AI2010_09_30

Locally prepared kosher selections

By Nicole Simon Assistant Editor

JCC annual meeting Vaad Hoier of Cincinnati facing financial crossroads

By LeeAnne Galioto Assistant Editor

In 2007, both the bigg’s at Highland and the Blue Ash Kroger remodeled and added a kosher deli to their respective stores. If you have not noticed already, the Blue Ash Kroger has recently expanded their selection in their kosher deli department. Already a “go-to” store for kosher foods, The Kosher Deli and Butcher now offers more in the way of freshly prepared foods. Since the renovation, the kosher section’s only freshly prepared offerings were rotisserie chicken, kosher sushi and some salad options.

However, over the past two months, the men behind the counter have been expanding the variety of fresh, readymade food offerings they prepare.

“We felt we needed to offer more in prepared foods,” noted Kroger chef Ari Rubinoff.

The expansion of offerings in the section came via

The Mayerson Jewish Community Center celebrated two years at its current location during its annual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 21. The meeting was held in the JCC’s Amberley Room where balloons and a birthday cake reception helped celebrate the event.

After a brief welcome, the meeting began with a video presentation highlighting the JCC’s programs including the Fit-Fun Day, which was held Aug. 29. The video presented program participants having fun and sharing what they loved about the JCC. JCC’s executive director Jeff Baden and Amberley Village Mayor Merrie Stillpass were also featured.

Outgoing president Howard Schwartz gave a report about the past year and his presidency. He said that because of the economic downturn the JCC has undergone some “tough times,” but the “community embraced the J,” and the dedication and devotion of the staff has not changed.

The Vaad Hoier of Cincinnati, the local organization for overseeing kashrut, is currently restructuring their organization. In our Sept. 2, 2010 issue we announced that Rabbi Aaron Daniel was appointed the new executive director.

Rabbi Daniel was to assume the duties of Rabbi Yacov Toron, but as of yet he still has not fully taken on the role.

Rabbi Toron, the previous rabbinic administrator, served the Vaad for 18 years as mashgiach before being relieved of his duties. He came to Cincinnati in 1971 as a shochet, a ritual slaughterer, and has dedicated 39 years of service to the community.

The board of directors is working to finalize the details of

KOSHER on page 22

JCC on page 19

VAAD on page 22

By LeeAnne Galioto Assistant Editor

J Street owns up to Soros funding First Person: An immigrant family marks a decade in Israel

By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency

WASHINGTON (JTA) — J Street has acknowledged substantial donations from billionaire George Soros, reversing years of claims by the group that it had nothing to do with the liberal financier, and apologized for making misleading statements about his role.

Jeremy Ben-Ami, the director of the dovish pro-Israel lobby, confirmed to JTA a report that first appeared in The Washington Times that it had received $245,000 from Soros and his children in 2008, and added that it had received another $500,000 in subsequent years—altogether, about 7 percent of the $11 million that J Street says it has taken in since its 2008 founding.

Ben-Ami for years has given statements denying Soros had a role in founding the

By Marcy Oster Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Courtesy of World Economic Forum

George Soros, shown at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January 2010, “never made any secret about his contributions to J Street,” his spokesman said.

group and strongly implying that he continued to have no role.

SOROS on page 22

guage perfectly, having learned it in kindergarten at a Cleveland-area day school.

I left the school and began the mile-long trek back to our apartment (we would not buy our first car, which we are still driving, for another six months), when a car pulled up and offered me a ride. The driver was an English-speaking woman with a daughter in my first-grader’s class who had made aliyah many years before us.

When she asked how everything was going, I burst into tears and spent the next half hour crying in the front seat of her car as she consoled me and promised that our life in Israel would only get better.

Ten years later, my youngest daughter has just entered first grade. She arrived in the classroom with her pink orthopedic backpack

KARNEI SHOMRON, West Bank (JTA) — Just weeks after we immigrated to Israel in August 2000, I was summoned to the principal’s office of my daughter’s elementary school. Two weeks earlier she had entered first grade, another big step on top of the many big steps it took to get us to Israel.

The principal neither spoke nor understood much English, and I neither spoke nor understood much Hebrew. But during our brief meeting, she managed to communicate to me that my daughter would not have as many hours of assistance during the school day as we thought. Also, the teacher was having difficulty teaching a child “fresh off the boat” who could not understand a word of Hebrew — though she could read the lan-

FAMILY on page 22

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2010 22 TISHREI, 5771 CINCINNATI, OHIO LIGHT CANDLES AT 7:01 SHABBAT ENDS 8:00 VOL. 157 • NO. 10 $2.00

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Seinfeld, Midler to headline Philly museum's opening bash

Barely months into talks, will the freeze freeze a peace deal?

Cedar Village’s 8 Over 80

Incahoots is back in town

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2010

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Join a world event at the JCC on Oct. 10 The entire community is invited to attend the Daniel Pearl World Music Days “Harmony for Humanity” concert at the Mayerson JCC on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. This special event at the JCC is free, and will feature diverse musical performances by Adath Israel Congregation Band, Cosmeau World Music Trio, Foundation Band, Northern Hills Synagogue Choir, Rockdale Temple Rock Shabbat Band, Southern Gateway Chorus, and Wise Temple “Shir Chadash” Band.

Daniel Pearl World Music Days were created in 2002 in remembrance of Wall Street Journal reporter, Daniel Pearl, an American who was kidnapped and murdered by extremists in Karachi, Pakistan. Pearl’s family and friends came together to work toward a more humane world, forming the Daniel Pearl Foundation. Pearl was also known as a talented musician who joined musical groups in every community he visited. His passion for music and lifelong mission of uniting people from different cultures is what led the Foundation to create “Harmony for Humanity,” an awareness-raising initiative.

The concert at the JCC is the only Daniel Pearl World Music Days event available in Cincinnati on Oct. 10. At this event, the Mayerson JCC uses the power of music to promote cross-cultural understanding and remind people of all cultures and religions that everyone shares a common humanity.

This international network of concerts is held every October, the month of Pearl’s birthday. Over the past eight years, Daniel Pearl World Music Days have included more than 4,900 performances in 102 countries.

“The musical groups performing at the JCC for this international event are very diverse, and I think having so many different types of music all in one place is a great way to bring people together,” said Betsy Singer-Lefton, who performs with Wise Temple’s “Shir Chadash” band.

Dick Lentz, a Southern Gateway Chorus member since 2001, said, “We are honored to be performing at the JCC’s Daniel Pearl concert. Pearl recognized music’s ability to bridge the differences between people, and the men of our chorus have been blending their efforts toward the same goal

OHIO GOVERNOR REAPPOINTS THOMPSON HINE PARTNER TO BOARD Michael R. Oestreicher Continues Term on Cincinnati State Board of Trustees CINCINNATI – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has reappointed Thompson Hine partner Michael R. Oestreicher to a second six-year term on the Cincinnati State Technical and Community College board of trustees.

Oestreicher currently serves as board chair.

Oestreicher, a partner in Thompson Hine’s Corporate Transactions & Securities and International Trade & Customs practice groups, counsels numerous companies concerning their domestic and international transactional activities. He is a former member of the firm’s Executive Committee and former partner-incharge of the firm’s Cincinnati office. In February 2006, Oestreicher was appointed by President George W. Bush as a member of the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. His term was extended for an additional two years in 2008.

Oestreicher serves the Greater Cincinnati community in many ways, including serving on the board of trustees for the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, as a member of the Executive Committee of the Cincinnati USA Partnership of the Cincinnati U.S.A. Chamber of Commerce, as ex-officio board member and past president of the Isaac M. Wise Temple and as emeritus trustee of Hebrew Union College.

“I’m honored to continue to serve the board,” says Oestreicher. “Cincinnati State always has

Michael R. Oestreicher been an important asset to our community, but because of its role in preparing and retraining individuals for good jobs, it plays an even more important role these days. I am also pleased to be able to serve during what will be a watershed transition as Dr. Owens assumes his leadership role and takes Cincinnati State forward into what I expect will be an exciting and very successful chapter in the school’s history. I am very grateful to Governor Strickland for this reappointment.”

“We are very proud that Mike has been reappointed to the board of Cincinnati State” says Shane Starkey, partner-in-charge of the firm’s Cincinnati office. “Mike embodies the firm’s dedication to providing superior service to our clients and our community. We are fortunate that Mike continues to play a key role in the firm and the region.”

— Professional Announcement —

for more than 50 years!”

This free community event is open to the public and was made possible by a generous grant from

the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. For more information about this or other free events at the Manuel D. & Rhoda Mayerson

JCC on The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati Campus contact Courtney Cummings at the J or visit their website.

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‘Jewish Neighborhood, Jewish City’— Lichter Lecture Series

By Nicole Simon Assistant Editor The annual Lichter Lecture Series has become a fall tradition at the University of Cincinnati.

For the past three decades, the Judaic Studies department of UC has hosted the series, bringing numerous scholars from national institutions of higher learning to Cincinnati to discuss historical topics relating to Judaism in modern times.

During the month of October, the UC campus and the Mayerson JCC will have three visiting professors relating their expertise on this year’s theme of “Jewish Neighborhood, Jewish City.” On Thursday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m., postdoctoral associate Hizky Shoham of Yale University will give a lecture entitled “Tel-Aviv: From Jewish Neighborhood to ‘Hebrew’ Metropolis?” in the Board Room at the Mayerson JCC. On Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m., associate professor Susan Miller of the University of California, Davis, will give a lecture entitled “Between Memory and Extinction: The Moroccan Jewish Quarter in the Twentieth

Century,” which will be located in Braunstein Hall, in UC’s Uptown Campus. Lastly, on Thursday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m., history professor Samuel Kassow, of Trinity College, will give a lecture called “Warsaw: The Making of a Jewish Metropolis,” also given in Braunstein Hall.

“The Lichter lectures enhance the Judaic Studies at UC and enrich the intellectual life of the UC faculty, students and members of the community,” said Gila Naveh, the Judaic Studies department head at UC. “By empowering Judaic Studies to bringing to Cincinnati first rate scholars, who made their mark nationally and internationally in various areas of Jewish studies including philosophy, history, literature, film, politics, Biblical archeology, or poetry and by exposing our community to fresh new ideas in the Jewish scholarly world, the Lichter lectures have been an invaluable asset to the department and to the Cincinnati community at large.”

“We are all very excited about this year’s outstanding speakers who come from different backgrounds and fields of research,

and at the same time share scholarly excellence and the same fascination with the interaction between Jews and their cities,” claimed Professor Adi Gordon, the new assistant professor in Judaic Studies. “The history of Jewish cities and Jewish neighborhoods allows us to glimpse the drama of Jewish history and the dynamics of Jewish life and highlights the unique character different cities have landed to their respective Jewish communities. It is on the one hand a tale about the interaction with the non-Jewish neighbors, and at the same time, a telling story about the creation of a distinctive Jewish space and of a uniquely Jewish sense of space.”

As previously stated, Hizky Shoham will give the first talk on Oct. 7, focusing on the foundation of Tel Aviv.

“My interest in Tel-Aviv grew out of my interest in the Zionist project as it had historically taken place, rather than as it was desired,” said Shoham. “That is, while Zionism was desired and imagined by many people as a ‘return to the soil’ and a process of creation of a new Jewish peasantry (or pioneers), it was actual-

ly—from its outset—an extensive process of urbanization and industrialization of both the country and the Jewish people.”

