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Cedar Village Retirement Community has opened a high-tech aquatic rehabilitation facility, giving Cedar Village’s rapidly expanding rehab program another major treatment option to help patients heal from accidents, surgeries or illnesses.

It’s one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in Greater Cincinnati, comparable to facilities operated by the Cincinnati Bengals, the Ohio State athletic department and the Cleveland Clinic. Rehab centers and other health care programs for older adults rarely have aquatic therapy facilities this sophisticated.

The complex, which will be open to patients of all ages throughout Greater Cincinnati, has two small pools, which will be used for individual therapy, and a larger pool, which will be used for group therapy, aerobics classes and lap swimming.

The floors of the smaller pools double as treadmills. In addition, the same floors can go up and down to allow people with mobility problems, including those who use walkers and wheelchairs, to easily enter the pools.

And to analyze progress, underwater cameras attached to overhead monitors will give patients and therapists a view of patients’ underwater movements.

The new complex is called The

Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati Aquatic Therapy Center because the Foundation has so generously contributed to the combined expansion of Cedar Village’s inpatient and outpatient rehab facilities.

“The Aquatic Therapy Center takes Cedar Village’s state-of-the-art rehab services to an even higher level,” said Carol Silver Elliott, Cedar Village’s President and CEO. “Adding aquatic therapy allows Cedar Village to provide the most comprehensive rehabilitation program in the area.”

More than 100 donors and community leaders as well as Cedar Village staff, residents and patients gathered Oct. 24 to dedicate the complex.

“Making Cincinnati the best Jewish community in the country in which to grow older – and to get healthier – is an objective our trustees believe is really worth striving for,” said Jewish Foundation President Michael R. Oestreicher. “By investing in this Aquatic Therapy Center at Cedar Village and other senior services, the foundation is effectively pursuing that objective.”

In addition to the Foundation, there were 573 individual donors, including 226 Cedar Village employees. “It takes more than a village.” Elliott said. “It

takes a community, and this is a community of which we’re very proud.”

Andrew Shott, immediate past chair of the Cedar Village Foundation board, said the Aquatic Therapy Center will promote fun as well as healing. He joked that planning already has started for the Cedar Village water polo team.

Mason Vice Mayor Victor Kidd, who called Cedar Village “a great neighbor and partner,” presented a proclamation, declaring it “The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati Aquatic Therapy Center Day.” After the ceremony, dozens of people toured the complex while staff demonstrated how to use the small pools for individual therapy. Guests were impressed, calling the center “amazing” and “impressive.”

Aquatic therapy is a powerful tool for rehabilitation because the buoyancy of water minimizes pain, reduces the stress on joints and allows patients to exercise much longer. A patient who can only exercise on land for five minutes, perhaps due to obesity, breathing problems or arthritis, might be able to exercise for an hour in a warm-water pool. That means patients can recover more quickly than with conventional treatments.

The opening of the aquatic therapy center completes the second phase of

an expansion of Cedar Village’s rehab services. The first phase, which opened in 2011, consisted of renovations that greatly expanded the amount of space devoted to rehabilitation services, including an advanced therapy gym and renovated rooms for shortterm rehab patients.

Separately, Cedar Village opened a satellite rehab location in 2013 at the Mayerson JCC in Amberley Village.

Special features of the aquatic therapy center include: A one-story, 6,200-square-foot building with a basement located next to the existing rehab center. The two buildings are connected via a 29-foot corridor.

Alarger pool with a depth from about four feet to five feet. It is 21 by 50 feet. It has a platform lift that makes it easy for people with mobility problems to enter the water. It has two underwater ledges for people to do seated exercises or rest. People also can climb its wide steps for exercise.

The two smaller pools are about nine by seven feet each and used mostly for one-on-one sessions with aquatic therapists. Jogging in place, simulated bike riding and modified jumping jacks are among the exercises that can be done in the smaller pools.

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Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati honors founders and celebrates unique history Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati (JCGC) honored its three founders and celebrated the organization’s unique history at a reception on Sunday, October 12, 2014. The organization’s three founders, Dr. Edward Herzig, Michael Oestreicher and Edward Marks, were those honored.

The celebration featured videos and a program book highlighting the founders’ role in their collaboration with many other community leaders to create JCGC. The keynote speaker was Rabbi Gary Zola, a wellknown historian and popular public speaker.

“Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati is a unique organization.

It’s truly the only one of its kind in the nation where virtually all the cemeteries in the community are owned and operated by one organization,” said JCGC Executive Director, David Hoguet.

The first Jewish cemetery in Greater Cincinnati dates back to 1821. Since that time, 26 Jewish cemeteries have been formed in Hamilton and Butler Counties.

JCGC was incorporated in 2004.

Recognizing that many of the forming congregations had ceased to exist, similar problems faced all the cemeteries, and that the leadership base was aging, a small group of community leaders embarked on a multi-year study of these issues with the leaders of these cemeteries in the late 1990’s. Ultimately 22 Jewish cemeteries determined that it was in their mutual best interest to create a new, merged organization, JCGC, which would assume responsibility for the perpetual care of the existing cemeteries and the creation of such new cemeteries as will be necessary to serve the Jewish community’s future needs.

“JCGC is a collaboration

ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE FREE! Brad Kaplan, Edward G. Marks, Edward B. Herzig, Michael R. Oestreicher

WEDDINGS • BIRTHDAYS • ANNIVERSARIES

Place your FREE announcement in The American Israelite newspaper and website by sending an e-mail to articles@americanisraelite.com

Edward Marks, Edward Herzig, Michael Oestreicher

between the Jewish community, rabbinic community, the Jewish Federation and, importantly, the Jewish Foundation, the major funder of the project." We are thrilled to be honoring the organization’s three founders who started the process that ensures the long-term sustainability of all of our area’s Jewish cemeteries,” says JCGC President, Brad Kaplan.

JCGC is comprised of 22 Jewish cemeteries, almost all of the Jewish cemeteries in Cincinnati and Hamilton, Ohio. Those cemeteries include: Adath Israel Cemetery, American Beneficial Cemetery, Beth Tefyla Cemetery, Beth Jacob/Price Hill Congregation Cemetery, Beth Hamedrash Hagodol Cemetery, Golf Manor Cemeteries #1, 2, and 3, Hirsh Hoffert Cemetery, Judah Touro

Cemetery, Montefiore Cemetery, New Hope Cemetery, Northern Hills Cemetery, Love Brothers Cemetery, Tifereth Israel Cemetery, Chestnut Street Cemetery, Clifton Cemetery, Hamilton Cemetery, Montgomery Cemetery, Price Hill Cemetery, Walnut Hills Cemetery and Yad Chorutzim Cemetery. JCGC represents the culmination of more than 10 years of community efforts to address the financial, succession, upkeep and other challenges facing many Jewish communities.

Cincinnati is a leader nationally in creating this organizational model to take care of its cemeteries in perpetuity.

THE JCGC HONOREES Dr. Edward B. Herzig is a native Cincinnatian, having attended CEMETERIES on page 19

Jewish Pluralism in Israel: Is there such a thing?

Northern Hills Synagogue Congregation B'nai Avraham is excited to announce a new program series focusing on the significance of contemporary Judaism. The program concept was developed and encouraged by Rabbi David Siff, PhD and is sponsored by Northern Hills Synagogue. It promises to offer a wide range of engaging speakers and topics.

The first of these lectures will be "Jewish Pluralism in Israel; Is There Such a Thing?" This topic will be presented by Maia Morag who is the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati shlica (emissary) from Israel. She explains the topic as: Challenges and Changes in Israel's Jewish Culture, and offers the following descriptive preview of the presentation topic: "In this presentation we will go on a journey from "Fiddler on the

BIRTHS • BAT/BAR MITZVAHS • ENGAGEMENTS

Maia Morag, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati Shlica

Roof" through "Bialik," meeting Ben-Gurion, the "Hazonich" and proceeding through the assassina-

tion of Yitzhak Rabin to the establishment of the Jewish Renewal Movement in Israel. We will try to understand the goals of the movement, where and in what areas it operates, and what is still to be done, on a pluralistic map of Israel."

Maia Morag arrived in August to begin her 2-3 year term with JFC in Cincinnati. During her stay she will participate in Jewish education, community organizations, and congregations to build upon the Cincinnati community’s local connection to Israel.

Maia previously served for seven years as Director of the Education Department at the BINA Center for Jewish Identity and Hebrew Culture. In that position, she was responsible for Jewish PLURALISM on page 19

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Rockdale Temple ‘Lunch and Learn’ takes Talmud study high-tech Classes take place at noon on the second Tuesday of each month from Nov. 11, 2014 through May 12, 2015. Students attending at Rockdale will meet in the Boardroom.

Students may bring their own lunch or purchase food at the JCC snack bar.

Cincinnatians can share their memories about Jewish neighborhoods at Skirball exhibit (JNS) – Over 200 people filled the Atrium of Skirball Museum in Mayerson Hall for the opening night photo exhibit, “Documenting Cincinnati's Neighborhoods.” The exhibit celebrates and highlights the photos of three important Cincinnati photographers :George S. Rosenthal (1922 - 1967), Daniel J. Ransohoff (1921 - 1993), and Ben Rosen (1913 2008).

After self-guided tours of the 60 photos of Rosenthal and Ransohoff, the crowd crossed the Hebrew Union College campus to the Jacob Rader Marcus center of the American Jewish Archives (AJA) to view the Rosen photographs.

A family member of each artist spoke briefly telling stories and personal memories that captured the character, heart and soul of each man.

George S. Rosenthal documented the changing landscape of the West End. The changes began in the 1920's with the demolition of hundreds of homes to make way for the building of Union Terminal. The later changes that disrupted the lives and altered the landscape of the West End forever came about in the 1950's, in the name of progress, with the construction of Interstate 75 and the development of

Courtesy of Cincinnati Museum Center

Daniel J. Ransohoff, Untitled, undated.

Queensgate.

Rosenthal was commissioned by the Cincinnati Historical Society in 1957 to document in photos the unique and beautiful architecture of the West End before it was destroyed.

His photos include the iconic

Moresque-designed Mound Street Temple (KK B'nai Israel), built in 1869 that fell victim to the wrecking ball. Between 1957 and 1959 he took roughly 3,600 photographs mostly of the buildings slated for demolition.

His son Henry Rosenthal shared

that his father's love of photography began at the age of 12 when his family gave him a Brownie camera. In 1944 he attended a summer session at the Chicago Institute of Art and Design prior to entering the family printing and publishing business, S. Rosenthal and Co. The experience would later influence his work.

While in the family business he continued to pursue his photo projects and traveled the world with his wife Jean Bloch photographing ruins and historic sites.

Daniel J. Ransohoff was 14 when his father, Nathen Ransohoff, gave him a 35mm Leica camera. Nathen was a mechanical engineer and ran a machine shop. He took his son all over Cincinnati to expose him to the human condition.

Ransohoff earned a bachelor's degree from Bard College, a master's degree in social work at Columbia University and a doctorate at Cincinnati's Union Graduate School.

For nearly three decades he taught community planning at the University of Cincinnati and directed special projects for the United Way and Community Chest.

He recorded the social condition in Cincinnati and created a photographic record of the poor and disadvantaged EXHIBIT on page 20

Kitah Hei (5th Grade) already preparing for B’nai Mitzvot at Adath Israel learn to recognize each trope symbol and know what tune will go along with it. They truly learn the important skill of chanting Torah and Haftorah, and they are able to chant Torah or Haftarah here at Adath Israel, or at any other shul, any time in the future. One of the students, Gabrielle ,said, “It is really cool to know that these little symbols tell you how to sing each word, I like singing so I have liked learning trope.” In the two years they will meet with Mitch, the students also learn the Torah and Haftarah blessings and some of the Shabbat morning service.

One of the 5th graders’ first Hebrew School projects was to design a name card that featured

their full Hebrew name, the name by which they will be called to the Torah. Their teacher, Phyllis Binik-Thomas, is a Judaic artist who creates Jewish life-cycle art.

Phyllis expressed the importance of names and how our names really tell the story of our family heritage. Our full name appears in several different facets of life. It first appears on our Bris or baby naming certificate, then on our certificate of becoming a bar or bat Mitzvah, our Confirmation certificate, our Ketubah when we get married, and finally on our tombstone. So it is important to know our full Hebrew names.

Phyllis shared that she is called to the Torah as Batya Bat Yisroel

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

VOL. 161 • NO. 15 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014 6 CHESHVAN 5775 SHABBAT BEGINS FRIDAY 6:19 PM SHABBAT ENDS SATURDAY 7:20 PM THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE CO., PUBLISHERS 18 WEST NINTH STREET, SUITE 2 CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202-2037 Phone: (513) 621-3145 Fax: (513) 621-3744 publisher@americanisraelite.com editor@americanisraelite.com production@americanisraelite.com RABBI ISAAC M. WISE Founder, Editor, Publisher, 1854-1900 LEO WISE Editor & Publisher, 1900-1928 RABBI JONAH B. WISE Editor & Publisher, 1928-1930 HENRY C. SEGAL Editor & Publisher, 1930-1985 PHYLLIS R. SINGER Editor & General Manager, 1985-1999 MILLARD H. MACK Publisher Emeritus NETANEL (TED) DEUTSCH Editor & Publisher BETH KOTZIN SAUNI LERNER Assistant Editors YOSEFF FRANCUS Copy Editor JANET STEINBERG Travel Editor ROBERT WILHELMY Dining Editor MARIANNA BETTMAN NATE BLOOM IRIS PASTOR ZELL SCHULMAN PHYLLIS R. SINGER Contributing Columnists JENNIFER CARROLL Production Manager

Tzvi V’ Esther Chaya - Phyllis daughter of Sidney and Edith.

“Our names represent the importance the Jewish people place on our ancestors. We are a part of an unbroken chain through the ages that stretches back to Abraham and Sarah,” she told her class, as she invited them to create illustrations to embellish their names and tell a story about their different interests.

Phyllis has such a passion and love for teaching and has been teaching for many, many years in the Cincinnati community. Her hands-on and interactive approach really brings the subjects she is teaching to life. Students easily become engaged in the positive

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Religious school is well under way at Adath Israel Congregation.

The children have gotten to know their teachers and welcomed new classmates. As you walk by the classrooms in the hallway you can hear laughter and see engaged students enjoying the learning in progress.

Students in 5th grade are already beginning the preparation for becoming b’nai mitzvah. Each week they work with our b’nai mitzvah tutor, Mitch Cohen.

Children who become b’nai mitzvah at Adath Israel do not simply memorize their Haftorah and Torah portion. In 5th grade, they begin studying trope, (cantillation) for their readings. They

The American Israelite

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lead students through the “twists and turns” of Talmudic literature as they explore the Tractate of Avodah Zara.

“We will cover what it meant for the ancient rabbis to live among idol worshippers and relate their experience to that of modern Jews living in a world of increasing diversity,” she said.

• ca

Online access requires a camera-equipped computer or smartphone and a Google Plus account with Google Hangouts download or app. Participants are asked to contact Rabbi Coran for an email invitation to join the class.

Rabbi Coran’s course is titled “What Does it Mean to be a Jew in a Non-Jewish World?” She will

r in Am ape er sp i

Rockdale Temple is launching a ‘high tech’ approach to adult education as Senior Rabbi Sigma Faye Coran leads a ‘Lunch and Learn’ beginner-level course on the Talmud, featuring online access as well as in-person noontime classes at Rockdale. Both formats are open to the community at no charge.

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 $2.00 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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AJC Cincinnati honors Barbara Glueck with Community Service Award

By Beth Kotzin Assistant Editor American Jewish Committee (AJC) Cincinnati honored recently retired Director Barbara Glueck with the Community Service Award on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at their Appeal for Human Relations reception, held at the Mayerson JCC. Barbara was AJC Cincinnati’s Director for 22 years.

The evening began with a cocktail hour, and then the audience was welcomed by Jan Armstrong Cobb, Chair, AJC Cincinnati Appeal for Human Relations.

Kim Kamen, Associate Director of AJC Department of Regional Offices, noted that the key factors to Barbara’s success as Director were her “composure, and ability to remain ground at all times.”

Kamen went on to say that

“Cathy [Heldman] has picked up the proverbial reins and run with them.”

Kamen addressed AJC’s global agenda, noting that now is the defining moment for AJC due to the rise in Anti-Semitism.

