The Jewish Star

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Judy’s back in The Jewish Star’s kitchen

Getting closer to G-d, each on our level

Pirket Avot’s intellectual challenge

In the army, Rav Lichtenstein washed dishes

Who’s in the Kitchen

Rabbi Avi Billet Page 18

Kosher Bookworm

Rabbi Binny Freedman

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THE JEWISH May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775

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STAR

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THE NEWSPAPER OF LONG ISLAND’S ORTHODOX COMMUNITIES

MARCH ON, NEW YORK! LI celebrates Israel on Sunday It’s a day when it seems as though all of New York turns out to show its love for Midinat Yisroel. On Sunday — rain or shine — schools, shuls, organizations and individuals from throughout Long Island will joins tens of thousands of others from around the metropolitan area and beyond for the annual Celebrate Israel Parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan from 57th to 74th streets, from 11:30 am to 4 pm. This year’s theme is “Israel Imagines.â€? For the 22nd year, there’ll be a free Israel Day concert in Central Park over3DUDGH JRHUV Ă€RFNHG WR WKH ,VUDHO 'D\ &RQFHUW LQ &HQ lapping the parade, from 2:30 to 7:30 WUDO 3DUN ODVW \HDU 7KLV 6XQGD\ WKH SRVW SDUDGH VKRZ LV pm. Scheduled performers include Gad VFKHGXOHG WR UXQ IURP WR SP <DDNRY.DW]6WXGLRV FRP Elbaz, Alex Clare, LIPA, Mati Shriki, Tal planned for Pier 94 off the West Side HighVaknin, and Shloime Dachs. Among political and communal leaders way, about one-and-a-half miles away, from expected to speak are Gov. Mike Huckabee, 2 to 7 pm. Admission to this event is $5 to $15. Among the many Jewish schools participatMK Danny Danon, former U.N. Ambassador ing in the march are the Hebrew Academy of John Balton and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. Billed as “The Concert With A Message,â€? Five Towns and Rockaway, Hebrew Academy the event, at the park’s Summer Stage (enter of Long Beach, Hebrew Academy of Nassau at Fifth Avenue at 72nd Street), is dedicated County, North Shore Hebrew Academy, the to the memory of Gilad Shaar, Naftali Fren- Shulamith School for Girls, and Shalhevet. Those who can’t make it can watch a slice 6WXGHQWV IURP 6KXODPLWK 6FKRRO IRU *LUOV PDUFKHG ODVW \HDU LQ UHG 7 VKLUWV ZLWK D SRVWHU GHSLFWLQJ $OL\DK %HW kel and Eyal Yifrach, hyâ€?d. WKH LOOHJDO LPPLJUDWLRQ RI -HZV IURP (XURSH WR 3DOHVWLQH XQGHU WKH %ULWLVK 0DQGDWH -HZLVK 6WDU 'RQRYDQ %HUWKRXG A multi-ethnic Celebrate Israel Festival is of the parade on FOX MY9 from noon to 2 pm.

Remembering when Baghdad burned: June 1, 1941 EDWIN BLACK

known as Futuwwa, was nothing less than a clone of the Hitler Youth. In 1938, Futuwwa members were required to attend a candlelight Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg. When the delegation came back from Germany, a common chant in Arabic was, “Long live Hitler, the killer of insects and Jews.� By the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, and a coterie of transnational Palestinian agitators, had thoroughly permeated Baghdad’s ruling circles. For example, Taha al-Hashimi, Iraqi Chief of Staff, doubled as the head of the Committee for the Defense of Palestine.

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n Arabic, the word is Farhud means “violent dispossession.� It’s a word the Jews of wartime Europe did not know, just as Holocaust was a word unfamiliar to the Jews of WWII Iraq. The Farhud of June 1–2, 1941, on the holiday of Shavuot, brought murder, rape and destruction to a Jewish community that had

been living in Iraq for some 2,600 years. Soon after Hitler took power in 1933, Germany’s chargÊ d’affaires in Baghdad, German Arab specialist Fritz Grobba, acquired the Christian Iraqi newspaper Al-Alem Al Arabi, converting it into a Nazi organ that published installments of an Arabic translation of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Radio Berlin began beaming Arabic programs across the Middle East. The Nazi ideology of Jewish conspiracy and international manipulation was widely adopted in Iraqi society. As Arab Nationalism and Hitlerism fused, numerous Nazi-style youth clubs began springing up in Iraq. One pivotal group,

To lure more Arabs to the Nazi cause, Grobba employed such tactics as dispensing lots of cash among politicians and deploying seductive German women among ranking members of the army. German radio broadcasting in Baghdad regularly aired fallacious reports about non-existent Jewish outrages in Palestine. Grobba, in conjunction with the Mufti, cultivated many Iraqis to act as surrogate Nazis. By April 1, 1941, with WWII in full swing, a group of pro-Nazi Iraqi military men known as the Golden Square staged a coup, ousting the British-dominated government. Quickly, the Continued on page 19

May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

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3 THE JEWISH STAR May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775

COME TOGETHER Once a year our entire New York Jewish community comes together at the Celebrate Israel Parade to express our abiding commitment to the State of Israel and its people. Join tens of thousands of people from across our community on Sunday, May 31st as we march in the largest display of pro-Israel support in the world. We’ll be there with flags waving! Then join us for the after-party at the Celebrate Israel Festival at Pier 94 on the West Side Highway for live entertainment, family activities, culture, food, and art. Let’s celebrate Israel together.

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Binghamton grad’s Kofax moment: He tapes Shabbat talk

Pirkei Avot’s intellectual challenge ALAN JAY GERBER KOSHER BOOKWORM

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ith Shavuot now behind us, we restart our learning of Pirkei Avot, beginning with the first chapter. Thus, it is most opportune to bring to your attention a new commentary by Rabbi Marc Angel, a former classmate of mine at Yeshiva University and the chair of IDEAS: The Institute For Jewish Ideas and Ideals. His commentary, “The Koren Pirkei Avot,” features a translation by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and a publisher’s preface by Matthew Miller. In this preface, Miller asks and answers the following question: “Why is Pirkei Avot so widely studied? Of all the books of the Mishna, it is the one that directly touches scholars and lay people alike. It requires little background, yet it offers the collected wisdom of our sages in a manner more accessible than any other book.” This brief observation by Miller informs us right at the start of the historical importance of this work. Rabbi Angel, in his introduction, provides the following background to his commentary: “Pirkei Avot, popularly translated as “Ethics of the Fathers,” is a collection of rabbinic teachings, mainly from the Tannaitic period. It is included at the end of the Talmudic tractates dealing with business law and torts [Nezikin]. The first chapter presents teachings of the early sages in chronological order; the next four chapters

provide assorted teachings; the sixth chapter is a later addition to the original. This final chapter, transferred to Pirkei Avot from the eighth chapter of the tractate Kalla, was added due to the widespread custom of studying one chapter of Pirkei Avot on each of the six Sabbaths between the festivals of Pesach and Shavuot.” In a perceptive statement sent for publication with this week’s essay, Rabbi Angel further extends to us his teaching as to the background and importance of Pirkei Avot to our faith. “Many thinking people today are searching for authentic wisdom that can deepen their lives and put their lives into a spiritual perspective. Over the centuries, the Jewish people have been able to draw on the wisdom of Pirkei Avot to contemplate basic ideas in faith and ethics. Each generation of Jews sees and experiences the world with different eyes, and our generation today represents the latest chapter in the Jewish adventure. “While earlier commentaries on the Pirkei Avot were — and continue to be — highly important, each generation needs to study the ancient texts with contemporary eyes. We need to draw on the insights garnered from the past; but we also need to draw on insights derived from modern perspectives in literature, psychology, and philosophy. “My commentary does not attempt to ‘reinvent the wheel’ by simply reciting what earlier commentaries have already stated.

In 1965, legendary Major League Baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax opted not to pitch Game 1 of the World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers because the game coincided with Yom Kippur. Half a century later, Koufax’s decision was invoked for a university commencement speech. Don Greenberg — presumably no relation to Hank Greenberg, another famed Jewish baseball player who sat out a pivotal game on Yom Kippur — was slated to be a student speak- 'RQ *UHHQEHUJ er at the Saturday, May 16, commencement ceremony for Binghamton University Watson School of Engineering. Greenberg would not be able to use the microphone without violating the laws of Shabbat. After a consideration of options, the university agreed to pre-record Greenberg’s remarks and air them during the ceremony. Rabbi Aaron Slonim, of The Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life at Binghamton, likened Greenberg’s situation to Koufax’s moment of truth which “gave many Jews the strength to be unabashed of their Judaism.” “Don’s unwavering commitment to the Shabbat and to Judaism is a source of great pride and strength, to Jewish students here at Binghamton University and to Jews, and particularly Jewish college students around the world,” Rabbi Slonim said. —JNS.org

Rather, it attempts to confront the ancient texts with modern eyes, in a manner that will empower modern readers to find new insights and inspiration from the Pirkei Avot.” Throughout this work Rabbi Angel cited numerous learned citations, teachings and admonitions from “outside” sources that buttress the teachings of our sages. Each citation is not a passing partial one sentence quote, but an extensive citation that will give you the full flavor of the author’s intent and justification for its use together with the sacred text. This work is different from others on Pirkei Avot. You will not be disappointed in the content, and further, the intellectual challenge will be a joy to experience.

The Cure Against Assimilation John Lennon envisioned a world of universal love and equality, but Ze’ev Maghen maintains that these values run counter to Judaism. Using logical arguments, humorous stories, and pop-culture references, Maghen presents a rational and thought-provoking argument in favor of Judaism.

