Prepare for ‘Give ‘Confidentially a Day’ community- Yours’ column, wide day of service plus this week’s Facebook winner
‘Casino Party’ for young professionals
Give a Day — a community-wide day of service sponsored by Women’s Philanthropy and the Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati — will be held on Sunday, April 10, from 8:45 a.m. through 8 p.m. The event is open to everyone in Greater Cincinnati, and is expected to attract over 650 area volunteers and impact the lives of over 30,000 people in the community. Give a Day participants can choose from 24 projects (each lasting approximately 2-3 hours) that will make improvements to our community, help those less fortunate and support individuals in their pursuit of health and wellbeing. Dozens of volunteer team leaders from throughout the community helped to plan and organize this event. This year, the Jewish Federation’s Super Sunday— the single largest telethon in the Jewish community annually— will become a Give a Day project. Over 4,000 calls will be made
A new and zesty advice column, called “Confidentially, Yours: Avi and Adele” will be appearing regularly on The American Israelite’s website. Geared to the challenges young Jewish adults face when dealing with life, love and relationships, “Avi and Adele” reflects the provocations and engagement issues many face today as they grapple for answers in the maze that is dating in the Jewish world. The American Israelite’s own Iris Pastor is one of the column’s advisors. The column provides clear-cut solutions to puzzling situations, such as: “This nice guy I’m good buddies with has been hounding me to go out on a date with him. How can I get the point across that I’m not interested in anything more than a friendship?”
Go all in at Access’ Casino Party on Saturday, April 2, at 9 p.m. at the Redmoor in Mt. Lookout Square, where Las Vegas will meet Mt. Lookout for a high stakes night in Cin City. Take a gamble at games of Black Jack, Craps, Roulette and Texas Hold ‘Em. Enjoy cocktails and appetizers as they are served right to you at the gaming tables. There will be an Elvis impersonator as well as other Vegas-style entertainers. Enter the raffle to win an iPad, cash and other prizes. Music will be playing and a cash bar will be available.
SERVICE on page 19
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Join in on the fun at the Redmoor for Casino Night.
Unaffiliated didn’t show, but Tribefest Charlie Sheen, John a hit for federation young leadership Galliano and the Jews By Sue Fishkoff Jewish Telegraphic Agency LAS VEGAS, Nev. (JTA) — “Connect, explore and celebrate” was the tagline for Tribefest 2011 held this week in this desert gambling town. Drumming imagery aside, the new name for what was a re-branded annual convention of the Young Leadership Division of the Jewish Federations of North America accurately described the spirited atmosphere at the confab. More than 1,200 Jews in their 20s and 30s turned out for three days of lectures, workshops and performances on everything from new trends in Jewish art to the 2012 elections to
Sue Fishkoff
Five women from the Atlanta delegation to Tribefest enjoy a moment in Las Vegas with a new friend from Los Angeles, March 7, 2011.
the etiquette of offering a “L’chaim!” The federations apparently were doing something right: People were trying to sneak into the convention rather than sneak out. Federation officials say Tribefest is the first step in a new outreach strategy for the national federation system. Instead of targeting Jews aged 25 to 45 who already donate to federation campaigns — a tactic tried by previous Young Leadership conferences — Tribefest offered an open invitation to any young Jew who wanted, according to the marketing brochure, to be “entertained and educated” about Israel and the Jewish community, affiliated or unaffiliated. TRIBEFEST on page 20
By Uriel Heilman Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Angela George / Creative Commons
CBS fired actor Charlie Sheen from the sitcom “Two and a Half Men” following a series of bizzare outbursts that started with a tirade referring to Chuck Lorre, his Jewish boss, as Chaim Levine.
NEW YORK (JTA) — Expressions of anti-Semitism by public figures generally follow a certain script in the media. The politician/actor/public figure says something construed as offensive/hostile/insensitive to Jews. Abraham Foxman, the national director of the AntiDefamation League, issues a condemnatory statement demanding penance. The offender expresses regret. If he deems it sufficient, Foxman issues his kosher certification absolving the sinner. SHEEN on page 21
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Expanding its presence in Africa, Chabad faces unique challenges
Jewish groups mobilizing response to Japan quake
With pressure mounting, will Bibi go left or right?
Through the Garden: Cozy cooking in the neighborhood
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Cincinnati Jewish Singles gather for Shabbat dinner On Friday, March 18, 2011 at 6:30 p.m., join your single Jewish friends (or make some new ones) for a Shabbat dinner and socializing event at Slatt’s Pub in Blue Ash. Cocktails and Happy Hour will be available from 6:30-7 p.m. and
dinner will be ordered around 7 p.m., so plan accordingly. Slatt’s has a varied menu, with options ranging from salads and burgers to steaks and seafood, so there will be something for everyone. Space for the event is limited to
20 people, as that is the capacity for the pub’s private room. Feel free to invite your single Jewish friends, just let Deb LaFrance know they are coming. RSVP at either the Cincinnati Jewish Singles meetup site or contact Deb LaFrance.
Dr. Steven Windmueller speaks at Wise Temple In light of recent events in Egypt and the Middle East, many questions have been raised about what it means for America, and for Israel. At this early stage of a rapidly changing region, there are many issues to consider. And Wise Temple has invited its members to better understand what it all could mean during a congregational Shabbat dinner on Friday, April 8, immediately following services. The program, entitled “Unpacking the Middle East: A Geo-Political Analysis of the Region and United States Interests” will be led by Steven Windmueller, Ph.D. Dr. Windmueller has held a number of prominent positions within the Jewish community over the course of a 30 year professional career. He has served as the director of the School of Jewish Communal Service at Hebrew Union College
in Los Angeles, as the executive director of the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles and as a federation director in upstate New York. He began his professional career on the staff of the American Jewish Committee. A specialist on political issues and American Jewish affairs, Dr. Windmueller holds a doctorate in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. He has appeared on CNN, PBS, NBC and other nationally syndicated media offering commentaries on Jewish public affairs matters. His more than 30 articles and monographs have appeared in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, Sh’ma and Moment Magazines, the Jerusalem Letter, and the Journal of Jewish Communal Service. Dr. Windmueller has consulted with
government officials and political candidates and has had occasion to represent the Jewish community on various international missions. “We are fortunate to hear from someone with the expertise and the clarity of presenting complex issues for which Dr. Windmueller is wellknown,” Rabbi Lewis Kamrass, Wise Temple’s senior rabbi commented. “He will undoubtedly raise important questions and leave us better informed for a complex changing set of circumstances.” Dr. Windmueller will offer a brief summary at the Shabbat service which begins at 6:15 p.m., and will offer a more expansive presentation following the Shabbat dinner, as well as allow time for questions. For more information or to make reservations for the congregational Shabbat dinner, contact Wise Temple.
Comedian Joel Chasnoff to play JCC, April 10 Nationally recognized comedian Joel Chasnoff will bring his unique look at the funnier side of Jewish life to the Mayerson JCC, on Sunday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. The event is co-sponsored by Northern Hills Synagogue, Congregation Ohav Shalom and the Mayerson JCC, and will follow the Jewish Federation's Give A Day activities. The entire community is invited to join in the fun. Chasnoff has performed in eight countries, was a featured performer at the Montreal Comedy Festival, and participated in a USO comedy tour of Japan and Korea, entertaining American Marines. On tour, he has appeared with Jon Stewart and Lewis Black of The Daily Show as well as stand-up comedian Gilbert Gottfried. He has supplied his voice to numerous cartoons and has performed at over 500 colleges, clubs and conferences, tackling topics such as politics, technology, relationships and the warped way we Americans see ourselves in the
Joel Chasnoff
world today. Born and raised in Evanston, Ill., Chasnoff attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he spent two summers with the Philadelphia Phillies organization as an on-field performer in a fruitless attempt to entertain 40,000 of the world’s heaviest-drinking sports fans. After graduating from Penn, he decided to relax a bit by serving in the Israeli Army. He spent many a
chilly night sleeping in a metal tank in the Golan Heights and South Lebanon. Chasnoff’s memoir, “The 188th Crybaby Brigade: A Skinny Jewish Kid from Chicago Fights Hezbollah,” published in 2010, is a hilarious and poignant account of his military experience. His writing has also appeared in “The Idiot’s Guide to Jokes” and the 25th Anniversary Edition of “The Big Book of Jewish Humor.” Opening for Chasnoff will be local comedian John Bunyan. Bunyan has performed numerous times at local comedy clubs and was the 2010 winner of the “Funniest Person in Cincinnati” contest at Go Bananas Comedy Club. A dessert reception will follow the performance. Tickets are $30, and are available at Northern Hills, Ohav Shalom and the Mayerson JCC. For more information, please contact Northern Hills Synagogue or Congregation Ohav Shalom.
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Wise Temple hosts Purim carnival On Sunday, March 20, Wise Temple will host its annual Purim carnival. Hosted by the high school youth group, (e)YGOW, in concert with the Religious School, the Purim Carnival is a fun way for young people to celebrate the holiday. Highlights this year include multiple inflatable games
and bounce houses sponsored by the Temple Sisterhood, many carnival-style games with prizes galore, and a variety of different lunch options, including Servatii’s hamentaschen, sponsored by the Brotherhood. This celebration is sure to be a blast! The youngest members of the
Wise Temple community, the families of Young Family Involvement (YoFI), are invited to begin the carnival at 11:15 a.m. They will have the opportunity to play games and explore the carnival fun before it becomes crowded with older members of the religious school, who can enter the carnival at 11:45
a.m. Everyone is encouraged to come in costume and prizes will be awarded in each grade. The Wise Temple Purim Carnival runs from 11:15 a.m.1:30 p.m. Additional information about the Purim Carnival can be obtained by calling the Wise Temple office.
JCC spring sports, aquatics start late March The spring session of Mayerson JCC programs and activities begins the week of March 28. There is a broad range of great sports and recreation leagues, classes and indoor swim lessons for all ages, toddlers to adults, and most programs are open to the public. Open registration starts Wednesday, March 16, by calling the JCC or stopping by the front desk. For preschoolers, ages 3 - 5, the JCC offers many instructional options including soccer with SoccerShots, QuickStart tennis, and Little Blue Jays T-Ball. A popular beginner gymnastics class for the youngest children, ages 18 months – 3 years, is Tumblebugs and, for the 2 and 3 year olds, the J is bringing back the very popular
Indoor / Outdoor Games. School-age kids have many sports options at the J as well, with instructional tennis, SoccerShots, Ahn Taekwondo, and Blue Jays youth baseball. New this spring is the expansion of the JCC “Girls Only” sports program. Girls in grades 1 - 8 can learn soccer, basketball, volleyball and softball in a “girls only” environment. JCC Blue Jays youth baseball provides teams for kids, ages 5 11. Coach’s Pitch, for ages 5 - 7, will practice and play one day each week. Class “D,” ages 8 - 9, and Class “C,” ages 10 - 11, play 3 days a week. Each player gets his own uniform, competes against other area teams, and receives a trophy at the end of the season. Last year, the
JCC Blue Jays Class “C” team qualified to play in the Cincinnati city tournament! For adult men, the popular JCC fast pitch (modified) softball league begins play in early April and continues through early September. The league features a season ending tournament, an allstar game, and two family nights. The majority of the games are played on Wednesday nights (with a few Sunday morning games) at the Triple Creek softball complex. Also on the adult sports schedule is the co-ed indoor soccer program at the J, which attracts an enthusiastic crowd week after week. The JCC men’s basketball summer league begins in early June and play continues through August.
Swim lessons in the extensive JCC indoor aquatic center attract swimmers of all ages and abilities. In addition to many levels of Red Cross certified swim instruction, the JCC is also offering several advanced aquatics programs this spring. There is a lifeguard training class for ages 16+, as well as a program for Red Cross certification as a water safety instructor (also for ages 16+). Experienced swimmers of all ages may also be interested in the stroke clinic at the J on Thursday, May 12. For information on any JCC spring programs, please visit the JCC website, or contact Mike Creemer, JCC sports and recreation director, or Lydia Mykenas, JCC aquatics director.
Christian theologian’s personal struggle with Holocaust How did a Christian theologian from the United Kingdom become the executive director of the Shoah Foundation Institute at the University of Southern California? On Sunday, April 10, Dr. Stephen Smith will answer that question as he speaks about his journey as a Christian confronted by antiSemitism and the Holocaust at The Annual Hornstein Lecture: “Never Again, Yet Again: A Personal Struggle with the Holocaust and Genocide.” Presented by Isaac M. Wise Temple, in partnership with the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education and the American Jewish Committee of Cincinnati, the program will begin at Wise Temple at 10 a.m. As a student of theology at the University of London, Dr. Smith struggled with the question of why more Christians did not follow teachings of the faith and help those suffering and dying during the Holocaust. While some brave Christian men and women risked their lives to save their Jewish neighbors, the vast majority did not – some became perpetrators or Nazi collaborators, but most were bystanders. Dr. Smith has spent much of his career seeking answers to this question, and working to prevent similar acts of genocide.
