The American Israelite, August 16, 2012

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The inclusive classroom, working with children from interfaith families

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The Mayerson JCC, The Mayerson Foundation team-up...

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Jewish glory, frustration mark London Games

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Flying high: El Al to honor cheap tickets to Israel from glitch

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 28 AV, 5772

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Remembering Suellen Chesley Feck Those close to Suellen Chesley Feck knew that she worked tirelessly as a volunteer for many local charities throughout Cincinnati. Her family knew her as a mother and grandmother with boundless energy and a zest for life. With her generosity of spirit and creative flair, everyone around Mrs. Feck benefited from her time and efforts.

Mrs. Feck passed away on July 31, 2012—the 12th day of Av, 5772—at the age of 74.

Born on March 7, 1938, and raised in Shelbyville, Ind., Mrs. Feck was the daughter of the late Hortense and Nate Kaufman. She began her college education at Sophie Newcomb College (Tulane University) and graduated from Indiana University.

After graduation, Mrs. Feck moved to Cincinnati and began working at Shillito’s department store— Cincinnati’s first department store— where she met her first husband, Stan Chesley. The couple married and had two children, Richard and Lauren.

After she and Chesley divorced in the late 1970s, she married manufacturers’ representative Tom Feck, who died two years ago.

Mrs. Feck began volunteering as a young woman. One longtime friend, Mady Gordon, first encountered Suellen as she was stapling draperies to the wall at The Green Apple, the Cincinnati-area gift shop project for the National Council for Jewish Women.

“There was no task too menial for Suellen,” remarked Gordon. “She was successful because she gathered good people around her. You never felt like you were doing work because she made it so much fun.”

Mrs. Feck started her own business, specializing in event planning and non-profit fundraising and development. She put those skills to work in a wide variety of causes, including the Women’s Division of Jewish Federation, Israel Bonds, the Council on Child Abuse, and Lighthouse Youth Services.

“Suellen could make a pumpkin into a coach and turn mice into coachmen,” commented Natalie Schwab, development director of Lighthouse Youth Services.

Suellen Chesley Feck

When Mrs. Feck raised money for an organization, she believed in the organization and gave not only her time, but her own money. For example, she was known to cook and drive dinner down to Tender Mercies—a nonprofit program that provides housing and related services to homeless persons—at least once a month for several years.

“If she truly believed in something, she’d go that extra mile,” said Eve Pearl, executive director of the Council on Child Abuse.

Mrs. Feck also spearheaded a fundraiser called “CelebriTrees,” which were sponsor-designed Christmas trees, with proceeds benefiting Tender Mercies.

A longtime member of Wise Temple, Mrs. Feck involved herself in many areas of the temple, including coordinating their capital campaign.

“Suellen was devoted to community and through the years was involved in several projects that helped to advance the causes that Wise Temple supported. She brought to every endeavor her keen attention

to detail, her joy in bringing people together and her abundant energy and strength,” reflected Rabbi Lewis Kamrass of Wise Temple.

In addition to her countless volunteer responsibilities, Mrs. Feck was deep down an entertainer who loved to cook and share her talents with others. Everything she did had a theme.

Remembering her friend, Mady Gordon recalled how much Suellen admired the talents of Julia Child. “At a cooking party (which focused on butter as an ingredient), she presented to each of us an apron with a quote from Julia Child which read, ‘You can never use too much butter.’”

Family came first to Mrs. Feck and she adored her grandchildren.

She was very hands on and extremely crafty, always ready with an art project, an activity or a recipe to share with her grandchildren.

“Above all else my mom loved her family and was the happiest when we were all together. Cooking for holidays were her happiest moments.

Passover was the best...the food, the table, the laughs. It was perfection. It

will never be the same without her.

She has left an indelible mark in the lives of so many. My children will forever cherish their days with ‘Nana,’” said daughter, Lauren Cohen.

Son Richard A. Chesley remembered his mother as a woman who “lived life and loved life to its fullest.

She gave of herself tirelessly and asked for so little in return. In the end, while she seemed to so many to be worldly, she really longed for the simple things in life, a home cooked meal, sitting on her porch and watching the river run by and the love of her family. She will be missed by so many.”

Mrs. Feck is survived by her son, Richard (DeeDee) Chesley, of Winnetka, Ill.; her daughter, Lauren Cohen; her grandchildren, Nathan and Andrew Chesley, Amanda, Liza, Lily and Will Cohen; and her brother, Bart (Judy) Kaufman, of Indianapolis, Ind. Services were held. The family would appreciate memorial contributions to Lighthouse Youth Services, 401 E. McMillan St., Cincinnati OH 45206, or Hospice of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 633597, Cincinnati OH 45263.

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United Center Chicago October 25th & 26th • 2 nights Hilton Garden Inn Oakbrook • Dinner & Show “XANADU” at the Drury Lane Theatre Participants on a recent Mayerson JCC College Caravan trip to Indiana University.

• Motorcoach Transportation

The Mayerson JCC, The Mayerson Foundation team-up for teens

• Dinner at Weber Grill

The Mayerson JCC and The Mayerson Foundation are pleased to announce the formation of a new strategic partnership designed to expand JCC teen programming with the goal of connecting Jewish teens with their peers through recreational, social and personal growth experiences.

Management and operations of JCC teen activities will fall under the guidance of The Mayerson Foundation, and will be staffed by Matt Steinberg, the JCC teen coordinator. Plans are already underway to offer a robust lineup of cutting-edge programs, events, classes and services designed to provide this important demographic with many opportunities to engage with each other and the Jewish community.

“Our goal is to offer outstanding programs and services to our community at all stages of life. In conjunction with other communal institutions and organizations, we hope to further engage Jewish teens and young professionals,” says Marc Fisher, JCC presidentelect. “Our partnership with the Mayerson Foundation allows us to leverage our combined skills and resources to aid the community in supporting our next generation.”

“The Mayerson Foundation is proud to join with the JCC to develop and offer exciting programming to help attract teenagers to fun and engaging programming with their peers,” says Dr. Neal H. Mayerson, president of The Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation. “Over the past decade, The Mayerson

• Stop at Shapiro”s Deli in Indianapolis on return!

Foundation has put a great deal of resources into operating programs aimed at providing a variety of entry points for those who are searching for more personally relevant and engaging points of contact with Jewish life and the Jewish community,” he explains.

“We are glad to be able to share the programming expertise that we have honed over the years to complement the financial support that we have dedicated to this center of vitality in our community.”

Nearly two years ago, The Mayerson Foundation embarked upon a bold experiment with the JCC to apply the same principles it used in the startup and operation of initiatives such as Access (young professionals), Shalom Family (young families) and Fusion Family (interfaith couples) to the startup of a program geared specifically for young professionals, called YPs at the JCC. Since that time, hundreds have participated in YP specific programs at the JCC, and many of them have become paid members. As a result, the two organizations made the decision to formalize and expand their relationship and put even more resources into the mix to apply a similar model to help take JCC teen programs to the next level.

“Although we are still in the early stages of our strategic planning process, I am really excited about all the ideas that are starting to emerge,” says Steinberg.

“Having a teen program created ‘by teens for teens’ is critical to our ultimate success. We have

already planned a teen focus group and will be convening a teen advisory committee to provide us with input and feedback as we move forward. In the not too distant future, teens can expect to see a wide variety of programs designed to appeal to a diverse array of interests, from health and fitness and cultural arts, to social events and social action initiatives,” he adds.

In addition to dozens of new programs, events, classes and services for teens, the JCC now offers an individual student membership for ages 13 – 20 years old. The initiation fee will be waived for all students who join the JCC by Sept.

30 in this new membership category. Beginning Sept. 10, the JCC Teen Exceed program will no longer be required for those ages 13-15 to use the Fitness Center (excluding free weights) or to participate in group exercise classes.

Instead, they will be able to do those things after they participate in a free one-hour orientation offered on Mondays at 4 p.m. (in groups of up to five). This comprehensive free orientation covers basic safety, cardio and strength training, as well as fitness etiquette. “We are happy to provide teens with an affordable opportunity to become involved at the J,” notes Jamie Wolf, general manager of JCC Fitness Operations. “We hope to enhance their spirit of community, culture and wellness.”

To learn more about JCC teen programs, visit the JCC website or call or email Matt Steinberg, teen coordinator at the Mayerson JCC.

• Chicago City Tour • Tickets are on the Club Level ($316.00) seats • Box Lunch and Snacks on way to Chicago

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Both the Amberley Police and the Clermont County Sheriff’s office state that Lechner has no previous criminal record in Hamilton or Clermont counties, although they were unable to verify if he has any criminal record elsewhere.

Capitol Steps at the J features political comedy Just in time for the upcoming 2012 election, The Capitol Steps will perform at the Mayerson JCC on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. This nationally renowned group of former U.S. Congressional staffers will perform an entertaining show featuring political satire, musical talent and comical twists about current political headline topics.

Tickets for this one-night-only special event go on sale Friday, Aug. 17 at 8 a.m.

Recent events at the JCC have been huge successes. Past sell-outs include Joshua Foer, memory expert

and best-selling author of Moonwalking with Einstein; Mandy Patinkin, Tony-award winning Broadway legend and TV star; and most recently, a standing-roomonly World Choir Games Friendship Concert.

The Capitol Steps have been featured on NPR, NBC, CBS, ABC and PBS. According to National Public Radio, “The Capitol Steps take a humorous look at serious issues while providing a nationwide laugh for millions.”

“The troupe has become a favorite on the Washington social

circuit. Its political satire brings chuckles, rave reviews, guffaws, bipartisan grins all around. The satire hits the mark,” says The Wall Street Journal.

This popular, entertaining ensemble has worked in a total of 18 Congressional offices, and represent 62 years of collective House and Senate experience. Their unique blend of political satire and comedy has brought them great success, performing for five U.S. presidents and in all 50 states. There’s no better way to get excited about the 2012 election than to watch these experi-

enced performers cover the latest topics in a comical way.

The group has recorded 32 albums, including Obama Mia!, Liberal Shop of Horrors, and Desperate Housemembers. People who purchase tickets for the JCC performance before Aug. 31 will be entered to win a free CD of the Capitol Steps’ latest album, Take the Money and Run for President.

For more information regarding The Capitol Steps’ live performance at the Mayerson JCC on Thursday evening, Sept. 13, contact Courtney Cummings at the JCC.

JCC early childhood school earns highest rating In recognition of excellence and an ongoing commitment to children, the JCC Early Childhood School has received a Three-Star Step Up To Quality Award from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Bureau of Child Care and Development, the state agency responsible for licensing and promoting high standards among Ohio’s early care and education programs. To celebrate this major achievement, the Mayerson JCC is holding a 3-Star Celebration on Thursday, Aug. 23 at 5 p.m. Cake and snacks will be served in the sunny JCC courtyard. Everyone is invited.

“We applaud the JCC Early

Childhood School for its dedication to children. By going above and beyond Ohio’s minimum licensing standards, the JCC Early Childhood School gives its young children the opportunity to grow and develop in a stimulating, nurturing environment,” said Terrie Hare, chief, Ohio Bureau of Child Care and Development.

Step Up To Quality is Ohio’s voluntary rating system for early care and education programs.

Participating programs can earn a one-, two- or three-star rating by meeting an extensive list of quality benchmarks. Experts say these benchmarks improve the growth and development potential of chil-

dren. The rating system also gives parents a useful tool for selecting quality early childhood programs.

Three-Star Step Up To Quality programs are the highest rated programs in Ohio and have lower teacher to student ratios that meet national high-quality early care and education standards. All lead teachers have a degree in Early Childhood Education and receive 10 hours of specialized training per year.

“The JCC Early Childhood School is pleased to receive this award which tells families we’re serious about quality. Our Star Rating means we have more highly educated teachers working to

prepare children for kindergarten with a higher degree of professionalism,” said Debbie Brant, JCC board vice president.

In addition to exceeding quality standards, the JCC Early Childhood School also offers weekly enrichment which includes music, fitness and intergenerational activities. The school celebrates Jewish holidays and Shabbat with songs, stories, art, special foods and traditions. Full day preschoolers also enjoy yearround swimming and fitness at no additional cost.

For information about the JCC Early Childhood School, contact Denise Schnur, school director.

The inclusive classroom, working with children from interfaith families young Jewish children who are members of interfaith families.

The teachers are on the frontline; they are the first adults to see the children of interfaith families and interact with them. Their words and body language will go a long way to determine the future of these children as far as Judaism is concerned. These interfaith families choose to bring their children up Jewish and we must make sure they feel part of our culture by welcoming them with open arms.

The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC), through the Keruv/Initiative has provided expertise and education in working with interfaith families by creating workshops to train teachers, admin-

istrators, and for the first time camp counselors, on how to speak to children of interfaith families.

This fall Jewish educators in Cincinnati will have the opportunity to participate in one of those workshops.

Dr. Gary Smith the international co-chair of the Keruv/Initiative and Michael Sullivan, a junior consultant—together with the help and support of the Cincinnati Jewish Educators Council—have brought something collaborative and innovative to our community.

Keruv comes from the Hebrew word meaning to bring closer or to draw near.

The initiative runs seminars and training sessions for new con-

sultants as well as think tanks for rabbis to help them acknowledge and welcome intermarried couples into their synagogues.

The workshop will be on Sept.

5 at Adath Israel from 6:30-8:30 p.m. C.E. credits are available.

Lynn Wolfe will be coming in from California to be the centerpiece of the training. She previously started and directed Pathways— an outreach program for interfaith families—in the New Jersey area.

She is currently a mentor for FJMC-Keruv/Intiative and runs all the training workshops. For more information or to sign up for the sensitivity training, contact Dara Wood, Dr. Gary Smith or Michael Sullivan at Adath Israel.

The American Israelite “LET THERE BE LIGHT” THE OLDEST ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN AMERICA - EST. JULY 15, 1854

VOL. 159 • NO. 4 THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 28 AV 5772 SHABBAT BEGINS FRIDAY 8:12 PM SHABBAT ENDS SATURDAY 9:13 PM THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE CO., PUBLISHERS 18 WEST NINTH STREET, SUITE 2 CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202-2037 Phone: (513) 621-3145 Fax: (513) 621-3744 publisher@americanisraelite.com editor@americanisraelite.com production@americanisraelite.com RABBI ISSAC M. WISE Founder, Editor, Publisher, 1854-1900 LEO WISE Editor & Publisher, 1900-1928 RABBI JONAH B. WISE Editor & Publisher, 1928-1930 HENRY C. SEGAL Editor & Publisher, 1930-1985 PHYLLIS R. SINGER Editor & General Manager, 1985-1999 MILLARD H. MACK Publisher Emeritus NETANEL (TED) DEUTSCH Editor & Publisher BARBARA L. MORGENSTERN Senior Writer YEHOSHUA MIZRACHI Assistant Editor ALEXIA KADISH Copy Editor JANET STEINBERG Travel Editor 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

What does a Hebrew school teacher or a Jewish camp counselor tell a Jewish child who is upset at the prospect of attending a wake for someone on the Christian side of his or her side of the family?

