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Vayakhel-Pekudei, Shabbat M’varchim • March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777 • Candlelighting 6:53 pm, Havdalah 7:55 • Luach page 27 • Vol 16, No 12

Hello, Woodmere!

The Newspaper of our Orthodox communities

Long Beach school moves in

By Jeffrey Bessen Felice Ackerman, co-director of the Early Childhood Center at the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, greeted children by their first names as they entered their new school on Monday, following up with a question, “Do you know where you’re going?”

HALB bought the former Number Six public school on Church Avenue in Woodmere from the Lawrence School District in 2014 for $8.5 million, and moved in on March 20.

About 77 percent of HALB’s 780 kindergarten-to-eighth-grade students live in the Five Towns, with the largest number in Woodmere, according to Richard Altabe, the lower school principal.

“This is unbelievable after all the tumult,” said Altabe, a 1974 HALB graduate. “We celebrated Purim last Monday, had the snow day on Tuesday, packed up on Wednesday and Thursday, the students had off Friday, and here we are.”

“Here” is a 6.67-acre site that includes the 80,170-square-foot building, which the Lawrence district closed in 2009 because of declining See Move on page 18

Seasons CEO Mayer Gold received the JCCRP’s Community Service Award on Sunday. The Jewish Star / Donvan Berthoud

Honors in Far Rock

Students who until last week attended classes in Long Beach, enter HALB’s new Woodmere home for the first time on Monday.

Jeffrey Bessen

The Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula honored four individuals and a business on Sunday, presenting its Community Service Award to Seasons Supermarket; its Humanitarian Award to Police Officer Lynn Blanchette of the 101st Precinct; a Lifetime Achievement Award to Queens County Clerk Audrey Pheffer; its Public Service Award to Dr. Camesha Grant; and its City Legislative Leadership Award to Council Member Eric Ulrich. See photos on page 16.

Amudim eyes drug plague At Sunday evening’s Amudim drug abuse and overdose awareness program at the Young Israel of West Hempstead, Rebecca Glassman spoke in intensely personal terms about her son, Aryeh Natan, who died from a heroin overdose ten months ago.

“Many in the Orthodox community don’t believe it can happen to them,” she said. “Sadly, my family is an example of the fact that it can.

In the last year, within the Orthodox community far too many have been lost to drug overdoses.”

Glassman said that “the number one question that people asked was ‘how do we stop this?’ We can’t pull all the drug dealers off the street, so we must educate our kids, everybody, about the dangers of drug use, to prevent it.”

“How did my son, the product of an Orthodox family, educated in a

yeshiva environment, become an addict?” Glassman continued. “Doesn’t drug abuse only exist in the outside world, far from our religious bubble?

Well, we now know that drug and alcohol abuse is rampant in yeshivah settings as well.

“Addiction is in fact a deadly disease. My Ari suffered from the disease of addiction.”

Sunday’s meeting was the second See Amudim on page 24

Amudim founder, Rabbi Zvi Gluck, speaking in West Hempstead on Sunday.

Confronting our Jewish-American house divided pretend they’re listening to each other.

Instead, we demonize those who disagree with us. Worse than that, most of us have chosen to live in virtual ideological safe zones in which we’ve declared those who disagree may not enter on peril of being “defriended.”

I know a guy, Inc.

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matter which scapegoat you pick, there’s little doubt that Americans are more deeply divided than they’ve been in living memory as traditional left-right debates have stopped being exchanges of ideas and become screaming matches in which neither side even bothers to

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Commentary by Jonathan S. Tobin Blame it on President Donald Trump and Fox News. Perhaps it’s the fault of the mainstream liberal media and its leading outlets like The New York Times, CNN and MSNBC. Or maybe the problem is Facebook. But no

But what I’ve learned spending much of the months since the presidential election on the road debating with a liberal colleague is that the same people who have largely stopped listening to each other inSee Confronting on page 3

March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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supporters in a similar light. Too many of us are now unable to see political differences as evidence of anything but malice and bad intentions. Much of this is as rooted in class and cultural differences as it is in differing opinions about the issues, and those are the kinds of gaps that are not easily bridged.

This is hardly surprising, but it is not unrelated to the way American Jews discuss Israel.

Since they get most of their information about Israel from the mainstream media, ignorance of the realities of the Middle East is rampant among Jews, and to some extent that skews their view of both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the U.S.-Israel relationship. For too long, rational debate within the community has been difficult. Those on the left accuse the right of being fascists or oppressors. The right answers back by calling the other side self hating Jews. The result is not dissimilar from the dialogue of the deaf about Trump.

Promoting civil discourse is not without its difficulties. Each side of the divide, both in secular politics and on Israel, have to some extent already declared total war on their opponents.

Though we’ve billed this debate as one about a battle for Israel’s soul, we now understand that it’s also about the struggle for Americans and Jews to understand each other. That can make it difficult to argue, as we do, about the prospects for both the new administration and the two-state solution as well as about how Israel and Jews should react to international criticism and the BDS movement.

But everywhere J.J. and I have gone, we’ve encountered audiences hungry for something different than the usual menu of invective served up for them every day on the cable news networks. Without fail, we’ve discovered that when you model civility, you get it back.

Though we aired divergent arguments about both the peace process and, to some extent, the prospects for the Trump administration, they heard us treat each other respect and in turn they showed us the same respect. During the debates, the question-and-answer periods and afterwards, when the crowds gathered around us to continue the discussion, the result was generally friendly even where disagreements continued.

The conclusion from this is inescapable.

Both J.J. and I have spent our careers as journalists being told to shut up by people who wanted to squelch our views. Yet despite that, we’ve not only kept speaking out, but have also learned the value of listening to each other. We think our debates are teaching the same lesson to a wider audience.

What we need both as Jews and as Americans is to relearn how to listen to each other.

We must reacquaint ourselves with our neighbors and friends who have been reading, listening to and watching different media, and are therefore coming to very different conclusions about events. Instead of stubbornly remaining in the cocoons we’ve weaved for ourselves, in which we have banished views that contradict our predetermined conclusions and biases, we must open ourselves up to the possibility that there are other legitimate opinions to be considered. Spirited, yet civil disagreement may “trigger” a certain degree of distress, but it is also healthy both for American democracy and the Jewish world.

As we head out for more appearances this spring, we look forward to having the opportunity to bring this message to different communities, and together doing more listening and learning. We know this won’t make our differences disappear, but it will remind us that the things that unite us as Americans and Jews must still be greater than that which divides us.

Jonathan S. Tobin is opinion editor of JNS. org and a contributing writer for National Review. Follow him on Twitter: @jonathans_tobin

THE JEWISH STAR March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777

Continued from page 1 tuitively understand this isn’t healthy for anyone, least of all the country.

The example of two old friends who disagree passionately about the great issues of the day being able to engage in rational and respectful debate for 90 minutes is so unusual these days that it has an interesting affect on the listeners. For at least one evening, they join in the same spirit. At a time when country seems split not so much by ideology as it is by mutual suspicions of bad intent, that’s no small thing. And it strikes me that we need a lot more of this attitude if we’re going to survive the next few years without doing irreparable harm to the civic fabric of our republic.

When J.J. Goldberg and I first planned a post-election debate tour, our focus was almost entirely on providing audiences with a chance to discuss divergent views about the chances for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Goldberg, the editor-at-large of the Forward, is a liberal Zionist who thinks the Middle East conflict is ready to be solved by just a little more effort. I’m a conservative who thinks the Palestinians show no signs of being willing to give up their war on the legitimacy of any Jewish state no matter where its borders might be drawn. But what we’ve discovered as we’ve journeyed throughout North America is that the Trump victory worsened the divisions within our own community and American society at large.

At one stop, we heard a rabbi decry Trump’s election as analogous to the 9/11 attacks. At another, we were told of children being instructed by their parents who voted Republican to not tell their teachers or friends, lest they be shunned. One rabbi said she’s been counseling several couples who are heading to the divorce courts in no small measure because they’d voted for different presidential candidates.

To some extent, it’s been a journey through a land of liberal despair, as many Jews—who as a community voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton—have been willing to buy into conspiracy theories about Trump and were not so much interested in opposing his policies as they were in “resisting” him or treating his Electoral College victory as illegitimate. Along with that has come a willingness on the part of liberals to view the 60 million Americans who voted for the eventual winner as having demonstrated not so much bad judgment as moral deficiency. His voters tend to see Clinton

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Anti-Le Pen French rightist cozies up to Jews

By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA PARIS — Even to his supporters, France’s center-right presidential hopeful Francois Fillon is a flawed candidate.

Dogged by corruption scandals Fillon, who represents The Republicans party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy, was indicted Tuesday for allegedly funneling public funds illicitly to his children and wife. Fillon, a career politician and former prime minister, has denied the allegations.

Nonetheless, his supporters are willing to forgive him these problems, as they see Fillon as likelier to beat the front-runner in the race, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. Additionally, many of these supporters see him as more likely to act tough on radical Islam than his left-wing rivals.

But there is an added layer of complexity for Jewish backers of Fillon: The candidate has made vaguely critical remarks about ritual slaughter and said that at some indeterminate point in history, Jews had to be forced to obey French law.

Last week, Fillon — who is running a credible third in the polls behind Le Pen and the centrist independent Emmanuel Macron — attempted to mend fences with French Jews. For the first time in his campaign, he attended a town hall meeting with some 700 members of the community organized by the CRIF federation of Jewish communities.

For Fillon, it was a partial success at best.

Dozens of supporters welcomed the candidate by chanting “Fillon President” at the meeting at a Paris hotel. Meyer Habib, a Jewish lawmaker and former CRIF vice president, endorsed him publicly. Fillon earned applause at least a dozen times when he pledged to support Israel and curb jihadism.

Nevertheless, the applause was weak and sporadic, and the audience questions were critical. By contrast, the former prime minister, Manuel Valls, who lost the Socialists’ primary election this year, received thunderous applause at similar gatherings.

Fillon rebuked France’s support for a UNESCO resolution passed last year that ignored Jewish ties to Jerusalem, calling it “an error and historical untruth that complicates peace efforts.”

And he vowed never to normalize ties with Iran as long as that country “continues to call for Israel’s destruction.”

He said he supported Palestinian statehood “only if the future Palestinian state is reached by an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.”

Fillon also promised to “be more careful,” in reference to his

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Francois Fillon, with open jacket, shaking hands with CRIF PresiCRIF dent Francis Kalifat in Paris on March 14.

controversial remark last year during a radio interview in which he claimed Jews in the past had lacked respect for the rule of law. As for ritual slaughter, he assured the crowd that his comments from 2012, when he said that the practice “has little to do with modern science,” does not mean he would act to outlaw the custom.

Last year, French Jews and Muslims formed a joint effort to defend against attacks on kosher and halal practices.

“Jewish values, they are, well, they’re our values,” Fillon said.

“Jews had a very major role in building the French republic,” he added, noting that Jews have lived in France “since time immemorial.”

During the two-hour talk, Fillon made little effort to present any Jewish or pro-Israel credentials other than assuring the audience of his desire to curb anti-Semitism and radical Islam while defending French Jews. He repeatedly explained that he was their best defense against a victory for Le Pen. “Without a candidate for the center-right, Mrs. Le Pen would have a field day,” Fillon warned. “Some in the right wing would express their anger by going so far as to vote for her.”

Many in the crowd remained uninspired by Fillon’s bleak description of French society, and were unimpressed by his failure to apologize for mismanaging his financial affairs and accusing Jews of lawlessness.

“He’s got nothing but fairy tales to offer,” said Henry Battner, president of the Farband association of Ashkenazi French Jews.

Serge Sznajder, a scholar on Eastern Europe and a Farband board member, used Yiddish to describe is impression of Fillon.

“Let me sum it up this way: Gurnisht,” he said, which means “nothing.”

Fillon, Sznajder said, “is not against Jews, he just doesn’t know us, doesn’t get us, he has no idea, he never had too many dealings with Jews in Sablé-sur-Sarthe,” Sznajder added, naming the countryside town where Fillon began his political career in 1983.

Both Szajder and Battner said they will vote for Macron.

Albert Cohen, 53, an unemployed Parisian, quietly cracked jokes about Fillon from his seat, calling him “the thief” even though he plans to vote for him. And Olivia Cattan, an author and activist for people with disabilities, asked the person sitting next to her “not to yawn or we’ll all fall asleep.”

According to a poll last week, Le Pen is leading the race with a 26.5 percent approval rating, followed by Macron at 25.5 percent. Fillon was third at 18.5 percent and the far-left Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon had 13.5 percent.

Despite Le Pen’s efforts to woo Jewish voters by promising that she will be their “shield” against Islam, most of them are distrustful of her National Front party. It was founded by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who has multiple convictions for Holocaust denial and incitement to racial hatred against Jews. His daughter kicked him out in 2015 for making anti-Semitic statements, but he remains honorary president of the party and has many supporters in its ranks.

Marine Le Pen has also said, if elected, that her effort to ban the religious garb of Muslims would include kippahs in some public spaces. The kippah prohibition would be necessary to preserve equality, she said.

By contrast, at the CRIF talk, Fillon said he would focus only on Islam and would not change any of the religious liberties now afforded to Jews and Christians in France.

“Banning citizens from wearing all religious symbols goes against my understanding of religious freedom,” he said. “Today there is one religion that poses an integration problem, and that is Islam.”

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BDS leader hit for tax evasion JERUSALEM (JTA) — A co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel was arrested in Israel for tax evasion.

Omar Barghouti, a Qatari-born Palestinian who lives in northern Israel with his Israeli-Arab wife, was arrested Monday and questioned before being released a few hours later on bail, the Israeli business daily Globes reported. He was banned from leaving the country and required to leave his passport with the court in Haifa, according to reports.

He received permanent residency status in Israel in 1994.

Barghouti, of Acre, is accused of failing to report about $700,000 in income over the past decade that he earned while working as the director of National Computing Resources in Ramallah, according to Globes. He allegedly deposited the money in a Ramallah bank, which kept it hidden from Israeli authorities. He also deposited speaking fees he made from lecturing around the world in a U.S. bank.

A search of Barghouti’s home found documents and credit cards that supported suspicions that he had an undeclared bank account in the United States, Globes reported.

Barghouti is scheduled to travel to the United States in April to receive the Gandhi Peace Prize at Yale University, which is awarded annually by the government of India to individuals or organizations that have engaged in political, economic or social change in nonviolent ways.

Barghouti rejects the concept of Israel as a Jewish state as well as a two-state solution, favoring instead one secular state for both Jews and Palestinians, according to Globes.