Dr. Stephen Smith
Dr. Smith passionately believes that barriers created by religious differences must be set aside when confronted with genocide and other human rights violations. “I do not think that the Holocaust is a Jewish issue. The Jewish community suffered the tragedy of the Holocaust. It will be a part of the memory, the conscience, the pain, the liturgy, the literature of the Jewish world forever, and it will never, ever, not be a profoundly painful experience,” says Dr. Smith. “It was not the making of the Jewish community. The
Holocaust was created by Western European civilization; you can put Christian in there if you’d like to. It was perpetrated by people who were not Jewish, and it is a responsibility of those who represent that world to say to the Jewish community, and particularly those who survived, ‘This should never have happened to you.’ ” Though his background is vastly different from the Holocaust survivors he advocates for, Dr. Smith’s passion for Holocaust education is unparalleled. He founded the UK Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire, England, and co-founded the Aegis Trust for the prevention of crimes against humanity and genocide. In his current role at executive director of the Shoah Foundation Institute at the University of Southern California, Dr. Smith is focused on finding strategies to optimize the effectiveness of the 52,000 testimonies in the Shoah Foundation archive for education, research and advocacy purposes. Inspired by the making of Schindler’s List, Steven Spielberg established The Shoah Foundation in 1994 to gather video testimonies from survivors and other witnesses of the Holocaust. Dr. Smith is committed to utilizing the 52,000
testimonies in the Foundation’s archive as a voice for education and action. “We need to listen to those voices [of the Holocaust survivors]. We need to keep the memory alive because that’s the heart of our conscience,” he says. The importance of the Shoah Foundation archive is eloquently put by Howard Gillman, founding chairman of the Foundation: “Things that will die on the page of a history book will come to life when you see them in the context of this archive,” informs Gillman, dean at USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. “The Annual Hornstein Program in Remembrance of the Holocaust and the Human Spirit” was established in memory of Dr. Stephen and Lusia Hornstein, local Holocaust survivors and doctors who served the Cincinnati community for many years. The endowment fund provides an annual program in remembrance of the Holocaust to honor the memory of the Hornsteins’ and their extraordinary lives of achievement, courage, optimism and goodness. This program is free and open to the public. Reservations are suggested but not required. To make a reservation, please contact The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education.
‘LET THERE BE LIGHT ’ THE OLDEST ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN AMERICA FOUNDED JULY 15, 1854 BY ISAAC M. WISE
VOL. 157 • NO. 34 THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2010 11 ADAR II 5771 SHABBAT BEGINS FRIDAY 7:28 PM SHABBAT ENDS SATURDAY 8:29 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 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 MICHAEL MAZER Sales 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 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 ERIN WYENANDT Office Manager
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Arts for everyone at the J this spring Cedar Village appoints Dr. Scott Kotzin as new Medical Director Adults, teens, children and families are encouraged to discover and perfect their artistic skills in art, theater and dance in classes at the Mayerson JCC this spring. Programs begin the week of April 3, and open registration starts Wednesday, March 16. Advance registration is required, and the art, dance and drama classes are open to the public. Explore the art of jewelry making in a special workshop led by professional artist and educator, Judy Workman. Adults and teens will create a woven bracelet with pearls, crystal beads, and seed beads. No experience is necessary and everyone will go home with a wearable work of art. This 2-class program will be held at the J on Tuesdays, April 5 and 12, at 7 p.m. Families can spend an afternoon together on Sunday, April 3 creating dragon sock puppets with big teeth in the Family PuppetMaking Workshop. In addition, adults and children can express their creativity in the Paper Art and Greeting Card Workshop on Tuesday, May 3, where everyone will create special greeting cards especially for Mother’s Day and
Father’s Day using colorful card stock, stamps, rhinestones and ribbon. Both workshops are taught by Judy Workman.
Adults can work on their drama skills in the Acting Fundamentals class on Mondays or Improvisation class on Wednesdays. For the dancers in the family, the University of Cincinnati’s CCM Prep Department will once again offer classes at the J to children from age 3 through grade 1. Little ones learn the basics in Creative Movement and older dancers build their skills in Primary Ballet & Tap and Beginning Ballet & Tap. All classes take place on Mondays or Wednesdays.
Anyone interested in learning more about acting and theater and getting in touch with their inner performer can attend classes taught by Playhouse in the Park at the JCC this spring. On Wednesday afternoons, children in grades K – 2 can participate in Creative Dramatics, where they will tap into their imaginative side. Older kids have the opportunity to express themselves at Children’s Acting (grades 3-4) or Lower Junior’s Acting (grades 5-6), both on Monday afternoons. Adults can work on their drama skills in the Acting Fundamentals class on Mondays or Improvisation class on Wednesdays. For the budding artist, the experienced instructors from Young Rembrandts, a nationally recognized leader in art education, will run two engaging drawing programs, one for ages 3 1/2 - 6 and one for ages 6 – 12, both on Tuesday afternoons this spring. To register or for a complete list of JCC spring classes, contact the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson JCC on The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati Campus or visit their website.
Cedar Village Retirement Community announces the appointment of Dr. Scott Kotzin as their new Medical Director. Dr. Kotzin, a doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (formerly University of Health Sciences – College of Osteopathic Medicine) in 1995. Board certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Kotzin practices at Mercy Medical Associates – Wyoming Primary Care and is on staff at Mercy Hospital Fairfield and Bethesda North. He has been with Cedar Village for eight years as a staff physician. “Dr. Kotzin has done a wonderful job caring for residents at Cedar Village,” said Carol Silver Elliott, CEO and president of Cedar Village. “We are delighted to see his role expand and know that he will play an important role in Cedar Village’s ongoing growth and
Dr. Scott Kotzin
success,” she said. Dr. Kotzin’s areas of medical interest include managing diabetes in a nursing home setting, as well as palliative and end of life care.
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JEEP hosts Sober Purim Celebrations Purim is famous as the holiday of joy, and usually that includes drinking wine. But for Jewish recovering alcoholics and addicts, the only way to enjoy Purim is without alcohol. So this year, Rabbi Yaakov Karp and Cincinnati Jewish Recovery have arranged for Sober Purim Celebrations on Saturday, March 19, at 9 p.m., at Rabbi Karp’s
home in Amberley Village, and Sunday, March 20, at 4 p.m. at Friendship House for programs of Cincinnati Jewish Recovery in Roselawn. Recovering alcoholics, addicts and their families are welcome and are also reminded to bring their groggers. For more information, contact Jewish Education for Every Person.
National voter survey measures changing Jewish vote (LOS ANGELES) — “Is the Jewish vote changing and are Jewish political interests shifting?” These and other questions have prompted Dr. Steven Windmueller, the Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Service at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Los Angeles, to launch this major new national Jewish political study. Dr. Windmueller, who is trained in the field of political science and international relations, has written a series of articles on the nature of the Jewish vote, and his work on Jewish communal trends and political affairs is often cited by both the general media and Jewish press. For 10 years (19851995), prior to joining the administration of HUC-JIR, Dr. Windmueller directed the nation’s second largest JCRC, which was part of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation. “I am particularly interested in seeing if we are in the midst of a political sea-change within the American Jewish community,” noted Dr. Windmueller. This study will explore a number of variables, including income, geographical region, age, religous affiliation and education. It will examine the political priorities of Jews and, in turn, where they allocate their financial resources with regard to their support of political causes, both Jewishly and within the mainstream. Windmueller is interested in finding out how and where Jews acquire their political ideas and knowledge and wants to analyze how they self-define themselves with regard to specific political labels. An important feature of this research will focus on understanding the level and depth of engagement that Jews have with
the State of Israel and other core social and policy issues. Coming a year before the next presidential election campaign, Dr. Windmueller has elected to explore the interest that Jews may have in the various candidates who are either considering a run for the White House or who have been identified by the media as potential challengers. The study is designed to capture a large cross section of the Jewish public, allowing for the “diverse voices” of American Jewry to be heard. Individuals can take the 10-15 minute survey online. Each participant will only be able to complete the survey once. No one need submit his/her name. Participants must be at least 18 years old to participate and the study’s deadline is April 1. This study encompasses a number of variables and is designed in part to explore the scope and intensity of political involvement. As a basis of this study, we are asking a number of core questions: – Are Jewish voting patterns changing? – What motivates political engagement on the part of Jews? – What issues are of particular interest to Jews? – How do Jews see the political landscape in 2011? Unlike many surveys conducted with Jewish voters, this is designed to measure grassroots involvement, drawing upon large and diverse segments of the Jewish electorate. So by generating a large sample, it may be possible to confirm or reject existing perceptions about how Jews vote and the levels and forms of their political engagement. All of the findings will be shared with institutions and individuals who request copies of the research.
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Expanding its presence in Africa, Chabad faces unique challenges By Ben Harris and Uriel Heilman Jewish Telegraphic Agency NEW YORK (JTA) — Congolese President Joseph Kabila probably had other things on his mind last week other than the celebration in his capital city of Kinshasa marking the 20th anniversary of the city’s Chabad center. On Feb. 27, about 100 fighters armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers staged two simultaneous attacks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of them directed at Kabila’s residence in an affluent neighborhood of the capital. More than a dozen people were killed, including several Congolese soldiers. But a few days later, Kabila managed to take time out to call the local Chabad director, Rabbi Shlomo Bentolila, during the Chabad celebration at the Grand Hotel, and to send a representative to deliver a speech on the president’s behalf. The event coincided with the announcement that Chabad will open two new centers in the heart of Africa in the coming months —
SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) — Hillel may be the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, but that doesn’t mean every Jewish student group is welcome. Last week, Brandeis University’s Hillel voted not to accept the membership bid of the local campus chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, an organization that has been criticized for its support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign targeting Israel and was listed by the AntiDefamation League last October as among the top 10 anti-Israel groups in the United States. “While we understand that JVP at Brandeis considers itself a proIsrael club, based on positions and programming JVP has sponsored, we do not believe that JVP can be included under Hillel’s umbrella,” Brandeis senior Andrea Wexler, the president of the 11-member Hillel student executive board that rejected the application of Jewish Voice for Peace, wrote in a letter explaining the board’s decision. Wexler said the group’s words and actions put it beyond what is acceptable to Hillel. Fellow Brandeis senior Lev Hirschhorn, who presented JVP’s
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Rabbi Shlomo Bentolila, right, dancing with Congolese officials at a gala dinner celebrating 20 years of the Chabad of Central Africa in Kinshasa, March 1, 2011.
in Nairobi, Kenya, and Lagos, Nigeria. The one in Congo currently is the only Chabad in subSaharan Africa outside of South Africa. “The work is not easy, but we are seeing, thank God, fruits, and we hope to continue to see that,” Bentolila, the Chabad director for Central Africa, told JTA by phone from Kinshasa.
Chabad will send emissaries to the new centers, which are located in the capitals of the two countries. Chabad’s Africa operations — now 20 years old and encompassing activities in 14 countries — are no stranger to political unrest or the unique challenges presented by working on the continent. AFRICA on page 21
Brandeis Hillel excludes a controversial group on Israel, generating debate By Sue Fishkoff Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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case to the Hillel board, said Hillel should not exclude any Jewish student group. “As members of the Brandeis Jewish community, we wanted Jewish Voice for Peace to be included at the Jewish communal table,” he said.
Jewish Voice for Peace
Brandeis University senior Lev Hirschhorn presented Jewish Voice for Peace’s bid to his campus Hillel.
The battle at Brandeis over JVP is part of the growing, heated debate in the American Jewish community over what constitutes acceptable criticism of Israel. Last summer, a furor erupted in San Francisco over Jewish federation funding for a Jewish film festival that screened a film about proPalestinian activist Rachel Corrie. For the past three years, the “pro-
Israel, pro-peace” lobbying group J Street has stirred passions on both sides of the divide for its calls for increased U.S. pressure on Israel to deal with the Palestinians. This month, Israel’s Knesset decided to investigate J Street. At Brandeis, the organization’s college chapter, called J Street U, blasted Hillel’s decision on Jewish Voice for Peace. “While J Street U and JVP strongly disagree about many issues related to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the BDS movement, we nonetheless believe that they should be a part of the Jewish communal conversation,” J Street U said, using the acronym for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. Unlike J Street, Jewish Voice for Peace does not describe itself as pro-Israel. That and JVP’s support for the BDS movement were critical to Hillel’s decision, Wexler said. The decision, she added, was “very difficult” and not unanimous. “According to the pro-Israel guidelines given to us, which we support and agree with, we didn’t feel they fit into what we consider a Hillel member group,” Wexler said of JVP. BRANDEIS on page 22
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Jewish groups mobilizing response to Japan quake National By JTA Staff Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) — Jewish organizations are mobilizing their responses to the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on Friday. IsraAid, an Israel-based coordinating organization for 17 Israeli and Jewish humanitarian groups, said that it has two teams of rescue personnel, emergency medical personnel and water pollution experts ready to deploy to Japan but was looking for ways to reach the affected area. Because the airports in the affected area are flooded and Tokyo’s airport closed on Friday, IsraAid said it was exploring the possibility of flying to a nearby country and then trying to make it to northeast Japan, where the tsunami has killed hundreds and devastated cities and towns. “We’re in touch with local groups to check the situation in the area,” Shachar Zahavi, chairman of
Hikosaemon/CC
Smoke rises from a burning building in a Tokyo neighborhood after an 8.9-magnitude earthquakes hit Japan, March 11, 2011.
the group, told JTA in a telephone interview. “We’re trying to get to the closest airport and then get to the affected area from there.” The Chabad-Lubavitch movement reported Friday that its emissary in Tokyo said the Jewish community there largely was spared any serious injury or damage from
the 8.9-magnitude quake that rocked the city. ZAKA, the Orthodox-led rescue and recovery organization, announced Friday that it would send a search-and-rescue team to Japan as soon as Shabbat in Israel ended on Saturday night. The Japanese consul in Israel,
Mitoshiko Shinomya, told the Israeli news web site Ynet that he was heartened by an Israeli government offer of assistance to Japan. “Israel officially offered its help an hour after the earthquake struck,” Shinomya said. “It is very heart-warming, but at this point we do not know exactly what the extent of the damage is, so it is difficult for us to say what can be done.” The Jewish Federations of North America is setting up an emergency relief fund to help those in affected areas, a spokesman said. A spokesman for American Jewish World Service, which played a leading Jewish role in responding to the massive 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated parts of Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, said it would not be responding to the Japan tsunami because AJWS, which works in the developing world, does not have any partner organizations in Japan.
