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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012 29 KISLEV, 5773
Padrino Italian– keep your friends close, but your pizza closer p.14
CINCINNATI, OH Candle Lighting Times Shabbat begins Fri 4:58p Shabbat ends Sat 5:59p
VOL. 159 • NO. 21
The American Israelite T H E
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Using data, Jewish groups try to turn the art of fundraising into a science p.5
Jewish Federation kicks off 2013 Community Campaign
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Millions raised, Stevie Wonder absence, Jason Alexander...
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For Jewish Deadheads, the music plays on
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See-ing the world... at ground level
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JCC announces Marc Fisher as interim CEO The Mayerson JCC Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Marc Fisher has been hired as interim CEO of the JCC, effective Dec. 1. With Fisher’s move to interim CEO, Debbie Brant, previously JCC vice president, becomes JCC president. “We are thrilled that Marc Fisher agreed to step in as interim CEO, to continue the forward momentum that the JCC has built in 2012,” according to Brant. Fisher elaborated on where this momentum will go: “I will be working in continued close cooperation with the Jewish Federation, the Jewish Foundation and our community rabbis and congregations. I’m looking for and listening to input from the JCC staff, board, members and the community as I formulate our plans for the organization.” Fisher brings leadership experience to his new position as interim CEO. “My professional background is in business, with an MBA and positions as CFO of West Chester Holdings and IT Director at both Premier Manufacturing and Texo Corporation as well as other entrepreneurial and nonprofit endeavors.” These include serving on the JCC board as a co-chair for the development of organizational progress. He was also the president of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati and UC Hillel and served on the Jewish Federations of North America’s executive committee. Fisher is currently on the boards of Seven Hills School and the United Way. A lifelong Cincinnatian, Fisher “really [cares] about giving back to this community. I want to help make it stronger for our children and our children’s children. I love this city; my family loves this city – our family ties to this community are strong and lasting, and I want to do what I can to give back.” Fisher explained why he is best for the job: “I have a combination of passion and commitment to this community. I want to bring my experience with the JCC out of the volunteer realm and into the professional one.” When asked about any
Marc Fisher
criticism of the JCC’s past direction, Fisher said, “I wouldn’t say any criticisms, but an organization does need to learn from what it does and grow. In fact, I just came from a debrief of an event from the other night. The event went very well, people liked it, but internally we didn’t do it quite right. I just want to see how we can get better at everything we are doing.” Rob Reifsnyder, United Way president, said “The Mayerson JCC
is fortunate to get the leadership skills that Marc Fisher brings to his position. As a United Way board member, Marc has served on both our Impact Cabinet and Future Directions task force. His contributions notably support the mission and direction of the United Way, and we wish him well in his new role at the JCC.” Several other community leaders have expressed support for Fisher’s move to interim CEO.
Andy Berger, current president of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, said, “Marc did an excellent job as Jewish Federation president and is well-qualified to lead the JCC toward developing successful relationships with other agencies, as we strive to increase collaboration between our organizations.” Adds Shep Englander, CEO of the Jewish Federation, “I look forward to working closely with Marc on a range of priority initiatives to enhance community partnerships and achieve our community’s goals for Cincinnati 2020.” Over most of the past year, the JCC conducted an extensive national search for a CEO, utilizing the services of DRG, a leading search firm in the nonprofit sector. Several board and community members served on the CEO search committee, including Brian Jaffee, executive director of The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati. Jaffee commented, “After interviewing many experienced candidates from across the country, our committee didn’t feel we found the right candidate to fit the JCC’s current needs. I believe Marc Fisher brings a terrific combination of leadership skills and community orientation to effectively guide the JCC.” Michael R. Oestreicher, president of The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, commented, “The JCC is launching several important efforts designed to advance its medium- and long-term goals, and needs active leadership in place in order to effectively implement these initiatives and continue to serve the needs of an evolving community.” Marc Fisher and his family have a long personal association with the JCC. Much like Marc himself, who was active at the JCC as a child, his three sons Jake, Jared and Bryan have also been involved with JCC activities, including Blue Jays youth baseball. His daughter Jamie has been a Camp at the J counselor and participated in “March of the Living.” Marc’s wife Evelyn is also active with the JCC, currently as a volunteer with the Meals on Wheels program.
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012
Golf Manor appoints new rabbi By Michael Sawan Assistant Editor Rabbi Pinchas Landis has been hired as the new Senior Rabbi of Golf Manor Synagogue. Chairman Shmuel Plotsker, an executive board member for the congregation, is “really very, very excited about the prospect.” “[Rabbi Landis] is youthful, charismatic, a good speaker, relates well one on one to adults, as well as teenagers,” Plotsker elaborated. “He’s a very popular young man, he’s successfully led a very young, vibrant community, and he is well known in Amberley.” Plotsker also commented on the potential changes in direction that the congregation will be taking under Rabbi Landis’ leadership: “Services will remain the same, we have a beautiful service. But there might be a [separate] beginner service, maybe led by Rabbi Landis, a friendly orthodox service.” This attitude of friendliness would flow steadily through the entire synagogue, by Plotsker’s estimation, enriching community programs along the way. The chairman hopes that Rabbi Landis will be able to revive holidays and make new programs, all of a calibre that a beginner can follow along with, while a more experienced member can still feel at home in. With his ideas, energy and youth, Plotsker calls Rabbi Landis a “perfect fit” for Golf Manor.
For his own part, Rabbi Landis is “interested in more outreach efforts [and] making inroads into different part of the community.” He emphasizes the “culture of outreach and acceptance” that he cultivated with Ohr Chadash and hopes to allow potential new congregants to feel at home at Golf Manor, to “check their baggage at the door.”
“Rabbi Landis is youthful, charismatic, a good speaker, relates well one on one to adults, as well s teenagers.” Shmuel Plotsker
He concurred with Plotsker’s view on new services and programs, with the beginner service as well as a service for Israeli orthodox being of prime concern. Rabbi
Landis also noted his investment in the many programs he leads, including NCYS, a high school age youth outreach program meant to “[inspire] the Jewish future.” The rabbi’s former congregation, Ohr Chadash, is currently unsure of its future. “It’s too soon to say,” commented Glenn Bochner, one of Ohr Chadash’s vice-presidents. “We haven’t processed (Rabbi Landis’ move) yet or figured out what the implications will be.” Ohr Chadash has, up until this point, shared the use of Ohav Shalom’s facilities for the past two years. The departure of Rabbi Landis “came about relatively suddenly to the community,” according to Bochner, though he was very quick to add that this should not reflect poorly on Rabbi Landis. “Rabbi Landis and his wife have become a part of the Ohr Chadash community and we want to maintain a relationship with them.” Rabbi Landis is a native of Atlanta, Ga. He studied Torah at Yeshiva University, Ohr Somayach Yeshiva and Ner Yisroel Yeshiva in Baltimore, Md., the latter having granted his ordination. He also attended Johns Hopkins University, where he received his Masters in Community Counseling. He came to Cincinnati in 2006 to open the Kollel Retreat Center, a program at Cincinnati Community Kollel, which after four years closed and was moved to Ohr Chadash.
The future of Ohav Shalom, Ohr Chadash Ohav Shalom, the Conservative synagogue which has housed Ohr Chadash for the past two years, released the following statement concerning Rabbi Landis’ move to Golf Manor Synagogue: In 2010, Congregation Ohav Shalom hired Rabbi Pinchas Landis to oversee pastoral care for its members. At that time, Ohav Shalom had no idea that the relationship would eventually become an opportunity to help the Rabbi’s newly formed congregation, Ohr Chadash, find a home for the 2010 High Holidays. As the relationship continued to grow an agreement was crafted to extend use of the Ohav Shalom chapel to Ohr Chadash on a more permanent basis and Rabbi Landis opened up educational opportunities to Ohav Shalom members and began delivering weekly Shabbat sermons to his congregants as well as Ohav Shalom’s. This led to further discussions about a potential merging of the two congregations. A transition team from both congregations agreed that trying to bring two synagogues together that were on different spiritual paths would have its challenges. However, we all agreed up front that if the challenges couldn’t be overcome between Ohav Shalom, Rabbi
Landis and Ohr Chadash, we would minimally be enriched by the friendships and relationships formed along the way. Recently, and while in the midst of transition talks, Ohav Shalom and Ohr Chadash found themselves with other potential opportunities which appeared to be better suited for each of their congregations. At that point, each shul agreed to look into the exploration of all possible scenarios with the sole thought of their congregants in mind. On Dec. 1, Rabbi Landis announced that he had been approached about taking the posi-
tion of Senior Rabbi at Golf Manor Synagogue and that Ohr Chadash would be moving on from Ohav Shalom at the end of December. The membership of Ohav Shalom is very pleased with his appointment and wish the Landis family and the members of Congregation Ohr Chadash great success in their bright future. It is with Ohav’s 130 year old legacy in mind that the Board of Directors of Congregation Ohav Shalom look forward to a new opportunity on the horizon which could solidify Ohav’s future for generations to come.
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The service will begin at 9:30 a.m. A luncheon will follow services, including sufganiyot (doughnuts) and homemade latkes. Lunch is free and open to all. No reservations are needed.
Wise Temple holds annual congregational Chanukah dinner, Dec. 14 Families and people of all ages are excited to attend Wise Temple’s annual congregational Chanukah dinner on Friday, Dec. 14. The dinner immediately follows the 6:15 p.m. Shabbat service and will include latkes, donut
holes and other traditional favorites. Participants are asked to bring their own chanukiahs and eight candles because the service falls on the seventh night of Chanukah. During the service there will be a group candle
lighting. After all the chanukiahs are lighted, the electric lights will be dimmed so all can appreciate the overwhelming sight of so many chanukiahs giving off a radiance of light. For participants with preschool age chil-
dren, there will be a YoFI (Young Family Involvement) Chanukah Party beginning at 5:30 p.m. There is a fee for the dinner and all registration is online or by calling the Temple office.
Wise Temple’s Young Family Involvement group, rooted in community Engaging. Exciting. Welcoming. Community. This is the essence of the Wise Temple’s YoFI (Young Family Involvement) group. All of these characteristics were at work during the group’s recent Talking with Torah program in which wide-eyed children got an upclose look at the Torah as Rabbi Kamrass rolled out the scroll in front of them. “My mother and I
were just as fascinated by our upclose look at the Torah as my child was,” Nadya Rashkovetskaya said. This event is about giving kids and parents alike a better sense of the Torah’s role in Judaism. This engaging and welcoming community doesn’t stop there. On Dec. 14 at 5:30 p.m. YoFI is hosting a Chanukah party before the congregational Chanukah service.
Yes, the group will celebrate the holiday with their children by making a keepsake and enjoying a snack. But more importantly, they will connect with old friends and make new ones. “We want young families to feel welcome and to enjoy connecting with other young families. It’s nice to think about our kids growing up together and being there to support each other.” says Gayle Warm, YoFI
host. You’ll hear more about YoFI’s upcoming events including Dec. 25 Family Bowling sponsored by the Wise Temple Brotherhood, an Inflatables Party and Special Shabbat Services. At the root of it all is engagement, excitement, a welcoming environment and community. If this environment speaks to you, contact Wise Temple for more information.
JCC New Year’s Eve Bash and Overnight for kids “Kids really love our New Year’s Eve Bash and Overnight. We have lots of fun, age-appropriate activities for everyone, and the kids rave about swimming and playing in the JCC waterpark. They feel at home here and make friends and memories for years to come.” Ilana Nadel
have lots of fun, age-appropriate activities for everyone, and the kids rave about swimming and playing in the JCC waterpark. They feel at home here and make friends and memories for years to come,” said Ilana Nadel, JCC Camp Director & Youth and Family Program Coordinator. The J provides a broad range of programs year-round for children and families. Parents wishing to learn about school break camps and summer camps at the JCC are encouraged to bring their kids on Sunday, Jan. 6 at 2 p.m. to the Camp at the J registration kick-off. You’ll meet Camp at the J leaders and the kids will be entertained with crafts and inflatables, while parents have a chance to ask questions, learn about the many different camps offered at the JCC and hear about special discounts and opportunities. For more information about the JCC New Year’s Eve Bash and Overnight, or school break and summer camps, contact Ilana Nadel at the JCC.
The American Israelite “LET THERE BE LIGHT” THE OLDEST ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN AMERICA - EST. JULY 15, 1854
VOL. 159 • NO. 21 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012 29 KISLEV 5773 SHABBAT BEGINS FRIDAY 4:58 PM SHABBAT ENDS SATURDAY 5:59 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 MICHAEL SAWAN Assistant Editors ALEXIA KADISH Copy Editor JANET STEINBERG Travel Editor MARIANNA BETTMAN NATE BLOOM IRIS PASTOR RABBI A. JAMES RUDIN ZELL SCHULMAN RABBI AVI SHAFRAN PHYLLIS R. SINGER Contributing Columnists JOSEPH D. STANGE Production Manager ERIN WYENANDT Office Manager e Oldest Eng Th
ewish N h-J ew lis
Parents, are you wondering how you can enjoy a night to yourselves on New Year’s Eve? You can do just that, when you send your kids (in grades K-6) to the JCC for an overnight New Year’s Eve Bash that they won’t forget! The Mayerson JCC is pulling out all the stops to give the kids an awesome party as they ring in the New Year with noisemakers, a ball drop and a special “bubbly toast” at midnight! This exciting evening also includes waterpark adventures, snacks, bounce house fun, games and activities in the gym, a movie and even a yummy breakfast. Parents just drop their children off at the JCC at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31 and pick them up on Tuesday, Jan. 1 at 8 a.m. Kids should bring a swimsuit, sleeping bag, pillow, pajamas, toothbrush and toothpaste. This popular party is open to the public, with discounts for siblings and J Members. Space is limited, so advance registration is requested by Dec. 27. “Kids really love our New Year’s Eve Bash and Overnight. We
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ing on the Maccabees as military strategists. A session for adults will consider life as a religious minority. And a session for both youth and adults will look at different Hanukkah practices and customs.
