teen Beauty and Skin Care Class” offered at the end of the month. In this class, girls (ages 8 – 17) have the opportunity to learn how to care for their skin types. For the course,Laura Pavey, licensed esthetician for the J Spa, teaches skin care tips, like how to exfoliate skin; how to treat and
prevent acne; how to choose quality beauty products; and how to apply light and natural looking makeup suited for young women. Also, girls are offered advice on how diet, nutrition, and hormones affect the skin. Other topics include the importance of using sunscreen, avoiding skin damage, and how to clean and store makeup brushes and applicators. All girls who participate in the class receive a free take-home skin care kit that includes a 1 - 2 week supply of beauty and acne products. Remarked Jamie Cusick. “My eldest daughter gets a facial at the J Spa once a month, and she always enjoys it because it’s great for her skin and the esthetician teaches her important skin care tips!” Another service for teens as well as adults offered by the spa is
the hot stone massage, Dead Sea exfoliation, and warm algae wrap with moisturizing massage. Offered in winter, the fullbody hot stone massage incorporates the use of heated stones to penetrate into muscles and bring on relaxation. The Dead Sea exfoliation begins with a scrub that removes several layers of dead skin, followed by a hydrating massage with natural oils and antioxidants, leaving the skin soft and moisturized. This is followed by an 80minute warm algae wrap and a full-body moisturizing massage. “The warm algae wrap at the J Spa is incredible!” said an ethusiastic Brooke Guigui. “The cold weather dries my skin, and this wrap is a perfect way to relax and hydrate my skin at the same time.” For more information, call the J.
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‘Portraits of Leadership — Timeless Tales for Inspired Living,’ begins Feb. 4 Beginning in the first week of February, the Goldstein Family Learning Academy Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) will launch its winter course, “Portraits in Leadership: Timeless Tales for Inspired Living.” Portraits in Leadership presents the life stories of six Jewish leaders. “This course is one part history, one part biography—all parts uplifting inspiration,” says Rabbi Lazer Gurkow, course author.” It is about decisions made two thousand years ago that continue to shape the contours of contemporary Jewish life.” Lessons examine a range of classic Jewish sources, drawing extensively from the stories of the Talmud and modern commentaries that can be applied to daily life. For example, in the face of the first-century Roman assault on Jerusalem, the fundamental institu-
tions of the Jewish people were utterly destroyed. The Jewish leaders responded with radical decisions and strategies to preserve the
better way to find guidance than from the wise example of others who encountered hardships and used them as the impetus for
It is about decisions made two thousand years ago that continue to shape the contours of contemporary Jewish life.” Rabbi Lazer Gurkow
essence of Judaism. “Students are constantly looking for tools to deal with day-to-day challenges,” says local JLI instructor, Rabbi Yisroel Mangel. “What
growth and change.” Portraits in Leadership, like all Goldstein Family Learning Academy educational programs, is designed for people at all levels
of Jewish knowledge. All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not to be a member of any particular synagogue or temple. This new course will be offered at Chabad Jewish Center for either six Thursday mornings or six Monday evenings. Morning classes begin Thursday, February 4th and evening classes begin Monday, February 8th. There is a fee for the course. “We are so sure that you will enjoy it” says Rabbi Yisroel Mangel, “that we invite anyone interested to attend the first lesson free, with no obligation.” JLI’s classes and programs are offered at various locations in more than 300 cities nationwide and internationally Call Chabad Jewish Center for reservations and information.
Rockdale Temple Sisterhood sponsors annual Ronald McDonald House Christmas Dinner Mitzvah This year, as it had done in the past, Rockdale Temple’s
sisterhood organized a team to prepare and serve Christmas
Dinner to all of the in-house residents and guests whose circum-
stances required them to spend the Christmas holiday in the Ronald McDonald House. This year, the sisterhood served more than 180 meals. Ronald McDonald House provides a place for families to stay while their children are being cared for at Children’s Hospital. “We in Cincinnati are fortunate to have an asset like the Ronald McDonald. Privately funded, Ronald McDonald House benefits families from surrounding areas as well as those from many countries around the world. Over twenty sisterhood members and their families participated this year. This out-pouring of compassion, support and assistance for families in need has become a very popular and memorable mitzvah. After the dinner is served and all the dishes have been cleared a great sense of happiness is felt by all.These feelings will assuredly keep the members of Rockdale Temple Sisterhood coming back year after year,” said sisterhood treasurer, Debbie Loewenstein.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
The oldest English-Jewish weekly in America Founded July 15, 1854 by Isaac M.Wise VOL. 156 • NO. 25 Thursday, January 14, 2009 28 Tevet, 5770 Shabbat begins Fri, 5:21 p.m. Shabbat ends Sat, 6:21 p.m. THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE CO., PUBLISHERS 18 WEST NINTH STREET, SUITE 2 CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202-2037 PHONE: (513) 621-3145 FAX: (513) 621-3744 publisher@americanisraelite.com editor@americanisraelite.com articles@americanisraelite.com production@americanisraelite.com HENRY C. SEGAL Editor & Publisher 1930-1985 MILLARD H. MACK Publisher Emeritus NETANEL (TED) DEUTSCH Editor & Publisher AVI MILGROM MICHAEL McCRACKEN Assistant Editors ALEXIA KADISH Copy Editor JOSEPH D. STANGE Production Manager LEV LOKSHIN JANE KARLSBERG Staff Photographers JANET STEINBERG Travel Editor ROBERT WILHELMY Restaurant Reporter MARIANNA BETTMAN NATE BLOOM RABBI A. JAMES RUDIN RABBI AVI SHAFRAN Contributing Writers
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NHS garners awards at USJC convention
Rabbi Steven Wernick, United Synagogue Executive VicePresident, presents awards to Jeff Bassin, past president of Northern Hills Synagogue.
Northern Hills Synagogue Congregation B’nai Avraham received several awards at the recent International Convention of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. The convention was held December 6 -10 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Two of the awards were Solomon Schechter Awards, presented in honor of Dr. Solomon Schechter, founder of the United Synagogue. Programming is the focus of the awards. Northern Hills received both
a Gold award for Fundraising and a Silver award for Worship and Ritual. The Gold Award recognized the congregation’s President’s Ball, held in February 2009. The event honored past congregational presidents with festivities that included dinner, dance music provided by a 10-piece band, a Powerpoint comparing the congregation’s presidents to America’s presidents and a choir rap spoofing the honorees. Another highlight of the evening
Introduction to Judaism course begins Jan. 27
Rabbi Margaret Meyer will teach class on Judaism
The Spring semester Introduction to Judaism course will begin Jan.27. Sponsored by the Cincinnati area Reform congregations, the
Union for Reform Judaism and Hebrew Union College, the class is a 14 session course open to those interested in learning about Judaism. Although not a conversion course, it is frequently required by rabbis who are working with prospective converts to Judaism. It will be taught by Rabbi Margaret Meyer. Rabbi Meyer, a Cincinnatian who taught the course before. Classes will be onWednesday evenings. Subjects to be covered include history, worship, life cycle, holidays, anti-Semitism and “all aspects of Jewish life and tradition,” according to Rabbi Meyer. For more information, contact local Reform rabbis.
was a raffle, the main prize for which was a three day, all expense paid trip to New York City, including air fare, hotel accommodations, and Broadway show tickets, among other features. The Silver Award honored the congregation’s Purim celebration. The celebration included a Murder Mystery party for young adults and a Purim Carnival for children. Mishloach Manot bags were prepared and distributed by the Youth Intergenerational Education Committee so that all members could participate in this mitzvah. To enhance the reading of the Megillah, an interactive Powerpoint was developed so children and adults could follow the story visually through illustrations and an accompanying English text. Since 1999, Northern Hills has received 22 Solomon Schechter awards for programs covering such diverse topics as Performing Arts, Holocaust Education, HaZaK (seniors’ programming), Keruv (outreach to intermarried couples), Family Education, and Israel Affairs. Northern Hills received a Framework for Excellence Award, for its religious school as well. The school, supervised by Tracy Weisberger, was recognized because it meets the requirements for recertification as a Framework for Excellence school. NHS on page 22
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LOCAL/NATIONAL
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The 2010 Jewish & Israeli Film Festival features diverse line-up, begins Jan 30 at the J (After Super Sunday Fundraiser) and Thursday night, Feb. 4 From the darkness of Hitler’s Europe to the lush mountains of New York’s Catskills, FourSeasons Lodge follows a community of Holocaust survivors who come together each summer at their beloved bungalow colony to dance, cook, fight, flirt and celebrate their survival. This unexpectedly funny film confronts sobering topics like aging, loss and the legacy of theHolocaust, capturing the lodgers’ intoxicating passion for life as the fate of their colony hangs in the balance. The 2010 Cincinnati Jewish and Israeli Film Festival—which will run from Saturday evening, January 30 through Thursday, February 4, 2010—will feature films of varying themes and genres. This year’s offerings include films of art, drama, romance, comedy, Jewish history—even sumo wrestling. Here is the line-up. A MATTER OF SIZE Saturday Night January 30. (Opening Night includes chocolate dessert reception) Life changes when four overweight guys decide to make the most of their size instead of fight-
ing it with perpetual diets and fitness regimes. Shy 340-pound chef Herzl (Itzik Cohen) is the curse of his diet group’s rather blunt leader. When he is fired from his restaurant job for being “un-presentable” because of his size, Herzl takes a job washing dishes in a Japanese restaurant and discovers the one place where fat guys can be rock stars — sumo wrestling. One by one, Herzl’s friends leave dieting behind and discover themselves in a world where fat people are honored and appreciated. Can love be far behind? FOUR SEASONS LODGE Sunday afternoon January 31
NOODLE Sunday Night, January 31, 2010. A Chinese female foreign worker, working for an Israeli woman— Miri— goes away for one hour and disappears leaving behind a sweet Chinese kid that knows absolutely no Hebrew. Ifyou were Miri – what would you do? Miri, played by Mili Avital, tries to figure out where the woman disappeared to, and once she figures out that the poor woman was deported back to Beijing, she decides to do what she can to reunite the kid with his mother. The kid, nicknamed “Noodle” by the Israelis for his ‘unique’ noodle sucking technique,
is the cutest, saddest, happiest kid yet. LOVE AND DANCE Monday Night, February 1. Chen is caught in the middle of the cultural conflict raging between his Russian-born mother and his Israeli father. One day he stumbles on a ballroom dance class for young people and sees Natalie, a stunning young Russian girl with whom he immediately falls in love. His interest in Natalie results in his taking ballroom dancing classes and ultimately bridging the cultural divide in his own family — with the help of the Cha-cha-cha and the Tango. Chen’s teachers are former world champions from Russia who never quite fulfilled their potential and who find themselves battling their own demons while training their young students. SAVIORS IN THE NIGHT Tuesday Night, February 2. “Saviors In the Night” is the true story of Marga Spiegel (played by Veronica Ferres in the film).She was hidden — along with her husband Seigfried, and her young daughter, Karin — by farmers in Western Germany during the last two years of WWII to
save them from deportation to an extermination camp in the east. The film is based on the memoirs of Marga Spiegel —that were published in 1965. BITTER SWEET Wednesday Night, February 3. The story is about a group of middle-aged Israelis living in TelAviv who are faced with disturbing situations that ultimately lead them to make new, life-changing decisions. A quiet evening with friends at Ran and Dana’s is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of a clairvoyant. Her prophecies regarding the number of children each member of the group will have, serve as a catalyst to disturb the fragile harmony among the group. Each of these middle-aged, educated and successful people reacts emotionally as their lives begin to unravel. The emotional chaos these people find themselves in forces them to account for their actionsand their choices. Will they find compromises they can live with? All films will be shown at the Jewish Community Center (JCC), in addition to select veiwings at UC, Xavier and Cedar Village. There are fees. Call the J for more information.
