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LOCAL • 3

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

Participants at the Cincinnati delegation’s closing dinner: Clockwise, from left, seated, Jay Price, Jeff Zipkin, Frida Zipkin, Kim Heiman, Rabbi Uri Regev, Adam Ganson, Kathy Kantor (hidden), Michael Bassin, Fred Kantor, Steven Beck, Sari Ganulin. Standing, Aaron Hoffman, Shep Englander, Rachel Schneider, Nina Schneider, Phyllis Singer, Barbara Miller, Suzette Fisher.

Cincinnatians enjoy dinner together in Jerusalem

By Phyllis Singer Contributing Editor Seven young former Cincinnatians who recently made aliyah had the opportunity on Nov. 12 to interact with a group of Cincinnati community leaders who were in Jerusalem to attend the General Assembly (GA) of the Jewish Federations of North America. After three days of intense meetings and discussions Nov. 10–12 at the GA, the Cincinnati delegation held one more meeting: a dinner get-together with the seven young people. It was an opportunity for both groups to get to know each other.

All the young people, who range in age from their early to late 20s, made aliyah within the past 5 to 5-1/2 years. Some are still serving in the Israel Defense Forces; others have finished their military service and are either pursuing academic studies or have begun professional careers.

Their experiences are varied.

Michael Bassin is the business development director of a high-tech company in Ramat Gan, helping businesses expand into Asia and Africa.

Steven Beck works at the Reform Movement’s Religious Action Center in Jerusalem. Adam Ganson is coexecutive director of Earth’s Promise in Be’er Sheva, an organization that works to restore individuals’ bonds with the earth and with each other.

Sari Ganulin, who originally began studies at the Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Relgion’s cantorial school, is now studying to be a doula.

Aaron Hoffman is a software developer and a designer of websites and web apps. Rachel Schneider is studying visual communication and graphic design at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Her sister, Nina, is still in the IDF, serving as a shooting instructor.

Guest speaker at the dinner was Rabbi Uri Regev, founder and director of Hiddush, the organization for religious freedom and equality.

Regev’s remarks focused on one of

the main issues that confronted delegates at the GA—religious pluralism.

Regev believes that federations in the United States “rush to meet crises in Jewish life, but don’t stop to engage in Jewish life.” Asking dinner participants how they label themselves, he noted that the designations of “Orthodox, Conservative and Reform are relatively unknown in Israel.” In Israel, he explained, the categories have been “religious (dati) and secular (chiloni).” Today, he continued, there are three categories—“religious, traditional and secular.” The traditional perform many religious observances: They eat kosher, they light Shabbat candles, they make Kiddush on Friday night, and then they watch TV. It’s very difficult to quantify the exact numbers of each group because the Central Bureau of Statistics, which compiles population numbers, does not ask questions about religious observance.

“Israel is 65 years old,” Regev noted, and still there is “fierce debate” about what it means to be a “democratic Jewish state.” The words “Jewish democratic state” do not appear in the Declaration of Independence and “65 years have not settled that problem.”

Given the high rate of intermarriage in the United States today, Regev stressed that “if we do not bring about change, [especially] in freedom of religion, the next generation in America will be told ‘you will not have a place at the table [in Israel].’ That is a tragedy.”

These social issues, and these social justice issues, are “within the family,” Regev said and should be supported by American Jewish leaders. But “there’s no need to take them to the front page of the New York Times.”

Some of the young people at the dinner spoke about their experiences regarding religious freedom—or the lack thereof—in Israel. Nina Schneider discussed the Nativ conversion program in the IDF. The sixmonth army conversion program is

more lenient than the program authorized by the Chief Rabbinate. But the Chief Rabbinate now refuses to recognize the IDF program, Regev noted. Nina’s sister, Rachel, told how her friends who are planning to get married have to bring proof from America that their parents and grandparents are/were Jewish.

Moreover, Regev explained, thousands of Israelis get married abroad every year because the Israeli policy only recognizes marriages performed under the auspices of the Chief Rabbinate, which does not authorize ceremonies performed by Conservative or Reform rabbis. The Interior Ministry recognizes a couple married abroad as married. Moreover, there is no civil marriage in Israel.

One of the young people at the dinner found himself exactly in this circumstance.

Raised in a Conservative home in Cincinnati, he and his wife wanted to be married by a Conservative rabbi in Israel. They had such a ceremony, but then had a civil ceremony abroad.

“What are the priorities for the Israelis?” Regev asked. According to several surveys undertaken by Hiddush, “there is no greater conflict in the eyes of the Israelis than that between the secular and the Haredim.” And, he pointed out, many economists and political leaders in Israel maintain that the greatest threat to Israel’s economic security is the lack of participation in the workforce by the Haredim.

The Cincinnati delegates enjoyed the closing dinner and the opportunity to interact with the young people. It was a very meaningful closure to three full days of meetings and discussions. Shep Englander, chief executive officer of the Cincinnati Jewish Federation, noted that the Cincinnati delegation represented an “amazing cross-section” of lay and professional leaders from the community. “We realize that the best way to address the Jewish future is to join forces if we are to address these issues effectively.”

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Miami University student Audrey Zimmerman discusses the project with a Cedar Village resident.

A Cedar Village resident paints a tile.

gallery exhibition, which will be open to the public. More than 100 people have attended prior exhibitions at Cedar Village.

“People tend to underestimate the creative capabilities of people with dementia,” said Dr. Elizabeth Lokon, OMA’s founder and senior research associate at Scripps.

“We’ve shown that they have much to offer. When logical thinking and verbal expression are impaired, art is still available as a way for these individuals to express themselves in remarkable ways.”

Another OMA feature is the way it creates relationships between specially trained college students and older adults, breaking down barriers between generations. Some students have described their work with older adults in the program as “transformational,” changing their attitudes toward aging, giving them purpose, and convincing them that they can make a difference in people’s lives.

OMA shows that people with dementia can contribute to society as artists, as teachers to the younger generation and even as learners who develop new skills.

OMA offers programs for people with dementia at nine retirement communities and nursing homes in Greater Cincinnati. The program at Cedar Village is OMA’s largest.

“At Cedar Village, we’re constantly looking for ways to enhance our residents’ lives,” said Carol Silver Elliott, Cedar Village’s President and CEO. “It is our obligation to provide as rich and fulfilling of an experience for our residents as humanly possible.

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

VOL. 160 • NO. 19 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013 25 KISLEV 5774 SHABBAT BEGINS FRIDAY 4:59 PM SHABBAT ENDS SATURDAY 6:00 PM THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE CO., PUBLISHERS 18 WEST NINTH STREET, SUITE 2 CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202-2037 Phone: (513) 621-3145 Fax: (513) 621-3744 publisher@americanisraelite.com editor@americanisraelite.com production@americanisraelite.com RABBI ISAAC M. WISE Founder, Editor, Publisher, 1854-1900 LEO WISE Editor & Publisher, 1900-1928 RABBI JONAH B. WISE Editor & Publisher, 1928-1930 HENRY C. SEGAL Editor & Publisher, 1930-1985 PHYLLIS R. SINGER Editor & General Manager, 1985-1999 MILLARD H. MACK Publisher Emeritus NETANEL (TED) DEUTSCH Editor & Publisher JORY EDLIN BETH KOTZIN Assistant Editors YOSEFF FRANCUS Copy Editor JANET STEINBERG Travel Editor JULIE TOREM Special Assignment Editor MARIANNA BETTMAN NATE BLOOM IRIS PASTOR ZELL SCHULMAN PHYLLIS R. SINGER Contributing Columnists JENNIFER CARROLL Production Manager BARBARA ROTHSTEIN Advertising Sales DANIELA OTT Office Manager e Oldest Eng Th

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The Cedar Village residents and students work on the tiles.

People with Alzheimer’s disease shattered stereotypes today when they created strikingly beautiful artwork in a program designed to stimulate their minds and enrich their lives.

About 35 residents of Cedar Village Retirement Community who suffer from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia produced sophisticated one-of-a-kind Rookwood tiles with the help of The Rookwood Pottery Co., an iconic Cincinnati brand.

For the first time, the pioneering Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University and Cedar Village in Mason partnered with Rookwood Pottery in an ongoing Scripps research and therapy program called Opening Minds through Art, also known as OMA. The program shows that many people with dementia retain access to their creativity and imagination, despite having impaired memories and often lacking the ability to perform some everyday tasks.

OMA has created a structured, failure-free art-making technique that allows people with cognitive challenges to produce original works of visual art with the help of Miami and University of Cincinnati students and other volunteers.

OMA’s workshops typically involve painting, printmaking or making collages. The Rookwood tile-painting gave the Cedar Village residents, who participate in OMA’s weekly art program there, an opportunity to express themselves in a new medium.

The tiles will be taken to Rookwood Pottery in Over-theRhine, where they will be fired.

Afterward, they will be returned to Cedar Village for a Dec. 5

The American Israelite

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Shattering the mold: people with Alzheimer’s show stunning artistic ability

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Committee led by Jill Tochtermann, Tanner Eitman and Shonna Levin.

After the evening of baking, the students were on the UC campus the next day selling the baked goods and raising over $200.

"It was amazing to see the turnout we had for the baking and the total of the sales we made,” observed Tochtermann. “A lot of students came out to volunteer and our challot were a hit on campus! I think it helped to have such a worthy cause, like Ethan, but the process and selling was fun for the students.

Many were excited about continuing with the monthly Challah for Hunger idea."

• ca

Seventeen students worked together for four hours one recent evening in Hillel’s kosher kitchen, baking challot and cookies. Their goal was to raise money for the medical fund for Ethan Kadish.

Ethan has been in Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for the last several months undergoing extensive therapy to recover from the brain injury suffered when he was struck by lightning last summer at camp.

The family faces many expenses beyond insurance coverage to modify the home and provide care for Ethan.

The challah-baking was a project of Hillel’s student Social Action

r in Am ape er sp i

Hillel bakes challah for Ethan Kadish

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 28, 2013

Second in ‘Changemaker’ series will address first amendment questions on December 5 For the second program in the three-part “Changemaker” series, University of Cincinnati law professor Ronna Greff Schneider will talk about hot topics related to the first amendment, the separation of religion and state, and civil rights issues.

All are welcome to join the discussion on Thursday, December 5, at 7 p.m., at the Mayerson JCC. The program is free with advance registration.

The Westboro Baptist Church has sparked outrage around the nation for staging public protests against homosexuality and other issues at various events, including the funerals of soldiers and celebrities. What does the law say about their protests? When do they cross

the line from speech protected by the first amendment to hate speech?

Is prayer in school legal? Is all prayer in school considered the same? Congress routinely begins sessions with a prayer, and even the Supreme Court opens with a mention of God—how does that differ from school prayer?

What about cross-burning?

What has the U.S. Supreme Court decided—is it legal free speech or illegal threatening action?

Schneider will weave together case law, pending decisions and current happenings in the news to spark questions and debate about the role of the law in free speech, religious expression and civil rights.

Schneider teaches constitutional

and education law and the first amendment at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She has written articles and book reviews related to these topics, along with a book chapter titled “Hate Speech in the United States.” She is an elected member of the American Law Institute and an affiliated faculty member of UC’s department of women’s, gender and sexuality studies. She graduated from the University of Michigan and the Boston College Law School.

The Changemaker series offers fresh approaches to current issues facing our community by bringing local Cincinnati leaders to explore big ideas and offer new perspectives.

The third and final presentation in

the series will focus on the continuing investment in Cincinnati's downtown urban core (on Tuesday, January 14, with 3CDC President and CEO Stephen G. Leeper). The series is presented by the JCC Wolf

Center for Arts & Ideas and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.

Mason community unites as giant menorah is lit The Mason area’s Jewish community will once again have something to look forward to during the holiday season. A giant menorah will stand tall and proud among the holiday decorations in Mason and a community-wide celebration will be held Tuesday, Dec 3, 5:30 pm, at the Deerfield Towne Center.

Chanukah begins this year at sunset on November 27 and continues through December 5.

According to Rabbi Yosef Kalmanson, the center’s director, its message is one of hope in the face of extreme adversity. “It’s a message with broad appeal to everyone who believes in religious freedom, indicating that faith and determination

can triumph against even the most overwhelming odds,” he said. “The Chanukah lights provide warmth, joy, strength, and inspiration.”

Such is the purpose of Mason’s Giant Public Menorah Lighting at the Deerfield Towne Center.

The Jewish Discovery Center and Deerfield Towne Center invite the entire community to celebrate the Festival of Lights on Tuesday, December 3, 5:30 PM, at the Deerfield Towne Center in Deerfield Township.

Public dignitaries and community leaders will attend the ceremony and will assist in kindling the giant “Menorah of Freedom.” The program will feature Chanukah treats,

Cleveland teenager donates Bar Mitzvah funds to injured camp friend’s fund Dylan Siegler, a Solon, OH seventh-gader at University School in Shaker Heights, took the meaning of his Bar Mitzvah to heart, and used it an an opportunity to honor and help his friend, Ethan Kadish, of Loveland, OH, who was struck by lightning this past summer. Dylan and Ethan were bunkmates at the Union of Reform Judaism’s Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI) in Zionsville, IN, a suburb of Indianapolis.

Ethan, 13, was finally discharged from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital on November 20th after spending 141 days recovering in a rehabilitation unit .

Dylan, who recently received an award from Northwestern University’s Midwest Academic Talent Search for placing in the top 3 percent of children in Ohio taking the ACT Explore test, said he and Ethan were studying for their b’nai mitzvah together.

“This past August, Ethan was supposed to become a bar mitzvah, but due to his injuries, he has been unable to do

that,” Dylan said Oct. 19 during his bar mitzvah service at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood. “To honor Ethan, I am dedicating my bar mitzvah to him.”

Dylan donated a portion of his gifts and proceeds from a cookie business he has to the catastrophic injury fund established to assist Ethan’s family with medical costs not covered by insurance.

“All of our prayers tonight will not only help me become a bar mitzvah, but will also help Ethan with his recovery,” Dylan said.

GUCI director Rabbi Mark Covitz shared a blessing at Dylan’s bar mitzvah service.