´The most compelling response to the 'Why be Jewish?' question I've ever read...µ --DR. DANIEL GORDIS

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Sister Maria Goretti Mannix, 83: “I notice that we never get ham or pork chops. The food is good, though.� The nuns’ care is funded through a combination of Medicaid, Medicare, the archdiocesan health plan, payments from the order itself and the individual sisters’ scant assets. As the oldest nun to make the move, the once-skeptical Rooney said she has, in a sense, been “converted� by the kind welcome the nuns received. “Now I go to the Jewish services as well as the Mass.�

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By Jim Fitzgerald, AP For 98-year-old Sister Angela Rooney, it was one of the most jarring moves of her life. She always thought she would live out her days as she had for decades, in a convent under the time-honored Roman Catholic tradition of younger nuns dutifully caring for their older sisters. But with few young women choosing religious life, her church superiors were forced to look elsewhere for care, and in the past year have sent Rooney and dozens of other nuns to Jewish Home Lifecare, a geriatriccare complex in the Bronx founded as a nursing home for elderly Jews. “I wanted my convent, my great big chapel, my Stations of the Cross,â€? Rooney said. “The very name ‘Jewish Home’ turned me off. ... I don’t think anyone came here with a heavier heart than me.â€? Rooney and 57 other sisters, ages 73 to 98, have since adjusted nicely to their new accommodations and neighbors, becoming an active part of classes and continuing their ministry with good deeds like holding the hands of dying patients on the hospice oor. “This is home now,â€? said 83-year-old Sister Grace Henke. “When we ďŹ rst came, we were ďŹ sh out of water.â€? It’s an unusual situation that reects a reality of the nation’s Catholic nuns in the 21st century: Fewer young women are devoting their lives to religious orders, and those who are already nuns are aging and facing escalating health care needs. There are now more sisters over age 90 than under age 60, said Mary Gautier, a researcher at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. The center’s 2009 study found that 80 percent of the nuns in the country were over 60. “Their model of caring for their older sisters is no longer sustainable,â€? said Robin Eggert, president of the Realm consulting group, which has worked with several nuns’ orders to ďŹ nd solutions. Eggert said a number of women’s religious orders have partnered with outside organizations offering skilled nursing, assisted living and other levels of care, but “we’ve never done Jewish before.â€? The Sisters of Charity of New York has seen its numbers decline from a 1960s peak of 1,350 to 270 today, and no new sisters had joined in the U.S. in 20 years. It was the ďŹ rst order to put out a request for proposals that was answered by the nonproďŹ t Jewish Home Lifecare. Two other orders based in Manhattan, the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary and the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, followed. Several of the nuns now living at Jewish Home, including retired teachers, social workers and nurses, said they were very happy after some original hesitation. “We’ve almost all, 95 percent, accepted and acclimated. Those who were resistant have kind of calmed down,â€? said 92-year-old Sister Rosemarie Bittermann. “It certainly ďŹ t our needs,â€? said Sister Loretta Theresa Richards, 86. “We can stay together, we have our own little chapel. They went out of their way to ďŹ nd a space for us to have Mass. I have to say it was so nice I was a little reluctant, because I took a vow of poverty.â€? Some things are different, however. While Jewish Home Lifecare is now nondenominational, its Jewish heritage remains apparent, with a resident rabbi and kosher-style meals in the independent living residences. “I miss the bacon,â€? Richards said. Added

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Finally, an IOC nod to slain Israeli Olympians Ungerleider and Ulich are currently in the interviewBy Maayan Jaffe, JNS.org ing and filming process for their production. The esIsraeli weightlifter Yossef Romano and 10 other sence of the film is to tell a story of redemption and recmembers of the Israeli Olympic team were murdered onciliation, and to talk about the upcoming memorial by Palestine Liberation Organization terrorists during as a space for memory and mourning. While capturing the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. the voices of the victims, the German police, members Since then, his widow Ilana Romano and a handful of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, and other officials, the of fellow widowers have fought for the International producers hope to capture the spirit that “we are now Olympic Committee (IOC) to formally recognize the moving forward,” Ungerleider says. massacre with a moment of silence or official memo“There is not room for terrorism anywhere, especialrial. While the Games went on in 1972, the tragedy was ly on the Olympic grounds,” he says. shooed under the carpet. As recently as 2012, Romano Since that 1972 massacre, security has been at the and Ankie Spitzer, the widow of another Munich Masforefront of every Olympic Games. According to Ungersacre victim, pressed top Olympic officials over their leider, an entire Olympic budget is around $15 to $20 refusal to honor the dead with a minute of silence at billion, of which close to $2 billion is spent on secuthe opening ceremony of that year’s London Olympics rity. The IOC works closely with the Central Intelligence — the massacre’s 40th anniversary. Agency, the Mossad, the U.K.’s Secret Intelligence SerIn time for the Rio Olympics in the summer of 2016, a vice, and other security bodies around the world. first-ever IOC-supported official memorial telling the story Israeli journalist Yossi Melman, who served as an of the Munich Massacre will be erected in Munich, on the grounds of the Olympic stadium. The memorial, whose 5HODWLYHV RI VODLQ ,VUDHOL 2O\PSLF WHDP PHPEHUV DUH SLFWXUHG EHIRUH IXQHUDO SUR intelligence and strategic affairs correspondent for the groundbreaking ceremony will take place this summer, is FHVVLRQV LQ ,V UDHO LQ 6HSWHPEHU Eldan David/GPO Hebrew daily newspaper Haaretz and is the co-author of “Spies against Armageddon: Inside Israel’s Secret Wars,” being constructed at the initiative of the Bavarian govern“The IOC jumping in is the biggest symbolic step at this says today the world does not need a reminder that terment to bring a sense of closure to this 43-year drama. Likewise, it was recently announced that the new presi- point,” Ulich tells JNS.org, noting the 40-plus year contro- rorism exists. But through supporting the Munich memorial, dent of the IOC, Thomas Bach, will erect an official site at the versy about the IOC’s level of support—or lack thereof—in he says, the IOC is demonstrating that it understands the Rio Olympics for people to go and reflect on the loss of any- remembering the victims. The IOC is among the lead spon- need to combat terror. “Americans do not need to be reminded after 9/11,” Melone who was hurt or killed in the Olympic Games—including sors of the memorial and is supportive of the film. “This was a very edgy, unpleasant, traumatic event,” says man says. “In Russia, Southeast Asia, China—terrorism is all the 11 Israeli victims. over the place. More or less, most governments understand “We have given the best years of our lives to the tragedy of Ungerleider. “First there was denial, then it was buried, suppressed for they have to fight terrorism.” what happened,” Romano said. “Now we are starting to see whatever reason—political reasons, anti-Semitic reasons, rac“The fact of the Games themselves, that after Munich the some light from all of our efforts.” In anticipation of the memorial, the Foundation for Global ist reasons—and not until a year ago has someone stepped up IOC decided to carry on—and it was a difficult decision— Sports Development (GSD) will release a new documentary and said, ‘Now we are ready to move forward, and we need to that should show we cannot be beaten by terrorism,” Jochen examining what is widely considered the first act of modern honor the past so we can move forward and remember those Färber, IOC President Bach’s chief of staff, tells JNS.org. “This memorial will help underlay that message and explain why terrorism. The film, “Munich 1972 & Beyond,” will for the first [killed] and never forget.’” Ulich says the memorial is an important piece of the heal- we must never give into terrorism.” time unravel why and how the attack happened, its aftermath, Ilana Romano adds, “Now I can rest a little because I know and its importance in 2015 and beyond. Produced by Dr. Steven ing process between the Germans, the Israelis, and the IOC, Ungerleider, author of “Faust’s Gold,” and GSP President David as well as between the victims’ families and the world, and that I am leaving the record straight for the next generation, Ulich, the film will offer new research and information—some that the GSD documentary will “document that healing pro- from a historical perspective, so hopefully history will not recess.” peat itself.” of which Romano says she has never seen herself.

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maintained a furious burst of machine gun and rifle fire,” according to one of Shemin’s superiors, Capt. Rupert Purdon, who later wrote in support of a Medal of Honor. The young sergeant took shrapnel while leading the platoon out of harm’s way for the next three days. A German bullet pierced his helmet and lodged behind his left ear, landing Shemin in the hospital for three months and leaving him partly deaf. Shrapnel wounds eventually left him barely able to walk. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second-highest military honor, but there was never an explanation of why he was denied the Medal of Honor. Shemin, who was from New York state, later earned a degree from Syracuse and started a greenhouse and nursery business in the Bronx. In the early 2000s, Shemin-Roth learned of a law that reviewed cases of Jews who may have been denied medals they earned in World War II. She also learned there was no similar mechanism for World War I veterans, and set about to change that, prompting passage of a measure allowing review of records of Jewish World War I veterans who may have been discriminated against. Johnson, of New York City, was part of an all-black National Guard unit ordered into battle. On May 15, 1918, Johnson and a fellow soldier were attacked by at least 12 German soldiers, according to the White House. Despite serious wounds, the two men fought back until the Germans retreated, while Johnson kept his badly wounded colleague from becoming a prisoner of war.

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By Jim Salter ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nearly a century after Sgt. William Shemin pulled wounded comrades to safety on a World War I battlefield, his heroism has finally earned him the nation’s highest service medal. The White House announced Thursday that President Barack Obama will award the Medal of Honor to two World War I soldiers — Shemin and Army Pvt. Henry Johnson. Shemin died in 1973, so his daughter, Elsie Shemin-Roth, in her mid-80s and from suburban St. Louis, will accept the medal in a ceremony at the White House on June 2. Shemin-Roth did not respond to calls seeking comment Thursday. She said in an earlier interview that she worked for years to gather documents in support of her bid for the medal for her father, an honor she felt was previously denied because he was Jewish. “Discrimination should never play a role when our country pays tribute to extraordinary acts of courage and selfless sacrifice,” Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri said in a statement. “I couldn’t be prouder that we were able to correct these past injustices, and that William Shemin and other Jewish heroes will get the recognition they deserve, and the national gratitude they earned.” Shemin was 19 in August 1918. His battalion was fighting in France. Americans were scattered over the battlefield. “With the most utter disregard for his own safety, (Shemin) sprang from his position in his platoon trench, dashed out across the open in full sight of the Germans, who opened and

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Spain’s Sephardic citizenship plan hits snags By Alan Clendenning and Tia Goldenberg MADRID (AP) — For Alfonso Paredes Henriquez, it was the opportunity not only of a lifetime — but of a half-millennium. The Panamanian real estate developer, a descendant of Sephardic Jews kicked out of Spain ďŹ ve centuries ago, was elated when the country announced it would atone for the Inquisition by granting citizenship to people who can prove lineage from exiled Jews. Then came a long wait, as Spain’s Sephardic Jew citizenship law took two years to wind its way through Parliament. Amendments were tacked on that made the application process tougher and delayed approval for a bill that faced virtually no opposition. Frustrated, Paredes Henriquez turned instead to Portugal. The neighboring country had enacted its own law to grant citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews exiled during the Inquisition, which forced Jews to ee, convert to Catholicism or be burned at the stake. He submitted his Portuguese citizenship application in late March. “Spain came out saying they would make a law but Portugal did it ďŹ rst and it’s easier in Portugal,â€? said Paredes Henriquez. “Portugal just swooped in.â€? Spanish lawmakers are ďŹ nally preparing this month to approve a law that potentially allows hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions, of Sephardic Jews around the world a shot at citizenship, though there are no reliable estimates of how many people might be eligible. A Spanish passport means those who get it would be able to live or work anywhere in the 28-nation European Union, and apply for

Meanwhile, Portugal is welcoming its long-lost Jews citizenship for immediate family members. While some European nations are experiencing a surge in anti-immigration sentiment, Spain and Portugal are not, and the laws have not generated opposition. Many would-be applicants thought the Spanish law, announced in 2013, would carry few requirements beyond thorough vetting of ancestry. That’s the case with the Portuguese law, which was proposed after Spain’s but went into effect in March 1. But Spanish lawmakers ended up adding amendments making the process for Sephardic Jews similar to that faced by permanent residents seeking citizenship. The hurdles are signiďŹ cant: Sephardic applicants must learn and be tested in basic Spanish if they don’t speak one of several Jewish languages rooted in Spanish. They also must pass a current events and culture test about Spain. And they have to establish a modernday link to Spain, which can be as simple as donating to a Spanish charity or as expensive as buying Spanish property. Paredes Henriquez — whose Spanish ancestors were driven into Portugal by the inquisition — predicted the extra steps would translate into more lost time, money and frustrating red tape. In Portugal, he only has to prove his family history and that he has

never been convicted of a crime punishable by three or more years in prison. “Portugal is being more friendly about the process,â€? he said, examining its ďŹ rst round of applications with decisions expected in a few months. “There’s more willingness to do it, and they’re doing it right.â€? Spain’s Jewish federation received more than 5,000 requests for information about the law. For now, would-be applicants are advised to start gathering family history as evidence, to consider learning some Spanish and to think about establishing a link to Spain, said federation president Isaac Querub Caro. The federation is also warning people the law isn’t expected to become open to applicants until October, in order to give enough time to create the Spanish language and citizenship tests and set up a digital application system. Once the law is in effect, applicants will have a three-year window to seek citizenship. Querub said the amendments added to the Spanish law were unexpected, but declined to criticize them. The law “has a series of conditions but they do not take away from the value of the law,â€? he said. “And we appreciate this generosity of the Spaniards.â€? Spain’s ruling Popular Party has brushed

‘I want to feel we returned to Spain so it would be clear that we won.’

