10 Kislev 5767 Dec. 1, 2006 Founded in 1930 by Tulsa Section, National Council of Jewish Women Vol. 77 No. 10 2021 E. 71st STREET TULSA, OKLAHOMA 74136 PUBLISHED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF TULSA www.JEWISHTULSA.org Brent Blaustein Veronica Blaustein Olivia Paige Blaustein Lauren Blaustein Evan Glazer Michelle Glazer Robert Glazer Stacy Kent Ranon Kent Zev Kent Eyton Kent Rayna Kent Amiel Kent Karen Neuwald Sharon Neuwald Bonnie Kennedy George Kennedy Geoffrey Kennedy Erin Kennedy Amanda Jakubovitz Joshua Jakubovitz Meaghan Jakubovitz Leah Jakubovitz Adam Garber Alyssa Garber Tommy Williams Tori Williams Eleana Joels Stuart Goodall Sherri Goodall Denise Glimcher Michael Glimcher Leah Glimcher Grant Glimcher Blair Glimcher Kevin Goodall Andrew Levinson Mike Levinson Mitchell Levinson Elizabeth Levinson Grant Gurtin Liza Gurtin Blake Bergman Jonathan Bergman Meghan Bergman Harrison Bergman Debbie Deleeuw Robert Deleeuw Debi Sanditen Steve Sanditen Annie Sanditen Nikki Sanditen Jessica Sanditen Catherine Sanditen Eliana Joels Sophia Sebran Gustavo Sebran Florence Jacobs Larry Jacobs Bonnie Jacobs Rosalind Quigley Tony Quigley Brad Jacobs Shanna Jacobs David Jacobs Ashley Jacobs Brian Jacobs Mike Jacobs Jennifer Jacobs Lilah Jacobs Ben Jacobs Tyler Arlan Jordan Arlan Gracie Arlan Emily Arlan Zachary Roubal Karen Watt Roubal Kym Watt Ken Watt Jaron A. Zanerhaft Sue Halpern Kathy Friedland Mike Bankoff Alex Brodsky Rachael Brodsky Gabi Klein Herb Unterman Eva Unterman Arthur Jay Lasky Jackie Lasky Anna Lasky Monica Lasky Jonathan Goldman Cassidy Goldman Chelsea Goldman Laura Robbin Jeff Robbin Andrew Robbin Julia Robbin Florence Zolt Harriet Zolt Zolt Family Richmond Family Stan Kessler Cathey Kessler Jasmine Moran Melvin Moran Molly Rambach Elliot Rambach Jordan Rambach Samuel Talbot Henry Talbot Elaine Zelby Karen Zelby Allison Zelby Cindy Zelby Andrew Zelby Alex Wolff Isabelle Wolff Max Wolff Ursula Wolff Stuart Wolff Avron Greenberg Val Greenberg Elianna Greenberg John Genga Hilary Genga Jaboc Genga Emery Genga Benjamin P. Levy Noa Rachel Levy Ellen Fliesler Jared Fliesler Sam Fenster Emily Fenster Amman Fenster Adeem Fenster Matthew Kallmeyer Zach Kallmeyer Selma Wilner Philip Wilner Janice Wilner Jess Wilner Jenny Wilner Eric Wilner Pat Wilner Emily Wilner Allison Wilner Steve Wilner Laura Wilner Gabe Wilner Lyle Wilner Amy Lin Seigel Steven Seigel Matthew Seigel Timothy Seigel Jack Seigel Anna Marie Seigel Daniel Christopher Drew Christopher Cole Seigel Anna Padget Seigel May Seigel Obi Seigel Jonah Satyr Cara Satyr Ruth Sherman Josh Balber Rabbi Aaron R. Sherman Rabbi Stephanie Alexander Rabbi Daniel M. Sherman Morgan Sherman Shai Sherman Jane Fell Elliot Fell Maurice Fell Melissa Fell Tobin Anderson Judy Austin & Family Vivian Sangunett & Family Dan Kovin Rebecca Drabek Brian Drabek Emily Drabek Marilyn Metzger Jack Metzger Asher Metzger Maya Metzger Lia Metzger Noa Metzger Lauren Grossbard Paul Grossbard Evelyn Medvin Roger Medvin Sara Medvin Seth Medvin Jodi Finer Dina Finer A.J. Finer Zoë Finer Jesse Freedman Amanda Freedman Zachary Freedman Elena Joe Finer Talia Finer Anna Finer Jaime Chasen Jeff Chasen Julia Chasen Scott Chasen Zoey Chasen Martha Squaresky Jay Squaresky Adam Squaresky Greg Squaresky Philip Weinstein Evan Weinstein Scott Robinowitz Stacey Robinowitz Ava Robinowitz Jake Robinowitz Richard Robinowitz Elise Robinowitz Sarah Robinowitz Lauren Robinowitz Jackson Robinowitz Miriam Yourman Paul Brodsky Randi Brodsky Alex Brodsky Rachael Brodsky Art Lasky Jackie Lasky Anna Lasky Milt Lasky Martin H. Belsky Kathleen Waits Allen F. Belsky Marcia E. Belsky Kate Zeligson Danny Zeligson Debbie Zeligson Gary Borofsky Sandy Borofsky Michael Borofsky Allex Borofsky Michael Borofsky Rachel Borofsky Jackie Borofsky Valerie Borofsky Michael Deissig William Dein Elliott Jessica LeeAnn Elliott William Elijah Elliott Barbara Rambach Jeffrey Rambach Lisa Rambach Molly Rambach Elliot Rambach Jordan Rambach Fran Toubin Dr. Jeffrey Toubin Dani Toubin Mollie Toubin Cindy Greenberg Gary Greenberg Haley Greenberg Jake Greenberg Sam Utay Alan Utay Fredrick Harrison Sahidah Harrison Chaver Harrison Krystal Rose Scissons David Alvin Scissons Curtis W. Scissons Regina Sue Scissons Eli B. Kalika Craig Silberg Erika Silberg Isabella Silberg Rosalie Silberg Terry Rosenthal Madelyn Rosenthal Stephen Rosenthal Patricia Rosenthal Douglas Rosenthal Charles Rosenthal David Rosenthal Jennifer Rosenthal Sylvia Rosenthal Kasey Kantor Jay Kantor Shae Wolfe Katherine (Rachel) Simon Whitney (Rebecca) Simon Emily (Turner) Simon Helen April Paul April Bryan April Tamara April Blake April Morgan April Jane Liner Richard Liner Andrea Liner Carol April Lydia Lapidus Emily Lapidus Dr. Cathy Kass Richard Roby Cassie Roby Kate Jeffy Elon Jeffy Oliver Jeffy Jesse Ulrich Michelle Franchini Dr. Clay Haas Jackie Lebow Megan Haas Danielle Haas Lauren Haas Jeff Schwartz Susan Lebow Brayden Schwartz Joel Zeligson Betsy Zeligson Scott Zeligson Lauren Zeligson Miles Zeligson Jill Zeligson Leland Abels Koby Abels Robert M. Weisman Nancy Weisman Aaron S. Weisman Gilon A. Weisman Lior A. Weisman Chavi Y. Weisman Ann E. Weisman Eleanor F. Weisman Jay M. Hanes M. Hawk Weisman Isrella Taxon Mindy Prescott Harris Prescott Rachel Prescott Alex Prescott Ari Prescott Daniel Schuman Vida Schuman Nina Schuman Marc Schuman Camille Schuman Benjamin Schuman Isabelle Schuman Joel Aronoff Rebecca Aronoff Ali Bovasso Blake Bovasso Eric Eisen Craig Eisen Mendy Weg Tzemach Weg Levi Weg Jesse Werner Ethan Werner Austin Corley Mike Sanditen Jacob Kolman Jacob Sanditen Leo Werner Linda Werner Janie Kolman Arnie Kolman Judy Sanditen Rhoda Baker Don Baker Diane Grice Stan Grice Evan Grice Samuel Grice Barbara Clark Phil Clark Brian Clark Benjamin Clark Mark Baker Kate Bassford Sophia Elizabeth Roytman
Transcript
10 Kislev 5767Dec. 1, 2006
Founded in 1930 by Tulsa Section, National Council of Jewish WomenVVooll.. 7777 NNoo.. 1100
AUTHORIZED MEDIUM FOR THE COMMUNITY'S JEWISH AGENCIES
JEWISH FEDERATION OF TULSACHARLES SCHUSTERMAN
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTERBarry A. Abels, executive director
Jon Stolper, president
NATIONAL COUNCILof JEWISH WOMEN
Denise Landgarten, president
SHERWIN MILLER MUSEUMOF JEWISH ART
Louis Davidson, president
TULSA HEBREW SCHOOLDavid Charney, president
TEMPLE ISRAEL BROTHERHOODItzik Levin, president
TEMPLE ISRAELRabbi Charles P. Sherman
Estelle Avery, president
TEMPLE ISRAEL SISTERHOODPeg Kishner, president
TULSA JEWISH RETIREMENT AND HEALTH CARE CENTER
James M. Jakubovitz, executive directorAndrew Wolov, president
DE A D L I N E S F O R TU L S A JE W I S H RE V I E W SU B M I S S I O N SADVERTISING: FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH PRIOR TO PUBLICATION
ARTICLES: EIGHTH DAY OF THE MONTH PRIOR TO PUBLICATION
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEERita Moskowitz, chair
BBYO F-R AZA CHAPTER # 276Brad Dunitz, president
BBYO N.B.S. BBG CHAPTER # 243Erika Silberg, president
B'NAI B'RITH, TULSA LODGE #798Aaron Maissell, president
B'NAI EMUNAH MEN'S CLUBDean Mandlebaum, president
B'NAI EMUNAH SISTERHOODCarol Mandlebaum, president
CHABADRabbi Yehuda B. Weg
Yohanan Zomer, M.D., president
CONGREGATION B'NAI EMUNAHRabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman
David Charney, president
HERITAGE ACADEMYSandi Tilkin, director
Paul Brodsky, president
RE A D T H E TU L S A JE W I S H RE V I E W ON-LI N E A T W W W.J E W I S H T U L S A.O R G
DDear Friends, I am very excitedto brief you on the variousactivities and opportunities
that we hope to bring you over the next few weeks and months at ourSchusterman JCC.
