Cinti 2020 seeks community ideas With every organization, agency and congregation in Cincinnati’s Jewish community participating in Cincinnati 2020—the unprecedented, comprehensive initiative to develop a long-term strategic plan for the community— project leaders are reaching out to every member of Greater Cincinnati’s Jewish community for their input, ideas and opinions on what it will take to make Cincinnati a Jewish destination by 2020. The goal of Cincinnati 2020 is to make Jewish Cincinnati a model community that attracts people seeking a high-quality Jewish life. Once completed, the plan will offer a framework within which all agencies, congregations and organizations can align their visions and efforts to collaboratively achieve an innovative and sustainable community. Thoughts and ideas on what it will take to make Cincinnati a destination community can be shared by logging on to jewishcincinnati.org/2020. The site also provides further information on Cincinnati 2020.
Party Planning Showcase is this Sunday, March 6
Cincinnati 2020 needs your input
Many different vendors from bakeries, photographers, DJs, prizes and more can be found at the fifth annual Party Planning Showcase this Sunday, March 6. The free event, which offers an efficient way to discover new party concepts and vendors, will take place in the Amberley Room of the Mayerson JCC from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. For those planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, wedding, sweet 16 party, corporate event, graduation or any other major party, the showcase will bring a variety of vendors together under one roof, making it the one-stop party shop for your event’s needs. This year offers a lineup of vendors, including caterers, photographers and DJs, as well as those offering flowers and balloons. There will be food samples from the caterers, and pamphlets offering more in-depth information of each vendor’s services.
Remember, the Jewish community needs your ideas and thoughts for the Cincinnati 2020 initiative to help make Cincinnati a model Jewish community and destination. This paper has covered the Cincinnati 2020 leaders forums, where lay and business leaders came together to help create a long-term strategic plan for this city. Now, during the month of March, it’s your turn. Through The American Israelite online, you can add your thoughts to the melting pot of ideas already gathered. First, go to www.americanisraelite.com and click on the Cincinnati 2020 icon. Next, you will be led to the Cincinnati 2020 forum page, where you will be able to enter your comments and ideas. Finally, press the submit button. Call the Federation if you wish to submit your ideas via snail mail.
SHOWCASE on page 19
INPUT on page 19
2020 on page 19
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Jews joining union showdown in Charlie Sheen demanding Wisconsin over gov’s proposal apology from ADL By Sue Fishkoff Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) — A growing number of Jews in Wisconsin are joining the protests in Madison against a budgetcutting proposal by the governor to eliminate most collective-bargaining rights for public-sector employees. “Judaism has long stood for the rights of the worker, beginning with the biblical injunction of Deuteronomy: ‘Do not take advantage of the hired worker who is poor and needy,’” said Rabbi Bonnie Margulis. Margulis joined two other Madison rabbis on Tuesday at a news conference at the state capitol building organized by the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal.
Actor Charlie Sheen is demanding an apology from the Anti-Defamation League for saying that his rant against the executive producer of his hit TV sitcom was “borderline anti-Semitism.” A letter from Sheen’s attorney, Marty Singer, demands a retraction because, it says, Sheen’s only intention was to “address the man rather than his television persona,” the TMZ website reported Tuesday. Sheen, in a radio interview Feb. 24 and in a letter posted on the TMZ website, called the “Two and a Half Men” executive producer Chuck Lorre a “contaminated little maggot,” said he was a “clown” and “stupid,” and referred to him several times as Chaim Levine. Lorre’s given name is Charles Michael Levine.
WISCONSIN on page 20
Courtesy Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice
Rabbi Renee Bauer, director of the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice of South Central Wisconsin, addresses protesters at a prayer vigil at the capitol building in Madison, Feb. 22, 2011.
“By invoking television producer Chuck Lorre’s Jewish name in the context of an angry tirade against him, Charlie Sheen left the impression that another reason for his dislike of Mr. Lorre is his Jewishness,” Abraham Foxman, ADL’s national director, said in a statement Sunday. “This fact has no relevance to Mr. Sheen’s complaint or disagreement, and his words are at best bizarre, and at worst, borderline anti-Semitism.” Sheen went on the defensive over the weekend, saying his statements were not anti-Semitic. He said in his letter to TMZ that he was “referring to Chuck by his real name because I wanted to address the man, not the bulls**t TV persona.” “So you’re telling me, anytime someone calls me Carlos Estevez, I can claim they are anti-Latino?” Sheen continued, referring to his given name.
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Camp at the J early bird discounts With a broad array of camps starting as early as June 6 and a high-level accreditation with the American Camp Association® (ACA), Camp at the J has already received many enrollments for summer 2011. Several popular JCC camps are filling quickly, and an increasing number of J Members are downloading registration forms from the JCC website to receive the early bird discount for J Members, which expires next Friday, March 11. “When I heard parents were already registering for Camp at the J, I made sure to enroll my children right away,” said Ilan Nacasch. “My kids made a lot of friends last year, and learned to swim and dive in record time! They would have been really disappointed if they weren’t a part of it again this summer.” Camp at the J continues to offer high-quality programs this summer with a range of camps for ages 18 months through grade 10. The 6week camp session (for ages 18 months – grade 3) and two, 3-week camp sessions (for grades 4 - 8) run June 20 – July 29. There are also two new summer sessions offered in early June. To accommodate
working families, the new JCC Summerstart Camp (for grades K – 6) will be available by the day on June 6, 7, and 10. Laffalot Summer Camp (for grades 1 – 6) will host a one-week high-energy sports camp at the JCC from June 13 – 17. The Mayerson JCC also offers a variety of one-week specialty camps (known as S’More Camps), August 1 – 19. These popular camps include horseback riding, sports adventure, basketball, cooking, golf and soccer. A new option for campers in grades 4 – 8 is a week of outdoor activities at a different Hamilton County Park each day. Also available in August are one-week S’More Camps for preschoolers. Daily Camp at the J activities may include sports, arts and crafts, Red Cross certified instructional and recreational swimming (for ages 3 and up), archery (for grades 1 and up), music, Shabbat celebrations, nature, special events, outdoor cooking and more. This summer there will be special field trips and late day cook-outs for grades 2 – 8. All camps are open to the public, and there are before and after camp options for grades K – 6. J Members pay discounted fees and
are also eligible for additional early bird discounts when they register their child(ren) on or before Friday, March 11. Financial assistance may be available to qualifying families when they register before April 15. For confidential financial aid information, contact Teri Herrmann at the JCC. Teens entering grades 9 – 10 may register for the new 6-week counselor-in-training (C.I.T.) program at Camp at the J. All interviewed and accepted C.I.T.s will receive benefits like usage of the JCC facilities, Red Cross CPR/First Aid training, American Red Cross Guard Start, and camp leadership training. C.I.T.s may attend weekly camp trips, overnights and late stays at the JCC, as well as participate in traditional camp activities. Interested candidates should complete the counselor-in-training section of the 2011 Camp at the J registration form. For more information about Camp at the J and the early bird discount for J Members, or to receive a copy of the Summer 2011 brochure and registration form, contact the JCC or visit their website.
WiseUP social action projects for spring Wise Temple congregants will be volunteering for a wide range of WiseUP social action projects this spring to fulfill the mission of Tikkun Olam—repairing the world—and to bring greater meaning to their lives and the lives of others. WiseUP projects provide congregants with oppowrtunities to help those who are disadvantaged or in need. Projects include sorting and packing food at the Freestore Foodbank on Saturday, March 12, a project led by Paul McOsker. Volunteers will serve brunch and play with children at the Bethany
House shelter on Sunday, March 13 with Project Leader Tricia Gold. The Brotherhood, led by Ed Waterman, will have dinner and spend time with disadvantaged youth at Lighthouse Youth Services on Thursday, March 17. From April 24 through May 1, Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) guests will be staying at the Temple. IHN co-chairs Deb LaFrance and Margie Burgin will schedule and coordinate over 50 volunteers who will help guests feel welcome by cooking, cleaning and spending the night at Wise Center. On Tuesday, May 10 Jen
Annenberg will lead the Alliance Charter Academy Reading Project where volunteers will assist schoolaged children at reading. WiseUP volunteers will serve a hot meal Wednesday, May 11 at the Drop Inn Center. This is a new project for 2011 to be led by Sandy Rubin. Lastly, volunteers will cook and serve lunch on Sunday, May 15 at the Over-the-Rhine Soup Kitchen led by Stacey Bie. WiseUP co-chairs are Carol Kabel and Jody Tsevat. WiseUP volunteer opportunites are exclusively open to Wise Temple members. Registration is online.
Gesher, bridging gap for Wise parents It truly takes a village to raise Jewish children. Religious School, tutors, rabbis, teachers, cantors, the list goes on. Perhaps the most important ingredient in this sacred task is parents. For over a decade, Wise Temple has been running an innovative program to help support parents in their roles as teachers to their children. Gesher, Wise Temple’s family education program, helps bridge the gap between temple and home offering families opportunities to learn together and participate together in a wide range of Jewish experiences. Each Gesher class is divided by grade and consists of 20-25 families.
Each Gesher grade meets with their families on Sunday mornings five times a year. For the first hour, parents learn with the rabbis about the same topic their kids are studying in their classrooms. The second part brings students and parents together working, studying, interacting and having fun around the same topic. Each and every Gesher session is filled with creative activities, active learning, community building and tons of resources and ideas to bring home and try out. Starting in second grade, our families explore what it means to be a mensch and what it means to be part of a community. Third grade is all
about holidays, how to celebrate them and bring new life and new activities into the observances. Fourth grade is a yearlong study of Israel, its people and places, past and future. Fifth grade covers two big topics, Torah and life cycle events. Finally, in sixth grade, our families learn about our Jewish history, their own family history and the evolution of Jewish law. How wonderful it is to see so many families at Wise Temple on Sunday mornings engaged together in Jewish learning. For more information about this exciting program call the Temple or check out the website.
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Workum announces summer 2011 interns Now in its 94th year, the Therese M. Workum Scholarhsip fund is devoted to furthering the education and career possibilities of Jewish students from Cincinnati. Since 1987, it has placed Jewish college students from Cincinnati in paid summer internship positions with local Jewish organizations. Through these highly competitive internships, college students gain valuable work experience and benefit from the mentoring of a supervisor. The internships also lay the groundwork for involvement in the Jewish community after college, either as a professional or as a volunteer. For summer 2011, the Workum Fund has selected 10 gifted, incredibly driven and passionate interns. Over the course of the summer, these individuals will work to improve the Jewish community in which we live. Introducing this summer’s interns:
Becca Wood currently attends University of Cincinnati where she is completing her third year. She is majoring in history with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa. Becca graduated from Cincinnati Country Day School in 2008 where she was co-president of Jewish Educational Workshop, and received the Visual Arts Award her senior year. Becca is looking forward to her internship with Wise Temple this summer. Brianna Pecsok graduated with honors from Wyoming High School in 2010 and currently attends The Ohio State University. Brianna is looking forward to interning at the Jewish Community Relations Council this summer. Charlie Schreiber graduated from Cincinnati Country Day School in 2010. Charlie is currently a first year Political Science
major at Miami University, and is excited to start his internship at the American Jewish Archives this summer as a Workum intern. Daniel Makutonin graduated from Sycamore High School in 2010. Daniel is currently a freshman pre-pharmacy major at Butler University in Indianapolis. Daniel is excited to be working at the Jewish Family Service this summer. Elise Gelwicks graduated from Sycamore High School in 2010. Elise is finishing her first year at Indiana University. She is pursuing a marketing degree from the Kelley School of Business along with a minor in history. Elise is thrilled to be involved with the Jewish Community Center this summer to develop a marketing program using what she has learned from her first year at Indiana. Gabrielle Schneider is completing her freshman year at the University of Cincinnati. She is majoring in marketing and minoring in Judaic studies. She is looking forward to her internship at Hillel on the UC campus. Josh Zimmerman graduated high school in 2007 from the Columbus Torah Academy. He currently attends Yeshiva University in New York City where he is majoring in Psychology. Josh will intern at Cedar Village this summer. Maddie Slutsky is a graduate of
Mason High School and a freshman at The Ohio State University. She currently is an undecided major, but is interested in technology and communications. Maddie is excited about her internship at the Jewish Federation this summer, and honored to have the opportunity. Melanie Greenberg is currently a sophomore at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she is studying psychology. Melanie was a 2009 graduate of Wyoming High School. Melanie is excited to continue her education of the Holocaust by working at the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education this summer. Molly Cramer graduated from Sycamore High School in 2010. Molly attends the University of Richmond where she is pursuing a double major in Leadership and Psychology. She is looking forward to her internship with Jewish Vocational Service as a summer 2011 Workum intern. The board of directors of the Workum Fund congratulates the internship class of 2011, and looks forward to a productive summer of learning and growth. For more information on the Workum summer internship program, please visit our website or contact Brett Pelchovitz Stern.
