THE JEWISH VOICE AND OPINION Promoting Classical Judaism
August 2011
Vol. 24 • No. 10
Av 5771
After the Massacre, Norwegians Defend Arab Terror against Israel, but Shooting at the Norwegian Camp Was Their Ma’a lot
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upporters of Israel were in for a rude shock if they thought that Norwegians, after suffering a massacre of scores of civilians (most of them teenagers) might become more sympathetic to any civilian population dealing with terrorism. While Israelis, like the rest of the civilized world, reacted with horror to the massacre of eight Norwegians in a bombing near government buildings in Oslo and the shooting deaths of 68 young people at a Labor Party teen summer camp on Utøya Island an hour
The day before the massacre, Norway Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store, on the left, visited the Labor Youth Camp and told the campers: “The Palestinians must have their own state, the occupation must end, the wall must be demolished, and it must happen now.” The campers cheered.
Six Years after “Disengagement,” Most Gush Katif Displaced Jews Still in Limbo, with only a Museum to Recall Their Glory Days
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his summer marks the sixth anniversary of the expulsion of close to 9,000 Jewish Israelis from Gush Katif, Gaza, a bloc of 21 Israeli settlements located on the southwestern edge of Gaza. Most of those Jews who were displaced in August 2005 are still living in what were supposed to be temporary caravans (more like trailers) and just as many have still been unable to find new employment.
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On a guided tour of the Gush Katif Museum in Jerusalem, a visitor sees all that’s left of 21 thriving Jewish settlements.
Who Needs the Settlements? . ......... 2 Attorneys General to Israel ............. 3 Kol Ami: Children’s Safety ?........... 4 The Current Crisis.......................... 5 Kashrus Alert................................... 6 Commerce Energy....................... 12
Inside the Voice
Norwegian Antisemitism............. 14 The Log........................................ 16 New Classes................................. 19 New Minyanim .......................... 20 Chesed Ops ............................... 20 Mazal Tov.................................... 20
later, Norway’s Ambassador to Israel implied that the terror attacks against his country were unjustified, whereas terror attacks against Israel were understandable. (Both crimes were perpetrated by self-styled right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik.) In an interview with Ma’ariv, Norwegian Ambassador Svein Sevje said Palestinians engage in terror attacks “because of a defined goal that is related to the Israeli occupation.” “In the case of the terror
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he vacationing Jewish Voice and Opinion staff hope you, too, are enjoying the summer. Be sure not to miss our September issue featuring a story on some of the most important rabbinic and medical figures in the Orthodox world who are taking a stand on one of the most controversial issues of our time. In the meantime, visit our website, www. jewishvoiceandopinion. com, for updates.
Index of Advertisers . .................. 25 Ess Gezint: Kosher Elegance....... 26 Tante Frieda Haberman, z”l . .... 26 Honor the Professional ............... 27 Letters to the Editor .................... 28 Walk to Shul . .............................. 31
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Ten Attorneys General Visit Israel with AIFL: Law Enforcement, Spirituality, and Deep Bonds of Friendship
efore Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin visited Israel this past May, he was expecting his first trip to the Jewish state to afford him a hands-on understanding of the structure of the Israeli government and its relationship with the United States. When he returned, he said, “It became that and much more.” Mr. Kilmartin was one of ten attorneys general from across the US who made up a bipartisan delegation to Israel. Their five-day trip this past May, which was sponsored by the America-Israel Friendship League (AIFL), was designed to
Attorneys General Pam Bondi (R-FL), Steve Bullock (D-MT), Peter Kilmartin (D-RI), Gary King (D-NM), Chris Koster (D-MO), Sam Olens (R-GA), Scott Pruitt (R-OK), Luther Strange (R-AL), John Suthers (R-CO), J.B. Van Hollen (R-WI) in Israel with their hosts, including Ruby Shamir, second from left, executive director of the Israeli office of the America-Israel Friendship League, which sponsored the delegation
allow participants to meet with government officials from the Jewish state who briefed them on the latest developments in the Middle East peace process as well as familiarized them with Israel’s legal framework, security issues, and commitment to the rule of law. Bipartisan Delegation In addition to Mr. Kilmartin, a Democrat, the participants included Attorneys General Luther Strange III (AL-R), John Suthers (CO-R), Pam Bondi (FL-R), Sam Olens (GA-Ra), Christopher Koster (MO-D), Steve Bullock (MT-D), Gary King (NM-D), E Scott Pruitt
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THE JEWISH VOICE AND OPINION, Inc. © 2011; Publisher and Editor-in-Chief: Susan L. Rosenbluth Phone (201)569-2845 Managing Editor: S. Edelman Advertising: Rivkie 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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Kol Ami: Children’s Safety?
By Susan Rosenbluth
he murder of young Leiby Kletsky, z”l, last month, has been described as the Jewish community’s 9-11, a tsunami of a tragedy in which the whole Jewish world felt as one, praying for a little boy and crying for his bereft family. When asked what the Jewish people could do in Leiby’s memory, his parents, Rabbi Nachman and Itta Kletzky, asked for acts of loving kindness, gratitude to Hashem, lighting Shabbat candles with Leiby in mind, and charity donated to www.leibykletzkymemorialfund.com. The question we asked last month was: Given the tragedy, how old should a child be before he or she goes out alone? Y
I have two daughters, 12 and 16, and, even here in beautiful Livingston, I don’t let my 12-year-old walk by herself. If she’s going to friends a few blocks away, I pick her up. This is a sign of how things have changed, because when I was 8 years old in Brighton Beach, I walked everywhere myself. I’d say 15 is a good age to let a child go by herself in a safe neighborhood. Phil Edelstein Livingston, NJ
I let my child walk oneand-a-half blocks to shul in the suburbs, but now I am secondguessing myself. Zoe Levin-Deluty Englewood, NJ
I don’t think recommending what age children should be given a little independence does anyone any good. No parent can lock his or her child up; we cannot strike mortal fear in their little hearts, or make them afraid of their own shadows. We can only judge by the individual child and our knowledge of him or her, which clearly is not infallible, and attempt to prepare them how to deal with people who might do them harm. Alyssa Lappen Brooklyn, NY
The age at which legally a parent is allowed to leave a child alone at home is 13. I think at least the same should apply here, although I think it also depends on where the child lives. A city is definitely more dangerous than a small rural town. Parents should coordinate with someone in charge at day camps or schools. All children even at 13, if they are not with an adult, should go out only in groups of at least three children. Shoshanna Walker Cedarhurst, NY
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The Current Crisis: “Even in Laughter, the Heart Can Ache”
e can’t be the only ones in the Western world who were befuddled at the performance by the Norwegian Keystone Kops after Norway’s own, home-grown, would-be Knight Templar turned the Labor Youth Camp into a model of the school in Ma’alot. No pun intended, but while we understand that not one of the 600 Palestinian-loving, Israeli-hating Norwegian young people on that island would have been caught dead with anything resembling a handgun, virtually all of them were armed with cellphones. We guess the Kops told the kids they were busy with the bomb in the city (can’t handle two incidents at one time, you know. Who do you think we are? Israelis?), and the budding young leftists of the Labor Party should just continue their game of innocent Palestinians versus nasty Israelis, and play with the nice man who came onshore dressed like a foul Jewish policeman. *** In the US, the only would-be Knights Templar we have are members of the Tea Party who don’t want Washington spending money we don’t have. No wonder Democrats like VP Joe Biden confused these elected members of Congress with ter-
rorists. The Veep has denied calling fellow lawmakers from across the aisle the “T” word, but Joe probably just fell asleep and doesn’t remember. After all, on MSNBC, former Obama administration official Steven Rattner said “Tea Party guys are, like, strapped with dynamite, standing in the middle of Times Square at rush hour and saying, ‘Either you do it my way, or we’re going to blow you up, ourselves up, and the whole country up with us.’” NY Times columnist Tom Friedman likened the Tea Party to “this Hezbollah faction” taking the GOP “on a suicide mission.” Rep Steny Hoyer (D-MD) (who should know better) accused House Republicans of wanting “to shoot every bullet they have at the President,” and an aide to the late Sen Ted Kennedy, William Yeomans, now a prof of law at American University, said calling Tea Party Republicans “hostage-takers” doesn’t go far enough, since “they have now become full-blown terrorists.” Maybe these Democrats need a two-week vacation in Sderot or on Utoya Island in Norway to learn what terrorists really are and can do. Then the Dems can bone up on what their great leader said last January, after the deadly shooting in Tucson, about “more civility in our public discourse.” We’d settle just for less incitement. S.L.R.
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August 2011 Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”
Attorneys General in Israel (OK-R), and John Van Hollen (WI-R). During their trip, the four Democrats and six Republicans met with, among others, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, Minister of Justice Yacov Neeman, Supreme Court Justice and former Israeli Attorney General Elyakim Rubenstein; Ambassador and Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon; Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Legal Department Arthur Lenk; Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy Dan Meridor; Head of the Begin Sadat Institute at Bar Ilan University Professor Efraim Inbar; and Consul General of the American Embassy Andrew Parker. They did not meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because he was in the United States at the time, but they were taken to Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem. Law Enforcement Issues During their meetings with Israeli officials, the most frequently discussed subjects were counter-terrorism techniques and law-enforcement problems affecting both countries such as money laundering and human trafficking. “It was a particularly interesting time to be in Israel discussing law-enforcement issues because of the ongoing interaction between the US and Israel regarding the peace process in that part of the world,”
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said Mr. King of New Mexico. “What I learned and the relationships that were established will be used to help me do a better job as Attorney General and further protect the citizens at home.” Mr. Kilmartin said the participants’ 90-minute meeting with Mr. Peres was one of the highlights of the trip. Asked what message he would like the AGs to bring away from this visit, Mr. Peres said he would encourage them to continue showing “strong support for democracy in America and throughout the world.” “He, as well as many other Israelis I met, is rightfully proud that Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East,” said Mr. Kilmartin. Mr. Koster of Missouri, agreed, declaring that he would value the visit with Mr. Peres “for the rest of my life.” “The photo with him will have a place of honor in the Attorney-General of Missouri’s Office,” he said. Supreme Differences The Rhode Island AG said one of his biggest surprises came while they were touring the Israeli Supreme Court and meeting with Justice Rubenstein: Mr. Kilmartin saw the Atlantic Reporter series of case law—a collection of court cases from New England—in the library. “Why would an Israeli court have American case law on hand? Because the State of Israel is so young, it seeks precedent from case law established outside its borders,” he said. He was surprised to discover that, in contrast to the US Supreme Court, the Israeli Supreme Court accepts every case presented to it; last year, that amounted to some 10,000 cases. Also, in Israel, anyone can file a case, as opposed to the situation in the US, where a plaintiff must have “standing” (a personal interest in the issues of the case) to file suit. “Israel’s is truly a judicial system that is open and accessible to every Israeli citizen, regardless of race, religion, gender, or country of origin,” said Mr. Kilmartin. Mr. Suthers of Colorado characterized the Israeli Supreme Court as “fascinating.” “In our meeting with the attorneygeneral, there was some candor by some of the lawyers expressing the wish that the
Supreme Court would be more selective in choosing the cases it hears, but there was universal admiration for the quality of its fairness,” he said. “Lawfare” The American AGs and their Israeli counterparts also discussed “lawfare,” the use of international law to attack a political opponent on moral grounds, usually in order to win a public relations victory. The Jewish State’s enemies throughout the world have attempted to have Israeli politicians, soldiers, businessmen, and even ordinary citizens arrested abroad, with the intent of having them tried in some sort of international arena. Usually, the Israelis have been informed before landing and either remain on the airplane or simply do not travel to the country in question. Mr. Koster said that, as the national co-chairman of the Democratic AttorneysGeneral Association, he has been trying to arrange for the subject of “lawfare” to be discussed at one of the association’s upcoming national conferences. He pointed out that while Israelis have been forced to deal with the problem of “lawfare” for some time, it is just emerging in the United States. “It is important that ‘lawfare’ not be painted as a Jewish problem or one affecting only Jews. It is a problem that affects all free people, including the United States,” said Mr. Koster. Repeat Visits While this was Mr. Kilmartin’s first trip to Israel, it was the second for Mr. Suthers and the third for Mr. Koster. “Each time I come, my understanding of Israel, the Mideast, and the world deepens. I have come to love this place, not just the nation and the people and the cities, but also its passion for democracy and vibrancy of culture and business. Makes me feel, like many Americans, a desire for its freedom and advancement,” said Mr. Koster. Mr. Suthers indicated that repeated trips serve to strengthen not only the connection, but also a grasp of the issues. “I simply did not understand what was going on until I came the first time, until I saw the Green Line, the [Western] Wall, etc. Coming back only adds to my understanding and appreciation of the issues,” he said.