Last minute differences emerge on Iran sanctions by Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — As long as the Iran conversation was broad and dealt only with “sanctions,” the Congress, the White House and the pro-Israel community seemed to be on the same page. But now that Iran has rejected just about every bouquet sent its way and the talk has turned to the details, longstanding differences over how best to go forward are taking center stage. With the backing of many Jewish groups, Congress appears to be pressing ahead with a package that targets Iran’s energy sector. While the White House appears to support new congressional sanctions, it appears to favor more narrow measures targeting the Iranian leadership and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, considered especially vulnerable because of the recent anti-government turmoil. In part the debate is over which approach would do more to help opposition forces in Iran. But also playing a role is the Obama administration’s continuing emphasis on
securing international backing for tougher measures against Tehran, the idea being that sweeping U.S. sanctions aimed at the Iranian energy sector could turn off several key nations. Additionally, the Obama administration has not counted out the prospect of engagement with Iran, although the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad government has put to rest any notion that it will entertain the West’s offer to enrich Iran’s uranium to medical research levels in exchange for transparency about the Islamic Republic’s suspected nuclear weapons program. “Our goal is to pressure the Iranian government, particularly the Revolutionary Guard elements, without contributing to the suffering” of Iranians, “who deserve better than what they currently are receiving,” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a news conference Monday. Opponents of the congressional sanctions, which target just about any investment anywhere in the world in Iran’s energy sector, say they would be inhumane and rally support for the regime. “Having opposed the adoption of crippling sanctions all along,
Americans for Peace Now is glad to see further affirmation from the White House that it does not seek such crippling sanctions,” said Ori Nir, a spokesman for APN, the only major Jewish group opposing the congressional package. In defense of the proposed legislation, one insider from a centrist pro-Israel group recounted a muchrepeated scenario: The cab driver who runs out of gas in the middle of a traffic clogged street, gets out of the car, and raises his fist and curses — not the West as he might have just a year or so ago, but Ahmadinejad and the rest of Iran’s leadership. “In tyrannies, the fiction that keeps people under control is the trust they have in government to take care of them and the fear they have of confronting the government,” the insider said. “In Iran, the trust is gone and the fear is still there, but going.” Concerns that the congressional package will lead to human misery are overstated, its backers say. The bills include provisions for presidential waivers and are meant first as leverage. Similar sanctions packages passed by Congress in the 1990s
also were never implemented by Presidents Clinton and Bush, yet they had an almost immediate effect because of the threat of being implemented. Major Western traders pulled out of Iran, which is partly why the country’s refinement capabilities are in disarray. Iran, a major oil exporter, still must import up to 40 percent of its refined petroleum. The principals in shaping the previous sanctions — in Congress, the Clinton administration and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — now openly admit that they were playing a coordinated “good cop-bad cop” game: Republicans who backed the sanctions would quietly shape their criticisms of the Clinton administration in consultation with administration officials; Clinton officials then would cite that “pressure” in getting European nations to join in efforts to isolate Iran. It’s not clear now whether a similar dynamic is at work between the White House and Congress. Some insiders say it is; others say the Obama administration is genuinely wary of punishing sanctions and is unhappy with the pressure from Congress and the pro-Israel
community. The U.S. House of Representatives passed its sanctions package in late December, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has pledged to attend to the Senate version as soon as the chamber reconvenes Jan. 19. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has said he is willing to consider the White House’s objections, particularly to a proposed blacklist of companies that deal with Iran and to sanctions that target third-party entities — companies and nations that deal with Iran. Meanwhile, the Obama administration is moving ahead with the following actions: * Pressing other major powers to back a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution that would expand existing sanctions on travel and business dealings to 3,000 individuals associated with the Revolutionary Guards; * Intensify enforcement of existing U.S. sanctions on doing business with Iran; * Intensify efforts to uncover and fine companies that cover up their financial dealings with Iran.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
National Briefs
Man taken off plane for anti-Semitic threats (JTA) — A man was taken off a Detroit-bound airplane in Miami for making anti-Semitic threats. Mansour Mohammad Asad stood up as Northwest Airlines Flight 2485 was taxiing and about to take off Wednesday evening and said, “I’m a Palestinian and want to kill all the Jews,” according to a police report, the NBC TV affiliate in Miami reported. The plane returned to the gate, where Asad and three traveling companions were removed. Police reportedly used a Taser on Asad when he resisted exiting the plane, according to NBC Miami. Asad, 43, of Toledo, Ohio, was charged with threatening a public servant, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The 144 passengers cleared the plane and reboarded, but were not required to undergo another security check. Holocaust museum shooter dies WASHINGTON (JTA) — The shooter in the attack on the U.S. Holocaust Museum has died. James von Brunn, who shot and killed museum guard Stephen Tyrone Johns on June 10 during an attempted raid on the museum, died in a prison hospital Wednesday. He was 88 and died of natural causes. Von Brunn was awaiting trial on possible death penalty charges in the federal prison in Butner, N.C., after recovering from being shot in the face by another guard. Von Brunn had a long history of white supremacist and antiSemitic writings. The museum issued a statement memorializing Johns. “The Museum’s thoughts and prayers continue to be with Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns’ family at this time,” the statement said. “Officer Johns died heroically defending the Museum, visitors and staff. This tragedy is a powerful reminder that our cause of fighting hatred remains more urgent than ever.”
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Poll: Jews more conflicted on immigration than leadership by Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — A new poll suggests that American Jews are more conflicted about the challenges of immigration than their communal leaders — but that’s to be expected, the Jewish leaders say. The poll, commissioned by the pro-enforcement Center for Immigration Studies, shows that Jews who support “enforcing the law and causing [illegal immigrants] to return home over time” are statistically tied with Jews who favor “granting legal status and a pathway to citizenship to most illegal immigrants.” That dead heat — 43 percent for enforcement and 40 percent for the “legal” path — reflects conventional wisdom about Jews trending more liberal than other Americans. Among Roman Catholics and Protestants, substantial majorities favored the enforcement option. Still, the figure — along with other answers in the poll — also suggests that rank-and-file Jews are not as unequivocal as their leaders in supporting immigration reform that encompasses a path to legal immigration. Another question outlining proposed conditions for the “legal path,” including fines, learning the English language and background checks, had 60 percent of Jews supporting and 35 percent opposing. “It captures division in the community,” said Steven Camarota, the CIS director of research. “Yet that diversity of opinion is in no way reflected in what the leadership is pushing.” The leadership did not disagree. “We know that the Jewish com-
munity is not monolithic on this subject,” said Richard Foltin, the American Jewish Committee’s legislative director and counsel. “To the extent that it’s a fair representation, there’s a lot of education that needs to be done in the community.”
“I feel vindicated,” he said. “The survey signals a massive rejection against the worldview of the American Jewish establishment, which is monolithic. There’s not a single organization represented in the JCPA,” the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the
Rabbi David Saperstein, who directs the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center, said the leadership and the rank and file occasionally outpace one another on issues. “It’s not unusual for leadership to take a more assertive position on the issues than the amcha,” he said, using the Hebrew term for the rank and file. “Sometimes the leadership is ahead, sometimes the grass roots is ahead — it usually averages out.” Stephen Steinlight, a senior analyst with CIS who for six years has preached enforcement to Jewish audiences, said he couldn’t help but experience a degree of Schadenfreude at the results.