The BDS movement was launched in 2005.

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WASHINGTON (JTA) — Ivanka Trump, the Jewish daughter of President Donald Trump, reportedly is working out of a West Wing office and is in the process of receiving a government security clearance.

Ivanka Trump’s office is on the second floor, next to senior adviser Dina Powell, who was promoted recently to a position on the National Security Council, Politico first reported Monday evening. Ivanka Trump also is set to receive government-issued communications devices this week.

Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to the president, moved their family to Washington, when the president took office.

Though Trump does not have an official title and will not draw a salary, she will follow the ethics rules that apply to government employees, Jamie Gorelick, an attorney and ethics adviser for the first daughter, told The Associated Press.

While Trump continues to own her own lifestyle company, which sells clothing, shoes and jewelry, she has turned daily management to the company president and has set up a trust to provide further oversight. She also has barred the business from using her image in advertising to promote the products.

“I will continue to offer my father my candid advice and counsel, as I have for my entire life,” Trump said in a statement while acknowledging that “there is no modern

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THE JEWISH STAR March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777

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March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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Sephardi scholar works solo to preserve Ladino

By Josefin Dolsten, JTA One-year-old Vidal doesn’t know the significance behind the lullaby his father sings him at bedtime. He knows it helps him fall asleep, but not that the Ladino song is part of an effort to teach him what served as the lingua franca of Sephardi Jews of the Ottoman Empire for over 500 years.

And he doesn’t know that when he says his first words, he will join a shrinking cadre of Ladino speakers, most of them elderly, who hold the keys to a culture that is on the brink of extinction.

“To lose a language is to lose a world, and we’re on the cusp of that,” his father, Devin Naar, told JTA. Naar, a professor of Sephardic studies at the University of Washington, is deeply passionate about preserving Ladino — which is also known as Judeo-Spanish, Judezmo or Judio — the language his grandfather’s family spoke in their native Greece. By teaching Vidal Ladino, Naar hopes to fulfill a longtime dream of transmitting its legacy to his son.

In recent months, there’s something else at stake too. The 33-year-old Seattle resident sees the linguistic roots of Ladino, which include Hebrew, Spanish, Turkish and Arabic, as providing a way to connect Jews with Latinos and Muslims.

“It’s a language of linguistic fusion that is based in Spanish but really brings together a lot of other linguistic elements that I think give it a special resonance, especially in today’s world, because it serves as bridge language between different cultures — between Jewish culture, between Spanish culture and between the Muslim world,” Naar said.

Naar’s grandfather came to the United States with most of his family in 1924 from Salonica, Greece, in the midst of discriminatory measures being passed against Jews there.

Family members left behind later perished in the Holocaust, along with 95 percent of the city’s Jews.

In the U.S., there were other difficulties.

Naar’s grandfather heard anti-Semitic slurs and other insults from bigots who mistook him for South American or Middle Eastern.

Devin Naar’s grandfather, far right, in Salonika, Greece, in the early 1920s, before they moved to the United States.

Speaking Ladino serves as a method of “reclaiming that heritage and activating that heritage not only for personal and family reasons but for political reasons,” Naar said.

Ladino emerged following the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, when the community dispersed throughout the Ottoman Empire and came in contact with local languages as well as different Iberian dialects. At its height in the beginning of the 20th century, the language had about half a million speakers, Naar estimated.

Estimates of current Ladino speakers vary widely, from between 160,000-300,000 people with some familiarity with the language to around 50,000-100,000 speakers. Most of the population today is elderly, but there is re-

newed interest in the language in some universities in the U.S. and Israel as well as among Sephardi Jews.

Teaching Vidal Ladino has its challenges — there is no complete English-Ladino dictionary and most speakers are older. Naar was recently reading Vidal a children’s book about a dinosaur with “slippery flippers” and found himself at a loss for how to translate that expression into Ladino. He consulted a scholar in Israel and a local Ladino speaker to get it right.

“It’s a learning process for me, both speaking to him and recognizing the limits of my vocabulary and trying to expand my vocabulary,” Naar said.

But he isn’t alone. Naar enlisted the help of a Seattle-based group of elderly Ladino speak-

ers, who translated “Little Red Riding Hood” into the language as a gift to Vidal. And his wife, Andrea, speaks to their son in a mix of English, Spanish and Ladino.

Rachel Amado Bortnick, the founder of an online community for Ladino speakers, told JTA that she had only heard of one other case in the last decade of a child being taught to speak Ladino.

“There’s no community that uses it daily — it’s very challenging, to put it mildly, to actually pass on the language in the way that a person like me grew up in,” said Bortnick, who learned Ladino as a child in her native Turkey.

Naar’s interest in the language goes back to his family history. He grew up hearing his grandfather and older relatives speak the language.

But by the time he started college in 2001, he had only learned a few words: greetings, curses, food-related words and liturgical passages. Questions from classmates about his last name, which did not sound like the Ashkenazi Jewish names they were familiar with, motivated him to dig deeper into his heritage.

He started studying Sephardi history and asked his grandfather to teach him Ladino.

A year later, Naar was able to read letters detailing the fate of family members who had perished in Auschwitz. The letters, written in Ladino by a family friend after World War II, had been tucked away in a closet, and some of Naar’s family members had been unaware of their existence and the details they provided of the deaths of family members.

“The older generation, they couldn’t believe it. They hadn’t heard somebody speak like that in years, so that was very powerful for me,” Naar said.

Now he’s doing his part to pass the language on to the next generation — and with it, a set of values.

“One of my goals in trying to teach Vidal Ladino would be so that he has a sense of connection and awareness, not only of where he comes from, but also how the culture that he is connected to is connected to many other people, so that if he sees that immigrants in general or Spanish-speaking immigrants or Muslims

Popular Austin tries to lure more Orthodox Jews

By Ben Hartman, for the Orthodox Union AUSTIN, Texas — The founding date of Austin’s B’nai Abraham synagogue, established in 1893, makes clear that Jewish roots in the Lone Star State go back a long time. The historic synagogue with iconic white wooden walls is one of the oldest shuls in Texas, where the first Jewish congregation popped up in the 1850s.

But like countless residents of this up-andcoming boomtown, the synagogue is an Austin transplant. For generations, the chapel served the small Jewish community in Brenham, 90 miles to the east. But as the Jewish population there disappeared, the decision was made to move it to a Jewish community whose best days appear to be ahead of it.

So in late 2015, the shul building was cut into three pieces and driven on flatbed trucks from Brenham and installed at the Dell Jewish Community Center campus in northwest Austin.

Today the shul is home to Tiferet Israel, the main Orthodox congregation in Austin and a sign of the growing Orthodox population in this city.

“This is a very active shul that is accepting and embracing of everyone,” said Tiferet Rabbi Daniel Millner. “Every person in this synagogue is essential to its success.”

It’s not clear how many Orthodox Jews live in Austin, but their numbers are growing. In just the past three years, the congregation has mushroomed from 30 members to 85.

At the same time, the Orthodox infrastructure in this city has improved significantly. In 2015, the community erected an eruv enclosure, which allows Jews to carry on the Sabbath, covering a wide swath of the Northwest Hills surrounding the JCC. The Chabad-run mikvah ritual bath next to the Dell campus was renovated in January 2016. And the

B’nai Abraham, the oldest synagogue in Texas, was trucked to Austin in 2015 from Brenham, 90 miles to the east, to get a second life in a city with a more vibrant Jewish population.

Ben Hartman

kosher section of the H-E-B supermarket near the JCC – it includes a deli, bakery and meat market — was redone in 2015 and features a wide variety of Israeli snacks and glatt kosher food.

Next month, representatives from Austin’s Orthodox community plan to travel to New York for the Orthodox Union’s April 30 Emerging Communities Fair in an attempt to lure other Orthodox families to town, singing the praises of living in Austin and raising kids in the wide open spaces of central Texas.

With the cost of living continuing to climb in New York, the nation’s largest Orthodox population center, the Orthodox Union is bolstering its effort to encourage Orthodox families to consid-

er living in cities elsewhere around the country where prices for housing, day school tuition and other Orthodox necessities are lower.

The rising attendance at the biannual Emerging Communities Fair, particularly among young families, is a sign of the growing interest in such alternatives. In 2015, some 1,500 people attended the fair; this year 2,000 are expected.

“Orthodox Jews are beginning to think out of the box about places to move to,” said Rabbi Judah Isaacs, director of Community Services for the O.U. “Torah life is flourishing outside of the Five Towns, Brooklyn and Teaneck, too. Every year, we have more and more synagogues and yeshiva day schools from across North America coming to present to our young families.”

Austin, which is in the headlines this week for hosting the annual South by Southwest Festival, a mashup of tech, music and film leaders, is one of the communities presenting this year at the fair.

Millner has high hopes for the community, saying Austin could be a draw for observant Jews for the same quality-of-life reasons the “Silicon Valley of the Southwest” continues to attract hordes of newcomers of all types.

Austin has a booming jobs market and tech industry and is renowned for its universities, natural beauty and laid-back culture. It’s like a sunny version of Portland, Oregon — with more barbecue and football. Known as the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin makes worldwide headlines every March for hosting the massive SXSW Festival.

Now the 11th-largest city in America, Austin largely has shed its image of an overgrown college town. While it still draws free spirits, the Texas capital is now a proper big city with an estimated 15,000 to 18,000 Jews, according to Shalom Austin, the umbrella group of the great-

er Austin Jewish community. The community has about 10 synagogues, three of them on the Dell campus.

While Austin real estate costs have soared in recent years, housing remains significantly cheaper than in New York and many U.S. cities with large Orthodox populations. The median home price in Travis County, home to Austin, is $301,000, compared to $692,000 in Brooklyn and $446,000 in Bergen County, New Jersey, according to the real estate website Zillow. Texas also has no state income tax.

With so many new arrivals, native-born Austinites sometimes are called unicorns because of their rarity. Rabbi Mendy Levertov, director of Chabad Young Jewish Professionals of Austin, is one such unicorn. His father, Rabbi Yosef Levertov, has headed the Chabad of Austin since the early 1980s and is the longest-serving rabbi in town.

“There’s always been a push to build an Orthodox community in Austin,” the younger Levertov said in an interview.

The biggest challenge, he said, is the lack of a mainstream Orthodox day school — something the Orthodox communities in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio all have. For now, the only Jewish day schools here are the nondenominational Austin Jewish Academy and the Chabad-run Hebrew preparatory school.

In Austin, Rabbi Millner also uses the word pioneer — albeit the Hebrew version, “halutz” — to describe Orthodox living in the city.

“Here you have to actively work to create and assert your identity as an Orthodox Jew — you have to be a halutz to make that happen,” he said. On the plus side, that means every community member has the potential to make an outsize impact. “Every person counts,” Millner said.

THE JEWISH STAR March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777

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Prayer and Adam, of blessed memory view from central park

I

t gets harder and harder with each prayer project. As I get older, when disappointment and painful silence of unanswered prayers stares you in the face, you feel quieter and more humbled each time.

When I was younger I knew G-d well. I could speak for G-d with certitude. As the years pass, still believing in the power of prayer, the focus of it has shifted for me.

Prayer becomes more about myself, about people, community, and about empathy. Not necessarily only about G-d.

Adam Krief — Adam Moshe Chaim ben Olga — whose journey many of us followed, has died. Granted, scientifically the likelihood of his healing was remote. I hate hearing of those stem cell transplants — on the one hand it offers a last hope, on the other, too many painful failed stories.

But then you think about Jay Feinberg of The Gift of Life, who brought awareness about being a donor into our Jewish community over 20 years ago, whose existence is miraculous and a testament to times when a transplant can be successful.

Adam’s campaign was dubbed “Hope4Adam.” And that’s what we were inspired to carry … hope for Adam. So we all prayed for a miracle for Adam. When the news spread that a match was found, it seemed he might have found his miracle.

But then, due to complications, he died.

Adam mobilized tens of thousands of

O

lent”) moments of life. When we understand how little we understand. And there is acceptance of that.

Because, G-d, we’ll never understand. That is not our province.

What is our province is what we do with this world that G-d hands us.

With the incomprehensible pain of the Adam Krief story, of knowing three little children are left fatherless, the part that was in our hands, the part that was up to the people, couldn’t have been more caring, more loving, more unifying. That aspect of prayer is still powerful.

I realize more and more that prayer is about us and our response to the world around us — making an effort to bring grace and empathy, concentrating and converging so many different positive energies for the sake of someone’s well being — that’s prayer.

There are so many other ways to do that, you might say. So, why prayer?

Aside from the acts of kindness, prayer is our way of carrying a torch of hope for going beyond the current reality. It is our way

in times like these, you feel how Jews are there for one another, like family.

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of living with the person undergoing a painful time, in hope, in G-dliness, in empathy. In saying, maybe things can change.

Ultimately, though, I think prayer is a kind of unexplainable humility in surrendering to the mystery of this world.

All this doesn’t change the terrible loss and absence of Adam Krief. The silence of such unanswered prayers is deafening. Yet, that silent vacuum was filled with voices of love from total strangers; thousands of prayers and voices accompanied Adam from this world to what comes next. If Adam’s decree to die was in place regardless, those prayers at least accompanied him in his moments of transition, so he was not alone.

None of this changes the pain, the loss, or the questions. Yet, even when prayers do not effectuate the desired outcome, perhaps that is part of the power of prayer, even if not its essence.

May Adam’s memory be for a blessing.

Yehi zichro baruch. May his family be comforted.

Copyright Intermountain Jewish News

The 11th Commandment:

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strangers he’d never met into a congregation of worldwide communal prayer. Strangers were brought together, united by caring for the plight of Adam and his beautiful young family. So many were emotionally invested, making an effort to increase kindness in the world, hoping this could be a merit for his healing. ther matches were found and lives saved because of Adam. In fact, the number of drives held in four months was unprecedented — an outpouring of love from the Jewish community, his Jewish family. Literally. Because the more people tested from similar genetic pool, the greater the chances of finding a compatible match.

Beyond genetics, though, it’s in times like these that you really feel how Jews are there for one another, like family.

These tragedies try the soul and test our faith, though. No one should ever have to go through this.

Our prayers didn’t save Adam’s life. But they certainly changed us as a community. They brought strangers together and generated so much goodness.

The truth is, in my heart, the sadness I feel leads me to say to myself, “Who cares … but he died.” It would be better that no one get ill than someone be a catalyst through pain to increase kindness in the world.