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service format combines educational and religious programming options alongside the standard traditional service. Among the special programming sessions will be one for youth focus-
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Northern Hills Synagogue – Congregation B’nai Avraham will celebrate and learn about Hanukkah when it holds another in its popular series of Chavurat Shabbat services on Saturday morning, Dec. 15. The
r in Am ape er sp i
Northern Hills celebrates Hanukkah with Chavurat Shabbat service
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE (USPS 019-320) is published weekly for $44 per year and $1.00 per single copy in Cincinnati and $49 per year and $3.00 per single copy elsewhere in U.S. by The American Israelite Co. 18 West Ninth Street, Suite 2, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2037. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, OH. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE, 18 West Ninth Street, Suite 2, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2037. The views and opinions expressed by the columnists of The American Israelite do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the newspaper.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012
LOCAL • 5
Jewish Federation kicks off 2013 Community Campaign
Louis Guttman
Suzette Fisher
The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati kicks off its 2013 Community Campaign this week. The funds raised through the campaign will go to programs that care for, educate and engage Jews in Cincinnati, in Israel and around the world. These programs work to reduce poverty and isolation, cre-
the Vice President of Planning & Allocations, overseeing the process involved in distributing the funds raised through the campaign. She began her term as Campaign Chair in October of this year. She also served on the Board and Executive Committee of Rockwern Academy.
“Last year’s campaign brought in over 1,150 increased gifts, thanks largely in part to the generous matching grant from the Foundation.” Louis Guttman
ate an engaged community, assure our Jewish future and support Jewish communities worldwide. “The Community Campaign is crucial to ensuring our Jewish community thrives,” said Suzette Fisher, who will serve as Chair of the 2013 Campaign. “It is only by growing our base of individual donors that we will move toward the community’s vision for the year 2020 of Cincinnati as a model for other communities and a Jewish destination.” Fisher has served on the Board of the Jewish Federation for the past four years, most recently as
In addition, Fisher co-chaired the 2003 United Way campaign with her husband, Michael, and served as Vice President of Program Evaluation for the YWCA for three years. Danielle Minson, Jewish Federation Director of Development, said, “We are so lucky to have Suzette as our Chair this year. She brings the knowledge and experience she’s gained from decades of work in the community, both Jewish and nonJewish. And she has the understanding of where our community dollars go, which is necessary to
communicate the great need we still have. I have no doubt she will lead us in a successful 2013 Campaign!” The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati will again match all new and increased portions of gifts to the campaign, this year two-to-one. This means, for example, that a new gift of $100 will result in a total impact of $300. “Last year’s campaign brought in over 1,150 increased gifts, thanks largely in part to the generous matching grant from the Foundation,” said Major Gifts CoChair Louis Guttman. “This year, recognizing the power of individual giving and hoping to encourage even more donors, they have increased their commitment. We hope the community will yet again rise to the challenge.”
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Millions raised, Stevie Wonder absence, Jason Alexander encore mark IDF gala By Jacob Kamaras JointMedia News Service LOS ANGELES – While one celebrity backed out of public support for the Israeli military, another came back for an encore – but not without an atypical script. Notoriously absent from the Dec. 6 Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Western Region gala was singer Stevie Wonder, who canceled his performance following a recommendation from the United Nations, plus pressure from Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activists who gathered more than 4,600 signatures online. At the same time, former “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander emceed FIDF’s Los Angeles fundraiser for the third time. Since 2009, Wonder has been a “United Nations Messenger of Peace.” Alexander, meanwhile, is a prominent public supporter of the nonprofit OneVoice, whose stated goal is to foster an Israeli-Palestinian twostate solution that “ends the occupation, ensures security and peace for both sides, and solves all final-status issues in accordance with international law and previous bilateral agreements.”
Courtesy of Jacob Kamaras
Former Seinfeld star Jason Alexander is interviewed at the Dec. 6 FIDF gala in Los Angeles.
As the face of a group that associates Israel with “occupation,” Alexander could have followed Wonder in playing the “peace card” and dropping out of the FIDF event. Why didn’t he? “I don’t have any official rules with OneVoice about what I can and can’t do,” Alexander told JNS at the gala. “There’s a general direction
that we take, but I don’t know what it is to be a UN ambassador of peace [like Wonder], that sounds like a big thing. And from my understanding, I’ve been at many, many benefits where he has performed, for all kinds of causes, some popular, some less popular – I don’t think this is a decision he made lightly.” The FIDF gala, chaired by
National Briefs
Israeli-American billionaire Haim Saban and his wife Cheryl, raised more than $14 million and featured surprise musical performances by American Idol winner Ruben Studdard and 10-time Grammy Award winner Chaka Khan to fill the void left by Wonder. But the most stage time went to Alexander, who praised IDF soldiers in his public remarks throughout the night, and told JNS they are “some of the finest, most humane, most admirable, most noble-serving soldiers that I’ve ever seen.” Yet he took an unexpected approach by devoting part of his opening speech to what he called Palestinian “suffering.” Alexander went on to tell the crowd of 1,400 that, despite his views on the Palestinians, there “can never be any doubt that I am also an advocate for Israel.” The actor elaborated on that comment privately. “My experience of most Israelis, and even most Israeli supporters, [is that] they understand the two sides of the story,” he told JNS. “You can’t have a conflict without two sides. So, acknowledging that there’s another side [in my speech] doesn’t seem to me that risky.” GALA on page 22
Using data, Jewish groups try to turn the art of fundraising into a science By Ben Harris Jewish Telegraph Agency NEW YORK – For many Jewish nonprofits, fundraising often can seem like an art – a process of educated guesswork based largely on intuition, word of mouth and experience. So when David Gad-Harf, the chief development officer of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, saw a way to introduce more science into the process, he went for it. With the help of the Washington consulting firm Measuring Success, the federation earlier this year combined information from its own database with survey results and data purchased elsewhere to rank 1,900 donors in order of the likelihood that they would become major donors (more than $10,000) down the road. The rankings were based on a list of 12 attributes that the data showed reliably predict which small donors will become major ones in the future. Those who made a major gift to an organization in Israel or a major university, or already devoted a significant portion of their charitable donations to federation, were far more likely to become major supporters, Measuring Success determined. Meanwhile, the attributes
that federations often believe make people big givers – a big life change, Jewish involvement in childhood, becoming an honoree at a gala event – didn’t turn out to reliably predict future giving, the data showed. “We now have a much clearer sense of who are the people we should be engaging,” Gad-Harf told JTA. “This information is useful, but it's only useful up to a certain point. You still need to reach out to them, open doors, cultivate them, engage them in the organization. But at least we have a road map.” With nonprofits across the Jewish world struggling to maintain fundraising levels in a still shaky economic climate, organizations are looking to the promise of rigorous, data-driven analysis to increase efficiency and get a clearer picture of how to improve their operations. Many of the methods used are far less sophisticated than what New Jersey and others have done, but together they augur a broad cultural shift toward a more data-centered, metric-driven approach to decision-making. “I think it’s finally clicking for a lot of lay leadership in many communities, many of whom have experience in evidence-based disciplines like finance or science,” said Sacha Litman, the founder of Measuring Success. “The idea is
to analyze through data, identify trends and then leverage that to make effective decisions.” Many of the methods being employed fall broadly under the rubric of what some have begun to call “big data” – the vast trove of information generated by everything from sensors in industrial equipment to millions of clicks on a webpage. Powerful computing algorithms can sift through the material, teasing out patterns and generating insights that otherwise would be impossible to identify. Internet companies such as Google and Facebook and major retailers like Target and Walmart have been doing this for years. They comb through reams of data generated by customers to glean powerful, and often lucrative, insights into their habits and preferences. Similar approaches have since been adopted across a range of fields, from national security to health care to political campaigns. Among the programs Litman has helped to create in the Jewish world is a soon-to-be-released mobile app called Grapevine that provides recommendations for Jewish events based on a user’s location and interests. Over time, the app learns the user’s individual preferences and habits to make more intelligent recommendations
– much in the way that Netflix recommends movies based on past choices and user feedback. Even more valuable for sponsoring groups, the app can collect precious, continually updated information about individual users: where they live, how old they are, who their friends are, what sorts of things tickle their fancy. “All that data that we’re going to be gathering is going to give us a much better sense of what’s working in Jewish engagement and what kinds of things appeal to what kinds of people,” said Hindy Poupko, executive director of the Council of Young Jewish Presidents, which has sponsored the Grapevine project in New York. “This is data that our community has never had before because it’s been very hard to track.” It’s precisely this sort of activity that has generated broad concern about privacy in an age when so much personal data is already tracked and recorded, from web surfing habits to where consumers swipe their credit cards for lunch. UJA-Federation of New York, which claims to be the first federation to hire a full-time data analyst, says it has “huge amounts of data” at its disposal and has made a strategic choice to exploit that information to maximize donations.
U.S. senators sign on to call for Europe to sanction Hezbollah WASHINGTON (JTA) – More than half the members of the U.S. Senate have signed on to a resolution urging the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and levy sanctions. The resolution, initiated by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), who is retiring at the end of this month, calls on President Obama to provide information about Hezbollah to European allies of the United States and for those countries to support the government of Bulgaria’s investigation of the July 18 terrorist attack there in which a suicide bomber killed himself, five Israeli tourists and a bus driver. The resolution, which has yet to be formally introduced, asks that sanctions be leveled against Hezbollah for “providing material support to Bashar al Assad’s ongoing campaign of violent repression against the people of Syria.” According to the resolution, should the governments of Europe and the European Union designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, it would no longer be able to fundraise, recruit, finance, provide logistical support, train or propagandize throughout Europe. The U.S. designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization in October 1997. Ross, Abrams and Jeffrey see strike by ‘14 if Iran does not comply WASHINGTON (JTA) – Three former high-ranking U.S. foreign policy advisers agree that if Iran does not halt its suspected nuclear weapons program by the end of 2013, the United States or Israel will act militarily. Dennis Ross, until a year ago President Obama’s top Iran policy adviser, and Elliott Abrams, a former deputy national security adviser to President George W. Bush, spoke at an event in their honor held Dec. 6 in New York by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the Times of Israel reported. Asked by Washington Institute director Robert Satloff if they believed either America or Israel would use their military against Iran’s nuclear program before the end of 2013 if it is not stopped by that time, Ross and Abrams said yes. Ross and James Jeffrey, a former deputy national security adviser and the current ambassador to Iraq, predicted a U.S. strike in that case.
NATIONAL • 7
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012
Rice, a loyal Obama soldier, wins Jewish plaudits By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraph Agency WASHINGTON – The very quality that helped get Susan Rice in hot water with some in Washington is what pro-Israel groups have come to appreciate – she is a vigorous and reliable defender of the Obama administration’s foreign policies. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who is widely seen as a leading candidate to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, has garnered plaudits from Jewish communal leaders over her defenses of Israel at the world body. “She has proven herself as an ardent defender of major Israeli positions in an unfriendly forum,” said Abraham Foxman, the AntiDefamation League’s national director. “And I’m more comfortable with the person I know than the person I don’t know. She is close to the president and that’s important in that position if you have someone you can relate to and understands us.” If Obama nominates Rice, however, she would likely face opposition from Senate Republicans. She has been under fire from Republicans since September, when she blitzed Sunday talk shows with
Courtesy of UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras
Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, talking to journalists about the crisis in Gaza, Nov. 21, 2012. Rice, who reportedly is being considered for secretary of state, has earned plaudits from Jewish groups for her U.N. role.
what turned out to be misleading information prepared by intelligence agencies suggesting that a deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Libya began with a spontaneous protest. Media reports have suggested that Rice had been eager
to go on the talk show circuit to defend the administration, which was facing strong criticism from Republicans over its handling of the attack and its public explanations of what happened. President Obama has vigorously defended Rice, although he has not said whom he will nominate to succeed Clinton when she steps down early next year. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, also is considered a leading contender, while several other names of potential nominees have been cited in media reports. Rice, 48, began her career as a youthful protege of Madeleine Albright, who served as secretary of state under President Bill Clinton. Albright landed Rice an influential position on the National Security Council as Africa adviser. Rice has been a key player in pitching Obama’s foreign policy, notably using friendships forged at the United Nations – particularly with Vitaly Churkin, the Russian ambassador – to create space for some of Obama’s key international initiatives. These have included enhanced sanctions targeting Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program and the effort that helped topple Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi last year.