She stated that “AJC is THE organization to address these issues.”

The keynote speaker, Rabbi Andrew Baker, was introduced

by Jim Miller, member of AJC Board of Governors. Rabbi Baker has been the Director of International Jewish Affairs for AJC since 1979. He is responsible for maintaining and developing their network of relationships with Jewish communities throughout the world.

In January 2009 he was appointed the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism, and has been reappointed every year

Left to Right-Event Chair Jan Armstrong Cobb, Barbara Glueck, recipient, 2014 AJC Community Service Award, Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs, AJC Cincinnati President Rick Michelman, and Kim Kamen

Keynote speakers address climate change, homelessness at Rockdale’s 7th annual Mitzvah Palooza Larry Falkin, Director of Cincinnati’s Department of Environment and Sustainability, and Stacey Hall, Interim Executive Director of the Interfaith Hospitality Network, are the featured speakers for the Social Action Advocacy sessions that open Rockdale Temple’s 7th annual Mitzvah Palooza on Sunday, Nov. 9th. Both morning sessions are open to the public at no charge.

Mitzvah Palooza is a daylong opportunity to learn about social and environmental needs of the community and participate in a variety of service projects. Several projects are designed for parents and their children to work together on making a difference to people in need.

Falkin will speak at 10 a.m. on ‘Climate Change—Finding the Silver Lining in the Gathering Clouds’. His message is that climate change poses real threats to Cincinnati. Shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources

will save money, create jobs, improve public health and enhance the overall quality of life throughout the region. Discussion will focus on ways in which Cincinnati can seize opportunities offered by climate change by implementing measures that Falkin counsels we should be taking anyway.

Hall will speak at 11 a.m. on ‘Homelessness in Our Community’.

She will present a portrait of people living in poverty in Greater Cincinnati and address efforts to relieve homelessness in the city, focusing on the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). IHN is a program providing shelter for homeless families while parents prepare for and seek employment.

Families are housed in churches and synagogues on a rotating basis, where congregants prepare and serve meals, help with child care and provide emotional support and encouragement for participants.

since.

Baker spoke about the currenty prevalence of anti-semitism in Europe, pointing out that goverments in those countries need to first recognize these attacks as such, and then recognize the source. “There are new

developments from Muslim/Arab communities that weren’t there 20 years ago,” said Baker. “Recognizing that is the first step.”

In Europe, the Jewish communities are in a state of constant anxiety. In France alone, 3

out of 4 Jews stated that they are considering leaving the country due to the increase in anti-semitic attacks. “You can’t deal with this generically,” asserts Baker.

We need to “focus on the group GLUECK on page 19

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Cedar Village says goodbye to CEO/President Carol Silver Elliott

By Beth Kotzin Assistant Editor It was a packed house that said goodbye to Cedar Village’s CEO/President Carol Silver Elliott on October 23. Residents, staff members, board memberseven Gates the therapy dog made an appearance.

After 7 1/2 years at Cedar Village, Carol Silver Elliott was

the driving force behind the success that has led the facility to where it is today. From Village Care and Hospice to the Shalom Center for Elder Abuse and the new Aquatic Center, Carol has taken Cedar Village to new levels of quality care.

Sally Korkin, Senior Director of Community Relations and Outreach at Cedar Village, emceed the event, after the guests

enjoyed hors d’oeurves and photo ops with Carol. The first speakers were Jennifer Helt and Brian Lazor from the City of Mason, who announced that the Mayor of Mason had declared October 23 “Carol Silver Elliott Day.” Following that, Jude Jones, Music Director, performed a song she wrote especially for Carol along with Karen Raitt and Carol Gentry, fellow staff members at

Cedar Village.

Bill Kupferberg, president of the resident association, presented Carol with flowers, and Mike Ray, Chair-Elect of LeadingAge Ohio, gave Carol a plaque honoring her years at Cedar Village. Jay Price, a member of the Cedar Village Board, gifted Carol with an inscribed bowl, which was followed by another musical performance. A version of “Hello,

Dolly,” called “Goodbye, Carol”, was written and performed by Sally Korkin, as well as Jude Jones, Karen Raitt and Carol Gentry.

While her new position is taking her to New Jersey, Carol stated, “Cedar Village is home to me in every sense of the word. It was an incredible gift to be here.”

Conversion to Judaism: denomination by denomination

By Uriel Heilman

PART 2 OF A SERIES CONVERTING TO JUDAISM

ORTHODOX Number of converts: Unknown.

Over the last seven years, approximately 1,275 conversions have been certified by conversion courts affiliated with the Rabbinical Council of America, but plenty of Orthodox conversions take place outside the RCA’s system.

Ritual: Approval by a threejudge religious court comprised of three Orthodox men (usually rabbis), male circumcision (or, for circumcised men, symbolic drawing of blood at the place of circumcision) and ritual immersion in a mikvah.

Requirements: Commitment to performing all the Torah’s commandments according to Orthodox interpretations of Jewish law.

Preparation: In most cases, regular study with a rabbi and/or religious mentor. The only rabbi known to offer an Orthodox conversion class in the United States, Rabbi

Maury Kelman of New York, has a yearlong curriculum for his Manhattan Mechina L’Giyur that covers Jewish philosophy, law, history and ethics; field trips to places like Brooklyn and Israel; and occasional Shabbaton weekends.

Prospective converts are expected to adopt Jewish practices, join an Orthodox Jewish community and regularly attend synagogue.

Who’s converting? Spiritual seekers, non-Jews dating Jews, gentiles drawn to Judaism through friends and those who converted through other Jewish denominations. The latter category includes individuals raised as Jews in nonOrthodox households who subsequently realized they don’t count as Jewish according to Orthodox

National Briefs

the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and facing the Monument of the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes, the museum is among the largest Jewish museums in Europe.

Obama names U.S. delegation to opening of Poland Jewish museum (JTA) – President Obama will send a presidential delegation to attend the opening ceremony of POLIN, the Museum of the History of the Polish Jews.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) will lead the delegation for the opening on Tuesday, the White House announced Friday.

Maloney will be joined by Stephen Mull, the U.S. ambassador to Poland; Ira Forman, the U.S. State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism; Lesley Weiss, chairwoman of the United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad; Sharon Kershbaum, deputy assistant secretary of Treasury for Management and Budget; and Shoshana Lew, deputy assistant secretary of Transportation for Policy.

Standing on the historic site of

Illinois man charged with hate crime for allegedly vandalizing synagogue (JTA) – An Illinois man has been charged with a hate crime for allegedly vandalizing a synagogue.

John White, of Westmont, Ill., was charged Friday with a hate crime for allegedly vandalizing Congregation Etz Chaim, in Lombard, Ill., a suburb of Chicago.

White, 40, was arrested Oct. 21 and accused of smashing the synagogue’s windows and writing antiSemitic graffiti on its walls, as well as driving recklessly on its property.

During a search of White’s house following his arrest, police found thousands of rounds of ammunition, a shotgun, a rifle and four handguns.

He was charged Friday with one count of Hate Crime, one count of Criminal Damage to Property, one count of Possession of a Firearm and one count of Institutional Vandalism.

Jewish law (usually because their mother isn’t halachically Jewish), as well as individuals who previously converted Reform or Conservative and then decided they wanted an Orthodox conversion. This usually happens because they became more observant or want their Jewish status to be unimpeachable. Kelman estimates the breakdown of students at his Orthodox conversion course in Manhattan as 30-35 percent converts who already converted outside of Orthodoxy, 30 percent relationship converts, 15 percent seekers and 15 percent drawn to Judaism for social reasons. The vast majority of Kelman’s students are women, mostly aged 25 to 40.

Attitude toward conversions performed by other denominations: Not good enough. Orthodox conversion is the only acceptable path to becoming a Jew. Problems: Only in 2007 did the Rabbinical Council of America, the country’s main centrist Orthodox White was ordered held on $5 million full cash bond.

ADL report: Campus antiIsrael events have more than doubled this fall (JTA) – More than 75 anti-Israel events have been reported on U.S. college and university campuses this fall, more than twice as many as last year, according to a report by the Anti-Defamation League.

The anti-Israel events have more than doubled in the wake of Israel’s 50-day operation in Gaza over the summer, according to an ADL report, “Anti-Israel Activity on Campus after Operation Protective Edge.”

There were 35 anti-Israel events scheduled in 2013, marking a 114 percent increase in the number of those events scheduled to take place this year.

Student groups hosted at least 374 anti-Israel events during the 2013-2014 academic year.

In addition, at least 30 anti-Israel demonstrations in the U.S. during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge this past summer were sponsored or co-sponsored by pro-Palestinian student groups.

rabbinic association, establish a standardized process for conversions.

The system, called Geirus Policies and Standards, or GPS, constituted an attempt to “provide reasonable assurance that its converts and their offspring be accorded acceptance and recognition in other Jewish communities in the future.” But with many Orthodox conversions still taking place outside this system (perhaps most), critics say the establishment of central standards automatically casts aspersions on the Jewish credentials of anyone who does not go through the GPS process.

Who is a Jew without conversion: Anyone whose mother is Jewish according to halachah. In cases of uncertainty, such as some Ethiopian immigrants to Israel or members of so-called Lost Tribes whose Jewish ancestry is not universally accepted or known, most Orthodox authorities prefer conversion just to be on the safe side.

Rabbi Dr. Judith Abrams, pioneering online Talmud teacher, dies at 56 (JTA) – Rabbi Dr. Judith Abrams, the founder and director of the online Talmud learning website, MAQOM, died of a heart attack Wednesday in Houston. She was 56.

Abrams, who made a career of Jewish teaching and learning, was a relative latecomer to Jewish study.

Inspired by a semester studying in Soviet-era Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), where she met Jews in synagogue and on the streets, she entered the Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion with practically no Jewish education, and quickly excelled in her studies, according to professor Jonathan Sarna, who is a professor of Jewish history at Brandeis University and wrote a tribute to her on the HJudaic e-mail list. Abrams graduated at the top of her class in 1984 and was ordained as a rabbi the following year.

Her rabbinic thesis, on the image of America in the Russian-language Jewish press, was published in the American Jewish History journal in 1986. In 1993 she earned a doctor-

CONSERVATIVE Number: Unknown. A ballpark estimate of 2,500-3,000 converts per year worldwide is cited by the head of the movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, a figure based on an extrapolation from the 350 people the movement says convert every year under its aegis in Los Angeles.

Ritual: Approval by a threejudge religious court, male circumcision (or symbolic drawing of blood) and mikvah immersion. The court judges ideally will be three Conservative rabbis, but it’s not a must. In smaller communities, cantors or suitable community members will do.

Preparation: Several U.S. cities have conversion institutes that run Introduction to Judaism courses. In addition – and in some places instead of classes – conversion candidates will meet with a rabbi one on CONVERSION on page 20 ate in Jewish studies from Baltimore Hebrew University.

White House: Nazi war criminals should not be receiving Social Security (JTA) – Nazi war criminals should not be receiving Social Security benefits, a White House spokesman said.

Deputy press secretary Eric Schultz made his comments Monday in response to an investigation by The Associated Press that found that dozens of suspected Nazi war criminals and SS guards collected millions of dollars after being forced out of the United States.

The Social Security payments were made possible by a legal loophole that gave the Justice Department leverage to persuade Nazi suspects to leave the U.S. If they agreed to go, or fled before deportation, they could keep their Social Security benefits.

There are at least four living beneficiaries, including Jakob Denzinger, a former guard at Auschwitz. Denzinger, 90, lives in Croatia, where he receives approximately $1,500 a month in Social Security payments.

NATIONAL • 7

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

Shabbat on Halloween: Horror of horrors or wonder of wonders?

By Edmon J. Rodman LOS ANGELES (JTA) – With a borscht-curdling geshrei, Halloween this year falls on Shabbat. On a Friday night, trick-or-treaters, even Jewish ones, will be knocking.

Should we open the door? Or should we be spooked about joining the celebration?

After reading that on Oct. 31, Urban Adama, a Jewish-oriented educational farm and community center in Berkeley, Calif., would be holding a “Challahween Kabbalat Shabbat” – chanting and meditation plus a potluck dinner and Halloween dessert candy bar – I wondered: Should I have a Halloween Shabbat dinner as well?

Yes, I know that when it comes to costumes and treats, Purim is our holiday, and that Halloween has murky pagan and Christian origins.

But the multi-billion-dollar

Halloween costume, decoration and candy industry has morphed so far beyond that I wondered what I could pull from that bubbling commercial cauldron and adopt to season my Shabbat.

So what I could pull from that bubbling commercial cauldron and adopt to season my Shabbat?

Not that I would want to serve brisket with candy corn, but what about trying pumpkin spice challah?

I didn’t have to cast a spell to find a recipe online.

But what to wear, especially since I would be greeting the neighborhood children as they came calling. Could I use the opportunity to dress up as someone more shul-ish than ghoulish?

For ideas, I hit a neighborhood costume warehouse, Halloween City, not expecting much in the way of Jewish population. Was I wrong.

Though a Halloween warehouse

will never be confused with a Judaica store, I was surprised by the number of items that with a little imagination suggested ways to remember (zachor) Shabbat on Halloween, and even to keep it (shamor).

Searching for something overtly Jewish, I was disappointed at first, only finding costumes more suited to Catholic tastes. One could dress up as a Blessed Mother, priest and friar, but not a rabbi.

On a nearby rack, though, when I found a Doctor Who costume – a red fez and bow tie – I knew I was in the right place to make a fanciful connection to Shabbat. How on earth? Since according to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel “the meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space,” who would be better to have at my Halloween Shabbat dinner than a Time Lord?

Searching further in the area with costumes representing ethnic stereotypes, I found that one could dress up as a “Big Shot Scott,” a “Mystifying Gypsy” and a “Luscious Leprechaun” complete with a “Want to get lucky?” pot of gold.

The “Tequila Poppin Dude” costume came with two shoulder bandoliers with shot glass holding loops. Improvising, I figured on Shabbat I could put on the bandoliers and a kippah and be a poppin’ dude, too, only with Manischewitz.

On an end rack I saw some Shabbat potential, at least thematically in costumes based on the short, yellow, one- and two-eyed characters in the movie “Despicable Me.” There in clear packages were a “Minion Dave” costume complete with blue coveralls and goggles, as well as a “Female Minion” costume.

Courtesy of Edmon J. Rodman

There's no masking it, some Jews are spooked about joining the Halloween celebration on Shabbat.

Midterm elections: Jews facing off and other close races to watch

By Ron Kampeas and Anthony Weiss (JTA) – With midterm elections just around the corner, four races for the House of Representatives in particular are catching our Jewish eyes.

In California, succeeding Waxman: Ted Lieu vs. Elan Carr California’s 33rd Congressional District, stretching along the Pacific Coast and extending into the west side of Los Angeles, is one of the wealthiest districts in Congress and encompasses some of the most glamorous real estate in the country: Malibu, Beverly Hills, Bel Air. When incumbent liberal stalwart Rep. Henry Waxman announced his retirement, the 18-candidate primary for the seat turned into a national punchline, attracting a Kardashianendorsed spiritual guru, an NPR host and a hard-partying former NBC executive.

But as befits the successor to Waxman, a legislative workhorse, the two candidates who emerged – State Sen. Ted Lieu, a 45-year-old Democrat, and Los Angeles deputy district attorney Elan Carr, a 46-yearold Republican – are decidedly lowkey figures who share a number of similarities. Both are serving members of the military’s JAG corps (Lieu for the Air Force, Carr for the Army), both belonged to Jewish-founded fraternities (Lieu to Sigma Alpha Mu, Carr to Alpha Epsilon Pi), and both are pitching themselves as relative moderates – socially liberal, pro-Israel and business friendly.

Carr’s mother emigrated as a child from Iraq to Israel and subsequently to the United States. Carr himself grew up in New York speaking Hebrew and Arabic with his family, and he put the latter skill to use when he served in an anti-terrorism unit in Iraq. He argues that his Iraq experiences will serve him well as a “shaper of opinion” on for-

eign policy, and particularly on Iran and Israel – key issues in the seventhmost Jewish district in the country.

Carr’s interest in Israel, in particular, is something he shares with supporter Sheldon Adelson, whom the candidate describes as a “close personal friend.” Adelson has donated to the Carr campaign and hosted a fundraiser for him.