How should a teacher or counselor respond when a student or camper says, one of the things we had for Passover dinner was ham?

My mom and dad fight over where we are going to go for the holidays. I am confused. How does a teacher or counselor respond?

Questions like these and many others similar are asked at schools and camps around the country. The responses to these questions can be inspiring or damaging and detrimental to the development of our

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in Goshen, not at the JCC. Further, Lechner’s job as an overnight maintenance man has had him nowhere near children, stated officials. Instead, Lechner is accused of molesting at least three teenage boys in the trailer park which is his home.

Est. 1854

Jeff Lechner, a now former maintenance man at the Mayerson JCC, was arrested at 3:50 a.m. on July 30 for charges concerning unlawful sexual con-

duct with a minor. The arrest was made by the Amberley Village Police Department while he was at work.

Lechner, 46, is facing felony charges from Clermont County since the alleged crimes were committed near Lechner’s home

• ca

By Michael Sawan Assistant Editor

r in Am ape er sp i

Alleged child molester arrested at JCC

THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE (USPS 019-320) is published weekly for $44 per year and $1.00 per single copy in Cincinnati and $49 per year and $3.00 per single copy elsewhere in U.S. by The American Israelite Co. 18 West Ninth Street, Suite 2, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2037. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, OH. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE, 18 West Ninth Street, Suite 2, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2037.

The views and opinions expressed by the columnists of The American Israelite do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the newspaper.

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Chabad Jewish Center celebrates 22 years of service “Together Making a Difference” will be the theme when Cincinnati celebrates 22 years of service and accomplishment by its Chabad Jewish Center at the Tribute Dinner Celebration, planned for Sunday, Aug. 26 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Cincinnati. The reception is scheduled for 5 p.m., with dinner at 6.

The evening’s feature presentation is the outstanding and talented Ethan Bortnick, the youngest nationally touring concert pianist, composer and actor.

As an 11-year-old pianist,

Ethan has been crowned the “Youngest Musician to Headline a Solo Concert Tour” by Guinness World Records. Born Dec. 24, 2000, Ethan beats out famous musicians such as Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder and Billy Gilman.

Born in Hollywood, Fla., Ethan pleaded for piano lessons at just 3 years old and soon discovered he could play by ear. Within two years he was composing his own music. Ethan now knows hundreds of songs and on stage can play anything from Beethoven to The Beatles.

He headlined his first show at age 6 and continued to play as the headlined artist at different shows around the world until he started his own concert tour in 2010. On Oct. 3, 2010, at the age of 9 years 9 months and 9 days, Ethan started his “Musical Time Machine” tour at the Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville, Ill., becoming the youngest to ever headline a solo tour.

Now 11, creating his own shows is old hat to Ethan. He says he doesn’t get nervous before a concert but typically plays video games until they call

his name and he runs on stage.

Ethan has performed all over the world with renowned artists like Elton John, Barbra Streisand and Beyoncé. He considers himself a pianist, composer, singer, entertainer and a humanitarian, having raised millions of dollars for charities through live performances. On moving forward now that he has a Guinness World Records title, Ethan says: “My biggest goal is to help as many people as I can.”

With these words of hope and confidence, Ralph S. (Mike) Michael president and CEO of

Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, recipient of the Community Service Award, Eddie and Arlene Goldstein, recipient of the Pillar of Jewish Education Award, Simon and Florence Groner, recipient of the Chabad Recognition Award, and Brian and Robin Goldberg, recipient of the Lamplighter Award, accepted to serve as honorees for the event.

Rabbi Yisroel Mangel, director of Chabad Jewish Center said,“We will be gathering not just to celebrate past achievements, but to lay the groundwork on building our future.”

Jewish glory, frustration mark London Games

By JTA Staff Jewish Telegraphic Agency NEW YORK (JTA) — The London Olympics may have “lit up the world,” as organizing committee head Sebastian Coe put it, but for Jews the two and a half weeks offered healthy doses of frustration and glory.

On the plus side, new medalists such as America’s Aly Raisman gained the spotlight with her grace, which included a floor routine to “Hava Nagila” en route to a U.S. women’s team gold in gymnastics.

She followed that with an individual gold for floor exercise and a bronze on the balance beam.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Jo Aleh brought home a gold for Kiwi fans in the women’s 470 regatta and Australian kayaker Jessica Fox won a silver medal in the slalom K1. They joined in their glory with previous medalists such as U.S. swimmer Jason Lezak, who helped his relay team win a silver in the 4x100-meter freestyle in what was likely the last of his four Olympics.

Yet the game’s opening ceremony ended hopes that the International Olympic Committee would officially recognize with a moment of silence the 11 Israeli athletes murdered 40 years ago at the Munich Games by Palestinian terrorists. An international campaign for a moment of silence had the support of President Obama and numerous other world leaders.

And Israel’s athletes — for the first time in 24 years — went home without a single medal, which has prompted conversation about the country’s lack of commitment to Olympics excellence. Israel’s rhythmic gymnastics team made it to the finals, but on Sunday it finished last among the eight teams in the all-around group competition.

Two Israeli citizens, however, are coming home with some Olympic glory. David Blatt, an American-Israeli, coached Russia’s bronze-winning men’s basketball

Courtesy of Christopher Johnson via CC

Israeli-American men’s basketball coach David Blatt led the Russian national team to the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

team and Aleh will soon make a family visit to the Jewish state.

Blatt, the coach of Israe’s Maccabi Tel Aviv team, has helped rebuild the Russian national squad since being brought in as head

coach in 2006, Sports Illustrated reported. He took the team to a 2007 European Championship.

He played for Princeton University from 1977 to 1981 and on the gold medal-winning U.S. team in the 1981 Maccabiah Games. Following the Maccabiah Games, Blatt played for several Israeli teams until he was injured in 1993 and took up coaching.

The disappointment in Israel over the lack of a national delegation medal may be behind what Yuli Edelstein, minister of Diaspora affairs, told Raisman last week as she accepted his invitation for the Raisman family to be his guests in Israel.

“Making your first visit to Israel is not only important because it is the homeland of the Jewish people, but also because you can

contribute from your experience to the young generation of Israeli athletes,” Edelstein said, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Beating her to the Jewish state, however, will be Aleh. After a parade back home to celebrate New Zealand’s success at the London Games, she reportedly is heading to Israel for the bat mitzvah of her half-sister.

The greatest disappointment of the Games for many Jews, however, was the failure of the international campaign to have the Munich 11 remembered. It included a petition launched by the Rockland JCC in suburban New York that garnered nearly 111,000 names, a private meeting with two Munich 11 widows and IOC President Jacques Rogge, and the backing of President Obama and political lead-

ers from Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy and elsewhere.

One widow of the Munich 11 had biting words for Rogge when he attended the London Jewish community’s memorial for the murdered athletes and coaches.

“Shame on you, IOC,” said Ankie Spitzer, widow of fencing coach Andre Spitzer, who died in the attack. “You have forsaken the 11 members of your Olympic family. You discriminate against them only because they are Israelis and Jews.”

Meanwhile, the Arab-Israeli conflict was felt when the Lebanese judo team refused to even practice in a gymnasium next to the Israelis.

The Lebanese even erected a makeshift barrier to split their gym into two halves, according to the Times of Israel.

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Flying high: El Al to honor cheap tickets to Israel from glitch

By Adam Soclof Jewish Telegraphic Agency NEW YORK (JTA) — El Al Airlines said it will honor all tickets purchased during a glitch that had thousands of round-trip tickets selling for as low as $330.

The airline also announced Thursday that those who purchased tickets three days earlier at the hugely discounted fare would be given the opportunity to convert their tickets to a direct flight provided by El Al for an additional $75 each way rather than fly with a codeshare partner with a connecting flight in Europe.

“Although a review of this occurence has not been finalized, a decision was made to accommodate El Al passengers who purchased these low fares because we value our reputation of offering excellent customer service,” said Danny Saadon, El Al’s vice president of North America, in a statement released Thursday.

Courtesy of by Uri Fintzy

El Al said in a statement that it would honor the discounted fares that were offered due to a third-party error.

“Hopefully we have provided an opportunity to many first timers to visit Israel as well as reconnect family and friends.”

A full refund without penalty also will be offered to passengers who wish to cancel their ticket.

The glitch was the result of a third party subcontracted by El Al

to post the Israeli airline’s winter promotional fares online.

According to El Al, the discounted airfares were the result of the subcontractor failing to add the fuel surcharge to the total price.

In an interview Thursday with JTA, Saadon took credit for pitching the idea to honor the fares to

El Al president and CEO Elyezer Shkedy, but said the decision for the direct flight add-on was Shkedy’s.

“If we’re honoring passengers’ tickets, let’s also offer them an opportunity to fly with El Al, and make life easier for families that might lose baggage and lose a connection,” Saadon said in explaining the company’s rationale behind the add-on offer.

On Tuesday, the day after the glitch set off a three-hour buying frenzy, an El Al spokesperson told The New York Jewish Week that the status of tickets purchased during the frenzy was “unclear.” The position was reinforced Wednesday by a follow-up statement posted to the company’s Twitter feed.

“Thanks for your patience,” the tweet read. “Details/decisions re incorrect fares that were briefly sold on Monday are not finalized.”

The wavering was in contrast to two separate Twitter posts on Monday afternoon that pledged to

honor the tickets. Saadon in the JTA interview acknowledged that the company’s posts via Twitter on Monday may have been a contributing factor in the decision to honor the tickets.

“Once we said it, we may as well follow our word,” Saadon said.

The decision to honor was “mainly to save face with El Al,” he said. “We’re talking about thousands of passengers. Most are customers anyway, they just took advantage of a ticket that was available at a low price. We’d rather keep them flying with El Al without disappointing them.”

To minimize exposure to similar glitches in the future, Saadon said that El Al will review fares before they are posted online and maintain a buffer of two hours before the process is finalized.

“I’m very pleased with the decision we made,” he said. “Our customers are very important to us and we want them to fly El Al.”

Seeking Kin: For schoolboys in Vienna, an upcoming reunion

By Hillel Kuttler Jewish Telegraphic Agency BALTIMORE (JTA) — Robert Krempel and Chanoch Kelman were friends in late-1930s Vienna.

They had met through the Zionist Orthodox youth movement Brit Hanoar (Youth Covenant), belonging to a chapter that gathered on Shabbat afternoons and Sunday mornings for discussions and sing-alongs on prestate Israel.

The two boys also played soccer in the streets and visited each other’s homes in the city’s Second District. They discussed the terror occurring around them following the Anschluss, Nazi Germany’s 1938 annexation of Austria, when Jews around them were beaten and sent to prison, some even committing suicide. The horrors reinforced their commitment to living in the land of Israel.

Krempel fulfilled his dream in April 1939, sent by his parents to join his older brother, Walter.

Robert Krempel soon Hebraicized his name, becoming Yeshayahu Karmiel.

Seventy-three years after last seeing his friend, Karmiel, now 86, wanted to know what became of Kelman. He recently took out newspaper notices, contacted the Jewish Agency for Israel, wrote to acquaintances in Belgium and was interviewed on the Israeli “Hamador L’chipus Krovim” (Searching for Relatives Bureau) radio program.

Karmiel remembers Kelman’s family moving to Belgium, but he stopped receiving letters from his friend in early 1940, when the Nazis invaded that country. He

Courtesy of Yeshayahu Karmiel

Yeshayahu Karmiel, left, and Herbert “Chanoch” Kelman, will soon see one another for the first time since 1939.

didn’t know whether the Kelmans made it to the United States as the parents had planned, were deported to concentration camps or survived the war.

On Wednesday, “Seeking Kin” found Kelman, 85. He had reached New York as a 13-yearold and, using his secular name, Herbert, went on to become a noted sociologist at Harvard University, specializing in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Kelman said he plans to meet Karmiel on a visit to Israel later this year.

“It’s really amazing after all these years,” Kelman said of being found. “Unfortunately, I don’t remember him. I feel bad; I wish I did. But everything matches up, and I can see that the search is legitimate.”

After viewing the two photo-

graphs that Karmiel had provided to “Seeking Kin,” Kelman said the image of Karmiel looks familiar.

“I have the feeling that I may have this picture – or some other picture of Robert Krempel – somewhere among my old photographs,” he said.

Karmel, meanwhile, is delighted about the prospect of seeing his childhood buddy.

“I’m so excited. I’m eager to see him and, in the meantime, to speak or exchange letters,” said Karmiel, a resident of Jerusalem’s German Colony who with his wife, Chava, has four children, 25 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren. Before the Kelmans left Vienna, he said, the boys exchanged photographs. “To Yeshayahu, forever,” Kelman wrote on the back of his picture.

Karmiel recalls Kelman as a

“very nice” boy who wore eyeglasses and attended Chayes Gymnasium, a Jewish school.

All these years, Karmiel assumed that their correspondence stopped because the Nazis invaded Belgium on May 10, 1940. By then, though, Kelman already had been living in New York a month.

His parents, Leo and Antonia (who later went by Lea), soon established a small grocery store near their new home in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.

The Kelmans — including Herbert’s older sister, Esther Ticktin, who now lives in Washington, D.C. — had fled Austria for Antwerp in late March or early April 1939. They benefited from Belgium’s welcoming of thousands of Jewish refugees, including many who, like them, entered the country illegally.

Peter Black, a senior historian at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, says the measure of Belgium “being very generous in terms of granting asylum to Jews” following Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 is the inability to pinpoint its estimated Jewish population in 1940. From 52,000 to 90,000, Belgium represented “the largest range in Western Europe, without question,” he said.

Belgium’s hospitality to Jewish refugees is “something that often gets forgotten,” Black added.

After their U.S. entry was approved, the Kelmans left Belgium by train in late March 1940. From the port of St. Nazaire, France, they boarded the SS Champlain that reached New York on April 8 of that year. On its

very next voyage, a German Uboat sank the Champlain.

“I have very good memories of Vienna. I go back often,” Kelman said. A few years ago, he and his wife, Rose, visited the store in central Vienna where his parents, aunt and uncle ran a fabrics business. The store had been confiscated following the infamous pogrom that the Germans dubbed Kristallnacht. It’s now a gambling parlor.

Karmiel retains the last letter Kelman sent him.

“I can tell you that after two years of waiting, we’re traveling to America,” Kelman wrote in German. “Our friends apparently reached the Land of Israel. Please give them regards: Lidi, the Teitler brothers and Yehuda. How is your brother? Also, give regards to friends Epstein and Traum.

L’hitraot [Until we see each other] in Israel. Yours, Chanoch.”

