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JEWISH FEDERATION OF the desert 69-710 Highway 111 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 (760) 324-4737
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit #113 Santa Ana, CA
HUNGER DOESN’T DISCRIMINATE
There still are many people in our own community who are forced to choose between paying the rent and putting food on the table. Our Special Tzedakah Fund is increasingly being asked to intervene with families in crisis and fund emergencies. There is so much more that needs to be done. Help us to be the community’s safety net. Help us ensure that no one is turned away. Support the 2014 Annual Campaign. Thanks to your generosity, the Jewish Federation will continue to make a difference in the lives of our people.
On the cover.... HUNGER DOESN’T DISCRIMINATE
CElia Norian President
There still are many people in our own community who are forced to choose between paying the rent and putting food on the table. Our Special Tzedakah Fund is increasingly being asked to intervene with families in crisis and fund emergencies. There is so much more that needs to be done. Help us to be the community’s safety net. Help us ensure that no one is turned away. Support the 2014 Annual Campaign. Thanks to your generosity, the Jewish Federation will continue to make a difference in the lives of our people.
jewish federation BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers and Executive Committee Celia Norian, President Sondi Green & Libby Hoffman, Vice Presidents, Campaign Vernon Kozlen, Treasurer Bernard Reiter, Secretary Lainie Weil, President, Women’s Philanthropy Allan Lehmann & Phil Glass, Allocations Nancy Ditlove, Major Gifts Roberta Nyman, Immediate Past President Howard Levy, Immediate Past President
Tikkum Olam – Repairing the World – is an integral part of being Jewish. Have you noticed how Israel is usually the first country to send assistance to those areas that have suffered a devastating natural disaster? The IDF field hospital was the first to arrive in Haiti after the earthquake, in Japan after its devastating tsunami and in the Philippines after the recent typhoon. We are taught to help to make this world a better place and in times like these, we Jews are the first to try to make that happen. In the Coachella Valley, your Federation does this on a smaller
Board
Joseph Bernstein Sandra Borns Elliott Cohen Ellen Glass James Graff-Radford Fran Kaufman Marvin Lewis
Jason Novack Allan Nyman Dr. Paul Ross Stephanie Ross Elisa Schwartz Sandy Seplow Amy Stone
Bruce Landgarten, Chief Executive Officer
Table of Contents Vol. 39 • No. 6
Calendar Federation Women's Philanthropy Jewish Family Service Schools Simchas & Classifieds Temples Tolerance Education Center Tributes
18-19 2, 3, 24 12-13 15 23 22 18 15 14
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scale. Our funding grant assisted F.I.N.D. with a summer food program. Are you aware that there are children who do not get enough to eat when school is not in session? They rely on the meals provided in school because they don’t have enough food at home. When there’s no school, there’s no food. This program not only provides meals that include fresh fruit and vegetables, but also education about diet and nutrition. You helped to repair the lives of these children. The Desert AIDS Project has just embarked on an ambitious project called “Get Tested Coachella Valley” – a region-wide public health campaign dedicated to dramatically reducing HIV. A grant from your Federation was used to help get this ambitious program off the ground. Together, we have the power to bring an end to the HIV
epidemic. We are helping to repair the world. There are many people in this valley whose lives are not as blessed as ours. Various life situations – unemployment, disability, loss of loved ones – have changed their lifestyles. These people no longer have the means to put food on their tables or pay their bills. Through our allocations to organizations like Meals on Wheels, Food Now and the AIDS Assistance Program, food is made available to these individuals and families. Through the Tzedakah Fund we assist with sudden financial shortfalls. We are repairing the lives of those less fortunate. Your donation to the Federation annual campaign is an easy way to fulfill your Jewish obligation to participate in Tikkum Olam – Repairing the World. It feels good.
From the CEO
Caring and Compassion in Difficult Times. Bruce Landgarten Jewish Federation Chief Executive Officer
I have observed that our community has become more caring and compassionate. If there is anything positive to come out of the economic recession, it is the realization that we must all work together to support one another. Not just today, as we struggle against the tide, but well into the future. It is time we have new forums that will bring community leaders together to find creative solutions to our problems and challenges. There are many signs of a community’s greatness, including its culture of collective responsibility. How a community cares for those less fortunate, as well as its institutions of art, culture, education and service, is a sign of its compassion and concern. Jewish tradition teaches that the honor of Tikkun Olam, the repair of the world, and tzedakah, righteousness, are the most important commandments. The rabbis in the Talmud teach that “saving a single life is like saving the entire universe;” and that we are commanded “not to separate ourselves from the community.” A great community is concerned with the welfare of its members and institutions and embraces a culture of philanthropy and community service. Such a community is destined for greatness. There are over 1100 nonprofit organizations in the Coachella Valley and it is clear that people wish to do good in our community. However, organizational leadership cannot achieve greatness alone. It is dependent on the generosity of contributors who provide gifts and donations. Our community is experiencing a new interest in philanthropy and charitable giving. Not just by those who are blessed with great wealth and an ability to give a lot; but
by many who contribute small amounts in the face of tremendous hardships caused by the harsh economy. There is a realization in our community that everyone can make a difference and that all contributions of time and money, regardless of size, make a difference toward improving life here in the Desert. Whether one gives one, hundreds, or thousands of dollars, or volunteers one hour or dozens, there is a realization that everyone has a stake and matters. This new spirit of collective responsibility is what makes good cities into great cities. I’ve seen it in other communities and it is taking hold in the Desert. It is helping to propel our community toward greater care and compassion. The indomitable will of our community members to do the right thing is clear and can be found in our agencies, charitable organizations and faith communities. The citizens of the Desert are working together to epitomize the words of Rabbi Hillel, the ancient sage and teacher, who taught: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?
JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 3
Dutch FM: Europe Judges Israel by a Different Standard than other Middle East Countries By Herb Keinon, Arutz Sheva
Europe judges Israel by a different standard than other countries in the region because it is seen as a “European country” that should be judged by European standards, Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said December 9th. “There is no way we can disentangle the destiny of Europe from that of Israel, and we better face that fact,” said Timmermans during a lecture at Beit Hatfutsot, sponsored by the Israel Council on Foreign Relations, which operates under the auspices of the World Jewish Congress. Timmermans said that it was hard for some in Europe to deal with a strong Israel. “It is easy to be Israel’s friend as an underdog,” he said, adding that was something “cultural, part of our heritage.” What is harder for some Europeans, he said, is to be Israel’s friend when it is “top dog,” and
perceived as “not relenting, not giving in to the requests of other people.” Timmermans, who caused a minor brouhaha in December 8th when he refused an IDF security escort while touring parts of Hebron, said that “Europe needs to devise a more sophisticated diplomacy [when] working with Israel.” Israeli diplomatic officials were taken aback both by Timmerman’s refusal of the IDF escort as well as the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s decision to demonstratively cancel the inauguration of a Dutchdonated scanner to the Kerem Shalom crossing with Gaza. This is because the Netherlands is considered among Israel’s strongest supporters, inside the EU. The officials said that both these incidents made headlines in Holland, and suspected that they were driven by domestic Dutch politics. Timmermans name
has been mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Catherine Ashton, EU foreign policy chief, when she is scheduled to step down next year. There was some speculation that his actions in Hebron may be connected to his possibly eying that position. Timmerman’s said that the EU should currently be fully supporting the diplomatic process driven by US Secretary of State John Kerry, and not hold out for an alternative offer. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would “jump at an opportunity to say I could get a better deal if I stall,” he said, indicating that the EU should not give him that chance. Timmermans said he has done everything to convince his colleagues to support Kerry’s efforts, and that if this effort fails “we are all in deep trouble, and it will take many, many years for a solution.” He said he hoped that this was understood in Israeli society. In a direct reference to Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, he said that although there were those who may think the status quo was comfortable today, it is “not good” for the future. The Dutch Foreign Minister, who left Israel December 9th for South Africa and the funeral of Nelson Mandela, said that what was currently happening in the Arab world will not “quiet down in a couple of years,” and would likely continue “for generations.” Everyone, he said, would benefit from a “closer cooperation” with Israel given its position in the region, its intelligence information and security analysis.
JEWISH COMMUNITY NEWS A Publication of the Jewish Federation of the Desert VOL. 39, No. 6
EDITORIAL Bruce Landgarten, Chief Executive Officer Miriam H. Bent, Editor Bailey & Co., Layout & Design JCN STATEMENT The Jewish Community News seeks to provide news and feature material of special interest to its readership, and to create a heightened sense of Jewish identity through the dissemination of information about people, events and issues at home and abroad. The JCN seeks to serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions in the Jewish community. The JCN is published monthly, ten months a year by the Jewish Federation of the Desert, 69-710 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, 760-324-4737, fax 760-324-3154. Articles & Advertising, Miriam H. Bent, Editor 760-323-0255, fax 760-320-6085, e-mail-mhbentjcn@earthlink.net ADVERTISING The JCN does not endorse the goods or services advertised in its pages and makes no representation as to the kashrut of food products and services in such advertising. The publisher shall not be liable for damages if, for any reason whatsoever, it fails to publish an advertisement or for any error in an advertisement. Acceptance of advertisers and of advertising copy is subject to the publisher’s approval. The JCN is not responsible if ads violate applicable laws and the advertiser will indemnify, hold harmless and defend the JCN from all claims made by government agencies and consumers for any reason based on ads carried in the JCN.
