TRAVEL p. 20 In Detroit, Jewish resurgence led by young aims to transform city In Sherman- Berman race, grass- roots strength faces off with Capitol... NATIONAL p. 9 Fine food, friendliness and family atmosphere at Padrino DINING OUT p. 14 Santiago: Like wintering in the Mediterranean Audi A4—luxury you can afford In their off hours, El Al flight crews are now ‘ambassadors’ VOL. 158 • NO. 20 Julie Robenson Shabbat beginsFri. 4:57p Shabbat ends Sat. 5:58p Candle Lighting Times
Mollie Newman joins Adath Israel as Youth and Family Program... In Sherman- Berman race, grass- roots strength faces off with Capitol... In Detroit, Jewish resurgence led by young aims to transform city David Duke arrested prior to address at German neo-Nazi event THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011 12 KISLEV, 5772 CINCINNATI, OH Candle Lighting Times Shabbat begins Fri. 4:57p Shabbat ends Sat. 5:58p VOL. 158 • NO. 20 SINGLE ISSUE: $2.00 03 08 09 10 T H E O L D E S T E N G L I S H J E W I S H W E E K LY I N A M E R I C A | E S T. 1 8 5 4 | “ L E T T H E R E B E L I G H T ” For rescuers and survivor, a Thanksgiving to remember p.7 It will be perfectly fine for kids to color outside the lines when Shalom Family presents the Potato Pancake Arty Party, a free Festival of Lights celebration of artrageous proportions, on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3 p.m., at the world famous Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). The SCPA will become Shalom Family’s private playground for the afternoon where kids will get a giant hands-on helping of dance, music and visual and performing arts. They’ll create their own mini-mas- terpieces and participate in a Tall Painting project with Art Workshop, have a chance to dance and sing with Grammy nominated children’s entertainer, Zak Morgan, build their own drum with Music Kids, make edible and wearable art, do cartoon- ing, clay-play and spin art, and become a karaoke and rock band star. Plus, all aspiring dancers will get to try out their fancy footwork by participating in the popular party game, Dance, Dance Revolution. “This event offers the perfect way for kids to tap into their artistic side,” says Julie Robenson, Shalom Family coordinator. “And where better to host it than at the SCPA, which has produced notable gradu- ates in virtually every artistic field, including award-winning actors, directors, singers, dancers and musicians, including Nick Lachey, Sarah Jessica Parker and others. We are so fortunate to have one of the premiere public arts schools in the country right here in Cincinnati, and are glad to have this chance to showcase the school and its brand new state of the art facility.” Shalom Family is an initiative of The Mayerson Foundation and hosts some of the largest family events in the Jewish community. They are always free and take place at some of the most popular family- friendly venues in town. Shalom Family also offers Sensory Sunday playgroups twice a month at Gymboree in Mason and free Shalom Baby Starter Kits, which include gifts and goodies such as a “Tushy Towelettes To Go” contain- er, a Baby’s First Jewish Holiday board book, a fork and spoon set, and a variety of other Jewish cultur- al and ritual items for families with children 2 years and younger. The Potato Pancake Arty Party is free with advance reservations to the Shalom Family website and is open to families in the Jewish community with children 12 and younger in which at least one parent is Jewish. Siblings and grandparents are always welcome.To RSVP for this event or to learn more consult the Community Directory in this issue for information on how to contact Shalom Family. Shalom Family presents the Potato Pancake Arty Party The American Israelite A I In their off hours, El Al flight crews are now ‘ambassadors’ NATIONAL p.9 Fine food, friendliness and family atmosphere at Padrino DINING OUT p.14 Santiago: Like wintering in the Mediterranean TRAVEL p.20 Audi A4—luxury you can afford AUTOS p.21 “We are so fortunate to have one of the premiere public arts schools in the country right here in Cincinnati, and are glad to have this chance to showcase the school and its brand new state of the art facility.” Julie Robenson
03 08 09 10T H E O L D E S T E N G L I S H J E W I S H W E E K L Y I N A M E R I C A | E S T . 1 8 5 4 | “ L E T T H E R E B E L I G H T ”
For rescuersand survivor, aThanksgiving toremember p.7
It will be perfectly fine for kidsto color outside the lines whenShalom Family presents the PotatoPancake Arty Party, a free Festivalof Lights celebration of artrageousproportions, on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3p.m., at the world famous CincinnatiSchool for the Creative andPerforming Arts (SCPA).