JDC’s Purim in Disguise The Jewish Discovery Center, the area’s “Center for Jewish Life,” invites the community to reserve a spot for one of the most festive Jewish holidays of the year. The center’s Family Purim in Disguise takes place between 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Sunday, March 20, at Mason High School. Under the heading “What you see is not what you get,” Mason-area families can enjoy a wide variety of fun-filled activities. Attractions include a ventriloquist show, a juggler, Esther’s Bouncing Castle, Purim crafts, an undercover mission to crack the code, carnival booths, face painting, a dress up pageant, Hamantashen, prizes and much, much more. Lots of cotton candy and popcorn will be available for the event, which is free with reservation before March 14. An ipod will be raffled off as well. According to Chany Turner, the center’s program specialist, the center has been offering a Purim Bash for five years now, and has to move the event to a larger hall to accommodate the larger turnout. “Each year more and more people realize how much fun they can have while making an impact on their lives and the lives of their children,” she said. “Local families get together to celebrate this most joyous Jewish holiday. This year a slide show featuring local children will depict the Purim story – that
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VOL. 157 • NO. 32 THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2010 27 ADAR I 5771 SHABBAT BEGINS FRIDAY 6:15 PM SHABBAT ENDS SATURDAY 7:14 PM 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 RABBI ISSAC M. WISE Editor & Publisher, 1854-1900 LEO WISE Editor & Publisher, 1900-1928 RABBI JONAH B. WISE Editor & Publisher, 1928-1930 HENRY C. SEGAL Editor & Publisher, 1930-1985 PHYLLIS R. SINGER Editor & General Manager, 1985-1999 MILLARD H. MACK Publisher Emeritus NETANEL (TED) DEUTSCH Editor & Publisher BARBARA L. MORGENSTERN Senior Writer MIKE MCCRACKEN NICOLE SIMON Assistant Editors ALEXIA KADISH Copy Editor JANET STEINBERG Travel Editor STEPHANIE DAVIS-NOVAK Fashion Editor MARILYN GALE Dining Editor
The Jewish Discovery Center will be hosting Purim in Disguise.
should prove meaningful and fun.” The center’s Rabbi Yosef Kalmanson, who last year fell just short of breaking the world’s record for fastest Megillah reading, will try again at this year’s event. Kalmanson currently claims the title of “Fastest Megillah Reader” in Southern Ohio. The holiday, which marks the triumph of the Jewish nation over an ancient Persian plot to destroy it, is marked via reading the story of Queen Esther from a Megillah parchment scroll in its original format, giving away gift baskets of food, donating money to the poor, dressing up in costumes, feasting and merriment, creating crafts related to the holiday and enjoying triangular “hamantashen” snacks. “It’s one of the most kid-friendly holidays on the Jewish calendar, and adults celebrating it can rediscover their inner child,” Turner said. For more information, call the Jewish Discovery Center.
MARIANNA BETTMAN NATE BLOOM IRIS PASTOR RABBI A. JAMES RUDIN ZELL SCHULMAN RABBI AVI SHAFRAN PHYLLIS R. SINGER Contributing Columnists LEV LOKSHIN JANE KARLSBERG Staff Photographers JOSEPH D. STANGE Production Manager
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B’nai Tzedek hosts ‘Collective Joy’ “Collective Joy,” is the title of the program on Jewish Spirituality and Music that will be presented by Ren Faught, at Congregation B’nai Tzedek from 1–4 p.m. on Sunday, March 20. Faught’s program will involve the audience in a wide variety of activities, many of which will involve drumming and chanting. This event, the second program in B’nai Tzedek’s year-long series on Judaism and Spirituality, focuses on Jewish spirituality and music. “This is about Torah,” observes Faught. “It will open new pathways through which people can enter Judaism.” Faught goes on to observe that her program will draw on Torah, Jewish holidays and traditions, Jewish liturgy and a host of musical elements. Ultimately, she describes her program as about “letting Torah speak for itself,” as well as “making people feel positive about themselves.” She hopes to encourage the integration of spiritual practice and awareness into daily life, and to help satisfy the longing within each of us to discover our true and most authentic selves. She strives to help you find meaning beyond the moment and to journey with you as you grow in relationship with the Divine, self and others.
Ren Faught
Faught is a practicing civil trial attorney licensed in Indiana and Illinois. She also trained as a spiritual director with the Lev Shomea (Hearing Heart) Institute for Training of Spiritual Directors in the Jewish Tradition at Elat Chayyim in Accord, New York. She is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree at the Graduate Theological Foundation. She is a frequent speaker and program leader on such topics as spiritual direction incorporating sound immersion, meditation, contemplative drumming, chant and play. Faught has
also completed Kol Zimra, Rabbi Shefa Gold’s two year intensive Jewish Professional Chant Leadership Training Program. Faught will be assisted in presenting “Collective Joy” by Lori Kurtz. Kurtz is an accomplished musician who performed with her first symphony at the age of 12 and is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Music with a degree in Music Performance. She also has a master’s degree in Counseling from Butler University and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She is the creator of the award winning program “Drumming It Out,” which combines music and counseling as a form of therapy. Kurtz has worked closely with Faught in presenting many programs. There is a cost to register for “Collective Joy.” Registration will include the cost of materials, brief breaks for light refreshments during this three hour program, and a wine and appetizers reception following the program. Pre-registration should be done by March 13 and can be accomplished by calling Congregation B’nai Tzedek or via the web. The next program in the B’nai Tzedek series on spirituality and Judaism will focus on Jewish spirituality and science.
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Tournaments of 3 on 3 Basketball at the J March madness is coming to the Mayerson JCC. First, there’s a 3on-3 basketball tournament for teens on Sunday afternoon, March 13. There’s another 3-on-3 basketball tournament, this time for young professionals, on the following Sunday afternoon, March 20. Both tournaments are open to the public. Advance registration is requested. On Sunday, March 13 at 1 p.m., the J will host a free 3-on-3 basketball tournament for ages 13-15 and ages 16-18. Teams of three players, divided by age, will compete in a round-robin competition followed by a single elimination tournament. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team. To register your team or to be placed on a team, contact Danny Meisterman
There will be a $150 cash prize for the first place team, plus prizes for second and third place winners. The cost to compete on March 20 is $5 per person.
at the J, by Thursday, March 10. Young professionals, ages 21 – 35, can participate in a 3-on-3 double elimination basketball tournament, on Sunday, March 20 at 2:30 p.m. There will be a $150 cash prize for the first place team, plus prizes for second and third place winners. The cost to compete on March 20 is $5 per person. Fans in the stands are free. Food and drinks will be served and a DJ will provide musical entertainment. To register a (same sex) team of three or sign up as a free agent and be assigned to a team, call Josh Rothstein at the J or sign up at the front desk, by Thursday, March 17. For more information about basketball or other programs at the J, visit the Mayerson JCC website.
Wise senior program ‘Cincinnati’s Jewish Heritage’ The Isaac M. Wise senior adult group is looking forward to its March program on “Cincinnati’s Jewish Heritage,” which will take place at Wise Center on Thursday, March 10, at 1 p.m. Many are aware of the fact that by 1850, Cincinnati was able to boast that it had the third largest population of Jews among American cities. However, we often do not hear much about the origins of our Jewish community
in Cincinnati. Therefore, this program will feature Gale Ossenbeck, a docent from the Cincinnati Museum Center, who will explore issues such as what prompted the first Jew to choose Cincinnati as his home. The speaker will discuss the curiosity he evoked in the thenburgeoning little town. In addition, the participants will discover some of the treasures that the Cincinnati Jewish community has
given to not only the city, but to the entire world. The chairpeople for this event are Saranne Funk, Donna Dansker and Ellen Kleinfeld. In anticipating the talk, Saranne Funk shared, “I think it will be a very entertaining and eye-opening discussion. I am looking forward to learning more about Cincinnati’s Jewish roots.” This program is open to the community. Light refreshments will be served.
Chabad Jewish Center’s annual ‘Purim Around the World’ It is time for Purim and for Chabad Jewish Center’s “Purim Around the World,” now in its 15th year. This year’s theme is Purim in China and will feature a Chinese buffet and entertainment, presented in an Oriental setting. The party will take place Sunday, March 20, at 5 p.m. Due to the growth of this annual event, the party will be held at Blue Ash Elementary. The star performer this year is The Rope Warrior and hails from Chicago. This professional athlete/entertainer/author executes stunts using a jump rope, and is the current Guinness World Record holder for the most “Rump Jumps” (jumping rope while reclining on his bottom) in one minute—56. The subject of a recent feature story on “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” he performs at over 15 school assemblies nationwide per week during the school year—reaching over 5,000 kids per week—as well as at
an assortment of public events and private parties. A member of The United States Amateur Jump Rope Federation, The Rope Warrior doesn’t limit himself to school playground-variety jump roping; his repertoire includes such razzle-dazzle techniques as: glow-in-the-dark ropes; power jumping, where the rope passes under his feet up to four times per jump; jumping rope while sitting and lying on the floor; ropejumping versions of practically any dance step; dribbling a ball with his feet while jumping rope—all to a background of pulsating, contemporary music. His rope speed has been timed at over 100 m.p.h. The Chinese buffet will include such favorites as sesame chicken, beef stir-fry, vegetable lo-mein, fried rice, eggrolls, fortune cookies and more. Back by popular demand, every attendee will once again take home
a professional instant photo, compliments of Cincinnati Karate’s website. “Purim is the Jewish festival that commemorates the salvation of the Jews from imminent annihilation at the hands of the evil Haman, the Prime Minister of the Persian Emperor Achashverosh, in the year 356 B.C.E.,” said Rabbi Berel Cohen, Youth and Family Program director at Chabad Jewish Center. “Today we mark the holiday of Purim with community celebration, feasting, sending food baskets to friends, helping the poor and listening to the story of Purim as told in the Megillah. It’s also customary to dress up in costume.” Purim in China will begin on Sunday, March 20, at 5 p.m., with the Megillah reading at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and entertainment. There is a cost to attend. For reservations and more information, call Chabad Jewish Center.
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FSU Jewish women take women’s case to U.N., D.C. By Sue Fishkoff Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) — When Elena Kalnitskaya of Ukraine talked about her organization’s women’s empowerment projects at a United Nations conference last week, she was presenting the face of social progress in her country. And she was doing it as a Jewish woman — not unusual, perhaps, for an American participant in international gatherings, but worth a second look when the representatives in question are from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Kalnitskaya and her three colleagues are from Project Kesher, a Jewish women’s organization that promotes human rights and women’s concerns in the former Soviet Union. They are the only representatives from the former Soviet Union at the weeklong conference. And, Kalnitskaya notes, Project Kesher is the only Jewish group standing up in an international forum for the rights of women of all ethnicities and faiths in a half-dozen Russian-speaking countries. “That’s important because when people ask who we are, we say we’re Jews, and we’re here representing our countries,” said Kalnitskaya, 47, who lives in the eastern Ukraine city of Makeyevka. Kalnitskaya spoke to JTA by Skype on Feb. 25 as she was wrapping up three intense days of meetings at the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, which brought delegates from more than 4,000 nongovernmental organizations to U.N. headquarters in New York to discuss civil society, human rights and the advancement of women around the world. She had spent the day in a workshop on women and technology, where she talked about Project Kesher’s computer training and job skills program. The program has helped more than 17,000 people, mostly women and girls, in the organization’s 17 computer centers throughout the former Soviet Union. It’s been a long haul for Project Kesher, which started in 1989 as a partnership between Jewish women in North America and the Soviet Union focused on bringing American activist models to bear on issues including domestic violence, human trafficking, women’s health, anti-Semitism and intolerance in the soon-to-beindependent countries behind the Iron Curtain. In its two decades, the group has gained the respect of political leaders in the region, a development that Illinois-based Executive Director
Project Kesher
Project Kesher activists Elena Kalnitskaya, Svetlana Yakimenko, Olga Krasko and Vlada Bystrova pose outside a U.N. workshop in New York on Feb. 25, 2011.
Karyn Gershon attributes to the nonsectarian nature of its work. Project Kesher activists in Belarus who work to gain access for more women to the country’s sole mammography machine are helping all women, not just Jews, Gershon points out. That’s also true of the tolerance-building projects the group runs in Ukraine, a country plagued by xenophobia and rising violence against non-Slavs. The activists are motivated to do this work because of the Jewish values they learn through the organization’s Jewish education programs — education dedicated to inspiring tikkun olam, or work to repair the world’s ills — a relatively new concept in the former Soviet Union. “We have a seat at the table now,” Gershon said, noting that Project Kesher works with the Russian Parliament, or Duma, as well as with top government officials in Ukraine, Belarus and Georgia on health and social issues. “They see that the Jewish community is not insular.” At the United Nations, Kalnitskaya and her colleagues are trying to share their most successful models of empowerment with women from Third World countries facing the same struggles against illiteracy, sexual violence and job discrimination, which have been heightened by the global economic crisis. Olga Krasko of Belarus outlined Project Kesher’s job training success at a workshop on women and financial literacy. “Women from Haiti and Ghana came up to me and said how much they appreciated hearing about our methodology, learning how we started,” said Krasko, of Polotsk. “Today it’s useless to talk about ending domestic violence and sex trafficking if we
don’t empower women with legal and financial knowledge.” “Here are women from Africa, Asia, learning from Jewish women from the FSU, picking up their models,” Gershon added. “We get 5,000 hits a week on our website, people downloading our materials, using our models. Worldwide, people are picking up that there are Jewish women doing this humanitarian work — and it’s not just American Jews but Jews from the FSU.”
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N.Y. activist, 25, enlists Quayle, others in new Pollard clemency campaign
Peace Corps at 50 draws volunteers over 50
By Ben Harris Jewish Telegraphic Agency
By Leslie Berliant L.A. Jewish Journal
NEW YORK (JTA) — A new campaign for clemency for convicted spy Jonathan Pollard has racked up a series of big name politicos in the last few weeks: former Vice President Dan Quayle, former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter and Chicago Rabbi Capers Funnye, a cousin of first lady Michelle Obama. The recent successes can be traced not to Washington lobbyists or a New York boardroom, but to a small team of four activists whose doggedness, rather than political connections, have yielded results. The four men, spread across America, have managed to generate more momentum on the Pollard issue — or at least more expressions of support for clemency from public figures — than any public campaign in recent years. Foremost among the activists is David Nyer, a 25-year-old Orthodox social worker from Monsey, N.Y., about 25 miles from New York City. Nyer was the force behind a letter last November to President Obama from 39 congressional Democrats urging the president to grant clemency to Pollard, a civilian U.S. Navy analyst who received a life sentence in 1987 for spying for Israel. Over the past few months, Nyer successfully elicited letters calling
for Pollard’s release from Quayle, former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb, and President Reagan’s sec-
JonathanPollard.com
A new campaign to free Jonathan Pollard, shown with wife Esther, is being seen as generating as much or more momentum on the issue than any public campaign in recent years.
retary of state, George Shultz. Korb went so far as to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to formally call for Pollard’s release, which Nyer says is a key gain in the effort to free Pollard.