Kelman’s sister added a few lines below. The letter is undated, but the one it came with was written on March 11, 1940. It was from Karmiel’s widowed mother, Rose.

With wartime mail service nonexistent between prestate Israel and Austria, Kelman had served as the conduit for Karmiel’s correspondence with Rose.

The March 11 letter was the last one that Karmiel received from his mother. She was sent to the Riga ghetto in February 1942.

Karmiel assumes that she was killed there.

If you would like “Seeking Kin” to write about your search for long-lost relatives and friends, please contact Hillel Kuttler.

NATIONAL • 7

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Adelson lawsuit describes pressure on NJDC to apologize

By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — Sheldon Adelson’s $60 million defamation lawsuit against the National Jewish Democratic Council describes extensive efforts by his representatives, including Alan Dershowitz, to talk the group into apologizing for intimating that the casino magnate approved of prostitution.

The 16-page lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New York.

Lawyers for Adelson, one of the worlds’ wealthiest men, a major Republican donor and among the largest U.S. givers to Jewish and Israeli causes, had sent a warning letter to the NJDC and to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last month after each body quoted news reports alleging that Adelson had approved of prostitution at his properties in Macau, China.

The allegation appeared in a lawsuit filed by a former Adelson employee, Steven Jacobs, who had managed Adelson’s Macau business until he was fired in 2010.

The DCCC apologized last week for referencing the allegation in news releases sent June 22 and July 2.

Under pressure from Jewish groups, the NJDC removed an online petition calling on Republicans to stop accepting money from Adelson — but it would not apologize.

National Briefs Woman sues El Al for gender discrimination FLORIDA (JTA) — A Florida woman reportedly is suing El Al for gender discrimination after she was forced to change seats to accommodate a haredi Orthodox man.

Debra Ryder charged that a flight steward moved her to a seat in the back without her prior consent, Israeli media reported. The haredi Orthodox man had refused to sit next to her and then moved into her aisle seat.

Ryder reportedly filed a lawsuit on Aug. 9 seeking some $12,500 in compensation, including for distress. She had obtained an aisle seat for medical reasons, she told Israel Army Radio.

Ryder’s attorney, Orly ErezLikhovsky of the Israel Religious Action Center, also has sent a letter to El Al demanding that it set and distribute specific instructions to employees on how to act when confronted with such cases,

Courtesy of Creative Commons

Sheldon Adelson is suing the National Jewish Democratic Council for $60 million for intimating in an online petition that he approved of prostitution at his Macau casino, shown here.

“We don’t believe we engaged in character assassination,” said the July 11 statement announcing the petition’s removal and signed by NJDC President David Harris and Chairman Marc Stanley, who also are named in Adelson’s lawsuit.

“We stand by everything we said, which was sourced from current, credible news accounts.”

Instead, Stanley and Harris said, they were removing the petition in the name of “shalom bayit,” the Hebrew term for peace in the home.

The original NJDC petition had cited an Associated Press story quoting parts of the Jacobs lawsuit.

Nothing in the AP story aside from the quote from the Jacobs lawsuit validated the prostitution claim.

The AP story notes that federal investigators are interested in Globes reported.

“Flight attendants are at the service of passengers, they are faced with different requests and they try to help as much as possible,” El Al said in a statement.

“The passenger’s complaint will be looked into and dealt with accordingly.”

Giffords returns home to Tucson ARIZONA (JTA) — Former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has moved home to Tucson.

Giffords and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, reportedly bought a home recently in Tucson and moved in on Sunday. She had spent the last year-and-a-half in Houston undergoing rehabilitation after being shot during a constituent event in Tucson in January 2011.

The Arizona Democrat resigned from Congress in January to concentrate on her rehabilitation. She will continue her therapy in Tucson, according to the Arizona Daily Star.

Kelly had been living in Houston, but has since retired from the NASA space agency.

NATIONAL on page 21

claims by Jacobs in the lawsuit that Adelson’s business authorized bribes to Chinese officials. In addition to the prostitution allegation, the NJDC petition cited the bribery investigations as well as Adelson’s clashes with unions to bolster its claim that Adelson’s money was “dirty.”

Adelson’s publicist, Ron Reese, had no immediate comment, but the lawsuit suggests that the NJDC’s non-apology made matters worse.

The lawsuit cites not just the July 3 petition but the July 11 statement removing the petition to make its case. The claim by Harris and Stanley that they “stand by” what they described as “credible news accounts” was in itself “false and defamatory,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit details how, through

an interlocutor, Adelson tried to show Harris that Jacobs was lying.

It quoted what it said was a 2009 email from Jacobs to Michael Leven, Adelson’s chief operating officer, asking whether Adelson had approved of prostitution. The lawsuit does not quote the email at length or explain why Jacobs would make such a query, but it does quote him as saying that allowing prostitution would “seem at odds with what I know to be Sheldon’s ‘no tolerance’ policy.” Leven responds the next day, May 12, 2009, and says “there is no evidence that can be found that anyone here supported in anyway (sic) a different policy than we have in las vegas (sic).”

The lawsuit says that Harris was contacted after the July 3 petition was posted and that the email exchange between Jacobs and Leven was described to him.

Alan Dershowitz, the prominent First Amendment lawyer and Harvard professor, told JTA on Wednesday that he was the interlocutor who reached out to Harris on Adelson’s behalf.

“I had a conversation with David Harris in which I personally told him the same man whom they quote as having made the allegation in an email had said he doesn’t believe the allegation to be true,” Dershowitz said.

Jacobs’ email, at least as quoted in the lawsuit, does not address the veracity of the prostitution allegation; it only notes that the allegation would seem at odds with Adelson’s stated policies. Harris would not

comment on his conversation with Dershowitz.

Dershowitz, a Democrat who was among the notable Jewish individuals who had called on Harris and NJDC to rescind the petition as soon as it appeared, said Harris’ refusal to apologize disqualifies him to represent Democrats or Jews.

“He is now doing more harm to Democrats and the Jewish community than good. They are willfully spreading a ‘lashon hora’ that they know to be false,” Dershowitz said, using the Hebrew term for malicious gossip.

Dershowitz said he could not comment on the freedom of speech merits of the NJDC case because he may be called upon to act as a witness should the lawsuit go to trial.

Organizations associated with Adelson have paid Dershowitz twice: for speaking at the Jewish day school founded by Adelson and his wife, Miriam, in Las Vegas, and as a lawyer helping to represent Adelson’s Venetian casino in its efforts to keep union picketers off sidewalks adjacent to the hotel. The Venetian lost that 2001 case, which Dershowitz said occurred before he met Adelson.

“The work he does for Jewish education is unmatched,” Dershowitz said.

Adelson seems particularly galled in the lawsuit by the prostitution allegation because of the work he and his wife fund in Israel to rehabilitate prostitutes.

ADELSON on page 20

8 • INTERNATIONAL

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Sinai offensive is no reason to trust Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood

By Ben Cohen Jointmedia News Services If you are seeking to understand what motivates the jihadists who have swarmed into the Sinai Peninsula in recent months, their own words are the best guide available.

“Every outing with rockets is a life-and-death adventure. It is one we love,” a terrorist who belongs to a Palestinian Islamist faction told Reuters last week. “If we live we will be back to fire more, and if we die we go to heaven as martyrs.”

If there’s one thing that can be said for jihadists, it’s that they are honest. In Sinai, as in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and all the other territories where the Islamists have emerged as a destabilizing influence, they are frank about their devotion to continuing the conflict against western encroachment—of which Israel’s existence is a particularly hated example— and they do not fear death or capture in the process.

That devotion was on graphic display in early August, when radical Islamists stormed an Egyptian army base in the Sinai Peninsula, killing 16 soldiers. Some of the

Courtesy of Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90

The wreckage of an Egyptian military vehicle after terrorists burst it through a security fence into Israel from Egypt, at an Israeli military base along the border with Egypt, southern Israel, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. Masked gunmen killed scores of Egyptian soldiers Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, at a checkpoint along the border with Gaza and Israel.

terrorists then made off with an army vehicle they drove into Israeli territory, where they were thwarted by the IDF near the Kerem Shalom crossing.

It was an episode that highlighted the strategic vulnerability of this vast peninsula, whose demilitarized status was a cornerstone of

the Camp David peace accords between Israel and Egypt in 1979.

Under those accords, Israel transferred the Sinai, which it captured following the 1967 war, back to Egyptian sovereignty.

Especially in the last years of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s rule, lawlessness

reigned in Sinai. After Israel and Egypt jointly imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip in 2006, following the Hamas seizure of power in the small sliver of land bordering Israel’s south-western coast, smugglers and terrorists dug underground tunnels between Gaza and Sinai, using them to transport a range of goods from building materials to goats to weapons.

When Mubarak’s regime collapsed amidst a surge in support for Egypt’s Islamist groups, most prominently the Muslim Brotherhood, which maintains close ties with Hamas, the Brotherhood’s Palestinian branch, there was widespread concern that Sinai might become a new front in the war upon Israel. Israeli radars spotted Palestinians transporting rockets and launchers into Sinai, for the purpose of testing and improving their range and accuracy of these weapons, which have terrorized Israelis living in southern towns like Sderot for a decade.

However, in the aftermath of the attack on the Egyptian base, there appears to be a general determination to maintain order in the peninsula.

Despite the Muslim Brotherhood’s recent victory in the

Egyptian elections, Israel has temporarily suspended its objection to Egyptian troop deployments in Sinai, applauding an offensive by the Egyptian army against the Islamists. Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak secured the agreement of the security cabinet to allow the Egyptians to send five attack helicopters into Sinai. Interviewed by Israel Radio, Barak went out of his way to praise the Egyptian response, saying that Cairo had acted “to an extent and with a determination that I cannot previously recall.”

Even the Palestinian Authority has joined the chorus of demands for tightened security in Sinai.

Over the weekend, the PA stressed that some of the terrorists involved in the attack on the army base had entered Egypt from Gaza, before urging the Egyptians to tighten their blockade by destroying the tunnels from Sinai.

Clearly, the PA sees a window of opportunity to gain the upper hand in its bitter conflict with Hamas. And Hamas reacted with anger, calling the PA’s demand “immoral and irresponsible.”

BROTHERHOOD on page 19

Jewish filmmaker, a history maker with Senegalese parliament run, puts lens on Jewish African tribes

By Rina Bassist Jewish Telegraphic Agency PRETORIA, South Africa (JTA) — Filmmaker Laurence Gavron is on a journey to document lost Jewish tribes in Africa.

The French-born Gavron, who has made Senegal her home since 1989, says she was immediately taken by the project, which she says combines her passion for Africa with the mystery of rediscovering Judaism.

The film, titled “Black Jews, Juifs noir en Afrique,” focuses on a dozen African tribes — in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and other countries — each with a Jewish story.

Some claim to be descendants of the Bible’s 10 Lost Tribes. Others believe that their ancestors were Jews who emigrated from Judea to Yemen looking for gold.

Rabbinical authorities have not accepted any of the groups as Jewish under halachah, Jewish law, although all the tribes strive to be recognized as such at some level or another.

Edith Bruder, who has been studying these Jewish groups for more than a decade and wrote the book “The black Jews of Africa, history, identity, religion,” turned to Gavron for the film, which is expected to be released in the coming months.

“In sub-Saharan Africa, you can find ‘Judaic’ tribes in Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Uganda, Cameroon,

South Africa, Zimbabwe and even in Sao Tome and other countries.

There are many of them,” Bruder said. “It is really a vast subject.”

The two women are documenting Sabbath celebrations in remote African villages, Ghanaian Jews practicing circumcision and Jewish-African traditional marriage ceremonies. They have even been deep into the forests filming black Jews preparing their “kosher” meals — in their own tradition, the way the Torah explains it simply — not mixing the meat of the veal with its mother’s cow milk.

Filming a Shabbat service in Ghana was a moving experience, Gavron says.

“At the end, [I was] really very touched and almost started crying,” she said.

The French connection between Bruder and Gavron seems almost predestined: Gavron with her fascination for Africa and for her Jewish roots, and Bruder’s researching of “Jewish-related subjects” for most of her academic career. Their producer, too, is French: Anne Schushman of Scuch Productions.

“I am very interested in Jewish people, being one, and in blacks, living in Africa and having become Senegalese,” Gavron said. “So black Jews is something that was more than perfect for me.”

In the introduction to her documentary project, Gavron writes, “Who has the right to proclaim himself a Jew? Who can assert his

connection to Judaism? Are these black Jews really a part of the Jewish people? And if not, why do they wish to be included?”

Courtesy of Laurence Gavron

Laurence Gavron, a French-born filmmaker whose film “Black Jews, Juifs noir en Afrique” tells the story of African tribes that claim to have Jewish ancestry.

Her own connection to Judaism — a sense of peoplehood and culture — has mostly been background music, she says, and making the film has “rekindled” those feelings.

Gavron, who keeps busy making films, writing detective stories, organizing cultural evenings, making video clips and curating photo expositions, among other pursuits,

recently made history in her adopted homeland. In July, she became the first woman toubab — Senegalese naturalized white person — to be on an electoral list for parliament. With a victory, she would have become the first Jewish member of Senegal’s parliament.

Gavron, 57, hadn’t given much thought to political involvement in the Muslim-dominated country until just a few months ago. At a cocktail party in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, she began speaking to Mamadou Lamine Diallo, who heads Tekki, a leftwing party.

“I told him how much I share with him the values defended by his party: transparency, citizenship activism and ethics,” she said. “He immediately asked me if I cared to join as a candidate for the upcoming elections.”

The offer “enchanted me,” Gavron said. “I felt it was a wonderful way to repay this country, which has embraced me without any restraint or hesitation. It is my way to pay my gratitude back to the Senegalese people.

Gavron was able to run only because the Senegalese parliament adopted an equal gender representation act two years ago, obliging political parties to present an equal number of male and female candidates. And although she did not win the election, the experience convinced her to remain politically active — and she believes the

results would be different the next time around.

Senegal has undergone significant changes in the past three years, most recently choosing Macky Sall as president over incumbent Abdoulaye Wade, who was criticized for his grandiose living style.

That, along with the new laws designed to promote gender equality, may well play in Gavron’s favor in the next elections.

As to her “home party,” Gavron is the perfect match for what Tekki is striving to achieve, says El Hadrji Sarr, a Tekki leader who supported Gavron’s candidacy.

“Laurence is a Senegalese in every means and ways, even though she is white,” he said. “She has a natural place within our electoral list.”

Gavron has long split her time among France, Africa and Israel.

Although a Senegal citizen who makes her permanent home in Dakar, she says that when she visits Paris, she suddenly feels that is home again, as if she never left the place. Israel, meanwhile, remains her spiritual homeland, she says.

Her first visit to Senegal, a former French colony in western Africa, came in 1987 for an international film festival. She continued to go back and forth before making it her permanent home in 1989.