Three years on, Jewish groups winding down Haiti operations By Gil Shefler Jewish Telegraph Agency NEW YORK – It was the poor construction. There had been many earthquakes more powerful than the one that hit Haiti nearly three years ago, and there have been many more since. But few have been deadlier. When the tremor registering 7.0 on the Richter scale struck on Jan. 12, 2010, it flattened countless rows of ramshackle houses in the impoverished capital of Portau-Prince, burying their inhabitants beneath a pile of smoking rubble. The death toll is still uncertain; estimates vary from 46,000 to the Haitian government’s official tally of more than 300,000. But if an earthquake does strike again, which is likely given that the country sits atop a tectonic hotspot, Jewish NGOs can claim some credit for potentially reducing future casualties. “We did a program with World ORT for builders in Haiti teaching them better building techniques,” said Judy Amit, the global director of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s interna-
tional development program. “We trained over 1,200 people. Now these builders are out working, and if there is another earthquake the buildings will be much safer.” JDC is one of at least five Jewish relief agencies currently engaged in aid work in Haiti, alongside the American Jewish World Service, World ORT and the Israeli nonprofits IsraAid and Tevel B’Tzedek. In all, Jewish nongovernmental organizations raised at least $16.2 million for Haiti relief. More than half of that sum has come from JDC alone, which has spent nearly $8.8 million in donations from the Jewish Federations of North America and from individual donors who earmarked their contributions for Haiti relief. The funds have helped renovate the University Hospital of Haiti in Port-au-Prince; build a middle school in the town of Zoranje; supply artificial limbs to amputees; and dispatch groups such as the Bond Street Theatre to empower Haitian women through performance art. “We look back at three years where our impact is evident and we’re still at work there,” Amit
said. “We really looked for the longest term impact.” Most of the $16.2 million has been spent. As the remaining money dwindles, Jewish groups are expected to wind down their activity in the country. Some may be out within a year or two, others sooner. Tevel B’Tzedek and IsraAid, both of which run humanitarian projects around the world, jointly run a training facility outside Portau-Prince where a team of Israeli agricultural experts teach Haitian farmers how to create plant nurseries, use drip irrigation and manage pests. “We’re trying to get a major grant from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization,” said Rabbi Micha Odenheimer, the founding director of Tevel B’Tzedek. “But if we don’t get it we’re going to run out of funds in February.” Odenheimer hopes Tevel B’Tzedek can continue its work in the country for at least another year, but first the money must be found. The American Jewish Committee, the UJA-Federation of Toronto and others are now paying for the group’s efforts in Haiti.
Congregation Agudas Achim of Columbus, OH is seeking an experienced, full-time
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For Jewish Deadheads, the music plays on By Chavie Lieber Jewish Telegraph Agency FALLS VILLAGE, Conn. – As a gentle snow fell on the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center last Friday evening, some 85 people gathered inside a wooden lodge to welcome Shabbat – half in a meditation circle in which Grateful Dead lyrics served as a kind of mantra, the other in a more “traditional” service where the Lecha Dodi prayer was sung to the tune of the Dead classic “Ripple.” It was the second installment of Blues for Challah, a weekend retreat that attracts dozens of Jewish Deadheads – or “grown-up hippies retracing their past,” as one participant described the scene – to this placid corner of the Connecticut countryside to bask in their collective love and reverence for the Grateful Dead. Over the course of two days, a colorful sea of devotees – clad, unsurprisingly, in tie-dye, hemp and oversized knit yarmulkes – munched on organic food, swapped stories of their days following the Dead and tripping on acid, and of course, jammed. “The Dead was a traveling band, they were always picking up and moving,” Yoseph Needelman, a Deadhead from Jerusalem and the author of a book about the use of marijuana by Chasidic rabbis, told JTA. “Their songs always talk about a road, a path, or driving to get back on a journey. That directly relates to
Courtesy of Chavie Lieber
Jewish Grateful Dead fans celebrating the Havdalah during the Blues for Challah retreat at the Isabella Freedman Center in Falls Village, Conn., Dec. 1, 2012.
a Jewish journey of traveling to find the right path, and the Chasidic concept of this world being a passageway. Jews and the Dead relate in that we both wander.” A product of the 1960s San Francisco counterculture, the Grateful Dead inspired a fanatical loyalty from fans drawn as much by their music as the traveling carnival of seekers and misfits that followed them from venue to venue and obsessively trafficked in bootlegged recordings of their performances. Though it’s been nearly 20 years since the death of Jerry Garcia, the band’s frontman and creative force, the Dead continues to be a cultural and commercial force – especially
for the disproportionately large number of Deadheads who happen to be Jews. “As Jews, we’re always searching for a sense of community and acceptance, and being in the Grateful Dead scene was a way to be yourself with no judgments, since the crowd is so diverse,” said Arthur Kurzweil, the author, Jewish educator, magician and Deadhead who was the weekend’s keynote speaker. “That old balding guy dancing next to you whose big belly is covered with a tie-dye shirt will go back to his job tomorrow as a banker. But at a Dead show, it doesn’t matter what he does.” Kurzweil isn’t the only one who
has wondered about those burly Deadheads. In “Perspectives of the Dead,” a collection of scholarly essays about the band published in 1999, Douglas Gertner noted how many Garcia lookalikes attended shows – “big men with thick dark curly hair and beards.” Only later does Gertner realize that these bearded men are, like him, members of an “extended community” of Jewish Deadheads. Understanding the intense loyalty inspired by the Dead is a plaguing existential question that echoes through every Jewish Deadhead’s mind at some point or another. Since its earliest days, Jews have been important figures in the scene that grew up around the band. The legendary music promoter Bill Graham, an early champion of the Dead, was a German-born Jewish refugee from the Nazis. Mandolinist David Grisman was a longtime collaborator, contributing the signature mandolin part on the studio version of “Ripple.” Les Kippel was an early pioneer in the trading of live recordings and the founder of Relix magazine, a newsletter for traders. “Going to a show is kind of like going to a family simcha,” said the 65-year-old Kippel, who now works for an auction house in Florda. “You knew everyone there and you felt like you belonged. It made me feel like I needed to connect with everyone around me and get everyone involved who wasn’t there.” Kippel spent some 15 years tap-
ing Dead shows and created the First Free Underground Grateful Dead Tape Exchange in 1973 to help circulate the recordings among fans. He would organize people to bring recording equipment, both to split the costs and confuse security guards – “sort of the same way a kibbutz operates,” he said. “It went from a simple act of wanting to preserve the experience to collecting it, which reminded me a lot of how we preserve Judaism,” Kippel said. “Our ancestors cherish our past and we try to preserve it, which is why Jewish Deadheads are obsessed with preserving the shows. We were a family gathering.” Only one member of the band, Mickey Hart, is Jewish. And unlike Phish, the jam band that most closely followed in the Dead’s endlessly touring, live tape-trading ways, the Dead never worked Hebrew classics like “Avinu Malkeinu” into its concert repertoire. But for many Jews, attending shows was akin to a religious experience and the band’s lyrics contain powerful spiritual messages. “The Baal Shem Tov taught that the way you look at things throughout your day can be an expression in the way you relate to God,” Yosef Langer said. “I was blown away when I found that exact concept in the Dead’s ‘Scarlet Begonias’ song when they sing, ‘Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.’” DEADHEADS on page 22
Teaching children the joy of mitzvot at holiday time By JTA Staff Jewish Telegraph Agency NEW YORK – Chanukah, when children look forward to getting gifts and gelt, is an ideal time to recall Judaism’s commitment to helping others and tikkun olam, repairing the world. Two recently published books, “The Mitzvah Project Book: Making Mitzvah Part of Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah … and your Life” (Jewish Lights) and “It’s a … It’s a … It’s a Mitzvah (Jewish Lights)” can help parents and their children find creative ideas for doing good deeds during the Festival of Lights and throughout the year. “The Mitzvah Project Book” targets preteens and suggests projects that leverage their talents and interests to make the world a better place. The book offers nearly 200 mitzvah project ideas – videotaping an elder’s personal history, crafting decorations for hospital walls and sending care packages to Israeli soldiers, among others – that can be part of a family’s Chanukah activities. While the book has a young person’s bar/bat mitzvah experience as its starting point, teens and their families will appreciate the
Courtesy of Courtesy Diane Heiman
Diane Heiman, co-author of “It’s a... It’s a... It’s a Mitzvah,” with children at a JCC of Greater Washington book event.
many terrific tzedakah projects appropriate for Chanukah. Focusing on younger audiences, “It’s a … It’s a … It’s a Mitzvah” brings Mitzvah Meerkat and his animal friends to life through a lively introduction of mitzvot. On its colorful pages, young children will see that thoughtfulness and kindness mark the beginning of a Jewish journey and a lifetime commitment to tikkun olam.
Illustrator Laurel Molk presents pictures of adorable animal characters who perform simple good deeds and acts of loving kindness. In each playful vignette, children engage with Jewish wisdom, such as sharing food with the hungry, welcoming new friends and taking care of the Earth. “What a splendid way to introduce young children to the rich moral vocabulary of Judaism,” said
Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, the author of many children’s books. “[It] makes a powerful statement – you’re never too young to be fully engaged with Jewish ideals.” On Sunday, about a week before Chanukah, Temple Beth El in Boca Raton, Fla., organized a youth program mitzvah day around “It’s a… It’s a… It’s a Mitzvah” that included co-author Diane Heiman reading to the children. Rabbi Jessica Brockman said the book inspired the synagogue. “We targeted our preschool audience and taught them the important message of doing good deeds and doing it through understanding what exactly a mitzvah is,” she said. The children collected gently used books for needy kids and made crafts based on the book. At Congregation Shar’aray in Hingham, Mass., Heiman’s coauthor, Liz Suneby, read with a group of children from preschool to second grade. “I was able to see firsthand the impact of the book,” said the congregation’s cantor, Steven Weiss. “Our own daughter, Breanna, fell in love with the book and was excited to say ‘It’s a … It’s a … It’s a Mitzvah!’ each and every time the phrase appeared. This
book is a wonderful way to teach little ones about the different concepts of mitzvot.” As Chanukah is about miracles – the mystery of one day’s worth of oil burning for eight days and a remarkable victory of the small band of Maccabees against the greater enemy – our sense of wonder during Chanukah can inspire acts of tikkun olam. Emphasizing giving rather than getting is a true reflection of the festival. Here are eight ways to incorporate mitzvot into a Chanukah celebration: • Place the menorah in a window as a symbol of hope and affirmation. • Welcome friends and neighbors over to share latkes. • Collect gently worn clothing that your family has outgrown to give to the needy. • Forgo your own gifts and shop for a family in need. • Share kind words and Chanukah greetings with cards or emails to family far away. • Plant a tree in Israel through the Jewish National Fund to support the environment. • Celebrate Shabbat when it falls during Chanukah. • Pray for peace under the glow of the menorah.
NATIONAL / ISRAEL • 9
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012
When it comes to eating local, kosher consumers are split By Chavie Lieber Jewish Telegraph Agency NEW YORK – The sun was shining over the Union Square farmers market on a recent chilly morning as Chris Mitchell, a 34year-old chef at the fashionable kosher eatery Jezebel, loomed over a table of Jerusalem artichokes. The six-foot-something Georgia native carefully inspected the exterior of the root vegetable before buying a handful to serve as dried chips. Mitchell comes to the downtown Manhattan market every morning to buy Jezebel’s produce as part of the restaurant’s commitment to purchase locally produced food. “If you care about what you’re eating, and who you are feeding your food to, you’ll want to know where it comes from,” said Mitchell. “That’s the beauty of buying locally.” The locavore movement has become one of the hottest food trends in recent years, propelled by advocates who see it as a conscientous and environmentally friendly alternative to industrial food trucked in over long distances. Produce from local sources often keeps longer and helps keep dollars in the local economy. But for many kosher consumers, both individuals and restaurants, limiting themselves to local food makes neither practical nor financial sense. “It seems to me like another layer of worry I have to tack onto my food shopping,” said Erin Reichner, a Brooklyn mother of
Courtesy of Chavie Lieber
Chris Mitchell, chef at the new Manhattan restaurant Jezebel, buys his ingredients at a local farmers market, where the produce comes from neighboring farms.
seven. “The price of keeping kosher means I want to pay less for my produce. I buy plenty of fruit for my children, and I don’t care where it comes from.” Such declarations aside, interest in local food has exploded in recent years. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farmers markets in the country has more than quadrupled since 1994 and grew by nearly 10 percent in 2012 alone. That’s in addition to the growth of Community Supported Agriculture programs, or CSAs, in which consumers purchase a farm share for a fixed price in the spring and receive
As Israel’s economy grows, more Israelis are giving to charity By Ben Sales Jewish Telegraph Agency TEL AVIV – At Hadassah’s centennial celebration in October, 2,000 guests heard about two major philanthropic projects being undertaken by the women’s Zionist group: a new tower and a new cardiovascular wellness center at its Jerusalem hospitals. The tower, which was dedicated at the centennial, cost $363 million. And a $10 million gift from American philanthropist Irene Pollin came with the announcement of the cardiovascular center. Most of Hadassah’s members and donors are American, and every year most of its $100 million budget goes to Israel – as it has for a century, well before Israel was a state.
For virtually all of Israel’s history, the philanthropic highway between the United States and the Jewish state ran in one direction. Now, with the growth of Israel’s economy and an expanding class of affluent citizens, Israeli initiatives have begun to encourage giving by Israelis for Israelis. Still, experts say, building a culture of philanthropy remains an uphill battle in Israel. “Israeli philanthropy is not very well developed, even though there’s [been] a lot of Israeli wealth in the past 10 to 20 years,” said Debra London, project manager for Sheatufim, which helps donors and nonprofits become more effective. “It’s about recruiting them to the idea that they have to give.” CHARITY on page 22
a weekly box of produce during the season. Basically none of these existed in the United States in the early 1980s; today there are estimated to be more than 6,000. “The best way to cook is to have the farm dictate what your menu should be by buying local produce that’s in season,” said Gabriel Garcia, the chef at Tierra Sur, a renowned kosher restaraunt at the Herzog Winery in California that purchases all its produce and meat from local sources. Garcia said his restaurant’s New Year’s resolution is to procure all its food from suppliers within 200 miles. “Food tastes better if it’s naturally available,” he said. “Like why would you eat berries in the winter from a grocery store when they are not in season if the winter veggies are hearty, delicious and available?” In the Jewish world, the trend is manifest in the growth of Jewish CSAs over the past eight years, 58 of which now exist across the country, diverting $7 million in Jewish purchasing power from grocery stores to local farmers, according to the Jewish environmental group Hazon. “Our traditional laws can inspire us to think how we want to approach agriculture,” Hazon’s Daniel Infeld said. “The root of kosher means ‘fit to eat,’ and eating locally should coincide with kashrut.”
