THE JEWISH
STAR
December 5, 2014 • 13 Kislev 5775
TheJewishStar.com
the newspaper of long island’s orthodox communities
HS kids hear LI woman’s tale of Holocaust escape
Holocaust survivor Evelyn Pike Rubin, of Jerico, speaks at a public high school in Merrick. Scott Brinton
By Scott Brinton After more than 75 years, the train trip still haunts Evelyn Pike Rubin, who recounted for students at Sanford H. Calhoun, a public high school in Merrick, her family’s escape from Nazi Germany on the eve of the Holocaust. It was the winter of 1939. Pike Rubin, an only child who was 8½ at the time, was steaming from Breslau, in Nazi Germany, to Naples, Italy, where she was to board a cruise ship, the Hakusaki Maru, bound for Japanese-occupied Shanghai. First, however, Pike Rubin and her observant Jewish family had to get past the Gestapo, which had positioned guards at border crossings along the train route. She said she would never forget the terrifying moment when a guard approached her mother and father as they waited pensively aboard the stopped train to cross from Austria into Italy. “My mother told me you have to be very, very quiet, do not look up and don’t move,” recalled Pike Rubin, who is now 84. She kept her eyes trained on the floor, and saw only the guard’s shiny black boots as he shuffled back and forth. He let the family go, the train continued on its way, and the dozens of Jewish refugees crowded aboard it erupted in applause as they passed into Italy. Continued on page 17
Sandy-felled trees are scalped Chop-chop on Peninsula in W’mere By Vanessa Parker Nassau County is cutting down and removing approximately 75 trees along Peninsula Boulevard in Woodmere that died as a result of saltwater intrusion from Hurricane Sandy flooding. The catastrophic damage from Sandy, which struck on Oct. 29, 2012, continues to impact the Five Towns. “After the hurricane, it was a question of just how long they’d live,” said Howard Carter, a Woodmere resident who lives on Peninsula. “A county arborist assessed the trees and determined they were damaged by
storm water,” said Nassau Department of Public Works spokesman Michael Martino. “They could cause serious harm to pedestrians and motorists once they rot.” Gary Caparelli, a Lawrence resident who created his own water recycling system on his property, watched as trees were removed. “Salt can crystallize around roots and prevent the natural osmosis, or absorption of water, through the roots,” he said. According to George Hudler, professor of plant pathology at Cornell University, Continued on page 5
Long Beach victims sue over Sandy insurance By Anthony Rifilato Attorneys representing a group of Hurricane Sandy victims who contend that their claims were denied by their insurance company based on “doctored” dam-
age reports filed a federal class-action lawsuit, alleging that the Wright National Flood Insurance Company conspired with engineers and adjusters to commit fraud. The lawsuit was filed on Nov. 21 in
U.S. District Court in Central Islip under RICO, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act, a statute most often used in cases involving organized crime. Continued on page 5
PROJECT:365
Off to the races: Bibi starts clock By Tia Goldenberg, Associated Press JERUSALEM — Israeli lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a motion on Wednesday to dissolve the Knesset, paving the way for early elections after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to iron out differences with coalition partners. The government has been riven by divisions since it took office in early 2013. On Tuesday, Netanyahu fired two rebellious Cabinet ministers and called for elections, plunging the country into a bitter campaign set to culminate in polls expected to be held on March 17, two years ahead of schedule. Early polls show Netanyahu’s Likud party leading with about 22 seats. Wednesday’s vote in the 120-member Knesset, which passed 84-0 with one legislator abstaining, was an initial step. Further votes are expected next week that will officially disband the parliament and usher in new polls. If the upcoming parliamentary votes pass as expected, the current legislature will have served for one of the shortest periods in the country’s history. Continued on page 2 For free bulk delivery to your Long Island shul or business, email EWeintrob@TheJewishStar.com
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