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Vayigash • Friday, December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778 • Luach page 18 • Torah columns pages 18 – 19 • Vol 16, No 48

On Tuesday, New York tabloids featured coverage of Monday morning’s tragedy.

After firm Security Council stand, she’s ‘taking names’ as Jerusalem moves to GA The United States on Monday vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have required the Trump administration to backtrack on its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

At the request of Arab and Muslim states, the 193-member General Assembly then scheduled a rare emergency special session on Thursday to consider the matter. The U.S. has no veto power in the General Assembly, whose action would be non-binding but carries political weight. Since 1950, the General Assembly has only held 10 emergency sessions, half of them about Israel.

Haley warned on Tuesday that the U.S. will “will be taking names” when the General Assembly votes.

On Twitter, @nikkihaley wrote: “At the UN we’re always asked to do more & give more.

So, when we make a decision, at the will of the American ppl, abt where to locate OUR See United Nations page 5

Read the full speech on p. 2

said in many Jewish communities — including in the Five Towns at the Young Israel of Woodmere — for the speedy recovery of Shilat bas Louza Aliza, 16; Daniel ben Louza Aliza, 15; and Yosef ben Ahua Musuda.

The father, son and daughter were reported in critical condition “fighting for their lives” at Staten University Hospital, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. Two other boys, with less severe injuries, were being treated at Maimonides Medical Center in Boro Park.

The fire, which began at around 2:20 am on Monday, quickly engulfed the 2-1/2-story single-family woodSee Brooklyn tragedy page 5

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley vetos an Egyptian-drafted resolution on the status of Jerusalem, at the United Nations Security Council on Monday.

Reuters / Brendan McDermid

Some Reform leaders DO have Israel’s back Commentary by Ammiel Hirsch,

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue (Reform)

Nassau executive Chanukah

Nassau’s County Executive-elect Laura Curran speaks with Chabad of Mineola’s Rabbi Anchelle Perl, during the annual Chanukah Telethon. The Dec. 10 event, which raised nearly $500,000 was broadcast by metropolitan area cable systems and livestreamed over the internet. More photos on page 10.

We were wrong.

As Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky pointed out, “The Reform response to the recognition of Jerusalem was terrible. When … a superpower recognizes Jerusalem, first you … welcome it, then offer disagreement.

Here it was the opposite.”

Sharansky was referring to the Dec. 5 statement issued by all 16 North American Reform organizations and affiliates in response to President Donald Trump’s declaration recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

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Thousands of mourners on Monday evening followed a procession for four members of the Azan family who perished in a Brooklyn house fire early Monday morning.

A Fire Department spokesman said the blaze was triggered by an “unattended lit menorah.”

On Tuesday night, Tehillim were

Straight-talking Nikki Haley KOs anti-Israel, anti-US vote

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Another Brooklyn tragedy

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A REFORM LEADER FROM Iowa attends Trump’S Chanukah party: p. 21 The operative clause reads: “While we share the President’s belief that the U.S. Embassy should, at the right time, be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, we cannot support his decision to begin preparing that move now, absent a comprehensive plan for a peace process.”

There have been several attempts to clarify this position, but not by all of See Some Reform leaders page 4

Full text of Nikki Haley’s veto speech at the UN Statement to the Security Council following U.S. veto on Dec. 18: have been the proud Representative of the United States at the United Nations for nearly a year now. This is the first time I have exercised the American right to veto a resolution in the Security Council. The exercise of the veto is not something the United States does often. We have not done it in more than six years. We do it with no joy, but we do it with no reluctance.

The fact that this veto is being done in defense of American sovereignty and in defense of America’s role in the Middle East peace process is not a source of embarrassment for us; it should be an embarrassment to the remainder of the Security Council.

As I pointed out when we discussed this topic 10 days ago, I will once again note the features of the president’s announcement on Jerusalem that are most relevant here. The president took great care not to prejudge final status negotiations in any way, including the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem. That remains a subject to be negotiated only by the parties. That position is fully in line with the previous Security Council resolutions.

The president was also careful to state that we support the status quo regarding Jerusalem’s holy sites, and we support a two-state solution if that’s what the parties agree to. Again, these positions are fully consistent with the previous Security Council resolutions.

It is highly regrettable that some are trying to distort the president’s position to serve their own agendas.

What is troublesome to some people is not that the United States has harmed the peace process — we have, in fact, done no such thing.

Rather, what is troublesome to some people is that the United States had the courage and honesty to recognize a fundamental reality. erusalem has been the political, cultural, and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people for thousands of years. They have had no other capital city. But the United States’ recognition of the obvious — that Jerusalem is the capital and seat of the modern Israeli government — is too much for some.

First, some have threatened violence on the street, as if violence would somehow improve the prospects of peace.

Now today, buried in diplomatic jargon, some presume to tell America where to put our embassy. The United States’ has a sovereign right to determine where and whether we establish an embassy. I suspect very few Member States would welcome Security Council pronouncements about their sovereign decisions. And I think of some who should fear it.

It’s worth noting that this is not a new American position. Back in 1980, when Jimmy Carter was the American president, the Security Council voted on Resolution 478, which called upon diplomatic

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Ambassador Nikki Haley told AIPAC in March: “Anyone who says you can’t get anything done at the United Nations, you need to know there’s a new sheriff in town.”

The Jewish Star / Ed Weintrob

missions to relocate from Jerusalem. The United States did not support Resolution 478.

In his remarks, then-Secretary of State Ed Muskie said the following: “The draft resolution before us today is illustrative of a preoccupation which has produced this series of unbalanced and unrealistic texts on Middle East issues.”

Specifically, regarding the provision on diplomatic missions in Jerusalem, Secretary Muskie said this: “In our judgment, this provision is not binding. It is without force. And we reject it as a disruptive attempt to dictate to other nations. It does nothing to promote a resolution of the difficult problems facing Israel and its neighbors.

It does nothing to advance the cause of peace.”

That was in 1980. It is equally true today. The United States will not be told by any country where we can put our embassy.

Buried even deeper in the jargon of this resolution is the accusation that the United States is setting back the prospects of peace in the Middle East. That is a scandalous charge. Those who are making it should consider that it only harms the very Palestinian people

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they claim to speak for. What does it gain the Palestinian people for their leaders to throw up roadblocks to negotiations?

A “peace process” that is damaged by the simple recognition that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel is not a peace process; it is a justification for an endless stalemate. What does it gain the Palestinian people for some of their leaders to accuse the United States of being hostile to the cause of peace? It gains them nothing, but it risks costing them a great deal. he United States has done more than any other country to assist the Palestinian people. By far. Since 1994, we have given over $5 billion to the Palestinians in bilateral economic assistance, security assistance, and humanitarian assistance.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees operates schools and medical facilities throughout the region.

It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. Last year, the United States voluntarily funded almost 30 percent of UNRWA’s budget. That’s more than the next two largest donors combined.

And it’s vastly more than some of the members of this Council that have considerable financial resources of their own.

I’ll be blunt: When the American people see a group of countries whose total contributions to the Palestinian people is less than one percent of UNRWA’s budget — when they see these countries accuse the United States of being insufficiently committed to peace — the American people lose their patience.

I have been to the Palestinian refugee camps the United States supports with their contributions. I have met with men, women, and children. I have advocated on their behalf. I can tell you that their leaders do them no favors by being more open to abandoning peace negotiations than to doing the hard work of seeing them to completion.

The United States has never been more committed to peace in the Middle East. We were committed to it before the president announced our recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and we’re committed to it today.

What we witnessed here today in the Security Council is an insult.

It won’t be forgotten. It’s one more example of the United Nations doing more harm than good in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Today, for the simple act of deciding where to put our embassy, the United States was forced to defend its sovereignty. The record will reflect that we did so proudly. Today, for acknowledging a basic truth about the capital city of Israel, we are accused of harming peace. The record will reflect that we reject that outrageous claim.

For these reasons, and with the best interests of both the Israeli and the Palestinian people firmly in mind, the United States votes no on this resolution.

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THE JEWISH STAR December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778

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Some Reform leaders DO have Israel’s back…

Continued from page 1 the original signatories. It is still the official position of the entire North American apparatus of the Reform movement. If our movement’s affiliates have had a change of heart, all of them should say it through another statement: “We made a mistake.”

If not, and if we still stand by our original statement, I want the Jewish world to know that this position is not my position, nor does it reflect the views of multitudes of, perhaps most, Reform Jews.

We were wrong on the politics. With the exception of one small hard-left party, there is wall-to-wall agreement among the Zionist parties in the Knesset supporting the embassy move. …

More important, we were wrong on the merits. We have yearned for Jerusalem for two millennia. It is the source of our strength, the place where our people was formed, where the Bible was written. Jews lived free and made pilgrimage to Jerusalem for a thousand years. Our national existence changed the world and led to the creation of two other great faiths.

The world’s superpower finally did the right thing, and we opposed it — not on the principle, but on the “timing.” The timing?

Now is the not the right time?

Two thousand years later and it is still not the right time? As if there is a peace process that the Palestinians are committed to and pursuing with conviction.

There were critics who accused the civil rights movement of moving too quickly. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s response: “The time is always ripe to do what is right.”

In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, King wrote: “For years now I have heard the word ‘wait’ … that [our] action … is untimely.

This ‘wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see

Judaism without Eretz Yisrael is not Judaism.

Judaism without Jerusalem is not Judaism.

Ammiel Hirsch

Courtesy of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue

that justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

King often reminded us that time is neutral, that it can be used constructively or destructively. Israel’s opponents have used time more effectively than we have. They have so distorted history that so many around the world question the very legitimacy of Jewish ties to Zion and Jerusalem. We have neglected teaching and conveying, even to our own children, our millennia-old love affair with the Land of Israel and Jerusalem as its beating heart.

Judaism without Eretz Yisrael is not Judaism. Judaism without Jerusalem is not Judaism.

This is not to deny that others consider Jerusalem holy. It is not to deny that the Palestinians seek Jerusalem as their capital.

I am in favor of two states for two peoples. For that to happen, some kind of accommodation on Jerusalem will be necessary. If and when it occurs, I will support it.

But let no one be fooled. Peace will never rise on foundations

of sand. Any agreement will collapse under the weight of its own inconsistencies if constructed on a scaffolding of lies.

President Trump simply acknowledged reality. It is about time.

It should have been done decades ago, in 1949, when Israel declared Jerusalem its capital. Many presidents — Democrats and Republicans — promised to move the U.S. embassy.

The embassy will be in West Jerusalem. Who contests West Jerusalem? President Trump did not pre-empt the eventual borders of Jerusalem. He did not preclude a permanent status agreement. He simply acknowledged a fact. Where do people meet Israeli prime ministers, presidents, parliamentarians and Supreme Court justices — in Tel Aviv? Where did Anwar Sadat speak when he wanted to convey on behalf of the Egyptian people a message of peace to Israelis: Tel Aviv?

It is for each country to declare its own capital. What other nation declares a capital unrecognized by the nations of the world?

What kind of special abuse is reserved for the Jewish nation?

At the same time, it is proper and necessary for us to remind ourselves and others that we are committed to a two-state solution that will require territorial compromises from both sides, including in Jerusalem. We should continue to urge the American government to help bring about a negotiated peace.

We should also urge the international community to disabuse the Palestinian national movement of its exaggerated expectations and its insidious efforts to undermine and erase our connection to Zion. Until that happens, peace is an illusion.

Two thousand years later and it is still not the right time? As Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said: ‘The time is always ripe to do what is right.’

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•If a fire occurs, first get everyone out of the house to a safe distance, and then call 911.

Running back into a burning home to save your “priceless” possessions is not worth the risk. Your most “priceless” possessions are standing in the street next to you.

•Children get very excited and animated during holiday celebrations. While we want the enthusiasm, running and jumping near lit candles can accidentally cause them to fall and start a house fire.

•Don’t overload electrical circuits. If the circuit breaker pops, don’t simply reset it. Reduce the load on that circuit and then reset the breaker.

•Never run extension cords under carpets or furniture. Remember that extension cords are potential trip hazards and well as a common source of fires.

•Do not overload extension cords by chaining them together or installing cube taps. They are not designed to carry that much current.

•Using LED light sets reduces the electrical load. In addition, they run cooler and there is less risk of having a hot bulb touch a dry object and igniting a fire.

•Unplug all your decorations and indoor holiday lights when you leave home or go to sleep.

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said. “They alerted folks that there was a fire, and I believe the people that called [911] from across the street also heard an alarm that was activated.”

Another tragedy struck the same Brooklyn community two years ago, when seven children in the Sassoon family died after a Shabbos hot plate started a house fire. Both families belong to Brooklyn’s Syrian community and are friends.

The Azans emigrated from Israel 15 years ago.

Itzik Sudri, who knows Yossi from their days in yeshiva, described the couple as “filled with joie de vivre and hospitality, people who opened their door to anyone who came to Brooklyn from Israel,” Ynetnews reported.

“Everyone’s crying non-stop, it’s like a nightmare,” an Israeli relative of the family told the website Behadrey Haredim. “But despite the immense difficulty, we — as observant Jews — reconciled ourselves to what happened.

“We have no questions: G-d gave, and G-d hath taken away.”

Bereaved members of the community gathered outside Congregation Sheves Achim in Gravesend on Monday evening before the victims — Aliza (Luza) Azan, a”h, 39; her sons Moshe, z”l, 11, and Yitzcak, z”l; 7; and her daughter Henrietta, a”h, 3, — were transported to a flight leaving from JFK. Their levaya was anticipated at Holon cemetary on Wednesday.

Nigro reminded everyone that candiles should never be left unattened. “I caution every year: Celebrate but celebrate safely,” he said.

Cedarhurst Mayor Benjamin Weinstock reminded residents that “thousands of fire deaths occur” during the winter holidays “that are preventable by simply following some basic fire safety principles.” (See “Fire safety reminder” story on top of this page.)

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Continued from page 1 frame home on East 14th Street in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood. The family reportedly kept a two-foot-wide oil-burning menorah in a living room window. One of the surviving Azan children and a teenage cousin told investigators that the menorah had been left buring after they went to sleep and that they saw the fire start nearby, the New York Times reported.

Fire marshals suspect that the glass may have cracked under extended heat exposure, spilling oil and spreading flames, said the Times, which quoted Avi Shafran, director of public affairs for Agudath Israel of America: “Jewish families are generally very cognixant of the danger of open flames, as candles or oil lamps are used to usher in the Shabbath each week as well as on holidays, particularly Chanukah. But, like any open flame, they should not be left unattended.”

Nigro said firefighters arrived in “less than three minutes” after receiving a call and that “in that short period of time, the fire met them at the front door.”

They “acted very aggressively for this building to try and rescue these folks,” he said. “Unfortunately, it was too late.”

Nigro said the father managed to escape from the second floor and save two teenagers and that two sons, who were sleeping on the first floor, also managed to escape.

“He tried to go back in and save the rest of his family, the ones he didn’t already save,” said Niego. “We believe he acted courageously and tried desperately.”

Fire Department officials said the house had a working smoke detector, which may have alerted the boys on the first floor to the fire.

“The boys on the first flood did hear it,” Nigro

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Continued from page 1 embassy, we don’t expect those we’ve helped to target us. On Thurs there’ll be a vote criticizing our choice. The US will be taking names.”