Looking for Survivors of a Train from Bergen-Belsen to Farsleben, liberated 13 April 1945, by the 30th Infantry Division, US Ninth Army. Survivors are asked to contact Frank Towers by email at towersfw@windstream.net or to Varda Weisskopf by email at hila_64@inter.net.il or varda120@walla.com —THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE TZEDAKA—
Pauls Named West Chester Chamber Woman of Excellence Dr. Rachel N. Pauls of Sycamore Township, surgeon at Cincinnati Urogynecology Associates (CUA), has been named one of 10 West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance Women of Excellence. The women were chosen for making an extraordinary impact in their careers or volunteer work that has improved local business, education, culture and philanthropy. About 370 people attended the Nov. 16 event. Pauls and Drs. Steven D. Kleeman and Catrina Crisp are surgeons at CUA, a TriHealth partner, a community partnership of Bethesda and Good Samaritan Hospitals. CUA has offices in West Chester and in Clifton at Good Samaritan Hospital. Pauls is an internationally-known expert in female sexual dysfunction and sexual pain. The 50,000- member American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists named her a 2012 Mentor of the Year for her work training surgeons. A subspecialty within the fields of obstetrics, gynecology and urology, urogynecologists are surgeons who treat women with pelvic floor disorders, urinary incontinence and bladder pain. CUA specializes in urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, pelvic prolapse and pelvic reconstructive surgery. “Rachel would come into work an hour early to teach first-year obgyn residents about urogynecology, giving freely of her time to make certain we became expert on significant areas of women’s pelvic health,” said Dr. Arpurva Pancholy, a former CUA Fellow and now assistant professor of urogynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “Her instruction and modeling of organized, professional behavior has positively informed my practice and enhanced my life.” Pauls’ research focuses on pelvic floor disorders, female sexual function, and the impact of urogynecologic surgeries on sexuality. A Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Royal College of Surgeons in Canada, she and co-researchers at CUA have pre-
Dr. Rachel Pauls of Sycamore Township, surgeon at Cincinnati Urogynecology Associates, middle, was one of 10 women honored Nov. 16 as a West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance Woman of Excellence. She is a member of Adath Israel Congregation in Cincinnati. She is flanked by Karen Mueller of Fairfield, vice president of Horan Associates, Inc. left, an event sponsor, and Kathy Rambo of College Hill, chamber vice president. The women were honored for making an extraordinary impact that has improved local business, education, culture and philanthropy. (Len Kaltman Photo)
sented 20 original studies to conferences nationally and internationally over the last year. Pauls also serves as reviewer for 12 peerreviewed publications and is on the editorial board for The Journal of Sexual Medicine. In addition to her practice and teaching roles for TriHealth’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency and Fellowship Programs, Pauls is co-director of the Women’s Center for Specialized Care at Good Samaritan Hospital. She is a consultant for corporations involved in interventions for pelvic organ prolapse and sexual function, and volunteers for several national organizations, including the American Urogynecologic Society’s Education Committee. Cincinnati Urogynecology Associates specializes in patient care, education of Fellows, research and philanthropy. For more information about Cincinnati Urogynecology Associates, call (513) 463-4300 or visit www.CincinnatiUrogynecology.com.
—PROFESSIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT—
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Kadima crumbles, Labor emphasizes social issues and Likud still dominates By Ben Sales Jewish Telegraph Agency TEL AVIV – Two months ago, the strategy for victory was clear: To unseat Benjamin Netanyahu in elections on Jan. 22, Israel’s handful of center-left parties had to unite under one banner and choose a leader who could challenge the Israeli prime minister on issues of diplomacy and security. Instead, the opposite has happened. Netanyahu’s opponents have become more fragmented, and the center-left has focused more on social issues than security. The Knesset’s largest party, Kadima – founded in 2005 by Ariel Sharon as a centrist breakaway from Likud, and later led by Tzipi Livni – appears to be collapsing. Members have rejoined Likud, defected to Labor or are joining Livni’s new centrist party, called the Movement. Some polls are saying that Kadima may not even make it into the next Knesset. Shelly Yachimovich, who heads Labor – historically one of Israel’s two biggest parties but the fifth largest in the current Knesset – has made socioeconomic issues her focus. The emphasis on socioeconomic policy represents “a reshuffling of the system far from the dominance of security issues,” says
Courtesy of Yossi Zamir / Miriam Alster / Flash90/JTA
Some key players in the Israeli elections coming up on Jan. 22: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud, Tzipi Livni of the new Movement party and Shelly Yachimovich of Labor.
Tamar Hermann, senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. But ceding the debate over security policy to Netanyahu, who has more security experience than Yachimovich, a former journalist, clearly gives the prime minister the upper hand. Meanwhile, the right wing has consolidated, virtually assuring a third term for Netanyahu. Recent polls show the prime minister’s ruling Likud Party, which has merged lists with the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, winning 38 of the Knesset’s 120 seats. Labor, polling in second place, might not break 20.
Netanyahu’s poll numbers have fallen since the end of Operation Pillar of Defense in Gaza last month. Some analysts say right-wing Israelis are unhappy that the prime minister agreed to a cease-fire rather than pressing ahead with a ground operation. But with Netanyahu still controlling a daunting lead, center-left parties are scrambling to find a strategy that gives them a shot at winning the premiership. Yachimovich’s focus on social issues, including calls for lower prices and more social welfare, represents an effort to harness the ener-
gy of the mass social protests Israel saw in the summer of 2011, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets to agitate for more help for the middle class. But Labor thus far has failed to reignite the spark that propelled the protests. With the Israeli left in shambles – less than 10 percent of Jewish Israelis identify with leftwing ideology, polls show – Labor has pivoted to the center, trying to rebrand itself from a left-wing party to a centrist one. “The Labor Party is located and has always been located in the center of the political map,” Yachimovich told Army Radio on Nov. 25. “Its strength is from its pragmatism, its Zionism, its very pragmatic struggle for peace and especially from Labor’s being a social democratic party.” Yossi Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, said, “Labor finally figured out that the only way it has a chance for a comeback is if it distances itself from Oslo,” the 1993 Israeli-Palestinian peace accords. Labor under Yitzhak Rabin engineered that peace accord, which many Israelis now view as having failed. “We’re seeing a revision of the left,” Halevi told JTA. “The mainstream left is trying to return to the mainstream” of Israeli society.
Report: One-quarter of Israelis—and 37 percent of kids—live in poverty By Ben Sales Jewish Telegraph Agency TEL AVIV – The numbers tell a consistent storyline: Nearly one in four Israelis lives in poverty. A report last week by Israel’s National Insurance Institute showed that 1.8 million of Israel’s 8 million people live below the poverty line. In 2011, the year for which the report was issued, more than 36 percent of Israeli children were poor, a jump of 1 percentage point from the previous year. Poverty afflicts more than 400,000 Israeli families, including nearly 7 percent of families with two working people. Among developed countries, Israel had the second-highest poverty rate, behind only Mexico, according to statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD. “There’s a very large segment of the Israeli population that isn’t receiving tools they can use in the modern economy,” said Dan BenDavid, executive director of Israel’s Taub Center, a think tank that released its “State of the Nation” report last month analyzing Israeli
Courtesy of Oren Nahshon / FLASH90 / JTA
A homeless man in Jerusalem taking cover in an entrance of a building to protect himself from a downpour, November 2012.
socioeconomic policy. “It’s not only bad for them, it’s also become a huge problem for the country over time. They’re dragging down our productivity and growth.” Israel’s poverty rate stems in large part from two sectors of the population that are especially poor: Israeli Arabs and haredi Orthodox Jews, who have poverty rates of 53 and 54 percent, respectively. Israeli Arabs constitute
about a quarter of all Israelis, while approximately 10 percent of the country is haredi Orthodox. The Israeli government defines the poverty line as individuals with expendable income of about $9,500 annually after taxes, which is approximately 50 percent of the median Israeli expendable income. Exactly 24.8 percent of Israelis, or 19.9 percent of families, live in poverty.
By comparison, the United States is fourth-highest on the OECD list with a family poverty rate of about 17 percent, according to the OECD’s standard. Twenty-three percent of U.S. children live in poverty. In Israel, poverty usually does not mean starvation. Unemployment in Israel is at 6 percent, and one of the country’s socialist legacies is a strong safety net for the poor, sick and elderly. Israeli economic policy has, however, turned more conservative in recent years. Shlomo Yitzhaki, Israel’s government statistician, says the higher-than-average birthrate among haredi and Arab Israelis is the principal reason for their high poverty rates. “If you look at income by family size, as the families get bigger, from five members and up, total family income gets lower,” he said. Arabs and haredim also are exempt from Israel’s compulsory military service, which makes it harder for them to find work in a culture where army service often serves as a career starting point, allowing people to network and in some cases gain specialized skill sets.
Israel Briefs Teva signs deal to bring promising breast cancer vaccine to Israel (JNS) – Israeli pharmaceutical giant Teva has signed a deal with American pharmaceutical company Galena Biopharma to develop and sell the promising breast cancer vaccine NeuVax in Israel, Globes reported. Galena Biopharma president and CEO Mark Ahn said, “This agreement is the first piece of our global commercialization strategy. Teva is a world-class pharmaceutical company and a major pharmaceutical company in Israel.” Kaplan Medical Center department of oncology head Dr. Noa Efrat, an investigator for the trial in Israel, said, “We are embarking on a very exciting and innovative venue for the adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer.” According to Galena Biopharma, NeuVax is a vaccine aimed at preventing or delaying the recurrence of breast cancer in cancer survivors. In clinical trials thus far, it has been proven safe and effective, and it is now entering Phase III testing in the U.S. Abbas seeks talks if Israel halts West Bank construction (JTA) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly said he wanted to negotiate with Israel if it freezes construction for six months in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Abbas made the statement on Sunday in Qatar during a meeting of Arab League nations in Doha, The Jerusalem Post reported. He was responding to statements by Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jasem al-Thani calling on Arab nations to reconsider their 2002 peace initiative. Arab nations should be “keeping the [2002] Arab Peace Initiative on the table,” Abbas said, adding, “We want to discuss with you a mechanism that would lead to an Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian and Arab territories, including Jerusalem, the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and halting settlement construction.” “If this happens, there could be feasible negotiations. Also, we could return to the point where we stopped during the era of Ehud Olmert’s government, when we put all the final-status issues on the table. We reached many understandings over these issues.” Abbas said the two sides had reached understandings on the borders, Jerusalem and the refugees.
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Padrino Italian–keep your friends close, but your pizza closer By Michael Sawan Assistant Editor Padrino Italian restaurant halfcourts an Italian Mafia sort of vibe. Their website points out that “padrino” translates to “godfather,” while a black and white picture of two men wearing suits, holding guns and standing next to old mobster cars decorates their homepage. The caption underneath gives the necessary elaboration: “We’re not Mafia, but the food is good enough for your whole crew.” Is that a threat, Mr. Padrino? Ahem, Sir... Nope! It’s a statement of fact. Padrino’s is focused on supplying food for all ages in a family friendly atmosphere. There is a full bar and pleasant interior design for adults, contemporary without being ostentatious. There’s even art on many of the walls and a menu featuring many “adult” dishes: Chicken and Spinach Manicotti, Eggplant Parmesan, Pasta Agli Olio and so on. Yet it remains a pizza place, too, a detail which in and of itself will attract the kids. According to Court Thomas, the chef at Padrino, one of the most popular pizzas is the Vegetarian. But then, wait a second... Is this really such a kid’s place? Not so much when the adults are still the ones buying. Luckily, Thomas has the explanation: “The Toscano is all meat – meatballs, cappicola, bacon and pepperoni,” while the Vegetarian is similarly loaded down but with tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, roasted peppers, green olives, black olives and red onions. Both pizzas come with a house cheese blend and marinara sauce. Not to reinforce stereotypes, but I guess it ends up breaking along lines of age and gender: one barbaric, meat drenched Toscano for every caveman-boy who walks through the door; one elegant, floofy fla-la-la veggie garden for all the sophisticated ladies at heart. Or you can throw all that silliness out the window and point to both having inherent quality. “Our produce, we try to get that [local],” Thomas explained. From there it’s simple word of mouth that keeps people coming back: “We’ve gotten people from Northern Kentucky come up here to try our pizza, they’ve heard about us.” Then, with live music Saturdays, seasonal beers and menu items and Padrino’s own line of in-house made hot sauce, Dark Star, Padrino’s is a restaurant that has found its niche and keeps itself relevant. For my meal I started with a bowl of Creamy Tomato Basil Soup featuring in-house croutons, fresh basil and parmesan cheese. On such a chilly day it was a welcomed, hearty start, a zing-ful balance between zesty tomato and
Courtesy of Michael Sawan
(Clockwise) An outside view of Padrino Italian; An inside view, in which the display case of in-house hot sauce, Dark Star, is on display; The Creamy Tomato Basil soup with fresh, in-house croutons; The Roasted Vegetable Open Face Melt, with a side of Kettle Chips and a pickle spear; Chef Court Thomas, right, with the regular faces around Padrino’s.
slightly spicy marinara. There was also a smooth, rounded butter taste, the effect of the cream in the dish. This was further enhanced by the generous helping of parmesan cheese, which added a pleasant twist to the spice of the dish. There were so many well charged flavors, in fact, that I began getting ghostly sensations of tastes that may or may not have even been present. For instance, I was obsessed for about half a minute with a fruitycitrus taste, something like lemon but without the acidity. Did I imagine it? Maybe, I probably should have asked Thomas. The star of the soup, though, was the croutons. They were unbelievably fresh. In fact, I used to work at a bakery. We’d make croutons out of the soon to expire bread, and understandably, they didn’t taste that great. I only bring this up to say WOW. Good job Padrino! You’re doing bread better than a bakery.