Widowed for several years by then, Gavron says she decided it was time for a real change. She became a Senegalese citizen in 2007.

INTERNATIONAL / ISRAEL • 9

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

International Briefs Italian man, 66, released after stealing Auschwitz barbed wire WARSAW, Poland (JTA) — An Italian man who stole a onefoot piece of barbed wire from Auschwitz was released from police custody.

The man, 66, was released after leading police to the artifact, The Associated Press reported Sunday.

He had been arrested the night before at the airport in Krakow when he tried to leave the country with the wire in his luggage. He explained he did it because his father died in Auschwitz.

This is not the first theft at Auschwitz. In the most wellknown case, thieves in December 2009 stole the inscription “Arbeit macht frei” from above the gate of the former camp and cut it into at least three pieces. The perpetrators were apprehended and sentenced to jail.

At least 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were killed at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

South African minister ‘discouraging’ Israel visits CAPE TOWN, South Africa (JTA) — South Africa’s deputy international relations minister, Ebrahim Ebrahim, is “discouraging” his countrymen from visiting Israel.

“Israel is an occupier country which is oppressing Palestine, so it is not proper for South Africans to associate with Israel” unless the visit is associated with the peace process, he said, according to a report Sunday in the City Press.

Ebrahim denied the call was a step toward a complete boycott of Israel. South Africa’s department of trade and industry indicated recently its intention to introduce legislation that would require all goods from the West Bank to be labeled as such.

Last week, a planned trip to Israel by KwaZulu-Natal province mayors and officials was called off due to pressure from the local proPalestinian lobby.

Ebrahim told the City Press that South Africa should “scale down” its economic ties with Israel, but said he did not advocate a complete breakdown of relations.

The country has formal diplomatic ties with Israel.

Describing the South African government’s record on international human rights as being “highly selective,” the South Africa Israel Public Affairs Committee’s David Hersch said in response that the country has “obviously abandoned its ludicrous claims to becoming involved in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs.”

INTERNATIONAL on page 22

A Jewish medical giant in Ethiopia

By Peter Rothholz Jointmedia News Services When a planeload of secular Israelis landed in Addis Abba shortly before Pesach last spring, they were greeted by a small Ethiopian boy holding aloft a handmade sign reading: “Ask me about a Passover seder.”

The man behind the sign was Dr. Rick Hodes, medical director of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in Ethiopia. His accomplishments in saving lives are legendary and have been chronicled in numerous articles and books.

Moreover, Dr. Rick, as he is widely known, was the subject of an HBO documentary, “Making the Crooked Straight,” and other films.

To understand why an American doctor would want to motivate perfect strangers to participate in his seder, one needs to understand what makes Dr. Rick tick.

Richard Hodes was born into a middle-class Jewish family in Syosset, Long Island.

He graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in geography.

When his father pointed out the career limitations for geographers, Hodes enrolled in medical school at the University of Rochester and subsequently trained in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins University. He first went to Ethiopia during the famine of 1984 and returned in 1985 as a Fulbright Professor, teaching medicine at Addis Ababa University.

He was hired by JDC in 1990.

As JDC’s medical director, Hodes is responsible for taking care of Ethiopian immigrants to Israel between the time the Israeli authorities have selected them and their departure. His clinic staff consists of himself plus one Ethiopian physi-

Courtsey of Richard Lord/JDC.

Dr. Rick Hodes treats a baby in Ethiopia.

cian, several nurses and aides. At any given time, he looks after more than 4,000 people.

“We need to keep them healthy, and need to take care of whatever comes up,” Hodes says in an interview with JNS. In addition to his work for JDC, Hodes’s clinic takes care of seriously ill, often destitute Ethiopians, and it is for them that he has performed countless medical miracles, especially in the area of cancer and diseases of the spine and heart.

Hodes, who is single, lives in a modest house in Addis Ababa with several of his adopted Ethiopian children, all former patients. When we met him, he was accompanied by 18year-old Dejene Hodes, one of his adopted sons. He had tuberculosis of the spine when he was adopted from Mother Teresa’s Mission. Hodes sent him to Dallas, Texas, for back surgery and Dejene remained there for two years. He is now perfectly fit, recently graduated from the Yavneh Jewish Day School and plans to study engineering in college.

Hodes is an observant Jew who says he is “anchored” by the Jewish calendar. He prays and puts on tefilin virtually every morning, keeps Shabbat and celebrates all holy days and festivals. When asked why he has devoted his life to the people of Ethiopia, he replied, “We, of course, have to look out for other Jews, but we absolutely must help the rest of the world. After all, we are commanded to perform ‘tikkun olam.’”

JDC began its operations in Ethiopia as part of Prime Minister Golda Meir’s “African Strategy” and is recognized as an NGO by the Government of Ethiopia. In addition to its clinic, JDC builds schools, 20 of which have so far been completed outside the capital, digs wells to supply fresh water and funds scholarships to enable (mostly Christian and Muslim) girls to obtain higher education. When asked “Why only girls?” Hodes replied that “the only way for the world to get better is to make sure girls are educated.”

ETHIOPIA on page 19

Israeli pediatric association calls for end to circumcision-related rite

By JTA Staffer Jewish Telegraphic Agency JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Israel Ambulatory Pediatric Association is calling for an end to a controversial circumcision-related rite that is also under fire in New York.

Direct oral-genital suction, known as metzitzah b’peh, should not be performed during Jewish ritual circumcision, the IAPA said.

The association is calling on Israel’s Health Ministry to require maternity wards and clinics to advise parents against metzitzah b’peh, Israeli media reported.

IAPA is recommending that mohels, or ritual circumcisers, use a tube to take the blood from the circumcision wound, preventing direct contact with the infant’s incision.

The rite is not used in most Jewish circumcision ceremonies, but many in the haredi Orthodox community still adhere to it.

Rabbi Chaim Moshe Weisberg, a mohel, told Haaretz that IAPA is not after the child’s best interest and is against circumcision.

“They want all parents to stop circumcising their sons, as they did in Germany,” Weisberg said. “The cases of reported diseases allegedly originating from the custom are very few — and even then they can’t prove it was actually transferred from the mohel. Only if a parent requests metzitzah b’peh, as people have done for 3,000 years, do we do it at his request.

“I’m opposed to compulsion.

Why do you want to prevent a Jew from Mea Shearim from upholding the traditions of his forefathers, if he knows what the risk is?

Why not respect him?”

The controversy over metzitzah b’peh was reignited in New York in March after it came to light that an unidentified infant died Sept. 28 at Brooklyn’s Maimonides Medical Center from “disseminated herpes simplex virus Type 1, complicating ritual circumcision with oral suction,” according to the death certificate.

New York Health Department investigations of newborns with the herpes virus from 2000 to 2011 have shown that 11 infants contracted the virus when mohels placed their mouths directly on the child’s circumcision wound to draw blood away from the circumcision cut, according to a statement from the department. Ten of the infants were hospitalized, at least two developed brain damage and two babies died.

Israel Briefs Aly Raisman heading to Israel (JTA) — Gold medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman has accepted an invitation from Israel Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein for her and her family to make their first visit to Israel.

Raisman, who performed floor routines to the melody of “Hava Nagila,” won an individual gold medal in her floor exercise last week and a bronze on the balance beam after helping the U.S. women’s team take the gold.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Edelstein wrote an impassioned letter congratulating Raisman and invited not only the 18-year-old gymnast but also her parents, Lynn and Rick, and her younger siblings, Brett, Chloe and Madison, to be his guests.

She accepted last Friday after a telephone conversation facilitated

by Dan Shapiro, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, according to the Post.

“For me personally, as the minister in charge of relations with Diaspora Jewry, hearing why you chose the song made me realize that the concept of Kol Israel Arevim Zeh Lazeh [All Jews are responsible for one another] still holds true and that the Jewish people remain united no matter how far apart we may live. I was impressed that someone so young made such a monumental, ethical decision,” Edelstein wrote to Raisman, the Post reported.

“Making your first visit to Israel is not only important because it is the homeland of the Jewish people, but also because you can contribute from your experience to the young generation of Israeli athletes,” Edelstein reportedly added.

There were no details on the timing or length of the visit.

West Bank outpost is legalized JERUSALEM (JTA) — The West Bank outpost of Bruchin received its charter, making it a legal settlement.

The town, located near Ariel and home to more than 100 families, is now part of the Samaria Regional Council.

The head of the Israel Defense Forces Central Command, Maj.Gen. Nitzan Alon, signed an order Sunday giving the outpost legal status, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The change comes nearly four months after the Israeli government decided to legalize Bruchin and two other outposts — Sansana and Rechalim — which were founded in the 1990s on state land and with millions of dollars in assistance from the country’s Construction and Housing Ministry.

ISRAEL on page 22

10 • ISRAEL

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Preserving volunteerism in Israel

Courtesy of Matanya Tausig/FLASH90

Israelis enjoy a festival celebrating the Jewish holiday of Shavuot at Kibbutz Ein Dor, in the Galil, Northern Israel, on May 27, 2012.

By Jeffrey F. Barken JointMedia News Service JERUSALEM (JNS) — “Ask Israelis who have never seen a kibbutz before in their lives and who know nothing about the movement,” remarks Aya Sagi, director of the Volunteer Department at the Kibbutz Movement Program Center. “They at least know about the volunteers and are nostalgic.”

Sagi’s observation sheds light on the influence of kibbutz volunteers on Israeli culture, their inspiring legacy worldwide, and the current financial and political challenges affecting this unique institution.

Kibbutzim are small, multi-generational, agricultural communities characterized by collective ownership and management of resources as well as a cooperative lifestyle.

The first kibbutz, Degania, was settled in 1910 by pioneering Zionists.

The movement eventually grew to include 273 separate communities scattered throughout Israel and has played an integral role in defining the country’s borders throughout a turbulent century of confrontation and war.

When the kibbutz volunteer program was initiated in the aftermath of the Six Day War in 1967, the country opened its doors to an influx of travelers from around the world. Young men and women came to explore Israel’s rich history, experience a pioneer lifestyle and share in the communal work ethic of the kibbutzim. Volunteers, who were often not Jewish, brought with them diverse cultural practices as well as an eagerness to be a part of Israel’s democratic and social experiment.

Many volunteers married Israelis, or became so attached to the land and their work that they immigrated and achieved kibbutz membership.

Today, they are some of the movement’s most devoted supporters and are helping to modernize and develop a “renewed kibbutz model” that will redefine and strengthen kibbutzim for the future.

Shaun Deakin, a kibbutz volun-

teer who arrived in Israel in 1974 and later immigrated and settled at Kibbutz Dorot, recalls his inspiration to leave England and volunteer. “I was impressed by the labor politics of Tony Benn back home, whose worker cooperatives shared ideology with kibbutzim.

Volunteering was an opportunity to meet folks from around the world and taught me the value of hard work,” he tells JNS. Throughout the 1970s the number of volunteers who came to work on kibbutzim steadily increased, eventually amounting to 12,000 annually.

Volunteers worked in agriculture and at kibbutz factories, managed livestock, were educators and caretakers of the elderly, and performed many other industrial and civil tasks. During the 1980s, however, many kibbutzim began to struggle financially, and the tide of volunteers was quickly stemmed as individual kibbutzim went bankrupt or were privatized.

Although volunteers continued to offer a cheap source of labor, the kibbutz movement at that time suffered from poor management and the absence of a unified ideology. Attracting foreign laborers and promoting a cultural exchange became a low priority.

Additionally, the chaos of the Intifadas after 1987 contributed to a sharp decrease in volunteerism throughout the ensuing decades, reaching a nadir in 2001, when only 100 volunteers arrived in Israel to work.

Despite these dispiriting statistics, the program ultimately survived.

In recent years, participation has gradually recovered. “Volunteers are still the cheapest form of labor,” the Kibbutz Program Center’s Sagi tells JNS, reiterating the principle reason for the program’s resilience.

Furthermore, volunteering continues to be a cheap way for foreigners to travel and experience Israel. On average, participants pay only $610 to register and arrange for a three-month visa,

room and board, and health insurance. While on assignment, volunteers earn a small stipend of 500 shekels or more, based on the local costs of living.

Volunteers who wish to stay longer can easily renew their visa and healthcare for an additional $80, and can stay in Israel for a maximum of nine months.

“Volunteers are great for the youngsters living on a kibbutz,” Deakin adds to the list of benefits. “They open up a typically closed society and enable personal diplomacy.”

The program is a system in which everyone wins.

Nevertheless, it has been difficult to rebuild the volunteer presence to the levels achieved in the ‘70s.

This is primarily because of new immigration and work-status restrictions imposed by the government and reluctance on the part of many kibbutzim to reengage the program. “In the past, things were more open,” Sagi laments.

New regulations initiated in 2010 limit the age of volunteers to 35 or below, require volunteers to pay for the program prior to arriving in Israel, and shorten the time they are allowed to stay in the country.

Sometimes it is hard to place volunteers on kibbutzim. Only 10 percent of Israel’s kibbutzim are now participating in the program, and according to Deakin, volunteers may be cheap, but they are not always the ideal work force.

“It’s a question of commitment,” he says. “Only occasionally do volunteers really work.” When Deakin attempted to restart Kibbutz Dorot’s volunteer program in 2009, he began by accepting many volunteers but has gradually discontinued his involvement with the program. Teaching a new staff to perform agricultural work every three months was a tedious process and a drain on resources.

Deakin is not disappointed that his initiative to restart volunteerism was stymied. He recognizes that volunteers were not a pragmatic solution to Kibbutz Dorot’s specific labor needs. This is the challenge that Sagi faces on a daily basis. How does she extend the volunteer program internally, despite financial realities, and kibbutz employers’ desire to hire consistent and experienced workforces?

Additionally, she must keep program costs down so that volunteering remains an attractive opportunity abroad.

When asked how the Kibbutz Program Center is adapting to better accommodate the needs of kibbutzim and the interests of volunteers, Sagi is optimistic. She cites initiatives like the improved website, providing a clear and inviting synopsis of the volunteer experience, and the sponsored monthly field trips in Israel that volunteers are guaranteed as part of their contract.

Courtesy of Noam Moskowitz/Flash 90/JTA

A haredi man and his son standing next to the Israeli army recruiting office in Jerusalem on the day the Tal Law was voided, Aug. 1, 2012.

At the start of haredi draft, no significant problems—or optimism

By Ben Sales Jewish Telegraphic Agency TEL AVIV (JTA) — The controversy had sparked a national debate, raucous protests in the streets and the collapse of a historic government. That came in the months after the Israeli Supreme Court had nullified a law exempting haredi Orthodox Israelis from military service and given the government until Aug. 1 to draft a replacement law.

More than one week after the law’s implementation, the Israel Defense Forces has yet to encounter any significant problems in putting haredi men through the draft process, according to a military source with knowledge of the issue.