The SCPA will become ShalomFamily’s private playground for theafternoon where kids will get a gianthands-on helping of dance, musicand visual and performing arts.They’ll create their own mini-mas-terpieces and participate in a TallPainting project with Art Workshop,have a chance to dance and singwith Grammy nominated children’sentertainer, Zak Morgan, build theirown drum with Music Kids, makeedible and wearable art, do cartoon-ing, clay-play and spin art, andbecome a karaoke and rock bandstar. Plus, all aspiring dancers willget to try out their fancy footworkby participating in the popular partygame, Dance, Dance Revolution.
“This event offers the perfectway for kids to tap into their artisticside,” says Julie Robenson, ShalomFamily coordinator. “And wherebetter to host it than at the SCPA,which has produced notable gradu-ates in virtually every artistic field,including award-winning actors,directors, singers, dancers andmusicians, including Nick Lachey,Sarah Jessica Parker and others.We are so fortunate to have one ofthe premiere public arts schools inthe country right here in Cincinnati,and are glad to have this chance toshowcase the school and its brandnew state of the art facility.”
Shalom Family is an initiative ofThe Mayerson Foundation andhosts some of the largest familyevents in the Jewish community.They are always free and take place
at some of the most popular family-friendly venues in town. ShalomFamily also offers Sensory Sundayplaygroups twice a month at
Gymboree in Mason and freeShalom Baby Starter Kits, whichinclude gifts and goodies such as a“Tushy Towelettes To Go” contain-
er, a Baby’s First Jewish Holidayboard book, a fork and spoon set,and a variety of other Jewish cultur-al and ritual items for families with
children 2 years and younger.The Potato Pancake Arty Party is
free with advance reservations to theShalom Family website and is open to
families in the Jewish communitywith children 12 and younger inwhich at least one parent is Jewish.Siblings and grandparents are always
welcome.To RSVP for this event or tolearn more consult the CommunityDirectory in this issue for informationon how to contact Shalom Family.
Shalom Family presents thePotato Pancake Arty Party
The American IsraeliteAI
In their off hours,El Al flight crews arenow ‘ambassadors’
NATIONAL p.9
Fine food, friendlinessand family atmosphereat Padrino
DINING OUT p.14
Santiago: Likewintering in theMediterranean
TRAVEL p.20
Audi A4—luxuryyou can afford
AUTOS p.21 “We are so fortunate to have one of the premiere publicarts schools in the country right here in Cincinnati, and areglad to have this chance to showcase the school and its
brand new state of the art facility.”
Julie Robenson
SELECT A SIZE AND RETURNTHE FORM BELOW TODAY.
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LOCAL • 3THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
Is the prospect of looking for ajob after college daunting? Helphas arrived!
The Jewish Vocational ServiceCincinnati Career Network(JVS/CCN) is conducting a JobSearch Boot Camp specificallydesigned to address the needs ofprospective job seekers as they
anticipate completing college andmoving into the “real world.” Theworkshop will be held Tuesday,Dec. 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. at JewishVocational Service in Blue Ash.There is no cost to attend and foodis provided!
The JVS/CCN career consult-ants will direct this informative
program covering topics such aspreparing for a job search usingself- and career-assessment instru-ments; researching specific indus-tries and jobs matching your qual-ifications and career objectives;accessing jobs in both the “visible”and “hidden” markets; creatingrésumés, cover letters and other
written materials leading to inter-views; preparing for job inter-views; identifying networkinggroups for job leads—and sup-port—during your job search.Theoverall objective? Learn how toland that job!
Space is limited, so for moreinformation or to register for the
JVS/CCN offers Job Search Boot Camp for college students
Female roommate,age 21-35, wantedto share home in
Sycamore Townshipjust minutes from
Ridge Rd.