Anyway, the croutons added a whole other level of butteriness to the soup, smoothing it out evenly with that buttery, garlic crunch. Their texture was somewhere between the standard crispy crouton and a warm french baguette. In fact, I only have one suggestion for the dish: use a bread bowl. A “crouton” bread bowl, this would be amazing. I can’t even begin to imagine the logistics, I imagine a bowl sized crouton could no longer be called a “crouton,” but we’ll leave that for marketing to straighten out. For my entree I decided on the Roasted Vegetable Open Face Melt. Think of it like the Vegetarian Pizza in sandwich form: It features mushrooms, onions, peppers and marinara sauce with mozzarella cheese all on top of toasted garlic bread. It was this garlic bread that initially stuck out, a perfect combination between crispy crust and warm, soft bread.
The flavor of the garlic, butter and salt blended wonderfully with the sandwich’s marinara sauce, harkening back to the tastes of the Creamy Tomato Basil soup and its croutons. Supplying the “meat” of the sandwich was the impressive amount of veggies and mozzarella. The most prominent veggie was the fungus among them, the mushrooms. They maintained that great, solid mushroom texture, that meaty body and resistance. The rest of the veggies were cooked to the point of melding, a combination of flavors and textures something like a very thick stew. The mozzarella tied it all into a relatively neat package, encapsulating the veggies with the marinara and latching the entire package onto the garlic bread. Simply put, it was pizza in a sandwich and it was great. The platter was filled out with straight cut Kettle Chips and a pickle spear. The chips were a wonderful addition, an extra added crunch, but
also much appreciated in a utilitarian way: I was unable to keep all of the sandwich on top of itself, there was so much, so all of the little escapees ended up scooped up by chips. The pickle spear was nice, too, an unexpected bonus that I wouldn’t have turned down, but wouldn’t necessarily have demanded. Just that extra mile, that one bonus taste! Padrino Italian manages many miles, when I think about it. They have the bases of the average family covered, they have fine ambiance and they have Makers Mark. Probably Dewer’s, too, but I didn’t happen to see it. Check out the seasonal beers, too! Their hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Live music Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Padrino Italian 111 Main Street Milford, OH (513) 965-0100
DINING OUT • 15
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012
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16 • OPINION
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To err is essential By Rabbi Avi Shafran Contributing Columnist Students of Daf Yomi will reach it on the seventh day of Chanukah, “it” being a particularly trenchant mishna in Mesechta Shabbos, considering that the following day, “Zos Chanukah,” is identified in the Jewish mystical tradition as the last echo of the Days of Judgment that began with Rosh Hashana.
The designation of forbidden actions on the Sabbath is determined by which acts were necessary for the building and use of the mishkan, or desert-tabernacle. It’s easy to overlook this particular passage’s implication, but it’s one that is fundamental to life. On the surface, the mishna (73a) deals simply with categories of forbidden actions on Shabbos, including mocheik, or “erasing,” the sistermelacha of “writing.” The designation of forbidden actions on the Sabbath is determined by which acts were necessary for the building and use of the mishkan, or desert-tabernacle. Where exactly was writing used? The Talmud (ibid, 103b) explains that the gilded wooden beams used for the structure – which was dismantled and rebuilt repeatedly – were inscribed with letters to indicate which beams were to be placed where. (My sukkah and I’m sure many other sukkos benefit from a similar component-designation system.) And erasing? Well, that, Rashi on the mishna explains, derives from the need to correct errors when the wrong letters were mistakenly inscribed on beams. Now think: the builders probably took drinks of water during the mishkan-building process; likely they coughed or sneezed; surely they handed things to one another. Yet drinking, coughing, sneezing, and handing over objects are not forbidden actions on the Sabbath. Why? Because they are not, in the end, intrinsic to the construction project. Only actions absolutely necessary for the construction are to be designated as prohibited on the Sabbath. And that means that, if removing erroneous inscriptions is the reason for the Sabbath-prohibition of “erasing,” then errors…
must be… indispensable parts of the mishkan-building project. In fact they are indispensable parts of every successful project. Duke University civil engineering professor Henry Petroski has written several books elaborating on that point, one of them entitled “To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design.” He makes the case that a successful feat of invention depends on a series of failures. Only the commission and addressing of errors, he elaborates, can propel any invention to perfection. “Failure,” Professor Petroski explains about engineering, “is what drives the field forward.” Errors are part of the project of life itself, no less – a truth bearing heavily on the concept of teshuva. Among the published collected letters of the late Rav Yitzchok Hutner, the revered Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin from 1940 into the 1970s, is one he wrote to a student who had shared with the Rosh Yeshiva his despondence and depression over his personal spiritual failures. Rabbi Hutner’s Hebrew letter digresses into English for a few words – those comprising the maxim that one can “lose battles but win wars,” It is a saying, Rav Hutner writes, that encompasses a deep truth. What makes life meaningful, the Rosh Yeshiva explains to his student, is not basking in the sunshine of one’s “good inclination” but rather engaging, repeatedly and no matter the setbacks, the battle against our inclination to sin. Rabbi Hutner notes that Shlomo HaMelech, King Solomon, (Mishlei, 24:16) teaches us that “Seven times does the righteous one fall and get up.” That, writes the Rosh Yeshiva, does not mean that “even after falling seven times, the righteous one manages to get up again.” What it really means, he explains, is that it is precisely through repeated falls that a person truly achieves righteousness. The struggles – including the failures – are inherent to the achievement of eventual, ultimate victory. If we find ourselves flat on our backs, we must pick ourselves up and resume the war. And, if need be, again. And again. Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are long behind us, hardly at the forefront of most Jews’ minds as snow clouds gather. But thoughts of righteousness, sin and repentance are not seasonal; every day of the year brings its own challenges. And so, approaching the final day of Chanuka, we do well to ponder our stumblings, but, remembering Rav Hutner’s thought, to also temper our anguish over mistakes we have made. To understand that failures, even repeated ones, are integral steps toward ultimate success. To remember why it is that erasing writing on Shabbos is forbidden.
The disunited Arab republics By Ben Cohen JointMedia News Service The Russian revolutionary leader, Vladimir Lenin, was fond of the phrase “one step forward, two steps back.” In the current Middle East, we have taken many more than two steps backward – and we are repeating patterns that are more than five decades old. In 1958, Egypt and Syria jointly launched an unprecedented political experiment in the Arab world. Pooling their sovereignty, both countries announced that they were forming the “United Arab Republic” (UAR) as a first step toward dissolving national divisions in the Arab world into a wider Arab bloc. From the beginning, it was an unequal partnership. Aggressive nationalist leaders reigned in Cairo and Damascus, but it was the Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, who stood – if you’ll pardon the pun– at the top of the pyramid. Disagreements over economic policy, frustration at the collective failure to effectively confront Israel, and Nasser’s distrust of the Ba’ath Party – an organization that derived its main ideological inspiration from German National Socialism, and which ruled at various times in both Syria and Iraq – all contributed to the UAR’s disintegration in 1961. Both Nasser and his Syrian allies were at the vanguard of the Arab revolutionary tradition that emerged from the collapse of the British and French-backed regimes after World War II. However, what divided them was far more important than what united them. For more than half a century, intra-Arab relations were dominated by intrigue and conspiracy-mongering. There was a great deal of florid, emotional rhetoric about the imperative of defeating Zionism and securing justice for the Palestinians, but such aspirations only served to highlight the failure of the pan-Arab movement – both politically and on the battlefield against the better trained, highly motivated armed forces of Israel. Just as these Arab regimes emerged from revolution, so were they overturned by successor revolutions, in the form of the “Arab Spring” – remember that? – which descended on Arab cities from North Africa to the Gulf in 2010. As in the late 1950s, any vague hopes of Arab unity and Arab democracy thrown up by the Arab Spring were quickly dashed. Rather than a United Arab Republic, what we are witnessing today is a cluster of disunited Arab republics, foremost among them Egypt and Syria. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Morsi, whose organization was decimated by Nasser during the 1950s after it violently objected to the country’s secular constitution, is
now deploying the tanks and soldiers of the Egyptian army against his own people. In November, just days after being feted by western powers for his role in damping down the conflict between Israel and the terrorist Hamas regime in Gaza, Morsi embarked on a power grab that would have left even Nasser envious. Morsi’s expansive powers now include a judiciary that has been stripped of any right to challenge his decisions. Even the normally sympathetic scholars of Egypt’s famous Islamic Al Azhar academy have expressed their unease with Morsi’s actions – but when you endorse an organization like the Muslim Brotherhood, whose credo rests upon jihad and “death for the sake of Allah,” you’d have to be very foolish indeed to think that a functioning, healthy democracy would be a natural consequence of its seizure of power. In purely humanitarian terms, meanwhile, the situation in Syria is far worse. More than 40,000 people have been murdered since a popular uprising against the regime of Bashar al Assad – the president and the leader of the Syrian Ba’ath Party – erupted early in 2011. Throughout that period, western countries have mounted a series of diplomatic interventions, involving a cast of characters from the Arab League to the former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which have signally failed to stop Assad’s slaughter. Now, though, talk of military intervention in Syria is bubbling. The cause this time is the prospect that Assad may use chemical weapons in his bid to destroy Syria’s rebel factions. Such a fear is hardly far-fetched, especially when you remember that Ba’athists have a similar predilection for unleashing poison gas as did their Nazi forbears when they used Zyklon B in their gas chambers. Recall that in 1988, the late Iraqi President (and Ba’athist leader) Saddam Hussein used a combination of lethal chemical agents in an attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja, in which more than 5,000 Kurds suffered agonizing deaths. Recall, too, that Saddam also liberally deployed chemical weapons in his war against Iran during the 1980s. The difficulties of military inter-
vention in Syria shouldn’t be understated. Operationally, destroying the chemical weapons centers will involve direct confrontation with the elite Syrian forces assigned to guard them, as well as penetrating sophisticated air defense systems provided to the Syrians by their Russian allies. Politically, both China and Russia can be relied on to oppose any foreign intervention in the name of defending “national sovereignty.” Already, Russia’s unctuous foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, is complaining that the warnings about chemical weapons are a dishonest pretext to bring down the Assad regime. There are no easy options in the Middle East. Western countries are in the midst of what is called “war fatigue,” stemming from the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. And weakening or even destroying current enemies carries the risk of empowering new ones, whether these are Salafi Islamist factions in the mold of Al Qaeda, or the increasingly belligerent Islamist Turkish government of Reccep Tayyip Erdogan, who has made confrontation with Israel the centerpiece of his appeal to the Islamic world. Typically, European governments have attempted to mollify Arab anger by protesting Israel’s decision to build new housing in Jerusalem, its sovereign capital. The Obama Administration has also made its displeasure clear. But invoking Israel is a red herring. Too many western policymakers fail to understand that the fundamental confrontation here is not between the west, Israel and Islam, but a series of brutal civil wars within the domain of Islam itself. The proof of that lies in the fact that more Muslims die at the hands of Islamist thugs than any other group. In the coming weeks and months, we can expect even greater disunity in the Arab republics of Egypt and Syria, which may well spread to the rest of the region. That is precisely why we need a unified western strategy that appraises the region for what it is – a vast area dominated by brutal extremists for whom human rights and human lives are meaningless – and not what we’d like it to be.
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JEWISH LIFE • 17
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012
“Here in this place, the chain of our tradition has not been severed…” As a result of government decrees, the Jewish residents of this village, like other Jews throughout Spain and Portugal, were forced to publicly deny their Jewish religion. But they maintained their Judaism in their homes. Here the candle of Jewish light was never extinguished. For a period of 500 years, from 1492 (when the one synagogue in Belmonte was destroyed) until 2002 (when it was reopened), in the homes of this village the Jewish commandments were secretly performed, the tradition was transmitted from parent to child, in hushed tones, the Sabbath was sanctified in hiding while Sunday was celebrated before the eyes of the neighbors. They made blessings over the hallah and the wine and mumbled words of Hebrew prayers in the darkness. Here the Jewish soul was never lost. Here the Jewish soul remains forever… “From the midst of the past will rise the future. From the bleak darkness of the Middle Ages shall emerge the light of this Synagogue.” Hanukkah celebrates the eternal Jewish spirit in the face of assimilation. Belmonte proves that it is the Jewish home which preserves the Jewish spirit – even in the total absence of a synagogue!