Amid rancorous debate, a voice for American Jewry pushes civility By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — When disagreement among American Jews on Israel-related issues runs deep, how does an organization that bills itself as the representative voice of the organized American Jewish community formulate policies and priorities? By emphasizing civility in public discourse, for starters. That was one of the main areas of focus at this week’s annual plenum of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which drew delegates from Jewish community relations councils and national advocacy groups across the United States to talk about American Jewish public policy priorities. Plenum organizers said the goal was to show that while differences within the Jewish community factions are substantive, particularly when it comes to Israel, it’s possible to discuss them without rancor. “Civility is not avoiding uncomfortable conversations — it’s our respect for the dignity of other people and careful listening,” said Ethan Felson, the JCPA’s vice president. That approach led to sessions featuring polar opposites: Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center and a doyen of liberalism, joined James Woolsey, a neoconservative icon and former
Courtesy JCPA
Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, addresses the annual Jewish Council for Public Affairs Plenum in Washington, March 6, 2011.
CIA director, in a discussion on energy independence. The liveliest session, delegates said, was when Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, founder and president of The Israel Project, faced off against author Peter Beinart, who argued in a controversial essay last year that reflective defense of Israel in the public sphere is alienating Jewish youngsters. Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, addressed the widening gap between the Israeli and American Jewish communities. Young Jews in Israel, he said, have more in common with the Druze and Bedouin with whom they serve in the army than with American
Jewish college students. Oren said it was critical to overcome what can seem like “unbridgeable schisms” between Israelis and Americans. “We are united at the heart, a rambunctious, often fractious people,” he said. “While the experiences of American Jews have made them more liberal and progressive, impelled by our traumas and our disappointments, Israelis have become somewhat skeptical of peace.” Despite his plea for dialogue, Oren was among those who boycotted the J Street conference last month after a campaign by mainstream and right-wing pro-Israel groups to keep centrist and Israeli
figures away from the conference. In a separate appearance at the JCPA plenum, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress and a J Street favorite, told a questioner who urged him to denounce those who describe Israel as an “apartheid” state that such rote statements are besides the point. “We don’t need more cheerleaders for both sides," he said. “We need more peacemakers for both sides.” The applause for Ellison underscored the continued liberal bearings of a large segment of the Jewish community. So did the warm reception accorded Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s top domestic policy adviser, who revealed in her address that her great-grandfather was Jewish. Jarrett went out of her way to suggest that tensions over Israel between organized Jewish groups and the Obama administration were overstated. She referred to the March 1 meeting between Obama and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, saying that the president “made clear that while the region will evolve, some things will never change. Among them is his unshakeable support for Israel’s security; his opposition to any effort to delegitimize Israel, or single her out for criticism; and his commitment to achieve a peace that will secure the future for Arabs and Israelis alike.”
Briefs Rock hall set to welcome Neil Diamond WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is set to induct Neil Diamond. Diamond, 69, who launched his career as a songwriter in the 1960s in the Brill Building songwriting factory, penning hits for groups like The Monkees, will be inducted Monday night at a ceremony in New York. He soon launched a solo career, and his rich baritone coupled with his lively onstage presence earned him the sobriquet “the Jewish Elvis,” with hits like “Solitary Man” and “Cherry, Cherry.” Diamond addressed his Jewish roots and the conundrum of assimilation when he starred in the 1980 remake of “The Jazz Singer.” The film was a box office success but was panned by the critics. Diamond is to be inducted by another Jewish singer-songwriter, Paul Simon, who already is a member of the Hall of Fame. Other inductees set for Monday night’s ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel include Darlene Love, the Phil Spector protege whose “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” is a seasonal classic, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Leon Russell and Tom Waits. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland. Both non-performer inductees this year are Jewish: Jac Holzman, who founded Elektra Records and signed The Doors; and Art Rupe, who founded Specialty Records, a pioneering soul label. Alaska Airlines detains passengers over tefillin (JTA) — An Alaska Airlines flight crew issued a security alert after three Mexican Orthodox Jews began praying with tefillin. The flight attendants, who were concerned by the prayers being said aloud in Hebrew and the unfamiliar boxes with leather straps hanging from them, locked down the cockpit and radioed a security alert ahead to Los Angeles International Airport. The flight originated Sunday in Mexico City. It was met at the Los Angeles airport by fire crews, foam trucks, FBI agents, Transportation Security Administration personnel and police, according to Reuters. The men were escorted from the plane and questioned, then released to catch connecting flights with no charges filed.
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011
NATIONAL
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longislandwins via Creative Commons
A rally in the suburban New York town of Massapequa, Long Island, protesting the stereotyping of Muslims is timed ahead of congressional hearings on Muslim radicalization convened by Rep. Peter King, the local congressman, Feb. 22, 2011.
Do congressional hearings on Muslim radicalization leave room for nuance? By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — Are the congressional hearings on radicalization among American Muslims an instance of McCarthyism, or is the opposition to them political correctness run amok? Jewish groups may disagree on why, but there appears to be wide consensus that the congressional hearings led by Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, are off on the wrong foot. The differences are over whether hearings, which began March 10, are needed at all — and if they are, what they should address. The Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee agree that examining Muslim extremism is a proper issue for Congress, and AJC went a step further by saying that lawmakers should not bend to political pressures. An AJC official, Yehudit Barsky, director of the organization’s division on the Middle East and International Terrorism, submitted written testimony to the hearings, which officially are called “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and That Community’s Response.” In her testimony, Barsky said it was “essential that we all tread carefully so as to avoid rhetoric that smacks of stereotyping members of a particular faith and similarly avoid actions that amount to discrimination against, much less persecution of, members of a faith group based
on their identity or beliefs, as opposed to their actions.” In a statement, the ADL echoed that sentiment. “Homegrown Muslim extremists pose a real threat to the United States, but the issue is one that may be difficult to explore seriously in a hearing that has engendered an unfortunate atmosphere of blame and suspicion of the broader American Muslim community,” the ADL said. “We need to be careful not to single out an entire community for special scrutiny or suspicion.” The Reform movement called on congressional Democrats to expand the hearings to encompass all forms of terrorism. The National Jewish Democratic Council and J Street said the hearings are indelibly tainted. Critics of the hearings say King seeks to smear American Muslims. They note that in the lead-up to the hearings, King said there are “too many mosques” in America. King also has suggested that Muslim leaders do not cooperate with authorities and that the vast majority of clerics are radicalized. The Republican Jewish Coalition said King was fulfilling his proper mission. “The hearings have met with strong resistance from the left, but they are critically needed,” the RJC said in its newsletter. King was unrepentant as the hearings began last week. “To combat this threat, moderate leadership must emerge from the Muslim American community,” he said. HEARINGS on page 22
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INTERNATIONAL/ISRAEL
International Briefs
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Response to Itamar attack prompts Israelis to ask whether Palestinians are serious about peace By JTA Staff Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Radical Muslim cleric returns to Australia SYDNEY, Australia (JTA) — A radical Muslim cleric who described Jews as “pigs” and is accused of inciting terrorism has returned to Australia to preach after years in exile. Sheik Feiz Mohammed, a Sydney native, was told in 2007 by then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that he was “not welcome here” after an inflammatory DVD series emerged in which he was quoted saying that “We want to have children and offer them as soldiers defending Islam. Teach them this: There is nothing more beloved to me than wanting to die as a mujahid [holy warrior].” Media reports this week said Mohammed was back in Sydney teaching at mosques, which drew the ire of New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Vic Alhadeff. “We deplore the use of any such language against any group,” Alhadeff said. “Bringing such hatred to Australia is not what we’re about, and most Australians unequivocally condemn such vicious bigotry.” But Samil Dandan, president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, said the firebrand preacher was a new man and shouldn’t be judged on his past. A police spokesman told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper that Mohammed was being monitored. Iran will attend ‘12 Olympics despite ‘revolting’ logo (JTA) — Iran said it will attend the 2012 Olympics in London despite its protest of the Games’ logo, which it says spells the word Zion. Bahram Afsharzadeh, the secretary general of Iran’s National Olympic Committee, on Sunday told Iran’s Press-TV that “we will participate and play gloriously in the London games.” His comments came after British Prime Minister David Cameron told the British community weekly Jewish News over the weekend that Iran is “completely paranoid” over the logo. “If the Iranians don’t want to come, don’t come; we won’t miss you,” he said. “It would be a crazy reason for not coming.” Cameron added that the athletes who refuse to compete against Israeli athletes would not be welcome. The emblem, which features jagged shapes representing the numbers 2012, has been criticized for its design, which organizers say is modern and intended to catch the attention of the younger generation.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Palestinian reaction to the grisly killings of five Israeli family members in the Jewish settlement of Itamar, on the West Bank, has prompted many Israelis to ask the same question of the Palestinians that the world often asks of the Israeli government: Are they really serious about peace? On the one hand, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas went on Israel Radio on Monday to condemn the March 11 killings of the Fogel family members, including a 4-year-old boy and a 3-month-old girl, as “despicable, inhuman and immoral.” On the other hand, a day after the attack, members of Abbas’ Fatah faction participated in an official dedication ceremony in the West Bank town of Al-Bireh for a town square dedicated to the memory of Dalal Mughrabi, a terrorist involved in killing 37 Israelis in a 1978 bus hijacking on Israel’s coastal road. No PA government officials attended the ceremony, Reuters reported. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu derided the Palestinian
Courtesy of ZAKA
ZAKA volunteer holds a body bag containing one of the victims of the terror attack in the West Bank settlement of Itamar, March 11, 2011.
Authority’s reaction on Sunday to the Itamar killings as full of “weak and mumbled” statements, accusing the Palestinians of continuing to incite against Israel in their mosques and schools. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Hamas members reportedly handed out candy in celebration of the attack. The Palestinian leadership must “stop the incitement that is conduct-
ed on a daily basis in their schools, mosques and the media under their control,” Netanyahu said. “The time has come to stop this double-talk in which the Palestinian Authority outwardly talks peace and allows — and sometimes leads — incitement at home.” The brutal murders of the Fogel parents, Udi, 36, and Ruth,
35, and three of their six children — Yoav, 11, along with Elad, 4, and Hadas, 3 months — shocked and angered a nation that had seen terrorist attacks dwindle in recent years. The circulation of photos of some of the stabbed children — apparently distributed to news media by relatives of the victims — offered gruesome pictures of the blood-soaked scene. A group called the Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades of Imad Mughniyeh claimed responsibility for the attack. Israeli forces combed the area after the attack, and the Palestinian Authority agreed to participate in a joint investigation to find the killer or killers. The attack sparked angry demonstrations throughout Israel and the West Bank in support of the settlers, with demonstrators holding signs reading “We are all settlers” and “Peace isn’t signed with blood.” One of the largest rallies took place in Tel Aviv near the army’s national headquarters. After a funeral in Jerusalem for the Fogels drew an estimated 20,000 people, some settlers went to Palestinian villages to carry out revenge attacks, throwing stones and destroying property.
With pressure mounting, will Bibi go left or right? By Leslie Susser Jewish Telegraphic Agency JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel is staring at a fork in the road, with potential disaster along either path. On the path to the left lies a major Israeli peace initiative that deals with all the core issues under dispute with the Palestinians. On the path to the right lies more waiting, possibly with some kind of offer of an interim peace agreement with the Palestinians, until conditions are right for something more. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the man behind the wheel at this critical juncture, is expected to announce a new peace initiative within the next two months, and the battle over which path it will hew to is causing serious divisions within his Cabinet. His defense minister, Ehud Barak, says the only way to head off a “diplomatic tsunami” that will engulf the Jewish state is by pressing for a major initiative on the Palestinian track that deals with all the core issues. Likud moderates such as Dan Meridor and Michael Eitan support Barak’s stance. Hard-liners from the ruling Likud Party warn that if Israel makes premature territorial concessions, disaster will follow. Benny Begin, Silvan Shalom and Moshe Ya’alon are leading this very strong and vocal
Moshe Milner/Flash90/JTA
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sitting with Israeli army officers during a visit to the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, said the Israeli army must maintain its presence along the length of the Jordan Valley in any future peace arrangement reached with the Palestinians, March 8, 2011.
campaign against Barak’s proposal. The debate has brought to the fore the fundamental differences within the Cabinet on the Palestinian issue. Barak argues that unless Israel has a peace plan on the table within the next few months, it could suffer its worst-ever diplomatic defeat. With Israel failing to offer any alternative, he envisions a situation in which the Palestinians take their case to the United Nations in
September and get wall-to-wall international recognition of their state along the 1967 lines without having to make concessions on borders, refugees or Jerusalem — or even declare an end to the conflict. In Barak’s view, if Israel wants its case to be heard, it must offer an alternative plan. Otherwise, it will find itself under increasing international pressure to withdraw to the pre-1967 lines without even its most basic security demands taken
into account. Israel also will face growing delegitimization as an occupying power in defiance of the will of the international community. “It would be a mistake to ignore this tsunami,” he said Sunday at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. “Israel’s delegitimization is just over the horizon, even if the public doesn’t see it. It’s very dangerous and we need to act.” For the hard-liners, the danger lies in what they call Barak’s “delusional” approach. Ya’alon, who like Barak is a former Israeli army chief of staff, argues that it is dangerously naive to think the conflict can be solved by territorial concessions when the real problem is a fundamental Palestinian refusal to come to terms with Israel’s existence. Ya’alon says that even moderate Palestinian leaders such as Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas would like to see Israel disappear, and that peace will be possible only when the Palestinian mind-set changes and all forms of anti-Israel education and incitement stop. It’s a view that has gained some more traction among the Israeli public following the brutal killings last Friday night of five family members in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Itamar. BIBI on page 22
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011
SOCIAL LIFE
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Rockwern Academy's Preschool and Kindergarten's 3rd annual Mitten Drive Over the past few weeks, Rockwern Academy's preschool and kindergarten classes collected over EIGHTY pairs of mittens and gloves to help keep children warm! The pre-kindergarten classes visited their "Big" kindergarten friends and made cards to be sent along with each pair of mittens. The mittens are being donated to Jefferson Township Elementary School. The school is very grateful to receive the mittens! The teacher who is distributing the gifts, Ms. Lindsay Pryor, said they are excited to write the children at Rockwern a letter of thanks! We are very proud of our students. They have gone above and beyond this year!
