REPLACEMENT Baltimore Jewish Times - December 28, 2012 by Heidi Traband

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BALTIMORE

JEWISH TIMES

December 28, 2012 15 Tevet 5773

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Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

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Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

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On The Cover: Photo courtesy of Naomi Solomon, The Journey of Birth Photography, thejourneyofbirth.com

Contents

December 28, 2012 Vol. 329 No. 9 Candle lighting 4:33 p.m. 7

Opinion Opening oughts, Editorials, From is View, Your Say …

Local News 13 15

Briefs State’s Health-Care Exchange Is Coming Enrollment opens in October

A Man With A Vision Samuel E. Moscowitz of MedStar is moving himself — and our community — forward

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18 20

In Photos: Peace, Love & Mitzvot Super Charged Aﬀordable EV provides eﬃcient driving option

ON THE COVER

National & International News NRA Speaks Out

Media Bias

Recommends armed guard at every school Was Washington Post’s war coverage biased against Israel?

Outwitting History e Yiddish language’s literal and ﬁgurative rescuer

Arts & Life Worth The Schlep

BIRTHrites

Community calendar Dec. 28 to Jan. 4 Trends and traditions in Jewish birth practices

Provided

Justin Tsucalas

Help For The Helper New book provides tools to ﬁnd loved ones the help they need

Poland’s Jewish History Not for the faint of heart

Review: Three Faiths, One God Movie explores similarities of Abrahamic faiths

Courage of a Lion

Music Therapy

New documentary ensures young never forget Amid battle with cancer, Pikesville volunteer singer uses vocal prowess to help others

41 42

Sports Comment: Ravens Fans: Relax! Impressive Company Former local basketball star earns spot on inaugural ‘Orthodox Jewish All Stars’ list

Back In The Games Aer 47 years, she’s again going for the gold at Maccabiah

David Stuck

Community Beshert, Milestones, Obituaries

Amazing Marketplace

Baltimore Jewish Times (ISSN 0005-450X) is published by Route 95 Publications, LLC DBA Clipper City Media, 11459 Cronhill Drive, Suite A, Owings Mills, MD 21117. Subscription price is $50 in-state; $57 out-of-state. For subscriptions, renewals, or changes of address call 410-902-2300 (Baltimore). Periodical postage paid at Baltimore MD and additional mailing oﬃces. Postmaster: Send address changes to Baltimore Jewish Times, 11459 Cronhill Drive, Suite A, Owings Mills, MD 21117. Published 52 times a year.

jewishtimes.com

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Compiled om JTA Wire Service

Nice Jewish Guys Calendar Is Back

Mayim Vs. ‘The View’ “Big Bang Theory” actress Mayim Bialik came out with the upper hand this past week after cashing a check from ABC for appearing on “The View” last year. The show’s hosts made some incendiary comments, suggesting her divorce was a result of her attachment parenting methods, which include breast-feeding her 4-year-old and having all her children sleep in the same bed with her and her soon-to-be ex-husband. “I like that less than a week after ‘The View’ bashed me and blamed me for my parenting choices, causing my divorce, I got a residual check for my appearance on their show from last year, which was about my parenting book. Heehee,” she wrote on her Facebook page. file

Mayim Bialik

Bar Refaeli

Bar Sees You When You’re Sleeping You better watch out, Bar Refaeli is coming to town. The Israeli supermodel posted a photo on Instagram wearing a Santa suit with the caption “Good Morning Santa!” She appears to be either hung over or exhausted. Of course, a photo of a famous Jewish model wearing Christmas gear couldn’t pass without comment. Jewish and Israeli followers of Refaeli expressed their feelings, mostly along the lines of “You know you’re Jewish,

infusny-05/42/Dara Kushner/INFphoto.com/Newscom

Attention ladies (and gentlemen), it’s time to greet 12 of the nicest, most pleasantlooking guys — guys who will always call the next day, bring you soup when you’re sick and be nice to your mother. Yes, the 2013 Nice Jewish Guys Calendar is here. The man behind the idea is TV producer Adam Cohen (Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars”), who said he came up with the idea in 2010 after joking with friends about “how all calendars have firemen or pinup hotties.” As for the lucky guys, Cohen said, “Some are friends of friends of friends, some answer Internet listings, and others just find me.” They are all single. But, Adam adds, “Hopefully, by the time the calendar comes out, they get snatched up.”

right?” Some hoped that she would find God; others said she should just convert to Christianity and get it over with. Others accused her of “betraying Israel.” In response, Refaeli tweeted in Hebrew, “It’s very entertaining to read criticism of a picture I uploaded wearing a Santa Claus costume, as I spend most of my days rehearsing for a Chanukah show, happy holiday!” Refaeli will play the role of Cinderella in an upcoming play in Israel.

e Future About Nothing JDate so she pretends to be Jewish. She meets an amazing guy who dumps her for being ‘too Jewy.’ George discovers falafel.” “I’m pretty much constantly watching episodes in the background while I’m doing anything,” Moore told theatlanticwirecom. “I have a thumb drive with the whole series on it that I keep in my bag pretty much all the time.” Josh Gondelman

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

kpcomedy.com

What if the most popular sitcom of all time took place in 2012? SeinfeldToday, the creation of Jack Moore, editor of BuzzFeed Sports, and comedian Josh Gondelman, aims to answer that question. On Twitter, the two imagine what a modern-day version of the show about nothing would look like. One of the tweets predicted that “Elaine joins

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Opening oughts Maayan Jaffe

Off The Wall

I am orange — or at least that is what I strive to be. He encouraged me to get started, too. Weight is not my issue, but I have plenty of ways I can improve. The first month, I went easy on myself. I reduced the number of Sweet’N Low packets I put in my coffee from two to one. This month, I stopped skipping breakfast and lunch and grabbing energy bars (or yogurt, or pastries or coffee) from 7-Eleven. I bring my lunch — homemade salads and fat-free yogurts and bananas — every day now. I feel better, and I am saving a lot of money, too. e baby-steps concept has worked its way into the physical walls of my house. Last week, I painted a backsplash wall in my living room … orange.

Not just any orange, but a vibrant, deep and inviting orange. I love it. My family and close friends were a little taken aback by the whole process; I’ve always preached neutral colors like tan and white and cream. Indistinct colors blend into the background, are proper. But I decided I want my personality to be better reflected in my house. I want to arrive home aer a long day at the office and be newly inspired by my surroundings. According to WikiAnswers, orange means passion, energy, happiness, enthusiasm, fascination, creativity, determination, attraction, success and stimulation. It can also mean you are independent and ambitious and ready to tackle a challenge. I am orange — or at least that is what I strive to be. By painting my wall orange (and by purchasing several months ago — in orange — a couch and a large mirror that hangs above my fireplace), I am being true to myself. The rest of my house, of course, is still painted in the same, uniform, neutral cream. All other furniture is brown. And I use way too much creamer in my coffee (have you ever read the ingredients?!). But I know I can improve. In January, I think I’ll start taking yoga again — doing one small thing for myself. In February, I will focus on drinking eight ounces of water per day … and maybe I will paint my playroom walls with whiteboard paint so my children can immerse themselves in enormous creativity. And I won’t even erase their drawings at the end of the day! I want to take these small steps now, so that on Jan. 1, 2014, New Year’s is not a beginning or an end, but simply a continuation of a life well lived. JT Maayan Jaffe is JT managing editor mjaffe@jewishtimes.com

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End of the year or a new beginning? at is the question many of us will ask ourselves next week when the clock strikes midnight and the year 2013 commences. In the past, like many in American society, I would make New Year’s resolutions. “This year, I am going to spend more time with family.” “This year, I am going to spend more time helping others.” Great goals. Too lofty. I have actually stopped making New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I take baby steps toward achieving a happier, healthier and more fulﬁlling life. is was my husband’s idea. He wanted to lose weight, but he couldn’t force himself to diet. Instead, he stopped eating dessert in August. In September, he dropped chips and other salty-crunchy snacks. One month, he added in biking for ﬁve minutes a day.

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Editorials

Will 2013 be the year in which a third Palestinian intifada against Israel breaks out? Many are looking for signs, while others already are convinced an uprising is a foregone conclusion. “In the security establishment they don’t ask any more if another uprising will break out, rather under what circumstances and when,” military affairs reporter Alex Fishman wrote in Yedioth Ahronot. Consider how the West Bank appears to be on a boil: Clashes between Palestinians and the IDF are on the rise. At the same time, security cooperation between the IDF and the Palestinian Authority has dropped. This cooperation has been vital in keeping the relative peace in the territory in the last decade but now seems to be weakening. And thousands have attended Hamas rallies in the West Bank, where speakers continue to call for Israel’s destruction. At the same time, anticipating Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s re-election in January, an aide for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that 2013 promises a new Palestinian approach. The plans include both political moves and acts of “popular struggle,” such as filing war crimes charges against Israel, mass demonstrations and a push for international sanctions. Such actions will make life more difficult for both Israelis and Palestinians. The recent U.N. General Assembly’s vote to make Palestine a non-member state, Israel’s subsequent announcement of renewed settlement construction and the ramped-up discourse regarding a third intifada against Israel are all reflections of a stalled peace process. While both sides claim to want peace, we have seen few signs that either side is willing to do the hard work to achieve it. Should mass violence break out, the results likely will differ from the second intifada, which lasted from 2000 to 2005. For one thing, Israel now has a fence separating it from the territories. And the West Bank leadership no longer calls for armed resistance. But Yedioth’s Fishman writes that the security establishment is considering a worst-case scenario: that the intifada jumps the fence and spreads to Israel’s Arabs. These could be the unwelcome results of a botched peace process. It should be clear to all that there is an urgent need to find another way.

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) is remembered as an extraordinary man.

newscom.com/Tom Williams/Roll Call

A Third Intifada?

A Fighter For The Good Fight We proudly join the praise, recognition and thanks that have been heaped upon Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, who died last week at age 88. Inouye, the second-longest serving U.S. senator, was also the ﬁrst-ever Japanese-American senator. By all accounts, the Medal of Honor recipient was an honorable and extraordinary man, but we also remember him as a longtime friend of Israel and of the Jewish people. Long considered one of Israel’s strongest allies in the Senate, Inouye traced his interest in Judaism and the Jewish people to his experiences in World War II. While recuperating in a hospital aer ﬁghting in Italy, where he lost an arm, Inouye met another wounded soldier who told him of his involvement in the liberation of a Nazi death camp, where he came across ovens in which murdered Jews were burned. As Inouye recalled years later, “I asked, what did these Jews do? And his answer has haunted me all these years: ‘Well, you know, people don’t like Jews.’ at

was the rationale for the massacre. And right then and there I decided that I should learn something about Jews.” And he did. Inouye went on to use his position as a U.S. senator to fight for grants for Israel, for the rights of Soviet Jews, for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system and much more. He even has been credited with selling the first Israel Bond in Hawaii. A Methodist by birth, Inouye is reported to have considered converting to Judaism but refrained out of respect for his devout mother. In death, Inouye was praised by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) recognized him for his service and for being “driven by a will to serve, protect and advance this nation.” We could not have said it better. Our nation and the State of Israel have lost a dear and devoted friend.

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Peace on earth starts here.

BALTIMORE

JEWISH TIMES

Baltimore Jewish Times Vol. 329 No. 9 December 28, 2012

Publisher & Chief Operating Oﬃcer

Craig Burke

Executive Editor

Phil Jacobs

Managing Editor

Maayan Jaffe

Reporters

Simone Ellin Paul Foer David Snyder Ron Snyder

Copy Chief

Michael Marlow

Editorial Intern

Patrice Williams

Director of Design & Production

Erin Clare

Staﬀ Photographers

David Stuck Justin Tsucalas

Art Director

Lindsey Bridwell

Assistant Art Director

Ebony Brown

Graphic Designer

Sid Kukreti

Web Design Manager

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Director of Sales & Marketing

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Best wishes to you for Inspired By Gratitude good times, good I 2013 cheer and a successful year ahead! Happy New Year! From is View Rabbi Jason Klein

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Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

n , Chanukah and Thanksgiving coincide for the first time in 95 years; we will light the second candle on this Jewish holiday of thanks and praise for miracles over tables at which we Americans will express gratitude for abundance. The High Holidays deliver a lesson in teshuvah; Chanukah’s lesson is one of thankfulness. These past few months I have been keenly aware of gratitude. In August, I participated in an American Jewish World Service rabbinic delegation to Ghana in which we were exposed directly to global poverty and child slavery. We met a hero named James Kofi Annan, a former child slave, who created an organization called Challenging Heights that educates at-risk children and their families to prevent trafficking and literally liberates and rehabilitates enslaved children. I am grateful that there are more than 400 nGOs around the world that AJWS supports dedicated to human rights and eradicating poverty. As Election Day approached, I appreciated how allies of the LGBTQ population joined with LGBTQ people and advocated for religious freedom and civil equality. I was inspired by a group of local Orthodox rabbis striving to create welcoming communities who published a letter in the JT reminding us that there are Orthodox communities where you can be openly gay. Meanwhile, a new initiative called JQ Baltimore envisions Baltimore as a welcoming and inclusive Jewish Community. While I feel inspired by University of Maryland, Baltimore County students every day, I want to highlight a Jewish-Muslim dialogue initiative that has taken shape this fall. Seeds of this alliance began with our assistant director, Cara Behneman, and some interested students, and it has

grown into a project that has planned campuswide programs in sync with UMBC’s commitments not only to academic excellence and diversity, but also to a culture of kindness. It’s not everywhere that American, Ukrainian and Israeli-born Jewish students have Shabbat dinner with American, Pakistani and Saudi-born Muslim students, but it happens every week at UMBC. There is great promise in the relationships these students are forming.

We can form alliances that help bring about a more perfect world.

Finally, I have felt grateful to Rabbis Jessy Gross, Daniel Cotzin Burg and Etan Mintz. The four of us — Baltimore City residents, each with a different Jewish movement affiliation yet a three-dimensional person beyond those identities — have started talking together about strengthening Jewish life in the City. You may hear more about our collective ideas in the near future, and we hope to hear yours, too. Chanukah and Thanksgiving may not often align, but we can form alliances that help bring about a more perfect world. For that I will be grateful today, in 2013 and always. Rabbi Jason Klein is the executive director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Hillel and a member of the Baltimore Board of Rabbis. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Baltimore Board of Rabbis or its members.

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From is View Autumn Sadovnik

Teachers On The Front Line I graduated from high school months before Columbine. My second day of student teaching was Sept. 11. I began my life as an educator paranoid. I was minimally briefed on lockdowns in my own classroom. Close the doors. turn oﬀ the lights. Hide under a table in a corner. I kept my fourth-graders quiet with “emergency Oreos,” feeding them as we waited for the all clear. I was frustrated that my classroom doors lacked locks. I calculated how many cabinets and closets I needed to hide 17 9-year-olds. Our huddle on the ﬂoor seemed hopelessly futile. Victoria Soto had seconds to reconcile similar obstacles, except it wasn’t a drill. Sandy Hook elementary had every standard security feature. even an armed guard at the door

would have been unable to thwart this attack. and yet, she saved children’s lives. We grieve for the others and for her, but the families whose children survived have her quick thinking to thank. She saved worlds. Statistically, it’s unlikely that this attack would occur in any given classroom. at merely helps us sleep at night, because it did happen to this school. Jewish classrooms face the double threat of random selection and antiSemitic violence. School administrators work with security professionals to develop plans, improve infrastructure and policy and review simulations. While these are all valuable processes, it is time now to revisit the preparation of individual teachers. the field of education does not attract thrill seekers or entrepreneurs. It attracts those who have an intrinsic

desire to develop, engage and invest in humanity’s future. More precisely, teachers love children. at love goes beyond the intellectual and emotional development of children. Like parents, teachers feel the instinct to protect their students, and we witnessed that intensity with the acts of Sandy Hook educators. We have been complacent in recognizing that teachers are guardians. teaching has never been perceived as dangerous, but no teacher would hesitate to risk her/his life to protect a child. It is terrifying that any school or classroom could face weapons of war. We need to help educators cope and prepare for the unimaginable. Victoria Soto’s training and cool-headed actions serve as a model. What can we learn from her? It’s time to review teacher training. Maybe we need to learn skills for

barricading doors or adaptive decision-making in addressing individual crisis. Perhaps it’s how to calm terrified children in extreme situations or first-responder skills to care for the injured. Locally, some have suggested we learn to disarm attackers. Whatever we do, it needs to include substantive content for teachers. they are the front line, protecting the most vulnerable and precious commodity in our community, and they will do their best with what they have and what they know. We needn’t be alarmists, but we simply can’t be defeatists. With every tragedy, we learn. together, we will choose life, protect our community’s children and support teachers with knowledge and conﬁdence. JT

Intimacy ntimacy y Issues Can n Lead to a Heart Attack

Autumn Sadovnik is the director of professional development at the Macks Center for Jewish Education.

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I Choose Me It’s a sensitive subject, It’s but talking about it can n save your life. Vascular V ascular dise disease—a ase a blo ase—a blood od flow condition caused by b the buildup of plaque iin n the ar arteries—can teries—can also be e associated associa ted with er erectile ectile e dysfunction (ED). In fact, factt, ED may be one of the first signs of vascular disease, dise ase, which can ultimately ultima tely rresult esult in a heart he arrt attack attack or stroke. stroke. Erectile dysfunction is Erectile most of often ften caused by a physical pr problem oblem such as vascular dise disease, ase, according accor ding to JJames ames Smolev,, MD Smolev MD,, chief of urology ur ology at at MedStar MedStar Good Good Samaritan Hospital.

The between T he connection betwe een disease ED and vascular dise a ase is simple. ““You You need adequate adequa q te blood flow for an er erection, ection, so erectile erectile often dysfunction is of ften the th he thatt ther there first sign tha e is a problem,” explains pr oblem,” e xplains Dr.. Smolev Dr Smolev.. The National Institutess T he Na tional Institute Health estimates that of He alth estima tes th hat affects ED af ffects as many ass 30 United million men in the Un ited States, S tates, star starting ting as you young ung impacting as age 50 and impact ting nearly over ne arly half of men ove er age 75. ED is caused not disease only by vascular dise a ase from but also can rresult esult fr o om increased stress taking incr eased str ess or ta king certain medications. cer rtain medica tions.

treatable. ED is tr eatable. Sometimes simple like steps lik e quitting quitting weight smoking, g, losing g wei ght g or limiting alcohol can c improve be enough to impr o ove erectile also er ectile function and d als improve health. impr ove vascular he ealth. treatments include Other tr eatments in clude medication, therapy medica tion, ther apyy surgery. and sur gery. Talk T alk to your doctor if i you experience ED.. It co could e xperience ED ould save your life. For a physician referral For referrral at at MedStar MedS tar Good Samaritan aritan Hospital, call call or click:: 443-444-4100 or medstargoodsam.org. medstar rgoodsam.orrg.

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jewishtimes.com

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Your Say … e following letters reﬂect the opinions of our readers. e Baltimore Jewish times strives to run all letters to the editor, as space provides. e publication edits for grammar and clarity. Please send your letters to editor@jewishtimes.com.

Downtown, Inclusive i am grateful for your Dec. 14 article highlighting the much-needed void that JQ Baltimore will fill in providing resources for lGBt Jews in our community (“JQ Baltimore Comes out”). however, the article neglected to mention Beth am synagogue and our rabbi, Daniel Cotzin Burg. rabbi Burg has been a tireless advocate for full inclusion and equality for lGBt Jews. he was at the forefront in support of Question 6 and looks forward to officiating same-sex weddings according to the Jewish tradition. Beth am has a meaningful and growing lGBt presence in young-adult activities and the broader congregation, including lGBt lay leadership in myself as a committee chair and board member. Beth am and rabbi Burg are among many congregations and spiritual leaders in Baltimore who support [ JQ Baltimore’s] efforts. in fact, Beth am is honored to host a meeting of JQ Baltimore next month. it would be a missed opportunity for readers not to be aware that Beth am is a sacred community that embraces and celebrates all Jews. Andrew Woods Baltimore

Omitted Your article on lGBt Jews omitted reconstructionist Congregation Beit tikvah in roland Park as a resource. Beit tikvah, beittikvah.org, has been supporting Jews of all hues and ﬂavors for almost 30 years. From our ﬁrst rabbi, rabbi leila Berner, to today’s, rabbi Becka Gould, Beit tikvah has been led by gay or lesbian rabbis approximately

75 percent of the time, and it is a welcoming congregation. Miriam Winder Kelly Roland Park

Taking Issue With Parks allow me to take issue with Jon Parks’ genteelly racist Dec. 14 Jt column, “still Dreaming.” with impeccable white-bread and “arbeit macht ei” logic, mr. Parks concludes that “mlK would have many reasons to feel that skin color is less important now” than 50 years ago. here is what conservative pundit michael Gerson, the chief speechwriter in the Bush administration, has to say on that point: “today, the greatest single threat to the unity of america [is] the vast, increasing segregation of young, african-american men and boys from the promise of their country” (“e overlooked Plight of Black males,” Washington Post, Dec. 13). e problem has been getting worse for decades, in good economic times and bad. whether out of profound ignorance or the desire to score political points, Parks’ view is reminiscent of the attempt by soviet authorities to expunge the Jewish identity of the victims of Babi Yar, identifying them only as “over 100,000 citizens of Kiev and prisoners of war.” Baruch Shaw Clarksville, Md.

Tough Tactics i would like to add to “tough tactics” (Dec. 14). many successful people have achieved in spite of learning, economic or disabling challenges. albert einstein’s mother was told that he was mentally challenged. ... whoopi Goldberg, omas edison, orlando Bloom and a host of others used their challenges and failures to work harder to succeed. many had supportive parents or a mentor to guide them. … searching for solutions to help a challenged child can be a nightmare for parents. sorting through a maze of possibilities can be mentally, physically and ﬁnancially draining.

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

Karen toso, editor and educator, and i, a disability advocate, lecturer, special educator and occupational therapist, will be facilitating film viewings and literature discussions about the lives of people who faced seemingly overwhelming challenges and used them to create extraordinary lives. [e films will serve to] inspire and empower us. our first seminar in a series is titled, “against all odds” and will be held in Pikesville on monday, Jan. 7. we will view the film “my le Foot” starring Daniel Day lewis, who plays Christy Brown, author and artist with severe cerebral palsy. … Knowing how to balance healthy challenges to assist a child to grow mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually is [an] art. … Parents who try to “fix” … problems, or complete the work for their child, are preventing the growth and self-esteem that can emerge from formulating one’s own solutions. Shoshana Shamberg Pikesville

Black-Jewish Dialogue in the Dec. 14 issue, Phil Jacobs waxed nostalgic about his days at Northwestern high school, when he felt at ease with black friends and now wishes for such an open dialogue (“already missing Northwestern”). ... Can we be friendly with black neighbors in our community or is every encounter touched by racial tension? over the years, several well-meaning groups have offered black-Jewish dialogues. one i was involved with harkened back to the glory days of the civil rights era, when blacks and Jews marched, lived and died for justice and attempted to invoke current goodwill from these roots. another tried to diffuse anger over a racial incident by allowing people to verbally let off steam about their frustrations with one another, then find space for some appreciations. a third group had us attending worship services and learning about each other’s liturgical music. Yet, we continue to live in a neighborhood where many black-Jewish interactions are at best polite and our

knowledge of one another is really minimal. what is missing? … we need to be taught each other’s history, culture and colloquialisms. … how many of us ever pick up and read a weekly edition of e Ao-American? [ere you find] featured the black perspective on city doings and advertisements for workshops focusing on health disparities and racial inequities. ese issues are alive and on the minds of many blacks. if you want a real eye-opener, listen to weaa, the morgan state Universitysponsored public radio station. ere are several talk shows that could make your hair stand up. ere are forums for black frustration, rage and, in some cases, reverse racism. it is easy to dismiss these as fanatical rants. But the shows are broadcast daily and have an audience. … as Jews, we have the … struggles of our own lives. … it is important [blacks] hear not only any experiences of antisemitism we’ve encountered, but also how each of us has had to navigate the demands and pressures of society. is then becomes a true sharing of the human experience. … Both cultures have beauty, wisdom, art, creativity and spirituality. But many times the conflicts and alienation acted out in the public sphere come from these aforementioned hidden aspects, our shadow selves that finally get expressed. as it is written in leviticus, a way to learn to love another person is to join in their pain. only aer this can we begin to offer true friendship. Joyce Wolpert Baltimore

CORRECTIONS in the Dec. 14 edition, we inadvertently left out the name of one of baby maddie rose Pachino’s grandparents. the full “milestone” is printed in this week’s edition. see page 47. the Jt regrets the error. Due to an error in production, the name of the hebrew month of Tevet was inadvertently misspelled on our cover. we deeply regret the error.

