THE JEWISH VOICE AND OPINION Promoting Classical Judaism
January 2011
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Shvat 5771
Good News in Israel: Best Economy in the West, Energy Independence, and Maybe Future Exports
fter years of Jewish jokes decrying the fact that the Biblical Moses was sent to a Promised Land barely 40 miles from any natural source of oil or gas, Israel has struck pay dirt. Initial drilling confirmed last month that a huge gas field has been discovered off Israel’s Mediterranean shore, 50 miles west of Haifa. The future impact of the Tamar gas field on the Israeli economy is enormous. The amount of natural gas in the huge field is estimated at almost 120 trillion gallons, almost twice the size of
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the previous large gas discovery at the Tamar field. Commenting on the discovery, Business Week said, “Few doubt that the country, which for decades has been dependent on importing nearly all of its energy needs, has entered a new era of far greater economic independence.” The announcement of the Tamar gas field’s assessed value of about $8 billion came on the heels of news that Israel’s economy expanded by 4.5 percent, propelling the Jewish
Israel may become an exporter of energy with offshore rigs
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Pro-Israel Jews and Christians Came Together in Seattle, Where There Was Absolutely No Sleeping on the Buses
t the end of December, many pro-Israel Jews and Christians felt their successful joint campaign to keep antiIsrael ads off buses in Seattle was an example of cooperation that allowed the good guys to win. The issue began when, according to a report on Seattle KING5-TV, a group calling itself the Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign (SMAC) had paid Seattle’s King County $1,794 so that a dozen buses
would carry an ad showing a Palestinian family, including gaunt, hollowed-eyed children, staring at a demolished building while the text read “Israeli War Crimes: Your tax dollars at work.” The ad also listed a website that encourages supporters to write to Congress asking lawmakers to revoke US military aid to Israel. The ads were expected to be placed on Seattle’s buses on December 27, the second an-
KosheKouponz.com......................... 3 The Current Crisis.......................... 4 Kol Ami:Fair Blame?...................... 5 Ohel’s New Teacher Training............ 8 BDS Against Israel....................... 16 No Solution on Cedar Lane.......... 24 Chen V’Chesed............................ 25
niversary of the beginning of Israel’s Operation Cast Lead, the IDF’s operation in Gaza which was aimed at stopping the daily barrage of rocket attacks by Gaza-based terrorists into civilian areas of southern Israel. Double Talk Ed Mast, a veteran antiIsrael protester who has been an activist in the terrorist-linked International Solidarity Movement (ISM), served as a spokesman for SMAC. According to
Inside the Voice
Film:Nora’s Will.......................... 26 Camp K........................................ 27 The Log........................................ 28 New Classes this Month.............. 34 Mazal Tov.................................... 36 New Classes................................. 38 Ess Gezint: Jewish French........... 42
Mr. Mast, the ad was not meant to be anti-Israel, but, rather, he said, a “message” designed to generate “discussion and awareness.” “I wouldn’t say it’s an antiIsrael message any more than any complaint about a country is anti-that country,” he told KING5-TV. “We would like Israel to stop violating human rights. We would like Israel to give equal rights to its Palestinian citizens and
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Combatting BDS . ....................... 46 Index of Advertisers . .................. 47 Walk to Shul................................. 49 Passover Resorts.......................... 50 Honor the Professional ............... 51 Letters to the Editor .................... 52 South Florida Real Estate............. 54
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KosherKouponz.com: Group-Buying Website Offers Deals for the Kosher Community
“G
roup-buying” websites seem to be all the rage, especially among young urban professionals. The idea of purchasing $40 worth of food, entertainment, or other popular products and services for only $20 (or less) was certainly attractive to David Siegel when his son explained the concept to him last Pesach. The principle is simple. Every morning, those who sign up for the free program receive an email announcing the deal (or deals) of the day. Interested customers pay the discounted rate for a coupon which can then be used at some point in the future.
“In most cases, the face value is at least twice as much as you paid,” says Mr. Siegel. The only catch is that, in order to make the deal “tip” into effect, a sufficient number of people have to purchase it. This need prompts those who want the deal to help promote it, discussing it with friends and family, either the old-fashioned way (by telephone) or via the new high-tech social networks, blogs, and email lists. New Customers Using credit cards, customers pay for the “deals” through the website. Most website companies take their share (usually 50 percent) and
then send the rest to the store or business offering the deal. The customer gets a coupon which can be redeemed until the expiration date, usually anywhere from three months to a year. According to many reports, store owners offering the deals through these sites have seen scores of new customers, making it an attractive alternative to advertising, especially because nothing has to be paid up-front. In fact, the merchants receive their payments even before they are required to deliver the products or services called for on the coupon.
The store owner’s expense kicks in when he or she gives coupon-bearing customers the goods and products for a fraction of the full price. If, for example, a customer spent $25 for a coupon that will give him a $50 meal, half of the money ($12.50) goes to the website company. The store owner will receive only $12.50 for the customer’s $50 meal. Nevertheless, websites offering the deals say store owners regard the deals as “loss-leaders” and are very pleased with the exposure and the new customers who they hope will become regulars.
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THE JEWISH VOICE AND OPINION, Inc. © 2010; Publisher and Editor-in-Chief: Susan L. Rosenbluth Phone (201)569-2845 Managing Editor: S. Edelman Advertising: Rivkie Lichstein-Stall The Jewish Voice & Opinion (ISSN # 1527-3814), POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631, is published monthly in coordination with The Central Committee for Israel. A one-year subscription is $18. Periodicals postage is paid at Englewood, NJ and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Jewish Voice and Opinion, POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631. All advertising in the Jewish Voice and Opinion must conform to the standards of the Orthodox Rabbinic kashruth. Editorial content reflects the views of the writer and not necessarily any other group. The Jewish Voice is not responsible for typographical errors.
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January 2011
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The Current Crisis: “Even in Laughter, the Heart Can Ache”
hile we don’t like to admit it, there are other terrorists besides young male representatives of the religion of peace. The NYC City Council rep from E Harlem, Melissa Mark-Viverito, called on fellow council members last month to support the parole bid of one Oscar Lopez-Rivera, a former leader of the Puerto Rican terrorist group FALN, now doing 70 years for seditious conspiracy. Well, Ms. Mark-Viverito didn’t quite put it that way. Coming close to calling him a prisoner of conscious, she said he was put away “for his commitment to the independence of Puerto Rico.” This enraged her colleague, Queens City Councilman Dan Halloran, who, like us, remembered that, more than 30 years ago, the FALN was responsible for a reign of terror that killed six people and injured 130 others in more than 100 bombings. That included the 1983 bombing of Police Headquarters in which three officers were maimed as they tried to defuse the bombs. Halloran could just hear someone making the same argument for the 9-11 bombers. “They were just responding to the ‘evils’ of the US,” he said. In fact, Lopez-Rivera could have been out 12 years ago, but, in 1999, he rejected then-President Bill Clinton’s offer of a pardon because it would have required a public renunciation of violence. Oh, sure, Mark-Viverito called Halloran’s response “inappropriate and offensive.” *** Honest Reporting is bestowing its annual award for “the most skewered and biased coverage of the Mideast conflict” to The Free Gaza Movement, which based its international legitimacy on unfounded claims of a humanitarian crisis in Hamas-stan.
Its award for Most Creative Journalism goes to Egypt’s government-owned Al-Ahram, which was caught digitally altering a photo of the White House summit, making it appear as if Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak were leading the leaders. When caught, chief editor Omar Saraya, claimed the photo was an illustration. The award for attempted full-coverage goes to the CBC after Carleton University student Nick Bergamini and his Israeli roommate were nearly lynched in an antisemitic attack in Ottawa. A CBC reporter asked Bergamini if had any enemies who might be quoted “to give balance to the story.” Unfortunately for the CBC, the report had to air without quotes from “the other camp.” *** You gotta love those Egyptians for creativity. Betcha can’t guess who their security officials think set a shark loose last month in Sharm al-Sheikh which seriously maimed several tourists. Hint: It’s a coreligionist of the same group that staged the terror attack in Alexandria on a Coptic Church that left 22 Christians dead. Boy, that Mossad really gets around. Word has it that the Jews figured if they couldn’t get sufficient human blood from the shark, they’d just pick it up from the Coptic Church. Keep it for Pesach. You don’t believe that, do you? The truth is a group of Egyptian lawyers are accusing Israel of staging the attack on the church, figuring it was a response to the uncovering of an Israeli spy ring at a memorial rally organized by the Egyptian Bar Association. The lawyers say the Jews assaulted the church after they threw the sharks into the sea in order to attack frolicking tourists on the beach. (Really) S.L.R.
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Kol Ami: Is It Fair to Blame?
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fter the Carmel fire last month in Israel, a lot of the media was blaming Minister of the Interior Eliyahu Yishai, claiming he was not prepared. Some critics are claiming these accusations are actually a result of anti-Sephardic or anti-religious sentiments. At the American Sephardic Federation’s annual dinner at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan last month, the question was: Do you agree with critics who claim criticism of Minister Yishai is actually based in anti-Sephardic bigotry? Y
The fire was the result of an unfortunate accident, and act of G-d for which no one was responsible. An enigma no one can explain. Minister Yishai did the best he could. R. David Messas Chief Rabbi of Paris Paris, France
Israel was prepared for war and terrorism, but not it did not anticipate fire as well. The concern was not anti-Sephardic. There are lots of good things going on in Israel now, especially a strong economy. Chantal Tobaly New York, New York
It was just a breakdown in government, like what happens with every other country when faced with a catastrophe. Some people play the blame game. Daniel Levy New York, New York
After a tragedy there often is a lot of fingerpointing, but there should be concern on prevention rather than fingerpointing. What did we learn? That we should make sure similar tragedies don’t occur in the future. R. Marc Angel New York, New York
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KosherKouponz.com One website boasts that 97 percent of store owners who have offered deals are eager to do it again. Kosher Niche While, nation-wide, consumers seem to enjoy this new shopping experience, a few weeks after starting to use one of the “group-buying� sites, Mr. Siegel discovered a problem: Most of the deals are simply unsuitable for the kosher community. The restaurants offering the huge discounts are virtually all treif and many of the entertainment venues are for programs taking place on Shabbat. Mr. Siegel leaped into the breach, creating KosherKouponz.com, a site geared to the kosher consumer, offering half-price “kouponz� for kosher restaurants, take-outs,
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and other services enjoyed by the Jewish community. The site has successfully launched in Northern New Jersey and, says Mr. Siegel, who serves as KosherKouponz.com’s CEO, has started offering deals in Manhattan and other New York areas. Bargains During its first few weeks, KosherKouponz.com’s followers were able to pay $10 for a $20 gift certificate at an Israeli steakhouse, 47 percent off a sushi platter, and 78 percent off for a one-month membership at a local health club. According to Mr. Siegel, KosherKouponz.com followers should now be on the lookout for popular restaurants in Manhattan and Riverdale, discounts at Space Odyssey, and an $8.50 kosher pizza pie.
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David & Nancy Siegel Mr. Siegel, whose site takes considerably less from merchants than the usual 50 percent, has one word of advice to consumers. “Don’t spend too much time deciding if it’s worth it, because, as the ticking timer on top of the site reminds you, these fantastic deals are available only for 48 hours,� he says. Free Membership As on all “group-buying� sites, joining KosherKouponz. com is free. “You can even earn ‘KosherKash’ by referring friends,� says Mr. Siegel, pointing out that not all the deals offered on the site are for food. “In recent weeks, kosher shoppers snatched up cheap manicures and discounts at dry cleaners faster than the cholent was devoured at last week’s shul Kiddush,� he says.
Community-Minded For Mr. Siegel, the exciting part of this new venture is working with members of the Orthodox community: store owners who will offer the deals and kosher consumers who will be getting bargains by purchasing them. As part of the Orthodox community, he knows well what attracts his neighbors. He and his wife, Nancy, raised their four children in Teaneck, where the family belongs to Congregation Keter Torah. For the past 13 years, Mr. Siegel has coached the wrestling team at the Frisch Yeshiva High School in Paramus. An attorney working in financial services for 30 years, Mr. Siegel says he has always wanted to be involved in a project relating to the kosher community with a chance to help Israel as well. KosherKouponz.com will give him that opportunity. “I’m looking forward to working with charities to help with fundraising programs and to promote projects for the mutual benefit of our members and these tzedakas,� he says. OnlySimchas.com Already KosherKouponz. com has aligned itself with the popular OnlySimchas.com to promote its offerings to the Jewish community.
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OHEL’s Family Center of Northern NJ Begins New Teacher Training Program
T
he Teaneck-based OHEL Regional Family Center of Northern NJ recently began an eight-session training program for local teachers. Moderated by Meir S. Mark, supervisor of OHEL’s school-based services, it is similar to the New York-based program which OHEL has been running for five years. The NJ program is drawing participants from the Frisch Ye-
shiva High School, Bais Tova in Lakewood, Jewish Educational Center, Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey, Torah Academy of Bergen County, Yavneh Academy, Yeshivat Noam, Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic, and High Point School of Bergen County. The New York program, now in its sixth year, has already trained more than 100 educators.
Yossi Markovitz, co-founder of OnlySimchas.com, says he finds the opportunity to offer relevant discounts to his users in the New York area “exciting.” “Partnerships with digital start-up businesses are a perfect fit for us, especially when they cater to the Jewish consumer,” he says. Mr. Siegel credits his site’s sudden popularity to the economic climate. “People have cut back on spending and merchants are feel-
ing the pinch. KosherKouponz. com offers its members the opportunity to shop at the places we love and save some money at the same time,” he says. Feedback The feedback, he says, has been gratifying—and a little overwhelming. Simi Schwartz, a Teaneck mother who bought “Kouponz” for a $5 manicure at the Lillian Lee Salon and 50 percent off at Mabat Steakhouse, says that after signing up for many
KosherKouponz.com
The select teachers in the New Jersey program receive in-depth training workshops and supervision. As part of the program, they will conduct five workshops with students in their schools throughout the academic school year. Among the topics addressed by the OHEL program are selfesteem; conflict resolution, including bullying and anger
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deal sites that proved irrelevant to her life, she is “thrilled that KosherKouponz.com has come to our neighborhood.” “Finally an email worth opening,” she says. According to Mr. Siegel, several merchants have already asked when they can be highlighted again on the site. “Members of the community have told me that they didn’t know certain restaurants existed until they found them on our site,” he says.
management; relationshipbuilding, including socialskills training and peer pressure; and prevention of at-risk behavior. Mr. Mark welcomes inquiries regarding all OHEL New Jersey programs as well as the organization’s clinical services. He can be reached at 201-692-3972 or nj@ohelfamily.org. Y
Win-Win-Win His goal is to continue structuring the deals to benefit both the merchants and his site’s members. “We don’t ask for 50 percent because we feel that doesn’t work for the merchants, and we are willing to be flexible with the deals. If everyone isn’t happy, this doesn’t work,” he says. To get started, go to KosherKouponz.com, sign up for the daily email, and wait for the deals. S.L.R.
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Buses in Seattle
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its Palestinian subjects who live under occupation.” Few in the pro-Israel camp accepted Mr. Mast’s explanation. “We’re dismayed,” said Hilary Bernstein, community director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Pacific Northwest office. “Citizens young and old will be seeing this sort of propaganda, this grotesquely onesided distortion. It’s unfortunate.” Guidelines According to the report on Seattle TV, SMAC’s campaign did not technically violate any of King County’s specific guidelines, which include regulations prohibiting pornography, alcohol, and tobacco. However, the regulations also insist that the images and materials used “do not interfere with the security, comfort, and convenience of Metro passengers, or insult specific groups to the point that a riot could be incited, vandalism could occur, or public safety could be threatened.” Although King County Metro Transit spokesperson Linda Thielke recognized that some people might be offended by the campaign, that concern, she said, was insufficient reason to keep the billboards from being posted. “As a government, we are mindful of the provisions in state and federal constitutions to protect freedom of speech,” Ms. Thielke said. “So, we can’t object to these campaigns simply because they offend some people.” Only Worrying about Rioters
One Christian pro-Israel activist recognized the hidden meaning in her words. “Jews and Christians can be insulted because the authorities figure we won’t riot. They wouldn’t even contemplate insulting Muslims, because they would,” he said. His words proved prophetic. Hours after the Seattle anti-Israel campaign was announced, Christian and Jewish groups, led by Pastor John Hagee’s Christians United for Israel (CUFI) and StandWithUs began alerting their supporters worldwide, asking them to send email messages to King County Council members and to the Metro bus company protesting the schedule ad campaign. For Christian supporters of Israel, the timing, just days before Christmas, was especially difficult. Nevertheless, despite all the travel, shopping, and cooking associated with the holiday, thousands of Christians responded to the call to help defeat the anti-Israel SMAC ad. Rejecting Inaction Other groups that helped with the campaign to defeat the anti-Israel ad included the American Jewish Committee, the Federation of Greater Seattle, the ADL, and the metropolitan Seattle community’s rabbis, synagogues, and organizations. AJC’s regional director, Wendy Rosen, said her group had “deep concern” over the ads, but would not ask the city to remove them because “that would likely gain Seattle Mideast Awareness even more
publicity and media attention.” It is an approach that was rejected by Dovid Efune, director of the Algemeiner Journal. He recognized the rationale behind trying to “act bigger, more mature, allow it to waft away and it will all be forgotten,” to say nothing of the temptation to avoid additional media coverage that might only benefit “the twisted ambitions of the perpetrators.” However, citing the 18th-century British parliamentarian Edmund Burke, he pointed out that “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” No Timidity Non-action in the Seattle and similar situations, he said, would be “a betrayal of the highest order” and timidity, he said, merely convinces the sponsors of antisemitic campaigns that they can “get away with spewing malicious diatribes.” “As opposition wanes, the message becomes more one-sided and is gradually accepted as a narrative of Jewish aggression,” he said. He made several suggestions, ranging from letter-writing and telephone campaigns to counter-boycotts and libel suits. British Example He recalled that, ten years ago, Britain was “brought to its knees” when protesters lay on the road in front of oil tankers preventing them from reaching their destinations. “Courageous young Jews should locate the garages where the Seattle buses are stored and, just like the British protesters, prevent the buses from circulating their hateful message,” he said. He recognized that none of his methods guaranteed success, but, he said, “it is crucially important that those wishing to publicize their hateful propaganda will not go unopposed.” “If the Jewish community is to be effective in eradicating the viral spread of Israeli defamation and antisemitism, it must be combated aggressively, immediately, and in a comprehensive fashion. Lies grow, and Jewish history has shown that the actions they inspire are often calamitous,” he said. Thousands of Responses Fortunately, the pro-Israel groups
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Buses in Seattle
that decided to take on the Seattle bus issue were anything but timid. In several hours, more than 1,800 email messages from StandWithUs supporters alone were received by King County Council members and bus company officials. StandWithUs spokesmen said that number represented only the people who had copied them on their emails. “We know that is only a small portion,” said a spokesman. “Not everyone copied us, plus the phones at Metro have been ringing off the hook with complaints about the ‘war crimes’ ad.” Just as quickly, CUFI’s supporters weighed in. Within hours, more than 6,000 Christian supporters copied CUFI on emails sent to King County, leading Pastor Hagee to suspect that the real number might have been double or even triple
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continued from page 10 that amount. StandWithUs supporters also managed to have a “stuffed” poll on the issue pulled from KING5. By the first evening, slightly more than 50 percent of the votes were against Metro’s running the ad. But by the next morning, more than 15,000 people had said “yes” to the ad. StandwithUs Northwest co-chairs called the television station where officials agreed it was statistically impossible for so many “yes” votes to come in so quickly in a legitimate way. King5 investigated the issue and, within an hour, pulled the poll from their website. 2006 Shooting From the beginning King County Councilman Peter von Reichbauer had opposed the SMAC ad, calling it inappropriate in view of Seattle’s history. In a statement, Mr. Reichbauer referred directly
to a 2006 incident in which a Muslim man went on a shooting spree at a Seattle Jewish center. Last year, the Muslim, whom the media called “mentally ill,” despite his jihadist rhetoric, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. “We do not have to reflect long in time to remember that on July 28, 2006, a madman broke into the Seattle Jewish Federation building, shooting six women, one fatally, and now I ask the question why a public transportation system would advertise polarizing political statements,” said Mr. von Reichbauer. Calling himself “a strong advocate of freedom of speech and common sense,” he said he believed “very strongly that dangerous language can create dangerous environments in a society.” After receiving some of the thousands of emails and calls, his colleagues on the council, Reagan Dunn and Jeanne Hague, joined him in denouncing the SMAC ads. Counter Ads While the City Council was still deciding how to respond, the David Horowitz Freedom Center, founded and headed by its namesake’s left-wingturned-conservative writer and political activist, pushed the envelope and announced a counter-campaign, featuring
ads with a graphic shot of an Israeli bus in flames and dozens of passengers murdered by Arab suicide bombers during the Second Intifada as well as children of Sderot and neighboring kibbutzim running to shelters as Gazan Arabs launched missiles at their towns. Mirroring the ads planned by SMAC, the Horowitz ads would read: “Palestinian War Crimes: Your Tax Dollars at Work.” The tagline was well considered, he said. “The US sends half-a-billion taxpayer dollars to the Palestinians each year,” he said. Unexpected Venue On his blog, Mr. Horowitz said the SMAC ads “are part of an escalating attack on Israel by the left throughout American culture.” “We expect this sort of obscene propaganda in our radical universities, but not on our city streets. These lies cannot go unanswered,” he wrote, adding that his Freedom Center’s mission is to “defend free societies under attack, and particularly under attack from the radical left at home and their jihadist allies abroad.” “This was a case of both,” said Mr. Horowitz. He described Mr. Mast as “a Hamas enabler,” and Seattle
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ORIGINAL DELI
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as “notoriously a hotbed of support for Islamic Nazis.” “Their martyr is Rachel Corrie,” he said, naming the American college student who died in Gaza in 2003 after trying to stop Israeli soldiers from closing down underground tunnels used to smuggle terrorists into Israel, “and their modus operandi is conducting hate campaigns against Jews and Americans masquerading as campaigns for Palestinian rights.” Knew It Was Wrong According to Mr. Horowitz, an unconfirmed report forwarded to FrontPageMagazine indicated that King County
attorneys advised Metro authorities from the beginning not to accept the inflammatory SMAC ad, but the transportation agency disregarded their warning. Another group, called Stop Islamization of America, run by Pam Geller, whose blog, Atlas Shrugs, is best known for her strong opposition to the proposed mosque at Ground Zero in Manhattan, designed her own ad for the buses. It would have read: “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Islamic jihad.” “I asked for the same deal as the Jewhaters received,” she said.