umbrella body for public policy groups, “that reflects these views.” The poll, carried out by Zogby International in December, was conducted through online panels. Such panels are controversial because respondents are selfselected, but as “cold calling” has become more expensive and more and more Americans are making themselves available online, pollsters have increasingly used the method, particularly in assessing the views of small demographic subgroups. Zogby reached 1,647 Jewish respondents, which it said represented a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points. Saperstein said that he was reas-
sured to see that Jewish respondents were more likely than members of other religious communities to embrace the “legal path” option. “I’m not surprised the difference is smaller than in the general community,” he said. “We’re the immigrant community, the quintessential community of those fleeing deprivation and seeking freedom.” That model no longer held, Steinlight said. Jews “want an immigration policy based on not ‘what was good for my grandparents’ but ‘what’s good for my grandchildren,’” he said. “This country is the safest country for Jews outside of Israel, and anything that threatens to change the nature of this country is a risk.” Steinlight said he expected Jewish percentages of those favoring enforcement and opposed to a “legal path” to catch up with nonJewish percentages over time. The lower numbers, he said, were a result of pressures from Jewish leaders. Jews “need permission to say, ‘you know, I don’t like this very much’ “ when it comes to current immigration policy, he said. Saperstein and Foltin rejected notions that the leadership was dictating policy; longstanding positions in both organizations were the result of extensive consultations with the grass roots, they said. Current Reform policy on a legal path to immigration passed by a 91 margin in a poll of the movement’s 2,000 leaders on the grassroots level, Saperstein said. The Jewish groups backing comprehensive immigration reform also questioned how the questions were calibrated. For instance, the first question cited
“38 million legal and illegal immigrants” living in the country, conflating both groups into a huge number. That question, asking whether immigration was too high, had a plurality of Jews answering yes: 50 percent against; 5 percent who thought it was too low and 22 percent who answered “just right.” The next question notes that the number of illegal immigrants is estimated at 11 million to 12 million. The survey also asks respondents to endorse one of two propositions: “Past efforts to enforce immigration have been grossly inadequate and the government has never made a real effort to enforce the law” and “We have made a real effort to enforce our immigration laws, but we have failed because we are not allowing in enough immigrants legally.” Jews favored the first statement over the second, 60 percent to 21 percent. However, missing from such a formulation were two options: one combining both propositions, and one that did not frame U.S. policy as necessarily a failure. Past polls, by Benenson and Pew Research, showed that voters favor enforcement combined with a path to legal immigrant status. “It sets up false choices about legalization vs. enforcing the law,” said Melanie Nezer, who heads the Washington office of the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society. “It doesn’t make distinctions among people who are here. There’s no distinction made between someone who came over the border yesterday and someone who’s married to someone who’s fighting with our soldiers in Iraq.” POLL on page 22
Orthodox assume responsibility for business ethics at West Coast conference by Roberto Loiederman Jewish Telegraphic Agency LOS ANGELES (Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles) — The agenda booklet that greeted the guests of the Orthodox Union’s here painted a grim picture of 2009. “This has not been a good year for the Jewish community,” said the booklet for a conference titled “Recalibrating Our Moral and Ethical Compass.” “It seems like not a day went by without hearing of another scandal involving members of the Orthodox community.” Revelations of shady dealings by Jews, Orthodox or otherwise, certainly did not increase as drastically in the past year as the statement suggests. The perception stemmed
largely from the international shock waves caused by the unraveling of the Ponzi scheme of Bernard Madoff (who is Jewish but not observant), as well as several other very public scandals involving members of the Orthodox community. The purpose of exploring the conference topic, the booklet suggested, was not to “criticize the transgressions of others” but rather “to find solutions that will prevent us from embarrassment in the future.” Held Dec. 24-27 at various venues, from synagogues to homes to OU headquarters, the conference included sessions with titles such as “Why Are Orthodox Jews Getting in Trouble with the Law and How
do we Fix it?”; “To What Extent is Civil Law Binding?”; and “Do Noble Ends Justify Unethical Means?” Some of the speakers, including the opening-night keynoter Rabbi Yosie Levine of the Jewish Center in New York, seemed relatively young in contrast to the audience, which at least at the opening and closing sessions was mostly elderly. Discussions focused repeatedly on how to inculcate in Orthodox youth the values of ethical business behavior, as well as how to deal with donations from tainted sources. “What defines a Jew?” Rabbi Steven Weil, the OU’s new national executive vice president asked in a fiery speech at the final plenary ses-
sion, held at the Young Israel of Century City. “It’s the practical application of our theology, how we engage in business,” he responded to his own question. For Weil, it was not a new topic. Two years ago, sermonizing on his pulpit at Beth Jacob Congregation here, in the wake of the arrests in Los Angeles of eight fervently Orthodox men indicted for tax fraud and money laundering, Weil famously said of the so-called Spinka rabbis: “You call yourself a tzaddik? You’re a liar!” Returning to the same theme, but with a new twist at the OU conference, Weil told an attentive and concerned audience of about 150 that the wrongdoing also is the
responsibility of those who receive ill-gotten funds. “We have no right to sell our soul,” he said. “We have no right to put names of donors on yeshivas, names of people who have made their money dishonestly.” Weil went on to say that “When we put the name of such a person on a yeshiva, when this is the kavod [honor] that we give, then all the Torah that we teach our children, all the values that we teach our children, we can throw it all out because bottom line, it’s the money talking. “The students see those names, and they say to themselves: ‘These are the people we are honoring, no matter how the money was made.’ ORTHODOX on page 22
INTERNATIONAL/ISRAEL
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
International Briefs
Greek synagogue damaged in arson attack ATHENS, Greece (JTA) — The only synagogue on the Greek Island of Crete sustained significant water and smoke damage in an arson attack. Some 30 antique Turkish carpets also were damaged when the Etz Hayyim synagogue in the city of Hania was set ablaze Tuesday night by unknown attackers. The synagogue’s Torah scrolls were not damaged. The arsonists reportedly climbed over the synagogue’s iron gate and made an improvised firebomb using stuffing from a couch in the synagogue’s mikveh to ignite a canister filled with flammable liquid, then placed the firebomb under the wooden staircase leading to the women’s section. The upper floor of the women’s section serves as the office of the director, as well as a library and reading room. Among its volumes are valuable books in various languages on Ottoman, Byzantine and Jewish art and architecture. An Albanian immigrant who lives near the synagogue saw the smoke and called the police and firefighters. There is little security at the synagogue, according to reports. Situated in the heart of the Jewish quarter, the synagogue dates back to the late 15th century. Also in the attack, a bar of soap was thrown against the outer wall of the synagogue to illustrate the common Greek anti-Semitic expression “I’ll make you into a bar of soap.” Mumbai Chabad receives threat (JTA) — The Chabad house in Mumbai has received a letter threatening another attack. The handwritten letter was received recently at the site where an attack more than a year ago killed six Jews, including ChabadLubavitch emissaries Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg, who ran the center, according to Ynet. It read, in part, “Israel is dogs. We will strike again — heil, Hitler,” and was accompanied by a photo of Adolf Hitler, the news site reported. Chabad’s Nariman House was one of 10 Mumbai sites under siege during a three-day attack that began on Nov. 26, 2008 by an Islamist Pakistani group that left 166 dead and hundreds injured.
9
How Israel is implementing the settlement freeze by Marcy Oster Jewish Telegraphic Agency JERUSALEM (JTA) — While an Israeli magician sat in an ice cube in Tel Aviv for 64 hours in a bid to shatter a world record, settler leaders in Jerusalem prepared to smash an ice cube of a very different sort this week opposite the prime minister’s residence. The frozen block in Jerusalem that was shattered Monday by the leaders of West Bank communities was meant to symbolize the 10month construction freeze Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is imposing on Jewish communities in the West Bank. Settler leaders are holding a weeklong demonstration outside the prime minister’s residence to protest the freeze, and the leader of the main settler umbrella group is encouraging people to keep building in violation of the freeze. In the meantime, however, construction in many Jewish West Bank towns has ground to a halt. Some 230 stop-work orders were issued on projects in approximately 150 Jewish West Bank towns visited by government inspectors. In addition, 36 pieces of building equipment used in illegal construction were impounded, according to a spokesman for the Defense Ministry’s Civil Administration, which is responsible for law enforcement in the West Bank. “The Civil Administration is carrying out the government’s decision regarding the suspension of building in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria,” the spokesman told JTA, using the Jewish term for the West Bank. Netanyahu ordered the freeze in late November in a bid to draw the Palestinian Authority back to the negotiating table and satisfy the Obama administration’s demand for a halt to settlement building. While the Palestinians have rejected the temporary freeze as an inadequate measure, Israeli authorities have been laboring to enforce it just the same. The question for many Israelis is how far, exactly, the government is willing to go on enforcement. Two weeks ago, Israeli newspapers printed the contents of a leaked Israeli army memo showing detailed plans to demolish illegal buildings under construction in the West Bank, and Israeli Border Police and soldiers reportedly are poised to carry out the demolition orders. The freeze is being enforced “meticulously” and in an “extreme way,” criticized Dani Dayan, head of the Council of Jewish Settlements of Judea and Samaria, the main settler umbrella group. Dayan said Israeli government inspectors have visited every community in the West Bank and “looked with a magnifying glass” to
Miriam Alster / Flash90 / JTA
Jewish settlers protesting the government’s decision to freeze settlement building in the West Bank by breaking a house they built from ice near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s house.
see whether buildings under construction match aerial photographs taken the day after the freeze was announced. (Netanyahu’s freeze allows for 3,500 buildings already going up when the freeze was announced to continue construction.) But an official at Peace Now, which advocates for a full halt to Israeli settlement construction and monitors Jewish growth in the West Bank, said it’s too early to determine whether or not Netanyahu’s freeze order is being enforced. Hagit Ofran, director of Peace Now’s Settlement Watch project, said the proof will be in how the government deals with freeze violations – including those she and Peace Now volunteers say they have seen firsthand in recent visits to Jewish towns in the West Bank. “There are places where construction was halted and places where they did not,” Ofran said. While she praised the freeze as the most dramatic ever by an Israeli government, and noted that it does not distinguish between far-flung settlement outposts and the large settlement blocs near the pre-1967 boundary between Israel and the West Bank, Ofran said Netanyahu’s freeze still doesn’t go far enough. It should have covered construction of any kind and been long term, she said, otherwise construction will resume with lightning speed as soon as the 10 months are up. Netanyahu’s freeze was minimal and done to “satisfy the Americans,” she said. “On the ground, the Palestinians do not see any real change.” But settlers are complaining that the freeze goes too far. Dayan said Israeli authorities are using “a lot of unnecessary force” to
enforce the freeze, and that the halt in construction is causing great personal hardship for Jews living in the West Bank. As an example, Dayan noted that recently married couples in his own community of Maale Shomron
who are ready to build new homes on recently purchased property now must shell out rent for at least 10 more months before they can begin building. Prohibiting work on homes, he said, is a violation of settlers’ “civil rights.”
10
ISRAEL
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
Old kibbutz pins hopes for revival on Conservative Judaism by Ben Harris Jewish Telegraphic Agency KIBBUTZ HANNATON, Israel (JTA) — Over the din of children playing, some 20 people crowded into the home of Aylon and Ravit Samson here on Saturday night for Kibbutz Hannaton’s biweekly communal Havdalah service. While some of Israel’s kibbutzim are in steady decline, 10 mostly young families have arrived at Hannaton since the summer. They are part of a larger group of 20 families aiming to revitalize the country’s only official Conservative kibbutz. “It’s like a dream,” said Linda Samson, Aylon’s aunt and an American. Samson, a 21-year veteran of Hannaton, is one of only a handful of remaining longtime residents. Aylon and Ravit arrived only in the last week. Hannaton was founded in the mid-1980s by a group of Israelis and American immigrants. It was an inauspicious moment to start a kibbutz, as the erosion of the economic and social underpinnings of the kibbutz movement was well under way. At kibbutzim throughout Israel, members were being lured away from the socialist enterprise by the promise of greater freedom and material prosperity. By 2003, Hannaton had fallen into bankruptcy and receivership and was on the cusp of dissolution. In an effort to save the kibbutz, the Masorti movement, the Israeli wing of the worldwide Conservative movement, turned to Yoav Ende, a charismatic young rabbi with a mop of auburn curls. A product of Masorti institutions, Ende saw an opportunity to create a new kind of community in Israel, and he began working his network of contacts to recruit 20 families to settle at Hannaton. The first group began arriving this summer, and Ende hopes to attract as many as 50 more families within a few years. “My vision is to have here a religious, pluralistic, Conservative community that will be on one hand very religious, very connected to its Judaism, and on the other hand very much connected to its society,” Ende said. “We’re here to build a model that if it can be replicated, it can make a statement to Israeli society.” The objectives of the kibbutz’s new cohort are as diverse as their reasons for relocating there. Some have come to escape urban life, others for the chance to shape a tight-knit community from the ground up. Still others have come because the religious offerings
Ben Harris
Rabbi Yoav Ende and his wife, Shira, are one of 10 mostly young couples who are hoping to revitalize Kibbutz Hannaton, Israel’'s only Conservative movement kibbutz.
Kibbutz Hannaton
Rabbi Yoav Ende leading the Havdalah service marking the conclusion of the Sabbath at Kibbutz Hannaton, Jan. 2, 2010.
