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Tazria • April 5, 2019 • 29 Adar 2, 5779 • Expanded Torah section pages 16–18 • Luach page 16 • Vol 18, No 13

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Trump-style red “Build Israel Great Again” hats were distributed to gala attendees.

is the most benevolent leader the Jewish people have ever known in their 2,000 years in their Diaspora, believe me.”

The House Minority Leader, California Republican Kevin McCarthy, said that

Israel and America should not fear their common enemies. With a nod to four WWII veterans sitting on stage, he said of those enemies, “We stood against them before” — and we won.

“They put fear into us, but they should not,” McCarthy said. “I expect that from Iran, I expect it from Syria, but I should not expect it from the U.K. and America, or in the halls of Congress,” where Democrats have shielded Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, two freshman Democrats, from repercussions for pro-BDS and anti-Semitic statements.

The evening’s second guest speaker, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee — proudly identifying himself as “Sarah’s dad” (a reference to Trump’s press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders) — slammed Democrats in Congress who failed to stand up to anti-Semites in their midst.

“Israel is under attack, not just from the nations that surround it geographically and wish to attack it militarily,” Huckabee said. “It’s under attack ideologically, philosophically, from the anti-Semitic movement, and if we don’t see something change in the other party, we might see Louis Farrakhan become their spiritual leader.”

See NCYI on page 12

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By Ed Weintrob Sunday night’s National Council of Young Israel dinner was a feast for Trump lovers, with a tasty helping of old fashioned patriotism and a side dish of religion.

The annual gala, which drew several hundred supporters to the Marriott Marquis at Times Square, heard speakers voice unqualified praise for President Trump, condemnation of enemies seeking to attack Jews and Israel, tributes to Jewish veterans of World War II, and reminders of the importance of sustaining and growing Torah true Judaism.

Rabbi Yechezkel Moskowitz, the gala’s chairman, described the NCYI as the “premier Jewish organization promoting Torah true values, Americanism and Zionism.”

“The leftist Progressive tikun o’lam ideology … is not Judaism,” he told the gathering, asserting that because of the Progressives’ agenda, America suffers from “levels of immorality unprecedented in the history of this country.”

The bright spot, Rabbi Moskowitz added, is that “for the first time in our history, the Jewish people have a real friend in the White House — President Trump

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Toni Pinya enters the synagogue of Palma de Mallorca.

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Cnaan Liphshiz

Mallorcan Jews, once fearfully hidden, run town

By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain — Like countless Jewish children in Europe, Toni Pinya was routinely subjected at school to anti-Semitic bullying.

Growing up in the 1960s on this island south of Barcelona, Pinya would be beaten up and called “Christ killer” and “dirty Jew” at least once a month, he told JTA in a recent interview.

But unlike most other victims of such abuse, Pinya was sure he was Catholic.

“I asked my grandfather why the other children were calling me a Jew,” Pinya said. “It made more sense after he explained.”

See Once hidden on page 2

Great Neck rallies against anti-Semitism, hatred Long Islanders rallied against anti-Semitism and hatred on Sunday.

Despite drenching rain, residents from Great Neck and surrounding communities gathered on the Great Neck Village Green, joined by political leaders including Democratic Reps. Tom Suozzi and Kathleen Rice.

Several speakers condemned the trio of freshman congresswomen who have spouted anti-Semitic canards: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Rashinda Tlaib (D-MI) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DNY).

When some speakers obliquely referenced Omar and Tlaib without Printed & Delivered

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mentioning their names, the crowd yelled: “Say the names!” When the three were named, the crowd loudly booed.

Suozzi and Rice were praised for publicly condemning Omar by name.

Republican Rep. Peter King sent greetings and a strong message condemning anti-Semitism.

Nassau County Legislator Ellen Birnbaum noted that it was unfortunate to have to protest anti-Semitism instead of spending Sunday on enjoyable pursuits, such as music. BirnAt Sunday’s anti-Semitism rally on the Great Neck Village Green, from left: Organizers Liz Berney, ZOA director of special baum is a flautist.

Other elected officials who attendprojects, and Dr. Lynne Bursky-Tammam; Noam Segal, who musically accompanied the crowd in chants such as “Am Yisrael Chai”; organizer Robert Spitalnick; Suozzi; organizers Dr. Paul Brody and Dr. Alan Mazurek; and Steven Markowitz, chair- ed the rally were Comptroller Tom man, Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County.

See Great Neck on page 3 AM 3/20/19 11:31

Once hidden, Mallorcan’s Jews run the town…

Continued from page 1 The explanation was that Pinya is a chueta, the name in Mallorca for about 20,000 people whose Jewish ancestors converted to Christianity centuries ago during the Spanish Inquisition. Devoutly Catholic but widely distrusted by fellow Christians, chuetas ironically retained their distinct identity because hostility to them forced them to marry mostly among themselves.

Mallorca’s tiny Jewish community is now stronger for this turn of events.

Last year Pinya, a chef, and Miquel Segura became the first two chuetas elected to the four-person executive board of the Jewish Community of Mallorca, finally giving representatives from that minority a place at the communal table.

This development “means the world to us, it gives us pride, a sense of belonging and, I guess, also closure,” said Iska bat Valls, Pinya’s wife, who is also chueta.

The couple are among several dozen people from the group who have returned to Judaism in recent years. Most chuetas today do not consider themselves Jews.

Pinya, whose parents were forced to marry in secrecy because his non-chueta grandparents opposed the union, and bat Valls underwent an Orthodox conversion to Judaism about five years ago. Other chuetas, like the sculptor Ferran Aguilo, had a Reform conversion.

The conversions and the election of chuetas to the community’s board are part of a growing recognition of the tragic Jewish history of Mallorca, a mountainous mass of land in the Mediterranean about the size of Rhode Island.

Last year, local authorities unveiled a memorial plaque at the Palma square where 37 people were publicly burned alive in 1691 for being Jewish in what is locally known as “the bonfire of the Jews.” Following resistance to

Dani Rotstein, pointing, explains to German tourists about a church that used to be a synagogue in Cnaan Liphshiz Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

the plaque by some residents and municipal leaders, the unveiling was the first recognition of its sort of the murders that transpired here.

In 2015, the city helped build a tiny Jewish museum in what used to be the Jewish quarter.

Located on a cobbled street inside the labyrinth that is the old city center, the surrounding alleys are so quiet and well-preserved that it is easy to imagine life here centuries ago, when crypto-Jews ran virtually all of the tanneries, shoe shops and butcher shops here.

The Jews are gone, but the buildings that once housed three synagogues in Palma are

still around and in good condition. One, a small space with two entrances for security reasons, used to be a bakery. Another is a church.

Last month, the city for the first time sponsored a memorial ceremony for Jews who in 1688 tried to escape the island on a ship but were caught and tortured.

A large metal anchoring ring stands today outside the Bahía Mediterráneo restaurant near the marina, where many chuetas believe the ship used to stand. The ring is smooth because chuetas touch it when they walk past, as many Catholics in Europe do to statues of saints.

“I think that in the past few years we finally and suddenly reached the point where Mallorca is ready to remember,” said Dolores Forteza Rei, a member of the Memoria de la Carrer association dedicated to the preservation of chueta heritage.

“The Inquisition is still a dirty and painful secret here,” said Dani Rotstein, a New Jersey native who settled here in 2011 and now gives tours about the island’s Jewish history. But it’s alive in people’s minds today also because it was especially brutal in Mallorca, Rotstein suggested.

Elsewhere in Spain and Portugal, municipal administrators often would drive out their Jews and steal their property. It was faster, cleaner and easier than holding trials and gruesome executions.

But in Mallorca, “going away wasn’t an option because it’s a small island,” said Rotstein, who last year helped launch Mallorca’s popular Limmud Jewish learning conference.

Today, Palma de Mallorca, a coastal city of about 400,000 residents, is one of Spain’s most cosmopolitan places. Discovered in the 1970s by sun lovers from colder climates, Mallorca now receives more than 10 million tourists annually. Tourism changed Mallorcan society, which for centuries had been rural with strong isolationist tendencies.

“Suddenly we were not the foreigners anymore. Being chueta became irrelevant, an anecdote,” Forteza Rei said.

Some foreigners contribute directly to the preservation of Jewish heritage sites.

In Inca, Mallorca’s second city, a former synagogue and mikvah was discovered and partially preserved by the British designer Robert Lopez Hinton and his French partner, Marie-Noelle Ginard Feron. The couple, neither of them Jewish, bought a dilapidated building in Continued on next page

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Pinya and his wife are now regulars at Mallorca’s only synagogue — a small but inviting space downtown located next to a massage parlor and boasting a Star of David on its metal gate.

On Friday nights, about 50 locals from all walks of life, including some Americans, Brits and Israelis, gather here for Sephardic-style prayers punctuated by singing and clapping.

The community is currently without a rabbi following the return to Israel two years ago of Nissan Ben-Avraham, a Mallorca native from a family of chuetas who used to work here as the local emissary of the Shavei Israel group.

Pinya is the local kosher chef, a role that echoes how he deepened his knowledge of Judaism through studying the origins of Mallorca’s Jewish cuisine.

Some chuetas, including Rafael Aedo Pons, a father of one and an executive at a local energy firm, say they don’t need to convert at all to be a part of the Jewish community because their “roots are as Jewish as any other Jew,” as he put it during a communal event in February.

That vision is not unique to chuetas. Rabbi Nissim Karelitz, an Ashkenazi haredi Orthodox rabbi from Bnei Brak, Israel, ruled in 2011 that chuetas need not convert to Judaism because they are already Jewish — a rare concession from one of Judaism’s strictest and most respected interpreters.

It was a good call, according to Rabbi Joseph Walles, a descendant of Rabbi Rafael Valls, the last Jew burned at the stake in Mallorca in 1691. Walles, who runs the Bnei Brakbased Arachim group devoted to increasing unity among Jews, visited Mallorca in February to meet with members of its Jewish community.

“Laced into the history of this island is the determination of its Jews to stay Jewish at the face of one of history’s most brutal attempts to eradicate Judaism,” Walles said. And that, he added, “is a testament to the resolve of Jews everywhere to remain that.”

For the first time ever...

Great Neck rally…

Continued from page 1 DiNapoli, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth, and Councilmember Veronica Lurvey.

Several rabbis spoke about the importance of community unity.

Rabbi Yaakov Lerner of the Young Israel of Great Neck recounted how Queen Esther asked the Jewish community to unite for a day of fasting prior to her approaching the king, and as a result they were saved. Rabbi Meir Feldman of Temple Beth El spoke about how baseless hatred among Jews caused the downfall of the Second Temple.

Rabbi Yosef Bitton of Great Neck’s Mashadi Shaare Rachamim Synagogue spoke about his emigration from Argentina, where 85 Jews were murdered in the bombing of the Jewish Center in 1994 by terrorists tied to Hezbollah and Iran, and how anti-Semitic statements breed anti-Jewish violence.

Steve Markowitz, chairman of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, said his center receives daily calls about hateful incidents.

Local activist Jeff Wiesenfeld demanded that Jews be treated with the same dignity as any other group, noting that if someone were to make statements about any other minority group similar to those made by Omar and Tlaib, it would not have been tolerated.

He asserted that although neo-Nazis are hateful and must be fought, the major problem is with far-left Islamists. A leftistIslamist alliance is damaging the polity and torturing Jewish students on every college campus in the country, he said.

Wiesenfeld pointed out that Congresswoman Omar is from Somalia, where there are no Jews and no Christians, and where

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Muslims are killing other Muslims, but instead of being grateful to America and joining with moderates to advocate for freedom in the Muslim world, she allied herself with the hateful radical Islamists and condemned Israel.

Representing millennials, Great Neck native Dana A. Brody spoke of her efforts to bring in pro-Israel speakers as a student at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, after she noticed that numerous anti-Israel speakers had been invited to speak on campus. She co-founded the Penn Law Students for Israel Club with Peter Fishkind, who was also present at the rally.

“This was my wake-up call,” said Brody.

“It is vital for the next generation of young leaders to get involved in combating hate and anti-Semitism. Whether we are ready for it or not, we must realize that it is our obligation and our duty.”

Liz Berney, one of the rally organizers, urged passage by Congress of an anti-BDS law “with real teeth” and said that “Congress should come together to throw vicious anti-Semites like Omar and Tlaib off of their committees.”

Dr. Paul Brody, another organizer, said that when composing the ad announcing the rally, with Dr. Alan Mazurek, he included these sentences from Megillat Esther 5:14,16 at the top of the page: “Go assemble all the Jews...” and “For if you persist in being silent at this time...”

Brody praised the crowd for having gathered in unity, even in a drenching rain, and directed the words of the Megillah to the elected officials, who themselves could fight hate and anti-Semitism, legislatively, by not being silent.

Source: Liz Berney, ZOA director of special projects

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Continued from previous page Inca’s former Jewish quarter a decade ago. It was only during renovations that the structure betrayed its secrets.

“The penny dropped when we noticed that narrow window, which we always found strange, transports a shaft of light into the interior twice a year: on the equinox and the solstice,” Lopez Hinton recalled, adding that this design is a hallmark of synagogues and churches in Spain. “When we unearthed the ritual bath,” with its elaborate system for collecting rainwater, “we knew this was no church.”