The IDF had no official comment on the new process.

In previous weeks, thousands of haredim had gathered in the streets, holding protest signs declaring that they would rather spend their lives in prison than serve in the “Zionist army.”

Another protest in Tel Aviv declared that secular Israelis, who had always served, would no longer be “suckers.”

But political stalemate won out. No law was passed and a broad government coalition created to solve this issue broke up.

The day before the Aug. 1 deadline, Defense Minister Ehud Barak sent out a news release stating that the IDF had one month to formulate guidelines on haredi military service that would accord with the Military Service Law of 1986, which subjects haredim to the same service requirements as all other Jewish Israelis. Haredim have been subject to the law since Aug. 1, and will be until the Knesset passes a new law on haredi service.

Under the 1986 law, 18-yearold haredi boys — until now exempt from the military draft while studying in a yeshiva — are eligible for the draft; their summons may come even before their 18th birthday. The penalty for refusing the summons: three years in prison.

The law includes a clause on religious exemptions from military service for women who observe Shabbat and keep kosher, but they do not apply to men. Men up to the age of 26 may be drafted, haredi or not.

Now haredi men born in 1994 and 1995 are or soon will be undergoing competency tests in math, Hebrew and general knowledge, as would any draftee. The first language of many haredim is Yiddish, not Hebrew, and their schools do not focus on math or general studies.

The military source could not give any details on the formulation of guidelines for haredi enlistment, but said the monthlong period was granted in part to allow the army time to prepare for absorbing thousands of haredi soldiers.

According to Haaretz, there are 54,000 haredi men of enlistment age who have not served in the IDF. But even as the protests have died down, observers on both sides of the issue do not expect the controversy to be solved or a new law to be passed anytime soon.

“Right now there’s not a general feeling that something major is going to happen because of the political consternation,” said Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblum, a columnist for Mishpacha magazine, a major haredi publication.

HAREDI on page 22

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

SOCIAL LIFE • 11

Two local girls join the Israeli Defense Forces

Group shot of the 127 soon-to-be-soldiers that made Aliyah to Israel. Two young local Cincinnati girls, Lainey Paul, 19, and Stefanie Zimerman, 18, are making Aliyah. They left for Israel on August 13. Immediately after becoming Israeli citizens, they will be joining the Israel Defense Forces. Their flight included a record high 127 soon-to-be IDF soldiers.

2012 Rosh Hashanah Cover

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All entries must be received by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE 18 WEST NINTH, SUITE 2, CINCINNATI, OH 45202

12 • CINCINNATI SOCIAL LIFE

CEDAR VILLAGE presents

Eight Over Eighty On May 17, Cedar Village honored distinguished individuals over the age of 80 who have made a difference by dedicating their time and talents to the Cincinnati Jewish community.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE • 13

14 • DINING OUT

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Izzy’s — Where corned beef is still king

By Joe Levy Dining Editor I headed downtown for a lunch with John Geisan, the president and CEO of Izzy’s Restaurant — the very first Jewish deli West of the Allegheny Mountains. John is not an Izzy and not a Kadetz. Still, I hoped to find something Izzy Kadetzish about the place, a tribute somehow to the legendary standing room only deli counter with tables and chairs on Elm Street, long closed.

This Izzy’s stands across the street. It is one of eight links in the modern Izzy’s chain – eight stores scattered around Greater Cincinnati. I could have visited any of them but hoped that being closest to where Izzy Kadetz reigned supreme in the ‘40s, ‘50, ‘60s and most of the ‘70s would recreate part of that experience.

Maybe a waiter or waitress who knew a bissell Yiddish who wanted to serve me a shissle of something would wait on me.

No such luck. Neither John nor the waiter seemed to know a word of Yiddish. Frankly I was not all that disappointed because my Yiddish vocabulary is somewhat limited. (Note to self: Learn more Yiddish.)

But I did find a picture of Izzy Kadetz on the wall of the well-lit, sparsely decorated, 68-seat restaurant with a small outside patio.

John was well aware of the legacy of the three generations of Kadetz ownership going back to the founding in 1901. Hired originally by Izzy’s son 30 years ago, and not a blood relation, John jokingly called himself “Izzy IV.” He feels close to the spirit of the place.

Maybe I would find echoes of the original Izzy’s in the food.

John hoped I would. He insisted I try the namesake’s signature meal – a corned beef sandwich.

“We are still best known for our corned beef,” John said. “Izzy had his own special way of curing the beef. He gave his instructions to a firm in Chicago. We still cure our corned beef in Chicago the way he wanted, cook it raw at each store.

Nobody else does that.”

John, however, made some major improvements about seven years ago. “We now take part of the corned beef from the lean half of the brisket and a part from the fattier bottom half of the brisket, the deckle, which we trim way down. The bottom piece has the most taste but these are more health conscious times and we seek a perfect balance, not too much fat...I think Izzy would have liked the improvements.”

John handed me a plate with a $7.59 corned beef on oh-so-soft Jewish rye with a slice of tomato, special horseradish sauce and Gulden’s mustard (on the side) and

Izzy Kadetz, the corned beef king himself.

a potato pancake. “This would cost $22 in New York,” he said.

He was right, this is the perfect blend of lean and fat. They also serve a special, even leaner, corned beef sandwich as well.

“Do you ever serve corned beef with mayonnaise?” I asked.

That would be the ultimate deNew Yorkization of corned beef, of course, and a running joke in film comedies.

“No,” John answered, shooting me a quizzical glance. “We never do. But we serve sandwiches with Thousand Island dressing and that has mayonnaise.”

John explained the unique story of the “there-goes-my diet pancake.” The secret was partly in the geography of the spuds.” Only northern potatoes—north of the 22nd parallel—will do because they are in the ground longer than the southern ones and are firmer.”

The rest of the secret was in the

binding. Forget about flour, John makes a special shredded potato paste instead—potatoes on potatoes. “The result is a less greasy and more ‘potatoey pancake’.”

I also sampled the very shallow tub of free pickles “We pick only cucumbers with the tiniest of seeds.” John said. I dipped into the brine with the silver tongs he supplied and pulled out a couple of slices. The tasty, thinly sliced pickles were mild, perhaps a bit timid for Jewish deli purists.

Other changes? The legendary Izzy had only 10 items on the menu. John has 40, including salads ($4.99-7.49), wraps ($7.798.29), a veggie Rueben ($7.99) and soups ($3.19 a bowl). Matzo Ball soup is available, but only on Fridays. The menu, however, still included the legendary Izzy Kadetz. Trademark line: “Hurry Back…Got the rent to pay.”

The drink menu was pretty

much the same; heavy on carbonated Pepsi products like you would find just about anywhere—but with a can or two of Dr. Browns, the deli favorite, thrown in. John also serves bottled beer at a few of the suburban locations.

Menu? Wait a minute. Did I say menu? Izzy Kadetz never printed menus. Instead, I am told, he would look at a customer, size him up and charge accordingly. If he thought you were rich, he figured you were willing to pay a little more. Poor? A little less.

Sometimes a lot less. “Literally you would have a mechanic standing in line in front of a businessman in a suit and he would charge the mechanic $3 and the businessman $4.50 for the same sandwich.

And no one would mind.”

“We still get customers who remember those days,” John continues. “And by those days he means the days when downtown

was where everyone in the city congregated on a daily basis.

Politicians, business people, lawyers, doctors, anyone local who was anyone would also indulge in the Elm Street deli in the days when downtown was pretty much the only game in town. That was of course before the suburbs and exurbs sprawled out and at least for a while deflated the singular importance of the city core.

Out of town entertainers and leaders would frequent the shop too. It was said that Izzy’s was Bill Cosby’s favorite restaurant whenever he hit town. John tells me, “Yep that is true.”

Apparently quite a few other noted celebrities and politicians needed their corned beef fix filled when in Cincinnati.

“Lucille Ball, President Franklin Roosevelt, Bob Hope— all stopped by,” he said.

Izzy’s, as you can see, was a rugged individualist in a time when rugged individualists and downright characters ruled the restaurant world. He was loud and proud of it, not immune to shouting at his wife Rose or even his customers. But he also had a wide grin and people appreciated his warmth beneath it all. That perhaps is why everyone knew Izzy’s —and maybe everybody loved Izzy’s.

John is more the quiet type, never saying an unkind word, Catholic and proud of it. However he has been an Izzy’s fixture for 30 of the store’s 110 year history, rising from manager to partner.

Every day he leaves his office to work in one of the restaurants: Anderson, one day, Western Hills, the next, Forest, Park then West Chester, Madisonville, Florence, Kentucky and then back downtown. He is the most hands on and visible of bosses and would never qualify for one of those “the boss goes incognito in his own company” reality television shows.

John also likes catering. “We have catered Bar Mitzvahs,” he says proudly. “And even a party for the transit system up in Columbus.”

The deli is still a bit of a fame and tourism magnet these days.

The Discovery Channel’s Adam Richman recently featured Izzy’s on “Man Versus Food.”

“We will get out-of-towners who tell us they saw the show and just had to stop by,” John smiles.

“That Adam is quite a character.”

And what about local celebrities? “Dusty Baker comes by for chicken soup whenever a player is sick.” Nice to know that America’s favorite pastime is sometimes aided by the Corned Beef King.

Izzy’s 800 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 (513) 721-4241

DINING OUT • 15

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

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16 • OPINION

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On the front line

Citing advances in neurobiology, the books make the case that our brain chemicals yield who we are and what we do. Choices we make, their authors argue, derive from our nervous systems, not the “I” that each of us feels is part of our soul. We are, in Mr. Harris’ words, “biomechanical puppets.”

It is true, of course, at least to a degree, that we are hampered by our biologies, conscribed by inherent limitations in how we act and react to things around us. We are born with (unripe but eventually-to-unfold) personalities, desires and mindsets.

Even beyond biology, as the Rambam (Hilchos De’os 1:2, 1:7) explains, our disposition-settings can be affected by our environments and the effects of our previous actions. But the “Can’t-HelpYourself” pushers abandon the fields of science for the marshes of wishful thinking when they leap from the fact that there are things human beings cannot easi-

Do you have something to say? E-mail your letter to editor@americanisraelite.com

Dear Editor, It’s decent of Lou Jacobs to admit that our economy is in the tank. Our capitalistic economy, while the most efficient economic system tried by Man, has a downside of periodic corrections. These corrections serve to clean out the excesses and errors that occur in the course of heated commerce. If left alone, ordinary markets correct in months, not years.

Obama inherited an ordinary cyclical correction and, through his policies, managed to turn it into a full fledged depression. This economic neophyte, this community organizer, thought, and evidently still thinks, throwing money at a problem was and is all that was and is needed. All he has managed is to get us deeper in debt. We are only a few years from becoming another Greece. Our children are graduating from college with back breaking student loans, and they cannot find jobs. Record numbers of people are unemployed or under employed. Due to government caused uncertainty, businesses are not reinvesting or hiring. The worst part of the economic downturn occurred while both houses of congress and the White House were under Democratic control. Democrats can and will try to blame others, but the burden of responsibility is on them.

In addition to this it should be noted that journalists have repeatedly ignored or dismissed the Obama scandals. This would include but not be restricted to, “Fast and Furious,” Solyndra, and the release of highly classified material designed to make Obama look good. In addition we are witnessing a bait and switch with regard to Obamacare. We were told that medical costs would go down and we could keep our insurance if we liked it. We are witnessing these costs going up as Obamcare is being implemented, and many will lose the insurance they currently carry.

All this aside, this nonsense of a strong relationship between the Obama Administration and Israel is pure bunk. An article from a former Democratic Congressman and current party flack, Mel Levine, is hardly proof of anything. Levine can hardly be regarded as an objective source. Levine cherry picks topics designed to make Obama look good. The problem here is that these are all continuing programs initiated by prior administrations and strongly supported by Congress. Congress it should be noted is and has always been pro Israel. Can an administration that does not seem to know the Capital of Israel be considered pro Israel? Can a president who walks out of a meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel to go to dinner with his wife be considered pro Israel? An insult to the Prime Minister of Israel is an insult to Israel and every Jew in the world. If you want an honest opinion of the current relationship between The United States and Israel ask an Israeli. Those Israelis I know hate and fear Obama. Does this sound like a good relationship?

Sincerely, Jerome C. Liner Cincinnati, OH

T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE THIS WEEK’S PORTION: RE'EH (DEVARIM 11:26—16:16) 1. How many times was the blessing at Mount Eval given? a. Once b. Every seven years c. On the Jubilee Year, once every 50 years 2. Which sin did the nations do when worshiping their idols? a. Curse their parents b. Rip out their hair c. Burn their children 3. Where are the Children of Israel called the “sons of Hashem”? a. Observing the festivals means that only when meat and milk are cooked together the Torah forbids it. The Rabbis added on fences to prevent one from eating meat and milk together 5. A 15:13,14

The dynamic point, the place where gain or loss can take place, is the front line. And that is where the battle must be fought.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

b. Not to make marks on our bodies c. Giving a loan to the poor 4. How does the Torah phrase the prohibition of not eating meat and milk? a. An abomination b. Not to eat c. Not to cook d. Not to sell 5. Is there a mitzvah to give a slave gifts after he goes out free? a. Yes b. No

2. C 12:31 3. B 14:1 It is proper that the children of Hashem should look good. Rashi 4. C 14:21 Meat and milk is forbidden, to eat, cook, and derive benefit. The phrase “to cook”

Like mosquitoes dive-bombing a rock, a swarm of writers are waging a spirited, ineffectual attack on human free will.

One observer of the spate of recent books arguing that people are biological automatons, James Atlas, calls the genre a mirror image of the so-called “self-help” literature. These new offerings, he drolly notes, are “Can’t-HelpYourself books.”

They follow, and complement, the malignant manna of atheist manifestos that dropped from the publishing sky just a few years back. (In fact, one of the new books is by Sam Harris, the author of one of the old ones.) Denying the Creator opens up new vistas of guiltless behavior. Denying our ability to control our actions erases any residual reservoirs of conscience.

ly, or at all, control to the conclusion that, as Mr. Harris puts it, “Free will is an illusion.”

The most accessible modern Torah-source on the topic of human will is likely Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, who in the 1940s served as the founder and Rosh Kollel of the Gateshead Kollel in England and later as the Mashgiach Ruchani of the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak.

The volumes of his posthumously published writings and thoughts, under the title Michtav Me’Eliyahu, are a bookshelf-staple of Mussar movement devotees and, in fact, any Jew of cerebral bent.

In his writings, Rav Dessler often refers to free will. He conceptualizes the Torah perspective in what he calls the “nekudas habechira” — the “point of choice.” His favored metaphor is a battlefield. An invading army, he asks us to imagine, is seeking to advance the line of battle deeper into enemy territory. The enemy pushes back. The territory behind the army is already conquered and secure. The territory beyond the enemy army is currently beyond reach. The dynamic point, the place where gain or loss can take place, is the front line. And that is where the battle must be fought.