Ben Harris
Situated on grassy hill overlooking the Eshkol Reservoir in the Lower Galilee, Kibbutz Hannaton is home to the only mikvah in Israel not under the control of the Orthodox rabbinate.
elsewhere in Israel were seen as inadequate. “I lived in a tight community [as a child], and I loved it,” said Jonny Whine, 33, a Briton with roots in the Conservative and Reform movements who moved to Hannaton this summer with his Jerusalem-born wife and their two children. “I couldn’t see any community in Jerusalem that I wanted to be part of.” Hannaton sits atop a modest rise overlooking the Eshkol Reservoir in the Lower Galilee, some 20 miles east of Haifa. Its agricultural ventures include a dairy farm, a chicken coop and a grapefruit orchard. The kibbutz also is home to the only Israeli mikvah, or ritual bath, not under the control of the Orthodox rabbinate, and an educational center that focuses on spirituality, Jewish studies and ecology. In its second incarnation, Hannaton’s various objectives are sometimes hard to pin down, but broadly speaking they encompass a desire to create a pluralistic community animated by a concern for social justice, the environment and Jewish spirituality; to strengthen the ties of Jewish peoplehood between Israel and the Diaspora; and to help shape Israel’s Jewish identity. It is on that last point that the movement’s leadership in Israel has perhaps the most at stake. After laying dormant for some time, questions of religious pluralism in Israel are grabbing headlines again, sparked in large part
by the recent arrest of a Conservative woman for wearing a tallit, or prayer shawl, at the Western Wall. Through its educational programming — Edne says he conceives of the educational center as something akin to a think tank — the kibbutz hopes to have a much broader impact on Israeli society and ultimately on freedom of non-Orthodox religious expression in Israel. “It’s important for Masorti because Masorti is one, and only one, player advocating and working towards implementation of these same values — pluralism, acceptance of other views,” said Emily Levy-Shochat, the recently elected chairwoman of the Masorti movement in Israel. “I think the potential damage for the entire society is so scary. I’m very worried about the base of democracy of this society.” Levy-Shochat sees Hannaton as an important prong of a larger effort to cultivate allies in the struggle for greater pluralism in Israel. But Hannaton has faced challenges right in its own backyard that suggest its model of religious tolerance won’t be spread so easily. Over the High Holidays, the secular community that abuts Hannaton asked a Chabad rabbi to lead its services rather than participate in the egalitarian prayers being held at Kibbutz Hannaton. At the same time, Edne’s suggestion that children in the kindergarten recite a blessing before eating was met with hostility from secular parents who feared religious indoctrination. The conundrum of being seen as both too religious and not religious enough also has bedeviled Conservative Judaism in the United States. But Edne, like many at Hannaton, sees the movement’s ability to juggle both tradition and modernity as a potent model of non-Orthodox Judaism more consonant with the values of Israel’s largely secular population. As a largely home-grown group, the Hannaton newcomers see themselves as uniquely poised to combat the stigma that Conservative Judaism is an American import. “Now we see a second generation of people who grew up here, who are natives,” said Ende, the product of an American father and an Iraqi mother. “It’s just easier for us. We have the culture, the networking. We can’t be delegitimized.” (JTA readers voted Kibbutz Hannaton the winner of the “Where should we send The Wandering Jew?” contest).
SOCIAL LIFE
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
11
AJC'S 2009 COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD —
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R E F UA H S H L E M A H Daniel Eliyahu Daniel ben Tikvah
Murray Kirschner Meir ben Basha
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Mel Fisher Moshe ben Hinda
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CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
AJC'S 2009 COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Guest Speaker David Bernstein, Associate Director, AJC Community Services Dept., with AJC National Board of Governors member Jim Miller
Bill and Arlene Katz with grandchildren Adam Heines, Jessie Heines and Emma Heines
Bill and Arlene Katz received AJC's 2009 Community Service Award. L to R Event Co-chair John Stein, President Patti Heldman, Honorees Bill and Arlene Katz, and Event Co-chair David Wolf
Current and Past AJC Presidents join in honoring Bill and Arlene Katz: L-R John Youkilis, Jim Miller, Patti Heldman, Jay Price and Dr. David Schwartz
14
DINING OUT
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
Izzy’s new store is one-of-a-kind, and one of nine by Bob Wilhelmy Restaurant Reporter Since 1901, when the gregarious Izzy Kadetz ran the first Izzy’s in 1901 in Cincinnati’s downtown, Izzy’s eateries have located in storefront locations. But now that that hundred-year-plus run has been broken by Izzy’s newest store, located at 4766 Redbank Road, just a bit south of Madison Road. “This new location is our first free-standing store, and we built it with a lot of great features that people really will appreciate,” said John Geisen, head of the Izzy’s chain of stores, which now totals nine in the Greater Cincinnati area. One of those features is a driveup service window, located at the back of the building. The inside kitchen and service area has been strategically designed to provide fast delivery of orders to the driveup window, and to the dining area within the restaurant. Another special part of the new location is outdoor dining (for the warm-weather months), where there will be seating for 30 or so guests. And the interior features seating at free-standing tables, along with some counter seating as well. The new store should be open by the time this article appears, or within a few days of that date, based on inspections and whatnot. The key item to remember according to Geisen, however, is that his new location is in the tradition of all the others. “We serve quality up and down our menu. Our corned beef is the very best in the Cincinnati region. It’s the same quality level of the very best you could get in New York, and our sandwiches are big, and a bargain. You go to Indy or Louisville or Chicago or even Dayton (Ohio), and you’d pay $12 or even more for a sandwich like the one we serve (for $6.90). And when you get an Izzy’s corned beef sandwich (or most other sandwiches on the menu), you get our famous potato pancake,” he said. “It’s a lot of food for the money, and you just cannot beat the quality.” Izzy’s has changed its marketing focus to emphasize the Rueben sandwich instead of the corned beef sandwich prized by Jewish patrons. The reason is that younger diners, the 20- and 30-something crowd, have a lesser appreciation for corned beef. “Some in that age group (of gentiles) don’t even know what corned beef is or don’t know if they like it. But they know what a Rueben is, and they know they like a good Rueben, and they know that Izzy’s has a great Rueben sandwich. So that is a shift in emphasis to accommodate the
Greg Roland, executive chef, pulls up a ladle of his prize-winning chicken noodle soup at the floor kettle in the commissary kitchen on Main Street, downtown, where Izzy’s Restaurants’ soups are prepared for all the stores.
market of today, but all the Jewish diners that come to Izzy’s for the great corned beef will find it just like before,” Geisen stated. Izzy’s is one of those memorable restaurant/deli experiences. You go there at lunchtime or in the evening, and the place is hopping: people streaming in and out; a clattery, happy hubbub of diners chomping on those remarkablysized sandwiches. Patrons chew on dill pickles sour enough to cause a pucker; they slap on extra measures of kraut; they enjoy the quality, variety and uniquely fashioned
sandwiches that are not available anywhere on the fast-food circuit. Izzy’s brings out such behavior, according to Geisen, because of a never-ending emphasis his entire team places on quality. “We’re proud of the quality of our corned beef, for instance,” he said. A recent independent test/survey confirmed that quality. For restaurants offering corned beef as a sandwich item, Izzy’s tested 95 percent lean or better. A member of the testing organization said, “…they (Izzy’s) are the leanest meats we’ve seen tested here (in
the Cincinnati market).” Geisen said the testing confirmed what he knew all along. “We’re staying with tradition, making the same great corned beef sandwiches that Izzy’s has always been famous for; making the homemade tuna salad and all the rest; the soups and everything.” “We’re proud of everything we put out there; we look for excellent quality in all areas, from the kraut to the pickles to the baked goods we serve our sandwiches on,” he added. Quality, of course, is essential.
But value is equally important in the sandwich and specialty market. Park yourself behind an Izzy’s corned beef sandwich and you’ll see the value — piled high. It’s the size sandwich you could split with somebody if you wanted to, but more likely, you’ll want to eat the whole thing yourself. It’s $6.90, and when one compares it to eats at other places, it becomes obvious that there’s a lot of good food for the money in an Izzy’s sandwich. And the beef is solid meat, not beef ground up and extended with fillers and additives that detract from nutritional value and wholesomeness. When you go to Izzy’s, there are two items on the menu that you may wish to consider, in the event you can pass up a heaping Izzy’s corned beef sandwich. One is the all-beef salami combo sandwich. It features pesto, red onion and tomato on a sourdough roll, with the ubiquitous potato pancake, for $7.70. The other is the boneless cod sandwich, which is served on rye. The sandwich has been dubbed “The Codfather” of all fish sandwiches, and is considered “too good to be called fish.” It’s a 6ounce cut of cod loin, which then is battered with Izzy’s special and secret blend of seasonings. The cod is $7.95, and served only on Friday at most Izzy’s locations. For a change of pace, try the new trio salad, with homemade chicken, tuna and egg salads, served on a bed of greens with tomatoes and club crackers. It’s $6.95. And for those office lunch or dinner meetings, Izzy’s offers box lunches, sandwich trays, meat and cheese trays, and a whole lot more. These offerings are ideal for both business meetings and social gatherings. Izzy’s restaurants operate on different schedules, depending on location. Call for hours of operation. Izzy’s Famous Corned Beef Deli 800 Elm Street 513-721-4241 612 Main Street 513-241-6246 5098-B Glen Crossing Way Western Hills 513-347-9699 300 Madison Avenue Covington, KY 859-292-0065 1198 Smiley Avenue Forest Park, OH 513-825-3888 8179 Princeton-Glendale Road West Chester, OH 513-942-7800 7625 Beechmont Ave. 513-231-5550 4766 Redbank Road 513-376-6008
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
DINING OUT
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OPINION
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
Point of View
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
by Rabbi James A. Rudin
(RNS) — Religion and sports have always been intertwined, especially when players and coaches use Scripture and prayer in an attempt to gain victory over their rivals. The problem is that while the devil can quote the Bible, so can opposing teams. God is an equal-opportunity sports spectator. In his four amazing years as the University of Florida’s Heismanwinning quarterback, Tim Tebow significantly tightened the knot between faith and football. On game days, Tebow painted Bible verses below his eyes in letters large enough to be seen by the TV audience. Some critics called Tebow’s face-based evangelism improper, worried that they could pave the way for athletes from other religious and political groups to decorate their faces and uniforms with their own favorite texts or symbols. In Florida’s loss to Alabama for the SEC championship, Tebow had John 16:33 on his face: “... In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Unfortunately, No.2 Alabama also overcame the No. 1 Gators by a score of 32-13. As Florida crushed Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl on New Years Day, Tebow chose a less triumphant selection, Ephesians 2:8-10: “... For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ...” Maybe the more modest words did the trick as Florida battered Cincinnati, 51-24. Tebow’s super-facial use of Scripture set me thinking how his example might be applied to other individuals and teams: Brett Favre, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback, recently
(Rabbi Rudin, the American Jewish Committee’s senior interreligious adviser, is the author of “The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right’s Plans for the Rest of Us.”)