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R E F UA H S H L E M A H Frieda Berger Fraida bat Raizel
Roma Kaltman Ruchama bat Perl
Ravid Sulam Ravid Chaya bat Ayelet
Daniel Eliyahu Daniel ben Tikvah
Pepa Kaufman Perel Tova bat Sima Sora
Edward Ziv Raphael Eliezer Aharon ben Esther Enya
Edith Kaffeman Yehudit bat B’racha
Murray Kirschner Chaim Meir ben Basha
VOL. 3552 • NO. 21
SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2010 / 14 ADAR II, 5771
SINGLE ISSUE SETTLEMENT
News of the Jewish World One year later—The women tell all In response to Charlie Sheen informing the press that he’s Jewish—despite having a Roman Catholic father and an atheist mother—other members of Hollywood royalty have joined him in letting the world know their true religious leanings. The most vocal defender of Sheen and his antics appears to be Mel Gibson. According to Australian reports, not only is Gibson and his vocally anti-Jewish father actually members of the Hebraic faith, according to the Gawker website, both men were seen today at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery of Culver City,Calif., laying flowers and schmaltz on the graves of Jack Benny, Max Factor Sr. and Mickey Katz. Apparently, the younger Gibson’s favorite song in the world is “The Ballad of Duvid Crockett.” In other news today, Angelina Jolie revealed that not only is she
again pregnant with twins, but that she and her whole family are converting to Judaism. According to a recent interview, she explained why she, Brad Pitt and all of their children intend to follow Jewish traditions in the future. “We love our parents, but after watching ‘The Fiddler on the Roof’ for the 100th time, the religion in the movie finally spoke to us. We realized we needed to live ‘the Chai Life,’ ” said the starlet who is currently making arrangements to convert to Judaism and has already chosen Vashtie as her Hebrew name. Jolie intends to name her unborn children “Gesund Chai” and “Mama Loshen,” to go along with their 4year-old sister, Shiloh. Jolie also noted that she and Brad intend to reach “The Chai Life” by continuing to adopt and have biological children until they have a total of 18 members of their family.
As reported last year, Netanel (Ted) Deutsch was prepared to select from one of four eligible bachelorettes, and to be wed on April 31, 2010. Well, the wedding did not take place, and many were left wondering, why? The American Israelite knew its readers would want answers and so we set off to locate “The Cougar,” “The Youngin,” “The Bubbe” and “The Goldilocks” in order to give them the opportunity to “tell all.” In an interview conducted at an undisclosed location, on an undisclosed date and at an undisclosed time, lead reporter Yente Goldberg asked some pointed questions: YG: Each of you were in the running for Cincinnati’s hottest, available bachelor. What happened? Cougar: All I can say is once I found out he was the Mayor of Schnorrerville, I couldn’t subject myself to a life of schnorrers. I mean can you blame me, who
would want to live like that? YG: And how about the rest of you? Youngin: I thought he was supposed to be perfect! I took one smell of him and nearly passed out. His breath reeked of cigar smoke! Who would want to go near him? Bubbe: Not only that, but he loves to golf. I’m not interested in that. What’s fun about walking all over hills and valleys trying to locate your golf ball? Matzah balls, that I can handle! Goldilocks: I was ok with the golf game. Fishing is another story. I was not impressed with his need to go off for days at a time, and coming back smelling like a cannery! YG: “Cincinnati’s Most Eligible Bachelor” is about to be removed from the eligible list, as he has decided to take a break from dating. Now that you have had a year to contemplate your loss, do you regret your decision?
Cougar: I guess I could have been less quick to judge. Maybe living amongst the city’s schnorrers would have proven beneficial to me in the long run. Youngin: Not in the least! Cigar smoking is bad for your health and bad for the environment! I would recommend he starts carrying a bottle of Febreze to keep him smelling fresh. Bubbe: I’ve come to learn a few things about golf and I’ve decided that any opportunity to swing a club and hit some balls might not be so bad. Goldilocks: Me? Change my mind? No way! I don’t mind eating fish, but I want to be as far away as possible from that form of recreation. Anyway, I’m not the same without my Jimmy Choo’s and there’s no way I’d ruin a pair of my favorite pumps trudging through murky waters. There you have it, straight from the mouths of “the ones that got away.”
157th annual Mud Wrestling Tournament, March 20 The rumors are true. There will once again be mud wrestling this Purim. We are only including the Top Ten matches as of press time. All are subject to change. Please check our website for the latest times and for any updates. Events, stages and/or venues are listed below. Especially for this year’s event we have shipped in mud from the Dead Sea, whose advertising motto is “You will look better after the fight.” 10. DATE: PURIM Time: 8 a.m. Venue: Old K.I. building in the catacombs Event: Single match elimination Contestants: _____________ vs. his wallet for the rights to being first in line at any Kiddush, any time, anywhere, any state, any country, and any planet—I hear the cholent on Mars is out of this world. Ticket anyone? Clothing is wrestler’s choice since ______ wears the same suit, same tie and same shirt every Shabbos; it just might be a default on behalf of the wallet. 9. DATE: PURIM Time: 8:15 a.m. Venue: Northern Hills Synagogue parking lot—turn in at the “Church Entrance Ahead” sign Event: Tag team one fall instant elimination Contestants: ___________ and ____________in a tag team match vs. _____________ and
_______________ over who gets to run the kitchen at Northern Hills Synagogue. Let’s face it, the early money is on _______ because of age, and we hear she has been working out at the gym. Let’s not count the old wily veteran ________ out so quickly; we have it on very good authority he was schooled in the Venezeulan sleeper hold used by The Sheik wrestler from the 1960s. Heck, I learned how to bust a move from him; it worked well at college every time it was tried. 8. DATE: PURIM Time: 8:15 a.m. Venue: Rascals Deli Event: Single match one pin, single elimination. Contestants: Joel Fingermannshnorreritsky vs. Danny DeVito for a whitefish sandwich, eggs, fruit cup and oh, don’t forget the kippers. Will fight over the bill and who gets to pay it. 7. DATE: PURIM Time: 9 a.m. Venue: A renamed and redesigned bowling alley somewhere over the rainbow Event: Tag team no-holds-barred until pinned Contestants ______________ School Cafeteria vs. _._._._. School Cafeteria on who can feed those kids the best for the cheapest with no gagging, hurling or food fight throwing—well maybe it’s alright on the last day of school; kids r u w/ me?
6. DATE: PURIM Time: 10 a.m. Venue: Graeters on Fountain Square, after the radio show ends—of course, and enough time to change into fighting attire and head gear. Event: Tag team, must follow current I.L.U.V.M.U.D. bantam weight rules. Contestants: The Bagel Man- John Marxshnorreritsky and Andy Furmanshnorreritsky vs. Randy Frumanshnorreritsky and Brian Krantz for a clean pair of boxer shorts, unsoiled and untouched by human hands. Always new and refreshing. 5. DATE: PURIM Time: Sometime after davening and after totally trashing the new Mikveh with all their chozzerai Venue: A WalMart parking lot somewhere in Milford, otherwise known as G-D’s country Event: Tag team matches, must follow current I.N.E.E.D.A.J.O.B. middle weight rules; these guys do like to put on the feed bag. Contestants: The entire herd of Kollel Rabbis vs. the entire herd of Chabad Rabbis and let’s not forget the Chabad Yeshiva, too. Will be fighting over a dollar that somehow fell out of a Salvation Army kettle and blew around the parking lot for a few months. This tag team match up could go on for weeks, They will be fighting over that dollar for awhile, maybe even until next Purim.
4. DATE: PURIM Time: 10:30 a.m. Venue: Montgomery Inn parking lot Event: Tag team match, must follow W.H.O.H.A.S.T.H.E.B.E.S.T.K.U.G .E.L. heavy weight rules; these guys REALLY like to put on the feed bag Contestants: Mendy Shnorreritsky and Vanky Shnorreritsky vs. Elazar Shnorreritsky and Ruvein Schmaltz Shnorreritsky—he’s come back just for the match. Will be fighting over who has the best and the brightest Passover display and wares. One of the contestants—who shall remain nameless—was heard to exclaim, “Our racks are bigger than your racks!” 3. DATE: PURIM Time: 11 a.m. Venue: Max Headroom’s secret lair Event: Tag team match, must follow C.A.N.T.S.P.E.N.D.M.Y.T.R.U.S.T. F.U.N.D.F.A.S.T.E.N.O.U.G.H. Lightweight rules. Contestants: The American Israelite #1 vs. Any and all comers and #2. Was it ever a match ?? HUH ?? 2. DATE: PURIM Time: High Noon Venue: Never, Never Land and the nearest We-B-Toys (I don’t want to grow up, I’m A We-B-Toys Kid) Event: Tag team match vs. one man—come on folks, this hardly seems fair Contestants: Rabbi _____________ vs. The Board of Rabbis, The Orthodox Board of Rabbis, The Entire Congregation, The Entire
Community, Good sense, Fair play, Common Sense, any shred of decency and any crumb of what’s left of my dignity (dignity is overrated). You knew I just had to get this one in. 1. DATE: PURIM Time: Sunset E.S.T. Venue: Somewhere between Lex Luther’s castle and that shining sign high up on a hill Event: Mano vs. Mano. No holds bar death match, fight to the finish. _____________ vs. _________ . In the final match, we have two titans who will fight it out for the championship of our fair city. The winner gets to control the Federation, Foundation, UC Judaic Studies, Cedar Village, the JCC, and every other important organization in the city. All except for the Word—that’s still in good hands. Winner gets to become King Of Shnorrerville as opposed to Mayor, I am not abdicating that just yet. Rules, Regulations, Disclaimers and legalese, legal speak, etc. Some events take place at the same time, so you will have to decide which ones to attend. And yes, this is our annual lame attempt at humor on Purim. Let’s face it, we save up our shtick and this is what you get once a year. All of the names have been changed or just plain removed to protect the innocent, that means readers, “cause ain’t none of these folks innocent.”
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DINING OUT
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Through the Garden: Cozy cooking in the neighborhood them; a bowl $4.25, a cup $3.75. To combat the troubled economy, Caldwell has created two all-youcan-eat days during the week. For $9.99 on Tuesdays, you can eat all the chicken wings your heart and belly desire. Try a stir fry with only fresh vegetables and a bevy of spices for the everyday price of $11.99. I asked Caldwell for recommendations. “The garden tilapia,” he said, “is a favorite.” Seared tilapia topped with sautéed spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes in a balsamic glaze, for $16.99 or if the mood is for chicken in a rich wine sauce, Chicken Marsala, for $15.99, will fit the bill. All dinner entrees come with two sides: choose the fresh vegetable and fresh fruit, add a small salad with dressing on the side, and still be in compliance with most diet demands. If you do not want a hot meal, pick one of the nine entrée salads. Caldwell said, “Mediterranean Chicken salad is another popular item.” Grilled chicken, kalamata olives, tomatoes, feta cheese, and cucumber over crisp greens, dressed with balsamic vinaigrette, served with pita is dinner sized for $9.59. Sandwiches are also a choice for lighter appetites as well as lunch and dinner. Portabella mushroom, blackened tilapia hoagie, grilled salmon, smoked turkey, on and on, all delicious and priced under $10. As we head into spring, Caldwell promises another season of robust gardening. From four kinds of tomatoes to fresh herbs, raspberries, lettuce, hot and bell peppers, basil, rosemary, parsley, hot chili peppers, and flowers, the outside garden provides a respite from the surrounding industrial neighbors. It is ideal for a weekday lunchtime breath of air, as eating on the terrace will be available. In the dessert category, Caldwell plans to bring back amaretto ice cream pie in April. Summer will see the return of his luscious homemade key lime pie. Don’t despair, the cold weather has a marvelous bread pudding in addition to apple pie and homemade chocolate mousse. I tasted the caramel cinnamon pudding and detected a hint of New Orleans in each heavenly bite. Through the Garden has carryout on most items. Saturday features neighborhood fun with Trivial Ppursuit starting at 7:30 p.m. Join John Caldwell at Through the Garden. This man likes to feed his customers well. Enjoy fresh food prepared daily. Whether you are a vegetarian, meat lover or crave a pasta, this restaurant will match all taste buds. A kid’s menu is also offered so bring the entire family.
