AI
JNF’s Annual Tree of Life™ Award Dinner
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011 27 CHESHVAN, 5772 CINCINNATI, OH Candle Lighting Times Shabbat begins Fri. 5:00p Shabbat ends Sat. 6:01p
p.12
VOL. 158 • NO. 18 SINGLE ISSUE: $2.00
The American Israelite T H E
O L D E S T
03
E N G L I S H
JFS Executive Director Beth Schwartz taking the food stamp...
LOCAL
p.4
The Maccabeats perform at the J on Dec. 18
LOCAL
p.6
JFC receives prestigious Sapir Award
INTERNATIONAL p.9
As Berlusconi exits, new report shows rising anti-Semitism...
DINING OUT
p.14
Pomodori’s wood fired oven delivers tasty, light crusts
J E W I S H
06
W E E K L Y
I N
A M E R I C A
JCC’s Tsippy Gottlieb named 2011 outstanding leader in the field...
|
08
E S T .
1 8 5 4
|
Pro-Palestinian activists facing pushback within Occupy Wall...
“ L E T
T H E R E
10
B E
L I G H T ”
Growing gender segregation among Israeli haredim seen as repressing...
‘Mr. Cincinnati’—Dr. Stanley Kaplan passes away Dr. Stanley M. Kaplan, died on November 10th at Christ Hospital after a long illness. He was 89 years old. Kaplan will be deeply missed by his family, friends and all the lives he touched with his philanthropy. Dr. Kaplan and his wife Mickey, who died in 2003, had a major hand in shaping many aspects of Cincinnati art life as well as the Jewish community. “He was a major supporter of the Jewish community and it’s charities, he helped with the Jewish Federation, the community center, Cedar Village, and Hebrew Union College,” said his daughter Barbra Kaplan Chilcote. Dr. Kaplan met his wife of 53 years in 1948 at Jewish Hospital. She was volunteering in the gift shop during her break between classes at the University of Cincinnati. They had three children. “Both he and my mom had this uncanny ability to make people comfortable. It was fun to see how they were magnets for lots of people for lots of really good reasons, but mostly because of their warmth, caring, compassion and generosity.” said their daughter Barbara Kaplan Chilcote, a pediatric physician at the Cleveland Clinic. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Dr. Kaplan graduated from Walnut Hills High School in 1940 and continued his education in psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, which he completed in 1946. After that he became a resident in psychiatry and later received training in psychoanalysis at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. He returned to Cincinnati in 1954 and joined the faculty of UC’s Department of Psychiatry as a Full Professor and also helped serve as an interim chairman of the department. Dr. Kaplan was a teacher driven by the need for knowledge. He continued to research into a broad range of topics in psychiatry with a particular interest in psychosomatic medicine. “Stan adored everything. He had a broad range of interests and a hunger to know everything.” said Charles Desmarais, former director of the center and currently president of the San Francisco Art Institute.
Dr. Kaplan served on the board as a member of several prominent foundations for the Arts in Cincinnati that includes the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Taft Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, Playhouse in the Park, the Art Academy of Cincinnati, the Park Board and the Walnut Hills High School Alumni Foundation just to name a few. He spearheaded the campaign to build the Zaha Hadid designed Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, which was completed in 2003. The Kaplans were involved in
Dr. Kaplan established the Mickey Kaplan New American Play Prize to support production of new plays at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park after the loss of his wife. “Stan had the soul of an artist. It’s too easy to simply talk about him as a philanthropist. That doesn’t capture the man,” said Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Ed Stern. Dr. Kaplan was a man of vision when it came to crossing ideas together. He combined his passions for psychiatry and theatre by regularly creating psychoanalytic character profiles for plays at the
Dr. Stanley Kaplan
many building projects including the Cincinnati Ballet’s performance hall, the renovation of Playhouse in the Park and the Aronoff Center for the Arts. The latter’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater is named in honor of the Kaplans and Mickey Kaplan’s parents. People who knew Stanley had wonderful things to say about him. “Stan was the most enthusiastic, the most supportive, the most strategic early leader,” said Desmarais. “He wrote short stories, painted watercolors and took up photography. He was fascinated by the creative impulse.” Dr. Kaplan also served as chairman of G&J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Inc., based in Deerfield Township that ranked 19th on the 2010 Deloitte Cincinnati USA 100 listing of the largest privately held businesses in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Playhouse for over 20 years. His interests were eclectic and many. On his touring Honda Gold Wing, he logged thousands of miles crossing the continental U.S. and Canada with his love for motorcycle riding. His motorcycle could always be seen parked outside art exhibit openings. He knew how to ride in style. The man was really a jack-of-alltrades especially when it came to the arts, he tried to dabble in everything. It was the theme of his life. He was a painter, sculptor and photographer. His first photography exhibit was in January 2006 at the Phyllis Weston and Annie Bolling Gallery in Oakley. Dr. Kaplan invested in Broadway shows and race horses. He and his son Steve owned thoroughbred horses. In 2008, one of the race horses which Dr. Kaplan owned with Jerry Carroll, Ronald Plattner and Mark
Guilfoyle, whose name was Racecar Rhapsody, made it to the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and the Triple Crown’s Preakness Stakes, finishing fourth in both races. Even with a full plate, Dr. Kaplan was one of the guys. He always made time for his weekly poker game. Dr. Kaplan met his longtime friend and business partner Ted Schwartz, 88, when Schwartz was 10 and Dr. Kaplan was 11. Their business ventures ranged from cars and boats to investments and real estate. “In all those years, there was never one disagreement between us,” Schwartz said. “That’s pretty unique.” With so much in his life Dr. Kaplan never forgot his Jewish identity. Rabbi Kamrass, the Senior Rabbi at Wise Temple, knew this better then most having been his Rabbi for many long years. “Stanley Kaplan was a man deeply committed to the arts and cultural communities, and at the same time, a man devoted to his Jewish identity. He brought the deepest Jewish values of responsibility and creativity to his public work, and we are deeply indebted to him for his achievements and for the many ways in which he represented the Jewish community so well in so many circles. I will personally miss the wonderful conversations we shared, and the humor, grounded perspective, keen intellect and wisdom that he brought to every issue and to every relationship of which he was a part.” Dr. Kaplan was also a devoted grandfather to his two grandsons, Jeffrey and Michael Chilcote, making a point to talk to each of them at least once each week of their lives, Barbara Chilcote said. She went on further to say that to her, he will always be “Mr. Cincinnati.” “He felt so proud to be personally involved,” she said, “but he also was very proud of what Cincinnati has become.” He is also survived by a brother, Calvin Kaplan; two sons, Steve Kaplan of Fairfield Township and Richard Kaplan of Columbus, both officers in G & J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers; and his companion, Joyce Elkus. Services were held at Isaac M. Wise Temple on Monday, November 14.
Personal & Business Greetings For Chanukah Special Issue Deadline is Dec. 9th SELECT A SIZE AND RETURN THE FORM BELOW TODAY. For more information on advertising in the Chanukah special issue, contact
TED DEUTSCH (513) 621-3145 or
Size F: 6.083” x 3” - $270.00
YOUR COMPANY WISHING ALL OUR FRIENDS A HAPPY CHANUKAH
publisher@americanisraelite.com Size A: Full Page - 10.25” x 13” - $1950.00 Size B: Half Page - 10.25” x 6.5” - $975.00 Size C: 4” x 1.5” - $90.00
HAPPY CHANUKAH FROM ALL OF US Size D: 4” x 2” - $120.00
WISHING ALL OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS A HAPPY CHANUKAH
Size G: 6.083” x 5.45” - $490.00
Happy Chanukah From the
Kadish Family
– THE DEUTSCH FAMILY Size E: 4” x 3” - $180.00
HAPPY CHANUKAH From your friends at The American Israelite publisher@americanisraelite.com
LOCAL • 3
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011
JFS Executive Director Beth Schwartz taking the food stamp challenge to bring attention to hunger “I was afraid to take a banana or apple because then we’ll run out. That’s called food insecurity.” That was one message Jewish Family Service Executive Director Beth Schwartz shared in her blog when she tried eating on $31.50 for the week of October 30-November 6. She was taking the Food Stamp Challenge, an initiative of Fighting Poverty with Faith, which is building a nationwide, interfaith movement to cut domestic poverty in half by 2020. Fighting Poverty with Faith is co-sponsored by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Catholic Charities and the National Council of Churches. The mobilization is endorsed by over 50 national faithbased organizations. “$31.50 is how much the average food stamp recipient has to carry him or her through a week. It includes all food purchased — including fast food and dining out,” said Schwartz. Schwartz didn’t dine out. Nor did she accept gifts of food from co-workers or at business-related receptions. This is the second time she took the challenge. When she took the Challenge alone the first time, she purchased more emptycalorie, high-carb foods which satisfied her hunger, but had little nutritional value. “The last time I took the Challenge, I was harshly criticized for my food choices. I will try to make healthier choices this time.” she wrote in her blog. Healthier food choices were also driven by her daughter Monica’s desire to join her in the Challenge. She was delighted Monica was sharing this experience, and this made Schwartz even more aware of her food purchases although the dollars did not stretch as far. “I choose to feed my children organic hormone-free meat, milk and produce, which are more expensive.” Schwartz also was able to ‘enroll’ her daughter for the week in the free/reduced lunch program at her school. “Indian Hill High School and food services provided by Aramark are excited and supportive of her decision to join me in the Challenge. I was impressed by what I learned. Kids on this program go through the food line just like all others and there’s no distinction. They buy their meals using the school-issued ID card and nobody knows the difference between a student paying full-freight and the student with a voucher.” Schwartz acknowledged that eating on $31.50 for the week is tough, but achievable. And
“The real issue is the fact that strict budget, scarcity, and necessary rationing lead to a preoccupation about consumption.” Beth Schwartz although she carefully planned the exact meal of each day to ensure they didn’t run out of food, she, as mothers on food stamps often do, gave up a portion of her food allotment to her growing daughter who is active in afterschool sports. “The real issue is the fact that strict budget, scarcity and necessary rationing lead to a preoccupation about consumption. We’re overcome by this weird psychology that is playing with us and it’s truly unsettling,” she wrote. “I understand fully now that the true test of poverty isn’t about doing without, but it’s about the constant nagging worry and anxiety, the burden of which plagues people and challenges them daily.” A colleague of Schwartz’s likened this Challenge to being on a diet. “The difference is that you can always break a diet if you choose to. With poverty there is no choice,” she wrote. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as Food Stamps, helps nearly 45 million low-income people purchase food for themselves and their families. The program is designed as a safety net to help ensure people have access to food during difficult times, with the majority of people leaving the program within nine months. More than half of food stamp recipients are children, and eight percent are over 60 years of age. Food stamps do not cover overthe-counter medicines, alcohol, pet food (even if the food is for seeing-eye dogs or other service animals), heated food, or personal care items such as shampoo, soap or laundry detergent. If someone is on food stamps, they most likely are using their income to provide a warm roof over their head, medicines, transportation (such as gas or bus tokens), or other necessities. “Most of my clients are on SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and food stamps,” shared Jewish Family Service Case Manager Danielle Sabarese. “Typically they are paying up to 50% of their income in rent, and after rent and utilities they have maybe $100 left for the month. Think of all the incidentals you buy
at retail stores to take care of yourself and/or your family. Now think of a budget of $25 a week to cover all of those non-food expenses, including transportation.” Sabarese provides case management for clients who rely on Jewish Family Service Food Pantry to supplement their food stamps. The food pantry, which is currently located in lower level space donated by Golf Manor Synagogue, is the safety net for people in the Greater Cincinnati Jewish community experiencing financial difficulties. It is the source for free personal and household care items; fresh produce; and kosher meat, bread, and packaged foods. “We also have families and individuals who used our pantry and were unaware they qualify for food stamps, or did not know how to begin the process. We offer this guidance together with emergency financial assistance to support their efforts to attain self-sufficiency,” says Jewish Family Service Director of Vital Services Fran Gafvert. “We must remember that an illness, disability, job loss, or any sudden misfortune can change anybody’s life in such a profound way.” Jewish Family Service Food Pantry receives funding from the Jewish Federation, Mazon: The Jewish Response to Hunger, and donations from many individual contributors, congregations and food retailers. Jewish Family Service Food Pantry is also supported, in part, by the generosity and support of individuals and businesses that give annually to The Freestore Foodbank. “As with the last time I took this Challenge, I am humbled by the experience and have greater compassion for the people who come to us at Jewish Family Service for assistance and for whom this is what life is like dayin and day-out,” wrote Schwartz. “I will continue to fight and advocate for the change needed in our society so that perhaps one day far fewer people will need to know the dis-ease of poverty.” To read Schwartz’s complete blog and readers’ comments or for more information about the Food Stamp Challenge visit the JFS website.
RABBI
Traditional mixed seating congregation of 180 families in Dayton, OH is looking for a full-time Rabbi. Individual would be responsiblle for Shabbos Services, High Holydays, and Lifey Cycle Events. Torah reading required. Smicha required. PLEASE SUBMIT RESUME TO: Beth Jacob Congregation, c/o Barry Serotkin, Executive Director, 7020 N. Main St., Dayton, OH 45415 or by e-mail to barrybethjacob1@aol.com. Questions can be directed to Barry Serotkin at (937) 274-2149.
4 • LOCAL
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
When The Maccabeats performed on The Today Show, Matt Lauer said, “This group is terrific. They are fun and can really sing!” The Associated Press described their performance as, “It’s not your mother’s dreidel song.” The Maccabeats’ smash video, “Candlelight,” sung to the tune of “Dynamite,” had over 5 million
Pleasant Hill Academy visits Rockwern Academy
(Clockwise) Dr. Netanel discussing the Torah with students; Playing Ga-Ga; Rockwern Academy and Pleasant Hill Academy 6th graders; Lunch together.
took it from there. Groups of Rockwern students lead the Pleasant Hill students on a school tour, popping into the library, then Hebrew, music, and art classrooms before arriving at the school’s Boymel Synagogue, where Rockwern Judaic Studies teacher, Dr. Netanel explained a Torah scroll. Hajsani, a Pleasant Hill student, observed, “Hebrew looks kind of like Arabic,” and Dr. Netanel explained that both were Semitic languages. Then it was off to the gym for a quick introduction to one of Rockwern’s recess favorites, the Israeli game of “Ga-Ga.” The result was uproar as 60 children slapped and dodged two balls. After a spectacular between-thelegs dodge by Pleasant Hill student Jamel, he said, “Man, I’ve got to take a break. This is a fast game!” Then students sat together for lunch at the school cafeteria, where the children compared notes on what really mattered: music, sports and celebrities. At one table, Rockwern student Emma explained what kosher food was. At another table, Rockwern student Jacob and Mettyas of Pleasant Hill dashed to get seconds on chocolate milk before the Pleasant Hill students had to say goodbye and board the bus back to school. Next February, the Rockwern sixth grade class will pay a visit to Pleasant Hill Academy, located near College Hill. As Pleasant Hill teacher Brenda Terrell said after the visit, “Kids don’t care much about differences. They care about what they have in common. They could give us grownups a lesson about tolerance and friendship.