Speaking in advance of the Security Council vote, Haley said she would not discuss the president’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, calling it a decision that a “sovereign nation has every right to do.”

In a strongly-worded post-veto speech that was widely praised by supporters of Israel, Haley said, “What we witnessed here today in the Secu-

rity Council is an insult. It won’t be forgotten.”

“The fact that this veto is being done in defense of American sovereignty and in defense of America’s role in the Middle East peace process is not a source of embarrassment for us,” she said.

“It should be an embarrassment to the remainder of the Security Council. (See full text on page 2.)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video thanking Haley. “On Chanukah, you spoke like a Maccabi,” he said. “You lit a candle of truth. You dispel the darkness. One defeated the many. Truth defeated lies.”

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THE JEWISH STAR December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778

Following Monday’s Brooklyn blaze, the Village of Cedarhurst reissued holiday fire safety tips, pointing out that thousands of fire deaths during the holidays are preventable by simply following some basic fire safety principles. Here are highlights: •First and foremost — make sure that you have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed in your home. Now is a good time to replace the batteries and test your devices.

•Never leave a burning candle or flame unattended. Leaving your home, going to bed, or simply leaving the room where candles and/or menorahs are lit and out of view, is dangerous.

•Never light candles or a menorah near flammable objects, such as curtains, carpeting, tablecloths or paper holiday decorations or displays.

•Always place a lit candle or menorah on a flameproof object, such as a metal plate or a baking sheet. A sheet of aluminum foil covering a tablecloth will stop messy drips but will not prevent a fire.

•Ask yourself, “What could happen if the candle tips over or falls?” It will help you assess the safety of the situation and make you aware of the precautions you should take.

•Keep a small fire extinguisher or fire blanket nearby. It is the safest and fastest way to extinguish a small fire.

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7 Israelis’ deep pop-cultural impact on America

Iyor Cohen

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

By Gabe Friedman, JTA When Natalie Portman was named the 2018 winner of the $1 million (doubled this week to $2 million) Genesis Prize, known as the “Jewish Nobel,” it was in part an acknowledgement of her Israeli roots.

While the Oscar-winning actress mostly grew up in the United States, Portman — née Herschlag — is also Israeli. Her father, Avner Herschlag, grew up in Israel, and her mother married him there. The family moved to the U.S. when she was 3.

Portman’s facility with Hebrew was on display when she directed and starred in the Hebrew-language film “Tale of Love and Darkness,” based on the book by Israeli writer Amos Oz. She earned the Genesis Prize for “her commitment to social causes and her deep connection to her Jewish and Israeli roots,” said Stan Polovets, the Genesis Prize Foundation chairman.

Daniel Kahneman: Economist psychologist, author Human beings are not robots — sometimes they make irrational decisions, and they are always complex.

That idea might sound like common sense, but before economist and psychologist Daniel Kahneman started his Nobel Prize-winning work in the 1970s, economics plugged people into equations just as they would other sets of numbers. Kahneman’s work with his Israeli research partner Amos Tversky (he died from cancer in 1996) on concepts such as cognitive biases and prospect theory helped change that and effectively launched the field of behavioral economics — which in turn has influenced several other fields. His 2011 book, “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” which summarized much of his research, has sold over a million copies.

Few have had such an outsized impact on multiple fields of knowledge as Kahneman, 83, a Tel Aviv native who grew up in France during the Holocaust and returned to Israel for college.

He became a professor at the Hebrew Univer-

Einat Admony

Getty Images for NY Culinary Experience

Itzhak Perlman Via JTA

sity in Jerusalem before moving to Canada in the late ‘70s and eventually settling at Princeton University in 1993. In 2002, he won the Nobel Prize in Economics for “having integrated insights from psychological research into economic science.”

Adam Neumann: Co-founder and CEO, WeWork The concept of the office space has changed thanks in part to this Israeli-American entrepreneur. WeWork, co-founded by Neumann in 2010, offers an upgrade over the local cafe to freelancers, small startups and others who don’t work in an office. A WeWork space usually looks like a startup’s pipe dream, often complete with colorful couches, spacious café areas and airhockey tables.

Neumann and his business partner, Miguel McKelvey, tapped into a big market: Today the company has locations in 23 U.S. cities, as well as spots in over a dozen countries, and is worth nearly $20 billion. The shared workspace model seems here to stay.

Neumann, 36, actually spent his first two years in Indianapolis before his mother relocated to a kibbutz near the Gaza Strip. After growing up there and serving in the Israeli Navy for five years, he moved to New York to attend Baruch College. He dropped out with four credits left to graduate but finished his degree earlier this year.

Gal Gadot: Actress, model There are film roles, and then there is Wonder Woman.

In male-dominated Hollywood, female superheroes are few and far between. Playing this iconic DC Comics character comes with myriad responsibilities and pressures: be a role model to women and girls, toe the line between confidence and sexiness, help the film succeed and spawn sequels.

Gadot, a former Miss Israel who had previously had small roles in a few “Fast and Furious” movies, pulled it off, turning “Wonder Woman” into a blockbuster while inspiring woman around the world. Off screen, she has earned

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Gal Gadot

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Haim Saban

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praise for refusing to work with a producer accused of sexual misconduct.

Gadot, now 32, grew up near Tel Aviv, served in the Israeli army and only recently moved to Los Angeles. Guest-hosting “Saturday Night Live,” she spoke briefly in Hebrew to her family back in Israel — no small gesture in an era of anti-Israel boycotts.

Haim Saban: Media mogul, producer, philanthropist How did a guy who wrote music for cartoons become one of the most powerful media moguls, political donors and pro-Israel forces in the U.S.? The answer begins with “Power Rangers.”

Saban, who was born in Egypt but grew up in Tel Aviv, joined a band after serving in the Israel Defense Forces. He then became a concert promoter and eventually immigrated to the U.S. in 1983, where he lived a comfortable life as a cartoon music composer. He discovered the “Power Rangers,” which was first a show in Japan, in a hotel room during a business trip and instantly fell in love with the campy teenage superheroes.

He immediately bought the rights to the show, but shopped the idea around to American executives for years before one — Margaret Loesch at Fox — bought it. Since the show’s debut in 1993, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” has netted billions of dollars in TV profits and merchandise. Saban grew his fortune by investing in other media ventures and became one of Los Angeles’ most generous philanthropists (among other things, a research clinic at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles bears his name).

Saban, 73, has also poured millions into Democratic politics over the years — notably he gave Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign $15 million. As a staunch Israel backer, he supports and hosts the annual Saban Forum on Israel, which brings together political leaders from the U.S. and Israel to debate topics related to the Jewish state.

Saban also was a key supporter of what became the Israeli-American Council, which aims to boost the Israeli and Jewish identity — and political clout — of Israelis living here.

Itzhak Perlman: Virtuoso violinist, educator, disability rights advocate Perlman’s introduction to the international spotlight came in 1958, when the prodigy performed on “The Ed Sullivan Show” at the age of 13. But he had already been playing the violin for about a decade — and had been living with paralyzed legs from a bout of polio for nearly the same amount of time.

Fast-forward several decades, and the New York-via-Tel Aviv native has earned 16 Grammy Awards, a Presidential Medal of Freedom and the title of “world’s greatest living violinist.” As a performer, Perlman is not only known for his smooth tone and effortless finger speed — his energy and love of playing, usually communicated through a signature wide grin, has helped make him an international music icon. He also fosters young musicians through the Perlman Music Program, which he founded with his wife in 1994.

Outside of music, Perlman has passionately advocated for rights for people with disabilities.

After being awarded the Genesis Prize in 2015, he pledged his winnings toward improving the integration of people with disabilities into Israe-

Adam Neumann

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

li and American society — with a specific focus on his adopted hometown of New York.

Einat Admony: Chef, restaurateur Falafel is one of the most popular foods in Israel and the rest of the Middle East. Can it take the U.S. by storm the way hummus has?

If it does, Einat Admony will be one of the big reasons why.

Admony, 46, is an Israeli chef who has revolutionized the Israeli food scene in New York and plans on expanding her brand across America and the world. She is in talks to open outposts based on her popular falafel joint Taim, which puts a hip spin on the Israeli staple, in Los Angeles, Chicago, Australia and Japan.

But Admony, who moved to New York from Israel in the ‘90s and worked at a slew of restaurants before opening her own, is not merely a falafel expert. Her other New York eateries, Balaboosta and Bar Bolonat, have made her one of the foremost ambassadors of Israeli cuisine in the U.S., along with fellow Israeli-Americans Michael Solomonov and Alon Shaya. Admony also plans to open a restaurant dedicated to couscous in New York named Kish-Kash. (Her establishments are not kosher.)

Lyor Cohen: Music executive Run-DMC, Jay-Z, LL Cool J, A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West. Those are just a few of the many rap artists Lyor Cohen helped usher into the mainstream through his many prominent roles over three-plus decades in the industry, including a tenure as the head of Def Jam Records and as chairman of the Warner Music Group.

It has been argued that Cohen, 58, was an integral part in rap’s takeover of the mainstream pop music universe. In the ‘80s, just as hip-hop began its ascent to the top of the charts, Cohen worked as a manager and talent scout for Russell Simmons’ Rush Artist Management. He worked out Run-DMC’s landmark endorsement deal with adidas, one of the first commercial pacts for a rap group, and has been seen as a trailblazer ever since.

Cohen left Warner Music in 2012 to start his own label, and last year became the head of music at YouTube, where he plans to make the service compete in the streaming realm against giants like Spotify and Apple Music.

The son of Israelis, Cohen was born in New York but spent five years as a child on a farm outside Tel Aviv before moving with his parents to Los Angeles. He has shifted between American coasts ever since.

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Daniel Kahneman

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MDS shows Dani Dayan its advocacy for Israel Students on the MDS Stand With Israel advocacy team are pictured with (from left) Ambassador Dani Dayan, Associate Principal Judy Melzer, and Head of School Raizi Chechik. MDS teacher and consultant to Stand With Israel Natacha Lugassy is pictured among the students to the left of the ambassador.

Chanukah Chesed at CAHAL Under the direction of Morah Aviva Balsam, the CAHAL students at Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam decided to blend chessed with creative fun by decorating the Achiezer Respite Room at South Nassau Communities Hospital with a huge Chanukah poster and menorah.

CAHAL Program Director Naomi Nadata and Educational Coordinator Alice Feltheimer rushed to get the girls’ artwork in place before the chag and Facetimed with the class from the hospital as they toured the special amenities provided by Achiezer in this facility.

Variety of holiday activities staged at SKA

SKA girls celebrate Chanukah on Ice (left) and SKA’s Chanukah Across the Curriculum abrought the holidy into chemistry (center) and math classes.

The email sent to students of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls read, “Dress warmly.”

When the students entered the building on the first day of Chanukah, no one knew what to expect. But after davening however, Head of School Helen Spirn, announced, “Everyone to the buses, we’re going on a trip!” All the grades enjoyed “Chanukah on Ice,” bonding with each other and teachers at an ice skating rink in Great Neck.

The next day began with an interesting twist. SKA’s Torah lishma initiative, SPARKS, introduced “Chanukah Across the Curriculum,” with each class in every subject connecteing Chanukah to the day’s lesson. Linear equations

of dreidels in Math, the manufacturing of olive oil in Biology, and using oil pastels to create light in Art, and coding menorahs in Pre-Engineering were some of the concepts explored — in addition to the halachot of Chanukah in Torah Shebeal Peh and the real history of Chanukah in History of Israel.

The G.O. sponsored “Nes Cafe,” which provided delicious specialty drinks and food for purchase. In the evening, sophomores, juniors and seniors enjoyed amazing food and activities at teachers’ homes; the SKA basketball team even partied at the home of physical ed teacher and coach, Esther Goldfeder.

The annual SKA Chanukah Chagiga and the Chanukah Privilege Auction capped off the yom tov. In the “bowling alley,” long rows of colorful boxes offered opportunities to bid on class parties, lunches and outings with faculty members and Shabbos invitations. Since the funds raised go to tzedaka, this has always been a very popular event and bidding is friendly but fierce.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Chanukah at SKA without chessed! Boxes labeled for toy and book drives were filled to capacity and 9th and 12th Graders shared simcha with participants from Otzar and Gymnasia.

Chanukah celebrations at Manhattan Day School were especially bright this year, thanks to a Dec. 14 visit by Ambassador Dani Dayan, Israel’s consul general in New York. Dayan met with the school’s Israel advocacy team, Stand With Israel, before delivering a powerful talk to seventh and eighth graders.

“Ambassador Dayan’s moving words about the message of Chanukah, the eternal connection of our people to Israel, and Israel in the world today really resonated with our students,” said Head of School Raizi Chechik.

“Ambassador Dayan motivated our MDS Israel advocacy group to educate all who will listen about Israel’s accomplishments and achievements,” commented Judy Melzer, associate principal and Israel Advocacy Program coordinator. Dayan stressed the significance of relaying a positive message about the Jewish state.

The Stand With Israel team’s presentation, titled “An Analysis of Israel: Surviving and Thriving, A Modern Approach to Zionism,” included the Biblical/Religious connection, by Ava Eden and Henya Fortgang; NGOs — Agenda and Narrative,

by Tyler Fischman; BDS — the Campaign against Israel, by Cailey Erber; Hate and the American Campus, by Sophia Heller, Shoshana Horowitz and Leah Roth; Propaganda and the Press, by Max Korenman and Eitan Zomberg; Israel’s Technological and Environmental Advances, by Eitan Weinberg; and Advances in Defense and the World of Medicine, by Avi Herman.

“It was a huge honor, as a proud advocate for our nation’s homeland, to be able to present in front of such an important Israeli figure,” said Ava Eden.

Dayan praised the presentation by Avi Herman and Eitan Weinberg that discussed advances Israel has made in the medical, environmental and technological areas.

“Ambassador Dayan’s speech opened my eyes to the anti-Israel campaigns and how prevalent they are,” said Avi Herman.

“It’s amazing how Israel deals with this on a daily basis and always takes the high road. I am so proud of Israel’s behavior.”

The visit encouraged the formation of a new component of Stand With Israel by Agam Ackerman and Danielle Mero, who will research Israel’s ongoing contributions to third world countries.

Dayan connected to the students on a personal level, sharing intimate stories about his years of service to Israel After his visit, the ambassador commended MDS students on their leadership and support, tweeting that visiting the Upper West Side elementary school was “the best investment I made today for our future — Thanks Manhattan Day School!”

the object of jokes or teasing. Between 7 and 21 percent of Jewish students at the schools said they had been the subject of microaggressions or teasing.

Most Jewish students — 80 percent or more at all the campuses — said their school did not have a hostile environment toward Jews, but a higher proportion said campuses had a hostile environment toward Israel. At Michigan, 51 percent of Jewish students thought the campus had a hostile environment toward the Jewish state.

That number was 32, 34 and 22 percent, respectively, at Harvard, Penn and Brandeis.

Most Jewish students did not place issues relating to Jews, Judaism or Israel as among the “most pressing” topics on campus — 20 percent or fewer of Jewish students listed such issues among the top three “pressing” ones on their campuses.

