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Reform leader seeks to ‘go beyond denominations’
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JFS presents award to a Little Ashley Andrews, 17, was honored by Jewish Family Service Bigs & Littles as the recipient of the Betty R. Goldberg Community Service Award. This award, which included a $1,000 check, 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. Steve Halper, a Friend of Bigs & Littles, presented the award at the Jewish Family Service annual meeting on July 19. The Jewish Family Service Bigs & Littles program promotes the development of youth in the Jewish and general community through quality mentoring relationships. Matches are created and supported that are positive, safe, lasting, and well suited to help children reach their potential. Ashley, who is entering her senior year at Loveland High School, has been a Little in the Jewish Family Service Bigs & Littles program since she was matched 10 years ago with her Big, Amy Coppel. “Ashley is a philanthropic, considerate and compassionate young adult who personifies what the award stands for,” said Coppel, who nominated Ashley for the award. “She listens, cares, encourages and offers guidance. She has used her own experiences and past challenges to do whatever she can to
Amy Coppel, Ashley Andrews, Steve Halper
support others.” As a Girl Scout, Ashley volunteers in Loveland and the Greater Cincinnati community. She is currently honing her leadership skills by creating, implementing and finding funding to pay for a large service project. The project will invite children like her—who have experi-
enced a loss of a loved one—to a kid-friendly counseling program with professionals. In 2010, Ashley created an Anime Club when she realized no organization existed locally for teens ages 13-18 who have an interest in Japanese animation and culture. She still serves as president
and is training others to take her place once she graduates. “Ashley has blossomed from the little seven year old I met ten years ago into an amazing young woman,” said Coppel. “She has overcome both personal and family challenges to become the caring friend and dedicated volunteer she is.”
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The Capitol Steps perform at the JCC, Sept. 13 Comedy, political satire and music will fill the air on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. when the Capitol Steps perform live at the Mayerson JCC. This nationally recognized group of former U.S. Senate staffers has set out to entertain the nation as we count down the days to the 2012 elections. Tickets for the Capitol Steps go on sale Friday, Aug. 17 at 8 a.m. and limited reserved seating is available. Visit the JCC’s website for more information on purchas-
ing tickets as of Aug. 17. The Capitol Steps have performed all around the U.S. and they’re sure to bring down the house, and Senate, with their unique blend of music and political comedy. They have performed for five U.S. presidents, and have been wowing audiences for 30 years. The group has recorded 32 albums, including Obama Mia!, Liberal Shop of Horrors, and Desperate Housemembers. People who purchase tickets before Aug. 31 are
automatically entered to win a free CD of the Capitol Steps latest album, Take the Money and Run for President. This performance might be the only place in the country where you will find your presidential candidates (impersonated by actors and actresses) singing show tunes. You may have heard the Capitol Steps on NPR, or seen them featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS, so you won’t want to miss their live performance at the JCC.
No ants, but A/C and indoor corn hole: that’s my kind of picnic On Sunday, July 1, members of all ages gathered inside Ohav Shalom’s social hall to escape the 98 degree temperatures and support the synagogue. This joint feelgood event was coordinated and attended by members from both Ohav Shalom and Congregation Ohr Chadash. The picnic, game day and sweepstakes event has been an annual tradition and summer highlight at Ohav Shalom for
decades. Over 100 attendees braved the sweltering heat to dine on hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, watermelon and all the picnic fixings. Attendees played a specially created trivia game which pitted table versus table and was emceed by our host with the most—Steve Segerman. Children enjoyed numerous games both indoors and outdoors. Adults and children alike were having a great
time playing various Minute To Win It challenges from the NBC television show, and taking part in a Wiffle Ball Homerun Hitting Contest. And as it’s been for many years, the highlight of the evening was the drawing of the four grand prize raffle tickets with thousands of dollars up for grab. We are happy to report that this tradition will continue regardless of the weather.
Rockdale Temple kicks off the school year Rockdale Temple kicks off the school year and the month of Elul with a special adult education series entitled “Tis the Season, to Choose Life!” In preparation for the High Holy Days, a three- session course will be taught on the themes of the season, to be held Wednesday evenings, Aug. 22 and 29, and Sept. 5 at Rockdale Temple at 7 p.m. Rabbinic Intern Meredith Kahan will lead participants in study and
discussion based on the Yom Kippur morning Torah portion. As High Holy Day season and the New Year 5773 approach, participants can explore what it means to “choose life.” We hear each year that God chooses whether or not to inscribe us in the Book of Life—and yet, we are the ones who are implored to “choose life!” This three-part series will explore the meaning of choice, free will in Judaism, and God’s
involvement in our lives. Together, we’ll prepare for the Days of Awe by gaining a greater understanding of our Torah, our tradition and our ability to choose! Rockdale Temple offers a variety of adult education courses year-round, including opportunities to study Torah, liturgy, theology and contemporary issues. Adult education programs are free and open to the public. Please join us!
Reform leader seeks to ‘go beyond denominations’ By Peter Rothholz JointMedia News Service During a recent visit to three synagogues (two Reform, one Orthodox) on eastern Long Island, Rabbi David Ellenson, Ph.D.— president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), the Reform movement’s seminary—sat down with JNS to discuss new developments in Jewish education and institutional life. Regarding the future of his movement, Ellenson called the appointment of Rabbi Rick Jacobs as president of the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) an “excep-
tionally exciting choice that will propel the American Reform movement along a new trajectory well beyond synagogue walls.” According to Ellenson, the vast majority of today’s Reform Jews are neither immigrants nor the children of immigrants, but predominantly third and fourth generation Americans, and many are intermarried. The challenge then arises of how to make Judaism meaningful to such people who rarely, if ever, attend services, and eschew temple membership. Their connections to Judaism, if they have any, are likely to be in the increasingly popular online Jewish communities rather
than in established institutions. With a nod to “the Rebbe’s army” of emissaries who have set up Chabad houses wherever Jews live throughout the world, URJ is planning to establish a so-called “Reform Jewish Service Corps.” It will be composed of volunteers whose goal is to reach out to Jews and engage them in programs and activities without membership dues or other formal requirements. In the realm of education, HUC-JIR is also expanding its horizons. “We can no longer count on traditional models,” Ellenson said. LEADER on page 19
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Allegations against Clinton aide Abedin stir Jewish concerns about attacks on ‘outsiders’
Security, Defense and State asserting that respected government officials and religious organizations are connected to the Muslim Brotherhood,” he wrote. “The letters assert that Huma Abedin, Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Clinton, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), and ISNA President Imam Mohammed Magid are all connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, posing a potential security risk to the United States.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Jazz camp at Preservation Hall in New Orleans.
about days and nights spent with his father and local legends like the Humphrey Brothers, Walter Payton (father of Nicholas) and others. “If I wasn’t at home, I was at Preservation Hall two blocks away.” When asked if he has any particular memories of his days in the Hall, Jaffe smiles and says, “Memories? My whole childhood is one big fairytale memory!” In addition collaborating with members of his own band and their musical predecessors, Jaffe was privileged to go on gigs and tours with some of New Orleans’ (and
the world’s) greatest creative powers. “I was blessed to grow up around an incredible community of musicians and artists,” he says. In addition to having the sound of Yiddish — the “mamaloshen”— in his ear, Ben grew up at the knee of his tuba-playing father. “I had the sound of bass in my [head] long before I started playing music,” explains the bass and tuba player who began playing at age 6 and performed in his first Mardi Gras parade with his father at 9. When asked what else might have led him to his musical choic-
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
es, Jaffe explains that he believes people “gravitate to instruments that reflect their personality.” Perhaps this is why Jaffe has been able to remain so grounded despite the highs of fame and the lows of sadness that have befallen his family, his city, and his genre in recent years. In addition to mourning his father and his studio (which housed many of the Hall’s archives, some of which were thankfully saved and preserved on the new box set), Jaffe lost many friends in Katrina and has also seen how jazz as a whole has been slowly dying as clubs continue to close and radio stations continue to cut their jazz programming. That is why he continues to work so hard to maintain and preserve not only the legacy of the Hall (which, as its name attests, was created as a means of preserving the original sound of New Orleans Jazz), but also of the city. While Katrina devastated much of his physical home, Jaffe is almost thankful for the hurricane that revealed the true heart and soul of the Crescent City. “I never knew how strong of a community we have in New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina,” he says, noting that, as the Hall has gone, so too has the city. “Preservation Hall is a reflection of New Orleans,” he suggests. JAZZ on page 19
BARBARA L. MORGENSTERN Senior Writer YEHOSHUA MIZRACHI Assistant Editor ALEXIA KADISH Copy Editor JANET STEINBERG Travel Editor MARIANNA BETTMAN NATE BLOOM IRIS PASTOR RABBI A. JAMES RUDIN ZELL SCHULMAN RABBI AVI SHAFRAN PHYLLIS R. SINGER Contributing Columnists LEV LOKSHIN JANE KARLSBERG Staff Photographers JOSEPH D. STANGE Production Manager ERIN WYENANDT Office Manager e Oldest Eng Th
ewish N h-J ew lis
Growing up in New Orleans as the son of the man who turned a French Quarter art gallery into one of the longest-running and mostsuccessful music venues in the world — Preservation Hall — Jewish tuba player Ben Jaffe had jazz running through his veins from a very early age. Jaffe recalls in an interview with JNS that spending time during his childhood with the legendary likes of Allen Toussaint, Pete Seeger, and the Creole duo of Billie and De De Pierce was like “going to your grandparents’ house and hearing them speak Yiddish.” Despite his father Allan’s passing in 1987 and the near destruction of his home and his state-of-the-art recording studio during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Jaffe continues to perform and promote his beloved jazz in New Orleans and around the world. As he prepares to perform at the legendary Newport Jazz Festival Aug. 3-5 in Rhode Island and to release a Preservation Hall Jazz Band 50th anniversary box set on the Columbia/Legacy label in September, Jaffe found a few moments to reflect on his musical life thus far. “I grew up around Preservation Hall,” Jaffe explains, reminiscing
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Looking back on a legacy of jazz By Matt Robinson JointMedia News Service
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Action Center, said in a JTA interview. “And then they say prove it’s not true. What proof can you bring to ideologues who want to believe it’s true?” Saperstein’s July 17 statement was the first among Jewish leaders to deplore Bachmann's call -- and one of the toughest. “I am deeply troubled by the allegations made by Rep. Michelle Bachmann and other Members of Congress in letters to the Departments of Justice, Homeland
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Some Jewish leaders accused Rep. Michele Bachman, left, for launching a “witch hunt” following her allegations that Huma Abedin had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
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WASHINGTON (JTA) — Rep. Michele Bachmann has incurred the wrath of leading Jewish groups and some Republican leaders, even though she may be one of Israel’s staunchest defenders in Congress and one of its bestknown Republicans. The reaction was spurred by the Minnesota congresswoman's call for an inquiry into allegations that Huma Abedin, a top aide to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Some of the toughest condemnations of Bachmann have come from major Jewish groups. The allegations, and the apparent split among some in the Republican leadership over whether to denounce them, underscore a return in recent years to scapegoating “outsiders,” according to the Jewish leaders who slammed Bachmann for launching what they called a “witch hunt.” “It’s likes someone who says there’s a Jewish conspiracy to take over the world," Rabbi David Saperstein, the director of the Reform movement’s Religious
“The Reform Movement, and I personally, have worked with Ms. Abedin, Imam Magid and ISNA for many years,” he continued. “All have worked on behalf of U.S. interests at home and abroad, built relationships across religious lines and affirmed U.S. constitutional values.” His statement challenged Bachmann and the others who joined her in calling for an inquiry – Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) and Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) – to put up or shut up. “I hope that Rep. Bachmann and the other signatories will either produce credible evidence that substantiates their claims or withdraw them and do no further damage to the level of public discourse through the dissemination of unsubstantiated and harmful claims,” Saperstein wrote. Joining Saperstein were the Anti-Defamation League, which accused the lawmakers of “stereotyping and prejudice,” and interfaith umbrella bodies that included among their numbers other Jewish defense and religious groups, including the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the community’s public policy umbrella.
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By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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At one-film-a-year pace, Woody Allen not slowing down By Robert Gluck JointMedia News Service NEW YORK (JNS) — Funny, serious, and controversial, Woody Allen’s films evoke many emotions—but his Jewish upbringing sticks out in them like a matzo ball in chicken soup. With Allen’s new movie, “To Rome With Love,” opening this summer and his “Bullets Over Broadway” set for a musical theater adaptation, this 76-year-old American filmmaker is not slowing down and remains at the top of his game. According to Leonard Quart, professor emeritus of cinema at the City University of New York Grad Center and contributing editor of Cineaste, Allen’s comic style and vision differ significantly from other Jewish filmmakers like Mel Brooks. “Allen, in his middle period, was
Courtesy of David Shankbone
Woody Allen
the more controlled, stylistically rich, and gifted director,” Quart told JNS. “His works then seamlessly combined the comic and pathetic, with characters who had internal
lives, and weren’t merely cartoons. Brooks is the more manic and anarchic, and he can provoke belly laughs that Allen rarely does. Both engage in social criticism, though Brooks’use of pop culture makes his work broader and less subtle. For a time, these two Brooklyn products, who did stand-up comedy and wrote for Sid Caesar, were, albeit in different ways, the two best American directors of comedy.” Born Allan Konigsberg in the Bronx and raised in Brooklyn (the son of Nettie, a bookkeeper at her family’s delicatessen, and Martin Konigsberg, a jewelry engraver and waiter), Allen’s parents were born and raised on the lower east side of Manhattan and his grandparents were German immigrants who spoke Yiddish. He pays homage to New York City in many of his films, including the critically acclaimed “Annie Hall,” “Manhattan” and
“Hannah and Her Sisters.” Bespeckled, diminutive, and neurotic, Allen makes many short lists of the most important comedy directors of all time. A writing, acting and directing triple threat, he has received 15 nominations for Academy Awards, winning three. For years, Allen has managed to release one film annually, oscillating between brainy comedies and stark dramas, full of funny wordplay and incisive characterizations. According to Foster Hirsch, author of Love, Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life: The Films of Woody Allen, Allen carved out a unique place for himself in American movies, becoming our national auteur as well as the most prolific director in the country, and creating a singular world with each film released since his first in 1969. Hirsch said he was drawn to Allen’s films when he saw “Annie
Hall.” “Something about that film struck a nerve,” he told JNS. “In my work I usually avoid comedy but something about his New York Jewish humor I respond to. It’s very fresh.” Allen’s Jewish background has a total impact on his work, Hirsch said. “Everything he writes and acts and films has direct roots in a New York Jewish sensibility, which he presents to the world, and he then becomes an ambassador of that sensibility,” Hirsch said. “In literature Philip Roth would be a good equivalent. What does that mean? There are a litany of complaints, grievances, family trauma, the over-possessive mother and the distant father, the feelings of exclusion and inferiority. All of the angst associated with being Jewish is transformed in Woody Allen and lit by his radiant humor.”