Human beings, Rav Dessler explains, are perpetually on a front line facing an enemy: the urge to do wrong. There may be much territory behind us, the yield of battles won; there is little or no temptation to succumb to those distant sirens. And there is always territory yet to conquer, some of it out of reach for the moment, realistically beyond the power of our wills. What matters, because it can be engaged, is the front line, the point where change can transpire, where, with the force of our conscious determination, we can make true choices.

Imagine a person born into a larcenous, murderous environment, raised to take others’ possessions and lives at whim, and who has done so many times. His “front line” may be the decision to spare the life of the potential victim he now has in his gun’s sights.

The murderer cannot be expected to choose, at least now, to become a tzaddik, a kind and perfectly righteous man; that is too far from his current state. What he can do, though, is choose to put his weapon down and walk away now. And if he does that, he has won a battle, advanced in life, made a meaningful choice—and is better prepared to face the next one. With enough time and right choices, he can yet achieve tzidkus.

As we all can, on our own individual front lines.

Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise

ANSWERS 1. A 11:29 The blessings were said when the children of Israel entered Israel, that they had to live a lifestyle that would lead to blessing. A life of status quo does not lead to blessing. Sforno

By Rabbi Avi Shafran Contributing Columnist

JEWISH LIFE • 17

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

Sedra of the Week

by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel - Behold, I am placing before you this day both a blessing and a curse...

(Deuteronomy 11:26) Despite the looming security issue facing our still-fledgling state, once again, thousands of Israelis of all ages have taken to the streets and are peacefully and passionately demonstrating for stabilization of basic food costs and energy supplies, for greater social justice within Israeli society, for more affordable housing for those with less financial resources.

Apparently, despite the meteoric economic success of our young “start up nation” and at the same time that an economic debacle has overtaken America and Western Europe – nevertheless it is the glaring gulf between the “haves” and the “have nots” within our populace which is the crucial issue crying out to be rectified.

In a fascinating parallel vein, within the U.S. the major political parties are at loggerheads before the upcoming presidential election as to how to extricate America from its economic doldrums.

Would the majority best be served by expanding the responsibility of government to provide employment, housing and proper healthcare for all its citizens in a welfare socialist-state environment? On the other hand, ought government merely provide maximal opportunity for individual citizens to create jobs and housing as an integral part of successful business expansion and to render optimal healthcare by encouraging the best scientific minds to enter the medical profession in a more free-wheeling capitalistic climate? The goal in both countries is the same; to enable its citizenry of all economic strata including the infirm, the handicapped and the “stranger,” to enjoy “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as fully as possible.

The portion of Re’eh opens by presenting each Jew with a choice between a life of blessings or a life of curses, with the blessings to be rendered “this day” on Mount Gerizim and the curses on Mount Ebal.

The Bible continues to give commands, blessings and curses on “this self-same day” (Deut.

11:26-28), and we are told that “this day” marked the entrance of the Jews into Israel under Joshua

SHABBAT SHALOM: PARSHAT RE’EH DEUTERONOMY 11:26-16:17

This responsibly means that there is a necessity for breaking the monopolies of tycoons who also control media, for seeing to it that teachers and doctors are well paid for their services, for lowering costs of staple foods and gas, for restructuring unfair tax systems, for privatizing land sales and demanding that a certain percentage of apartments go to students and young families and for streamlining our bureaucracy.

(Deut. 27:11-12). It was a day of a third covenant, additional to the previous Covenant between the Pieces (Genesis 15) as well as to the previous covenant at Sinai.

This third covenant (Deut. 29:11) occurred in the Arava (Deut. 1:1).

The Talmud (B.T. Sota 37B), mindful of the fact that this covenant is bound up with the entry of the Israelites into the Land of Canaan (henceforth Israel), refers to this as the Covenant of Responsibility or CoSignership, (the Hebrew arev means co-signer, an obvious wordplay emanating from the place Arava, Arvot Moab) underscoring the fact that once the Israelites inhabit the Promised Land, we must each take responsibility for each other, for every sector within our population. And this means especially social justice for the weaker segments of our population, as the 12 curses on Mount Ebal testify, most notably “cursed is he who perverts justice for the strange (foreigner), orphan or widow” (Deut. 27:19).

The Bible expects society to respond to the needs of the indigent.

Tithes were to be given to the Levites and the Priests-Kohanim —remember that they were the landless ministers of the Temple and teachers of Torah, so their gifts could be seen today as school tuition and synagogue dues. Every third and sixth year of the sevenyear Sabbatical cycle each farmer had to give tithes for the poor.

Farmers also had to leave over a spare portion of land to be tilled by the poor, who would reap their own harvest. Note that everyone gave the same percentage for the tithe, each individual (not a governmental agency) himself administered to whom to give his tithe,

and the poor was given a piece of land to work—not a welfare handout for doing nothing. In a much later generation, Maimonides rules that the highest form of charity is giving an individual a job to prevent his penury (Mishne Torah, Laws of Gifts to the Poor 10,7).

All of this proves that the Bible is concerned—and the government of Israel must be concerned—for every citizen’s ability to have a suitable roof over their head and a healthy meal on their table.

This responsibly means that there is a necessity for breaking the monopolies of tycoons who also control media, for seeing to it that teachers and doctors are well paid for their services, for lowering costs of staple foods and gas, for restructuring unfair tax systems, for privatizing land sales and demanding that a certain percentage of apartments go to students and young families and for streamlining our bureaucracy.

What it does not mean is the creation of a socialist welfare state which dramatically failed under Communism (despite the slogans on behalf of social justice and even failed in our more benign form of the Kibbutz Movement).

Hence I was very much taken aback last year by all the red flags predominantly displayed at the demonstrations—and even a hammer-and-sickle flag in the Haifa demonstrations. I would submit that the responsibility of the individual to help himself as fostered by capitalism with proper safeguards for the weaker segments of society has so far proved to be the most effective.

Shabbat Shalom Shlomo Riskin Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone Chief Rabbi — Efrat Israel

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18 • JEWZ IN THE NEWZ

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By Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist MORE OLYMPIC DOINGS Here are notes on Jewish Olympic athletes you probably haven’t seen elsewhere. As I write this, a few days before the Games end, three Jewish athletes are still in the hunt for a medal.

You can check and see how they did after you read this: MERRILL MOSES, 34, the goalie for the U.S. water polo team; VASYL FEDORSHYN, 32, a Ukrainian Jew, and a 2008 silver medal winner, wrestling in the 60KG freestyle competition; and New Zealander sailor JO ALEH, 26, who captains a two-woman 470 class dinghy.

Athletes who’ve completed their events without a medal include U.S. “Star class” sailor MARK MENDELBLATT, 39 (he and his partner finished in 7th place); American fencer SOREN THOMPSON, 31; breaststroke specialist SARAH POEWE, 29, who swims for Germany and won a bronze in 2004; and DAVID BANKS, 29, a member of the U.S. eight-man oar boat team that finished 4th.

Australian STEVE SOLOMON, 19, who ran a personal best to make the finals of the 400M sprint, plans to attend Stanford this fall on an athletic scholarship and eventually follow his physician father into medicine.

Fellow Aussie JESSICA FOX, 18, won the silver in onewoman kayak. Her non-Jewish British father, Richard Fox, and her French Jewish mother, MYRIAM JERUSALMI-FOX, 51, were both top kayakers. Myriam won the Olympic bronze in 1996 in the same event as Jessica.

Richard and Myriam and Jessica (then just 5 years old) moved to Australia in 1999 after Richard was made head of the Aussie national kayak team. Last week, Myriam spoke to Ha’aretz, the Israeli paper, and recalled competing in the 1997 Maccabiah Games. She added that she has several cousins in Israel and she hopes to bring her whole family to Israel and visit these relatives.

Two medal winners I’m trying to learn more about in terms of parentage/Jewish identification are: New Zealand rower Nathan Cohen (gold in the two-man sculls) and American breaststroke swimmer Rebecca Soni, 25. In 2008, Soni won silver (100M) and gold (200M) in individual events and a team relay silver. In 2012, she again won gold in the

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200M race, a silver in the 100M, and a team relay gold.

Ma’ariv, the Israeli paper, has just interviewed Soni’s Israeli relatives. Her Jewish father is the son of an Auschwitz survivor.

Her mother’s background is unclear.

RAISMAN'S RABBI SPEAKS The Jewish heroine of the games is, of course, gymnast ALY RAISMAN, 17, who won a team gold, an individual gold in the floor exercise competition, and an individual bronze on the balance beam. Raisman performed her floor exercise routines to the tune of Hava Nagila and, after winning her gold medal, said she had been in favor of a moment of silence for the Israeli athletes murdered 40 years ago.

Her family rabbi, KEITH STERN, spoke to the NY Post this week and said, in part, “She’s very proud and upfront about being Jewish. Neither she nor her family explicitly sought to send a message. But it shows how very integrated her Jewish heritage is in everything that she does, she’s a sister-type who is a mother hen to all her younger siblings, I can’t wait to have her at the temple to talk about her experience…I know her sister’s bat mitzvah is coming up, so maybe I’ll catch up with her then.”

REALITY MEETS THE MILITARY “Stars Earn Stripes” is a reality/competition series which premiered on Aug. 13 (new episodes Mondays at 8PM). Eight celebs (including Todd Palin and actor Dean Cain) execute complicated missions inspired by real military exercises (like a helicopter drop into the water).

Each celeb is paired in a twoperson team with an elite military veteran and all the celebs are competing to win money for a military/veteran related charity.

The show is co-hosted by Gen. Wesley Clark, 67, the former NATO commander, and SAMANTHA HARRIS, 38, the former co-host of “Dancing with the Stars.” Harris, who was a bat mitzvah, now has two young daughters with her husband, MICHAEL HESS. Gen. Clark, now a Catholic, is the son of a Jewish father and a Methodist mother. His father died when he was very young and he didn’t know that his father was Jewish until he was a teen. He then sought out his Jewish relatives and remains close to some of them.

FROM THE PAGES 150 Y EARS A GO Captain Menken, of this city, we see, from a correspondent of the Cincinnati Times, distinguished himself quite heroically in the late engagement.

Captain Menken, who is at present commanding a squadron of cavalry as body guard of Gen. Pope, has proved himself a gallant and efficient officer, and has been very industrious in his search for the enemy when in advance of all other scouts, proving of great advantage to the General, and saving him from capture by a large force of the enemy’s cavalry on the evening of the battle.

At this dash of the enemy the captain lost two men, one whose name as Jos. M. Gaddis of Findlay, Ohio, who was shot through the neck and instantly killed. The other, Sergeant Charles W. Florence, was shot from his horse, and is presently missing.

On visiting the spot yesterday, where this encounter occurred, two of the enemy were found lying dead, and twelve of their horses, proving that they were rather severely handled. — August 22, 1862

125 Y EARS A GO Mr. Ed Kuhn is in New York.

Mrs. Fred Rauh has returned from St. Claire, Mich.

The Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Miss Clara Baur directress, will, in the future, occupy the handsome McLane residence at the corner of Forth and Lawrence Streets.

The building is one of the finest in the city, very commodious and centrally located. The conservatory is the best music school in the city, and will compare very favorably with any in New York or Boston. — August 19, 1887

100 Y EARS A GO Mr. and Mrs. August Levy have returned from a month’s stay in Boston and White Mountains.

Mr. Julian G. Schwab will leave the end of this week for Niagara on the Lake where he will spend the rest of the month with his fiancé, Miss Rosalind Ach. Rabbi M. Newfield, of Birmingham, Ala., was in the city during the week on his way from Petoskey, Mich., where he has been summering with his family.

Mr. and Mrs. R. Rodden, accompanied by their niece, Miss Tess Sugarman, left Wednesday for an extended stay in New York City.

Mr. and Mrs. Milton Katz, of Piqua, O., stopped in Cincinnati and paid their parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Frohman and Dinah Katz, a two days’ visit on their way home after an eastern trip.

On August 8 1912, at New

York, Florence T. Plaut, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Plaut of Cincinnati, was married to Martin Hartog of Amsterdam, Holland.

They will reside in Amsterdam at Sophiaplein, 2.

A most delightful dinner was given at Jackson, N.H., in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Klein (Frances Wile of Owensboro, Ky.) before their departure for Cincinnati. Mr. and Mrs. Klein are on their honeymoon. — August 15, 1912

75 Y EARS A GO Mr. and Mrs. Sigmund Freiberg will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary Tuesday, Sept. 14th, in Rome, Italy. With them will be Mr. and Mrs. Sol H. Freiberg, their son, Dr. Henry B. Freiberg and wife and their daughters Jean and Mimi.

The party will sail August 14th, on the S.S. Vulcania from New York on a cruise and tour, visiting the Azores; Lisbon, Portugal; Algiers, Africa; Palmero, Sicily; Athens, Greece; Ragusa, Jugoslavia. They will disembark at Venice, Italy to motor through the Dolomites and Switzerland, returning by motor through Italy to Rome.

The entire party will be at the Excelsior Hotel, Rome, Italy Sept.

14th-21st.

Dr. and Mrs. Leon Schiff sailed from New York City Wednesday, Aug. 11th, on the S.S. Queen Mary for England and Denmark, where Dr. Schiff will engage in special studies in London and Copenhagen.

They expect to return in September.

Before going to New York, Mrs. Schiff spent several days with her son, Herbert, in Harrison, Me.— August 12, 1937

50 Y EARS A GO Dr. Albert B. Sabin, distinguished service professor of research pediatrics at the UC College of Medicine and fellow at Children’s Hospital Research Foundation, will leave today (Thursday, Aug. 16) for Montreal to lead a session on viruses and cancer at next week’s International Microbiological Congress.

At the invitation of the Ministry of Health of Israel he will visit that country Aug 25-Sept. 2 to see in operation the program Israel began last year to eliminate poliomyelitis.

Mr. and Mrs. Max H. Signer announce the marriage of their daughter, Barbara, to Mr. David Jessel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Yaakov Jessel, of Toronto, Canada, on July 8.

The ceremony was performed in the Hebrew Union College Chapel,

by Drs. Alexander Guttman and Jakob Petuchowski, of the HUC faculty. A dinner at Ohav Shalom Synagogue followed.

The bride was attended by her

cousins, Janis Provisor and Geri Schottenstein. The bridegroom’s attendants were Murray Ziones, of Toronto, and Leonard Signer, brother of the bride. — August 16, 1962

25 Y EARS A GO Two Jewish Chautauqua Society (JCS) sponsored courses will be held during the 1987-88 academic year at Xavier University under the direction of Rabbi Alan Fuchs.