First of all, we are increasing theavailable activities for our weekly Sun-day Fundays for parents and children.Even your older elementary kids mightwant to come. Twice a month we will bebringing the ping pong tables to thegym, as well as having play areas forthe tots. One side will also be set asidefor pickup basketball; so dads, you canshow your kids you still have what ittakes to huff and puff down the court.The Youth Lounge will also be open, with access to the pool table, arts andcrafts, and for those who can’t miss the game, the TV will be showing the hotsporting event of the day. Storytelling will also be a feature.
We are also inviting our bridge and mah jongg players back to the JCC. Iam ready to hear from you to schedule time and space. We had a great mahjongg game here last week, and yours truly even won a hand. Of course, Ilost many more. (Yes, I know how to play.) Whether it is lunch time, morn-ing, or later, we will try and accommodate you.
If you were involved with a softball or soccer team that practiced on ourJeanette Altman Frieden Sports Complex, we are again making this spaceavailable for scheduled use. Contact Martha to schedule a time. If softball isyour game, help me to get us back in the habit of some fun pickup games. Iam also investigating opportunities to join in some league play for men’s orcoed teams. But first we need to come out and practice, so limber up andgive me a call.
Also don’t plan to be anywhere else for Super Bowl Sunday but the SylvanAuditorium. Watch the game on that wonderful theater-size screen in ourtheater seats or from tables on the floor. Refreshments will be provided, butyou will have to bring your own beer. There will be a small charge for non-members.
If you have not been around the JCC much but want to learn more, call usfor a tour. We can even provide you with a guest pass for the health club orother activity of your choice. Call me, Shelly, or Martha at 495-1111 to getyour pass and see what you have been missing.
This is just a beginning, and there is more to come. Watch this space oryour mail box for more information in the days to come.
If you have an event or program idea, please give me a call. I would love tohear from you.�
So Much to Offer at the Charles Schusterman Jewish
Community Center
Barry A. Abels
BY BARRY A. ABELSEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
JEWISH FEDERATION OF TULSA
So Much to Offer at the CSJCC: Barry A. Abels ...............................p.2
David Bernstein Appointed Director of Community Relations ........p.3
Brag Sheets: Rabbi Charles P. Sherman ........................................p.3
Community Calendar ...................................................................p.11
...in the Review
Jewish Community Blood Drive
IN COOPERATION WITH THEOKLAHOMA BLOOD INSTITUTE
Sunday, December 109 a.m. – 1 p.m.
at Congregation B’nai Emunah17th & Peoria
Sponsored by B’nai Emunah Sisterhood
GIVE THE “GIFT OF LIFE”
TO REGISTERCall Mindy at 495-1111
Back by popular demand!
THE ISRAELI BRUNCHMonday, December 25
at 11 a.m.Charles Schusterman
Jewish Community Center
Great Israeli food !!!(falafel, humus, pita, Israeli salad & more)
Sing Along !!!Games - Israeli dancing
Watch for your invitation in the mail.
Jews increased their numbers by two inthe U.S. Senate and six in the House ofRepresentatives in the November elections.Rep. Bernie Sanders, an independent whowas backed by the Democrats, won Ver-mont’s Senate seat. Rep. Ben Cardin, alsoa Democrat, took Maryland’s seat. Sen.Joseph Lieberman, an independent in Con-necticut who has pledged to vote with theDemocratic caucus, also won. Another twoJewish incumbent senators won re-election:Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen.Herb Kohl (D-Wis.). The wins raise Jewishrepresentation in the Senate to 13, the mostJewish members that 100-body member-ship has ever had. In the House of Repre-sentatives, six Jewish Democrats (inFlorida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Arizona,Kentucky, and New Hampshire) won fresh-man bids; thirty Jews will now serve in theHouse in the next Congress. All but one ofthe Jews elected or re-elected to the Houseand to the Senate were Democrats orpledged to vote with the Democrats. U.S.Rep. Eric Cantor, from Virginia, remains theonly Jewish Republican in the House. Ingubernatorial races, there were three Jew-ish winners, including Democrat EliotSpitzer of New York, making him the firstJewish governor in decades. Gov. Ed Ren-dell, Democrat in Pennsylvania and Gov.Linda Lingle, a Republican in Hawaii, alsowon their re-election bids.
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In the mid-term election, Jews voted forDemocrats in their highest numbers in 14years, an exit poll showed. Democrats gar-nered 87 percent of Jewish votes, a CNNexit poll by Edison Media Research said,while Republicans earned 12 percent. Thatwas opposed to 55 percent of all respon-dents in this poll who voted Democrat and44 who voted Republican. About 200 of the10,207 respondents were Jewish. Jews ledall religions in voting for Democrats.
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For the first time, a Muslim is set to become a U.S. congressman. Keith Ellison, a Democrat, easily defeated AlanFine, a Jewish Republican, in a Minneapo-lis-area district in the midterm elections.Ellison earned endorsements from leadingJews in the district and expressed regretsabout his ties in the mid-1990s with theNation of Islam, whose leader has a historyof making anti-Semitic comments. He isdue to visit Israel for the first time in thecoming weeks as a guest of the MinnesotaJewish community.
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Europe’s new beauty queen is Jewish.Alexandra Rosenfeld, 19, won the MissEurope 2006 title in Kiev last month.Rosenfeld, a student who is also MissFrance, walked away with $130,000 inprize money and a diamond-studdedcrown. According to media reports, theWeb sites covering the pageant wereflooded with anti-Semitic messages afterRosenfeld’s win.
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A congregation near Chicago is hoping tobuild the country’s first environmentally cer-tified synagogue. The Jewish Reconstruc-tionist Congregation in Evanston, Ill., says itis drawing from Jewish teachings onrespecting the environment in building the$6.5 million house of worship according toU.S. Green Building Council specifications,the Chicago Tribune reported. The newsynagogue will feature energy-efficient boil-ers, heavy insulation, fluorescent lightsinside the synagogue and solar ones in theparking lot — all aimed at reducing energyconsumption by approximately one-third.Also, sensors will automatically shut offlights if they don’t detect movement in aroom, and about 80 percent of buildingmaterial will derive from recycled sources.The congregation hopes to complete thebuilding project by the end of next year.
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A leading Israeli rabbi challenged thelong-standing fervently Orthodox insis-tence on gender segregation at social cele-brations. Ma’ariv last month quoted RabbiOvadia Yosef, spiritual mentor to theSephardi political movement Shas, as say-ing that the mechitza, or partition used to
separate men and women at events likeweddings, should not be insisted upon if itcauses family strife. “Sometimes a family isnot so pious, does not want a mechitza,and prefers that everyone sit together atone table. This is not something to fightover. If a mechitza is possible, then itshould be erected, but if it is not, it can bedone away with,” Yosef was quoted as say-ing in a weekly sermon.
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U.S.-born Rabbi Barry Schlesinger tookover as head of Israel’s Conservative move-ment in November. Schlesinger, 53, said hewould have the Conservative movement, orMasorti as it’s known in Israel, reach out toall Israelis. Schlesinger grew up Orthodox inEnglewood, N.J., and moved to Israel in1972. He became a rabbi in 2001 throughthe Schechter Rabbinical School andheaded a Jerusalem congregation.