The Israel advocacy group StandWithUS told JTA that the findings were in line with its work on campuses.

“While some student governments have passed divestment, most have rejected it and there has not been a single successful divestment referendum against Israel. Most students are simply not engaged in the issue and others are standing up to these campaigns of hate,” said Max Samarov, the group’s executive director of research and campus strategy.

Migrants worry Germany

By Sean Savage, JNS Due to the wars in Syria and Iraq as well as other conflicts in Asia and Africa, Germany took in more than 1 million migrants in 2015 and 2016, fundamentally reshaping the country.

While the migration has significantly slowed in 2017, to around 200,000, Germany has been grappling with backlash from anti-immigration political parties and the threat of Islamic terrorism.

At the same time, in the fledgling German Jewish community—which stands at approximately 100,000 people, its largest size since World War II—fears are growing that migration from Muslim countries with long histories of anti-Semitism might prompt a reversal of Germany’s confrontation of its anti-Semitic past as well as its strong relationship with Israel.

A study released last week by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) found that anti-Semitic “thought patterns and stereotypes were very widespread throughout all the interviews.”

The study also found that “almost all Arab interviewees considered a fundamentally negative image of Israel to be natural and as a matter of course questioned Israel’s right to exist.”

Benjamin Weinthal, a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank, told JNS there is a “potent recipe for so-

cietal and political disintegration” in Germany when “one combines the over 1 million refugees and migrants from mainly Muslim-majority countries—who are largely infected with contemporary anti-Semitism—with Germans who hold widespread modern anti-Semitic views.”

Dr. Günther Jikeli, who conducted the AJC study, said survey respondents reflected not only classic anti-Semitic views such as “Jews are rich” and references to Protocols of the Elders of Zion, but also the blaming of Jews and Israel for the 9/11 attacks, the rise of Islamic State and the Syrian Civil War. Yet the news wasn’t all negative. Survey respondents from Middle East minority groups like the Kurds and Yazidis expressed sympathy toward Jews and Israel.

“Even among Arab Muslim refugees, there are some who are willing to rethink the learned and indoctrinated stereotypes,” Jikeli said.

“Some know that Syrians have been treated by Israeli doctors for free, and that the Syrian government and ISIS are even worse than how the propaganda has portrayed Israel.”

The survey results came against the backdrop of widespread anti-Israel protests in Berlin and Munich following President Trump’s recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

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By Josefin Dolsten, JTA A study of four U.S. colleges found little support for academic boycotts of Israel among the students.

At each of the schools studied — Brandeis, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan — less than 15 percent of non-Jewish students expressed support for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and scholars, according to a study by the Steinhardt Social Research Institute at Brandeis. Only 7 percent of students at Michigan and Harvard expressed support for an academic boycott of Israel, while that number was 8 and 12, respectively, at Penn and Brandeis.

At each campus, Jews make up more than 10 percent of the undergraduate student body.

The study, which was released this month, also found that relatively few Jewish students were exposed to anti-Semitism, though a higher proportion were exposed to hostile remarks about Israel.

Fewer than one in five Jewish students said they experienced discrimination due to their faith. For most kinds of discrimination the number was lower, but the report included what the study termed as “microaggressions,” which included being asked in class to offer the perspective of one’s identity group as well as being

THE JEWISH STAR December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778

Most students in college poll don’t support BDS

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December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778 THE JEWISH STAR

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Inspiring Emunah dinner raises funds for mission

LEFT: At Emunah of America’s dinner, from left: National President Johanna Gutmann Herskowitz, Guests of Honor Esther and Paul Lerer, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Melanie Oelbaum, Keter Shem Tov Award recipient Michelle Salig, Young Leadership Award recipient Shira Ben-David, Chairman of the Board Karen Spitalnick, and Chief Executive Officer Laurie Spencer.

RIGHT: Some of those who attended Emunah’s young leadership after-party.

The more than 600 people who attended this month’s Emunah of America annual dinner were inspired by Manny Machtayev.

“I look out into this crowd, and I am grateful to people like you,” said Machtayev, who, together with his brother, grew up in the Emunah Afula children’s home. “I may not know your name, but you are part of my story and part of my Emunah family.”

Emunah put a new “spin” on its dinner.

After passing through a hologram entrance, guests enjoyed an elegant lazy Susan spinning buffet.

This year’s honorees were Guests of Honor Esther and Paul Lerer, lifelong advocates of those less fortunate; Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Melanie Oelbaum, for outstanding contributions to Emunah’s work;

Keter Shem Tov Award recipient Michelle Salig, for extraordinary work on behalf of Emunah families; and Young Leadership Award recipient Shira Ben-David, an inspiration to youth worldwide.

The event was followed by a young leadership after-party, co-hosted by the Kol Hanearim summer program that brings students from around the world to volunteer in four

Emunah homes.

Emunah of America works for the betterment of Israeli society through a variety of educational programs and social services.

The evening celebrated Emunah’s work and emphasized how every Emunah supporter plays a critical role in helping children and families to heal, thrive and live productive lives.

France waking up on Iran threat? Don’t bet on it

By Ariel Ben Solomon, JNS Is France’s public quarreling with Iran in recent months a sign that Europe will fall in line with the hardline policies of the U.S. and Israel against the terrorism-supporting Tehran regime?

Experts say that a sea change in that continent’s policy towards the Islamic Republic is unlikely to materialize.

“The French may be publicly voicing stronger rhetoric than their European counterparts on Iran’s missile threat and regional adventurism, but so far have shown no appetite to make their business overtures to Iran conditional on different behavior,” Iran expert Emanuele Ottolenghi, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, told JNS. “Europe favors a unified position in foreign policy, which usually means a watered-down approach to issues unless there is a strong consensus,” he said.

Iran on Dec. 17 described French President Emmanuel Macron as President Donald Trump’s “lapdog,” for Macron’s stern rhetoric against the Iranian ballistic missile program. Reuters reported that France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who was in Washington on Dec. 18 to meet with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, said that Iran’s “hegemonic temptations in the region is a matter of urgency.”

Last month, Macron called for negotiations on Iran’s ballistic missile program. In what seemed to be a response to the French leader’s comments, Hossein Salami, a commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said in an interview translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute that “until now, we felt that Europe did not pose a threat to us, so we did not plan the range of

French President Emmanuel Macron at the United Nations on Sept.

19.

UN/Kim Haughton

Chabad Chanukah-thon

At left: Co-host Kive Strickoff discusses the annual Mineola Chabad Telethon, which aired Dec. 10, with Rabbi Anchelle Perl.

Above (from left): audience member Vincent Butta, illusionist Ilan Smith, and audience member Sammy Tisser, a student at HAFTR.

our missiles to reach Europe, even though we can.”

Salami warned that “we will extend the range of our missiles to wherever we feel threatened.”

Dr. Emmanuel Navon, a researcher at the recently established Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies and a senior fellow at the Kohelet Policy Forum, explained that despite Macron’s remarks, some top French diplomats favor a conciliatory attitude towards Iran.

“Many French politicians, diplomats and analysts see in the 2003 Iraq war an unforgivable mistake that eventually produced ISIS. By contrast, they consider Iran a stabilizing factor against Sunni fundamentalism,” Navon told JNS. The French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, for example, “has a very favorable attitude toward Iran,” he said, adding that Macron “is going against a French pro-Iranian tide.”

Asked if European countries could be willing to align with the Trump administration by increasing sanctions on Iran and cutting off business ties, Ottolenghi responded that countries like France, Germany, the U.K. and Italy can sway the rest of Europe if they are determined to do so, but that they currently have “too much at stake in business deals with Tehran to risk them on a policy gamble led by a U.S. president that most European leaders, at least in private, strongly disagree with.”

The problem with the European approach to Iran is that the July 2015 nuclear deal “did not solve any of the challenges Iran presents to European interests,” said Ottolenghi, noting that Iran continues to support terrorism and that Tehran’s actions in Syria are the main driver of the migrant crisis that has engulfed Europe.

Iran continues to arm the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah with the goal of triggering a new war with Israel, and the Islamic Republic’s missile program is contributing to an escalation of tensions in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia said it intercepted an Iraniansupplied Houthi missile targeting Riyadh on Dec. 19.

Further, Iran is behind the trafficking of opium into Europe and continues kidnapping dual nationals with Western passports in order to extract ransoms, Ottolenghi said.

“And if that were not enough, doing business in Iran almost invariably means entering partnerships with or facilitating business for the Revolutionary Guard,” he said.

European restrictions on business, trade, banking and transport are the only ways the continent can get Iran to change behavior, asserted Ottolenghi. “Unless Europe is willing to contemplate new sanctions, it will not be able to push back Iran’s malign activities,” he said.

Navon said that since the Shi’a axis of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah is supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin, while quiet cooperation between Israel and the Sunni states of Saudi Arabia and Egypt is backed by Trump, Macron “wants France to play its own role by opposing Iran’s hegemony but without endorsing Israel’s positions, such as on Jerusalem or Saudi policy in Yemen.”

This is how Macron can simultaneously speak out against Iran’s missile program and U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, according to Navon.

By Andrew Tobin, JTA TEL AVIV — Lian Najani, Israel’s first Arab Rhodes scholar, is the kind of person who can be optimistic about just about anything — including having a needle stuck in her spine.

As she waited in a Haifa hospital Wednesday morning for a lumbar puncture, Najani expressed hope that the procedure would finally put a name to her degenerative neurological disorder. After that, she said, anything was possible.

“Once we know what it is, we should be able to treat the symptoms better, and maybe one day we will find a cure,” she said in a telephone interview. “I’m really excited to see where the world is going to take me next.

“As an Israeli, I guess I have that chutzpah,” she added. “I always have in mind: What can I do from here?”

When Najani, 23, won the prestigious Rhodes scholarship last month, it was the latest of many affirmations of her relentlessly forward-looking worldview. The honor, which provides a free education at Oxford University, was also an opportunity to advance her advocacy work to make Israel a more inclusive place for people like her: a disabled Arab Muslim woman.

Najani has become a sought-after public speaker on behalf of her country. In recent years, the Haifa native was a featured speaker on leading U.S. campuses like Harvard and Brown, at the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit EMEA in Israel, and at events in Germany organized by the Israeli Embassy.

Her message: Arab Israelis, who make up some 20 percent of Israel’s citizenry, can succeed in the Jewish state. She has held herself up as living proof.

“I was able to get a great education in Israel, and my social worker really gave me a lot of help and confidence in dealing with my disability, or what I like to call my different ability,” she said.

In addition to her public speaking career, which has been facilitated by her fluency in five languages (Hebrew, Arabic, English, German and Spanish), Najani graduated from the University of Haifa in 2016, where she studied political science and international affairs.

This year, she interned in Washington for Sen. Brian Schatz, a Jewish Democrat from Hawaii, analyzing counterterrorism strategies, making policy recommendations, and drafting bills and resolutions.

She helped draft the senator’s speech decrying President Trump’s ban on travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries in which he invoked his own Jewish immigrant ancestors.

However, none of Najani’s previous accomplishments made

Lian Najamin at an Israeli Independence Day student gala at Boston University on April 6.

Nir Landau for Combined Jewish Philanthropies

joining the exclusive ranks of Rhodes scholars — they were extended last year to include Israelis for the first time — any less exciting. She said she “could not stop crying” after getting the news, and her father is still bragging to friends and acquaintances.

“My family is very happy for me to be the first Arab Israeli to break that barrier and send a message to the Arab society within Israel that there is nothing to stop them,” she said. “I keep getting phone calls from my dad saying, ‘OK, I’m with this person,’ and then he hands over the phone for me to explain the whole thing again.”

Fortunately, Najami is a polished speaker. When it comes to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, for example, she has made the case that it hurts all Israelis — including some of the Arabs it is supposed to help.

“As an Arab Israeli, I would like to tell them, ‘No thank you’,” she said. “Academic boycotts especially prevent us from exchanging and challenging ideas, and that is something we want here.”

“Lian is a prime example of why the allegations that Israel oppresses its minorities are false,” said Karen Berman, the CEO of the American Society of the University of Haifa. “To see someone like her receive the Rhodes Scholarship is truly a testament that

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note remarks that opened the fourth While Torah is nual an- passed down way for the mesorahforever true, the ideal tive Five Towns Community Collaboraaccording Conference on to be conveyed the time, emphasizing to the middah of children — and Sunday.

“What is the Torah how an everlastingto our that the primary of Torah and the kids need now?” ingredent needed in Yiddishkeit is embeddedlove he asked. “What today’s chinuch simcha. their beings — worked in 1972 is in necessarily changes won’t work today.”

Twenty-six speakers, “You’re still talking over time.

Rabbi Weinberger, about what rebbetzins, educators, including rabbis, for you in 1972 and insisting thatworked d’asrah of Congregationfounding morah ers and community leadwhat should work lecturers that’s Woodmere Aish Kodesh in and mashpia at sue that challengeeach addressed a key isMoshe Weinberger, for your kid,” Rabbi the YU, reminded families and parents Shila”a, said in key- that Torah and educators in attendance frum communities. The event, schools in will not be received the Young Israel hosted at of Woodmere, if it’s not was orgaSee 5 Towns Rabbi Moshe hosts on page Weinberger, of 15 Kodesh in Woodmere, Congregation Aish delivered keynote

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Presenting their topics, from left: Baruch Fogel of Rabbi Touro College, “Motivating our children to motivate themselves”; Reb-

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Presenters at Sunday’s conference, from left: Elisheva director of religious Kaminetsky, SKA kodesh, “Empoweringguidance, limudei choices”; Rabbi

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betzin Shani Taragin, 7:53 • Torah columns Tanach coordinator and mashgicha 6:46 pm, Havdalah nika, and Morah”; ruchanit at Midreshet Towns candles Rabbi • Five rah V’avodah, Ephraim 5777 Congregation Polakoff, don’t”; “Miriam: Meyaledet, To• 24 Elul Bais 15, 2017 Rabbi Jesse Horn Tefilah, “Teens Meiech • Sept. technology: What and kotel, of Yeshivat HaNitzavim-Vayeil you know and ognize your bashert”; what you and “Helping children balance ideology Rabbi Kenneth pleasure”; Esther of Congregation Hain Wein, “How to Beth Shalom, rec- A-OK to “When it’s say yes.”

Reuven Taragin, Yeshivat Hakotel founder and director of Eytan Community Education Feiner of The Conferences, White Shul, “When Yitzchak met “Torah tips on Rivkah: Torah’s Star tion and maintain to build Jewish first menThe how a strong By marriage”; of martial the Hebrew joined love”; Michal Towns “Ahavas in Horowitz, The FiveRabbi Sunday Yisrael: In theory or Long Beach on at its in pracnew Academy of

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By The Jewish to remember Cedarhurst pausedmiracles of 9/11, at the the n on Sunday. the heroism, and commemoratio village’s annual Rabbi Shay Schachter of WoodIn his invocation, of the Young Israel the Master and (top right photo) pray that G-d, all the strength mere said, “we world, grant us Creator of the to stand firm together against of and the fortitude of extremism, of bigotry, all forms of terror, and of all evil that can be hatred, of racism, forms in our world.” who found in different obligation to thosenever solemn a have “We 11th to injured on Sept. died or were said Mayor Benjamin but we also forget what happened,” “We saw evil, Weinstock (bottom).