But that’s when the humility sets in. The incomprehensibility of G-d and of it all. These are the VaYidom Aharon (“And Aaron was si-

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March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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From an eidah to a kehillah for a better world Rabbi binny FReedman The hearT of jerusalem

A

fter finally completing infantry officer’s course and then tank officer’s course, I was assigned to the 430th Battalion of the 500th Armored Brigade in the Jordan valley. Given a few days to rest up after grueling months of training, I reported for duty.

Standing at 6 am with my new unit I was given my first mission: to inspect all their rooms and then get them down to the tanks to do the morning’s inspection and make sure all the tanks were battle-ready for the unlikely event that we’d face combat. I quickly discovered it was much easier getting men ready for a combat patrol in Lebanon than it was getting guys up and working on their tanks in the Jordan valley, where we were stationed as part of a critical mass for the extremely unlikely event that Jordan were to suddenly attack.

In the Yeshivat Orayta gap year program where I work today, every year 70 to 80 boys arrive from many different places and backgrounds, but they share in common two essential things: they all want to be there, and we chose them from among a much larger pool of applicants out of a sense that Orayta is offering exactly what they are looking for.

This was not the case in the IDF tank unit I commanded. Many of these boys were drafted and would have much rather been almost anywhere else, and the IDF’s vision of what makes a boy appropriate for such a front line combat unit is surprisingly broad,

so the collection of 18 and 19 year olds I met that morning seemed to have little in common. They were from almost every social and cultural strata in Israel — Sephardic and Ashkenazi, some bright and some seemingly quite thick-headed; some athletic and some looking like they were more accustomed to a couch than a good run; some ready to work, most looking like they just wanted to get back into bed. How would I ever be able to turn them into a cohesive unit? his week, we will conclude Shemot, the Torah’s second book, which began with the ominous undertones of the first Jewish family becoming ensconced and then enslaved in Egypt, but then continued gloriously through the great Exodus, the splitting of the sea, and the receiving of the Torah at Sinai, only to see everything nearly destroyed with the sin of the Golden Calf. Now it concludes with the Jewish people seemingly finding their way back and building the Mishkan, the Tabernacle as a space for G-d on earth.

Immediately after the sin of the Golden Calf and its subsequent debacle, Moshe gathers the people (Shemot 35:1) to begin building the Mishkan. Rashi points out that this gathering occurs on the 11th of Tishrei, the day after Yom Kippur, thus linking forever the day when we received the second set of tablets, representing forgiveness for the Golden Calf, and the subsequent building of the Tabernacle.

One cannot help but notice that vayakhel, the verb used for the gathering (from which

T

the parsha derives its name) parallels the same verb used when the people gathered for an almost antithetical purpose: the Golden Calf (ibid. 32:1: “Vayikahel ha’Am,” when the people gathered and demanded of Aaron to make for them a g-d). The building of this tabernacle would somehow be a tikkun (a fixing) that would undo the damage brought into the world with the sin of the Golden Calf.

This type of gathering created a specific type of group known as a kehillah.

And yet the verse (ibid 35:1) has Moshe gathering an eidah, or congregation. (“Vaykahel Moshe et kol Adat B’nei Yisrael.”)

What is the difference between an eidah and a kehillah?

The word eidah stems from eidut (testimony) and relates as well to the concept of ye’ud (destiny). It describes a group that comes together as a community based on a common experience, which leads them to a shared purpose. The Jewish people first become an eidah when they are commanded (ibid. 12:3) to bring a lamb for each family for the paschal offering prior to the Exodus.

What they share in common is that they all experienced suffering as Egyptian slaves, and they want to get out. They do not know yet where they are going, or even what they would do with freedom if attained, they just know they want to get out.

It is important to note, however, that being an eidah is not always necessarily a positive thing. As an example, in the infamous sin of the spies (Bamidbar 14:27), the Jewish people are also described as an eidah, a community

now our challenge is to discover our collective purpose.

heading in a direction — but not necessarily the right direction. After 200 years of slavery, the Jews first need to become an eidah, to bear witness to something greater than themselves.

They need a purpose and a direction.

In the rebellion of Korach the rebels are also called an eidah; they feel they have experienced injustice and although they may not all want the same thing, they share a collective, if misguided, experience which leads them toward a common purpose.

A kehillah, however, can easily be a group of people who do not share previous experiences, but gather for a common purpose that can also result in disaster, as with the Golden Calf. But a kehillah wants to build something together; whether it be a Golden Calf or a tabernacle, the desire to build is a force that can be harnessed for tremendous good. Perhaps that is why Moshe gathered the eidah as a kehillah (“Vayakhel Moshe et kol Adat B’nei Yisrael” 35:1). uickly realizing that earning the trust of an entire company of men was a tall order, a few nights later I decided to start small, with my own tank crew — three men who could not have been more different from each other. To earn their trust I pursued the fastest route to success in such endeavors: unabashed bribery.

I invited them to the commissary and treated them to sodas and cake.

They were very curious as to how an obviously American boy was now their officer (back then lone soldiers were much rarer) and I made a deal with them that they could ask any question and I’d answer but then they had to answer one of mine.

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over its embrace of the two-state outcome, has attempted to position itself as the more conservative-friendly Israel lobby. The rightleaning Christians United for Israel is similarly assuming a higher profile on the Hill.

And so, in forging its legislative agenda, AIPAC is doing its best to find items both parties can get behind. There are three areas: •Iran: Democrats are still resisting legislation that would undo the nuclear deal, but are ready to countenance more narrowly targeted sanctions. AIPAC is helping to craft bills that would target Iran’s missile testing and its transfer of arms to other hostile actors in the region.

•Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions: AIPAC will back a bill modeled on one in-

troduced in the last congressional session by Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Ben Cardin, D-Md., that would extend to the BDS movement 1970s laws that made it illegal to participate in the Arab League boycott of Israel.

•Foreign assistance: AIPAC activists will lobby the Hill on the final day of the conference with a request to back assistance to Israel (currently at $3.1 billion a year, set to rise next year to $3.8 billion). Support for such aid is a given, despite deep cuts to diplomatic and foreign aid programs in Trump’s budget proposal.

Also a given will be the activists’ insistence that aid to Israel should not exist in a vacuum and should be accompanied by a robust continuation of U.S. aid to other countries. With

a Trump administration pledged to slashing foreign assistance by a third and wiping out whole programs, AIPAC is returning to a posture unfamiliar since the early 1990s, when it stood up to a central plank of a Republican president.

Notably absent from the agenda is any item that robustly declares support for a two-state outcome. AIPAC officials say the longtime U.S. policy remains very much on their agenda, but the lobby’s apparent soft pedaling of the issue is notable at a time when other mainstream groups, including the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League, have been assertive in urging the U.S. and Israeli governments to preserve it.

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By Ron Kampeas, JTA WASHINGTON — Maintaining Iran sanctions, crushing BDS and ensuring aid to Israel are high on the agenda, of course.

But the overarching message at this year’s conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is, if you want a break from polarization, come join us.

Thousands of people from New York and Long Island, including students from area day schools, will do just that.

“This is an unprecedented time of political polarization, and we will have a rare bipartisan gathering in Washington,” an official of the lobby told JTA about the March 26–28 confab. “One of the impressive aspects of our speaker program is that we will have the entire bipartisan leadership of Congress.”

That might seem a stretch following two tense years in which AIPAC faced off against the Obama administration — and by extension much of the Democratic congressional delegation — over the Iran nuclear deal.

But check out the roster of conference speakers and you can see the lobby is trying hard.

Among Congress members, for instance, there are the usual suspects, including stalwarts of the U.S.-Israel relationship like Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., minority whip in the House of Representatives, and Rep. Ed Royce, D-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Vice President Mike Pence is speaking, and so are the leaders of each party in both chambers.

But also featured is Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a freshman who had the backing of Bernie Sanders, the Democratic presidential candidate who had his request for a satellite feed at last year’s conference turned down.

Also present this year and absent last year, for the most part: Democrats who backed the Iran deal.

Among the other speakers are Obama administration architects and defenders of the nuclear deal, which traded sanctions relief for a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program.

One striking example is Rob Malley, a National Security Council official who didn’t join Obama’s team until his second term in part because pro-Israel objections kept him out in the first four years. (Malley, a peace negotiator under President Bill Clinton, insisted that both Israelis and Palestinians were to blame for the collapse of talks in 2000.)

If there’s a let-bygones-be-bygones flavor to all this, it results in part from anxieties pervading the Jewish organizational world about polarization in the era of Trump. Jewish groups get their most consequential policy work done lining up backers from both parties.

“We continue to very much believe in the bipartisan model because it is the only way to get things done,” said the official, who like AIPAC officials are wont to do, requested anonymity. “This is the one gathering where D’s and R’s come together for high purpose.”

J Street, the left-wing Middle East policy group, demonstrated at its own policy conference last month that it was only too happy to lead the resistance to President Donald Trump, who has appalled the liberal Jewish majority with his broadsides against minorities and his isolationism. J Street’s president, Jeremy Ben-Ami, explicitly said he was ready to step in now where AIPAC would not.

AIPAC is also under fire from the right.

Republican Jews who consider the lobby’s bipartisanship a bane rather than a boon were behind the party platform’s retreat last year from explicit endorsement of the two-state solution.

More recently, Trump has also marked such a retreat, at least rhetorically.

The Israeli American Council, principally backed by Sheldon Adelson, the casino billionaire who in 2007 fell out with AIPAC in part

THE JEWISH STAR March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777

AIPAC confab opens Sunday in polarized DC

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THE JEWISH STAR March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777

Sale Dates: March 26th - 31st 2017

Leslie Kellner: sorely missed, fondly remembered Judy Joszef who’s in the kitchen

A

bout a year and a half ago, I wrote an article about Leslie Kellner, who attended elementary and high school with my husband Jerry. I was tagged in a picture on Facebook, because Leslie had posted a picture and tagged my friend in it. To make a long story short, Leslie asked if anyone recognized the boys in the picture. As I took a closer look, Jerry was in the picture. That random post, was the beginning of reconnecting the friendship between Leslie and Jerry.

Leslie filled me in on his early years in elementary school and how Jerry bullied him. I was shocked because the Jerry I know couldn’t hurt a fly. When he arrived home I questioned him about how he could have done that to a classmate. As I spoke about each instance, he didn’t remember at first. I’m guessing it was so bad that he wiped it from his memory. Jerry walked around in a funk for three days after that, feeling so guilty for what he had done all those years ago.

I invited Leslie and all of his friends from elementary and high school who lived in Woodmere for a Shabbat meal that lasted for hours, with dozens of stories. We all laughed heartily as Beverly said BTA was a school for derelicts but that nobody had informed the students of this. Leslie had the capacity to be recall and reenact scenes of school antics with perfect memory down to the finest details. Weeks after, Steve and Faye made a Shabbat Bris for their grandson, and Leslie was included. He sat in a

From Dr. Steve Kollander: “I will always seeing one another as a group of old friends for remember him10, as 2017 the red-headed kid with a over 40 years, as if time had suspended itself 14—APRIL JANUARY voice that sounded like he had gravel in his waiting for their friendships to resume.

Leslie and Jerry began to speak regularly throat. And I will always thank Hershel (Jerand even set up time each Thursday to speak. ry) and Judy for bringing him back into our Jerry regularly apologized about bullying hearts. He will be terribly missed.” him, but Leslie compassionately insisted that erry and I reflected on that wonderful he would not listen to Jerry about this. “We Shabbat meal we had with close friends were just kids, and you must let this go,” he and Leslie. Leslie was honored to lead implored. On one of their last messages, Leslie the benching. He smiled and asked Jerry “if wrote to Jerry, “I’m so glad we reconnected. I we could sing the benching ‘Rambam style’.” love you and who would have thought that.”

Leslie sang proudly with a beautiful smile on Unfortunately, on Monday, March 13, Les- his face, repeating the parts that we repeated lie suddenly collapsed and died from a massive as elementary school kids. He finished the heart attack in the lobby of his condominium in final portion of benching singing especially the city. An hour later, hundreds of his friends slowly and loudly, “Na’ar ha’yiti v’gam zocanti, were on Facebook, distraught and in shock. v’lo roiti tzadik naazov“ (“I was young and Leslie was an only child whose parents died now I have aged and I have not seen a righyears ago. He was married, but lost his wife, teous man forsaken.”) the love of his life, at age 39. They didn’t have Ironically, we as friends singing and laughany children. The first thought after the shock ing together at our Shabbat table had shared subsided was how can it be possible that there childhood together and now we were together would be nobody to sit shivah for Leslie. But approaching the late fall or experiencing the as tributes started pouring in to his Facebook early frost of the winter of our lives; however page I realized that this was a man who had we were firmly reconnected in our life-long more friends, colleagues and relationships friendship. than anyone I have ever met, and was loved by Leslie, a righteous man who provided lovevery one of them. ing friendship and joy to so many friends, was Leslie had friends in almost every state, not left forsaken when he passed away, as the and in other countries. They were younger, pain of loss was felt profoundly by each of us. older, some related and some not.

Jerry and I and, our close friends Steve and Faye “To know Les was a gift,” posted Christo- and Harry and Beverly, had looked forward to pher Vislocky. “He was funny, caring, strong, sharing so many more wonderful times in our JANUARY 14—APRIL 10, 2017 loyal as well as an amazing storyteller. He was lives together with Leslie. We now carry the prothe kind of friend that you would want next found feelings of sadness that only one who has row with Jerry, Neil Stein and Benji Krupka, all to you in a fox hole he always had your back.” loved and lost can experience.

“You were truly a godsend,” posted MiSince Les had a huge heart, and was loved by davening together, enjoying the unique familiarity of each of their individual voices blend- chele. “Your ability to share stories and give so many, what better recipe than one that coning together to produce the timeless harmony guidance … and words of wisdom [helped] tains a “heart.” Go to TheJewishStar.com for my Distinc M-F: By “Beef Heart in Romesco Sauce” recipe. of friendship, still vibrant and loving after not carry many of us through dark times.”

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By Deborah Fineblum, JNS.org Even the most finicky wine snob won’t be able to “pass over” the new generation of kosher wines. Increasingly, the current mindset is that since Jews are commanded to drink four cups of wine at the Passover seder, they might as well drink high-quality wine in the process.

The last decade has witnessed a veritable explosion of highquality kosher wines, a far cry from the heavy, sweet and vaguely medicinal wines that graced the seder tables of yesteryear.

“These days there are so many different kosher wines out there that even Trader Joe’s sells them, and you know what?

