The Jewish Star January 24, 2014

Lost and found: Incredible Super Bowl mincha 13 Birthright OKs more free trips 4 Sima’s wonderful life 8

THE JEWISH VOL 13, NO 4 Q JANUARY 24, 2014 / 23 SHEVAT 5774

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Final survivors add Wallenberg testimony

Robert Koppel, Michael Reagan (President Reagan’s son) and Wallenberg survivor Vera Koppel, at Wallenberg Heritage Foundation inaugural dinner. At right, Wallenberg memorial in Budapest.

By Malka Eisenberg “I realize how close I could have come to not existing; I’m here because of the grace of one man’s kindness and efforts.”

Robert Koppel participated in the inaugural dinner of the Wallenberg Heritage Foundation at the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, where he recited a chapter of tehillim.

The only child of two Holocaust survivors, Koppel told The Jewish Star that he shoul-

ders the “responsibility to maintain and ensure that the traditions of his family go on.”

He and his wife Laurie have three children, graduates of local yeshivot, and are members of the Young Israel of Woodmere.

Koppel’s mother, Vera, who also attended the dinner, discussed her need to bear witness to history and convey the story of Raoul Wallenberg, a man who risked his life to save more than 100,000 Jews from the Nazis in

Hungary during World War II. Wallenberg was born in 1912 into a wealthy Swedish banking family. He pursued interests in architecture and business, studying in the United States and securing a job in banking in Haifa before the war. He became a business partner to a Hungarian Jewish businessman and was recruited by the U.S. to serve in the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Budapest.

As the Nazis accelerated their war against the Jews there, he created protective passes (Schutzpass) and rented and designated buildings as Swedish territories protected by diplomatic immunity, hanging huge Swedish flags out front. He was arrested by the conquering Soviet forces and except for some claims by prisoners in Russia, was never seen again. The Russians later claimed that he Continued on page 12

State budget aids day schools million over last year.

Four issues delineated include security funding, CAP and MSR services, educational investment tax credit and universal pre-K. After the SAFE Act was passed for public schools last year, providing “primarily gun control and security measures,” according to Leb, those advocating for private schools found that they were excluded from the millions of dollars in building assistance.

The SAFE Act was a one time legislation for building aid. The governor provided for security spending of $4.5 million for private schools in both the current and

Shabbat Candlelighting 4:45 pm. Shabbat ends 5:49 pm. 72 minute zman 6:18 pm. This week’s Torah Reading: Mishpatim

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Governor Cuomo and Jeff Leb, of Cedarhurst, New York Director of Political Affairs for OU Advocacy

By Malka Eisenberg The Orthodox Union Advocacy Center lauded sections of the just released NYS Executive budget for its increased education funding that will in turn benefit New York Jewish day schools.

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget is focusing on education funding with the goal of funneling a $500 million surplus in fiscal year 2014-2015 as “enough to start all these projects,” explained Jeff Leb of Cedarhurst, New York Director of Political Affairs for OU Advocacy.

“The governor put out a good budget for Jewish day schools,” Leb said, citing “positive items” that “will bring real money to the day schools when they are passed.”

The total education budget is almost $22 billion and increase of $807

coming fiscal year.

Mandated Services Reimbursement (MSR) and Comprehensive Attendance Policy (CAP), are the biggest source of state funding for day schools, he said.

“CAP is tied into truancy prevention,” said Leb. “It’s a constitutionally permissible funding stream for private schools.” Schools have to take attendance and they get reimbursed for the Continued on page 12

A Better Kind of Cancer Care

“I came to Winthrop because treating pancreatic cancer absolutely requires a collaborative, team approach.”

Dr. John D. Allendorf is head of Winthrop’s Pancreatic Cancer Program and Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery. He joined Winthrop from the largest university hospital in New York City. A renowned pancreatic surgeon and innovator in robotic surgery, Dr. Allendorf and his team are giving new hope to pancreatic cancer patients.

“What’s important is to have a group of specialists that are expert in their respective fields and dedicated to a common problem. Physicians, nurses and other providers who work well together in an institution that encourages teamwork. Here at Winthrop we have six to eight physicians from different specialties all focused on each individual cancer patient. That is uncommon across the country and unique on Long Island.

“I really believe that at Winthrop-University Hospital, we’re delivering a better kind of cancer care.”

259 First Street, Mineola, New York 11501 • 1.866.WINTHROP • winthrop.org

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January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774 THE JEWISH STAR

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By Rafael Medoff, JNS.org For American Jews, the birthday of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is an occasion to recall the impressive Jewish contributions to the movement for AfricanAmerican civil rights—from Jewish Freedom Riders such as Schwerner and Goodman, to the rabbis who marched with Dr. King, to the Jewish attorneys who spearheaded the NAACP’s legal battles against discrimination.

It may surprise some to learn that one of the earliest Jewish protests against racism in America was lodged more than half a century before Rosa Parks and Bull Connor—by the militant Zionist leader Vladimir Ze’ev Jabotinsky.

The year was 1910. Jabotinsky was just beginning to emerge as one of the most dynamic young leaders in the Russian Jewish community and the early Zionist movement.

His articles in the Russian and Jewish press were attracting a following and provoking debate.

As an essayist, philosopher, and poet, Jabotinsky cast his eye on a wide array of topics, beginning with Jewish affairs but often ranging much further. On July 18, 1910, in the pages of the Russian periodical Odesskie Novsoti, he fixed his gaze upon a remarkable event in far-off America.

His article was titled “Homo Homini Lupus,” or “Man is As a Wolf to Other Men,”

an allusion to a Roman proverb about human cruelty. The excerpts that follow were provided by Jabotinsky scholar Yisrael Medad, of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center.

The event that seized Jabotinsky’s attention was a July 4 boxing match in Reno, Nevada, between Jack Johnson and Jack Jeffries. Johnson was the reigning heavyweight champion of the world, and only the second African-American to hold that title. Jeffries, who was white, had been heavyweight champion previously but had refused to fight Johnson and retired. Now, in 1910, Jeffries came out of retirement for what was billed as the Fight of the Century. Throughout the country, excited crowds gathered outside the offices of local newspapers, to hear the blow-by-blow read aloud from the teletype machine.

What shocked Jabotinsky was what happened after the fight. Johnson knocked Jeffries down twice, and in the 15th round, Jeffries threw in the towel. Within hours, white mobs were attacking blacks in more than 50 cities around the country. At least 20 people were killed in the riots.

“Since it was the black man that won and there was a suspicion that other blacks in the land would feel proud, the white citizens of the great republic could not tolerate this,” Jabotinsky wrote. “They sought to quash black pride and fell upon blacks in a proportion

of 50-to-1, smashed heads, trampled people and acted cruelly even to women and children.”

He quoted press reports describing how in some cities, African-Americans “were ripped to pieces and hundreds were injured and crushed.” In the South, “where the difference between blacks and whites is more strongly pronounced, the number of blacks that were hurt probably has reached several thousand.”

Jabotinsky emphasized that the violence had not occurred in a vacuum. It took place against a backdrop of systematic discrimination and mistreatment. “In the United States, the most free republic on earth, there are ten million citizens suffering a shocking lack of rights simply because of the color of their skin,” he wrote.

Jabotinsky was outraged that although nearly 50 years had passed since slavery was abolished, there remained a pervasive inequality that was more severe than “anywhere else in the cultured world, even if also we included in this flexible definition Russia and Romania… Theaters are closed to the black man, as are hotels, railway cars, and schools. He is assigned special railway cars and narrow, separate compartments on trains. Schools for black children are cheaply constructed, inadequate, and dirty. The political rights of the ‘free and equal’ black citizen are non-existent.”

Moreover, voting procedures in the South had been rigged to keep blacks from participating. “This system is fixed, permanently, and is practiced before the entire world. The president and congress know about this and no one would even think to shrug his shoulders, for such is the system, accepted as it is as part of matters of state,” Jabotinsky wrote.

Jabotinsky also noted the irony that many white men, “even the most extreme of the south, place their children without compunction in the care of a black nanny and will eat heartily in a restaurant with that nanny next to him feeding his child. But if a black woman would enter there and sit at a table in the corner opposite, as an equal, the white man will raise a ruckus. He will gather around a crowd, announce a boycott of the eatery, break some windows and will assault the uppity black woman. This is not a physical aversion, but a conscious refusal to recognize the member of the other race as a person.”

“So very wise was the philosopher who proclaimed Homo Homini Lupus, that a man acts towards his fellow-man worse than does a wolf,” Jabotinsky concluded. “For in America, there is plain and simple hate of one race against another--a devious hate, right before our eyes, arbitrary, without reason and without cause.”

Dr. Rafael Medoff is director of David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies.

Violence against Jews spreads amid Ukrainian turmoil

By Alina Dain Sharon, JNS.org Two violent anti-Semitic incidents that took place in Kiev, Ukraine, over the course of a week have alarmed the Ukrainian Jewish community. Some experts speculate that the events could be related to the political conflict that has engulfed the country since November 2013.

On Jan. 11, several men attacked Hillel Wertheimer, an Orthodox Jewish and Israeli teacher of Hebrew and Jewish tradition, after he left a synagogue at the end of Shabbat.

On Jan. 18, a yeshiva student, Dov-Ber Glickman, was severely attacked by men with their fists and legs on his way home from a Shabbat meal.

According to the general Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) General Council, the combat boots of Glickman’s attackers may have been outfitted with blades. Glickman dragged himself to a nearby synagogue’s ritual bath, where he was discovered and taken to a hospital. Glickman told IDF Radio on Sunday that “people are now afraid to leave their homes.”

“The frightening thing is that [the attackers] arrived by car, and were apparently organized,” Hillel Cohen, chairman of the Hatzalah Ukraine emergency services group, told Yedioth Ahronot.

In an additional incident on Jan. 18, yeshiva students detained a suspicious individual who, according to the students, was found to possess a detailed plan of the surrounding neighborhood.

Sam Kliger, the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) director of Russian Jewish community affairs, believes the incidents could be a “sinister sign indicating that some are trying to use anti-Semitism in political confrontation in Ukraine.”

“Historically in this part of the world, a political confrontation sooner or later starts to exploit the ‘Jewish question’ and to play the Jewish card,” Kliger told JNS.org in an email.

Jan. 19 saw an intensification of the Maidan protests, which have been taking place intermittently since November. On Jan. 21, demonstrators clashed with police forc-

Euromaidan protest in Kiev on Nov. 27.

es by catapulting Molotov cocktails. Police forces fired rubber bullets and smoke bombs.