America.” of best survivor saw the (middle), a 9/11 78,” reAri Schonburn Fate of “Miracle and waitand author of that day. He was called his experiences on the 78th floor when elevators ing to change hit.

Chief the first plane hurst Fire Department Lawrence-Cedar the playing of saluting during victims.

David Campell, 9/11 names of local Taps, read the

investiture fair follows formal Emet

the first is “Torat shiva University,”Truth.”

TheJewishStar.com in to an — we believe investiture speech Delivering his Wilf Campus in at YU’sThe Newspaper of our Orthodox communities with many assembly of 2,000 Washington Heights, in by livestream, more listening spoke of the Rabbi Berman the five central “Five Torot, or institution.” teachings, of our believe in Tor“We do not just Chayyim — Torat at Emet but also and values must that our truths he said. live in the world,” teachings, YU’s other central Adam,” “Torat he said, are “Torat Tziyyon, the Chesed,” and “Torat Torah of Redemption.” formal cereFollowing the community parmonies, the YU street fair at an “InvestFest” Am- tied street fair on Amsterdam Avenue.

11 was a along at the “InvestFest” See YU on page

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Jewish of Yeshiva UniversiVayera • Friday, November 3, 2017 • 14 Cheshvan 5778 • Luach page By The president 21 • The fifth Torah columns pages 20–21 VolSunday 16, No 41 said •on

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t was a minor news story when it broke in the summer of 2016. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced he was suing Great Britain over the Balfour Declaration, issued on Nov. 2, 1917. But as we observe the centennial of the document this week, it’s important to understand that although his lawsuit was a stunt, Abbas was serious. More than that, the symbolism of his See Tobin on page 22

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or the Palestinians, the year zero is not 1948, when the state of Israel came into being, but 1917, when Great Britain issued, on Nov. 2, the Balfour Declaration—expressing support for the establishment of a “Jewish national home” in Palestine.

So central is the Balfour Declaration to Palestinian political identity that the “Zionist invasion” is officially deemed to have begun in 1917—not in 1882, when the first trickle of Jewish pioneers from Russia began arriving, nor in 1897, when the Zionist movement held its first congress in Basel, nor in the late 1920s, when thousands of German Jews fleeing the rise of Nazism chose to go to Palestine.

The year 1917 is the critical date because that is when, as an anti-Zionist might say, the Zionist hand slipped effortlessly into the British imperial glove. It is a neat, simple historical proposition upon which the entire Palestinian version of events rests: an empire came to our land and gave it to foreigners, we were dispossessed, and for five generations now, we have continued to resist. Moreover, it is given official sanction in the Palestine National Covenant of 1968, in which article 6 defines Jews who “were living permanently in Palestine until the beginning of the Zionist invasion” as “Palestinians”—an invasion that is dated as 1917 in the covenants’ notes.

As the Balfour Declaration’s centenary approached, this theme is much in evidence.

There is now a dedicated Balfour Apology See Cohen on page 22

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Britain Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn— who in 2009 called Hezbollah and Hamas his “friends” — said he would not attend a dinner commemorating the centennial of the Balfour Declaration. Prime Minister Theresa May she would attend “with pride” and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu would be her guest.

“We are proud of the role we played in the creation of the State of Israel and we will certainly mark the centenary with pride,” May said. “I am also pleased that good trade relations and other relations that we have with Israel we are building on and enhancing.”

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IsraAID brings relief to U.S. disasters

By Ron Kampeas, JTA Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and WASHINGTON — For 17 years, the then the wildfires in northern California.

Israeli NGO IsraAID has been performPolizer recalls that he was wrapping ing search and rescue, purifying water, up a visit to IsraAID’s new American providing emergency medical assistance headquarters in Palo Alto on Oct. 8 and and walking victims of trauma back to was on his way to a flight to Mexico to psychological health in dozens of disas- oversee operations after a devastating ter-hit countries.

No 25 earthquake there when he got word of • Vol 16, But no season has been busier than the wildfires. “I literally had Luach page 19 9:15 • to do a Uthis past summer and fall, its co-CEO Yo- turn,” he said Havdalah this week in an interview 8:07 pm, tam Polizer said in an interview — and ting Candleligh at the Israeli embassy in Washington.

Towns nowhere more than in the United States.

Polizer spoke with the exhilaration 5777 • Five Tamuz, “The last few months have been un- of an executive whose team has come 20 • 2017 believable,” he said, listing a succession through a daunting challenge.

• July 14, “We’re Parsha Pinchas of disasters that occupied local staff and the people who stay past the ‘aid festiNiveen Rizkalla working with IsraAID in Santa Rosa, Calif., in volunteers since August: Hurricane Har- val’,” he said, grinning, describing the the wake of deadly wildfires there. vey in Texas, Hurricane Irma in Florida, See IsraAID on page 5

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this is a true meritocracy.”

On the other hand, some Arabs have criticized Najami for allegedly choosing Jewish nationalism over the Palestinian cause — and whitewashing Israel’s oppression of Arab Israelis and Palestinians. “They don’t understand why I need to speak out for Israel,” she said. “I tell them I’m coming from an agenda of really wanting to let the Arab-Israeli voice be heard, and to make sure the Arabs in Israel are treated equally to Jews.”

Like most Arab Israelis, Najani said she is a proud citizen of her country but would not call herself a Zionist. However, she does not identify as Palestinian, she said, explaining that she has not endured the same hardships as her family members living in the West Bank.

She is adamant that Israel should be a democracy for all its citizens, and is critical of ways she sees it failing to live up to this ideal. As an example, she said Israel fails to invest sufficiently in Arab communities and denies Arabs equal access to land.

To Najami, Israel is at its best in her hometown of Haifa, where Jews and Arabs live together. She said growing up there, in a highly integrated neighborhood, gave her an early understanding that coexistence is possible. Her first friend was a Jewish girl.

“When I got older and people would come and say, ‘Oh, Jews are like this or Arabs are like this,’ and stuff like that,’ I would be like, ‘Wait a second, Rita is Jewish but she’s nothing like what you’re saying, so maybe you shouldn’t be generalizing people and stereotyping,’” Najami said.

Najami and her fiance, Joe Ryan-Hume — a Scottish man with a doctorate in American political history whom she met while interning in Congress — are making plans to move to England this summer.

In the fall, Najami will start a master’s degree at Oxford, where she will study comparative politics with a focus on inclusion policy. She said she hopes to bring some of the lessons she learns back to Israel.

Najami’s seemingly relentless positivity applies to everything, from her approach to the Israeli-Arab conflict to her personal life.

Dealing with a neurological disorder from a young age taught her to focus less on grievance and fear and more on solutions, she said.

“I got this chronic illness at the age of 12, when I was dancing, and running and playing football, and suddenly I couldn’t. I could have easily played the victim, but I decided to just not focus anymore on who I was, and start focusing on what’s ahead of me and who I can be. That is also how I look at Israel today. What we should be looking at is, how do we advance from here? How do we incorporate all the people who live in this country and find a way to live together?”

THE JEWISH STAR December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778

Arab Rhodes scholar’s chutzpahdick love of Israel

11

December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778 THE JEWISH STAR

12

Sale Dates: December 24th - 29th 2017

Weekly SUPER SAVINGS ON GENERAL MILLS CEREALS!

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THE JEWISH STAR December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778

Sale Dates: December 24th - 29th 2017

December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778 THE JEWISH STAR

14

The JEWISH STAR

Wine & Dine

Use ‘superfoods’ to transform kitchen into Eden Joni Schockett kosher kitchen

W

hen I began writing about food, I was in the midst of feeding three children who ranged in age from infancy to preteen. One just needed a quiet place to nurse, the middle child wanted nothing more than pizza or plain pasta with butter. The third child was beginning to worry about weight and nutrition. My kitchen was chaotic to say the least.

One day, I was sitting with a friend and we began to talk about our kids’ food quirks.

I posed a question: What foods were available in the Garden of Eden and, after the eviction, did Eve have trouble feeding her boys?

We both laughed, but then talked about how simple it must have been to eat in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 1:29 there is a quote which tells Adam and Eve that every food they could ever need had been provided for them: “And G-d said: ‘Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed — to you it shall be for food’.”

There is nothing about chips, and chicken fingers, buttered pasta and more.

Eve never battled TV advertisements and the thousands of new foods that debut each year. According to the FDA, 21,528, new food products were introduced to our supermarkets in 2010 alone. Since then, people have begun to demand healthier choices, fewer chemicals in their foods, and more organic produce. So that number of processed foods is decreasing as manufacturers look to healthier foods, more gluten-free options, and better labeling. Still, I hear from young mothers all the time that they try to give their kids healthful and nutritious food but that, somehow, the kids want the latest advertised treat or won’t eat the healthful meals that have been carefully planned.

So, for good health in the New Year, it’s back to the Garden of Eden and those foods that might have given Adam and Eve all kinds of secret health benefits, much of them in the form of seeds and nuts and fruit. Today, seeds like Chia, Hemp, sunflower, flaxseeds and more top the list of superfoods to eat every day.

In addition, organic greens and berries are also

among the healthiest foods that we can eat.

These are available in many supermarkets and health food stores; from them, we can make our own healthful and delicious foods for our families.

Michael Pollen, acclaimed cookbook author and food guru has, as his mantra, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” As we exit the land of latkes and brisket and look to the New Year, this sounds like a good plan.

Nuts and Seeds Snack Bars (Pareve) 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 2 Tbsp. chia seeds 2 Tbsp. flaxseeds 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds 1 cup cereal, such as unsweetened puffed rice or wheat flakes or your choice 1/4 cup oatmeal 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios or hazelnuts, or a mix 1/2 cup snipped apricots 1/2 cup raisins 1/3 cup dried cranberries, blueberries or raspberries 1/3 cup creamy almond butter 1/3 cup honey or pure maple syrup, dark or grade B 2 Tbsp. Turbinado or raw sugar 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8x8 baking dish with waxed paper.

Lightly grease the paper. Set aside.

Place the first 7 ingredients, up to and including the nuts, on the rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven for 4 to 8 minutes, until just fragrant. Remove to cool. When cool, pour into a large bowl.

Place the almond butter, honey, sugar and vanilla in a small pot and heat until it just begins

to bubble. Mix well.

Add the apricots, raisins, cranberries to the bowl with the seeds and nuts, and toss to mix.

Pour the almond butter/honey mixture over the nuts and fruit and mix well. Scrape into the prepared 8-inch pan and smooth with a spatula.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Makes 16, 2-inch bars or 8, 2X4-inch bars.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies That Are Good For You (Pareve) 2 cups rolled oats (not instant) 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup whole wheat flour 1/3 cup unbleached flour 2 Tbsp. flaxseeds 2 Tbsp. chia seeds 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1/8 tsp. ground allspice 1/8 tsp. ground cloves (optional) 2/3 cup unsweetened smooth applesauce 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 3-1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil melted and cooled 1 cup raisins, chopped apricots, or dried cranberries 1/3 cup shredded coconut 1/2 to 2/3 cup chocolate chips or chunks, your choice Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment and set aside. Place the oats, sugar, flours, seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl.

Use a whisk to blend.

In another bowl, mix the applesauce, vanilla and coconut oil. Whisk to blend. Scrape into dry ingredients and mix well. Add the fruit, coconut and chips and mix evenly.

Drop by rounded spoons onto the prepared

pan. Place both pans into the oven and rotate and turn halfway through the baking time. Bake until golden around the edges, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on the pans. Makes about 12 large or 24 smaller cookies.

Super-Simple Glazed Carrot Medallions (Pareve) These are carrots that even kids will love.

Mine used to eat them for after-school snacks and I often packed them in lunch boxes to eat at room temperature.

1 large onion, cut in quarters and thinly sliced 2 to 3 tsp. Canola or extra-virgin olive oil 1-1/2 to 2 pounds carrots, peeled, sliced on the diagonal, 1/8-inch thick 2 to 4 tsp. dark brown sugar or pure dark amber maple syrup, more or less to taste 1 to 2 tsp. water OPTIONAL: A pinch of cayenne pepper, or salt and pepper, to taste. Fresh parsley for garnish Cut and slice the onions. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions and cook until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, peel the carrots and slice them thinly on the diagonal. Pat the carrots dry and add them to the onions. Add the brown sugar or maple syrup and mix well.

Add 1 to 2 tsp. water and mix. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 5-8 minutes over medium-low heat. If you like, add a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper and mix. Check to make sure that there is some liquid in the pan (this should come from the carrots). If there is none, add more water. If there is too much, uncover the pan and continue to cook until the carrots are tender and the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Serves 8 to 10.

Israeli cuisine’s popularlity: 2 Jews, 3 za’atar recipes

By Eliana Rudee, JNS When film director and producer Roger Sherman referred to Israel as one of the “hottest food scenes in the world,” his colleagues laughed. It was at that moment that Sherman knew he had discovered a subject for a successful film.

Sherman’s documentary, “In Search of Israeli Cuisine,” featuring world-renowned chef and restaurateur Michael Solomonov, is now available on Netflix.

The film’s success is showing a side of Israel that few knew existed—including Israelis themselves, who turned to Sherman after theater screenings to admit that they learned new things about their own cuisine and heritage.

“While I don’t consider this to be a historical film, we do tie together the historical aspects of immigration, how poor the country was, and how cuisine started and developed,” Sherman tells JNS. “We don’t get the full picture from the [United] States, only the bad picture and bad news. So it came as a surprise to me when I found out about Israel’s technological advances, agricultural advances, and that Israel

has some of the happiest people in the world despite being surrounded by hatred.”

Solomonov, who was born in Israel and grew up in Pittsburgh, co-owns and runs Zahav, a modern Israeli restaurant in Philadelphia, said he was happy that through the film, he could “personally make a case for Israel, outside of politics.”

“Every chef, whether Druze, Christian, Palestinian, Arab or Jewish, said, ‘You cannot be my enemy if you are sitting at my table’, » he says.

Sherman found that Israeli culture was much more rich and modern than he had previously thought, and was surprised to find that Israeli traditions rooted in religion have become part of the country’s culture—even among the most secular Israelis.

Jewish dietary laws, such as not mixing milk and meat as well as not cooking during Shabbat, seep through the culture and into the food.

“Shabbat is very important to the Jewish cuisine, because when people [assimilated into] the diaspora, what made them different from their neighbors were the Shabbat and the kosher laws. Because they had to preserve the Shabbat,

Film director Roger Sherman samples Israeli cuisine. In Search of Israeli Cuisine

not to light fire and all kinds of religious regulations, they developed a lot of dishes,” says culinary journalist Ronit Vered in the film.

Similarly, Solomonov maintains that the nuances and fusion of traditions and cultures represent the hallmarks of Israeli food. He spe-

cifically notes Israeli spices, small dishes, and “primitive cooking methods” such as “al ha-esh” (food cooked directly on a flame) that serve to excite and stimulate the Western palate.

The result, celebrity chef Yisrael Aharoni says in the film, is an “amazing, colorful mosaic” of cultures—as opposed to a melting pot of cultures—in which the 150 cuisines that came to Israel from around the world keep their distinct flavors so that traditions can really shine.

