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15 IYAR 5774 • MAY 15, 2014 • VOLUME XXXVIII, NUMBER 10 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY

Temple Concord approves new cantor/educator By Stewart Koenig An extensive search, comprehensive interview process and congregational vote at the May 4 congregational meeting resulted in hiring Cantor Kari Siegel Eglash as Temple Concord’s new cantor and educator. She will begin her new position as cantor and head of the TC Religious School on Tuesday, July 1. Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Siegel Eglash was previously at Temple Chaverim in Plainview, NY, and, most recently, at Temple Israel in Tulsa, OK. As an undergraduate, she attended Beloit College in Wisconsin. Following graduation, she worked for several years in the business world, then enrolled in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at the

Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute for Religion in New York City, where she received her cantorial training. Liking to be called “Cantor Kari” (pronounced like “car”), Siegel Eglash is said to bring “a strong music background and considerable experience” in teaching and education. She was responsible for organizing and managing the b’nai mitzvah programs at her previous synagogues, as well as a middle school Hebrew course and family education programs. Former colleagues and congregants have described her as “an effective and engaging teacher.” Temple Concord’s Rabbi Daniel Fellman said, “I am thrilled to share the Temple Concord pulpit with Cantor Eglash. Her

love of Jewish music will enhance the spirituality of our services, and her experience and knowledge of Jewish education will strengthen our religious school.” Siegel Eglash is married to Joe Eglash, a publisher and arranger of Jewish music, and she has two children. TC President Irv Bodofsky said, “We couldn’t be more delighted to welcome Cantor Eglash to our temple family. Her enthusiasm, beautiful voice and commitment to Jewish education bring a strongly positive momentum here at Temple Concord to an even higher trajectory.” Samples of Siegel Eglash’s music can be found on YouTube (search for “Kari Siegel-Eglash”) or at www.TempleTulsa. com/archivedvideo.

Cantor Kari Siegel Eglash, who will assume the position of cantor and educator at Temple Concord on Tuesday, July 1, posed on the bima with TC Rabbi Daniel Fellman. (Photo by Mark Kotzin)

Leaders of Odessa’s Jewish community deny evacuation plans

At right: Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center President Steven Sisskind and JCC Executive Director Marci Erlebacher spoke at the 150th celebration at the 2013 celebration event and annual meeting held at Traditions at the Links in East Syracuse.

Kovod Award; Phyllis Charney and Alex and Chuckie Holstein will receive Hall of Fame awards; and Barry Shulman will receive the Kovod Gadol Award. The event is considered to be “a crucial factor” in the amount of scholarships the JCC is able to offer. Those interested in becoming a sponsor, purchasing a table or learning more about the event should contact Nancy Kasow at 445-2360, ext. 112, or nkasow@jccsyr.org.

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this extra special event honoring those who do so much for us. The community is welcome to come out to taste some award-winning wines while spending a beautiful day in Cazenovia.” Michelle Baum will receive the JCC’s

To date, we have 1,778 donors. Federation's 2014 Campaign now stands at $925,899.

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By Nicholas Finlayson The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse has had to change the date and time of its 151st annual meeting and awards ceremony at Owera Vineyards to Sunday, June 22, at 1 pm, due to unforeseen circumstances. JCC Executive Director Marci Erlebacher said, “We invite all to join us in

Our goal is 2014 donors in 2014!

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Date change for JCC’s annual meeting and awards ceremony

(including Jews) were shocked by the tragedy” of the weekend clashes, Kapulkin wrote, “but we do not see any immediate danger to the Jewish community. So no buses with open doors, no running motors ready to go.” Odessa, home to some 40,000 Jews, has a multitude of Jewish organizations whose relations are often strained by competition and personal rivalry.

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In February, a revolution that had been simmering since winter ended with the ouster of former President Viktor Yanukovych. The revolution began with protests over Ukraine’s refusal to further ties with the European Union, which critics perceived as proof of Yanukovych’s proRussian stance. Russian-backed troops took over the Crimean Peninsula in March. Russia has since annexed the area, which used to be part of Ukraine. The Jerusalem Post on May 4 quoted Refael Kruskal, head of Tikva, a small Jewish charity group from Odessa, as saying that evacuation plans are under way. The paper also reported that over that weekend 20 buses had been parked outside the city’s Chabad Center. But Kapulkin, the center’s spokesman, denied that assertion. “Odessa’s citizens

mishes between pro-Russian protesters and Ukrainian nationalists that resulted in multiple casualties. The clashes were part of a larger mobilization by proRussian protesters and militias that last month began staging acts of disobedience, sometimes with secessionist sentiments, throughout cities in eastern Ukraine, where many ethnic Russians live. Tania Vorobyov, a spokeswoman for Beit Grand, Odessa’s largest Jewish community center and a major partner of the local office of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, or JDC, told JTA on May 7 that “the reports about evacuation are baseless rumors. Jews in Odessa are worried about the violence like all other Odessans but have no special plans to leave as a community.”

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By JTA staff (JTA) – Leaders of the Jewish community of Odessa, Ukraine, denied reports about the existence of evacuation plans for the city’s Jews. “In connection with reports on the planned evacuation of the Jewish community of Odessa: No such plans exist,” Berl Kapulkin, a spokesman for the local Chabad community, said in a statement published on May 6 on the website chabad.odessa.ua. Titled “Rebuttal,” the statement concerned a report published May 4 in an Israeli daily newspaper saying that several community leaders told a reporter that “Odessa’s Jews are prepared to evacuate should the violence” in the Ukrainian city get significantly worse. The reports followed the recent skir-

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The 2014 Campaign is underway! To make your pledge, contact Marianne at 445-2040 ext. 102 or mbazydlo@jewishfederationCNY.org.

C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A May 16......................8:03 pm........................................................ Parasha-Bechukotai May 23......................8:10 pm...........................................................Parasha-Bamidbar May 30......................8:17 pm..................................................................Parasha-Naso

INSIDE THIS ISSUE JMAC fund-raiser

Lag B’Omer

News in brief...

A fund-raiser for the annual Jewish Local Lag’ B’Omer celebrations are Rabbis press for protecting Mount Music and Cultural Festival will announced; the holiday inspires of Olives cemetery; a recovery plan feature four local musicians. memories and mayhem in Israel. for Hadassah hospital; and more. Story on page 3 Stories on pages 4 and 8 Stories on pages 11 and 12

PLUS Opinion......................................... 2 Calendar Highlights................10 Mazel Tov...................................10 Obituaries.................................. 11

JEWISH OBSERVER ■ may 15, 2014/15 IYAR 5774

Netanyahu weighs bill to delay Israeli presidential election By Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering initiating a bill the week of May 12 to delay June’s Israeli presidential

election by half a year. This would allow time for a comprehensive re-examination of the institution of the presidency. During the six-month delay, Netanyahu will explore alternatives to the president’s

choosing who gets to form the Israeli government after Knesset elections. Netanyahu has begun consultations on the matter with the heads of the parties in his governing coalition, and several options are being

considered. One is that the head of the party that receives the most Knesset seats in elections would automatically get to form the government. Another is a return to direct elections for prime minister.

After “apartheid” stir, experts question perceived demographic threat to Israel By Alex Traiman JNS.org U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent controversial remark that Israel risks becoming “an apartheid state” in the absence of a two-state solution to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict shined a spotlight on the perceived demographic threat to Israel – a threat that some experts say is not based on current reality. The term “apartheid” refers to the former policy of segregation and discrimination in South Africa, in which a minority white elite held a monopoly on leadership over the black majority. Using the term with reference to Israel implies that Israeli Arabs do not have equal rights with Jews, and that Jewish Israelis are on the verge of becoming a ruling Jewish minority. “It is outrageous that U.S. policymakers would find it opportune to irresponsibly and recklessly accuse Israel of apartheid while Arabs in Israel are the only Arab community in the Middle East that benefits from Western democracy, civil liberties and freedom of speech,” former Israeli Ambassador Yoram Ettinger, a member of the American-Israel Demographic Research Group, told JNS.org. “The root of [Kerry’s] unfortunate and erroneous statement has to do with a devastating ignorance of the

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looked on as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry addressed reporters before a series of meetings at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem on January 2. (Photo courtesy of the State Department) demographic balance of Jews and Arabs west of the Jordan River,” he said. While Jews currently make up a solid majority of Israeli residents, many have argued that once-high Arab birthrates combined with modest Jewish birthrates could mean the end of the Jewish population edge, and thereby create a situation in which Jews would be forced to rule over a majority of Palestinians or cede power. Yet a relatively recent two-way shift in

birthrates is altering this paradigm of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Maybe the demographic threat was real 10-20 years ago, but not anymore,” said Dr. Guy Bechor, an Israeli historian, lawyer and professor who currently runs the blog Gplanet.co.il. “There is a rise of Jewish fertility rate in Israel, and a decline of Arab fertility rate in Israel and in the Palestinian Authority,” Bechor told JNS.org. Bechor noted that in the 1970s and ‘80s, the fertility rate per Muslim mother in Israel was more than 8 children, and today the rate is 3.2. “In the Jewish community, 20 or 15 years ago, fertility rates were 2.5, and now it is more than 3 children per mother,” he said. “The numbers today are virtually the same between Arab and Jewish families.” A dramatic decline in Arab fertility rates can also be seen in virtually every Middle East country, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey, Bechor observes. Israel, meanwhile, is the only firstworld nation in the world currently experiencing an increase in fertility – more than a full child above the replacement rate of 2.1 children per family. “Four is the new three,” Bechor said. “There is a renaissance of the Jewish fertility rate in Israel. Today, there is a clear Jewish majority in

Israel, and this majority will continue to grow in the next few years.” There are two other major factors affecting Israel’s population balance: immigration and the misrepresentation of census statistics by the Palestinian Authority. Since before its creation, Israel has had an aggressive Jewish immigration program, with millions of Jews arriving from Europe, Arab countries and the former Soviet Union. Today, Jews from around the world continue to immigrate to Israel, most noticeably from France and Ukraine. “Jews have benefitted since 1882 from an annual net Jewish immigration, and the next few years are very promising for a potential wave of aliyah [the Hebrew term for Jewish immigration, meaning ascending],” Ettinger said. “Therefore, not only don’t we have an Arab demographic time bomb in Israel, but there is major demographic Jewish momentum.” The “demographic time bomb” has been the prevailing theory asserted by historians and demographers for a small Jewish nation in a predominantly Muslim region since before the foundation of the state. Yet, according to Ettinger, these theories have been repeatedly proven false. “In 1898, Jewish historian Shimon Dubnow chastised [Theodor] Herzl’s ideology about Zionism, See “Stir” on page 6

a matter of opinion My take on “Who’s Under the Communal Tent”