The couple open their home to visitors for one day a week and host cultural events, including about the Inquisition and crypto-Jews.

“I feel there is, of late, a growing interest in the subject, or at least an openness to it,” he said.

Yet 600 years ago, the islanders were among the first in the Iberian Peninsula to embrace persecution of Jews, who were slaughtered here a century before the official Inquisition in 1492. Mallorca was one of four Spanish regions where Jews were murdered on the street in the 1391 pogroms, the slaughter accompanied by anti-Jewish measures that would culminate in the Inquisition.

Against such radical persecution, many chuetas were determined to demonstrate their detachment from Judaism. They would make a point of working on the Sabbath in violation of Jewish law, to the point that the phrase for chores in Mallorcan dialect to this day is “doing Sabbath.”

And they turned their challah into what is now known as ensaimada — a dessert made of pork lard, according to connoisseur Tomeu Arbona. Last year Arbona, who is not Jewish, began selling in his Fornet de Sa Soca bakery a kosher variant of the circular national food in what he called a “literally closing of a circle.”

Indeed, closing circles is to many chuetas the main motivation for converting back to Judaism.

Is it Islamophobic to deny ‘Palestine’ exists?

Jonathan S. tobin

D

espite repeated use of anti-Semitic tropes, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) escaped even a mild slap on the wrist from her congressional colleagues. But Kalman Yeger won’t get off as easily.

Yeger, who represents a heavily Jewish Brooklyn district in the New York City Council, is in trouble for offending New York’s Arab and Palestinian community with remarks that some have interpreted as Islamophobic. But unlike Omar — around whom many Democrats circled the wagons in order to prevent offended Jews and pro-Israel members of Congress from forcing her off the House Foreign Relations Committee — it looks as if members of his own party are abandoning the Brooklyn Democrat.

What did Yeger do? He denied the existence of a country named “Palestine,” and, earlier, cast doubt on the authenticity of the Palestinians themselves.

That was enough to draw the opprobrium of fellow Democrats City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Mayor Bill de Blasio. The two asserted that if Yeger didn’t retract his comments, he would be booted off the council’s Committee on Immigration. Yeger refused to back down, leading to a noisy standoff outside his Boro Park office, where demonstrators and counterdemonstrators exchanged insults.

Will this have an impact on the Middle East? No. But as Linda Sarsour — a notorious anti-Semitic Palestinian-American activist who has been drawn into the fight — observed, it may mark the first time an American politician

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NYC Councilman Kalman Yeger was cheered at The Jewish Star / Ed Weintrob Sunday’s NCYI dinner.

will be made to suffer for offending Palestinians and those opposed to Israel. eger’s defense rests in both context and a geographic fact.

His initial comment came in a response on Twitter to the idea that Ahmed Tibi, a leader of an Israeli-Arab political party, would be prime minister of a theoretical Israeli-Palestinian state that would replace Israel.

Yeger said it proved “the ultimate goal of the so-called Palestinians is the destruction of the Jewish state and its people.”

He then responded to criticism of that tweet with another that escalated the argument: “Palestine does not exist. There, I said it again.

Also, Congresswoman Omar is an antisemite.

Said that too.”

Is this analogous to Omar’s talk of Jews hypnotizing the world, being disloyal Americans and buying Congress to support Israel?

Palestinian Americans and some of their supporters assert that any denial of their existence as a people, or that the place they consider their homeland is called Palestine, is

Y

hateful and delegitimizing.

Prior to 1948 and the birth of Israel, the only group that answered to the name “Palestinians” were Jewish residents of the British Mandate for Palestine. Non-Jews who lived there considered themselves Arabs, not Palestinians, because there had never in history been a separate Palestinian Arab political entity or, prior to the birth of modern Zionism, a national movement that represented the ambitions of such a group.

It was only after the birth of Israel that the Arabs embraced the name Palestinian and claimed that the country was “Palestine,” rather than a section of Syria or the Ottoman Empire.

While their national movement is of relatively recent vintage, there is no denying that it does exist now, and it represents the ambitions of millions of people who call themselves “Palestinian.” To deny that there is a Palestinian people is to deny reality. Calling them “so-called” is a pointless insult, not a refutation of their political demands or tactics. owever, Yeger is not wrong to point out that while “Palestine” is recognized as a “non-member observer state” by the United Nations, it is not an actual, functioning country. The Palestinian Authority autonomously rules most Palestinians in the West Bank, but does not exercise sovereignty.

Hamas does exercise sovereignty in the Gaza Strip, but is not recognized by anyone since it is a terrorist-run tyrannical state.

But the reason why “Palestine” isn’t a country isn’t a function of prejudice. De Blasio is a supporter of Israel and AIPAC, but he still chided Yeger, saying that denying the right of the Palestinians to a home is a form of prejudice.

Is this analogous to Omar’s talk of Jews hypnotizing the world?

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The trouble with that argument is that Palestinian identity has been inextricably tied to denying the right of the Jews to a state in the same country. Those who advocate, as the New York City mayor does, for a two-state solution to the conflict assert that there is a way for both peoples to have a home alongside each other.

However, when people like Omar, Sarsour, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and the BDS movement they support — let alone the leaders of Fatah or Hamas — say “Palestine,” they are not referring to a separate state next to a secure Jewish state. They are, instead, referring to their hope of replacing the State of Israel with a Palestinian state that will deny the right of the Jews to self-determination.

Opposing that ambition — as Yeger clearly intended in his original tweet — is not Islamophobic or even necessarily rooted in hate against Palestinians. While Yeger’s willingness to oppose Israel’s foes in this manner was not the sort of thing that will bring Jews and Arabs together in an ethnically diverse borough, it’s also not the same thing as Omar’s anti-Semitic statements or her support of a BDS movement that aims at Israel’s annihilation.

Foreign policy has long been a theme of New York politics, and in years past, mayoral hopefuls often felt they had to demonstrate their support for the three “I’s”: Israel, Ireland and Italy. But if support for “Palestine,” whether alongside or replacing Israel, is now a requirement, Sarsour is right about a sea change in the city’s politics and that of the Democratic Party that dominates it. If the same party that shielded Omar punishes Yeger, it certainly won’t strengthen the Democrats’ efforts to be considered a pro-Israel party.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS .

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By Alex Traiman, JNS Following a continued rocket barrage from Gaza into Israeli population centers and Land Day protests along the Gaza border that resulted in the deaths of four Palestinians, President Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Jason Greenblatt, said that the United States “will not waver from support of Israel defending itself.

Commenting on the worsening economic situation in Gaza and the continued violence including border protests and the firing of rockets at Israeli cities, Greenblatt said that “what is happening in Gaza is terrible. Palestinians are suffering there because of Hamas.”

Greenblatt told JNS that “Israelis are endangered constantly because of what Hamas doing.”

Greenblatt’s remarks came less than a week after President Trump signed an executive order officially recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Both Gaza and the Golan were captured by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War in which Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq all attacked Israel. Israel applied full Israeli law over the Golan Heights in 1981 and withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

While the Golan has turned into a strategic security asset, Gaza has become a hazard.

“When the president announced the Golan recognition, he was very clear in his remarks that we absolutely support the right of Israel to defend itself,” Greenblatt said.

Greenblatt stated that US recognition of the Golan Heights was an announcement that “was necessary for the safety of Israel.”

Countering claims that the move was calculated to boost Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu less than two weeks before an election, Greenblatt called such statements “cynical.”

“We see more and more security risk coming from the north, and people will define it the way they want to define it, but I think what President Trump did was absolutely the right decision.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with the US Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, on July 12, 2017.

Matty Stern/US Embassy

Asked for details on the formation and timing of the surprise announcement, Greenblatt said, “I’m not going to get into the details of the deliberations. Those are the types of things we don’t disclose. It was a necessary announcement, and I think it was historic and bold just like the Jerusalem announcement and the embassy move.”

Greenblatt suggested that making announcements that put the security of Israel ahead of other considerations improves the chances that Israel can reach a comprehensive peace.

“One thing that is not acceptable to the Trump administration is to compromise Israel’s security in any manner whatsoever,” Greenblatt said, adding that “no peace agreement can be achieved without thinking about Israel’s security.”

The chief negotiator said that the administration is “clear-eyed about the challenges” of reaching an agreement in one of the world’s most high-profile conflicts, and suggested that the administration had learned from past attempts to reach a final status arrangement.

“Many well-meaning and talented teams had attempted to mediate. We studied why these attempts had not succeeded,” he said. “Peace can

only be built on truth.”

Greenblatt acknowledged the possibility that a plan could create more instability if interested parties seek to sabotage the plan’s objectives.

“There’s a lot of reasons why the peace plan is being handled very delicately, both being kept secretive and the timing. There are a lot of things that can spoil the peace plan, and that [an attempt by any party to destabilize the situation] is one of those things,” Greenblatt said. “But that is always going to be the case in this region. So, we just have to do it carefully, do it deliberately. And we hope that the region will support our efforts.”

Recognizing that there is no plan that would not be met with opposition from at least one side, Greenblatt told JNS, “We understand there will be criticism all around. We understand that in order to make peace there are compromises that need to be made. And we are hopeful that people will take it seriously. Because the region could be such a different place if we manage to pull this off.”

Greenblatt suggested that taking a new approach over past administrations will give the current peace plan a greater chance for success.

“We don’t believe that solving this conflict will solve the conflicts in the region. We don’t believe the talking point that this is the core conflict in the region. It’s not,” Greenblatt said.

“At the same time, it will lend stability to certain areas and we think that if we succeed and if the region allows us to succeed and helps us to succeed, that a lot of people will benefit from this deal, first and foremost Israelis and Palestinians.

Asked what strategic moves that benefit Israel could come following a string of successes including America’s withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal, the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the moving of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and recognition of Israeli sovereignty in the Golan, Greenblatt succinctly stated: “Watch.”

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6

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7 THE JEWISH STAR April 5, 2019 • 29 Adar 2, 5779

With probing analysis, profound wisdom and an unusually gifted questionand-answer style, the author takes on a host of crucial and fundamental issues of Jewish life and law, and embellishes them with meaning we had never suspected. This is a book to educate, to inspire and to treasure.

—Rabbi Benjamin Blech Professor of Talmud, Yeshiva University Tom Furst has invested many years, and his considerable intelligence and insight, into delving into matters of Jewish law and life in ways that animate the Torah’s wise teachings. He role models for us all what “la-asok b’divrei Torah” means – to make Torah one’s preoccupation, especially when it is not one’s professional occupation. Kol hakavod on this special accomplishment.

Dr. Erica Brown

Dr Erica Brown is a writer and educator whose latest book is Happier Endings (Simon and Schuster).

In this volume, Thomas Furst demonstrates the wealth of wisdom that lies within the Torah and actively encourages the reader to seek that wisdom. With sharp insight and cogent style, he travels along enriching paths of analysis and boldly uncovers new layers of meaning in the text. I am very pleased to recommend this work.

Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, author of Unlocking the Torah Text

Thomas Furst has written an insightful and original commentary on major Torah topics. His thoughts are at many times profound and suffused with wisdom, understanding, and faith. His work shows us once again the depth and breadth of Torah and its relevance to all times. Any Jewish library will be enhanced by the inclusion of this work in it.

Rabbi Berel Wein, Best-selling Author

Table of Contents

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April 5, 2019 • 29 Adar 2, 5779 THE JEWISH STAR

8

The JEWISH STAR

Wine & Dine

Here’s a fresh approach to Passover desserts Kosher Kitchen

Joni SChoCKeTT

Jewish Star columnist

T

he joy of Passover desserts eludes many who do not like the taste of matzah meal.

They would have to be resigned to fruit compote or tasteless sponge cake. I did not like either of those offerings, so I became convinced that Passover desserts were boring and dry.

For decades I have heard complaints about Passover desserts. Well, I am happy to say that no one complains about my Passover desserts and haven’t for years. In fact, I get requests every time I call someone to invite them to our Sedarim. “Are you making those caramel bars or lemon squares? Will you make those molten lava cakes? Please make the flourless chocolate cake with the ganache topping!”

I admit that the first few Seders we hosted were laden with traditional Passover desserts of macaroons and sponge cake and bad brownies and more. I offered a chocolate Seder plate for smashing and strawberries dipped in chocolate.

Nothing was worth discussing. But then I began to think about this in a new way.

What is basically required of a Pesach dessert? No flour. That was pretty much it. If I could find flourless desserts, I would be fine — I could always substitute pareve margarine for butter and tapioca or potato starch for cornstarch.

No longer constrained by Passover cookbooks, I began to test lots of recipes. Most were successful, some were spectacular and, admittedly, a few were epic failures.

The first flourless dessert I ever made was a chocolate cake with a raspberry sauce called a coulis. It was a huge hit, and I was forced to swear I would make it every year from then on. I then made a variation on my mother’s truly addictive mandel bread. I have to make several batches to give to people to take home, and one friend makes it year-round!

Things got better year after year. I made Pavlovas, chocolate flourless cookies, molten chocolate cakes, macarons, almond crusted chocolate tarts, lemon squares and more. The use of almond flour and other nut and coconut flours have made making piecrusts so much easier and far more delicious.

Please experiment and search for recipes that will make your family excited about Passover desserts. It is time to put that compote to bed forever!