“It’s not really hard,” Nyer said of his ability to get powerful or once-powerful officials on the phone. “I myself was very surprised by all of this. I guess that’s the great thing about living in a democracy. The average citizen can reach a former vice president.” Along with Nyer, the team includes University of Baltimore law professor Kenneth Lasson, Phoenix attorney Farley Weiss and Rabbi Pesach Lerner, a longtime Pollard advocate and executive vice president of the National Council of Young Israel. Weiss is a second vice president of the council and the president of a Young Israel synagogue in Arizona, as well as a national vice president of the Zionist Organization of America. The four activists say they are in regular contact, bouncing around ideas and names of prominent individuals to solicit for support. Lasson has a long track record of involvement with Pollard, having penned more than a dozen articles in the past two decades calling for his release. Weiss, a trademark attorney, has a history of activism on issues related to Israel. Weiss was instrumental in reversing the views of former Arizona Sen. Dennis DeConcini, who long had opposed Pollard’s release. Lerner has tended to Pollard’s personal needs, acting as his rabbi and paying him visits at the federal prison in Butner, N.C.
LOS ANGELES (JEWISH JOURNAL) — Lillian Mizrahi is not your typical Peace Corps volunteer. A Jewish woman from the Bronx who is now 69 years old, Mizrahi first considered joining 40 years ago, when she moved to Los Angeles from New York, but her life got busy with children and a career. “Two years ago, I got a postcard that said, ‘Baby Boomers, we want you,’ ” said Mizrahi, who worked as a talent executive with E! for nine years. She attended a few Peace Corps meetings, even bringing along a friend who went on to volunteer in South Africa. “I took the steps thinking somewhere along the way it wouldn’t work, but it worked,” Mizrahi said. With her children grown, Mizrahi felt it was the right time to help restore America’s former good image abroad. She was sent to Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where she now works with KONEKT, a nongovernmental organization that seeks to increase philanthropy among Macedonians. She also tutors adults in English. “I’ve been here 17 months, and it’s a wonderful experience,” Mizrahi said in a phone interview. On March 1, the Peace Corps will commemorate 50 years of promoting peace and friendship around the world. Events will be held around the United States throughout the year. The program, which was started in 1961 through an executive order issued by President Kennedy, traces its roots to a 1960 challenge from then-Sen. Kennedy to the students at the University of Michigan to serve their country by living and working in developing countries. The Peace Corps’ purpose is to promote peace and friendship by sharing skills, helping promote a better understanding of Americans and helping Americans develop a better understanding of other people. More than 200,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in 139 countries. Mizrahi is among the 7 percent of current Peace Corps volunteers who are older than 50. “They are encouraging more seniors to join because of their wealth of experience,” she said. Although she had offered to take an assignment in a rural community because of her prior experience living on a kibbutz, Mizrahi says the placement in a city ended up being a perfect fit. In Skopje, Mizrahi is also part of a small Jewish community made up of Americans, Israelis and
Macedonians. She has held seders, and this winter she hosted a large Chanukah party. Mizrahi attends holiday services at the local Jewish community center, and she will be there for the March 7 opening of the Macedonia Holocaust Museum, which has been in the works for 10 years.
Peace Corps
Lillian Mizrahi, left, one of many Peace Corps volunteers over age 50, poses with her Macedonian host “mother” — who is younger than Mizrahi.
Funding for the museum has come primarily from a special fund created in 2000 from the assets of Macedonian Jewish families who perished in the Holocaust and left no heirs. Additional funding comes from Israel and the United States. Mizrahi said joining the Peace Corps after working in entertainment was like “going from the ridiculous to the sublime.” She said, “TV is a young people’s business.” Mizrahi says she loves the Robin Hood concept of taking from the rich to give to the poor. “In the Peace Corps, we take trained individuals and give them to the untrained to transfer skills which will still be there after [they’ve] left,” she said. So far, Mizrahi has helped organize a philanthropy conference for the Balkan region, an Earth Day celebration, harvest festivals and 5K runs. She also has helped with a spelling bee and a Habitat for Humanity building project. The Peace Corps provides Mizrahi with an apartment and a stipend for living expenses. Mizrahi says her son and daughter share her sense of adventure and are proud of her, and that being so far away is made easier with technology like Skype and e-mail. Mizrahi says she hopes the Peace Corps has a long future, and without hesitation she encourages other older adults to join. She says people should think about what they could handle and where they will be comfortable, but ultimately the organization does a good job of making a match. “If you want to do it, it’s a wonderful experience,” she said. “And your kids will be impressed with you.”
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011
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Pressing Israel in U.N. remains a U.S. taboo, veto on settlements resolution shows By JTA Staff Jewish Telegraphic Agency NEW YORK (JTA) — In the run-up to last week’s U.N. Security Council vote on a resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal, the Obama administration faced a dilemma. The administration views Jewish settlements in the West Bank as illegitimate, and has made few bones about saying so, but it also rejects the notion that the place to settle the matter is the United Nations, with its long tradition of anti-Israel resolutions. Put in a seemingly awkward position, the administration had to decide whether to veto a resolution whose substance it essentially agreed with at a time when the Arab street is looking for signs of the Obama administration’s proclivities on Middle Eastern issues, or discard America’s long-standing tradition of vetoing one-sided U.N. resolutions on Israel and anger many Israel supporters. While some left-wing Jewish groups such as J Street and Americans for Peace Now urged the president to break with U.S. precedent and shun the veto, adding to the pressure on Israel, the reaction from Capitol Hill showed that it wasn’t a stance endorsed by the left or right wing in Congress. Republicans and Democrats both said that using the United Nations to pressure Israel was out of bounds. Leading members of both parties — including Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the minority whip — urged the president last week to veto “any U.N. Security Council resolution that criticizes Israel regarding final status issues.” When the resolution finally came to a vote at the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 18, the administration’s decision to exercise its veto earned praise from fellow Democrats.
International Briefs New anti-Semitic slurs by Dior designer emerge PARIS (JTA) — A video of fashion designer John Galliano saying he loves Hitler has emerged after he was suspended from the Christian Dior fashion house for allegedly harassing a couple, using anti-Semitic and racist slurs. The video, posted Monday on the website of the British The Sun
Gili Yaari / Flash 90 / JTA
Construction workers labor at a construction site in the Har Homa neighborhood, south of Jerusalem, Feb. 20, 2011, a day after the United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council draft resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction as illegal.
“I praise the Obama administration’s veto, and call on the U.S. to reject any future resolutions at the U.N. that unfairly target Israel, and instead push the Palestinians back to negotiations where they belong,” said Rep. Shelly Berkley (D-Nev.). “I hope the Arabs, having failed to force the issue at the U.N., will return to the negotiating table immediately and begin the real process of reaching a solution.” The Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, B’nai B’rith International and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee all issued statements expressing appreciation for the veto. “Exercising the veto is a painful decision, particularly for an administration with a deep and sincere commitment to multilateralism,” said David Harris, the executive director of the American Jewish Committee. “That is why we salute President Obama and his team for their courage in vetoing this mischievous resolution, which would have caused irreparable
damage to the future prospects of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.” Obama used the veto for the first time after pursuing a compromise proposal — a nonbinding Security Council statement calling settlements a “serious obstacle to the peace process” — that ultimately failed. The United States has reliably vetoed dozens of Security Council resolutions condemning Israel going back nearly four decades. The Obama administration’s willingness to countenance the compromise resolution, and its refusal to say in advance whether it would veto the resolution, suggested to many that its reliability with the veto was in question. Obama has put the issue of settlements squarely in his sights as part of his Middle East peace push, and he has been generally warm toward J Street, dispatching top Middle East adviser Dennis Ross to address the group’s upcoming conference even as Israeli officials have shunned it. While not fundamentally alter-
newspaper, shows Galliano yelling at a different couple at the same cafe at a different time, and captures him saying “I love Hitler.” He also tells the couple “People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers, would all be f**king gassed.” Last week’s altercation, which resulted in Galliano’s suspension, took place at a central bar in Paris between Galliano, chief designer for Christian Dior, who had been drinking, and a couple—a Jewish woman and an Asian man—that he did not know, on Feb. 24. Galliano reportedly said, “dirty Jewish face, you should be dead” to Géraldine Bloch, 35, according to the French daily le
Figaro, which had access to police reports with eyewitness accounts of the event. Le Figaro reported that Galliano then grabbed Bloch by the hair, and shouted at her companion, Philippe Virgiti, 41, “F**king Asian bastard, I will kill you.” The sought-after designer was taken into custody, questioned by police, and tested for blood-alcohol levels, before being quickly released. Galliano denies making any racist statements, and filed an official complaint for libel one day later on Feb. 25, after being temporarily suspended from his job at Dior.
ing U.S. policy, which under several presidents officially has opposed settlement expansion, Obama has been far more vocal on the subject. All of which prompted reactions from Israel’s allies on Capitol Hill and beyond, several of whom reacted strongly to reports that the administration was pursuing a compromise. Speaking in the council chamber on the day of the vote, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, rejected the resolution as unhelpful to restarting negotiations between the parties. But she was withering about the administration’s view of settlement activity. “Our opposition to the resolution before this council today should therefore not be misunder-
stood to mean we support settlement activity,” Rice said. “On the contrary, we reject in the strongest terms the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity. “For more than four decades, Israeli settlement activity in territories occupied in 1967 has undermined Israel’s security and corroded hopes for peace and stability in the region. Continued settlement activity violates Israel’s international commitments, devastates trust between the parties and threatens the prospects for peace.” Americans for Peace Now said Obama’s use of the veto represented a missed chance to exercise leadership that could yield a peace agreement.
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ISRAEL
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Booming housing market in Israel stokes fears of bubble By Dina Kraft Jewish Telegraphic Agency TEL AVIV (JTA) — Soon after Leora’s second child was born and she and her husband began looking for a larger home, Israel’s new real estate reality smacked them in the face. Though the couple had bought a two-bedroom apartment in Tel Aviv six years earlier that had appreciated to $650,000, more than triple what they paid, they still found themselves priced out of the local market. One apartment in a basement underneath a parking lot was listed at $468,000. They are now planning to move to the coastal town of Pardes Hanna, about an hour’s drive north of Tel Aviv, where prices also have climbed significantly but where they can still find a house with a garden for the same price as the apartments they saw in Tel Aviv. “Ordinary, hard-working people cannot live in the city, and when they do they sacrifice a lot to be here,” said Leora, who asked that her real name not be used. “It also feels so out of touch with political realities here: Where does it cost a half-million dollars to be a prime target for nuclear weapons controlled by a madman?” Israel has become a leader in the global real estate market, with prices soaring in double-digit rates in recent years, particularly in the densely populated center of the country that includes Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Last year the average price for owner-occupied homes in the country rose more than 16 percent,
Dina Kraft
A luxury skyscaper near completion in central Tel Aviv, where prices are skyrocketing.
according to official statistics — a marked contrast to the gloomy straits of the international housing market, particularly in the United States. In 2010, the average home price in Tel Aviv was approximately $449,200 and approximately $398,200 in Jerusalem. Haifa showed the most significant increase, with a leap of 20 percent in one year, according to government figures. But with the high prices have come a great challenge for families seeking affordable housing in major urban centers. Although there are great income disparities, the average Israeli family earns about $2,000 per month. “The affordability on the demand side is almost unbearable, and this
has been consistent for almost two years now,” said Danny Ben-Shahar, a real estate expert in the department of architecture and urban planning at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. “We cannot maintain prices as high as they are now because of the affordability effects.” The soaring housing prices also have sparked fears that Israel is in the midst of a housing bubble. In the interests of stabilizing the housing market, the government has begun taking steps to cool it. The Bank of Israel is raising interest rates and minimum mortgage down payments to 30 percent. The government has pledged to build additional housing to increase supply. And the Knesset has approved several changes in real estate tax laws aimed at curbing investor demand. Shay Lipman, a real estate analyst at IBI Ltd., an investment house in Tel Aviv, says the state’s ownership of 92 percent of Israel’s land is a major factor in the housing shortage. “Although the government says it will release more land for building, it tends not to happen and so there is nothing to change the amount of demand,” Lipman said. “I don’t see prices dropping even though it has become very difficult for young couples to buy homes.” Foreign buyers of real estate in Israel, particularly Diaspora Jews from the United States, England and France, have helped fuel demand and lifted prices, especially in the luxury market. In the past they tended to buy almost exclusively in Jerusalem, but in the past few years more have been buying up real
estate in cosmopolitan Tel Aviv. Israelis, too, are buying. In Israel, a country approximately the size of New Jersey, real estate long has been considered a safe investment. And with the world economic downturn wreaking havoc with stock markets, local investors have poured even more money into real estate. “People here hate renting, even though rent in Israel is quite cheap while buying homes is very expensive,” said Zvi Wiener, an economics professor at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. “There is no culture of investing in financial markets. It’s considered instable. And so people have a tendency to overinvest in real estate.” Chaim Kaufman, a veteran real estate agent whose offices in central Tel Aviv face Rabin Square, sees
Israel Briefs Abusive ‘rabbi’ sentenced to 24 years in prison JERUSALEM (JTA) — A self-proclaimed rabbi who counseled his followers to commit acts of child abuse and abused several children who lived with him was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Elior Chen was sentenced Monday in Jerusalem District Court to 24 years in prison and damages of $192,000 to his victims, eight children of the woman with whom he lived, a follower whose husband had given her over to the charismatic leader. One child has been in a persistent vegetative state for the last nearly three years since suffering abuse at the hands of Chen. The children’s mother is serving a five-year jail sentence for her involvement. Four of Chen’s followers have already been sentenced to up to 20 years each in prison on similar charges. Chen’s attorney and his supporters on Monday maintained his innocence. Chen fled Israel for Canada and then Brazil in 2008, and was extradited back to Israel several months later, after he counseled his followers to severely beat and burn the children in order to rid them of the devil. Some of the children were forced to drink alcohol and turpentine until they vomited, and to eat their own feces. They often were locked in suitcases and other small spaces. Iran removing nuclear fuel from plan JERUSALEM (JTA) — Iran
the deeply rooted desire to buy apartments as part of the culture in Israel. Some 70 percent of Israelis own their homes, a relatively high figure compared with other nations. “Historically, Jews were wanderers and so there is this need among people here to buy,” said Kaufman, formerly the president of the real estate brokers association in Israel.” “Often you will see relatives and parents contributing money so adult children can buy a home,” he said. “As for the Diaspora Jews, buying here gives them the feeling that they are being good Zionists and helping Israel.” It’s also helped themselves, he noted. “Real estate here,” Kaufman said, “has proven itself to be an exceptional investment.” is removing the nuclear fuel from its Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant. Iran told atomic inspectors from the United Nations nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency last week that the plant had a serious problem, the New York Times reported Feb. 25. The newly completed nuclear reactor was supposed to soon start generating electricity for the national grid. “Based on the recommendation of Russia, which is in charge of completing the Bushehr atomic power plant, the fuel inside the reactor core will be taken out for a while to conduct some experiments and technical work,” Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s representative to the IAEA, told the Iranian ISNA news agency. Iran had started loading the fuel into the reactor in October. The nuclear reactor is a joint project with Russia and has cost upward of $1 billion. Progress has been delayed on the plant at least five times in the past 15 years. Construction of the plant had begun in 1975 under a contract with Germany, which pulled out following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Russia took over the contract in 1992. Iran is under U.S. and international sanctions because of its nuclear program, which Iran says will be used to produce electricity and which the West believes could be used to produce nuclear weapons. The computer worm Stuxnet, which some say has set back Iran’s nuclear program by several months or years, and which the New York Times reported was a joint project between Israel and the United States, had nothing to do with the problem, Iranian officials have said, according to reports.