A few weeks ago, the 50-member Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations voted to reject J Street’s application for membership. Whatever you think about the politics of J Street, this decision says a lot more about the Conference than it does about J Street. Certainly there are some in our community who object to positions that J Street has taken over the years, believing that they do not fully consider the complexity of the Israeli-Arab conflict and are sometimes more hopeful than realistic. However, I have absolutely no doubt that J Street fully supports Israel. Their members believe that the future of Israel depends on achieving a two-state solution... the same belief that our national organization, the Jewish Federations of North America, embraces. Do we not want to have representation at the Conference of Presidents from a wide diversity of pro-Israel views?

from the desk of the federation president/ceo linda alexander Do we not want to have all pro-Israel views in the communal tent? Would J Street, as one organization in a conference of 50 organizations, be such a threat? Does the Orthodox movement always walk in lockstep with the Reform? Does the Zionist Organization of America always agree with Americans for Peace Now? I am disappointed that the Conference of Presidents has put into question its right to claim to represent the diversity of American Jewish opinion, because it just excluded a large sector of that community. I am proud to say that the Central

letter to the editor Hillel alternative spring break To the community: Earlier this year, Brian Small, executive director of the Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life of Syracuse University, took 14 students to Moore, OK, to help rebuild homes that were damaged by tornadoes. Each year, Hillel at SU students take part in an Alternative Spring Break. Instead of going home, the students pick up hammers and nails, and work together in the spirit of tikkun olam to make a difference in the lives of complete strangers. This experience means a lot to the stu-

dents who go on these trips. This year’s trip would not have been possible for the Hillel at SU students without the extremely generous gift by the Jewish Federation of Central New York’s Community Program Fund grant. The fund’s committee members decided to donate $5,000 to help the students get to Moore. On behalf of all the Hillel students who went on this special Alternative Spring Break trip, a big thank you to the Federation! Matthew A. Zheleznyak Coordinator of advancement, Hillel at Syracuse University

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AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK Jewish Music and Cultural Festival fund-raiser to feature well-known local musicians By Vicki Feldman The Jewish Music and Cultural Festival will host a fundraising party on Sunday, June 8, at 4 pm, at the Jamesville home of Karen and Howard Wolhandler. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and desserts while listening to music by Central New York musicians Jonathan Dinkin, on piano; Cantor Robert Lieberman and Judy Cohen Stanton, on violin; and Mark Wolfe, on percussion. The group will perform traditional klezmer and Yiddish songs, as well as original compositions. Dinkin has been involved in the local Jewish music scene for many years as pianist for Temple Concord’s volunteer choir, as well as for the klezmer group, Jonathan Dinkin and Klezmercuse. His songs appear in four books by Jewish music’s leading publisher, Transcontinental Music Publications, and include “The Complete Chanukah Songbook,” “Shabbat Anthology V,” “Shabbat Anthology VII” and “Nigun Anthology Volume I.” Additional published works include “Mi Chamocha” by Boosey and Hawkes, and the children’s musical “Born to Freedom, a Musical Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.” by Shawnee Press. Dinkin has

L-r: Composer Jonathan Dinkin, violinist Judy Cohen Stanton and Cantor Robert Lieberman will be the featured entertainment at the Jewish Music and Cultural Festival fund-raiser on Sunday, June 8. also written the title song for the World War II docudrama “Prisoners of Freedom.” Lieberman has more than 25 years of experience as a synagogue cantor, including in Atlanta, Syracuse, St. Louis

and Cranston, RI. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In addition to his cantorial career, Lieberman has been featured as a soloist in Handel’s “Judas Maccabeus,” several Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, Ernest Bloch’s “Sacred Service” and the title role in “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn. Stanton is considered to be “one of the most in-demand violinists in the Syracuse area folk music scene,” and is known for her “virtuoso playing, versatility and creativeness.” She earned a degree in violin performance from Boston University and worked as a freelance classical violinist, as well as a violin teacher and school orchestra director. There will be a charge to attend, and reservations are requested by Sunday, June 1. The JMAC festival will be held on Sunday, September 14, at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center. Financial support through the fund-raiser helps keep JMAC free for the community. For more information, or to make a reservation, contact Judith Stander at the Jewish Federation of Central New York at 445-2040, ext. 114.

JCC Camp Rishon signups have begun By Nick Finlayson Registration for this year’s Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse Camp Rishon began on March 16 with numerous camp options for teenagers. New camps this year include puppetry camp with Open Hand Theatre and “Nature Nuts,” which has been described as “discovering nature in our backyard.” During this session,

campers will take field trips to numerous outdoor locations around Central New York. Among the returning camps are horseback riding, soccer and “secret agent.” The more traditional camp, Nitzanim, will offer a variety of programs, including arts and crafts, culture, sports, weekly themed camps and field trips. Each camp will feature swim lessons, when campers can swim twice

Comedy master class for teenagers by Joel Chasnoff By Vicki Feldman Temple Concord is sponsoring an improv workshop for area teenagers by stand-up comedian Joel Chasnoff on Sunday, June 1, from 3-4 pm, at the University Sheraton, preceding the Temple Concord “Mensch of the Year” awards dinner, where he will perform. Chasnoff is also a best-selling author and the only comedian known to also be a veteran of the Israeli Army. His take on Jewish life has been called “clean, hip and original.” The Forward has called him the “co-

Joel Chasnoff

medic voice of his generation.” On the road, he was the warm-up act for Jon Stewart and Lewis Black of “The Daily Show.” He is also a frequent guest on NPR and has appeared on ABC and NBC. Organizers hope improv participants will “gain a new repertoire of jokes and the confidence to tell them.” Reservations are required for the workshop and there is a nominal fee to attend. Light refreshments will be served. For more information or to sign up, call the TC office at 475-9952.

Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center senior dining menu May 19-23 Monday – salmon patty with lettuce and tomato on a bun Tuesday – grilled hot dogs Wednesday – Italian roasted chicken Thursday – meatloaf with gravy Friday – apple cider chicken May 26-30 Monday – lamb gyro with onion and tomato and Mideastern sauce Tuesday – manicotti Wednesday – knockwurst hoagie Thursday – honey mustard chicken Friday – beef brisket The Bobbi Epstein Lewis Jewish Community Center Senior Adult Dining Program, catered by Tiffany’s Catering Company at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community

Center, offers kosher lunches served Monday-Friday at noon. Reservations are required by noon on the previous business day and there is a suggested contribution per meal. The menu is subject to change. The program is funded by a grant from the Onondaga County Department of Aging and Youth and the New York State Office for the Aging, with additional funds provided by the JCC and United Way of Central New York. To attend, one need not be Jewish or a member of the JCC. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Leesa Paul or Larry Crinnin at 4452360, ext. 104, or lpaul@jccsyr.org.

a day in the JCC swimming pool. Specialty sports camps will also be available. For those interested in attending an overnight session, Camp Rishon also offers an option through a partnership with Camp Poyntelle Lewis Village, in Poyntelle, PA, south of the New York state border, from July 6-13. Registration for this camp is open to children in third-seventh grade. See “Camp” on page 4

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congregational notes Chabad

Lag B’Omer Chabad Lubavitch of Central New York will hold its annual Lag B’Omer barbecue and bonfire on Sunday, May 18, from 1-4 pm, at Mill Run Park in Manlius. There will be food, activities and Lag B’Omer-themed programs for everyone in attendance. One of the Lag B’Omer traditions is for children to play with a bow and arrow. This year, there will be a bow-making demonstration by Jacob Sanua, of the Primitive Survival Skills group at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. There will be an admission fee for adults, with a reduction for children. Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the omer, is celebrated with outings in which children traditionally play with bows and arrows to commemorate the holiness of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. The rabbi was considered so holy that during his lifetime there were no rainbows seen anywhere, as his holiness was enough to protect the world from a catastrophic flood and the rainbow reminder of the covenant wasn’t needed. Celebrations also feature bonfires and other events. Many people visit the resting place of Bar Yochai in Meron in Northern Israel, whose yahrzeit is marked on Lag B’Omer. Bar Yochai, who lived in the second

century C.E., was the first person to publicly teach the mystical dimension of the Torah known as the Kabbalah, and is the author of the basic work of Kabbalah, the Zohar. On the day of his passing, he instructed his disciples to mark the date as “the day of my joy.” The Chasidic masters explain that the final day of a righteous person’s earthly life marks the point when “all his deeds, teachings and work” achieve their culminating perfection and “the zenith of their impact upon people’s lives.” As a consequence, on each Lag B’Omer people celebrate his life and “the revelation of the esoteric soul of Torah.” Lag B’Omer also commemorates another event. The Talmud relates that in the weeks between Passover and Shavuot, a plague raged among the disciples of the sage Rabbi Akiva because they were not respectful toward each other. These weeks are observed as a period of mourning, with various joyous activities prohibited by law and custom. On Lag B’Omer, the plague stopped, which imparted to Lag B’Omer the theme of ahavat Yisrael, the imperative to love and respect one’s fellow. For more information or to make a reservation, call Chabad at 424-0363 or e-mail Chanie Rapoport at chanie18@juno.com.

Congregation Beth SholomChevra Shas

Temple Adath Yeshurun At right: Cameron Kogut used the photo booth at the spring fling fund-raiser held by the Temple Adath Yeshurun Rothschild Early Childhood Center on April 30. The fund-raiser featured a photo booth, face painting, carnival games, basket raffles, a bounce house and dinner for the families and friends of the RECC.

