THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010 20 SHEVAT, 5770 SHABBAT: FRI 5:45 – SAT 6:45 CINCINNATI, OHIO VOL. 156 • NO. 28 SINGLE ISSUE PRICE $2.00
NATIONAL Campaign finance decision may hurt Jewish influence Page 7
INTERNATIONAL For Mengele survivor Eva Kor, forgiveness is freedom Page 9
Super Sunday raises $370,000, surpassing target This past Sunday, Jan. 31, donors surpassed the target of $250,000 as well as last year’s raise of $328,000. “There was a very positive feel,” remarked Danielle Minson of the Federation. “The overall sense of the economy among volunteers and donors this year was far more upbeat than this time last year.” Over 200 volunteers worked the phones, beginning at 8:30 in the morning. Of the total raised this year,
$50,000 were matching funds from PNC bank. “We are extremely pleased to know our match has encouraged many people to increase or make new gifts,” said Kay Geiger, president of PNC, who attended the event. Other VIPs at the event included U.S. Representative Steve Driehaus, State Senator Eric Kearney, State Representative Connie Pillach and City Councilmembers, Chris Monzel and Jeff Berding.
Ken Kabel, Fran Coleman, and Fred Kanter
World Wide Wrap, Ohav Shalom, Feb. 7 On Sunday, Feb. 7, the Men’s Clubs of Northern Hills Synagogue and Congregation Ohav Shalom will join with Men’s Clubs from Conservative congregations around the world for the 10th annual World Wide Wrap. Sponsored by the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, the World Wide Wrap provides an opportunity for Jews to practice and learn about the mitzvah of wrapping tefillin. This celebration will take place at Congregation Ohav Shalom. In celebration of the mitzvah, the Men’s Clubs of the two congregations will gather first for morning services. They will be
joined by students from 5th through 7th grades at Kehilla, the joint religious school operated by Northern Hills and Ohav Shalom. Instruction on how to wrap tefillin will be provided. Rabbi Gershom Barnard of Northern Hills and Hank Lerer, administrator of Ohav Shalom, will explain the importance of the mitzvah and lead discussions on the topic. The program will conclude with a complimentary breakfast. Jews wear tefillin at weekday morning services, in fulfillment of the Biblical commandment, as a sign and remembrance that G-d brought the children of Israel out of Egypt.
The commandment to wrap tefillin is mentioned four times in the Torah, twice in Exodus and twice in Deuteronomy. For example, in Exodus 13:9, it is written, “And it shall be for a sign for you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand did the Lord bring you out of Egypt.” Also called phylacteries, a set of tefillin consists of two small cubic black leather boxes, containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, with leather straps. One is placed above the forehead, with the strap wrapped around the
head. The other is placed on the upper arm, with the strap wrapped around the arm, hand and fingers. “This year’s World Wide Wrap provides a great opportunity for members of both the Northern Hills and Ohav Shalom Men's Clubs to join together with students from our combined religious school, Kehilla. This will be a fantastic opportunity to pray, learn, and socialize together,” observed Jeff Gushin, co-president of the Northern Hills Men’s Club. The entire community is invited. For more information, please contact Northern Hills Synagogue or Congregation Ohav Shalom.
Phylactery phobia: Tefillin incident grounds airplane CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE Adath Israel first grade cooking experience Page 12
DINING OUT Embers on a Facebook, Prix Fixe roll Page 14
by Bryan Schwartzman Guest Author PHILADELPHIA (Jewish Exponent) — If there’s any upshot to the misunderstanding that grounded a small aircraft last week in Philadelphia — and scared the wits out of two Jewish teenagers — it’s that the general public might now know a bit more about tefillin. A 17-year-old Orthodox Jew donned his prayer phylacteries to recite morning prayers during a Jan. 21 flight from New York’s LaGuardia Airport bound for Louisville, Ky. Unfamiliar with the prayer boxes — and fearful they could be a wired bomb — the captain decided to notify federal authorities of a disruptive passenger and land the plane in Philadelphia, according to FBI
AngerBoy / Creative Commons
Wrapped in a dilemma: Set of tefillin, like these seen here, launched a scare on a Louisville-bound flight from New York when a Jewish teenager took them out to pray.
Special Agent J.J. Klaver, a local field officer. Within minutes, headlines on local and national news sites reported the “tefillin incident” as reporters scrambled to find out exactly what tefillin might be. (Tefillin are a set of small leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Bible, with leather straps used to wrap around the left arm and the forehead. They are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers.) The plane landed at Philadelphia International Airport at approximately 8:50 a.m. and was searched by the Transportation Security Administration and the Philadelphia Police Department.
TEFILLIN on page 19
WONDERFUL WEDDINGS 2010 S PECIAL S ECTION If your business/organization wants to reach the greater Cincinnati Jewish community regarding weddings, this is the issue to do it! • Bands/DJs • Banquet Halls • Bridal Shops • Caterers • Event Rentals • Florists • Photographers To advertise, contact Ted Deutsch at 621-3145 or publisher@americanisraelite.com Deadline is February 25th Publishes on March 4th
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Rockwern unveils financial assistance for preschool, K-8 Perhaps the most pervasive financial concern for Rockwern parents is the recent change in tuition. According to the school, the size of the increase was a one-time occurrence, and future increases will be tied to cost of living increases. Preschool Assistance For various reasons, Rockwern is unable to offer preschool families traditional financial aid or, at this time, flexible tuition plans. The assistance now available are discounts. Preschool families who have more than one child attending Rockwern preschool will receive 10 percent off the tuition for the second child, and 15 percent off the tuition for the third child or any children above this number. It is important to note that the first child receives no discount and that children in K and up do not count in figuring the discount. However, the multi-year flexible tuition program takes into account the expense of having a child or children in preschool and in the upper grades. Preschool families need not meet any other qualifications for this assistance; the business office will calculate the discount based on the number of children in a family and the options chosen.
K and Up The focus of this program is the middle class family who has neither the means of the higher income ones — the top 15 percent in Cincinnati — nor the financial assistance of the lower income ones — the lowest 25 percent.
“Our goal is that families who want a Rockwern education should be able to afford that education...” Peter Cline The remaining 60 percent is targeted because, for a variety of reasons, this group is often unwilling to pursue financial aid; often they leave Jewish day schools instead. Flexible Multi-Year Tuition (FMYT) is designed to address these issues. FMYT, while sharing some features of traditional financial aid, gives the school the ability to
Wise Temple ‘Young Family Group’ to hold 3rd Annual Pajama Havdallah Party On Saturday, Feb. 6, Wise Temple’s YoFI (Young Family Involvement) will host its annual Pajama Havdallah Party. This event will feature a Havdallah ceremony for children, marking the end of Shabbat and welcoming the beginning of the week. In addition, the children will have an opportunity to decorate nightshirts. Following this art activity, there will be an interactive song session and story-time. Finally, all will be invited to enjoy some milk and cookies before going home to
bed. Everyone, including adults, is encouraged to come dressed in appropriate bed-time attire. Wise Temple introduced YoFI three years ago as a way to address the social and spiritual needs of families with very young children. While the events are designed for children from birth to age 5, all of YoFI’s programs are for the entire family as well. Guests are welcome, and there is no charge for this event; however, RSVPs are required. Contact the Wise Temple office for more information.
take into account each family’s particular circumstances, including lifestyle and future plans — such as a larger family or the need to begin saving for college. For middle class families, FMYT sets that family’s tuition as a fixed percentage of the current stated tuition for 2 - 3 years; this means that when tuition increases it does so in a proportional fashion as a percentage of that family’s stated tuition. For such families, the percentage is set by looking at the school’s Average Total Cost per student(ATC) and that family’s financial ability in order to strike a balance that allows the school to cover ATC and for the families to be comfortable with their financial decision. By the end of February, Rockwern will have a process in place that will make accessing FMYT relatively simple. Part of the process will be a standard financial aid application, which is already online and can be accessed by visiting the school Web site. “Our goal is that families who want a Rockwern education should be able to afford that education without stigma or undue sacrifice, and that they should be able to do so in a way that allows them and the school to plan for the future,” said Peter Cline, head of school.
Financial Resource Development Director The Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton is seeking a forward thinking and dynamic professional to assume the role of FRD Director. Responsibilities include coordination and implementation of the annual United Jewish Campaign; management and oversight of the Jewish Federation Foundation and its planned giving and endowment efforts; and implementation of the annual corporate sponsorship program. The cutting edge professional who will fill this position will provide strong leadership to the 4,000 members of the Dayton, Ohio Jewish community. The successful candidate will possess: • Min. 5-8 years related work experience. • Min. of Master’s Degree in related field. • Prior supervisory experience. • Demonstrated history of successful fundraising, customer service, new program/service initiation/development. • Prior positive experience with lay, committee and board relations. • Excellent organizational, oral/written communication and administrative skills. • Prior knowledge of planned giving/endowment preferred but not essential. We offer an outstanding and competitive compensation and benefits package. To request a detailed position description please email request to jphares@jfgd.net. Qualified candidates please submit resume with cover letter in confidence to lskolnick@jfgd.net.
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Wise Temple families play at Pump it Up On Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010, over 20 Wise Temple families gathered at Pump it Up in Westchester. This event was part of Wise Temple’s YoFI (Young Family Involvement) program. The children and their parents spent time jumping in inflatable bounce houses, sliding down inflatable slides and rock
climbing. After playing, the participants had a light pizza dinner with dessert. “It was a great time for kids to run around and exercise” said Tammy Miller-Ploetz, co-chair for the event. Miller-Ploetz, of Mason, added YoFI has been a wonderful venue for Wise
Temple’s young families to meet and enjoy Temple life geared specifically toward families with children ages six and under. The YoFI program debuted two years ago, since its initial kick-off Havdallah picnic party. The YoFI committee strives to have one social or holiday event each month during the
school year. In addition, Wise Temple has a special Friday night service at least once a month for children to celebrate Shabbat with parents, and even grandparents. The next YoFI event will be a Havdallah Pajama party on Saturday, Feb. 6. For more information on YoFI, call Wise Temple.
Community Shabbaton starts Friday, Feb. 12 Chabad Jewish Center and the Goldstein Family Learning Academy invite the community to participate in the annual MidWinter Shabbaton — a time to heat up frozen Cincinnati with the warmth of Shabbat. Rabbi Yisroel Mangel and his wife Chana, directors of the Chabad Jewish Center, describe the Shabbaton: “We want everyone to experience the joy, the sense of renewal and wonder inherent in Shabbat. We organize a community Shabbat — a Shabbaton — because what makes
Shabbat special is family, and the Jews of the Greater Cincinnati area are like one large family. It’s about more than the rituals; it’s about the memories, memories from the past and memories to be created. The Mid-Winter Shabbaton always has something special. It’s a weekend of spirituality, of singing, culinary delights, friendships, discussions, learning and inspiration.” Enjoy an exciting guest speaker; Yaakov Parisi will share his remarkable tale, “From Oklahoma to Torah —One Pastor’s
Remarkable Journey To Judaism.” An intriguing story of an evangelical Christian pastor and his wife, who, in exploring the roots of their faith arrive at the doorsteps of Judaism. In their quest for the answers, they embark on a spiritual journey fraught with hurdles and challenges, inspiring moments and humorous twists and turns. A parallel children’s program will take place during the lecture, conducted by Chabad’s Family & Youth program directors Rabbi Berel & Ziporah Cohen.
Our Sages tells us that the food of Shabbat has a special taste, that Shabbat is an “island in time,” and that Shabbat blesses the week. At the Mid-Winter Community Shabbaton you’ll experience it all, with friends of all ages, new and old. Join us at the Chabad Jewish Center in Blue Ash. Candle lighting & Lerner’s Kabbalat Shabbat service begins at 5:45 p.m. followed by an elegant full course traditional Shabbat dinner at 6:30 p.m., and dessert and speaker at 7:30 p.m. Advanced reservation is required.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
The oldest English-Jewish weekly in America Founded July 15, 1854 by Isaac M.Wise VOL. 156 • NO. 28 Thursday, February 4, 2009 20 Shevat, 5770 Shabbat begins Fri, 5:45 p.m. Shabbat ends Sat, 6:45 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
JFS presents ways to increase happiness for general community, professionals JFS presents ways to increase happiness for the general community and professionals. Learning to increasing happiness in your daily life will be the focus of the day when Jewish Family Service’s 7th Annual Miriam O. Smith Educational Series presents “The How of Happiness: A Science and Practice” on Sunday, March 7, 2010. This program is open to the entire community and also offers a wide variety of professional continuing educational units. Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, author of the bestseller, “The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want,” will be the keynote speaker. Lyubomirsky is internationally renowned for her research on the possibility of permanently increasing happiness. She has been the focus of dozens of newspaper and magazine articles including Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, Newsweek, Forbes and Time Magazine. She has also been featured in numerous
documentaries, lectured to a wide variety of audiences, and has appeared on multiple TV shows including Good Morning America, 20/20, and Dr. Oz. During her presentation, Lyubomirsky will explain how to increase and sustain well-being, and how to cope with life’s challenges by increasing intentional happiness. “Dr. Lyubomirsky has shown that 40% of our happiness is determined by what we do and how we think. In other words, pursuing activities with intent and effort can have a powerful effect on how happy we are,” said Susan Shorr, PhD, co-chair of the program with Marcie Bachrach. Donna Mayerson, PhD, who is an expert in positive psychology, will facilitate a session for professionals only. Mayerson is Chief Coaching Officer and a co-founder of Hummingbird Coaching Services. She will link research in positive psychology and character strengths to clinical practice. The “How of Happiness: A Science and Practice” will be held
at the Receptions Conference Center in Loveland. The program is designed for both the general community and professionals. The session for the
Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, author of the bestseller will be the keynote speaker.
general community with Lyubomirsky is 12:30 pm - 3:30 p.m. Professionals receiving 4.0 CEUs, MCEs, RCHs, CCEUs,
Contact Hours, or a Certificate of Completion will continue with Mayerson until 5:15 p.m. Continuing Educational Units in up to two of the following areas are available for professionals: Chemical Dependency, Counseling, Life Coach, Marriage and Family Therapy, Nursing Home Administrators, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Social Work (reciprocal for Nursing), and Teaching. Additional Certificates of Completion are available if needed. This is the agency’s 7th annual Miriam O. Smith Educational Series symposium, which provides an opportunity for professional development as well as offers the community a chance to learn from nationally recognized mental health experts. Jewish Family Service established the series to honor the memory of Miriam O. Smith, a longtime social worker at Jewish Family Service who provided extensive individual and family therapy, headed the adoption program and also served as interim director of the agency.