Lieu is an immigrant himself, having arrived in the United States from Taiwan at age 3 with his parents. He has authored bills on everything from greenhouse gas reductions to indoor tanning salons, and he touts his legislative experience as one of his strengths.

In New York, eyeing a new Republican Jew in Congress: Lee Zeldin vs. Tim Bishop State Sen. Lee Zeldin is adding a new pitch in his second bid to unseat Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop in New York’s 1st Congressional District: Congress needs a Jewish Republican.

Zeldin’s religion, and its scarcity among Republican politicos, is by no means his main focus. Local breadand-butter issues and the economy have dominated the campaign of this 34-year-old Iraq War vet who has served in the state Senate for four years.

But replacing former Rep. Eric Cantor, the former House majority leader, as the only Republican Jewish lawmaker in the Congress has been part of Zeldin’s outreach both in his eastern Long Island district and in making his case to donors nationally.

Zeldin, who met with Cantor after Cantor resigned following his primary loss in Virginia in June, called the former majority leader an “important voice in reaching out to the Jewish community here in the United States to encourage them to be more openminded toward supporting Republican candidates.”

Top conservative Jewish figures, including National Review publisher

Bill Kristol, former George W. Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer and Republican Jewish Coalition executive director Matt Brooks, have traveled to New York to help make Zeldin’s case.

Bishop, who acknowledges facing a tough challenge from Zeldin, told JTA that he did not think Zeldin’s religion would be a factor in the vote.

“My understanding is now that Eric Cantor has left the Congress, he is telling others he will fill that void,” Bishop said in an interview. “This is

not a race about electing someone Jewish.”

Bishop noted that both he and his opponent have strong pro-Israel voting records.

“One thing we are almost unanimous on is the importance of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and that our posture towards Israel will be protective,” Bishop said.

This is the fourth time Bishop has faced a Jewish challenger. He defeated Zeldin in 2008, and in 2010 and 2012

he edged Randy Altschuler, an investment banker.

Bishop says he is a more natural fit for Jewish voters, who tend to vote Democratic and hold liberal positions on such issues as immigration, health care and education reform.

On each of those issues, Zeldin and Bishop stake out opposing views.

Bishop favors a path to citizenship for undocumented migrants; Zeldin says MIDTERM on page 22

8 • INTERNATIONAL

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After Twitter ruling, tech firms increasingly toe Europe’s line on hate speech

By Cnaan Liphshiz BRUSSELS (JTA) – A little over a year after a French court forced Twitter to remove some antiSemitic content, experts say the ruling has had a ripple effect, leading other Internet companies to act more aggressively against hate speech in an effort to avoid lawsuits.

The 2013 ruling by the Paris Court of Appeals settled a lawsuit brought the year before by the Union of Jewish Students of France over the hashtag #UnBonJuif, which means “a good Jew” and which was used to index thousands of antiSemitic comments that violated France’s law against hate speech.

Since then, YouTube has permanently banned videos posted by Dieudonne, a French comedian with 10 convictions for inciting racial hatred against Jews. And in February, Facebook removed the page of French Holocaust denier Alain Soral for “repeatedly posting things that don’t comply with the Facebook terms,” according to the company. Soral’s page had drawn many complaints in previous years but was only taken down this year.

“Big companies don’t want to be sued,” said Konstantinos Komaitis, a former academic and current policy adviser at the Internet Society, an international organization that encourages governments to ensure access and sustainable use of the Internet. “So after the ruling in France, we are seeing an inclination

by Internet service providers like Google, YouTube, Facebook to try

International Briefs Canadian Jewish institutions ramping up security following jihadist incidents MONTREAL (JTA) — Canadian Jewish institutions are stepping up security after the murder of two Canadian soldiers by homegrown pro-jihadist terrorists.

While it is not clear whether the two attacks, which included a shooting Wednesday at the Parliament in the nation’s capital, were related, they have shaken a country that has experienced few acts of terrorism and has often felt immune from attack.

While no direct threats were reported against Jewish institutions, they reportedly are heightening security measures in response.

“The Jewish community takes these incidents very seriously,” said Martin Sampson of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Ottawa.

“We have security protocols in place and remain vigilant.”

B’nai Brith Canada CEO

Courtesy ofYouTube

The French comedian Dieudonne demonstrating the quenelle, a Nazi-like gesture whose popularity has soared in France.

and adjust their terms of service – their own internal jurisprudence – to make sure they comply with national laws.”

The change comes amid a string of heavy sentences handed down by European courts against individuals who used online platforms to incite to racism or violence.

On Monday, a British court sentenced one such offender to four weeks in jail for tweeting “Hitler was right” to a Jewish lawmaker.

Last week, a court in Geneva sentenced a man to five months in jail for posting texts that deny the Holocaust. And in April, a French court sentenced two men to five months in jail for posting an antiSemitic video.

“The stiffer sentences owe partly to a realization by judges of the dangers posed by online hatred, also in

light of cyber-jihadism and how it affected people like Mohammed Merah,” said Christophe Goossens, the legal adviser of the Belgian League against Anti-Semitism, referring to the killer of four Jews at a Jewish school in Toulouse in 2012.

In the Twitter case, the company argued that as an American firm it was protected by the First Amendment. But the court rejected the argument and forced Twitter to remove some of the comments and identify some of the authors. It also required the company to set up a system for flagging and ultimately removing comments that violate hate speech laws.

Twitter responded by overhauling its terms of service to facilitate adherence to European law, Twitter’s head of global safety outreach and public policy, Patricias

Michael Mostyn said in a statement, “The attacks this week have demonstrated that Canada is no longer immune to the danger of individuals harboring and propagating radical ideologies.”

Efraim Zuroff, who heads the Israel office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said: “This is the first time in years that Israel has denounced the attempt to whitewash crimes against humanity in the Baltics, and it is a welcome step.”

According to Holocaust survivors’ testimonies, Cukurs personally killed and tortured Jews, he added.

Israel slams Latvian show celebrating Nazi’s life (JTA) – Israel’s Foreign Ministry slammed the production in Latvia of a show celebrating the life of alleged Nazi war criminal Herbert Cukurs.

Titled “Cukurs, Herbert Cukurs,” the musical premiered earlier this month. The play is based on the life of the deputy commander of the Arajs Kommando force that participated in the near annihilation of Latvian Jewry after the Nazis invaded Latvia. Israel’s Mossad spy agency reportedly killed Cukurs in South America.

The Latvian government has criticized but not banned the privately produced work.

“Israel strongly condemns the production in Latvia of a musical that honors the memory of Latvian Nazi war criminal Herberts Cukurs,” Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which rarely comments on artistic endeavors that are not about Israel, said in a statement Thursday.

Moscow JCC renamed for JDC’s Ralph Goldman (JTA) – One of Moscow’s largest Jewish community centers, the Nikitskaya, was renamed in honor of the late Jewish leader Ralph Goldman.

The institution, which opened in 2001 with support from the JDC, was rededicated as the Ralph I. Goldman Nikitskaya Jewish Cultural Center in a ceremony Wednesday.

Goldman, a former head of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, died Oct. 7 in Jerusalem at the age of 100.

“Renaming this institution in his honor is a fitting tribute to a man whose story was so inextricably bound with that of his people and who was one of the visionaries who

Cartes Andres, revealed Monday at a conference in Brussels organized by the International Network Against Cyber Hate, or INACH. “The rules have been changed in a way that allows us to take down more content when groups are being targeted,” Cartes Andres told JTA. Before the lawsuit, she added, “if you didn’t target any one person, you could have gotten away with it.”

The change went into effect five months ago, but Twitter “wanted to be very quiet about it because there will be other communities, like the freedom of speech community, that will be quite upset about it because they would view it as censorship,” Cartes Andres said.

Suzette Brokhorst, the secretary of INACH, said Twitter’s adjusted policies are part of a “change in attitude” by online service providers since 2013.

“Before the trial, Twitter gave Europe the middle finger,” Brokhorst said. “But they realized that if they want to work in Europe, they need to keep European laws, and others are coming to the same realization.”

According to Komaitis, the Twitter case was built on a landmark court ruling in 2000 that forced the search engine Yahoo! to ban the sale of Nazi memorabilia. But the 2013 ruling “went much further,” he said, “demonstrating the increasing pressure on providers to adhere to national laws, unmask offenders and set up flagging mechanisms.”

Still, the INACH conference showed that big gaps remain

between the practices sought by European anti-racism activists and those now being implemented by the tech companies.

One area of contention is Holocaust denial, which is illegal in many European countries but which several American companies, reflecting the broader free speech protections prevalent in the United States, are refusing to censure.

Delphine Reyre, Facebook’s director of policy, said at the conference that the company believes users should be allowed to debate the subject.

“Counter speech is a powerful tool that we lose with censorship,” she said.

Cartes Andres cited the example of the hashtag #PutosJudios, Spanish for “Jewish whores,” which in May drew thousands of comments after a Spanish basketball team lost to its Israeli rival. More than 90 percent of the comments were “positive statements that attacked those who used the offensive term,” she said.

Some of the comments are the subject of an ongoing police investigation in Spain launched after a complaint filed by 11 Jewish groups.

But Mark Gardner of Britain’s Community Security Trust wasn’t buying it.

“There’s no counter-speech to Holocaust denial,” Gardner said at the conference. “I’m not going to send Holocaust survivors to debate the existence of Auschwitz online.

That’s ridiculous.”

helped rebuild Jewish life in Russia,” said Penny Blumenstein and Alan Gill, the JDC’s president and CEO, respectively, in a statement.

Russia is home today to an estimated 600,000 Jews. JDC supports 55 JCCs in Russia.

the motion and its approval.

The approval comes less than a month after new Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Loven declared that his government would recognize the state of Palestine and more than a week after the British Parliament overwhelmingly voted for a nonbinding motion backing recognition of Palestine.

Ireland’s Upper House calls on government to recognize Palestine (JTA) – The Upper House of Ireland’s parliament unanimously passed a nonbinding motion calling on the government to formally recognize the state of Palestine.

The Seanad accepted the motion Wednesday without a vote.

The motion was proposed by Sen. Averil Power, the head of the country’s main opposition party, the conservative Fianna Fail, the Irish Times reported.

It called on the Irish government to “formally recognize the State of Palestine and do everything it can at the international level to help secure a viable two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” according to TheJournal.ie.

The Palestinians’ ambassador to Ireland, Ahmed Abdelrazek, was in the Upper House during debate on

Poll: Majority of Denmark citizens want circumcision banned (JTA) — A new poll indicates that 74 percent of Denmark’s citizens believe circumcision should be fully or partially banned.

The survey was released Tuesday, the day before a parliamentary hearing believed to be a potential first step in implementing a circumcision ban. Two Danish parties favor a ban, while others are divided on the issue. Only 10 percent of the 1,000 people surveyed believed the decision should be left to parents.

Sweden and Norway also are discussing circumcision bans.

Earlier this year, Norway’s association of nurses urged the government to outlaw the procedure.

ISRAEL • 9

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

Israel’s Rivlin seeks to cure ‘disease’ of racism

By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – Israel’s president fills a largely ceremonial role — meeting with foreign dignitaries, representing the government at state funerals and other official gatherings.

But the office’s new occupant has embraced a challenge not inherent to the job: curbing what he sees as an epidemic of anti-Arab racism.

“Israeli society is sick, and it is our duty to treat this disease,” Reuven Rivlin, 75, told a group of Israeli academics on Sunday.

The Likud party elder statesman has been Israel’s most vocal politician in recent history on issues of racial discrimination and violence within the Jewish state. And he’s taking on the issue at a particularly challenging moment, when as he explained in his speech, “the tension between Jews

and Arabs within the State of Israel has risen to record heights, and the relationship between all parties has reached a new low.”

Of Israel’s population of some 8.9 million people, about 20 percent is Arab.

Strong condemnation of antiArab racism in Israel is generally the province of the country’s Arab and left-wing politicians. So Rivlin, who opposes Palestinian statehood and advocates annexing the West Bank, does not seem like an obvious candidate to take up the cause. But despite his position on the two-state solution, the president has a reputation for defending civil liberties and minority rights within the land that Israel controls.

Rivlin took office in July — as the war between Israel and Hamas intensified and just weeks after three

Jewish extremists captured and burned alive a Palestinian teen. The teen’s murder was a revenge attack for the kidnapping and deadly shooting of three Israeli teenagers in June.

But nearly two months after a cease-fire was declared, Arab-Jewish tensions have not waned. Last Tuesday, Jewish extremists burned a West Bank mosque, damaging prayer books and rugs. The same day, reports emerged of three Jewish brothers beating a Palestinian construction worker. And the following day, Arab protesters at the Temple Mount injured three policemen in riots that continued across Jerusalem throughout the week.

Then on Sunday, dozens of Jews moved into buildings overnight in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, the second such move into the primarily Arab neighborhood

this month. The next day, Arabs threw firebombs at the building in protest.

Rivlin has also called for an end to racism in high-profile TV appearances, in Facebook posts and at a recent dedication ceremony for a Jerusalem road bearing the name of the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir. And he made headlines last month when he notably recorded a video with an 11-year-old ArabIsraeli, George Amira, who had endured homophobic bullying at school. In the video, which went viral, Rivlin and George sit side by side in silence, holding up sheets of paper that call for an end to “violence, hostility, bullying, racism” in Israel.

“He said I was a courageous kid,” George told JTA. “He said he has friends who don’t have that courage.”

Former Likud minister Dan

Margalit, who grew up with Rivlin in Jerusalem and served alongside him in Knesset, told JTAthat Rivlin’s anti-racist activism stems from a commitment to traditional revisionist Zionism. The ideology espouses Jewish sovereignty over the Land of Israel, including the West Bank, as well as democracy and minority rights for Israel’s Arab citizens.

Although he supports Israeli annexation of the West Bank, the former longtime Knesset member broke with his party by opposing a 2010 law that criminalized boycotts of goods produced in Israeli settlements. The same year, Rivlin attempted to block the Knesset from stripping an ArabIsraeli lawmaker of her parliamentary privileges as punishment for participating in the flotilla operation to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Israelis growing hungry for vegan diet

By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – The music pounded, the liquor flowed, dancers filled the floor and khinkali meat dumplings and kababi skewers – staples of traditional Georgian cuisines – sat on almost every table.

That was back in February, before Nana Shrier, the owner of the hip Tel Aviv bar and restaurant Nanuchka, saw a television news report about factory farming. Then everything changed.

Abhorred by how animals are treated in industrial meat and dairy production, Shrier stripped all the animal products from the menu – from cheese to eggs to chicken and steak – and made the restaurant entirely vegan.

It wasn’t an easy shift. Retaining the restaurant’s Georgian character has forced Shrier to get creative, finding meat substitutes and trying new dishes. She has also noticed that customers order less hard alcohol when they don’t eat meat. But none of that matters to her.

“We understood that there’s no price worth paying to create animal products, to see, to sell, to produce or to buy them,” she said. “The atmosphere is pleasant, but I would have paid any price. I would have lost half my business for this.”

According to the activist group Vegan-Friendly, Shrier is one of approximately 300,000 vegans in Israel. At nearly 4 percent of the country, activists say Israel has the highest per capita vegan population of anywhere in the world. And the trend appears to be accelerating.

A survey conducted in January found that 8 percent of Israelis are vegetarian and nearly 5 percent are vegan. Four years ago, Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reported that just 2.6 percent of Israelis were

vegetarian or vegan.

Some 7,000 Israelis have accepted the “Challenge 22” to go vegan for 22 days since the initiative was launched in May by the animal rights group Anonymous (no connection to the hacker collective).

About 250 Israeli restaurants are now certified “vegan friendly” by the group of the same name, meaning that at least one-quarter of their dishes contain no animal products.

Israel is also frequently included on lists of the world’s most veganfriendly nations, thanks in part to the fact that national staples like falafel and hummus contain no animal products. And on Monday, Tel Aviv’s second annual Vegan-Fest drew more than 10,000 attendees to a festival of food, crafts and music that organizers claim is the world’s largest.

“The makeup of the community is the biggest change,” said Omri Paz, founder of Vegan-Friendly, which organized the festival. “In the past, maybe they were more spiritual, or people society viewed as a little different, a little strange. A lot of the new vegans are mainstream – vegan lawyers, vegan teachers.

Everyone can be vegan.”