“It’s so important to raise awareness in the Cleveland community about the (Kadish) family,” Dylan’s mother Lisa said recently. She said the family faces many challenges now that Ethan has returned home, from nursing care to modifications of the home’s first floor.

music, prizes, the Honey Hill Petting Zoo and a Fire Show.

The City of Mason’s mayor, David F. Nichols, will light the lead light and Deerfield Township Trustee President, Chris Romano, will light the torch to kindle the lights of the Menorah, which stands at 12 feet tall.

Chanukah and Thanksgiving overlap this year for the first time in over 114 years. “Chanukah effectively extends Thanksgiving for 8 days, as we give thanks throughout the holiday for G-d’s benevolence,” said Kalmanson.

Chanukah recalls the victory, close to 2200 years ago, of a militarily weak but spiritually strong

Jewish people, over the mighty forces of a ruthless enemy that had overrun ancient Israel and sought to impose restrictions on the Jewish way of life and force the Jewish people to accept a foreign culture.

During the occupation of Jerusalem, the Assyrian Greeks defiled the oils in the Temple and rendered them unfit for the lighting of the menorah, which was part of the daily service in the Temple.

Upon recapturing the Temple, the Jewish people found one lone flask of pure oil, enough to burn only one day. Miraculously, it lasted for eight days until new oil was produced. Ever since, in commemoration of this event, Jewish people cel-

ebrate Chanukah for eight days by lighting the menorah, an eightbranched candelabra.

“We recognize the Deerfield Towne Center's central role in our community,” said Rochel Kalmanson, education director of the center. “We have received extraordinary support from the wider community. What a wonderful way for all freedom loving people to come together and celebrate religious freedom. This is sure to build Jewish pride and unity.”

The event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.

“Bring the kids and make this your special Chanukah celebration,” said Kalmanson.

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Overnight Jewish camping and Israel travel fair hits the mark

By Julie Torem Contributing Reporter What do you get when you combine campers, parents of campers/young travelers, high school graduates, college-aged kids, and falafel? You get the Overnight Jewish Camping and Israel Travel Fair!

On Sunday, November 24, the Cincinnati Jewish Federation and the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati hosted the Overnight Jewish Camping and Israel Travel fair at Adath Israel Congregation. The evening was a smash hit, and if overnight camp or travel abroad is on your list, this was not a night to be missed.

Some people are die-hard

overnight campers. They went themselves, had the time of their lives, and want to share that with their kids. But then there are the others, the ones who just don’t know what they’re missing!

It is a proven fact that Jewish overnight camping provides THE strongest foundation for Jewish children by instilling Jewish values in our youth. Our future Jewish leaders are getting their start at camp. They are discovering themselves, becoming independent, learning how to be part of a team as well as how to embrace their individuality. Most importantly, they are learning to be PROUD to be Jewish.

Overnight Jewish camping is one of the best gifts that we can

provide for our children, and the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati in conjunction with the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati helps make this happen. Cincinnati is unique in the fact that our community is THE ONLY community that provides grants for not one, but two year of overnight Jewish camping for each child. What this means is that our children are entitled to significant grants - $1800 per/summer per/child for the first year and $1000 for the second year. In addition to these grants, many camps offer further financial assistance for families who qualify.

Grants are not limited to Jewish camps in Ohio either. Kids in Cincinnati have used camping grants to attend camp all over the

United States.

Think your child is too old for camp? Then consider Israel travel!!

Since 2000, over 1,400 young people from Cincinnati have experienced Israel with grants from the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati.

Cincinnati is the only community in the world that provides not only overnight camping grants, but also up to $11,500 for high school and college travel to Israel.

The opportunities available to high school-aged and college-aged kids are incredible. Programs range from 4-week teen tours of Israel to programs involving travel to Prague, Poland, and Israel within one six week period. Programs are available for kids who want to test their creative skills for a summer in

Wise Temple December WiseUp social action projects Wise Temple congregants will participate in a wide range of WiseUP Social Action projects this December. First on the calendar, Wise Temple members roll up their sleeves and give the gift of life at the annual Wise Temple Blood Drive on December 8.

The bloodmobiles will be at the offices of Temple member Dr. Mindy Hastie ready to help with the quick and painless process which allows hundreds of patients to receive the gift of life. This blood drive is open to anyone.

Wise Temple members will serve Christmas dinner at many locations this December. Many of the volunteers make it a family tradition, bringing their college age children who return to Cincinnati for the holiday

break. Project Leaders Amy Marmer and Sandy and Tom Deters will work with Wise Temple volunteers at the St. Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen on December 23. On December 25, Project Leaders Stacey Bie and Lew Ebstein and 12 volunteers will cook and serve about 150 people at the Over-theRhine Soup Kitchen. On that same day, 10 Wise Temple volunteers will cook for about 150 people at the Drop Inn Center.

Another group of 15 – 25 volunteers, led by Debbie Westheimer, will wrap gifts, serve lunch and entertain needy families at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center to support the Mental Health Association of Northern Kentucky. This year, MHANKy will recognize Wise Temple for

its many years of service to this organization in a brief ceremony.

Wise Temple members will house the homeless at Wise Temple during Christmas week.

Wise Temple will hosts guests from the Interfaith Hospitality Network at Wise Center the entire week of December 22 – 29. About 50 – 70 Wise Temple volunteers, along with IHN chairs Deb LaFrance and Peggy Markstein will work hard to make this holiday week festive for the guest families.

Wise Temple Brotherhood and Sisterhood sponsor WiseUP social action programs as well.

As they do four times each year, the Wise Temple Brotherhood will host dinner and conversation with the young men at the Lighthouse Youth Services on

Thursday, December 19. Now in its eleventh year, Wise Temple Sisterhood’s “Bedtime Bundles” program will run through Friday December 13.

Anyone can put together a “Bedtime Bundle” for a girl or boy, infant to teen, which should include new pajamas, socks, underwear and a book or stuffed animal, placed in a pillowcase and tied with shoe laces. These can be delivered to the Temple lobby anytime before December 13.

These Bedtime Bundles are a welcome gift for children and teens residing at the YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter.

New York City studying fashion, music, musical theater, and film production all under the tutelage of Jewish leaders in their respective fields.

Looking for something more academic? There are amazing programs for that as well. Israel is a leader in technology and there are several nationally and internationally recognized programs geared toward engineering and science.

Many of these programs offer high school and college credit.

For more information on overnight Jewish camping and Israel travel opportunities, please contact Karyn Zimmerman at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.

Wise Temple seniors group celebrates Chanukah Wise Temple Seniors will enjoy latkes and other treats, sing Chanukah songs, learn what they don’t know about Chanukah and share time with old and new friends at the Seniors Chanukah party on Tuesday, December 3 at 1:00 PM. The Chanukah planning committee members, Sue Ransohoff, Elaine Singer, Judy Spitz and Pete and Kathy Teitelman have planned a delightful afternoon. Guests will munch on latkes made from cherished recipes and test their knowledge with a quiz designed to determine what they really know about Chanukah. And the party wouldn’t be complete without traditional and new Chanukah songs, lead by Rabbi Rachel Maimin.

There is no charge for this event but RSVPs are required. Rides are available if needed.

Brooklyn school’s failing grade unusual among Hebrew charter schools

By Julie Wiener

Courtesy of Harlem Hebrew Language Academy Charter School

The student body at the Harlem Hebrew Language Academy Charter School in New York is approximately 40 percent white, 40 percent black and 20 percent Latino.

NEW YORK (JTA) – On a bright autumn morning, Hebrew songs and phrases fill the sundrenched, freshly painted blue and white classrooms of New York’s Harlem Hebrew Language Academy Charter School.

A group of kindergartners, representing such an even mix of black and white children that they resemble a 1980s Benetton ad, clasp each other by the waist and dance in a “rakevet,” or train, stopping every few moments to add a new child who, as the teachers explain in Hebrew, is sitting nicely on his or her “tussik.”

In another room of the new institution, located in a former Catholic school on a gentrifying block in

Harlem, first-graders place red and yellow chips on Bingo cards, each space designating a colored item of clothing to be identified in Hebrew.

Children who lapse into English receive a gentle reproof from the teacher saying in Hebrew, “I hear English. Oy va voy!”

But while students at Harlem Hebrew were basking in the good vibes, its sister school, the 4-year-old Hebrew Language Charter School in Brooklyn, was dealing with the F it received a day earlier in the New York Department of Education’s annual grading of city schools.

Despite the Brooklyn school being named a “vanguard” school by the Hebrew Charter School Center, the national network with which both New York schools affiliate, leaders of the center say the poor

showing doesn’t reflect on the quality of the Brooklyn school or on Hebrew charter schools generally.

“It’s in no way a setback for the movement,” said Rabbi David Gedzelman, a board member of both the Harlem school and the Hebrew Charter School Center and the executive vice president of the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, one of the center’s primary funders.

The F grade is an unusually poor showing for a Hebrew charter school, the bulk of which have done well on state evaluations. Three of the four schools in the Ben Gamla network in Florida earned A’s in 2013 from the state ranking system, which is based on test performance and other factors. The fourth got a C. SCHOOL on page 22

NATIONAL • 7

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

National Briefs

Courtesy of Mideast Dispatches/Tom Gross

The Nov. 5 Nazi-style rally at Al Quds University.

Brandeis suspends partnership with Palestinian school after Nazi-style rally

By Jacob Kamaras WALTHAM, Mass (JNS) – Brandeis University on Monday announced the suspension of its decade-old partnership with Al-Quds University following a recent Nazistyle rally at the Palestinian school in Jerusalem.

At the Nov. 5 rally, Al-Quds students wore black military gear, carried fake automatic weapons, gave the Nazi salute, and surrounded the main square of their campus with banners depicting images of “martyred” suicide bombers.

“While Brandeis has an unwavering commitment to open dialogue on difficult issues, we are also obliged to recognize intolerance when we see it, and we cannot – and will not – turn a blind eye to intolerance,” Brandeis said in a press release. “As a result, Brandeis is suspending its partnership with Al-Quds University effective immediately. We will reevaluate our relationship with Al-Quds based on future events.”

Brandeis said its president, Fred Lawrence, had asked Al-Quds President Sari Nusseibeh to issue an “unequivocal condemnation of the demonstrations.” Nusseibeh on Sunday night emailed Lawrence an English translation of a statement posted in Arabic on the Al-Quds website, and Brandeis said it considered the statement “unacceptable and inflammatory.”

Rather than exclusively addressing the Nazi-style rally, the Al-Quds statement also described “vilification campaigns by Jewish extremists” against the university.

“These extreme elements spare no effort to exploit some rare but nonetheless damaging events or scenes which occur on the campus of Al-Quds University, such as fist-fighting between students, or some students making a mock military display,” the statement said. “These occurrences allow some people to capitalize on events in ways that misrepresent the university as promoting inhumane, anti-Semitic, fascist, and Nazi ideologies. Without these ideolo-

gies, there would not have been the massacre of the Jewish people in Europe; without the massacre, there would not have been the enduring Palestinian catastrophe.”

“As occurred recently, these opportunists are quick to describe the Palestinians as a people undeserving of freedom and independence, and as a people who must be kept under coercive control and occupation,” the Al-Quds statement continued. “They cite these events as evidence justifying their efforts to muster broad Jewish and western opinion to support their position. This public opinion, in turn, sustains the occupation, the extension of settlements and the confiscation of land, and prevents Palestinians from achieving our freedom.”

On Nov. 14, two Brandeis faculty members left for a trip to Al-Quds that was scheduled before the Nazi-style rally, and planned “detailed discussions” with administrators at the Palestinian university regarding the rally, Brandeis Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid had told JNS last week.

“The Brandeis University community abhors the actions that took place on the Al-Quds University campus and condemns all acts that incite or encourage senseless violence,” Lawrence, the school’s president, wrote on the Brandeis First blog.

In 2003, Brandeis and Al-Quds formed “a unique intercultural partnership, linking an Arab institution in Jerusalem and a Jewish-sponsored institution in the United States in an exchange designed to foster cultural understanding and provide educational opportunities for students, faculty and staff,” according to the Brandeis website.

The partnership “was initiated with the best of intentions for opening a dialogue and building a foundation for peace,” Brandeis said Monday.

“While recent events make it necessary for us to suspend our current relationship with Al-Quds, we will continue to advance the cause of peace and understanding on our campus and around the world,” the school said.

Syracuse University suspends ties with Palestinian school, joining Brandeis (JNS) – Syracuse University became the second school this week to suspend its relationship with the Palestinian Al-Quds University in Jerusalem following a Nazi-style rally at Al-Quds, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The school’s Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism halted ties with Al-Quds. “We are very disappointed and saddened to have learned of these recent events at AlQuds University,” Kevin Quinn, Syracuse’s senior vice president for public affairs, told the Post in a report published Friday.

NTextbook on Arab-Israeli conflict by Arabs and an Israeli debuts BOSTON (JTA) – A textbook on the Arab-Israeli conflict co-authored by a Palestinian, an Israeli and an Egyptian has been published.

The project was a seven-year undertaking by the founding scholars of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University.

“Arabs and Israelis: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East” is a collaboration of Shai Feldman, Abdel Monem Said Aly and Khalil Shikaki based on a course the trio has taught

as a team at the suburban Boston university since 2006. ovember 28 declared ‘Thanksgivukkah’ by Boston mayor (JNS) – In light of the once-in-alifetime convergence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, Boston’s retiring Mayor Thomas Menino has declared Nov. 28 to be “Thanksgivukkah” in the city.

The proclamation notes the special “diversity of all its citizens” and the values embodied by both Hanukkah and Thanksgiving, including “unity, hope and gratitude.”

Alleged Knockout participant charged in assault of Jewish man (JTA) – A man accused of participating in the Knockout game was charged with assaulting an Orthodox Jewish man in Brooklyn.

Amrit Marajh of Brooklyn was arraigned Saturday and released on $750 bail after being charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment.

He was not charged with a hate crime, according to The New York Times.