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 CHRISTIE HALKO Office Manager
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The views and opinions expressed by American Israelite columnists do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the newspaper.
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Judaic Studies at Interview with parents of JCC Wise, Feb. 4 – Mar. 16 Early Childhood School students Wise Temple’s adult education program, Elitz Chayim, offers three courses between Feb. 4 and March 16. On Feb. 4 and Feb. 7, a class entitled “Relationships: And if I am for myself alone, what am I?” will be offered.
On Feb. 16 and 23, Rabbi Ilana Baden will teach a class on “Rabbi Akiva: The Model Adult Learner.” This class is the third in a four-part series of stand alone classes entitled, “The Wisdom of the Sages: Pirkei Avot.” In this series at Wise Temple, Hillel’s teaching is used as a lens through which to view this rabbinic anthology. This Rabbinic Anthology is found among the writings in the Mishnah, which was compiled in the third century of the Common Era to preserve the legal and moral traditions of the day. Pirkei
Avot is unique in that it focuses on the pursuit of wisdom and ethics. Perhaps the most well-known statement from this collection is Hillel’s famous adage, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am for myself alone, what am I? And if not now, when?” On Feb. 16 and 23, Rabbi Ilana Baden will teach a class on “Rabbi Akiva: The Model Adult Learner.” Rabbi Akiva is regarded as one of the greatest authorities from the early rabbinic period of Jewish history, and is even called Rosh la-Chochomim in the Talmud, which means “Head of all the Sages.” While one might expect someone with this reputation to have been groomed since a very early age, Rabbi Akiva did not begin to study Hebrew until he was 40 years old. By reading and discussing various tales of his life, this class will seek to discern important characteristics that can enhance Jewish studies for adults. Finally on March 2, 9 and 16, Rabbi Michael Shulman will lead a class called, “Do the Prophets of the Bible Speak to Us Today?” This will be an exploration of the works of the prophets, with particular focus on Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Micah and their relevance in the modern world. Call Wise Temple for more information.
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The JCC Early Childhood School will hold an open house on Wednesday, Feb. 10. In advance of the Open House, this interview was conducted with three parents of current students in the JCC full day program: John Choi is a former HUC student, and he and his wife both work full-time. Debbie Horewitz is a single mother who works fulltime and Sharon Silver has two children; both she and her husband work full-time. Why did you enroll your child(ren) in the JCC Early Childhood School? Debbie Horewitz: I began searching for childcare when I was 6 months pregnant, and was not impressed with most places I visited. I heard about the JCC Early Childhood School before the new building was even complete and it seemed like a gift from heaven! The fact that it’s only minutes from my home, and it has an infant program, was huge! I knew that the brand new, state-of-the-art JCC facility was the perfect place for my child. John Choi: There were other preschools closer to our home
and jobs, but once we visited the JCC Early Childhood School, we were blown away. We loved the facilities, teachers, and curriculum so much that neither distance nor cost was a factor for us. My wife and I were impressed with the modern, bright, and spacious facility. When they allowed our daughter to interact with the teachers and play with the other children before we even enrolled her, we knew, hands-down, it was the place for our little girl. Sharon Silver: I love how flexible the JCC Early Childhood School is. It’s great that they take babies as young as 6 weeks! How have your child’s skills and development improved since they began attending school at the J? JC: Before we enrolled our daughter in the JCC Early Childhood School, she was very shy around kids and adults. She’s been at the school for 5 months, and she’s already confident enough to walk up to other kids at the playground and say hello to other parents. Her verbal skills have drastically improved, and she’s even learned how to speak
Hebrew. DH: My daughter has thrived under the nurturing care of her JCC teachers. She has been going to the school since she was 3 months old, and it has been her home-away-from-home ever since. Every aspect of her development has been attended to and nurtured. SS: I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in my son’s social skills and how he interacts with other children. He enjoys the literacy programs, and I think the curriculum is very helpful in preparing him for kindergarten. Do your children participate in other activities at the JCC? If so, which ones? SS: My eldest son loves the JCC school break camps. He also enjoys sports programs like the JCC’s Little Sluggers T-Ball. DH: My daughter thoroughly enjoys playing in the outdoor pool and indoor waterpark. We both enjoy the holiday parties and special events at the J. JCC on page 20
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Orthodox marriages are happier Senate passes Iran but still have stresses, study reports sanctions by Sharon Udasin Guest Author NEW YORK (New York Jewish Week) — Orthodox marriages may be happier than their secular counterparts, but religious unions are rocky enough to concern a team of researchers and rabbis who presented the results of their recent study on marital satisfaction at the Orthodox Union. “Traditional family values and religious values tend to overlap,” Eliezer Schnall, an assistant professor of psychology at Yeshiva University who was responsible for analyzing the data, said here last week. “But there are also those in this community who are not as happy with their marriages.” Results showed that 72 percent of the men surveyed and 74 percent of women rated their marriages as “very good” or “excellent,” whereas the overall U.S. population has a much lower satisfaction rate of 63 and 60 percent respectively, according to a 2009 General Social Survey conducted by the National Opinion. Only 13 percent of Orthodox couples rated their marriages as “fair” or “poor.” Aside from a few subjects from the United Kingdom and Israel, the 3,670 respondents were predominantly North Americans who had been recruited through Internet promotions and outreach efforts in New York and Los
by Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Orthodox Union
Following a news conference on a survey showing that Orthodox marriages are stronger than in society as a whole are, from left to right, Rabbi Steven Weil, executive vice president, Orthodox Union; David Schnall and David Pelcovitz of Yeshiva University; Frank Buchweitz of the Orthodox Union; and Debbie Fox of the Aleinu Family Resource Center in Los Angeles.
Angeles synagogues. Among the most divisive issues for unhappy respondents were infertility, at-risk youth, children with disabilities and use of birth control, according to Deborah Fox, the study’s pioneer and program director of the Aleinu Family Resource Center at Jewish Family Services of Los Angeles. For some, the results point to the need for more premarital counseling and education. “A lot of marriages people just
jump into — there’s no preparation,” said Frank Buchweitz, national director of community services and special projects at the OU, who was responsible for coordinating the survey. Overall the data settles into a Ushaped curve, with the happiest subjects being newlyweds and those later on in their marriages, reinforcing the idea that issues with children and other family-life MARRIAGES on page 20
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive Iran sanctions bill. The bill passed by voice vote Thursday evening hews closely to a companion bill passed last month in the U.S. House of Representatives; White House requests to roll back some of the harsher provisions were unheeded. The bills target Iran’s energy sector, singling out for sanctions any entity — individual, company or even country — that deals in refined petroleum with Iran, a major oil producer, but with a refining sector in disarray. The Obama administration has preferred to emphasize multilateral sanctions targeting Iran’s leadership coupled with diplomatic
outreach. Both bills must now be reconciled and the final version is likely be signed by Obama, despite his reservations. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which led lobbying for the bills, urged swift passage and signing. “Iran’s possession of nuclear weapons capability would be a devastating blow to America’s national security interests,” spokesman Josh Block said. “The U.S. and our allies must impose biting diplomatic and economic pressure to try and peaceably prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and avoid confronting more distressing alternatives. The bills allow Obama waivers for national security reasons. Obama’s predecessors have exercised such waivers with earlier sanctions bills.
Obama: Netanyahu held back by gov’t on peace moves by Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Obama said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being held back by his coalition in trying to make peace moves. Obama, speaking at a town hall meeting Thursday in Tampa, Fla., was asked why his administration continues to support Israel and Egypt despite their “human rights violations against the occupied Palestinian people.” Obama started his answer beydescribing Israel as “one of our strongest allies” and a “vibrant democracy” and said “we will never waver from ensuring Israel’s security and helping them secure themselves in what is a very hostile region.” However, he said attention must be paid to “the plight of the Palestinians” and that “Israel has to acknowledge legitimate grievances and interests of the Palestinians.” Of both Israel and the Palestinians, Obama said the politics are “difficult.” “The Israel government came in based on the support of a lot of folks who don’t want to make a lot of concessions,” he said. “I think Prime Minister Netanyahu is actually making some effort to try to
move a little bit further than his coalition wants him to go.” While Netanyahu’s government has acceded to some internal pressure to add housing in parts of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, he has also frozen building in other areas.
“Israel has to acknowledge legitimate grievances and interests of the Palestinians.” President Obama
The Palestinian Authority does not want to return to talks without a total freeze on settlement building. Obama also said that Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority “genuinely wants peace, has to deal with Hamas, an organization that has not recognized Israel and has not disavowed violence.”
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Campaign finance decision may hurt Jewish influence by Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — In the rarefied arena of ideas, the American Jewish community has done quite well over the years in making the case for Israel, civil rights and the environment, among other issues. These ideas may now be tested in the blood sport of politics. Last week, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upended a ban of more than a century on direct corporate involvement in elections. Politics watchers are still trying to understand the implications of the 5-4 ruling by the court’s conservative majority in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The decision could have a profound effect on how Jewish groups operate in the public sphere. Most pro-Israel and Jewish civil liberties groups still operate under the tax code as 501(c)3 organizations — religious, educational and charitable groups. This classification allows donors to write off contributions as a tax deduction but bans direct participation in the political process. Groups with this classification are limited to pronouncements on issues and ideas: They may, for instance, speak generally about care for the environment or about energy conservations, but they cannot endorse or oppose specific candidates.
Save Darfur Coalition
Reform leader Rabbi David Saperstein, shown being arrested outside the Sudanese Embassy in April 2009, is concerned that the issues-based advocacy he practices will be diminished by the Supreme Court decision allowing direct corporate involvement in political campaigns.
Last week’s Supreme Court ruling opens the way for corporations to directly attack candidates. “It does shift the balance of power in the free marketplace of ideas, said Rabbi David Saperstein, the director of the Reform movement’s activist arm, the Religious Action Center — itself a 501(c)3. “It shifts it dramatically towards corporations, which can now get involved in debate around elections.”
The question for 501(c)3 groups is whether it becomes worthwhile to forego the tax exemption to enter the political fray more forcefully. They could do so as 501(c)4 organizations — the classification for lobbying groups. “People will say, why should I give to a Jewish agency that has abstract policy positions when I can give to a 501(c)4 and have a direct role?” said Marc Stern, the legal counsel and acting director of the American Jewish Congress. JTA contacted an array of groups to discuss the decision, but most declined to comment, saying they were waiting to see how the decision would bear out. The group bringing the suit, Citizens United, is a conservative 501(c)4 that sought to screen a film, “The Hillary Movie,” that directly attacked then-U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton during her presidential run. Some major pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, already have 501(c)4 status. Under the new ruling, they now have the freedom to weigh in on political battles; the question is whether it’s in their best interests to do so. One reason they might want to hold back from explicitly backing particular candidates, Stern said, is because “they know their prediction might be wrong, and then there’s a disadvantage if the other guy wins.”