Passover Mandel Bread (Pareve) 6 large eggs 2 cups safflower oil 2 cups sugar 1 box (3 cups) matzah cake meal 1 tsp. cinnamon tiny pinch salt Optional: Choose one or half of two add-ins (1 cup apricots and 1 cup mini chips) 2 cups raisins or currants 2 cups chopped toasted walnuts 1 cup chopped cherries, well drained, patted dry 2 cups chopped almonds 2 cups snipped apricots or other fried fruit 2 cups chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips In an electric mixer, beat the eggs and add the sugar slowly. Remove the bowl from the stand and add the oil. Fold gently with a fork until just blended. It’s OK if some oil is not mixed in completely.

Add the oil and beat slightly just to incorporate. If you overmix, the mixture will turn to mayonnaise!

Add optional nuts, raisins, etc., and mix with a fork.

Measure the cake meal and add to the bowl. It’s OK if you have a bit more than 3 cups in the box. You can add up to 2 or 3 Tbsp. extra. Add the cinnamon and mix well. Let the dough sit for 30 to 40 minutes to thicken.

Form the dough into 2 or 3 long logs on a cookie sheet. They should be about 3 inches wide and 3/4 of an inch high. I like to make the ends square to get evenly baked end slices.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and the tops have cracked. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Slice each log into 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick slices. Place the slices on a cookie sheet and toast at 275 degrees until golden brown. Turn and toast the other side. Allow to cool. Place in an airtight container. Can be made a week

in advance and frozen.

To serve, just thaw and, to crisp the slices, place in a 325-degree oven for about 5 minutes. Makes about 24 to 36 pieces.

Lemon Almond Squares or Tart (Pareve) You can make these as squares or as a 10-inch pie. Top with candied lemon slices for a beautiful presentation.

Crust: 3 cups almond flour 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp. lemon zest 4 Tbsp. tapioca starch 1/3 tsp. salt 1 stick margarine (or butter for a dairy dessert), cut into small pieces Filling: 3 extra large eggs 1-1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 3-1/2 Tbsp. tapioca starch Confectioners’ sugar for dusting Optional: 2 tsp. lemon zest Lightly grease a 9 by 13 pan and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Juice the lemons and set aside.

Place the almond flour, sugar, lemon zest, tapioca starch, salt and margarine in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press into the prepared pan and up the sides about one-half inch. Place in the oven and bake until golden, about 10 to 14 minutes.

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Place eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and tapioca starch in a medium bowl. Make sure there are no lumps of the starch. Whisk thoroughly and pour over the hot crust. Place back in the oven for 15 to 25 minutes until the top cracks just a bit and looks completely set.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares. Makes 12 to 24 squares.

Chocolate Almond Crusted Tart with Raspberries (pareve) I keep this on a rimmed baking sheet to bake, and then slide it onto a round plate until serving to make sure the rim doesn’t get knocked off.

Crust: 2-1/2 cups almond flour 1/3 cup light brown, dark brown or granulated sugar 1/3 tsp. almond extract 4 to 5 Tbsp. pareve margarine, melted Optional: 3 to 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder for a chocolate crust Filling: 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate 1 cup full fat canned coconut milk 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam Topping: 2 cups fresh raspberries Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the almond flour sugar and almond extract in a food processor, and pulse 2 to 3 times to blend. Add the melted margarine and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press the mixture into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Be sure to press up the sides. Place on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and let cool.

Place the coconut milk in a saucepan. Over low heat, bring to a high simmer, but not a full boil.

Chop the chocolate and place in a large bowl.

When the coconut milk is heated, measure out one cup and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 2 to 4 minutes to soften the chocolate. Add the vanilla extract and raspberry jam and mix with a fork until very smooth.

Pour the chocolate into the baked shell and smooth the top, if needed. Let set about 15 minutes and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Remove and gently press the raspberries on top on any design you like. Chill until serving.

Serves 8 to 10.

9 THE JEWISH STAR April 5, 2019 • 29 Adar 2, 5779

Because you’re making more than a meal.

Rib Roast Serves: 5-6 / Prep: 5 mins / Cook: 3 hrs.

INGREDIENTS

1 3-4 lb Rib Roast Olive oil Salt

> Rib Roast

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 425° F. In the best of ovens this means the oven should be on for at least 20 minutes.

2. Rub the roast with olive oil and a little salt. Place in a shallow roasting pan on a rack.

Recipe cards available at a Gourmet Glatt near you

3. Roast the meat for 25 minutes at 425° then turn the temperature down to 325° and roast for another hour. Do not cover the meat & do not put liquid in the pan.

4. Baste the roast with pan drippings (which should be almost nothing) every 20 minutes.

5. After an hour take the temperature of the meat with an instant read thermometer. The meat is done when the internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat reaches 125° - 130°.

6. Remove the meat from the oven and cover loosely with aluminum foil for at least 30 minutes. This is the resting period and the most important part for a juicy roast. Don’t ever cut into the roast to see if it’s done - the thermometer tells all.

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April 5, 2019 • 29 Adar 2, 5779 THE JEWISH STAR

10

The JEWISH STAR

Wine & Dine

Chocolate Pesach desserts to make year-round

P

assover is fast approaching, and French trained chef and best-selling cookbook author Paula Shoyer is offering Passover recipes that you will want to make year-round! Shoyer, whose mission is to modernize traditional recipes with healthier ingredients, believes people don’t have to choose between blowing their diet and giving up beloved, favorite foods and tasty desserts, especially during the holidays.

For more of Paula’s Passover recipes, check out her fabulous cookbook, The New Passover Menu.

Happy baking!

Chocolate Quinoa Cake Recipe excerpted from The Healthy Jewish Kitchen Cake 3/4 cup quinoa 1-1/2 cups water Cooking spray 2 Tbsp. potato starch 1/3 cup orange juice 4 large eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 cup coconut oil 1-1/2 cups sugar 1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate Fresh raspberries for garnish (optional) Glaze 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate 1 Tbsp. sunflower or safflower oil 1 tsp. vanilla extract Place the quinoa and water into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and cook the quinoa for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Set the pan aside. Quinoa may be made 1 day in advance.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Use cooking spray to grease a 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle the potato starch over the greased pan and then shake the pan to remove any excess starch.

Place the quinoa in the bowl of a food processor. Add the orange juice, eggs, vanilla, oil, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt and process until the mixture is very smooth.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, or place in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and put in a microwave for 45 seconds, stirring and then heating the chocolate for another 30 seconds, until it is melted.

Add the chocolate to the quinoa batter and process until well mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake it for 50

Chocolate Quinoa Cake; Florentine Bars; Chocolate Avocado Keto Cake.

minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes and then remove it gently from the pan. Let it cool on a wire cooling rack.

To make the glaze, melt the chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave (see above) or over a double boiler. Add the oil and vanilla and whisk well. Let the glaze sit for 5 minutes and then whisk it again. Use a silicone spatula to spread the glaze all over the cake. Serves 12.

Keto Chocolate Avocado Cake www.thekosherbaker.com Cake 1-1/2 cups almond flour 3/4 cup dark cocoa, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing pan 1/4 cup coconut or almond flour

Photos by Paula Shoyer

1/2 cup xylitol 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup coconut cream, from canned coconut milk 1/2 cup almond milk 3 large eggs 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, plus 1 tsp. for greasing pan 1 tsp. vanilla 1 large ripe avocado Ganache 5 Tbsp. boiling water 1/2 cup dark cocoa 1/4 cup xylitol 1/2 cup coconut cream 1 tsp. vanilla Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch round pan with 1 tsp. coconut oil. Add 2 to 3

tsp. cocoa and shake all around to dust the bottom and sides. Tap out excess. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa, coconut flour, xylitol, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Place the coconut cream, almond milk, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla and avocado into a food processor or blender and blend for two full minutes, scraping down the sides a few times, so that the mixture is completely smooth.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and the remove to a wire rack.

To prepare the ganache topping, place the cocoa and xylitol into a small bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk well. Add the coconut cream and vanilla and mix well. Spread all over the top of the cake.

Triple Chocolate Biscotti www.thekosherbaker.com 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs 3 Tbsp. vanilla sugar 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 Tbsp. potato starch 1 1/2 cups ground almonds 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate. Remove the chocolate from the heat source, add the sugar and oil, and whisk well. Add the eggs and mix. Add the vanilla sugar, cocoa, potato starch, ground almonds, and salt and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and mix to distribute them.

Divide the dough in half and shape into two loaves, each about 9 by 3 inches. Place both loaves on the lined jelly roll pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes (do not turn off the oven). Cut each loaf crosswise into 3/4 to 1-inch thick slices.

Place the cookies, cut side up, on a parchment-covered cookie sheet (or the jelly roll pan again). Bake for another 14 minutes, or until the cookies are firm to the touch on the outside but still feel soft on the inside. Check after 10 to 12 minutes so that you don’t over-bake.

Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then slide the parchment and cookies onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Yields 24 to 36 cookies.

Turmeric Tahini Challah: Golden and delicious

By Cheryl Holbert, The Nosher I love playing with color, texture and shape with my challah.

Looking to create a red challah? Add beetroot powder. Green? Try using green tea matcha powder.

Do you want bread with a golden hue? Try turmeric mixed in with the dough.

This challah combines beautiful color with Middle Eastern flavors — the flavors and colors of different parts of the world meet in one delicious bread.

Ingredients: 4 to 4-1/2 cups bread flour 3-1/4 tsp. active dry or instant yeast 2/3 cup warm water, 90 to 100 degrees 3-1/2 Tbsp. honey 6-2/3 Tbsp. tahini 1-1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 large eggs 1-1/2 tsp. ground turmeric 1-1/2 tsp. salt

Directions: Weigh 1 cup of flour and combine with yeast and warm water. Let proof for 20 to 25 minutes until mixture begins to swell.

Whisk in honey, tahini, olive oil, eggs, turmeric, and the remaining flour plus salt.

Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest about 20 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator for a cold overnight rise. The dough will only increase about one-third but will continue to develop and rise fully from its cold proof through remaining steps.

Remove from refrigerator the next day and allow about 30 minutes for the dough to begin to come back to room temperature before shaping.

Divide the dough into hunks, depending on your design plan. Let the dough rest, then roll out and braid. Allow the shaped dough to rise again for 1 to 1-1/2 hours at about 70 F. Before you put the shaped dough in the oven, glaze with egg wash and apply seeds. Bake at 350 F for approximately 30 minutes.

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Continued from page 1 Lauding Trump and actions he’s taken in support of the state of Israel, Huckabee concluded with this: “All of Jerusalem is one united city. Judea and Samaria is not going to carved up by the United Nations because G-d was the one who carved it up when he gave it to Abraham. And that’s the title and deed that we need to respect.”

“Zionism and Americanism are the front lines of Western Civilization and freedom in our world today,” said Fox and Friends host Pete Hegseth, the master of ceremonies.

Tommy Hicks Jr., co-chair of the Republican National Committee and a guest of honor at the gala, reminded his audience that “we have the best president of all time” and urged them to “come help us win in 2020.”

“Wherever you have friends, please come get them working,” he said. “We have to win in 2020. It’s the most important thing in our life.”

Red MAGA-style hats reading “BUILD ISRAEL GREAT AGAIN” were placed on tables around the room. And while Israel was front and center, attendees praised Trump for more.

“We’re in agreement with many of the policies, at this point probably most of the policies, on Israel and on other things,” Iris Maidenbaum told JTA. “But particularly, our concern is the security and the advancement of the state of Israel.”

For others, the bond between Orthodox Judaism and Trump hit home.

Zachary Silver, a 25-year-old conservative activist who managed a contingent of about 125 young professionals at the dinner, told JTA that he believes Jews who become more traditionally observant will gravitate toward the Republican Party.

“The Republican Party right now and the conservatives are the most pro-G-d movement of my life, honestly,” said Silver, who wore a Trump kippah. “The liberal party, the leftist par-

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Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, speaks at the gala dinner of the National Council of Michael Brochstein/Getty Images Young Israel on March 31.

ty, the Democrats, especially here and in Israel, they’re socialist, they’re anti-G-d, they don’t have true values.”

“I got a whole wardrobe of Trump stuff,” said Ayton Eller, wearing a tie and kippah both reading “Trump 2020.” “I got like 10 T-shirts, I got like four sweatshirts, I got five yarmulkes.”

He reference Trump’s tax cuts, the stock markets and “rverything else — Israel policies, doing away with Obamacare, Obamacare is a mess.”

The gala was shown videos telling the stories of four WWII veterans who were honored Sunday night — Stanley Feltman, Louis Goldstein, Paul Kaye, and Edmund Rosenblum.

“You saved our country and you saved western civilization,” Hicks said.

The evening’s other guests of honor were Rabbi Zvi & Aviva Gluck (Moses H. Hoenig Award), Laurie Moskowitz Hirsch (Bonei Yerushalayim Award), David & Michelle Katz (Shofar Award), and Eve Stieglitz (Young Visionary Award).

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feld (YI Kew Gardens Hills) and Rabbi Nachi & Michelle Klein (YI Northridge), with the Dor L’Dor Rabbinic Leadership Award; Dr. Alan & Deborah Berger, Dr. Marc & Judy Berger, Igor Fruman, and Lev & Svetlana Parnas, with the Chovevei Zion Award; and Charles Gucciardo and Dan K. Eberhart, with the Friend of Zion Award.