State Dept. report describes ‘rising tide’ of anti-Semitism By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — The U.S. State Department’s report on religious freedom described a “global increase” in anti-Semitism and said the “rising tide of antiSemitism” was among the key trends of last year. The executive summary of the report for 2011, released Monday, also detailed the “impact of political and demographic transitions on religious minorities” and “the effects of conflict on religious freedom.” The increased anti-Semitism was “manifested in Holocaust denial, glorification, and relativism; conflating opposition to certain policies of Israel with blatant antiSemitism; growing nationalistic movements that target ‘the other’; and traditional forms of antiSemitism, such as conspiracy theories, acts of desecration and assault, ‘blood libel,’ and cartoons demonizing Jews,” the summary said. It was not clear from the report how its authors assessed an “increase” in anti-Semitism. There was no overall quantification of the phenomenon, and individual country reports, while listing instances of official and societal antiSemitism, did not compare rates to previous years’ reports. The emphasis on anti-Semitism reflects a policy initiated by Hannah Rosenthal, the current special envoy on anti-Semitism. Rosenthal has pressed for the incorporation of anti-Semitism monitoring into the department’s overall
human rights reports, arguing that it increases awareness of the issue among U.S. diplomats. The George W. Bush administration, which expanded monitoring of anti-Semitism by creating the post of an envoy to combat antiSemitism, kept its reports on the issue separate. Countries singled out for special notice on anti-Semitism included: • Venezuela, where President Hugo Chavez described Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians as “genocide” and called Zionism racism, and an Op-Ed in a government-owned newspaper that described Norwegian mass killer Anders Breivik as a “sabbath goy.” • Ukraine, where there were several instances of vandalism targeting Jewish buildings and cemeteries, as well as incitement by ultranationalist figures. • Hungary, where the rise of an anti-Semitic political party was noted. • Egypt, where anti-Semitic cartoons and articles persisted in government-run and opposition media after the revolution in early 2011 that ousted the regime of Hosni Mubarak. • Iran, where the report said that “the government’s anti-Semitic rhetoric, along with a perception among radical Muslims that all Jewish citizens of the country supported Zionism and the state of Israel, continued to create a hostile atmosphere for Jews.” The report also said that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “continued to question regularly the existence and the
scope of the Holocaust and publicly called for the destruction of Israel, which created a more hostile environment for the Jewish community.” • The Palestinian areas, where the report noted an instance of a Hamas imam in the Gaza Strip calling for the death of Jews, as well as a documentary on Palestinian Authority TV that characterized Jewish rites as “sin and filth.” The country report on Israel said that “government policy contributed to the generally free practice of religion, although government discrimination against non-
Jews and non-Orthodox streams of Judaism continued.” It noted that Christian missionaries were turned away at the airport in some instances and also noted the Interior Ministry’s refusal to recognize some U.S. converts to Judaism as Jews. “A minority of Jews in the country observes the Orthodox tradition, and the majority of Jewish citizens objected to exclusive Orthodox control over fundamental aspects of their personal lives,” the report said. It noted the practice on some public buses of segregating men
from women. The Israeli Foreign Ministry had yet to formulate a response to the report, an official at the Israeli Embassy in Washington said Tuesday. Recording instances of societal discrimination, the report listed organized efforts to persuade Jewish businesses not to hire Arabs, as well as attacks by extremist settlers on mosques. It also noted extremist Muslim riots, including several instances in which rioters at the mosques overlooking the Western Wall stoned Jewish worshipers.
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Six decades later, fibbing ex-flying ace really sees the London Olympics By Tom Tugend Jewish Telegraphic Agency LOS ANGELES (JTA) — After a 64-year detour, Mitchell Flint, a former fighter pilot for the United States and Israel, has finally landed for the London Olympic Games. In the summer of 1948, Flint, with a four-year wartime stint as a U.S. Navy fighter pilot in the Pacific under his belt, graduated as an industrial engineer from the Berkeley campus of the University of California. At the same time, the newly declared State of Israel was struggling to defend itself from six invading Arab armies. “I’m Jewish, Israel desperately needed trained fighter pilots, so I thought I could perhaps do something to sustain the state,” Flint recalls. Applying for a passport in San Francisco, Flint was asked by an official about the purpose of his trip. It was illegal for an American citizen to fight for a foreign nation, so Flint, on the spur of the moment, said, “I’m going to London to see the Olympics.” The Olympic Games had been suspended during the war years after the 1936 Nazi-staged competitions in Berlin. The 1948 resumption in
Courtesy of Tom Tugend
Mitchell Flint standing in front of his P51 Mustang fighter plane in Israel in 1948.
London was dubbed the Austerity Olympics in Britain, where rationing was still in force and visiting teams were asked to bring their own food. Flint’s father, himself an American naval aviator in World War I, had died in 1939. Flint’s widowed mother was determined that her son, having survived one war, would not risk his neck in another conflict. So falling back on his earlier fabrication, Flint assured his mother that he was just going over to watch
the Olympics as a graduation present to himself. He stayed in London just long enough to convince some distant British relatives to send pre-written postcards to his mother at given intervals, assuring her that he was fine and extending his travels to other European countries. In reality, his Israeli undercover contact sent Flint to Czechoslovakia to train in some rebuilt Messerschmitts, Germany’s main fighter plane during World War II, and then on to Israel to join the country’s fledgling Air Force. Alongside a couple of Israeli pilots who had served in Britain’s Royal Air Force, and augmented by volunteers from the United States, Canada and South Africa, Flint got to fly — and crash — in unreliably reconfigured Messerschmitts, as well as Mustangs and Spitfires. He remembers most vividly leading a strafing and bombing run on the Fallujah Pocket in the Negev, where encircled Egyptian troops commanded by Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser — later to become Egypt’s president — were holding out against Israeli forces. Returning to the United States, Flint settled in Los Angeles, switched professions to become a
lawyer, married his wife, Joyce, and they raised two sons. Now 89, Flint, always a sports buff, mentioned occasionally how sorry he was not to have seen any of the events at the 1948 London Olympics. His son Mike listened and proposed that the two make up for lost time by flying there for the 2012 Games. Speaking from a hotel last week in London, the elder Flint described attending the spectacular opening ceremonies and said he planned to attend various competitions, as well as the closing ceremonies. On Tuesday, a television crew from NBC’s Los Angeles affiliate broadcast an interview with the senior Flint, but son Mike, a movie producer, has more ambitious plans in mind. Inspired by his father’s deeds and reminiscences, Mike has been lining up money and talent for a fullscale documentary feature on the birth of the Israeli Air Force titled “Angels in the Sky.” The project’s website lists as director three-time Oscar winner Mark Jonathan Harris, writer Jack Epps Jr. (“Top Gun,” “Dick Tracy”), composers Allan Jay Friedman and Jonathan Tunick, executive producer Mark Lansky and producer Mike Flint.
Seeking Kin: Californian left his heart in Israel By Hillel Kuttler Jewish Telegraphic Agency BALTIMORE (JTA) — Rain fell, snow floated and temperatures plunged as Richard Magid rode his motorcycle back home to eastern Oregon after visiting his son in Corvallis, Ore., a few years ago. Magid might have pulled off the road to warm up had his Israeli paratrooper training not toughened him to the elements. “I just kept it in gear and thought, ‘I can do this,’ ” Magid said Tuesday. “You’re wet and cold in the army, too. You get through it and realize that your physical limitations are only temporary.” Now living back in his hometown of Berkeley, Calif., Magid said that his two years of service with the 3rd Platoon of Paratrooper Unit 890 made powerful impressions. Planners of the platoon’s 40th anniversary reunion, set for Aug. 30 at a member’s home in the central Israel town of Yehud, had been seeking Magid, 62. “Seeking Kin” found him on Tuesday with an assist from Sue Fishkoff, editor of j., the Jewish news weekly of Northern California (and a former JTA writer), who knocked on Magid’s door when his telephone number proved to be outdated. A dental hygienist who recent-
Courtesy of Shmuel Groberman)
A fellow paratrooper said that Richard Magid, shown at far right in a 1972 ceremony inducting noncommissioned officers, “was really a top guy” to know during their Israeli military service
ly returned from a lengthy vacation, Magid likely won’t be able to attend the reunion. However, the platoon’s lone American member said he looks forward to calling his old Israeli friends. For their part, platoon mates expressed happiness at locating the soldier they knew as “Ricky,” who had impressed them as an extremely quiet, pleasant young man. “We are delighted to find him,” said Yaakov Cohen, a Tel Aviv native who has lived the past three decades in Sydney, Australia, and will fly in for the event.“He deserved our exerting all efforts. He was a volunteer twice: He
immigrated to Israel, and he volunteered for the paratroopers. On top of that, I have to say that his mannerisms [were notable]; even when things were tough, he never complained. He was a real, real gentleman. Rick Magid was really a top guy.” Platoon members had figured, correctly, that Magid returned to America following his military service, but didn’t know his hometown. They remembered his being slightly older than they were, meaning that he probably had attended university pre-Israel — but they didn’t know what school. Magid’s home base in Israel
was listed as 17 Talpiot St. in Ramat Gan, which they assumed was a cousin’s address. It wasn’t a cousin who lived there but rather Moshe Ben-David. The two had met at a Young Judaea camp in Berkeley, and their discussions “inspired me to go to Israel,” Magid said. After taking a few community college courses, Magid signed up for Young Judaea’s one-year program, which included classes in Jerusalem and stays on a kibbutz and moshav. He returned to Berkeley, then headed back to Israel to enlist in the army. “I didn’t want to go to Vietnam,” he said. “I figured I should fight for my own people, for a cause I could believe in. It made more sense to me.” At Sanur Base, situated between Jenin and Nablus, the three-platoon, 120-member unit began basic training on Nov. 3, 1970. The grueling experience caused a third of recruits to depart the 14-month course before completing its officers-training program. Soldiers in the 3rd Platoon spent three months each at the Suez Canal and in the Jordan Valley and Gaza Strip. They also patrolled Israel’s border with Lebanon and held training exercises on the Golan Heights. SEEKING on page 22
National Briefs Religious groups urge understanding following Wisconsin shooting (JTA) — Religious groups are calling for tolerance after six people were killed in a shooting attack at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin. The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Jewish Theological Seminary, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and the Rabbinical Assembly of Conservative Judaism have joined with Shoulder to Shoulder, a national religious, faith-based and interfaith organization, to encourage Americans to join special services with their local Sikh communities in the wake of Sunday’s shooting outside of Milwaukee. “As we wait for further information regarding the motive of the shooter, we reiterate our deep commitment to a United States that is able to tolerate and respect the many religious traditions that live together in this great country,” Christina Warner, campaign director for Shoulder to Shoulder, said in a statement. “The tragedy in Milwaukee shows painfully the need for Americans of all faiths to learn about one another and embrace the diverse religious tapestry of the United States.” Along with the deaths, at least three people, including a police officer, were injured in the attack.The gunman, who was killed by police, was identified as the former leader of a white supremacist heavy metal band. The Anti-Defamation League condemned the violence and reached out to the Sikh community at a national level to express concern, condolences and solidarity, as well as offer its resources and guidance on institutional security and response in the aftermath of a hate crime. “Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, ADL and law enforcement officials have documented many apparent ‘backlash crimes’ directed at Muslim, Sikh and Arab Americans,” said ADL National Director Abraham Foxman. “We have raised concern about a spike in bigotry against Muslims and others perceived to be of Middle Eastern origin. This attack is another gruesome reminder that bigotry and hate against those whose religion makes them ‘different’ or ‘other’ can have deadly consequences.”
NATIONAL • 7
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012
In Ohio, Brown-Mandel U.S. Senate race is among the most expensive By Suzanne Pollak Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — A flood of money brought in by prominent national political action committees has become the norm in this year’s U.S. Senate race in Ohio, which pits first-term incumbent Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, against Republican Josh Mandel, the state treasurer and a Jewish Iraq war veteran. Because of the state’s swing role in recent presidential elections – going for George W. Bush in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008 – the national parties are paying particular attention to Ohio’s 18 electoral votes. As a result, television advertisements for President Obama and the presumptive GOP challenger Mitt Romney are blitzing across the state’s airwaves along with ads from the Brown and Mandel camps. The Ohio U.S. Senate races are consistently listed in the top three most expensive ones in the country, along with Massachusetts and Texas, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics (CRP). As of the end of June, Brown’s campaign had amassed $15 million and had spent about $8.8 million, according to CRP. Mandel’s campaign had $9.9 million and had spent almost $5 million. Polls have Brown in front by various margins. A June 25 Quinnipiac poll had Brown ahead of Mandel, 50-34, and a July 18 Rasmussen Report called the race at 46-42 in favor of the incumbent. Support for Israel has not been a major issue in this campaign, but is being addressed by the candidates. Mandel has not held federal office, but his backers call him a strong supporter of Israel, which on his campaign website, he calls “our most reliable ally in the Middle East.” He has been a supporter of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee since his college years at Ohio State University. Mandel has called for the United States to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and has stated there is no such thing as East and West Jerusalem, adding Jews should be allowed to build homes anywhere in that city. In his role as state treasurer, Mandel authored and was involved in divesting state pension funds from companies doing business in Iran. Brown, who served in the U.S.