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com He maintained that while the vast majority of Americans are supportive of Israel, “the number who fully understand the issues is small.” “The average American understands that the Mideast is a very dangerous place and that Israel is our greatest ally there,” said Mr. Suthers. Shabbat Dinner Despite the heavy academic and professional agenda, the AGs and their guests began their trip on an inspirational note. After arriving in Israel on Friday afternoon, they attended a Shabbat service and dinner hosted by Rabbi Ian and Rachel Pear. Rebbetzin Pear is the daughter of former New York Attorney General Robert Abrams who, as chair of the Delegations Committee of the AIFL, oversees trips to Israel taken by scores of Americans representing a wide variety of professions and leadership roles. “AIFL brings Americans, representing a wide variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds, to see the miracle of Israel, a nation of extraordinary growth and beauty, thriving despite real existential threats. AIFL mission participants see a nation filled with vibrant cities, impressive infrastructure, great universities, and state-of-the-art medical facilities. But they also see that despite the headlines, Israel is a country in which Arabs and Jews live and work in harmony. The media likes to focus on the sparks on dissension; we show these American leaders the everyday truth about peaceful Arab-Israeli coexistence,” said Mr. Abrams, who accompanied the AIFL attorneys-general delegation in Israel. In addition to Mr. Abrams and the attorneys general, the delegation included James McPherson, executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General, and several spouses and guests, for a total of 17 participants. Spiritual Aspect The dinner with the Pears did not disappoint any of them. “The religious and cultural traditions surrounding the dinner were truly inspirational and provided a wonderful beginning to the visit,” said Mr. Kilmartin. Before leaving for Israel, he had met with students at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island in Providence who provided him with an envelope full of notes (kvitlach) that he promised to insert
Av 5771 into the cracks of the Kotel, the Western Wall, which is the only remnant of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. “It was my pleasure to place their notes into the Wall in what was one of many moving aspects of the visit,” said Mr. Kilmartin. Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, Galilee, and elsewhere were also on the itinerary. Special Relationship Several of the AGs mentioned that their enthusiasm to participate in the mission was based on the special relationship between the United States and Israel. “I am deeply honored to represent the State of Alabama and to be among those
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privileged to extend the hand of America’s friendship to the people of Israel,” said Attorney General Strange. “Alabama has a special link to Israel because of our strong economic development ties, particularly through our space and defense industries.” Mr. Strange said he was “pleased to be a part of fostering this important relationship between their people and ours.” Ms. Bondi of Florida agreed. “The intent of the trip was to facilitate a strong understanding of the Israeli government structure and historic relationship between the US and Israel. It succeeded,” she said.
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Norway Massacre attack in Norway, the murderer had an ideology that says that Norway, particularly the Labor Party, is forgoing Norwegian culture. We Norwegians consider the occupation to be the cause of the terror against Israel. Those who believe this will not change their mind because of the attack in Oslo,” he said, adding that Norway, which actively dialogues with the terrorist group, Hamas, believes Israel will have to engage the terrorists, too. Blaming the Victim His rhetoric enraged many supporters of Israel. Harvard Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz interpreted Mr. Sevje’s comment to mean that “terrorism against Israeli citizens is the fault of Israel.”
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Further, said Mr. Dershowitz, the ambassador’s statement that the attacks in Oslo would not make Norwegians “change their mind” and become more sympathetic to the plight of Israelis facing terrorism, meant only that Norwegians “will persist in their bigoted view that Israel is the cause of terrorism directed at it, and that if only Israel were to end the occupation (as it offered to do in 2000-2001 and again in 2007), the terrorism will end.” Mr. Dershowitz pointed out that Arab terrorism against Jews and Israel began well before 1967, when there was no “occupation.” According to Mr. Dershowitz, the terrorism against Israelis and the terrorism that
Attorneys General in Israel Influential Participants The AIFL has been sponsoring delegations of state at-
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struck Norway were the result of “a belief that violence is the proper response to policies that the terrorists disagree with.” “Hamas, which Norway supports in many ways, has made clear that it will not end its terrorism as long as Israel continues to exist. Hamas believes that Israel’s very existence is the cause of the terrorism against it. That sounds a lot like the ranting of the man who engaged in the act of terrorism against Norway,” said Mr. Dershowitz. Understandable Shoshana Bryen of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) angrily interpreted Mr. Sevje’s comment to mean: “It is understandable for Palestinians
to kill Jewish children, but it is not understandable for Norwegians to kill Norwegian children.” She suggested that, perhaps, Mr. Sevje meant that “no one in his right mind would kill Norwegian children, so Breivik is demented. But you— or at least he—can understand how Palestinians could kill Jewish children; that act isn’t demented, it is rational, caused by the damned Jews and their state.” “By Ambassador Sevje’s accounting, Israel is a miserable occupier that deserves what it gets,” said Ms. Bryen. “This man is a representative of the Norwegian government. Ignorant and arrogant doesn’t begin to cover it.”
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torneys general to Israel since 1988. More than 40 AGs representing 30 states have visited
Israel as part of these trips, including current Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (when she was Arizona’s AG), Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire, Rep Ben Chandler (D-KY), and US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, who served first as AG and then Senator for Colorado. “We know that a visit to Israel has incredible influence on how a person views the region and its conflicts, and we hope to expose both current and future decision makers to as much information as possible,” said Ruby Shamir, the executive director of AIFL’s Israel office, pointing out that many AGs go on to pursue high-level positions in state and federal governments. Former President Bill Clinton served as Arkansas AG before he ran for governor. Kenneth Bialkin, chairman of the AIFL, explained that his organization’s purpose
in sponsoring delegations such as the Attorneys General trip to Israel is not to lobby, advocate, or apply influence for any one point of view. “Our mission is to do our best to get people to understand and appreciate the unique issues that Israel deals with on an ongoing basis. Our goal is to influence friends for Israel,” he said. Dr. Alex Grobman, AIFL’s executive director in New York, said the importance of trips such as the AG delegation can best be measured after some time has passed. “It is hard for Americans, unless they have been there, to fathom Israel’s situation and what Israelis must do to survive in their very tough neighborhood. Gaining an understanding of what Israel’s borders look like, the forces arrayed against them, their rich history, and their place in the geo-political scheme of things will serve these attorneysgeneral well in the future,” he said. S.L.R.
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Caroline Glick, managing editor of The Jerusalem Post and a politically conservative columnist, said Mr. Sevje’s comment meant that, “in the mind of illiberal Norwegians, terrorism is justified if the ideology behind it is considered justified.” “For them, it is unacceptable for Breivik to murder Norwegian children because his ideology is wrong. But it is acceptable for Palestinians to murder Israeli children, because the Palestinians’ ideology is right,” she said. His Target Almost immediately after Mr. Breivik was arrested, speculation on his motivation for the mass murder prompted his depiction as a right-wing, Christian, pro-Israel, anti-Muslim counter-jihadist, but some analysts say a careful reading of his 1500-page “manifesto,” much of it plagiarized from the “Unabomber,” Ted Kaczynski, and now published online, shows that his plan was
to exploit tensions in Europe over Muslim terrorism. His goal was to conduct a campaign of terror against European targets, allowing him to seize power with a more stable version of National Socialism and, thus, become “the hero of Europe.” Muslims were not the target of his murderous aspirations; he was after Western Europeans who promoted multiculturalism. In Norway, this meant the Labor Party. According to his defense lawyer, Geir Lippestad, Mr. Breivik purposefully did not target Muslims, whom he supposedly detested. “This was an attack on the Labor Party,” said the attorney. Muslim Allies To achieve the violent takeover of Europe, Mr. Breivik saw Middle Eastern Muslim terrorists as allies. “An alliance with the Jihadists might prove beneficial to both parties,” he wrote.
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“We both share one common goal.” According to his manifesto, he hoped to convince the jihadists to provide “a biological compound manufactured by Muslim scientists in the Middle East.” He had no doubt that “Hamas and several Jihadi groups have labs and… the potential to provide such substances” and that they would be eager to test these materials on Western Europeans. The terrorists’ problem, he wrote, would be finding Muslims to transport these substances without being caught by authorities. He assumed that Europeans working with the Muslim terrorists could achieve this. “We will smuggle it into the EU and distribute at a target of our choosing. We must give them assurances that we are not to harm any Muslims etc.,” he wrote. Medieval Knight Promoting himself as a
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new incarnation of his vision of the Knights Templar, he was convinced that he “and other European Christian martyrs can avoid the scrutiny normally reserved for individuals of Arab descent and we can ensure successful deployment and detonation in the location of our choice.” He clearly wanted to remove Muslim influence from Europe, but he was not interested in targeting Muslims in Muslim countries. His plans included the use of weapons of mass destruction throughout Europe and the mass murder of hundreds of thousands of people whom he saw as traitors. It is assumed he went after the teenagers at the Labor Party summer camp because he saw them as the next generation of multiculturalists. Investigative columnist Daniel Greenfield, who blogs at Sultan Knish and focuses on radical Islam, is convinced
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Norway Massacre
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these are not the words and thoughts of “an anti-Jihadist who was fighting Islam,” but, rather, “a delusional European terrorist who was willing to ally with Jihadists against his fellow Europeans” and “willing to kill Europeans on behalf of just about anyone.” “He was a deluded man who imagined himself leading a takeover of Europe, even if he had to serve as a Muslim proxy to do it,” said Mr. Greenfield. Not a Christian Confounding those who portray him as a Christian, Mr. Breivik wrote that it was not necessary to believe in the faith
to qualify as a knight. Rather, he wrote, it is sufficient to “fight for our Christian heritage,” by which, it is assumed, he meant Western Civilization. “It is enough that you are a Christianagnostic or a Christian-atheist (an atheist who wants to preserve at least the basics of the European-Christian cultural legacy),” he wrote. For the pro-Israel community, one of the most disconcerting aspects of the “manifesto” was the suggestion that Mr. Breivik was philo-semitic and displayed an affinity for the Jewish state. In fact, according to his manifesto,
he clearly believed the majority of German Jews were disloyal to the state and that Hitler should simply have deported them. If he had, Mr. Breivik wrote, Hitler would have been seen as a hero. Israeli Link For the Arab satellite network Al Jazeera, the fact that Mr. Breivik commended Israel for its determination to protect its citizens against terror, was sufficient to accuse Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency of being behind the Oslo massacre. It was a cry soon picked up by officials in Iran, where the Chief of Staff of the country’s Armed Forces, Major-General Hassan Firouzabadi blamed Israel in general for the attacks in Norway. “The West should know that Zionists are behind the so-called religious extremism and terrorist and racist attacks,” he said. An attempt to link Israel to the Norway attacks was also published on the farleft Rebelión (Rebellion) website, based in Spain. The authors seemed to be looking for reasons that would prompt Israel to seek revenge on Norway, such as the academic boycott of the Jewish state proposed by the University of Bergen and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology; anti-Israel statements made by a slew of Norwegian politicians; and the fact that, during 2010, 40 percent of Norwegians refused to buy Israeli products. “It could ultimately be that the State of Israel’s tentacles are not so far away from this slaughter; after all, it would not be the first one they commit, nor unfortunately will be the last one,” said the website. Ma’alot Mr. Greenfield found a more reasonable link between Israel and the attack by Mr. Breivik. Mr. Greenfield said the most obvious precedent for the attack on the Norwegian youth camp was the Ma’alot Massacre that took place in Israel in May 1974. In that episode, three Palestinian gunmen from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) entered Israel from Lebanon, murdered two Israeli-Arab women and a mother and father and their four-year-old son, and then attacked the Netiv Meir Israeli elementary school, where they took 115 people (105 children) hostage.