About 30 protesters were detained. Two-hundred people were injured and vehicles were torched, Bloomberg News reported.

In November, when the “Euromaidan” protests first began in Kiev’s Independence Square in opposition to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to freeze plans to join a free trade agreement with the European Union, some Ukrainian-Jewish leaders had canceled events out of fear that Jews may be targeted, especially since the ultra-nationalist Ukrainian political opposition party Svaboda, which is viewed as an anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi group by various Jewish organizations, was participating in the protests. But there was little indication of anti-Semitism among protesters at the time.

Given the two recent violent attacks on Jews, there are some who suggest that “some pro-governmental forces are behind the attacks in order to then blame the nationalists and ultra-nationalist groups associated with Maidan protesters to denounce their legitimacy,” Kliger told JNS.org.

“Yet another version suggests the opposite, namely that some radical groups like

Mstyslav Chernov via Wikimedia Commons

neo-Nazis and ultra-nationalists are behind the attack, which they then can blame on the government,” Kliger said.

Historian, politologist, and EAJC member Vyacheslav Likhachev said in an EAJC op-ed published Jan. 19 that the former is more likely than the latter.

“The large-scale civil protests known under the title ‘Euromaidan’ really do include groups of radical youths whose slogans and actions repel even the nationalistic AllUkrainan ‘Svoboda’ Union Party,” Likhachev wrote. But he also wrote that such activists have been heavily occupied with protecting the center of the Maidan protests and preparing for confrontations with government forces. On Jan. 20, President Yanukovych agreed to form a cross-party commission to try to bring an end to the conflict, but the opposition may not participate in talks without the president, according to reports.

“Considering the general direction of what is happening on the Maidan, I believe that even the most thuggish of the protesters are not interested in Jews at the moment,” Likhachev wrote.

But since the Ukrainian government has been portraying protestors as a threat to mi-

norities, according to Likhachev, pro-government forces may be instigating anti-Semitic incidents to then be able to blame the protesters for them.

“It is possible that the second, more cruel incident happened due to the first not having enough resonance in the media,” although “15 years of experience in monitoring hate crimes tell me that usually hate crime is just a hate crime and not an element of some complex and global political plot,” wrote Likhachev.

Josef Zisels, chairman of the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities (Vaad) of Ukraine, emphasized in an official statement translated from Russian that the anti-Semitic attacks were synchronized with the adoption of new legislation initiated by Yanukovych late last week that outlaws many forms of protests. The law bans wearing hardhats or masks, building tents or stages, and disseminating “extremist information” about the Ukrainian government.

“Journalists and public figures, including those acting on behalf of the Jewish community, rushed without any factual basis to tie the assaults with the campaign of peaceful civil protests,” Zisels said in the statement.

“Based on the fact that now the topic of anti-Semitism is being used heavily in the cynical political technology campaigns aimed at discrediting the political opposition and the public protest movement, the Jewish community must remain increasingly vigilant,” he said.

Both AJC and The National Conference Supporting Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eurasia (NCSJ) issued statements condemning the anti-Semitic attacks and asking the Ukrainian government to investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.

NCSJ Executive Director Mark Levin told JNS.org that “no one really knows the full truth” yet about who is responsible for the attacks, but that he is not surprised by the incidents.

“Anti-Semitism unfortunately remains an issue in Ukraine. It ebbs and flows,” Levin said.

THE JEWISH STAR January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774

For MLK Day: A Zionist’s protest against racism

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January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774 THE JEWISH STAR

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Bringing a little Sinai back into our Jewish experience A

former chief rabbi accused and arrested for possible bribery and embezzlement, a rabbinic leader found guilty of inappropriate behavior with his students, and yet another rabbi accused of bribing senior police officers.

Even if one has to take what one reads in the press with a grain of salt, something is clearly Rabbi Binny amiss. Where have we Freedman gone wrong? How can we avoid these horrific pitfalls in the future?

This week, we read the portion of Mishpatim: “Ve’eileh hamishpatim asher tasim lifneihem.” (“And these are the statutes you shall place before them.”) (Exodus 21:1) These past weeks we have been reading of Exodus from Egypt, the splitting of the sea, and last week’s awe-filled Revelation at Sinai — the most incredible, inspiring and awesome events in Jewish History. This week, we come back down to earth, with a portion filled with laws, and particularly the mitzvoth (commandments) related to social justice and how we relate to and treat each other.

But there is an interesting detail at the beginning of the portion that makes this a little more interesting: Hashem does not

FROM THE HEART OF JERUSALEM

actually command these laws, nor does He command Moshe to command these laws; He tells Moshe to place them before the Jewish people. (“Tasim lifneihem”). What is the meaning of this seemingly out of place verb?

Rashi points out that last week’s portion ends with the mitzvah of building an altar (a mizbeach) in the Temple, and wonders why the giving of the laws at Sinai is preceded by the mitzvah to build an altar on the Temple Mount? His response is that this teaches us that the Sanhedrin, the highest court that was responsible for dispensing law and justice, had to sit in proximity to the Temple (actually on the Temple mount itself.)

Why was this idea one of the first things we learn of immediately after the revelation at Sinai? Perhaps the Torah is sharing a critical idea with us: What does it mean to be an ethical person?

The first portion after the Revelation is all about human ethics, but what does it mean to be ethical? How does one determine what ethical behavior truly is?

Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook suggests that all of the baggage people have in life stems from their relationship with

Hashem; someone with a warped relationship with G-d will exhibit warped behavior in life.

Just because a person wears the right hat, studies the right books, or gives lots of tzedakah, does not guarantee they will be uniformly ethical. At the end of the day, unless ethics stem from an Objective Source (G-d), they cannot be objective ethics, they remain the whim of the person and his or her worldview and there will be a potential gap in ethical behavior.

Perhaps this is why social ethics appear in the Torah immediately after the Revelation at Sinai — because the one absolutely influences and impacts the other.

And maybe this is why the Sanhedrin sat on the Temple Mount.

The whole point of a Temple was that there be a space where one could experience a deep relationship with Hashem in such an intense and meaningful way, that it would have to inform our behavior down even to the most minute detail.

If you could really see that every human being was and is created in the image of G-d, and if in every moment one could feel

One way Jewish and Christian ethics diverge is that Judaism is not social action espoused, it is social action demanded.

the immanence of Hashem’s presence, it would be much more difficult to steal from or harm anyone.

It is certainly important to fulfill the letter and the spirit of Jewish law. Indeed, one of the ways Jewish and Christian ethics may diverge is that Judaism is not social action espoused, it is social action demanded.

That being said, it is equally important to bring G-d back into the dialogue.

Ask any yeshiva high school graduate how to put on a pair of Tefillin, or what to do when reciting the Shema, and they will have no trouble at all. (I have on occasion seen “Tefillin races” wherein high school students race to see who can put on or take off Tefillin faster!).

But ask them if putting on those same Tefillin was part of a meaningful relationship with Hashem and you will get a very different type of answer.

Ask a yeshiva high school student whether they believe in G-d and the answer you will generally get is “yes.” Then ask them what they think G-d is, and they will have no clue how to even begin to respond to that question; you will witness a very long pause…

The Sanhedrin needs to sit on the Temple mount, and we need to reinvest our Jewish practice with Jewish meaning. Hashem will place the laws before us, but we have to decide how we will relate to them.

Perhaps it’s time to bring a little Sinai back into our Jewish experience.

Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

Why we prefer justice from a bet din over a secular court M

any commentaries discuss the opening word of our Parsha, wondering what to make of the words v’eileh (and these are) hamishpatim (the laws to be placed before the Jewish people).

The Medrash Tanchuma, for example, notes the difference between when the word begins or does not beRabbi Avi Billet gin with the conjunction vov (and). Quoting Rabbi Abahu in the name of Rabbi Yosi ben Zimra, the midrash records that when the letter vov does not appear, what came before is not relevant to the here-and-now because a new narrative is being introduced. On the other hand, when the vov is present, the conjunction serves to unite what came before with what follows, in some cases adding information to glorify a previous text.

We previously learned that in Marah (15:25), G-d placed “a law and a statute” before the people, and now Moshe was being told, “And these are the laws you should [also] place before them.” The latter builds on the former.

The midrash explains that the term lifneihem (before them) is literally meant to instruct that these laws apply “before a court made up of [Jews]” and not before idolaters.

The midrash asks, “How do we know that two Jewish litigants who have a need to settle a matter in court, who know that they can get the same result in front of a non-Jewish court [as in front of a bet din] have a mandate to go to the Jewish court? Because it says, “Before them (the Jewish court),” meaning not before the non-Jewish court.

It really is a simple formula, perhaps no PARSHA OF THE WEEK

different from understanding the rules of Shabbos; it explains why rabbis, to this day, have a problem accepting some Jews as valid witnesses on important documents such as a ketubah or a get.

The party line is that a person who violates the Shabbos (and of course there are loose definitions of this, just as much as there are hard definitions of this) is viewed as having denied that G-d created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, the acts we emulate when we keep Shabbos. How can a person who denies G-d’s role in the world serve as a witness on a document that testifies to G-d’s law?

Similarly, the midrash argues, a person who chooses not to go to a bet din is denying G-d’s role in the world, and ultimately His Torah, that instructs you to settle these monetary matters “in-house.”

A parable is utilized to drive the message home.

Imagine a doctor treating two patients. In the first case, the doctor examines the patient and instructs the family to feed him whatever he wants. For the second patient, the doctor gives him a specific diet. When asked why he gave the two patients such different treatments, the doctor replied that the first one has no chance for survival — why restrict his enjoyment when nothing will help him? The second one, on the other hand, can get better with a careful diet — why exacerbate his problem if we can fix it?

This, the midrash explains, is the perspective we ought to have regarding “their laws.”

Invoking a passage in Yirmiyahu (10:3) and Yechezkel (20:25) the Tanchuma declares a difference between the righteousness of the

Torah (the food that will help the patient) versus those of the general society (which will do no harm because the patient is lost anyway). The Torah’s laws, for example, declare that they give us a foundation “to live with them.” (Vayikra 18:5) Following all of these laws, including bringing your court cases before a Jewish court, will bring about the fulfillment of Yeshayahu 1:26-7 and 56:1, promising for a time when the judges are returned to the place where they belong, at the high court in Jerusalem.

This midrashic passage is one of the sources addressing the halakha of the incumbency to utilize the bet din, most notably in monetary cases.

The legal system in the United States is imperfect, as is every legal system, but I will not say it is unfair; in the scheme of history, it attempts to be one of the more just legal systems humanity has ever put together.