SOCIAL LIFE
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011
A N N O U N C E M E N TS BIRTHDAYS n March 7, friends are invited to call Netanel ( Ted ) Deutsch and wish him a Happy Birthday.
O
enry Nathan is celebrating 90 Years of Living. Henry (Heinz) Nathan was born in Witzenhausen, Germany, the son of Max & Adele Nathan, and showed his survival instincts early on. He was born prematurely on March 8, 1921 and spent his first six months in the Red Cross Hospital of the nearby larger city of Kassel. In his hometown, children began their education at a Jewish preschool around age 3 and continued learning in this one classroom environment until high school. At 16 he switched to the Hashara to train in landscaping, as he had no interest in the family business of renting and selling horses. With cars and trucks taking over as means of transportation, delivery vehicles and farm labor, Henry saw the demise of the family business in the future. With the outbreak of World War II and his inability as a Jew to continue his education, Henry at 18 years old traveled with only his family’s blessing to Rotterdam to make arrangements for fleeing Germany for America. After six months, he finally worked out the financial and legal requirements to make the journey. Unfortunately, as much as he tried to convince his family to join him, his entire family including his younger brother, Fred, and sister, Laurie, perished at the hands of the Nazis. With a single relative in Cincinnati, Henry ventured to the Midwest and found a room in a boarding house, and a job at Crown Overall Company as one of their 800 employees. The local landscaping company did not hire Jews, so Henry cleaned offices at 3 a.m., operated the elevator at 7 a.m. and any other tasks for a year and a half until he was offered a job by Vulcan Copper and Supply Company where he began his career as a coppersmith. In addition, he went to night class at Hughes High School to complete his education. He walked or rode the street cars to the HUC and the JCC to play basketball and be with other members of his faith. During this time he met Meta Bonem, a beautician, a recent immigrant from Luxembourg, who also was from Germany. In 1942, Henry volunteered for the United States Air Force with the hope that someday he and Meta would get married, but he
H
did not propose in case he did not return. Due to his inability to wear the pilot masks, he was shipped to Great Falls, Mont. and then Fairbanks, Alaska to serve with the Military Police. Later, Henry again volunteered, this time to go overseas. Basic training was on the beaches of Florida where he marched on the sands. Although he was training for the Pacific, a military change transferred him to ship out of New Jersey through the blockades to Liverpool, England. Henry became a member of the motor pool in England driving trucks throughout Europe in Belgium, France and near the German borders along the Rhein River. He was promoted to dispatcher and organized the transport of troops and supplies. He sent Meta trinkets from his various posts. Completing his European duties, Henry returned to the U.S. Instead of being sent to the Pacific, he received an honorable discharge with the war’s end. On Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1945, Henry Nathan and Meta Bonem, were married, and after a dinner with family and friends, they honeymooned in Chicago. Although Meta had said she would never marry a butcher, Henry, the coppersmith, and his father-in-law, Julius Bonem, the butcher, from Germany and Luxembourg purchased a store on Prospect Place in Avondale. For about five years, as many customers had no means of transportation, they delivered meat, groceries and bread for their loyal customers. Bonem’s Kosher Meat Market continued to grow, delivering groceries and meat. They moved to Reading Road near Rockdale and later Swifton Shopping Center in Bond Hill and finally Brookcrest Ave. in Roselawn. The shop was a family affair with Julius teaching Henry, with his wife, Johanna, shmoozing with the customers. Henry took over as chief butcher and Meta ran the deli, cash register and bookkeeping. Sandwiches were stuffed with lots of cold cuts to the customers’ delight and were accompanied by a pickle from a barrel. With advancing age and wanting to slow down, Henry reluctantly closed Bonem’s and worked for the Vaad Hoier at Toron’s and Pilders. Meta gave up being a beautician, but maintained her license into her 70s, and worked side by side with Henry, adjusting her hours to take care of the needs of their children, Milton and Judy, as they grew up and out of the house. Two weddings in the early 1970s occurred, one for Milton
and the other Judy’s, to Larry Knapp. The Nathan family celebrated many holidays and joyous occasions together with their four grandchildren, Jon and Laurie Nathan and Shawn and Scott Knapp. After a fall and lengthy hospitalization, Meta passed away in July 2003. Less than two months after Meta’s passing, with a heavy, but also joyous heart, Henry witnessed the marriage of his two older grandchildren, Jon to Dora and Shawn to Brian. In August 2010, Max Nathan, Henry’s first great-grandson, was added to the family tree. Throughout his working life and retirement Henry has stayed involved in Jewish Life programs, whether at New Hope Synagogue, Young Israel or Golf Manor Synagogue, where he was treasurer of the Men’s Club, acted as a Gabbai for over 20 years and currently is a Board member. Upon closing Bonem’s Kosher Meat Market, Henry and Meta started volunteering at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in various capacities, and where he still goes regularly. Over the years, Henry reorganized the mailroom, delivered mail, read to children on the rehabilitation floor, made appointment calls for pulmonary patients, collated medical forms for sameday surgery and urology and was named volunteer of the year in 2004. He has continued to be a proud member of the Veterans Group Wittenstein Middleman Post #524 and served as their treasurer until the post merged after setting up permanent fixtures in the gazebo and flag garden at Cedar Village and War Veteran memorial at a cemetery. Henry can be seen tending his garden, walking around the neighborhood or at the JCC or at synagogue services twice a day. Next time you see Henry, please wish him a Happy 90th and good health to continue to survive for many more years.
AWARD ord has been received that the film “True Gunner,” produced and directed by Hal Levine of Detroit, Mich. and narrated by his uncle, Pike Levine of Cincinnati, has been accepted into the International Movie Data Base. (IMDB) Both names appear—And in good company! Every Hollywood film is listed there. Because “True Gunner” was the recipient of “Best Historical Documentary” in an accredited film festival this prestigious honor was made possible.
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BARRY KAPLAN
“SERVING THE LOCAL REAL ESTATE COMMUNITY FOR 24 YEARS.”
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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
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
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CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
Northern Hills Synagogue Snow Ball Dance It was a bitterly cold, wintery night, but on Saturday evening, January 22nd, Northern Hills Synagogue members gathered to dance the night away. The 4 Hubcaps, a local oldies band, provided live entertainment and led many of the dances and sing-alongs. The congregants also wished a happy birthday to Rabbi George Barnard, whose birthday was the next day. There were sizzling hot appetizers, assorted chips, veggies and dips, and plenty of beer and wine to keep things hopping. Later, cookies, fruit and frozen icees left a sweet taste as people departed for home.
Rabbi George and Sarah Barnard danced in honor of the Rabbi's birthday.
Mitch and Tracy Weisberger, NHS Director of Programming and Education.
Sandy Richards, Gayna Bassin, Lynn Kohel, Claire Lee, and Julie Pentelnik.
CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011
From left, Karyn and Joe Lazear, David and Barbara Goldstein, and Ron and Sandy Richards.
Dr. Gerald and Phyliss Shubs, left, and Julie and Steven Pentelnik, right.
Claire Lee and Lynn Kohel with Frosty the Snowman.
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DINING OUT
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Dine with sublime wine at 20 Brix customer’s need which is an excellent trait when your vocation is the hospitality industry. Another choice of entrée is a tagine of vegetables. A heavenly vegetarian’s meal, it consists of roasted acorn squash, pearl couscous, cauliflower, golden raisins, almonds, kale and fresh cheese for $19. A “tagine” is a Moroccan dish which is named after the special pot in which it is cooked. The categories of the foods are also creative. I imagine the wine bars in Manhattan serve such intriguing entrees, small platters, pizzas and finger delicacies to eat while enjoying a wide variety of global wines. It appears 20 Brix is a fine example of such a place. Move this wine bar to Long Island and it would fit in admirably. Instead Queen City residents just need to take a small drive through the winding roads on the eastern side of town, through Madeira and Indian Hill. Parking is plentiful. The menu items sound glorious, thanks to executive chef Paul Barraco, a graduate of Cincinnati Culinary Institute, who endorses the cutting edge of culinary trends. The 20 Brix burger is made from short ribs; the breads are baked on the premises. Produce is bought from local farmers whenever possible. Try a seasonal thin crust bistro style Spanish White Anchovy Pizza, priced at $14. Or a roasted cauliflower and salsify soup served with golden raisins, almonds and English cucumber for $7. Perhaps you might want the roasted beet and Kobe short rib salad mixed with carrots, scallion tops, crushed hazelnuts and lime for $15, a superior starter fare for those enjoying the red wines of the evening. Mushroom bruschetta, priced at $9 and Aged cheddar risotto, for $10, appeared tantalizing, tumbling into the range of comfort food. Check the website for wine tasting events as well as directions to this dining spot. A wine shop is also on the premises. We know the Mediterranean diet is getting rave reviews as a health booster, and studies have consistently demonstrated that moderate consumption of wine is statistically associated with a decrease in death due to cardiovascular events, such as heart failure. Thus the conclusion from this food and wine combination restaurant is that 20 Brix is good for your well being. Use this as an excuse to go out to eat, it will be excellent for your health. Take a trip into the Cincinnati countryside. Sip a new wine. Purchase and take some home. 20 Brix is fun, sophisticated eating for the discriminating appetites.
By Marilyn Gale Dining Editor A quaint northeast village, adjacent to Indian Hill, is the community of Milford. Resembling an eastern coastal town, the hills stand tall in the distance. Where old fashioned storefronts line up on Main Street, the word charming comes to mind. The business district in Milford is unexpected, no strip malls here. Instead, chic restaurants, vintage shops and specialty stores await you when you travel to the eastern part of the greater Cincinnati area. Yes, we know Milford is up and coming; young professional families seek this area which is near enough to the city to be able to work in it, yet sufficiently removed to retain the rustic atmosphere of a small village. Prominent on Main Street is 20 Brix, a gourmet restaurant, wine shop and wine bar. “The first in the area,” said Hunter Thomas, proprietor, owner and wine expert. Thomas, who grew up in Ashland, Ky., is an exuberant fellow, full bodied like the most robust red wine. He proudly tells me that this lovely restaurant has been in existence for six years. “Bravo,” I say, and he smiles, for we both know the average life span of a dining spot is three years. “Wine is making a comeback,” says Thomas. I hadn’t heard that it had gone out of style. But given our technological advances, easy global transport and people traveling more places, I learned our tastes have increased in sophistication. The connoisseurs of wine, the sommeliers, are promoting more variety. Wine has a rich history dating back to around 8000 B.C.E. and is thought to have originated in areas now within the borders of Armenia, Georgia (the country) and Iran. 20 Brix is considered a European wine bar. The Brix scale is the measure of sugar in a liquid. Winemakers look for a certain level of Brix before harvesting grapes. For example, if grapes were picked at 20 degrees brix they consist of 20 percent sugar. Brix Wine Scale follows: Champagne and Sparkling Wines, 18; Light, fruity white Wines, 20; Drier, more oaky White Wines, 22; Light, fruit forward Red Wines, 24; Heavier robust Red Wines, 26; Full, spicy and complex Wines, 28; and Ultra sweet Wines and Ice Wines, 30. The lesson here is to drink champagne when you are on a diet as it seems to have less sugar. The food at 20 Brix is interesting, too. Thomas recommends Tanglewood Farms Fried Chicken, aged cheddar wild rice waffles, Ohio honey, braised local chicken for $22. “Stan Chesley always orders it when he comes in,” said Thomas, obviously aware of his
(Top-bottom) White tablecloths add to the dining experience at 20 Brix; Owner Hunter Thomas has a passion for wine; Stop in at the wine shop; Creative entrees please the innovative palate.
20 Brix 101 Main Street Milford, Ohio 513-831-(Brix) 2749
DINING OUT
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011
AMERICAN CUISINE WITH AN ITALIAN FLAIR
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DINING OUT
BEST TURKISH CUISINE IN TOWN!
MONDAY IS ITALIAN NIGHT!