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The Hebrew University of Jerusalem wasnamed as one of the top 100 universitiesworldwide. The list, published last monthby The Times Higher Education Supple-ment of London, ranked Hebrew U. at No.43 in arts and humanities. It outranked TelAviv University at No. 87, as well as NYUat No. 47 and Brown at No. 48. In socialsciences, Hebrew U. placed No. 44. TheJerusalem school was the only one inIsrael to be listed in the field of biomedicalsciences, at No. 63, and ranked No. 52 inscience, two places behind Haifa’s Tech-nion. Hebrew U. was also ranked No. 29overall among universities outside theUnited States, with Tel Aviv listed at No. 35and the Technion No. 39.
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Two major foreign cruise lines havedecided to renew services to Israel thatwere suspended during the height ofIsraeli-Palestinian fighting. The TourismMinistry in Jerusalem said last month thatHolland America Lines and PrincessCruises said they would return to Israel’sshores, having last docked there in 2000.Holland America is expected to resume itsservices in April of next year. There was noimmediate date given for Princess.
���A group of 51 immigrants from India who
claim descent from one of the biblical losttribes have immigrated to Israel. Another167 will be arriving in coming days andweeks. The group was the first to immi-grate to Israel as recognized Jews afterundergoing Orthodox conversions in theremote northeastern corner of India wherethey have lived for generations. The aliyahof members from the Bnei Menashe com-munity was praised by Michael Freund,head of Shavei Israel, which assists “lostJews” seeking to return to the Jewish peo-ple, and who spearheaded the effort tobring the group to Israel. He said he hopesthe 7,000 members of the community whoremain in India will also make aliyah oneday. About 1,000 Bnei Menashe live inIsrael already. The Jewish Agency forIsrael, assisted by the International Fellow-ship of Christians and Jews, whichdonated $1.5 million for the group's arrivaland resettlement in Israel, is facilitatingabsorption in Israel.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
NN ow that we are over our Thanksgiving celebra-tions, the mail will start to bring happy tidings
that another holiday season is soon upon us. Like manyof you, I suspect I’ll be receiving, together with the greeting cards, photocopied brag sheets reporting whathas transpired in family and friends’ lives since the lastholiday season.
Now for most of us, life is a series of ups and downs,but these annual summations always feature ups,rather than downs. The cups of the brag sheet sendersalways run over with champagne. Their skies are eternally blue; their blood pressure is an unchanging120/70.
Now, of course, the naches of my friends is my naches,too. I am truly happy for my friends and acquaintances’good fortune, yet, I sometimes wonder if brag sheets arenot like bikinis - what they reveal is interesting buthardly the whole story. The accent is so much on thepositive that it is just too good to be true.
A number of years ago I clipped an article by YaakovLuria from the Jewish Post and Opinion about bragsheets, and I want to share a few of his collection withyou, my dear readers. Luria says that a brag sheet iswritten in code, so here are a few sample texts with the
actual meaning in parentheses.Harvey is taking time out from his studies to explore
his identity. (Harvey was kicked out of college where hewas taking up nothing but a seat, and is now bummingaround the country.)
Jonathan is making an in-depth study of the penalsystem. (Jonathan is in jail for breaking and entering.)
Harriet, always the beautiful one, is capitalizing on hergood looks in her present business in the Midwest. (Harriet, nebech, is a call girl in Chicago.)
Henrietta’s fiancé follows the medical profession. (Henrietta will marry a promising young undertaker.)
In October, Uncle Abe and Aunt Anna celebrated their50th wedding anniversary and, henceforth, will have anopen marriage. (Abe and Anna split.)
Our grandson, Howard, is having such fun with theintricacies of Hebrew phonics. (At age 12+ Howard isstill struggling to learn the Alef Bet.)
Marvin has been called to Washington for governmentbusiness. (The IRS has discovered that Marvin keeps adouble set of books, both of which are crooked. Marvinis in deep trouble.)
A brag sheet once received read: Having made greatstrides in the food industry, our son-in-law, Seymour, is“rolling in dough.” Luria says he knew Seymour to bethe antithesis of a world-beater so he probed further; itturned out that Seymour was a baker in a bagel factory.
May your Chanukah season be filled with honestlygood news. �
B r a g S h e e t s
DEC. 1, 2006 �� TULSA JEWISH REVIEW �� 3
BY CHARLES P. SHERMAN, D.D.RABBI
TEMPLE ISRAEL
W h a t ’ s N u ?
David Bernstein has beenappointed Director of CommunityRelations of the Jewish Federation ofTulsa.
Mr. Bernstein has served both thecivic and Jewish communities ofTulsa for many years in importantcapacities, most significantly asexecutive director of both the TulsaMental Health Association and theCommunity Service Council ofGreater Tulsa; executive director ofthe Jewish Federation of Tulsa for 16years, from 1984-2000; and mostrecently as JFT interim executivedirector from October 2005 to Sep-tember 2006.
For his service over the years, DavidBernstein has been recognized with anumber of prestigious tributes byboth the Jewish and secular commu-nities, the latest his being honoredwith receipt of the Oklahoma HumanRights Award given by the OklahomaHuman Rights Commission for Mr.Bernstein’s “...significant contribu-tions to human rights in the state ofOklahoma.” The award will bebestowed during the 23rd AnnualHuman Rights Day Ceremony in theHouse Chambers of the OklahomaState Capitol on Dec. 7, 2006.
In his capacity as JFT Director of Community Relations, Mr. Bern-stein’s will be responsible for staffingthe Community Relations Commit-tee, the body interfacing with broadercommunity issues, i.e., interfaith,church-state, Holocaust education,race relations, social justice, govern-ment relations, and Israel advocacy.
Mr. Bernstein also will be the Feder-ation contact person for the Councilfor Holocaust Education, staff theFederation’s Social Services Commit-tee’s human needs desk, and he willcontinue to function as the primarystaff person working with Ed Ulrich,editor of the Tulsa Jewish Review.
Newly installed JFT ExecutiveDirector Barry Abels said, “I amextremely pleased that David haschosen to take on these extremelyimportant responsibilities. It is a per-fect match. I am also grateful to be
able to personally benefit from hismany years as executive director andhis knowledge of our community.”
In accepting his new responsibili-ties, David Bernstein said, “I’mpleased to be able to continue serv-ing the Jewish community of Tulsain whatever way I can. I look forwardto working with Barry Abels and hisprofessional team and lay leadershipin keeping Tulsa a safe and securecommunity for our families and ourneighbors.” �
Part-time advertising sales position available with the Tulsa Jewish Review.
Mail brief resume to Tulsa JewishReview, 2021 E 71st St., Tulsa, OK74136.
The Jewish Genealogical Society ofTulsa, an affiliate of The SherwinMiller Museum of Jewish Art, willcelebrate its first year as a society atits next meeting, which will be heldon Sunday, December 3, at 2 p.m.,at the CSJCC.
“We have probably accomplishedmore in our initial year than anyother genealogical society in thecountry,” according to Phil Goldfarb,president of the society.
“Not only did we establish theMarkovitz Genealogy Study andResource Center, which includes twostate-of-the-art computers withextra large monitors, but we alsonow subscribe to a number ofgenealogy journals, books, andInternet resources that are usuallyvery costly but are free to our mem-bers,” said Goldfarb.
“In addition, we were voted unani-mously and on the first vote into theInternational Association of JewishGenealogical Society (IAJGS) withinsix months of starting our society,which is almost unprecedented”states Goldfarb. “We are only one of74 member societies in the world atthis time in this prestigious organi-zation, which includes 22 societies,in countries outside of the UnitedStates,” he said.
The Jewish Genealogy Society ofTulsa has had six meetings over thepast year and remains the only Jew-ish genealogical society not only inOklahoma, but in the surroundingstates of Arkansas, Missouri, andKansas as well.
The meeting on December 3 willinclude the topic of “How to developyour own family tree,” which will bepresented by Bruce Singer, vice pres-ident of the society, and CurtisGreen, one of the founding members.
There will be a “One Year Anniver-sary” celebration cake, and the entireJewish community is invited to thismeeting to celebrate with the organi-zation and hear how you can searchyour “family roots” and “embraceyour heritage” right here in Tulsa,and have fun at the same time!
For more information, call TheSherwin Miller Museum at 492-1818or e-mail [email protected]�
Jewish GenealogySociety Celebrates
First Year
BY RABBI YOSEF LIEBOWITZKFAR SABA (JTA) — The American
Jewish community is one of the mostlearned and sophisticated communi-ties in Jewish history, in everythingexcept Jewish texts. As Jews, we areilliterate.
