The Jewish Chronicle November 29, 2012

Chanuka Kosher wine guide It’s not just Mogen David anymore

Page 10

NOVEMBER 29, 2012

kislev 15, 5773

Vol. 56, No. 29

Pittsburgh, PA

After the rockets …

$1.50

W.Va. mission to Israel gets green light with cease-fire

BY LEE CHOTTINER Executive Editor

Chronicle photo by Lee Chottiner

It was standing room only Monday at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill as hundreds of Jews from the city and suburbs turned out for the We Stand With Israel rally.

… Pittsburgh Jews rally to support Israel

BY LEE CHOTTINER Executive Editor

“Bless the State of Israel with its promise of redemption. Shield it with your love. Spread over it your shelter of peace.”

— Prayer for Israel, Siddur Sim Shalom After visiting Israel last week during the country’s eight days of warfare with Hamas, Rabbi Daniel Yolkut compared the Diaspora Jews he left behind with tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh.

The Torah teaches, Yolkut said, that as Israel prepared to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, these tribes petitioned Moses to remain behind in the fertile Jordan Valley.

“Moses says to them, ‘will you let your brothers go to war and you sit here?’ ” Yolkut said. “Well, last week, our brothers and sisters went to war, and we need to understand what that meant.”

Yolkut, spiritual leader of Congregation Poale Zedeck, was one of the featured speakers Monday at a community rally in support of Israel at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill.

The rally, dubbed “We Stand with Israel: A Gathering in Solidarity,” and organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, drew hundreds of people from across the city and suburbs, many waving Israeli flags as they crowded into the standing-room-only Levinson Hall.

Yolkut, who traveled to Israel days after the fighting began with a mission from the Rabbinical Council of America, paid a shiva call on the family of a rocket attack victim, delivered toys and coloring books — collected by his Please see Rally, page 21.

Several West Virginia Jews from the Huntington area dialed in to a conference call last week, anxious to learn if their mission to Israel — several months in the works — was still on.

It was, they learned, pending a cease-fire, which was soon declared.

So 25 Jews from small Federation communities — 18 from Huntington alone — left Monday morning for the Jewish state.

For Linda Pickholtz Klein, a Pittsburgh native, Huntington resident and mission chair, the trip, which runs from Nov. 26 through Dec. 6, and also includes Jews from Wilmington, N.C., and Cheyenne, Wyo., is first and foremost about West Virginia Jews, particularly members of B’nai Shalom Congregation in Huntington.

Asked if she considers it a West Virginia mission, Pickholtz Klein said, “We absolutely do.”

In fact, the idea for the mission took root this past January when a leading Huntington Jewish family discussed ways to interest local Jews in traveling to Israel.

The Weisberg family heavily subsidized the cost of the trip for the Huntington participants.

“Joan Weisberg and her daughter, Martha Weisberg Barvin, who lives in Houston, were musing over how no one had been to Israel from Huntington for a long time, and how could they encourage people to go,” Pickholtz Klein said.

By the end of January, Martha called Martin Greenberg, executive director Please see Mission, page 21.

B USINES S 18/C L AS SIFIED 20/C OMMUNITY 23 O BITUARIES 22/O PINION 6/R EAL E STATE 17/S IMCHAS 16

Times To Remember

KINDLE SHABBAT CANDLES: 4:36 p.m. EST. SHABBAT ENDS: 5:38 p.m. EST.

2 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Metro Nursery school closing

BENS early childhood center touched children’s lives

BY TOBY TABACHNICK Staff Writer

Beth El Congregation of the South Hills has announced that it will shut down its BENS Early Childhood Learning Center, effective Dec. 24.

Low enrollment numbers have made running the center economically untenable for the congregation, according to Miles Kirshner, president of Beth El. “Demographic trends in our community have made it unsustainable,” Kirshner said, noting that there just are not enough preschool age children in the South Hills to support the number of programs currently offered in the area.

The congregation plans to roll out a new program next year that it expects will better serve the current needs of its members.

Beth El Nursery School was established in 1969, and for many years, under the tenure of director Georgia Hernandez, was known as one of the premiere nursery schools in the South Hills.

Enrollment began to decline after

Only 12 out of the 50 children Hernandez retired in 2002. By 2008, the school saw a “significant decline in reg- currently enrolled in the center are chilistration,” according to a letter sent to dren of Beth El members, according to congregants last week signed by Kirshn- Kirshner.

In an effort to save the program, er and Beth El’s executive vice president, Andy Schaer. Schaer is also a BENS entered into a shared services agreement board memwith the ber of the Jewish ComChronicle.

“We’re currently searching and commitmunity CenIn 2010, ted to find ways to achieve the critical ter of Beth El conGreater verted BENS goals of providing Jewish connection to Pittsburgh from a preour preschool families...” last year, school model with the into a fully acMike Kirshner tention of ulcredited, alltimately day program, merging hoping to their respecmeet the needs of families with two working par- tive childcare centers. Low enrollment ents. The re-vamping of the program, numbers at BENS, however, prevented however, did not generate a significant the merger, Kirshner said.

“There wasn’t light at the end of the increase in enrollment.

“We are well below the level of enroll- tunnel,” he said. “We felt it was no ment necessary to come close to a break longer fair to subsidize the program to the extent we were doing. The sustained even,” Kirshner said. losses were unacceptable to Beth El. The board unanimously felt it was time to quit.”

Beth El plans to continue its relationship with the JCC, and develop some supplemental Jewish value-based programming for preschoolers and their families, differing from the child care center model, Kirshner said.

“We’re currently searching and committed to find ways to achieve the critical goals of providing Jewish connection to our preschool families,” he said. “Our new program will be rolled out as early as January, and it will be designed to involve Rabbi Alex [Greenbaum] and Beth El in the lives of families with young children.”

The new programming, which is still in the development stage, will introduce something that is currently lacking in the South Hills, according to Schaer.

“From our perspective, it’s about serving the community in a way that helps the community, not in a way that is duplicative,” he said. “It will be programming based on Jewish values in a way

that’s not currently developed in the South Hills.”

While Beth El’s collaboration with the JCC did not lead to a merger of the two child care programs, it did help cement a relationship that will benefit the South Hills Jewish community, according to Brian Schreiber, president and CEO of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh.

“I think ultimately, the partnership piece was wonderful,” Schreiber said.

“We worked very well together as a congregation and the JCC, and we will continue to work with congregations to enhance Jewish life together. The good news is I think it did strengthen our relationship.”

Beth El is currently working with each BENS family to find a new early learning program for each child, and to ease everyone’s transition.

“Right now, we are focused on managing the transition for our children to make sure they and their families will land softly through all of this,” Schaer said.

Hernandez, who taught at BENS for 11 years before becoming its director in 1985, said that she was proud of the program she helped build at Beth El. “I have not been back in years, but still feel I could walk in there and know where every toy, every book, every block and every chair is,” she said in an email to the Chronicle. “I wasn’t sad when I heard the news because I know all good things must pass. More, I felt like it was the passing of an icon — a time to celebrate all the good we did. Beth El Nursery School was known far and wide for its excellent philosophy, inclusiveness and nurturing environment.”

“So, while I wish it could go on forever, my chest bursts with pride that I played a part in Beth El Nursery School for 28 years and was the director for 17 years,” she concluded. “It is now time to look at what was accomplished and feel proud. I hope everyone involved with the school does. I know I do.”

(Toby Tabachnick can be reached at tobyt@thejewishchronicle.net.)

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012 — 3

METRO Briefly The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh will host two basketball games between the JCC Varsity Boys Basketball Team and a Partnership2Gether Team from Karmiel/Misgav, Israel.

“Chooplah for Chanukah,” as the tournament is called, will take place, Sunday, Dec. 9, 8 p.m., and Wednesday, Dec. 12, 8 p.m. Both games will be held at the JCC in Squirrel Hill and will be free. The community is encouraged to come and cheer for the teams.

The Karmiel/Misgav team is coming to Pittsburgh from Dec. 8 to 13 in a Partnership2Gether program through the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. In addition to the two JCC games, the Israelis will work with children in JCC Clubhouse, hold basketball clinics, help with senior lunch and light Chanuka candles at the JCC. They will cook Shabbat dinner with Hillel, participate in services and dinner at Temple Sinai, and eat breakfast and participate in activities at the Federation. The team will go to the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University basketball games and watch a Steelers game.

Local families will host team members. Call Jeremy Kelley at 412-5218011, ext. 249 or Sam Bloom at 412-5218011, ext. 366 for more information.

Pittsburgh Area Jewish Committee will hold a board meeting,

Tuesday, Dec. 4, featuring Hank Butler, executive director of Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition (PJC). Butler will present a roundup of the November election and its impact on the Pennsylvania Jewish community.

The event will be held at Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave. at 7 p.m. The meeting is free and open to the public.

The Pittsburgh Area Jewish Committee’s Christian-Jewish Dialogue will meet Thursday, Dec. 6, at Congregation Beth Shalom, 5915 Beacon St., at noon. The topic of the upcoming session is “Separation of Church and State,” presented by Alex Orbach, and Jewish and Christian texts will be studied.