Professor Gordon, who took the lead in putting together this year’s series, noted, “Dr. Hizky Shoham is a promising young scholar in the fields of Modern Jewish history and Cultural and Social Theory. Recently, he has been a research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and is currently conducting groundbreaking research in the Judaic Studies Program at Yale University. He belongs to an exciting new cohort of young scholars, analyzing Tel Aviv (and Zionist culture in general) from very fresh perspectives of cultural studies.”

With the aide of authentic visual materials from that period, Dr. Shoham will bring new insights into “young Tel Aviv” and explain how Tel Aviv hasgenerated a “sense of space,” distinct from neighboring Jaffa.

For further information, and directions, contact UC’s Judaic Studies Department, or the Mayerson JCC.

‘Operation Isaiah’ at NHS As part of a long-standing tradition, worshippers at Northern Hills Synagogue-Congregation B’nai Avraham came to the synagogue before the Yom Kippur holiday bearing bags of non-perishable food items. Members of the synagogue’s youth groups accepted the donations, taking them afterward to the Shared Harvest Food Bank, serving Butler and Warren Counties, and to the Kosher Food Pantry of the Cincinnati Jewish community, which provides needy Jews with food that conforms to Jewish dietary laws. Over 50 bags of food were collected. Yom Kippur is a fast day, and the reading from the prophets on Yom Kippur, taken from Isaiah 57-58, includes the words, “This is the fast that I desire… to share your bread with the hungry.” As a result, this Yom Kippur effort is referred to as Operation Isaiah.

Northern Hills Synagogue has long committed itself to projects that seek to alleviate hunger in our community. Over 20 years ago, when the congregation was located in Finneytown, it joined other Jewish congregations in taking responsibility for Sunday dinners

Tracy Weisberger, Northern Hills Director of Programming & Education, with some of the bags of food.

at the Over-the-Rhine Soup Kitchen. Volunteers from Northern Hills Synagogue prepare and serve the dinners four times a year. At about the same time, the congregation’s youth groups, Kadima (grades 6-8) and United

Synagogue Youth (grades 9-12), began to implement Operation Isaiah, a project of the synagogue’s national organization, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. In addition, Northern Hills Synagogue is a Mazon

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The oldest English-Jewish weekly in America Founded July 15, 1854

by Isaac M.Wise VOL. 157 • NO. 10 Thursday, September 30, 2010 22 Tishrei, 5771 Shabbat begins Fri, 7:01 p.m.

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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 BARBARA L. MORGENSTERN Senior Writer LEEANNE GALIOTO NICOLE SIMON Assistant Editors ALEXIA KADISH Copy Editor JANET STEINBERG Travel Editor STEPHANIE DAVIS-NOVAK Fashion Editor

Partner, giving regular support to Mazon, a Los Angeles-based organization which collects funds from Jewish congregations and individuals and makes grants to organizations and institutions, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, which alleviate hunger. At the time of the High Holy Days in the fall, the congregation undertakes a special campaign to raise funds for Mazon. Throughout the year, the Northern Hills Synagogue Men’s Club keeps a collection barrel for donations of non-perishable food in the synagogue lobby, and, when filled, the collected items are taken to one of several nearby food banks or pantries.

Rabbi Gershom Barnard, spiritual leader of Northern Hills Synagogue, said, “I like to deliver the collected food to the food bank myself whenever I can. Along with donating food myself, it is a tangible way for me to support this very important endeavor, to practice what I preach. I never tire of saying that our lives should be based on the values of Torah (religious study), worship, and doing good deeds. Our efforts to alleviate hunger are an important part of that third leg.”

MARILYN GALE Dining Editor MARIANNA BETTMAN NATE BLOOM RABBI A. JAMES RUDIN RABBI AVI SHAFRAN Contributing Writers LEV LOKSHIN JANE KARLSBERG Staff Photographers PATTY YOUKILIS Advertising Sales JOSEPH D. STANGE Production Manager ALLISON CHANDLER Office Manager

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CHHE’s Speakers Bureau brings history to life in Cinti When Holocaust survivor Werner Coppel speaks to student and community groups throughout Greater Cincinnati about his experiences in the labor and death camps of World War II’s Nazi Germany, history comes powerfully to life. Now, as the numbers of those who survived the Holocaust continue to decline, the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education (CHHE) remains committed to providing community-wide educational opportunities that will keep the lessons of Holocaust history alive.

Through its Speakers’ Bureau, local Holocaust survivors and their families address audiences of students, educators and community members about their experiences— reaching over 10,000 people annually. The survivors’ first-hand accounts teach priceless lessons of tolerance and acceptance —and leave a lasting impact on those who may otherwise have little exposure to Holocaust history. Without CHHE’s efforts—and those of other Holocaust education organizations throughout the world— one of the most horrific chapters ever recorded in human history would fade from memory.

As part of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s Planning & Allocations process, volunteers from the Council of

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will present our Local eyewitness Werner Koppel addresses students as part of the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education’s Speakers Bureau.

Jewish Life and Learning (CJLL) visited CHHE to attend a conference of local educators where Cincinnatian Werner Coppel spoke candidly of his experiences in the death camps. Council volunteer Ed Kuresman was moved by the impact of CHHE’s work and mission. “No other organization could fill CHHE’s role in the community, specifically the Speakers’ Bureau program as it relates to educating the nonJewish community.” Alison Caller, another CJLL volunteer, agreed. “It is important that succeeding generations never forget the atrocities that occurred. The testimony of the remaining survivors is intended to leave a profound and lasting impression.”

Ohav to honor dedicated volunteers Congregation Ohav Shalom is sponsoring the Five-Star Recognition Event on Sunday, Oct. 17 to honor five of its most dedicated volunteers. These are individuals who have made major contributions of their time and energy and have personified the volunteer spirit for which the synagogue is well known.

In alphabetical order, the volunteers are Jean Borden, Barry Joffe, Jack Robinson, Mel Shapiro and Marcia Weller. Over the years, Barry Joffe, Jack Robinson and Mel Shapiro have all served as president of Ohav Shalom in addition to the many other responsibilities they have assumed. Jean Borden has worked tirelessly for 18 years as cochair of catering, a key function of the Sisterhood that has generated significant dollars for the synagogue. Marcia Weller has served on the board of directors as well as many Ohav Shalom committees, including the building committee, which orchestrated the move to the

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synagogue’s current location.

Throughout the evening, each honoree will be recognized individually and will speak briefly about his or her dedication and strong volunteer ethic at Ohav Shalom.

The festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour, which will be accompanied by a trio consisting of a harp, violin and percussion. Then the evening will continue with a full-course sit-down dinner and elegant desserts prepared by Amy Healey-Callahan and Lauren LaBonte, two highly talented and creative chefs.

“It is a privilege to honor these outstanding volunteers. They have set the bar very high for what it means to be a volunteer, and we are honoring them as a show of our gratitude for their years of dedication,” commented chairperson, Steve Segerman.

The Five-Star Recognition Event is open to the public. Please contact Ohav Shalom for ticket prices.

In addition to reaching out to community members, the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education’s Speakers’ Bureau works within Cincinnati’s Jewish community. For the recent March of the Living trip to Poland and Israel and The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s Partnership 2000sponsored Jewish Experience in Israel and Poland trip, Sarah Weiss, executive director of the CHHE, provided an orientation for trip participants that prepared them for their forthcoming experience in Poland—where they would visit several former labor and death camps. Linda Kean, director of Family Life Education BUREAU on page 22

Community Service Award to

KIM & GARY HEIMAN

at the Appeal for Human Relations Initial Gifts Reception

Mayerson Jewish Community Center Wednesday, October 13, 2010 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Dietary laws observed; business attire.

For contributions & reservations, please call 621- 4020

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Seinfeld, Midler to headline Philly museum’s opening bash

By Jacob Berkman Jewish Telegraphic Agency NEW YORK (JTA) — Two of the country’s most famous Jewish performers will highlight the opening of one of the most ambitious Jewish museum projects in years.

Jerry Seinfeld will emcee and Bette Midler will headline a Nov. 13 gala to celebrate the official unveiling of the renovated National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, a $150 million project to place the museum on the city’s Independence Mall and expand it from about 10,000 square feet to more than 100,000.

The museum, which will trace the history of American Jews from the 1654 arrival in New Amsterdam of 20 Jews from Brazil until today, will aim to attract some 250,000 visitors per year—10 times what it has traditionally attracted since it opened in the mid-1970s.

“The opening is a celebration of an institution that is focused most of all on connecting American Jews more closely with their heritage and inspiring in all Americans a greater diversity of the American experience and the contribution they have made to this country,” the museum’s president and CEO, Michael Rosenzweig, told JTA. “It was important for us to keep these purposes front of mind. And these two individuals”— Seinfeld and Midler —“are highly successful

Courtesy of NMAJH

Jerry Seinfeld will emcee the Nov. 13, 2010 gala to celebrate the official unveiling of the renovated National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.

and both very proud of their Jewish heritage.”

The museum, which received a lead $25 million gift from Jones Apparel owner Sidney Kimmel, has attracted some big names in Jewish philanthropy, including Steven Spielberg, the Tisch and Millstein families, as well as Raymond and Ruth Perelman (parents of Ronald).

It also has attracted billionaires Eli and Edythe Broad and Michael

and Susan Dell, two of the country’s most generous families who are not known for giving prodigiously to explicitly Jewish causes.

“We like to say that the story we tell is their story,” Rosenzweig said.

Quite literally, the museum will tell the story of its visitors—one feature in its main exhibit will allow visitors to videotape an interview about their own Jewish history. The video will be e-mailed to the

participants and become a part of the museum’s archives.

The 25,000-square-foot main exhibit is entirely new and includes 30 films, all of which were created especially for the museum and a number of never exhibited artifacts.

The museum has been given a boost by the fact that it has become a Smithsonian Institute affiliate museum. Still, Rosenzweig feels that many of his donors became

involved because the museum is the story of their own successes.

“For certain donors, what was very attractive was the story we tell. At its core it is a story of freedom, and of what one ethnic group—the Jews—can achieve when they are given the freedoms we enjoy under the Constitution of this country,” he said.

“Many took to heart that this was their story about what they have achieved by virtue of those freedoms. There are certain donors for whom philanthropy in the organized Jewish community has not been a priority, but they have found this a compelling project.”

The museum has raised about $141 million, which covers the $137 million cost of construction.

By the opening Rosenzweig hopes to have pledges in hand covering another $9 million for the start of a $13 million endowment. That will have to grow to cover the museum’s $9 million annual operating budget.

Ticket prices for the gala have not yet been announced, but proceeds will go toward the museum’s operating budget. Having Midler and Seinfeld, who are being paid to perform, will likely give the event a boost, Rosenzweig said.

“They were at the very top of our list,” he said. “There were other individuals we were interested in, but they were both our first choices.

We hit a home run in all respects.”

iPhone App reveals Israeli settlements

By Jonah Lowenfeld Jewish Telegraphic Agency LOS ANGELES (Jewish Journal) — Want to know exactly where Ariel, the often discussed city-sized settlement in the West Bank, is located? How about when it was established or how many Israelis live there?

There’s an app for that.

On Monday, Americans for Peace Now unveiled “Facts on the Ground,” a mobile application focused on Israeli settlements in the West Bank offering extensive demographic and on-the-ground information on an easily navigable map of the region.

The app is available as a free English-language download for the iPhone and iPad. Soon it will be available in Hebrew and for cell phones running the Android platform. It is also available now on the APN website, peacenow.