Call Amy 985-9690.After a career in the television
and film industry in Los Angelesand New York, Mollie T. Newmanhas returned to her hometown tobecome the Youth and FamilyProgram Coordinator of AdathIsrael. “I am thrilled to be part ofthe staff of Adath Israel because itis an amazing synagogue andorganization where people cangrow, share, learn, make lastingfriendships, and of course havefun,” she said.
Newman, a graduate of theUniversity of Michigan with adegree in film/video studies andhistory, plans to use the skills shegained working as a producer fordocumentary and reality televisionshows for Discovery Networksand others in New York City andLos Angeles.
Growing up in Cincinnati,Newman said she formed a “greatsense of Jewish identity” which she
attributes to her education at YavnehDay School (now Rockwern
Academy), Adath Israel religiousschool classes, and services at GolfManor Synagogue. “Yavneh gaveme a great foundation for theHebrew language and for Jewishtraditions,” she explained.
“With my experience in coordi-nation and my strong Judaic back-ground, I can produce and executetop notch programs for the youthand family of Adath Israel,” saidthe former Jewish camp counselor.In addition to being the USY advi-sor, she coordinates four youthgroups: USY for grades 9-12,Kadima, grades 6-8, Atid, grades3-5, Jewish Stars, K-2, Mazel Tots,newborn-K, and Kiddush Club andTot Shabbat for newborn-grade 2.She will also be involved withsuch family oriented events ascongregational Shabbat dinners,the Martin Luther King Day pro-gram, Purim Carnival and theFamily Retreat.
Mollie Newman joins Adath Israel asYouth and Family Program Coordinator
Mollie Newman
The Mariah Woodwind Quintetwill be featured when NorthernHills Synagogue - CongregationB’nai Avraham holds its monthlyHaZaK program for seniors onWednesday, Dec. 14. The programand lunch will take place at theSynagogue, beginning at noon.
The Mariah Woodwind Quintetplays music ranging from lightclassical to American popularsongs and seasonal selections. Forthis program, the group willinclude the music of two of theirfavorite composers, WolfgangAmadeus Mozart and IrvingBerlin, as well as special selec-tions for Hanukkah. The quintetdonates proceeds from its per-formances to LINKS—LonelyInstruments in Need of Kids—atthe University of Cincinnati’sCollege Conservatory of Music,which takes old instruments andrefurbishes them for use in thepublic schools.
“HaZaK” is an acronym, withthe letters standing for the Hebrewwords “Hakhma” (wisdom),
“Ziknah” (maturity) and“Kadima” (forward). The HaZaKprograms are for adults 55 andolder, and are open to the entirecommunity. In addition to mem-bers of Northern Hills, many atten-dees have come from the JewishCommunity Center, Cedar Village,
Brookwood RetirementCommunity and throughoutGreater Cincinnati.
There is no charge for the pro-gram and lunch, but donations aregreatly appreciated. For reserva-tions or more information, pleasecall Northern Hills Synagogue.
The Mariah Woodwind Quintet playsmusic ranging from light classical to
American popular songs and seasonalselections. For this program, the group
will include the music of two of theirfavorite composers, Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart and Irving Berlin, as well asspecial selections for Hanukkah.
The American IsraeliteAI
The Oldest English-Jewish
NewspaperinAmeri
ca•
Est
. 185
4•
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE (USPS 019-320) ispublished weekly for $44 per year and $2.00 persingle copy in Cincinnati and $49 per year and$3.00 per single copy elsewhere in U.S. by The
American Israelite Co. 18 West Ninth Street, Suite 2,Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2037. Periodicals postage
paid at Cincinnati, OH. POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE, 18 West
Ninth Street, Suite 2, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2037.
The views and opinions expressed by the columnistsof The American Israelite do not necessarily reflect
the views and opinions of the newspaper.