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com After two days, the terrorists turned their automatic weapons on the children, trying to kill as many of them as possible before Israeli security stopped them. Twenty-five hostages, including 22 children, were murdered; 68 others were injured. Terrorist Training The current Secretary-General of the Norwegian Humanist Association, Lars Gule, who has been a staunch defender of the Muslim right to discriminate against women and others, was a leader of the Workers Youth League at the University of Bergen and a terrorist with the DFLP. Two years after the Ma’alot Massacre, Mr. Gule was trained by the DFLP and dispatched to Israel by way of Norway with explosives hidden in the covers of his books. “The suspect had made it known to his employers that he wanted to take human life…to strengthen Palestinian fighting spirit and morale,” Norwegian police records noted. While Mr. Gule did not make it to Israel, he went on to the University of Bergen and served as head of the Workers Youth League, the group was targeted by Mr. Breivik. Ubiquitous Antisemitism Some analysts have suggested that Mr. Breivik’s words of admiration for Israel stand out only because antisemitism has become so ubiquitous in Norway. Official Norwegian protests notwithstanding, there is evidence that anti-Israel sentiment and blatant antisemitism have increased dramatically in the past few years. For example, at the Labor Party summer camp that Mr. Breivik attacked, one of the major themes of the program was how to engender support for the creation of a Palestinian state via a UN resolution this coming September. In fact, the day before the attack, the approximately 600 young people and their counselors had been organized into a game pitting Palestinians against Israelis. Some of the youngsters were cast as Palestinians, portrayed as innocents blocked at checkpoints, blockaded in Gaza, and languishing in prisons, while others played Israeli soldiers, portrayed as evil personified. One of the major activities was “Break the Israel blockade,” in which teenagers manned boats in a mock Palestinian aid flotilla and tried to break the Israeli maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip. There was no discussion that the blockade was
Av 5771 established to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of Hamas terrorists who fire rockets and mortars into Israeli civilian centers. Instead, in the Norwegian teens’ game, whoever managed to get through the Israeli blockade first was declared the winner. There is a photograph of some of the campers proudly displaying a handmade banner that reads “Boycott Israel.” No Boycott of Terror During the game, the youngsters were visited by Norway’s Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahre Store, who told them, “The Palestinians must have their own state; the occupation must end; the wall must be demolished; and it must happen now.” The youngsters cheered.
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According to Mr. Greenfield, Mr. Gahre Store would never have called for a boycott of terrorists. “If there is an Islamist terrorist group that Gahre-Store doesn’t support, it’s hard to find,” he said. Over the years, Mr. Gahre-Store has called for negotiating with the Al-Qaeda offshoot, Al-Shahaab, in Somalia. He has spoken with Hamas leader Khaled Mashal and has called for reconciliation with the Taliban. Mr. Dershowitz pointed out that when terrorism is rewarded, there are often increased incidents of terrorism. He accused Norway of “repeatedly reward[ing] Palestinian terrorism against Israel, while punishing Israel for its efforts to protect its citizens.”
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Commerce Energy Partners with Non-Profits: Better Rates for Consumers and Funds for Shuls and Schools
By Betty Schwartz ommerce Energy, an affiliate of natural gas and electricity supplier Just Energy, is now doing business in New Jersey—and that’s great news for New Jersey consumers. To sweeten the deal, Commerce Energy is partnering with non-profit groups, such as synagogues and schools, through an affinity program to help raise donations for the organizations, while providing the groups’ members energy at low fixed rates. The first synagogue to take advantage of this program is Congregation Shomrei Emunah in Englewood. This means the shul’s members now have the ability to purchase their energy supply from Commerce Energy at a lower fixed rate than the current default utility rate. The utility remains responsible
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Norway Massacre
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“While purporting to condemn all terrorist acts, the Norwegian government has sought to justify Palestinian terrorism as having a legitimate cause. This clearly is an invitation to continued terrorism,” he said. When Mr. Breivik, dressed in the uniform of a policeman, arrived on the island, many of the young people thought he was part of the anti-Israel game. Until people started dying, he was not perceived as a threat. Political Indoctrination According to Mr. Greenfield, Mr. Gule, who is now a prominent figure on the left in Norway, has developed a vision that was
reflected at the youth camp attacked by Mr. Breivik: “secular atheism living side by side with bigoted Islamism.” Further, said Mr. Greenfield, the camp had a long history of supporting “the same kind of terrorists who perpetrated the Ma’alot massacre.” Right-wing TV and radio personality Glenn Beck compared the youth camp on Utøya Island to “a Hitler youth camp.” According to Mr. Greenfield, he was “close.” “The roots of the Workers Youth League are actually communist,” said Mr. Greenfield, recalling the anti-Israel rally
the day before Mr. Breivik’s massacre. “There is something ominous about such indoctrination of hate. It is not quite on the level of the Hitler Youth, but neither is it a world apart,” said Mr. Greenfield. Blaming the Jews He pointed out that, like Germans in the 1930s, modern-day Norwegians are “encouraged to blame their problems on the Jews.” “There are few children of workers at the Workers Youth League camp. They are for the most part the children of the party, the sons and daughters of bureaucrats and party leaders, training the next generation to perpetrate the Labor Party state,” said Mr. Greenfield. Mr. Breivik, who was another “son of the left-wing elite,” he said, came from that same background. “And if his parents’ marriage had not collapsed, with the young boy allotting a share of the blame to the Labor Party, he would likely have a comfortable spot in the socialist state. Breivik may have turned against his roots, but the idea that terroristic violence is a legitimate solution is one that he could have easily picked up on the left,” said Mr. Greenfield. He argued that Messrs Breivik and Gule had “their common origins in a country dominated by a political left which sees violence as a legitimate tool of political change, while dehumanizing its victims”.
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com “But what Norway’s political elite failed to grasp is that the genie of terrorism cannot be kept in a lamp, to emerge only at your command. Once you legitimize terrorism as a tool of political change, you lose the ability to determine who will make use of it. Breivik followed the example of Lars Gule, that of the Marxist terrorists, whose intellectual legacy is the black tar that seeps through the painted walls of Norwegian foreign policy,” said Mr. Greenfield. Blaming the Right While no mainstream political conservatives have come to Mr. Breivik’s defense or made any attempts to excuse him, leftists in the United States and countries throughout Europe seemed to hope that, as a result of the massacre in Norway, criticism of Muslim behavior, which the Muslims and their supporters term “Islamophobia,” will be seen as more dangerous than discussions of Islamist terrorism or Muslim cultural norms, such as honor killings of women who refuse to obey their families, which have been transplanted to the West along with Muslim immigrants. Some left-wing media outlets have implied or blatantly insisted that critics of Muslim behavior were responsible for Mr. Breivik’s actions. While some prominent conservatives and critics of Islamist radicals were cited by Mr. Breivik in his manifesto, he also quoted George Orwell, Thomas Hobbes, John Stuart Mill, John Locke, Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, Ayn Rand, William James, Winston Churchill, and Thomas Jefferson. Ms. Glick, who was named by Mr. Breivik in his manifesto, argued that blaming right-wing writers amounts to maintaining a double-standard. Left-wing writers, whose works have been admired by terrorists, have not been held accountable for the acts of terrorism conducted by their readers, she said. For example, the writings of anti-Israel polemicists, such as Noam Chomsky, Michael Scheuer, Stephen Walt, and John Mearshimer, were endorsed by Osama Bin Laden, but those writers have not been accused of responsibility for al Qaeda terrorism. Some political left-wingers have suggested banning right-wing books that, they say, might have prompted Mr. Breivik to act. The political right-wingers counter by suggesting that, by the same token, that would mean banning the Quran when Muslim terrorists act.
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Who Promotes Violence Most conservative writers argue that the “incitement-to-violence” charge by the left is merely an attempt to shut down free speech. On the other hand, they say, not all ideologies are equal, and some, such as militant Islam, actually do promote violence. Many conservatives reacted to their castigation by left-wing journalists and commentators by pointing out that while there have been non-Muslim terrorists, including Mr. Kaczynski and Timothy McVeigh, who bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, they are the exceptions to the dominant rule that it is Islamists who engage in mass murder. The website, TheReligionofPeace. com, lists 17,500 terrorist incidents on behalf of Islam in the past ten years, helping the conservatives to make their
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point that there is a world of difference between the organized use of violence by terror movements and the depraved actions of individuals. Dr. Daniel Pipes, founder and director of the Middle East Forum, agreed that non-Islamist violence is a problem, but, he said, “the Islamist variety prevails and, being a vital extremist movement, it will continue to do so.” Ms. Glick pointed out that there “is only one point at which political philosophy merges into terrorism,” and that is “when political thinkers call on their followers to carry out acts of terrorism in the name of their political philosophy and they make this call with the reasonable expectation that their followers will fulfill their wishes.” The writers who fit this description, she said, include leaders of the Muslim
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion August 2011
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Pervasive Antisemitism in Norway, Where Children Are Groomed to Hate Jews and the Jewish State
n June, a study ordered by the Oslo municipality on racism and antisemitism among students in grades 8-10 found that one-third of Jewish students regularly experience bullying at school, meaning two or three instances of verbal or physical abuse per month. By contrast, Buddhists in Oslo’s schools reported that 10 percent of their students experienced bullying as did slightly over five percent of Muslim students. According to the study, 51 percent of all students in Oslo schools believe the term “Jew” is used pejoratively; 41 percent had heard ethnic jokes about Jews; and 35 percent heard insulting
comments. Close to five percent had heard in class that the Holocaust never took place. The organized Jewish community in Norway has about 800 members out of a general population of 5 million. It is estimated that the total number of Jews, including transient Israelis, is about 2,000. Only 25 percent of all Norwegian students say they have never witnessed anything negative about Jews in school. Hate-Mongers These findings did not surprise Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld, chairman of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and the author of “Antisemitism in Norway: Behind the Humanitarian Mask.”
Norway Massacre
Brotherhood and other jihadist leaders “because they operate outside of the boundaries of democratic polemics” and “believe that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun, not out of rational discourse.” No Broad Brush Some Christian commentators, who chafed at the left-wing’s insistence on identifying Mr. Breivik as a Christian fundamentalist, pointed out that the left usually balks at the suggestion that Islamist terrorists represent all traditional Muslims. “They regularly warn us not
He pointed out that Norway’s Minister of Education, Kristin Halvorsen, who is also the leader of the Left Socialist Party, and her party colleagues “are extremist, anti-Israel hate-mongers.” In 2009, during Israel’s Cast Lead incursion into Gaza, she was the only minister from Western Europe to participate in an anti-Israel demonstration. She was photographed standing in an anti-Israel rally next to someone holding a sign which proclaimed: “US and Israel—the Axis of the Greatest Evil.” “At the demonstration, shouts of ‘Death to the Jews’ could also be heard,” said Dr. Gerstenfeld. Boycott In 2006, Ms. Halvorsen
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to jump to conclusions about any jihadist attack, and they lecture us not to reach any conclusions about the role the Muslim religion might have played. All of these ‘rules’ have apparently been cast aside as countless commentators, try to make Breivik into a conservative Christian,” said Gary Bauer, a Christian leader and head of the American Values organization. He challenged Mr. Breivik or anyone else to cite anything from the Hebrew or Christian Bibles “that would justify his evil actions.”