APN has briefed U.S. politicians on the state of West Bank settlements in the past, but with “Facts on

the Ground,” APN has created a publicly accessible and easily updatable tool to track and disseminate information about the settlements and outposts being built, expanded or dismantled within the West Bank.

The app, which Pine said will be able to zoom in close enough to display images of an individual home, should feel familiar to users of Google Maps, but also allows users to add overlays onto the satellite image — Israeli settlements in blue, Palestinian municipalities in brown, and Israeli settlement outposts (established without legal authority) in red. The composite picture illustrates the settlements from APN’s perspective.

The Green Line — the border of Israel prior to the 1967 Six-Day War — and the West Bank security fence also can be viewed using the map.

“We are, in a sense, the experts in Israel, the nongovernmental experts on settlements,” Pine said. “In fact, the Israeli government often calls on us to go over things because things can change day to day.”

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NIF changes funding guidelines, but what does it mean?

By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — When Adalah, an Israeli Arab legal rights group, joined an initiative in 2007 to create an Israeli constitution that would dilute — if not remove — the state’s Jewish character, it unleashed a furor in pro-Israel circles.

Much of the anger was directed at the New Israel Fund, a fundraiser for an array of progressive Israeli organizations that in the same year had sent or directed at least $70,000 to Adalah.

The controversy was among others involving the New Israel Fund that helped spur the formulation of new guidelines for its grantees. Made public last week, the guidelines require that grantees commit to avoiding actively undermining Israel’s Jewish identity.

Daniel Sokatch, NIF’s director, says the Jewish identity issue will become integral to the group’s pitch to donors.

“We believe that Israel is the vehicle for the national sovereignty of the Jewish people and simultaneously an open society conferring equality on all its citizens,” he told JTA in an interview in the group’s Washington offices.

A participant in a conference call Sokatch held Monday with NIF board members and major donors said the new guidelines were intended to clarify NIF’s mission and did not represent a shift in philosophy.

Qualifications in the guidelines left NIF’s critics wondering exactly how applying the new guidelines would work.

The change at NIF follows a difficult year for the organization.

Decades of muted criticism for its support of a handful of groups that track alleged Israeli abuses and accommodate the non-Zionist outlook that prevails in Israel’s Arab sector — among hundreds of organizations backed by NIF — burst into a noisy campaign calling for NIF to change its ways. Some Israeli lawmakers wanted to impose legal controls on how NIF operates in Israel.

Critics, led by NGO Monitor, an organization set up to track nongovernmental groups it says undermine Israel, said that NIF, wittingly or not, was allowing itself to be sucked into a movement that seeks to delegitimize Israel as racist in the hopes of replacing it with a binational or Palestinian state.

Ultimately, the calls to censure NIF were rebuffed by top Israeli officials and the criticism of NIF abated. An array of public figures, including important leaders on the political right, defended the right of

nongovernmental organizations to operate without excessive scrutiny.

In at least one case, the campaign against NIF backfired against the organization’s critics.

Im Tirtzu, a group that had distributed an illustration of NIF president, Naomi Chazan, as a horned creature, has lost the backing of Jewish and evangelical groups that had provided it with hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Courtesy of JTA

New Israel Fund director Daniel Sokatch says the Jewish identity issue will become integral to the group’s pitch to donors.

Sokatch, who became NIF director 11 months ago, still isn’t resting easy. He is an evangelist of the notion that NIF is honoring both adjectives—“Jewish” and “democratic”—that pro-Israel groups attach to virtually every mention of Israel.

During the interview with JTA, Sokatch repeatedly pointed to a copy of Israel’s Declaration of Independence gracing an otherwise bare wall, making the point that both elements appear in the founding document. It was the basis, he said, for item seven in the newly published guidelines, under a section beginning, “Organizations that engage in the following activities will not be eligible for NIF grants or support.”

The item bars funding for groups that work “to deny the right of the Jewish people to sovereign self-determination within Israel, or to deny the rights of Palestinian or other non-Jewish citizens to full equality within a democratic Israel.”

It was the first time that NIF cited Jewish self-determination as a factor in funding.

“Whenever anyone applies to the New Israel Fund for funding or when they apply for re-funding, that will be the lens through which we make that evaluation,” Sokatch said, referring to the entirety of the guidelines, including passages that promote equal rights.

The guidelines are not retroactive, which exempts Adalah and a number of Israeli-Arab groups that submitted contributions to the Arab-Israeli constitution project.

Going forward, Sokatch suggested that NIF would not be as san-

guine as in the past about such activities. In the past, the NIF leadership has said it does not agree with all that its grantees say or do, but it would support their right to speak as they wish in a democratic society.

Sokatch said last week that now, “if we had an organization that made part of its project, part of its mission, an effort to really, genuinely organize on behalf of creating a constitution that denied Israel as a sovereign vehicle for selfdetermination for the Jewish people, a Jewish homeland, if that became the focus of one of our organizations’ work, we would not support that organization.”

After JTA published Sokatch’s remark last week, it raised a storm of controversy. Sokatch subsequently contacted JTA to clarify, saying that such a “mission” would have to be central to an organization’s activities in order to result in a suspension of funding, and that NIF would be the one to make the determination over whether or not that threshold had been reached.

Gerald Steinberg, who directs NGO Monitor, was among the NIF critics wondering how the new guidelines would be applied.

“The question is how is it going to be implemented—when and how —and how are the internal battles going to be resolved,” said Steinberg.

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Federations and overseas partners reach funding deal

By Jacob Berkman Jewish Telegraphic Agency NEW YORK (JTA) — The

Jewish Federations of North America and its two primary overseas partners have reached an agreement in principle over how to

divide the money raised by local federations.

The Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint

Distribution Committee have been struggling with the JFNA for nearly two years over how to split the more than $100 million raised by the federation system for overseas needs. The two overseas partners have traditionally split the money using a formula that gives 75 percent of the funds to the Jewish Agency and 25 percent to JDC. But in recent years as the pool of money has shrunk — dropping from more than $140 million several years ago to slightly more than $100 million this year — and both agencies have become strapped for cash, the JDC in particular has pushed for a larger piece of the funding pie, while the Jewish Agency has struggled to maintain its share. To compound matters, the JFNA has been pushing for the right to work with additional partners in addressing Jewish needs in Israel and other countries.

The stalemate had led the Jewish Agency and the JDC in recent months to consider upping their efforts to raise money on their own, outside of and potentially in direct competition with the 144 federations. Such a turn of events would have marked a significant blow to a system that raises nearly $1 billion per year through its local annual campaigns in part because of its ability to sell its work in Israel and overseas.

Late Tuesday, the three organizations agreed in principle to continue their relationship and work around the 75-25 split in a way that will please the groups. Top leaders from the three organizations held two days of meetings at the Manhattan offices of UJAFederation of New York, the system’s largest federation, prior to reaching the agreement.

In a leadership briefing issued Tuesday night, the JFNA said that “The proposed framework contains four key elements: revitalization of the historic global partnership of Jewish Federations, JDC and the Jewish Agency; establishing clear goals and operational guidelines for collective overseas engagement; creating a global planning table; and establishing an enhanced overseas allocations process for Jewish Federation funding.”

Details of the agreement were still emerging following the meeting, with the JFNA spokesman declining to comment and several top officials at all three organizations awaiting internal briefings on the agreement’s finer points.

The agreement must be put into writing and ratified by the Jewish Agency and JDC boards, according to an e-mail to JTA from Steven Schwager, the JDC’s chief executive officer.

It appears that each side got

some of what it wanted.

While it remains unclear how closely the system will adhere to the traditional 75-25 split, the three sides apparently will return to a process that divides the money based on merit and need, as opposed to simple mathematics. Also, the JFNA will be able to bring in additional partners in some cases, though “the bulk of the money” will still go to the Jewish Agency and the JDC, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

The three sides will soon be hiring a consultant to set up the global planning table, and the JFNA has informed its executive board that it should be prepared to take action on the matter at the federation system’s General Assembly in early November in New Orleans.

The agreement comes two weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a stern letter to JFNA’s chairwoman, Kathy Manning, urging her not to change the way the system allocates money to the Jewish Agency.

Netanyahu is a longtime political ally of the Jewish Agency’s chairman, Natan Sharansky.

Insiders say that it is unlikely that the letter forced the JFNA’s hand in forging an agreement.

Rather, they say, Sharansky’s leadership helped make an agreement possible.

The Jewish Agency has been in a yearlong process of revamping its mission, moving from an organization that traditionally focused on immigration to Israel to one centered more on building global Jewish identity.

JDC officials in recent months have used the shift as a way to argue for more money from the system, as its primary mission is providing humanitarian aid to Jews in Israel and abroad, in particular in the former Soviet Union.

But Sharansky has proven a powerful player in the federation world and a key link between the system and Israel’s government. He was a major broker in staving off a potential crisis this summer when Israel’s parliament nearly passed a controversial bill that would have formalized the control that Israel’s Orthodox-controlled Chief Rabbinate has over the conversion process in Israel.

Sharansky successfully lobbied his longtime ally, Netanyahu, to thwart the bill that many — the federation system in particular — warned would alienate Diaspora Jewry from Israel.

Sharansky’s power also has made him a formidable negotiating partner for the JDC, as he has brought a newfound credence to the Jewish Agency that many feared was becoming obsolete.

NATIONAL

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2010

9

Barely months into talks, will the freeze freeze a peace deal?

By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — When the fat lady sings on Sept. 26, it may only be an intermission.

That’s the word from an array of Mideast experts across the political spectrum. They are predicting that the seeming intractability between Israel and the Palestinians over whether Israel extends a settlement moratorium beyond its end date will not scuttle the peace talks.

sides were bluffing when they hinted no compromise was possible.

Each side has sent out mixed signals. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said last week that there was “no choice” but to go ahead with talks, before meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. At the same time, his aides were leaking to the media that continuing the talks depended on an extension of the moratorium on Israeli construction in the settlements.

“It’s almost inconceivable that the administration would have gone down this road with all the hype without push and pull for both sides.”

Aaron David Miller Instead, the observers say, the sides are likely employing the brinksmanship that has come to characterize Middle East peacemaking.

“Is this a last-minute minuet before a compromise on both sides?” asked Steve Rosen, the former director of foreign policy at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “I don’t see the kind of anxiety you would associate with a collapse. They seem to be acting with something up their sleeve.”

Hussein Ibish, a senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine, also saw compromise in the offing.

“Neither party can afford to be seen as scuttling the talks,” he said.

Israelis and Palestinians both are speaking—off the record—in terms of an imminent threat of rupture, just weeks after direct negotiations restarted. Such talk begs the question of why the Obama administration relaunched the talks with much fanfare if the sides were not ready to go.

“It’s almost inconceivable that the administration would have gone down this road with all the hype without push and pull for both sides” on the settlement issue, said Aaron David Miller, a longtime negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations, and now a fellow at The Woodrow Wilson Center.

Miller noted the praise lavished

by Obama on the negotiators and the inclusion of the Egyptian and Jordanian leaders in the launch of the talks.

If the deadline scuttles the talks, he said, “it will go down as being one of the more boneheaded plays in the history of negotiations.”

Miller said he believes that the

Israeli officials have suggested that they are preparing some kind of extension by telling American Jewish groups that they will need their backing when the Israeli settlement movement reacts adversely to a building freeze beyond Sept. 26.

On the other hand, in a conference call Monday with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not mention the possibility of a compromise. And his top aide, Ron Dermer, made it sound as if Israeli officials were bracing for a period of tensions over the settlement issue.