The alternative and the mainstream mingled freely at the festival, where people wearing baggy tie-dyed pants and shirts reading “Proud To Be Vegan” mixed with families enjoying picnics. The food stands lining the park offered everything from vegan cakes and ice cream to vegan shwarma, Israel’s trademark spiced lamb dish.

Even Domino’s Pizza had a booth showcasing its vegan pies – first sold in Israel. Ido Fridman, the vice president of marketing for Domino’s Israel, said the company has sold about 300,000 vegan pizzas since launching the pie last year.

Israel’s vegan boom comes at a time of heightened awareness of animal welfare on factory farms.

A Hebrew-subtitled lecture on veganism has garnered nearly a million views on YouTube in a country of just 8 million people. One-fifth of the country tuned in to see a vegan activist win the latest season of the Israeli version of the “Big Brother” reality television show. And a popular investigative news show has broadcast six segments exposing the

mistreatment of animals in Israel’s meat and dairy industries.

The heightened consciousness around animal welfare has bolstered vegan activists. Founded just two years ago, Vegan-Friendly has seen attendance at its festival jump 25 percent this year. Another animal rights group founded two years ago, Free 269, recently opened Israel’s first sanctuary for animals from factory farms and has spawned dozens of offshoots in other countries.

“There’s the virality of Facebook and YouTube, so the messages and the pictures and videos are exposed to tons of people,” Paz said. “It helps that people are used to eating falafel and Israeli salad.”

Israeli veganism took root in secular liberal circles, but religious Israelis are joining the movement, too. Many note that the biblical Adam and Eve were vegetarians in the Garden of Eden.

10 • ISRAEL

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In Knesset, former protest leader Stav Shaffir follows the money

By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – Having coffee with Stav Shaffir is little different from meeting up with other 20somethings in Tel Aviv.

She rushes into the cafe a few minutes late, glances repeatedly at her phone and complains about high rents and an out-of-touch government. It’s hard, she says, being the youngest woman in a workplace full of older men.

The only difference: The workplace is the Knesset and Shaffir, 29, is the youngest female lawmaker in Israel’s history.

“The problem in my generation is we were scared of politics,” Shaffir said. “We said that everyone is corrupt and we can’t talk and we can’t go into politics, but that’s what a corrupt system wants us to think.

They want us to believe there’s no chance.”

A journalist turned activist turned politician, Shaffir first came to national prominence as the voice of the 2011 social justice protests, which saw hundreds of thousands of Israelis take to the streets to demand a lower cost of living and a broader social safety net.

Since entering the Knesset last year, she has made fiscal transparency her crusade and developed a reputation as a rabble-rouser eager to shake up the way the government does business.

Israel Briefs Infant killed, 8 hurt in suspected terror attack on Jerusalem light rail JERUSALEM (JTA) – A 3month-old girl was killed and eight people were injured when a car crashed into a light rail station in Jerusalem.

The suspected terror attack, captured on security camera video, occurred Wednesday afternoon at the Ammunition Hill station in northern Jerusalem as passengers were disembarking from the train.

Several of the injured passengers reportedly are American citizens.

The driver of the car attempted to flee the scene on foot and was shot by police. Israeli media have published unconfirmed reports naming the driver as a former Palestinian prisoner from the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, which has been a recent source of Arab-Jewish tension.

The infant girl, identified as Haya Zissel, died at the Hadassah hospital on Mount Scopus of her wounds. The driver reportedly was hospitalized with serious wounds.

On Oct. 6, Shaffir was dragged from a Finance Committee meeting by a guard while screaming “The public doesn’t know what you’re doing!” at committee chair Nissan Slomiansky. Shaffir was objecting to a motion that would have moved money between government departments without a full Knesset vote.

Shaffir has held up committee meetings repeatedly over such motions, which she says result in a budget radically different from the one passed by the Knesset at the beginning of the year. Twice this year Slomiansky has kicked Shaffir out of meetings.

“If we don’t fight for the state, it might not be,” said Shaffir, a Labor Party member and alternate member of the Finance Committee. “That’s a big civic responsibility. This is our state, and the state needs to take more responsibility for its people.”

Shaffir is no quieter on her Facebook page, where she posts near-daily polemics railing against the government’s financial decisions and budgetary procedures. Many of the posts are accompanied by shots of newspaper articles in which she is featured, her bright red hair and indignant facial expression filling the photo.

She has been so unyielding that even some fellow lawmakers who share her concerns fear Shaffir’s theatrics might be doing more harm than good.

Netanyahu slams Abbas over deadly rail attack in Jerusalem JERUSALEM (JTA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for the light rail attack in Jerusalem that killed a 3-monthold girl.

The Prime Minister’s Office spokesman, Ofir Gendelman, on his official Twitter feed identified the driver of the car that crashed Wednesday into the Ammunition Hill station in northern Jerusalem as a Hamas member. Eight people also were injured in the suspected terror act as passengers were disembarking from the train.

Netanyahu ordered tightened security in Jerusalem. The city’s mayor, Nir Barkat, called for the reinforcement of police forces in order to “restore peace and security.”

Iran claims to arrest spies near nuclear plant (JTA) – Iran arrested what it claimed were several suspected foreign spies in the southern province of Bushehr, home to the country’s first nuclear power plant.

Iranian media reported that the

“It’s important that she question everything, but she’s ready to hurt the state for this noise she makes,” said Boaz Toporovsky, a fellow freshman lawmaker and member of the centrist Yesh Atid party who, like Shaffir, supports greater financial transparency. “That crosses the line.”

Raised in the coastal city of Netanya, Shaffir did a year of service work with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel before joining the army. After her discharge, she participated in an IsraeliPalestinian study program at the City University of London.

By 2011, she had become a travel journalist, writing articles about tourist sites around Israel as well as a series on hitchhiking around Europe on a budget. In July of that year, when the protests broke out, she wrote an article about Daphne Leef, one of the protest organizers.

Within two months, Shaffir had moved from writing articles to being quoted in them as one of the movement’s leaders. A speech she gave at an August demonstration was a fiery mix of passion and indignation over the way a country founded on socialist ideals had devolved into a government run by narrow interest groups jostling for power.

“I didn’t know that the day after I was discharged [from the army], I would find myself alone,” she said in a 2011 speech. “I didn’t know that

the day after my discharge I would find out that this place, the ingathering of exiles, the national home, was a poisonous group of sectors that fight each other for power, for money, for control.”

Three years later, the high cost of living remains a potent issue, again grabbing headlines this month when an Israeli publicized that the German version of a popular local pudding cost one-third of the price in Berlin.

But while the protests have succeeded in putting the issue on the public agenda, Shaffir says little has changed. For that, she needed to run for office.

Shaffir entered what she calls “the world of suits” last year, part of a wave of young legislators galvanized by the 2011 protests. Being the Knesset’s youngest woman has been challenging. Some legislators take her less seriously, she says. But renting a room in a Tel Aviv apartment also keeps her in touch with her constituency.

“Women who get to these places always need to work harder,” she said. “We need to prove ourselves more. If I make a mistake they’ll say, ‘She’s young, she doesn’t understand.’ “ Since being elected, Shaffir has followed the money. She says showing the public how funds are spent, and exposing the small interest groups that seek back-room changes to the budget, is the silver bullet for

any number of problems – including Israeli-Palestinian peace. According to her office, nearly $250 million has been transferred to Israeli West Bank settlements over the past year.

“At the beginning I thought my job was to legislate,” Shaffir said.

“When I entered the system, I understood until we change the mechanism, nothing will change.”

Because she’s a member of the opposition, many of Shaffir’s efforts have been in vain, though she has made some gains.

The Supreme Court has ordered the Finance Ministry to work with her to make budget transfers in the Finance Committee more transparent, a process she says is moving too slowly. And she has drafted a wide coalition of opposition lawmakers to demand that Slomiansky not be allowed to preside over meetings that transfer money to Israeli Jewish settlements.

Earlier this year, a left-wing think tank exposed that the money was winding up with NGOs headed by officials from Slomiansky’s rightist Jewish Home party, which advocates increased Israeli building in the West Bank.

“It’s better to try and take a risk than not to try,” Shaffir says. “I can’t live here without fighting every day until I can change the state into a place where it’s better to raise children, that realizes the principles it was founded on.”

country’s intelligence minister, Seyed Mahmoud Alawi, said that the suspects were agents of foreign intelligence services who had been engaged in surveillance and intelligence gathering, the Times of Israel reported.

Alawi said Bushehr province is Iran’s nuclear hub and therefore “has a special position at the national level.” The Bushehr plant went live in 2011 and is not widely regarded as a proliferation threat as part of the country’s suspected nuclear weapons program.

after mile of wholesale destruction.”

More than 100,000 residents of Gaza remain homeless with over 50,000 sheltering in U.N.-run school buildings, according to the United Nations.

“I fully understand the security threat to Israel from rockets above and tunnels below,” he said. “At the same time, the scale of the destruction in Gaza has left deep questions about proportionality.”

Israel and the United States have disagreed on what could be the terms of a nuclear agreement between the world powers and Iran. Israel wants all of Iran’s centrifuges to be dismantled, while the United States is willing to consider leaving a limited civilian nuclear program in place with strict international monitoring.

Ban says U.N. will investigate weaponry in its Gaza agencies JERUSALEM (JTA) – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said an independent board will look into the shelling of U.N. agencies during the Gaza conflict as well as instances in which weaponry was found on U.N. premises.

Ban, briefing the Security Council on Tuesday about his recent visit to Gaza in the wake of this summer’s 50-day conflict there, also questioned the “proportionality” of Israel’s response to rockets fired from the coastal strip.

“Nothing could have prepared me for what I witnessed in Gaza,” he told the council. “I saw mile

Hagel, meeting with Yaalon, reaffirms U.S. commitment to Israeli security (JTA) – U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel reaffirmed the “deep commitment” of the United States to Israel’s security at a meeting with his Israeli counterpart.

Hagel in his meeting Tuesday with Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Yaalon at the Pentagon in Washington also noted the importance of the U.S.-Israel defense relationship.

The defense chiefs discussed the coalition efforts to counter ISIS, Iran and other regional issues. They also agreed to continue to work together to maintain the strength of the U.S.-Israel security relationship, according to a Pentagon statement.

2 Israeli soldiers wounded by drug smugglers firing from Egypt JERUSALEM (JTA) – Two Israeli soldiers were injured when troops came under fire by Egyptian drug smugglers on the border with Egypt.

The soldiers, one female and one male, were evacuated to the hospital, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Wednesday.

The drug smugglers fired on an IDF jeep patrolling the border halfway between Eilat and Gaza.

The Israeli soldiers returned fire, wounding three of the smugglers, according to the IDF. More Israeli troops have been dispatched to the area, Israeli media reported.

Islamic groups are active in the Sinai Peninsula and in the past have launched attacks on Israel from the area.

SOCIAL LIFE • 11

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

ANNOUNCEMENTS MARRIAGE homas and Dian Deutsch of Cincinnati, Ohio proudly announce the marriage of their daughter Kathryne Faye Deutsch to Aldan Davis Mackey, son of James Mackey of Redondo Beach, California and Roz Davis of Damariscotta, Maine. The ceremony was held October 11th, 2014 at Plum Street Temple with a reception at the Hilton Netherland Hotel.

Kathryne grew up in Cincinnati, and then went on

T

CINCINNATI JEWS IN THE NEWS heviot Savings Bank has named J. David Rosenberg, of Keating, Muething and Klekamp, to their board. Rosenberg will be part of the class of directors whose terms expire at the company’s annual meeting in April 2016..

C

Kathryne Deutsch and Aldan Mackey.

to earn a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Upon graduation, she quickly gathered her belongings and moved to Brooklyn, New York so she could become a hilarious television producer.

Coincidentally, she lived across the street from Aldan Mackey, but they would not meet for another five years.

After growing up in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, Aldan moved to Santa Monica, California to continue his High School education.

Finding an interest in cinema, he majored in Film at University of California, Santa Cruz. As luck would have it, he started working in television production as an editor… a path that would lead him directly to his lovely wife.

Now, after the wedding celebration and a quick rendezvous in Kentucky, the couple has returned to their home in Park Slope, Brooklyn; where they continue to freelance in television production, create artwork, build furniture and a beautiful life together.

12 • EVENT PLANNING

WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM

The Manor House in Mason an elegant special event venue When looking for an elegant special event venue, one that combines a country club setting with the elegance of a grand hotel, look no further than the Manor House, in Mason, Ohio. From business meetings to formal weddings, the Manor House is designed to provide you and your guests with the most memorable experience possible.

When you walk through the grand portico adorned with massive pillars and a brick walkway and enter a foyer graced with a crystal chandelier, baby grand piano and a huge mahogany fireplace, you know you are in for a special treat.

Gardens surround the Manor and are accessible from the veran-

das adjoining the banquet rooms.

A stroll around the Manor grounds brings special discoveries such as outdoor seating, perennial gardens, the butterfly garden, several fountains, a courtyard with a retractable awning and a picturesque gazebo.

The Manor House consists of 4 large main rooms for celebrations and corporate functions. Many of the rooms break up further into smaller rooms through the use of air walls with hand painted murals for break out sessions or smaller functions. The Augusta and Magnolia room, when used together, is called the Georgian Ballroom which can accomodate up to 750 guests.

The Sterling and Marquis

rooms combine into the Crystal Ballroom which can accomodate up to 300 guests. The Charleston and Savannah rooms combine into the Carolina Room for up to 200 guests. The Carolina and Crystal Ballroom combine into the Manor Ballroom which can accomodate 700 guests. All guest count capacities are for general guidelines only and will vary depending on other items in the room (i.e. dance floors, buffets, auction tables, staging, etc.).

Pricing for Manor House events is complete with your food and beverage choices, complemented by ivory tableclothes and napkins, gold-plated or silver utensils, glassware, ivory china with gold-banded or silver-banded

trim, and brass candlestick centerpieces. Their banquet rooms contain 5 and 6 foot round tables that seat 8-10, comfortable dining chairs, and portable dance floors that can be removed for business functions. The above-mentioned items as well as all personnel (with the exception of bartender and cashier charges in the event of a cash bar) are included in the pricing.

Each Manor House Entry is complete with a fireplace trimmed in mahogany wood, adorned with crystal chandeliers, and accented with oversized moldings. Each Ballroom contains a mahogany bar, fireplace, and magnificent covered porches are accessible from most rooms. Large windows

and walk-out French doors allow garden viewing from most locations. The luxurious carpet, crystal wall sconces, and sophisticated artwork all let you know that you have left your daily cares behind and entered a unique, grandeur environment. If "rustic elegant" suits your taste, The Carriage House has wood beamed ceilings and floors with stone fireplaces.

Manor House and The Carriage House are non-smoking facilities.

Whether you are treating your employees or co-workers to a corporate retreat or your guests to an elegant affair, Manor House is a "must see".

Hiring an event planner can help make your simcha go smoothly Why hire an event planner for your upcoming simcha? Despite automation and technology, our days seem shorter than ever.

Between work, school, family obligations, and social activity, the hours fly by. Sometimes it’s hard to find the time to coordinate our wedding, or our son or daughters bar or bat mitzvah.

Find the help you need in the form of party and event planners.

Professionals who do what they do best to make your celebration the most wonderful, memorable and as stress-free as possible.

The following are some of the benefits of hiring a professional event planner: • Time, time, time... just think of the hours you WILL NOT have to invest in coordinating your affair. Not only will you save precious time by letting others do your leg work, but good party planners are already knowledgeable about the best services out there. All you have to to is show up for appointments, approve designs, locations, menus, etc.

• Experienced and competent professionals have a portfolio of

vendors that they have worked with in the past, and know to be competent and reliable.

• Party coordinators often get better rates, as they are in a stronger position to negotiate price.

• When you find the coordinator that is to your liking, you will find that he or she serves not only in contracting, overseeing, and coordinating your affair, but comes up with creative ideas to enhance yours.

• Number one benefit -- reduce your stress!

When hiring an Event Planner you will be asked many questions about your preferences, budget, expectations, etc. But remember, you are doing the hiring and thus you have the privilege and the obligation to determine whether the event planner is the right match for you. Be sure to consider the following: • Are you and your planner on the same "wave length?" If you feel pushed, or coerced then this union is not for you.

• Make sure your coordinator understands your budget and sticks with it.

• Verify the event planners experience, contacts in the industry, negotiating power, ability understand contracts (so you are protected from hidden charges, or

in case of default).