Fear of Muslim Reaction The image of insulted Muslims sobered the Seattle authorities who promptly cancelled all bus ads about the Middle East. King County Executive Dow Constantine cited possible bus service disruption as the reason. “My job is to deliver essential services to the people of King County, including transit service,” he said, explaining that he had consulted with federal and local law enforcement authorities “who expressed concern, in the context of this international debate, that our public transportation system could be vulnerable to disruption.” Metro officials told KING5 that noncommercial advertising would at least temporarily be added to the list of currently restricted ad campaigns, with the exception of certain government ads. Mr. Constantine said that, by the end of January, he hoped to determine a policy that would protect First Amendment rights while safeguarding Metro’s passengers. “The escalation of this issue from one of 12 local bus placards to a widespread and often vitriolic international debate introduces new and significant security concerns that compel reassessment. Further work during the coming weeks will help determine what constitutionally valid policy is best for the safety and well-being of the transit-riding public, our drivers and personnel, and the community at large,” he said. “Reprehensible” Mr. Horowitz called the timing of Mr. Constantine’s change of heart—after the pro-Israel groups started buying ad space and several thousand people contacted King County to protest—“reprehensible and dangerous.” “By initially accepting jihadist propaganda at face value, the King County Executive didn’t find anything about the Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign’s ads that comprised a threat to the security, safety, and well-being of its passengers. The ‘threat’ was seemingly created only after a challenge was raised against the jihadist sympathizers. This clearly insinuates that it was the contribution of Israel advocates which was responsible for debasing the debate to a level worth censoring—not
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com the Palestinian apologists who initially leveled their outrageous charge against Israel,” he said. He said it was “ridiculous” for Mr. Constantine to suggest that organizations, such as his Freedom Center, threatened the security of Metro passengers “with their perfectly civil response to the anti-Israel ads.” “In terms of messaging, the Israel defense ads were no more incendiary or vitriolic that the anti-Israel ads themselves,” he pointed out. Lessons The lesson to be learned from the episode, he said, is that “quick, decisive actions to counter-attacks by jihadist sympathizers are both essential and effective in the continuing struggle to preserve freedom and defeat terrorism.” He said it was clear that King County was prepared to allow SMAC to spread “their terrorist sympathies, but for the rapid response of the Freedom Center and other patriotic Americans.” The Seattle “vigil” must continue, he said, especially as King County proceeds to define its new guidelines for accepting non-commercial advertising. “This skirmish in Seattle serves as a perfect lesson as to why eternal vigilance is necessary to win the war to secure global liberty and freedom. The enemies of freedom have been dealt a defeat in the northwest, but there can be little doubt that they will challenge the forces of liberty time and again, and very, very soon,” said Mr. Horowitz. Pastor Hagee, who was working on his own ad for the Seattle buses when the announcement came that the crisis had passed, congratulated CUFI members for their efforts. “We are thrilled to report that your voices have been heard and that your efforts have paid off. This is a great victory,” Pastor Hagee told his supporters, adding that CUFI officials were “thankful to all of you who responded with enough speed and determination to accomplish the mission so quickly.” More Outreach The lesson taken by StandWithUs, especially its Northwest branch, is that much greater outreach and proactive education is needed in its region. Officials in the Northwest branch said it was “an eye-opener” to realize that the Metro management “had no idea how the
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anti-Israel ‘Israel War Crimes’ ad would affect our community.” “They asked us, ‘What’s so bad about this ad? We just don’t get it.’ They had no idea that it would elicit the incredible response from members of the Jewish community across not only Seattle and the US, but from Jews around the world,” said StandWithUs. Saying Thanks Many of those involved with the campaign to have the SMAC ad pulled have suggested it would be appropriate to let King County Council members as well as Mr. Constantine know that their public position on this issue is appreciated. Mr. Constantine’s email is kcexec@
kingcounty.gov. His phone number is 206-296-4040. Mr. von Reichbauer can be reached at Pete.vonReichbauer@kingcounty.gov (206-296-1007); Ms. Dunn at Reagan.Dunn@kingcounty.gov (206-2961009), and Ms. Hague at Jane.Hague@ kingcounty.gov (206-296-1006). “Clearly, we have a lot of work to do. We need more speakers, more meetings with church leaders, more programs in the community, more educational opportunities and more chances to confront, face-to-face, in public debates and forums, those who distort the truth and demonize Israel. We need proactive education and we must be prepared to respond to misinformation,” said StandWithUs. S.L.R.
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
January 2011
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Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel: Annoying by Non-Jews; Painful When Perpetrated by Israelis against Each Other Those engaging in the BDS movement consider it a war against Israel. They count among their successes the fact that Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Ecuador have recognized “a free and independent Palestine;” that the Stirling City Council in Scotland has approved “a comprehensive boycott campaign against Israel;” that Qatar cut, at least publicly, its trade relations with Israel; that deals have been canceled between Israel and Turkey, the UK, Egypt, and the Gulf States; and that “Israeli businessmen in Turkey now have to hide their identity.”
Song and Dance In the US, the BDS movement utilizes technology to capture the imagination of young people. For example, because Motorola sells communication devices and surveillance equipment to Israel, the BDS movement has targeted the company with a campaign entitled “Hang Up on Motorola.” In December, the St Louis Palestinian Solidarity Committee, a faction of the BDS movement, organized two flash mobs of people who performed a song-and-dance routine excoriating Motorola in front of ordinary shoppers in the
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aunched in 2005, the socalled “boycott, divestment, and sanctions” (BDS) movement was created by Palestinians seeking to prompt their supporters worldwide to convince Western authorities to engage in anti-Israel campaigns. The movement’s goal is to hurt Israel economically and encourage delegitimization of the Jewish state. While monetarily the movement seems not even to have caused a ripple, many Israelis and their supporters resent the time and effort required to combat what most analysts see as nothing more than blatant antisemitism.
Best Buy and AT&T stores in Brentwood Captured on video, the performance was featured teenagers, many in full Muslim garb, musically exhorting customers not to buy Motorola’s products. The repeated refrain was “Justice now in Palestine.” On YouTube Colleen Kelly, outreach coordinator for the ironically named “Instead of War Coalition,” with which the St Louis Palestinian Solidarity Committee is affiliated, said the purpose of the protest was to raise awareness of Motorola’s involvement with the Jewish State by producing a video and placing it online. That way, she said, the group would catch Motorola’s attention as well as that of their customers. She said that two days after the video was posted on YouTube, it had generated more than 9,000 hits, with responses coming from throughout the world. “Internationally, this is a major issue,” she told the St Louis Riverfront Times. “It’s only in this country that we don’t pay attention.” One of the group’s activists was arrested at the AT&T outlet for trespassing, disturbing the peace, and assaulting the store’s manager. Ms. Kelly said she was “confident that the assault charges would be dropped because, she said, there were plenty of witnesses who would prove no assault took place. The anti-Motorola campaign has been countered by Israel’s supporters who are encouraging Motorola purchases. Jew vs Jew While the pro-Israel community finds non-Jewish BDS activism disconcerting, the demands
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com for boycotts from Jewish sources are much more painful. According to the New York Jewish Week, this past fall, the Foundation for Jewish Culture, which raises money to bestow grants to Jewish filmmakers, voted by a two-to-one margin to reject a resolution that sought to condemn all academic and cultural boycotts of Israeli institutions. The defeated resolution would have urged the foundation not to award funds to anyone who participated in such boycotts. The FJC is a relatively obscure group, but its action mirrors calls in Israel for boycotts, primarily against Jewish enterprises in Judea and Samaria. Boycotting the Arts The most dramatic of these calls for boycotts is the one led by some of Israel’s most notoriously left-wing actors and playwrights against a new $11 million performing arts complex in the Samarian city of Ariel.
The boycott was the brainchild of playwright Joshua Sobol, who encouraged Israeli performers to refuse to come to Ariel because “it would strengthen the settlement enterprise.” Mr. Sobol is best known for his theatrical works that compare Israelis to Nazis. He had been the assistant artistic director of the Municipal Theatre in Haifa until 1988, when his play, “The Jerusalem Syndrome,” led to widespread protests across the country, forcing his resignation. Sold-Out Despite Mr. Sobol’s best efforts, as well as those of about 200 other playwrights and performers, the Ariel Performing Arts Center opened without a hitch last November with a performance of the Be’er Sheva Theater’s production of “Piaf,” a play about the life of the French chanteuse Edith Piaf. The theater’s main hall, holding 540 seats, was completely sold out.
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The audience included not only Ariel Mayor Ron Nachman, for whom the theater is the culmination of 20 years of fundraising, but also many other MKs and public officials, most notably Israeli Minister for Cultural and Sports Affairs Limor Livnat. Later this season, the Cameri Theater is scheduled to appear at the Ariel center to perform Bertold Brecht’s “The Caucasion Chalk Circle,” “Havdalah,” and “Tuesdays with Morrie.” Be’er Sheva will then return with a production of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” followed by Habima’s “Dancing and Flying” and “A Railway to Damascus.” The Jerusalem-based Khan Theater troupe will conclude the season with a production of the Molière comedy, “Les Fourberies de Scapin.” Subscriptions for eight shows at the theater cost $144. According to the cultural center’s manager, Ariel Turgeman, the theater has also signed the Camerata chamber orchestra,
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Israeli singer-songwriter Yehudit Ravitz, and the Rishon Letzion Symphony Orchestra. Few Boycotters Cameri’s director, Noam Semel, said fewer than five of his 120 actors have told him they would not participate in productions at the Ariel Center, and Mr. Semel said he would not force them to do so. It has been reported in Israel that playwright Shmuel Hasfari is considering suing Cameri to prevent the theater from performing his play, “Havdalah” in Ariel. Mr. Hasfari contends that his contract stipulates that the play cannot be performed “outside Israel” without his permission. Mr. Semel said he was prepared to allow the courts to decide the issue. “He says Ariel is not in Israel. We say it is Israel,” said Mr. Semel. Government Subsidies But many angry Israelis, led by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, are not
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willing to be so tolerant, especially because the troupes and actors in these national Israeli companies receive substantial government subsidies. “Those theaters that enjoy public funding cannot impose a boycott on the city of Ariel on the basis of certain political views,” said Mr. Lieberman, adding that, wherever possible, he would seek to cut public finding of the artists involved in the boycott. Many Israelis, unwilling to wait for the government to act, have already declared a counter-boycott against those who are shunning Ariel. Pini Badash, head of the local council of the community of Omer, an upscale suburb of Be’er Sheva, well within the so-called Green Line, announced that he would bar the appearance of any performer who is boycotting Ariel. No More Props Yitzchak Hayik, owner
January 2011
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of Hayik Bamot, a veteran firm supplying stage props throughout Israel, announced he will boycott all productions that employ the artists who are boycotting Ariel. “Just as the artists, playwrights, and actors refuse to perform before our brothers, neighbors, and friends in Ariel, so do I refuse to take part in any play, production, or musical that has the initiators of this boycott among its creators and participants. I am unwilling to create stages for them; I will not let them step upon my stages; I will not supply them with stage elements and props; and everyone is hereby requested, in no uncertain terms, not to send our firm any price offer or tender to a play whose creators include that bunch of holier-than-thou bleeding hearts who are tearing our nation apart,” he said. He admitted that, in the past,
he refrained from mixing politics and business, happily building stages and sets for audiences and politicians on the right and left. But, he said, the boycott of Ariel was a step too far. “After years of boycotts, disputes over religion, politics, ethnicity and what not—it is inconceivable that some of our citizens will be considered ‘untouchable’ by the same elite of self-knighted intellectual aristocrats who believe they have the right to determine what is moral and what is not,” he said, suggesting that that “these wondrous playwrights and artists” should realize that the “coffee shops in Ramat Aviv, where they spend their afternoons, sit atop the ruins of the Arab village Sheikh Munis whose inhabitants fled in 1948.” “Is it simply easier to boycott Ariel?” he said. Performing for the Troops He pointed out that when
his sons served in the IDF, he enjoyed hosting their fellow soldiers, many of whom came from the communities in Judea and Samaria. He said he was moved by these “finest boys, who supply the state with an abundance of will and spirit that ensures our eternal presence here as long as it flows.” “Are these good enough to fight and defend the nation’s borders, to risk their lives without blinking, but not good enough to view the plays of Sobol and Hasfari?” he said. He ended his talk with a request for other theater professionals to join his “boycott of the boycotters,” and he called the residents of Ariel “the pioneers of our generation.” Cutting Their Funds In a letter to Ms. Livnat, Nachi Eyal, director of The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, which supports the right
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com of Jews to reside anywhere in the state, including Judea and Samaria, requested an end to government financing of theatrical troupes which, as a political protest, “are refusing to perform before law-abiding Israelis in the new Ariel Center, or anywhere else in the country.” “Israeli theaters are financed by all Israeli taxpayers regardless of their varying political views, and an actor who boycotts people because their views differ from his own is not worthy of performing in the Israeli theater and cannot be called a cultured person,” wrote Mr. Eyal. He said it is “a sad day for the Israeli theater, which is being influenced by extreme left-wing elements whose objective is to harm the State of Israel.” Last Thing We Need Ms. Livnat agreed. She has stipulated that theater groups that refuse to perform through-
out the country will no longer receive credits necessary to satisfy the government’s funding eligibility formula. In addition, she said, all governmentsubsidized cultural institutions must consent, in writing, to perform everywhere in Israel. If they do not, she said, they will not be eligible for government funding. “We live in a democracy, and artists have the right to protest, but they do not have the right to boycott Israeli citizens. We will do whatever we can to require government-subsidized cultural institutions to appear everywhere in Israel,” she said. She emphasized that those living in Ariel are “Israeli citizens with the same right to culture as any other citizens in the country.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also denounced the boycott. “The last thing we need is a boycott at-
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tempt from within Israel while international leftists try to make Israel appear illegitimate,” he said. Annexing Ariel By the beginning of December, more than three dozen MKs had signed onto a petition calling for the government to extend Israeli sovereignty over the city of Ariel. Led by freshman Likud MK Tzipi Hotovely, the petition was signed by members of every major party in the Knesset except Labor, the far left-wing Meretz, the JewishArab communist Hadash Party, and the two Arab parties. The petition makes clear that implementing full Israeli sovereignty in the city of Ariel would be “a fitting response to the calls to boycott and delegitimize the Jewish community” there. “The extremist voices heard recently, which see Ariel as a settlement in a foreign land
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and occupied territory, must be countered by a declaration of principle made by the government of Israel proclaiming that Ariel is an indivisible part of the sovereign state of Israel,” said the petition, adding that the move would “reflect the widespread Israeli consensus regarding Ariel and would halt the attempt to erode the legitimacy of Jewish settlement in the land of Israel.” Playing for All Most of Israel’s major theatrical companies disagree with the boycotters. A Habima spokeswoman said her troupe “is a national theater, and its repertoire is supposed to suit the entire population.” A statement from the Cameri Theater said it, “like all Israeli theaters, plays anywhere there are subscribers who are lovers of Hebrew theater.” Mr. Nachman said, contrary to the claims made by
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the boycotters, the cultural center is not a political statement. In fact, Mr. Nachman invited the Palestinian Theater company to perform in Ariel. “Achinoam Nini is not the only one who can sing with Arabs,” said Mr. Nachman, singling out the left-wing popular singer who has made a name for herself by frequently performing with Israeli Arabs and Palestinians. Mr. Nachman said his “vision was to provide culture, music, and theater for all residents of Samaria, from Petah Tikva to Amman.”