The conveners are Rabbi James Gibson, Father Radu Bordeianu, Rev. Linda Theophilus and Rabbi Michael Werbow.

The program is free to the public.

Contact the PAJC office at (412) 6050816 or at pajc@pajc.net for more information.

The next Squirrel Hill Project program will be held Sunday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Senator John Heinz History Center.

The program, which the University of Pittsburgh Jewish Studies Program and the Rauh Jewish Archives are co-hosting, will be a morning of various activities about the history of the Jewish community in Squirrel Hill and the Pittsburgh area more broadly.

The morning will begin with a presentation, “Finding Squirrel Hill in the

Archives,” by Susan Melnick, archivist of the Rauh Jewish Archives, and David Grinnell, of the Archives Service Center of the University of Pittsburgh Library, and formerly at the Heinz History Center. They will share material from the two largest archival collections of local history, highlighting collections related to Squirrel Hill and its Jewish community.

Following their presentation, participants will tour the various areas devoted to different activities, including hands-on training on researching local history and family history using the resources of the Heinz History Center, the Pitt Library, and other online sources.

Highlights from the Rauh and Heinz collections will be on display and attendees are invited to bring materials such as photos, pamphlets, letters or other memorabilia from their personal collections or those from organizations they are involved with. Scholars and archivists will be on hand to discuss the material with them and describe how those materials shed light on the history of the Jewish community and the neighborhood.

In another area, participants will have opportunities to record memories of Squirrel Hill and other Pittsburgh Jewish communities.

Participants will be able to view research posters prepared by Pitt students taking a course taught by Dr. Rachel Kranson this semester on “Jews and the City.”

Films related to the history of the neighborhood will also be screened.

Admission is free. Preregistration at sqhill@pitt.edu is requested but not required.

Hillel Jewish University Center is holding auditions this week for its annual Campus Superstar event, which will take place March 21, 2013, at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.

With a $5,000 prize at stake, this year’s Superstar will be its biggest season since it started in 2007. Previous winners have gone on to Hollywood, Broadway and even lead roles with the Seattle Opera.

Auditions began Tuesday, Nov. 27, at Carnegie Mellon University, and were also held at the University of Pittsburgh and Point Park University.

An estimated 150 students from area colleges were expected to audition.

Thirty will make the cut for a second round of tryouts in January, and 10 will compete March 21 for the title of Campus Superstar 2013.

Past competitors include Nick Cosgrove (2007), who currently plays the leading part of Frankie Valli in the first national tour of “Jersey Boys,” and Amanda Jane Cooper (2009), who has gone on to roles on “Glee” on FOX and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” on CBS. Proceeds from Campus Superstar 2013 support the Hillel JUC. Chabad of the South Hills will hold a benefit gala and celebration, “Light up the Night,” marking the second night of Chanuka and featuring violinist Andres Cardenes accompanied by pianist Luz Manriquez at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center Sunday, Dec. 9.

Please see Briefly, page 5.

4 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012

METRO Penn State Hillel receives national recognition at G.A. conference

BY LEE CHOTTINER

The Pennsylvania State University Hillel has won a national award from Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. The honor came for its work with student leaders.

The Penn State Hillel was one of five recipients — two Hillels, five individuals — of the 2012 Philip H. and Susan Rudd Cohen Student Exemplar of Excellence and Campus of Excellence Awards.

The winners were announced at the recent 2012 Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly in Baltimore.

Johns Hopkins University won the small campus award.

The individual winners came from Hillels at the University of Maryland, Kent State University, Hillel Australia, Pace University and Rutgers University.

Penn State won the large campus award for having shown a commitment to engaging students on every level while also deepening their student leadership.

Aaron Kaufman, director of the Penn State Hillel, told the Chronicle his students demonstrated their lead-

ership during the recent fighting between Israel and Hamas when Hillel leaders at Penn State engaged anti-Israel protestors on campus, Friday, Nov. 16.

“Our student leaders on their own were able to diffuse the situation and get them to take down some of their signs,” Kaufman said.

He also said his students developed a

Facebook campaign, through which they encouraged students to take pictures of themselves and answer the question, “I stand with Israel because …”

He said the Penn State Hillel serves some 4,000 to 6,000 Jewish students at the University Park campus. It does not have traditional memberships.

“The hard work of our students and staff has now been nationally recog-

nized,” Elliott Weinstein, chair of the Penn State Hillel board of directors, said in a prepared statement.

“The entire board of directors, including myself, is so proud of the work these students and professionals do every day and we congratulate everyone involved.”

Hillel is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, engaging with students at more than 550 universities across the globe.

The Philip H. Cohen and Susan Rudd Cohen Campus of Excellence Award recognizes the efforts of local Hillels to empower student leadership and foster engagement, activism, education and university partnership.

A committee from Hillel’s Schusterman International Center chose the winners, and applications were open to all Hillels, which serve more than 550 universities across the globe.

The large vs. small campus distinction refers to the Jewish student populations on the campuses served by Hillels.

(Lee Chottiner can be reached at leec@thejewishchronicle.net.)

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012 — 5

METRO Nurturing sensitivity Yeshiva Schools photo

The first-graders at Yeshiva Schools were honored to have a visit from Chaim VanSickle this week, who openly shared his experience of living with blindness.

To prepare for his visit, the students wrote stories that were translated into Braille. VanSickle spoke to the kids and demonstrated walking around the room guided only by his walking stick.

He then passed out the Braille alphabet so that the students could experience running their fingers over the letters.

The students were mesmerized when VanSickle read the Braille versions of their own stories to them. They watched as he ran his fingers over the Braille and listened with amazement as he deciphered their names and skillfully relayed what they had written.

The program gave the first-graders an insight into VanSickle’s challenges and left them with an admiration for his abilities and accomplishments.

Briefly Continued from page 3.

The honorees for the evening include Geoffrey and Laurie Gerber, recipients of the Lamplighter Award; Benjamin Friedlander, recipient of the Young Leadership Award; Alan Frank and Lewis Winnecour receiving the “Macabees in our Times” tributes. Cardenes will be presented with the Chesed (Kindness) Award.

Cardenes was the concertmaster for the Pittsburgh Symphony from 1989 to 2010 and has performed internationally as a soloist with more than 100 orchestras where he has received international acclaim as a violinist.

The evening will begin with cocktails and Feast of the Nations buffet dinner at 6 p.m. followed by the program and performance at 7:30 p.m.

Visit chabadsh.com or call Chabad of South Hills at 412-344-2424 for reservations.

Jewish Residential Services will host a workshop on “A Home of My Own: New Strategies for Creating Homes for Individuals with Disabilities,” Tuesday, Dec. 4, 6:30 p.m., at Jewish Residential Services, located at Rodef Shalom Congregation.

The workship is designed for parents interested in housing for adult children but lack the necessary state waiver funding, are looking for an alternative

to a traditional group home, or want to connect with other Jewish parents in the same situation.

Nancy Murray, president of the ARC of Greater Pittsburgh at Achieva and an expert in the disability field, will be present. She is leading an initiative to create new and innovative housing opportunities for people with disabilities.

The workshop is free and kosher refreshments will be served. Contact Shani Lasin at 412-325-0039 or slasin@jrspgh.org for more information.

Congregation Ahavath Achim in Carnegie will hold a special Shabbat service, Friday, Dec. 7, at 7:45 p.m.

The family-oriented service will include prayers in both Hebrew and English and will be followed by an Oneg Shabbat.

Ahavath Achim, a traditional congregation, is the oldest Jewish congregation in the South Hills. Founded in 1896 and incorporated in 1903, it has been at its present building at 500 Chestnut St. since 1937.

Call 412-561-1261 for more information.

B’nai Emunoh/Chabad at 4315 Murray Ave. will hold its grand Chanuka family Melave Malka Saturday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. Call 412-521-1477 for more information and to get a schedule of classes and services under the guidance of Rabbi Elchonon D. Friedman.

6 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012

The Jewish Chronicle

Opinion

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Who won? o who gets to claim victory in the just-completed conflict between Israel and Hamas?

Well, obviously Israel and Palestinian leaders are each saying they won — Israel because it stopped — for now — rocket attacks on its people; Hamas because it earned some respectability among Arab leaders, some of whom actually visited Gaza during the fighting.

But perhaps there are far more winners than those, and perhaps some of them may surprise you.

Winner: Iron Dome Missile defense system — No surprise here. During eight days of fighting, Iron Dome shot down 421 of some 1,500 rockets launched from Gaza, (the success rate could have been much higher, but the IDF chose not to fire at rockets on a trajectory to land harmlessly in open fields). While the cost of arming and operating these batteries was steep — as high as $30 million over the course of the fighting — the system proved its worth. The Defense Ministry hopes to have 13 to 15 batteries operational in

S

five years, according to Haaretz. Clearly, Iron Dome has earned its keep.

Winner: Richard Goldstone — Now this is surprising. The South African jurist and author of the much-maligned Goldstone Report following Operation Cast Lead, who later recanted much of it, may have experienced a vindication of sorts. Forward reported that Israel apparently took some lessons from the report. To wit, the casualty toll for the eight days of Operation Pillar of Defense was lower than the first day of Cast Lead alone. Observers attribute this to more sophisticated Israeli weaponry, but also to a greater willingness on Israel’s part to slow its fire and be more selective of targets. (Sending thousands of text messages to Gazans in harm’s way also didn’t hurt.)