In addition to his political pitch, Rabbi Moskowitz gave the crowd a taste of the NCYI’s religious and educational initiatives including “impactful youth initiatives, a world-class rabbinic training and synagogue services program [and] a retired-rabbi aliyah initiative.”

He previewed “Shabbat Shalom, a nationwide Shabbat of unity which will promote an anti-BDS and pro-Judea and Samaria message in collaboration with the Yesha Council.”

NYC Councilman Kalman Yeger, who tweeted that “Palestine does not exist,” was cheered by the crowd. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani posed for pictures on stage.

The dinner was co-chaired by Dr. Joseph Frager.

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NY: Jewish camp cash

Harvard University’s undergraduate council voted to give $2,050 to the Palestine Solidarity Committee to stage Israeli Apartheid Week, which consists of a physical “Wall of Resistance,” Palestinian speakers and a student panel. The tally was 21 to 13, with 14 abstentions, the Harvard Crimson reported.

The money is from student government’s Grant for an Open Harvard College that subsidizes “compelling interests,” which include “mental health, race, culture and faith relations, sexual assault and harassment prevention, social spaces and financial accessibility,” the Crimson said.

While council members told the Crimson they support free speech, they do not want speakers who promote violence to be on campus.

“I don’t think the UC should start to approve or not approve different speakers based on their views, but I do think that that line is the incitement of violence,” said Michael Shadpour. “I’ve heard uncontested that there are speakers [at

IAW] that have advocated violence in the past.”

Jewish students have noted feeling uncomfortable about this week’s events.

“One of the speakers slated to come, Omar Barghouti, has said that he supports the euthanasia of Zionism,” said sophomore Gabriel Dardik. “Really, it makes me feel unsafe that this kind of person could come here.”

Andrea Levin, executive director of CAMERA, told JNS that the vote “reflects the normalization of a propaganda campaign enacted each spring on many campuses — the so-called Israel Apartheid Week — premised on the lie that Israel applies apartheid policies.”

“There are nations that do abuse other groups with apartheid-like repression but none of those nations ... trigger weeks of voluble criticism by privileged students at elite schools,” she said.

“It’s remarkable that anti-Israel forces demonizing the Jewish state are to be funded by Harvard.”

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“Together, with the support of our partners, including nonpublic schools, parents and even the students themselves, our community has raised our collective voice and advocated respectfully but forcefully for the necessary funding for our schools and children,” said Orthodox Union president Moishe Bane.

“More than 700 people came to our mission in Albany earlier this month and helped make the Jewish community’s voice heard,” said Orthodox Union executive vice president Allen Fagin. “We encourage more parents, grandparents, teachers and school administrators to get involved because the greater our voice the more we can achieve to benefit our schools. It’s important that people join us and act for our children.”

THANK YOU for welcoming us into your homes for Over 70 YeArs

THE JEWISH STAR April 5, 2019 • 29 Adar 2, 5779

For the first time, the New York state budget allocated security funding for summer camps.

It also consists of doubling funding available to protect nonpublic schools, day-care centers and cultural museums at risk of hate crimes, with $30 million for STEM and an additional $7 million for the Comprehensive Attendance Policy (CAP) and for Mandated Services Reimbursement (MSR), totaling $193 million.

The Orthodox Union, through its state advocacy operation Teach Coalition, has fought for security funding on the national, state and city levels, in addition to recently hiring full-time staff to provide direct assistance to schools and synagogues in their efforts to apply for state and federal grant funding.

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April 5, 2019 • 29 Adar 2, 5779 THE JEWISH STAR

16

Parsha of the Week

Rabbi avi billet Jewish Star columnist

With Rosh Chodesh, begin again

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his Shabbat will be Rosh Chodesh, and we will read Parshat HaChodesh in addition to Tazria — an uncommon opportunity to take out three Torahs.

Both Parshat HaChodesh and this Rosh Chodesh are celebrations of the same date in time and history — the first Rosh Chodesh given to the Jewish people in Egypt, at the dawn of the month we now call Nissan, the beginning of the Jewish calendar.

Owing to the confluence of every Rosh Chodesh with the New Moon, there is a relationship between the words “chodesh” (month) and “chiddush” (renewal or new idea).

Rabbeinu Bachya says about the sanctifying of the month and the renewed moon: “One who stands and blesses the moon is giving testimony about the renewal [chiddush] of the world, which is a fundamental concept of faith. He recognizes the existence of G-d, Who renews the moon each month.”

But perhaps the most profound idea of chiddush can come from the Mechilta, who notes the similarities between months and years in how the moon determines the length of each. In the lunar calendar, a month is a little over 29 and a half days, which makes each month in the Jewish calendar 29 or 30 days. The year is usually 12 months, but owing to the need to keep Pesach in the spring, we sometimes add a month, making a leap year, at the end of the year, which we experience as a second Adar.

And so the Mechilta says, “Just as a month gets the added day at the end of the month, so does a year have its addition at the end.” erhaps with a small leap, we can take the message of the Mechilta to its next logical step.

Every Shabbat we quote Tehillim 90: “The days of our lives are seventy years, and with increase, eighty years … It passes quickly and we fly away.” Two verses later, we ask of G-d, “Teach the number of our days, so that we shall acquire a heart of wisdom.”

Is it possible, based on this passage, that in line with “the extra of the month is at the end of the month, and the extra added to a year is at the end of the year,” that the extra added to a life is at the so-called end — meaning the latter part — of the average life?

We live in a marvelous time. Average life expectancy has gone from about 48 or 50 in 1900 to 65 or 70 in the 1960s, to over 80 in the 2010s, always a little longer for women than for men. Many people even make it to their 90s. According to Tehillim, it can be argued that anything more than 70 years is a gift. Perhaps we can call it a renewal — a chiddush.

R Samson Raphael Hirsch, in his inimitable style, makes this point. “Your perception of the renewal of the moon should inspire you to undertake a similar renewal,” he writes. “The sanctification of the new moon is an institution for the moral and spiritual rejuvenation of Israel, to which Israel must always strive anew at regular periods, and which it will achieve through its re-encounter with G-d.”

As the Sages put it, “this month is for you” is to serve as an example for you, to have a See Rosh on page 18

Anything more than 70 years is a gift.

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Five Towns times from the White Shul

Jewish Star columnists: Rabbi Avi Billet, spiritual leader of Anshei Chesed Congregation, Boynton Beach, Florida, mohel and Five Towns native; Rabbi David Etengoff of Magen David Yeshivah, Brooklyn; Rabbi Binny Freedman, rosh yeshiva of Orayta, Jerusalem. Contributing writers: Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks, emeritus chief rabbi

of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth; Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, executive vice president emeritus of the Orthodox Union; Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, dean of Yeshiva of South Shore. to contact our columnists, write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

Parshat Tazria: Partners with G-d From Heart of Jerusalem

Rabbi biNNY FReeDMaN

Jewish Star columnist

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n 1948, things did not look promising for the Jews. The armies of Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, prepared to attack the new State of Israel as soon as the British pulled out, vowing to push the Jews into the sea. In Tzfat, where 80,000 Arabs surrounded 3,000 Jews living in the Jewish quarter, the Jews braced for the worst.

One night, the British told the Jewish community they were leaving Tzfat in the morning and had reliable intelligence that the Arabs were planning a massive attack immediately following their departure. They urged the Jews to leave.

They assumed the Jews would panic, but not a single one left the city.

As British pulled out of Tzfat, thousands of Arabs armed with rifles, knives and clubs attacked the Jewish quarter. The few hundred Jewish fighters were hopelessly outnumbered, and fierce fighting broke out at the entrance to the old city.

The Citadel, with its strategic command of the entire area, was a British fortress. Jewish fighters had to take it in order to survive. But the Arabs already had command of it. Members of the Haganah planted explosives at the base of the Citadel, determined to blast their way through the thick walls in a desperate attempt to save the Jewish quarter and hold out against the onslaught. Just as they were ready to detonate, a freak rainstorm broke out, soaking the wires and preventing the explosion. eanwhile, down at the entrance to the Jewish quarter, things were going from bad to worse. In desperation, the Jews decided to employ their last resort.

With a heavy British blockade, precious few arms had been smuggled in, so the Jews had developed what they hoped would be an answer to Arab artillery. Called the Davidka, it was essentially a homemade mortar. One could fill it with rocks, nails and metal balls and fire a deadly stream at the advancing enemy.

It was a brilliant idea, but it did not work. It did, however, produce an incredibly loud explosion, and the Jews had nothing to lose. Faced with thousands of Arabs, without enough bullets to fire at them all, they fired the Davidka just as the rain began.

To their amazement, the Arabs turned and ran.

Not quite understanding what was happening, they fired the Davidka three more times until the entire Arab army had fled.

It was only after the war that they found out what had happened. The Arabs knew that most of the people behind America’s atomic

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bomb were Jewish (notably Einstein and Oppenheimer), and they had heard of acid rain. So they assumed the Jews had set off an atomic bomb, and the rest is history.

Every tour guide worth his salt will show tourists this spot and ask: was this a miracle? Or just a freak of nature?

In Tzfat, there are no miracles, because all of nature is miraculous, and miracles surround us every day. his week’s portion, Tazria, focuses on the issue of tzara’at, closely associated with (but not quite) leprosy. In ancient times, this affliction did not send you to the doctor. Rather, the Torah tells us, when a person saw signs of tzara’at, he went to visit a kohen.

Tradition teaches that tzara’at was the direct consequence of slander and tale-bearing. It was an opportunity for a person to do some introspection and consider the error of his ways.

The Sefer HaChinuch points out (mitzvah 168) that this process enabled us to recognize the power of Divine Providence, and relates to the larger issues of destiny, reward and punishment, and the balance between nature and miracle.

One of the many signs of tzara’at for which an expert kohen had to be consulted was when a hair on a person’s body turned a particular shade of white or yellow. The challenge was not only to find the correct shade, but to be sure that indeed there were two hairs which had turned white, because when only one hair had turned white, the person remained in a state of ritual purity.

The difference between being a metzorah and being pure was one hair.

The Midrash in Vayikra Rabbah (15:3) shares a magnificent insight: “You will not find a single strand of hair for which G-d did not create a follicle in the skin, so that one [hair] should not benefit from what ‘belongs’ to another.”

On the one hand, consider the import of this Midrash: I can learn to become a more ethical human being by studying the hairs on my forearm! After all, if every hair has its place, how much more must every human being have a place in G-d’s plan. Everything is a message. he Baal Shem Tov suggests: if you see someone desecrating Shabbat, do not assume it is because you are meant to exhort them on the error of their ways, but that it is a message that there is something missing in your Shabbat. Imagine if we lived life this way, struggling to fix ourselves instead of everybody else.

But if I took the time to analyze every leaf and twig, I would never get to the synagogue in the morning. And yet to ignore the many messages that cross our path is to lose so many opportunities to grow. So how does one find the balance?

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In fact, this is the famous question of the Ramban: why go to the doctor? Every morning we ask Hashem to heal us, so isn’t there an element of blasphemy in it? (Note that the Ramban was himself a doctor!)

This question is at the root of a controversy that remains a prominent social issue in Israel today. If after 2,000 years, Hashem has decided it is time to bring us home, who are we to take it into our own hands? Maybe the best thing to do is to immerse ourselves in Torah and good deeds and leave the defense of the Jewish people up to G-d?

And yet the halacha is clear: “If a person comes to kill you, arise and kill him first.”

Indeed, when Avraham’s nephew Lot is captured by the five kings (Bereishit 14), Avraham does not wait for G-d to perform miracles. He musters an army and saves Lot himself.

And Yaakov battles all night, choosing to fight rather than rely on Hashem’s providence. nd yet, this is not so simple. Yosef is taken to task for what seems to be the same decision. Lost and seemingly forgotten in the dungeons of Egypt, he begs the butler to “remember me to Pharaoh and take me out of prison” (Bereishit 40:14).

Rashi points out that Yosef remains two more years as punishment for relying on an Egyptian butler instead of on G-d, as the verse suggests in Tehillim (40:5): “Blessed is the man that places his trust in G-d, and looks not to the proud, and those who turn to falsehood.”

But to complicate things further, Yosef made clear when interpreting the dreams, not only of the butler and the baker, but even of Pharaoh, that it is Hashem who has the answers.

So how indeed are we to find this ever-elusive balance, trusting in G-d on the one hand, and yet being active partners in building a better world on the other?

Perhaps hidden in this week’s portion is an answer.

Why does the metzorah go to the kohen for resolution? If the question is one of spiritual pollution, what need is there of the kohen to intervene?

The kohen, it seems, represents that bridge between Divine providence and human intervention. That same need for finding the balance between what we need to do, and what Hashem is willing to do for us. ou see, when a person is discovered to have tzara’at, he must remove himself from society, sequestering himself for seven days, until the kohen returns to see if the tzara’at has abated. During this time he is considered tameh, ritually impure.

See Parsha on page 18

There are no miracles, because all of nature is miraculous.