Harvard student group apologizes for blog on Jews and Jesus killing (JTA) – The student-run Harvard Ichthus Christian blog website apologized for an anonymous post saying that Jews deserve to be persecuted for killing Jesus.

The apology was issued on Friday. The post, which has been removed from the site, was published on Nov. 20.

Khamenei anti-Israel tirade draws U.S. condemnation WASHINGTON (JTA) – An antiIsrael speech by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei drew condemnations from U.S. officials.

In his Nov. 20 speech, Khamenei said Israel “will not endure” and appeared to refer to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an “unclean rabid dog.”

ADL ties proving a problem for Mass. high court nominee BOSTON (JTA) – A nominee for the top court in Massachusetts is facing opposition in part because of his affiliation with the Anti-Defamation League.

Joseph S. Berman, 49, a regional leader of the New England ADL and a commissioner for the national ADL since 2006, was nominated as a judge for the state Superior Court in October by Gov. Deval Patrick.

S.F. State president condemns placards at Palestinian event (JTA) – San Francisco State University’s president condemned placards at a Palestinian campus event that said “My heroes have always killed colonizers.”

Stencils allowing attendees to paint the slogan on placards were available at a Nov. 7 event celebrating the sixth anniversary of the creation of a campus mural honoring the late Palestinian-American academic Edward Said.

“I am dismayed by the glorification of violence that this message conveys,” the university’s president, Les Wong, said in a statement last week.

8 • INTERNATIONAL

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In the typhoon-ravaged Philippines, Israel brings its experience in disaster relief

By Marcy Oster

Courtesy of JTA

Israeli military personnel assist survivors of the typhoon that ravaged the Philippines last week.

(JTA) – Obviously wanting to get back to work as the medical manager of the field hospital set up by the Israel Defense Forces in the Philippines, Lt.-Col. Dr. Ofer Merin speaks hurriedly about the three days his team has been seeing patients in the typhoon-ravaged nation.

He tells of at least 12 babies the hospital has delivered – most of them premature – and the stabbing victim who may have died if not for the IDF hospital in Bogo City on Cebu Island, one of the areas hardest hit by last week’s Typhoon Haiyan.

By 5 a.m. Sunday, Merin says at least 50 people had lined up in front of the field hospital to receive treat-

ment.

“If we stayed here two months or even two years we would have patient work,” he said during a phone call with the media from the Philippines early Sunday morning.

The field hospital began operating on Friday morning, about seven hours after the team arrived on the island. The parents of the first baby delivered by the Israeli team that first morning named him Israel in gratitude to the volunteers.

Established adjacent to the local hospital in Bogo City, the Israeli field hospital is the only one located in a region of about 250,000 residents, Merin says. Representatives of other countries have visited to view its operation.

The 125-member Israeli team

has been seeing about 300 patients a day who were either injured in the typhoon or unable to care for chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes due to lack of running water or electricity. Others with untreated diseases, including those with advanced cancer, also have made their way to the facility.

Some 22 members of the team are medical doctors, 15 are nurses and the rest are technicians, lab workers and members of the Homefront Command who are coordinating logistics. The delegation brought 100 tons of equipment and supplies.

Merin says the local officials and residents, as well as the medical staff TYPHOON on page 22

Norwegian Jews hoping new circumcision rules head off ban

By Cnaan Liphshiz (JTA) – News that Norway is planning unspecified new regulations on ritual circumcision could not have come at a more sensitive time.

The announcement last week that Norway intends to introduce a bill to “regulate ritual circumcision” comes just over a month after an overwhelming majority of Council of Europe assembly members passed a landmark resolution against nonmedical circumcision of boys.

The resolution, which states that circumcision is a “violation of the physical integrity of children,” is unprecedented among an organization of the caliber of the council.

While the intergovernmental organization is not part of the European Union and cannot pass binding legis-

lation, it is widely influential.

Also last month, government advisers on child welfare from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland issued a joint resolution in favor of banning the ritual circumcision of minors. All the advisers have adopted the position individually in recent years, but had never before cooperated to promote it regionally.

Taken together, the resolutions have stoked fear that individual countries may now feel empowered to enact legislation outlawing circumcision.

“Individual states may now make binding legislation based on the resolution – that is, after all, what the Council of Europe was designed for,” said Joel Rubinfeld, co-chair of the European Jewish Parliament. “This is likeliest to happen in Scandinavia.”

The developments in northern Europe have alarmed the continent’s Jewish leaders, who already have devoted much energy to fending off another growing challenge to Jewish ritual life: the budding movement to outlaw kosher slaughter.

Late last month, the European Jewish Congress announced the formation of an international working group to tackle anti-circumcision efforts.

“The enemies of Jewish tradition are becoming more united and coordinated,” said Moshe Kantor, the EJC president.

Despite the moves, Scandinavian Jews said they were optimistic a compromise solution could be found.

Ervin Kohn, the leader of Norway’s Jewish community of 700, said he expected legislation to be similar to a

Swedish law from 2001 that allows circumcision to be performed by licensed professionals.

“I don’t know what the new regulations will say precisely, but I am pretty confident there will be no ban,” Kohn told JTA. In Sweden, Jewish circumcisers are licensed by the Swedish health board and required to have a nurse or doctor present when the cut is made.

Despite the limitations, the country’s Jews were satisfied, confident they would not be subject to further anticircumcision initiatives.

“With so many doctors in the community, there is hardly a problem,” said Lena Posner-Korosi, president of the Council of Swedish Jewish Communities. “It’s not a bad compromise and we had to fight hard to get it.”

In Norway, Kohn has lobbied for a similar arrangement and says he has reason to believe the new regulations planned by the health ministry will bring his community closer to that goal. Yoav Melchior, Norway’s chief rabbi, also is optimistic.

“I’m not really concerned,” Melchior told the Israeli daily Maariv last week.

In France, the Council of Europe resolution galvanized the Jewish community, which sent a letter to President Francois Hollande urging him to reject the resolution. A petition gained more than 8,000 signatures, among them leading politicians, artists and celebrities.

On Oct. 30, Hollande replied with a letter eschewing the resolution and assuring the community the practice is protected under French law.

‘Asylum’ request focusing attention on anti-Semitism in Sweden

By Cnaan Liphshiz (JTA) – With an asylum application to her own homeland, Annika Hernroth-Rothstein was hoping to draw attention to the problem of anti-Semitism in Sweden.

Hernroth-Rothstein acknowledges the bid is “absurd” – but it’s working, having garnered international media coverage and stirring debate.

“EU statutes provide that asylum be granted to persons with ‘wellfounded reasons to fear persecution due to race; nationality; religious or political beliefs; gender; sexual orientation; or affiliation to a particular social group,’” she wrote in Nov. 17 essay in Mosaic Magazine, a U.S.based Jewish online publication where she first announced her bid.

“Jews in Sweden meet these criteria, and should be eligible for the same protection and support extended to non-natives.”

Hernroth-Rothstein’s media stunt has garnered coverage in lead-

Courtesy of Anders Henrikson

Annika Hernroth-Rothstein at a pro-Israel demonstration on Nov. 22, 2012 in Stockholm.

ing Swedish media outlets and Jewish publications around the world. Yet as of Wednesday, one party seemed oblivious to her request: the Swedish Migration Board, the government body responsible for processing the applications of asylum seekers.

“I haven’t heard of any case like that,” Katarzyna Zebrowska, the board’s press officer, told JTA. “She may have left a form behind at our office, but that doesn’t make her an applicant.”

Zebrowska explained that the board cannot process applications by

Swedish nationals under Swedish law, which defines asylum as a residence permit granted to foreign refugees.

Hernroth-Rothstein, 32, a wellknown activist for Israel and against anti-Semitism, acknowledged to JTA that her request – which she said she delivered in person to the board’s offices – in all likelihood would not be processed as an official application.

In explaining her action, Hernroth-Rothstein has cited initiatives to further limit circumcision in Sweden (only licensed circumcisers may perform the procedure, though the country’s Jewish community finds the arrangement acceptable); Sweden’s ban on animal slaughter without stunning, which effectively prohibits kosher slaughter; and antiSemitic crimes and harassment.

“I have two sons, and I have to choose between giving them a strong, positive Jewish identity and keeping them safe, and I don’t see that as a choice that we should have

to make,” she said in an interview with Sweden Radio.

A spokesman for the Council of Jewish Communities in Sweden told JTA that the organization had no comment on Hernroth-Rothstein’s asylum request. But another Swedish Jewish activist criticized the move.

“I think it’s an overreaction that is also exploitative of the real need of asylum seekers in this country,” said Marc Harris, a law student who is a former president of Limmud Stockholm and former chairman of the Synagogue Committee at Stockholm’s Great Synagogue.”We need to be vigilant of the real threat of anti-Semitism and we can’t exaggerate it.”

Sweden, he added, does have an anti-Semitism problem, “but it is not swept under the carpet; the media are already very aware of it. We need to watch out we’re not just crying wolf and spreading fear.”

ASYLUM on page 22

INTERNATIONAL / ISRAEL • 9

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

International Briefs Australia shifts to pro-Israel stance in the U.N (JNS) – Australia’s new Liberal Party government under Prime Minister Tony Abbott has shifted to a pro-Israel position in the U.N., saying that it will not support resolutions that are “onesided.”

Earlier this month, Australia abstained from two votes in the U.N.’s General Assembly that condemned Jewish construction in the West Bank, and another one forcing Israel to comply with the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

Moroccan Jewish leader: Bills to ban country’s contact with Israel will fail (JTA) – A Moroccan Jewish leader said proposed bills by Moroccan lawmakers to outlaw all contact with Israelis stand no chance of passing.

The two bills, which five political parties jointly sponsored this summer and which are being reviewed by the Moroccan Parliament’s Committee on Justice and Legislation, “have zero chance of passing because the king will never allow it,” Jacky Kadoch, president of the Jewish community of MarrakechEssaouira, told JTA last week.

Among the parties backing the bills are the Islamic Justice and Development Party, the country’s largest, and the PAM party.

Both bills seek to make it illegal to trade with Israeli entities and at least one bill proposes making it illegal for Israelis to enter Morocco, according to a report last month in Ya Biladi, a Moroccan daily newspaper.

Extremist haredi Orthodox sect staying in Canada (JTA) – Members of an extremist haredi Orthodox sect who fled Quebec have settled in Ontario and are not planning a move to Iran, as reported previously.

The members of Lev Tahor, or Pure Heart, left their homes early last week out of fear that Canadian welfare authorities would take their children. The Canadian media reported over the weekend that the group of 200, including more than 130 children, would make its home in Chatham-Kent, a southwestern Ontario town of 108,000 several hundred miles from Quebec.

Neo-Nazi’s victory in Slovakia spurs Jewish call for action (JTA) – European officials

must act to reverse the momentum of neo-Nazi political parties, the head of the European Jewish Congress said following a victory in Slovakia by a neo-Nazi candidate.

EJC President Moshe Kantor issued a statement Sunday in the wake of the victory by Marian Kotleba, the ex-chairman of the banned Togetherness National Party.

At a Jewish conference, German president marvels at return of Jews BERLIN (JTA) – German President Joachim Gauck in an address to a Jewish community conference in Berlin marveled at the fact that Jews want to live in his country.

Gauck’s appearance Sunday was the first time a German president attended the annual conference hosted by the Central Council of Jews in Germany, the main umbrella organization representing some 105,000 official members of Jewish communities throughout the country.

France’s Left Party adopts boycott Israel policy (JTA) – A small leftist party in France announced that it is aligning itself with the international campaign to boycott Israel and Israeli products.

“The national bureau of the Left Party has convened on Nov. 16 and decided to engage the Left Party in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign,” read a statement placed last week on the party’s website.

Finnish police probing ship to Gaza over suspected safety violations (JTA) – Finnish police are investigating whether a captain overloaded a boat that sought to breach Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The captain, Mika Jamian, is suspected of exceeding the maximum number of passengers allowed, according to a report Thursday by the Turun Sonomat daily. The report said the ship, the Estelle, carried 30 people when it sailed to Gaza last year although its maximum allowed capacity was 17.

French court fines publishing house for five antiSemitic books (JTA) – Citing anti-Semitic content, a French court sanctioned a publishing house for five books, including one first printed more than a century ago.

The court in Bobigny, near Paris, last week handed down a blanket ban on the publication and dissemination of one book, “The Anthology of Quotes against Jews, Judaism and Zionism” by Paul-Eric Blanrue.

Palestinian incitement’s exposure seen as Israel’s ‘front offense around the world’

By Jacob Kamaras (JNS) – The Nov. 13 murder of Israel Defense Forces soldier Eden Atias prompted Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor to file an official U.N. complaint on Palestinian Authority (PA) incitement, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon both focused on PA incitement in their statements on the stabbing of Atias by a Palestinian teenager.

Israeli leaders’ responses to the murder of Atias weren’t atypical.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiations talks were hindered “because I see the Palestinians continuing with incitement.” Last month, after 9-year-old Israeli girl Noam Glick was shot, Netanyahu said the PA “cannot evade responsibility for these incidents” as long as incitement continues in its media outlets.

Also in October, Israeli Strategic Affairs Ministers Yuval Steinitz penned a New York Times op-ed titled “How Palestinian Hate Prevents Peace,” focusing on antiIsrael messages in the PA’s television and radio stations, public schools, summer camps, children’s magazines, Web sites, and Facebook pages.

Steinitz’s angle was no coincidence. His article was “virtually

Courtesy of Issam Rimawi/FLASH90

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (second from left) waves with released Palestinian prisoners coming from Israeli jails during celebrations at Abbas’s headquarters in Ramallah, October 30, 2013. Abbas at the celebration called freed terrorist prisoners “heroes,” Palestinian Media Watch reported at the time.

completely based on material that we have supplied his office,” says Itamar Marcus, founder and director of Palestinian Media Watch (PMW).

While top Israeli officials attribute a lack of success in the current negotiations to PA incitement, the exposure of that incitement in the PA’s official media outlets is “Israel’s front offense around the world,” Marcus tells JNS.org.

“The senior positions in Israeli government are using our material, accepting our material, and presenting this internationally, and this is impacting the way the entire world sees the Palestinian Authority,” he says.