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| News Briefs Weisbord Announces Plans To Step Down Orthodox Jewish girls high schools. The school currently enrolls 200 students, 90 percent of whom go on to graduate school. “The way I see it, while we can watch children with learning difficulties pick up skills and grow, and it is almost immediate gratification, being able to work with young women who are beginning their life journeys and help them develop as individuals, as Jewish women and as a part of the whole Baltimore community, is its own thrill,” said Weisbord. “I want [these young women] to know they can reach for the stars.” Under Weisbord’s auspices, SHEMESH has grown from serving three schools to eight schools. In addition, Weisbord said she feels she has helped educate the day-school community — parents and teachers — about learning disabilities and the need to be more inclusive. The Associated is overseeing the hiring of a new SHEMESH executive director beginning Jan. 1.

— Maayan Jaffe

Dr. Aviva Weisbord

Littmann Named Annapolis Alderman Walk into the jam-packed aisles of tools, paint and building supplies at the Annapolis K and B True Value Hardware store and you may meet the newest Jewish office-holder in Maryland. Jared Littmann, a lawyer and owner of the busy store, has just been selected by the Annapolis Democratic Central Committee to fill the Ward 5 aldermanic seat on the Annapolis City Council that was vacated by another Jewish lawmaker, Mat Silverman. He will be sworn in on Jan. 14 by another Jewish elected official, Mayor Josh Cohen. Silverman stepped down because his new position with the Department of Justice demanded too much travel. “Mr. Littmann will bring a wellrounded perspective to the Council,” Cohen said. “As a businessman, husband, father and soccer coach, Jared is experiencing the same challenges of any other family trying to make ends meet. And as the owner of the last locally owned hardware store in Annapolis, he recognizes the value of local business and has earned the loyalty and trust of numerous Annapolitans.”

Prior to taking ownership of the family business in 2004, the specialist in environmental law was the associate county attorney in Montgomery County. Littman grew up in Wayne, N.J., and moved with his wife to the Annapolis area in 2004. “I’ve since enjoyed applying my environmental background to growing the environmental awareness and access to environmentally friendly products,” he told the JT. The Littmans belong to Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold, where their daughter attends Hebrew school. As alderman, he hopes to utilize his legal and business background “to address the specific issues and challenges facing Ward 5 residents, as well as the general citizenry of Annapolis, while addressing the city’s short- and long-term needs.” Littman said, “I would like the opportunity to use my expertise to help our city and its people and businesses thrive, while also being mindful of balanced budgets and protecting the environment, among other issues.”

— Paul Foer

Provided

Dr. Aviva Weisbord announced last week that she will step down from her role as executive director of SHEMESH. Weisbord will become president of Maalot Baltimore, a women’s Torah seminary, at the end of January. It was “a very hard decision” to leave SHEMESH, a program of The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, Weisbord told the JT. She described her work with the communitywide program, an organization that provides the educational support necessary for Jewish children with learning differences to reach their full intellectual, academic, emotional and social potential in a Jewish setting, as “inspiring every day.” “It has been a thrill to work with the schools and The Associated,” she said, noting she has been with SHEMESH since its inception in July 2009. Weisbord was among the founders of Maalot in 1998, and she has kept in contact with the school since then, including in recent years as it underwent capital renovations and expansion. Maalot provides a religious educational setting for graduates of

Almost A Minyan ... For the second time in four weeks, the Baltimore Orioles have added a Jewish player. The club announced last Thursday that it signed 31-year-old outfielder Adam Greenberg to a minor league contract. The Orioles also signed third baseman Danny Valencia in late November. Greenberg’s career has been unique, to say the least. Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2002 out of the University of North Carolina, Greenberg ascended the minor league ranks before making his major league debut, at 24, in a pinch-hitting role on July 9, 2005. He saw one pitch. On the first offering from the Florida Marlins’ Valerio de los Santos, Greenberg was plunked in the back of the head with a 92 mph fastball. After visits with several doctors, he was diagnosed with positional vertigo, a condition that causes nausea, dizziness and severe headaches.

“Just bending over to tie my shoe left me with headaches for hours,” Greenberg told ESPN.c om in 2007. The after-effects put a damper on what was an up-and-coming major league career. However, Greenberg persevered, and from 2006 to 2011 he played on several minor league and independent league teams. Last season, the Marlins signed Greenberg to a one-day contract to give him the opportunity to finally experience his second major league at-bat. Although he struck out on three pitches, Greenberg said it was an event he’ll always cherish. “It was magical,” he told The New York Times. “The energy that was in the stadium was something that I have never experienced in my life, and I don’t know if I’ll ever experience that again.” ere have been eight Jewish Orioles since the team’s inception, if you include David Newhan, who has since become a Hebrew Christian. — David Snyder See more Briefs, page 14 jewishtimes.com

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Briefs om page 13

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B’Teavon! U of Md. Student Missing For More Than A Week

Now serving recipes, restaurants, Kosher tips and kitchen tricks. Every Friday in the new JT.

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

Prince George’s County Police are asking for the public’s help in locating University of Maryland junior and Pikesville native David Johnathan Scherr. The young man, 20, was last seen near campus on Wednesday, Dec. 19 around 2 p.m. Since that time, he’s had no contact with family or friends, police said. Police are classifying this as a “critical” missing person’s case because they believe Scherr may be without his depression medication. The Scherr family declined comment. Scherr is described as white, 6 feet tall and 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a purple Baltimore Ravens T-shirt and white plaid shorts. The missing student may be driving a black 2013 Ford Escape with Maryland tags 3AX4875. Ally Weiner went to school with Scherr from elementary school through high school. She said Scherr’s closest friends at Maryland are baffled as to where he could be. She also said that Scherr is a genuinely nice kid, and was surprised to see his name linked to a disappearance. “He’s an extremely smart kid. He’s really funny,” said Weiner, who was in Scherr’s graduating class at Pikesville High School. “I wouldn’t think about anything like this happening. I know papers are talking about depression and whatnot, but that was never something I think anyone would have guessed David had. He would always put on a happy face and was the one to make jokes.” Police are still actively investigating. Anyone with information on Scherr’s whereabouts can call the Prince George’s County Police Department’s District I Investigative Section at 301-699-2601. This story was last updated on Dec. 26. For additional information, visit jewishtimes.co m. — David Snyder

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| Local News

State’s Health-Care Exchange Is Coming Enrollment opens in October By Paul Foer

“It will be like the Travelocity of health coverage.” Dr. Peter Beilenson

Enrollment will begin Oct. 1, 2013 for coverage to take effect in January 2014. Enrollment will close at the end of March 2014. The state expects that 150,000 of Maryland’s 750,000 uninsured residents will be covered in the first year with 275,000 by 2020. “It will be like the Travelocity of health coverage,” said Dr. Peter Beilenson, comparing the clearinghouse site to the popular travel site that allows users to compare airfare, hotels, etc.

The former Baltimore City health commissioner and Howard County health officer is now the CEO of startup Evergreen Health Cooperative, which eventually will be featured on the MHC. Beilenson said that the MHC will “most directly benefit uninsured individual and families, who would otherwise be buying on a private market.” Barbara Gradet, executive director of Jewish Community Services, explained that the online exchange “will make it so much easier for the people in our state and the people we serve to be able to shop for plans [and] understand what benefits are for them. All the credible sources outside of Maryland government see that this will really serve many more people, enroll many more in the plans, and that the state is going to save money and create jobs.” “It’s less about the people who will be coming through the doors and more about the fact that there will be far fewer than 750,000 uninsured Marylanders,” said Joe Demattos, president of the Columbia-based Health Facilities Association of Maryland (HFAM), which represents 154 of the 233 skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers in Maryland. “Down the road, Maryland and our health-care outcomes will be much better with the implementation with the Affordable Care Act.” Demattos believes that eventually we will also see a “vastly more integrated care environment in all settings to focus on helping people stay well.” Regarding the overall net effect of the ACA, as well as the incipient MHC, Gradet said, “If more people can be covered with basic health care,

Barbara Gradet of Jewish Community Services says getting people insured will free up funds for other needs.

which is so key to everything really, they can be covered elsewhere so we can use our precious dollars for other critical needs”. However, from the vantage point of decades as an insurance service provider, Tod Lehman is not quite as excited. Lehman, with PSA Insurance and Financial Services of Hunt Valley, has been the agent for The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore since June 2011 and as such provides services to the organization’s more than 600 benefits-eligible employees. “It’s the million-dollar question now for all of us. We have yet to determine how brokers are going to fit into the exchange. We are being told we are going to be part of it, [at least] as advisors, but we don’t know how it will work or whether we’ll be paid finder fees or commissions,” he said.

Photos provided

AS RESIDENTS of one of the first six states to receive conditional approval from the federal government to operate a state-based health insurance exchange in 2014, Marylanders will know in about a year if this online service, or clearinghouse, will be a positive step not only in providing insurance, but also in making it work better. While much remains to be done with the new state component of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is known as the Maryland Health Connection (MHC), its website mar ylandhealthconne ction.g ov is already functioning. It soon will provide comparisons of different coverage so that consumers and businesses can determine if they are eligible for various tax credits, cost-sharing reductions or enrollment in qualified health plans.

Lehman said he still believes the ACA and the MHC are positive steps because they will provide coverage for those currently uninsured, “but it cannot be done and keep costs down at the same time. The impetus is to cut costs. We don’t believe that is possible when you can add individuals to this system, including those with pre-existing conditions, who were previously not covered and tell them it will hold down costs.” Lehman, who conducts most of his business in Maryland, said he is “less than enthused that we are among the first states to have jumped into this, saying we would sponsor a state exchange as opposed to a federal exchange. On a federal level, there may be a wider selection of alternatives, or different carriers, as opposed to the state level, but that is speculative. The big thing is how they are going to be administered See Health-Care on page 16 jewishtimes.com

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Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

Health-Care om page 15 and how does the average person go to an exchange? Do they confirm their income levels, get the guidance they need over the phone for what medical plan they should select, and what happens after they select the plan if there is a problem? Right now, they go to their broker or carrier.” at’s if they have a broker or carrier, of course, and the grand intent of the ACA and now the exchanges is to help people aﬀord, as well as choose, optimal coverage for themselves. Beilenson agreed that it’s not necessarily going to make everything simple. “I think it will be a one-stop shop to learn about options, but it is fairly complicated and will be a necessity to have a navigator,” Beilenson said. MHC will assign a staff person who will be known as a navigator. Eventually there may be report cards,

and users can choose a provider or a plan not only by price or benefits, but also by which one has great call-back response time or good member-orientation programs. Beilenson said, “This will significantly cover the uninsured. … There will be plenty of business for the brokers off the exchange, at least for new business.” Demattos, who is second vice president of Congregation Har Sinai, is excited and optimistic about the Affordable Care Act. “I think that Maryland can be proud of its work to stay ahead of the curve with the creation of the exchange and be among the first states to gain federal approval for such an exchange,” he said. JT Paul Foer is JT senior news reporter pfoer@jewishtimes.com

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| Local News

A Man With A Vision Samuel E. Moscowitz of MedStar is moving himself — and our community — forward By Maayan Jaffe

in Baltimore: the former chairman of the board at Krieger Schechter Day School, the current first vice president of the board at Chizuk Amuno. His colleagues and friends describe him as cheerful and friendly, for sure. But they also call him efficient, prepared and a person with vision. It’s the melting pot of these attributes that seems to be the catalyst behind Moscowitz’s success. Since May, Moscowitz has been the president of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, a role he came to aer almost 20 years as part of the Mercy Health Services leadership team. Moscowitz made the switch not because he needed a change, but because he wants to be a part of the change in the health-care industry that he thinks is long overdue, sorely needed and a part of the solution to our country’s health-care woes. “MedStar has a vision that is unique,” said Moscowitz. “We believe we are going to have to be a part of the health-care solution.” Moscowitz said health care is expensive — for the government, for businesses that provide health insurance and for individuals who need it. “MedStar wants to be part of the change — to take care of people, to keep them healthy and to help them manage their health,” he said. And he is trying to create a hospital where his employees — from the janitors through the head physicians

— buy in. For those who know Moscowitz, it’s not surprising that he is able to build such enthusiasm among his staff of 3,500. He simply doesn’t believe in sitting in his office. “I feel strongly that you need to get out and touch people,” he said. “My philosophy is that despite the technological advances we have had, [the health-care industry] is still very much a people business.” His employees have a say in how resources are spent. He calls it being “physician centric.” “The best people to design the system are physicians, nurses and patients. You can’t rule from the Temple Mount,” Moscowitz said. He also collaborates with others in the greater MedStar system, which consists of nine area hospitals with 27,000 associates and 5,000 physicians. It’s the largest medical system in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, and Moscowitz is among the upper echelon. He was candid about the fact that “I had never been to this side of town,” when he started at the center, located in the Rosedale area. But that didn’t faze him. He started his time with Franklin Square by driving around and meeting with community members and leaders to understand his constituency. This dedication to the care and quality of his relationships, said Rabbi Ronald Shulman of Chizuk, is one thing that sets Moscowitz apart

Samuel E. Moscowitz is not afraid to push the envelope.

as a synagogue leader, too. “Sam is a warm, embracing and caring person,” said Shulman. “His family is loving, close-knit and Jewishly engaged.” But he’s not afraid to push the envelope. For MedStar, that means building a system where employees are rewarded for keeping people healthy and where there are more ambulatory-type services and clinics so that people who need medical care don’t always end up in the ER. At Krieger Schechter, this meant, according to former Head of School Paul Schneider, not being “afraid to move ahead the agenda, even though it may be breaking with past traditions.” Married to Jodi with two children, Moscowitz is poised to keep moving forward — in his career and in his

Provided

SAMUEL E. MOSCOWITZ IS A PILLAR

“The best people to design the system are physicians, nurses and patients. You can’t rule from the Temple Mount.” — Samuel E. Moscowitz

Jewish communal work. He is ready, he said, but will do so — in both roles — with three Jewish values in mind: Torah, avodah and gemilut chasadim. Said Moscowitz: “You never stop learning, you need a spiritual side … and you give back.” JT Maayan Jaffe is JT managing editor mjaffe@jewishtimes.com

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Local News |

Peace, Love & Mitzvot DECEMBER 25 was packed with activities for the people of Jewish Baltimore. At 9 a.m., 1,000 people took part in Jewish Volunteer Connection’s Community Mitzvah Day. “It’s always exciting to see it come together,” said event co-chair Alan Elkin. Participants visited 15 different charities and hundreds of winter care packages were delivered to nine homeless shelters and soup kitchens throughout the Greater Baltimore area. In a Mitzvah Room at the Weinberg Park Heights JCC, volunteers wrote cards for American and Israeli soldiers, stuffed teddy bears for Sinai Hospital, decorated tzedakah boxes for The Associated and designed placemats for Meals on Wheels, among other activities. “It’s so nice to step out of our bubble, our every day routine, and to do something for someone else,” said Ina Krief, who was volunteering for the third year straight. “You can really see how important this is.” Later in the day, from 1 to 4 p.m., hundreds of families with young children turned out at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC for the center’s “Peace, Love JCC” family fun day. It was an afternoon of 60s-style fun with inflatables, face-painting, balloon creations and open gym for children under five. There were even 60s celebrities on hand to greet the participants. JT — Maayan Jaﬀe —Photos by David Stuck 18

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

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7 1. Elliot Lehem has been volunteering at Mitzvah Day for over 10 years. On Dec. 25, he prepares winter care packages to distribute to area homeless shelters. 2. Donna Balinkie helps her daughters Rachel (left) and Samantha create placemats for Meals on Wheels.

8 9

3. Elliot and Phyllis Bloom assist grandchildren Micah Bloom, 20months, and Grace Caplan, 4, with decorating cards for Israeli soldiers. 4. Shari Goldstein and daughter Emily, 9, fill some of the thousands of winter care packages for local homeless shelters. 5. At Mitzvah Day, Jennifer Eisenberg, 19, brother Mike, 14 (right), and Ori Rattner, 13, fill stress balls with rice for senior citizens. 6. Hundreds of families enjoy Peace, Love, JCC on Dec. 25.

5 6

7. Lindsay Oziel, 9, holds bearded dragon Jasper of Camp Milldale. Jasper was a star at the JCCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family fun day. 8. Hilary Yarmus designs a beaded peace-sign necklace with her 5year-old twin sons Henry and Charlie. There was a multitude of craft activities at the JCCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family event. 9. Caleb Ziv, 12 (left), and brother Cony, 10 (right), play a game of Slinky with Jacob Kaplan, 11, at the JCC.

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Local News | The new Think car at Eurostar is the only one of its kind in the area.

S UPER CHARGED Affordable EV provides efficient driving option By David Snyder | Photo by David Stuck

GAZING ACROSS the showroom floor at the Eurostar Automotive Gallery, you’ll view exotic sports cars, lavish sedans and powerful SUVs. After opening in July 2011, the dealership has devoted itself to finding and selling the most opulent vehicles on market. More recently, Eurostar has offered its clients a car with a different sort of luxury: efficiency. In April, the Randallstown dealership purchased 150 Think cars — the remaining inventory — from a company in Indiana that was backed financially by Ford Motors. Ford abandoned its affiliation with the fully electric vehicle after deciding to improve its more popular hybrid line. However, Eurostar owner Chip Miller saw a strong niche market for a car that could save drivers hundreds to thousands of dollars in gas and maintenance and still provide a safe, dependable ride. “Yes, I love to sell exotic cars because love them, but what I like to see 20

sold are cars that make sense, too. And this car makes sense,” Miller said. “As a double entendre, it will put cents in your pocket, which is something most cars won’t do.” The car, which is valued at more than $36,000, sells for just $15,000 — including a $7,500 tax credit at the point of sale. By Maryland law, there is also no sales tax for electric vehicles. And, unlike hybrids, the Think car operates without gasoline. It gains power by being plugged in and charged. With optimal conditions, the Think car can travel approximately 100 miles before running out of juice. (Using accessories like headlights, air conditioning and windshield wipers will lower that number.) However, Miller said that the Think car is not designed for long trips but rather for individuals who either live in the city (or in nearby suburbs) and want a cost-effective way to commute to work each day.

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

In fact, he tried the experiment himself and determined that driving his BMW back and forth between the dealership and his Monkton home cost him about $18 per day. Conversely, “fueling up” the Think car cost him only $2 per day.

“IT FEELS LIKE A REAL CAR. IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE A TINKER TOY.” — Chip Miller

The vehicle is also practically maintenance free — only requiring service after 40,000 miles, and that is just to check the brakes. Skeptics of the car point to its size and imply that safety must be an

issue, but Miller asserts this is not the case. He explained that the car’s handling has a European feel, similar to a Mercedes. The interior of the car is completely encapsulated in a structural steel and aluminum cage, like that of a Formula One race car, which is designed for crash safety. “It feels like a real car. It doesn’t feel like a tinker toy,” Miller said. “Most people think that it’s a piece of paper that’s going to get crunched in your hand or something. This car couldn’t be further from that. It has a very solid feeling on the road. You’ll feel the stability, you’ll feel the weight, and you’ll feel the structural rigidity of the car, which is important in a car like this.” Still, car owners will tell you that there is a brief adjustment period when getting behind the wheel of a Think car — one that quickly evaporates with a little time on the road. “The first few times I drove it, it felt different, but very quickly I became used to it. Now when I drive in

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BOARD YOUR What does an environmental expert say?

Aleeza Oshry, manager of The Associated’s Sustainability Initiative, notes that for those in the Baltimore Jewish community with large families and carpool responsibilities, the Think car, which only seats two people, may not be the best fit. However, for singles or parents looking for a more efficient second vehicle, she says the Think car provides a practical choice that falls in line with The Associated’s objective of reducing environmental impact and preserving the Earth for future generations. “This is a certainly a viable option that would fit the lifestyle of many people who live in the metropolitan area,” Oshry said. “I think that this option is something we would definitely promote.”

a gas car, it feels funny to me. They are loud and they stink,” said Hyattsville resident John Alder, who purchased a Think car in April. “The smoothness of an electric motor is such a joy. I really don’t miss transmissions. When I get in a [gas] car now and feel that jerk every time the car shifts, it’s annoying. I’ve really come to appreciate how smooth my car drives.” Of the 150 Think cars it purchased in April, Eurostar already has sold more than 125 around the country. Currently, Eurostar is the only dealer in the U.S. oﬀering ink cars; however, that will change in 2013, when the ink brand — recently bought by Norway-based Electric Mobility Solutions — unveils its newest models. While electric cars, Miller said, are still looked at as a niche market, years from now we could see more on the road, as people become more concerned with their carbon footprints. “The bottom line is we are kind of in a strange marketplace right now,

PET FOR

LESS

Oshry pointed to the number of people who commute to work within the driving range the car permits [100 miles]. She also said that, in addition to its low service costs, the car is relatively inexpensive compared to the electric vehicles she’s came across. “Take a look at the price, I know that some of the discussion around the electric cars on the market right now are that, yeah, it might save money in the long term because of maintenance costs, but there is a larger upfront capital expense to purchasing a hybrid or electric car,” Oshry said. “This one is extremely affordable. The price makes it even more of a viable option for people to consider.”

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where people are starting to embrace the technology, but nobody is really hugging it tightly yet,” Miller said. “There are those people who see the wisdom in it, as we did. At this price point, it’s almost irresistible for the average person.” Alder is one of those doing the hugging. Offering up test drives for countless friends, the 43-year-old has long hoped that electric cars would be more prevalent on the road. “I have been of the opinion that foreign oil is a bad thing,” Alder said. “We have this dependence on a resource that we don’t have control over. It’s only going to get more expensive. I think electric cars are a better solution. Since I was a kid, I expected that electric cars were a natural progression, and I’ve been a little surprised that it hasn’t really happened yet.” JT

David Snyder is a JT staff reporter dsnyder@jewishtimes.com

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Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, called for an armed guard in every school in America by the end of this holiday break.