• Determine the extent of involvement of the event planner: In addition to basic coordination of location, catering, photography, music, which other services are included. i.e. invitations, wedding attire, hands-on coordination at the event, thank you notes, honeymoon plans, etc. To avoid misunderstanding, your contract should detail the services are included • Discuss compensation in detail, and verify if there any hidden or extra charges, such as travel expenses, telephone, etc.

• Have everything documented in writing • Review the cancellation policies

2014 AUTO ISSUE A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE If your auto dealership wants to reach the Greater Cincinnati Jewish Community regarding new cars and trucks, this is the issue to do it!

GREAT BAR/BAT MITZVAH VENUE 7440 Mason Montgomery Rd. Mason, OH 45040

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Separate rooms for Adult Cocktails Great spaces for Teen Activities Oversized Dance Floors Alfresco Opportunities

For more information on advertising, contact Ted Deutsch at (513) 621-3145 or publisher@americanisraelite.com

Next e ssu Auto I shes Publi . 18 on Dec

AI

The American Israelite

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

HAPPY HOUR: ISRAEL OUT OF THE CLOSET Cincinnati City Council member Chris Seelbach and JCRC board member Greg Landsman hosted about 60 community members for a happy hour at 1215 Wine Bar & Coffee Lab, in honor of Tel Aviv Council member Yaniv Waizman’s visit to the Queen City. Seelbach spoke of his hope for Cincinnati to learn from Tel Aviv’s success in developing a global tourism recognition as well as the city’s focus on supporting its gay community. Yaniv shared how tourism to Tel Aviv grew exponentially, largely through word of mouth, and the importance of embracing visitors to one’s city. Yaniv also spoke of the Tel Aviv municipality’s support of the city’s gay community and his lead role in organizing the city’s famous pride parade, which brought a global audience of 100,000 to Tel Aviv this year.

Council Member Amy Murray, Council Member Chris Seelbach, Yaniv Waizman.

Kfir Benisho, Yaniv Waizman, Council Member P.G. Sittenfeld.

CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE • 13

14 • DINING OUT

WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM

At Tony’s, dining service, ambiance all top-shelf

By Bob Wilhelmy You know how you just love some places? Could be you just have a special affection for a clothes store, for instance. Or a hardware store, a candy store, or a restaurant, maybe. Tony’s Steaks & Seafood restaurant is that kind of place for me.

First, the people there are friendly, from owner Tony Ricci, to everybody else I’ve met. Also, they are bend-over-backwards helpful and service-minded. Those attributes are good, and even made better because they are genuine, coming from instinct rather than some corporate training program. Personally, that instinct vs. training difference is one I notice and appreciate. Can’t you just tell instantly when a server comes up to the table whether the approach is genuine or an act? I can, and the gal or guy who is acting makes the hair on my neck tingle a little. Anyway, the people at Tony’s are genuine and salt of the earth, to my way of thinking.

The food has to be special, too, for a restaurant to be a favorite, and Tony’s never disappoints. I had the Chilean sea bass, at Tony’s urging.

He said to me when the entrée arrived at table: “We get a nice char on the outside of our steaks, and I asked my chef (Michael Nelsen, executive chef) why we cannot do that with our fish. So we worked on it, and the sea bass is a good example of how it turned out.”

For the record, it turned out deliciously. The char on the surface of the fish filet is crisp and a bit chewy and loaded with flavor. The filet is finished in the oven and the fish flakes apart at the touch of a fork— no knife needed. Chef Nelsen has put together a delightfully tasty sauce for his sea bass entrée. A maple syrup-sage emulsion is central to the flavor profile. Ingredients include white balsamic vinegar and honey, combined with the sage and maple syrup. The taste is sweet but not cloyingly so, with simply perfect balance with the savory elements of the preparation, offering great flavor.

A bed of whole organically grown barley, puffy and light, accompanies the fish, along with caramelized onions and shaved Brussels sprouts.

A 9-ounce filet and a plate of pappardelle fra diavolo rounded out the entrée selections for this visit to Tony’s. The filet mignon was just as you’d hope for, if you like rare, juicy, tasty steak. Outside, the crunchy sear achieved by way of a ferociously hot grill, and inside, cool and red-rare and fork tender. The steak was accompanied by Yukon gold mashed potatoes and an iceberg wedge salad. Not a morsel of anything was left on that plate in the end.

The pappardelle fra diavolo is a dish that is new to the pasta list.

Pappardelle is ribbon-like pasta, per-

Tony’s Steaks & Seafood restaurant.

Entrée dish of Tuna.

Entrée dish Chilean sea bass.

haps three times wider than fettucine. The dish is served in a sauce of crushed tomatoes, black olives, a roasted pepper mix and spinach (hold the shrimp). It’s a bit spicy and very tasty, and the ribbons of pasta make it fun to eat.

Tony made sure we were stuffed and content, and therefore we had no room for dessert. BUT, when you go to Tony’s restaurant, make sure to save room for Mamma Ricci’s cannolis. I am a cannoli aficionado from way back, and I have never had better. The cannolis are magnificent for good reason—extreme care in preparation.

The tubular pastry shells are crisp, delightfully crunchy, and cookie-like. The pastry shells hold a sweet, creamy, moist cheese filling, so the moistness of the filling, after an hour or so, will wick into the shell and ruin its crispness. The first time I had his mom’s cannolis, I mentioned to Tony that the shells were so remarkably crisp, and I had never experienced that quality difference before. His comment: “We add the cream filling at the time the cannolis are ordered. That’s the way they are supposed to be eaten—right after they are filled. Otherwise the pastry shell goes soggy on you, and a great

dessert turns into a so-so dessert.”

See what I mean about bending over backwards? Who else goes to that extent to deliver exceptional quality? Precious few, that’s who.

Ricci is opening a new restaurant in Lexington, KY, across the street from Rupp Arena. If you are in the area, put the Lexington location on your list. Also, this is the time to think about seasonal parties, and Tony’s will work with you to do menus for private parties that meet your dietary needs.

Tony’s is open seven days, for dinner only, beginning at 5 p.m.

Wine dinners are offered periodical-

ly, and for private parties, call and ask for Emily Miller. The general dinner menu includes: appetizers; side dishes such as sautéed spinach, asparagus and roasted mushrooms; a meat-eaters lineup of steaks and chops; steak toppers; and desserts (try the cannolis!). There is a full bar, and a quality wine list.

See you at Tony’s.

Tony’s 12110 Montgomery Rd. Montgomery 677-1993

DINING OUT • 15

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

RESTAURANT DIRECTORY 20 Brix

Izzy’s

Pomodori’s

101 Main St

800 Elm St • 721-4241

121West McMillan • 861-0080

Historic Milford

612 Main St • 241-6246

7880 Remington Rd

831-Brix (2749)

1198 Smiley Ave • 825-3888

Montgomery • 794-0080

The Best Japanese Cuisine, Asian Food & Dining Experience In Town 9521 FIELDS ERTEL ROAD, LOVELAND

(513) 239-8881 asianparadiserestaurant.com

7625 Beechmont Ave • 231-5550 Ambar India Restaurant

4766 Red Bank Expy • 376-6008

Slatt’s Pub

350 Ludlow Ave

5098B Glencrossing Way • 347-9699

4858 Cooper Rd

Cincinnati

8179 Princeton-Glendale • 942-7800

Blue Ash

281-7000

7905 Mall Road • 859-525-2333

791-2223 • 791-1381 (fax)

1965 Highland Pk. • 859-331-4999 Andy’s Mediterranean Grille

Stone Creek Dining Co.

At Gilbert & Nassau

Johnny Chan 2

9386 Montgomery Rd

2 blocks North of Eden Park

11296 Montgomery Rd

Montgomery • 489-1444

281-9791

The Shops at Harper’s Point

6200 Muhlhauser Rd

489-2388 • 489-3616 (fx)

West Chester • 942-2100

Kanak India Restaurant

Sukhothai Thai Cuisine

10040B Montgomery Rd

8102 Market Place Ln

Montgomery

Montgomery

793-6800

794-0057

Cincinnati

Keegans Specialty Seafood Market

Tandoor

321-1600

2724 Erie Ave.

Montgomery

Hyde Park

793-7484

Asian Paradise 9521 Fields Ertel Rd Loveland 239-8881 Baba India Restaurant 3120 Madison Rd

Bistro Grace 4034 Hamilton Ave.

8702 Market Place Ln

541-9600 Breadsmith 3500 Michigan Ave.

Chinese Restaurant News - 2004 Cincy Magazine Best of the North 2014

321-0181 Tony’s

Cincinnati

"Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in America"

Marx Hot Bagels

12110 Montgomery Rd

9701 Kenwood Rd

Montgomery

Blue Ash

677-1993

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Fort Wright, KY

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Clifton

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9525 Kenwood Rd

221-5353

321-6300

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Wertheim’s Restaurant Padrino

514 W. 6th St.

111 Main St

Covington, KY

Holtman’s Donuts

Milford

(859) 261-1233

1399 Ohio 28 • 575-1077

965-0100

745-9386

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214 W. Main • 724-3865

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Williamsburg

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16 • OPINION

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Rabbis bearing witness in Ferguson

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

By Michael Adam Latz MINNEAPOLIS (JTA) – Early last week, national faith leaders called rabbis, pastors, priests and imams to Ferguson, Mo., a city rife with racial violence and pain.

Along with my rabbinic colleagues from Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Justice, I responded to the call to the people of Ferguson that their struggle for justice is a timeless spiritual struggle. I went with the intention of teaching protesters and police alike a new path for justice, a promise of racial healing.

I realized I had the wrong idea: This wasn’t about clergy teaching anyone anything but about our bearing witness to a movement.

After 18-year-old Michael Brown’s death at the hands of a police officer, the youth of Ferguson are demanding that he, and they, not be forgotten.

We rabbis went to Ferguson to hold ourselves accountable. We participated in an interfaith prayer service calling upon community leaders to advocate for racial justice; we stood before the Ferguson police station demanding that they, and we, atone for standing idly by when Michael Brown and so many other young people of color are harassed, jailed and killed. We left the sukkot in our home communities, eschewing comfortable meals and the joy of the festival, and went to Ferguson to build a different sort of sukkah: a sukkat shalom, a “shelter of peace.”

Here is what we learned: Our children are angry. They are angry that young men of color like Michael Brown are being shot on our streets. They are angry that police caused Brown further indignity by leaving his body in the street for 4 hours and 32 minutes, forcing parents to hide their children’s eyes. They are incensed that even in death, the police did not show his corpse that modicum of dignity.

Our children are committed.

For 65 days, these young leaders have shown exquisite leadership, organizing nightly protests, confronting police, demanding answers, crying out for justice.

Our children are hopeful. They believe that with the power of their voices, the gathering of their feet and the sacred work of their hands, they can bring about justice and dignity for all people in this nation.

Our children are righteous. As we stood in front of the police station at Ferguson, one young African-American woman stood face to face with a police officer in riot gear, a sign in her arms held high: “Black Lives Matter!” She testified to him, staring deeply into his eyes: “What you all did to

Have something on your mind?

Let your voice be heard!

Send a letter to the editor: editor@americanisraelite.com Courtesy ofScott Olson/

A protester at a vigil for 18-year-old Michael Brown across the street from the police station in Ferguson, Mo., Oct. 20, 2014.

Michael Brown makes me want to hate you. But I won’t have hatred in my heart. I will only have love. And I know you all want to repent for what you’ve done, for creating a system that lets my sisters and brothers of color die. I won’t hate you. I want to hug you.” And she did. With fierce tears, she treated that officer like a human being.

And she asked – she demanded – that her humanity be seen.

Our children are capable. I thought they needed the rabbis and ministers and imams and priests who came to Ferguson to “show them the way” to make justice happen. But they don’t need us to do it for them. They need us to amplify their holy work, to bear witness to their righteous anger and their anguish and their longing to be treated with compassion and with dignity and affection.

Our children are impatient.

After all, they are children. They should be dreaming of a world unfolding in front of them. They should be impatient with how they’ve been treated. What does it say about us when we ask them to be patient?

And finally, our children are here. Did we need to show up and stand for 4 hours and 32 minutes in the pouring rain to face off with police officers in riot gear? We did.

We did so to show that this movement is for repentance: for the police who fail to serve and to protect; for all of us who have allowed this to happen; for each one of us who needs to commit to the hard work of dialogue and social change.

What the mainstream media show are neighborhoods in chaos.

What we saw were young people full of passion, skill and moral courage demanding that America live up to its national promise: that we are all created equal, that dignity is not for some of us but for all of us.

AI

The American Israelite

What the Freundel scandal says about Orthodoxy

By Elana Sztokman MODIIN, Israel (JTA) – With the news that Rabbi Barry Freundel, a prominent Orthodox rabbi, has been arrested for peeping at the naked bodies of his female congregants through a secret camera in the mikvah, or Jewish ritual bath, many disturbing questions are being raised about the implications of his suspected transgressions: Does it matter that Freundel is an Orthodox rabbi? Is he just a regular (alleged) creepy pervert? Or did his position of power – and the culture surrounding it – contribute to the acts of which he stands accused?

On the one hand, there are some really lovely and goodhearted Orthodox rabbis who have nothing to do with Freundel and abhor the entire story; they do not deserve to be demonized by association. One bad apple – or rabbi, as it may be - shouldn’t spoil the whole basket. Furthermore, there are sex offenders in pretty much every culture, religion, ethnic group and social class. Violence against women is ubiquitous, unfortunately, so perhaps the particulars of the offender’s social context are not relevant.

On the other hand, one cannot help but notice the multiple layers of power, authority and gender hierarchy involved in this story.

After all, the scene of the alleged crimes was a mikvah, where women are naked, exposed and reliant on a system of intricate rules about their bodies that have been determined by men. Jewish women traditionally use the mikvah to immerse – fully nude – following menstruation or during

conversion, and in some cases to mark significant life events. The practice of ritual immersion is usually overseen by female attendants, except in the case of Orthodox conversion, when three male rabbis also must be present to give approval.

If the allegations against Freundel are true, they confirm the worst suspicions about the status of women in Orthodoxy: that the all-male rabbinical clubs support their own members in their efforts to control women’s bodies all the time. Freundel, after all, is suspected of using his authority to grab what he wanted from unsuspecting women.

Moreover, Freundel may have targeted female converts – the subset of mikvah-goers who are most at risk of abuse. These very women often do not have enough security in their social position or Jewish knowledge to question the strange demands made by rabbis in the shower room. Thus the scandal raises disturbing questions about the social structures that give men like Freundel unfettered power over Orthodox conversion. (Freudel himself has been extremely active on the conversion issue in recent years, maintaining control of the Rabbinical Council of America’s Conversion Committee and speaking widely as an expert on conversion.)

The award-winning film “A Tale of a Woman and a Robe,” by the Israeli filmmaker Nurit Jacobs Yinon, painfully demonstrates how the experiences of female converts in the mikvah violate their most basic dignity. Three male rabbis watch every woman dunk in the water, as she is naked except for a robe or sheet separat-

ing her skin from the rabbis’ eyes.

Some rabbis interviewed in the film – including the Israeli modern Orthodox rabbis David Stav and Beni Lau – admit that this practice is humiliating for women, but describe their own helplessness in changing the practice.

Meanwhile, there are reports that Freundel took advantage of these women in other ways as well. The rabbi reportedly created his own “rules” for converting women that now seem to be nothing more than a smokescreen to allow him to watch them undress.

The women complied because that is how the entire conversion system operates. Women who wish to be Jewish must oblige the rabbis overseeing their conversion. Some female converts who spoke with JTA said they were also asked to perform clerical work for the rabbi without pay.

There are reasons for women to be afraid of the rabbis who sponsor their conversions. Look at how Orthodox rabbis deal with the sex offenders in their midst. Even when men are convicted of crimes, there always seem to be some rabbis who inexplicably rush to the side of the perpetrator.

Rabbi Motti Elon, who was convicted by the Israeli courts of molesting boys in his yeshiva, has been embraced with open arms by many Orthodox communities inviting him to teach. Think about his poor family, cry some rabbis, ignoring the pain of the actual victims.

Similarly, Baruch Lebovits, a cantor who was convicted of some deeply disturbing sexual offenses, was supported continuously by SCANDAL on page 19

JEWISH LIFE • 17

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

and Sarah converted them and brought them under the wings of the Divine Presence.”

