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Rockdale Temple’s 190th Gala Anniversary
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Wise Temple presents “Dreamers” – the Human Side of Immigration
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JCRC to celebrate 75 years at June 10 annual meeting
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In L.A., children of Holocaust survivors say Never Again – with a gun
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Beleaguered Belgian Jews shocked but not surprised by museum attack
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Legacy Flame dedicated at Mayerson JCC The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati dedicated The Legacy Flame: Sustaining our Future during the annual Moss Society reception Sunday at the Mayerson JCC. The sculpture is a living, pubic tribute to thank donors who have made a legacy gift commitment to a local Jewish agency, organization or congregation, and to inspire future generations to follow in their footsteps. More than 180 people attended the event, including Honorary Chair Mrs. Frances Schloss, sculpture artist Brian Russell, and his Cincinnati art representative Marta Hewett. Vice President of Planned Giving and Endowments Bob Brant dedicated The Legacy Flame with Rabbi Lewis Kamrass, who led the gathering with the Shehecheyanu, a Jewish prayer said in thankfulness for new and unusual experiences. “The sculpture has turned out to be a magnificent tribute,” said Frances Schloss. The Legacy Flame was gifted by the Milton Schloss Endowment Fund. “But the sculpture is not just a piece of art.” It is best practice to have a recognition component in any fundraising program, according to Jim Friedman, Director of Gift Planning and Endowments at the Federation, and Frances’s son. But the inspiration for The Legacy Flame was born out of the Federation’s desire to honor legacy donors in a more dynamic way. When Jim spoke at the event, the audience rose to their feet to acknowledge the magnitude of his vision now fully alive. “We were trying to find an appropriate way to recognize people who had the vision and desire to create resources for the community that would long outlive them,” said Jim. “That they would
be properly recognized and, more importantly, that years from now it will be possible for those viewing The Legacy Flame to know who these people were, more than just a name.” So Jim approached Frances about using some of Milton’s bequest for this purpose.
Milton rose from humble beginnings to volunteer to serve in World War II, rise to Captain in the army, hold executive positions at several major corporations, and become a generous donor to the Jewish community. He left an unrestricted endowment to the Federation, which was split into two funds. The
Milton and Frances Schloss Endowment Fund supports the Mayerson JCC Special Needs and Services department and The Milton Schloss Fund provides for The Legacy Flame. So as people followed Milton into battle and into business, it is fitting that he is leading the way through legacy giving, said Jim. “Milton worked very hard all of his life. He was most proud of his ability to give to charity and, above all, to the Jewish community,” said Frances. “Milton wanted to teach people the importance of giving through his example.” The Federation already knew that they wanted to tell people’s stories in a way that would live on to inspire future generations, so they put together a plan to produce multimedia content. But rather than display these stories on a drab monitor, said Jim, the Federation wanted to complement it with some kind of attractive art. Since The Light by Albert Paley was prominently displayed at the front of the entrance of the Mayerson JCC, a center of arts and culture, the Federation naturally desired to carry the same sculpture art motif into the building. Around the same time, glass sculpture artist Brian Russell had a solo exhibition at a local art gallery. Frances happened to see a picture of one of his pieces in a local magazine. It was a small glass piece that looked like one individual flame, and it was just the artistic inspiration they were looking for. Marta connected Frances and Jim with Brian Russell, who came to the JCC to begin research for the commissioned art that, after several design iterations, would become The Legacy Flame.
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JCRC to celebrate 75 years at June 10 annual meeting The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati will hold its 75th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, June 10, at 7 p.m., at the Mayerson JCC. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature award-winning American journalist and foreign-affairs expert Jeffrey Goldberg, speaking on the future of the Middle East. Goldberg writes for The Atlantic and Bloomberg View about the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy. He has been a correspondent for several publications in New York, as well as for national and international Jewish newspapers as well. He is also the author of a highly acclaimed book about his own friendship with
a PLO prisoner. Goldberg’s reporting has taken him across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. He has reported from Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he lived for a month in a Taliban madrasa. During the event, the JCRC will also highlight its history of working for justice through community and government relations, advocacy and education. From its establishment during the rise of Nazism and antisemitism in the 1930s, to a 1960s civil-rights march on Fountain Square that drew nearly 20,000 people, to the movement in the 1980s to free Soviet Jewry, to its commitment
Dedication and Grand Opening The Arthur Schreiber Jewish Education Center And the region’s first Jewish Recovery Center 1995 Section Road, Golf Manor, OH 45237 Outstanding speakers and entertainment, children’s fun, complimentary lunch RSVP: rabbi@jewisheducate.org, 513-733-4400 jewisheducate.org today to promoting mutual understanding.
Northern Hills Synagogue HaZaK program offers musical treat Northern Hills Synagogue Congregation B'nai Avraham will be the “back porch” for a fun, relaxing afternoon of musical entertainment at its upcoming HaZaK program on Wednesday, June 18th at 12:00 noon. Following a delicious lunch, Jeff Gushin and the Corncobs, an old-time bluegrass band, will perform. The Corncobs include Jeff Custis (banjo and fiddle), Larry Lankford (guitar), Rich Overturf (bass), and Northern Hills congregant, Jeff Gushin (fiddle and mandolin). The band performs a variety of old time, ragtime, blues, and jug band music. The two “Jeffs” have been playing together for the past twenty-five years, on the back porch and occasionally at dances, parties, and nursing homes. The Corncobs have performed at the Cincinnati Appalachian Festival, the Fitton Center Music Cafe in Hamilton, and the Leo Coffeehouse in Norwood. Jeff Custis is also a member of the Big Band contradance
group. Jeff Gushin was fiddler for the Grammy nominated Buzzard Rock String Band (June Appal Recordings). "HaZaK" has been going strong now for more than 15 years. HaZaK is an acronym, the letters standing for the Hebrew words "Hakhma" (wisdom), "Ziknah" (maturity), and "Kadima" (forward). The HaZaK programs are for adults 55 and over and are open to the entire community. In addition to members of Northern
Hills, many attendees have come from the Jewish Community Center, Cedar Village, Brookwood Retirement Community, and throughout Greater Cincinnati. The program is free of charge, however, donations are greatly appreciated. The program will take place at the Synagogue. Please RSVP to Jennifer Braner at the Synagogue office by Monday, June 16th.
Jewish Education for Every Person (JEEP) celebrates building dedication and Jewish Recovery Center opening Jewish Education for Every Person (JEEP) invites the community to the dedication of the Jewish Education Center and the first Jewish Recovery Center in the region, Sunday, June 8th from 12 noon until 1:30 pm in Golf Manor. Sunday’s program will include the presentation of the Rabbi Eliezer Silver Memorial Award which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to supporting and promoting Jewish education for people with challenges or disabilities. This award is given to “People who are turning darkness into light in a big way,” says Rabbi Yaakov Karp, Executive Director of JEEP. Rabbi Baruch Cohon of California will utilize his many years of Hollywood experience and Jewish education to inspire and entertain his
audience. Dr. David Novick of Dayton, a gastroenterologist and substance abuse expert, will share humorlaced insights on the serious topic of addiction. Finally, Halom House Percussion Circle and their facilitator, Scott Miller, will present a unique and heartwarming performance. The mezuzah placement and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be followed by refreshments, an art show and open house. Box lunches will be served, and a simultaneous children’s program will be held at Cincinnati Hebrew Day School. Drop off will begin for children at 11:45 am. Please RSVP by June 7th for the children’s program. Since 2005, JEEP has been empowering local people with challenges and disabilities through meaningful, individualized Jewish educa-
Sunday, June 8, 2014, 12 noon:
tion, connection and celebration. Clients are offered guidance in using Jewish insights and practices to better enable themselves to experience success in dealing with their challenges. JEEP makes a vital difference for over one thousand local people each year, including children and youth, patients in hospitals, residents of nursing homes, adults with disabilities and people with substance abuse issues. JEEP’s unique program of sober events on Shabbos, Passover, Purim and other holidays have facilitated the development of a Jewish recovery community that provides an atmosphere of safety, mutual friendship and support. Many credit JEEP as a significant or critical ingredient in their obtaining or maintaining recovery from alcoholism, drug addiction or similar illnesses.
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Wise Temple presents “Dreamers”-the Human Side of Immigration Who are Dreamers? They are children who were raised in the United States, but whose parents came here many years ago without proper documentation. These children have limited opportunities due to their parent's origin. Their dreams of college and a meaningful career are no different than our dreams or the dreams of our children and grandchildren, but the obstacles to fulfilling those dreams are large.
On Tuesday, June 10 at 7:30 PM at Wise Center, Wise Temple's Critical Topics Committee presents “Dreamers” – the Human Side of Immigration. Through the stories of the Dreamers you will gain awareness and a deeper understanding of a topic that in the past has impacted many of our Jewish relatives, who came here with expansive dreams. This evening is not about debating the politics of immigration,
but rather, to hear the life-circumstances and life-limitations of these bright and talented children, three bright, articulate, and engaging young adults ("Dreamers") and one determined mother who will share the human side of immigration and the unique realities of their lives. The evening promises to be informative, stimulating, and inspiring, with opportunities for reflection, and challenges to our
thinking. There will be time for questions, answers and discussions after the brief presentations. Come and gain a glimpse into the real life issues, concerns, and dreams of the new immigrants among us, of the potential their lives represent, and the problems they encounter.
Mayerson JCC helps community members thrive The Mayerson JCC offers an array of helpful services, available to the Greater Cincinnati community. From assistance to help seniors stay independent, to sports medicine and physical therapy for all ages, the entire family can benefit from JCC services. Cedar Village provides Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy at the JCC. A full-time, on-site therapist provides assessment, evaluation, and treatment, as well as a range of therapy services, including speech, occupational and physi-
cal therapy. All major insurances are accepted. The JCC Senior Center has several long-standing programs that help improve the quality of life for ages 65 & older. Transportation services give seniors who no longer drive the ability to attend programs at the JCC and go on shopping and pharmacy trips. Every weekday, seniors can be picked up at their homes, transported to the JCC for activities and programs, and then returned home. JCC vans are comfortable and have professional drivers who are aware
of individual needs. In addition, the JCC social worker can provide counseling to seniors coping with changes relating to aging by connecting them with resources and support. JCC Meals on Wheels program contributes to the overall well-being of homebound senior adults by providing regular nutrition and daily contact with caring volunteers. On weekdays, a Kosher lunch is served in the senior dining room. The popular Super Senior Meal Deal at the J Café (for ages 65+) features sand-
wiches, flatbread pizza, bagel and lox, and more. JCC financial aid ensures that all members of the community can fully participate in JCC membership, programming, Camp at the J, After School at the J, and the JCC Early Childhood School, regardless of their ability to pay the advertised full fee. The JCC Schloss Special Needs and Services program strives to support and enrich the lives of individuals with special needs and their families.
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VOL. 160 • NO. 46 THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014 7 SIVAN 5774 SHABBAT BEGINS FRIDAY 8:43 PM SHABBAT ENDS SATURDAY 9:44 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 ISAAC M. WISE Founder, 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 JORY EDLIN BETH KOTZIN Assistant Editors YOSEFF FRANCUS Copy Editor JANET STEINBERG Travel Editor ROBERT WILHELMY Dining Editor MARIANNA BETTMAN NATE BLOOM IRIS PASTOR ZELL SCHULMAN PHYLLIS R. SINGER Contributing Columnists
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NATIONAL • 5
THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014
Seeking Kin: Old school: Finding family through the phone book Happy Birthday! JOHN MARX – JUNE 7 AKA BAGELMAN
Courtesy of Bernie Pearl
Lou and Helen Showstack, second and third from right, attending the 1973 bar mitzvah of Bruce Pearl near Boston.
By Hillel Kuttler BALTIMORE (JTA) – While visiting Israel in 2009 to watch his son Bruce coach the U.S. basketball team to the gold medal at the Maccabiah Games, Bernie Pearl perused local phone books. He spent an hour calling people with the last name Showstack but came up empty. Unable to locate his relative during his stay, he gave up. In March, Pearl mentioned the search to “Seeking Kin.” A retiree living with his wife, Barbara, in Boynton Beach, Fla., Pearl, 80, still hoped to find his third cousin, Gerry Stowstack. He knew Showstack was younger than Bruce and had red hair. He also knew he had two sisters and had taught at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa after making aliyah from their native Boston. “Seeking Kin” pursued the Technion lead with contacts there. Oren Kaplan, a Maryland native who works in the library, checked an employee directory but didn’t find Showstack’s name. However, he did see a telephone listing: Showstack resided in Omer, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Beersheva. Turns out he's lived in Israel since 1982 -- precisely the time frame Pearl remembered -- and is the father of four, with a first grandchild due this fall. For the past decade, Showstack told "Seeking Kin," he has worked for nonprofit organizations to develop their branding and fundraise. He had taught sociology at BenGurion University of the Negev. But Showstack, who at 66 is actually 12 years older than Bruce Pearl, said he had never been affiliated with the Technion or even lived in Haifa. In fact, Showstack estimated that he has not seen Bernie Pearl’s branch of the family in 50 years. Knowing he was the object of the search is interesting, and “it’s nice
to maintain a family connection,” he said, but “I’m not sure it has real meaning.” The branches had been close, but ties frayed with the passage of time. Pearl recalled that his father’s extended family, all living in and around Boston, had held monthly get-togethers on Friday nights at the homes of rotating hosts – a “cousins’ circle.” Among the participants were Showstack’s parents -- Louis, a lawyer, and Helen, who worked at the Home Savings Bank. Also, Pearl’s father, Jack Pearlmutter (Bernie shortened the surname many decades ago), an immigrant from the former AustroHungarian Empire who worked as a peddler and later a plumber, who was the second cousin of Helen. Pearl said the Showstacks attended his bar mitzvah and wedding, both at the Aperion Plaza, a hall on Roxbury’s Warren Avenue popular among Jewish families. They also attended Bruce's bar mitzvah. Neither Showstack nor Pearl could pinpoint their precise connection, only that it was through their respective grandfathers, Sam and Louis Pearlmutter. Both said that while they’ve been strangers for several generations, being in touch and even meeting would be welcome. "There’s some value in knowing family history and staying connected,” Showstack said. “As a child, I remember seders where there were several tens of [relatives] on that side. It was a family circle, and my family generally got together frequently. In my generation, that happened with much less frequency; in my kids’ generation, interacting frequently, unfortunately, has become more the exception than the rule.” Pearl said he would like to help improve the situation. Asked why he had tried in
2009 to locate Showstack, he answered, “I like family. It’s important to know family.” If he’d uncovered his cousin during that Israel visit, “I would’ve given him a hug and a kiss and told him I remembered his parents," he said. Speaking by telephone from Knoxville, Tenn., where he had just attended the high school graduation of his grandson Michael, Pearl said, "Family is my life. I get emotional just thinking about it.” He added, speaking of Showstack, "It’s a good feeling knowing there is someone I knew a long time ago who’s still family and still there. I think it’d make Lou and Helen, wherever they are, happy and smile that we remember each other.”