Amnesty Int’l says Hamas tortured and killed Palestinians in Gaza war By Ian Deitch JERUSALEM (AP) — A leading international watchdog on Wednesday accused the militant Hamas group of abducting, torturing and killing Palestinians during the war in the Gaza Strip last year, saying some of the actions amount to war crimes. Amnesty International detailed the abuses in a report entitled “Strangling Necks: Abduction, torture and summary killings of Palestinians by Hamas forces during the 2014 Gaza/Israel conict.â€? According to the London-based human rights group, some 23 Palestinians were shot and killed and dozens more were arrested and tortured by Hamas, which rules Gaza. The Palestinians targeted were either political rivals of Hamas, including members of the Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, or people the militant group had accused of cooperating with Israel, Amnesty said. Wednesday’s report highlighted a particularly brutal incident, which it said took place in Gaza on Aug. 22. “In one of the most shocking incidents, six men were publicly executed by Hamas forces outside al-Omari mosque ... in front of hundreds of spectators, including children,â€? Amnesty said. Hamas had announced the men were suspected “collaboratorsâ€? who had been sentenced death in “revolutionary courts,â€? the rights group added. “The hooded men were dragged along the oor to kneel by a wall facing the crowd, then each man was shot in the head individually before being sprayed with bullets ďŹ red from an AK-47,â€? the report said of the August incident.

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Hamas violently seized Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas in 2007, leaving Palestinians bitterly divided — Hamas ruling Gaza and Abbas governing parts of the West Bank. Since then, Hamas has launched thousands of rockets at Israel and fought three wars with the Jewish state. Over 2,200 Palestinians were killed during the 50-day war last summer. On the Israeli side, 67 soldiers and six civilians were killed. Hamas used the war to “ruthlessly settle scores, carrying out a series of unlawful killings and other grave abuses,� Amnesty’s Phil-

ip Luther said. “These spine-chilling actions, some of which amount to war crimes, were designed to exact revenge and spread fear across the Gaza Strip.â€? The report said 16 of the people killed by Hamas were already being held by the militant group when the conict erupted and many of them were waiting to hear the verdict of their Hamas-organized trials. “Many had been sentenced after trials before courts whose proceedings are grossly unfair. A number had said they had been tortured in order to extract ‘confessions,’â€? the report said. Amnesty’s report also said that Hamas abducted and tortured people in an outpatient clinic that was no longer in use, within the grounds of Gaza City’s main hospital, Shifa. “Hamas forces have displayed a disregard for the most fundamental rules of international humanitarian law,â€? Luther said. “Torture and cruel treatment of detainees in an armed conict is a war crime. Extrajudicial executions are also war crimes.â€? This was not Amnesty’s ďŹ rst report on the 2014 Gaza war. In March, the group accused Hamas of war crimes for launching unguided rockets and mortars from civilian areas in Gaza toward civilian areas in Israel, saying that was a breach of international law. And in December, Amnesty condemned Israel for attening four landmark buildings in the ďŹ nal days of the war. Israel dismissed that report, saying Hamas was using the buildings as command centers. Salah Bardawil, a Hamas ofďŹ cial in Gaza, said the incidents mentioned in the report took place “outside the framework of the lawâ€? and Hamas was investigating them.

off criticism of the amendments. In a parliamentary debate last month, Gabriel Elorriaga, a senator, said that clearer rules were needed for granting Spanish citizenship to all seekers — not just Sephardic Jews. But there is one sense that the rules for Sephardic Jews will be in a privileged class compared with many others seeking Spanish citizenship: The Sephardic Jews will be allowed to have dual nationality. Currently, Spain allows double citizenship for only for applicants from former Spanish colonies, plus Andorra and Portugal. In Israel, reaction to the Spanish law entanglements is mixed — even among those who seem to easily meet the requirements. Take Jose Caro, who can trace his roots to Joseph Ben Efraim Caro, a revered Jewish scholar believed to have ed the country in 1492 — the year Spain’s monarchy issued decrees ordering Jews and Muslims in Spain to convert or leave. As a native of Chile, Caro speaks uent Spanish and studied Spanish culture and history in Argentina, where he was raised. But Caro, a 58-year-old insurance broker, decided not to apply because he sees the conditions Spain has imposed as an affront to his family and its history of expulsion and persecution. If only Spain’s upcoming law were more like Portugal’s he would seek citizenship and a passport “for the honor of my family.â€? Caro, who heads a group representing immigrants to Israel from Latin America, won’t apply for Portuguese citizenship because he considers his ancestors’ stay there “just a stopâ€? in their exile from Spain, their ancestral land. Virtually all of Portugal’s Jews ed to the country from Spain. The Jews who ended up in Portugal were only there ďŹ ve years until they, too, were ordered to convert or leave in 1497. Haim Ashkenazi, a 22-year-old university student, said the possibility of getting a Spanish passport was tempting for historical reasons and for the opportunities it could bring. His ancestors left Spain for Turkey and moved to Israel three generations ago. He knows some Spanish. But that enthusiasm ďŹ zzled when Ashkenazi began researching the conditions for citizenship on behalf of his family. He realized that proving his family’s lineage was more difďŹ cult that he thought. He interviewed his grandmother, looked up archival documents and only got so far as his grandfather’s grandfather. In the end, the expense of hiring a genealogist, coupled with the cost of trips to Spain for the citizenship process, proved prohibitive. Leon Amiras, who heads a group representing Spanish-speaking immigrants to Israel, said his group unsuccessfully lobbied 30 Spanish members of parliament to soften some of the citizenship requirements. “This is scandalous,â€? said Amiras. “I am not naive and don’t expect Spain to hand out passports without conditions but there is a limit.â€? He said that beyond costs, the length of the process could deter elderly Sephardim from pursuing citizenship. But 89-year-old Mordechai Ben Abir said he’s not bothered by the extra steps. He completed a doctoral degree at a Barcelona university at age 82, and discovered his family’s historic links to Spain. Ben Abir’s thesis went back in time through 25 generations to tie him to the Caballero family that ed Spain. Despite his age, Ben Abir, who was born in Argentina and moved to Israel in 1955, said he is “going to get a passport no matter what.â€? “My goal is not to have a passport for the honor of having a European passport,â€? he said. “I want to feel that we returned to Spain, so it would be clear that we won. That we still exist. That we live.â€?

9 THE JEWISH STAR May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775

7OMRGEVI 8MTW JSV XLI 7YQQIV By Asma Ahmed, DO Dermatology Resident, St. John’s Episcopal Hospital New Yorkers love to spend their time outdoors during the summer after wearing thick layers and coats for months. However,with shorts, sandals, and bathing suits comes the dangers of overexposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays. Taking preventive measures by taking care of your skin will not only protect you from the sun’s known effects in causing skin cancer, but also prevent general signs of aging, such as wrinkles, freckles, and uneven pigmentation. The proven way to protect your skin is to wear a sunscreen with both UVA and UVB blocking properties every single day, and to reapply often.

Understanding how to read sunscreen labels can help you find the right product for your needs. Sunscreens that have “broad spectrum” and “water resistant” on their labels are recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology. If the sunscreen offers water resistance, you will see “40 minutes” or “80 minutes” after the words “water resistant.” This tells you how long your skin can be wet or sweaty before you need to reapply. The word “sunblock” is no longer being used since it is considered misleading, and manufacturers are required to use the word “sunscreen” on the label.

From creams, wipes, powders, to sticks, sunscreens come in so many different formulations these days; there really is no excuse not to use one. For those who are prone to acne breakouts, look for products that are oil-free and noncomedogenic. Sprays are convenient becausethey can be applied in seconds, but just remember to apply a thick coat to get full coverage. Also, consider applying an antioxidant serum that has ingredients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, or green tea before applying sunscreen to help fight free radicals and boost sun protection. Clothing, including broad rim hats, also provide protection from the sun. Dark and bright colors give the most protection. If the fabric is thin and can be seen through, then UV rays are penetrable as well.

Without proper sun protection, you may get a burn that can become red and painful. The first thing you should do is move indoors if possible, or to a shaded area. Apply a cool, damp towel several times daily for about ten minutes or take frequent cool showers to help soothe skin. Moisturizers that contain aloe vera or soy help reduce discomfort. If very uncomfortable, ibuprofen, aspirin, and topical hydrocortisone may help decrease inflammation. Just one blistering sunburn doubles your risk of melanoma, so it is important to monitor your skin yourself or by a dermatologist for any skin changes.

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Cross section joins OU in bid for school safety funds

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Orthodox Union Hundreds of parents and children from Jewish, Catholic, Muslim and other non-public schools joined on the steps of New York City Hall with dozens of City Council members on Wednesday to demonstrate that all schoolchildren — public and non-public alike — deserve to be safe at school. The group rallied for the passage of Intro 65, a bill now before City Council, which would provide the same uniformed NYPD School Safety Agents to a non-public school that a public school receives. Intro 65 is sponsored by Boro Park-Midwood Councilman David Greenfield and has 46 co-sponsors. “When it comes to the safety of our children, it doesn’t matter what their religious beliefs are or whether they go to public or non-public schools,” said Greenfield. “The reality is that there is a need for public safety for our children.” Allen Fagin, Executive Vice President and CEO of the Orthodox Union, noted that the entire nonpublic school community has united around the issue of school safety.

“The safety of our children is not a political issue, it’s an issue of basic decency and fairness,” he said. “We stand together to demand that that the City Council passes Intro 65 to protect all of our children.” “The Orthodox Union applauds Council Member David Greenfield for his leadership on this crucial issue,” said Maury Litwack, OU Director of State Political Affairs. “We owe it to all our children to ensure that they are safe at school, regardless of the school they attend. The Orthodox Union will continue to work with our allies in the Council to see this legislation approved.” At the end of April, OU Advocacy-Teach NYS, the nonpartisan public policy arm of the Orthodox Union, launched the New York City School Safety Coalition to support school safety for all of New York City’s schoolchildren. The Coalition, which specifically backs Intro 65, includes the UJAFederation of New York, the Archdiocese of New York, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and the Islamic Schools Association of New York.