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Report: Draft-Dodging Sanctions to Be Economic, Not Criminal By Tova Dvorin and Arutz Sheva Staff
Plans laid down by Jewish Home (Bayit Yehudi) Party for the upcoming draft law for the hareidi-religious sector will impose economic sanctions on draft-dodgers, as opposed to the criminal punishments proposed by the Yesh Atid party. According to the Israeli web portal Walla!, Jewish Home MK Ayelet Shaked, who is leading the committee MK Ayelet Shaked i n ch a r g e o f preparing the bill for its second and third rounds in the Knesset, is slated to remove the criminal charges imposed by the bill, and replace them with economic sanctions against offenders. Sanctions will include budget cuts to offending yeshivas (Torah academies), prohibitions on receiving state funding like Arnona (property tax) discounts and housing benefits, and other negative incentives designed to encourage the sector to join the IDF and, eventually, the workforce. The question of what actions should be taken against draft-dodgers - particularly regarding institutional draft-dodging on the part of major yeshivas - has been a significant source of contention between Finance Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) and Economics Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home). Lapid cut funding for
Yeshiva students
Yesh Atid and Jewish Home want to enlist the hareidi sector into the IDF, but we need to find an intelligent way to make that happen." Hareidi yeshivas advocate for fulltime Torah study, ideally as a lifetime pursuit, to the exclusion of national service or having a job. This stands in contrast to the Religious Zionist "hesder yeshiva" stream and religious "mechina" pre-military programs, which combine intensive Torah study
with IDF service, and whose students integrate into wider Israeli society. Until recently, hareidi yeshiva students received a blanket exemption from national service for "religious reasons" - a policy which was widely unpopular, as most other Israeli Jewish men are subject to a mandatory military draft. The current Knesset session looks set to pass a bill calling to draft hareidi students as well, amid outcry from the hareidi leadership.
all yeshivas in his 2013 budget, but a major campaign by Bennett was initiated to exert pressure to restore at least part of the funding. In late November the government announced that NIS 65 million would be transferred immediately to yeshivas - but that future funding will depend on certain restrictions, like the draft level and involvement in Zionist activities and programs. Finance Minister Lapid objected to the economic sanctions, claiming that some will simply endure the sanctions and effectively "buy" their way out of a draft. Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri (Yesh Atid) said, "The hareidi community must face the law," emphasizing the "aspect of values, legal and public," to ensure that the law passes. Shaked stated to Walla!, "We will discuss the legality and effectiveness of economic sanctions if recruitment targets are not met. In the end, both
JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 5
Paula Abdul Celebrates Bat Mitzvah in Safed
Abandoning earlier plans for a highprofile Bat Mitzvah at the Western Wall during her trip to Israel, Paula Abdul instead celebrated a more private coming-of-age ceremony in the northern town of Safed, a center of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) in early November. This was her first visit to Israel, where she was a guest of the Israel Tourism Ministry. She toured the major historical and religious tourist sites and also got a taste of the innovative side of Israel, meeting the country’s leaders in fashion, dance and music. Abdul also met Israeli President
Shimon Peres, one of her lifelong dreams. Abdul is of Jewish descent (her mother, Lorraine Rykiss, is a FrenchCanadian originally from Manitoba and her father Harry Abdul, was born
into the Syrian Jewish community in Aleppo) and has always said she is proud of her heritage.
Meeting with the press, Abdul commented “I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude to be here, I’ve wanted to come for years. My career took me many places and this is my first vacation in almost eight years that I’m actually here to sightsee like a regular tourist… I know already when I have to leave I won’t want to,” she said. Abdul, who has recently become more connected to her Jewish heritage, joined forces with Chabad last year and even hosted a benefit for Chabad in Toronto. Abdul has said that regardless of her age, 51, she always dreamed of celebrating a Bat Mitzvah in Israel.
Romanian Television Station Airs Anti-Semitic Christmas Carol By Tova Dvorin, Israel National News
A Romanian television station is under fire after broadcasting an antiSemitic Christmas carol performance earlier in December, according to United Press International. The state-operated TVR3 Verde, a channel directed to rural communities, began broadcasting December 3 with
a program that included a Christmas carol with anti-Semitic lyrics. The lyrics included: "The kikes, damn kikes, Holy God would not leave the kike alive, neither in heaven nor on earth, only in the chimney as smoke, this is what the kike is good for, to make kike smoke through the
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chimney on the street.” TVR3 insisted in a public statement it did not choose the song, but rather simply broadcast what was given to them by the Center for Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture, a local cultural organization based in Eastern Romania. It said the carol was part of traditional folklore and that its selection for broadcast was made by the council of the northwestern Romanian county of Cluj.The statement referred to the song as "an uninspired choice." This is not the first time Romanian television has broadcasted antiSemitic statements on a national scale. In 2012, a Romanian member of the European Parliament denied the Holocaust on national television. "There was never a Holocaust in Romania," EP Corneliu Vadim Tudor stated. "I will deny it until I die because I love my people." In fact, hundreds of thousands of Romanian and Ukrainian Jews were killed in Romania and areas it controlled during World War II as an ally of Nazi Germany. After Romania switched sides in the war in 1944, communist regimes did little to draw attention to the killings while nationalist governments after 1989 also kept them under wraps. Only in the early 2000s did Romanian officials admit that death trains, mass deportations and pogroms took place in Romania during World War II and that anti-Semitism was a
state-sponsored ideology even before the war started in 1939. U.S. Embassy in Romania Condemns Broadcast The U.S. embassy in Romania on Thursday condemned the broadcast of an anti-Semitic Christmas carol by state television, joining a long list of critics. Jewish groups, Romanian media and politicians, the Israeli embassy and other diplomatic missions have attacked the decision by channel TVR3 to air the song, which uses a pejorative word for Jews and celebrates violence against them. The U.S. embassy called it “an unacceptable display of antiSemitism that must be condemned in the strongest, most unequivocal terms. Intolerance and hatred are unacceptable and should not be condoned, especially not through the medium of public broadcast.” MCA Romania, a local watchdog group, said it wrote a letter of complaint to Romanian President Traian Basecu and to Prime Minister Victor Viorel Ponta. "It is outrageous that none in the audience took a stance against the anti-Semitic Christmas carol that incites to burn the Jews," the letter stated. It added that it was "absolutely unacceptable that TVR3 tried to deny responsibility" by blaming the cultural group. The country’s national council against discrimination is currently investigating the broadcast.
25 Renowned Cantors in Concert January 7 By Eileen Stern
For one night only, 25 renowned Cantors will perform a concert of Israeli, Yiddish and Cantorial favorites at Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs. The performance, taking place during the Cantors Assembly Annual Conference being held in Palm Springs, will be a joyful, ‘haimish’ coming together of good friends and colleagues doing what they love: singing the music of the Jewish people. “The idea of cantors performing together en masse doesn’t happen frequently,” says Hazzan David Propis, Guest Cantor-in-residence at Temple Isaiah, Palm Springs and Senior Cantor of Congregation Shaarey Zedek of Southfield, Michigan. “This is a great opportunity to see so many great cantors assembled in one location.”
York Cantor Penny Myers - Temple Beth Zion, Buffalo, New York Cantor David Propis - Congregation Shaarey Zedek - Southfield Michigan Cantor Sam Radwine (ret) - Palm Springs, California Cantor Eva Robbins - Congregation N’vay Shalom - Los Angeles, California Cantor Aviva Rosenbloom - Temple Israel of Hollywood, California Cantor Richard Schwartz - Temple Beth David - Temple City, California Cantor Joel E. Smith - Shomrei Torah Synagogue - West Hills, California Cantor Mike Stein - Temple Aliyah Woodland Hills, California A
Cantor Lance Tapper- Congregation Beth Shalom of Whittier, California Cantor Jason van Leeuwen - B’nai Hayim - Sherman Oaks, California Cantor Alison Wissot - Temple Judea Tarzana, California Accompanist will be Chris Hardin of Valley Beth Shalom - Encino, California. Also slated to participate in the mammoth cantorial chorus will be Academy for Jewish Religion cantorial students Shira Fox, Sarah Fortman, Rachel Goldman, Stacy Morse, Robert Pflug, Lori Reisman, Wendy Bat Sarah, and Lily Tash.
In addition to the preferential front seating, the $180 Patrons tickets will include the patrons’ names listed on
Hazzan David Propis
the program and entrance to a private reception with the cantors following the performance. $54 and $36 tickets are also available. See ad this page. For the convenience of persons wanting to order tickets, Temple Isaiah has a dedicated phone line for reservations: 760-844-7305. An order form is included in the ad as well.