But it also opens doors for rulings which defy logic — lawsuits in which millions of dollars are awarded to litigants, custody battles in which the decision regarding what is “best for the child” is not always so clear, as well as some “no exceptions” rulings which make it to the newspapers every now and then, in which it is clear that bureaucracy is dictating policy, with the human element being removed from the equation.

This is not to say that rabbis who sit on a bet din are omnipotent and always right, nor that any bet din could take on any case.

There are bet dins that pride themselves on a certain expertise, and guided by Torah and halakha they do as decent a job (if not better) than a secular court in arbitration duties.

Jews who observe halakha should make bet din the first stop in financial suits and civil suits.

It is the responsibility of the Jew who observes halakha to always make bet din the first stop, in financial suits and civil suits.

The right bet din might even declare, “We can help you until a certain point, and if you are unsatisfied, you have the legal system of the State.”

Hopefully, however, the litigants can come to court looking to do what’s right. And with the guidance of the bet din, harmony can be achieved, as the mishnah in Avot (1:8) is fulfilled when “they accept the ruling.”

Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

Birthright expands free trip eligibility Taglit-Birthright Israel program has expanded eligibility for its free 10-day trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26, JNS. org has learned. Teenagers who went on an educational trip to Israel during high school were previously not eligible but can now participate if they were under 18 when they traveled, confirmed Noa Bauer, Birthright’s vice president of international marketing.

In the 13-plus years since philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt joined forces with the Israeli government and other philanthropists to fund Birthright, the program has taken about 350,000 young Jews to Israel.

Brandeis University studies report that former Birthright participants are 42 percent more likely to feel “very much” connected to Israel compared to people who didn’t go.

Participants are also more likely to belong to a religious congregation than those who did not attend Birthright, and are also more likely than non-participants to make charitable contributions to Jewish or Israeli causes.

Bookworm has the week off, so we’re reprinting one of his archived columns. Want more Bookworm? Follow this link for a guide to Alan Jay Gerber’s Jewish Star columns: bit.ly/1c1yMQW

O

ne of Maimonides’ lasting legacies was his attempt to systemize the specifics of Jewish Alan Jay Gerber belief. Consisting of 13 statements, he gave our faith a form wherein we are able to point to specific basic beliefs that go to the core of our faith. The seventh one focuses upon the belief in the role of Moses in our tradition.

Maimonides states the following in his commentary to the tenth chapter of Mishnah Sanhedrin, as cited by Dr. Menachem Kellner in, “Torah in the Observatory” [Academic Studies Press, 2010]: “The seventh foundation is the prophecy of Moses, our Teacher; to wit, it should be known that: Moses was the father of all prophets of those who came before him and those who came after him; all were beneath him in rank and that he was chosen by G-d from among the entire species of humanity and that he comprehended more of G-d than any man who ever existed or ever will exist ever comprehended or will comprehend, and that he reached a state of exaltedness beyond humanity, so that he perceived the level of sovereignty and became included in the level of the angels.”

Further description enhances Moses’ role

as G-d’s prophet, lawgiver and divinely appointed leader of the Jewish people.

Dr. Kellner states further that, “The prophecy of Moses is different in kind from that of all other prophets; G-d communicated with Moses directly, through no intermediary, in a way which was unique and will never be repeated.”

This belief system was analyzed further

by Dr. Kellner in a work with the challenging title, “Must A Jew Believe Anything?” [Second edition, Littman Library, 2008].

In this volume we are presented with a comprehensive review of Moses’ role as the premier religious, as well as political, leader of our people for all time. In a detailed footnote, Dr. Kellner states: “Maimonides here makes a number of unprecedented claims about Moses: a. He is the father of all the prophets, including the Patriarchs who preceded him; b. No other prophet ever achieved his rank, nor will any prophet do so; c. Unlike other prophets who, in effect, chose themselves, Moses was chosen by G-d from among all humans; d. Moses’ uniqueness was, apparently, a consequence of his having achieved such an exalted level of comprehension of G-d; e. Moses became an angel, pure intellect only.

None of these statements about Moses is commonplace in Jewish tradition.

These daring claims by Maimonides were

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disputed by many in the many centuries that followed. Nevertheless, despite these disputes, these 13 core beliefs are to be found in just about every traditional prayer book of our faith both in prose (Ani Ma’amin) and in poetry (the hymn, Yigdal).

Dr. Kellner goes into greater detail, explaining Moses’ leadership role starting from the Exodus, the giving of the Ten Commandments, and leading to the borders of the promised land. His basic premise is that Moses was different in just about every way and in just about every endeavor that he was involved in. Reading and studying the Torah text with Dr. Kellner’s take will surely give you an added dimension to the Moses legacy from both the religious and historical perspective.

As noted above, there were many who differed from Maimonides’ evaluation of Moses’ role and importance within our tradition.

In Dr. Marc Shapiro’s “The Limits of Orthodox Theology: Maimonides’ 13 Principles Reappraised” [Littman Library, 2004], the author cites many contrary opinions and the reasons for those evaluations.

One of the most intriguing were those by two very interesting personalities, both no strangers to readers of this column. To be fair, I shall quote Dr. Shapiro’s narrative of this fascinating and challenging teaching.

“Finally, I must mention R. Isaac Luria’s view that Moses’ understanding of divine matters was inferior to that of certain kabbalists [including himself]. This notion is

elaborated upon by R. Shneur Zalman of Liady who asks, ‘How did Rabbi Isaac Luria apprehend more than he, and expound many themes dealing with the highest and most profound levels, even of many Sefirot?’ According to R. Shneur Zalman, because Moses only used prophetic powers, he was not able to reach the heights of R. Shimon bar Yochai, R. Luria, and other kabbalists, who attained their understanding through wisdom and knowledge [chochma v’daat].According to R. Shneur Zalman, this means that, while these kabbalists had a more profound understanding of divine matters, none of them actually reached Moses’ prophetic level. Thus, there is no conflict with Devorim 34:10, since this verse only states only that another prophet as great as Moses will never arise again.

“According to R. Shneur Zalman, this superior understanding of the kabbalists in comparison to Moses explains the Talmudic saying, ‘A wise man is better than a prophet.’

R. Shneur Zalman comments: ‘Because by his wisdom he can apprehend exceedingly beyond the levels that can descend netherwards in a mode of revelation to the prophets in the vision of their prophecy. For only the lowest ranks can descend and become revealed to them’.”

These citations by Dr. Shapiro were from the famous Tanya, Likutei Amarim, Igeret Hakodesh, number 19.

In the months ahead, as you continue to follow Moses in the Torah readings, consider the teachings of both Maimonides and the Baal HaTanya, and the historical and theological teachings of both Dr. Menachem Kellner and Dr. Marc Shapiro. Hopefully, sometime soon, we may be privileged to hear and learn from both of these gifted scholars.

Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

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THE JEWISH STAR January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774

Considering Moses, Maimonides, and the course of history

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January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774 THE JEWISH STAR

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3 nasty memes about Jews and Israel

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ere are three disturbing memes about Jews and Israel that I’ve noticed in three separate-butrelated news stories.

1. ‘You’re ungrateful.’ Here’s State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf responding to remarks by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon regarding Secretary of State John Kerry: “We find the remarks of the defense minister to Ben Cohen, JNS be offensive and inappropriate … given all that the United States has done to support Israel’s security needs and will continue to do.”

Ya’alon’s description of Kerry as “obsessive” and “messianic” may have been injudicious. But rather than defend Kerry’s approach to the negotiations, Harf simply accuses the Israelis of biting the hand that feeds them and of being adrain upon the US Treasury.

As Israelis know, the principal defender of Israel is not the US, but the Israel Defense Forces.

And the strategic relationship between Israel and the USis more balanced than Harf’s comments suggest. The US doesn’t have to risk its troops by stationing them on Israeli soil, in marked contrast to other Middle Eastern countries; meanwhile, Israel enhances American security.

2. ‘You’re Warmpongers.’ The Obama Administration’s trashing of anyone expressing doubts about the deal struck last November with the Iranian regime over its nuclear program contains, of course, an Israeli dimension. Objecting to the new Iran sanctions bill co-authored by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), veteran California Senator Dianne Feinstein opined that the proposed legislation was bolstering a “march to war.” And who is directing this heinous agenda? Feinstein once more: “We cannot let Israel determine when and where the United States goes to war.”

What Feinstein’s statement insinuates is that Israel has, in the past, done just that. In VIEWPOINT

one stroke, all the complexity of the Iran situation — the disquiet among Arab countries over Obama’s Iran policy, the strengthening of Iran as a regional power with dire consequences for Syria and Lebanon, the summary dismissal of successive UN Security Council resolutions — simply disappears.

3. ‘You’re Israel-Firsters.’ I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve encountered the slanderous notion that pro-Israel American Jews (the vast majority) are more loyal to Israel than to the US. So frequently has this accusation been voiced that it has added a new term, “Israel-Firster,” to the political lexicon.

Thus we come to last week’s New York Times op-ed by former FBI official M.E. Bowman urging that Jonathan Pollard, who has spent almost 30 years in an American jail after being convicted of spying for Israel, remain incarcerated. Much of the evidence that Bowman cited against Pollard is, at best, tenuous. Nor did he explain why Pollard should not be entitled to clemency, given that he didn’t kill or harm anyone, and that the Cold War is long over (compare that with Israel’s decision to release nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu after he served an 18 year sentence).

It’s therefore difficult to disagree with Tablet magazine’s courageous assertion that “in order to cover their own incredibly damaging mistakes and failures, the national security establishment is keeping Pollard in prison on the apparent grounds that Jews are especially prone to disloyalty.” As the magazine goes on to point out, what’s involved here is “a real injustice whose perpetuation is clearly intended to suggest that all American Jews are, inherently, potential traitors to their country.”

Separately, all these three examples are alarming enough. Taken together, they demonstrate that American public discourse about the Middle East is all too receptive to ideas that we thought had been discredited by history. That’s why, when the next instance of Iranian nuclear duplicity surfaces, get ready for the chorus proclaiming that it’s all the fault of Israel and its supporters.

Ben Cohen is Shillman Analyst for JNS.org.

Discourse about the Middle East is all too receptive to ideas that we thought had been discredited by history.

Why Hillel should snub J-Street

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he Hillel chapter at Swarthmore College has rejected the guidelines of Hillel International which state, in part, “Hillel will not partner with, house or host organizations, groups or speakers that as a matter of policy or practice: Deny the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish and democratic state with secure and recognized Jeff Dunetz borders.”