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10

11 THE JEWISH STAR May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775

JEWISH STAR SCHOOLS

Touro’s top woman Touro College As a volunteer at the Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in Brooklyn, it pained Naomi Broker to see patients so afraid to fall that they refused to walk, eventually losing the ability to do so altogether and conďŹ ning themselves to wheelchairs. “It was heartbreaking to see someone who was mentally all there but physically trapped in a body,â€? she said. Today Naomi holds on to that memory as she pursues a career in physical therapy. Naomi’s hard work and dedication paid off as she was named 2015 valedictorian of the women’s division of the Lander College of Arts & Sciences in Flatbush and will be a student speaker at the 41st commencement exercise. After that, Naomi will begin a doctoral program in PT at Hunter College.

The recipient of two major academic scholarships — the Lander College Honors Scholarship and the Touro College Deans Scholarship —Naomi graduates summa cum laude with a 3.98 grade point average, 4.0 in the sciences. “Naomi has compiled an outstanding record of academic achievement and has demonstrated a keen interest in the natural sciences,â€? said Dr. Robert Goldschmidt, dean of LAS and the vice president for planning and assessment of Touro College. “We are conďŹ dent that Naomi will become a caring and compassionate health care professional serving the needs of our community.â€? A biology major, Naomi credits the department for preparing her for a career as a health professional. When

her brother was a ďŹ rst-year medical student, she glanced at his histology textbook and realized she had learned the same material in her anatomy and physiology class. The Lander College of Arts and Sciences has more than 1,000 students in separate divisions for men and women at Avenue J and East 16th Street in Midwood.

HANC’s Torah Bowl champs

By Ari Levine, Team Captain Congratulations and Mazal Tov to the HANC High School Boys’ Torah Bowl Team on becoming this year’s High School Yeshiva League Champions! Over the course of the season, the HANC Boys Torah Bowl team went 11-1 to clinch a ďŹ rst place seed in the playoffs. HAFTR and Flatbush were defeated in the ďŹ rst and second rounds of the playoffs, forcing a faceoff between HANC and NSHA. HANC defeated NSHA two games to none, for an outstanding victory, making the team the Eastern Division Champions. On May 21, the HANC boys traveled to Brooklyn to play the other Division Champions, MAY, Frisch, and TABC, for the League Championship Title at Sharei Moshe. It was not an easy battle for the HANC team. Going into halftime, HANC was down by 11. Yet, a terriďŹ c swing of events occurred

when they scored 26 points in the third quarter, giving them the lead by a comfortable 7 points. However, after TABC answered the ďŹ rst couple of questions in the fourth quarter, the HANC team found themselves in a hole, down 50-47 with two questions left. Yet, they achieved the unthinkable, as they answered the last two questions correctly, bumping their score up to a winning 51. The HANC team celebrated their win, however the achdut and hard work of all four teams made the championship match an even more memorable one. Mazal Tov to coach Rabbi Shimon Chrein and to team members David Aziz, Dovid Chai Deil, Eric Lenefsky, Ari Levine, Jacob Kohanim, Matthew Rosenberg, Michael Nassimi, Mordechai Balakhaneh, Noah Livi, Sholom Amsellem, and Gideon Pollack, Yoni Eshaghzadeh, David Schwartzman, Adam Livi and Eran Vaknin.

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13 THE JEWISH STAR May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775

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May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

14

Judy’s been in the kitchen these crazy weeks JUDY JOSZEF WHO’S IN THE KITCHEN

I

t’s been a few weeks since I’ve written my column (apologies for the reprints), but I was busy planning an aufruf, catering the Friday night dinner, working on the seating for the wedding and then changing the tables as guests cancelled or decided they could make it after they replied that they couldn’t. Oh, and did I mention that my caterer and dear friend thought I should bake the desserts for the wedding. He thought my guests would expect me to, I told him they would think I’m crazy. I baked them, and won; my friends thought I was crazy! I had to swear my friends to secrecy, not to mention the desserts to my sister. You see, she is always looking out for me and if she got wind that I was baking the desserts she would call me every day a few times a day till I would change my mind. She wanted to make sure I was rested for the big day. So each time she called to see how I was doing, I never let her know that in fact I was at the caterer’s facility baking, the entire week before the wedding up till Friday before Shabbat. To say she was surprised to find out that the desserts that they served were actually mine and didn’t just look exactly like mine was an understatement. Along with all the details, fittings and planning, a great deal of time was spent on the internet, checking the weather for the big day. Starting 30 days before, I checked the weather a few times a day. When we were a week away, I checked every hour and the night before, let’s just say I realized they change the forecast every ten minutes.

The weather a month before was forecast as cloudy with thunderstorms in the 60’s. Two weeks before sunny in the 80’s. It changed every day, a few times a day. In the end up to four hours before the chuppah, they had rain in the forecast. In the end the humidity broke, it was sunny and that outdoor chuppah looking onto the Long Island Sound that we had hoped for became a reality. So much for weather forecasts, remind me when my next kid gets married, Aside from the weather, the only other glitch was that my daughter-in-law’s sister went into labor the night before the wedding, and although she gave birth 24 hours later to a beautiful baby girl, just as dessert was being served, she and husband were missed. When I said, “What are the chances, that your sister will give birth two weeks early, to a first child, exactly on your wedding date,” I guess those chances were pretty high! Darya and Jeremy, you made a beautiful couple at your wedding. May you have a long, happy and healthy life together till 120, bh. For those of you vegetarians who asked for creative veggie side dishes, here you go.

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Ingredients: Athens Kataifi Shredded Phyllo Dough, defrosted 3/4 lb green asparagus Garlic powder Salt

Golan winery issues limited edition 2011 Yarden Katzrin Golan Heights Winery 2011 Yarden Katzrin has been released by Golan Heights Winery, the leading premium winery in Israel. The flagship wine is only produced from grapes harvested during the most outstanding vintages. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and Merlot, the Yarden Katzrin is a deeply colored, full-bodied wine, with a rich and complex flavor. It pairs beautifully with the deep taste of roast meats. The limited edition was launched at the Yarden Vintage Wine Festival 2015. Despite having the lowest temperatures on record in the region and 130 percent average annual rainfall, the 2011 harvest produced an outstanding vintage. This was especially surprising as it followed the 2010 harvest which saw unusually high temperatures. Under the leadership of Head Winemaker Victor Schoenfeld, Yarden Katzrin epitomizes the Golan Heights Winery’s uncompromising quest for quality and excellence. “A rich wine of exceptional qualities, Yarden Katzrin embodies the best of the Winery’s creative process,” said Golan Heights Win-

ery CEO Anat Levi. “As a blend of two varieties, the 2011 Yarden Katzrin tells the story of the Golan growing region as a whole. This wine expresses the unique landscapes and characteristics of the Golan, the stunning power of nature, and the wonderful creativity of our people.” “The 2011 growing season was our coldest ever, and we had to adapt ourselves to the unexpected conditions,” said Victor Schoenfeld. “The combination of the hot 2010 vintage and the cold 2011 vintage taught us an important lesson: the Golan is capable of producing excellent wines even in years of extreme weather, which is highly unusual in the world of wine.” The 2011 Yarden Katzrin is the eighth in a line of Yarden Katzrin wines (1990, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2007) that have received wide-ranging praise in Israel and throughout the world. The 2011 Yarden Katzrin was produced in a special limited edition of 53 barrels only. The wine will be distributed in domestic and foreign markets, and will soon be seen on the wine lists of prestigious restaurants in Israel and abroad. 2011 Yarden Katzrin is available at Liquor & Wine Warehouse, 343 Rockaway Tpke., Lawrence.

making sure to first spray it with Pam. Place the side where dough comes together, face down in pan or cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for about 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned, see photo. When cool, slide rings off forms gently; they should slide right off. Place three or four asparagus spears in each ring and place on a serving platter. Serve at room temperature.

9HJHWDEOH .DEREV ZLWK D )ODLU

Black pepper Pam spray Metal cannoli tube forms, or any metal object that is heat resistance that you place in your oven. I have been known to use pastry tips that have the right circumference at the bottom. Cannoli forms can be purchased from any restaurant supply store. Instructions: Preheat oven to 450°F. Wash the asparagus and remove woody stems (about the last one to one and a half inches of the asparagus spear). Place asparagus spears on a large cookie sheet, greased with Pam. Brush with a touch of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast 12 to 15 minutes, turning once at the halfway point. Remove from oven and let cool. Phyllo Rings The phyllo rings can be made in advance and kept in an airtight container. Remember to keep the remainder of the shredded phyllo covered at all times, except for the portion you are working with. When uncovered, it will dry out quickly. I keep the remainder in a plastic beg, and just pull off the small amount I need each time. Pull off a small amount of the phyllo and close plastic package. Pull the strands a bit to elongate and wrap around the metal form,

Ingredients: 2 large green zucchini cut into 3/4” discs 10 button raw mushrooms I large red pepper cut into I large onion cut into chunks 20 brussel sprouts 20 yellow grape tomatoes 10 stems from fresh beets Pam spray or olive oil your choice La Choy Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce 10 Wooden skewers Instructions: The night before, detach the beet’s stems, as close to the beet as possible, discard leaves. If you enjoy beets, boil them in their skin for about an hour; the skin will fall off easily and it’s a healthy side dish or addition to a salad (but it’s not needed for this recipe). We will just use the stems as a decoration. With a small paring knife, slice the stem into three sections, and leave half an inch in tact on each stem. Place in cold water in a large bowl and by the next day each stem will turn into a pretty red curly design that can be sipped right at the end of each skewer. They are used for decoration. Place each vegetable in its own pan, (sprayed with Pam), and brush the tops with the teriyaki sauce, then spray with pan or brush with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder and salt and bake till slightly browned but still firm. If you like, you can turn your oven to broil for one minute to slightly blacken the vegetables. Remove from oven and cool. Layer the vegetables as you like and at the tip of the skewer, carefully slide the curled beet stem on top. Arrange on a serving platter and serve at room temperature. Kabobs can be made the day before and assembled, but keep the beet stems in water till right before serving or up to an hour before — they will remain fresher-looking that way.

Jack’s Merguez sausage KOSHER ON LONG ISLAND

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fter meeting Jack Silberstein last week in his Brooklyn office and cooking his wonderful Beef Merguez Sausages, I’d like the share my findings. First I sautéed the sausages in a little vegetable oil until their skins bubbled and became beautifully crispy. I sliced the sausages on the diagonal and served them with lightly sautéed (still slightly crunchy) orange, red and green peppers and onions. Jack’s Merguez sausage has a succulent and rich yet delicate flavor. There’s a hint of

the Middle East in the spicing, followed by slow acceleration of mild heat that tickles the tongue. Jack’s Gourmet Beef Merguez Sausage comes in packages of six and can be found in leading kosher supermarkets. It’s available at Gourmet Glatt in Cedarhurst for $9.79.