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In L.A., children of Holocaust survivors say Never Again—with a gun By Anthony Weiss LOS ANGELES (JTA) – It’s a sunny morning in Southern California and Lea Rosenfeld, a softspoken, bespectacled woman who looks like a Jewish grandmother, squares her feet, faces her target and squeezes off five shots with a handgun. All of them miss. “I never even held a gun in my hands before,” she later confesses. “I’m still shaking.” Still, Rosenfeld keeps shooting in the hot sun. She says she’s doing it because of her parents and what they endured: Both were Holocaust survivors. “My question has always been why they didn’t fight back, and my mother could never give me a good answer,” Rosenfeld told JTA. “They weren’t prepared for it, they didn’t believe it was going to happen and they didn’t have anything to fight back with.” That’s what motivated Doris Wise Montrose, president of the Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, to organize the recent day of firearms instruction at the Angeles Shooting Range in northeast Los Angeles. Montrose’s organization is more of a one-woman operation than a group. By her own account, it consists of Montrose and “a humongous email list.” The organization is dedicated, according to its website, to
National Briefs Chicago eighth-graders suspended in anti-Semitic bullying online (JTA) – Several eighth-graders at a Chicago public school were suspended as part of an investigation of anti-Semitic bullying via the online game “Clash of Clans.” The suspended students from Ogden International School of Chicago were identified as ringleaders and participants in the reported harassment of a 14-year-old Jewish student. The Jewish student told his mother several months ago that his classmates showed him photos of ovens and told him to get in, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. In recent weeks, the eighthgraders started a team for the online game called “Jew Incinerator.” “Heil! Throw Jews into ovens for a cause. We are a friendly group of racists with one goal – put all Jews into an army camp until disposed of,” the team’s introduction read. The students concluded the introduction with “Sieg! Heil! – a Nazi salutation.
“The New Holocaust Resistance.” Much of that has consisted of Montrose organizing lectures with a decidedly right-wing bent. She has hosted such figures as Eugene Volokh, the libertarian-leaning UCLA law professor, and Pamela Geller, the anti-Islam activist behind the current bus ad campaign in Washington that features a photograph of Hitler and the grand mufti of Jerusalem with the line “Islamic Jew-hatred: It’s in the Quran.” “I think what Doris is trying to do is to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive so we will not forget its important lessons,” said Alex Kozinski, the chief judge of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and a
friend of Montrose who has spoken to her group. Recently, however, Montrose decided that lectures and emails were not enough. So it was that on a Sunday in mid-May, she and seven others – three of them children of Holocaust survivors – gathered to receive “point and shoot” instruction from Itamar Gelbman, 32, a former lieutenant in the Israel Defense Forces. “We talk about defending ourselves, but we have to do something aside from sharing email articles,” Montrose said. Gelbman – a strapping 6-foot-3inch grandson of survivors who has served as a bodyguard for Britney
Spears (“Never again,” he vows) and run for Congress from Texas (he lost) – began by running through safety instructions. He taught the handgun technique used by the IDF: square feet, square shoulders, both eyes open. With varying degrees of accuracy and confidence, the participants blasted away at paper targets depicting an armed shooter. After each cycle of shooting, Gelbman assessed the results. “He’s dead.” “He would definitely be on the floor.” Who precisely the attacker would be is unclear. Gelbman frames his instruction mostly in terms of home invasions, but it’s clear attendees are concerned about more than just their homes. “When the Muslims say they want to kill us and drive us into the sea, I believe them,” said David Sievers, a retired cancer surgeon and reserve sheriff’s deputy who turns out to be a crack shot. “No cattle car for me,” Montrose quips after one good round of shooting. Over lunch, Les Hajnal, a Holocaust survivor from Hungary, points out that often it was not the Nazis but locals who rounded up the Jews in countries such as Poland and Hungary. “You know what the Hungarians did to the memorial of the shoes?” Hajnal asked, describing a memorial
Shelly Sterling agrees to sell Clippers to Steve Ballmer for $2 billion (JTA) – Former Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer has signed a contract to buy the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion. Ballmer signed the binding contract with team trustee Shelly Sterling, she announced last Friday. The agreement must be approved by the National Basketball Association’s Board of Governors.
leaked on an internal MLA website. “This resolution rightly targets only Israel given the humongous influence that Jewish scholars have in the decision making process of Academia in general,” wrote Alessio Lerro, an adjunct assistant professor of comparative literature at Temple University.
“The Palestinian artists said, ‘We can’t be in this show,’ so the Israelis withdrew,” La Follette told the newspaper. “The whole idea behind the project was to move it beyond political rhetoric. But we need to protect the Palestinian artists. It shows the integrity of the Israeli artists that they pulled out of the show.”
Pittsburgh art exhibit canceled after Palestinian artists threatened, pull out (JTA) – An art exhibition in Pittsburgh featuring the work of Israeli, Palestinian and American artists was canceled after the Palestinian artists withdrew from the show. “Sites of Passage: Borders, Walls & Citizenship,” scheduled to run at Pittsburgh’s Mattress Factory museum from June 1 to July 27, was the culmination of a joint multimedia project begun a year ago by the artists, the Jewish Chronicle reported. The Palestinian artists pulled out of the show on May 29, a day after the Israeli artists had canceled their participation in order to allow the Palestinians to continue participating and to protect them from threats and criticism on an Arabic-language Facebook page, Tavia La Follette, the independent curator of the exhibit, told the newspaper.
Tens of thousands march in 50th annual N.Y. Israel parade NEW YORK (JTA) – Tens of thousands marched in New York in the Celebrate Israel parade, which is marking its 50th anniversary. Organizers had expected some 35,000 participants in Sunday’s parade up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Among the elected officials participating in the annual parade were New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Courtesy of Anthony Weiss/JTA
Itamar Gelbman gives Lea Rosenfeld instruction as Les Hajnal looks on.
Modern Language Assoc. features anti-Israel slurs in resolution debate (JTA) – Amid debate featuring anti-Israel slurs, the full Modern Language Association membership voted on a resolution singling out Israel for denying academics entry to the West Bank. At least 10 percent of the full MLA membership of 30,000 was required to participate in the sixweek voting cycle that ended Sunday to make it official. The results were not made official to the public. A number of resolution proponents criticized “Zionist attack dogs” and “the Zionist lobby,” which “railroads its way through Congress, universities and civil society,” according to some of the debate published on Pastebin.com. The language was
Lewis Katz, Philly Inquirer coowner, dies in plane crash (JTA) – Lewis Katz, co-owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer and a philanthropist, died in a plane crash in Massachusetts. Katz, 72, died Saturday night at an airfield near Boston. The Gulfstream IV plane he was riding in with six other people crashed after takeoff from Hanscom Field, according to reports.
to murdered Jews on the banks of the Danube in Budapest. “They defecated in it. Such nice people.” Montrose warns that antiSemitism is rising again (a recent Anti-Defamation League survey found that approximately 1.1 billion people around the world harbor deeply anti-Semitic attitudes). While Montrose and Gelbman believe there is a growing interest in self-defense – the firearms class quickly sold out – they know that the men and women who turned out for the training represent a distinct minority within the Jewish community. Diaspora Jews prefer to be passive and non-confrontational rather than fight back, Gelbman says. “I think that Jews in general, they give the benefit of the doubt, and they don’t like to be aggressive,” he said. “I think that’s one of the things that was a problem in the Holocaust.” As the day wraps up and the shooters start to head home, Rosenfeld stays on, firing round after round. Gelbman rewards her with a target of his own creation: a depiction of the late Muammar Gadhafi as a zombie. Gelbman hands Rosenfeld a Glock 9 mm handgun and steps back. She squares to the target, aims and blasts away, hitting the zombie Gadhafi dead-on with all five shots.
Orthodox groups file briefs in prison religion cases WASHINGTON (JTA) – A coalition of Orthodox Jewish groups filed friend-of-the-court briefs in two high-profile cases involving religious practice in prisons. The National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs on May 28 filed a brief on behalf of the groups in the Atlantabased U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in the matter of access to kosher meals in the Florida prison system. The next day it filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court about the case of a Muslim prisoner in Arkansas who wants to grow his beard longer than the state’s regulation one-quarter inch. Federal judge rules Z Street case against IRS may proceed WASHINGTON (JTA) – A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit challenging the Internal Revenue Service’s scrutiny of Israel-related groups may proceed. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., on May 27 dismissed U.S. government claims that federal courts lack jurisdiction over the lawsuit filed in 2010 by an Israel advocacy group, Z Street.
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THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014
A decade later, Mass. Jews look back at legacy of same-sex marriage first By Penny Schwartz BOSTON (JTA) – Ten years ago, shortly after midnight on May 17, 2004, a jubilant Arthur Lipkin and his longtime partner descended the stone steps of Cambridge City Hall clutching a marriage license application. It was a historic night of revelry and celebration, as Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to allow same-sex couples to legally marry. Outside Cambridge City Hall, where reporters and television cameras from around the world captured the festivities, some 10,000 well wishers cheered on the hundreds of couples who had waited long hours in line to receive applications to marry. Lipkin, a veteran gay rights activist, was fourth in line. “We walked down, but it was really floating down those stairs. It just felt like a moment of immense joy and community celebration that
we were part of in Cambridge,” recalled the now 67-year-old retired high school teacher. A week later, he and his partner, Robert Ellsworth, were married by a member of the state legislature. The following month, Rabbi Emily Lipof stood with another couple under a chuppah in a backyard ceremony, marrying two Jewish women congregants from Temple Ohabei Shalom, a Boston Reform synagogue. “It was wonderful, because they were celebrating each other and their marriage but also an important moment. There was an extra dimension of meaning,” recounted Lipoff, who is now the synagogue’s rabbi emerita. Ten years after the first same-sex marriages were performed in Massachusetts, the national legal and political landscape has shifted dramatically. Today, 19 states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage – two of which, Oregon and Pennsylvania, joined the
Courtesy of Angela Jimenez/Getty Images
Leah Finch, left, and her partner, Adrien Hornby, receive a round of applause from students from the Solomon Schechter Jewish Day School of the Pioneer Valley after applying for a marriage license on May 17, 2004 in Northampton, Mass.
list in May following federal court rulings striking down their bans on same-sex marriage. “How much difference 10 years makes,” said Idit Klein, executive director of Keshet, a Boston-based
national advocacy group for LGBT Jews. Klein said that the shift is mirrored in the Jewish community. A decade ago, same-sex marriage had the religious approval of
the Reform and Reconstructionist movements, but the Conservative movement prohibited such unions. Today, Conservative rabbis have their movement’s blessing to officiate at same-sex marriages. “It is woven into the fabric of Jewish community life, the way other simchot have always been,” Klein said, using the Hebrew word for joyous occasions. A February poll by the Public Religion Research Institute released found that 83 percent of Jews support same-sex marriage, the highest level of support among any of the religious groups listed. Rabbi Ronne Friedman, senior rabbi at Temple Israel in Boston, wrote in an email to JTA that he is struck by the “rapidity with which same sex marriage taboos have fallen, across the country.” He estimates that he and his fellow clergy members at the Reform synagogue have officiated in at least MARRIAGE on page 21
J Street debate hits the presses By Dmitriy Shapiro (JNS/Washington Jewish Week) – Members of Reform and Conservative synagogues have signed on to recent full-page advertisements in Jewish newspapers around the country, blasting their denomination’s leaders for supporting the (eventually failed) bid of the self-labeled “pro-Israel, pro-peace” lobby J Street to join the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The 50-group umbrella organization in late April voted 22-17, with three abstentions and the rest of the members not showing up for the vote, to reject J Street’s membership application. J Street needed an affirmative vote from 34 Conference of Presidents members to gain admission. Among the Conference members voting in favor of J Street were the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), umbrella organizations for their respective denominations. Both organizations came under scrutiny in an advertising campaign sponsored by a group called Jews Against Divisive Leadership, raising the question of whether or not the Reform and Conservative umbrellas’ decisions on the J Street vote accurately reflect the attitudes of America’s estimated 1.5 million congregants from those denominations. “Voting to include J Street in the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations was not advocating for diversity. It was falling for duplicity,” said the Conservative ad, which noted that J Street has accused
Israel of war crimes when it defends itself from missile attacks from Gaza, gives a platform to advocates of the movement to boycott Israel, and has called on the U.S. not to veto U.N. resolutions that criticize Israel. The ad-signed by 60 people, along with the congregations they belong to-ran May 22 in the New York Jewish Week, The Jewish Press, The Jewish Advocate of Boston, the Washington Jewish Week, and the Baltimore Jewish Times. By voting for J Street, the USCJ “acted contrary to the support for Israel we find so important in the Conservative movement,” the ad said. The Reform ad, signed by 41 people and printed May 15 in the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles as well as May 22 in the Florida Jewish Journal, accused URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs of “divisive” leadership due to his threat to pull the Reform umbrella out of the Conference of Presidents over the J Street vote. “We told you that [Jacobs] would use his position to bolster the antiIsrael J Street. We told you that he would try to diminish American Jewry’s support for Israel,” the ad said, alluding to opposition to Jacobs’s URJ appointment over his former roles as a board member of the New Israel Fund and Rabbinic Cabinet member of J Street. “But we did not know quite how divisive Rabbi Jacobs would be. We did not expect that when he failed to persuade the Conference of Presidents to accept J Street as a major Jewish organization-which it is not-he would threaten to take the URJ out of the Conference and ask others to
leave, too, over differences about Israeli foreign policy.” In a statement after the J Street vote, Jacobs had said, “We may choose to advocate for a significant overhaul of the Conference of Presidents’ processes. We may choose to simply leave the Conference of Presidents. But this
much is certain: We will no longer acquiesce to simply maintaining the facade that the Conference of Presidents represents or reflects the views of all of American Jewry.” In the vote, all four Conference member groups representing Reform Judaism and all but one (Mercaz USA) of four representing
Conservative Judaism, voted in favor of J Street. Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt, leader of the Conservative-affiliated Congregation B’nai Tzedek in Potomac, Md., said the denomination’s leaders made their decisions on J Street without necessarily taking J STREET on page 21
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With new Indian leader Narendra Modi, Israel sees brighter horizon in the east By Sean Savage (JNS) – With a focus on Hindu nationalism and pro-market policies, newly elected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promises to propel the country in a new direction. India and Israel have enjoyed increasingly close military and economic cooperation over the past two decades, and Modi also brings strong personal and business ties with Israel dating to his time as chief minister of one of India’s most wealthy and industrialized states. While traditional Israeli allies in Europe remain in economic stagnation and produce increasingly hostile rhetoric towards the Jewish state, Modi’s election may further elevate Israel’s bond with the world’s largest democracy. “We are very confident he will give the proper attention to the relations with Israel because he understands the strategic bond,” Anat Bernstein-Reich, president of the Israel-India Friendship Association and vice president of the Israel-Asia Chamber of Commerce, told JNS. Differences in size and culture aside, India and Israel have many modern and historical similarities. Hinduism and Judaism are among the world’s oldest existing religions, and both share ethno-religious components that set them apart from other major faiths. At the same time, both religions have complicated systems of laws, purity codes, and dietary restrictions that define their communities. In modern times, both India and Israel achieved independ-
International Briefs CEOs welcome select students to special Birthright program (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS) – Birthright Israel Excel, a new program from Taglit-Birthright Israel, has brought 40 select students from North America to Israel for 10week internships with the country’s leading companies in the business and technology fields. The program allows the talented young students to become immersed in Israel’s busiest industries and to learn directly from top executives. Islamists torch Christianowned shops in southern Egypt (JNS) – A mob of Islamists burned several Christian-owned shops in a wave of violence directed against Christians in southern Egypt near the ancient city of Luxor. The attack came just hours before the start of a trial for a young Christian man who is facing blas-
Courtesy of Mark Neyman/GPO/Flash90
Israeli President Shimon Peres hosts a delegation of 20 leaders and managers of leading Indian companies at his residence in Jerusalem on October 30, 2013.