Winner: Mohamed Morsi — The newly coined Egyptian president very nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with his ill-advised decree putting his rulings above judicial review — a decision that may still backfire on him — but for now, Morsi has earned political

capital for brokering the cease-fire. He could have sided with Hamas, abrogated the treaty with Israel and called for jihad against the Jewish state — all of which would be consistent with Muslim Brotherhood rhetoric. Instead, he kept the treaty in place and chose a relatively moderate course over a war footing. To be sure, Morsi is no friend of Israel’s, but the jury is still out as to what kind of enemy he will be.

Winner: The peace process — The what? Are we crazy to talk about peace at a time like this — when Egypt has withdrawn its ambassador, Hamas has just finished firing over 1,000 rockets and Hezbollah is threatening to join the fray the next time fighting breaks out?

All rhetoric aside, Hezbollah didn’t join the fighting, Hamas is holding its fire and, as we said, Egypt did broker a cease-fire. It may not seem like much on which to build a peace process, but in a region becoming increasingly extreme in its political posturing, it’s also more than Israel might have expected.

Permission to support Israel without measure Gary Rosenblatt

NEW YORK — Sitting in my home last weekend and reading about the trauma the people of Israel have endured under rocket attack in recent days, I never felt closer to Israel — or further away.

I was reminded of the story of the hen and the turkey reading the Thanksgiving Day menu the farmer had posted, calling for the next day’s dinner to feature “scrambled eggs and the traditional holiday meal.”

“From you he wants a contribution,” the turkey said ruefully to the hen.

“From me he wants total commitment.”

What can we on the sidelines of the Zionist enterprise do for our brothers and sisters who are fully engaged against an enemy that seeks their destruction — and ours, as Jews, as well?

It should go without saying, but needs to be said at a time when moral equivalency reigns, that the first thing we can do is show full support for an outcome that allows Israeli children, and their parents, to sleep at night without fear of rockets from Gaza destroying them and their way of life.

That’s one of the key messages that Ido Aharoni, consul general of Israel in New York, has been making, virtually nonstop, since the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas started.

In numerous media interviews, sometimes as many as a dozen back-to-back on the radio, Aharoni says he emphasizes two points: that Israel’s goal is to

remove the threat posed by Hamas rockets to the life of Israeli citizens and to the state’s economy, and that the government has authorized its army to act without limitations of time or scope.

He makes the case, largely unchallenged, he says, that “when one’s enemy doesn’t play by the same rules,” the conventional methods of waging war are obsolete. Taking advantage of the fact that Israel’s army tries to avoid harming civilians, Hamas soldiers do not wear uniforms, mingle among the civilian population, regularly use human shields, and stockpile their weapons in schools, mosques and hospitals.

Hamas, Aharoni asserted, “is an enemy that doesn’t value human life and nurtures the cult of death.”

Further proof: Hamas, whose charter calls for the murder of Jews everywhere and the destruction of the Jewish state, has never provided bomb shelters for its citizens, preferring the benefits of victimhood when innocents in harm’s way are killed by Israeli rockets. And the fact that Hamas targeted Jerusalem, with its hundreds of thousands of Arab inhabitants, not to mention the holy mosque in the Old City, underscores an obsession with obliterating Israel, damn the consequences.

As for accusations that Israel uses “excessive force” in its effort to stop Hamas and their rockets, Aharoni voices exasperation: “What is the alternative” to fighting back? he asks, after Israel has endured thousands of missiles long after leaving Gaza completely in 2005.

This is not about a conflict culminating in peace talks, “this is a dead end,” he says. “They’re just interested in inflicting harm on us. So you do what you have to do to defend your people.”

And though Israel’s government and society may be flawed, like any other, it’s more than alright to champion Jerusalem’s cause for the simple reason

that we’re Jewish.

That was one of the messages Bret Stephens, foreign affairs correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, offered up to 100 high school juniors and seniors who are part of the Write On For Israel program on Sunday morning at the Kraft Center of Columbia University. (Write On is a two-year advocacy-through-journalism program for high school students sponsored by The Jewish Week.)

Yes, he said, when you get to college you will be challenged to choose between your pro-Israel credentials and democratic values. But that’s a false equation and a sign of “massive hypocrisy,” he noted, because Israel is the only state in the Mideast that embodies the values of women’s equality, gay rights, concern for the environment, a free and open press, and the other liberal democratic principles we tend to take for granted in America.

Equally important, he said, is “the harder, deeper point” that beyond supporting Israel for its “performance record” as the startup nation that made the desert bloom, “you should” connect with Israel “because it’s yours — it’s your birthright.”

In giving these young people, who are being educated about the history and complexity of the Mideast conflict, permission to feel complete loyalty to an imperfect Israel in the same way they show greater love to their family and friends than to others, Stephens was making an important statement. And one, it seems, that is being challenged, at least implicitly, by other voices in the Jewish community.

Daniel Gordis, a frequent writer on the Mideast who is based in Jerusalem, took issue with a message his friend, Rabbi Sharon Brous, sent to her Los Angeles congregants last Friday, entitled “Heartache.” Her words expressed Please see Rosenblatt, page 8.

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012 — 7

OPINION

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Mission synopsis (Editor’s note: Pittsburgh native David Eisner, while on a family trip to Israel last week, took time to join a short mission of American Jewish leaders to the war zone. What follows are excerpts from an extensive email Eisner wrote in which he recounts his experiences.)

Today, I joined Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and a small mission of leaders from three religious movements, federations and Zionist organizations.

In addition to briefings and meetings with most of Israel’s top political and military leaders, as well as Egyptian diplomats, we visited victims of the terror and war of the past days and years.

Today’s activities were focused on visiting — and giving comfort to — some of the residents, soldiers and victims who have suffered so much this past week and, in many cases, several years.

The [Israeli] government seems to believe that they accomplished their major goals of “de-capitation and deterrence” (though, admittedly, success of deterrence is only judged in the rear view mirror), and that the risk/reward of doing more was not there. They also believe that [Egyptian President Mohamed] Morsi passed a critical first test of his leadership; when faced with the conflict between his ideology and reality, he chose the realistic path (no doubt with much pressure on him and his aid package from the United States).

In Ashkelon, we met with Mayor Benny Bakni in his situation room.

While he supports the government and army, most of his constituents believe the cease-fire deal was the “same agreement we signed four years ago.”

In fact, two weeks after the 2008 Operation Cast Lead, rockets hit an

Ashkelon grade school (thankfully, on Shabbat). Today, an hour before we arrived, a rocket was fired at Ashkelon.

Most buildings, including hospitals and schools are not secure; children and adults have 20 to 25 seconds to get to shelter.

At the hospital, Barzilai Medical Center, which is six miles from Gaza, we met some of the doctors and patients, including a man (David ben Yocheved) who lost his leg from shrapnel while running for cover earlier this week.

We left Ashkelon, drove past Sderot, on our way to Beer Sheva. There, we visited the Soroka Hospital, which serves as the tertiary hospital for 1 million people, including (ironically) serious cases from Gaza.

We met with the director general and deputy director general of the hospital in their situation room. They had to closed eight operating rooms, and converted closets to operating rooms.

Dozens of soldiers came to the hospital to help to move patients. … The hospital operates a day care center, so doctors and nurses could come/stay.

The hospital usually has two to 10 residents of Gaza as patients at any given time, though Hamas needs to approve care — and use it as a weapon (reward and punishment). This past week, the hospital had 299 war-related patients (one-third stress and twothirds physical, including 60 soldiers).

We visited several patients. The most memorable was 19-year-old Doron ben Ilana, from the Golani Brigade, who had a missile explode near him and got a leg full of shrapnel. He said that he and his “friends” (i.e., comrades) were ready and anxious to clear out the terrorist swamp of Gaza. I also spoke to his mother and girlfriend.

These people in southern Israel have suffered so badly for so long. It is impossible for any of us to even imagine what it must be like.

From Beer Sheva, we drove back to Jerusalem where we were welcomed

by President Shimon Peres at his residence. We spent over an hour with the president. He continually expressed his gratitude for our visit to Israel.

Ever optimistic, Peres spoke about the possibilities that the situation may present. He also expressed his gratitude to the U.S. government — President Obama in particular — for the support it had shown.

David Eisner New York

ATTENTION SNOWBIRDS!

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8 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012

OPINION

Israelis resilient under fire, but there are limits Asher wiseman

KIBBUTZ KFAR RUPPIN, Israel — The routine comfort and rural tranquility of the kibbutz was interrupted Wed., Nov. 14, when all students were urgently called to their respective lounges to see the first images of “Operation Pillar of Defense” being broadcasted live on television.

Upon learning of the IDF’s successful termination of Ahmed Jabari, a prominent Hamas general, a tangible feeling of pride pervaded the kibbutz, comparable to the American reaction to Osama bin Laden’s death. Likewise, we boarding school students were confident of our country’s strength and ability to get the job done.