As of the Jewish Community News going to press, the following Cantors will perform: Cantor Roslyn Barak - Congregation Emanu-el - San Francisco, California Cantor Paul Buch - Temple Beth Israel, Pomona, California Cantor Tifani Coyot - Temple Isaiah Los Angeles, California Cantor Paul Dorman - Los Angeles, California Cantor Kenny Ellis - Los Angeles, California Cantor Marcus Feldman - Sinai Temple - Los Angeles, California Cantor Rita Glassman - San Francisco, California Cantor Judy Greenfeld - Nachshon Minyan - Encino, California Cantor Jason Harwit - Los Angeles, California Cantor Mimi Haselkorn - Temple Aliyah - Woodland Hills, California Cantor Linda Kates - Leo Beck Temple - Los Angeles, California Cantor Nathan Lam - Stephen Wise Temple - Los Angeles, California Cantor Beny Maissner - Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto Ontario, Canada Cantor Jackie Mendelson - Temple Israel Center - White Plains, New
To apply for Emergency Funds from the
TZEDAKAH FUND
call the Jewish Federation 760-324-4737 JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 7
Gay Divorce Approved for Second Time in Israel's History
Court sidesteps issue of gay marriage since not clear Israeli law could recognize it. By Yonah Jeremy Bob
Tel Aviv Family Court Judge Naftali Shilo handed down the second court decision in the country’s history approving the divorce of a homosexual couple, on December 9, 2013. In December 2012, a three judge panel of Yehezkel Eliyahu, Amit Kama and Uzi Even, also of the Tel Aviv Family Court, handed down the first such decision. “It is important because with no binding precedent, another decision in this spirit plus additional such decisions can start to create more of a clear trend,” said Professor Ruth HalperinKaddari, head of the Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women. The names of the couples are under a gag order. There was, however, a question that preceded the approval of a gay divorce: by doing so, one might acknowledge gay marriage. Shilo took a conservative legal route to arrive at his conclusion. Halperin-Kaddari
said that the court’s decision showed a somewhat greater “hesitation,” in that the court did not simultaneously recognize the couples’ gay marriage in order to approve their divorce. Rather, the court said that it would sidestep the issue of gay marriage since it was not clear that Israeli law could recognize it, and that it was approving the divorce by
merely ordering the Registrar to strike the couple’s married status from its list. The court said that its main concern was that the law needed to provide a way for the couple to get divorced. Since it was unclear whether the foreign country where they were originally married, or the rabbinical courts, would even hear the issue, the practical resolution, of removing them from the Registrar’s list of married couples, rested with the Israeli civil courts. The court said, therefore, it was giving a declarative order for the Registrar to remove them, without formally recognizing their marriage, other than the fact that they had been registered. Both of the court decisions quoted Halperin-Kaddari as having fleshed out the theory that the Israeli civil courts obtain “residual” jurisdiction of the issue, by the failure of the other
competing jurisdictions to contemplate the issue at all. The court focused heavily on the procedural issue that gay couples must go through in order to get their divorces approved, but HalperinKaddari said that this part of the court’s opinion was “a fiction, and was more forced.” The court said “it does not recognize gay marriage, but also gives declarative relief.” In December 2012, Eliyahu wrote that the court approved the gay divorce since the registration of the marriage showed recognition of the marriage, and that recognizing the right to divorce was merely part of recognizing rights that sprang from the marriage. Both court rulings relied on the High Court of Justice’s Ben- Ari case. In that case, the court ordered the official population registrar to register five homosexual couples who had been married in Canada as married, instead of single. Eliyahu said that it was inconceivable that the courts would permit a homosexual couple to get married and then prevent that couple from dissolving the marriage, thus remaining trapped together. The court stated that such a result would violate fundamental rights and liberties of the individual, underlying the basic laws, as well as the state’s basic values of justice and equality. In other words, approving divorce was “just the other side of the coin” of having permitted homosexual marriage.
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760.902.9206 rng.bell@aol.com/www.beverlybell.com 8 • JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org
New Religious Court to Address Agunot ("Chained Wives") By New York Jewish Weekly
In what appears to be a major breakthrough in the long, tortuous effort to solve the problem of agunot, or "chained wives," an international religious court is in formation, headed by a highly respected Orthodox rabbi, with the goal of freeing women trapped in broken marriages. Rabbi Simcha Krauss has agreed to serve as the head of an independent rabbinic court in formation seeking “systemic halachic solutions” to the problem. A major figure in centrist Orthodoxy who was president of the Religious Zionists of America, Rabbi Krauss made aliyah in 2005 and is affiliated with Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi in Jerusalem. He is well respected for his Torah knowledge and integrity by a wide swath of the Orthodox community. But the key to the new court’s success may well rest on one of the two leading Israeli rabbis associated with the haredi community who have given their imprimatur to Rabbi Krauss. Most significant is Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, a rosh yeshiva, posek, or
religious decisor, and chief justice of the rabbinical high court in Jerusalem. The other is She’ar Yashuv Cohen, former chief rabbi of Haifa and president of its Rabbi Simcha Kraus rabbinic courts. A third prominent Israeli rosh yeshiva has also signaled his support for Rabbi Krauss but prefers to remain anonymous at this time. Highly respected by all segments of the Orthodox community, Rabbi Goldberg was the first to sign on to the Rabbinical Council of America’s pre-nuptial agreement program, to prevent agunah cases, and helped give it credibility. “As long as Rav Zalman Nechemiah is on board with Rabbi Krauss,” the new venture is “untouchable,” noted an expert on the issue. But he added that haredi elements opposed to the new
bet din could put strong pressure on Rabbi Goldberg to retract his support. “Most of all,” the source said, “it must
be truly independent.” Rabbi Kraus said that while he is somewhat concerned about the criticism sure to be leveled at the new court from those on the right, he is prepared to go forward and hopes the court, which at least initially is slated to be based in the U.S., will begin its work by next summer. “I am not a revolutionary, and I understand that halacha [Jewish law] moves slowly,” he said, “but it’s been too slow. It’s time.”
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Snow in Israel Prompts Acts of Kindness From Chelm on the Med
When Israel was socked by a rare nor'easter – artic air marked by plummeting temperatures and record precipitation (capped by unprecedented snow clearly viewable even from space that even blanketed Cairo and the pyramids for the first time in 110 years), emergency response crews were overwhelmed by the sheer scope of blocked roads and power outages. In many places, the storm dumped half the average
annual precipitation within the short space of a few days. The most helpful advice Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres could dispense via the media was that Israelis cuddle together for the duration. Citizens in neighborhoods and villages suffering power outages were asked to check up on their neighbors, particularly unaccompanied seniors who might slowly freeze to death without even
calling for help. The clarion call prompted a group of Hebrew University students to "cook up a storm", then join elderly Jerusalemites desperate for company for the duration, not just for the hot plates of soup they brought. And speaking of company, among countless acts of kindness, big and small during the crisis, in Modi’in residents fetched stranded motorists on route 443 to the capital, inviting perfect strangers
to spend the entire Sabbath with them, feeding and clothing scores of marooned travelers. The whiteout was a windfall for the operators of the pricy Hermon ski slopes and sledding run, who opened for business in mid-December, more than two weeks ahead of schedule, while Jerusalem motorists continued to ‘enjoy’ figure skating on icy roads for free.
Gantz to the Rescue … Again The Israel Defense Force (IDF) Chiefof-Staff, Benny Gantz has won quite a reputation over the past two years as a first responder. First he spontaneously responded giving first aid to a woman who keeled over in a restaurant with a stroke, until medics arrived; then Gantz turned his helicopter around in mid-air to pick up a soldier wounded in a military exercise, delivering the
injured soldier to the hospital before going about his business; afterwards the Chief-of-Staff commanded an IDF vessel to change course while on deck, so he and the crew could quickly fish two airmen and parts of their F-16 out of the
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Mediterranean after they were forced to eject due to mechanical failure. Now Gantz has done it again - serving as first responder at a bad road accident, departing only after an intensive care ambulance arrived on the scene to find someone else had taken command of the situation – giving a new twist to the IDF officer tradition of ‘After me’ (Acharei, in Hebrew), the IDF standard that officers don’t order their soldiers into battle, they lead them into battle.
Israel, Jordan and P.A. Sign ‘Historic’ Water Pact I-24 News
Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority signed an agreement to lay a pipeline between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea that will provide all three with fresh water. The historic agreement will provide the Jordanians and Palestinians with desperately needed drinking water and to slow the decay of the Dead Sea. The project will bring about 100 million cubic meters of water a year from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea to slow the drying up of the latter. It also will establish a seawater desalination plant in Aqaba, Jordan, to provide fresh water annually for all three signatories. Regional Cooperation, and National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom signed for Israel, Water and Irrigation Minister Hazem Al Nasser signed for Jordan and Water Authority Minister Dr. Shaddad Attili signed for the Palestinian Authority. Silvan Shalom observed, “This is a historic agreement that realizes a dream of many years and the dream of Herzl,” Shalom said. “The agreement is of the highest diplomatic, economic, environmental and strategic importance.”