15 THE JEWISH STAR May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775

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May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

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THE JEWISH STAR The weekly newspaper of Long Island’s Orthodox communities

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We almost missed gift of Shavuot TEHILLA R. GOLDBERG VIEW FROM CENTRAL PARK

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fter we’ve celebrated Shavuot and commemorated our receiving of Torah, it’s worth remembering that it almost didn’t transpire. In tractate Shabbat 88b, many of the famous narratives surrounding the giving of the Torah are found. One of them recounts that when Moses went up on high to receive the Torah, he encountered opposition from the angels who felt that it was below the dignity of the Torah for it be possessed by mere human flesh. “What is someone born of a woman doing among us?” they asked G-d, the story goes. The Torah is “chamuda gnuza,” veiled, coveted and cherished, they claimed. Such a holy and lofty treasure of G-d does not belong in the world below, as a tangible item in the hands of mere mortals. A triangulated dialogue and negotiation ensues between the protective angels, Moses

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Distribution: The Jewish Star is available free in kosher food establishments, stores, synagogues, and street-side news boxes in Nassau County and New York City. To request delivery to your location, write EWeintrob@TheJewishStar.com. Subscriptions: One year by Standard Mail. $48 to Long Island, New York and New Jersey. $72 elsewhere in U.S. One year by First Class Mail, $150 prepaid anywhere in U.S. This newspaper contains words of Torah; please dispose of properly. Copyright 2015 The Jewish Star LLC.

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guarding this treasure faithfully, they have not been able to partner with it in its destiny. They come to understand that the purpose of the Torah is to be chosen by human beings who, in choosing, it, become Am Yisrael, the Jewish people. When the Torah was the angels’ charge it had no connection to the physical world, but once it came to man it was not limited to the material world. It became a bridge from this world to the eternal, spiritual one. y the end of the narrative, after Moses won the argument, received the Torah, and descends the mountain, who awaits him? Satan! One more stumbling block needs to be overcome before the Torah is brought to the Jewish people — as if to say, struggle comes with the receipt of the fountain of wisdom that is the Torah. It’s not a simple, pre-ordered gift the one receives and then moves on. Receiving the Torah is a privilege. It takes work. And to partner in plumbing the depths of this historic gift is always to maintain a mysterious dimension — the dimension of “chamuda gnuza,” of the unknown.

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Copyright ©2015 Intermountain Jewish News

Remembering Robert Wistrich, leading scholar of anti-Semitism

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and G-d Himself (although the reader does not actually hear the angelic responses, only the conversation between G-d and Moses). The angels feel the Torah is eternal and should remain in a purely spiritual realm. Moses comes to understand that the purpose of the Torah is not static, but rather to be lived, not merely guarded like a precious jewel in a vault. There is tension. The implied assertion of the angels is that it would be dangerous for the Torah to leave its safe spot in Heaven. Introducing the Torah to the physical world brings the risk of its being desecrated. G-d directs this concern of the angels to Moses himself, placing a burden on Moses to articulate to the angels why it is important to reveal the Torah to the lower world. Moses is forced to come up with a thoughtful response and to verbalize it to the angels. By the end of the conversation, not only do the angels come around to Moses’ point of view, but a complete transformation takes place. The angels now want to assist in the process. In fact, in accepting Moses’ position, each of the angels grants Moses a gift. They understand that while they have been

BEN COHEN VIEWPOINT

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he cemetery in Jerusalem’s Givat Shaul neighborhood was bathed in the fading sunlight of a late May afternoon. Silently and steadily, the column of mourners wound their way towards an open grave, surrounded by glinting white headstones, inhaling the heady scent of the cypress trees that flourish on the adjacent hillsides. As the mourners came to a halt, a rabbi recited the Jewish memorial prayer, El Male Rachamim, his sorrowful tones punctuated by the crunch of the gravel underfoot and the gentle sobs of the family of the deceased. The mourners, of whom I was one, had come in tribute to one of the greatest Jewish intellectuals of the last century. Many of us had flown thousands of miles to be there. I think it’s reasonable to say that for all of us, the reality of our loss became apparent only at that moment, as the grave was filled with fresh earth. It was true, terribly, shockingly true. We really were saying our final farewell to Professor Robert Wistrich. I learned of Robert’s death on Tuesday afternoon, May 19. Less than 24 hours later, I was on a plane from New York to Tel Aviv. In my seat, a novel open on my lap, I found myself reading the same sentence over and over again. Consumed by sadness and unable to concentrate, I closed my book, swallowed a sleeping pill, and woke up shortly before we landed at Ben Gurion Airport. For the last three years, I was fortunate to enjoy the friendship and intellectual support of Robert, unquestionably the world’s leading scholar of anti-Semitism. We had first met in person at a conference in London where I’d presented a paper, and we continued our relationship by email, as well as on the phone and on his visits to New York. I don’t mind admitting that I was awed by Robert, and could never quite believe that he considered my own modest contributions on the subject

of anti-Semitism—the “longest hatred,” as he famously termed it—worthy of his attention. After all, I’d been reading his work since I was a schoolboy, beginning with his book on the Bolshevik revolutionary Leon Trotsky, whose ideas I became infatuated with during my precocious teenage years. In the short period that I knew him, I learned much from Robert, the author of nearly 30 books and countless academic papers, newspaper articles, and speeches. Above all, I understood through him that one can be both an unapologetically proud Jew and an incisive writer and thinker. Robert spoke with the accent of an educated, erudite Englishman, yet his material and spiritual home was in the city of Jerusalem, rather than a salon in Bloomsbury. Again through him, I understood that Jewish history is also general history, that it is impossible to understand the trials of a people locked in their diaspora without an intimate knowledge of the prevailing political forces around them. Whatever the subject—the ideology of Marxism, the twists and turns of European nationalism, the profound existential threat posed by radical Islamism, the laboratories of Jewish intellectual life in Paris or Vienna or Budapest or Moscow—you could always rely on Robert for unrivaled, unique insights. obert spent the bulk of his academic career at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, where he directed the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism. In my experience, most people, upon hearing that such a center is named after a man primarily associated with grooming and beauty, react with bemusement, amusement, or some combination of the two. But actually, there was a very good reason. Sassoon had come of age in London just after the Second World War, when he actively participated in running street battles with Sir Oswald Mosley’s fascist Blackshirts, who were then attempting a resurgence. Thanks to Sassoon and his Jewish comrades in the “43 Group”—whose name derived from the fact that there were 43 of them in the room above an east London pub where the group

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was launched—these odious and deceitful bigots received a hiding, both physically and politically, from which they thankfully never recovered. Sassoon “was absolutely driven by the sense that one had to do something because antisemitism was always there beneath the surface,” Robert told me for an article I wrote for Tablet just after Sassoon died. “It wasn’t an academic point of view, it was a moral one based on his own experience.” Despite his enviable academic credentials, much the same could be said of Robert himself. He was a man who understood that deciphering anti-Semitism is only part of the challenge; leading the fight against it is arguably more important. Robert did this with extraordinary energy and commitment. Indeed, on the day that he died from a sudden heart attack, at the tragically young age of 70, he was on a visit to Rome to address the Italian Senate on the subject of the rising anti-Semitism in Europe. Now that he is gone, there is an aching void in his stead. I can think of nobody—not an academic, not a journalist, and certainly not any of our Jewish leaders—who can fill his shoes. But I know, too, that the fight against the ugly libels that bedevil our people goes on. That we must defeat those who dress up their hatred of the Jewish people in the language of antiZionism with the same vigor, and even ruthlessness, that was adopted by the 43 Group. That we are on the side of truth, and that is why we will win. Even as I grieve for the passing of my dear friend and mentor, and the wonderful family he leaves behind, I give thanks for his scholarship and his example. Robert may be gone, but in the enormous volume of work he bequeathed, he continues to guide us. Thus do I offer these lines from the great English poet, W.H. Auden, as a fitting epitaph. “When faith is firm, and conscience clear/ And words of peace the spirit cheer/And visioned glories half appear/’Tis joy, ’tis triumph then to die.” Bless you, Robert. Baruch Dayan Ha’Emet. Ben Cohen is senior editor of TheTower.org.

17 THE JEWISH STAR May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775

ESTABLISHED 2002

May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

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Why Rav Lichtenstein washed dishes in the army RABBI BINNY FREEDMAN THE HEART OF JERUSALEM

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here is a story about the Gadol Hador (one of the great rabbis of our generation,) Rav Aharon Lichtenstein zatza”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Her Etzion, who passed away last month. Rav Aharon came to Israel in 1970 and although past conscription age, he felt he should volunteer for service in the Israeli army. During his brief basic training, he was assigned to kitchen duty. One evening a student of Har Etzion who was serving in the same base, was giving his dishes to the duty soldier washing dishes and saw that it was his rosh yeshiva, Rav Lichtenstein! Rav Aharon would not let the young student/soldier take his place, instead insisting on fulfilling his duty to sort and wash the dishes himself as it was his assigned duty! The story eventually became known to Rav Amital zatza”l (Rav Aharon’s co-rosh yeshiva and a colonel in the reserves himself) who promptly arranged for Rav Aharon to be transferred to different duties, responsible for giving lectures to soldiers. I have often wondered why Rav Aharon initially insisted on fulfilling kitchen duties when it would have been an easy matter for him to arrange to be assigned duties more befitting a rosh yeshiva of his stature, allowing him to make a much greater contribution in keeping with his skills and talents.

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his week, in the portion of Naso, we read of the Nazirite, the individual who for various reasons vows, for a period of 30 days, to abstain from wine and haircuts and not to defile himself by contact with death. Despite what would seem to be a holy decision to abstain from worldly pleasures in pursuit of a higher spiritual level, the Nazirite, as part of his concluding ceremony (before reentering society and the world) brings a sin offering (a Korban Chatat). (Bamidbar 6:13-14) The Talmud (Rabbi Eliezer HaKappar in Nedarim 10a) suggests that his “sin” was his decision to deny himself the pleasures of this world that G-d has declared as good.; apparently we are not meant to deny the world, we are meant to embrace it. Conversely, the Ramban (Nachmanides) suggests that his sin is actually the fact that he is now returning to the world of earthly pleasures; having achieved a higher level, he should desire to remain holier. Even more puzzling is Maimonides (the Rambam) who on the one hand suggests (Hilchot Nezirut 10;14) that a person who dedicates himself as a Nazirite is “wonderful and praiseworthy” and yet, in Hilchot Deot (the Rambam’s treatise on ethical excellence; see Deot 3:1), suggests that a person should not abstain from wine and remove oneself from the world. Such a life of abstinence is viewed as a “bad way to live.”

So which is it? Should we aspire to live above the physical necessities of the world and admire the ascetic? Or do we prefer a life which embraces the world of pleasure, viewing it as Hashem’s bounty from which we are meant to partake ? It is interesting to note that in the same section of Hilchot Deot (1:4-5), the Rambam actually describes two personalities which may explain this apparent contradiction. The chacham, or wise man, is someone who succeeds in finding that ever elusive middle ground, the balance between extremes. This person who knows when to give and when to hold back; when to speak and when to be silent; when to partake, and when to abstain. However, sometimes, perhaps concerned with whether he might not succeed in finding the ideal golden path, a person chooses the extreme. Determined to avoid anger and arrogance at all costs, he practices extreme humility or passivity, and will pursue ascetism rather than risk gluttony. The Talmud describes such extremely pious individuals as chassidim, worthy of emulation. Perhaps, then, the Rambam is referring to two different paths. On the one hand, the chassid, focused on self-perfection as the highest ideal, and on the other hand, the chacham, who views a balanced life as a way to be a partner in creating a better world.