Temple Concord American Jewish communities trip to Philadelphia The final class of Temple Concord’s Rabbi Daniel Fellman’s year-long study on American Jewish communities will be held on Sunday, May 18, at 11 am. To bring this year’s course to a close, there will be a trip to the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia on Sunday, June 8. Participation in the class is not a pre-requisite for the trip. The one-day bus trip will include a chance to see the different exhibits; lunch in the museum’s kosher eatery, Pomegranates Café; time to walk around Independence Mall; and a stop for dinner on the way home. The core exhibit at the museum builds on the interaction between the museum’s location on Independence Mall, the history and traditions of the Jewish people and the broader national experience. The core exhibition presents the various backgrounds, expectations and experiences of Jews who immigrated to the United States. There is also an exhibit on “Chasing Dreams: Baseball and becoming American.” There will be a charge to participate in the trip. For more information, contact

Camp

L-r: Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas pre-kindergarten and kindergarten class members Max Brenner, Lila Temes, Myah Pettiford, Gil Juran, Owen Reckess, Sadie Sevak, Mia Cabrey and Matan Pepperstone sang with Cantor Paula Pepperstone in preparation for the communitywide Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration on May 6 and a program honoring their parents on May 11.

Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation Lag B’Omer A Lag B’Omer barbecue will be held on Sunday, May 18, in the Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse synagogue parking lot, 4313 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. Additionally,

This camp is considered appropriate for those looking for an overnight experience for the first time and/or a place to make new friends while participating in activities such as water skiing, zip lining, canoeing, sailing, cooking, arts, drama and evening programs. Also included will be a field trip to a local water park. The JCC will again host its SyraCruisin’ travel camp for those in seventh-10th grades. Activities will include a volunteer day at local non-profits and a “hang-out day” that

Stephanie Marshall at 475-9952 or dcl@ templeconcord. Reverend Mark Kiyimba, founder of the Unitarian Church in Uganda, to speak Reverend Mark Kiyimba, the founder of the Unitarian Church in Uganda, will speak at Temple Concord on Tuesday, May 27, at 7 pm. He is at the forefront of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered rights in Uganda. He has three congregations, a school for more than 500 children and an orphanage for children impacted by AIDS. Uganda recently passed anti-gay laws that stipulate a seven-year prison sentence for people involved in NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and individuals who support the LGBT community, and life in prison for anyone who is actively LGBT. Kiyimba will speak about the situation in Uganda and how to help. The talk will be free, but reservations have been requested and can be made by contacting the TC office at 475-9952. Donations have been encouraged and will be given to a fund set up by the Unitarian Universalist Association to help support human rights in Uganda.

Continued from page 3 will be split between The SPOT (Syracuse Project 4 Our Teens) and the JCC, as well as numerous overnight options to Old Forge, Buffalo and Rochester. Also available during this camp will be trips to state and amusement parks, bowling and putt-putt golfing. The camp is available for those looking to “stay active and social” through the summer. For more information, contact Mick Hagan at the JCC at 445-2360 or mhagan@ jccsyr.org.

At left: Nasir Williams kicked a soccer ball during the Jewish Community Center’s soccer camp.

there will be a kiddush in honor of the congregation’s veterans on Saturday, May 31. All events will be free and open to the public. For more information, contact the STOCS office at 446-6194.

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To advertise, please contact Bonnie Rozen at 800-779-7896, ext. 244 or bonnie@thereportergroup.org Teenagers from the JCC’s SyraCruisin’ camp posed outside the gaga pit on the grounds of the JCC.

MAY 15, 2014/15 IYAR 5774 ■

By Judith Stander The Jewish Federation of Central New York hosted its annual Yom Hashoah memorial observance at Temple Adath Yeshurun on April 27. This year’s theme was “Rescue,” and throughout the program the importance of rescue and remembrance was highlighted. The names of hundreds of people who were killed during the Shoah were read aloud by teenagers from the Rabbi Jacob Epstein High School of Jewish Studies, including Ian Beckman, Rachel Beckman, Leah Eve Jezer-Nelson, Noah Kotzin and Hadar Pepperstone. Rabbi Irvin Beigel and Rabbi Evan Shore read as well. The names are read each year. The Chai Lights Chorus of the Syracuse Hebrew Day School, under the direction of James Kerr-Whitt, led the assembly in “The Star Spangled Banner” and then performed

Yom Hashoah

the poem song “The Butterfly,” which was written by Pavel (Paul) Freedman, who died im Auschwitz in 1944. The music was composed by Lisa Glatzer Shenson. The winners of the Yom Hashoah art competition included Jaclyn Tyler and Hannah Goldberg, and the winners of the Yom Hashoah essay contest were Elise Beckman and Ryan Hinshaw. The “rescue” theme was also emphasized by the screening of the documentary “Safe Haven: a Story of Hope.” Judy Coe Rapoport, president of the Safe Haven Museum and Education Center at Fort Ontario in Oswego, introduced the film. Safe Haven was the only refugee camp for war victims and was officially sponsored by the U.S. government during World War II. Just under 10,000 refugees were rescued by the initiative. The rescue theme of this year’s program, created by Linda

JEWISH OBSERVER

Cohen and H. Richard Levy, highlighted the 75th anniversary of the Kindertransport, which rescued approximately 10,000 Jewish children by sending them to safety in Great Britain. Of note for locals were the rescues of Gertrude Zell Tepper and Levy, played by Shayna Myshrall and Ryan Hinshaw, respectively. Adult narrators were Mickey Lebowitz and Linda Cohen. Musical selections were performed by Cantor Francine Berg and Ba’alat Tefilla Esa Jaffe, accompanied by Frederick Willard. Temple Adath Yeshurun Rabbi Charles S. Sherman introduced several Holocaust survivors and a liberator, who came forward to light a memorial candle during the program. Among them were Sarah Charney, who lit a candle in honor of her mother, who was unable to attend, and in memory of her father; Muriel Elman, who lit a candle in honor and See “Yom” on page 7

Judith Stander stood behind Laurence “Sparky” Rector, a member of the Thunderbird Division that liberated the Dachau concentration camp, as he lit a candle in memory of the Shoah victims with the help of Myrna Koldin.

The names of hundreds of people who were killed during the Shoah were read aloud by teenagers from the Rabbi Jacob Epstein High School of Jewish Studies. L-r: Rachel Beckman, Hadar Pepperstone, Noah Kotzin, Leah Eve Jezer-Nelson and Ian Beckman, along with Rabbi Irvin Beigel (partially hidden) and Rabbi Evan Shore.

L-r: Louis Zingaro, Shoah survivor Monica Dresner Zingaro and their daughter, Gina De John Clifford, lit a memorial candle with the help of Myrna Koldin.

L-r: Victoria Kohl, Myrna Koldin, Haley Dubnoff and Scott Ulberg lit candles in memory of Holocaust victims at the Jewish Federation of Central New York’s annual Yom Hashoah memorial observance.

At right:The Chai Lights Chorus of the Syracuse Hebrew Day School, under the direction of James Kerr-Whitt, led the assembly in “The Star Spangled Banner” and then performed the poem and song “The Butterfly.”

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Shayna Myshrall (right) played the role of young Gertrude Zell Tepper (left), who survived the Holocaust because she was rescued by the Kindertransport and sent to Great Britain.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ may 15, 2014/15 IYAR 5774

Syracuse Jewish history documentary to premiere at the Library of Congress

In celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, the Hebraic Section of the African and Middle Eastern Division, Library of Congress, is sponsoring the premiere of “Stories from the Syracuse Jewish Community,” a documentary by Jay M. Lurie, on Thursday, May 22, from noon-1 pm, at the Mary Pickford Theater, James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE, Washington, DC. Associate producer Robin Meltzer will introduce the documentary, which had received a grant from the Jewish Federation of Central New York’s Community Program Fund. “Stories” presents the history of Jewish life in Syracuse through interviews, photographs, artifacts and archival film footage. The documentary depicts Jewish Syracusans from shoemakers to the Shubert brothers. Former residents of the 15th Ward recall for the film their childhood synagogues, YMHA basketball rivalries, the upheavals of World War II and the dislocation of urban renewal. Through the many changes of the last century, families and neighbors are said to have maintained “strong connections, laying a solid foundation for the community’s future.”

The presentation will be free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sharon Horowitz at 202-707-3780 or shor@loc.gov.

At right: Taken in 1944 or 1945 at the corner of McBride and Harrison streets were (in front) Francine Miller, (second row, l-r) Elaine, Sonny, (in back) Audrey and Marlene Miller.

Na’amat

JCC CPR training

More than 20 employees of the Neulander Family Sports and Fitness Center at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse became certified in automated external defibrillators and CPR on March 13 and 22. To become certified, all employees of the fitness center had to attend one of two classes. JCC Fitness Programs and Membership Director Paula Pacini said, “It is very important that our fitness center staff be prepared and trained in the event of an emergency.” All JCC fitness instructors and front desk staff participated in the training, which was facilitated by Lisa Bethman and Barbara Carranti, of Health Education Consultants, located in Manlius. Much of the course was interactive, with staff demonstrating on mannequins provided by the instructors. The JCC has two defibrillators that can be used in the event of an emergency. Employees were certified through the American Heart Association’s Heartsaver Course. Those who took the course will now hold a valid certification for two years. JCC Executive Director Marci Erlebacher said, “Our members’ safety is our utmost priority. We wanted our elite fitness center to be equipped not only with up-to-date equipment, but also certified staff to go with it.”

L-r: Alex Di Rienzo, Paula Pacini, Joe Yager and Devin Robbins, employees of the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center’s Neulander Family Sports and Fitness Center, participated in CPR and automated external defibrillator training in March.

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2014 Community Guide Issue date: June 12 Ad Deadline: June 2 To advertise, contact Bonnie Rozen at 800-779-7896, ext. 244 or bonnie@thereportergroup.org

By Karen Morton At Na’amat’s annual donor luncheon on April 27, friends and colleagues from several community boards joined Avodah chapter members to celebrate Joan Burstyn’s contributions to the local Jewish community, as well as her accomplishments to contemporary culture. She is a current or past member of multiple Jewish community boards. Burstyn’s accomplishments have been called “spiritual, scholarly and creative,” including such fields as education, religious philosophy and poetry. She has received recognition in the academic and contemporary cultural worlds as president of the national History of Education Society, recipient of the Milton Dorfman Poetry Prize and as a contributor to the “Women’s Voices Radio” CD that won a Clarion Award from Women in the Media. She is the author or editor of five books and many articles on education, history and women’s studies, as well as four poetry collections. Along with Gershon Vincow, she cowrote “Searching for God,” a scholarly pursuit of deeper meaning in contemporary Jewish texts. Burstyn’s first book was “Victorian Education and the Ideal of Womanhood.” At the annual luncheon, after chapter Co-President Nancy Barnett presented her with a certificate documenting the establishment of a Na’amat scholarship in her honor, Burstyn spoke about the changing roles of Jewish women in the context of recent world history. She integrated stories about her own experiences as a politically-engaged young woman in England, who later became a wife and working mother-of-three in the U.S. She also told of her Israeli granddaughter, who is said to appear poised to follow in Burstyn’s scholarly and literary footsteps. After the lunch, Jonathan and Aveeya Dinkin provided a participatory musical interlude. Co-President Karen Roberts closed the event with announcements about the next chapter activity, the annual potluck membership dinner on Thursday, July 24, at 5 pm. For details about the dinner, contact Roberts at 446-2306 or karher5757@aol.com.