The midrash confirms that the propagation of ethical monotheism was Abraham’s major vocation and this is why he was commanded to move to Israel.

“Rabbi Berachia said... Abraham can be compared to a vial of sweetsmelling spices sealed tightly and locked away in a corner - so that the pleasant aroma could not spread.

Once the vial began to be transported, its aroma radiated all around. So did the Holy One Blessed be He say to Abraham, ‘Move from your place, and your name (and message) will become great universally.’” This midrash flies in the face of the biblical text after all, it was in Ur Kasdim, and then in Haran – places in the Diaspora – that Abraham and Sarah won converts to their religion. And this is confirmed by a daring Talmudic statement, “Rabbi Elazar said the Holy One Blessed be He sent Israel into exile amongst the nations of the world only in order to win converts....

So if propagating the faith is so essential to the Jewish election and mission, why did God command and send Abraham (and his descendants) to live in one place, Israel? It would seem that a large Diaspora would be far more efficacious in bringing multitudes of souls into our faith! The answer lies in the fact that we are a nation as well as a religion, a people imbued with a mission not only to serve God but also – and even principally – to perfect society. From our very inception, the Bible understood that nations are interdependent, and that an ethical and moral code of conduct is central to the survival of a free world, and it is only another nation that can be in the position to influence other nations. Our goal must be to influence others to strive to emulate us. We must be a nation, but not a nation like all nations, but rather “a light unto the nations.”

No one can influence another unless they know their self-definition.

A minority group dominated by a host-culture majority will expend so much energy merely attempting to survive that there will be little ability or will left over to develop a unique culture as a model for others. And unless one controls the society, there is no living laboratory to test one’s ethical and moral ideas, to see if they can be expressed in real-life situa-

tions.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of Great Britain, expressed it very well. There were three brilliant and disenfranchised Jews who developed unique world outlooks. Karl Marx argued that human beings are controlled by economic forces, Spinoza maintained that humanity is controlled by nature and natural instincts, Freud believed we are formed by our parents’ home, fraught with traumas of Oedipus and Electra complexes.

God commands Abraham: “Free yourself of Marxian, Spinozistic and Freudian determinism. All of these will have an influence, but human freedom as children of the God of love will empower us to transcend these limitations and create a more perfect society.”

Hence God tells Abraham that he must leave to forge a unique nation dedicated to the ultimate values of human life and freedom, societal justice and compassion, so that through his special nation the world will be blessed and humanity will be redeemed.

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

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T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE THIS WEEK’S PORTION: LECH LCHA BRAISHITH 12-17 1. Which city did Avrom visit in Canaan? a.) Jerusalem b.) Shechem c.) Jericho

3. Are Alonei Moreh and Alonei Mamrei the same place? a.) Yes b.) No

2. Which nation ruled Canaan when Avrom first came? a.) Canaanite b.) Egyptian c.) Aram d.) Ruled by multitude of tribes

4.Where was the battle of the Kings? a.) Jerusalem b.) Shechem c.) Dead Sea area

later became the Dead Sea Rashi 5. A 14:18 He is Shem the son of Noah who fed Avrom and his men after the war. He did not harbor ill feelings to Avrom even though Avrom defeated the his descendants. Rashi

EFRAT, Israel - “And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew: now he dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram.”

(Gen. 14:13).

“Go away, for your own good, from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house to the land that I shall show you. “I will make you into a great nation... You shall become a blessing... All the families of the earth shall be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:1-3).

Our portion opens with the first Divine Commandment to the first Jew - the command to make aliya.

Why did God choose Abraham and why was it so important for him to move to the Land of Israel?

Maimonides, basing himself on earlier midrashim, maintains that Abraham discovered the concept of ethical monotheism - a single Creator of the universe who demands justice, compassion and peace.

Abraham shattered the idols in Ur Kasdim, was chased to Haran where he continued to preach his newfound religion, was addressed by God and sent to the Land of Israel (Mishneh Torah, “Laws of Idolatry” 1,3).

It is the propagation of this new credo that is the source of the Abrahamic blessing for the world and is the essence of his election.

Not only does God stipulate that “through (Abraham) all the families of the earth shall be blessed,” but Maimonides also pictures the first Jew as an intellectually gifted forerunner of “Yonatan(Johnny) Appleseed,” planting seeds of ethical monotheism and plucking the human fruits of his labor wherever he went.

This “missionary activity” on behalf of God which was established by Abraham is a model for all of his descendants, and even according to many authorities an actual commandment! The midrash interpreting the commandment “to love the Lord your God” teaches: “(We are commanded) to make Him (God)beloved to all creatures, as did Abraham your father, as our text states, ‘the souls which they (Abram and Sarai) made in Haran’ (Gen. 12:5). After all, if all the people of the world were to gather in order to create one mosquito and endow it with a soul, they would be incapable of accomplishing it, so what is the text saying in the words, ‘the souls which they make in Haran’? This teaches that Abraham

“Rabbi Elazar said the Holy One Blessed be He sent Israel into exile amongst the nations of the world only in order to win converts....

5. Who was Malki Tzedek? a.) King and a Priesti b.) Relative of Avrom c.) Special friend of Avrom

the Canaanites were taking it over. Rashi 3. B 12:6, 13:18 Elonei Moreh is Shechem, Rashi. Elonei Mamrei is in Hebron. Mamreh is a person who rebelled against idol worship and served Hashem Rashi 4. C 14:3 Originally the area was fields and

by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

SHABBAT SHALOM: PARSHAT LECH LECHA GENESIS 12:1-17:27

Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise

ANSWERS 1. B 12:6 Avrom prayed for his descendants Shimon and Levi when they fought against Schem Rashi 2. A 12:6 Noah gave Canaan to the descendants of Shem and when Avrom first entered Canaan,

Sedra of the Week

18 • JEWZ IN THE NEWZ

JEWZ

IN THE

By Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist At the Movies: Opening Friday, October 31 Just in time for Halloween comes “Horns,” which most advance reviewers describe as an intelligent horror/thriller.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE, 25, stars as Ig Perrish, a small town guy whose life is devastated when his girlfriend-since-childhood (Juno Temple) is murdered.

Everyone in town thinks he killed her, although he isn't charged with her murder. A year after her death, Perrish wakes up one morning to find he’s grown a pair of horns. He’s surprised to find out that the horns have supernatural powers that make most people reveal their darkest secrets to him—including clues to solve his girlfriend’s murder.

Appearing in a supporting role, as Perrish’s father, is veteran actor JAMES REMAR, 60.

Remar is best known for playing Dexter’s father, Harry, on “Dexter”. While Harry wasn’t a bad guy, Remar has mostly played bad guys during his long career (including Jewish gangster DUTCH SCHULTZ in “Cotton Club”). A friend recently ferreted out that Remar is the son of a Jewish father and nonJewish mother. It’s my strong sense that the actor was raised secular and is secular.

LaBeouf No Longer Kosher?

SHIA LABEOUF, 28, who was originally set to play Perrish in “Horns,” has created internet buzz about his current religious affiliation because of comments he made in the October issue of “Interview” magazine. Much of the interview, as you might expect, is about his weird behavior over the last few years (including plagiarizing playwright DANIEL CLOWES’ work for a short film; being booted from the cast of a big Broadway show after a fist fight with Alec Baldwin; and screaming from the audience during a Broadway show performance).

He explained away these incidents (and others) in various ways that sounded, at least to me, contrived and way-too-arty.

I was left thinking: “This guy probably has real mental problems even if he isn’t totally crazy.”

In response to a question about playing a religious Christian (American) soldier in the film “Fury,” LaBeouf said; “I found God during ‘Fury’. I became a Christian man.”

However, there is ambiguity here. You can read all of

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NEWZ

LaBeouf’s comments about religion in this “Interview” article without being able to say, for sure, whether LaBeouf was referring to inhabiting the religious character he played or that he has made a flat-out embrace of Christianity. I tend towards the latter explanation. But, even if he is a “Christian man” this month—given his unstable nature—who knows what he will be next month? I will try and keep you posted.

World Series Sidelight--Two K.C. Mensches By the time you read this, the World Series will be over. But here’s a couple of Jewish footnotes I thought were interesting.

Actor PAUL RUDD, 44, was in the stands during the first two World Series games in Kansas City and the TV cameras showed him a couple of times. He was decked out in all the Royals stuff a fan might wear. Rudd’s rooting interest is understandable---the talented actor, whom everyone likes, moved to Overland Park, Kansas (not far from Kansas City, Missouri) with his U.K.born Jewish parents when he was 10. He had his bar mitzvah in Kansas and graduated from a Kansas high school. The Royals fielded a lot of very good teams (including the 1985 World Series winner) when Rudd was a young teen and he has remained a lifelong fan.

Rudd watched the second game of the Series with golf legend Tom Watson, 65. Watson, a Kansas City (MO) native, was married to a Jewish woman, LINDA RUBIN, from 19721997. She’s the mother of his two older children and they were raised in their mother’s faith.

Watson got a lot of press coverage back in 1990 when he resigned from the Kansas City Country Club when the membership committee refused to admit (the Jewish) HENRY BLOCH, now 92. Bloch is the co-founder of H&R Block, the huge tax preparation firm, and he’s widely described as a philanthropic pillar of the Kansas City area.

Watson first tried to quietly get the committee to reverse its decision. He failed at that and issued this statement when he resigned: ”This is something I personally can’t live with. I wish people would get together and say that a person with different religious beliefs is OK. It’s time for people to take their heads out of the sand.” Watson’s statement and the ensuing public uproar got the Club to reverse its decision and offer Bloch membership, which he accepted.

FROM THE PAGES 150 Y EARS A GO Miss Mary Elizabeth Forghum, a very intelligent and high-minded young lady of Dayton, O., having on conviction renounced the faith of Christianity, was converted and admitted in the pale of Judaism on Sunday, November 20th, 1864, in the synagogue of that city, by the Rev. Dr. Lilienthal of Cincinnati.

In the presence of many friends this eloquent and able minister performed the imposing ceremonies, and addressed the young and lovely convert in worlds teeming with the tenderest love and brightest hope. Many were the limpid tears shed as this gentle appeal and exhortation tremblingly welcomed and admonished this new daughter of Israel, who, to strengthen her resolution in weal and woe to steadfastly cling to her adopted faith and the time-honored race identified with it, was subsequently united in happy wedlock to Mr. Edward Weinstein, a co-religionist of ours. May he be a good husband to her, and in love and kindness teach her how the matrons of Israel by deeds of virtue and goodness strive to please Jehovah and his children! – November 25, 1964

125 Y EARS A GO Mr. and Mrs. Albert Levy gave a delightful dancing party to the friends of Miss Levy last Friday night. The palatial residence on West Eighth Street was most beautifully decorated with the choicest flowers, and the young ladies all looked lovely in handsome ball attire.

Mr. Chas. Fleischman celebrated his birthday last Sunday, in a quiet way with relatives and intimate friends. The event was a doubly interesting one, as it was the twentieth anniversary of his wedding.

The post-confirmation class, formed by Dr. Philipson some weeks ago, numbers now about one hundred. The movement has met with the greatest success. The class meets on Sunday morning at ten o’clock, in the temple. All who desire to come will be made welcome. – November 7, 1889

100 Y EARS A GO Mr. Albert M. Kahn, son of Mr. and Mrs. Felix Kahn and Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis N. Stix, were married at the Hotel Gibson on Wednesday evening. Dr. Grossmann performed the ceremony.

William Himmelreich, who died at the Jewish Hospital on Sunday, October 25, was buried at Lick Run Cemetery on Tuesday afternoon. The funeral took place from his late residence, 221 Albany

Avenue. Dr. Grossmann officiated.

Miss Irene Wolfson of South Crescent Avenue, Avondale, and Miss Ruby Hyman of Lebanon, O., will leave for New York on Sunday, where they expect to spend part of the winter.

The engagement has just been announced of Adele, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Goldsmith of 3148 Harvey Avenue, Avondale, to Dr. Leon Bloch of Chicago, Ill. – October 29, 1914

75 Y EARS A GO In honor of his forthcoming marriage to Miss Betty Feldman, Mr. Bertram A. Wallenstein will be honored at a stag Tuesday, Nov. 14th, at 7 p.m., at the Netherland Plaza. The committee includes Messrs. I. Jack Martin, Charles Klein and Lewis M. Lederer.

Cincinnati Chapter, American Red Cross, has re-elected Mr. Jeffrey L. Lazarus as a vice chairman. Directors include Mrs. Alva W. Goldsmith, Jr., Mr. Justin A. Rollman, Mrs. Charles H. Tobias, and Mr. Edgar Friedlander.

The Business and Professional Group of Hadassah will meet Monday, Nov. 13th, at 8 p.m., at Jewish Center.

The program includes a report

by Mrs. Harry Frankel on Hadassah’s recent convention; talk on Jewish National Fund by Miss Belle Harris; and a paper by Miss Ethel Simon on “The Romance of JNF.” A hike and wiener roast at Mt. Airy Forest Sunday, Nov. 12th, will start at 11 a.m. at Fountain Square near the Northside -Mt. Airy bus.

Dr. Leon Saks has returned from Columbus afrer having attended the meeting of the Ohio State Dental Society where he presented a clinic. – November 9, 1939

50 Y EARS A GO Dr. and Mrs. I. Leonard Bernstein announce the Bar Mitzvah of their son, David, Saturday, Nov. 14, at 9a.m., at Congregation Adath Israel, Cincinnati Jewish Community Center, Summit Road.

Friends are cordially invited to worship with the family and to attend the Kiddush following services. Rabbi Ernst M. Lorge of Temple Beth Israel, Chicago, will preach the sermon in honor of his nephew’s Bar Mitzvah.

A reception will be held at home, 3117 Esther Drive, Saturday night, Nov. 4, from 7 to 11p.m. No cards.

David is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Goldman of Cincinnati and Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Bernstein of Jersey City, N.J.

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Goret (Eileen Wilson), 2413 Vera Avenue, announce the birth of a son, Brian David, Wednesday, Oct. 21. The infant has a brother, Stuart Alan.

The maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Sam J. Wilson and the paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Nathan B. Goret.

Mr .and Mrs. M. Blumberg, 6121 Faircrest Drive, announce the birth of a son, Mark Jonathan, Friday, Sept. 25, at Bethesda Hospital. The infant has a brother, Michael David. – November 5, 1964

25 Y EARS A GO Dr. and Mrs. E. Leonard Arnoff announce the engagement of their daughter, Susan, to Andrew P. Spohr, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick A. Spohr.

Susan earned her bachelor of science in nursing at Case Western Reserve University and her masters in business at the University of Cincinnati. She is a manager of hospital operations at Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Andrew earned his bacehlor’s degree in business administration from Miami University and his master’s in business administration from Xavier University. He is a senior manager in teh health care consulting group at Deloitte Haskins & Sells.

A December wedding in Cincinnati is planned.

Mr. and Mrs. Armin A. Baltis (Beth Katz) ammounced the birth of a daughter, Ariel Lynn, Oct. 7.

Maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Katz of Cincinnati. Paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Nick Baltis of Oceanside, Calif.

Maternal great-grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Levy and Mrs. Isadore Shostle. – November 9, 1989

10 Y EARS A GO Dawn (Becker) and Andrew Green announce the birth of their daughter, Kaitlyn Michelle Green, Oct. 24, 2004. Katie is welcomed by big brothers Ryan and Will and big sister Shelby. Maternal grandparents are Renee and Mel Becker, maternal great-grandparents are Sadye and the late Wilfred Schwartz and Murray and the late Ruth Becker of Oldsmar, Fla. Paternal grandparents are Audrey and Charles Comins and Louis and Anne Green of Boca Raton, Fla. Katie is named for her paternal great-great-grandmother, Kate Hellman. – November 18, 2004

COMMUNITY DIRECTORY / CLASSIFIEDS • 19

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

COMMUNITY DIRECTORY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATIONS Access (513) 373-0300 • jypaccess.org Big Brothers/Big Sisters Assoc.