This phenomenon has its roots inour history over the last 150 years.During that time the Jewish peopleunderwent five events, each one ofwhich can be counted as a majorupheaval. These are the emergenceof the Jews from the ghetto into themodern world, the mass movementof Jews from Europe to the UnitedStates, the systematic suppression ofreligion in the Soviet Union, theHolocaust, and the establishment ofthe state of Israel.
These events went far in determin-ing the nature of the Jewish worldtoday and led to the fact that, in theUnited States, we remain comfortable
and sophisticated in the Westernworld and immature in our Jewishknowledge.
The Jewish educational establish-ment has tried to remedy this prob-lem and, to some extent, has suc-ceeded. The number of day schoolscertainly has grown. Still, as a com-munity, we remain undertaught andilliterate.
Consequently, when youngsters gooff to university armed with the Jew-ish education they received in reli-gious schools, or even many of ourday schools, they are unable, by andlarge, to integrate their Jewishknowledge into their much moresophisticated secular knowledge.Even more so, they are unable tohave them in equal dialogue with oneanother.
The basis of good education doesnot rest on supplying you with facts,but on teaching you how to read. Inuniversity, you do not learn scienceas much as how to function withinscience, how to read literature, orhow to write poetry or solve a mathe-matical problem.
In Jewish texts, by those criteria,we are illiterate. We do not learn howto read Bible, but only learn the sto-ries in the Bible. Rabbinic texts thatare central in classical Jewish litera-ture remain foreign to most of us. Wecelebrate holidays, but know nothingof the theology behind them. Wepray, sometimes, but know nothingabout the theology of the prayerbook. Jewish survival seems to relyon loyalty and nostalgia, not onmeaning and value.
How can we proceed? I think thefirst step is an acknowledged aware-ness of the problem. The AmericanJewish community does not have lit-eracy as a central focal point. It isspoken about, but the hard truth isnot really expressed. I will give anumber of examples.
Many years ago I spoke at an
4 �� TULSA JEWISH REVIEW �� DEC. 1, 2006
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YYeeaarr--EEnndd GGiifftt PPrroovviiddeess FFiinnaanncciiaall RReelliieeffHigh oil prices have produced a ripple effect throughout the American
economy. Faced with higher jet fuel prices, airlines have increased fares.Sellers of nearly all kinds of consumer goods are passing higher shippingcosts on to the customers.
Higher prices have many con-sumers looking for ways to gener-ate additional spendable income.The most popular way to make acharitable gift and receive spend-able cash is also the simplest: thecharitable gift annuity. With a sim-ple contractual agreement, you canmmaakkee aa ggiifftt ttoo tthhee JJeewwiisshh FFeeddeerraa--ttiioonn ooff TTuullssaa FFoouunnddaattiioonn,, and/orother Tulsa Jewish organizations and agencies, and receive guaranteed life-time payments for yourself or your designated beneficiary or beneficiaries.
In return for a gift of a specified amount, we will pay you, or whomever youdesignate, a stream of income for life. The payments are a fixed amount andgenerally depend on the number (up to two) and age(s) of thebeneficiary(ies). In addition to the payments from a gift annuity, you get anincome-tax deduction for a portion of the gift. Example: A married couple,both 70, make a gift of $10,000 to the Jewish Federation of Tulsa Founda-tion in return for an annuity of $590 per year as long as either of them lives.The gift generates a current income-tax deduction of $3,754.
Better still, a portion of the annual payment is tax-free. For the remainderof their life expectancies, $304 of the $590 annual payments will be tax-free.
In addition to all its other benefits, the gift annuity also offers the oppor-tunity to reduce capital-gain tax when long-term, appreciated property isused to fund it. And the reduced amount of tax that is payable can bespread over the donor’s life expectancy.
The following is the second of a series of five essays on Jewish literacy. At its annual conference this fall, the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (www.caje.org) helped 1,200 formal and informal educators explore thistopic through a number of different lenses, including texts, Israel, ethics and popular culture. In this series, inspired by the conference, Jewish educators work-ing in a variety of settings explore what it will take for Jews, as a community, tocontinue to be known as the “People of the Book.”
SEE JEWISH LITERACY, PAGE 5
Jewish Literacy: PART II
Happenings at the Jeanette AltmanFrieden Sports Complex
THE ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY’S WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM ENJOYED PRACTICING AT THE JEANETTE ALTMAN FRIEDEN SPORTS COMPLEX for itsfall season. The players enjoyed the beautiful complex with three soccer goals, bathrooms, and water fountains.
DEC. 1, 2006 �� TULSA JEWISH REVIEW �� 5
BBYO recently held its annual Kallah weekend at Tiger Mountain campsite in Henri-etta, Okla. The retreat was coordinated by Zach Geld and Jasmine Rikin, and thetheme was "In Their Shoes" - focusing on stereotypes and profiling. We had manyspeakers ranging from a homeless man to two Muslims who gave their perspectiveson being Muslim in 2006 America.
We had over 40 Tulsa BBYO kids attend the weekend, as well as the InternationalN'siah, Dina Finer; and Godol, Jeremy Gelman. We also had Ian Kandel, an Interna-tional BBYO staff member, as well as many North Texas/Oklahoma Regional Boardmembers.
BBYO is very busy these days. We have meetings coming up, a Chanukah party,spirit programs, regional convention, and IC coming up held at Greene Family CampFeb. 15-19, 2007.
If you are interested in attending any BBYO programming, please contact Erika Silberg, Brad Dunitz, or Lauren Zeligson.
B B Y O
BY PETER EPHROSSNEW YORK, (JTA) — Benjamin
Meed, who was an instrumental fig-ure in spreading awareness of theHolocaust in the United States, diedOctober 24, in New York, at age 88after a long illness.
Meed was a leader in turning Holocaust commemorations, whichbefore had attracted mainly sur-vivors and their families, into city-wide and community-wide events.
A survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto,Meed planned the World Gatheringof Jewish Holocaust Survivors in1981 in Israel and established theAmerican Gathering of Jewish Holo-caust Survivors and Their Descen-dants, also in 1981, leading it untilhis death.
Meed also served on the advisoryboard of the President’s Commissionon the Holocaust, which recom-mended establishing the U.S. Holo-caust Memorial Museum in Wash-ington, and he served on thememorial’s governing council from1980 to 2004.
“He had an amazing flair abouthim,” said Sara Bloomfield, directorof the U.S. Holocaust MemorialMuseum. “He understood the way tocreate a commemoration that wasmeaningful to more than just sur-vivors.”
“Ben would always say, ‘We’re abouteducation and commemoration, andwe’re going to make the Holocaustmuseum the central address for Holo-caust remembrance in the world. Andwe’re going to do it with neshome,’” orsoul, Bloomfield said.
When Meed and other survivorswere organizing a conference ofthousands of Holocaust survivors inWashington in 1983, police met withthem to tell them that whitesupremacists were planning toorganize a counter-rally.
“So we thought about this for aminute, and we gave the police thefollowing: Just go ahead and tell themwe survivors are not afraid,” saidRoman Kent, Meed’s friend and col-league for more than 30 years. “Thedemonstration did not materialize.”
Those who knew him say that wasvintage Meed: courageous anduncompromising in his dedication tothe memory of the Holocaust.
Along with Sigmund Strochlitz —who also died in October at age 89,in Connecticut — and others, Meedwas instrumental in establishing theDays of Remembrance, the Holo-caust commemoration observedannually in the Capitol Rotunda.
The Meeds also helped establish aregistry of Jewish Holocaust victimsthat united survivors and their fami-lies. The registry is now part of themuseum.
He was also involved in the ClaimsConference, which has helped dis-tribute billions of dollars in Holo-caust restitution funds.
Along with his wife, Vladka, hehelped set up one of the first Holo-caust teacher-training programs inNew York.
Orthodox congregation on the WestCoast. Most of the 200 people therewere elderly and many of them wereEuropean-born. I asked them howmany of them read Hebrew fluentlyand almost all of them raised theirhands. I then asked how manyunderstand what they are reading –almost none raised their hand.
No other group of people would saythat they read a language fluentlywithout understanding a word ofwhat they read. Yet this phenomenoncontinues. We train people to “readthe Torah,” but not always to under-stand what they are reading. We trainpeople to “lead” the services, but notreally to understand the services.
We have Jewish leaders who speakabout the importance of Jewish edu-cation, but who themselves are noteducated, or on the path to beingeducated. We have teachers who areunderqualified. Our expectations arelow. If children enjoy going to reli-gious school, that is enough, eventhough they are learning nothing. Wewould never tolerate those same cri-teria for our secular education.Imagine a high school student wholoves going to school, but cannotread basic texts.