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and published a projection that under the best-case Jewish scenario, no more than 500,000 Jews would live west of the Jordan River by 2000. He was off by five and a half million Jews,” Ettinger said. Later, Professor Roberto Backi similarly attempted to dissuade Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion from declaring independence in 1948, claiming that Jews could not sustain a majority. “He projected there would be 2.3 million Jews in Israel by 2001, a 33-percent minority between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean,” Ettinger said. “He was wrong by roughly four million Jews.” Today’s demographers, according to Ettinger, are making the same mistakes – and worse – by adhering to intentionally inaccurate and misleading data provided by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics on the number of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. Ettinger cites numerous statistical inconsistencies and double counting relating to birthrates and net emigration by Palestinians to Europe and other countries, as well as claims that some 300,000 Palestinians live in Jerusalem as Palestinian citizens, even though they are Israeli citizens who are counted in Israel’s census. “All in all there is a one million person gap, or one million artificial inflation of the number of Palestinian residents in Judea and Samaria, which is 1.7 million

Na’amat Avodah Co-Presidents Nancy Barnett (left) and Karen Roberts (right) posed with 2014 Na’amat honoree Joan Burstyn (center).

L-r: Linda Alexander and Steffi Bergman provided the volunteer kitchen help for the Na’amat brunch.

Continued from page 2

and not 2.7 million, as widely reported,” Ettinger said. “And there is a gap of roughly 250,000 Palestinians in Gaza.” Bechor, who has taught at both Harvard University and Israel’s Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, said the increases in Jewish birthrates not only change the paradigm of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but also change the overall balance of world Jewry. He notes that Jews in the Diaspora have declining fertility rates that have dropped below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per family. Yet despite the decline of global Jewish populations, “because of the increase of the Jewish fertility rate in Israel, the numbers of Jews around the world are increasing for the first time since the Holocaust,” Bechor said. “Today, there are more than one million more Jews living in Israel than in America,” he said. “For more than 100 years, many believed that America was the solution for the Jewish people. But today, Israel is the center of the Jewish people, and all the other countries are satellites.” “Contrary to what Secretary Kerry and President Obama assume, Jewish majority west of the Jordan River is not only secure, but it is about to grow,” said Ettinger. “In fact, we are now at the beginning of major Jewish demographic momentum.”

The Rabbi Jacob H. Epstein High School of Jewish Studies concluded the year with a siyyum, or celebration, of learning and graduation. The six graduates included Ian Beckman, graduating with Hebrew honors; Zoe Hylan; Leah Eve Jezer-Nelson; Sam Levy, also with Hebrew honors; Rachel Rochelson; and Sarah Young. The siyyum included presentations by most of the students through a variety of media, including speeches, PowerPoint presentations, torn paper midrash, videos, singing and Hebrew sign language. The school’s director, Cantor Paula Pepperstone, thanked the parents, teachers and staff, as well as the congregants and staff of Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, this year’s Epstein host. Epstein’s teachers included Michal Downie, Rabbi Daniel Fellman, Yoni Hochstein, Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone, Rabbi Evan Shore and Robert Tornberg. The educational year included the introduction of Café Shore, a text class for juniors and seniors taught by Shore in Wegmans Café; a two-part program commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Kindertransport taught by Warren/Spector Fellows from the Regional Holocaust and Genocide Initiative at Syracuse University’s School of Education, which was made possible by a grant from the teen funders of the Jewish Foundation

of Central New York; and reading, discussing and watching “The Whipping Man” at Syracuse Stage, made possible in part by Joan Burstyn, an Epstein board member, and her husband, Harold. While not currently a formal part of the curriculum, one of Epstein’s values is students giving back to the community by volunteering, including at the Jewish Federation’s Campaign thank you event with Rabbi Bob Alper, and at the local Yom Hashoah commemoration. Through the efforts of Jewish Foundation of Central New York Executive Director Linda Alexander and an anonymous donor’s seed money, a new fund at the Foundation will send current eighth-grade Epstein students on the community’s first “Teen Taste of Israel” trip in February. In addition, through a grant from the Jewish Federation of Central New York Community Program Fund, Shalshelet (meaning “chain”) will begin this fall to link the Epstein School with each of the three local religious schools – Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, Temple Adath Yeshurun and Temple Concord – by increasing the compensation of students who both attend Epstein and are madrichim (teachers’ aides) in the religious schools. For more information about the Epstein School and its programs, e-mail EpsteinCNY@gmail.com or visit EpsteinCNY.org.

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By Judith Stander The Jewish Federation of Central New York and Chabad Lubavitch of Central New York co-sponsored Gil Hoffman, chief political correspondent and analyst for The Jerusalem Post, to speak at a breakfast meeting on April 28 in the board room at Menorah Park. In the discussion, Hoffman first pointed out issues in the Middle East that could be considered negative and then contrasted them with issues that can be considered positive, depending on one’s perspective. Hoffman said that his ability to inter-

Yom

memory of her late husband, Joseph, a Polish Jewish resistance fighter; Gertrude and Max Fishman, who were escorted by members of their family to light a candle in honor of their survival; Levy, who was rescued by the Kindertransport; Lillian Slutzker, a Shoah survivor who left Hungary for Berlin and then escaped to England; Dr. Iréne Stern, a child survivor who was sent away to Switzerland to be hidden until the war’s end; Zell Tepper, who was rescued by the Kindertransport project and reunited with her younger brother and parents; Monica Dresner Zingaro, who was separated from her mother as an infant and raised by her father until the age of 5, and spent the war years in hiding, knowing that discovery of her Jewish identity would result

sperse humor with facts makes him “the most optimistic man in Israel television,” as he provides behind-the-scenes looks at the “intrigue and humor” of Israeli politics. Hoffman has interviewed many Israeli political figures and has been interviewed by media outlets on six continents. He is also a regular analyst on CNN, Al-Jazeera and other news outlets. Additionally, he is a reserve soldier in the IDF spokesmen’s unit. He has lectured in nine countries and most of the lower 48 U.S. states, having not appeared in the Dakotas. He lives in Jerusalem.

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Continued from page 5 in the immediate deaths of her caretakers; and Laurence “Sparky” Rector, a member of the Thunderbird Division, which liberated the Dachau concentration camp. With him was Bernard LaVine, who announced, in Yiddish, “I am a Jew,” as they entered the camp. Also with him was Father Joseph Barry, of Syracuse. Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone led the recitation of the Kaddish for Yom Hashoah, which includes the names of 17 of the hundreds of concentration and death camps that existed. The 2014 Yom Hashoah Memorial Observance was brought to a conclusion as participants stood and sang the Israeli national anthem, “Hatikvah.”

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In Israel, Lag B’Omer inspires memories and mayhem By Deborah Fineblum JNS.org One of Pnina Newirth’s earliest childhood memories is of a trip to Mount Meron on Lag B’Omer. But this was no ordinary family vacation. “I was very small, yet I vividly recall the huge fires and the immense crowds,” she says. Despite the cacophony and the roaring bonfires, the Ra’anana resident insists she felt no fear that day. “I knew my parents were there and would protect me. And we stood far enough back so give us a bit of distance,” Newirth recalls. That moment was more than three decades ago, long before the tradition of spending Lag B’Omer in Meron took a greater hold on Israel’s populace. Though it was once the exclusive purview of the Hassidic sects, the celebration has now grown to attract Israelis of every stripe. Think Times Square on New Year’s Eveùonly without the snow or Dick Clark, and with bonfires and sharp scissors. These days tens of thousands of Israelis (estimates have ranged from 75,000 to 250,000 in recent years) turn out in Meron, just outside the northern city of Safed (Tsvat), each Lag B’Omer to mark the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the Talmudic sage who is traditionally credited for Judaism’s leading source of Kabbalah and mystical wisdom, the Zohar. But the day – marked by the bonfires of Newirth’s childhood, along with singing and dancing – is more celebration than mourning. In fact, the holiday also marks the end of the deaths of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students who, tradition has it, had been dying due to a lack of mutual respect. It is in this mood of joy that observant Jews take haircuts, listen to music and hold weddings after more than a month of restrictions following Passover. Beginning on Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of counting the omer and the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, joy continues to mount, culminating two weeks later when Jews around the world celebrate the receiving of the Torah on Shavuot. Many Sephardi Jews continue mourning