However, regardless of our national pride and solidarity, the frightening images of conflict humbled us. We knew that rockets would never fall in our kibbutz in the Jordan River Valley but the war was brought right into my living room and I was afraid.

It has always been evident that the ble to evade the anxiety of war. PrivateIDF is the superior force in the Gazan ly, people were glued to their televisions conflict. My homeroom teacher claimed all over the country. If they didn’t watch that the IDF could erase Gaza from the television then they received updates map in a matter of minutes if it so willed. from their smart phones. Every code red With that in mind, I asked myself what and military maneuver was instantly could Hamas possibly have to gain in a posted on the Web, enabling any Israeli war with Israel? The answer is clear: to identify with his southern neighbors Hamas wants to bearing the win a big victory brunt of the conin the court of flict. ...what could Hamas possipublic opinion About half of and spread its the Israeli popubly have to gain in a war message of terror. lation never Tactically speakheard the sirens with Israel? ing, Hamas’s warning of an inrockets deliver coming Gazan little more paymissile, but the load than a miliubiquity of war tary issue grenade, while Israeli jets de- in the media shook every Israeli from stroyed entire apartment complexes nu- Metulla to Eilat. merous times throughout the operation.

Happily, I have good news to report.

However, one must simply hearken back Israel is poised to win the war of public to the contested Goldstone Report of opinion and her experienced citizens 2009 that accused Israel of targeting know how to live normally under the imGazan civilians or the Mavi Marmara in- mense weight of terror.

Israel has learned from her publicity cident of 2010 to understand how Israel can lose to Hamas in the court of public failures. Pro-Israel activism online is opinion. Likewise, this conflict was well now thriving; the IDF has made exempublicized throughout the world. Opin- plary use of social media, and an early ion-forming news of the war in Gaza ri- cease-fire prohibited a ground campaign valed reports of the ongoing slaughter in from spoiling IDF gains. Even my high Syria and a changing of the guard in school encouraged me, as an English China. speaker, to support Israel in the war on When distant explosions were brought the Web. Israeli society is well aware of into our living room it became impossi- the necessity to defend its reputation in the media.

Not enough can be said about peculiar resilience of the Israelis themselves.

Rosenblatt: Continued from page 6. empathy for Israelis, who “have the right and the obligation to defend themselves,” as well as “the Palestinian people, both in Gaza and in the West Bank,” who “have suffered terribly and deserve to live full and dignified lives.

“We are deeply entrenched in our narratives of good and evil, victim and perpetrator — and we are scared,” the rabbi said, urging her readers not to “dig in our heels” or “diminish the loss on the other side of the border, even to gloat.

This is not the Jewish way.”

“On the surface, a lovely and innocuous message,” Gordis wrote. “But what’s deeply troubling is that every single expression of sympathy for Israelis immediately coupled to a similar sentiment about the Palestinians. Absolute balance, even on a week like this, has become a supreme commandment. ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor who attacks thee as yourself.’”

Why, he wonders, can’t we just say “that at this moment, Israel’s enemies are evil? That they’re wrong?”

Coming to the defense of Rabbi Brous is David Myers, a professor of Jewish history at UCLA, who accuses Gordis of “a rigid moral absolutism” and asserts that “we should be applauding … that

They dropped the topic of parliamentary elections during the operation and became politically united. Northerners hosted their war-torn southern neighbors and people came together bound by common purpose.

Simultaneously though, daily life went on. I went to school while the kibbutz’s groundskeeper cut the parched grass.

Students continued playing “Temple Run” on their iPhones during class and complaining to the teacher when their phones got confiscated. Israelis refused to let the war get under their skin.

Don’t be fooled by the thick-skinned Israelis, though. There is duality to Israel’s relationship with war. In Israel, the death or capture of one soldier can throw the whole nation into despair. Israelis are strong and efficacious, but they aren’t immune to the perils of war.

The pain shows through in the eyes of families in bomb shelters or with relatives in uniform.

With the signing of the cease-fire Nov. 21, the majority of the country breathed a sigh of relief. No one expects peace; no one expects the missiles to stop flying, but at least the Jewish state bought more time. Until then, in the words of Hanoch Levin, it’s “you, me, and the next war.”

(Asher Wiseman, 17, of Pittsburgh, is a Diller Fellow who now attends Gaon Hayarden High School and lives in Kibbutz Kfar Ruppin in Israel. He begins a monthly column for the Chronicle on Israel from a young person’s perspective.)

capacity to manifest empathy beyond one’s own without surrendering a sense of love and belonging to the Jewish people.”

Perhaps the rhetoric has overtaken the intention in this emotional argument. Judaism does indeed teach us to care for “the other,” and respect if not love all humanity. But what about those whose actions reflect the opposite of humanity, whose mandate is to glorify death, to murder and obliterate? It is Judaism that instructs us to “choose life” and defend ourselves, not turn the other cheek.

I save the last word here for Rachel Klapper, a graduate of the first Write On For Israel class a decade ago, now living in Israel, with a husband who has been called up to serve, along with tens of thousands of his countrymen.

In a message to the current Write On class, emailed this week, Rachel noted that “our sages told us Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh LaZeh, that every Jew is dependent on each other,” and thanked the students for their efforts: “Every single thing you do with the purpose of standing up for Israel,” she wrote, “makes all the difference to us.”

Gary Rosenblatt, editor and publisher of the New York Jewish Week can be reached at Gary@jewishweek.org. This column previously appeared in the Week.)

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012 — 9

10 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Chanuka From vine to glass

What kosher wines are hot for this year’s Chanuka?

Chanuka isn’t just for kids.

Adults enjoy this festival of lights and freedom as well. One way they appreciate it is through fine kosher wines. For some time, kosher wines have been shedding the image of sweet concord wines that were synonymous with the product for years.

That is changing — fast.

Pittsburgh has two wine dealers that specialize in kosher wines — Michael Greathouse of Premier Wines, and Shlomo Perelman of Pinskers Judaica Cen-

ter. The Chronicle asked them to recommend four wines apiece for Chanuka.

The following are their selections.

Greathouse specializes in boutique kosher wines. Here are his recommendations: Gedeon Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Judean Hills, Israel: This Cabernet hails from the foothills of the Judean mountains, south and east from Jerusalem near Beth Shemesh.

This vibrant wine features fruit forward along with black currants and tobacco notes from French oak barrels. Best served with steak, roasted lamb or flavorful hard cheeses.

White Tulip 2010, Kfar Yuval and Kerem Ben Zimra, Upper Galilee, Israel: White Tulip is a unique blend of two white varieties, different by nature: the fruity, spicy, sweet Gewürztraminer and the green, fresh and tart, Sauvignon Blanc.

The Gewürztraminer grapes come

from the Gilad Vineyard, located in Kfar Yuval, near Metula while the Sauvignon Blanc grapes are harvested in Kerem Ben Zimra plateau vineyard.

White Tulip 2010 is a dry white wine, characterized by a light straw-like color and fruity aromas such as guava, grapefruit and lychee, with a fresh greenness and pleasant acidity.

The wine’s unique style surprises every single time and it perfectly accompanies a wide variety of foods — fresh ceviche fish, spicy Asian dishes and even spicy grilled meats.

Please see Gift Guide, next page.

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012 — 11

CHANUKA Gift Guide: Continued from page 10.

Prestige Cacher Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Pays d’oc, France: With a low degree of alcohol (11.5 percent), men and women as well as all sweet wine amateurs appreciate this fragrant and beautifully colored wine; it is a perfect introduction to signature’s dry wine — Cabernet Sauvignon, a famous unblended French wine.

Chez Gérard’s Collection provides a unique quality at an affordable price despite the high cost of French wines due to their strong Euro currency. It is savored at its best when served at room temperature, but eventually it can also be served also cold with fish.

Gvaot Herodian Merlot 2009, Shomron, Israel: This wine is produced from 90 percent Merlot and 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested vineyards planted on the slopes of the central mountain of Samaria at more than 2,000 feet above sea level.

This ancient wine region, the rocky, shallow soil, the dry air and cool night temperatures create ideal conditions to produce quality wines. Select plots create this wine with a fruity crisp and delicate elegance that provides a special tasting experience.

Aromas of ripe plum, cherry and spice and mineral flavor characterize the wine. It is not filtered to maintain the full aroma potential.

•••

Perelman offers a wide selection of kosher wines from Israel and around the world. Here are his recommendations: Sagot Viognier Judean Hills, Israel Dry White: Connoisseurs will appreciate the similarities between Psagot Viognier and the coveted wines of France’s Rhone Valley, namely its floral, honeyed complexity.

Half the wine that ends up in the bottle is aged in large French oak casks, and the other half anise, apricot, honey and lemon harmonize beautifully. Don’t miss the chance to pair it with grilled fish, quiche or chicken.

Binyamina Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Upper Galille, Israel, Dry Red:

This lovely wine expresses the best of Upper Galilee’s “terroir” (a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions), verifying the claim of wine writers that Galil is “the region with the most obvious potential” in Israel.

Ripe fruit aromas of black raspberry and cassis are complimented by subtle hints of roasted coffee beans and mint.