20 Brix 101 Main St Historic Milford 831-Brix (2749)
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16
OPINION
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE ONLINE - MAKOR - THE SOURCE/CINCINNATI @ WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
The cultural Jew within By Rabbi Avi Shafran Contributing Columnist It’s a term often used for members of the tribe who see their membership as essentially ethnic in nature, informed by things like culinary choices, celebration of the Jewish calendar’s holidays (though not, to them, holy days), and — at least for some — certain political leanings: “Cultural Jews.” They may attend synagogue on special occasions, in particular on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, on the anniversary of a parent’s death — and even recite the Kaddish — not because they perceive spiritual power in those days or that Kaddish but mostly because… well, because that’s what their parents or grandparents did. Because that’s what Jews do. Tradition, so to speak, for the sake of tradition. Another kind of cultural Jew, less commonly acknowledged but not altogether rare, is the cultural Orthodox Jew. That would be one who doesn’t limit his Jewish expression to gefilte fish and Chanukah but rather eats only foods graced with the best rabbinical supervision and drinks only Jewish-processed milk; who wears a black hat or fur one, and even a long coat; who prays with a quorum regularly and sends his children to yeshivot and may even attend Torah classes; but who does it all for much the same reason as his less Jewishly active counterparts: Because that’s what Jews — in this case, Orthodox Jews — do. It’s not that he doesn’t believe in the Creator. It’s just that he doesn’t give Him much thought — even while living a seemingly intense Jewish life. Of course, valuing our forebears’ traditions, dressing like them, adopting Jewish family customs, are undeniably important. But when the trappings of observance are essentially all that there is, when they aren’t accompanied by a consciousness of why they are important, what’s left is mere mimicry, paraphernalia in place of principle. That there are “Cultural” Orthodox Jews helps explain otherwise baffling things, like how an Orthodox Jew can engage in unethical business practices, cheat, steal or abuse. Or, more mundanely, how he can cut others off in traffic, act rudely, or blog maliciously. Or, for that matter, how he can address his Creator in
prayer with words so garbled and hurried that, were he speaking to another mortal, they would elicit laughter — or pity, for the apparent impairment. To be sure, desires, compulsions, selfishness and greed are always at work. But the check for such spiritual adversities is consciousness of G-d; and in some seemingly observant Jews it appears to have gone missing. Their observance is a Fiddler on the Roof sort of “Tradition!”— miles wide, perhaps, but mere millimeters deep. The phenomenon of Cultural Orthodox Jews should discomfit us. After all, mitzvot, commandments and Jewish customs are a Jew’s spiritual nourishment; but awareness of the Divine is — or should be — the very air we breathe. Which leads to something even more painful to ponder: Don’t even we who think of our Jewish consciousnesses as healthy and vibrant lapse at times into our own sort of temporary “cultural Jewish” modes? Do we always think of what we’re saying when we recite a blessing on food (or even take care to pronounce every word distinctly)? Are our observances truly religious, or do they sometimes devolve into rote? Do we stop to weigh our every daily action and interaction on the scales of Jewish propriety? The celebrated thinker Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler (18921953) maintained that most of what we do, including our mitzvot, contain mixtures of motivations — including peer pressure, selfishness and the inertia of habit. When the rabbis of the Talmud observed that “from lo lish’ma [ulterior motives] comes lish’ma [pure, Divine-directed intent],” Rabbi Dessler maintains, they mean that we are charged with elevating the pure motivation in our actions above the other intentions, intensifying it, making it the prominent factor in all that we do. In truth, all of us live on a continuum here, some more aware of the Divine, of reality, some less. The challenge — for us all — is to transcend whatever degree of “cultural Jewishness” we may harbor, and allow our lish’ma to come to the fore. (Rabbi Shafran is an editor at large and columnist for Ami Magazine. However, this essay was not published in Ami.)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Do you have something to say? E-mail your letter to editor@americanisraelite.com
Dear Editor, We were a group of 18 Yeshiva University students embarking on the Center for the Jewish Future’s Project Kharkov, a joint service learning mission with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in Kharkov, Ukraine. Despite an extensive three-part orientation prior to departure and a packed itinerary, we had no idea what was really to come. Upon landing in Kharkov after several delays and a missed connecting flight, our group was flooded with flower-shaped balloons, an enormous colorfully painted welcome banner, and Russian songs in the airport. The Kharkov community sent a small yet energetic constituency to greet us after our draining journey, despite the late arrival. This overwhelming and marvelous introduction to their Jewish community truly set the tone of our entire time abroad. The 10-day journey passed swiftly despite the jam-packed days. Team America, as we called ourselves, listened to several lectures on the history of the Kharkov Jewish community during and after the Soviet Union by the local JDC representatives. We visited a Holocaust memorial site known as Drobitsky Yar and toured both the existing Jewish Community Center and the new one currently under construction. We lunched with groups of senior citizens in their homes and chatted about each others’ lives with the assistance of translators. We also donated 15 duffel bags worth of collected clothing, blankets and toys that we had gathered during a drive in New York just before our departure. On Shabbat, our ruach-filled songs reverberated throughout the four-story building, followed by meals, educational activities and discussions. We aided the local Jewish day school, Shaalavim, by rebuilding a bima, recoating windows making them winter-durable, and decorating their school with our very own art we brought and created while in Ukraine. We constantly were rushed on and off the charter bus, slept very little, and yes, ate an excessive amount of potatoes. Every activity organized for Team America had numerous local Jewish Ukrainian peers tag along. Their ages varied from young teenagers to late 20s, and their backgrounds ranged just as much. What about the language barrier? Many of the Ukrainians spoke English, or at least understood enough to get by, while their friends served as translators when necessary. Neither group let this natural barrier dampen the mood. Although we were worlds apart,
Judaism united us. In our final activity as a unified faction, we dined at the city’s only kosher restaurant in a lavish banquet style and exchanged gifts. Following the dinner ceremony, the Kharkovians surprised us with authentic horse sleigh rides, spirited slideshows of our 10 day adventure and fireworks, which concluded with an emotional farewell. Hugs were thrown all around; numbers were exchanged; papers with each others’ English names were passed around for Facebook purposes. Our trip had come to an end and Team America begged the directors for “just another three days.” But we knew what we signed up for, and the goodbyes were said sadly. These friendships were the highlight of everyone’s trip. But for me, it was one specific friendship I formed while abroad that contributed to its success. I first introduced myself to Vitya while visiting the city of Poltava. Vitya stood out from among the others Jewish peers: he was only 14 years old and walked around with his head held fairly low, always looking slightly down about life. I politely and curiously inquired about his life. In simple English, he told me that he had grown up in Israel, but moved back to Ukraine with his mother because his father had found a new wife and wanted a new family. He had not spoken to his father in many years, he noted with almost an expressionless utterance. Vitya did not flinch when he mentioned that no one in his grade speaks to him because he is Jewish. His best friend recently became anti-Semitic and no longer interacts with him. I did not know how to respond, yet my heart ached with empathy. It was evident that Vitya was not observant and had very little background in Judaism, but he appreciated various Jewish traditions. This was the case for many of the Ukrainian Jews. In many respects, the Ukrainians did not have a holistic appreciation for what Judaism entails.They could not relate to our commitment to Torah u’mitzvot, but instead related to Judaism culturally. They loved the traditions and excitement of Purim, and hearing about the serenity of Shabbat. They took pleasure in drawing Israeli flags, Menorahs, and Jewish symbols. Although Judaism for them is not rooted in halacha, culturally, the passion is clearly there. After each day ended, I shook Vitya’s hand and gave him a gigantic hug, hoping he left as cheerful as possible. I asked him, “Will I see you tomorrow?” He always responded, “Yes, I think. I hope.”
Each day he returned, and soon he became more and more comfortable around me and the rest of the group. He even began asking me questions. His curiosity about New York never ceased. When I showed him photos of my family and trips I have taken, he had a smile peaking out of his mouth once or twice, as if he couldn’t control it. A breakthrough? I definitely felt like one was on the rise. After spending the day with Vitya and the other Ukrainian peers, I found myself replaying conversations I had had during the day and the projects we had completed. I couldn’t stop thinking about the life he was living. True, I and the rest of Team America, were bonding exceptionally quick over exciting conversations and work projects. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to do more. Vitya returned after attending programs several days in a row bearing a gift for me. Handing me a small magnet, he said shyly, “This is for you.” I gave him a giant bear hug; he beamed with joy. Sensing our last day slowly coming closer and closer, I started mentally preparing a goodbye speech. I wanted to leave him with words of advice. No, I needed to leave him with words of advice. When the dreaded “goodbye” moment came, I stumbled on my words and began tearing up instead. I fought through my emotions and told him how glad I was to have met him. I began to speak swiftly, afraid my emotions would not allow me to say all that I wanted. I very quickly expressed my hope that he stay involved with the JCC and how I wished to see him again someday. Luckily, SCW Junior Margot Reinstein stepped in at exactly that moment. She was the third pea to our little pod: the three of us had become somewhat of a little group. (We even had a name for ourselves, a name Vitya came up with: V-J-M) She articulated much better what I had been trying to say, but I was just glad one of us was able to. Margot conveyed our interest in staying in touch, and how we may be physically leaving him but we’ll always be here when he needs us. I interjected, “Cuz we’re never going to forget you,” which brought a few tears to his eyes. He said very little during this short farewell, except for one significant phrase which stood out. He expressed his gratitude using his limited vocabulary, “You guys are really cool.” He repeated this sentence multiple times and gave me a hug. This was the very first time he had initiated a hug with me. LETTERS on page 20
JEWISH LIFE
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011
MODERN ORTHODOX SERVICE
17
Daily Minyan for Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv, Shabbat Morning Service and Shalosh Seudas.
Sedra of the Week
Kiddush follows Shabbat Morning Services
By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
RABBI HANAN BALK & ASSISTANT RABBI STUART LAVENDA
6442 Stover Ave • 531-6654 • golfmanorsynagogue.org
SHABBAT SHALOM: PARSHAT PEKUDAI • EXODUS 38:21-40:38 it were, by creating a human being with freedom of choice, so must we take risks by venturing into the unknown. “I remember the loving kindness of your youth, the love of your engagement years, when you went after Me in the desert, in a land which was not seeded” (Jeremiah 2: 2) Perhaps only a people who believe in a G-d who cannot be circumscribed by form or defined by sculpture can have the courage to attempt an adventure whose every step has not been chartered in advance; perhaps only a nation which has fealty to a G-d who is profoundly unknowable can enter into a cloud of the unknown. But even if the precise details of the challenge are not prescribed or circumscribed, we do have a Torah which specifies right and wrong ways to pursue our mission. And, at the very least, the end-goal is certainly guaranteed, when “nation will not lift up sword against nation, and humanity will not learn war anymore;” (Isaiah 2: 4) “When the Knowledge of the Lord will fill the world as the water (from the clouds) will cover the seas.” (Habukak 2: 14) Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone Chief Rabbi — Efrat Israel
T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE This Week’s Portion: Pekudei (Shmot 38:21—40:38) a.) Yes b.) No
1. Who counted the amounts of materials used in the Mishkan? a.) Moshe and Aaron b.) Levites c.) Princes of the tribes
4. What was written on the plate of the High Priest? a.) High Priest b.) Holy to Hashem c.) Sons of Aaron
2. How much gold was donated to the Mishkan? a.) 10,000 shekels b.) Exact amount not written c.) 29 talents and 730 shekels
5. Who put up the Mishkan for the first time? a.) Volunteers from the Children of Israel b.) Levites c.) Moshe
3. Did the High Priest wear a belt?
ANSWERS 1. B 38:21 Itamar the son of Aaron supervised the Levites who counted the materials. Rashi 2. C 38:24 3. A 39:5
4. B 39:30 5. C 40:17,18 Moshe's job in building in the Mishkan was to erect it for the first time. In reality the parts were too heavy for anybody to lift. However, when Moshe tried to lift Hashem helped him as if Moshe himself did it. Rashi
Efrat, Israel — “And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the Sanctuary. And Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud rested upon it...” (Exodus 40: 34, 35). What is the significance of the symbol of the cloud, and its twin symbol, fire? The cloud and the fire are two symbols of the Divine Presence. The cloud is described here as resting on the Sanctuary and again in the Book of Numbers as directing the Israelites in the desert by day (Numbers 9:15-23). The fire directed the Israelites in the desert by night and confirmed the Divine acceptance of ritual sacrifices (ibid., Exodus 24:17, Kings 1, 18:38). Combined these symbols represent the heavens, for the Hebrew word “shamayim” is comprised of two words, aish (fire) and mayim (water). Water is the stuff that clouds are made of and turn into. Fire and water are also the ultimate antinomies, eternal opposites. The heavens are the Divine abode, and they also express the consummate paradox which miraculously brings together in peace even those elements which seem to be constantly at war with each other, fire and water! Furthermore, clouds express protective cover and life-giving rain, symbolizing security as well as growth and development. And fire expresses warmth, which likewise nurtures life and creativity. There is, however, yet another message which the Torah conveys by using these two powerful symbols of the Divine Presence. The Torah insists that as long as the cloud rested on the Tent of Meeting, Moses was forbidden from entering it – unless he was expressly summoned by G-d. Hence the Book of Exodus concludes with Moses’ inability to enter the Sanctuary (Exodus 40:35), and the Book of Leviticus opens, “And G-d called out unto Moses and the Lord spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting” (Leviticus 1:1). The Midrash goes so far as to declare that “The Holy One Blessed be He took hold of Moses and physically brought him into the Cloud” – it goes on to explain that there is a small letter aleph at the conclusion of the
Vayikra (And He called) to stress that as long as the cloud was in evidence, Moses would require a separate and specific summons from G-d before he could enter the cloud and stand in the Divine presence. Similarly, while fire can bring warmth; it can also devour and destroy. One benefits greatly from drawing close to fire – but one can get burnt by getting too close. The great Rabbi Eliezer declared, “Warm yourselves by fire of the Sages, but be careful of the coals lest you be burnt” (Mishnah Pirkei Avot 2, 15). If this is true of Torah Sages, how much more so must this be true of the Almighty Himself! From this perspective, the symbols of cloud and fire are warning us to temper our love and desire for closeness to the Divine with reverence and awe which engenders distance. “Serve the Almighty with joyous love, but let there be a degree of trembling in your exaltation” (Psalms 2: 11). Too much familiarity can lead to a relaxation of discipline. Ecstatic devotion of the moment can sometimes lead one to overlook a religio-legal command. Passion is a critical component of religious piety, but it must be moderated by Divine law or it can run wild. As the Psalmist declares, “Cloud and haze are around Him, so righteousness and just law establish His throne.” (Psalms 97: 2) Moreover, cloud and fire, the lack of clarity expressed by a cloud (“looking through a cloud darkly”) and the inability to gaze directly into a flame, likewise express one of the deepest truths of the Jewish message: religion is not so much paradise as it is paradox, G-d demands fealty even in the face of agonizing questions and disturbing uncertainty. Egypt, with its omni-present waters of the Nile and its unchanging social order of masters and slaves represents certainty; the desert, on the other hand, and especially the rain-expectant and manna-less Land of Israel represent the unknown. G-d expects us to have the courage to enter into the abstruse haze, to scale the heights of the unknown, to take the risks of uncertainty as to immediate outcome in order to act as partners of the Divine. We must attempt to make light from darkness, order from chaos, gardens from swamp lands, justice from inequity. And just as the Almighty took a risk, as
Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise
18
JEWZ IN THE NEWZ
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE ONLINE - MAKOR - THE SOURCE/CINCINNATI @ WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
Jewz in the Newz By Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist
as “true mensches” and Dianna as “very sweet and lady-like.”