In terms of his watchdog group’s international impact, Marcus gives the example of how the revelation of the PA’s payment of salaries to terrorist prisoners sparked a legislative debate last spring in Norway, the largest funder of the PA in Europe.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide initially denied to the country’s parliament that the PA funding in question constituted salaries for prisoners, but following Norwegian television reports that were based on PMW research, the foreign minister eventually admitted that he gave parliament “imprecise” PALESTINIAN on page 22

10 • ISRAEL

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On Israeli religious reforms, Naftali Bennett still figuring out road map

By Uriel Heilman

Courtesy of Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images

Naftali Bennett says his wife, Gilat, right, only drew closer to Judaism when the couple lived in New York.

NEW YORK (JTA) – Naftali Bennett doesn’t like to waste time.

In the eight months since he took over three Israeli ministries – religious services, economy, and Diaspora and Jerusalem affairs – Bennett has pushed through legislation to give Israeli couples more freedom in choosing which rabbi officiates at their wedding, worked with coalition partner Yair Lapid to lop $11 billion off Israel’s budget and fast-tracked a resolution to the showdown over women’s prayer at the Western Wall.

On this last achievement, Bennett

managed an end run around the debate over a controversial compromise proposal by Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky by ordering the construction of a platform for egalitarian services adjacent to Robinson’s Arch, an archaeological site at the southern edge of the wall.

“The guy came and said, ‘Well, let’s bring it to government for approval.’ I said, ‘No, just go build the thing,’” Bennett recalled. “Within six days it was up and now we have an egalitarian pluralistic plaza.

Everyone can go, no questions asked.”

But on some of the other issues considered crucial to American

Jewish advocates of religious pluralism in Israel – establishing civil marriage, granting state salaries to nonOrthodox rabbis, and recognizing Reform and Conservative conversions – don’t expect Bennett to rush into things, if at all.

“When you talk about marriage, when you talk about conversion, it’s much more sensitive,” Bennett told JTA. “I do want to set expectations: I won’t go all the way. It’s going to be a fine line of balancing everyone’s positions. These are very, very delicate issues. It’s going to be a very slow process.”

In a wide-ranging interview last Friday at JTA’s offices in New York,

Bennett, who leads the Jewish Home party, talked about his plans for religious reforms, what sort of Iran deal Israel might be willing to accept and how Israel’s “startup nation” ethos could be extended into good works projects overseas.

He also described how his approach to religious pluralism was influenced by his personal experience. The Israel-born son of American immigrants from San Francisco, Bennett, who is Modern Orthodox, moved to New York in 2000 shortly after marrying his “totally secular” Israeli wife, Gilat. It was BENNETT on page 19

Likud’s Moshe Feiglin: Cool on Palestinians, hot for pot

By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – On the bustling bourgeoisie avenue of Ibn Gvirol, beneath a portico and next to a high-end hair salon, it smells like college.

Aside from a small green sign, the clinic is unidentifiable, its one window blocked with a sheet and covered with chains. A single metal door is guarded by a man with a large knit yarmulke, ritual fringes and a holster hanging below his belt.

Behind the door is the main distribution center of Tikun Olam, Israel’s principal supplier of medical cannabis. Some 11,000 Israelis take the drug legally to treat ailments ranging from cancer to post-traumat-

Israel Briefs Netanyahu: Deal with Iran a ‘historic mistake,’ Israel not bound by it JERUSALEM (JTA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling an interim deal with Iran on its nuclear program a “historic mistake,” said Israel “has the right and the obligation to defend itself by itself against any threat.”

“What was agreed to last night in Geneva is not a historic agreement, it is a historic mistake,” Netanyahu said Sunday at the beginning of the regular Cabinet meeting, several hours after the agreement was announced. “Today the world has become much more dangerous because the most dangerous regime in the world took a significant step to getting the most dangerous weapon in the world.”

Abbas: Willing to speak to Knesset on my terms JERUSALEM (JTA) –

ic stress disorder. But activists say the approval process for marijuana prescriptions is cumbersome, requiring patients to appear before a committee on cannabis use to determine their eligibility.

“We believe that you need to expand access to it,” said Maayan Weisberg, Tikun Olam’s public relations director. “The government is taking a long time. Not everyone who needs it gets it.”

Leading the charge to change is an unlikely figure: Moshe Feiglin, a Knesset lawmaker from the Likud party.

Feiglin is best known for his aggressive advocacy on behalf of West Bank settlement and occasionally incendiary pronouncements that

kept him off Likud’s Knesset slate for years and got him banned from entering the United Kingdom. His views were long deemed too extreme even for the right-wing base of Likud.

This year, following a strong showing in the Likud primaries, he won a seat in parliament for the first time.

But instead of kicking off his term with a call for increased settlement building or legal action to expand Jewish access to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Feiglin entered the Knesset with a proposal to broaden access to medical marijuana by allowing any family physician to prescribe it. Eventually he hopes to push for full legalization.

“I support freedom, especially when we’re talking about something less dangerous than cigarettes or alcohol,” Feiglin told JTA. “People can be healed, and [current laws] are denying that.”

Feiglin is among the more extreme members of the current Knesset. He has questioned why Israel’s non-Jewish citizens have any say in Israeli politics and called for stripping Israeli Arabs of certain rights. He is staunchly opposed to a Palestinian state.

However, he considers himself a libertarian, albeit one with a religious bent. His opposition to a plan to issue biometric identification cards to Israelis and his longtime support for unfettered Jewish settle-

ment in the West Bank are, Feiglin says, of the same cloth as his support for marijuana use.

“The root of freedom is the belief in one God,” he said. “We worship him and therefore we can’t be enslaved to anyone else. An eternal nation doesn’t work against natural history, and our return to our land, to national sovereignty, means we’re connected forever.”

Feiglin’s push for legalization has landed him with some strange bedfellows. He considers Tamar Zandberg, another first-time lawmaker from the far-left Meretz party, one of his strongest allies on the issue. Labor Party Chairwoman

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he would be willing to speak to the Knesset, but only on the issues he chooses.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a public statement last week called on Abbas to address the Knesset and said he would travel to Ramallah to speak to the P.A. leadership.

“Netanyahu comes up with an offer and then immediately puts forward his own terms – that this and that should be said and so on. No, if those terms are put forward, I do not accept that,” Abbas told the Voice of Russia in remarks broadcast Friday.

“But if he wants me to come and say the things I want to say, then I am ready to do it – but only in order to say what I want to say and not what he wants to hear.”

He won 58 percent of the vote in the leadership primary compared to 41 percent for Yachimovich, who led the party for two years. In total, some 28,473 people cast their vote out of 60,392 registered voters within Labor.

IDF drill simulates Gaza incursion (JNS) – The Israel Defense Forces’ Gaza Division launched a three-day military maneuver on Sunday during which troops simulated a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip. Defense officials stressed that the exercise, held in Ashkelon and the area to its east, was a routine drill.

A goal of the exercise was to explore commanders’ decisionmaking process and troops’ implementation of orders on the ground.

“The IDF possesses different abilities today, in terms of intelligence, precision fire and maneuverability,” a senior IDF officer said, Israel Hayom reported. “We are not frozen in our tracks, but neither is the other side. We have different abilities than we did during Operation Cast Lead (2008), including different command and control abilities.”

The cellar was found in a ruined palace near the sprawling Canaanite city in northern Israel called Tel Kabri. The site itself dates back to around 1,700 BCE and is located near Israel’s modern-day winemaking region in the Galilee and Golan Heights.

“We found at least 40 large onemeter tall jugs that all hold at least 50 liters of wine, totaling 2,000 liters,” Dr. Andrew Koh of Brandeis University, one of the leading archeologists on the discovery, told JNS.

Yachimovich ousted as head of Israeli Labor party, Isaac Herzog wins (JTA) – Israeli Labor party leader Shelly Yachimovich lost primary elections for the party leadership to Isaac Herzog.

The 53-year-old Herzog, a veteran lawmaker, is a former Cabinet minister and high-profile lawyer, and the son of former Israeli President Chaim Herzog.

Apple acquires Israeli motionsensing technology startup PrimeSense (JNS) – Apple has acquired the Israeli startup company PrimeSense, a Tel-Aviv-based company most famous for its motion-sensing technology that was used in Microsoft’s Kinect for the Xbox 360 game console, for $350 million.

“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” an Apple spokeswoman said when confirming the deal, the Wall Street Journal reported.

PrimeSense’s technology gives digital devices such as cameras and sensors the ability to detect movements and objects, translating them into depth and color. Analysts speculate that the technology can be integrated into Apple’s existing lineup of personal computers, iPhones and iPads.

Archeologists discover oldest and largest wine cellar in Near East (JNS) – A team of archeologists unearthed what it describes as the “oldest and largest palatial wine cellar” ever discovered in the Near East.

FEIGLIN on page 19

Israeli leaders reject deal on Iran nuclear program (JNS) – Iran has reached a preliminary six-month agreement on its nuclear program with the P5+1 powers during diplomatic talks in Geneva amid concerns expressed by Israel, Saudi Arabia, Congress, and Jewish groups.

According to the agreement, Iran promises to stop enriching uranium beyond 5 percent and dilute all existing stockpiles already enriched to 20 percent. The country will not install any new centrifuges and will allow regular monitoring by international nuclear inspectors. In return, the U.S. has agreed to provide up to $7 billion in sanctions relief, the White House said.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

• 11

12 • CINCINNATI JEWISH LIFE

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2013 Coloring Contest entries

Chad Miler, 9, Rockwern Academy

Jonah Swift, 8, Rockwern Academy

Peleg Ziv, 8, Rockwern Academy

Yuval Jacobson, 10, Rockwern Academy

William Schneider, 10, Rockwern Academy

Naomi Turner, 10, Rockwern Academy

Jonathan Levy, 10, Rockwern Academy

Hannah Peri, 8, Rockwern Academy

Ethan Tyler, 9, Rockwern Academy

Hannah Pollack, 9, Rockwern Academy

Ben Vigran, 8, Rockwern Academy

Max Grove, 10, Rockwern Academy

Sarah Grove, 9, Rockwern Academy

Tehillah Sabath, 9, Rockwern Academy

Abbey Alltman, 10, Rockwern Academy

Isaac Goodman, 10, Rockwern Academy

Andrew Levin, 9, Rockwern Academy

Molly Fisher, 10, Rockwern Academy

Sofia Cohen, 8, Rockwern Academy

Jacob Goodman, 9, Rockwern Academy

14 • DINING OUT

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Subtle flavors are key to quality and taste in Japanese cuisine at Mei’s

by Bob Wilhelmy Fish, beef, chicken, vegetables and fruits are generally endowed with subtle flavors all their own. Many cultures and cuisines, ethnic or American, amplify those flavors with herbs and spices. This culinary fact is less true of Japanese cuisine, according to Han Lin, head chef and sushi chef at Mei Japanese Restaurant in Montgomery.

“Japanese cuisine is lighter, not heavy, because the ingredients (that go into entrée dishes) are used in a natural state,” Lin said.

His statement does not imply the total absence of flavoring ingredients. But authentic Japanese cuisine relies more on the flavors inherent in the item central to the dish. Bringing out those subtle flavors of the star ingredient is the trick. Lin said that is why the seats at Mei are filled with so many Asians in general and native Japanese in particular.

“Half of restaurant Asian,” he said, when speaking of those who are there to dine on weekday and weekend nights. The reason, according to Lin, is that those Asians know the real thing when they taste it. He went so far as to say that sushi as offered in many other restaurants is “fake.” The reasons he gave to support his claim start with the sushi chef and goes all the way through the ingredient list to preparation and presentation.

In Lin’s case, he was classically trained in sushi and sashimi preparation. That training took place in Japan, and he graduated from its ranks in 1994. Students of that training learn to cook the rice in a special way. They learn the best seasonings for given fish, and which harvest time is best for which fish. The training is comprehensive, taking years, not weeks.

He says that sushi done correctly offers its own tasty flavors and does not have to be masked by sauces and such.

For those Jewish diners who may not like sushi and sashimi, there is an extensive menu that features stews, deep-fried items such as tempura, and grilled items that include fish, chicken and beef items.

Hot pots are among the favorite entrée items for American diners. All are meals for two, so come hungry or with a like-minded eater if you plan to try one of the hot pots.

Personally, I love hot pot meals because of the savory deliciousness of the experience. One hot pot of note is the shabu-shabu, for $25 (remember, it’s for two), featuring thinly sliced beef, vegeta-

Head Chef, Han Lin, behind his sushi bar and preparation area; two sushi platter entrée items; and the exterior signage of the Montgomery location of Mei Japanese Restaurant.

Two sushi platter entrée items

bles and tofu, served with ponzu (a special blend of soy sauce, vinegar and citrus juices) and sesame sauce.

Sukiyaki hot pot is another one to consider. This hot pot can be ordered either in a beef version or as a vegetarian entrée, made with tofu. The concoction is slow-cooked and brought to the table in a shallow iron pot and kept at a simmer during the meal.

Among the dinners (there are sushi and sashimi dinners as

well) are some that are more common to Asian cuisine. Try the beef teriyaki, featuring a broiled sirloin steak done in a teriyaki sauce. There is a chicken version of the dish as well, and a salmon version, which can be ordered also with a salt sauce.

Another steak dish of note is wafu steak, a sirloin with the aforementioned ponzu sauce and a garlic sauce. It too is a winner with American diners.

One other aspect of Mei

authenticity is the tatami style of dining that is available. Tatami dining features low tables and seating on mats or cushions that more or less place the table in the diner’s lap. This traditional style of Japanese dining goes back to ancient times in the homeland.

“Authentic Japanese food is what we offer here,” Lin said. He stated that all the preparations are from scratch, and that if a diner wants the tastes of Japan and the Pacific Rim, the place to come is

Mei. The restaurant has been providing that authenticity for 13 years now.

See you there!