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Torah

Rabbi david eTengoff

Jewish Star columnist

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he primary focus of our parasha is the illness known as tzara’at. The unique nature of this class of disease is emphasized by the Rashbam in his introduction to our topic: “All of the sections dealing with the negaim (afflictions) affecting people, garments, houses and the manner in which they appear as well as the number of days requiring sequestering, the white, black, and golden identifying hairs — may not in any way be understood by following the simple and direct meaning of the text. Neither may we rely upon standard human knowledge and expertise [i.e. current medical information].

Instead, we must follow the analysis (midrash) of

the Sages, their decrees, and the inherited body of knowledge that they received from the earliest sages. This is the essence [of this matter].”

In sum, according to the Rashbam, tzara’at can only be understood from the Torah’s standpoint, rather than from a physiological or medical perspective. This is because its etiology does not follow the normative laws of biology. Instead, it is a spiritually-based ailment that manifests in a physical fashion.

The Torah presents us with three types of tzara’at: “If a man has a se’et, a sapachat, or a baheret on the skin of his flesh, and it forms a lesion of tzara’at on the skin of his flesh, he shall be brought to Aaron the kohen, or to one of his sons, the kohanim” (Vayikra 13:1).

Midrash Vayikra Rabbah, Tazria 15:9, identi-

fies each of these categories as metaphorically representing one of the ancient nations who either violently injured, or sought to harm, our people. Thus, “Se’et [a rising] is Babylonia... Sapachat [a scab] is [the kingdom of the] Medes... and baheret [a bright spot] is Greece” (Darosh Darash Yosef: Discourses of Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik on the Weekly Parashah, pages 227-228).

Our Midrash notes that Haman, who attempted to eradicate our people, was the most infamous member of the ancient Medes: “[The kingdom of the] Medes raised Haman the wicked, who crawled like a snake, as it is written, ‘On your belly you shall go’” (Bereishit 3:4). My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt”l, known as “the Rav” by his students and follow-

What does it mean to be a scab on the body of humanity?

The sacrifices of childbirth Rabbi siR jonaThan sacks

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t the start of this parsha is a cluster of laws that challenged and puzzled the commentators. They concern a woman who has just given birth. If she gives birth to a son, she is “unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.”

She must then wait for a further 33 days before coming into contact with holy objects or appearing at the Temple. If she gives birth to a girl, both time periods are doubled: she is unclean for two weeks and must wait a further 66 days. She then has to bring two offerings: a yearling sheep for a burnt offering, and a turtledove for a sin offering (Lev. 12:6-7).

The problems are obvious. Why does she need to bring a sacrifice? We could understand a thanksgiving offering, but that is not what she is commanded. Instead she must bring a burnt offering, normally brought for a serious offense, and a sin offering. She has just fulfilled the first command in the Torah, to “be fruitful and multiply” (Bereishit 1:28). She has done nothing wrong. Why does she need atonement?

We might suggest a set of new perspectives.

The first is about the fundamental concepts

that dominate this section of Vayikra, the words tamei and tahor, normally translated as “unclean/clean,” or “impure/pure.”

It is important to note that these words do not have the kind of resonance they bear in English. Tamei does not mean defiled; it is a technical term meaning that one is in a condition that prevents him from entering the Tabernacle or Temple. Tahor means the opposite, that he may enter. ow are we to understand this? The Tabernacle, and later the Temple, were symbols of the presence of G-d in the human domain — at the heart of the camp in the wilderness, and at the center of the nation during the years of the monarchy.

But they were only symbols, because in monotheism G-d is everywhere. The very concepts of place and time in relation to G-d are metaphorical. It is not that G-d is here rather than elsewhere but that we, as humans, feel His presence here rather than elsewhere. It was essential therefore that, from a human perspective, the experience of being in the domain of the holy was an experience of pure transcendence.

G-d is eternal. G-d is spiritual. We and the universe are physical, and whatever is physical is subject to birth, growth, decline, and death.

It is these things that must be excluded from the Sanctuary if we are to experience the presence of eternity.

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The sounds of solitude Rabbi MoRdechai kaMeneTzky

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here is a fascinating paradox in Tazria that relates to the laws of tzara’as, the spiritual malady, a skin discoloration that affects those who gossip.

On one hand, only a kohen can either pronounce a state of impurity or purity. On the other hand, the afflicted man is in control of his own destiny. The Gemara tells us that if, for example, the afflicted man removes the negah, whether it is hair or skin, then he is no longer tamei. So this affliction, which is purely spiritual in nature, a heavenly exhortation to repent from nattering ways, is basically toothless.

If the man wills it, he can refuse to go to the kohen and not be declared tamei. And if he so desires, he can even remove the negah before anyone declares its potency.

Another amazing dimension is applicable

after the afflicted man is declared tamei. The Torah tells us “that he is sent out of the camp, where he sits in solitude” (Vayikra 13:46).

His departure from the camp of Israelites is surely not due to a contagious nature of the negah. After all, if that were the case, he would be sent away way even before the kohen’s declaration of tumah.

So why send the man to confinement where no one will monitor his reaction to the negah on his being, a place where he could remove the negah, or adulterate its appearance? Why not have him locked in a cell under the supervision of a guard who would insure the integrity of the purification process? n the early 1900s, a simple religious Russian Jew decided that he could no longer stand the Czar’s persecution. He would leave Russia to join his son who had settled in Houston, Texas, some twenty years earlier.

The son, who had totally assimilated and was

What therefore bars us from entering the holy is anything that reminds us of our mortality. Contact with death or even birth has this effect. Both therefore debar the person who has had such contact from the domain of the holy. Special processes of purification had to be undergone both by those who had come into contact with the dead (Bamidbar 19:1–22) and by a mother who had given birth.

The same is true of anything that draws attention to our physicality. That is why, for example, people who suffered from the skin disease tzara’at, or the flow of menstrual blood or a seminal discharge, also had to undergo purification.

Likewise, a priest with a physical blemish was disqualified from serving in the priesthood.

The woman who had just given birth was therefore teme’a, not because of the sin of Chava but because birth, like death, is a signal of mortality, which has no place in the Temple, the space set aside for consciousness of eternity and spirituality.

As for the burnt offering, this is a reminder of the binding of Yitzchak, and of the animal sacrificed as a burnt offering in his place. have argued elsewhere that Akedat Yitzchak was intended as a protest against the absolute power parents had over chil-

dren in the ancient world. The child was regarded as the property of his parents, even to the extent of life and death. That was one reason why child sacrifice was so widely practiced in the ancient world.

The narrative of Akedat Yitzchak is a statement for all time that parents do not own their children.

The story of Yitzchak’s birth points in that direction. He was born when Sarah was incapable of having a child naturally, clearly the gift of G-d. As the first Jewish child, he became the precedent for all subsequent generations. The binding was intended to establish that children belong to G-d. Parents are merely their guardians.

That was also the message of the tenth plague in Egypt.

All firstborn were to have been priests in the service of G-d.

Only after the sin of the Golden Calf did this role devolve on the tribe of Levi. The same idea lies behind the redemption of the firstborn. Chana dedicated her child, Shmuel, to G-d, as did the wife of Manoach, mother of Shimshon.

A mother brought a burnt offering, as did Avraham, in lieu of the child. By so doing she acknowledged that she was not the owner of the child, merely its guardian.

It was as if she had said: “G-d, I know I should dedicate this child entirely to Your service. Please accept this offering in his place.”

See Childbirth on page 18

a successful oilman, was thrown into a panic.

“Of course you are welcome, Pa,” he cabled.

“I will arrange a visa, your tickets and fares.

But you must realize that I have a wonderful reputation here as an oilman. When you arrive, you must adapt to American culture or I will be destroyed.”

Upon arrival at the train station, the old man, in his long coat and upbrimmed hat, was whisked to a haberdashery, where he was fitted with the latest style fedora and a modern-cut suit. But still, to the oilman, his father looked too Jewish.

“Pa, it’s not enough. I’ll take you to the barber.”

The first thing that came off was the beard. The son looked on and said, “It’s not enough Pa. The peyos, they’ll have to go.”

The barber cut off the first sidelock as the son looked on proudly, watching his pa become a real American. Then came the second, and the old man began to weep.

“Why are you crying, Papa?” the son asked.

The father, resigned to his fate, answered, “I am crying because we lost the Alamo!”

y grandfather, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky, of blessed memory, in his sefer Emes L’Yaakov, explains the concept of sitting in solitude, reflecting in unadulterated honesty about one’s true feelings.

There comes a time in one’s life where the message from heaven can only be without the influence of others and the will to impress them.

How often do we act because of the influence of friends and relatives? How often do we gossip due to peer pressure? We must make choices in life.

Honest choices. We have to do what the neshama wants us to do. And we can’t alter our true emotions due to social, peer, or monetary pressures.

Henny Youngman, a classic comedian, used to talk about his wonderful doctor. “If you can’t afford the operation,” he would say, “he’ll touch up the X-ray!”

The afflicted man is sent away from anyone who may have influenced him to act in his blathering ways. He can reflect on his true feeling and his honest perceptions of life and his role. But this decision must be made when he is impervious to anyone who was normally in his sphere.

And he has a choice. He can pull out the hair, he can scrape off the negah. He can fool the kohen. He can fool his family and fool his friends.

But when he returns to the camp, the same man sans negah, the only one fooled is himself.

Birth, like death, is a signal of mortality.

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We must make choices in life. Honest choices.

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17 THE JEWISH STAR April 5, 2019 • 29 Adar 2, 5779

The disease of arrogance

ers, builds upon our Midrash, and describes Haman in the following fashion: “[He] slithered like a snake but was puffed up with arrogance. A fawning personality, he lacked dignity. His sycophantic behavior resulted in his becoming prime minister to King Ahashverosh. Yet, Haman was no leader. A weak and spineless man, he used flattery to get ahead.

Thinking that it would save his life, he behaved in a servile manner toward Esther even after she exposed him. Like other haughty people, he did not realize how base he was, that he was actually a form of sapahat” (Darosh Darash Yosef, page 231). n the Rav’s view, the haughty and arrogant Haman emerges as a base and slithering being who lacked all manner of dignity — to the extent that “he was actually a form of sapahat.”

What does it mean for a person to be a form of sapachat, to be a scab on the body of humanity in general, and an enemy of the Jewish people in particular? The Rav indirectly addresses this question in his analysis of those who demSee Arrogance on page 18

April 5, 2019 • 29 Adar 2, 5779 THE JEWISH STAR

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My earliest memory: a renewal of life and light W

ave you ever been asked the question, “What is your earliest memory?” I have been asked many times. I was a graduate student in psychology when the question was posed. The answer was considered very revealing of the respondent’s deeper psyche.

Exceptionally early memories were known in psychoanalytic circles as “screen memories” and were considered quite significant diagnostically.

The scientific significance of such memories is now considered to have no basis, but they are certainly interesting and make for great conversation.

I had a clear image of my first memory. I was standing outside a brick building, looking up at my father, may he rest in peace, surrounded by a small crowd of other men. Everyone was looking at the moon. This may have been my first experience, at age three or four, of kiddush levanah, the monthly ceremony during which the congregation acknowledges the first appearance of the new moon.

I have another memory of the religious significance of this ceremony. I remember being told that the Hebrew word for “month” is chodesh and the word for “new” is chadash. It was then that I learned of the significance of the new moon that commences a new month and became aware for the first time that the Jewish people follow the lunar, not solar, calendar.

hen it is the last Sabbath before the new moon of Nissan, the month of Passover, springtime, and the beginning of the new calendar year, in addition to reading Parashat Tazria, we also read an additional portion from Exodus 12, known as Parashat HaChodesh. Famously, according to Rashi, these verses are the true beginning of the Torah.

The theme of newness and the constant potentiality for renewal is the central theme on this Shabbat. It is also the central theme in the Jewish calendar, and one might say, Jewish tradition in general. The symbolism of the moon constantly renewing itself is coupled with the symbolism of springtime and nature’s renewal.

We herald the approaching holiday of Passover, but not as a holiday of freedom and redemption. Not just yet. We recognize that Passover is the festival of springtime. Passover has a myriad of symbolic meanings, one of which is the perennial opportunity for personal and national rejuvenation.

When I focus on my earliest memory, I remember what the men who surrounded me under that moon so long ago were saying to each other. Each man addressed three others with the traditional greeting, “Shalom aleichem.” I remember being puzzled by why Daddy was greeting friends he saw daily with this special welcome, generally reserved for those one hasn’t seen in a while.

I didn’t ask him about it then, but I have since answered the question for myself, and have ex-

plained it to my children and to my students as follows. The new moon is a symbol of renewal. It is a time for each of us personally to begin again, to forget past mistakes, to turn over a new leaf.

It is also a time for us to renew and recharge our relationship with others. It is a time to begin a new slate, to forgive each other, and to appreciate each other anew. Hence, we greet at least three friends, even old friends, with a shalom aleichem, as if they were newcomers in our lives. nd so, the supplemental reading teaches us about newness. Is there any connection between the supplemental Parashat HaChodesh and the main Torah portion of Tazria?

I would say so, for the parasha begins, “Speak to the Children of Israel, saying, ‘If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be unclean seven days…and on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.’”

The opening theme is one of a new beginning, of a birth of a new baby. It is a time for the celebration of the entry of a new member into the Jewish people. Hence, there is surely a connection between Tazria and Parashat HaChodesh. They both represent the centrality of the new in our tradition.