At Last, NRA Speaks Out Recommends armed guard at every school One week after 26 people were gunned down at Sandy Hook elementary School in newtown, Conn., the national rifle association called for an armed guard in every school in america and blasted video game makers and the media for allowing these horrific shootings to take place. the nra announced Dec. 21 the start of the national School Shield Program, which was created to come up with a design for schools throughout america to use as a model to keep its children secure. former rep. asa Hutchinson (r-ark.) was tapped to head the program. e security program will be available to all schools, free of charge, and can be adapted to meet individual school needs, announced nra executive Vice President wayne LaPierre. He called on school administrators and 22

Suzanne Pollak

parents to work together to make sure there is an armed guard in all schools by the end of this holiday break. further restricting gun use will not stop these violent killings, LaPierre said. “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” he stated. this country protects its president with armed secret service agents, he contended, but leaves its young citizens unprotected. Instead, he said, america is saturated with the news of a mass shooting 24 hours a day, thereby giving the shooter the notoriety he or she wants. LaPierre placed blame directly on the lapse of video game companies, calling “vicious” such games as “Bulletstorm,” “Grand theft auto,” “Mortal kombat,” “Splatterhouse” and “kindergarten killers.”

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

He also singled out a few “bloodsoaked films” and “a thousand music videos” that demean life and portray murder as the norm.

the families and until the facts are known, the nra has restrained itself from commenting,” LaPierre explained. During the news conference, two

The NRA placed blame directly on the lapse of video game companies, calling “vicious” such games as “Bulletstorm,” “Grand Theft Auto,” “Mortal Kombat,” “Splatterhouse” and “Kindergarten Killers.” During a 30-minute news conference at the willard Hotel in washington, LaPierre never mentioned working together with the white House or its task force on finding ways to end the violence. e nra, which has four million members, waited a week to comment on the shootings. “Out of respect for

protestors held up signs and screamed that “the nra has blood on its hands” before being pulled out of the room by security. also, picketers from Peta and Code Pink stood outside the hotel and shouted their anti-gun messages. JT Suzanne Pollak is a reporter for JT’s sister publication, Washington Jewish Week.

Fang Zhe/Xinhua/Photoshot/Newscom

International News |

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| National News

MEDIA

Richard A. Bloom

Fang Zhe/Xinhua/Photoshot/Newscom

BIAS

By Phil Jacobs

Jihad al-Masharawi, a Palestinian employee of BBC Arabic in Gaza, carrying the body of his 11-month-old son, Omar, was pictured on the Nov. 15 front page of the Washington Post.

Patrick B. Pexton’s bee sting comment touched off a firestorm of complaints.

“I think we can all agree that the Gaza rocket fire is reprehensible and is aimed at terrorizing Israeli civilians. It’s disruptive and traumatic. But let’s be clear: The overwhelming majority of rockets fired from Gaza are like bee stings on the Israeli bear’s behind.” Patrick B. Pexton, the Washington Post’s ombudsman, wrote that in his Nov. 23 column, two days after Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense ended in a cease-fire with Hamas. Hamas, with the aid of Iran, was launching missiles with greater range than at any time before. The suburbs of Tel Aviv and Ashdod were being hit now along with the beleaguered towns of Sderot and Ashkelon. Jerusalem became a target, as the Iranian Fajr5 missile, with a range of 50 miles, made its debut. The discussion of media coverage in the Washington area was triggered by a photograph on the front page of the Washington Post on Nov. 15 that

Was Washington Post’s war coverage biased against Israel?

showed a devastated Palestinian man holding the shrouded body of his 11month-old son, a victim of a rocket strike on his home in Gaza. The photo caption used the words “Israeli bomb strike.” Yet, there was never a discussion that this bomb might have actually been launched in Gaza, falling short of Israel. Where were the photographs in the Washington Post of years of Kassam rockets landing in Sderot, so many that there is even a “museum” of the rockets?” The same questions can be asked of the Grad rockets hitting Ashkelon. Pexton wrote in his column that “the Post staff then authenticated and verified the facts behind the Associated Press photo. The baby was real. The bombing was real.” He then validated the question of balance, that there weren’t photographs of Israelis hunkered down in bomb shelters nor were there similar photographs of dead or wounded Israelis.

“e Post cannot publish photographs that don’t exist,” answered Pexton. “No Israeli civilian had been killed by Gaza rocket fire since Oct. 29, 2011, more than a year prior. e first Israeli civilian deaths from Gaza rocket fire in 2012 did not take place until Nov. 15, when Hamas, the group that controls Gaza, began firing more accurate and deadly missiles in response to the Israeli offensive that had begun the day before. ere were no recent photos of Israeli casualties to be had on the night of Nov. 14.” Pexton wrote that there was a photo on an inside Nov. 15 page showing an Israeli mother taking refuge in a bomb shelter with her young children. “I think we can agree that the Gaza rocket fire is reprehensible and is aimed at terrorizing Israeli citizens,” Pexton wrote. Then came the line about the bee stings. In a Dec. 17 interview with the JT,

Pexton said that he wished he would have used different words. “Since the ﬁrst day I got here, anything related to Israel is always on top of the email and snail mail in terms of numbers,” he said. Pexton added that he receives less emails from Palestinians. In terms of Operation Pillar of Defense, Washington Post coverage started with the front-page photo of the Palestinian man holding the body of his 11month-old son. e headline to the right of the photograph read, “Israeli aircra pound Gaza.” • Nov. 16: “Attacks intensify along Gaza border. 18 Palestinians, 3 Israelis dead.” • Nov. 17: “Israel calls up ground troops. Hamas raises stakes in conflict. Rocket from Gaza strikes near Jerusalem.” • Nov. 18: “Gaza clash widens. Israel expands air assault against Hamas, says Tel Aviv-bound rocket was intercepted.” • Nov. 19: “Civilian toll up in Gaza See Media Bias on page 24 jewishtimes.com

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Media Bias om page 23 fighting. Little headway in cease-fire talks. Israeli airstrike kills 10 members of a family.” • Nov. 20: “For Israel, choices on Gaza are stark. Mideast upheaval adds to tension. In Israel Resigned to the rockets and retaliation. In Gaza Line between militants and civilians thin.” • Nov. 21: “Clinton joins bid to end Gaza strikes. Truce talks mired as attacks escalate; Netanyahu doesn’t rule out ground invasion.” • Nov. 22: “Deal reached to halt Gaza fighting. Egypt brokers ceasefire; Israel-Hamas accord averts a ground war.” • Nov. 23: “Morsi asserts broader powers.” • Nov. 24: “Cease-fire has benefits and risks to Netanyahu. Photo with a headline: Gaza border confrontation is fatal. Caption: Palestinians retreat from a security fence on the border between Israel and the southern Gaza Strip, as an Israeli army vehicle passes by. A cease-fire that ended eight days of fighting between Israel and Hamas was largely holding Friday, but Israeli troops killed one Palestinian man and wounded 13 others, as they approached the border fence aer hearing erroneous reports that restrictions on entering a buffer zone had been lied.” • Nov. 25: “Hamas tactics garner support. Frustration with diplomacy. Palestinians see path to victory through fighting.” • Nov. 26: “In Gaza, caution can’t save innocents. Deaths in two families during recent conflict show limits of Israel’s warning policy.” Douglas Jehl, the Post’s foreign editor wrote in an email to the Washington Jewish Week, “We remain committed to fairness in all aspects of our news coverage. ere may be some times when some readers perceive our coverage as lacking balance, particularly such as the IsraeliPalestinian dispute, when passions run so strong. “We take readers’ concerns very seriously,” he added, “and are constantly reviewing our coverage, because the Post’s credibility rests on a reputation 24

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of fairness. However, I would disagree with any suggestion of bias in the Post’s coverage and would note that our critics come from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian job.” Pexton said that he hears from Jewish organizations and also receives letters from many different Jewish organizations when it comes to the Post’s coverage of Israel. But he said he almost never hears from Palestinian groups or individuals. “We are always careful,” he said. “We know we have avid readers of the Post. We are always asking, ‘What’s the truth here?’ We tell it like we see it even if it offends people,” said Pexton. “I don’t see any purposeful skewing of the news or issues. It’s all about the truth.”

“Their current posture remains viewing Israel as Goliath and the Palestinians as David. That is a position that is reflective of much of the American press.” — Dr. Arthur Abramson

Pexton routinely receives more than 300 emails a day, and he does attempt to answer as many as possible. Sometimes, he’ll write his column so that he can answer a large number of readers at once. He said that 90 percent of the people he calls or emails are appreciative even if they still disagree. And then there was the reference to “bee stings on the Israeli bear’s behind.” “A lot of people were offended by it,” he said. “In retrospect, I should not have [written] it. It was a little too flip. I’m sorry. It was a little over the edge.” The reaction to the “bee sting”

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

reference was filled with its own sort of venom. Rabbi Jack Moline, spiritual leader of Agudath Achim of Alexandria and one of the nation’s most respected Conservative Movement voices said, “In spite of protestations to the contrary, the goal of the Post these days seems to be selling newspapers. As Ambassador [Michael] Oren said about the picture of the father with his dead child [unauthenticated as a result of Israeli military action], there is still nothing compelling about people sitting in a shelter. So whether or not the Post set out to be biased, the decision to run that picture and tell in words or photos other ‘compelling’ stories was a judgment of the situation. “Other `factual’ inclusions add to that judgment, for example, references to the last conflagration in Gaza in which 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed. For the Post to ignore the tilt that such representations create is disingenuous and calls into question their concern with objectivity. After all, standard usage in journalism these days is to call Hamas actors ‘militants’ because ‘terrorist’ is a word that prejudges a situation (one man’s ‘terrorist’ is another’s ‘freedom fighter’ — in spite of the designation by the U.S. government of Hamas as a terrorist organization).” Moline added that Pexton “reveals his own bias with the bee stings statement. I wrote and told him he needed to resign, he’s not an honest broker. Today is actually a very good day to challenge him on this: The incident in Newtown may have multiple challenges attached to it, but it happened due to a perfect storm of circumstances. Yet, we had reports of other schools going on lockdown because of rumor and panic. Would he contend that the murders of these children, in the scheme of things, was an isolated incident and should not be considered significant to Americans living in New Hampshire, Iowa or Oregon?” Ron Halber, the executive director

of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, said he was deeply troubled by the bee sting quote. He added that he feels the Post’s editorials and op-ed choices generally are balanced when it comes to Israel. “When it comes to news coverage, I think the Post is weighted against Israel,” he said. “I do not think the photographs are vetted properly. Very often the picture is above the fold, and if you saw the photo you would feel empathy toward the Palestinian point of view, and chances are, you wouldn’t have made it to the article. If you flipped to the inside you would see that rockets were being shot at Sderot civilians to kill. “Newspapers,” he said, “have to capture the moment. Even if the Post provides the proper context in a story about Israel, it is usually found at the bottom of the article.” Halber added he is continuously troubled by the word “militant” when describing a person shooting a rocket into Israel. The word he would prefer is “terrorist.” Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, wrote in an oped appearing in the Nov. 28 Washington Post that Hamas has a definite media strategy. Its purpose, he wrote, “is to portray Israel’s unparalleled efforts to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza as indiscriminate firing at women and children to pervert Israel’s rightful acts of self-defense into war crimes.” In the Post op-ed, Oren writes, “Hamas knows that it cannot destroy us militarily but believes that it might do so through the media. The ambassador added that the Post, as other major publications, produced frontpage images of Palestinian suffering. There is, he wrote, an “imbalance” when it comes to writing. “The subtext,” he wrote in the Post op-ed, is clear: “Israel targets Palestinians, and Israelis merely die.” Eric Rozenman, Washington director of CAMERA, the Committee for

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Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, said that the ombudsman’s bee comment “infuriated people who are familiar with the news. It was an inversion of reality, a dismissal of legitimate Israeli concerns. “There was bias at the Post before,” he continued, “but that comment pulled back the curtain to remind people of what they sensed they read in the Post.” Rozenman sees the bee comment as part of a pattern. “That column was a huge reminder,” he said. “I don’t think that the ombudsman is a bad guy. I just don’t think he gets it. He doesn’t necessarily see the pattern that we’ve seen in the paper for decades.” Rozenman said that one can find photos of suffering Palestinians going back for years, but what always seems to be amiss is what he called “Palestinian aggression against Israelis.” Rozenman, a former WJW editor, said he doesn’t think that Post staffers gather in their newsroom and discuss what they can do to make the Palestinians look good. “It’s an institutional template,” he said, “that transcends editors who come and go, but the pattern remains.” “You don’t get photos of Israelis,” he said, “because they are only seen as problems.” “I have certainly never found them to lean over in a direction that heavily reﬂected an understanding of all the many nuances behind Israel’s actions,” said Dr. Arthur Abramson, executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council. “Nevertheless, they have been problematic over the years; their current posture remains viewing Israel as Goliath and the Palestinians as David. at is a position that is reﬂective of much of the American press.” Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt of B’nei Tzedek in Potomac said that the “Post has been oen supportive, and sometimes surprisingly so, when it comes to the Washington-area Jewish community and Israel. But there is still a strong sense that when it comes to photo

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choices and placements, there’s a strong sense that they have this notion as portraying the Palestinians as underdogs and the Israelis as the aggressors.” Concerning the bee sting quote, Weinblatt added, “It was the most obnoxious thing I’ve seen anyone write. It doesn’t meet any journalistic standard. “ Pexton said he did get his share of hate mail for the comment. But then again, he is always getting some sort of disagreement or angry correspondence. Once, he listened to a voicemail that left no verbal message, only the sound of gunshots. He’s even heard the paper called “anti-Semitic.” Usually, he just lets people go on until they’ve made their point. He said, sometimes the discussions he has are “really ugly.” He said that he is the “backstop and the problem-solver” for the Post. Pexton added that the Post’s Jewish readers are educated and “care about everything. They are avid newspaper readers.” Bias against Israel? “I do not think that is true,” he said. “I watch how our staff edits and how decisions are made. They don’t think with a bias.” Or as Jehl wrote in an email to WJW, “I would argue that our commitment to on-the-ground reporting from around the world is one of the Post’s greatest strengths. In the latest crisis, Post reporters were dispatched to both Israel and Gaza to ensure that all aspects of the story were to be witnessed and reported. I am proud of what they accomplished.” Moline has a different feeling, however. He said, “I don’t know if the entire Washington Post is biased against Israel.” Still, he said, because they did not dismiss the charges with “enough energy,” he said it is likely the Post staﬀ knows in the back of their minds that there is some truth to the allegations. JT Phil Jacobs is executive editor of Washington Jewish Week and Clipper City Media pjacobs@jewishtimes.com

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National News |

OUTWITTING HISTORY The Yiddish language’s literal and figurative rescuer By Paul Foer AMHERST, Mass. — Aaron Lansky’s decades-long mission is typified by an “emergency” call he once received on a wintry night, summoning him to New York to rescue thousands of Yiddish-language volumes from a dumpster. Lansky springs into action, barely gets to the city and then gathers a crew of volunteers. Despite the difficulties, he manages to safely remove the precious books — only to end up with a 104-degree fever. That anecdote opens Lansky’s 2004 book Outwitting History — whose title is apt, given that this recipient of a McArthur “genius” grant is at least partially responsible for the fact that Yiddish is more secure now than at any time since World War II. One can easily find Yiddish’s strengthening pulse at the National Yiddish Book Center, which Lansky founded. The NYBC — housed at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., where Lansky was a student in the 1970s — recently announced a partnership with The National Library of Israel to digitize 20,000 titles in Yiddish. Lansky says that, thanks to this partnership, “Yiddish will become the single most accessible literature in history, with virtually all of its titles available online.” The NYBC has already collected, rescued, cataloged and redistributed vast libraries of printed Yiddish, recordings, movies and artwork. The center publishes a colorful quarterly called “Der Pakn Treger” (The Book 26

Yuri Yedenyapin (standing) discusses Yiddish with two students at the book center.

Seller), offers fellowships for students of all ages, and has established collections at major libraries. Thanks to support from movie producer Steven Spielberg, the NYBC has created a downloadable digital library of 11,000 (and counting) texts online, and made high-quality reprints available on demand. While Lansky and the NYBC continue to collect and disseminate books for enjoyment and study, they are focusing more on opening the Yiddish culture and sharing it with what he describes as “a very eager and

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

broad-based public.” He happily speaks of how “almost all major projects are being run by young people.” “Here they get to take a leading role in very ambitious and quite focused work, and working with them is thrilling,” Lansky says. One example is “Tent Encounters With Jewish Culture,” a new program made possible by donors Judy and Michael Steinhardt that offers free weeklong workshops for anyone between the ages of 20 and 30. The NYBC Fellowship Program, meanwhile, offers talented young college

graduates who are passionate about Yiddish the opportunity to spend a year on the NYBC staff to advance their knowledge of Yiddish language, literature and culture. With help from Spielberg, the NYBC has launched new translation fellowships to help train a new generation of Yiddish translators. Lansky, a New Bedford, Mass., native, began to rescue Yiddish books from obscurity or destruction when he was a graduate student at Montreal’s McGill University in the early 1980s. Today, the Jewish cultural organization

12/26/12

he founded boasts 17,000 members and is headquartered in a unique 49,000-square-foot building that is reminiscent of an old-country shtetl synagogue. The center houses books, papers, documents, permanent and visiting exhibit space, a bookstore, a performance center and oral history recording studios. With an annual budget of $4 million, the NYBC is on target to meet its endowment goal of $40 million in time for its 40th anniversary in 2020. Although a return to the days when its speakers numbered in the millions and had a wide-ranging impact in daily Jewish life in Europe—and then in America—is highly improbable, a modest number of Jews and non-Jews are being introduced to and becoming familiar with the Yiddish language in schools and synagogues. Many American Jews of a certain age and generation may have heard Yiddish spoken at home but not beyond some expressions and a few words. Despite the strong commitment of resources to understand, preserve and transmit Jewish history and heritage through museums and education, it was not until recently that serious resources and attention have been devoted to Yiddish. In a brief film on the NYBC website that documents his story, Lansky recalls his early experiences more than 30 years ago of literally rescuing endangered Yiddish volumes. “Here I am, 23 years old, in jeans and a T-shirt, and somehow it’s fallen on me to try to pick up the fragments of this world and save them for the future, because when people give you their books it’s a very candid moment in their lives,” he says. “They’re handing you the treasures they’ve accumulated in their lifetime that they know their own children and their own grandchildren don’t want. Invariably they’re crying. They tell stories with a candor that would probably be very rare in their lives. So it’s a very special moment. There was a sort of emotional understanding … what they’re

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The National Yiddish Book Center located in Amherst, Mass.

leaving to you is a world that is very fast vanishing.” Yiddish was inextricably intertwined with Jewish life and identity for a majority of Jews for centuries, and it blossomed into a remarkably vibrant and influential literary, political and cultural phenomenon — until it clashed with powerful forces of modernity that very nearly spelled its extinction. As with the effects of oxidation on many objects, there was both a slow and a rapid form of destruction. The slow form, or the “rust,” was immigration, assimilation, modernity, universalism, the desire to leave the shtetl and the ghettoized past and Zionism’s primacy of Hebrew. The faster form was plain and simply that of “fire,” with the burning of its masses of speakers and of course its books during the Holocaust. Still, a portion of Yiddish literature has been translated into English and is familiar to many, especially through Sholom Aleichim and Isaac Bashevis Singer, who won the Nobel Prize for his Yiddish writings. Additionally, a revival of teaching Yiddish can be seen in colleges and universities, in synagogues and in adult education programs. Giving his inside perspective on activity in the Yiddish world in the

National Yiddish Book Center founder Aaron Lansky educates young people about the ancient language.

Photos National Yiddish Book Center

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U.S. and abroad, Lansky cites the work of Boston-based scholars Harry Bochner and Solon Beinfeld, who are on the verge of releasing a new Yiddish dictionary which Lansky says “will dramatically facilitate the reading of Yiddish literature.” He describes Assaf Urieli, a South African-born Israeli in the French Pyrenees who has created an opensource program that will scan all digitized Yiddish books and make them into searchable text, and points out how Yiddish is an elective in Israeli high schools.

Lansky’s role from that of a jeanclad book rescuer to a leading light in a major Jewish cultural revival has taken decades. While he is no longer that young graduate student himself, it is the interest of today’s youth in Yiddish that continues to excite him. “For the most part my job today is more about setting young people in motion and empowering them to do what they want to do,” he says. JT Paul Foer is JT senior news reporter pfoer@jewishtimes.com He originally wrote this article for JNS.org.

jewishtimes.com

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Worth e Schlep

Fireworks will light up downtown Baltimore on Dec. 31.

Leslie Furlong

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Community calendar for Dec. 28 to Jan. 4

Friday 28

Saturday 29

Sunday 30

Monday 31

Toastmasters Club: Learn how to speak well in public. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce, 102 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Towson. Contact 410-828-1040.

The Harlem Globetrotters: The legendary basketball team comes to Baltimore. 2 and 7 p.m., 1st Mariner Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore. Tickets start at $15. Contact 800-745-3000 or visit harlemglobetrotters.com or ticketmaster.com.

The Art of Belly Dancing: Enjoy the beauty of belly dancing. 6 p.m., Kitchen of India, 1842 E. Joppa Road, Parkville. No cover charge. auberginebellydance.com.

New Year’s Superhero Spectacular: Kids can celebrate the New Year dressed as their favorite super hero. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Port Discovery, 35 Market Place, Baltimore. portdiscovery.org.

The Wedding Crashers Ball: Mingle, dance and sample food from local vendors. 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., The Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave., Baltimore. Cost: $10. Contact 410-241-5661 or weddingcrashersball@gmail.com.

New Year’s Eve Spectacular: Fireworks, music and more. 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Inner Harbor. Contact 1-877-225-8466 or visit promotionandarts.org.

Jen Peters and Mike Theiss: Local singers perform original songs and covers. Bread and Circuses Bistro, 401 Delaware Ave., Towson. Contact 410-3375282 or visit bandcbistro.com.

Tuesday 1

Wednesday 2

Thursday 3

Friday 4

Beginners Hebrew Reading: Learn to read Hebrew in just five weeks. 7 to 8 p.m., Beth Tfiloh Congregation, 3300 Old Court Road, Pikesville. Free. Contact 410-4132321 or mercaz@btfiloh.org.

To the Arctic 3D, IMAX: The story of a mother polar bear and her twin cubs in the Arctic wilderness. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St., Baltimore. Cost: $10 to $20.95. Contact 410-685-5225 or visit marylandsciencecenter.org.

Mother Goose on the Loose: Nursery rhyme program for ages 3 and younger. 10 a.m., Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC, 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave., Owings Mills. jcc.org.

National Aquarium’s Fridays After Five: Visit the exhibits at a reduced price. 5 p.m., National Aquarium, 501 E. Pratt St., Baltimore. Cost: $12. aqua.org.

A Few of Our Favorite Prayers: Learn how prayers were created. 7:30 p.m., Chizuk Amuno, 8100 Stevenson Road, Pikesville. Contact 410-486-6400 or visit chizukamuno.org.

Washington Jewish Film Festival: See up to 55 films from 15 countries. Various locations. Contact 202-777-3231 or visit wjff.org.

Stargazing Fridays: View the moon, planets and stars at the observatory. 5:30 p.m., Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St., Baltimore. Free. marylandsciencecenter.org.

For a complete calendar listing, visit jewishtimes.com. Please send calendar submissions to rsnyder@jewishtimes.com. 28

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Arts Life

Birthrites By Simone Ellin

istockphoto.com/ArtisticCaptures

Trends and traditions in Jewish birth practices

“AND THE KING OF EGYPT said to the Israelite midwives, to the [Egyptian] midwives of the Israelites, one named Shia and the other, Puah: ‘When you facilitate the birthing of the Hebrew women and you see them squatting on the birth-stones, if they birth a son, kill him, but if it is a daughter, then let her live’” (Exodus 1:15-17). “But the midwives feared God, so they did not do as Pharoah, the King of Egypt, had commanded them, and they allowed the sons to live” (Shemot 1:17). Shia and Puah, whose story is told in next week’s Torah portion, are the Torah’s ﬁrst recorded references to midwifery. As the parsha suggests, it is the midwives’ faith in God (their Creator) and in the miracle of birth that protects Jewish lives, enabling the continuation of the Jewish people. “God beneﬁted the midwives” and “the people increased and became very strong” (Exodus 1:19 ).