They’re not bad,” says Arlene Mathes-Scharf, speaking with JNS. org at the time of year when her email is humming, her phone is ringing off the hook and her website—kashrut.com—is getting countless hits from consumers who find themselves in Passoverrelated food and wine quandaries.

Indeed, industry insiders report that for more than a decade, the variety and quality of kosher wine has been on the rise, matching customers’ tastes and demands.

“Today’s Jewish consumer is more sophisticated and discerning, and not satisfied with sacramental wine,” says Jay Buchsbaum, a vice president at the New Jersey-based Royal Wine Corporation. “They have more disposable income and they’re willing to spend a little more for a good wine. They’re not willing to settle.”

In addition to kosher wine industry giants such as Carmel from Israel, Baron Herzog from California and Bartenura from Italy, many smaller European boutique wineries are securing kosher certification for a segment of their wines.

“They like that there’s a ready market for better kosher wine today,” Buchsbaum says. “They know that the moment the grapes are crushed, the wine has already been bought.”

Why is Passover high season for kosher wine?

The demand for kosher wine also makes a steep climb around the time of Passover, the widely celebrated Jewish holiday that often attracts a mix of family members and friends with varying needs at the same seder table. In such scenarios, even those who don’t keep kosher laws might purchase kosher wines. “It’s safer that way,” says Buchsbaum.

It’s no wonder, then, that 40 percent of all kosher wine is sold in the months leading up to Passover.

“If you estimate that a seder has 18 adults who each drink four cups, that adds up. There’s a lot of wine coming in the

A wine festival at the Gush Etzion Winery in Israel ahead of Passover.

Ger-shon Elinson/Flash90

door,” says Israeli wine blogger and columnist David Rhodes, who runs the “Drink Israel” Facebook page.

Since seder participants drink so much wine at the traditional gathering—much of it on a relatively empty stomach—before the meal, it’s important to supply wine that won’t make them too drunk to appreciate the message of the seder, warns Californiabased kosher wine critic and blogger David Raccah, who runs kosherwinemusings.com.

“That’s why it’s the worst time to try ‘bombastic,’ high-alcohol wines,” Raccah says. “You’ll want to stick to light wines like Via Sparkling, preferably under 10 percent alcohol, that won’t land you flat on your back by the time the food is served.”

Israeli wines: the ‘hottest trend’ When they’re combing the supermarket shelves this time of year, many consumers reach for wines from Israel, which exports some 1.5 million bottles to the U.S. each year.

“Not only is Israel the place that the story of Passover is about—wine is mentioned over 70 times in the Torah—but

buying Israeli is a chance to support Israel and Israelis,” says Rhodes, who adds that vineyards are an efficient way to use the Jewish state’s land since grapes are both a low-water and highprofit crop.

“You can get upscale French and Italian kosher wines along with California ones, but the hottest trend is the Israeli wines,” says Royal Wine’s Buchsbaum.

According to Rhodes, Israel’s expanding high-quality wine market took off in 1983, when Golan Heights Winery (under its Yarden label) opened its doors. These days, Israeli wines are bringing home prizes from international competitions. “And 2016 was a very good year for Israeli wine,” notes Rhodes. Eran Pick of Tzora Winery was recently named Israel’s first-ever accredited “Master of Wine,” and a story on Israeli wines was featured on the cover of the October 2016 issue of the popular Wine Spectator magazine. The same magazine’s 2016 list of the world’s Top 100 wines included two from Israel, selections from the Tzora and Galil Mountain wineries.

“We’re only the 36th wine producer in the world in terms of size. We produce 1/400th of the French output, a drop in the barrel. But our recognition is growing geometrically,” Rhodes says.

Raccah says that the Israeli market is still somewhat bifurcated between the religious Jews “who just want to make kiddush (the blessing on wine for Shabbat and holiday meals)” and the more yuppified Tel Aviv market “that demands excellent boutique wines whether for home or to order in restaurants.”

But Rhodes says he is optimistic that the two market sectors can coexist, “since Israel is increasingly able to produce kosher wines that are religiously proper while still pleasing a more refined palate.”

“You don’t have to compromise anymore,” Buchsbaum adds.

“You can buy kosher, support Israel and still enjoy wonderful wines.”

What may be the ultimate affirmation for the growing field of top-flight kosher wine is the following sentiment that Buchsbaum says he has heard hundreds of times from consumers: “I’m not really kosher, but I had to bring something nice to a seder once and I’ve been drinking that wine ever since.”

“Look at it this way,” Buchsbaum says. “The largest-selling Moscato (an Italian sparkling wine) in the world is a kosher wine

by Bartenura that sells 5 million bottles annually. Most of those customers aren’t even Jewish. They just like the wine.”

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Quality kosher wines find a place at seder tables

15

March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

16

Richard Altabe, board chair of the Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula, addresses Sunday’s legislative breakfast, flanked (from left) by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato, City Councilmember Donovan Richards, Rabbi Eytan Feiner, and Queens County Clerk Audrey Pheffer. Altabe surprises Pheffer Amato, on her birthday, with a cake.

JCCRP breakfast honors Far Rockaway leaders

Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato presents the JCCRP’s Lifetime Achievement Award to her mother, former Assemblymember and current Queens County Clerk Audrey Pheffer, as JCCRP Board Chair Richard Altabe looks on.

Rabbi Eytan Feiner of the White Shul opened the breakfast with words of inspiration.

The Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula celebrated 45 years of “making our community a better place to live” at its annual Legislative Breakfast last Sunday in the White Shul on Empire Avenue in Far Rockaway.

The Jewish Star photos by Donovan Berthoud

Mayer Gold, CEO of the Seasons Supermarket chain, was given the JCCRP’s Community Service Award.

From left: Public Service Award winner Dr. Camesha Grant, vice president of community connections and reach for the Food Bank for New York City, is pictured with JCCRP CFO Devorah Pelman; state Senator Joseph P. Addabbo poses with JCCRP President Mordechai Zvi Dicker; Queens Borough President Melinda Katz speaks warmly of JCCRP’s work; and Lynn Blanchette, Community Affairs Officer of Far Rockaway’s 101st Precinct, who received the JCCRP’s Humanitarian Award, is pictured with Police Officer Kevin Campbell.

From left: Glen Cove Assemblymember Charles D. Lavine and Shimi Pelman; Belle Harbor City Councilmember Eric A. Ulrich says he’s pleased to accept the JCCRP’s City Legislative Leadership Award; Far Rockaway City Councilmember Donovan Richards; and JCCRP Executive Director Nathan Krasnovsky, board member Louis Gibber, and former Far Rockaway Assemblymember Phil Goldfeder.

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18

JEWISH

STAR SCHOOLS

March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar 5777 • Every week in print and online at TheJewishStar.com • Send news and photos to: Schools@TheJewishStar.com • Weekly deadline: Monday 5 pm

DRS and Rambam cheer as alumni earn smicha Yeshiva University celebrated its Chag HaSekmikha on Sunday, ordaining 130 rabbis, including 16 alumni of DRS and seven from Rambam Mesivta.

The Rambam musmachim are Rabbi David Block, Rabbi Yaakov Grossman, Rabbi Dovi Hochbaum, Rabbi Yossi Jacobs,

Rabbi Gabi Weinberg, Rabbi Eli Weisenfeld and Rabbi Yair Menchel.

Some of the new clergy will lead communities, others will teach, and others will enter the fields of medicine, law, psychology, or business.

“Today’s event was truly a celebration for the Jewish community at large,” said Rambam’s According to Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman. “We watched the next generation of young men begin the process of leadership for the benefit of all.”

DRS photo at left; Rambam photo at right.

Pi Day at Shulamith Due to last week’s snow day, Pi Day 2017 was celebrated on Pi + 0.01, but a day late did not take the fun out of the celebration! In advance of the day, students were asked to memorize the digits of pi.

Seventh grader Gabriella Herman came in first, with an impressive recitation of over 150 digits, while eighth grader Malkie Derdik was a close second. An interesting slide show, presented by eighth graders Jenny Lifshitz and Priva Halpert shared some facts about pi and Albert Einstein, whose birthday happens to be 3/14.

Teachers got into the fun, participating in a math competition.

Thanks to Mrs. Goldberg, Mrs. Markowitz, Morah Chana, and Morah Fishman for being good sports. The day ended on a sweet note thanks to Strausses’ bakery, which donated chocolate pies.

Pictured are Malkie Derdik and Gabriella Herman

Move…

Continued from page 1 enrollment. The facility, damaged by time and Hurricane Sandy flooding, needed to be refurbished and brought up to current codes, and new technologies were added.

The original terrazzo floor and gymnasium court now gleam. The gym has new bleachers, six shiny basketball hoops and the HALB Lions insignia at center court. The 500-seat

‘Magic Al’ at HALB’s Lev Chana The chanting for Magic Al grew louder and louder as the children of HALB Lev Chana Early Childhood Center eagerly waited for the hilarious antics of this much loved performer. Laughter exploded as children and

auditorium has a state-of-the-art heating and ventilation system, there is Wi-Fi throughout the building, and signs to direct students, faculty and guests to their correct destinations.

“This has been years in coming,” said Lance Hirt, a HALB parent who serves on the executive board and was president of the school’s board when the sale was completed.

Classrooms are bright and airy, and have plenty of space for students and smartboards.

On Monday morning, the boys prayed in the new study hall and the girls in the auditorium. The cafeteria that looked like a bombed-

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morot, dressed in colorful costumes l’chvod Shushan Purim, watched excited volunteers being called up to assist Magic Al as he produced magical bananas, a kissing dove and a moving talking drawing of Olaf.

out hull several months ago is full of tables, and the kitchen is polished and shiny.

The renovated building also has an elevator, two outdoor swimming pools for the summer camp and all needed outlets for electronic devices. New windows were installed. The ball fields and outdoor playground remain, and four new basketball courts were added.

To limit the time nearby residents would be disturbed by bus traffic, a loop driveway was created on Ibsen Street. Car passengers are dropped off on Branch Boulevard and walkers can enter from the Church Avenue.

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“Buses will travel up Branch Boulevard to Branch Gate, then down Arbuckle Avenue from the west side, said an excited Executive Director Richard Hagler. “Cars will enter and leave from Branch Boulevard, and the kids walking can enter from the north side.”

“The location is the benefit, as we are right in the community, and it opens up a level of engagement,” Altabe said.“This is now a neighborhood school again.”

HALB has been in Long Beach for 62 years.

Its property there is being sold to firm that plans to build luxury condominiums on the site.

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SKA and HANC join Team Shalva in J’salem

There were 30,000 participants in this year’s Jerusalem Winner Marathon, held last Friday, March 17, including students from Long Island day schools who were Running for SHALVA, an association that providing services for mentally and physically challenged children and their families,

SKA (right photo)

Over 21 students from the Stella K. Abraham High School for girls ran for SHALVA. “We felt so much achdut running with Jews from all over Israel and other countries,” said senior Rebecca Saffra. “We were so proud to raise money and run for Shalva, especially after seeing all the good that they do. All the

chesed we did on this trip in addition to Shalva — packing food for Yad Eliezer and donating clothing to the baby gemach in Shaare Tzedek — made us feel so overjoyed that we were able to contribute. Seeing how the hospital stays within all halachic guidelines was an added bonus to our experience.”

Elisheva Kaminetsky, SKA’s Director of Religious Guidance, and Lisa Fogel, SKA Social Worker and Admissions Liaison, both of whom accompanied the girls, arranged the chesed, spiritual and entertainment opportunities.

Davening at the Kotel and Kever Rochel, hearing from Rav Gav Friedman, and even riding Segways were among the other activities in which the girls took part.

HANC students were among those who ran with Team Shalva. Rabbi Daniel Mezei and his

wife, Penina raised over $40,000 to run.

Several alumni studying in Israel who volunteer at Shalva on a weekly basis joined the HANC team on the race day.

The students enjoyed a restful Shabbat in Yerushalyim, and a full day of activities on Sunday before flying back to the U.S.

Shabbos with your talmidim who nobly represented the finest in American Torah chinuch. Your good reputation will further spread far and wide and will result in great kavod Shamayim. An outsize measure of appreciation is due to Rabbi Weisenberg who really did a superb job in every way, and was

a real joy to have here!”

Pictured, from left to right: Easton, Pennsylvania, community member, Yehuda Goldblatt; Avi Balsam; Gavriel Toplan, Pinny Verstandig, son of R’ Yagod; Ariel Blumstein; Moshe Orlofsky; R’ Yaacov Weisenberg; and R’ Isaac Yagod.

“I learned so many lessons to bring home,” shared tenth grader Zahava Graff. “Not only did I have fun, but I had an inspiring time!”

HANC (left photo)

Rambam’s on the road This past Shabbos six young men from Rambam Mesivta, together with Rabbi Yaacov Weisenberg, a Rambam rebbe, traveled to Easton, Pennsylvania, to strengthen that small local Jewish community.

The local rav, Rabbi Isaac Yagod, an acquaintance of Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, the Rosh Mesivta of Rambam, reached out to Rabbi Friedman, and asked him if some boys would be interested in coming to Easton to give chizuk to his kehilah.

Rabbi Friedman turned to Rabbi Weisenberg who asked members of the Rambam Model Beis Din Team to join him for a Shabbaton in Pennsylvania. The boys quickly volunteered, and upon arrival were warmly welcomed by Rabbi Yagod and his family.

The shul, which is located in the rabbi’s house, was filled to capacity, and Rabbi Yagod and community members commented on how nice it was to see the shul filled with

the vibrancy of youth.

The boys were treated to delicious meals prepared by Rabbi Yagod, who also happens to be a gourmet cook. The rabbi regaled the boys with tales of his experiences of over 25 years in the pulpit, and his role as a mashgiach of many national brands. Local community members joined the meals which were filled with zemiros, divrei Torah, and a spirit of camaraderie.

Rabbi Yagod delivered a shiur on Shabbos afternoon on the halachic issues involved in drinking coffee in Starbucks, drawing on his vast experience in hashgacha. Motzei Shabbos, the boys enjoyed an outing to the local bowling alley, and headed back to New York Sunday morning after minyan and a sumptuous breakfast.

Rabbi Yagod summed up the weekend in an email to Rabbi Friedman, saying, “Thank you for a most amazing, deeply inspiring

Modesty’s ‘silent language’

By Ayelet Aharon, SKA ‘18 MACS — Modesty Awareness Committee for Students — of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls presented an exciting and interactive program to understand the meaning behind “The Silent Language,” body language, and its connection to modesty.