(513) 761-3200 • bigbrobigsis.org Camp Ashreinu (513) 702-1513 Camp at the J (513) 722-7258 • mayersonjcc.org Camp Chabad (513) 731-5111 • campchabad.org Camp Livingston (513) 793-5554 •camplivingston.com Cedar Village (513) 754-3100 • cedarvillage.org Chevra Kadisha (513) 396-6426 Cincinnati Community Kollel (513) 631-1118 • kollel.shul.net Cincinnati Community Mikveh (513) 351-0609 •cincinnatimikveh.org Eruv Hotline (513) 351-3788 Fusion Family (513) 703-3343 • fusionnati.org Halom House (513) 791-2912 • halomhouse.com Hillel Jewish Student Center (Miami) (513) 523-5190 • muhillel.org Hillel Jewish Student Center (UC) (513) 221-6728 • hillelcincinnati.org Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati 513-961-0178 • jcemcin.org Jewish Community Center (513) 761-7500 • mayersonjcc.org Jewish Community Relations Council (513) 985-1501 Jewish Family Service (513) 469-1188 • jfscinti.org Jewish Federation of Cincinnati (513) 985-1500 • jewishcincinnati.org Jewish Foundation (513) 214-1200 Jewish Information Network (513) 985-1514 JVS Career Services (513) 936-WORK (9675) • www.jvscinti.org Plum Street Temple Historic Preservation Fund (513) 793-2556 Shalom Family (513) 703-3343 • myshalomfamily.org

PLURALISM from page 3 educational programs in 50 high schools throughout Israel with a reach of over 15,000 students, teachers, principals and parents yearly, in the course of providing enrichment programs focused on secular pluralistic Judaism as well as social justice. In addition, Maia served as a tour guide in the Army Educational Corps.

Maia’s wide range of experi-

GLUECK from page 5 that’s the source of the problem.”

After Rabbi Baker concluded, Rick Michelman, President of AJC Cincinnati, presented Barbara with her Community Service Award.

He read a proclamation from Mayor John Cranley declaring that October 21 was “Barbara Glueck Day” in Cincinnati, and then all past presidents in attendance joined him on stage to each present

The Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education (513) 487-3055 • holocaustandhumanity.org Vaad Hoier (513) 731-4671 Workum Fund (513) 899-1836 • workum.org YPs at the JCC (513) 761-7500 • mayersonjcc.org CONGREGATIONS CONGREGATIONS Adath Israel Congregation (513) 793-1800 • adath-israel.org Beit Chaverim (513) 984-3393 • btzbc.com Beth Israel Congregation (513) 868-2049 • bethisraelcongregation.net B’nai Tikvah Chavurah (513) 284-5845 • rabbibruce.com Congregation Beth Adam (513) 985-0400 • bethadam.org Congregation B’nai Tzedek (513) 984-3393 • btzbc.com Congregation Ohav Shalom (513) 489-3399 • ohavshalom.org Congregation Sha’arei Torah (513) 620-8080 • shaareitorahcincy.org Congregation Shevet Achim (513) 426-8613 • shevetachimohio.com Congregation Zichron Eliezer (513) 631-4900 • czecincinnati.org Golf Manor Synagogue (513) 531-6654 • golfmanorsynagogue.org Isaac M. Wise Temple (513) 793-2556 • wisetemple.org Kehilas B’nai Israel (513) 761-0769 Northern Hills Synagogue (513) 931-6038 • nhs-cba.org Rockdale Temple (513) 891-9900 • rockdaletemple.org Temple Beth Shalom (513) 422-8313 • tbsohio.org Temple Sholom (513) 791-1330 • templesholom.net The Valley Temple (513) 761-3555 • valleytemple.com

EDUCA EDUCATION Chai Tots Early Childhood Center (513) 234.0600 • chaitots.com Chabad Blue Ash (513) 793-5200 • chabadba.com Cincinnati Hebrew Day School (513) 351-7777 • chds.shul.net HUC-JIR (513) 221-1875 • huc.edu JCC Early Childhood School (513) 793-2122 • mayersonjcc.org Kehilla - School for Creative Jewish Education (513) 489-3399 • kehilla-cincy.com Mercaz High School (513) 792-5082 x104 • mercazhs.org Kulanu (Reform Jewish High School) (513) 262-8849 • kulanucincy.org Regional Institute Torah & Secular Studies (513) 631-0083 Rockwern Academy (513) 984-3770 • rockwernacademy.org Sarah’s Place (513) 531-3151 • sarahsplacecincy.com Yeshivas Lubavitch High School of Cincinnati (513) 631-2452 • ylcincinnati.com ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATIONS American Jewish Committee (513) 621-4020 • ajc.org American Friends of Magen David Adom (513) 521-1197 • afmda.org B’nai B’rith (513) 984-1999 BBYO (513) 722-7244 • mayersonjcc.org Hadassah (513) 821-6157 • cincinnati.hadassah.org Jewish Discovery Center (513) 234-0777 • jdiscovery.com Jewish National Fund (513) 794-1300 • jnf.org Jewish War Veterans (937) 886-9566 • jwv.org NA’AMAT (513) 984-3805 • naamat.org National Council of Jewish Women (513) 891-9583 • ncjw.org ORT America (216) 464-3022 • ortamerica.org State of Israel Bonds (513) 793-4440 • israelbonds.com

ences works to the advantage of JFC. As community emissary, she is a staff member of JFC’s Israel Center, where she serves as a great resource and as an official representative of Israel on behalf of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Maia, her husband Amit and their two children were born and raised in Israel. Maia is a graduate of Tel Aviv University, where she completed her B.A. with honors in Jewish Studies. She also earned an

M.A. degree with honors in Jewish Studies from the Schlechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.

This exciting opportunity to meet Maia Morag and hear her speak will take place on Sunday November 16 at Northern Hills Synagogue. This event is open to the Northern Hills Synagogue congregation and to the greater Cincinnati community.

Barbara with a rose.

Barbara took time to thank everyone, from Rabbi Baker and new director Cathy Heldman to Naomi Ruben (who planned this event) and all AJC leaders.

Since her retirement this summer she has been traveling, primarity to Europe with her granddaughter, seeing the impact of AJC first-hand.

When asked how she felt about this honor, Barbara replied that she was “totally happy and flattered” to receive the

Communtiy Service award. She went on to say that she looks forward to volunteering with AJC in the future, and will always refer to AJC as “we, our and us” when talking about the organization. Barbara believes strongly that Cathy Heldman is the ideal person to take on the position of Director. “She knows everyone!

She’s the perfect person for the job.”

TRANSPORTATION

SENIOR SERVICES

EREZ Taxi Service Transportation for shopping, doctor appointments, airports

513-917-7264 CEMETERIES from page 3 Walnut Hills High School before receiving his BA from Adelbert College Western Reserve University in 1967. After completing medical school at the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Herzig served internships and residencies in Boston and with the U. S. Air Force in Taiwan and Texas before completing his residencies and internships at the University of Cincinnati. After 30 years in private practice with the Herzig Krall Group in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Dr. Herzig became affiliated with Mercy Health in 2009.

He is Chairman of the Mercy Health Physicians Management Board and the Mercy Health Select Board of Directors and currently serves on the Mercy Health Market Board of Directors. He also serves as a Professor of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine. He has been affiliated with the American College of Rheumatology since 1976 and currently serves as Chairman of RheumPAC, the ACR Political Action Committee. He has published more than 25 scientific research papers.

Upon their return to Cincinnati in 1977, the Herzig family joined Rockdale Temple. Dr. Herzig was President of Rockdale from 1997 – 1999, which was when he first became involved with cemeteries. It was during this time, which coincided with Mike Oestreicher’s Presidency at Wise Temple, that the United Jewish Cemeteries’ Board of Delegates sent a letter to Rockdale and Wise informing them of their weakened financial condition. This letter eventually led to the formation of JCGC. Upon completion of his term as Rockdale president in 1999, Dr. Herzig was appointed by Rockdale to the UJC Board of Delegates. He continued to serve on the Ad Hoc Committee of the Cemetery Project and served as president of UJC from 2006 – 2008. He was a founding Board member of JCGC when it was incorporated in 2004 and remained on the Board and Executive Committee through 2011. He also served as Vice President of JCGC from 2004 – 2009.

Michael Oestreicher is a native Cincinnatian, having attended Walnut Hills High School before receiving his BA from Miami University in 1972.

He currently is a partner at Thompson Hine and serves as a member of the

• • • • •

Up to 24 hour care Meal Preparation Errands/Shopping Hygiene Assistance Light Housekeeping

(513) 531-9600 firm’s Corporate Transactions & Securities and International Trade & Customs practice groups. He previously served as partner-in-charge of the firm’s Cincinnati office and subsequently as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. In February 2006, Mr. Ostreicher was appointed by President George W. Bush as a member of the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN). His term was extended for an additional two years in 2008.

Mr. Oestreicher’s family has belonged to Wise Temple since the early 1950’s. Mr. Oestreicher was President of Wise from 1998 – 1999, where he first became involved with cemeteries. Mr. Oestreicher served as co-chair of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Cemetery Project and was a founding board member of JCGC when it was incorporated in 2004. He also served as Treasurer of JCGC from 2004 – 2008 and remained on the Board and Executive Committee through 2009. He continues to serve on JCGC’s Finance Committee in an “Observer” capacity.

Edward G. Marks is a retired partner in the Cincinnati firm Barron, Peck, Bennie & Schlemmer. He was admitted to practice in 1967, following a seven-year career as a broadcast journalist and on air personality. For 19 years, he represented Ohio’s largest health insurer, litigating in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, and advising the company with regard to legislative and administrative matters. For the past 20 years, his practice has focused largely on estate planning, estate and trust administration, and guidance for nonprofit organizations.

Mr. Marks has been active in the Jewish community for many years. His family has been affiliated with Rockdale Temple since his great-greatgrandfather joined in approximately 1851. He has taught at Rockdale, has chaired several committees, and has served several terms on its Board of Trustees. He also served several terms on the Midwest Region board of the Union for Reform Judaism. Mr. Marks served for nine years on the board of United Jewish Cemeteries, and was one of the voices that spoke out early for the wisdom of a community-wide cemetery organization. He was JCGC’s founding president, and continues on its board and executive committee.

20 • FOOD

WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM

Zell’s Bites: Mandelbrot Revisited Zell’s Bites

by Zell Schulman Some days things just don’t work out the way you wish them to. Unfortunately, the receipe for my friend Annette Frisch’s Mandelbrot, or known in many families as Mandel Bread, had a little trouble. By mistake, I left out the amount of flour in the recipe. I aslo noticed some of the amounts were printed in the wrong place!

Below is the correct version.

Thank you for understanding.

This will become a favorite in your family.

MOKE’S MANDELBROT CORRECTED Makes 3 dozen Ingredients 3 cups flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon nutmeg 3 large eggs 1-1/2 cup sugar 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup finely chopped almonds or walnuts Topping 1/2-cup sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons cinnamon

CONVERSION from page 6 one. Prospective converts are also expected to become part of the Jewish community, attend synagogue, celebrate holidays and engage with Jewish practice in some meaningful way. A sponsoring rabbi is necessary to complete the conversion.

Requirements: “The prospective convert must renounce all other religious beliefs and practices and commit to living a moral life according to Jewish teaching, having a Jewish household and, if they have children, raising them as Jews,” Schonfeld says.

“They must commit to adopt and grow in their observances of Shabbat and holidays and kashrut, to give tzedakah and to engage in Jewish study. The exact minimum requirements for these and other observances vary somewhat from rabbi to rabbi.” Few if any rabbis

Method 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cookie sheet or cover it with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together; set aside.

2. Place the eggs and sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add the oil slowly, in a steady stream, beating continuously. Add the vanilla. Turn the mixer. to medium speed and alternately add the sifted ingredients with the chopped nuts.

3. Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface; divide the dough in three pieces. On the prepared cookie sheet, shape each piece into a long, flat, loaf, about 1-inch high.

4. Score each loaf at 1-inch intervals with the tip of a sharp knife. Sprinkle each loaf well with the cinnamon-sugar topping. Bake in the preheated oven, 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Remove the Mandelbrot from the oven and slice the loaves where scored. Lay each piece flat on its side. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar topping. Return the sliced pieces to the oven and bake 5 to 6 minutes , just until the slices begin to turn a little golden.

Remove the loaves from the oven and turn each piece over. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar topping and return to the oven and bake 5 to 6 more. Remove the slices from the oven and cool 5 to 10 minutes.

Store in an airtight container.

Zell’s Tips: For those watching their cholesterol, use 1 large egg and 1/2 cup of egg substitute.

Cut the amount of sugar to l cup and leave out the nuts. The consistency will still be correct, and the flavor may not be as rich, but it will still be tasty. require commitment to Jewish law as defined by the Conservative movement.

Who’s converting? Two-thirds are non-Jews in an interfaith relationship with a Jew, says Rabbi Adam Greenwald, director of the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University in Los Angeles. But because intermarriage is so prevalent among Conservative Jews these days (nearly four in 10 Conservative Jews are doing it, according to Steven M. Cohen of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion), partners willing to go the extra step and convert tend to be pretty involved with Judaism, Greenwald says. The other one-third of Conservative converts include spiritual seekers, young people turned on to Judaism through friends in college, the elderly – even single moms look-

as a way of informing the community to their plight. The faces, streets, and buildings he photographed capture the human experience.

His nephew Paul Ransohoff said he was a “do gooder in the best sense of the word”. He was called “Mr. Cincinnati” because of his love of all things about his city. “He saw the universal in the particular” he was always on a mission, never carefree Ransohoff said. He believed beauty and humanity is always right under your nose. And he continues to speak to us today through his pictures.

Ben Rosen was only 13 and a student at Withrow High School when he was hired as an apprentice to Dan Morgenthaler. That year he photographed Charles Lindbergh at a victory tour stop at Lunken Airport. In 1937 he photographed the worst flood Cincinnati has ever seen.

In 1943 Rosen was drafted into the Army assigned to the 34th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron. With cameras attached to the bomber bays they photographed during the day and developed at night in an 8 foot hole in the ground that became their dark room.

Rosen recorded the religious life in Cincinnati as a staff photographer for the Catholic Telegraph from 1947 to 1980. He was a contributing photographer for the American Israelite from 1960 to 1980.

Many of his photographs in the

exhibit take you back to the by-gone days in and around downtown Cincinnati. Fountain Square and Government Square and the buildings surrounding them. The RKO Albee Theater, Empress Chile, Mabley and Carew are just a few that will bring back memories.

His daughter Merle Rosen told the crowd that the things her father was most interested in were photography, movies and women.

While attending a reunion of the 34th Recon Squadron he took his last picture. It was of a blond woman on the rooftop of the hotel. He went to bed that night planning for a busy day ahead and at the age of 95 he quietly slept away.

Cincinnati residents will have a chance to share their recollections about old neighborhoods, including some that played a key role in the city’s Jewish history Visitors to the exhibit can write comments on cards or enter them online. General recollections about the neighborhoods or specific scenes are encouraged.

“We hope to start a conversation about these neighborhoods, especially the West End, that were such a big part of the fabric of the city,” said Abby S. Schwartz, director of the Skirball Museum and curator of the show.

The exhibit also will feature a bus tour focusing on Jewish Cincinnati, including landmark Jewish sites Downtown and in Avondale. The tour will start at 10 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 2 and be led by American Jewish Archives

staff. There is a cost for the tour and space is limited. Registration is required by calling Nancy Dowlin at HUC. There will also be a panel discussion with local historians, scholars and consultants focusing on the West End. The event will be at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12 at Mayerson Hall on the HUCJIR campus. It will be free and open to the public. Reservations are requested by calling Jen Mendelson at HUC. Support for the program is being provided by the Daniel J. Ransohoff Lectures Fund of HUC-JIR. In addition, the Klau Library at HUC-JIR will display books by and about Jewish photographers.

Rosenthal and Ransohoff photographs are from the collection of the Cincinnati History Library and Archives at Cincinnati Museum Center.

The Rosen photographs are in the collection of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center at the American Jewish Archives. The photos are supplemented with the photographers’documents and memorabilia, including camera equipment.

The Skirball Museum is open Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. The American Jewish Archives is open Monday to Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The Klau Library is open Monday to Thursday 7:45 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Sunday, 2 to 6 p.m. All three venues are located in Clifton.

ing for direction, according to Greenwald.

Attitude toward conversions performed by other denominations: If the conversion meets Conservative requirements, it’s kosher. That generally includes Orthodox conversions and excludes Reform ones, but not across the board. If a Reform conversion included an acceptable three-judge panel, mikvah, circumcision, and a serious course of study and commitment to Jewish life, there are Conservative rabbis who would find it acceptable.

