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Birthright Israel Foundation names new president Board appoints Cincinnati business and communal leader David Fisher to top post NEW YORK, NY—David Fisher, a business leader in Cincinnati, Ohio and a lay leader in local and national Jewish nonprofit organizations, was named as president of the Birthright Israel Foundation, which has sent over 300,000 young Jewish adults on free educational trips to Israel since 2000. “David Fisher brings a unique background to this assignment and comes to us at a vitally important moment in the organization’s young history,” said Daniel S. Och, chairman of the Birthright Israel Foundation. “David has a deep appreciation for building relationships to achieve successful results. Add to that his deep involvement in the Jewish community, willingness to raise the funds needed to support its growth and vitality, and his passion for Birthright Israel— I cannot think of a better person to lead us into the future.” A Cincinnati native, Fisher has successfully led several Cincinnatibased businesses and held major leadership positions in the Jewish community. He spearheaded the effort to re-establish and build a new Cincinnati Jewish Federation/Jewish Community Center, a project that raised $45 million and was completed in 2008.
David Fisher is the new president of Birthright Israel Foundation
From 2003-2009, Fisher held numerous leadership positions with United Jewish Communities/Jewish Federations of North America. He co-chaired and led the organization’s strategic plan to refocus its Young Leadership department, was the National Young Leadership CoChair, the National Major Gifts Chair and its youngest National Campaign Chair from 2008-2009. Fisher, 46, succeeds Robert
Aronson, who is stepping down from the position but will continue to support the Foundation through the transition. “Bob Aronson has made a significant contribution in support of our work over these past years,” said Och. “Under Bob’s leadership the Foundation has significantly expanded its donor base and its relationships with Jewish federations throughout the country.” “We undertook a rigorous, six-
month process that led us eventually to David,” said Laurie Blitzer, chair of the Birthright Israel Foundation search committee. “More than 200 candidates were considered. David’s creativity and genuine passion for our work stood out. He gets it.” Asked about his motivation to move from the business world to the top post at the Birthright Israel Foundation, Fisher recalled a leadership conference in Israel that he and his wife, Stacey, attended in 2011. “Each of the participants was asked to write two obituaries—one if they died today and one if they died in 25 years, with the intent being to focus on what we might want written about our lives 25 years down the road. I wanted to do something more, to contribute to our Jewish future and so I wrote my second obituary dedicating my life to connecting our young people to Israel.” “I never imagined then that I would be given the opportunity to lead the Birthright Israel Foundation and fulfill my dream. I am honored and thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with all of the Birthright Israel stakeholders in the U.S. and Israel to grow Taglit-Birthright Israel for this generation and generations to come.” Fisher is a past recipient of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati Kate Mack-Young Leadership Award and was named to the “Cincinnati 40 Under 40” list in 2000. He and his wife have four children – a son, 17, and daughters 15, 12 and 8.
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Rabbi Lewis Kamrass participates in White House meeting with Reform Jewish leadership On Thursday afternoon, July 19, 15 members of the Reform Movement’s American Leadership met with Jack Lew, White House Chief of Staff to discuss important domestic issues and AmericanIsraeli relations that expressed key Reform Jewish values. The meeting took place in the Roosevelt Room of the White House West Wing, immediately adjacent to the Oval Office, and was an opportunity for Mr. Lew, also Jewish, to discern the policy concerns and hopes of the Reform movement, passing along those concerns to relevant staff members within the Administration. Similar leadership meetings had also recently occurred in the White House between Mr. Lew and Conservative movement leadership, as well as Orthodox movement leadership. In the recent meeting between the Chief of Staff and Reform Leadership, 15 rabbinic and lay leadership participated, among them, Wise Temple’s Senior Rabbi Lewis H. Kamrass. “I was honored by our movement’s leadership to be included with key lay leaders, as well as my significant rabbinical colleagues and friends, who are all so well regarded,” remarked Kamrass. Among the participants were Rabbi David Ellenson, president of the Hebrew Union College, and its Board chair Irwin Engelman, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, newly appointed president of the Union for Reform Judaism, and its Board Chair Stephen Sacks, as well as Rabbi David Saperstein of the Reform movement’s Washington, D.C. based Religious Action Center, and Rabbi Steve Fox, executive vice president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Along with Kamrass, there were four other congregational rabbis from the Reform movement and four national lay leaders. During the meeting, the Reform movement representatives raised a number of issues to discuss with Jack Lew and the administration, including expressing appreciation for the Administration’s deepening of its relationship with Israel, including America’s establishment of its deepest military strategic and intelligence cooperation with Israel, and the Administration’s support of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. Discussion of issues regarding Iran and American-Israeli perspectives also took place. With regard to domestic issues, issues raised and discussed included tax policy, health care issues for
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Rabbi Lewis Kamrass stands outside the White House
the poor and working class in light of recent Supreme Court rulings regarding Medicaid and the possibility that some states might participate in that federal funding of expanding health care coverage for the poor while other states may not participate in those programs. In addition, issues of religious liberty with regard to current issues were discussed including contraception, women’s access to health care and their own reproductive decisions, and other religious freedom issues. Also discussed were Employment NonDiscrimination issues for all Americans regardless of gender or sexual orientation, the DREAM act and issues of immigration, and the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), once known as food stamps and anticipated Congressional cuts in funding of that program for the poor and working class. Education concerns were also discussed, including student loans. These were among the issues raised in the meeting and among the many issues in the federal government of concern to the Reform movement. Rabbi Kamrass indicated that while the group raised several issues, that he was “deeply impressed by the Chief of Staff’s breadth and depth of knowledge of policy details that were expressed without the need for consulting any notes. In addition, his obvious intelligence and thoughtfulness for issues is as deep as his concern for people.” Kamrass was particularly impressed that as the Reform leaders began the conversation from the Torah portion of the week, and the moral and leadership issues it raised, Mr. Lew, himself a religiously practicing Jew, responded by extending that conversation of Torah into other issues. “I was
impressed by Mr. Lew’s understated tone that did not need to call attention to his immense intellectual capacities, by his thoughtful analysis of many topics, by his breadth of knowledge, and by a deep, but quiet sense of passion for service and leadership that not only reflects his character, but also his well-regarded career,” said Rabbi Kamrass. Before becoming Chief of Staff, Jack Lew served twice as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as well as Deputy Secretary of State for Management Resources and Chief Operating Officer of the State Department. In addition to his government service through the years, Mr. Lew has been Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of New York University, and professor of Public Administration and served on many Boards and in other roles. In reflecting upon the meeting, Kamrass indicated that it was significant that a Jewish White House Chief of Staff had initiated and hosted these meetings with American Jewish leadership in the West Wing, with a spirit of openness, responsiveness, and clarity that speaks not only to his leadership, but to the voice that we have as American Jews in our political system. “I believe that as the fifteen of us gathered together with the White House Chief of Staff, that all of us in the room had grandparents and great-grandparents, immigrants to America, who could not even have imagined such a gathering taking place. I was deeply gratified to raise the issues important to us, to be heard, and to be included in such a meaningful moment with respected colleagues,” Kamrass noted.
On Saturday, August 4, 8:30p-12:30a, The Blue Wisp Jazz Club will present MARBIN-a creative, accessible band made up of wonderful Israeli musicians. Marbin first started in 2007 as an improvised music duo consisting of Israeli-American guitarist Dani Rabin and Israeli saxophonist Danny Markovitch. Markovitch and Rabin met shortly after Markovitch had completed his military service as an infantry sergeant and Rabin had graduated from Berklee College of Music. Since 2008, Marbin has been living in Chicago and performing all over the United States, playing over 250 shows a year with the accompaniment of drummer Justyn Lawrence and Bassist Ian Stewart. They have released three albums: Impressions of a City, as part of Paul Wertico’s Mideast-Midwest Alliance, and two under the name Marbin, Marbin as a duo, and Breaking the Cycle with drummer Paul Wertico (Pat Metheny Group), bassist Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny Group), and Jamey Haddad (Paul Simon). Marbin is currently signed to Moonjune Records and Management.
FOR MORE INFO, GO TO WWW.MARBINMUSIC.COM FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 513-241-9477 OR GO TO WWW.THEBLUEWISP.COM
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Jewish women come together to hear Israeli choir
World Choir Games at the J
School of Music and Dance. Silence enveloped the room when they sang the first note of Hatikva, the Israeli National Anthem.
“What a wonderful evening for those in attendance. From the young people singing their hearts out with passion and love, to those
Israeli Choir wows Cincinnati
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE CO., PUBLISHERS 18 WEST NINTH STREET, SUITE 2 CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202-2037 Phone: (513) 621-3145 Fax: (513) 621-3744 publisher@americanisraelite.com editor@americanisraelite.com production@americanisraelite.com RABBI ISSAC M. WISE 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 BARBARA L. MORGENSTERN Senior Writer YEHOSHUA MIZRACHI Assistant Editor ALEXIA KADISH Copy Editor JANET STEINBERG Travel Editor
tour. They understood the importance of showcasing the choir to the widest range possible of Jewish and non-Jewish audiences and also of giving the young women in the choir a good picture of Jewish life in Cincinnati. “These young women not only had a life-changing experience thanks to our community, but also learned much about the strong connection of Cincinnati to Israel and what that means. They are going back home to Israel with a better understanding of American Jewry, which is just as important as winning gold medals,” Cohen said. The staff also recruited community members to volunteer as hosts, escorting the choir to their various destinations in the city and, basically, serving as concierges. The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati is proud of these volunteers—and of Cincinnatians in general—for the warm welcome they offered our visitors. Ankor Choir dances and sings downtown
VOL. 159 • NO. 1 THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012 7 AV 5772 SHABBAT BEGINS FRIDAY 8:36 PM SHABBAT ENDS SATURDAY 9:37 PM
CHOIR on page 19
MARIANNA BETTMAN NATE BLOOM IRIS PASTOR RABBI A. JAMES RUDIN ZELL SCHULMAN RABBI AVI SHAFRAN PHYLLIS R. SINGER Contributing Columnists LEV LOKSHIN JANE KARLSBERG Staff Photographers JOSEPH D. STANGE Production Manager ERIN WYENANDT Office Manager e Oldest Eng Th
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The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati and the local Jewish community are proud to have hosted the Israeli Ankor Choir for the 2012 World Choir Games. The choir’s visit was the result of months of planning. During a trip back to Israel, Community Shaliach (Emissary from Israel) Yair Cohen personally auditioned several choirs to select the one that would best represent the Jewish State. The Ankor Choir—made up of 25 female students at the Jerusalem Academy High School of Music and Dance—was his clear choice. This choir is best known for its partnership with Yad VaShem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial Museum. They participate in the annual Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance) ceremony and perform for each foreign head of state who visits Israel, including President Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul II. Jewish Federation of Cincinnati staff spent months working with other community organizations to plan the choir’s
“LET THERE BE LIGHT” THE OLDEST ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN AMERICA - EST. JULY 15, 1854
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World Choir Games Concert.
in the audience, it was a great celebration of our community and its people. The Mayerson JCC was so happy to play a part, along with our Jewish Foundation and Jewish Federation, in bringing such an outstanding celebration to our corner of the world,” said Marc Fisher, Mayerson JCC vice president and 2012/13 president elect. “Everyone, especially our Jewish community, walked away from the concert with great pride. I believe that many of us will be remembering the voices and talent of those singers for years to come,” said David Wolf. The next major event at the JCC will be Thursday evening, Sept. 13, when the JCC hosts nationally acclaimed political satirists, The Capitol Steps. This popular group is a Washington-based troupe of Congressional staffers turned songwriters, that has been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC and PBS. Tickets for the event go on sale for J Members on Aug. 16.
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More than 700 smiling faces filled the Mayerson JCC’s Amberley Room on Monday evening, July 9. Over 350 choirs, representing 50 countries, were in Cincinnati for the World Choir Games, considered by many as the Olympics of choral music. Three of these choirs performed at the J, including Israel’s Ankor Choir, Vox Juventutis Choir from Poland, and Prime Note Ensemble, a group of Filipino expatriates. The audience at the July 9 World Choir Games concert at the J was visibly overwhelmed with pride and joy. Prime Note Ensemble began the concert with their remarkable voices, as they proudly sang several songs including a crowd favorite, “The Circle of Life” from Lion King. Vox Juventutis performed their captivating jazz and pop-style medley of tunes, and the audience was mesmerized by the Ankor Choir, a group of female students from Jerusalem Academy High
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Ankor Choir with Cincinnati Jewish community women leaders
ments and those of the choir, who had just won a gold and a silver medal in their World Choir Games competitions the previous week. “It was heartening to see three separate women’s organizations coming together as one strong group. All three groups care deeply about our community and about Israel, and I am a firm believer in the importance of demonstrating the unity of our community,” said Nina Paul, incoming national vicechair of JNF’s Women’s Campaign for Israel.
r in Am ape er sp i
On Thursday, July 12, 40 Jewish women leaders—members of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s Lion of Judah, the Cincinnati Chapter of Hadassah’s Keepers of the Gate and the Jewish National Fund’s Sapphire Society—gathered to hear a performance by the Israeli Ankor Choir, itself made up of 25 young women, ages 16 –18, all students at the Jerusalem Academy High School of Music and Dance. At this intimate event, women from all three organizations applauded each other’s accomplish-
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE (USPS 019-320) is published weekly for $44 per year and $1.00 per single copy in Cincinnati and $49 per year and $3.00 per single copy elsewhere in U.S. by The American Israelite Co. 18 West Ninth Street, Suite 2, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2037. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, OH. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE, 18 West Ninth Street, Suite 2, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2037. The views and opinions expressed by the columnists of The American Israelite do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the newspaper.
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JFS annual meeting “Things are going extremely well at Jewish Family Service. We continue to touch lives in ways that other Jewish agencies cannot. And we continue to improve every month and every day,” said Michael Schwartz, president of the Board, at the Jewish Family Service 68th Annual Meeting held on July 19, at Rockdale Temple Chapel in Amberley Village. “My life philosophy is all about improvement. No matter how big or small the improvement, just keep getting better,” he said. Schwartz then pointed to several ways Jewish Family Service has improved over the past year. These included revenues being up 19 percent; the expansion of programs to help more people in our community; the increased involvement of Board members; and management not accepting the status quo to push the agency to improve.