The program began with a performance by Marc Salem, a frum Jew who is a world-renowned mentalist and mind reader, who engaged the crowd with his lie detecting and mind reading abilities. He explained the use of body language in his work, examining the stances and movements of each participant as he worked. He taught us an important lesson: we are always communicating, even when we are silent.

The performance was followed by a workshop run by teacher and student facilitators, allowing the girls

to relate the concept of body language to different aspects of life. The workshop included videos of politicians and criminals expressing themselves silently, as well as videos prepared by MACS students portraying everyday uses of body language in SKA. The girls also read and discussed articles connecting body language to Torah, especially relating to the concept of tzniut.

The morning concluded with an additional video prepared by MACS showing the impact of silent communication through dress by displaying impressions and reactions of people to differently dressed Barbie dolls. The experience was an amazing opportunity to learn about such a relevant topic that is so fundamental but rarely discussed, and it was presented in an interesting and exciting way which appealed to different personalities.

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citizens. And Jordan has refused to hand over the killer.

The case involves Ahlam al-Tamimi, a Palestinian terrorist with Jordanian citizenship.

In August 2001, she played a major role in the bombing of a Sbarro Pizzeria in Jerusalem. Fifteen people were killed — including American citizens Malki Roth and Shoshana Greenbaum — and four Americans were among the 122 people who were injured. al-Tamimi was captured by Israel, tried, and convicted, but served just eight years in prison before being released in an Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange. She then became the host of a television show in Jordan, and has boasted on air about her role in the Sbarro massacre.

The Sbarro victims were among the 144 Americans who have been murdered (196 others have been wounded) in Palestinian terrorist attacks since the 1960s. Most of the suspects are being sheltered by the Palestinian Authority; some are even serving in the PA’s police or security forces.

For the past four years, the Jordanian government has known that one of its citizens — a TV personality, no less — is wanted for murder in the United States (why the Obama administration hid this information from Americans has not been explained). Yet Jordan has refused to hand her over, and the U.S. has not imposed any financial or other penalties to pressure the Jordanians on the issue.

Remarkably, the Justice Department’s announcement did not include a single word critical of Jordan for refusing to hand her over. Even worse, the department provided Jordan with an excuse to continue refusing to comply: “Jordan’s courts … have ruled that their constitution forbids the extradition of Jordanian nationals.”

Here’s what the Jordanian constitution says on the subject, in Article 21(1): “Political refugees shall not be extradited on account of their

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political beliefs or for their defense of liberty.”

Get it? If the Jordanian government is claiming that its constitution forbids extraditing alTamimi, it has to claim that the Sbarro massacre was a “political” crime. That’s outrageous.

The U.S. has an extradition treaty with Jordan. When President Clinton submitted the treaty to Congress on March 28, 1995, his letter stated: “The Treaty further represents an important step in combating terrorism by excluding from the scope of the political offense exception serious offenses typically committed by terrorists, e.g., crimes against a Head of State or first family member of either Party, aircraft hijacking, aircraft sabotage, crimes against internationally protected persons, including diplomats, hostage-taking, narcotics trafficking, and other offenses for which the United States and Jordan have an obligation to extradite or submit to prosecution by reason of a multilateral international agreement or treaty.”

It’s good that al-Tamimi is now on America’s Most Wanted list. But when will the Palestinian killers of some 142 other Americans be added to the list? More important, when is the U.S. government finally going to put meaningful pressure on those who shelter killers of Americans?

The U.S. gave Jordan $393 million in aid last year. Is that just a blank check? Or is it time, perhaps, to make some of that aid conditional on Jordan surrendering killers of Americans?

Until the U.S. takes concrete steps to turn the symbolic indictment of al-Tamimi into concrete action to put her behind bars, legitimate questions will continue to be raised about whether our government is serious about bringing Palestinian killers of Americans to justice.

Stephen M. Flatow, a vice president of the Religious Zionists of America, is an attorney in New Jersey and the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in Israel during an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995. A version of column first appeared in the Jewish Press.

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THE JEWISH STAR March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777

No outrage as Jordan protects killer

21

Turkey-Netherlands row a foreboding sign for Jews

By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — The thousands of people who gathered outside the Turkish consulate of this port city on Saturday patiently waited for hours, chatting with friends and relatives.

Waving Turkish flags, they had gathered on a chilly evening to listen to a Cabinet minister from Turkey arguing in favor of a governmentled referendum next month in that country.

The referendum would give even greater powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose critics already say rules the country with an iron grip.

Erdogan is eyeing the 3 million Turkish nationals living in Europe who can cast their votes in Turkish embassies.

But the chummy atmosphere evaporated

as word spread that Dutch police had arrested the minister, Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya. In reality, she was escorted out of the country to Germany on orders of the Dutch government.

Ahead of Wednesday’s general elections in the Netherlands — immigration and Islam have become major issues in the heated campaign — the government vocally objected to Turkey’s campaigning on its soil.

Hundreds of young men began confronting police, hurling stones at them while shouting “Allahu akbar” — Arabic for “Allah is the greatest.” Some in the crowd then shouted “cancer Jews” in Dutch at the riot police, who used water cannons to disperse the crowd, according to witnesses. It was one of several incidents recently in the Netherlands where anti-Semitic slogans were shouted at demonstrations that

had nothing to do with Jews.

For Dutch Jews, the affair underlined a growing concern over the defiance of some local Muslims, whose anti-Semitic attitudes and actions are generating an anti-Muslim backlash in a once-tolerant society.

“We saw again that the word ‘Jew’ and ‘homo’ are curse words in these groups,” Esther Voet, the editor-in-chief of the Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad, told JTA. “Those protesters have such hostility toward Jews that it just comes out.”

Voet also called the violent protesters in Rotterdam a “fifth column” in Dutch society, adding that she was “in some ways glad the riots exposed what many would rather deny.”

Across Western Europe, surveys consistently show a relatively high prevalence of antiSemitic sentiment among Muslims.

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March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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But the use of slogans about Jews during violent confrontations that do not involve Jews is a recent development. And it is shocking to many European Jews because “it shows the centrality of anti-Semitism as a core identity value” among some Muslim immigrants and their descendants, according to Manfred Gerstenfeld, a scholar of anti-Semitism who has written extensively about the Netherlands.

In 2014, amid protests over Israel’s strikes against Hamas in Gaza, anti-Semitic hostility led dozens of French Arab rioters to besiege a Paris synagogue, which community members defended for long minutes in a savage street brawl as police scrambled to dispatch officers in time to prevent a bloodier scenario.

In covering the Rotterdam rioting, the Dutch media largely ignored the anti-Semitic shouts, focusing instead on the far wider ramifications of what quickly evolved into a showdown featuring Turkey, the Netherlands and Germany.

After the incident with Kaya and the Dutch government’s refusal to admit into the country Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Erdogan accused both Germany and Holland of having a “Nazi heritage,” leading to condemnations of Turkey by other EU leaders and Jewish groups.

For the Dutch chief rabbi, Binyomin Jacobs, the anti-Semitism on display in Rotterdam raised the specter of violent attacks, like the recent attacks on synagogues in Paris.

“I hope I am wrong, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens also here,” Jacobs said when asked whether he believed that following the riots, Muslim radicals may turn violent against Jews.

Jacobs’ home in Amersfoort has been vandalized several times in recent years, and he has said that he would leave the Netherlands if not for his communal duties.

Against this backdrop, many Dutch Jews are joining other countrymen in supporting the Party for Freedom led by Geert Wilders, a stridently anti-Islam lawmaker who last year was convicted of inciting discrimination for promising during a 2014 speech to make sure the Netherlands has fewer Moroccans.

Wilders’ party, which opposes the construction of mosques and seeks to end immigration from Muslim countries, is currently the third largest in the Dutch parliament. However, with the elections at hand, the Party for Freedom is in a tight race with the ruling center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy to become the largest.

Wilders’ popularity among Dutch Jews — a community in which many have bitter memories of the effects of xenophobic rhetoric — is lower than among the general population. But it is nonetheless significant.

Wilders’ electoral success with some Dutch Jews is helped by his professed love and commitment to Israel, a country where he lived for two years in the 1980s, and to what he calls “Judeo-Christian values” that he says are threatened by Islam. But it suffered over his party’s support in 2010 for a ban on the ritual slaughter of animals. The ban, passed by parliament, ultimately was scrapped by the Dutch Senate in 2012.

Ultimately, though, Wilders’ measure of popularity among Dutch Jews “owes to fear” rather than to his credentials within that community, according to Hayut, the filmmaker.

In France, too, the far-right National Front party under Marine Le Pen has made inroads into the Jewish community. In a poll from 2014 among 1,095 French Jews, her party enjoyed the support of 13.5 percent of respondents.

She currently is the leading candidate in polls ahead of the first round of the presidential election next month with approximately 25 percent of all voters.

Le Pen has courted Jewish voters and worked to rehabilitate the racist image of the party founded by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who has multiple convictions for Holocaust denial and inciting racial hatred against Jews.

And while she lacks Wilders’ pro-Israel and philo-Semitic credentials, her message resonates with some Jews who hope she will shield their community from attacks by Muslims.

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eyes of an empath and ears that perked up when he heard me removing a leash from its hook, or when he saw from his perch at the living room window my wife’s car pull into the rear of the house. A mutt with a rich warm coat of tan and black. But a mutt.

This story is true, so why do I need to lie?

Our routine for a number of years was this: I would walk the boys to the school bus stop with Zevy, and then I would drive him to my mother-inlaw’s house, just over a mile away through some of the busiest traffic in Arlington, Virginia. I would park there, walk to the metro and go to work.

The boys would take the school bus to their grandmother’s house and arrive at about 4 p.m.

My wife or I would come home at 5 or thereabouts, and Zevy would be first into the car, with a bound and a leap, and we’d head home, back through that mile of heavy traffic.

Once I got off work early, so I picked up the boys, then 8 and 10, directly from school for slices of pizza. Past 4 p.m., I got a frantic call from my mother-in-law: Zevy was gone, escaped from the backyard. I piled the boys in the van and was driving from the pizza parlor to her house when I got another call, from the vet, whose offices are just across the street from our house. A man had seen a stray wandering frantically in traffic and pulled him in. She had Zevy in her office.

Zevy had noticed the boys hadn’t come – he knew precisely when they were supposed to arrive – and made it through a mile of rush hour traffic to our house to find them, to make sure they were OK. His job, as he saw it, was to watch out for them, to make sure they were in the right place at the right time. He figured out how to tell time to do this. He took extraordinary risks to do this.

I don’t know why he saw this as his job, but he did. And he did it constantly and effectively: Once my mother-in-law fell, on the first floor of her house, and he ran upstairs, found her caretaker cleaning a room and whined until she followed him downstairs.

Zevy talked OK, again, not my lie, but one I’m borrowing from the dry cleaner across the street who insists his dog speaks Vietnamese. The dry cleaner says “talk” in Vietnamese and the dog barks. His wife rolls her eyes. The dry cleaner’s dog also grabs

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The author’s dog, Zevy, who died of cancer last Ron Kampeas week

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Personal essay by Ron Kampeas, JTA I lied a lot about my dog, Zevy, who died the night before last of cancer, squeezed with his final strength under our bed, his favorite resting place. Here are some of the lies I told.

We fell into a love trap devised by clever Israelis.

Ten or so years ago CHAI, an Israeli animal welfare group, brought close to 40 dogs to the Washington area and deployed them in groups of about 10 to four local synagogues.

My first lie was the impression I conveyed when telling friends about how we got Zevy: that on that cloudy Sunday in mid-November 2006, the synagogue conspired with CHAI and manipulated us — innocent, naive parents — into getting a dog. The truth is, I was the one who set the love trap. My two sons, then 8 and 6, wanted a dog – well, the 8-year-old did. I wanted a dog. My wife said it would be too much work.

So the synagogue notified us that the CHAI dogs would be in place, and I told my wife, “They’re going to have dogs outside the school, let’s drop the boys off together, and it’ll be fun to play with the dogs. We won’t get one.”

But my older son, who didn’t lie, said this as we drove to Sunday school: “Daddy said you’d want one when you saw them.”

I did say that as a means of getting the boys to scramble into the car 15 minutes earlier than usual, and she did – want one, that is, Zevy especially, because he was not hoppy, or yappy, or eager. He carefully, silently explored the humans, and when she stopped to talk to him, he gave my wife his paw.

Zevy was my wife’s dog.

This was clear from the outset. Walking together, he would occasionally stop just to press up against her, an act not so much of possession or fealty but, I think, of overflowing gratitude.

Maybe three days after his arrival, I came downstairs and I found them rolling around on the floor together. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her head was pressed against his. He seemed to think this was a good idea.

Zevy was a war refugee.

Not so much my lie, but CHAI’s. The dogs, they said, were left behind by Israelis who fled south during the 2006 Lebanon War, and then never reclaimed them when they returned.

My wife spun this into something more elaborate: Zevy, she said, fled cruel Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and crossed the border into Israel. I tried explaining to her how unlikely this was in one of the most mined strips of land on the planet, but never mind.

I’m Israeli, and the country is awash in strays, in war and in peace. Maybe Zevy was indeed a war orphan. The likelier story is that CHAI was seizing on a headline-making crisis to raise awareness in the U.S. Jewish community of its mission, and selected 39 of its most photogenic strays and put them on a plane. (Zevy was a 2007 CHAI Calendar dog.) I’m fine with this.

Zevy was a shepherd mix.

Hence the name accorded to him by CHAI: German Shepherds are called “zeev,” or wolf, in Israel. But this is a polite way of saying Zevy was a mutt. A handsome mutt, with the large brown

23 THE JEWISH STAR March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777

Lies I told about my dog

laundry sacks once they’re full, with his teeth, and pulls them into the rear of the shop for processing.

Why do we make up stories about talking dogs when all we need to say is that they rescue us?

I don’t know.

Or: For 10-15 years (Zevy was 11) our dogs give us unmediated love. In the same span, my two sons transitioned from thinking I was a demigod to contradicting everything I say when they’re not ignoring me.

I understand this transition, I tortured my parents with it, I know it circles around. It doesn’t make it easier.

Friends grow apart. In the early 21st century, we’ve figured out a way to create the illusion that they don’t through Facebook profile photos that are always a little out of date and a little too well lit, through likes and bespoke icons and electronic happy birthday greetings and status updates.

But we do. We meet in person and we’re crankier, more distant, agitated by the figure across from us battered around the edges, stirring up memories of opportunities lost, passions abated.