SHAYNA PUNIM ALERT The very popular website Askmen is out with their annual list of the “world’s 99 most desirable women” and Jewish “lookers” grabbed about 10 percent of the spots. The number preceding the woman’s name is her list ranking; the number following is her age: (97) businesswoman IVANKA TRUMP, 29. Trump, a convert to Judaism, recently announced that she and her husband, JARED KUSHNER, are expecting their first child; (91) LEA MICHELLE, 24, the star of TV’s “Glee”; (83) actress RACHEL BILSON, 29; (81) actress and “Glee” co-star DIANNA AGRON, 24; (55) actress RASHIDA JONES, 34; (19) Israel model BAR REFAELI, 25. She became famous worldwide when she graced the cover of the 2009 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue; (12) actress EMMANUELLE CHRIQUI, 33. Chriqui was #1 last year on the Askmen list; (11) actress NATALIE PORTMAN, 29; (7) actress SCARLETT JOHANSSON, 26; and (2) actress MILA KUNIS, 27. Kunis’ high ranking this year is a reflection of her successful move into feature films, playing sexy characters in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Black Swan.” (Bilson and Michele are the daughters of a Jewish father/non-Jewish mother. Jones and Johansson are the daughters of Jewish mothers/non-Jewish fathers. The rest, save Ivana Trump, have two Jewish parents.) On the website, there are bios of all these women — plus photos and a short video about them.
RANGO Opening on Friday, March 4, is the animated film, “Rango.” Johnny Depp stars as the voice of “Rango,” a chameleon who lives in a terrarium. Magically, he finds himself transported from contemporary times to an Old West town called “Dirt,” where he is the sheriff of a town inhabited by desert critters who wear Old West clothes. In other words, various desert animals fill the human roles found in most Western movies. Interestingly enough, the only two Australian Jewish actresses (or actors) with any real degree of worldwide fame have voice roles in the film. Actress ISLA FISHER, 35, costars in “Rango” as the voice of “Beans,” a desert iguana. Fisher, who now mostly lives in Los Angeles and London, grew-up in Australia. She converted to Judaism in 2007 and, in 2010, she wed English Jewish comedian SACHA BARON COHEN, 39. The couple now have two children. Actress CLAUDIA BLACK, 38, has a (smaller) supporting voice role in “Rango” as “Angelique,” a red fox. Black, a native Australian, is best known for her role as “Aeryn Sun” on the sci-fi series, “Farscape,” which aired on the SciFi cable channel from 1999-2003. The relative lack of famous Australian Jewish actors and actresses comes as a surprise to many (Geoffrey Rush, who won an Oscar playing Australian Jewish pianist DAVID HELFGOTT in “Shine,” is not Jewish). There seems to be two reasons for this. First, it usually takes at least a generation or two until the children or grandchildren of immigrants go into the arts in big numbers. Most Aussie Jews are relatively recent arrivals — either European Jews who came right before, or right after WWII, or South African Jews who have come in a steady stream since the 1970s (although there are exceptions, Sir JOHN MONASH, the Jewish army general who was head of all Australian troops at the end of WWI, was born in Australia in 1865). Second, Australia is about as culturally/linguistically close to the United States as any country in the world save Canada. Since the ‘60s, the American Jewish cultural “juggernaut” has “flooded” Australia — everything from “Seinfeld” to PHILLIP ROTH. Ironically, “this flood” has made it hard for Australian Jews to find a distinct literary, comedic, or filmmaking voice that would interest the general Australian community.
MORE ON DIANNA AGRON Agron (Quinn Fabray on “Glee”) is now co-starring in her first major feature film, “I am Number Four.” This sci-fi spectacular opened a couple of weeks ago to mixed-to-bad reviews, but it’s doing strong box office — so you can still catch it in theaters. In reallife, Agron started dating her costar, Brit actor Alex Pettyfer, soon after their movie began filming. However, they officially broke-up a couple of weeks ago. Agron mostly grew-up in a San Francisco suburb. Her father, who works for Hyatt hotels, is Jewish by birth. Her mother is a convert to Judaism. Recently, I received a letter from the Religious School coordinator of the Bay Area synagogue that Agron, her parents, and her brother attended — the synagogue where Dianna had her bat mitzvah. The coordinator described both parents
FROM THE PAGES 100 Years Ago Messrs. Hugo Goldsmith and Garfield Trager have left for an extended fishing trip on the Indian River, Fla. Mr. and Mrs. Albert J. May (Regina Wise) 3816 Dakota avenue, Avondale, are rejoicing over the arrival of a little daughter, Elsie Wise May, who made her appearance on Washington’s birthday. The Cincinnati Associated Charities (General, not Jewish) received two bequests during the
past year, viz those of Louis Kuhn and Elias Moch. The organization does not seem to be popular with our Christian fellow citizens. Abraham Weinberg died suddenly at the home of his daughter, Mrs. S. Hirsch, 3317 Harvey Avenue, Avondale, on Monday, Feb. 27. The funeral occurred at the Clifton Cemetery of Reading Road Temple, Rabbi Jacob Mielziner officiating. An elaborate Purim service will
be held at Reading Road Temple (Rabbi Mielziner) on Monday evening, March 13 at 8 o’clock. Cantors Aaron Grodsky of the Reading Road Temple and Isidore Weinstock of the Plum Street Temple, will render the traditional melodies. The Megilla will be read by the cantor of the Temple, and a short address, appropriate to the occasion, will be delivered by Rabbi Mielziner. The public is cordially invited to be present. — March 2, 1911
75 Years Ago The Girls’Hobby Fair at the Union Central Building Annex is in full swing this week, opening on Monday, March 2nd. Mrs. Louis M Asherenka, chairman of the seventh annual girls week, and Mrs. Herman Semmons, chairman of the Fair, gave short addresses of welcome. Among those who assisted in the trips taken in observance of the “Girl and her City” on Wednesday were the Mesdames Harry Lehman, a sponsor in her visit to the Federal Building; Alfred Jonap, member of the committee on the visit to City Hall; Sidney
Striker, chairman of the Courthouse trip; Mark Feder, Philip Trounstine, Joseph Stern, Joseph Oppenheimer and D. Ferdinand Brown. Mr. and Mrs. Max Schwab will entertain with a birthday party for their little son, Master Lester, for his eighth birthday on Fri., March 6th. Mr. James L. Magrish, 5860 Wayside Avenue, Mt. Washington, was installed as president of the Mt. Washington Civic Club Monday, March 2nd. Dr. Aaron Strashun, 68, widely known Cincinnati physician, 1744
Berkley Avenue, Bond Hill, passed away after a long illness Friday, Feb. 28th. He leaves his widow, Mrs. Amanda Frank Strashun; a son, Dr. Mathias Strashun; and two daughters, Mrs. Burt Weil and Mrs. Samuel H. Gordon, who with her husband recently moved to Lawrenceburg, Ind. Also surviving is a sister, Mrs. H. Anzel, of New York City. Services were held from Weil Funeral Home Sunday, Rabbi Samuel Wohl officiating. Interment was in Clifton Cemetery. — March 5, 1936
50 Years Ago Sol Goodman was re-elected president of the Jewish Family Bureau at the annual meeting Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Jewish Community Center. Others re-elected are Henry H. Hersch, vice president, and James A. Rosenthal, treasurer. New board members elected for three years: Mrs. James R. Mack, Mrs. Morris H. Passer, Dr. Jules I. Klein, Simon Lazarus, Jr., Richard J. Mack. Re-elected for three years: Albert
W. Bilik, Rabbi David L. Indich. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bert, 1419 Lakeland Avenue, announce the forthcoming Bar Mitzvah of their son, Alan Charles, Saturday, March 4, at 9 a.m. at the Louis Feinberg Synagogue. A Kiddush will follow. A reception in Alan’s home will be held Sunday, March 5, from 2 to 5 p.m., at Kemper Lane Hotel. Relatives and friends are invited. No cards. Alan is a grandson of Mr. and
Mrs. R. N. Elfenbaum and Mrs. Harry Berg and the late Mr. Harry Berg. Mrs. Sarah Klayman, 1826 Catalina Avenue, passed away Monday, Feb. 27. Survivors include: her husband, Ben; a daughter, Mrs. Jack Cohen of Chicago; four sons, Louis of New York City, and Sam, Ike, and Albert, all of Cincinnati; a sister, Mrs. Abe Pyewn; a brother, Harry Waldman; seven grandchildren, and one great grandchild. — March 2, 1961
25 Years Ago Dr. Jacob Rader Marcus, founder and director of the American Jewish Archives at Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion, celebrated his 90th birthday yesterday (March 5). Dr. Marcus is also distinguished service professor and occupant of the Milton and Hatie Kutz chair of American Jewish History at HUC-JIR and co-director of the American Jewish Periodical Center. In his 90th year, Dr. Marcus continues to lecture throughout the United States, to teach and to complete a four-volume history of American
Jews from 1776 to the present, even though he claims that “I’m not a boychick anymore.” Mrs. Ruth Heller Steiner, widow of Albert Steiner, co-founder and former president of Kenner Products Toy Co., passed away Feb. 24. She was 88. Mrs. Steiner came from a pioneer New Orleans family. Her father was Rabbi Max Heller of Temple Sinai, New Orleans, and her mother was the former Ida Marks, several of whose ancestors fought for or helped finance the American Revolution. Her late
brother, Rabbi James G. Heller, served for many years at the Wise Temple. She is survived by: a daughter, Cecile C. Burfeind of Coulterville, Calif.; two stepdaughters, Margery S. Wolf of Evanston, Ill., and Judith Kuehne of Ontario; a stepson, Robert Steiner of Washington, D.C.; two brothers-in-law, Philip and Joseph Steiner, co-founders of Kenner Products, both of Cincinnati; 14 grandchildren and step-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. — March 6 , 1986
10 Years Ago Stuart B. Dunsker, a spine neurosurgical specialist with the Mayfield Clinic in Cincinnati and current president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, has been awarded the 2001 Meritorious Service Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves. The award was presented Feb. 16 at the Joint Section annual meeting in Phoenix, Ariz.
Dunsker is a professor, vicechairman and director of the division of spine surgery at the University of Cincinnati department of neurosurgery. He is also one of the founders of the Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves, and served various offices from 1980-89. Virginia B. Powell (nee Bartel), 79, passed away Thursday, February 22, 2001. Mrs. Powell was born in Cincinnati. She was the daughter of the late Eugene and Charlotte Bartel. Mrs. Powell graduated from Hughes
High School in 1939 and from the University of Cincinnati in 1943. While at UC, she was chosen to be the first majorette in their inaugural year. In 1945, she married the late Richard B. “Red” Powell. From 1959 to 1985, she owned and served as director of Camp Golden Eagle for Boys in Minocqua, Wis., which many local boys of the Jewish faith attended. She is survived by three daughters: Sandra G. (Richard) Drewes, Barbara P. (Gregory) Frey, and Linda P. Clark. — March 1, 2001
CLASSIFIEDS
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011
COMMUNITY DIRECTORY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS Access (513) 373-0300 • www.jypaccess.org 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) 754-3100 • cedarvillage.org Chevra Kadisha (513) 396-6426 Fusion Family (53) 703-3343 • www.fusionnati.org 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 Shalom Family (513) 703-3343 • www.myshalomfamily.org 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) 984-3393 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 Chai Tots Early Childhood Center 513.234.0600 • chaitots.com Chabad Blue Ash (513) 793-5200 • chabadba.com Cincinnati Hebrew Day School (513) 351-7777 • chds.shul.net HUC-JIR (513) 221-1875 • huc.edu JCC Early Childhood School (513) 793-2122 • mayersonjcc.org Kehilla - School for Creative Jewish Education (513) 489-3399 • kehilla-cincy.com 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 Discovery Center (513) 234.0777 • jdiscovery.com Jewish National Fund (513) 794-1300 • jnf.org Jewish War Veterans (513) 204-5594 • 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
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(513) 531-9600 2020 from page 1 According to Andy Berger— vice-president of Strategic Planning for the Jewish Federation, which is leading Cincinnati 2020— this collaborative plan, once completed, will “transform this community. When people look at communities of our type around the country, they will be able to look at Cincinnati and say, ‘This is a special place. They have really done some amazing things.’ We think that we can do that.” “Following two Leaders Forums (one in November and another in January) in which 179 leaders from 41 community agencies, congregations and organizations contributed their ideas to the Cincinnati 2020 strategic planning effort, the next step was for the initiative to expand its outreach to the entire Jewish community,” explained Sharon Stern, director of Community Building at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. “The outreach will be accomplished through viral emails, as well as ads in The American Israelite, The Bimah, the Enquirer, the Business Courier and on NPR.” The Leaders Forums have included lay and professional SHOWCASE from page 1 This fifth annual event, sponsored by The American Israelite and Artrageous Desserts, has grown into what the organizers call an “extravaganza,” with raffle INPUT from page 1 In addition, we are pleased to announce Benjamin Rodriguez as the second winner of the ‘like’ us
representatives from every community agency, congregation and organization. Cincinnati 2020 has identified long-term strategic goals that have been deemed essential to realize the vision of an engaged community; one that retains and attracts Jewish individuals and families and increases the region’s Jewish population. For each of these goals, representative teams of community members are working to develop strategies and measurable objectives for accomplishing them: Jewish Engagement; Jewish Learning & Identity; Quality of Life; Community Resources; Jewish Community Leadership; Civic Leadership; and Israel & Jewish Peoplehood. The goal teams will consider the input that members of the community will now contribute— along with the ideas gathered at the Leaders Forums when they reconvene. Then, they will develop drafts that will detail the strategy for achieving their specific strategic goal. Progress and milestones will be reported to the community on an ongoing basis. For more information, contact Sharon Stern. prizes and free food. It is the one place, once a year that all event planning can be done in one location on one day, so if you are in charge of planning an event, please come to the Party Planning Showcase. on Facebook contest. He has won a $50 gift certificate to Embers Restaurant. Continue to ‘like’ us on Facebook for your chance to win in the coming weeks.