Adventure seeker strikes gold with best-seller on Jewish pirates by Gil Shefler Jewish Telegraphic Agency NEW YORK (JTA) — In the 16th and 17th centuries, the vast expanse of the Caribbean Sea was a playground for European empires competing with each other for land, power and gold. It was a playground for Jewish pirates, too. This little-known history is the subject of Ed Kritzler’s best-seller “Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved Out an Empire in the New World in Their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedom — and Revenge.” In dramatic prose, Kritzler recounts the tales of Jewish pioneers like the pirate Moses Cohen Henriques, who was the scourge of the Spanish treasure fleet, and his brother Abraham, who searched Jamaica for the hidden treasure of Christopher Columbus. Kritzler, who is in his late 60s,
Courtesy Ed Kritzler
Ed Kritzler, author of Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean.
told JTA that he stumbled upon the tale more than four decades ago in Jamaica when he found an old document written by an English pirate in the 17th century. The document told about a group of Marranos — secret Jews who emigrated from Portugal and lived
on the island — who promised riches to the pirate if he were to invade Spanish-held Jamaica and liberate the Marranos from the Inquisition. “It was incredible to find these Jews in the New World because nobody knew they were Jews,” Kritzler said. The more Kritzler learned about the Jewish history of the Caribbean, the more interested he became. After receiving a grant from Ainsley Henriques, the leader of Jamaica’s Jewish community and a distant relative of the Henriques brothers, Kritzler traveled to Spain and Britain to conduct research for his book. For two decades he rummaged through faded documents in national archives in Seville and London, discovering a world where Jews set sail on the high seas and fought back against their oppressors. But his progress was slow. PIRATES on page 21
That would place groups such as AIPAC, which values its bipartisan reach, at a disadvantage against 501(c)4 groups that are partisan and do not care about alienating one side or the other. Another collection of pro-Israel groups facing key questions is political action committees, or PACs, which may have been rendered superfluous by the ruling. Corporations are still prohibited from directly funding campaigns, while PACs may directly contribute. However, under the new rules, corporations may spend as much as they want running attack ads against candidates they don’t like, while donors may contribute only up to $5,000 to PACs. Also, PACs can contribute only $5,000 to a candidate, although there are loopholes that allow PACs
to funnel bundles of the maximum individual donation of $2,500 to a candidate. In the 1970s, support for candidates by individual pro-Israel donors helped protect Israel from Ford administration threats of estrangement backed by the oil industry. In the 1990s, these donors and pro-Israel groups helped the push for Iran sanctions against the interests of big oil. Were those battles to be replicated under the new rules, oil companies could marshal astronomical funds well out of the reach of proIsrael donors to depict candidates as harming U.S. interests overseas. “The structure of PACs have allowed Jews to focus their money on issues,” Saperstein said. “Now DECISION on page 21
8
NATIONAL
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
National Briefs
Robert A. Cumins / Jewish Federations of North America
CEO Jerry Silverman, seen here addressing the Jewish Federations of North America’s 2009 General Assembly, on shifting the 2010 GA to New Orleans: “New Orleans was a community where we, as a Jewish community and family, could reflect on our collective responsibility and action together.”
Federation group retools, moves 2010 GA by Jacob Berkman Jewish Telegraphic Agency NEW YORK (JTA) — Last year, the run-up to the annual conference of Jewish federations saw the federation’s umbrella body announce a name change and install a new CEO. This year, months before the conference, the organization is making a late change to the conference’s venue — to New Orleans from Orlando, Fla. — and unveiling five new priority areas. It’s all part of the ongoing struggle by the decade-old umbrella organization for federations — now called the Jewish Federations of North America — to prove its value to its 157 Jewish federations and, more specifically, to help the federations cope with the challenging philanthropic landscape brought on by the economic crisis. The decision to move the 2010 General Assembly and the annual women’s philanthropy conference, the International Lions of Judah Conference, to New Orleans was due to practical considerations, federation officials said: Orlando simply didn’t have the necessary space. “We needed to re-evaluate the venue,” said Jerry Silverman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations. “Unfortunately, the space in Orlando does not meet the needs that would best accommodate both events, and the alternatives in Orlando logistically would have compromised the momentum built from GA 2009.” New Orleans, for which the fed-
eration system raised some $30 million in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, was an attractive substitute. “In reviewing our options, it became clear that New Orleans was a community where we, as a Jewish community and family, could reflect on our collective responsibility and action together,” Silverman said. Silverman addressed the other major change at the Jewish Federations — the announcement of its new priority areas — on a conference call Monday from Dallas, where the organization was holding its board meetings. The five areas of focus that the organization hopes will guide the federation system into the future are financial resource development; positioning for the future; talent; the power of the collective; and Israel and overseas. In harnessing the power of the collective, the federation system wants to figure out how to use the collective experience of its 157 member federations to do better fundraising and programming, and share best practices and talent. The focus areas have been developed over the past several months through discussions with dozens of local federations. “We know we need to create a pipeline of talent both from within and outside of our federations,” said Kathy Manning, the Jewish Federations’ top lay leader. “We want to make sure we are creating a culture where federations become the place to be in the
Jewish community.” While the details have yet to be worked out, the umbrella body is considering creating a professional training program to help recruit talented recent college graduates into the federation system, Silverman said. Silverman said he would like the program to be a collaboration of the entire system that could either funnel talent through the national office to local federations or cultivate talent on a local level. “We have to flesh it out, put it to budget, size it and see how we can do it — then pilot it,” he said. “We’re getting it ready for recruitment in the fall, when it is ready to rock ‘n' roll.” The General Assembly also will take place in the fall, with slightly different dates than originally planned: The GA will be Nov. 7-9, and the Lions of Judah Conference will take place Nov. 8-10. The concerns with the original venue, Walt Disney World’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort, centered on whether the resort could handle the GA’s dining needs and how much it would cost to shuttle conference participants from location to location at Disney World. The CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando, Hope Kramer, said she found out about the decision within the past two weeks. While her federation is missing out on an opportunity, she said, Kramer believes the umbrella group made a decision that it felt was best for the entire federation system.
State of the Union: Iran’s leaders face ‘consequences’ WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Obama said Iran’s leaders will “face consequences” for “ignoring their obligations” when it comes to nuclear transparency. Very little of Obama’s first State of the Union speech Wednesday dealt with foreign policy, and his intensive efforts to restart Palestinian-Israeli peace talks went unmentioned. However, toward the end of the speech, he turned to his initiative to reduce nuclear weapons development in North Korea and Iran. “The international community is more united, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is more isolated,” he said. “And as Iran’s leaders continue to ignore their obligations, there should be no doubt: They, too, will face growing consequences. And that’s a promise.” Obama failed to mention diplomatic outreach to Iran, the other track of his “dual track” strategy to contain Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program — a sign that the White House feels it has exhausted the diplomatic option. On the other hand, Obama’s emphasis on targeting Iran’s leaders suggested he still favored an international, multilateral effort to impose narrow sanctions, as opposed to unilateral broad sanctions targeting Iran’s energy sector now under consideration in Congress. On domestic issues, Obama reiterated his pledge to pass health care reform despite recent setbacks. J.D. Salinger, reclusive author and grandson of rabbi, dies NEW YORK (JTA) — J.D. Salinger, author of “Catcher in the Rye,” recluse and grandson of a rabbi, has died at 91. Salinger, whose signature novel became an American classic and remains required reading at high schools and colleges across the United States, reportedly died of natural causes Wednesday at his home in New Hampshire after more than five decades of reclusiveness. Despite his disappearance from the public stage — some would say because of it — Salinger has remained an object of fascination and enigma in the world of American letters. The author was born in New York in 1919 to an assimilated
Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother of Irish descent. Salinger’s father, Sol, was the son of a rabbi. He worked as an importer of ham and tried to get his son into the business, according to The New York Times, but the younger Salinger instead became a writer. He sold short stories to several magazines, and reportedly continued writing even while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. Serving with the Counter Intelligence Corps of the 4th Infantry Division, Salinger was charged with interviewing Nazi deserters, according to the Times. He also fought in the Battle of the Bulge. In 1951, Salinger published “Catcher in the Rye,” whose irreverent, straight-talking protaganist, Holden Caulfield, became a model type for American writers. To date, the book has sold an estimated 65 million copies. It became embroiled in controversy over what critics deemed its vulgar language, along with sexual references, blasphemy and low morals, and often was censored. The growing literary acclaim that surrounded Salinger after the book’s publication unnerved him, and in 1953 he left the New York literary world for a cabin in New Hampshire. Though he continued publishing for a time, Salinger became a recluse and eventually disappeared from the literary world. His death was announced by his literary agency. Salinger apparently had broken his hip last May but was in good health until several weeks ago, when his health suddenly deteriorated. First federation joins JGooders donor network (JTA) — The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington became the first U.S. federation to sign on with the JGooders online platform to reach new donors. The Washington-area federation will use the JGooders platform to raise awareness for its projects and reach out to small donors. JGooders connects donors and volunteers with Israeli and Jewish projects worldwide by giving nonprofit organizations costeffective exposure to a large, often untapped pool of supporters around the world, including hardto-reach demographics such as teenagers and young adults. The Washington federation has four projects on the site. JGooders has about 130 Jewish organizations as clients, including major groups such as the Jewish Agency, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, American Friends of Magen David Adom and World ORT, as well as small and medium-sized organizations.
INTERNATIONAL
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
9
Greek government slow to respond to rising anti-Semitism by Jean Cohen Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Toby Axelrod
Holocaust survivor Eva Kor, during a visit to the memorial museum at Auschwitz in January 2010, points out a photo of herself behind barbed wire taken by Red Army soldiers a few days after the camp’s liberation.
For Mengele survivor Eva Kor, forgiveness is freedom by Toby Axelrod Jewish Telegraphic Agency OSWIECIM, Poland (JTA) — Eva Kor believes in forgiveness. Kor says she has forgiven Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor who conducted experiments on her and her twin sister, Miriam, at the Auschwitz concentration camp. This week, Kor led 55 American teachers and students on a trip to her former place of torment, where she was liberated exactly 65 years ago. “Here I am, this little guinea pig from Auschwitz, and I have the power to forgive Josef Mengele! And he can’t do anything about it,” the diminutive, energetic woman who will turn 76 on Saturday said this week at Auschwitz. “I stopped being a victim, and that makes me a very powerful person.” Kor has been back to the concentration camp 13 times since 1945, many times as the leader of a tour in which she shares her memories and positive outlook. Most of those on her current trip, which was co-led by Kor’s son, Alex, heard about the trip from friends or relatives. Most are not Jewish. On the trip’s first day, Kor showed the group where she and her sister had been held with other children at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Then they visited Auschwitz and the museum where artifacts are stored — piles of hair, eyeglasses, prostheses, brushes and suitcases marked with the names of their owners, who thought they were going to be resettled, not murdered. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it: I saw so much,” said
Sarah Connolly, a language arts teacher from Sheffield, Pa. “I like the idea of forgiveness,” said Wendy Vencel, 13, of Batchelor Middle School in Bloomington, Ind. “I think you have to be really strong to do that.” Vencel is one of eight students here with teacher Jeffrey Rudkin, whose film and video class held a chili supper and auction to raise funds for the trip. The group has been posting regular video updates of the trip on its Web site. Eva and Miriam Mozes, identical twins, were born in Portz, Romania. In the spring of 1944, the twins, their parents and two older sisters were deported to Auschwitz. The twins were among some 200 children liberated in January 1945. The rest of their family had been killed. In all, nearly 1.5 million people were murdered in Auschwitz, 90 percent of them Jews. The twins moved to Israel after the war. Eva married Michael Kor and they had two children, eventually settling in Terre Haute, Ind. In 1984, Kor founded a survivors group called CANDLES: Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors, and later opened a small Holocaust museum. She wrote an autobiography, was instrumental in passing a state law mandating Holocaust education and was featured in the 2005 documentary “Forgiving Dr. Mengele.” Though she decided to forgive, Kor does not forget, which is why she keeps returning to Auschwitz again and again. SURVIVOR on page 21
ATHENS, Greece (JTA) — Until recently, Greece had gone a long time without violent antiSemitism. The few manifestations of antiSemitism here appeared mostly in the form of graffiti, racist screeds in marginal, neo-fascist publications, or the occasional verbal epithet leveled against a Greek Jew. But then came the Gaza war a year ago, inflaming passions against Jews and setting off a series of anti-Semitic incidents. The latest was the torching last month of the Etz Hayim synagogue on the Greek island of Crete. Thanks to two Albanians and a Palestinian immigrant who live across the street, the synagogue’s destruction was avoided. Even more disturbing to Jews here than the attack itself was the lack of government condemnation. Not only the government, but the press, political parties and the Greek Orthodox Church were silent. It took until last Friday, a week after a second arson attack on the synagogue and following a rebuke by the Anti-Defamation League, for the Greek government to respond. “The attack on the Etz Hayyim Synagogue not only constitutes an
attack on one of the remaining Jewish monuments in the island of Crete, but also an attack against the history and the cultural heritage of our homeland, Greece,” Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou wrote to the ADL. “The Government, I personally as well as the entire Greek nation condemn this abominable act in the strongest possible terms.” A week earlier, ADL National Director Abraham Foxman had written Papandreou a letter calling on him to “publicly and forcefully condemn” the arson attack. “It is disappointing that the Greek government has so far failed to condemn the shocking arson attack targeting a synagogue on the island of Crete,” Foxman wrote on Jan. 14. “The previous government remained silent when synagogues were attacked and Jewish cemeteries desecrated, sending a message of insecurity to the Jewish community and of impunity to those who perpetrated the attacks. We hope your government will change that policy and declare that antiSemitism has no place in Greece.” A day later, the same synagogue was attacked again by arsonists, this time causing extensive damage. It’s been an unsettling year for Greek Jews. Until the upsurge in anti-Semitic attacks beginning
more than a year ago, 1982 marked the last time there was a violent attack against a Jewish establishment. That was during Israel’s war in Lebanon, when a crude bomb was placed at the entrance of a Jewish-owned travel agency. Police sappers dismantled the bomb. At the time, any major incidents of anti-Semitism were condemned by the government and dealt with swiftly. Greek Jews point to the 2008 trial of a well-known lawyer and anti-Semite, Kostas Plevris, as a sign that things had reached a turning point. Plevris was sued by the Greek Chapter of the Helsinki Human Rights Monitor and the Anti Nazi Initiative, a Greek organization combating Nazism, for incitement to violence against the Jews with his 1,400-page book “Jews: The Whole Truth.” After a year-and-a-half and two trials, Plevris was acquitted unanimously of any wrongdoing by a five-judge panel in a court of appeals. In one trial, the prosecutor called the anti-Semitic tome a “scientific work.” Anti-Semitic incidents surged in 2009, with nine cities reporting attacks. The Jewish cemetery in the city of Ioannina was vandalized ANTI-SEMITISM on page 21
10
ISRAEL
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
Netanyahu’s housekeeper troubles, Israel wants to see Refaeli’s tax plea, religious rain men action from strongby Marcy Oster Jewish Telegraphic Agency
talking Germany
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Here are some stories from the past few days in Israel that you may have missed. The housekeeper, the gardener and Sara Netanyahu Days after a former housekeeper for the prime minister’s wife filed suit against her ex-boss alleging mistreatment, Sara Netanyahu struck back against the ensuing media frenzy with a libel lawsuit against Israel’s daily Maariv for “maliciously trying to humiliate” her. Maariv had reported after the housekeeper story broke that Netanyahu had fired a 70-year-old gardener at the prime minister’s official residence whose son had been killed in one of Israel’s wars. Netanyahu said the man was never fired and continues to work at the residence, that the news item contained not “one grain of truth” and that the reporter behind the story, Ben Caspit, didn’t bother calling her for comment. Despite the fact that Maariv followed up with a correction, Netanyahu is suing for damages of $270,000. But Netanyahu’s action has not dampened the press’ enthusiasm for the housekeeper story. Ynet reported this week that another ex-housekeeper had sued the Netanyahus two months ago. While details of that lawsuit are under a gag order, the minutiae of the lawsuit by the other housekeeper, Lillian Peretz, has tongues wagging. “Sara Netanyahu abused me, paid me a salary lower than minimum wage, failed to pay my social benefits, forced me to work during Shabbat — even though I observe Shabbat — and made me call her ‘Mrs. Sara Netanyahu,’” Peretz said in her lawsuit. The ex-housekeeper is seeking nearly $82,000 in unpaid salary and severance pay. The Prime Minister’s Office denies the allegations. The media had pilloried Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister’s third wife, during her husband’s first term in office, claiming she was overly strict with her staff and obsessive about cleanliness in her house. Rain men Orthodox Jewish leaders and Hamas’ religious leaders both chose Jan. 14 as the day to hold special prayers for rain. With Israel stuck in the middle of another season of below-average rainfall, Israel’s chief Sephardic rabbi, Shlomo Amar, called on the public to fast and pray
by Leslie Susser Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Gili Yaari / Flash 90
A flooded road west of the Negev Desert caused by severe rains — did special prayers have anything to do with the downpours?