“The same cannot be said about the teachings of Mohammed, which contain many statements that can be used to justify murder,” said Mr. Bauer. “No one can find one Christian or Jewish theologian, reputable pastor or rabbi, denominational leader, Christian author or philosopher who will attempt to defend Breivik’s actions. Unfortunately, many imams, Muslim leaders, and mosques will defend or justify Islamists who intentionally kill civilians, including children.” Ms. Glick argued that the left’s attempt to link conservative writers, politicians, and philosophers with Mr. Breivik is an old tactic. It was tried in Israel when Yigal Amir assassinated then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Last winter, left-wing commentators and politicians tried to link the psychotic Jared Loughner, who shot Rep Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and some of her constituents, with Governor Sarah Palin and the Tea Party.
promoted a consumer boycott of Israeli goods. “The Norwegian government had to distance itself from her statements after thenSecretary of State Condoleezza Rice threatened Norway with serious political consequences,” said Dr. Gerstenfeld. In 2009, when Ms. Halvorsen was Minister of Finance, she announced that the Norwegian government had decided the state pension plan should divest from the Israeli company Elbit because it was involved in the construction of Israel’s security barrier, which serves to protect civilians from Palestinian terrorists. According to Ms. Halvorsen, Elbit’s activities
Work of a Madman Few politicians are as closely tied to the movement to stem the tide of militant Islamist activities in Europe as Holland’s Geert Wilders is. Although he was mentioned favorably in Mr. Breivik’s manifesto, Mr. Wilder did not return the complement. He called Mr. Breivik’s manifesto, “the work of a madman.” “That the fight against Islam is violently abused by a psychopath is disgusting and a slap in the face of the global anti-Islamist movement,” said Mr. Wilders, denying that he or his Freedom Party “is responsible for a lone idiot who twisted and violently abused the freedom-loving, antiIslamization ideals, no matter how much some people would like that.” He insisted neither he nor the Freedom Party has called for violence. “We believe in the power of the ballot box and the wisdom of the voter. Not bombs and guns. We fight for a democratic and nonviolent means against the further Islamization of society and will continue to do so,” he said S.L.R.
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com rendered it “incompatible” with Norway’s “investment ethics” for the pension fund. “At the same time, however, the fund continued to hold shares in companies in other countries involved in highly unethical activities,” said Dr. Gerstenfeld. Disturbing Ms. Halvorsen’s behavior, coupled with the findings of the Oslo study, is part of a trend in Norway that many find disturbing. In 2006, Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder published a piece in which he described Judaism as “an archaic, national, and warlike religion.” Israel, he wrote, would be “history…until it lays down its arms.” In 2008, Ingrid Fiskaa, a senior official in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, said she sometimes wished the UN would send “precision-guided missiles against selected Israeli targets.” Ms. Halvorsen is a major supporter of a bill calling for Norwegian military
action against Israel if the Jewish state takes up arms against Hamas in the future. Quiet Suffering In 2002, Martin Bodd, a representative of the Oslo-Jewish community told an international conference of the Anti-Defamation League that there had been more harassment of Jews between 2000 and 2002 than at any time since 1945. He reported that most of the episodes of incitement and harassment against Jews were not reported. “Hardly any of the children or the adults offended by antisemitic statements or the like are willing to come forward,” he said at the time. One year later, Irene Levin, a professor of social work at Oslo University College said some Jewish children had been told they would not be invited to a birthday party because of actions taken by the Israeli government. “When there were antisemitic incidents at school, parents discussed this with some school
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principals, who supported the aggression against their children. One told a Jewish girl to remove her ‘provocative’ Magen David,” said Prof Levin. Television Program In 2010, Norwegian television broadcast a program about antisemitism in primary and other schools. The teachers who were featured on the program, which focused on bullying of Jews by Muslims, spoke only on condition of anonymity. According to Dr. Gerstenfeld, when Ms. Halvorsen saw the program, she said the information was new to her, rhetoric he found disingenuous, to say the least. Ms. Halvorsen reacted by ordering a national study on racism in Norway’s schools, which is still underway. After the study of schools in the Oslo municipality was made public, Ms. Halvorsen announced she would provide more than $1 million to familiarize teachers with the issue and how it should be handled.
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Low Expectations Dr. Gerstenfeld’s hopes for the success of her program are not high. “Can a minister with a continuing arsonist record become a fireman at the same time?” he asked. According to Dr. Gerstenfeld, the widespread antisemitism in Oslo schools “is directly linked to the extreme anti-Israel hate-mongering in Norway expressed by government ministers, politicians, media, trade unions, academics, certain church leaders, and others. Like Switzerland and Iceland, Norway has banned kosher slaughter. “One important subject not being investigated in the Oslo study is how many teachers discuss the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in class and to what extend their remarks are biased. This will probably serve as another example of how arsonists may now simultaneously be taught to become firemen,” he said. S.L.R.
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion August 2011
Do It Now
Essay Contest on Rabbi Meir Kahane, for high school and college students, public, private, and yeshiva, in the US; the essay must be 750-1500 words, include some of Rabbi Kahane’s biography and ideology, and the student’s opinion, spons by Bnai Elim, prizes range from $25 to $100, deadline is Sept 15, contest@bnaielim.org Nusach S’fard Minyan for Yomim Noraim, child-friendly, on Teaneck-Bergenfield border, mordybook@yahoo.com To Run in the ING New York City Marathon on Nov 6, join Team OHEL, 718-686-3316 Early Registration for Israel Free Spirit Taglit-Birthright Tour, to take place during winter break 2012, for young adults 18-26, spons through Aish HaTorah, http://aishconnections.com/ page?a=israel11w, be sure to choose “other” and write in “LISA M” where it asks how the applicant heard about the program,
Wed., Aug 10
Deadline to Submit Art Work for Art Response Series; the aim is to create art work which supports the right of Israel to exist in peace and security, spons by Artists 4 Israel, artforlearning@yahoo.com SEED Beis Hamedrash Program, spons by Yeshiva Passaic Torah Institute, students of the Yeshiva of Staten Island will learn with members of the community, through Tues, Aug 23, to schedule a chavrusa, 862-371-3186; to host students for means, 973-594-4774 Camp Regesh Open House, includes swimming, sports, pizza
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lunch, and the Twins from France in concert, Monsey, 10am-2pm, 845-357-9423 “Paradigms of Teshuva: Reflection and Insight into the Personal Struggles of Our Leaders in Tanach,” for women, Tzippy Staum, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 10:30am, fernamper@aol.com Women’s Shiur, Marcy Stern, Prima Pizza, Passaic, 10:30am, 973-471-9866 Kayitz Classic 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament, spons by Areyvut, Moshava Ba’ir, and the Frisch School, to benefit Areyvut’s Mitzvah Clowning Program and the Moshava Ba’Ir Scholarship Fund, at Frisch, Paramus, 6:30pm, 201261-3200 or 201-244-6702 Men’s Night, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 7pm, aweisbrot@ phillipsnizer.com or jgellis@ hotmail.com Chinuch HaBanim Seminar: “A Foundation to Structure and Run Your Home Smoothly, with the Goal of Instilling Torah Values in Your Child for Life,” for parents of children 3-10, Rebbetzin Sima Spetner, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 7:30pm, also Thurs., Aug 11, and Sun, Aug 14-Wed., Aug 17, 201-232-2390 Support Group for Caregivers, those caring for an older adult who is physically frail or suffering from memory loss, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-408-1450 “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 “From Servitude to Salva-
tion: Counting the Keitz: Are We Permitted to Calculate When Mashiach Will Come?” for men and women, Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8:15pm, 201-791-7910
Thurs., Aug 11
Chinuch HaBanim Seminar: “A Foundation to Structure and Run Your Home Smoothly, with the Goal of Instilling Torah Values in Your Child for Life,” for parents of children 3-11, Rebbetzin Sima Spetner, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 9:30am, also Fri., Aug 12; Sun., Aug 14-Tues, Aug 16, 610-304-6513 Book Club: “”The Tenth Song,” by Naomi Ragen, Lautenberg JCC, Whippany, 10:30am, 973-428-9300 “Thursday Night Madness: Pre-Shabbat Nachamu Rockout,” includes live music, BBQ, and games, for the entire family, spons by Yeshiva University, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 5pm, 201-923-5960 Movie, Middah, and Pizza and Ices, for children in K-grade 5, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 5:30pm SEED Learning Program for Boys, ages 8 and up, co-spons by Pirchei Agudas Yisroel of Passaic, at Yeshiva Passaic Torah Institute, 7:30pm, through Tues., Aug 23, 973-594-4774 Shiur and Tehillim for the Refuah of Chaim Feigenbaum and All Other Cholei Yisroel, for women, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky, private home in Teaneck, 8:30pm, 201-837-5040
Fri., Aug 12
“Beyond the Headlines: What Is Life Really Like in Sderot?” Sael Abecass, community Shabbat dinner, featuring Cantor Steve Schwartz, Lubavitch Center Shul, West Orange, services, 7pm, dinner, 8pm, 973-486-2362 “Biblical Leadership and Its Abuses, Gur Aryeh Yehuda: The Predator/King,” Judy Klitsner, scholar-in-residence, Davar Institute, Teaneck, 8pm, DAVARowner@yahoogroups.com
Shabbat, Aug 13
Shira Hadasha-Style Shabbat Service, Minyan Tiferet, private home in Englewood, 9:15am, minyantiferet@gmail.com
The Log:
Judy Klitsner, scholar-inresidence, Davar Institute, Teaneck, “Biblical Leadership and Its Abuses, Blurring the Lines between Pure and Impure: Sunlight as Disinfectant (with Some Modern Musings,” 10:30am; “Would You Murder and Also Inherit: A Biblical Story of Crimes, Misdemeanors, and Other Addictions,” 8pm, DAVARowner@yahoogroups.com Pirkei Avot Shiur, Alan Novick, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 3:30pm “Nachamu, Nachamu Ami: Lyrics of Comfort, Shabbat of Love,” Hindy Weinstock, spons by AMIT to benefit children of Sderot, private home in Teaneck, 5pm, 201-692-3934 “Shabbat Nachamu: Comfort after Loss,” Rebbetzin Frada Stone, private home in West Orange, 6pm, 973-324-0354 or 973-325-3749 “Issues in the Orthodox Community: Are Jewish Day Schools Sustainable?” Rabbi Ronald Schwarzberg, Rabbi Steven Miodownik, and local day school leaders, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 8pm, 732-247-0532
Sun., Aug 14
Explanatory Morning Service, Rabbi David Pietruszka, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9:15am, 201-966-4490 Family Fun Day, spons by Nerot of Cong Rinat Yisrael, include sports, separate swimming, BBQ, and activities, at Camp Ma-Tov, in Old Tappan, noon, nerot@rinat.org Cong Netivot Shalom Minor League Baseball Trip, to see the Newark Bears vs Quebec Capitals, Riverfront Stadium, Newark, 1pm, yurowel@yahoo.com Cong Ohr Torah of Bergenfield Baseball Trip, to see the Newark Bears vs Quebec Capitals, Riverfront Stadium, Newark, 1pm, ohtannounce@gmail.com Infant and Child CPR, JCC, West Orange, 3pm, 973-530-3499 Jewish Summer Fest, spons by Chabad at the Shore, includes concert, music, rides, face painting, arts and crafts, kosher BBQ, Rabbi Avrohom Rapopor, Beach at the Ventnor Library, Ventnor, 6-9pm, 609-822-8500
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“Separate Yourself Not from the Community” Mon., Aug 15
Deadline to order Rosh Hashana Cards and/or Rosh Hashana Honey, from Hadassah, 732271-2932 or 732-249-4380 Welcome to Shoshana Samuels, the new Yoetzet Halacha at Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 201-6552180 or sfruchter@gmail.com Jewish Family Service of Passaic Moves to Its New Home, at Valley National Bank; all JFS activities will be at Cong Adas Israel, Passaic Sale of Shuly Wigs, private home in Passaic, 11am-4pm, ypn05@yahoo.com Moriah School Golf and Tennis Outing, Edgewood Country Club, River Vale, registration and breakfast, 9:15am; tennis, 11:30am; lunch, 1pm; yoga class and tennis, 2pm; cocktails, 5:30pm; dinner and awards, 6:30pm, 201567-0208 ext 376 “Paradigms of Teshuva: Reflection and Insight into the Personal Struggles of Our Leaders in Tanach,” for women, Tzippy Staum, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 10:30am, fernamper@aol.com Films That Struggle with Jewish Identity: “Leon the Pig Farmer,” JCC, West Orange, 10:30am, 973-929-2938 “Educating and Empowering Mothers to Break the Cycle of Child Sexual Abuse,” Elisheva Schlanger, private home in Teaneck, 8pm, 201-953-9952 or 201-801-9022 “Becoming Grounded— Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, The Book of Deuteronomy, the Last Will and Testament of Moses: Eikev, Moving out of the Desert,” Rabbi Asher Herson, Chabad Center of Northwest NJ, Rockaway, 8:15pm, 973-625-1525 ext 227