Dogs don’t change. They figure out a household, they figure out their place, and then they break our hearts by dying too soon.

Dogs don’t change.

They do. My wife and sons sought Zevy’s attentions, and he delivered them, in licks and in companionship.

I never did, except to call him over to feed him bits of cartilage I chewed off chicken bones for him — once he obeyed my command to sit, our most visceral transaction.

Yet a couple of years ago Zevy understood I wanted his companionship, even though I didn’t know this.

He would pad down the stairs mid-morning and spend time at my feet as I wrote and made calls, and then pad back upstairs. He was never a hop-on-the-couch dog until he was, resting his head on my lap for a period, and then hopping back down.

This is not a lie.

My dog changed me. He’s gone. I am bereft.

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Continued from page 1 time that Glassman spoke before a group on this frightening topic. She said her goal is to prevent what happened to her son from happening to others.

“Education and programming in the schools for students, teachers, administrators and parents is a necessary start,” she said.

“But addiction happens at every age. Many adults have become addicted to the pain medication they were prescribed after injuries. Addiction can affect anyone.”

Glassman quoted from an anonymous poem that she said was “either a cry for help from an addict, or a message from someone Dr. Yaakov Siegel speaks at addiction meeting in West Hempstead. who overcame it.” health, the first of its kind, which said ‘adI destroy homes, tear diction is a chronic brain disease that has families apart, take your children, and that’s the potential for both relapse and recovery’,” just the start.

Glassman related.

When I possess you, you’ll steal and you’ll Rabbi Zvi Gluck, founder of Amudim, and lie. clinical psychologist Dr. Yaakov Siegel preYou’ll do what you have to, just to get high. sented information at Sunday’s meeting.

The sweats, the shakes, the visions you’ll “The three of us said some of the same see.

I want you to know, these are all gifts from things, but from distinctly different viewpoints,” Glassman said. “Zvi deals with peome. ple in crisis, through Amudim and Hatzalah, I can bring you more misery than words with boots on. Dr. Siegel discussed the psycan tell. chological treatment side of things. And I Come take my hand, let me lead you to hell.

“In 2016, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. spoke as an affected parent.”

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24

Prime Minister Netanyahu at a news conference in Jerusalem on Yonatan Sindel/Flash 90 March 14.

the new broadcaster because he fears it will turn against him. David Bitan, chairman of the ruling coalition, said in November that Kan had already been “hijacked by people whose agenda is leftist and anti-government.”

But some commentators have argued that Netanyahu’s alleged desire to control coverage cannot explain his threat to call new elections because he could not really expect any future government to help him quash Kan either.

“First of all, let’s make clear that in any case, the [new] corporation will not shut down,” Yossi Verter wrote Sunday in Haaretz.

“With or without elections, it will launch television, radio and digital broadcasting on April 30, and the Israel Broadcasting Authority will cease to exist.”

He is trying to avoid being indicted.

Police have questioned Netanyahu four times as part of two corruption probes. Although Netanyahu has said, “There will be nothing because there is nothing,” some have speculated that he may want an excuse to call new elections to prevent the police

from recommending an indictment against him — something they would customarily refrain from doing until after the polls close.

Political analysts on Israel’s Channel 2 TV news suggested that the investigations could be a motivating factor for the prime minister. But Netanyahu must know that after the elections, there would be nothing preventing the wheels of justice from moving forward — and all the more easily if he were no longer the prime minister.

He wants to bring his coalition to heel.

Netanyahu’s coalition has looked increasingly unruly of late. In addition to the falling-out between Netanyahu and Kahlon, Knesset member Yehuda Glick on Thursday posted a 700-word treatise on Facebook despairing at what he said was a culture of fear in Likud.

Earlier in the week, Education Minister Naftali Bennet and other members of the government publicly sparred with Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman over his threat to cut state funding for a pre-army military academy in the settlement of Eli if the controversial rabbi who heads it did not step down. The week before that, Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz and Knesset member Avi Dichter both said they would run for prime minister once Netanyahu was out of the picture.

Those are just a few examples. Many interpreted Netanyahu’s threat to call elections as a bid to restore order. On Sunday, supporters and critics differed only on how likely he was to succeed.

In Israel Hayom, Mati Tuchfeld credited the prime minister’s leadership under challenging conditions.

“It’s not just the broadcaster and it’s not just Kahlon,” he wrote.

“It’s also Naftali Bennett, who just a couple of days ago said that Netanyahu has neglected religious Zionism. It’s also Liberman, who though he appears Netanyahu’s most trusted partner, nonetheless his comments about closing the yeshiva in Eli sent the prime minister down a dead end.”

On the other hand, Nahun Barnea concluded in Yediot Acharanot that Netanyahu was doomed to “self-destruct” in his fourth term in office, much like his former British counterparts, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.

His wife and son told him to.

Finally, some blamed the woman Israelis love to hate, Netanyahu’s wife, Sara. Sima Kadmon wrote in Yediot that Sara Netanyahu demanded her husband take action because of her dislike for certain journalists hired by Kan. “It’s clear to everyone close to the prime minister that something is going on when Netanyahu is susceptible to the influence of his relatives,” Kadmon wrote. “Ladies and gentlemen, wake up.

This is your prime minister.”

902831

By Andrew Tobin, JTA TEL AVIV — What is Bibi up to?

That was the question many in Israel were asking Sunday morning after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly threatened to bring down his own government to cancel reforms to state media. According to Hebrew reports, Netanyahu told ministers on Saturday that unless the creation of a new governmentfunded broadcaster is aborted, “we’ll go to elections.”

Netanyahu ignored questions about the reported comment as he boarded a plane for a diplomatic visit to China on Saturday evening, and his office declined JTA’s request for comment.

Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon have publicly clashed for months over the planned launch of the new broadcaster, which was supposed to be more politically independent than the current one. After supporting the 2014 legislation to create the Israel Broadcasting Corp., or Kan, Netanyahu led efforts to bury it.

Kahlon has insisted that Kan move forward.

On Thursday, hours after Kahlon announced a public break with his longtime ally Netanyahu over the conflict, the two Likud party ministers reached a compromise that would have seen Kan launch on April 30. Netanyahu would have agreed to drop his opposition in exchange for Kahlon’s support for legislation that would give the government oversight of all television and radio stations in the country.

But in a Facebook post on Saturday, Netanyahu said he had “changed his mind,” leaving observers to puzzle over why the prime minster, a master of political survival, would risk his perfectly good right-wing government over the reforms.

These are some theories being discussed in Israel.

Netanyahu is heartbroken.

On Facebook, Netanyahu attributed his about-face to the “heartbreaking stories” he heard when he met Friday with employees of the current broadcaster, the Israel Broadcasting Authority. Some 1,000 employees were to lose their jobs when it closed, and many have been protesting.

Netanyahu also cited estimates that it would be cheaper to fix the existing broadcaster than to start the new one.

“So what do we need the [new] corporation for?” he asked.

But Finance Ministry statistics contradicted Netanyahu’s price estimates. And few Israelis believed that he suddenly developed a soft spot for broadcasting authority employees. After all, he had criticized them previously as left wing and supportive of terrorism.

He fears the wrath of Kan. Both critics and allies have suggested that Netanyahu opposes

THE JEWISH STAR March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777

Why is Bibi threatening to dissolve government?

25

March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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Pesach literature 5777 AlAn JAy Gerber Kosher BooKworm

N

ow, can you just imagine this: another new Haggadah for this year’s Pesach celebrations. And its author, Rabbi Benjamin Blech, has been a rabbi right here on the South Shore, at the Young Israel of Oceanside, for 37 years.

As tradition has it, every year we witness a new group of Haggadahs themed to inspire us to new spiritual teachings, insights, and halachic rulings and assist us to better appreciate the deeper meanings of this holiday.

From Rabbi Blech’s work, “Redemption, Then and Now: Pesah Haggada with Essays and Commentary” (Menorah Books), I will focus on two aspects of the volume’s lead essay, “The Five Most Important Things About Passover.” The five things are: •The Importance of Memory •The Importance of Optimism •The Importance of Faith

•The Importance of Family •The Importance of Responsibility About optimism, Rabbi Blech teaches us the following: “To study the Passover story in depth is to recognize that the most difficult task Moses had to perform was not to get the Jews out of Egypt, but to get Egypt out of the Jews. They had become so habituated to their status as slaves; they lost all hope that they could ever improve their lot. Without hope they would have been lost.”

Utilizing a little known chapter in early American history, Rabbi Blech cites the following: “In the story of America’s Great Seal, a particularly relevant chapter is the imagery suggested by Benjamin Franklin in August 1776. He chose the dramatic scene described in Exodus where people confronted a tyrant in order to gain their freedom: “Pharaoh sitting in an open Chariot, a Crown on his head and a Sword in his hand, passing through the divided Waters of the Red Sea in Pursuit of the Israelites: Rays from a Pillar of Fire in the Cloud, expressive of the Divine Presence and Command, beaming on Moses who stands on the shore and extending

his hand over the Sea causes it to overwhelm Pharaoh.

“The motto he suggested, the words based on the Passover story, inspired George Washington and the founding fathers of the American colonies to rebel against their British

oppressors: ‘Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to G-d’.”

R a b b i Blech projects this example of optimism as a most important component to the liberation of the Exodus.

The next example of Rabbi Blech’s teaching is that of the importance of family. We all know that one of the most important touchstones of the stability of society is the stability of the family structure. With this caution in mind, consider the following: “Passover taught us yet another major truth: the way to perfect the world is to begin with our own families. G-d built His nation See Pesach on page 27

Men, women, Torah: Less gender, more truth rAbbi Avi billet Parsha of the weeK

W

hen the donations were finally brought to the Tabernacle, the Torah describes how the men and women came. But the phraseology utilized (beginning of 35:22) is questionable. A literal translation would be “and the men came on/ above/in addition to the women,” which leaves us wondering what happened. Some possibilities from notable English translations: They came, both men and women (Hertz); The men came with the women (Artscroll); The men accompanied the women (Kaplan).

These translations are split between indicating that the men and women came with equal devotion, and the possibility of reading that the men took charge and they brought

the women along, or that the women took charge and they brought the men along.

Which is correct? We’ll never know.

Some are of the view that just as the women specifically were unwilling to give of their earrings for the Golden Calf, they were first to show that THIS is how you donate your jewelry (Ramban and Ibn Ezra HaKatzar, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch). Others posit that the men rushed to make amends for the Golden Calf, so they were, in fact, front and center donating (Medrash Aggadah). Rashi and Ibn Ezra say that the key word (“al”) actually means “with” here — the men and women came together in a joint effort.

The Baal HaTurim supports this, noting an equivalence in numerical values (gematria) of the first eight-word-phrase of 35:22 and

“az ish v’Ishto ba’im yachad” (the man and his wife came together).

Advocating a more nuanced approach, the Daat Zekenim and the Rosh suggest the men came along to “plunder” the women’s jewelry, this time for the service of G-d. Yet the women were happy to be giving.

Their joy in donating their precious jewelry is what caused women to be given the special monthly holiday of Rosh Chodesh.

A number of commentaries introduce a halakhic analysis of what women are permitted to give away, as discussed in the Talmud Bava Kama 118b.

Are they allowed to donate jewelry given to them by their husbands? The Talmud assumes that women are so naturally giving, they would give everything away if they had the opportunity; that’s why more practically

our differences in obligation and responsibility are clear. yes, there are differences.

minded men need to have a greater say (of course, this might not reflect the reality of contemporary home-financing). This would lead, according to Seforno, Toldos Yitzchak, and Haksav V’Hakabbalah to a conversation, which brought husband and wife to the same conclusion — “I will give my jewelry to the Mishkan.” “And I support your doing that.”

Or HaChaim suggests we read the word not as “and the [men] came on/with the women” but as “and the men brought what was on the women” (in Hebrew a modification of one vowel allows for this).

There is no place for any argument or discussion of who is better or stronger, or who has a more complete relationship with the Almighty. We all have our roles, we all have our responsibilities. Men and women certainly have different emotional makeup, and we all come at our obligations from a combination of our upbringing, our training, our feelings, what we’ve learned, and however we define what it means to love G-d with our hearts, See Men, women, Torah on page 27

The Clouds of Glory and the power of prayer rAbbi dAvid etenGoff

T

he second of our two Torah portions, Parashat Pekudei, contains the final verse of Sefer Shemot: “For the cloud of the L-rd was upon the Mishkan by day, and there was fire within it at night, before the eyes of the entire house of Israel in all their journeys. (40:38) A careful reading of the pasuk reveals that it is comprised of four separate, yet interrelated phrases, namely, “For the cloud of the L-rd was upon the Mishkan by day,” “and there was fire within it at night,” “before the eyes of the entire house of Israel,” and “in all their journeys.” Let us examine these expressions.

HaRav Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal zatzal was a rav, posek, author and Religious Zionist. In his recently published posthumous work on the Torah, Mishneh Sochir, he notes that “it is well-known that there were seven clouds of glory (ananei hakavode) that provided for the needs of the Jewish people during their time in the desert. [Moreover,] as a result of these clouds, the Jewish people lacked for nothing.” He cites Moses’ words to our forebears: “For the L-rd, your G-d, has blessed you in all the work of your hand; He knows of your walking through this great desert; these forty years that the L-rd your G-d has been with you, you have lacked nothing.” (Devarim 2:7) In general, the ananei hakavode reflect the palpably immanent Divine Providence (hashgacha pratit) that the Master of the Universe bestowed upon our ancestors. In Rav Teichtal’s view, however, “the cloud of the L-rd [that] was upon the Mishkan by day,” represented “the

highest form of humanly recognizable Divine Providence … in order for there to be the fire of Torah at night (‘and there was fire within it at night’).”

In other words, G-d’s miraculous protection by day, whereby the nation’s legitimate needs were addressed, made it possible for the Jewish people to freely and intensely learn Torah at night. In addition, he opines that this cloud was visible “before the eyes of the entire house of Israel” so that “the entire Jewish people could experience the self-same Divine Providence [and Presence] as the Mishkan itself.” As such, we have the complete fulfillment of Hashem’s rationale for the construction of the Mishkan: “And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst.” (Shemot 25:8) This explication provides a natural transition to the concluding phrase of our pasuk, “in all their journeys,” i.e. Hashem is everpresent — not just during the 40 years in

the desert, but rather, as Rav Teichtal notes, “even during the times the Jewish people travel through their [seemingly endless] exile.” In my view, this is reminiscent of the words penned by King David: “For the L-rd will not forsake His people, nor will He desert His inheritance.” (Tehillim, 94:14) he Vilna Gaon (the Gra) focused on our pasuk in the context of the verses that represent the dialogue that transpired between G-d and Moses in the aftermath of the Chet HaEgel (Sin of the Golden Calf). In particular, he emphasizes the relationship that obtains between, “I will perform wondrous acts such as have not been created upon all the earth and among all the nations.” (Shemot, Parashat Ki Tisa 34:10) and our pasuk: “And this that is written, ‘I will perform wondrous acts such as have not been created upon all the earth and among all the naSee Glory on page 27

T

Continued from page 26 by commanding not a collective gathering of hundreds, of thousands in a public square but by asking Jews to turn their homes into places of family worship at a Seder devoted primarily to answering the questions of children. It seems all too obvious. Children are our future. They are the ones who most require our attention. The home is where we first form our identities and discover our values.”