Despite the tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, negotiations over the water-sharing agreement have been proceeding behind the scenes, including visits to Jordan by Shalom. The agreement envisions the annual pumping of 200 million cubic meters of water from the Red Sea: 80 million will be desalinated at the Aqaba plant and Israel will get 30-50 million of that amount for use in its southern port town of Eilat and the Arava region – both desert areas with a chronic water shortage. The Jordanians will get 30 million cubes for their needs in the arid southern part of their country and an additional 50 million cubes of water for the central and northern parts of their country. The Palestinians will get 30 million cubes of water from the Sea of Galilee, which will improve water supplies to residents of the West Bank. According to the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, the pipeline will run through
Jordan but may spill into the Dead Sea on the Israeli side of the salty lake, sovereignty over which is shared by Israel and Jordan. Shalom said his office hopes to issue international tenders to choose the builders and operators within a year. The funding for the estimated $250-400 million cost of the project will be provided by donors, a bridge loan from the World Bank and the companies that build the facilities.
To apply for Emergency Funds from the
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Women's Philanthropy
760-324-4737 AWAY FOR A Day Trip #2
Experience the power and impact of Lion of Judah. Join the Lions in New York and hear world-class speakers, celebrate our philanthropy and change the world. Register now for the International Lion of Judah Conference at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, September 7-10, 2014. Contact Barbara BenDavid to register.
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Day trip to the “Life and Legacy of Anne Frank” Exhibit at the Museum of Tolerance, Los Angeles, Monday, March 31, 2014. Open to the community. Couvert: $50 per person includes the ticket to the Exhibit, transportation and a boxed lunch. There is a limited number of places so please RSVP now to assure your place. Call Linn Menne.
Hands On Good Works Project Sidney Friedman has been the darling of Jewish Federations throughout the country for years. As America’s premier mentalist for over 18 years, he has been mesmerizing audiences across America, Europe, Canada and the Caribbean with his amazing talent for reading minds, ESP, telepathy and premonition. He will be our guest speaker/entertainer at the INSIGHTS luncheon on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 11:30 am at the Westin Mission Hills Resort, Rancho Mirage. Couvert: $40. To attend requires a $180 minimum contribution to the Annual Campaign. This will be a very special event that you won’t want to miss.
The eighth annual Desert Hot Springs Chanukah Dinner, organized by Rabbi Yankel and Rochel Kreiman of Bikur Cholim and funded by the Jewish Federation’s DHS outreach program, was held December 1st. Women’s Philanthropy gifted each of the 70+ Rina Eliashar, Rennie Wrubel, Mimi participants with a beautiful Paley, Joanne Hirshfield, Chickie Steinberger and Rhoda Lewis package fleece blanket and scarf gifts for the DHS Chanukah Dinner. as part of their Hands On Good Works project, made possible by funds underwritten by the Tamarisk Men’s Golf Tournament.
WP Educ
December 9, 201
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Women’s Retreat: D
By Carol Horwich L
On November 20, 2013, the annual Women’s Philanthropy Board Retreat visited one of the Jewish Federation’s reci Desert AIDS Pro morning tour wa
For more information contact Women’s Philanthropy Directo
Miss Israel Gal Gadot New Wonder Woman in 'Batman vs. Superman' By Matthew Jacobs, The Huffington Post
"Batman vs. Superman" has found a Wonder Woman in Gal Gadot, the former Miss Israel who has spent the past few years making a career in film. Gadot is best known to audiences for
the three most recent installments in the "Fast & Furious" franchise. She was also featured in supporting roles in "Date Night" and "Knight and Day," in addition to her lucrative modeling
career and a two-year stint as a sports trainer in the Israel Defense Forces. The 28-year-old actress/model joins Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman in the
"Man of Steel" sequel Zack Snyder. Amy Ada her "Man of Steel" role while Laurence Fishbu Lane will also appear
Pre-lecture reception
on Day
David, V Senior ent, spoke hropy’s 2013, marks by months terms of ments in bors, and o return to ortunately g him attended vent were g, detailed events at have 2013. riends” here has evel of erous hemselves
Below: Rapt audience listening to speaker
Committee members Lainie Weil (WP President), Roberta Nyman, Elaine Leib, Sherry Salzman, Evelyn Binsky, Judy Cohn (Education VP), Lana Landa, Annette Novack, Rennie Wrubel, JoAnn Heiman, Judith N. Cohen and Julie Fey-Clark with Alon Ben-David
Alon Ben-David and Elliott Cohen
aligned with Israel’s concerns, including Iran’s nuclear
Education VP Judy Cohn, Alon BenDavid, and WP President Lainie Weil
program, the rise and fall of the Muslim Brotherhood in
Egypt, and the chaos in Syria, the fallout of which is spilling over into neighboring countries. A highlight of the morning’s program was the Q & A following Ben-David’s remarks, facilitated by Elliott Cohen, a former Vice President and current member of the Jewish Federation Board. With his adroit selecting and presenting questions from the audience, Cohen brought a wide spectrum of issues to
hilanthropy 2013 Board esert AIDS Project
Chair, WP Board Retreat
Rennie Wrubel, Sheri Borax and WP President Lainie Weil Carol Luber Horwich
agencies, The d by David
WP Board listening to presentation
Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project, along with Terri Ketover and Barbara Keller. Desert AIDS Project
provides a full range of services to their clients including medical and dental care, comprehensive support services including counseling, home health services and much more to men
Barbara Keller and DAP CEO David Brinkman
and women throughout the Coachella Valley. On the same campus with the agency offices is a beautifully maintained 81 unit residential apartment complex.
Ben-David for analysis, to the delight of all in attendance. Over 200 men and women attended the event. Kudos to Education Vice President Judy Cohn and the many women who served on the committee, for bringing this exceptional program to our community.
The Jewish Federation’s financial support helps fund the Testing and Linkage to Care Program to protect the health of our entire desert community. This program makes at-risk individuals aware of their HIVstatus, arms them with the information needed to protect themselves and others, and if necessary, links them to care. Everyone on the Retreat agreed that our visit was both informative and uplifting.
rbara Ben-David at 760-324-4737 or barbara.bendavid@jfedps.org.
m director ill reprise ois Lane, nd Diane e sequel.
Every piece of DC Comics-related casting news also fuels the buzz for a potential all-star Justice League movie, in which the superhero greats will converge to form the ultimate
crime-fighting team. That movie is set to bow in 2017. “Wonder Woman is arguably one of the most powerful female characters of all time and a fan
favorite in the DC Universe," Snyder stated in the release. "Not only is Gal an amazing actress, but she also has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role. We look forward
to audiences discovering Gal in the first feature film incarnation of this beloved character.”
Tribute Card Donations Sending tributes and memorials is a meaningful way to honor loved ones.
Honorarium Tributes –
• Vernon Kozlen, Best wishes on your Birthday, from Mary Levine and Alan Goldstein, Pat and Howard Levy.
• Miriam Bent, We are so appreciative of your skill and talent, from Geri and Don Shaevel.
• Jim and Donna Levitas, In your honor, from Pat and Joan Kerns.
In Appreciation For:
• Annette Bloch, Thank you for a beautiful evening, from Joni Cohen. • Bernice and Buddy Cohen, Thank you for a beautiful evening, from Joni Cohen. • Michael and Debra Ellis, A gift in your name at Chanukah, from Nancy Joseph. • Sheila and Jerry Freeman, Thanks for a wonderful Thanksgiving, from Judy and Marty Cohn. • Sandy Goldman, Happy birthday, from Joni Cohen. • Micki and Jack Goldner, Thank you for a great night at the movies, from Gail and Bob Scadron. • Libby and Buddy Hoffman, Thank you for a wonderful evening, from Joni Cohen, Sanford and Rosemary Hertz, and Loreen and Herb Jacobson. • Joan Holland and Eli Glassman, Thanks so much, from Judy and Marty Cohn. • Lois and Mitchell Johnson, Thank you for a wonderful evening, from Joni Cohen, Sanford and Rosemary Hertz, and Loreen and Herb Jacobson. • Vernon and Paula Kozlen, Happy Birthday Vernon and thank you for a delighltful celebration. Roberta and Allan Nyman.
14 • JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org
All contributions received by the Jewish Federation for Tribute Cards are placed in our special Tzedakah Fund, which provides direct monetary intervention for needy Jews living in the Coachella Valley.
• Lenny Lewensohn, In honor of your 80th birthday, from Jan and Miles Gordon. • Gary Nathanson, Happy 80th Birthday, from Nancy and Dennis Ditlove, Sanford and Rosemary Hertz, Libby and Buddy Hoffman, Pat and Howard Levy, Carolyn and Don Shagrin, Jane and Larry Sherman, Susan and Burt Sunkin. • Bernie Plack and Shelli Goodman, Thank you for a wonderful evening, from Joni Cohen, Sanford and Rosemary Hertz, and Loreen and Herb Jacobson. • Stan Richards, Happy 80th birthday, from Joni Cohen. • Dr. Paul Ross, Congratulations on being named Grand Marshall at the DHS holiday parade, from Roberta and Allan Nyman. • Dr. Paul Ross, The King of Desert Hot Springs. We loved seeing the photos, from Alan and Orly Klugman. • Bev Schoenfeld, Thank you for a lovely afternoon from Joni Cohen, Cora Ginsberg, Rosemary Hertz, Libby Hoffman, Ruth Kaufman, and Pat Levy. • Larry Shapiro, Happy big birthday, from Betty and Billy Davids. • Geri and Jim Sherman, Thank you for a wonderful evening, from Joni Cohen, Sanford and Rosemary Hertz, and Loreen and Herb Jacobson.