Tues., Aug 16
Tea Party of NJ, actively invites members of the Jewish community, kosher refreshments, Harley Davidson Building, Rochelle Park, 7pm, RoseGreen18@msn.com “Theoretical and Practical Synagogue Security Concepts and Techniques,” Community Security Service, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 7pm, also Thurs.,
Aug 18, 7pm Recruitment for Team Yachad’s participation in the ING Miami Marathon and HalfMarathon, for runners committed to the inclusion of individuals with special needs, with Coach Jasmine “Jaz” Graham, includes proper stretching, running technique, and personalized training regimens, at the Frisch School, Paramus, 7:30pm, 917-885-7178 HudsonJewish Forum, to discuss issues of common concern to the local Jewish community in Hudson County, Temple Beth-El of Jersey City, 7:30pm, info@hundsonjewish.org “Nachamu Nachamu: Understanding the Mitzvah of Nichum Aveilim,” for men and women, Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8pm “Nachamu Nachamu: Understanding the Mitzvah of Nichum Aveilim,” for men and women, Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8:15pm, 201-791-7910 Aerobics/Pilates, for women, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 8:15pm Men’s Dating Chabura, for Passaic’s single men, Rabbi Yaacov Deyo, private home in Passaic, 8:30pm, 310-985-4169 “What One Should and Should Not Do While Waiting for Hatzolah to Arrive,” Hatzolah of Rockland County, Young Israel of Monsey and Wesley Hills, 8:30pm, 845-354-5218
Wed., Aug 17
Trip to the Syrian-Jewish Community of Deal, includes visits to Syrian synagogues, meetings with leaders, tour of the community, homes, and neighborhoods, and kosher Syrian-style lunch, leave JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 9am, 845-362-4400 Women’s Shiur, Rabbi Eliezer Krohn, Prima Pizza, Passaic, 10:30am, 973-471-9866 Film: “Irene Sendler: In the Name of Their Mothers,” Beth El Synagogue, Margate, 7pm, 609-652-4699 Confidential Abused Women’s Support Group, Jewish Fam-
ily Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 “How to Pass along the Legacy to Children of the Next Generations—Third and Fourth Generations,” The Second Generation Group discussion program for children of Holocaust survivors, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 Community Synagogue of Monsey Book Club: “Time and Again” by Jack Finney, private home in Monsey, 8pm, 845-356-2060 Parenting Workshop: “Maintaining Bonds and Strengthening Connections: Developing the Parent-Child Relationship,” Mark Staum, LCSW, for men and women, Cong Ohr HaTorah, Bergenfield, 8pm, ohtannounce@ gmail.com
Thurs., Aug 18
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 Last day to see Photo Exhibit “Through Others’ Eyes,”
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photographs taken by Israeli-Arab and Jewish youth and women, Puffin Cultural Forum, Teaneck, Tuesdays-Thursdays, 12-4pm, 201-836-8923
Fri., Aug 19
“A Taste of Shabbat,” for parents and babies under one year, Aviva Kohl, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 10:30am, 845-362-4400 Shabbat, Aug 20 Sisterhood Seudah Shlishit, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 8pm, naomikohn@aol.com
Sun., Aug 21
GEM (Gathering for Encouragement of Modesty), for women, to discuss halacha, feelings, and struggles with issue of tznius, private home in Passaic, 10:45am, 973-365-2342 Cong Darchei Noam BBQ, to welcome Rabbi Jeremy Donath, includes magician and ventriloquist John Carlson, entertainment for children, music, and BBQ, Fair Lawn, 4pm, 201-7916136 or 201-791-4786 Shalom Bayis Shiur, Devorah Rose Kigel, spons by Cong
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion August 2011
The Log
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continued from page 17
Ahavat Shalom of the Teaneck Apartments, private home in Teaneck, 8pm, allyson.guraryeh@ gmail.com Jewish Singles Event, for those over 60, spons by the JCC of Middlesex County, at Mei Garden Kosher Chinese Restaurant, Highland Park, 8pm, 732-494-3232
Mon., Aug 22
Camp Clover Bereavement Day Camp, free for children and teens ages 7-15, who have lost a loved one, spons by Atlantic Home Care and Hospice and the JCC MetroWest, at the JCC’s Camp Deeny Riback, Flanders, through Fri., Aug 26, 9am-4pm, 973-3798440 ext 8956 End of Summer Camp Program for Special-Needs Children, including activities, games, and sports, Cong Beth Tefillah, Paramus, 10am-3pm, through Fri., Aug 26, 201-262-7172 “Pro-Israel Prep 101: Be Prepared to Respond to Growing Antisemitic and Anti-Israel Sentiments on College,” for grades 11-12 and college students returning to school, Phil Cantor and Gabriela Sadote Sleppin, includes kosher pizza, Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County, South River, 7pm, pcantor@optonline.net and gsadote@ jf-gmc.org “High Holiday Machzor Mapping and Niggun Notes: Geography of the High Holy Days Prayer Book and Service,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201833-0515 ext 200 “Educating and Empowering Mothers to Break the Cycle of Child Sexual Abuse,” Elisheva Schlanger, private home
in Teaneck, 8pm, 201-953-9952 or 201-801-9022 “Becoming Grounded— Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, The Book of Deuteronomy, the Last Will and Testament of Moses: Re’eh, Imitating the Creator through Tzedakah,” Rabbi Asher Herson, Chabad Center of Northwest NJ, Rockaway, 8:15pm, 973-625-1525 ext 227
Tues., Aug 23
Aerobics/Pilates, for women, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 8:15pm
Wed., Aug 24
Women’s Shiur, Sherrie Klagsbrun, Prima Pizza, Passaic, 10:30am, 973-471-9866 Book Review Club: “Noah’s Compass,” by Anne Tyler, facilitated by Lucille Schroeder, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 1pm, 845-362-4400 Synagogue Showcase: Synagogues in Essex, Morris, and Union Counties, JCC, West Orange, 1-3pm and 6-8pm, 973929-2922 “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., Aug 25
Support Group for Caregivers, those caring for an older adult who is physically frail or suffering from memory loss, JCC, Tenafly, 11am, 201-408-1450
Fri., Aug 26
Community Shabbat Dinner, Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, Ventnor Chabad Shul, services, 7pm, dinner, 8pm, 609-822-8500
Shabbat, Aug 27
Carlebach Minyan, Cong Darchei Noam, Fair Lawn, 8:45am
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.
Sun., Aug 28
Last Day for Photo Exhibit: “Beautiful Israel: Through the Eyes of the Puffin Camera Club,” works by Rachel Banai and 11 of her students, JCC, Tenafly, 201-569-7900 Explanatory Morning Service, Rabbi David Pietruszka, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9:15am, 201-966-4490 Cong Ahavat Shalom of the Teaneck Apartments BBQ, Votee Park, Teaneck, noon, hsberkowitz@gmail.com Jewish Heritage Day, at Mets’ Citi Field, noon, 718-559-3043 Jewish Heritage Day with the Rockland Boulders Minor League Baseball Team vs the New York Federals, to benefit KosherTroops.com, at Provident Bank Park, Pomona, 5pm, 845282-0907 JACS Meeting, 12-steps meeting for Jews in recovery, Rabbi Steven Bayar, Cong B’nai Israel, Millburn, 6pm, 973-379-3811 Maccabeats in Concert, Cong Rodef Shalom, Atlantic City, 8pm, 609-345-4580
Mon., Aug 29
Advanced Kashrut Seminar, for women, includes checking vegetables for insects, learning when a question needs to be asked about a bruise on a chicken, meat and dairy control in the foodservice and home kitchen, identifying and purchasing kosher fish, and more, at the Orthodox Union, Manhattan, through Friday, Sept 2, 9:30-5:30 (Mon-Thurs), 9:302:30 (Fri), 212-613-8279 Synagogue Showcase, spons by the JCC of MetroWest, at the Livingston Mall Center Court, 1-3pm and 6-8pm, 973-929-2922 Israeli Film Club: “Walk on Water,” discussion led by Daniel Sonnenschein, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7pm, 845-362-4400 “High Holiday Machzor Mapping and Niggun Notes: Geography of the High Holy Days Prayer Book and Service,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201833-0515 ext 200 “Educating and Empower-
ing Mothers to Break the Cycle of Child Sexual Abuse,” Elisheva Schlanger, private home in Teaneck, 8pm, 201-953-9952 or 201-801-9022 “Becoming Grounded— Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, The Book of Deuteronomy, the Last Will and Testament of Moses: Shoftim, Heavenly Witnesses,” Rabbi Asher Herson, Chabad Center of Northwest NJ, Rockaway, 8:15pm, 973-625-1525 ext 227
Tues., Aug 30
Hillel Welcome BBQ and Jewish Activities Fair, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 5-8pm, 732-545-2407 Aerobics/Pilates, for women, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 8:15pm
Wed., Aug 31
Confidential Abused Women’s Support Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090
Thurs., Sept 1
First Day of Class at Ramapo College for New Minor in Human Rights and Genocide Studies, includes “Jews in 20th Century Europe,” “Holocaust and Media,” “Biblical Archaeology and History,” “Literature of the Holocaust,” Women in Middle East Societies,” Hebrew Language courses, and more, Mahwah, 201684-7500 or 201-684-6844 Matisyahu in Concert, The Borgata, Atlantic City, 9pm, 609317-1000
Mon., Sept 5, Labor Day
Dedication and Dancing to the New Home of Agudas Yisroel of Passaic, 11am, 973773-0974 Meet the Religious Communities Luau-Style, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 8pm, 732598-8160 or 732-545-2407 “Becoming Grounded— Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, The Book of Deuteronomy, the Last Will and Testament of Moses: Ki Teizei, You Are What You Wear,” Rabbi Asher Herson, Chabad Center of Northwest NJ, Rockaway, 8:15pm, 973-6251525 ext 227
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http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Sundays
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New Classes this Month
Breakfast and Halachic Topics in Sefer Yalkut Yosef, Rabbi Mordechai Gershon, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 8:45am, 201-568-1315 Avos U’Banim Learning Program, for boys leaving grade 1 and up and their fathers, includes nosh and raffles, spons by the PassaicClifton Community Kollel, at Kehillas Bais Yosef (Rabbi Hirsch’s Shul), Passaic, 9:30am, 484-620-6187 Tele-Shiur: Yiddish for Beginners, for women, 8pm, 516-9247694 Women’s Self-Defense Workshop, Mordechai Genut, private home in Monsey, 8pm, 718-801-6882 Chaburah: Dan L’Kaf Zechus, Rabbi Zev Rivkin, Cong Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 8:30pm, hermankc@gmail.com
Mondays
Hilchos Shabbos, for women and girls of high school age and older, Rabbi Birembain, private home in Passaic, 10am, 973-473-1080 Overeaters Anonymous, Mountainside Hospital, Montclair, 10am, 973-746-8787 Tele-Shiur: Yiddish for Beginners, for men, 8pm, 516-9247694 Megilla Shiur, Rav Yaakov Neuburger, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 8pm Modern Hebrew, Rebbetzin Barbara Marks, Cong Mount Sinai, Jersey City, 8pm, begins Sept 11, 201-656-4225 Gemara Masechet Moed Katan, Rabbi Steven Miodownik, private home in Highland Park, 9pm, 732-247-0532
Tuesdays
Navi, for women, Shoshana Sperling, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Passaic, 9:40am, 908-278-4059
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Lunch ‘n’ Learn, lectures and workshop on health and wellbeing, includes healthy kosher lunch at the 18karrots Kosher Café, at LifePlex Health Club, Monsey, noon, 845-517-5310 “Contemporary Jewish Issues,” Rabbi Dov Oliver, Rockland Community College, Suffern, 3pm, begins Sept 6, 845-574-4422 Open Beit Midrash and Parshat Hashavua, Harry Glazer, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 7pm, 732-247-0532 Tefillah Shiur, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, Cong Zichron Moshe, Teaneck, 7:30pm, yitzshul@aol.com Gemara: Maseches Sukkah, Lieber Schachter, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 9:20pm, ryan@bmob.org
Wednesdays
Chumash, for women, Susan Weissman, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Passaic, 9:15am, 908-278-4059 Lunch ‘n’ Learn, lectures and workshop on health and wellbeing, includes healthy kosher lunch at the 18karrots Kosher Café, at LifePlex Health Club, Monsey, noon, 845-517-5310 “Contemporary Jewish Issues,” Rabbi Dov Oliver, Rockland Community College, Suffern, 6pm, begins Sept 7, 845-574-4422 Support Group for Women Affected by Intimate Partner Violence, confidential and professionally facilitated, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7pm, 201-837-9090 Schmooze on the News B’Ivrit (in Hebrew), Daniel Sonnenschein, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845-362-4400 Women’s Art League, to relax, talk, and paint, private home in Clifton, 8pm, 347-525-3445 Tele-Shiur: Yiddish for Beginners, for men and women, 8pm, 516-924-7694
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Tues., Sept 6
Contemporary Israeli Poetry Group, in the original with English translation and discussion, Atara Fobar, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 7pm, 718-796-4730 Rep Rick Berg (R-ND) for Senate, spons by NORPAC, private home in Riverdale, 8pm, 201-788-5133 Bedouin Tent Night, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 8pm, 732-545-2407
Wed., Sept 7
Armchair Tour of the Upper West Side, Marty Schneit, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 1pm, 845-362-4400 Synagogue Showcase: Synagogues in Essex, Morris, and Union Counties, JCC, West Orange, 5-8pm, 973-929-2922 Jewish 12-Step Meeting, JACS—Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons, and Significant Others, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-837-9090, ask for IRA (Information and Referral) or 201-