for rain. Hundreds of Orthodox Jews reportedly answered the call. On the same day, Hamas followers gathered in a large playground in Gaza City to pray for rain. Within days the skies opened up. Heavy rainfall caused flash floods in southern Israel, killing two people whose car was swept away near a riverbed. The central Negev area already has received 100 percent of its average annual rainfall. Up north, Lake Kinneret rose an estimated 8 inches last week. The precise level of the lake is unknown, however, since Water Authority employees are on strike and refuse to measure it. Supermodel Bar Refaeli seeks tax relief Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli has asked the Israel Tax Authority to exempt her from paying taxes because she works mostly abroad and, as she put it, “the center of my life is no longer in Israel.” Refaeli earned about $2 million over the past two years, according to reports, and paid about 46 percent in taxes in Israel. Under Israeli law, Israelis who spend more than half the year out of the country and whose income is earned mainly overseas do not have to pay Israel’s standard tax rates. Refaeli spent five months out of the past two years in Israel, Ynet reported, citing border control records. Even if the supermodel, who graced the cover of last winter’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, is granted nonresident status for tax purposes, Refaeli will pay some taxes to Israel because most of the countries she works in have tax treaties with the Jewish state. Along came a spider Researchers have discovered a new species of spider in the southern Arava region. But it’s already facing extinction.
The new spider, named Cerbalus Aravensis, has eight legs that can spread up to 5.5 inches apart. It was discovered by biologists from the University of Haifa in the Samar sand dune. “The new discovery shows how much we still have to investigate, and that there are likely to be many more species that are unknown to us,” said Uri Shanas, who headed the research team. “If we do not preserve the few habitats that remain for these species, they will become extinct before we can even discover them.” The Samar sand dune, which once was 2.7 square miles but today is down to 1 square mile, is the last dune left in the region due to farming and the loss of sand to construction. And the winner is. . . Somebody in Israel won Israel’s largest-ever lottery drawing last month, worth about $20.6 million. But nobody has stepped up to claim the prize since the Dec. 26 drawing. “The message we want to get out is, ‘People, check your tickets,’” Oved Hazan of Israel’s staterun lottery told Israel’s Channel 10 television news last week. The winner has up to six months to claim the prize money before it goes back to state coffers. A thief’s thief Dozens of ancient artifacts were stolen from an exhibit at the Korin Maman Museum in Ashdod, including silver coins from the Hellenistic period, two gold earrings, a bronze spear and several pieces of pottery. Ironically, the relics were part of an exhibit called “Antiquities Thieves in Israel.” The artifacts had been recovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority from thieves and put on display.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — On the face of it, Israel-Germany relations have never been better. Last week, Israeli and German government ministers held a symbolic first-ever joint Cabinet meeting in Berlin — they had held a similar joint meeting in Jerusalem in 2008. And this week, President Shimon Peres was due to address the German Bundestag in Hebrew on International Holocaust Memorial Day. Israeli officials say that Angela Merkel — who declared during a 2008 visit to Israel that “Threatening Israel is akin to threatening Germany” — has been Israel’s most supportive German chancellor ever. But although there are huge benefits in the relationship for both sides, Israel has a number of nagging concerns. Despite tough talk against the Iranian nuclear weapons drive, Germany remains one of Iran’s biggest and most important trading partners. Israelis are worried, too, about the huge disparity between German government support for Israel and the virulent criticism of Israel coming from many public opinion leaders in Germany. There are also signs of growing anti-Semitism in the country. Despite her outspoken declarations, Merkel’s actions are lagging — particularly on Iran. She is categorically against the use of force against the Islamic Republic. And on sanctions, Merkel says Germany is obliged only to abide by those authorized by the United Nations. Tougher U.N. sanctions backed by the United States are facing Chinese and possibly Russian opposition in the Security Council. In 2006, after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made statements questioning the Holocaust, Merkel declared that “a president who questions Israel’s right to exist, a president who denies the Holocaust, cannot expect to receive any tolerance from Germany.” But she did not recall her ambassador from Tehran. The gap between German word and deed on Iran is not the only discrepancy that has Israeli officials worried. They are concerned as well about the disparity between government support and popular criticism of Israel in
Germany. “This worries me because in democracies, political parties seek public approval for their policies,” Shimon Stein, a former Israeli ambassador to Germany, told JTA. “In the long run, the discrepancy is not good for us or for our friends in Germany.” German popular support for Israel has eroded steadily since the 1982 Lebanon war, according to Stein. In a poll taken after the Second Lebanon War in 2006, 50 percent of Germans surveyed identified Israel as the biggest threat to world peace. In a 2002 Der Spiegel poll, 25 percent of Germans agreed with the statement that what Israel does to the Palestinians is no different from what Germans did to the Jews in the Holocaust. In testimony to the Bundestag in June 2008, journalist and author Henryk Broder warned of a new kind of anti-Semitism in Germany among the genteel classes, academics and politicians of all stripes that takes the form of virulent anti-Zionism. “The modern anti-Semite pays tribute to Jews who have been dead for 60 years, but he resents it when living Jews take measures to defend themselves,” Broder said. “He screams beware of the beginnings when a handful of weekend Nazis hold a demonstration, but he justifies the policies of the current Iranian president and defends the continuation of German business with Iran.” Germans and Europeans in general — prosperous, at peace, not threatened by outside foes and human rights-oriented — find it difficult to empathize with an Israel fighting for its life, Stein said. “When Germans say never again, they mean never again war emanating from German soil. When Israelis say never again, they mean never again being passive victims of their enemies,” he said. On the positive side of the balance sheet, Germany is Israel’s third-largest trading partner after the United States and China, with an annual trade volume of more than $6 billion. The Federal Republic is Israel’s strongest and most reliable supporter in European Union forums, recently helping to moderate a perceived anti-Israel move by Sweden on eastern Jerusalem. ISRAEL on page 22
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
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CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
Adath Israel first grade cooking experience
Sam Jacobson, Gabrielle Vernon, Ethan Padnos, making challah
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Morgan Evans, Gabrielle Vernon peeling carrots while Joseph Wasserberg watches
David Arnow, brushing egg on his challah
Sam Jacobson making matzo balls
Preparing the vegetables for the soup
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
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DINING OUT
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
Embers on a Facebook, Prix Fixe roll by Bob Wilhelmy Restaurant Reporter Maybe three months ago, the folks at Embers restaurant decided to start a Facebook page, and did so without much fanfare or much action (interaction?) either. A few people signed on over the intervening months, and that was about it. “We hadn’t done much with it, and as of a week or so ago, we had maybe a hundred people on the site,” said Jon Zipperstein, head of Embers. Then the viral nature of Facebook clicked in, and people began to sign on to the tune of about 100 a day for the past week or so, and to date there are well over a thousand “friends.” The demographics of the “hit” parade are remarkable, according to Zipperstein. There are a lot of young people, which brings more of the young professional crowd to Embers. But also, there are regular customers, along with some elderly, the recently retired, sports professionals, doctors, lawyers, celebs, and in general, those still very much part of the work-a-day world. The site opens a variety of possibilities. Embers is posting items such as its sushi features and specials for the day or the week or what-have-you. Recent posts have included videos from the bar scene and posts from guests to the restaurant. In addition, the plan is to do cross promotions with “friends,” such as Jones the Florist, as part of a Valentine’s Day Special. So, if you want to find out what is going on at Embers, sign on and check it out. One happening at Embers is expansion of its prix fixe dinner deal for diners. “We’ve been doing the prix fixe menu offer for a while now, and a lot of our regulars wanted us to change it up and offer more variety with it,” said Zipperstein. The new version is called the Chef’s Prix Fixe Menu, and the offering changes on a regular basis. For instance, a dining guest may choose one each of two starters and three entrée offerings, for $33. The starter choices might be beef tartare with capers, red onion and chiffonade of parsley on toast points, a goat cheese and roasted beet salad, or a duck confit and frissee salad. And the entrée choice could include a bone-in dry-aged strip steak with sautéed asparagus, wild mushrooms and onion straws, or a Scottish salmon dish with appropriate sides, and so on, for $33. These selections change periodically, to keep the offering fresh and interesting for guests. If desired, a diner also may add a dessert, such as chocolate mousse with Chambord whipped cream and raspberry sauce, for an additional 5-spot. Another variation on
Crowds such as this one at Embers bar gather for after-work unwinding and in-bar specials that make the scene there lively and worthy of posting on Facebook.
the Chef’s PF Menu is to select two starters and your choice of special entrée for $43. “We changed up our prix fixe menu because our guests wanted something different, with more choices and greater flexibility to mix and match the choices they had,” he said. The new prix fixe menu is one of several good deals at Embers for the dining public. The restaurant has used Half-Priced Wine Night (on Tuesdays) and HalfPriced Sushi Night (on Wednesdays and in the bar area only), along with a Half-Price Bar Menu on Thursday evenings to
attract crowds and spur business. The T-W-T approach has been used to attract more business on the slower nights of the dining-out week, and it’s working based on the photos you’ll find on Embers Facebook page. While all those special opportunities are reasons to choose Embers as a fine-dining destination, the main reason to go there is the everyday regular value that is offered. In the upscale steak market, diners simply cannot beat the quality-price combo that Embers offers. Precisely stated, you get more for your dining dollar. You’ll find prime U.S.D.A.
beef at Embers, the very best on the American market. Embers dry ages the beef and seasons it. Prime and specialty steak selections are: a 14-ounce bone-in filet mignon for $48, and an 8-ounce filet mignon for $46, along with other selections with special toppings. Those represent the high-end options, and each features a potato choice and onion straws. Also, there is a mid-price beef offering. They include: the 7-ounce filet mignon at $31, 10-ounce filet mignon at $36, the 14-ounce New York strip for $34, the 22-ounce “cowboy steak” bone-in rib-eye at $44, the 16-ounce veal chop at $45.
and a cooked-to-order rack of lamb in port wine sauce for $38. The steaks are house seasoned. Hard to imagine a steak being much better than those featured at Embers are, regardless of price. But you will notice that the price is less than the going rate at fine-dine steak houses. Some other notables and additions to the Embers menu include: the new Dover sole entrée, a “sauté meuniere” haricots vert almandine, for $43; sweet miso sea bass, broiled and served with sticky rice, rapini caramelized red onion and the mustard sauce with honey wasabi, for $32; the grilled salmon with garlic mashed potatoes, haricots vert, shitake mushrooms, sundried tomatoes with a sherry vinaigrette, at $27; and the citrus-herbcrusted yellow fin tuna, served with broccolini, potatoes, roasted red peppers, grape tomatoes and caramelized red onion, all tossed in a pesto-white balsamic honey vinaigrette, for $31. Also available are other house specialty items, among them: chicken pot pie, and a half rotisserie chicken served with sautéed spinach and mashed sweet potatoes, at $20 and $21, respectively. To close, one of my favorites is the braised beef short ribs. These are served in a deep bowl with garlic mashed potatoes, brandy-glazed carrots, miso pineapple barbecue, and a port wine sauce. The dish is $28, and it is a real palate pleaser. Embers 8170 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, OH 45236 513-984-8090
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
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OPINION
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
Take two! It was hardly the first or only time, but one night not long ago I learned something important from my wife. We were driving home from a wedding in another city, both of us sneezing and coughing from the bad cold we shared. As I drove, she checked for messages on her phone, which had been turned off during the wedding. One message was from one of our married daughters, who lives with her husband and family in a different part of the country. Could she call back, I heard our daughter ask, when she had a chance?