Mei 8608 Market Place Lane Montgomery, OH 891-6880

DINING OUT • 15

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

RESTAURANT DIRECTORY 20 Brix

Izzy’s

Phoenician Taverna

101 Main St

800 Elm St • 721-4241

7944 Mason Montgomery Rd

Historic Milford

612 Main St • 241-6246

Mason

831-Brix (2749)

1198 Smiley Ave • 825-3888

770-0027

9386 Montgomery Rd Cincinnati, OH 45242 (513) 489-1444

7625 Beechmont Ave • 231-5550 Ambar India Restaurant 350 Ludlow Ave Cincinnati 281-7000

4766 Red Bank Expy • 376-6008 5098B Glencrossing Way • 347-9699 8179 Princeton-Glendale • 942-7800 300 Madison Ave • 859-292-0065

Pomodori’s 121West McMillan • 861-0080 7880 Remington Rd Montgomery • 794-0080

Andy’s Mediterranean Grille

7905 Mall Road • 859-525-2333

Slatt’s Pub

At Gilbert & Nassau

1965 Highland Pk. • 859-331-4999

4858 Cooper Rd

2 blocks North of Eden Park 281-9791

791-2223 • 791-1381 (fax)

11296 Montgomery Rd

Asian Paradise

The Shops at Harper’s Point

Stone Creek Dining Co.

9521 Fields Ertel Rd

489-2388 • 489-3616 (fx)

9386 Montgomery Rd

Loveland 239-8881

3120 Madison Rd

793-6800

321-1600

Blue Ash

4858 Hunt Rd

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16 • OPINION

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Redress plights of Jewish and Palestinian refugees

By Ronald S. Lauder NEW YORK (JTA) – Whenever the issue of the Middle East conflict is raised, people invariably refer to the Palestinian refugees. They almost never refer to Jewish refugees from Arab countries.

The world has long recognized the Palestinian refugee problem without recognizing the other side of the story – the 850,000 Jewish refugees of Arab countries. Yet for any Middle East peace process to be credible and enduring, it must ensure that all bona fide refugees receive equal rights and treatment under international law.

World Jewry hopes and expects this principle will inform American diplomacy as it facilitates the current IsraeliPalestinian negotiations and works for peace and justice at the United Nations. To highlight the issue, the World Jewish Congress hosted an event last week at the United Nations with the Israeli Mission, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and Justice for Jews from Arab Countries.

The Jewish refugees of Arab countries were expelled or fled in waves starting in 1948 and continuing until after the 1967 war. They were even more numerous than the Arab refugees from Palestine; their losses of property and institutions were in fact far greater.

Jews lived in what came to be known as the Arab world for 2,500 years. They were part of the social fabric of the multinational empires of the region and contributed much to the culture. They were sometimes persecuted but mostly tolerated.

But the rise of Arab nationalism and the conflict in Palestine changed all that. The new Arab regimes orchestrated a campaign of massive violations of the human and civil rights of their Jewish citizens. These states expropriated the property of the native Jewish populations and stripped them of their citizenship.

Jews were murdered, arbitrarily arrested, tortured or expelled by government agents or by marauders who operated as governments turned a blind eye.

The persecutions of Middle Eastern Jews started even before the establishment of the Jewish state. The infamous Farhud pogrom in Baghdad killed or injured hundreds in 1941.

That is why I have called upon U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon and all world leaders to acknowledge the truth and place the plight of the Jewish refugees of Arab countries on the agenda

together with the rights of Palestinian Arab refugees.

Under international law, the legal rights of Jews displaced from Arab countries are no less legitimate than those of other Middle East refugees. As Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz explained to our conference at the United Nations last year, the rights of Jewish refugees of Arab countries are in fact enshrined in Security Council Resolution 242, which refers to the rights of “refugees” in the Arab-Israel conflict without specifying their nationality.

Notwithstanding, few international leaders have had the courage to speak out on behalf of the rights of Jews displaced from Arab countries.

Two American presidents have. Bill Clinton, after Camp David II in 2000, said there would have to be an “international fund set up for the refugees... on both sides,” including “Jewish people who lived in predominantly Arab countries who came to Israel because they were made refugees in their own land.” And even Jimmy Carter said in 1977 that the Middle East’s Jewish refugees “have the same rights as others do.”

In April 2008, the U.S. Congress unanimously adopted a historic resolution that granted first-time recognition to Jewish refugees from Arab countries. It declared that no comprehensive Middle East peace can be reached without recognition of, and redress for, the legitimate rights of Jewish refugees from Arab countries. Further, Congress said that all bilateral and multilateral discussions and documents should refer to the multiple Middle East refugee populations that arose from the Arab-Israeli conflict.

At its core, the issue is not about money. It is about recognition – that Jews were victimized and displaced from their countries of birth; legality – that under international law, Jews were legally determined to be refugees; and equality – that all refugees must receive equal rights and redress.

Now is the time to set the historical, diplomatic and legal record straight. Lasting peace can only be built on historical facts.

Both the issues of the Jewish refugees and the Palestinian refugees must be addressed.

Ronald S. Lauder is the president of the World Jewish Congress.

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

To the Editor: First of all, I want to say that this was my 12th visit to Israel, and Yair Cohen, Barb Miller, and Shep Englander were able to organize a mission in which the only site I had previously seen was The Kotel. But even the Kotel was viewed and experienced from the new perspective of the Egalitarian Plaza, where men and women can pray and sing together.

During our 2 days at the GA, and our 2 days traveling, we were introduced to many diverse facets of Israeli society. At the GA, I sat in on a panel discussing The Women of the Wall. Natan Scharansky and Anat Hoffman were there to discuss the 25 year struggle for women's rights. They were joined by a young Haredi woman who felt that the women of Israel did not want or need these changes, and that the Women of the Wall were basically just stirring up trouble.

During these 4 days, we were met with examples of both diversity and seemingly hopeless situations.

At times, we came away feeling that some of these internal struggles may be as insurmountable as the struggle for peace with the Palestinians.

One of the more eye-opening experiences was our visit to the city of Lod. On paper, it was described as a city in which Arab and Jewish Israelis live together. For some reason, I thought we were going to visit Shangri-La, where everyone lives happily ever after. Silly me! We

saw first hand what most American Jews do not want to see or believe.

Representatives of the Arab community showed us their demolished homes, lack of sewers, drug dealers' homes, right alongside new apartments built for Jewish residents.

Yet, in the midst of this, is a young Arab woman,who is the principal of an Arab High School, who tries to educate her students not to hate the Jews, but to work together to bring positive change. Interestingly, she herself attended the Jewish schools, and sends her kids to them as well.

We visited Sderot, and viewed first-hand how close the residents live to Gaza. Most of them are stuck there, because even if they wanted to move, there are no buyers for their homes. Yet, there is a group of young Israelis and American students doing their gap year in Sderot, volunteering to help the community.

We visited 2 West Bank settlements, and learned that some have settled there because of their ideological beliefs, and some are there because of government incentives and subsidies.

In south Tel Aviv, we met with a group of young MASA students, who are volunteering in one of the poorest areas of Tel Aviv. The influx of Somali "asylum seekers", has brought additional problems to Israel, among them, poverty, crime, and resentment from many Israelis.

I had an interesting conversation with a young Ethiopian woman who works with MASA. She said she

has very mixed feelings about this group of refugees. On the one hand, she said that the Somalis were not good to them when they were on their way to Israel, but yet she can empathize with their struggle to flee to a better place, and the difficulties of absorption and acceptance.

We examined religious pluralism, women's rights, the issue of the Haredi community joining the work force and the army. At every turn, we were met with more food for thought (as well as with lots and lots of FOOD), and frankly it was easy to come away feeling pessimistic about the ability of Israeli society to deal with all its issues. But, then again, we met with young Cincinnnati olim who have chosen to settle in Israel despite its issues and difficulties.

We came away with the feeling that we have the responsibility to examine the challenges that Israelis face. We as a committee have the challenge of deciding where we can help and lend support. There is plenty to choose from, i.e., women's rights, supporting Orr Shalom, an agency that places Jewish, Arab, and disabled children into permanent foster homes. Do we support the inclusion of the Haredi community?

Do we support the principal in Lod with her mission? Do we support and foster our relations with the Reform Synagogue in our sister city of Netanya?

Kathy Kanter Cincinnati, OH

Christian IDF recruitment affirms Israeli democracy

By Ben Cohen (JNS) – Over the summer, the Israeli media highlighted a phenomenon that is both intriguing and encouraging: a movement among Israel’s Christian Arabs advocating that their community be drafted, along with the country’s Jewish and Druze citizens, into the Israel Defense Forces.

Historically, Israel’s Arab citizens have been exempted from mandatory conscription. There have been exceptions – many Bedouin, for example, have served in the IDF with distinction – but those who actually volunteer are a tiny minority. At the same time, many Arabs have complained, not without justification, that the exemption marginalizes them from fully participating in Israeli life.

That now appears to be changing, against the background of a broader reassessment of the conscription pol-

icy. Earlier this year, a Knesset committee headed by Science and Technology Minister Jacob Perry approved measures that would draft the majority of haredi men – another minority that has largely avoided military service – with criminal sanctions waiting in the wings in the case that draft quotas are not met.

But the indications are that draft dodging won’t be too much of a problem when it comes to Christian Arabs. Their community, at 130,000 strong, makes up just less than 10 percent of the total Arab population in Israel. In the weeks that followed the formation of a new political party, B’nei Brit HaHadasha (“Sons of the New Testament”), by a merchant seaman, Bishara Shilyan, whose nephew serves as a major in the Israeli Army, around 90 Arab Christians enlisted in the IDF. It seems like a tiny number, but it’s a threefold increase compared to 2010.

And earlier this month, around 250 Arab Christian youths attended a recruitment event organized by the IDF with the assistance of Father Gabriel Nadaf, an orthodox priest from Nazareth and a vocal supporter of Christian recruitment into the armed forces.

This new mood among Christian Arabs has worried the communists and Arab nationalists who have traditionally played a central role in the political leadership of Israel’s Arab citizens. You can imagine them tearing their hair out when they hear statements like this one, from Father Nadaf: “It’s only natural that the country which protects us deserves that we contribute to its defense.”

A predictable condemnation came in the form of a statement from Kairos, a radical Palestinian Christian organization that denies the RECRUITMENT on page 20

JEWISH LIFE • 17

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

fitting in any way from pigs or pig skins.

However, as far as Greek wisdom is concerned, the story is strangely different. The Talmud praises the Greek language and deems “Greek wisdom” a skill necessary for international political discourse (ibid 83a).

In fact, a parallel account at the end of Tractate Sota defines “Greek wisdom” in the context of the prohibition as a “special language of nuance and riddle” used for espionage. This is how Maimonides (Commentary on last Mishnah in Sota) understood the Talmudic decree, adding that “Greek wisdom” has since disappeared from use, and hence the prohibition no longer has practical application.

How can we understand this refusal to ban Greek wisdom? It is particularly strange since the Books of Maccabees demonstrate that the battles commemorated by Hanukah were waged by religious Hasmoneans, who rebelled against the elite ruling priesthood, which had been captivated by the “modern” Hellenistic culture and its philosophy, esthetics and hedonism.

I believe it is because Judaism always valued wisdom – philosophy and science – and appreciated art and music. Witness the Books of Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes, which are even part of our sacred canon. The artist-architect of the Desert Sanctuary, Bezale, has a name which means “in the shadow of God;” music abounded in the Holy Temple: King Solomon was highly praised for his worldly wisdom. The Talmud praises science, maintaining that those who are capable of studying it and do not do so “are making themselves blind to God’s handiwork” (B.T. Shabbat 75a). Maimonides places philosophy and science under the rubric of gemara, insisting that these disciplines must be a necessary part of the curriculum in an Academy of Talmudic studies, as part of the commandment to strive to know God. The Rashba (Rav Shlomo ben Adrat, Spain d.1310) wrote three responsa in which he banned the study of philosophy, but only for those under the age of 25 (Responsa 415,416,417), and Rav Moshe Isserles and the Vilna Gaon (Yoreh Deah 346,4; Biyur HaGra 18) both allow the study of science and philosophy. Although the Vilna Gaon is cited (Yoreh Deah 179) as saying that

the “accursed philosophy turned Maimonides astray,” one of the Vilna Gaon’s best students, Rav Menashe from Ilia, wrote that, “these words never emanated from the Gaon’s pen nor from his sacred mouth”.

Indeed the Vilna Gaon is quoted

by Rabbi Barukh Shik of Shklov: “To the extent that a person lacks knowledge of wisdom, he will also lack one hundred measures of the wisdom of Torah, since Torah and wisdom are bound up together.” As a result of the importance that our Tradition gave to the wisdom of philosophy and science, it would have been inconceivable for the Sages to ban Greek wisdom. Hence, an alternate interpretation of the opening verse quoted above would serve as an introduction to this commentary, “The Lord shall broaden and beautify Yaphet (Greece), and he (Yaphet) shall dwell in the tents of Shem.”

“The beauty of Yaphet must adorn the tents of Shem” (Gen 9:27, Gen Rabbah ad loc.). Torah must be wed to university study.

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

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T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE THIS WEEK’S PORTION: MIKETZ (BRAISHITH 41:1—44:17) 1. Who referred Joseph to Pharaoh? a.) Potifar b.) Potifar's wife c.) Pharaoh's butler 2. Why did the brother's go to Egypt? a.) To search for Joseph b.) To buy food c.) Fighting with neighbors in Canaan 3. Which brother did Joseph keep in Egypt? a.) Shimon b.) Levi c.) Judah the pit. Rashi 4. C 42:21 The brothers blamed their cruelty towards Joseph more than the actual sale.

Ramban 5. A,B 43:14,15

EFRAT, Israel: “The Lord shall broaden and beautify Japheth, and he [or perhaps He] shall dwell in the tents of Shem” (Gen. 9:27) Why is there no clear religious prohibition against the study of Greek wisdom and intellectual involvement in philosophy, mathematics, the sciences, secular music, art, literature and theater? Why was no prohibition made against the study of all the expressions of Greek culture that we know as Hellenism?