The Coalition for the Advancementof Jewish Education is one of theeducational organizations that is try-ing to change this. Its recent conference at Duke University wasdedicated to the theme of “JewishLiteracy.”
This is the necessary beginning.CAJE must define the question andpress the individual schools andteachers to address the problem. Atthe same time, it must provide themwith programs that will bring literacyto their teaching staff.
How can this be done? First, wehave to set our goals higher. Teach-ers must know how to read the text.For example, Bible has its own style,as do rabbinic and medieval texts.These styles must be taught andmastered. We should be cautiousabout separating between biblicalstory and Midrash, or rabbinicalexplanation.
We must also understand that therabbis wrote in a very particularnonlinear style. Information was notgiven from beginning to end; theirstyle was coded. The prayer book,which they composed, is a mastercomposition, but in order to under-stand it you have to know how bibli-cal sections are chosen and put indifferent contexts and how the rab-bis established specific forms ofprayer.
The Jewish calendar is a complextheological statement and should betaught as such. Unlike the secularAmerican calendar, all of the holi-days are connected one to another.
All of this must be taught in con-nection to the other secular educa-tion that these students are receiv-ing. They should know thetremendous impact of the Bible onWestern civilization and how theconcept of history comes from it.They should understand Jewish the-ology in its many facets. The impactof science and technology should betaught along with their limitations.Jewish concepts of death, soul,responsibility, and governmentshould be studied.
Most important, by the time theyfinish high school, they should beable to examine concepts of knowl-edge and truth, beginning with thestory of the Garden of Eden andworking through modern theories oflogical positivism, existentialism,
JEWISH LITERACY, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
chaos, and theories of complexity.Why not?
I was once speaking to a principalof a community Jewish high school.He said that attracting students wasvery competitive. He had to assurethe parents that their child wouldget a secular education that wouldenable them to get into Harvard,Yale, or Princeton and, at the sametime, would get a Jewish education.I said to him, “Why not tell themthat here your child will master twoalternative systems of truth, Jewishand Greek, upon which Western
civilization was built. They will mas-ter both Aristotelian linear knowl-edge and rabbinic nonlinear knowl-edge and be all the wiser for it.’’
It is not only possible to so both,but for Jews living in the modernworld, it is necessary to do both.They will become literate Jews.
Yosef Leibowitz, director and founder ofthe Yad Yaakov Fund, received ordinationfrom Yeshiva University and a doctoratefrom Berkeley. He served as a rabbi inBerkeley before moving to Israel. Leibowitzwas the keynote speaker on the subject ofJewish texts at the CAJE conferencefocusing on Jewish literacy.
As we reach December, we have hadour Open House for the new PreschoolProgram for three- and four-year-oldchildren turning three and four respec-tively by September 1. We are also look-ing for students who will be five by Sep-tember 1, who are eligible forkindergarten. These prospective stu-dents will receive the Gesell maturationtest to determine their developmentallevel. If a child is chronologically five, butless than five developmentally, he/shemay need to spend an additional year inkindergarten.
We strive to educate the whole childintellectually, emotionally, socially, andphysically. Our low teacher/student ratioenables us to meet individual studentneeds in a nurturing environment wherea student can gain positive self-esteemand achieve leadership among his/herpeers. Students will grow Judaically andfeel comfortable surrounded by otherJewish children who share the sameheritage within their kehillah or class-room/school community. Only the verybest developmental practices will beused by our staff. Help us spread theword.
We encourage our Tulsa community tovisit us at any time. Observe our class-room instruction, attend Tefillah serviceson Monday and Thursday at 9:40 a.m.,and share Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday
afternoons at 3:00 p.m. You may alsosee our students at work in the library, inthe computer lab, and in music, art, orphysical education. Smiling faces willgreet you and make you feel welcome.
A field trip to the Will Rogers museumwas great fun and proved to be a veryworthwhile experience. When kinder-gartners entered the big, yellow schoolbus, they said to each other, “This is soexciting.” Students learned how WillRogers gained stature in this state andbecame an Oklahoman of whom we canbe proud. A Will Rogers personality willbe visiting us and portray what he waslike through the “History Alive” programfrom the Oklahoma Arts and HumanitiesCouncil. With the Oklahoma Centennialkickoff, this will be a meaningful presen-tation.
Our playground renovation is com-pleted, and the children are enjoying theretro rockers, climbing wall, basketballpad, and new swings, thanks to the gen-erosity of Jeanette Altman Frieden andother donors, who include Jan andDavid Finer, Stacy Schusterman andSteven Dow, and the Federation Facili-ties Committee. We are grateful to thesedonors for making this possible. As aresult, our playground is safer and offersmore equipment for the children to enjoyduring the school year as well as duringthe CSJCC camp programs. �
HHEERRIITTAAGGEE AACCAADDEEMMYY NNEEWWSS
Our expectations are low. If children enjoy going toreligious school, that is
enough, even though they are learning nothing.
We would never toleratethose same criteria for our
ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, THE RETIRED MEN’S CLUB, along withthe residents of the Villas, were invited to the home of Kim and Rob Coretz.Rob did a wonderful job talking and answering questions regarding the carsthat he has restored. The group got to view a 1903 Model A Ford, 1909Model T Ford, 1927 Model T Ford, and a 1930 Packard Dual Cowl Phaeton.After viewing the cars, everyone enjoyed a wonderful luncheon outdoors.
The Retired Men’s Club meets on the second and fourth Wednesday ofevery month. For more information, or to be put on our mailing list, pleasecontact Mindy Prescott at 495-1100 or [email protected].
CSJCC Cinema Films SeriesThursday,
December 14, 7 P.M.
Barbara and Dave Sylvan AuditoriumCharles Schusterman
Jewish Community Center
“The River”“The River” - Described as “an Occidental meditation on the Orient,” the filmadopts the languid rhythms of the East, as it tells the story of three adolescent girls com-ing of age in West Bengal after WWII. Breathtaking color photography by Claude Renoir
in a film that represents an undeniable mellowing of the director’s vision.
English/Bengali/French with subtitles; 1951; 99 minutes; Not Rated
JJOOIINNTTHHEEJJCCCC
DECEMBER 2006YOUR CSJCC CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND PROGRAMS
CHECK OUR ONLINE CALENDAR FOR UPDATED INFORMATION. WWW.CSJCC.ORG
A GEORGE BURNS imperson-ator (Dean Hinmon) recently per-formed at TJRHCC.
“George” danced, sang, andreminded us of his wife, GracieAllen.
Did you know you could make a tax-deductible contribution toyour favorite charity and receive a guaranteed annuity paymentfor the rest of your life?
A Charitable Gift Annuity, CGA, is the vehicle you need to sup-plement your retirement income while supporting the future of anon-profit organization.
The federal government offers significant tax advantage forindividuals participating in CGAs. So how does it work?
The easiest way to understand Charitable Gift Annuities is byexample: John Doe decides to buy a CGA for $50,000, at age80, in 2006. Mr. Doe will be guaranteed 8 percent, or $4,000 peryear in income for the rest of his life. Upon his death, the organ-ization he designated (one would hope Tulsa Jewish Retire-ment and Health Care Center) will receive between 70-90 per-cent of the original $50,000, depending on how long John Doelives and the current market conditions. Again, John Doe isguaranteed $4,000/year for the rest of his life and the Retire-ment Center is guaranteed at least $35,000 and possibly asmuch as $45,000.
Does it sound too good to be true. Well, it gets even better!$25,265 of the original gift is deductible from Mr. Doe's incometax in 2006 and $2,632 of the $4,000 John Doe gets annually istax free.
By now you must be wondering how you can participate in thisprogram. Well, that's easy! Call Jim Jakubovitz at (918) 496-8333 or stop by the Tulsa Jewish Retirement and HealthCare Center and ask to speak to Jim J. I am waiting to speak toyou.
The guaranteed interest rate is set by the Federal government and is determined by your age.
A CAPACITY CROWD ENJOYED “JAMES RUGGLES ANDFRIENDS” in an evening that featured both classical and popularnumbers. Shown are, on the left, RUGGLES, violin; resident IRV CORETZ at the piano; and Dr. GORDON ROBSON, cello.
That's resident SHIRLEY GOODMAN, page turner. Other numbersincluded MARY SNIDER, cello.
What is a CGA?
GRACIE ARLAN ofHeritage Academyshows her readingskills to KaiserHealth Center resi-dent CATHERINESCHIPPER.