Further on the author tells us this: “All of the Torah follows only after we understand the primacy of family. The world may mock Jewish parents for their overprotectiveness and their child-centered way of life — but they are the ones chiefly responsible for the extraordinary achievements of their progeny. At the Seder table, the chil-

him, and hold a lamp before him to illuminate his path. But G-d behaved differently with His servants Israel after the Exodus: He tended to their needs — washed them, anointed them with oil, clothed them, carried them, and lit a path before them. (Shemot Rabbah 20:11) “Beyond Transcendence “The nations of the world relegated G-d to the heavens. They defined G-d by His transcendence and assumed that he could not be concerned with earthly matters – His glory is upon the heavens. But in truth, G-d is not limited by his ‘transcendence.’ Despite His inherent exaltedness, He lowers Himself to examine the affairs of the earthly — ‘He dwell on high yet looks down so low’ (Abarbanel).”

I urge you to read and learn from Rabbi Marcus’ teachings so as to enable you to better understand the sacred texts that inhabit your own personal Haggadahs.

More Pesach readings next week.

about a subject relating to women? What gives a woman a right to opine about how a man should behave?

Truth is truth, and should come from whoever speaks it. The speaker is either talented, scholarly, and motivational, or the speaker is something else. Truth isn’t defined by genitalia. (Certain experiences are, but that is a different conversation.)

I think that, in general, our differences in obligation and responsibility are clear. And yes, there are differences. But the Mishkan dedication was meant to demonstrate that

there is a time to stop talking about men and women and just serve G-d.

One woman I know has told me on a number of occasions, “When are we going to stop these ‘Women in the Bible’ classes and just focus on Torah?” Her point is stop trying to reaffirm relevance by harping on gender!

Teach Torah! I recently heard Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter tell how one of his prize female Talmud students gave a class to semicha students at Yeshiva University just because he wanted the young men to see that any generalization of capability in Talmud study they may have is ill-founded. Men and women can be (assuming similar amounts of time studied) equally impressive in learning and teaching.

Instead of talking (having lip-service) about how wonderful we all are, it is time to

learn from those who dedicated to the Mishkan. Just as the women at that time didn’t get caught up in the Golden Calf and were front and center in donating to the Mishkan, women today ought to focus on their strengths in dedication to G-d. And those with men in their lives ought to be proud of and encourage their participation per their roles, especially wives for their husbands.

Just as the men at that time understood what guilt is and jumped on the opportunity to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf through doubling down on serving G-d, similar feelings should be extant today. Men should not only embrace their own roles with love, but ought to glow with pride over the commitment to G-d of the women in their lives, especially husbands for their wives.

Moreover, it was invisible to the vast majority of the Jewish people, since it was seen solely by the prophets that were among them. This was not the case in this instance [i.e. our parasha’s verse]: “For the cloud of the L-rd was upon the Mishkan by day…before the eyes of the entire house of Israel in all their journeys.”

In sum, according to the Vilna Gaon, there were two essential differences between the original Cloud of Glory that went before our people on their journey of redemption, and the one that rested upon the Mishkan: The Cloud of Glory of the Exodus was temporary in nature, in contrast to the permanent Cloud resting on the Mishkan. Moreover, it was invisible to the majority of our nation, whereas the Cloud over the Mishkan was manifestly present before the entire people. What might account for these notable transformations?

Here, too, we are fortunate, since we can once again rely upon the Vilna Gaon’s analysis: “These changes came about from the time of Moses’ prayer and onward: ‘For how then will it be known that I have found favor in Your eyes, I and Your people? Is it not that

You will go with us? Then I and Your people will be distinguished (v’niflinu) from every [other] nation on the face of the earth.’ (Shemot 33:16) Then the Holy One answered Moses: ‘And He said: “Behold! I will form a covenant; in the presence of all your people, I will perform wonders such as have not been created upon all the earth and among all the nations”.’ (Shemot 34:10) [What was this?]

This is what is meant by the expression, ‘in the eyes of the entire Jewish people’.” (Devarim 31:7, 34:12) And it is for this that we wait once again.

Thus, according to the Vilna Gaon, Moses’ tefilah of reconciliation to the Almighty altered the very nature of the ananei hakavode.

Now, every member of the Jewish people could apprehend the vision of the Cloud of Glory resting upon the holy Mishkan — “And it is for this that we wait once again.”

With Hashem’s help, may we learn from Moshe Rabbeinu how to pray with deep conviction and authentically communicate with our Creator, and may we soon see the Cloud of Glory resting upon the rebuilt Beit HaMikdash. V’chane yihi ratzon.

I

Men, women, Torah…

Continued from page 26 souls and might.

These sources give credit, in different ways, to the two sexes, for having the awareness to try to be good people, or to atone for mistakes, or demonstrate dedication to halakha and to the Mishkan. oo much time is wasted talking about men and women. Should the speaker be a woman or a man? Should the voice heard in a panel be a man or a woman?

Which is the stronger sex? Who is the bigger scholar? There isn’t enough diversity of presenters. What gives a man a right to speak

T

Glory...

Continued from page 26 tions,’ specifically refers to the indwelling of the Cloud of Glory on the Mishkan, and the splendor that rested thereupon, that went before the Jewish nation and was visible to the entire world. As the Torah states: ‘You, the L-rd appear to them eye to eye and Your cloud rests over them. And You go before them with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night’.” (Bamidbar 14:14, Sefer Chumash HaGra, Parashat Ki Tisa 34:10, based upon Sefer Aderet Eliyahu) At this juncture, the Gra contrasts the unique nature of the Cloud of Glory that was upon the Mishkan to that of the Cloud of Glory that accompanied the Jewish people during their departure from Egypt: “Even though there was a Cloud of Glory that accompanied and went before them during the Exodus, it was short-lived and remained with them only until the Yam Suf.

Better...

Continued from page 10 were different; I was looking for what we shared in common. The one that stands out in my mind was Galai, our tank driver. His family was Iraqi and he described to me how they had actually walked hundreds of miles before the state of Israel was born because his grandfather knew it was time to come to the land. As it turned out, though he did not wear a kippah he had a deep connection with Jewish tradition and was very close to his grandparents who were very proud of him for being in a combat unit. When I asked him

Luach

Fri. March 24 • 26 Adar

Parsha Vayakhel-Pekudei Shabbos M’varchim Candlelighting: 6:53 pm

Havdalah: 7:55 pm

Fri. March 31 • 4 Nisan Parsha Vayikra

Candlelighting: 7:01 pm

Havdalah: 8:02 pm

Fri. April 7 • 11 Nisan Parsha Tzav Shabbos HaGadol

Candlelighting: 7:08 pm

Havdalah: 8:09 pm

Mon. April 10 • 14 Nisan

what he thought his best talent was, he told me he could fix anything, a talent we would make good use of on many occasions.

And I got to know Avi, our loader, who was an awesome cook (he knew how to use tank oil to fry luf [kosher spam] which was the only time I ever enjoyed eating battle rations) whose family came from Tunisia in Operation magic carpet in the 50s, and Dudi, who did not talk much but as a gunner never missed.

His father was a Holocaust survivor and his mother was Israeli from a Kibbutz, and he did not think he had any special talents. As it turned out, he was wrong; his special gift was that he was incredibly calm and focused under pressure, another talent we would eventually put to good use on many occasions.

Looking back, that night was the night

we discovered we were an eidah, and we started becoming a kehillah. We, all of us, are an eidah, bearing testimony to a long and magnificent journey over thousands of years which has led us back at long last to where our journey began. Now our challenge is to discover our collective purpose: what will we collectively contribute towards making a better world?

In building a space for Hashem in our lives (as suggested by the building of the Mishkan) we demonstrate that there is and must be a larger purpose to who we are, and that we have been placed here to make a difference.

Perhaps soon, all of us, with all our differences, and shared experiences as an eidah, come together as a kehillah to build a better world.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem.

Erev Pesach • First Seder Candlelighting: 7:11 pm

Tues. April 11 • 15 Nisan Second Seder

Candlelighting: 8:12 pm

Fri. April 14 • 18 Nisan Shabbos Pesach

Candlelighting: 7:15 pm

Havdalah: 8:16 pm

Five Towns times from Hebcal.com Havdalah is 42 minutes

27 THE JEWISH STAR March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777

Pesach...

Seder experience.

As with his commentary on the Psalms, Rabbi Marcus parses the text of this work for its practical application to our spiritual needs. Consider his commentary to Psalms 113-114, the lead Psalms recited before the Seder meal: “The Egyptian Hallel “This Hallel — who recited it? Moses and the Israelites recited it when they stood at the sea. The Talmud refers to this Hallel as ‘The Egyptian Hallel,’ since it relates to the Exodus. It is forbidden to read it in its entirety on a typical day; one can only recite it on the festivals in commemoration of the miracles G-d has done for us.”

Further on Rabbi Marcus teaches us the following: “An Unusual Master “G-d treated His servants in an unusual manner: A conventional master buys servants who will tend to his needs, transport

dren are encouraged to be the stars, and their questions are treated with respect. And that is the first step to developing Jewish genius.”

I conclude this segment with this observation: “The Haggadah is overwhelmingly the most printed book in the history of Jewish book publishing.”

Why? I leave that up to you, my dear reader, to answer. And there is more … read on and learn. n a recent review, I cited the role that the Book of Psalms, Tehillim, plays in the Jewish liturgy, most recently in that of the Purim holiday. Now I’ll discuss Tehillim’s role in the Pesach liturgy, especially the Haggadah.

“The Passover Haggadah: With Commentary From the Classic Commentators, Midrash, Kabbalah, the Chassidic masters, and the Haggadah of the Lubavitcher Rebbe” (Kehot, 2011), by Rabbi Yosef Marcus, presents a comprehensive view of the meaning of the

28 March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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Richard Falk’s hatred of USA, Israel and Jews Jeff Dunetz politics to go

A

fter United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), published a report accusing Israel of being an “apartheid regime,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley demanded it be withdrawn. When it was rather quickly pulled, ESCWA Executive Secretary/ Jordanian diplomat Rima Khalaf, one of its authors, resigned.

The other author was Richard Falk, former U.N. special rapporteur to the Palestinian territories. An American who believes 9/11 was an inside job and that the U.S. deserved the Boston Marathon bombing, Falk has a history of anti-American, anti-Semitic and anti-Israel statements.

The report accusing Israel of apartheid was immediately and rightfully rebuked by Ambassador Haley; even U.N. Secretary General António Guterres renounced it.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that “the report as it stands does not reflect the views of the secretary-general and was done without consultations with the U.N. secretariat.”

Based in Beirut, the ESCWA’s membership is comprised entirely Arab entities, 18 in all (with Palestine counted as country). Six member states are not in Asia at all, but in northern Africa.

Falk contends he bears no ill will against Jews, but that belies the facts. In 2011, British Prime Minister David Cameron “strongly condemned” Falk for publishing a cartoon showing a dog wearing a yarmulke with a Jewish star, along with a USA shirt as it urinated on Lady Justice and chewed on a dead body. Falk initially denied it was anti-Semitic, but finally apologized to ease the pressure.

In another example of Falk’s attitude toward Jews, he gave a glowing cover endorsement for the anti-Semitic book, “The Wandering Who?” which the said was an “absorbing and moving” book that everyone who “cares about real peace” should “not only read, but reflect upon and discuss widely.”

After reading this book, Attorney Alan Dershowitz pointed out its many anti-Semitic assertions, including: • While the Holocaust “was not at all a

historical narrative,” the “accusations of Jews making matzoh out of young Goyim’s blood,” may be true (page 175, 185).

• Jews caused the recent credit crunch, which the author calls “the Zio-punch” (page 22).

• The American media “failed to warn the American people of the enemy within” because of money (page 27).

• “[M]ore and more Jews are being pulled into an obscure, dangerous and unethical fellowship” (page 21).

• If Iran and Israel fight a nuclear war that kills millions of people, “some may be bold enough to argue that ‘Hitler might have been right after all’ ” (page 179). alk’s support of false and hateful charges about Jews isn’t limited to his praise of one anti-Semitic book. As reported by U.N. Watch, Falk’s blog is loaded with “crude anti-Semitic comments” written by contributors Falk defends, praises, and refuses to remove.

For example: • “The Protocols [of the Elders of Zion] is an uncannily accurate description of what is

the craziest part of all of this is that Richard falk is both American and was born Jewish.

F

happening right now.”

• “The world is beginning to understand just how toxic Jewish religious practice and cultural indoctrination really is.”

• “Judaism is a pyramid scheme of social shaming leading to great accumulation of wealth by those at the apex.”

There are many more where these came from.

Falk’s report diminished the horrors of apartheid by using it inappropriately to make false charges against Israel. He has made similar inappropriate references to the Holocaust to make false charges against Israel.

When Falk was first appointed to his U.N. Human Rights Council job, Kathy Shaidle reported in Front Page Magazine: “Yitzhak Levanon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, responded to Falk’s appointment by recalling some of the professor’s most notorious writings, including his unapologetic use of the word ‘holocaust’ to ‘portray the ongoing and intensifying abuse of the Palestinian people by Israel.’

“The charge [against Falk] is well founded. In a July 2007 article titled “Slouching Toward a Palestinian Holocaust,” Falk rhetorically asked whether it was “an irresponsible overstatement to associate the treatment of Palestinians with this criminalized Nazi record of collective atrocity?”

See Falk on page 29

Turkey’s Erdogan looks abroad with menace Ben Cohen Viewpoint

I

recently heard one of Israel’s leading national security experts opine that when it comes to the sectarian conflicts of the Middle East, Jerusalem’s strategic interest lies in maintaining Turkey as an effective counterweight to Iran, despite the torrid experience of dealing with the country’s dictatorial leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during the last decade.