“We care about the forgotten, the challenged, the disconnected, the alone. We care about results and using measurable or trackable metrics to prove how we exceeded our targets to strengthen our community.” Beth Schwartz
In her report, Executive Director Beth Schwartz focused on Jewish Family Service being the “doing” organization in the community, and having an approachable, serious and caring staff to do the necessary work. She said, “We are approachable. We can do what we do because our clients know we are tolerant of all situations. By being approachable, anyone can feel comfortable asking for our personal and professional guidance through life’s challenges. “We are serious. We are serious about what we do. And we deal with serious issues including
JFS president of the Board Michael Schwartz, JFS executive director Beth Schwartz
homelessness, infertility, domestic violence, unplanned pregnancy, hunger, elder victimization, successful parenting, mentoring, bullying, chronic illness, caregiving, and mental illness. “We are caring. We care about what we do. We care about the forgotten, the challenged, the disconnected, the alone. We care about results and using measurable or trackable metrics to prove how we exceeded our targets to strengthen our community. “Our staff is not afraid to roll up our sleeves and do whatever it takes to make sure one day our community will benefit from the Jewish Family Service vision of leading the way to a Jewish community where everyone lives with dignity, security, and hope.” She also praised the superb leadership of the Board of Directors and thanked them for being part of the “doing.” Following a nominating report by Andrea Lerner Levenson, the new Board of Directors was installed. The 2012-2013 Officers of the Board are Michael Schwartz, president; Andrea Lerner Levenson, vice president; Mark Miller, vice president; Larry Juran, treasurer; Susan Shorr, secretary; and Bruce Baker, immediate past president. Daniel Kerbel, Daniel Phillips, and Stephen Goldberg were installed as new Board members to serve a 3-year term. Gail Friedman retired from the Board. Board members continuing their term on the Board are Suzy Marcus Goldberg, Steve Holman, Elaine Kaplan, Danny Lipson, Leslie Miller, Pam Sacherman, Lauren Scharf, Scott Slovin, Gary Smith, Max Yamson, John Youkilis and Sarita Zilch. Bruce Baker received the Miriam Dettlebach Award. This award is given in honor of the first executive director of Jewish Family Service as recognition of exceptional volunteer service to the agency. Bruce, who served as president of the Board from 2008-
2010, thanked the vibrant board members and professional staff that “makes you want to rise to another level to become a better volunteer and lay leader.” Steve Halper, representing Friends of Bigs & Littles, presented Ashley Andrews with a $1,000 check as the recipient of the Betty R. Goldberg Community Service Award. This award was established in honor of the many years of service that Betty gave to the organization and recognizes a Little who helps others by performing good deeds and acts of kindness. Ashley, 17, is a Little in the Jewish Family Service Bigs & Littles program, and was nominated by her Big for the past 10 years, Amy Coppel. Two staff members received Longevity Awards; Luda Gikhman for 15 years and Paula Tompkins for 10 years.
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1-Week S’more Camps at the J 1-Week S’more Camps at the J offer several exciting activities for children entering grades K-8. Campers have the opportunity to choose their favorite activities, which may include crafts, sports, archery, drama, nature and much more. These camps run one week at a time for three weeks. Week one is July 30-Aug. 3; week two is Aug. 6-10; week three is Aug. 1317. Registration is by the week. JCC S’More Camps are open to the public and advance registration is required for each week.
Campers participate in daily recreational swimming and weekly special guest entertainment, in addition to a wide range of camp activities. Camp at the J runs Monday through Friday, and regular hours are 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with the option of before and after camp programs. This allows for drop-off as early as 7:30 a.m. and pick-up as late as 6 p.m. At before and after-camp, kids can kick back and relax in the pool, play in the gym, or compete in the game room with friends.
“We are so excited to give the kids a chance to continue their summer fun.” Matt Miller
“We are so excited to give the kids a chance to continue their summer fun,” said Matt Miller, Camp at the J director. “Not only do campers enjoy time with their friends, they learn more about activities they love.” Swimming is one of the many popular activities for children of all ages at Camp at the J. Campers love the Mayerson JCC’s temperature-controlled outdoor pool and indoor waterpark. The days are filled with other fun camp activities. Sports include basketball,
soccer, kickball, and a camp favorite, gaga. “My kids just love the JCC camps all together; it’s great for them to choose between activities that will keep them active and involved with their friends,” said Lisa Wolf, S’more Camp parent. Early registration is encouraged because S’More Camps are expected to sell out. For more information or to register your child for 1-week S’More Camp at the JCC, visit contact Matt Miller at the JCC.
Cincinnati receives spots on special Men’s Israel Mission Cincinnati has been awarded spots on a special Men’s Israel Mission this coming November. Jerusalem-based Aish Hatorah is the mission provider and on the local front, the Cincinnati Community Kollel is coordinating the mission. Cincinnati will be teamed up with several other U.S. cities including St. Louis, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C. The mens’ mission will offer three tracks. The first track will combine many unique “only-inIsrael” experiences with fascinating tours led by some of Israel’s most articulate and impressive guides. The second track will allow participants the opportunity to immerse themselves in textual study in the Aish Hatorah Beit Medrash (study hall) overlooking the Temple Mount. No previous
Some members of last year’s Mission delivering packages to soldiers in the Golan Heights
background will be necessary to appreciate this “taste of Yeshiva” experience. This track will also include several fascinating tours and inspiring lectures. The third track is geared to those who can spend a full two weeks in Israel. It will build on the “taste of Yeshsiva” track and offer varied learning opportunities and educational tours during a second incredible week. For men ages 26 and under this track is eligible for full funding through a grant from The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati. The Men’s Israel Mission is scheduled to depart from Cincinnati on Nov. 4. Any local Jewish men can apply for this trip. All packages are subsidized and significant additional subsidies are available for YJPs.
Community-wide Tisha B’Av program at the JCC The Golf Manor Synagouge will host a community-wide Tisha B’Av program from 3-7 p.m. on Sunday, July 29, at the Mayerson JCC. Tisha B’Av, the most tragic day on the Jewish calendar, is a fast day observed by Jews throughout the world in recognition of the many national tragedies that took place on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av. Such tragedies include the destructions of the two Temples in Jerusalem, the exile of the Jewish people from Spain, England, and other countries, as well as the outbreak of World War I and the decision of the Nazis to implement “The Final Solution” in the Holocaust. The program begins at 3 p.m. with a showing of the movie “Sarah’s Key.” The well-received and gripping film tells of the life
of a young girl whose family is taken as part of the brutal French transport of 13,000 Jews to the concentration camps in 1942 and the efforts of a journalist to bring the story to light 60 years later. The film will be followed by a lecture presented by Rabbi Hanan Balk at 5:15 p.m. entitled: “Because We Did Not Believe in Ourselves: Biblical and Rabbinic Perspectives Upon the Downfall of the Jewish Nation.” At 6 p.m., the program will conclude with a documentary entitled “The Vatican Judaica Collection: Lost Treasures,” which discusses the location of the pillaged Temple vessels and precious sacred writings, presumed by many to be, unjustly, in the possession of the Catholic Church.
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THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012
America’s Jewish Olympians head to London with Jewish pride By Hillel Kuttler Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Courtesy of Philip Groshong
(Front) Stacey Rishoi, Tracy L. Wilson, Mary Elizabeth Southworth; (Back) Christopher L. Koon, Susan Marshall-Petersen, Stephen Costello, Ailyn Pérez, Carol Walker, Thom Mariner, Courtis Fuller, Doug Sawan
Cincinnati Opera hosted by Rockdale Rockdale Temple hosted the Cincinnati Opera and their popular summer concert series, which takes opera performances into local houses of worship. This is the first time the Opera took the summer program—now in its seventh season—to a Jewish synagogue. More than 400 attended the July 22 event featuring a combination of Jewish liturgical music along with several selections performed by members of the Cincinnati Opera Company. “It is appropriate that the region’s oldest Jewish congregation would host one of the oldest opera companies in the United States,” said Rabbi Sigma Faye Coran, senior rabbi at the Amberley Village synagogue. Rockdale Temple, founded in 1824, continues to be at the forefront of innovative cross-cultural programming. The Cincinnati Opera dates back to its first performances in 1920 and is now marking its 92nd Summer Festival. “We are particularly proud of
National Briefs Washington Jewish federation buying nearly $16m building WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is purchasing a $15.75 million building for its new headquarters. The federation’s board last week approved the purchase of the
Rockdale’s history of community partnerships,” said Rabbi Coran. Rockdale’s Adult Choir and Rock Shabbat band performed several selections including music from the weekly Shabbat liturgy. “Music is such an integral part of the Jewish tradition,” added Rabbi Coran. “Opera Goes to Temple gives us the opportunity to share our tradition with others in the community who appreciate the spiritual qualities of music.” Tenor Stephen Costello, Bassbaritone Thom Mariner, Sopranos Ailyn Perez and Mary Elizabeth Southworth and Mezzo-Soprano Stacey Rishoi each performed. Southworth also directs the Rockdale Adult Choir and serves as Musical Director for the congregation’s High Holy Day services. Musicians Amanda Bell, Christopher Koon, Susan MarshallPetersen and Carol Walker also performed. Koon serves as organist for Rockdale Temple as well as a number of local churches. building, which is near its current headquarters in Rockville, Md., the Washington Jewish Week reported. The building is to house the federation, rental tenants —Jewish nonprofits and foundations, in particular— and a conference center. Federation officials said they have a fundraising goal of $7.5 million to reduce the 15-year cost of the building, and have secured $6 million in commitments. The purchase comes as donations to the federation have been down in recent years, leading to staff cuts and a decrease in allocations to local agencies.
BALTIMORE (JTA)—Jason Lezak—no newcomer to Olympic glory—recognizes the difficulty in returning to the medal stand at the London Games. “I definitely would hope to get onto the podium there and win a medal for the USA,” Lezak, a seven-time Olympic medalist, told JTA on Tuesday from the U.S. swim team’s training camp in France. “With Australia, France and Russia, there’s going to be a lot of tight competition, and it’s not going to be easy, that’s for sure.” The Jewish swimmer, the winner of four Olympic gold medals, will race for the United States in the 400-meter freestyle relay—the event in which he provided one of the most enduring moments of the 2008 Games in Beijing. His frenetic sprint to the finish in the last leg, overcoming world record-holder Alain Bernard, earned victory for the U.S. and kept alive Michael Phelps’ drive for a record-setting eight gold medals. This year, in his fourth Olympics, the 36-year-old Lezak is one of five captains for the 530member American squad. Fellow Jews joining Lezak on the U.S. contingent at the London Games, which has its opening ceremonies on July 27, include swimmer Anthony Ervin, gymnasts
Creative Commons
Jason Lezak, second from right, after winning the gold medal for the U.S. 400-meter medley relay team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, August 2008.
Alexandra Raisman and Julie Zetlin, rower David Banks, fencer Tim Morehouse and fencing coach Yury Gelman. (Illinois-born Jillian Schwartz, a pole vaulter on the American team at the 2004 Athens Olympics, will be representing Israel.) Some touted Jewish athletes didn’t make the cut this time. They include swimmers Dara Torres (five Olympics, 12 medals), Garret Weber-Gale (two gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games), Andrea Murez (2012 NCAA champion in the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays), Daniel Madwed (2012 Big
Ten champion in four events) and Eric Friedland. Also not heading to London to compete are soccer player Yael Averbuch and gymnast David Sender. For Robert Dover, who won four medals while competing in equestrian events in six Olympics for the United States, the road to Olympic glory began on Grand Bahama Island in 1969, where he celebrated his bar mitzvah. The event became unforgettable when his parents arranged for a horse to be flown in as the boy’s present. OLYMPIANS on page 20
8 • NATIONAL
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Penn State’s Jewish community weighs how to move forward By Josh Lipowsky Jewish Telegraphic Agency NEW YORK (JTA) — One unlikely venue for fallout from the Penn State University sex abuse scandal is the campus Hillel, for which now ousted university president Graham Spanier — the school’s first Jewish leader — was a fundraiser and vocal supporter. On Tuesday, the Penn State community was stunned when the NCAA levied a $60 million fine against the university and a fouryear postseason ban on its football program based on a universityfunded report by former FBI director Louis Freeh released several weeks ago. The report looked into the crimes of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who is now awaiting sentencing for multiple counts of child rape, and alleged a cover-up by Spanier, iconic football coach Joe Paterno, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Timothy Schultz. Paterno died in January at 85, Curley is on administrative leave
and Schultz has retired. Curley and Schultz are awaiting trial on perjury charges. The school has about 40,000 students on its main campus in State College, Pa., some 10 percent of whom are estimated to be Jewish, according to data collected by Penn State Hillel. Aaron Kaufman, executive director of the Hillel, declined to address specifics about Spanier’s impact on the organization. “The events of the past year have reinforced the need for students to be part of a caring and supportive organization where they can engage in dialogue and address issues that are troubling them,” he said in a statement to JTA. “As we prepare for the start of a new school year, we remain steadfast in our commitment to helping our students — and the entire university community — heal and move forward in a positive way” But Bill Jaffe, a former longtime member and past chair of Hillel’s board of directors, said the former president’s role was large.