January 2011 Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”
Recognized Part of Israel Speaking out against the boycott of Ariel has not been difficult. Virtually all Israeli governments, spanning the spectrum from left to right, have said that Ariel and its 19,000 residents will be annexed to the Jewish state in any peace deal with the Palestinians. “Even the American government and the Palestinian Authority have known for a long time that Ariel will remain part of the State of Israel in any future agreement,” said Kadima MK Ronit Tirosh. The Palestinians, of course, disagree,
arguing that all of Judea and Samaria, including Ariel, must be relinquished to them and its Jewish residents banished. Interconnected There are logistical reasons to explain why residents of Ariel and the rest of Israel feel so interconnected. For years, there has been a four-lane highway connecting Ariel to Israel’s coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv. Many students from throughout Israel travel this road every day, commuting to the University Center of Samaria (formerly the College of Judea and Samaria) located in Ariel. Formerly a regional branch of Bar-Ilan University, the school has been a university center in its own right since 2007. Its 11,000 students, including Jewish, Arab, Druze, and Circassian-Israelis, can major in the natural, health, or social sciences, as well as humanities and communications. The school’s research institutes include a center for radiation sources and applications, an integrative brain science center, a center for robotics research and applications, and a homeland security research and development center. Many of the same Israeli voices protesting Ariel’s cultural center were also raised, along with their academic colleagues, when the College of Judea and Samaria became a full-fledged university. There have also been repeated attempts to boycott research projects affiliated with the college. The boycotters insist that Ariel was founded for the sole purpose of preventing a Palestinian state. Famous Names While many of those boycotting the Ariel theater are unknowns even in Israel, others are quite famous, including some non-Israeli performers who have made names for themselves as anti-Israel activists. They include Israeli writers Amos Oz and David Grossman as well as British actress Vanessa Redgrave, Cynthia Nixon, and playwright Tony Kushner. Also boycotting Ariel are architect Frank Gehry and conductor Daniel Barenboim. Just recently, Israeli-Jewish actor Theodore Bikel, who resides in California, signed onto the Ariel boycott. Like most of those boycotting the theater, the 86-year-old Mr. Bikel has not been asked to perform there.
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com He told the New York-based Jewish Week that although he is generally wary of cultural and academic boycotts, he is supporting the one against Ariel, because, he said, it is “a very, very special case.� “Each case has to be judged on its own merits,� he said. Money over the State While the boycott of Ariel by leftwing Jews is an ideological protest, other Israeli Jews are shunning Jewish communities in the territories, including most of Jerusalem, because their lucrative contracts with the Palestinian Authority call for it. About 20 Israeli firms have signed contracts with a new PA city under construction, promising not to use products manufactured by Israeli companies in Judea; Samaria; northern, southern, and eastern Jerusalem; and the Golan Heights. Recently, the PA demanded that all Palestinians refrain from working in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. In an effort to make up for the lost jobs and to boost the boycott of Israel by giving Arabs employment, the PA is working furiously to complete its new city, Rawabi, currently being constructed in Samaria, just north and south of the Jewish towns of Aderet and Ma’ale Levonah, respectively, in the Benjamin hills. Some 25,000 Arabs are slated to reside in Rawabi in its first stage alone. Although work has begun on the city, no apartments have yet been built. There is only one structure standing in a possible future industrial zone. The contracts between the Rawabi administration and the Israeli suppliers are believed to total tens of billions of dollars. “Products of the Territories� According to IDF Radio, the Israeli suppliers have agreed not to use products that the PA has defined as “Products of the Territories.� This definition includes all land outside Israel’s 1949 narrow-waistline ceasefire lines, famously dubbed the “Auschwitz borders� by former Foreign Minister Abba Ebban. The contract between Rawabi and the Israeli firms says the companies dealing with the new PA city are “forbidden to use or employ a product and/or services and/ or resources manufactured and/or originating in the Israeli settlements for the purposes of or related to this agreement. The areas include, but are not restricted
Shvat 5771 to, occupied eastern Jerusalem, the conquered West Bank, the conquered Golan Heights, or any part thereof, or any other area that fits the above definition.� Incongruously, the contract also includes “the conquered Gaza Strip,� which is no longer under Israeli control, as one of the areas off-limits to the Israeli firms. According to the contract, the Israeli firms are responsible for making certain that none of the products or services used for Rawabi originate in any “Israeli settlements.� No Names The stipulation in the contracts—and the fact that some Israeli firms have signed
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them—has infuriated many Israelis and their representatives in the Knesset. The problem is that the names of the alleged companies that engaged in this behavior have not been released. At the end of December, when the situation first came to light, Likud MK Danny Danon, who serves as chairman of World Likud and chair of the Knesset Committee for Aliya, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs, admitted it is not clear if any companies have actually signed “this shameful agreement.� He said even the reporter on IDF Radio did not have any further information.
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
January 2011
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“But we are seeking to find out who, if anyone, has signed, and if we find out, we will demand action against them,” said Mr. Danon, explaining that he intends to propose a new law that would fine any company signing a contract with a body that boycotts Israeli-made products. The fine he said, would be equal to the value of the contract signed. “It is disgraceful that just in order to make a few shekels, Israeli companies are willing to sell their Zionist soul to sign an agreement with the enemy that calls parts of their country and their capital ‘occupied.’ It is shameful that they cave into and join the Arab boycott of Israeli businesses,” he said. No Freeze for the Arabs The PA has apparently assumed that, despite the contract the Israeli firms allegedly signed, Israel will still allocate land for a highway leading
south from Rawabi towards Ramallah. Thus far, there is no indication that Mr. Netanyahu will make that concession. According to Mr. Danon, the city can be built even without the highway, but, he said, he finds it “inconceivable that while there is still a de facto freeze in Jewish areas such as Ariel and Ma’aleh Adumim, the tractors are working freely and zealously to build an Arab city in the heart of our national homeland.” The Knesset’s Land of Israel Lobby, headed by Likud MK Ze’ev Elkin and National Union MK Dr. Aryeh Eldad, said its members will propose a bill that would ban all such firms from participating in government tenders and working with state companies. The Lobby called the behavior exhibited by the companies that signed the contracts “shameful and shocking col-
laboration with Palestinian economic terrorism.” Orit Strook of the Human Rights in Yesha organization, termed the contracts “discrimination of the most shameful kind” and called on the government to announce it would cut off all business ties with firms that cooperate with “such antisemitic discrimination.” By the beginning of January, 48 MKs had signed a petition calling on government ministers to boycott companies that had agreed to the contract’s Draconian measures. May Not Be Legal At the Ariel Conference for Law and Mass Media, held last month at the Ariel University Center of Samaria, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon called the contracts signed by the Israeli firms “something which is very serious.”
“It’s not only morally and economically wrong, it’s also politically wrong and I believe the judicial authorities should look into it to see if it’s even legal,” he said. The real problem with such boycotts, he said, is that they provide anti-Israel activists throughout the world with legitimacy to spew their hatred. “If there are some elements in Israeli society that cater to those who try to delegitimize us, it’s going to make our job much harder,” he said. Nevertheless, said Mr. Ayalon, Israel will eventually gain the upper hand, mostly because of what the Jewish state has to offer. “The most important thing is to continue and present Israel in the world markets and economies, and also in the public opinion, as a free, democratic country with creative energy,” he said. S.L.R.
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A
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
January 2011
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No Solution Yet for Ima’s on Cedar Lane— But Maybe Next Month; Hope Springs Eternal
t the beginning of December, it seemed that a meeting of the rabbis of the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County, Rabbi Don Yoel Levy of the Brooklyn-based OK Labs, and, perhaps Ophira Zaken of Ima’s restaurant on Cedar Lane was imminent. Everyone, it seemed, was eager to reconcile, if possible, the sticky issue of who determines whether a restaurant is sufficiently kosher for the community. Should it be the non-profit local vaad comprised of often beloved pulpit rabbis in the community, none of whom takes any salary for the kashruth services offered by the rabbinical council; or, rather, a large, well-known, internationally respected kashruth agency? And what happens when those two entities disagree on the halachic suitability of a particular restaurant? Caught in the middle of the dispute is Mrs. Zaken and, in a
very real sense, the entire kosher community, consisting not only of Bergen County residents, but Jews from outside the area who often flock to Bergen County to take advantage of kosher restaurants and other food establishments, the vast majority of which boast either the RCBC’s own hechsher or another supervision that is approved by the vaad. Fixing the Problem In the case of Ima’s, which originally had an RCBC, members of the Jewish community have been told by their rabbis that, despite the fact that the restaurant is currently under the supervision of the OK, it does not meet the “standards to which our community has become accustomed.” Not that the local rabbis have dismissed the trustworthiness of the OK in general. In a letter read aloud on a Shabbat in November from the bimas of about a half-
dozen local shuls and sent out as an email to congregants of several others, the RCBC rabbis collectively exhorted members of the community to avoid Ima’s, but took pains to emphasize that they recognized the OK as “generally reliable.” The RCBC rabbis maintain that they withdrew their hechsher from Mrs. Zaken “for cause.” It had been hoped that, at the meeting in December, all the outstanding issues preventing Ima’s from being welcomed by the rabbis would be settled. Postponed for How Long? Unfortunately, the eagerly anticipated meeting did not take place. A few days into the month, Rabbi Levy needed to be in Europe for an extended stay. Although he told the RCBC rabbis by email that he was going and would continue the discussion with them when he got back, when he returned to the US, he
did not inform them. Neither Rabbi Levy nor the vaad made any attempt to contact one another, and, when The Jewish Voice and Opinion endeavored to arrange a meeting between the parties in early January, the RCBC still expressed interest, but Rabbi Levy seemed to have cooled. All of which still leaves Mrs. Zaken in between two rabbinic organizations. In its last letter to Rabbi Levy before The Jewish Voice went to press, the paper once again attempted to arrange a meeting, telling the head of the OK that, with or without the editor’s presence, the RCBC was still interested in sitting down with him. As we go to press, neither the rabbis of the RCBC nor The Jewish Voice has any idea what Rabbi Levy’s intentions are regarding the meeting that Mrs. Zaken needs. S.L.R.
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Chen V’Chesed Provides Rachamim and a Loving Home for the Mentally Ill in Israel and Abroad
hen V’Chesed group homes in Israel provide professional care to individuals suffering from mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, personality disorders, depression, manicdepression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, the group homes work to rehabilitate atrisk young adults who present with behavioral and substanceabuse issues. At Chen V’Chesed, these youngsters can live on small farms in the Jerusalem forest where they learn to care for animals and perform chores and maintenance tasks as part of their therapeutic program. Established in 1978 by Rav Nissim Edery to help soldiers who were hospitalized for PTSD in the wake of the Yom Kippur War, Chen V’Chesed pioneered programs so that they could be
transferred from impersonal mental hospitals to a warm, supportive residential environment. Chen V’Chesed operates under the auspices of the Israeli government. American Patients Many of Chen V’Chesed’s patients include English-speaking US citizens who have been successfully integrated into the program. They reside in hostels and each has a tailormade personalized treatment
plan, including medication and occupational/study programs designed in accordance with personal interests and abilities. Chen V’Chesed’s hostels and supportive apartments are located in Israeli neighborhoods, including Ramot, Har Nof, Kfar Chabad, and Ramat Hasharon. Some of the men attend a special informal Torah study program in conjunction with exercise and group therapy. Some learn
to work a printing press; others have found employment in local grocery stores. Professionally Staffed The Chen V’Chesed hostels are serviced by certified mentalhealth professionals including a psychiatrist, psychologist, and general practitioner. In the US, further information about Chen V’Chesed can be obtained by calling 718-853-9216 or emailing havanehama@aol.com. In Israel, Rav Edery can be reached at 011-972-2-652-9030. “Mental and emotional illness are tragic, and many families find the necessary care their loved ones require overwhelming. Entrusting their children to Chen V’Chesed gives the youngsters and their families a new lease on life,” says Rav Edery. Y
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January 2011
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“Nora’s Will” Probes Mexican-Jewish Family Secrets and a Pre-Pesach Suicide
ora’s Will,” a new film written and directed by Mariana Chenillo, is billed as a comedy. In fact, while there are sparks of humor, drawn from the inexorably sad premise of the story, the film—Ms. Chenillo’s first feature—is more about family tensions and ingenuity in solving what seem like intractable problems, made more complicated by old wounds and religious hypocrisy. The film takes place in downtown Mexico City, but the characters could be found in a Jewish community anywhere in the world. The pull of religious traditions and the need to respond properly to a death in the family is universal. The story’s namesake (or at least her hands) make a live appearance only in the first few minutes of the film, as
she wraps food, writes recipe instructions, and sets a very elaborate dining room table, all in preparation for Passover, which she knows she won’t live to see. Nora is next seen after her suicide, accomplished after 14 unsuccessful attempts over the past 35 years. The core of the film is her gruff, grizzled ex-husband, José [Fernando Luján], who divorced her 30 years earlier, a wounded lover no longer able to sustain his marriage to a woman bent on ending her life, but equally unable to find another partner to replace her in his heart. When the film opens, he still resides in an apartment across the street from her. Because life goes on, there is humor, whether in the form of a Mexican convert to Judaism who really wants to be
a chef and is excited at the prospect of learning secrets of Mexican-Jewish cooking from Nora’s beloved housekeeper, or a local Catholic funeral parlor sending flowers in the shape of a cross that various members of the family keep placing out of sight. When Nora’s and José’s only son, Rubén [Ari Brickman], who is married with two children of his own, asks his father why he remained living across the street from his exwife, the father gently says, “To be close to you.” “But I moved out 15 years ago,” the son exclaims. It is a funny line, delivered with the knowledge that his father’s inner life is also a mystery, and it emphasizes José’s tender feelings for his son and daughter-in-law, and, especially, their daughters. A cynical, weary agnostic despite an obviously rather thorough early religious education, José is stuck in a lively family which still values the semblance of Jewish traditions. He is flabbergasted at the rabbinic take on Nora’s death. She chose to die on the evening before the first seder. The nonOrthodox rabbi who comes to advise him is neither José’s nor Nora’s spiritual leader (neither has one), but, rather, the pulpit rabbi of the congregation where Rubén’s wealthy father-in-law belongs. The rabbi explains that because the first two days of Pesach that year lead right into Shabbos, if Nora is not buried by 3pm on Wednesday, her body will have to wait, on the floor, covered in dry ice, always in the company of a young student reciting prayers, until Sunday. José would just as soon be done with the procedure, but
his son, who is on vacation with his family when news of his mother’s death reaches him, asks José to wait until his family can return for the funeral. How this family must then deal with religious law in the hands of pompous irreligious Jews, to say nothing of the issues left unresolved by Nora’s suicide, makes this a touching slice of life with a surprisingly satisfying conclusion. Suffice it to say, everything takes place in a homey atmosphere heavily laden with relationships, food, and secrets. In Mexico, “Nora’s Will,” which appeared as “Five Days without Nora” (“Cinco Dias sin Nora”), won the Ariel, the Mexican equivalent of the Oscar, for best picture of the year. In all, the film won six Ariels, including one for Mr. Luján and another for Ms. Chenillo, who mined her maternal family’s history for the story, as best director. All four of Ms. Chenillo’s grandparents escaped from Europe just ahead of the Nazis’ takeover. Once in Mexico, her maternal grandmother, after numerous tries, finally succeeded in killing herself, leaving a bitter husband and a confused family. Ms. Chenillo said she wrote the film to provide a sense of closure. She gives this film that sagacity in the form of an oldworld Orthodox rabbi whose traditional take on halacha satisfies the pragmatic needs of the family and a final admission that satisfies José’s—and the audience’s—heart. “Nora’s Will” is currently playing in NJ at Roberts Chatham Cinema, 641 Shunpike Road, in Chatham. The phone number is 973-822-1550. S.L.R.
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Bobby Kaplan’s Camp K at Kutsher’s Country Club Combines Hotel Amenities with Sports and Yiddishkeit
opular coach and veteran camp director Bobby Kaplan will be opening Camp K this summer at Kutsher’s Country Club in the Catskills. “Why combine a hotel and overnight summer camp? Because it works and you can’t beat the combination,” he says. At Camp K, campers will enjoy the luxury of a kosher hotel: private rooms accommodating three or four youngsters with full bath, hotel dining, indoor and outdoor pools, sports facilities (including a sprawling golf course), a huge theater, lake, and all hotel amenities. Producing Mensches A full-time coach in the Yeshiva League for boys and girls, Mr. Kaplan says his first priority is to teach each of his growing adolescents to be a “mensch.” At Camp K, he says, he and his campers will
have the benefit of a summer experience without the pressures of school and academic achievement. “In the right environment— as they learn independence from their parents—their self-assurance and ability to relate to others with self-confidence in their abilities will be strengthened and enhanced,” he says. At Camp K, boys and girls from grades 5-10 will be able to specialize in golf, tennis, basketball, hockey, martial arts, as well as arts and theater. They will spend time with their selected “majors” in the morning and, in the afternoon, will partake of the rest of the camp’s activities. An optional beit medrash program will be available after evening activities for those campers who want to continue their limudei kodesh learning.
The two and four-week sessions, starting July 5, will also include local and longdistance trips. Mr. Kaplan has planned outings to Wal-Mart, Woodbourne, boating, bowling, boot camp, zip-lines, and adventure parks. Simchas Because Kutsher’s will be a fully operational hotel as well as home to the Camp K, parents can always make reservations to visit their youngsters. The setting is very conducive to bar and bat mitzvah celebrations. Gala simcha festivities can be arranged for all to enjoy. Mr. Kaplan says a great deal of his time has been devoted to hand-picking a high quality staff, chosen to provide strong leadership while instilling good sportsmanship, solid midot, and a love of yiddishkeit throughout the program.