Eve Pearl, women’s division chairman of the Jewish Federation, announced that Florence Guttman has assumed the chairmanship of the Menorah/Lyon of Judah Division of Federations 1988 campaign.

Mrs. Paula Jarnicki, president of the Cincinnati chapter of Hadassah, was a special guest, at a dinner for Founders of Hadassah at Hadassah’s 73rd annual National Convention in Baltimore.

Elie Wiesel, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize, will present the keynote address at the fifth annual Tribute Dinner, hosted by the Associates of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati chapter, in the Regency Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel Sunday, October 18. Dr. Alfred Gottschalk, president of the College-Institute and longtime friend and colleague of Wiesel, made the announcement. — August 20, 1987

10 Y EARS A GO Representatives of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) met with congressman Rob Portman Aug. 8. The group requested that Portman support the Syrian Accountability Act which would impose sanctions on Syria until the president certifies that Syria has ceased its support for terrorist groups, has withdrawn its forces from Lebenon, has halted its development of missles and biological and chemical weapons and is in compliance with UN resolutions for illegal oil transactions with Iraq.

Lewis A. Goldberg of Cincinnati, 71, passed away July 30. Mr. Goldberg was born in Elizabeth, NJ, in 1930, as a son of the late Max and Mary (Mankowitz) of Cranford, N.J. He is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, Nancy H. Goldberg. Also surviving Mr. Goldberg are his children, Michael and Jill Goldberg of Needham, Mass., and Ellen Goldberg of Stamford, Conn.; and his grandchildren, Rachel and Julia Goldberg of Needham, Mass. Other survivors include a sister, Ruth Silverman of Westfield, N.J., and another sister and her husband, Shirley and Dr. Irving Alper of Millburn, N.J. — August 15, 2002.

CLASSIFIEDS • 19

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

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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business@ americanisraelite.com or call Erin at 621-3145 BROTHERHOOD from page 8 For western nations seeking to maintain calm in the region following the momentous political changes of the past two years, the hope is that shared security interests between Egypt’s Sunni Muslim Brotherhood leaders, the PA and Israel will check the ambitions of more radical forces seeking to use the Sinai as a launching pad. Echoing the current U.S. administration’s position that the Brotherhood should be diplomatically engaged, the New York Times posited that Egypt and Israel might be compelled to work together “to confront extremism and improve border security.”

Much attention has also been paid to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi’s decision to fire key officials in the wake of the attack on the army base. The group included Egypt’s influential intelligence chief, General Murad Muwafi. Yet the fact that Muwafi had very publicly argued for an assault to counter the Islamists in Sinai before the attack on the base occurred suggests that political considerations, and not just security ones, were a factor in his firing. That sense was further amplified by Morsi’s later decision to fire the chief of the armed forces, Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, along with other top generals, in a dramatic bid to prove that the president’s office, and not Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, is the ultimate arbiter of power in Egypt.

Critically, the events of the last two weeks should not blind us to the Muslim Brotherhood’s history of inflammatory statements against Israel. Nor should we forget that Morsi and his colleagues have repeatedly intimated that they want to renegotiate the terms of the 1979 treaty; given their vow ETHIOPIA from page 9 According to Hodes, the average Ethiopian does not quite understand Judaism and thinks it is some branch of Christianity. Ethiopian Jews recognized as such by the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel in the early 1970s know they are Jews and are different from other people religiously. Relations between the gov-

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(513) 531-9600 to never meet with Israeli officials, they could even tear it up unilaterally. Morsi’s spokesman, Yasser Ali, said last week that the “state respects international accords but at the same time serves the interest of the nation and Egyptian citizens,” which suggests that all options are open.

Moreover, before we get too excited about the prospect of a new era in security cooperation, recall what the Muslim Brotherhood stated after the attack on the Sinai base: “This crime can be attributed to the Mossad, which has been seeking to abort the revolution since its inception, and the proof of this is that it gave instructions to its Zionist citizens in Sinai to depart immediately a few days ago.” (Remember what Arab conspiracy-mongers said about Jews in the twin towers right after the 9/11 atrocities?)

That snippet of Islamist lunacy came only a few days after Egypt denied that Morsi had sent Israeli President Shimon Peres a letter saying, “I am looking forward to exerting our best efforts to get the Middle East Peace Process back to its right track in order to achieve security and stability for all peoples of the region, including the Israeli people.” For its part, Israel insisted that the letter was genuine.

What the Sinai flashpoint shows, then, is a common acknowledgement that the status quo should be maintained. In other words, no one wants a full-scale war—at least, not for the time being. The proper conclusion to draw is not that Muslim Brotherhood has become a trustworthy international citizen, but rather that Israel must retain its qualitative military edge if a further deterioration in the area is to be avoided. Knowing that the IDF cannot be defeated is, for now, the safest guarantee of peace. ernment of Ethiopia and Israel are amicable, and Hodes believes the average Ethiopian “is really proIsrael.”

In western eyes, Hodes, even at 5-foot-3 and 123 pounds, is a giant.

But when it comes to treating ordinary Ethiopians, he says he competes “with witch doctors.”

“I’m not their first choice—local healers are!” he says.

20 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Q and A with Mayim Bialik: Being an observant Jew in Hollywood is anything but easy

By Judie Jacobson Jointnews Media Service A regular on the CBS hit sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”—in which she plays Sheldon’s friend who is not his girlfriend Amy Farrah Fowler—actress Mayim Bialik is also widely known for her lead role in the 1990s NBC sitcom “Blossom,” as well as for her portrayal of the young Bette Midler in “Beaches.” She has also appeared in Woody Allen’s “Don’t Drink the Water” and HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”—as well as a slew of 1980s and 1990s TV series and late-night talk shows.

Her recent appearances include recurring roles on “Secret Life of the American Teenager” and FOX’s “Til Death.” She portrayed 1960’s activist Nancy Kurshan in “Chicago 8.”

But, her estimable acting credits aside, it was her real-life role as an observant Jew upon which Bialik focused when she took to the stage as guest speaker at the Hebrew High School of New England “Big Bang” scholarship event, held at Beth El Temple on June 21.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Bialik received a B.S. and Ph.D in neuroscience from UCLA, where she also minored in Hebrew and Jewish studies. The mother of two sons, she is a Certified Lactation Educator Counselor and is devoted to a lifestyle of attachment parenting, home schooling, natural family living, and vegan cooking.

Bialik is also co-founder and chair of the youth branch of the Jewish Free Loan Association (Genesis) and speaks frequently on a variety of topics, including her journey to embracing traditional Jewish values. She studies Jewish texts weekly with two study partners.

Q: Tell us a bit about your Jewish background…

A: Three of my four grandparents are immigrants to this country and my mom was raised Orthodox, but left Orthodoxy when she was a teenager. My dad had a more assimilated Jewish ADELSON from page 7 “The Adelson clinics work to support these women, provide them with drug abuse treatment, and end their involvement in prostitution,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit notes Adelson’s continued efforts to have the NJDC stand down, including the July 17 warning letter, and then outreach from Adelson’s lawyers to the NJDC on Aug. 3 to note the DCCC

experience. They moved from the Bronx to Long Island. My parents were not at all observant; they raised me in a Reform congregation, which actually was a very positive experience. There were some remnants of my mom’s Orthodoxy, but for the most part we were a traditional Reform family.

I minored at college in Hebrew and Judaic studies. I was active in Hillel at college and when I met the rabbi there, I told him I wanted to study Yiddish. He said “Study Hebrew first and then you can study Yiddish.” And I did. I studied Hebrew and I actually fell in love with Hebrew grammar and ended up doing two full years of Hebrew, then took a year of Yiddish. By then I was half way through the minor, so I added classes in history and sociology, and that’s how I added Judaic studies to my minor. I’ve visited Israel many times. I have family that made aliyah in 1976 – my aunt and uncle and five of my cousins. They live in the West Bank. I also have family on Kibbutz Gezer. I’ve been to Israel about a dozen times since I was 16.

Q: Why didn’t you pursue a career in neuroscience instead of returning to acting?

A: My husband and I met in college and we had our first son in grad school after we got married.

We fell in love with parenting and with being parents, and specifically with me being the primary caregiver. Being a research professor just wasn’t going to be compatible with that. So, the plan was that we would try to take turns teaching and sort of figure it out. And I went back to auditioning. I had never done acting as an adult and I thought, well, maybe I’ll work here and there. I didn’t anticipate that I’d be a regular on a TV show.

But I’ve also been teaching neuroscience in the home school community since I got my degree.

Q: You’re a major voice in parenting issues, especially what is known as “attachment parenting.” Has your Jewish background informed or influenced

your parenting views at all?

A: In some ways. I think that the style of attachment parenting is a very traditional kind of parenting – it’s not new and trendy. If you speak to women from previous generations you will find that things like keeping the baby close to you and breast feeding on demand – kind of intuitively wanting to be with your child — are very traditional.

Margaret Mead had written a very, very interesting analysis of a Jewish family that she observed and it sounded a lot like the style of parenting that attachment parenting is. She described women constantly rocking their babies and breast-feeding every time the baby opened its mouth. She said that perhaps the men shuckling while they’re davening is to recreate all the rocking that their mothers did for them. So there is absolutely a traditional ethnic aspect to parenting the way your body was made to parent. There is an Orthodox attachment parenting community. There are definitely Jews who believe that the way God made our bodies was to give birth and to nurture that child — there are many references to things like extended breast feeding and even co-sleeping in our heritage and in the Torah.

Q: How would you describe yourself at this point of your life Jewishly?

A: I’m supposed to say that

I’m “aspiring Modern Orthodox” — meaning I identify most strongly with the Modern Orthodox community. That’s the community I daven in; that’s the community that most fits my sensibilities. The reason that I don’t take that moniker on is because of my unusual work situation. I’m not able to say that I completely do it the way that I want to.

Q: It’s hard to be an observant Jew in Hollywood?

A: I would say that it’s close to impossible. There are Orthodox writers that I know and there are a couple of Orthodox producers. I think it’s very hard being female and being in acting – largely because of the publicity and the public aspects of it that revolve around a sense of fashion.

Q: Oh, I thought you were talking about time-related problems – like observing Shabbat, etc.

A: No. That actually is okay.

We tape our show on Tuesday nights. We’ve got a very flexible schedule, so I’m home and able to do those things – of course, I obviously have to plan my challah baking… Yontifs are hard because they often fall in the middle of the week. For me, though, it’s more the aspects of the ‘red carpet’ and needing to wear designer clothes that are strapless, and all those things that I don’t do and that are actually extremely stressful and difficult to work around because it

is a big part of the industry. The goal is to be competitive. I write very publicly about these issues related to tzniut (laws of modesty). Last year I wrote four articles about trying to find a tzniut designer Emmy dress.

Q: Are issues related to women in Orthodoxy a particular concern of yours?

A: Yes, I narrated a film on agunot (women whose husbands refuse to grant them a Jewish divorce). Especially as a woman who was not raised religious and who is identified as a feminist, I think it’s important to show that there are absolutely aspects of traditional Judaism that are theoretically problematic, but not insurmountable.

Q: Is it difficult bringing up your children in Hollywood?

A: Well, I live in L.A., but I don’t consider them as being raised in Hollywood. They don’t watch television; they’ve never seen me on TV. We home school – we’re a part of a large home schooling community; there’s a Jewish home schooling community and a secular home schooling community – that we’re part of.

Q: Are you related to the Jewish poet, Chaim Nachman Bialik?

A: Yes. He was my greatgrandfather’s first cousin. He and my great-grandfather shared a bubbe and zaide.

Q: I have to ask you this – how did you come to be named “Mayim,” which, of course, means water in Hebrew?

A: My great-grandmother’s name was Mariam and it was simply an abbreviation of that name – they took out the middle syllable because it was hard for some of the grandchildren to pronounce. So, instead of Mar-eeam she became Mayim and she was called Bobbe Mayim. My family didn’t speak Hebrew, but when I was born…you know, it was 1975 and I guess my parents thought it sounded really groovy.

My middle name is Chaya. They knew my name meant water, but it didn’t have anything to do with that.

apology issued the day before.

The NJDC said in a statement Wednesday announcing the lawsuit that it would stand its ground.

“Referencing mainstream press accounts examining the conduct of a public figure and his business ventures — as we did — is wholly appropriate,” NJDC said in the statement. “Indeed, it is both an American and a Jewish obligation to ask hard questions of powerful individuals like Mr.

Adelson, just as it is incumbent upon us to praise his wonderful philanthropic endeavors.”

The statement called Adelson’s lawsuit a “strategic lawsuit against public participation,” or SLAPP, a term used for legal maneuvers aimed not at obtaining justice but silence.

“We know that we were well within our rights, and we will defend ourselves against this SLAPP suit as far and as long as

necessary,” NJDC said. “We simply will not be bullied, and we will not be silenced.”

Bad blood between Harris and Adelson runs deeper than the usual Republican-Democrat square-off. Harris appeared at the Jewish Federations of North America TribeFest gathering in Las Vegas for young leaders on March 25 as a surrogate in a debate on the merits of the presidential candidates. Adelson

walked into the event, which took place at his Venetian hotel, and berated Harris for six minutes, using insulting terms to describe Obama and harrumphing out loud when Harris attempted to respond.

Late Wednesday, NJDC blasted followers with an email fundraising off the lawsuit.

“Your support at this moment is more important than ever,” said the email, which carried the subject line “We’ve been sued for $60 million.”

Mayim Bialik

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • 21

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

New West Guitar Group performs at Blue Wisp, Aug. 21 The acoustic/electric guitar ensemble, New West Guitar Group, will perform at The Blue Wisp downtown at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 21. The Los Angeles-based trio, which is made up of guitarists John Storie, Perry Smith,

and Jeff Stein, boasts original music that combines the foundation of jazz with elements of blues, rock and folk styles. By blending the different timbres of both acoustic and electric guitars, New West creates its signature

instrumental sound.

The trio has won various forms of recognition in the five years since their forming — receiving the sought after Thornton Protégé Grant from the University of Southern

California, and performing in Japan and Germany as official musical ambassadors of the city of Los Angeles.

Acoustic Guitar Magazine described their album “Sleeping Lady” as “...ranging from cham-

ber-like elegance and fragile introspection to exhilarating swing and gritty blues.”

The group is currently on a cross-country tour and continues to perform at major venues both nationally and internationally.

Courtesy of Amazon

If there were a motive for Hanussen’s betrayal of his fellow Jews, and his “alliance with scoundrels,” Magida suggests that he likely was apathetic about the turbulent social, economic and political drama that was taking shape in Germany, believing that he was above the fray, destined to be revered as a national spiritual icon. His unexplained return to Berlin, after a successful escape to Switzerland with his family, reveals Hanussen’s irresistible addiction to fame and his unquenchable need to remain in the spotlight to the end.