The flavor profile features toasted almond notes from the benefit of premium oak barrel aging. Pairs remarkably with most strong-flavored red meat dishes, particu-larly lamb shank, steaks and roasts, stewed beef. Also recommended to service with fine hard cheeses.

Bartenura Moscato Sparkling Wines, Sweet, White or Rose Asti Region, Piemonte Province, Italy: These two wines are perfect for holiday toasts and yearround celebrations. These new wines have been introduced to expand the selection of “Asti Spumante-type” wines. Both are sweet and well balanced with crisp citrus flavors. The Moscato Rose has a touch of tartness with a delicate fragrance. We love these wines for sipping, toasting or serving at festive meals. They pair well with fruits and cheese and are a perfect choice for those who prefer sweet to dry wines at the dinner table.

Elvi Classico, Dry Red, Spain: This is a luxurious red blend from a historic Spanish winery that dates back to the year 1492. The winemaking team of Moshe and Ana Cohen bring the highest level of respect and craftsmanship to producing this silky fruit-forward wine from Tempranillo, Spain’s signature varietal. This distinctive wine features red berry with cascading flavors of strawberry and black cherry. The slight herbaceous quality adds to its flavor profile. Elvi Clasico is at its best alongside Mediterranean foods: spicy chicken, rich roast meats, or piquant Eastern cuisine. It’s a remarkable buy for easy drinking or sipping.

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12 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012 — 13

14 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012

CHANUKA

BAKED DOUGHNUTS FOR CHANUKA Compiled by Angela Leibowicz

Why would you bake a doughnut?

When I think about Chanuka, latkes are no problem. I already do latkes without deep-frying.

Googling baked doughnuts on the Internet, it is obvious that many people had the idea before me, with some recipes sounding better and easier than others.

Although I wanted to make doughnuts without special pans, the doughnut pans were too adorable to pass up, so I ordered two mini doughnut pans. The minis allowed for more variety for toppings and the doughnut size was a big hit.

I selected the baked doughnut recipe from the King Arthur Flour website for three reasons: a flour company should know how to bake, and the doughnuts did not seem as cake-like as yeast doughnuts seemed. But the most important reason is that this recipe has oil in it. How could I make doughnuts for Chanuka without oil? Where does halacha stipulate frying?

The Chanuka miracle is that of the oil, which miraculously lasted for eight days when it should only have lasted one.

In our house, oil always goes further because we almost never fry.

Batter 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, to taste* 3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate mini chips (first choice) or semisweet chocolate chips, optional *Use the smaller amount of nutmeg for the coconut or chocolate chip doughnuts; the larger amount for the cinnamon doughnuts.

Topping 1/2 cup toasted coconut* 1/4 to 1/3 cup cinnamon-sugar or about 1/2 cup granulated white sugar, for coating Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars until smooth.

Add the eggs, beating to combine.

Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and vanilla.

Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

For chocolate chip doughnuts, stir in the chocolate chips.

For coconut doughnuts, sprinkle 1 teaspoon toasted

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shredded coconut into each of the wells of the pans.

Spoon the batter into the lightly greased doughnut pans, filling the wells to about 1/4 inch shy of the rim for coconut or cinnamon doughnuts; or to the rim for chocolate chip doughnuts.

Bake the doughnuts for 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and wait 5 to 7 minutes before turning them out of the pans onto a rack. Enjoy warm; or cool completely, and store airtight.

For cinnamon doughnuts, shake warm doughnuts in a plastic bag with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup cinnamonsugar. For sugar-coated chocolate chip doughnuts, shake doughnuts in a plastic bag with about 1/2 cup granulated white sugar (for best results), or confectioners’ sugar.

Yield: 12 doughnuts. (I ended up with 36 mini doughnuts.)

A few notes of my own experience: I left out the nutmeg, just as a preference.

I took a tip from a website comment: Put all the batter in a gallon Ziploc bag, press the air out before zipping and then make a small cut in one of the corners. This makes getting the batter into the pans much easier as it is very sticky.

I did not have much success with one of the suggestions of putting crushed semisweet chocolate in the pan before the batter. That was a mess. Next time I will just make a chocolate glaze and cover the doughnuts when they are done.

The cinnamon and sugar coated doughnuts were perfect.

You pretty much can be as creative as you want with the doughnuts, so if you plan to add sprinkles or anything on top after they are cooked, you will have to glaze them to get the sprinkles to stick.

(Angela Leibowicz can be reached at angelal@thejewishchronicle.net.)

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012 — 15

METRO Changes at JF&CS

Abrams, Gottlieb to depart agency for new challenges

BY TOBY TABACHNICK Staff Writer

The Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Pittsburgh is saying farewell this month to two longtime employees whose contributions have helped grow the agency and shape its image.

Becky Abrams, who has served as director of the Squirrel Hill Community Food Pantry (SHCFP) for the last six and a half years, has resigned to assume the position of communication affairs specialist at Highmark Inc., where she will focus on sponsorships, grant making and special community programs.

Laurie Gottlieb, the director of marketing and annual fundraising for JF&CS since 1995, will be leaving to become the chief communications officer at the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, where she will provide communications support to senior level staff. Chief communications officer is a new position at JHF. While her years at the SHCFP have been rewarding, Abrams said she was ready to take on new challenges at Highmark.

“One of my long-range goals was to work in philanthropy,” she said, “so this was the next step for me.”

Abrams holds a master’s degree in social work in administration, social policy and planning from the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, and a bachelor’s degree in communication and psychology from Chatham University.

During her time at the SHCFP, Abrams became instrumental in transitioning the agency from its old model on Forward Avenue, where clients received prepackaged and preselected food, to a new model of “consumer choice” on Hazelwood Avenue, where clients are free to “shop” the pantry, and place the items they want in a grocery cart, giving the clients “dignity and choice,” according to Abrams.

“So many great things have happened,” said Abrams of her time at the SHCFP. “The biggest highlights for me were getting to work with all the volunteers, all the clients and the community partners in making the food pantry what it is. Another highlight was raising awareness that there are hungry people in Squirrel Hill.”

Abrams was key in giving the SHCFP direction, and making the organization “more impactful in our community, and

Becky Abrams

Laurie Gottlieb

working collaboratively with other organizations to make sure our clients got the services they needed in addition to food,” said Aryeh Sherman, president and CEO of JF&CS. Likewise, Gottlieb, in her tenure at JF&CS became instrumental in creating a positive image of the agency, according to Sherman.

“Laurie had a big influence on the image of JF&CS, so we’ve been understood more clearly by the community, ” Sherman said.

In addition to spearheading major agency events such as annual meetings, and last week’s 75th anniversary celebration, Gottlieb worked well with the board of JF&CS in raising funds.

Through her marketing work, Gottlieb “expanded our footprint beyond print to the Internet and social media,” Sherman said.

Although leaving JF&CS was “bittersweet,” Gottlieb said she is looking forward to her new role at the JHF. “My new position at JHF actually melds all of my background and experience,” Gottlieb said.

She has both a business degree and an applied math degree from Carnegie Mellon University, and a master’s degree from the School of Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh. Her prior work experience includes several years at two high tech companies focusing on increasing efficiency, and marketing which will provide a strong background for her work with JHF’s

Perfecting Patient Care program.

“I just thought it was time for a new challenge,” Gottlieb said. “I have loved working at JF&CS for the past 17 years.

The staff is exceptional, professional, knowledgeable and compassionate; and the mission to help those who are struggling is critical. I am proud of the part I have played in the growth of the agency, helping to raise awareness of the critical work JF&CS does to help individuals

, y e u d B a r T , l l s e d e S fi i s s a l C e in th a n n o D Call 0 0 0 1 7 8 6 2 1 4

and families who are struggling with lifecycle transitions and crises. And I am looking forward to my new position and to being able to continue to make a difference through my work at the Jewish Healthcare Foundation.”

The JF&CS has received hundreds of resumes for both Abrams’ and Gottlieb’s posts, Sherman said, and is “well along the way for selecting the next candidates to fill the positions.”

He is looking forward to bringing some new perspectives to the agency.

“I think once you have new staff in place, hopefully they will bring some creative ideas,” he said. “We hope to see some new initiatives and perspectives on how to reach more people and serve more people, and help more people resolve the issues they are facing.”

In the interim, Sherman said, current staff members are taking on more responsibilities, and volunteers have stepped up to the plate to help.

“At the food pantry, volunteers have been chipping in already,” he said. “That program can’t exist without volunteers; they are its heart and soul. They came forward to help, and we appreciate that immensely.”

(Toby Tabachnick can be reached at tobyt@thejewishchronicle.net.)

16 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Simchas & Mazel Tovs!

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Jordan, left, and Jamie Russo, daughters of Melissa and Gary Russo, will become b’nai mitzva Saturday, Dec. 1, at Barnert Temple in Franklin Lakes, N.J. Grandparents are Babs Hoffman and the late Fred Hoffman.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012 — 17

OBITUARY

Arthur Weisberg was West Virginia Jewish leader

BY THE HERALD -DISPATCH OF HUNTINGTON

HUNTINGTON, W.Va — Arthur “Art” Weisberg, a regional business leader and a major benefactor of Marshall University, died Saturday at Cabell Huntington Hospital at age 88.