The staff is typically chosen from among those who have already spent their post-high school year learning in yeshivot in Israel. “Their inspiration and spirituality will be a major asset for the campers to emulate and aspire to. Shabbat programs will be imbued with ruach and sanctity and will include a Friday night tisch, Parsha HaShavua learning, and Shabbat-appropriate activities. A fun-filled melave malka will follow on motzei Shabbat. Mr. Kaplan, who can be reached at 201-314-4152 or by email at campkatkutshers.com, suggests that all interested parents and youngsters visit the website at www.campkatkutshers.com. “Check it out. It’ll be worth it,” he says. Y
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
Do It Now
Alisa Flatow Memorial Scholarship Fund Applications, for those planning to be spend the academic year 2011-2012 pursuing Jewish studies in Israel, Dr. Wallace Greene, deadline in Feb 15, 2011, www.alisafund.org Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg of Edison Is Creating a Holocaust Siddur, which will contain not only prayers, but also programming materials and essays on the Holocaust. He is seeking appropriate essays, poems, and art work for the theme, “Remembering the Holocaust,” including “why this is important to me” and “what must we do to preserve Holocaust memory.” He is especially seeking material from survivors and second and third generation. Send materials to chaimdov@aol.com Adult baseball players and teams wanted for the Amateur Baseball Association of NJ. The ABA is the premier adult men’s (18 & over) recreational baseball league in NJ. Check the website at http:// www.AllStarTeamStats.com/aba or call Jason, 201-873-3349
Fri., Jan 7
Family Kabbalat Shabbat, Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, 4:30pm Shira Hadasha-Style Kabbalat Shabbat, Minyan Tiferet, private home in Englewood, 5:15pm, minyantiferet@gmail.com Rosh Chodesh with the Rebbetzin, Rebbetzin Ruth Glasser, spons by the Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton, private home in Pas-
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saic, 7:45pm, 973-330-2285, 973779-0688, or 973-773-2103 “What Is this Midrash Telling Us: Bo?” Justin Hornstein, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 8pm, forsang@juno.com
Shabbat, Jan 8
“I Wish I Understood Everything I was Saying Minyan,” Rabbi Steven Weil, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 8:45am “Until 120: To Live or Not to Live? Health Care for All Ages,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, noon, 201-833-0515 “The Value of an Ordinary Moment,” for men and women, Shera Dubitsky, in memory of Rochi Lerner, z”l, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 3pm
Motzei Shabbat, Jan 8
Parent-Child Learning Session, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 6pm, 732-618-9473 Mishmash Parent-Child Learning, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 6pm, 973-736-1407 Family Game Night, for the family, board games and a version of “The Newlywed Game” with parents vs children, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 6:30pm Film: “Toy Story 3,” for children in grades Pre-K-2, popcorn and pajamas, spons by Cong Netivot Shalom, 6:30pm, kathrynbirn@yahoo.com Parent-Child Learning, with food, fun, and prizes, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 6:45pm, carlos.sarue@verizon.net “Art through the Rabbi’s Eyes,” Prof Vivian Mann, Cong
Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 8pm Sisterhood Event, spons by Cong Beth Aaron of Teaneck, at Matisse Chocolatier, Englewood, 8pm, 201-833-2527 “The Orthodox Community and the New College Experience,” Rabbi Yehuda and Michelle Waldman Sarna, spons by the Orthodox Forum, Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 8pm Senior NCSY Oneg, private home in West Orange, 8pm, 973380-0078 or 973-380-0222 YMHA of Union County Raffle Dinner, honoring Mark and Shari Bloomberg, Union, 8pm, 908-289-8112 “An Inspiring Night for Women: Finding and Using Our Inner Strength,” Rebbetzins Baila Stern and Sara Leah Weissman and Susan Weissman, to benefit needy women with life-threatening illnesses, Passaic Torah Institute, 8:30pm, 973-591-1711
Sun., Jan 9
Rav Moshe Lichtenstein, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 8:30am Arts and Crafts, for grades 2-4, Merri Pyle, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8:30am, 917-548-2703 Blood Drive, to aid local hospitals, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 9am-3pm, givebloodtoday@ gmail.com Swab Your Cheek for Ezra, 18-month-old with primary immune deficiency called Hyper IgM Syndrome. The only cure is a stem cell transplant, and he needs a perfect-match donor. Those 18-60 can participate in a cheek swab, Temple Emanu-el, 180 Piermont Rd, Closter, 9am-1pm; others can make a $54 donation to help cover the cost of testing, help4ezra@gmail.com Highland Park Community Kollel Breakfast, featuring Rabbi Yaakov Luban, at Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 9:30am, 732266-2971 “The Struggle for Gilad,” live video interactive conference with Noam Shalit, the father of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, opportunity to ask questions, explore ways to help, and offer words of support and encouragement, Yavneh Academy, Paramus, 9:30am, dan@
The Log:
connectisrael.com Shomer Shabbat Cub Scout Pack 613 Den Meeting: Trip to the Bergen County Zoological Society, Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, 9:30am, jschachter2@ gmail.com Nursery School Breakfast with Dad, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 9:30am, 973-736-1407 Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva Funday, includes planting for Tu B’Shevat, story telling, singing, 10am, 732-573-5052 ext 215 “Live a Life of Purpose and Passion: An In-Depth Study of the 13 Ikrei Emunah,” for women, Ayala Berney, private home in Monsey, 10am, 845-369-8592 Event at Kidville (1202 Shipyard Lane, Hoboken), spons by Hoboken Hadassah, 10:30am12:30pm, hobokenhadassah@ gmail.com “Networking without a Network: Job Search Strategies for Job Seekers with Limited Contacts,” Lavie Margolin, spons by Project Chizuk and the Jewish Family Service of CliftonPassaic, YMHA, Clifton, 11am, 973-777-7638 ext 148 Uncle Moishy Concert, Riverdale Jewish Center, 11am, 718543-2553 or 718-548-1850 Exhibit: “Rebirth after the Holocaust: The Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons Camp,” Holocaust Museum, Spring Valley, Sun, noon-4pm; Mon-Thurs, 9:30am-4pm; Fri, 9:30am-noon, 845-356-2700 Friendship Circle of Passaic County Cooking Circle, for children with special needs, Chabad Center, Wayne, 2:30pm, 973-694-6274 Bible Stories in Hebrew, for children ages 6-8, Zahava Streit, JCC, Tenafly, 4pm, 201408-1427 Tomchei Shabbos of Rockland County Dinner, The Atrium, Monsey, 5pm, 845-356-0202 Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey Dinner, honoring Tzivia and Yossie Rubin and Aviva and Gersh Distenfeld, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 5pm Zimmer Preschool Open
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Shvat 5771
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
“Separate Yourself Not from the Community”
House, for infants, pre-school, and full-day kindergarten, Chabad Jewish Center, Basking Ridge, 1-3pm, also Sun, Jan 16 and Thurs, Jan 13 and 20, 7-8pm, 908-6048844 ext 225 “How a Trip to Israel Changed an African-American Pastor’s Life and Made Israel Her Cause,” Rev Dr. Dee Dee Coleman and Jeff Mendelsohn, spons by AIPAC, at the Frisch School, Paramus, 7pm, 212-750-4110 Film: “Citizen Kane,” with refreshments, Riverdale Jewish Center, 7pm, 718-548-1850 TV: “Healing Is Appealing: Hatzolah of Israel,” Adina Marmelstein and Eli Beer, Channel 57, 7:30pm, also Wed, Jan 12, 12:30pm and Thurs., Jan 20, 7pm “Jewish Women Uniting through Song: Night of Entertainment and Inspiration for Women and Girls,” featuring Chanale, Rachel Ravitz, Shoshana Bander, with Shimona Tzurkernick as MC, to benefit Cheder Chabad of Monsey, at Kakiat Elementary School, 465 Viola Rd, Spring Valley, 7:30pm, 845-356-1213 ext 4 Yeshiva Beis Hillel Open House, for parents of prospective students in grades PreK-8, 8pm, 973-777-0735 “Dangers of the Internet,” spons by Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic, at Ohel Rivka, Passaic, 8pm, mschloss@ykop.org
Mon., Jan 10
“Applied Judaism,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC, Tenafly, 9am, 201-408-1426 “WISE: Women, Independent, Strong, Enriched,” confidential program providing integrated employment and counseling for domestic-abuse victims, Sheila Steinbach, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 9:30am, 201-837-9090 “Kiryat Yam Suf and the Emerging Jewis Nation,” Sarah Richter, SAR Academy, Riverdale, 9:30am, tamabe@aol.com “Empowering Women with Power Tools,” especially for women who are divorced, widowed, or single mothers whose budgets cannot handle professional electricians
and plumbers, spons by UJA of Northern NJ’s Bonim Builders, can include transportation and childcare, YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 7:30pm, 201-666-6610 “Maimonides: His Life,” Rabbi Dr. Isaac Chavel, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8pm, 718548-1850 “The Centurions—10th Century CE,” Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:15pm
Tues., Jan 11
Meorot University Conference on Orthodoxy, at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical Seminary, Riverdale, “Tanach,” Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot; “Chassidus,” Rabbi Ysoscher Katz, 10am; lunch, 1pm; “The Centrality of Tzelem Elokim in Judaism and the Implications for Living in the Open Environment of the University,” Rabbi Dr. Yitz Greenberg, 2:30pm; “Religious Change (Flipping Out),” Dr. Michelle Friedman, 4:15pm; dinner, 6pm, 212-666-0036 Shidduch Group Meeting, bring pictures of young men or women for whom you are looking for a match, private home in Fair Lawn, 7:45pm, stenlady@ gmail.com “Hashkafos Related to Taharas Hamishpacha,” for women, Rebbetzin Rivka Eichenstein, an Irgun Shiurai Torah Worldwide Shovavim Project Lecture, at Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 8pm Cong Ahavas Achim Sisterhood Book Club: “The Reliable Wife” by Robert Groolrick, private home in Highland Park, 8pm, 732-572-2285 “An Evening of Women’s Health and Wellness,” spons by the Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, private home in Livingston, 8pm, sisterhood@ suburbantorah.org “Sin and Sanctity in the Suburbs—A No-Nonsense Look at Parshat Kedoshim: Raising Non-Perfect but Religious Children,” Rabbi Shalom Baum, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 8:30pm Chumash Shiur, for men and women, Prof Yael Leibowitz, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck,
8:30pm, 201-907-0180 “Top 10 Things to Know: A Workshop Focusing on the Basics ov Buying a Second Home in Israel,” Gedaliah Borvick and Danny Rosenbluth, private home in Riverdale, 8:30pm, gborvick@ myisraelhome.com
Wed., Jan 12
Free Networking Breakfast, for men, spons by Project Ezrah, at CareOne, Teaneck, 9:30am, 201-569-9047 “Rejuvenate, Renew, and Reconnect: Workshop in Shalom Bayis and Communication,” for women, Chaya Reich, private home in Monsey, 9:45am, 845-356-6835 Meorot University Conference on Orthodoxy, at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical Seminary, Riverdale, “Modern Orthodoxy,” Rabbi Dov Linzer; “Achronim,” Rabbi Ysoscher Katz, 9am; “Sicha,” Rabbi Dr. Tsvi Blanchard, 12:30pm; lunch, 1pm; “Praying from the Heart or Praying from the Siddur,” Rabbi Dov Linzer, 2:30pm; “How to Make Davening More Meaningful,”
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Rabbi Avi Weiss, 4pm; dinner, 5:30pm; “Shouts and Whispers: What’s Said—and Not Said— about Sex in an Orthodox Community,” Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus, 7pm, 212-666-0036 “Barney Frank: The Story of America’s Only Left-Handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman,” Stuart Weisberg, JCC, Bridgewater, noon, 908-725-6994 x210 Confidential Abused Women’s Support Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 Second Generation Support Group, for children of Holocaust survivors, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 Support Group for Caregivers, Vivian Green Korner, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-408-1454 “Chicks with Sticks Knitting Circle,” hats for preemies, children with cancer, and IDF soldiers in Israel, private home in Highland Park, 8pm, 732-339-8492 Irgun HaShomer HaChadash: Love for and Protection of
continued on page 30
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
The Log
January 2011
continued from page 29
the Land of Israel by Preventing Incursions onto Agricultural Lands, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:15pm, 917-655-5267 Zumba, for women, Yeshivat Noam, Paramus, 8:15pm, 201-261-1919
Thurs., Jan 13
Bergen County Food Drive to Commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. “Weekend of Service,” food can be dropped off at the Center for Food Action, Englewood, 201-489-9454 ext 116 Meorot University Conference on Orthodoxy, at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical Seminary, Riverdale, “Masechet Pesachim,” Rabbi Dov Linzer, 9am; lunch, 1pm; “Working with Other Denominations,” Rabbi David and Rabbanit Sara Wolkenfeld; “Halachot of Jew/Non-Jew,” Rabbi Dov Linzer, 2:30pm; YCT Student Panel, 4:30pm; dinner, 5:30pm, 212-666-0036 “WISE: Women, Independent, Strong, Enriched,” confidential program providing integrated employment and counseling for domestic-abuse victims, Sheila Steinbach, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 9:30am, 201-837-9090 “The Greatest Marketing Tool Ever Written: Techniques Used by the Bible Are As Efficient as Today’s Most Powerful Marketing Campaigns,” Bernard Beck, JCC, Tenafly, 11am, 201-408-1426 Jewish Bereavement Group, for widows and widowers, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 1:45pm, 201-837-9090 Jewish 12-Step Meeting,
JACS—Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons, and Significant Others, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-8379090, ask for IRA (Information and Referral) or 201-981-1071 Mother’s Circle: Shabbat, spons by the JCC, private home in West Orange, 7:30pm, 973929-2936
Fri., Jan 14
“A Taste of Shabbat,” for children 2-4 with adult, Aviva Kohl, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 11:45am, 845-362-4400 Orthodox Union Convention: Leadership Shabbat, Woodcliff Lake Hilton, includes “Not Being Politically Correct,” Rav Hershel Schachter; “The Two Most Powerful Jewish Women in Jewish History,” Rabbi Steven Weil; and “The Reluctant Leader: Halachic Obligations and Aggadic Reflections,” Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, through Shabbat, Jan 15, 212-613-8188 Limmud New York Conference, featuring Jay Michaelson, Joshua Nelson and the Kosher Gospel Singers, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Abigail Pogrebin, Susan Weidman Schneider, DovBer Pinson, Alison Laichter, American Jewish World Service, and Drisha, The Hudson Valley Resort, Kerhonkson, through Mon., Jan 17, 212-908-2525 Scholar-in-Residence, Rabbi Motty Berger, Beis Medrash of Bergenfield, through Shabbat. Jan 15, hochbergj@sullcrom.com Shabbat of Global Unity: “How Do Jews See Beyond Secular Biases in a Modern Inte-
Jesse Mintz, M.D., FAAP Neuro-Developmental Pediatrics
10-D Auer Court, East Brunswick, NJ (732) 254-7100 Fax (732) 254-7474
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Are you tired of doing homework with an uncooperative child? Do teachers say that your youngster is disruptive and cannot sit still in class? Does your child shy away from team activities?
If some of these concerns apply to your family, then perhaps an evaluation would be of benefit both to you and to your child. Specializing in youngsters with difficulties regarding behavior and attention as well as those with learning and developmental issues.
grated World? The Hamitic Myth,” Rabbi Enan Francis, includes Friday night dinner, Chabad Center, West Orange, 4:30pm, 973-486-2362 “What Is this Midrash Telling Us: B’Shalach?” Rabbi Jeremy Lebowitz, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 8pm, forsang@juno.com “What Difference Does G-d Make?” Rabbi Motty Berger, scholar-in-residence, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 8:15pm, 201-637-7470 Rav Chaim Marcus, scholarin-residence, Cong Ahavat Shalom of the Teaneck Apartments, services at Torah Academy of Bergen County, through Shabbat, Jan 15, hsberkowitz@gmail.com “Jewish and Muslim Relations on Today’s Campuses,” Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, scholar-inresidence, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, through Shabbat, Jan 15, 973-597-1655
Shabbat, Jan 15
“Mommy and Me,” for children ages 0-3 with a parent, Shabbat stories, games, songs, and Kiddush, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 10:45am Rabbi Motty Berger, scholar-in-residence, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, “Torah as the Ultimate Relationship Manual: A Blueprint for Mitzvos,” 11:30am; “Approaching the Messianic Age,” shalosh seudas, 201-637-7470 Children’s Group Leaders Appreciation Kiddush, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, noon Learning Program in Honor of Martin Luther King Day, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, noon Bat Mitzvah Girls Learning Program, Rebbetzin Peshi Neuburger, private home in Bergenfield, 3:15pm, shiragreenberg18@ gmail.com Seudat Shlishit at Daughters of Israel Nursing Facility, spons by Junior NCSY, grades 6-8, leave Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 3:30pm
Motzei Shabbat, Jan 15
Bnai Akiva Tu B’Shevat Community Event, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 7:15pm Cong Ohav Emeth of High-
land Park Dinner, honoring Karen and Eugene Rosenthal and Steve Deutsch, Highland Park, 7:30pm Trip to Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, for grades 6-12, bus leaves Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 7:30pm, 201-408-4495 Orthodox Union Conference on “The Cost of Jewish Living,” with Nachum Segal, Robert Aronson, Margy-Ruth Davis, William Rapfogel, and Dr. Marvin Schick, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 8pm, 212-613-8188 Yavneh Academy Dinner, honoring Lisa Gronowitz, Deena and Daniel Jarashow, and Coach William Calise, Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe, 8pm Book Event and Discussion: “Keep Your Wives Away from Them,” Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 8pm, 718-796-4730 Photo Essay: “The House That We Built: How Synagogue Architecture Evolved through the Ages and Synagogue Buildings Strive to Reflect the Divine Presence While also Serving the Needs of the Community,” Gabe Goldstein, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 8pm, 732-247-0532 Cong Shomrei Torah of Passaic-Clifton Melave Malka, honoring Mr. and Mrs. Yaacov Gitstein, at Ohel Yosef Hall, Passaic, 8:30pm, 973-591-0172 or 973-471-9382 The Passaic-Clifton Kollel’s Shovavim Shiur, Rav Yosef Viener, Agudas Yisroel of Passaic, 9pm, 845-709-9340
Sun., Jan 16
Arts and Crafts, for grades 2-4, Merri Pyle, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8:30am, 917-548-2703 Sort and Bag Food for Families in Need, for grades 6-12, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 9am, 845362-4400 ext 173 Blood Drive, Cong Ahabath Torah, Englewood, 9am-3pm, 800-933-2566 Shomer Shabbat Cub Scout Pack 613 Den Meeting: Positive Attitude, Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, 9:30am, jschachter2@ gmail.com Feeding the Hungry at Eva’s Kitchen, spons by Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton, leave Passaic,
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com 9:30am, 973-471-5273 Caregivers Support Group, Dina Niewood, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 9:30am, 973-736-1407 Orthodox Union Conference, Torah Life, featuring, “Daf Yomi,” Rabbi Moshe Elefant; “Personal Autonomy vs Religious Authority,” Dr. Shira Weiss; “How Perfect Must a Woman Be?” Rebbetzin Yael Weil; “Dating and Mating,” Rebbetzin Rookie Billet; “Halacha under the Microscope,” Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman; “What Is a Heter?” Rav Hershel Schachter; “Costs of Free Speech on the Internet,” Rabbi Daniel Feldman; “Divine Communication,” Rabbi Dovid Fohrman; “More Meaningful Tefillot,” Rabbi Shaul Robinson; and “Conversion Controversy in Israel,” Harvey Blitz, Jerry Silverman, and Rabbi Hershel Billet; Community Life, featuring “Special Needs Children,” Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman; “Food, Body Image, and Eating Disorders,” Frank Buchweitz and Dr.s Sarah Roer and Ellen Haimoff; “Orthodox Students on Secular Campuses,” Rabbi Ilan Haber; “Positive Jewish Marriage,” Rachel Pill; “Positive Jewish Parenting,” Drs. Sylvan and Marcy Schaffer; “Contemporary Issues in Kashrut,” Rabbis Menachem Genack and Moshe Elefant; “Political Advocacy,” Nathan Diament, Howie Beigelman, and Maury Litwach; “Spirituality and the Next Generation,” Charles Harary; Synagogue Life, featuring “Youth Programming Sparking Shul Growth,” Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn; “Theories and Practices for Synagogue Leadership and Strategic Planning,” Dr. Linda Klonsky; “Fundraising,” Rabbis Steven Weil and Bunny Friedman; “The Halachic Role of Gabbaim,” Rav Hershel Schachter; “Enhancing Spirituality through the Musical Mesorah,” Chazanim Bernard Beer and Sherwood Goffin; other topics: “The Mesorah: Can It Be Changed? How Does Change Happen?” Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb; “The Orthodox Role in the Jewish Community of Tomorrow,” Rabbis Steven Weil, Steven Burg, and Efrem Goldberg, Rabbi Dr. Jacob Schacter, Jerry Silverman, and Dr. Marian Stoltz-Loike,
