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In memory of Alvin Lipson, local businessman and philanthropist “We make a living by what we get; but we make a life by what we give”. So said Winston Churchill, and it is an apt quote to sum up the life of Alvin Lipson. He made a living through his profession, but he truly made a life through his charitable works and generous donations of time and expertise. Rabbi David Ellenson, President of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, said “When I think of Alvin Lipson, a passage in the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot 64a, in which Rabbi Elazar comments upon the verse in Isaiah 54:13, ‘And all your children (BANAYICH) will be students of the Lord, and great will be the peace of your children,’ comes to mind. In speaking of the verse, Rabbi Elazar says “do not read BANAYICH (your children) but BONAYICH (your builders), for those who fulfill the commands of Torah bring peace to the world”. Almost two millennia later, in the 1920s, the great German-Jewish religious thinker and institution builder Franz Rosenzweig, employed this very Talmudic passage to capture his own hopes for the renewal of Jewish life in the modern era by employing the title, “The Builders”, to capture his own programmatic aspirations. It is this Talmudic passage and its echoes in the writings of Franz Rosenzweig that immediately come to mind when I think of Alvin and his many accomplishments and values.” Rabbi Ellenson added that Alvin was a builder of both physical spaces and a
builder of spiritual edifices. Alvin Lipson’s presence in the city of Cincinnati was prolific. He was a highly successful and acclaimed builder, developer and a philanthro-
pist. He truly cared about the city, his community and the Jewish community in particular. What sets Alvin apart from most, however, was his integrity and commitment to his Jewish values.
Whether conducting multi-million dollar real estate deals, giving advice at committee meetings for a favored non-profit, to speaking with employees on a day to day basis, Alvin always maintained incorruptibly sound and completely honest decorum. He did this while being successful and self made in his own right, and proffering sage wisdom for those interests which he cared deeply about, allowing them to flourish. Alvin Lipson was born to Catherine and Ed Lipson on March 20, 1936, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Walnut Hills High School and the University of Cincinnati, where he studied architecture. After spending two years in the US armed forces Alvin spent his first years as an architect working in the family business, Lipson Wallace Architects. After learning the tricks of the trade, he ventured out on his own and established Urban Management, a residential/commercial real estate development firm. This eventually transitioned into Midwest Centers, an exclusively commercial real property development and management firm. It was here that Alvin found his passion. He spent his days making deals, buying and selling commercial real estate. He had his own formula, which netted him success. Some of the buildings that he was the architect for are the Essex House, the Mediterranean Supper Club, and the Glen Manor Nursing Home (which received many awards). He LIPSON on page 22
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Former Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory to be honored by Jewish National Fund with ‘Tree of Life’ award Jewish National Fund (JNF) will host its annual Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza on Wednesday, May 14, 2014. The evening will honor former Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory with the prestigious Tree of Life™ Award. The Tree of Life™ Award is a humanitarian award given in recognition of outstanding community involvement, dedication to the cause of American-Israeli friendship, and devotion to peace and security of human life. Mark Mallory, Mayor of Cincinnati from 2005 to 2013, was the first mayor in over 70 years who did not come from City Council and the first directly elected African American mayor in Cincinnati’s history. “I am honored and humbled by this prestigious recognition,” said Mr. Mallory. “Jewish National Fund does great work not just in this country but around the world. It means a lot to be recognized for the work that I have done in Cincinnati.” Leading Cincinnati through one of the most difficult economic periods, former Mayor Mallory balanced the city budget while avoiding layoffs of police officers and firefighters and significant reductions in public serv-
ices. Despite the economy, under Mallory’s leadership, Cincinnati has been moving forward with major developments including the banks, Washington Park, the streetcar, and attracting new business investments. As Mayor, Mallory’s top priority was public safety, standing behind his international award-winning initiative, Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Crime (CIRV), which became a model to other police departments around the country. His offices also championed the Green Cincinnati Action Plan, the road map to a more sustainable future for the city, leading to an increase in recycling by over 35% and decreas-
ing the city’s energy usage by 15%. “We are proud and excited that former Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory has agreed to be our Tree of Life™ honoree, one of JNF’s most prestigious humanitarian awards,” said David Gershuny, Tree of Life Co-Chair and JNF Executive Board member. “Mr. Mallory is well deserving of this award. He has been a constant proponent for Jewish National Fund and has had a great affinity for the land and people of Israel. He has been a tireless advocate for all his constituents and a steward for all the people for whom he has served.” Proceeds from the Tree of Life™ Award Dinner will benefit JNF’s vital work in water renewal in Israel. Jewish National Fund has been at the forefront of water management and conservation in Israel for two decades, increasing the country’s total water supply by 12% and helping Israel become a leader in water recycling. JNF’s network of 220 recycled water reservoirs provide almost half of the water used for agriculture in Israel, saving enough freshwater to meet the needs of 4.4 million people a year. The dinner will take place on May 14, 2014 at 6:00 pm at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza.
JCC School Break Zone Camp isn’t just for summer anymore! Even though the warm weather months seem like a distant memory, being stuck indoors doesn’t have to be dull! Introducing JCC School Break Zone: from swimming and sports to cooking and crafts, kids in grades K-6 will enjoy all the same fun you can have in the sun no matter what the forecast calls for outside. Featuring a creative new theme each day, the School Break Zone’s winter session is offered weekdays from Dec. 20 to Jan. 3 (excluding Dec. 25 and Jan. 1) from 9:30am – 3:30 pm, and includes extended day options, with drop-off as early as 7am and pickup as late as 6pm. Parents can register children for one or more days. However space is limited and is expected to fill up quickly so advance registration is required. Whether it’s Ooey Gooey Experiment Day, Music through the Decades, a field trip to Rock Quest or the Animal Extravaganza Experience, kids are sure to stay actively engaged in the wide range of programs specially designed with organized fun in mind! Plus, there’ll be plenty of free time for campers to take part in all the traditional camp activities they love, such as art, sports, dance and even daily trips to the J’s amazing indoor waterpark!
“Kids and camp go hand in hand, no matter what the season! The JCC provides high quality camping and year round child enrichment to hundreds of children every year,” explains Christina Zaffiro, JCC Enrichment Coordinator. “We know how hard kids work in school, so we wanted to pull out all the stops to make our School Break Zone a place where they could have a great time, make friends and recharge their batteries before heading back to the classroom!” Children may attend one or more days of the School Break Zone winter session. Special theme days include: Friday, December 20 – JCC Jet Setters: Travel to a variety of different countries to experience the unique customs, culture, sports, food, and fun that kids around the world enjoy. Monday, December 23 – Ooey Gooey Science Experiments: Science was never this messy… or this much fun! Make goo and catapults, and participate in a paper airplane workshop. Tuesday, December 24 – Mini Master Chefs: Stir up some fun and bring out your inner foodie for the day! Thursday, December 26 – Music through the Decades: From rock and roll and reggae to disco and hip hop,
move to the music and enjoy a day of related activities involving art and trivia too! Friday, December 27 – Venture Forth: Field Trip Day! – It’s off to Rock Quest where campers will take to the wall for a morning of rock climbing and camaraderie. Monday, December 30 – Wacky Sports: Step aside traditional sports… it’s time to play elephant ball, participate in scooter races, try out crab soccer, and root your team on in dress-up relay races. Tuesday, December 31 – Party in the J-C-C: We’re gonna party like it’s 2014! Enjoy an all camp dance party, make party favors, play games and get ready to ring in the New Year! Thursday, January 2 – Animal Extravaganza Experience: Where the wild things are is where kids will want to be when a Sharon Woods naturalist brings out some furry friends and talks about how animals prepare for the winter! Friday, January 3 – Backwards Day: What’s up is down… what’s in is out… It’s camp, in reverse! Every activity will be backwards. Come enjoy a very silly day at camp! For more information about School Break Zone or to register, please call the Mayerson JCC.
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Hadassah’s ‘Coffee Talk’ to focus on understanding finances Cincinnati Chapter of Hadassah will hold its monthly Coffee Talk program on Monday, December 9, 2013, 7:30 pm, at the home of Sharon Casper. The topic is “Women and Finances: From Understanding your Credit Report to Investing your Money.” Panel discussion speakers are Jennie Juran, Glynnis Reinhart, and Bonnie Juran Ullner. Tobe Snow is Coffee Talk Chair. Hadassah member Glynnis Reinhart is an AXA Equitable Retirement Benefits Specialist in Tax Sheltered Plans. She will
cover the basics of investing your money, saving for college and retirement, and legacy giving. Bonnie Juran Ullner is the current President of the Cincinnati Chapter of Hadassah. She was a mortgage broker for 15 years, and worked in banking before that for 6 years. Hadassah member Jennie Juran, Bonnie’s niece, is a partner in a Real Estate Investment Firm and serves as that company’s Regional Trainer. Bonnie and Jennie will explain how to read a credit report, and will also discuss what may damage your
credit score and what you can do to improve it. Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, was born from the vision of one woman, Henrietta Szold, who saw a great need and wanted to help. In 1912, the first Hadassah women laid down the foundation of the Hadassah Medical Organization and other vital projects in Israel and around the world. Today, Hadassah members meet, make new friends, discuss and learn as they support the two Hadassah Hospitals in Jerusalem, Hadassah College, Youth Aliyah
and other medical and educational programs. Cincinnati Chapter is full of vibrant, intelligent women who look forward to continuing Henrietta Szold's vision of making a difference. Coffee Talk is a monthly casual get-together, usually held in a Hadassah member’s home, to discuss topics of interest. Meetings are held the second Monday of the month, alternating between evening and morning times. Refreshments will be served. Coffee Talk is open to the public, and there is no charge to attend, but RSVPs are requested.
JCRC thanks rabbis who volunteered to teach continuing education classes For the past several years, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati has arranged for local rabbis to teach an adult continuing education class, which featured a rotating selection of presenters representing four faiths: Judaism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The rabbis taught the Judaism sessions, and this semester’s volunteers were stellar, receiving praise from the students, other
presenters and the course coordinator, Pastor Dan Weyand-Geise. “The overall experience was extremely positive; each of the rabbis was well prepared, and they represented their faith admirably by providing honest perspectives,” said Pastor Weyand-Geise. “The variety of participating rabbis illustrated that Judaism, like Islam and Christianity, is wide and diverse; the Jewish presenters in particular showcased that diversity.”
Students called the class “…a real education of the different religions” and said, “...it was one of my favorites.” “The rabbis were knowledgeable and well spoken,” they said, citing it as “…a much-needed class that would help many heal their hostilities toward others.” The JCRC would like to recognize this semester’s volunteer lecturers and thank them for representing the diversity of our local Jewish community:
Rabbi Robert Barr (Congregation Beth Adam); Rabbi Ezra Goldschmiedt (Sha’arei Torah); Rabbi Sydney Henning (Wise Temple); Rabbinical student Fredrick Kamil (Hebrew Union College); Rabbi Matthew Kraus (University of Cincinnati Judaic Studies Department); Rabbi Margie Meyer; Rabbi Yizchok Preis (Community Kollel); and Rabbi Robert Reiner.
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VOL. 160 • NO. 20 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013 2 TEVET 5774 SHABBAT BEGINS FRIDAY 4:57 PM SHABBAT ENDS SATURDAY 5:58 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
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Live from New York: Howard Gardner discusses ‘The App Generation’ at Wise Temple On Monday, December 9 Wise Temple presents, via satellite, a 92YLive program featuring Howard Gardner. Perfect for parents and teachers, or anyone who would like to know more about a generation who is never without their mobile phones, e-readers and electronic tablets, Howard Gardner, will discuss how
younger people live in the digital world. He will enlighten us about what’s different for today’s adolescents and what we can learn about this difference. Gardner explains how apps can stunt or spur creativity of teenagers and how reliance on apps can limit or encourage personal connections. Many adults who were not
raised with these devices either live in the “app” world or don’t see what the fuss is all about. Either way, Harvard professor Howard Gardner, best known in educational circles for his theory of multiple intelligences, a critique of the notion that there exists but a single human intelligence, can help us understand the differ-
ences between our generation and the younger generation’s use of apps. All of us can choose to be “app-dependent” or “appenabled”. The 92YLive series highlights prominent Jews from all aspects of American life. This series originates and is broadcast live from New York’s prestigious Jewish
cultural center, the 92nd Street Y. The broadcasts are fed into Wise Center and are viewed on a large screen. These events are exclusively a program of Wise Temple’s adult education program. The program starts at 8:15 PM (doors open at 7:45 PM). Tickets are available at the door and are open to the public.
Free tuition? Jewish preschool leaders say money’s not the problem By Julie Wiener NEW YORK (JTA) – At the federation movement’s General Assembly in Jerusalem in early November, the chairman of the network did something unusual for Jewish power gatherings: He devoted the bulk of his speech to nursery school. Calling Jewish preschool the “seedbed of our community,” the chairman of Jewish Federations of North America, Michael Siegal, pledged to raise $1 billion over the next decade for a Jewish revitalization plan with tuition-free Jewish preschool as its centerpiece. By offering free Jewish preschool to every Jewish child in America, Siegal said, “We would be opening ourselves to generation upon generation of more active, more connected, more Jewish Jews.” But many Jewish early childhood professionals don’t see free tuition as a viable or effective strategy. At a meeting last week in Washington of the Alliance for Jewish Early Childhood Education, representatives of several national organizations that work with Jewish preschools discussed how best to leverage Siegal’s pronouncement – which he and Jewish Federations CEO Jerry Silverman also made in an Op-Ed. Cathy Rolland, director of early childhood for the Union for Reform Judaism and co-chair of the alliance, said the free preschool proposal has “ignited an important conversation” about the best way to support and engage Jewish youngsters and their parents. “It’s stirred up people and gotten them to find a collective voice,” she said. In interviews with JTA, numerous Jewish early childhood leaders said they were taken by surprise by Siegal’s proposal. While they are eager to bring more families into their doors and wouldn’t turn down tuition subsidies, they told JTA that they would prefer to see investments made in program quality, professional development, teacher compensation and seeding more full-day programs that enroll not just preschool-age kids, but infants and toddlers.