2012 Rosh Hashanah Cover
COLORING
CONTEST SIZE:
Art must be no larger than 8.5" Wide x 11" High. Courtesy of Citizens for Josh Mandel
Josh Mandel, the state treasurer in Ohio, is running for the Republican nomination to challenge the incumbent Democratic senator, Sherrod Brown.
House of Representative from 1993 to 2007, is one of four Senate candidates whom J Street, the liberal pro-Israel lobby, has endorsed thus far in the 2012 election. “Sherrod is committed to full funding of aid to Israel, and he supports preserving Israel’s military edge against any threats in the region,” Sadie Weiner, press secretary with Friends of Sherrod Brown, said. “He supports legislation furthering sanctions on Iran, and he also believes that no option is off the table” when it comes to dealing with Iran. On the Republican side, PACs such as Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have pumped in millions of dollars to blitz the Buckeye state with anti-Brown commercials. Crossroads GPS in particular has been running issue advocacy ads targeting Brown’s support of Obama’s health care plan and stimulus package. Democratic super PACs such as Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid’s Majority PAC, the League of Conservation Voters and Service Employees International Union have unleashed their own advertisements against Mandel. Noah Silverman, the Republican Jewish Coalition’s congressional affairs director, called the Ohio race “definitely one of our top targets. This is one of the swing states where there is a vulnerable incumbent.” Democrats concede the PAC money is influencing the race. “It’s fair to say the only reason Josh Mandel is doing as well as he is is because of the vast quantities of money pouring in,” David A. Harris, president and CEO at the National Jewish Democratic Council, said.
MATERIALS:
Anything that shows up bold and bright, such as markers, crayons, paint or cut paper. AGE CATEGORIES:
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2012 Rosh Hashanah Cover Coloring Contest Entry Form
8 • INTERNATIONAL / ISRAEL
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Australia’s Steven Solomon takes fast track to Olympics By Dan Goldberg Jewish Telegraphic Agency SYDNEY (JTA) — Moments after Steven Solomon walked into Ramat Gan Stadium for the opening of the 2009 Maccabiah Games in Israel, the Australian teenager sent his parents a photo with a message describing how amazing it was to be at his first “Jewish Olympics.” Just a short while ago, Solomon, now 19, marched into the Olympic Stadium in London for the opening of the 2012 Games. In Tel Aviv, the Sydney-born sportsman captained the junior soccer team; in London, Australia’s only Jewish Olympian will compete on the track—in the 400-meter race and the 4x400-meter relay. The past 2 1/2 years have been a whirlwind, says his father, Michael, a South Africa-born orthopedic surgeon. “The whole thing has been quite surreal because it’s happened so rapidly,” he said. In 2009, the young Solomon won the under-17s 400-meter race at the All Schools Championship. The following year, in Tasmania, he broke a record in the 400 meters that had stood for 27 years. Last year he won the 400 meters at the Australian National Championship and this year, despite suffering a hamstring
Courtesy of Peter Haskin
Sprinter Steven Solomon, the only Jewish member of the Australian Olympic team, playing for the Australian junior soccer team at the 2009 Maccabiah Games in Israel.
injury, he managed to defend his national title. Just a few weeks ago, Solomon won the bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona in a personal best 45.52 seconds. He also posted a blistering sub-45-second relay leg that helped the Australians qualify for London. His success in Spain prompted Athletics Australia officials to select him over the veteran John Steffensen, an Olympic medalist who had defeated Solomon at the Olympic trials earlier this year,
although neither managed an automatic qualifying time. The decision sparked a racial conflict in which Solomon was unwittingly in the middle. Steffensen, 29, a black man of South African descent, threatened to boycott the Games in disgust, alleging discrimination by officials. “I’ve put up with being racially vilified by this federation, being discriminated against on many teams,” he said of Athletics Australia. “You know it would help if I was a different color.”
Solomon has not been drawn into the scandal, but the reams of negative press about Steffensen inadvertently catapulted the young Aussie into the headlines. Steffensen, who was selected to race on the 4x400-meter relay team that includes Solomon, has since backed down on his boycott threat. “The biggest pressure that I get from anyone is the pressure that I put on myself,” Solomon said in a news conference at the time. “So any pressure I get from other athletes is almost irrelevant.” So how did a talented soccer player and keen surfer learn to tear up the track? Enter Fira Dvoskina, a Ukraineborn coach who has managed to wipe three seconds off Solomon’s time in the past two years. Although the 77-year-old immigrant did not go to London — her husband is sick — she speaks to Solomon every day. “We have to be realistic,” Dvoskina said. “First we have to make it to the semifinal. I believe he’ll make the semi and then anything’s possible.” Solomon has a large cheering squad in Australia, led by Maccabi officials. Michael Vasin, the chief executive of Maccabi in Sydney, said Solomon — who won the
Maccabi New South Wales junior Sportsman of the Year in 2009 and the Sportsman of the Year trophy in 2011 — was a “celebrity within our midst.” “It’s unbelievable,” Vasin said. “He’s blown everybody away.” Harry Procel, a Maccabi Australia veteran and head of the team for the 2013 Maccabiah Games, has followed Solomon’s meteoric rise and is traveling to London this week to watch him race. “He’s a wonderful Australian athlete,” said Procel, a survivor of the ill-fated 1997 Maccabiah in which four Australians died when a bridge collapsed at the opening ceremony in Ramat Gan. “The fact he’s Jewish makes it even more special.” But Solomon’s Judaism prompted a dilemma three months ago on the eve of Passover because the national championships clashed with the festival. Although the family is not religious, Solomon never eats chametz, leavened products, on Passover, but his body requires carbohydrates to excel. So he visited his local rabbi, Levi Wolff, an American-born Chabadnik who runs Sydney’s largest Orthodox congregation, Central Synagogue. SOLOMON on page 19
Israel ‘can only rely on itself,’ Netanyahu says after Sinai attack By Israel Hayom Staff Israel Hayom/ Exclusive to JNS JERUSALEM (JNS) — Israel and Egypt have a common interest in keeping the border between them safe, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday during a tour of the site of Sunday’s deadly attack in which Sinai-based gunmen killed at least 15 Egyptian police officers and injured at least seven. Quoting Egyptian media sources, Israel Radio has since reported that the death toll had reached 17. In the Sunday incident, the jihadist terrorists took control over an Egyptian checkpoint and commandeered two Egyptian armored vehicles with which they charged toward the border crossing with Israel. The vehicles were destroyed and the terrorists killed as they attempted to infiltrate the Israeli border. The incident began around 8 p.m., when Israeli soldiers heard shooting coming from the Philadelphia Route, a narrow strip of land situated along the border between Gaza and Egypt. Five minutes later, Sinai terrorists took control of the Egyptian checkpoint, shot the soldiers and charged the commandeered vehicles toward the border, firing in all directions. Around 8:10 p.m., one of the armored vehicles exploded at the
Courtesy of Avi Ohayon/GPO/Flash90
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak arrive at the Amitai base near the Egyptian border, where a terror attack took place Sunday.
border crossing, blowing a hole through the fence that allowed the other vehicle to cross into Israel. However, the second vehicle was quickly targeted from the air by waiting Israel Air Force aircraft, and was destroyed. Several terrorists were identified trying to flee from the burning vehicles, but they, too, were killed. According to Israeli intelligence officials, the attack was orchestrated by a Salafi organization. Israeli intelligence services also had previous reports of an impending attack from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and were able to thwart the assault.
“We were prepared for it, so there was a hit,” IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai said. “I wish to express sorrow over the killing of the Egyptian soldiers,” Netanyahu said. “I think it’s clear that Israel and Egypt have a common interest in maintaining a peaceful border between them. However, when it comes to the security of Israeli citizens, it seems time and again that Israel must and can only rely on itself.” Egyptian army helicopters, with the help of army rangers, have since been attempting to apprehend suspects in the attack, an Egyptian
security source reported Monday. An Egyptian source, speaking to Ahram Online, said that early on Monday army units surrounded the city of Rafah, on the Egyptian side of the Egypt-Gaza border, to prevent suspects from escaping. A television journalist in the northern Sinai said the area had been sealed off by security forces, who blocked the road from the main town of Arish in the direction of the Gaza border crossing at Rafah. Egyptian state television reported that the Rafah border crossing would be sealed indefinitely. The attack was the deadliest such event that Egypt’s tense Sinai border region has seen in decades. Earlier Monday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak urged the Egyptian authorities to “wake up” and take decisive action to prevent terror activity in the lawless Sinai Peninsula. Addressing a parliamentary committee, Barak also praised the work of Israeli forces in thwarting the attack, saying, “vigilant IDF troops foiled an attack that could have produced many casualties.” Israel has repeatedly complained about poor security in Sinai following the overthrow of Egypt’s former president, Hosni Mubarak, last year. For the past year there has been growing lawlessness in the vast desert expanse, as Bedouin bandits, jihadists and Palestinian terrorists from the adjoining Gaza Strip fill the vacuum, tearing at
already frayed relations between Egypt and Israel. Former Deputy IDF Chief of General Staff and former GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. (res.) Dan Harel told Army Radio that, “Egypt either does not want or does not have the power to stop Islamist terror in Sinai.” Nitzan Nuriel, former director of the Counterterrorism Bureau, also told Army Radio on Monday that the attack constituted a definite escalation by terrorist organizations. “There is no doubt that the perpetrators who carried out this attack took a huge risk in involving Egyptian security personnel,” he said. Egyptian security had reportedly ignored Israeli warnings of an impending attack. Last week, an Egyptian security source accused Israeli travel agencies of being behind Israeli authorities’ warnings to Israeli tourists in Sinai, urging them to leave. “It has become common in Israel for travel agencies to spread these rumors to keep Israeli tourists inside Israel instead of going to Sinai, which causes losses for these agencies,” the source told the German news agency DPA. The terrorists were armed with explosives belts, guns, bombs and other weapons, and were apparently planning a large demonstration of power, the initial investigation into the incident suggested.
ISRAEL • 9
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012
Romney’s comments aside, the Palestinian economy is tottering By Ben Sales Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Courtesy of Arava Power Company
Left to right, Ed Hofland, David Rosenblatt and Yosef Abramowitz, co-founders of the Arava Power Company.
Head in the clouds and feet in the desert, Yosef Abramowitz dreams of Israeli solar power By Ben Sales Jewish Telegraphic Agency TEL AVIV (JTA) — Yosef Abramowitz is running out of time. With only minutes to go until he has to speak to a group of investors at the Jewish National Fund, Abramowitz looks like he just finished a workout. He’s wearing sneakers, shorts and a white Tshirt featuring an outline of David Ben-Gurion’s head superimposed on the picture of a sun. He excuses himself from the table at a Tel Aviv cafe and jogs to the bathroom to change into his “costume,” which includes slacks and a clean, ironed shirt. Immediately after the meeting, he flies to the United States for a few weeks to court more investors. Abramowitz, 48, is fundraising for the Arava Power Company, which aims ultimately to provide 10 percent of Israel’s energy needs through solar power. The company now has a 4.9-megawatt field up and running in the Negev Desert, and is building a 40-megawatt field nearby. It’s an unlikely mission for the Boston-raised Abramowitz: His background is in human rights activism and journalism, not science and technology. “Isn’t that crazy? It’s the craziest thing,” he said. “It’s not like you wake up one day and say, ‘I’m going to move to Israel and do solar.’” But as he tells it, that’s more or less what happened. After success as a college student in the 1980s fighting for imprisoned Soviet Jewry activists in Russia and against apartheid in South Africa, Abramowitz served in the Israeli Defense Forces and earned a graduate degree from the
Columbia University Journalism School. Abramowitz, whose activism has rankled the organized Jewish world for years, then spent the 1990s and early 2000s writing for a handful of Jewish publications. His journalism career included writing a 1996 series of articles that called into question JNF’s finances. In 2006, looking for a quiet lifestyle, he and his wife moved with their children – they have five, including two adopted from Ethiopia — to Kibbutz Ketura, near Israel’s southern tip, where Abramowitz had volunteered following high school. The plan was to spend the year writing, but Abramowitz scrapped that almost immediately upon arriving at the kibbutz. “We got there on Aug. 24 at end of the day, and this hot rush of air just hits you, and you go ‘Oh my God,’ and the sun is setting and it’s burning my skin,” he said. “I thought, ‘I’m sure the whole place works on solar power.’ ” It didn’t because no commercial solar power existed in Israel. Hoping to change that, Abramowitz partnered with businessmen Ed Hofland, who lived on the kibbutz, and David Rosenblatt, based in New Jersey, to found the Arava company. Since then, Abramowitz laments the “100 regulatory battles” he says he’s had to fight against the Israeli government to build the 4.9-megawatt field, which began running last year, and to launch several other solar energy projects. Officials from the Public Utilities Authority, which administers Israel’s energy infrastructure, did not respond to several calls for comment.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Mitt Romney may have caused a storm of criticism by asserting that “culture makes all the difference” between the success of the Israeli economy and the Palestinians’ economic struggles. But the near future of the Palestinian economy is even far less rosy than he suggested. During a speech Sunday in Jerusalem at a closed fundraiser, Romney reportedly credited Israel’s GDP being much higher than that of the Palestinians to “the power of at least culture and a few other things,” including a strong pro-business climate, the travails of overcoming Jewish history’s blows and the “hand of providence.” The bleak forecast goes beyond Romney’s overestimation of Palestinian per capita gross domestic product of $10,000; it’s actually hovering just above $1,500, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Not only that but the most recent CIA Factbook estimated Palestinian unemployment at 23.5 percent. By comparison, Israel has a per capita GDP of $31,400 with unemployment at 5.6 percent, according to the Factbook. Moreover, a Palestinian government financial crisis and political instability likely means that the Palestinian economy “is slowing down after four years of solid growth,” said Samir Abdullah, the director general of the Palestinian Economic Policy Research Institute. Despite being so low today, Palestinian GDP grew by nearly 10 percent in 2011, according to the Palestinian Statistics Bureau. Overall it leapt forward by more than 7 percent between 2007 and 2011, according to the World Bank. But, Abdullah cautions, two fundamental challenges are bringing those numbers down now: the Palestinian Authority’s ongoing financial crisis and political instability resulting from the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. Last month the Palestinian Authority faced a budget shortfall that would have rendered it unable to pay employees’ salaries. The PA closed the gap with a $100 million loan from Saudi Arabia, but heavy reliance on foreign donations and low tax returns mean that the PA’s problems remain far from solved. “There is a lot of aid that should be paid that is not paid,” Abdullah said. He also claimed that the PA owes businesses in the private sector $400 million to $600 million for services, which is taking an
C ourtesy of Yoav Ari Dudkevitch/FLASH90/JTA
Mitt Romney speaking in Jerusalem, with the Tower of David in the Old City in the background, July 29, 2012.