Orthodox Jewish men danced as they took part in celebrations of the Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer at Mount Meron in northern Israel on May 22, 2013. (Photo by Yaakov Naumi/Flash90) practices through the 33rd day of the Omer and celebrate on the 34th day of the Omer, or “LaD BaOmer.” Around Israel, there are parades, picnics, and bonfires. But tiny Meron is the undisputed capital of all this happy Lag B’Omer mayhem. With this massive crowd gathered in a normally pastoral setting far from the nearest hospitals, along with the equally massive bonfires and the sharp scissors (more on those later), more than 1,200 police officers are on hand. So too are countless paramedics, firefighter, and ambulance crews for the inevitable incidents of smoke inhalation, burns from the bonfires and the usual warm-weather crowding threats such as dehydration and fainting. Three years ago, Richard Schabb of Kfar Adumim was among the throng making the Lag B’Omer pilgrimage to Meron, an adventure that proved not for the faint-of-heart – or the claustrophobic. He and his stepson left at 1 am to leave plenty of time to make it there in time for the festivities, bearing in mind the expected traffic jams. Arriving by bus at the crack of dawn, they found an “astonishing carnival atmosphere that can

only be attained by people who have been partying all night.” The sun was barely up, but the crowds were already there, Schabb recalls. “People were everywhere, taking up every square foot of space talking, eating, davening or just taking in the show,” says Schabb, adding, “There was also a band whose Jewish dance music was booming over loudspeakers. Maybe it was little like being at a Jews-only Woodstock.” Only, unlike that storied 1969 rock extravaganza in Bethel, NY, here there was a giant bonfire, in the middle of the roof between the men’s and women’s sections, stoked by a couple of Chasidic Jews in long black coats. Soon Schabb was swept along with the growing crowd, “feeling like what a sardine must feel like inside a can.” “I had had enough, except there was no way out,” he says. “It was wall-to-wall Jews all the way out to the doorway on the other side of the courtyardùprobably a good half hour trip. Luckily, everybody was in a good mood, even, to a certain extent, me. And the music helped.” The ending of Schabb’s story is a

happy one. After a few more minutes of struggling against the human tide, he was able to squeeze through the impasse into an open area filled with kiosks supplying all kinds of food, free for the taking. The coffee, pastry, and scrambled eggs renewed him enough to try for Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s tomb. “Squeezed so tight it was hard to keep both feet on the floor,” Schabb describes, he made it to a larger room with a high ceiling, and was able to catch his breath and reach over the backs of the three people in front of him, and actually touch the velvet cover of the tomb. He says he worked his way back out again, only after “communing with the rebbe (Bar Yochai) and thanking God that He had gotten me this far without being crushed.” Sounds like the kind of environment where one would not wish to be carrying sharp scissors. But each year, hundreds of parents arrive with them in tow for the purpose of administering first haircuts to their 3-year-old sons, a custom known as the upsherin or chalaka. Given the ancient tradition not to cut a boy’s hair until he is 3, this first haircut marks the leap from babyhood into boyhood for the Orthodox, signaling a time when the boy begins to learn the Hebrew alphabet and wear a yarmulke and tzitzit. As family members and friends each take a snip of baby hair, the youngster is often distracted – and rewarded for standing still – with a parade of sweets. But with Meron on Lag B’Omer being such a balagan, would Schabb go again? “Yeah, I would go again,” he says good-naturedly. When asked if she would consider taking her children today, however, Newirth answers with a laugh and a “Mamash, Lo!” (Really, no!) “I hear it’s gotten much bigger and much crazier now,” she says. Nevertheless, Newirth doesn’t deny her kids the spirit of Lag B’Omer. Last year, for instance, the family went to Kiryat Sanz in Netanya, where there are also massive bonfires and thousands of Chasidim jumping and singing. “It was an amazing, amazing sight,” Newirth says. “I would absolutely do that again.”

As Poland touts rescuers, filmmakers address Holocaustera treachery By Cnaan Liphshiz (JTA) – After reburying the bones of her parents in a neglected Jewish cemetery, a soon-to-be Polish nun quietly crosses herself with earth-covered fingers. A devout and introverted young woman, Ida Lebenstein had learned only days earlier that her parents were Jews who were murdered by Polish Christians. As she knelt in her nun’s habit among headstones inscribed with Hebrew lettering, the gesture of Catholic devotion is

the character’s reflexive way of responding to the recent revelation of her true origins. This surreal scene appears in “Ida,” a new Polish feature film that recently premiered in the United States. One of several recent films that have forced Poles to confront their complicity in the murder of Jews during the Holocaust, “Ida” has helped counter the myth long perpetuated by communist leaders that all Poles were victims who suffered equally under the

Nazis. Other films on the subject include “In Hiding,” “Pawel” and “Aftermath,” which examines the murder of hundreds of Jews in the village of Jedwabne in 1941. “In recent years, Polish cinema has taken a leading role in getting Poland to focus some attention on the complexities of the World War II era and complicity,” said Rabbi Michael Schudrich, Poland’s chief rabbi. The process has not been free of contro-

versy. “Ida” premiered in Poland amid an ongoing government campaign to venerate non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews – a campaign that critics charge has glossed over the sort of frank reckoning with the past in which Polish filmmakers have been engaged. “The multitude of commemorations does not contribute to serious reflection on the attitudes of Poles during Nazi occupation,” See “Poland” on page 10

Agata Trzebuchowska as Ida Lebenstein, right, and Agata Kulesza as Wanda Gruz in the Polish fiIm “Ida.” (Courtesy photo)

MAY 15, 2014/15 IYAR 5774 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

From “Star Trek” to one-man show, William Shatner stays in the limelight By Robert Gluck JNS.org On April 24, audiences around the country had the chance to feel what it is like to be William Shatner, the Jewish actor best known for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk on “Star Trek.” For one night only, Shatner’s one-man show “Shatner’s World” – which was on Broadway and toured Canada, Australia, and the United States – was presented in nearly 700 movie theaters nationwide. Sponsored by Fathom Events and Priceline.com (for whom Shatner has served as a pitchman), the critically acclaimed show gives audiences a behind-the-scenes look at Shatner’s career and life. Born to Conservative Jewish parents in the Cote SaintLuc neighborhood of Montreal, Canada, Shatner’s path to stardom – traced in the film – took him from trained Shakespearean actor to cultural icon. The son of Joseph Shatner, a clothing manufacturer, and Anne (née Garmaise), William’s grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Austria, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine. “Being Jewish is a part of what I am,” Shatner said in an interview with JNS.org. “What I am is what I bring to the world as an artist... As in many cases of people I know, where their religion is everything to them and is very imperative, for me being Jewish is not, but being spiritual is.” Shatner has taken an eclectic journey as an actor, musician, singer, author, film director, spokesman and comedian. He gained worldwide fame for his portrayal of Captain Kirk, commander of the Federation starship

and comedy and music and discuss ‘Star Trek’ USS Enterprise, in the science fiction television and horses. The multiplicity of subject matters series “Star Trek” from 1966-69, “Star Trek: is there. It’s a very funny show.” The Animated Series” from 1973-74, and in Frequently involved in charitable causes, seven of the subsequent “Star Trek” feature Shatner’s excitement for horses led him to the films from 1979-1994. Shatner wrote a series Central Kentucky Riding for Hope organizaof books chronicling his experiences playing tion and the Priceline.com Hollywood Charity Captain Kirk and being a part of “Star Trek,” Horse Show, sponsored by Wells Fargo. “It’s and has co-written several novels set in the a big party with a five-day horse show and we “Star Trek” universe. He also authored a series raise a lot of money for children’s charities,” of science fiction novels called “TekWar” that Shatner said. “Some of those charities are riding were adapted for television. Besides his “Star Trek” role, Shatner played William Shatner therapeutic programs.” Shatner noted how research shows the therathe eponymous veteran police sergeant in the (Photo by Manfred Baumann) peutic effect of putting people with certain distelevision show “T. J. Hooker” from 1982-86. Afterward, he hosted the reality-based television series abilities or impairments on a horse. “Frequently they’re “Rescue 911” from 1989-96, which won a People’s Choice aided beyond anything you can guess,” he said. “I’ve Award for Favorite New TV Dramatic Series. He has since seen children who couldn’t walk, walk. And children who worked as a musician, author, director and celebrity pitch- couldn’t talk, talk. What we’ve also found is that applying man. From 2004-08, he starred as attorney Denny Crane this to returning veterans who have problems not dissimilar in the television dramas “The Practice” and its spin-off to the children – physically, emotionally, socially – riding “Boston Legal,” for which he won two Emmy Awards and therapy really helps them.” In 2008, the Jewish Music Group released “Exodus: a Golden Globe Award. “The theme of ‘Shatner’s World’ is the joy of life, saying An Oratorio in Three Parts,” a dramatic biblical readyes to life,” Shatner said. “What I’m able to do by the end ing by Shatner accompanied by the Arkansas Symphony of the evening is involve you the audience in this joyful Orchestra. He is also still at work on “The Shiva Club,” a experience about life. Life has many facets, including grief, movie about crashing a shiva – the seven-day mourning sorrow and death. I go through all that. But it is a joyful period in Judaism that follows the loss of an immediate experience in the end, with multi-media visual effects as family member. “It’s about two comics who go to a shiva to try to find well as me speaking. I talk about gorillas and motorcycles an agent,” Shatner said. Despite his various roles, it will be “Star Trek” that Shatner is remembered for. In his role as Kirk, he famously kissed actress Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura) in the November 22, 1968, episode, “Plato’s Stepchildren.” The episode is cited as the first example of an interracial kiss between a white man and a black woman on a scripted television show in the U.S. “I’m told that that is the case, that my kissing Nichelle Nichols, who happens to be black, did all that,” Shatner said. “I’m not sure if it’s as dramatic as that. If that’s what people say, I’m going along for the ride. If it wasn’t for ‘Star Trek’ I wouldn’t be speaking to you today, so I’m eternally grateful to be given the opportunity to do all the things that I’ve done since ‘Star Trek.’” Dan Diamond, senior vice president of Fathom Events, said Shatner “takes fans on a unique and exciting journey through his ‘Shatner’s World’ show. “This remarkable performance by the legendary William Shatner is a perfect fit for the big screen,” said Diamond. While the show charts the path of the joys and sorrows A cotton candy vendor roamed the Wrigley Field stands commonly part of anyone’s life story, it is a positive experience overall, Shatner told JNS.org. in 1994. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) “Everything can be termed positively and that’s what I attempt to do in this one-man show,” he said. “This onebased business. It helped me pay for college.” Like many of the vendors, Altschul also hawked wares at man show is very important to me. It’s the culmination of Chicago’s other sports arenas. He remembers fondly the day a long career.” he managed to sell 31 loads of pop (Midwest parlance for soda) at a Cubs-Astros day game and then headed downtown to Comiskey Park to work a White Sox night game. Porush says he wanted to vend ever since he was a little kid, when he’d watch Orthodox vendors at Wrigley slip free beer, ice cream and peanuts to his father, a teacher at the Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School. The vendors were former students. David Landsman, an accountant who now lives in New Jersey, used to cut school to vend on Opening Day and used a similar tactic to avoid trouble. “In Chicago, everyone would play hooky on Opening Day,” Landsman recalled. “As long as I gave the assistant principal something from what I was selling, it was fine.” In recent years, the stream of young Orthodox Jewish vendors has slowed to a trickle. Seniors at the two Orthodox high schools that served as the main feeders – Ida Crown and Skokie Yeshiva – told JTA through an administrator that students aren’t becoming vendors anymore. Vending isn’t as lucrative as it once was, the rising number of night games makes the job less suitable for teens and the setting isn’t that compelling to young people. “My kids, they don’t get it,” Blumberg said. “They don’t understand why you’d ever go to a Cubs game because they’re so pathetic. The ones who want to go say they want to go to the Sox.” The number of young Orthodox Jewish vendors at Issue date: June 12 Wrigley has shrunk to just four or five, plus about an equal number of older full-timers, according to Joe Bulgatz, an Ad Deadline: June 2 Orthodox Jew in his 50s who has been vending at Wrigley and other sports venues in Chicago since 2004. To advertise, contact Bonnie Rozen “Between the Cubs’ performance and the economy, at 800-779-7896, ext. 244 a lot of people are just saying, ‘Hey, it’s not worth it,’” he said. or bonnie@thereportergroup.org