In addition to regularly attending High Holidays services, Spanier helped Hillel secure major speakers, such as Noble laureate Elie Wiesel, and make a case for larger on-campus facilities for the Jewish student organization. “Clearly his energy and enthusiasm will be missed as part of the Hillel community,” said Jaffe, a member of the university’s endowment campaign executive committee. “I don’t think one can deny the impact he’s had on Hillel and therefore, if he’s not here and not involved, I would think there may be some impact” on the group, he said. Jaffe added that he could not measure to what degree Spanier’s absence would be felt. Shortly after the release of the Freeh report, Rabbi Nosson Meretsky, director of the Chabad of Penn State, wrote in an email to students and alumni that the difficult period could ultimately lead to positive change. PENN STATE on page 20
Taking to the battlefields with Jewish Civil War reenactors By Debra Rubin Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA)— Kim Drapkin says she has gunpowder in her blood. She loves to shoot, but you won’t find her on a range with goggles and a pistol, or out in a forest with a hunting rifle and a camouflage vest. A reproduction of an 1861 model Springfield, muzzle-loading rifled musket is more her style. And you can find her on an open field wearing the gray woolen uniform of the Confederate States army. Drapkin, 50, is one of a minority of Jews among the many thousands of men and women who each year don the blue and gray for Civil War reenactments. Participants are typically drawn to the reenactments, which often include weekend campouts and period-style Saturday evening dances, by their love for history and the outdoors, along with the camaraderie of the encampments. Beginning last year and continuing through 2015, a number of the events will mark the 150th anniversaries of major battles, including a reenactment of the battle at Second Bull Run-Manassas set for Aug. 3-5 in Virginia. A sesquicentennial reenactment of the battle at Antietam, the bloodiest day in U.S. history with some 23,000 casualties, is slated for Sept. 14-16 in Maryland. An estimated 10,000 Jews served during the Civil War, with
Courtesy of Robert Fagan
Civil War reenactors in the 6 New York Independent Battery Civil War participating in a battle.
3,000 in the Confederacy and 7,000 in the Union, according to Lauren Strauss, an assistant professor of history and Judaic studies at The George Washington University. There were about 150,000 Jews in the nation at the outbreak of hostilities in April 1861 and about 25,000 of them lived in the South, according to historians. With the North having a heavy population advantage, the percentage of Jews fighting for the Confederacy was higher than those waving the Union flag. Southern Jews were well integrated into their new country, Strauss says. “They were quite loyal to their
homes and Southern culture,” she says. They believed in states’ rights and a sense of freedom. It was basically the same rhetoric you’d hear from other Southerners—‘This is our way of life, our independence.’” Southern Jewish slave owners existed in approximately the same proportion as in the non-Jewish population, Strauss notes, yet Jews had far fewer slaves in total as they tended to be urban and typically had just two or three house slaves. By contrast, Northern Jews were more likely to be recent immigrants and thus less likely to be integrated into society. REENACTORS on page 22
Denver-area Jews mourn, seek to help massacre victims By Charlotte Anthony Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) — As Colorado and the nation tried to absorb the tragic massacre in a suburban Denver movie theater, local synagogues conducted special prayers and the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado launched a response fund for the victims and their families. Early Friday morning, James Eagen Holmes allegedly walked into a movie theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora presenting a midnight showing of the new “Batman” movie, “Dark Knight Rises,” and shot to death 12 people, wounding 58 others. Among the dead was a 6year-old girl. Holmes, 24, appeared in court Monday for arraignment on murder charges. He reportedly worked one year at a summer camp operated by the Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times. He is not Jewish. Doug Seserman, president and CEO of the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, said a fund for the victims would be launched by Wednesday. The federation also is planning a blood drive at the Bonfils Blood Center, the main facility for blood donations in Denver, he said. “As Jews, especially with our relationship with Israel, we understand terrorism very directly, and this is a way for us to show others that we understand the tragic nature of this event and want to do whatever we can to help provide some level of comfort,” Seserman told JTA. Seserman said that after the state’s recent wildfires, the federation received about 500 donations worth about $75,000, He said 25 percent of the money came from outside the state. “We now know that we will have the same kind of support from the Jewish world,” Seserman said. “We as a Jewish community mobilize well in times of crisis whether it is a war in Israel, Hurricane Katrina or a tsunami in Southeast Asia or a wildfire in Colorado. We have this demonstrated ability to mobilize in times of crisis, and here is another one we face and will overcome.” Rabbi Bruce Dollin, president of the Rocky Mountain Rabbinical Council and senior rabbi at the Congregation Hebrew Educational Alliance in Denver, said that on Shabbat many area congregations recited prayers for the victims. “It was an incredible shocking and stunning tragedy,” he said. “Everyone in the Jewish community is feeling like the rest of the community; we can’t believe it happened. Life is so fragile and can end in a split second.”
wscottbloyer/Twitter
Thousands gather outside the Aurora Municipal Center in Colorado to remember the victims of the theater shooting, July 22, 2012.
On Sunday, Congregation Beth haMedrosh Hagagdol-Beth Joseph, a Modern Orthodox synagogue in Denver, plans a moment of silence for the victims to coincide with the observance of Tisha b’Av, the date on the Hebrew calendar associated with some of Jewish history’s greatest calamities. “The message of Tisha B’av is that despite all the tragedies, the persecutions, despite all the suffering we still look forward to a brighter future and a better tomorrow,” said Rabbi Ben Greenberg, the congregation’s spiritual leader. “We see that there can be a future despite all the darkness.” Ruth Cohen, executive director of Temple Sinai, a Reform congregation, said that in addition to having a discussion about the massacre on Friday night, parents were handed a sheet on how to speak about the incident with their younger children. “It was emotional,” Cohen said. “There was also the bombing of the Israeli tourists and this hit home for me. I have kids who certainly have gone out to midnight movies.” Dollin said that many people are participating in communitywide events such as donating to blood banks or attending vigils. “I don’t think we’ve come together as a Jewish community, but as a general community,” Dollin said. “Many of us have gone to the same theater, and so we are feeling the connection to the general neighborhood. We are not just Jews here; we are fully members of our general community.” Greenberg attended the prayer vigil Sunday at the Aurora Municipal Center to honor the victims of the massacre. “It was really powerful to be with crowds of people directing their anxiety, frustration and confusion to God,” Greenberg said. “As a Jewish member of society and as a rabbi, it is critical to say that we hurt also and that the loss of a life of a 6year-old child tears our heart as much as it tears anyone’s heart.”
INTERNATIONAL / ISRAEL • 9
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012
Netanyahu on deadly bombing in Bulgaria: ‘All signs point to Iran’ By Marcy Oster Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Dano Monkotovic/FLASH90/JTA
Israeli ZAKA emergency rescue team examining the remains of the bus at the scene of the terrorist attack in Burgas, Bulgaria, July 19, 2012.
Strangers to hate crimes, Bulgarian Jews reeling from Burgas bombing By Cnaan Liphshiz and Svetlana Guineva Jewish Telegraphic Agency SOFIA, Bulgaria (JTA)—Until this week, leaders of Bulgaria’s small, generally placid Jewish community said they felt untouched by hate crimes or terrorism. But after Wednesday’s apparent suicide bombing of a bus carrying Israeli tourists in the Black Sea city of Borgas, Jews in the country are speaking of a basic change in their sense of security. “We used to convene without a shred of fear in the Jewish community’s buildings,” said Kamen Petrov, vice president of Maccabi Bulgaria. “I guess we had been unprepared. Things will have to change from now on. We thought something like this could not happen in Bulgaria.” Wednesday’s explosion outside Sarafovo Airport in Burgas killed six Israeli tourists, a Bulgarian bus driver and the suspected suicide bomber. More than 30 Israelis were injured. The Israelis had just arrived on a charter flight from Israel. Maxim Benvenisti, president of the Organization of Jews in Bulgaria, said that three years ago the community had drafted emergency plans to respond to potential terror attacks. “We discussed such scenarios. But we see that it’s one thing to discuss them, and it’s another to see the scenario happening before your eyes,” he told JTA. Bevenisti said security measures will now be tightened. “The situation needs to be improved,” he said. Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev said Wednesday that at a meeting a month ago, with representatives of the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service did not warn Bulgarian officials of the possibility of a terrorist attack. Bulgaria’s Jewish community had increased its security arrange-
ments in February, following warnings from the local Israeli Embassy, according to Martin Levi, vice chairman of the Jewish community in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital. Among other measures, security at the entrances to the community building in Sofia and other Jewish institutions were tightened. Bulgarian authorities had been made aware of the warnings, he said. That came in the wake of the discovery by Bulgarian authorities of a bomb on a charter bus for Israelis that was heading to a Bulgarian ski resort from the Turkish border. “We took the alerts seriously and upped security, but the Bulgarian authorities were dismissive,” Levi said. “Some argued Bulgaria was immune because it had such excellent relations and cultural attachment to Muslim populations. I am deeply disappointed in how the authorities handled this.” He learned of the attack while in Hungary, where he is helping instructors run a summer camp for some 260 Jewish children from the Balkans. Next week, a summer camp for Bulgarian Jewish children will open in Bulgaria. The camp has taken additional precautions as well, he said, without offering details. “We want to beef up security without causing panic,” Levi said. “We try to tell the children as little as possible about the attack and continue with our program. We don’t want this to become ‘the summer camp of the terrorist attack.’” The flow of Israeli tourists into Bulgaria picked up in 2009, following the deterioration in Israel’s relations with Turkey. Bulgaria’s minister of tourism was quoted as saying that nearly 150,000 Israelis were expected to visit Bulgaria this year. Some 20 percent of standing reservations from Israel have been canceled since the attack. BOMBING on page 22
(JTA)—A Black Sea coast town in Bulgaria became the scene of carnage when a bus carrying Israeli tourists exploded, killing at least five people and injuring at least 33. Nine people reportedly were missing. The explosion July 18 at Sarafovo International Airport in Burgas hit one of three tour buses carrying Israelis, Israel’s Channel 1 reported. Some news reports said a suicide bomber boarded the bus as it was taking the Israeli tourists to the terminal. Others quoted Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov as saying that explosives were in the luggage area of the bus. A video on Ynet showed black smoke billowing upward. Sirens at the scene could be heard. The attack, which Israel’s government is blaming on Iran, comes on the 18th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires that left 85 people dead. Israel, Argentina and many other governments blame Iranian agents for that incident; Tehran denies the allegations. “All signs point to Iran,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “In just the past few months we’ve seen Iran try to target Israelis in Thailand, India, Georgia, Cyprus and more. The murderous Iranian terror continues to target innocent people. This is a global Iranian terror onslaught and Israel will react forcefully to it.”
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak added, “This is clearly a terrorist attack initiated probably by Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad or another group under the terror auspices of either Iran or other radical Islamic groups. We are in a continual fight against them. We are determined to identify who sent them, who perpetrated [the attack], and to settle the account.” The Lebanese-based Hezbollah, which is armed by Iran, denied responsibility for the attack, according to the website Novinite. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said his government “strongly condemns this aggression and terrorism.” “Such a horrible act committed on the territory of a sovereign country, a member of the EU, is a provocation at the efforts of the democratic society towards world peace,” Borisov said, according to the FOCUS News Agency. “I guarantee that we will investigate this incident so as to punish the perpetrators with the entire severeness of the law. I am convinced that the Bulgarian and the Israeli nations will get stronger and more united after this tragedy.” The mayor of the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, home to nearly 5,000 Jews, ordered stepped-up police patrols of areas linked to the Jewish community, according to reports. Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense
Forces Chief, ordered the Home Front Command, the Israel Air Force and the Medical Corps to send a team to Bulgaria to provide medical care and to assist those injured as they return to Israel. The team is led by a senior IDF officer and includes doctors specializing in trauma, orthopedics, intensive care, surgery, burns and pediatrics. Likewise, the Israel-based ZAKA Rescue and Recovery Organization told JTA that it hired a private jet to fly to Burgas. The plane carried seven volunteers, a doctor and a paramedic, as well as medical equipment to help identify the Israelis who were killed. President Obama condemned the “barbaric terrorist attack,” according to The Associated Press. “As Israel has tragically once more been a target of terrorism, the United States reaffirms our unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security, and our deep friendship and solidarity with the Israeli people.” Immediately after the explosion, Ben Gurion International Airport was closed, delaying 11 flights. However, the airport reopened between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. to allow the flights to proceed. Novinite reported that Bulgarian authorities foiled a bomb attack in January on a charter bus for Israeli tourists heading from the Turkish border to a Bulgarian ski resort. A bomb was found on the bus.
10 • ISRAEL
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Palestinian Olympic participation brings conflict to the fore By Ben Sales Jewish Telegraphic Agency RAMALLAH, West Bank (JTA)—A portrait of the two most prominent Palestinian leaders— current Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and former President Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004—hangs in the conference room of the Palestinian Olympic Committee headquarters. The background of the portrait is a panorama of the Dome of the Rock in the Old City of Jerusalem, which Israel and the Palestinians both claim as a capital. National flags and photos of national leaders would be commonplace at any country’s Olympic office. Indeed, Israeli flags abounded at a press event for the Israeli Olympic team earlier this month. But as Palestinian delegation head Hani Halabi sees it, and as the Dome of the Rock photograph indicates, the Palestinian delegation’s presence at the London Olympics is not just about national pride but also highlighting the ongoing Palestinian conflict with Israel. Halabi says he’s proud, for example, that Palestinian judoka Maher Abu Rmeileh became the first Palestinian ever to qualify on his own for an Olympic event. But he is even happier that Abu Rmeileh is from Jerusalem.
Palestinian Olympic Facebook page
Palestinian Olympic participation brings conflict to the fore
Four Palestinian athletes, two men and two women, will join Abu Rmeileh, who is 28, in London: swimmers Sabine Hazboun and Ahmed Mostafa Gebrel and sprinters Baha Alfarra and Woroud Sawalha. The latter covers her hair even while competing. While Abu Rmeileh qualified for the Olympics on his own by competing in his sport, the other Palestinian athletes, by contrast, will reach the Games via a special invitation from the International Olympic Committee reserved for countries whose athletes have not been able to qualify for events. Palestinians have been competing in those spots since 1996, the first year they participated in the Olympics. Sawalha, 22, does not have medal hopes, saying that she needs “more years” to train, but said that she is excited to go to
London, “represent my country and see another world.” Israeli delegation head Efraim Zinger said that the Israeli Olympic Committee has tried to use the Olympics to foster cooperation between his team and the Palestinian one. Israel offered joint training facilities and staff to the teams, he said, and the International Olympic Committee “praised our effort and cooperation. But on their side we didn’t get any response. “It’s a shame, because we believe that through sports the young generation can get to know each other better than during dayto-day life,” he said. Halabi dismissed the notion that sports could bring Israelis and Palestinians together. For him, conversely, preparing for the Games has brought the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into sharp relief.