For instance, Israeli spice shops often sell 10 different za’atar mixes, each one a slight variation based on its origin. “It’s remarkable that the same dish can be done 10 different ways,” says Sherman.

Due to the size of Israel—about the size of New Jersey—nearly all ingredients are local.

While being a “locavore” (eating only local ingredients) has become a fad in the U.S. in recent years, Israelis have been cooking with almost exclusively local ingredients for decades.

“It took a while, but eventually, Israelis were saying, ‘Why are we copying other cuisines when we have such amazing fresh vegetables here?’” says Sherman.

Why experts say Trump J’salem move will aid the ‘peace process’

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THE JEWISH STAR December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778

Jewish people for millennia,” read a statement

By Ben Sales, JTA When President Donald Trump recognized by the Anti-Defamation League, which has not Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, many foreign pol- shied away from criticizing Trump’s actions in the past. The statement went on to urge “the icy experts called it a blunder.

It could spark a conflagration of violence in rapid resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiathe city, they said. It would alienate Palestin- tions leading to a two-state solution.” ians who revere the city and ice any remaining hopes of a “peace process.”

It could be the death knell for an increasingly elusive two-state solution.

“Raising this the way he has done doesn’t advance the cause of peace, it doesn’t advance the cause of stability in the region, it doesn’t make Israel safer, and it doesn’t make the United States any safer,” James Cunningham, a former ambassador to Israel who served under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, told the Atlantic Council. “It raises a significant risk with very little upside as far as I can see.”

But a countervailing chorus of analysts, mostly on the right but stretching to the center, says the opposite: Trump’s recognition of Jeru- President Trump signs the proclamation recognizing Jerusasalem is a strategically savvy course lem as the capital of Israel, on Dec. 6. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images correction of American foreign poliOne week after Trump announced the decy. It has not hurt prospects for peace, they say, cision, any peace prospects do appear to have and there’s a good chance it will help.

“U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over dimmed: Protests did take place in Jerusalem Jerusalem might contribute to peace,” Douglas and Palestinian areas, though they were far Feith, President George W. Bush’s undersecre- milder than anticipated. Palestinian negotiator tary of defense, wrote in Foreign Policy. It teach- Saeb Erekat called on his people to now pursue es Palestinians, he wrote, that “[t]here is a price equal rights within Israel rather than a state to be paid for perpetuating the conflict: Life goes of their own, while Palestinian Authority Presion, the Israelis create new realities, and the dent Mahmoud Abbas said the U.S. no longer world in general adjusts to those new realities.” has a role to play in brokering talks.

But that does not bother analysts who feel the The president’s declaration showed that the United States would not be cowed by extremism, United States should present itself as a resolute tweeted Amos Yadlin, who heads the centrist supporter of Israel rather than an evenhanded Israeli Institute for National Security Studies mediator. Such a stance, some wrote, rightly puts and affiliates with the center-left Zionist Union the onus on Palestinians to adjust their demands party. Resisting threats of violence changes the and show their willingness to reach a deal.

“The intention is to disabuse the Palestinians contours of peace negotiations, he added.

“Trump was not intimidated by the threats of the notion that the U.S. is neutral between from Ramallah, Amman, or Ankara,” Yadlin them and our democratic, pro-Western, tolerwrote in a Twitter thread, referring to the Pal- ant, free-market ally Israel,” wrote Shoshanna estinian, Jordanian and Turkish capitals, re- Bryan, senior director of the Jewish Policy Censpectively. “The refusal to bow to the threats ter in the Daily Caller. “American support for and blackmail, together with the message that Palestinian’s aspirations is not withdrawn, but the Palestinians do not have veto power, [is] a hinges on Palestinian behavior.”

But some analysts who were inclined tovery important precedent for the future of the ward the decision also warned that granting a peace process.”

Jewish groups, meanwhile, largely praised longstanding Israeli demand could put Israel in the move as a recognition of Jewish historical Trump’s debt if he ever demands concessions. and religious claims to the city, long overdue, “Because Trump is viewed as very pro-Israel as well as an acknowledgement of Jerusalem’s by the Israeli public, it will be more difficult for status in modern Israel as the seat of govern- Netanyahu to say no to any requests from the ment. But many of them, too, reiterated their president for compromises,” wrote Jonathan support for the two-state solution and urged Rynhold, director of the Argov Center for the Trump to double down on that cause.

Study of Israel and the Jewish People at Bar“This is a significant step that acknowledges Ilan University. “It was easy for Bibi to say no to reality: Jerusalem is the political capital of the Obama, since there was no domestic political country and has been the spiritual heart of the price; not so with Trump.”

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Gurwin selects Almer president, CEO Genetic test The Board of Directors of unit, expanded the adult day Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehacare program to include a social bilitation Center has announced program for those with mild to the appointment of Stuart B. moderate dementia, and has inAlmer of Plainview to the role fluenced change in the facility’s of president and chief executive CMS rating to five stars, among officer for Gurwin Jewish Nursother highlights. ing & Rehabilitation Center, “Stu is a proven leader, with Gurwin Jewish — Fay J. Linda comprehensive understanding ner Residences, Gurwin Home of our rapidly-changing healthCare Agency, and Gurwin Jewcare environment, a strength in ish Healthcare Foundation, efstrategic planning and an apprefective January 1. He currently ciation for our Gurwin mission,” serves as Gurwin’s administrasaid Bert E. Brodsky, chairman tor and chief operating officer of the board of gurwin Jewish and will succeed Herbert H. Nursing & Rehabilitation CenFriedman, current and foundter. “Gurwin has come far in ing executive vice president and the 29 years since its founding CEO. to serve the Long Island comFriedman was instrumental munity. With much still to acin creating the Gurwin brand, complish, we are certain that Herbert H. Friedman Stuart B. Almer which includes a full continuStu is the perfect choice to poum of senior care services that sition Gurwin for long-term through 2018. started with a community nursgrowth and success.”

In a career spanning more than 30 years, ing home in 1988 and has grown to encom“I am honored to be able to step into this pass all levels of care, from a proposed inde- Almer has garnered substantial administrative leadership position at this important juncture pendent living community to complex skilled and management experience in both the acute in the history of Gurwin Jewish,” said Almer. care, all on the Gurwin campus in Commack. care and long-term care settings. Since joining “As we continue to adapt to a rapidly changHe will remain with Gurwin as president and the Gurwin team in 2015 from Parker Jewish ing and challenging healthcare environCEO of the newly-established Gurwin parent Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation, ment, I look forward to guiding change and corporation, Gurwin Healthcare System, and Almer has been responsible for the day-to-day spearheading innovation to ensure long-term of Fountaingate Gardens, Gurwin’s proposed operations of Gurwin’s 460-bed nursing and growth for the Gurwin Family of Healthcare independent housing community. Addition- rehabilitation center. In that time, he spear- Services.” ally, he will have input on strategic planning headed the creation of a 60-bed memory care Source: Gurwin

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“I heard about the screening from our Hillel and thought, why not?” says Tessel.

“I’ve always been curious about what genetic conditions my family and I are predisposed to, anything that could affect my children someday. When I heard that here was a chance to take a pretty expensive test free of charge that would tell me that, I could think of absolutely no reason not to do it.”

The recent testing campaign and others like it, often on campuses with high Jewish populations, are run by JScreen, an organization whose mission is to screen for and raise awareness about Jewish and other genetic diseases. Among the 200-plus diseases JScreen tests for, the most common among Jews is Gaucher disease. In partnership with the National Gaucher Foundation, JScreen ramped up efforts to raise awareness about Gaucher during October, designating the month as Gaucher Disease See Genetic test target page 23

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The JEWISH STAR

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SHAbbAT STAR

‫כוכב של שבת‬

Read The Jewish Star’s archive of Torah columns at TheJewishStar.com/category/torahcolumns/browse.html

Angry? Create distance, stay silent, walk away Rabbi binny FReedman the heart of jerusalem

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t seems almost trivial, but one of the difficulties of my time in Lebanon was the lack of space, a sense of being on top of one another.

During a scramble to get into the bunker when the siren went off (signaling the possibility of an incoming mortar or artillery barrage) we squeezed into a small rooms with threetiered bunk beds. As the workload in the area increased, the infrastructure of the positions (mutzavim) had not, the army used a system for quarters known as mitah chamah or “warm bed.”

This meant that when you had time to sleep for a few hours, you did not get your own bed, and certainly not your own room; you grabbed an empty bed as someone was always out on a mission or patrol.

I got stuck in a small room with about nine or ten guys, so we all crammed into the space available and stayed there until the alert ended.

I had managed to jump into the bottom bunk (the best spot in such a situation) but had failed to take into account that three other guys would cram in around and on top of me. After about ten minutes, the guys started getting on each other’s nerves, until eventually two guys on the top pushed one of the guys off the bunk and he crashed to the floor; it was only his flak vest that

was still on that saved him from serious injury.

Even when you went top side, you could only walk a few hundred yards in any direction before hitting the barbed wire and tank barriers on the edge of the mutzav. You couldn’t go for a real run, even if you had the time. I still remember, when we finally got out for Shabbat, crossing past Marja’oun on the Lebanese border and getting off the safari truck in Kiriat Shmonah back in Israel, just enjoying the wide open spaces, and the ability to run for more than five minutes before turning around. ometimes, we need our space.

This week’s parsha Vayigash, is so named because it begins with Yehuda getting into Yosef’s space. More than two decades after throwing their brother into a pit and seeing him sold as a slave, the journey has come full circle, as Joseph, disguised as the viceroy of Egypt, prepares to take Binyamin as a slave, in return for his supposedly having stolen the royal goblet.

One would think Yehuda would just let it go.

After all, Binyamin, the younger son of Rachel (whom the other brothers must have despised as the favored wife of Yaakov), is now himself the new favorite son (Bereishit 42:36-38). Indeed, Joseph even arranged for the brothers to see that Binyamin receive favored treatment

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(43:34), so why not let him be sold as a slave and be done with it?

But Yehuda comes forward (Vayigash Yehuda 44:18) and takes a stand, offering himself in place of his younger brother Binyamin.

One cannot help but notice that the story, which reached its climax when the brothers “see Joseph from a distance” and conspire to kill him (37:18), now turns around precisely when the leader of those same brothers, finally comes close.

And as this action finally breaks Joseph’s veneer causing him to reveal himself at last, one wonders whether all Joseph ever wanted was for the brothers to make that effort; to come close. he Ramban points out, based on the aforementioned verse, that it is only when we see someone from a distance that we can hate them. That said, sometimes, before we can let go of anger and hatred, we may need a little distance.

Yaakov and Esau are a great example of this idea. They are born on top of each other, twins, with Yaakov exiting the womb holding on to Esau’s heel. And as they grow up wanting the same blessings, the conflict leads to hatred, with Esau swearing to kill Yaakov for stealing his blessings.

Yet, 22 years later, with the separation of so much time and experience, Esau is able to let go

Only when we view someone from a distance can we hate them.

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of his angler and the brothers appear to have a rapprochement. (36:1-10). And again, that same word appears (33:7) “va’tigash”) as Leah and her children come close to Esau. And the same thing happens with Yitzchak and Yishmael, who seem to be in conflict but eventually reunite to bury their father, once the distance of time heals old wounds.

After so many years of separation, it is time to make peace. But no peace can come unless eventually the brothers will come back together which is exactly what happens here, as Judah finally comes close.

And this is true in life. Maimonides (Hilchot Deot 2; 3) points out that anger is a terrible trait that one should strive to remain distant from.

And when one finds oneself in a state of anger the best thing to do is to distance oneself from the situation; remain silent, walk away and so on.

But eventually one has to come close again, to see inside the other person. Indeed it is precisely when we are able to see the other person’s perspective that we able to let go of anger and make peace. Which perhaps is why, when Joseph finally reveals himself to the brothers, he uses the same phrase (45:4), “geshu’ na’ eilai ” (come close).

There is a value to separating oneself from conflict, but there is also a time to come back together to resolve it, and the wisdom is to know when distance should give way to coming back together.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem.

In Yom Kippur moment, we can’t hind from truth Rabbi avi billet Parsha of the week

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y wife and I first lived in Queens and there we befriended a couple — the husband worked for the district attorney. One Shabbos he told us about a “Yom

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Kippur moment” he experienced in court, when a woman was on trial for DUI. She was dressed nicely, put together, and then they rolled the tape of how she behaved when she was brought into the station after they picked her up driving under the influence.

Her language, the way she walked, attacking officers, you can imagine; it wasn’t pretty. And he said he looked over at her, and her head was down and she was crying.

What kind of defense can she submit? Her behavior in the video spoke for itself, everyone saw how drunk she was. I think my friend said they basically presented the video and whatever toxicology report and said, “Nothing further, your honor.”

He described this as a Yom Kippur moment, because that’s how we imagine what Yom Kippur is. G-d is judging us based on the rolling of the tape, and we have no defense for our behavior, just an embarrassed look when the reality hits home that we can’t hide from the truth.

Kli Yakar says, this is what happened to Yosef’s brothers. Quoting the Midrash Rabba on Yosef’s brothers’ reaction to Yosef’s declaration of “I am Yosef, is my father still alive?” the Torah describes their reaction: “His brothers were so startled, they could not respond.” osef’s brothers had nothing to say when Yosef said what he said, “so when G-d is standing in judgment, how much more so” do we all have nothing to say. When the evidence is thrown in front of you, what do you say? The guilt is clear.

Kli Yakar concludes by explaining the view of Rav Elazar that this is why the Torah’s narrative is presented this way, “So that an intelli-

gent person will take the hint and understand the gravity of the Yom HaDin.” What motivated Yosef to say what he said, “I am Yosef, is my father still alive?” Was he really trying to be loving and brotherly? If so, couldn’t he have broken the information to them a little more softly? Or was he trying to dig in another jab — as some commentaries note with the question of “is my father still alive?”

The truth is, I don’t think it matters how Yosef revealed himself, because it’s like the rolling of the tape. The brothers see Yosef in front of them, not a slave somewhere or possibly dead. He knows very well what they did. And now he has the opportunity, as king in Egypt, to be judge, jury and executioner, no matter when or how he reveals his identity to them.

They have no defense. And they know it.

All that’s left for Yosef is to let them know how he’s going to proceed, what he’s going to do with the evidence he has. And maybe it’s to their benefit that Yosef is Yosef HaTzaddik, because another perspective is that he’s been giving them a chance to mount their defense, their evidence of their being good people who made a horrible mistake which they not only regret but which, given the opportunity to do it again — to let Binyamin become a slave in Egypt, they’re all willing to be slaves, as we saw in last week’s parsha. Yehuda in particular, most responsible for the sale of Yosef, says, “I’ll be a better slave than Binyamin. Take me as a slave. It’s what I deserve!”

What a defense! Yes there’s a video. But look what has happened since that time! Twotwo years of regret, remorse, learning a very powerful lesson. Yes, the evidence is damning,

His brothers were so startled, they could not respond.

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and the prosecution rests. But at least now there’s a good case for the defense. And the judge — Yosef — buys it.

What will our defense be? Hopefully a good one. And hopefully our Judge will be as moved and as compassionate as was Yosef’s.