“We might have to agree to disagree for the next few months,” Dermer said on the issue of settlements. The carrot for the Palestinians, he said, was a final-status agreement that would put both sides past the settlement issue.

Ibish predicted that Abbas and his negotiators could live with Israel moving ahead with the building starts that have been put on hold for 10 months, when Netanyahu imposed the moratorium — as many as 2,000, according to an Americans for Peace Now analysis — but only if the Netanyahu government did not launch major new projects.

“Whatever the Israelis say, no one is going to believe it because of the grandfathering built in” to the moratorium, Ibish said. “What’s important is that the Israelis don’t do anything further to radically alter the landscape.”

That would include holding back on major starts outside the “consensus areas,” settlement blocks adjacent to Israel that are likely to be incorporated in a final deal in exchange for land swaps.

According to this view, it would also mean no building in a corridor between Jerusalem and the West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim that would choke off the main north-south route; no land appropriations; and no building in eastern Jerusalem Arab neighborhoods.

Rosen, who now directs the Middle East Forum’s Washington project, said an out may be Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, the Labor Party leader who is now in Washington and New York to meet with U.S. and United Nations officials.

As defense minister, Barak has veto over new initiatives: He could nix them while the Palestinians look the other way regarding settlement projects already in the pipeline. At the same time, Barak’s reputation as a go-it-alone dove could give Netanyahu cover with settlers. The prime minister could tell hawks that Barak is slightly out of control.

Meantime, each side is trying to extract as much as it can or concede as little as possible before talks continue, said Scott Lasensky, an analyst with the congressionally funded U.S. Institute of Peace who tracks the region.

“Brinksmanship is a hallmark of Arab-Israeli negotiation. There’s no doubt the question will go to the last minute with uncertainty,” he said.

“There’s been some good will, there’s been a warming of ties, everyone has an interest in making sure that this is renewed.”

Brinksmanship, on the other hand, often develops a momentum of its own, and there’s a chance it could scuttle the talks by the deadline, said David Makovsky, a senior analyst with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a proIsrael think tank.

The risk now, Makovsky said, was that with the talks still in their early stages, the sides were more beholden to hard-line constituencies than they were to a breakthrough.

“They don’t know if a deal is reachable, so why alienate your constituencies if a deal isn’t reachable yet,” he said.

Stephen P. Cohen, another longtime Middle East watcher and backer of an Israeli-Palestinian deal who has consulted with members of the Obama foreign policy team, said the administration’s leverage was the imminence of a permanentstatus deal.

“I think Bibi [Netanyahu] wants to make a substantive agreement that would convince Abu Mazen [Abbas] that it’s worth staying even though he hasn’t renewed the settlement freeze because the substantive agreement allows Abu Mazen to stay,” said Cohen, the president of the Institute for Middle East Peace and Development.

Courtesy of JTA

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is flanked by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Jerusalem, Sept. 15, 2010.

10

NATIONAL/ISRAEL

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Shouldering the burden of forgotten cemeteries

Meet the high-tech millionaire leading West Bank settlement movement

By Sue Fishkoff Jewish Telegraphic Agency SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) — The old Jewish cemetery in Eufaula, Ala., hasn’t been used in years.

“The monuments are just crumbling,” said Sara Hamm.

She and her family are the last Jews living in this once-booming cotton and railway town on the banks of the Chattahoochee River.

The Jewish cemetery’s first burial dates from 1845, when German Jews began arriving as merchants and dry goods salesmen. They bought a synagogue in 1873, but sold it in the early 1900s when their numbers dwindled to several dozen. The cemetery, with its 84 burial plots, fell into disrepair.

In the mid-1980s Hamm’s grandmother Jennie Rudderman began restoring it, righting headstones and clearing away brush.

After she died in 1999, Hamm took over as volunteer caretaker. But the job is wearing her down.

“It’s been left to its own accord now, like everything else in smalltown America,” she said.

Similar stories repeat across the land, from the rust belt of western Pennsylvania to the Bible Belt in the South. As factories closed down and populations shifted westward, once-thriving Jewish communities declined and synagogues shut their doors. The only thing left behind, in many cases, were the cemeteries — with no one, or almost no one, to take care of them.

“The Jewish community knows there is a problem of abandoned cemeteries, but they feel it’s someone else’s problem, or the problem of the descendants of those buried there,” said Gary Katz, president of the 4-year-old Community Association for Jewish At-Risk Cemeteries, or CAJAC, which spearheads efforts to clean and maintain distressed cemeteries in New York City. “But throughout Jewish history, cemeteries have been a communal responsibility.”

The Jewish Cemetery Project of the International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies lists 1,375 Jewish cemeteries in the United States and 72 in Canada, but project coordinator Ellen Renck says more may exist.

No one knows how many of those cemeteries are at risk; experts estimate there may be several hundred.

Jewish donors and volunteers are chasing after their roots in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, cleaning up the abandoned cemeteries of their ancestors, but similar attention has not been paid to the at-risk cemeteries of

By Dina Kraft Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Courtesy of Helen Affsa

The old Jewish cemetery in Douglas, Ariz., is being cared for by a Syrian Orthodox woman who says she honors the memory of all immigrants.

their parents and grandparents in the United States.

“It’s an error for people to think it’s only in Eastern Europe that cemeteries are in disrepair,” said Nolan Altman, coordinator of the online burial registry of JewishGen, a Jewish genealogical website. “It’s right here at home.”

Some of these at-risk cemeteries are completely abandoned, while others are at various stages of management. Some are privately owned. Others are owned by synagogues that no longer exist or fraternal societies with just one or two living members.

“You don’t hear about cemeteries in distress until things get really bad, until a [fraternal society] no longer exists or a family member takes them to court,” said David Zinner, executive director of Kavod v’Nichum, which supports Jewish bereavement committees and chevra kadisha groups nationwide.

“People say that’s not where the Jewish community should spend its money, we need to focus on young people. But focusing on young people should include helping them take care of their parents and grandparents.”

“In Israel,” Katz added, “Jewish cemeteries are funded by the state, but in the United States it’s all donor money.”

Recently, interest in taking care of these old cemeteries has been growing.

In 2008, the first Jewish Cemetery Association of North America was established as an umbrella for efforts to standardize care and maintenance of Jewish cemeteries, active and inactive. Its 12 founding members include individual cemeteries and funeral homes, as well as regional cemetery associations, which have start-

ed forming just in the past 25 years.

Jonathan Schachter is on the board of the Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh, which turned its attention to neglected and abandoned Jewish cemeteries in western Pennsylvania in the mid-1980s.

The association, which operates under the umbrella of the Jewish federation, will soon assume responsibility for its 10th such cemetery.

“I take great comfort knowing that these resting places of someone’s relatives are taken care of,” Schachter said, adding that his own mother’s death six months ago “adds another dimension” to his work.

Many places have no regional associations to tend at-risk Jewish cemeteries — it’s up to local people, working alone or in small groups.

Stan Cohen has been taking care of the 100-year-old Brith Sholem cemetery near Trenton, N.J., for the past two years on his own time.

It was in disrepair for decades, he says, but Cohen was moved to take action when he was visiting his grandmother’s grave and noticed an elderly woman with a walker hand a stone to a young boy to place on a grave for her because the path was so overgrown that she could not make her way forward.

Cohen now cuts the grass, clears paths and cleans headstones, so visitors can find their relatives.

He paid for tree removal out of his own pocket. He says local synagogues have offered to help, but the last living member of the burial society that owns the cemetery won’t permit it. Cohen is allowed to do minimal upkeep because he has relatives buried there.

TEL SHILOH, West Bank (JTA) — Naftali Bennett does not fit the mold of a typical Jewish settler leader.

He’s just 38, made his fortune in high tech before entering what he describes as public service and doesn’t even live in the West Bank.

A former commando and company commander in the Israeli army, Bennett is now preparing for a possible battle against an old ally: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

From 2006 to 2008, Bennett worked as Netanyahu’s right-hand man, serving as his chief of staff.

But as the new CEO of the Yesha Council, the umbrella organization for Jewish settlements in the West Bank, Bennett finds himself at odds with Netanyahu, for whom he worked tirelessly to bring back to power.

Bennett, who is dynamic and telegenic, does not hold back on what he thinks of the effort of his former boss to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians — one that, if successful, would lead to a Palestinian state that likely would necessitate the evacuation of some Jewish settlements.

“I strongly believe that Judea and Samaria has to be ours because I don’t think we can survive without it,” Bennett said, using the biblical name for the West Bank.

“A Palestinian state here, in the heart of Israel? I think it’s national suicide,” he said. “Judea and Samaria are on a tall mountain range that overlooks the very narrow sliver of land about 9 miles from the sea.”

Bennett spoke to JTA at the visitors’ center of Tel Shiloh, an archeological site scholars believe to be the location of the biblical city of Shiloh, the first Israelite capital and one-time home to the Ark of the Covenant.

“It’s that mountain range that protects my home in Ra’anana,” said Bennett, who lives in the leafy Tel Aviv suburb with his wife and three young children.

He grew up in a Modern Orthodox home in Haifa. He wears a small, black kipah.

Not so long ago Bennett was preoccupied not with issues of war and peace but the high-tech start-

Courtesy of Yossi Zamir / Flash90 / JTA

Naftali Bennett, CEO of the Yesha Council.

up he co-founded and ran. The firm, Cyota, developed highly sought-after anti-fraud software for banks.

In 2005 he sold the company for $145 million to RSA Security, an American firm. Seven out of 10 bank transactions in the United States and Canada are now utilizing Cyota’s engineering, according to Bennett.

A year after exiting the hightech world, Bennett, like thousands of other Israeli men, received an emergency call-up order to serve in what became known as the Second Lebanon War. Devastated when his best friend was killed in the fighting, he decided not to return to the business world.

Bennett soon started to work for Netanyahu, who was then the head of the opposition. He won’t discuss what kind of conversations he has with Netanyahu these days.

Bennett is unequivocal that the settlement freeze in the West Bank must not be extended. Settlements, he says, are the Western world’s frontline against Islamic terror.

“There is no political option to give a new freeze order — the world should instead be strengthening our presence here,” he said.

“No one else in the region can predict what will be in the Middle East in even the next two years.

Iran could topple Iraq. What breeds terror is the hope of kicking us out of here.”

“They want a state,” he said of the Palestinians. “And I want to live.”

Suddenly quiet, he adds, “It’s a tragedy.”

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2010

CEDAR VILLAGE’S 8 Over 80 PART 2 OF 2

SOCIAL LIFE

A N N O U N C E M E N TS

11 BIRTH

avi and Sherri (Polaniecki) Kushner of Evanston, Ill. happily announce the birth of their son, Pelé Hillel Kushner on July 29, 2010.

Pelé’s grandparents are Elliott and Eileen Polaniecki

D

of Cincinnati, Ohio and Howard and Rachel Kushner of Munsey, N.Y. The great-grandparents are Joseph and Doris Polaniecki, Helen Kushner and the late Isadore Kushner, Harold and Anne Sieman, and Shmuel and Rivka Traum.