Music To Soothe TThhee LLiigghhtteerr SSiiddee iiss pprroodduucceedd aanndd ppuubblliisshheedd bbyy tthhee JJeewwiisshh FFeeddeerraattiioonn ooff TTuullssaa
FROM JIM J’S DESKby James M. Jakubovitz
Executive DirectorTulsa Jewish Retirementand Health Care Center
Dec. 1, 2006
8 �� TULSA JEWISH REVIEW �� DEC. 1, 2006
From our Mailbox...To Everyone: Thank you for your friendship and care of our mother, Jeanne
Butler. We truly appreciate all that you've given her. Her children, Dan and Laura.
To all, I appreciate your help in notarizing my documents for probate. Pat Cordell
SidelightsWelcome to LORI ALLEN, who is now in our marketing
department...When Thank You Grams were announced, CYDGORDON took “top honors” having received several...ZarrowManor residents have enjoyed attending the opera at PAC, tour-ing the latest displays at Gilcrease Museum, and also at theTulsa Air and Space Museum...TJRHCC joined with other localinstitutions to present a luncheon seminar entitled “What's Next”in the Barbara and Dave Sylvan Auditorium, November 8.....TheRainbow Room is the scene of adult education classes throughDecember 18, as Dr. Cathy Kass continues her “Women In TheBible” series. Rabbi Charles P. Sherman was the moderator onTuesdays in November of “Three Holidays in Depth and in Tran-sition,” and Richard Roby conducted a discussion group onWednesdays.
Vol. 13 No. 2 Dec. 1, 2006
Editor: Morris Glazer
Welcome NewcomersThose who have joined us since the last issue:
Kaiser Health Care Center: THELMA ABEL, FLOSSIEADDINGTON, AGNES HAHN, DORIS HALL, SYLVIA SMITH,and JOHN TAYLOR.
Zarrow Manor: MARGARET CLEMENTS.
To Life! To Life! L'CHAIM! May your days overflow with happiness and good health!
Dear Ketti,
My father has been in the hospital for over a month with vari-ous illnesses and is currently receiving rehabilitation services.We know he cannot come home, but I am not sure that heunderstands the reality of the situation. He will eventually bedischarged from the hospital, and I don't know what kind of facil-ity is appropriate for him or even where to start. Help!
Frustrated daughter
Dear Frustrated daughter,
The first step is to talk with your father's discharge planner anddetermine the date when your father will be leaving the hospi-tal. The second step is to find a facility you like. Tulsa JewishRetirement is my suggestion; speak to the admissions coordi-nator about your father.
Most facilities will send an assessment nurse to speak with thedischarge planner...look through the chart and do a compre-hensive assessment. That will determine your father's needs,and the facility will determine the best placement to meet thoseneeds. You might not like to hear the truth of where your fatherneeds to live, but remember it is in his interest. I suggest thatyou tour the facility and become familiar with the staff to helpyou become comfortable with your decision.
ASK KETTI...(Ketti Dawson, M.S., is now at her position as director of a
new 124-apartment assisted living facility in the Kansas City,KS area. We wish her, Leon and Krista much success in hernew endeavor. The following is an “Ask Ketti” article shewrote for a previous issue.)
Keeping It Clean
“Three employees operate TJRHCC's laundry,” said DAVIDMURPHY, director of housekeeping, “which serves over 160residents plus items from the dietary, nursing, and activitydepartments.”
VERLENE MOORE, left, and AMY LOGAN were working alaundry shift on a recent Friday; KARINA VENTURA is also onthe staff. The laundry is open every day.
The trio washes and dries personal items for assisted livingresidents and those in Kaiser Health Care Center. The largestsingle item they handle are the flat linens for the entire Center.The department uses two commercial washing machines plusone smaller one and three dryers.
The Tulsa Jewish Retirement and Health
Care Center “Light to Life”
Tribute Fund —Helping to Keep
the Light BurningINDIVIDUALS FOR WHOM CONTRIBUTIONS
HAVE BEEN MADE:RECOVERY:Gerry Bernstein Irv Braverman Mike Cohen Susan Fenster William JarvisMarvin Lebow Anne McQuilken Herb Miller Faye Robinowitz Marge Singer Walter Stern
HAPPY BIRTHDAY:Violet Aaronson Julius Bankoff Rosalee Ludmeyer Rose Schlanger Cantor Harry Sebran
IN HONOR OFJoshua Jakubovitz's Bar Mitzvah Arno Kahn Yolanda & Bud Charney
IN MEMORY OF:Carolyn Cohen Mason Fink August Goldstein Mollie Krisman Frieda Lasky Louis Levy Marissa Parkans Sue Savage Anna Shapiro David Shapiro Dorothy Wittels
ANNIVERSARY:Norman & Shirley Levin
CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM:Julius & Joy Bankoff
Mikail and Rosa Bekerman Florence Berman
David & Gerry Bernstein Ron & Marilyn BlockStan & Irene Burnstein Irv & Sylvia Braverman
Louis & Marilyn Diamond Susan Fenster Morris Glazer
Shirley Goldman Billie Grabel
Curtis & Joan Green Marty & Frieda Grossbard
Molly Katz Frances Kessler
David & Ruth Lack Norman & Shirley Levin
Herb & Carol Miller
Rosalee Minsky Gerre Moore
Sylvia Oberstein Howard &Phyllis Raskin
Marge Singer & Kenneth Renberg Marian Rich
Kip & Gail Richards Gloria Rothman
Andrea Schlanger Lynn Schusterman
Mary Sanditen Schwartz Betty & Ed Sherman
Carol Spritz Walter Stern
Tobia Sternfield Fred & Martha Strauss Dave & Barbara Sylvan
AAs I’m writing today, I saw onthe news that another womanhas been killed by a Kassam
rocket in the town of Sderot. This isone more victim in the six years ormore of Kassam rockets fired at ourregion, the area where Miki and I andmy family and our friends live. Wehear about these rockets daily.
In this incident, there were at leastsix rockets fired. One hit KibbutzGevim, near our local school. This isterrible, mostly for the children inthe region, who hear these explo-sions almost daily, who hear alarmsirens during school and have to runfor shelter, and who study in shiftsbecause there are not enough shel-ters in school. Luckily there are notmany casualties in the region, butthere is certainly lots of fear andtrauma, mostly for children andolder people.
Interesting though, hardly any fam-ily have left the area in the last sixyears; on the contrary, we have hadmany new families coming in. Themain reason is the high quality of lifein our region: good education, plentyof jobs, nice weather, great environ-ment, etc. Our local school, which isa great community service center,includes an elementary school andhigh school (2,000 students), theSapir College (8,000 students), aretirement center, health clubs, twolarge gyms, a big sport complex, alocal radio studio, and lots more. Thecommunity is investing a great dealnow in building shelters and pro-tected classes for students.
Unfortunately, funds that werepromised to the region were trans-ferred up north after the war thissummer, and the construction isgoing very slowly. For this reason,our students study in two shifts, sothey can all feel protected when inschool. The entire region is protectedby a siren system, so when a Kassamis launched, there are speakers call-ing out loud, and people know theyhave about 30-40 seconds to findshelter. It’s a little scary, but mostlyvery efficient. The tragedy is, aswhen the woman was killed, some-times people do not pay attention tothe siren, or can not move fast
enough to find shelter. We are here inTulsa, always on the phone with ourfriends and family, praying for peaceand quiet in our home.
KKiiddss’’ WWoorrllddWell, four days of Kids’ World are
behind us, and what a success itwas! As always, the Tiberius (Israel)exhibit was the largest of all sistercities, and by far the most active andattractive (not my words, but said byguests of Kids’ World). We had morethan 100 volunteers, and I want tothank each one of them again andagain. Thank you all.
Jackie Lasky, and the Lasky family,are one of a kind. It’s great to havesuch experienced, full-of-energy andspirit people running the show; youcould not ask for any better. ThanksJackie. It was great working with you!
So what did we do (in case you werenot there)? We had the passportstamps and writing our guests’names in Hebrew, with little storiesbehind each name. We had the Kotelsimulation, with a wishing notes boxthat by now are all inside the realKotel cracks in Jerusalem – morethan 4,000 notes! We had our littlepuzzles, comparing Israel to theU.S.A and Oklahoma. We had “TheAncient Boat from Galilee,” with anarcheology project made by HeritageAcademy students. We had the threeCorners Hats that kids made ofpaper, then decorated, and thenwent to the Kibbutz booth to studythe Three Corner Hat songs, sungand played on CD by Gary Leff(Thanks, Gary), and taught by tal-ented volunteers. We had the com-puter chat, mostly with formerschlichims’ kids (Yehuda Katz’s andCali Cohen’s), and DVD movies ofTiberius and the region. We hadmore than 3,000 hats made and dec-orated, and great traffic. I only wishthey had it every year.