• Leonard Sherman, In your honor, from Pat and Joan Kerns. • Cecille and Albert Silberman, Thank you for a wonderful evening, from Joni Cohen, Sanford and Rosemary Hertz, and Loreen and Herb Jacobson. • Larry Zoll, In honor of your special birthday, from Judy and Mel Hecktman.
Refuah Shleimah –
Get Well Wishes To:
• Howard Bernstein, Wishing you a speedy recovery, from Ellen and Phil Glass. • Mort Cohen, Wishing you a speedy recovery, from Edith and Arnold Familian, Ellen and Phil Glass, Harold and Mimi Paley.
Memoriam Tributes –
Condolences Sent To:
• Myrna Charach, In memory of your beloved husband Barney, from Richard and Zellah Arrow. • Susan Heymann, In memory of your beloved husband Butch Heymann, from Joni Cohen, Nancy and Dennis Ditlove and Cora and Ted Ginsberg. • Leslie Weine, Condolences on the passing of your father, from Joe Noren and Marnie Miller.
Jewish Family Service of the Desert “Count on us… for life”
801 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 202 Palm Springs, CA 92262 (760) 325-4088 www.jfsdesert.org
We show free movies each week on Wednesdays, at 10:00 am and 1:30 pm. Call us for the December schedule.
JANUARY CABARET SERIES PROGRAM The Tolerance Education Center and Rubinsky/Gaiber Proudly Present
PROGRAMS & SERVICES For further information about these services and others, please call the JFS office, 760-325-4088.
COUNSELING & FAMILY SUPPORT: Experienced therapists help individuals, couples, and families address life's challenges. I N T E N S I V E O U T PAT I E N T D R U G TREATMENT FOR ADOLESCENTS: Five week course for teens that are at risk or have been expelled from school due to substance abuse. SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM: JFS counselors serve elementary school children in Palm Springs Unified School District with on-site counseling and now with a new 5th grade curriculum to teach drug refusal and interpersonal skills to prepare them for success in middle school.
Richard Leibell
Standards and Broadway Join us for a musical journey featuring songs such as: ★ The Impossible Dream ★ As Time Goes By ★ Come Rain or Come Shine ★ Swanee ★ What I did for Love ★ Tonight ★ Not a Day Goes By ★ New York New York, and other favorites.
Friday, January 17, 2014 - 4:00 p.m. $15. Seating limited. Reservations required. Call 760-328-8252.
Please join us for a wine and cheese “Meet & Greet” after the show. Coming February 21 In honor of Black History Month: Suzanne Nichols portrays Eartha Kitt
SOLUTIONS FOR SENIORS: Serves older adults to maintain independence and help them enjoy a higher quality of life. Please call the office for information. JFS EXPRESS SENIOR RIDE PROGRAM -If you know someone homebound and needing transportation to a medical or important appointment, please have them contact JFS Express for assistance. JEWISH BEREAVEMENT GROUP: Free to the local community. This group meets every Wednesday at the JFS Palm Springs office, 3:30-5:00 p.m. No registration necessary. FRIENDLY VISITORS: For seniors who are isolated and would like companionship, a JFS volunteer can bring care and friendship. Friendly Visitors can also provide companionship and celebration during the Shabbat observance. Call for more information. CAFÉ EUROPA GROUP: Social programming for holocaust survivors. Transportation available, please call Julie Hirsh for dates, times & more information 760-325-4088 X 109. LUNCH IN & OUT PROGRAM: Bi- monthly activity program for homebound seniors. Next Sessions Tuesday, January 7 & Tuesday January 21, 2014 at the Joslyn Center, Palm Desert. Transportation is provided and participants take part in activities and lunch. Some restrictions apply. To register and obtain further information contact Lisa Schmid 760-779-9400. X 205. JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 15
Pew Research Center Report on Jewish Identity in America, Part II The survey also shows that Reform Judaism continues to be the largest Jewish denominational movement in the United States. One-third (35%) of all U.S. Jews identify with the Reform movement, while 18% identify with Conservative Judaism, 10% with Orthodox Judaism and 6% with a variety of smaller groups, such as the Reconstructionist and Jewish Renewal movements. About three-in-ten American Jews (including 19% of Jews by religion and two-thirds of Jews of no religion) say they do not identify with any particular Jewish denomination. Though Orthodox Jews constitute the smallest of the three major denominational movements, they are much younger, on average, and tend to have much larger families than the overall Jewish population. This suggests that their share of the Jewish population will grow. In the past, high fertility in the U.S. Orthodox community has been at least partially offset by a low retention rate: Roughly half of the survey respondents who were raised as Orthodox Jews say they are no longer Orthodox. But the falloff from Orthodoxy appears to be declining and is significantly lower among 18-to-29-year-olds
Intermarriage, by Year of Marriage % of Jews with a non-Jewish spouse... Married In 2005-2013 '00 - '04 '95 - '99 '90 - '94 '85 - '89 '80 - '84 '75 - '79 '70 - '74 Before 1970 Total
58% 58 55 46 41 42 36 35 17 44
(17%) than among older people. (See discussion and table in Chapter 3, Jewish Identity.) Within all three denominational movements, most of the switching is in the direction of less-traditional Judaism. The survey finds that approximately onequarter of people who were raised Orthodox have since become Conservative or Reform Jews, while 30% of those raised Conservative have become Reform Jews, and 28% of those raised Reform have left the ranks of Jews by religion entirely. Much less switching is reported in the opposite direction. For example, just 7% of Jews raised in the Reform movement have become Conservative or Orthodox, and just 4% of those raised in Conservative Judaism have become Orthodox. These are among the key findings of the Pew Research Center’s survey of U.S. Jews, conducted on landlines and cellphones among 3,475 Jews across the country from February 20-June 13, 2013, with a statistical margin of error for the full Jewish sample of plus or minus 3.0 percentage points. The new survey also finds that seven-in-ten Jews (70%) say they participated in a Passover meal (Seder) in the past year, and 53% say they fasted for all or part of Yom Kippur in 2012. These measures of observance appear to have ticked downward slightly compared with a national telephone survey conducted more than a decade ago, the 2000-2001 National Jewish Population Survey.4 In that poll, 78% of Jews said they had participated in a Seder in the past year, and 60% said they had fasted on Yom Kippur. If there has been any decline on these measures, however, it appears to be attributable to the rising number of Jews of no religion; rates of Passover and Yom Kippur observance have remained stable among Jews by religion. Despite the changes in Jewish identity in America, 94% of U.S. Jews (including 97% of Jews by religion and 83% of Jews of no religion) say they are proud to be Jewish. Three-quarters of U.S. Jews (including 85%
Jewish Denominational Identity 30% No denomination
6% Other 10% Orthodox
35% Reform
18% Conservative
of Jews by religion and 42% of Jews of no religion) also say they have “a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people.” And emotional attachment to Israel has not waned discernibly among American Jews in the past decade, though it is markedly stronger among Jews by religion (and older Jews in general) than among Jews of no religion (and younger Jews in general).5 Overall, about seven-in-ten Jews surveyed say they feel either very attached (30%) or somewhat attached (39%) to Israel, essentially unchanged since 2000-2001. In addition, 43% of Jews have been to Israel, including 23% who have visited more than once. And 40% of Jews say they believe the land that is now Israel was given by God to the Jewish people. At the same time, many American Jews express reservations about Israel’s approach to the peace process. Just 38% say the Israeli government is making a sincere effort to establish peace with the Palestinians. (Fewer still – 12% – think Palestinian leaders are sincerely seeking peace with Israel.) And just 17% of American Jews think the continued building of settlements in the West Bank is helpful to Israel’s security; 44% say that settlement construction hurts Israel’s own security interests.
Jewish Home (Bayit Yehudi) Veto on Gay Benefits by Gil Ronen, Arutz Sheva
The Jewish Home (Bayit Yehudi) party has vetoed a bill that would grant gay parents the same tax benefits that are granted to normative parents. The bill, which was submitted by MK Adi Kol (Yesh Atid), was approved for legislation in early December by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, which decides what bills will receive Coalition support. The Coalition agreement between Likud and Jewish Home stipulates that the religious Zionist party can veto laws that fall into the category of “religion and state.”