“LET THERE BE LIGHT”
THE OLDEST ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY
IN AMERICA - EST. JULY 15, 1854
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE CO.,PUBLISHERS
18 WEST NINTH STREET, SUITE 2CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202-2037
RABBI ISSAC M. WISEFounder, Editor, Publisher, 1854-1900
LEO WISEEditor & Publisher, 1900-1928
RABBI JONAH B. WISEEditor & Publisher, 1928-1930
HENRY C. SEGALEditor & Publisher, 1930-1985
PHYLLIS R. SINGEREditor & General Manager, 1985-1999
MILLARD H. MACKPublisher Emeritus
NETANEL (TED) DEUTSCHEditor & Publisher
BARBARA L. MORGENSTERNSenior Writer
YEHOSHUA MIZRACHIRITA TONGPITUK
Assistant Editors
ALEXIA KADISHCopy Editor
JANET STEINBERGTravel Editor
SONDRA KATKINDining Editor
MARIANNA BETTMANNATE BLOOMIRIS PASTOR
RABBI A. JAMES RUDINZELL SCHULMAN
RABBI AVI SHAFRANPHYLLIS R. SINGERContributing Columnists
LEV LOKSHINJANE KARLSBERG
Staff Photographers
JOSEPH D. STANGEProduction Manager
MICHAEL MAZERSales
ERIN WYENANDTOffice Manager
VOL. 158 • NO. 20THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
12 KISLEV 5772SHABBAT BEGINS FRIDAY 4:57 PM
SHABBAT ENDS SATURDAY 5:58 PM
4 • LOCAL WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
The third annual ChanukahShabbat dinner on Dec. 16 at 5p.m., sponsored by the Herb ByerMemorial Fund at Adath IsraelCongregation, has become one ofthe synagogue’s largest events.“The Fund has sponsored two din-ners yearly for the past four yearsand they have grown from 150people when we first started to430 last year at the Chanukah din-ner,” said Dara Wood, chairpersonand daughter-in-law of the lateHerb Byer whose family havebeen Adath Israel members forseveral generations.
“The idea to have these dinnerswas the brainchild of my husband
Rob Wood and my mother-in-lawPat Wood-Byer who wanted to dosomething special with the Fundthey created in Herb’s memory,”explained Dara. “Herb would havebeen so proud to know that thesedinners have brought so manyAdath Israel members and friendstogether to enjoy Shabbat.”
Not only does the Herb ByerMemorial Fund underwrite theentire event, which is free to mem-bers, their guests, and prospectivemembers, but the evening is trulya family event. Dara, her parents,in-laws, and Adath Israel mem-bers cook the dinner themselves.“My Mom makes latkes and
applesauce from her own recipe,”Dara said. The home-cookedmenu also includes pasta withmarinara sauce, salmon, vegeta-bles, salad, and sufganiyots (friedjelly filled donuts).
The evening begins with aFriday Night Live service featur-ing spirited, uplifting music andIsraeli dancing. The sing-alongservice, inspired by ShlomoCarlebach’s joyous melodies, willgenerate ruach throughout theauditorium with tambourines, bon-gos, congas and other drums. It’s aperfect way to welcome Shabbatand Chanukah.
Carlebach’s melodies will be
sung and played by Adath Israel’shouse band, Shir Ami. Dara Woodis also a singer in the band alongwith band director Mitch Cohen,Debra Feldman, Debbie Lempert,Judy Levenson, Tiffany Mannionand a number of musicians recruit-ed from the congregation.
“This evening is our way ofsaying thank you to our members,”Dara said. It is also a way to intro-duce prospective members toAdath Israel. New members havedescribed the Chanukah dinner asa “fun, informal way to interactwith different people in the AdathIsrael community and a nice intro-duction to the Adath Family.”
Herb Byer Memorial Fund sponsors AdathIsrael Chanukah celebration
Take advantage of the rareopportunity to enjoy a concert bythe internationally known a cap-pella singing group, TheMaccabeats, and also help those inneed on Sunday, Dec. 18 at theJCC. Enjoy a performance by thisYouTube singing sensation, andbring your new, unwrapped giftsfor the JCC “One Candle forTzedakah” gift drive.
The Maccabeats have per-formed all around the world,including concerts at the White
House and on “The Today Show.”Their mix of pop hits and cleverparodies, done with their intricateharmonies, creates a unique, funconcert for the whole family.
This month you can also sup-port the JCC “One Candle forTzedakah” gift program. It is anannual project that helps hundredsof less fortunate children andteens. This year your donated giftswill be distributed via JewishFamily Service, Mindel Konstam,Bikur Cholim and ProKids.