Luach Fri Dec 22 • 4 Teves Parsha Vayigash Candlelighting: 4:13 pm

Havdalah: 5:23 pm

Fri Dec 29 • 11 Teves Parsha Vayechi Candlelighting: 4:17 pm

Havdalah: 5:27 pm

Fri Jan 5 • 18 Teves Parsha Shemos Candlelighting: 4:24 pm

Havdalah: 5:34 pm

Fri Jan 12 • 25 Teves Parsha Va’rira Shabbos Mevarchim Candlelighting: 4:31 pm

Havdalah: 5:41 pm

Fri Jan 19 • 3 Shevat Parsha Bo Candlelighting: 4:39 pm

Havdalah: 5:49 pm

Fri Jan 26 • 10 Shevat Parsha Beshalach Candlelighting: 4:47 pm

Havdalah: 5:57 pm

Five Towns times from the White Shul

Jerusalem the eternal city, forever Kosher BooKworm

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he central focus of this week’s essay is a poem by one of our people’s most distinguished theologians and gifted interpreters of our religious tradition, Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopez Cardozo of Jerusalem, with the timely title, “O Jerusalem.”

With the issue of the political status of Jerusalem in the news today, I choose to preface Rabbi Cardozo’s tribute poem with a few observations by several distinguished and very spiritual people that should help reinforce the importance that Jerusalem plays in both the history of our people and that of the world as a whole.

The first piece is an essay titled, “The UN and Israel” by Rabbi Berel Wein of Jerusalem, wherein he teaches the following: “The state of Israel and the United Nations have a long and tortured history in dealing one with the other. Some seventy years ago the General Assembly of the U.N. adopted a resolution that became the basis in international terms for the creation of Israel. The U.N. thereby became the godfather of the Jewish state.

“It was an unlikely combination of diplomacy and circumstance that allowed this to happen. The adoption of the partition plan for Palestine in 1947 was practically the only major issue upon which both the United States and much of the Western world combined with the Soviet Union and its satellite nations. The Arab world denounced that resolution and attempted a number of times to reverse its adoption by war and violence.

“The story of how the resolution was adopted and how many countries were swayed to vote for it has been told in many books, but no matter how many times this story is told it remains wondrous and even miraculous.”

Rabbi Wein’s eloquent words serve as the backdrop to events that are still unfolding unto this very day, especially at the UN. Yes, ancient events all play a role is setting up the model for a modern day Jewish state, Israel. onsider the following from a recent essay by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks titled, “Rabbi Sacks on the Status of Jerusalem,” wherein he conveys this teaching from the Holy Bible: “The sustained denial, in many parts of the world, of the Jewish connection with Jerusalem is dishonest, unacceptable and a key element in the refusal to recognize the Jewish people’s right to exist in the land of their origins. Mentioned over 660 times in the Hebrew Bible, Jerusalem was the beating heart of the Jewish faith more than a thousand years before the birth of Christianity, and two-and-a-half millennia before the birth of Islam.

“Since then, though dispersed around the

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world, Jews never ceased to pray about Jerusalem, face Jerusalem, speak the language of Jerusalem, remember it at every wedding they celebrated, in every home they built, and at the high and holiest moments of the Jewish year.

Now, please carefully consider this: “Outside the U.N. building in New York is a wall bearing the famous words of Isaiah: ‘He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore’.”

Rabbi Sacks concludes: “Too often the nations of the world forget the words that immediately precede these: ‘For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.’

“Those words, spoken 27 centuries ago, remain the greatest of all prayers for peace, and they remain humanity’s best hope for peace in the Middle East and the world.”

And, please consider this observation from the former mayor of Lawrence, Martin Oliner, that appeared in an article entitled, “Recognizing All of Jerusalem, Here To Stay,” on the Jerusalem Post website: “We Jews have yearned for Jerusalem for more than 1,800 years, and now it is miraculously back under our control. True salvation for Jerusalem will not come from DC but from us realizing that it is D.C. — David’s City, Ir David — and it is therefore our obligation to preserve, maintain, and cherish all of it.”

With the above as preface, please read with devotion the following poem dedicated to the holy city of Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem,” by Rabbi Nathan Lopez Cardozo.

Oh Jerusalem

By Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo I dwell in Jerusalem, my eternal city.

I stand at its heart, the Kotel, the Western Wall.

And see her frozen tears and everlasting smile, Her clouds passing with mournful sighs.

Her pitying laughter at those who wanted to destroy her.

Or wished to deny her Jewish ancestry.

For thousands of years.

But did not succeed.

I read holy books, And hundreds of thousands of names, Those from Egypt, Babylon, Rome, Spain, Hungary, America and Africa.

I hear the cries from Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau, And the playful delight of today’s Jewish chil-

dren in Jerusalem’s courtyard.

I see the auto-da-fés, the Crusades, The pogroms and the Roman torture chambers, Mothers of all ages crying for their children.

But also, the Israeli flag with King David’s star.

As it waves above the stones.

Thousands of written prayers in the cracks of its walls.

I encounter the crying soldier, the sobbing stone-hard businessman, The movie star, confused politician, housewife and Yeshiva student.

Yeshayahu stands next to me, Rabbi Akiva a bit further on.

My teachers: Maimonides, Yehudah Halevi, Hillel and Shamai.

Behind me the Gaon of Vilna, absorbed in his thoughts, The Baal Shem Tov in deep devotion.

Men, women, and children.

Mitnagdim, Chassidim, Ethiopians, Yemenites, Sephardim and Ashkenazim.

Jews of all colors.

And righteous gentiles.

There is no time, no clock, No early or late, just broken eternity.

Standing but unable to grasp, I say my tefilah-prayer.

Then truth descends upon me: I have never left Jerusalem.

I find myself here for thousands of years.

The return to Jerusalem is unprecedented, An event sui generis.

It defies comprehension.

The creation of the State of Israel is a surprise, The survival of the Jewish people a shock.

A breach in a world where people do not want to be surprised.

And so … Jerusalem irritates.

The mighty Egyptian, Babylonian and Persian Conquered the world with much fanfare, pomp and splendor, And disappeared; The Greek and the Roman followed With their drumbeat and war carriages, And died out; Others came, holding their torch high, Only to have it burn out.

The Jew saw them all, Surpassed them all, And became what he always was: immortal.

Oh, that Israel’s enemies would wake up!

Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopez Cardozo

When will they learn that Israel never left its homeland, But was forced out against its will?

That Titus and his army were ultimately defeated by a nation of orphans, By an ever-dying people that never died? ple

There is no victory for those who fight a peo-

That never ceased praying, for thousands of years, To return to its capital which they never left.

Where their bodies were resurrected After they were turned into ashes at Auschwitz.

What to do with a people that mourned for its Temple, Rebuilding it in its hearts.

While sitting on the floor in deep mourning, Year after year, thousands of times?

How to deal with a people that covers its dead?

With earth from the land of Israel.

While their tombstones stand in foreign countries?

How to defeat a people whose home in exile Became a portable Land of Israel and its capital Jerusalem?

Where Moses and the Hebrew prophets Are still alive and teach Torah?

Through Israel we perceive the infinite: the God of Israel.

The land and its people are indispensable: God’s witness in a world where the ordinary Has become the standard.

And where Jerusalem is a wake up call.

Partially Inspired by Abraham Joshua Heschel and Mark Twain

The power of unity, standing shoulder to shoulder rAbbi dAvid etenGoff

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his week’s parasha, Vayigash, concludes with the pasuk: “And Israel dwelt (vayeshev) in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen, and they acquired property in it, and they were prolific and multiplied greatly.” (Bereishit 47:27) The first phrase, “And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen,” is difficult to understand as it is unclear as to whom the appellation, “Israel,” refers. Do we interpret it as referencing Jacob, since “Israel” became his additional name following his successful wrestling match with Esau’s guardian angel? In my estimation, this approach is apropos, since “Israel” is paired with the singular form of the Hebrew

verb, vayeshev, thereby leading us to surmise that this may logically refer to Jacob. It is equally possible, however, that it may have an entirely different connotation.

One of the early medieval meforshim to discuss this question was Rabbi David Kimchi (the Radak). In his opinion, “Israel” does not refer to Jacob, but rather “to the entire collective, i.e. the Jewish people.” This interpretation is quite solid, since the second half of the verse is comprised of Hebrew verbs that are stated in the plural form.

Moreover, there are other instances in the Torah wherein “Israel” signifies the totality of the Jewish people, e.g. “Israel dwelt in Shittim.” (Bamidbar, 25:1) The majority of Torah commentators follow the Radak’s view; therefore, the beginning of our verse may be legitimately translated/ interpreted as, “And the nation of Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen.”

In his Commentary on the Torah, Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar (Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh),

suggests that the singular form of the verb “dwelt” in our pasuk, is teaching us a profound lesson: “The Jewish people [in Egypt at this time] were of one opinion and there was nothing that separated them from one another (v’ain pirood ba’neyhem).” By extension, during this early phase of the Egyptian exile, the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of Jacob lived as one united community that shared the same goals and vision of a glorious future under Hashem’s beneficent protection. he Ohr HaChaim’s explanation is reminiscent of the greatest event in Jewish history when our people were, once again, completely united — the Revelation at Mount Sinai: “They journeyed from Rephidim, and they arrived in the desert of Sinai, and they encamped in the desert, and Israel encamped (va’yichan) there opposite the mountain.” (Shemot 19:2) Rashi, basing himself on Mechilta d’Rabbi Yishmael, notes that the phrase, “and Israel encamped there opposite

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the mountain,” is written in the singular rather than the plural as we find in the rest of the verse: and Israel encamped there: “Hebrew — va’yichan [the singular form, denoting that they encamped there] as one man with one heart (k’ish echad b’lev echad), but all the other encampments were [divided] with complaints and with strife.” It seems, therefore, that when we were united k’ish echad b’lev echad at Har Sinai (Mount Sinai), nothing was impossible, for even finite man was capable of encountering the infinite and ineffable Creator of the Universe!

May the time come soon and in our days when we once again stand shoulder to shoulder k’ish echad b’lev echad, living lives infused with deep respect for one another. Then with Hashem’s help and our passionate desire, we will be able to serve Him, as our forebears did during Jacob’s time in Egypt, and when we received the holy Torah — as one indivisible and united people. V’chane yihi ratzon.

THE JEWISH STAR December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778

AlAn JAy Gerber

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December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778 THE JEWISH STAR

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Chanukah to Chanukah. It’s a different kind of year Jeff Dunetz politics to go

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n the sixth day of Chanukah, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) attempted to reverse President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley exercised the U.S. veto and quashed the resolution.

Last year, just before the first day of Chanukah, there was a different UNSC vote. On Friday afternoon Dec. 23, the anti-Israel team of Barack Obama and John Kerry directed their ambassador, Samantha Power, to abstain when the UNSC’s anti-Israel Resolution 2334 came to a vote rather than veto it. Since the abstention allowed the resolution to pass, President Obama’s action had the same effect if it itself cast an anti-Israel vote.

Not only did that Obama-directed action give the Palestinians a free pass to continue to avoid negotiations, it “locked” Israel into the 1948 Ar-

mistice line that declares Judea, Samaria, and East Jerusalem “occupied” Palestinian land. As Security Council resolutions create international law, the Jewish state’s presence in East Jerusalem, commonly known as the “Jewish Quarter,” became illegal. This absurd action ignored the fact Jews have been living in the “Jewish Quarter” since the time of King David, except for the period of 1948 to 1967 when Jordan kicked out the Jews and destroyed many Jewish holy sites there.

The Obama-directed vote was not a surprise; his eight years in the White House showed him to be the most anti-Israel president since the modern state of Israel was created in 1948.

Similarly, President Trump’s veto in the UNSC, and more importantly his announcement about Jerusalem that triggered it, doesn’t elicit surprise. If he continues in the direction shown during his first year in the White House, his will be most pro-Israel presidency since 1948. rump was in office for less than three weeks when he began to show there was a new Middle East sheriff in town. He released a statement in February that said: “The American desire for peace between the

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Israelis and the Palestinians has remained unchanged for 50 years. While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal. As the President has expressed many times, he hopes to achieve peace throughout the Middle East region. The Trump administration has not taken an official position on settlement activity and looks forward to continuing discussions, including with Prime Minister Netanyahu when he visits with President Trump later this month.”

The money phrase in that statement is “we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace” It cannot be emphasized enough; that was the first time any president declared that the settlements were not an impediment to peace. Even Bush #43, who cut a deal with Ariel Sharon that he wouldn’t complain about new construction in existing communities as long as it didn’t involve new land, did not go as far as saying those communities weren’t an impediment to peace.

Obama felt so strongly settlements were an

Don’t forget Qatar and Turkey Ben Cohen Viewpoint

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nited States National Security Adviser Gen. H.R. McMaster underlined an important point this week that deserves a wider audience.

Speaking at a conference in Washington, McMaster highlighted two countries that he said were playing a key role in advancing radical Islamist ideology through the Muslim community’s “charities, madrassas and other social organizations.”

Not Pakistan. Not Libya. Not Shi’a Iran. The two countries named by McMaster have been regarded for most of the past century as stalwart allies of the West. One is a member of the NATO alliance and a candidate country for EU membership. The other hosts the most vital American military base in the Middle East, home to the headquarters of CENTCOM and the location of more than 9,000 U.S. troops.

These two countries are Turkey and Qatar.

And the promotion of radical Islam, McMaster said, is “now done more by Qatar, and by Turkey.”

It’s not the first time that the Trump White House has linked Qatar with the promotion of terror. Trump himself said back in June—at the

start of the blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and other Arab states—that “the nation of Qatar has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level.” The evidence of fundraising, money channeling and money laundering in Qatar on behalf of Islamist groups ranging from Islamic State to the Palestinian Hamas has been mounting for more than a decade. here are no Arab countries where terrorism financing doesn’t have a footprint, which is why it would be self-defeating to portray Qatar as the only source of the problem. But because Qatar likes to portray itself as a country apart from the rest of the Gulf—blending Islam with enlightenment values; pursuing an independent foreign policy; and its status as a hugely powerful player in global real estate, financial and commodity markets—it becomes necessary to occasionally wipe the gloss from the thriving desert kingdom image the emirate projects outward.

Ditto with Turkey, although that task is made easier by the fact that the country is run by an authoritarian thug in the form of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. McMaster specifically identified Erdogan’s ruling AKP party with the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood, remarking that “by operating through civil society, they consolidate power through one party, sadly it is a problem contributing to Turkey’s drift from the West.”

The word “drift” is something of an understatement; since the murky coup of last year, Erdogan

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has assumed near-dictatorial powers, used the war against Islamic State as an excuse to launch brutal air raids on Kurdish fighters in Syria and Turkey, colluded with Iran in the carve-up of Iraqi Kurdistan, and is now leading a renewed charge against Israel following President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Rarely does the Turkish leader let up on the demonizing, anti-Semitic invective he seemingly revels in.

Dishonesty is a characteristic of nearly all governments, but there is a big difference between unauthorized corruption and willfully employing corruption as one’s point of departure. In the cases of Turkey and Qatar, at the level of public relations, this corruption takes the form of communicating in bare-faced lies, and sticking by them or dancing around them when these lies are unmasked as such.