“LET THERE BE LIGHT” THE OLDEST ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN AMERICA - EST. JULY 15, 1854
VOL. 158 • NO. 18 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011 27 CHESHVAN 5772 SHABBAT BEGINS FRIDAY 5:00 PM SHABBAT ENDS SATURDAY 6:01 PM THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE CO., PUBLISHERS 18 WEST NINTH STREET, SUITE 2 CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202-2037 Phone: (513) 621-3145 Fax: (513) 621-3744 publisher@americanisraelite.com editor@americanisraelite.com production@americanisraelite.com RABBI ISSAC M. WISE Founder, Editor, Publisher, 1854-1900 LEO WISE Editor & Publisher, 1900-1928 RABBI JONAH B. WISE Editor & Publisher, 1928-1930 HENRY C. SEGAL Editor & Publisher, 1930-1985 PHYLLIS R. SINGER Editor & General Manager, 1985-1999 MILLARD H. MACK Publisher Emeritus NETANEL (TED) DEUTSCH Editor & Publisher BARBARA L. MORGENSTERN Senior Writer YEHOSHUA MIZRACHI RITA TONGPITUK Assistant Editors ALEXIA KADISH Copy Editor JANET STEINBERG Travel Editor SONDRA KATKIN Dining Editor MARIANNA BETTMAN NATE BLOOM IRIS PASTOR RABBI A. JAMES RUDIN ZELL SCHULMAN RABBI AVI SHAFRAN PHYLLIS R. SINGER Contributing Columnists LEV LOKSHIN JANE KARLSBERG Staff Photographers JOSEPH D. STANGE Production Manager MICHAEL MAZER Sales ERIN WYENANDT Office Manager e Oldest Eng Th
ewish N h-J ew lis
On November 14, the sixthgrade class of Rockwern shyly introduced themselves to their pen pals from Pleasant Hill Academy, a Cincinnati public school. It was a meeting between two groups of children who, given the differences between their schools and backgrounds, might never have met. Pleasant Hill Academy and Rockwern Academy are very different schools: one a public school with an entirely African-American student body, the other an entirely Jewish private school. Over the past months, the students from Pleasant Hill have been exchanging letters with their Rockwern counterparts to talk about their differing schools, cultural and social lives and their shared interests — including their all-school readings of a single book, Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, by President Barack Obama. “Rockwern’s All-School-Read and Pen Pal programs began last year when we joined together with the International Academy to bring Jewish and Muslim kids together,” said Rockwern librarian Julia Weinstein, who, with Rockwern teacher Elaine Kaplan and Pleasant Hill Resource Coordinator, Paula Sherman organized the visit. “The success of that program led to this one.” The Pleasant Hill students began their Rockwern visit with a tour of the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education in the Rockwern campus. Then the students met in Rockwern’s Mayerson Hall to greet their pen pals for the first time under a huge banner reading “Welcome Pleasant Hill Academy”—and the children
The American Israelite
•
blend intricate harmonies to create a unique, family-friendly concert. The Maccabeats performed at the White House with accolades from President Barack Obama who said, “I want to thank the Maccabeats for their performance. They did an outstanding number for me. It was good. I really liked it, thank you.”
AI
Est. 1854
The Maccabeats
hits on YouTube, and garnered international attention. Their debut CD, “Voices from the Heights,” was released to a packed house in 2010, and sold out within 48 hours. Bringing their fun and catchy arrangements, as well as their well-rounded vocal talents, to a wide array of musical styles and genres, The Maccabeats present an enjoyable, memorable concert. Tickets will sell quickly, so get yours now! Andrea Bochner’s daughter, Zoe, saw the Maccabeats in person and was thrilled they were coming to the JCC. “Their energy as a group is remarkable. Their personalities take a back seat, however, to their raw talent and awesome harmonies!” Zoe Bochner said. For more information, contact Courtney Cummings, Cultural Arts Coordinator, or visit the JCC website.
• ca
Call or text your friends now to make plans to hear the nationally known YouTube singing sensation, The Maccabeats, when they perform on Sunday, December 18, at 3:30pm, at the Mayerson JCC! The concert, in celebration of Hanukkah, is presented by the JCC in partnership with Cincinnati Community Kollel. When you come to the concert, remember to bring new, unwrapped gifts for teens and children in need to support the JCC “One Candle for Tzedakah” gift drive. The Maccabeats concert is a unique experience the whole family will enjoy! The Maccabeats, a male a cappella singing group, have performed all around the world, from Israel to London, to New York’s Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles, California. Their eclectic mix of Jewish, American and pop songs
r in Am ape er sp i
The Maccabeats perform at the J on Dec. 18
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE (USPS 019-320) is published weekly for $44 per year and $2.00 per single copy in Cincinnati and $49 per year and $3.00 per single copy elsewhere in U.S. by The American Israelite Co. 18 West Ninth Street, Suite 2, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2037. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, OH. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE, 18 West Ninth Street, Suite 2, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2037. The views and opinions expressed by the columnists of The American Israelite do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the newspaper.
LOCAL • 5
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011
Beth Adam’s Rabbi Barr is chosen to join Rabbis Without Borders Rabbis Without Borders (RWB), is a initiative that helps rabbis make Jewish thought and practice more available for improving people’s lives, selected its third class for its competitive rabbinic fellowship program. More than 90 applicants competed for the 22 spots. Of those selected, Robert Barr from Loveland, Ohio was picked for this program. RWB tries to have a diverse culture of Rabbis from all levels of religiosity within Judaism. This is to help deal with the ever changing sociological factors that influence Jews everywhere. Rabbi Barr is the Founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Adam. He is a writer whose works have been published in serveral books, on the web, and in journals. He received his Smiecha from Hebrew Union College as well as being awarded a Doctor in Divinity. Those around him will always mention his irreverent and often witty presentation style. He is a popular speaker who speaks on a wide range of topics. Some of these topics include contemporary
“While I’ve served in rabbinate for thirty years, I know that I could benefit from being part of this unique opprotunity.” Rabbi Robert Barr
Jewish thought, religious fundamentalism and ethics. Barr is Past President of the Greater Cincinnati Board of Rabbis and is a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Rabbi Barr works hard to gain knowledge on many different aspects of Judasim. He is always broadening his horizons. When asked why he wished to join RWB he said, “Listening to Rabbi Laura Baum talk about her extraordinary experiences at RWB, I’ve come to
know on a detailed level about the remarkable program that has been built.” He expanded further, “While I’ve served in rabbinate for 30 years, I know that I could benefit from being part of this unique opprotunity. Within my rabbinate, I’ve seen how borders have been used to marginalize and disrupt the Jewish community. I geniunely value any opportunity to work with those who seek to remove borders and create conversations.”
6 • LOCAL
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
JFC receives prestigious Sapir Award JCC’s Tsippy Gottlieb On November 6, 2011, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati was presented with the prestigious Sapir Award for its 2010 Community Campaign. The Sapir Award is given each year by the Jewish Federations of North America to acknowledge and thank communities that have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their annual campaigns while also maintaining their overseas giving. The award is named for Israel’s third Minister of Finance, Pinhas Sapir. Despite a decrease in charitable giving nationwide, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati increased donations from 2009 to 2010, an achievement reached by only a handful of the 157 Jewish Federations in North America. “We are honored to receive the Sapir Award, which recognizes the hard work of our volunteers and staff and the generosity of the Jewish community in Cincinnati,” says Jewish Federation Board President Bret Caller. “Without those sacrifices, our partner agencies would not have been able to help the growing number of community members facing hardship.” The Sapir Award is presented annually at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly (GA), held this year in Denver. Jewish Federations in Charlotte, Chicago, Madison, and Milwaukee also received awards for their 2010 campaigns. Mr. Caller, along with Danielle Minson, Director of Development of the
named 2011 outstanding leader in the field of aging
Bret Caller and Danielle Minson accept the Sapir Award from Susie Stern, JFNA National Campaign Chair.
Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, accepted the award on behalf of 2010 Community Campaign Cochairs Tedd Friedman and Nina Paul, who were instrumental in the campaign’s success. “I was so proud to be a part of the award ceremony,” said Ms. Minson. “Having the amazing work that went into this campaign highlighted in a room full of my national colleagues and peers demonstrated the strength of Cincinnati’s Jewish community.” She went on to thank Mr. Friedman and Mrs. Paul in particular for their dedication to the campaign. Mr. Friedman is an attorney at Katz Teller Brant & Hild and,
along with his wife, co-founded Most Valuable Kids of Cincinnati, a non-profit organization that offers charitable kids organizations access to sporting and cultural events through an on-line ticket donation system. Ms. Paul has served on the national board of trustees of the Jewish National Fund. She and her husband generously support the Special Needs Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and a program that connects doctors from CCHMC and Hadassah Medical Center and Schneider’s Children’s Medical Center in Israel. JFC on page 19
The fastest growing population in the United States is aging adults who want to improve their quality of life. No one knows that better than Tsippy Gottlieb, Director of Senior Adult Services at the Mayerson JCC, who for the past decade has been dedicated to improving the lives of seniors. The Association for Professionals in Aging (APA) has recognized Gottlieb as a 2011 Outstanding Leader. For the past nineteen years, the APA has recognized outstanding tri-state leaders, service providers and projects in the field of aging. On December 7, Gottlieb will accept the award at the 20th Annual Holiday Luncheon awards banquet. Under Gottlieb’s leadership, the JCC Senior Adult Center has become a model of local and national excellence. Gottlieb has led the JCC Senior Center during a period of immense growth, including an increase of 23 percent (to a total 82,000) Meals on Wheels provided from 2009 to 2010. The JCC expects to deliver 100,000 Meals on Wheels in 2011. She also successfully created the Super Senior Meal Deal for the J Café, presented as a groundbreaking program at the National Conference on Aging in 2009. Senior centers across the country have contacted the JCC to learn more about this program in order to replicate it in their facilities. Under Gottlieb, the JCC
Senior Center has become a leader in evidence-based programs, studies that are done through universities or hospitals with results published in peer reviews. The successful “Matter of Balance/Fear of Falling” program helped secure funding, and as a result, the JCC implemented seven other evidence-based programs that help adults stay independent. Gottlieb helped secure two grants in the past year to acquire and maintain additional vehicles to transport more seniors, especially those in northern Cincinnati who still want to participate in JCC programs. Recognizing that seniors who were not computer literate were at a disadvantage, she approached the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation to initiate the JCC ShalomNet program, which educates seniors about computers, digital cameras and other technology. “We are so proud of Tsippy and all she has done to bring recognition to her department, the Mayerson JCC and to the Jewish community of Cincinnati,” said Jeff Baden, Executive Director of the JCC.“With more than 20 different programs and events every week, we have one of the most and active senior centers in Greater Cincinnati. In fact, our JCC Senior Center is one of the strongest at any JCC in the U.S.” GOTTLIEB on page 19
Wise Temple Tikkun Olam-athon The energy at Wise Center on November 6th was building as the chapel filled with over 300 volunteers eager to begin their work. There was similar electricity in the air at the Plum Street Temple location where another 90 volunteers gathered. On this day, Wise Temple congregants cooked, cleaned, organized, assembled, sewed, visited, crafted and raked. The activities were very different, but the goal was the same – to repair the world. For the past seven years, Wise Temple congregants have gathered for Tikkun Olam-athon, a marathon day of repairing the world. Volunteers provided services to nearly thirty different organizations in need, organizations supporting the elderly, children, homeless, disabled, hungry, animals, environment and patients throughout Greater Cincinnati. The agencies were different, but the goal was the
same — to repair the world. The efforts were far reaching. The projects spanned from Covington to Mason, from Lower Price Hill to Clifton, from Batavia to Fairmount, and from Sharonville to Madisonville. The locations were different, but the goal was the same — to repair the world. Some congregants made meaningful connections with agencies with whom they will now volunteer throughout the year. Some congregants sparked new friendships as they worked side by side with other Temple members. Some congregants found the true joy in giving back and the meaning that gives to one’s own life. Some congregants enjoyed the day with their family and found teaching moments for their children. The experience was different, but the goal was the same — you guessed it…to repair the world.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011
LOCAL • 7
The Arts take center stage with three great events for young people in the Jewish Community From parents and children, to young professionals and young couples, the Jewish community is about to have a massive art attack, and it all starts with an artrageous array of events sure to bring out the art lover in all who take part in one of three FREE arts-related programs offered by The Mayerson Foundation this December. It’ll be perfectly fine for kids to color outside the lines when the School for the Creative and Performing Arts becomes their private playground for the afternoon at Shalom Family’s Potato Pancake Arty Party on Sunday, December 11th from 3-5pm. Children will get a giant hands-on helping of dance, music, and visual and performing arts and have the chance to create their own mini-masterpieces with Art Workshop, build their own drum with Music Kids, make edible and wearable art, try cartooning, and participate in clayplay and spin art. Music lovers are sure to enjoy starring in their own karaoke routine, playing in a rock band, experiencing a drum line and much more! To top it all off, the event will hit a high note when Grammy Nominated children’s entertainer, Zak Morgan, performs. Plus, there’ll be potato pancakes for every participant to help usher in a happy Hanukkah for all! The event is free with advance RSVP to the Shalom Family website, and open to all families with children 10 and under in the Jewish
The American Israelite Newspaper & Website is now hiring for Part-Time or Full-Time
SALES REPRESENTATIVES •Calling on restaurants, car dealers, and high-end retail establishments. •High commission. Jeff Adler shows off his masterpiece at last year’s Art Attack for Newcomers.
community. Siblings and grandparents are always welcome. Young couples, ages 21-35, are sure to enjoy a sophisticated evening in The Mayerson Foundation’s private penthouse art gallery featuring panoramic views of the riverfront from high atop the 36th floor of the Scripps Center, one of Cincinnati’s most recognizable buildings, when Access presents Schmooze for Twos with a View on Saturday, December 3rd at 8pm. Guests will get the chance to mix and mingle amongst the Mayerson family’s significant collection of
WiseUp and give blood drive Dr. Mindy Hastie knows about giving. At the request of Rabbi Kamrass and Wise Temple, Mindy answered the call in 1990 and organized what has become known as the WiseUp Blood Drive. “When we started, I think we had 17 donors in our first year.” said Dr. Hastie. “This past year we had over 150 blood and bone marrow donors participate.” This effort equals about 90 units of blood in addition to the 75 folks who registered with the “Be the Match” National Bone Marrow Registry. Held each December the WiseUp Blood Drive is headquartered across from Jewish Hospital in Kenwood. Mindy’s team of volunteers who have supported her efforts for many years spend hours of time planning, making recruiting calls and assisting at the event. This year volunteers include Cherie Logan, Deborah Birkhead,
Paul Staadeker, Craig Honkomp, Marcia Yaeger, Phylis Fine and Denise Scheineson. The program, while having notable success is taking it to the next level. As Jews, giving is central to achieving happiness in life. This is the way to feel good about helping other people without having to open your checkbook or take a lot of time from your daily life. The blood needs of the greater Cincinnati area require 350 volunteer blood donors and 40 platelet donors each day. Our goal this year is to double our current level of giving. We are asking, regardless of your congregational affiliation to share your good health and make a blood donation. Visit any Hoxworth Blood Center and mention to them the WiseUp Blood Drive. Mark your calendar for the 21st WiseUp Blood Drive to be held on Sunday December 18th, 2011.
modern art and meet other couples in the Jewish community who are married, engaged or in committed relationships. Plus, participants will be treated to live music, a Latka and Martini Bar as well as a Dreidel Spin-Off, complete with prizes. The event is FREE with advance reservations and can be made on Access’ website.