By Marilyn Gale Dining Editor All I want is a room somewhere; far away from the cold night air…those lyrics keep roaming through my mind when I think about Through the Garden restaurant in winter. The brown barren side yard, that is lush and bursting with berries, peppers, squash and herbs in summer, lies dormant in the early part of the year. Yet, never fear, once spring arrives new life will emerge. But now, in the biting north wind, Through the Garden reveals other charms. Its affectionate hospitality beckons one to enter this picturesque cottage flanked by industrial boring buildings. Allyou-can-eat Thursday and Tuesday is posted on the yellow sign outside. C’mon in, to the tavern in the neighborhood and learn about the specials of the day. If it is evening, you’ll find out that Long Island ice teas and mai ties are always $5. John Caldwell and his friendly crew, including his helpful wife, are cooking up a storm at the little oasis north of Pfeiffer Road. The warm oak studded interior gives a homespun, rural aura. Colorful pictures of flowers and fruit that grow in the yard decorate the walls of each table. Caldwell took those photos. It is a nice touch that enhances the dining experience. But as my wise grandma used to say, you can’t rely on beauty alone. Through the Garden’s menu choices satiate your appetite for a full meal, while offering an intriguing range of soups and creating desserts that might have a wee bit of bourbon in them (i.e. the Granny Smith Apple pie that was on special the day I visited the restaurant). Caldwell’s menu has changed slightly from last summer’s. He said, “After six years in business, you can never take anything for granted. With the turn in economy, you have to meet the customer’s needs. Food is comfort. We have less expensive options; we have specials that don’t cost twice as much because I use seasonal produce (apple pie).” He also is aware of health issues and diet restrictions. The fact that some people, and that group appears to be growing, need a gluten free diet. Okay, on to the best part, the food! I had the pleasure of dining on the blackened salmon salad. Fish never tested better. Spicy pink filets were crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside, served atop greens with bleu cheese, dried cranberries and pinenuts. I think it might be addicting and also a signature dish. Choices are plenty. The day I visited two soups were on the menu, cream of mushroom and butternut squash, in addition to the regulars, chicken tortilla and French onion.” Homemade oozes out of
(Clockwise) Warm interior makes dining at Through the Garden a happy experience; Homemade desserts delight your taste buds; Blackened salmon salad is a signature dish; Owner John Caldwell is a culinary master for all appetites.
Through the Garden 10738 Kenwood Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 513-791-2199
DINING OUT
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011
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OPINION
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The King hearings: Prejudice or prudence? Representative Peter King of New York, the chairman of the House Homeland Security committee, is convening Congressional hearings to gauge the “radicalization” of Muslims in the United States. He claims to have heard accounts from federal law enforcement officials about U.S. Islamic leaders declining to cooperate with police or fomenting radical views among young Muslims. Ever since Mr. King, a nine-term incumbent from Long Island, first announced his plan for the Congressional inquiry back in December 2010, widespread criticism was lobbed his way by an assortment of civil rights groups and Muslim activists. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called Mr. King an “Islamophobe” and his plan “a flashback to McCarthy’s witchhunt”; Abed A. Ayoub, the legal director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said that the King proposal “has bigoted intentions”; and Mahmoud El-Yousseph, an American Muslim Air Force retiree, wrote on Al Jazeera that Mr. King is “fixated on Muslims in America, like a drug addict hooked on drugs.” Noting that Representative King has expressed particular concerns about American mosques serving to promote radical Islam, Mr. El-Yousseph asks “Does this law maker [sic] prefer Muslims to build more casinos, brothels, or Hanukkah bars…?” (The latter phrase remained undefined.) Even U.S. Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota contended that for the hearings to target American Muslims exclusively would be “to vilify this community,” something he characterized as “very scary and [that] clearly has McCarthyistic implications.” Mr. King, however, insists that the goal of his hearings is not to create a negative picture of the American Muslim community. Although he has charged that “the leadership of the [Muslim] community is not geared to cooperation” in fighting terrorism, he insists that “The overwhelming majority of Muslims are outstanding Americans.” Islamist-inspired violence like the 2009 Fort Hood and Little Rock shootings leave little substantive argument that hearings like those being convened by Peter King are unwarranted. The charges of “McCarthyism” are to be expected, and should be ignored. The House of Representatives, for all its shortcomings, is not the Ku Klux Klan, and will not allow a legitimate inquiry aimed at better protecting the country from terrorism to devolve into the demonization of a religion or a community.
Concerns, though, have been expressed about the direction the hearings may end up taking. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Reuel Marc Gerecht suggests that it would make sense for elected officials—whether as part of the public hearings or less openly as a result of them — to authorize agencies to dig deeper into soil that may nourish the roots of American Islamic terrorism: the mosques and Islamic schools that help mold the worldviews of many American Muslims. At first thought, that seems precisely the right way to go. If it turns out, as some suspect, that foreignfinanced institutions in our country are helping foster attitudes that endanger Americans, that will be an area ripe for applying existing laws, or passing new legislation, to undermine the outrage. Should investigating the teachings of religious institutions, however, be encouraged? Religious teachings can all too easily be presented without their contexts in negative ways. Does the United States really want to open that Pandora’s box? Perhaps not, but it is important to note that the legal bar for what can be prosecuted as incitement to violence is high. It was spelled out by the U.S. Supreme Court in a 1969 case, Brandenburg v. Ohio, in which the conviction of a racist for seeming to advocate violence against blacks and Jews was overturned. The Court ruled that “The constitutional guarantees of free speech and free press do not permit a State to forbid or proscribe advocacy of the use of force or of law violation except where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action.” In other words, for better or worse, government has no right to prosecute — and hence will have no justification for investigating — religious institutions for their teachings, even teachings that advocate lawlessness, unless the institution is plausibly seen as actually calling for “imminent” criminal behavior. Only the most oblivious observer could deny that a disproportionate amount of both would-be and actual terrorism against Americans derives from some Muslims’ understanding of Islam. And only the most credulous could imagine that radical Islam is not a clear and present danger. And so, concern over whether Islamic institutions may be incubating tomorrow’s terrorists is not prejudice but prudence. And any investigation of such institutions less resembles Big Brother seeking to curtail freedoms than a police investigator dusting for fingerprints at a crime scene. (Rabbi Shafran is an editor at large and columnist for Ami Magazine. This column is reproduced with permission from Ami Magazine.)
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Dear Editor To Prime Minister Netanyahu, The Jewish people are no stranger to tragedy. Even a cursory look at our people’s history will attest to that. We have suffered terrible losses and injustices from a cruel world that has never managed to break our spirit and our untamable will to not only survive, but flourish in the face of enemies that are physically stronger than us and greatly outnumber us. There is no rational or logical explanation for the longevity of our people, and by extension the survival of the land of Israel. The only explanation is that it is G-d’s will and He is the master engineer that runs the world. Many ask, if G-d is a loving G-d, how can he allow these terrible tragedies to befall his treasured people? This is a question that the Jewish people have asked for centuries, crying out to the heavens, “Hashem, ad matai?” G-d, how long will you allow us to suffer before you send a savior to redeem us? I think the better question is: how can He NOT allow this to happen? As a nation we are divided; there is animosity and fighting within the ranks of our own people. We discriminate against our brothers based on ideology and diversity. We are all equally guilty of this. So we must take responsibility for the tragedies. Because history will tell you, the only thing that
has consistently united us as a people, is tragedy. Tragedy does not discriminate between the poor and the rich, the wise and the simple, the strong and the weak, the secular or the religious. We all bleed the same, and none of us are immune to the acts of horror that have been perpetrated against our people. Perhaps this is the message in the current heartrending images of the murdered children and their innocent parents that have burned indelible images into our brains. A warning to us all how evil, if left unchecked in this world, will destroy good and all morality as we know it. The only way we can overcome this reality is if we unite as one people and fight the good fight together. I pray that the senseless and tragic murders of the Fogel family in Itamar, these holy martyrs who died innocently for the sake of heaven, be a zechut (merit) for our people and may their heartbreaking sacrifice serve as a wake up call to the world and to the Israeli government. We can no longer bow to political pressure from anyone, we can only act in the best interest of the land of Israel and her people, despite any fallout or criticism in which this will result. We must have an unwavering faith and resolve in this mission, and know that G-d will protect us from our enemies now, like he has in the past. We are an eternal people, and the covenant between us and Him is eternal. It has been proven time and time again that
Israel is a land of miracles, that she has triumphed in every conflict she has had with her enemies since her inception as a country in 1948. Prime Minister, I beseech you to realize that we must act with strength and tenacity as one people, with one heart united; if we set our minds to this purpose we cannot fail. But this requires nerves of steel and an iron will, not weakness and pandering to the nations of the world who only seek our destruction and demise. It is your responsibility to remove any officers in your cabinet who are blind to this truth, as they will be an impediment to this goal. If you, as our trusted leader, can possess these attributes, perhaps the Fogel family’s tragic massacre will not be in vain. Stand strong for Israel and let this poor family know that our hearts break with their hearts, our tears fall with their tears, our blood boils in anger and outrage with their blood. May this tragedy prove to bear positive fruits in the terrifying times that are coming for our land and for our people. Like similar tragedies in our past, it is up to us to teach the world and ourselves “to never forget.” May this happen soon and may this noble family be comforted in the knowledge that the deaths of their loved ones were the catalyst for the changes that are crucial for us to prevail in the face of such demonic evil. Naomi Landis Cincinnati, OH
T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE This Week’s Portion: Purim Book of Esther 1. Who wandered in the Book of Esther? a.) The Jews b.) Haman c.) Achashvarosh 2. Which “book” is mentioned? a.) Five books of Moshe b.) Book of Remembrances/Chronicles c.) Book of the Battles of Hashem 3. Which animal is mentioned? a.) Horse Chronicles and he had erased Mordechai's actions in saving the king's life. 3. A 6:8 4. B 7:9 After Esther exposed Haman as the perpetrator of a plot against her people, Haman pleaded to her to save himself. However, an angel pushed Haman on the bed that Esther was sitting, inflaming the king's anger more. 5. A 3:2 Mordechai did not bow down to Haman who made himself into a deity. Rashi
By Rabbi Avi Shafran Contributing Columnist
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
b.) Lion c.) Elephant 4. Who fell in the narrative? a.) Mordechai b.) Haman c.) Achashvarosh 5. Who stood erect in the story? a.) Mordechai b.) Haman c.) Achashvarosh ANSWERS 1. C 6:1 Achashvarosh was worried about Esther inviting Haman to the party. Actually it was a miracle that he could not sleep that night when the Jews were in great peril. Rashi 2. B 6:1 According to the Malbim, there were two books: The Chronicles and the Remembrances. Achashvarosh had the smaller book of Remembrances, he was trying to find a friend who would come to his aid. Haman had the
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Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise
JEWISH LIFE
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011
Sedra of the Week
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MODERN ORTHODOX SERVICE
By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Daily Minyan for Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv, Shabbat Morning Service and Shalosh Seudas.