additional toll on Palestinian development. Even after the Saudi loan, the PA received harsh criticism from the World Bank, which noted in a July 25 report that “While the Palestinian Authority has had considerable success in building the institutions of a future state, it has made less progress in developing a sustainable economic base.” John Nasir, the report’s lead author, said in an accompanying statement that the Palestinian economy “is currently not strong enough to support such a state.” The report represented a stark departure from one issued last year by the bank saying that the Palestinian Authority was “well positioned for the establishment of a state at any point in the near future.” Blame for the downturn, according to the newer report, lies with Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, which hinders Palestinian growth with “constraints in movement of people and access to resources.” And, the report continued, the public sector takes up too large a share of Palestinian GDP — 27 percent in 010 — as opposed to agriculture or industry. Abdullah says the PA remains hamstrung in part because Israel has periodically withheld large portions of taxes it collects from Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, a terrorist organization that aims to destroy Israel. He adds that Israeli settlement expansion “makes the whole situation tense and dangerous.” Both the World Bank and Abdullah say that Palestinian political and economic “stagnation” have the same cure: an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty. “The private sector is in bad shape as a result of political instability coming from the end of the peace process,” Abdullah said.
“The political atmosphere remains unpredictable. The private sector is hesitant to invest.” In a speech to the U.S. Congress in May 2011, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed that Palestinian economic growth was vital. “We helped the Palestinian economic growth by removing hundreds of barriers and roadblocks to the free flow of goods and people, and the results have been nothing short of remarkable,” he said. “The Palestinian economy is booming; it’s growing by more than 10 percent a year.” Israel, however, argues that remaining West Bank roadblocks, which can restrict commerce, are necessary for security concerns. Likewise, Israel continues a partial blockade of goods entering the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas, the Islamic group that has launched hundreds of rockets at Israeli towns. But there may be signs of hope. Israel and the PA signed an agreement on Tuesday that aims to reduce Palestinian tax evasion and allows the Palestinians to collect some taxes directly. Previously, Israel collected Palestinian taxes and transferred them to the PA. And while on a smaller scale than Israel, Palestinians have a small, burgeoning high-tech sector. In fact, it has enjoyed a 64 percent increase in foreign business since 2009, according to the Guardian. The industry, the newspaper reported, has more than quintupled as a share of Palestinian GDP from 2008 to 2010, from less than 1 percent to 5 percent. “This is definitely a very positive element,” Abdullah said. “It will use our human capital, and there will be hope for the future Palestinian economy, which will very much depend on human capital.”
10 • BACK TO SCHOOL
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
2012-2013 Back to School Listing Listed are the various programs, Hebrew schools, early-childhood schools etc. offered by the Jewish community of Cincinnati this year. The groupings are broken down into Day Schools, Congregational Schools, Preschools and a few listings of additional programing. PRESCHOOLS Bagel Babies: Mommy and Me at the Chabad Jewish Center 3977 Hunt Rd, Blue Ash Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Ziporah Cohen Phone: 513-793-5200 Ages: 1-3 Years Hours: Tuesdays, 9:45 - 10:30 a.m. Bond with your child as we explore Jewish themes intertwined with activities, crafts, music and movement that foster discovery and growth.
Carolan Glatstein
Chai Tots Early Childhood Center 7587 Central Parke Blvd. Mason, OH 45040 Contact: Rochel Kalmanson, Education Director Phone: 513.234.0600 Ages: 6 weeks - 6 years Hours: Flexible hours from 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Classes begin: Monday, Aug. 20 Affiliation: Entire Jewish community The Chai Tots Early Childhood Center is a Jewish community school, serving the entire Jewish community in the
Mason/Deerfield/West Chester area. Chai Tots students range from ages 6 weeks - 6 years and reflect the diversity of the Jewish community coming from a variety of Jewish affiliations and backgrounds. It is the only Jewish Montessori school in Ohio and offers infant care, toddler and preschool programs, and Kindergarten. Chai Tots provides a blend of Jewish and Montessori education offering strong academics stressing life skills, interpersonal relationship skills, and nurturing a love for life-long learning. Benefits include individualized curriculum customized for each student, expansive naturally lit rooms, with low student-teacher ratio. Also offering a flexible schedule, childcare, web cams, yoga, music, Hebrew, Spanish, Art, Tae Kwon Do, afterschool enrichment and a “drop off” sitting service. Separate Discovery Hebrew School. Limited space. Now enrolling. Cincinnati Hebrew Day School Early Childhood School 2222 Losantiville Road Cincinnati, OH 45237 Contact: Rabbi Yuval Kernerman, Principal; Susan Shapiro, Assistant Principal Phone: 513-351-7777 Fax: 513-351-7794 Ages: 2-5 years Hours: 2-year-olds, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.; 3-year-olds, 8:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. (extended care options until 2:30 or 4 p.m); 4- and 5-year-olds, 8:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. or 8:45 - 4 p.m. Classes begin: Monday, Aug. 27 Affiliation: Torah Umesorah CHDS Early Childhood School is licensed by the State of Ohio. CHDS provides a quality educational program for young children in a newly renovated, state-of-the-art facility. A curriculum is provided that enhances the social, cognitive, physical and emotional development of each child. JCC Early Childhood School At the Mayerson JCC 8485 Ridge Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Denise Schnur, JCC Early Childhood School Director Phone: 513-793-2122 Ages: 6 weeks - 5 years (full day program); 18 months - age 5 (half day program) Hours: M - F. Full Day: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Half Day: 9:15 - 11:45 a.m. (Optional Extended Day: 11:45 a.m. - 1p.m.) Classes begin: Full Day program runs year-round; Half Day program starts Tuesday, Sept. 4. A few preschool spaces remain; call for availability. Affiliation: Not affiliated, but follows the Jewish calendar. The Mayerson JCC offers a full day and half day preschool that has achieved their 3 Stars for
Step Up to Quality recognition by the state of Ohio for excellence. Optional extended day enrichment available. Innovative academic curriculum includes fitness, swimming (full-day), music, cooking, art, and pre-K school skills. Jewish holidays and Shabbat are celebrated with songs, stories, art, special foods and traditions. Kids love the extensive on-site facilities and play areas. Jewish Early Learning Cooperative (JELC) 3101 Clifton Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45220 Contact: Janella Johnson Phone: 513-221-1979 Ages: 3 months-3 years Hours: 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Classes begin: Year-round classes Affiliation: Unaffiliated The Jewish Early Learning Cooperative’s (JELC) mission is to provide high quality, cooperative childcare and stimulating activities for infants and toddlers in a Jewish environment. The goal of JELC is to maintain excellent child-to-adult ratios in a developmentally appropriate, nurturing atmosphere. JELC’s ratios are 3 to 1 for infants and 4 to 1 for toddlers. Licensing capacity allows for 10 infants and 15 toddlers. All Jewish holidays are celebrated through activities, art, cooking projects, parades and prayers. Every Friday, Shabbat activities take place which include lighting the candles, singing, saying the prayers and eating challah. JELC is located in the back of Hebrew Union College. Immediate openings are available. Kehilla (Combined school of Northern Hills Synagogue and Ohav Shalom Gan Mishpacha Preschool Program) 5714 Fields Ertel Road Cincinnati, OH 45249 8100 Cornell Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45249 Contact: Maksim Shilkrot, Director of Education and Programming Phone: 513-931-6040 Classes Begin: Sunday, Sept. 9 The Gan Mishpacha Preschool Program is a once a month parent and child hands-on approach to Jewish education. This award-winning program is family oriented and content is based on holiday themes. Judaism is introduced on multiple levels using a wide variety of media. Enrollment is open to non-affiliated students, and children with special needs are accommodated. Rockwern Academy Preschool Program 8401 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, OH 45236
BACK TO SCHOOL • 11
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012
Contact: Renee DeBorde, Registrar Phone: 513-984-3770 Fax: 513-984-3787 Ages: 18 months — Pre-K Hours: Vary by program Classes begin: Aug. 23 Affiliation: Jewish Community Day School Serving children from age 18 months to 4 years, our preschol provides a warm, nurturing Jewish environment. Our curriculum recognizes that a child’s primary method of learning is through play. The foundation for learning Jewish values and traditions begins at this earliest level. Our developmentally appropriate curriculum emphasizes academic, social and personal growth, including Jewish identity and Hebrew language. Additional curricular features include academic orientation through math, literacy, reading readiness, and fine motor skill activities. Newly designed, well equipped, safe indoor and outdoor play areas are used exclusively for our preschool children to develop gross motor skills. In addition, the children receive physical education, music and Hebrew enrichment. DAY SCHOOLS Bnos Rochel Pesia Fruma High School (Regional Institute for Torah and Secular Studies – RITSS) 2209 Losantiville Ave Cincinnati, OH 45237 Contact: Rabbi Ezriel Dzialoszynski, Dean Phone: 513-631-0083 Grades: (Girls) 9 -12 Hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Affiliation: Unaffiliated RITSS has a college preparatory program of both Jewish and secular studies with a wide range of extracurricular activities. Boarding facilities are available, and there is a low student-teacher ratio. All Jewish girls are welcome, regardless of affiliation. Cincinnati Hebrew Day School (CHDS) 2222 Losantiville Road Cincinnati, OH 45237 Contact: Rabbi Yuval
Kernerman, Principal; Susan Shapiro, Assistant Principal Phone: 513-351-7777 Fax: 513-351-7794 Grades: Preschool-Grade 8 Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Classes begin: Monday, Aug. 27 Affiliation: Torah Umesorah CHDS provides both Judaic and secular studies; CHDS has an intensive Judaic studies program with an emphasis on textual learning and religious practice. Other features include a rigorous general studies program; state certified personnel; proficiency testing; a fully equipped science lab; art and music rooms; a new computer lab with Internet facilities; and a new state-of-the-art gym for physical education classes. Remedial Judaica programs are provided to assist students with limited Judaic exposure. Rockwern Academy 8401 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Dr. David Finell, Head of School; Renee DeBorde, Registrar Phone: 513-984-3770 Fax: 513-984-3787 Grades: Preschool (age 18 months) – Grade 8 Hours: 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. with flexible options for preschool Classes begin: Aug. 21 Affiliation: Jewish Community Day School Founded in 1952, Rockwern Academy is an independent, Jewish community day school in the Cincinnati/Kenwood area for 150 students in preschool – Grade 8. Rockwern offers an academically rigorous and integrated general and Jewish studies program, enriched by a nurturing environment. Students learn in a safe, supportive community that reinforces their Jewish identity and values and builds self-esteem. A Rockwern education ensures that every student achieves high academic standards, knowledge, skills and qualities required to become a confident, productive citizen in a changing, diverse world, as well as a knowledgeable and committed Jew. Students may enter at any grade. Flexible tuition is available.
Congregational Schools Adath Israel Congregation – Jarson Education Center 3201 E. Galbraith Road Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Dara Wood, Director of Education Phone: 513-792-5082 ext. 104 Fax: 513-792-5085 Grades: Kindergarten-Grade 7; Grades 8-12 encouraged to attend Mercaz High School Hours: Sunday, 9 a.m.-12:30p.m. Grades K-7 & Wednesday, 4:156:15 p.m. for Grades 2-7; (Grades 8 - 12) Sunday, 6:30-8:30 p.m.at Mercaz Classes begin: Sunday, Sept. 9 Affiliation: Conservative Adath Israel offers an innovative curriculum that incorporates the study of Hebrew, Bible, prayer, Jewish values, traditions, history, music and bar/bat mitzvah preparations. Bat Mitzvah Club 3977 Hunt Rd, Blue Ash Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Chana Mangel Phone: 513-793-5200 Grades: Grade 6 Hours: Tuesdays, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Your daughter’s Bat Mitzvah is approaching—a highlight of her life. No matter where your daughter plans to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah, the club is a great way to study, meet other Bat Mitzvah girls, have fun and prepare this great milestone in the life of a Jewish woman. Open to all girls from age 11-12. SCHOOLS on page 12
12 • BACK TO SCHOOL Beth Adam Religious School 10001 Loveland-Madeira Road, Loveland, OH 45140 Contact: Roberta Veleta Phone: 513-985-0400 Grades: Preschool to Teen Program Hours: Sunday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Mid-week Bar/Bat Mitzvah classes for 6th and 7th graders, Wednesday, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Classes begin: Sunday, Sept. 9 Affiliation: Humanistic Beth Adam’s Religious School is a vibrant and welcoming community. Our experienced teachers use dynamic and age-appropriate methods to expose our students to a range of topics. Our curriculum includes Jewish history, life cycle events, holidays, texts, values and ethics, and theology. We encourage questioning. Most important to us is that students enjoy their Jewish experiences so that they continue to feel connected to the Jewish community for years. Our approach is contemporary and
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promotes personal responsibility and critical thinking. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah program is a two-year course of study during which students learn to read Hebrew and complete a research paper related to the theme of their Torah portion. We are more than a school— we build Jewish connections and community.