R E F UA H S H L E M A H Frieda Berger Fraida bat Raizel

Pepa Kaufman Perel Tova bat Sima Sora

Daniel Eliyahu Daniel ben Tikvah

Murray Kirschner Chaim Meir ben Basha

Mel Fisher Moshe ben Hinda

Alan Schwartzberg Avraham Pesach ben Mindel

Edith Kaffeman Yehudit bat B’racha

Ravid Sulam Ravid Chaya bat Ayelet

Roma Kaltman Ruchama bat Perl

Edward Ziv Raphael Eliezer Aharon ben Esther Enya

12

CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE

CEDAR VILLAGE’S 8 Over 80 PART 2 OF 2

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2010

CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE

13

14

DINING OUT

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Incahoots is back in town

By Marilyn Gale Dining Editor Incahoots has returned, located next door to Kroger’s on Hunt Road in Blue Ash. With a menu loaded with hearty sandwiches, salads and health-conscious crunchy appetizers, the restaurant is a fun dining spot with multiple sensory attractions. From the exotic art work in the entrance way to the wide, spacious bar area with zany drink specials, to the party room perfect for family celebrations or business meetings, Incahoots has something for everyone. The eatery is not too fancy, not too plain. There are kids’ menus, plenty of high chairs and booster seats, even games for youngsters on the shelves to keep them busy and quiet while grownups enjoy quality food and conversation.

I recall the first Incahoots in Correyville, more than 30 years ago. It was famous at that time for large, juicy hamburgers with lots of toppings. Known as the haunt for UC students and young professionals to sit in cushy booths with friends while eating, Incahoots offered something other than a pizza or a hoagie. This eating usually occurred after a Friday happy hour and its solid sturdy fare prevented many hangovers the next day. Then the restaurant disappeared and briefly resurfaced in modern time, transformed into a more upscale casual dining in the suburb of Blue Ash. In a flash it was gone. Now a new version based on the concept of the early Incahoots has re-emerged. It is a restaurant that makes you want to eat. The menu options are luscious, plentiful and satisfying. It could be difficult to make a choice.

I met with Josh Baughan, general manager of Inchahoots. Still a young man, Baughan has been in the restaurant and hospitality business for 12 years, starting as a bartender. Baughan is a local man, growing up in Deer Park. As he spoke, his enthusiasm for his place of work was obvious and contagious—this is a restaurant dedicated to making the customer happy.

The surprisingly large, rectan-

Incahoots is alive and well in Blue Ash.

gular shaped restaurant has a separate bar and dining area, as well as an outside patio. Incahoots has the earliest starting Tristate happy hour, from 2 - 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday; $1 off all drinks

and 1/2 price appetizers; interesting choices include asparagus fries, fried pickles and sweet potato fries. I sampled the asparagus and was pleased with the crisp flavor of the vegetable; it practically

Bourbon glazed New York strip is a mouthwatering meal.

snapped in my mouth. The crunchy batter covering the stalk, which I dipped into a tangy lemon herb aioli, was superb. According to Baughan, the customer can substitute anything and all food is made to order. Incahoots strives to be accommodating. “For example,” said Baughan, “when a diner asked for diet Mountain Dew and that was not included in the soft drink options, a server walked next door to Kroger’s to purchase it.” This restaurant wants you to eat, drink and be merry.

The menu is unique. It offers familiar favorites but adds its own twist.

Pecan chicken salad is a bestseller. The Veggie Philly—with sautéed wild mushrooms, zucchini, onions and spinach topped with melted mozzarella cheese on a toasted hoagie roll with sun-dried tomato aioli, for $8.50—sounded tasty and healthy. Enticing entrees take center stage after 5 p.m.; there’s fire-grilled salmon for the

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Omega 3 crowd; fresh, hand-cut Nova Scotian salmon topped with a brown sugar mustard glaze with garlic herb jasmine rice and grilled asparagus for $18. Or a hand-cut bourbon-glazed New York strip steak at $21 for the quiet meat lover. Vegetarians can dine on grilled portabella and polenta for $12.50 or a linguini primavera, which can be ordered in full or half portions. Customers can also order comfort foods reminiscent of childhood meals with an additional twist of gourmet cheese or herbs which perk up aging taste buds. Grilled cheese and tomato bisque is a choice, and Monday is the meatloaf special.

“All dressings and sauces are made from scratch such as our rich, Thousand Island,” said Baughan. “Our German hot slaw is not sauerkraut, all soups are homemade.”

I smiled when Baughan told me the chef was from the Vernon Manor. Incahoots is fortunate to have this transplant from that stately era. John Tonlin, chef, is self described as driven to create specials for dinner and lunch. He bakes a mean meatloaf on Mondays, and highlights a pizza of the day each day, which is frequently vegetarian.

Today’s lunch special featured beef brisket, open face, and served with apple cole slaw.

Drink specialties give an extra sparkle to Incahoots, coupled with the early happy hour. Try the exboyfriend; Smirnoff Vanilla and xrated liqueur swirled with mango and pineapple, and referred to as “a taste you’ll remember.” The staff has also created their own signature drinks.

Kristen’s Bombshell is a fascinating brew— your choice of Smirnoff flavored vodka over ice with Red Bull— and probably a favorite with the young, always on-the-go professional.

There is a saying that “third time’s the charm.” Let us hope so, as Incahoots has returned. This is family dining for all generations.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2010

15 Dine-In / Take-Out / Delivery

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Point of View

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

by Rabbi James A. Rudin

Rabbi Rudin is the American Jewish Committee’s senior interreligious adviser.

Do you have something to say? E-mail your letter to editor@americanisraelite.com

Dear Editor, I very much applaud The American Israelite’s strong emphasis on Jewish values; and also, because it stands strong for the state of Israel.

You have great writers and editors that create a very interesting newspaper. You have very interesting articles in your newspaper. I salute your worthy efforts.

Jim Bonnett Towson, MD Dear Editor, I am writing to clear up some misconceptions that seem to be circulating about Rockwern Academy’s school-wide reading initiative using Greg Mortenson’s book, “Three Cups of Tea.”

Part of the initiative includes a partnership with the International School, a local Islamic school.

While Rockwern has initiated or participated in other interfaith partnerships in the past, most recently with All Saints Catholic School, our current initiative has attracted more attention and, alas, rumors than those former partnerships.

So, in the most global sense let me state that this initiative does not replace any part of our mission, which is as a Jewish day school, but supplements and extends that mission. There are no plans, for example, to have our students visit a mosque, and the Pennies for Peace (a fund to build girl’s schools in Afghanistan) part of the project is purely voluntary as such things always are.

The program is designed to do two things — strengthen our

school community by giving that community a common experience and create a greater understanding of self by learning about others who differ.

While there are many ways to do this, our faculty generated and chose this one, which subsequently received the support of the JCRC and funding from the Mayerson Foundation and the Saul Schottenstein Foundation B. A number of local rabbis also looked at the initiative and gave their approval.

That said, we are understanding and appreciative of stakeholder concerns about this or other activities of the school. Our only agenda, as always, is excellence in education for our families.

Peter Cline Head of Rockwern Academy

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Write a letter to the editor and let your voice be heard.

Send your letter by e-mail:

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T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE THIS WEEK’S PORTION: VEZOT HABRACHA (DEVARIM CHAPTERS 33,34) 1. Who appeared from Seir and Mount Paran? a.) Hashem b.) The ten lost tribes of Israel c.) Moshe

b.) Air c.) Fire

2. Chapter 33:2 says Hashem gave the Torah from which side? a.) Right b.) Left 3. Chapter 33:2 compares the Torah to which element? a.) Water 3. C. The Torah was written with a black fire on a white fire. Rashi 4. B. 33:3. The Children of Israel followed Hashem and he protects them.

Rashi 5. A. The verse says that the Children of Israel have treated the Torah as an inheritance and not abandoned it. Rashi

The late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan is credited with saying that “everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.”

Some leaders of the religious right would have us believe that America was founded as a “Christian nation.” The facts, however, say otherwise.

While the Founding Fathers, with their diverse Christian backgrounds, had every opportunity to make the fledgling United States into a “Christian nation,” the factual record reveals they consciously refused to do so.

And it was not, as some opine, a mistake or an oversight.

Their reasons were a combination of history, demography and the Founders’ shared belief they were creating something unique in the world.

They remembered the Church of England’s persecution of religious minorities, including the Pilgrims and Quakers. The Founders were also haunted by the ghosts of Europe’s Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) when huge numbers of Protestants and Catholics killed each other in the name of G-d.

The text of the Declaration of Independence contains just four theological references: “nature’s G-d,” “Creator,” “Supreme Judge of the world,” and “Divine Providence.” There is not a single specific mention of either Jesus or Christianity. The Declaration, reflecting the signatories’ collective thinking, was carefully written and edited; words were included, or not, for a reason.

The U.S. Constitution, written in 1787, has only this religious wording: “in the year of our Lord,” a common phrase still used on some legal documents and diplomas.

There is not, however, any constitutional authorization for the establishment of any religion in the U.S. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Article Six rejects a “religious test” for public office, and the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of religion while at the same time providing for its free exercise.

There were demographic factors at work, as well. By 1776, the U.S. was already religiously diverse, with several Protestant groups, minority Catholic and Jewish populations, and a large number of African-American slaves, some of them Muslim.

James Madison, a Presbyterian attorney from Virginia and a

future president, predicted a “multiplicity of sects” in the U.S., similar to diverse political parties. We see now that Madison was, and remains, correct.

Even so, the question of whether the U.S. would officially become a “Christian nation” was in doubt until a titanic struggle was waged in Virginia between Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry in 1785.

Patrick, the state’s governor and an Anglican (today he’d be known as an Episcopalian), wanted residents to pay a church tax to support religious institutions.

Because of Virginia’s population at the time, most taxes would have gone to the Anglican Church.

Supporting the tax was John Marshall, another Anglican and a future Chief Justice.

Jefferson, who was also raised in the Anglican tradition, strongly opposed the proposal, and he enlisted Madison and Baptist minister John Leland as allies in the bitter campaign to defeat the bill in the Virginia Legislature.

Thanks to the efforts of Jefferson and his allies, Henry’s tax legislation failed, and the following year, 1786, the Legislature adopted Jefferson’s Statute of Religious Freedom by a vote of 74 to 20.

The Statute has had an extraordinary influence upon American history for 225 years. It provided that: “ No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever ... nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.”

Those are facts. And now my opinion: Had Henry’s church tax become law, it is likely that other states would have followed Virginia’s lead and adopted similar measures. Had that happened, it would have been a far different America for every citizen, whether religiously identified or not.

A Henry victory in 1785 would have made it much more difficult to write the Constitution two years later without including specific religious language and/or a provision to approve a church tax and an established state religion.

Thanks to Jefferson’s victory in the Virginia Legislature, that did not happen. It’s a historical fact—not an opinion—worth remembering.

4. Where does Hashem place his “holy ones”? a.) In the land of Israel b.) “In his hands” c.) In houses of worship 5. Which verse in this parsha should a parent teach his child first? a.) 33:4 b.) 33:26 c.) 33:29 ANSWERS 1. A. 33:2. Before Hashem gave the Torah to he offered it to the Edomites who lived in Seir and the Yishmaelites who lived in Paran, however, they rejected it. Rashi 2. A. The Torah was given directly by Hashem without any intermediary.

Ramban

16

Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2010

JEWISH LIFE

17

Sedra of the Week

by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

SHABBAT SHALOM: BEREISHIT

Efrat, Israel - “Hevel,” literally vapor—the transparent, fleeting exhalation of breath—is an unlikely word to sum up the intense period of the Jewish calendar that ends this Shabbat with Shabbat Bereishit. Yet it appears in the Yom Kippur liturgy, serves as the main theme of Ecclesiastes, which we read on Succot, and reappears in this week’s Torah reading as the name of a hapless son (Abel) of Adam and Eve. Why is hevel such an important theme at this time of year?