Weisberg also was actively involved in Jewish life in Huntington and nearby Charleston. In fact, his family heavily subsidized a small town Federation mission, currently in Israel, which is comprised mostly of West Virginia Jews.

Weisberg started State Electric Supply Co. in Huntington in the 1950s and built the company into a well-known retail-wholesale distributor with showroom and warehouse facilities in six states.

His success in business led he and his wife, Joan, to become generous donors to Marshall, and two engineering buildings are named for him — the Arthur Weisberg Family Engineering Laboratories and the new Arthur Weisberg Family Applied Engineering Complex, which is under construction.

“I and the entire Marshall University community are deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Arthur Weisberg,” said Marshall President Stephen Kopp in a statement. “I consider Art a dear friend and mentor, and I’ve been so fortunate to have known him. I have especially cherished the time we shared together.

He was never short on kind words and always willing to share his advice and wisdom — just two of the noble attributes that define this remarkable man.

“Art and the entire Weisberg family Arthur Weisberg have left an indelible imprint on this university through their support of our academic programs and willingness to give back to the community they so dearly love,” Kopp said.

Weisberg and his family have given substantial gifts to the university, though he never wanted to publicize the amounts because he thought the intention of the gift was more important.

That was just part of his character, said Clarence Martin, the chief executive officer of State Electric.

“People like me and folks around me who have worked with him for years probably wouldn’t be here today if we didn’t subscribe to some of his same philosophies,” said Martin, who was at Weisberg’s bedside when he passed away. “He was more than an employer.

He was a friend and a mentor. He was always a cheerleader and a leader. “He started with nothing and built the business we have today,” Martin said.

Weisberg, who was an electrical engineer, also believed that having an education was the foundation for success in life.

“He believed in making an investment in higher education and knew that investment would make an impact in the future,” said Ron Area, chief executive officer for the Marshall University Foundation. “That was the reason he decided to stay in West Virginia and Huntington. This is where he started, and that’s why he believed in so much making an investment, particularly in engineering.”

Weisberg was able to take part in the groundbreaking of the engineering complex last month and also served as grand marshal in Marshall’s homecoming parade. It was a fitting sendoff for a man who many said had a hand in bringing the engineering program back to Marshall. In 2006, he and his wife gave $2.5 million to the university, five months after the board of governors approved the bachelor’s degree program in engineering.

The Weisberg Family Engineering Laboratories has lab and classroom space, while the new complex will house six different academic components and

programs, including the College of Information Technology and Engineering and its divisions of engineering, computer science, applied science and technology; mechanical, electrical engineering and bioengineering research laboratories; departments of mathematics and computational science; computer modeling and digital imaging/simulation resource facility; Transportation Research Corporation; and the Marshall University Research Corp.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Weisberg graduated from City College of New York with a degree in electrical engineering. He took a job with Halstead Industries to build a steel mill in New Haven, W.Va. In 1952, after serving in World War II, with a bankroll of $2,500, Weisberg hit the road, calling on “momand-pop” grocery and hardware stores, selling light bulbs, extension cords and fuses from the back of his truck, according to his book, “Call Me Art,” which was published earlier this year.

Today, State Electric has grown into one of America’s top and best known electrical distributors and is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Under the corporate umbrella of Arthur’s Enterprises, Weisberg established a specialty wire manufacturing company, Service Wire Inc., in 1968. Service Wire offers an expanding line of products to customers around the world.

18 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012 — 19

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TORAH

Time to talk Portion of the Week RABBI SARA RAE PERMAN, CONGREGATION EMANUEL ISRAEL, GREENSBURG Vayishlach, Genesis 32:4-36:43

This week’s parsha contains a troubling story. I had been taught that it so bothered the rabbis that the tradition was to read the disturbing part straight through with no commentary on it. In fact, the disturbing story is read in its entirety in the traditional fifth aliya.

The story is the rape of Dinah.

Apparently, the rape didn’t bother the rabbis. There are even commentaries that suggest Dinah was “asking” for it by hanging with the wrong crowd, namely the daughters of the land, the people of Shechem. Even those who believed this portion should be taught and discussed did not see it as a text to teach that rape is wrong; they see it as a text to teach another message.

Me’Am Loez, a commentary by Rabbi Yaakov Culi (1689-1732) says, “A man should constantly review this chapter with the members of his family. It teaches us a good lesson about what happens when a woman spends too much time out of the house. Women should avoid going places where they will be seen by men; they should not even stand by the windows of their own homes where men can see them.”

What seems to be more problematic with this story, even in reading just the plain text, is Dinah’s brothers’ reaction to their sister being raped and even more disturbing is Jacob’s reaction to his sons’ retaliation. He seems to be more concerned with what the neighbors will think, than that his daughter was raped.

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Thankfully, we have made a great deal of progress in acknowledging that rape is a crime — a serious crime — and that women do not “ask” for it, but we still have a long way to go. As we learned from the recent elections, there are still those politicians who have all kinds of misconceptions about rape. Tragically, there are those who believe rape does not occur in the Jewish community, that Jewish men would never commit such a horrid crime.

Kol HaKavod (all the honor) to Jewish Women International, and particularly our local group, which has encouraged conversations and interfaith learning experiences. They realize, and rightfully so, that it is time to talk about rape, not brush over it like the biblical story does. Having served as a board member of the Blackburn Center, which deals with sexual and domestic violence in Westmoreland County, I can tell you that rape is not just a “women’s issue.”

The Center does educational programs with men, particularly on the local college campuses, to help them understand rape affects them, too, because it could be their mother, their sister, their daughter who could be a victim of this kind of crime. The Center also has sponsored, and will sponsor again, an educational experience next April, where men walk in women’s shoes (high heels) to bring attention to the fact that rape is not just about women only.

The Blackburn Center and Jewish Women International are only two of the groups who realize it is time to talk about rape. Hopefully, this Shabbat, this Torah portion will encourage you to speak out on rape and educate yourself and others as well and not in the way that Me’Am Loez suggested.

(This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association.)

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012 — 21

METRO Mission: Continued from page 1. of the Network of Independent Communities for the Jewish Federations of North America, which covers Huntington, and said she wanted to buy half a bus for a mission.

That was all Greenberg needed to know. “As soon as I heard about it, I flew down to Huntington to meet with Martha Barvin … met with Art [Weisberg], I met with the whole family and we designed it right then and there,” he said.

“Art” was Arthur Weisberg, 88, a Huntington businessman and philanthropist and patriarch of the Weisberg family that heavily subsidized trip. He died last week, days before the mission left.

Even though the trip is on, “we go with sadness because Art Weisberg passed away,” Pickholtz Klein said.

A Federation mission comprised mostly of West Virginia Jews may be a first, according to Greenberg.

“There’s never been one before that I’m aware of.”

I think it’s a very special trip,” he continued. “It’s bringing first-time [visitors] who have not been to Israel, and people who haven’t been there in 25 years.”

The mission will visit Dimona, which serves as the Partnership2gether city in Israel for Network of Independent Communities.

“One thing our going demonstrates is that life goes on,” Greenberg said. “Israelis have been essentially under threat since the beginning of the state

Briefly JNS.com

Ehud Barak quits politics

and they have developed a remarkable ability to live life to the fullest under the circumstances.

“We’re bringing hugs to our Israeli brothers and sisters,” he added, “and we’re expecting to get a lot back.”

At first, the mission lined up 44 participants from Huntington; Wilmington; Cheyenne; Huron, Ohio; and Kalamazoo, Mich.

“Because it’s been organized through the JFNA Small Communities, it was opened to them as well,” Pickoltz Klein said.

Some dropped out after the fighting began, but a substantial number remained committed even as they waited for word of a cease-fire.

“We had a conference call last Tuesday with Marty.

“We were told if there was not a cease-fire we would not go,” Pickholtz Klein said. “We were very pleased when we had 18 from our greater Huntington community and 25 in total.”

One of the participants is Rabbi Jean E. Eglinton, the second-year spiritual leader of B’nai Shalom, who used the mission as an education tool in her Shabbat “Eat Pray Learn” classes.

“Everybody is very excited to go; the only anxiety is [about] 10 hours on an airplane. They’re really just thrilled to be doing this,” Pickholtz Klein said.

“It’s not only an opportunity for us to learn more about Israel, but it is also an opportunity for us to show some solidarity with the people over there.”

(Lee Chottiner can be reached at leec@thejewishchronicle.net.)

“I have exhausted my contribution to politics, which I was never entirely passionate about, and I feel that I must make way for others to man senior political positions. Turnover in positions of power is a good thing,” Barak said, explaining the decision that took most Israelis by surprise.

JDC announces new CEO

Ehud Barak

At a dramatic press conference on Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced his resignation from politics after nearly 50 years in service of the country.

“I have decided to resign from politics and I will not be running in the [upcoming] elections,” Barak, the former prime minister, told reporters at his office in the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv. “I enlisted to the IDF in 1959 and I served the people of Israel for 47 years as well as I could.”

The defense minister reassured reporters that he would remain in his post until the establishment of the next government, following the Jan. 22, 2013, elections, and then “will free up time to focus on my family.”