Said Rabbi Yitzchok, “Even if you aren’t able to feel happy, what is important is that you make the person you are greeting think that you are.” Well, the chance was right there; and so my wife returned the call on speaker phone so I could participate. She reached our daughter’s voicemail (of course) and left a message. I expected to hear the phone snap shut then but instead heard the Ms. Monotone phone-voice offer options, one of which was “to review your message, press…” My wife did. More options, one of which was to delete and re-record her message. She chose that too. Her new message to our daughter consisted of precisely the same words as her previous one, but it was entirely different. The first one, understandably, carried with it all the misery of a bad cold – my wife sounded exhausted, and sniffles and an occasional cough accompanied her words. When she recorded her second take, though, she somehow managed to muster the energy to sound healthy, even cheery. I admit taking my eyes off the road for a second to make sure the same person was still sitting to my right. My first thought, after marveling at the feat of great acting I
had witnessed (who knew?), was to lament how few are the opportunities for second takes in daily life. The words that leave our mouths aren’t subject to editing, and so much that is unfortunate results from our neglecting to do mental edits before we set our tongues and lips to moving. The second thing that came to mind was a snippet of a Mishneh in Avot (1:15), a statement by the Tannaic sage Shammai: “Receive every person with a smiling face.” People think of gifts mostly as physical things. But the Talmudic tractate Avot D’Rabi Natan (end of chapter 13) characterizes a beaming face as the equivalent of all the most wonderful gifts in the world. Over the telephone, of course, a smile can’t be seen; but it can be heard. It’s hard, if possible at all, to sound happy without bringing one’s facial muscles into the configuration we call a smile. Forlorn as my wife felt in the car that night, she somehow managed it. I didn’t know it at the time, but I later discovered that a Chassidic Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchok of Vorke, commented on the Mishneh’s phrase for a smiling face, which technically, if strangely, translates as “a thinking, nice face.” “Thinking?” Said Rabbi Yitzchok, “Even if you aren’t able to feel happy, what is important is that you make the person you are greeting think that you are.” Our smiles, in other words, are not for us but for others. My wife had apparently intuited that, and took advantage of the rare gem of a second take. But what she also taught me with her choice that night was a new facet of the phrase “every person” in Shammai’s dictum. Its simplest meaning, of course, is that we are to show good cheer not only to respected or accomplished people but also (perhaps especially) to average folk. What my wife’s act inspired me to consider with her “take two” was that the phrase might also mean to warn us away from thinking that our smiles aren’t equally vital to those closest to us. It’s not an obvious thought. We feel comfortable with our siblings, our spouses, our children, our parents; and we know we can be more natural with them. That can sometimes mean showing something less than a shining countenance. “Every person,” though, said Shammai, deserves to be “received with a smiling face.” Even a daughter, even at a distance of hundreds of miles, and even if the smile is holding back a sneeze. (Rabbi Shafran is director of public affairs for Agudath Israel of America.)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Do you have something to say? E-mail your letter to editor@americanisraelite.com
Dear Editor: While I fully support The American Israelite’s efforts to publicize the good work of the IsraAid/FIRST medical team in Haiti, I believe that your choice to print a half-naked photo of a 6-year-old rescued Haitian girl (Page 7, Thursday, January 28) was inappropriate and classist. I found it offensive. Would “AI” have published this photo if the rescued child were a middle-class 6-year-old girl from the United States? I believe that the publication of this photo was insensitive not only to Jewish values but also to the girl, her family, and parents everywhere. Sincerely, Rabbi Jennifer Goldstein Lewis B’nai Tzedek Dear Editor: Saturday evening on his Geraldo at Large program anchored from Haiti and aired on FNS, Geraldo Rivera and his brother Craig reported on an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) field hospital operating in Haiti. Within 24 hours of the earthquake the IDF had arrived in Haiti and built their field hospital (16 hours flying and 8
hours building). They have a full operating theater, a pediatric ICU, an Obstetrics facility and about 100 beds, all set up in a tent. The unit is staffed by about 40 IDF doctors. They are saving lives by preventing infection in neglected wounds and by operating when necessary. The IDF unit is complemented by a ZAKA unit, the folks who clean up human remains after bombings and provide compassionate burial. It is worth noting that ZAKA are primarily Orthodox Jews who violated Sabbath in order to get to Haiti quickly. Jewish law says saving lives takes precedence over the Sabbath. There has been a general lack of publicity for this effort which I believe is based on a perception among the media that Israel is too controversial to show a purely humanitarian side. It begs the question among Israel bashers why Israel can be so compassionate in Haiti and so allegedly brutal in the territories. Nobody wants to get into this. It shows the success of the Arab propaganda campaign to demonize Israelis and deligitimize the Jewish State. Remember FOX is alone among the networks in generally showing compassion toward Israel.
(The above message was a forwarded email I received.) Morry Wiener Blue Ash Dear Editor: A couple of close friends from Cincinnati recently asked me to join them on a trip to Israel, to a place they hold dear, to meet with America’s best friends in a volatile region. I had the opportunity to visit Israel with other members of Congress several years ago, and I had been looking forward to returning to witness the latest in the peace process and receive briefings on the region. I also wanted to return to better absorb the richness of the land, experience the neighborhoods and communities, and breathe the same air as the free men and women who every day demonstrate the power of courage, determination and faith. Israel once again left an indelible impression on me. Not just because of its historic partnership with America, or just because of its strategic importance in a region filled with violence and tyranny. Those are important aspects of our country’s relationship with Israel and reason enough to stand at each LETTERS on page 22
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE of this week’s Torah portion This Week’s Portion: Yitro (Shmot 18:1—20:23) 1. How did Hashem introduce himself to the Children of Israel when he gave the Ten Commandments? a.) God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob b.) One who created the world c.) One who took the Children of Israel out of Egypt 2. What prohibition of idolatry is listed? a.) Not to make idols b.) Not to bow down c.) Not to worship d.) All of the above 3. Does Hashem remember the sins of the Father to the son?
a.) Yes b.) No 4. How does Hashem describe himself concerning the Shabbat? a.) Created the world in six days and rested on Shabbat b.) Took the Children of Israel out of Egypt c.) God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 5. Where did Hashem speak from, when giving the Ten Commandments? a.) From the mountain b.) From a cloud c.) From the heavens
Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise
1. C 20:2 At first the Children of Israel served the Egyptians, but now we are servants of Hashem. Rashi 2. D 20:4,5 3. A 20:5 Only if the son follows the path of the father. Rashi 4. A 20:11 If Hashem rested on Shabbat all the more so a person should rest too. Rashi 5. C 20:19 It was as if Hashem tilted all the heavens and rested on top of Mount Sinai. Rashi
by Rabbi Avi Shafran Contributing Columnist
Answers
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
JEWISH LIFE
17
Sedra of the Week by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Yitro Exodus 18:1 - 20:23
The highlight of this week’s Biblical portion is the Ten Commandments – which, even 4,000 years later, remain the most exalted prescription for human morality ever written. Immediately following these measured but majestic exhortations comes a seemingly superfluous postscript, but one which is startlingly relevant for our economically challenged times; “Thou shalt not make alongside me, gods of gold or silver for yourselves” (Exodus 20:19). Idolatry may be defined as making any ideal for oneself, an end-in-itself, other than the Lord of love and compassion, patience and morality (Ex. 34:6). G-d is a “jealous god”; the quest for gold and silver as an absolute goal cannot co-exist with fealty to Him, even if the “two-timer” prays three times a day. In today’s society “it’s not a question of enough pal, because it’s never enough,” as financier Gordon Gekko explains in Oliver Stone’s memorable and perhaps prophetic movie “Wall Street.” This movie expresses our zeitgeist in which a powerful few were enabled to manipulate banking and investment systems not only to feed their own greed but to fuel the greed of an entire society – including observant and traditional Jews – in their desperate rush to ride the golden calf. Let me recount a crucial lesson in economics that I received in the eighth grade class of the Yeshiva of Brooklyn. Our principal, Rav Menahem Manus Mandel, posed the following question: who is wealthier, the man with $100 or the man with $200? “The man with $200,” we replied in unison. “Not necessarily,” explained the Rabbi. “You must remember that unfortunately wealth must be measured not by the amount an individual has, but rather by the amount he thinks he lacks. Most people want to double whatever they have; hence, the person with $100 wants $200 – and so he is missing $100. But the person with $200 wants $400 – so he is missing $200. Doesn’t this mean that the person with $100 is wealthier, because he requires less to get what he thinks he needs?” Rav Mandel’s point about having more and still desiring more was a lesson about greed, which is defined by Merrian – Webster as “a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed.” The financial meltdown from which we are still suffering and our high rate of unem-
ployment must teach us that greed is not good, and that the tenth commandment, “thou shalt not covet,” is right on target. Greed ultimately leads to the “Madoffian” loss of morality because its ever-growing demands shut out the “still, small voice” of G-d. It is not sufficient merely to ensure compliance with the letter of the law; it is specifically the spirit of the law which leads to proper Divine service. The Kotzker Rebbe is said to have remarked, “The mitnagdim are idolaters, since they slavishly serve the Code of Jewish law; while we hassidim, serve the G-d of love and truth.” If our community had but concentrated more on the values of our prophets, then the valuables of monetary profits would not have been allowed to control our markets. Jewish “worship” of the “letter of the law” – as opposed to fealty to its inherent spirit – is exemplified by a recent slaughterhouse scandal in which illegal workers were hired and treated inhumanely, and animals were callously treated before they were slaughtered. In the aftermath of this outrage – that required government intervention – one of the most respected leaders of a well-known Kashrutcertification agency declared in a public forum that Kashrut means adhering to specific ritual standards regarding the piece of meat itself, period. Which workers you hire and how they are treated is a separate issue, he said, which must be policed by the government in accordance with its standards. That perspective completely misses the point which informs the laws of Kashrut. It totally ignores the fact that the prohibition of eating meat and milk together is Biblically expressed in terms of sensitivity and consideration, “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk” (Exodus 23:19). Likewise, the Biblical source for the soaking and salting of the meat before it may be cooked is “thou shalt not eat the blood, for the blood is the soul of the animal” (Deuteronomy 12:23). The Bible is clearly concerned about training us to be sensitive to the ethical ambiguity of the eating of meat in the first place. It is clearly teaching us to be ethically sensitive to all living creatures, most of all to our fellow human beings. My favorite story about Rav Yisrael Salanter, famed founder of the Jewish Ethicist Mussar Movement (1800 – 1870), relates to his Friday evening meal as the guest of a Kovno baker. Eager to impress the honored visitor with his religious piety, the baker bel-