Hanukah does not merely celebrate our military victory over an enemy who wished to remove political independence from Judea. Our main celebration is the lighting of the menorah, the stylized “tree of life” This ceremony makes the statement that “the candle is commandment, and Torah is our light” (Proverbs 6:23). In other words, it is God’s will and His miracles – as in the small cruse of oil only sufficient to last for one day, but which lasted for eight – and not human reason that must direct human affairs and activities.

According to this view, the Haredim are right, at least as far as banning university is concerned.

This is precisely the meaning of the Biblical verse as they read it, “The Lord may broaden and glorify Yafet [Greece and Greek wisdom], but only He [the Lord, without Greek wisdom] may dwell in the tent or Shem”.

There is one Talmudic passage (B.T. Baba Kama 82b) that seemingly prohibits the study of Greek wisdom. It cites an internecine battle between two brothers, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, descendants of the Hasmonean dynasty (the instigators of the Judean victory over the Jewish Hellenists and the Greek-Syrians at Hanukah). An elderly man knowledgeable in Greek wisdom urged Aristobulus (whose army was outside of the walls of Jerusalem) to hoist a pig instead of a bullock over the ramparts, thus preventing and even desecrating the daily Temple sacrifice which continued to be offered by Hyrcanus from within Jerusalem.

The actions of this devotee of Greek wisdom who wished to destroy our Hebrew civilization led to a devastating earthquake in the land of Israel. “From that day onwards” ruled the Sages, “Cursed be the individual who raises pigs and cursed be the father who teaches his child Greek wisdom.” The prohibition seems to be absolute. So our legal codes forbid us from raising pigs – or even bene-

“To the extent that a person lacks knowledge of wisdom, he will also lack one hundred measures of the wisdom of Torah, since Torah and wisdom are bound up together.”

4. What did the brothers blame their hardships in Egypt on? a.) The famine b.) They were Hebrews c.) Their sale of Joseph years earlier 5. How did the brothers prepare before their second trip to Egypt? a.) Prayed to Hashem b.) Prepared a gift c.) Learn Egyptian customs

get food, but they are called “Joseph's brothers” because they were also looking to find him in Egypt. Rashi 3. A 42:24 Joseph knew that Shimon had called him a dreamer and suggested to throw him into

by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

SHABBAT SHALOM: PARSHAT MIKETZ GENESIS 41:1 – 44:17

Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise

ANSWERS 1. C 41:9-13 The butler was wicked, and downplayed Joseph by calling him as a slave, a foreigner, and even an idiot to Pharaoh. Rashi 2. B 42:2,3 Jacob sent his his sons to Egypt to

Sedra of the Week

18 • JEWZ IN THE NEWZ

JEWZ

IN THE

By Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist I am Kvelling, Already: Streisand Comes Home The PBS series, “Great Performances,” will air the concert film: “Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn.”. Streisand, now 71, kicked off a world tour in October, 2012 with her first concert in her native Brooklyn since she became a star in the early 1960s. This world tour included her well-publicized first concert in Israel.

Streisand opened the two Brooklyn concerts by proclaiming: “I love people from Brooklyn. Because they’re real.

Down to earth. They tell it like it is.” Later on in the concert she joked, “The last time I sang in Brooklyn it was on a stoop on Pulaski Street!”

Backed by a 60-piece orchestra, Streisand sang most of her big hits. Her songs were framed by video montages of her Brooklyn childhood and early career. They include images of her high school and the yeshiva she attended. Also on stage was her son, JASON GOULD, 46, the son of Streisand’s ex-husband, actor ELLIOTT GOULD, 75. Jason sang a solo song and a duet with his mother.

By the way, Streisand pleased locals by re-working a few lyrics, like rhyming “Brooklyn Docks” with “nova lox” – and in case you were wondering – her shimmering gowns were designed by DONNA KARAN, 65, Streisand’s longtime “BFF.” Bayer’s Bar Mitzvah Boy VANESSA BAYER, 32, joined Saturday Night Live four years ago. She has gradually emerged as a stand-out cast member with dead-on impressions of Miley Cyrus, and Hillary Clinton, as well as funny characters she has created, like Jacob, the bar mitzvah boy.

She recently spoke to Rolling Stone magazine about the creation of Jacob: “The town I grew up in [Orange, a small Cleveland suburb] was at least fifty percent Jewish, so every weekend in the 7th grade, we went to Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.

It’s kind of based on that. A lot of my brother’s friends who have seen it think that the gestures I make are based on my brother, which is pretty funny and might be true. When I started doing standup in college, I just started doing that character. My first year on the show, one of the writers wrote me into a sketch where I played a Bar Mitzvah boy and I got to do it, which was

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NEWZ

so cool... but the whole thing started in my standup. I felt like I had seen that boy so much, and it’s so fun to play that little awkward boy who likes to tell dadstyle jokes.”

Levine is Sexiest People Magazine has named rock musician and “The Voice” coach ADAM LEVINE, 34, their sexiest man alive for 2013.

1998 winner HARRISON FORD, 71, whose late mother was Jewish, is the only other tribe member to be named “sexiest” since 1985, when the award began.

Here’s the Jewish “411” on Levine, including some info not in other sources: Levine, who identifies as Jewish, has been secular as an adult. His father is Jewish, while his mother is the daughter of a non-Jewish mother and a Jewish father (his maternal grandfather descends from English Jews and maybe some Sephardim). His Jewish stepmother is the mother of Levine’s younger half-brother, SAM. Levine told a British Jewish paper that he was raised with only a little Jewish religious observance and, in light of that, he decided to decline his father’s offer to give him a bar mitzvah ceremony. He said he felt it was a serious ceremony that evidenced a spiritual commitment he hadn’t been prepared for. He thought it wrong that many of his Jewish peers had a bar mitzvah because they wanted a big party and gifts.

By the way, Harrison Ford once seriously said that he wasn’t tattooed so he could be buried in a Jewish cemetery. Trust me: while Jewish religious law seriously frowns on tattoos – it is a persistent myth that Jewish cemeteries refuse burial to the tattooed. So, in case you were wondering and worrying: the “very tattooed” Levine could be buried in a Jewish cemetery.

The Stork Visits Snow White Last week, it was confirmed that actress GINNIFER GOODWIN, 35, and her fiancé, actor Josh Dallas, 31, were expecting a child. The two met when they were cast as the costars of “Once Upon a Time,” the ABC fantasy series (she plays Snow White and Dallas plays Prince Charming). Last May, Goodwin re-affirmed her commitment to Judaism before her hometown synagogue and stated that her then-boyfriend (Dallas) was fine with their home being a “Jewish home.”

FROM THE PAGES 150 Y EARS A GO We have been requested to call attention to the tables at the “Great Western Sanitary Fair” being under the superintendence of the ladies of the Broadway synagogue. They are located at stands Nos. 138, 139, 157, and 158.

Our many friends visiting the Fifth Street Bazaar should be no means forget these tables laden with the choicest of articles, and superintended by the generous daughters of Israel.

To the Public: I propose, as an additional contribution for the benefit of the soldiers, to donate to the Great Western Sanitary Fair, in the name of the party procuring the business (either lady or gentleman), my commission, viz: ten percent of the premium on all new policies issued in this city by the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, for which I am agent, from this date til the close of the Fair.

Pamphlets and all desired information on the subject will be furnished on application at my office, or I will call upon all parties so requesting who may desire insurance. O. Owens, Jr. Agt., No. 14 Public Landing. – December 25, 1863

125 Y EARS A GO The work which is being done by the ladies of the Walnut Hills Branch of the Hebrew Ladies’ Sewing Society is really wonderful, and such activity as may be seen at their weekly meeting place can not be excelled. All are working for one end, sweet charity’s sake.

Although the membership is very large, every one who has had the welfare of the poor at heart and would like to join this merry circle will receive a joyful welcome.

Mr. Julius Waldner and Miss Sadie Hamburger were married last Saturday evening at the West Turner Hall, by Rabbi Davidson, in the presence of a large number of relatives and friends.

The affair was a very pleasant one.

People with thin heads of hair should use Hall’s Vegetable Sicilian Hair Renewer to make the hair grow out thick, healthy, and strong. – November 30, 1888

100 Y EARS A GO 1,000 smart, trimmed hats for women made to sell at $7-$12.50 now on sale for $2.95 at The Mabley and Carew Co. The hats represent the newest and smartest styles of the moment. Included are Dress and SemiDress Hats for young girls, misses and women. Hats are made of velvet, hatter’s plush and other fine materials.

Trimmings consist of ribbon, ostrich plumes, and feather fancies, also fur.

Colors: black, brown, and taupe, and many others.

May & Kreidler, 347 Main Street, have issued a Jewish calendar (luach) in convenient form for carrying in the pocket, with blank leaves for memoranda, which may be had free on application.

Mr. Charles S. Tobias, a wellknown citizen of Cincinnati, died suddenly last Tuesday night at the residence of his sister, Mrs. Simon Drukker at Glenwood Avenue, Avondale. Mr. Tobias was the senior member of the firm Chas. Tobias and Bros. Dr. David Philipson officiated at the funeral, which took place on Friday afternoon, November 21. Mr. Tobias was not married. He is survived by a brother, Morris H. Tobias, and four sisters, Mrs. Simon Drukker, Mrs. William Levy of New York, Mrs. L. Lederer of Clevleand, and Mrs. Michael Drukker of New York. – November 27, 1913

75 Y EARS A GO Mr. and Mrs. Carl Wasserman of Walnut Hills announce the engagement of their daughter, Florence Ruth, to Mr. Nathan Mitman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Mitman of Hutchins Avenue.

Adrian Schwartz, field worker, Zionist Organization of America, addressed Young Judaea Leaders’ Group at the home of Rissa Seitz, Friday evening, Nov. 25th. Weclome is extended to two new representatives from the Zionist District to Young Judaea, Simon Polasky and Jack Metz.

Cincinnati Young Judaea will participate in a Hanukkah celebration at the Bureau of Jewish Education, Saturday night, Dec. 24th. Each club will offer a stunt. New officers of Club Poalim K’tannim are: Joyce Mandell, president; Sallly Goldstein, vice-president; Sylvalee Kuresman, secretary; Edith Ginsberg, treasurer; Mae Klarsfield and Sonya Zerverin, Junior Council representatives. – December 1, 1938

50 Y EARS A GO Larry Landman, Woodward senior, former news editor of the Bulldog Barks, has been promoted to editor-inchief. Fran Schrieberg, senior, was appointed assistant to the editor. Larry has been on the paper for two years and Fran is a three-year veteran.

Lesley Andringa, senior, and Shelby Haberman, junior, will replace Larry as co-news editors. Carol Levine and Tom Woodward, seniors, have been promoted to editoral editors. Seniors Bob Brody and Gregg Simms have been promoted to assistant sports editors. The sports editor is Barry Schwartz.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold R. Coplan of Wyoming announce the engagement of their daughter, Nancy, to Mr. Marvyn H. Youkilis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Youkilis of Amberley Village.

Miss Coplan is a senior at UC and a member of Sigma Delta Tau. Mr. Youkilis is affiliated with Phi Delta Epsilon, medical fraternity, and is a senior in the UC College of Medicine. A June weddding is planned. – November 28, 1963

25 Y EARS A GO A letter to the editor: I think the menorah should be put up in Fountain

Square because if the Christmas tree is up - what better is it than the menorah?

No better! Why does the Christmas tree have the right to be put up and not the menorah? The menorah is not a religious symbol. And if you don’t want it up because it’s a religious symbol you’re totally wrong. And what if it was a religious symbol? So what will happen if you see it? Devora Kalmanson, 4th grade (age 9).

Martin and Sarajane (Gerofsky) Blatt announce the birth of a son, Jason Stephen, Nov. 12. Jason has a sister, Elaina Ilyse. Grandparents are Sol and Gladys Blatt and the late Isadore and Elaine Gerofsky.

Dr. and Mrs. Stanley B. Ignatow proudly announce the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Andrew Scott, on Saturday, Dec. 10th at 9am at Adath Israel Synagogue. Andy is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Karl Lewin of Cincinnati and Mr. and Mrs. Isadore Ignatow of Louisville. – December 8, 1988

10 Y EARS A GO The Hilb Scholarship Committee has awarded the Saidel Award to three Cincinnati graduate students. The Saidel Award is a scholarship grant from the Saidel Fund of the Jewish Federation Endowment Fund that is directed to give assistance to Jewish students in a professional school of a university.

Irene Marinov attends the University of Cincinnati School of Pharmacy. She earned her undergraduate degree in pre-med at the University of Akron, graduating with honors and and a strong GPA. She emigrated to Cincinnati from Kiev, Ukraine in 1993 with her parents. Marinov volunteers at Cedar Village Nursing Home, helps children with physical therapy and participates in Habitat for Humanity. She is the daughter Sergey and Tanya Marinov.

Rachel Shapiro is in her first year of law school at Ohio State Moritz College of Law. She acrrued a 3.8/4.0 accumulative average in undergraduate school at Washington University in St. Louis.

She projects being graduated in the class of 2006 as a child advocacy lawyer. She has volunteered at the Victim Service Division supporting victims of crime; worked with young children with autism and developmental disorders and worked for the Washington University Alumi Deparment. She is a native Cincinnatian and is the daughter of Arnie Shapiro and Lisa Shapiro of Cincinnati.

Melissa Sternweiler-Johnson is enrolled at Xavier University to earn a master’s in early childhood education.

Sternweiler-Johnson maintains a 4.0 GPAand keeps busy when not in school raising her three children with her husband, Tom. She is a native Cincinnatian, and lives with her family in Loveland. – December 4, 2003

COMMUNITY DIRECTORY / CLASSIFIEDS • 19

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

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

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

BENNETT from page 10 in Manhattan that Gilat first began attending synagogue – a beginner’s service at Kehilath Jeshurun on the Upper East Side.

“We had to fly to New York from Israel for my wife to get closer to Judaism,” Bennett said.

“Here’s an area that I think Israel can learn a lot from American Jews.

This no-questions-asked approach – I loved it,” he said. “I want to import it, albeit cautiously.”