At this point, you might ask, “If we are celebrating not just newness in general, but the arrival of a new human being into this world and of a new member of the Jewish faith, then why does the mother enter the realm of ritual uncleanness?

Should she not rather enter the realm of tahara?”

I found a most thought-provoking answer recorded in the name of Rabbi Mendel of Kotzk.

He cites the passage in the Talmud which states that the “keys of childbirth” are kept by the Almighty Himself. It is He who presides, as it were, over “labor and delivery.” Once the baby is born, His Presence departs as well. Just as when the soul of man departs, tumah descends, so too when the Divine Spirit departs, tumah ensues.

The Kotzker once again teaches a very deep, albeit existentially pessimistic, lesson. Perhaps one must be Rabbi Mendel of Kotzk to truly understand why he forces us to face darkness even at the moment of joyous celebration of birth.

For most of us, on the other hand, the lesson of our parasha is of light, not of darkness. It is an occasion to contemplate all that is new in our natural and interpersonal environments, especially in the spring. It is an opportunity to seize the moment by taking advantage of the constantly available potential for renewal of ourselves and of our friendships and relationships.

Is this just a Jewish message? Of course not.

It is a message for all of humanity. And it is so well expressed by the famous adventurer and explorer, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, in his book The Silent World: “Sometimes we are lucky enough to know that our lives have been changed, to discard the old, embrace the new, and run headlong down an immutable course. It happened to me at Le Mourillon on that summer’s day, when my eyes were opened to the sea.”

In reading Parashat Tazria, our eyes open to a different kind of sea. May we embrace the new and run, headlong and happy, down a different and better course.

Rosh...

Parsha...

Continued from page 16 On the one hand, it is the kohen who recognizes the affliction and enjoins the individual to repent. Yet the kohen is completely dependent on Hashem who, based on the heart of the individual, causes the tzara’at to abate in the interim.

And what are these seven days of impurity?

They are a period of processing. It offers the mourner the opportunity to focus on his or her loss before gradually reentering a new world, which will never be quite the same.

We need to be willing to trust in Hashem that life will send us what we need, and we need as well to be partners with Hashem in making that happen. As the Vilna Gaon suggests, faith without hishtadlut is not really faith, it bespeaks arrogance; who says I have earned the right to have faith that Hashem will help me? On the other hand, the assumption that I can do it all stems from this very same arrogance.

Ultimately, once I have done my bit, then I have the right to believe that Hashem will do His. Life sends us signals, but we don’t always listen.

Maybe during these seven days, a person who is off balance has the chance to lean towards the other extreme. Perhaps this very suggestion is meant to remind us to make this processing a part of our life.

Perhaps, like the metzorah, we need to take some time for introspection.

Wishing you a balanced, peaceful, and meaningful Shabbat Shalom.

ual who “actively deceives himself and pretends to be someone other than who he really is.” He convinced himself that he had geut, grandeur, when, in fact, he was merely “puffed up with arrogance” born of self-delusion and grandiose visions. Moreover, the Rav asserts, Haman’s ga’avah was nothing other than “a negative character trait, a form of spiritual tzara’at...

Therefore, we must avoid ga’avah and be careful not to behave like Haman, who thought that only he was worthy of honor” (Darosh Darash Yosef, page 231). Clearly, for the Rav, Haman epitomized the notion that “the greatest falsehood takes place when a person lies to himself.”

The Rav continues his presentation and emphasizes that, in stark contrast to the spiritual tzara’at of ga’avah demonstrated by Haman and others of his ilk, Hashem has true geut and, therefore, must be recognized as He Who acts with grandeur. As King David and Yeshayahu the prophet taught us so long ago: “The L-rd has reigned; He has attired Himself with majesty [geut]...” (Tehillim 93:1).

“In the land of uprightness, he [the evil one] deals unjustly, and he does not see the majesty [geut] of the L-rd” (Yeshayahu 26:10).

“Sing to the L-rd for He has performed majestic deeds [geut]; this is known throughout the land” (Yeshayahu, 12:5).

As the Rav underscores many times, “The principle of imitatio dei demands that we emulate G-d’s attributes” (Darosh Darash Yosef, page 231). Therefore, may we always reject ga’avah and the spiritual tzara’at it represents, and embrace the authentic majesty of Hashem and follow in His noble ways.

Arrogance...

Childbirth...

Continued from page 17 onstrate ga’avah (arrogant pretentiousness) and pursue honor: “If, however, one pursues these qualities, then they are false and reprehensible. This is particularly the case if one actively deceives himself and pretends to be someone other than who he really is … The greatest falsehood takes place when a person lies to himself” (Yemei HaZikaron, page 208).

Haman is the ultimate example of an individ-

Continued from page 17 s for the sin offering, there is a fascinating rabbinic passage that sheds light. It describes a conversation between G-d and the angels prior to the creation of man: “When the Holy One, Blessed Be He, came to create man, He created a group of ministering angels and asked them, ‘Do you agree that we should make man in Our image?’

“They replied, ‘Sovereign of the universe, what will be his deeds?’

“G-d showed them the history of mankind.

“The angels replied, ‘What is man that You are mindful of him?’ [Let man not be created].

G-d destroyed the angels.

“He created a second group, and asked them the same question, and they gave the same answer. G-d destroyed them.

“He created a third group of angels, and they replied, ‘Sovereign of the Universe, the first and second group of angels told You not to create man, and it did not avail them. You did not listen. What then can we say but this: The universe is Yours. Do with it as You wish.’

And G-d created man.

“But when it came to the generation of the Flood, and then to the generation of those who built the Tower of Babel, the angels said to G-d, ‘Were not the first angels right? See how great is the corruption of mankind.’

“And G-d replied [Yeshayahu 46:4], ‘Even to old age I will not change, and even to grey hair, I will still be patient.’” he angels were opposed to the creation of man because they knew that of all life forms, humans alone were capable of sinning. The passage implies that G-d knew and yet persisted in creating humanity. This may explain the sin offering brought on the birth of a child.

The child will one day sin. “There is none on earth so righteous as to do only good and never sin,” says Kohelet (7:20). So a mother brings a sin offering in advance to atone, as it were, for the child, as if to say: “G-d, you knew humans would sin, yet still You commanded us to bring new lives into the world. Therefore, please accept this sin offering in advance for any wrong my child may do.”

Parents are responsible in Jewish law for sins their children commit. When a child becomes bar or bat mitzvah, a parent makes the blessing thanking G-d “for making me exempt from the punishment that might have accrued to me through this one.”

The sacrifices a woman brings on the birth of a child, and the period during which she is unable to enter the Temple, have nothing to do with any sin she may have committed or any “defilement” she may have undergone.

They are, rather, to do with the basic fact of human mortality, together with the responsibility a parent undertakes for the conduct of a child, and an acknowledgement that every new life is the gift of G-d.

Rabbi DR. tzvi heRsh weinReb Orthodox Union

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Continued from page 16 constant renewal. Reenergizing when the excitement of any activity or recommitment ends, we find something new. We begin again.

When Daf Yomi finishes a tractate, they make a siyum and go onto the next one.

When we finish reading a parasha Shabbat morning, by Mincha time we’re reading the next one.

We finish reading a Book of the Torah, we begin the next one right away.

On Simchat Torah, when we finish the Torah, we have another Torah in the wings, ready to begin with Bereishit.

When we read from multiple Torahs, we don’t remove the one we’re using until the next one is already on the table.

Before the month ends, we bless the month that will be coming.

And when we have our renewal of life at 70, especially if the question hasn’t been asked yet, each person must wonder, “How am I making the most of my additional years?” In simple terms, it becomes a matter of perspective. hen Martin Luther King Jr. was 39, he said “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life; longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do G-d’s will.” He was assassinated the next day.

Dov Gruner, one of the more famous Irgun fighters, who was executed by the British court in Palestine in 1947 at the age of 34, penned a similar thought in a letter he sent to Menachem Begin from prison, awaiting his execution. “Of course I want to live. Who does not? But if I am sorry that I am about to ‘finish’ it is mainly because I did not manage to do enough.”

Perhaps we, no matter what age we are, can combine these two profound statements, of people who, in our own eyes, accomplished so much in so little time, and ask ourselves, “Are we doing enough in our efforts to do G-d’s will?”

Our parsha begins discussing birth, which is one kind of “renewal.” It continues discussing the “renewal” that one who gets tzara’at must go through to rejoin society. Hopefully we can all be blessed with constant renewal in our lives, and may we always make the choice to be ever-growing and ever-renewing in our relationship with G-d.

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The new moon is a symbol of renewal.

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Jewish Star columnist

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nother week, another gifted commentary on the Haggadah, this time by Dr. Adena Berkowitz. Just released by Israel’s Gefen Publishing House, “The Jewish Journey Haggadah” is subtitled, “Connecting the Generations.” And so it does. While carefully following a traditional litergy, some of its notes echo contemporary themes.

In our online interview, Dr. Berkowitz, coauthor of a previous work, “Shaarei Simcha: Gates of Joy,” shares the deep importance that Pesach holds for all of us. *** “Shabbos is special, all the Yom Tovim are special, but the Sedarim of Pesach stand out as one of the most educational experiences of our mesorah. Amidst the beauty of the Seder table, the delicious food, the variety of wines — Seder nights provide a unique chance to impart to all at the table key ideas of what being a Jew is all about: “Our relationship with G-d; the meaning of freedom; the importance of both memory and living halachic practice; the requirement to remember what our lives were like during slavery; to feel for those who are enslaved, and of our hopes for current spiritual liberation.

“It is not just a meal — it is a spiritual meal, a spiritual journey that requires work on the part of those at the table. We are not just supposed to plop ourselves down. We have work to! We have to feel the backbreaking labor of Egyptian servitude. We have to offer gratitude that we were freed from Egypt. We have to feel the terror of the Egyptians chasing us with the Sea of Reeds in front of us. We have to bring to the forefront our emunah, our deep faith that the G-d who redeemed us from Egypt will now accompany us we cross the Sea Of Reeds with song in our hearts and, in our current lives leading to the Ultimate Redemption.

“When I grew up, our Sedarim, in addition to our immediate family (that included visiting grandparents and later just my maternal grandmother, who lived to over 100), would feature some veteran returnees and then be opened to an eclectic and broad-based group. We could be joined by frum friends, newly Orthodox children of friends, stars of the Yiddish theatre who long ago gave up observance, secular politicians, movie stars or radio/TV personalities or a simple neighborhood person in need of a place at a Seder.

“As the evening would progress, the joy and happiness of the people participating never diminished. The conversations and differing points of view (that never became rancorous, despite the varied backgrounds of those at the table) flowed as freely as the wine. In our house no one would get away with the 30-minute Seder, nor think of cutting out after 30 minutes. Just about all our guests would stay for hours, to the last Chad Gadya, the last L’Shana Haba’ah.

“When it came time for me to edit my own Haggadah, I realized that I would want the user to experience in some way the educational experience that I had on Seder nights as a child and what I hope my children would feel and experience at our Sedarim. I wanted to design a userfriendly Haggadah that would feature not only the traditional text, that provided an educational experience, as tradition mandated, but also, through the commentary, make the participants realize that they were going on a real spiritual journey. The participants had to feel as if as if they too were leaving Egypt that very night.

“The text had to be explained, making it both thought provoking, contemplative, and reflective. In addition to the traditional liturgy, the songs had to be fun, the melodies exciting, and the conversation relevant. The pictures used in the Haggadah would help the Seder to come alive — regardless of the background or

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the beliefs of this in attendance.

“One thing that motivated me was the realization that what makes the Seder nights so very special is often the variety of the backgrounds of the people present. That can be very challenging. Hence it’s a chance to convey the vibrancy of our mesorah, our religious heritage, in a way that everyone can find meaning — and in turn come to realize the power of Pesach and its message for us today.

“A traditional text coupled with a modern translation and transliteration surely comes together and helps those who do not read nor understand Hebrew, and provides exposure to traditional commentators and contemporary questions, stories, and parody songs for all to learn and benefit from for the many years to come.”

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tehilla r. goldberg

Intermountain Jewish News

RIP, Capt.

Bacos I

never saw the movie “Entebbe,” or, as history’s most audacious and daring military rescue operation was known to me in my Israeli childhood, “Mivtza Yonatan.”

Military historian David Saul’s recent book Operation Thunderbolt has been on my reading list, which I of course haven’t gotten to. Word is that this book, above other books and films, is the definitive work on the military operation, replete with incredible detail and reading like a novel.

Maybe it’s because I never watched the movie or read deeply about it, but I always thought the military miracle of Entebbe to be the heart of this story. Which of course it is.

Many of us grew up with Yoni Netanyahu’s heroism and his inspirational letters.

The story of Entebbe beats with two hearts. There’s the daring mission and its success. There’s the IDF. There’s Yoni Netanyahu.

And then there is Michel Bacos.

There’s the military side of Entebbe — and there’s its transcendent humanity.

When the mayor of Nice, France tweeted about his death, I learned of the heroism of Michel Bacos, pilot of Air France Flight 139 from Tel Aviv to Paris via Greece.

Famously, the hijackers separated the Jewish passengers from the non-Jews. The non-Jews were released. At these tense moments, with lives hanging in the balance, at the mercy of the hijackers, Captain Bacos not only refused to leave the Jewish passengers behind, but convinced the rest of his crew to stick with him — to stick with the Jews.