•Experience not required. TO APPLY, please contact Ted Deutsch at (513) 621-3145 or send your resume to publisher@americanisraelite.com
AI
The American Israelite
ARTS on page 22
8 • NATIONAL
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
House weighs Holocaust bill that has divided Jewish community By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — The U.S. House of Representatives again is considering Holocaust compensation legislation that has pit survivors against some leading Jewish organizations. The House Foreign Affairs Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill that would make it easier for claimants to make their case against Holocaust-era insurers in U.S. courts and to press insurance companies to release lists of policies from that time. “These survivors deserve the opportunity to have their day in court and present evidence against these companies who have failed to honor their business obligations,” Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the committee chairwoman who sponsored the insurance law with Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), said in her opening remarks. “Holocaust survivors came here looking for the freedom, tolerance and opportunity that they were denied in
their homelands.” The Obama administration, like its predecessors, opposes the insurance legislation, saying it amounts to Congress and the courts usurping executive branch primacy on conducting foreign policy. Previous Congresses have made multiple attempts to enact laws that would make it easier to take the insurance companies to courts, but none has ever become law. All the witnesses invited to the hearing favored the proposed bills, although opponents — including some of the mainstream Jewish groups — were allowed to submit written testimony. Testimony submitted collectively by the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, B’nai B’rith International, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the World Jewish Congress and the World Jewish Restitution Organization argued against the insurance legislation, saying it would “raise false expectations for
survivors,” “compromise the ability of the United States to advocate for survivor benefits and issues” and “potentially hinder ongoing negotiations which have provided crucial funding for Holocaust survivors indeed.” The State Department, on the eve of the hearing, released a statement saying that the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims, or ICHEIC, may still consider claims — although it was formally shuttered in 2007. “This voluntary process, with evidentiary standards sensitive to the realities of the Holocaust and with a proven record of success, is a better and more efficient way to ensure payment of Holocaust-era policies than is litigation,” the statement said. Ros-Lehtinen said the ICHEIC system was flawed and argued that her bill does not aim to upend the ICHEIC arrangement but simply to open up the insurance claims process to greater scrutiny. BILL on page 19
Pro-Palestinian activists facing pushback within Occupy Wall Street movement By Dan Klein Jewish Telegraphic Agency NEW YORK (JTA) — As the Occupy Wall Street protests continue to spread across America, an internal struggle is percolating over how the movement relates to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Pro-Palestinian activists are trying to insert the issue into the protests and are co-opting the Occupy Wall Street movement’s language to attack Israel. But some left-wing Jewish activists warn that these efforts will give ammunition to the movement’s critics and make it harder to build a big tent in support of Occupy Wall Street’s main economic agenda. “We are being sidetracked by some in our community and some outside our community who are insisting on integrating this into the Occupy Wall Street platform,” said Daniel Sieradski, the organizer of Occupy Judaism, which has staged Jewish religious services by Occupy Wall Street’s main encampment at New York’s Zuccotti Park and inspired similar efforts at other protest sites. Pro-Palestinian activist groups have mounted a number of small demonstrations and events at Occupy Wall Street sites. At the New York and Boston encampments, a group called Existence is Resistance has held events to further its campaign calling for the
Courtesy of B. Hartford and J. Strong/Via Creative Commons
An Occupy Oakland protester carries a sign on Nov. 2 carrying the slogan “Occupy Oakland Not Palestine” and expressing support for Jewish Voice for Peace.
release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, including specific convicted terrorists. And on Nov. 4, a small contingent of protesters marched from the Occupy Boston encampment to the Israeli consulate, where approximately 10 people staged a brief sit-in in the lobby of the office building that houses the mission. Conservative critics have zeroed in on instances of antiSemitic rhetoric by individual protesters and on the pro-Palestinian actions.
Jonathan Tobin, senior online editor of the conservative magazine Commentary, accused Occupy Wall Street’s liberal supporters of “making a deal with an anti-Semitic and radical devil,” citing the march on the Boston consulate. In his blog post, Tobin wrote that it is no longer possible for the movement’s Jewish defenders “to assert that the sort of anti-Zionism that raised its head in Boston is an aberration.” ACTIVISTS on page 21
Republicans’ ‘Start from zero’ aid proposal startles pro-Israel community By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency WASHINGTON (JTA) — “Starting from zero,” the foreign assistance plan touted by leading Republican candidates at a debate, is getting low marks, and not just from Democrats and the foreign policy community. Pro-Israel activists and fellow Republicans also have concerns. Texas Gov. Rick Perry introduced the plan during the first foreign policy debate Saturday night, held by CBS and the National Journal at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. South Carolina is a key early primary state. “The foreign aid budget in my administration for every country is going to start at zero dollars,” he said. “Zero dollars. And then we’ll have a conversation. Then we’ll have a conversation in this country about whether or not a penny of our taxpayer dollar needs to go into those countries.” Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, signed on immediately. Gingrich said the plan made “absolutely perfect sense.” Romney, who has made clear that he disagrees with Perry on much else, in this case said he welcomed the idea, saying “You start everything at zero.” The proposal of such a radical change raised concerns in the proIsrael community. “Hacking away at the international affairs budget of the U.S. government is inefficient and counterproductive, and will not advance U.S. fiscal interests,” said Jason Isaacson, the American Jewish Committee’s director of international affairs. “There’s too little money and it’s too vital to put on the chopping block.” The American Israel Public Affairs Committee did not have comment, but its former spokesman, Josh Block, weighed in with an e-mail blast to reporters of comments he had provided to Politico. “When Rick Perry speaks, all I can think is oops,” wrote Block, who is now a consultant for centrist Democrats, but who has been critical of President Obama. Block was referring to Perry’s “oops” in an earlier debate, when he had a memory lapse about the agencies that he had proposed to eliminate. “Even appearing to question our commitment to Israel certainly falls in that category,” Block
said. “Foreign aid is one of the best investments we can make, and it represents 1 percent of our budget. Israel is special, and our aid to them is a direct investment in our own economy.” At least three-quarters of the $3 billion in military assistance that Israel receives from the United States each year must be spent stateside. Overall, the U.S. spends about $50 billion annually in foreign assistance, less than 1 percent of the overall budget. Pressed by a viewer, through Twitter, to specify whether “start from zero” included Israel, Perry replied, “Absolutely.” “Every country would start at zero,” he said. “Obviously, Israel is a special ally. And my bet is that we would be funding them at some substantial level. But it makes sense for everyone to come in at zero and make your case.” That drew a withering response from the Republican Jewish Coalition, which tweeted, “hoping @perrytruthteam will brief their man on 10-year memorandum of understanding that governs US — #Israel funding levels.” Israel and the United States signed the 10-year memorandum of understanding in 2007; its longterm assurances are aimed at providing Israel with both financial assurances and political support. The message, said Robert Wexler, a former Democratic congressman from Florida speaking to Jewish reporters on a Democratic National Committee conference call, is that the United States has Israel’s back in the long run. “Contrast that with the message that the Republican presidential candidates sent on Saturday night, which is that the security relationship between the United States and Israel, like all other relationships, is zeroed out every year,” Wexler said. “And let Israel make the argument why it’s justified, and maybe it will and maybe it won’t be honored. The 2007 memorandum of understanding for President Obama is sacrosanct. For the Republicans, they apparently don’t even reference it.” In fact, immediately following the debate, Romney’s spokesmen said he would exempt Israel from the policy — but that didn’t do much to assuage pro-Israel concerns. Pro-Israel figures for years have emphasized that they prefer to see Israel wrapped into an overall foreign policy package and not tweaked apart, as some Republicans have proposed.
INTERNATIONAL • 9
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011
As Berlusconi exits, How to succeed in picking a chief new report shows rising rabbi successor in Britain anti-Semitism in Italy By Alex Weisler Jewish Telegraphic Agency
By Ruth Ellen Gruber Jewish Telegraphic Agency ROME (JTA) — Crowds on the streets of Rome jeered and cheered when their long-serving, scandal-plagued prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, stepped down over the weekend. A choir even sang Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” in front of the presidential palace as he handed in his resignation.
Courtesy of Alster/FLASH90/JTA
Silvio Berlusconi, seen here with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the President's Residence in Jerusalem in February 2010, maintained relatively strong ties with Israel during his tenure as Italy's prime minister.
Italian Jews don’t expect Berlusconi’s ouster to have specific repercussions on their community or on Rome’s close relations with Israel. Indeed for many, these questions are largely secondary to deep-seated concerns over the general impact of Berlusconi’s exit as Italy struggles to regain financial footing and restore a tarnished international image. “Will something change in respect to the Jews?” asked Laura Quercioli Mincer, a Jewish intellectual and university professor. “I didn’t even ask myself this.” The lack of concern for Jewish welfare as Berlusconi leaves political life is a sign of the relative security and stability enjoyed by Italian Jews. However, a report released last month by the Italian Chamber of Deputies’ Committee for the Inquiry into Anti-Semitism found mounting levels of antiSemitism in the country. The parliamentary report cited a 2008 study by Italy’s Center for Contemporary Jewish Documentation showing that 44 percent of Italians express attitudes and opinions “in some way hostile to Jews” and that 12 percent are “fully fledged anti-Semites.” Of
Italians aged 18 to 29, some 22 percent were found to be hostile to Jews. The figure was even higher among males in northern Italy, the heartland of the anti-immigrant Northern League party. The report was the fruit of more than two years of work by the committee, which was chaired by journalist Fiamma Nirenstein, a parliamentarian for Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party. It also revealed a dramatic proliferation of anti-Semitic websites and social networks, and a level of hatred against Israel that the report says goes far beyond the limits of legitimate criticism. The committee, instituted in 2009 by the president of the Chamber of Deputies, was composed of more than two dozen members of parliament from all political parties. Its work involved analyzing polls and surveys, holding hearings with experts and carrying out other investigations. “We have been attempting to understand the new aspects of this phenomenon, which is as aggressive and genocidal as it always was, but it is presently hiding itself by assuming new forms,” Nirenstein said at the official presentation of the report. Berlusconi’s resignation Saturday came after the Italian parliament passed emergency austerity measures to tackle the country’s debt crisis. President Giorgio Napolitano immediately appointed Mario Monti, a respected economist, to head a new government expected to consist of non-political technical experts. A flamboyant billionaire media mogul who has dominated Italian politics since the mid-1990s, Berlusconi, 75, long had been a divisive figure in a highly polarized country. He was elected in 2008 to his third (though not consecutive) term as prime minister at the head of a center-right coalition that included his People of Freedom party and the Northern League. In general, Jewish attitudes toward Berlusconi echo mainstream right-left political divisions. “The Italian Jewish community is a mirror of the country as a whole,” said Daniele Nahum, vice president of the Milan Jewish community, which with more than 6,000 members is the country’s second largest after Rome. Jewish political figures occupy prominent positions on both the left and right. They include Emanuele Fiano, a member of parliament for the leftist Democratic Party, and Nirenstein, a Berlusconi ally. ITALY on page 22
LONDON (JTA) — Increased transparency and the inclusion of women’s voices will be cornerstones of the process that Orthodox leaders in Britain have devised to find a replacement for the country’s longtime chief rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, who will step down in September 2013. Stephen Pack, the president of the United Synagogue, the governing body for 130 Orthodox Jewish communities in Britain, said at a news conference Tuesday that he hopes a new chief rabbi will be found by next September, allowing for a “period of orderly handover.” Amid speculation that Sacks’ successor may come from overseas, Pack also said that the search committee for the first time would be advertising for the position. Though the formal search has not yet begun, Pack said that more than a dozen names already comprise an informal shortlist of recommended rabbis. Only about half are Britons. “If you haven’t advertised, you will find it difficult to say that you’ve done a proper trawl through the UK,” Pack said. “That’s the kind of banana-skin moment we’re trying to avoid.” Sacks has been Britain’s chief rabbi since 1991 and has used the position to wield tremendous
Courtesy of Office of the Chief Rabbi
Jewish leaders in Britain have outlined the process they will follow in seeking to identify a successor to the current chief rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks.
influence over the Jewish world and beyond. A prolific author and frequent commentator on the BBC, he is among the most recognizable and respected religious figures in the country. Sacks has widened his influence beyond the British Jewish community, authoring a popular translation of the traditional Orthodox prayer book that has been enthusiastically adopted by many communities around the world. Within the United Kingdom, Sacks’ tenure has been marked by a commitment to interfaith efforts and the renewal of community life.
His two decades at the helm haven’t been without controversy. Sacks took over pledging an era of inclusivity, writing in a 1991 book that Orthodox Jews need to attach “positive significance” to the role that liberal Jewish streams have had in keeping identity and practice alive for many Jews. But several incidents called that commitment into question. In 1997, Sacks withdrew from a memorial service for Rabbi Hugo Gryn, a Reform leader and Holocaust survivor, after protests from the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations. Subsequently it was revealed that in a response to the head of the union, Sacks said Gryn was “among those who destroy the faith.” Sacks also referred to himself as an “enemy” of non-Orthodox movements. That incident and others have led some to argue that the office of the chief rabbi is unnecessary and that Sacks should be its last occupant. Liberal Jewish leaders have complained that as an Orthodox figure, the chief rabbi is not truly representative of British Jewry. “The Chief Rabbinate has run its course, and an alternative form of leadership is called for which recognizes the plurality of the community,” wrote Meir Persoff, an expert on Britain’s Chief Rabbinate, in a book titled “Another Way, Another Time?” SUCCESSOR on page 22
10 • ISRAEL
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
Growing gender segregation among Israeli haredim seen as repressing women By Dina Kraft Jewish Telegraphic Agency JERUSALEM (JTA) — On the No. 3 bus line in Jerusalem, women passengers pay their fare and walk directly to the back to find a seat. Men, most of them haredi Orthodox with long sidecurls that brush the shoulders of their black wool suits, sit in the front section. Behind them, following a space of about two feet separated by the rear doors of the bus, sit the women and girls. The Arab driver tersely explains protocol as he begins his route through a string of largely religious neighborhoods toward the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. “This is a ‘mehadrin’ bus,” he says, using the term for strictly kosher. “Women sit in the back.” Even though an Israeli Supreme Court ruling has banned enforced separate seating, this is one of 63 private or public gender-segregated bus lines in Israel, according to Hiddush, an Israeli organization that advocates for religious freedom and equality. “I wish all lines were like this,” said one haredi woman aboard the bus who appeared to be in her 60s.
Courtesy of Miriam Alster/Flash 90
Some of the hundreds of Israelis demonstrating against the segragation of men and women on buses in certain neighborhoods of Jerusalem, where the women must sit in the back.