That expert’s view seems correct to me.

Turkey maintains diplomatic relations with Israel as well as bilateral economic relations worth an annual $2.7 billion to Turkish businesses, not forgetting the mutually beneficial Mediterranean natural gas contracts now waiting to be signed. Iran, by contrast, wants

to wipe the Jewish state off the map. Iran has the potential to weaponize its nuclear program; Turkey’s civilian nuclear program doesn’t begin construction of its first power plant until next year. And as a Sunni Muslim state, Turkey, like Israel, is a natural partner for those Sunni Arab states facing the rise of Iranian power from Syria to the Gulf.

None of that should mean, however, that Turkey can be regarded as just another moreor-less reliable friend of Israel — like, for example, those countries in Africa that are developing warm bilateral ties with the Jewish state, but have historically supported the Arab position at the United Nations.

Turkey’s attitude to Israel is poisoned by both ideological animus and strategic jockeying. The fact that Turkey is, unquestionably, a preferable alternative to Iran shouldn’t blind us to those realities.

Listen to Erdogan’s rants against Judaism and Israel (instances of which I and others have documented over the years more times than we care to remember) and there is an

unmistakeable loathing simmering. Erdogan has stoked hatred against Jews by employing language about global Jewish power and Israel’s supposed bloodlust that is straight from the playbook of classical anti-Semitism.

Nor is Turkey’s foreign policy any more encouraging. Already vulnerable to both nationalist and Islamic forms of chauvinism, Erdogan’s Turkey under has become a destabilizing force in the Middle East. It wages a brutal war against its Kurdish minority, whose goal is simply independence, not the destruction of Turkey as a sovereign state. It is closely aligned with the Palestinians of Hamas and with the Muslim Brotherhood in general. It has dropped its opposition to the Syrian tyrant, Bashar al-Assad, remaining on his Damascus throne. It has enabled, through illicit oil sales and other measures, the financing of Islamic State’s reign of terror through Syria and Iraq. It continues to bully other countries who seek to commemorate the genocide of the Armenians under Ottoman rule.

None of that should leave a Jewish-majori-

ty state feeling particularly secure. But if Israel and its friends are still conflicted about Turkey, it’s because they’re aware that it wasn’t always as bad as it is now. s Erdogan has cemented control, the modern Turkey known to Western politicians and business executives — socially liberal, politically repressive, militarily powerful, defiantly secular, deeply nationalistic — has been shunted aside by Islamist values and neo-Ottoman imperatives. But the older version of Turkey sticks around because, unlike Iran, Turkey is much more globalized, and historically an ally of the West, and the country is therefore deeply embedded into international institutions. Nothing symbolizes that state of affairs more than Turkey’s status as the only Muslim member of NATO. Judging by Erdogan’s current behavior, it seems he wants nothing more than to throw off the shackles of globalization — populism, Ottoman-style. To understand what that looks like, examine Erdogan’s antics with regard to See Turkey on page 29

A

Continued from page 29 Falk’s revealing answer: “I think not.”

“Demonstrating that he was incapable of evaluating Israeli policy with balance — as his new U.N. post would seem to require — Falk proceeded to condemn Israeli policies as a “holocaust-in-the-making” and deplored what he called the “genocidal tendencies” of the Jewish state. alk is also a 9/11 “truther.” When he worked at the United Nations he wanted an investigation as to whether “some sort of controlled explosion from within” destroyed the Twin Towers, telling FOXNews: “I do think there are questions that haven’t been answered, questions about the way the buildings collapsed and the failure to heed a variety of signals that there was

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Turkey...

Continued from page 29 fellow NATO member Holland.

Last week, with Dutch voters preparing for a March 15 election that has placed security and immigration issues at the heart of their national debate, Erdogan dispatched two of his own ministers to the Netherlands. The emissaries planned to speak at Turkish immigrant rallies in support of Erdogan’s constitutional referendum April 16 — which will, assuming he wins, massively concentrate political power in the president’s office.

Justifiably, given the potential for public disorder, the authorities in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam withdrew a permit for a rally at

has been used to project American power around the world and to engage in these very destructive and dysfunctional wars, Iraq and Afghanistan being the main examples.”

In an op-ed in the April 22, 2013 edition of Foreign Policy Journal, titled “A Commentary on the Marathon Murders,” Falk contended that the U.S., because of its fantasy of global domination, belief that Islamist terrorists were behind 9/11, and its friendship Israel, got what it deserved in Boston.

In a 2003 article titled “Will the Empire be Fascist?” Falk cites “unaccountable military power,” “uncritical and chauvinistic patriotism,” and “an authoritarian approach to law enforcement” as indicators of America’s move toward fascism. Less than two years after 9/11, Falk’s article claimed other examples of a slide toward fascism include “periodic alarmist warnings of mega-terrorist imminent attacks that fail to materialize,” and the role of Attorney General John Ashcroft, “who seems to exult in an authoritarian ap-

proach to law enforcement.”

In a New York Times piece called “Trusting Khomeini,” published nine months before America’s Iran embassy personnel were taken hostage, Falk contented that Americans were giving the Ayatollah a bad rap: “More even than any third world leader, he has been depicted in a manner calculated to frighten. President Carter and Zbigniew Brzezinski have until very recently associated him with religious fanaticism. The news media have defamed him in many ways, associating him with efforts to turn the clock back 1,300 years, with virulent anti-Semitism, and with a new political disorder, ‘theocratic fascism’.”

The craziest part of all of this is that Richard Falk is both American and was born Jewish. I cannot begin to explain why he hates his country and faith so much. Regardless, Richard Falk is a Jew-hating Jew who does not love or appreciate the United States, the country that allowed him to live in freedom, and utter his hateful thoughts.

which Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu was due to speak. For its part, the Dutch government denied landing rights to the plane carrying Çavusoglu. Erdogan’s family affairs minister, Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, also traveling to Rotterdam, was escorted to the German border by Dutch police while an angry, chanting crowd of Erdogan supporters gathered outside the Turkish consulate in the city.

Once across the border, Kaya began tweeting about Dutch authorities’ “fascist practices” — rich, indeed, coming from the representative of a regime that has purged the universities, the army, the civil service and the media since the murky “coup” against Erdogan last year.

But there is nobody rivaling Erdogan when it comes to invoking history as a form of abuse against his opponents. Erdogan’s tendency to bash other nations and ethno-re-

ligious groups, particularly Jews, with painful episodes from their own history was the main focus of an interview he gave to a prominent Israeli journalist last November, when he defended his drawing of a moral equivalence between Nazi Germany and Israel. (His precise words: “I don’t approve of what Hitler did, and neither do I approve of what Israel has done. When it’s a question of so many people dying, it’s inappropriate to ask who was the more barbarous.”)

He has described the Dutch as “Nazis” and declaring that “they have nothing to do with the civilized world.” Such comments have left many Dutch citizens wondering why, if their country is so awful, 400,000 Turks have chosen to make their homes there. And when they see Turkish newspaper headlines screaming that 48,000 Dutch soldiers count for little against these same 400,000 Turks,

it’s no wonder that growing numbers of Dutch voters feel that there is a civilizational threat in their midst. s the Turkish referendum approaches, the gap between Erdogan’s rhetoric and the reality he is shaping is narrowing.

What Erdogan imposed on the Netherlands during the last week amounted to a violation of Dutch national sovereignty, with Turkish ministers attempting to enter the country in spite of bans, and pro-regime media outlets brandishing the Turkish presence in Holland as a weapon.

A dangerous precedent has been set, and any European countries with significant Turkish populations — especially France, Germany, Austria and Belgium — are now fair game. What started with Erdogan’s referendum won’t end with it.

Ben Cohen is senior editor of TheTower.org

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Falk...

danger coming,” Falk denied that he disagreed with the official (and truthful) account of 9/11, and said the references to him as a “truther” were made to divert “attention from my criticisms of Israel’s occupation policies in the Palestinian territories.”

But any examination of Falk’s statements and actions since 9/11 verify that he has tried to convince people that the “real” story of 9/11 is unknown and needs to be investigated. He appeared on Kevin Barrett’s Truth Jihad Radio show more than once, making claims such as this: “Questioning that deeply the official version of 9/11 does touch the third rail of American political sensitivities, and there is an attempt to discredit and destroy anyone that makes such a bold statement. This has intimidated a lot of people, and makes people more reluctant than they might otherwise be to raise these suspicions about how to understand that transformative event that

100 swastika leaflets at Virginia Tech Chabad

6-year-old sends rocks A 6-year-old Florida girl has painted hundreds of rocks to be placed on headstones vandalized in Jewish cemeteries.

Ayel Morgenstern of Parkland took up the project after seeing a news report about the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery in St. Louis and that one of the toppled headstones was that of her great-great-grandmother, Rebecca Pearl.

She sent more than 100 colorfully painted rocks to the cemetery in St. Louis, where Jewish day school students placed them on the gravestones. Another 150 rocks were sent to the Mount Carmel Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Ayel, who is aware of the Jewish tradition of putting a small rock or stone on a gravestone that one visits to honor the deceased,

said she painted rocks with ladybugs for good luck and hearts for more love.

She also was planning to send rocks to the Waad Hakolel Cemetery in Rochester, New York, where several headstones were toppled.

Hate crimes up in Toronto Hate crimes in Toronto have increased by eight percent, with the city’s Jewish community targeted the most, according to a police report compiling last year’s data.

Hate crimes in the city increased to 145 in 2016 from 134 the previous year, the Toronto Police said. Forty-three of the reported attacks, or 30 percent, were against Jews, followed by LGBTQ, blacks and Muslims.

Crimes motivated by religion accounted for 46 percent of the incidents, the highest number in the past 10 years.

Police said suspects in hate crimes are predominantly male and aged 18 to 40.

UNESCO exhibit on Israel A UNESCO exhibition about the Jewish presence in the land of Israel that sparked controversy has gone on display for the first time translated into Spanish.

“People, Book, Land: The 3,500 Year Relationship of the Jewish People with the Holy Land,” which was co-created by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, is on display at the government Centro Cultural Kirchner in Buenos Aires through March 31.

Its original opening at UNESCO headquarters in Paris in January 2014 was delayed after complaints by 22 Arab countries.

“I can’t talk about politics, I just can say that the response is this exhibition itself,” Dr.

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The Trump administration is boycotting a U.N. Human Rights Council session on Israel and “other occupied Arab territories,” citing the body’s bias against Israel.

A State Department statement said the United States “unequivocally” opposes the council’s agenda item for Monday titled “Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories.”

Schumer slams cuts Sen. Charles Schumer criticized President Trump’s budget proposal that could jeopardize a security assistance program for nonprofits that benefits Jewish institutions, citing threats to Jewish sites across the United States.

“At a time where perpetrators are terrorizing the Jewish community across the country, even here in New York, it makes no sense to slash FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program; we should be putting more money in terrorism prevention for at-risk non-profits, not less,” Schumer, the Jewish minority leader of the Senate, said Monday.

“These federal dollars have been critical in making sure that high-risk organizations like JCCs, Jewish schools and congregations of all kinds are safe and protected from potential terrorist attacks.”

Britney Spears to Tel Aviv Britney Spears will perform in Tel Aviv in July, the Israeli media are reporting.

The one-night show by the American pop singer reportedly will take place at Yarkon Park and be part of her upcoming Asian tour.

The final date and ticket sales have not been announced.

Rumors that Spears, 35, would play in Israel have circulated in the past, but the show’s producers confirmed to Haaretz that the concert would be announced officially in the coming days. Spears has sold more than 240 million albums, DVDs and singles since her debut in 1999.

Other big names scheduled to perform in Israel in the coming months include Gun N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Justin Bieber, Radiohead and Tears for Fears.

7th-century bronze coins Nine bronze coins dating to the seventh century were found during excavation work undertaken before widening the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway.

The coins were discovered after the unearthing of a two-story building and winepress that is believed to have served Christian pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. A Byzantine church was revealed in excavations on the other side of the road.

The cloth bag containing the coins was discovered among the large stones surrounding the collapsed building, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Sunday.

Annette Landes-Nagar, director of the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said it is likely that the owner of the coins hid them in a niche in the wall of the building during a time of danger with the hopes of going back later to retrieve them.

“The hoard constitutes evidence of the Persian invasion at the end of the Byzantine period, which led to the abandonment of the site,” she said.

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Greek lawmakers passed an amendment that would allow descendants of Holocaust survivors from Greece to apply for citizenship.

David Saltiel, head of the country’s Central Board of Jewish Communities, called the vote “a moral victory” and a “fresh step forward in the recognition of the history of the Holocaust and of Greek Jews.”

Greeting will be published April 7 (1/8 page) (1/4 page) (1/2 page) (in color)

Graciela Vaserman Samuels, adviser to the UNESCO director-general, told JTA. At the ceremony launching the exhibit, Vaserman read a message on behalf UNESCO’s director-general, Irina Bokova.

“The exhibition is a response to all those who seek to spread lies to fuel anti-Semitism, including a persistent delegitimization of Israel and the Jewish people,” the message said.

Yuval Rotem, director general of Israe’s Foreign Ministry, blamed the “politically motivated UN resolutions that denied the connection between the Jewish people and their home.” He added: “This exhibition is the ultimate answer.”

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In September 2011, the Greek government passed an amendment to a new foreign resident law that automatically reinstated Greek citizenship for Jews who were born in or before 1945. The number of Greek Jews affected by that amendment was about 300. The new amendment affects their descendants, most of whom live in Israel, according to AFP. The neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party voted against the legislation. It is the fourth largest party in the parliament.

More than 50,000 Jews lived in the Greek city of Salonika before the Holocaust. Some 80 percent were killed by the Nazis or their proxies. Today there are fewer than 5,000 Jews in Greece.

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By JTA More than 100 leaflets with hand-drawn swastikas were found on Shabbos afternoon dropped on the front yard of the Chabad Jewish student center at Virginia Tech.

The incident occurred a day after it was announced that Chabad would host Holocaust survivor Rabbi Nissen Mangel for a lecture at Virginia Tech in April.

The lecture program is to honor Professor Liviu Librescu, a Holocaust survivor who was among the 32 people killed in the 2007 shootings on campus. Librescu blocked the door of his classroom so students could escape through the windows.

Virginia Tech President Timothy Sands quickly tweeted his support for the Jewish community. “The propagators of hate may be among us, but they are not welcome in our community,” he said.

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March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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31 THE JEWISH STAR March 24, 2017 • 26 Adar, 5777

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