The world’s largest Jewish relief organization, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), has announced that Alan Gill will take the reins as CEO of the organization early next year.

“We couldn’t be more proud that Alan Gill, whose seasoned leadership and forward-thinking expertise has been so critical to JDC’s impact in recent years, will lead us into our second century,” said JDC President Penny Blumenstein, according to the JDC press release.

Gill, a former CEO of the Jewish Federation of Columbus, Ohio, is a 20-year veteran of JDC and will succeed interim CEO Darrell Friedman, who had replaced longtime CEO Steven Schwager.

In his current role as executive director of international relations, Gill presided over a tenfold increase in JDC’s direct philanthropic revenue. He was also instrumental in establishing a number of JDC’s landmark programs such as Ashalim, which helps children at risk in Israel, and The Hunger Relief Campaign, which helps Jewish communities in post-communist countries.

“I’m privileged to be appointed CEO

Rally: Continued from page 1. congregants — to displaced children and saw a country building an “unprecedented ring of defense” in the form of the Iron Dome missile defense system.

Together, he said, these things describe what it means when Jews must go to war.

Skip Grinberg, chair of the Federation’s Community Relations Council, opened the rally by putting the situation in Israel in stark terms.

“Hamas has directly targeted Israeli citizens while Israel has gone to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza,” he said. “Our sympathies go out to the innocent victims on both sides that are caught in the violence.”

But, he made clear, “Pittsburgh’s Jewish community stands in solidarity with Israel, and its right to defend itself.”

Federation Chair Louis Plung described seven ways Pittsburgh Jews could support Israel, including, he announced, joining an upcoming mission from April 28 to May 5, 2013, the highlight of which will be volunteering at service agencies in Pittsburgh’s Partnership2Gether communities of Karmiel and Misgav.

After visiting Israel on this year’s Mega Mission, Plung said he lamented how much more the Jewish state could have accomplished in its 64-year history had it not been forced to commit so much of its gross national product to defense.

Yet, he said, Israel would always do what it must to defend its people.

“History has shown we are an immovable force when we stand together as one,” Plung said.

of this remarkable, dynamic organization. Our mission has never been more critical or more urgent, and in the years ahead, we must reach even further to ensure that wherever a Jew is in need, JDC is there,” said Gill.

Founded in 1914, the JDC is the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian organization. Currently, it assists Jewish communities in more than 70 countries and Israel to alleviate hunger and hardship, rescue Jews in danger, create lasting connections to Jewish life and provide relief for other victims of natural or man-made disasters such as the 2004 South Asia tsunami or the genocide in Darfur.

Fears of ‘Islamist dictatorship’ grow after controversial decree by Egypt’s president Despite receiving praise over his role in negotiation a ceasefire in Gaza, Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi is facing mounting protests at home over a controversial ruling that many fear could result in a new “Islamist dictatorship.”

Opponents are upset with President Morsi’s decree on Nov 22, which declared that Egyptian courts cannot overrule any decisions he has made over the last six months or decisions he will make until the a new constitution is passed.

However, the drafting of Egypt’s new constitution has been complicated by the lack of a parliament, which was dissolved last June by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces after an Egyptian

Making his first visit to Pittsburgh, Elad Strohmayer, Israel’s Philadelphiabased deputy consul general to the MidAtlantic Region, said it’s “so easy to support Israel in its time of need. You standing here tonight proves that it is.”

However, the 31-year-old diplomat said he felt “conflicted” about asking American Jews to support Israel. On one hand, the country needs help from American Jews, yet on the other, it is a “resilient” country.

“It’s not easy to break the people of Israel,” Strohmayer said, noting that even as Hamas rockets reached the outskirts of Tel Aviv for the first time, his friends living there still went out to enjoy the city’s nightlife.

“They said they were not going to let the rockets break our spirit.”

And even as the cease-fire takes hold, Strohmayer said Israel will face a new challenge on the diplomatic front this week when Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asks the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday, Nov. 29, to recognize Palestine as a nonmember state.

Nov. 29 happens to be the 65th anniversary of the historic U.N. vote to adopt the partition plan, which created the State of Israel.

The United States and Israel oppose the P.A.’s unilateral move — U.S. law, in fact, prohibits funding to international bodies that recognize a Palestinian state — saying only direct negotiations can create a Palestinian state.

“We need to avoid this,” Strohmayer said.

(Lee Chottiner can be reached at leec@thejewishchronicle.net.)

high court ruling that found issues with the election. Egypt’s Islamists — which dominated the parliament at the time — were upset with the dissolution.

Later, after becoming president, Morsi replaced several prominent generals in the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in a move that many analysts viewed as an effort to consolidate his authority over Egypt’s military.

Morsi also attempted to restore the parliament, but the move was rejected

by Egypt’s courts.

But even if parliament is restored and the constitution is drafted, Middle East experts see Islamists continuing to dominate.

“By the time you get that new constitution, it will have been written by an Islamist-dominated assembly that all nonIslamists have completely abandoned,” Eric Trager, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told CNN. Morsi’s opponents, who include broad coalition liberals, secularists and Christians, have taken to the streets in protest. Many of them are deeply suspicious of the President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The opposition refuses to meet with Morsi until he rescinds his decree and has scheduled additional demonstrations in Cairo in the upcoming days.

“There is no room for compromise. If he wants a dialogue, he has to rescind these measures,” said Mohammed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and leader of Egypt’s liberal Constitution Party.

22 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012

OBITUARY BIRKENFIELD: Zestful, creative, and committed are the attributes of the life of Diana Birkenfield of Pittsburgh, who died on Thursday morning, November 22, 2012, in UPMC Mercy Hospital.

A significant pioneer woman in the early days of radio and television program production, Ms. Birkenfield graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and found her first broadcasting job at WHOD Radio in Homestead, the predecessor to WAMO. She then headed for New York City where she discovered opportunity in the burgeoning growth of the new black-and-white television entertainment operations, including The Jimmy Dean Show, The Kate Smith Hour, and Candid Camera, among others. She moved on to award-winning distinction as a major executive producer, working closely with Jim Henson and the Muppet television organization.

She was the first woman to serve as a member of the Muppets’ Board of Directors. After several decades in New York she retired and returned to devote herself to family and friends in Pittsburgh. She always proclaimed her pride in Pittsburgh’s renaissance as a livable community. Ms. Birkenfield is survived by her sister Natalie (Herbert) Weisman of Jenkintown, PA, cousins Barbara Davis and Helen-Faye and Ray Rosenblum of Pittsburgh and their children and grandchildren, plus beloved nieces and nephews, and cherished Muppets and Fraggles around the world. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment PRI-

VATE. Donations in Ms. Birkenfield’s honor are encouraged to the Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Food Bank, 1 North Linden Street, Duquesne, PA 15110. www.schugar.com CARTIFF: On Thursday, November 22, 2012, Herbert I. Cartiff; Beloved husband of the late Eleanor (Bootsie) Cartiff. Beloved father of Patti (Larry) Greenberg of Columbus, OH, Mindy (Jim) Shore of Columbus, OH, and Bill Cartiff of Pittsburgh. Brother of Mariam Orlove of Hallandale, FL, and Esther (Jack) Catz of Hallandale, FL. Papa of Eric (Michelle) Greenberg, Adam (Emily) Greenberg and Elizabeth Shore. Great-grandfather of Jacob Greenberg. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Beth Abraham Cemetery. Contributions may be made to American Parkinson’s Disease Association, 135 Parkinson Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10305. www.schugar.com KANEL: On Monday, November 19, 2012, Norman T. Kanel; Beloved husband of Eileen Kanel. Beloved father of Gary (Krista) Kanel of Los Angeles, CA, Keith Kanel and Jill Douglass both of Pittsburgh. Brother of the late Sondra Greenbaum. Grandfather of Tanner, Mindy and Shane Douglass. Services were held at Rodef Shalom Temple. Interment West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. Contributions may be made to Squirrel Hill Food Pantry, 828 Hazelwood Avenue, Pitts-

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burgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. www.schugar.com LABOVITZ: On Thursday, November 22, 2012, Pearl Labovitz; Beloved wife of the late Carl Labovitz. Beloved mother of Trudy Labovitz, Sherrie Labovitz, Mark Labovitz and Larry Labovitz. Sister of Allen (Carol) Tulip.

Grandmother of Josh, Benjamin, Cristen, Matthew (Nikki) and Emily.

Very special great-grandmother of Tyler. Graveside Services and Interment were held at Adath Israel Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’schoice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. www.schugar.com LONDON: Florence Ruttenberg London; On Wed., Nov. 21, 2012, age 95, of Point Breeze. Beloved wife of the late Herbert; loving mother of Karen (Abraham) Glazer and the late Stanley and Barry London; devoted grandmother of Joshua, Hadar & Max Glazer.

Graveside Service was held Wed. at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Memorial Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. Professional services entrusted to the care of D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd., Lawrenceville.