“This is about modesty and ideally how things should work in the Land of Israel. Chaos follows when men and women sit near one another.” She added, “Baruch Hashem, maybe this is what will hasten the coming of the messiah.” The bus lines are one of the more visible examples of the growing segregation of men and women in the haredi Orthodox world, part of the larger, long-run-
ning battle in haredi society to keep outside influences at bay. In Jerusalem, women have been excluded from billboard advertising so as not to offend haredi sensibilities, and a major haredi neighborhood enforced gender-segregated sidewalks over the Sukkot holiday. Last Friday, hundreds of demonstrators, including Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni,
protested the exclusion of women from public areas. “It’s simply become harder to control haredi society now that it has become so big,” said Shahar Ilan, who heads research and public outreach at Hiddush. Increased focus on gender segregation is part of the effort of control, he said. There long has been strict separation of the sexes in this highly conservative society, from synagogues to wedding halls and schools. But in recent years, gender segregation has grown to encompass more and more public venues. In some Israeli haredi neighborhoods, segregation has extended to sidewalks, grocery store checkout lines, dentist office hours and in some cases even family Shabbat meals. Some preschools are gender segregated, and one town has separate playground hours for boys and girls. And at a segregated HMO in Jerusalem with separate entrances and waiting rooms for men and women, a posted list of rules advises that girls be examined only by female doctors and boys by male doctors. SEGREGATION on page 22
Israel Briefs Pollard’s wife: Jonathan may not last another year in prison JERUSALEM (JTA) — The wife of convicted spy for Israel Jonathan Pollard said her husband may not survive another year in prison. Pollard, who entered his 27th year in prison on Monday, is suffering from several medical complications, according to his wife, Esther. Polllard married his wife while he was in prison. “In the last year, as Jonathan’s [medical] condition became worse, he was too weak to even sit through a one-hour visit. I feel he’s withering away in front of my very eyes,” Esther Pollard said in a statement. She added that after “26 years, all his systems are feeble and we both know that the next emergency hospitalization or operation are just a matter a time, and that no one is promising us he’ll make it through.” Pollard has been hospitalized four times this year.
Israelis seeking alternatives to traditional wedding ceremonies By Linda Gradstein Jewish Telegraphic Agency JERUSALEM (JTA) — Anna Melman and Ari Bronstein are in the midst of planning their wedding, which will be held in January in Israel. They have a venue and a rabbi. But they want to find ways of making the traditional ceremony more egalitarian. “In the wedding ceremony as it is now, the bride is inherently passive,” Melman told JTA. “We wanted to do something where it would be more egalitarian within the confines of a nonegalitarian ritual. I wanted to have more of a voice.” They plan to modify the ceremony while staying within the confines of halachah, or Jewish law — something essential in a country where all Jewish weddings must be sanctioned by the Orthodox-controlled Rabbinate. Melman and Bronstein are planning a joint “tisch” — the traditional bridegroom’s table, where the bridegroom signs the marriage contract and offers words of Torah. In their case, both the bride and groom will speak. The couple also will sign a “partnership agreement” in addition to the regular ketubah, or marriage contract. “I wanted to be more involved than just sitting in a chair and looking pretty,” Melman said.
Courtesy of Rabbi Seth Farber
Rabbi Seth Farber, right, the founder and director of ITIM, the Jewish Life Information Center, conducting a recent wedding in Israel.
Increasingly, Israeli couples are seeking to create weddings that are more reflective of their own lifestyles. But because Israel has no civil marriage and the Rabbinate retains exclusive control over marriage and divorce, this puts many couples in Israel on a collision course with the Rabbinate. “The area of marriage is one of the most bitter areas of tension between secular Israelis and the religious establishment,” said Nachman Rosenberg, the executive vice president of Tzohar, a Zionist rabbinic organization devoted to bridging gaps between
secular and Orthodox Israelis. In Israel, weddings must be performed by an Orthodox rabbi on the Rabbinate’s list. Most of these rabbis are haredi Orthodox, as are most of the 182 governmentappointed regional rabbis in Israeli towns and cities who issue marriage licenses to couples who live in their cities. Some Israeli couples are put off by the bureaucracy of the Rabbinate, others by mandatory “bride’s classes” in which critics say that brides often are told that if they don’t observe the laws of family purity and go to the mikvah regularly, they or their children
will be plagued by disease. Secular Israelis long have bypassed the Rabbinate entirely by obtaining marriage licenses overseas, which in turn are recognized by Israel. In 2008, for example, 5,028 Israeli couples married in nearby Cyprus, according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, while 37,188 Jewish couples married in Israel through the Rabbinate. Many of those who married in Cyprus held their own non-official weddings in Israel without the rituals required by the Rabbinate. But a growing number of Israeli couples want alternatives in Israel that are recognized by law yet bypass the Rabbinate’s rabbis. Organizations such as Tzohar have been offering such alternatives to Rabbinate-officiated weddings, allowing couples to add personal touches to their wedding ceremonies while staying within the confines of Jewish law. Tzohar rabbis do not charge for their services. The rabbis from the Rabbinate are not supposed to charge, either, but many suggest a “tip” that is usually about $250, several officials in both the Rabbinate and Tzohar confirmed. Tzohar now handles some 3,000 couples annually. “We try to make the wedding an uplifting and positive experience,” Rosenberg said. A couple of weeks ago, ten-
sions between the Rabbinate and Tzohar erupted when Israel’s Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that Tzohar rabbis would no longer be allowed to perform weddings. In a bit of a legal fiction, Tzohar was marrying couples throughout the country but registering them in towns whose official rabbis are sympathetic to Tzohar. The ministry said weddings must be registered in the town where they are performed. “It is very important that the rabbi doing the wedding know the couple and know 100 percent that they are Jewish,” Rabbi Rasson Amrusi, the chief rabbi of the Israeli city of Kiryat Ono and the chairman of the Rabbinate’s Marriage Committee, told JTA. “That is why we want the registration to be where the couple lives.” But Tzohar and its supporters saw the bid as a power play by the haredi-dominated Rabbinate to disenfranchise the more liberal Orthodox rabbis employed by Tzohar. Following a public outcry, the Religious Affairs Ministry backed down. Irit Koren, author of a book about Orthodox Jewish marriage called “You Are Hereby Consecrated to Me,” says that many of those seeking alternatives are observant Jewish women looking for new rituals to make the marriage ceremony more egalitarian.
SOCIAL LIFE • 11
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011
ANNOUNCEMENTS Nayfeld of Cincinnati, Ohio. Jonathan attended Yeshiva Atlanta and is a graduate of Dunwoody High School. He received a BA from the University of Georgia. He then served in the Israel Defense Forces in the Golani Brigade, reaching the rank of First Sergeant. He is currently the National Deputy Director of Synagogue Initiative at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C. Jonathan is the grandson of the late Jennie and Lewis Rivkin of Columbia, South Carolina, and the late Helen and Alex Schulman of Albany, GA. A 2012 wedding is planned in Cincinnati.
Julia Nayfeld and Jonathan Richard
ENGAGEMENT r. and Mrs. Vladimir Nayfeld of Wyoming, Ohio are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Julia Nayfeld to Jonathan Richard Schulman, son of Alan and Rose Anne Schulman of Atlanta, Georgia. Julia is a graduate of
M
Wyoming High School. She received a BA from Miami University and an MSc from the London School of Economics. She is now a Senior Account Executive at The Dershowitz Group in Washington, D.C. Julia is the granddaughter of Mirra Gurevich and the late Eyfim Pats, and Elenora and Lev
AN IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR THE
2011 CHANUKAH COVER COLORING CONTEST ALL CHILDREN who want to submit an entry for the 2011 Chanukah Cover Coloring Contest must have it mailed-in or dropped off by Friday, December 9. LOOK FOR THE ENTRY FORM ON PAGE 23 ART MUST BE NO LARGER THAN 8.5" WIDE X 11" HIGH
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE 18 W. 9TH ST. STE. 2, CINCINNATI, OH 45202
ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE FREE! BIRTHS • BAT/BAR MITZVAHS • ENGAGEMENTS WEDDINGS • BIRTHDAYS • ANNIVERSARIES Place your FREE announcement in The American Israelite newspaper and website by sending an e-mail to articles@americanisraelite.com
AI
The American Israelite
12 • CINCINNATI SOCIAL LIFE
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
™
JNF’S ANNUAL TREE OF LIFE AWARD DINNER JNF 2011 CONFERENCE SERIES (PART 3 - FINAL)
Stanley M. Chesley (JNF National President, Past Shalom Peace Award recipient) and Nina and Eddie Paul (Tree of Life™ Award recipients and JNF National Board Members)
Louise Roselle (Southern Ohio Regional President) and 3rd Annual Board Member of the Year, Randy Miller (JNF Executive Board Member)
Shep Englander (JFC, CEO) and Pamela & Bernard Barbash
Stacey Fisher and Eric & Jennifer Dauer
Beth & Scott Kotzin
Ed & Ellison Frankel and Penny and Myles Pensak
Dick Weiland (Past Tree of Life™ Award recipient; JNF Executive Board Member), Oscar Roberston (Past Tree of Life™ Award recipient), Eileen & John Barrett (Past Tree of Life™ Award recipients)
Father Michael J. Graham, S.J (past Tree of Life™ award recipient) and Renee and Rabbi Lewis Kamrass
Harold, Cynthia, Hershel, and Jeremy Guttman
David Gershuny (JNF National Conference Recruitment Co-Chair) and Larry King (TV Personality and Shalom Peace Award recipient)
Stanley M. Chesley (JNF National President; past Shalom Peace Award recipient) and the Honorable Susan J. Dlott, Chief Judge
Nina and Eddie Paul (Jewish National Fund Tree of Life™ Honoree, JNF National Board Member), US Senator Rob Portman, and Eddie Paul Eddie Paul (Jewish National Fund Tree of Life™ Honoree, JNF National Board Member)
CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE • 13
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011
Beth Guttman, Julie Guttman, Aaron Guttman, Stacy Jansen Guttman, and Louis Guttman
Gail Jacobs and Mildred Schwartz
Jewish National Fund Tree of Life™ dinner co-chairs with the JNF Tree of Life™ honoree, Nina Paul. Andrea Bochner, Jan Goldstein, Nina Paul, Marcie Bachrach, and Andrea Lerner Levenson
Norman & Stephanie Gilinsky, Marc & Carole Salzberg, and Ian Sarembock
Stuart & Michael Goller
Mark Balk, Glenn Bochner, Rabbi Pinchas and Nomi Landis
Alan & Diane Weber, Barry Simon, Ellen & Joel Golub
Diane Weber, Sally & Marty Hiudt, Kathe Turiel, and Larry Neuman
Elaine & Murray Guttman and Joan & Steve Guttman
Nina Paul (Jewish National Fund Tree of Life™ Honoree, JNF National Board Member) and Sam Boymel
Barb and Ron Solomon (Southern Ohio Region President-elect)
Edward & Nina Paul (Jewish National Fund Tree of Life™ Honorees, JNF National Board Members), Rabbi Irv and Kathy Wise
14 • DINING OUT
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
Pomodori’s wood fired oven delivers tasty, light crusts By Sondra Katkin Dining Editor Who can resist pizza, especially from the authentic wood fired oven at Pomodori’s? In order not to cause my celiac suffering spouse, Steve, any pizza envy, I ate the glutinous treat when he wasn’t around. Is there guilt in this equation? Was I a saint or a sinner? Who cares. When you bite into this flaky, bubble laden yet chewy “pastry,” you forget calories and focus on the flavors. Fresh herbs, thickly sliced tomatoes that explode with their sweet tart juices, mingle with the crunchy red onions, spinach and the tantalizing triumvirate of cheeses — mozzarella, Parmesan and feta to deliver that pizza pizzaz. This circle of gustatory pleasure, the Mediterranean, has a garlic and oil crust that according to chef Jim Kerstetter, is sweeter, flakier and lighter than the traditional crust. Thankfully, I did not have to slap it down to keep it from floating away. Kerstetter’s favorite topping is the leek and goat cheese combination which won best entree at Montgomery’s Bastille Day celebration this year. Pomodori’s wood fired pizzas have been popular since 1984 when Tim and Sally McLane opened their first restaurant in Clifton. Pizza and heart healthy sounds like an oxymoron but “aficionados” of this seemingly carb laden dish will relish the news that the American Heart Association has certified several of the wood fired pizzas as heart healthy. The traditional and Sicilian deep dish pizzas are baked in an imposing gas oven. The open kitchen with its high ceiling has the two ovens playing book ends with the cook tops in the center, backed by a brickwork wall and graceful arches flowing in between. This creative kitchen arrangement is part of the open design of the main dining room, punctuated by contemporary carved oak wood accents and large, high walled booths where you could feel you were the only diners. Another dining area conveys an al fresco feel accented by natural wood framed windows on all three sides, revealing lovely landscaping and historic Montgomery shops. A third room, also surrounded by windows, is small and conducive to an easy flow of conversation even when there is a large crowd. Many of the pizza combinations showcase the original thinking of the owners who “riff” on the more traditional selections. Some intriguing toppings that bear closer appetite quenching inspection are the gorgonzola walnut (also available as a pasta entree) and the fruity fig. Another sweet choice is apple pizza, “Cincinnati Magazine’s” designation for best dessert. it’s perfect for the fall season with its wonderful cinnamon flavor just kissing the slightly crunchy apples layered with a brushing of apricot pre-
(Clockwise) Mediterranean magnificence—brick oven pizza; Beautiful architectural design at Pomodori’s; Gloom banishing “al fresco” dining room; Savory eggplant Parmesan with delicious homemade pasta; Flavorful and “herby” minestrone; Chef, Jim Kerstetter.
serves, streusel topping and sweet ricotta cheese. Save room for this sumptuous and never superfluous, meal conclusion. If you choose the traditional margherita or other red sauce pizzas, you will share the delight I experienced when I tasted their rich marinara on the eggplant Parmesan. One of the best I’ve had, it is meatless, velvety and chunky with little pieces of onion to keep your teeth engaged. It has the fresh sweet flavor that you would expect from ripe roma tomatoes. Kerstetter explained that the slight “bite” of heat I noticed, originated from the garlic and a bit of red pepper. The eggplant was thickly sliced and covered with a golden crust which contrasted nicely with its custard like consistency. It’s served over a well built foundation of homemade spinach flecked spaghettini. As soon as you sample this thin noodle, you will immediately appreciate the difference between spaghetti from a box and spaghetti from a chef. It is not only al dente, but also fresh tasting
(think fresh bread versus the plastic bagged variety), with a creaminess only homemade pasta can convey. My theory that every kitchen requires an artist is confirmed by Kerstetter who graduated with an B.F.A. from the Art Academy of Cincinnati. His creatively designed presentations enhanced the delicious food. The bowl of minestrone he served me was brimming with vegetables which retained their vivid colors and flavors. The first spoonful was pungent with fresh basil. Its anise taste and scent went perfectly with the rich broth. The large ridged noodles added to the pleasing texture. Ketstedder said they always use fresh herbs in all their preparations. Definitely obvious. The bowl I brought home for Steve was noodle free and the gluten averse can order it that way. A thick slice of ciabatta accompanied my soup. It was toasted and crisp on the outside but still retained the fluff of a good dough inside. They serve various appetizers on this bread which receives its final baking in house so it’s hot and
fresh when served. Steve’s other gluten free selection, the Greek salad with chicken was a nice assortment of greens including spinach and crunchy lettuce. Tomatoes, olives, onions, feta and peppers with tarragon dressing completed the salad. He said, “I like the chicken; it has a little spice to it and everything tastes better with feta.” He quipped, “This is Greece before the default.” There is a good variety of salads to choose from including the chicken and asparagus and the goat cheese with rosemary. All the dressings are made fresh daily. The menu also offers an array of sandwiches such as meatball, club, classic Italian sub and for vegetarians, a veggie pita pocket with tarragon dressing. The eggplant Parmesan sandwich tops the list for eggplant lovers like me. A good friend of mine won’t go to any restaurant without ambiance. She will love Pomodori’s but not just for its charming interior. Kerstetter informed me that the building was designed by the renowned architect, Mark Hamilton
and that people come just to see his work. On the day of my visit, one of the sunny, mild days of autumn, red leafed trees in abundance surrounded the beautifully designed restaurant. It is situated on a small hill so a visitor has an unimpeded view of the flowing combination of architectural features — the red brick, the white wood, the multi gabled roof and the plethora of framed windows. With such good taste, surely everything inside has to taste good. You can toast to good taste at happy hour on Wednesday nights with half price bottles of wine, also available by the glass. There is a large selection of draft and bottled beers including Italian beers and micro brews. Pomodori is open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday and Sunday and from 11:00 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Pomodori’s 7880 Remington Road Montgomery, OH 45242 513-794-0080
DINING OUT • 15
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011
RESTAURANT DIRECTORY 20 Brix
Izzy’s
Padrino
101 Main St
800 Elm St • 721-4241
111 Main St
Historic Milford
612 Main St • 241-6246
Milford
831-Brix (2749)
5098B Glencrossing Way
965-0100
Cincinnati's first and only true wine, restaurant and wine retail store. Come in and enjoy an appetizer or entrée paired with one of the 100 wines we pour daily.