“We are in the occupation,” he told JTA. There are “no facilities, no coach, no moving for the player from town to town—from Jerusalem to Ramallah, from Ramallah to Bethlehem.” Halabi said that due to restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement, the first time the entire delegation will meet is when the athletes and coaches arrive at London’s Heathrow Airport on Friday. Even when offered, Halabi said he refuses any cooperation with the Israeli delegation. “There are more than 6,000 Palestinians in their prisons,” he said about Israel. “With the occupation and the prisons, I cannot train in judo” with Israel. For her part, Sawalha would be happy to train with Israelis. “The whole thing is about sport and nothing else,” she said. Zinger said that the Israeli Olympic Committee has been responsive to every Palestinian complaint regarding freedom of movement, doing its utmost to ensure that Palestinian athletes can train without limitations. “They have no problem in principle as far as we know,” he said. “When there were problems like that in the past we managed to work it out and since then we haven’t heard any complaints.” The International Olympic Committee reported in an October 2011 news release that the Israeli
Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, leader of key haredi community, dies at 102 By Mati Wagner Jewish Telegraphic Agency JERUSALEM (JTA)—In an age of sound bites and celebrity seekers, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, who died Wednesday at age 102, represented a world apart. The head of the Lithuanian haredi Orthodox community in Israel, Elyashiv was a Torah sage who shunned the limelight, dedicating himself single-mindedly to the pursuit of Torah study. The Lithuania-born Elyashiv, a reluctant leader largely lacking in charisma, was elevated to his preeminent position in the years before the 2001 death of Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach when Shach was no longer able to function. In the haredi community, which is split between Chasidim and misnagdim, Elyashiv occupied the top spot for misnagdim—head of the Ashkenazi, non-Chasidic community known as Litvaks (or Lithuanians). Unlike Shach—a fiery speaker and an innovative leader who was instrumental in establishing the daily haredi newspaper Yated Neeman and Degel Hatorah, a political party that represents the interests of misnagdim in the Knesset—Elyashiv
Courtesy Yosef Avi Yair Angel/Flash90/JTA
Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, authority on Jewish law, dies
shunned social contact and communal endeavors. He spent nearly every waking minute sitting alone reviewing the vast body of rabbinical literature and safeguarding haredi Orthodox parochialism through his rulings in the field of Jewish law. Until February, when Elyashiv was hospitalized in critical condition for congestive heart failure, he was still lucid and authoritative. “He was answering questions up until the day he was taken to the hospital,” said Rabbi Nahum
Eisenstein, an authority on halachah, or Jewish law, who had a close relationship with Elyashiv, who had moved to Jerusalem as a young boy. The non-Chasidic haredi community went to Elyashiv as the final arbiter for any dilemma, not just in the field of religious practice, but also in matters of politics, business and even matchmaking. For the believers who turned to him, Elyashiv’s rulings carried the weight of someone privy to God’s will. Unlike nationalist, Zionist rab-
bis who regularly issue rulings in matters concerning the ceding of parts of the West Bank or the proper balance between religion and state, Elyashiv did his best to skirt such matters. In rare cases, when he was forced to issue a ruling in order to direct haredi politicians on how to vote on a particular issue, Elyashiv seemed concerned primarily with safeguarding haredi Orthodoxy’s parochialism even if it meant taking a dovish position on the West Bank and Jewish settlements. In 2005, Elyashiv ruled in favor of joining Ariel Sharon’s government, providing it with essential backing ahead of the withdrawal from Gaza Strip and the evacuation of some 9,000 Jewish settlers living there. In exchange, Elyashiv demanded an immediate halt to all attempts to limit the complete the autonomy of haredi educational institutions, including those partially funded by the state. Secular subjects such as math, history and languages are not taught in haredi high schools, something that has hampered the ability of community members to join the job market and perpetuated haredi poverty and reliance on welfare.
and Palestinian Olympic committees met three times last year regarding potential collaboration and easing freedom of movement, but has reported no further progress since then. Even as he eschews using the Israeli Olympic team’s gyms, Halabi lamented his athletes’ subpar training facilities. As such, while star Israeli judoka Arik Ze’evi expects to win a medal, Halabi has modest goals in mind for Abu Rmeileh. “I hope to see him carry the Palestinian flag in London,” Halabi said. “He is a good fighter in judo. Maybe he will make a good place, but a medal is very difficult.” Spats between the two committees have occurred ever since the Palestinian delegation first announced its participation in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Israel reportedly objected that year to the Palestinian athletes’ walking under a banner that read “Palestine,” on the grounds that there was no recognized state of Palestine. The International Olympic Committee dismissed the complaint. This year, Israel has lobbied heavily—and so far unsuccessfully—for a minute of silence at the Games to commemorate the murder of 11 members of the Israeli delegation to the 1972 Munich Games. Palestinian terrorists killed the victims. Halabi said he had “no comment” on the issue.
Israel Briefs Israel Museum denies report of segregated hours JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Israel Museum said it would give private, after-hours tours of a new exhibit on Chasidic culture and denied that it had agreed to sex-segregated visiting hours. The clarification came in response to Israeli media reports that said the museum would have separate visiting times for men and women in response to requests by haredi Orthodox Israelis to see the exhibit titled “A World Apart Next Door: Glimpses into the life of Hasidic Jews.” “The Israel Museum does not discriminate, nor does it segregate, based on gender,” the museum said in a statement following the report, which first appeared in Haaretz. “The Museum is not changing its admissions policy; the entire Museum remains open to everyone during normal visiting hours. We regularly make arrangements for private groups to visit the Museum after hours, and give special consideration to the requests of private groups whose cultural practices are on view.”
SOCIAL LIFE • 11
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012
ANNOUNCEMENTS BIRTHS BIRTHS haron Light and Gidon van Emden are delighted to announce the birth of their daughter, Orit Rose van Emden, on June 21, 2012, in Silver Spring, Maryland. Orit’s grandparents are Irwin and Janet Light of Cincinnati, and Hans and Hetty van Emden of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Bonnet Island Estate in Manahawkin, N.J. by Rabbi Richard Hammerman. The bride, 28, works in New York as a Total Store Analyst for Ross Stores, Inc., the largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain in the United States. She graduated from Emory University and received a master’s degree in business administration from the Fordham University
David Stuart Greenberg and Rachel Alexis Karmel
Ariel Lamdan celebrates his Bar Mitzvah at the Kotel (Western Wall)
BAR MITZVAH MITZVAH riel Lamdan, son of Cherie (Hoffert) and Oded Lamdan, celebrated becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Thursday, July 12, 2012 at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel. He is the grandson of Eileen Kabakoff Metz and his great-grandparents are the late Sylvia and Herman (Kabby) Kabakoff, all of Cincinnati, and Ruth and Victor Lamdan of Haifa, Israel. Ariel attends Orange Grove Middle School in Tucson Ariz., where he is an honor student and plays clarinet in the school band. He enjoys martial arts, reading and drawing. For his mitzvah project, he has donated books from his personal library to the Homer Davis Elementary School library and is collecting school supplies and additional books for students in need to help them prepare for the 20122013 school year.
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WEDDING achel Alexis Karmel and David Stuart Greenberg were married on June 3 at the
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Graduate School of Business. The bride is the daughter of Roseanne K. Karmel and Dr. Mitchell I. Karmel of Fayetteville, N.Y. Rachel’s mother is a peri-anesthesia nurse at the Upstate University Outpatient Surgery Center, located in Syracuse, N.Y. Her father, an interventional radiologist, is the director of interventional radiology at the Upstate University Hospital. Mr. Greenberg, 29, is a litigation associate at the New York law firm of Weil Gotshal & Manges. He graduated with distinction from Cornell University and received a law degree cum laude from the New York University School of Law. He is the son of Pamela S. Meyers and Gerald S. Greenberg of Cincinnati, Ohio. His father is a partner in the law firm of Taft Stettinius & Hollister, and is PresidentElect of Adath Israel Synagogue and Treasurer of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. His mother, an attorney, retired as General Counsel of Mosler Inc. and is a docent at the Cincinnati Art
he Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel selects Zachary Young as one of 26 high school students. Zachary Young, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gregory and Michele Young, is a junior at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. Zach attended an array of Cincinnati area synagogues in his early youth before becoming a Bar Mitzvah at Isaac M. Wise Temple. Through eighth grade, he studied at Cincinnati Country Day School, where he was president and co-valedictorian of his class. At Exeter, Zach is Business Chairman of The Exonian, the oldest high school newspaper in America, and co-captain of the Daniel Webster Debate Society, founded in 1811. A political enthusiast as well, Zach interned for Senator Rob Portman’s (R-OH) Cincinnati office in 2011, and co-heads the Exeter Republican Club and Exeter Political Union. He has three younger brothers and an elder sister.
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Museum. The couple met in 2009 on Jdate. They initially exchanged a few hours of instant messages, but distrustful of extended internet dating, quickly made plans to meet at a martini bar in Hell's Kitchen, to see if they clicked in person. On their first date they discovered that David’s mother was born and raised in Toms River, N.J., the town in which Rachel grew up in, and his grandparents still lived there, a short drive from Rachel’s home. The night ended with a kiss and an eerie feeling that this was fate.
his summer, Brianna Pecsok’s interests in Judaism, social justice, and
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human rights led her to the Machon Kaplan program at the Washington-based Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Machon Kaplan is a highly selective summer studyinternship program that offers students from across the country the opportunity to take classes and intern at various non-profit organizations in their field of interest. This is the first summer that the program, which has existed for more than two decades, has offered full scholarships to its participants. Pecsok will spend her summer interning at Americans for Peace Now, which works to generate domestic support for the Israeli peace movement. Pecsok, a Cincinnati native, is studying at Ohio State University, where she just completed her sophomore year. She is studying International Studies and Hebrew. In addition to their internships, Pecsok and her peers will take classes that focus on the application of Jewish values to current social justice issues such as the environment, civil rights, LGBT equality and campaign finance reform.
12 • MATURE LIVING
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MATURE LIVING SUMMER 2012 Listed below are several area establishments meant to aid and assist in senior life. Cedar Village Retirement Community Cedar Village offers living accommodations for seniors with a variety of needs: helping those who are independent and people needing some assistance. Cedar Village serves the Greater Cincinnati Community guided by a mission based on Jewish values. Their vision is that “aging will be a fulfilling and enriching experience for older adults and their families...” The Jewish residents will find full-time pastoral care, with Reform and Orthodox rabbis, as well as a kosher deli. Other amenities include private and public dining, a fitness center, two beauty salons, several libraries, a bank, transportation and a variety of activities, including adult lectures. Episcopal Retirement Homes At Episcopal Retirement homes you will discover all the things they do to enrich the lives of older adults and the reasons they have become a leader in providing these services. People describe their premier retirement communities as a combination of a luxury resort,
summer camp, and college. Add in an experienced management team, a professional and compassionate staff, an incredible board of directors, and the best medical care available when you need it, and you will start to get an idea of why they have been a successful, financially sound organization for over 60 years. They also provide services to the communities around them and offer retirement living options that cater to older adults with limited financial resources. Unlike private for-profit communities, they do not have to spend resources paying the owners or shareholders but rather they can reinvest the money back into providing the best care and service available in the marketplace. It also means that they have never and will never ask a resident to leave the community if their finances become depleted. This promise is an important part of fulfilling their mission and it means the world to the residents and their families. Family Bridges This non-medical home care’s mission is to help seniors live independently. They are particularly dedicated to providing care for those with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer and other debilitating conditions, such as those arising from strokes and cardiac difficulties. Care is offered 24/7 by screened caregivers who are required to have extensive home care experience. Mike and Shannon Garfunkel (Originally from Dayton and Cincinnati) are the founders. After attending the University of Cincinnati, Shannon began working at Jewish Family Service in daycare, and Mike began working for a Wall Street financial adviser. As time progressed, Mike wanted a career that would help others, and Shannon’s interest in her work grew as she saw the results of her work. Together they formed Family Bridges, with offices in Cincinnati, Mason and Dayton. Independent You Life can be difficult for those struggling to fasten the buttons on a shirt or pulling one’s top over their head. The owners of this unique shop in Wyoming saw this firsthand while working with nursing home residents as health care social workers. Those with limited dexterity or mobility depended on these social workers to shop for their clothes.
The choices were scarce. Independent You offers both a store front and online shopping, to aid customers in getting the right fit. The owners, Suzanne and Amy, have personally selected their clothing, accessories and unique stylish, dignified choices. And as an added personal touch, all the fabrics are wash and wear! Jewish Family Services Managing your, or your aging parents’, maze of mail, bill paying, or understanding the complexities of social security, insurance, Medicare or Medicaid can be confusing and time-consuming. Jewish Family Service Aging and Caregiver Services experienced geriatric care managers, Your Experts in Aging, can help. Call Jewish Family Service today so you can relax tomorrow. Visiting Angels The Visiting Angels national, private duty network of home care agencies is the nation’s leader for providing non-medical senior care. Their Angels provide in-home care, respite care, senior personal care, elder care and companion care so that elderly adults can continue to live independently in their own homes throughout America. Visiting Angels works with your family to develop a care plan specific to your circumstance, requirements and schedule. Our office staff is always available to discuss options and changes with you. We take pride in the relationships we build with our families. Working together is paramount to providing the best care possible. Weil Funeral Home For over four generations — a span of 90 years — Weil has served Cincinnati. Services include the use of their new chapel, which is wheelchair accessible and able to comfortably hold over 350 people. This allows them to handle large public funerals or small private ceremonies, whichever the family desires. Also provided are all the necessary materials for Jewish practices, including all-wood orthodox caskets, burial vaults, traditional burial garments, kria ribbons, shiva candles, acknowledgement cards, registry books, folding chairs, shiva stools, prayer books and other requested items. Weil is nothing if not accommodating; services can be arranged at the cemetery, at synagogues or various other locations.
