The JEWISH STAR
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Shabbos Zachor • Tetzaveh • Friday, February 23, 2018 • 8 Adar 5778 • Luach page 23 • Torah columns pages 22–23 • Vol 17, No 9
The Newspaper of our Orthodox communities
Abbas ‘legacy’ speech at U.N. goes nowhere 5 Jewish shooting victims mourned A memorial in front of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, after the shooting that left 17 students and teachers dead. See page 12. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Achiezer: 10 for 10
By Sean Savage, JNS Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in a 30-minute address to the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, said he no longer considers the United States to be an “honest broker” in Mideast peace and called for a multi-national alternative to the U.S.-led process. “It has become impossible today for one country or state alone to solve a regional or international conflict,” he said. Abbas took aim at Trump administration threats to cut aid to the Palestinians. He additionally cited the administration’s decision to slash funding for UNRWA, the U.N. agency in charge of Palestinian refugees. He added that Palestinians would step up efforts
for full membership at the United Nations. After speaking, Abbas walked out of the Security Council chamber and therefore did not hear the pointed responses delivered by U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon. Grant Rumley, a research fellow and expert on Palestinian politics at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JNS that he believes this was a legacy speech for Abbas. “Abbas wanted to put down his final positions and then, when they’re inevitably not met, he can walk away without being viewed as compromising too much. At this point, I think he cares more about what his presidency doesn’t create — compromises on isSee Abbas on page 12
Supporters filled The Sands Atlantic Beach last Thursday for Achiezer’s “Tribute of a Decade Gala,” honoring its 10 board members on its 10th anniversary. From left: Dinner Chair Ronald Lowinger, Ben Lowinger of Lawrence, Aron Solomon of Cedarhurst, Moshe Schreiber of Far Rockaway, Michael Krengel of Woodmere, Yakov Mirocznik of Bayswater, Jay Gelman of Lawrence, Moti Hellman of Far Rockaway, Dovid Bloom of Far Rockaway, Joel Yarmak of Lawrence, Achiezer Founder and President Rabbi Boruch Ber Bender, and MC Shlomo Reich. (Not pictured: Shulie Wollman of Far Rockaway.) More on page 27.
HAFTR set to cheer 40th b’day Newhouse, who was culture editor at The Forward and has written for the New York Times, Washington Post and Boston Globe, recounted how then HAFTR High School Principal Dr. Daniel Vitow prodded her to apply to prestigious colleges. “Dr. Vitow pushed me to apply to Barnard in part because of the work I did on the literary magazine,” Newhouse said. “It was Thanksgiving of my senior year, and he called me into his office and asked me why I wasn’t applying to more ambitious places for colleges. I was 17. That forced a change in my life. I hadn’t put enough thought into it. I was really very interested
in literature and writing, but I wasn’t great in other subjects. I was great in English. I never imagined that could carry me. It’s interesting what insightful educators can see that even you can’t see about yourself.” HAFTR. which includes an early-childhood center, a lower school, a middle school and the high school, will mark its 40th year with a celebratory dinner this motzei Shabbat, Feb. 24. Lisa and Arthur Perl will be the guests of honor. Ariella and Ari Gasner will receive the Young Leadership Award, and librarian Phyllis Horowitz will be honored as Educator of the Year. See HAFTR on page 6
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By Jeffrey Bessen, Herald Community News Alana Newhouse, a 1993 graduate of Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School, is now the editor of Tablet, the online American Jewish magazine founded in 2009. She vividly remembers two people who got her where she is today. “Gloria [Becker] ran the student literary magazine [11+], which was different from the student newspaper,” Newhouse recalled. “She took me under her wing, and within a couple of months she said I might actually like being an editor.”
HAFTR fourth grader Sarah Asherov displays her art during a visit by Rabbi and pop artist Yitzchok Moully. More on page 10.