ence from Great Britain during the late 1940s, after long internal struggles and bloody partition plans. Yet for its first few decades of independence, India, under the direction of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his Congress Party, sought friendlier relations with Arab states and aligned itself with the third-world Non-Aligned Movement, which was often hostile to Israel. Despite similar national origins to Israel, India viewed the Jewish state as a proxy of the imperial Western powers. This mentality didn’t change until 1992, when the end of the Cold War forced Indian leaders to rethink their global strategy, including relations with Israel. In January 1992, India and Israel opened their first bilateral diplomatic missions. Since then, one of the most important aspects of Indo-Israeli relations has been military cooperation, with Israel becoming India’s
second-largest military importer behind Russia. “Today, military cooperation is considered to be one of the most important aspects of their ties,” Alvite Ningthoujam – a PhD candidate at India’s Jawaharlal Nehru University who has researched India-Israel military cooperation with the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University in Israel – told JNS. Ningthoujam explained that the Indo-Israeli military relationship has evolved over the years “from a mere seller-buyer relationship” to a “relationship that has been transformed into that of joint-collaborations.” “India imports very sophisticated weapon systems such as missiles, arms and ammunition, electronic warfare systems, radio-communication systems, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, etc., and there are several other deals in the pipeline,” Ningthoujam said.
phemy charges over a series of Internet postings, The Associated Press reported. Egyptian Christians have been disproportionately targeted in blasphemy cases. According to the U.S. State Department, nearly 40 percent of the defendants in blasphemy cases in Egypt are Christians, despite the fact that Christians constitute about only 10 percent of the population. Islamists have also increasingly targeted Christian churches, homes, and businesses, in addition to abducting Christians for ransom or conversion to Islam.
Association (NBA) star Pau Gasol met with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on Sunday along with a group of Jewish and Arab basketball players. The 33-year-old Los Angeles Lakers forward/center was making his first to Israel, for a basketball workshop meant to promote peace and coexistence. “I am extremely happy to be here,” the Spanish-born Gasol said, Reuters reported. “I believe sport is an amazing tool for bringing people together.”
Abbas swears in Palestinian unity government (JNS) – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas swore in a new unity government on Monday following an agreement between Abbas’s Fatah party and the terrorist group Hamas. The agreement came as the two sides resolved a dispute over a key ministry position. NBA star Pau Gasol meets with Israeli President Shimon Peres (JNS) – National Basketball
French man with suspected Islamist ties arrested in connection with Brussels attack (JNS) – Mehdi Nemmouche, a 29-year-old French national with suspected ties to Islamic radicals in Syria, was arrested Friday in connection with the May 24 shooting at a Jewish museum in Brussels that killed four people, Agence FrancePresse reported. Jewish humanitarian group sends 15 tons of aid to Balkans flood victims (JNS) – In response to last week’s massive floods in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the American Jewish Joint Distribution
Even though their military ties are strong, Israel and India have shared a mixed relationship since 1992, largely as a result of the Congress Party’s years of vocal support for the Palestinian cause as well as its reluctance to criticize Iran’s nuclear program. But this hasn’t been the case universally in India. Modi’s conservative Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which now has outright majority control of India’s parliament for the first time in the country’s history, has longstanding warm ties with Israel dating back to when the BJP was part of a government coalition in the late 1990s and early 2000s. “We are sure the BJP will give a boost to India-Israel relations based on past experience with BJP,” Bernstein-Reich said. Ideological affinity aside, many inside the BJP are extremely grateful for the discrete military support Israel provided to India during its 1999 Kargil War with Pakistan, when Russia and other allies refused to help India. In recognition of Israel’s support, top BJP officials visited Israel in 2000, which eventually led to former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s historic visit to India in 2003. Like the rest of the BJP, Modi “understands that Israel needs India for political reasons as a strategic ally, something that wasn’t there before, because India needed the oil of Arab countries, including Iran,” Bernstein-Reich said. With his anti-terror attitude,
Modi “will want to keep Israel close to him and not at a distance, like the Congress Party did,” she added. Bernstein-Reich, who has worked as a technology entrepreneur in India and Israel for the past 17 years, met with Modi during his visit to Israel in 2007 as part of a high-tech agricultural conference. Modi, who served as chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat from 2001-2014, forged strong ties with Israeli businesses during that time. India has a decentralized form of government, in which individual states and their leadership can develop economic and bilateral ties with foreign nations. Under Modi’s leadership, Israeli companies poured billions of dollars of investment into Gujarat in areas like industrial research, solar and thermal power, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, and water recycling and desalination plants. “Modi understands what Israel can give to India technology-wise,” Bernstein-Reich said. On the other hand, while IndoIsraeli economic ties have grown significantly to nearly $5 billion, bilateral trade between the nations has recently stagnated. “There has been steady growth, but not enough in recent years because of the recession,” said Bernstein-Reich. Additionally, one of the outstanding issues that Modi inherits as India’s new leader will be finalizing a Free Trade Agreement with Israel.
Committee (JDC), along with the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, has dispatched five aid convoys carrying 15 tons of aid for flood victims. “We’re especially proud that in this moment of tremendous need, we could partner with the Jewish communities of Romania, Serbia, and Bosnia to bring life-saving aid to those who need it most,” said Diego Ornique, JDC’s incoming Europe Regional Director.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu during his visit to Canada this week due to Tutu’s anti-Israel views. Tutu, 82, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work against apartheid in South Africa, has become involved in the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. As part of his visit to Canada, Tutu will speak at a conference opposing the Oil Sands project and Keystone XL pipeline in the Canadian province of Alberta, and will address Native American rights in the region.
Two Baltic countries form new Christian-Israel Allies Caucus (JNS) – Estonia and Latvia this week became the 29th and 30th countries to form a Christian-Israel Allies Caucus in their governments. Organized with the help of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, the new caucuses will work closely with the Israeli Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus (KCAC). B’nai B’rith refuses to meet with anti-Israel Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Canada (JNS) – Frank Dimant, the CEO of B’nai B’rith Canada, said he is refusing to meet South African
Assad forces reportedly destroy ancient Syrian synagogue (JNS) – The ancient Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue near Damascus has been left in ruins by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, according to Syrian rebel forces and new photographs of the site. Rebel leaders claim that Syrian government forces – who have bombarded the area for months – are to blame for the destruction, the Daily Beast reported. Thousands of irreplaceable Jewish artifacts inside the synagogue may have been damaged or destroyed.
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THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014
Beleaguered Belgian Jews shocked but not surprised by museum attack By Cnaan Liphshiz BRUSSELS (JTA) – The cold determination with which the shooter at Belgium’s Jewish museum murdered four people shocked many Belgians, but local Jewish leaders have long anticipated the possibility of such an attack on their community. The shooter who entered the Jewish Museum of Belgium on Saturday in central Brussels “approached each victim with calm, aiming only for the head without uttering a word in a manner that is shocking because of the level of training it suggests,” said Mischael Modrikamen, the Jewish leader of Belgium’s small, centrist Parti Populaire. “Sadly, however, the actual attack comes as no surprise to us after years of living in an atmosphere of rampant anti-Semitism that often leads to violence,” he added. Within hours of the attack, the local Jewish community and the European Jewish Congress’
Courtesy of Cnaan Liphshiz/JTA
along with a driver, used an assault rifle to kill Israeli tourists Mira and Emanuel Riva, a married couple in their 50s; Alexandre Strens, 25, a Belgian man employed by the museum; and Dominique Sabrier, 66, a French woman who volunteered at the museum. A manhunt is underway to capture the perpetrators of the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in Western Europe since the French Islamist Mohammed Merah killed four people, including three children, at a Jewish school in Toulouse in 2012. Indeed, the characteristics of the museum attack follow the pattern observed at Toulouse, according to Claude Moniquet, a Brussels-based counterterrorism expert. “It seems we are dealing with a small cell of operatives – Islamists
or otherwise – with a low signature that minimizes their risk of being caught,” he said. Yet Belgium’s Jews have experience with such violence that predates the Toulouse attack by more than 20 years. In 1989, a Moroccan terrorist assassinated the community’s then president, Joseph Wybran. A 1982 armed attack on Brussels’ largest synagogue, which is located 400 yards from the museum, wounded four. In 1979, 13 people were wounded in an attack on an El Al plane at the Brussels airport. Some of the worst attacks on Belgian Jewry happened between the years 1979 and 1981, when Arab terrorists killed four people in a BELGIAN on page 19
A vigil was organized on May 25, 2014 by the Jewish community outside the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels where a gunman killed four people the previous day.
Brussels-based Security and Crisis Center were operating a crisis management room complete with a telephone hotline and website – testa-
ment to years of preparation for a terrorist attack on one of Europe’s most at-risk communities. The shooter, who fled the scene
Golden Dawn’s gains in EU election signal failure of Greece’s crackdown By Gavin Rabinowitz Contributing Columnist ATHENS, Greece (JTA) – The picture of Golden Dawn leaders being led away in shackles by masked policemen last September was supposed to be a defining image: Greek authorities cracking down on the country’s neo-Nazi party as a harbinger of its demise. Instead, soon there will be a new iconic image: three members of the party taking their seats in the European Parliament. Golden Dawn – supposedly persecuted, prosecuted and in tatters – made substantial gains over the weekend in European elections, capturing 9.4 percent of the popular vote to emerge as the third-largest political party in Greece. Leaders of the party, which won 7 percent of the vote in the 2012 national elections, hailed the weekend vote as a clear triumph. “We are the third political power in Greece,” jailed Golden Dawn leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos wrote in a message to his followers. “We are the upcoming Greece.” For Golden Dawn’s opponents, including the small Jewish community in Greece, the election was deeply frustrating, signaling the apparent failure of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ strategy for dealing with ultranationalist party. “It is a vote that makes us very uncomfortable,” said David Saltiel, the president of the Jewish community in Thessaloniki, the secondlargest city in Greece. “I think the Greek government needs to find
ways to explain to the voters that the Golden Dawn is a Nazi party of killers.” For the embattled Greek government, already struggling to pull the country out of a massive economic crisis amid a harsh austerity regime imposed by Europe, the vote is another blow. Samaras’ center-right New Democracy party, fearful of alienating the right wing of the party, until now has balked at outlawing Golden Dawn or bringing a tough anti-racism bill to parliament. Instead, the government went after Golden Dawn in the courts, arresting most of its lawmakers. Six were jailed and stripped of their political immunity and state funding. Samaras had been forced to act following widespread outrage and protests in Greece in the wake of the Sept. 18 killing of anti-fascist rapper Killah P by a suspected Golden Dawn member. Party members also have been accused of being behind dozens of violent attacks on immigrants in Greece. Prosecutors have said the party, with its Nazi swastika-like flag and Holocaust-denying leadership, has a structured organization that operates along military lines and is inspired by the ideals of National Socialism. Some of the leaders since have been released on bail while others await their trials. No dates have been set; Greece’s legal system often operates extremely slow. Much of the government’s credibility with the public evaporated in April when a top aide to Samaras was forced to resign following the
release of a video that appeared to show him telling Golden Dawn lawmakers that the government was only pressuring the courts to jail party members in order to stem the GREECE on page 19
Office Manager Needed Must have experience with MS Office. Must know Quick Books, and must be able to hit the ground running. Quick Books Pro Competitive salary Part-time • Flexible hours Call Netanel “Ted” Deutsch at The American Israelite (513) 621-3145 publisher@americanisraelite.com
10 • ISRAEL
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In Mideast visit, Pope Francis makes symbolic gestures to both sides By Ben Sales
Courtesy of Amos Ben Gershom/GPO/FLASH90
Pope Francis kissing the hand of a Holocaust survivor at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum in Jerusalem, May 26, 2014.