Woodcliff Lake Hilton, 10am-5:30pm, 212-613-8188 Book Fair and Book Factory, Gan Aviv Nursery School, Bergenfield, 10am, 201-384-6111 “Live a Life of Purpose and Passion:An In-Depth Study of the 13 Ikrei Emunah,” for women, Ayala Berney, private home in Monsey, 10am, 845-369-8592 Plant a Pot for Tu B’Shevat, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 10am, 973994-2620 or 973-994-0122 Chug Ivrit Hebrew Club, for intermediate to advanced Hebrew speakers, spons by Hadassah, for men and women, not necessarily members of Hadassah, private home in Highland Park, 11am, 732-8199298 or 732-572-4701 Yeshivat Netivot Montessori Open House, for prospective parents of toddlers through sixth graders, Edison, 1-4:30pm, 732-985-4626 Jewish Klezmer Concert, featuring Daniel Kempin, Temple Beth El, North Bergen, 2pm, 201-869-9149 “Comfort and Be Comforted: Spiritual Support for a Community That Cares,” Rav Moshe Weinberger, spons by Somaich Achim, Bikur Cholim, and Jewish Family Service, at the YMHA, Clifton, 8pm, 973-777-7638 “Buying a Home in Israel,” Gedaliah Borvick of Beit Shemesh, Cong Bais Yehuda, Suffern, 8pm, gborvick@myisraelhome.com Sew Smart 101, Marge Kohlhagen, how to sew a button, add a snap, turn a hem, and trip a project, private home in Teaneck, 8pm, 201-385-5050 or 201-862-1592 or 201-833-8799 “To Kindle a Soul: Painless Parenting: Chinuch; Proactive vs Reactive Parenting; Planting and Bulding; and Human Growth/Transformative Tasks,” Rabbi Yehoshua Kohl, for parents of preschool, elementary, and older children, private home in Passaic, for women, 8pm; for men, 9:15pm, 973-685-4215
Mon., Jan 17, Martin Luther King’s Birthday
“Destination Torah: Different Paths of the Jewish Textural Tradition,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC,
Shvat 5771
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
Tenafly, 9am, 201-408-1426 “WISE: Women, Independent, Strong, Enriched,” confidential program providing integrated employment and counseling for domestic-abuse victims, Sheila Steinbach, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 9:30am, 201-837-9090 Bergen County Parent Tour of the Jewish Foundation School of Staten Island, for parents of children entering K-8 who want a cap of $8,500, including transportation, 10am, jfsparent@gmail.com Jewish Views on Issues Facing Seniors, Rabbi Gary Katz, JCC, Tenafly, 11:15am Jeffrey Friedberg of the Bossy Frog Band, for children, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 12:30pm, 845-362-4400 Tu B’Shevat Visit to Nursing Homes, for grades 8-12, decorate planters and plant flowers, meet at Rockland JCC, West Nyack, 2pm, 845-362-4400 ext 173 Movie and a Pizza, for grades K-2, Riverdale Jewish Center, 2pm Mini-Mitzvah Makers, for children 2-6 with an adult, create projects to help people in the community, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 3:45pm, 845-362-4400 Friendship Circle of Passaic County Cooking Circle, for children with special needs, Chabad Center, Wayne, 4:30pm, 973-694-6274 “Empowering Women with Power Tools,” especially for women who are divorced, widowed, or single mothers whose budgets cannot handle professional electricians and plumbers, spons by UJA of Northern NJ’s Bonim Builders, can include transportation and child-
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care, YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 7:30pm, 201-666-6610 “Maimonides: His Works,” Rabbi Dr. Isaac Chavel, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8pm, 718548-1850 “The Centurions—11th Century CE,” Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:15pm
Tues., Jan 18
Non-Profit Agencies Executive Directors Roundtable, Bergen County Executive-Elect Kathleen Donovan, Volunteer Center of Bergen County, Hackensack, 10am, 201-489-9454 ext 114 Tu B’Shevat Seder, Paul Kafman and Barbara Stambler, YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 1pm, 201-666-6610 Blood Drive, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 2-8pm, sara. schnaid@gmail.com Tu B’Shevat Story Hour, for children 2-5 years old, Dena Gurkov, includes crafts, spons by Chabad Center of Passaic County, at the Wayne Public Library, 4:30pm, 973-694-6274 L’Dor v’Dor Tu B’Shevat Seder, facilitated by Debbie Gerber, spons by the Raritan Valley Chapter of Hadassah, Highland Park Senior/Youth Center, open to the entire community, 7:30pm, 732-236-8486 or 732-816-4712 “Empowering Ruth” for Women Converts to Judaism: “Making a Jewish Home,” spons by the JCC, private home in West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-929-2936 “Sin and Sanctity in the Suburbs—A No-Nonsense Look at Parshat Kedoshim: Raising Non-Perfect but Religious Chil-
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The Log
January 2011
Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”
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dren,” Rabbi Shalom Baum, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 8:30pm
Wed., Jan 19
Last Day to Purchase Raffle for Moshe Aaron Yeshiva High School Scholarship Fund, prize is an $18,000 Savings Bond, 732613-7460 Last Day of Youth Food Drive, bring non-perishable food items to the Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 973-994-2620 or 973-994-0122 Cong Ahavas Achim of Highland Park Israel Mission, returns Mon., Jan 31 “Rejuvenate, Renew, and Reconnect: Workshop in Shalom Bayis and Communication,” for women, Chaya Reich, private home in Monsey, 9:45am, 845-356-6835 Tu B’Shevat Seder, for the family, JCC, Tenafly, crafts project, 5:45pm; seder, 6pm, 201408-1426 Pack Donated Food for Food Pantry, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 6:30pm, 973-994-2620 or 973994-0122 Book Club: “Cutting for Stone” by Abraham Verghese, facilitated by Arlene Sandner, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7pm, 845-362-4400 Confidential Abused Women’s Support Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 Chix with Sticks Knitting Group, hats for cancer patients, spons by Hadassah, private home in Highland Park, 8:15pm, 732339-8492
Thurs., Jan 20 Tu B’Shevat
B’Ahavat Yisrael Sponsors Jewish Youth for a Pioneer-
ing Day of Avoda Ivrit (Jewish Manual Labor), planting trees at a recently purchased agricultural property in the Galilee. If you can’t bring a shovel, help by donating, 718-686-7061 Open House for Applicants to the Bergen Leads Civic Leadership Program, open to adults who live or work in Bergen County, led by former Bergen County Executive William “Pat” Schuber, spons by the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, at Cole Schotz Law Firm, Hackensack, 8:30am, 201-489-9454 ext 119 La Leche League of Bronx/ Riverdale, Mia Damond Padwa, pregnant women, babies and small children welcome, healthy snacks, Riverdale YMHA, 9:30am, 718-543-0314 “WISE: Women, Independent, Strong, Enriched,” confidential program providing integrated employment and counseling for domestic-abuse victims, Sheila Steinbach, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 9:30am, 201-837-9090 Tu B’Shevat Breakfast-Seder, for children, includes art project, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 10:30am, 917-816-1447 Jewish Bereavement Group, for widows and widowers, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 1:45pm, 201-837-9090 “Celebrate Tu B’Shevat,” for children 2.5-5 years with adult, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 4pm, 845-362-4400 Sen Ben Cardin (D-MD), spons by NORPAC, private home in Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-862-0923 or elan@norpac.net
Fri., Jan 21
Last Day to Donate Used Eye Glasses, including those with broken frames and lenses, for the needy, Riverdale YMHA
The Log is a free service provided to the Jewish community in northern and central New Jersey, Rockland County and Riverdale. Events that we list include special and guest lectures, concerts, boutiques, dinners, open houses, club meetings, and new classes. Announcements are requested by the 25th of the month prior to the month of the event. Due to space and editorial constraints, we cannot guarantee publication of any announcement. Please email them to : susan@jewishvoiceandopinion.com.
main lobby, 718-548-8200 Carlebach Shabbos, Moishe Weinstock, Cong Bais Torah, Suffern, 4:45pm, 845-352-1343 Jersey City Havurah Tu B’Shevat Seder/Shabbat Dinner, dairy and parve, private home in Jersey City, 6:30pm, Raylie@ HudsonJewish.org Junior Congregation Friday Night Tisch, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8pm
Motzei Shabbat, Jan 22
Cong Bnai Yeshurun of Teaneck Mission to Israel, returns Tues., Feb 1, 201-837-6871 Parent-Child Learning Session, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 6pm, 732-618-9473 Dinner and Film: “Speedy,” with Prof Jason Lucero, Riverdale YMHA, 6:30pm, 718-548-8200 Junior NCSY Boys Hockey and Video Games Night, for grades 6-8, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 7pm “Mission and Vision of Open Orthodoxy,” Rabbi Avi Weiss, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 8pm, 718-796-4730 The Passaic-Clifton Kollel’s Shovavim Shiur, Rav Yosef Viener, Agudas Yisroel of Passaic, 9pm, 845-709-9340
Sun., Jan 23
Partners in Torah Breakfast, private home in Passaic, 9am, 973-227-1000 Blood Drive, private home in Highland Park, 9am-3pm, 732393-1018 Tu B’Shevat Seder, JCC, West Orange, 10:30am, 973-929-2936 Good Talking People Conference, childcare provided, Teaneck, 10:30am, 201-837-8371 “Kids in Action Club: Virtual Trip to Alaska,” includes lunch and trip to the Ice Voult, for children in grades 1-6, Chabad Center of Passaic County, Wayne, 12:45pm, 973-694-6274 Concert: “All in the Family,” violinists Allan and Eleanor Schiller and pianist Jacqueline Schiller-Audi, YMHA, Wayne, 1pm, 973-595-0100 ext 237 Jewish Learning for the Family with Special-Needs Children: Tu B’Shevat, JCC, Tenafly, 2pm, 201-408-1489
Family Israeli-Style Tu B’Shevat Celebration, Tammy Levy, JCC, Tenafly, 3pm, 201-408-1427 Junior NCSY Tu B-Shevat Seder, for grades 6-8, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 6pm Film: “Shawshank Redemption,” with refreshments, Riverdale Jewish Center, 7pm, 718-548-1850 Raritan Valley Hadassah Book Group: “The Pity of It All” by Amos Alon, private home in Highland Park, 7:30pm, 732-545-3147 “To Kindle a Soul: Painless Parenting: Practical Tools in Daily Home Life,” Rabbi Yehoshua Kohl, for parents of preschool, elementary, and older children, private home in Passaic, for women, 8pm; for men, 9:15pm, 973-685-4215
Mon., Jan 24
“Applied Judaism,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC, Tenafly, 9am, 201-408-1426 “WISE: Women, Independent, Strong, Enriched,” confidential program providing integrated employment and counseling for domestic-abuse victims, Sheila Steinbach, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 9:30am, 201-837-9090 Film: “Yentl,” discussion led by Stan Goldberg, JCC, Tenafly, 1:30pm, 201-408-1457 “Philosophical Case Study: Maimonides on Jacob’s Dream,” Rabbi Dr. Isaac Chavel, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8pm, 718-548-1850 “The Centurions—12th Century CE,” Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:15pm
Tues., Jan 25
“Rashi,” Rabbi David Feldman, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 1:30pm, 201-833-0515 Jewish Stuttering Association Support Group for Men Who Stutter, private home in Lakewood, 6:30pm, info@jstutter.org Film: “The Cartel,” a proschool-choice film, for School Choice Advocates Week, Franklin Lakes VFW, Pulis and Franklin Aves, 7pm, israel@schoolchoicenj.org “So Happy Together: The Advantage of Partnership and the Threat of Solitude—Emphasis on
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Chavruta,” Deena Weiss, includes dinner, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 7pm, 732-545-2407 Book Discussion on “The Fruit of Her Hands” by Michelle Cameron, for those over 17, facilitated by Sharry Friedberg, YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 7:30pm, 201-666-6610 “Sin and Sanctity in the Suburbs—A No-Nonsense Look at Parshat Kedoshim: Raising Non-Perfect but Religious Children,” Rabbi Shalom Baum, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 8:30pm
Wed., Jan 26
Open House for Applicants to the Bergen Leads Civic Leadership Program, open to adults who live or work in Bergen County, led by former Bergen County Executive William “Pat” Schuber, spons by the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, at Bergen Regional Medical Center, Paramus, 8:30am, 201-489-9454 ext 119 Snow Tubing at Campgaw Mountain, spons by Cong Beth Aaron Teens, leave Teaneck 6pm, 201-247-9761 Kosher Sushi: The Art of Maki Rolls, Chef Meredith Spiegel, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845-362-4400 “Chicks with Sticks Knitting Circle,” hats for preemies, children with cancer, and IDF soldiers in Israel, private home in Highland Park, 8pm, 732-339-8492
Thurs., Jan 27
“The Three Weissmanns of Westport,” Cathleen Schine, spons by the JCC, Tenafly, at a private home in Tenafly, 10am, 201-408-1404 Support Group for Caregivers, Vivian Green Korner, JCC, Tenafly, 11am, 201-408-1454 Open House for Applicants to the Bergen Leads Civic Leadership Program, open to adults who live or work in Bergen County, led by former Bergen County Executive William “Pat” Schuber, spons by the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, 201-489-9454 ext 119 UN Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration: “HaKol Kol Yaakov—Hear My Voice,” children’s writings during the Holocaust, child of Holocaust
survivors Esther Feil and her son, Simon Feil, co-spons with Yeshivat Noam, JCC, Tenafly, 8pm, 201-408-1458
Fri., Jan 28
“My Journey to Becoming the First Orthodox Female Rabbi,” Rabba Sara Hurwitz, Riverdale YMHA, 10:30am, 718548-8200 “A Taste of Shabbat,” for children 2-4 with adult, Aviva Kohl, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 11:45am, 845-362-4400
Shabbat, Jan 29
Carlebach Minyan, Cong Darchei Noam, Fair Lawn, 8:45am Bat Mitzvah Girls Learning Program, Rebbetzin Peshi Neuburger, private home in Bergenfield, 3:15pm, shiragreenberg18@gmail.com
Motzei Shabbat, Jan 29
“Mission and Vision of Open Orthodoxy,” Rabbi Avi Weiss, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 8pm, 718-796-4730 “A Night of Do You Know Your Music?” DJs Bruno and Wolf Man, fun, food, nostalgia, and competition, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 718-473-6422 “Can You Ever Tell a Lie?” Rabbi Yehoshua Lewis, spons by Achieving Change through Torah and its new module: “Emes: Telling the Truth,” using ArtScroll’s “Chofetz Chaim: Lessons in Truth,” at Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 9pm The Passaic-Clifton Kollel’s Shovavim Shiur, Rav Yosef Viener, Agudas Yisroel of Passaic, 9pm, 845-709-9340
Sun., Jan 30
EMUNAH is participating in the ING Half-Marathon in Miami, funds raised will go to Beit Elazraki Residential Home in Israel, www.emunah.org; Leora Erdfarb is participating as part of Team HASC (Hebrew Academy for Special Children) benefiting Camp HASC, www.hasc.net/ marathon; Yehuda Hecht is part of Team Lifeline benefiting Chai Lifeline, www.teamlifeline.org “The Palestinian Right to Israel,” Dr. Alex Grobman exposes the myths and lies about the Arab right to the land of Israel, JCC, Tenafly, 2pm, 201-408-1426 “Clock Clack Moo: The musical,” children’s theater, JCC, Tenafly, 2pm, 201-408-1393
Shvat 5771
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
“Art Response: Create Art Work That Supports the Right of Israel to Exist,” Sheryl Intrator Urman, Artists 4 Israel creates pro-Israel art to be seen my thousands of visitors, JCC, Tenafly, 4pm, 201-408-1426 JACS Meeting, 12-steps meeting for Jews in recovery, Rabbi Steven Bayar, Cong B’nai Israel, Millburn, 7pm, 973-379-3811
Mon., Jan 31
“Destination Torah: Different Paths of the Jewish Textural Tradition,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC, Tenafly, 9am, 201-408-1426 “Halachic Case Study: Maimonides on Declaring the New Month (according to Rabbi Joseph B Soloveitchik),” Rabbi Dr. Isaac Chavel, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8pm, 718-548-1850 “The Centurions—13th Century CE,” Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:15pm
Tues., Feb 1
“All You Ever Wanted to Know about Breastfeeding,” spons by La Leche, Elly Gail Egenberg, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 10:15am, 845-362-4400 “Rashi,” Rabbi David Feldman, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 1:30pm, 201-833-0515 Contemporary Israeli Poetry Group, in the original with English translation and discussion, Atara Fobar, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 7pm, 718-796-4730 Film: “Faces of Israel,” Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 8pm, 732-545-2407
Wed., Feb 2
Parenting University “When and How to Say No,” Lauren Roth, LSW, spons by the Ortho-
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dox Union and the Sephardic Bikur Holim, at the Sephardic Bikur Holim, Oakhurst, 10:30am, 732531-1117 or 212-613-8188 Open House for Applicants to the Bergen Leads Civic Leadership Program, open to adults who live or work in Bergen County, led by former Bergen County Executive William “Pat” Schuber, spons by the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, at Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Paramus 11:30am, 201-489-9454 ext 119 “Unexpectedly Eighty: And Other Adaptations,” Judith Viorst, JCC, Bridgewater, noon, 908725-6994 x210 Lunch and Learn for Seniors, Rabbi Avrohom Herman, lunch and Parsha Study, Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, 11:30am, 908-527-9815 Confidential Abused Women’s Support Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 Film: “Women Unchained,” Rutgers Student Center, Graduate Student Lounge, New Brunswick, 7pm, 732-545-2407 “Toward a Meaningful Life: A Soul-Searching Journey for Every Jew: Discovering Your Personal Mission Statement,” Rabbi Mendel Mangel, Chabad Center, Cherry Hill, 7:30pm, 856874-1500
Thurs., Feb 3
Mother’s Circle: From Mitzvah to Mensch, spons by the JCC, private home in West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-929-2936
Fri., Feb 4
“A Taste of Shabbat,” for children 2-4 with adult, Aviva
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion Sundays
January 2011
Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”
New Classes this Month
Shiur, Rabbi Israel Botnick, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 9am Chasidut: Netivot Shalom on Tefillah, Rabbi Bryan Kinzbrunner, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 9am, 732-247-0532 Weight Watchers, Riverdale YMHA, weigh-in, 9am; meeting, 9:30am, 718-548-8200 Breakfast and Learn, for children in grades 5-8, Rabbi Shalom Baum, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9:30am Mishna, Rabbi Lawrence Zierlier, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 9:30am, 201-833-0515 “Hilchos Shabbos Shiur: Pikuach Nefesh and Treatment of Illness on Shabbos,” for men, Rabbi Aaron Cohen, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 9:15am, 973-591-6876 Intermediate Hebrew, Rachel Kushner, JCC, West Orange, 10:15am, begins Feb 6, 973-530-3400 “Sewing and Growing,” for girls ages 6-11, Devorah Sandler, private home in Monsey, 10:30am, 845-406-3929 or sewingandgrowing@gmail.com Gymnastics for Girls, for ages 4-12, Devra Markowitz, Quality Martial Arts, Passaic, beginners, 10:45am; intermediate, 11:30am; advanced, 12:15pm; 4-5 year olds, 1pm, begins Jan 23, 310-913-3406 or 973-773-0717 “Fun to Be One,” for children 11-17 months with parent, includes Jewish themes and holidays, Robin Alpert, Riverdale YMHA, 1pm, 718-548-8200, begins Jan 30 Girls Self-Defense Class, for women and girls ages 10 and up, Denise Cattaneo, spons by Cheder N’shei, at the Karate Studio, Clifton, 7pm, 862-485-4385 Shiur, Rabbi Yaakov Klughaupt, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 8pm Chabura on Revadim Method of Talmud Study, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 8:15pm
The Log
Mondays
Torah Tuesday on Monday, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 9am, 201-791-7910 Shir Fun, for children 0-5 with an adult, run by Dafna, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 9:30am, contact@shirfun.com Teleconference Workshop: “Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life: Put Hakodesh Baruch Hu in Your Heart,” for women, in English, by Chaya Hinda Allen, student of Rabbanit Sara Yosef, 10am, begins Jan. 24, 215-745-3996 “Tehillim with a Taste of Parsha,” for women, Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 11am Intermediate Israeli Folk Dance, Sara Burnbaum, Rockland JCC, West Nyack, noon, 845-362-4400 Online Course: Web Design for Beginners Using Dreamweaver, spons by the OU, 2pm, begins Jan 10, jobs@ou.org Advanced Hebrew, Rachel Kushner, JCC, West Orange, 5:30pm, begins Feb 7, 973-530-3400 Intermediate Hebrew, Rachel Kushner, JCC, West Orange, 7pm, begins Feb 7, 973-530-3400 Ballet, for girls 8-11, spons by Cheder N’Shei, private home in Passaic, 7pm, 862-485-4385 Online Course” Web Design for Intermediate Users Using Dreamweaver, spons by the OU, 7pm, begins Jan 10, jobs@ou.org Women’s Tehillim Group, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 7:30pm, 201-791-7910 “Toward a Meaningful Life: A Soul-Searching Journey for Every Jew,” Rabbi Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 732-972-3687; Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz, Lubavitch Center of Essex County, West Orange, 973-731-0770, 7:30pm; begins Feb 7 “Re-Jew-venation: You Choose,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 7:45pm, 201-833-0515
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Kohl, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 11:45am, 845-362-4400 “The Founders of the Church: Rabbinic Double Agents? An Examination of the Early Jewish Response to Christianity and Its Implications for Modern-Day Interfaith Discussions,” Shuli Taubes, scholar-in-residence, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, through Shabbat, Feb 5
Shabbat, Feb 5
“Who Is a Zionist and What
Is Zionism Today?” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, noon
Motzei Shabbat, Feb 5
Cong Beth Aaron Sisterhood Book Club: “Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited,” by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein, private home in Teaneck, 7pm, 201-837-0651 Frisch Yeshiva High School Dinner, honoring Ronnie and Marc
Schlussel, Penny Rabinowitz, Paul Rolnick, and Dr. Marie Conroy, at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe, 7:45pm, 201-267-9100 “Mission and Vision of Open Orthodoxy,” Rabbi Avi Weiss, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 8pm, 718-796-4730 Gil Atzmon, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 8pm, 718796-4730 Meet the Members, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 8pm, afrohlich@yavnehacademy.org
Sun., Feb 6
Shomer Shabbat Cub Scout Pack 613 Den Meeting: Resourcefulness, Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, 9:30am, jschachter2@ gmail.com “The 2011 Baseball Season,” Bob Klapisch, spons by the Men’s Club, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 9:30am “The Power of Reinvention,” Dr. Yona Nelson-Shulman, spons by Hadassah, The Pines Manor, Edison, 9:45am, 732-828-7415 Cong Ahavas Yisrael of