Erdogan does this with many issues, particularly Israel—which he slanders as a “terrorist state,” while concocting or regurgitating Islamist conspiracy theories about the Jewish state’s “true” designs for Jerusalem. The Qataris do the same, first and foremost with their own record. In June, Sheik Saif bin Ahmed al Thani—another scion of the ruling family who serves as the director of government communications—told the Los Angeles Times editorial board that “Qatar does not fund terrorism whatsoever—no groups, no individuals.

Not from afar or from a close distance.” (The editorial board did not challenge him on this claim.)

impediment to peace that he made it a bigger issue than the Palestinians did, and in 2009 broke an agreement between Israel and the U.S. that allowed Israel to build in existing settlements as long as no new land was taken.

Last, Nikki Haley put the UN on notice about the Jewish state: “I’m here to say the United States will not turn a blind eye to this anymore. I am here to underscore the ironclad support of the United States for Israel. I’m here to emphasize the United States is determined to stand up to the UN’s anti-Israel bias. We will never repeat the terrible mistake of Resolution 2334 and allow one-sided Security Council resolutions to condemn Israel. Instead, we will push for action on the real threats we face in the Middle East. … It is the UN’s anti-Israel bias that is long overdue for change. The United States will not hesitate to speak out against these biases in defense of our friend and ally, Israel.” n May 2017, President Trump did something else no American president had done before, he visited Israel as part of his first trip outside the country since he took office. Additionally, Trump’s See Different on page 21

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hose blatant lies persist—even as the numerous lobbyists and public relations teams employed by both countries try to divert our attention to, say, Qatar’s role in African regional development, or Turkey’s concern about anti-Muslim sentiment in Europe, or the supposed moderating influence of Doha and Ankara alike on radicals. That these conversations proceed on the basis of long-established, and largely true, assumptions about the historic alignment of both countries with the West only further blurs an understanding of the problem we are dealing with now.

If Turkey and Qatar do not change their behavior—and a guy whose security detail attacks demonstrators in the middle of Washington in full view of the world’s press is probably not going to change his behavior—terrorist outrages, attacks on Israel’s right to exist, persecution of religious minorities, the promotion of jihadi ideology and even regional war will remain as fixed anxieties of our political life. Put more simply, Qatar and Turkey may have been part of the solution, but they are now firmly a part of the problem.

There are those in the U.S. Jewish community who act as though the Islamist transformations of these two countries haven’t occurred, and who continue to respond to the outreach of Qatari and the Turkish representatives with flattered hearts and minds. One can concede that there are occasions when direct dialogue might be useful— but when there is such an imbalance of power as there is when it comes to our communal leaders, and when Qatar and Turkey established long ago their commitment to jihadi anti-Semitism, it is time to end the self-delusion.

daVid Kaufman from des moines

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Jewish woman walks into the post office to buy Chanukah stamps for her holiday cards.

The person behind the counter asks, “What denominations?”

The Jewish woman responds, “Oy! Are we so polarized? Some Orthodox, some Conservative and some Reform.”

Yes, we are so polarized, both religiously and politically. Most reports about the White House Chanukah party noted that leaders of the Reform movement and congressional Democrats were not invited. Whereas the Obama administration invited 1,700 people to two Chanukah parties last year, the Trump administration invited a mere 300 to one such party.

Among them was one politically independent Reform rabbi from Des Moines, Iowa — me.

How in the world did I get an invitation?

I got on the list because I reached out to someone I knew in the administration while advocating for the State Department to maintain the position of special envoy to combat antiSemitism. Earlier this year there were discussions that the position would be eliminated, and I and many others were urging the White House to reconsider.

I didn’t scream and yell. I didn’t call anyone names. I made a case for why that position was and is needed, and asked that my note be forwarded to whomever would be able to impact the decision. The position was officially retained, though as of yet no one has been nominated to fill it and that may not happen for a while longer.

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few months after I sent the email, out of the blue I received a call from someone at the White House inviting me to the Chanukah party. I knew it would be a simple matter to decline the invitation. I was already going to be away that day at a conference. But it isn’t every day that one is invited to a party at the White House. President Obama held nine Chanukah parties and I wasn’t invited to any of them.

Who else was invited?

This year, a significant percentage of those invited were Jewish friends and relatives of the Trump and Kushner families, with a large percentage of the rest seemingly connected to the Zionist Organization of America or the Republican Jewish Coalition. I’m sure many guests fell into all three categories.

A group of girls from a local yeshiva choir and their chaperones came to sing. Two Republican members of Congress attended, Reps. Lee Zeldin of New York and David Kustoff of Tennessee. The Israelis on hand included Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and a handful of national Jewish community leaders were there, too. A majority of the guests seemed to be Orthodox Jews, with many affiliated with Chabad.

At the time my wife and I accepted the invitation, I had no idea just how exclusive the guest list was. I reached out to numerous friends who I figured would be far higher up on the priority list than I. No one I contacted was invited. I did not know that I would be the only Reform rabbi in attendance, maybe the only Reform or Conservative rabbi, and certainly one of a very small number of invitees who are not registered Republicans. Of those who are outspoken supporters of social causes usually found on the political left, I may well have been the lone person invited.

What was the party like?

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n the whole it was a relatively normal Chanukah party. There were latkes and sufganiyot. The Marine Band played in the grand entryway and the girls’ choir sang “Mi Yemalel” (Who Can Retell?) at the beginning of the formal program.

The president told a version of the Chanukah story and boasted about his announcement a day earlier to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

A Holocaust survivor spoke of her experiences.

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik of New York’s Congregation Shearith Israel offered the Orthodox version of the prayer for the government — with its references to G-d who grants “dominion to rulers” — and the more fitting Shehecheyanu blessing.

President Trump’s Jewish grandchildren kindled a single candle on a silver menorah. Guests joined in singing “Maoz Tsur” (Rock of Ages).

We did not say the traditional blessings because it was not yet Chanukah.

Other than a smaller group of VIPs, the vast majority of guests were not allowed to interact with the president, Vice President Mike Pence or the Kushner family, nor was there an opportunity for photographs to be taken with any of them.

Whether you blame Trump or his opponents, the political climate has seldom been so polarized. Last year the Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative movements debated whether they should help organize a pre-Rosh Hashanah conference call with Trump. When they declined (a decision I disagreed with), Trump held his own call and did not invite the non-Orthodox rabbis. Just last week, top African-American leaders stayed away from the opening of a civil rights museum in Mississippi because Trump would be taking part.

If you’re wondering, leaders of the Reform movement, numerous other Reform rabbis and my congregation’s leadership, all of whom I told about the invitation, encouraged us to attend.

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hose who know me and the advocacy that I do understand well that no politician or political party escapes my criticism. This administration is certainly no exception. But I engage civilly, even when others do not come close to returning the favor. My goal is always to help advance the causes dear to me, especially when those causes are under threat. I try to be as present as I can and speak to whomever I can, even if my counsel ends up being drowned out or ignored.

While most of the talk at the Chanukah party was on Jewish geography and in support of the Jerusalem recognition, I mentioned to a handful of guests my concerns about the lack of an anti-Semitism envoy, and the potential budget cuts and their impacts on health care and hunger advocacy at the state level.

The best quote about advocacy I know comes from a sports hero, hockey great Wayne Gretzky: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” If you don’t engage in a way that might be successful in changing policy, if you don’t speak to and build relationships with those who might listen to you and influence others, you will never be heard and have a chance to influence policy.

Far too many people take a different path, believing that it’s better to scream in protest, name call, engage in virtue signaling and boycott rather than engage constructively and civilly with decision makers.

To paraphrase Gretzky, “One-hundred percent of the candles you don’t light stay unlit.”

This Chanukah, let us bring light and not darkness into our world. Be present and reach out. Build relationships. Don’t boycott. Attend.

Share your light. The people whose hearts and minds are kindled might help you to change the world.

David Kaufman is spiritual leader of Temple B’nai Jeshurun, the Reform synagogue in Des Moines, Iowa.

Chanukah disaster: Not a potato latke in sight tehilla r. goldberg view from central park

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nitially, I had noble literary plans as a Chanukah project for this year’s holiday. Going with the theme of “light,” I thought it would be interesting to compile the best quotes or verses from Tanach and literature using the word or concept of light.

Alas, my inspiration has been commandeered by more humble and mundane endeavors, namely latkes and sufganiyot — by spuds and a variety of fried doughs, drenched in sweet syrups, just as central to Chanukah, mind you, as the poetic or philosophical concept of light.

The thing is, latkes have gotten so complicat-

Different...

Continued from page 20 commute from Riyadh, the first country of his Middle East trip visit was the first publicly reported airplane trip directly from Saudi Arabia to Israel.

During his trip, Trump visited the old city of Jerusalem, he went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is recognized by Christians as the place where Jesus was Crucified. From there he walked to the Kotel, the Western retaining wall for the Temple Mount, just below the holiest spot in all of Judaism. No other American president had visited the Kotel while in office because the visit could be seen as a de facto acceptance of Israel’s control of the holy site.

In another first during his trip, Trump took the opportunity to publicly rebuke Palestinian

ed. Once upon a time, life was simple and crystal clear. You fried latkes from shredded lacey potatoes, an onion, some eggs, maybe a bit of matzah meal or oats, and a dash of salt and pepper. You could be confident at a Chanukah party when reaching for the mountain of latkes platter, because you knew what you were going to get: a hot fried disc of delicious fried potatoes.

Then gourmet options invaded tradition. Sacrilegious things like butternut latkes, cauliflower latkes, and zucchini latkes started appearing out of nowhere! What is this? Are they trying to trump the humble spud? ow please understand, I think low carb vegetable latkes are a wonderful thing. A wonderful thing, indeed. Personally, I also try to eat more of these root veggies and think it a wonderful thing to incorporate them into our meals in appealing ways.

So preparing such latkes is fine — as an an-

cillary latke. But for a primary traditional latke?

There is only one, my friend, and it’s the potato latke. I worry about tampering with hallowed Jewish traditions. The previous generation did away with herring. Is the potato latke next in line? Please, let us learn from our past.

President Abbas for his support of terrorists and payments to terrorist families: “Peace can never take root in an environment where violence is tolerated, funded and even rewarded. We must be resolute in condemning such acts in a single, unified voice. Peace is a choice we must make each day — and the United States is here to help make that dream possible for young Jewish, Christian and Muslim children all across the region. In so doing, we will all enjoy a safer and brighter future, and a safer and brighter world.”

As the year was drawing to a close the president made his Jerusalem announcement, “I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

Liberal Jews along with many in the mainstream treated the announcement as if it would bring the end of the world. Sadly, there has been some violence, but thankfully not at the predicted levels. Some Journalists who rushed to Jerusalem

after Trump’s announcement to report on the major violence are returning home without a story.

On the third day of this year’s Chanukah a White House official was quoted as saying: “We cannot envision any situation under which the Western Wall would not be part of Israel. But as the president said, the specific boundaries of sovereignty of Israel are going to be part of the final status agreement.”

Wow, that more than doubles down on the President’s Jerusalem Statement.

Chanukah in 2016 was melancholy, as in one of his last acts as President Obama took the opportunity to stab Israel in the back one last time.

But this year is much different.

By Chanukah 2017, President Trump has kept his campaign promises by executing policies showing him to be a true friend of Israel.

From Chanukah to Chanukah, what a difference a year makes.

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Serve up deliciously healthy zucchini, feta and dill latkes, or beet and goat cheese latkes, any day. (I draw the line at kale latkes; actually, just kidding, those are delicious too.) Yum! But let’s not mess with the brilliant simplicity of the perfect hot and crispy potato latke.

Actually, growing up, a sweet fried cheese latke was also part of my family’s repertoire, so that too is traditional to me. And I understand, different traditions fry different foods. By all means, make newer, healthier versions of latkes the “new tradition” for the coming generations.

I beg you, though, just don’t replace the classic latke! With the positive development of more healthy food awareness, I fear it is becoming an endangered Chanukah species. wo Chanukah parties down, and not a potato latke in sight! What is this?

Thankfully, sufganiyot (or ponchkas as many of our European grandmothers called them) and many other versions of fried dough drenched or dusted in sweet sugar, were abundant. So, what gives? Are we too gourmet, too sophisticated, to maintain the humble spud as the star of the culinary Chanukah table? (The “upgrade” from the sour cream latke condiment has been Greek Yogurt, so at least it’s Chanukahthemed. But that’s another discussion for another time, the applesauce versus sour cream debate.)

I am actually missing the halachic guidelines of a holiday; maybe there should have been a tractate for latkes, after all. Something along the lines of: One may be permitted to feast on latkes of all kinds; potato latkes, however, are a requirement.

Work with me here, because we must ensure the survival of the humble and deliciously divine fried potato latke that our grandparents and parents once upon a time ate on every Chanukah.

Once I am assured that this sacrilegious diversion from the potato latke is repaired, then I can invest my energies in more intellectual literary Chanukah projects.

Copyright Intermountain Jewish News

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THE JEWISH STAR December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778

Liberal, Reform leader from Iowa, at Trump party

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The JEWISH STAR

CAlendar of Events

Send your events to Calendar@TheJewishStar.com • Deadline noon Friday • Compiled by Zachary Schechter Thursday December 21

Friday December 22

Parsha Shiur: [Weekly] Join Michal Horowitz at the YI of Woodmere for shiur. 9:30 am. 859 Peninsula Blvd, Woodmere. 516-295-0950.

Iyun Tefilah: [Weekly] Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum at the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst.

9:45 am. 8 Spruce St, Cedarhurst.

Learn Maseches Brachos: [Weekly] Join Rabbi Eliyahu Wolf at the YI of Woodmere for a shiur on Maseches Brachos. 5:15 pm. 859 Peninsula Blvd, Woodmere. 516-295-0950.

Halacha Shiur: [Weekly] Join Rabbi Yoni Levin at Aish Kodesh for a halacha shiur. 9:30 pm.

894 Woodmere Pl, Woodmere.

Erev Shabbos Kollel: [Weekly] Eruv Shabbos Kollel starting with 6 am Chassidus shiur with Rav Moshe Weinberger and concluding with 9 am Chevrusah Learning session with Rabbi Yoni Levin. 894 Woodmere Pl, Woodmere.

Nissim Black: Chazaq and YI of West Hempstead present Nissim Black and his inspiring journey to Judaism. Men and women welcome.

Free admission. 8 pm. 630 Hempstead Ave, West Hempstead. 718-285-9132.

Saturday December 23

Themes In Tanach: Join Rabbi David Fohr-

man at the YI of Woodmere for a special shiur on “The Dream That Launched a Nation: The Secret of Jacob’s Ladder. 7:30 pm. 859 Peninsula Blvd, Woodmere. 516-295-0950.

Sunday December 24 Timely Torah: [Weekly] Join Rabbi Ya’akov Trump, assistant rabbi of the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst, for a shiur on relevant Halachic and philosophical topics related to Parsha Moadim and contemporary issues. Coffee and pastries.

8 am. 8 Spruce St, Cedarhurst.