Jewish life and learning. With this love, our children will integrate into their lives a knowledge of Jewish history, language, ritual and text, the values of community, cultural Jewish identity, ethics, prayer, spirituality, tikkun olam (repairing the world) and an understanding of our people’s connection to Israel.
Beth Israel Synagogue Anne E Strauss Religious School 50 N. Sixth Street Hamilton, OH 45011 Contact: Phyllis Binik-Thomas, Director of Education Phone: 513-868-2049 Fax: 513-868-2069 Grades: K - 7 Hours: Sunday mornings: 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Midweek Hebrew: Wednesday Afternoons in Montgomery and Hamilton Affiliation: Conservative Our mission is to inspire and nurture in every child a love of
B’nai Tikvah Religious School 8596 Lake Chetac Cincinnati, Ohio 45241 Contact: Rabbi Donna G. Adler, Educational Director Phone: 513-336-6233 Grades: preschool-bar/bat mitzvah Hours: Sundays Affiliation: Reconstructionist Congregation B’nai Tikvah’s Religious School’s curriculum reflects its philosophy of “Living Judaism.” Learned age appropriately, Torah, prayers, Hebrew, Israel, Jewish History and Ethics are taught in advancing levels of
sophistication. Throughout the year there are numerous opportunities for tikkun olam (to repair the world). A weekly student-led worship service helps to prepare students for their bar/bat mitzvah. Creative and innovative experiential programs not only augment the students’ studies, but offer occasions for family and community education. Through “G-d Talk” students are offered a spiritual faith consistent with a belief in the goodness of the universe and which motivates ethical living. Built into the curriculum is ongoing family involvement through shared projects, field trips and community service. Chabad Hebrew School 3977 Hunt Rd, Blue Ash Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Rabbi Berel Cohen Phone: 513-793-5200 Grades: Pre School – grade 7 Hours: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. 12:15 p.m.
Chabad Hebrew School offers a stimulating yet friendly environment where children embrace their Jewish roots and gain a true sense of Jewish pride, no matter their level of observance or affiliation. Discovery Hebrew School 7587 Central Parke Blvd. Mason, OH 45040 Contact: Rochel Kalmanson, Education Director Phone: 513-234-0777 Ages: 6-12 Hours: Wednesdays, 4:15 - 6 p.m. Affiliation: Entire Jewish community Promoting Jewish awareness and education, Discovery Hebrew School offers a stimulating, friendly environment where students embrace their Jewish roots and gain a sense of Jewish pride. The school provides an academic and enjoyable environment where children of all levels of observance and affiliation acquire a broad knowledge of Judaism. Through Hebrew reading, writing, Jewish history, holidays and more, students gain an appreciation for the joys, values and traditions of the heritage as it is brought to life by teachers whose creativity make every lesson a unique and dynamic learning experience. The hands-on learning style encourages students to be active, rather than passive, learners. The school’s goal is for students to enjoy time spent at Hebrew School so that they are left with positive experiences and a greater appreciation for ongoing Jewish education. The program is carefully blended with games, incentives, crafts, dramatics, family celebrations, and other extra-curricular activities. J-Teens: The ultimate Jewish teen experience 3977 Hunt Rd, Blue Ash Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Rabbi Berel Cohen Phone: 513-793-5200 Grades: Grade 7 & 8 Hours: Tuesdays, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. J-Teens is a club for Jewish teens grades 7 & 8 that meets Tuesday evenings during the school year. J-Teens is more than just a social spot — it equips teens for a lifetime of Jewish experience. Trips, Shabbatons, BBQs, holiday parties, a brand-new and fully equipped lounge/game room, and most of all, captivating lessons, all combine to make J-Teens a unique program. JLI Teens 3977 Hunt Rd, Blue Ash Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Rabbi Berel Cohen Phone: 513-793-5200 Grades: High School Hours: Thursday, 7:30 – 9 p.m. Geared to Jewish high school students, offers a fresh and engaging curriculum that challenges teens to think for themselves. The
BACK TO SCHOOL • 13
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012
program mixes discussion, debate and a variety of learning activities. We’ve also planned trips and outings. JLI Teens is a great place to socialize and meet other Jewish teens in the community. Pizza dinner included. Kehal Kodesh School of Rockdale Temple: Our Sacred Community 8501 Ridge Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Margaret FriedmanVaughan, Director of Education Phone: 513-891-9900 Grades: Preschool-Grade 8 Hours: Sunday, 9:30 a.m. - noon; Hebrew School, Tuesday, 4:30 - 6 p.m. Classes begin: Sunday, Sept. 9 Grades 9-12 participate in Kulanu: The Cincinnati Reform Jewish High School on Sunday evenings, 7 - 8:45 p.m. Kehal Kodesh offers a Judaic curriculum for students in preschool through eighth grade, and a Hebrew program for students in third through seventh grades. Special programs throughout the year include Family Education, class Shabbat services, holiday programs, music, art, and library enrichment programs. The theme for this year is Building Community and will be the vehicle from which we will explore the many ways we form and engage in building relationships within our congregational life, and in the Jewish community locally, nationally and internationally. Students will take an active role in Tefillah (prayer) services and
social action projects that center on being part of a community as we pray, learn, worship and serve together. Students in grades 4 - 12 participate in age-appropriate youth groups. Club 456 is for students in 4th, 5th and 6th grades; Rak Noar is for students in 7th and 8th grades; and students in 9th-12th grade are encouraged to participate in Rockdale’s Senior Youth Group — YGOR, The Youth Group of Rockdale. Our opening day program will be an interactive, intergenerational exploration called, “Passport to the High Holy Days” and will feature opportunities for students of all ages to engage in a journey of learning through the lens of the High Holy Days. As a Reform congregation we embrace every family, every child and every learner. Children in interfaith families who are being raised in the Jewish faith and their non-Jewish parent are encouraged to actively participate in the life of the congregation. For additional information, feel free to call the Temple. Kehilla School for Creative Jewish Education — Joint School of Northern Hills and Ohav Shalom 5714 Fields Ertel Road Cincinnati, OH 45249 8100 Cornell Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45249 Contact: Maksim Shilkrot, Director of Education and Programming Phone: 513-931-6040 Fax: 513-530-2002
Grades: Preschool - Grade 7 Hours: Sunday, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 4:30-6:15 p.m. Classes begin: Sunday, Sept 9 Affiliation: Conservative The Joint School of Northern Hills and Ohav Shalom is a creative, family-oriented and individualized program that provides a full array of innovative educational, religious and social opportunities from preschool through grade 7. It offers the study of the Bible, history, prophets, Israel, prayer, Hebrew and current events. Enrollment is open to unaffiliated students. The school also offers an award-winning preschool family education program once a month. Kids in Action– After-school Enrichment Program 3977 Hunt Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Rabbi Berel Cohen Phone: 513-793-5200 Ages: 5 - 7 Dates: Wednesdays 4:15 - 5:30 p.m. “Kids ‘N Action” is a new and exciting Jewish kids after school enrichment program, for ages 5-7. Children learn Jewish Pride through fun games, crafts and stories. At each meeting, the children explore a Mitzvah and receive exclusive Mitzvah cards to put into their Kids ‘N Action albums. At the end of the class, children are charged with Mitzvah Missions for the following week; successful completion of Mitzvah Missions are rewarded with points in a special ranking system. SCHOOLS on page 22
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS The Regional Institute for Torah and Secular Studies (RITSS) admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
14 • DINING OUT
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Parkers Blue Ash Tavern—prime restaurant, prime rib By Joe Levy Dining Editor At first glance, Parker’s Blue Ash Tavern seems out of place in Blue Ash. The sprawling white ranch house with its patio shaded by large black umbrellas reflects Indian Hill or maybe even Lexington, Ky., but definitely horse farm country. Step inside and the decorum— pictures of thoroughbred winners, plaques, trophies, saddles, tacking and other horse paraphernalia all around—screams Kentucky even louder. And, oh yes, there is even a Churchill Room, a Paddock Room, a Trotter Room and a Lexington Room inside. But Parker’s—with its five dining rooms and bar—is nestled in Blue Ash. No one would ever think of modern Blue Ash as big horse country. But when it comes to fine casual dining—prime rib ($25-29), filet minon ($32-39) and lamb shank ($25),—Parkers in Blue Ash doesn’t exactly horse around. Like her sister, Parkers’ Restaurant in Chicago, Parkers Blue Ash Tavern is all about the meat. General Manager Jim Brewster met me in the bar amid the facetious wooden plaques (i.e “Minimum ten dollar bet”) and shiny beer spigots for Mt. Carmel, Guinness, Sam Adams (seasonal) and Loose Cannon. A fridge stacked with craft beers with clever names such as Snake Dog, Great Lakes Elliot Ness and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter top the left, shelves of liquor bottles to the right. “You can find every type of bourbon sold in Ohio at this bar,” Brewster said. “Our patrons like bourbon. They like it a lot.” “We’re a midscale restaurant, not stuffy—neither purely casual nor purely fine dining,” he explained, leading me to a wooden dining room table with a white cloth in the main dining room. I shuffled past the King Louis XIII post—inscribed with the names of patrons who had popped for a glass of the $120 namesake’s cognac—then the walls mounted with saddles and the trophy and case currently being dusted and settled into a table underneath two sulkies suspended from the ceiling. Brewster had prepared a few dishes. I half expected to see two jockeys hanging upside down on the sulkies but no such luck. Even kitsch has its limits. Parkers is going for Derby Day fun, not casual dining kookiness. A pair of gray horse blankets with red lettering stood on the wall facing us inscribed “Ohio stakes” winner. The blankets looked very crisp and tidy, exceptionally clean in fact, as was the rest of the restaurant. My own mother would be proud of the
Parkers Blue Ash Tavern’s meat options are healthy and satisfying, and don’t forget the wine!
clean floors and neat restrooms. The restaurant also specializes in hosting events under its roof. Jim has hosted about 20 Bar Mitzvahs over the past few years and a fair number of Jewish weddings. Not surprisingly, banquets are a forte and Parkers has party rooms seating 20 to 100 each plus a banquet coordinator —Gina Mack. That sounded very good to me. I like restaurants that are banquet friendly. If they can take care of a large crowd, they can take care of me as well as my dinner guest. We talked wine. Parkers offers a Wine Spectator honored list—a wide array of prices ($8 a glass on up) and venues, New Zealand, France, Argentina, Spain among them. This is definitely a winewith-dinner kind of place and even a wine-after-dinner kind of place. Sparkling wines, bright, crisp wines, lush fruit wines, rich full wines, mellow reds, rich velvety reds, big, bold reds all are available. In addition, Brewster talked about the summer specials, which included Parkers grill-outs every Friday from 4- 8 p.m. “From now until Labor Day we grill dinner out on our patio,” he said. “Every week we have a new dish. Every single week.”