“I’m thrilled the case for Jewish preschool is out there,” said Valerie Lustgarten, an education consultant who is one of five founders of the Paradigm Project, a new group advocating for Jewish early childhood education and offering coaching and other services. “But more than money, it’s about quality and engaging parents,” she said. “I don’t think Jewish families will come in just because it’s free.” It is unclear just how many people could be served with $1 billion, as annual tuition at Jewish nursery schools ranges from $6,000-$20,000 per year, and Jewish early childhood leaders estimate there are 540,000 Jewish children under age 5 in the United States. While most American Jewish children receive a preschool education, fewer than a quarter do so in a Jewish program, according to the latest study of the subject, in 2008. According to Rolland, enrollment has declined since then due to the recession and competition in several states from universal pre-K programs. Studies suggest that Jewish preschool can play a vital role not just in education, but in connecting families to Jewish community. A 2010 study by Brandeis University’s Mark Rosen outlined the high significance of the first years of a child’s life in cementing family patterns and friendships. Peter Blair, one of several Jewish early childhood educators who helped Lustgarten launch the Paradigm Project last year, says new parents are at a life stage when they are particularly open to connecting with Judaism. “Many people step away from Jewish life for years after their bar or bat mitzvah, and it’s when they have their own children that they start thinking about what it means to raise Jewish children and what they want to pass down,” Blair said. But Jewish preschool has not gotten much attention in the Jewish organizational world. The Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative, a national effort launched in 2005 to strengthen Jewish preschool programs, closed after just six years in part because it was unable to attract sufficient funding. Salaries for early childhood teachers
are notoriously low, quality and Jewish content are inconsistent, and many synagogues and JCCs that host early childhood programs expect them to be moneymakers rather than drivers of Jewish engagement that require investment. In recent years, as many Jewish federations have restructured or eliminated central agencies for Jewish education, support and training for Jewish early childhood educators has been cut. Neither the Avi Chai Foundation nor the Jim Joseph Foundation, the two largest national funders of Jewish education, have made preschool a major spending priority. (Jim Joseph, however, was one of the funding partners of the defunct Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative and now funds a national leadership training program for new early childhood directors.) Maxine Handelman, the early childhood education consultant for the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, says early childhood needs a national advocate
and coordinating body to generate funds and expertise, similar to the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, or PEJE, did for day schools in the late 1990s. “If there were a PEJE for early childhood, that helps institutions start an early childhood program and institute best practices,” she said, “that would be a game-changer.” While tuition may be one thing deterring families from enrolling their children in Jewish preschools, Handelman said that’s not among the top reasons. Studies have shown that convenience, word-of-mouth and where friends go are the most influential factors in Jewish parents’ decisions about where to enroll their children. In addition to serving younger children and offering more full-day options, advocates say preschool directors and teachers need more training, not just in educating tots and infusing Judaism into their curricula, but in connecting parents to Jewish life and helping them form
friendships with other Jewish parents. TUITION on page 19
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Sucker punch: Brooklyn Jews targeted in ‘knockout’ attacks By Julie Wiener
Courtesy of Julie Wiener
Crown Heights resident Pinchas Woolstone says the neighborhood is “light years away” from the era of the riots.
NEW YORK (JTA) – Chava, a student at a Chabad seminary, has lived in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn for six years, but it’s only in the past few days that she started carrying pepper spray in her handbag. Her younger brother gave her the deterrent after news hit of a string of recent attacks against Orthodox Jews, seven of them in Crown Heights. The assaults, believed to be part of a national wave of so-called “knockout game” attacks in which black teens punch random white strangers for sport, are unnerving
Jews in the racially mixed neighborhood still haunted by the days of rioting there in 1991. The latest attack came Monday, when a 72-year-old Russian-speaking Jewish woman was punched in the East New York neighborhood, according to the Daily News. “I’ve definitely been more cautious since [the attacks] started,” Chava told JTA as she waited to pick up a hot drink at Chocolate, a kosher cafe inside the Jewish Children’s Museum. “I’ve been hearing about it, and I saw the footage. I’m looking around. I’m always aware of my surroundings.” In other American cities, knockout victims have been non-Jewish
whites. In New York, the victims of all nine punching attacks reported so far appear to be Jewish, and the New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Unit is investigating. It is unclear whether the attacks, none of which have involved robberies, are linked. A police spokesman interviewed last Friday declined to share details about the incidents but said that eight of the Brooklyn attacks fall into the hate crimes category. For the time being, the NYPD has deployed more police officers to Crown Heights. On Monday, several police vans, a mobile command center, police cars and two officers on horseback were stationed near the
corner of Eastern Parkway and Kingston Avenue, a bustling commercial street with bakeries, groceries and Judaica stores, and home to the world headquarters of Chabad-Lubavitch and the Jewish Children’s Museum. Inside the museum, Michael Harel, the manager of Chocolate and an Israeli who has lived in Crown Heights for 13 years, said there is plenty of tension between blacks and Jews in the neighborhood, some of it attributable to class resentment. “Back in the days there were a lot of problems here,” he said. “Looks like it’s coming back.” SUCKER on page 19
Interim deal on Iran splits Congress on new sanctions bill By Ron Kampeas WASHINGTON (JTA) – They want to brandish a new stick against Iran, but hawks in Congress aren’t going to use it – yet. For all the disappointment they expressed following the deal on Iran's nuclear program, skeptics in Congress appear to be willing to give the agreement brokered by the Obama administration space to breathe – albeit with tough new punitive measures in place should Iran fail to live up to its end of the bargain. “I will continue working with my colleagues to craft bipartisan legislation that will impose tough new economic sanctions if Iran undermines this interim accord or if the
National Briefs Chabad menorah in Utah vandalized (JTA) – A 6-foot menorah in front of the Chabad Lubavitch of Utah was vandalized. Three branches of the menorah were ripped off its left side and dropped in front of the Chabad House in Salt Lake City early Sunday morning, according to reports. The center has been at its current location since 2005 and erected a menorah every year. It is the first time the menorah has been vandalized. Meanwhile, a 9-foot menorah stolen Saturday night from the front of the Chabad of Northwest Indiana in Munster, Ind., was recovered the following day. It had been dumped in a backyard about a half-mile away. Egyptian Christian rights group alarmed by possible
dismantlement of Iran's nuclear infrastructure is not underway by the end of this six-month period,” U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), a leader in passing Iran sanctions, said after the deal’s announcement on Saturday night. That’s a shift from pre-deal statements in which Kirk was leading an effort to push through new sanctions not conditioned on the outcome of talks between the United States and other world powers and Iran. Proponents of a tougher line against Iran say the sanctions talk wasn’t an empty threat and helped shaped the outcome of the interim deal. Moreover, Congress is not dropping the stick: Kirk and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, are preparing new sanctions legislation to take effect if Iran violates the interim deal. The two senators “will be working over the Senate recess to craft a bipartisan sanctions bill that establishes a mandatory fail-safe to this interim agreement, ensuring sanctions come back in spades if Iran cheats during the next six months or if Iran’s nuclear infrastructure is not being dismantled at the end of the six-month period,” a congressional aide told JTA in an email. “We should expect this legislation to go to the president’s desk for signature before the end of the year.” But it's not clear if pro-sanctions lawmakers have backing from the Senate leadership for new sanctions.
“I said when we come back, we’ll take a look at this to see if we need stronger sanctions, ” Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the majority leader, said Monday in an NPR interview quoted by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill daily. Reid said Menendez and Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, will study the issue. “They will hold hearings if necessary, and if we need more work on this, if we need to do stronger sanctions, I’m sure we will do that,” Reid said. The majority leader’s emphasis on the role played by Johnson is significant. Johnson, a moderate Democrat, thus far has resisted efforts to
advance through his committee new sanctions passed over the summer by the U.S. House of Representatives. A former Johnson staffer told JTA that the senator, once thought of as a go-along-to-getalong senator, may feel freer to resist pressure from his colleagues and the pro-Israel community because he has decided not to run again next year. Other pro-Israel Democrats in the Senate – among them Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee, and Carl Levin (DMich.), the chairman of the Armed Services Committee – have made clear that they would oppose
inclusion of Sharia law in new constitution (JNS) – The U.S.-based Egyptian Christian human rights group Coptic Solidarity said the possible inclusion of Sharia law in Egypt’s new constitution would “institutionalize discrimination and persecution of all religious minorities such as Copts, Baha’i, Shia Muslims, and Jews.” “Coptic Solidarity is extremely alarmed that the Egyptian committee tasked with constitutional revisions may be succumbing to intense pressure by Islamists to even further enshrine Sharia as the basis of the constitution,” the group said.
for the Palestinian refugee problem, and accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing.”
Mass. (JNS) – Anti-Defamation League (ADL) officials made conflicting statements on the existence of a report by the organization about allegations of anti-Israel teaching materials in Newton, Mass., public schools. Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT) recently took out an advertisement in Boston-area newspapers publicizing research by community members on anti-Israel texts that have appeared in Newton schools. Leaders from the ADL, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), and Combined Jewish Philanthropies (Boston’s Jewish federation) said in a recent statement that “based on a careful review of the materials at issue by ADL and JCRC, there is substantial reason to believe that the allegations made in the [APT] ad are without merit.” ADL officials, however, contradicted themselves on the existence of a report documenting the group’s “careful review” of the issue. In a Nov. 29 story by The Jewish Advocate of Boston, ADL New England Regional Director Robert Trestan said a report of
ADL’s investigation does not exist, while ADL New England Region Board Chair Jeffrey Robbins said, “It’s an internal report. People do this stuff internally all the time. It involves all kinds of proprietary research.”
Anti-Israel ads in Boston, Denver, Portland countered by StandWithUs (JNS) – A new billboard campaign by the pro-Israel education group StandWithUs (SWU) counters anti-Israel advertisements in Boston, Denver, and Portland, Ore. SWU’s ads, which went up in Portland on Monday and go up in Boston and Denver on Dec. 9, counter campaigns featuring maps depicting a “disappearing Palestine” and a growing Israel, blaming Israel
ADL doesn’t acknowledge others’ work on Northeastern U. anti-Semitism, groups say (JNS) – The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) and Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT) say the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) failed to acknowledge their work to combat antiSemitism at Northeastern University in Boston, while taking credit for successes itself. In a recent statement on the issue, leaders of ADL’s New England Region and Boston’s Jewish federation, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, said, “Over the past year we have worked closely with officials at Northeastern regarding those concerns [of antiSemitism]. Northeastern has devoted considerable resources to addressing this issue, and has done so in a thoughtful and responsible manner.” ADL makes conflicting statements on existence of report on anti-Israel texts in Newton,
DEAL on page 20
Jewish groups raise concerns on Iran nuclear deal in calls with White House (JNS) – White House national security officials tried to assuage leaders of American-Jewish organizations about the newly reached nuclear deal between the P5+1 powers and Iran during several recent conference calls. Officials spoke to groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the American Jewish Committee, and the Jewish Federations of North America. Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents, said Jewish leaders “raised the concerns that are quite obvious to the community and the issues that have come up regarding the process of the accord [and its] implementation.”
NATIONAL • 7
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013
For many agunot, halachic prenups won’t break their chains By Talia Lavin NEW YORK (JTA) – For years, Rachel Light felt like a hostage, worried she would be forever trapped in her marriage to Eben Light. Even in April 2012, after Eben was arrested for allegedly threatening her and was slapped with a restraining order, Rachel was unable to get a writ of Jewish divorce, or get. That made her an agunah – Hebrew for “chained woman” – putting her in the company of hundreds of other Orthodox women who cannot remarry because their husbands refuse to grant them divorces according to Jewish law, or halachah. Fortunately for Rachel, who was Modern Orthodox, she and her husband had signed a halachic (Jewish ritual) prenuptial agreement. In 2013, hers was the first such prenup to be enforced in a U.S. civil court. Light obtained her get and a substantial financial settlement in Connecticut. “I’m so thankful that I happened to have signed it, because I don’t know that I’d be remarried today with an awesome, wonderful new family without it,” Light told JTA. “But nevertheless, it’s not going to be able to help everybody in every case, and I would love to see a solution that could.” First developed in the 1990s in an attempt to protect women from becoming agunot, halachic prenuptial agreements stipulate that the couple in a dissolving marriage must come before a predetermined court of Jewish law. If the man refuses to provide the get, he must provide a financial settlement, typically in the range of $150 per day – an agreement enforceable in civil court. Yet while halachic prenuptial agreements have been touted as a solution to the agunah problem, they have hardly been a panacea – because many are reluctant to sign them in the first place. “Those who are most likely to need to use it are least likely to sign it,” said Rabbi Jeremy Stern, director of the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot, or ORA, which says it deals with more than 150 cases of agunot per year. The problem is unique to the Orthodox world, because nonOrthodox movements have rejected or found ways around traditional rules that give husbands practically all the leverage. And, frustratingly for advocates on behalf of agunot, most Orthodox couples hail from segments of the community that aren’t interested in halachic prenups. “The problem is in the black-hat and haredi community, where they don’t have prenups or rabbis don’t
agree to enforce the idea of having a prenup,” said Stanley Goodman, director of an organization known as GET – Getting Equal Treatment. Rabbi Avi Shafran, spokesman for the haredi Orthodox Agudath Israel of America, said Aguda does not advocate the use of halachic prenups. “There is a concern that introducing and focusing on the possible dissolution of a marriage when it is just beginning is not conducive to the health of the marriage,” Shafran said. “I don’t think it is really possible to gauge their efficacy without data, and in any event, it would be impossible to know when the existence of a prenup might have eased the way toward a divorce when a marriage might, with effort and determination, have been saved.” Even the centrist Orthodox Rabbinical Council of America, which reiterated its support for prenuptial agreements in a statement last week, does not require its member rabbis to request a halachic prenup before performing weddings. “Rabbinic authorities that are guiding the RCA, with whom we consult, feel it is inappropriate to make an absolute obligation for members,” Rabbi Mark Dratch, executive vice-president of the RCA, told JTA. The RCA’s public statement on prenups came on the heels of several high-profile cases of get refusal. In October, the FBI announced it had arrested a group of men in New York who were accused of taking money to use violence to compel recalcitrant husbands to give gets. Their methods allegedly included kidnapping and the use of electric cattle prods. Agunot were paying tens of thousands of dollars for the service. In early November, the New York Post featured on its front page the story of an agunah from Lakewood, N.J., Gital Dodelson, who said her husband’s family had demanded $350,000 and custody of the couple’s son in exchange for a get. A storm of media coverage followed, prompting the husband’s father and uncle to temporarily resign from their positions at Artscroll, a leading Orthodox publishing house. One of the main problems with the halachic prenup, advocates say, is the lack of enforcement of its financial penalties. Although the agreements stipulate a daily fine to be paid by the husband to the wife while a get is refused, these fines are nearly always waived in exchange for the get itself, according to Rabbi Joel Weissman, director of the RCAaffiliated Beth Din of America, the religious court that oversees many agunah cases. In current versions of
its halachic prenup, the Beth Din of America exercises absolute control over the payments and may waive them at its discretion. “They’re emasculating their own prenuptial,” Susan Aranoff, codirector of the advocacy organization Agunah International, said of the Beth Din of America. “The way the Beth Din enforces it is a smokescreen that deprives the woman and does not protect her.” In response, Weissman told JTA: “In a vast majority of cases, the woman will walk home with the get and not push the case for support.” Rachel Light says it wasn’t until she took her agreement to civil court in New Haven that she was able to receive her get. Her then-husband had avoided multiple summonses to the beit din without any consequences, she said. In such cases, the beit din, as an extralegal entity, has only one recourse: to issue a seruv, a religious contempt-of-court order akin to excommunication, in which the recalcitrant party is banned from participation in synagogues and other community institutions. In cases where individuals are indifferent to this exclusion, or communities are unwilling to cooperate, the seruv may be ineffective. While civil courts have more tools at their disposal, that route CHAINS on page 22
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At American Studies Association, boycotting Israel finds wide favor By Ron Kampeas WASHINGTON (JTA) – For 90 minutes in a packed hotel conference room in the heart of Washington, Israel was the colonizer, the settler state, the perpetuator of apartheid. As the annual meeting this weekend of the American Studies Association demonstrated, participants who favored boycotting Israeli universities far outnumbered those opposed. Of 44 speakers, 37 supported the resolution, in which the association would endorse and “honor the call of Palestinian society for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.” The preamble to the resolution accused Israeli universities of complicity in the occupation. The session Saturday evening was not determinative, however; it
Courtesy of Yonatan Sindel/Flash90
Some members of the American Studies Association are pushing for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, such as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where students are shown in October 2013.
was an open invitation to the body’s membership to influence the association’s 20-person national council. The council was supposed to take up
the resolution on Sunday morning, but by Tuesday evening it had not announced a decision, nor were its spokespeople returning calls.