Based on that controversy, Hillel’s CEO and President Eric Fingerhut has called for a review of how his organization’s national 2010 guidelines will be applied to Hillels on college campuses around the country and talked about welcoming other points of view such as those of the faux proIsrael organization, J-Street, At a Jan. 12 UCLA conference, titled “Through the Looking Glass: A Glimpse Into the Future of Jewish Life on Campus and Beyond,” Fingerhut insisted that Hillel “remains welcoming of many perspectives on Israel, including those of J-Street University, the campus affiliate of J Street, a pro-Israel group that advocates an end to Israeli settlements.”

While J-Street does advocate an end to Israeli settlements, it is by no means a pro-Israel group.

In 2010, J Street received tens of thousands of dollars in donations from Arab- and Muslim-Americans, according to the Federal Election Commission filings cited by the Jerusalem Post, as well as money from individuals connected to Palestinian and pro-Iranian advocacy groups. In the same year, J Street sent out a mass e-mail opposing a bipartisan push in Congress for tougher sanctions on Iran: “On Iran, the President is promoting tough, direct diplomacy to address concerns over their nuclear program, support for Hamas and Hezbollah, and threats against Israel. The President has made clear that the diplomatic road ahead will be tough -- but the chances of success won’t be helped by Congress imposing tight time lines or a new round of sanctions at this moment.”

During the 2008 Israeli action against Hamas, when the IDF was protecting the country after it suffered tens of thousands of rockets from Gaza, J Street called Israel’s “escalation in Gaza counterproductive” and was “disproportionate.” It also made a moral equivalency argument between the policies of Israel and Hamas, stating that they found difficulty in distinguishing “between who is right and who is wrong” and “picking a side.” The group has also advocated that the US negotiate with Hamas.

Remember the Goldstone Report that violated international standards for inquires, including UN rules on fact-finding?

The Goldstone Commission systematically favored witnesses and evidence put forward by anti-Israel advocates including Hamas, and dismissed evidence and testimony that would undermine its case.

For example, it ruled that Hamas did not use its own citizens as human shields, despite a wealth of video evidence. The commission relied extensively on mediating agencies, especially UN and NGOs, with a documented hostility to Israel, and reproduced earlier reports and claims from these agencies.

POLITICS TO GO

J Street lobbied in Congress to accept the discredited anti-Israel Goldstone Report.

In 2011, J Street urged the Administration to support a UN Security Council resolution falsely condemning Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria as “illegal.” Successive US administrations have refused to describe Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria as “illegal.” In fact, even President Obama vetoed a 2011 Arab-sponsored UN Security Council resolution calling them “illegal” and has described them only as “illegitimate.”

In 2012, J Street hosted the book launch of Peter Beinart who had just published an op-ed in the New York Times calling for a “Zionist BDS” campaign that would seek to economically suffocate all Israeli Jews who live beyond the 1949 armistice lines. Also addressing this conference was Mustafa Barghouti, a leading figure in the BDS (Boycott, Sanctions, Divestment) campaign, who claimed the Oslo peace process was a piece of Israeli “deceit,” asserted that “what we are witnessing today is a creation, or a consolidation to be precise, of a system of segregation and Bantustans,” and declared that Palestinians “actually live” under an “apartheid” regime.

During the most recent congressional campaign cycle, J Street solicited funds for congressional candidates who are openly hostile to Israel or failed repeatedly to support Israel (Tammy Baldwin, Sherrod Brown, Lois Capps, George Miller, David Price and Peter Welch). And at the same time, they targeted for defeat explicitly pro-Israel lawmakers who don’t agree with its anti-Israel agenda (Charlie Bass, Judy Biggert, Frank Guinta and Joe Walsh).

While I applaud Eric Fingerhut for taking a stand against the Strathmore College Hillel position of working with groups who wish to destroy Israel, his stance on J-Street is horribly naïve. And prospective Hillel donors should understand that stance before they send their checks to Hillel International.

J-Street is not a pro-Israel group with a different perspective; it is an Arab-funded anti-Israel “wolf” in “sheep’s clothing.” For Hillel to tolerate it is an outrage.

Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

J-Street is not a pro-Israel group with a different perspective. It is an Arab-funded anti-Israel ‘wolf’ in ‘sheep’s clothing.’

Newport native Rita Eisenberg Slom, who was president of Touro Synagogue from 19992001, pictured next to a poster of President Washington’s famous letter.

Photo by Paul Foer

1999 to 2001. “We get many tourists who come just to pray at Touro. For them to get an aliyah [to the Torah] here is very special.�

Sephardic Jews ďŹ rst arrived in Newport in 1658 (though another account says 1677), when Jewish families came to America from Barbados in the Caribbean. Thanks to the colony’s founding by religious dissenters and its generally tolerant attitudes, Jews received ofďŹ cial legal protection from the colony’s Assembly in 1684. Newport’s Jewish community eventually thrived as ship owners, traders and even spermacetti (whale oil) dealers, all attracted to this cosmopolitan, commercial seaport.

Newport’s trade with the West Indies, rather than with England, was responsible for the city’s growth and wealth, and its Jews had contacts with co-religionists in the Caribbean. Newport eventually rivaled New York as a shipping center, and virtually all the Jews in New England lived in Newport. Aaron Lopez, one of the most successful shipping magnates and maybe even the wealthiest Jew in America in his day, refused to allow any of his ships to set sail on the Sabbath. Some Jewish ship owners participated as privateers in the American Revolution.

The city was occupied by the British and went into decline, as did its Jewish community, which had disappeared by 1822. Providence, the Rhode Island state capital to the north, gradually replaced Newport as the state’s center of Jewish life, where Jews were particularly active in making it a major center of jewelry production.

Originally known as Yeshuat Israel, the congregation adopted the name of Touro Synagogue after the American Revolution in honor of Newport natives and benefactors Abraham and Judah Touro, sons of Isaac Touro, the Dutch-born chazan of the congregation. The congregation was among America’s earliest historic preservationists, a role shared with Commodore Uriah Levy who preserved Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate later in the 19th century.

Two famous American poems hold a place in Newport’s Jewish history. In the summer of 1852, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited and was inspired to write the now-classic “The Jewish Cemetery at Newport,� which begins: How strange it seems! These Hebrews in their graves; Close by the street of this fair seaport town; Silent beside the never-silent waves; At rest in all this moving up and down!

New Yorker Emma Lazarus frequented Newport and in 1867, at age 18, wrote “In the Jewish Synagogue of Newport.� But of course, she is best known for “The New Colossus,� her ode to another landmark in an-

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also the setting for the Sonny Von Bulow murder trial. Her widower, the wealthy heir Claus Von Bulow, was successfully defended by famed Jewish lawyer Alan Dershowitz.

The otherwise generally good news about Newport is marred by a lengthy and longbrewing legal dispute between Touro Synagogue and New York’s Congregation Shearith Israel, the nation’s oldest Jewish congregation, which is claiming ownership of the Newport synagogue and its religious artifacts.

This dispute recently came to a head when Shearith Israel objected to Touro’s plans to sell original bells to a museum for a seven-ďŹ gure amount. Likewise, the building of the Loeb Center was not always a smooth process, and there was tension between the synagogue and a wealthy benefactor, who traced his family’s roots back to the Touros.

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other famed seaport where Jews have made their mark: New York’s Statue of Liberty.

Today, the congregation known as Jeshuat Israel that worships in Touro Synagogue comprises about 140 member families and is led by Rabbi Dr. Marc Mandel. The synagogue and Loeb Center are often visited

by Jews, many of whom are observant and come as part of school groups. The traditionally dressed Orthodox men and women can be seen walking the narrow streets of Newport. They are welcomed on Shabbat, as the synagogue’s grounds are enclosed within an eruv that also surrounds a kosher bed and breakfast, The Admiral Weaver Inn. In addition to once hosting the America’s Cup yachts, its famed mansions of the Gilded Age, the stunning Cliff Walk, the Tennis Hall of Fame, and other attractions, Newport was

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Touro Synagogue in Newport.

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By Paul Foer, JNS.org NEWPORT, RI—It is best known as one of America’s most celebrated and picturesque seaside towns, a summer playground for the rich, a major yachting destination, and home to famed eponymous jazz and folk festivals.

But Newport, RI, is also one of America’s most historically important places of Jewish interest and history.

Last August, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan was the keynote speaker at an event celebrating the synagogue’s 250th anniversary. That coincided with Touro Synagogue’s 66th annual reading of the letter President George Washington addressed “To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport Rhode Island,� when the state formally adopted the U.S. Constitution in 1790. The president proclaimed in the letter that the new government of the United States “gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.�

Newport’s importance stems not just from the 1763 Touro Synagogue, the oldest-standing synagogue in the United States and a designated national historic site, but also from the Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. Visitors Center next to the synagogue, which tells the story of Touro and of religious tolerance. In May 2013, a 132-page book, “A Genesis of Religious Freedom: The Story of the Jews of Newport, RI and Touro Synagogue,� by Melvin Urofsky, was published by The George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom. “Even those who do not belong to Touro Synagogue appreciate the history and the beauty of the synagogue and the community,�

Rita Eisenberg Slom, a Newport native who served as president of the synagogue from

THE JEWISH STAR January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774

After 250 years, Jewish history lives in Newport, RI

7

For Sima Mattel, it was a rich and wonderful life

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ast week, my dear mother-inlaw, Sima Mattel (Sari), a”h, passed away. She had been in the hospital since right after Sukkot.

Ten days into her stay, which we usually called her “tune ups” due to congestive heart failure, my brother-inlaw Seme and I were sitting with her, when Seme said, “Mom, you Judy Joszef have 10 beautiful great grandchildren, and G-d willing in two months you will have an eleventh.” She responded, “I am grateful to have seen 10 great grandchildren, and if Hashem wants me to see an eleventh I will be very happy, and if not, I am satisfied with what he has given me in my lifetime.” That in a nutshell, was my mother-in-law.

I never heard her complain about her lot in life. This was a woman who was taken from her home when she was 14, lived in a ghetto with her parents and seven sibWHO’S IN THE KITCHEN

lings and watched her mother die of cancer.

She ended up in Auschwitz, where four of her siblings and her father were sent to the gas chamber. She also walked on the death march and was in Bergen-Belsen. Her sister and she would spit on each other’s hands to “wash negel vasser” in the mornings and she fasted on Tisha B’Av and Yom Kippur. She stole a potato whenever she could, while unloading them for the Germans. She would insist on cutting it into 22 pieces and sharing it with all the girls in the barracks that came from her hometown of Lazi. There was no way she would have not shared, not even when she was starving. She would always say, “You have no idea how good a raw potato can taste.” Out of the 22 girls from her hometown that were in her barracks, four survived; my mother-in-law was the last one to pass away.