101 Main St • Historic Milford
831-Brix • www.20brix.com
347-9699 Ambar India Restaurant
1198 Smiley Ave • 825-3888
Parkers Blue Ash Grill
350 Ludlow Ave
300 Madison Ave
4200 Cooper Rd
Cincinnati
Covington • 859-292-0065
Blue Ash
281-7000
891-8300 Johnny Chan 2
Andy’s Mediterranean Grille
11296 Montgomery Rd
Pomodori’s
At Gilbert & Nassau
The Shops at Harper’s Point
121West McMillan • 861-0080
2 blocks North of Eden Park
489-2388 • 489-3616 (fx)
7880 Remington Rd
281-9791
9386 Montgomery Rd Cincinnati, OH 45242
Montgomery • 794-0080
(513) 489-1444
K.T.’s Barbecue & Deli Azad India Restaurant
8501 Reading Rd
Slatt’s Pub
4762 Cornell Rd
Reading
4858 Cooper Rd
Blue Ash
761-0200
Blue Ash
530-9999
791-2223 • 791-1381 (fax) Kanak India Restaurant
Baba India Restaurant
10040B Montgomery Rd
Stone Creek Dining Co.
3120 Madison Rd
Montgomery
9386 Montgomery Rd
Cincinnati
793-6800
Montgomery
321-1600
GET RESULTS. Place your restaurant ad here! Your restaurant will also receive featured articles and a spot in the dining out guide.
489-1444
Call 621-3145 today.
Marx Hot Bagels Bangkok Terrace
9701 Kenwood Rd
Sukhothai Thai Cuisine
4858 Hunt Rd
Blue Ash
8102 Market Place Ln
Blue Ash
891-5542
Cincinnati
891-8900 • 834-8012 (fx)
Sushi • Steaks • Raw Bar Live Music Every Tues thru Sat! (513) 936-8600 9769 MONTGOMERY RD. www.jeffruby.com
AMBAR
BABA
KANAK
350 LUDLOW AVE. CINCINNATI, OH 45220 (513) 281-7000
3120 MADISON RD. CINCINNATI, OH 45209 (513) 321-1600
10040B MONTGOMERY RD. CINCINNATI, OH 45242 (513) 793-6800
794-0057 Mecklenburg Gardens
Carlo & Johnny
302 E. University Ave
Sultan’s Med. Cuisine
9769 Montgomery Rd
Clifton
7305 Tyler’s Corner Dr
Cincinnati
221-5353
West Chester
936-8600
847-1535
CINCINNATI’S BEST INDIAN RESTAURANTS
MEI Japanese Restaurant Gabby’s Cafe
8608 Market Place Ln
Tandoor
515 Wyoming Ave
Montgomery
8702 Market Place Ln
Wyoming
891-6880
Montgomery
821-6040
Now Serving
793-7484
NEW YORK-STYLE
CORNED BEEF (FIRST CUT, LEAN)
Oriental Wok
At ONLY $14.49/lb, it’s the BEST PRICE in Town!
Incahoots
2444 Madison Rd
Tony’s
4110 Hunt Rd
Hyde Park
12110 Montgomery Rd
Blue Ash
871-6888
Montgomery
793-2600
...and don’t forget about these comfort food favorites!
ROAST BRISKET & CHICKEN DINNERS SERVED WITH CARROTS, POTATOES & GRAVY
677-1993
HOMEMADE CHOPPED LIVER MADE WITH REAL SHMALTZ! All orders are to be made 2 days in advance of pickup.
CALL 761-0200 FOR DAILY SPECIALS MON 11-2, TUE-FRI 11-8, SAT 3-8, CLOSED SUN KENNY TESSEL’S Izzy’s
bigg’s
Kroger
Marx Hot Bagels
612 Main St Downtown 800 Elm St Downtown
Ridge & Highland
Hunt Rd.
9701 Kenwood Rd.
Blue Ash
Blue Ash
KT’S BARBECUE & DELI 8501 READING ROAD • 513-761-0200 View our menu @ ktsbbqanddeli.com CATERING AVAILABLE FOR ANY AND ALL OCCASIONS
The American Israelite is available at these fine locations.
16 • OPINION
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
‘Exercising the Empathy Muscle’ Dear Editor,
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has issued a chilling new report stating that “Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.” A U.S. State Department spokesman calls the report “comprehensive, credible, quite damning, and alarming.” No nation can honestly doubt that Iran has developed mechanisms, as the IAEA reveals, that are “specific to nuclear weapons.” Iran with the bomb would revolutionize the balance of power in the Middle East. Shi’ite Iran threatens the security of predominantly Sunni nations like Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, which are U.S. allies and major
exporters of oil to the West. An Iranian threat to their independence could have catastrophic economic and strategic consequences for the entire democratic world. Iranian President Ahmadinejad, a Holocaust denier, has repeatedly stated his wish to wipe Israel off the map. Armed with nuclear capacity, Iran might be tempted to carry out that threat. In addition, Iran could ship atomic weapons across the border to supporters in Iraq and Syria, or to terrorist groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. What can be done to stop Iran’s quest for nuclear-weapons capability? The UN Security Council has already passed four resolutions, the last in June 2010, imposing economic and financial sanctions. The U.S., the EU and
several other countries have adopted their own measures against key Iranian companies and individuals. Unfortunately, Russia and China are holding up more stringent sanctions because they fear losing the economic benefits they get through trade with Iran. Their leaders have rationalized their inertia by parroting the Iranian line that Tehran’s atomic ambitions are for peaceful use. With the IAEA report, however, the nations of the world have no choice but to act jointly with purpose to deter Iran’s aggressive nuclear plans, and do so before it’s too late. John Stein AJC Cincinnati President Barbara Glueck AJC Cincinnati Director
Have something on your mind? Let your voice be heard! Send a letter to the editor: editor@americanisraelite.com
AI
The American Israelite
T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE THIS WEEK’S PORTION: TOLDOTH (BRAISHITH 25:19—28:19) 1. What happened with Isaac's wells? a.) He sold them b.) He abandoned them c.) Shared them with the Philistines d.) Fought with the locals over them 2. Where is Gerar? a.) Canaan b.) Land of the Philistines c.) East side of Jordan 3. Who is the “number one of the people”? a.) Avimelech king of the Philistines sacrifice, (Chapter 22) it was inappropriate for him to live outside of Israel. 3. A 26:10 Avimelech as king was the choice of the people. Rashi 4. C 27:39 Onkelos interprets fat as
“good”. 5. B 27:27 Jacob wore garments from goat's hair (27:9). However a miracle happened and they smelled of the Garden of Eden. Rashi
Rabbi Shafran is an editor at large and columnist for Ami Magazine
Do you have something to say? E-mail your letter to editor@americanisraelite.com
b.) Isaac c.) Jacob 4. Where was Esau blessed to live? a.) Mountains b.) Plains c.) Fat 5. What did Isaac smell before he blessed Jacob? a.) Food b.) His garments c.) Wine 2. A, B 26:1-3 Isaac wanted to go to Egypt during the famine. At Gerar in the land of the Philistines, Hashem told him to stay there. Rashi explains because Isaac was once offered as a
Politicians are often subject to derision, often for good reason. Recently, though, a Catholic cleric hurled an unusual and creative insult at local politicos: They are like Jews. Edward Gilbert, the leader of the Catholic Church in Port of Spain, the capital of the southern Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, made the comparison between elected officials and “the original Jewish people,” explaining that Jews, at least in ancient times, cared only about their own. “The Jews were compassionate and caring to the people of their nation, to the people of their race…,” Archbishop Gilbert reportedly said during an October 24 religious ceremony commemorating the 225th anniversary of the Roman Catholic presence on Trinidad. Christianity, he proudly asserted, “universalized the concept of love.” Predictably, the AntiDefamation League protested the sermon, calling Mr. Gilbert’s statements “a disturbing repackaging of ancient anti-Jewish canards and supersessionist beliefs.” The American Jewish Committee chimed in with chiding of its own, contending that “such prejudicial comments not only reflect personal ignorance, but also ignorance of the teaching of the Catholic Church since Nostra Aetate.” That was a reference to the Vatican II declaration repudiating the centuries-old “deicide” charge against all Jews, stressing the religious bond shared by Jews and Catholics, and reaffirming the eternal covenant between G-d and the People of Israel (though it does not, of course, renounce the essential beliefs of Christianity). Personally, I wasn’t insulted by the Archbishop’s characterization, even if he meant to include contemporary Jews. Because caring for one’s own is eminently defensible. In fact, it’s the only way to truly care for anyone. Not much effort is needed to profess true love for all the world; but to actually feel such love just isn’t possible. Gushing good will at everyone is offering it to no one. That is because, by definition, care grows within boundaries; our empathy for those closest to us, to be real, must be of a different nature than our concern for others with whom we don’t share our personal lives. Boundaries are what make those beloved to us…
beloved to us. Every person lives at the center of a series of concentric circles, the smallest one (in a healthy dynamic) encompassing parents, spouses, and children; the next circle out, other family members and friends; the one beyond that, members of their ethnic or religious groups. At a distance removed from that is a larger circle of human beings with similar values. And further out still, the circle containing the rest of humanity. It is perfectly proper that we feel, and demonstrate, our deepest concern for the circle closest to us. More: it is the only way to achieve genuine care, providing us the ability to bestow it, if in a less intense form, upon those in the next circle out, and, in turn, on those beyond it. Nothing demonstrates the danger of “universalizing the concept of love” better than the religion Mr. Gilbert represents. For all Christianity’s claim to have expanded its affection to all of humanity, early Church history was characterized by the vicious intolerance demonstrated by early “fathers” and emperors; the Middle Ages’ Crusades left swollen rivers of blood; and, a few centuries later, Reformation battles between Catholics and Protestants added millions of corpses to the body count. Perceptive Jews and non-Jews alike understand how essential it is that ethnic or religious groups show special concern for other members of their “tribes.” They sense what to some may seem counterintuitive: it is precisely the intense empathy we feel and express for our “inner circles” alone that enables us to feel genuine, if somewhat less acute, concern for those in more distant ones. People who focus their deepest feelings on those close to them are those most likely to truly care about their fellow citizens or wider circles still. Exercising the “empathy muscle,” so to speak, provides the ability to feel — less intensely but more genuinely — concern for people who are not close to us. So while the Trinidadian cleric may have been attempting an insult, he inadvertently provided his listeners — and all who were reached by media reports of his words — something else: a valuable opportunity to ponder how caring works.
Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise
ANSWERS 1. D 26:15-22 Isaac's shepherds a fought with the Philistines over rights to two wells. Only, after digging a third well did Isaac live in peace.
Rabbi Avi Shafran Contributing Columnist
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
JEWISH LIFE • 17
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011
Sedra of the Week
SHABBAT SHALOM: PARSHAT TOLDOT GENESIS 25:19-28:9
“Seed,” however, refers to the future; beyond biological considerations, by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel — “These are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraham; Abraham gave birth to Isaac” (Genesis 25:19) If Isaac is the son of Abraham, isn’t it obvious that Abraham parented Isaac? What is the significance of the apparent redundancy? Is it possible that Abraham could be a biological parent to a son who is not part of his generations? Alternatively, is it possible for one to be part of the “generations” without being a biological child with parental DNA, as in the case of adoption or conversion, for example? Moreover, Abraham’s name has been changed by G-d from “exalted father” (Av-ram) to “father of a multitude of nations” (Avraham – Av Hamon Goyim). Are Ishmael the biological son of Abraham and Esau the biological grandson of Abraham (Isaac’s biological son) legitimate children of Abraham and part of the Abrahamic covenantal people? Evangelical Christians certainly see themselves as having been grafted onto the Abrahamic covenant. If so, what if, at all, is the unique status of Israel in the family of Abraham? Almost from the very beginnings of the narrative of Abraham, the biblical text makes a clear-cut and far reaching distinction between ben (son, child) and zera (seed). The Hebrew ben is derived from the verb bnh, which means “to build” since one’s biological child provides an additional “storey” to the household of the parent, sharing the same parental “foundation stones” or DNA. A child who contains the same genetic background as their parent has literally emerged from the original parental roots. “Seed,” however, refers to the future; beyond biological considerations, it sets the stage for the parents to reproduce their personality, beliefs and ideology into the next generation. Buildings are focused upon earlier foundations, whereas seed promises renewed reproduction. The Abrahamic covenant is established with G-d after Abraham’s victory over the four
it sets the stage for the parents to reproduce their personality, beliefs and ideology into the next generation.