Highland Park Journal Breakfast, honoring Avi and Cyndi Berger and Bruce Jacobi, featuring Lenny Solomon of Shlock Rock, shul, 9:30am, 732-580-5055 Bat Mitzvah Club, shiur on Hadlakat Nerot and a craft project, Rebbetzin Jessica Klein, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 10am, 973-736-1407 Arts and Crafts, for ages 3-8, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 10:30am, 973994-2620 or 973-994-0122 Matthew Fishteyn in Concert, piano and flamenco guitar, YMHA, Wayne, 1pm, 973-5950100 ext 237 “To Kindle a Soul: Painless Parenting: Circumstantial Discipline and Introduction to Behavior Discipline and Cooperative Techniques,” Rabbi Yehoshua Kohl, for parents of preschool, elementary, and older children, private home in Passaic, for women, 8pm; for men, 9:15pm, 973-685-4215 Y
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Navi Shiur, Rabbi Ian Shaffer, Young Israel of Fair Lawn, 7:55pm, resumes Jan 24 “Basics in Judaism,” Rabbi Benjamin Yudin, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-791-7910 Shiur, Rabbi Shlomo Krupka, Cong Etz Chaim Livingston, 8pm, 973-597-1655 Livingston Community Kollel, Rabbi Mordecai Feuerstein, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 8:30pm, 973994-2620 or 973-994-0122 Gemara: Berachot, Rabbi Menachem Genack, Cong Shomrei Emunah, Englewood, 9pm, 201-567-9420 Aruch Hashulchan Chabura, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 9pm, 201-637-7470 Gemara: Tractate Niddah-Chapter 8, Rabbi Khan, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 9pm Gemara: Masechet Megillah, Rabbi Steven Miodownik, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 9pm, 732-247-0532 Live, Interactive Teleconference Shiur: “Positive Parenting: De-mystifying the Teenage Years,” for women, Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller, includes goals and understanding, communication, emunah, honesty, relationship to school, relationships with friends, tzniyus, materialism, role models, and individuality, 10am, 732-806-1578 or 613leah@gmail.com, begins Jan 10
Tuesdays
Raritan Valley Hadassah Morning Walking Group, brisk 3-mile walk, meet at Highland Park Post Office, 7:45am, 732-819-9298 “Gems of Torah,” Rabbi Moshe Goldberger, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 8:30am, 732-247-0532 Torah in the AM: Navi Chavura: Book of Kings, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9am Torah Tuesday, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 9am, 201791-7910 Mishnayot Yoma/Rosh Hashana, Rabbi Avigdor Weitzner, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 9:30am, 732-247-0532
Shvat 5771
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Gemara: Baba Metzia 49b-60b, Rabbi Menahem Meier, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9:45am Knit Woolen Hats for IDF Soldiers and Cancer Patients, private home in Monsey, 10am, 845-426-2980 Parshat HaShavua, for women, Rabbi Ari Zahtz, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 10:15am Talmud, Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 10:30am Parshat HaShavua, Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 11am Online Course: QuickBooks for Beginners, spons by the OU, 11am, begins Jan 11, jobs@ou.org Navi: Sefver Yoel of Trei Asar, Rabbi Shalom Baum, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 11am Intermediate Yiddish, Rebecca Levine, Lautenberg JCC, Whippany, 12:30pm, begins Feb 1, 973-428-9300 Online Course: QuickBooks for Intermediate Users, spons by the OU, 1pm, begins Jan 11, jobs@ou.org Women’s Shiur, Rabbi Eliyahu Kaufman, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 1:30pm Teleconference Shiur: “Tools for Today’s Busy Women: Women’s Chaburah on How to Identify and Live Your Life-Purpose,” Rabbi Aryeh Nivin, 2pm, 646-863-4123 Culinary Kidz: Kosher Dairy Dinner Spectacular, for grades 6-8, Nicky Zion, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 5pm, begins Feb 1, 845-362-4400 Weight Watchers, Riverdale YMHA, weigh-in, 6:30pm; meeting, 7pm, 718-548-8200 Beginners’ Hebrew, Tzipi Salzhauer, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 6:45pm, 845-362-4400, begins Jan 11 Online Course: “Microsoft PowerPoint for Beginners,” spons by the OU, 7pm, begins Jan 11, jobs@ou.org Advanced Beginners Hebrew Reading, Avi Rhodes, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-408-1426
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January 2011
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“Toward a Meaningful Life: A Soul-Searching Journey for Every Jew,” Rabbi Meir Konikov, Chabad of Fort Lee, 201-888-1238; Rabbi Michel Gurkov, Chabad Center of Passaic County, Wayne, 973694-8274, 7:30pm; Rabbi Levi Azimov, Chabad Jewish Center, North Brunswick, 732-398-9492 7:45pm; Rabbi Mordechai Shain, Chabad House of Tenafly, 201-871-1152 ext 112; Rabbi Dov Drizin, Valley Chabad, Woodcliff Lake, 201-476-0157; Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Riverdale YMHA, 718-549-1100; 8pm; begins Feb 8 Gemara: Tractate Kiddushin, for men, Rabbi Eliyahu Kaufman, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 8pm Gemara: Masechet Berachot, Rabbi Tuly Polak, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8pm Shiur, Rabbi Meir Goldwicht, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8pm Parshat HaShavua, Rabbi Aharon Ciment, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 8pm, 201-530-0043 Tefillah Shiur, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, Cong Zichron Mordechai, Teaneck, 8pm, yitzshul@aol.com Zumba Exercise Class, for women, to benefit Cheder Chabad of Monsey, at Cheder Chabad Girls School, Spring Valley, 8pm, dgralnik@hotmail.com Gemara: Mesechet Brachot, Rabbi Daniel Fox, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, 8pm, 973-597-1655 Living Journal Workshop: Ideas from the Sefer Bnai Yishachar, for women, Yocheved Sampson, MSW, private home in Passaic, 8:15pm, 917-566-2262 Women’s Shiur, Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8:15pm, 201-791-7910 Gym Night, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 4th-5th Grade, 7pm; 6-8th Grade, 8:15pm, aabjdyouth@gmail.com Women’s Shiur, Dr. Chaim Presby, Cong Ohav Emeth, High-
Mazal Tov
Mazal Tov to the Bar Mitzvah Boys: Shimon Bauman, Maayan Brodsky, Josh Deschino, Ethan Frank, Sam Fried, Shep Gerzberg, Benjamin Greenberg, Yosef Kagedan, Dovi Kassai, David Kirsch, Yair Knoller, Noam Lindenbaum, Ori Mussaffi, Joseph Reich, Elya Reinstein, Kivi Reznick, Eitan Schmeltz, Avi Schwartz, Yaakov Eliezer Siegel, Matan Slasky, Aron Weinstock, and Ayal Yakobe; and the Bat Mitzvah Girls: Aliza Goldberg, Eliana Herzog, Jordana Hirt, Mira Simantov, Ariella Summer, Gila Weinrib, and Hannah Weisbrot Mazal Tov to Arlene and Sam Kaye on their 50th wedding anniversary and to Bessie and Irving Mauskopf on their 67th wedding anniversary Mazal Tov to Rabbis Zvi Sobolofsky and Daniel Feldman on the publication of a new sefer, “The Laws and Concepts of Niddah” Mazal Tov to Joey Bodner, Lynn and Jay Bloom, and Rabbi Moshe and Serena Benovitz on being honored by NCSY at the Bergen County Scholarship Breakfast Mazal Tov to Ronnie and Bonnie Schwartz on being honored by Beit Orot at the dinner in Manhattan Mazal Tov to Devora Krischer on winning Maadan’s annual latke-eating contest, and regrets to her father, Shalom Krischer, on losing for the first time in five years Mazal Tov to Mark Levenson who was appointed Chair of the New Jersey Israel Commission by Governor Chris Christie Mazal Tov to Dalia Rivkin on her gold medal victory at the US Junior Figure Skating Championship in Utah . Y
land Park, 8:30pm Shiur: Mesillat Yesharim, Rabbi Mordechai Gershon, private home in Englewood, 8:30pm, 201-569-5945 Beit Midrash Night, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 8:30pm, 732-247-0532 Arachim, in Hebrew, Rabbi Shlomo Krupka, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, 8:30pm, 973-597-1655 Shiur, Rabbi Natan Kapustin, private home in Livingston, 9pm, 973-597-1655 Maseches Sukkah, Lieber Schachter, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 9:20pm, 201-637-7470 Community-Wide Men’s Tehillim Group, Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 9:50pm
Wednesdays
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Learning Group, Rabbi Mordecai Feuerstein, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 6:20am, 973-994-2620 or 973-994-0122 Tefilla Shiur, Rabbi Shalom Baum, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 7:45am Sefer HaChinuch, for women, Rabbi Benjamin Yudin, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 9am, 201-791-7910 New Mother Support Group, for first-time mothers as well as those with older children, Robin Alpert, Riverdale YMHA, 9:30am, 718-548-8200, begins Feb 2 Chumash Shiur, for women, Cong Tiferes Yisrael, Suffern, 10am, 845-364-5113 Raritan Valley Hadassah Morning Walking Group, relaxed stroll, meet at Donaldson Park, Highland Park, 10am, 732-249-4321 Talmud Study: “Keys to Joy and Wisdom,” Rabbi Herschel Grossman, JCC, Tenafly, 10:30am, 201-408-1426 “Ethics in Action,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 11am, 201-833-0515 Online Course: “Microsoft Excel for Beginners,” spons by the OU, 11:30am, begins Jan 12, jobs@ou.org Navi Shiur: Sefer Shoftim, Rabbi Steven Miodownik, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 2pm, 732-247-0532 Beginners’ Hebrew, Rachel Kushner, JCC, West Orange, 5pm, begins Feb 2, 973-530-3400 Advanced Hebrew, Rachel Kushner, JCC, West Orange, 6:15pm, and 7:30, begins Feb 2, 973-530-3400 Online Course: “Microsoft Excel for Intermediate Users,” spons by the OU, 7pm, begins Jan 12, jobs@ou.org Matan Bat Mitzvah Class, Rebbetzin Debbie Baum, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 7pm Confidential Caregivers Support Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7pm, 201-837-9090, begins Jan 12 Class for Teenage Girls, Rabbi Marc Spivak, private home in West Orange, 7pm, 973-669-7320 Ballet, for girls 4-7, spons by Cheder N’Shei, private home in Passaic, 7pm, 862-485-4385 Tanach, for women, Rachel Frazer, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 7:30pm “Tehillim: Finding Ourselves in Conversation with G-d,” Rabbi Chaim Poupko, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 7:30pm, 201-568-1315 Hebrew Institute of Community Choir of Riverdale, Dr. Jonathan Dzik, Jewish music in Hebrew, English, Yiddish, and Ladino, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 7:30pm, begins Jan 26, carpool from Teaneck, 718-549-8520 “An Analysis of the Book of Job,” Rabbi Mordecai Feurerstein, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 7:30pm, 973994-2620 or 973-994-0122 Gemara: Masechet Pesah, Rabbi Duvie Weiss, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 8pm
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Shvat 5771
Gemara Shiur, Rabbi Shlomo Ziegler, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 8pm Chumash Class, Rabbi Marc Spivak, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 8pm, 973-669-7320 Chassidus, for women, Ayelet Crane, private home in Passaic, 8pm, 973-249-0014 Gemara for Women, Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt, Beit Midrash, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8pm, begins Jan 26, 718-548-1850 “Toward a Meaningful Life: A Soul-Searching Journey for Every Jew,” Rabbi Chanoch Kaplan, Chabad House, Franklin Lakes, 201-848-0449; Rabbi Ephraim Simon, Chabad House, Teaneck, 201907-0686, 8pm, begins Feb 9 Shiur, Lauren Eskreis-Winkler, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 8:15, 973-736-1407, begins Feb 2 Men’s Shiur, Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8:15pm, 201-791-7910 Mishna Berurah Hilchot Pesach, Rabbi Richard Wolpoe, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 8:20pm Topics in Masechta Brochos, Rabbi Yisroel Hoffman, Cong Agudath Israel, Highland Park, 8:30pm, radler@ebglaw.com “Hidden Secrets of the Three Mitzvoth of Women,” for women, Mandana Bolour, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 8:30pm, 201-568-1315 Gemara: Bava Kama Shiur, Rabbi Larry Rothwachs, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 8:30pm Moadon Yisrael Hebrew Club, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 8:30pm, 732-545-2407 “Kitchen Kashrut,” Rabbi Mordechai Gershon, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 9pm, 201-568-1315 Aruch Hashulchan Chabura, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 9pm, 201-637-7470 Jewish History, Mel Kapustin, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, 9pm, 973-597-1655 Halacha Sugya, Rabbi Tzvi Sobolofsky, Cong Bnai Yeshurun,
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Teaneck, 9:15pm Gemara Shiur, Rabbi Benjamin Yudin, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 9:15pm, 201-791-7910
Thursdays
“Sefer Tehillim Revealed: Lessons for Life in All Its Complexity,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 7:45am Gemara Sukkah (Iyun), Rabbi Shlomo Nussbaum, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 8:35am, 732-247-0532 Torah in the AM: Navi Chavura: Book of Kings, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9am Torah Tuesday on Thursday, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 9am, 201-791-7910 “Chassidic Insights into the Parsha,” Rabbi Mechel Horowitz, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 9:35am, 732-247-0532 Gemara: Baba Metzia 49b-60b, Rabbi Menahem Meier, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9:45am “Approaches to Human Suffering in the Book of Job,” Rabbi Menahem Meier, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 10:50am Online Course: “Adobe Photoshop for Beginners,” spons by the OU, 11am, begins Jan 13, jobs@ou.org Parsha Shiur, Rabbi Shlomo Krupka, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, 11:30am, 973-597-1655 Online Course: “Adobe Photoshop for Intermediate Users,” spons by the OU, 1pm, begins Jan 13, jobs@ou.org Kosher Baking and Hebrew, for children 3-5, Limor Ibrahimian, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 3pm, limor@BHworkshops4kids.com Advanced Yiddish, Rebbeca Levine, Lautenberg JCC, Whippany, 7pm, begins Feb 3, 973-428-9300 Beginners Israeli Folk Dance, Sara Burnbaum, Rockland JCC, West Nyack, 7:15pm, 845-362-4400 Kol Dodi MetroWest Jewish Community Chorale, Cantor Joel
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Caplan, JCC, West Orange, 7:50pm, 973530-3400 Gemara: Tractate Taanis, Dr. Chaim Presby, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 8pm Chassidus, for women, Ayelet Crane, private home in Passaic, 8pm, 973-249-0014 “Avelut: A Study of the Laws of Mourning in the Talmud and Codes,” Rabbi Mordecai Feuerstein, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 8pm, 973-994-2620 or 973-994-0122 Yiddish for Beginners, Rebecca Levine, Lautenberg JCC, Whippany, 8:10pm, begins Feb 3, 973-428-9300 Chabura on Sefer Nefesh Ha-Chaim, Rabbi Herschel Grossman, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 8:15pm
Chumash Shiur, Rabbi Dov Kramer, Cong Bais Medrash L’Torah, Passaic, 8:30pm, 973-473-3666 Circle, Line, and Couples Israeli Folk Dance, Sara Burnbaum, Rockland JCC, West Nyack, 8:35pm, 845-362-4400 Chumash Shiur, Rabbi Yissocher Frand, via satellite, Cong K’Hal Zichron Mordechai, Monsey (845-356-7188);Young Israel of Fair Lawn (201-797-1800); Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck (201-907-0180); Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange (973-669-7320); Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic (973-773-2552), Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park (732-247-0532), 9pm Maseches Sukkah, Lieber Schachter, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 9:20pm, 201637-7470
Fridays
Reel Film Series, discusses films’ importance to the Jewish community, JCC, West Orange, 10am, 973-530-3400, begins Jan 14 “A Taste of Shabbat,” for newborns-36 months, with an adult, YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 1pm, 201-666-6610 “The Meaning of Minhag,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, between Kabbalat Shabbat and ma’ariv, 201833-0515 Beis Medresh Program for Men and Boys, Cong Ohr HaTorah, Bergenfield, 8pm, 201-384-1849
Shabbat
Kiddush Chabura, Rabbi Elchanan Adler, Cong Adas Israel, Passaic, 10am Parsha Class, for women, rotating speakers, private homes in Teaneck, 3:15pm, gomink@ aol.com Sefer HaChinuch, for young men in high school and college, Baruch Gore, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, between mincha and ma’ariv
Motzei Shabbat
Parent-Child Learning, with stories, pizza, and prizes, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 6:30pm, 201-637-7470 Avos U’Banim, Cong Ohr HaTorah, Bergenfield, 6:30pm, 201-384-1849 Bnai Jazz, with Dave Scher, guitar; Steve Wien, bass; Ray Butler, keyboard; Seth Chosak, percussion; and Josh Marcus, vocals, Hamsa Kosher Restaurant, Tenafly, one hour after Shabbos, 201-871-6060 Navi, Rabbi Yisroel Reisman, live via satellite, Young Israel of Fair Lawn (201-7971800); Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park (732-247-0532); Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic; JEC, Elizabeth (908-591-5929); Cong Khal Zichron Mordechai, Monsey (845-356-7188); Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck; Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange (973-669-7320), 7:30pm
New Minyanim
Daily Morning Minyan, to begin with 10-15 minutes of learning (particularly tefillah), and then about 45 minutes to daven. This is the alternative to “speed davening,” private location in Edison, 6:30am, 732-397-4219 Orthodox Minyanim, Jewish Center of Teaneck, daily, 7:15am and 7pm; Shabbat, 8:45am; Sundays, 9am
Chesed Ops
Before its trip on Jan 16 to feed the hungry at Eva’s Kitchen, the Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton needs volunteers to purchase, bake, and deliver 15 pieces of chicken to the shul (bottoms with drumsticks attached, seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika), 973-471-5273 To help families in need in Englewood, Cong Ahavath Torah and the East Hill Synagogue are
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Economic High
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state to distinction as the fastest-growing economy in the Western world. Surpassing the Experts According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel’s gross national product grew at a considerably greater rate than even the most optimistic of reports expected. The International Monetary Fund, for example, estimated that Israel’s economy would grow by 4.2 percent, while the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which invited Israel to join in mid-2010, predicted growth of 3.9 percent for Israel’s economy that year. The Israeli Finance Ministry had been even less hopeful, forecasting growth of only 3.6 percent. The Bank of Israel had predicted growth of 4.0 percent, and the Israeli statistics bureau itself had predicted in October that Israel’s economic growth would not surpass 4.1 percent in 2010. “In other words, everybody erred on the downside,” said Ha’aretz’s financial editor Moti Bassok. By contrast, the average growth among the other 33 OECD nations, which are characterized as developed countries with high-income economies and high human development indexes, was 2.7 percent in 2010. The US economy expanded by 2.7 percent; Germany’s expanded by 3.5 percent. Spain’s contracted by 0.2 percent and Ireland’s by 0.3 percent. High Standard of Living While living conditions deteriorated
Classes
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sponsoring ShopRite gift cards. For each card sold, ShopRite donates 5 percent to the East Hill Synagogue in the form of ShopRite gift cards, which can be donated anonymously to needy families in Bergen County. To purchase ShopRite cards for personal use, call 201-227-0354; to make a donation to the discretionary fund of Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of Cong Ahavath Torah so that ShopRite cards can be purchased, call 201-568-1315. Please let Rabbi Goldin know if there are additional families who could benefit from this program. Keren Kol Kallah, established to provide orphan and destitute brides in Israel with essential needs, will hold a gala sheitel sale and needs donations of custom, brand-new, or gently used wigs, call 732-572-4408 The Community Synagogue of Monsey Sisterhood Bikur Cholim Project is seeking 2-3 volunteers a month. Call 845-425-4760, 845425-7935, or 845-425-3060 Y
in most Western countries in 2010, in Israel, the standard of living rose by 2.7 percent. Israel also did better in terms of employment. Its unemployment rate was 6.7 percent, compared with an average 8.3 percent in other OECD countries. According to Mr. Bassok, the rapid growth rate “makes sense.” “Tax collection exceeded preliminary estimates for the year by $3.4 billion. The faster-than-expected pace of economic growth explains the ‘surplus’ collection,” he said. Early Recovery The global economic downturn af-
fected Israel the most in 2009, when growth expanded by just 0.9 percent. In 2008, it had been 4.2 percent. But since the second quarter of 2009, the pace of growth has been between 4 and 5 percent. While Israel’s figure is impressive when compared to other OECD nations, it was surpassed by a few emerging economies. India achieved economic growth of an astounding 9.9 percent in 2010, and Brazil had 7.5 percent. Fear of Inflation The only downside in Israel was the
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Economic High
January 2011 Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”
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fear in some quarters that inflation could be brewing. Government-regulated gas prices hit a record high on January 1, jumping a formidable 46 cents, making the cost $7.60 per gallon. Only in Turkey, Norway, Eritrea, and the Netherlands are prices higher. The stiff hike was due to the declining dollar, the rising cost of benzene, and a rise in gas taxes approved by the Knesset Finance Committee. At the same time, public transportation rates also increased in Israel, as they do twice a year based on the Consumer Price Index. Water Water prices, too, in Israel were sched-
uled to jump by 2.7 percent at the end of December, but the decree was canceled by the Knesset Finance Committee. Nevertheless, the Union of Local Authorities in Israel called for a nationwide strike of municipalities to protest, among other complaints, “rising water prices.” Asked to explain the seeming contradiction, a ULAI spokesman said the latest price hike had not been cancelled, but, rather, just postponed. “We want prices to go down, not up,” said the spokesman. Over the past three years, the price of water has risen dramatically in Israel.