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LEGAL
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE ONLINE - MAKOR - THE SOURCE/CINCINNATI @ WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
More on the Juvenile Court Election Legally Speaking
By Marianna Bettman Contributing Columnist In last month’s column I discussed the still-undecided Hamilton county juvenile court election. In this column, I continue to examine this race, but this time, from the perspective of the relationship of the two sets of courts hearing the case, and to look at the next steps. One of the curiosities of our judicial system is that we have state and federal courts that operate side by side, on parallel tracks. Each court system has trial courts, appeals courts and a supreme court. Of course on the federal side of the equation there is only one Supreme Court, which sits in Washington D.C., and its decisions are binding on everyone. Ohio’s equivalent is the Supreme Court of Ohio. It would be easy and convenient if federal courts dealt only with federal law and state courts dealt only with state law, but that is not the case. Each can deal with both. In the Hamilton County juvenile court race, the Hamilton County Board of Elections (two Democrats, two Republicans) unanimously decided to count 27 provisional ballots that had been cast in the wrong precinct at the Board of Elections itself. The reason these ballots were cast in the wrong “precinct” (there actually are no precincts at the Board of Elections, but an employee hands the voter the ballot for the precinct LETTERS from page 16 After this, he slowly walked away toward the bus back to his home. I quietly sniffled inside my Michelin Man-sized winter coat looking the opposite way. A few people attempted to console me, but I just needed a moment, that was all. Then, Margot motioned me to turn around. There was Vitya. He had walked about 10 or 20 feet, and had stopped to wave once more. Margot and I waved back. He continued on walking backwards waving as he WISCONSIN from page 1 This is the second week of protests against the bill, which prompted the 14 Democrats in the state Senate to flee the state on Feb. 16, two days after the bill was introduced. Under Wisconsin leg-
the voter lives in when he or she shows an ID) was obvious. Some Board employee or employees gave the wrong ballot to those 27 provisional voters. But 849 other provisional ballots weren’t counted, including 269 cast at the right polling place, but at the wrong table in multiple precinct polling places. All of this prompted Democratic candidate Tracie Hunter, at that point behind by 23 votes, to file a lawsuit in federal district court in Cincinnati alleging that the Board had violated her rights to due process and equal protection under the U.S. Constitution when it investigated poll worker error and then counted some provisional ballots, but not others. Chief Judge Susan Dlott agreed with her position, and ordered the Board of Elections to investigate poll worker error and count other provisional ballots cast in the wrong place due to poll worker error. While matters were being litigated in the federal court, the Ohio Supreme Court heard a challenge by Republican candidate John Williams and a Hamilton County voter named John W. Painter to rescind certain directives from then-Democratic secretary of state Jennifer Brunner ordering the investigation of poll worker error, and to stop or at least sharply limit further counting of provisional ballots. The Ohio Supreme Court held that under Ohio election law provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct should not be counted, period, whether there was poll worker error or not. But because 27 provisional ballots miscast because of poll worker error had already been counted, and to try and avoid a direct conflict with Judge Dlott’s ruling that would have left the lawyers and the parties in an untenable position, the Ohio Supreme Court carved out a narrow holding. The Ohio Supreme Court ordered
the Board of Elections to review all the ballots subject to Judge Dlott’s order “with exactly the same procedures and scrutiny” applied to those original 27 ballots. Poll worker error was not to be presumed, and poll workers were not to be questioned. Still, the Ohio Supreme Court was clearly uncomfortable in the position it found itself, and bristled a bit, noting in its decision that the only federal court that could really tell it what to do was the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, back on the federal side off the ledger, the Board of Elections split along party lines on whether to appeal Judge Dlott’s order to count more provisional ballots. The Democrats on the Board did not want to appeal; the Republicans did. This tie vote was broken by Ohio’s new Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted. The Board filed an appeal of Judge Dlott’s order. This appeal went to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which sits in Cincinnati. This court is one step below the U.S. Supreme Court. The panel of federal appellate judges that heard the Hunter case consisted of Judges Karen Nelson Moore and Guy Cole, two Ohio judges appointed by President Bill Clinton, and Judge John Rodgers of Kentucky, appointed by President George W. Bush. Judge Moore wrote the opinion for the court. The first 17 pages of Judge Moore’s opinion summarize the complicated history of what has already happened in this case, most of which can be found in my last column. Moving on to her analysis, Judge Moore began by noting the special importance of election cases in this country. In America, the right to vote is fundamental, cherished, protected and sacred. A corollary to this is that each person’s vote counts the same as every other person’s. That’s what was at the heart of Bush v. Gore, and that
is also at the heart of this case. Judge Moore concluded that the Board’s decision to consider poll worker error in the case of some provisional ballots, but not others, raised serious federal equal protection concerns. And she also politely but firmly pushed back against the Ohio Supreme Court’s you-cant’-tell-us-what-to-do comment, responding that it was not for the state court to resolve the federal equal protection claim pending in federal court, and that the Sixth Circuit was not bound by the Ohio Supreme Court’s interpretation of federal constitutional law. The Sixth Circuit decided it was premature (because the issue had not been briefed yet) to rule on Hunter’s argument that an Ohio law that says you can’t count provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct for any reason, including poll worker error, violates due process. Can a federal court find that a state statute violates the federal constitution? You betcha. I personally think this is Hunter’s strongest argument. The Sixth Circuit decision in this case was technically unanimous,. But Judge Rogers, the sole Republican on the panel, wrote his own short opinion. Although he called it a separate concurrence (meaning he agreed with the court’s conclusion but not its reasoning) I think what Rogers wrote was clearly a dissent. Most fundamentally, he does not see an equal protection violation in this case. He thinks the 27 votes cast at the Board of Elections were different from the other uncounted 849 provisional ballots. And it is clear that he thinks the first 27 should not have been counted in the first place, because Ohio state law does not allow for the counting of ballots cast in the wrong precinct, whatever the reason. At the oral argument of this case, he asked if those 27 ballots could be
“uncounted.” And in his opinion, he suggests the solution here is for someone to bring a state-law challenge to the counting of those 27 ballots, not to count more wrongly-cast provisional ballots. While he praised the Ohio Supreme Court for complying with, not defying, Judge Dlott’s order (“this was a commendable exercise of discretion in a constitutional system where federal and state courts are independent of each other”), he also emphatically thinks the federal court should butt out of state election law. But wait! Isn’t that what the Democrats argued in Bush v. Gore? Ironically, every court that has heard this case so far has cited Bush v. Gore. So here’s what happens next. There is a procedure under federal appellate law for a rehearing of a case “en banc”—meaning in front of all the active judges on the Sixth Circuit. Rather than hearing the case with the regular panel of three judges, cases of enormous public importance can be heard by all of the active judges on the court, sitting together. Right now, there are 15 of them, nine of whom are Republicans. A petition to hear the case en banc has now been filed by the Board of Elections. (Again, the Democrats on the Board did not want to do this, but were overruled.) I’m betting the court will hear the case en banc. If it doesn’t, the Board of Elections could try and appeal Judge’s Moore’s opinion to the U.S. Supreme Court. If it does, the en banc decision will supersede the one made by the three-judge panel. In turn, that en banc decision can be appealed by the losing side to the U.S. Supreme Court, which can tell everyone what to do. Time will tell. While the Hunter case deals only with a single county election, there is no question that it has ramifications for the presidential election of 2012.
went. After another 40 feet, we gave a final wave and he vanished. I was encouraged to focus on the positive of meeting this young boy, rather than remaining fixated on the farewell. We had gotten through to him! At least partially, we did. Over the course of the trip, we opened Vitya up and got him to smile, and more. He chatted, laughed, sang and danced on Shabbat just like the rest of us. And wasn’t that the point of the entire trip, to meet Jews from other backgrounds and connect through our devotion to our Jewish tradi-
tions? We were able to level out the playing field and treat each other like brothers and sisters, without any pretenses getting in the way. Later that night, Kharkov’s JCC director approached me. Vitya’s mother had called her and exclaimed that she had never seen Vitya so happy as he had been this past week. This was what I needed to hear; as long as he was happy, I was happy. This trip taught me how to give of myself entirely, both when I felt invested in the cause and even when I did not. I felt that the amount of energy I
exerted on the trip was greater than the feeling of satisfaction the trip gave to me. I had created a friendship with a person in need, a fellow Jew. His mother’s phone call made it clear that it wasn’t only I who felt the impact. In Kharkov, I had never felt more attached to other Jewish people. They were thirsty for Jewish friendship and direction. These Ukrainian Jews are still persecuted socially for being Jewish. Our Modern Orthodox world does not exist there, which I believe is why we meshed so perfectly. It was necessary for them to witness a group
of typical Jews who face family issues, stressful life choices and internal struggles. We did this without projecting, without even intending or noticing. We traveled hand in hand, often buzzing from the blasted bus music, to each volunteer mission and each learning session as family, as a united Jewish people. In a sense, they were our long lost siblings we did not know existed, but grew so attached to by the end of our first reunion.
islative procedure, their continued absence effectively blocks any vote on the matter in the Republicancontrolled state Senate. Rabbi Bruce Elder of Glencoe, Ill., was one of two clergy members to offer the Wisconsin Democrats sanctuary, via an initia-
tive of Interfaith Worker Justice. He said he has not heard back from the legislators. “We don’t know where they are, but we assume they are OK,” he wrote in an e-mail. “Our offers of sanctuary remain open and standing.” In a “fireside chat” Tuesday
night, Walker, a Republican, defended his proposal, saying it has nothing to do with curtailing workers’ rights. “The legislation I’ve put forward is about one thing,” he said. “It’s about balancing our budget now and in the future.” Some Wisconsin rabbis and
Jewish rights groups disagree, saying the proposal is an attempt to break the unions, who have agreed to take an 8 percent pay cut but refuse to give up their bargaining power. Similar battles between unions and state government have spread to Ohio and Indiana.
Josh Zimmerman Cincinnati
FIRST PERSON/AUTOS
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011
This Year in Jerusalem Israel Live!
By Phyllis R. Singer Contributing Columnist As turmoil continued in the Middle East, Palestinians threatened a “day of rage” for last Friday to protest the Feb. 18 United States’ veto of a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel for construction in the settlements. At the behest of the Palestinians, the resolution was sponsored by Lebanon and other Arab nations. Fourteen of the 15 Security Council members voted for the resolution, while the United States vetoed it. U.S. President Barack Obama had urged Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw the resolution, but the Palestinian leader had refused. Expressing outrage about the U.S. veto, Palestinian leaders threatened to reassess their position regarding the peace process with Israel, while Israel welcomed the veto and called on the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table. Palestinians were expected to demonstrate last Friday in the West Bank and Gaza, following Friday prayers, but no mention had been made of protests scheduled for Jerusalem. Senior Palestinian officials had called on Palestinians to demonstrate against the veto. According to The Jerusalem Post, demonstrations took place earlier last week in Ramallah and Nablus in the West Bank, where protestors chanted slogans against the U.S. and President Obama. The Jerusalem Post reported that the scheduled “day of rage” took place in the West Bank, but was much smaller than originally anticipated. Demonstrations were held in a few villages, where protestors again chanted slogans against the United States. Demonstrators also called on the Palestinian Authority and Hamas to reconcile and to form a national unity government. According to The Post, preachers in West Bank mosques dedicated their Friday sermons to attacks on the U.S. and called for a PA and Hamas unity government. But in Jerusalem, thankfully, it was quiet. At other times, Muslim calls for a “day of rage” included Jerusalem and led to violence on the Temple Mount and in the surrounding area. Meanwhile, in events perhaps related to the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel has increased during the past month. According to a statement by the IDF spokesman,
“Since the beginning of 2011, more than 50 Kassam rockets, mortar shells and grad missiles have been fired at Israel’s southern communities and cities.” Since last Wednesday, rockets have hit Be’er Sheva, the Sdot Negev Regional Council, and the Eshkol Regional Council. The attack on Be’er Sheva was the first such attack since Operation Cast Lead (the war on Gaza) two years ago. The IDF has responded harshly. “The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians or IDF soldiers, and will continue to respond harshly to terror,” the IDF spokesman continued. “The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for maintaining the calm in the Gaza Strip and for any terrorist activity emanating from it.” In another new development following the upheaval in Egypt, Iran has been working to build new infrastructure in the Sinai to smuggle advanced weaponry into Gaza in large quantities. Although Israel had frequently complained to Egypt under President Hosni Mubarak about Egypt’s failure to crack down on smuggling from the Sinai through tunnels into Gaza, Egyptian security forces had been working recently to crack down on smuggling efforts. But now there is increased concern about Iran’s efforts in the area. According to The Jerusalem Post, a senior defense official said, “Iran wants to take advantage of the current anarchy in Egypt and establish a stronger foothold in Gaza.” Meanwhile in Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened during a mid-February speech to take over the Galilee in case of war with Israel and warned that Hezbollah operatives were ready to kill Israeli leaders “anytime, anywhere.” Responding to Nasrallah, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations meeting in the Israeli capital, “Nasrallah declared today that he will conquer the Galilee. I have news for him. He won’t.” “There is no doubt Israel has the ability to defend itself,” Netanyahu told the American Jewish leaders. “We have a strong army and a determined people. We seek peace, but the army is ready to defend Israel against its enemies.” Moreover, Iran recently sent two warships through the Suez Canal to Syria for joint training operations with that country. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called the action a “provocation.” Although this week was quiet in Israel, the Middle East is a dangerous neighborhood. And could be getting more dangerous all the time. Phyllis Singer, former editor/ general manager of The American Israelite, and her husband, Allen, can be emailed at apsinger@netvision.net.il. She and Allen enjoy hearing from Cincinnatians visiting Israel.