Let us briefly examine each of these occurrences of the word to see if we can find a connecting thread. During the closing amida prayer on Yom Kippur, the liturgy juxtaposes two glaringly opposite characteristics of the existential nature of the human being. First it asks, “What are we? What meaning have our lives? What is our power? What can we say before You, Lord our God, since all the great heroes are as nothing compared to You? ... Most of their deeds are empty voids; the days of their lives are as vapor (hevel) before You. The difference between humans and animals is naught (ayin in Hebrew) because everything is vapor (hevel).” Then the liturgy switches gears and declares, “From the beginning, You have separated and distinguished the human, recognizing his ability to stand before You.” The stark contrast between the human being who is no different from a beast and the human being chosen from all other creatures to stand in the Divine presence leaves us trying to ascertain the true, existential nature of man. The mystery is increased by Ecclesiastes, in which there is a constant refrain: “Vapor of vapors, vapor of vapors.

The whole of life is vapor.”

Finally, when the second son of Adam and Eve is named Hevel, or vapor – this is surely a reference to the briefness of his life, snuffed out by his brother Cain. Abel never married and did not have progeny.

I believe that an understanding of the fundamental distinctions in the respective lifestyles and life values of the first siblings will explain the true meaning of hevel.

The Bible tersely defines each of these young men in terms of their occupations: “Abel was a shepherd, whereas Cain was a tiller of

the earth” (Genesis 4:3). Abel is mentioned first—perhaps because a shepherd, who lives off the wool and milk of living sheep, preserves and nurtures life, leaving plenty of time for meditation with the Divine, appreciation of nature, and communication of traditions and values to the next generation.

None of this would apply to the tiller of the soil, whose backbreaking work often takes advantage of animal labor, exhausts the natural nutrients of the earth and rarely leaves time for cultural or religious pursuits.

Even though Abel’s life may have been all too brief and transitory, he nevertheless influenced subsequent generations: Jabal (his great-grandnephew, whose name is linked to Abel) “was the first to dwell in tents and breed cattle, and Jubal, who was the first to handle the harp and flute” (Gen. 4:20-21) —both occupations of the spirit rather than mere materialistic aggrandizement. Moreover, all three names (Jabal, Jubal and Abel) are linked to yovel, the Jubilee year, the millennium, the ultimate period of peace and redemption. It is undoubtedly from this perspective that the Zohar maintains that King David, progenitor of the messiah, was a transmigrated soul (gilgul) of, or a

repair for, Abel. Fascinatingly, King David was also a shepherd in his youth and a gifted musician who played the lyre and composed the Psalms.

Allow me one more leap of exegesis to complete the picture.

The Bible describes how God took dust from the earth and breathed into it the breath, or “vapor,” of life, thereby forming a human being—an animal creature with the internal spark of the Divine (Genesis 2:7). The word yovel also means shofar, ram’s horn, into which the human being exhales his vapor in a symbolic commitment to uplift and inspire the animal world, and especially his animal self, with the essential eternity of the Divine. We may live brief lives, akin to vapor. Nevertheless, we have the ability to communicate, to exhale and express our Divine spirit, and thereby influence subsequent generations to achieve redemption. Indeed, as recited at the end of Yom Kippur, “the difference between man and beast is Eternity [ein-sof], for everything lies in the vapor of human, humane expression [hevel].”

MODERN ORTHODOX SERVICE Daily Minyan for Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv, Shabbat Morning Service and Shalosh Seudas.

Kiddush follows Shabbat Morning Services

RABBI HANAN BALK & ASSISTANT RABBI STUART LAVENDA

6442 Stover Ave • 531-6654 • golfmanorsynagogue.org

Over 125 years in Cincinnati and 10 years at Cornell.

Egalitarian • 8100 Cornell Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45249 (513) 489-3399 • www.ohavshalom.org

Shabbat Shalom Shlomo Riskin Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone Chief Rabbi — Efrat Israel

3100 LONGMEADOW LANE • CINCINNATI, OH 45236 791-1330 • www.templesholom.net Miriam Terlinchamp, Rabbi Marcy Ziek, President Gerry H. Walter, Rabbi Emeritus October 1 6:00 pm Shabbat Nosh 6:30 pm Shabbat Evening Service

October 8 8:00 pm Shabbat Evening Service Choir Shabbat

October 2 10:30 am Shabbat Morning Service

October 9 10:30 am Shabbat Morning Service

18

JEWZ IN THE NEWZ

Jewz in the Newz

By Nate Bloom, Contributing Columnist HATCHET AND HATCHET JOB (?)

Opening on Friday, Oct. 1, are “Hatchett II” and “The Social Network.” The former is a bloody horror flick starring DANIELLE HARRIS, 33, as a “hot” woman trying to escape a crazed, swampdwelling killer. Harris is mostly known as a career “scream-queen” actress, co-starring in horror films since she was a young teen (including four “Halloween” movies made over the last 20 years).

“Network” purports to tell the more-or-less true story of the founding of Facebook, the top social networking site that now has 500 million members. It is based on a 2009 book by BEN MEZRICH, which was described by the NY Times as, “so obviously dramatized, and so clearly unreliable, that there’s no mistaking it for a serious document.”

Mezrich’s slant was to paint Facebook co-founder and current CEO MARK ZUCKERBERG, 26, as a nerdy, back-stabbing fellow who passionately desired to get into the top Harvard social clubs, rather than be satisfied with the Jewish fraternity he belonged to.

Everyone agrees that Zuckerberg is a programming genius—what is in dispute is the credit for the Facebook idea and its nuts-and-bolts implementation.

In recent weeks, screenwriter AARON SORKIN (“The West Wing”) has taken pains to point out that he did not exclusively rely on Mezrich’s widely-panned book.

(If you want a much more balanced view of Zuckerberg, check out a very recent New Yorker profile of Zuckerberg, done with his cooperation: Interestingly, Mr. “Z” is especially adamant that he didn’t care about getting into Harvard’s top clubs and accounts to the contrary are sheer dramatic license.)

“Network” stars JESSE EISENBERG, 26, as Zuckerberg; ANDREW GARFIELD, 27, as EDUARDO SAVERIN, a Brazilborn Jew whose family moved to Miami when he was 13. He cofounded Facebook and was in Zuckerberg’s Harvard fraternity; and Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker, the Napster creator who advised Zuckerberg. (As I recently reported, Garfield has been cast to play the title role in the next Spider-Man movie).

RASHIDA JONES, 34, has a small part in the film—but, in voice-over, she says something that really resonates: “Creation myths need a villain.” (Perhaps this filmmakers’ way of “coming clean” and saying: “Don’t quite

believe all what we are telling you.

This is a movie.”)

By the way, Zuckerberg’s net worth is now estimated at $6.9 billion; Saverin fell-out with Zuckerberg, but received a legal settlement in the form of stock worth about a billion dollars now.

2010 EDITION— GRIDIRON HEBREWS Here are the Jewish players in the NFL team as I write this (Sept.

23). All the players below have at least one Jewish parent and were raised Jewish or secular. This list was prepared with the aid of Jewish Sports Review.

DAVID BINN, 38, long snapper, San Diego Chargers. Binn, a 2007 All-Pro, began his 17th season this year, but suffered a severe hamstring injury during his team’s first regular season game and he’s out for the season (placed on injured reserve roster); ANTONIO GARAY, 30, defensive end, San Diego Chargers. Garay has suffered a huge amount of injuries since his NFL career began in 2003. Injuries caused him to miss two complete seasons and, from 2003-2009, he played in only 14 games. However, he played in the first two regular season 2010 games, equaling his total for all of last year; KYLE KOSIER, 31, left guard, Dallas Cowboys. The nine-year-veteran disclosed last season that his mother is Jewish, although he was raised and is secular. Kosier was injured in the preseason, but made a quick recovery and started the Cowboys second regular season game; IGOR OLSHANSKY, 28, defensive end, Cowboys. A top player, he started 14 games last season and compiled his usual great stats; ADAM PODLESH, 27, punter, Jacksonville Jaguars. He played in all 16 games last season and posted career-high numbers; SAGE ROSENFELS, 32, quarterback, New York Giants. Rosenfels has been with a lot of teams in the last eight years, usually in a back-up capacity. On Sept. 3, the Vikings traded him to the Giants, which could result in him getting more playing time; GEOFF SCHWARTZ, 24, offensive tackle, Carolina Panthers. Schwartz made the team roster in 2009 and started three games.

The two rookies are: TAYLOR MAYS, 22, safety, San Francisco ‘49ers, and ERIK LORIG, 23, defensive end, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A college star at USC, Mays is being “brought along slowly” by the ‘49ers and is now playing on special teams; Lorig, a Stanford grad, was assigned to the Bucs’ practice squad. Both signed 4-year contracts.

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FROM THE PAGES 100 Years Ago Mrs. Morris M. Hagedon, of West Point, Ga., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.G. Schwab, is visiting her sister, Mrs. Louis Lange, 318 Albany Avenue Avondale. At home Sundays.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Albert, 309 Rockdale Avenue, Avondale, will be at home Sunday, October 9, in honor of the engagement of their daughter, Sayde, to Mr. Godfrey P. Phillips.

Mr. and Mrs. Jac. Joseph (nee.

Beulah Newman) and son, Armand, have arrived from Europe, where they spent the summer with Mrs. Joseph’s mother, at Ingweiler, Alsace, Germany.

The first service in the Rockdale temple since the work was undertaken to remedy the acoustics will be held New Year’s eve, Monday next, October 3rd, at 5 o’clock. There is great eagerness on the part of the

members of the congregation to learn whether the one fault of their beautiful temple has been remedied.

The experiments, which have been made by Dr. Phillipson and the officers of the congregation, indicate that the work has been thoroughly successful. The echo has disappeared and the acoustics in every portion of the building are excellent.

— September 29, 1910

75 Years Ago An engagement which will unite two prominent families is that of Miss Elaine Wormser, daughter of Mrs. F. Wormser, of the Ambassador, Chicago, to Mr. Thomas J. Reis, of 3987 Rose Hill Avenue, Cincinnati.

Omicron Chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu has pledged the Messrs. Stuart Safdi, Robert Bloom, Edward Lippert, Leonard Schiff, Stanley Brill, Lucien Cohen, Myron Spencer,

Beryl Liscow, Harvey Egherman, Harold Gould, Irving Hirschfeld, Morton Weinberg, Stanley Eisenberg, Arthur Liebschutz, Herbert Quinn, Al Mason, Cincinnati; Alfred Edelson, Ashland, Ky.; Stanley Lipinsky and Philip Rosen, Ashville, N.C., and Phillip Steifler, Anderson, Ind. Officers of the local chapter include Messrs. Richard Bluestein, president; Robert Sebastian,

recorder; David Stulbarg, exchequer, and Marvin Felheim, pledge captain.

The Avondale Parent Teacher Association will meet at the school auditorium Tuesday, Oct 8th, at 2:15p.m. The fall series of lecturers will open with a symposium on child health, by Dr. Robert A. Lyon, pediatrician; Dr. Albert L. Brown oculist; and Dr. E. Horace Jones, dentist. — October 3, 1935

50 Years Ago The marriage of Mrs. Nina Jaffe Stuhlbarg, daughter of Mrs. Lester A. Jaffe, and Mr. Claude Gruen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Gruen, was solemnized Sunday Sept. 11, at the home of the bride’s mother at the Belvedere. Rabbi Amiel Wohl, of Waco, Texas, officiated.

After their return from Nassau, Mr. and Mrs. Gruen will be at home at 994 Avondale Avenue.