SHABBAT SHALOM: PARSHAT TZAV—PURIM • LEVITICUS 6:1-8:36
Kiddush follows Shabbat Morning Services
Efrat, Israel — - Apparently we must continue to drink on Purim until the truths of the Bible completely overturn the confusion of a world which has lost its moral compass. I think that the Scroll of Esther, read on Purim, provides the best critique I know of our present day “situational ethics” environment. What led me to this insight was a strange talmudic comment: “Where do we find Haman in the Torah? ‘Is it from the tree [Hebrew: hamin ha’etz] which I commanded you not to eat of it, that you ate [Genesis 3:11]?’” (B.T. Hulin 139b). This verse, part of the biblical portion of punishments meted out to Adam, Eve and the serpent after their transgression, links Haman, Esther’s story and the sin of eating the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. What was the nature of the garden prohibition? It certainly could not have been “knowledge” which the Bible was forbidding; after all, the Book of Proverbs praises wisdom, the sages of the Talmud were well-versed in the sciences and Greek culture, Rabbenu Sa’adia Gaon and Maimonides urge us to accept knowledge from anyone who teaches it, Jew or gentile, and although the Scroll of Ecclesiastes maintains that “he who increases knowledge increases pain” (Ecclesiastes 1:18), the Kotzker Rebbe commented, “be pained, but acquire knowledge.” I believe that God was forbidding Adam and Eve from eating the fruit of knowledge of good and evil so that they would not try to become their own arbiters over what is morally right and wrong. The Bible is teaching – as the most fundamental axiom of the book of divine wisdom – that objective Good and Evil must be decided by a Higher Authority. As Sigmund Freud says in his Civilization and its Discontent, when it comes to self-justification and rationalization, every human becomes a genius. Uriel Eitam, in a magnificent article published in Haddassah, She is Esther (Esther (Dassy) Rabinowitz Memorial Volume 5757, Tvunot Press, Allon Shvut), shows how Ahasuerus confuses concepts of good and evil, and how Haman actually turns evil into good – each in order to execute his nefarious designs. Ahasuerus confuses the moral concept of “good” with the physi-
The confusion becomes far more serious when it becomes “good” in Ahasuerus’ eyes to banish/execute Vashti for her refusal to “show off her beauty” to his drunken guests (1:19, 21). The source of the king’s confusion is because his “heart had become ‘good’ with wine,” which causes one’s rational faculties to become impaired. cal, sexual category of maidens of “goodly appearance” (tovot mar’eh as in Esther 1:11, 2:2, 3). The confusion becomes far more serious when it becomes “good” in Ahasuerus’ eyes to banish/execute Vashti for her refusal to “show off her beauty” to his drunken guests (1:19, 21). The source of the king’s confusion is because his “heart had become ‘good’ with wine,” which causes one’s rational faculties to become impaired. Haman actually converts evil into good when he claims it to be “good” for the king to destroy the Jews of Persia in order to gain 10,000 silver talents (3:9). Ahasuerus abandons the Jews, making them and the funds necessary to exterminate them available to Haman so that he may do that which is “good” in his eyes (3, 11). And when Haman decides to listen to his wife’s advice and murder Mordecai (one of the true – and truly good – heroes of the tale) by having him hanged, the Scroll of Esther reports: “And the matter was good before Haman, and he prepared the tree” (5:14). It is Esther who sets the record straight by clearly separating evil from good. Indeed, for the first six chapters of the scroll the word evil (ra) is not found; no wonder, since the worst evil has been called “good”: It is Esther who reveals the truth by declaring at her feast with Ahasuerus, “An adversary and an enemy is this evil Haman” (7:6). And Esther also places “good” in proper perspective: “And if it be good to the king, let him give me my life for my request and my nation for my petition” (7:3); “And if it be good to the king, let him countermand the thoughts of Haman…. who has written to destroy the Jews” (8:5); “And if it be good to the king,… let the 10 sons of Haman be hanged from the
tree” (9:13, 14). But if the wrong was righted, if true knowledge was restored, if good and evil were placed in their proper perspective, then how can we account for the inordinate drinking which marks our celebration of Purim, as our sages teach: “It is incumbent upon a person to drink on Purim until he can no longer know the difference between cursing Haman and praising Mordecai” (B.T. Megila 7b)? I believe the answer is the same response the Talmud gives as to why we do not recite the Hallel psalms of praise on Purim: The Scroll of Esther concludes with the Jews still living in the galut (Diaspora) of Persia; they remain servants of Ahasuerus. The world has not yet been redeemed. Indeed, Iran (Persia) continues to threaten our security even today. Suicide bombers are still described as freedom fighters and martyrs. Apparently we must continue to drink on Purim until the truths of the Bible completely overturn the confusion of a world which has lost its moral compass. Retraction: I am very grateful to Majer Goldstein of Montreal and Florida for bringing to my attention a badly worded paragraph that appeared in last year’s Purim column. My words may have been construed to mean that God sent Hitler in order to remind the Jews that they were Jews. I do not submit to such a theology. Hitler, may his name be blotted out, committed actions that were totally antithetical to the will of our God of Love and compassion. Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone Chief Rabbi — Efrat Israel
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JEWZ IN THE NEWZ
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Jewz in the Newz By Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist CHARLIE SHEEN’S JEWISH FANTASY On March 2, Charlie Sheen’s Jewish manager, MARK BURG, tried to quash claims that Sheen was anti-Semitic by noting that his estranged wife, BROOKE MUELLER, is Jewish. My research proved that Mueller, in fact, does have a Jewish mother (her late father wasn’t Jewish). Two days later, Charlie Sheen surprised the world (and almost certainly his manager) by telling “Access Hollywood” that his mother is “Jewish” (although, Sheen says, ‘they’ don’t know who his maternal grandfather was). Long story, short—it is virtually certain that Sheen’s claim of a Jewish mother is a fantasy. Sheen is the son of devout Catholic actor Martin Sheen. His mother, Janet Templeton Sheen, is the daughter of Lena Conde, (nee Martin). Lena, my research shows, was born and raised in rural Kentucky, and it’s almost certain her parents were “WASP.” Just as this column went to press, a friend told me about an April 2010 radio/video interview of Charlie Sheen’s brother, Emilio Estevez, by a Catholic priest. In part 2 of the interview, Estevez mentions his mother is of Southern Baptist background, which created a religious conflict between his parents. So much for Charlie’s claim of a Jewish mother. ROGEN AS “E.T.” SETH ROGEN, 28, has the title role in the sci-fi comedy/drama/thriller “Paul.” Two British geeks, Grame (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost), decide to tour America’s (supposed) extraterrestrial “hot spots.” They accidentally met Paul, a “nice” space alien who has just escaped after 60 years of captivity on a top-secret military base. Paul and the geeks are chased by federal agents (Sigourney Weaver, Jason Bateman). Along the way, they meet and travel for a time with a kooky devout Christian (Kristen Wiig). She loses her faith and turns pretty wild after she accepts that Paul is a real space alien—and contrary to fundamentalist scripture, there is life outside planet Earth. Paul convinces her by demonstrating, like SPIELBERG’s “E.T.”, that he has magical healing powers. (Opens Friday, March 18). KIRK AND CHEKOV RE-UNITE WILLIAM SHATNER, 79, and WALTER KOENIG, 74, met many fictional space aliens when they played, respectively, Captain James Kirk and Ensign Pavel Chekov on the “Star Trek” TV series and in subsequent films. Koenig is
the interview guest on Shatner’s BIO cable channel show, “Raw Nerve” (airs Monday, March 14, 10:30 PM; many encore showings). No doubt, Shatner will (gently) ask Koenig about the suicide death of Koenig’s son, actor ANDREW KOENIG, a year ago. Koenig grew-up in Chicago, the son of Lithuanian Jewish immigrants. The other Jewish leads on the original “Trek” were LEONARD NIMOY, now 79, (Mr. Spock), and the late MARK LENARD, who played Spock’s Vulcan father. The first sequel series, “Star Trek: Next Generation,” had only one Jewish lead actor — BRENT SPINER, now 62, who played Data, the android. ST. PATRICK’S DAY CONNECTIONS Since today is St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d highlight some Irish/Jewish connections. First, here are some famous actors and actresses of Irish (Protestant or Catholic) and Jewish parentage — all identify, in a religious sense, as secular or Jewish—MATTHEW BRODERICK, JENNIFER CONNELLY, HARRISON FORD, ALYSON HANNIGAN, SEAN PENN, and DANIEL RADCLIFFE. Other celebrities of Irish/Jewish background include TV host BROOKE BURKE and Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater SARAH HUGHES. The most famous celebrity Irish Catholic convert to Judaism is probably ANNE MEARA, the wife of JERRY STILLER and the mother of BEN STILLER. The two most famous Ireland-born and raised Jews are CHAIM HERZOG (1918-1977) and ROBERT BRISCOE (1894-1969). Herzog, the son of the chief rabbi of Ireland, had a distinguished career in the British army during WWII and as a major general in the Israeli army. He served as Israel’s U.N. Ambassador and was President of Israel from 1983-1993. Briscoe is best known as the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Dublin, an honorary post that he was appointed to in 1956 (it is a one-year job). Less well-known is that Briscoe had an important, if not major, role in the fight for Irish independence. Briscoe also served in the Irish Parliament, as did his son. Briscoe, by the way, figures in one of the many funny anecdotes about Yogi Berra, the NY Yankee star catcher who is credited with such “Yogisms” as, “It’s not over ‘til it’s over.” In the ‘50s, a reporter told Yogi that the mayor of Dublin was Jewish. Yogi supposedly replied, “Only in America.” Another fun aside: Legendary Irish Catholic actor James Cagney, who grew-up in a Jewish neighborhood, was almost fluent in Yiddish. Cagney spoke a lot of Yiddish in comedic scenes in a 1932 film.
FROM THE PAGES 100 Years Ago Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Levinson, of New York City, formerly of Cincinnati, announce the engagement of their daughter, Birdie, to Mr. Joseph Haas, a prosperous young businessman of New York. Miss Gertye, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Abram Wise, 915 Lexington Avenue, Avondale, and Mr. David N. Harteveld, will be married Sunday, March 19th, at the home of the bride’s parents, Dr. Grossmann officiating. The debt of $45,000 that had been incurred by Sherith Israel Ahavath Achim Congregation when it built its
magnificent $70,000 synagogue on Reading Road, Avondale, three years ago, has been wiped out. This joyous news was announced at the Purim services in the beautiful house of worship by Rabbi Mielziner during his address, in which he declared that the congregation is striving to maintain a modern conservative service, and at the same time, perpetuate the tradition dear to the Jews. Although not a resident of Cincinnati, Mrs. Fanny Butzel Heineman who died at her home in Detroit, Mich., was a member of the
Plum Street Temple Congregation of Cincinnati. She was the widow of Emil S. Heineman, one of Detroit’s pioneer Jewish settlers, and up to the time of his death one of the most prominent and highly respected men of that city. She leaves two sons, Solomon E. and David E. Heineman, of Detroit; and two daughters, Mrs. Chas. M. Thurnauer and Mrs. Benjamin Pritz, of Cincinnati. At the funeral, which took place in Detroit on Monday, March 13, Dr. Louis Grossmann, of Cincinnati, officiated. — March 16, 1911
75 Years Ago Mr. and Mrs. Max Gugenheim, of Rose Hill Avenue, entertained with an informal family supper party in honor of their cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Lyon (Bebe Daniels) Tuesday, March 10th. Mr. and Mrs. Lyon, Hollywood Stars, enjoyed this reunion with their Cincinnati relatives following the evening performance at Shubert Theater last week when they appeared with the “Continental Cavalcade.” Mr. Walter J. Friedlander entertained with a smoker at his home on N. Crescent Avenue, Saturday
evening, March 14th, for representatives of the Bureau of Air Commerce and officers of an airline and an airplane manufacturing company. Mr. Friedlander, former safety director of Cincinnati and widely known industrialist, is the new president of the Aeronautical Corporation of America, at Lunken Airport. He is also president of the Vermilya-Huffman Co. He is manager of that organization’s airport in San Benito, Texas. Honoring their mother, Mrs. D.
B. Stern, of Burton Avenue, on the occasion of her 70th birthday last week, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Stern entertained at dinner, the 650 residents of the Branch hospital the scene of much philanthropic activity of the Jewish Consumptive Relief. Coming in from out-of-town to be with Mrs. Stern on her birthday were her brothers, Messrs. Stanley and Henry Smith; her brother-inlaw, Mr. Louis Forst; and her nephew and niece, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Ellison, all of New York City.— March 19, 1936
50 Years Ago The marriage of Miss Clare Rochelle Gerber, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hyman Gerber, of New York City, to Dr. Irvin Dunsky, son of Mr. Morris Dunsky of Cincinnati, was solemnized Feb. 26, at Essex House in New York City. Rabbi Morris Rothman, brotherin-law of the bridegroom, officiated. Mrs. Lawrence Lisker, sister of the bride was matron of honor. Mr. Abe Dunsky was his brother’s best man. Dr. and Mrs. Dunsky honeymooned in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and
reside at 5316 Reading Road. David W. Klau, philanthropist, industrialist and a vice chairman of the board of Directors of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, passed away at his home at 993 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Sunday, March 12. He was 66. Mr. Klau was president of Weiss & Klau Co., manufacturers of venetian blinds and other household accessories. For the last four years Mr. and Mrs. Klau were the principal sponsors of the archaeological expeditions in
Israel’s Negev by Dr. Nelson Glueck, HUC-JIR president. In 1960 Mr. Klau was one of three contributors of $250,000 to the Development Fund for American Judaism (Reform), of which he was a national chairman. He is survived by: his wife, Mrs. Sadie Klingenstein Klau; three daughters, Mrs. Robert D. Stern, 415 Reilly Road, Wyoming; Mrs. Paula Oppenheim, Hartsdale, N.Y.; and Mrs. Jack Shea, New York City; a son, James Klau, Scarsdale, N.Y., and 11 grandchildren. — March 16, 1961
25 Years Ago Leo Frank, the Atlanta Jew lynched in 1915 after being convicted of the murder of a 13-year-old girl who worked in the factory where he was a superintendent, received a posthumous pardon on March 13 from the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. The pardon came more than two years after the board had refused such an exoneration because, it then said, “it is impossible to decide conclusively the guilt of innocence of Frank.” The board had reopened the case after the late Alonzo Mann, then 85,
came forward to say that, as an office boy of 14 in the pencil factory where the murder of Mary Phagan took place, he had seen the janitor carry her body to the basement. Mrs. Anna Martin Foster of 4028 Ledgewood Drive passed away March 11. She was 94. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Mrs. Foster was a lifelong member of Rockdale Temple. She was active in temple activities under Rabbi David Phillpson and Dr. Victor Reichart. In her early years, she was an art student
of Duveneck at the Art Academy. Mrs. Foster’s uncles, Ike and Jack Martin, operated the old Chester Park and the Orpheum Theater. Mrs. Foster is survived by: two daughters, Ruth Silverman of Cincinnati and Arlene Crotty of Cape Coral, Fla.; a brother and sister, Maurice and Lillian Martin; seven grandchildren; nine greatgrandchildren and one great-greatgranddaughter. Mrs. Foster was the wife of the late Harry Foster and the mother of the late Marty Foster. — March 20 , 1986
10 Years Ago Valley Temple has announced Rabbi Sandford R. Kopnick as the successor to Rabbi Solomon T. Greenberg, who has serve as senior leader at Valley Temple for 32 years. A reception for the public to welcome him to the community will be held Monday, March 19, at 7 p.m. at the temple. Kopnick currently serves as spiritual leader of Congregation Achduth Vesholom of Fort Wayne, IN. He has
also served as assistant and associate rabbi of Temple Sholom in Chicago. Kopnick graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and was ordained from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. Harry A. Bartel, 91, passed away February 28, 2001. Mr. Bartel was born in Newport, KY. He was the son of the late Phillip and Anna (Roth) Bartel. Mr. Bartel is survived by his
wife, Hilda. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bartel were former resident of Cincinnati. Lately, they had resided in Memphis, TN. Mr. Bartel was the father of Gerald Baretl of Cincinnati and Marilyn Kosten of Memphis. Mr. Bartel is also survived by his grandchildren, Lisa, Julie and Lorie. Surviving great-grandchildren are Alexander and Carly. His brother, Nathan Bartel of California, also survives him. — March 15, 2001
CLASSIFIEDS
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011
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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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production@ americanisraelite.com SERVICE from page 1 on behalf of the Jewish Federation’s 2011 Community Campaign. Volunteers are encouraged to participate in Super Sunday in the morning and then go out into the community in the afternoon to participate in other Give a Day projects. Because there are numerous organizations across Cincinnati that serve a wide range of needs, Give a Day projects have been categorized this year so individuals can easily select those that fit best with their own passions and interests. Volunteers can become “Lifeline Leaders” by participating in vital services projects—like food and shelter for those less fortunate. “Well-Being Enthusiast” projects help make the world a healthier place. Additional categories include “Knowledge is Power,” “Advocates for Israel,” “Champions of Social Inclusion,” “Sunshine for Seniors” and “Youth Architects.” Give a Day volunteers will receive a free T-shirt for the event, provided by Repair the World® Apparel. The company is a partner in the Jewish Federation’s new “Joining Together to Do Good” initiative. “Joining Together To Do Good” will initiate partnerships between the Jewish Federation and other groups and organizations that also strive to make the world a better place. Shep Englander, CEO of the Jewish Federation, said, “Giving back is the central value driving the Jewish Federation’s social action programs and our support of vital service needs throughout the community. We know that joining together with other organizations will enable us to multiply the impact of our efforts.” Give a Day projects will take place throughout the general community as well as the Jewish com-
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(513) 531-9600 munity and will include: – Creating art on bricks for the 2011 Bricks Along the Journey Silent Auction to benefit breast cancer research – Assembling boxes for the Passover Delivery Project – Making care packages and cards for soldiers in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) – Providing a “Helping Hand” to seniors in their homes by doing chores they can no longer do easily on their own. – Preparing and serving a nutritious and delicious dinner to guest families at Ronald McDonald House. Children can also participate in specially designated Give a Day programs including: – Participate in a sing-along session and share refreshments with residents of The Center for Respite Care. Also, deliver new socks and underwear to residents. – Help beautify Halom House by planting flowers and cleaning windows. Afterward, visit with the residents and decorate picture frames together. A full listing of Give a Day projects can be found online. Visitors can log on to pick their projects and register. This is a “rain or shine” event. Registrants will be contacted by the project team leader prior to the event. “For the Jewish community, Give a Day expresses a core value through participation in projects that will have a real impact and appeal to young adults as well as families,” noted Fran Coleman and Robert Califf, Give a Day co-chairs. “We are grateful to our generous sponsors, volunteers and team leaders who understand the importance of coming together as a community and who stepped forward to secure the success of this vital effort.” For more information, please contact the Jewish Federation.