Do you have something to say? E-mail your letter to editor@americanisraelite.com
Dear Editor, I want to personally thank Gerald Schwartz for the compliments he paid me in his editorial of Thursday Dec. 31 2009. I have worked hard to be a far right fundamentalist, G-d fearing, gun toting, tea partier. I do take exception and am highly offended to his reference to me as a “skin head”. I have a full head of hair! Actually, I am a scalp donor. In the event of my accidental death the back of my drivers license states that “if in need, Gerald can have a scalp transplant” from me. I do come from a family of “skin heads” My father is bald and both of my brothers are missing much of their hair. I did escape that mold to become the person I am today. Gerald, in the future, please refer to me as a “G-d fearing, gun toting fundamentalist, HAIR HEAD”. I also want to thank him for comparing me to the far right fundamentalists in Israel (army veterans, jewelers, West Bank residents , all card carrying gun permit holders). It makes me proud to be considered “of the ilk” of Israeli Military Veterans etc, because I am a conceal and carry permit holder. The following is an outline of Israeli law as translated by Rabbi Mermelstein describing Gerald's “ilk”, “Firearms in Israel,” who commented, “Enjoy reading the translation as much as I enjoyed translating the document!In liberty, Rabbi R. Mermelstein
The Israel Dept. of the Interior makes notification to the general public the requirements necessary for the obtaining of a permit to possess a firearm: 1. Applicant must be a permanent resident of Israel for 3 consecutive years prior to making application for a firearms permit. 2. Applicant must be 21 years of age. 3. The permit request must be for personal use, not to engage in the business of firearms sales. 4. Applicant must fall into one of the following categories: a. Part-time reservist (volunteer) for 3 years- may own 1 handgun b. Such a reservist (volunteer) is a member of a gun club- may own 1rifle c. Professional, licensed public transportation driver, transporting a minimum of 5 passengers- may own 1 handgun d. Licensed animal control officer- may own 2 hunting rifles, *not*full automatic weapons, or semi-automatic weapons with a limited capacity magazine. e. Full-time dealer of jewelry or large sums of cash or valuablesmay own 1 handgun West Bank and Gaza Strip Settlers: 1. A resident in a militarily strategic buffer zone, essential to the security of the State of Israelmay own 1 handgun 2. A business owner in these geographic areas- may own 1
handgun Veterans: 1. Veterans of the Regular Army honorably discharged with the rank of non-commissioned officer, and veterans of the Reserve Army with the rank of regimental commander- may own 1 handgun 2. Retired law enforcement officers with the rank of sergeantmay own 1handgun 3. Retired prison guards with the rank of squadron commandermay own 1handgun Individuals: Upon presenting documentation that one is about to receive a souvenir, a prize, an inheritance, or an award of appreciation from the Israeli military. Finally, in closing, it is always entertaining to watch liberals go up in flames when presented with facts. Facts confuse and befuddle liberals. We often hear their battle cry “DON'T CONFUSE ME WITH THE FACTS”. Please reread my editorial about Tarp money, Obama, Hitler and Henry Ford. It is 100% factual, and forms no opinion about Obama. I left the opinion for the reader to decide. Liberalism is a mental disorder. Help is available. (oopps, there I go again). Also of interest to some is the following organization: Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, Inc. Paul Glassman Deerfield Township
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE of this week’s Torah portion This Week’s Portion: Va'era (Shmot 6:2—9:35) 1. What unusual environment did the frogs occupy in Egypt during the plague of frogs a.) Pharaoh's palace b.) Houses of idolatry c.) Ovens 2. Was one of the ten plagues brought by the weather? a.) Yes b.) No 3. Which animals ran wild through Egypt during the fourth plague? a.) All types b.) Birds
c.) Reptiles d.) Mammmals 4. How many days did Moshe request that Pharaoh let the Children of Israel leave for? a.) Three days b.) Forty nine days c.) Forty years d.) Forever 5. How much ash did Moshe take from a furnace to start the plague of boils? a.) Fistful b.) bucket full c.) Small pinch of ash
Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise
1. C 7:28,29 The frogs were over all of Egypt. Verse 28 specifically says Pharaoh's house. However, frogs do not usually inhabit ovens. 2. A 9:19,23 The hail was attached to fire, to show that opposites joined together to do the will of Hashem. Rashi 3. A Rashi says all sorts of wild animals, including snakes and scorpions. Alternatively, they were foxes 4. A 8:23 5. A 9:8
Skin-deep evangelism on the gridiron
turned 40, an advanced age in the NFL. As he prepares for the playoffs, Favre might want to paste these biblical words on his helmet: “And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside. Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing.” (Psalm 71:9). For fervent New York Mets fans (including me) who are crushed every year by the team’s failure to win a divisional championship, God’s words to Joshua should be recited before each of the Mets’ 162 games: “Be strong and of good courage” (Joshua 1:6). The NBA’s New Jersey Nets set a league record this season by losing their first 18 games in a row. Although the Nets finally broke the horrific streak, they remain trapped as prisoners in the NBA’s Atlantic Division cellar. Even the call of Zachariah 9:12 to be “prisoners of hope” may not be enough for the hapless Nets. Then again, it can’t hurt. For decades the University of Notre Dame football team was a national icon and a gridiron dynasty. But during the past three seasons, the once mighty “Fighting Irish” have won only 16 games and lost 20. 2 Samuel 1:27 has the best description of that decline: “How the mighty have fallen.” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” describes how the letter “A” was on the breast of Hester Prynne who was ostracized in colonial Massachusetts for adultery. While we no longer banish adulterers — indeed, sometimes we idolize them — I do have a modest proposal. If and when Tiger Woods returns to the professional golf tour, he may want to place a specific verse — Exodus 20:14 — on his cap instead of his initials. The same verse could also serve a useful purpose for former Sen. John Edwards, Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and former New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer. The words of that verse from Exodus? In the immortal words of Yankees manager Casey Stengel, “You could look it up.”
Answers
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
JEWISH LIFE
MODERN ORTHODOX SERVICE
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Daily Minyan for Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv, Shabbat Morning Service and Shalosh Seudas.
Sedra of the Week by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Kiddush follows Shabbat Morning Services
RABBI HANAN BALK & ASSISTANT RABBI STUART LAVENDA
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Parshat Va’eira Exodus. 6:2-9:35
Efrat, Israel — “I shall bring you to the land about which I raised my hand (in oath) to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; And I shall give it to you as a heritage — I am Hashem” (Genesis 6:8) The most famous source for the four cups of wine which we drink at the Passover Seder is found in our Biblical portion of Va'eira which cites four expressions of redemption: “I will free you from under the burdens of the Egyptians (the killing of the male babies), and I will rescue you from their work (the actual enslavement), I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments (the ten plagues and the splitting of the Reed Sea); I shall take you to Me for a nation and I shall be for you as a G-d (in your ability to survive the Egyptian rigors and experience the Revelation at Sinai); and I shall bring you to the land…” (Exodus 6:6-8). Even someone with a minimal background in mathematics will readily count five — and not four — expressions of redemption. What happened to the fifth cup? The simplest explanation is that because of the sin of the spies, the slave-desert generation did not make it to the Land of Israel. Moreover, the very compilation of the Passover Haggadah took place in Babylon after the destruction of the Second Temple. The mystical, magical night of the seder opens with the declaration, “Here is the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate in the Land of Egypt ... Now we are here, next year may we be in the Land of Israel. Now we are slaves, next year may we be free”. Since we were living in exile, it hardly made sense to drink a fifth cup of wine marking our return to our ancestral homeland; we weren’t there! Nevertheless, there are still five expressions of redemption in the bible! Therefore the custom developed to have a special fifth cup for Elijah the prophet who will eventually return to earth as the herald of redemption. From this perspective, we can readily understand why — once we have, with G-d’s help, been privileged to attain sovereignty over our Jewish homeland — Rav Menachem Kasher (Torah
Shleimah, Divrei Menahem) has endorsed re-instituting the fifth cup to be poured right before Hallel HaGadol in accordance with the view of many of the Gaonim and Rishonim (see Otzar HaGaonim and Rishonim to B.T. Pesahim 118a, variant readings to Mishnah Pesahim 10:5, Maimonides, Laws of Hametz and Matzah 8,10, as well as my own interpretation in A Haggadah Happening). At this stage in history, when we have returned to our land but not yet rebuilt the Holy Temple, it is particularly appropriate to pour the fifth cup for universal redemption of world peace for which we all yearn. One question remains, however, especially for those of us who do pour and drink a fifth cup. Why do we also continue to pour the cup for Elijah right before Grace after Meals? We've returned to our homeland, we anxiously await the universal redemption; these ideals are imbedded in the fifth cup. Why the cup for Elijah? What does it add? Natan Sharansky is a genuine hero of our time, a prisoner of Zion held captive in the gulag behind the Iron Curtain of Soviet Russia, rescued by the indefatigable efforts of his beloved and courageous wife Avital and the grassroots Soviet Jewry movement which developed in the 60's and 70's. He became a minister in the Israeli government and is a celebrated author and international spokesman on behalf of freedom, democracy and morality. A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of attending his daughter's wedding at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel in Jerusalem. At the conclusion of the marriage ceremony, just before the breaking of the glass, Natan reminisced about his own wedding ceremony, which occurred thirty-four years previously. “It took place in a one-room apartment in Moscow, behind closed doors and shuttered windows, with only a quorum of ten men including myself and the rabbi. A sheet served as a marriage canopy and, with the exception of the rabbi, no one really understood the meaning behind the ritual. But then, when the glass was shattered underfoot, everyone understood. We all understood destruction and mourning, we all understood Jewish victimization
and sacrifice”. Then, when that very night Natan was taken from his bride by the KGB (Soviet Secret Police), everyone understood even better… “But now,” asked Natan, “that we are miraculously standing under this nuptial canopy with our daughter and son-in-law here in Jerusalem, in sight of the Temple Mount, why should we still break the glass?” Addressing the young couple, Natan magnificently answered his own question: “Your task, Micha and Rachel, is more difficult than ours was. We had to get to Jerusalem, but you have to protect and preserve Jerusalem. You have to protect and preserve the indelible connection between Jerusalem below and Jerusalem above. You have to protect and preserve the prophetic dream of Jerusalem, the City of World Peace…” I would submit that Natan's charge goes one step further. The Bible opens with the words, “In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth”, and the Book of Exodus opens with G-d’s five promises of redemption. Our Bible ends with the words, “Thus said Cyrus, King of Persia. Hashem, G-d of Heaven, has commanded me to build Him a Temple in Jerusalem which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of His entire people, may go to fulfill this task. May Hashem his G-d be with him”. (Second Book of Chronicles 36:23) G-d created an incomplete, imperfect world and promised redemption. We, who are created in His image, must complete and perfect His world, build His Temple, and realize redemption. Elijah the Prophet must pave the way for King Messiah, and during the Seder we must open the door and let Elijah in. In Grace after Meals, we thank G-d for the bread, but we understand that before we can eat, we must first develop the agricultural processes and work hard in order to produce the food. “They (the people) must build for Me a Temple so that I may dwell in their midst”. (Exodus 25: 8) The cup of Elijah reminds us of our crucial role in the path to redemption. Shabbat Shalom Shlomo Riskin Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone Chief Rabbi — Efrat Israel