JERUSALEM (JTA) – Perhaps the most lasting image from Pope Francis’ trip to Israel and the West Bank will be the pontiff praying, eyes closed, with his head against a wall. It wasn’t the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Judaism’s holiest site and a necessary stop for visiting dignitaries. It was Israel’s security fence in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Francis, who has made tolerance a theme since becoming pope last
year, aimed to bring a message of peace when he visited Israel, the West Bank and Jordan over the weekend. But the Israeli-Palestinian conflict loomed over his visit as leaders on both sides aimed to present him with their narrative of the conflict. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asked Francis in a speech for help in “bringing the Israeli occupation to a complete end.” Palestinian authorities then took the pope to a walled segment of Israel’s West Bank security fence,
where he prayed near graffiti comparing the wall to the Warsaw Ghetto. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the pope that barriers were erected to protect civilians, and at the Israeli leader’s request, Francis made an unscheduled stop Monday at a memorial for terror victims during an already packed itinerary. “We don’t teach our children to plant bombs,” Netanyahu said, POPE on page 22
Billionaire debutantes: Russian philanthropists take Bloomberg to the ball By Ami Eden JERUSALEM (JTA) – There were ballerinas, a full dance ensemble, soloists, a harpist, a video tribute to Jewish luminaries in multiple fields, a multimedia orchestra performance celebrating the enduring light of creation, a speech from the prime minister, stand-up from Jay Leno, and an audience packed with top Jewish communal movers and shakers from both sides of the Atlantic. Officially, it was a night at the Jerusalem Theater to honor former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg with the first $1 million Genesis Prize for embodying Jewish values in achieving excellence in the spheres of business, politics and phi-
Israel Briefs Palestinian terrorist killed at Tapuach Junction after firing at Israeli soldiers (JNS) – A Palestinian terrorist opened fire at Israeli soldiers at the Tapuach Junction near Nablus late Monday night, just three days after soldiers apprehended another Palestinian terrorist wearing a suicide belt at the same location, Israel Hayom reported. In Monday’s incident, which took place close to midnight, an Israeli border policeman was lightly wounded by the terrorist’s gunfire. Soldiers quickly returned fire and killed the terrorist. 11 potential kidnappings of Israelis foiled since start of last year (JNS) – Since the beginning of 2013, the Shin Bet security agency and the Israel Prison Service have thwarted 11 cases in which security prisoners directed operatives in the field to carry out kidnappings against
lanthropy. Bloomberg made a day of it, appearing with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat to discuss urban innovation and holding a briefing with the media before showing up for the grandiose ceremony to take home what some are calling the Jewish Nobel. In his multiple day jobs, Bloomberg is used to occupying center stage, but in the Jewish world, not so much. Before becoming mayor in 2002, his public Jewish and Israel profile was admittedly limited as the founder of a major financial software and media company. And other than a handful of high-profile trips to Israel (accompanied by sizable philanthropic gifts to Israeli health care and emergency services), things didn’t change much
during three terms as New York mayor. So the festivities in Jerusalem provided a unique chance for official Jewishdom to celebrate Bloomberg as one of its own. But he wasn’t the only debutante at the ball – it was also a coming-out party of sorts for the organizers, the Russian businessmen-philanthropists behind the Genesis Philanthropy Group. They have been on the scene for nearly a decade, but most of their philanthropic resources and energies have been dedicated to supporting Jewish identity-building initiatives for Russian-speaking Jews around the world. The launch of the Genesis Prize was aimed at influencing the wider Jewish world, inspiring Jewish pride among young people
by shining a spotlight each year on one Member of the Tribe who has made a big impact in the world. As with much of what they do, they did it big. For starters, there was the $1 million in prize money and a $100 million endowment to back it up, plus a formal partnership with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Jewish Agency for Israel. The prize selection process boasted two living Jewish legends, Natan Sharansky and Elie Wiesel. Then there was Bloomberg himself – and his willingness to embrace the role. And, finally, the packed celebration in Jerusalem. Along the way, some commentators and communal insiders scratched their heads. Why do we need a Jewish Nobel? (Or, as Leno
Israeli soldiers and civilians. Those details were made public on Sunday after a court-issued gag order was lifted. The majority of the kidnappings were organized by Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, with the purpose of negotiating a prisoner exchange to secure their release.
Shin Bet as he was attempting to infiltrate the country from Jordan, said during interrogation that Hamas is paying Arab youths between NIS 4,000 and 5,000 ($1,150-$1,440) to harass Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount and throw stones at them.
“Israeli authorities informed the newspaper that it would not allow the printing and distribution of newspapers that allegedly incite against Israel. After the raid, the publishing house agreed to stop printing the newspapers.
After rocket fire from Gaza, Israeli Air Force strikes terror sites (JNS) – The Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck two terror sites in the Gaza Strip early Monday morning in response to recent rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave, Israel Hayom reported. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed direct hits on the targets, one in southern Gaza and the other in central Gaza.
Israeli police nab Palestinian wearing explosives in Samaria (JNS) – Israeli Border Police officers apprehended a Palestinian man wearing a suicide belt at the Tapuach Junction near Ariel and Nablus on Friday morning, thwarting a potential terror attack, Israel Hayom reported. The man, a Nablus resident in his 20s, was subdued and taken to Shin Bet security agency facilities for interrogation. No one was hurt in the incident. According to experts, the device was made up of 12 pipe bombs strung together.
Hamas funding anti-Jewish riots on Temple Mount (JNS) – A top-ranking Hamas operative says the Palestinian terror group is paying young Arabs to harass Jews and incite riots on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the Israeli Shin Bet security agency revealed. Hamas operative Mahmoud Toameh, 63, who was arrested by the
Israel raids publishing house printing pro-terrorist papers (JNS) – Israel’s Civil Administration division of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Unit raided a Palestinian publishing house in Ramallah that has been publishing newspapers supporting terrorist groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Assassination plot against Lebanese Cardinal revealed amid Israel trip (JNS) – An assassination plot was revealed against the head of the Lebanese Maronite Christian Church, Cardinal Bishop Beshara Rai, during his weeklong visit to Israel. Lebanese security sources told The Daily Star that internal security forces arrested a man who was plotting with undisclosed regional intelligence services to assassinate the Christian leader. Lebanese police said that the suspect had been in Rai’s hometown taking pictures of the area. Netanyahu endorses fellow Likud member Rivlin for Israeli president (JNS) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he is backing fellow Likud party member MK Reuven Rivlin, the former speaker of the Knesset, in the June 10 Israeli presidential election.
quipped, isn’t the Nobel the Jewish Nobel?) What exactly are the Jewish values being recognized? Isn’t there someone more deserving (or more in need of the money)? Some answers emerged, but they will probably provoke as many questions as they resolved. The prize honors a laureate “whose actions, in addition to their achievements, embody the character of the Jewish people through commitment to Jewish values, the Jewish community and/or to the State of Israel.” Asked about what Jewish values he held dear, Bloomberg offered up honesty, charity, hard work and the responsibility to make the world a BLOOMBERG on page 19
Former NYC mayor Bloomberg dedicates Torah at Magen David Adom station (JNS) – Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg dedicated a new Torah scroll at a Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency medical services station in Jerusalem. During a special ceremony last week at the newly built synagogue inside the Jerusalem MDA station, Bloomberg dedicated the Torah to his parents, William and Charlotte. Yeshiva University’s medical school, Montefiore agree to form new joint entity (JNS) – The Montefiore Health System and Yeshiva University (YU) last week announced an agreement to form a new joint entity in which Montefiore will assume “greater responsibility for the day-to-day operations and financial management” of YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Montefiore is already the university hospital for Einstein in the Bronx borough of New York City. YU will remain the degree-granting institution for the medical students, according to a press release.
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ROCKDALE TEMPLE’S 190TH GALA ANNIVERSARY On February 22, 2014 over 200 members and friends of K.K. Bene Israel/Rockdale Temple gathered for an evening of dinner and dancing in the Pavilion Ballroom of the Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel for a Gala Celebration in honor of the congregation’s 190th Anniversary. Attendees enjoyed music by The Chuck Taylors featuring Greg Lee, a silent auction, and the opportunity to view original artwork by congregant Beth Goldstein. The artwork has been transferred to needlepoint canvas and will become part of five new Torah mantles donated to the Rockdale Temple. More photos on Page 12
Rockdale’s Past Presidents Boris Auerbach, Gerry Korkin, Dr. Barry Gibberman, Rachel Schild, Michael Friedman, Dr. Susan Sherman, Mark Schaengold with current President, Steven Ackermann and Rabbi Sigma Faye Coran.
ANNOUNCEMENTS BIRTH r. and Mrs. Irvin S. Silverstein (Janet Steinberg) announce the birth of their twin great-grandsons, Ethan Yves Neufeld and Asher Lorne Neufeld on April 24, 2014. Ethan and Asher’s parents are Jason and Marla (Somerstein) Neufeld of Miami, Florida. Their grandparents are Susan (Steinberg) and Barry Somerstein of Ft. Lauderdale, and Sylvie and Alan Neufeld of Miami, Florida. The twins’ other great-grandparents are Helen and Seymour Somerstein of Miami, Florida.
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ROCKDALE TEMPLE’S 190TH GALA ANNIVERSARY Continued from Page 11
Torah Cover Artist, Beth Goldstein
Meg and Steven Ackermann
Senior Rabbi Sigma Faye Coran and Margaret Friedman-Vaughan, Executive Director.
Rockdale Temple’s Young Adult Professionals (RUACH)
Master of Ceremonies, Steven Ackermann.
Bernie and Leslie Reiss
ACCESS’ NEW ORLEANS STYLE SHABBAT On Friday, February 28, the Bell Event Centre in downtown Cincinnati became Bourbon Street for the night where nearly 200 Jewish young professionals gathered for Access’ New Orleans Style Shabbat. First, guests got to participate in an optional pre-event Shabbat service led by Rabbi Sydney Henning of Wise Temple, with musical accompaniment by the Dixie Cats Band. Then, everyone was treated to a sit-down dinner, complete with Cajun inspired cuisine and piping hot beignets made right at the event. The live jazz music was the crowning touch to this event that people are still buzzing about! Access is an initiative of The Mayerson Foundation for Jewish young professionals, 21-35.
THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014
CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE • 13
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The Spicy Olive Tasting Emporium a treat for foodies By Bob Wilhelmy If you think you know a lot about olive oil and its extensive health benefits, you may want to think again. Or at least read on. I’m a fairly savvy eater, and pride myself on knowing the quality and impact of the foods on my fork or spoon. I thought I knew a good deal about olive oil—until I met Melanie Cedargren, owner of The Spicy Olive. Nutritionists say olive oil is good for us. Olive oil is, or can be, an important source of polyphenol antioxidants. Found naturally in olive oil, those little guys work wonders for the human heart, and do a number on inflamers of joints and such. But there is a catch: polyphenols dissipate over time, losing their positive powers. But enough with the food-chemistry lesson, already. Let’s move on to The Spicy Olive: a truly interesting place, devoted to “fresh” olive oil and genuine balsamic vinegar. Off the bat, it’s kosher, with a letter of certification to prove it. So that’s good. The Spicy Olive is a tasting emporium, according to Cedargren. It’s a different way to shop, she says: “When you taste and find something you like, then we bottle it for you to take home.” In addition, The Spicy Olive offers cooking classes, hosted by local chefs who use the oils and vinegars in their restaurants. These chefs, such as David Cook of Daveed’s, prepare a full meal, including dessert, showing how they use the oils and vinegars in each course. Oils at the Spicy Olive are ultra-premium, a grade rating superior to extra virgin. That rating means the oils are very fresh, which matters greatly. Polyphenol counts are above 150 and free fatty acid counts are very low. Those numbers slide in negative directions when oils age more than six months after olives are crushed. You are not likely to find ultrapremium olive oil options among mass-produced brands because of the time needed to reach a retailer’s shelf. Even when you buy EVOO, the polyphenol antioxidant potency is on the wane. One “by the way” fact is that oils as fresh as those at The Spicy Olive feature a much higher smoke point for cooking. “I roast potatoes in our oil, and at 400° F, there is no smoke in the oven,” Cedargren said. Contrast that with typical storebought olive oil, with a smoke
Owner Melanie Cedargren, amid olive oil varieties.
The signage above The Spicy Olive entryway in West Chester.
point of 170° F, because of much higher free fatty acid content. Spicy Olive oils at this time of year are purchased from the northern hemisphere, which crushes olives during February and March. In September, The Spicy Olive will switch to oils from the southern hemisphere. That means fresh oils, within six
months of pressing, and loaded with a high-octane measure of the good stuff. “Most people do not know that olive oil has to be fresh in order to gain the full health benefit from consuming it,” Cedargren said. Olive oils and vinegars are kept in fusti containers, which are small stainless steel kegs, with a spigot. There are dozens
of them, and each one is labeled. You can try as many as you like. Oils and balsamic vinegars are either fused or infused with natural flavors. For instance, garlic olive oil can be made by crushing garlic with the olives being crushed, for fused oil. Or essences from garlic can be infused, by simply adding the essences to the olive oil after the olives have been crushed and the oil extracted. Whatever is added to oils or vinegars is all natural, Cedargren stated. I tried the Tuscan herb infused olive oil and traditional balsamic vinegar on a salad, and found the combo to be delicious. First, I could taste the Tuscan herbs, and the aroma of the oil hinted of the infusion as well. Also, I’ve tried the bloodorange flavored oil, a fused version. Excellent! Balsamic vinegars are from Modena and Emilia-Reggiano in Italy, and are aged from 12 to 18 years in a series of wood barrels made of different tree species to both concentrate and create subtleties of flavor. The Spicy
Olive vinegars can be traditional in a dark or white variety. Also available are vinegars fused or infused with flavors such as blueberry-ginger, dark chocolate, strawberry, raspberry, coconut and much more. To be true balsamic vinegar, the product must come from those two regions of Italy. Unfortunately, due to space, vinegars must be given short shrift here, but that side of The Spicy Olive offering is just as fascinating in my view. Stop in at one of the two Spicy Olive locations and you’ll be amazed, I’m betting. See you there. The Spicy Olive West Chester 7671 Cox Lane West Chester, Ohio 513-847-4397 Hyde Park Square 2736 Erie Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 513-376-9061
DINING OUT • 15
THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014
RESTAURANT DIRECTORY 20 Brix
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101 Main St
115 Reading Rd.
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Historic Milford
Mason
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831-Brix (2749)
336-0062
Montgomery • 794-0080
Ambar India Restaurant
Izzy’s
Slatt’s Pub
350 Ludlow Ave
800 Elm St • 721-4241
4858 Cooper Rd
Cincinnati
612 Main St • 241-6246
Blue Ash
281-7000
1198 Smiley Ave • 825-3888
791-2223 • 791-1381 (fax)
7625 Beechmont Ave • 231-5550 Andy’s Mediterranean Grille
4766 Red Bank Expy • 376-6008
Spicy Olive
At Gilbert & Nassau
5098B Glencrossing Way • 347-9699
7671 Cox Lane
2 blocks North of Eden Park
8179 Princeton-Glendale • 942-7800
West Chester • 847-4397
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2736 Erie Ave.
7905 Mall Road • 859-525-2333
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6200 Muhlhauser Rd
489-2388 • 489-3616 (fx)
West Chester • 942-2100
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321-1600
10040B Montgomery Rd
8702 Market Place Ln
Montgomery
Montgomery
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Marx Hot Bagels
The Cream of Caffeine Coffee Co.