981-1071 Mesorah/Orthodox Welcome-Back Event, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 8pm, 201388-5281 or 732-545-2407
Thurs., Sept 8
Book Club: “The Finkler Question” by Howard Jacobson, Lautenberg JCC, Whippany, 10:30am, 973-428-9300 Mishmar with Rabbi Howard Jachter and Study with a Buddy, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 8pm, 732-545-2407 Birthright Info Session, for Jewish college students 1826 to enjoy a free trip to Israel, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 9pm, 732-545-2407 Pastries, Pizza, and Parsha, Lenny Haas, 9pm, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 732-545-2407
Fri., Sept 9
NJ Jewish Film Festival Reel Film, JCC, West Orange, 10am, 732-929-2922 Friday Night Dinner for Teens, for grades 9-12, private home in Teaneck, 7pm, 201-907-0180
Sun., Sept 11
Project SARAH (Stop Abusive Relationships at Home) Breakfast, Cong Adas Israel, Passaic, 9:30am, 973-777-7638 Softball Game: Cong Beth Aaron of Teaneck vs Cong Arzei Darom, private location in Teaneck, game and youth programming, 10am; BBQ, 11:30am, 201-357-8999 Improv 4 Kids, for grades K-12, benefit performance for the Mikvah of Springfield, at Cong
Israel, Springfield, 10:30am, 973467-9666 Sefer Torah Dedication, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 11am Friendship Circle Friendship Walk and Fair, to benefit special-needs youngsters, includes rides and live entertainment, Votee Park, Teaneck, 12:30-4pm, 201-262-7172 The Maccabeats in Concert, Temple Emanu-El of West Essex, Livingston, 8pm, 973-992-5560 Y
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New Classes
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continued from page 19
Learning Program, for post-high school and college-age women, Elisheva Ricklis, Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, 8pm, Elisheva.ricklis@gmail.com Tehillim Group, on behalf of all cholei Yisroel, private home in Teaneck, 8pm, debbieshalom@yahoo.com Chaburah: Dan L’Kaf Zechus, Rabbi Zev Rivkin, Cong Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 8:30pm, hermankc@gmail.com A Gemara Class for Women, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8:30pm, 718-548-1850
Thursdays
Women’s Art League, to relax, talk, and paint, private home in Clifton, 10am, 347-525-3445 “Contemporary Jewish Issues,” Rabbi Dov Oliver, Rockland Community College, Suffern, 3pm, begins Sept 1, 845-574-4422 WISE: Women, Independent, Strong, Enriched, a confidential program providing integrated employment and counseling services for victims of domestic violence, Sheila Steinbach, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7pm, begins Sept 8, 201-837-9090 Chumash Shiur: A Closer Look at Some of the Issues of the Weekly Parsha, Rabbi Chaim Davis, Cong Bais Medrash L’Torah, Passaic, 8:30pm, 973-473-3666 Gemara Shiur: Maseches Brachos, Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 8:30pm, 973-736-1407 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 (201-9070180); Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange (973-669-7320); Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic (973-773-2552), Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park (732-247-0532), 9pm Internet Parsha Plus Shiur, Tova Cohen,, www.jewishradionetwork.net, 9pm Gemara: Masechet Sukkah, Lieber Schachter, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 9:20pm, ryan@bmob.org Gemara Shiur: Masechet Makkot, Rabbi Chaim Poupko, private home in Englewood, 8:30pm, rpoupko@ahavathtorah.org
Shabbat
Sefer Chofetz Chaim, for women, Rabbi Eliezer Moskowitz, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Passaic, 4pm, 908-278-4059 Parsha, for women, Rabbi Avraham Goldhar, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Passaic, 4pm, 908-278-4059 Pirkei Avos in Depth, for men and women, Rabbi Mordechai Becher, Yeshiva Passaic Torah Institute, 5:30pm, 862-371-3186
Shabbos Zemiros Group, for men and women, private home in West Orange, 5:30pm, osehtov@yahoo.com Pirkei Avot, Avi Maza, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, after seudah shlishit, 732-247-0532
Motzei Shabbat
Navi, Rabbi Yisroel Reisman, live via satellite, Young Israel of Fair Lawn (201-797-1800); Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park (732-247-0532); Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic; JEC, Elizabeth (908591-5929); Cong Khal Zichron Mordechai, Monsey (845-356-7188); Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck; Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange (973-6697320), 10:30pm
Special
Mishna Brura Yomi, Rabbi Mordechai Fishman, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, Sun-Thurs, 10pm, 862-686-6748
New Minyanim
Daily Shacharit Minyan, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 9am Mincha Minyan, Yeshiva Gedola of Teaneck, Sun-Thurs, 1:35pm, 201-833-5920 Sunday Early Mincha Minyan, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 1:45pm
Chesed Ops
Gemach Zichron Chaya, needs donations of simcha wear for men, women, and children, provided free to Israelis in need, drop off points in Teaneck and other NJ and NY locations, ilanasn@aol.com Yeshiva high school or college students with driver’s licenses are needed to visit an elderly woman a few times a week at Bergen Regional Medical Center long-term care unit in Paramus. She needs help with grooming, getting fresh air outside, and reading. She requires constant supervision, 201-546-5772 The Fair Lawn Gemach is in need of tznius skirts, size 10-12; a high-riser frame with or without mattresses; 16-inch two-wheel bikes with or without training wheels; training wheels for 16-inch bikes, and gowns and simcha wear, pick-up can be arranged, 201-797-1770 One-year-old Ayelet Galena needs a bone marrow transplant. To help by registering as a bone-marrow donor or to make a tax-deductible donation, go to getswabbed.org or call 732-317-2684 Tomchei Shabbos of Bergen County needs members for its Design, Technology, and “Incorporating Chesed in Your Simcha” Committees, as well as drivers. Contact sdwalzman@yahoo.com Chaverim of Teaneck: Friends You Can Count On, if you lock your keys in your car, need a boost, run out of gas, etc, call 201-800HELP. Chaverim also provides disaster relief, shiva house assistance, and helps out the elderly chaverim.teaneck@gmail.com The Teaneck Simcha Table Cloth Gemach is looking for donations of tablecloths, overland, or runners in bunches of five, 201-8379035 or 917-862-2405 Y
Mazal Tov
Mazal Tov to the Bar Mitzvah Boys: Zachary Fox, Zevi Hammer, Eli Hyman, Shlomo Yitzchok Kassai, Aron Kurlantzick, Yaakov Kurlantzick, Yosef Kurlantzick, Matan Leff, Meir Lightman, Yaakov Miller , Yoseph Muller, Amiel Rimberg, David Schmidt, Moshe Schneeweiss, Eitan Schneier, Eliyahu Pinchas Thaler, and Yehudah Aryeh Weiss Mazal Tov to Rabbi Shmuley and Devorah Boteach on the engagement of their daughter, Chaya Mushka, to Arye Zev Naparstek of Los Angeles Y
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Gush Katif Refugees Last winter, Eyal Gabbai, an official in the Prime Minister’s Office, said the government was “making an effort so that this will be the last season in caravans.” But Bentzi Lieberman, head of the Tnufa Administration, the entity charged with resettling the thousands of displaced Jews, was more cautious, predicting that, by the end of this year, perhaps one-third of those who had been expelled from Gaza will be resettled in permanent homes. At the same time that Gush Katif was evacuated, approximately 1,000 Jews from the Samarian communities of Kadim, Ganim, Homesh, and Sa-Nur were also expelled from their homes. Most of them, however, have been reabsorbed into other communities in Judea and Samaria. Final Effort Last month, in an effort finally to provide real relief for the
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displaced Jews of Gush Katif and Northern Samaria, the Knesset Finance Committee approved a private member’s bill, sponsored by Likud MK Zeev Elkin. If it passes in the Knesset, it will grant another $115.5 million to former Gush Katif business owners who lost their livelihoods in the expulsion. It would make the total paid over the years in compensation to the evacuated business owners slightly more than $1 billion. According to Mr. Elkin, even that sum does not completely cover investments put into Gush Katif businesses over the years or money spent to rebuild them after the evacuation. Although the economy of Gush Katif was largely agricultural, with some 240 farms in operation at the time of the expulsion, only about 100 landowners have begun to farm again. Only 52 growers from
farming communities have received land, and, largely because of poor infrastructure, only a small number of them have returned to cultivating at a substantial level. After the expulsion, many found themselves simply incapable of returning to the workforce; some considered themselves “too old,” even though they were not eligible for retirement benefits or pensions. According to the progress report issued by the Gush Katif Residents Committee last spring, the Israeli government’s compensation for land and greenhouses was not equal to their actual worth. A Mockery Just before Mr. Elkin’s bill was approved, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin blasted the government for not addressing the problems faced by the displaced Jews. He said
he feared no solution would be forthcoming from the government without intense pressure by the Knesset’s 15-member Gush Katif lobby. “Private legislation is the only way to cause the government to stick to its commitments,” said Mr. Rivlin. Arutz Sheva reporter Aryeh Ben Hayim agreed, recalling that Ariel Sharon, the prime minister responsible for the 2005 disengagement, had promised there would be “a solution for every settler.” “The reality has made a mockery of the slogan,” said Mr. Ben Hayim. Farmers’ Compensation The Finance Committee, chaired by United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni, said displaced farm owners could choose either financial compensation or additional agricultural land. The compen-
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Gush Katif Refugees sation for farmers will also include money for the loss of crops in the growing seasons during which they were unable to farm because of the expulsion. “The committee views passing the law and providing aid to the Jews of Gush Katif and Northern Samaria to be of the utmost importance and, as such, is a moral commitment,� said Rabbi Gafni. Mr. Elkin called the bill’s passage “an historic moment that will close the saga of the serious harm to human dignity of the Gush Katif and northern Samaria evacuees.� But it is still not certain if the bill will pass the Knesset. For the displaced Jews of Gush Katif and Northern Samaria, it is just one more period of waiting in a six-year stretch in which many of them have done little else. Scorched Earth Between August 15 and 22, 2005, then-Prime Minis-
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ter Sharon ordered the “disengagement� from Gaza, in which all the Jewish communities, including homes, synagogues, schools, businesses, and even cemeteries, were forcibly evacuated and razed to the ground. Many observers have said the Jewish communities of Gush Katif, built along the sand dunes that separate the coastal plain from the sea along much of the southeastern Mediterranean, were among the most beautiful ever constructed in the Jewish state. At the time, Mr. Sharon said his always-controversial plan was to improve Israel’s security and international status. Initially, Mr. Sharon promised to act according to the wishes of his Likud Party. He authorized a vote, which critics of the disengagement plan won. But instead of forgoing the “disengagement,� Mr. Sharon disregarded his party and his
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promise, and moved against Gush Katif anyway. Some observers believe that, in so doing, he brought the country to the brink of civil war from which it has not yet fully recovered. Kadima In November 2005, the loathing that developed between Mr. Sharon, who was at one time seen as the champion of Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, and his former supporters in Likud, prompted him to resign from the party and form a new faction, which he called Kadima. The hopes of Mr. Sharon’s supporters for peace were dashed when, at the end of January 2006, the terrorist Islamist Hamas faction won a large majority in the only legislative election ever held by the Palestinian Authority. In June 2007, the Hamas-led PA unity government was disbanded when, in bloody street fighting, Hamas vanquished its rivals in the Palestinian Fatah faction and took control of Gaza, leaving Fatah to rule in the PA areas of Judea and Samaria. Since the “disengagement,� Israelis in the communities bordering Gaza have suffered from an endless series of terrorist attacks, with rockets and mortars emanating from Gaza directed at civilian targets. National Disgrace But Mr. Sharon did not see the total collapse of his plans. On January 4, 2006, less than five months after the expulsion from Gaza, he suffered a massive stroke that left him in a persistent vegetative state in which he still remains more than five and half years later. In Israel, it is generally conceded that the treatment accorded to the former residents of Gush Katif has been a national disgrace. In its rush to execute the “disengagement,�
Mr. Sharon’s government did not prepare suitably for the evicted residents. Some critics of the “disengagement� still maintain that the shabby treatment meted out to the former residents of Gaza was in retribution for their unwillingness to leave their former homes graciously. Most of the displaced Jews were housed in hotels and guesthouses, where for months they were constantly threatened with eviction. Many still reside in “caravans,� which are actually trailers, located in makeshift trailer parks. Optimism According to Mazal Cohen, one of the founders of the former Gush Katif community of Gadid, most of the displaced Jews try to remain optimistic. “But the condition of most of them is heartbreaking,� said Mrs. Cohen, who still resides in a caravan in Kibbutz Ein Tzurim. She said her family, like many others among the displaced Jews from Gaza, fear they will never reside in a permanent home again. “When we were expelled, we were given compensation, but the money was used by the people who did not have jobs. Fifty percent of the expellees do not have the money anymore. We’ll have to take large mortgages, and I have no doubt that some will remain in caravans forever,� she said. Many of her friends, she said, are still grieving. Some, she said, have died, a result, she believes, of the grief caused by the 2005 upheaval. “Now that the money has run out, there is illness among many of our friends. Several of our friends who were past 55 died of grief. People have developed diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Some people have no reason to get up
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com in the morning,” she said. Gush Katif Museum But there is one spot in the Jewish state where Gush Katif still lives. On a quiet street just minutes from the bustling Mahane Yehuda outdoor market in Jerusalem, a nondescript sign points visitors to the Gush Katif Museum, a tribute to the communities of Gush Katif. Plans for the museum, which opened three years ago, were begun just three weeks after the “disengagement” was complete. Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo, a Lubavitcher who had been actively involved in trying to save Gush Katif, organized a conference, sponsored by his organization, SOS-Israel, which was entitled “We Won’t Forgive and Won’t Forget.” At the conference, Rabbi Wolpo announced that a Gush Katif museum would be opened in central Jerusalem “to preserve the history of the settlement and the crime of its destruction for future generations.” When the museum opened in 2008, one of its organizers told reporters, “We hope visitors will come in smiling and leave with tears in their eyes. Most Israelis are under the assumption that the Gush Katif settlement included only a few caravans, but the truth is that people’s homes and lives were destroyed.” Dynamic and Heartrending According to the museum’s chief of development, Rena Ziv, the museum was designed to be simultaneously “dynamic and inspiring, heartrending and thought-provoking.” Its five exhibition rooms and small multi-dimensional theater depict, in chronological progression, life in Gush Katif. “Each room captures a different facet of life in Gush Katif, centering on a different stage in the historical process that unfolded there,” said Ms. Ziv. The museum’s tour begins in the anteroom, which also houses the museum’s gift shop. Along the entire length of one wall is a timeline, artistically recounting the historical Jewish presence in Gush Katif, which dates back many millennia, to the conquest of Gaza by the Biblical tribe of Judah. The room also features photographs of everyday life as it existed in Gush Katif before the 2005 expulsion. In one picture, an elderly couple stands proudly outside their home; in another, two small children giggle as they play in a sprinkler. One especially evocative photograph features a young musician play-
Av 5771 ing her violin by the sandy seashore. Former Resident Guides The museum’s guides, all former residents of Gush Katif, punctuate the tour with personal anecdotes and reflections, drawing visitors into their world and challenging them to see the exhibits from an insider’s perspective. One of the guides, Itzik Konhi, tells visitors to look closely at a photograph on display in the first room: a street scene in N’vei Dekalim, his former hometown, the largest community of Gush Katif. The photo shows that a large section of the roof is missing from one of the homes. According to Mr. Konhi, a
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rocket launched by neighboring Arabs into the Jewish community caused the home’s roof to collapse. Miraculously, no one was hurt. Miracles The guides are founts of information on the numerous rocket, mortar, and bomb attacks suffered by residents of Gush Katif during the second Intifada, which began in September 2000 and continued even after the “disengagement” in 2005. There are also countless stories of miraculous escapes from danger. On two occasions, Mr. Konhi’s own home was saved from Palestinian fire.
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Gush Katif Refugees Once, a rocket fell shortly after six in the morning, and although it made a “terrible noise,” it failed to explode. Later that day, when the scene of the attack was examined, it was discovered that the rocket had actually fallen adjacent to a gas tank. Had it exploded, the ensuing fire would have caused widespread destruction in the community. “Just another example of the Divine Providence that defined life in Gush Katif,” said Ms. Ziv. A Holy Map On the floor between the anteroom and the next exhibit, a map of Israel, constructed of a thin sheet of metal, bears Hebrew words from the Book of Joshua, said by the angel before Joshua captured Jericho: “Remove your shoes from your feet, for this land is holy.” “It is a striking piece of art, both in terms of the medium and the deeper message. The land is holy, in its entirety, and it is through this prism that we experience life here,” said Ms. Ziv. In the museum’s second room, one entire wall is dedicated to photographs of the thriving agricultural industry that existed in Gush Katif, including its renowned hothouses, famous for bug-free vegetables and magnificent flowers, mostly grown for profitable export. There is also an aerial view of N’vei Dekalim in which the schools, homes, senior center, and synagogue are all just yards from the Mediterranean Sea.
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continued from page 23 “The vision and commitment of the people of Gush Katif were powerful and creative forces,” said Ms. Ziv. High Unemployment But since the expulsion, most of Gush Katif’s former farmers have not returned to work. Many still reside in what was supposed to be temporary housing with neither land to build on nor resources to finance it. While unemployment in Gush Katif before the expulsion was about 5 percent, the unemployment rate among former Gush Katif residents is 18 percent and underemployment stands at 20 percent. Worse, according to Mr. Konhi, many of the former Gush Katif farmers are now being sued in Israeli courts for thousands of dollars of compensation demanded by their former Palestinian-Gazan workers who also have been out of jobs since August 2005. “It is almost ludicrous, but things have spiraled out of control,” said Mr. Konhi. In his former hometown, only one building still remains from the years in which the Jews resided there. The municipal building of Gush Katif has been transformed into a Hamas College, a training ground for terrorists committed to the destruction of the State of Israel. Religious Memories The museum’s next room is filled with historical artifacts from Gush Katif’s religious centers. The Chanukah menorah from the synagogue in Netzarim lights up the
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gallery. After being evacuated from their community, former residents of Netzarim carried the menorah to the Kotel. The room contains signs from synagogues and mikvehs and photographs from the many yeshivot. The N’vei Dekalim yeshiva was constructed in the shape of a Star of David, representing, according to Ms. Ziv, “Jewish nationhood which housed Torah study in the land of Israel, a complete fusion of nation, Torah, and land.” While most of the residents of Gush Katif were religious Zionists, there was a sizable number of secular Israelis as well. National Struggle The second part of the room is devoted to “ma’avak ha-katom,” the national struggle for Gush Katif after Mr. Sharon announced that the expulsion would take place. There are signs announcing protests and rallies and pictures of demonstrations, including the “human chain,” in which supporters linked hands for 50 miles from Gush Katif to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. According to Ms. Ziv, it was a difficult and emotional chapter not only for Gush Katif, but for the entire country. “The struggle for Gush Katif was hardly the exclusive struggle of Gush Katif residents. It extended to thousands of others, each one identifying in his or her own way with the drive and passion of Gush Katif residents, hopeful that they would persevere,” she said. Room of Darkness and Tears The museum’s fourth room—called “Heder Ha’Shahor” (Room of Darkness) or “Heder Ha-Dimaot” (Room of Tears)—is dimly lit and painted black, marking the actual events of the “disengagement.” “This is the most difficult and painful exhibit,” said Ms. Ziv. There are photographs, taken at night, of a team of police on horses charging into Jewish residents pleading to remain in their homes. Through a bus window, a little boy, seated on his mother’s lap tries to jump out, longing to return to the only home he has ever known. Painful Video There is also a short video of the actual evacuation of the synagogue of N’vei Dekalim and of a family from their home. The film shows teenage boys ripped from the floor of the synagogue and carried out
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion August 2011
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Ess Gezint: Kosher Elegance
Highly acclaimed Israeli pastry chef and teacher Efrat Libfroind has just come out with Kosher Elegance: The Art of Cooking with Style (Feldheim), a book that is as much a coffee-table decoration and conversation piece as it is a collection of recipes. While some of these dishes are labeled “Simplicity,” the mouth-watering sections are “Temptations” and “Chocolate,” filled with her signature desserts. Don’t be too upset if you can’t duplicate the results shown in the accompanying photographs; we doubt anyone by the fabulous Efrat could manage that feat. But that won’t keep us from trying all summer. For the dessert, Efrat suggests chocolateand-nut-covered popsicles, but the parve ice cream is terrific by itself.
Potato Chip Chicken
6 chicken breasts ½ tsp paprika ½ cup flour 1 clove garlic, crushed 3 eggs 1 tsp prepared mustard 1 tsp salt 5 oz potato chips Preheat oven to 350º. Cut chicken into 1-inch strips (easier while still partially frozen). Prepare three bowls. In the first, place flour. In the second, beat eggs with salt, paprika, garlic, and mustard. In the third, place crushed potato chips. Dip chicken in flour, then egg mixture, and finally in potato chips. Place on a baking tray and bake for 12 minutes. Serves 6, delicious with ketchup or chili sauce.
Hazelnut Parve Ice Cream
½ cup sugar 3 Tbs sugar ¼ cup parve whitener or 1 8-oz container parve dessoy milk sert whip 4 Tbs corn syrup 1 cup unsalted hazelnuts, 5 eggs, separated toasted and chopped Cook ½ cup sugar with the whitener (or soy milk) and corn syrup, and stir until combined. Cool slightly and add egg yolks while stirring vigorously. Beat whites with 3 Tbs sugar until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat the dessert whip. Combine all three mixtures and add hazelnuts. Freeze.
Sweet Potato Salad Dressing: 2 medium sized sweet 2 Tbs oil potatoes ½ tsp prepared mustard 4 Tbs olive oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 pinch salt 2 heaping Tbs honey ½ red onion, diced 1 pinch black pepper 4 scallions, chopped 1 pinch salt 5 dates, pitted 4 Tbs toasted pine nuts Preheat oven to 400º. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small cubes. Transfer to a baking pan and season with olive oil and salt. Cover and bake just until tender, not mushy. Cool sweet potatoes and transfer to a bowl. Add onion and scallions. Cut dates into small pieces (for easier cutting, freeze for half an hour first) and add to the bowl. Add pine nuts and toss lightly. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over salad. Serves 6.
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“Honor the Professional According to Your Need”
Gush Katif Refugees crying. Weeping Israeli soldiers gather around the ark of the synagogue to help the rabbis remove the Torah scrolls. “The visitor encounters the pain, the ache, and the confusion that marked those complex days. It is impossible not to cry in the human face of it all. It does not matter which part of the political spectrum you might stem from. A human
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heart will always cry from human pain,” said Ms. Ziv. This, she said, is the museum’s goal. “Rather than further politicizing a highly political event, it seeks to teach and educate about humanity. The commitment and dedication of the people who lived in Gush Katif can inspire another generation. Pain, in all its expressions, is real and gen-
uine, and it is our human responsibility to be sensitive to it and learn from it,” she said. The Future The museum’s final room is devoted to the future of the people who once resided in Gush Katif. “It represents the conflicted emotions and difficulties that many Gush Katif evacuees continue to face,” said Ms. Ziv.