Pro-Israel groups active on campuses were watching the session closely. Until now, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement – known as BDS – has made few inroads into American academe. One exception is the Association for Asian American Studies, which in April passed a resolution in favor of boycotting Israeli academic institutions. Geri Palast, managing director of the Israel Action Network, which organizes pro-Israel activism on campus, said the American Studies Association meeting, which attracted a crowd of some 250 people, was expected to be another victory for the BDS movement in part because the American studies field is dominated by left-leaning academics who tend toward tough critiques of what they see as U.S.-enabled imperialism.
“My concern about some of these smaller academic associations is that they get amplified out of proportion,” Palast said. Some opponents of the resolution said that however unrepresentative the session was of broader American society, it represents a growing trend on campuses toward endorsement of the BDS movement. “They are organized and there are quite a few of them on campuses,” Simon Bonner, a professor of American studies at Penn State Harrisburg, said of academic activists who favor BDS. Campus pro-Palestinian groups are energetic, Bonner said, and because of their single-issue focus they are likelier to get attention than Jewish student groups that are more diffuse in their activities, such as AMERICAN on page 20
Deeply unpopular at home, French president praised on Israel trip By Cnaan Liphshiz
Courtesy of Uriel Sinai/Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcoming French President Francois Hollande on his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport, Nov. 17, 2013.
(JTA) – For Francois Hollande, the most unpopular head of state in France in more than half a century, his first presidential visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority promised a respite from the daily pummeling over his country’s stunted economy and his perceived flimsiness as a leader. In Israel, everything was set for a hero’s welcome for someone who supported Europe’s blacklisting of Hezbollah’s military unit, waged a relentless war on anti-Semitism and scuttled a nascent deal over Iran’s nuclear program that was stridently
opposed by Jerusalem. “I will always remain a friend of Israel,” Hollande said in Hebrew upon arriving Sunday at Ben Gurion Airport. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned the sentiment, calling Hollande “a leader with principles and deep humanity” – praises that reflect the gratitude many Israelis and French Jews feel toward a man who has transformed France from one of Israel’s fiercest European critics into an important ally. Controversy threatened to derail Hollande’s visit even before he arrived.
A planned speech to the Israeli Knesset was canceled briefly after Hollande decided he would prefer to follow President Obama’s lead and address university students. Outraged, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein nixed a reception for Hollande and froze cooperation with the French Embassy on the visit. France’s foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, ended the row on Nov. 9 with his announcement that Hollande would address the Knesset after all. “I know you rely on your own strength for defense, but know that France is your friend and will not allow Iran access to nuclear arms,
for it would a be threat for Israel and the world,” Hollande said in his address to the parliament Monday evening. “Everything must be done to solve this crisis through diplomacy,” Hollande said, adding: “We shall maintain sanctions until Iran has renounced its nuclear program.” In the French media, the Knesset incident received considerable play because it touched on Hollande’s Achilles’ heel: His perceived indecisiveness, even among members of his own Socialist Party. “Hollande is more of a grayish FRENCH on page 21
Morocco, despite anti-Israel proposals, seen as rare warm environment for Jews in Arab world By Sean Savage (JNS) – Tucked quietly away on the far-western edge of North Africa, Morocco has largely avoided the upheaval of the so-called “Arab Spring” that has plunged many Middle Eastern countries into chaos. It has a vibrant economy, stable government, and growing tourism industry. Nevertheless, Morocco is not immune to the problems of the Arab world, including corruption, unemployment, and Islamic extremism. Additionally, a proposed bill in the Moroccan legislature that would criminalize any contacts with Israel threatens to undermine the warm relations Morocco has with its Jewish community at home and abroad, as well as its growing international reputation as a rare model for success in the Arab world. “Overall, Morocco remains stable and open for business and
Courtesy of U.S. Department of State.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel meet with King Mohammed VI of Morocco at the Moroccan Ambassador to the United States’ residence in Washington, D.C., on November 20, 2013.
remains a mecca for tourists, but the gaps between rich and poor, endemic corruption and unresponsiveness of state institutions to people’s
needs, high youth unemployment – all things that characterize the entire region – means that Morocco is not immune to challenges,” Professor
Bruce Maddy-Weitzman, principal research fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, told JNS. Isolated by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Atlas mountains to the east, Morocco has one of the Arab world’s oldest and most stable monarchies under the leadership of King Mohammed VI. Founded in 1631, the Alaouite dynasty, which claims descent from the Prophet Mohammed, has given Morocco a firm sense of identity and stability over the centuries. Taking over as king in 1999 after the passing of his father, King Hassan II, Mohammed VI is a young and progressive pro-Western leader who immediately instituted social reforms and economic liberalization in an attempt modernize to Morocco. The king is also an adept businessman, and the royal family has a fortune worth more than $2.5 billion.
As the so-called “Arab Spring” swept through the region in 2010, King Mohammed faced unprecedented challenges to his regime. Allegations of corruption and the slow pace of reforms damaged his reputation. “There were substantial protests, calling for reform, not revolution,” Maddy-Weitzman said. “The king seized the initiative from protestors demanding reform, promoting a new constitution that was to give more power to the government and parliament, the devolution of power to local and regional authorities, to effectively fight corruption and the recognition of the Berber (Amazigh) language and culture as a core component of Moroccan national identity. He also expanded public spending – salaries, job hiring, subsidies on basic goods,” he said. MOROCCO on page 22
INTERNATIONAL • 9
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013
With mega-menorah, Dutch Christians help Jews come out of their shell By Cnaan Liphshiz BERLIKUM, Netherlands (JTA) – In a windswept parking lot near the North Sea shore, Klaas Zijlstra stands motionless as he admires his latest creation. It’s the first time he is testing the 36-foot menorah he has spent weeks designing and building in the shape of a Star of David in his metal workshop in the northern tip of the Netherlands. Despite strong winds, the menorah holds, thanks in no small part to its 6-ton base. This isn’t just any mega-menorah. For one thing, it may be the largest in all of Europe. For another, it’s the handiwork of a Protestant metal contractor, paid for by
Christian Zionists and meant to be a sign of solidarity with the Jewish people. Oh, and it’s kosher for use on Hanukkah, too. “It’s exactly like the rabbi wanted,” Zijlstra said. The rabbi is Binyomin Jacobs of Chabad, who helped Zijlstra and a group called Christians for Israel design the nine-branch candelabrum so it could be used for the eight-day holiday. On Wednesday evening, Hanukkah’s first night, Jacobs intends to mount a crane and light the first candle in front of hundreds of Christians and Jews during a public ceremony in Nijkerk, not far from Amsterdam.
Though commonplace in the United States and even in Russia, public Hanukkah events are a recent and revolutionary development in the Netherlands. Here they signify the growing self-confidence and openness of a Jewish community whose near annihilation in the Holocaust left a deeply entrenched tendency to keep a low profile. “Twenty years ago, this wouldn’t have been possible,” said Arjen Lont, the Christian Zionist businessman who donated $40,000 to build and transport the menorah. “It requires a lot of openness.” Lont says the purpose of the giant menorah, which can be used
Courtesy of Sara van Oordt, Christians for Israel
MENORAH on page 21
The Christians for Israel menorah being mounted in Nijkerk near Amsterdam on Nov. 25, 2013.
Israeli-Iranian DJ group spins for peace in Berlin By Boaz Arad BERLIN (JTA) – It’s 4 a.m. at the famous Kater Holzig club and hundreds of beautiful young people are going crazy on the dance floor to the sound of heavy electronic beats. To the casual clubber, it’s just another ordinary night out in Europe’s hottest city. But this gathering is far from ordinary. Many of those dancing are immigrants from two countries whose ongoing tensions could explode in the world’s face at any given moment. Welcome to the first IranianIsraeli techno party organized by the Iranian-Israeli collective No Beef.
International Briefs Iran ‘far too close’ to nuclear weapon after deal, says former CIA chief (JNS) – Gen. Michael Hayden, former head of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, said Iran is “far too close to a nuclear weapon” following its interim agreement with world powers. The deal allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium to 5 percent. “At the end of the day, Iran is going to be a nuclear threshold state,” Hayden told Fox News. Report: Shimon Peres secretly speaks to Arab nations (JNS) – Israeli President Shimon Peres gave a secret speech to 29 representatives from Arab nations in November via livestream as part of the Gulf States Security Summit in Abu Dhabi, Yedioth Ahronoth reported. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman attended the meeting and first revealed Peres’s
It’s the kind of thing that could only happen in Berlin: Iranians and Israelis clubbing together inside a World War II-era German soap factory that now houses some of the city’s best parties, high, happy and sweaty, grinding it like there’s no tomorrow to tunes spun by DJs from Tehran and Tel Aviv. A couple of them sit around a small campfire outside the main dance hall, on the banks of the Spree River, passing around sweetsmelling peace blunts and munching on hummus and Persian chicken stew prepared by a Persian-Jewish Israeli restaurateur. The air is filled with small talk in
Hebrew, Farsi and everyone’s common language, German. Nobody talks about politics or nuclear bombs. It’s just a bunch of young people sitting together, enjoying the moment and connecting to each other through the music. It’s what connected the party’s two organizers, Reza Khani and Roy Siny. Khani, 36, is a well-known figure in Berlin nightlife as the proprietor of a successful bar in the hip Kreuzberg neighborhood. Siny, 35, is a doctoral student at Potsdam University by day and a popular techno DJ by night. The two first met at Khani’s bar.
Siny was having a few drinks with his girlfriend and ended up playing a spontaneous set. Few words were exchanged, but the pair connected again on Facebook, at the bottom of a long comment thread about the situation in the Middle East. Siny was engaged in a heated discussion with radical German antiIsrael activists. Khani, who was tired of seeing the argument popping up on his feed, messaged him privately and told him to take it easy. “I told him he’s wasting his energy on people who have no real understanding of our reality,” Khani
appearance. Participants included representatives from Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Saudi Arabia. Facilitating the meeting were U.S. Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations Martin Indyk and U.N. Under-Secretary-General TerjeRoed Larsen.
U.N. Palestinian ‘Day of Solidarity’ features series of condemnations of Israel (JNS) – For the 66th anniversary of the Nov. 29 endorsement of the U.N. Partition Plan for Palestine, which would have established neighboring Jewish and Arab states but was rejected by the Palestinians, the U.N. General Assembly marked “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People” with a series of resolutions and speeches condemning Israel. The Arab League's U.N. ambassador, Ahmed Fathalla, called Israel “racist” and accused the country of illegally “Judaizing Jerusalem.”
cation read, “To the great pastor and guardian of our common heritage.”
Alan Gross asks for Obama’s involvement in securing release from Cuban prison (JNS) – Alan Gross, who is serving a 15-year prison term in Cuba for helping the Cuban Jewish community access the Internet while he was a subcontractor for the United States Agency for International Development, asked for President Barack Obama’s “personal involvement” in helping to secure his release. Dec. 3 marked the fourth anniversary of the imprisonment of Gross, who says he was working to promote democracy but was convicted by Cuba of “crimes against the state.” The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has ruled that his detention is arbitrary.
Netanyahu-pope meeting at Vatican explores Middle East, papal trip to Israel (JTA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Pope Francis, in their first face-to-face meeting talked about the Middle East and plans for a papal trip to Israel, among other issues. Also at Monday’s closed-door, 25-minute audience at the Vatican, Netanyahu presented the pope with a book about the Spanish Inquisition written by his father, the late historian Benzion Netanyahu. The dedi-
DJ on page 20
French firm to drop Cyclone B as cleaning product name (JTA) – A French detergent maker said it will change the name of a product called Cyclone B following complaints that it is offensive to Holocaust victims. “We are aware of the issue and are working to address it,” a spokeswoman for the firm IPC-SA from Brest in northwestern France told JTA on Monday. She was referring to complaints that the product’s name was too reminiscent of the Zyklon B poison that the Nazis used to murder hundreds of thousands of Jews in gas chambers during the Holocaust. Herzl Center launches in Budapest BUDAPEST, Hungary (JTA) – An educational center named for Theodor Herzl, considered the founder of modern Zionism, was inaugurated in his native Budapest. The Herzl Center, which was dedicated Sunday night at the city’s Israel Cultural Center, is designed to introduce Hungarian Jews to the Zionist movement. It was estab-
Courtesy of Boaz Arad
Israeli DJ Roy Siny, left, and Iranian DJ Afagh Irandoost at the first No Beef party in Berlin, Aug. 17, 2013.
lished by the World Zionist Organization and The Jewish Agency for Israel with the assistance of the Herzl Center in Jerusalem. Four public menorahs vandalized in Budapest BUDAPEST, Hungary (JTA) – Three vandals of public menorahs in the Hungarian capital of Budapest reportedly turned themselves into police. Police were searching for a fourth vandal in the attacks they said took place over the weekend on four menorahs throughout the city, Hungary’s Club Radio reported. The vandalism was captured on public surveillance cameras. Canada’s Harper to make his first Israel visit TORONTO (JTA) – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a staunch advocate of Israel, is making his first visit to the nation. Harper made the announcement of the visit, set for early next year, on Sunday night at the Jewish National Fund of Canada’s annual Negev Dinner, where he was honored. He also will visit Jordan and the West Bank.