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9701 Kenwood Rd
4081 E. Galbraith Rd
Blue Ash
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Cincinnati
Mecklenburg Gardens
Tony’s
541-9600
302 E. University Ave
12110 Montgomery Rd
Clifton
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221-5353
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Padrino
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321-6300
111 Main St
300 Madison Pike
Milford
Fort Wright, KY
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Parkers Blue Ash Tavern
Wertheim’s Restaurant
745-9386
4200 Cooper Rd
514 W 6th St
Blue Ash
Covington, KY
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(859) 261-1233
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West Chester Hours: 7671 Cox Lane (513) 847-4397 Sun. 12 to 5, Mon. - Thurs. 10 to 7 Fri. 10 to 8, Sat. 10 to 7 Hyde Park Hours: 2736 Erie Avenue (513) 376-9061 Mon. - Thurs. 10 to 7, Fri. & Sat. 10 to 6
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16 • OPINION
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
Presbyterians, BDS and Israel — here we go again By Noam E. Marans NEW YORK (JTA) – In the charming movie “Groundhog Day,” Bill Murray’s character repeatedly relives the same day until learning from the repetition transforms him from lout to worthy wooer of his colleague, played by Andie MacDowell. The “Groundhog Day” of Presbyterian-Jewish relations is coming soon to a theater near you, but if we do not fully engage the issue, a Hollywood ending is unlikely. The biennial General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has regularly included an unhealthy confrontation between pro- and anti-Israel voices. This struggle is out of sync with the norms of American interreligious comity. For the sixth time since 2004 – this time in Detroit on June 14-21 – a minority within the denomination will attempt to convince fellow Presbyterians that Israeli-Palestinian peace can be encouraged by anti-Israel resolutions, divestment from companies doing business with Israel, boycott of Israeli products produced in the territories, labeling Israel an apartheid state and replacing church support for a two-state solution with a one-state vision signifying the end of Israel as a Jewish state. In 2012, at the last biennial, a divestment proposal was narrowly defeated by only two votes out of 664 cast. Despite multiple defeats, divestment supporters have not given up. They are back with new tactics. Why is this General Assembly different from all others? The Presbyterian BDS camp has revealed its desperation by publishing a virulently anti-Israel document, “Zionism Unsettled: ACongregational Study Guide,” available for sale on the Presbyterian Church’s website. In this document, the church’s Israel/Palestine Mission Network openly admits that its argument with Israel is not about the IsraeliPalestinian territorial dispute but rather the entire Zionist enterprise and Israel’s very existence. This screed presents Zionism as a “false theology,” “heretical doctrine,” “evil,” a “pathology,” “racism,” “colonizing” and responsible for “cultural genocide.” When asked for its response to “Zionism Unsettled,” the denomination’s leadership said, “Our Church has a long history of engaging many points of view when it comes to dialogue on critical issues facing the world around us – it’s who we are, part of our DNA.” Really? Are there no limits? Does Presbyterian DNAinclude a document that respected Presbyterian theologians have labeled anti-Semitic and anti-Judaic? While the BDS minions are harming the Presbyterian-Jewish relationship, it is not yet beyond repair. Jews
and Presbyterians can still prevent a minority of Presbyterians from using the ignominious demonization and delegitimization of Israel from driving an irreparable wedge between the two religious communities. First, Jews and Presbyterians must clearly reaffirm their commitment to a two-state solution achieved through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. That solution envisions a future Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with the Jewish state of Israel. BDS, in sharp contrast, encourages and promotes the ideology of those who do not accept Israel’s existence, and therefore must be rejected. Second, Presbyterian leadership must rein in the excesses of the Israel/Palestine Mission Network and its fellow travelers. To say that the network speaks to the church but not for the church is a cop-out. After all, the network is chartered by the church, and its propaganda is marketed by the church. Similarly, BDS proponents should not be allowed to turn General Assembly committees discussing antiIsrael initiatives into kangaroo courts in which conclusions are predetermined and intimidation is used to silence other voices. In April 2014, the assembly’s committee on Middle East issues deposed a moderator who dared to have a relationship with his local Jewish community and participate in interfaith trips to Israel. Where is the fairness and representativeness that are Presbyterian hallmarks? Third, Jewish religious leaders and laypeople are encouraged to reach out to their Presbyterian friends – clergy and lay – and tell them what is being done in their name. Let them know how central Israel is to your Jewishness and how hurtful this process has been. Make sure they know of the Jewish commitment to peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. Like Americans as a whole, American Christians overwhelmingly support the State of Israel, whose values and aspirations for peace they share. Presbyterians in the pews are no exception. But a vocal minority – with tacit approval from the church’s leadership – has dominated the conversation. They cannot be allowed to turn back the clock on Presbyterian-Jewish relations. It’s time for Presbyterians and Jews to reclaim their historic alliance on issues of mutual interest, including working together for IsraeliPalestinian peace. That would be a Hollywood ending – or, in this case, a beginning. Rabbi Noam E. Marans is the American Jewish Committee’s director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Do you have something to say? E-mail your letter to editor@americanisraelite.com
Dear Editor, It is certainly an important responsibility of the American Israelite to continue educating the readership about different Jewish beliefs, customs and traditions. The article on Hebrew-Christians in the last edition does not do so. Someone who accepts the divinity of Jesus is a Christian. The place where people worship Jesus is a church. Beth Messiah is a church and its members are Christians. That they incorporate Jewish rituals and customs in their church does not change the fact they are Christians. That some of them may have been born in to Jewish families does not change the fact they are Christians. Buddhists and Moslems who accept the divinity of Jesus are not Messianic Buddhists and Moslems. They are Christians. Their attempt to blur the lines between Judaism and Christianity is at best a grave error, or purposely deceptive. Sincerely, Rabbi Eric Slaton Beth Israel Synagogue, Hamilton Dear Editor, That a newspaper directed to the Jewish community would provide a forum to a Christian group which actively seeks converts from that community is an abomination. We have a major demographic problem now anyway. This Christian outreach project is a major evangelistic wolf in sheep's clothing. It is their right to do so. We certainly don't need the American Israelite's help in pushing our losses further. Myron Moskowitz Cincinnati, Ohio Dear Editor, I have just received my May 29 issue and see that there is an angry letter about your previous week's article on Messianic Jews in Cincinnati, along with an apol-
Correction In the May 22, 2014 issue of the American Israelite, in the article on page 4 entitled “Rockwern Academy to hold unveiling and dedication of the Jacob R. Hatfield Butterfly Sanctuary Memorial on May 23,” Rabbi Sandford Kopnick was inadvertently referred to as Rabbi Stanley Kopnick. We apologize for the error.
ogy to the community from the publisher on page 1. I want to say that I was pleasantly surprised to see you cover this group with a non-inflammatory information piece. Clearly that was your intent, which you reiterated in your apology. I think you should have defended yourself. I found your article really interesting, and I'm probably not alone. Why wouldn't Jews be interested in knowing about this group? The article did not damage the Jewish community. After reading last week's piece, I was looking forward to the next articles. Not so I could be more influenced by them, but to learn more. Keep being an interesting newspaper. David Dukart Montgomery Dear Editor, A week ago I was shocked when I opened the American Israelite and found in the most prominent location an article on a Messianic group. I believe in freedom of expression, but so too I was distressed to find that the American Israelite would choose to print these articles. The Messianic organizations, attended by Christians, are a negation of Judaism, and our entire heritage. The timing before Shavuot added to my “confusion” and dismay. I was unable to respond after my reading since I had surgery this past week, I am sure your apology finds resonance and acceptance with your readers. Although, I am sure many are “confused” why promoting this group and planning a series of articles was not noticed. This group is not in any way a “form” of Judaism. It defiles and negates the time hallowed history, traditions, rites that have survived thousands of of years ennobled by anguished tears and martyrs' blood and untold sacrifices. I am sure we all accept your apology. However, the historic greatness of the American Israelite should remind to be careful of our “words” in the future. Rabbi Samuel B. Press D.D. Dayton, OH Dear Editor, I was saddened to read in this week’s Israelite (May 29, 2014) that there are Jews, a people who have been among the most persecuted and not tolerated for millenniums, who would exhibit this same intolerance in objecting to articles about the local Messianic congregation and cause the
Israelite to cancel the remaining three articles in this series. This follows other recent acts of intolerance by Jews in not permitting the leadership of J Street to join the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; or having Brandeis University withdraw its invitation to woman activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali to address its graduating class because of comments she made that were critical of Islam. What is happening to the values of American Jews? What about the Jewish maxim: “That which is hateful to you do not do to your fellow” (Talmud, Sabbath 31a)? I was always taught as an American Jew that in our American democracy while I might not agree with what you say, “I will fight to the death for your right to say it.” And in the process we might actually learn some enlightening information. Mrs. Gerry Kraus Cincinnati, OH Dear Editor, I'm writing to express a different view from Mr. Shonfield with regard to the Ms. Torem's interview published in your May 22nd edition. I was proud of the American Israelite and its editorial staff on its decision to educate the readership about Congregation Beth Messiah and the movement it represents. Moreover, I was looking forward to reading further installments which were promised. The initial article seemed to me to be both respectful to the Wolfs and unbiased in viewpoint. It's been my observation over the 40 plus years I've lived in Cincinnati that so many local Jews are in the dark about the existence of this local Evangelical Christian group. Rabbi Wolf and Beth Messiah are the face they know best, thanks to interdenominational worship efforts and to prayer campaigns on behalf of Israel. That is why I know that the Israelite did a service to the mainstream Jewish community two weeks ago with its very visibly placed interview article. Regrettably, the backlash by less openminded readers has apparently terminated the series of articles and brought upon your apology. Bob Mermelstein Cincinnati, OH
JEWISH LIFE • 17
THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014
duty of turning on the lights? I would suggest that there were two central furnishings in the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum of our Sanctuary: the sacred ark, which housed the Tablets of Stone, and the Menorah. The former, with the Torah in splendid seclusion behind the curtains, was meant for Israel alone, to form a “holy nation:” the latter, with its warmth and light spreading round-about was the Torah meant for the world, the Torah which would go forth from Zion, the word of the Lord which would emanate from Jerusalem to the nations. The Midrash (Mekhilta de Rabbi Yishmael, Parshat Yitro, Parsha Aleph) teaches that the Revelation at Sinai was given in a desert, a parousia, rather than on the Temple Mount in order to teach us that the Torah was not meant for the Jews alone, but rather for all of humanity. Just prior to the Revelation, Israel is charged by God to be a “Kingdom of Kohanim,” teachers to all of humanity (Seforno, ad loc Ex 19:6), purveyors of a God of love, compassion, morality and peace. This universal charge is given to the Jews to become a sacred nation (otherwise they would hardly be an example to emulate), and to the Kohanim to convey our teaching to the world (Isaiah 2, Micah 4, Zechariah 7,8,9). This is the true significance of the Kohen’s kindling of the Menorah and spreading the message of Torah beyond the Sanctuary to the world. It is our duty to demonstrate to the world that we have righteous decrees and ordinances (Deut. 4:8); and it is our laws, our unique life-style, which will elevate us above all other nations, granting us renown and glory worldwide (Deut. 26:1819). It is the Kohen Gadol, or the rabbis today, who must convey these righteous laws which will inspire the rest of the nations to accept our God of
compassion and peace. The rabbis are our ambassadors to the world, those who must bring the light and the warmth of Torah to the world. They must kindle the Menorah. It is not by accident that the Menorah is shaped like a tree, which grows and produces fruit, it is the “personification” of halakhah, a progressing and moving teacher of morality and sensitivity. How we treat the stranger and would-be convert, how we deal with the hapless woman chained to a recalcitrant husband who won’t let her go, is the test of the righteousness of our laws and the fitness of our Rabbis. Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone Chief Rabbi – Efrat Israel
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T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE THIS WEEK’S PORTION: BAMIDBAR (BAMIDBAR 1:1–4:20) 1. Who commanded the counting of the census? a.) Hashem b.) Moshe c.) Princes of the tribes 2. When was the census made? a.) No time is mentioned in the Torah b.) After sin of the Golden Calf c.) In the second year in the desert 3. Who was in charge of taking apart the Mishkan? a.) Priests b.) Levites
4. A 4:5,9 B 2:17
EFRAT, Israel – The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand’” (Num. 8:1-2). This week’s Biblical portion of BeHa’alotchah contains an important insight into the necessary qualities and major functions of our rabbis. Our Torah reading of last week, Naso, concluded with the various offerings of the Princes of the tribes at the dedication of the desert Sanctuary, forerunner of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. This week’s reading begins with the kindling of the menorah, the seven candlestick branches made of pure gold, each culminating in a golden flower with three branches emanating from either side of the central tree-like branch, and seven flames spreading warmth and enlightenment within the most sacred area and beyond. The operative verse which describes this magnificent accoutrement is “the candle is commandment, and Torah is light” (Prov. 6:23). Rashi, the classical Biblical commentary, is apparently disturbed by the placement of the Menorah in our portion; it seems to have belonged in the Book of Exodus which describes the inner furnishings of the Sanctuary, including the Menorah (Ex 25:31-40). Rashi therefore opens his interpretation of our portion with the words of the Midrash (Tanhuma 5): Why this juxtaposition of the description of the lighting of the Menorah with the offerings of the Princes of the tribes? It is because when Aaron saw the dedication of the Sanctuary, he became upset that he had not been included in the dedication offerings and ceremonies; neither he nor his tribe of Kohanim. The Holy One Blessed be He said to him, “By your life, your contribution is greater than theirs; you will kindle and clean the candlesticks.” What was so special about kindling the Menorah? It happened early in the morning, without audience or fanfare, and seemed like an almost janitorial
It is our duty to demonstrate to the world that we have righteous decrees and ordinances (Deut. 4:8); and it is our laws, our unique life-style, which will elevate us above all other nations...
c.) Both priests and Levites 4. Were the Holy Ark and Menorah covered when The Children of Israel traveled in the desert? a.) Yes b.) No 5. Did the Ark travel in front of The Children of Israel in the desert? a.) Yes b.) No
the second year in the desert. 3. C Chapter 4. The priests took apart parts of the Mishkan and covered the holy vessels. The Levites moved them.
by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Beha’alotcha Numbers 8:1 - 12:16
Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise
ANSWERS 1. A 1:1 Hashem counted several times to show how he loves The Children of Israel. Rashi 2. C 1:1 On the first day of the second month of
Sedra of the Week
18 • JEWZ IN THE NEWZ
JEWZ
IN THE
RBy Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist Tony Time The Tony awards, for excellence in the Broadway theater, will be broadcast this weekend. Hugh Jackman hosts. Here are the Jewish nominees in the “marquee” categories: Lead actress, musical: IDINA MENZEL, 42, “If/Then”; Featured actor, play: STEPHEN FRY, 56, “Twelfth Night”; Featured actress, play: MARE WINNINGHAM, 55, “Casa Valentina” and SOPHIE OKENEDO, 46, “A Raisin in the Sun”; Featured actor, musical: DANNY BURSTEIN, 49, “Cabaret” and JAROD SPECTOR, 34, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”. Best Play author: JAMES LAPINE, 65, “Act One” and HARVEY FIERSTEIN, 60, “Casa Valentina”; Best musical, songwriters: “After Midnight”, a revival revue, features the work of four legendary songwriters. The line-up includes the music of the late HAROLD ARLEN and lyrics by the late DOROTHY FIELDS; also in this category, “Aladdin” by ALAN MENKEN, 65, and the late HOWARD ASHMAN, and “Beautiful” (Carole King), with songs by KING, 72, and four of her contemporary (Jewish) rock songwriters; and “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”: lyrics by ROBERT L. FREEDMAN, 56, and music & lyrics by STEVEN LUTVAK, 56. The songwriters of “Gentleman’s Guide” and “Aladdin” were also nominated for best original score. Also in this category: JASON ROBERT BROWN, 43, “The Bridges of Madison County” and TOM KITT, 40, music for “If/Then”. Finally, WOODY ALLEN, 79, is nominated for the book (script) of the musical version of “Bullets over Broadway”. Also nominated for his “book” is Robert Freedman for “Gentleman's...”. Glatt Kosher Factoids: “Act One” is based on the autobiography of the late playwright/producer MOSS HART. The play is told in flashbacks, with Hart, as an adult, providing introductory narration for each scene. Arab-American actor Tony Shalhoub is Tony-nominated (lead actor, play) for playing three roles(!): the adult Hart; Hart’s father; and playwright GEORGE S. KAUFMAN. ---Danny Burstein is nominated for playing Herr Schultz, an elderly German Jewish storekeeper ---Jarrod Spector is nominated for playing songwriter BARRY MANN, 75. Mann and his wife, CYNTHIA WEILL, 73, wrote scads of hits, including, “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling”.