“Many of our clients findbuying presents for their childrenduring the gift-giving holidays is aluxury they cannot afford. Whenwe hand out the ‘One Candle forTzedakah’ gifts, these parents’faces light up. This program helpschildren in these homes enjoy theholidays as children should beable to do,” stated Beth Schwartz,executive director of JewishFamily Service of Cincinnati.
Families wishing to augmentthe experience by providing gifts
to individuals or families withspecific requests or needs shouldcontact Jewish Family Servicedirectly about their SnowflakeGift Program. Parents who arestruggling financially can chooseparticular gifts their children needand want. It may be a new pair ofpajamas, a coat or boots to play inthe snow.
For more information about TheMaccabeats or “One Candle forTzedakah” gift drive, call theMayerson JCC or visit their website.
One Candle for Tzedakah at the J, Dec. 18
Northern Hills Synagogue -Congregation B’nai Avraham willconduct Shabbat morning serviceson Saturday, Dec. 17, using itspopular Chavurat (learning part-ner) Shabbat format, including avariety of educational and reli-gious programming options along-side the standard traditional serv-ice. In anticipation of Hanukkah,which will begin during the fol-lowing week, the theme of the
morning will be “Gevurah,” whichmeans courage or heroism.
“In our time, the Maccabeeshave become a symbol of Jewishheroism and military strength.While we honor them, we shouldalso remember that there are manydifferent kinds of courage orstrength. In Pirkei Avot, for exam-ple, we read, ‘Who is strong? Onewho controls his impulses.’ OnDec. 17, we’ll explore some of
these different kinds of courage,”noted Rabbi Gershom Barnard.
Parallel to the Torah reading —Parashat Vayeshev—RabbiBarnard will conduct an in-depthstudy of the Torah portion, andTracy Weisberger, director ofEducation and Programming, willpresent “Parasha for Kids.”Additional segments will includecongregant Abe Messer’s speakingabout his experiences in the Israel
Defense Forces, and a discussionabout being in the minority.
Following the service, there willbe a congregational Shabbat lunch-eon, free and open to all who attend.No reservations are required, andparticipants will join to singShabbat and Hanukkah songs.
The service will begin at 9:30a.m. For more information aboutthe service call Northern HillsSynagogue.
NHS Shabbat service focuses on courage
If you are a parent wonderingwhat to do with the kids duringtheir winter break from school, dowhat so many others do—rely onthe J! The JCC Winter Break Campand New Year’s Eve Overnight arethe answer when kids are out ofschool. You do not need to be a JMember, but make plans soon asadvance registration is required.
JCC Winter Break Camp will beMonday through Friday, Dec. 19 –30, from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Kidsget to take full advantage of themany facilities at the J, with time tosplash and swim in the indoorwaterpark, play games in the gym,create projects in the art studio, and
have fun and exercise with interac-tive games, foosball and air hockey.Campers should bring a swimsuit,lunch, and drink each day.
Parents may choose as manydays as they like. There are alsooptional day trips to fun placeswhere kids can play laser tag gamesand enjoy snow tubing for an addi-tional charge. Working parents willappreciate the daily before and aftercamp options that allow drop-off asearly as 8 a.m., and pick-up as lateas 6 p.m. Either or both are avail-able each day for an additional fee.
Wondering how to keep the kidsbusy on New Year’s Eve? Dropthem off at the J! The New Year’s
Eve Overnight is from 7 p.m. onSaturday, Dec. 31, to 8 a.m. onSunday, Jan. 1. Kids in grades K – 5and grades 6 – 8 will have their ownunique celebrations. There will bespecial activities, fun games in thewaterpark and gym, inflatables, amovie, and breakfast in the morning.At midnight the festivities include abubbly toast and noisemakers!
“It is so convenient and benefi-cial for the both of us. He reallylikes the activities, all the campcounselors, and he has a great rap-port with them. The camp keepshim busy. He will definitely becoming back this year,” said TonyaBaldwin about her son, Darnell.