At Wrigley Field, Orthodox vendors going the way of Cubs wins

By Uriel Heilman (JTA) – Longtime fans of the Chicago Cubs know there are a few mainstays they can expect when they visit Wrigley Field: ivy on the outfield walls, a strict no-wave policy rigorously enforced by fans and, most days, disappointing play by the hometown team. But there’s one little-known quirk at Wrigley that appears to be fading away as the ballpark, which celebrated its 100th anniversary recently, enters its second century: the numerous Orthodox Jewish vendors who sell food and drinks in the stands. A few subtle signs could give them away: a stray tzitzit strand flapping out of a jersey, a name tag reading Simcha, the Mincha prayer minyan that used to take place in the outfield stands before or after games. No one seems to know quite how it began, but for decades Wrigley Field vending was a redoubt of Orthodox Jews, most of them teenagers or early 20-somethings, and almost all of them men. “I went to high school at Ida Crown Jewish Academy, and it was just like a rite of passage there,” said Jon Blumberg, 41, an investment fund manager who vended for five or six summers beginning in 1989. “Once you were at the age where you no longer were going to camp or didn’t want to be a counselor, it was just what guys did.” The tradition long predates Blumberg. The late Rabbi Moshe Kushner, the Chicago Rabbinical Council leader and Camp Moshava-Wisconsin director who died last October at age 68, vended in his youth. Twenty years ago, it wasn’t unusual to have upward of 25 Orthodox Jewish vendors working the stands at Wrigley, selling everything from beer to peanuts. It was seen as an ideal summer job for observant teenagers. The ballpark is a short ride from Chicago’s Orthodox neighborhoods, it wasn’t too onerous to join the union required to vend, you could make a decent amount of money in just four hours’ work, and vendors could choose when they wanted to work and when they didn’t – perfect both for Sabbath observers and teens uninterested in committing to a regular job. Plus, there was the baseball. “This was a dream come true,” said David Porush, 40, a lawyer who vended for a couple of years starting at age 16. “I’m a huge Cubs fan. I love baseball. I love Wrigley Field. If you were a very big fan like me, I’d make $30 or $40 and then sit down to watch the game. But if you were a very aggressive vendor, you could make a lot of money.” Danny Altschul, now a partner at the accounting firm McGladrey, credits his five years of vending with helping pay for his wedding and the down payment on his house in the Chicago neighborhood of West Rogers Park. “For those few hours you were out there, it wasn’t the time to be lazy,” said Altschul, who could make up to $300 on a good day. “You work hard, try to work swiftly and take advantage of an opportunity when you’re in a commission-

Coming to our June 12 issue...

2014 C m ity Guide

the largest issue of the year, a keepsake edition with special advertising and community sections!

See “Cubs” on page 10

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ may 15, 2014/15 IYAR 5774

Calendar Highlights

To see a full calendar of community events, visit the Federation's community calendar online at www.jewishfederationcny.org. Please notify jstander@jewishfederationcny.org of any calendar changes.

Saturday, May 17 Temple Concord Lag B’Omer bonfire at Highland Forest Valley Camps from 5-8 pm Sunday, May 18 Lag B’Omer Forget-Me-Nots Chorus at Menorah Park from 3-4:30 pm Monday, May 19 Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Hazak will present a free documentary, “Hiding and Seeking: Faith and Tolerance After the Holocaust,” at 7 pm Syracuse Hebrew Day School Kabbalat Hasiddur at 7 pm SHDS board meeting at 7:30 pm Tuesday, May 20 Jewish Community Center Executive Committee meeting at 6 pm, followed by board meeting at 7 pm TC presents Silverwood Clarinets at 7 pm Wednesday, May 21 CBS-CS board meeting at 6:45 pm, followed by annual meeting at 7:30 pm Thursday, May 22 Menorah Park Shining Stars event at 6 pm Sunday, May 25 Forget-Me-Nots Chorus at Menorah Park from 3-4:30 pm Tuesday, May 27 Early deadline for the June 12 issue of the Jewish Observer Temple Concord presents Rev. Mark Kiyimba, founder of the Unitarian Church in Uganda, at 7 pm Sunday, June 1 Forget-Me-Nots Chorus at Menorah Park from 3-4:30 pm TC Mensch of Year awards from 5-9 pm Tuesday, June 3 Erev Shavuot TC B Shavuot confirmation at 7 pm Wednesday, June 4 Shavuot, day one Thursday, June 5 Shavuot, day two

Cubs

Bulgatz juggles his hours working in the credit department of a cable provider so he can supplement his income by vending at Wrigley and venues such as U.S. Cellular Field, the United Center and Soldier Field. His modus operandi, he says, is to “provide the best quality service possible and make a connection with the fans, and make a Kiddush Hashem at the same time.” If he sees fellow Orthodox Jews, Bulgatz often drops a hint to let them know he’s a member of the tribe – informing them, for example, that the hot chocolate is kosher-certified. Orthodox Jews have a few unique restrictions when it comes to vending. They can’t work on Shabbat or Jewish holy days, which cuts out about a quarter of the games.

Your ad could be here! To advertise, contact Bonnie Rozen at 800-779-7896, ext. 244, or bonnie@ thereportergroup.org

d’var torah

Bamidbar

By Cantor Paula Pepperstone Studying parashat Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1-4:20), I am struck yet again by how the roles of each house (beit avotam) or clan (mishpacha) are so clearly defined. God tells Moses exactly where each house will be positioned around the Ohel Mo’ed, or Tent of Meeting, while camping and marching, and what the Levites’ special responsibilities are regarding the Mishkan, or Tabernacle. I noticed these defined roles again because I had also taken special note of them in the week leading up to my wedding. Bamidbar was also the parasha then, and while preparing for my tisch (a traditional pre-wedding reception with food and drink), when I would need to be prepared to speak about the weekly Torah reading, these same p’sukim jumped out at me. My questions then included how I would incorporate my new role as spouse into my already full life as a daughter, sister, cantorial student, teacher and friend. As those who have children may also have experienced, it wasn’t marriage that changed my life as much as having our first child two years later. That event was quite the game-changer. My role changed from one of relative freedom to one of responsibility, reminding me now of the Israelites in the wilderness. With the receiving of the laws at Sinai, and then the

completion of the Mishkan, the Israelites also gained much responsibility. In this parasha, God says to Moshe, “They [the Levites] shall take charge of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting – a duty on behalf of the Israelites – doing the work of the Tabernacle.” (Numbers 3:8) [JPS translation] The medieval commentator, Ibn Ezra, says that rather than “a duty on behalf of the Israelites,” it should be understood as “they shall take charge of guarding the Israelites” from the dangers of making contact with the Mishkan. As a parent, I would say either (or both) understandings are relevant. I perform many responsibilities on behalf of my children because they cannot yet do the tasks themselves, and I also guard them from dangers or things that are currently beyond them. As a nation of priests, I look forward to the day when I can pass on to my children the responsibilities I perform for them, both because I look back nostalgically on the days of my relative freedom, and because I look forward to them maturing into their own people, just as the Israelites matured in the wilderness. Cantor Paula Pepperstone is the director of the Rabbi Jacob H. Epstein High School of Jewish Studies, as well as a teacher and frequent chazzan at Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas.

mazel tov

Poland

Mondlick-Bold engagement

Anne and Marvin Mondlick, of Fayetteville, recently announced the engagement of their son, Joshua Mondlick, to Leah Bold, daughter of Stephen and Gloria Bold, of Millsboro, DE. He is the grandson of Sarah Feldman and the late William Feldman, of Fayetteville. Joshua Mondlick and Leah Bold The fiancé is a graduate of FayettevilleManlius High School, Union College, and the University of Buffalo’s School of Dental Medicine. He completed a fellowship in periodontics at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Manhattan and currently maintains a practice in periodontics in Phoenix, AZ. Originally from Plano, TX, his fiancée graduated from West Virginia University and is a leasing agent for the Taubman Company. A winter 2015 wedding is planned.

Continued from page 9 On Passover, they may not handle beer – often the most lucrative product – because it’s chametz, or leavened. And many won’t sell hot dogs for fear of unwittingly selling non-kosher meat to a Jew. Years back, when the hot dog buns apparently carried dairy ingredients, Orthodox vendors often debated whether selling franks violated the Jewish law prohibiting profiting from the sale of food that mixes meat and dairy, even if the meat isn’t kosher. Rabbi Sholem Fishbane, kashrut administrator at the Chicago Rabbinical Council, says he fielded this question from a vendor’s mother not long ago. The prohibition, he says, applies only to foods in which the dairy and meat have been cooked together, so ballpark franks are OK (as long as you’re not selling them to a Jew). As the kosher certification agency for the kosher food stands at the United Center, the rabbinical council maintains an onsite mashgiach, or kosher supervisor, at Bulls (NBA) and Black Hawks (NHL) home games. Wrigley has no exclusively kosher concessions – a subject of some consternation among Orthodox fans. A call to United Center’s kosher concessionaire, Kosher Sports Inc., was not returned. With so many God-fearing Jews vending – and sometimes praying – at Wrigley, the Cubs’ dismal performance might seem like a challenge of faith. Porush says he doesn’t see it that way. “I’d like to think we’re getting our reward in the next world,” he said. “I’ve seen lots of heartache as a Cubs fan, and I think it is parallel to being a God-fearing Jew. We live through difficult times and all we can say is, ‘Next year in Jerusalem.’ A Cubs fan is always saying, ‘wait till next year.’ That’s who we are.” So what will happen first – the coming of the Messiah or a Cubs World Series title (the last was in 1908)? “I really hope Moshiach comes first,” Porush said, “because the Cubs aren’t going to be a contender for at least another two years.”