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
NEWZ
--Steven Luttwak’s works include the music for “Hannah Senesh”, a (1985) one-woman musical play about the Hungarian poet and paratrooper who was killed by the Nazis. It’s been performed worldwide and Senesh’s mother (then 90) saw a 1986 Israeli production. Luttwak made me laugh as he told a San Diego Jewish website about his background: “I grew up in a modern kosher home (we ate lobster in the backyard).” At the Movies Opening this week are “Edge of Tomorrow” and “The Fault in Our Stars.” The former stars Tom Cruise as a desk-bound army officer who is thrown into a very bloody personal battle with a space alien race. Yes, its familiar material. But this one sounds like it has interesting twists and the director, DOUG LIMAN, 48, has a strong track record (“Bourne” films, etc.). “Fault” is a romantic comedy/drama. It co-stars Shailene Woodley as a teen with terminal cancer and ANSEL ELGORT, 20, as a wonderful guy who takes her to meet her favorite author. NAT WOLFF, 19, has a big supporting role. On TV: Horses and Webermania The Belmont Stakes, the third race in the Triple Crown, will be shown on TV this weekend. California Chrome, trained by ART SHERMAN, 77, will try to be the first horse since 1978 to win all three Triple Crown races. Just about everybody recognizes STEVEN WEBER, but most don’t remember his name. He’s the charming and “regular guy” handsome fellow who is still probably best known for playing one of the two commuter airline pilot brothers on the ‘90s sitcom “Wings”. Now 53, Weber grew up in Queens, where his father scratched out a lower-middle class income managing Borscht Belt performers. I long knew he was Jewish, but I didn’t know his whole Jewish background until he wrote a long article about visiting Israel in 2011 for the Huffington Post. It is a smart and moving piece. (just google the title to find it: “In a sense, abroad part trois, I’s real, oy!”) By some strange coincidence, Weber has big supporting roles in two new series that start within a day of each other this coming week. “Murder in the First” is a tenepisode TNT crime drama created by STEVEN BOCHCO, 70 (“NYPD Blue”).The second show is “Chasing Life”. It centers upon a pretty and smart young journalist who is devastated when she is told she has cancer. The news is delivered by her estranged uncle George (Weber), a cancer doctor.
FROM THE PAGES 150 Y EARS A GO The undersigned takes pleasure in announcing that he has leased and renovated the Four Mile House, on the Harrison Pike, formerly kept by Mr. Bissinger, and is now fully prepared to accommodate his numerous friends. His gardens are very shady, the beverage is good, and the table splendid, besides he will make it his constant study to render it pleasant to those who visit him. Henry Spritzky, formerly with Glossner. We take pleasure in informing our readers that we will shortly commence the publication of “The Rabbi of Bachrach,” a historical novel, from the prolific pen of the American Jewish Novelist. The plot is deep and well-conceived, the various characters are boldly drawn and the diction is both flowery and expressive. Those who wish to have the whole novel would do well at once to subscribe for the Israelite, as we print but a limited number, and are therefore unable to sometimes furnish back numbers. – July 1, 1864
125 Y EARS A GO Henry Fleischman, son of Israel and Lena Fleischman, died at the residence of his parents, 423 West Eighth Street, Saturday night, June 1st, after an illness of two weeks, aged fourteen years and seven months. In his loss his family is bereft of a dutiful and loving son and brother. He was a boy of great promise, always standing in the lead at school in his studies, and his teachers and schoolmates will miss his bright and cheerful countenance from their midst. May the Almighty grant his grief-stricken family that consolation which time alone can bring. The members of the New Grace Aguilar Literary Society were royally entertained on last Saturday evening by Mr. Henry Solomon, whose departure from this city has been noted. Mrs. Carrie Austerlitz, wife of E.H. Austerlitz, celebrated her fortysecond birthday last Sunday. She was congratulated by her numerous friends and relatives. – June 13, 1914
100 Y EARS A GO The women inmates of the Jewish Home for the Aged and Infirm spent a most enjoyable afternoon last week as guests of Mrs. Victor Shields, who took them out for an automobile ride and luncheon. The old folks are also indebted to Mrs. A. Freiberg for ice cream and cake in honor of the seventieth birthday anniversary of Mr. Freiberg, to Mrs. Lee Kaufman for a chicken dinner, and to Mrs. Fannie Bamberger for ice cream and cake. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob William
Mack announce the engagement of their sister, Miss Helen A. Ronsheim, to Mr. Julian Behr. All of Cincinnati, O. No cards. At home June 21, at 984 Burton Avenue, Avondale. Mr. Herbert R. Bloch, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Abe Bloch, and Miss Jean, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Kaufman, were married at the Sinton Hotel Monday evening, Dr. Grossmann performing the ceremony.– June 4, 1914
75 Y EARS A GO Rabbi Aaron Wise will speak tonight (Thursday June 8th) at 8:30 pm at the Bureau of Jewish Education, at the fifth annual Palestine scholarship night. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Wise, 823 Blair Avenue. He graduated with distinction from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Many of his friends are expected to attend. Mr. and Mrs. Hyman I. Epstein, 3415 Hartford Place, announce the engagement of their daughter, Geraldine, to Mr. Seymour Lerner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Max Lerner, 541 Forest Avenue. Miss Epstein will receive her B.A. degree from the University of Cincinnato on June 9th. She is a member of Delta Phi Epsilon. Mr Lerner is a graduate of New York University and the University of Cincinnati Teachers College. Mr. Harry Kronman, widely known Hollywood writer, is recuperating after an illness at Holmes Hospital. He attended the University of Cincinnati and the Hebrew Union College. Mrs. George Henry of Barker Road announces the engagement of her daughter, Ann, to Mr. Julius Freiberg, son of Mr. Julius W. Freiberg. – June 8 1939
50 Y EARS A GO Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Goldberg, 2611 St. Albans Avenue, announce the forthcoming Bar Mitzvah of their son, Ned Allen, Saturday, June 20, at 9 am, at Ohav Shalom Synagogue, 1834 Section Road. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to worship with the family and attend the Kiddush following the services. A reception in Ned’s honor will be held Sunday, June 21, from 2 to 5 pm, at Garrett Studio, 6230 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge. No cards. Ned is the grandson of Mrs. Sarah Lessure and of the late Mr. Ben Lessure and the late Mr. and Mrs. Abe Goldberg. He is the great grandson of Mrs. Eva Kauffman. Miss Teri Ann Scheff, 1737 Dalewood Place, wishes to thank Rabbi Cohen, her relatives, friends, and especially the teachers and children of Yavneh Day School for their
visits, gifts and good wishes during her recent stay at Jewish Hospital. – June 11, 1964
25 Y EARS A GO Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Bardach announce the engagement of their daughter, Amy Elizabeth, to Terrence Lee Goodman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Sandler of Essexville, Michigan. Amy is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Gerson and the late Mr. and Mrs. Max Bardach. Terry is the grandson of Mrs. Edward Cohen. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Amy is a medical social worker at Booth Memorial Hospital. Terry is a graduate of Albion College. He received his J.D. degrees from Washington and Lee Law School. Terry is an associate with Waite, Schneider, Baylis and Chesley. A November wedding in Cincinnati is planned. Jewel Berman died June 6. Mrs. Berman had been a secretary at the Hamilton County Courthouse, a member of Hamilton County Retired Employees and the Republican Club. She is survived by two daughters, Josephine Glasser and Cincinnati and Rosalie Fialkoff of Miami ;two sisters, Helen Rasansky of Dallas and Hannah Ansfield of Milwaukee; two brothers, Manny Gordon of Chicago and Bernard Lepgold of Las Vegas; and four grandchildren, Lisa Kamen, Laura Fialkoff, Susan Borden and Daniel Glasser. Mrs. Berman was the wife of the late Ben Berman. Graveside services were held June 8 at Love Brothers Cemetery, Rabbi Bernard Greenfield officiating. Weil Funeral Home handled the arrangements. – June 15, 1989
10 Y EARS A GO Dr. and Mrs. Alan Weinstein, and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond McMullen announce the engagement of their children, Michael and Laurie. Michael is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and is completing his master’s degree in theology from Xavier University. Laurie, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, is completing a degree from the College Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati. Michael is the grandson of Mrs. Betty Vigran and the late Mr. Julian Vigran; and Mr. Saul Weinstein and the late Mrs. Mildred Weinstein of Miami, FL. A December wedding is planned. – June 10, 2004
COMMUNITY DIRECTORY / CLASSIFIEDS • 19
THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014
COMMUNITY DIRECTORY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATIONS Access (513) 373-0300 • jypaccess.org Big Brothers/Big Sisters Assoc. (513) 761-3200 • bigbrobigsis.org Camp Ashreinu (513) 702-1513 Camp at the J (513) 722-7258 • mayersonjcc.org Camp Chabad (513) 731-5111 • campchabad.org Camp Livingston (513) 793-5554 •camplivingston.com Cedar Village (513) 754-3100 • cedarvillage.org Chevra Kadisha (513) 396-6426 Cincinnati Community Kollel (513) 631-1118 • kollel.shul.net Cincinnati Community Mikveh (513) 351-0609 •cincinnatimikveh.org Eruv Hotline (513) 351-3788 Fusion Family (513) 703-3343 • fusionnati.org Halom House (513) 791-2912 • halomhouse.com Hillel Jewish Student Center (Miami) (513) 523-5190 • muhillel.org Hillel Jewish Student Center (UC) (513) 221-6728 • hillelcincinnati.org Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati 513-961-0178 • jcemcin.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) 214-1200 Jewish Information Network (513) 985-1514 JVS Career Services (513) 936-WORK (9675) • www.jvscinti.org Plum Street Temple Historic Preservation Fund (513) 793-2556 Shalom Family (513) 703-3343 • myshalomfamily.org
GREECE from page 9 loss of New Democracy votes. Golden Dawn spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris released the video during a parliamentary debate on lifting his immunity. The elections for European Parliament, the EU’s legislative branch, also have undermined the Greek government’s central tenet – that exposing Golden Dawn members for what they are would drain them of support. This was clearly a fallacy, said Victor Eliezer, the secretary general of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece. “Now no one can say that they did not know, no one can say that it was a vote of protest,” he said. “This time, to my sorrow, the votes for Golden Dawn are clearly ideological; they are votes for a neo-Nazi party.” For Greek Jews, the question remains of what can be done? Some, like Saltiel, believe that only by tackling the underlying problems that affect Greece can they truly deal with Golden Dawn. A
The Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education (513) 487-3055 • holocaustandhumanity.org Vaad Hoier (513) 731-4671 Workum Fund (513) 899-1836 • workum.org YPs at the JCC (513) 761-7500 • mayersonjcc.org CONGREGATIONS CONGREGATIONS Adath Israel Congregation (513) 793-1800 • adath-israel.org Beit Chaverim (513) 984-3393 • btzbc.com Beth Israel Congregation (513) 868-2049 • bethisraelcongregation.net B’nai Tikvah Chavurah (513) 284-5845 • rabbibruce.com Congregation Beth Adam (513) 985-0400 • bethadam.org Congregation B’nai Tzedek (513) 984-3393 • btzbc.com Congregation Ohav Shalom (513) 489-3399 • ohavshalom.org Congregation Sha’arei Torah (513) 620-8080 • shaareitorahcincy.org Congregation Shevet Achim (513) 426-8613 • shevetachimohio.com Congregation Zichron Eliezer (513) 631-4900 • czecincinnati.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
recent survey by the AntiDefamation League showed that Greece has Europe’s highest rate of anti-Semitic viewpoints, with 69 percent of Greeks espousing antiSemitic views. That’s nearly twice the rate as the next highest country, France, where the rate was 37 percent. “Golden Dawn is a symptom of the sickness,” Saltiel said. Some of Golden Dawn’s support comes from the role it has played in filling a vacuum created by the economic crisis. While the government has slashed salaries and pensions, and unemployment soared to nearly 30 percent, Golden Dawn has stepped up by distributing food, medicine and other supplies to ethnic Greeks and providing security patrols in predominantly immigrant neighborhoods. Some of the patrols have resulted in violence against immigrants. Greece has seen a huge influx of immigrants in recent years who have used the country as a gateway to the rest of Europe. “I think the government has to work to see the real problems of the
EDUCA 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 Kulanu (Reform Jewish High School) (513) 262-8849 • kulanucincy.org Regional Institute Torah & Secular Studies (513) 631-0083 Rockwern Academy (513) 984-3770 • rockwernacademy.org Sarah’s Place (513) 531-3151 • sarahsplacecincy.com Yeshivas Lubavitch High School of Cincinnati (513) 631-2452 • ylcincinnati.com ORGANIZATIONS 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 BBYO (513) 722-7244 • mayersonjcc.org 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 (937) 886-9566 • jwv.org NA’AMAT (513) 984-3805 • naamat.org National Council of Jewish Women (513) 891-9583 • ncjw.org ORT America (216) 464-3022 • ortamerica.org State of Israel Bonds (513) 793-4440 • israelbonds.com
people and see why people are voting for this extremist Nazi party,” Saltiel said. Greek authorities have not said what their next steps will be, except for a brief statement from government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou reiterating that the government needs to do a better job explaining the dangers of Golden Dawn. Others say it’s time that neoNazi extremism is addressed on a wider level. They point not just to the far-right surge in the European Parliament elections but to an uptick in extremist violence across Europe – including Saturday’s attack at the Brussels Jewish museum that left four dead. “European leaders must address this problem urgently and come up with a strategy to fight extremism,” said Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress. Lauder said he wants European leaders to find a “credible plan” to combat the problem. “The future of European Jewry is at stake if these forces are not reined in,” he said.