Celebrating 125 years in Cincinnati and 10 years at Cornell. 8100 Cornell Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45249 (513) 489-3399 • www.ohavshalom.org
3100 LONGMEADOW LANE • CINCINNATI, OH 45236 791-1330 • www.templesholom.net Richard Shapiro, Interim Rabbi Marcy Ziek, President Gerry H. Walter, Rabbi Emeritus Friday January 15 8:00 pm Shabbat Evening Service Martin Luther King Shabbat with the choir
Friday January 22 6:30 pm Sholom Unplugged Musical Shabbat – A light dinner will follow the service
Saturday January 16 10:30 am Shabbat Morning Service
Saturday January 23 10:00 am Transition Shabbaton including worship, lunch and discussions
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JEWZ IN THE NEWZ
Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist ELI’S COMING Opening on Friday, Jan. 15 is the film “The Book of Eli.” Will Smith stars as Eli, a survivor of a war that virtually destroyed America. Thirty years after the war, Eli wanders the bleak landscape, fending off brutal thieves. Eli possesses a secret that could lead to mankind’s redemption. Only Carnegie (Gary Oldman) the despot of a town populated by thieves and gunmen, knows about Eli’s potential power. Carnegie’s stepdaughter, played by MILA KUNIS, 26, is drawn to Eli—he represents the outside world that she never experienced and would like to know. NEW ON THE TUBE Actor and comedian KEVIN POLLAK, 52, is the host of the new Fox game show, “Our Little Genius.” Real life child geniuses compete for a chance to win up to $500,000. The child picks the category of knowledge that he wants to be asked questions about. The format is similar to “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” in that the contestant can lose almost all they won if they opt to go on and fail to answer a more difficult, “bigger money” question. However, in “Genius,” the child’s parents make the decision to answer a more difficult question or walk away with their child’s winnings. The show’s producers say they don’t believe, as some critics have charged, that the young geniuses will be harmed by the high-pressure atmosphere. [As this item was going to press, it was announced that the show will not premiere on Jan. 13 because some contestants got advance info — if not actual answers. The show's producer said they will will make new episodes; but no new show premiere date has been set]. AWARDS SEASON — THE GLOBES START IT OFF The Golden Globe awards, for excellence in film and American TV, are being presented on NBC on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 8PM. The Globes have a reputation as being more relaxed and “fun” than the Oscars — and they are also viewed as a reasonable predictor of Oscar nominations. Here are the Jewish nominees in the film acting categories: MICHAEL STUHLBARG, who played a troubled Jewish college professor in the COEN brothers’ film, “A Serious Man,” is nominated for best actor in a musical or comedy film. He competes in this category with JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT (“500 Days of Summer”). But they are likely to beaten-out by either Daniel Day-
Lewis (“Nine”) or Robert Downey, Jr. (“Sherlock Holmes”). The latter two actors have “some Jewish ties.” Day-Lewis’ mother is Jewish, but he was baptized an Anglican. Downey, whose paternal grandfather was Jewish, has referred to himself as “Jewish” or “half Jewish” since he married Jewish film producer, SUSAN LEVIN, in a Jewish ceremony in 2005. Turning to the TV Globes: JULIANNE MARGULIES (“The Good Wife”) and KYRA SEDGWICK (“The Closer”) vie for the Globe for best actress in a TV drama; LEA MICHELLE (“Glee”) is nominated for best actress in a comedy or musical TV series; DAVID DUCHOVNY (“Californication”) is nominated for best actor in a TV comedy or musical series; and JEREMY PIVEN (“Entourage”) is nominated for best supporting actor in a comedy or musical series. TUNE ZANE OUT Billy Zane, 43, is a “mid-level” actor whose best known for playing Kate Winslet’s nasty and very rich fiancé in “Titanic.” Zane co-stars in the new ABC drama series, “The Deep End,” which starts next Thursday. In short, it’s another show about a law firm. Only 7 episodes have been made, so ABC is not that high on this series. For the first time — I am telling my readers NOT to watch a program and you should seriously think about e-mailing ABC and telling them you will not watch for the following reasons: Perhaps some of you remember hearing about the 2006 Turkish film, “Valley of the Wolves.” The Wall Street Journal called the film a modern “Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” In “Wolves,” Zane played a sadistic, fundamentalist Christian, American army officer who happily orders his troops to commits multiple atrocities, including killing Arab civilians. Has-been actor Gary Busey co-starred as an American Jewish doctor who harvested the organs of Zane’s Muslim victims for sale to buyers in New York and Tel Aviv (!) This viciously anti-Semitic film had the biggest budget in Turkish film history and made a lot of money in Turkey. No doubt, a big part of that budget went to paying Busey and Zane’s salaries. The duo refused to answer American media questions about why they made the film — but “cash” is the obvious answer. Because the film got no release in the States, and only a brief flurry of domestic publicity, Zane and Busey haven’t paid any career price for their abominable decision to act in “Wolves.” Here’s hoping Zane’s new show goes down the drain.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
FROM THE PAGES 100 Years Ago Mrs. Sarah Heilbrun and her son, Eli, have gone East to visit relatives The old private bank of S. Kuhn & Sons has transferred its deposits to the Third-Fifth Bank .and gone out of business. Nathan Wolfstein, an old and respected citizen, died at the residence of his son, Alex Wolfstein, Burnett avenue, Avondale, on Thursday, Jan. 6. He was 77 years
old and his name has been identified with the business interests of Cincinnati for many years. The funeral occurred on Sunday morning to Clifton Cemetery, Rabbi Jacob Mielziner officiating. The marriage of Miss Rose Miriam Wolf, of Piqua, O., formerly of this city, to Mr. Felix A. Levy occurred Jan 10 at the Cincinnati Club, Rabbi Emanuel
Kahn, of Grand Rapids, Mich., brother-in-law of the bride, officiating. The out-of-town guests were the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Wolf, Sam J. Wolf and Miss Ruth Silberberg, of Piqua; Mr. and Mrs. Herman Marx and family, of Troy; Rabbi and Mrs. Emanuel Kahn an son, of Grand Rapids, Mich.; Morris Fauth, of Clinton, Ill.; Herman Joseph of Louisville. — January 13, 1910
75 Years Ago On Saturday, Jan.12, Mr. and Mrs. S.A. Waxman surprised their son, Stanley J., with a dinner dance at the Hotel Gibson in honor of his 21st birthday. Covers were laid for 21. Guests included the Misses Natalie Auer, Alice Silverstein, Lorna Doone Newman, Ernestine Wechsler, Ginerva Venable, Laurette Fillbrandt, Betty Feldman, Jeanne Benedict and Mary Rose Thuman and Messrs. Julian Waxman, Walter Seinsheimer, Marvin Felheim, Louis Levy, David Feldman, Edward
Woliver, Jac Greenfield, Richard Bluestein and Abner Waxman. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Mayerson, 3770 Reading Road, will be at home Sunday, Jan. 27th, from 7 until 11 p.m., in honor of the bar mitzvah of their son, Manuel. Barnett Nathan, 71, retired clothing manufacturer, 3564 Bogart Avenue, passed away suddenly after a heart attack Tuesday morning, Jan. 15th at his home. He was treasurer of Keneseth
Israel Congregation and active in Jewish philanthropic organizations. Mr. Nathan is survived by his wife, Mrs. Celia Nathan; four daughters, Mesdames Louis Rubenstein, Benjamin Robinson, Roy D. Pastor and Miss Rose Nathan; and by four sons, Philip, Louis, Abraham and Isadore. Services were held at the home Wednesday, Jan. 16th, with internment at Covedale Cemetery, Price Hill. — January 17, 1935
50 Years Ago Mrs. Hilma Jelenko Mayer, 83, passed away Saturday, Jan. 9, She lived at the Vernon Manor. Mrs. Mayer was the widow of Albert J. Mayer, Sr., former president of the Ohio Real Estate Board. She is survived by two sons, Albert J. Mayer, Jr., and Carl A. Mayer; a sister, Miss Mellie Jelenko of Cincinnati; a brother, Maurice Jelenko, of St. Louis; four grandchildren and one great grandchild. Herbert R. Bloch, Jr., has accepted the chairmanship of the
Men’s Committee of the Thrift Shops of the Council of Jewish Women, Mrs. A. Edgar Aub, Thrift Shops board chairman, announced. In accepting the chairmanship, Mr. Bloch congratulated the Thrift Shop on its 20th year of operation, He added: “For many years, I have been impressed with the ingenuity and effort shown by the volunteers who manage the Thrift Shop. The income from its sales lends valuable assistance to a wide variety of social service programs, which would otherwise not be possible. I
feel sure that the community will continue to encourage the members of the National Council of Jewish Women and to increase support of this worthy operation.” Honorary Men’s Committee chairmen include: Thomas C. Adler, Harold Baron, Norbert Covy, Joseph Harris, George B. Jacobs, Fred Lazarus III, Harry D. Liebschutz, Arnold Mann, Charles Messer, Sidney Meyers, George W. Rosenthal, Arthur Silver, John Stark, Philip Steiner, Sidney Weil, Harry J. Weisbaum, Herman Weiss. — January 14, 1960
25 Years Ago William Kahn and Nancy Gildenblatt Kahn announce the birth of a daughter, Ilycia Mallory, Dec. 26. Maternal grandparents are Jule and Roslyn Gildenblatt. Paternal grandparents are Sylvan and Judith Kahn. Paternal great-grandmother is Mrs. Fannie Kahn. Erhard Weltman of 875 Lafayette Avenue passed away Jan. 3. He is survived by his wife, Hilda; a daughter, Marianne Weltman of
Seattle, Wash.; two stepdaughters, Dr. Margot Wegner of Youngstown and Ruth Cook of Cincinnati; a stepson, Gerson Lichtenbeg of Union, N.J.; seven grandchildren and four nieces. Members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will share the limelight in “Serenade Judaica,” an evening devoted to classical music based on Jewish themes this Sunday, Jan.13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. David Loebel, CSO assistant
conductor, will provide the narration and Sylvia Samis, CSO assistant concertmaster, will be the violin soloist for “Serenade Judaica,” the second program in the 1984-85 Jewish Culture Series. Other members of the CSO participating in the Jan. 13 program are Dorothy Hammons, piano; Michelle Edgar Maxwell, violin; Ronald Arron, viola; Susan MarshallPetersen, cello; Thomas Legrand, clarinet. — January 10, 1985
10 Years Ago Michael Rabkin, Program Director for Hillel at the University of California San Diego in La Jolla, received the “1999 Exemplar of Excellence Award” at the Shusterman Hillel International Staff Conference Gala Banquet held Dec. 23 in Princeton, NJ. Mr. Rabkin, son of Barbara and Morton Rabkin, graduated from Cincinnati Country Day School and the University of Colorado where he was president of the Boulder Hillel.
John and Jennifer Stein announce the birth of their daughter, Kathryn Campbell “Kate” on December 2. The grandparents are Jacob and Polly Stein and Philip Smith of New York and the late Phyllis Campbell Smith. Dr. Alfred Gottschalk, chancellor of Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion, assumed the responsibilities of President of the Museum of Jewish
Heritage, on January 1, 2000. Located in Battery Park, the Museum, opened to the Public in September 1997, serves as a memorial to the Holocaust through educational exhibitions of photographs, artifacts, and documentary films. Poised on the verge of expansion, with a new East Wing in its planning stage, the museum will provide opportunity for Gottschalk’s leadership to shape its open-ended future. — January 13, 2000
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
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References. Insured.