While sitting along side Jerry during shiva week, I was touched by all the wonderful things that were said about his mom. Everyone shared how they were touched in one way or another by her.

One by one Jerry’s childhood friends walked in and said they actually walked to Continued on next page

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TOP 10 OF THE YEAR!

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January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774 THE JEWISH STAR

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9 THE JEWISH STAR January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774

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Continued from previous page life, never allowing the Auschwitz horror to the back to the see if the basketball hoop was defeat her. still there. It was, after all, the place where Ironically, the day of the funeral, our close all the boys would gather to play ball. Jerry’s friend’s daughter, Samantha Hod, was in mom wasn’t happy that the boys would play Auschwitz and she and her entire tour group ball Shabbos afternoon, “and what would all said kaddish for Sima Mattel Bat Yoel Zvi their parents say if they knew?” she would Halevi. She then said, “Auschwitz, the only ask her sons. Truth is, that was never a prob- place that wanted so badly to destroy her, is lem, as the boys would leave a change of now honoring her memory.” She then lit a clothes in Jerry’s closet, along with sneakers, yahrtzeit candle, which burned during my and they would tell their parents that were mother in law’s funeral and burial. going to Jerry’s house to learn. Now, Jerry is After shiva was over I got behind the quite the learner today, but back then, well, wheel, I glanced at the door and started tearlet’s just say, he wasn’t. ing up. Every time I left my mother-in-law’s Each week it was the same scenario. house she would stand outside in front of the “Boys, it’s really not right to play ball on door till I got into the car and pulled away Shabbos even though there is an eruv — it’s from the curb. Sometimes that would take a not shabbosdic … there are rugalach, seven layer cakes and drinks in the basement.”

Half hour later, “Really, what would your parents say if they knew you were paying ball instead of learning.… Oh, I forgot to tell you, there is also cherry pie, bobka and Lowen’s cream puffs in the kitchen upstairs; help yourself.” Finally fully exasperated, she would search for her husband to join her to get the boys to stop playing ball. Inevitably, she always found him in Jerry’s room, head out the window, cheering on the boys. Needless to say, Jerry’s dad could be counted on to take one for the team.

The Joszef house was open to any and all who needed a place to stay. Jerry’s mom never said no. At any given time there were always relatives from different parts of the world who would be staying at Judy, at her wedding to Jerry, with Jerry’s mother, Sima. their home.

After Jerry was married, his friends continued to be welcomed to his par- while, as I had to load the prime rib roasts, ents’ home. His good friend Stuie Hershkow- melons, tomatoes, cheese blintzes, compote, itz spent months there studying for the bar etc. into the trunk. I would say, “Go inside, (when he wasn’t being disturbed by Jerry’s it’s cold, I’m fine,” but she would never go African grey parrot screaming intermittently inside until I was out of sight. So this last in Yiddish in each of his parent’s voices). time, I realized that she would no longer be One summer, when Jerry returned from there at the door, but, instead, in my heart Israel, he had to fight with someone who and in my memories and in the stories we took hold of his suitcase. “Hey, that’s my suit- will continue to tell. case,” Jerry said. “I know, I’m going to take One of my favorite recipes of my motherit to the car for you,” said the 20-year-old kid in-law, and one that is not hard to prepare, is in the short shorts with the South African ac- her famous compote. It’s not too sweet, very cent. “Who are you?” asked Jerry. “Don’t you refreshing and with fewer calories than cake remember me?” the kid responded. “I told and just as tasty. She would prepare enough you I had no place to stay for the summer so that the finished product filled two galwhen the YU dorms would be closed and you lon containers. I cut the recipe down to onesaid that although you’ll be in Israel, that I quarter as not to scare anyone off. should just call your mom and she’ll let me stay there. You were right. As soon as I said Molly Joszef’s compote I was your friend and that I needed a place Ingredients: for the summer she said I was welcome to 15 cooking apples such as Cortland or stay. And wow, she’s the best cook, and her Golden Delicious rugalach are huge and delicious.”

5 peaches Jerry’s mom hosted all the extended fam5 plums ily’s s’machot. The one party she didn’t host 5 apricots was her 25th surprise anniversary party.

2 pears When her friends said they had to stop in at ½ cup of water the Avenue N Jewish Center to pick someoptional ½ cup of sugar (I love it with no thing up, they thought it odd that all of their added sugar) friends and relatives were at an affair that they weren’t invited to. Once they realized it Directions: was for them, and they were asked to speak, •Peel and core the apples and pears and his mom prodded his dad to the microphone cut into chunks to thank everyone.

•Remove pits from remaining fruits and His dad, a man of a few words, who only cut into chunks made one previous speech his entire life, •Place water in a large soup pot and add proceeded to fully repeat his speech given the fruit at the Israeli Bond drive breakfast where he •Once the water starts to boil on the bothad been honored the week before. He told tom lower heat to a simmer and cover pot all about the importance of supporting the •Cook approximately half hour to an hour state of Israel and investing in Israeli bonds. till all fruits are falling apart (make sure to It wasn’t quite the 25th anniversary speech stir every five minutes). If you like it totally his mom expected. smooth use an immersion blender. We love it As you can see, after surviving the Holo- just as is with chunks of fruit. Serve chilled. caust, his mom lived a rich and wonderful Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

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January 24, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 23 SHEVAT 5774 THE JEWISH STAR

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By Sean Savage, JNS.org With the Middle East in turmoil, Europe moving backwards, and the United States fatigued from years of war and recession, Canada has emerged as a staunch supporter of Israel. At a time when Israel is routinely singled out for condemnation, Canada has been at the forefront of defending Israel and criticizing its enemies.

This outspokenness comes amid the growing economic and political clout of Canada, a country that is traditionally accustomed to keeping a low profile internationally. The Jewish state rolled out the red carpet for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper during his first trip to Israel from Jan. 19 to 22.

Has Israel found a new best friend? “[Harper] really understands the importance and moral justification for a Jewish state, he gets it,” said Rabbi Philip Scheim of Toronto’s Beth David Synagogue, who was traveling as part of Harper’s delegation to Israel.

Since World War II, Canada’s foreign policy has centered on multilateralism and participation in international organizations. But Harper has moved beyond those traditional corridors and has focused on a stronger and more independent Canadian foreign policy.

Part of this new independent foreign policy has been supporting Israel, an oftenunpopular position around the world. Immediately upon taking office in 2006, Harper bucked world opinion and supported Israel in its war against the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah. This outward support has continued in every military engagement Israel has been involved in since.

Canada has also supported Israel in the U.N., joining only a handful of small nations and the U.S. in voting against upgrading the Palestinians to nonmember observer state status in 2012, and repeatedly voting against resolutions condemning Israel.

On Iran, Harper has aligned more closely with Israel’s position than with the positions of some of its allies in Europe and the U.S. In 2012, Harper cut diplomatic ties with Iran and expelled Iranian diplomats from Ottawa, Canada’s capital. More recently, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said he was “deeply skeptical” of the interim nuclear deal with Iran and reaffirmed that Canada would maintain its sanctions against Iran.

These positions have come with some costs for Canada. In a shocking outcome in 2010, Canada lost a bid for a seat on the U.N. Security Council. Some speculated that

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greets Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Jerusalem in January.

Harper’s strong pro-Israel stance might have played a role in straining relations with the U.N.’s large Islamic bloc.

“This is really something we have not seen before, a prime minister of Canada taking a really strong position at a great political cost.

He knows that this could really hurt him in some areas, but he doesn’t care, because this is what he really believes,” Scheim said.

Harper, an Evangelical Christian who belongs to the Colorado-based Christian and Missionary Alliance church, has also come under fire from critics who claim that his faith influences his foreign policy.

“My sense is that there may be an element of religious connection [to Israel]. But that is certainly not all of it; I think it also has to do with his sense of the world, his sense of justice and understanding of history, especially Jewish history,” Scheim said.

But Canada, like its American and European allies, still has a vocal anti-Israel movement within the country, particularly on college campuses and in certain media outlets.

In 2005, Toronto’s York University became the first school to host “Israel Apartheid Week” (IAW) and its student union, the largest in Canada, voted last year to divest from

Israel. IAW events have also spread to other Canadian universities.

Harper’s recent selection of Vivian Bercovici, who is Jewish and has been a vocal supporter of Israel, to be Canada’s next ambassador to Israel has also drawn some criticism in the Canadian media. In an interview with Baird, CBC anchor Evan Solomon questioned whether it is appropriate to appoint a proIsrael Jew to be the Ambassador to Israel.

“Vivian Bercovici is Jewish, so there are going to be some questions. Why not appoint someone who doesn’t even have the perception of any kind of bias (in favor of Israel)?”

Solomon asked.

Yet despite the criticism of Harper’s proIsrael stance, Shimon Fogel, CEO of Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, credits Harper for making support for Israel a mainstream position in Canada.

“Adopting those positions on Israel is what a mainstream party should look like in the eyes of most of the Canadian electorate today,” Fogel said.

This support has shown itself in the positions of the leaders of Canada’s two main opposition parties, the centrist Liberal Party and the center-left New Democratic Party (NDP).

“Yes, the Liberal Party will have Israel’s back — but not because it’s in our political interests to do so at home, but because it is the right thing to do on the world stage,” Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau recently told a crowd of 500 people at Beth Tikvah Synagogue in Toronto, the Jewish Tribune of Toronto reported.

NDP leader Thomas Mulcair has strong Jewish ties. Mulcair’s wife is a French Sephardic Jew whose parents are Holocaust survivors, and his children are being raised Jewish.

Mulcair has described himself as an “ardent supporter of Israel in all instances.”

Adding to their credentials, both Trudeau and Mulcair have also visited Israel before.

“The opposition parties are very close to the position of the Conservative government [on Israel]. But it has to be recognized that this government [Harper’s Conservative party] established that benchmark,” Fogel said.

Amid the political implications, one aspect of Harper’s trip that may be overlooked is the economic component. Like Israel, Canada has successfully weathered the global economic crisis over the past five years and has invested heavily in high-tech areas.

“Over the last decade [we have] tried to broaden the base of support for Israel,” Fogel said. “We have spent a lot of time helping foster interest and engagement of the private sector in seeing Israel as a high-tech destination. There has been a ton of partnerships and investments from the private sector.”

Joining Harper on the trip to Israel were 30 of Canada’s top business executives, including billionaire real estate and media moguls David Asper and Albert Reichmann as well as Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu.