Abe Dunsky, the Stagecrafters and their production of “The Big Knife” were dubbed top-quality at ACT — Cincinnati’s Third Annual

Orchid Award Dinner. The banquet culminated the yearlong Judging of ACT acting.

Dunsky received honors as the best supporting actor for his performance in last season’s production of “The Big Knife.” This production was also named the best show as well as the best actor cast as a unit.

Their “A View from the Bridge” received honors for best lighting.

Stagecrafters compete yearly with other Cincinnati community theater groups for these awards.

Cincinnati’s Jewish voters

would have preferred Adalai Stevenson as a presidential candidate over all others, but they also have a strong leaning toward Governor Nelson Rockefeller, according to a broad survey of Cincinnati residents.

The study shows that the Jews interviewed rate Mr. Stevenson higher than Mr. Rockefeller in terms of “goodness,” but lower in terms of “importance.” It shows that they favor Vice President Richard M. Nixon over Senator John F. Kennedy. — September 29, 1960

25 Years Ago Mrs. Beatrice Brown of 11047 Jenkins Place passed away Sept. 26.

She is survived by her husband, Allen; three children, Ashley Brown of Dayton, Michelle Brown of Chugiak, Alaska, and Mark Brown of New York City; her mother, Sarah Corson of Miami Beach; a mother-inlaw, Eva Brown of Cincinnati; and three grandchildren.

Mrs. Brown was a member of Pioneer Women/Na’amat, Hadassah, and several other volunteer organizations.

Services were held at the Weil

Funeral Home. Rabbi Bernard Greenfield officiated. Interment was in the Love Brothers Cemetery.

The Jewish Federation Board of Trustees authorized $5,000 to be sent immediately to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee to assist in the relief efforts now underway.

In announcing the decision of the board, Robert M. Blatt, president, asked community members to participate individually in trying to assist in the terrible disaster that afflicted so many thousands of people in Mexico.

Lester D. Friedman, professor of

film at Syracuse University, will speak at the opening program of the Jewish Federation’s Leadership Council, Wednesday, Oct. 9, at Rockdale Temple.

Mr. Friedman will speak on “Hollywood’s Image of the Jew.” He believes “by examining how Jews are presented in the movies we can learn what some Jews thought about themselves, how the image of Jews in the national consciousness changed over the years, and what Jews are willing to show of themselves to a largely gentile audience. — October 3, 1985

10 Years Ago The Second Annual Circle of Life Awards Dinner, Thursday, October 5, 6p.m. at the Omni Netherland, will honor Manuel D. Mayerson for his work assisting children and adults with disabilities at Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati and throughout the community. Brain injury is the most frequent cause of disability and death among children and adolescents in the United States. Each year, over one million children sustain brain injuries, with more than 30,000 suffering serious permanent disability.

The Annual Awards Dinner focuses on alerting the community to the severity of brain injury while honoring leaders such as Manuel D. Mayerson for their work as advocates for programs for young people with disabilities. Mayerson has been instrumental in establishing the Inclusion Network and other important human service programs to help people succeed despite limiting conditions.

Irwin Newhauser, 83, passed away Sept. 19, 2000. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the son of

the late Samuel Newhauser and Rebecca Rosenberg Newhauser. The deceased is survived by his wife Natalie Newhauser, and his children: Richard and Andrea Newhauser of San Antonio, Texas, and Susan and Jerry Hart of Cincinnati. Mr. Newhauser is also survived by grandchildren: Daniel and Simon Newhauser, and Rebecca and Katie Hart. Mr. Newhauser was the brother-in-law of Lori Friedman and the uncle of Carol and Len Green and Stewart and Hindi Friedman. — September 28, 2000

CLASSIFIEDS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 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 Fund (513) 899-1836 • 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 Kehilas B’nai Israel (513) 761-0769 Northern Hills Synagogue (513) 931-6038 • nhs-cba.org Rockdale Temple (513) 891-9900 • rockdaletemple.org Temple Beth Shalom (513) 422-8313 • tbsohio.org Temple Sholom (513) 791-1330 • templesholom.net The Valley Temple (513) 761-3555 • valleytemple.com EDUCATION

ADOPTION

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Shomer Shabbat Chabad Blue Ash (513) 793-5200 • chabadba.com 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 Jewish War Veterans (513) 459-0111 • jwv.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

JCC from page 1 Baden delivered his report on the past year, and he detailed how Jewish Family Services relocated to the JCC campus after a redesign of the first and second floors. Both the JCC and the Jewish Federation rearranged and gave up space for the transition.

Baden also highlighted some exciting developments for the JCC. The parking lot is currently under construction to add 153 new parking spaces, and the number of membership units is now 2,897 versus 1,600 membership units only a year ago. Additionally, the JCC Early Childhood School is at capacity and each program has a waiting list. The JCC Meals on Wheels program has also increased. Last year they delivered 64,912 meals to more than 270 homebound seniors, and this year their numbers are tracking higher.

Leonard Eppel gave his financial report, and then Bill Katz led the election of the new and continuing board of directors and officers.

The 2010/11 JCC officer positions are: Steve Shifman, president; Debbie Brant, vice president; Marc Fisher, vice president; Len Eppel, treasurer; and Sherri Friedman, secretary.

New members for the 2010/11 JCC board are Ivan Rocabado, Renee Roth and Jack Rubin.

Continuing board members are Debbie Brant, Steve Shifman and John Stein.

Steve Shiffman, the new president, presented his visions for the coming year. While he did not grow up in a community with a JCC, he brings “a passion for the communi-

ty.” He hopes the JCC will grow to be a part of the community, not just a stand-alone entity, and while the fitness center and membership are “crucial,” he hopes the JCC will develop into a gathering place. He wants the JCC to become “the place where you can go and hang out and meet your friends.”

Dancers from the JCC Zumba and Adult Tap classes gave spirited performances. The performers were all smiles and seemed to be saying that fitness can be a lot of fun.

This year there were not one, but two winners of the JCC Kovod Award: Sherri Friedman and Debbie Brant. Since 1942, the Kovod Society has recognized individuals who have rendered unselfish service to the JCC over a period of years and who give evidence of Jewish communal leadership. Sherri Friedman won the award for her participation in many projects for the JCC including marketing. Debbie Brant was honored for volunteering her professional fundraising and non-profit consulting experience.

Manuel D. Mayerson received the Sigmund M. Cohen Memorial Award for his unconditional support of the JCC from the start. The Cohen Award is given annually to a JCC member who has rendered distinguished volunteer service to the JCC, and who also volunteers in other community organizations in a selfless and quiet manner.

Jewish Family Service received the JCC Community Partnership Award. This award, started in 2003, is given to an organization or business that has rendered exceptional assistance to the JCC.

20

FASHION/BUSINESS

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Fall looks for key essentials Fashionably Late

By Stephanie Davis-Novak Fashion Editor As stores begin to display boots, coats and other winterweather clothing, it’s time to dig through your closet and take inventory. You will most likely want to update a few key wardrobe staples, so brush up on what the new looks will be for the fall and winter seasons.

Generally speaking, texture is the buzzword for fall outfitting.

Think chunky knit sweaters, or a more refined look, a luxurious

wool such as alpaca or cashmere.

Velvet is also a great way to add sophisticated texture – look for pieces with velvet trim, or even a velvet vest.

Trousers are one of the essentials in nearly every woman’s closet. The dress has been on center stage the past several seasons, but designers are finally giving pants more of a spotlight. This fall and winter, there are two key silhouettes for slacks: slightly tapered, or wide-leg. The modern tapered slacks tend to have higher waists, pleats, and end just at, or slightly above, the ankle. Just about every designer is offering this shape, from Michael Kors to Chloe. This style tends to look best with a form-fitting top or blouse to balance the volume, worn with a statement shoe or bootie. Wide-leg styles, also offered from a multitude of designers, must be worn with heels to carry off the height. Try pairing a wool trouser with a silky

blouse to create a texture contrast.

The trend in skirts this upcoming season also offers a choice.

Opt for either long and lean (think pencil skirt) or full and shorter.

For office-friendly dressing, pencil skirts create a shapely but professional silhouette. Note that these long hemlines demand a heeled shoe or boot; a flat shoe will make the entire outfit look frumpy. Lafayette 148 offers several wool pencil skirts in various lengths. For a more casual evening look, try a fuller-skirted mini with a pair of opaque tights or, for the more adventurous, a pair of patterned tights.

Diane von Furstenberg and Nanette Lepore are some designers offering up shorter full skirts that don’t look like you’ve raided your teenage daughter’s closet. You won’t need to add extra height with shoes for these styles, so try out one of this season’s kitten heels.

Don’t forget about your coat!

Try to avoid heavy masculine

This Murano corduroy suit will add texture to your fall/winter attire.

shapes that are boxy or have heavy shoulder pads. Simple silhouettes with just a touch of military detailing are popular. It’s also hard to go wrong with a camel coat or the timeless trench. For

those looking for a newer twist, try a cape as a stylish alternative to a coat. There is quite a variety of styles, ranging from short and lightweight, to long and dressy.

Elie Tahari has a casual merino cape, while Ralph Lauren offers a long fur-trimmed plaid cape.

The look for menswear this fall and winter is also focused on texture. For the weekends or a more casual look, try a thick fisherman’s sweater, or a Fair Isle knit. For professional settings, try heavier suiting fabrics such as tweed or even corduroy. The key to making a corduroy suit look refined, rather than ridiculous, is to select one with a thinner wale (the “wale” is the raised ribbing that gives corduroy that distinctive look). Ralph Lauren and Murano both offer corduroy suiting pieces. For men who aren’t ready to commit to a corduroy suit, add some texture with your tie: try wool or flannel. You could also try a shearling-lined coat – warm and on-trend.

Library Foundation receives $1 million gift The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Foundation received its largest gift — and one of the largest in the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County’s history — of $1 million from the Joseph S. Stern Jr. Family Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

This donation will become the cornerstone for a permanent endowment fund for the library.

Joseph S. Stern Jr., former chairman of U.S. Shoe Corporation, was not only a successful businessman but also a recognized community leader

Joseph S. Stern Jr.

honored with a Great Living Cincinnatian award for his myriad civic contributions. Among the many organizations he was involved with were the Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Historical Society and the Isaac M. Wise Temple. He chaired the 1988 Bicentennial Commission and endowed a bone marrow transplant unit at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

“It is our hope that in making this wonderfully generous gift, the Stern Family will inspire others who love reading and value sharing knowledge to also step for-

ward to help ensure future generations the same quality library that lighted our path of learning and discovery,” said Allen G. Zaring IV, library foundation chairman.

Mr. Stern was first appointed to the Library Board of Trustees in 1961. Upon his retirement from the board in 2003, library trustees conferred upon him the honorary lifetime title of Trustee Emeritus in recognition of his devoted 42 years of service in providing guidance and input in making decisions that kept the library one of the top ranked public libraries in the country. An avid library sup-

porter even before his board appointment, Mr. Stern also helped establish the Friends of the Public Library in 1957. He passed away in January 2010, at the age of 91.

Mr. Stern first mentioned this potential gift to the foundation at the last library board of trustees meeting he attended on Sept. 8, 2003, after having served as a library trustee for over 40 years.

He stated, “I would like to close my terms as library trustee by helping the foundation get off to a good start by granting it at least $1 million.”