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012
MATURE LIVING • 13
JFS phone collection helps keep senior adults safe Jewish Family Service and other member organizations of Hamilton County TRIAD are collecting old cell phones to help older adults throughout the area. “TRIAD will receive funds for each donated phone, and will also receive a supply of cell phones equipped only for 911 calls. The 911 phones will be distributed to older adults who do not have a cell phone, but need one for emergency use only,” explained Jewish Family Service Social Worker
Stephanie Aronhalt who represents the agency at TRIAD. Hamilton County TRIAD is a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies, senior citizens, and senior service providers including Jewish Family Service. Its mission is to meet the needs of seniors in our community and help develop a sense of security, independence, and dignity by decreasing victimization. One reason Jewish Family Service joined TRIAD was to join
with other agencies that have the same concerns about older adults’ safety. Jewish Family Service has seen an increase of financial exploitation with senior adult clients since the recession. “So far just this year, we have identified 17 senior adults at risk for abuse, neglect or exploitation. We carefully monitor and provide care management for these clients to JFS on page 20
Episcopal Retirement Homes With over half a century of expansion and experience improving the lives of older adults, Episcopal Retirement Homes (ERH) has become the leader in quality retirement communities and innovative elder care services. ERH is a not-for-profit, financially sound organization dedicated to improving the lives of older adults through innovative, quality living environments and older adult services
delivered by highly experienced and deeply committed professionals. ERH owns and operates two continuing care retirement communities in Hyde Park, Deupree House and Marjorie P. Lee. Rather than pay profits to owners and shareholders, ERH reinvests that money back into our communities. We are also proud that over our long history we have never asked a resident to leave any
513-531-9600
of our communities for financial reasons. Not all retirement communities can promise that, in writing right in the resident agreement. People of all faiths are welcome at ERH and our Person-Centered Care philosophy means that everything we do is driven by the needs and well-being of those we serve. The results are remarkable. EPISCOPAL on page 20
Easing the end of life transition The word “hospice” is one that is not always fully understood. In fact, people equate “hospice” with imminent death. Not only is that not the case, but by labeling hospice in this way, people may be denied a level of care that can significantly improve their lives. Hospice is not a new concept. It has been around since the Middle Ages, when a hospice was a place for weary travelers to rest. Later, hospices became havens for the terminally ill, first developing in Ireland at the end of the 19th century. The first modern hospice opened
in London in 1967 and the hospice movement spread to the United States in the years following, finally becoming a Medicare benefit in the early 1980s. Since that time, hospice programs have grown around the country and around the world, offering improved care and services to individuals and their families. Hospice is not just for those in the last hours and weeks of life. Hospice care is for anyone with a diagnosis of six months or less to live and who are receiving palliative (comfort) care rather than curative services. With hospice, a team is
available 24/7 to provide enhanced care, including pain control as well as medical supplies and equipment. With physicians, nurses, aides, chaplains, social workers, therapists and volunteers as part of the hospice staff, the patient and their family EASING on page 20
Proudly serving Greater Cincinnati.
14 • DINING OUT
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Delicious pastas, pizzas and fresh baked breads at Ferrari’s By Sondra Katkin Dining Editor Years ago friends recommended trying the special house salad at Ferrari’s Little Italy. This award winner—“Best of Taste,” 1999— which lived up to its reputation, was crisp and carefully prepared with an interplay of leafy greens, cranberries, pine nuts, gorgonzola cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. My husband Steve and I also appreciated the small, cozy dining rooms with stucco and brick walls, warm fireplaces, exposed beams and red plaid tablecloths. It reminded us of the casual Italian restaurants in Rome and Sicily. The restaurant, located in Madeira, is nestled in a lushly landscaped area with no competing city scapes to interfere with your romantic meal at an Italian “getaway.” Nor will loud music blare in your ears. Each room has its own volume controls for classic Italian- American music, and manager Chris Reed noted, “We are sensitive to the needs of our diners.” Reed’s parents were good friends with owner Patti Bassano’s family, and as a kid, he loved Patti’s home cooking. He said she is a great chef with all the traditional Italian recipes handed down in her family and comes from a family of great cooks. Her aunt Norma Antenucci had a TV cooking show here in the ‘50s. He added that Patti is at Ferrari’s every day baking desserts and warmly greeting customers. When entering the restaurant, your first view is the bakery with a wide variety of freshly made breads and desserts. If you don’t fill up on the sights and smells gently accosting you, you can look forward to tasting—in your bread basket—an assortment of the eight to 10 breads made daily. Many of them have surprise fillings such as cheese, potatoes or olives. “We flatten the bread, put toppings inside, then roll it up, and when you cut into it, you discover the toppings,” explained Reed with enthusiasm—this must be one of his favorites. Several different focaccias grace the display case and a customer was requesting the three cheese, a very popular variety. I’ll try to distract Steve’s attention since he must maintain a gluten free diet. Reed introduced me to chef Coby Lowry who enjoys having “Iron Chef” nights with his friendly fellow chefs. Reed praised the chef’s creation of nightly specials. Lowry served me two entrees. The first was honey roasted chicken salad. One taste immediately informed me that this was not the usual, bland featherless fowl fillet but a definite taste awakening chunk of chicken. It gets its special moistness and flavor from a honey marinade and baking sauce. A light sweetness permeated the meat and was nicely contrasted by the tart-
(Clockwise) Chef Coby Lowry, whose delicious specials reflect the warmth of the surroundings; The bakery case, containing fresh and fragrant confections and breads; Chocolate chip cannoli, even better than it looks; Attractive, full service bar with happy hour discounts; Blackened salmon caprese pasta with fire roasted vegetables, a delicious combo; Honey glazed chicken pecan salad—sweet and satisfying.
ness of the salad. Other sweet accents, the cinnamon glazed pecans and sundried cranberries went well with the cranberry and port vinaigrette dressing. Crunchy, homemade croutons added their earthy complementary texture to the delicious salad. Lowry mentioned that pizza is very popular here with 10 varieties, baked in a brick oven. Diners may choose from multi-grain or regular crusts that are crispy yet still tender. My second selection was chef Lowry’s special of the day, blackened salmon caprese. With fire roasted tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, and goat cheese surrounding but not overwhelming the salmon, each individual ingredient could be savored. Combined with al dente pasta and coated with meltingly tangy goat cheese, it was lovely and luscious. And this was no ordinary salmon, it was Norwegian salmon with all the moist freshness
and velvety texture that the brand is famous for. A generous wedge, it was rapidly wrested from its resting place on the pasta as I ate it. Yum! Another special he created, chicken Madeira with spinach is exceptional according to Reed. Lowry said that he cooked his way through college, and then learned his “from scratch” techniques at Jeckle’s. He commented that he and the executive chef, Greg Wright, are always at the restaurant, and “keeping customers happy is our most important concern.” When describing their beef he said, “We buy an excellent grade — well marbled. Greg tried many before we found the high quality we were looking for.” Many customers have rated the beef medallions as outstanding. A 12 ounce, aged New York strip, seasoned or peppercorn crusted, will satisfy those who want their pasta sharing the plate with a juicy steak. Since Ferrari’s features a bakery
and a pastry chef, there are many desserts to sample, including Patti’s award winning tiramisu — “Best of Taste,” 2000. I tried the cannoli, a selection she’s famous for. It had the sweet crunch I was looking for, wrapped around a light, creamy filling dotted with chocolate chips — a “menage a trois” I could manage merrily. Reed told me that “the chocolate cake is awesome. It’s huge and if I eat it, it turns my stomach on and my brain off.” That’s praise from the gut. Other desserts include spumoni, gelato and turtle sundae along with port, cognacs and single malt scotch. Or you may choose from a menu of specialty coffees, such as Ferrari’s French roast coffee with Godiva Chocolate liqueur, Bailey’s Irish cream and whipped cream, and several other wonderful sounding combinations. They use Wallingford coffee, long known for its rich yet mild coffee flavor. These brown, robust bever-
ages will bend your tongue around the tempest in your coffee cup. Ferrari’s has a full service bar with beer on tap, $5 martinis on Sunday or Monday, half-priced selected bottles of wine on Tuesday and Wednesday. Kids, 12 and under, eat free on Sunday with the purchase of an adult entree. Appetizers are discounted at the bar on a regular basis. In summer months, diners can enjoy the beautiful garden patio with a waterfall. Catering and private rooms are available. Hours for lunch are Monday–Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; for dinner, Monday– Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m., and Sunday, 4–9 p.m.; bakery, Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ferrari’s Little Italy 7677 Goff Terrace Madeira, OH 45243 513-272-2220
DINING OUT • 15
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012
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16 • OPINION
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The coming culture war over fertility technology
C O R R E C T I O N: In the July 19 issue the word Independence was spelled wrong on the front page and page 12.
the 150-200 Jews in Iquitos. They all were looking forward to welcoming us as much as we were to greet them. Even though most of us did not speak Spanish our eyes and our hearts met with a welcome almost like we knew each other for many years. This was all that needed to be said. In Peru the custom in Masorti Judaism is to have Shabbat with the whole congregation on Friday night and a smaller, less attended service on Saturday. People have to work seven days a week because of the poverty. The service was simple but very exciting. We all interacted and sat with each other. Some in our group spoke some Spanish which made it a little easier. Michael Abadi was our main translator and filled in the blanks. We started the service by all wrapping our arms around each other and singing Shalom Aleichem and then danced. During the service we had questions and answer periods. They were so moved by our group that they asked us back for Purim! The young children were warm and enjoyed hugging all of us. The congregation was genuine in their welcoming us. They did not want any sympathy for being poor, nor any material things, that was obvious, but just wanted to be recognized in the world as Conservative/Masorti Jews. Many of their children leave for Israel once they reach 18, as they have come to believe it is the land of Milk and Honey. There is no permanent Rabbi but one flies in periodically LETTERS on page 22
T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE THIS WEEK’S PORTION: DEVARIM (DEVARIM 1:1—3:18) 1. What was “big and terrible”? c.) Half of Menashe a.) The desert d.) All of the above b.) Egypt c.) Lands of Sichon and Og 4. Which nation was Og from? a.) Moab 2. Where was “Mount Emori”? b.) Ammon a.) Near Mount Hermon c.) Rephaim b.) Land of Sichon and Og c.) Near Kadesh Barnea 5. Were the Children of Israel permitted to fight Moab? 3. Which tribes received Gilad? a.) Yes a.) Reuven b.) No b.) Gad to the four kings and then told Abram that his nephew Lot was captured in the war. 5. B 2:9
TECHNOLOGY on page 19
The FJMC is the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs. It is the creative and Innovative arm of the Masorti/Conservative movement. We stand for Leadership, Innovation, Community. We work with Men’s Clubs around the world to promote involving Jewish Men in Jewish Life. In March, 11 couples from the United States traveled to Peru for a life changing experience. Our flight to Lima was uneventful (flying nowadays—uneventful is considered a plus!). Little did we know what was in store for us. Led by Michael Abadi, FJMC’s South American Liaison, and Rabbi Charles Simon, Executive Director of FJMC, we spent the first day in Lima getting adjusted to the weather and people. Our trip continued the next day flying to Iquitos where our lives were about to change. Iquitos is a poor city near the mouth of the Amazon with aging buildings and people that have adapted to a difficult way of life. There are only two ways into and out of Iquitos; by water and plane. We went on a boat ride on the Amazon River, and spent some time with a local tribe. We embraced a baby monkey, they had an anaconda, and caressed a very affectionate baby sloth. The amazon is the widest and fastest river in the world as it starts at the mouth of the Andes and moves rapidly toward the Atlantic. German and Spanish Jewish men came down the Amazon to settle in Iquitos in the early 1900s because of a lucrative
tire industry. They all intermarried but over time some of their grandchildren searched for their family roots. Many found Judaism and had rabbis from South America come to Iquitos to complete the conversion process. There are about 200 dedicated Jews in Iquitos today who are part of the Conservative/Masorti movement. Our first Shabbat on the trip was full of welcoming, building relationships, and making a difference in people’s lives. Friday night started as we met with the president of the Jewish community of Iquitos. He picked us up at the hotel and we walked over to an ancient building with no writing or signage on it and frankly the last place we would have expected to be a synagogue. Included in our group were Michael Mills (FJMC International President), and his wife Shirley, and Dr. Gary and Leah Smith, who is on the Executive Committee of FJMC. Upon entering the synagogue we noticed white deteriorating brick walls with fans hanging from the walls, with Judaic art placed strategically around the room. The Bimah was a 6 foot table with a tablecloth and the Torah sat to the side in a small wooden box. The far wall was only a wall and was open at the top to the President’s home where we could hear a goat, and chickens, a toucan, and other animals. It was a surreal setting maybe biblical like, if you can imagine that. As we entered the sanctuary, something extraordinary occurred. The congregation stood up and clapped for us and provided us with a warm embrace from every one of