Learning Program: [Weekly] At Aish Kodesh led by Rav Moshe Weinberger following 8:15 Shacharis including 9 am breakfast and shiurim

d n la Is g n o L x o d o h rt O to y e he Jewish Star is your k …

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5 Towns conferenc e with joy to sustai told: Deliver Torah n the next genera tion note remarks that nual Five Towns opened the fourth antive Conference Community Collaboraon Sunday.

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Rabbi Weinberg d’asrah of Congregaer, founding morah tion Aish Kodesh Woodmere and in mashpia at YU, the parents and reminded that Torah will educators in attendance not be received if it’s not

passed down according to the middah the time, emphasiz of ingredent needed ing that the primary in today’s chinuch simcha. is Twenty-six speakers, rebbetzins, educators including rabbis, , community ers and lecturers leadsue that challengeeach addressed a key isfamilies and schools in frum communi ties. The event, the Young Israel hosted at of Woodmere, was orgaSee 5 Towns hosts on page 15

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betzin Shani Taragin, Tanach coordinator and mashgicha ruchanit at Midreshet rah V’avodah, “Miriam: Meyaledet, ToMei-

nika, and Morah”; Rabbi Ephraim Congregation Polakoff, Bais Tefilah, “Teens and technology: What you know and what you

don’t”; Rabbi Jesse Horn of Yeshivat kotel, “Helping Hachildren balance and pleasure”; Esther Wein, “Howideology to rec-

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By The Jewish to remember Cedarhurst pausedmiracles of 9/11, at the the on Sunday. the heroism, and commemoration Schachter village’s annual n, Rabbi Shay In his invocatio the Young Israel of Woodof the Master and (top right photo) pray that G-d, all the strength mere said, “we world, grant us Creator of the to stand firm together against of and the fortitude of extremism, of bigotry, all forms of terror, and of all evil that can be hatred, of racism, forms in our world.” who found in different obligation to those “We have a solemn on Sept. 11th to never injured Benjamin died or were ,” said Mayor forget what happened“We saw evil, but we also Weinstock (bottom).

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“Torat Emet ,” the first is shiva University Truth.” in to an Star — we believe investiture speech

By The Jewish in of Yeshiva UniversiDelivering his at YU’s Wilf Campus The fifth president on Sunday Berman, said assembly of 2,000 on Heights, with many ty, Rabbi Dr. Ari values that personify Ye, Washingt in by livestream that of the “five more listening spoke of the Rabbi Berman five central the or “Five Torot, institution.” teachings, of our believe in Tor“We do not just Chayyim — Torat at Emet but also and values must that our truths he said. live in the world,” teachings, YU’s other central Adam,” “Torat he said, are “Torat Tziyyon, the Chesed,” and “Toraton.”

Torah of Redempti formal cereFollowing the community parmonies, the YU st” street fair at an “InvestFe Am- tied Amsterdam Avenue. t” street fair on 11 was a along at the “InvestFes See YU on page

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t was a minor news story when it broke in the summer of 2016. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced he was suing Great Britain over the Balfour Declaration, issued on Nov. 2, 1917. But as we observe the centennial of the document this week, it’s important to understand that although his lawsuit was a stunt, Abbas was serious. More than that, the symbolism of his See Tobin on page 22

Britain Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn— who in 2009 called Hezbollah and Hamas his “friends” — said he would not attend a dinner commemorating the centennial of the Balfour Declaration. Prime Minister Theresa May she would attend “with pride” and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu would be her guest.

“We are proud of the role we played in the creation of the State of Israel and we will certainly mark the centenary with pride,” May said. “I am also pleased that good trade relations and other relations that we have with Israel we are building on and enhancing.”

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• Vol 16,

By Ron Kampeas, JTA Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, page and 19 WASHINGTON — For 17 years, the then the wildfires inlah 9:15 • Luach pm, Havda northern California.

Israeli NGO IsraAID has been perform- ng 8:07 Polizer recalls that he was wrapping elighti Candl ing search and rescue,Towns purifying water, up a visit to IsraAID’s new American 5777 • Fivemedical assistance headquarters providing Tamuz, emergency in Palo Alto on Oct. 8 and 2017 • 20 and walking victims of trauma back to was on his way to a flight to Mexico to psychological health in dozens of disas- oversee operations after a devastating ter-hit countries. earthquake there when he got word of But no season has been busier than the wildfires. “I literally had to do a Uthis past summer and fall, its co-CEO Yo- turn,” he said this week in an interview tam Polizer said in an interview — and at the Israeli embassy in Washington. nowhere more than in the United States.

Polizer spoke with the exhilaration “The last few months have been un- of an executive whose team has come believable,” he said, listing a succession through a daunting challenge.

“We’re of disasters that occupied local staff and the people who stay past the ‘aid festiNiveen Rizkalla working with IsraAID in Santa Rosa, Calif., in volunteers since August: Hurricane Har- val’,” he said, grinning, describing the the wake of deadly wildfires there. vey in Texas, Hurricane Irma in Florida, See IsraAID on page 5

• 1 Sivan,

No 25

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Timely Tanach: [Weekly] Join Rabbi Ya’akov Trump of the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst for a shiur on Sefer Shoftim. 8 pm. 8 Spruce St, Cedarhurst.

Chumash and Halacha Shiur: [Weekly] Shiur with Rabbi Yosef Richtman at Aish Kodesh.

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Saturday December 30

Avot to Matan Torah: Join Rabbi Dr. Ari Bergman at the YI of Woodmere for a special lecture series titled “From the Avot to Mattan Torah: A Deeper Understanding of the Genesis of the Abrahamic Religions & of Our Mesorah.” 7:30 pm. 859 Peninsula Blvd, Woodmere. 516-295-0950.

Monday January 1

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Community-Wide Learning Event: Camp HASC, NCSY and YACHA event at the YI of Woodmere with Shacharis, breakfast and shiurim by Rabbi Judah Mischel and Rabbi Moshe Benovitz.

895 Peninsula Blvd, Woodmere. 516-295-0950.

The JEWISH STAR Call Ed Weintrob • 516-622-7461 ext 291 • EWeintrob@TheJewishStar.com

Women’s Shiur: [Weekly] Dr. Anette Labovitz’s women shiur will continue at Aish Kodesh.

10 am. 894 Woodmere Pl, Woodmere.

Seeing Things Clearly: [Weekly] Join Rabbi Shalom Yona Weis at Aish Kodesh for a shiur for women and high school girls titled “Seeing Things Clearly- Learning to View Our World and Our Lives Through Positive Lenses. 8:45 pm. 894 Woodmere Pl, Woodmere.

Wednesday December 27

Tues-Wed January 2-3 945509

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The Newsp

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or the Palestinians, the year zero is not 1948, when the state of Israel came into being, but 1917, when Great Britain issued, on Nov. 2, the Balfour Declaration—expressing support for the establishment of a “Jewish national home” in Palestine.

So central is the Balfour Declaration to Palestinian political identity that the “Zionist invasion” is officially deemed to have begun in 1917—not in 1882, when the first trickle of Jewish pioneers from Russia began arriving, nor in 1897, when the Zionist movement held its first congress in Basel, nor in the late 1920s, when thousands of German Jews fleeing the rise of Nazism chose to go to Palestine.

The year 1917 is the critical date because that is when, as an anti-Zionist might say, the Zionist hand slipped effortlessly into the British imperial glove. It is a neat, simple historical proposition upon which the entire Palestinian version of events rests: an empire came to our land and gave it to foreigners, we were dispossessed, and for five generations now, we have continued to resist. Moreover, it is given official sanction in the Palestine National Covenant of 1968, in which article 6 defines Jews who “were living permanently in Palestine until the beginning of the Zionist invasion” as “Palestinians”—an invasion that is dated as 1917 in the covenants’ notes.

As the Balfour Declaration’s centenary approached, this theme is much in evidence.

There is now a dedicated Balfour Apology See Cohen on page 22

photos by Ed

YU

Island Jonathan S. Dealer on Long Largest Sukkah toBin

Ben Cohen Viewpoint

The Jewish Star

To Abbas and Hamas, it was ‘original sin’

ceremony, YU’s new president, after the investiture for a selfie. sterdam Avenue who happily posed sought-after celebrity

932193

To British, Palestine just another colony

Weintrob

At declaration’s centennial, a source of joy and derision

Monday December 25

Women’s Shiur: [Weekly] Rebbetzin Weinberger of Aish Kodesh will give a shiur on the “Midah of Seder in our Avodas Hashem.” 11 am.

894 Woodmere Pl, Woodmere.

Third Annual Bayit Cham Event: The Five Towns friends of Bayit Cham invite you to join them for a benefit evening for Bayit Cham at the home of Shana and Elliot Gluck. 7:30 pm. 715 Emerson St, Woodmere.

Jewish History: [Weekly] Join Rabbi Evan Hoffman at the YI of Woodmere for a talk on Jewish History. 8:15 pm. 859 Peninsula Blvd, Woodmere. 516-295-0950.

Halacha Shiur: [Weekly] Join Rabbi Moshe Sokoloff at the YI of Woodmere for a halacha shiur. 8:40 pm. 859 Peninsula Blvd, Woodmere.

516-295-0950.

Gemara Shiur: [Weekly] Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt at YI of Woodmere for agemara shiur. 9:15 pm.

859 Peninsula Blvd, Woodmere. 516-295-0950.

Kessler

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Reuven Taragin, e.

Woodmer and director ofhumble beginnings that Yeshivat Hakotel founder Eytan Feiner of the Community a small “From in The Education Conferences, White Shul, “When years ago “Torah tips on had over 50Yitzchak 8 met on page HALB how to build celebrat and maintain ionRivkah: Torah’s a strong marriage”; HALB tion of martial love”; Michal first menSeeRabbi Horowitz, “Ahavas Yisrael: In theory of YI Lawrence- or in pracYaakov Trump director From left: Rabbi Shenker, executive Cedarhurst; MarvinWeitz; Dr. Herbert Pasternak; of YILC; Dr. Mott Lance Hirt; and Rabbi Aaron / Theresa Press Star HALB Board Chair Jewish The Fleksher of HALB.

on subjects such as halacha, gemara and divrei chizuk. 894 Woodmere Pl, Woodmere.

Torah 4 Teens: [Weekly] Yeshiva program for high-school age boys & young adults with Rabbi Matis Friedman. 9:15 am-12:30 pm. 410 Hungry Harbor Rd, Valley Stream. Torah4teens5T@ gmail.com.

Gemara Shiur: [Weekly] Rabbi Moshe Sokoloff at YI of Woodmere for gemara shiur. 9:15 am.

859 Peninsula Blvd, Woodmere. 516-295-0950.

Rosh Chodesh Shiur for Women: All women and girls are invited to join Mrs. Michal Horowitz for a special Rosh Chodesh shiur. 9:30 am. 859 Peninsula Blvd, Woodmere. 516-295-0950.

Tuesday December 26

The Jewish Star is the newspaper of Long Island’s Orthodox communities — and the fastest-growing Jewish newspaper on LI.

ognize your bashert”; Rabbi Kenneth of Congregatio Hain n Beth Shalom, “When it’s A-OK to say yes.”

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Presenters at Sunday’s conferenc from left: Elisheva e, director of religious Kaminetsky, SKA kodesh, “Empoweri guidance, limudei ng choices”; Rabbi

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The activists filmed the lightings and posted them on the World Bnei Akiva Facebook page under the hashtag #LightUpTheDarkness. Thousands have watched the videos.

In Israel, Bnei Akiva members filmed a menorah lighting outside Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station, where a security guard, Asher Almialach, was severely injured in a stabbing incident this month.

In England, Benaya Cohen lit candles at the entrance to the Manchester Arena, where in May a suicide bomber murdered 23 people and injured over 500 at a concert. In the U.S., Bnei Akiva members filmed a candle lighting at the Houston home of a member, Maya Wadler, whose home was ravaged by flooding during Hurricane Harvey.

“We hope and daven that this year will bring us pleasant weather and rains of blessing,” Wadler said. —JTA

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Young Jews in several countries lit Chanukah menorahs at sites targeted by terrorist attacks to signal their solidarity with victims and celebrate resilience.

The ceremonies, organized by the World Bnei Akiva youth movement, included a lighting at the HaCarmel kosher restaurant in Amsterdam, where earlier this month a 29-year-old Palestinian smashed windows while holding a Palestinian flag.

“I’m here to light a candle for the security and safety of the Jewish community of Amsterdam,” Avichai Meyer, the movement’s emissary to the Netherlands, said at the event earlier this week.

David Rogovoy, the emissary to Germany, lit his menorah outside the Christmas market where a truck deliberately drove into a crowd last year on Dec. 19, killing 12 and injuring 56. One of the casualties was an Israeli woman named Dalia Elyakim.

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Continued from page 17 Awareness Month.

Gaucher occurs when there is insufficient glucocerebrosidase, an enzyme that breaks down a fatty substance called glucocerebroside. When the body can’t break down the enzyme, Gaucher cells get backed up in the spleen, liver and bone marrow. This can result in low blood counts (anemia), easy bleeding and bruising, fatigue, an enlarged spleen or liver, and bone problems.

Though fairly rare in the general population (one in 40,000), Gaucher is far more common for Ashkenazi Jews—about one in 450, with one in 12 being a carrier; carriers do not show the disease’s symptoms.

Many people who have the disease are so minimally affected that they barely realize it, while early screening is reducing the damage that Gaucher inflicts. Current research includes gene therapy, which is poised to enter clinical trials in the next year, as well as new forms of enzyme replacement therapy. An apparent link of Gaucher to late-onset Parkinson’s disease is being studied by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, among others.

Although the disease has a high prevalence in the Ashkenazi population, that applies mostly for type 1 Gaucher, which has far fewer devastating neurological symptoms than types 2 and 3, says Dr. Neal Weinreb, who teaches human genetics and hematology at the University of Miami’s School of Medicine.

“One of the mysteries is you can have two siblings with the same mutation with very different cases,” Weinreb, the southeastern U.S. regional coordinator for the International Collaborative Gaucher Group. “That’s why they need to be evaluated and followed by people who know about Gaucher.”

To spread the word, JScreen and others reach out to rabbis and gynecologists to encourage engaged couples to be tested. Testing advocates say that even couples with mixed religious backgrounds need to be screened.

Many couples in which both partners are carriers choose to undergo pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, followed by in vitro fertilization (IVF), thereby assuring their children will be Gaucherfree. Paige and Alan Guy, who both tested positive for the Gaucher mutation, are in the midst of the IVF process and, despite its complexities, are “grateful that the testing and the technology exist to allow us to have healthy children,” Paige says.

“Knowledge is power,” says JScreen Executive Director Karen Grinzaid. “Whether you’re single, engaged, newlyweds or already parents, having the knowledge allows everyone to take steps and make informed decisions to have healthy children and live healthy lives.”

“We got tested and turned out to be carriers for different things, but nothing overlapped,” says Yocheved Ferstenberg, who became a firsttime parent four months ago along with her husband, Alex. “We know we are lucky.”

It’s too soon for Tessel, the City College student, to know the screening results, but not too soon for him to think carefully about the conversation that he plans to have with his future wife.

“To not talk about it would be not fair to either of us,” he says, “or to the children I hope we will have someday.”

THE JEWISH STAR December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778

Genetic test target… Menorahs at terror sites

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December 22, 2017 • 4 Tevet 5778 THE JEWISH STAR

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