MK Adi Kol
MK Ayelet Shaked
The Chair of the Jewish Home faction, MK Ayelet Shaked, announced the veto in a letter to the prime minister and to Coalition Chairman MK Yariv Levin. She noted that based on utterances by MK Kol herself, the bill appears to be part of an attempt to
16 • JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org
create “a silent revolution.” Shaked referred to a Facebook status posted by Kol in which she wrote, “For the first time, the government of Israel supports a bill that recognizes the gay family unit. It's not over, there are elements that will try to trip us up, but we won't let them.” Two weeks earlier, she wrote that “This is a revolutionary proposal because it is a subject that has not been raised in the Knesset to date.” Shaked, who is secular, noted that the bill “seeks to carry out additional and very meaningful changes in
matters of religion and state, which must not be made upon a whim. Such changes will have far-reaching implications for Israeli society and the nation's character, and therefore, every small change in the matter requires in-depth thought and discussion that is meant to reach agreement, and not by force. Jewish Home sources told Arutz Sheva that “for the first time, a law would recognize one-sex couples, and this needs to be raised within the factions first.”
Opinion/Editorial Rocks that Hit Jewish Children Do Not Echo in the World
The stoning of Jewish children occurs in a vacuum. The sound doesn't travel. By Giulio Meotti,
A two-year-old Jewish girl sustained severe injuries to her head. She was stoned by Arab Muslims in a car traveling in Jerusalem. Another twoyear-old Jewish girl, Adele Biton, who lives in the "settlement" of Ariel, fought for her life in a hospital for four months. Her family was stoned by Palestinian terrorists. Last month another Jewish girl was wounded in Psagot. Nazis and Palestinian Arabs share many pathological passions, but above all is the joy at killing and maiming Jewish children. And they do that with the complicity of Israeli bien pensants. "Throwing stones is the right and the duty of anyone living under foreign rule," wrote the official Haaretz correspondent for what the newspaper labels the "occupied territories … These Jewish children stoned and killed are invisible. They immediately disappear from Israel's public debate. They are not even mentioned in the Western journalistic coteries, parliaments and political offices. It began with Maalot's schoolchildren. And the bus with the children of Avivim..This silence can be easily understood through the
corollary of the "occupation" mantra, according to which the Arabs are a priori exculpated from terrorism against civilians, including the use of suicide bombers and rockets.
"Stoning a Jew is the minimum right granted by the international community." 000Stoning a Jew is the minimum right granted by the international community. Arab and Muslim terrorism against Israel is a regrettable but understandable response to the Israeli “occupation” of the territories. Who knows the name of Asher and Yonatan Palmer, the Israeli father and infant murdered near Kiryat Arba ? Who knows the name of Shalhevet Pass? Her mother Oriya was pushing the stroller in Hevron, when a shot rang out and Oriya turned around. There was a hole in Shalhevet’s head. Who knows the name of Hila, Hadar, Roni and Merav Hatuel? Four little Jewish children slaughtered with
their pregnant mother, Tali, on the road to Gush Katif. Yehuda Shoham was just five months old when he was struck in the head by a rock while his parents were driving home to Shiloh. He died a few days later. My conscience will be forever hunted by the names of the Fogels. In the insane world in which we live, a pogrom on Israeli children has become socially acceptable. It already happened. It is happening again.
Gas them or stone them, the harming of Jewish children has no echo in the world. This is a world of fashionable cowardice. The writer, an Italian journalist with Il Foglio, writes a twice-weekly column for Arutz Sheva. He is the author of the book "A New Shoah," that researched the personal stories of Israel's terror victims, published by Encounter.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WELCOMED
The Jewish Community News welcomes letters to the editor Publication will be based on appropriateness of material and available space, at the discretion of the editorial staff. We reserve the right to edit submissions. Submit letters of 250 words or less by e-mail to: mhbentjcn@earthlink.net, fax to 760-320-6085 or mail to the Jewish Federation, 69-710 Hwy. 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, attn: Editor, JCN.
JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 17
Local Temples
January Shabbat Schedule
BETH SHALOM
(Member, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism) Ken Hailpern, Spiritual Leader 79-733 Country Club Drive Bermuda Dunes bethshalom18@wordpress.com 760-200-3636
Centro Cultural Hebreo de Mexicali
(Conservative) Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico Contact: Ron Cohen www.judiosdemexicali.com 760-960-3392 US (686) 216-7152 Mexico
CHABAD OF PALM SPRINGS & DESERT COMMUNITIES Rabbi Yonason Denebeim 425 Ortega, Palm Springs www.chabadpalmsprings.com 760-325-0774
CHABAD OF PALM DESERT A project of Chabad of Palm Springs & Desert Communities Rabbi Mendy Friedman www.chabadpd.com 760-969-2153 / 760-969-2158
CHABAD OF RANCHO MIRAGE A project of Chabad of Palm Springs & Desert Communities Rabbi Shimon Posner 72295 Via Marta, Rancho Mirage www.chabadrm.com 760-770-7785
Congregation HAR-EL
(Member, Union for Reform Judaism) Rabbi Richard Zionts Har-El Cultural Center 47-535 Hwy 74, Palm Desert harelurj@aol.com 760-779-1691
Congregation Shalom Bayit (Reform) Rabbis Larry and Linda Seidman 1320 Williams Ave., Banning Contact 951-769-3678/769-7514
Beth Shalom
Shabbat Services: 8:00 pm. Oneg follows. Saturdays: Services 9:30 am, followed by kiddush. Morning minyan Mondays and Thursdays at 8:30 am.
Chabad of Palm Springs
Friday Shabbat services: 20 minutes after candle lighting time. Saturday services: Morning - 9:30 am; Women’s Torah Discussion, led by Sussie Denebeim during Kiddush at noon. Evening: same as evening before.
Chabad of Rancho Mirage
Friday Shabbat services: 4:15 pm Mincha followed by Kabbalat Shabbat: Shabbat morning: 10:00 am followed by sit down Kiddush. Children’s Program/Service 11:15 am. Daily minyan: Shacharit services MondayFriday 7:00 am; Sundays 8:00 am.
Desert Hot Springs Jewish Community
Shabbat service Friday, January 3 at 7 pm and Havdallah Plus
TEMPLE ISAIAH
(Conservative) Rabbi Sally Olins 332 West Alejo Road, Palm Springs www.templeisaiahps.com 760-325-2281
TEMPLE SINAI
(Reform) Rabbi Glenn Ettman 73-251 Hovley Lane West, Palm Desert www.templesinaipd.org 760-568-9699
BIKUR CHOLIM
A project of Chabad of Palm Springs & Desert Communities (Community Outreach) Rabbi Yankel Kreiman www.BikurCholimPS.com 760-325-8076
Saturday, January 18 at 7 pm - Mission Lakes Country Club, 8484 Clubhouse Drive, DHS, officiated by Rabbi Faith Tessler.
Har-El Congregation
Member, Union for Reform Judaism. Kabbalat Shabbat Services Fridays at 5:00 pm followed by a speaker or discussion. January 3: Dr. Ed Gubman “The Work of Jewish Family Service.” January 10: Rabbi Mel Silverman & Ralph de la Cruz, “Introduction to Mishnah Rabbah.” January 24: Poet Dr. Judy Kronenfeld. January 31: Panel on films from PS Film Festival, followed by dinner. Call 760-799-1691 for reservations.
5:00 pm Friday Shabbat services January 10, 17, 23, 30 7:30 pm, followed by an Oneg Shabbat. Friday, January 3 & Saturday, January 4 – Cantor David Propis will be Guest Cantor in Residence. Friday, January 17 – Guest speaker for JNF: Dr. Isaac Eliachar /Tu B’Shevat Friday, January 24 – shortened service followed by Tu B’Shevat Seder. Saturday mornings: Services 10:00 am. Kiddush following. Morning minyan 8:30 am Mondays and Thursdays.
Shalom Bayit (Banning)
Temple Sinai Friday Shabbat services at 7:30 pm Friday, January 17: New Member Shabbat Dinner at 6:00 pm. Call 760-568-9699 for reservations. Saturday: 8:45 am: Torah Study, 10:00 am - Shabbat services. Saturday, January 25 – Bar Mitzvah of Brandon Sontz.
Temple Isaiah
Centro Cultural Hebreo de Mexicali Weekly Shabbat Services Friday at 7:00 pm, followed by dinner. Saturday immediately before sunset: Havdallah.
Havdallah the first Saturday of each month at 5:30 pm. Shabbat Services the third Friday of the month at 7:30 pm. Both held 1320 West Williams Street, Banning.
Friday, January 3 Kabbalat Shabbat Service at 5:45 pm, preceded by challah, cheese and wine at
January Community Calendar Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm Chabad Rancho Mirage’s weekly BBQ. Reservations not required, but helpful: 760-770-7785. Wednesdays 10:00 am and 1:30 pm The Tolerance Education Center offers free movies every Wednesday. Call for schedule: 760-328-8252.
18 • JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org
Wednesdays 3:30-5:00 pm Jewish Family Service Jewish Bereavement Group. Meets weekly at the JFS Palm Springs Office, 801 East Tahquitz Canyon. Free to local community and reservations not required.
Wednesday, January 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 10:00 am Chabad Rancho Mirage women’s program “Caffeine for the Soul.” Call 760-770-7785 for more information. Thursday, January 2, 9, 16,, 23, 30 6:30-7:45 pm am Chabad Rancho Mirage women’s evening option for “Caffeine for the Soul.” Call 760-770-7785 for more information.