Judaism does not ask of us to abstain from the world, but rather to sanctify it even in the mundane everyday moment.

Maimonides may be suggesting that a person cannot live both of these roles; we have to choose. The Ramban, in suggesting the Nazirite’s sin is his willingness to reenter the world of physical pleasure, may be viewing the Nazirite as a person who has chosen the role of the chassid. Even the Rambam agrees that such a person is praiseworthy; at the very least he is avoiding the pitfalls of the physical world. But the Talmud in Nedarim is suggesting that this is not the ideal as uch a person cannot also be a chacham. Such an extremist (albeit in piety) loses the ability to impact the world directly, rather living outside of it; his life is in the end more about himself, than about the world around him. And thus Maimonides’ point: that we are meant to live in the world, in order to influence and elevate it from within. here are those who would suggest that we are better off leaving the world behind, and rising above it, perhaps sequestering ourselves in the halls of Talmudic study and refraining from engaging the physical mundane world. But the laws of the Nazir suggest that to be an inherently foreign idea. Judaism does not ask of us to abstain from the world, but rather to sanctify it even in the mundane everyday moment. Thus, one of the greatest rabbis of our generation could view it as a holy mission, to spend an evening washing an army base’s dishes. How blessed were we who merited to learn from such a chacham. May we as well be blessed to live up to his shining and inspiring example. Yehi zichro baruch. May his memory be for a blessing. Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.

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Getting closer to G-d, each on one’s own level RABBI AVI BILLET PARSHA OF THE WEEK

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he very last verse in our parsha comes after the concluding and summarizing statement of the sacrifices of the princes. And it seems totally out of place. “When Moses came into the Ohel Moed (Communion Tent) to speak with [G-d], he would hear the Voice speaking to him from between the two cherubs on the ark cover over the Ark of Testimony. [G-d] thus spoke to him.” (7:29) There had been no discussion of Moshe and the Ohel Moed. There was no indication of G-d’s presence communicating from the near the Ark. This little anecdote is coming out of left field. The Alshikh notes the odd placement, how this verse is not connected to what came before it nor to what follows it. “The Rabbis noted (in Tanchuma Behaalotkha 5) the connection between the next parsha and the dedication of the Mizbe’ach (altar). They said that Aharon was thinking and was hurt because all of the tribes had representatives bringing sacrifices and he hadn’t brought anything representing Levi. And G-d told him, ‘Your portion is greater than theirs because B’haalotkha Et HaNerot (when you light the candles) you are doing something none of them can do’.” With this background tale, the Alshikh

notes, the verse about Moshe communicating with G-d in the Ohel Moed only serves as an unnecessary interruption! G-d has to give an answer to Aharon based on what has just happened, not based on Moshe’s ill-placed communication with the Divine! Rashi notes the strange format of the verb which describes G-d’s speech from between the cherubs. The word in the verse is mee-daber (with the chirik vowel) instead of m’daber (with the double-dotted shva na vowel) which indicates that G-d was speaking to Himself and Moshe was allowed to listen in. Alshikh finds this problematic, because it makes it seem as if Moshe does not belong there. Moreover, the verse says “Va’y’daber Eilav” (And He spoke to him), which indicates that G-d did speak to Moshe and wasn’t just “conversing” with His own entity. The verse is also proof of Moshe’s humility; when he came to engage the Almighty in conversation, he was filled with trepidation and unable to express anything without permission. That G-d spoke first indicated that G-d wanted to speak with Moshe as well. Now we can begin to understand why the verse about Moshe appears inbetween Aharon’s pain and Aharon’s vindication. Because Moshe was also a fine representative of the tribe of Levi, and Moshe had thoughts similar to those of his brother, over the lack of

Levite representation in the dedication of the Mizbe’ach. But Moshe did not complain! Before Moshe could say anything, G-d would speak to him to show Moshe the special place he had, the special role he played. And that in life, there can be other replacements for the area in which people are lacking attention or the fulfillment they seek in religious areas. The verse shows us that Moshe and Aharon were in a similar boat, wanting to be as close to G-d as the tribal leaders, and they just needed a reminder that what they had was pretty good. What they had was unique, a connection to G-d that no other individuals had. What Moshe and Aharon went through was not on the same level as the Korach tale. Moshe and Aharon always wanted to get closer and closer to G-d. But the tale of the princes was a very human lesson to Moshe and Aharon, that you don’t need to do it all. And, to their credit, Moshe and Aharon did not pull their “I’m the leader” card and bring sacrifices anyway. They didn’t inveigle themselves into a role that was not theirs by nature or by G-d-appointment. n shuls, these kinds of challenges come up all the time. Some shuls have a beautiful system in place in which gabbai roles are shared and rotated and the opportunity to lein and lead the davening is rotated system-

In shuls, these kinds of challenges come up all the time.

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atically in order to include as many people as possible (assuming that those who fill these roles are qualified and capable to do fulfill these responsibilities admirably to the standards of the synagogue). And there are places where the same gabbai is gabbai for life (and will never give it up!), and where the same individual rushes to lead the davening or won’t give others the chance to lein at Shabbos mincha. Or where the Maftir Yonah is “owned” by a significant contributor, or certain specialty davenings are “always” led by the same person, or where the otherwise democratic nature of the synagogue is thrown away to satisfy the whims of a selfish individual. Former presidents keep all the keys they had in order not to relinquish an element of “power” held during those years of service. Moshe and Aharon teach us that people who are capable of leading and of taking on these roles should be able to be same’ach b’chelkam (happy with their portion) and should find the strength to be mevatrim – people who give up the honors so others can have them. Because there is nothing more honorable or gracious than being able to say, “While I enjoy doing this, the right thing to do is to give someone else a chance. I don’t have to do everything.” May we find the strength (and create systems) to share responsibilities with others, and create wholesome shul environments in which jealousy and envy have no place because everyone is willing and ready to let another person have a chance to represent the congregation.

JEFF DUNETZ POLITICS TO GO

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resident Obama visited the friendly confines of Adas Israel Synagogue in Washington on Friday and delivered a speech meant to reach out to the Jewish community and other supporters of Israel. Although the speech was supposed to be about anti-Semitism, his two main themes were that Israel should support the deal with Iran, and that he publicly criticizes Israel because he loves it so much. The speech at the Conservative congregation began with friendly platitudes about the history of Judaism in the U.S. and how Jews supported the civil rights movement, and he pointed out that Jeff Goldberg of The Atlantic — the president’s “go to Jew” when he wants to leak nasty comments about Israel (remember chickensh*t?) — is a member of the congregation. The speech covered his administrations support of Israel’s military and his oft-repeated claim that “no administration has done more to ensure that Israel can protect itself than this one.” Then President Obama transitioned to the deal with Iran: “The deal that we already reached with Iran has already halted or rolled back parts of Iran’s nuclear program. Now we’re seeking a comprehensive solution. I will not accept a bad deal. As I pointed out in my most recent article with Jeff Goldberg, this deal will have my name on it, so nobody has a bigger personal stake in making sure that it delivers on its promise. I want a good deal.” “I’m interested in a deal that blocks every single one of Iran’s pathways to a nuclear weapon — every single path,” the president continued. “A deal that imposes unprecedented inspections on all elements of Iran’s nuclear program, so that they can’t cheat — and if they try to cheat, we will immediately know about it and sanctions snap back on. A deal that endures beyond a decade, that addresses this challenge for the long term. In other words, a deal that makes the world and the region — including Israel — more secure. That’s how I define a good deal. “ Forgetting for a moment that his stake could not be bigger than the people living in Israel who would be the first target of a nuclear Iran, the president ignores the fact that many observers believe that the Iran deal does nothing to stop Iran’s nuclear program, and that his description of elements of the deal have been disputed by America’s partners in the P+5 negotiations (including Russia, China and France), as well as by Iran. The president also forgot to mention that Israel is not the only country objecting to the deal; some of the U.S.’s Arab allies were so upset at the framework Iran deal and the direction of the talks, that their leaders refused to join President Obama for the recent conference at Camp David. The president continued by saying, ironically, that he welcomes debate about the Iran deal, “Because the stakes are sufficiently high that anything that’s proposed has to be subjected to scrutiny — and I welcome that scrutiny.” After talking about how much he loves Israel, President Obama spoke to his reputation of not being pro-Israel and that the reason for his constant bashing of the Jewish State is his deep feeling of friendship, almost

like the parent who claims he beats his child out of love. “So when I hear some people say that disagreements over policy belie a general lack of support of Israel, I must object, and I object forcefully. For us to paper over difficult questions, particularly about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or about settlement policy, that’s not a true measure of friendship.” hen Obama became president he unilaterally broke an agreement between the U.S. and Israel, which said that the U.S. would not object to additional housing units in existing settlements outside of Jerusalem and would not object to any settlements in Jerusalem. When President Obama broke that agreement, the Palestinians made settlements a precondition for negotiations. When he talks about the settlements, President Obama ignores that Netanyahu made a very simple offer to the Palestinian President Abbas. If he were to recognize Israel as the Jewish State, Israel will enact an indefinite building freeze. As reported by Al Jazeera, the answer from the Palestinians was a resounding no. But still Obama blames Israel. When he objects to the perception that he is not pro-Israel, President Obama ignores that during the 2012 convention his campaign stripped four pro-Israel planks from the campaign platform and only added back the one about Jerusalem. Not added back were the items about not dealing with Hamas, that any peace deal would re-settle Palestinian refugees outside of Israel in Palestinian territory, and that “it is unrealistic to expect the outcome of final status negotiations to be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949.”

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Beautiful words are meaningless unless he changes his policies toward Jews and the Jewish State.

When President Obama talks about his love of Israel and Judaism he ignores that the Jewish attachment to Jerusalem is a basic tenet of Judaism. He also ignores that his administration refuses to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel — a big change from his predecessor President George W. Bush. In 1995 Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, endorsing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and requiring the U.S. Embassy to move to Jerusalem. But Congress gave the executive branch an out — every six months the State Department/President can request and receive an automatic waiver. President Clinton delivered such a waiver to Congress every six months as required. President Bush continued the policy every six months, but in Bush’s case he inserted into the legal jargon a sentence stating, “My Administration remains committed to beginning the process of moving our embassy to Jerusalem.” The phrase appeared in all 16 Bush waiver notifications. The Obama administration removed that phrase from its waiver requests. Obama wrapped up by speaking against the scourge of Anti-Semitism. Ignoring the fact that during his first year as president he awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to two Jew-haters, former Irish President Mary Robinson, who ran the 1991 U.N. Conference on Racism, which turned out to be a conference for every type of anti-Semitism in the world, and Bishop Desmond Tutu, who claims Jews run the U.S. government that “the Jews thought they had a monopoly on G-d.” The president’s words about AntiSemitism also ignore that he counts Al Sharpton as an adviser. Sharpton led two Anti-Semitic pogroms in New York City, the Crown Heights riot and

the firebombing of Freddy’s Fashion Mart. And his words certainly ignore that there is only one people in the world that his administration does not believe can live anywhere in the world they wish. That would be the Jews, who he blasts not only for what he calls “settlements,” but for purchasing houses in the eastern sections of Jerusalem. Using beautiful words, President Obama gave a speech at a historic Washington synagogue in an attempt to reach out to American Jews who have grown weary of his anti-Israel policies. Beautiful words, however, are empty and meaningless unless he changes his policies toward Jews and the Jewish State.