In this split-second decision, in this great act of humanity springing from the deepest wells of courage at the possible cost of his own life, Bacos changed from aircraft captain to the conscience of the world. he mayor of Nice tweeted: “He refused to abandon his passengers, who were taken hostage because they were Israeli or of Jewish origin, risking his own life. Michel bravely refused to surrender to anti-Semitism and barbarism and brought honor to France.”

Learning of this heroic and inspirational story at a time of rising anti-Semitism is a salve. It gives the hope of good people who care about humanity and even risk their lives to live by a moral code. Yet it is a story of the last century. Would this still happen today?

I wonder. I hope so.

Of course, an act of such selflessness, of such courage and clarity, is complex. Captain Bacos had every right to walk away and save himself and his crew. He was a victim, too.

Over years of exposure to Holocaust stories, a question poses itself time and again: What would I have done? We like to think we would rise to the occasion. But would we?

Michel Bacos did. And so the tributes from around the world pour in. A captain who calmly flew and landed an airplane safely with the steel of a gun burrowed in his neck by a hijacking terrorist — for that alone he deserves world recognition. But he also proved to be a great humanitarian.

In the midst of this terrifying darkness, Yoni Netanyahu and Michel Bacos risked their lives to save others.

While Netanyahu was part of a military operation, Michel Bacos elected to throw his destiny in with the Jewish people.

One lost his life that day, the other died this past week. Two hearts of a story, one heart in mission.

We salute you, Captain.

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Jew-hatred as anti-racism in Times Jonathan S. tobin

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iscussions about intersectional theory used to be confined to the fever swamps of the far left. But this idea — the idea that seeks to link the struggle for civil rights in the United States with the Palestinian war on Israel’s existence and every other cause that can be falsely portrayed as one of the underprivileged against the privileged — has now gone mainstream.

The latest evidence of the success of this attempt to dress up anti-Semitism in the clothing of human-rights advocacy arrives with the new edition of the New York Times Sunday magazine, which includes an article titled “How the Battle Over Israel and Anti-Semitism Is Fracturing American Politics,” by Israel critic Nathan Thrall.

Thrall’s object is to justify BDS campaigns that anchor the debate about the subject in “Black-Palestinian solidarity” and the effort to view the war on Israel through the “racial justice prism.” The result is an 11,000-word essay that seeks to subtly paint Zionism as inherently racist and efforts to destroy Israel as idealistic efforts to defend human rights.

The article’s thesis is also to portray the proIsrael movement’s effort to push back at antiSemitic attacks as tainted by prejudice against African-Americans and fueled primarily by the heavy-handed efforts of Jewish donors to manipulate the Democratic Party.

One of Thrall’s primary sources is former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, who seeks to depict the struggle for the future of the Democratic Party as one that will be determined by whether its leaders learn to overcome the “fear factor” about losing the support of Jewish donors. hrall, an author of a book seeking to justify U.S. pressure on the Jewish state, gives a deeply sympathetic hearing to Rhodes’s account of how the worries of Democratic politicians about retribution from the “donor class” (i.e., Jews) inhibited the Obama administration’s efforts to hammer Israel even more than it did.

The article also amplifies Rhodes’s specious claim that Obama’s inability to persuade Israel’s supporters to back him on the issue was due to racial prejudice. He claims that supporters of Israel assumed that Barack Obama was pro-Palestinian because he was black.

Rhodes’s thesis, which Thrall endorses, is that this alleged fear of Obama was the result of the pro-Israel community’s understanding that the Jewish state really was “an oppressor.”

According to Rhodes, Obama’s critics were “acknowledging, through your own fears, that Israel treats the Palestinians like black people had been treated in the United States.”

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This argument has it backwards. Jewish Democrats bent over backwards to maintain their faith that Obama had been sincere in his professions of support for Israel when he ran for president in 2008, in spite of evidence to the contrary, both then and later.

Far from being prejudiced against him, most American Jews stuck loyally to Obama, despite his belief that more “daylight” was needed between Israel and the United States. They even supported his efforts to appease an Iranian regime that was bent on genocide.

The assumption that Palestinians and Israeli Arabs are treated the same way as the AfricanAmerican victims of Jim Crow in the pre-civilrights era in the South is a lie. Israeli Arabs have equal rights under the law. Nor does the nation-state law passed last year by the Knesset impinge on any of their rights.

The standoff about the future of the West Bank is because Palestinians have repeatedly rejected offers of peace and statehood. They would have had attained independence long ago had they been willing to recognize the legitimacy of a Jewish state, no matter where its borders might be drawn. Those who accept these fallacious arguments are either ignorant of the conflict or expressing their own anti-Semitic mindset.

That’s the problem with the BDS movement.

Its supporters are not so much against alleged Israeli oppression as they are about the existence of Israel. They view the presence of even one Jewish state on the planet as one too many. ne example is the Jewish Voice for Peace group’s Deadly Exchange protest, mentioned by Thrall. It depicts the exchange programs that allow U.S. law enforcement and first responders to get Israeli training as responsible for police murders of blacks in American

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cities. That is a classic anti-Semitic blood libel.

Yet it is presented by Thrall as one more example of how idealists are rejecting Israel.

Accepting the notion that there is a natural affinity between the effort to achieve equal rights for African-Americans and Palestinian efforts to destroy Israel requires a willingness to ignore the truth about Israel and that of the movement to destroy it.

More to the point, the article presents criticism of the anti-Semitic invective of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) as the result of racism.

The reason why Obama was criticized for his Middle East stands had nothing to do with his race, and everything to do with his refusal to accept that hatred for Israel and anti-Semitism was the obstacle to peace, not the pro-Israel community’s racism or Israel’s intransigence. If Omar is singled out for criticism, it’s not because she’s black or Muslim, but because, like the BDS movement she supports, she’s guilty of flagrant anti-Semitism.

There was a time when intersectional myths seeking to conflate anti-black racism with Zionism and the Jews would be dismissed as prejudiced anti-Semitic claptrap that didn’t deserve a hearing in a prominent forum like the Times. But that was before some on the left began their successful efforts to divide the Democratic Party and to legitimize antiSemitism.

In the battle for the soul of the Democratic Party, it is Israel’s foes that have embraced hate, not its defenders. It is they who talk about Jewish money, while trying to delegitimize the Jewish state and whitewash its enemies. Liberals who wish to reclaim their party’s integrity, and that of the flagship publication of their movement, have an uphill struggle in front of them.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS.

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e has engaged in “crude anti-Semitism,” according to the Anti-Defamation League.

He has “consistently impugned the loyalty of American Jews,” said the American Jewish Congress. And he has compared Israel to the Nazis, which according to the U.S. State Department, is anti-Semitic.

Yet, irony of ironies, longtime Democratic Party official James Zogby has emerged as one of the most prominent voices in the party defending Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and denying that her remarks about Jews being disloyal were anti-Semitic.

Zogby is a longtime leader of various antiIsrael groups — first the Palestine Human Rights Campaign, then the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and currently the Arab American Institute.

At the same time, he has also been prominent in Democratic Party leadership circles. He was

deputy manager of Jesse Jackson’s 1984 and 1998 presidential campaigns. In 1995, he was appointed co-convener of the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Committee. He served as “Senior Advisor on Ethnic Outreach” for both Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000 and Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2008.

Since 2001, Zogby has been a member of the executive committee of the Democratic National Committee. In 2006, he was also named co-chair of the DNC’s Resolutions Committee. As a member of that committee, in 2012 he objected to the insertion of language affirming that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and helped draft the proPalestinian language that appeared in the 2016 party platform.

After Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar recently accused Jews of being disloyal to America and paying members of Congress to support Israel, Zogby leaped to her defense. In a series of articles, interviews and a recent conference call for the news media, together with J Street president Jeremy Ben-Ami, Zogby has insisted that there was nothing anti-Semitic about Omar’s statements, and that the whole controversy is the fault of racist Zionists.

“Because [Omar] has dared to challenge

the way supporters of Israel have worked to silence debate on U.S. policy toward the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, she has become a victim of incitement and hate crimes, and the target of legislation meant to shame her,” according to Zogby.

He says that Ms. Omar didn’t slander Jews; she merely “challenged the power of AIPAC to intimidate politicians and silence debate on Israel/Palestine.” As a consequence, the poor congresswoman has endured “shameful bigoted assaults on her as a Muslim woman.”

Zogby has actually gone so far as to implicitly praise Omar’s statements about Jews, characterizing her remarks as “the discussion Omar’s courage has helped to open.” wonder how much of this is related to Zogby’s own history of making anti-Semitic remarks.

Perhaps he sees Omar as a kindred spirit.

During the 1982 Lebanon War, Zogby compared Israel to the Nazis and described Israeli military actions against terrorists in southern Lebanon as “a Holocaust,” according to the AntiDefamation League. The official U.S. State De-

partment definition of anti-Semitism includes “drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.”

In 1991, Henry Siegman, executive director of the American Jewish Congress, wrote that Zogby had “consistently impugned the loyalty of American Jews by suggesting that they put the interest of Israel ahead of the interests of the United States, and their lobbying activities in support of Israel subvert the democratic process. Such accusations are the standard fare of anti-Semitism.”

In 1999, Zogby publicly charged that there were too many Jewish employees in the State Department. The ADL characterized his statement as “crude anti-Semitism.”

All this is an addition to Zogby’s long list of other outrageous statements, including accusing then-Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres of carrying out “state-sponsored terrorism”; praising Hezbollah terrorists as “the Lebanese armed resistance”; and justifying Palestinian terrorist atSee Zogby on page 22

The whole controversy is the fault of racist Zionists.

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The UN’s double standard on the Golan Heights sarah n. stern Endowment for MidEast Truth

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f the world’s 194 nations, the vast majority acquired their territory through the use of military force. That’s how borders have traditionally been drawn. Most of these campaigns were offensive.

I have asked many military experts, historians and scholars about this, and they have, to a person, told me that there is only one nation in the world that gained territory through force that has been sued, time and time again, to relinquish that territory. You guessed it: the State of Israel.

What is so profoundly outrageous about this is that Israel acquired lands in defensive wars.

It’s not as though Israel is a colonial state that set out to acquire land to enrich itself and its people. Israel acquired the Golan Heights in an

act of self-defense after being attacked on all sides as part of the June 1967 Six-Day War and managed to successfully retain it in the 1973 war.

Syria is a failed state. We have seen how the eight-year brutal Syrian civil war at the hands of President Bashar Assad has left at least a half a million of his own people dead and 5.6 million refugees, along with 6.8 million internally displaced persons.

According to a recent article in Commentary by legal scholar Vivian Bercovici, “Since World War II, the accepted understanding of international law that involves territorial loss during conflict is quite straightforward: The attacking nation may not retain permanently land acquired as a result of armed conflict.”

For those who are objecting to this move: Kindly inform us of with whom, precisely, Israel is supposed to negotiate with.

Let’s take a look at the players inside Syria.

Assad? Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, the head of ISIS in the Levant? Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps that works hand in

glove with Assad? Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah, who now has several thousand troops in Syria? he reality on the ground is that the 400 square miles of the Golan Heights is the demarcation line between a Hobbesian state of war of “man against man” and a relatively tranquil, democratic area.

The political reality within Israel is that every Israeli — right, left and center — agrees that the Golan Heights are critical for the survival of the state. Gen. Giora Eiland stated that “there is no solution to Israel’s survival without the retention of the Golan Heights.”

Every Israeli knows that whoever controls the high ground of the Golan controls the security of the area. Most of us have stood there and peered down into Damascus and Beirut. We know it affords a protective shield extending all the way down to Sea of Galilee.

And the Israeli intelligence and military officials up there are the “eyes and ears” for vital intelligence and military information that they willingly share with the United States.

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Words matter. By framing the language of the Golan Heights as “occupied territory,” it whets the appetite of Israel’s enemies and indicates to them that this region is still in play.

That is why it is no less than infuriating when 14 nations of the U.N. Security Council met last week at the request of Syria to condemn America’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Would any of these distinguished representatives ever subject their own citizens of their nations to the uncertainty of “trading land for peace” if they had such wolves banging at their gates?

As I have written many times in the past, the birth of Israel was supposed to have been the denouement of the age-old problem of antiSemitism. Instead, it is the focal point for all anti-Semites.

And many of them are distinguished representatives wearing suits and ties, casting their votes in the United Nations.

Sarah N. Stern is founder and president of the Endowment for Middle East Truth.

‘Institutionally anti-Semitic’: a cautionary tale Viewpoint

Ben Cohen

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n Britain, there is a long tradition of holding public inquiries to establish the facts and learn the appropriate lessons from a host of social and political challenges. Subjects have included, among others, child abuse, the use of nuclear power and the 2003 Iraq war. Some of these inquiries have had such a powerful impact that they continue to be talked about decades later (which, incidentally, is why many Brits are expecting that the present Brexit debacle will one day enthrall them with the inquiry of inquiries.)

In 1999, the distinguished British judge Sir William Macpherson chaired an inquiry into U.K. authorities’ handling of the brutal murder of a black Londoner, Stephen Lawrence. In April 1993, the 19-year-old was racially abused and then fatally stabbed by a gang of white racists at a bus stop. Six years later, the case against his murderers collapsed largely because

of — as Macpherson’s report put it — a “a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership.”