lowed loudly to his wife (whom he addressed improperly upon entering the house with the appellation “Yiddene” or “Jewish woman” ) that she must immediately cover the hallot (braided Sabbath loaves), castigating her for her delinquency in not doing so. The woman, embarrassed in the presence of Rav Salanter, shamefacedly covered the loaves, an act which she had planned to do anyway as a matter of course. Rav Yisrael turned to his selfsatisfied host. “Do you perchance know why we cover the loaves?” he asked. “Of course, learned Rabbi,” answered the baker. “Usually we make the first blessing over the bread, which frees us from making blessings over other foods served during the meal. However, the Sabbath meals are an exception, since the blessing to sanctify the wine must precede the blessing over the bread. Since the hallot would probably expect to be blessed first, we cover them over to avoid their embarrassment when we bless the wine.” “Why do your ears not hear what your mouth is saying?” responded the Rabbi. “Do you really believe that Jewish law thinks that a piece of dough has feelings? Jewish law is training you to be sensitive to the feelings of the hallah, so that you will certainly be sensitive to the feelings of your wife!” Jewish educators, rabbis and leaders of Jewish institutions must not overlook the true values of our Jewish traditions, the teachings of our prophets, “What is good and what does the Lord require of you? Act justly, love kindness, and walk modestly (not opulently) with your G-d” (Micah 6:8). We dare not honor the millionaire of the day while we overlook the educator of the year, and give fulsome praise at obscenely gaudy bar-mitzvah and bat-mitzvah celebrations where the matching color-schemes of the dresses and flower arrangements and the deafeningly loud band music crowd out the true religious meaning of the rite of passage. The gods of gold and silver must not be allowed to push aside the G-d of modesty and morality. Only when the term “religious Jew” becomes synonymous with “ethical human being” will we be able to fulfill our covenantal mission as “a holy people and kingdom of priests – teachers to the world” (Ex. 19:6); only then will we be a “light unto the nations.” Shabbat Shalom Shlomo Riskin Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone Chief Rabbi — Efrat Israel
MODERN ORTHODOX SERVICE Daily Minyan for Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv, Shabbat Morning Service and Shalosh Seudas. Kiddush follows Shabbat Morning Services
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3100 LONGMEADOW LANE • CINCINNATI, OH 45236 791-1330 • www.templesholom.net Richard Shapiro, Interim Rabbi Marcy Ziek, President Gerry H. Walter, Rabbi Emeritus Friday February 5 6:30 pm Family Shabbat 8:00 pm Shabbat Evening Service Choir Shabbat
Friday February 12 6:00 pm Shabbat Nosh 6:30 pm Shabbat Evening Service
Saturday February 6 10:30 am Shabbat Morning Service
Saturday February 13 10:30 am Shabbat Morning Service
18
JEWZ IN THE NEWZ
Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist FACES OF AMERICA Henry Louis Gates, the African American Harvard scholar, hosts PBS’ “Faces of America,” a series that explores the family history and the genetic building blocks, or DNA, of 12 famous Americans of varying ethnic and racial backgrounds. “Faces” is a follow-up to two similar PBS specials hosted by Gates that featured African American celebrities. As in Gates’ prior programs, “crack” family history researchers “dig-out” what they can about the celebrity’s family history. The celebs also take a DNA test — and then they are told what percentage of their ancestry is European, Asian, African, and/or Native American. Gates presents the findings to each celebrity and elicits their reactions. The findings are spread-out over four weeks and we get a piece of the family history of each celebrity in each episode. The celebrities include professor and poet Elizabeth Alexander, who composed and read the poem at President Obama’s inauguration; TV chef Mario Batali; comedian Stephen Colbert; novelist Louise Erdrich; journalist Malcolm Gladwell; actress Eva Longoria, cellist Yo-Yo Ma; Queen Noor of Jordan, TV doctor Mehmet Oz; actress Meryl Streep; Olympic figure skating champ Kristi Yamaguchi; and film director MIKE NICHOLS, 78. Nichols was born in Germany to a German-Jewish mother and a Russian-Jewish father. His family fled to America in 1939. He began as a hip young comedian in the ‘50s, teaming with comedian ELAINE MAY, now 77. In the early ‘60s, he began directing theater productions and, in the mid‘60s, he started directing films. He has won eight Tonys for best director and an Oscar for best director (“The Graduate”). Without really spoiling it for you — here are two revelations about Nichols in the series — he is related to a very famous German Jew and DNA tests disclosed that he and one other of the series’ celebrities share a common ancestor within the last 250 years. (Premieres on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 8PM. The three other episodes air at the same time on Feb. 17, 24, and March 3.) NO CAKEWALK The upcoming episode of the popular Food Network show, “Iron Chef America,” features a
cooking showdown between DUFF GOLDMAN, 35, and Iron Chef Michael Symon. (Sat. Feb. 6, at 10 PM; encore Feb. 7, 9 PM). Goldman, 35, a master baker, hosts the popular Food Network show “Ace of Cakes.” Born in Detroit, and raised all over the country, Goldman’s first job was baking bagels. Goldman has worked for many top restaurants and now lives above his own bakery, Charm City Creations, in Baltimore. Symon, who isn’t Jewish, founded and runs two restaurants in Cleveland, his hometown, and another in Detroit. SHIRI AND SILVERMAN “Life Unexpected” began on the CW network on Jan. 18 and, unexpectedly, got much better critical reviews than most “teen-oriented” CW shows. The series centers on a 15-year-old girl named Lux (Brittany Robertson). In the opener, Lux is tired of bouncing between foster homes and decides to become an emancipated minor. Lux’s court case leads her to discover Nate, her biological father. Nate, who is shocked to learn that he has a daughter, is a 30-ish guy who owns a bar and behaves like an aged frat boy. Nate, in turn, startles Lux with the news that her mother is Cate Cassidy (SHIRI APPLEBY), a local radio talk show star. Lux had grown-up listening to Cate and really likes her on-air personality. Cate is happy to meet Lux and saddened when she finds out that Lux, whom she gave birth to when she was 16, was never adopted by a family. A judge decides to give temporary custody of Lux to Nate and Cate and the three decide to try and give Lux the family life she deserves. (New episodes air Mondays at 9PM). Appleby, 31, grew-up in Southern California. Her mother, a Hebrew school teacher, was born in Israel to Moroccan Sephardi parents. Her father is an American Jewish business executive. She began her professional acting career just before her bat mitzvah. Appleby’s breakthrough role came in 2000 as a co-star of the TV series “Roswell.” Since then, she has regularly appeared on TV and in films. The third season of the irreverent “Sarah Silverman Show” begins on the Comedy Central channel on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 10PM. The series press release promises that ANDY SAMBERG of “Saturday Night Live” fame will appear in an episode this season. In a dream sequence, he will play Sarah’s imaginary childhood friend.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
FROM THE PAGES 100 Years Ago Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Roth will spend the rest of the winter at the Despland Hotel, Daytona, Fla. Mr. Nathan Linz, a longtime resident of this city, died Sunday night and was buried Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Grossmann officiating. On Sunday, Feb. 6, Mr. and Mrs. Ignatius Kugel, of 689 Greenwood avenue, Avondale, will give a reception at their home in honor of the 76th birthday anniver-
sary of their mother, Mrs. Sallie Mihalovitch. The fifth concert in the series of grand concerts for the Jewish Settlement, under the management of Mrs. Adolph Klein, was given at the settlement building Saturday evening, Jan. 29. Saturday night’s concert was one of exceptional beauty and was fully appreciated by the large audience. The program was arranged by Mrs. Theodore Workum, chair-
man of the evening, and the vocal soloist. The other soloists were Miss Jessie Straus, the talented violinist, and Miss Ida Lichtenstader, whose piano numbers were well received. Mrs. Maurice Joseph and Miss Ada Zellar did fine work as accompanists. The concert was a brilliant success and it will be remembered with pleasure and gratitude by the people of the Settlement. — February 3, 1910
75 Years Ago The United Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Ky., will entertain Sunday, March 17, at the American Legion Hall, 22 E. 6th Street, Newport, Ky., with its annual Purim Ball. Mr. Bernard Ungar, under the nom de plume of Paula Upson, last week won the amateur audition money prize offered by WSAI. Mrs. Ungar will sing at the Paramount Theater Thursday evening, Feb. 7, before each presentation of the screen feature. Miss Bernice Longini, 22, of the
Alameda Apartments, 3580 Reading Road, Cincinnati, succumbed to pneumonia Friday evening, Feb. 1, in Woman’s Hospital, Baltimore. Miss Longini was returning home with her mother, Mrs. Charles Longini, after their five week trip to the Bermudas. She was ill five days. She is survived by her mother and two brothers, Ira and Charles Longini, of the Charles Longini Shoe Manufacturing Company. Joseph Erman, 52, retired, former president of the Town Taxi Co., and
widely known among local business men of the city, died in his home at 3963 Beechwood Avenue, Cincinnati, Wednesday, January 30. Besides his widow, Mrs. Marion Erman, he leaves his mother, Mrs. Jennie Erman, Cincinnati; a son, Robert,11 and daughter, Patsy, 9; two brothers, Walter and Ira Erman, both of Chicago; and four sisters, Mrs. Jacob Ferguson, Syracuse, N.Y., and Miss Effie Erman, Mrs. Harry Price and Mrs. James Levy, all of Cincinnati. — February 7, 1935
50 Years Ago Mrs. Leila Spenceer, 812 E. Mitchell Avenue, passed away Thursday, Jan. 28. She is survived by a son, Professor Myron J. Spencer, of Boston; a sister, Mrs. Saul J. Harris; and two brothers, Harry and Joel Litch, all of Cincinnati. Adolph Bishow, 458 Commercial Square, passed away Sunday, Jan. 31. He was 67. He is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Frieda Shipman of Los Angeles
and Mrs. Esther White of Cincinnati; and three brothers, Robert and Allan Bishow of Cincinnati and Leo Schanson of St. Petersburg. A spokesman for the Catholic hierarchy in the United States called Jan. 29 for a “vigorous and public repudiation” by all right-minded citizens of the “infection” of antiSemitism. Archbishop Karl J. Alter of Cincinnati, chairman of the administrative board of bishops of the
National Catholic Welfare Conference, issued the call in a statement deploring recent defilements of various Synagogues and churches. The statement follows: “The widespread eruption of religious and racial bigotry recorded in recent press dispatches has not only shocked the whole civilized world but calls instantly for a vigorous and public repudiation of the evil by all right-minded citizens.” — February 4, 1960
25 Years Ago Ronald Stern was elected president of Glen Manor Home for the Jewish Aged at the annual meeting Jan. 13. Also elected were vice presidents, Arthur Hoffheimer and Ralph Lowenstein; treasurer, Myron Wolf III; assistant treasurer, Pegge Garfield; secretary, Nany Starnbach; assistant secretary, Lesha Greengus. Joel Moskowitz has been nominated to serve as president of the Orthodox Jewish Home for the Aged. Nominations took place at the
Home’s 72nd annual meeting Jan. 13. Others nominated include Stan Grad and David Jacobson, vice presidents; Mark Kurtz, financial secretary; Norman Barron, secretary; Mark Greenberger, treasurer. Mrs. June C. Dunn of Albuquerque, N.M., formerly of Newport, Ky., passed away Jan. 8. She is survived by her husband, Jack; a daughter, Tamra (Tami) Lee Dunn, both of Albuquerque; two brothers and one sister of Cincinnati; many nieces and nephews, great
nieces and great nephews of Cincinnati and Florida; also sistersin-law Sarah L. Dunn, Rebecca D. Massell and Deborah D. Brook of Cincinnati and a nephew, David Massell of Cincinnati. Esther Heiman of 7610 Reading Road passed away Jan. 23. She is survived by her sister, Gertrude Simon; three nephews, Lee and Sidney Sachs of Cincinnati and David Heiman of Cleveland; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Heiman and many other nieces and nephews. — January 31, 1985
10 Years Ago Big Brothers / Big Sisters Association of Cincinnati recently honored Betty R. Goldberg who has stepped down after 18 years of leading the organization. The event held at Losantiville Country Club, featured a tribute from several past presidents and supporters, including Judge Jack Rosen, Sidney Sawizta, Joel Kling, Les Sandler, Rick Aronoff, Steve Coppel, and Bob Rubin. Robert B. Shott, 77, passed
away on Jan. 30, 2000. He is survived by his wife, Eleanor Shott, nee Weiss, formerly of Mt. Vernon, N.Y. He was the father of Douglas and Marilyn Shott, as well as Andrew and Sally Shott. He is survived by four grandchildren: Benjamin Shott, David Shott, Daniel Shott, and Gordon Shott. He is also survived by a sister, Mrs. Susan Litvak of Cincinnati. He was the son of Ogla and Maurice Shott of Cincinnati. Frank Milford Fox died on Jan.