Clever, at times humorous, anecdotes describe the mad men and women who attended Hanussen’s séances and relied on his advice, making The Nazi Séance a fast-paced, enjoyable read. Packed with new analysis of the desperate cultural and political climate that enabled the Nazis, the book’s only fault may be that readers aren’t given an opportunity to cheer for Hanussen’s conversion to a better cause or his ultimate survival. Audiences learn early in the book that the Nazis murdered Hanussen in April 1933.

By the time the curtain closes, however, Magida’s well-crafted portrayal of Hanussen’s magical performances and the clairvoyant’s personal life establishes an enigmatic character of the interwar years whom audiences will sympathize with and ponder for years to come.

Hitler’s Jewish magician

By Jeffrey Barken JointMedia News Services The curtain opens on a frightening scene: Post-World War I Germany. Punishing reparations, a war-scarred public and a fractured society have doomed Germany’s Weimar Republic, paving the way for Nazism.

Amidst the chaos, a clairvoyant Jew named Erik Jan Hanussen cleverly exploits a desperate public’s fascination with the occult, rising to Berlin society’s top rank, and even entering into the inner circle of Hitler’s demonic advisors. Was there something exceptional about Hanussen? Fellow hypnotists marveled at his unique powers and declared, “This man must be in league with the devil.”

He was known as “Europe’s greatest oracle since Nostradamus.”

Yet, paradoxically, he failed to predict his own downfall in the brutality of the rising Nazi regime.

Arthur Magida’s new biography, The Nazi Séance, explores Hanussen’s supernatural ability to wield magic and foretell the future.

Masterfully weaving the history of the Third Reich’s rise to power and Hanussen’s strange eccentricities that catapulted him from obscurity to prominence, Magida explores the intricacies of magic, alternately as both skeptic and believer, and follows the life trajectory of a complicated man whose mind plumbed the depths of some of the world’s most notorious evildoers.

NATIONAL from page 7 Giffords, who is Jewish and a member of a local synagogue, was shot in the head at a Jan. 8, 2011 meet-the-constituents event outside a supermarket in Tucson. The gunman, Jared Loughner, killed six people. Giffords was among 14 people wounded.

Loughner last week changed his plea to guilty in the attack. The change reportedly was in exchange for a plea bargain that would send Loughner to prison for life.

He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia; Loughner was declared mentally competent to understand the charges against him.

U.S.: Iran still not on ‘verge’ of weapon WASHINGTON (JTA) — The U.S. assessment remains that Iran is not on the verge of achieving a

“I’ve always been interested in magic,” Magida tells audiences as a prelude to discussing The Nazi Séance. An exciting adventure, Magida’s search for Hanussen’s legacy brought him in contact with characters as unique as Hanussen’s long lost daughter, a 90-year-old woman living in Italy who claims to be in touch spiritually with her murdered father, as well as the modern magician, “Teller,” of the famed duo, Penn & Teller.

Teller’s remark that “mentalists are insufficiently confident to admit that what they do is a trick” undoubtedly helped Magida balance his own conflicting perceptions of Hanussen, enabling him to portray Hanussen on stage and interpret his performances.

Through sharp rhetorical questions, readers engage in the scientific discourses of the era. When Hanussen dazzles crowds by successfully navigating the streets of Berlin blindfolded and miraculously discovers a hidden object in Potsdamer Platz, his critics argue that he was merely unusually adept at sensing the minute muscle twitches and nonverbal cues of his audience, subtle actions that revealed the location of the object.

Although Magida acknowledges arguments dismissing Hanussen’s powers as parlor tricks, he also gives credence to Hanussen’s remarkable abilities, detailing how the seer repeatedly stood trial and defeated claims that he was a fake. During trials in

Czechoslovakia and Berlin, Hanussen managed to bring to light critical evidence resolving a prosecutor’s murder case, predict the untimely death circumstances of a friend’s brother, and even avoid trick questions asking him the significance of specific dates in European history. True clairvoy-

nuclear weapon, U.S. officials said, pushing back against claims to the contrary by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

“We believe that there is time and space to continue to pursue a diplomatic path, backed by growing international pressure on the Iranian government,” Reuters quoted a National Security Council spokesman as saying. “We continue to assess that Iran is not on the verge of achieving a nuclear weapon.”

The report Thursday came after Barak affirmed in an interview on Israel Radio a report in Ha’aretz that a new U.S. intelligence assessment of Iran’s nuclear capability was closer to Israel’s assessment that a weapon was imminent.

The assessment Barak claimed was circulating among top U.S. officials “comes very close to our own estimate, I would say, as

opposed to earlier American estimates. It transforms the Iranian situation to an even more urgent one and it is even less likely that we will know every development in time on the Iranian nuclear program.”

Asked about Barak’s comments, Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, said Friday that the United States and Israel “share an assessment of where Iran is and what its capacities are and what timelines look like.”

However, Carney also suggested that the White House did not share Barak’s assessment that the situation was “more urgent.”

“I would also say that we have eyes, we have visibility into the program, and we would know if and when Iran made a—what’s called a ‘breakout move’ towards acquiring a weapon,” he said. “So we have the capacity to judge that as the regime, the sanctions regime

Cover of Arthur Magida’s “The Nazi Séance.”

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A poster for a 1988 film on Erik Jan Hanussen, who cleverly exploited the desperate Nazi public’s fascination with the occult, rising to Berlin society’s top rank and even entering the inner circle of Hitler’s demonic advisors.

ance is hard to fake.

Hanussen became an international sensation and his reputation in Europe was secure. His public performances made him a celebrity, the rock star of his time.

Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s Hanussen operated a spiritual consulting business out of his Berlin home, attracting many wealthy and famous clients. He also ran the newspaper, Erik Jan Hannussen’s Berliner Wochenschau, eerily predicting the events precipitating Hitler’s consolidation of power and nefariously merging his prophesies with the Fuhrer’s propaganda machine. continues to be implemented.”

Rabbis join faith leaders in urging followers to oppose extremist attacks WASHINGTON (JTA) — Leading Reform and Conservative rabbis joined six other religious leaders in a call on people of all faiths to speak out against extremists following recent attacks on ethnic and religious minorities.

Rabbi Burton Visotzky, director of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue at the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary, called on all Jews “to address this tragedy, this shock” by visiting a Sikh temple on Sunday as a way to address the recent shootings that killed six people in Oak Creek, Wis. The Aug. 9 news conference was organized by Shoulder-toShoulder: Standing with America’s

Muslim: Upholding American Values. The group previously has denounced anti-Muslim sentiment, including the planned burning in Florida of the Koran.

Thursday’s briefing also addressed the recent burning of the Islamic Center of Joplin, Mo., and the opening last Friday of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, Tenn., a project that has faced protests and the opposition by some top politicians in the state as well as bomb threats and vandalism.

“Group-based assaults are more than mere acts of violence,” said Rabbi David Saperstein, director and counsel at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. “They are nothing less than attacks on those values that are the pillars of our republic and the guarantors of our freedom. They are a betrayal of the promise of America.”

22 • OBITUARIES D EATH N OTICES KOHN, Shirley E., age 87, died on, August 6, 2012; 19 Av 5772.

GLASSMAN, Sidney, age 97, died on August 11, 2012; 23 Av 5772 INTERNATIONAL from page 9 “It can no longer pretend to being an ‘honest broker,’” Hersch said, “and is using the IsraelPalestine issue to pander to Muslim voters, particularly in the Cape Province and Cape Town, which are governed most successfully by the official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA).”

Ontario government approves anti-Israel rally TORONTO (JTA) — Jewish groups are decrying the approval of an anti-Israel rally on the grounds of Ontario’s provincial capital.

A rally by an Islamic group ISRAEL from page 9 The European Union, the United Nations and the United States, as well as several other governments, condemned the legalization when it was announced in April.

Bruchin was highlighted as an illegal outpost in Israel’s Sasson Report published in 2005, which showed that millions of dollars were diverted from Israeli government agencies to build illegal settlements and outposts.

Investigators probing New Delhi attack on Israeli diplomat go to Iran (JTA) — New Delhi police investigating the bombing of an Israeli diplomat’s car reportedly are in Iran to locate and question suspects.

HAREDI from page 10

WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM

marking International Al-Quds Day, a commemoration begun in 1979 by Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini to mark the last Friday of Ramadan, was approved by the sergeant-at-arms of Ontario’s Legislature building in Toronto.

The rally is scheduled for Aug. 18 outside the building, known as Queen’s Park.

Last year’s rally heard from several speakers who called Israel an “apartheid state” of “oppressors and criminals.” One speaker said, “I see that day when we, the Muslims, will march on Palestine and liberate Palestine under Islamic law.”

Jewish groups say last year’s event offended Canadian values and violated the park’s terms of use. They say permission for this year’s rally should have been denied because public spaces should not be used to voice antiSemitic and anti-Israel sentiment.

Anita Bromberg of B’nai Brith Canada said her organization

approached the sergeant-at-arms, Dennis Clark, to learn who filed the application to hold this year’s event so they “could touch base with this group and express (their) concerns directly.” The request was denied because of privacy policies, Bromberg told the Toronto Sun. The Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies said “the endorsement of hate” is “a matter of public safety.”

“This is no longer a debate about free speech versus hate speech,” said the Canadian Friends’ CEO Avi Benlolo. “This is an insult to all Ontarians and a simple matter of right and wrong.”

Clark told the Canadian Jewish News that he met with rally organizers and “told them what they can or can’t do. It has to be lawful.”

However, “it’s important that we don’t censor events as long as they stay within the law.”

He said this year’s rally will be monitored “closely” for violations of hate laws.

Canada to release Raoul Wallenberg stamp TORONTO (JTA) — Canada will honor Swedish Holocaust hero Raoul Wallenberg with a postage stamp.

The stamp will be released on Jan. 17 to coincide with the 68th anniversary of Wallenberg’s arrest

by Soviet troops in Budapest during the dying days of World War II. Wallenberg was made Canada’s first Honorary Citizen on Jan. 17, 1985, and the government declared the date as the annual Raoul Wallenberg Day in the country. It is the first time that Canada is paying tribute to one of its five honorary citizens with a postage stamp.

Wallenberg, who would have turned 100 on Aug. 4, is credited with rescuing an estimated 100,000 Hungarian Jews from death during the Nazi occupation of Budapest. He issued thousands of protective documents to Jews and spirited thousands of others to

safe houses that flew the neutral Swedish flag.

He also persuaded the Nazis to call off the destruction of Budapest’s Jewish ghetto along with its inhabitants.

His fate remains unknown. The Soviets have said he died in custody in 1947. Other reports, including from eyewitnesses who spent time in Soviet prisons, reported to have seen him alive long afterward.

“To recognize Mr. Wallenberg with a stamp is a fitting way to mark his courage and his contributions to our country, and we are proud to add him in our stamp program,” said Canada Post President and CEO Deepak Chopra.

The stamp “will help raise the profile of a person whose courage served as a beacon of light during such a dark period,” Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Miriam Ziv, said in a statement.

The United States issued a stamp paying homage to Wallenberg in 1997.

The investigators left for Tehran late last week, Ynet reported, citing Indian media sources, after the Iranian government agreed to assist in the probe of the Feb. 13 attack in New Delhi. Four Iranian nationals, for whom the investigators have passport details, are suspected in the case.

Tal Yehoshua Koren, the wife of a diplomat stationed with the Israeli Defense Ministry mission in India, was injured when a bomb exploded in the back of the diplomat’s car in which she was riding. On the same day, a car bomb was discovered on an Israeli diplomat’s car in Tbilisi, Georgia, before it detonated.

The attack in India came the day after the fourth anniversary of the assassination of the operational chief of Hezbollah, Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed Feb.

12, 2008 in Damascus by a car bomb. Hezbollah blames his killing on Israel, and Israeli embassies and other missions had been on high alert in advance of the anniversary.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of being behind the attacks. Interpol issued an international arrest warrant for the four Iranians suspected of involvement.

One person has been arrested in the case: freelance Indian journalist Syed Mohammad Kazmi, who worked for Iranian news organizations. Kazmi is accused of being involved in reconnaissance for the attack and reportedly booked a plane ticket for one of the accused Iranians to leave India. He reportedly visited Iran twice in the months leading up to the attack and accepted money in exchange for his help.

The Indian investigators also may visit the former Soviet republic of Georgia, the Indian Express newspaper reported, according to The Associated Press.

to rob a bank in order to save his family home.

He will replace British actor John Cleese, who reportedly withdrew from the project due to heart trouble.

Rosenblum, of Jerusalem, said that when the coalition broke up, “the sense of panic diminished considerably in the haredi world.”

Although the Military Service Law is in effect, Rosenblum was not worried that any of his seven sons, including a 17-year-old,

would be putting on a uniform.

Would the IDF be “subjecting them to military trial and imprisonment? No, I don’t think so,” he said. “I don’t think the government has a plan. There was nobody who was talking about putting people in jail.”

During government negotiations on a new law on the matter last month, the major proposals suggested fines for draft dodging, while others eschewed the idea of personal penalties.

A leading official in Hiddush, an Israeli organization that advocates for religious pluralism and equality, also does not expect new legislation — and a haredi draft with teeth —to move forward soon, despite his best hopes.

“The government won’t draft one yeshiva student,” said Shahar Ilan, Hiddush’s vice president.

“The government isn’t doing anything. “This is a huge violation of the law.”

Ilan said that though most of the Knesset wants to see a new law enacted, no one is willing take the necessary political risks.

“Netanyahu does not want to hurt the haredi parties” in his coalition, Ilan said. “There’s a majority for a mandatory draft but it’s theoretical because the parties that support a mandatory draft are

Actor Patrick Stewart arrives in Israel to appear in film JERUSALEM (JTA) — British actor Patrick Stewart arrived in Israel to appear in a film by Israeli director Reshef Levi.

Stewart, a Shakespearean actor known for his role as Captain JeanLuc Picard on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” arrived Aug. 9 in Israel and will spend about three weeks in the Jewish state.

Stewart will play a disgraced, eccentric British lord in the heist comedy “Hunting Elephants,” in which three Israeli senior citizens help a 12-year-old boy hatch a plan

Testing missile warning texting system JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Home Front Command is conducting a nationwide test of a text-message warning system for missile attacks.

Incoming missile alert messages will be sent to cell phone users. The testing will last all week, Ynet reported.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis will receive the text message, sent in Hebrew, Arabic, English and Russian, in the SMS, or Short Message System.

“The government won’t draft one yeshiva student.”

Shahar Ilan

not ready to break up the government for it.”

Rosenblum said that even were such a law to pass, the IDF would not have the resources or will to absorb so many haredi youth, whose strict observance of Jewish law puts them in special circumstances.

“There’s no way in the world that the vast majority of haredi boys are going to go into mixed units,” he said. “There’s no way in the world that the army is going to put in place haredi-accommodating units within 30 days.”

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