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T EST Y OUR T ORAH KNOWLEDGE THIS WEEK’S PORTION: MIKETZ (BRAISHITH 41:1—44:17) 1. What did Joseph accuse his brothers of? a.) Being spies b.) Selling grain on the black market c.) Involvement in the slave trade 2. How did they respond to the accusation? a.) They only came to buy grain b.) They were truthful and honest c.) They were descended from Abraham and Isaac 3. What did Joseph respond back to them? a.) Bring the youngest brother to him b.) Put Shimon in jail brothers stole his silver goblet. Rashi 5. B 44:16 The brothers answered they did not steal the goblet, but Hashem found a sin they had to “pay” for. Rashi
EFRAT, Israel – The Festival of Hanukkah celebrates two momentous and fateful victories of Judea over Greco-Syria in the second century before the Common Era, during the period of the Second Temple. Greco –Syria was one of three heirs to the political and cultural hegemony of Alexander the Great, a masterful military tactician whose goal was to spread Hellenistic culture throughout the “Fertile Crescent.” Despite the brevity of his life, he succeeded to an amazing extent – and miraculously, he allowed the State of Judea to maintain her municipal and religious independence. Jewish lore records that when Alexander the Great entered the gates of Jerusalem, the High Priest, Shimon the Righteous came out to greet him. The mighty conqueror bowed before the High Priest, exclaiming that before every battle, in his dreams, he received a blessing for victory from the High Priest. Hence, Judea received a special dispensation, and that year every male baby born was named Alexander (Yoma 69a). About 150 years later, prior to the victory of Hanukkah, the situation changed drastically. GrecoSyria and Greco-Egypt were struggling for control over the Alexandrian empire, and the High Priests of Judea were becoming more and more enamored of the popular Hellenistic culture, replete with Olympic athletic games dedicated to the idolatrous gods of Mt. Olympus and hedonistic orgies. The High Priest Menelaus wished to turn Judea into a Greek City State, bringing the idolatrous activities right into the heart of Jerusalem. A civil war ensued, with the religious Hasmoneans rebelling valiantly against the establishment Hellenist – assimilationists. When the Hasmoneans appeared close to victory, the Hellenist rulers called Greco-Syria for help, agreeing that once the rebellion was quelled, Judea would become a satrap of Syria. Hence the Hasmoneans were battling for both the political and religious independence of Judea. Their military victory secured their political independence; the rededication of
the Holy Temples’ Menorah – symbolizing the “candles of commandment and the light of Torah” (Proverbs 6: 23) – expressed the renewed religious commitment of the newly formed revolutionary leadership. But if our kindling of the Hanukkah Menorah represents the victory of Torah Hebraism over Assimilationist Hellenism, why does the Talmud ordain the essential lighting of the Hannukah Menorah to take place in the Jewish home, “each person must light in his/her home” (B.T. Shabbat 21b) – in the home and not in the Synagogue? The sages called the Synagogue “a miniature Holy Temple,” so would it not be more a more appropriate location for our Hanukkah celebrations? I discovered the answer to my query in a beautiful city in Portugal. Among its many institutions, Ohr Torah Stone has the Joseph and Gwendolyn Straus Rabbinical Seminary which trains Rabbis and sends them to Jewish communities all over the world. Our Rabbis in Portugal began asking many questions about the Marranos, or Crypto-Jews, who are quite numerous there. These are the descendents of Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity during the times of the Catholic Inquisition. Now they wish to return to their Jewish faith. What is their status? Do they require formal conversion? I visited Portugal to meet these “Crypto-Jewish” communities in order to assess how to enable them to re-unite with their Jewish heritage. Rabbi Elisha Sales, the Rabbi sent by Shavei Yisrael (an organization dedicated to finding “lost Jews”) to minister to the Marrano communities in the towns and villages outside of Lisbon, introduced me to people all of whom shared a burning desire to emerge from their repressed underground of furtive whispers into Jewish pride and observance. He took me to the magnificent new Synagogue in Belmonte where I joined 70-80 Crypto-Jews who gathered for the weekday evening prayer. Every word was recited aloud by each participant. The Cantor, a 15-year-old student of the Rabbi, led us all in the spirited singing. They explained that four families went underground in 1492. For 500 years, their descendents married one another while keeping Judaism secretly. They rebuilt the synagogue; and now at least 120 come to shul every Friday night and Sabbath day! At the entrance way to the sanctuary is the following inscription in Hebrew:
c.) Detain them three days d.) All of the Above 4. How did Joseph know that one of the brothers stole his goblet? a.) His servants saw them take it b.) His magicians and wise men told him c.) He figured it out himself 5. What did his brothers answer to his charge? a.) They denied the charge b.) Hashem knows who took it c.) They admitted their guilt
have a personal history of spying. Sforno. 3. D 42:12-19 Joseph stood firm they were spies because the “missing brother” was the slave. Sforno 4. C 44:15 Joseph deduced thru logic that the
by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
SHABBAT SHALOM: PARSHAT MIKETZ GENESIS 41:1 – 44:17
Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise
ANSWERS 1. A 42:8 The brothers aroused suspicion by entering Egypt thru different gates. Rashi 2. A,B 42:10,11 A group of ten spies would not come from the same family. Also, they did not
Sedra of the Week
18 • JEWZ IN THE NEWZ
JEWZ
IN THE
By Nate Bloom Contributing Columnist MONSTERS AND MOTHERS Opening on Wednesday, Dec. 19, is a 3-D re-issue of the 2001 Pixar animated classic, “Monsters, Inc.” The two lead monsters in “Monsters, Inc.” are voiced by BILLY CRYSTAL, 64, and John Goodman. The film was co-directed by DAVID SILVERMAN, 55, and LEE UNKRICH, 42. Unkrich, a practicing Jew, has compiled quite a track record since “Monsters.” He co-directed “Finding Nemo” and was the director, co-writer, and producer of “Toy Story 3.” He won an Oscar in 2011 as the producer of “Toy Story 3,” the year’s best animated film. Opening the same day is “The Guilt Trip,” a comedy about Joyce Brewster, a Jewish mother (BARBRA STREISAND, 70) and Andy Brewster, her inventor son (SETH ROGEN, 30). The Brewsters take a 3,000-mile road trip across America, driving from New Jersey to San Francisco. Along the way, Andy tries to sell his invention. Rogen and Streisand were recently interviewed by Time magazine’s JOEL STEIN. Rogen immediately revealed that the whole “road trip” took place in a studio not far from Streisand’s Malibu home. (She made it clear that she wouldn’t star in any film that was filmed more than 45 minutes from her home.) Rogen added that he and Streisand never sang together during breaks in filming. But she did regale him with “war” stories: like smoking pot with the late PETER SELLERS and turning down a proposition from Marlon Brando. “Guilt Trip” is Streisand’s first co-starring role since “The Mirror Has Two Faces” in 1996. Streisand told Stein she was going to pass on the movie because she had long limited herself to supporting parts (like “Meet the Fockers”) in which her role was filmed in a week. Then, she said, a friend told her, “‘You’re an actress so you should act.” Not long after, Streisand said, she read the “Guilt” script out loud with her son, and he thought she should do it. Her “yes” decision was also influenced by the prospect of working with Rogen. She said about Rogen, “I’d seen a few of [his movies]. I was a little shocked because I’m sort of a prude. He just said that? He showed that? Oh my God! But I thought he’s really cool. So I thought, ‘Yeah, good. Two different generations
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put together.’” Streisand added that the film’s director Anne Fletcher really pursued her, “which was nice.” Fletcher recently helmed the commercially successful, but pretty vapid romantic comedies “27 Dresses” and “The Proposition.” However, DAN FOGELMAN, 40, the writer of “Guilt Trip,” is a much better writer than the writers of those films. He wrote the very charming animated film “Cars” (2006) and the intelligent romantic comedy-drama hit “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (2011). DIVA ALERT On Sunday, Dec.16, at 9PM, pop singer ADAM LAMBERT, 30, will host a live tribute concert on the cable series, “VH-1 Divas.” The show will honor the late singers Whitney Houston and Donna Summer. Performers include Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato. Lambert, who became a star via “American Idol,” is the son of a Jewish mother and a non-Jewish father. He identifies as Jewish. ON DAVE BRUBECK: A MENSCH Famous jazz musician and composer Dave Brubeck died on Dec. 5, age 91. Many wrongly assumed he was Jewish. His last name came from some remote German, non-Jewish, ancestry. Born a Protestant, he converted to Catholicism in 1990. His great mentor and teacher was DARIUS MILHAUD (1884-1974), a famous French Jewish composer who fled France after the Nazi invasion and taught in California until France was liberated. Brubeck named his first son, Darius, after Milhaud. Brubeck was the composer of “Gates of Justice,” (1968) a cantata based on Jewish texts and the writings of Dr. Martin Luther King that was commissioned by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. The work is still performed on occasion by orchestras. In 2005, Brubeck composed “The Commandments,” a work whose genesis he attributed to his World War II army experiences – the conflict between the carnage of war and the commandment “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” The work emphasizes what Brubeck once said is man’s “God-given potential for redemption.” Brubeck was a great friend of the Milken Archive of American Music and LOWELL MILKEN, the founder of the Archive, said this right after Brubeck’s death: “His work will continue to speak an eternal message of hope for the brotherhood of man.”
FROM THE PAGES 150 Y EARS A GO Cincinnati – Talmid Yelodim Institute will celebrate its 13th anniversary in a grand style, January 8, in the hall of the Allemania. The orchestral Association of Cincinnati Amateurs, under the lead of Mr. Srobel, and the choir of K. K. Bene Yeshurun, under the lead of Carl Barus, will discuss classical music, and the entertainment will be elegant and splendid befitting the occasion, as it always was. Wood’s Theater – This popular and comfortable place of resort has nightly been crowded with large and delighted audiences to witness the performances of the Florences, two of Cincinnati’s favorite Comedians. They have lost nothing in interest during the extensive tour they have made since their last appearance here, and Mrs. Florence exhibits the same charming versatility of talent, while Mr. Florence is as funny as ever. – December 19, 1862
125 Y EARS A GO Grace Aguilar Literary Society. The opening entertainment of the G. A. L. S. will take place Saturday evening, December 7th, at 8 o’clock. The first of a series of lectures and literary entertainments to be given by the society will be held at the Y. M. H. A. Hall, north-west corner Seventh and Cutter Streets. The opening lecture will be delivered by Dr. I. M. Wise on the subject, “Music and Musicians Among the Hebrews.” An excellent literary and musical programme will be given in connection with each lecture. The arrangements are in the hands of an able committee, who will spare no pains to make the course as interesting as possible. It will prove entirely satisfactory to all. Although this is only the second season for the society it is doing excellent work and is constatnly growing in popular favor. Its regular meetings are held on Saturday evenings in the vestry-rooms of the Mound Street Temple, and literary programmes, including debates, essays, recitations and talks on questions of the day, are carried out regularly by the members. Complimentary tickets only have been issued for this year’s course of entertainments, and a large attendance is expected. – December 9, 1887
100 Y EARS A GO The Hebrew Union College has been asked to enter its basketball team in a league under the auspices of the local Young Men’s Christian Association. The league is to be composed of teams representing the following institutions: Ohio Dental College, Eclectic Medical College, Lane Seminary, Cincinnati Law School and Hebrew Union College.