The Left’s dumb and dumber wars SUSAN STAMPER BROWN

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eports coming out of Ramadi, Iraq and Palmyra, Syria convey hundreds of dead and burned bodies littering streets and thousands of people displaced and on the run. Loss after loss, setback after setback, the White House remains resolved: The president’s Islamic State strategy is an “overall success,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest on May 19. A success for the ISIS, maybe. Lest we forget, less than a decade ago, nearly 1,300 Americans died fighting in Ramadi. Soon after, the U.S. returned control of that city, which had become one of Iraq’s safest, to Iraqi forces. A few days ago, ISIS ransacked and overtook Ramadi, and gained control of U.S. provided tanks, artillery and weaponry. National Security Advisor Susan Rice, the same woman who blamed Benghazi on a second-rate video and claimed Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl served “with honor and distinction,” told a group of war veterans the administration had “ended two wars responsibly.” Responsibly? I suppose the devil is in the details, but the last I checked, “responsibly” means sensibly, dutifully and conscientiously. That the

Obama administration pulled out of Iraq prematurely and failed to secure a basic status of forces agreement is better defined as irresponsible … reckless … JV squad-ish. Obama called Iraq a “dumb” war in 2002. It mattered not there was verifiable evidence that Saddam Hussein used weapons of mass destruction on an estimated 100,000 people, sheltered terrorists, refused to let U.N. inspectors in and attempted to assassinate George H.W. Bush. For a short time back in 2011 when victory was certain, Obama’s opinion evolved because it made him look good. Evolving is second nature to those without core values. Praising a group of Fort Bragg, N.C. soldiers for the sacrifices they made, Obama told them fighting in Iraq was “right” and “part of what makes us special as Americans.” That was then. Now that Iraq’s in shambles, it’s time to blame it on Bush again or throw in a few distractions. After all, Obama had no choice but to pull out troops. Not true! On June 16, 2014, National Review’s Patrick Brennan spelled out what really went down during negotiations with Iraq. Although U.S. military leadership requested more troops, Obama wanted a minimal military presence of just 2-3,000 “so it [the administration] could say it had ended the war.” And despite what Prime Minister Maliki said in public, “it’s well-established that behind closed doors, he was interested in a substantial U.S. presence,” wrote Brennan. Last year, Marine

Corps top leader (now retired) Gen. James Amos courageously spoke out saying, “I have a hard time believing that had we been there [Iraq], and worked with the government. … I don’t think we’d be in the same shape we’re in today.” Face it, Obama does what Obama wants. From day one, Iraq was lost because he thought it was dumb. Everyone heard it … ISIS heard it, and the next thing we know, the world’s on fire. Military leaders of all ranks are speaking out saying there is no strategy against ISIS. Even former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates came out saying, “We’re basically sort of playing this day to day.” Well, that’s encouraging. With chaos abounding domestically and abroad, Obama did what any reasonably minded commander in chief would do and gave a speech about climate change to Coast Guard Academy graduates telling them “climate change constitutes a serious threat to global security” that “will impact how our military defends our country.” “Denying it or refusing to deal with it endangers our national security” and is “a dereliction of duty,” said the president who swapped five hardcore terrorists for U.S. Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl. Obviously unable to identify or deal with the real and present enemy, ISIS, Obama and his faithful followers create an alternate one, climate change, and declare war on it. Now that’s dumb.

THE JEWISH STAR May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775

Obama’s synagogue speech simply empty words

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When Baghdad burned‌ Continued from page 1 Golden Square welded Iraqi actions to Berlin’s iron will. Why did they become partners? The Golden Square wanted Germany to destroy the British and Jewish presence in their country. The Third Reich craved what was beneath the ground — oil. Without that oil, still controlled by a British oil company, Germany could not invade Russia. An abortive effort to seize British oil and military facilities in Iraq roiled throughout May 1941. But on May 28, a British military column determined to protect the oil installations ďŹ nally punched toward the outskirts of Baghdad to defeat the insurgency. The Nazi-allied Golden Square and the Reich’s wirepuller, Grobba, ed the capital. At 4 am on May 31, the acting mayor emerged with a white ag on behalf of the residuum of ofďŹ cial authority in Iraq. The next day, on June 1, with British authority nominally restored but still withdrawn beyond the outskirts of Baghdad and the Golden Square coup plotters out of the country, the British (GZLQ %ODFN VSHDNLQJ DW WKH puppet regent, <RXQJ ,VUDHO RI :RRGPHUH LQ 7KH -HZLVK 6WDU 'RQRYDQ Prince ‘Abd alIlah, returned to Iraq. During the few hours surrounding the regent’s return, a power vacuum existed in the country. It resulted in the bloodbath of June 1–2 that became known as the Farhud. The original plans for a sweeping antiJewish action on June 1, organized before the pseudo-success of the British, were intended to mimic Nazi mass murder campaigns in Europe. Lists of Jews had already been compiled. Jewish homes had been marked in advanced with a blood-red hamsa, or palm prints, to guide the killing. The text announcing the mass murder and expulsion was already prepared and scheduled for radio broadcast. But Jewish leaders who learned of the impending disaster begged for mercy from the temporary local mayoral authorities, who successfully engineered the expulsion from Baghdad of the massacre planners. The radio broadcast on May 31 merely announced that the British-appointed regent would return to his palace from his temporary refuge in Trans-Jordan. aghdad’s Jews had every reason to celebrate. June 1 was the joyous holy day of Shavuot, commemorating when the Law was given to the Jews on Mt. Sinai. Baghdad’s Jews thought stability had returned to their 2,600-year existence in Iraq. They were so wrong. At about 3 pm that June 1, Regent ‘Abd alIlah landed at the airport near Baghdad. He was making his way across al-Khurr Bridge to the Palace when a contingent of Baghdadi Jews went out to greet him. As the group came to the bridge, they encountered a contingent of dejected soldiers returning from their dismal surrender to British forces. The mere sight of these Jews, bedecked in festive holiday garb, was enough to enrage the soldiers. Suddenly, the Jews were viciously attacked with knives and axes. Several were hacked to death right then and there on the bridge. The planned systematic extermina-

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tion, now foiled, broke down into a spontaneous citywide slaughter. Baghdad became a fast-moving hell. Frenzied mobs raced throughout the city and murdered Jews openly on the streets. Women were raped as their horriďŹ ed families looked on. Infants were killed in front of their parents. Homes and stores were emptied and then burned. Gunshots and screams electriďŹ ed the city for hours upon hours. Beheadings, torsos sliced open, babies dismembered, horrid tortures and mutilations were widespread. Severed limbs were waved here and there as hideous trophies. Baghdad burned and Jewish existence became smoke spires against the sky. A synagogue was invaded and its Torahs burned in classic Nazi fashion. Meanwhile, British troops remained minutes away, under orders from London not to move in lest it stir Arab sentiment against the oil infrastructure. The streets were not safe for Jews. Their homes, already well-marked as Jewish residences, were even less safe. Gangs comprised of soldiers, police, and civilian looters invaded Jewish neighborhoods with impunity. In home after home, furniture was moved up against the door to create a barricade. As the invaders pushed at the doors, more and heavier furniture was shoved into place. The ceaseless battering and kicks eventually made progress, and inevitably, in house after house, the killers broke in. As the Arabs breached the entrances, many families would escape to the roof, one step ahead. Fleeing Jews jumped from one roof to another. In some instances, parents and siblings threw children down from roofs to waiting blankets below. When there was no place beyond the roof, some Jews held off their attackers with boiling oil, stones, and whatever other makeshift defenses they could muster. omen were deďŹ led everywhere. Arabs broke into the girl’s school and the students were raped — endlessly. Six Jewish girls were carted away to a village 15 kilometers north and located only later. One young girl was raped, and then her breasts slashed off — an all too typical crime that day. Young or old, Jewish females were set upon and mercilessly gang raped and often mutilated. Finally, the mayor telephoned the Regent, momentarily the supreme authority in the country, and beseeched him to issue orders to loyal troops. That he did. As the order circulated, loyal units began opening ďŹ re on the rioters, especially when they turned to Muslim neighborhoods to continue their pillage. Once the shooting began, rioters ed. Days later, when the Regent eventually restored order, the British entered the city limits. The oil was secure. The Jews of Baghdad were not. In truth, no one will ever know many were murdered or maimed during those two dark days. OfďŹ cial statistics, based on intimidated and reluctant witnesses, listed about 110 Jews dead. Hundreds were listed as injured. But Jewish leaders said the real numbers were far greater. One Iraqi historian suggested as many as 600 were murdered during the overnight rampage. The Jewish Burial Society was afraid to bury the bodies. The corpses were ignominiously collected and entombed in a large, long, rounded mass grave that resembled a massive loaf of bread. Edwin Black is the author of IBM and the Holocaust, and The Farhud — Roots of the Arab-Nazi Alliance in the Holocaust. On June 1, he will proclaim International Farhud Day at a live globally-streamed event at the United Nations. Copyright 2010 Edwin Black

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By Diana Nelson Jones Pittsburgh Post-Gazette HOMESTEAD, Pa. — Homestead’s Jewish history is absent from the town’s dominant industrial narrative. For a young woman hoping to uncover it, 16 boxes of records at the Heinz History Center changed the course of her life. Tammy Hepps, 36, grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey hearing her father Michael’s stories about his grandfather, Bernhardt Hepps, who died in 1949. According to Michael, Bernhardt was a leader, a pillar, a founder and builder of the congregation that established the town’s first synagogue. At a talk at the Heinz History Center in the spring, Hepps said with a playful smile, “I got into genealogy because I didn’t believe a word my father said.” No other relatives were dropping crumbs on a family trail, and her father’s practices didn’t point to an Orthodox grandfather. Then when she was 12, a letter arrived from a distant cousin seeking connections to a Bernhardt Hepps. “We were the long lost branch of the family,” Hepps said. Five years ago, she and her father visited Pittsburgh to find the proof she wanted. At the Rauh Jewish Archives at the History Center, 16 boxes provided a trove of information about the congregation whose last candles went out in 1993. “Bernhardt showed up on every page,” Hepps said. “He really was there on the front lines of forming the community. “Once I discovered those boxes, it changed everything. Researching Homestead became my passion.” She had hit a career high as chief technology officer for a division of NBC in New York and was researching Homestead on the side.