January Community Calendar Continued Friday, January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 9:30-10:30 am Temple Isaiah Torah Study with Rabbi Sally Olins. Monday, January 6 10:00 am Tamar Hadassah Continental Breakfast Meeting, Mission Hills CC. “Diamonds are a Girls’ Best Friend” with diamond expert Michael Zuckerman. Couvert $13, pre-paid. Contact 760-321-9941. Monday, January 6 Brandeis University University on Wheels featuring Associate Professor of Biology, Melissa Kosinski-Collins, Ph.D. Mission Hills CC. Contact Jean C. Carrus 760-324-3664 for more information. Monday, January 6, 13, 20, 27 7:00 pm Chabad of Rancho Mirage Men’s Torah Class with Rabbi Benny Lew. For more information call 760-636-2897 or email rabbibenny@chabadrm.com. Tuesday, January 7, 14, 21, 28 10 am Temple Sinai Yiddish Club Tuesday, January 7, 21 Noon Jewish Family Service “Lunch In & Out” program for homebound seniors at Jocelyn Senior Center. Call 760-3254088, ext. 205 to register. See details page 15. Tuesday, January 7 7:30 pm Temple Isaiah presents Cantors in Concert. See page 7 for details. Wednesday, January 8, 15, 22, 29 10:00 am Temple Isaiah adult education class Intermediate Hebrew. Instructor: Rabbi Sally Olins.
Wednesday, January 8, 15, 22, 29 12 Noon Temple Sinai adult education course “Judaism Today” Wednesday, January 8, 15, 22, 29 1 pm Temple Sinai Bereavement Group Wednesday, January 8, 15, 22, 29 4:00 pm Temple Isaiah adult education class: “The Kings: Saul, David & Solomon.” Instructor: Rabbi Sally Olins. Wednesday, January 8, 15, 22, 29 5:00 pm Temple Isaiah adult education class: Learning Haftorah. Instructor: Rabbi Sally Olins. Thursday, January 9 7:00 pm Temple Sinai Brotherhood & Sisterhood “The Wrecking Crew,” a documentary about the studio musicians from the 1960’s + life performance by “Demolition.” Tickets $20-$50. Call 760-568-9699 for more information. Tuesday, January 14 10:00 am Temple Isaiah Book Club. Everyone welcome. Tuesday, January 14 10:00 am Rimona Hadassah Light breakfast meeting. Montecito Clubhouse, Shadow Hills Tuesday, January 14 11:00 am Temple Sinai Sisterhood Book Club. Tuesday, January 14 11:30 am Temple Sinai Women’s Text and Torah Study. Tuesday, January 14 AIPAC 2014 Desert Annual Dinner. Keynote speaker: Dr. Eric Trager:
“Middle East 2020 – Envisioning the Future of the U.S. Israel Relationship.” See ad page 5. Wednesday, January 15 11:30 am Jewish National Fund Planned Giving Complementary Luncheon Seminar. “Having Your Cake and Giving It Too.” See ad page 6 for more information. Thursday, January 16 11:30 am Na’Amat Golda Meir Chapter Luncheon at the Asian Bistro, 362 South Palm Canyon, Palm Springs. Program: The Kitchen Kitchen Lady. Everyone welcome. Couvert: $15. RSVP to 760-408-0532. Friday, January 17 4:00 pm Tolerance Education Center Cabaret Series: Richard Leibell “Standards and Broadway” Concert. $15. Seating limited. See page 15 for details. Sunday, January 19 2:00 pm Temple Sinai Town Hall Forum. Speaker: Dr. Isaac Eliachar, “Israel Forever - The Economy, Safety, Future - What it means to us.” No fee. See ad page 9. Wednesdays, January 22, 29, February 5, 12 4:00-5:30 pm Har-El Galen Trimester Course “Mishnah Rabbah” Presenters: Rabbi Mel Silverman and Ralph de la Cruz. Fee. Registration required. Call 760-779-1691 or email harelurj@aol.com. Thursday, January 23 Jewish Federation Major Gifts Dinner
Friday, January 24 3:30 pm Har-El Symposium: Fridays With a Scholar: Dr. Judy Z. Kronenfeld (UC Riverside). Two sessions, before and after Kabbalat Shabbat services, 3:30-4:30 pm and 5:30-6:30 pm. “How Poems Happen” and “A Jewish Poet Reshapes Poetic Possibilities.” Open to community. Sunday, January 26 2:30 pm Hadassah presents Lesley Wolman “Jewish Women in Song … a Celebration.” See ad page 4. Sunday, January 26 4:00 pm Temple Isaiah Lecture Series: Ben Urband, author of “The Collaboration: Hollywood’s Pact with Hitler.” See ad page 9. Monday, January 27 1:00 pm Mensch Foundation’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day observance. Palm Desert Civic Center Park. See ad page 8. Tuesday, January 28 11:30 am Temple Sinai Sisterhood All Valley Sisterhood/Women’s Luncheon “80 Years in the Desert: The Jewish Community in the Coachella Valley.” See ad page 10.
Email (preferred) Miriam Bent at mhbentjcn@ earthlink.net or call 760323-0255 to have your events included in the community calendar. • Deadline is January 6th.
JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 19
DESERT HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
Shalom The Desert Holocaust Memorial is located in the Palm Desert Civic Center at Sanin Jewish Living ThePark finest Pablo Avenue & Fred Waring Drive. Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit this moving memorial, a place of remembrance and monument of hope.
20 • JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org
Shalom
Fair Play in Israeli Politics
The Israeli parliament has a unique ‘arrangement’ called “kizuz” whereby a member of the coalition and a member of the opposition agree in advance to ‘offset’ the effect of the unavoidable absence by a member of the house on a critical vote, by MK Shelly Yachimovich MK Erel Margalit ‘matching’ absent members from opposing parties to balance the vote, power in representative government or by a political opponent who is due to unexpected vicissitudes or present, abstaining from voting. This circumstance. The unwritten protocol usually ‘arrangement’ is designed to prevent arbitrarily influencing the balance of worked like a charm. But recently,
in a meanspirited move, opposition leader Shelly Yachimovich (Labor Party) MK Karin Elharar ordering her colleague MK Erel Margalit not to offset MK Karin Elharar’s (Yesh Atid party) ‘lost vote’ after the wheelchair-bound parliamentarian found herself recuperating from delivery of her first-
born by Cesarean section, just as the contested state budget came up for approval. Margalit did so anyway, but the incident gave birth to a bill – supported across the political spectrum – that will allow Members of Knesset to ‘telecommute’ their vote under extenuating family or health circumstances - including sitting shivah (seven days of mourning in Jewish tradition for a family member).
Israeli Rabbi: Weed is Kosher if it’s Medicinal By Aaron Kalman, The Times of Israel
An Israeli Orthodox rabbi ruled that distributing and smoking medicinal marijuana is kosher, but using weed
Tel Aviv, made the distinction in a recent halachic ruling. Leading rabbis frequently weigh in on matters of reconciling halachah, or Jewish law, with modern living. Zalmanovich’s ruling modifies an opinion by Rabbi Hagai Bar Giora,who in March told Israel’s Magazin Canabis: “If you smoke it, there is no problem whatsoever.” Zalmanovich, the author of a book on alcoholism in Judaism, said: “Taking drugs to escape this world in any excessive way is certainly forbidden.” However, if the drug is administered to relieve pain, then the person giving
it is “performing a mitzvah,” and the person using the drug is using it “in a kosher fashion.” Some 11,000 Israelis use medicinal marijuana, including people with posttraumatic disorders and Parkinson’s disease, according to the Israeli health ministry.
Selling medicinal marijuana in Tel Aviv
for fun is forbidden. Efraim Zalmanovich, the rabbi of Mazkeret Batia, a town south of
JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 21
the Committee f o r A c c u r a cy in Middle East Bruce Landgarten, Reporting in our Federation America and is CEO, is shepping currently on the naches from his national board brother-in-law Ed of Volunteers for Kohl being the first Israel ... Mazel recipient of the tov to Brandon Brandon Sontz Volunteer-of-theSontz, son of Dr. Year Award from Eric and Marie StandWithUsEd Kohl Sontz, on being called to the Torah M i ch i g a n , a n as a Bar Mitzvah at Temple Sinai on organization that works to offset January 25 ...At the January 7th Cantors negative media characterization of Concert at Temple Isaiah there will be a Israel. Ed has also been honored twice very proud grandfather in the audience. for his letter writing by CAMERA, Ralph Tash’s granddaughter Lily Tash
Simchas
Classifieds PERSONAL ASSISTANT/PERSONAL AFFAIRS MANAGER Excellent local references. Bill paying, reconcile bank statement, run errands, drive to appointment. Computer help: MS Office, QuickBooks, emails. Notary. 2 hours minimum. Trustworthy, discreet, dependable. 760-408-5260. DAV I D ’ S C O N S T R UC T I O N Conscientious licensed, insured, bonded, general contractor. Catering to all your home repair needs. No job too small or big. Room additions, remodeling, patio covers, decks, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, masonry, drywall, cement, wood floors, tile, fences, painting, sprinklers, landscaping, swamp coolers, custom homes and more. License #506-370. davidsconstruction@ymail.com 760671-4476 . TEMPLE SINAI GIFT SHOP : One of a kind and largest Judaica shop here in the desert. For all your traditional needs and unique gift items. Special orders available. For information call the Temple office at 760-568-9699. JFS VOLUNTEERS WELCOME: Rewarding Volunteer Opportunities; Interested in expanding your life by volunteering? JFS has volunteer openings and is now accepting applications for the following positions: Lunch In & Out Driver, Lunch In & Out Program Volunteer, Friendly Visitors, JFS Express Senior Ride Transportation program, provide rides for seniors to medical appointments. For more information and to apply now, contact Julie Hirsh, 760-3254088 X109.
AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE ASSISTANCE In-Home Care. Coordination of Medical Services. Preparation of home cooked meals and holidays. Assistance with activities of daily living. Customized solutions for your loved one(s). 24 hour/7 day home health, critical care, post-op and hospice. Provided by Annelyse Battista and Andrea Lawrence, serving the desert communities for 22 years. 760-636-4611. FOR ALL OF YOUR CLOTHING NEEDS – call Arlene, at Rosenthal of Palm Springs. From casual to couture, for men and women. Can make and or copy anything. Huge variety of fabrics. In your home appointments. Since 1989 – making people look and feel good in perfectly fitted clothing. 760-323-8353. KRISTINE A. KAUFFMAN - SENIOR CARE SPECIALIST. Driving for appointments, shopping, dining, etc; Errands (groceries, banking, etc); Bill paying and other miscellaneous tasks; Companionship. Dog sitting, walking. References available. 4-hour minimum 760-902-3490. TRAVELING NOTARY PUBLIC for all your Health, Financial and Real Estate Documents. Available 7 Days. Ernest Sussman 760-408-9338. SOLVE YOUR FRUSTRATING TECHNICAL PROBLEMS! Installation, technical issues, even how-do-I-do-this problems. No charge if problem not solved. Call me for your Computer, TV, Phone, Audio, Ipad, etc. technical needs. References. Very reasonable rates. David (bonded ex-Special Ed teacher) 760 989-4260.
22 • JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org
is a Cantorial student at the A c a d e my f o r Jewish Religion in LA and will be part of the Cantors chorus ... Sandra and H a r ve y s e n d in the adorable Julie Brynn Pores photo of their new granddaughter, Julie Brynn Pores, daughter of Jill and Justin Pores, who was born December 3rd. Mazel tov to the Sandra, Harvey, Jill and Justin, and to Julie’s big brother Jacob as well ... Last month we kvelled over Dr. Paul Ross being named Grand GLADYS BECKER, MSW, LCSW. Over 35 years experience counseling/ providing therapy for couples, adults, seniors and adolescents. Let me help you with your depression, anxiety, family, marital and relationship issues. Call 760-320-4377 or email glabec@msn.com for a confidential assessment. Medicare Provider Sliding Fee Scale. Licensed Clinical Social Worker #17882 - Board Certified Diplomat. ROOMMATE TO SHARE GATED EXECUTIVE HOME in Palm Springs. Private suite and bath with den. Includes full use of home’s amenities; pool, spa, plus garage and much more. $1800 monthly. Call 760-323-8025. ATTENTION BRIDGE PLAYERS! Audrey Grant Will teach a two day seminar: February 5 & 6, 2014 for intermediate and advanced players. Cost $190. Sponsored by Hadassah. Call Nancy Singer 760-202-2838. Limited space available. Waiting list to be formed!
Marshall of the Desert Hot Springs Holiday parade. Thanks to our Federation President C e l i a Paul & Stephanie Ross Norian, we h ave t h i s photo of Paul, with his wife Stephanie, taken at the parade! ... Share your Simchas with us. Call or email Miriam Bent at 760-323-0255 or mhbentjcn@ earthlink.net. P R I VAT E D U T Y N U R S E LV N available for home health care. Extensive hospital and doctor’s o f f i c e e x p e r i e n c e . C a l l Jo a n i e 760-776-6752. Congregation Har-El GALEN WINTER TRIMESTER COURSES are open for registration. The Midrash Rabbah--The Classic Commentary--Taking a Creative Approach to the Midrash: Confronting Critical Issues We Face in the Modern World. Presented on Wednesdays, January 22, 29; February 5, 12, 2014, 4:00-5:30 PM. Call Har-El at 760-779-1691 or E-mail: See Sage Cartoon, Page 14. Hadassah Sun City presents SUNDAY IN THE CATSKILLS with CANTORS HERSCHEL AND JUDY FOX, dynamic, “haimish” LA cantors. Sunday February 23, 2014, 3:00 pm, at Speakers Hall, Sun City Palm Desert. A treat of Jewish music, culture and family life. $30 per person, pre-paid. Mail checks payable to “Hadassah” to Sandy Zide, 37-712 Breeze Way, Palm Desert, CA 92211. For more information call Dorothy at 760-360-9421.
Candle Lighting Times Friday, January 3 Friday, January 10 Friday, January 17 Friday, January 24 Friday, January 31
Shabbat Bo Shabbat Beshalach Shabbat Yitro Shabbat Misihpatim Shabbat Terumah
4:07 pm 4:13 pm 4:19 pm 4:26 pm 4:33 pm
We Mourn the Passing of... Betty Bloomfield, Frank Goodman and Isabel Sobel. Our deepest sympathies to their families and friends. May their memories endure for a blessing.
Dr. Paul and Stephanie Ross with Rabbi Yankel Kreiman at Desert Hot Springs Chanukah Party
SCENE
Seen at the Jewish Family Service Patrons Event: Co-chairs Barbara Fromm and Carol Fragen, Donna McMillan, and President Ed Gubman; Jamie Kabler and Helene Galen; Diane Gershowitz and Michael Childers; and Jerry and Barbara Keller.
Laugh out Loud Stories in the news that bring a smile!
RELIGIOUS/ HEBREW SCHOOLS
NEW HOUSE RULES
One hundred and seventy Othodox rabbis from Beit Hillel have issued a revolutionary religious ruling or psak halacha. Nothing to do with Hillel House on American campuses, this Beit Hillel is an Israeli association of Orthodox rabbis determined to adapt Jewish law to modern realities by taking a creative and non-rigid approach in interpreting halacha (Jewish law). The new ruling paves the way for religiously-observant Jews to invite non-observant Jews to dinner on Friday night – without the invitation to dinner turning into an ‘overnight’ (requiring diners to stay with their hosts until sundown Saturday night) or refrain from visiting at all. The former allor-nothing interpretation of Jewish law - which considered the host ‘a collaborator to commitment of a transgression’ if guests broke the Sabbath by arriving or departing by car – had prevented many datlashim (formerly religious, an acronym for dati l’she’avar) from having Shabbat dinner with their parents (a common practice even among secular Israelis), or visiting them during the day on Saturday, the one-day weekend. Moreover, it created undesirable barriers between religious and secular Jews, ruled the consortium of rabbis.
WE’RE NOT ALONE…OR ARE WE?
Community Schools
In Jerusalem, to maintain peace in the Holy City, ads on buses and bus shelters boast only jars of mayonnaise and the like, while ‘figures’ (that is, people – male or female) are not displayed in the capital in order to avoid friction with ultra-Orthodox residents over standards of modesty for women. Yet sometimes officials responsible for the ‘arrangement’ go overboard: Bending over backward, the EGGED bus co-op rejected a humorous ad by Kidum (a network of schools that provide tutoring in preparation for Israeli college boards - the psychometric exam, because it featured an ET-like figure saying “Advanced intelligence has been discovered on earth” claiming Kidum offered “the most advanced course in the universe.” The bus company argued without batting an eyelash that EGGED couldn’t appear to sponsor an ad suggesting there were extraterrestrials.
Chabad Hebrew School A project of Chabad of Palm Springs & Desert Communities Director: Sussie Denebeim 73550 S. Rosa Way, Palm Desert, CA 92260 www.chabadpd.com 760-341-6501 Temple Isaiah Principal: Rabbi Sally Olins 332 West Alejo Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 www.templeisaiahps.com 760-325-2281, ext. 203 Temple Sinai Director: Miri Ketayi 73-251 Hovley Lane West, Palm Desert, CA 92260 www.templesinaipd.org 760-568-9699
NURSERY SCHOOLS Temple Sinai Tikvah Pre-School Director: Debbie Midcalf 24 mos - Pre-K 73-251 Hovley Lane West, Palm Desert, CA 92260 760-568-6779
JCN • January 2014 • Tevet/Shevat 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 23
FEED THE HUNGRY. GIVE HOPE TO THOUSANDS.
SECURE THE FUTURE.
BEFORE YOUR FIRST CUP OF COFFEE.
It only takes a few minutes to change lives in our community and around the world. Food banks for the needy, care for seniors, Israel experiences for the young – these are just some of the solutions Federation supports with heart, innovation and decades of knowing what works. Seize the moment. Donate. Volunteer. Get involved. Your link to getting started: jfedps.org
69-710 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 760-324-4737
The Strength of a People. The Power of Community.