On Monday, December 25, you areall invited to have a great and tastyIsraeli Brunch, made by the bestIsraeli chefs in Tulsa. Not only that,there will be entertainment, singingtogether familiar Israeli songs,games, prizes, and more. See page 2of this issue of the Tulsa JewishReview for more information, andwatch your mail box.
Remember to RSVP, so we canmake enough food for ya’ll hungryfolks.
Hope to see you there. �
10 �� TULSA JEWISH REVIEW �� DEC. 1, 2006
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3Most children in interfaith households in
Boston are being raised as Jews, a newstudy found. Almost 60 percent of suchchildren in Boston are being raised Jew-ishly, far above the national average,according to preliminary findings releasedlast month from the 2005 Greater BostonJewish Community Study. The study wascommissioned by the Combined JewishPhilanthropies, the central planning andfundraising arm of Boston’s Jewish com-munity, and carried out by Brandeis Univer-sity’s Steinhardt Social Research Institute.The study also found strong growth in thisJewish community, which now stands at265,500, or nine percent of the total popu-lation. This figure includes 57,000 non-Jews living in Jewish households.
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The number of Russian immigrants toIsrael who are returning to their native landreportedly is rising steeply. The newspaperYediot Achronot reported last month thatthe number of naturalized Israelis fromRussia who go back to the country of theirbirth has increased more than sixfold in thepast three years. It said many have beendrawn by the improved Russian economy,while others have maintained homes inboth places. In response, the Israeli For-eign Ministry said the rate of return byRussian immigrants is less than 5 percent.
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An old chestnut tree mentioned as asource of comfort and hope in AnneFrank's diary is to be cut down. The tree,some 150 years old, stood in the courtyardof the Amsterdam house where Frank'sfamily hid for more than two years duringthe nazi occupation. City authorities saidthat the tree has deteriorated badly due toa fungus and must be felled. In her diary,the Jewish teen described the tree severaltimes, including once in February 1944:“From my favorite spot on the floor I look upat the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree,on whose branches little raindrops shine,appearing like silver, and at the seagullsand other birds as they glide on the wind....As long as this exists, and I may live to seeit, this sunshine, the cloudless skies – whilethis lasts, I cannot be unhappy.” Frank'sfamily was ultimately discovered, and AnneFrank died in Bergen-Belsen in 1945.
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The Jewish Funders Network and theHarry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundationhave started a matching grants program tohelp the elderly. The organizationsannounced the program at a reception atthe recent United Jewish Communities'General Assembly in Los Angeles. Thefoundations have allocated $2 million tomatch first-time gifts to the elderly of$25,000 to $50,000 from members of theJewish Funders Network. Applicationsmust be submitted by Jan. 31, 2007, andgrants will be paid out by March 30, 2007.Funders must pay their grants by Sept. 30,2007, according to a release from theorganization.
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The United Jewish Communities haselected a new lay leadership board. Thegroup's Board of Trustees made the deci-sion at the UJC's annual GA meeting.Joseph Kanfer, CEO of GOJO Industries,based in Akron, Ohio, was elected chair-man of the Board of Trustees. Confer pre-viously was the chairman of UJC's JewishRenaissance and Renewal Pillar. He alsois a past chairman of the Jewish Educa-tional Service of North America and serveson the boards of Jewish Family and Lifeand the Covenant Foundation. Kathy Manning was elected chairwoman of UJC'sexecutive committee and vice chairwomanof the board. Manning was UJC treasureron its Budget and Finance Committee, andchairwoman of the General AssemblyRedesign Committee. She's the immediatepast president of the Greensboro JewishFederation in North Carolina.
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The Covenant Foundation has namedthree winners of its 2006 Covenant Awardsfor innovation in Jewish education. Givensince 1991 in conjunction with the UJCGeneral Assembly, the awards carry a$25,000 prize and a $5,000 grant for eachrecipient's educational institution. The winners were Marc Kramer, executive
director of RAVSAK, the central organization for Jewish community dayschools; Rabbi Loren Sykes, executivedirector of Camp Ramah Darom in Atlanta,which works with the families of autisticchildren; and Jane Taubenfeld Cohen,head of school at the South Area SolomonSchechter Day School in Stoughton, Mass.The awards were announced at the recentGA.
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Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Cam-pus Life drew some 1,000 college studentsto Los Angeles during the GA for a socialservice program. The “Just for a Day”event, timed to coincide with the UJCAssembly sent student volunteers to helpat social service venues such as Heal theBay, The Los Angeles Regional FoodBank, and Midnight Mission, where theywere scheduled to help serve and cookfood for the needy. About 700 studentscame from the Southern California-Arizonaregion, while another 300 were delegatesto the General Assembly from Hillel centersacross North America, Hillel spokesmanJeff Rubin said.
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A new Web site has been launched forkosher restaurants in New York City. Onecan search by location or cuisine onkosher-ny.com, which also provides thesource of kosher certification. KosherNYalso provides information text messagingthrough phone or e-mail: Those in searchof a restaurant can text their location [email protected] and will receive information on the four closest kosherestablishments.
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Estonia’s Jewish community hopes itsfirst synagogue built since World War II willopen in February 2007. Construction of the$2 million, 200-seat synagogue started in2005 in central Tallinn, the Estonian capital.“It’s almost finished,” communityspokesman Rabbi Shmuel Kot told TheAssociated Press, which noted that thesynagogue was to have opened last monthbut was delayed due to extra construction.The complex will house a museum andkosher restaurant. Approximately 3,000Jews live in Estonia, mostly in Tallinn.
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Israel's beauty queen has won permis-sion not to bear arms during her militaryservice. Private Yael Nezri was pho-tographed finishing basic training lastmonth without having been issued a rifle.Military officials said Nezri, 18, wasexempted from carrying a weapon afterpersuading her commanders that the barrelbruised her legs, which, in turn, compli-cated photo shoots for Nezri, who is contin-uing to model during her mandatorynational service.
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Budget carrier Ryanair is negotiating withIsraeli authorities to serve Tel Aviv fromLondon in 2007, The Jewish Chroniclereported. Although Israel's strict securitymeasures have historically been a deter-rent to low-cost carriers, which requireextremely quick turnaround times and bag-gage-handling operations, the country nowseems ready to negotiate solutions tothese issues to prop up their flaggingtourism industry. Other budget airlines,including EasyJet and BMI, are reportedlyalso in negotiation with Israeli authoritiesfor the future. (JTA)
W h a t ’ s N u ?
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIPStatement of Ownership, Management,
and Circulation of 1. Tulsa Jewish Review2. ISSN: 1521-54823. 9/27/064. Monthly5. 126. N/A7. Jewish Federation of Tulsa,
2021 E. 71st St., Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74136- 5411. Tulsa County
8. Jewish Federation of Tulsa, 2021 E. 71st St., Tulsa, OK 74136-5411.
9. Publisher: Jewish Federation of Tulsa, 2021 E. 71st St., Tulsa, OK 74136-5411.Editor: Ed Ulrich, 2021 E. 71st St., Tulsa, OK 74136-5411. Managing Editor: David Bernstein, 2021E. 71st St., Tulsa, OK 74136-5411.
10. Jewish Federation of Tulsa, 2021 E. 71st St., Tulsa, OK 74136-5411.
11. None12. Has not changed13. Tulsa Jewish Review14. 9/1/0615. a. Average: 1,154 Actual: 1,140
16. 12/1/0617. I certify that the information supplied
above is correct and complete.Ed Ulrich, Editor 9/27/06
Shaliach ReportBY ITAI LAVI
COMMUNITY SHALIACHJEWISH FEDERATION OF TULSA
The Oklahoma state PhysicianManpower Training Commission hasannounced funding assistance fornursing and medical school stu-dents. A medical student can receiveup to $60,000 in tuition assistance,and a nursing student up to $2,000annually depending on the level ofnursing education pursued.
Medical students must concentratein areas of primary care, and allrecipients must obligate to servicefor proscribed periods of time inOklahoma communities.
Contact the Jewish Federation ofTulsa, 495-1100, to receive a copy ofa flyer with more information, or youcan go directly to the PMTC Web siteat www.pmtc.gov. �
State commissionto provide financial
assistance formedical and
nursing students
The Sherwin Miller Museum ofJewish Art will be presenting its offi-cial Centennial Exhibit, “FromShtetl to the Sooner State: Celebrat-ing Oklahoma’s Jewish History,”through April 15, 2007
The exhibit focuses on Jewish com-munities in Europe from which theancestors of the Jews in modern-dayOklahoma emigrated. Text panelsand showcases highlight instancesthat brought Jewish people to Okla-homa (as opposed to larger cities andstates) and on the lives the Jewsmade for themselves in the past 100years in former Indian Territory.