Although they fell out of favor in the mid-20th century, with an emphasis on hospital births, epidurals and deliveries by obstetricians, in the past 10 years, midwives are again increasing in popularity. In fact, having one’s baby delivered by a midwife has become de rigueur among the rich and famous. A recent article in e New York Times’ fashion and style section was headlined, “e Midwife as Status Symbol.” Bayla Berkowitz, a midwife affiliated with Mercy Hospital and owner of Soft and Cozy Baby in Baltimore, said she has definitely seen an upsurge in the number of women who choose midwives instead of medical doctors. Originally, Berkowitz, who is 32 and has two children, had planned to become an obstetrician. However after volunteering in a medical practice she decided she didn’t like working within the “medical model.” In her experience, doctors were always rushed, spent little time with their patients and were always “looking for problems.” Instead, Berkowitz became a labor and delivery nurse. While working as a nurse, Berkowitz decided to become a midwife, earning a master’s degree in nursing with a specialty in nurse midwifery at the University of Maryland. Berkowitz said she prefers the midwifery philosophy

that pregnancy and childbirth are natural parts of a woman’s life and the assumption that everything is normal unless proven otherwise. She has practiced for fiveand-a-half years and sees many patients who come to her after having an unsatisfying experience with doctors. “Especially late in their pregnancies,” said Berkowitz, “when women start to discuss their birth plans with their doctors and realize their doctors will not accommodate their wishes, they transfer to a midwife.” Feigi Oberstein has been a labor and delivery nurse at Sinai Hospital for 30 years. After having six children, she decided to pursue her passion and went back to school to study nursing. In addition to her clinical work, Oberstein teaches childbirth education courses and supervises e BirthPlace at Sinai’s B’shaa Tova doula training program. Oberstein founded the program about 10 years ago, when doulas were becoming an increasingly popular resource for expectant and new mothers. “From personal experience, I really saw a need to have someone with you providing continuous support while you are giving birth,” she said. Trainees to the program are all volunteers but may work independently once they complete the necessary training in labor and delivery and jewishtimes.com

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‘A TIME TO BE BORN’ When Washington designer Connie G. Krupin, 56, was a new mom, she used Wite-Out to cover up “Baby’s First Christmas” in her baby book. She took markers and drew in menorahs and stars. Finally, she looked at her baby daughter, Alisa, and promised, “One day, I’ll write a baby book for us.” But life got in the way. Daughter Alisa was followed by a son, Steven. A career as a furniture designer and interior decorator filled time that wasn’t spent on family. The dream of a Jewish baby book sat unrealized. Until 2009, when now grownup Alisa announced, “Guess what?” And Krupin had a new goal: create a Jewish baby book in time for her first grandchild. This past May, soon after Alisa’s second child was born, Krupin published “A Time to Be Born: A Jewish Baby Journal.” Born in New York to parents who were first-generation Americans, Krupin often heard Yiddish spoken at home. We see this influence on pages like “Shayna Punim.” She explained that her parents raised her with a feeling that “Judaism is part of life and heart.” As she worked on the book, she shared pages with friends who encouraged her to make it available for everyone: “You need to publish this. We need this.” And we truly do. There is something about turning the pages of her gorgeous memory book and seeing Hebrew blessings nestled among her original pastel illustrations. And being able to fill in lines left open for baby’s first Chanukah and her Hebrew name. Local readers will recognize the names of area educators and rabbis whom Krupin asked to contribute quotes and blessings. She consulted with rabbis from the full range of Judaism — “from Lubavitch to Ultra-Reform” — to make certain every family could connect. Quotes from ancient and modern sources line each page, from Talmud to Gilda Radner to local children. Recipes for challah and chicken soup and blessings over the candles and children surround pages for the reader to fill with Shabbat memories. The book is divided into nine chapters, from birth through the first five birthdays, with plenty of pages to record the basics — baby’s length, weight, what the world was like when baby was born and baby’s first words and milestones. It’s Krupin’s art that makes this book one any parent would cherish. “Every portrait is a self-portrait,” she explained. “Each reflects the love of Judaism and family.” The illustrations add the heart. One such is a pastel of Sam Fagin kissing the keppie of his newborn great-grandson on the occasion of the baby’s bris. Fagin was presented with a copy of “A Time to Be Born” on his 90th birthday, when his daughter-in-law showed him the portrait and said, “Pop, you’re immortal.” Fagin passed away a week later. Filled with heart and created with love, “A Time to Be Born: A Jewish Baby Journal” needs to find a space in every Jewish home. — Meredith Jacobs “A Time to Be Born” ($49.95) can be purchased by going to Krupin’s website, ati me2bb or n.c om. It is also available through Amazon.com and Judaism.com.

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

childbirth techniques. ey are also required to assist with a minimum of ﬁve births before completing the program. Since it began, Oberstein said the program has trained about 200 doulas, and approximately 200 women per year utilize the service at Sinai. Doulas assist with all matters related to birth except for the delivery itself. Some doulas also assist mothers after they give birth and even when they return home from the hospital. As a Sinai Hospital-certiﬁed doula, Dale Kaplan of Owings Mills said she does everything but “catch that baby.” “I don’t deliver or do internal exams,” she said, “but I provide emotional and breast-feeding support, massage and help with a birth plan.” Kaplan also makes herself available by cell phone and text so expectant mothers can reach her with questions and concerns. “Aer the birth, I stay for about two hours checking on mom and helping dad. I help the mother with breast-feed-

“From personal experience, I really saw a need to have someone with you providing continuous support while you are giving birth.” — Feigi Oberstein

ing, and I might help her shower. I will stay overnight if it’s Shabbos or if it’s a 24-hour birth. I’m almost like a girlfriend,” she said. But unlike a friend, a doula won’t take a mother’s responses or behavior during labor and delivery personally, Kaplan noted. “It’s not about you. A mother needs to be free and uninhibited during labor and birth. So if you are giving massage and it turns out she doesn’t want touch, as a doula, you have to be OK with that,” she said. Once mother and baby are at home, Kaplan makes a postpartum visit. “At the postpartum visit, we review how they felt with

the process,” she explained. On occasion, Kaplan’s responsibilities are limited to postpartum assistance. Rachel Siegal, for example, hired Kaplan to work with her after the birth of two of her three children, including after the birth of her most recent daughter, Meital. Siegal said she chose to use a doula postpartum because she wanted the help of a knowledgeable person who had lots of recent experience with newborns to help her learn to care for her infants; she wanted to get that help from a person rather than a book. Although Meital was Siegal’s third child, Siegal still found the breastfeeding support and ideas that Kaplan provided extremely beneficial. “I know that breast-feeding is supposed to be the most natural thing in the world, but it wasn’t for me. It was good to have someone in my corner. She’d text me to ask if I needed help, and she was encouraging. Really, Dale was able to validate that I knew what I was doing.” Siegal’s relationship with Kaplan was serendipitous. Kaplan attended a program at the Pearlstone Center, where Siegal is director of finance and development. At the time, Siegal was nearing the end of her pregnancy. “Dale could see I was very pregnant, and she just walked up to me and asked, ‘Who’s your doula?’ When she found out I didn’t have one yet, she said, ‘You should use me because I’m really awesome.’ I thought that anyone with that confidence and that aura, I could work with.” Siegal said that, despite the instant connection, she met with Kaplan before she finalized her decision. “I wanted to know her general views. When you’re in that superfragile state when you’ve just had a baby, it can be heartbreaking when that person is not in your groove and is questioning everything you’re

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doing. I could see she wouldn’t judge me, and I knew we would get along,” Siegal said. After she completed her doula training and assisted with 12 volunteer births, Kaplan formed her own doula service, the Coola Doula. In addition to assisting with births, Kaplan also teaches parenting classes using Dr. Harvey Karp’s “Happiest Baby on the Block” curriculum. Although Kaplan said that some doulas assist at home births, she prefers to assist with births in a hospital in case an emergency should arise. However, Kaplan maintains that having a doula at the birth will increase the chances that a mother will have a healthier birth and newborn. Her claims are supported by scientific research. An updated review of the effects of continuous labor support published in The Cochrane

Justin Tsucals

Rachel Siegal used a postpartum doula after the births of her last two children. She said the assistant helped validate that she knew what she was doing.

Library in 2011 showed these findings: “Overall, women who received continuous support were less likely to have regional analgesia or anesthesia, give birth with vacuum extraction or forceps, give birth by Cesarean, have a baby with low five-minute Apgar scores or to report dissatisfaction or a negative rating of their experience. The study also reported that women receiving continuous support were more likely to give birth spontaneously and to have a shorter labor that those who did not have continuous labor support. Ahuva (who did not want her last name published), of Baltimore, knew she wanted a doula to assist with the birth of her baby last August. “I wanted someone who knew what to expect and could keep us informed of what was going on during the birth — especially for my ﬁrst baby,” she said. Ahuva, 21, who gave birth at Sinai Hospital, met with Kaplan, who was assigned to her by the hospital prior to the birth to discuss her needs and desires. Ahuva and Kaplan met only once because Kaplan became involved toward the end of Ahuva’s pregnancy. Usually though, said Ahuva, doulas meet with the expectant mother at least twice before labor begins.

“Dale was great,” she said, “She was with me all through the labor; she kept on talking to me during the contractions and stayed there with me afterward until the baby started nursing. The nurses aren’t always in the room with you, and Dale was there 100 percent of the time. You want to be able to enjoy the experience. Having a doula helps you to have control over it.” jewishtimes.com

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Taking A Breath Not only are many expectant mothers looking to midwives and doulas to help them achieve the birth experiences they desire, they are also taking advantage of some old and new techniques that can make childbirth a more joyful, less painful and frequently a more natural process. Surprisingly, the most well known of these techniques — the Lamaze and the Bradley methods — have both been around for over half a century. Lamaze, founded by Dr. Ferdinand Lamaze, a Russian obstetrician, became popular in the U.S. in the late 1950s. The method incorporated childbirth-education classes, relaxation, breathing techniques and emotional support from the father and a specially-trained nurse. More specifically, Lamaze taught a method called “psychoprofilaxis.” This method utilizes distraction during contractions to decrease the perception of pain and reduce discomfort. Today, Lamaze, which is the most widely taught method of childbirth education in the U.S., has grown from

David Stuck

Justin Tsucals

Dale Kaplan has coined herself the “Coola Doula.”

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Sandra and Michael Goldburgh (shown with their children) practiced hypnobirthing during labor; they use it to get through life’s challenges, too.

being a childbirth method into a broader philosophy about pregnancy, maternal health, birth and parenting. The Bradley method was founded in the late 1940s by American obstetrician Robert Bradley. This method teaches expectant parents that childbirth is a natural process that can be achieved without medication and medical interventions and without pain, as long as couples receive the right training and preparation. The program lasts 12 weeks and is more intensive than other childbirth-education classes. Bradley fans claim that 86 percent of couples trained in the method are able to have spontaneous, unmedicated vaginal births. In recent years, many women choose to labor and/or give birth in a specially designed tub of warm water. According to the American Pregnancy Association, “… since the baby has already been in the amniotic fluid sac for nine months, birthing into a similar environment is gentler for the baby and less stressful for the mother. Warm water is soothing, comforting and relaxing.”

Although it was also founded in the 1940s, Americans are less familiar with a method called hypnobirthing. The method, based on the work of Dr. Grantley Dick-Read, teaches the expectant mother to hypnotize herself during labor and birth. Oberstein taught Lamaze for 10 years before she discovered hypnobirthing. Once she witnessed her first hypnobirth, Oberstein was hooked. “It was so awesome. It’s as much a philosophy as a technique. In hypnobirth, the couple experiences birth in a stress-free, safe and serene place, free of fear. They program themselves to surrender and no longer think of pain as scary. Instead, they accept pain as inevitable and learn to work with it. They also learn to tap into the subconscious mind and feel safe, secure and trusting. You can really see the mother and her significant other giving birth together,” Oberstein said. An added benefit to learning hypnobirth, said Oberstein, is the fact that those who are trained in the method can use the technique throughout their lives in all types of

OPEN UP Baltimore’s Midwife, Kathleen Slone CN M and Associates: 410-235-0506 or baltimoresmidwife.com

Hypnobirthing wit h Feigi Oberst ein: 410-358-0431 Joy B aby: 410-735-5015 or info@joybabybalt.org

Coola Doula, Dale Kaplan: 410-608-7009 The Family Childbirth and Children’s Center at Mercy Medical Center: 410-332-9000 or M DMercy.com

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

Lou is an d Henriett a Blaust ein Women’s H ealt h Center at Sinai Hospit al, B’shaa Tova Labor Support Program: 410-601-5640

12/26/12

Bayla Berkowitz says she has seen an upsurge in the number of women choosing midwives instead of doctors.

stressful situations. Sandra and Michael Goldburgh of Park Heights, hypnobirth enthusiasts, used techniques learned in Oberstein’s classes for the births of each of their three children. They also had doulas to assist at each birth. “My husband and I don’t like medical intervention when it’s not necessary. We did our own research and found a book about hypnobirth, and then found out about Feigi and her classes,” said Sandra Goldburgh. The classes, she said, were “comforting and intimate. It was really good working with Feigi because she’s

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David Stuck

Justin Tsucals

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actively involved with Sinai and has the medical knowledge, but at the same time, she understands that medical intervention is not always necessary. She teaches that it’s your body, and you’re in charge. You don’t have to say ‘yes’ just because some resident tells you to do something.” Birthing, she noted, is something that has been going on since the birth of Cain and Abel. “You can have confidence and faith that it’s all going to work out,” said Goldburgh, who stressed that she and her husband are by no means opposed to doctors or the medical system. “We wanted doctors involved,” she said. Dr. Joel F. Pleeter of Village OB/GYN Associates in Pikesville, or one of the doctors in his practice, has delivered all three of her children. Goldburgh said that everyone involved with the practice was extremely accepting and

JOY BABY Joy Baby is a brand new grant-funded project co-sponsored by six agencies of The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, all with programming geared toward families with young children. The programs represented are the Macks Center for Jewish Education, the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Community Services, the Jewish Museum of Maryland, Jewish Volunteer Connection and the Pearlstone Center. According to Joy Baby Coordinator Lara Nicolson, first-time parents, or parents who are new to Baltimore, can receive a personally-delivered welcome package from a trained volunteer, who is also a new parent and/or Jewish educator. The package includes valuable coupons, donations from participating agencies, resources and information pertinent to Jewish parenting in Baltimore. It also offers an innovative baby journal, “A Time To Be Born,” (See box on page 30) and a P.J. Library book. Learn more at joybaby balt .org.

Nurse Feigi Oberstein with a 1-day-old baby and her father Niv Fishbein, recommends hypnobirthing for a less painful labor experience.

supportive of the plan that she and her husband set forth. Through the use of relaxation techniques, practice tapes, music and coaching by her husband, who she described as “her voice,” Goldburgh said she was able to block out the rest of the world and submit to the natural process of giving birth. It was also important, said Goldburgh, to prepare for the birth by taking good care of herself, eating a healthy diet and exercising. “In hypnobirthing, you’re not fighting your body,” said Goldburgh. “If you’re letting it happen as intended, the process goes much smoother. There is pain, but it is nowhere near the worst pain I’ve had in my life. Actually, I wouldn’t really describe it as pain — it’s more like a lot of pressure. I was actually in more discomfort after having the baby than I was during the birth,” she said. Goldburgh’s births were remarkably short. Her first child, Nava, was born several hours after she arrived at the hospital; Marav was born in less than an hour; and Aviva was born almost immediately after Goldburgh was admitted. Regardless of the childbirth method, Oberstein stressed the importance of education. “It’s hard to get people to attend classes,” she said. “Everyone thinks they can get everything they need online. Then when the time comes, they find themselves in the hospital being induced, victims of this cascade of interventions, and they end up not having the type of birth they want and deserve.”JT Simone Ellin is a JT staff reporter — sellin@jewishtimes.com

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Arts &Life |

Help for the

Helper

New book provides tools to find loved ones the help they need

By Simone Ellin

popular call-in radio show called “Komrad on Call.” On the program, which was nationally broadcast for four years, he answered callers’ questions about mental health issues. “My most frequent call was the one that went, ‘My mother/spouse/adult child is having emotional troubles, and they are way beyond my ability to help. How do I talk to them?’” he said. But it was not only the callers to his radio program who alerted Komrad that this was a common concern, he also noticed it among patients in his private practice and even in social situations. “In a nutshell,” said Komrad, “I wrote the book to tap into the unused power of people’s relationships to both support and maneuver people to get into treatment.” “You Need Help” begins by helping friends and family members (“allies”) recognize when a mental health situation has become unmanageable and requires the intervention of a professional. When an individual’s emotional problems begin to affect his everyday functioning, and certainly if he becomes a danger to himself or others, it is time to get professional help, the book explains. There are many reasons why psychologically troubled individuals may require support, persuasion and even coercion to accept help, Komrad said. Some of these include our American culture and its emphasis on self-reliance and self-determination, denial and its more serious cousin agnosognosia (the absence of insight). Despite the strides that have been made

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

Dr. Mark Komrad says you should never give up on getting someone suffering from mental illness the help he or she needs.

in recent years, mental illness still carries a societal stigma. Widespread misunderstandings about how mental health professionals work — often absorbed through the media — contribute to the reluctance to seek professional intervention. Additionally, said Komrad, our society’s civil rights tradition sometimes works against family members trying to secure help (in the form of inpatient hospitalization or mandated treatment) for their loved ones. Finally, Komrad said, “We are a Maalox culture. We want relief in a moment. In fact, the trajectory of recovery is long. People don’t want to invest time in therapy.” In “You Need Help” Komrad addresses the obstacles that prevent friends and family members from discussing treatment. The most common obstacle is the fear that confronting the problem will anger him or her and result in the loss of a relationship. Although Komrad acknowledged that a loved one’s mental illness is a “delicate topic,” he urged allies to pursue the conversation anyway. And if the conversation goes poorly the first time, keep at it. “Don’t give up. There are many different approaches to try,” he said. Among the approaches Komrad

Provided

THIS ARTICLE was not supposed to begin this way. But after the massacre in Newtown, Conn., last Friday, its opening paragraphs screamed for revision. The subject of Dr. Mark S. Komrad’s new book, “You Need Help: A Step-by-Step Plan to Convince a Loved One to Get Counseling” (Hazelden, 2012), was important before Friday’s tragedies, but its message has never felt more chillingly relevant than it does now, as all of America is reeling with disbelief, horror and grief over the senseless murders of 20 young children and six adults at an elementary school in a quiet New England town. The murderer, a 20-year-old male who first killed his mother in their home and then proceeded to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he killed students and teachers before turning a gun on himself, was clearly in need of psychiatric help. Treatment might have saved his victims, as well as his life. Why didn’t he receive it? How do you tell a person you love he or she needs psychiatric help? Almost all of us have been in this situation at one time or another, and many of us have been clueless about how to approach it. But we no longer can afford to hide behind our uncertainty to avoid confronting the mental illness we recognize in our friends and relatives. In “You Need Help,” Komrad, a Towson psychiatrist, provides readers with the tools and information to deal with this common, yet critical, dilemma. In the 1990s, Komrad hosted a

has recommended is coercion. The doctor has come to believe that harnessing the power of a relationship to force a loved one into treatment, especially as a last resort, is fair game. He provides various techniques of “applying leverage,” which he contends is ultimately in the disturbed individual’s best interest. “You Need Help” also provides vital information on how allies can locate the resources they need. By providing step-by-step instructions on how to handle almost every situation that may arise, Komrad prepares allies to manage the interpersonal, as well as the bureaucratic, struggles they likely will encounter. With a frankly personal forward by Rosalyn Carter and heartfelt quotations by Bruce Springsteen, Carrie Fisher, Patrick J. Kennedy and James Baldwin, readers confronting the issue of mental illness in themselves or their family members will find they are in good company. For more information or to order “You Need Help,” visit youneed helpbook.com. JT

Simone Ellin is a JT staff reporter sellin@jewishtimes.com

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| Arts &Life

POLAND’S

JEWISH HISTORY IN HIS NEW BOOK , “In Search of Polin: Chasing Ghosts in Today’s Poland,” Dr. Gary Schiff, an adjunct professor of history at Washington College in Chestertown, and the cantor and religious leader of the Chestertown Havurah, has successfully created a work that documents the history of Poland from both an academic standpoint and a personal one. Not an easy feat. For the past several summers, Schiff has made trips to Europe, where he has studied the Jewish histories of countries including Spain, Germany, France and England. But perhaps no trip was as personally and professionally significant than his 2009 visit to Poland. “Most people don’t know that the Jewish population in Poland was the largest Jewish population in the world for five centuries. In the 18th century, 80 percent of all Jews worldwide lived in Poland. Ninety percent of all American Jews are Ashkenazi

By Simone Ellin

and have roots there (80 percent worldwide). Three million of the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust were from Poland,” said Schiff. Schiff has been able to trace his own family roots to the 1700s. “My family was among the first 20 families to settle in a small rural town called Ostrow-Mazowiecka, or Ostroveh in Yiddish. The fact that Schiff ’s adult daughter, Rina Goloskov, senior communications associate at Beth Tfiloh Congregation and Schools, accompanied him on his journey, made the trip all the more personal. In 2008, Goloskov accompanied her father on another deeply personal trip to Germany, the birthplace of her mother. Like his trip to Germany, Schiff anticipated the trip to Poland with a great deal of apprehension. “Poland was the site of the murder of the most Jews in Europe,” he writes in the book’s first chapter. “It is not surprising that for many Jews, especially for Holocaust survivors, Poland looms as one big Jewish graveyard, a place of bad memories, a place to be forgotten, a place never to visit.” It’s also not surprising that Schiff ’s academic pursuits could not shield him from the inevitable sadness he would experience upon seeing the actual sites where the Nazis perpetuated their unspeakable evils. One of Schiﬀ ’s most chilling memories was of an interview with an elderly Polish couple (not Jewish) who told him about what they witnessed when the approximately 7,000 Jews still living in Ostroveh attempted to ﬂee their hometown aer being given an ultimatum on Oct. 30, 1939.

Dr. Gary Schiff's new book explores Polish history from both a personal and an academic standpoint. Shane Brill

Not for the faint of heart

“When the Germans and Russians agreed to divide Poland roughly in half, there was a line of demarcation that passed by the eastern edge of Ostrow-Mazowiecka. There was a bridge over the tracks connecting the town, held by the Germans, to the Russian side of the bridge. Most of the Jews were pushed across to the Russian side. On the day the Jews were supposed to leave, they all had to line up on the bridge. The Germans opened their suitcases and stole all their valuables. Then all the women from the girls to the elderly were made to undress, [and they were] poked and prodded to make sure they were not hiding any valuables on their bodies and finally pushed over,” Schiff was told. The elderly woman told another horrific story. “Her parents owned a dairy farm. On Nov. 11, 1939, a year after Kristallnacht, she was milking the cows and looked up to see a long line of hundreds of people with their hands in the air. There were German troops and dogs, and the people were being led into the woods. She knew what was happening,” he said. The woman’s husband took Schiff and his daughter into those woods where the Jews his wife had seen were made to dig their own graves and then shot to death. There, said Schiff, was the last and only standing Jewish gravestone in Ostroveh.