Continued from page 8

the Polish historian Jan Grabowski wrote in a recent article on the website of Krytyka Polityczna, a left-leaning journal. “That complacency has replaced substantive national debate over one of the most painful aspects of Polish history.” Among the commemorations of the righteous in Poland was the establishment of 2014 as the Year of Jan Karski, the man who alerted the allies to the Holocaust, as well as the planned erection of no fewer than three monuments honoring non-Jewish Poles. One of the monuments, opposite the new Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, spurred a protest in March from Jewish historian Bozena Uminska-Keff and Helena Datner, a former president of the Jewish community of the Polish city. The monument would “chase away the ghost of the Jewish narrative, which is inconvenient for the majority, in favor of a narrative consistent with historical policy and ideas of the majority,” they wrote in an open letter published in Krytyka Polityczna. Some critics connect the emphasis on victimhood with Poland’s slowness in advancing restitution of privately owned Jewish property. Poland has drawn intense criticism as the only European country occupied by the Nazis to not enact substantial private property restitution laws. “Poland sees itself as a victim of war, which is true, but the same can be said of other countries, such as Belgium, which regulated the issue of restitution,” Baroness Ruth Deech, a British lawmaker, said in April during a debate in the House of Lords in which Poland was singled out for lagging on restitution. Piotr Kadlcik, president of the Union of Jewish Communities in Poland, notes the development of two competing narratives about the Holocaust in Poland today – one emphasizing collaboration with the Nazis and the other celebrating rescuers of Jews. To Kadlcik, films such as “Aftermath” reflect a willingness to portray the darker chapters of Polish history. But the multitude of commemorations are an effort “to push the image of the righteous as a way of countering the discussion about immoral actions,” he said. Unlike “Aftermath,” which focused entirely on the actions of non-Jews, “Ida” has a strong Jewish character: Ida’s aunt and last living relative, Wanda Gruz, is an alcoholic judge who survived the war as a communist resistance fighter. The cynical Gruz, who is struggling not to drown in her own grief over the loss of her only child during the Holocaust and her regrets over her actions as a communist judge, takes Ida on a journey to find the bodies of their relatives. For both women, the trip profoundly shakes their belief systems. In one scene, Gruz grills a villager on what he knows about the Lebensteins’ fate. When he asks if they were Jews, she snorts and says, “No, they were Eskimos.” “She drives the whole movie forward and is the character the viewer is likeliest to identify with,” Pawel Pawlikowski, the film’s director, said of Gruz. Pawlikowski is frustrated by what he sees as attempts to hijack a character-driven film to score political points. Polish nationalists, he said, have criticized him for portraying the murder of a Jewish family by a Pole rather than by the Germans. “I hope the film goes beyond generalizations about Poles or Jews or nuns and just look at some stories that connect to our faith in utopias, religions, our tribes, the people around us – all the things we believe to make sense of the world,” Pawlikowski said.

MAY 15, 2014/15 IYAR 5774 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

obituaries Patricia Thomas Becker

Patricia Thomas Becker, 77, died on May 5 at Menorah Park. Born in Brooklyn to George and Ruth Bienstock, she had been a resident of Menorah Park for the past six years. She lived most of her life in Larchmont, NY, until retiring with her late husband, Martin, to Florida. Patricia was a member of the board of the Sisterhood of the Larchmont Temple, a life member of Hadassah and proudly served as the president of the resident council at Menorah Park. She was predeceased by her husband, Martin. She is survived by her daughter, Laura (Jeffrey) Kahn; and two grandchildren. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions may be made to the Foundation at Menorah Park, 4101 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13214. 

Howard Bragman

Howard Bragman, 71, of Syracuse, died on April 21. He graduated from Nottingham High School and attended Syracuse University. He was predeceased by his parents, Samuel and Celia Bragman; his brother, Alan; and his sister, Elinor Bragman. He is survived by several cousins. Burial was in Adath Yeshurun Cemetery. Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements. 

Victor Gilels

Victor Gilels, 91, died on May 1 in Lake Worth, FL. He had been a life resident of Syracuse until 1995, when he and his wife moved to Florida. A graduate of the Chicago School of Optometry, he was a practicing optician and the former owner of Onondaga Optical and then HG Optical. In Florida, he was associated with LensCrafters, where he worked until his retirement in 2008. He was recognized by the company in a periodical that was distributed throughout the United States. He was a World War II U.S. Army veteran and a member of Onondaga Post 131 Jewish War Veterans, Philo-Mt. Sinai Lodge, the Shriners and Temple Adath Yeshurun. He loved music and sports of all kinds. He was an avid golfer and a member of LaFayette Country Club for many years and the Fountains Country Club of Lake Worth. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Harlene; their children, Michael (Belinda), Deborah and Lisa; two granddaughters; brothers, Elliot (Joan), of Jamesville, Jerome, and Lionel (Jackie), of Manlius; sisters, Laberta (Daniel) Forman and Georgeanne (Arthur) Burke; and many nieces and nephews. Burial was in Frumah Packard Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions may be made to Temple Adath Yeshrun, 450 Kimber Rd., Syracuse, NY 13224; the SPCA, 5878 E. Molloy Rd., Syracuse, NY 13211; or a charity of one’s choice. 

Allen Renert

Allen Renert, 91, died on April 26. A lifelong resident of Syracuse, he had lived in DeWitt until moving last year to New York City to be closer to family. He owned D. Renert and Sons Furniture Fair until retiring. He was a World War II U.S. Army veteran and a lifetime member of Temple Adath Yeshurun. He was the last surviving of nine children. He was predeceased by his wife, Mitzi, in January 2005; and their son, Joel, in December 2007. He is survived by his daughters, Dana and Marcia; and one granddaughter. Burial was in Adath Yeshurun Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions may be made to the Ben and Goldye Meltzer Endowment Fund at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse. 

Robert “Robby” David Suben

Robert David Suben, 27, died on April 27 in a one-car accident. Born in Lake Havasu City, AZ, he lived with his family in Peekskill, NY, until moving with them to Skaneateles, then to Cortland. He attended Skaneateles schools from kindergarten-eighth grade, then Cortland High School from ninth-12th grade, graduating in 2005. He became a bar mitzvah in 2000. He briefly attended community college, and became a machinist and CNC (computer numerical controlled) operator. He was predeceased by his four grandparents. He is survived by his parents, Mark and Susan Suben, of Cortland; and his brother, Jesse Suben. Burial was private. Funeral arrangements were by Birnbaum Funeral Service Inc. of Syracuse, in conjunction with Wright Beard Funeral Home in Cortland. Contributions may be made to the SPCA, 879 McClean Rd. #A, Cortland, NY 13045 or a charity of one’s choice. 

Milton Ziegler

Milton Ziegler, 81, died on April 28 in Boynton Beach, FL. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he was a Syracuse resident from 1954-84, when he retired to Florida. He founded Snowflake Pastry Shoppe, which he owned for 30 years before his retirement. He was a member and past master of Mt. Sinai-Philo Lodge, a 32nd degree Mason and a Tigris Shriner. While a Syracuse resident, he was a member of Temple Adath Yeshurun and Temple Beth El and its Brotherhood. In Florida, he was active with the Delray Beach Police Department volunteer parking enforcement division. He was predeceased by his sister, Lorraine Glotzer. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Shirlee; his children, Steven (Meryl) of Jamesville; Jeffrey (Sheila); Debbie (Bob) Price and Mark, of Delray Beach, FL; five grandchildren; his brother, Stanley (Sandy); brother-in law, Stan Glotzer; and his niece and nephews. Burial was in the Beth El Cemetery. Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions may be made to Golisano Children’s Hospital, 1 Children’s Circle, Syracuse, NY 13214. 

NEWS IN bRIEF From JNS.org

U.N. Human Rights Council appoints pro-Palestinian diplomat to replace Falk

The United Nations Human Rights Council appointed pro-Palestinian Indonesian diplomat Makarim Wibisono to a new six-year term as the United Nations special rapporteur on “the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.” Wibisono, who served as Indonesian ambassador to the U.N., replaces Richard Falk, who was widely criticized for his antisemitic, anti-Israel and anti-American views. Wibisono has made several controversial statements on Israel. In a 2006 statement to the UNHRC, he described Israel as showing “ruthless contempt for the lives of the innocent,” according to Fox News.

NEWS digest From JNS.org

Obstacles “substantially overcome” in Turkey-Israel normalization talks

Obstacles have been “substantially overcome” in negotiations to restore diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, Reuters reported. The talks have centered on determining a financial compensation package for the Turkish family members of the victims of the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla incident, which led to the severing of Turkey-Israel relations. After militants attacked Israeli soldiers on board the flotilla, which was trying to break the naval blockade of Gaza, eight Turkish nationals and one Turkish American were killed in clashes. In the current negotiations with Israel, Turkey has continued to push for the lifting of the Gaza blockade, a demand that Israel has so far rejected. Discussions on the compensation issue “were going on and we can say they reached a certain level, but of course until the discussions reach a final outcome, we do not have a solid remark,” Davutoglu said on May 8. “Because of this, when we reach a certain point about the compensation and the limitations being applied to Gaza and Palestine, we will share them with the public,” he said. “But as our prime minister and deputy prime minister have mentioned, we can say the problems are being substantially overcome.” The push to re-establish Turkish-Israeli relations began during a March 2013 visit to Israel by U.S. President Barack Obama. At the time, Obama urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to apologize to Erdogan for the flotilla deaths. Netanyahu made the apology over the phone.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ may 15, 2014/15 IYAR 5774

NEWS IN bRIEF From JTA

Hadassah hospital recovery plan calls for cuts, bailout

A recovery plan for Jerusalem’s bankrupt Hadassah Medical Organization calls for an additional $869 million in funding and cuts to the hospital’s services. The plan, submitted on May 11 by the court-appointed trustees managing the recovery, would draw funding equally from the Israeli government and the Hadassah Women’s Zionist Organization of America, which owns the hospital. Under the plan, Hadassah would lay off 30 doctors and researchers, as well as hundreds of employees, according to Haaretz. The hospital also would close several departments and restructure its board. The hospital is saddled with nearly $370 million in debt and an annual deficit exceeding $85 million. Hadassah declared bankruptcy in February after two large Israeli banks cut off its credit lines. The Jerusalem District Court gave the hospital a 90-day stay of protection from creditors, after which the medical organization will be restructured or liquidated. The court must approve the recovery plan, and an assembly of Hadassah’s employees and creditors were to vote on it on May 13. Leonid Eidelman, chairman of the Israel Medical Association, which represents Hadassah’s doctors, said the association could not approve the plan in its current form. Eidelman called on the trustees to “alter the agreement by Tuesday [May 13] and bridge over the gaps so the IMA can recommend that the doctors vote for it,” according to The Jerusalem Post. “We have only a few precious days for improvements to be made that would prevent the dismantling of this vital and exquisite institution called Hadassah.”