Problems: Conservative conversions are not recognized by Orthodox institutions, including Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. So if you immigrate to Israel (the Israeli Interior Ministry accepts Conservative conversions for the purposes of immigration), you probably won’t be considered Jewish by the Rabbinate and therefore won’t be permitted to marry a Jew in Israel.

You’ll either have to marry overseas, have an “unofficial” wedding in Israel that won’t be recognized by law or reconvert Orthodox style.

Who is a Jew without conversion: Anyone with a Jewish mother according to Conservative interpretations of Jewish law.

REFORM Number: Unknown, but at least 800-900 per year. The American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati keeps a record of conversion certificates but does not know what proportion of converts send them in. The Union for Reform Judaism says over 1,000 indi-

viduals took one of its 16-week conversion classes in 2013.

Ritual: Varies. All “Jews by choice” make some kind of public declaration of commitment. It may be in the rabbi’s office before a three-person religious panel, in front of the entire congregation in the synagogue sanctuary or at the mikvah. Mikvah immersion is recommended but not required.

Some men also undergo circumcision or the symbolic drawing of blood, but it’s not required. In synagogue conversion ceremonies, the convert typically holds the Torah, recites the Shema, is given a Hebrew name and receives a blessing.

Preparation: A 14- to 16-week Introduction to Judaism class that meets weekly and covers such topics as basic Hebrew and prayer, holidays, Jewish history, Jewish lifecycle, Israel and how-to Judaism. These may be supplemented or substituted by individualized counseling or study sessions with rabbis.

Requirements: Broadly speaking, commitment to the Jewish people, living life as a Jew and Jewish values.

Some ceremonies require affirmation of six key tenets as outlined in the conversion service published by the movement in 1988: accepting Judaism to the exclusion of all other religious; freely entering the covenant between God and the Jewish people; being loyal to Judaism and the Jewish people; establishing a Jewish home and participating actively in synagogue and communal life; pursuing Torah and Jewish knowledge; raising one’s

children as Jews.

Who’s converting? Longtime nonJewish spouses of Jews who may have raised Jewish children and long been involved in synagogue life and now want to formalize their Jewish identity; gentiles marrying Jews; spiritual seekers.

Feeling toward conversions performed by other denominations: If you have chosen to become a Jew and gone through some kind of legitimate conversion, you’re Jewish.

Problems: If you’re applying for Israeli citizenship, Reform conversions usually pass muster with the Israeli Interior Ministry but not with the Orthodox-dominated Israeli Chief Rabbinate. That means you can move to Israel but you can’t marry a Jew there. In the United States, too, Orthodox institutions don’t accept Reform conversions. Your conversion probably won’t count according to Conservative interpretations of Jewish law, either, but that depends on the specifics of your conversion and which Conservative rabbi you ask.

Who is a Jew without conversion: Anyone with a Jewish parent (mother or father) living as a Jew. Someone with a Jewish parent who identifies with another faith is not considered Jewish.

(This piece does not include conversion by other denominations or no denomination because the numbers are negligible compared with the three main American Jewish religious denominations.)

EXHIBIT from page 4

AUTOS • 21

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

Land Rover’s new Discovery Sport replaces the LR2 with new design and style The evolution of the modern Land Rover range continues today with the introduction of the Discovery Sport. Aimed at delivering Land Rover’s legendary off-road ability in a seven-passenger vehicle that won’t require a second mortgage, the Discovery Sport offers updated design and new equipment compared to the LR2 it replaces.

Starting at just $37,995, the new Land Rover Discovery Sport treads in mainstream waters, but can be optioned well up into headier territory as well.

The standard powertrain configuration is a 2.0-liter, 240horsepower/250-pound-foot turbocharged engine that Range Rover Evoque fans will no doubt find familiar, paired to full-time all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission.

With that punchy turbo engine and Haldex all-wheel drive system come Land Rover’s brilliant and proven traction and off-road controls, including Terrain Response, which offers settings tailored for General, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud and Ruts, and Sand. The Terrain Response system alters steering, throttle, gearbox, braking, stability control, and fourwheel drive systems for each surface condition to maximize ease of traverse. Add to that 8.3 inches of ground clearance; 13.4 inches of wheel articulation; approach, departure, and breakover angles of 25, 31, and 21 degrees, respectively; and the ability to scale slopes of up to 45 degrees, and you have a seriously impressive off-road machine—with seating for five + two passengers.

Other Land Rover technologies that lend to the Discovery Sport’s off-road credibility include Hill Descent Control; Gradient Release Control (which progressively releases the brakes when starting from a stop on an incline); Roll Stability Control; Engine Drag Torque Control (which helps prevent lock-up under heavy engine braking in slippery conditions); and Dynamic Stability Control and Electronic Traction Control.

But the off-road environment isn’t the Discovery Sport’s only intended playground. Land Rover aims the new Disco at equal capability on-road, with tuning on British backroads as wells as the Nürburgring Nordschleife on the development pedigree.

Aluminum is used through-

out the structure and body of the Land Rover Discovery Sport to keep it as light as possible; highstrength boron steel adds rigidity and durability. The hood, front fenders, and tailgate are aluminum; a magnesium crossbeam enhances torsional rigidity further; the crash safety cell and A- and B- pillars are boron steel.

Some of the Discovery Sport’s front-end architecture is shared with the Evoque, including the magnesium crossbeam. The Discovery Sport’s front suspension uses steel lower control arms and aluminum knuckles; the rear suspension is a multilink arrangement with some aluminum elements for reduced weight.

Equipment, of course, is also a key element of the Discovery Sport’s package, and whether you’re looking to take home a standard-spec family hauler or option out a personalized luxury cruiser, you’ll find a version that suits your needs. Included in all Discovery Sports: leatherappointed seating; five interior color options; a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel; a 5-inch color TFT display between the main instrument panel gauges; paddle shifters for the automatic transmission; soft-touch rotary controls set into a gloss-black surround; and a cockpit design that echoes the upright, solid themes of the more expensive Range Rover line. Available upgrades include twin-needle stitched leather; configurable mood lighting; an 8-inch touchscreen; and personalization options like a Black Pack that includes 19- or 20inch alloy wheels plus gloss black grille, door mirror caps, front fender vents, and hood and tailgate lettering; a contrast roof color in Santorini Black or Corris Grey; a full panoramic roof with dark tint and special surface treatment for solar protection; and more. Dealer accessory add-ons include headreastmounted iPad holders for the second row, a center armrest refrigerator/warmer box; and more.

The standard interior uses a stadium seating design for the middle row, elevating occupants 50 mm for a more open feel; the second-row seats can recline and slide rearward by up to 6.3 inches, too, and up to 39.8 inches of second-row leg room. An optional third row intended for occasional usage (hence the “5+2” billing) stows when not in use to leave the same cargo area as the two-row model. All of this fits within a 107.9-inch

wheelbase, which makes the Discover Sport rather compact for a three-row SUV; the 180.7inch overall length is likewise small for its interior space.

Land Rover’s InControl Apps system, codeveloped with Bosch SoffTec, adds Apple and Android smartphone interaction abilities, including apps for

Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Glympse, Hotelseeker, and other surfaces.

The 2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport will reach U.S. customers in early 2015.

22 • OBITUARIES D EATH N OTICES LEVY, Estelle, age 82, died October 24, 2014; 30 Tishrei, 5775.

SCHAENGOLD, Carol S., age 94, died October 24, 2014; 30 Tishrei, 5775.

GOLDBERG, Betty, age 78, died October 25, 2014; 1 Cheshvan, 5774.

RHEINS, Rober L., age 91, died Octobre 25, 2014; 1 Cheshvan, 5775.

O BITUARIES

Estelle Levy

LEVY, Estelle Fern Estelle Fern Levy, nee Ostrov, was born on August 27, 1932 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Louis and Bessie Ostrov. She graduated from Hughes High School in Cincinnati and then attended Miami University of Ohio for one year. She married her first husband, Gordon Levy, and they were married for 23 years.

WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM

Estelle was a member of Isaac M. Wise Temple in Cincinnati.

She enjoyed her family, spending time with her friends and going shopping with them.

Estelle passed away October 24, 2014, at the age of 82, in Salt Lake City, UT, in the company of her loving son Marc Levy.

Loving mother-in-law of Robin Aufdenkampe-Levy and “adoptive mother” of Robert “Mickey” McMath. Caring aunt of Hilary Paradise (nee Ostrov) of Asheville, NC, Mark and Beth Feldman (nee Ostrov) of San Diego, CA, and Nancy Levy of Cincinnati. Cousins Herschel Ostrov, Cecilia Euster (nee Ostrov), Carol Williams (nee Rapoport), and Paul Rapaport were also very special to her throughout her life, as were her great nieces Elisha Gud of Columbus, Brooke Khaz (nee Feldman) of Phoenix, AZ, Heather Feldman of Phoenix, AZ, and great nephew Louis Gud of Los Angeles.

Adoring wife of the late Gordon Levy, caring wife of the late Joseph Bernstein, and doting partner of Eugene Feldman of Salt Lake City. Protective mother of the late Barry Frederick Levy, daughter of Louis and Bessie Ostrov, and adoring sister of the late Herbert “Herbie” Ostrov.

Estelle knew no strangers and will be remembered by those “lovies” she touched throughout Cincinnati, Flagstaff, AZ, and Salt Lake City.

Funeral services will take place October 30th at Weil Funeral home, 8350 Cornell Rd., at 1:00PM, followed by graveside prayer at Clifton Cemetery, 730 Ludlow Ave. A reception/Shiva will then be held at Raffel’s Banquet Hall, 10160 Reading Rd., Evendale, beginning at approximately 4:00pm. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Scleroderma Foundation, in honor of Gordon and Estelle, would have been appreciated by Estelle.

BANKER, Helen “Bubsy” Helen “Bubsy” Banker, nicknamed Honey Bunny, was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 20, 1926 to Louis and Elizabeth Appleton. Her family moved to Memphis, Tennessee when she was very young and they lived there until she was 10. Helen always had fond memories of the years she spent in Memphis.

At the age of 10 her family moved once again, this time to Cincinnati, Ohio. Helen graduated from Walnut Hills High School. Helen was married twice.

First to Robert Friedman for 23 years and then to Edward Lee Banker for 24 years. Both her husbands pre-deceased her.

Helen was a part of the

MIDTERM from page 7

Helen Banker

Cincinnati arts community. She loved to entertain. She was a Scottish dancer, sang professionally at The Playboy Club and other local venues, acted for television commercials, and was an actress with Playhouse in the Park and The Mariemont Theater.

She loved painting, drawing, and enamel work. She shared her love of her art with children and adolescents by teaching art at Walnut Hills High School, Woodward High School and Chofetz Chaim Day School more commonly known as Cincinnati Hebrew Day School.

Helen was a charter member of Temple Sholom Synagogue.

She was a lifetime member of Hadassah and supported multiple Israeli organizations.

Helen passed away on October 20, 2014 at the age of 88.

She is survived by her children: Debra Kreindler (Dick Prugh), Diane [Dede] Kutzko (Mark), Louis [Tony] Friedman, and Pam McCutcheon (Cory Velligha). By her sister Winifred Mayer. By her beloved grandchildren: Karli Sherwinter (Danny), Justin Kreindler (Lizzy), Ali Gilliam (Duncan), Jennifer Kutzko, Nick Kutzko, Patrick McCutcheon, Liz McCutcheon, Isaac Friedman and great grandchildren: Kayla, Rueben, and Sarit Sherwinter.

Helen was predeceased by her parents Louis & Elizabeth Appleton, her sister Jane Schain (Larry), her husband Robert Friedman, and her husband Edward Lee Banker.

Funeral services took place at Weil Funeral Home on October 23, 2014 with Rabbi Scott Gellman officiating. Interment was at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens. Memorial contibutions can be made to The Robert H. Friedman Memorial Foundation, 3558 9 Mile Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45255.

securing the borders must be a primary priority. Zeldin wants to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, while preserving elements like mandating coverage for people with pre-existing conditions; Bishop wants to keep it but tweak it. Zeldin wants to toss out the federal Common Core standards for schools; Bishop wants to reform them.

Bishop says he backs continued congressional oversight of any Iran deal. Zeldin says Congress needs more aggressive oversight of the nuclear talks.

“We need to be much stronger and more consistent with our messaging to actually stop Iran’s efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon,” Zeldin told JTA. In Colorado, tight race in a changing state: Mike Coffman vs.

Andrew Romanoff Colorado has spent the past two years in political upheaval, and perhaps no district embodies its contradictions better than the 6th Congressional District. The site of the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting, the 6th wraps around the east side of Denver, encompassing upscale suburbs, multiracial working-class communities and oldline conservative Colorado natives.

The two candidates – Rep. Mike Coffman, a 59-year-old Republican, and former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, a 48-year-old Democrat – embody that split nature perfectly.

Coffman is a Coloradan since childhood and a former Marine who has represented the district since 2008.

His maternal grandfather was an Iraqi Jew who moved to the French concession in Shanghai, where his mother grew up until she met his father, a U.S. soldier doing demilitarization in the area at the end of World War II. Long a conservative, Coffman has been forced to moderate his rhetoric since redistricting turned the 6th from a conservative redoubt into a swing district.

Coffman has worked to paint the Washington-born, Ohio-raised Romanoff as a snooty outsider, sneering in a September debate, “You went to a private prep school, Harvard, Yale.” A former Wexner fellow, Romanoff presents his career in public service and education – ranging from teaching at the Community College of Aurora to working at the Southern Poverty Law Center to serving in the statehouse – as springing from his Jewish upbringing.

“I think it’s shaped who I am in almost every way,” he told JTA. “I take seriously the obligation we call tikkun olam.”

Romanoff and Coffman have focused heavily on domestic issues, particularly economic. Romanoff has also played up his refusal to take money from political action committees, or PACs, as freeing him from special interests. It certainly hasn’t prevented Romanoff from bringing in the big money, as both candidates had raised well over $3 million by the end of the second quarter. However, the

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced recently that it was cutting off its television advertising in the district – a move that some analysts took as a sign that Romanoff’s chances might be slipping.

Nonetheless, the result will likely remain in doubt to the very end.

In Illinois, who’s the favorite in Chicago? Brad Schneider vs.

Robert Dold Brad Schneider and Robert Dold, locked in a neck-and-neck race for a Chicago-area congressional seat, present a dilemma for some Jewish voters.

Dold, 45, is a Republican social moderate in the tradition of now-Sen. Mark Kirk, his predecessor in the 10th Congressional District. Dold, who held the seat for one two-year term before losing narrowly to Schneider in 2012, represents what many Jewish community leaders have said they long to see: a pro-Israel hawk who strives to keep a national party that has tilted rightward since 2010 on a more even keel.

Schneider, the 53-year-old incumbent, represents a prototype Jewish Democrats want to preserve: a young, liberal Jewish lawmaker who makes Israel a central focus and casts it as a natural issue for Democrats.

Jewish voters “are looking for a fiscal conservative and social moderate, someone who can be in the tradition of Mark Kirk,” Dold said in an interview.

“People are tired of excuses and they want Washington to work. I have a track record of working with the other side.”

Schneider, almost echoing Dold, pitched himself in an interview as a “fiscally moderate, socially progressive” candidate, and in making his case slips into the Hebrew he learned on multiple visits to Israel.

“Two things I talk about is tikkun olam,” he said, using the phrase for repairing the world, and “l’dor v’dor,” from generation to generation. “We can’t leave an environment beyond repair.”

On issues like the Affordable Care Act and Israel, the candidates sound similar notes: Each favors tweaks to Obamacare but not repeal, and each says he will stand up to the administration if it gives too much away in nuclear talks between Iran and the major powers.

The candidates, digging deep into their opponent’s record, score each other on these issues.

Dold says “there’s no question” that Schneider is pro-Israel, but chides him for not speaking out more against the administration – for instance, when Secretary of State John Kerry warned earlier this year that Israel one day could become an apartheid state.

Schneider notes that this year he initiated a bipartisan letter pressing the administration to increase Iran sanctions at a time when it was resisting such calls. He also points out that Dold voted to repeal Obamacare during his term in Congress; Dold says he now favors bipartisan fixes for Obamacare.