Now I was hungry. Time to try the appetizer he offered—fried zucchini. I dipped a ten-inch strip into the red bowl of Reggiano Parmesan marinara sauce. The crumbly, fried panko breading transformed this $6.50 diet-friendly veggie dish into a high calorie, guilty pleasure. It was served hot, not hot enough to burn the tongue, but just hot enough to bring out the flavor. And nothing is worse than cold fried zucchini. Other appetizers on the menu were also tempting. Maybe next time I would start off with a bowl of vegetarian chili ($8). Pizza and ravioli, goat cheese, no less, are on the menu too, I noticed. “Italian chef?” I wondered. “That is the sort of fare you can expect from an Italian chef.” No. Not even close. “Chef Josh House,” Jim explained, “is Ohio born, and came to Parker’s from the Marriott in West Chester and before that a hotel in Louisville, Ky. He very much understands this area, and what it is about— concentrating on locally available ingredients, the best available.” The main dish—a house specialty cedar-planked salmon in white wine butter sauce—fol-
lowed. The hearth oven-roasted fish rested on a wooden square next to a small vegetable medley which proved a worthy complement. Priced at $22, the salmon was neither woody nor fishy, surprisingly unmarred by a skin sliver tucked underneath. I liked the portion control—not a huge chunk of fish but just enough to really enjoy its subtleties. Time for some dessert. What to order? Ohio maple sugar cotton candy ($5) and Godiva chocolate ganache cake ($7) were possibilities. But Brewster offered Brulee cheesecake ($6)—a very fluffy cheesecake slice with a touch of brulee and crème anglaise. Excellent choice. It would do well in a Manhattan kitchen somewhere in the neighborhood of Lindy’s. I have had less cheesy cheesecakes many times so you can rate Parkers as near the top of the pile. Brewster ordered my leftovers boxed in a black foam box, then escorted me past the reservations desk. Parkers Blue Ash Tavern is a “reservations recommended” restaurant. You can get in without one, but why take the chance? I gave Brewster a chance to explain the décor—“Our owner used to own horses”—and brag about points of pride—the daily
happy hour from 3:30-7 p.m., live music on the weekends, the wheelchair accessibility of all but one or two rooms. But most of all he bragged about his prime rib Sunday brunch (10 a.m.–2 p.m.) costing $21.95, with complimentary Champagne included. “Guests come from all over the Tri-State every Sunday. We serve the same prime rib for Sunday brunch that we serve every other day of the week.” Parkers also offers a carryout business. Maybe in the end that is one of the main reasons, Brewster does not see Parkers Blue Ash Tavern as purely fine dining. And maybe it is one of the reasons he says the restaurant is not stuffy. And reason for the somewhat over-the-top horse decor? “Our owner (at Select Restaurants) used to own horses. Our decorator picked up on that.” At the end of the meal I could not chuckle to myself with my signature statement, “What a meal, such a deal.” But the food was good enough to go back, especially when I am in the mood to celebrate. It is a good place to go. Parkers Blue Ash Tavern 4200 Cooper Road Cincinnati, OH 45242 513-891-8300
DINING OUT • 15
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012
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16 • OPINION
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Do you have something to say? E-mail your letter to editor@americanisraelite.com
Dear Editor of The American Israelite, Over the past months there have been numerous letters and views in your publication condemning the current administration as being hostile to the State of Israel. An article which disproves this contention, entitled “Obama’s Kept Promise,” appears in the July 20, 2012 edition of The Forward newspaper. The article is by former Congressman Mel Levine (D-Calif.). The article states that in every year since its inception, the current administration has increased the amount of military aid to Israel. That among this aid are the latest anti-missile systems including Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow III which are capable of intercepting missiles from Iran as well as Hezbollah systems from closer range. That joint military exercises have been held and are scheduled to be held in the near future between Israeli and American forces. Ehud Barak, the Israeli Defense Minister, has stated that the U.S.-Israeli defense relationship has never been stronger. All of these proofs are reinforced by Israel’s President Shimon Perez’s comment that as far back as the administration of Lyndon Johnson, there has never been better cooperation between Israel and the United States than exists today. So if your correspondents want to write about our nation’s economic situation or the fact that there are many people out of work, these are legitimate matters for discussion. But as far as relations between the United States and Israel, let’s stick to the facts. Both want a strong United States, a strong Israel and peace for both. Lou Jacobs Cincinnati, OH
T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE THIS WEEK’S PORTION: EIKEV (DEVARIM 7:12—11:25) 1. What blessing will Hashem give for keeping mitzvot? a.) A portion in the world to come b.) Material blessings c.) Conquest of foreign nations
3. Israel is different than which land? a.) Aram b.) Babylon c.) Egypt
2. What was the “bread” in the desert? a.) Manna b.) Bird c.) Words of Hashem
4. Which paragraph of the Sh'ma is in the Parsha? a.) First b.) Second c.) Third
that time, and Israel was even better than that. Rashi 4. B 11:13-21
Chanukah is far from most minds these days, understandably. And yet symbols of the societal showdown that yielded its commemoration lie before us. In a particularly conspicuous “we run and they run” display, the 2012 Summer Olympics — whose roots lie in the ancient Greek games, where religious sacrifices to mythical gods accompanied sporting events — opened mere days before the world-wide celebration of the Daf Yomi Siyum HaShas. As a large crowd in London wildly cheered displays of physical prowess, a stadium an ocean away — itself usually used for running and throwing and catching — became a point of convergence for a large crowd of Jews intent on honoring Torah and its study. (There were large Siyum HaShas gatherings as well, of course, in Britannia, as well in innumerable locations around the globe.) The close to 100,000 Jews gathered at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on August 1 were honoring people too: Jewish men who, in a demanding endurance test of their own, had applied themselves to “learning Shas” — studying the entirety of the Babylonian Talmud — over seven and a half years. And their invaluable coaches, the wives and children whose encouragement and personal sacrifices allowed those “Shas Yidden” to run their personal marathons. If the confluence of the two diametric events weren’t striking enough, there was the message sent by International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge’s refusal to devote a moment at the Olympiad’s opening ceremonies to recall the eleven Israeli athletes and coaches killed 40 years ago during the Munich Olympics. Those of us who had become fully sentient by 1972 remember the drama vividly. It was the second week of the Munich Summer Olympics. Eight Arab terrorists (“militants,” in current journalistic jargon) penetrated the Olympic Village and took the Israelis hostage. Two Jews were murdered by their captors there and the nine others on an airport tarmac after German police botched a rescue attempt. Olympic competition was suspended for a day and then a memorial service was held in the Olympic Stadium. Then-IOC
President Avery Brundage spoke, averring that “Every civilized person recoils in horror at the barbarous criminal intrusion of terrorists into the peaceful Olympic precincts,” declaring that “we mourn our Israeli friends, victims of this brutal assault,” and bemoaning how the Games had become a place for such things. Then, he added, famously, that “a handful of terrorists” cannot be allowed “to destroy this nucleus of international cooperation and goodwill we have in the Olympic movement,” and announced that “The Games must go on!” to the loud applause of the crowd. The current IOC president was asked to mark the forty year anniversary of the Munich Massacre with a moment of silence during the Olympics’ opening ceremonies. The Israeli foreign minister backed the idea, unsurprisingly, but so too did the German Bundestag, members of the Canadian and Australian parliaments, about 50 members of the British Parliament, and about 140 members of Italy’s parliament. As well as the US Senate and House Foreign Affairs Committee. And President Obama. Mr. Rogge, however, declined the request, saying that other ceremonies at other times would include remembrances of the murdered athletes, but the opening ceremony of the Olympics was just not an appropriate venue for the injection of a memorial moment of silence. A well-known sportscaster, Bob Costas, disapprovingly noted the IOC’s decision and then paused on-air for a full 10 seconds — an interminable time for electronic media — during the opening ceremonies. Good for Mr. Costas, and not so good for Mr. Rogge (though he seems like a nice fellow who just felt the need to maintain the opening ceremonies’ pomp and joy, unmolested by difficult memories). And good for those of us, I say, who don’t care a whit about the IOC or the Olympics, who recognize that Jews don’t need the world to validate us or commemorate what some parts of it have done to us — and continue to do to us, as was most recently evident a mere two weeks ago in Burgas, Bulgaria, where five Israelis were killed and more than 30 injured when a tourist bus was targeted by a bomber. For my part, I’ll take the roar of Kri’as Shma at a Siyum HaShas over anyone’s moment of silence.
bread from Heaven in the desert that even the Patriarchs did not eat. Ramban 3. C 11:10-11 Egypt was the best of all lands at
By Rabbi Avi Shafran Contributing columnist
Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise
Answers 1. B 7:12-16 2. A 8:3 The children of Israel ate Manna,
We are not the world
JEWISH LIFE • 17
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012
Sedra of the Week
SHABBAT SHALOM: PARSHAT EKEV • DEUTERONOMY 7:12-11:25
His explanation has remained imprinted in my consciousness all these years: “As a non-religious Jew, I would get up by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel - “And now Israel what does the Lord Your G-d ask of you, only to revere the Lord your Gd and to walk in all of His ways, and to love Him and to serve the Lord your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul. To observe the commandments of the Lord and His statutes for your good...” (Deuteronomy 10:11-13) Is that all? In the words of the Sages of the Talmud, “And is that such a small matter to accomplish?” (B.T. Berakhot 33b) How can the Torah express such a difficult request in such an offhand manner? A significant experience at the beginning of my teaching career intensifies the question. Almost four decades ago, when teaching Talmud, at the James Striar School of Yeshiva University for those without previous Yeshiva background, the star of the class was a brilliant young man from Montreal who progressed from barely being able to read the words in Aramaic to real proficiency in analyzing a difficult Tosafot (super-commentary). At the end of the year, he decided to leave both Yeshiva University as well his newly found Torah observance! His explanation has remained imprinted in my consciousness all these years: “As a non-religious Jew, I would get up each morning asking myself how I wished to spend the day; as a religious Jew, I must get up each morning asking myself how G-d wants me to spend the day. The pressure is simply too intense for me to take...” I was sorely disappointed—but I did understand his tension. Indeed, “he got it.” He understood that true religious devotion is more than praying at certain times each day and subscribing to specific do’s and don’ts; true religious devotion means dedicating every moment to a higher ideal, to answering a Divine call whose message you can never be certain that you correctly discern. It is difficult and even pressurizing, to be a sincerely religious Jew. So how can the Bible query “What does the Lord your G-d ask of you but only ... to love Him and serve... (Him) with all your heart and with all your soul?” But only?! And how can it be “for your good,” Letov lakh? This question may be linked to a curious comparison made by the text of our Torah reading between the land of Egypt and the land of
each morning asking myself how I
of hard work for Rachel were “as only a few days” because of his great love for her, attests the Bible. A husband who has the privilege of easing the pain of his beloved wife, if but for a few moments, is grateful for the privilege. And our commitment to G-d— with all our heart, soul and might— is a small thing to ask as long as it is
an expression of our mutual love. In the final analysis, it is certainly for our good, because it gives ultimate meaning, purpose and eternity to our finite lives. Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone Chief Rabbi – Efrat Israel
wished to spend the day; as a religious Jew, I must get up each morning asking myself how G-d wants me to spend the day. The pressure is simply too intense for me to take...” Israel—within the context of a lyrical exposition of the grandeur of the Holy Land and the luscious quality of its fruit: “For the land which you are coming to inherit is not like the land of Egypt which you left, where you (merely) seeded your seed and watered with your feet a garden of vegetation (the water came naturally from the overflow of the Nile River); the land which you are crossing there to inherit is a land of mountains and valleys, (making you dependent upon) heavenly rains to drink water; it is a land which the Lord your G-d constantly investigates, the eyes of the Lord your G-d being upon it from the beginning of the year until end-year” (Deuteronomy 11:10,11). Is then the fact that Israel does not have a ready and plentiful source of water as has Egypt, that the land of Israel is dependent upon the rains of Divine grace which come as a result of the Jewish people’s moral and ethical standing, that agricultural activity is a much more arduous and precarious a task than it is in Egypt, a reason for praising Israel? It seems to me that Egypt is a far better option if we were to be given the choice! It is fascinating to note that both of the issues we have raised thus far, the Torah, which is the source of our responsibilities toward G-d, and the land of Israel, which is the medium through which our nation will flourish and impart the message of ethical monotheism to the world, are both uniquely called morasha or heritage, by the Bible (Exodus 6:8, Deuteronomy 33:4). Yerusha is the usual term for inheritance; morasha is translated as heritage. The Jerusalem Talmud explains that an inheritance is often received through no expenditure of effort on the part of the recipient; a morasha, on the other hand, implies intense exertion, physical and/or emotional input, commitment and even sacrifice on the part of the recipient. The verb form of morasha, l’horish, also means to conquer, and
conquest implies struggle and even sacrifice. At the same time, the basic verb form around which morasha is built is vavresh shin, almost the very same letters as shin, yud, resh (yud and vav are virtually interchangeable in Hebrew) which spells shir or song. And the Midrashic Sages already noted the linguistic comparison between morasha and m’orasa, fiancee or beloved. All of this leads us to one inescapable conclusion: those objects, ideals and people for which we have labored intensively and sacrificed unsparingly are the very ones we love the most and value above all others. The Mishnah in Avot teaches, “In accordance with the pain is the reward;” my teacher and mentor Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik teaches, “In accordance with the pain is the sanctity;” we learn from the word morasha that “in accordance with the pain is the love.” Note the experiences which in retrospect give the most satisfaction and which everyone loves to recount are rarely the days of lazy relaxation we spend on vacation, but more usually the sacrifices during periods of poverty or the battles in time of war. Ask any parent about the special love he/she has for the one child who needed the most care and commitment because of a serious illness or accident and you immediately understand the inextricable connection between conquest and song, commitment and love, intensive effort and emotional gratification. A life without ideals or people for whom one would gladly sacrifice is a life not worth living; a life devoid of emotional commitments is a life which has merely passed one by but which has never been truly lived. Erich Siegel was wrong when he said that “to love means never to have to say I’m sorry”; but it is correct to say that one who is loved need not say thank-you to the one who has sacrificed, expended effort, on his/her behalf. Jacobs’s 14 years
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By Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist MORE OLYMPIC DOINGS Here are some notes on Jewish Olympic athletes not mentioned or “just” mentioned in other coverage. As I write this, U.S. water polo goalie MERRILL MOSES, 34, has been the hero of his team’s first two victories and a team medal (of some color) seems very likely (Moses won a team silver in 2008). The bronze medal competition is on Aug. 10, with the gold medal match on the 12th. Also on the 10th is the bronze medal competition for the 60 KG freestyle wrestling competition, with the gold medal match on the 11th. Here’s hoping that VASYL FEDORYSHYN, 32, a Jew on the Ukrainian Olympic team, and a 2008 silver medal winner, will be wrestling in one of these matches. Athletes who’ve completed their events without a medal include American fencer SOREN THOMPSON, 31, and breaststroke specialist SARAH POEWE, 29, who swims for Germany and won a bronze in 2004. Also finishing without a medal is rower DAVID BANKS, 29, a member of the U.S. eightman boat team that finished 4th. Banks, the son of an African American father and a Jewish mother, was profiled in a recent Stanford University online article by his great friend and fellow rower, DONNY SIMKIN, the son of a rabbi. (‘Google’ Simkin and Banks to find it.) NEW FLICKS Opening Friday, Aug. 10, is “The Bourne Legacy,” the first “Bourne” movie without Matt Damon in the lead. There’s a new hero (played by Jeremy Renner) whose life-and-death adventures were triggered by the events in the previous “Bourne” films. RACHEL WEISZ, 42, co-stars, with Edward Norton playing Renner’s main antagonist. SCOTT GLENN, 71, reprises his role as CIA head Ezra Kramer, with COREY STOLL, 36, appearing in another supporting role. “Hope Springs,” which opens the same day, co-stars Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones as a couple whose marriage is on lifesupport. Streep persuades her husband to get on a plane and see famed relationship guru (Steve Carell) in the town of Great Hope Springs. There they have a week of intense marriage and sex therapy, hoping to recapture their youthful spark. Handsome actor
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B, 26, who starred in the shortlived 2010 TV series, “Outsourced,” co-stars as their son. The director is DAVID FRANKEL, 53, (“The Devil Wears Prada,” “Marley & Me”). SHORT TAKES Mazel Tov to actress ELIZABETH BERKLEY, 40, and her husband, painter GREG LAUREN, 42, (nephew of RALPH) on the birth (July 20) of their first child, a son they named SKY COLE. No word whether Sky’s diapers will have a polo player on them or whether they will be made in China. Sadly, singer TONY MARTIN died on July 27, age 98. Born Alvin Morris, the grandson of Jewish immigrants, the handsome Martin was most popular in the ‘30s and ‘40s, “crooning” popular songs in a Sinatra-like style. He continued to appear in nightclubs almost until his death. Martin was married to famous dancer Cyd Charisse from 1948 until her death in 2008 and he was buried next to her in Hillside Jewish cemetery in Los Angeles. (Charisse wasn’t Jewish. Although her “real name,” Tula Finklea, does sound Jewish and has led to the assumption she was Jewish.) The front page of July 29, 2012 “Sunday Styles” section of the NY Times featured a long profile of the remarkable career of TAVI GEVINSON, 16, entitled “Oracle of Girl World.” She has just completed a 16-city tour to promote “Rookie,” her online magazine for teen girls. “Rookie” grew-out of Gevinson’s blog, Style Rookie, which she began at age 11! It was so popular that it resulted in major media profiles of Gevinson in 2009-10 and has morphed into a full-scale web magazine with a professional staff. I think it’s a terrific site with smart material that doesn’t talk down to its readers. Celebs like JUDD APATOW, PAUL RUDD and IRA GLASS are fans and contributors. Gevinson, who lives in a Chicago suburb, is the daughter of STEVE GEVINSON, a retired English teacher, and BERGIT ENGEN, a native of Norway who makes Judaicathemed tapestries. Tavi, like her two siblings, was raised Jewish. In 2001, after three years of study, and 18 years of marriage, Bergit converted to Judaism — it’s a journey she calls from “Scandinavia to Sh’Ma.” One note of caution: teens’ sophistication varies a lot by age and by person. I recommend parents review the site’s contents and see if it is appropriate for their teenage girl.