27, 2000 at the age of 83. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie Kiefer Fox, and later was married to Joan Friedlander Fox. He is survived by his children, Sally and Gerry Korkin, John and Lisa Fox; grandchildren Keri K. and Danny Sonenshine, Suzanne Korkin, Jori Fox, and Rick Fox; and stepchildren, Therese Steiner, Carl Steiner, and Winthrop Wulsin. He was the son of the late Milford G. and Irma S. Fox. — February 3, 2000
CLASSIFIEDS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
COMMUNITY DIRECTORY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS Big Brothers/Big Sisters Assoc. (513) 761-3200 • bigbrobigsis.org Beth Tevilah Mikveh Society (513) 821-6679 Camp Ashreinu (513) 702-1513 Camp at the J (513) 722-7226 • mayersonjcc.org Camp Livingston (513) 793-5554 • camplivingston.com Cedar Village (513) 336-3183 • cedar-village.org Chevra Kadisha (513) 396-6426 Halom House (513) 791-2912 • halomhouse.com Hillel Jewish Student Center (513) 221-6728 • hillelcincinnati.org Jewish Community Center (513) 761-7500 • mayersonjcc.org Jewish Community Relations Council (513) 985-1501 Jewish Family Service (513) 469-1188 • jfscinti.org Jewish Federation of Cincinnati (513) 985-1500 • shalomcincy.org Jewish Foundation (513) 792-2715 Jewish Information Network (513) 985-1514 Jewish Vocational Service (513) 985-0515 • jvscinti.org Kesher (513) 766-3348 Plum Street Temple Historic Preservation Fund (513) 793-2556 The Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education (513) 487-3055 • holocaustandhumanity.org Vaad Hoier (513) 731-4671 Workum Summer Intern Program (513) 683-6670 • workum.org CONGREGATIONS Adath Israel Congregation (513) 793-1800 • adath-israel.org Beit Chaverim (513) 335-5812 Beth Israel Congregation (513) 868-2049 • bethisraelcongregation.net Congregation Beth Adam (513) 985-0400 • bethadam.org Congregation B’nai Tikvah (513) 759-5356 • bnai-tikvah.org Congregation B’nai Tzedek (513) 984-3393 • bnaitzedek.us Congregation Ohav Shalom (513) 489-3399 • ohavshalom.org Golf Manor Synagogue (513) 531-6654 • golfmanorsynagogue.org
Isaac M. Wise Temple (513) 793-2556 • wisetemple.org Isaac Nathan Congregation (513) 841-9005 Kehilas B’nai Israel (513) 761-0769 Kneseth Israel Congregation (513) 731-8377 • kicc.org Northern Hills Synagogue (513) 931-6038 • nhs-cba.org Rockdale Temple (513) 891-9900 • rockdaletemple.org Sephardic Beth Sholom Congregation (513) 793-6936 Temple Beth Shalom (513) 422-8313 • tbsohio.org Temple Sholom (513) 791-1330 • templesholom.net The Valley Temple (513) 761-3555 • valleytemple.com EDUCATION Chabad Blue Ash (513) 793-5200 • chabadba.com Cincinnati Community Kollel (513) 631-1118 • kollel.shul.net Cincinnati Hebrew Day School (513) 351-7777 • chds.shul.net HUC-JIR (513) 221-1875 • huc.edu JCC Early Childhood School (513) 793-2122 • mayersonjcc.org Mercaz High School (513) 792-5082 x104 • mercazhs.org Reform Jewish High School (513) 469-6406 • crjhs.org Regional Institute Torah & Secular Studies (513) 631-0083 Rockwern Academy (513) 984-3770 • rockwernacademy.org ORGANIZATIONS American Jewish Committee (513) 621-4020 • ajc.org American Friends of Magen David Adom (513) 521-1197 • afmda.org B’nai B’rith (513) 984-1999 Hadassah (513) 821-6157 • cincinnati-hadassah.org Jewish National Fund (513) 794-1300 • jnf.org NA’AMAT (513) 984-3805 • naamat.org National Council of Jewish Women (513) 891-9583 • ncjw.org State of Israel Bonds (513) 793-4440 • israelbonds.com Women’s American ORT (513) 985-1512 • ortamerica.org.org
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TEFILLIN from page 1 FBI agents interviewed the boy, Caleb Liebowitz, and his 16year-old sister, Dahlia, from White Plains, N.Y., but they were never actually in custody, according to Klaver. Klaver stressed that the incident was a misunderstanding and that the passenger had done nothing illegal. “There is no restriction against religious practices on the aircraft as long as you’re not interfering with the flight crew,” he said. The plane was operated by Chautauqua Airlines, an affiliate of US Airways. The flight had a total of 15 passengers. According to a statement by Republic Airlines, which owns Chautauqua Airlines, “When our crew tried to discuss the issue with the passenger, they did not receive a clear response.” The airlines said that “while we always regret any inconvenience to our passengers, safety and security must remain our top priority. In this case, making an unplanned stop in Philadelphia was determined to be in the best interest of our customers and our crew.” Glen Liebowitz, the father of the two teens, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that federal marshals approached the situation far too aggressively. The teens reportedly were flying to visit their grandmother in Kentucky. “Adults have to recognize that when you’re dealing with children, you have to be gentle,” Liebowitz told the Inquirer. Rabbi Solomon Isaacson of Congregation Beth Solomon Kollel and Community Center in Northeast Philadelphia said he understood the initial confusion, but could not fathom why the matter took at least two hours to clear up. “With what’s been going on
lately, I can understand how people would be scared of something they don’t know,” Isaacson said. “Obviously they had no idea what this was. They saw a guy with a black box and they are thinking that he could be an individual who is willing to sacrifice his life.” Once it became clear that they weren’t dealing with a terrorist, he said, “that should have been the beginning of the end of it.” Rabbi Jay Stein, president of the Vaad: The Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia, said it’s a sad commentary on the state of the world that people have become so paranoid. He also said the misunderstanding shows how little Americans know about other faiths. “We live in such a myopic world that people just don’t know what other people’s practices are,” said Stein, the religious leader of Har Zion Temple. On the other hand, Stein said that fear of the unknown is certainly understandable. “People are living in a crazy world where people are doing crazy things,” the rabbi said. “If you see somebody doing something that is out of the ordinary, of course you are going to be concerned. I would always prefer people to be more cautious than less cautious.” In the aftermath of the incident, Agudath Israel of America said it would make more widely available to airlines a brochure it had created detailing Orthodox customs, the JTA reported. In a statement last week, the fervently Orthodox group said it has worked closely with the Transportation Security Administration, an arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to “sensitize the agency to the various religious objects and practices of Orthodox Jews,” and to reach out to American and foreign airlines.
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LEGAL
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
Searching a cell phone
As I have written many times in this column, the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures. The Fourth Amendment also implicates privacy concerns. A person has an interest that justifies Fourth Amendment protection when that person has a legitimate, reasonable expectation of privacy in the property that is seized. Generally, the police are required to get a warrant before conducting a search. But one exception to the general rule against warrantless searches is a search incident to a lawful arrest. This kind of warrantless search is permissible for the safety of law enforcement officers and to prevent the destruction of evidence. The Ohio Supreme Court recently decided a search and
seizure case in an unusual context with interesting privacy implications — that of a warrantless search of data in a cell phone. A 43 majority of the court, in an opinion written by Justice Judith Lanzinger (who is up for re-election this year) held that such a search was improper, even though the phone was seized pursuant to a lawful arrest. She was joined by Justices Pfeifer, O’Connor, and Chief Justice Moyer. Here’s what happened. A woman named Wendy Northern was taken to Miami Valley Hospital after a reported drug overdose. While at the hospital, she agreed to cooperate with the police by calling her dealer, whom she identified as Antwaun Smith, to arrange for a crack buy at her place. The police recorded this conversation, and then later arrested Smith at Northern’s residence. In searching Smith the police found his cell phone, which they confiscated. The police also found crack cocaine at the scene. Some time later, the police confirmed from the call records and phone numbers stored in Smith’s phone that that phone had been used to speak with Northern. The police did not have a warrant to search the phone. Smith was indicted on a number of drug and related charges.
His lawyer filed a motion to suppress the data found in the cell phone. The trial court allowed the call records and phone numbers to be used as evidence at his trial. Smith was convicted and sentenced to a long prison term. On appeal, he challenged the warrantless search of his cell phone data. Since cell phones have been around for awhile, and are ubiquitous, one of the surprising things I learned from this decision is that neither the U.S. Supreme Court nor any state supreme court has ruled on the question of the warrantless cell phone data search. When an issue is decided for the first time, courts generally look for related analogies. It is settled law that any closed container found on the person of someone arrested can be searched incident to that arrest. A number of federal courts have analogized various electronic devices, including cell phones, to closed containers, thus allowing them to be searched without warrants. The prosecution in Smith’s case urged the Ohio Supreme Court to adopt this position. But the high court refused to find that a cell phone is a closed container, because under existing U.S. Supreme Court precedent, a container is something that actually has a physical object inside it, which a cell phone does not.
After deciding that a cell phone is not some kind of closed container, the Ohio high court still had to decide how to classify it for Fourth Amendment purposes, noting that “given their unique nature as multifunctional tools, cell phones defy easy categorization.” In trying to answer this question, the majority opinion went off on a meander about the capabilities of various kinds of cell phones, but ultimately decided that the result in this case should not depend on the capabilities of the particular cell phone involved. Is a cell phone like an address book, in which there is a low expectation of privacy in the event of an arrest, or is it more like a laptop computer, which has a higher expectation of privacy? The court found it was closer to a computer, because a person has a high expectation of privacy in a cell phone’s contents. So the Court held that before conducting a search of the contents of a cell phone, the police had to get a warrant. Since they didn’t in this case, the data taken from the phone should not have been allowed into evidence. Justice Robert Cupp dissented in this case, joined by Justices Stratton and O’Donnell. He finds nothing unique or unusual about the search of the phone and its contents in this case. To him, this
was a straightforward search pursuant to a lawful arrest, for which no warrant was required for anything that was found. But the majority took a more nuanced position on this search-incidentto-arrest exception to the warrant requirement. Justice Lanzinger noted that the justification for allowing this kind of warrantless search is to protect law enforcement officers and to prevent the destruction of evidence. Since neither circumstance was present in this case, the warrant exception did not apply. Justice Cupp also chided the majority for going through a “wide-ranging examination of the capabilities of different types of cell phones and other electronic devices,” finding that this case was very much like the search of a regular address book found on someone who is arrested, and was perfectly proper. But he did agree that if dealing with a phone which has computer-like capabilities, which this one didn’t, the warrantless search issue would be more complicated. He would wait for the proper case to decide that issue. There’s no question that the advent of increasingly sophisticated technology will continue to raise fascinating Fourth Amendment issues.
JCC from page 5
JCC Early Childhood School? DH: I appreciate the level of experience that the teachers at the JCC Early Childhood School have. They are the most loving, caring people I know, and they seem to care about my daughter’s growth and development as much
SS: When I was looking for a preschool for both of my sons, I noticed that the teachers at the
JCC Early Childhood School were extremely caring and loving with all the children. I love the flexible hours offered at the school, and the full day program is very accommodating for working parents. The teachers are great, but so are the specialists who run the enrichment activities like art,
music and drama.
JC: Right now, our daughter is very young, but next year, we might get her started in sports and art programs at the J.
as I do. The student/teacher ratio is lower than any other school I’ve seen, and the curriculum is richly infused with music, art, and Jewish culture.
But for these researchers, the work is by no means done, and they are mapping out strategies for rabbis and instructors to battle marital conflicts preemptively by sitting down with engaged couples and discussing matters such as sexuality, evolving roles of men and women, and financial issues. Sexuality is a particularly poorly addressed topic among Jewish teachers, according to Pelcovitz, who trains rabbis to handle marital problems among couples of all ages. “In certain countries priests will not marry a couple until a couple has had a certain number of premarital preparation counseling sessions,” he said, adding that these countries show lower divorce rates than Catholic countries where priests lack such a policy. Pelcovitz and many of his colleagues hope that Jewish spiritual leaders and teachers will follow
suit, providing marital counseling not only before the wedding but on an ongoing basis, even through the healthiest of marriages. “As we teach mathematics, mental skills should be there also — you’re not buying a used car,” Buchweitz said. “To establish a marriage that can be long lasting is the goal of the OU, the goal of Aleinu, the goal of world Jewry.” To this effect, he continued, the OU has been sponsoring marriage retreats on both the East and West Coasts for years, where couples convene to discuss their relationships in a group support setting. This year’s retreat will occur in July in upstate New York. Buchweitz said he recently caught up with a couple — the parents of married children — that had attended a retreat four years ago. “The last time I saw them they were walking hand in hand, like a
young couple in the first days of marriage,” he said. “Dating never stops — it’s a continual process throughout a marriage. Courting never stops.” The Jewish community may need to focus more attention on marriage preparation, the doctors and rabbis say, but those facing the prospect of marriage should by no means despair and should remember that the results were still overwhelmingly positive. “It may not just be the shandah [disgrace] factor,” Pelcovitz said, noting that much more than just shame of divorce likely holds religious unions together. “There may be something about the Orthodox community that leads to more satisfaction in Orthodox marriages.” Schnall agreed, adding, “Wives and husbands are happy to hear that they would do it all again if they could.”
Legally Speaking
by Marianna Bettman Contributing Columnist
Overall, what do you think of the MARRIAGES from page 6 pressures are major stressors on the health of a marriage. In addition to Fox’s observations, Schnall cites factors such as financial problems, lack of community, conflicts with in-laws, and both sexuality and intimacy as potential catalysts for frustrations. Smaller problems could include excessive time spent on the Internet or visitation to inappropriate Web sites — things more common early in a marriage rather than later, according to Schnall. Later in marriages also come stressors such as devastating illness within the family or behavioral problems of “off-the-derech” children. “Those divorced and remarried are more likely to deal with stress from such a child,” Schnall said, adding that baalei teshuvah parents
— those who are newly observant Jews or returning to observance — also reported that these problems pose a great deal of stress in their families. His colleague, YU psychology and education professor David Pelcovitz, also said that children afflicted by “affluenza” — those raised in wealthy households — are three times as likely to submit to alcoholism, depression and other problems that may disrupt their parents’ marriages. Addressing a roundtable of journalists along with his team of researchers and rabbis, Schnall cited a cartoon he had read in the January issue of Monitor on Psychology Journal, published by the American Psychological Association: “Well, honey, all of our kids are now married, divorced and remarried. I guess all our work is done.”