terrorist kings of the fertile crescent, and His promises that He will remain Abraham’s shield and that his reward will be exceedingly great. Abraham remonstrates: “Lord G-d, what can You possibly give me, since I walk about childless… behold, You have not given me seed (zera)” and G-d responds, “...someone who comes out from your loins, he will inherit you… count the stars… so shall be your seed” (Genesis 15:1-5). And then, when G-d additionally promises Abraham’s seed a homeland, the Bible concludes the chapter: “On that day, the Lord established a covenant with Abram saying, “To your seed I shall give this land…” (15:18). And so Abraham is promised seed and a homeland – the stuff that nations are made of. But Abram is still lacking a biological heir. Hence in the very next chapter (16), Sarai brings her servant, Hagar, to him so that she Sarah, may be built up from her in the manner of ancient adoption; “And so Hagar has a son to Abram,” a biological son through whom he will be “built”; adding another storey, a “ben” but not yet “seed” (zera). In the following chapter, Abram becomes Abraham, a father of a multitude of nations. G-d then adds that He will fulfill His covenant with Abraham and his seed, and that this will be expressed through the ritual of circumcision. The son born to Sarah will be their covenantal seed (17:19-21), rather than Ishmael, who will be only a biological heir. When, later on in the narrative, Ishmael taunts and derides Isaac, G-d instructs the patriarch to banish Ishmael “since (only) through Isaac shall your seed (zera) be called (Gen. 21:10). Hence Abraham is to be a father of a multitude of nations; any people who live lives of compassionate righteousness and moral justice (abiding by at least the seven Noahide laws of morali-
ty), who believe in the one G-d and who spread His name and His desire for universal redemption throughout the world are to be considered children (banim) of Abraham, and may be our partners in redeeming the world. This is not dependent on acceptance of the Mosaic Code. Only Isaac, however, is considered Abraham’s seed, and only Isaac is part of the Abrahamic covenant, which includes the commandment of circumcision marking the eternal relationship between G-d and His special nation; it is only descendants of Isaac who will enter the second covenant at Sinai and be responsible for keeping the 613 commandments of the Torah. A ben or biological child has the same DNA as the parent, and so Ishmael has Abrahamic identity. But zera goes one step further; Isaac has covenantal continuity. A biological son who marries outside the Jewish faith retains his biological identity with his forebears, but sacrifices his covenantal continuity (since his children aren’t Jewish). Conversely, a convert who is not biologically part of the family, through his or her acceptance of the Abrahamic and Mosaic teachings becomes a metaphysical child of Abraham (zera), expressing covenantal continuity even without the biological DNA. Similarly, our sages taught that “whoever teaches a person Torah is considered as if they had borne him.” This is what the opening verse of our biblical portion is teaching: “These are the generations of Isaac, the son of Abraham” – Isaac will retain the covenantal continuity; “Abraham gave birth to Isaac” – Isaac also shares his biological identity. Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone Chief Rabbi — Efrat Israel
WHAT’S HAPPENING @ YOUR SYNAGOGUE? NAME ADDRESS CITY
STATE
CHECK TYPE OF SUBSCRIPTION
1 YEAR, IN-TOWN
CHECK TYPE OF PAYMENT
CHECK
ZIP 1 YEAR, OUT-OF-TOWN
VISA
MASTERCARD
LIFETIME
DISCOVER
1-Year Subscription: $44 In-town, $49 Out-of-town Send completed form with payment to: The American Israelite
18 W. 9th St. Ste. 2 • Cincinnati, OH 45202-2037
CHANGE OF ADDRESS? SEND AN EMAIL TO PUBLISHER@AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
www.americanisraelite.com
AI
The American Israelite
18 • JEWZ IN THE NEWZ
JEWZ
IN THE
By Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist HAVE A LITTLE FAITH “Have a Little Faith,” an original Hallmark Hall of Fame telefilm, airs on ABC on Sunday, Nov. 27, at 9:00 p.m. It is based on the best-selling non-fiction book of the same name by Detroit newspaper columnist MITCH ALBOM, 53 (“Tuesdays with Morrie”). In 2000, Rabbi ALBERT LEWIS (1917-2008), a highly respected and beloved Conservative New Jersey rabbi, who was Albom’s childhood rabbi, asked Albom to deliver his eulogy. This surprising request lead Albom to try to get to know the rabbi and his faith better so he would be worthy of delivering the eulogy. Meanwhile, back in Detroit, Albom gets to know the Reverend Henry Covington, an African American pastor and a reformed convict, who preaches to and helps the poor in a brokendown church building. In the words of one review: “Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, AfricanAmerican and white, impoverished and well-to-do, Mitch observes how these very different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the older, suburban rabbi, embracing it as death approaches; the younger, innercity pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat.” Albom wrote the film screenplay, with JON AVENET, 61, (“Fried Green Tomatoes,” “Warsaw Ghetto Uprising”) directing. Bradley Whitford stars as Albom, with Laurence Fishburne as Rev. Covington, and MARTIN LANDAU, 83, as Rabbi Lewis. HOLIDAY FARE FOR THE FAMILY The following movies opened on Wednesday, Nov. 23: “The Muppets” features the famous puppet characters created by Jim Henson. A new puppet, called Walter, is the “world’s greatest muppet fan,” and while on vacation in Los Angeles, Walter discovers that an evil oilman (Chris Cooper) plans to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil just discovered below the theater. Walter’s friends Gary (JASON SEGAL, 31) and Mary (Amy Adams) help him round up all the Muppets and stage a telethon to raise the $10 million needed to save the theater. Over 30 name actors have cameo roles, including ALAN ARKIN, BILLY CRYSTAL, JUDD HIRSCH, MILA KUNIS, SARAH SILVERMAN and BEN STILLER. The film is directed by Brit James Bobin and was co-written by Segal and NICHOLAS
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
NEWZ
STOLLER, 35. Segal and Stoller often team: Stoller directed Segal in the hit film, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” which Segal wrote. In 2009, Stoller wrote and directed “Get Him to the Greek,” which featured a character created by Segal. Stoller’s wife, FRANCESCA, by the way, is the granddaughter of BERNARD GREENHOUSE (1916-2011), one of the greatest cellists of the last century. Greenhouse, then 90, played at Stoller’s 2005 Jewish wedding. “Hugo,” directed by Martin Scorsese, is based on a best-selling children’s novel (“The Invention of Hugo Cabret”) by BRIAN SELZNICK, 45, a distant cousin of the famous film producer DAVID SELZNICK (“Gone with the Wind”). Asa Butterfield plays the title character, an orphan boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station in the 1930s. Hugo gets caught up in a fantastic adventure. SACHA BARON COHEN, 40, has a big part as the station inspector. A WEEK WITH MARILYN “My Week with Marilyn,” which opened on the 23rd, is a British film based on a memoir by Colin Clark. In 1956, Clark was a young, lowly film assistant on the U.K.-based set of “The Prince and the Showgirl,” a comedy starring MARILYN MONROE and Sir Laurence Olivier. Monroe had just married playwright ARTHUR MILLER, and when he left England a little while into the film’s production, Marilyn got the blues. Clark, who had tons of upper-class family connections, stepped in to show her a good time (like a private tour of Windsor Castle). Michelle Williams stars as Monroe, with Kenneth Branagh as Olivier. Respected advance reviewers say that Williams’ performance, which includes musical numbers, is the best yet interpretation of the legendary actress and that she’s likely to get an Oscar nomination. By the way, a New York Times article just pointed out how relevant Miller’s most famous play, “Death of a Salesman” (1949), is in these hard times (a new Broadway production will open next year). Willy Loman, the show’s lead character, remains the most poignant American literary example of someone who loses everything, including his dignity, when he loses his job. As the Times points out, Miller wrote in “Salesman” that “attention must be paid” when any human being, however humble, suffers something terrible. This sentiment is now very much in the air throughout America.
FROM THE PAGES 100 Y EARS A GO The betrothal of Miss Doris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Phil Polasky of 1717 Fernwood Avenue, Walnut Hills, to Mr. Moris Mathew Berger of Cleveland, OH has been announced. The Central Conference of American Rabbis has been incorporated under the law of Ohio. The officers are: president, Dr. Samuel Shuhlman of New York City; vice president, Rabbi Moses J. Gries of Cleveland; secretary, Rabbi Solomon Foster, Newark, N. J.; treasurer, Rabbi Leo N. Frakliin of Detroit. The executive committee in this city are Dr. Julian Morgenstern, Dr. Kohler, Dr. Deutsch and Rabbi Phillipson, who was up to the last year the president. The Conference has about 200 members. It was founded 22 years ago by the late Isaac M Wise. The Jewish farmers of the settlement in Hamilton and Clermont Counties, in the neighborhood of Batavia and Amelia, will celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the neighborhood of Nine Mile, which is the central point. Visitors from the city will be welcomed. The place can be reachd by the inter-urban car for New Richmond, which leaves from the Terminal Station on Sycamore Street. The place of meeting is within walking distance of Stop 42. There is a good road all the way for those who wish to make the trip in automobiles. It will be well to encourage these farmers by visiting them and becoming familiar with the really splendid things they have accomplished in the direction of solving the problem of city congestion. — November 23, 1911
75 Y EARS A GO Reservations for the Public Health Federations dinner of Wednesday, Dec. 9th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hotel Alms, may be made through Parkway 3160. Dr. Richard S. Austin is president. Mr. C. A. Dykstra, city manager, will preside over a panel debate on “Nest Steps in Promoting the Health of our Community.” Participants will be: statistician, Dr. Floyd P. Allen; public health agency, Dr. Alfred Friedlander; private health agency, Dr. Robert Rothenberg; practicing physician, Dr. John H. Skavlem; practicing dentist, Dr. Carlos H. Schott; nurse, Miss Anna M. Drake; John Q. Public and Rev. W. H. Hudnut, Jr. Pupils of University School, Blair and Hartford Avenue, have made up more than 100 Thanksgiving baskets, through their donations, for distribution to poor families through the Associated Charities and the United Jewish Social Agencies. The charity undertaking was sponsored by the Senior Class. Among the basket chairmen were Alice Heyn, Robert Bassler, Robert Fries, Robert Bloch and
Herbert Stern. Taking part in the Thanksgiving program Wednesday in the school auditorium, in connection with the basket distribution, were Penninah Schulzinger, representing the first grade; Hillel Gamoran, second grade; Marilyn Schuman, third grade; Peter Marks, fourth grade; Mary Alice Aub, sixth grade; Alice Jonap, the sophomore class, and Robert Fries, the senior class. Marion Cronbach was on the program for a violin solo. — November 26, 1936
50 Y EARS A GO Avon Masonic Lodge 542 will begin begin its 77th year Saturday, Nov. 25, at 8 p.m. at a public installment of officers at Winton Masonic Temple, Edgewood and Epworth Avenue, Winton Place. Harry Cohen will be installed worshipful master. Avon Lodge officers include: William T. Shelf, senior warden; Marvin Herzig, junior warden; Louis Newman, treasurer; Francis S. Key, secretary; David J. Herzig, senior deacon; Mathew Shimsky, junior deacon; Monroe E. Berkowitz, chaplain; Max Cohen, senior steward; David J. Knoffer, junior steward; Julius F. Frenkel, trustee; Al Brownstein, tyler. Installing officers will be Joseph G. Burg, David E. Keen and Joe Cohen. Mrs. Edna Abraham, Vernon Manor Hotel, passed away Friday, Nov. 17. She is survived by a son, Chrales V. Abraham; a daughter Mrs. Harry Mendelsohn; and five grandchildren. She was the wife of the lateCharles J. Abraham, former president of Fechheimer Brothers. Louis Fingerman, 1853 Section Road, passed away Monday, Nov. 13, at the age of 88. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Freida Fingerman; a daughter, Mrs. Jack Kuresman; three sons, Aaron Dom, Gilbert and Albert Ross Fingerman; two sisters, Mrs. SaraFreidman and Mrs. Lena Powers; both of New York City; 10 grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Mr. Fingerman was a member of Chav Shalom Synagogue and Lodge 4, of B’nai B’rith. He had owned a delicatessen in West End 20 for years. — November 23, 1961
25 Y EARS A GO On a plane returning to Cincinnati, Rabbi Lewis Kmrass wrote this of his trip to Russia with Rabbi Gerry Walter: “For 10 days my life has been significantly altered. During my visit with nearly 25 Jewish refuseniks of Moscow and Leningrad, I tasted despair and hope, bitterness and optimism, fear and courage. “I was touched with new friendships and inspired with devotion, I
was infused with a new gratitude for our freedom and instilled with a deepened commitment to our responsibility to bring it to others.” “I left Cincinnati bringing messages and encouragement. But I returned with a great deal more: outrage, concern and insight, inspiration and hope.” Edna May Bergstein passed away Nov. 19. She was 98. She is survived by a daughter, Marjorie Goldman; a son, Frank D. Bergstein; and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren She was the wife of the late Simon Bergstein and the mother of the late Robert M. Bergstein. Caroline F. Marcus passed away Nov. 18. She was 88. She is survived by four children, Martha F. Beerman of Los Angeles, Nathan S. Fechheimer of Columbus, Ellin F. Isenberg of Brookline, Mass., and Margaret F. Heimann of New York City; nine grandchildren; and two great grandchildren. She was the wife of the late Herbert T. Marcus and the late Marcus Fechheimer. — November 27, 1986
10 Y EARS A GO Louis Stiebel Buka, 99, passed away November 12, 2001. She was born in Cincinnati, the daughter of the late Theodore and Ida (Eisman) Stiebel. She was the wife of Simeon Buka, who predeceased her. She is survived by her children, Theodore Buka, M.D., and Barbara and Ivan R. Steinberg. Mrs. Buka was the mother-in-law of the late Natalie Buka. James Steinberg, Dr. Jane Steinberg, Kathy Bergman, Jeffrey Buka and Jon Buka, M.D. She I also survived by nine great-grandchildren: Jordan Steinberg, Jared Steinberg and Jillian Steinberg, Brandon Buka and Randy Buka, Andrew Kraut and Julia Kraut, nd Alexis Bergman and Michael Bergman. Stephen Lerner, Hillel’s new president, welcomed the board of trustees at the first board meeting, held Oct. 15. “I want to help shape the Jewish future.” Lerner said of his goals, “Hillel is the single best place to reach out to today’s young Jews.” The meeting was preceded by a new board member orientation dinner at Hillel. New board members include: Rick Annis, Nathan Bachrach, Rob Clayton, Ellen Golub, Scott Kotzin, Scott Kravetz, Roy Kulich, Mark Kurtz, Renee Lemberg, Bess Paper, Marc Randolph, David Schimberg, Abby Schwartz, Ela Shapiro, Leah Smith and Mary Anne Wiggins. They join continuing board members: Sandy Brecher, Susan Brenner, Ronal Gold, Jeff Goldenberg, Rob Lowenstein, Ken Miller, Herb Paper, Stuart Rothbaum, Carol Anne Schwartz and Noah Stern. — November 22, 2001
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011
CLASSIFIEDS • 19
COMMUNITY DIRECTORY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS Access (513) 373-0300 • jypaccess.org Big Brothers/Big Sisters Assoc. (513) 761-3200 • bigbrobigsis.org Camp Ashreinu (513) 702-1513 Camp at the J (513) 722-7226 • mayersonjcc.org Camp Livingston (513) 793-5554 • camplivingston.com Cedar Village (513) 754-3100 • cedarvillage.org Chevra Kadisha (513) 396-6426 Cincinnati Community Mikveh 513-351-0609 • cincinnatimikveh.org Fusion Family (513) 703-3343 • fusionnati.org Halom House (513) 791-2912 • halomhouse.com Hillel Jewish Student Center (513) 221-6728 • hillelcincinnati.org Jewish Community Center (513) 761-7500 • mayersonjcc.org Jewish Community Relations Council (513) 985-1501 Jewish Family Service (513) 469-1188 • jfscinti.org Jewish Federation of Cincinnati (513) 985-1500 • shalomcincy.org Jewish Foundation (513) 514-1200 Jewish Information Network (513) 985-1514 Jewish Vocational Service (513) 985-0515 • jvscinti.org Kesher (513) 766-3348 Plum Street Temple Historic Preservation Fund (513) 793-2556 Shalom Family (513) 703-3343 • myshalomfamily.org The Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education (513) 487-3055 • holocaustandhumanity.org Vaad Hoier (513) 731-4671 Workum Fund (513) 899-1836 • workum.org YPs at the JCC (513) 761-7500 • mayersonjcc.org
CONGREGATIONS Adath Israel Congregation (513) 793-1800 • adath-israel.org Beit Chaverim (513) 984-3393 Beth Israel Congregation (513) 868-2049 • bethisraelcongregation.net Congregation Beth Adam (513) 985-0400 • bethadam.org Congregation B’nai Tikvah (513) 759-5356 • bnai-tikvah.org Congregation B’nai Tzedek (513) 984-3393 • bnaitzedek.us Congregation Ohav Shalom (513) 489-3399 • ohavshalom.org
Congregation Ohr Chadash (513) 252-7267 • ohrchadashcincinnati.com Congregation Sha’arei Torah shaareitorahcincy.org Golf Manor Synagogue (513) 531-6654 • golfmanorsynagogue.org Isaac M. Wise Temple (513) 793-2556 • wisetemple.org Kehilas B’nai Israel (513) 761-0769 Northern Hills Synagogue (513) 931-6038 • nhs-cba.org Rockdale Temple (513) 891-9900 • rockdaletemple.org Temple Beth Shalom (513) 422-8313 • tbsohio.org Temple Sholom (513) 791-1330 • templesholom.net The Valley Temple (513) 761-3555 • valleytemple.com