“Each time I headed back to New York” from visiting Pittsburgh, “I thought, ‘I’m going in the wrong direction.’ “ When she decided to change directions, her friends said, “You have the best job of any of us,” she recounted. “You’re going to Pittsburgh? From a great job to having no job?” Since last July, she has spent several days a week studying old newspapers, land records, city directories, photos, oral histories and other accounts of life in Homestead. She frequently visits Homestead and the Jewish cemetery in Munhall. Its 800 graves are etched with names of people she now feels she knows. She has even attended services at the New Covenant Community Church on 11th Avenue just to experience the site of the former synagogue: “It means a lot to me that I can walk into that building.” The Homestead congregation’s last minyan in 1993 included one of her cousins, Hepps said. “When there weren’t 10 men left, they said, ‘I guess that’s it.’ “ The thing about 16 boxes of documents is that they yield exponentially. “Every detail unlocks more stories,” she said. “Each answer reveals a new question. I am so grateful people had the presence of mind to donate this information.” Many times in the quiet of the archives, a detail prompts a visceral longing. “I read meeting minutes and wish I could be in that room. The description will read, ‘A long discussion ensued,’ and I think, ‘What did they say?’ “I can’t imagine ever putting this down.” She has met people who knew her greatgrandfather and grandfather, Jacob “Chick” Hepps, a beer distributor. One person remembered Bernhardt as “being strict at the shul, making the kids sit down,” she said.

Bernhardt Hepps was a teamster who delivered alcohol to businesses in a horsedriven wagon. He later opened a saloon. On the congregation’s list of expenses, his name shows up as having supplied the whiskey. His name is also on the deal to purchase the cemetery land in Munhall. With expansion of the steel mills in the early 1940s, 8,000 people had to move from the immigrant enclaves on streets that ran to the Monongahela River. Heisel Street, which ran several blocks to Fifth Avenue, was home to many Jewish residents, and is now an unpeopled segment of its former self. Hepps believes there are no descendants from the old community still living in Homestead. “I can’t help but wonder whether the displacement didn’t contribute to the growth of Squirrel Hill,” Hepps said. On her site — HomesteadHebrews.com — she describes herself as a technologist, storyteller and genealogist. She has spoken at conferences throughout the nation, and to local history buffs. “Being a genealogist, when it’s fun, is like being a detective,” she said. “I’m burning through my savings, but there is no funding for this kind of research. I do consulting work on the side, and Pittsburgh is much cheaper to live in than New York.” In 1893, 20 families held Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in the 2nd Ward volunteer fire company. A year later, they established Homestead’s Rodef Shalom as an Orthodox congregation and built the first shul on Ammon Street. The street no longer exists and the shul was partially destroyed by arson in 1911. In its new quarters, the congregation included most of the merchants on Eighth Avenue — clothiers, confectioners, bakers,

butchers, publicans, grocers. Of 18 charter members, Ms. Hepps has traced 12. Meyer Grinberg’s grandfather was a peddler who opened a housewares store in the early 1900s. “We took all our pictures to Tammy at a seminar last year,” he said. “She has found articles about my family’s reunions and my grandfather’s wedding and my grandfather’s store being held up. “She has stimulated our family to think more about our history,” he said. “I send my kids the links she sends me and they write back, ‘This is awesome.’” Blair Jacobson’s grandfather was a grocer whose store gave its customers commemorative plates in 1910 with that year’s calendar on them. He met Ms. Hepps at a presentation in March and offered her the plate and family photographs. “I always wondered what to do with the family photos,” he said. “She gave me an opportunity to preserve them.” Hepps said the Homestead newspaper covered the dedication of the synagogue, Jewish weddings, Zionists Day at Kennywood and other events “with respectful fascination,” if occasionally embarrassing interpretations. A short article in 1900 spelled the congregation name Rudolph Schulem. She suspects most Jews who settled in Homestead had started their lives in another, larger American city. “Homestead was not your typical Jewish immigration story,” she said. “You could be on the Lower East Side (in New York City) and not raise a finger to support it, but the thing I love about Homestead’s Jewish story, what’s so inspiring, is that you had to be a leader or there would be no community.”

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THE JEWISH STAR May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775

Finding unexpected Jewish history in Homestead

21

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Thursday May 28

a book that offers a look into the campaign to delegitimize Israel, with author, Tuvia Tennenbom. Book available at a book club discount at Blue Door Books. 8 pm. At home of Flora Bienstock, 53 Chauncey Lane, Lawrence. ellenheimoff@aol.com %(7:((1 7+( &29(56 book club discusses of “The Children Act� by Ian McEwan. 1:30 pm to 3 pm. Friedberg JCC, 15 Neil Court, Oceanside. Corey Katz, Director of Adult Services, 516-634-4151, ckatz@friedbergjcc.org

/81&+ /($51 with Rabbi Shalom Axelrod of YI Woodmere. Traditions Restaurant, 302 Central Ave, Lawrence. 12:30 to 1:30 pm. $12 lunch. 516-398-3094.

Saturday May 30 28 &20081,7< :((.(1' OU Senior Managing Director Rabbi Steven Weil joins The White Shul for Shabbat. Prior to the Mussaf, he will deliver a sermon on “The Aftermath of Apocalypse-Combating Isolationism: Growing the Jewish Community: Responses to the Pew Study.� Before Mincha, he will lecture on “A Tour of Today’s Middle East: Updated Islamic Overview.� Before Maariv, he will present a Pirkei Avot shiur on “The Methodology of Jewish Values.� 728 Empire Ave., Far Rockaway. 718-327-0500.

Tuesday June 2

Sunday May 31 &(/(%5$7( ,65$(/ 3$5$'( New this year is a one mile run along Fifth Ave prior to the parade. The creative theme for marching groups is “Israel Imagines!� 11 am to 4 pm. Fifth Avenue from 57th to 74th streets, Manhattan. 212-843-9381, MStouber@rubenstein.com ,65$(/ '$< &21&(57 Let your voices be heard! This year’s concert is dedicated to the memory of Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach HY’D. Remarks from Gov. Mike Huckabee, MK Danny Danon, former UN Amb. John Balton, and others. Performances by Gad Elbaz,

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/81&+ $1' /($51 Join a program focusing on various topics within halacha, parsha, and Jewish thought, with Rabbi Shalom Axelrod of the Young Israel of Woodmere 12:301:30 pm. $12 lunch. Traditions Restaurant. 302 Central Ave., Lawrence. 516-398-3094. :20(1 (175(35(1(856 Jewish Women Entrepreneur Network opens its Five Towns Far Rockaway City Chapter with “Access Your Creativity to Build your Business.â€? 8 pm. Machon Basya Rochel Seminary, 137 Lawrence Ave., Lawrence. 510-205-6599. .80=,7= :,7+ ,') 62/',(56 Marking the ďŹ rst “Jewish Day of Unityâ€? in memory of Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar, and Naftali Frenkl. Featuring a short video presentation and talk from “Beneath the Helmetâ€? IDF ofďŹ cer Eden Adler, and a kumzitz with Nochi Krohn. Open to all. 8 pm. At Honig Home, 61 Muriel Ave., Lawrence. 443-540-4134, UnityIDF@gmail.com

Sunday June 7

Here’s how to list an event in the FREE Jewish Star Calendar The Jewish Star is pleased to publish a comprehensive calendar of events for the Orthodox Jewish communities on Long Island. This is a free service. Organizations are invited to send information to Calendar@TheJewishStar.com, including a brief description of event, name and address of venue, price of admission (or specify free), and a phone or email where readers can conďŹ rm the event or request more information. Submissions may also include a hi-res photo promoting the event (for instance, a featured speaker or honoree). The earlier events are submitted, the more weeks they may run. Deadline is Friday noon.

David? Goliath?

who is who is

Monday June 1

$118$/ ',11(5 2) 7+( <281* ,6 5$(/ of North Woodmere. Cocktails 6 pm, program and dinner 7:15 pm. At Temple Beth El, Broadway and Locust Avenue, Cedarhurst. RSVP to dinner@YINW.org .8/$18 )$,5 Join us for games, crafts, games, face painting, pony rides, refreshments and more! 12:30 pm to 5 pm. Andrew J. Parise Park, Cedarhurst. MichelleSulzberger@gmail. com, 516-569-3083 ext. 106

%22. ',6&866,21 Join Beth Sholom’s Book Club in a discussion of “Catch the Jew,�

Monday June 8

KUWAIT pop. 2.6M

ISRAEL pop. 7.9M LEBANON pop. 4.1M

$118$/ &$1725,$/ &21&(57 in memory of Cantor Moshe Ehrlich z�l. Featuring Cantors Yitzchak Meir Helfgot, Yaakov Lemmer, Chaim Dovid Berson, Joel Kaplan, Daniel Gildar. Conducted by Cantor Eric Freeman. 7:45 pm. Congregation Beth Shalom, 390 Broadway, Lawrence. 516-569-3600. BAHRAIN pop. 1.2M

Friday June 12

WEST BANK

&%6 <287+ 6+$%%$7 Come join us as our teens and youth take over and lead our main shul davening for Friday night and Shabbat davening. Any parents interested in helping to sponsor our shul Kiddush for youth Shabbat please email MosheCohen.CBSYouth@gmail.com ',1( 1¡ 0((7 6+$%%26 )25 6,1*/(6 at tjhe Young Israel of Woodmere. For information, call Malky Galler 516-581-6986 or Shari Kaufman 516-242-4948.

(Judea & Samaria)

pop. 2.1M TUNISIA pop. 10.7M

SYRIA pop. 22.5M

GAZA STRIP pop. 1.7M

IRAQ pop. 31.1M

MOROCCO pop. 32.3M ALGERIA pop: 37.4M

Alex Clare, LIPA!, Shloime Dachs and more. Free admission. 2:30 pm to 7:30 pm. SummerStage in Central Park (enter Park at Fifth Avenue and 72 Street), Manhattan. 917-650-5623 &(/(%5$7( ,65$(/ )(67,9$/ intended for New Yorkers of all faiths, ethnicities, and walks of life. $5 to $15. 2 to 7 pm. Pier 94 off West Side Highway, Manhattan. 212-362-1307.

LIBYA pop. 5.6M

IRAN pop. 78.9M

EGYPT pop. 83.7M

Monday June 15

SAUDI ARABIA pop. 26.5M

<,'',6+ )$50 6800(5 352*5$06 Learn Yiddish, work the land, and earn college credit. Continues through July 10. Yiddish Farms, 71 Dzierzek Lane, New Hampton. 845360-5023, yisroel@yiddishfarm.org

OMAN pop. 3.1M

There’s no lack of media coverage on Israel, the Middle East’s sole democracy with civil rights and a free press. What is lacking is objective coverage. This tiny Jewish nation, the size of New Jersey, with less than eight million people, a quarter of them non-Jewish, generally receives inaccurate, harsh, even hostile coverage from the world’s press.

The Jewish News Service (JNS.org) was created to correct that. Our weekly reporting, including exclusive distribution rights for Israel Hayom, Israel’s most popular daily, now appears in 31 Jewish weeklies. We invite you to join us in getting the truth out about Israel. To receive our FREE weekly newsletter go to jns.org/ subscribe-to-our-newsletter today!

jns

JORDAN pop. 6.5M

.org

QATAR pop. 1.9M

jns.org/subscribe-to-our-newsletter

YEMEN pop. 24.8M

Monday July 13 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES pop. 5.3M 773066

May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

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<,'',6+ )$50 6800(5 352*5$06 An intensive two-week course grammar course for intermediate Yiddish speakers. Continues through July 24. Yiddish Farms, 71 Dzierzek Lane, New Hampton (Goshen, update). 845360-5023, yisroel@yiddishfarm.org

THE JEWISH STAR May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775

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May 29, 2015 • 11 Sivan 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

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