That concept of “institutional racism” became firmly planted in British public policy and has since emerged in other contexts.

The most unlikely of these, given its political traditions and historic links with the Jewish community, has been the British Labour Party, which now stands accused of “institutional racism” in its approach to antiSemitism within its ranks. erhaps the most thorough and damning account of Labour’s transformation, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, into an enemy of Jewish concerns, was published last week. Its author, Professor Alan Johnson, has been an important figure on the British left for many years, advocating for a radical socialism shorn of the uglier characteristics, such as the embrace of anti-Semitic beliefs and

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authoritarian regimes that have come to define much of the left today.

Many of Corbyn’s critics argue that anti-Semitism has always been a vocal presence in the socialist movement. The antecedents of those left-wing activists who today campaign for the elimination of Israel as a sovereign state depicted Jews as an exploiting merchant class, the authors of both poverty in the cities and decline in the countryside. But while Johnson is well aware of these traditions, his affront at their prominence under Corbyn’s leadership is rooted in his conviction that anti-Semitism is utterly inimical to socialism.

It is from that perspective that Johnson offers the following observation. “Antisemitism isn’t just a prejudice against Jews,” he writes. “It is also a fear of their supposedly tremendous (but always hidden) power to shape the world. In that sense, antisemitism sometimes functions in some different ways to

‘It’s the super-rich families of the Zionist lobby that control the world.’

other prejudices, other racisms.”

There are very few people on the left these days who grasp this critical point; ironically, that perhaps explains why progressives and socialists continue to be attracted by explanations of global injustice and inequality that are grounded on precisely this “fear” of Jewish power and influence.

In the pages that follow, Johnson lays out in excruciating detail the story of how an ostensibly enlightened, pro-European social democratic party became a home for activists trafficking in three distinct types of anti-Semitism.

First is the “socialism of fools” that equates Jews with exploitation. The statement of one Labour activist cited by Johnson — to wit, that the “Jewish Zionist bourgeoisie, from Milton Friedman to Henry Kissinger” have played a “vanguard role for the capitalist offensive against the workers” — is a particularly pungent example.

Secondly, there is the penetration of “classic” or racial anti-Semitism. Again, Johnson provides numerous examples of Labour supporters praising Hitler, invoking the figure of Judas from the Christian Bible as an illustration of Jewish financial machinations or defaming See Labour on page 22

THE JEWISH STAR April 5, 2019 • 29 Adar 2, 5779

James Zogby: Yet another Dem anti-Semite

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Zogby...

Continued from page 21 tacks against Israel as “desperate acts of striking out against the master.”

Not to mention such other lunatic statements by Zogby as his accusation that Israel “ethnically cleansed [the land] of Arabs” (when there are obviously still several million Arabs residing in Judea, Samaria and Gaza); and his recent declaration that celebrity chef Rachael Ray committed “cultural genocide” against the Palestinians because she referred to hummus as an Israeli food.

If the Democratic Party leadership wants to convince the public that it rejects Congresswoman Omar’s statements, it should start by disowning James Zogby and removing him from all positions in the party. Having an unrepentant anti-Semite publicly defending an anti-Semitic congresswoman, while continuing to hold positions in the party leadership, isn’t going to do the trick.

Attorney Stephen M. Flatow is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iraniansponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995.

Labour...

Continued from page 21 Jews in Nazi fashion as “parasites.”

And thirdly, there is anti-Semitism presented as opposition to Zionism and capitalism. “It’s the super-rich families of the Zionist lobby that control the world,” one Labour activist tweeted. “Our world leaders sell their souls for greed to do the bidding of Israel.” ow does this garbage become institutionalized? The Macpherson Report defined institutional racism as the “collective fail-

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ure of an organization to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their color, culture or ethnic origin” — a failure manifested in the hostile behavior that Stephen Lawrence’s parents experienced from the police officers investigating their son’s murder, and perpetuated by the refusal of individuals in key leadership positions to recognize the problem of racism in the first place.

Johnson applies this same reasoning to the dismissive, inherently suspicious response of Corbyn and his allies to the numerous instances of anti-Semitism that have stretched from Labour’s rank and file all the way to members of parliament and, many would argue, Corbyn himself.

“To define the Labour Party as institutionally antisemitic,” Johnson writes, “is to say that it is not currently offering ‘an appropriate and professional service’ to a particular group, Jews; that this failure can be detected in the ‘processes,’ ‘attitudes’ and ‘behaviors’ found in the party; that the party has not ‘openly and adequately addressed’ antisemitism in the party; and that these multiple failures are common enough to adversely impact the experience of Jews, so that they are in various ways disadvantaged (as those Jews currently leaving the party keep making clear to the leader in their eloquent resignation letters).”

As grim as it is to say, we now at least have an example against which other institutions can be measured. Some American campus administrations might be said to be denying a professional service to Jewish students assailed by anti-Zionism masquerading as antiSemitism; the same could certainly be said of the police and judiciary in France or Germany, both of whom too often fail the victims of antiSemitic hate crimes in those countries.

For those of us outside of the United Kingdom, if there is a lesson to be gleaned from Johnson’s analysis, it’s that any political party, or civic association, or educational institution that confidently believes itself to be immune to outbursts of crude Jew-hatred should regard Labour’s wretched experience with anti-Semitism as a cautionary tale.

Shapiro no alt-righter

By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA The Economist labeled Ben Shapiro an “altright sage” in a headline, then apologized after the right-wing pundit protested the characterization.

The British weekly’s apology was added Thursday to a profile about Shapiro that originally carried the headline “Inside the mind of Ben Shapiro, the alt-right sage without the rage.” It also called Shapiro “a pop idol of the alt right.”

After an exchange on Twitter between Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew, and Anne McElvoy, one of the article’s two authors, The Economist changed the headline to “Inside the mind of Ben Shapiro, a radical conservative.” The apology said the

references to the alt-right — a loose right-wing movement that includes white nationalists and anti-Semites — was made “mistakenly,” adding “In fact, he has been strongly critical of the altright movement. We apologize.”

Founded in 1843, The Economist is one of the world’s most reputed periodicals.

In the exchange, Shapiro wrote: “This is a vile lie. Not only am I not alt-right, I am probably their leading critic on the right. I was the number one target of their hate in 2016 online according to ADL data. I demand a retraction.”

He added: “If you lump me in with people who are so evil I literally hire security to walk me to shul on Shabbat, you can go straight to hell.”

A bagel-slicing sin?

By Ben Sales, JTA The bread-sliced bagel was an accident.

“St Louis, fuhgeddaboudit,” tweeted Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat.

Here’s how Doron Berger, former co-owner of the Panera restaurant chain, defends the bagel blasphemy: Panera introduced bagels in the early to mid-1990s, he said. To entice customers, the restaurants would put bagel samples out on the counter, sliced thinly (like bread) so that customers could have a small taste.

But Berger says customers got into the idea of thin bagel slices, and began asking for their bagels to be cut that way and overlaid with a slice of cheese. And so the bread-sliced bagel was born.

“This was sort of an organic, grassroots kind of thing,” he said.

Berger was born in Romania and moved to Israel with his family as a teenager in 1964. In 1970, after his discharge from the Israeli army,

he moved to the United States to seek opportunity, and came to St. Louis because he had relatives there.

“I came to Israel with nothing, came to America with nothing,” he said. “By grace of G-d, I was able to make it.”

Berger recalled a time when some Americans weren’t familiar with the bagel. In 1996, he was traveling through Colorado and stopped at a small town diner. The menu featured a bagel — and described it in parentheses as a “Jewish donut.”

“I personally, probably [prefer] the traditional way,” he said. “You cut it traditionally, two halves. You put whatever on it, and that’s that.”

But he’s enjoyed the Twitter furor. “On the one hand it’s funny, on the other hand it’s silly,” he said. “But it’s better than reading about carjacking and murder.”

“Listen,” he added later. “It’s great marketing for Panera.”

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RIETS Shiur: Next in a series of Rosh Chodesh shiurim by the RIETS roshei yeshiva: Hilchos Pesach with Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky. 9:15 to 10 am.

515 West 185th St, Room 307, Manhattan.

Bialystoker Tour: Join us for a 1-hour tour of the historic Bialystoker Synagogue and presentation of Lower East Side history. A portion of the proceeds are returned to the synagogue. 7 pm.

7-11 Bialystoker Pl, Manhattan. NYCJewishTours. org. $10 in advance; $13 at the door.

Yiddish Evening: The Long Island Yiddish Club hosts an evening of opera, Yiddish, Fiddler and Jewish classics at Chabad of Islip, featuring live performance by cantor David Babinet as well as wine tasting. 7:30 pm. 102 East Main St, Bay Shore. LIYiddish.com.

Sunday April 7

Young Women’s Learning: Prepare for Pesach with the YIW Maor Program. Ms. Chevi Garfinkel speaks on “What Pesach Teaches Us About Bitachon and Hishtadlus.” 10 am. 859 Peninsula Blvd, Woodmere. 516-295-0950.

Gush Gala: The Etzion Foundation invites you to join its jubilee gala, celebrating 50 years of personal development and national commitment at Yeshivat Har Etzion. 1:45 pm exhbition; 5:15 pm gala. 212-732-4874.

Spring Festival: Chazaq & Tribeca Synagogue present a Pre-Passover Spring Festival. Arts and crafts, prizes, cotton candy and sno-cones, make your own matzah, live petting zoo. 2 pm. 49 White St, Manhattan. 212-966-7141. $25.

MAY Madness: Mesivta Ateres Yaakov’s alumni basketball tournament. Sponsor or register at MAYalumni.com. 131 Washington Ave, Lawrence.

516-374-6465 ext. 4016. Player registration $50; admission $18; alumni admission $10.

North Shore Hebrew Academy Gala: Guests of Honor Dina & Jonathan Ohebshalom; L’dor V’dor Award Shoshana & Martin Sokol; Distinguished Faculty Award Sandy Sudberg. 5 pm.

21 Old Westbury Rd, Old Westbury. NSHA.org/ giving/dinner.

Concert for Our Boys: To benefit Mesivta of Waterbury. Featuring Mordechai Ben David, Abie Rotenberg, and Waterbury boys. Separate seating. 7:30 pm. 1029 Brighton Beach Ave, Brooklyn.

203-212-9711. $100 per ticket.

Monday April 8

Holocaust Education: The Tolerance Center of Nassau County present a professional development workshop for educators entitled Teaching Schindler’s List: Using Film to Explore the Holocaust. 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. 100 Crescent Beach Rd, Glen Cove. 516-571-8040. $25.

Rabbi Walkin Speaks: Chazaq & Young Israel of Briarwood present Rosh Yeshiva Rav Aharon Walkin shlit”a on raising children with wisdom through the night of the Seder. Pizza served. 8 pm. 84-75 Daniel St, Briarwood. 718-285-9132.

Free.

Monday April 15

Witness Project: The UJA-Federation of New York invites you to an inspiration evening as students bring the stories of Holocaust survivors to life through multimedia performance and art.

Proceeds will support local services for Holocaust survivors. 5:45 pm. 720 Northern Blvd, Greenvale. 516-762-5800; UJAFedNY.org/witness. $25.

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Friday April 19

Communal Seder: Experience the deeper meaning of Passover in a warm, inspirational environment with Chabad of Five Towns, complete with delicious catered Seder dinner, thought-provoking insights, four cups of wine, and plenty of matzah. Pre-paid registration required; assistance available. 8 pm. 74 Maple Ave, Cedarhurst. 516295-24788. $40 adult; $25 child under 10.

Wednesday May 1

Yom Hashoah: Rabbi Joseph Potasnik keynotes a Holocaust Remembrance Day program hosted by Shaaray Shalom. Topic: “What is the Message of Yesterday for Today.” 7 pm. 711 Dogwood Ave, West Hempstead. 516-967-0726. Free.

Tuesday May 7

Jerusalem: Lecture series on Sacred Cities of the World by Ron Brown features Jerusalem.

Great Neck Main Library community room. 2 pm.

159 Bayview Ave, Great Neck. 516-466-8055.

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Monday May 20

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Women’s Leadership Summit: The Orthodox Union Women’s Initiative invites female lay leaders who are impacting schools, synagogues, and other community organizations to connect, develop, and grow. Presenters include Erica Brown, Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Leslie Ginsparg-Klein, Allison Josephs, and Chani Neuberger. Space is limited.

Tuesday May 21

Beth Sholom Supperette: The Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Sholom hosts its annual supperette. Guests of honor Molly Lilker and Carol Small; also honoring Tammy Schreiber with Service Award and Chaya Miller with Special Recognition Award. 5 pm boutiques; 7:15 pm dinner.

Sunday May 26

Cross River Open: The Jewish community’s premier tennis experience at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, benefitting Our Place.

Tournaments include men’s singles and doubles and women’s singles and doubles. Family entertainment, deluxe lunch. 516-512-4494.

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Monday June 3

Beth Sholom Dinner: 67th Annual Testimonial dinner to support Beth Sholom of Lawrence.

Guests of Honor Phyllis & Philip Kerstein; Lifetime Service Award Pilar & Richie Olmedo. 6 pm. 390 Broadway, Lawrence. 516-569-3600 ext. 21.

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