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Struggling Holocaust survivors in Israel say gov’t must do more By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – Breakfast costs Dov Jakobovitz $2. Lunch costs him $2.25. Both are served in the public old-age home in south Tel Aviv where he lives. But the food is not to his liking. Jakobovitz longs for the dishes he ate as a child in Transylvania – gefilte fish, goulash, chicken wings – rather than the rice-and-salad fare more typical of the Israeli diet. A restaurant he enjoys in the center of the city serves such Ashkenazi fare, but he can’t afford it. For dinner, he eats leftovers from lunch. But Jakobovitz knows it could be worse. Born in the Romanian town of Satmar in 1928, Jakobovitz was deported with his family to Auschwitz at age 14. The memory of watching his mother sent to the left in the selection line, to the gas chambers, still haunts him. “In the concentration camp, we ate the shavings of carrots and vegetables,” he recalls. “We had wooden shoes. We ate from our hands, from our hat. We’d be satisfied with enough to eat from that. That was in Auschwitz.” Jakobovitz made it to prestate Israel in 1947 and was immediately drafted into the Haganah, the Zionist military organization. He fought in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence and in the 1967 Six-Day War. Today he can’t meet basic monthly expenses.
Israel Briefs ‘Reverse’ Gaza flotilla passes without confrontation (JNS.org) A “reverse flotilla” that left Gaza on Monday returned without confronting the Israeli Navy, Israel Hayom reported. About 150 Palestinian and European activists set out on 19 boats traveling from the Gaza shore toward Israeli Navy vessels in an effort to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza. Hamas personnel escorted the flotilla, which was organized by a group called Shabaab al-Intifada, to prevent an altercation between activists and the navy. IDF patrol comes under fire near Syrian border (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS) – Israel Defense Forces soldiers on routine patrol near the Israel-Syria border in the Golan Heights came under fire Monday, Army Radio reported. The troops returned fire at the Syrian post recognized as the source of the fire.
Courtesy of Ben Sales
Dov Jakobovitz, 85, lives in an old-age home in a poor neighborhood of Tel Aviv. He survived Auschwitz and fought in two Israeli wars, but now he doesn’t have enough money for food.
He receives $1,200 every three months in reparations from the German government and another $120 per month from Israel, but it’s not enough. Jakobovitz skimps on buying medicine to save money. He doesn’t buy new clothes, and purchases only the cheapest shoes – they hurt his feet. Only rarely does he splurge on organized day trips for the elderly. And he’s not alone. A report this year by the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel found that a majority of Israel’s 192,000 survivors are struggling economically. Another 40 percent report feeling
Israel invited to join UN Human Rights Council after 18-month absence (JNS) – Israel was invited to join the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) through a deal with European states to join their bloc. In May 2012, Israel severed ties with the UNHCR after the body announced it would investigate West Bank Jewish communities. Since 2008, the body has passed 45 resolutions against Israel, more than any other country. Two-year-old Israeli girl injured in Jerusalem stoning attack (JNS) – Two-year-old Israeli girl Avigail Ben-Zion suffered a moderate head wound Thursday after her mother’s car was stoned as it entered the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood in Jerusalem. She was released from Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center on Sunday. Security forces arrested four Arab residents, ages 15-20, of the village of Sur Baher in eastern Jerusalem in connection with the case. Tel Aviv criticized for hosting
“very lonely.” Two-thirds are unsatisfied with government assistance for survivors. And 92 percent feel the government doesn’t invest enough in their welfare. “There are still gaps between the response and what’s needed,” said Roni Klinsky, the foundation’s CEO. In the past, “people got less help and weren’t organized enough to get assistance. The state always has troubles. There are wars and new immigrants. But the survivor issue wasn’t a high priority.” The issues are pressing now, Klinsky says, because of the dwindling number of survivors – it’s the last chance to make a substantive Nakba film festival (JNS) – Member of Knesset Ayelet Shaked (Habayit Hayehudi) criticized the city of Tel Aviv for hosting a film festival focusing on the Nakba, the Arabic term meaning “catastrophe” that Palestinians use to describe Israel’s victory in the 1948 War of Independence. “I was shocked to discover that Tel Aviv Municipality was helping produce an anti-Zionist film festival at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.” said Shaked. Israeli President Shimon Peres says he will not remain in politics after term ends (JNS) – Israel President Shimon Peres does not intend to remain in politics after completing his current term in 2014. “I have no such plans [to remain in politics after my term ends],” Peres told Israel Hayom during a trip to Mexico. During Hanukkah, Hasmonean structure uncovered in Jerusalem (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS) – In the midst of Hanukkah, which celebrates the Hasmonean dynasty's military victory over Antiochus’s Syrian Greek army, the Israel Antiquities Authority
difference for many of them. An estimated 37 survivors die every day in Israel, a rate that within five years would nearly halve the survivor population to just over 110,000. In the state’s first decades, some Israelis reacted to survivors with ambivalence, deriding them as passive and weak. The Dorner Report, a 2008 government study on public assistance to survivors, charged that “as they built, developed and defended the land ... successive governments of Israel neglected the right of survivors to personal reparations.” Klinsky says attitudes have changed and Israelis now respect the resiliency of Holocaust survivors. The government also has dedicated $1 billion in additional funding to survivors over the past four years. Recently elected Finance Minister Yair Lapid, who often references his father’s Holocaust experience, has added about $28 million in aid to survivors annually over the next five years. “The State of Israel is trying to aid them to not only die with respect, but to to live with respect,” said Menachem Wagshel, the Social Welfare and Social Services Ministry’s coordinator for Holocaust survivors. “We need to look at the coming years as critical, when we can still assist them to give them the best care.” Among the challenges facing the government in meeting that commit-
ment is defining just who qualifies as a Holocaust survivor. Following the Dorner Report, the government expanded its definition to include those who escaped or performed forced labor, doubling the number of recognized survivors. Klinsky and Wagshel are now formulating for the first time a unified list of Israeli survivors that they hope to finish within two years. Wagshel also is creating a government office that will handle all survivor concerns, consolidating a sprawling apparatus. One potential beneficiary of all that is Ruth Eizenberg, who escaped from Kiev to the Ural Mountains as a child, arriving in Israel in 1972. Eizenberg, 79, has asthma and trouble walking. She lives in a fifth-floor walkup in Jerusalem. A governmentfunded caretaker who visited her twice weekly was dismissed recently because, Eizenberg said, a nurse misjudged her ability to live unassisted. Eizenberg is requesting the caretaker’s return, but thus far without success. “It’s hard for me to get home,” she said. “I can barely get into the bath.” Eizenberg’s most reliable help comes from Yedida Freilich, 25, a student who visits once a week as part of Adopt-a-Safta, a volunteer program founded last year to provide company for lonely survivors.
announced the discovery of a unique structure from the Hasmonean period in archeological digs carried out adjacent to the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. Coins found inside the structure indicate that it was built at the beginning of the second century B.C.E. and was used well into the Hasmonean period (140 B.C.E. to 37 B.C.E.).
more spaces for airplanes, the expansion will include a lobby, cafes and stores, the Israeli business daily Globes reported.
Olmert to Netanyahu: Stop slamming U.S. Iran policy JERUSALEM (JTA) – Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert accused his successor, Benjamin Netanyahu, of declaring war on the United States in its policy on Iran. Olmert said Israel should not be leading the international effort against Iran's nuclear program and that that role should be left to the United States. Ben Gurion Airport expansion approved JERUSALEM (JTA) – The Israel Airports Authority approved the expansion of Ben Gurion Airport’s Terminal 3. The expansion plans, approved Sunday, include the construction of a fourth arm for the terminal at a cost of $187 million. In addition to providing
STRUGGLING on page 22
Coin issued for 60th anniversary of Yad Vashem JERUSALEM (JTA) – A commemorative coin to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum was issued by the Bank of Israel. Noa, Noam most popular names for Jewish babies in Israel JERUSALEM (JTA) – Noa for girls and Noam for boys were the most popular names for Jewish babies born in Israel in 2012. Noa, of biblical origin, was followed in order by Shira, which means song; Tamar, a biblical name and date; Talia, which means a female lamb; and Maya. Rounding out the top 10 are Yael, Sarah, Adele or Edel, Ayala and Michal. Noam, which means pleasantness, was followed by Uri or Ori, which means my light, and the biblical names Itai, Yosef and David. Rounding out the top 10 are Yehonatan, Daniel, Ariel, Moshe and Eitan.
SOCIAL LIFE • 11
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013
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Stacey Fisher, Robyn Miller, Sarah Wise, Alison Caller, Shary Levitt, Tara Vigran
Major Gifts Dinner Co-Chairs: Marty & Sally Hiudt and Beth & Louis Guttman
Debbie Brant, Shep Englander, Shary Levitt, Ronen Isakov, Dr. Erica Brown, Marc Randolph, Tedd Friedman, Stacey Fisher, David Wise, Ben Fisher
Lynn and Bob Kanter
Murray Guttman and Rabbi Irvin Wise
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013
Jo Levine and Pam Barbash
Andrea Levenson and Marcie Bachrach
Stuart and Terry Susskind
• 13
14 • DINING OUT
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More in a name at 20 Brix than meets the taste buds By Bob Wilhelmy Ask what’s in a name and the answer could surprise. That proved the case in exploring the name 20 Brix with the restaurant’s GM, Clay Mitchell. Turns out, Brix gains its origin from Adolf Brix, a German chemist who lived in the 1800s. Brix figured out how to determine sugar content in solution. That proved a boon to winemakers, who could use his scale to more accurately determine the sugar content of grapes on the vine. Instead of guessing, winemakers could pick grapes with optimum concentrations of sugar for the wines they intended to produce. Brix levels are determined by a refractometer, and “20 Brix” on that device is the level of sugar in wine grapes that produces a light, lively vintage. Such grapes (at 20 Brix on the concentration scale) commonly are desired for making champagne. Further, champagne is a celebratory beverage, and thus, 20 Brix, the restaurant, is a place to celebrate fine food and outstanding wines, Mitchell said. So now you know what’s in that name, cerebral and sensible, though uncommon it may be. Other points of interest about 20 Brix are its component parts: a restaurant, yes; but a retail wine shop, and a wine bar as well. Mitchell wants all prospective patrons to know that wines from the retail shop are from craft and boutique vintners. The shop wines are at market prices, not restaurant prices. The wine bar serves all day, open to close, and recently, 20 Brix initiated a tapasstyle menu available from 2-5 p.m., as the kitchen transitions from lunch to dinner preparations. Food is prepared in 20 Brix’s craft kitchen, Mitchell said. “No pre-processing of any kind; we practice the culinary arts, making everything we serve from scratch. What’s more, we work very hard to provide our diners with locally sourced dishes that rely on fresh, locally sourced ingredients,” he said. That is why 20 Brix’s bill of fare is subject to change on a nightly basis. On the menu when I stopped in were the dishes pictured here. One is the pan-roasted Verlasso salmon loin. The salmon is wildcaught in the icy waters of the Pacific Ocean, off the Chilean coast. Verlasso is a lean fish, meaning less fat, a richer flavor and a deep, dark-red color to the flesh. The dish is served with locally grown beet home-fries, beet greens, a farm-fresh egg, and gherkin buerre blanc. Looks tasty! The other dish is Parisian gnocchi, craft-made in the 20
Clay Mitchell, GM, amid bottles in the retail wine area of 20 Brix.
pan-roasted Verlasso salmon loin.
Brix’s kitchen. This vegetarian dish is of French origin, and a tantalizing twist on the Italian gnocchi. The twist? The French version is a pasta-based gnocchi, while the Italian generally is made from potatoes—opposite what one might expect. Mitchell said the dish is a warming, filling entrée for this raw, wintry time of year— perfect for what Mother Nature is sending our way now. Local winter squash, mushrooms, pickled apple and broccoli accompany the gnocchi, which comes in a parmesan fondue. Again, the dish looks
Parisian gnocchi.
delicious. Other items that caught my interest were: the French onion risotto, made with Guggisberg Swiss cheese, rye croutons and a sherry vinegar reduction; Gerber Farms fried chicken, served with a sweet-potato waffle, maple syrup, braised Ohio field greens and rosemary chicken jus; and the dryaged Ohio grass-fed strip steak frites, served with braised mushrooms, thick-cut fries, and a soy buerre rouge. 20 Brix celebrated its sixth anniversary on November 12, and
Mitchell said attention to detail has a lot to do with continued success in a wide-ranging restaurant market. “We stress on-time reservations here, for instance. We don’t want our guests to wait 5, 10, 15 minutes for a table they have taken the time to reserve for themselves. We work hard to assure that guests are seated when they expect to be seated. Our guests may have a show or an event to attend, and being seated on time can be important in those circumstances. Plus, a diner’s time is valuable; we respect that.”
Wine-tasting nights also are held at 20 Brix, with five wines to taste and complement five smallplate food pairings. Tastings range from $45 to $100 per person, depending on the wines offered. See you at 20 Brix! 20 Brix 101 Main St. Milford, OH 831-279
DINING OUT • 15
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 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
7625 Beechmont Ave • 231-5550 Ambar India Restaurant
4766 Red Bank Expy • 376-6008
350 Ludlow Ave
5098B Glencrossing Way • 347-9699
Cincinnati
8179 Princeton-Glendale • 942-7800
281-7000
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
Johnny Chan 2
281-9791
11296 Montgomery Rd
Blue Ash 791-2223 • 791-1381 (fax)
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
Kanak India Restaurant
239-8881
10040B Montgomery Rd
Baba India Restaurant
Montgomery
3120 Madison Rd
793-6800
Cincinnati
Marx Hot Bagels
321-1600
9701 Kenwood Rd
Bangkok Terrace
Blue Ash
4858 Hunt Rd
891-5542
Blue Ash
Mecklenburg Gardens
891-8900 • 834-8012 (fx)
302 E. University Ave
Cafe Mediterranean
Clifton
9525 Kenwood Rd
221-5353
Cincinnati
Mei Japanese Restaurant
745-9386
8608 Market Place Lane
Carlo & Johnny
Montgomery
9769 Montgomery Rd
891-6880
Cincinnati
Padrino
936-8600
111 Main St
Durum Grill
Milford
4764 Cornell Rd.
965-0100
489-4777
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12110 Montgomery Rd Montgomery 677-1993 Walt’s Hitching Post 300 Madison Pike Fort Wright, KY
Ask about our Specials!