Bennett says his approach to religious reforms is governed by three considerations: The changes must be good for Israel, done in discussion with the relevant constituencies and cannot contravene Jewish law, or halachah. Some Orthodox rabbis say merely enabling egalitarian prayer, as Bennett did by building the Kotel platform, violates halachah. Bennett said he’s still figuring out where his red lines are.

“Any move by any Jew that gets him closer to Judaism, to our heritage, is a good thing,” Bennett said.

“At the same time, there is a value – notwithstanding the disagreements – there is a value of having, on an offi-

(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 CONGREGATIONS Adath Israel Congregation (513) 793-1800 • adath-israel.org Beit Chaverim (513) 984-3393 • btzbc.com Beth Israel Congregation (513) 868-2049 • bethisraelcongregation.net B’nai Tikvah Chavurah (513) 284-5845 • rabbibruce.com Congregation Beth Adam (513) 985-0400 • bethadam.org Congregation B’nai Tzedek (513) 984-3393 • btzbc.com Congregation Ohav Shalom (513) 489-3399 • ohavshalom.org Congregation Ohr Chadash (513) 252-7267 • ohrchadashcincinnati.com Congregation Sha’arei Torah shaareitorahcincy.org Congregation Zichron Eliezer 513-631-4900 • czecincinnati.org Golf Manor Synagogue (513) 531-6654 • golfmanorsynagogue.org Isaac M. Wise Temple (513) 793-2556 • wisetemple.org Kehilas B’nai Israel (513) 761-0769 Northern Hills Synagogue (513) 931-6038 • nhs-cba.org Rockdale Temple (513) 891-9900 • rockdaletemple.org Temple Beth Shalom (513) 422-8313 • tbsohio.org Temple Sholom (513) 791-1330 • templesholom.net The Valley Temple (513) 761-3555 • valleytemple.com EDUCA EDUCATION Chai Tots Early Childhood Center (513) 234.0600 • chaitots.com

cial level, let’s say, lines that we don’t cross.”

It’s not clear how much wiggle room that leaves Bennett on such issues as non-Orthodox conversions or Conservative and Reform weddings that do not conform to halachah. He has made clear he opposes civil marriage legislation, though he says he wants to find some kind of solution for couples who have no ability to marry under Israeli law, such as interfaith couples.

“This is perhaps one of the most sensitive issues that we’re only starting to learn and map out what we can do,” he said. “What we don’t want to do certainly is encourage couples that can get married according to halachah and encourage them to get married in a different way.”

Bennett said he met for the first time two weeks ago with coalition partners Lapid, Tzipi Livni of the Hatnua party and Avigdor Liberman of Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu to discuss areas in which they can push religious reforms. Bennett already is promoting a bill that as with marriage, would make it easier for Israeli non-Jews to convert to Judaism by enabling them to choose any rabbinical court in the

Chabad Blue Ash (513) 793-5200 • chabadba.com Cincinnati Hebrew Day School (513) 351-7777 • chds.shul.net HUC-JIR (513) 221-1875 • huc.edu JCC Early Childhood School (513) 793-2122 • mayersonjcc.org Kehilla - School for Creative Jewish Education (513) 489-3399 • kehilla-cincy.com Mercaz High School (513) 792-5082 x104 • mercazhs.org Kulanu (Reform Jewish High School) (513) 262-8849 • kulanucincy.org Regional Institute Torah & Secular Studies (513) 631-0083 Rockwern Academy (513) 984-3770 • rockwernacademy.org Sarah’s Place (513) 531-3151 • sarahsplacecincy.com Yeshivas Lubavitch High School of Cincinnati (513) 631-2452 • ylcincinnati.com ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATIONS American Jewish Committee (513) 621-4020 • ajc.org American Friends of Magen David Adom (513) 521-1197 • afmda.org B’nai B’rith (513) 984-1999 BBYO (513) 722-7244 • mayersonjcc.org Hadassah (513) 821-6157 • cincinnati.hadassah.org Jewish Discovery Center (513) 234.0777 • jdiscovery.com Jewish National Fund (513) 794-1300 • jnf.org Jewish War Veterans (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

country for their conversion.

Though he leads Israel’s fourthlargest political party, Bennett is a relative newcomer to the Israeli political scene. Following his army service in the elite Israeli Defense Forces unit Sayeret Matkal and law school, Bennett became a successful software entrepreneur. The technology company he founded in his 20s, Cyota, was sold for $145 million when Bennett was 33.

Bennett said his combat experience during the Second Lebanon War of 2006 changed his career trajectory, propelling him into politics. He worked as Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff for a couple of years, returned to the world of technology to run another company (Soluto, which was sold two weeks ago for approximately $100 million), led the Yesha Council of Israeli settlers and decided to run for the Knesset.

Stunning the Israeli political establishment with his meteoric rise, Bennett transformed what had been a moribund political party with three Knesset seats and a constituency that was mostly Orthodox – a legacy of Jewish Home’s origins as the National Religious Party – into a

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FEIGLIN from page 10 Shelly Yachimovich also supports loosening restrictions on medical cannabis, though she opposes outright legalization.

“Feiglin and I don’t agree on almost anything,” Zandberg told JTA. “But on this we have a shared goal.”

Feiglin’s support for liberalizing the marijuana laws in Israel derives, in part, from personal considerations. His wife suffers from Parkinson’s disease and uses cannabis to alleviate her symptoms.

Not everyone who supports increased marijuana access backs full legalization.

Hebrew University professor Raphael Mechoulam, a leading cannabis researcher, believes the drug should be decriminalized to prevent excessive arrests, but draws a line at full legalization.

“I wouldn’t want to be in a taxi or a plane where the driver is

broader-based nationalist party that captured 12 seats in last January’s elections.

Bennett quickly formed an alliance with Lapid, the other rising star in Israeli politics, whose newly founded Yesh Atid party captured 19 Knesset seats. Together the two forced their way into Netanyahu’s coalition government, sidelining the haredi Orthodox parties, which were left in the opposition for the first time in years.

“This was a tactical alliance, but it grew into something that today is more profound,” Bennett said of his relationship with Lapid, who is now finance minister. On their work together cutting Israel’s budget, Bennett said he and Lapid jumped off the proverbial cliff together, like “Thelma and Louise.”

Bennett says economic issues occupy 60 percent of his time, with the balance divided between his other two ministerial portfolios, being a member of the inner security Cabinet, politics and life. Bennett, 41, has four children under the age of 10.

One of his main economic projects is getting haredi Orthodox Israelis to work. Bennett is promoting

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(513) 531-9600 high,” Mechoulam said. “There’s a certain limit. You need the backing of the people. I’m not sure the people in Israel are ready and in favor of legalization.”

Feiglin also harbors reservations about full legalization, noting that he doesn’t want to turn Tel Aviv into Amsterdam on the Mediterranean.

“I don’t see Amsterdam as a bad thing,” he adds quickly.

“There’s no chaos, there’s more freedom for citizens.

[Legalization] didn’t upend the way of life.”

And though cannabis is consumed in his house due to his wife’s illness, Feiglin says that at least for now, he chooses not to inhale.

“I don’t take aspirin,” he said.

“I don’t like putting things in my body. I like leaving the vessel of God as it is. But I would be happy to know that I could use it if I wanted to.”

a bill that would grant a four-year reprieve from the military draft to 50,000 haredi Israelis if they enter the workforce. He wants to complement this with a $142 million program to train the haredim for the labor market, incentivize them to work and employers to hire them.

Bennett wants to do something similar for Israeli-Arab women, who have relatively low participation rates in the labor force.

Though Bennett maintains a hard line on Palestinian issues – he opposes Palestinian statehood – he says it hasn’t really come up much. Few in the current Israeli government seem to believe the U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians will bear significant fruit.

The primary regional issue that preoccupies Bennett is Iran. He spent part of last week in Washington lobbying U.S. lawmakers against easing sanctions pressure on Tehran during the current negotiations, arguing that only economic pressure will prompt the mullahs to agree to a deal.

“We need to create an either-or situation,” Bennett said. “Either you have an economy or you have a nuclear program.”

20 • BUSINESS

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Historic Sales: over $1 billion in 2013 U.S. Israel bond investments

Photo by Shahar Azran

From left: Bonds President & CEO Izzy Tapoohi, Israel Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Bonds Chairman of the Board Richard Hirsch at a reception held in the finance minister’s honor October 7 in New York.

Annual Israel bond investments in the U.S. domestic market exceeded $1 billion for the first time, as 2013 sales broke through the historic threshold in early November and continue to surge. With six weeks still remaining in the year, it is anticipated domestic investments in Israel bonds will approach $1.1 billion.

By comparison, U.S. Israel bond investments for 2011 were $634 million. For 2012, they reached $816 million, which, at the time, represented an alltime high for domestic Israel bond sales.

In praising the record results, Sigalit Siag, Israel’s chief fiscal officer for the Western Hemisphere, applauded the Bonds organization for “proving itself once again as a reliable source of funding for

Israel’s economy.” She cited the organization’s “unique ability to raise capital,” as well as its success in securing sales from “a strong, diverse investor base.”

Bonds Chairman of the Board Richard Hirsch said the record sales "solidify the reputation of the Bonds organization as a dependable economic and strategic resource for Israel."

Added President & CEO Izzy Tapoohi: “The $1 billion achievement dispels the notion that Israel bonds are bought in great numbers only when Israel confronts a crisis. Today, Israel bonds are perceived not only as a gesture of solidarity, but as an opportunity to become a stakeholder in one of the world’s most resilient economies.”

as Cincinnati Ballet and Broadway in Cincinnati celebrate the holidays with major productions that bring tens of thousands of fans to the Aronoff Center driving an economic impact to shops, restaurants and other attractions:

Ring in the New Year “New Orleans style.” Conductor John Morris Russell and the most versatile orchestra on the planet bring you a fun-filled evening of jazzy and jubilant big band favorites found around Preservation Hall.

Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, November 27-December 1

Know Theatre CityBeat NYE Speakeasy Party, December 31, 8 p.m.-1 a.m., Over-the-Rhine This 8th annual celebration, sponsored by CityBeat, is a secret underground party that’ll be the cat’s meow. Get ready to party like it’s 1923.

Downtown family fun this holiday season Over 500,000 visitors come to Downtown Cincinnati during the holiday season to revel their yearly traditions of shopping, dining, and holiday-themed events and performances. In addtion to the ever-popular U.S. Bank Ice Skating Rink at Fountain Square (opening the Wednesday of Thanksgiving week), there will be fireworks on three Saturday evenings (November 30, December 7, 14). Following are wonderful ideas for ways to enjoy the holiday season Downtown this year: Shopping: Exclusively Available in Downtown Cincinnati Rookwood Pottery Commemorative Art Tile 2013, Macy’s Fountain Place. On-sale beginning November 28 at 8 p.m. Artist signing: November 29 and December 21, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Available for purchase exclusively at Macy’s Fountain Place, the sixth edition commemorative downtown tile was commissioned by Downtown Cincinnati Inc. and designed and created by artists at Cincinnati’s own Rookwood Pottery Co. This year’s tile (dimensions are 6” x 6”) depicts the Book Fountain at the Main Library of The Public RECRUITMENT from page 16 right of Israel to exist and promotes anti-Semitic interpretations of Christian theology. “Those who call for recruiting Christians to the occupation army do not represent us, do not represent our Churches, and do not represent the Christians,” Kairos said. “We need to be united, we need to protect our national identity, only our Arab, Palestinian, identity will be able to protect us, and protect our interests.”

It’s true that this view was once

Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, currently celebrating its 160th anniversary. Limited supply.

Gift Wrap for a Cause with SPCA Carew Tower Arcade Saturdays, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, 14 and 21 from Noon-5 p.m.

Gift wrapping goes to the dogs (and cats)! Let the happy helpers from the SPCA wrap your gifts while you visit with adoptable animals.

Donations welcome.

AmEx Small Business Saturday November 30, all day during regular business hours The Saturday after Thanksgiving is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses across the country.

Help local businesses thrive by shopping the merchants at Carew Tower, downtown and Over-the-Rhine.

Fifth Annual Holidays in the Bag, Over-the-Rhine November 29, all day during regular business hours Avoid the rush of the malls by shopping Over-the-Rhine for unique, local gifts in a relaxed atmosphere.

Buy the official “Holiday Bag” and receive a discount at participating stores. Each year, the proceeds from the sale of the bags benefit Elementz very common among Arab Christians. During the last century, Christians were an important presence among the theorists and political leaders of the Arab nationalist movement. Among the Palestinians, the late George Habash, founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, was a Christian, as was his rival Nayef Hawatmeh, founder of the breakaway Democratic Front, who was born into a Christian tribe in Jordan. And the Ba’ath Party – overthrown in Iraq during the 2003 war but still in power in Syria – was

CAC One Night One Craft Holiday Extravaganza, December 2, 6-8 p.m., Contemporary Arts Center Work with local artists to create holiday crafts and gifts. Free to Members, $8 non-members (includes all materials). Cash bar, holiday fare.

Free Family Friendly Fun in Downtown Cincinnati Weekend Carriage Rides at Macy’s Celebration Station, November 29December 1, December 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 FREE! Enjoy horse-drawn trolley carriage rides through the heart of the city, courtesy of Macy’s. The rides board at the corner of Fifth and Race Streets from noon to 5 p.m.

City Flea ‘Wrapped Up’ Holiday Market, December 14, 5-10 p.m., Washington Park FREE! ‘Wrap up’ your holiday shopping in Washington Park under the stars. Find unique gifts for everyone on your list from over 80 local vendors and enjoy live music, hot beverages and a bounty of holiday cheer.

Frisch's Presents The Nutcracker

by Cincinnati Ballet, December 2029 Aronoff Center for the Arts A festive classic boldly re- envisioned uniquely for Cincinnati.

Spark by The Cincinnati Boychoir December 13, 7 p.m. & December 15, 3 p.m., Memorial Hall Join the Cincinnati Boychoir, performers from Elementz, and visual artists from the Cincinnati Art Academy as talented young people come together to find the spark that provides comfort and hope through the darkest time of year.

The Arts as Economic Drivers Downtown-based arts groups such

New Year’s Eve Events New Year’s Eve 2013: “The Big Easy”, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, December 31, 7:30 p.m., Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street

founded by another Christian, Michel Aflaq.