Upon touching down in Israel for the first time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted Harper and praised him as “a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people.”

“I think he has taken a moral stand worthy of admiration, and I welcome him on behalf of the Israeli government and on behalf of all the citizens of Israel,” Netanyahu said, the Jerusalem Post reported.

At a time when few countries around the world come to Israel’s defense, Rabbi Scheim sees the trip as an opportunity for Israel to finally express its appreciation for Harper.

“He is very well-known in Israel. You go to the U.S., nobody knows who the prime minister of Canada is, but in Israel, the whole country knows him and I am very proud to identify with him,” Scheim said.

Danny Danon on Sharon’s complicated legacy

By Danny Danon, JNS.org The State of Israel said its final goodbye to former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon this week. While I vehemently disagreed with the decisions that Sharon made towards the end of his career, I will forever respect the daring and innovative military leader who spared no effort in defending his people.

Starting with his brave fight to end the siege on Jerusalem in 1948, Sharon served as a model of courageous and daring thinking that still serves as the model for today’s Israeli army.

He would often tell me how that battle at Latrun, in which he was badly wounded, taught him that we could only count on ourselves when it comes to defending our homeland. Unit 101 that he founded in the 1950s instilled a new sense of brazen fighting spirit in the Israel Defense Forces and, most importantly, made it clear to our enemies that we will never accept terrorism against our citizens.

Sharon was a strong believer in the vital-

ity of the Jewish people. He was especially supportive of aliyah, and it was thanks to his vision, that Israel successfully absorbed a million immigrants from the former Soviet Union. These new Israeli citizens that Sharon welcomed with open arms, suitable housing, and a path to meaningful employment became the economic engine of today’s “Start-up Nation.”

Arik always felt that it was important to instill values amongst the younger generation of the Jewish people. That is why he would often attend the annual 11 of Adar Betar ceremony at Tel Hai. He loved to speak with the young activists from around the world about Jewish and Zionist values. I served as chair

of Betar at the time and we would travel together to the far northern Galilee. Arik loved to point out the communities along the way.

He would always remind me that Jewish homes and fields are more important than tanks when it comes to strengthening our hold on this land.

The building of the Jewish communities of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza was another great project of Sharon’s that I wholeheartedly supported. I fully believed then, as I do today, that these brave pioneers are fulfilling our biblical, historical, and strategically important rights to build in every part of our ancient homeland. I would often accompany him on his visits to these communities. No

one knew those mountains and valleys better than Arik, yet he would insist on closely examining detailed maps of the territory. For him, to examine in detail the geography and topography of the land was the same as reading a letter from a beloved friend.

Arik and I eventually became so close that he was the guest of honor at a ceremony that we held after the birth of my son. To my great sorrow, Sharon later abandoned the values that I hold so dear and made the grave mistake of destroying the Jewish communities of Gush Katif and northern Shomron. At this point, Sharon left the Likud Party that he had helped found, and I personally ended my affiliation with him.

While I cannot forget the travesty forced on the Jewish communities of Gaza, the contributions that Ariel Sharon made towards the safety and security of the country he loved will forever be honored.

Danny Danon is Deputy Defense Minister of the State of Israel and the author of “Israel: The Will to Prevail.”

THE JEWISH STAR January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774

Is Harper-led Canada Israel’s new best friend?

11

January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774 THE JEWISH STAR

12

Let’s not ignore poverty of Jews in Europe

By Alan H. Gill, JNS.org When the economic crisis hit Bulgaria in 2011, Yana, a Jewish mother of three, was one of the first casualties. She lost her job as an optician and suddenly her family had to survive on her husband’s meager salary of $500 a month. Bills piled up quickly, and soon they were $8,000 in debt.

Struggles like that of Yana’s family are sadly common among some European Jews today.

And while our understandable focus tends to be on the rise of nationalism and anti-Semitic political parties, the economic hardships afflicting Europe also pose a dire a threat to Jews. As history has taught us, financial tumult often fuels the ascent of hate and those who sometimes violently express it.

Recently, Eurostat—the European Union’s official statistics bureau—said European jobless rates remained at an all-time high, with an estimated 26.6 million people seeking employment. Places like Spain and Greece have been hit the hardest, with unemployment remaining over 25 percent and unemployment among young adults more than double that.

Jews and Jewish communities have not been immune from this economic downturn, and since 2008 they have turned to us, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), for help.

The basis of our current approach was forged in Argentina at the end of 2001, when the economy there plunged into unprecedented crisis. Given our history of aiding needy Jews and their families around the

With no money to replace the decayed wallpaper in their poorly insulated three-room apartment in Bulgaria, parents Harry and Yana allowed their three children to simply draw on the walls to bring cheer to their home.

Photo by JDC

world for nearly a century, Argentina’s Jews turned to us.

We began with the assets of the community. Some of our work concentrated on restoring value to property and investments to generate reliable revenue streams. We also unlocked potential by boosting individuals’ skills and helping them to promote themselves in the job market.

Since our intervention began, we’ve trained more than 18,000 people in marketable skills, helped 7,000-plus find viable jobs,

and helped create more than 400 small businesses through short-term loans.

When Europe’s economy took a nosedive, we’ve found that this model, adjusted by community, is applicable in the more exposed parts of the Europe. Once more, we’re working with Jewish communities where mass unemployment and poverty is a shock.

Take Bulgaria, where a once vibrant economy (boosted by EU membership) is now buckling under skyrocketing utility costs and an unemployment rate of more than 10 percent

(while the real value of incomes is steadily falling). In the capital, Sofia, where most of the country’s 7,000 Jews live, we and our partner, the Shalom organization, now provide emergency aid in addition to running a soup kitchen and a job training program and center.

Some might question whether the job training center should be a priority, given that the demand for welfare services among Bulgarian Jews has increased by 35 percent in the last year. But for a community to be self-sustaining, it has to cultivate its most ambitious and determined members to keep its members positive in the bad times as well as the good.

When the next crisis hits, the local leaders and communities can care for the most vulnerable. That’s why we also help connect people to their community by ensuring Jewish school scholarships and subsidized Jewish community activities and holiday celebrations.

There is a limit to what governments can do. Government aid flows from the top downwards. So we invert that process, by putting resources into communities and developing local leaders to manage them.

That’s the advantage of a localized approach: you provide assistance to a group that’s large enough to have meaningful impact, yet small enough for every member to have a stake in the future.

We know this work will not fend off the Eurozone’s economic troubles, but it’s a model that ensures that Jewish communities—especially vulnerable in times of economic decline—are a source of support and comfort to their people in a critical time of need.

Wallenberg survivors... New state budget…

Continued from page 1 died in prison in 1947.

Koppel said he tells the story every year at his Seder. “Bchol dor vador (in every generation they arise to destroy us and Hashem saves us) and we can’t forget. I tell my kids all the time the famous quote of Edmund Burke, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’.” Koppel added that his father, who passed away 26 years ago, survived Auschwitz and was liberated after a death march to Theresienstadt.

Koppel’s maternal grandparents tried to leave for Palestine in 1938 but their ship was not permitted to disembark so they returned to Hungary (“If we had Israel then, no one would have had to suffer the way they did,” Koppel remarked.) His grandfather, along with other Jewish men, was taken to a labor camp and his mother, an only child, and grandmother were moved to a house with other Jews, marked by a yellow star.

Vera said she doesn’t know how her mother found out about the Schutzpass, but she said that her mother did meet Wallenberg.

They moved to one of the Wallenberg homes on the Danube River. She said that Wallenberg rented beautiful buildings.

“My most vivid memory is of the Nazis in groups of three, four times a day, their boots coming up one by one, coming to check the people’s identification papers. The apartment houses had staircases, spirals of marble. We would listen. It brought fear into us. I still remember the sound of that.” After the war, they discovered that the shadows of people they had seen moving about next door during the war were Nazis from the regional Gestapo headquarters.

After some time in an orphanage Vera reunited with her mother. They fled to an abandoned home in the countryside outside of Budapest. The area was wracked with bombing and they stayed in the house with the curtains drawn.

The goal of the dinner and the Wallenberg Heritage Foundation, on what would have been Wallenberg’s 101st birthday, was to gather stories and personal accounts of survivors and their families to preserve Wallenberg’s legacy. There are plans for a virtual and actual museum as well. The event was organized by the Young Israel Chovevei Tzion, “Jewish people don’t even know his name, the way he was saving people, there is no comparison to [Oskar] Schindler (who saved about 1,100 Jews as compared to Wallenberg who saved about 100,000), with no benefit to himself,” Vera told The Jewish Star. “He put his life on the line daily.

“The Hungarians were beasts, the bottom, the worst. They never had anything in life and then had guns and power, authority.” She said the Nyilas, the Hungarian Arrow Cross, were worse than the Nazis. “They enjoyed every minute of it,” she said.

Vera recounted that they would tie three Jews together and shoot one and throw them all in the river so the shot one would drag down and drown the other two. She said that Wallenberg hired swimmers in the winter to swim down, cut the ties and save the living Jews.

She said that she didn’t speak about the Holocaust until five years ago when she “made up my mind to speak. This is the last time you can still have a person who really lived through this. Later you can say, ‘I knew someone who survived.’ We have to work on it so people should know this now.

“It’s amazing the fact that I’m here,” said Robert Koppel. “It’s a big responsibility of children of survivors to make sure that what happened isn’t forgotten, to be vigilant, be involved, support Israel, and prevent antiSemitism.”

“Years ago there was no Israel, no place to go,” Vera said. “When I see IDF soldiers I tell them that they wear their uniform for every Jew on this earth.”

Continued from page 1 costs associated with taking attendance and processing attendance.

MSR compensates private schools for services the state mandates that they provide, such as testing and health records.

MSR reimburses for the time, effort and expenses required to comply.

“Until last year both programs were underfunded,” noted Leb. “Now MSR is fully funded and they have begun payment of arrears. CAP still has about $14 million shortfall owed to private schools.”

The new budget is “a step in the right direction,” Leb said. “We hope to see a larger increase by the time the budget is enacted.”

Leb mentioned a bill currently in the Assembly and Senate, the Education Investment Tax Credit, that “would give contributors to scholarship organizations a 100 percent tax credit for 75 percent of their state income tax liability.” He called this the “game changer not mentioned in the Governor’s speech. It would allow people or corporations to make contributions to scholarship organizations that would in turn provide scholarships to schools. Contributors would receive large tax credits. If passed it would provide millions of dollars to Jewish day schools and would be a big step in easing the current tuition crisis.”