ZIMMERMAN from page 1 the thousands of Palestinians who worked in them could retain their jobs. Even former head of the World Bank, James Wolfensohn supported the effort, with $500,000 of his own money. Some 800 of the original 4,000 greenhouses were rendered unusable by Gaza residents who vandalized them once they took over. The area was settled originally for security reasons to bolster defenses against Egypt and to protect nearby Israeli towns, such as Sderot, from rocket and mortar attacks. Beginning in 1987, the area came under attack in the Palestinians uprisings, Intifadas. The settlements suffered thousands of attacks, including more than 6000 from mortar and Qassam rockets. Two of the most publicized incidents in Gush Katif were the murder of a pregnant woman and her four daughters ages 2 to 11, and the bombing of a school bus that left two children dead and several injured seriously. The original evacuation was in August 2005. Now four and onehalf years later, the settlers are still struggling for homes and livelihoods. Early this year,on Jan. 7, 2010, Arutz Sheva reported that former fishermen from Gush Katif were working with a Knesset oversight subcommittee about being considered “fishing criminals” as a result of the evacuation. Said their representative, Udi Kfir, “Even before the disengagement, we asked the government to help us. Four years later, we still have no permanent place in the sea. We are unable to support our families.” In July 2008, Ynet carried a story about the how evacuees were faring, based on research performed by the Maagar Mohot Institute. They reported that 81 percent of evacuees lived in temporary housing with 44 percent expecting to wait another two years and 67 percent reporting dissatisfaction
with their temporary residences. Another finding was that 50 percent of evacuees were unemployed and thought their prospects for work force re-entry were poor. Of those unemployed, 31 percent had been in agriculture. Financially, 70 percent of the participants reported their financial situation was significantly worse than before the evacuation and 15 percent reported they were supported by relatives or friends. The financial assistance given to the evacuees by the government was considered insufficient by many: 69 percent reported they thought their financial compensation would not be enough to build permanent housing, and 24 percent reported that they were using those funds for daily subsistence. Overall, 37 percent of the evacuees reported their situation as “bad” or “very bad.” Health, both physical and emotional, was affected as well. Just under half of the evacuees reported health problems related to the disengagement and nearly 30 percent reported worsening family relationships. The experience turned many children of evacuees against the government and the IDF: the survey reported 96 percent were hurt and disappointed by the attitudes of politicians and decision makers and 42 percent reported a changed attitude by their children towards joining the IDF. Approximately 90 percent of study participants reported feeling that there was no one to talk to. Since June 2005, before the evacuation was implemented, JNFKKL and the Or Movement moved evacuees to various new communities south of Ashkelon, a seaport north of the Gaza strip as well as various communities in the Negev. Two of the newer communities in the Negev are located in Halutza Sands, south of the Gaza strip along the Egyptian border. In Nov. 2006, the towns were opened with a ceremony attended by Shimon Peres and then Prime ZIMMERMAN on page 22
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TRAVEL
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
2009: The year in retrospect Wandering Jew
by Janet Steinberg Travel Editor “Life is a great big canvas,” said the late Jewish entertainer Danny Kaye, “throw all the paint on it you can.” As I look back on 2009, I realize I threw a lot of paint on my canvas this past year. The year of 2009 sailed me around the Caribbean, Baltic, and North Seas. It was a year in which I tasted life…from beer and cheese in Milwaukee, to champagne and caviar in Russia. Hop aboard my magic carpet of travel as I share with you a few of 2009s favorite things. CARIBBEAN CRUISE: In the luxury of our Regent Seven Seas Navigator suite, the magnificent RSSC Navigator sailed us to paradisiacal ports with names like Aruba, Curacao, Dominica, Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Croix, and St. Lucia. Sipping champagne as we sailed from sunset to sunset on the turquoise Caribbean was the perfect escape from a frigid March in Cincinnati. EUROPEAN CRUISE: Seabourn Cruise Line’s Seabourn Pride cruise to Scandinavia and Russia, was a perfect ending for summer 2009. As exciting as our visit to places like Copenhagen, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Tallinn were, the destinations becomes almost incidental when sailing Seabourn Cruise Line. It is the superb Seabourn cruise experience that counts. RESORT: The American Club, in Kohler Wisconsin, is a worldclass resort for all seasons. Unequaled in variety and quality by any other Midwestern resort, its recreational options include swimming tennis, bicycling, hiking, horse back riding, jogging, trap shooting, hunting, fishing, canoeing, crosscountry skiing, golfing, spa-ing, dining, factory touring, and shopping. DOMESTIC LUXURY HOTEL: I could easily take up permanent residence at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. My room, in this landmark of refined comfort, came complete with unrivaled views of Lake Michigan and the city. From the Four Seasons you can shop ‘til you drop without ever going outdoors, or venture outdoors to a plethora of chic North Michigan Avenue shops. FOREIGN LUXURY HOTEL: The elegant Grand Hotel Stockholm, opened in 1874, is Scandinavia’s leading hotel. Don’t leave Stockholm without indulging
in the Veranda Restaurant’s traditional Swedish smorgasbord. Wash down the herring with Grand Hotel’s own 1874 Grand Aquavit, produced for the hotel’s 125th anniversary in 1999. HISTORIC LUXURY HOTEL: Brown Palace Hotel, open every day since August 12, 1892, is Denver, Colorado’s only 4star, 4-diamond hotel. This triangular architectural gem, with its magnificent 8-story atrium, has played host to presidents, princes, kings, queens, and discriminating travelers since the 19th century, and it is still Denver’s landmark hotel. DOMESTIC VALUEPRICED HOTEL: Embassy Suites Ft. Lauderdale, my Florida homeaway-from-home on the 17th Street Causeway, is one of the best bargains in Southeast Florida. Included in its reasonable room rates are: complimentary, full cooked-to-order breakfasts, nightly, complimentary Manager’s Reception with open bar and snacks, and complimentary use of fitness and business centers. SPA: The Kohler Waters Spa, at the American Club, is an elegant, classically styled haven for relaxation with a particular emphasis on innovative water treatments. Although the spa menu of services features an extensive list of distinctive water treatments, it was there that I received one of the best facials and massages ever. DOMESTIC MUSEUM: The Milwaukee Museum of Art’s breathtaking extension, designed by Jewish Architect Santiago Calatrava, was Calatrava’s first project in the US. This transparent, light pavilion is a graceful, sculptural, postmodern building with a vaulted 90-foot-high glass ceiling and a moveable sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan that unfolds and folds twice daily. FOREIGN MUSEUM: Seabourn Pride’s Russia/ Scandinavia cruise gave me the opportunity to visit the new zigzag building of Berlin’s Jewish Museum designed by renowned Jewish architect Daniel Libeskind. This thought-provoking museum has three main underground corridors: the Axis of Emigration, the Axis of the Holocaust, and the Axis of Continuity. FOREIGN BAR: In Copenhagen, Denmark, I experienced the coolest bar in the world. Literally! At Hotel 27’s Icebar, the world’s first permanent ice bar, the temperature is minus-5°C all year round. The entire interior is made from 100% pure, clear ice. Before entering the bar, you are garbed in a warm, hooded cape and gloves. Once inside, you’ll receive an ice-cool feeling of exhilaration along with a drink served in a glass made of ice. DOMESTIC BAR: The chic watering hole called Branded is
Denver’s triangular Brown Palace Hotel, is a historical architectural gem.
located in the Iron Horse Hotel in Milwaukee’s historic warehouse district. The transformation of a 100-year-old downtown warehouse into a modern luxury boutique hotel now delivers a classic Milwaukee bar experience. FOREIGN LUNCH: Cap Horn in Copenhagen, Denmark’s Nyhavn district is tied for the honors with Café Klint on Denmark’s Bornholm Island. At Cap Horn, I devoured a lunch of Place, a freshly caught fish straight from the fish auction in Northern Denmark. At Café Klint I was introduced to Sol over Gudhjem, (Sun over Gudhjem) a raw egg yolk plopped over smoked herring. Divine! DOMESTIC LUNCH: The Signature Room at the 95th, atop Chicago’s Hancock Building, is
“the restaurant Chicago looks up to”. The elegant art deco interior created an inviting and intimate atmosphere, while the floor-to-ceiling windows exhibited the stunning Chicago skyline and 360-degree views of the entire city. FOREIGN DINNER: Thanks to Seabourn Pride’s evening at the Imperial Russian Court in St. Petersburg, Russia, I relived the magnificence of Imperial Russia during an unforgettable “Evening at Catherine Palace.” A champagne reception and delicious Russian dinner was followed by a colorful folkloric performance. DOMESTIC DINNER: CHouse, in Chicago’s Affinia Hotel offers a balance of tradition and adventure, refinement and simplicity. The interesting selection of
The American Club, in the tiny town of Kohler, Wisconsin is a hidden gem in America's heartland.
small plates is a refreshing change from standard entrees. AFTERNOON TEA: The long-standing tradition of ‘taking tea’ at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, Colorado, has been cherished by guests for more than a century. Served in the magnificent atrium lobby, teatime comes complete with pianist or harpist, homemade scones, pastries, tea sandwiches, and Devonshire cream shipped directly from England. HOTELIER: If hotel management were a movie, Embassy Suites Ft. Lauderdale’s personable Jewish hotel manager Don Friedman would win the Oscar. Don runs a tight ship, but is loved and respected by his employees. Don’t be surprised if you see him moving a piece of furniture, or clearing tables during the complimentary breakfast. Whatever needs to be done, Don sees that it gets done immediately…if not sooner. TRAVEL LUGGAGE: Thanks to Travelpro I can travel like George Clooney! Travelpro, the inventor of Rollaboard® wheeled luggage and the company that provided luggage for Clooney’s new film “Up in the Air”, has come up with another way to help avoid rising checked-baggage fees. The 22-inch Travelpro Maxlite™ Rollaboard is lightweight (well under 8 pounds) and durable. Its honeycomb frame is covered in a nylon fabric with DuraGuard. Little wonder that Travelpro is the awardwinning choice of flight crews. CULTURAL OPERA-TUNITY: The 89th Summer Season of the Cincinnati Opera at historic Music Hall thrilled audiences with four spectacular productions all focused on Spain. The inspiring Spanishthemed 2009 season opened with Mozart’s brilliant comedic opera, “The Marriage of Figaro”. It was followed by Verdi’s “Don Carlo and Golijov’s “Ainadamar. The season closed with a spectacular performance of Bizet’s “Carmen”, a love story doomed from the start. EUROPEAN SYNAGOGUE: Thanks to the Seabourn Pride’s port stop in Tallinn, Estonia, we were able to visit the splendid new Tallinn Synagogue. During W.W.II, all Jews — as well as all synagogues in Estonia — were destroyed. The new Synagogue symbolizes the living miracle of the Jewish people. CARIBBEAN SYNAGOGUE: On our recent Regent Seven Seas Navigator cruise to the enchanting Dutch island of Curacao our first stop was the Mikve Israel-Emanuel, the oldest synagogue (1732) in continuous use in the Western hemisphere. Exuding an age-old tranquility, its floor is carpeted in white sand. Mikve Israel-Emanuel is Curacao’s major tourist attraction. (Janet Steinberg is an award-winning Travel Writer and a Travel Consultant.)