According to Arutz Sheva, a typical family of five in the northern town of Hatzor HaGelilit paid $78 a year for their water in 2007. Today, the cost is more than $177, including a Value Added Tax of 16 percent. Billion-Dollar Potential Nevertheless, no one could argue that the news from Israel was overwhelmingly positive, especially the announcement that the discovery in the Tamar gas field is the world’s largest in 18 months. Changing gas prices could make the gas worth anywhere from $3.5 to $17 billion in the future, and partners in the offshore project are preparing for the first deliveries of gas in 2012. Expenditures of $230 million have already been approved for equipment and services to be provided by Noble Energy, a partner in the project with 36 percent working interest, along with the Israeli firms, Isramco Negev 2 (28.5 percent), Delek Drilling (15.6 percent), Avner Oil Exploration (15.6 percent); and Dor Gas Exploration (the remaining 4 percent). Delek CEO Yitzchak Tshuva was jubilant, announcing that Israel is “on the road to energy independence.” “We have already sufficient Israeli natural gas to meet all of the country’s needs for many years, and we intend to continue searching in our many franchises off the Israeli coast,” he said. Exporting Gas Currently, Israel spends about $5 billion on fuel imports. Cutting this expense will lead to a stronger balance of payments for the Jewish state. When gas from the Tamar field starts flowing, the Finance Ministry should realize that $5 billion in royalties, said Gal Reiter, an energy industry analyst at the Tel Avivbased Clal Investments. Further, Delek did not dismiss the possibility of more finds, including the prospect of discovering oil. Tzvi Greenfeld, CEO of the Delek Drilling division, said, “If we find more gas, there is a greater chance Israel will become an exporter.” Israel’s Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau agreed. Calling the gas discovery “the most important energy-related news since the founding of Israel,” he predicted that the Jewish state may well become a
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com supplier of gas in the Middle East. “It will enable Israeli citizens to enjoy clean, cheap electricity production, and the income the state can expect following these discoveries will bring a blessing and have a meaningful influence on many fields of endeavor in Israel,” he said. New Jobs The multi-billion dollar infrastructure needed to create new sea-to-land gas lines and a 311-mile distribution network is expected to produce hundreds of jobs for engineers and others. Ohad Marani, chairman of the board of Israel’s state-owned gas distribution network, said the move to gas from oil and coal will help diversify the Jewish state’s economy. The gas find at the Tamar field was announced last June, but the size could not be confirmed until December. The initiator of the project was oil geologist Joseph Langotsky, who named the Tamar field after his daughter. Lebanese Complaints As could be expected, Israel’s enemies in Lebanon have not watched this development with pleasure. The Hezbollah terrorist group, which seeks to destroy all of Israel, claims the entire Tamar field
Shvat 5771 belongs to the Arabs. More moderate Lebanese leaders have suggested that while the Tamar field clearly belongs to Israel, it is possible that that the basin extends to Lebanese waters. Delek’s chairman, Gabi Last, said an examination made with the Petroleum Commission showed that Lebanon’s claims are incorrect and that the entire area in question is within the territorial waters of Israel. “The border of Israel’s exclusive economic-zone waters passes to the north of the Tamar drilling area, and significantly so,” he said. Not Relying on the UN Marine law expert Amir Cohen-Dor said the Tamar gas field is within Israel’s contiguous economic zone and that under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, Israel can exploit resources in its zone. The problem is that, unlike Lebanon, Israel has not signed or ratified the 1982 UN law, chiefly because, in cases of dispute, the law calls for the decision to be made by UN arbitrators, whom Israel assumed would be biased against the Jewish state. According to Robbie Sabble, a professor of international law at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, the issue between Israel and Lebanon is sticky because there
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is no agreement between the two countries on just where the border is. Further, Lebanon’s generally accepted border with Israel is indented, making it harder to establish where Israel’s sea boundary ends and Lebanese water begins. “Rule of Capture” Prof Sabble said the general principle in such situations is the “Rule of Capture,” which allows each country to lift as much as it can on its side. Unfortunately for Lebanon, Israel has already started exploration and construction on its side, while Lebanese authorities have neither demarcated its exclusive economic zone nor initiated a process of attracting bids for exploration rights. Lebanese Energy Minister Gebran Basil warned Israel that his country would not allow the Jewish state “or any company serving Israeli interests” to drill for gas “that is in our territory.” Mr. Landau responded by warning Lebanon that Israel is willing to use force to protect the gas reserves discovered off its shores. Hezbollah issued a statement that it would not hesitate to use weapons “to defend Lebanon’s natural resources,” but several Lebanese lawmakers dismissed
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January 2011
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Ess Gezint: Jewish Cooking in France
A
nyone who salivates at the idea of taking a long, leisurely stay in France, chatting with local Jews about what, how, and why they cook as they do, is sure to appreciate Joan Nathan’s Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010). She weaves history, anecdotes, photographs, and recipes into a seamless whole, and, when she is finished, you just might feel as if you had spent the time with her, learning not only what goes on in the kosher kitchens of Paris, Alsace, Bordeaux, Arles, and other towns and cities, but also a lot about the tumultuous 2,000 years of Jewish presence in France. Y
Hutzel Wecken 2 cups chopped dried pears 1 cup chopped dried pitted plums 1 cup golden raisins 1 cup dried currants 1 cup roughly chopped dried figs 1 cup roughly chopped pitted dates ½ cup roughly chopped walnuts ⅓ cup salted peanuts
⅓ cup roughly chopped hazelnuts ⅓ cup roughly chopped almonds Grated zest of 1 orange Grated zest of 1 lemon ¼ cup kirsch 1 Tbs active dry yeast 2½-3 cups all-purpose flour 2 Tbs plus ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 tsp salt 6 Tbs confectioners’ sugar
Put the pears and plums in a saucepan with water to cover by an inch. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Drain, reserving both the fruit and the liquid. Toss the pears and plums in a large bowl with all the fruits and nuts and the zests. Add the kirsch and toss again. In a separate bowl, dissolve the yeast in ½ cup of the reserved fruit liquid and then add ½ cup of the flour and 2 Tbs of the granulated sugar. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and the
salt. Knead the dough in the bowl of a standing mixer with a dough hook. Add the fruits and nuts, and, using a low setting, slowly stir into the dough. When everything is incorporated, turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface, incorporating enough more flour to make the dough smooth and elastic. Even so, it will be a wet dough. Shape into a large ball, put in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a round ball and put both on the baking sheet. Let rest for 20 minutes. Bake, turning the temperature down to 375º after 20 minutes, until the crust is golden and the dough is cooked through, 40-45 minutes. If desired, while the bread is baking, make a glaze by whisking together ½ cup of the reserved fruit water and the confectioners; sugar. As soon as the breads come out of the oven, spoon glaze over them. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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the terrorists’ bravado as simply “another excuse to hold onto their arms.” “The issue is just another item in the endless list of excuses meant to justify the continued existence of Hezbollah’s arsenal,” said Lebanese MP Antoine Zahra. Focusing on Security None of the Lebanese complaints seemed to dampen Israel’s enthusiasm or its robust economic climate, both of which came as a pleasant surprise to Clark Judge, a former speech writer and special assistant to both President Ronald Reagan and then-Vice President George Bush. Mr. Judge, who just returned from a
visit to Israel—his first since an official mission with Mr. Bush about 25 years ago—said the fact that Israel enjoys a flourishing economy is often missed by Americans who tend to focus on the country’s security problems. In fact, there has been a continuous string of terror attacks against Jews by Palestinians from Judea and Samaria, and 2010 saw a total of nine Israelis killed (the smallest number in a decade) and 28 wounded. Many would-be suicide bombers have been thwarted by a combination of the security fence, for which Israel has been mercilessly excoriated by pro-Palestinian
left-wing organizations and governments, and pinpointed target assassinations carried out by Israeli troops during night-time raids into PA areas. Relative Peace Mr. Judge said he was “startled” to hear Israelis characterizing the current situation as peaceful because, he said, in America, “the state of tension would be considered intolerable.” In Israel, however, “peace” is a relative term. The comparison is to the situation between 2000 and 2006, when, during the intifada—sometimes called the Oslo War— 1,100 Jews were murdered and thousands more wounded by suicide bombers. One Israeli told Mr. Judge the current situation is “functional for all sides—the Palestinian Authority and neighboring governments as well as Israel itself.” “It has created space for economic expansion,” said Mr. Judge. Russian Confirmation He found confirmation for this view from Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the foreign policy committee of the Russian Senate. While visiting Jerusalem, Mr. Margelov told reporters, “All the countries of the Middle East are going through significant change…but the rearrangement of the Middle East would be very dangerous.” To Mr. Judge, the chairman’s words meant only that Russia “traditionally a fisher in troubled waters, wants to maintain the current tense stasis.” “So, despite all the politics, Israel thrives,” said Mr. Judge. No Housing Bust Some analysts say “thrive” would be an understatement. Irael’s shops are bustling and a record 3.45 million visitors boosted the country’s tourism industry, bringing more than $20 billion in revenue to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Mr. Judge pointed out that the housing bust that has crippled the economies of the US, Britain, Spain, and other Western countries, apparently skipped Israel. “Everyone who has seen the country over the years says physical growth has never been so evident as now. Jerusalem is as much an example of middle-income and upscale sprawl as any American boomtown before the Great Recession. You can find new housing and new malls
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com in all directions,” he said. New Aliyah New aliyah, especially from Western countries, is also a sign of rising wealth, he said. Most of the new olim are coming from the US, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Switzerland, he said. The trend was noted most recently by former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky who, in Israel, has served in the Knesset and is currently chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel. “Most of those coming to Israel now are from free countries,” Mr. Sharansky said, pointing out that the disparity between standards of living in the Jewish state and most major developed countries has largely closed. Palestinian Wealth Israel’s strong economy has also helped the Palestinians, said Mr. Judge, recalling a discussion he had with a wellto-do Palestinian merchant. “He mouthed the obligatory Palestinian gripes, but, after many years running his one successful store, he was branching out, opening a second outlet in the West Bank. I joked about his building a retail chain. He responded with a kind of laugh and modest disclaimer that told me that was exactly what he had in mind,” said Mr. Judge. The economic vitality of the Arab areas in Judea and Samaria seems to be a fulfillment of one of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign promises. He had pledged to make Palestinian economic development a priority, hoping that an improved standard of living would be conducive to peace. Mr. Netanyahu’s hopes for peace have been dashed by Palestinians who have refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state or compromise on their demand for a completely judenrein Judea and Samaria, including all of eastern Jerusalem. The Palestinians also insist on the so-called “right of return,” which would allow millions of Arabs who fled during 1948 and 1967—and their descendants—to “return” to Israel proper. Better Standard of Living But despite their intransigence on these issues, Palestinians have seen their standard of living improve. There is now a functioning stock exchange in Nablus and unemployment, which was a daunting 30 percent four years ago, has been reduced to 16 percent.
Shvat 5771
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Israel has removed more than 200 checkpoints to facilitate Palestinian economic activity, despite concomitant risks to Israelis from terrorism. The Jewish state has also installed expensive but rapid scanners to permit Palestinian trucks carrying goods for export to pass quickly. Some recent visitors said it takes about eight minutes per truck. In Jenin, the notorious home of scores of suicide bombers during the first and second intifadas, there is now a five-story shopping mall, movie theater, and a number of cafés that operate safely well into the night. Armed terrorist teenage gangs no longer rule the streets. Using Hatred But PA leaders, secular and religious, use anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric to keep Palestinians restive.
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After a visit to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, where, according to Jewish, Christian, and Muslim tradition, the Biblical Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah are buried, Mr. Judge said he was treated to an Arabic “rant” of hatred that “needed no translation,” coming from a public address system down in the valley. The result of that hatred, he said, is that many Palestinians, especially the children of the well-off, are emigrating to the US, Britain, and elsewhere. The daughter of the merchant with whom he spoke has a prestigious job in the United States. “If such Arabic-speaking young people are indeed moving out, it is not the economy or Israeli policy that prompts them to leave. It is that voice down in the valley,” he said. S.L.R.
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Combatting BDS Antisemitism: They Redraw Lines of Acceptable Discourse; the Pro-Israel Community Must Respond By Asaf Romirowsky
T
he latest attempt to boycott Israel on a North American college campus was made over hummus. The Strauss Group, Israeli co-owner (with PepsiCo) of Sabra brand hummus, supports the Golani and Givati brigades with gift packages, and was thus accused of human rights abuses against Palestinians. Princeton students were urged to demand that other brands be offered on campus in addition to the offending Sabra product.