SIMON: Formerly of Stanton Heights, On Wednesday, November 21, 2012, Burton Simon; Beloved husband of Goldie (Cohen) Simon. Beloved fa-

ther of Neysa (Keith) Maxwell and Jeffrey (Tammy) Simon. Brother of the late Daniel and Sidney Simon. Grandfather of Erica (Tom Ballingall) Maxwell, Kathryn Maxwell, Joshua and Jacob Simon. Also survived by nieces and nephews. Mr. Simon was a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII serving at Pearl Harbor. He was a member of the Dallas Lodge no. 231 Free and Accepted Masons. He worked for Gimbel’s Department Store in downtown Pittsburgh for 37 years until his retirement. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Tiphereth Israel Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Forbes Hospice, 4800 Friendship Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 or St. Barnabas Charities, 5827 Meridian Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044. www.schugar.com.

WALKOW: On Tuesday, November 20, 2012, Leroy Walkow; Devoted friend to Barbara Walkow. Beloved father of Ron Walkow. Brother of Shirley (late Alan) Fireman, late Lucille Jacobson, Marvin Walkow and Patsy Caplan.

Brother-in-law of Jan (Richard) Segal.

Best friend to Molly the dog. Also survived by nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins. Graveside Services and Interment were held at Homewood Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Animal Friends, 562 Camp Horne Road, Pittsburgh , PA 15237. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. www.schugar.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012 — 23

Community A CLOSER LOOK Creative learning

Look up Chabad Fox Chapel photo

Students at Chabad Fox Chapel Hebrew School of the Arts enjoy using different colored kitchen utensils during a creative lesson on kosher food preparation.

COMPILED BY ANGELA LEIBOWICZ Community Web Editor

Callie Rosenfeld, a student at the University of Pittsburgh, is one of nine recipients of the BBYO Community Engagement Fellowship.

As a CEF Rosenfeld will organize BBYO alumni events and initiate projects with partner organizations to maintain a thriving BBYO alumni community and enhance Jewish life on Callie Rosenfeld campus. This fellowship is made possible in part through a grant from the Morningstar Foundation of Bethesda, Md. “I wanted to be a CEF because I love what BBYO did for me,” Rosenfeld said in a prepared statement. “After working at ILTC (International Leadership Training Conference) and Kallah (a BBYO program featuring seminars with prominent Jewish leaders to help youth find their Jewish identities) this past summer, I knew that there was still more I could do for BBYO and more that it could do for me. This Fellowship is the perfect way to continue this relationship.”

Rosenfeld will have professional development opportunities through participation in communitywide events such as the AIPAC Policy Conference and the JFNA General Assembly. Additionally, she will participate in an alumni mentorship program and staff BBYO’s Summer Experiences in the U.S., Israel and all over the world.

“The Fellowship program engages BBYO’s most talented young alumni in creating networks of their peers that will both participate in and initiate Jewish activities on campus,” said

Matthew Grossman, BBYO’s executive director, in a prepared statement.

“We are confident that Callie will help leverage the BBYO alumni community to strengthen Jewish life at the University of Pittsburgh.”

Individuals interested in connecting with Rosenfeld can reach her at crosenfeld@bbyo.org.

Pittsburgh native Dr. Alan I. Rosenblatt is an editor of “Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Parent Needs to Know,” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Rosenblatt is board certified in both pediatrics and neurodevelopmental disabilities by the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board Dr. Alan I. Rosenblatt of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Throughout his career, Rosenblatt has combined both clinical care and teaching across a variety of medical settings. He has been on the faculty of four medical schools in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area, teaching medical students, residents and physicians.

Rosenblatt has advocated on behalf of children with special needs by testifying before state legislative bodies. He is a cofounder of Camp STAR, a summer treatment program for children with ADHD and related disorders.

Now in Chicago, Rosenblatt has an academic appointment to the faculty of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, and teaches pediatric residents at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

Rosenblatt is the son of Roz Rosenblatt of Pittsburgh.

Beth Shalom Preschool photo

The 3-year-olds enjoy playing with the parachute in Congregation Beth Shalom’s gym.

We acknowledge with grateful appreciation contributions from the following: Donor

In MeMory of

HEDY M. CAPLAN....................BENJAMIN MITCHEL

Donor

In MeMory of

BARBARA LEVY .......................FLORA BREVERMAN

SUNDAY, DEC. 2: BESSIE M. BLEIBERG, SAMUEL B. COHEN, SAMUEL L. COHEN, LOUIS DEBROFF, JACOB GILBERD, MARCELLA SHAPIRO GOLD, BELLA GOODMAN, EVERETT GREEN, EILEEN G. HERMAN, FRIEDA K. LAWRENCE, RUTH M. LAZEAR, SADYE LINCOFF, CARL MARKOVITZ, JACOB MENDELBLATT, MARCUS ROSENTHAL, ANNA SANES, GOLDIE MALLINGER SCHWARTZ, CHARLES B. SHAPIRO, JULIUS SHEPS, RUTH ESTHER SHEPS, MORRIS SOLOMON, BELLA STEIN, MAX STRAUSS, ANNA SWARTZ, EDNA TEPLITZ, CELIA VERK. MONDAY, DEC. 3: BERNICE FINEGOLD, BERTHA FINGERET, LEO FREIBERG, MARGARET K. LEBOVITZ, MARTIN REBB, EDWARD F. REESE, M.D., ESTHER RICE, BESSIE ROSENBLUM, LOUIS SCHULTZ, DOROTHY SCHUSTERMAN, ELLA SMITH, ALBERT H. SNYDER, SUMER SOMERMAN. TUESDAY, DEC. 4: BERNICE BEA" BAROFSKY", GERTRUDE P. ELIAS, LEONARD ENELOW, SADIE FEIGENBAUM, ARTHUR FORMAN, JACK J. FRIEDMAN, JACOB GOLD, HERBERT ALVIN HAASE, NORMA HARRIS, HARRY HAYNES, WILLIAM HERSH, GOLDIE LINTON HORNE, MILTON ISKOWICH, MAX JANOWITZ, SYLVIA KALMENSON, NANNIE KLATER, MORRIS H. LEVINE, REBECCA LEVINE, JOSEPH LEVITT, ALLAN LIPPOCK, MAURICE MALKIN, REBECCA K. MALT, HARRIS NATHAN MILLER, SYLVIA PORTNOY MORETSKY, RUTH MURMAN, HARRY ROSENFIELD, HAROLD J. RUBENSTEIN, NORMAN M. SCHWARTZ, LOUIS C. SLOTSKY, FRANK SMITH, ZELIG SOLOMON, ANNE C. WEISS, MAX ZWANG. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 5: MAURICE P. ASHINSKY, HUGO BAUM, MARCI LYNN BERNSTEIN, ESTHER L. BIALER, HARRY FIRST, DAVID FRANK, LOUIS FRANK, ROSE GERAN, ROSE GOLDSTEIN, MARTIN W. HEPPS, SARAH JACOBSON, ALVIN LICHTENSTUL, JENNIE MARKOVITZ, JULIA MONHEIM, MYER PALKOVITZ, JENNIE ROSENBLOOM, MORRIS RUDICK, MORRIS J. SEMINS, DR. JACOB SLONE, SHIRLEY STARR, MORRIS WEISS, REGINA WEISS. THURSDAY, DEC. 6: SUSAN BAROTZ, IRVING I. CHICK" BOGDAN", VICTOR CHESTERPAL, MARC LEON FRONT, MINNIE VAN PRAAGH JACOBS, RAE KLEINERMAN, MEYER LEBOVITZ, DR. HYMAN LEVINSON, FANNIE MALKIN, MAX MALLINGER, LOUIS MENZER, FANNIE RICE, MARVIN L. SILVERBLATT, SELDA SIMON, SAM SWARTZ. FRIDAY, DEC. 7: JULIUS BERLINER, JACOB BRAUN, FANNIE CHATKIN, FLORENCE MEYERS CLOVSKY, LEONARD SAMUELS FINKELHOR, EDWARD L. FRIEDMAN, REBECCA FRISHOF, ALFRED KRAUSE, MAX LEMELMAN, DORA LEVIN, SARAH YOUNG PRETTER, HYMEN ROSENBERG, EVA RUBENSTEIN, ANNIE SEGALL, LILLIAN SHERMER, JACOB SMOLEVITZ, SAMUEL Z. UDMAN, I. BARNES WEINSTEIN, BARNET WOLF. SATURDAY, DEC. 8: BENJAMIN AMERICUS, WILLIAM ARONOVITZ, FANNIE GERTRUDE BECKER, BELLE BENNETT, NATHAN BENNETT, JOSEPH BRAUNSTEIN, ALBERT BURSTIN, HANNAH COHEN, MEYER FINEBERG, BENJAMIN FINKELHOR, LOUIS FISHMAN, PHILIP HOFFMAN, MILTON KUPERSTOCK, SAMUEL KURFEERST, BENJAMIN LEVIN, ABRAHAM LINCOFF, BENJAMIN JACOB PLATT, SHIRLEY REISER, LEON RYAVE, HANNA SELIGMANN, FANNIE SOLOW, PHILIP STEIN, MAX ZEIDEN.

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24 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 29, 2012

SCENES

FROM THE

WE STAND WITH ISRAEL RALLY

Photos by Amy Cohen