AUTOS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
21
Audi’s 2010 luxury crossover: The Q5
2010 Audi Q5
Compact luxury crossover SUVs like the 2010 Audi Q5 are becoming almost commonplace in today’s market. The Audi Q5 offers a peppy V6 and the suspension from the A4 sport sedan, making it an enjoyable ride. The Q5’s wheelbase is identical to the A4’s, along with the Quattro all-wheel drive system. The Q5’s elevated seating position gives the driver carlike handling and a great view. The 2010 Audi Q5 is a five-passenger compact crossover SUV available in three trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige. Standard equipment on the Premium includes 18-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, eight-way power front seats, trizone automatic climate control, Audi’s MMI with dash-mounted controls, and a 10-speaker stereo with a CD/MP3 player. At the Premium Plus level, the buyer also gets xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, autodimming and power-folding mirrors, a power liftgate, heated front seats, driver memory functions, a panorama sunroof, Bluetooth and an iPod interface. The top of the line Prestige add 19-inch wheels, keyless ignition/entry, a blind-spot warning system and a Bang & Olufsen 14-speaker surround-sound stereo (also optional on Premium Plus). Every 2010 Audi Q5 features standard Quattro all-wheel drive and a 3.2-liter V6 engine that produces 270 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is the only available transmission. The Q5 goes from zero to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds. Fuel economy estimates are 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined. The Q5 has a towing capacity of 4,400 pounds. Standard safety features on the 2010 Audi Q5 include stability and traction control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. Rear side airbags are optional. The government’s crash test ratings gave the Q5 a perfect five-
star rating for front and side impacts. Likewise, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rated the Q5 as “good” (its highest rating) in similar tests. The Q5’s interior design and high-quality construction are second to none. The center stack controls are tilted toward the driver. The rear seats in the Q5 slide and recline, unlike those in competing models. Folding the rear seats flat provides 57 cubic feet of cargo space. The Q5’s 3.2-liter V6 coupled with the six-speed automatic delivers smooth and powerful acceleration. The 3.2 liter V-6 produces 270 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. The optional Audi Drive Select system allows the driver to choose among three different driving modes and to choose custom settings in a fourth “individual” mode. Available accessories include: a luggage basket to hold luggage firmly in place; stainless steel running boards; an umbrella holder; an accessory case for storing small, loose items; a towing hitch; and premium floor mats. Five different wheel designs are available; they are: 18” ten-spoke V-design wheels; 19” five-arm wheels; 20” five-arm wheels; 20” five-tri-spoke wheels; and 20” tenspoke chrome wheels. Options include Audi MMI Navigation Plus; a thermo cup holder; Bang and Olufsen Sound System; Audi’s advanced parking system with a rear-view camera; the two-piece Panarama sunroof; Bluetooth connectivity; and heated front seats. The standard interior has dark brown walnut wood inlay, with natural fine grain ash wood available as an option. Also available is a brushed aluminum inlay. The 2010 Audi Q5 is available in seven different exterior colors: Quartz Gray, Deep Sea Blue, Meteor Gray, Garnet Red, Ice Silver, Ibis White, and Brilliant Black. The 2010 Audi Q5 has an MSRP starting at $37,350.
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OBITUARIES
DEATH NOTICES ROTH, Marlene, age 76, died on January 5, 2010; 19 Tevet, 5770. MINTZ, Arlene, age 70, died on January 5, 2010; 20 Tevet, 5770. ZIMMERMAN from page 19 Minister Ehud Olmert. Referring to Ben Gurion’s belief that Israel’s future was in the Negev, Olmert said, “ When Ben Gurion had his dream, he didn’t know that in 2006 Israel would be the world’s leader in advanced water technology, that organic farming would flourish here, and be a basis for export worth millions of dollars a year – and all with Avoda Ivrit (Jewish labor), by the way.” Three years later these two new towns still need much help. As this story goes to press 12 YU University (YU) are at work there SECURITY from page 1 The Israeli approach has fueled the debate about whether it is necessary for U.S. airports to introduce new security checkpoints and sophisticated machinery, including full-body scanners. Whereas U.S. airport security relies primarily on technology, the Israeli system NHS from page 5 The United Synagogue’s Framework for Excellence program recognizes congregational religious schools that meet standards and benchmarks which POLL from page 8 Camarota countered that the Zogby firm strove for neutral language, avoiding such terms as “illegal aliens” and “amnesty.” As for false choices, he noted that prolegalization groups tend to depict enforcement as draconian and necessarily leading to deportation. The AJC, for instance, in a 2007 poll of American Jewish voters, ORTHODOX from page 8 Throughout the convention, Weil and others emphasized practical steps to combat illegal and
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010
building permanent homes, schools and community centers. The YU students are in Halutza Sands due in large part to the leadership and efforts of Cincinnati’s Josh Zimmerman. Zimmerman’s family attends Golf Manor Synagogue, where is father is the board’s treasurer. Only 20 years old, Zimmerman is a sophomore psychology major at YU; he hopes to soon minor in business. After attending Cincinnati’s Hebrew Day School from age three through eighth grade, Zimmerman completed his high school education at the Torah Academy in Columbus. In high school, Zimmerman became involved with NCSY, an organization established by the Orthodox Union to help Jewish teens “build a strong connection to their Jewish roots through inspiration and leadership skills” as well as other youth programs designed to foster leadership skills in
Jewish teens. At YU, Zimmerman’s interest in becoming a leader led him to apply for a Quest Leadership Fellowship. The Quest program helps participants understand Jewish leadership and evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses accordingly. In the second semester of the program, Zimmerman’s group decided to accept a proposal from the Jewish National Fund (JNF) to raise funds and increase awareness for their project, “Blueprint Negev”. The JNF program’s mission is to increase the population and living conditions in the Negev. The focus for the “Questers” was the plight of the Gaza evacuees in the Negev. The proposal tied neatly into Zimmerman’s earlier experiences in Israel. After graduating from high school, Zimmerman studied in Israel from Aug. 2007 until Jan. 2009. While there he visited Halutza, where he found “many
refugees living in life-sized boxes, known as “carvillas.” So the “Questers” set a fundraising goal of $20,000 and then began to implement a campaign – primarily individual efforts such as flyers in home synagogues and visits to potential donors. In the campaign, the biggest group effort was spearheaded by Zimmerman: A college comedy night that featured a finalist on NBC’s Last Comedian Standing, Dan Ahdoot. By Dec. 31, Zimmerman and his fellow Questers had exceeded their fundraising goal by $500. Shortly afterward the group left for Israel to help the Gaza evacuees. Perhaps the most important accomplishment of this group from YU is the new partnership between their school and JNF. It is the first such collaboration in the school’s history. “Our partnership with YU University has presented a unique
opportunity to work with an exceptional group of students who are already committed to becoming leaders in the Jewish community,” said JNF’s Campus Programs Director, Rebecca Kahn. The reward for the students, it is hoped, will be a deeper understanding for the plight of the evacuees and its implications for major policy issues in Israel, as well as a deeper understanding for how they can help. Said Marc Spear, the leadership training director for YU’s Center for the Jewish Future, “ Our hope is that this mission will not only help these students learn about this specific cause and how they can contribute to it, but that it will inspire them so share their passion for Jewish communal causes with their peers.” About Zimmerman, Spear was very enthusiastic, “Josh has been outstanding.” The group is due to return midJanuary.
relies primarily on human intelligence and profiling. Passenger profiling by Israeli airport security has been criticized heavily over the years. Many Arab passengers, including Arab Israelis, have complained of being forced to undergo excessive and demeaning security checks. Israeli civil rights groups and Israeli-Arab lawmakers
have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court asking that it ban ethnicitybased profiling as discriminatory. The failed Northwest Airlines bombing attempt spurred U.S. officials to institute new rules mandating special searches for passengers from 14 nations, raising the ire of U.S. civil liberties groups. Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi,
founder and head of The Israel Project, a pro-Israel advocacy group, says profiling is not discriminatory. On the contrary, she says, in Israel it has benefited both Jews and Arabs. Laszlo Mizrahi draws a parallel with the West Bank security fence, which she credits with drastically reducing terrorist attacks in Israel.
“The security fence has also been criticized but has saved lives on both sides, just like the airport measures have saved lives on both sides,” she told JTA. “There are plenty of Arab citizens that are also being protected by these security measures. They may be inconvenient but if they save lives, the end result is worth it.”
ensure the school provides a high quality Jewish education. Since the recertification process occurred, Northern Hills and Congregation Ohav Shalom have combined their religious schools, with Weisberger serving
as director. Jeff Bassin, past president of Northern Hills who attended the convention, commented, “It was exciting to participate in such a stimulating convention, and have the opportunity to hear
and participate in discussions about the future of United Synagogue and the Conservative movement. I always come away from these conventions with ideas which can help congregations better serve their members.
And I was especially proud to receive the awards on behalf of Northern Hills Synagogue, which over its 50 years has earned such a high regard around the country for excellence in programming.”
cast the choices as follows: “Should the government deport all illegal immigrants back to their home country, OR allow illegal immigrants to remain in the United States in order to work but only for a limited amount of time, OR allow illegal immigrants to remain in the United States and become U.S. citizens but only if they meet certain requirements over a period of time?” Respondents favored the
last option by a substantial majority of 67 percent. Foltin dismissed the complaint, saying there wasn’t much difference in the AJC’s language casting the enforcement option as “deport all immigrants” and the CIS, which in one question casts a choice between legal status and “causing them to return home over time.” Camarota in his analysis says
that such questions skate over real concerns about enforcement. “Strong majorities of Christian and Jewish voters feel that lack of enforcement is the reason there are so many illegal immigrants in the country,” he said. Steinlight said the question in the CIS survey was the first to offer Jewish respondents a real choice between a legal path and “attrition” — a policy that would
lead illegal immigrants to return to their homelands of their own volition, and not through forced deportation. Foltin suggested that CIS had set up a false dichotomy. “The question is not too much immigration or too little,” he said. “The question is what do you do with 12 million undocumented people that is consistent with our needs and values?”
unethical business practices among individuals or with the government. The United States, Weil said, has provided Jews with a “wonderful home,” and he stressed that in
financial dealings with the government, including paying taxes, Orthodox Jews must “be snow white, more American than Americans.” To help, the OU has been offering a series of seminars across the country. “We call it ‘Honest to God,’ “ noted Stephen Savitsky, OU’s national president. In addition, the OU’s Web site has video shiurim, or classes, on ethical business practices. Four videos already are on line, and Savitsky said many more will follow soon. The shiurim explore the business ethics of “how we market ourselves,” Weil said. “How we pay
our taxes, how we deal with wholesale-retail, how we deal with the acquisition of real estate, how we set up structures. Just because something might be legally acceptable — and you can always find an attorney who’ll tell you something is legal — if it doesn’t smell right, we should reject it.” Savitsky said the topic is complex and seemingly infinite. “The more forums we have, the more we talk about it, the more it’s going to become a priority for us,” he said. “I know that it gets really hard when you’re trying to make a payroll, and someone is willing to give you a check, so you look the other way.” Just as storeowners put up signs
that say they pay minimum wage or deal in fair trade, Savitsky said, “Orthodox Jews should also put up a sign that reads ‘Is the money you’re giving me kosher money?” “The paradigm needs to change,” he added, suggesting that those convicted of crimes should come to schools to talk about their misdeeds. “These speakers could come to the schools and say, ‘I’ll tell you what I did wrong and I paid the price, and I think about it every single day, and at night I wonder how I could have done that, and you shouldn’t do it because it’s going to ruin your life.” The speed bump in instituting some of these steps, Savitsky suggested, is willpower.
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