Gilad Highlands. 4. C 3:11 Og survived the war of the kings (Braishith 15) He was from the Rephaim who lost
Abortion is currently the most fevered issue in American life, sometimes even surpassing questions of national security and defense, the economy, international terrorism, health care, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, drug usage and education. While we know the shorthand linguistic terms employed in the never-ending public argument over abortion — pro-choice, prolife, personhood, “war against women,” family values, Roe v. Wade, sanctity of life, “safe, legal and rare” — there is an emerging issue with a three-letter abbreviation that may soon dominate our religious, political and cultural debates: assisted reproductive technology, or ART. Just as abortion has divided our nation, ART could do the same, especially as it becomes better known and more widely practiced in America. ART offers women — heterosexual, lesbian, single, or married — a method to become pregnant through a complex procedure involving anonymous donor sperm. A recent Religion News Service story indicated that 30,000-60,000 donor-conceived children are born each year in the United States and as the technology improves, that number will grow. When conception is not possible or is unsuccessful, adoption still remains the path most often chosen as a way of becoming parents. Everyone knows the possible risks as well as the gratification of adoption. We are also familiar with Americans who travel overseas to adopt a child born outside our country. But ART is much different than adoption because women use their own eggs, which are fertilized with the donors’ sperm. A woman has the knowledge that the child she gave birth to is biologically hers, even though neither
Dear Editor,
3. D 3:12,13. Tribes of Reuven and Gad took half and half tribe of Menashe took the other half. “Mount Gilad” is also called the
by Rabbi A. James Rudin
Do you have something to say? E-mail your letter to editor@americanisraelite.com
Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise
ANSWERS 1. A 1:19 2. C 1:20 “The Living Torah” calls the Emori Higland
Point of View
she nor the youngster will ever know the anonymous sperm donor. ART supporters claim that such children can be more secure than adopted youngsters because they at least know the identity of their biological mother. Not surprisingly, the increasing use of ART has created sharp differences both within and between religious communities. Many theologically conservative Christians and Orthodox Jews oppose ART with the same fervor that they view abortions. Indeed, some religious leaders reject abortions even when the pregnant woman was raped or the victim of incest. ART opponents, including Vatican officials, argue it is an unnatural process that creates children who know nothing about their biological father. It is a situation, they claim, that leads to unstable families, traumatized youngsters, and other serious problems. If it is a choice between a child’s “dignity” and the woman’s “right” to bear a child, the religious conservatives come down against the want-to-be mother. They further argue that the procedure can encourage “designer babies” with donor sperm chosen because of such factors as race, ethnicity, and even hair and eye coloring. But ART practitioners point out that recipients of donor sperm generally want a match that is close to their own genetic makeup, including race and ethnicity. Yet other Christians and Jews approve of ART because it can provide people with the greatest gift of all: a living child in situations where such a gift has been unattainable. ART religious supporters frequently quote the biblical injunction to “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:22), always noting that the text does not specify precisely how this commandment is to be fulfilled or with whom. It’s important that clergy of all faiths learn how ART actually affects real people. Simply questioning or assailing the motives of individuals who choose to use ART is a futile exercise. Instead, rabbis, priests, and ministers need to plumb the depths of their souls and the teachings of their spiritual traditions before dismissing the potential good ART can achieve for loving and caring people who want to experience the gift of life by becoming a parent.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
JEWISH LIFE • 17
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012
Sedra of the Week
by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel - Devarim is always read on Shabbat Hazon, the Shabbat before the Ninth of Av, the fast for the destruction of both Holy Temples, the fall of Jerusalem and the loss of our national sovereignty. This calendrical connection is signaled by the words, “How so [eicha in Hebrew] am I able to bear your contentiousness, your burdens and your quarrels” (Deuteronomy 1:12), which will be publicly read this Shabbat with the same haunting cantillations as the Scroll of Lamentations (Eicha). As these words suggest, the gravest sin, which leads to Jerusalem’s destruction, is strife within Israel, contentiousness, quarrelsomeness, the sin defined by our sages as “sinat hinam,” causeless hatred. To this end, when the prophet Isaiah presents his optimistic vision of hope for redemption, he calls out, “Comfort you, comfort you, My people, speak upon the heartJerusalem and call out to her; her period [of exile] has been completed, her iniquity has been forgiven” (Isaiah 40:1,2). Note that the prophet refers to the city as heart—Jerusalem, a compound noun, apparently it is “heart” which defines Jerusalem. I am certain this is what Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hakohen Kook was referring to when he said of the Western Wall, symbol par excellence of Jerusalem: “There are some hearts which are of stone; and there are some stones which are truly hearts.” Such are the stone-hearts of the Western Wall; such is Jerusalem stone-heart. The heart serves a crucial function: It is the true life force, pumping oxygenated blood through the body; oxygen is what enables us to breathe and blood is the vital substance of human existence. Abraham’s descendants became a covenantal people chosen by God for an eternal mission, “in order that all gentiles of the earth be blessed by [his] seed. God chose [and loved] Abraham in order that he convey to his
SHABBAT SHALOM: PARSHAT DEVARIM DEUTERONOMY 1:1-3:22
The love which will emanate from Jerusalem must extend to all the nations, even those which have cruelly harmed us in the past, even those who have sought to destroy us. This love is extended for as long as they now come in peace to worship the God of love, forgiveness and peace. It must be an unconditional love, like a mother has for the fruits of her womb. household after him compassionate righteousness and moral justice” (Genesis 18:19). According to all our prophets, this message will be conveyed at the end of days from the Jerusalem Temple, to which all the nations will flock. At that time, they will beat their swords into ploughshares, forsake the cultivation of warfare (Isaiah 2: 4, Micah 4:3), and “the nations will change to speak a pure language, they will all call upon the Name of Hashem and serve Him with a united resolve” (Zephaniah 3:9). Jerusalem will become the vehicle for Israel’s expression of the purpose for its being. The heart is also the source of human emotion, specifically love: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5). When the great biblical interpreter, Rabbi Abraham ben Ezra (known as the Ibn Ezra, 1089 1164) had to define “your fellow” in the verse “And you shall love your fellow” (Leviticus 19:18), he concluded that it must refer to every human being; after all, the verse concludes with “I am the Lord,” and the Lord created all of humanity from one divine womb. Jerusalem will one day unite all of humanity within her bosom, for she is the heart, the shechina, the divine womb. This makes all human beings siblings, as God’s children are inextricably interlocked by the love, we must feel for each other because of the part of God in each of us, and the responsibility each must therefore bear toward the other. The love which will emanate from Jerusalem must extend to all the nations, even those which have cruelly harmed us in the past, even
those who have sought to destroy us. This love is extended for as long as they now come in peace to worship the God of love, forgiveness and peace. It must be an unconditional love, like a mother has for the fruits of her womb. It must be a love without cause, aspiring to repair the causeless hatred which brought about Jerusalem’s demise. In 1978, Prime Minister Menachem Begin, U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat met at Camp David to draft the peace agreement with Egypt. After all the negotiations had seemingly concluded, Carter handed Begin a letter to sign. The prime minister turned white and returned the letter, refusing to sign it. “But I did not ask you to give up Jerusalem,” said the American president, “I only asked that you put it on the negotiating table.” “You don’t understand,” said the Israeli premier. “For 2,000 years, we Jews have been reciting a verse from King David’s psalms at every wedding ceremony: ‘If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, may my right hand lose her cunning: Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I hold thee not above my highest joy.’” (Psalms 137: 5) “But doesn’t your Jewish law maintain that you must give up a limb in order to save the entire organism?” remonstrated Carter. “Yes,” said Begin, “But not if the limb is one’s heart. Jerusalem is the heart of Israel, the heart of the Jewish people.” Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone Chief Rabbi — Efrat Israel
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By Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist A FUNNY NEIGHBORHOOD Watch Well, if you need a break from the Olympics, you can go out and see “The Watch,” which opens on Friday, July 27. Yes, it is about a neighborhood watch group, but it has very little in common with the tragic events (Trayvon Martin) in Florida. The premise: a group of suburban guys form a neighborhood watch group that mostly exists to provide the guys an excuse to get away from their routine and often boring home lives. The twist: they discover the existence of a space alien invasion and have to fend it off. “Watch” is directed by AKIVA SCHAEFFER, 34, a former “SNL” writer and a “BFF” of ANDY SAMBERG. The script is by SETH ROGEN, 30, and his fellow Canadian and childhood friend, EVAN GOLDBERG, 30. The “Watch” group is made up of four guys: Evan (BEN STILLER, 46), Franklin (JONAH HILL, 28), Bob (Vince Vaughn), and Jamarcus (Afro-Brit actor Richard Ayovade). Evan is the leader of the group — but he’s lead several other Watch groups that fell apart because nobody likes him. Franklin is a “cop wanabee” whose emotional problems lead the real police to reject him; and Bob mostly joins the group so he can easily spy on his teenage daughter’s dating life. JEWISH DOG DAYS OF SUMMER During the summer, media outlets are looking for some light news. So, if you want publicity, there’s no better time to break the Guinness World Record for the most expensive animal wedding. Well, the record was broken on July 12 at a swank Manhattan hotel. It isn’t quite as appalling as it sounds. You see the four legged nuptials were a benefit for the Humane Society of New York. The whole shindig would have cost $250K if the organizers were buying the goods and services “retail.” However, almost everything was donated, like the $6,000 wedding dress for the “bride,” a little dog called “Baby Hope,” and a $5,000 sushi spread. Even the wedding planner, whose last name, funnily enough, is “Katz,” threw in her services, gratis. Seats at the wedding cost $250 and whole tables would set you back $10,000. Some celebs forked over the entrance fee, including DYLAN LAUREN, 38, a fancy candy maker and — you guessed it — the daughter of
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RALPH LAUREN. The main force behind this simcah was Baby Hope’s owner, animal expert WENDY DIAMOND, 38. She has appeared on tons of TV shows. Diamond opted for the item that really got my attention: a $5,300 floral chuppah for the wedding crafted by the Waldorf-Astoria’s florist. Diamond told the NY Daily News that the chuppah was there because “Baby Hope is a Jewish dog.” While the News article said the doggie wedding was “interfaith,” I am not sure that’s right. The “groom,” a standard poodle named Chilly, was selected via an online contest. His owner’s name is Jake Pasternak, which sounds pretty Jewish to me. BRINGING HOME THE GELT Forbes magazine is out with their list of the 20 top paid TV actresses. (Included are reality show stars who don’t technically act.) Four Jewish women are on the list. Here they are with their ranking before their name. I’ve slightly edited Forbes’ copy about them: (4) BETHENNY FRANKEL, 41: “In the past twelve months Frankel helped to expand her booze line from one product to 12, penned her first novel, ‘Skinnydipping,’ and debuted a daytime talk show, ‘Bethenny,’ in a six-week test on Fox this summer. Ratings for her Bravo reality show, ‘Bethenny Ever After’ average a strong 1 million viewers each week. Total earnings: $12 million; (15) ALYSON HANNIGAN, 38,: “The ‘How I Met Your Mother’ star had an especially profitable year. Not only did the actress take home $4 million in new episodes and syndication fees for her hit TV show; she also earned a reported $3 million for the new ‘American Pie’ movie. Total earnings: $7 million. (17) JULIANNA MARGULIES, 46,: “Her show, ‘The Good Wife,’ is a critical hit for CBS, even if it’s not pulling in top notch live ratings. The role of a scorned political wife turned litigator won her second Emmy in 2011 and earns her more than $4 million each year. Margulies also serves as a spokeswoman for L’Oreal cosmetic products. Total earnings: $6 million; (18) KYRA SEDGWICK, 46; “She won an Emmy in 2010 for starring on ‘The Closer,’ a gig that earned her $350,000 an episode in the show’s final season. The final six episodes of the series will air this summer. Total earnings: $6 million.” (Hannigan and Sedgwick are the daughters of Jewish mothers/non-Jewish fathers.)