FROM THE PAGES 150 Y EARS A GO Think of all the human lives lost and to be lost yet in this civic war till peace will be restored to the country; think that the main cause of this lamentable struggle is materialism; then tell us, can all the money in creation pay for the lives lost? — August 15, 1862
Wisconsin, arrived late last Monday at Hemlock Lodge, their ideal summer home, which is situated on Big Tupper Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. Mr. and Mrs. Levy are both very hospitably inclined, and are never better pleased than when the roomy cottage is filled to capacity with kindred souls. During the month they will entertain a large house party of friends, many of them from Cincinnati. —August 8, 1912
125 Y EARS A GO A most delightful surprise party was tendered Mr. Samuel A, Sommers, at his residence, No. 121 Clinton Street, last Monday evening, in honor of his seventeenth birthday, by his friends of the Grace Aguilar Literary Society, of which, he is now a president. Games, music, etc., were enjoyed until the assembly was invited to the diningroom where an elegantly laid and sumptuous feast was done full justice to. The party then returned to the parlor and continued to have a gay time until the “wee hours” of the morning, when they departed applauding the hospitable manner in which they were entertained. The attendance at the Order of Cincinnatus’ magnificent spectacle, “Rome Under Nero,” is continually increasing, and is now getting more nearly what it deserves. It is a wonderful exhibition, which took brains to plan, and courage to execute. A prominent feature is the display of horsemanship and horses in chariots and cavalry, executing their maneuvers on and in front of the stage. The magnificent animals and their high degree of training are eliciting much favorable comment. They are furnished by Mr. J. B. Maertz, of 300 Plum Street, who is in charge of them. The success of this part of the entertainment is a high tribute to Mr. Maertz’s skill and efficiency. — August 12, 1887
100 Y EARS A GO The steamer Kronprinzessin Cecille, of the North German Lloyd line, which sailed Tuesday from New York, has among her cabin passengers Mr. and Mrs. Karl Kiefer and Mr. and Mrs. David Wachman. The marriage of Theodore Elias and Freda Katz occurred on Sunday, Aug 4, at the bride’s residence on Hale avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Elias will be pleased to see their friends at 413 Union avenue, Avondale, after September 1. Miss Delphine Brandt, daughter of Mr. George Brandt, the publisher, of Havana, Cuba, was in the city during the week en route to the Philippines, via San Francisco, where she will spend a year as the guest of her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Elmo Block, formerly of Chattanooga, Tenn. Mr. and Mrs. Harry M. Levy, of Walnut Hills, who have been having a delightful visit with relatives in
75 Y EARS A GO The last 75 years saw the founding of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, birth of the Hebrew Union College, organization of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and growth of Liberal Judaism to its present day position. These considerations come to mind with the approaching diamond anniversary of the birth of the man who, as much as any other, helped create and shape these institutions and the movement they represent. Next Tuesday, Aug. 9th, Dr. David Philipson, rabbi of the Rockdale Avenue Temple in Cincinnati and affectionately known as the “dean of the American rabbinate,” will celebrate his 75th birthday in the manner he likes best — quietly and receiving the congratulatory messages of his hosts of friends where he is vacationing in Atlantic City. During Rabbi Eliezer Silver’s absence until Aug. 31st, his son, Rabbi David L. Silver, Harrisburg, Pa., will perform his father’s duties. Rabbi Eliezer Silver sailed today (Thursday, Aug. 5th) for a world rabbinical conference in Marienbad, Czechoslovakia. — August 5, 1937
50 Y EARS A GO Mrs. Louis Manburg, president of Golf Manor Synagogue Sisterhood, announced a membership luncheon will be held Wednesday, Sept. 5, at 12 noon, in Liebowitz Auditorium, 6442 Stover Avenue. Mrs. Joseph Moscovitz, Chairman of the Day, will be assisted by Mrs. Robert Rabin and Mrs. Samuel Feldman, who has planned a “Fashion Forecast” program. Miss Anita Fidler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Fidler, 7190 Elbrook Drive, is spending the month of August in Los Angeles with her aunt, Miss Dorothy Aberman. Miss Fidler is a junior at Woodward High School and is a member of Chi Sigma Delta. Mr. and Mrs. Sam Mendelson will leave Monday, Aug.13, for a vacation in Los Angeles, where they will be houseguests of their son and daughter-in-law. Mr. and Mrs. Donald Mendelson (Judith Rose), and grandchildren, Margo, Daryl and Brad, of Sherman Oaks,
Calif. They will help celebrate the first birthday of their grandson, Braddon. They also plan to spend some time in Palm Springs with the younger Mendelsons and children. — August 9, 1962
25 Y EARS A GO The wedding of Julie Foreshee of Marietta, Ohio, and Stephen Wacksman of Warrensburg, Mo., took place May 16 at the Marriott on Chester Road, Cincinnati. Rabbi Lewis Weiss officiated at the double ring ceremony. A reception followed. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Foreshee of Marietta. The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Wacksman of Cincinnati. The bride and bridegroom are graduates of Miami University. The couple reside at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, where the bridegroom is a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Strategic Missile Squadron (SAC). The wedding of Miriam Lyn Lessure, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Lessure of Cincinnati, to Kurtis Lee Trapanier, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Trapanier of Orlando, Fla., took place June 20 in the garden at the home of the bridegroom’s parents. Rabbi Barry Altman officiated. Maid of honor was Beth Lessure. Best man was Grover Evans. The bride is assistant manager at the Howard Johnson Hotel near Disney World. The bridegroom promotes construction in the Orlando area. After a honeymoon in Hawaii, the couple reside in the Orlando area. — August 13, 1987
10 Y EARS A GO Connie and Dan Weethee and Larry and Debby Mandell, both of Montgomery, announce the engagement of their daughter, Heather Lauren, to David Lee Hatcher, son of John and Cathy Hatcher and Brenda Hatcher, both of Fremont, Ohio. Heather is a 1995 graduate of Sycamore High School, and a 2001 graduate of the College of Mount St. Joseph. She is an interior designer with Ethan Allen. David is a 1997 graduate of Fremont Ross High School and attends the University of Cincinnati. He is also employed with Craven Landscape Architecture. The wedding will take place at the Marriott North in West Chester on Aug.31. Dr. and Mrs. Aaron W. Perlman announce the marriage, on July 27, of their daughter, Amy Pearl, to Mr. Skip Parodi, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Parodi. Amy Pearl is a graduate of Stanford School of Engineering and is presently working as a computer engineer. Skip is a landscaper. The couple reside in Los Altos, California. — August 8,2002.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012
CLASSIFIEDS • 19
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
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
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LEADER from page 3 While training of rabbis, cantors and Jewish educators is still the primary mission of the HUCJIR, a number of new initiatives are well beyond the planning stage. A recently introduced youth initiative for post bar and bat mitzvah youngsters is designed to further the education of these boys and girls and keep them involved in Jewish living. Ellenson explained that HUCJIR, in cooperation with The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) and the Bank Street College of Education, plans to offer a curriculum leading to a Certificate in Early Childhood Education. This program is scheduled to be launched in June 2013 and was created to expose even the youngest children to their Jewish heritage. It is but the latest example of ever-closer cooperation between the Reform and Conservative movements. Even though non-Orthodox rabbis are not generally recognized in Israel, Ellenson said, since 2001 more than 60 Reform rabbis ordained by HUC-JIR are currently working in Israel and he expects this number to increase to 100 in the next few years. In spite of the fact that the Israeli government does not officially sanction them, Ellenson noted that Reform and Masorti (Conservative) rabbis currently conduct about 600 weddings in Israel a year. JAZZ from page 4 As the traditions of the Hall and of the city go so deep and stretch back so far, Jaffe sees it not only as a matter of pride, but as one of “responsibility” to care for and nourish his traditions and those of the music on which he and his family (immediate and far extended) was raised. That is why, 50 years on, Jaffe gives the same heart and soul to the Hall and the music that his father and his many musical friends have SOLOMON from page 8 “His coaches thought he had gone absolutely crazy, as he had been training for this race for months,” said Wolff, who gave him special dispensation to eat rice just as Sephardi Jews do during the festival.
Courtesy of Jewish Center of the Hamptons
Rabbi David Ellenson.
While Ellenson was not optimistic that the Haredi community will change its opposition to recognition of non-Orthodox rabbis anytime soon, he was pleased that the Israeli government recently recognized and will pay the salaries of some 15 Reform and Masorti rabbis who are the sole clergy in their kibbutzim or other communities. “I don’t want to be overly pollyana-ish,” Ellenson said, “because we’re still not at the point where Reform and Masorti are recognized.” Nonetheless, HUC-JIR is currently training more than 30 Israeli rabbinical students at its Jerusalem campus, and Ellenson expects that all of them will be placed in Israel upon their ordination. “We live in one world, and in order to create a community of joy and meaning we must go beyond denominations,” he said. and continue to give. “I want to pass on the tradition the older generation and the generations that came before me passed to me,” Jaffe says. “It’s important to me to pass on the musical traditions that I inherited. That’s the greatest gift in the world.” Jaffe remains astonished by what the Hall and its legendary “house band” have meant to his city and the world. “It’s amazing how much joy the band has brought into the world,” he observes. “We are better people because of Preservation Hall.” Another fan, Barry Smorgon, the chair of Maccabi Australia, said Solomon “has done the community proud and has certainly been a worthy winner of the Maccabi awards. He is a humble young man. Hopefully he will be in Israel next year for the Maccabiah as well.”
20 • TRAVEL
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Venice, Italy: it’s ve-ry nice Wandering Jew
by Janet Steinberg Venice, Italy is one of the world’s premiere travel destinations, drawing some 18 million visitors annually to this unique city. Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and should certainly be at the top of everyone’s bucket list. On a post-cruise extension of our Crystal Serenity Aegean Dreams cruise, “Doc Irv’s Mermaids” and I checked into the Bauer L’Hotel that is framed by the magnificent baroque church of San Moisé and the bustling Rio San Moisé. The elegant shops beneath my Art Déco windows were a mere three-minute walk to St. Mark’s Square. The Bauer Hotel is a property with two unique personalities in one building: The Bauer L’Hotel is a luxury, five-star hotel in artdeco style with a contemporary look and feel. The Bauer Il Palazzo is an opulent boutique hotel reconfirming its 18th-century identity while giving guests an opportunity to experience the life of Venetian palazzo living. The Bauer has seamlessly wed stateof-the-art technology to the traditional artisan craftsmanship for which Venice is world-renowned. The picture-postcard city of Venice, floating on an equally photogenic canal, has been dubbed La Serenissima, (The Most Serene). She has been called the faded beauty in the family of Italian cities…“her blondness now from a bottle and her perfume slightly stale.” Napoleon called Venice’s Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) the largest drawing room in Europe. No matter what you call her, Venice is a city in which you will want to get lost. Finding your way back, amid the maze of streets and “highways” paved in water, is part of the Venetian experience. Whether you choose to walk your legs off, hire a private water taxi, ride the public water bus known as the vaporetto, or glide along in a private (but pricey) gondola, you will find something amazing in every nook and cranny of Venice. And there is no better place to lose oneself in than the Ghetto Nuovo. Instituted in 1516, the Ghetto gets its name from a word
(Clockwise) Enterprising gondoliers give tours on the Venetian canals; The Arbit Blatas Holocaust Memorial; The Doges Palace on St. Mark’s Square; Pigeons and people abound on St. Mark’s Square.
in the Venetian dialect (geto) that means foundry. When the Ghetto was established, it was in the district in which the iron foundries were located. Amid Renaissance buildings, medieval houses, and shops brimming with Judaica, you will find a Jewish Home for the Aged, Chabad, and five synagogues. From the small museum (Museo della Comunita Ebrico) located on the floor below the German Synagogue, visitors can take a synagogue tour. The beautiful German Synagogue was restored at the turn of the 20th century and The Spanish Synagogue is the oldest continuously functioning synagogue in Europe. The Canton, Italian, and Levantine Synagogues are also in the ghetto. The Holocaust Memorial consists of seven plaques on the western wall of the Ghetto Nuovo Square. These grim bronze tablets, by Lithuanian-born Arbit Blatas, memorialize the more than 200 Venetian Jews who were deported to Nazi concentration camps in 1943 and 1944. On two
other plaques, the city of Venice remembers the murdered Jews. The ghetto neighborhood can be reached by the San Marcuola vaporetto. Vaporetti, motorized waterbuses, are the least expensive means of getting around in Venice. Alternative, but more expensive, means of transportation are by private water taxis or gondolas. A short vaporetto ride from the Piazza San Marco to Giudecca island is jam-packed with views of the Gothic splendor of the Doge’s Palace, the angel-topped Campanile, the Byzantine domes of St. Mark’s Basilica and the nearby baroque masterpiece churches of Santa Maria Della Salute, San Giorgio Maggiore and Il Redentore. Giudecca Island was so named, in the 13th century, when Jews were forced to live in isolation on what was then called Spinalunga Island. After that it became known as Giudecca, or Jew’s Island. Not to be missed on Giudecca Island, just east along the Grand Canal from the Accademia, is the
unfinished 18th century Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, which now houses the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. On the canal terrace of Venice’s second most visited gallery is the huge, whimsical bronze Angel of the City sculpture. It is guaranteed to cause a chuckle. While on Giudecca Island, you might want to indulge yourself with a treat at Harry’s Dolci, a bar and restaurant established by Harry Cipriani of Harry’s Bar, right across the canal. Be it lunch, dinner, or just a dish of gelato, you will enjoy watching the canal boat traffic away from the maddening crowds of Piazza San Marco. Of course, when you cross back over the canal, you must pay a visit to Harry’s Bar. It has been said that, in the legendary city of Venice, more tourists ask directions to Harry’s Bar than to the Piazza San Marco. Harry’s Bar—the one and only original Harry’s Bar—is not your ordinary watering hole. It is a fashionable haunt frequented by celebrities, royalty, locals and tourists. Whether you’re properly
seated at a square table covered in elegantly simple Frette linen, or hanging off a bar stool with the rest of the beautiful people, (jeanclad or sable-swathed) it makes no difference. Chances are you’ll be sipping the bar’s liquid trademark...the Bellini. Created by Giuseppe Cipriani, the Bellini is a magical blend of white peach juice, sugar and sparkling Italian wine (often mistakenly dubbed champagne). When I asked Harry the secret of his bar’s success, he unhesitatingly replied: “First, there is Venice. Location...location... location! Then, there are a lot of little details that one does not notice, but they are here. Put them together and you get one word — simplicity. The genius of my father Giuseppe Cipriani, who founded the bar in 1931, was the luxury in simplicity. Veni, Vidi, Vici Venezia. I came, I saw, I conquered Venice. Put Venice on your bucket list! Janet Steinberg is an award-winning travel writer and travel consultant.