Israeli officials reiterate: Israel does not spy on U.S.

Senior Israeli officials insisted that Israel does not spy on the United States in the wake of a second Newsweek article accusing Israel of “aggressive spying” against the U.S. Strategic and Intelligence Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israel’s Channel 10 over the May 11 weekend that someone is trying to ruin the cooperation between Israel and the United States by providing such information. The latter article appeared on May 8; the first came out two days earlier. Former Israeli Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin the night of May 10 called the accusations “absolutely baseless,” telling Channel 2 that “Israel is unequivocally not spying in the U.S.” Newsweek reported that while then-Vice President Al Gore was on a visit to Israel in 1998, an Israeli spy hid in the air duct in his hotel bathroom. The article said that such incidents are not widely known because the aggressor is Israel. An unnamed U.S. official quoted in the article rejected the assertion that the espionage accusations “had the whiff of antisemitism in it. It has nothing to do with antisemitism,” the official said. “It has only to do with why [Israel] gets kid-glove treatment when, if it was Japan doing it or India doing it at this level, it would be outrageous.”

Knesset panel advances bill keeping murderers in prison without parole

An Israeli parliamentary committee approved a bill that would allow murderers to be sentenced to life in prison without parole. The measure, which passed the Knesset’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation on May 11 by a vote of 7-3, aims to prevent future releases from prison of Palestinian terrorists who killed Jews in swaps for either Jewish hostages or for advancing the peace process. Committee members from the Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu and Jewish Home parties voted in favor of the bill; members from Yesh Atid and the Hatnua party of Justice Minister Tzipi Livni voted against it. The bill’s sponsor, Ayelet Shaked of Jewish Home, told Israel Radio before the vote that the measure would equally affect Muslim and Jewish murderers. “Just as Arab murderers wouldn’t receive a pardon, neither would Yigal Amir,” Shaked said, referring to the assassin of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The bill would prevent the president from using his power to pardon criminals in cases such as terrorist attacks, nationalistic murderers and the killing of a child. A judge would have to approve such pardons. Before becoming law, the bill must pass three readings in the Knesset. Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said in a post on Facebook that his party will work to quickly advance the bill through the Knesset. “Killers should die in prison and not celebrate at home,” he wrote.

Rabbis press for safeguarding Mount of Olives cemetery against Arab attacks

More than 100 Orthodox rabbis are urging action against ongoing Arab attacks on the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The rabbis, mostly from the United States, signed a petition organized by Moshe Phillips and Benyamin Korn, the president and chairman of the Religious Zionists of America-Philadelphia chapter, together with Rabbi Dov Fischer of the Young Israel of Orange County, CA. Rabbi David Lau, the chief Ashkenazi rabbi of Israel, also signed the petition, as did rabbis from France, Australia and Canada. Cemetery visitors have been attacked and graves vandalized. “We call on the Jewish community to press for immediate action by the appropriate authorities to safeguard this holy Jewish site and preserve the integrity of undivided Jerusalem, Israel’s eternal capital,” the petition said. The petition was to be presented on May 11 at a public meeting in Brooklyn, NY, on the issue co-hosted by Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and

Menachem Lubinsky, leader of the International Committee for the Preservation of Har Hazeitim, or Mount of Olives. There are an estimated 150,000 graves on the mountain, where Jews have been buried since biblical times. Notable individuals buried there include the prophets Zechariah, Malachi and Hagai; Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin; modern rabbis such as Aryeh Kaplan and Ahron Soloveichik; Henrietta Szold, the founder of Hadassah; Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt; and British parliamentarian Robert Maxwell.

Israel offers Nigeria help in finding abducted schoolgirls

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered Israel’s assistance to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in locating at least 200 schoolgirls who were abducted by an Islamist rebel group. “Israel expresses deep shock over the crime that has been committed against the girls,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement issued on May 11 by his office. “Israel is ready to assist in locating the girls and in fighting the brutal terrorism that is taking place in Nigeria.” The Islamist rebel group Boko Haram kidnapped the girls in April from a boarding school in the northern Borno state. About 50 of the girls escaped. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau acknowledged the abduction of the girls, aged 12-17, and threatened to “sell” them in the market as “slaves,” according to the French news agency AFP. Britain, France and England are currently assisting Nigeria in searching for the girls.

Tunisian parliament withdraws motions over Israeli tourists

The Tunisian parliament withdrew motions of no confidence against two government ministers accused of trying to normalize relations with Israel. The motions were withdrawn late May 9, shortly before the lawmakers were to vote on them, according to the French news agency AFP. Eighty-five lawmakers in the 217-member parliament in April signed a petition requiring Tourism Minister Amel Karboul to appear and defend her decision to allow Israelis to enter the country with their passports for a religious festival in May. Deputy Interior Minister for Security Ridha Sfar also was summoned to appear before the legislative body. Tunisia does not recognize Israel and has not had diplomatic relations with the Jewish state since 2000. The Hilula of Ghriba, a feast that features a festive procession on or near Lag B’Omer, brings hundreds of Jews – many Israelis – to Tunisia every year. The procession traditionally ends at the El Ghriba synagogue, a 19th-century building that is among Africa’s oldest existing synagogues. Pilgrims from Israel until this year entered the country on special visas issued by Tunisia in advance. In March, Norwegian Cruise Lines canceled stops at ports in Tunisia following the denial of entry to 20 Israeli passengers aboard its Jade ship.

Anita Diamant’s “The Red Tent” to become miniseries

“The Red Tent,” a best-selling novel by Anita Diamant, is being made into a fourhour miniseries by the Lifetime network. The miniseries, based on a book that explores the lives of women in ancient biblical times, is expected to be broadcast later this year. It begins production this month in Morocco. First published in 1997, “The Red Tent” has sold millions of copies and has been translated into 28 languages. The cast features Emmy Award nominees Debra Winger and Morena Baccarin, Golden Globe Award nominee Rebecca Ferguson, and Academy Award nominee Minnie Driver. Among the male stars are Golden Globe winner Iain Glen, as well as Will Tudor. Diamant was “pleasantly surprised,” she told JTA, noting that over the years, the rights to the novel had been bought before and other deals had fallen through. “Gee, this is really going to happen,” Diamant said she realized when the agreement with Lifetime was finalized. “It’s great; I’m excited to see what they do with it.” Diamant said she had no further role in the film. “ ‘The Red Tent’ brings premium and popular elements to a unique and timeless story,” Rob Sharenow, executive vice president and general manager of Lifetime, said in a statement. “It perfectly articulates our vision for Lifetime as the destination for epic movie events.” The novel is told through the voice of Dina, the little-mentioned daughter of Leah and Jacob. Dina shares the intimate lives of women through the stories they tell in the red tent, where they gather during menstruation and birthing. “The Red Tent” was considered groundbreaking because it gave voice to women, whose stories are largely untold in the Bible. Diamant, the award-winning author of six books about contemporary Jewish life and the novel “Day After Night,” said “The Red Tent” struck a universal chord. She said she hears from readers from many backgrounds and faiths, including receiving letters from girls at a Catholic high school.

NY Housing Authority carpenter sues over antisemitism

A Jewish carpenter filed a federal lawsuit saying he was attacked with antisemitic insults and threats while working for the New York Housing Authority. Mitchell Imberman, 60, of Manhattan, claimed in the suit filed in Brooklyn District Court that his bosses similarly attacked him when he asked them to help. Imberman said subordinates called him a “filthy Jew” and a “dumb kike,” the New York Post reported on May 11. He also said in the lawsuit that his tools were stolen, swastikas were painted on the walls where he worked and he found feces on his chair. The Housing Authority, which still employs Imberman, would not comment to the POST or the Associated Press.

U.C. Davis divestment measure fails

The student senate at the University of California, Davis did not approve a divestment resolution targeting Israel. The vote at 2 am on May 8 ended in a tie, with five student senators voting in favor, five opposed and two abstaining. The student government vice president, Maxwell Kappes, declined to break the tie, abstaining instead. The proposed resolution had called on the University of California to divest itself of holdings in companies “that aid in the Israeli occupation of Palestine and illegal settlements in Palestinian territories.” The University of California system has been an active battleground in the fight over Israel-related divestment. Earlier this year, student governments at UCLA and U.C. Santa Barbara voted down divestment resolutions, while U.C. Riverside’s student government narrowly approved one.

Non-Jewish couple donates Holocaust Torah to VA university

A non-Jewish couple from Arizona donated a 250-year-old Torah scroll recovered from the Nazis to Virginia Commonwealth University. The couple, Martin L. Johnson and Olinda Young of Phoenix, are collectors of antiques and art; an interest in old Bibles led to them to acquire eight Torah scrolls. In recent years, the two have donated Torahs to the University of Pennsylvania, Loyola University in Chicago, Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, the University of Arizona and Arizona State. “I’m a plastic surgeon by training,” Johnson told JTA. “I appreciate beautiful things. Four or five years ago, I had a cancer situation that has given me a different perspective on life. I’m transitioning now from being a beautician to giving back. Collecting things is not important to me anymore. I’ve been looking for a home for a lot of these different pieces that would allow other people to enjoy them or learn from them or appreciate their historical significance.” The scroll donated to VCU, where both Johnson and his wife are alumni, was written in Romania around 1750, seized by the Nazis during the Holocaust and later inherited by Romania’s Communist regime. Registration numbers and stamps confirm the provenance of the scroll, which was authenticated by an appraiser of rare books and manuscripts, according to a statement from the university. Johnson bought the Torah from the Bible Museum of Goodyear, AZ, which also authenticated is provenance. Its estimated value is $75,000.