(859) 360-2222 Wertheim’s Restaurant 514 W 6th St Covington, KY (859) 261-1233
Parkers Blue Ash Tavern
Gutierrez Restaurante
4200 Cooper Rd
Mexican Grill
Blue Ash
1191 Montgomery Rd.
891-8300
The Best Japanese Cuisine, Asian Food & Dining Experience In Town 9521 FIELDS ERTEL ROAD, LOVELAND
583-1741
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andyskabob.com • 513.281.9791
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16 • OPINION
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With Iran deal signed, what’s Netanyahu’s next move? By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – With an interim agreement on Iran’s nuclear program in place, President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu each face formidable challenges ahead. For Obama, the goal will be to move from the interim agreement to a broader and more permanent deal within six months, all while managing deep skepticism about the deal from some U.S. lawmakers who want to pass new sanctions legislation against Iran. For his part, Netanyahu must convince Obama to hold out for a final accord that corrects what the Israeli leader called the “historic mistake” of the deal signed late Saturday night. The two leaders talked by phone on Sunday, and Obama reportedly agreed to keep Netanyahu up to date on the progress of negotiations. On Monday, Netanyahu said he was dispatching his national security adviser, Yossi Cohen, to Washington to consult on the parameters of a permanent accord. For nearly two decades, Netanyahu has been sounding the alarm about the dangers of Iran’s nuclear program, steadily raising the volume since he retook the bully pulpit of the prime minister’s office in 2009. He has brandished a cartoon bomb at the United Nations podium for illustration, criticized allies, and said time and again that Israel will “defend itself, by itself, against any threat.” Experts have credited the prime minister with helping persuade the world to enact an unprecedented sanctions regime against Tehran. Netanyahu also has helped ensure that the United States keeps Israeli interests in mind; when discussing the Iran deal, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry almost always mentions Israel’s security concerns. Now that the United States has gone against Israel’s wishes and signed the deal, Netanyahu’s chal-
Correction In the Letter to the Editor, published on November 28th, the author meant to use the phrase “Sudanese asylum seekers”, not “Somali asylum seekers.” She apologizes for her mistake.
lenge is to keep up the pressure – now more than ever. “It is true that the international pressure which we applied was partly successful and has led to a better result than what was originally planned, but this is still a bad deal,” Netanyahu told his parliament on Monday. “It reduces the pressure on Iran without receiving anything tangible in return, and the Iranians who laughed all the way to the bank are themselves saying that this deal has saved them.” A year ago, with negotiations stalled, Iran’s then-president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was questioning the Holocaust and speaking openly of wiping Israel off the map. Now the world is welcoming the conciliatory messages of his successor, Hassan Rouhani, and celebrating the first diplomatic agreement with Iran in a decade. Analysts believe the agreement makes an Israeli strike on Iran less likely in the short term because attacking Iran during ongoing negotiations would anger the United States and could shatter the international alliance against Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “It’s not very likely that any government will carry out any operation when there’s an agreement,” said Ephraim Kam, a senior research fellow at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies, reflecting a consensus among analysts. “The Israeli government can decide to surprise everybody, but logically it’s not the right time.” Over the coming months, Netanyahu’s voice will be amplified by the pro-Israel lobby groups in Washington and voices in Congress that also are skeptical about the interim deal with Iran and the likelihood that it will lead to a final accord that will dismantle Iran’s bomb-making capabilities. They will also be keeping an eye on whether Iran honors the interim deal. In 2003, Tehran continued uranium enrichment even during a supposed freeze. For years, North Korea used negotiations and interim agreements as stalling tactics while it built up its bomb-making capacities and became a nuclear power. Netanyahu “needs to wait until the Iranians start cheating again,” said Ephraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University. “They’ve done it before.”
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How the United States fans the flames of Mideast conflict By Edwin Black WASHINGTON (JTA) – As the current round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks flounder and seek to regain momentum, many are wondering what America can do with its prodigious economic resources to encourage peace and reconciliation between the parties. For this reason, it may astound many that American taxpayers already are deploying significant dollars in Israel not to pay for peace but to fungibly fund terrorism. Each year, U.S. aid and financial programs fungibly fund terrorist salaries paid by the Palestinian Authority. For the past half decade or so, the level has reached hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The fact that the Palestinian Authority devotes much of its fiscal resources to rewarding terrorists with generous salaries is an astonishing financial dynamic known to most Israeli leaders, Jewish media editors and Western journalists in Israel. But it is still a shock to most in Congress, who are unaware that U.S. money going to the Palestinian Authority is regularly diverted to a program that systematically rewards terrorists with cash benefits. Equally astonished are the voters whose money is being used in this fashion. These transactions squarely violate American laws prohibiting U.S. funding from directly or indirectly benefiting terrorists. More than that, such monies grandly incentivize murder and terror against innocent civilians. Here’s how the system works: When a Palestinian is convicted of an act of terror against the Israeli government or innocent civilians, such as a bombing or a murder, the
convicted terrorist automatically receives a generous salary from the Palestinian Authority. The salary is specified by the Palestinian Law of the Prisoner and administered by the P.A.’s Ministry of Prisoner Affairs. A Palestinian watchdog group, the Prisoners Club, ensures the P.A.’s compliance with the law and pushes for payments as a priority expenditure. This means that even during frequent budget shortfalls and financial crises, the P.A. pays the terrorists’ salaries first and foremost – before its other fiscal obligations. The Law of the Prisoner narrowly delineates just who is entitled to receive an official salary. In a recent interview, Ministry of Prisoners spokesman Amr Nasser read aloud the definition: “A detainee is each and every person who is in an Occupation prison based on his or her participation in the resistance to Occupation.” This means crimes against Israel or Israelis. Nasser was careful to explain, “It does not include common-law thieves and burglars. They are not included and are not part of the mandate of the Ministry.” Under a sliding scale carefully articulated in the Law of the Prisoner, the more heinous the act of terrorism, the longer the prison sentence – and, consequently, the higher the salary. Detention for up to three years fetches a salary of nearly $400 per month. Prisoners incarcerated from three to five years are paid about $560 monthly – a compensation level already higher than that for many ordinary West Bank jobs. Even greater acts of terrorism, punished with sentences between 15 and 20 years, earn almost $2,000 per month.
These are the best salaries in the Palestinian territories. The Arabic word ratib, meaning “salary,” is the official term for the compensation. The law ensures the greatest reward for the most egregious acts of terrorism. In the Palestinian community, the salaries are no secret – they are publicly hailed in public speeches and special TV reports. From time to time, the salaries are augmented with special additional financial perks. For example, in 2009, a $150per-prisoner bonus was approved to mark the religious holiday of Eid alAdha. P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas also directed that an extra $190 “be added to the stipends given to Palestinians affiliated with PLO factions in Israeli prisons this month.” Reporting on the additional emolument, the Palestinian news service Ma’an explained, “Each PLO-affiliated prisoner [already] receives [a special allocation of] $238 per month, plus an extra $71 if they are married, and an extra $12 for each child. The stipend is paid by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) each month.” About 6 percent of the Palestinian budget is diverted to prisoner salaries. All the money comes from so-called “donor countries” such as the United States, Great Britain and Denmark. Palestinian officials react with defiance to any foreign governmental effort to end the salaries. Deputy Minister of Prisoners Affairs Ziyad Abu Ein declared: “If the financial assistance and support to the P.A. are stopped, the [payment of] salaries (Rawatib) and CONFLICT on page 19
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013
Father Jacob seems to be unaware of the internal hatred created by his blatant favoritism and Joseph’s arrogance; he sends Joseph as his “agent” to look after the welfare of his brothers” (Gen. 37:14), a fitting task for the leader of the tribe. The brothers, aware that Joseph sees them not as his beloved siblings whom he must protect, but rather as his lowly servants whom he is destined to dominate (they bow down to him in the dream), seek to kill him. The elder and most respected brother; Yehudah convinces them at least to derive benefit from Joseph by selling him as a slave, even as he reminds them that Joseph “is their brother, part of their very flesh” (Gen. 37:27). Sadly, his suggestion defies that brotherly description. (Yehudah continues to make light of the brotherly responsibility expressed by yibum when he refuses to give his youngest son Shelah in marriage to his dead brother’s wife Tamar. See Gen. 38:11.) Jacob spends more than two decades of mourning for Joseph, his lost heir, and in suppressing his suspicions that his other sons were responsible for that loss. But when the brothers return with the report that Joseph is indeed alive and that he is the Grand Vizier, Jacob “looks at the wagons which Joseph had sent to transport him” – and he has an epiphany. Rashi explains that the last Torah subject Jacob and Joseph had studied together before Joseph’s disappearance was that of the “broken-necked heifer”, the sacrifice brought by the elders of the community when an unsolved murder had occurred. (In Hebrew, agalah means wagon and eglah means heifer.) The elders had to give such an offering because they had to take ministerial responsibility for the conditions of poverty and insufficient social services which generally lead to such crimes (Deut. 21:7, B.T. Sotah 45b). I believe that Rashi (based on Midrash Bereshit Rabbah 94:3) is saying that at that moment, Jacob realized that he could no longer blame the brothers nor Joseph for his beloved son’s tragic disappearance; he, Jacob, the elder of his family-community, had to forgive his children and accept responsibility for his having erred in in his blatant favoritism. Yehudah, the son who must
assume legal responsibility for the sale of Joseph and subsequent cover-up before Jacob, demonstrates that he has learned his lesson when he takes protective sibling responsibility for Benjamin (Rachel’s second son) and offers himself as slave in Benjamin’s stead before the Grand Vizier (Gen. 44:33-34). Moreover, he demonstrates his ability to “recognize his brother” Joseph even under the Egyptian garb and Egyptian demeanor of the Grand Vizier. And Joseph has learned that the bearer of the Abrahamic legacy was not born to rule, but rather to serve God in His ultimate plan for this covenantal family. Even after his dreams have been realized, he forgives his brothers, explaining that it was God who brought him to Egypt in order to save the family from starvation in Canaan (Gen. 45:5). Now that repentance and forgiveness have been expressed, the healing and rapprochement can begin. Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone Chief Rabbi – Efrat Israel
LITTLE KNOWN CINCINNATI FACTS Primarily known for boating and bowling, the founder of this company is buried in JCGC’s Walnut Hills cemetery. John Moses Brunswick came to the United States from Switzerland and opened his business in Cincinnati in 1845, making billiards tables. Brunswick died in 1886, just as the company was moving in to the growing sport of bowling and moving the focus of its operations to Chicago. Expansion into boating came in the last half of the twentieth century, as billiards and bowling went into decline. This quiz provided by:
Gift subscriptions to The American Israelite make great Chanukah gifts! Fill out the form below, enclose payment and mail to 18 W. Ninth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202-2037 Recipient: Name: ______________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________ City: _________________________State:_________Zip: ______________ Gift message: ________________________________________________ Given by: Name: _____________________________________________________ ❏ payment enclosed Charge my: ❏ Visa ❏ MasterCard ❏ Discover Card #_____________________________________Exp. Date:__________ Signature (required) ____________________________________________ ❏ In-town $44 ❏ Out-of-town $49
T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE THIS WEEK’S PORTION: VAYIGASH (BRAISHITH 44:18—47:25) 1. How many people witnessed Joseph reveal his identity to his brothers? a.) Pharaoh b.) The entire royal court c.) Nobody 2. How far was Goshen from the royal palace? a.) Next door b.) Close c.) Far away 3. How does the Torah describe the land of Goshen? a.) Best of Egypt 5. B 47:4,27 Originally the intention was to stay in Egypt until the end of the famine. However, Jacob knew this was the beginning of the Egyptian exile and knew that his children were destined to stay in Egypt.
EFRAT, Israel – “And when (Jacob) saw the wagons Joseph had sent to transport him, then the spirit of Jacob their father came back to life” (Gen. 45:27). At the conclusion of last week’s portion it seemed as though the glorious family of Abraham – with its lofty mission of bringing the blessings of compassionate righteousness and moral justice to the world – was about to implode. Sibling jealousy, hatred and deception threatened to effectuate its dissolution even before the twelve sons of Jacob could begin to develop into the nation Israel. Now, in our poignantly compelling portion of Vayigash, totally unexpectedly, the deceptions are unmasked and the dysfunctional personalities are transformed by repentance, forgiveness and love. What are the necessary steps leading to this remarkable familial reunion? The Bible opens with the egregious sin of Cain murdering his brother Abel, apparently due to jealousy, His weak defense, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9) is answered affirmatively by the Bible in the example of Abraham, who wages a successful war against the four terrorist kings who capture his nephew Lot and even argues valiantly against God not to destroy Sodom if there are a significant number of innocent people within the city. We are also given countless commandments which teach that we must all see ourselves as our brother’s keepers, that we are all siblings under one God, and we must therefore love and protect each other. Abraham passes the baton of leadership to the son he bore with Sarah, and Rebecca convinces Isaac that in the next generation, the prize of the first-born as well as the material blessings must be granted to Jacob, the more deserving of the twins. It is now Jacob’s turn to choose the heir apparent to the Abrahamic legacy – and he is blessed with twelve sons. Joseph is beautiful of appearance, brilliantly precocious of mind, but at a tender age is already having dreams of personal grandeur and dominion over his brothers, hardly traits which would endear him to his siblings. He is also the obvious favorite of his father. When Jacob bestows upon Joseph the special tunic, symbol of tribal leadership, the brothers are overcome with jealousy, convinced that Joseph’s hankering after agricultural Egypt and cosmic adulation (his two dreams) disqualify him completely.