FROM THE PAGES 150 Y EARS A GO Should any one harbor that doubt that our youth, in this metropolis, have no opportunity to acquire biblical history, and religious instruction, the doubt would vanish, could he have witnessed the examination of the children that attend the schools in the Temple Emanuel, under the supervision of the Rev. Dr. Adler, as your correspondent did on Sunday last. — August 1, 1862
125 Y EARS A GO Mr. E. Simon, residing at No. 62 East Fifth Street, Cincinnati, and his son, Mr. Mitchell Simon, were summoned last week to New Orleans by a telegram announcing the murder of Mr. Jacob Simon, of Beaux Bridge, La. The murdered man was a bachelor, 57 years of age, and formerly a resident of Cincinnati. When Mr. Simon and his son arrived at New Orleans they hastened at once to Beaux Bridge, the scene of the horrible tragedy. The details of the villainous crime are most horrifying. It appears that on Tuesday night, July 20th, a number of suspects entered Mr. Simon’s store and residence and choked the proprietor to death, then made away with the booty. Thus far there is no clue to the murderers, but nine men have been arrested. Mr. Jacob Simon, the murdered man, left Cincinnati about sixteen years ago and settled at Beaux Bridge, La. He was the only Israelite in that town and this may account for his cruel fate. On the arrival of his brother and nephew the body was taken to Lafayette, La., and interred in the Jewish burial ground at that place. This case is one of several outrages which have of late been perpetrated against the Jews of this Louisiana District, and it is about time that the Civil Rights Committee of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations took some action in the matter. —July 29, 1887
100 Y EARS A GO Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bernheim have gone to Power’s Lake, Wis., for the summer. Miss Madelyn M. Mann, daughter of Mrs. Isaac Mann of Henderson, Ky., was married to Mr. Herman Iglo, of New York City, on Tuesday of last week, at the Hotel Sinton. Dr. Morgenstern tied the knot. Mr. and Mrs. Iglo went north on their honeymoon. At the annual meeting of the Ohio State Bar Association, held at Put in Bay last week, the Hon. Simeon M. Johnson, Vice Mayor of the City of Cincinnati, was unanimously chosen as President of the Association for the ensuing year. This new honor that has come to Mr. Johnson is well deserved, and it is the first time in the
history of the Bar of Ohio that a Jewish lawyer has been elected to head the Association. Mr. Johnson was for many years the chairman of the Committee of Judicial Administration and Legal Reform, and in that capacity has shown his qualifications for the position to which he has just been chosen. In his capacity as President of the Council of the City of Cincinnati, Mr. Johnson has already given evidence of his fairness as a presiding officer. Under his administration the State Bar Association will make marked progress. — July 25, 1912
75 Y EARS A GO On Tuesday, July 20th, Dr. Esther Bogen Tietz, of Longview Hospital, addressed the Dorothy Lynd Dix Club at the hospital. The club is composed of 350 patients and she spoke about her five weeks of work in Eastern hospitals on the “Insulin of Treatment for Mental Illness.” This was Dr. Tietz’s second trip to the East to observe the latest developments in this new field of mental therapy. While in the East she lectured and studied at a number of New York and Massachusetts state mental hospitals and also at Yale University Institute of Human Relations. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Foreman and Dr. and Mrs. Stanley Dorst have left for Maine. Mrs. Richard B. Dana and daughter, Beverley, and Miss Lena Auer will leave Tuesday, July 27th, for a month at the Hotel Shelbourne, Atlantic City, and a week in New York City. Mr. Mark H. Kroll is renewing friendships at Camp Strongheart, after a winter at the Ohio Military Institute. Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Rosenberg are at the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, for a month’s vacation. Before returning home they will go to Lake Louise and Banff. — July 22, 1937
50 Y EARS A GO Mr. and Mrs. Lothar Haas, 1709 Stonybrook Drive, announce the forthcoming Bar Mitzvah of their son, Herbert, Saturday, Aug. 11 at 9 a.m. at New Hope Synagogue. A kiddush will follow the service. A reception in Herbert’s honor will be held at the Haas residence, Sunday Aug. 12 from 4–7 p.m. Isidore, Sol and Mark Shuller have added an intimate cocktail lounge and restaurant to their motel at 7749-69 Reading Road. The attractive decoration features wall to wall carpeting, a long bar, two beautiful chandeliers and murals, it was announced. Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Felson announce the engagement of their daughter, Nancy Ruth, to Mr. Roderich-Wulfrin Walter, son of Mrs. Hildegard Walter, of Giessen, West
Germany, and the late Dr. Kurt Walter. Miss Felson, a graduate of Walnut Hills High School, attends Washington University, St. Louis. Mr. Walter received his B.S. degree in chemistry from JustisLiebing University in Giessen. He is working on his doctoral studies in chemistry at the University of Cincinnati under the HonefferModell Fellowship. — July 26, 1962
25 Y EARS A GO Cincinnati Hebrew Day School held its first Grandparents’ Day at the end of the school year. Grandparents came from near and far to participate in a morning of activities. According to Marilyn Harris, Stanley’s delicatessen has gained widespread popularity because of its time-saving attributes and its nutritious value. “Our health conscious society has become very choosy about the quality of food and proper nourishment. The delicatessen is an important entity in a society that necessitates food that is just as good as homemade but without the work.” Robert B. Frohman has been elected to serve as vice president of Leadership Council of the Jewish Federation. Frohman is the recipient of the Allen A. Cowett Award, which enables him to attend the Council of Jewish Federations’ General Assembly in Miami, Fla., this coming November. — July 30, 1987
10 Y EARS A GO Harry Rockwern, 95, passed away June 23, Mr. Rockwern was born in New York City. He was a son of the late Boris and Sophie (Goldwasser) Rockwern. He was the husband of the late Eva Rockwern. He is survived by a son, Alan Rockwern, and a daughter and her husband, Stephanie and Ron Amlung. His surviving grandchildren are Brett and Brooke Rockwern and Jeff and Joe Amlung. Mr. Rockwern was the brother of the late Joseph Rockwern, Rose Gross, Evelyn Kreines, Ida Orlin and Samuel Rockwern. Mr. Rockwern came to Cincinnati when he was five years old. He attended the Old Woodward High School located, at the time, at 1310 Sycamore Street, in Over-the Rhine. Mr. Rockwern was a veteran of WWII. He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945. During a part of that time, he was stationed in India. Upon his return, he went into the practice of law. He then prided himself for having been selected to serve as an assistant attorney general for the State of Ohio. Mr. Rockwern also served as a referee for the Domestic Relations Court. — July 25, 2002
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012
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COMMUNITY DIRECTORY COMMUNITY 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 Jewish Vocational Service (513) 985-0515 • jvscinti.org Kesher (513) 766-3348 Plum Street Temple Historic Preservation Fund (513) 793-2556 Shalom Family (513) 703-3343 • myshalomfamily.org The Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education (513) 487-3055 • holocaustandhumanity.org Vaad Hoier (513) 731-4671 Workum Fund (513) 899-1836 • workum.org YPs at the JCC (513) 761-7500 • mayersonjcc.org
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 Congregation Beth Adam (513) 985-0400 • bethadam.org Congregation B’nai Tikvah (513) 759-5356 • bnai-tikvah.org Congregation B’nai Tzedek (513) 984-3393 • btzbc.com
Congregation Ohav Shalom (513) 489-3399 • ohavshalom.org Congregation Ohr Chadash (513) 252-7267 • ohrchadashcincinnati.com Congregation Sha’arei Torah shaareitorahcincy.org 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
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
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CHOIR from page 4 “I’ve never seen so much friendliness and warmth. Every venue we went to, everybody was smiling, happy and welcoming. I thought maybe the mayor of Cincinnati gave out happy pills before we came,” Ankor Choir Director Dafna Ben-Yohanan commented. The Ankor Choir competed in two categories at the World Choir Games: Youth Choirs of Equal Voices, where they won a gold medal, and Musica Sacra, where they won silver. They also sang at Rockdale Temple for JCC campers and seniors, at Wise Temple, at Heritage Baptist Church in Lebanon and at Cedar Village. “The young ladies sang their hearts out and spent wonderful time visiting with our elders as well. It was one of the finest things that ever occurred at Cedar Village,” Cedar Village Rabbi Gerry Walter said. The choir also visited some of the landmarks of Jewish Cincinnati—Hebrew Union College and the American Jewish Archives, the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education and UC Hillel. Most notably, they sang to a packed house as part of a Friendship Concert in the JCC’s Amberley Room, along with choirs from the United States and Poland.
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(513) 531-9600 The Jewish community’s collaboration and hard work over all these months have paid off, not just during the past two weeks, but into the future as well. Connections have been forged between Israel and Cincinnati. We accepted an offer to host a booth at the Global Village, where we had the opportunity to teach hundreds of Cincinnatians and global visitors about Israel’s role as a center of scientific research and development, as a first responder to crises around the world and as a travel destination with top-ranking beaches, nightlife and cultural attractions. Dean of UC’s CollegeConservatory of Music Peter Landgren, upon learning that CCM’s new resident string quartet—the Ariel Quartet—has its roots at the Jerusalem Academy (the Ankor Choir’s home), now intends to visit Israel and explore new opportunities for collaboration. The Israeli Ankor Choir was invited by the Polish choir Vox Juventutis (with whom they shared a stage at the Friendship Concert) to sing for the opening of a synagogue in Poland. The Consulate General of Israel in Philadelphia heard about the choir’s successful visit and shared the news with its constituents throughout the MidAtlantic region.
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 Hadassah (513) 821-6157 • cincinnati.hadassah.org Jewish Discovery Center (513) 234.0777 • jdiscovery.com Jewish National Fund (513) 794-1300 • jnf.org Jewish War Veterans (513) 204-5594 • jwv.org NA’AMAT (513) 984-3805 • naamat.org National Council of Jewish Women (513) 891-9583 • ncjw.org State of Israel Bonds (513) 793-4440 • israelbonds.com Women’s American ORT (513) 985-1512 • ortamerica.org.org
Israeli girls Ankor Choir performs live at the JCC
TECHNOLOGY from page 16 I was a member of the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law for more than 20 years and I had a unique vantage point to witness the rapid changes in medical technology. Being on the task force taught me the importance of applying deeply held religious teachings to modern bioethical questions. I came to see that some
long-held traditional beliefs must be updated or reinterpreted in the face of 21st-century medical advances. Amid all the debates and questions, this much is certain: Assisted reproductive technology will only accelerate in the future. Get used to it. Rabbi Rudin is the American Jewish Committee’s senior interreligious adviser.
20 • BUSINESS
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Miller appointed as area ambassador volunteer for Israel Allen Miller of Hyde Park, Cincinnati, was recently appointed to the position of Area Ambassador for Volunteers for Israel.
Allen will perform this function for southern Ohio, northern Kentucky, and southern Indiana. Volunteers for Israel—USA (VFI-USA) is associated with Sar-
El, a non-profit organization in Israel, which administers the program in Israel. Volunteers typically spend two or three weeks living and
working alongside Israelis, at an army base, Israeli Defense Forces warehouses or service bases. The program offers a way to contribute to the State of Israel in a
very direct way. Allen is available to speak to groups and individuals about his experiences with the VFI/Sar-El program.
Michelman awarded $2.5 million grant for new research and development center Michelman has been awarded a $2.5 million Ohio Third Frontier Industrial Research and Development Center grant for its new center, that will be named the Michelman Advanced Materials Collaboration Center. It will be built at the site of the company’s headquarters located in Cincinnati, and is currently scheduled for completion by spring 2013. The grant will help create new jobs at the facility and will be used
to enhance Michelman’s ability to develop and commercialize innovative new technologies including water based coatings for paper and flexible packaging and water based surface modifiers, additives and polymers for industries, industrial coatings, inks, and construction products. According to Dr. Rick Michelman, VP/Chief Technology Officer at Michelman, “The Ohio Third Frontier’s stated strategic intent is to ‘create an innovation
ecosystem that supports the efficient and seamless transition of great ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace.’ Our customers across all industry segments have come to expect ‘great ideas’ from Michelman. The addition this new R&D center, as well as the collaborative approach we take within our R&D department, will position us to develop effective solutions that will help our customers win well into the future. “The word ‘Collaboration’ is
in the name of the center for a very important reason. It will be physically and conceptually designed so we can collaborate even more closely than we do now, with customers and suppliers, related industry R&D organizations and companies, as well as local colleges, to develop and commercialize technologies across all of our core product lines. Our customers are demanding rapid development of innovative, sustainably sourced, environmentally friendly
coating and additive solutions. We believe that by taking an ‘open exchange of ideas’ approach within our R&D department, our customers and the environment will be the ultimate beneficiaries.” The project will also result in significant job opportunities in the Cincinnati, Ohio area—not just to expand Michelman’s current work force by 20 percent, but also by opening up construction and other related jobs to build the new facility.
JFS from page 13
of a scam and are afraid to tell their family members. And sometimes the client is not even aware of the fraud. Examples of victimization include suspicious automatic deductions of modest amounts taken from the clients’ checking accounts (that
become larger withdrawals when undetected); jewelry and home items taken by family members without permission; and home care staff using the client’s credit cards for personal purchases. “As a third party supplier, we can
monitor home care staff to ensure the client is not being taken advantage of by the provider or company,” says Burke. “Jewish Family Service works closely with many local law enforcement and adult protection agencies. We do not work in a vacu-
um, and being a member of TRIAD expands our network to best serve our clients.” Old cell phones can be dropped off to Jewish Family Service on the Upper Level of the Mayerson JCC building.
based way. Our resident and staff satisfaction scores are high, our staff turnover is among the lowest in the country, and the Medicare ratings for our care centers are consistently among
the best in the industry. On top of that we have earned honors as a Top Workplace in Cincinnati three years in a row, as well as “Best retirement community on the East side” in recent local
polls. All of this doesn’t just happen by chance and we are proud that we count ourselves among the “best of the best” in all that we do. Sixty years of experience
and expert management make it all possible. As a faith-based, not-for-profit organization, our number one priority is to ensure the seniors we serve are Living well into the future.(tm)
ues for a year following the death, to assist during the grieving process. Cedar Village made the decision to begin its own hospice program almost two years ago. After intense planning and preparation,
Cedar Village Hospice received full licensure and Medicare certification in May 2011. For those who live at Cedar Village, whether in independent or assisted living or within the nursing home, hospice care is available at their bedside,
keeping the individual where they want to be— in their home. As a community hospice, Cedar Village Hospice is also available to anyone in the greater Cincinnati community in their own home. With the unique blend of Cedar
Village’s expertise and focus on quality, Cedar Village Hospice offers an alternative for end of life services in our area. For more information or a no-obligation assessment, call Cedar Village Hospice.
“Penn State has to look at itself and examine the culture, which in my mind is not a bad thing. Examining yourself and that process of teshuvah can be a good thing,” he said, referring to the process of repentance. “Penn State has not been destroyed, I think it will only become better.” For the past several years, Chabad had a letter of support
signed by Paterno on its website. It was taken down in December, but Meretsky said that was because of a web redesign, not the scandal. The new site does not yet have a section for such comments, but once it does the Paterno letter would return, he added. As for Spanier, the rabbi recalled bringing him matzah just before Passover and gift baskets, or shalach
manot, for Purim. He said he will continue to reach out to Spanier. Outside of State College, Jewish alumni are dealing with their school’s new image, too. When the scandal broke in November, Rabbi Efrem Reis of Temple Beth Israel in Sunrise, Fla., and a 2006 Penn State graduate, urged people to reserve judgment until all the investigations
were completed. “Now it is clear that my university failed me and, much more importantly, the victims,” he told JTA. “They allowed innocent children to be scarred and hurt in a place that was supposed to foster and encourage youth to reach new heights.” The fact that Paterno appears to have knowingly turned a blind eye is especially painful, he said.
and-a-half selling doughnuts at a flea market along a New Jersey highway. Gelman would go on to serve 17 years as the fencing coach at St. John’s University in New York, and in 2007 he opened the Manhattan Fencing Center. Morehouse and three other Gelman proteges qualified for London, where the fencing events will begin on July 29. “I’m very proud of our group, and we’ll try our best,” said Gelman. The Brooklyn resident does not
belong to a synagogue or other Jewish groups, which he attributes to the Soviet repression that affected his late parents, Wolf and Malvina. Both were loath to introduce Judaism to their children because of the negative repercussions, he said. “In the Soviet Union, we weren’t religious. It was prohibited,” Gelman said. “The Kiev synagogue was pretty far from where I lived. My parents never talked about it.” Wolf and his sister were the only ones in their family to survive
the Nazi massacre of Jews in the village of Gaisen, Ukraine. Gelman remembers his maternal grandmother, Esther Krakovitch, bringing matzah to their home for Jewish occasions, but he didn’t know anything about the Passover holiday to which, he later learned, the food correlated. Dover does sometimes attend synagogue services in Wellington, Fla., the horse country where he lives most of the year. He says he is proud to be a member of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
“There are many more Jews in the sport than people know of,” Dover said. In a best-case Olympics scenario, Dover said, Canada’s performance in Greenwich Park’s dressage arena will continue an upswing that saw the country attain seventh place at the world championships two years ago—its highest finish since 1988. Earning a bronze medal in London might take “almost a miracle,” he said, with England, Germany and either Demark or the Netherlands the favorites.
ensure their safety,” says Ann Sutton Burke, Jewish Family Service director of Aging and Caregiver Services. Burke says that sometimes the client knows they have been a victim EPISCOPAL from page 13 All of these services support our mission to enrich the lives of older adults in a person-centered, innovative, and spiritually EASING from page 13 receive optimal care and support. In fact, studies show that patients who have hospice care actually live longer than those who do not. And, support for the family continPENN STATE from page 8 “In Judaism we believe everything happens for divine providence,” Meretsky told JTA this week. The rabbi noted that it is no coincidence that the report came to light during the three-week period leading up to Tisha b’Av, which Judaism attributes to some of its greatest calamities. OLYMPIANS from page 7 “It was a great first horse for me. His name was Ebony Cash,” said Dover, who grew up in Chicago and Toronto and is now heading to his seventh Olympics— for the first time as a coach and this time for Canada’s equestrian team. Like Lezak, Gelman is heading to his fourth Olympics, all as a coach. He taught fencing to elite athletes in his native Kiev, then moved to New York in 1991. He couldn’t find work in America in his field, so Gelman spent a year-
FOOD / AUTOS • 21
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012
The Last-Minute Party Jaguar XJ—Elegance redefined Zell’s Bites
by Zell Schulman Planning a party several weeks ahead is always easier. And gives you something to look forward to. Yet, there have been times when I’ve gotten a last minute call from an organization or school that has a celebrity or special guest arriving and they’re looking for a comfortable environment where they can be entertained.