Many Tulsa and Oklahoma Jewishcommunity members helped withthe Centennial Exhibit by contribut-ing historical knowledge and familymementos. Photographs, immigra-tion documents, tools and productsused in trade, and personal effectshelp present the history and uniquecontributions of Jewish people tothe growth of Oklahoma.
“From Shtetl to the Sooner State”is included with museum admis-sion, along with a photography exhi-bition by photographer DavidHalpern, “Prairie Landsmen: TheJews of Oklahoma.”
Docent-led tours may be reservedfor groups of ten or more. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday,and 1-5 p.m., Sundays. Call 492-1818, or go to www.jewishmu-seum.net for more information.�
Miller MuseumContinues
Centennial Exhibit
DEC. 1, 2006 �� TULSA JEWISH REVIEW �� 11
Joshua Nathan Halpern became a BarMitzvah at Temple Israel in Dayton, Ohio,on Shabbat Lech Lecha, Nov. 4, 2006.Josh is the son of Alan and Julie MilstenHalpern, and the older brother of ZackHalpern. Josh’s grandparents are Tulsans Malcolm and Paula Milsten andDavid and Sue Halpern. Four genera-tions of extended family from across theUnited States were together to celebratethe occasion. Josh’s father, Alan,serves Dayton’s Temple Israel in the dualcapacity of executive director and sh’liachtzibbur (cantorial soloist).
Mazel Tov!MMaarrttyyll AAddeellmmaann died Nov. 18,
2006. Born in Lawton, Okla., shecame to Tulsa in 1921 and wasconfirmed in the Temple Israelclass of 1925. Martyl Adelmanspent her long and productive lifededicated to her family, to the Tem-ple, and to other agencies in theJewish community, including theTulsa Section, National Council ofJewish Women; Fenster Museum ofJewish Art (now Miller Museum);and the Tulsa Jewish Retirementand Health Care Center. MartylAdelman was preceded in death byher husband, Eli, and daughter,Lynn; and is survived by daughter,Meredith; six grandchildren; fourgreat-grandchildren; and sister,Nadine.
Of blessed memory...
On Friday evening, December 8,Temple Israel will present a specialMusic Shabbat in honor of CantorEmeritus Harry Sebran’s 85thbirthday.
The very special music of this serv-ice is being prepared by TempleCantor Kari Siegel-Eglash. She willbe joined on the bima by CantorHarold Orbach, Temple Israel’s veryfirst chazan and Harry Sebran’simmediate predecessor; CantorAllen Leider, Cantor Sebran’s suc-cessor in 1987; and student cantorDeborah Avery, now a senior at theHebrew Union College’s School ofSacred Music. In addition, AmySebran will join in the musical fes-tivities.
Cantor Sebran was called to Tem-ple Israel in August 1964. In hiswords: “It was God’s will.” As animportant member of our commu-nity for now 42 years. Cantor hasworked with youth and senior citi-zens to enrich their lives. Also, hiswork in the interfaith communitymade his name familiar in churchesthroughout greater Tulsa. Manychurch choirs learned Jewish musicand Hebrew lyrics from CantorSebran and were able to presentbeautiful music both at the Templeand in their own churches.
Rabbi Charles P. Sherman com-mented that “one of Harry Sebran’slasting legacies is the fact that,when he came to Temple Israel inTulsa, he was the only Reform can-tor in our six-state, SouthwestCouncil. Today, there are nineReform cantors. Harry’s work andreputation undoubtedly contributedto that fact.”
The service will begin at 8 p.m.Members of the community are cor-dially invited to help honor a veryspecial person in our midst. �
Temple Israel will present BernieDean, a favorite entertainer of Jew-ish audiences, in his one-man adaptation of the Tony-award win-ning musical “The Rothschilds,” onDecember 9, 10.
Dean sings the entire score, nar-rates the story, and portrays themain characters using a variety ofvoices and characterizations.
The Saturday performance beginsat 7:30 p.m., and is followed by agourmet dessert reception. Ticketsare $36.
Sunday’s performance is at 2 p.m.Tickets are $18.
For tickets, call JoAnn Hill at 747-1309.
This program is provided througha gift from the Barry and KarenDavis Family Foundation, and theevent benefits Temple Israel. �
Bernie Deanperforms in
“The Rothschilds”December 9, 10
at Temple IsraelThe Rabbinic notion of darchay
shalom (“ways of peace”) speaks tothe importance of warm and lovingrelationships between ourselves,and our neighbors. Once again,B’nai Emunah members and com-munity members are invited to helpwith two important projects, sched-uled for December 24.
CCooookkiiee BBaakkee 22000066First is “Cookie Bake 2006.” On
the morning of Sunday, December24, home-baked cakes, cookies, andbars will be trayed for distribution tohospital emergency rooms, waitingrooms, police and fire stations, theRonald McDonald house—whereveressential services are offered onChristmas Day. Each tray willinclude best wishes for the season.
B’nai Emunah invites all membersof the community to bake at homefor this project any time during themonth of December. The Synagogueonly stores items baked in its ownkitchens, or sealed commercialproducts with a kosher hekshur.Baked goods may be dairy or pareveand should be dropped at CBE onDecember 24, before 2 p.m.
TTeenn ffoorr TTeennB’nai Emunah’s second seasonal
project is “Ten for Ten.” Volunteerswill help prepare and deliver 10turkey Christmas meals for hospicefamilies who may not have the abil-ity to provide a nice holiday meal forthemselves this season.
Volunteers will gather at the Syna-gogue at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Decem-ber 24, to cook a meal worthy of theseason. Then in the afternoon Christ-mas meals will be delivered to thehomes of the recipient families. Refer-rals for families in need will comefrom Hospice of Green Country.
If you’d like to be part in either ofthese two projects, please contactGreg Raskin, B’nai Emunah pro-gram director, at 583-7121.
CBE welcomes volunteers fromevery part of the Jewish communityto participate in both projects.�
On the first night of Chanukah,December 15, the Temple Israel fam-ily and friends will gather for a din-ner and Festival Service.
Attendees will bring their ownchanukiot and candles and make theMiller Auditorium a festive site oflight. Dinner begins at 6:15 p.m.;Festival Family Service begins at7:30 p.m.
Temple Sisterhood will provide thechicken and latkes; guests are askedto bring salad, vegetable, or dessertto serve 6-8. The cost is $6/adultand $4/child, with a $20 maximumfor the immediate family. RSVP by December 12, to Iris Chandler atChandler@[email protected], orCarol Stahl at 628-0310.
SSoocciiaall JJuussttiiccee SShhaabbbbaattThe last night of Chanukah, Fri-
day, December 22, will be SocialJustice Shabbat. Rabbi Charles P.Sherman will speak on “Saving theWorld One Light Bulb at a Time. ”
The Festival of Lights is the perfecttime to embark on a congregation/community-wide campaign to helpJewish individuals and institutionspurchase and install energy efficient,cost-effective, compact fluorescentlight (CFL) bulbs. Temple is joiningthe Coalition on the Environmentand Jewish Life (COEJL) and theJewish Council for Public Affairs(JCPA) in launching a nationwidecampaign to address the globalwarming crisis. This campaign,known as “A Light Among theNations,” is attempting to engage theJewish community in education,advocacy, and concrete action toreduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Community members are invited toparticipate in this modern-day cul-mination of the Festival of Lights. �
Temple to PresentChanukah
Celebration& Social Justice
Shabbat
COMMUNITY CALENDARRE A D T H E TU L S A JE W I S H RE V I E W ON-LI N E A T W W W.J E W I S H T U L S A.O R G
Born in Warsaw in 1918, Meedsurvived slave labor during WorldWar II. While in the ghetto, Meed metVladka, who was working as acourier between the ghetto and therest of the city. “They formed anextraordinary bond,’’ Bloomfieldsaid.
Meed came to the United States in1946 and worked in import-export inthe fur trade.
In addition to Vladka, Meed is sur-vived by his son, Steven, and hisdaughter, Anna Scherzer, both physi-cians, as well as five grandchildren. �
BENJAMIN MEAD DIESCONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
Philanthropist and former presi-dent of the Jewish Federation ofTulsa Lynn Schusterman wasinducted into the Oklahoma Hall ofFame on November16.
Ms. Schusterman was introducedby Holocaust scholar Deborah Lipstadt and warmly praised byTulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor for herphilanthropical work.
Sponsored by the Oklahoma Her-itage Association, others alsoinducted on November 16 includedTom McDaniel, Glen Johnson, BobBurke, King Kirchner, Philip Kistler,and, posthumously, to musical artistWoody Guthrie. �
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