“I felt so close to my Jewish ghosts,” said Schiff. “We said kaddish for them. The only picture of me in the book is at the gravestone, standing there communing with them.” Schiff was amazed to find that despite the devastation that had taken place in Poland, many synagogues and cemeteries still remained. In Ostreveh, he discovered extremely complete records of the Jewish community that had once existed there. Determined to learn more about his family’s history, Schiff asked the archivist at Ostroveh’s City Hall if they might have a record of his grandparent’s marriage. “Five minutes later, she came out lugging a big book and an index fell out. The label said ‘Jewish marriage in Nov. 1910.’ There was a full page handwritten document of my grandparent’s marriage certificate. My interpreter was able to read it. Could you imagine? One hundred years later, they still have it!” Although Schiff left Poland with little hope that the Jewish communities there would ever resemble the once lively cultural and religious centers they were, his exhaustive book provides a lasting tribute to the country’s lengthy and rich Jewish history and a terrific reference for academics and non-academics alike. JT Simone Ellin is a JT staff reporter sellin@jewishtimes.com

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Arts Life

REVIEW:

THREE FAITHS, ONE GOD

Movie explores similarities of Abrahamic faiths

By Paul Foer

JEWS, CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS, all supposedly worshiping the one and only deity, have a long and uneasy history of struggle and religious disharmony, but there is hope. That is the message of the documentary film “Three Faiths, One God: Judaism, Christianity, Islam,” which explores how the devotees of the “Abrahamic” faiths can come to terms with differences through mutual understanding and respect. The full-length feature film was shown last week to an interfaith audience in the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis under the auspices of the Governor’s Commission on The Middle East. The movie also aired recently on Maryland Public Television and has been shown in universities and at the state department. “Pluralism is critical to human survival” is the core message of the film’s Maryland producers Gerald Krell and Meyer Odze, both of whom are Jewish. They wrote in an email, “In our life

experience we have come to the conclusion that if we are to build cultures of peace in the world, inter-religious understanding is prerequisite to that vision. If religious conflicts of the past are to be avoided in the future, religious pluralism and serious interfaith conversations are essential to the global community.”

scenes from public gatherings, religious services and schools, where people grapple with differences and similarities and try to come to terms with and learn from each other. Rabbis Irving Greenberg, David Rosen and Reuven Firestone are the key Jewish clerics appearing most often in the film, clergy especially

“WE ARE BOUND TOGETHER BY OUR LIMITATIONS AND HENCE NEED ONE ANOTHER.” — Christian theologian Krister Stendahl

“Three Faiths” is composed mainly of interviews with clerics who insistently and repeatedly stress the similarities between their respective faiths, taking pains to say that while differences are real, they are mainly superficially based on various interpretations, styles of prayer, ritual, traditions and worship. Interspersed are

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

known for their commitment to interfaith dialogue. Rosen speaks of how the adherents are really “people of the books, rather than people of the Book.” The film presents a whirlwind tour of the traditions but never really gets down to the historical Abraham or whether he was simply a legendary

figure. The film is based on theological presumptions and really deals only with the issue of similarity and differences from a theological perspective. There is almost an ironic sense that there are no differences within each faith or among its sects, and there is little if any mention of Christianity being composed of Catholics and many Protestant sects, of Sunni or Shiites or of Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and other types of Jews. While it may be easy to critique or review “Three faiths” from a variety of perspectives, there is no doubt that all humanity needs to unite, and not just these three faiths because they really worship the one true deity. The film’s producers take pains to be fair and equally represent each faith in a respectful and positive light. Their task was fraught with complexities, and while editing 200 hours of film for the two-hour film may not be the same as writing the Talmud, such an arduous job could

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never satisfy all audiences. The film never mentions Jerusalem, although it does apparently accept the claim of some Muslims that Abraham built the sacred Kaab in Mecca. The film somewhat wistfully visits medieval Spain, where there was a flowering of culture when the three faiths lived side by side until a reunited Spanish Christendom put an end to it through the Inquisition. The film seems to shine best when it deals with actual historical facts, figures and events. One highlight was a public forum with Judea Pearl, the father of the martyred Daniel Pearl, where a Pakistani-elected official offered an apology to Pearl. Still, it is unclear what message â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three Faithsâ&#x20AC;? has for the secular or the non-religious or those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t struggle or challenge because they lack the faith of those who pray. It

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avoids many tough questions, takes a lot â&#x20AC;&#x153;on faith,â&#x20AC;? so to speak, and at times appears facile with some interviews and conversations with individuals, who although impassioned, are inarticulate. Many scenes went on way too long, including one in which a Muslim cleric is showing Sunday school children in a church how to pray. The serious parishioners look on intently, as if they are absorbing all the power of the moment, but really itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just that people pray differently. The films seems to portray a world where Jews, Christians and Muslims are somehow equals and just rubbed against each other because of extremists who were blind to the true meaning of their faith in one God. Throughout, it seems not only to suggest, but also to promote, the notion that somehow God wants and

enjoys all these different faiths, liturgies, churches, sects and myriad ways of worship and never asks whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible that religion is all simply varieties of human impositions. It neglects the absolute fact that the church has tried to usurp the synagogue and that it was not just a few extremists who persecuted Jews for centuries but it was part and parcel of doctrine to do so for denying and killing the savior. Jews have been victimized by Christians and Muslims for centuries, and this is not merely some kind of war or disagreement between equals because of styles. But there are indeed important similarities between the faiths. If one believes there is a God who sent different prophets to Earth and that Torah, New Testament and Koran are the sacred handiwork of the Creator, then it should not be hard to con-

clude that we are all tasked to love and help one another and make peace. But if each religion teaches peace and love, how come it is necessary to instruct and remind the faithful of their anointed mission? Belief or no belief, it is certainly becoming obvious and imperative that somehow we must find a way to live with and perhaps even love one another. In this respect, the message of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three Faithsâ&#x20AC;? is indeed a critically important one. It is eloquently summed up in the final scene by the late Christian theologian and scholar of Jewish thought Krister Stendahl, who said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are bound together by our limitations and hence need one another.â&#x20AC;? JT

Paul Foer is JT senior news reporter pfoer@jewishtimes.com

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Arts &Life |

COURAGE OF A LION New documentary seeks to ensure younger generations never forget

Photos provided

By Simone Ellin

“A LABOR OF LOVE.” That’s how 42-year-old filmmaker Matt Mindell described his first feature film, “The Lion of Judah.” The 60-minute documentary, which earned Best Documentary Feature at the 2012 Film Festival of Colorado and received an Award of Excellence at the 2012 Los Angeles Movie Awards, follows a group of 35 young American Jews as they tour Poland, visiting the sites where atrocities took place during the Holocaust. The group is accompanied by octogenarian and Holocaust survivor Leo Zisman of Cedermere, N.Y. But Zisman wasn’t always part of the plan. Originally, Mindell and the group of young adults planned to go it alone. The trip and the film took on new meaning when Zisman decided to join them. Prior to the pilgrimage, Mindell, who founded the Jewish Enrichment Center, a Manhattan non-profit, about 12 years ago, explained, “Leo came to speak to the group about his Holocaust experiences. I asked him if he would want to teach a class at the Jewish Enrichment Center, and he said, ‘Teach? Why don’t you take me with you?’ It was like seeing Rome with a Roman,” said Mindell. “It affected him and everyone else on the 38

trip. He is a strong, proud man — a man of character.” The film’s title alludes to Zisman’s heroism. Zisman spent his early years in Kosvo, Lithuania. In 1941, when he was 10 years old, he and his family were forced into the Warsaw Ghetto. He was separated from his family when Nazis came to the ghetto with plans to transport Jews to Auschwitz. On his father’s orders, Zisman ran and managed to escape. His father and younger brother were soon killed. Later, Zisman, who was eventually captured, was sent to several concentration camps and eventually to Auschwitz, where he managed to survive the war. Zisman led the group through haunted landmarks including the Warsaw Ghetto, the Stutthof, Majdanek, Birkenau and Auschwitz concentration camps and mass gravesites, where he, his family and millions of other Jews experienced inconceivable horrors. Throughout the film, young group members, many of them descendents of survivors, shared their own impressions and emotions and explored the trip’s impact on their own Jewish identities. An unexpectedly disturbing part of the trip was the anti-Semitism the

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

group encountered. In conversations with young Poles, Mindell was surprised to find that many of them knew little about the Holocaust and had negative perceptions of Jews. “It was a shock for us to find that anti-Semitism is still around,” said Mindell. On one occasion, the group was taunted by a group of Poles saying, “Go home Jews.” Another time, a car drove by and its passengers screamed, “Dirty Jews.” Mindell acknowledged that the Polish government has been putting money into its small Jewish community, but he believes the effort is mostly about building tourism. The group’s trip to Poland was Zisman’s most comprehensive since he left Eastern Europe for New York as a young man. In the ensuing years, Zisman earned degrees in mathematics, architecture and engineering and even became an ordained rabbi. He enjoyed a successful career as a builder and developer and has been married to wife Myrna for more than five decades. Together, the couple has three children, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In 2005, Zisman visited Auschwitz for the 60th anniversary of the camp’s liberation. Previously, said Mindell,

Zisman had spoken infrequently about his war experiences. “In the early 1970s, I think he was asked to speak about the Holocaust, and it was terrible for him. So he didn’t do it for a long time. But in the last few years, his grandchildren started asking, and it was good for him to talk about it. It was hard but good — he needed to do it,” said Mindell. “At the end of the film Leo says, ‘I want to talk about it more.’ Now all he does is tour and speak. It’s become his purpose.” Despite their vastly different lives, and the nearly 30 years between them, both Mindell and Zisman share a common goal. “I wanted to make sure that future generations knew about the Holocaust and to show that good can come from tragedy. And this isn’t only about Jews. The Holocaust is a universal problem,” said Mindell. “After the war, Leo didn’t just survive, he thrived physically and spiritually. He didn’t let anything stop him.” Mindell said the trip’s high point was when the group visited what’s known as the “hidden synagogue” in the Terezin concentration camp. “No one really knows about it, and it was so nicely decorated. Being inside with Leo seemed to represent the importance of being a Jew and how we survived with dignity. People risked their lives to pray in this synagogue and to be Jews; so much strength and bravery was involved. It was a place of life, not death.” “The Lion of Judah” is available on iTunes and nationwide through Amazon and Xbox/Zune. All proceeds from the film go toward Holocaust education. JT For more information, visit thelionofjudahthefilm.com.

Simone Ellin is a JT staff reporter sellin@jewishtimes.com

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| Arts &Life Mallory Anthony says her volunteer singing has benefited both herself and her audiences.

Music Therapy Amid battle with cancer, Pikesville volunteer singer uses vocal prowess to help others By David Snyder | Photos by Justin Tsucalas

EARLIER THIS YEAR, Mallory Anthony was invited to sing “God Bless America” and the national anthem at Baltimore County’s Annual Volunteer Luncheon. One problem: That morning she woke up with shortness of breathe and could feel pressure on her diaphragm and lungs. “I knew something was wrong,” Anthony recalls. “I woke up that morning and asked ‘emergency room or luncheon?’ And you know I went to the luncheon.”

It wasn’t until several days later that Anthony’s doctors drained more than 2.5 liters of fluid that had built up in her lungs. Diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2006, Anthony’s disease is in Stage 4, meaning it has spread to other parts of her body. And, while singing certainly is not a cure, Anthony, 63, has found that flexing her vocal cords and belting out a melody is often the next best thing. The striking element to Anthony’s

affinity for singing is that she doesn’t just do it for her own benefit. She loves what the strength and tone in her voice can do for others. That’s why, for the last six years, despite her physical condition, Anthony routinely has sung at a bevy of venues in hopes of healing others via the power of music. “It’s a passion. It’s a gift. And I feel that it’s something that I not only need to do for myself, but I do it to see the joy and smiles and people

relating to songs,” Anthony said. “I think music is a really strong therapeutic tool. It just gets to you, no matter where you are. If you hear a familiar tune, it just kind of moves your spirit.” As a member of many different volunteer groups, Anthony has made appearances at assisted-living communities throughout the area, singing Broadway tunes and 1960s hits. She remembers an occasion at the Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center See Music erapy on page 40 jewishtimes.com

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“Once I hear the intro to the song, it’s like I’m already set in my element. It’s like, that’s where I am, that’s what I’m supposed to do. My entire being is focused on that music.” — Mallory Anthony

Mallory Anthony’s love of singing has earned her accolades and awards.

Music erapy om page 39 where an older woman came up to her crying. Anthony had just sung “I Could Dance All Night” from “My Fair Lady,” and the woman’s husband had been tapping his hand to the rhythm. “It was a response and a reaction that she hadn’t seen in years,” Anthony, a Pikesville resident, recalled. “That’s a small thing, but that’s a huge thing. We were both crying. That’s just what happens.” Anthony also regularly visits the Baltimore County Department of Corrections in Towson to share her story and deliver an encouraging message to female inmates. “Some of the girls have made

horrible choices. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve made a bad choice or circumstances have put you here,” Anthony tells those in attendance, “Because, my situation, I didn’t choose to be here. It’s just life. You can get past this. You cannot sit and dwell and focus on it — that’s all negative. ink positive.” Arlene Bullock heads up the support group that travels to the prison facility. She said that while some of the inmates don’t care for the informational message her group brings, a large number of women flock into the room when Anthony is getting ready to sing.

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

Some know her story. Others don’t. But everyone is enthralled by the sound she creates. “She sings from her heart, and I think that’s the connection,” Bullock said. “A lot of the new [inmates] don’t know anything about her, but they feel a connection because she sings from her heart [saying], ‘Hey, this is the way you can make it.’” For Anthony, a native of Manchester, Mass., singing was always a hobby. She sang in glee clubs as a youth and to her two children in the back seat of her car as an adult. For 25 years, she worked as a physical therapist at the Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital. She had no idea that later on in life she would transition from hand therapy to music therapy. On rare occasions, Anthony isn’t up for singing. Sometimes she’s simply too tired from chemotherapy,

which she has received in different forms since her cancer recurred in 2009. However, for most side effects Anthony finds a quick-fix remedy and goes about her singing. For example, for common mouth sores she’ll guzzle a couple shots of numbing mouthwash before a performance. However, when the music starts and the words come out and she’s closing her eyes and reaching down deep to find the strength for a note, the pain is elsewhere. “Once I hear the intro to the song, it’s like I’m already set in my element,” Anthony said. “It’s like, that’s where I am, that’s what I’m supposed to do. My entire being is focused on that music.” JT David Snyder is a JT staff reporter dsnyder@jewishtimes.com

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SPORTS COMMENT By David Snyder

Ravens Fans: Relax! ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOW been a week since we dodged the impending doom predicted by the Mayan calendar, but if you had talked to many Ravens fans last weekend, their world was still on the verge of coming to an end. Are the Ravens going to have a losing season? No. But, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to miss the playoďŹ&#x20AC;s, right? No. Well, they certainly wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a home playoďŹ&#x20AC; game. Yes. î&#x201A;&#x160;ey will. With their victory over the Giants last Sunday, the Ravens captured the AFC North title. But, even before the win, they already had secured their ďŹ î&#x2020;?h consecutive postseason berth. So, why are so many fans distraught week in, week out? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple. î&#x201A;&#x160;e Ravens havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been living up to our loî&#x2020;?y expectations and we, as fans, are some of the most ungrateful in pro football. We take the Ravensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; success completely for granted, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for that to change. Ravens fans are like the spoiled brat on Chanukah who receives great presents for seven straight days but on the eighth night unwraps a dud and berates his parents for letting him down. We, too, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize how good we have it. î&#x201A;&#x160;ere are a few sensible reasons why. The Ravens have come so close to greatness. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been a couple of games â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and a few pivotal mistakes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; away from making a Super Bowl appearance. And, yes, this year theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve regressed as a unit. Joe Flacco is developing slower than the Solo Cup property, and a once-vaunted defense is riddled with injuries. But, in spite of that, the Ravens still have earned a postseason berth. Things could be way worse. We could be fans of the Bills, Browns, Buccaneers,

Jaguars, Raiders, Rams or Redskins. î&#x201A;&#x160;ose teams have not made the playoďŹ&#x20AC;s once in the same span that the Ravens have gone ďŹ ve times. (î&#x201A;&#x160;e Redskins can punch their ticket with a win Sunday.) Also consider that while the Ravens have ďŹ ve playoďŹ&#x20AC; victories in the past four years, 14 teams (nearly half the NFL) have not earned a single playoďŹ&#x20AC; win in that same period. Now, here comes to the diďŹ&#x192;cult part. I admit it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m as guilty as anyone when it comes to taking the Ravensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; success as a given. I shout at the TV during games, sulk into the office on Mondays when the Ravens lose and call into local sports radio stations to express my dissatisfaction with the team.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m as guilty as anyone when it comes to taking the Ravensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; consistent success as a given. Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time I give all that up and start to appreciate that my hometown team is competitive every single year. The Ravens havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t played a truly meaningless regular-season game since 2007 when Brian Billick was head coach, Kyle Boller was starting quarterback and George W. Bush was president. Yes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fact, the Ravens have struggled this year, but all that matters is for them to find their groove at the right time. Hopefully, the defense can heal its many wounds, Flacco can regain the mojo he had earlier in the season, and the fans can find a way to get behind a team thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brought them so much joy and excitement over the last four-plus seasons. Once weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the playoďŹ&#x20AC;s, anything can happen. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lighten up. JT

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David Snyder is a JT staff reporter dsnyder@jewishtimes.com

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SPORTS FEATURE

IMPRESSIVE COMPANY Former local basketball star earns spot on inaugural ‘Orthodox Jewish All Stars’ list It may come in different forms, but tamir Goodman says he answers the same basic question on a fairly regular basis. Why did he allow his religious observances to dictate the path of his basketball life? People tell him that had he not been so strict in observing Shabbat, he could have accepted a scholarship to the University of maryland and been a part of the terps’ 2001 national championship team. Some say that religious devotion hindered his professional basketball career. allisonJosephsviewsGoodmanandhis achievements in a starkly diﬀerent light. Josephs, the founder and director of Jew in the city, 42

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

a website devoted to breaking down stereotypes associated with orthodox men and women, named Goodman to the site’s inaugural “orthodox Jewish all Stars.” e list, released in a ﬁve-minute video early this month, highlights 10 orthodox men and women from across the country who have thrived in their professional ﬁelds while remaining committed to their faith. Goodman, the world’s first-ever orthodox pro basketball player, is in select company. Fellow allstars include Sen. Joe Lieberman, the first orthodox Jew in congress, and Rochelle Shoretz, the first female orthodox Supreme court clerk. “It occurred to me that there are so many highly successful, some even a little bit famous, people in

By David Snyder

the orthodox world who have accomplished some tremendous things in terms of their careers but stayed true to Jewish observances the whole way through,” said Josephs, who created the website five years ago. “I was trying to find people who broke the glass ceiling in their different industries. tamir is definitely that in … the sports world. He impresses me on many levels. … He sees his talents as a vehicle toward spirituality. Basketball isn’t the end in of itself. It’s to help him spread a message and spread inspiration. I really respect that.” Sports Illustrated dubbed Goodman “the Jewish Jordan” when he averaged more than 35 points

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THE OTHER NINE Joining Tamir Goodman on Jew in the City’s first ever Orthodox Jewish All Stars are a wide range of success stories from all walks of life. Here they are: Sen. Joe Lieberman: four-term U.S. senator, 2000 democratic vice presidential candidate, chairman of the senate committee on homeland security and governmental affairs. Jamie Geller: award-winning producer and marketing executive at HBO, CNN and the Food Network; founder, chief creative officer of Kosher Media Network. Rochelle Shoretz: first Orthodox Jewish female Supreme Court law clerk; founder and director of Sharsheret, a non-profit for Jewish women with breast cancer. Alex Clare:international singer/songwriter; hit single “Too Close” spent 33 straight weeks on Billboard’s Top 10. The Maccabeats: six-man a capella group that performs around the world; their “Candlelight” video tallied more than seven million views on YouTube Faye Kellerman: The New York Times’ best-selling novelist; writer of more than 30 books, which have more than 20 million copies in print. Mendy Pellin: standup comic and YouTube star; appeared on “The Tonight Show” and has been dubbed the Hasidic Jon Stewart Miriam Rosenbaum: first Orthodox Jewish female Rhodes Scholar. Dmitry Salita: first professional Orthodox Jewish boxer; 35-1 career record; held No. 1 ranking in his weight class in 2009.

Tamir Goodman’s commitment to Judaism throughout his basketball career earned him a spot on Jew in the City’s “Orthodox Jewish All Stars.” (Pictured with Allison Josephs.)

Elliot Gabor

Source: JewintheCity.com

per game for the Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim — Talmudical Academy as a junior. He then went on to play a year at Towson University before moving to Israel and embarking on a seven-year pro career. Aer retiring due to injuries in 2009, Goodman, 30, has parlayed his success on the court into several basketball ventures, most notably Coolanu Israel, his worldwide roving sports camp that infuses basketball with Judaism to inspire kids to harness their unique talents and explore their Jewish identities. He estimates he’s coached more than 25,000 children. Goodman is also behind the recently invented garment, “Sport Strings,” essentially a Kosher version of Under Armour, which provides observant

athletes with high-performance T-shirts equipped with tzitzit. He said he was “honored and humbled” upon finding out he had been named to Jew in the City’s distinguished list. “I grew up in a house filled with Jewish pride, where Judaism was empowering,” said Goodman, who now lives in Cleveland with his wife and four children. “Some people may have the opinion that Judaism restricts you or prevents you from fulfilling your dreams, but it’s really the opposite. The Torah and Judaism empower us, give us guidance, motivation, inspiration, tell us what our intentions should be, and they’re the blueprint for life and whatever we’re doing. I feel like that message is coming out through her video clip.” Josephs said she modeled the list aer other media outlets with similar rankings, such as e Jewish Week “36 Under 36” and Forbes “50.” With so many deserving candidates for Orthodox Jewish All Stars, she plans on generating a new list every year. While this year’s group lays claim to a surplus of renowned triumphs, Josephs made sure to emphasize that inner qualities play an enormous role in

her selections. “ese are people who are trying to live spiritually committed lives. at’s really their first priority,” Josephs said. “Although they are making great accomplishments in their careers, reaching new levels, it’s the spiritual stuff that always comes first. at’s really the idea of the observant Jew. e Jewish tradition is first on the list, and everything else, they fit it in.” When filming the video, Josephs and Goodman met in person for the first time. Inevitably, the subject of Goodman turning down the offer to play at Maryland came up. Like many before her, Josephs listened to him reflect on passing on what ended up being a national championship team. “Judaism was never a negative. It was always a positive for me,” Goodman explained. “It helped me every day in practice and every day on the court. There is a new college champion every single year, and someone else gets the championship ring, but the Shabbat ring lasts forever.” JT David Snyder is a JT staff reporter dsnyder@jewishtimes.com

jewishtimes.com

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SPORTS FEATURE

Back In The Games Some people are just born overachievers. Take Carol Benjamin of Bowie. She has won numerous fencing competitions, including the NCAA women’s championship in 1966 and a gold medal in women’s individual at the Seventh Maccabiah Games. at was in 1965 when she was 19 years old. She has been cycling, running and ballet dancing ever since. Now, she is training to compete in this summer’s 19th Maccabiah Games in the half-marathon. The Games will be held from July 17 to July 30 in Israel. Benjamin will be competing in the Masters Division for people 35 years and older, meaning she must run past racers almost half her age.