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2011 Jaguar XJ is sleek, stylish The 2011 Jaguar XJ is sleek and stylish — and has enough leg room for a basketball player. Yet it can go from zero to 60 in just 4.5 seconds. That acceleration is achieved through a supercharged 5.0-liter V8, that produces 470 horsepower and 424 pound-feet of torque. The power train features: variable valve control; highway mileage of 23mpg; a manual-shift, 6-speed automatic transmission; and 32 valves. The XJ also weighs less — a positive factor when negotiating a tight, winding road. The ease of steering may make the driver forget that there are almost 10 feet of car behind him or her. Those who buy the flagship of the Jaguar line will find that the overall experience is a lot more than performance and handling. Its comfort can make the driver forget about his or her bad day, intolerable commute, or tedious errands — it is just that comfortable! Inside the cabin of the XJ, the driver will experience front seats that come standard with heating, cooling, massaging and 12 ways of adjustment. And drivers of all heights will be able to assure themselves of a comfortable driving position, thanks to the power tiltand-telescoping steering wheel. Other interior features include: a power passenger seat; rear seat center armrest; a leather steering wheel; and seating capacity of five.
2011 Jaguar XJ
Even backseat passengers are treated to standard heating and cooling, as well as their own controls for the climate system and sunshades. In addition to plenty of legroom, the back seat offers vanity mirrors and drop-down tray tables. Other than the beautiful and abundant presence of leather and wood, the driver will immediately notice the two dominant display screens. The first is a touchscreen from which the driver can control the climate, information, and entertainment systems. It is quite large and offers a smart menu display and well defined graphics. The second screen displays the car’s gauges. The display is excellent, with a non-glare screen that shows off the versatile information. Entertainment features in the 2011 XJ include: steering wheel mounted audio controls; a CD player; wireless connectivity; and an MP3 decoder.
Exterior features on the 2011 XJ include: power door mirrors; turn signal indicator mirrors; body colored bumpers; a power open and close trunk lid; and auto-dimming door mirrors. And of course the 2011 Jaguar XJ comes with the most up-to-date safety and security features, including: brake assist; overhead airbag; electronic stability; dual front impact airbags; adjustable head restraints; occupant sensing airbag; panic alarm; power adjustable front head restraints; dual front side impact airbags; traction control; ABS 4-wheel disc brakes; and a security system. The basic warranty on the 2011 Jaguar XJ is 60 months or 50,000 miles. It is also warranted against corrosion perforation for 72 months and unlimited distance. Roadside assistance is provided for 60 months or 50,000 miles. The MSRP on the 2011 Jaguar XJ starts at $72,700.
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OBITUARIES
DEATH NOTICES BARRATT, Grace, age 91, died on February 28, 2011; 24 Adar I, 5771.
OBITUARIES COHEN, Miriam Bennett Miriam Bennett Cohen was involved with Judaism her entire life. Born in Baltimore, Md. into a rabbinical family—both her father and grandfather had been students at the renowned Vilna Yeshiva in Lithuania—she was a daughter of the late Rabbi Moses and Malka (nee Rosenthal) Bennett. For the past seven years, Miriam Cohen and her husband, Morris Cohen, had lived at Cedar Village in Mason, Ohio. Mrs. Cohen passed away on February 16, 2011, the 12th day of Adar I, 5771. As a young adult Mrs. Cohen simultaneously studied at Hebrew College of Baltimore and at Johns Hopkins University, from which she received her bachelor’s degree in French studies. She later attended the University of Pennsylvania, completing a degree in social work. After she and Morris Cohen were wed, the young couple moved to Pittsburgh. While raising the couple’s two children, Mrs. Cohen completed her master’s degree in French education at the University of Pittsburgh. Mrs. Cohen taught at the Hillel Academy and served as director of Hebrew programs at the Tree of Life Synagogue. When the family moved to New York, Mrs. Cohen taught at the Yeshiva of Central Queens before beginning her 33 year teaching career at The Brandeis School in Lawrence, Long Island. To keep current in the field she spent summers at an ulpan in Israel. She also maintained her French by attending a summer institute in the French countryside. All of these efforts were due to her love of education and her dedication to her students. Mrs. Cohen was a recipient of the Gruss Best Hebrew Teacher Award.
Miriam Bennett Cohen
In 2002, in celebration of her retirement, Mrs. Cohen was presented with the first Brandeis School Lifetime Award for Excellence in Education. As part of the commemorative dedication, a tribute was made to Mrs. Cohen: “You were instrumental in imparting Jewish values to generations of children. Countless children learned to read and write Hebrew under your patient tutelage. Love of Israel and our Jewish heritage and culture were the staples of your classroom. The gentle, nurturing attention you lavished on your youngest students encouraged them to do their best. Your commitment to helping those students most in need of special attention is a tribute to your compassion and your genuine love of children.” In honor of Mr. and Mrs. Cohen’s 50th wedding anniversary, their children commissioned to have stained glass windows installed in the synagogue of the Gan Yavne Children’s Village in Israel. On these windows were the inscription from the Shema, with regards to teaching it to the children, from generation to generation. Dr. Alan Cohen, son of Mrs. Cohen, wrote on her retirement honoring her accomplishments: In medicine the credo of the Jewish physician comes from Maimonides: “To save a life is to save a world.” In education: “To teach a soul (a nefesh) is to create a universe.” Miriam filled that
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE ONLINE - MAKOR - THE SOURCE/CINCINNATI @ WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
universe in part with the values and beliefs of the Jewish people, to instill a warmth, purpose, sense of being and a respect for G-d, the ultimate teacher.” Surviving relatives include her beloved husband of 67 years, Morris N. Cohen; her loving children, Sharon (& Michael) Steuer of New York and Dr. Alan Cohen of Kentucky; her cherished grandchildren, David (& Nancy) Steuer of Montreal, and Deborah (& David) Kotz of Maryland, and her beloved great-grandchildren, Maxine Steuer, and Shira, Joshua and Ruven Kotz. Mrs. Cohen was also the devoted sister of the late Libby Leibert, Manuel, Frank, Matthew and Nathan Bennett. Services were held on February 18, with interment at B’nai Israel Cemetery in Baltimore, Md. The family would appreciate memorial contributions to Cedar Village, or to the charity of one’s choice. RICHSHAFER, William William Richshafer (aka Velvel), passed away on February 15, 2011—the 11th day of Adar I, 5771. Born and raised in Cincinnati, he was a son of the late Hyman and Rose Richshafer. Mr. Richshafer grew up in Price Hill. At age 9, he started working for Max Elkus at Max’s Pawnshop at Sixth and Mound Streets for $12 per week. In 1935, Mr. Richshafer graduated from Western Hills High School. He learned the pawnshop trade under Mr. Elkus until World War II took him to Oklahoma and Guam. Mr. Richshafer attained the rank of Sergeant Major in the U.S. Air Force during WWII. While in Oklahoma he met the first love of his life, Mary Louise. Will and Mary Louise Richshafer married in 1945 and returned to Cincinnati to begin a family. They had two children, Robert and Carol. Mr. Richshafer returned to pawning with the intention of owning his own store. He bought out Elkus’ loans in 1952 after the Elkus family went into the men’s clothing business. To raise enough money to do that, Mr. Richshafer borrowed $2,000 from First National Bank and additional funds from several friends including Myron (Mike) Albert, the former husband of Mr. Richshafer’s second wife, Evelyn Albert Richshafer. Before long, he was operating three pawnshops located in downtown Cincinnati called Will’s Loan & Jewelry. They were located at 813 Vine Street, 911 Vine Street, and Seventh and Central Avenue. He also operated a downtown saloon called The Commodore Café. In 1977, he consolidated and closed the pawnshops and moved them to Peeble’s Corner at Gilbert and McMillan Streets.
memorial contributions to Vitas Hospice of Cincinnati. WELLER, Marcia A.
William Richshafer (aka Velvel)
In 1996, Mr. Richshafer’s beloved wife, Mary Louise, died. In 1998 at the age of 81, he married Evelyn Albert Richshafer, and in 2005, at the age of 88, he closed the pawnshop at Peeble’s Corner. Mr. Richshafer’s passion was golf and he was a member of the former Crest Hills Country Club. He remained very active golfing as many days as he could. His nephew, Howard Richshafer, recalls that his uncle told him many times that he was able to shoot his age while in his 80s. Even after retiring, he participated in and won many Cincinnati senior golf tournaments. Mr. Richshafer was an active member of the Avon-Miami Masonic Lodge and in 2010 was honored as the oldest living Mason in the State of Ohio. Mr. Richshafer served as the Worshipful Master of the Miami Lodge from 1949 to 1950. A member of Adath Israel Congregation, Mr. Richshafer learned to read Hebrew at the age of 66, since his family couldn’t afford a proper Bar Mitzvah when he turned 13 in 1930. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Louise Richshafer, his brother, Morris Richshafer, and his brother-inlaw, Gilbert Koshover. Surviving relatives include: his wife, Evelyn Albert Richshafer; his son, Robert Richshafer of Arizona; his daughter, Carol Glazier of Arizona; his stepsons, Gary (Marlene) Albert, and Craig Albert of North Carolina; his grandchildren, Benjamin Glazier of Arizona, Lauren Glazier of Arizona and Rachel Richshafer Lynch of Washington, D.C.; his sister, Sara Kosher; his nieces, Marcy (Bruce) Hassel, Sherie Koshover of California, and Barbara (James) Forbus; his nephew, Howard L. (Donna) Richshafer; his grandnieces, Allison (Joey) Barratt of Maineville, and Nicole Forbus; and his grand-nephew, Gregory Richshafer of Chicago. Services were held at Weil Funeral Home on February 17, 2011, officiated by Rabbi Irvin Wise. Interment was at Love Brothers Cemetery. The family would appreciate
Marcia A. Weller, age 77, passed away on February 17, 2011—the 14th day of Adar I, 5771. Born in New York City, Mrs. Weller moved to Cincinnati at the age of 9. She was the daughter of the late Charles and Betty Harris. Mrs. Weller attended and graduated from the University of Cincinnati, completing a six year architectural program. During the time she was at U.C., her future husband moved to Cincinnati. Bernard Wershbole (he later took the last name of Weller) joined the JCC and became involved in a drama workshop. One day while painting scenery he heard a voice declare, “Hey! You’re spilling paint on me!” This was his first introduction to Marcia Harris. The couple began dating and after four months, became engaged. To allow Ms. Harris to continue her studies at U.C., they postponed their wedding for well over a year. The couple was married a total of 55 years. Mr. and Mrs. Weller were married by Rabbi Bernard Greenfield, of Ohav Shalom Congregation. They were members of the congregation their entire married life. Mrs. Weller was very involved in the community and remained active in Jewish life. In October 2010, Mrs. Weller was one of five honorees at Ohav Shalom’s “Five Star Recognition Event.” After completing her degree, Mrs. Weller began her work as a registered architect and eventually practiced architecture on her own. Her company was called Health Services Development Corporation and she led at a time when female architects were somewhat of a rarity. She specialized in health related fields, such as nursing homes, retirements and homes for individuals with mental illness. She helped to pioneer the concept of a continuous campus of care by developing West Park, a facility now owned by Mercy Health Partners of Southwest Ohio. She was also the developer and original owner of Eastgate Village. Mrs. Weller was preceded in death by her brother, Irwin “Bud” Harris. She is survived by her husband, Bernard Weller; her children, Rachel Ann (Tzvi) Anolick of Kochav Yaakov, Israel, Ruthe Korelitz of Hot Springs, Ark., Sara (Joseph) Steinman of Ft. Worth, Texas, and David (Arava) Weller; her 10 grandchildren and one great-grandson. Services were held at Weil Funeral Home on February 20, officiated by Rabbi Jacob Lustig. Memorial contributions to Ohav Shalom Congregation or the charity of one’s choice would be appreciated.
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T H S UN IS PARTY PLANNING MA D A RC Y ! H
SHOW
CASE 11 SUNDAY, MARCH 6 11-4 @ THE NEW JCC 8485 RIDGE ROAD, CINCINNATI, OHIO 45236
From Caterers to DJs, the Party Planning Showcase has everything you need to make your event something to celebrate! Come join us for this FREE extravaganza and learn what’s new and what’s hot. Don’t miss out on the Booths, Raffle Prizes and FREE Food plus everything you’ll need to throw the best party ever, no matter the occasion.
Showcasing only the best Balloons, Cakes, Caterers, DJs, Flowers, Photographers & More! Whether you are planning a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Wedding, Sweet 16, Prom or Graduation Party, the Party Planning Showcase will be the only place to be. FREE ADMISSION. Sponsored by The American Israelite & Artrageous Desserts
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