One wall is a tribute to the fallen of Gush Katif, faces of Jewish residents murdered by terrorists. During the “disengagement,” the Sharon government directed that all graves of those buried in Gush Katif, many of them soldiers, be uprooted and reburied in Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives cemetery. Many of the families of the
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion August 2011
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There Is Nothing Lush about Lush Cosmetics
To Lush Cosmetics: I am outraged to discover you are contributing your customers’ revenues to promote PLO propaganda through the dishonest “One World Campaign” thereby interjecting your company into the Middle East debate squarely on the side of PLO terrorism. Your failure to condemn PLO violence is an encouragement to them to continue their violent ways and destroys any hopes of peace. I am sure your politics would be very different if PLO war criminals were firing rockets and mortars or sending suicide bombers targeted at you. Israel has every right to defend itself and is fully justified in doing so. I don’t think taking up anti-Israel extremism is a good marketing strategy on your part. I will not shop at your stores and will do everything I can to persuade others not to shop there. If any readers of The Jewish Voice happen to write anything to LUSH concerning the LUSH protest, please send it to Join the Boycott, http://www.jtbla.com, of which I am the Webmaster. David Frankenthal Los Angeles, CA Dear David, Thank you for your email. I’m sorry to hear you’re disappointed with Lush’s support for the One World project. Lush UK have [sic] added their [sic] voice to the One World project to help raise awareness about human rights abuse and poverty facing Palestinians. The campaign is based on the implementation of United Nations resolutions and international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians. The history between Israel and Palestine is long, complicated, and often under dispute. However, what is very clear is the level of suffering occurring today, in part due to the military blockade of the Gaza strip and the Wall being built in the West Bank which cuts Palestinian people off from vital infrastructure, including health services, and has led to restrictions on movement, a lack of drinking water plus increased poverty and human rights abuse in the area. History does not excuse such suffering. It will take both sides to come to a solution, but what is also clear is that this is not a conflict of two equal sides and thus the onus must be on the dominating force, Israel. The One World project has been launched in solidarity with the Palestinian people and, like Lush, strives for human rights and equality for all regardless of race or religion, is non-partisan and does not support violence. One World is supported by both Palestinian and Israeli organizations and aims to help create a just peace for all people living in the region. We support organizations fighting for human rights all around the world on a variety of issues, from the freedom of West Papua and Tibet to labor rights of workers in India, women’s rights in Africa and environmental rights of indigenous people in Latin America. Whilst there are many other issues we have not supported, there are sadly limitations as to how much we can do. Throughout the course of the year we support many humanitarian, animal, and environmental causes, many of which are nominated by our own customers. We welcome and value all feedback, so thank you for getting in touch with us. I will be sure to pass your
Letters to the Editor comments on to our Campaigns team for future consideration. Vicky Jansson, Customer Care Manager Lush Customer Care <customercare@lush.co.uk> Dear Ms. Jansson, Thank you for CCing me on your response to Mr. Frankenthal. When we publish his letter and yours, I can assure you that, like me, 99 percent of our readers will join him in deciding that their beauty-aid and cosmetic dollars will best be spent with firms that do not believe “the onus must be on the dominating force, Israel.” Israel, whose blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza has been declared legal according to international law, has the obligation, first and foremost, to defend its civilian population against terrorist-originating bombs, missiles, and other attacks. Gaza is not cut off from the world. Israel allows true humanitarian aid to enter the strip and permits Palestinian patients to receive medical care in the Jewish state. Egypt recently announced it would open its border with Gaza. But, because of terrorist activities emanating from the Palestinian areas, Israel maintains that all supplies entering and personnel leaving Gaza (where studies have shown there is no mass starvation or desperate privation) must be checked. The security fence between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in Judea and Samaria (the “West Bank”) operates for the same reason. If there were no terrorist threat to the Jewish state, there would be neither a blockade of Gaza nor a security fence between Israel and the PA. When Lush Cosmetics decides to withdraw from its patently unfair partisan position in the Arab-Israeli conflict, please let us know so we can inform our readers. Susie Rosenbluth The Jewish Voice and Opinion Englewood, NJ Dear Ms. Jansson, I have received your form response which does not address the issues I raised. Your pretentions to be supporting “human rights” are obviously insincere given your selective interest in the matter. Have you considered that Israelis have human rights too? I have not seen one mention of Israeli human rights in anything you have written. Israelis have the right to defend themselves against attack by PLO terrorists. They have the right to live in their homeland in peace. By overlooking the PLO’s terrorism and rewarding them with your support you are encouraging them to continue their criminal violence. The One World Project never even mentions PLO rockets, mortars, suicide bombers, or cold-blooded murderers, but falsely and irresponsibly accuses Israel of a “crime against humanity.” Your bland statement that Lush “does not support violence” apparently condemns Israel for defending itself. Furthermore your statement that “the onus must be on the dominant force Israel” has no foundation. What has superior military power got to do with right and wrong? Is the onus on Britain to give in to Al Qaeda because it is the dominant force? In reality, the Palestinians have many advantages: they have 21 Arab countries, Iran, other Muslim countries, and the very biased UN supporting them, not to mention the anti-Israel and
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“Thought Is the World of Freedom” (R’ Dov Ber of Mazeritch) often antisemitic media. Now add to that the prejudice and ignorance of a company like yours. Your misrepresentation of the facts and your intransigence toward the many people who have complained convince me that the only way to respond is to stop buying your products and encourage others to do the same. David Frankenthal Los Angeles, CA Lush claims to support “human rights,” but whose human rights are they supporting? Women, who have no rights in Muslim countries? Obviously Lush is being extremely selective of the human rights they choose to support. If Lush did the tiniest bit of investigating they would know that the only democratic country in the entire Middle East, that supports full equal rights for women, including Muslims within its borders, is, in fact, Israel. We will join our brothers and sisters in the International boycott of Lush until such time as they recognize the rights of women in the entire Middle East region. Susie Rubenstein New York, NY Dear Susie, Thank you for getting back to us, though we are sorry that you are unhappy with our position on this issue. Our products are fun and effective; we have a great time making them and hope that our customers feel the same when they are using them. We are also lucky enough to be in a position to support causes that are important to us, though we can understand how disappointing it is when a company you buy from does not share all your views. We will carry on making fresh and effective cosmetics which will continue to benefit people, animals, and the environment, and we’ll always be glad to serve you as a customer should you choose to come into any of our shops. Vicky Jansson, Customer Care Lush Retail Ltd. Dear Ms. Jansson, There is nothing “fun and effective” about spreading blatant untruths (“the onus must be on the dominating force, Israel”) or singling out the one Jewish state for unfair criticism. We are
not disappointed that Lush Cosmetics does not share “all [our] views;” we will not buy from Lush because your company obviously does not know the difference between right and wrong. When Lush Cosmetics decides to withdraw from its patently unfair partisan position in the Arab-Israeli conflict, please let us know so we can inform our readers. Susie Rosenbluth The Jewish Voice and Opinion Englewood, NJ
The Family That Races Together Eases the Pain Together We were thrilled to see the coverage that The Jewish Voice and Opinion gave to Team OneFamily and our amazing athletes [“Team OneFamily Athletes Get Ready for the NYC Triathlon for Love of Sport and Devotion to Israeli Victims of Terror,” July 2011]. The article really capture the essence of OneFamily and what we have been able to accomplish in Israel helping victims of terror. We can only hope and pray that there are not any new victims that will require our assistance and we can just focus on those already on the path towards rebuilding their lives. Michelle Napell One Family Fund Events and Special Projects Coordinator Teaneck, NJ Thank you so much for the article on the OneFamily athletes. It means a lot to me that The Jewish Voice and Opinion was able to spread awareness of One Family and my story to your readers. Every time I tell someone about what happened to me on March 23rd, or someone reads about it on my fundraising page or now in this article, it makes me feel stronger and less alone. I know that by staying strong and connected to others I am no longer of victim, and I will not let them continue to terrorize me. Pia Levine Bradley Beach, 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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Gush Katif Refugees approximately 50 Jews who had been buried in Gush Katif held second funerals for their loved ones, and photographs of these difficult rites line the walls of the museum. Another exhibit features a packing box, one of many used to hastily stow the Gush Katif residents’ belongings. “The open box with its contents haphazardly arranged represents the transience of the people of Gush Katif, so many still languishing in temporary housing, awaiting the development of new communities,” said Ms. Ziv. Reunited One of those families just recently emerged from that situation. For almost six years, members of the Zweig family resided in caravans scattered in several different communities throughout Israel. But in June, they managed to come back together in the newly reestablished community of Ganei Tal, located near Kibbutz Hafetz Haim in central Israel and named for the original Ganei Tal, which was one of the destroyed Gush Katif communities. The entire family, consisting of Yehudit and Yehoshua Zweig, their three grown children, and Mrs. Zweig’s Holocaust survivor parents, lived in Gush Katif before the “disengagement.”
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“All of us were expelled from our homes, and we underwent some difficult times,” said Mrs. Zweig, who had been responsible for the 32 kindergartens in Gush Katif. Now retired, she regrets that “her” kindergarten children are scattered throughout the country. “Unfortunately, some are still stuck in caravans and some will remain there because they’ve run out of money. We have been lucky to find a permanent home, but they have not and it is a very difficult story,” she said. “Nightmare” Mrs. Zweig described living in a caravan as “a nightmare.” “Our house fell apart and we couldn’t even host the children for Shabbat. We have one son with six children, and another with five children. In Gush Katif, we could put them in the house all at once, but in the caravan, it was just impossible,” she said. After the “disengagement,” the Zweig family was scattered. One of her sons was placed in Shekef, a moshav in south-central Israel, and the two others were near Nir Akiva, a moshav in southern Israel. Mrs. Zweig’s 90-yearold parents were in Meitar, northeast of Beersheva.
The “disengagement” was particularly hard on the elderly, said Mrs. Zweig, who, in 2005, did not want her parents to undergo “another expulsion after the one they experienced in Auschwitz.” “We did not want them to be expelled from Gush Katif, this time by Jews. So we took them out of Gush Katif a month before the expulsion,” she recalled. Now, the family is reunited “just as it was in Gush Katif,” said Mrs. Zweig. “At last, we have a solid floor under our feet,” she said, adding that the new arrangement has given her parents “the will to live.” “It’s a huge joy for them,” she said. Uncertainty Like the Zweigs, some other families have also been lucky. Some former residents of N’vei Dekalim have been settled in Nir Akiva, a small farming community outside Netivot, about 16 miles from the demolished original N’vei Dekalim in Gush Katif. Other Gush Katif families have found homes in Nitzan (on the sand dunes north of Ashkelon), the new town of Naveh (located in the Halutza Sands, just a few miles from their former homes in Gaza), eastern Lachish (southwest of Jerusalem), and Nachal Sorek (a waterway between
Jaffa and Jerusalem). The only group working to alleviate the economic problems faced by the former Gush Katif residents is JobKatif, a non-profit private organization that is subsidized at a 50 percent rate for its expenses. “Uncertainty and anxiety dominate. Many have been hit hard financially. The evacuees still struggle to create a new sense of normality and stability,” said Ms. Ziv. She believes the most poignant photograph in the Gush Katif Museum shows tattered Israeli flags hanging outside a private home. Said Ms. Ziv :“Presumably, it is the remnant of a long-forgotten Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration. The torn banner of flags continues to flap in the breeze, and the symbolism is striking. The people of Gush Katif, still suffering the after-effects of the ‘disengagement’ and the ensuing financial burdens, are frayed. Their spark and passion have been muted; the effects of the ‘disengagement’ and the intervening years have taken their toll. Yet, they continue on, confident in their path and dreams, full of courage and hope, believing that the day will yet come when they will wave strongly and fervently with a renewed sense of purpose and drive.” S.L.R.
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