...Jacob realized that he could no longer blame the brothers nor Joseph for his beloved son’s tragic disappearance; he, Jacob, the elder of his family-community, had to forgive his children and accept responsibility for his having erred in in his blatant favoritism.
b.) Good for raising cattle c.) Poor land d.) Foreigners lived there 4. Were the priests taxed during the famine a.) Yes b.) No 5. Does the Torah tell of a movement of The Children of Israel to return to Canaan? a.) Yes b.) No
want to live in the capital city because he was afraid his sons would become ministers for the Egyptian government. Ramban 3. A,B 45:18,46:34,47:6 4. B 47:22
by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
SHABBAT SHALOM: PARSHAT VAYIGASH GENESIS 44:18 - 47:27
Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise
ANSWERS 1. C 45:1 He did not want the Egyptians to see his brothers embarrassment when he revealed his identity to them. Rashi 2. B 45:10 Joseph knew that his father did not
Sedra of the Week
JEWISH LIFE • 17
18 • JEWZ IN THE NEWZ
JEWZ
IN THE
By Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist The Feldstein/Francesca Fiasco On Nov. 17, actress Francesca Eastwood, 20, the daughter of Clint Eastwood, 83, wed music manager JORDAN FELDSTEIN, 35, the brother of actor JONAH HILL, 29, before an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas. Reports say that they both were probably drunk while taking their vows and, on Nov. 25, Eastwood moved to have the marriage annulled While delving into Jordan’s background, I found an interesting 2012 interview with singer ADAM LEVINE, which reveals he has more of a Jewish cultural background than I reported last week, just after he was named People’s “sexiest man alive.” Details magazine says that Levine has a Los Angeles-based “Bris Pack of Jewish showbizzers” who have been almost life long friends – they have nicknames – and Levine’s is “the Bear Jew,” after a fierce Jewish commando in the movie “Inglourious Basterds.” Adam’s father was best friends during childhood with Jonah and Jordan’s father and Adam refers to Feldstein, his manager, as “family.” By the way, back in 2004, Clint Eastwood cried “Kinehora!” when a reporter queried him about the Oscar chances of his movie, “Mystic River.” He then laughed and explained it was a Jewish expression meant to ward off a jinx. Maybe he should say it every time he sees Francesca. Jewish Bad Boys “Mob City” is a six-episode series that airs over three weeks on TNT (check listings). It is a filmnoir style series, set in Los Angeles in the ‘40s and ‘50s, and it’s directed by Frank Darbont (“Shawshank Redemption”). It focuses on the conflict between real-life gangster MICKEY COHEN (1913-1976) and real life L.A. Police Chief William Parker, who cleaned-up the city’s notoriously corrupt force after he took over in 1950. Real-life Jewish mobster BENJAMIN “Bugsy” SIEGEL (played by Edward Burns) is another important series character. Jeremy Luke, who plays Cohen, isn’t Jewish – but much of the cast is, including JON BERENTHAL, 37 (as Joe Teague, a police officer); ANDREW ROTHENBERG, 44 (as Eddy Sanderson, a mobster); and ALEXA DAVALOS, 31 (as Jasmine, the lead female character). Davalos, whose father is Jewish, and identifies as Jewish,
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NEWZ
played a Jewish partisan in the film “Defiance.” Born Alexa Dunas, her maternal grandfather is actor Richard Davalos (“East of Eden”). Parallel Courageous Lives “The Battle of AMFAR” premieres on HBO. It’s directed by Oscar-winning documentary makers ROB EPSTEIN, 58, and JEFFREY FRIEDMAN, 62. This short film focuses on the dire early days of the AIDS crisis and the moment when Dr. MATHILDE KRIM, now 87, and actress ELIZABETH TAYLOR (19322011) launched (1985) AMFAR, the foundation for AIDS research. The first medical journal item (June, 1981) on the syndrome that became later known as AIDS was written by Dr. MICHAEL S. GOTTLIEB, then 33. He met Taylor when he was treating her great friend, actor Rock Hudson, who died of AIDS in Oct. 1985. Taylor, Gottlieb, and others incorporated (Aug. 1985) a Los Angeles-based AIDS research foundation. Meanwhile, in 1983, Dr. Krim (then at Sloan-Kettering hospital) co-founded a NY-based AIDS research foundation. These two foundations were merged to form AMFAR in Sept., 1985. Krim and Taylor deserve huge credit for marshalling public and private resources to find AIDS therapies and to care for HIV positive people. Krim, then a Swiss citizen, converted to Judaism before she wed a Swiss Jewish medical student in 1946. They both smuggled weapons to the Irgun during the lead-up to Israeli independence. Krim and her husband moved to Israel in 1953, where they did medical research. After her divorce, she met and wed (1958) top Hollywood movie exec ARTHUR KRIM and relocated to New York. Taylor was born in the UK to Christian parents. Her mother and godfather were pre-war supporters of Zionism. In 1959, after the death of producer MIKE TODD, her beloved Jewish husband, she converted to Judaism “on her own”. While she rarely went to synagogue, Taylor actively supported many Jewish and Israeli charities and causes – and her Jewish funeral gave her a final victory over bigots: Members of the tiny, but infamous Westboro Baptist church, knowing Taylor’s role in the AIDS fight, planned to picket her funeral. But they didn’t know that most Jewish funerals happen one day after death and Taylor’s funeral was over by the time they learned this and showed up at the cemetery.
FROM THE PAGES 150 Y EARS A GO Our readers are respectfully referred to the advertisement of Wm. Dodd & Co., who have an extensive stock of fur goods on hand, embracing every species of article classed under that head, which they are selling at low prices. Ladies, please call on them. Mozart Billiard Room: this splendid hall, at No. 245 Vine Street - the proprietors of which are Messrs. Dalheim & Mosser, gentlemen of extremely social qualities - was opened for the first time last Monday evening, the 28th. It is a very capacious room, elegently furnished, and supplied with eight new and very richly ornamented billiard tables, from the well-known and extensive manufactory of J.M. Brunswick & Bro., of this city. Our many friends who love to exercise their muscles at a game of billiards should resort to the Mozart Billiard Room. – January 1, 1864
125 Y EARS A GO One of the most enjoyable entertainments of the season was given last Sunday evening, January 8th, by Mr. and Mrs. A.G. Schwab, at their residence on Ninth Street. The occasion was the tenth anniversary of their marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Schwab are well known society people and are noted for their hospitality. The party was composed of their most select friends, who will remember the event as one of their most pleasant experiences. It was only a “tin wedding” but the menu was as carefully and elaborated prepared as one could expect at a real wedding. The sparkling champagne was in abundance and the festivities were kept up till a late hour. The cards for the invitations were unique and tastefully executed on tin, and the souvenirs were novel and varied to a degree rarely exhibited at so informal an affair. Mr. and Mrs. Schwab received numerous, and some very costly and useful as well as unique, presents. They have the best wishes of their many friends, who wish they may live to enjoy their silver and golden weddings in health and happiness. – December 7, 1888
100 Y EARS A GO To become a regular reader of the Israelite means to be a better Jew and a more loyal member of the congregation. It is therefore to the interest of the Jewish community at large and to the congregation more especially that a copy of the Israelite should find its way weekly into every family. Ministers and congregational officers can serve the cause in no way more effectively than by seeing to it that the Israelite is read by every member of the congregation and their families. The publishers feel at liberty to make this statement as a result of sixty years of experience. We would therefore ask the rabbis and officers, can we not work together sympathetically? If you think so, we would
be pleased to hear from you and we will inform you of a plan to bring about the desired results, which we think is practical. At the latest meeting of the board of trustees at the University of Cincinnati, Dr. S.P. Kramer was appointed to the chair of clincial surgery. Dr. Kramer is a member of the staff of the City Hospital and the Jewish Hospital. – December 4, 1913
75 Y EARS A GO Mrs. Julian W. Mack passed away in New York City Wednesday, Nov. 30th, after an illness of several weeks. She was 63. Mrs. Mack was the former Miss Jessie Fox, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Fox of Cincinnati. Surviving are her husband, Judge Julian W. Mack, of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; daughter Dr. Ruth Mack Brunswick, New York City; sister Mrs. Milliard W. Mack, Cincinnati; and a brother, Edgar J. Fox, Los Angeles. She was a sister of the late Burton Fox. Dr. Stephen S. Wise officiated at the services Dec. 1st. Cincinnatians at the funeral included Mr. and Mrs. Ralph W. Mack, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob W. Mack and William J. Mack. Mrs. Ida Simmons, Forest Avenue, announces the engagement of her daughter, Irene, to Mr. Irvin Dworkin, son of Mrs. Rose Dworkin, Lowry Avenue. Miss Simmons attended the Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati and is a member of AEPhi sorority. Mr. Dworkin attended the University of Cincinnati and the Y.M.C.A. Law School. – December 8, 1938
50 Y EARS A GO Mr. and Mrs. Lee Schimberg (Martha Goldberg), 730 Betula Avenue, announce the birth of a son, David Michael. The infant has a sister, Deborah, and two brothers, William and Daniel. The maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Harold S. Goldberg of Boston. The paternal grandparents are Mrs. J.J. Smith Jr. of Cincinnati and Mr. Archie Schimberg of Chicago. The following proclamation was adopted by Lodge 4 Bowling League: Whereas: the untimely death of President John F. Kennedy has shocked the conscience of people everywhere and whereas: this death is felt as a great loss to the entire world, now therefore: Cincinnati Lodge 4, B’nai B’rith Bowling League, through its Charity Fund, do hereby authorize the planting of 46 trees in Israel, symbolic of his short but prophetic years of his life. May his soul rest in peace. Messers. Gerry Sapadin and Bruce Heyman were elected to Sigma Sigma, the oldest honorary fraternity at UC. The are affiliated with Sigma Alpha Mu. – December 5, 1963
25 Y EARS A GO It was a rainy and cold day in
October, but despite that, 13 seventh and eighth graders from Koach, an acronym for the Hebrew words promoting “fun and friends”, Rockdale Temple’s junior youth group, participated in a bike-athon to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The youngsters rode half-mile laps on the bicycles to raise money for children unable to ride bikes. Participants included Elliot Asch, Josh Burton, Scott Doyne, Scott Eckert, Michael Frisch, Shari Goldhagen, Jeff Goldman, Joel Herzig, Jeremy Mason, Larry Pinsky, Rachel Ploscowe, Rachel Reiner, and Amy Teitelman. Asch, Doyle, and Frisch each completed the maximum of 50 laps (25 miles). Frisch, Goldhagen and Reiner each riased over $200 for the foundation. Brad Rozen helped to coordinate the event. Atotal of $1.575 was raised. Twenty-six of Koach’s seventh and eighth graders also participated in a Sukkah adventure and sleepover. – December 15, 1988
10 Y EARS A GO A salute to giving of self: two fifth graders, Lainey Paul and Liora Bachrach, raised over $100 for Ethiopian Jews by selling hot chocolate during Super Tzedekah Sunday at Yavneh Day School. Minette Lebowitz ws honored by 228 of her family members and friends at the fourth annual Greater Cincinnati Jewish Senior Hall of Fame Dinner held at Cedar Village. Lebowitz was selected for the honor because she has made a significant difference in the Jewish community as a dedicated Cedar Village volunteer, managing the Sadye and Albert Harris Gift Shop, said Sally Korkin, director of development and community relations for Cedar Village. In addition, Lebowitz, has been an active member of Adath Israel Congregation and a role model to all her family members and friends, having given so tirelessly to others during her life, Korkin said. The Greater Cincinnati Jewish Senior Hall of Fame honor seniors 80 years or older who have made a difference in the Jewish community. The dinner was chaired by Joanne and Larry Essigand and Carol and Bob Leshner. Ellen Essig, Lebowitz’s niece, was the master of ceremonies at the program celebrating Lebowitz’s life and her induction into the Hall of Fame by Carol Leshner and Freda Schwartz. Throughout the evening, Lebowitz’s family members praised her many accomplishments. Musical entertainment was provided by Lebowitz’s nephews, Mendy Fisher and Marvyn Youkilis, and Mitch Cohen. Funds raised from the dinner will be used to provide programs, services, and equipment for the Cedar Village residents and tenants. – December 11, 2003
COMMUNITY DIRECTORY / CLASSIFIEDS • 19
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 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
SUCKER from page 6 But Pinchas Woolstone, a cafe patron, said Crown Heights is “light years away” from the era of the riots. Although he has lived in Crown Heights for only six years, Woolstone said he used to visit the neighborhood in the 1970s, when it resembled “a war zone.” “No black person or Jewish person would speak to each other; they hardly looked at each other,” recalled the Australia native, who works for a commercial cleaning company. “The latest little flareup is not good, but we shouldn’t contemplate it’s anything like it used to be.” The Rev. Al Sharpton publicly condemned the knockout attacks. “There is nothing funny or even remotely entertaining about attacking innocents walking down the street,” he wrote in a column for the Huffington Post. “This is not a ‘game’; it is inhumane behavior that has no place in our country or the world.” Zaki Tamir, chairman of the Crown Heights Jewish
(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
Community Council, said black and Jewish community leaders have enjoyed good relations in recent years, and the neighborhood has become safer over the past decade, in part due to gentrification. He acknowledged that the latest attacks are shattering the sense of security that had been built up. “Suddenly this is reminiscent of old times and it makes everyone feel very vulnerable,” Tamir said. Civilian patrols working in conjunction with the police have been stepped up to help escort children home from the train at night, as well as women and those considered easier targets, according to Tamir. The community is “more organized than ever before in terms of preventing crime and keeping streets nonviolent,” he said. “People realize Crown Heights is not a haven for hoodlums anymore.” At a press conference Monday at the Crown Heights Youth Collective, several Brooklyn elected officials, including Eric
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
Adams, the incoming borough president, condemned the attacks, and Tamir's group offered a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of perpetrators. Nathan, a Chocolate cafe employee who did not want to give his last name, said news of the attacks prompted him to stop allowing his three children, the oldest of whom is 8, to play unattended outside the lobby of his apartment building. On Saturday, Brooklyn resident Amrit Marajh was arraigned for an attack from the previous day in Borough Park. Police initially said Marajh was being charged with a hate crime but later told The New York Times he had been charged with assault, harassment and menacing. Marajh, who apparently has a Jewish girlfriend and has never been arrested, denied the charges and was released on $750 bail.
DO YOU WANT TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED? Send an e-mail including what you would like in your classified & your contact information to
business@ americanisraelite.com or call 513-621-3145 TUITION from page 5 Shellie Dickstein, director of early childhood and family engagement at New York’s Jewish Education Project, said professionals in the field need to see themselves as “family networkers, relationship-builders and concierges.” “That requires some training, and we need to be more mindful about the kind of skills it takes,” she said. There are a few other relatively new efforts to bolster Jewish preschool. The Jewish Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College are recruiting for their third cohort of the Jewish Early Childhood Educators Leadership Institute, a 15-month program that CONFLICT from page 16 allowances (Mukhassasat) to Palestinian prisoners will not be stopped, whatever the cost may be. The prisoners are our joy. We will sacrifice everything for them and continue to provide for their families.” Ironically, one Jewish media editor asked this question: If the United States is fungibly funding terrorist salaries with payments to the P.A., is not Israel doing the same when it supplies and transfers cash to the P.A.? The uncomfortable answer is yes. The only difference is Israel does so when it has no choice due to international pressures. That doesn’t change the piercing reality that in America we pay for terrorism abroad and Israel pays for it at home. Understandably, many argue that the United States and its allies are in a no-win situation. Unless the West continues to fund the Palestinian Authority, Israel has no “partner for peace,” and indeed Jerusalem itself has strongly advocated that the P.A. is its sole partner for peace. Indeed, without foreign funding, the P.A. would collapse. But by continuing to financially reward the scourge of terrorism, the West ensures a stalemate since terrorism is an institution in the P.A. – judging by the popular prisoner salary law, its priority in P.A. spending, and the enthusiastic social man-
SENIOR SERVICES
• • • • •
Up to 24 hour care Meal Preparation Errands/Shopping Hygiene Assistance Light Housekeeping
(513) 531-9600 provides new and aspiring directors of Jewish preschools with studying, mentorship and community-building opportunities United Synagogue recently launched a training program for new early childhood directors, and the Reform movement is exploring how to seed more fulltime child-care programs. The JCC Association of North America in recent years has increased its support and professional development for both preschool directors and staff. A Chabad early childhood initiative has helped create more than 45 new preschools since 2010, and there are plans to create another 100 over the next four years.
date of the Palestinian people who support such terrorist acts and the salaries that arise from them. There is another view that could win. At the moment, Western aid is catering to and bolstering the basest instincts and impulses of the Palestinian people – the burning rage to commit acts of terrorism against Israelis. However, nearly 100,000 Palestinians come into Israeli territory to work side by side with their Jewish colleagues at jobs across the country. They work under equal conditions, equal pay, enjoy equal company outings, and advance their Palestinian families through peaceful coexistence and normal employment. If the United States and other Western donor countries abruptly halted all funding of the P.A. – like a slammed door – until the prisoner salary program was eliminated, and conditioned all future funding on joint Arab-Israeli economic and development projects, then the world could give peace a chance. As it is now, peace does not pay and terrorism does. Edwin Black is the award-winning author of the international best-seller “IBM and the Holocaust.” This article is drawn from his just-released book, “Financing the Flames: How TaxExempt and Public Money Fuel a Culture of Confrontation and Terrorism in Israel.”