“Many parents tell us theywouldn’t know how to entertaintheir kids during the holiday breakexcept for the Winter Break Campand New Year’s Eve Overnight.Parents know their kids are safeand having fun while they are atwork or busy during the holidayseason,” said Matt Miller, JCCYouth and Family Coordinator andDirector of Camps. “And parentscan enjoy their adult New Year’sEve parties while their kids havetheir own celebration at the J.”
For more information aboutWinter Break Camp or the NewYear’s Overnight, contact Milleror visit the JCC’s website.
JCC Winter Break Camp and New Year’sOvernight is perfect solution for parents, children
LOCAL • 5THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
It truly takes a village to raiseJewish children. Religious school,tutors, rabbis, teachers, cantors,the list goes on. But perhaps themost important ingredient in thissacred task is parents. For over adecade, Wise Temple has beenrunning an innovative program tohelp support parents in their rolesas teachers to their children.
Gesher, Wise Temple’s familyeducation program, helps bridgethe gap between temple and homeoffering families opportunities tolearn and participate together in awide range of Jewish experiences.Each Gesher class is divided bygrade and consists of 20-25 fami-lies. Each grade meets with theirfamilies on Sunday mornings fivetimes a year. For the first hour, par-ents learn with the rabbis about thesame topic their kids are studyingin their classrooms. The secondpart brings students and parentstogether working, studying, inter-acting and having fun around thesame topic. Each and every Geshersession is filled with creative activ-ities, active learning, communitybuilding and tons of resources andideas to bring home and try out.
The Gesher program involvesfamilies from second to sixth
grade and connects to a particulartheme and subject tied to theclassroom curriculum. Starting insecond grade, the families explorewhat it means to be a mensch andwhat it means to be part of a com-munity. Third grade is all aboutholidays, how to celebrate themand bring new life and new activi-ties into the observances. Fourthgrade is a year-long study of
Israel, its people and places, pastand future. Fifth grade has twobig topics, Torah and life cycleevents. Finally, in sixth grade,families learn about Jewish histo-ry, their own family history andthe evolution of Jewish law.
For more information aboutthis exciting program contact theTemple by calling or visiting thewebsite.
What is Gesher?
Gesher, Wise Temple’s family
education program, helps bridge the
gap between temple and home
offering families opportunities to learn
and participate together in a wide
range of Jewish experiences. Each
Gesher class is divided by grade and
consists of 20-25 families.
6 • NATIONAL WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
By JTA Staff WriterJewish Telegraphic Agency
NEW YORK (JTA) —Thousands of emissaries from theChabad-Lubavitch movementgathered for their annual banquetin Brooklyn.
The almost all-male crowd ofabout 4,500 at Sunday night’s galadinner included nearly 4,000Chabad emissaries from around theworld, according to a Chabadspokesman. The event was hostedat a massive port facility building inthe Red Hook neighborhood.
Guest speaker Rabbi JonathanSacks, Britain’s chief rabbi, talkedabout the influence of the lateLubavitcher rebbe, RabbiMenachem Mendel Schneerson, onhis own life. Sacks credited meet-ing Schneerson with inspiring his
own rabbinic career.He called Schneerson “one of
the greatest Jewish leaders not justof our time but of all time.”
“Throughout Jewish historythere were great leaders, but I knowof no precedent for one who trans-
formed visibly and substantivelyevery single Jewish community inthe world, including many parts ofthe world that never had a Jewishcommunity before,” Sacks said.
The banquet is a highlight of theannual international Chabad emis-saries conference that brings thefar-flung representatives back to theChasidic movement’s home base inthe Crown Heights section ofBrooklyn.
The banquet’s signature roll callof all the locations served by emis-saries highlighted the diverse loca-tions on all six regularly inhabitedcontinents where the Chabad move-ment has a presence — fromBolivia to Laos to the Congo.
The movement’s female emis-saries — spouses of the male emis-saries — had a separate conferencein January.
Thousands of Chabad emissaries gather for Brooklyn banquet
Courtesy of Baruch Ezagui
Britain’s chief rabbi, JonathanSacks, addresses the banquet ofthe international Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries conferencein Brooklyn on Nov. 27, 2011.
Courtesy of Baruch Ezagui
Thousands attend the banquet in Brooklyn.