The attempt at Princeton failed but this is only one of the latest examples of how the global boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement and its accompanying “apartheid” rhetoric is being disseminated, one plate of hummus at a time. The BDS movement is de facto antisemitism even as it masquerades as simply targeting Israel. The stated goals of the different BDS campaigns vary, but all include the “right of return” for Palestinian
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“refugees,” which means opening Israel proper to millions of Arabs who fled in 1948 and 1967—and their descendants— putting an end to the demographically Jewish state. BDS is cloaked to give the impression that ending specific Israeli policies, such as the “occupation,” will also bring an end to efforts to ostracize Israel. The BDS groups’ maximalist demand — the elimination of Israel as a Jewish state — is carefully hidden. Vitriolic Activities I recently completed a tour of college campuses sponsored by CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) and confronted many of these issues first-hand. I witnessed, on the one hand, a great deal of energy by pro-Israel students to combat this latest wave of antisemitism. On the other hand, despite their noble and well-meaning actions, these students fall short in the face of apathy among Jewish students at large and the vitriolic activities of the pro-Palestinian camps. The latter have devised ever more vigorous means to demonize Israel, such as model “check points” and apartheid walls that disrupt campus life. Flag Codes For example, while speaking at the University of Oklahoma, I was challenged by two pro-Palestinian students who read off 3×5 cards a prepared question with the “correct” answer which they thought would illustrate Israel as a colonial force that wants to rid the region of Arabs and Muslims. The question was about the two blue lines that bookend the Star of David in the flag of Israel. It was phrased to anticipate an answer that the goal of Zionism is to expand from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea, eradicating all Muslim presence. Ironically, this reflects a common protest chant used by many pro-Palestinians during demonstrations: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” But after hearing a long explanation about the origins of the flag of Israel, which comes from the colored stripes of
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Index of Advertisers Ads with Coupons Chopstix.............................................47 Fish of the C’s.......................................8 Ma’adan.............................................20 Sammy’s New York Deli.......................9 Teaneck Road Hot Bagels...................34 Burial Services Eden Memorial Chapels......................27 Gutterman and Musicant/Wien & Wien..54 Car Service Teaneck Taxi.......................................26 Camp, Sports, & Summer Programs Gan Israel............................................37 Camp Regesh........................................3 Ramote Expeditions..............................6 Camp Sdei Chemed.............................48 Charities Donate Your Car..................................31 Umbrella Tzedaka...............................18 Entertainment & Events 1/30: Celebrate! Party Showcase........29 2/5: Rabbi Lander Yahrzeit.................22 Graphic Artists Seventh Strategy..................................51 Home Construction and Repair American General Windows...............51 Shalom Plumbing................................51 SH Rescue Locksmith.........................24
Kosher Groceries Butterflake Bakery..............................38 Kosher Restaurant, Take-Out Chopstix..............................................47 Dougie’s BBQ.....................................23 Fish of the C’s.......................................8 Ma’adan..........................................20 Noah’s Ark..........................................13 Reuben’s Glatt Spot............................10 Sammy’s New York Deli.......................9 Legal Services Mediation, Martin Rosenfeld, Esq......33 Medical Services CareOne at Teaneck............................16 Chen V’Chesed V’Rachamim.............25 Holy Name Women’s Health Services..43 Neuro-DevelopmentalPediatricx.,Dr.Mintz..30 OBGYN, Dr. Efrat Meier-Ginsberg....19 OHEL.................................................19 Psychotherapy, Chana Simmonds.......51 Miscellaneous AJ’C Cleaning Service........................18 Frumster.com.............................39 Glitter Galore......................................28 HD Tech Home Systems.......................4 Kosher Kouponz..................................42 NARTH/JONAH.............................40 RetroCollage.com.........................5 Trusted Property Management Israel....8
Musicians Jeff Wilks..............................................6 Symphonia.........................................8 Photography/Video Aptowitzer...........................................54 Real Estate Apt. for Rent, Bakaa, Jerusalem..........48 Boca Raton Homes, Stateland Brown..49 Riverdale House for Sale....................49 Teaneck Luxury Apartments...............49 Teaneck Home for Sale.......................49 Vacation Village Home for Sale..........48 Zimuki, Property in Jerusalem............12 Travel & Vacations Camelback Mountain Resort...............11 Elite Dimensions Passover.................45. Emunah Pesach in Israel.....................41 Emunah Bar/Bat Mitzvah in Israel......14 Hudson Valley Resort Passover..........18 Hudson Valley Yeshiva Break.............44 Jewish Heritage Tours.........................21 KMR Pesach in Palm Springs...............7 Kosher Bed & Breakfast.....................12 Kosher Cruises Summer......................55 Kosherica Summer Cruises.................56 Lasko Passover Fontainebleau..............2 Marco Polo Resort Passover................15 MatzaFun Tours Passover...................46 Mendy Vim’s Holidays Passover........17 Passover Resorts..........................,......35 Pearlstone Center Passover.................50
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
Antisemitism
January 2011
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continued from page 46
the Jewish prayer shawl, they left the room confused yet determined to come back with more “facts.” Such information is easily found, but BDS supporters use assertions, no matter how absurd, to portray Israel as an aggressive force that robbed Palestinians of their land and threatens the entire Middle East. Education Required Pro-Israel students should be commended for their efforts and supported in any way possible, since it requires real courage to speak out in these situations. Moreover, these examples should motivate the pro-Israel community to work far harder to educate students, parents, and stakeholders about the Arab-Israeli conflict. It must be recognized that Israel’s detractors will make certain the most basic facts, such as the circumstances of
the Jewish state’s creation, are lost or falsified in order to depict Israel as the eternal outlaw state. Conceptually, what makes this battle so arduous for the pro-Israel community and so attractive for the antagonizers of the Jewish state is the umbrella of academic freedom that argues that it is legitimate to debate all aspects of Israel, from specific policies through its elimination. In their naïveté, many in the Jewish community are willing to engage in these debates precisely because they are cloaked in academic freedom, which gives them the aura of legitimate criticism rather than the honest sting of racism. Progress As the BSD movement has redrawn the lines of acceptable discourse, the mainstream Jewish community has begun to
respond. For example, in February 2010, the San Francisco Jewish Federation announced a policy which refuses funding to groups that “advocate for, or endorse, undermining the legitimacy of Israel as a secure independent, democratic Jewish state, including through participation in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, in whole or in part.” At the same time, NGO Monitor exposed the New Israel Fund’s support of various BDS groups. But drawing red lines around Jewish support for BDS has proved more controversial than might have been expected. Finding the Will to Fight A new initiative launched by the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) in part-
nership with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), has been dubbed the Israel Action Network. Designed to fight the de-legitimization of Israel and BDS, it proves the point that there is a broad consensus that BDS must be confronted and defeated, not defended and funded. But as a recent article in the Jewish Week shows, the New Israel Fund continues to waffle on its red lines, as do groups like J Street. When these anti-Israel defenders of the status quo cry censorship and claim that voices critical of Israel are being marginalized, it takes pluck to face them down and recognizes them for what they are. Until the main institutions of the Jewish community square the circle, BDS will continue to grow at the grassroots. Y
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Live Where You Can Walk to Shul
Single Family Homes in Luxurious Neighborhoods, Waterfront Properties, Condos & Investments
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
January 2011 Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”
Passover in California or Las Vegas with Passover Resorts
or the third consecutive year, Passover Resorts will run a Passover program at the Hyatt Regency Valencia, just 30 minutes from Los Angeles, in the village of Valencia. The resort was recently voted 100 percent family-friendly by travel websites. And, for the fifth year, Passover Resorts will be returning to the former RitzCarlton Lake Las Vegas Resort in Lake Las Vegas. The resort, now under Dulce management, will be re-opening midJanuary and will have its official opening day ceremonies February 1st. In Lake Las Vegas, you’ll enjoy Passover in the warmth and serenity of a desert resort with an entertainment capital minutes away. At the Regency Valencia, families can explore nature trails or stroll through the village stopping to sit and watch the fountains dance or window shop in Town Center’s boutiques and stores. Walking at night is a treat with lighted trees and mountains in the background. The world-famous theme park, Magic Mountain, is just a two-minute drive from the hotel and Lake Castaic’s boating is less than 10 minutes away. With three golf courses, public tennis courts, and many economical family-fun activities close by, guests don’t even have to leave Valencia to enjoy their vacation. A Little Further But if you do want to explore Los Angeles’s world famous attractions, the Valencia is only 30 minutes from Universal Studios, Universal City Walk, Venice Beach (with is sandy beach, boardwalk, skate and bike rental, and Santa Monica Pier Amusement
Park), Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Madame Tussaud’s and the Hollywood Wax Museum, The Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Also nearby are Griffith Park with its Observatory, zoo, pony rides, carousel, and horseback riding; The Grove; TV studios with tours and tapings; and worldrenowned museums and sites, including The Getty, La Brea Tar Pits, LACMA, and the Peterson Auto Museum. Venture a little further and you have Disneyland, California Adventure, Knotts Berry Farm, and the Movieland Wax Museum. Lake Las Vegas At Lake Las Vegas, all rooms and suites, dining, synagogue, day camps, entertainment, and classes are in one building of three wings. Guests can select a mountain, village, or lake-view room or suite. The rooms are oversized and have large closets which anyone going away for a Passover vacation will definitely appreciate. Waterfall and Lagoon Just minutes from your room, you’ll find a sand beach with a magnificent giant waterfall and lagoon swimming in addition to an Olympic heated pool and Jacuzzi. The Marina has gondola, pedal boat, and fishing boat rentals in addition to large boats for a relaxing cruise. For outdoor sports, there are three golf courses, a sand volleyball court, and a separate basketball court. Walk along lakeside paths, meander through the cobblestone streets of MonteLago Village with its variety of shops and boutiques, or just sit on one of the many benches
Snap out of it!
Sit back & relax this year with Pesach at Pearlstone
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and enjoy the Florentine Gardens or the breathtaking views of Lake Las Vegas and the surrounding mountains. You can pamper yourself with exquisite treatments in the 30,000 square foot Spa. Enjoy the separate men’s and women’s indoor plunge pools and Jacuzzis or work out in the full fitness center, sign up for one of the many scheduled classes, or treat yourself to the hair and nail salon. Elegant Meals and Entertainment Passover Resorts has been making Passover guests happy for more than 20 years. Glatt Kosher and under strict Orthodox rabbinic supervision provided by the Va’ad HaRabbonim of San Diego, Passover Resort’s menus are designed to delight the most sophisticated palette while satisfying those with more traditional tastes, including children and those on special diets. All Passover Resorts meals are cooked and prepared on site using only fresh foods and produce. We stock a wide selection of the finest kosher wines. Passover Resort seders are events in which every detail is designed for quintessential elegance. In addition to a synagogue where services are held three times a day, the roster of scholars, rabbis, and professional speakers will enlighten, entertain, and amuse you. Guests are also treated to exciting family entertainment with comedians, Jewish and Israeli vocalists, illusionists, hypnotists and many surprises. At the pre-school and elementary-school day camps, the “Pied Piper” of day camp directors and his staff will keep children busy from morning until night. The teen program has two regulation indoor gyms for basketball and volleyball. Like Royalty Passover Resorts’ Early Bird Specials for the Passover Package begin as low as $ 2,099 ppdo + tax & tip for rooms and $ 2,550 ppdo + tax & tip for suites. Children 12 and under are free if they’re in the same rooms as their parents, older siblings, or grandparents. Contact us at 1-800-PASSOVER (1-800-7277683) to learn more about our affordable rates for rooms, Jr. Suites, and 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Suites at the Hyatt Regency Valencia. Or, you can join us for one to nine nights for a joyous, relaxing, but fun-filled Passover in Lake Las Vegas. You can reach us at 1 800 PASSOVER or www. passoverresorts.com. Y
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“Honor the Professional According to Your Need”
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January 2011
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The Situation at Ima’s Leads to Confusion
Letters to the Editor
In the December issue, you write, “for the first time, Teaneck has a restaurant in which some members of the community will eat while others won’t.” [“Settling a Kashruth Dispute on Cedar Lane in a Menschlik Way,” Dec 2010]. The only thing more unique about this situation than previous ones such as Veggie Heaven (or Bischoff’s or the new Dunkin Donuts or the Bakery in Stop & Shop) is that it calls into question one of two previously similarly reputable agencies. Veggie Heaven’s hashgacha is deemed unreliable by people who won’t eat there. Those who will eat there, accept it. We are now confused—is the RCBC an organization with a self-esteem problem or is the OK not a reliable hashgacha. And based on the steps that the OK has taken, if one were to say that the hashgacha was not sufficient for this location, you’d basically be saying that kashrut is a lame business. Name Withheld Received by email SLR Responds: Deciding which kashruth supervision to rely on has always been a decision made with a trusted rabbinic source. Ima’s represents the first time there is a local restaurant under the supervision of an agency which the local vaad normally accepts and now, in this instance, does not. The problem is the RCBC rabbis do not, either singly or collectively, have a self-esteem problem and the OK is most assuredly a reliable hashgacha—uh, in most instances, just not in this one. For a better answer, we hope, tune in next month. First, I want to complement you on the WikiLeaks piece you wrote in the December issue [“WikiLeaks Upshot: Israel and the Arab States Agree Iran Must Be Stopped with or without a PA State; Why Is Obama Lying?” Dec 2010]. I think you nailed the situation. Israel is probably the only Western state that has come out looking better after the WikiLeaks scandal. I also want to thank you for the article on Ima’s restaurant. I would like very much to try the restaurant, but I’m afraid to do so. I would feel like the punch line in an old Jewish joke if we should run into our rabbi on Cedar Lane when we were going in or out. It is very hard to understand why it is all right (I almost said OK) for me to meet my rabbi going in or out of other OKsupervised restaurants, such as Kosher Express in Fair Lawn, but not the one in Teaneck. I trust my rabbi, and if he says we shouldn’t eat somewhere, we don’t eat there, but how can the supervision be all right in one place but not in the other? Ariella Benchluch Fair Lawn, NJ SLR responds: First, let me thank you for your kind words. As for your question, like the man said: Ask your local Orthodox rabbi. Alternatively, wait for next month. We might have some more news on that score.
Another KosherTroops Campaign
A poetry campaign, children of all ages are now invited To share thoughts with our troops and show them we are united. No special skills are required, no need for expert poets, On our web page and on Facebook we will proudly show it. Words of kindness every soldier far away longs to hear, They’ll fight lonely feelings and help the gloominess clear
More Than 500 Religious and Communal Leaders Call on President Obama to Release Jonathan Pollard
Dear Mr. President: We, the undersigned over five hundred religious and communal leaders representative of the broad spectrum of the American faith community—wish to add our voices in support of clemency for Jonathan Pollard. We are united in the fundamental belief that “Justice, only justice, shall you pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20), which rests at the core of our moral principles and system of justice. Mr. Pollard is currently serving his 26th year of a life sentence, having been indicted on one count of passing classified information to an ally without intent to harm the United States. We certainly do not condone his crime, nor do we underestimate the gravity of the offense. But it is patently clear that the sentence was and remains terribly disproportionate—the average punishment is a 2-4 year prison term—and (as several federal judges have noted) constitutes a gross miscarriage of justice. As you know, prominent figures from across the spectrum have publicly stated their support for Mr. Pollard’s release. They include Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, Senators Charles Schumer and Arlen Specter, Harvard Law Professors Charles Ogletree and Alan Dershowitz, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb, Rev. Theodore Hesburgh of Notre Dame, Benjamin Hooks of the NAACP, former federal Judge George Leighton, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olsen, Pastor John Hagee, and Gary Bauer. Furthermore, thirty-nine members of Congress have recently submitted to you a “Dear Colleague” letter led by Congressman Barney Frank in support of commuting Mr. Pollard’s sentence. Perhaps most noteworthy, similar support has come from those who have seen the classified information of the actual damage caused including former CIA Director R. James Woolsey, Congressman Anthony Weiner, and former Senator and Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Dennis DeConcini. After more than two and a half decades in prison, Mr. Pollard’s health is declining. He has repeatedly expressed remorse for his actions, and by all accounts has served as a model inmate. Commuting his sentence to time served would be a wholly appropriate exercise of your power of clemency—as well as a matter of basic fairness and American justice. It would also represent a clear sense of compassion and reconciliation—a sign of hope much needed in today’s world of tension and turmoil. Thank you for your consideration of this request. SLR: For a full list of those who signed, check our website at jewishvoiceandopinion.com Our soldiers stand together and daily are so brave, But encouragement from home are words they always crave So please take a moment and jot a few rhyming thoughts down, We’ll send them to our troops and they’ll certainly be passed around! Please submit poems, letters, and artwork to: sara@koshertroops.com or ava@koshertroops.com Sara Fuerst New Hempstead, NY
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“Thought Is the World of Freedom” (R’ Dov Ber of Mazeritch) School Choice Restores Parents’ Rights
We have the opportunity of a lifetime to restore the natural right of parents to raise and educate their children with minimal government intervention. This battle began in 1955, when the late, great economist Milton Friedman first proposed parental choice in “The Role of Government in Education.” Over these 55 years, American education has declined precipitously—while costs have more than tripled in real dollars! Thankfully, there is now a political revolution building across America, aimed at restoring limited, responsible and constitutional government. Those of us who comprise the Alliance for Free Choice in Education are most pleased to be a part of this movement. We see it as the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel, which has been shutting out the brilliance of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Decades of decline in society and government, at the state and federal level, has been brought upon us by public employee unions that have (inevitably) misused their power to control what is rightfully the prerogative of the People. Voters are beginning to realize that a first step toward winning back our liberty is redeeming our children from the clutches of educrats. Parents, in cooperation with teachers, will also achieve far better outcomes than with government bureaucrats intervening, as demonstrated by history. During the 1950’s, prior to the formation of teachers’ unions, the USA was number one in education, at less than one-third the current cost—in inflation adjusted dollars! Accordingly, we have been working with Assemblyman Tony Bucco (NJ-25) and others on a bill to restore to parents their natural right to raise and educate their children with minimal government intervention. Please email me to receive a copy of the bill drafted by the NJ Office of Legislative Sercvices. This coming year of 2011 presents New Jersey with the opportunity to blaze a trail toward true educational reform that restores the human right of parents to control the rearing and education of their children. The following year, 2012, presents us with the opportunity to accomplish the same in the remaining 49 states and the District of Columbia. All we need do is place our fingers to the task—merely plow the field and plant the seeds. The blessings of liberty will rain from Above. We look forward to your participation in this historic event to promote this bill, together with community representatives
from cross sections of the community. Your comments, questions and suggestions are both welcome and appreciated. Continued success and all the best. Israel Teitelbaum Morristown, NJ israel@schoolchoicenj.org
An Open Letter to President Nicolas Sarkozy
Dear President Sarkozy, First, I would like welcome you in advance of your visit this coming January. The United States and France have been longstanding allies and friends, and I look forward to continuing to work with you to advance the common goals of both our countries. In this spirit of friendship, I wish to highlight an issue that has recently come to my attention. Reports have been circulating in the past few days stating that France plans to sell 100 Haut subsonique Optiquement Téléguidé Tiré d’un Tube (HOT) antitank missile systems to Lebanon by the end of February 2011. As you know, Lebanon is in a precarious situation whereby Hezbollah is in a powerful position to usurp the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). If this were to occur, Israel would be in grave danger of having your anti-tank missiles used against her. I agree in principle that strengthening the LAF against Hezbollah is an important goal, but I believe that providing the LAF with anti-tank missiles is neither helpful nor necessary in that regard. The stakes are too high, and the danger this would pose to Israel is far too real. I therefore respectfully request that you reconsider this arms deal of anti-tank missiles and seek to aid the LAF in other ways. I thank you for your consideration, and look forward to your response. Sincerely, Rep Steven Rothman (D-NJ) Fair Lawn, NJ The Jewish Voice and Opinion welcomes letters, especially if they are typed, double-spaced, and legible. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and style. Please send all correspondence to POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631. The phone number is (201) 569-2845. The FAX number is (201) 569-1739. The email address is susan@jewishvoiceandopinion.com
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
January 2011
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Out-of-State Purchasers Rush to Buy South Florida Real Estate at Bargain Prices
I
n this economy, many savvy investors who, in the past, did not set their sights on Florida’s real estate market, are now focusing on deals which can be found in Broward and Miami Dade County. “South Beach condos are selling for as low as $70,000 to $100,000. In other areas,
ALAN L. MUSICANT
such as Coral Springs and Deerfield Beach, a renovated two-bedroom, two-bath condo can go for as little as $50,000. Even if Florida has not yet bottomed out, at those prices, it really doesn’t matter,” says Dan Statlander of Stateland Brown LLC, which specializes in Florida real estate.
A Boca Raton-based real estate broker who says his expertise ranges from finding the perfect property to making sure the purchase is “a smooth and worry-free experience with no surprises,” Mr. Statlander points out that while analysts predict that real estate prices will not increase until the banks dispose of their foreclosed properties and jobs (and employment) become plentiful again, real estate prices are certainly not plummeting further, thanks to foreign investors. “International buyers continue to fuel the market, keeping it strong, and we continue to see positive signs,” says Mr. Statlander, noting that his firm has clients coming to Florida from Brazil who leave deposits on condos “for as low as $50,000.”
Coming from New York Recently, he says, his office was filled with investors from New York who are trying to get in on the Florida rental market. “Where else can you buy a single-family home for $65,000 and rent it out for $1,200 per month?” he says. He points out that the taxes and insurance together on such a property are only about $250 per month. For more information, Mr. Statlander can be reached at 561-245-8722 or 561-542-7338. His address is 7300 W Camino Real, Ste 225, in Boca Raton, FL 33433. His website is www. statelandbrown.com. “South Florida’s real estate market makes sense. Investors are making money,” he says. Y
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