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FIRST PERSON
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE .COM
Musings from an aging baby-boomer Incidentally Iris
By Iris Ruth Pastor Contributing Columnist The weekend my son Sam graduated from law school, my husband and I and our five sons gathered poolside at a local South Florida hotel. We were all intent on spending an afternoon relaxing, bantering and soaking up the beach-like atmosphere. As usual, my adult sons were loud and boisterous and opinionated. The young couple sitting next to us poolside seemed to be drinking us in as if their thirst were unquenchable. After noticing them noticing us, I started paying closer attention to them too. I observed the following: each wore a matching gold wedding band. Both were immersed in their laptops—screens sporting grids, ONLINE from page 1 “Jerry Seinfeld’s mother on Seinfeld thought he was outrageous when he dared to make-out with his date while watching Schindler’s List at the movies. So how gauche is it to pursue someone during a shiva call?” “Avi and Adele” has already struck chords with our online TRIBEFEST from page 1 “In the past it was about getting young leaders more engaged,” said Jewish Federations spokesman Joe Berkofsky. “This is about consciousness raising, bringing more people into the fold.” Of course, he added, “We hope in the long term they’ll want to learn more about federation. But this is not about hitting up people for money. We’re not preaching to the converted.” But if Tribefest was about reaching a new audience, it appears to have fallen short of the goal. Eleven of the 12 attendees interviewed by JTA reported that they already are active members and donors in their local federations. “If you’re unaffiliated, why would you shlep all the way out to Vegas for this?” said Dan Sieradski, digital strategist for Repair the World. “The scene is different, and there’s a lot more security,” said George Faber, 39, of Baltimore, who said this was his ninth Young Leadership conference.
charts and reports. Their cell phone conversations seemed centered on child-care arrangements for that day. Within minutes, we were chatting freely. I was delighted to find out that the raven-haired woman was in fact a mother of three sons, fully ensconced in the minutiae of balancing marriage, parenting and professional commitments, in the midst of stealing away a weekend to “leisurely” re-engage with her spouse. I could relate to her stage of life. “I’ll send you my book,” I quipped, as we got up to leave. “Been there and done that – maybe it will give you some comfort.” A few days later, I shipped my book, “Slices, Bites and Other Facts of Life,” off to my newfound friend. It was a collection of my weekly slice-of-life columns written over a period of 11 years, prior to the emptying of my nest and our move to Tampa. After receiving the book, she responded: “I am so enjoying your book…When I stop at red lights I grab your book to read even a sentence if I can! You are making a dent in my life! I love reading about your experiences…Just
curious... Now that you’re older, wiser, and your children have all grown up, do you have any of the answers to the questions in your chapter entitled, ‘Questions, Anyone?’” Let me explain. The guts of that particular chapter revolved around rhetorical questions I asked myself about my parenting prowess at that time, such as: How many soccer games can I miss before I am considered a bad parent? If I allow my child to skip breakfast before school when he’s not hungry, is it benign neglect, flexibility or insidious disregard for his health, well-being and school performance? Am I raising divergent, independent thinkers or kids who feel “the rules don’t apply to me?” I went back and re-read the chapter written so many years ago, searching for a way to answer her. I soon realized there was only one question among all those that I had so long ago posed that I could easily answer now: Question: Why do I have the constant nagging feeling that my sons will all turn out to be lawyers? Could it have something
to do with the way they think, argue, manipulate, negotiate and plead their cases? Answer: I had that nagging feeling because my premonition was right. Four out of my five sons did indeed become attorneys. And their genetically disposed behavioral patterns continue to serve them well. Admittedly, all of the other questions still stump me and with the recent spate of publicity on Yale Law Professor Amy Chua’s book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” it’s no wonder so many parents are feeling ambivalent about their parenting practices. Chua’s emphasis on incessant drilling when needed, expecting perfection and demanding her daughters practice something until that perfection is achieved, allowing no sleep-overs, no team sports or play dates and a commitment to her daughters’ hurrying home to the homework table after school each day made me feel conflicted, guilty and inadequate. I don’t know about you, but the structure at my house was a little more loosey-goosey. Someone was always dashing to finish his math homework so he could go
play soccer. Someone was always trying to wheedle out of my asking him his spelling words. Someone was always not quite looking me straight in the eye when he swore he practiced his guitar for 20 straight minutes. And I recall spending an inordinate amount of time yelling at all of them to pick up their clothes, clean their rooms and go over their Torah portion one more time —and wondering whether they would ever have a clear idea of my expectations and the consequences of their actions or inactions. So though I am now an empty nester, I am now the proud grandmother of four and so the topic of effective parenting strategies still catches and holds my attention, while also providing a steady stream of angst. However, I am comforted by the quote by 20th Century playwright Eugene Ionesco that I had inserted at the end of that particular chapter in my book: “It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” Keep Coping, Iris Ruth Pastor
community, who has already previewed it. Young adult readers love the column because it’s realistic. Parents love it because it (sometimes) reinforces what they already know and their kids don’t want to hear. Ditto for grandparents, by the way. Below are some off-the-cuff remarks from already loyal readers:
“The Avi and Adele column is a really fun read. It’s everything from ‘I can’t believe he did that!’ to ‘Oh no, I think I’ve done that!’” “Dating is tough. We are full of crazy dating stories! The one who brings you flowers on a first date and then never calls. The one who breaks up with you in a text message! As amusing as these stories are, I love knowing that ‘Avi and
Adele’ have a perfectly honest, realistic and humorous answer on how to deal with it all!” “Lots of papers have advice columns, but it’s fun to read one with a Jewish twist.” The column is written by a small group of Jewish 30-something adults and the project is overseen by a panel of experts, including an individual with a
doctorate in clinical psychology. Go to The American Israelite’s website today to read the first posting of the column. Also, congratulations to Emmy Kahn Friedenberg, this week’s “like” us on Facebook contest winner. Emmy has won a $50 gift certificate to Embers Restaurant. Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook for your chance to win.
But the people? “Pretty much the same,” he said. Not that it’s a bad thing, those interviewed pointed out. They came to Tribefest to learn how to get even more involved more effectively — in federation as well as the other Jewish organizations represented. The Jewish Federations partnered for the conference with about 40 Jewish organizations popular among younger Jews, from Israel-oriented groups such as the New Israel Fund to the food justice organization Hazon to smaller groups focused on music, art and social service. Hal Greenblatt, 26, and his friend Marc Prine, 25, both of Philadelphia, were part of the Jewish fraternity AEPi at Temple University and now are active in their local federation’s Young Leadership Division. Though this was their first time at a national conference, both said they didn’t need any convincing to make them fans of the federation system. “There are many different ways to get your interests met in federation —
cultural, social service, religious,” said Prine, who like Greenblatt enjoys social service work and has raised funds for various Jewish causes. “My dad is a Holocaust survivor, and I grew up doing social service. I want to give that to my kids,” he said. “If we’re not going to build the next generation of the Jewish community, who will?” Some of the presenters at Tribefest didn’t seem to grasp that the conference participants were not disaffected from the Jewish establishment. At a session Monday titled “Reconnecting Young Adult Jewish-Americans to Israel,” the panelists spent an hour apologizing for what they deemed as Israel’s bad behavior to a room full of young Israel supporters who seemed bewildered by the message. “Unlike our parents, who saw Israel as a source of pride, many in our generation see it as a source of shame and disillusionment,” said Israeli army veteran Yoav Schaefer, executive director of the Avi Schaefer Fund, which advocates for strong Diaspora support
for Israel while recognizing the rights of the Palestinians. “I’m a Zionist, pure and simple, despite what I’ve heard from this panel,” responded one audience member. Despite their already firm connection to federation, many attendees said they appreciated the direction the conference had taken and learned a lot from the sessions. Prine and Greenblatt particularly enjoyed a session on punk Jews. “We have friends with Jewish tattoos, friends who are black Jews, and they are shunned by the mainstream,” Prine said. “It doesn’t matter how you want to show your Jewishness. If it means getting tattoos or wearing tzitzis, it’s all about passing the flame to the next generation.” While Tribefest may not have drawn as many newcomers as organizers may have liked, it seemed to have hit the mark for its core audience — those already involved with federation and committed to Jewish community. “As a Jewish professional, it got me re-energized and ready to go
home and engage new people, and that’s what it’s supposed to do,” said Staci Weininger, 37, communications director of the Marcus Jewish Community Center in Atlanta. Weininger noted that some of the 23 delegates from Atlanta weren’t in her federation database. The lone newbie JTA interviewed, Debbie Zaidman, 38, of Columbia, S.C., said she found out about the conference from a friend’s posting on Facebook and suspected it “would be something that would inspire me.” Zaidman grew up in a small Southern town with no Jewish community to speak of. Her mother drove her an hour each way to religious school until her confirmation at 16. “In high school I always felt like an outsider,” she said. Now Zaidman is part of a young Jewish professionals group in Columbia that regularly draws 100 people to events. “It helps me be inspired,” she said. “Now I embrace my Judaism. I love it.”
Iris Ruth Pastor can be reached at iris.pastor@tampabay.rr.com.