20 • A LEGAL LOOK
WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
Living in the digital world A LEGAL LOOK
by Michael Ganson After their child’s death, one couple was desperate for answers. Attempts to log into her e-mail and Facebook accounts failed. The grieving parents finally got a court order to access these online records, arguing that just as their child’s death gave them ownership of his tangible assets, so it also gave them rights to her digital contributions. In courtrooms all over, the online accounts of the departed are becoming the subject of
DEAL from page 6 intensified sanctions kicking in while talks were taking place. “I am baffled by the insistence of some senators to undermine the P5+1 talks,” Feinstein said in a Nov. 15 statement, referring to the six major powers – Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany in addition to the United States – involved in the Iran negotiations. “I will continue to support these negotiations and oppose any new sanctions as long as we are making progress toward a genuine solution.” Iran hawks already are unhappy with the interim deal, which places some restrictions on Iranian uranium enrichment in exchange for some sanctions relief but allows Iran to keep enriching low-level uranium
AMERICAN from page 8 Hillel. In addition, he noted, Jewish groups tend more toward dialogue on the Israeli-Palestinian issue than toward activism. “Despite the stereotypes of Jewish power, if there is a Jewish position, it is one of dialogue,” Bonner told JTA. The majority of speakers at Saturday’s event painted a different picture, saying their proPalestinian campus advocacy was likelier to result in retribution – although aside from hate mail, no one described how such retaliation was manifested. Whatever the case, for an hour-and-a-half academics favoring boycotting Israeli universities exulted in a mirror image of the Washington in which pro-Israel often is pre-eminent. A number of
painful battles for mourning families. People have long made plans for delivery of their possessions after they die, including family heirlooms, photograph albums, old letters and other memorabilia. Many people design this disbursement to help those left behind deal with their passing. Our possessions are part of us and traditionally are the main tangible part that remains after our death. In the modern world, however, another echo of us exists that will outlast our physical existence: our writings and records in the digital realm. Our digital files are composites of mementos such as images on a social media site, books on e-readers, and our musings and correspondence in emails, blogs and other similar digital accounts; in other words, your digital legacy. The increasing importance of our online persona adds a new layer to grief and mourning. Growing evidence suggests a person’s contributions to the cloud
can be dear to mourners and, because they are easily accessible, potentially lasting and interactive; can help them deal with their loss. However, most of us have given little thought to what happens to our online digital accounts after we die. Most people do not realize that they need to make plans for these assets. If you leave what happens to your digital existence to chance, you may have little control. For the most part, the legislatures of the various states have yet to establish a legal process governing the inheritance of digital assets. Only a few states now have laws that allow next-of-kin access to those resources. The lack of legislation means that the ownership of your profile can revert back to the company who owns the site after your death unless you specify otherwise. While legislation is in the works that would prevent anyone except a courtappointed person or a designee of the deceased to gain access to that
individual’s online information, such has not yet occurred in the vast majority of the states. You should speak with your lawyer about inserting a clause into your will spelling out exactly what you want done with your digital life after your death. Whether or not you adjust your will, it is recommended that you create a locked paper document or secure database that has passwords and security questions for your e-mail accounts, banking accounts, and all other online accounts, including social media accounts, so your designated representative can access and, if desired, deactivate your profiles, notify e-mail correspondents of your passing, and take care of any financial concerns. For any accounts you have on Google, you now have a more automated option. In April, Google added a free service called Inactive Account Manager (nicknamed “Google Death”) that allows you to decide what hap-
pens to your Google-operated accounts after you die. As of this writing, I am not aware of being able to similarly decide the fate of your Facebook profile. In this case, once you die, the choice lands on with whom you share your access information. In most cases, your heirs and close friends will not be in a hurry to wipe out all digital traces of you. And although you could try to instruct the companies who own the web sites, among others, to erase you from the Internet, making the digital “you” invisible is probably impractical, and even if it were possible, doing so may deepen the pain of those you care about. It makes more sense, then, to leave all the information in a place that is safe but accessible to someone so that those who love you can follow at least some of your online trail and gain access to the digital deposits they might need or want.
and keeps in place its existing enrichment infrastructure. The hawks are determined to make sure that a final deal incapacitates any weapons-making capability. The deal must ensure that Iran ends “all nuclear weapons capability – all the enriched uranium, all the centrifuges,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said Sunday at an event for Ohel, a Jewish social services provider. Schumer told JTA he intends to explore new sanctions after Thanksgiving. “A fairer agreement would have coupled a reduction in sanctions with a proportionate reduction in Iranian nuclear capability,” Schumer said. “The goal of the administration is to eliminate all of Iran’s nuclear
weapons-making capability by the end of the final negations. It is still my hope they can achieve that goal.” In addition to keeping up pressure on the Iranians to follow through on their commitments, new sanctions legislation could help shape the outcome of a final-status deal, a source at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, told JTA on condition of anonymity. “Our fundamental goal is that in the final agreement, the United States must prevent a nuclear-capable Iran,” said the AIPAC source, who emphasized that such legislation is in the “conceptual” stage and would not be drafted until after the Thanksgiving break. The legislation “essentially will condition the environment for a final deal.”
Joel Rubin, a former Senate staffer, said Congress must tread carefully lest it be accused of scuttling the deal and driving away U.S. allies that have maintained the sanctions regime that helped bring Iran to the negotiating table. Rubin now works for the Ploughshares Fund, an anti-proliferation advocacy group that backs the deal brokered in Geneva on Saturday. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who over the weekend blasted the interim agreement as a “historic mistake,” appeared to be tamping down his rhetoric a notch. “It is true that the international pressure which we applied was partly successful and has led to a better result than what was originally planned, but this is still a bad deal,”
he told the Knesset. “It reduces the pressure on Iran without receiving anything tangible in return, and the Iranians who laughed all the way to the bank are themselves saying that this deal has saved them.” Netanyahu said he was dispatching his national security adviser, Yossi Cohen, to Washington to consult on the deal. “That agreement must lead to one result: the dismantling of Iran's military nuclear capability,” Netanyahu said. “I remind you that only last week, during the talks, the leaders of Iran repeated their commitment to destroy the State of Israel, and I reiterate here today my commitment, as prime minister of Israel, to prevent them from achieving the ability to do so.”
the speakers, particularly Palestinians, said the American Studies Association and the field it represents is a refuge from what they describe as an American society that is uninterested in their viewpoint. “The boycott would represent a form of cultural divestment that is perfectly in keeping with the materialist politics of much of the methodology in American studies,” said Steven Salaita, an associate professor of English at Virginia Tech. Supporters of the resolution said its warm reception at the conference was a signal of a shift in public opinion. Prior to the session, backers of the resolution gathered around a large table and welcomed passers-by with glossy pamphlets; opponents were barely visible. Two handouts topped by a
handwritten note saying “Opposed to Boycott” sat on a table otherwise crowded with an array of conference literature. “The ASA’s open meeting was a clear indication that the time of fear and of the blockade on debate may be over – and that there is a new climate in which critical discussion of Israel’s policies towards Palestine will no longer be taboo,” David Lloyd, a professor of English at the University of California, Riverside, wrote on the Electronic Intifada website.
DJ from page 9
stretched 300 feet down the block. “We decided we don’t want any kind of brochures or political talk in our party, just good music and good vibes,” Siny said. “I have been to many politically themed parties here in Berlin, and I really didn’t like them. You always see the same faces. “The German left-wing scene is very closed and narrow-minded. It seems like people there get together not to have fun but because it’s part of some routine. Nothing good can come out of that. We wanted people coming to our party to feel at home and connect with each other, and I think we succeeded in that.” After recovering from their first party, Siny and Khani sat down to plan a mutual trip to Israel – and another party. If someone had stumbled into the meeting, if would have been hard to tell who was the Israeli and who was the Iranian.
said. “That these guys are only interested in arguing, not in finding solutions. We started talking, and it was very clear we have much more in common than just our love for music.” It was clear as well that Siny was different from other Israelis Khani had met – most of whom, he says, are suspicious and assume he must be an antiSemite. “Roy was on a completely different frequency,” Khani said. “We talked and talked and eventually decided we must do something together – something good that can bring other people like us together.” Thus was born No Beef. Israeli Guy “Katzele” Kenneth and Iranians Namito Khalaj and Afagh Irandoost were the first to join. DJ Asaf Samuel (Michatronix) was hauled over from Tel Aviv to play the first party on Aug. 17. Amassive queue of hundreds of people
FIRST PERSON • 21
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013
From the GA to a sufganiyot vs. latke showdown This Year in Jerusalem
by Phyllis Singer This year in Jerusalem I have experienced déjà vu—twice: Two times in the past six months I have reverted to my previous identity. Not as editor of The American Israelite, but as a correspondent for The Israelite. The first time was in June when I covered the fifth Israeli Presidential Conference, and the second was several weeks ago when I covered the General Assembly (GA) of the Jewish Federations of North America. Both events took place at Jerusalem’s Binyanei HaUma (International Conference Center). Although the Presidential MENORAH from page 9 either with electric bulbs or oil lamps, is to send a message. “After unspeakable suffering, the horrors of the Holocaust and most recently the attacks on Israel, Jews may feel they are alone,” Lont told JTA. “This is our way of saying you are not alone, we are behind you.” The first public Hanukkah lighting ceremony in the country was organized in 1989 in Buitenveldert, near Amsterdam, by the wife of a Chabad rabbi, according to Bart Wallet, a historian of Dutch Jewry at the University of Amsterdam. Today, such events are held annually in 19 municipalities, from the northern city of Leeuwarden, near Berlikum, to the southern border city of Maastricht, according to Jacobs. Jacobs says public menorah lightings in the country signify the Jewish community’s confidence in asserting its place in Dutch society. “Nowadays it’s also saying we are here, we are also a part of the fabric of religious communities and society,” he said. Dutch Jewish reticence toward public displays of faith dates back at least to the 19th century, according to Wallet, when Dutch rabbis decreed that no Jewish rituals should be held in the public domain. At the time, Dutch Jews were keen on integrating into a democratic society as equal citizens, and they considered it coun-
Conference is more top heavy with international celebrities such as former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Barbra Streisand, Tony Blair and many others, the GA has more meat to it. At the Presidential Conference, all the bigwigs discuss prevalent issues of the day, but nothing comes down for the average member of the Jewish community to have much input. Thousands attend the conference, but I have the feeling that most attendees return home to their jobs and responsibilities without synthesizing material from the conference into their lives or their communities. The GA, on the other hand, features a familiar format every year. Although the names and faces may change—but not all of them do—the format remains relatively the same. There are plenary sessions addressing major issues facing the Jewish community (primarily the North American Jewish community) followed by breakout sessions in smaller settings discussing some of the same issues and some other ones. The breakout sessions usually
feature panel or roundtable discussions during which members of the audience—primarily delegates from federations in North America—have an opportunity to participate. I feel—and felt before at GAs in the United States—that delegates are energized by the GA and return home ready to participate in leadership roles in their individual federations. The annual GA, which meets in Jerusalem every five years, offers delegates a chance to meet up with participants from other cities that they met at previous sessions. These reunions always seem to be energizing (and fun!) for delegates. Likewise, members of the media, including those representing Jewish papers, renew acquaintances at these events. In addition to spending time with the Cincinnati delegates, I had the chance to meet with two of my former colleagues in the American Jewish Press Association—Gary Rosenblatt, editor and publisher of The New York Jewish Week, and Leni Reiss, former features editor of the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix.. It was like old times—
reminiscing and laughing about all the times we shared at annual meetings of the AJPA and on trips to Israel. Meeting them was also very poignant for me. Allen used to accompany me on AJPA trips to Israel, so we also reminisced about the good times the four of us had together. I wanted to come home and tell Allen all about seeing them, but… As I said above: déjà vu. I couldn’t write this week without including some comments about Chanukah. It’s my 15th Chanukah here and the second year of lighting the chanukkiah (Chanukah menorah) by myself. Also poignant. I think Chanukah in Jerusalem is like nowhere else in the world. Everywhere you walk in the evening you see chanukkiot shining in the windows or even outside in special windproof plastic boxes. Chanukah—like Pesach— is a holiday celebrated by most Jews, religious and secular. Who doesn’t like lighting the candles, playing dreidel with the children and eating sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts)? Sufganiyot win the battle
between latkes and doughnuts hands down in Israel. It’s not even close! Everybody eats sufganiyot, and not everybody eats latkes. When you walk down the streets of Jerusalem (and I’m sure all the other Israeli cities also), you can smell the aroma of the sufganiyot coming from every bakery. And on some of the main streets, the bakeries put tables with doughnuts on them outside the store, and salesmen are hawking their wares—jelly doughnuts. Although at one time, I think sufganiyot had only jelly fillings, today bakeries offer a myriad of fillings—from jelly to custard to chocolate to nougat to halva and more. Sufganiyot are such a tradition here—with the bakeries competing that the Jerusalem Post’s food writer checks out the bakeries in Jerusalem and offers her opinion of the “best in show.” If any readers are in Jerusalem during Chanukah next year, you can do your own taste test! Meanwhile, I still prefer latkes!
terproductive to showcase religious customs that set them apart from their compatriots. The tendency was greatly reinforced after the Holocaust, when three-quarters of Holland’s population of 140,000 Jews perished – a higher percentage than anywhere else in occupied Western Europe. Today, about 40,000 Jews live in the Netherlands. Wallet says things began to change in the 1970s, when Dutch Jews began displaying greater activism around anti-Semitism and Israel. Even today, however, many Dutch Jews retain a sense of reticence when it comes to public displays of religion. “There’s nothing wrong with these Hanukkah events, but to me they don’t seem familiar,” said Jaap Hartog, chairman of the umbrella group of Dutch Jewry, called the Dutch Israelite Religious Community, or NIK. “To me, Hanukkah is more a holiday that you celebrate at home with your family. The public candle lightings are more of an American thing. “On a personal level, I’m not too keen on participating.” Initially, Chabad rabbis organized candle-lighting ceremonies as part of their efforts to reach lapsed Jews, but today the menorah lightings are not organized exclusively by Chabad. Nathan Bouscher, a Jewish activist who is not himself religious, has coorganized candle lightings at the Dam, Amsterdam’s best-known
square. “It’s a way to build bridges between Jews and the non-Jewish environment, but also within the community and between Dutchborn Jews and the thousands of Israelis who live here and the tourists from Israel,” Bouscher said. Back at Zijlstra’s metal workshop, his menorah is attracting attention from neighbors. During the test run last week, a few of them stopped by to admire his handiwork and congratulate him. One elderly man, Henk van Jaarsveld, looked up at the menorah with tears in his eyes. A selfdescribed Messianic Jew, he showed off his Hebrew skills by reading the holiday greeting in Dutch and Hebrew that Christians for Israel had attached to the menorah’s base. Next year, Christians for Israel says it wants to place the menorah in front of the European Parliament in Brussels to protest legislative proposals that seek to restrict Jewish rights such as circumcising male infants. “On Hanukkah, the Jewish people remember their rebellion against the Greeks because the Greeks limited the Jews’ freedom of worship,” said Roger van Oordt, director of Christians for Israel’s Dutch branch. “We want to place this menorah there as a warning against repeating that history.”