It’s widely believed that by the time Aflaq died in 1989, he’d converted to Islam – a faith he equated with revolutionary Arab nationalism.

But for Arab Christians, Aflaq’s conversion was a harbinger of the present time, when Islam has superseded nationalism as the main channel for discontent in the Arab world, leaving Christians feeling increasingly marginalized.

For that reason, the image of Arab Christians wanting to join the

IDF suggests a hitherto unprecedented fracturing of Arab national identity. In an interview with Inter Press Service, Bishara Shilyan neatly summarized how this has impacted his community: “Jews call us ‘Arabs.’

For Muslims, we’re ‘Christians,’ not Arabs. We’re Israeli Christians, nothing short of that.”

At a time when Christian communities across the Islamic world are facing vicious persecution, in the form of arrests, mob violence and bombings of churches, it’s no coincidence that this assertive form of

New Year’s Eve Blast December 31, 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Fountain Square FREE! Ring in the New Year amongst friends and family at this free celebration on Fountain Square!

Enjoy live music, food, ice skating and more.

New Year’s Eve at Orchids at Palm Court, December 31, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Celebrate in style with a memorable evening at the Orchids at Palm Court. Two seatings: 6 p.m. seating offers four courses; 8:30 p.m. seating offers six courses.

Christian identity has manifested in democratic Israel. Increasingly, Christians in the Middle East understand that if their faith is to have a future in the region, the states in which they live need to be governed by the values of democracy and tolerance. A state that is Jewish in terms of its identity, but which gives the same rights and demands the same duties of all of its citizens, is truly a revolutionary development for the Middle East – and a key reason why so many of its neighbors dream of its destruction.

FOOD • 21

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

Zell’s Bites: Let’s talk turkey Zell’s Bites

Spread Dijon mustard between two squares, press together, and place a toothpick in the center for easy pickup. Do this with remaining squares.

Garnish the platter with escarole and serve.

Pecan Stuffed Olives Drain a 7 ounce can of jumbo, pitted black, olives. Fill the centers with toasted pecan halves. Serve in a crystal bowl.

by Zell Schulman It’s an historical moment in our lives! It will be many years before Hanukkah and Thanksgiving come together on the same day. As I’m not the hostess for the actual Thanksgiving dinner this year, I’ve invited friends and family over for Sunday Brunch this holiday weekend. My children and grandchildren will be driving up from Cynthiana, Kentucky and after a big Thanksgiving Holiday meal, something light, tasty and easy to do is in order.

There always seems to be an important sports event on television, allowing everyone to choose to watch the TV or just visit and enjoy being together for the holiday. I serve these quick “nibblers” along with Mimosas, Bloody Mary’s and Kids Old Fashioneds prepared by mixing pineapple or cranberry juice together with a little fruity sugar syrup for the “arrival time”, and then I serve one of my family’s favorites for an entrée, my Spanish Brunch casserole. .

Oh yes, we won’t forget the Hannukah gifts or lighting the candles on the menorah. We will do this just before we are ready to begin our meal. The most important part of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving aren’t the gifts or the turkey, it’s remembering and being thankful for the religious freedom we enjoy each day and living in this country called The United States of America..

Party Nibblers Endive and Blue Cheese Pull individual leaves from the head of an Endive. Spread a small amount of blue cheese in the center of each leaf, and place on a platter garnished with watercress and serve.

Melon Quickies Wrap bit-sized chunks of cantaloupe, honey dew, or other melon with thin sliced cold-cuts such as corned beef. Secure with a toothpick and place on a garnished platter.

Swiss Cheese Squares Cut an 8 ounce package of Swiss cheese slices into l inch squares.

2013 AUTO ISSUE A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE

Main Dish Spanish Brunch Casserole Serves 10 to 12 This quick and easy casserole is one of my favorite recipes to prepare, especially when I am having my family or friends over for brunch. It can also be turned into a great entrée by adding sautéed mushrooms and sautéed chicken sausage when time is of the essence.

If you’re making it for your family and not for entertaining, I suggest you cut the recipe in half. The cheese and green chilis add the Spanish flavor.

Ingredients 10 large eggs 1/2 cup of flour sifted along with 1 teaspoon baking powder.

1/2 teaspoon salt One 8-ounce can diced green chilis One pint of small curd cottage cheese One 16-ounce bag , shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted Method 1. Grease an 9 X 13 inch casserole. Preheat the oven to 350º F. 2. Place the eggs in a 4-quart bowl, beat the eggs with a wire whisk or portable electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cottage cheese. Mix together with a large spoon or wire whisk to incorporate everything together, 2 to 3 more minutes, until light and fluffy.

4. Fold in the Monterey Jack cheese, melted butter and the chilis.

Empty into the prepared casserole dish and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until the center doesn’t shake.

5. Pierce the center of the casserole with the tip of a sharp knife. If it comes out clean, the casserole is cooked through. Remove the casserole from the oven and allow the casserole to rest 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve.

Zell’s Tips: You can prepare the casserole but not bake it , two or three days before you’re ready to serve it. Place it, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.

If your auto dealership wants to reach the Greater Cincinnati Jewish Community regarding new cars and trucks, this is the issue to do it!

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

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22 • OBITUARIES

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D EATH N OTICES

SCHOOL from page 6

UKELSON, Louis M., age 88, died on November 19, 2013; 17 Kislev 5774.

The only other center school besides Brooklyn to be tested so far – the Hatikvah International Charter School in East Brunswick, N.J. – ranked in the 99th percentile of a statewide evaluation of academic achievement.

Launched in 2009, the Brooklyn academy was the first school founded with financial and technical assistance from the center. By some measures, the Hebrew Language Academy has been a success. Its profile on InsideSchools.org, an online guide to New York public schools, is filled with enthusiastic parent testimonials. In recent years, the school has received more appli-

LIPSON, Alvin, age 77, died November 21, 2013; 19 Kislev, 5774.

RUBIN-WEISMAN, Maxine L., age 87, died November 21, 2013; 18 Kislev, 5774.

ALZHEIMER from page 4 OMA is one of many ways we do that.”

In 2011, LeadingAge Ohio, which advocates for nonprofits that serve older adults, presented Cedar Village and OMA with its Excellence in Service for Nursing Facilities Award. The award is given to organizations displaying outstanding initiative, motivation and leadership in quality skilled nursing services.

Cedar Village, OMA and others caring for older adults focus intensely on enhancing the lives of people with dementia, in part, because there is no cure and the number of people afflicted is growing rapidly. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. By 2050, up to 16 million are projected to be living with it.

Deaths from Alzheimer’s increased 68 percent between 2000 and 2010 while deaths from other major diseases decreased.

PALESTINIAN from page 9 information. Conservative candidates in Norway won landslide elections in September, defeating Eide’s Labor party.

“The opposition parties [in Norway] over a period of six months while our story was in the news were constantly becoming aware, over and over again by the media, of Palestinian hate promotion, paying salaries to terrorists,” Marcus says.

“The material [on incitement in

ASYLUM from page 8 There are indications that many Swedish Jews already feel afraid.

A recent survey of Jews in nine European countries found that Swedish Jews were the most likely to avoid publicly identifying themselves as Jewish for fear of anti-Semitism. In the survey, published this month by the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency, 34 percent of Swedish Jews reported practicing such avoidance. They were followed by France at 29 percent; Belgium, 25 percent; Hungary, 20 percent; and Germany, 14 percent.

Hernroth-Rothstein is intimately familiar with such fears. In Stockholm, she has led “kippah walks” – marches by Jews and non-Jews who don yarmulkes as a the Palestinian media] is not just being used by Israel,” he adds. “It’s impacting and changing policy throughout Europe.”

Recent PMW reports reveal teams named after terrorists at Palestinian soccer tournaments, a Palestinian Authority TV (PA TV) broadcast for children teaching that the Devil and Jews are united in hatred of the Prophet Muhammad, sayings attributed to Hitler in a PAassociated youth magazine, and a statement (accompanied by a photo

cations than it has openings.

Still, the academy was one of only 23 elementary schools in the city to receive an overall grade of F for 2012-13. The annual assessment is based largely on student progress in statewide math and English tests.

As 2012-13 was only the second year that its students took the tests, much of the academy’s overall grade was determined by the performance of its first cohort: 75 students who were fourth-graders last year.

These students – some entered as first-graders in its opening year and others matriculated there as late as the second or third grade – have a different demographic profile than the rest of the school and the schools with which the academy was com-

pared, charter school center officials say.

Overall, the Hebrew Language Academy is 48.6 percent black/Hispanic. Its fourth-grade class is 62 percent black/Hispanic.

Harlem Hebrew is approximately 40 percent white, 40 percent black and 20 percent Latino.

Gedzelman said the Brooklyn school is improving, and he noted that its third-graders performed considerably better on average in 201213 than the fourth-graders.

Over the years, the academy has offered more academic intervention and support for low-performing students. It is also adding a summer program.

The other schools in the charter

school network – including Harlem Hebrew and two others that opened this fall in San Diego and Washington, D.C. – have benefited from lessons learned by the Hebrew Language Academy over the years, Gedzelman said.

For example, Harlem Hebrew launched this year with a reading specialist and English-as-a-secondlanguage specialist on staff, something the Brooklyn academy did not add until later.

Another center-affiliated school is slated to open this year in Los Angeles. The group also is in discussions with planning groups in Philadelphia and Chicago, and is considering opening additional schools in New York City.

protest against anti-Semitism and a sign of solidarity with the country’s Jewish community.

The problem is especially acute for the approximately 1,000 Jews who live in Malmo, a southern Swedish city where about a third of its approximately 300,000 residents are either immigrants from Muslim countries or their children. Malmo last year saw 60 anti-Semitic attacks, which accounted for 40 percent of the anti-Semitic hate crimes documented in Sweden, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention.

Yet, seen in context, there are worse places to be a Jew in Europe, said Lars M. Andersson, an Upsala University historian who has researched Swedish antiSemitism and the country’s refugee policy.

“There is definitely a problem with anti-Semitism in Sweden which needs to be addressed,” he said. “However, that problem should not be exaggerated. It is far less acute than in Hungary, for example, where a member of the Jobbik party spoke in parliament in favor of registering all Jews.”

Still, Andersson is supportive of Hernroth-Rothstein’s asylum request.

“I see no problem with the asylum move, which is obviously designed to attract the sort of media attention which will help treat the issue,” he said.

As for Hernroth-Rothstein, she says that if the migration board fails to address her request, then she will file a new one – next time outside the European Union

TYPHOON from page 8

of a man holding a rifle) on Fatah’s Facebook page that says it is “the blood of Martyrs that draws the borders of the [Palestinian] homeland.”

Yigal Carmon-the founder and president of another watchdog of Arabic media, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)-says Abbas’s PA has a “double policy.”

“On the one hand, there is a peace process, there is even security cooperation between the agencies of the PA and our [Israeli] agencies,” Carmon tells JNS.org.

“On the other hand, the [Palestinian] national ethos remains the ethos of armed struggle and sanctifying those who fought, including the older shahids (martyrs) and everybody that killed [Israelis],” he says.

Abbas himself “sanctions collaboration with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and personally does not incite, and stands against a renewed intifada,” but “does not follow through with his policies,” according to Carmon.

“He does one thing, and PA TV, which is his tool, his PA organ, follows a different line,” Carmon says.

Yet the research of PMW documents what Marcus considers to be personal incitement by Abbas. When hosting a recent celebration for the

second set of 26 terrorist prisoners released by Israel as part of the current negotiations, Abbas called the freed Palestinians “heroes.” At an October event, a speech given in Abbas’s name by another official stated, “All Palestinian land is occupied – Gaza is occupied, the West Bank is occupied, the 1948 lands (modern Israel) are occupied, and Jerusalem is occupied.” Another speech given in Abbas’s name in September called Abu Sukkar-who planned a 1975 bombing in which 15 Israelis were killed – “a hero” and “legend” who “outlined a path for us.” Also in September, Abbas hosted Egyptian poet Hesham El-Gakh, who on a PA TV broadcast recited a poem including the words “my enemy, Zion, is Satan with a tail.”

MEMRI, meanwhile, reported on a January 2013 speech for Fatah’s anniversary in which Abbas said, “We renew the pledge to our fortunate martyrs. We pledge to continue on the path of the martyr brother Abu Ammar (Yasser Arafat), and his comrades and brothers, the leaders from all the fighting factions-all the martyrs.” Among other terrorists, Abbas in that speech praised Khalil al-Wazir (“Abu Jihad”), who planned and directed attacks that killed a total of 125 Israelis.

of the local hospital, “greeted us warmly.”

“We are working hand in hand with the Filipino people,” he said.

Merin, a cardiac surgeon and deputy director of Shaare Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem, says the Israelis also have performed surgeries in the local hospital in concert with local doctors “to give them some of our knowledge.”

Despite the death toll of more than 3,000, which is expected to climb thousands higher, and the nearly 2 million displaced, Merin says the wounded are not wandering the streets like he saw in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. He also was part of the Israeli team that traveled to Japan in the aftermath of its 2011 tsunami; the Japanese infrastructure was better able to withstand a disaster, Merin said.

At about 4 a.m. Sunday, a man who had been stabbed in the chest was brought to the Bogo City field hospital by friends. Doctors put in a chest drain, which Merin says was beyond the capabilities of the local hospital.

“I am not sure what would have happened if we had not been around,” he said.

Mobilizing and operating the field hospital has cost Israel millions of dollars, Merin says, as well as lost manpower. The medicines and much of the equipment brought in will remain when they leave in about two weeks, he adds.

Merin, who is volunteering, believes the IDF is able to mobilize so quickly in the wake of natural disasters because it operates as an army unit, sending an advance team that allows the unit to deploy quickly upon arrival.

One of the logistics officers left with the team for the Philippines two days after his wedding, despite being on leave from the army for the occasion.

Israelis, Merin says, are “ready to drop everything and come and assist anywhere in the world that we need to be.”

His team in the Philippines, he adds, is “really treating [the patients] with all their heart.”