JC: My wife and I love the school in every way! From the high-quality JCC facilities to the incredibly friendly and welcoming teachers, the school is the perfect combination of excellent childcare and education.
NEWS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
DECISION from page 7 you have corporations weighing in without any of the limitations that PACs have.” Some observers believe the anxieties are overstated. “It’s very clear that the majority of voters are very supportive of Israel,” said Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, a founder of The Israel Project, a pro-Israel group that also tracks public opinion on Israel. PIRATES from page 7 “All these years people have been asking, ‘Hey, you still working on this book? When are you going to finish it?’ “ Kritzler said. When his book was published finally in October 2008 by Knopf Doubleday, it reached as high as No. 4 on the Los Angeles Times best-seller list. Among experts and reviewers, however, the reception has been mixed. Washington Post reviewer Ken Ringle called Kritzler’s book “an earnest but rather disjointed retelling of the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 and their flight to such refuges as Holland, Brazil and Jamaica, where they played a growing role in trade during the 16th and 17th centuries.” To be sure, while there were quite a few Jews who crisscrossed the Atlantic in this early era of discovery, very few were bona fide pirates. In his book, Kritzler doesn’t make much of a distinction between pirates, groups of individuals who elected their leaders democratically and lived vicariously off looting and plunder, and privateers, mercenaries hired by monarchs to steal from their enemies on the high seas. Some scholars have criticized Kritzler’s reading of history as lacking in historical evidence. Kritzler contends that with the exception of a few minor errors, his depiction is accurate. The author says his interest in Jewish adventurers goes back to his childhood in Roslyn Heights, ANTI-SEMITISM from page 9 four times. In an incident on June 3, graves and a Holocaust memorial were destroyed, and bones and bodies were unearthed, including the remains of the mother of the current president of the city’s 50-person Jewish community, Moisis Elliasaf. Greek Jews protested that authorities did little to find the perpetrators. Jewish outrage grew when a highranking police officer caught in the cemetery immediately after one of the incidents was not questioned by authorities. Neither the mayor, the governor nor the Metropolite Theoklitos — the highest-ranking priest in every Greek city – condemned the incident.
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“While there were times in history when that might have been a problem, this is not one of those times.” Some Conservatives have shrugged off concerns about the new ruling. Just because corporations are now able to weigh in directly on elections does not mean they will do so, Marc Ambinder wrote on his Atlantic Monthly blog. “Corporate boards are risk averse,” Ambinder wrote. “Smart CEOs don’t want to risk internal
conflict on boards when deciding which political candidates to back directly.” An official associated with one pro-Israel PAC said her group is now likely to stress the importance of funneling funds through PACs as a means of countering corporate influence. Other factors are mitigating the implications of the court ruling. The corporate world is diverse, and different companies may weigh
in on both sides of an issue. Furthermore, it is not yet clear whether the ruling allows shareholders to sue to prevent corporations from parlaying big bucks on political campaigning. In this scenario, grass-roots activists seeking to prevent such spending simply would have to buy shares. In the meantime, Stern said he has been trying — without success — to convene Jewish groups to examine the decision and broader
issues. Saperstein said the decision made the case for greater involvement in which judges make the bench. “It dramatizes the need for the Jewish community to get involved in nomination fights,” he said, “to make sure that people who don’t abandon 100 years of precedent that served the common good, as happened in this case, are appointed to the court.”
on New York’s Long Island. Fascinated by tales of cowboys and conquistadors, he longed for his own adventures. In 1960, at the age of 19, Kritzler visited Cuba, where he witnessed up close the revolution that brought a young Fidel Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara to power. “I stood in the midst of a sea of 2 million Cubans who shouted ‘Cuba, si! Yankees, no!’ “ he recalls. “This was the high point when everyone was in favor of the revolution, the first year.” After graduating from the University of Vermont, he worked as a journalist in the New York area. He wrote about music and met many rock stars; Kritzler interviewed Bob Dylan right after he went electric. Kritzler made it to Jamaica in 1967, where he discovered the document that eventually would lead to his book. Today the kid from Long Island who dreamed of Spanish gold is basking in his newfound success. “I love being a minor celebrity,” Kritzler told JTA. Kritzler, who now travels back and forth to Jamaica from Chapel Hill, N.C., says he hopes to start leading tours of the remnants of the early Jewish community of Jamaica, such as the old Jewish cemetery at Hunter’s Bay. Among its 17th century tombstones, many of which are covered with skulls and crossbones, Kritzler says he will regale visitors with stories of the restless lives led by those laid to rest in its confines.
SURVIVOR from page 9
for him, only a searing memory of how human beings should not behave toward their fellows,” the group said in a statement. Kor says withholding forgiveness locks them in victimhood. “If they like being victims, it’s their choice,” Kor said. “I don’t want to be a victim ever again.” On Jan. 26, standing on the icy steps of a barracks in Auschwitz, Kor recalled seeing Russian Red Army soldiers approaching through whirling snow 65 years ago. “They were smiling,” she remembers. “They gave us hugs, and chocolate and cookies. And it tasted wonderful.” Together with guide Bogusia Zygmunt, Kor led her group into the camp’s only remaining gas chamber, where experiments were
performed before the larger gas chambers were built. In the adjoining crematorium, they lit candles and chanted the Kaddish memorial prayer. At that moment, Lincoln Ellington, 13, the youngest member of the group, had second thoughts about forgiveness. “Right when we started lighting the candles, it really hit me,” he said, standing out in the snow. “We were in a place where people were ...” His voice trailed off. “Eva said she could not live with hatred inside of her, but there are some people who haven’t forgiven,” Lincoln said. “And when I walked in that gas chamber, and when I saw that hole where they dropped in the poison — well, I couldn’t forgive, right there.”
After the launching of Israel’s operation against Hamas in Gaza a year ago, anti-Semitism seemed to erupt. George Karatzaferis, the leader of the far-right political party LAOS, which has 15 seats in Parliament, wrote an article in his weekly newspaper A1 calling the Jews “Christ killers” and saying that the “blood of the Jews stinks.” No one responded when the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece asked the speaker of parliament and political leaders to condemn the article. And with the exception of one highly respected Greek columnist, Pashos Mandraveli in the daily Kathimerini, the Greek media stayed silent, too.
Her forgiveness, too, has its limits. “If I see anyone who wants to advocate ideas of Nazism, I cannot forgive them,” she said. “And Israel cannot go to guys who are blowing up pizza places or weddings and say we love and forgive you. No.” Kor’s outspoken forgiveness of Mengele, which she said she decided on in 1995 to free herself, has not been without controversy. In 2007, the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors called it “abhorrent to forgive this monster, Josef Mengele,” and the group’s president said other Mengele twins were very upset with Kor for talking about forgiveness. “There will be no forgiveness
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OBITUARIES
DEATH NOTICES STEINER, Edna S., 106, died on January 25, 2010; 10 Shevat, 5770. KOHN, Marian D., 90, died on January 26, 2010; 12 Shevat, 5770. FORMAN, Arnold, 76, died on January 27, 2010; 12 Shevat, 5770. STEWART, Cyndi Weiser, 45, died on January 30, 2010; 15 Shevat, 5770. WATTS, Elaine, 57, died on January 30, 2010; 16 Shevat, 5770.
OBITUARIES FORMAN, Arnold Arnold Forman, 76, of Boynton Beach, Fla. and Cincinnati, Ohio, died January 27, 2010. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Gloria Forman; daughter and son-in-law, Penny and Gary Blitzer; daughter, Lori Forman Flink; grandchildren, Evan Blitzer, Elyse Blitzer, Ryan Flink, Bradley Flink, Jake Flink; and sister, Roz Kleiman. The family would appreciate contributions to Congregation Dor Tamid, 11165 Parsons Rd, Johns Creek, Ga. 30097 or to Isaac M. Wise Temple, 8329 Ridge Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. Graveside services were held in Atlanta, Ga. on Friday, January 29, 2010 at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Ron Herstik officiating.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
ISRAEL from page 10 Perhaps most significantly, Germany has made a major contribution to Israeli security through the supply and partial financing of five state-of the-art Dolphin submarines, which, according to foreign reports, give Israel a nuclear second-strike option. German mediators have helped arrange prisoner and bodyparts exchanges with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and a German mediator is involved in the efforts now to secure the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Israel and Germany also are enjoying significant scientific cooperation; Ada Yonath, the 2009 Israeli Nobel laureate in chemistry, did much of her research in Germany. Given all this, many Israelis are bewildered that Germany hasn’t done more to curb its extensive trade and technology ties with Iran. In 2008, German trade with Iran actually increased by 14 percent, to more than $5 billion. The German appliance and technology giant Siemens alone accounted for $600 million. It has nearly 300 Iran-based employees, and with its Finnish partner Nokia provides state-of-theart surveillance technology. In the mid-1970s, Siemens began construction of the reactors at the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran. About 100 dummy German companies are suspected of involvement in the sale of missile and aircraft technology to Iran, some rerouted through the United Arab LETTERS from page 16 other’s side. But what I uncovered during this trip, no matter who I spoke with or which business I visited, were the values of Israel and of its people: faith, love of liberty, respect for free enterprise, pursuit of justice, compassion and the importance of community and family. These are the values of Israel that bind its people to one another and to their homeland. These are also the values that cause the United States to hold Israel in
Moshe Milner / GPO / Flash90 / JTA
Israeli officials say German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Holocaust Museum in Berlin on Jan. 18, 2010, has been lagging in acting against Iran despite some outspoken declarations.
Republic in the UAE. There also have been dozens of cases of “dual use” contracts between Germany and Iran: the sale for civilian use of technology that could be used for military purposes. For Iranians, German brands long have been the products of choice. According to unofficial German estimates, 75 percent of small- and medium-sized Iranian factories use German equipment and technology. While this is a good
indicator of the amount of trade between the two countries, it also shows just how much leverage Germany could have on Iran. In early 2009, after pressure from then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Merkel moved to limit export guarantees, known as “Hermes Cover,” to firms doing business with Iran. This seems to have had some effect after the unrest that followed the disputed June election in Iran, when some
German firms froze activities in Iran because of the perceived risk. Israeli pressure also forced the cancellation last week of a huge contract for Hamburg Port Consulting to run Bandar Abbas, the Iranian port from which a ship called the Francop set out carrying roughly 500 tons of weapons for Iran’s Hezbollah and Hamas proxies. It was intercepted on the high seas by the Israeli navy last November.
esteem, because they are the building blocks of democracy, the thread joining our two countries in a bond that continues to grow and strengthen regardless of the changes and chaos taking place elsewhere in the world. It is by following this thread that I came to truly understand and appreciate Israel. Israel and the United States have a mutuality, an understanding that our fates, our cherished values, are the underpinnings on which our democracies rely. This country, that was born in 1948, is smaller than Ohio and struggles daily against terrorism and unrest, yet thrives culturally and economically because it is at peace with the values on which it rests. One can’t visit Israel without immediately appreciating that Israelis honor their values by putting them to use every day in their business, political, and social lives. Schneider Children’s Medical Center, a world-class children’s hospital I toured in Tel Aviv, has recently established a cooperative agreement on research and treatment with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. It receives patients from all over the globe, including the Arab world, and — like the amazing medical teams
and equipment Israel has sent to Haiti — is a testament to Israel’s commitment to community, healing and compassion. I toured Procter & Gamble’s Innovation Center, recently established in Israel because of the Israeli culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, making it a world leader in start-ups and new technology despite the security challenges it faces. Sderot, a small town I visited about a mile from Gaza and an all-too-easy target for missiles and rockets fired by terrorists, houses a playground in a bunker because somewhere in the neighborhood of 8,000 rockets and missiles have been fired at the town over the past eight years. Sderot’s Mayor, David Buskila, confronts each day fully aware of the reality, but also with a sense of optimism and hope that tomorrow will be better, and the day after, better still. The resilience of Sderot, which I witnessed, is hard for most of us to imagine, but nonetheless remarkable and heroic. Israel also honors its values at the redesigned Yad Vashem, a powerful memorial that pays tribute to families and communities destroyed by hate and intolerance during the Holocaust. Though a
painful reminder that the world can be a violent and cruel place, the museum also teaches the values of peace, justice and humanity. Because it is appropriately located in the heart of Jerusalem, it is testimony not only to the pain of the past, but to the amazing birth of the Jewish State. Israelis put their values first. This truth resonated with me during my meetings with Israeli Cabinet Ministers, the President, and the Prime Minister, Israel’s Chief Rabbi, and other government and business leaders. These values are the collective starting point for every social program, for every business decision, for every neighborhood or community organization, and for Israel’s Defense Forces. Despite knowing their values will be tested, threatened and abused by their enemies, Israel remains committed to doing what is right—even in time of war. Israel’s strength in the face of hardship and peril is evidence of the importance of doing what is right and putting values first. In this belief, as in so many other ways, the United States and Israel must remain trusted allies and partners. Rob Portman Terrace Park
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