FRENCH from page 8
Such overtures may make French Jews more forgiving of Hollande’s shortcomings on other fronts – but probably not much. “It would be incorrect to call Hollande popular among French Jews, who also worry about the economy as all French citizens do,” said Roger Cukierman, president of the CRIF umbrella group of Jewish communities in France. On Israel, Hollande reversed France’s objection to the European Union blacklisting of Hezbollah’s military wing. Then, earlier this month, France blocked a deal between world powers and Iran, taking a harder line than the United States over the terms of an accord. “These moves were not born of any desire to curry favor with Israel,” Shek said, “[but] the French position was nonetheless appreciated in Jerusalem.” This was not expected of Hollande when he first sought to replace Sarkozy, a right-leaning leader seen as more responsive to Jewish concerns than his predecessors. Some French Jewish leaders – including Cukierman’s CRIF predecessor, Richard Prasquier – warned that a Socialist in the Elysee Palace may hurt Franco-Israeli relations because of a perceived anti-Israel bias among the French left. “So far, the opposite has been the case,” said Yaron Gamburg, a media adviser at the Israeli Embassy in France. “If anything, there has been a deepening of the sturdy partnership that existed during the term of Sarkozy.”
leader. He’s not a star like some of his predecessors, including Francois Mitterrand and Nicolas Sarkozy,” said Daniel Shek, who served as Israel’s ambassador in Paris during Sarkozy’s term from 2007 to 2012. Along with this perception of weakness, Hollande is contending with a worrisome financial crisis and a large rise in the unemployment rate, which has reached 26 percent among the young – more than triple the rate in Germany. Earlier this month, the Standard & Poor credit agency cut France’s rating for the second time this year, exposing Hollande to the charge that he is not delivering the growth and welfare he promised. Indeed, popular support for Hollande is at a record low. A poll released Sunday by the market research firm IFOP found that Hollande’s approval rating had plunged to 20 percent, a dramatic falloff from the 54 percent he enjoyed following his election in May 2012 and two points below the previous all-time low set by Mitterrand in 1991. But on issues of particular importance to French Jews, Hollande has a stellar record. Since his election, hundreds have been arrested and dozens convicted for anti-Jewish violence and incitement. And last year, the president cleared his schedule unexpectedly to accompany Netanyahu to Toulouse for a memorial for the four victims of a French Islamist attack on a Jewish school there in 2012.
22 • OBITUARIES
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D EATH N OTICES
LIPSON from page 1
MOR, Marilyn L., age 88, died on November 30, 2013; 27 Kislev 5774.
also led the renovations of Adath Israel Congregation, Wise Center Chapel, and the Cincinnati Public Library. He considered the New York Athletic Club, where the Heisman Trophy is awarded, to be among his foremost successes. Alvin first met his wife, Gloria, at a fundraiser for WCET, Cincinnati’s public television station. However, it took a little pushing by his sister-in-law, April Davidow, who invited them both to her Passover seder, for their relationship to take off. They were married in 1978. Alvin loved to learn. His love for learning led him to his philanthropic involvement with Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. What began as lending expertise in architectural remodeling evolved into his appointment for a position on the Board of Governors and Board of Overseers. It was his service on this board that allowed Alvin’s commitment to higher education to blossom. He had a definite presence. He was quiet, contemplative, reflective, and thoughtful in his approach to advice or instruction. His leadership enabled HUC to flourish in all locations through his wisdom, guidance, financial knowledge, and strength. He did this thoughtfully, respectfully, and always successfully. Irwin Engelman, Chairman of the Board of Governors, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion: “In this moment of sadness, we celebrate Alvin’s life and his many accomplishments and his
POLINER, Frank L. age 80, died November 30, 2013; 28 Kislev, 5774. KESSLER, Edris N., age 90, died on December 1, 2013 28 Kislev, 5774. CHAINS from page 7 presents challenges, too. Light’s case took a long time, cost a lot of money and ultimately did not guarantee that her husband would grant her a Jewish divorce – only that he would have to pay if he didn’t. “I would love to think that our rabbis could come up with a more direct, protective solution, rather than a circuitous thing that maybe some rabbis will use and maybe some couples will sign – which you have to take to civil court anyway,” Light said of halachic prenups. “I would love to see our rabbis take this on full force and say this is something that we won’t allow.” Judy Heicklen, president of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance, which will feature a session on agunot at its Dec. 7-8 conference in New York, says a Jewish legal solution must be found to obviate the need for enforcement in civil court. “The prenup is not foolproof,” she said. “And on a philosophical level, we would hope that the halachah would be strong enough to find a solution within halachah and not have to rely on secular authorities to solve a human suffering issue that we should be able to solve within our own legal system.” STRUGGLING from page 10 During her last visit, Freilich helped Eizenberg acquire a cane from Yad Sarah, a nonprofit that aids the disabled and elderly. “When you know you’re seeing the same person on the same day at the same hour, it gives structure to a life that is otherwise inactive,” said Jay Schultz, Adopt-a-Safta’s founder. “It’s a more healthy social and mental environment for the survivor.” Another new initiative to address survivor loneliness is a community center founded two years ago in a bomb shelter in central Jerusalem. In newly renovated rooms, the center hosts holiday celebrations, lectures and activities for 120 regular attendees. Jakobovitz frequents a similar center in Tel Aviv. The programing is nice, he says, but the government needs to take more responsibility. “I want to rest,” he said. “I don’t have a lot of demands. I’d like to live a little better, to go into a store and buy a shirt or shoes that are comfortable. I know this is my last stop and I’m too old to want. I don’t need money to spend, just to live.”
MOROCCO from page 8 Maddy-Weitzman said the reform movement is now out of steam. “The monarchy retains legitimacy, the king was proactive, and the example of the instability that has shaken other countries serves as a deterrent for many Moroccans,” he said. One of the most unique and profound aspects of the dynamism of modern Morocco and its leadership is the country’s deep interest in preserving and promoting its Jewish heritage. Under King Mohammed VI, Morocco has recognized Jewish contributions to Moroccan national identity as part of the 2011 constitutional reforms and has restored an ancient synagogue in Fez. Home to one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities, Jews first settled in Morocco when it was part of the Roman Empire, and the country later became a haven for Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. By the mid-20th century, the Moroccan Jewish community stood at around 250,000-300,000, one of the largest in the Middle East. But like every other Arab state, Morocco lost most of its ancient Jewish community amid the upheaval over the creation of Israel and the subsequent
devotion to the College-Institute. We are very lucky to have known Alvin Lipson, Gloria, and their wonderful family.” Rabbi Jonathan Cohen, Dean of HUCJIR/Cincinnati and a long-time friend of the Lipsons, commented that Alvin was an exceptional listener. He listened to all sides before imparting his wisdom and finding solutions that were creative and innovative. In addition to his involvement with the HUC Board of Governors, Alvin was on the board of the Wise Center, the Plum Street Temple (in charge of beautification), and chaired the building and grounds committee for HUC for all its buildings in the United States (Cincinnati, New York, and Los Angeles). He created a fund at Wise Temple so that high school students could have outof-classroom learning. He was also involved with Cedar Village and the Barbash Food Center. Alvin was a generous donor to Jewish Federation of Cincinnati and was very supportive of all the work that Gloria did for Federation. Shep Englander, CEO of The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati said “Alvin cared deeply about the health and the future of the Cincinnati Jewish community and held the Federation accountable to plan and invest for the best results. He spoke to me often about how the Federation could collaborate with Hebrew Union College. Recently he told me how happy he was [to] see our collaborations growing and deepening.” Alvin contributed to the broader community as well. He was a founding member of the Cincinnati chap-
ter of Social Venture Partners, a global organization that is dedicated to helping non-profits not just through funding but by providing expertise, advice, and other help. Alvin also served on the City of Cincinnati Zoning Board of Appeals for 16 years. Rabbi Ellenson said “his activities and generosity -ranging from his leadership of HUC-JIR as a Governor of the College-Institute and the Chairman for many years of our Cincinnati Overseers to I.M. Wise Temple to the pastoral and mental health needs of the sick and hungry, and to so many other charitable interests and concerns- testify to the myriad and effective paths Alvin took as a ‘builder’ of peace for the people of Israel and so many other ways the Jewish mandate to ‘repair the world.’ Furthermore, Alvin did this - and I bear witness to this personally - while always displaying an uncommon and exceptional humility as well as infinite respect for persons as beings created in the image of G-d. Another of Alvin’s passions was modern art. He was an avid collector of eclectic art. Walking into his residence, you are greeted by a 6x6 box of chocolate candy, and on the patio overlooking the river you might find a totem pole or a brightly colored rooster, and in his Florida home, a red elephant. He loved it all and loved entertaining guests at his residence with a flair that only he and Gloria could provide. Rabbi Ellenson commented that when he and his wife first moved to Cincinnati, Alvin and Gloria were the first ones to invite him, his wife,
and his young son to their home in what would be the start of a long friendship and productive collaboration. He loved his life. He loved his family, which was of the utmost importance to him. He instilled in them the importance of education, family, and his passion for lifelong learning. He set an example for his family, stressing eduction, as well as the importance of Tikkun Olam, giving back to the community. Although chronically ill for quite a number of years he persevered and with the utmost determination to remain present with his family, he defied the Angel of Death on many occasions. This he did in an effort to continue to make a difference in the lives of his family and others. Rabbi Lewis Kamrass, Senior Rabbi of Wise Temple, described Alvin’s indomitable spirit: “I can see him staring down the Angel of Death, (and defiantly) blowing cigarette smoke in his face.” Alvin Lipson passed away on November 21st, 2013. Alvin leaves behind his beloved wife of 35 years, Gloria Rosenberg Lipson; his three children, Lisa (Ali) Khan, David (Lesa) Lipson, and Miriam (Jacob) Hodesh; and his grand-children Alexander and Talia Khan, Max and Molly Lipson, and Naomi Hodesh. He is also survived by his brother, Michael Lipson. Funeral services took place on November 24, 2013 at Weil Funeral Home, with Rabbi Kamrass officiating. Interment was at United Jewish Cemetery. Contributions in Alvin’s memory can be directed to HUC or Hospice of Cincinnati.
Arab-Israeli wars. Yet Morocco’s story is much more complex than that of the rest of the Arab world, where rabid antiSemitism and anti-Israel sentiment has raged during this period of time. “Let me make one basic statement – there has not been any widespread persecution of Jews in Morocco, neither during World War II nor in the following decades,” Ambassador Serge Berdugo, secretary-general of the Moroccan Jewish community and ambassador-at-large for King Mohammed VI, told JNS. Indeed, Morocco’s King Mohammed V, grandfather of the current monarch, is famously hailed for his refusal to deport Jews during the Holocaust, when Morocco was under the control of the Nazi-collaborationist regime in Vichy France. Rather, Berdugo told JNS that there were a number of complex factors that led to the massive Jewish exodus, including “socio-economic issues, religious beliefs, family reasons, [and] political and strategic trends in the Arab world. “All these factors created an atmosphere of permanent uncertainty for the Jews,” Berdugo said. Despite its Jewish population decreasing to 5,000, Morocco has maintained warm ties with
Moroccan Jews abroad, with tens of thousands of Jews from Israel and elsewhere regularly visiting as tourists. At a time when Jews and Israel are constantly vilified by Arab media outlets and leaders, Morocco’s appreciation for Jews has been a welcome development for Berdugo. “Unlike so many countries in the world, Morocco does not feel any guilt towards them [Jews],” he said. “On the contrary, they feel they have lost part of their national body because of their departure and are very proud to know that those who left did not forget their country... It’s a good feeling of mutual recognition of our common cultural heritage of tolerance and of the Moroccan people.” Nevertheless, challenges do exist. Morocco’s Islamic Justice and Development Party (PJD), which controls the parliament has, along with other parties proposed a series of bills outlawing contact with Israelis. The bills seek to make it illegal to trade with Israeli entities and for Israeli tourists, of whom many are of Moroccan descent, to enter the country. “The very fact that the bill [making trade with Israel illegal] has been
put forth, and sponsored by members of parliament from a variety of parties, including those in the government, is disturbing,” MaddyWeitzman said. Jewish human rights advocates have been quick to condemn the bill and have called on King Mohammed VI to stop the proposed legislation. “This law would not only endanger the Jews remaining in Morocco, it would set a precedent for the exclusion of other minorities, thereby wrecking Your Majesty’s 2011 newly enacted human rights based Constitution,” Shimon Samuels, Simon Wiesenthal Center’s director for international relations, wrote in a recent letter to King Mohammed VI. “Indeed, it may also deter foreign investment prospects, both current and future,” Samuels added. Given King Mohammed VI’s affinity for Jewish heritage and his unique role in steering Morocco, observers think he will likely veto the bill. Despite the reforms, “power in Morocco rests in the hands of a ruling elite that revolves around the Palace, and the Morocco’s governing institutions – the prime minister’s post, his cabinet, and the legislature – do not exercise real power,” MaddyWeitzman said.
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