“I can’t stress enough how overjoyed I am, partly because I’m going back to Israel, partly because it’s the Maccabiah Games, and because it means I can still function.” — Carol Benjamin

“I can’t stress how overjoyed I am, partly because I am going back to Israel, partly because it’s the Maccabiah Games, and because it means I can still function,” joked the 67-year-old, who has three children and three grandchildren. Benjamin grew up in New York but has lived in Bowie since 1973. She is a counselor, specializing in 44

grief and loss. She currently works part time in that field. When she was in high school, Benjamin was impressed with her school’s highly ranked fencing team and decided to try it out. “It looked very interesting, and it turned out I was good at it,” she said. In those days, a woman could only compete using a foil and not with a saber or epee, she explained. She went on to college at New York University and immediately joined its fencing team. Soon she was ranked second in the United States and frequently practiced at a fencing club, where she met her husband-to-be. After college, she took to cycling and pedaled around the country. Then, at the age of 51, “I started running marathons just to see if I could do it. It was fun,” she said. After submitting her times from several recent races, Benjamin learned she had been picked to go back to the Maccabiah Games. “I am so ecstatic. I jumped around the room when I got the letter,” she said. Participating in the Games “means a lot to me, and it meant a lot to me then,” she said of her first experience. She still recalls the thrill of first stepping off the plane and being in Israel. Athletically, the Games are similar to the Olympics except when it comes to “the cohesion, the interaction with Jewish people all over the world in a heavily competitive spirit.” She has not returned to Israel since the 1965 Games and is looking forward to sightseeing at some of the places not open to Jews back then. “Part of Jerusalem was closed,” she recalled. (In 1965, Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan. The city was united following the 1967

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

Provided

After 47 years, she’s again going for the gold at Maccabiah By Suzanne Pollak

Whether it was earning a medal for fencing or now competing in the Maccabiah marathon, Carol Benjamin has strived to stay in shape for almost 50 years.

Six Day War.) Benjamin also wants to visit a kibbutz. This time she will be traveling with her husband, Mel, who has never been to Israel. They are going a week before the Games to join a special tour for older Maccabiah athletes. Meanwhile, Benjamin is training, running often but also doing a lot of strength-training exercises. She also is preparing her body to cope with Israel’s heat, she explained. Benjamin’s best time for the halfmarathon, which is 13.1 miles, is two hours, 21 minutes and 30 seconds, which she described as not amazing but OK for her age. When running, she “thinks of all kinds of stuff. I don’t wear earphones. I meditate.” Sometimes, she is concentrating on “the pace of my feet against the ground,” she said. Other times, she is just watching the scenery, and “sometimes I just breathe. In an odd sort of way, it’s relaxing,” she said of her running. Benjamin’s youngest daughter, Sarah Seibold, is manager of Family Bike Shop in Crofton. Her mother stressed being fit and healthy, Seibold said, noting their kitchen was filled with low-salt foods,

fruits and vegetables. “Fried food. We just never did that whole thing,” she said, adding, “I grew up with a trophy room” packed with her parents’ athletic accomplishments. She learned the love of bike riding with her family and met her husband, the owner of Family Bike Shop, that way. She is very excited for her mother, noting, “It’s a totally once-in-a-lifetime thing, and she gets to do it twice.” Seibold has become the self-appointed fundraiser for her mother’s trip. Besides the expense of going to Israel and a registration fee, Benjamin is required to raise $6,000 for the Games — the amount suggested for her those competing in the Masters Division. Siebold will not be going to Israel with her parents and plans to watch by streaming her mother’s race live, cheering her on from afar. It’s the kind of support Benjamin has come to expect but does not take for granted from her “very close family.”JT To contribute, go to maccabiusa.com and click on Benjamin’s name under halfmarathon. Suzanne Pollak writes for the JT’s sister publication, Washington Jewish Week.

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e Jewish View

you’ve

Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg Parshat Vayechi

To Get To The Other Side In hIs fInal chapter of “Walden,” oreau writes: “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. now put the foundations under them.” I’ve always liked this quote, the sheer audacity and impracticality of oreau’s words. Of course, one cannot build a roof before a house. It’s like saying “to get to the other side” and then asking the bit about the chicken! Castles must be built upon foundations. e material world must abide by the laws of physics. and yet, God who brought the material into being seems to violate its fundamental laws! Rabbi levi Yitzhak of Berdichev, the Keddushas Levi, points out that God created water (Day 2) before earth (Day 3). humans, he says, fashion a vessel and then fill it. God does the exact opposite! and it seems God creates solutions before problems. e book of Genesis, which concludes this week, is in part the story of Israelite migration to Egypt. But as early as abraham, we are told that while suffering and servitude are to come, redemption will inevitably follow. Perhaps this is why Jacob reverses his hands when blessing his grandchildren. e text reads: “Joseph took the two of them, Ephraim with his right hand — to Israel’s le — and Menashe with his le hand — to Israel’s right — and brought them close to him. But Israel [ Jacob] stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and his le hand on Menashe’s head — thus crossing his hands — although Menashe was the first-born” (Gen. 48:13-14). The Keddushas levi points out the rationale for the boys’ names. Menashe, he says, is about tzara (suffering). Ephraim, however, calls to

mind yeshuah (salvation) (Ibid 41:50). Jacob places Ephraim before Menashe, healing before pain, redemption before enslavement. In other words, the reverse order of the blessing may be less about the boys or their inheritance and more about the Jewish people and its fate.

Humans … fashion a vessel and then fill it. God does the exact opposite! as the first book of Torah draws to a close, we detect the coming darkness, the king who does not “know Joseph” and the oppression that will swiftly descend upon our ancestors in Egypt. But we are also reminded that God is Ein Sof, the one without limitation, not subject to the typical laws of physics (or literature); the castle of our redemption precedes the weighty foundation laid in this week’s parsha. shabbat, we are told, is m’ein olam haba, a taste of heaven, a sampling of the ultimate air-born castle. We are not God, but the holy One’s faith should inspire us to have more faith in ourselves, in our people and in the world. We Jews have been in more than a few tough spots, and the situation in Israel seems, at times, pretty bleak indeed. We know what it is to languish in darkness. Jacob’s blessing reminds us not only that we can escape darkness but also that light precedes it. This shabbat may we see ourselves with a God’s-eye view. It’s no joke, but the punch line for Vayechi may just be “to get to the other side.” JT Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg is spiritual leader at Beth Am Synagogue.

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Beshert | Linda L. Esterson

MiriaM & Jared Surdin First Date: June 29, 2011 Mussel Bar in Bethesda, Md.

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e rabbi’s daughter at 2010 YoM Kippur services at temple oheb Shalom, Miriam Fink noticed the cute guy in the front row. Jared Surdin asked his mother about the cute brunette two rows back. “at’s the rabbi’s daughter,” Jared remembers him mom, Carla, saying. “i did not expect to hear that. i remember talking to her aer services and thinking, ‘too bad she lives in new York.’” When Miriam and Carla crossed paths in March, Carla inquired about any cute girls for her son in Washington, d.C. “What about me?” she asked. Carla went home and called Jared, and he friended Miriam on Facebook. their communication was limited – Jared noticed a Facebook picture of Miriam with two guys and thought one was her boyfriend. Jared thought his mom confused the situation and he didn’t want to seem foolish. Miriam ran into Carla when she returned to town for the summer and told her they hadn’t connected. Carla let Jared know Miriam was interested, and Jared called her immediately. ey met at the Mussel Bar in Bethesda on a Wednesday in late June,

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

and their deep conversation spanned three hours. When Miriam asked Jared about his most recent meal, he described his Bubbie’s special dish. “He was so emotional about it,” recalls Miriam, 28. “i loved that he loved his Bubbie and Zayde.” ere was such a level of comfort between them that they collaborated on theirmenuchoicesandsharedtheirmeals. they were together again the next Friday and Saturday nights. “at was it,” says Miriam. “i came home and said i was going to marry him.” it was about then also that Jared, 32, told Carla that Miriam was “the one.” the rest of the summer, they were nearly inseparable. rabbi Steven and Sally Fink and dr. ronald and Carla Surdin were thrilled. in august, Miriam returned to new York. When they weren’t visiting each other, they chatted online. on the ﬁh night of Chanukah 2011, they arrived in orlando, Fla., for a vacation. aer dinner, they strolled to the gazebo on a lake at the ritz Carlton. it was adorned with candles, ﬂowers, champagne and strawberries. Jared

told Miriam it was probably for the couple they saw at the restaurant about to become engaged. the other couple was still at the restaurant, so they proceeded to the gazebo to take a look. Miriam turned and found Jared down on one knee holding a ring. aer many tears — just as Jared had imagined — they went to the hotel lounge to light the menorah and proceeded to the balcony to watch ﬁreworks. ey married oct. 27, 2012 at temple oheb Shalom. rabbis Scott and randi nagel and Cantor renata Braun oﬃciated, allowing rabbi Fink to be “the dad.” about 200 guests witnessed the traditional ceremony and then partied at the “untraditional” South Beach loungethemed reception. the couple resides in Bethesda, near Miriam’s job as d.C. director of avodah and Jared’s position with the u.S. State department. JT

Linda L. Esterson is an Owings Mills-based freelance writer. For “Beshert,” call 410-9022305 or email Linda.Esterson@verizon.net.

Silber Photography

Wedding Date: Oct. 27, 2012

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Milestone | Community Births & Adoptions

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Pachino Michael and Nina (nee Swartz) Pachino are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Maddie Rose, on March 8, 2012. Overjoyed grandparents are Marlene and Joe Pachino of Pikesville and Shelly and Maurice Swartz of Philadelphia. Each letter of Maddie’s ﬁrst name is in loving memory of a relative: her

great-grandfather, Max Shlian; greatgrandmother, Anna Swartz; greatgrandmother; Diane Pachino; greatgrandfather, Dan Pachino; great-grandmother, Irene Bookfor; and great-greataunt, Esther Cohen. Her middle name, Rose, is in honor of her great-grandmother, Ruth Shlian. Her Hebrew name, Aviva Zeporah, honors her greatgrandfather, William Swartz.

Send submissions of births, engagements, weddings and anniversaries via email to sellin@jewishtimes.com or mail to Simone Ellin, BJT, 11459 Cronhill Drive, Suite A, Owings Mills, MD 21117. Please send a stamped, selfaddressed envelope for returning photos. Items will be selected and edited at the discretion of the editors.

Community Notes

JCS Oﬀers Job Search Program for Teens Jewish Community Services, in collaboration with JOIN for Teens, is offering Keys to a Successful Job Search, a program specifically for teens ages 14 to 19 to get the skills they need to find a job through individual career coaching, job fairs and job-skills workshops. Participants can meet one-on-one with a professional career coach to get expert practical advice. Free workshops, especially for teens, are being offered on Sundays in January from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the JCS office in Owings Mills, 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave. Each stand-alone session highlights specific job skills, beginning with resumes and cover letters on Jan. 6. This will be followed by networking and communications skills on Jan. 13, applications and social media on Jan. 20 and follow-ups on Jan. 27. Workshops will also be offered on Tuesday evenings from Feb. 26 through March 19 at the Mitchell David Teen Center. The programs are free, but preregistration is required. For more information, contact Deborah Weksberg at 410-843-7437 or dweksberg@jcsbaltimore.org.

Share your good news where all your friends will see it. To advertise in the new JT, call 410-902-2326.

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Community | Obituary

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Pikesville Volunteer Fire Co. deals with the death of its third member this year

PIKESVILLE VOLUNTEER Fire Co. President Richard Berkowitz struggled to come up with the proper words to pay tribute to his longtime friend and “brother” at the station, Lee Sachs. Emotional over the loss of Sachs, who passed away Wednesday, Dec. 19 from cancer, Berkowitz simply said, “It was a privilege to be friends with Lee Sachs.” Berkowitz’s sentiments were shared by several members of the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Co. Sachs was laid to rest last Friday in a service that included full firefighter honors. He was 74. “Lee Sachs was a special person to so many people in the fire department and in the community,” Berkowitz said. “He helped so many people in so many ways. While there will be people who may do his jobs, there will never be anyone who will replace him. Lee Sachs will be greatly missed.” Sachs joined PVFC in 1976, when he was 38. He quickly immersed himself into every aspect of station life. During his 36 years of service, Sachs served as EMS lieutenant, president and vice president, among other positions. Overall, he responded to more than 10,000 calls. PVFC Secretary Allen Roody has known Sachs for more than 30 years. He said Sachs dedicated himself fully to everything he did and worked to make those around him better people. “Lee Sachs was a leader in every sense of the word,” Roody said. “He was so dedicated to the station, and he 48

was there to fill any role, whether it be in the field, administration or the handling of financial issues.” PVFC Vice President Sam Dansicker said that he was a “hot head” when he first joined the station in the 1970s and that Sachs was the one who taught him to be a mentsch. “Lee was just everyone’s friend,” Dansicker said. “Lee was much more refined and showed me the proper way to handle myself in the field and in life. ose are lessons that will stay with me forever.” In addition to his role at PVFC, Sachs was past president of the Maryland State Firemen’s Association and the Baltimore County Volunteer Firemen’s Association. e lifelong Baltimore resident, who was active in many Jewish causes, was also a lawyer for 45 years, including the last 13 years as general counsel with David S. Brown Enterprises, Ltd. He also assisted PVFC with legal matters. Sachs was recognized for his volunteer work both in an out of the fire department, which included receiving the Governor’s Volunteer and Service Award and the Pro Bono Service Award, legal profession awards for volunteerism. “We will remember [Sachs] as a leader in the fire service, a champion for EMS and as a friend,” said National Volunteer Fire Council Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this very difficult time.

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

Photos Courtesy of Pikesville Fire Department

By Ron Snyder

Lee Sachs was recognized for his volunteer work both in and out of the firehouse.

Lee will be deeply missed.” Sachs is survived by his wife, Marjorie Goodman, daughters Melissa (Rabbi Elissa) Sachs-Kohen and Jessica (Ross) O’Donovan, son Nathan “Nick” (Hope) Sachs, brother Ray (late Frances) Sachs and grandchildren Josh O’Donovan, Allie O’Donovan, Manny Sachs-Kohen, Noa Rose SachsKohen, Paige Sachs and Brooke Erin Sachs.

Remembering Murray Sachs’ funeral came two weeks to the day aer PVFC members joined together at Sol Levinson and Bros. Funeral Home to pay their respects to another longtime, respected member, Murray Rodman. Rodman, who also received a funeral with full firefighter honors, lost a battle against cancer on Dec. 4. He was 70. Rodman was a member of the firehouse for 42 years and was remembered for regularly sleeping overnight at the firehouse, taking both fire and medical calls. “Murray Rodman was an invaluable member of this community for

many years,” Berkowitz said. “He was always looking out in the best interest of others.” Like Sachs, Rodman held many leadership roles at PVFC over the decades, including as EMS lieutenant, vice president, a member of the board of directors and even as one of the company’s two chaplains for several years. He was also one of Pikesville’s first paramedics in the early years of that program. “Murray’s life was at the station,” Roody said. “He lived to help make the firehouse and the community a better place. He was also the type of person who would stop to talk to you and you wouldn’t even realize that you had been there with him for two hours.” In addition to his work at the station, Rodman partnered in the mid1970s with fellow PVFC life member David Bush to form the Pikesville Community Hall, Inc., which houses bingo to benefit area non-profits, including PVFC. Rodman managed the hall, located adjacent to the firehouse, until very recently. “ere was nothing he wouldn’t do for the station or his friends,” Dansicker

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Murray Rodman “was an invaluable member of this community.”

said. “He was always the type of person who looked at the glass as half full.” Rodman is survived by his children, Hillary Rodman, Scott (Courteney) Rodman, Stefanie ( Jeﬀ ) Soeken and Greg ( Joanna) Ruthenberg, his companion, Mollie Ruthenberg, sister Ina Ann Rodman, brother-in-law Maury Schwartz, sister-in-law Vicki Rodman, cousin Howard Rodman, nephew Heith Rodman, niece Jennifer Priddy and nine grandchildren.

A Tough Year Sachs’ funeral marked the third longtime Jewish member to die from cancer in a year. Prior to Sachs and Rodman, PVFC gathered in May to pay their respects to Bill Levin. Levin served as an oﬃcer with the company for 24 years. In September, he was posthumously inducted into the Baltimore County Volunteer Firemen’s Association’s Hall of Fame. “We’re just numb right now,” Berkowitz said. “I’ve never been through a stretch like this in all my years of service at Pikesville. To lose three great men in such a short period of time — all to cancer — is unthinkable.”

Roody said that no one knows what to say to each other during this difficult time. e impact and legacy Sachs, Rodman and Levin le in the community will be felt for years to come. “Much of what all three of these great men taught us could not be learned in a classroom or from a book,” Roody said. “ey were all battlefield tested and answered every challenge placed in front of them.” Dansicker said members have tried to get through this period by reflecting on the good times and continuing to build on the foundation each le for future generations of volunteer firefighters and EMS providers. “None of them would want us to sit around and feel sad about their loss,” he said. “e biggest show of respect we can show them is to continue to go out there and help the citizens of Pikesville and Baltimore County.” JT Contributions in Sachs, Rodman or Levin’s memory can be sent to the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Co., 40 E. Sudbrook Lane, Baltimore, MD. 2120

WE’RE A twitter ABOUT JEWISH BALTIMORE.

Ron Snyder is a JT staff reporter rsnyder@jewishtimes.com

jewishtimes.com

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Community | Obituaries BARR — On December 22, 2012, HAROLD NEWTON; beloved husband of Barbara Barr (nee Weiner); cherished father of Alan (Peg) Barr, Rick (Sue) Barr and Fred (Betsy) Barr; devoted brother of the late Seymour Barr; adored grandfather of Nathan, Amy, Julia, Laura, Erin, Jennie and Amy; proud greatgrandfather of Maggie, Avery, Grace and Madelyn. Interment at Baltimore Hebrew Cemetery, Berrymans Lane. Please omit flowers. Contributions in his memory may be sent to Johns Hopkins Pancreatic Research, c/o Dr. Cameron, 401 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231 or the charity of your choice. BROWNSTEIN — On December 18, 2012, GERTRUDE (nee Fishbone); beloved wife of the late Meier Brownstein; devoted mother of Annette and Joseph Cooper; dear sister of Freda Weinstein, Nancy Berman, Irvin Fishbone and the late Ethel Miller and Violet Krichinsky; loving grandmother of Larry and Shari Cooper, Paul and Barbara Cooper and Brian and Julie Cooper; loving great-grandmother of Matthew and

Carla Cooper, Stacy and Matthew Kirsch, Alex, Carley, Mitchell and Kathryn Cooper; also survived by many loving nieces, nephews and dear friend Anne Fiener. Interment at Forband Cemetery, Rosedale. Please omit ﬂowers. Contributions in her memory may be sent to the Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, LifeBridge Health, Department of Development, 2401 W. Belvedere Ave., Baltimore, MD 21215. GOLDMAN — On December 21, 2012, IRA; beloved husband of Debbie Goldman (nee Cook); loving son of Renee Smith and the late Wally Goldman; dear stepson of Jerome Smith and the late Howard Adler; adored father of Sophia, Wally and Ian Goldman; cherished brother of Jane Weil and Lewis (Kathryn) Goldman; dear stepbrother of Ron (Barbara) Adler. Interment at Shaarei Zion Cemetery, Rosedale. Please omit flowers. JAFFE — On December 20, 2012, LOUIS; beloved husband of Rheabel Jaﬀe (nee Mendelsohn); devoted brother of Gertrude Sinay, Nathan

Jaffe and the late Earl Jaffe; also survived by other loving family and many dear friends. Interment at Arlington Cemetery, Chizuk Amuno Congregation, North Rogers Avenue. Please omit flowers. MEISTER — On December 23, 2012, YETTA (nee Haransky); cherished wife of the late Michael Aaron Meister; adored mother of Abby Rodgers, Barbara (Michael Jenkins) Meister-Jenkins and Mark (Carla Steiger) Meister; dear sister of David Haransky and Meyer (Dorothy) Haransky; beloved grandmother of Tristan Masi, Sasha Masi, Jesse Jenkins, Rachel Steiger-Meister and Kaitlin (Edgar Rudberg ) SteigerMeister; devoted great-grandmother of Caeden Masi. Interment at Arlington Cemetery, Chizuk Amuno Congregation, North Rogers Avenue. Please omit flowers. Contributions in her memory may be sent to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, 2600 Deweese Parkway, Dayton, OH 45414. RICHMAN — On December 20, 2012, THELMA; preceded in death

by her parents, Rose and Ellis Kahn, husband Philip F. Richman, brother Journet Kahn and sister Joan “Josie” Kahn. She is survived by children Gary Richman of Rehoboth, Del., and Ellis Richman; daughter-in-law Ingrid Kohlstadt, M.D. of Annapolis, sister Harriet “Hatsie” Kessler and three grandchildren, Kyler Richman, Raeha Richman and Emmanuel Richman. Interment at Maryland Veterans Cemetery, Crownsville, Md. SACHS — On December 19, 2012, LEE N.; beloved husband of Marjorie Goodman; cherished father of Melissa (Rabbi Elissa) Sachs-Kohen, Jessica (Ross) O’Donovan, Nathan “Nick” (Hope) Sachs; devoted brother of Ray (late Frances) Sachs; loving grandfather of Josh O’Donovan, Allie O’Donovan, Manny Sachs-Kohen, Noa Rose SachsKohen, Paige Sachs and Brooke Erin Sachs. Interment at Baltimore Hebrew Cemetery, Berrymans Lane. Please omit flowers. Contributions in his memory may be sent to the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company, 40 E. Sudbrook Lane, Baltimore, MD 21208.

Community Notes

Bereavement Group Starts in January

Open Doors Program for LGBTQA Teens

Jewish Community Services and its partners are offering two community bereavement groups this winter, one in Baltimore County and one in Baltimore City. A group sponsored by JCS and the Jewish Community Center begins on Jan. 23 at the JCS office in Owings Mills, 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave. A second group, sponsored by JCS and Seasons Hospice, begins Jan. 24 at Jewish Community Services, 5750 Park Heights Ave. in Baltimore. Both groups meet for eight weeks and are free of charge. Preregistration is required. For more information, including schedules and registration, call Jewish Community Services at 410-466-9200.

The Mitchell David Teen Center, Jewish Community Services, the Jewish Community Center and BBYO have come together to create Open Doors, a program for LGBTQA teens. The next meeting will be on Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. at the Mitchell David Teen Center. The guest speaker will be a transgendered male, who will talk about his journey. Open Doors meets on the second Tuesday of each month and features speakers, discussions and activities based on the interests of the participants. For more information, contact Sara Feldman at 443-865-7640 or Mitch Liebeskind at mliebeskind@jcc.org or visit jointeens.org.

Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel The Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel has announced that applications are now being accepted for its 27th summer program. Through the fellowships, 26 outstanding North American teenagers are sent to Israel for five weeks of intellectually engaging summer study during which they experience a shared sense of Jewish community. The program educates and inspires exceptional young Jews from diverse backgrounds to become active participants and leaders in Jewish culture throughout their lives. The program was founded and is funded by Edgar M. Bronfman. Applications are available at bronfman.org and must be submitted online by Jan. 7. High school students who will be in the 12th grade in the fall of 2013 may apply.