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BELGIAN from page 9 series of explosions, including a car bomb, and shootings directed at Jewish targets in Antwerp’s Diamond Quarter. “That track record means that no one thought this couldn’t happen here,” said Joel Rubinfeld, president of the Belgian League Against Anti-Semitism and the former leader of French-speaking Belgian Jews. “In fact, most of us knew it could and would, especially in recent years. So I am shocked but not in the least surprised.” In more recent years, Belgium’s Jewish community of about 40,000 – divided more or less equally between Brussels and Antwerp – has suffered from rising anti-Semitism. The level of threat increased after the second Palestinian intifada in the early to mid-2000s, when Belgium began seeing dozens of anti-Semitic attacks each year for the first time since World War II. “There is a silent exodus from Belgium which is largely attributable to the country’s antiSemitism problem,” Rubinfeld said. “We are facing an uncertain future and I am concerned.” The concerns have increased lately not only because of Merah, who inspired a slew of antiSemitic attacks across the Frenchspeaking world, but because “of the arrival to the scene of new patrons of anti-Semitism in the French-speaking world,” Rubinfeld said, a reference to Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, a French comedian. Earlier this month, Belgian BLOOMBERG from page 10 better place for future generations. Of course, he quickly added, they could just as well have been Christian, Muslim or Hindu values. Bloomberg praised Israel and remarked fondly on his Jewish upbringing that set him on the path to success. But he noted repeatedly that the values he absorbed as a child could have come from any culture or religion. “No one religion has a lock on great people or terrible people,” Bloomberg said at a news confer-
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(513) 531-9600 authorities banned a conference organized in Brussels by several individuals with a track record of promoting anti-Semitism, including Dieudonne, French activist Alain Soral and Belgian lawmaker Laurent Louis. Rubinfeld said the ban “was the first case of its kind in recent years where we saw a determined stance.” Belgian authorities generally had “a more lax attitude” toward anti-Semitism than their French counterparts, he said. Modrikamen noted that the police maintained no permanent presence outside the Jewish Museum of Belgium. “Even when police do place protection, it means two cops in a car parked outside a building and nothing comparable to the security provided in France,” he said. But Arie Zuckerman, a European Jewish Congress executive who has spearheaded Jewish communities’ preparations for crises after Toulouse, says the problem is not local. “When governments perceive a threat, they know how to cooperate tightly and devote enormous resources, and we see this in the war on drugs, for example,” he said. “Sadly, no such panEuropean recognition has emerged on the need to protect Jewish institutions, which often have to carry the burden of security costs. “We saw it in Brussels, where the terrorists probably collected intelligence without being detected, but it could happen in many other places. The tragedy is in Belgium, but the problem is in Europe.” ence preceding the award ceremony. “The values I learned from my parents are probably the same values I hope Christians and Muslims and Hindus and Buddhists teach to their people.” In selecting Bloomberg, the Genesis Prize selection committee chose a fellow billionaire who is perhaps better known for defending Muslim rights than Jewish ones. As mayor, Bloomberg was a strident defender of plans to build an Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, a controversy he brought up at the news conference.
20 • LEGALLY SPEAKING
The so-called medical malpractice crisis A LEGAL LOOK
by Michael Ganson Recently, The Plain Dealer in Cleveland published an editorial by Dr. Michael Kirsch wherein he claimed there is a “Litigation fever.” It is the epitome of a double standard. While he says that we, non-doctors, should take more responsibility for our own mistakes, nowhere does he suggest the medical community should take responsibility for medical mistakes that cause serious injury and death to patients. Nowhere does he acknowledge that preventable medical errors are the leading cause of accidental death nationwide, and third leading cause of death from all causes – killing as many as 400,000 patients annually, according to a study in the September 2013 Journal of Patient Safety. Or that one-third of hospital patients fall victim to medical malpractice each year, as reported in the April 2011 issue of Health Affairs. Or that doctors are currently pressing our Ohio General Assembly to pass House Bill 276, a law that would allow doctors to lie to a civil jury about having previously admitted to the patient at the hospital that they made a mistake that caused their patient harm. Are these examples of the medical profession taking responsibility for its errors? Dr. Kirch’s most misleading claim is that Ohio courts are full of frivolous, baseless medical malpractice cases. He left out that in order to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit in Ohio, the patient must first get permission from a physician. Under Ohio law, one cannot file a lawsuit against a doctor without first securing an affidavit, executed under oath, by a qualified physician, stating that each doctor named in the lawsuit was negligent, fell below the expected standard of care, and caused the patient’s injury. Without this required affidavit, a medical malpractice lawsuit will be dismissed. The precipitous drop in lawsuits also disproves the idea that medical malpractice litigation has run amok in Ohio. The Ohio Supreme Court’s 2012 Annual Statistical Report shows a staggering decrease in medical negligence claims compared to ten years ago. The number of professional malpractice cases filed (against doctors, lawyers, and other professionals) dropped from 2,683 in 2003 to 1,242 in 2012 (down 54 percent). There are no other statistics to suggest medical malpractice litigation has run amok.
Medical malpractice lawsuits are rare in part due to Ohio laws favoring physicians. In addition to the affidavit requirement mentioned above, Ohio’s one-year statute of limitations keeps many cases out of court. No state in the union has a shorter period of time for patients to bring medical malpractice claims. In many instances of medical malpractice, one year is not enough time for injured patients or their families to retain counsel, have the case evaluated by a qualified physician, and obtain a sworn affidavit giving permission to sue from the qualified physician. After the one year expires, the courthouse doors are shut forever to that injured patient. Dr. Kirsch also complains about the number of doctors named in some medical malpractice cases. But fails to mention that Ohio law prevents a physician from being added to a case later on; in other words, Ohio law requires all potentially negligent physicians to be named in the lawsuit or the courthouse doors are shut forever to that injured patient if a doctor not named turns out to be the one whose medical malpractice caused them harm. Interestingly, lawyers who represent injured patients have asked the GeneralAssembly to change the law that currently requires every doctor to be named initially in a lawsuit; and, ironically, it was and continues to be the powerful medical and insurance lobbies in Columbus that have resisted this common-sense change. Dr. Kirsch may not know that the vast majority of medical malpractice cases are turned down by law firms, usually because of the cost of the litigation or the laws that favor doctors. A 2013 Emory Law School study found that attorneys turned away nearly 95 percent of patients who suffered harm during medical treatment. The costs to bring a medical malpractice case typically exceed $100,000. Even if the case for liability is strong, if the potential damages do not justify the expensive process of litigating a medical malpractice case, it does not make sense for a medical malpractice case to be pursued. This reality cannot be reconciled with the claims being made there is “litigation fever.” Even the anecdotal assessment regarding liability for a fall on ice and snow offered in the column is misleading. Contrary to the claim, if someone falls on naturally accumulated ice or snow, Ohio law has precluded and continues to preclude that person from filing a lawsuit. The Plain Dealer’s column is extremely misleading about the current legal climate. Ohioans deserve an accurate account of the status of the law and how it presently works to keep most patients injured by medical mistakes out of court. The information contained in this article is intended to provide only general legal information and is not intended to be relied upon for specific legal issues or any particular legal matters.
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
Current Goings-On About the Death Penalty Legally Speaking
by Marianna Bettman Let’s back up to 2011. On January 18, 2011 at Justice Paul Pfeifer’s swearing-in ceremony for this, his final term on the Supreme Court of Ohio (he will be too old to run again after this term because of Ohio’s constitutional age limit for judges), he indicated in his remarks that he might make everyone in the room uncomfortable by talking about Ohio’s death penalty. Justices typically steer clear of such topics in public remarks. He said that he had concluded that it is exceedingly difficult for Ohio’s death penalty statute to be administered in a fair and just way. He urged the legislature to consider seriously whether Ohio continues to be well-served by having a death penalty statute, and urged the governor to consider commuting all current death penalty sentences to life without the possibility of parole. He commented further that the Court is seeing far fewer death sentences now that juries have the choice of life without the possibility of parole. The next day in an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Pfeifer is quoted as saying that safeguards put in place to prevent inequities in death penalty sentencing had not worked, and that the use of capital punishment was a “lottery.” Pfeifer repeated the remark from his swearing in that he thought the governor should commute all death sentences to life without the possibility of parole, and to do what Illinois has done “and say we don’t need the death penalty in Ohio any longer.” Finally, on January 26, 2011 Pfeifer wrote a letter to the editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, in which he wrote that from his perspective, first as a legislator who had helped draft the law, and now as a judge, “I have come to the conclusion that we are not wellserved by our ongoing attachment to capital punishment.” He expressed his unease at the unfair application of the death penalty, and ended the letter saying, “I believe the time has come to abolish the death penalty in Ohio.” In August of 2011, in State v. Lang, the high court upheld the death penalty for the murder of
two men in a drug deal gone sour. But Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, who has since left the Court, wrote a separate opinion on the sentencing phase of this case that turned a lot of heads. Evidence presented at Lang’s mitigation hearing suggested that he suffered from mental illness. Stratton suggested that it is time to re-examine whether “we as a society should administer the death penalty to a person with a serious mental illness.” Justice Pfeifer joined her in this opinion. In September of 2011, in her first state of the judiciary address, Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, announced the formation of a joint task force between the Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio State Bar Association to review the administration of the death penalty in Ohio. At the time, she said she wanted to ensure that the death penalty was administered in the “most fair, efficient, judicious manner possible.” She also made it quite clear that the appropriateness of the death penalty in Ohio was not on the table. Things percolated on. The prosecution tried to have Justice Pfeifer removed from a death penalty case because of what he’d said at his swearing in ceremony. That did not succeed. But in December of 2011, Justice Pfeifer signed the order of execution in a death penalty case from which Chief Justice O’Connor had recused herself because she had been the prosecutor at the time. Pfeifer, as senior associate justice, presides in the Chief’s absence. Since then, Pfeifer has voted to affirm in some death penalty cases and dissented in others. The task force continued its work, taking longer than expected. And Justice Bill O’Neill joined the Court in January 2013, having defeated incumbent Justice Robert Cupp in the 2012 election. O’Neill wasted no time in making his views on the death penalty known as a justice. On January 25, 2013, O’Neill dissented from the order of execution in the Hamilton county case of State v. Wogenstahl. He wrote: “While I recognize that capital punishment is the law of the land, I cannot participate in what I consider to be a violation of the Constitution I have sworn to uphold. I must respectfully dissent.” About a month later, he dissented from another order of execution. Fast forward to the present. The Task Force Chief Justice O’Connor commissioned in 2011 has now finished its work. This report is available many places online, and I urge my readers to access it. The Task Force made
over fifty recommendations. One of the most controversial is the creation of a death penalty charging committee under the Ohio Attorney General that would have to approve death penalty charges before cases can proceed as capital cases. As things now stand, each county prosecutor makes this decision individually for that county. Some of the other controversial suggestions are the abolition of the death penalty for certain felony murders, the recording of custodial interrogations, the elimination of the death penalty for those suffering from serious mental illness, and recommending legislation that would not allow a death sentence to be considered or imposed unless the state has either: 1) biological evidence or DNA evidence that links the defendant to the act of murder; 2) a videotaped, voluntary interrogation and confession of the defendant to the murder; or 3) a video recording that conclusively links the defendant to the murder. Three members of the Task Force, one of whom was Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, wrote a minority report. They said, “In several of its recommendations, however, the Task Force veered off its narrow mandate and is making recommendations that are anti-death penalty. The work of the Task Force was strongly influenced by a pro-defense majority bent on an agenda of abolition, not fairness.” The Task Force Report has been submitted to Chief Justice O’Connor and to the Ohio State Bar Association. The next stop is the General Assembly, where the political process will take over. Meanwhile, Justice O’Neill continues his absolutist anti-death penalty position. He dissented from the imposition of the death penalty in two cases in May, writing this in State v. Mammone, in which the defendant stabbed and killed his two young children and murdered his ex-mother-in-law: “The death penalty is both cruel and unusual and I refuse to ratify the taking of any human life in the name of retribution, deterrence, or punishment. We as a society live by our Constitutions and by a moral code that clearly is not subscribed to by this defendant. On a moral level, I simply cannot countenance the concept of lowering 11 million Ohioans to Mr. Mammone’s level of depravity.” The U.S. Supreme Court has already held that it is unconstitutional to impose the death penalty on the mentally retarded or on juvenile homicide offenders. Which way does it seem the wind is blowing?
FIRST PERSON • 21
THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014
This Year in Jerusalem This Year in Jerusalem
by Phyllis Singer In 11 days — on the 16th of June, corresponding to the 18th of the Hebrew month of Sivan — my family and I will observe Allen’s second yahrzeit — the Hebrew anniversary of death. One week before — next Monday, June 8 — marks the second anniversary of his death, according to the Gregorian calendar. It seems difficult for us to believe that it’s been two years already (only once every 19 years will the Gregorian and Hebrew dates of death coincide). Each of my children and their families will commemorate Allen’s yahrzeit in their own cities. Here in Israel, I will observe the yahrzeit MARRIAGE from page 7 100 same-sex weddings over the past decade. After same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts, Rabbi Neal Loevinger officiated at his first – and so far only – same-sex wedding. Susan Jacobs and her longtime Jewish partner – who previously had a Jewish commitment ceremony in California – were members of Loevinger’s Conservative synagogue north of Boston and asked the rabbi to wed them While the wedding was not going J STREET from page 7 the entire movement’s pulse on the issue. “I think part of what upset people really was the fact that certain leaders in the Conservative movement were so out front, advocating so strongly, which seemed not to take into consideration the feelings of various members of Conservative synagogues and rabbis who felt differently,” he told JNS. Weinblatt said he was not surprised by the sentiments expressed by the ad. “These are people who care deeply about Israel, who feel a sense of having been disenfranchised,” he said. “Usually most Jewish organizations are driven by consensus and trying to reflect the overall position of its members, and in this particular case it’s hard to gauge really how accurate a reflection it was to take the position that they took.”