Leb said this is an issue being worked on intensively in Albany by the OU, UJA and Catholic Conference, to make sure that it is included in the final March budget.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio wanted to institute a tax to fund universal pre-K. Gov. Cuomo is projecting that the current surplus can begin the programs and he is predicting a $2 billion surplus over the next few years as part of his five year plan and thus will not need any additional taxes.

Universal pre-K could benefit yeshivot; it would cover kindergarten in a school that has pre-1A and four-year nursery in a school

that has kindergarten. The plan provides for $1.5 billion for full funding of a statewide, full-day Universal Pre-K program.

“The OU-Teach NYS advocates for different initiatives that would be beneficial and provide financial assistance and resources to Jewish day schools,” emphasized Leb. Leb also oversees the OU AdvocacyTeach NYS Initiative, two merged organization with significant clout in Albany and NYC that focus on financial issues for Jewish day schools, advocates on their behalf in the State Capitol and City Hall and consults with the schools. They also provide guidance to help the schools get the most benefits from government services. The Hebrew Academy of Five Towns and Rockaway, and the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, are two member schools that work with them.

“The way the charter works, NYS has to have a budget enacted by the end of March.

The last three years, under Gov. Cuomo’s leadership, the budget was on time. Prior to that, during the last 30 years, the budget was late in 23 of those years. This is a big accomplishment that it was on time for three consecutive years.”

The Executive, or Governor’s, budget, “is the step in the budget process where we learn what the governor wants to see enacted. Now the NYS Assembly and the NYS Senate put out their own resolutions in about a month and a half, after the 30 day amendment period where the governor can perform ‘housekeeping’ and make minor changes in his Executive Budget for errors or miscalculations,” added Leb. Two other important budget items that will mostly impact NYC include special education reforms and smart schools, a $2 billion bond referendum in the November elections for technological upgrades to schools.

“It’s not clear whether the bond includes private schools but we will work towards it,” he said.

By Lonnie Ostrow he Super Bowl. The Ultimate sporting event in North America. A virtual national holiday, no matter which team you happen to root for. A day for parties, bigscreen TVs, serious calorie consumption, and those spectacular, high-priced commercials.

With Super Bowl XLVIII (that’s 48, for those of us who are Roman numerally challenged) being played here in the New York area for the first time on Feb. 2, it seems only fitting to share one of the ultimate Jewish experiences of my life. A mincha service for the ages at Super Bowl XXXII. The date: Jan. 25, 1998.

The place: Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.

The epic match-up: Between the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos. In attendance: 68,000 spectators, with another 90 million watching at home on television. Among those seated behind the goalpost at the north end of the stadium Lonnie Ostrow were myself, and a young colleague of mine by the name of “Yankel.” Just the story of how we ended up attending this spectacle is rather remarkable.

Back in 1998, I was working as the director of public relations and marketing for an international postal agency. Yankel, only a teenager at the time, had recently been hired to help out in the stockroom. My love for sports, and pro football in particular, was well known around my workplace. Every Monday morning during football season, my corner office would fill with a half-dozen or so NFL enthusiasts to recap the weekend’s games. We had a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, a Miami Dolphins diehard, two Dallas Cowboys rooters, and an assortment of backers for our pair of local teams. Yankel, as I recall, was a New York Jets fan. It would be hard to call him “long-suffering” back then, as he was only 18-years old. However, his passion for the sport, and his knowledge of the game made him a valuable contributor to our Monday morning wrap-ups.

Yankel was a unique young man. He once confided in me that he had been raised by an aunt and uncle due to “complicated issues” relating to his biological parents. I also noticed that he would regularly recite kaddish during mincha in our office conference room each weekday afternoon. When I quietly asked him who he was saying it for, he told me matter-of-factly that his “actual father,” a man he barely knew, had recently passed away. He had been advised by a rabbi that he was not obligated to observe all aspects of mourning due to these circumstances; still, he felt the need to say kaddish whenever a minyan was available.

It was an overcast January Monday morning when Yankel slipped into my office with a grin from ear-to-ear. I’d figured that my young friend had come in to talk about Sunday playoff games from the just-completed weekend. Instead, Yankel closed the door to my room, sat down in the lone chair facing my desk and leaned in to share his big news.

“Hey, Lonnie, what if I told you that I could get us tickets to the Super Bowl?”

I should qualify here that up to this point in my life, I had never attended an NFL game.

Tickets to the NY Giants were pretty much locked down by a group of some 70,000 season-ticket holders for decades. The Jets were of no interest to me, even if plenty of good seats were often available. I’d watched hundreds of games on television, but never had I witnessed one in person. Now, here was this

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young man who I worked with, offering me a ticket to attend the Super Bowl! I nearly fell backward off my chair.

It turned out that Yankel’s uncle worked for an apparel company in Brooklyn. As an NFL licensee, he received a pair of tickets to the big game each year. Only this time, urgent business prevented him from traveling. Instead, he offered them to his football-obsessed nephew, providing that Yankel could find a responsible adult to accompany him to San Diego. That “responsible adult” turned out to be me!

I immediately began checking for flights to San Diego. There were none to be had. No hotel rooms either for Super Bowl weekend.

A complete sellout. Plan B was to inquire on flights to Los Angeles. A few scattered seats remained open. Next, I called up a friend out in Agoura Hills to determine if he and his wife could host Yankel and me for Shabbos, then drive us to the Amtrak station early on Sunday morning. Thankfully, the answer was yes on both counts. n the morning of Super Bowl Sunday, Yankel and I boarded an Amtrak down the California coast to San Diego. The scenery was picturesque, but only a momentary distraction from our Super Bowl excitement.

Fans of the Denver Broncos and Green Bay packers filed into Qualcomm stadium in droves.

Large clusters of seats were occupied by the orange and blue of Denver, or the green and yellow of Green Bay. Many of the Packers fans sported large triangular hats with small holes in them, which they called “cheeseheads.”

Kick-off occurred around 3:30 pm local time (6:30 pm on the East Coast). It was a picture-perfect warm and sunny afternoon.

Yankel and I watched with excitement as Denver jumped out to a 17–14 halftime lead behind the success of star runner Terrell Davis. A thoroughly entertaining back-andforth affair.

The halftime show was billed as a 40th anniversary tribute to Motown. Featured performers were to include Boys II Men, Smokey Robinson, and the Four Tops. As stages were being rolled into place on the field below, my

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friend Yankel suddenly became panicked by a singular detail that we had overlooked.

“The sun is already starting to set. By the time the game is over, it’ll be too late to davan mincha. Where am I going to find a minyan to say kaddish?”

My initial instinct was to dismiss the idea of a minyan, for us to simply recite mincha on our own in one of the stadium corridors. Yankel was not sold.

“There’s got to be ten Jewish men around here in this stadium. Probably more than that. But how do we find them and get them into one place? There’s got to be a way.”

We hurried from our seats to the main concourse, seeking men with yarmulkes. I located one emerging from a men’s room.

Yankel couldn’t locate any. He was particularly frustrated by all the baseball caps, and those triangular cheeseheads worn by the Green Bay contingent. His pale, youthful face was turning a deeper shade of red with each passing minute. I felt compelled to come up with a solution.

We strolled the crowded hallways in search of eight additional eligible participants. We passed concession stands, souvenir carts, even a baby-changing station. No luck. And to make matters more difficult, the halftime show was about to begin according to the announcements over the public address system. We were nearly prepared to call it quits on our longshot minyan idea, when it hit me. The “Lost and Found.” Yankel and I had passed this area only moments before. Now, suddenly, it was our last hope.

A stanchion with red rope led us to a pair of wooden desks, situated in front of a small glass window that resembled a bank-teller station. A pair of stadium security guards sat at each of the desks with arms folded.

Only one woman waited ahead of us in line.

I turned back to Yankel and urged him to follow my lead. Moments later, one of the uniformed men called out: “Gentlemen, how can I help you.”

A man removed his cheesehead to reveal a knitted yarmulke. He pointed the way east and led the davening. Soon, 27 men were shuckling back and forth, reciting the shemoneh esrei and answering Amen to my friend’s kaddish.

switched on my most panicked disposition.

“Sir, it’s our younger brother. He’s only 12.

He wandered off to the bathroom just before halftime. We can’t find him anywhere.”

The security guard pulled out a clipboard, fired off a few questions about the characteristics of our “missing brother,” and scribbled a few notes. Finally he asked: “And by the way, what’s his name?”

“Mincha,” I responded. “Mincha Service.”

“Meen-cha Service?”

The man looked up at us with a puzzled expression, then repeated the name to make sure he had the correct pronunciation. “Okay, I’m going to have them announce something. Let’s hope he hears it and turns up.”

The guard slid a paper to a woman behind the glass window and carefully repeated the name we had provided. Within moments, an announcement rang out throughout the stadium. “Ladies and Gentleman, may I have your attention please. Would Meen-Cha Service please report to the lost and found, located on the plaza level between gates F and G. That’s Meen-Cha Service.”

To this day, I’m still not sure w h i c h aspect of this story surprises me more: That the stadium security actually made the announcement, or the immediate response to our unusual minyan call. No matter, within 90 seconds, we had 14 men just outside the Lost and Found ready to begin Ashrei. Yankel and I hurried to join them.

One man removed his cheesehead to reveal a knitted yarmulke with the Green Bay Packers logo stitched in. He pointed the way east and led the davening. Soon, 27 men were shuckling back and forth, reciting the shemoneh esrei. Yankel had more than twice the requisite number of men to answer Amen to his kaddish.

We recited Alenu as the muffled strains from the halftime concert commenced. It was at that moment that our friendly security guard stepped out from behind his post and came to locate me out in the corridor.

“Sir, did you find your little brother?” A look of concern remained etched on his face.

“Several of them,” Yankel shouted behind the man’s back, generating laughter from a few of our minyaneers.

“Yes, thank you,” I replied, then flashed a grateful smile. “We never would have found him if you hadn’t made that announcement.

Thanks for being so helpful. You really saved the day.”

In today’s more advanced world of smartphones, text-messaging and social media, I suspect that there are easier ways to organize a minyan in a large public venue. I’ve witnessed pre-organized minyanim for both mincha and maariv at the Kosher concession stands at Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. I’ve seen impromptu minyanim on airplanes, in restaurants, and even one in the waiting area in Penn Station.

However, given the improvised nature of our Super Bowl mincha, and the magnitude of the event, I don’t think I’ll ever be a part of a more improbable, or memorable mincha service.

The final score that day was Denver 31, Green Bay 24. But to my friend, Yankel, the 27 men who gathered outside the Lost and Found in Qualcomm Stadium was the most significant number of all.

Lonnie Ostrow is a resident of Merrick.