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

Middle School Social Skills Group Jewish Community Services is forming a social skills group for middle-school-age boys who experience challenges with peer relationships; a concurrent group for parents is also being formed. The groups will meet for eight Monday evenings, to be determined, from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. at the Jewish Community Services office at the Owings Mills JCC, 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave. The boys will learn how to improve relationships with peers, discover ways to manage negative emotions and practice social skills in a safe group setting. Parents will gain strategies for helping their child improve social skills, and they will benefit from support from other parents and professional facilitators. Preregistration is required. For more information, call Jewish Community Services at 410-466-9200.

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SADOWSKY — On December 20, 2012, NATHAN; beloved husband of the late Elsie Sadowsky (nee Moses); loving father of the late Janice Sadowsky; loving companion of Norma Withrow. Interment at Maryland Veterans Cemetery, Garrison Forest Road. Please omit flowers.

Jack Kirk. Also survived by loving caretakers Ruth Villaflores and Keith Villaflores. Interment at Beth El Memorial Park, Randallstown. Please omit flowers. Contributions in his memory may be sent to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 5216, Glen Allen, VA 23058.

SCHENK — On December 19, 2012, LILLIAN (nee Gresser); beloved wife of the late Morton Schenk; cherished mother of Victor Schenk; devoted sister of the late Herman Gresser. Interment at Beth Tfiloh Cemetery, 5800 Windsor Mill Road. Please omit flowers. Contributions in her memory may be sent to a charity of your choice that supports children.

WILKIS — On December 19, 2012, RHODA G. (nee Goldstein); beloved wife of the late Alvin Wilkis; loving mother of Paul ( Judith) Wilkis and Robert (Elsa) Wilkis; devoted sister of the late Sara, Morris, Maxwell, Benjamin and Al Goldstein; cherished grandmother of Alexandra (Kevin) Wilson and Alan Wilkis; adored great-grandmother of Conrad Wilson. Interment at Beth Jacob Cemetery, Finksburg, Md. Please omit flowers.

WEISMAN — On December 21, 2012, BERNARD; beloved husband of Marilyn Weisman (nee Tannebaum); devoted father of Dr. David Weisman (Dr. Teresa Muns Weisman), Brian Weisman and Shari (Brandon) Kirk; loving brother of Elliott (Susan) Weisman; cherished grandfather of Matthew Weisman, Connor Weisman, Shelby Kirk and

The Baltimore Jewish Times updates obituaries regularly on its website, jewishtimes.com/obituaries. To submit an obituary, contact David Snyder at dsnyder@jewishtimes.com or 410-902-2314.

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and learn more about: The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts announced the three jurors for the eighth annual Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize. Art critic Caroline Busta, curator Jenny Schlenzka and mixed-media artist Beverly Semmes will decide who will win a $25,000 fellowship to assist in furthering the career of a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living and working in the Greater Baltimore region. The application, which can be downloaded at artscape.org, is due Jan. 7. An award ceremony and reception will be held on July 13 at 7 p.m. at the Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.

PNC Transformative Art Project Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts and PNC Bank have announced the second annual PNC Transformative Art Project. Qualified community-based non-profit organizations can now apply for funding up to $30,000. An application is available online at promotionandarts.org; click on the “Grants” link. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15. Communities are required to partner with artists and/or arts organizations to permanently reinvent community spaces using art. For more information, call 410-752-8632 or visit promotionandarts.org.

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Phillip L Potts 201 N. Charles Street Suite 501 Balitmore, MD 21202

Charles J. Wargo, Esquire 2930 E. Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21224-1344

Notice of Appointment Notice to Creditors Notice to Unknown Heirs to all Persons Interested in the

Estate of (170132) Eula A. Witherspoon

Estate of (171175) Eileen Marie Farrell

Notice is given that Michele Thompson, 3713

Notice is given that Sally Watters, 6088 West Audrey Lane Glendale, AZ 85308, was on December 14, 2012 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Eileen Marie Farrell who died with a will. Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney. All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 14th day of June 2013 (6 months from date of appointment.) Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death, except if the decedent died before October 1, 1992, nine months from the date of the decedent’s death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claims will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.

GONE, BUT

Estate of (171073) Veronica Udzinski Notice is given that Mary K. Thomas, 1210 Narcissus Oak Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21207, was on DeAve. Baltimore, MD 21237 and Debra M. Barcikowski, cember 10, 2012 appointed Personal Represen1311 Grandview Ct., Fallston, MD 21047 and Charles A. tative of the estate of Eula A. Witherspoon who died on September 17, 2012, without a will. Udzinski Jr., 61 S Main St., Stewartstown, PA 17363, Further information can be obtained by rewere on December 6, 2012 appointed Co-Personal viewing the estate file in the office of the RegisRepresentative of the estate of Veronica Udzinski who ter of Wills or by contacting the personal died on September 5, 2012, with a will. Further information can be obtained by reviewing the representative or the attorney. All persons having any objection to the apestate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by conpointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s tacting the personal representative or the attorney. All persons having any objection to the appointment will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 10th day of June 2013. (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their Any person having a claim against the deceobjections with the Register of Wills on or before the 6th dent must present the claim to the undersigned day of June 2013. Any person having a claim against the decedent must personal representative or file it with the Register present the claim to the undersigned personal represen- of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: tative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to (1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following death, except if the decedent died before Octodates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death, ber 1, 1992, nine months from the date of the decedent’s death; or except if the decedent died before October 1, 1992, (2) Two months after the personal representanine months from the date of the decedent’s death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails tive mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this pub- copy of this published notice or other written nolished notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor tice, notifying the creditor that the claims will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim that the claims will be barred unless the creditor preswithin two months from the mailing or other deents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed livery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, on or before that date, or any extension provided is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills. from the Register of Wills.

Personal Representative(s) Register of Wills for Baltimore County, Courts Building 401 Bosley Avenue, Towson, Maryland 21204-4403. 121412

FORGOTTEN. T Honor the yahrzeit of a loved one with a memorial message and photograph in the JT.

MICHELE THOMPSON Personal Representative Register of Wills for Baltimore County, Courts Building 401 Bosley Avenue, Room 500 Towson, Maryland 21204

True Test Copy

MARY K THOMAS DEBRA M. BARCIKOWSKI CHARLES A. UDZINSKI, JR.

never

SALLY WATTERS Personal Representative Register of Wills for Baltimore County, Courts Building 401 Bosley Avenue, Towson, Maryland 21204-4403.

121412

For more information, call 410-902-2326.

122812

Closing for Buying Trip Tues Dec 27th. Reopening Tues. Jan 22nd!

pikesvillesilverandantiques.com

Everyone’s Dancing. You’re Invited!

Expert Polishing, Plating, Repairs, and Engraving.

JORY NEWMAN | 410.358.3377

ENTERTAINMENT

BUYING SILVER AND GOLD AT BEST PRICES

DANCE

ANTIQUES

CELEBRATION CONNECTION

CATERERS, INC

(410) 654-3663 (410) 371-4554 It’s the “Newest Cool Thing To Do” Everyone is learning, you should be too! Arthur Murray is the best place to learn – join the thousands who have done so the Arthur Murray Way. A great way to socialize, exercise and meet new friends.

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INVITATIONS

CATERING

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THE OMELETTE MAN.COM

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

101609

Since S 1965 5 Since 1965 Pastas, Crepes and Much More. Be A Guest At Your Own Party Pastas, Crepes and Much More. Be A Guest At Your Own Party With WithOur Our““White WhiteGlove GloveService” Service”

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41 0.6 53

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ELDER CARE

When the going gets tough… We help you get going.

Q

PRIVATE DUTY SERVICES, INC.

living assistance

in the comfort of

YOUR HOME

Choose Our Reliable & Affordable Home Care Services • Skilled Nursing • Meal Preparation • Personal Care • Errands • Respite Care • Shopping • Companionship • Escort to Appointments • Light Housekeeping • 24 Hour Services

Initial In-Home Assessments and Home Safety Assessments by Registered Nurse Emergency and Same Day Coverage 24/7 Skilled and Non-Skilled Nursing Services RNs, LPNs, GNAs, CNAs

WeCare Private Duty Services Award Winning Service Excellence since 1995 License number R921. Licensed as a Residential Service Agency by The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Healthcare Quality. Bonded and Insured.

tel: 410.602.3993 fax: 410.602.6277 www.wecarepds.com 1852 Reisterstown Road, Suite 209 Pikesville, Maryland 21208

Your Home Care Choice Affordable Home Care Customized To Your Needs

All Aides Thoroughly Screened • Aides& Nursing Assistants • Live-in Companions • Day & Night Shifts • 24 Hr. Emergency Hotline

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

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Our Competent & Compassionate Nurses and Aides Are Screened & Credentialed

Fees Start @ $13.00/ hr

410-486-6565 Info@phcmd.com www.phcmd.com

Vogel

Agency I N - HOM E C ARE

lisavogel agency.com 410-363-7770

License No.R2635 Licensed as a residential service agency by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Health Care Quality.

Supporting Independence, Dignity and Quality of Life

Assistance with bathing, grooming, transfers, medication reminders, meal preparation and safety supervision for fall prevention Initial and ongoing care assessments provided.

SCREENING Caregivers are meticulously screened and monitored for your peace-of-mind.

SECURITY Our caregivers are fully insured and bonded.

SUPPORT

Lisa

We bill and collect from all long term care insurances.

ComForcare Home Care

ASSESSMENT

TH E

Formerly Accessible Home Health Care

MD LICENSED & INSURED 15 years combined home care experience

SERVICE

ELDER CARE

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Home Care and office assistance available 24/7

www.nursebankofmd.com

The Nurse Bank of Maryland, Inc. When you care enough to use the best RNs, LPNs, CNAs Private Duty Nursing and Personal Care

• Home • Hospital • Extended Care

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36 Years of Dependable Caring Service

410-922-6262 nwbaltimore.comforcare.com

J EWISH TI M ES.

CA LL

Licensed by State of Maryland, DHMH

410-902-2300 jewishtimes.com

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SERVICE DIRECTORY CLEANING

C. IN , Y NC E G LA E 24–hour NN SO R Service PE Wishing All of

Majestytc@aol.com Majestycleaningvpweb.com

Majesty

Phone/Fax: 443-405-4055

CLEANING SERVICE

Where Cleaning Is Fit For A King!

Quality of Life for your loved one •Caring Companionship •Monitor Food and Diet •Light Housekeeping •Errands & Transportation •Visit Neighbors & Friends •Alzheimer s & Dementia Care •Medication Reminders •Up to 24-hour Care •Licensed, Bonded, & Insured

The Nursing Care Specialists since 1957 R.N.s • L.P.N.s Nurses Aides Companions Live–In Care Maternity Leave

CARPET CLEANING

410-323-1700

ELDER CARE

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL CLEANING

WISHING THE HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF OUR CLIENTS!

forcleaner cleaner carpets upholstery for carpetsand and upholstery

By Stephen David

410-323-1700

elizabethcooneyagency.com

MOST POWERFUL TRUCKMOUNT

Senior Helpers locations are independently owned and operated

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AVAILABLE! BONDED/INSURED • RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL FLOOD DAMAGE •

www.seniorhelpers.com

UPHOLSTERY CLEANING • AIR DUCT CLEANING

VISIT OUR BRAND NEW WEBSITE!

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WWW.S-DCARPETCARE.COM OMECAREWORKS, INC. (410) 602-5101

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PRIVATE DUTY SHIFTS Licensed • Bonded • Insured

HELPING OLDER ADULTS STAY AT HOME AS LONG AS POSSIBLE Assistance Tailored to Personal Needs Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care

410.654.3300 WWW.HOMEWITHYOU.NET CALL TO SCHEDULE A FREE IN HOME ASSESSMENT.

Errands Plus …….. We Do It For You!

“There’s no place like home for quality & individualizedStain care” Lifters like home for quality Carpet Care, p Inc. & individualized care” 10% off • Day & night shifts • 24 hour care Sheila Kalish Fechter, MSW

day Holi

ials! Spec

Transportation to Doctor’s Office, Grocery Shopping, Airports Rides, Snow Removal, CPA Prepared Tax Services, Junk Removal, E-bay & Craigslist Services, Pet Sitting ... AND MUCH MORE! SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNTS, PACKAGE RATES & REFERRAL REWARDS.

Phone: (410)-921-6996 Email: info@errandsplusMD.com Website: www.errandsplusMD.com

CA LL 54

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

HOMECARE PRIVATE DUTY CARE

Choose from our specialized services: • Live–in Care • Personal Hygiene • Meal Preparation • Light Housekeeping • 24–Hour Services • Errands / Appointments • Companionship • Medication Reminders

Let us be your stain lifter! Residential & Commercial Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning

Ron Curland

WE share WITH FRIENDS.

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • 410-679-0942

410-902-2326

410-517-2110

TO P L AC E YO U R A D

T Friend us on Facebook for exclusive news, special offers and opportunities to win.

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COMPUTER SERVICES

EXTERMINATOR

B Brody rody B Brothers rothe t rs Q Quality uality Pest Pest C Control ontrol

HAULING

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Residential Commercial We Haul AnyType Of Junk â&#x20AC;˘ Prompt â&#x20AC;˘ Professional â&#x20AC;˘ Affordable

MARC BALOTIN

10% OFF For New Clients Free Estimates â&#x20AC;˘ Bonded & Insured

Nice Jewish Boys Licensed to Kill!

(410) 922-7081

You Name It We Haul It!

Licensed

(410) 922-7081

Call:410-653-2121 BrodyBrothers.com

Licensed

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kosher-Style Pest Controlâ&#x20AC;?

F Family amily Owned Owned & O Operated perated Since Since 1984 Residential Residential and and Commercial Comm mercial M M.D.A. .D.A. L License icense #28 #28177 8177 ,ca rnua

WE WILL BEAT ANY WRITTEN ESTIMATE!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yudy B.â&#x20AC;?

ACC ACCREDITED CCRED DITED BUSIN USINESS BUSINESS

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Previous AAwards wards 2007â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2010

ARISTA CUSTOM

FURNITURE Make your Design a Reality! Serving the Baltimore area for over 22 years

Call Gus 410-371-1589 www.aristafurniture.com

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www.haulawaymd.com

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Specializing in small to medium Remo Remodeling odeling projectsâ&#x20AC;?

Pikesville Handyman yman & Remodeling

MORIAH

ELECTRIC

Master Electrician aster Electrician

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S amazing WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR. T

Selling? Buyers are flocking to the JTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amazing Marketplace. To advertise, call 410-902-2326. S U B S C R I B E TO T H E

J EWISH TI M ES.

CA LL

Maryland Home Improvement .)* .)*$ $ t -JDFOTFE JDFOTFE **OTVSFE OTVSFE "SJFM (PPENBO " SJFM ( PPENBO t X XXX 1JLFTWJMMF)BOEZNBO DPN XX 1JLFTWJMMF)BOEZNBO DPN

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YAAKOV'S

INTERIOR & EXTERIOR SERVICES Wallpaper Removal â&#x20AC;˘ Decorative Moldings Painting â&#x20AC;˘ Wallpapering

Clean, neat, guaranteed. 35 years experience. FREE ESTIMATES CA LL YA AK O V T O D AY 4 10 -48 4- 83 50

TRAVEL & LEISURE TRAVEL / SHOWS

PAINTING

SERVICE DIRECTORY WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE A

twitter

ABOUT JEWISH BALTIMORE. Follow us @jewishtimes

POWER WASHING ROOFING

''' " # ( # $$&# ' $ !

MHIC# 16432

EMPLOYMENT JOIN THE WORLD'S LARGEST INVENTORY SERVICE!

WANTED EXPERIENCED SALESPERSON!

* Work at your favorite retailers! * Flex hours. * $9.00/hr to start. * 6-week raise evaluations * Bonuses * Eligible for Health Insurance Pkg * Promotion opportunities * TEAM atmosphere

Be proud of what you sell. Our media products have the niche demographic that businesses want to target. We get our customers results! Clipper City Media, publisher of Baltimore Jewish Times and Style Magazine has sales opportunities available. Searching for strategic "closers" with proven sales experience only. We're seeking a "superstar" that has a passion for sales and can grow a book of business. Someone that can deliver smart presentations to a sophisticated decision maker.

Must have reliable transportation

Hard workers invited to apply online at: w w w. r g i s i n v. c o m EOE

JOB REQUIREMENTS

â&#x20AC;˘ Shingle Roofing â&#x20AC;˘ Slate Roofing â&#x20AC;˘ Metal Roofing â&#x20AC;˘ Flat Roofing

The position is responsible for generating revenue to meet targeted objectives through new business acquisition and some active business. An awareness and knowledge of the community and the local media landscape. Ability to prospect for new business and make "compelling" media presentations that progress toward a sale-close. Great communication skills; ability to handle deadline pressure and highly-active stress environment. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, internet research tools & customer relations/management software.

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Email cover letter and resume to Kristen Cooper:

ESTIMATES

kcooper@clippercitymedia.com

â&#x20AC;˘ Seamless Gutter â&#x20AC;˘ Custom Gutter â&#x20AC;˘ Historic Restoration â&#x20AC;˘ Repairs

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! # $ % # # !&# !' % # $% % $ & ( $&# !% % # # $$&# $

IC E

January 21: Martin Luther King Day Atlantic City February 18: President's Day Atlantic City March 7:

Decorator Colors

Paper Hanging & Removal Graduate of Maryland Institute of Art

SUP

New Year's Eve Roundtrip to Atlantic City!

FINE INTERIOR PAINTING MHIC 26124

ERIOR TO SUPERIOR SERVURS

Bookkeeper

Jewish organization located in Baltimore Co. is seeking a bookkeeper w/ 3-5 yrs exp handling all aspects of Payroll and related benefits, including ADPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PC-Payroll application. Strong computer background is essential. Salary & benefits commensurate with exp. EOE. Forward resume & salary req to Rick Bernard at rbernard@chizukamuno.org

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S amazing WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR. T

J EWI S HTI M ES.C O M 56

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

Selling? Buyers are flocking to the JTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amazing Marketplace. To advertise, call 410-902-2326.

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MARKETPLACE ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES

ELDER CARE

MOVING

MR. BOB'S ANTIQUES. Buying now. Antique furniture through 1950’s. $Silver-jewelrylamps-clocks-watches-complete estates. 410-371-3675

CHIKA DIVINE CARE HOME HEALTH AGENCY: Passionate personalized care! CNA's, CMA's & LPNs.443-405-3647

SIMCHA'S MOVING LLC. Residential and commercial. Please call 410-358-7636, 866-764-MOVE(6683)

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

PAINTING & WALL COVERING

MARC ELECTRIC MASTER ELECTRICIAN LICENSED in Baltimore City, Baltimore County & Carroll County. Master Electrician in Baltimore City & County. Decorative lighting, house, power and repairs. Marc Balotin. 410-922-7081. SEE MY AD IN THE SERVICE DIRECTORY.

INTERIOR/ EXTERIOR Painting, Wallpapering, Wall paper removal, decorative moldings. Free estimates. MHIC #44233. Call Yaakov. 410-484-8350. SEE MY AD IN THE SERVICE DIRECTORY.

APPLIANCE REPAIR APPLIANCE DOCTOR - Repairs all major home appliances. Shlomo Roshgadol 410-358-2707.

CLEANING SERVICE SCRUB-A-DUB CLEANING, Inc. 20yrs of quality service. Bonded/ Insured. 410-667-8714. EXPERIENCED CLEANER: No job too small. 10 yrs local experience. 443-253-5270. MAJESTY CLEANING SERVICE: Residential & Commercial Cleaning. Bonded and Insured. 443-405-4055 REAL NICE & CLEAN: 10 years Residential/Commercial experience. Bonded/Insured. Free Estimates! 410-388-0460

COMPUTER SERVICES COMPUTER SERVICES. Virus-removal, repairing, networking, installing, upgrading. Reasonable rates. Microsoft certified. Quick response. Jeff 410-484-2975 MY PC MEDIC: Mild mannered corporate IT manager by day & Pikesville's super computer mentsch by night! Why wait in line for a geek? House calls on evenings or weekends. Our solutions will fit your budget! *See our ad in the Service Directory. 410-929-9985. www.mypcmedicmd.com

ELDER CARE I AM LOOKING FOR WORK AS A PRIVATE DUTY HOMECARE NURSE OR COMPANION CAREGIVER FOR SICK OR ELDERLY. 8 OR 12 HOUR NIGHT SHIFTS. DRIVES. GREAT LOCAL REFERENCES. PIKESVILLE, SLADE, OWINGS MILLS ETC. SERIOUS CALLS ONLY. 410-523-4840 BONDED/INSURED NURSING ASSISTANT AVAILABLE FOR SHIFTWORK/ERRANDS. 7 DAYS PER WEEK. 443-559-2987 SEEKING PRIVATE DUTY POSITION. 24/7 availability. Reasonable rates. Errands/Housekeeping/ Appointments.Kim: 410-900-9998 GOLDEN DAYS HOME CARE LLC. Companion care and errand services. Licensed, bonded & insured. See our ad in the Service Directory! 410-679-0942 LOOKING FOR SOMEONE to care for your loved ones? Look no further. Call Jackie 410-209-7244 COURTNEY CARES NURSING SERVICES: RN CNA & COMPANION CARE Enabling you to stay in your home! Accepting 24/7 patient referrals. 410-366-0797 State of MD, DHMH License # R3039 PART-TIME HOUSEKEEPER/ COMPANION CAREGIVER. Mature with references available. 410-701-8487 CAREGIVER/COMPANION: Many years experience w/my parents. Pikesville/North Baltimore area. Michael,410-970-1193

ESTATE SERVICES UNCLUTTER YOUR LIFE & FIND HIDDEN TREASURES! ESTATE CLEAN-OUT/ HAULING, MINOR REPAIRS, APPRAISALS, REAL ESTATE PURSHASES!!! CHARLIE: 443-928-7073

THE PAINT MAN INC. Interior/ exterior. Dry wall, power washing, wallpaper removal. Free estimates. 410-710-8245. FINE INTERIOR PAINTING Decorator colors, paper hanging and removal. Graduate of Maryland Institute of Art. Free Estimates. MHIC #26124 Bert Katz 410-356-4722 FELIKS LEYBENGRUB. BEST of Baltimore 2004. 410-916-2083 MHIC # 49059

FURNITURE

PRESSURE WASHING

ARISTA CUSTOM FURNITURE: Make your design a reality! Serving the Baltimore area for over 22 years. Call Gus: 410-371-1589 SEE OUT AD IN SERVICE DIRECTORY

SPARKLY CLEAN PRESSURE WASHING: Fully Insured Hot-Water Pressure Washing. Commercial & Residential. We bring our own water. 410-977-9165 www.SparklyCleanPressurewashing.com

HANDYMAN ARTIST HOME IMPROVEMENT painting interior/exterior, Powerwashing, drywall repair, carpentry work. License#19441. 410-282-1579 IRV'S HANDYMAN SERVICE No job too small. Free estimates, prompt service. MHIC# 77548. 410-486-7454 HANDYMAN- FOR THOSE little jobs the big guys won't do! David 410-239-7455. MR. ODD JOB. No job is too odd. Specializing in nuisance, small jobs around the home. 443-243-4860

HAULING & MOVING LIONEL'S HAULING. YARD/ basement/ garage cleaning. Reasonable rates. 410-484-8614 / 443-604-4002 PROMPT HAULING. Estate clean-outs, apartments, basements, and attics. Gary 443-564-8487 HAUL AWAY: Prompt professional affordable. Residential/ commercial. Insured/ bonded. Free estimates. SEE OUR AD IN THE SERVICE DIRECTORY. 410-526-6000 www.haulawaymd.com WILLY’S JUNK REMOVAL: SAME-DAY OR NEXT-DAY SERVICE GAURANTEED! REASONABLE RATES!410-984-7032

INSTRUCTION & TUTORING CRIS JACOBS FROM THE BRIDGE teaches all styles/skill levels.410-608-1324. crisjacobs1@gmail.com

TRANSPORTATION EXPERIENCED MATURE WOMAN seeks position as companion/personal assistant. Excellent References. Has own transportation 443-271-4616 DRIVER-LICENSED TAXI OWNER: 20 yearsexperience. Professional,dependable, courteous. Airports, trains, buses, events, courier service. Credit card accepted. Sam Bach. 410-302-0057. FRIENDS, FAMILY OR BUSINESS MEETUPS IN/OUT OF TOWN? LET US BRING YOU TOGETHER! ANYWHERE/ANYTIME. CALL DON SHEIN! 410-274-3620 NEED A RIDE? Airports, Doctor's Appointments & more. I'll even feed the cat! Call Blumie Blumberg. 410-615-0029

WANTED TO BUY 1950'S, 60'S, 70'S, Modern. Furniture, art, lighting, etc. Robert 410-960-8622 MR. BOB'S ANTIQUES. Buying now. Antique furniture through 1950’s. $Silver-jewelrylamps-clocks-watches-complete estates. 410-371-3675

IT’S

amazing WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR T

Selling? Buyers are flocking to the JT’s Amazing Marketplace.