The YMCA authorites have offered to place their gymnasium at the disposal of this league on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 5 to 7 o’clock. As the schedule of studies at Hebrew Union College is in conflict with such arrangements, Manager Lee J. Levinger has tried to secure a change of the league’s programs. The students hope that his efforts will meet with success and thus enable this institution to enter local athletic circles. A literary club was organized last week with the following list of officers: President, Lee J. Levinger; Vice-President, Samuel Mayerberg; Secretary, Samuel Gup; Executive Committee, Edgar Magnin, Solomon Freehoof, Benjamin Goodrich Friedman. The meetings of this organization will be held on alternate Friday evenings. – December 12, 1912
75 Y EARS A GO Miss Doris Simon, daughter of Mr. J. Simon, Cleveland Avenue, and Mr. Abe Zipperstein, son of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Zipperstein, Knott Street, were married Sunday, Dec. 12, at the home of the bride’s father. Rabbi Louis Feinberg officiated. Mr. and Mrs. Zipperstein will make their home at 874 Cleveland Avenue, after their honeymoon. The Engagement of Miss Janet Pomerantz and Mr. Milton J. Rappoport was announced at a birthday dinner last Friday, Dec. 10. Miss Pomerantz, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Pomerantz, of San Antonio, TX, is a graduate from the Cincinnati Law School last June and is associated with Milton’s father, Mr. J.E. Rappoport, in the practice of law. – December 16, 1937
50 Y EARS A GO Dr. Janet Newman will address the Committee on Child Care Services of the Jewish Family Service Bureau today (Thursday, Dec. 13) at 12 noon. She will discuss a film on 6-8 year-old children. Dr. Newman is an Instructor in child psychiatry, UC Department of Psychiatry and on the Child Guidance Home staff. Dr. Jules I. Klein is committee chairman and Mrs. Joeseph Wold is vice chairman. The committee includes Mesdames Val Friedman, Joe Gollusch, Robert Heldman, Miss Grace Henle, Mesdames James R. Mack, Marvin Pockros, Allan Sanker, Bernard Schorr, John S. Stark, Alfred Straus, Jr., Gordon Weil and Charles Wise. Rabbi Murray Blackman, Jerome Teller, Rabbi Fishel J. Goldfeder, Rabbi David I. Indich, Marvin H. Kraus, Dr. Frank E. Kuller, Philip M. Meyers, Jr., Rabbi Bertram Mond, Morris Passer, Lee Schimberg, Melvin Stern, S. Charles Straus, Jerome S. Teller, Dr. Murray
E. Tieger, John D. Rauh, Henry H. Hersch. Staff Members are Miriam H. Dettelbach, Anne Billinkoff, Rose L. Greenstein, Morton R. Startz. – December 13, 1962
25 Y EARS A GO The United States District Court rejected the request of Chabad House Rabbi Sholom Kalmanson for an injunction against the city of Cincinnati’s decision to prohibit the erection of a Chanukah menorah on Fountain Square and in front of City Hall’s Plum Street entrance. The almost two-hour long hearing before Judge David S. Porter Dec. 15 pitted Kalmanson’s interpretation that the menorah is not a religious symbol against Wise Temple Rabbi Alan D. Fuch’s belief that it is. “I cannot in my heart or mind establish any right to an injunction,” Porter said. The judge “credited the testimony of Rabbi Fuchs that the menorah is a religious symbol.” Kalmanson asserted, in his brief to District Court Judge Porter, that this refusal denied his first and 14th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution. The case was originally scheduled to be heard by Judge Carl B. Rubin, but Rubin and the other two Jewish judges in the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division, asked Porter, a non-Jew, to hear the case. Kalmanson asserted during an appearence Monday on Jan Mikelson’s WCKY radio talk program that the Chanukah menorah is not a religious symbol, but a symbol of Jewish freedom from the oppression of Syrian King Antiochus more than 2,000 years ago. – December 17, 1987
10 Y EARS A GO Barby and Don Cohen of Mercer Island announce the marriage of their daughter, Amy Beth Cohen, to Guy Zuzovsky, son of Moty Zuzovsky of New York City and the late Dalia Manoo of Pittsberg, PA. With the sun coming out below the coulds and reflecting on the water of Eliot Bay, just as the ceremony began, the wedding took place in Seatle, Washington’s Harbor Club June 29. Cantor David Serkin-Poole of Temple B’nai Torah officiated. Ethel Weiss, 88, passed away Nov. 24. Mrs. Weiss was born in Cannonsberg, PA. She is a daughter of the late Charlie and Pauline Neumeyer. She was the wife of Manuel Weiss, who predeceased her. Mrs. Weiss is survived by her son, Nelson Weiss of Lebanon, OH; a granddaughter, Stephany Weiss; and a sister, Fay Kaufman. She was the sister of Sara Cohen and Al Neumeyer, who preceded her in death. – December 19, 2002
FOOD / CLASSIFIEDS • 19
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012
COMMUNITY DIRECTORY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS Access (513) 373-0300 • jypaccess.org Big Brothers/Big Sisters Assoc. (513) 761-3200 • bigbrobigsis.org Camp Ashreinu (513) 702-1513 Camp at the J (513) 722-7258 • mayersonjcc.org Camp Chabad (513) 731-5111 • campchabad.org Camp Livingston (513) 793-5554 • camplivingston.com Cedar Village (513) 754-3100 • cedarvillage.org Chevra Kadisha (513) 396-6426 Cincinnati Community Kollel (513) 631-1118 • kollel.shul.net Cincinnati Community Mikveh (513) 351-0609 • cincinnatimikveh.org Eruv Hotline (513) 351-3788 Fusion Family (513) 703-3343 • fusionnati.org Halom House (513) 791-2912 • halomhouse.com Hillel Jewish Student Center (Miami) (513) 523-5190 • muhillel.org Hillel Jewish Student Center (UC) (513) 221-6728 • hillelcincinnati.org Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati 513-961-0178 • jcemcin.org Jewish Community Center (513) 761-7500 • mayersonjcc.org Jewish Community Relations Council (513) 985-1501 Jewish Family Service (513) 469-1188 • jfscinti.org Jewish Federation of Cincinnati (513) 985-1500 • shalomcincy.org Jewish Foundation (513) 214-1200 Jewish Information Network (513) 985-1514 Jewish Vocational Service (513) 985-0515 • jvscinti.org Kesher (513) 766-3348 Plum Street Temple Historic Preservation Fund (513) 793-2556 Shalom Family (513) 703-3343 • myshalomfamily.org The Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education (513) 487-3055 • holocaustandhumanity.org Vaad Hoier (513) 731-4671 Workum Fund (513) 899-1836 • workum.org YPs at the JCC (513) 761-7500 • mayersonjcc.org
CONGREGATIONS Adath Israel Congregation (513) 793-1800 • adath-israel.org Beit Chaverim (513) 984-3393 • btzbc.com Beth Israel Congregation (513) 868-2049 • bethisraelcongregation.net Congregation Beth Adam (513) 985-0400 • bethadam.org Congregation B’nai Tikvah (513) 759-5356 • bnai-tikvah.org Congregation B’nai Tzedek (513) 984-3393 • btzbc.com
Congregation Ohav Shalom (513) 489-3399 • ohavshalom.org Congregation Ohr Chadash (513) 252-7267 • ohrchadashcincinnati.com Congregation Sha’arei Torah shaareitorahcincy.org Congregation Zichron Eliezer 513-631-4900 • czecincinnati.org Golf Manor Synagogue (513) 531-6654 • golfmanorsynagogue.org Isaac M. Wise Temple (513) 793-2556 • wisetemple.org Kehilas B’nai Israel (513) 761-0769 Northern Hills Synagogue (513) 931-6038 • nhs-cba.org Rockdale Temple (513) 891-9900 • rockdaletemple.org Temple Beth Shalom (513) 422-8313 • tbsohio.org Temple Sholom (513) 791-1330 • templesholom.net The Valley Temple (513) 761-3555 • valleytemple.com
EDUCATION Chai Tots Early Childhood Center (513) 234.0600 • chaitots.com Chabad Blue Ash (513) 793-5200 • chabadba.com Cincinnati Hebrew Day School (513) 351-7777 • chds.shul.net HUC-JIR (513) 221-1875 • huc.edu JCC Early Childhood School (513) 793-2122 • mayersonjcc.org Kehilla - School for Creative Jewish Education (513) 489-3399 • kehilla-cincy.com Mercaz High School (513) 792-5082 x104 • mercazhs.org Kulanu (Reform Jewish High School) 513-262-8849 • kulanucincy.org Regional Institute Torah & Secular Studies (513) 631-0083 Rockwern Academy (513) 984-3770 • rockwernacademy.org Sarah’s Place (513) 531-3151 • sarahsplacecincy.com
ORGANIZATIONS American Jewish Committee (513) 621-4020 • ajc.org American Friends of Magen David Adom (513) 521-1197 • afmda.org B’nai B’rith (513) 984-1999 BBYO (513) 722-7244 Hadassah (513) 821-6157 • cincinnati.hadassah.org Jewish Discovery Center (513) 234.0777 • jdiscovery.com Jewish National Fund (513) 794-1300 • jnf.org Jewish War Veterans (513) 204-5594 • jwv.org NA’AMAT (513) 984-3805 • naamat.org National Council of Jewish Women (513) 891-9583 • ncjw.org State of Israel Bonds (513) 793-4440 • israelbonds.com Women’s American ORT (513) 985-1512 • ortamerica.org.org
As Grandmother sees it Zell’s Bites
by Zell Schulman This past week, with Hanukkah coming so early, my days were filled remembering traditions and events I grew up with and enjoyed. As a grandmother of 11, I wish to share experiences, feelings and thoughts I have, living in today’s busy, modern world. “Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house…” is a memory. You can still cross the river in the family car, instead of a horse-drawn carriage, but the only woods you may drive through are in a park. Grandmother lives in an apartment or condominium, where space can’t begin to hold extended family (not extended to other cities and states), and she is lucky if she’s invited to her children’s or grandchildren’s home or to a restaurant, where she usually picks up the bill. In today’s diet and health conscious world, turkey, high in protein and low in cholesterol, has become the popular entrée, instead of brisket. Going to a farm to choose your turkey is a thing of the past. I remember driving to the turkey farm with my dad, in our family car. It was a real event! We always took along bags filled with Aunt Ruth’s cookies and fruit, just in case we should get hungry along the way. (“Fast food” wasn’t in our vocabulary yet.) Most families choose a turkey which has been prepackaged or frozen. The Hanukkah celebratory dinner has turned into a cooperative meal with everyone bringing something. Hopefully there’s a microwave oven to heat it in. The
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turkey’s ready when the red button pops up; the dressing comes out of a bag; the sweet potatoes from a can; and the Hanukkah cookies from the neighborhood bakery, deli or freezer section in the supermarket. Oh yes, if you need to add whipped cream on anything, let’s not forget the pressurized container of whipped cream where you only need to push a button and it puts a pretty “dollop” exactly where you need it. I never will forget the time the whipped cream wound up on the ceiling and me, instead of on the dessert. I know you can buy whipping cream, but who takes the time to whip it? At our Hanukkah dinners, the smaller grandchildren were invited to sit at the table with the adults. Sit? Did I say “Sit?” They think eating at the table is grazing. Pick it up, eat it and run. Now I know why high chairs and booster chairs are so important. The older grandchildren who are now in college, arrive, usually with a friend or two who hasn’t a place to celebrate the holiday. Changes in society are hard on grandmothers. Our traditions keep getting in the way and we need to keep updating them. It’s wonderful having the opportunity to bring everyone together to share this holiday of religious freedom, in a country where our feelings and thoughts can be expressed freely. As I see it, things sure are different in today’s busy, modern world. Why don’t families bake and cook like they used to, enjoy the holiday like we used to? But then, time changes, and that’s what my grandmother probably said, too. PAINTED HANUKKAH COOKIES Makes about 3 dozen This butter cookie recipe has been in my father’s family for years. It is my Aunt Ruth Greenberg’s. The dough freezes well and the cookies can be baked at a later date. If you need a large amount for a special occasion, the recipe can be easily doubled. RECIPE on page 22
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20 • TRAVEL
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See-ing the world... at ground level Wandering Jew
by Janet Steinberg
A DUO OF MOUNTAIN RETREATS PART 4 OF A SERIES Lodge at Buckberry Creek: a Smoky Mountain high Gatlinburg’s “Great Camp of the Smokies,” The Lodge at Buckberry Creek is a handsome hideaway that opened in 2005. It is also the jewel in the crown of Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains. More than a century ago, the Adirondacks lured the elite to escape to the mountains and enjoy the great outdoors. Thus was born a unique, upscale style of architecture that employed Mother Nature as the lead architect. The natural grandeur of The Lodge at Buckberry Creek recaptures that rustic elegance of upstate New York’s famous Adirondack lodges and combines it with the unspoiled beauty of the Smoky Mountains. Brothers James and Victor (Buddy) McLean III, whose family owned 90 pristine mountainside acres located next to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for three generations, had an insatiable desire to share the natural beauty of their mountain paradise with others. The Lodge at Buckberry Creek sits on 26 of the McLean’s original 90 acres of incredible Smoky Mountain beauty. Each suite in this all-suite lodge is exquisitely decorated in rustic elegance. Gargantuan fireplaces and balconies overlooking the mountains make for a perfect blend of atmosphere and accommodation. Whether you choose to dine on fine regional cuisine in the lodge’s main dining room, or in your own suite, you will experience food that is a feast for both your palate and your eyes. This mountain paradise, with its distinctive Southern charm and uninterrupted view of Mount LeConte, features a secluded creek-side Pavilion. Located at the base of a steep, quarter-mile gravel road, the Pavilion can be reached by foot or by one of the lodge’s two Pinzgauer Swiss army vehicles. Overlooking the rushing waters
of Buckberry Creek, the Pavilion features a covered dining area where you can sit in hand-crafted rocking chairs facing the huge fireplace and listen to classical music that fills the air. Or, if you so desire, there’s a Pawley’s Island hammock, or a traditional lean-to, nestled near the creek. If Mother Nature calls while you’re down the road a piece at the Pavilion, don’t be put off by the open-air, 3-hole-er. Just beyond it, are two of the most elegant 21st century outhouses you’ll ever experience. Complete with crystal chandeliers, the only corncobs in these outhouses are those that are framed and hanging on the wall. The Lodge at Buckberry Creek is a place where your senses can feast on the pristine beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains… it is a place where Adirondack elegance and style are graced with southern charm and warm hospitality. The Brothers McLean recreated the splendor of the Great American Camps of the Adirondacks while infusing their Smoky Mountain retreat with distinctive Southern charm and hospitality. The Lodge at Buckberry Creek offers an unrivaled mountain experience. It is rugged but luxurious, casual but chic. The worst thing about staying at this Smoky Mountain retreat is leaving it. Inn on Biltmore Estate: living like the Vanderbilts The Inn on Biltmore Estate is the only lodging on the 8,000 acres that began in 1895 as the country retreat of George and Edith Vanderbilt. Although it may not boast of the 250 rooms, 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces that grace Vanderbilt’s original Biltmore House, the Inn offers guests the same natural beauty of the mountains as well as access to George’s majestic house and gardens. The Inn’s Dining Room serves creative interpretations of regional cuisine. Chefs prepare culinary delights harvested from the estate’s fields, including seasonal vegetables, fresh beef and lamb. The Spa at the Inn on Biltmore Estate is designed to make guests feel as if they are being pampered by one of America’s most revered hostesses, Edith Vanderbilt. It is a revitalizing journey into a luxurious facility that was designed with exquisite details evoking the elegance of Biltmore House. A variety of packages are available for guests staying at The Inn. They include accommodations, valet parking, estate admission for the length of your stay, a Biltmore House audio guide, complimentary estate shuttle service, and a variety of other amenities – depending on the package you select. At the time of its construction, the Biltmore House was one of the
largest undertakings in the history of American residential architecture. Over a six-year period, an entire community of craftsmen worked to build the country’s premier home. The estate boasted its own brick factory, woodworking shop, and a three-mile railway spur for transporting materials to the site. The celebrated architect Richard Morris Hunt modeled the house on three châteaux built in 16th-century France. It would feature 4 acres of floor space and 250 rooms. The basement alone would house a swimming pool, gymnasium and changing rooms, bowling alley, servants’ quarters, kitchens, and more. The resulting new château was astounding. Frederick Law Olmsted, the creator of New York’s Central Park and the father of American landscape architecture, designed the grounds of the 125,000-acre estate. He not only developed acres of gardens and parkland, but in his efforts to protect the environment and reclaim over-farmed land, Olmsted established Americas first managed forest. The grounds were considered an environmental wonder. The latest addition to the estate is the Antler Hill Village and Winery. The Antler Hill Village connects the estate’s past to the present, and provides a relaxing place for dining, shopping, historical exhibits, and new ways to experience Biltmore’s hospitality. At The Winery you can take a stroll through the historic cellars, visit the tasting room where wine hosts are happy to guide you through a complimentary wine tasting, take a guided tour, learn more about the art and science of winemaking, or just relax with food and wine in a beautiful setting. A rare 1913 Stevens-Duryea Model “C-Six” seven-passenger touring car is on display at the Winery. This car is the only one purchased by George Vanderbilt that remains in The Biltmore Company’s collection, and is believed to be one of only 10 known existing in the world today. In the historic Barn at The Farm in Antler Hill Village, you can explore farm life in the early 1900s. During the growing season you can stroll the one-acre Kitchen Garden that showcases fragrant herbs and vegetables used by the inn’s restaurants. Nights spent at both the Lodge at Buckberry Creek and the Inn at the Biltmore guarantee you will wake up to breathtaking views. Indulge yourself in true relaxation, and rest your mind, body and spirit in the breathtaking mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina.