THE JEWISH STAR January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774

At Big Game in San Diego, unlikeliest of minchas

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ext 110. RSVP to RSVPNY@jnf.org..org.

/81&+ /($51 with Rabbi Shalom Axelrod of YI Woodmere.Traditions Restaurant, 302 Central Ave., Lawrence. 12:30-1:30 pm.

Buy a great $12 lunch, eat and learn. Alan Stern 516-398-3094.

-(:,6+ ,'(17,7< New series considers what it meant to our grandparents, what it will mean to our grandchildren. First in a series. Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, Chabad of the Port Washington, 80 Shore Rd., Port Washington. $99 for series includes textbook, which continues on Wednesdays through March 12. 516-295-2478.

)$5%5(1*(1 for 22nd of Shevat, to commemorate the yhartzeit of Rebbitzen Chaya Mushka, wife of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. 8:15 pm. Chabad of the Five Towns, 74 Maple Ave., Cedarhurst. 516-295-2478.

021'$< -$1 .$%%$/$+ ,1 68))2/. The Suffolk Y-CC and the Jewish Academy of Suffolk are co-sponsoring a course taught by Rabbi Tuvia Teldon, director of Chabad of Long Island.

Seven Mondays beginning Jan. 27. All are welcome for all or one session. Free. 7:308:30 pm. Suffolk JCC, 74 Hauppauge Rd., Comack. 631-922-0138.

78(6'$< -$1 7+( 323( $1' 08662/,1, Newly opened Vatican archives have revealed overwhelming evidence that Mussolini could not have established his dictatorship without Vatican support. David Kertzer, author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe,â&#x20AC;? reveals how Mussolini got support from the Church for his anti-Semitic racial laws. 92Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., Manhattan. $29. 212415-5500.

7+856'$< -$1 /81&+ /($51 with Rabbi Shalom Axelrod of YI Woodmere.Traditions Restaurant, 302 Central Ave., Lawrence. 12:30-1:30 pm.

Buy a great $12 lunch, eat and learn. Alan Stern 516-398-3094.

6$785'$< )(% -(:,6+ 52&. Temple Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nai Torah presents, in one of their only New York appearances, Dan Nichols and Eighteen. These musicians bring a wide range of sounds and styles to energetic Jewish rock. 7pm. 2900 Jerusalem Ave., Wantagh. $15 adults and $10 children under 12. 516-546-9177. &20('< 1,*+7 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Live From Emunah Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Saturday Night,â&#x20AC;? with comic headliner Avi Lieberman and dinner buffer by Upper Crust.

8pm buffet, 9pm show. $72. For info, email linda.emunah@gmail.com or call 516-2863509. %(1(),7 :,7+ /,3$ Young Israel of Long Beach annual Robert Chiger Scholarship Concert features Lipa Schmeltzer. 8 pm. $25.

YILB Social Hall. 646-285-5301, 516-4319715.

681'$< )(% -1) %5($.)$67 Jewish National Fund breakfast features Micha Halpern, who dill discuss terrorism, the Middle East, Muslim fundamentalism. Fundraiser with complmentary breakfast. Proceeds from this event support the purchase of new ďŹ reďŹ ghting equipment for Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fire and Rescue Services.

7:30 am registration; program 8 to 9 am.

Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre, 295 Main St., East Rockaway. For more information, contact Howard Ingram, LI Associate Executive Director of JNF, at 516-678-6805

021'$< )(% %22. &/8% $7 2&($16,'( -&& Mets ďŹ rst Monday of each month. Today: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Painted Girls,â&#x20AC;? by Cathy Marie Buchanan.

1:30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3 pm. $5. Friedberg JCC, 15 Neil Court, Oceanside. 516-634-4151.

:('1(6'$< )(% -(:,6+ ,'(17,7< New series considers what it meant to our grandparents, what it will mean to our grandchildren. First in a series. Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, Chabad of the Five Towns, 74 Maple Ave., Cedarhurst.

8:15-9:30 pm. $99 for series includes textbook, which continues on Wednesdays through March 12. 516-295-2478.

7+856'$< )(% /81&+ /($51 with Rabbi Shalom Axelrod of YI Woodmere.Traditions Restaurant, 302 Central Ave., Lawrence. 12:30-1:30 pm.

Buy a great $12 lunch, eat and learn. Alan Stern 516-398-3094.

28 -2% )$,5 Rescheduled from January.

4 to 7 pm. Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Pl., Manhattan.

681'$< )(% :20(1¡6 +($/7+ $1' +$/$&+$ '$< Local physicians, mental health professionals and yoatzot will work together to help educate the community on a variety of important topics related to womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health, including fertility, sexuality, breast cancer awareness, contraception, post-partum depression, menopause, and more. Special young adult track will discuss your ďŹ rst gynecological visit, understanding your bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signals, and pursuing positive relationshiops. Sponsored by the Committee for the Yoetzet of the Five Towns. 10:30 am to 1:45 pm. $10 im advance, $15 at the door. Young Israel of Woodmere, 859 Penninsula Blvd., Woodmere. +,6725< 2) %522./<1 -(:6 New series begins at Temple Beth Emeth vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ohr, Church Ave. at Marlborough Street in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. OfďŹ cial Borough Historian Ron Schweiger will examine when and why Jews came to Brooklyn and explain population shifts over the years. $5. 4 pm.

7+856'$< )(% /81&+ /($51 with Rabbi Shalom Axelrod of YI Woodmere.Traditions Restaurant, 302 Central Ave., Lawrence. 12:30-1:30 pm.

Buy a great $12 lunch, eat and learn. Alan Stern 516-398-3094. <8 -2% )$,5 6 to 9 pm, Yeshiva University Wilf Campus.

78(6'$< 0$5&+ ),') *$/$ Friends of the IDF event at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan. For information call 646-274-9655.

•For FREE publication in The Jewish Star, schools should email material to SCHOOLS @TheJewishStar.com •Photos should be sent with captions that include as many names as possible •Copy is subject to editing for style and space and will appear at the discretion of the editor

SKA brings science to kids

By Yiela Saperstein A group of students from Stella K. Abraham HS for Girls began running Pre-START, a hands-on science initiative for preschoolers, in December. In this program, the high school students bring all of the necessary materials to the pre-school, and teach science concepts to the preschoolers, by leading hands-on science experiments.

For the first module, the girls made a lava lamp with the pre-schoolers, starting with an interactive mini lesson teaching about the immiscibility of oil and water (slightly simplified, of course) and then each child individually performed the experiment.

As some of the children lined up to fill their water bottles partway with water, others filled their bottles partway with oil. Then everyone swapped until each child had a water bottle filled three quarters with oil and a quarter with water.

Each child added food coloring and Alka Seltzer tablets which created the bubbling of the “lava.” The children watched stunned as the colored water was pulled up in bubbles into the yellow oil.

It was great to watch the smiles on the children’s faces as many of them did their first ever science experiment. It was also ful-

filling to be able to answer the children’s eager questions of “how” and “why.” The modules are scheduled for twice a month, and the SKA girls are excited to continue to educate children through fun and educational science experiments.

To find out more, or to bring Pre-START to your school, visit STARTScience.org or email the author at y14sap@yahoo.com.

Bully prevention through emotive learning, at HAFTR Last year, Dr. Rochelle Brand, principal of HAFTR Middle School, understood that the universal challenge of bully prevention was a critical need for the students. Mrs. Yali Werzberger, the school’s psychologist and director of student services, identified the evidence-based Olweus Bully Prevention Program as a program that could help address this need.

The school community eagerly embraced the program and implemented it throughout last year.

Now, with their extensive training in the program, students at HAFTR Middle School are well-aware of how to identify, prevent, report and respond to bullying behavior. More importantly, they actively work to shift make bullying “uncool” within the culture of the school, and to make students feel comfortable and empowered to stand up for their classmates and friends.

The Olweus Bully Prevention Program that was launched last year created a safe and bully–free culture at HAFTR Middle School, where rules against bullying are clearly posted and adult supervision is highly visible during transitions and unstructured settings. Teachers also conduct classroom meetings with their students, where topics such as bully prevention, standing up for others, and appropriate reporting of bullying behavior are discussed.

This year, HAFTR Middle School has moved beyond bullying, and

is implementing a social and emotional learning curriculum within the school. Mrs. Werzberger, the Olweus Bully Prevention Program Coordinator, began by conducting a mandatory teachers’ workshop on social and emotional learning (SEL). The research behind SEL, its five core competencies, and the way in which social emotional learning can be implemented in a way that is most meaningful and appropriate for middle school children was discussed.

Classroom meetings then began in earnest.

Under the auspices of Ms. Rebecca Zweibon, social studies teach-

er, a dynamic group of the middle school’s teachers and mental health professionals worked on developing a curriculum that would address both bully prevention as well as

healthy social skills. Concepts such as making and maintaining friendships, calming oneself in stressful situations, acting in an assertive (and not aggressive) manner, and conflict resolution are discussed.

The sixth grade boys are benefitting from class meetings with Rabbi Simcha Loiterman, their Navi teacher and Mr. Yehuda Klinkowitz, the school’s social worker, while the sixth grade girls engage in discussions with their Chumash teacher, Ms. Alyson Jacobs.

The seventh grade meanwhile, meets with Ms. Rebecca Zweibon, Ms. Leora Tanzman(school psychologist), Mrs. Miriam Shteingart (sci-

ence instructor), and Mr. Klinkowitz, where student build upon the class meetings they participated in last year, and are working on selfmanagement, social awareness and relationship skills. The eighth graders are also building on the classroom meetings they had last year with Rebbetzin Sori Teitelbaum, Rabbi Loiterman, and Mr. Yeshaya Lieber.

Classroom meetings help facilitate a real sense of cohesion and community among students, and providing students with tools to further develop their social and emotional intelligence will prove to be very useful in school and in life!

Frogs jump into math at HANC Frogs here, frogs there, frogs are jumping into kindergarten math activities! After learning in Parshat HaShavuah about the plagues that struck the Egyptians, kindergarten students at HANC’s Samuel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School, in West Hempstead, were surprised to find frogs on their math papers!

The teachers explained that they were using the frogs to learn about number recognition and labeling sets. Each student rolled a die and counted the pips on the side of the die that was showing. The students then colored in the section of the frog that had the numeral representing that number of pips.

The students kept playing until all frogs were colored in. Afterwards, they agreed Pharaoh would have enjoyed these frogs much more.

THE JEWISH STAR January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774

Jewish Star Schools

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January 24, 2014 • 23 SHEVAT 5774 THE JEWISH STAR

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