WINDOW TREATMENTS DISCOUNT DRAPERIES Rods, Verticals, Mini- blinds. Drapery cleaning, restringing, repair, installation. Norman Goldschmitt 410-358-1651 BEST PRICES on custom blinds, upholstery, draperies. Installation, repairs, drapery cleaning.410-526-2744

LANDSCAPING GROUNDSCAPE INC. For all your lawn and landscaping needs. Winter yard cleanup, snow removal etc. 410-415-LAWN/ MHIC#126283

MOVING ABBA MOVING LLC. Full service. Local/Long Distance. Insured. Free estimates. 410-281-6066

jewishtimes.com

To advertise, call 410-902-2326. jewishtimes.com

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REAL ESTATE FOR RENT

IT’S

amazing Homesale YWGC Realty

A Sixty Acre Rolling Estate Please accept our invitation to view our lovely garden apartments

STEVENSON VILLAGE 2 B R 2 b a t h c o n d o i n e x ce l l e n t c o ndi t i o n. To ta l ly re mo d e le d k i t c h e n wi t h f u l l s iz e wa s h e r a n d d ry e r. B o t h ba t hro o m s re d o n e . L g e n c l o s e d c a r p e t e d Fl o r i d a R o o m wi t h l o v e l y g a r d e n v ie w s . NO S T E P S . M o t iv a t e d S e l l e r . Of fe rs w e lc o me .

All apartments feature generous living areas and spacious closets. 1BR/SOLARIUM STARTING AT

$925

2BR/SOLARIUM STARTING AT

$1125

DOLLY ROSOFF

2BR/2BA STARTING AT

$1025

3BR STARTING AT

$1225

• Heat and hot water included • Full eat-in kitchens •Washer and dryer in each unit •Walk-in closets • Cable/FIOS ready •Trash collection at your door • Large patios & balconies • Summer swimming pool membership

Rental office open 9-6, Monday-Friday & Saturday by appt.

410.484.2040 www.pomona-apartments.com

MARGATE TOWNHOME (PIKESVILLE) 3BR 2½ BA. 2,615 sq. ft. with Brand-New roof, Central air/heat, and Washer/Dryer in unit. Open floor plan features hardwood floors & deck. Garage parking with easy access to 695, walking distance to Woodholme shopping center.

$2,000/month plus utilities.

410-456-0002

CA LL

THE RISTEAU

Penthouse. One Bedroom Condo. W/D. Balcony, skylight, indoor parking, pool, tennis, full security. At 695 & 83 $1,600/mo

410.363.6216

IVY MOUNT A PA R T M E N T S

Located in Mt. Washington offering yearly lease for large delux 3BR, 2BA apartments. Rental $1650-$1875 includes all gas heat & cooking, water full size washer & gas-dryer in unit. Shown by appointment. 410-358-6300 or ivymount@comcast.net

J EWISH TI M ES. 410-902-2300

S U B S C R I B E TO T H E

T EA M R O S O F F

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

R OVE C S I 2009 Award RED Winning Community Voted by MMHA

PICKWICK EAST A P A R T M E N T S Experience the feeling of coming home to our luxury garden apartments, nestled between bustling Pikesville and historic Mt. Washington. Enjoy the traditions that have always been a part of Pickwick East living. Unparalleled Customer Service • Fully Equipped Kitchen Cost Efficient Washer and Dryer in Every Home • Dishwashers Frost Free Refrigerator with Ice Maker • Gas Cooking • Hot Water Included • Individually Controlled Air Conditioning and Heat • Trash Pick Up at Your Door • Wall to Wall Carpet • Outstanding 24 Hr Maintenance Service • Cable Ready • Olympic & Tot Pools • Tot Lot

The immediate neighborhood includes houses of worship, schools, recreation, shopping and restaurants. 1•2•3 Bedroom Apartments from $815/mo. plus utilities. 2 BR $980/mo. plus utilities

410-486-8900 Monday - Friday 9-5 Closed Saturday & Sunday

WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR. T

Selling? Buyersare flocking tothe JT’s Amazing Marketplace. Toadvertise, call410-902-2326.

Rich in Tradition

REAL ESTATE

LEN BERNHARDT For Over 40 Years, A Successful Trusted Name in Real Estate * Over $250 Million In Sales * * Over 2,500 Satisfied Families * * Former Radio Real Estate * Talk Show Host Office 410-821-1700 • Cell 410-207-2467 • Home 410-484-0829 Search all active listings on my website at cbmove.com/len.bernhardt

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RARELY AVAILABLE Stevenson Post Garage Townhouse

MAJOR PRICE REDUCTION, NOW $379,900!!!

2402 SHELLEYDALE DRIVE

Beautifully Appointed Garage Townhome with Gorgeous Private Gated Courtyard. Spacious LR & DR with Atrium. Stunning Remodeled Eat–In Kitchen. Wood Floors. Designer Built–Ins. 2 FPLs. Large MBR Suite. Fully Finished Lower LVL. 2 Trex Decks. Backs to open space. pool/tennis/playground

GREENSPRING / MEADOWOOD

Make Sure You Have Representation!

BRAND NEW LISTING - STEVENSON VILLAGE CONDOMINUM

Greenspring East Townhouse

D L SO

Stunning beautifully appointed 3BR, 3.5BA spacious Townhouse. Bright open floorplan. High ceilings. Private location. Formal LR & DR, French Doors, Wood Floors. New carpet, eatin kitchen, Deck, MBR Suite. Finished lower level. Custom Built-ins, Laundry room. Walk-out to patio.

TOTALLY REMODELED 2 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHS PLUS ENCLOSED SOLARIUM TOP FLOOR UNIT! MAGNIFICENT LARGE EAT-IN KITCHEN WITH GRANITE COUNTER, LOVELY WOODEN CABINETS, TOP-OFF-THE-LINE APPLICANCES AND CERAMIC FLOOR! NEW BATHROOMS! NEW WINDOWS AND DOORS! FABULOUS BUILT-INS AND SO MUCH MORE!

ELEGANT ARLINGTON PARK DUPLEX CONDO MAJOR REDUCTIONS $149,000

WHEN NOT JUST ANY REAL ESTATE AGENT WILL DO!

SUSAN WEISSFELD BUYERS AND SELLERS CAN CONTACT ME DIRECT FOR CONSULTATION FIRSTTIME BUYERS-LET ME SHOW YOUTHE WAY HOME HAVING A HARDTIME SELLING-LET ME SHOW YOU HOW

THIS TOTALLY UPDATED HOME IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!! EXPANDED 27’X15’ MAGNIFICIENT KITCHEN! BEAUTIFUL BATHROOMS! STUNNING FAMILY ROOM AND DEN! CUSTOM WINDOWS, DOORS, FLOORING & DECK! LANDSCAPED GROUNDS TOO!

THIS BEAUTIFUL DUPLEX CONDOMINIIUM BOASTS 2 BEDROOMS, 2 AND ONE HALF BATHROOM PLUS LARGE FAMILY ROOM! HUGE ROOM SIZES! HIGH CEILINGS! CHAIR AND CROWN MOLDINGS! MAGNIFICENT HARD WOOD FLOORS! FULL SIZE WASHER AND DRYER! EAT-IN KITCHEN! NEW WINDOWS! NEW HEATING AND CENTERAL AIR! DRENCHED IN SUNLIGHT TOO!

EVA KATZNELSON, GRI

SUPERIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

443-794-5406 Cell • 410-580-0908 Direct

410-653-1700

5607 MERVILLE AV E .

GREENGATE RANCHER 7125 Pheasant Cross Dr

Great Mt. Washington, cross country neighborhood. Walk to public transportation, shopping, houses of worship, Sinai hospital! Available immediately!

FOUND YOUR beshert ?

Sudbrook Park

oan ohen

4 bedroom 2 bath all brick completely remodeled home under $250K. Settle With the Best!

Ruth Maier

Life Member: Real Estate Million Dollar Association, Ltd. 443-386-5384(CELL) 410-358-7899(DIRECT LINE)

SOLD

Land Availble in Dorchester County! Looking for 1 story homes in Grey Rock!

Call / Text 410-925-1299 or email ruth.maier@cbmove.com

3BR 2.5 BA with den and fireplace in family room. Totally updated--Move in condition. New windows and siding, Built-ins, flr to ceiling bay window in LR, separate office. Priced to sell at $389,900

No matter who you are,

we can help.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer throughresearch, education, advocacy, and service. It is one of the oldest and largest voluntary health agencies in the United States, with over two million Americans united to conquer cancer through balanced programs of research, education,patient service, advocacy, and rehabilitation.

1-800-227-2845

042505

Share your good news where all your friends will see it. To advertise in the new JT, call 410-902-2326.

Cell 410-370-9154 | o: 410-653-1700 www.joancohensellshomes.com jewishtimes.com

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NEUMANN / LIBOV ACTION IN REAL ESTATE ANN & MORT WISH YOU A ™

VERY HAPPY & HEALTHY NEW YEAR! Ann Neumann Mort Libov realtorann@aol.com mornster5555@yahoo.com 410-905-1401 443-414-5050

MARGOLIS, SPIGEL & TEAM 16 VELVET VALLEY CT

2510 LIGHTFOOT DR

We would like to send a heartfelt thank you to all of our loyal friends $324,900 $795,000 family and clients 1059CAMPBELLMEADOWRD 8 SUPREME CT that continue to allow us success in Real Estate!!! $239,900 $319,900 Have a safe and 3 RUDDINGTON CT 1049 FLAGTREE LN wonderful New Year!

L IBBY BERMAN 6 SCHLOSS COURT

2 MAJOR ADDITIONS, A MUST SEE!

$599,000

2331 OLD COURT

MARGOLIS, SPIGEL & TEAM $199,000

$175,000

CORNER UNIT-BEST VIEWS!

410-583-5700

$290,000

Thank you for your business in 2012Real Estate is picking up-Call me so we can do business together in 2013! Call Patti Spigel 410-241-9797 60

Amy Harlan Cindi Topolski, GRI Diane Stoler Jamie Goldberg 410-440-3479 443-838-2061 410-440-1138 410-458-9580

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

LIBBY BERMAN The Name You Know and Trust 410-583-5700 CELL: 410-978-4920 • libby.berman@longandfoster.com

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Rebecca Conway

Dmitry Fayer

Ida Volkomich

Realtor

410-236-1901

410-491-6524

410-978-5544

410-653-SOLD(7653) Marc Goldstein Broker, ABR, CRS, GRI

410-598-9900

Anna Yashnyk

Gennady Fayer

Realtor, ABR, CDPE Certified Distressed Property Expert

Realtor, CDPE Certified Distressed Property Expert

443-983-0426

443-324-3280

NEW LISTING

Aaron Pearlman

Marina Shwartz

Realtor, ABR, GRI

Realtor

410-961-5773

410-236-1504

NEW LISTING

BLUE GRASS MANOR $349,900 (BLU)

STEVENSON $424,900 (WOO)

FIELDS OF HARVEST $354,900 (HAR)

4BR/2.5BA Contemporary w/eat-in kit, 1st fl FR, big LR & DR, 2 car garage.

4BR/2.5BA Colonial on 1.99 acres! Granite kit, MBR suite w/lux BA, 1st fl FR w/FP, hdwd flrs.

4BR/2.5BA Cape Cod on over 3 acres w/pool! Eat-in kit, 1st fl FR w/FP. MBR suite w/walkin. 2 car garage.

Updated 2BR/2BA on 1.48 lush acres! Granite kit, beaut 6' walk-in shower, hdwd flrs. Balcony w/stunning view. Agent/ Owner.

VELVET VALLEY $299,900 (PAR)

NEW LISTING

VILLAGE AT WOODHOLME $290,000 (MEA) 3BRgarageTownhousew/graniteeat-inkit,SSappls. 1stflMBRw/gardenbath,hdwds,sunroom&more!

WESTON $269,900 (MEA) 3BR/2.5BA Contemp w/1st fl MBR suite & jacuzzi tub, eat-in kit, fin'd LL. Gated community w/pool.

REISTERSTOWN VLG $254,900 (BEN) 4BR/3.5BAendTownhousew/eat-inkit,2-storyfoyer,wood floors.MBRsuite,fin'd walkoutLL.Deckoverlookstrees.

ASPEN MILL $254,900 (SIL)

BROOKFALLS $239,900 (JON)

3BR/3.5BA brick EOG w/eat-in kit, sep DR, MBR w/cath ceiling. Fin'd walkout LL.

Renovated 3-4BR Townhouse w/eat-in kit, cathedral ceilings, fin'd walkout LL & more!

UNDER CONTRACT

NEW LISTING

OWINGS MILLS $219,900 (BRA) 4BR/2BA Split Foyer w/eat-in kit, sep DR, fin'd LL w/FP. Deck and corner lot..

FOREST GREEN $199,900 (FOR)

SUBURBIA $219,900 (EMP) 4BR/3.5BA Townhouse w/eat-in kit, MBR suite, cathedral ceilings, fin'd walkout LL.

GARRISON WOODS $199,900 (HIG)

3BR/1.5BA Rancher w/many updates! Custom kit, 3BR/2/@BA Townhouse w/eat-in kit, hdwd hdwd flrs, vaulted ceilings, huge FR. Private yard. floors, fin'd walkout LL w/FP & half BA.

BELLE FARM ESTATES $164,900 (BON) 3BR/2BA Rancher w/granite eat-in kit, hdwd flrs, fin'd LL w/bath. Enclosed rear porch.

RENTAL

JONES VALLEY $149,900 (JON)

TIMBERGROVE $149,900 (WIC)

NORTHWOOD $142,500 (KIN)

GREENSPRING VALLEY $139,900 (SPR)

STEVENSON $2600 (BIR)

2BR mid-lvl Condo w/updated kit & floors, fresh paint, fireplace, balcony & corner location!

Stunning 2BR 1st fl Condo w/granite kit, upgraded baths, hdwd flrs, new HVAC. Private setting.

Remodeled3BRTownhousew/granitekit,ceramicbath, hdwdflrs.Fin'dwalkoutLL,newroof!

Updated 2BR Colonial on 1/2 acre! Eat-in kit, 1st fl laundry. New carpet, freshly painted.

5BR/3BA Contemporary. Over 3500SF. Nice 1/2 acre property.

410-653-SOLD (7653) Office â&#x20AC;˘ 1-800-770-6404 Toll-Free www.nationalrealtyhome.com jewishtimes.com

R HE OL NC PO RA TH I W

RE AC

MINI FARM OF THE WEEK

www.HomeRome.com 7

STONE HOME 2703 CLARINTH RD UNDER $150,000

1930 JORDANS RETREAT RD. UNDER $450,000 Mini horse farm ... Idyllic 7 acres buffered by a forest of trees. Charming home with bright sunroom, central air, gas cooking granite kitchen! A bit of paradise to live and enjoy nature. 3 car garage, workshop. So much charm and so much beauty! Horses, people and pet friendly! When would you like a tour? www.homerome.com

VELVET HILLS SOUTH

GE RA

K IC

IT L SP

The Towers #102 C

3003 Northbrook Rd. Under $275,000 Four level Pickwick split rarely available with a very large family room, with room for fourth bedroom. Beautiful level park–like backyard and patio. Large living room, formal dining room and eat–in kitchen with window over sink. Extra long and wide driveway for plenty of off street parking. Central air, gas heat. www.homerome.com

W CK PI

Two bedrooms with full bath GE plus a powder room is a perHU fect size. Very bright with oversized windows and double sliding doors to the very private enclosed first–floor patio with gated locked entrance. For photos go to www.homerome.com

TI PA

All stone semi with front and rear porch- level backyardandaone–car garage. Large rooms throughout. Separate dining room, fireplace in spacious living room. Eat–in kitchen. 3 Bedrooms and two full baths upstairs. Finished lower level paneled recreation room with fireplace, full bath and an abundant amount of storage. All new windows and doors. www.homerome.com

RO RF TE WA

the right way

Rome

Margaret Rome author of Real Estate

Bright spacious one bedroom and den 8th floor Coop near the elevator. Wide windows bathe the space with light. Tree top views from all rooms. Updated eat kitchen, 3 walk in closets. Move in condition. Full service with doorman and receptionist. Monthly fee includes, heat, air conditioning and taxes. Cash only contracts.

Under $40,000

Eleven Slade

Beautiful bright 5th floor condo close to elevator overlooks the pool. Spacious 2 bed 2 bath Updated custom white eat in kitchen with loads of cabinets, counters and drawers. 4 closets in master bedroom. Bosch washer and dryer. Balcony and pool. 2nd bedroom built in desk/storage is perfect for office or den. Elegant Move In !

Under $75,000

Seven Slade

Master bedroom with His and Hers Bathrooms and THREE walk in closets plus another closet for shoes. Modern decor with mirrors on the walls and ceilings. Lots of custom built -ins. Open plan with marble floors in foyer, dining room, living room and 2nd bedroom(now used as a den) Bright white eat in kitchen with pantry. Convenient laundry inside the unit. Garage parking and full service luxury!

Under $140,000

One Slade

SLADE AVENUE

Custom Built Waterfront Home. Panoramic River Views A home for living, for vacationing and for entertaining. 4-5 bedrooms (2 on main level with full accessible bath) Dock, decks, hot tub, sauna, casita/lanai. Move in ready! www.homerome.com

6831 South River Under $500,000

SELL YOUR HOME WITH MARGARET ROME 12325 FALLS RD UNDER $500,000

G IN ST LI

17 Oak Hill Court Under $400,000 2 story contemporary on .42 acre. 4 BR 3 1/2 baths. 3 finished levels. gorgeous lot with park like views from the oversized deck. Gourmet granite, stainless, and ceramic kitchen. Stone fireplace in great room. Luxury Master with double vanities, separate jetted tub and stall shower.1st floor laundry. Mancave with wet bar, fridge and full bath. Sliders for easy outside access. This one is special. www.homerome.com

COUNTRY LIVING ONE MILE FROM THE BELTWAY. UNDER $425,000 415 SOUTH RD. 21208

Unique solid masonry brick custom home on 3 acres buffered by Woodholme County Club. Gated secluded private retreat in Pikesville… convenient to everything. First floor master suite, open floor plan and a guest suite with kitchen. High ceilings and brick fireplace. Drive the golf cart home! www.homerome.com

R OO FL E R T T 1S MAS

W NE

Large rancher with plenty of parking could be the perfect place. This large one level home with easy access, lots of open space, a huge kitchen and glass doors to the spacious deck, would make an ideal home for someone who needed handicapped accessibility or an assisted living facility. Main road with lots of parking. In ground pool. Perfect for summer therapy and relaxation.The lower level has a full bath and door to the outside...perfect for staff or live-in caregiver.

I HAVE QUALIFIED BUYERS FOR THESE HOMES • NEEDED SMALL SINGLE FAMILY OR TOWNHOUSE IN PET FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD. UP TO $125,000 • NEEDED: HOMES ‘ANY CONDITION FOR CASH INVESTORS FAST CLOSINGS. • NEEDED...CHARMING OLDER HOME WITH CHARACTER, ACREAGE, GARAGES AND MULTIPLE FIREPLACES (ONE IN THE MASTER WOULD BE IDEAL) • NEEDED ... GREENE TREE TOWNHOUSE ASCOTT MODEL QUICK SETTLEMENT! • NEEDED...ANNEN WOODS TOWNHOUSE, IMMEDIATE SETTLEMENT. • NEED HOME IN FORT GARRISON SCHOOL SYSTEM • NEEDED...ELDERSBURG OR SYKESVILLE HOME WITH PUBLIC UTILITIES AND GAS HEAT UP TO $500K • NEEDED...2 STORY W/ LARGE YARD IN SUMMIT PARK, FRANKLIN OR FORT GARRISON DISTRICT. UP TO $500K

THINKING ABOUT SELLING YOUR HOME PLEASE CALL MARGARET ROME.

www.410-530-2400.com

Search over 50,000 active listings through my website. www.HomeRome.com • mrome@HomeRome.com ABR, ACRE, BROKER, CAP, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, PMN, RECS, SRES, CyberStar™

Baltimore Jewish Times December 28, 2012

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Awarded Top 1% of Real Estate Professionals in North America

Glick*Seidel A Higher Standard in Real Estate Services

Carole Glick & Linda Seidel

410-583-5700

410.409.8110 • 410.375.6532 G ISTIN NEW L OME H W NE

R JUST

PARKE AT MT. WASHINGTON

$542,459

G LISTIN O NE W COND A B 2 2BR/

RENT

M DREA

STEVENSON

$339,000

D GATE

$149,900 AL

ROCKLAND - GATED COMMUNITY BA 2BR/2

GWYNNBROOK

$464,900

OOD DOGW L E D O M

RICE NEW P MUNITY COM

FALLS GABLE

BA 2BR/2

EDUCE

$1,180,000

QUARRY LAKE HIGHLANDS

HOME

WOODRIDGE

ER B MAST 1ST FL

$319,900

O C O ND

COLONIAL VILLAGE

$759,000 TE D SUI

$199,500

CUSTOM DESIGN & BUILD W/JPAUL BUILDERS VELVET VALLEY GORGEOUS CUL-DE-SAC LOT GREENSPRING WOODS OLD COURT RD. AREA ON CUL-DE-SAC.

“GREEN FRIENDLY CONSTRUCTION” GREENSPRING EAST

$1,350/MO

OME NE W H

STEVENSON VILLAGE NE W

WATERFORD PRESERVE

$829,990

$125,000

HOME

VELVET VALLEY

CAVES FOREST

$649,000

HOME NE W

$1,089,900

PALADIA WAY

LOTS FROM $295,900

$1,350,000

BARONET WOODS

$929,900

WE ARE SELLING!!

SOLD GREENSPRING VALLEY

$599,900

SOLD GREENS AT SMITH

$245,000

SOLD COURT HAVEN

$179,900

D L O S WORTHINGTON PARK

$414,900

www.glickseidel.com Greenspring Valley/Lutherville jewishtimes.com

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