View from Lodge at Buckberry Creek; Pavilion overlooking Buckberry Creek; View from the terrace of the Inn on Biltmore Estate; Entry to the Inn on Biltmore Estate.
Janet Steinberg is an award-winning Travel Writer, International Travel Consultant and winner of 38 national Travel Writing Awards.
AUTOS • 21
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012
2012 Lexus LFA—the sound of power 552 horse power. Zero to 60 in 3.6 seconds. 202 miles per hour top speed. This is the 2012 Lexus LFA, a new breed of Lexus. Drawing on racing experience from the grueling Nurburgring 24 Hour race in Germany, the LFA development team equipped the LFA with a track-oriented bespoke V10 engine that sets new automotive standards for compact dimensions, lightweight architecture and scintillating performance. The purpose-built 1LR-GUE engine uses a wide 72 degree angle between cylinder heads for perfect primary and secondary balance and adopts exotic light-weight materials, including titanium valves and connecting rods, forges aluminum pistons and Diamond-Like Carbon Silicon coated rocker arms. Naturally aspirated induction comes from 10 individual, electronically controlled throttle bodies that provide very linear and predictable power delivery. This advanced design estimates intake volume based on throttle pedal angle, thereby calculating fuel injection volume based directly on driver input, giving an instantaneous response. The LFA V10 also features a dry sump lubrication system that not only positions the block deep within the engine bay to lower the center of gravity of the car’s moment of inertia, but enables the engine to sustain its oil lubrication even at high speed cornering with strong G-force. In addition, a fully integrated crankcase with paired cylinder valleys is used to minimize pumping
loss. All said, the LFA’s low-friction program and high-response induction system allows the powerplant to reach an astounding rev limit of 9,000 rpm in a mere 0.6 seconds from idle. In fact, this level of responsiveness necessitates the use of a digital rev counter where a conventional analogue unit simply can not keep pace with the engine’s ability to gain and lose revolutions. But what good is an engine if it has all bite and no bark? The LFA V10 has been acoustically tuned to deliver a unique and dramatic Formula-1 inspired sound. The surge tank, an essential component responsible for generating the engine’s tone, has been carefully tuned to achieve optimal acoustics. borrowing from the design of an actual musical instrument, the sides have been made rigid and horizontal ribs have been added at the forward half to obtain more powerful induction sounds. Even the exhaust system works toward a more perfect union between machine and music. After combustion, exhaust exits the engine’s left and right banks through separate, equal-length, large diameter exhaust manifolds that not only enhance torque levels, but also create a crisp sound quality. After passing through the catalytic converters, the dual exhausts flow through twin sub-mufflers and then meet at the rear of the vehicle in a multi-stage titanium silencer positioned behind the rear-mounted gearbox. The engine’s induction and exhaust sounds are carefully chan-
2012 Audi R8—unleash your driving machine Leave it to Audi to do it again. The 2012 R8 has an astounding variety of features, making it a car tailor built to be the most luxurious, powerful performance vehicle that money can buy. The R8 4.2 features 19” 5-armdouble-spoke-design aluminum alloy wheels with summer performance tires. This premium wheel is the perfect complement to the athletic and powerful R8. The lightweight alloy helps improve driving dynamics by reducing unsprung weight. To both see and be seen, the Audi xenon plus headlights with signature LED daytime running lights not only add a distinct look to the vehicle, they also improve visibility while using half of the energy of conventional bulbs. The ride of the Audi R8 remains smooth as silk, with instantaneous driver control at the touch of a button. By utilizing an advanced magnetically charged fluid whose viscosity continuously adapts to driving dynamics and can be controlled electromagnetically, the driver can select from ‘Normal’ or ‘Sport’ modes to customize the ride and handling.
The result is improved driving dynamics, reduced body movement, and better road handling. All the while there is no better way to remain comfortable than with Audi’s suede-like Alcantara material, which provides increased grip for both driver and passenger during spirited driving. The Audi R8 4.2 also features a concert sound system with single CD player with MP3 playback capability, AM/FM radio, auxiliary input jack and speed-dependent volume control. This stereo system integrates 140 watts of power, MP3 capability, a CD player and auxiliary input for easy access to a variety of music devices. Aside from exceptional sound quality, the system also features the Radio Data System (RDS), which includes SiriusXM Satellite Radio. With the three-month trial subscription to the Sirius Select package you’ll get commercial-free music, plus sports, news talk and entertainment. It also displays several types of FM radio information. AUDI on page 22
neled into the LFA’s cabin. The main channel runs from the surge tank into the cabin below the main dash panel. This is complimented by two further channels – one at the
upper cowl opening and one at the lower reflector. These sound channels ensure the driver sits at the center of a 3-D surround sound concert of engine performance.
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22 • OBITUARIES D EATH N OTICES FOHLEN, Marian, age 85, died December 9, 2012; 25 Kislev, 5773. DEADHEADS from page 8 Langer, who has worked as a Chabad emissary in the San Francisco Bay Area since the 1970s, got help from Graham to place a 25-foot mahogany menorah in the middle of the city for Chanukah in 1974, a ritual that persists to this day. In the 1980s, Langer spearheaded a “Grateful Yid” movement in which he set up a table at shows beneath a giant sign that read “POT.” “They later learned our sign meant Put On Tefillin,” Langer said. Deadheads, Jewish and non, bring a Talmudist’s eye to the band’s lyrics, most of them the work of lyricist Robert Hunter. “Eyes of the World,” from the band’s 1973 album “Wake of the Flood,” contains messages “about how my behavior in this world is reflected onto others, and how I can reflect divinity,” said Leah Chava Reiner, a 52-year-old from Massachusetts whose embrace of her Jewish roots initially manifested through listening to the Dead. “He’s come to take his children home,” a line from one of the band’s best-known songs, “Uncle John’s Band,” is a reference to the ingathering of the tribes, according to Moshe Shur, one of the leaders of the retreat weekend. “There’s something about the music that is so beautiful, it’s religious,” said Shur, an Orthodox rabbi who got close to the band while living on a California commune in the 1970s.
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GALA from page 6 Roz Rothstein, CEO of the proIsrael education group StandWithUs, said she thought it was “inappropriate for [Alexander] to make that speech at the beginning of this event.” “He’s here as a guest and he’s emceeing this event,” Rothstein told JNS. Others were more comfortable with Alexander’s approach. Dr. Robert Stearns – head of the proIsrael evangelical Christian group Eagles’ Wings and one of the gala’s
speakers – told JNS, “I believe that Israel embodies the values of social justice, of human rights, of the best of humanity, and I see no contradiction in standing strong with Israel and also believing that there is a better future that is possible for the Arab communities.” Sharon Levinson, executive director of the nonprofit Act for Israel, understood Alexander’s perspective within the context of Israel’s culture of diversity and humanity. “I don’t spend my time advocating for them, it’s not my cause, but I
don’t know a lot of Israelis that sit at home and gloat when Palestinians hurt,” she said. When it came to Wonder, however, Levinson was much more alarmed. The singer’s move “really signals that it’s time for the community to unite and respond,” she said. “Our voice cannot be silent,” she said. “Because what happens is, the BDS activists use the celebrities not just to coerce and intimidate, but they also use all their social network channels as tools to spread the propaganda and misinformation, and it’s a lot of misinformation. Because it
in Israel, told JTA. “There are a few good philanthropists, but there’s no movement of philanthropy.” That’s changing. Schmid noted that in 2009, Israeli nonprofits received a majority of their donations from Israelis, not from abroad – a departure from previous years. New philanthropic models are emerging, too. An organization called Takdim in the coastal town of Ramat HaSharom hopes to duplicate the successful North American Jewish federation model, where one central institution in each communi-
ty manages collective Jewish giving. More than two-thirds of the funds raised by Takdim will go to projects in the central Israeli city, while 30 percent will fund projects across the country. A communal board will determine which projects to support. “We need to have a change in outlook and show people that if they want to help the community, they need to help in both senses, to volunteer and to help financially,” said Revital Itach, Takdim’s project manager. “Our goal is not to depend on two or three donors but
to draft the whole community.” Founded a year-and-a-half ago, Takdim has 120 donors and is embarking on its first major fundraising drive. Itach hopes to raise $256,000, much of which will go to building a new park that will be accessible to disabled children. “There was a sense of community” years ago, Itach said. “As the city grew and brought more people in, the feeling of community got weaker. There was a desire to bring back that feeling of togetherness, to look beyond your own sphere and to do something for all of the residents.” Another initiative, called Committed to Give and run by Sheatufim, aims to expand the top echelon of Israeli donors, defined as those who give more than $64,000 annually. London estimates that 10,000 Israelis can give that amount. Twenty donors who already give that much are running the initiative. A rise in Israeli philanthropy does not necessarily mean a drop in U.S. Jewish giving, says Becky Caspi, director general of the Jewish Federations of North America’s Israel office. Caspi recognizes an emotional drive in American Jews to help Israel and does not anticipate a significant decline in donations to Israel.
3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla
looks light and fluffy. 2. Add the egg and vanilla. Turn the speed to high and beat until the dough begins to form a ball around the blade. Remove the dough from the bowl, on to a lightly floured board. Bring the dough together and then divide it into 3 pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one hour. 3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove one ball of dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough on a lightly floured board, approximately 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a variety of cookie cutters and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Continue
with the remaining balls of dough. 4. Mix the egg yolk and water together in a two cup container. Divide this mixture into as many small containers as you want different colors. Add the food coloring. Paint unbaked cookies using small, watercolor paint brushes with small tips. Colored sugar may be sprinkled on top to highlight or add sparkle to the cookies. 5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in a 350˚ F preheated oven, until the edges of the cookies begin to brown. Cool completely. Store in tins or place in containers and freeze for later.
many features on your Bluetooth®-enabled phone via the MMI operating system or convenient voice control, allowing for easy, intuitive, hands-free communication. The R8 5.2 is a whole other monster, featuring a plethora of premium features for those tasks you didn’t even know needed filling. For instance, when reversing,
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CHARITY from page 9 Since well before the founding of the state, American Jewish philanthropy has been instrumental in establishing and sustaining Jewish settlement in Israel. This funding model persisted even as the state established itself and grew into a thriving industrial and informationage economy. American donors still fund many projects and organizations in Israel, while many Israeli outfits have established fundraising arms in the United States. On the whole, Israelis are less philanthropic than Americans. In a recent paper, Hebrew University professor Hillel Schmid found that in 2009 Israeli philanthropy constituted 0.74 percent of Israel’s GDP, compared to 2.1 percent in the United States. In total that year, Israelis donated $3 billion. Part of the reason, Schmid says, is the high income tax that Israelis have paid traditionally to support a robust social safety net. Many Israelis also feel that their years spent in compulsory military service provided a significant contribution to the state. “We all go to the army, we pay a high income tax, so we think we give a lot,” Schmid, the director of the Center for the Study of Philanthropy
RECIPE from page 19
see if they are available.
I use a variety of Hanukkah cookie cutters and small paint brushes with tiny tips. They may be purchased at a bakery supply store, or your Temple or Synagogue gift shop. Call first to
Ingredients Dough: 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 stick unsalted butter 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 large egg
doesn’t matter what your political views are, Israel is not apartheid.” BDS activists who push outcomes such as Wonder’s boycott are taking a one-sided look at the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, Rothstein said. “It’s extremist to punish one side in a conflict to begin with,” she said. “So they’re trying to punish Israel and they’re omitting the story of the rockets, or Hamas, or the extremism. What must be their end goal here if they omit the story and they don’t care about the Israeli children, they only care about the Palestinian children?”
Courtesy of Takdim
Takdim volunteers painting with children in Ramat HaSharon.
Egg Yolk “Paint” 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon cold water Food coloring Colored sugars Method l. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the flour, baking powder, and sugar the mixer bowl. Blend together on low speed. Cut the butter into 8 pieces and add to mixer bowl. Turn the speed to medium and beat one or two minutes until the batter AUDI from page 21 Does your ear ever hurt from your favorite Bluetooth device? Well pain no more, the Audio R8 4.2 features a built in Bluetooth seatbelt microphone. This system delivers crystal clear audio even at highway speeds. The advanced technology of the Audi R8 models allows you to conveniently access
AI
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