with Hanan and Judy and their three daughters, Sivan, Keren and Zohar. Last year, we visited the grave on the yahrzeit, which came out on Thursday. On Friday night, we had a family dinner in my apartment, on Saturday, we sponsored Kiddush at our synagogue, and Hanan gave the optional English shiur (class) following services in Allen’s memory. This year, we have decided to do something a little different. Instead of commemorating the yahrzeit in Jerusalem, we have decided to do so on Kibbutz Merav, where Hanan, Judy and their daughters live. Hanan and Judy will sponsor Kiddush at home after Shabbat morning services; we will be joined by their close friends on the kibbutz —especially the English speakers who knew Allen well. We hope that Allen’s and my very close friends, Connie and Sheldon Abramson, will join us on Merav for that Shabbat. Hanan plans to deliver a Dvar Torah in Allen’s memory, and I hope that at least one — if not all three — of my granddaughters will also speak about their grandfather. On Sunday, Hanan, Connie, Shelly and I will return to Jerusalem. The girls will not be able to accompany us this year: Sivan is in the army and has
limited free time; Keren and Zohar will be in the middle of exams and will not be able to miss school. Since the actual yahrzeit will be Monday, Hanan and I will go to our synagogue Sunday night for Ma’ariv and Kaddish. Then he and I — and hopefully, Connie and Shelly also — will go to the cemetery to say appropriate prayers and tehillim (psalms) at Allen’s grave. Once again, Hanan will organize a program where we will recite tehillim in Allen’s memory. We will begin by reciting Psalm 119, the longest of the psalms, consisting of 22 stanzas, corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. It is traditional to read the stanzas that spell out the deceased’s Hebrew name — in Allen’s case, Yitzchak Moshe. Then we will read some additional stanzas for his neshama, his soul. We will end our remembrance by reciting the 23rd psalm, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and the Kel Moleh Rachamim prayer that asks God to grant mercy and fitting rest to the soul of the deceased. Addendum: Since last fall, Israelis — and especially American-Israelis who have always admired the work of the
Hadassah Women’s Zionist Organization of America (HWZOA) in helping to provide top-notch medical care in Israel — have agonized over the newspaper stories about the financial failure of the two Hadassah hospitals in Jerusalem and the fact that the future of the Hadassah Medical Organization was endangered by a NIS 3 billion debt. Last month, the government, five different hospital unions and the HWZOA accepted a painful recovery program. According to Judy SiegelItzkovich, writing in The Jerusalem Post, “This is meant to put HMO on a new path and give it a hopeful new life in Jerusalem. “The agreement, forged by the Treasury, and with behind-thescenes involvement by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and the Histadrut labor federation, will mean the dismissal of a few hundred more administrative, paramedical and maintenance workers and early pension agreements for about 30 physicians. “However, it will not entail the closing of HMO’s Mount Scopus hospice, osteoporosis center, psychiatric department, School of Dental Medicine or other facilities that were
endangered during negotiations. “Nothing will be closed now and nothing in the future without agreement from the Finance and Health ministries.” While the crisis was ongoing for months, the hospitals were plagued by strikes by hospital personnel, including doctors, the hospitals operating on shortened Shabbat and holiday schedules and patients complaining about inadequate care. Hopefully, the crisis has ended, and Hadassah hospitals are well on their way to recovery. Meanwhile, you ask, “What does this have to do with Allen Singer’s yahrzeit?” For four-and-ahalf years, Allen was a patient at Hadassah Ein Kerem – much of the time as an outpatient, but part of the time as an inpatient. During all that time, he received outstanding care — in the oncology, surgery, urology and orthopedic departments — even when some of those departments were grossly overcrowded. As I said to some of my friends earlier this year, as we read about the crisis at Hadassah, “I’m sad that Allen died, but thank God, he was not a patient at Hadassah this year!”
to take place in the synagogue, Loevinger brought the issue to the synagogue’s board to see how they would feel about him officiating, given that the Conservative movement officially did not approve of same-sex unions. Loevinger, now a rabbi at Temple Beth-El in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., said he did not know what to expect from the synagogue board. But they were overwhelmingly in favor, he recalled, with only one vocal opponent. “We all grew together in that experience,” he said of his discussions with the board.
Being married legally was an important statement to make for the couple’s two children, Jacobs said. “People fought for this, and we should be counted,” said Jacobs, now the editor of the Jewish Journal newspaper in Salem, Mass. Since then, Loevinger said, he has not officiated at any other same-sex weddings. “Only because no one has asked,” he explained. He said he had strongly supported the effort in New York to legalize same-sex marriage, which was approved by the state legislature in 2011.
“I was proud that I was able to advocate for that ... both within my synagogue and in our wider community,” he said. Loevinger was not the only Conservative rabbi who blessed same-sex weddings prior to gaining the approval of his movement, which arrived at its current embrace of same-sex unions gradually. In 2006, the Conservative movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards adopted two contradictory teshuvot – or rabbinic responsa – on homosexuality and same-sex unions. One largely repudiated reli-
gious condemnations of homosexuality and endorsed the celebration of same-sex unions. The other reaffirmed prohibitions regarding homosexuality and held that rabbis are prohibited from blessing same-sex unions. In 2012, the movement gave same-sex marriage a more unambiguous embrace. The law committee by a vote of 13-0 with one abstention issued new guidelines for how rabbis could perform same-sex marriage ceremonies.
Rabbi Jessica Kirschner, leader of the Reform-affiliated Temple Sinai in Washington, DC, said the ads did not reflect the beliefs of most Reform Jews, and defended the stance Jacobs took. “The thing that I have heard most as a response to Rabbi Jacobs’s actions is an appreciation that the Reform movement was demonstrating leadership on the issue,” Kirschner said, adding that those she spoke to said they were glad that their movement “was speaking up and saying” that there “needs to be a rich and complicated conversation.” Kirschner said she reads most of her Jewish news online, and that Jews Against Divisive Leadership’s method of placing ads in Jewish print newspapers is therefore probably ineffective if the group wanted to reach young Jews, the demographic J Street claims to represent most. Jews Against Divisive Leadership also placed an ad that
focused on Jacobs in Jewish newspapers in 2011, contesting his appointment as URJ president. “We call on the Union for Reform Judaism to reconsider this divisive appointment,” that ad stated. “Do not drive mainstream Zionist Jews out of the Reform movement.” Rabbi Joshua Segal-the rabbi emeritus of Amherst, N.H.-based Congregation Betenu, a Reform synagogue-signed both the 2011 and 2014 ads on Jacobs, and told JNS he believes that “J Street is to Zionism what Jews for Jesus is to Judaism.” “To the extent that the URJ claims (through its affiliate ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America) to be a pro-Israel entity, Jacobs’s positions certainly undermine that assertion,” Segal wrote in an email. “And the ad is just calling him to the carpet-perhaps an ‘I told you so’ to his election to his current job.” Los Angeles resident Paul Jeser-
who considers himself a member of both the Reform and Conservative communities, but prefers to identify as just Jewish-called Jacobs’s approach after the J Street vote “absurd.” “The organizations [in the Conference of Presidents] have the right to vote the way they did, but then when you lose a vote and you threaten to pull out, it just show how immature and inappropriate your actions are,” Jeser told JNS. Jeser did not sign the ads, but said he agrees with their message. “It’s very obvious in my mind that the people who support J Street don’t understand how bad J Street is,” he said. “If they really delved into it and stopped drinking KoolAid, they would understand J Street is dangerous. [Members of the Conference of Presidents] make their decisions based on not right or left, but on right and wrong, and J Street, in my mind, is obnoxious and just
has no right to be under any tent.” Jessica Rosenblum-director of media and communications for J Street-dismissed the new ads, saying it does not surprise her “that there are 40 people in the Reform movement and 60 people in the Conservative movement who are strongly opposed to their respective leaders’ decisions to support J Street’s admission to the Conference of Presidents.” “The Reform and Conservative movements voted to admit J Street to the Conference of Presidents, not because they agree with everything J Street says,” Rosenblum wrote in an email. “They did no more than faithfully represent the diversity of opinion within their movements-but such diversity is apparently unacceptable to the signers of these advertisements.” This article is exclusive to JNS.
22 • OBITUARIES
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
D EATH N OTICES MANDEL, Joan E., age 82, died May 26, 2014; 26 Iyar, 5774
MANN, Danny, died May 31, 2014; 2 Sivan, 5774.
COHEN, Risa Gail, age 51, died May 27, 2014; 27 Iyar, 5774.
FOGEL, Sylvia, age 93, died June 1, 2014; 3 Sivan, 5774.
ROSENBERG, Beverly Nathan, died May 27, 2014.
O BITUARIES
NOVEMBER, Linda, age 43, died May 28, 2014; 28 Iyar, 5774. BLUESTEIN, Rabbi Judith, age 66, died May 29, 2014; 29 Iyar, 5774. GOODMAN, Eleanor Darack, died May 30, 2014; 2 Sivan, 5774.
ROSENBERG, Beverley Nathan Beverley Nathan Rosenberg of Scottsdale, Arizona – formerly of Cincinnati, Ohio – passed away on May 27, 2014. She is predeceased by her parents Abraham and Esther Nathan, as well as her loving sister Marjorie Nathan Loftspring. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Bernard L. Rosenberg of Scottsdale, Arizona, her three children Ellyn and Michael Kruke of Scottsdale, Lauren Rosenberg of Dallas, Texas, and Deby and Tom Wolfcale of Austin, Texas. She is also survived by eight grandchildren: Jaye Kruke Rich and husband Court Rich, Jill Kruke and Kelley Kruke, Jacob, Benjamin, and Russell Wilner, and Preston and Peyton Wolfcale. Beverley is also survived by two great-grandchildren Zachary and
Dylan Rich. Beverley and her husband Bernard enjoyed a very active life playing tennis, golf, and bridge. She was active in NCJW, O.R.T, and was on the Isaac M. Wise Temple Sisterhood Board. She earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work at Xavier University, which allowed her to help others during her working career. Beverley touched so many lives and will be missed by everyone that knew her. Her family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be send to Banner Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at www.banneralz.org. Please leave your messages of condolences in the guest book at www.greenacresmortuary.net (NOT .com), where you can also share a nice memory with the family. Services were held at the Green Acres Gan Ohav Shalom Cemetery in Temple, AZ on Thursday May 29, 2014. Shiva was held on Thursday evening. BLUESTEIN, Rabbi Judith Rabbi Judith Bluestein was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 2, 1948 to Paul and Joan Bluestein. She attended Cincinnati public schools, participated in Girl Scouts and played the accordion. She graduated from Walnut Hills High school. After graduating from Walnut Hills, Rabbi Bluestein attended the University of Pennsylvania receiving a degree in Classics. She continued her education by doing graduate work at Case Western where she was awarded an M.A. in Religion (New Testament and Christian Origins) and an M.A. in Latin. She also received an M. Ed from Xavier University. Rabbi Bluestein received her rabbinic ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where she also received a Masters of Hebrew Literature and a M. Phil in Hebraic and Cognate Studies. As her long academic career attests, Rabbi Bluestein was a consummate learner. She once said, "I suppose that I would be a profesPOPE from page 10 standing alongside the pope at the memorial. “We teach them peace. But we have to build a wall against those who teach the other side.” For his part, Francis offered symbolic gestures to both sides. On Sunday, the pope entered the West Bank directly from Jordan rather than stopping first in Israel as previous popes had done, and he referred to the “state of Palestine” in a speech in Bethlehem. In Israel, he became the first pope to lay a wreath at the grave of Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, and made the standard stops at the Western Wall and the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. He also invited Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres to a prayer summit for
sional student if that were possible. Since it is not, teaching provides the same excitement, for one continues to learn while teaching. It is always exciting watching students ‘make connections’ as well as find areas of interest which enrich their lives along with their minds." Rabbi Bluestein spent her life as a teacher; from the days where she taught Latin at her alma mater, Walnut Hills High School, to serving as a Rabbi to Jewish communities throughout the South and Midwest, including: Marion, Ohio; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Ames, Iowa; and this past year, Joplin, Missouri; as well as teaching Judaic Studies and Holocaust Studies at Northern Kentucky University and the University of Dayton. One friend described her as a "Meticulous scholar and compassionate teacher, helping others appreciate the intricacies and beauty of learning." Another friend said that she "Embodied the idea that the life of a rabbi is to learn and to teach." She was a life-long member of Isaac M. Wise Temple, where she was consecrated and confirmed, along with being ordained at Plum Street Temple. Rabbi Bluestein was committed to Reform Judaism's heritage of social justice, recently helping the effort to save the Anna Louise Inn Shelter for Women. In her extensive travels around the world – which included extended time in Rome, Greece, and Israel – she visited the Soviet Union in the 1970’s where she met with the Soviet Refuseniks. A friend said about her "She was a woman of deep heart, intellect and understanding. A quiet woman from far; but far from quiet." Rabbi Bluestein was a devoted daughter and friend. She took care of her parents, especially her mother, in their later years. She had a long friendship with Mrs. Sylivia Goldman, the widow of Rabbi Goldman of Wise Temple who Rabbi Bluestein saw as a mentor. Rabbi Bluestein took her to meals twice a week and gave her rides to temple. Although never married, she was a dedicated Aunt and Great
Aunt to her nieces, nephew-in-law, and great-nephew. As a life-long fan of the Cincinnati Reds she was delighted to see the baby onesie from the Reds that awaited her great-nephew Theodore when he was born at Good Samaritan Hospital. Rabbi Bluestein followed the Cincinnati Reds by listening to games on 700 WLW as well as attending games with family and friends. When she attended in person she engaged in the mostly lost art of keeping score. A lover of the visual and musical arts she was a regular subscriber to the Cincinnati Art Museum, Linton Music Series and frequent attender of the Cincinnati Symphony. On a more whimsical note she loved Charles Schulz's Snoopy, giving Snoopy greeting cards and collecting stuffed Snoopys. She had a great sense of humor. A friend and colleague said "She was a good friend and classmate - a kind and brilliant scholar and rabbi - I will miss her laughter, self-effacing smile and her humble manner. She was a blessing and will be remembered by her students, colleagues, and friends." Rabbi Bluestein passed away on May 29, 2014 – 29 Iyar 5774. She was predeceased by her arents Paul & Joan Bluestein, and her grandparents Norman & Eunice Bluestein, and Malvin & Elise Straus. She is survived by her sister Alice Greenbaum, brother-in-Law Larry Greenbaum, her nieces Amy Shaiman (Jason) and Emily Greenbaum, by her great-nephew: Theodore Jonah Shaiman, and by many devoted friends, especially Marlene Shmalo and Nancy Apfel Funeral services took place at Weil Funeral Home, officiated by Rabbi Karen Thomashow and Rabbi Lewis Kamrass. Rabbi Thomashow delivered the eulogy and officiated at the graveside. Rabbi Bluestein was interred in the family plot at Judah Touro cemetery. The family requests that contributions in her memory be made to Plum Street Temple Preservation Fund and/or Isaac M. Wise Temple.
peace at the Vatican next month. Both leaders accepted the invitation despite the collapse of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations last month. “Peacemaking demands first and foremost respect for the dignity and freedom of every human person, which Jews, Christians and Muslims alike believe to be created by God and destined to eternal life,” Francis said in a speech at Peres’official residence. “This shared conviction enables us resolutely to pursue peaceful solutions to every controversy and conflict.” The pope began his Mideast sojourn in Jordan on Saturday and traveled to Bethlehem the next morning, where he gave joint speeches with Abbas and led a Mass at the Church of the Nativity, the traditional site of Jesus’ birth. Francis arrived in Israel later on
Sunday and spent the afternoon meeting with his Eastern Orthodox counterpart, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, and visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. On Monday, he visited the Temple Mount and met with the Muslim grand mufti of Jerusalem. He also met with Peres and Netanyahu, Chief Rabbis Yitzhak Yosef and David Lau, and Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz. At Yad Vashem, the pope said in a speech, “A great evil has befallen us, as such that has never occurred,” and referred to the Holocaust by its Hebrew term, Shoah. “Grant us the grace to be ashamed of what men have done, to be ashamed of this massive idolatry.”
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