One of the joys and challenges of entertaining is hosting an impromptu party. Give yourself an adventure. One of the joys and challenges of entertaining is hosting an impromptu party. Give yourself an adventure. The cookbooks on your shelves hold dozens of ideas and recipes for quick and easy party fare. Take yourself to your local library. Look over several of the latest cookbooks. Also look at the Beverages area. Browse through them. Check two or three out to take home with you. You’re sure to find several quick and easy recipes that will appeal to you. Make a shopping list, followed by a time-table list that will tell you what can be made ahead and what can be prepared and set in the refrigerator until ready to be baked, or cooked just before serving. Supermarkets all have party food sections and there are always specialty stores that deal only in party foods and supplies. If your party idea or invitation list becomes larger than you anticipated, an “ Open House” where guests arrive at different times works well. Let your “fingers do the walking.” Browse the yellow pages of your phone directory under Party Supplies and Entertainment. Should you be looking for someone to just play
the piano as background music, you can contact the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music. The students are always looking for bookings. Check out your pantry, refrigerator and freezer to see what’s available to add to the menu. Phone and ask for the manager of the gourmet, deli, or prepared food departments, then place your order. Stocking your pantry, freezer and refrigerator with the proper ingredients for spicing up last-minute menus isn’t expensive or difficult. When it comes to setting up your bar, be sure you have at least two types of cola, regular and diet, as well as tonic water, flavored and non-flavored waters and Sprite or 7-Up. Along with white and red wine, you need to think about ginger ale, orange juice, tomato juice, lemonade and apricot nectar. Items for the Pantry: A good virgin olive oil Flavored vinegar Canned, loose or bottled black and green olives Artichoke hearts Boxed crackers interesting breads like Focaccia (These can be served plain or topped with cheese or salami.) Onions and garlic heads Items for your Refrigerator: Several types of mustards (Dijon, Yellow, Spicy etc.) Mayonnaise Cheeses Fresh fruits and vegetables Pasta and pasta sauces Items to keep in your Freezer: Frozen grated cheese coffee and pound cakes Rolls or frozen sliced and bake cookie dough An extra bag of ice cubes Ice cream, yogurt, sorbet Last minutes ideas allow you to add your own personal touch: A. Mix a little horseradish, curry powder, red pepper or other interesting spices to season anything from barbecue sauce to sour cream to soups. B. Comfort foods are back in style. Jazz up an omelet with fresh herbs, and if you’re worried about cholesterol there’s always egg whites. C. Remove puddings from their containers, doctor them up with vanilla or almond flavoring then serve them in pretty, crystal dessert dishes. No one will even suspect you didn’t make it. D. Fruit preserves mixed with a good brandy or cordial will add the perfect finish as a topping for ice cream, sorbet or yogurt. When at a complete loss, take everyone out!
The Jaguar XJ redefines the principles of automotive luxury. Sleek, sporting and sophisticated, this is a large premium luxury car with styling like no other. Streamlined and elegant, bold and dramatic—a spacious four-door sedan with the soul of a sports coupe. Jaguar seems to be breaking the limits of creativity going above and beyond. When most companies say their car hugs the road on each turn they mean just that. What about at night? Do the car lights hug the road so you can see everything in front of you? Well, no matter what speed you are going with the XJ your vision will hug the road as well. With Adaptive Front Lighting, sensors react to the car’s speed and steering, directing the headlamps to cast light deeper into corners. The system also provides extra LED corner illumination when maneuvering at low speeds. Intelligent High Beam, also included with this feature, automatically switches between high- and lowbeams to adjust to oncoming or preceding traffic. Inside the car they’ve re-ignited the dashboard with phosphor blue halo. At night the interior of the XJ is illuminated in Phosphor Blue halo lighting, highlighting the center console and door panels. The XJ climate control system is fully automatic, with air particle and odor filtration, auto-recirculation, humidity control and automatic window demisting. The dual-zone system, standard on the XJ, incorporates individual temperature controls
2012 Jaguar XJ
for both driver and front passenger. A four-zone system, standard on long wheelbase and supercharged models, extends the availability of individual control to both left and right rear-seat passengers. With the summer quickly passing us by, winter is right around the corner. Part of an exhilarating driving experience is driving in control. The JaguarDrive Control™ system on every 2012 Jaguar features Winter Mode, a sophisticated setting that helps maintain traction on snowy, wet roads. So you can enjoy the drive, even in challenging weather conditions. When activated, Winter Mode transforms the way a Jaguar responds in slippery conditions: The engine, transmission and Dynamic Stability Control work together to help avoid slipping and skidding
while maximizing available traction in adverse weather conditions. Perfect for road trips with the kids, the sophisticated Rear Seat Entertainment system allows passengers to enjoy DVD, radio or music stored on a connected MP3 player. This system is operated using a portable Touch-screen controller housed in the rear-seat center armrest, and includes two individual 8-inch LCD screens and two sets of independently controllable WhiteFire® digital wireless headphones. It also includes a Rear Media Interface, allowing connection with a wide range of USB devices. Starting MSRP of $73,700 is well worth it. With Jaguar you are not just buying a name, you are buying luxury and peace of mind. That is elegance redefined.
22 • OBITUARIES D EATH N OTICES MARGOLIES, Joel A., age 71, died on July 5, 2012; 15 Tammuz, 5772. JUSTIN, Tillie, age 91, died on, July 22, 2012; 3 Av, 5772.
O BITUARIES MARGOLIES, Joel A. Joel A. Margolies, CPA, age 71, who for many years served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, passed away July 5, 2012 after a long and courageous struggle with a variety of illnesses. Survived by beloved wife of 48 years, Freda; devoted sons, Mark (Jodi) and Todd; and the joy of his life, granddaughter Samantha. Also survived by sisBOMBING from page 9 Tania Reytan, a sociologist at the University of Sofia who is Jewish and promotes interfaith dialogue, said she has limited faith in the effectiveness of additional security measures in the long run. “The biggest security gap is in the extremists mind,” she said. “We need to reach out more to the
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ter-in-law, JoAnn Elliot of Massachusetts; and best friend since college, Herb (Bea) Keisteadt of New York; other family and many friends. Memorial services were held for Mr. Margolies on July 8 at Temple Israel in Columbus, with Rabbi Sharon Mars and Rabbi Gerry Walters (Cincinnati) coofficiating. The family would like to thank all who provided the kind and compassionate care he received from the staff of Zusman Hospice, Wexner Heritage Village and his doctors and specialists. Donations may be made in Joel’s memory to Zusman Hospice, 1151 College Ave., Bexley, Ohio 43209; Columbus Chapter of Hadassah, 2700 E. Main St., Suite 106, Columbus, Ohio 43209; or Columbus Torah Academy, 181 Noe Bixby Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43213. other communities and explain who we are and what our values are.” Though Bulgaria has a proIsrael foreign policy, she said, “Israel is always mentioned in a negative context in Bulgaria.” The terrorists picked Bulgaria, she said, “because they sought for the weakest link in the European Union, and they found it.”
BURIAL SERVICE FOR
JUDITH WINSTON FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 - 11 A.M. United Jewish Cemeteries – Walnut Hills Cemetery 3400 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH 45207 Friends and family are welcome to attend.
REENACTORS from page 8 “It wasn’t their country yet,” Strauss says. “They didn’t care that much and didn’t understand the issues.” Just as family members sometimes found themselves on opposite sides of the North and South, so do members of Drapkin’s family in the reenactments. Her son and daughter portray rebels—she and her daughter will fill in for Unionists if there’s a need—her children’s dad is a Yankee (Drapkin assures JTA that her ex-husband’s wearing blue had LETTERS from page 16 from Argentina, primarily to assist in education and building lay leadership. Rabbi Guillo Bronstein from Lima also provides religious support. Later that evening we had dinner in the President’s house. Although Kosher meals were not possible because there is no Rabbi in Iquitos, we had a great Kosher style meal with local delicacies including paiche (fresh water fish) and chonta salad (made with hearts of palm). We were wined and dined Friday night. We all left Friday night with anticipation and joy for the beginning of Saturday Shabbat morning services. WOW! It is the first time I really felt and understood the meaning of spirituality of welcoming. On Saturday morning there were fewer people at the synagogue, and noticeably fewer women. Saturday morning services were led by Rabbi Simon and run by FJMC. We had the constant Biblical feeling during service of a surreal setting with the animals making their sounds in the background. We had another question and answer period. Gary asked them a question: “If you can ask one thing of God what would it be?” And the congregation said “that he open up all borders to Judaism and grant peace.” This is a community that just seems to get it right. We completed services in a traditional manner, enjoyed some food and gave each other hugs and made plans to come back for Havdalah. By Saturday night, many of us had become very attached to some of the congregants (with our sporadic Spanish and their halting English). It was very emotional when we left the Synagogue later that night. We saw how the desire to pray and persevere with one’s Judaism can overcome obstacles such as no air conditioning, prayer books etc. One 15-year-old girl will be forever implanted in our minds—her intelligence, beauty and love of her religion. She actually confided in Leah about some personal issues, that is how close the feelings were. Havdalah was an emotional service with many participants from the congregation, and more food later. We sang, we danced, we hugged and took pictures. We all discussed what we wanted to do for the community before leaving. As we were getting ready to leave all of a sudden this poor community one by one came to each of us with a hand-
nothing to do with their divorce, saying the two started reenactments only after their marriage ended). Drapkin, who lives outside of Baltimore, Md., attributes her fascination with reenactments to several things: a love of American history and the outdoors, a need for a hobby and the discovery that shooting the musket is a great stress reliever. “I get antsy off season,” she says. “When I go out and fire the gun, I’m fine.” Before deciding whether she wanted to portray a Confederate or
a Union soldier, she did some research. “I had to decide if I was going to portray someone now with my modern life and my modern views or what I would have been had I been born in 1840,” Drapkin says. “I came to a startling revelation that Baltimore City was primarily Confederate and that the Jews of the Baltimore area primarily were Confederates. It became a matter of which was worse evil—slavery which you could legislate away, or government, which is going to take away the rights of the people.”
made gift they wanted us to take home with us. The gifts ranged from woodcarvings to yarmulkes. We then certainly appreciated how much it meant to be there and how much a part of each others lives we had become. For many of us we embraced the true spiritual meaning of Tikkun Olam. For me it was for the first time. Now we were off to Cusco in the Andes to see one of the declared “Modern Seven Wonders of the World—Machu Picchu.” The train ride to get us there was spectacular, with the views of beautiful waterfalls and scenery. Machu Picchu was as beautiful and amazing as all of us imagined it would be. Later that evening (March 7) was Purim so we were fortunate to have Rabbi Simon conduct a special teaching at the hotel that evening, followed by dinner. The final leg of the trip was in Lima where we toured some more of the city, and celebrated a second Shabbat in Peru. We walked a distance on Friday night to the 1870 Synagogue in Lima where we met with the Congregants. Services were friendly with the whole congregation, and Rabbi Simon gave a D’var Torah in Spanish. We had dinner at the Synagogue with members of the Board and asked many questions about Judaism in Peru which Rabbi Bronstein answered graciously. Saturday morning Shabbat was quite intriguing. We all sat at the back of the synagogue. There was only one woman and the rest men. Like in Iquitos the numbers were much smaller. What I did love the most was the Rabbi was the leader of the service and the whole service was completed in two hours. There were no frills or fanfare, as it was all business. In conclusion, although we enjoyed Machu Picchu (usually the reason why most tourists travel to Peru), we must say that the highlight for virtually all was spending time with the congregants in Iquitos in that little Synagogue in the basement of the home of its president. The trip was a wonderful journey spiritually, emotionally, educationally. The group jelled so well. It didn’t matter where you sat on the bus as friendships and conversations were aplenty. As a result of this amazing experience we decided to create a scholarship Fund for Latin American Jewry in honor of Michael Abadi,
who besides his expertise of the country and language, was our true treasure with his warmth and compassion. During the trip I had two out-of-body experiences, which I can share either in person or by email if you write the editor. The true meaning of our trip came weeks later when the exposure we provided to this small community in Iquitos, it was announced that the South America RA will be having their meeting in Iquitos. There are many small communities around South America that would like to be recognized. Our hope is that future trips will be planned for the same purpose, building relationships and bringing Tikun Olam to as many as possible. What a great way to find the Spirtuality of Tikun Olam, making a difference in peoples lives becomes Natural. A NOTE FROM THE PEOPLE OF IQUITOS CAME THREE WEEKS LATER Dear Friends of the Community, We much appreciate your visit to our small town of Iquitos. Mario (Shlomo) and Joysi are very thankful to each one of you for your kindness and your good heart and we hope that you will be back at our small Kehilla very soon, since we shall be waiting for you with open arms. We have no words to describe all the lovely moments we experienced next to you. Thank you for the care you gave us, and as we know many of you congratulated us on our future baby. We thank all of you for your kindness. This baby that is coming into our lives is bringing us lots of happiness already, and we know we shall move forward with him, and we shall give him lots of love. The love that I never had from my parents. So we shall be very happy next to our baby, since with you we have learnt many good things. We would like to say farewell with a kind embrace to each and every one of you and we hope that, God willing, we shall see you again. In the mean time, please take care of yourselves, and may God guard your future trips. With Love, Joysi and Mario Coriat Sincerely, Gary and Leah Smith Cincinnati, OH
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