EDUCATION Chai Tots Early Childhood Center (513) 234.0600 • chaitots.com Chabad Blue Ash (513) 793-5200 • chabadba.com Cincinnati Hebrew Day School (513) 351-7777 • chds.shul.net HUC-JIR (513) 221-1875 • huc.edu JCC Early Childhood School (513) 793-2122 • mayersonjcc.org Kehilla - School for Creative Jewish Education (513) 489-3399 • kehilla-cincy.com Mercaz High School (513) 792-5082 x104 • mercazhs.org Kulanu (Reform Jewish High School) 513-262-8849 • kulanucincy.org Regional Institute Torah & Secular Studies (513) 631-0083 Rockwern Academy (513) 984-3770 • rockwernacademy.org
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 Hadassah (513) 821-6157 • cincinnati.hadassah.org Jewish Discovery Center (513) 234.0777 • jdiscovery.com Jewish National Fund (513) 794-1300 • jnf.org Jewish War Veterans (513) 204-5594 • jwv.org NA’AMAT (513) 984-3805 • naamat.org National Council of Jewish Women (513) 891-9583 • ncjw.org State of Israel Bonds (513) 793-4440 • israelbonds.com Women’s American ORT (513) 985-1512 • ortamerica.org.org
DO YOU WANT TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED? Send an e-mail including what you would like in your classified & your contact information to
production@ americanisraelite.com JFC from page 6 The 2011 Community Campaign, which completed its public phase in May, faced many of the same obstacles, but the Jewish Federation responded by working with donors who wished to make a specific, personal impact in addition to supporting the campaign. Through those efforts, the Jewish Federation raised an additional $1.6 million on behalf of critical needs, more GOTTLIEB from page 6 Over the past seven years, Gottleib has presented topics on aging at four different national conferences. She and her staff presented at the Ohio Association of Senior Centers regional conference, and she is an active member of the National Institute of Senior Centers. Gottlieb earned the Ohio Association of Senior Centers Executive Director certification, and is certified in Stanford University’s Chronic Disease Self Management BILL from page 8 The senior Democrat on the committee, Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), expressed sympathy for the views expressed by opponents of the bill, but said that justice for Holocaust survivors outweighed them. “I am well aware of challenges to this bill, including opposition from some mainstream Jewish groups and our European partners,” he said in remarks. “But unless provided evidence that this bill would hurt more than help, these legitimate concerns are outweighed by the very real and immediate need to help survivors.” Some Holocaust survivors’ groups supporting the legislation said no avenue to restitution should be closed to survivors. “The American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Their Descendants reaffirms its absolute support for the right of all survivors to pursue all legitimate claims, including insurance claims, in every appropriate forum, in particular the courts of law,” the group said in a statement. “In this regard, we support appropriate legislation to affirm this right and call on Congress to modify the current bill
SENIOR SERVICES
• • • • •
Up to 24 hour care Meal Preparation Errands/Shopping Hygiene Assistance Light Housekeeping
(513) 531-9600 than triple the average raised in previous years. The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s Community Campaign supports the programs and services of over 30 agencies that care for thousands of people—from the elderly to families in crisis to the disabled––in Cincinnati and around the world. The supported programs also build community, helping to ensure a secure and vibrant Jewish community in Cincinnati. and Diabetes Self Management Program, the Dementia Care Professionals Program, and the Alzheimers Association programs. “I’m flattered to receive this prestigious award and recognition, but nothing could be accomplished without the support and dedication of the Mayerson JCC Senior Center staff. Thank you to everyone,” Gottlieb said. For more information about the JCC Senior Center or programs, contact Tsippy Gottleib or visit their website. to place a restrictive cap on lawyers’ fees so that survivors are the principal beneficiaries of successful Holocaust restitution claims, and that lawyers are not unjustly enriched by this process.” The Holocaust Survivors Foundation, a smaller group that in recent years has pressed claims against what it says are inadequate settlements negotiated by establishment Jewish groups, has lobbied for the legislation, and was represented at the hearing by David Schaecter, its president. The Foreign Affairs Committee also heard testimony on a second bill that would allow lawsuits to go ahead against SNCF, the French national railroad, for its role in transporting Jews to death camps. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (DN.Y.), who sponsored the SNCF bill, said that “sovereign immunity,” which in certain cases exempts foreign entities from U.S. legal action, should not apply in this case. “By finally forcing SNCF out of the shadows, and by precluding SNCF from hiding behind foreign sovereign immunity, the Holocaust Rail Justice Act will finally provide some measure of justice,” she said.
20 • BUSINESS
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
Experience the land of Israel with JNF Missions and day tours suited for every occasion No one knows Israel like Jewish National Fund (JNF), so whether it is your first time in Israel, or you have been there before, JNF offers unique and meaningful experiences for all. With a slate of exclusive and inspiring missions to choose from, no matter your interest, now is the time to plan to go home to Israel. Some event highlights coming up include: The Road to Jerusalem: 45 Years After the Reunification The Road to Jerusalem: 45 Years After the Reunification, taking place May 15-22, 2012, commemorates the important anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, which marked a turning point in the Six Day War and to a larger extent, the history of the State of Israel. Exclusive to JNF will be VIP status at the State of Israel’s official Jerusalem Day ceremony at Ammunition Hill. Participants will gather with highlevel dignitaries including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
in Jerusalem that shaped the course of the Six Day War, and hear the stories of the brave men and women of Gush Etzion, who found one of the deadliest battles during the War of Independence.
Courtesy of JNF
Paratroppers at the Kote
President Shimon Peres, and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat to commemorate the unforgettable and inspiring experience at the site of the pivotal heroic battle. The week-long mission will also visit an IDF base for an exclusive tour with soldiers, tour key battle sites
The Sunshine Mission The Sunshine Mission, taking place June 3-12, 2012, offers active adults, age 55+, the opportunity to travel through Israel’s history with Emmy award-winning actor and JNF National Spokesperson Hal Linden of Barney Miller fame. The ten-day trip will follow the trail of history and leadership, from the War of Independence through today’s modern Israel. Hear Israelis recount their personal stories of war, heroism, leadership, and everyday lives. If you have ever wanted to experience the profound emotion and exhilaration of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, we will help you achieve this milestone. Everywhere in Israel, JNF’s work is immediately visible and tangible. Come see it for yourself. For
Independence Day. Travel through history on a tour through Jerusalem’s Old City and visit the modern metropolis of Tel Aviv. Visit new communities in the Negev and learn about JNF’s important work rehabilitating Israel’s water sources, the Carmel Forest, and more. For more information, please contact Rick Kruger at JNF
Courtesy of JNF
Actor Hal Linden
more information, please contact Matt Bernstein at JNF. The Sounds of Israel Mission On the Sounds of Israel Mission, taking place April 2128, 2012, experience the sights and sounds of Israel as you attend the famous opening ceremony at Mr. Herzl that marks the start of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s
One-Day Bus Tours JNF also offers tours of the Northern Negev every Wednesday leaving from Jerusalem. Site visits include the Sderot Indoor Recreation Center, the Be’er Sheva River Park, the new Negev community of Givot Bar and the Ayalon Institute, a secret underground bullet factory. Other upcoming missions include a Culinary, Wine and Arts Mission and much, much more. For more information about JNF’s missions and tours, visit JNF’s website.
Frances D. “Fran” Cohen recieves CLOVIE award
The work of Venetian glass artist Michael Gore coming to the Skirball Museum
Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, a not-for-profit organization in North College Hill, named Fran Cohen the most recent recipient of the organization’s internal award known as the CLOVIE. Mrs. Cohen serves on Clovernook’s Board of Trustees and is being recognized for her exceptional contributions to Clovernook Center’s mission. CLOVIE award recognizes Trustees, managers, staff, volunteers. Cohen currently serves on Clovernook’s Board of Trustees and is chair of the Fund Development & Communications Committee as well as the Raffle Committee.Anne Maxfield, Vice President of Fund Development and Community Relations states, “I can’t possibly put into words just how beloved Fran is by Clovernook. She has served multiple roles on the Board, volunteered in many capacities, developed meaningful relationships with our consumers. Her generosity is endless. I truly can’t think of a more deserving person.” Dr. Alfred J. Tuchfarber, Chairman of the Board, stated, “Fran is an institution at Clovernook, part of the fabric of
An exciting new exhibition of Venetian glass creations and textiles by renowned artist Michael Gore will open at the Skirball Museum on Sunday, December 4, with a reception from 4 to 6 p.m. The artist will be present. This is the second major exhibit this year at the museum located on the Cincinnati campus of Hebrew Union College-Institute of Religion at 3101 Clifton Avenue in Clifton. The show demonstrates the school’s ongoing commitment to bringing a new dimension to the Cincinnati art world with exhibitions that celebrate Jewish art as well as other acclaimed works. The Gore exhibit will run through February. The museum will be open to the public every Sunday (except December 25 and January 1) through February 12 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The museum will also be open by appointment for groups of five or more. Born in Chicago in 1954, Michael Gore studied at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and its sister school in Rome, Italy. While in Italy, Mr. Gore began to collaborate with master artisans of the Venetian tradition. He studied and continues to work with the master glass blow-
Frances D Cohen
the organization. She characterizes all that is good and caring about Clovernook. She has been a tireless, persistent leader who never gives up. Her dedication is legendary.” Cohen resides in Amberely Village with her husband Stanley and is extremely active in the philanthropic community. She divides her time between many wonderful organizations including the Taft Museum of Art, The Cincinnati Art Museum, University of Cincinnati, CET and more.
ers and artisans of Anfora Furnace of Murano, working in both traditional and contemporaryVenetian techniques. Mr. Gore now travels to Venice, Italy, several times a year to create unique Judaica, including mezzuzot, yads, kiddush cups, dreidles and shofars, as well as mainstream items such as bowls and vases. “(Most of my) artistic energies are focused on Judaic art and design, devoted to the creation of elegant objects of Jewish ritual and symbolism for both home and synagogues,” he says. When working in the United States, Mr. Gore concentrates on fused glass techniques for the creation of tile pieces, tableware, windows, jewelry and other items. He also works in Venetian textiles, and designs and creates interior settings for homes and places of worship from his studio in Northbrook, Illinois. This new effort to better showcase the Skirball Museum with innovative exhibits was initiated last year by Dr. Jonathan Cohen, the new Dean of the Cincinnati branch of HUC-JIR. The Skirball is known for it rich collection of Jewish art, history and ritual, and is one of the largest and most innovative
Jewish museums in the American Midwest. The push to schedule new and innovative shows among the treasures of the permanent collection is another step forward in Dr. Cohen’s vision to raise the profile of the school by revamping established programs and instituting new initiatives. “Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s Cincinnati campus is an historic and vibrant center for the education and training of Reform Judaism’s future leaders and the education of scholars of all faiths,” says Dr. Cohen. “We are now building upon the richness of our past to raise the profile of this campus, as a center of study and innovation; adding substance to the life of our greater academic community and transforming the religious and cultural experience of Jews and non-Jews in our region and beyond.” More information can be found at hucinci.org, a website that the school successfully launched last year as another initiative that has brought over 1,000 new visitors to the school for concerts, exhibits, lectures and classes. For more information about the upcoming exhibit of the work of Michael Gore call the Skirball Museum.
BUSINESS / FOOD • 21
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011
Ron Levin, MD, set the bar high Ron Levin, MD, is a hero. He would balk at the word, but as a physician who has spent 34 years caring for the sickest, most medically complex patients, you could easily make the case that the term fits.
“Dr. Levin is an innovator who has made extraordinary contributions to the health and quality of life of chronically ill and medically fragile children.” Tom DeWitt, MD
Levin retired from Cincinnati Children’s as the founding director of the Center for Infants and Children With Special Needs on Dec. 1 Says Tom DeWitt, MD, director, General and Community Pediatrics, “Dr. Levin is an innovator who has made extraordinary contributions to the health and quality of life of chronically ill and medically fragile children. He has brought a unique passion and fierce determination to his work, to the point where he has become widely recognized by families and fellow pediatricians as the person to go to for expertise, holistic care and patient advocacy.” Levin’s championship is legendary. Along with caring for patients, he helps families navigate the healthcare system and negotiate with insurance companies. He worked with the state of Ohio to establish the waiver program that makes it possible for medically fragile children to receive skilled nursing care at home. And he’s not afraid to take a parent to task if they aren’t following his instructions. Levin completed his pediatric residency and a year as chief resident at Cincinnati Children's, then entered private practice in 1977. That’s when he began specializing in caring for children with complex chronic conditions – founding and serving as president of the Cincinnati Pediatric Service, which focused on neonatal management of at-risk infants in Level II nurseries in the Cincinnati area.
In addition to this work, during the 1980s and 1990s, Levin took on medical directorship of the Brookside Mental Retardation Home in Mason and the Camelot Lake Home in Fairfield. From 1994 to 1996, he also served as medical director of pediatrics at The Christ Hospital. In 1996, he gave up those responsibilities and joined the faculty of Cincinnati Children's, where he established the Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs. The center provides a medical home for children and young adults who require care from multiple physicians and community agencies. It is the largest, most comprehensive program of its kind in the country, with a team of physicians, nurses, social workers, nutritionists and administrative support. In addition to coordinating inpatient and outpatient care, the center assists families in finding and accessing financial resources and community services. These services include: Parent-to-Parent Network – an online support system that allows parents of chronically ill children to connect with each other Remarkable Family Conference – an annual all-day symposium for families coping with a child with special needs Advocacy Program – a set of psychosocial supports administered through the Family Resource Center for families who can’t get into CCHMC clinics or who wish to stay with their community primary care provider Special Needs Resource Directory – a comprehensive online repository of information, services and support for families of children with special needs, which is updated weekly Second Home – a program that recycles medical equipment, unused disposable supplies and unopened formula to families that can’t afford them Levin also helped establish Cincinnati's first day care centers for children with special healthcare needs Says Jeff Whitsett, MD, executive director, The Perinatal Institute, “I am in awe of Ron’s understanding and connection to our community, his commitment to patient care and to Cincinnati Children’s throughout all these years. He has been able to hurdle the complexities in our institutions and policies to ensure outstanding care for families.” Levin was honored by the medical staff in 2004 and by the Cincinnati Pediatric Society in 2007. David Hall, MD, medical director, Diagnostic Referral Center, has been appointed Levin’s successor.