NEWS
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011
CASINO from page 1 Admission is free. RSVP online on the Jewish Young Professionals website or through the link on the American Israelite website by SHEEN from page 1 The recent incidents involving Christian Dior designer John Galliano and actor Charlie Sheen didn’t quite follow the script. In Galliano’s case, it was Israeli-born actress Natalie Portman, a Jewish darling and Miss Dior model, who took the lead in responding to a video of Galliano’s drunken rant in a Paris cafe extolling Hitler and disparaging Jews. “I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today,” Portman said in a statement last week. “In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way.” Galliano was peremptorily fired, and French authorities opened an investigation into whether Galliano should be prosecuted for violating France’s antiracism laws. Then there was the Sheen drama, whose script seemed lifted straight from the loony bin. The actor, a notorious loose cannon and habitual drug user, unleashed a vitriolic tirade against Chuck Lorre, the creator of his hit CBS comedy “Two and a Half Men,” referring to Lorre by his original, Jewish name: Chaim Levine. Foxman, apparently undecided about whether this was antiSemitism or merely a personal spat between Sheen and Lorre, issued a statement declaring it “borderline anti-Semitism.” Sheen then went off the rails, giving increasingly bizarre interviews, calling on Foxman to apologize and, after days of nonstop media coverage, announcing that he couldn’t be anti-Semitic because he is himself Jewish. The coup de grace came Monday, when CBS fired Sheen and the actor then appeared on a Beverly Hills rooftop waving a machete and declaring himself “Free at last.” What are we Jews to make of this? For the most part, the Jewish reaction broke down in one of two ways: Either the incidents showed that anti-Semitism is alive and well, or they said more about celebrity stupidity — and Jewish overreaction — than about antiSemitism. Or both. Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic wryly noted “the disproportionate interest drunks and lunatics take in Jews and their meddling and mysterious ways.” Coupling the Sheen and
March 29 to reserve a free drink ticket. This event is sponsored by Access, a program for Jewish young professionals, aged 21-35. Non-Jewish friends and significant others are also welcome. Galliano remarks together with Louis Farrakhan’s recent speech blaming the Jews for Jesus’ death and Muammar Gadhafi’s accusation that Israel is behind the Libyan rebellion, Foxman said the incidents are “a symptom of what we have been warning about for some time — that the inhibitions and shame about displaying antiSemitism are eroding.” Haaretz’s Anshel Pfeffer said the swift reaction to the Galliano and Sheen remarks show just the opposite, “that anti-Semitism in the 21st century, despite what certain august bodies such as the Anti-Defamation League tell us, is simply unfashionable.” The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle added into the mix Fox News host Glenn Beck’s recent remarks comparing Reform rabbis to radical Islam — an incident that followed the usual script of callous remark, ADL condemnation, apology, ADL acceptance — declaring them incidents of stupidity rather than anti-Semitism. To “point the finger of the Jewish establishment and call Sheen anti-Semitic cheapens the weight of an ADL statement,” the Chronicle editorialists wrote. “Jews must be wary not to label every criticism, awkward comparison or stupid remark as antiSemitic.” To confuse matters further, Galliano reportedly told a “member of his inner circle” that he has Sephardic Jewish roots. That would give his anti-Semitic rant a Bobby Fischer-esque character — except that Galliano, unlike the late, self-hating Jewish chess champion, issued an apology by week’s end. “Anti-Semitism and racism have no part in our society,” Galliano said. “I unreservedly apologize for my behavior in causing any offense.” The ADL promptly declared Galliano forgiven. “We look forward to working with him to move forward in helping to repair the damage so that he can contribute once again toward the fight against prejudice, intolerance and discrimination,” Foxman said. Perhaps the greatest question about all this celebrity brouhaha is why the media is so transfixed by these episodes. The same question, of course, may be asked of JTA and our decision to weigh in on the subject with a story of our own. The answer, of course, is you, dear reader: We’d probably stop writing such stories if you’d stop reading them.
AFRICA from page 7 Bentolila, a father of four from Montreal, has survived two Congolese wars, including the revolution that deposed Mobotu Sese Seku. The rabbi went outside to greet rebel forces taking the capital who passed by his synagogue on a Shabbat afternoon in 1997. “Those past 20 years have not always been easy for you and for your family,” Antoine Ghonda, the president’s representative, said at the Chabad celebration, according to a transcript provided to JTA. “But since you believe in this country, its people and its future, you continue to provide support.” Like most Chabad emissaries who find themselves setting up shop at the perimeter of the Jewish world, Bentolila struggled in his early days in the Congo to secure kosher food and recruit a minyan quorum for Shabbat prayers. Today the community has a supply of kosher meat, a ritual bath and a small Jewish school. Bentolila says the new centers were supported entirely by local philanthropy. “We don’t go abroad to take money,” he said. “We support ourselves locally.” Chabad centers in Africa play a unique role, serving Jews and Jewish communities comprised largely of expatriates — transient American, British and Israeli Jewish businesspeople and their families, and a few descendants of European Jews who fled to
Africa during the Holocaust. Unlike at many Chabad centers in other exotic locations, Chabad emissaries in Africa see relatively few tourists. Chabad tries to do everything from fly in emissaries to lead seders and High Holidays services in cities all over the continent to helping orchestrate the return home of sick, stuck or deceased Jews. “There are both physical and spiritual challenges to working in Africa,” says Chananya Rogalsky, a Chabadnik from the ChabadLubavitch movement’s world headquarters in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, N.Y., who travels frequently to Africa to perform Jewish outreach work. Rogalsky recounts one episode in Tanzania that landed him in trouble, when he and a friend were stopped while immersing their dishes in a pool of water that served as a natural mikvah to render their kitchen utensils kosher for use. “Before we knew it, we were surrounded by tribesmen accusing us of witchcraft and poisoning their water,” he said. “We had to bribe them to get out of there.” The day before a seder in Angola for some 150 guests, all the food spoiled when the hotel’s electricity went out on a typical stiflingly hot day. While Bentolila made sure enough food made it to the hotel in time for the seder, Rogalsky was left with little more than a box of matzah and bottled water to make it
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through the remainder of the holiday week. He had some local fruit, but it turned his stomach. The biggest scare, however, came when the Israelis at the seder starting running through the service so quickly that they reached the meal part in 15 minutes, he said. “I thought to myself, ‘I can’t have a seder that ends in half an hour. This is ridiculous,’” Rogalsky said. “So we started singing songs, and everybody started singing along with us. That lasted five hours. Nobody left the hotel ballroom till after midnight. It was an unbelievable experience.” Joshua Walker, a doctoral student from the American Midwest, said he discovered the Chabad in Kinshasa a few weeks ago and became a Shabbat regular in a matter of weeks. “I’m not a Chabad person at all; I’m just a Jewish guy who happens to be in the Congo,” Walker told JTA in a phone interview conducted while he was riding on the back of a motorcycle taxi. Walker had been at that Chabad center once a few years ago while in Kinshasa for a stint with the United Nations. Now back in Congo for several months, he returned to Chabad seeking out Bentolila. “I’ve been thinking about faith in general. I had been raised mainly secular, with a few notions of Jewish holidays, and I want to know more,” Walker said.
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OBITUARIES
DEATH NOTICES
BRANDEIS from page 7
TOBIN, Harry, age 100, died on March 14, 2011; 8 Adar II, 5771.
The membership guidelines to which Wexler referred were released by Hillel’s international body last December. The guidelines reiterate Hillel’s support for Israel as a “Jewish and democratic state,” and say Hillel “will not partner with, house or host” groups or speakers that do not agree with that statement, including those that support the BDS campaign. Hirschhorn says the Brandeis chapter of JVP only supports boycotting goods produced in Gaza and the West Bank, not Israel proper, so it should not be considered anti-Israel. “We know what the national guidelines say, but we also know Brandeis is an open, welcoming community,” he said.
OBITUARIES
HEARINGS from page 9
HORVITZ, David, age 98, died on March 1, 2011; 25 Adar I, 5771. KAHN, Joel Ira, age 58, died on March 8, 2011; 3 Adar II, 5771. LEVINE, Diana, age 100, died on March 9, 2011; 4 Adar II, 5771. GOLDFARB, Hyman, age 85, died on March 10, 2011; 4 Adar II, 5771. CITRON, Hope, age 86, died on March 12, 2011; 6 Adar II, 5771.
HORVITZ, David David Horvitz, 98, of Columbus, formerly of Cincinnati, died on March 1, 2011. Born in Providence, R.I., on August 3, 1912, he was a son of the late Fanny and Jacob Horvitz. Dr. Horvitz was a research chemist with several companies—most recently U.S. Industrial Chemicals in Cincinnati—for over 30 years. Mr. Horvitz was preceded in death by his wife, Ida Horvitz, and sister, Celia Zuckerberg. He is survived by his children, Martha and Dennis DeNiro of Columbus, Deborah Horvitz and David Stein of Durham, N.C., and Richard Horvitz; his brother, Abraham Horvitz of Providence, R.I.; his grandchildren, Julia and Steven DeNiro, and Eli and Avi Stein; and his nieces and nephews. Funeral services were held privately. Contributions in his memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, or the American Civil Liberties Union. Online guestbook at www.epsteinmemorial.com.
Yet King failed to invite to the hearings major Muslim American groups, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations, to defend themselves against charges that they coddle terrorist sympathizers. The council criticized the King hearings as tainting all American Muslims. But the hearings also did not invite those who maintain that much if not all of the Islamic world has been radicalized. If anything, the hearings provided an opportunity to hear a range of voices, including both those who praised the American Muslim community’s stance against radicalism and parents of American Muslims lured into terrorism. There were also a number of Muslims who have criticized insularism among BIBI from page 10 For now, Ya’alon says, the focus should be on Palestinian institution-building and economic improvement; in other words, slow bottom-up building of a Palestinian capacity for peace. Big ambitious peace moves like Barak’s inevitably will fail and
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Wexler said the campus JVP chapter cannot be considered apart from positions taken by its national organization, which held its national membership conference over the weekend in Philadelphia. Wayne Firestone, Hillel’s president and the main author of the new membership guidelines, says that any organization, including Hillel, has the right to define its limits. “We do not feel we can be true to our values and partner with groups that deny Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state,” he said. Firestone noted that the guidelines also would exclude rightwing student organizations that do not support Israel as a democratic state, although no such groups have applied to Hillel since the regulations were put in place.
The Brandeis chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, which was created last fall, was the first JVP chapter nationwide to apply for Hillel membership. The organization, which began in the San Francisco area, also has chapters at the University of California, San Diego, the University of Arizona, St. Lawrence University and Earlham College in Richmond, Ind. It is organizing on six more campuses, according to a spokesperson. Adam Lerner, a sophomore at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., where JVP is organizing, says Hillel, which has the stated goal of providing a safe space for students to explore their Jewish identity, should not set a political litmus test for who is in and who is out. “If Hillel promotes itself as
‘the’ center for Jewish life on campus, they need to have as pluralistic a voice as possible,” Lerner said. “If Israel is open to all Jews, then Hillel should be open to all Jewish groups on campus. They should take the model they’re promoting for the Jewish state and apply it to themselves.” Jonathan Horovitz, a sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley, says the issue isn’t Hillel banning a particular opinion but choosing not to partner with an organization that is disruptive and uncivil. He noted that JVP supporters have heckled pro-Israel speakers, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the group aligns with organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine and the International Solidarity Movement.
Muslim Americans. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the first Muslim elected to Congress, testified before the committee. So did Leroy Baca, the Los Angeles County sheriff who praised the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations as cooperative. In her testimony, Barsky, who listed recent planned attacks by Muslim extremists on U.S. Jewish targets, cautioned against viewing the hearings as an assault on all Muslims. “Some Muslim organizations, joined by well-meaning supporters, have reacted to the idea of discussing the threat posed by Islamic extremist terrorists by raising the specter of McCarthyism,” Barsky said. “They and others have demanded that any discussion or investigation of this national security threat be broadened to include all extremists in all communities.
“Logic and experience, however, dictate that any meaningful inquiry focus on particular organizations and extremists that currently pose a national security threat.” The Reform movement said the failure to broaden the inquiry unfairly singled out Muslims. “A wide-ranging exploration of radicalism writ-large is necessary, and we would welcome it,” Mark Pelavin, the associate director of the movement’s Religious Action Center, said in testimony submitted to the committee. “But today’s hearing is not that exploration. It is a narrow, myopic investigation into the American Muslim community which unfairly targets one group of citizens in congressional proceedings.” Pelavin joined a Capitol Hill protest that included representatives of Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim bodies and described
the hearings as “anti-Muslim.” Also appearing at that event were a prominent Conservative rabbi, Jack Moline, who has advised the Obama White House, and Marc Schneier, an Orthodox rabbi and co-founder of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. Steve Emerson, who heads the Investigative Project on Terrorism, a research organization that has consulted with a number of proIsrael groups, said the concerns were overblown. “Those involved in terrorism are a tiny sliver of the overall Muslim American population,” he wrote in a New York Daily News Op-Ed.' “But one ought to be able to focus on a very real problem — homegrown terrorism fueled by Muslim extremism — without being accused of painting the entire U.S. Muslim population with a broad brush.”
likely spawn new violence, he says. Ya’alon insists that any proposed new peace plan should have no territorial dimension. Which way is Netanyahu likely to go? On the one hand, he and his closest advisers have a great deal of respect for Barak and are well aware of the widespread international perception that it is Netanyahu’s foot-dragging on peacemaking that is responsible for the current impasse. Indeed, the leaks on Netanyahu’s purported new peace plan followed a heated telephone exchange in which German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly accused Netanyahu of having “done nothing to advance peace.” Similarly, on March 1, President Obama told a roomful of American Jewish organizational leaders that they and their friends and colleagues in Israel should “search your souls” over Israel’s seriousness about making peace. On the other hand, Netanyahu’s circle is comprised of hard-liners who are widely believed to wield
much influence over the prime minister. The prime minister also has made some recent hard-line moves — for example, appointing the hawkish Yaakov Amidror as his new national security adviser and holding talks with the far right National Union Party on joining the governing coalition. The question is not whether Netanyahu will present a peace plan but how far he will go. Despite Ya’alon’s reservations, the plan is expected to focus on territorial and security issues, and the linkage between them. The way the plan is shaping up, Israel probably will offer to hand over more territory to full Palestinian jurisdiction ahead of negotiations on final borders and allay Palestinian fears that the interim stage will become permanent. Under the plan, the United States will assure the Palestinians that final borders will be based on the pre1967 lines with relatively minor land swaps, and Israel will seek U.S. assurances for an Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley and for retention of large settlement blocs as
part of Israel proper. On the basis of the plan, reflecting Israeli good will and seriousness about peacemaking with a strong international underpinning, the Palestinians will be invited to talks on all the core issues. Due to the differences between Cabinet moderates and hard-liners, Netanyahu has not discussed the plan in the Forum of Seven senior ministers, which includes Barak, Meridor, Begin and Ya’alon. Instead he is holding a series of one-on-one consultations. There will also have to be detailed talks with the Americans to finalize a package in which they have a major role. Despite the hype surrounding the new peace package, it remains too early to gauge whether Netanyahu is serious about peacemaking, as he insists, or simply playing for time, as his critics contend. But with perception growing overseas that Netanyahu is the problem, not the Palestinians, the onus is on the prime minister to prove that this time he means business.
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