Foundation recognizes outstanding volunteer couple CINCINNATI –The Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) presented the Jacob E. Davis Volunteer Leadership Award to Frank and Rosemary Bloom at its 2010 Annual Luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 8. The Blooms are residents of Blue Ash. The Jacob E. Davis Volunteer Leadership Award, presented since 1987, recognizes the leadership and generosity of time provided by an individual or couple committed to improving the quality of life in Greater Cincinnati. The Award was named in honor of Jacob E. Davis, GCF’s first Governing Board Chair and Volunteer Director from 1978 to 1987.

The Blooms have been dedicated community volunteers for many years. Frank, the retired

CEO and owner of CINO Company-Flavor Makers, is currently a board member for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Cincinnati and the Planned Parenthood Foundation Board. He is a founder and former board member of Valley Temple, a board member for Cancer Family Care, Glen Manor: Jewish Home for the Aged, Jewish Family Service and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Rosemary is passionate about organizations that assist people who are visually impaired. For nearly 30 years, she has transcribed books for children attending Cincinnati Public Schools. She was a founding board member of Radio Reading Services (which merged with the Cincinnati

Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired) and has volunteered there for more than 30 years. Rosemary has also given her time as a board member to the National Council of Jewish Women, Rockdale Temple, Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation, Playhouse in the Park and the Walnut Hills High School Alumni Board.

Together, the Blooms have been honored with a Community Service Award from the American Jewish Committee and Leave a Legacy’s Voices of Giving Award.

As a volunteer, Frank was a member of GCF’s Governing Board from 1992-2000; has served on numerous operational and grantmaking committees; and remains involved with the

Foundation’s community work as a member of the Health advisory committee. Rosemary is one of the founders of the Women’s Fund of GCF. “In every respect, Frank and Rosemary Bloom exemplify the vision and mission of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation,” said GCF President/CEO Kathryn E. Merchant. “They believe in this community’s past, present and future. And they have spent their time and charitable giving in wise support of this great community for many decades. We are truly fortunate to call the Blooms our friends.”

As the Jacob E. Davis Volunteer Leadership Award recipient, the Blooms have the privilege of designating a $10,000 grant to

one or more local nonprofits. They have asked that it be divided between the Freestore Foodbank and Tender Mercies.

The Greater Cincinnati Foundation helps people make the most of their giving to build a better community. We believe in the power of philanthropy to change the lives of people and communities. As a community foundation, GCF makes grants and provides leadership in six key areas: arts and culture, community and economic development, education, the environment, health, and human services. An effective steward of the community’s charitable resources since 1963, the Foundation inspires philanthropy in eight counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

AUTOS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2010

21

Porsche 911 Carrera delivers power, luxury For many the Porsche 911 is still the prototypical sports car, and the 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera does not disappoint. This single rear-engine sports car still has the iconic teardrop shape and provides power and agility while still being luxurious.

The interior is comfortable, modern and designed for serious driving. The car features Porsche Communication Management (PCM), which manages audio, navigation and communications with a 6.5 inch LCD touchscreen on the center console. An integrated single CD/DVD drive plays back music from audio and video DVDs. Both the Bose Surround Sound System and the six-disc CD/DVD autochanger are available as upgrades.

The optional GPS system provides a choice of three alternative routes and offers a bird’s eye perspective as well as the traditional 2-D display. Another nifty add-on is the electronic logbook that automatically records mileage, route distance, time and date, starting point and destination for every journey, and the supplied software allows the driver to evaluate the data on his or her PC. All the features of the PCM can be managed with an optional voice control system that, unlike other systems, does not require “training.”

Other features that make 911 Carrera luxurious and nice to drive are the heated and electrically adjustable outside mirrors, the rain-sensing windshield wipers, the heated washer nozzles, and the folding rear-seat backrests and storage shelf behind the rear seats.

A fully-equipped 911 Carrera also includes a heated steering wheel, self dimming mirrors, Park Assist System, heated seats, seat

ventilation system and driver memory.

The 911 Carrera base-trim comes supplied with a 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine that produces 345-horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 288 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. The 911 includes either a sixspeed manual transmission or the new Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK). The PDK consists of seven gears with both a manual gearshift and an automatic mode.

Both the manual and PDK are rear-wheel drive.

All that horsepower means 060 mph in 4.7 seconds for the base-trim with a top track speed of 180 mph and approximately 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

The 911 Carrera base-trim comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, power-assisted steering with variable steering ratio, Tire Pressure Monitoring System and an automatic extending rear spoiler.

Porsche Active Suspension Management is optional for the models with the 3.6-liter engine, but standard in the S models. It continuously regulates the damping force for each wheel based on road conditions and driving style.

It also allows the driver to select either “normal” or “sport” for a firmer setup.

Safety features include bixenon headlights with dynamic range control and a headlight cleaning system, Porsche Stability Management (PSM) with traction control and dual front, side and head air bags. Dynamic cornering lights are available as an upgrade.

The 911 comes in no less than 20 different models and half of those are different versions of the Carrera. All of the power and luxury of the 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe starts at $77,800.

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DEATH NOTICES COOPER, Albert M., age 91, died on September 22, 2010; 14 Tishrei, 5771.

FINER, Marvin, age 85, died on September 23, 2010; 15 Tishrei, 5771.

KOSHER from page 1 numerous customer requests for more prepared food options in the deli. Rubinoff, whose time is divided between both the store’s delis, went to the store manager and told of the need for more prepared items. The section now offers items like kugel—possibly the only place in town to get fresh-

VAAD from page 1

SOROS from page 1

the restructure, but the holidays have delayed any concrete decisions. A rabbi manages the Vaad, but as a non-profit organization, a board of directors ultimately runs it.

Fortunately, during this time of restructuring, local kosher restaurants have generally not noticed any changes in how the Vaad is operating. Visits from a rabbi are continuing as scheduled.

Employees and bills of the Vaad have not been paid in the last several months. One possible reason for the lack of funds is a decline in revenue from the charity bingo the Vaad was running.

The Vaad’s website is no longer up and running. The phones are going unanswered, and Rabbi Toron’s name is still on the voicemail. No one still working with the Vaad was willing to make a comment or say anything concrete. Golf Manor Synagogue Head Rabbi Hanan Balk said that the Vaad would be prepared to issue a statement after the holidays, maybe some time in October.

In the “Myths and Facts” section of its website, J Street denied the “myth” that Soros “founded and is the primary funder of J Street” as follows: “George Soros did not found J Street. In fact, George Soros very publicly stated his decision not to be engaged in J Street when it was launched— precisely out of fear that his involvement would be used against the organization. J Street’s Executive Director has stated many times that he FAMILY from page 1 filled with the proper school supplies. Israeli born, she speaks perfect Hebrew and English.

My five children all started school this month with confidence and the proper supplies. This time, we all know what we’re doing.

My oldest daughter, now in the 11th grade, speaks, dresses and acts like a native Israeli. Though she remembers the trauma of that first year, she is acing her studies and has a packed social life. And the woman whose front seat I dampened with my tears is now one of my closest friends in Israel.

WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM

ly prepared kugle—salads, apricot chicken, stuffed chicken and fresh grilled vegetables.

“People love it, especially if they are not in the mood for cooking for Shabbat,” said Mendy Lipszyc, the kosher manager of the deli. “We’re constantly looking for ways to meet customers’ needs by expanding our selection.” Also in the coming months

for Hanukkah: prepared latkes.

Since their renovation, the bigg’s Hypermart on Highland Avenue has always offered fresh, ready-to-eat items from its deli— offerings such as rotisserie chicken, a variety of salads, other side dishes, and cold cuts shredded fresh or pre-packed. Some small changes to the menu do happen, and will continue to happen as

well.

“We don’t want to change the face of the deli,” said Elizar Gonzalez, the Mashgiach (kosher supervisor) of the bigg’s Kosher Deli. “That’s why the changes are one at a time.”

May both stores continue to provide the best in prepared foods that meet the community’s dietary needs.

would in fact be very pleased to have funding from Mr. Soros and the offer remains open to him to be a funder should he wish to support the effort.”

In an interview, Ben-Ami denied that the conditional tense of the last sentence, and saying that an offer “remains open,” leaves little room to infer Soros had given the group any money. He insisted that the characterization was truthful.

“This was not founded by him, he didn’t provide initial funding,” Ben-Ami said. “I stand by the way

that is phrased—I still want him to support us more.”

In an interview with Moment magazine last March, Ben-Ami was even more direct in his denial: “We got tagged as having his support without the benefit of actually getting funded!”

But on Sunday, two days after The Washington Times story appeared, Ben-Ami on the J Street blog released a statement to followers regretting the misleading statements about Soros’ role.

“I accept responsibility person-

ally for being less than clear about Mr. Soros’ support once he did become a donor,” Ben-Ami said in the statement. “I said Mr. Soros did not help launch J Street or provide its initial funding, and that is true. I also said we would be happy to take his support. But I did not go the extra step to add that he did in fact start providing support in the fall of 2008, six months after our launch.”

As a corporation that does not have tax-exempt status, Ben-Ami noted, J Street was under no obligation to reveal its donors.

As my family and I mark our 10th anniversary in Israel, I am overcome with mixed emotions.

It wasn’t easy to pack up and leave our family and friends to come here, though we were greeted by both family and friends when we arrived. It was not easy to adjust to a new culture, a new language, a new way of life.

But we knew Israel would be the best place to raise our Jewish children, where they would learn about their Jewish past, participate in their Jewish present and prepare for their Jewish future, and where we would have a front-row seat to Jewish history.

During our “Living in Israel” workshops in Cleveland before we made aliyah, a Clevelander who dedicated her life to helping Jews make aliyah, though she never did,

told us again and again that it would not be easy here. But if you can make it, Shirley Goodman always added, it will be worth it. It was a mantra that she drilled inside my head, and one that I whisper to myself even now, when the going gets tough.

Much has changed in 10 years.

A decade ago my mother and I began by e-mailing each other every day; today we speak daily on an Internet phone. I have a Cleveland phone number, allowing relatives and friends to call me without worrying about the cost.

But besides the daily calls to and from my mom — my father died 2 1/2 years ago — that phone does not ring much.

I have accepted that I am not part of the daily fabric of our American family and friends’ lives.

We still remain close, but it is a different kind of close — one that is very far away.

Learning Hebrew has been a struggle for me. With my dearth of Hebrew language skills, my Midwestern accent and my lack of Middle Eastern aggressiveness, Israelis on the street often ask me how long I have been here. When I answer, sheepishly, that it has been 10 years, they wave their forefinger in front of my face and cluck their tongues, reprimanding me for my poor Hebrew. My kids speak perfect Hebrew, I assure them.

While I can get through a shopping trip, and even an elementary school open house, having a protracted conversation with an Israeli neighbor still eludes me. Hence, most of my close friends in Israel remain Anglos.

BUREAU from page 5

ing about the Holocaust. The students appreciated the information and the connections they made during those sessions.”

Weiss added that, “The Speakers’ Bureau continues to be one of the most sought after pro-

grams offered by The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education.

Hearing an eyewitness from their own community connects personal experiences with history in a way that has an extraordinary impact on the audience. We are the last generation to live amongst eyewitnesses, [and so] it is our obligation to ensure their stories are told.”

Site visits to partner agencies — part of the multi-tiered Planning and Allocations process—provide opportunities to conduct in-depth reviews of an agency’s programs, funding applications and program performance so they can make highly informed recommendations to Federation’s Planning and Allocations Committee.

The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati brings our community together to care for Jews in Cincinnati, in Israel, and around the world, and develops opportunities for each of us to embrace a Jewish life.

at Jewish Family Service and coleader of the Partnership 2000 trip, said that, “In preparation for our trip, students met at CHHE several times in the spring to enhance their learn-

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