FOOD / AUTOS • 21
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012
A cool culinary adventure Zell’s Bites
by Zell Schulman The “Ting-Aling” of the ice cream truck as it passes by my building in the late afternoons each day reminds of the weekends I spent in the summers at my grandmother Jacob’s, of blessed memory, home on Eden Avenue in Avondale. There was an ice cream truck that came around every day selling ice cream cones, ice cream sandwiches and popsicles.
No matter what name they went by, or what shape, they were popsicles! Not the kind I enjoyed as a child, these popsicles had interesting names and exciting flavors. The popsicle has returned in full force. It reminded me of the old saying, “What goes around comes around.” This week, Food Editor, Polly Campbell’s feature in the Enquirer was all about Sara Bornick’s success with her Cool Pops and how Sara created a small business for herself. On my weekly trip to Findley Market, a new vendor caught my eye. Here was a small pushcart selling “Street Pops, a different kind of popsicle” and as I walked into one of my favorite stops at the market, there was an entire refrigerated case filled with “Madisono’s Mad Pops.” No matter what name they went by, or what shape, they were popsicles! Not the kind I enjoyed as a child, these popsicles had interesting names and exciting flavors. I asked owner Bryan Madison
“What got you into making the Mad Pops, when your family have been selling produce for years?” Bryan gave me his son Matt’s phone number and told me to call him. He would give me the real scoop. In the meantime, I enjoyed the Madisono made popsicle Bryan offered me. When I got home, I called Matt. He told me, “My brother, Mike Madison is married to Elba, who is from Panama. Elba and the family were constantly making paletas, for their kids. A paleta is a type of popsicle they sell in Panama which is made with real fruit, not the colored sugar water found in American popsicles.” He and his brother purchased some molds and began experimenting at home. Many of the fruits are raised and come from their family’s farm, Madison’s Ridgeview Farm, in Adams County. Their family’s store, Madison’s at Findley Market, gave them access to so many fresh fruits that the possibilities became overwhelming. Matt’s father, Bryan, offered to give me a sample. The blackberry lemon, made with fresh blackberries from the farm, was just the beginning. As I looked in the case, I saw strawberry lemonade, mango ginger, peach orange, cantaloupe lime, cherry berry, red raspberry lemon and mango cream. What a selection! This cool summer treat is only found and sold at their family produce store in Findley Market. Take yourself on a culinary adventure to Findley Market and buy yourself a cool treat. In the meantime, cool off with some homemade lemonade. LEMONADE Serves 6 This is perfect for those hot summer days when you need a cool thirst quencher. My family likes their lemonade on the sweet side. I like adding the orange juice because it cuts down the acid taste. Ingredients 3 cups water Juice of 4 medium size lemons Juice of 1 orange or 1/4 cup orange juice 1/2 to 1/3 cup granulated sugar Lemon slices fresh mint for garnish Method 1. Mix the water, lemon and orange juice in a 4 quart container. Add the sugar and stir well until dissolved. (I microwave these together for 15 seconds.) 2. Refrigerate at least 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices and mint.
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22 • OBITUARIES D EATH N OTICES SCHWARZ, Ann, age 97, died on July 30, 2012; 11 Av, 5772. FECK, Suellen Chesley, age 74, died on July 31, 2012;12 Av, 5772. ROSENTHAL, Leo, age 86, died on August 4, 2012; 16 Av, 5772. BECKER, Elizabeth, age 79, died on August 5, 2012; 17 Av, 5772. SCHOOLS from page 13 Temple Beth Sholom Religious School 610 Gladys Drive Middletown, OH 45044 Contact: Rabbi Haviva Horvitz Phone: 513-422-8313 Grades: Preschool-High School Hours: Sunday, 9:30-noon. Affiliation: Reform Temple Beth Sholom takes pride in their small studentteacher ratio and individualized attention to each child’s learning capacities and desires. Their desire to provide their students with a strong foundation in Judaism reflects their congregational mission. Founded in 1903, Temple Beth Sholom is a Reform congregation committed to prayer, worship and study of G-d and Torah within the framework of liberal Judaism. They have the expressed purpose of helping their membership apply the principles of Judaism to personal conduct, family life and communal living. They value the role of women and men as equal participants in community leadership and worship. As a smaller congregation, Temple Beth Sholom cherishes the opportunity to create and nurture their “Temple family” of
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Jews in Middletown and the surrounding community. Valley Temple Religious School 145 Springfield Pike Wyoming, OH 45215 Contact: Alison Weikel, Director Phone: 513-761-3555 Grades: Preschool-Grade 12 Hours: (Preschool-Grade 8) Sunday, 9:45 a.m.-noon; (Grades 4-6 - Hebrew) Tuesday 6:30-7:30 p.m.; (Grades 9-12) Sunday 7-8:45 p.m. at Kulanu. Classes begin: Sunday, Sept. 9 Affiliation: Reform Valley Temple’s classes have a strong emphasis on Torah, Israel, holidays, traditions and values. Highly skilled and experienced faculty nurture the students and help them develop their Jewish identities. Valley Temple also offers family education for all grades and a Hebrew program for grades 4, 5, 6. Families must be temple members to enroll students. Isaac M. Wise Temple Religious School 8329 Ridge Road Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Barbara Dragul, Director of Education and Lifelong Learning Phone: 513-793-2997 Grades: Pre-K - Grade 8 (Sunday School); Grades 4-6 (Midweek Hebrew School) Hours: (Sunday School), 9:15-11:45 a.m.; (Midweek Hebrew School) Wednesday, 4:306 p.m. Classes begin: Sunday, Sept. 23 and Wednesday, Oct. 3 Affiliation: Reform Wise Temple offers many special programs such as Gesher (a family education program); after school youth activities, grade level retreats; an innovative prayer lab, a creative B’nai Mitzvah program and a thriving Madrichim (teenage teaching assistants) program. The
Wise Temple Religious School is fully accredited by the National Association of Temple Educators. Classes are conducted in a beautifully renovated facility. Each grade follows a unique curriculum. The open room (Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten) has a curriculum built around the senses, where students rotate through four different stations. Students in grades 7 and 8 may choose from a number of elective offerings including The Holocaust, Jews Around the World, Comparative Religion, Jewish Artists and Art, American Jewish History and Jewish Film. Library reading programs, music (including the youth choir), mitzvah projects and special programs supplement the curriculum in all grades. Students may attend for one year as a non-member. Kulanu — Cincinnati Reform Jewish High School c/o Sheri Kroscher 6626 Hollow Tree Court Mason, OH 45040 Contact: Sheri Kroscher, Administrator Rabbi David Burstein, Director Phone: 513-262-8849 Grades: 9-12 Hours: Sunday, 7-8:45 p.m. Classes begin: Sunday, Sept. 9 Affiliation: Reform In 1982, 184 Jewish teenagers entered one of Cincinnati’s Reform congregations to attend what was the first session of the Cincinnati Reform Jewish High School (CRJHS). These students would be the first of hundreds to receive a Jewish education due to the cooperation of the four Reform synagogues in Cincinnati: Isaac M. Wise Temple, Valley Temple, Rockdale Temple and Temple Sholom.The CRJHS has continued to grow throughout the past 25 years. Today called Kulanu, the school has close to 200 Jewish high school students. They represent over 35 area high schools. Kulanu will continue to provide a safe place for Jewish teens from all SEEKING from page 6 Cohen remembered a “dayslong and really tough” 110-mile march from Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev to the southern port city of Eilat. During the hike, a Piper light aircraft released parachutes. Plastic bags tied to them contained chocolate milk containers and letters from home. “It was unbelievable, something you never forget,” Cohen said. “It was a nice surprise for us.” Magid, a father of four and grandfather of nine, recalled when he and the platoon had nearly entered Lebanon on a mission to build a road. But after waiting all night in rain and hail, commanders canceled the mission because of the poor conditions. The 3rd Platoon would fight in the Yom Kippur War. Two members, David Indig and Yair Tzoref, fell in battle. Another two, Tzvi
over the city to learn, to socialize, and to share a part of their Jewish experience with each other. Mercaz Conservative Hebrew High School 3201 E. Galbraith Road Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Phyllis Binik-Thomas, Director Phone: 513-792-5082 ext. 123 Grades: 8-12 Hours: Sunday, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Classes begin: Sunday, Sept. 9 Affiliation: Conservative, however open to all students regardless of affiliation Mercaz offers hands-on, innovative and discussion-based classes designed to entice a variety of Jewish teens. Classes at Mercaz aim to teach Jewish texts, ethics and history in a way that appeals to today’s Jewish teens. We offer Experiential Jewish Education through the Arts courses including filmmaking, painting and photography. We also offer beginner and advanced Conversational Hebrew courses.
Genealogy Today” is open to everyone and meets 1 hour/week for 9 weeks. Advance registration is required. Affiliation: All denominations. The Florence Melton Adult Mini-School at the JCC offers a formal, written curriculum of Jewish literacy developed by a team of scholars and educators at the Melton Centre for Jewish Education of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After School at the Mayerson JCC 8485 Ridge Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: JCC Youth & Family Coordinator Phone: 513-761-7500 Ages: Open to the public, grades K-6 Hours: After School at the J includes transportation from some schools to the J. (Transportation service is determined based on the number of students registered from each school.) Pick-up is anytime before 6 p.m. Affiliation: Not affiliated.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS Florence Melton Adult MiniSchool at the JCC 8485 Ridge Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: Elizabeth Woosley, JCC Community Educator Phone: 513-985-1539 Ages: Open to the public, ages 18 and older Classes begin: All classes begin the week of Oct. 16: Year 1 classes, “Rhythms & Purposes of Jewish Living” (open to everyone) and “Dramas & Ethics of Jewish Living” (open to students who have completed Year 1) are held 2 hours/week for 30 weeks. Scholars classes (for Melton alumni and students who participated in 20102011), “Exodus, From Slavery to Sinai,” and “Faith and Suffering from the Book of Job” are held 90 mins./week for 9 weeks. “Researching our Roots:
JCC School Break Camps At the Mayerson JCC 8485 Ridge Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45236 Contact: JCC Youth & Family Coordinator Phone: 513-761-7500 Ages: Open to the public, grades K-6 Hours: All JCC School Break Camps run 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Optional before/after camp program: drop-off as early as 8 a.m.; pick-up as late as 6 p.m. Dates: JCC School Break Camps are offered on days when many area schools are not in session, including: Thanksgiving Break Camp: Wednesday, Nov. 21; Winter Break Camps: Dec. 24, 26 - 28, 31 and Jan. 2 - 4; Spring Break Camps; and camps on some other school holidays. Register in advance, by the day. Affiliation: Not affiliated.
David (cancer) and Giora Sorek (suicide), have died in the years since. Their widows are invited to the reunion, where a moment of silence will be observed. Magid says he regrets returning to America following his twoyear military stint—as an older immigrant, he was discharged a year early, although he doesn’t remember asking to be—and missing the Yom Kippur War. He couldn’t get a flight to Israel until the fighting ended. When he landed, he bumped into a platoon mate, Avraham Sabach, a member of Ben-Gurion Airport’s security team. Magid would work as an El Al flight attendant for six months before settling in America for good. Since then he has not returned to Israel. His Israel Defense Forces training “was the greatest experience I ever had,” Magid said. “It brought out my best attributes. It taught me
a lot of lessons—that you can surpass physical limitations with your mental capabilities.” The platoon’s Facebook page contains scores of members’ photographs, along with a booklet published during their service. One of its headlines called the 110-mile hike the longest in Israeli paratrooper history. One post by Shmuel Groberman noted that Magid “almost always was sleeping,” making him easy to identify in the photographs. “We were always so tired,” wrote Groberman, an architect living in Jaffa. By Wednesday, the list of 10 sought men whom platoon member Amikam Douieb had mentioned on the “Hamador L’chipus Krovim” (Searching for Relatives Bureau) radio program had been whittled to three. With Magid’s reemergence, only Sabach and Yaakov Tene remain at large.
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