Turkey, Cranberries, and Bourbon Zell’s Bites
by Zell Schulman When I was in my teens, my family and I would drive out with my Uncle and his family to a farm in Kentucky, to pick up our Thanksgiving turkeys. My Uncle Sam Greenbergs had a big Packard, with jump seats in the back, which my young cousins and I always fought over. I always seemed to win. Fast food restaurants hadn’t been invented yet, and my Aunt Ruth always brought along bags filled with her home made butter cookies and fresh fruit for us to munch on. This was a family outing I always looked forward to. Things sure have changed. Today, everyone brings a part of the menu and the Turkey has become a year- round staple. It’s high in protein, low in cholesterol and is available already cooked. Our family Thanksgiving has been taken over by my son Stuart and his wife. He has special deep fryers just for our Thanksgiving Turkeys and is a master chef when ACTIVISTS from page 8 While the pro-Palestinian events have been organized by outside groups, the closest Occupy Wall Street has come to endorsing Palestinian activism was a Nov. 3 tweet from the New York branch’s unofficial communications team expressing solidarity with the Freedom Waves miniflotilla, which tried to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza before being stopped by the Israeli Navy. Within hours, however, the tweet was deleted. The Twitter account operators explained that notwithstanding their own sympathies, without a consensus from the movement they would not take a position on the issue. “It’s a wide-open, horizontal organization,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union and of the Jewish Labor Committee. “You’ll hear a lot of voices, but its key focus has been on economic issues. A lot people will try to latch on to Occupy Wall Street and use it to promote their causes.” Appelbaum was one of 15 prominent liberal Jewish activists, labor leaders and former elected
it comes to cooking them. Marilyn Harris cranberry chutney and my Cranberry Jello mold have become a traditional part of the menu. I also bring my favorite sweet potato recxpe from my friend Jill Kamin. It s made with bourbon and simply melts in you mouth. Hopefully we won’t overstuff ourselves and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday celebration.
Serves 8 to 10
MARILYN HARRIS’S, CRANBERRY-APPLE CHUTNEY Makes 4 cups
Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the brown sugar, margarine and 1 cup of sweet potato iquid in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium high heat, stirring continuously, until slightly thickened. Add the bourbon and continue cooking one or two more minutes. 2. Add the sweet potatoes and chestnuts, to the brown sugar mixture. Stir gently and place in a 2 quart baking dish. Top with the marshmallows and bake 30- minutes.
This comes from my friend Marilyn Harris’s, More Cooking With Marilyn. As she says, It's only a matter of mixing everything in one pot and cooking it until it is done. Great with turkey and keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator, and is best when made a day or two before serving Ingredients 2 cups water 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons finely minced 2 tablespoons molasses fresh ginger root 2 large tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced 2 teaspoons curry powder 1 teaspoon salt 12 ounces fresh cranberries 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Ingredients Three14 -oz cans of sweet potatoes 1/4 cup bourbon 1-1/2 cups brown sugar 1 stick margarine 16- ounce jar roasted chestnuts, drained and sliced. Pinch of salt 14 to16 large marshmallows
JILL'S SWEET POTATOES WITH BOURBON
Microwave Method Place the butter, sugar and 1 cup of sweet potato liquid and the bourbon in a microwave- safe, 4 cup container. Cook on high, 3 minutes. Place sweet potatoes and chestnuts in a microwave- safe casserole and add the bourbon sauce. Top with the marshmallows and cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on Reheat 7 or 8 minutes. The marshmallows will melt but not brown. If you wish them brown, place under a medium broil one or two minutes.
officials who signed onto a Nov. 1 statement defending Occupy Wall Street from charges of antiSemitism. Appelbaum recently hosted an event at his union’s headquarters on how Occupy Wall Street and the labor movement can work together. The event drew fire in an e-mail sent to activists by Michael Letwin, a Labor for Palestine activist and member of Occupy Wall Street’s Labor Outreach Committee. “Does Stuart Appelbaum really belong in OWS?” Letwin asked, calling Appelbaum the “chief trade union defender of apartheid Israel.” Sieradski argues that positions on Israel should not be a litmus test within Occupy Wall Street, and that both Zionists and anti-Zionists should be able to “feel that their voices can be respected.” “A lot of people aren’t O.K. with having anti-Israel demonstrations every other day of the week be an official position,” Sieradksi said, “and to oppose Occupy Wall Street becoming an anti-Zionist movement is not to support the occupation or all of Israel’s policies.” Pro-Palestinian activists, however, express anger at those they see as trying to exclude their cause
from the movement. Kade Crockford, an Occupy Boston participant who helped organize the consulate sit-in, lashed out at “Zionist so-called leftists.” “Vocal members of what many know as the ‘progressive except Palestine’ demographic take over and obstruct expressions of solidarity with the Palestinians even when the majority in the larger group supports it,” he said. Addressing these issues within the movement’s leaderless, consensus-driven culture can be difficult — even within an affiliated subgroup like Occupy Judaism. When Sieradski circulated a proposed statement on Occupy Judaism’s email list that called for keeping the focus on economic issues while acknowledging that many in Occupy Judaism opposed Israeli policies toward the Palestinians, it failed to garner consensus support after being blocked by anti-Zionists. Sieradski, however, hailed a resolution adopted by the New York City General Assembly — the local Occupy Wall Street movement’s decision-making body — as evidence that the movement would not let itself become “hijacked by others’ political agendas.”
22 • OBITUARIES D EATH N OTICES SOMMER, Rosalind (Roz) age 75 died November 15, 2011; 18 Cheshvan 5772 NEWMARK, Shirley Ann died at the age of 68 November 17, 2011; 20 Cheshvan 5772 SCHWARTZ, Charlotte Jaffe, died at the age of 83, November 17, 2011; 20 Cheshvan, 5772 LOEB, Albert, died at the age of 81, November 17, 2011; 20 Cheshvan, 5772 PERLMAN, Harold died at the age of 87, November 16, 2011;19 Cheshvan, 5772 TRABOUT, Sam Trabout died at the age of 82, November 21, 2011; 24 Cheshvan, 5772 SUCCESSOR from page 9 The first formal event of the selection process will occur in December when a representative group of about 300 leaders from United Synagogue member communities, as well as delegates from other centrist Orthodox, will convene in London. That group will be asked to sign off on the job description and personal characteristics sought by United Synagogue for the next chief rabbi. No such group has ever been established to choose a chief rabbi. Other procedural changes Pack announced include the mandated inclusion of women — each synagogue will be represented by its chairman as well as a female member of the board. Pack said the next chief rabbi may redefine the role somewhat but will not fundamentally change the position. “We’re not looking for wholesale revolution in the way that it works,” he said. Though Pack could not divulge specific salary details, he said it is not “ridiculous” to assume it would be comparable to a prime minister’s pay. And Pack acknowledged that it will be difficult to find a replacement for the expansive influence of Sacks.
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
help showcase the School for the Creative and Performing Arts, and are glad to be able to help expose young people of all ages to some of the great things the arts have to offer in Cincinnati.” As patrons of the arts for many decades, Manuel and Rhoda Mayerson appreciate the role that the arts play in civilized society and have supported numerous organizations such as the Cincinnati Ballet, Playhouse in the Park, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Cincinnati
Contemporary Arts Center, the School for the Creative and Performing Arts and more. Their personal art collection includes paintings, prints, sculptures and ceramics by some of the masters of Modern Art. The core of the collection marks the transition of the center of the art world from Paris to New York City at the turn of the twentieth century. Pioneering examples of Abstract Expressionism, Color Field, and Pop Art by Josef Albers, Hans Hofmann and Andy Warhol are included with special emphasis on
women artists of the Modern Movement such as Helen Frankenthaler, Louise Nevelson and Joan Mitchell. The diverse Collection also includes key pieces of American Indian ceramics and contemporary work by Jenny Holzer and Nam June Paik. The exhibit, located at the Foundation’s office, is open to the public by special arrangement. Shalom Family events are open to families with children 10 and younger in the Jewish community in which at least one parent is Jewish. Siblings and grandparents are always welcome. Access’ Schmooze for Twos events are open to couples who are married, engaged or in a committed relationship in which at least one partner is Jewish and in which at least one partner is between the ages of 21-35. Access’ HeBREW Happy Hour events are open to Jewish young professionals. Non Jewish friends and significant others are welcome. For more information or to RSVP for Shalom Family’s Potato Pancake Arty Party, or for Access’ Schmooze for Twos with a View of HeBREW Happy Hour at the PAC Art Gallery, please consult the Community Directory located in this issue.
many of Italy’s 30,000 Jews and plaudits from groups like the AntiDefamation League. Italy and Israel cooperate closely in a variety of fields, and Italy is among Israel’s top economic partners in Europe. “I’ve heard many times people say that this is why they voted for him,” Nahum said. Nahum said that he found this particularly true among the thousands of Jews who had settled in Italy in recent decades after being forced out of Libya and other Arab states. But Berlusconi and his allies also won support from Italianborn Jews who were alienated by the strong pro-Palestinian bent of much of the left. Still, many Italian Jews remain firmly opposed to Berlusconi and his political allies, and they
deplored the backing Berlusconi had received from some far-right politicians and his alliance with the Northern League. “We here in northern Italy sense the influence of the Northern League more vividly than in the south,” Venice University professor Shaul Bassi, an active member of the Venice Jewish community, told JTA. “In my opinion, it’s racist,” he said. “It’s been a surprise how Berlusconi could ally himself with a party that uses the same type of rhetoric that the Nazis used against foreigners.” Even some critics who praised Berlusconi’s relationship with Israel described it as ambiguous. “Berlusconi was a very, very loyal friend of Israel,” said political commentator David Parenzo. “But he also was a friend of
Moammar Gadhafi, who pitched his tent in Rome when he visited. There are always two roads open.” Nahum said, “Berlusconi’s relationship with Israel was positive. But then again he retained close ties with the dictatorial Arab regimes. The failure of this policy could been seen during the Arab Spring.” The financial crisis that brought Italy to the brink of default was the immediate trigger for Berlusconi’s downfall. But it came in the wake of years of sex and corruption scandals, revolts by former political allies and international concern over his close relations with questionable international figures. Last year, WikiLeaks revelations quoted U.S. diplomats calling him a mouthpiece for Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
SEGREGATION from page 10
burkas that cover even their faces. To be sure, there is great variation within the vast camp of religious Jews known in Israel as haredim — a term that means “those who tremble” before G-d. For example, on the most austere and stringent side, among the Gur Chasidim, married couples do not walk together in public and young men are discouraged from conversing with their brothers’ wives. Among the more liberal sects, married couples sit together on buses, and many privately express their discomfort with the widening gender gap. Kimmy Caplan, a professor of Jewish history at Bar-Ilan
University who researches haredi society, said the trend toward gender separation is partly a response to the growing number of haredi women entering the workforce. “They are meeting all kinds of people, and some haredi leaders see this as dangerous,” Caplan said. “It has the potential, as far as some leadership sees it, to be a danger because it can bring home questions, doubts, exposure to alternative ways of life.” He explains that “There are certain leaders who think there is a need to create a balance by having more segregation in the neighborhood to compensate for a drop of segregation by women going out to work every day.”
ARTS from page 7 Jewish young professionals will get the chance to check out the local art scene, view an exhibition by two local graffiti artists and create a one of a kind work or art to take home when Access presents HeBREW Happy Hour at the PAC Art Gallery on Thursday, December 1st at 6pm. This gallery is known for helping to cultivate and promote contemporary artists from Cincinnati whose works explore themes such as urbanization and globalization. Participants will also see a demonstration by a professional artist who will teach them techniques for painting their own masterpieces. Of course there will be plenty of appetizers, drinks, music and more. This event is FREE with advance reservations which and be made on Access’ website. “We always try to take a creative approach to creating community,” explains Pam Saeks, Director of Jewish Giving for The Mayerson Foundation. “And this December we plan on pulling out all the stops to make it a month devoted to the arts, an important area of interest for The Mayerson Foundation,” she continues. “We are excited for this opportunity to ITALY from page 9 In a recent interview with the Israeli daily Israel Hayom and reprinted on Nirenstein’s website, Nirenstein called Berlusconi “a brilliant person.” “In a period when Italy was entirely in the hands of the Communists and the Catholics, he took Italy and ushered it into the era of modern economy,” she said. “All the rest is less important to me.” Berlusconi has had a complex and sometimes contradictory relationship with the Jewish world. He was notorious for telling “Jewish jokes,” making tasteless references to the Holocaust and committing other gaffes on Jewish matters. But his staunch support for Israel won him and his centerright government backing from
Shalom Family events are always a big hit for parents and kids!
Haredi leaders say gender separation is essential for maintaining traditional notions of modesty, and to prevent men from lewd thoughts or actions and protect women from unwanted glances. The rising number of separated venues has coincided with increasingly “modest” dress ‚ that is, more covering up for women. In some areas, haredi women have taken to wearing a poncho-type garment intended to make the female form as shapeless as possible. In the Jerusalem suburb of Ramat Beit Shemesh, a few women have donned full-body
Kids, On Your Mark, Get Set...COLOR! 2011 CHANUKAH COVER
COLORING CONTEST MATERIALS: Anything that shows up bold and bright, such as markers, crayons, paint or cut paper. In order to qualify, an entry form must be sent in along with the art work. Please make sure form is legible and all lines are completely filled out. SIZE: VERY IMPORTANT! ART MUST BE NO LARGER THAN 8.5" WIDE X 11" HIGH AGE CATEGORIES: Open to children of all ages.
ALL WORK MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9TH THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE 18 W 9TH SUITE 2 CINCINNATI, OH 45202 Each entry must have a completed entry form permanently attached to the back. Print the entrant’s name on the back of the work itself as well.
To: Advertisers who want to reach the enormous potential of the Jewish Community this holiday gift giving season. From: The American Israelite
Gift Guides 2011 GIFT GUIDE #1 - PUBLISHES DECEMBER 1 DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 25 GIFT GUIDE #2 - PUBLISHES DECEMBER 8 DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 2 GIFT GUIDE #3 - PUBLISHES DECEMBER 15 DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 9
FULL PAGE
10.25” x 13”
$1950
1/2 PAGE
10.25” x 6.5”
$975
1/4 PAGE
6.083” x 5.45”
or
4” x 8.125”
$487.50
1/8 PAGE
4” x 4”
$240
1/16 PAGE
4” x 2”
$120
To Advertise or For More Information Contact Ted Deutsch at 621-3145