By Ron KampeasJewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Onthe campaign trail, Newt Gingrichhas given his fellow Republicanpresidential candidates a wideberth, often going out of his way topraise them. Instead of attackinghis rivals, Gingrich has focused hisfire on President Obama.
The strategy appears to bepaying off.
The former speaker of the U.S.House of Representatives, all butcounted out last summer when hisfrustrated campaign team aban-doned him, has come back fromthe political dead to pull ahead ofMitt Romney in the polls.
Whether Gingrich has been upor down in the polls, one area inwhich he has been assailing thepresident’s record is foreign poli-cy, specifically the Middle East.
In a June 12 speech to theRepublican Jewish Coalition,Gingrich said he would bring for-eign policy “moral clarity” that theObama administration has lacked.
“Today the greatest obstacletoward achieving a real and lastingpeace is not the strength of theenemy or the unwillingness of Israelto make great sacrifices for the sakeof peace,” he said. “It is the inabili-ty on the part of the Obama admin-istration and certain other worldleaders to tell the truth about terror-ism, be honest about the publiclystated goals of our common ene-mies and devise policies appropriateto an honest accounting of reality.”
Gingrich’s RJC speech came atthe nadir of his campaign, when keycampaign staff left him for, amongother reasons, his decision to take along Greek holiday when other can-didates were busy stumping.
The speech reflected the factthat one of Gingrich’s most stub-born redoubts of support has beenamong Jewish conservatives,
many of whom were still appre-ciative of the checks he put on theOslo peace process in the mid-1990s when he was House speak-er. Chief among the checks was alaw that recognized Jerusalem asIsrael’s capital. Gingrich has saidthat his first act as president wouldbe to move the American embassyfrom Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Some major Republican Jewishdonors committed to other candi-dates only after it seemed thatGingrich was not really in the run-ning. But Gingrich is not countedout any longer. According to polls,he leads Romney in early caucusand primary states such as Florida,Iowa and South Carolina, as wellas nationally among Republicans.
Gingrich’s surge has resulted ina new focus on his past statementsand actions. A veteran of decadesin public life, Gingrich has a longrecord that his opponents are nowtrawling through for ammunitionto use against him.
His foreign policy views havenot been immune from such exam-inations. While Gingrich says thatas president he would bring moral
clarity to American foreign policy,critics say he often sends mixedsignals on the Middle East.
Jennifer Rubin, a conservativeWashington Post columnist whobacks Romney, dedicated a recentblog post to picking through whatshe depicted as Gingrich’s flip-flopping on the Iraq War. Rubinquoted reports showing Gingrich,as a member of the Defense PolicyBoard, helping to plan the war in2002, and then pronouncing Iraq ano-win proposition in December2003, when support for the warwas still high.
Rubin said this, as well asGingrich’s equivocation in 2006on the American military surgethat eventually drew Iraq backfrom chaos, was his “worst betray-al” of Republicans and demon-strated his willingness to place apremium “on political expediencyover national security.”
More recently, Gingrich hasfaced criticism over apparentinconsistencies on Libya. OnMarch 7 he accused Obama ofwaffling, saying that as presidenthe would immediately and unilat-
erally impose a no-fly zone. WhenObama did just that later in themonth, Gingrich said interventionwas a mistake.
In a Facebook post, Gingrichattempted to explain: He wrote thatby the time of his earlier remark,Obama had already put Americanprestige on the line by saying that itwas time for Libyan dictatorMoammar Gadhafi to go. Andtherefore at that point, Gingrichwrote, “anything short of a suc-cessful, public campaign forregime change would have beenseen as a defeat for the UnitedStates.” But he suggested that priorto the president’s statement, therewere preferable alternatives toAmerican military intervention.
Commentators attributeGingrich’s surge to his strong per-formance in debates. The formerhistory professor and a best-sell-ing nonfiction writer appears tocommand a wealth of knowledgeon a wide range of topics.
“The former speaker of theHouse is a dab hand at drawinglisteners in, for good reason — heshowers them with details, factsand history in a degree no candi-date in recent memory has evenapproached,” Wall Street Journalcolumnist Dorothy Rabinowitzwrote. “Audiences have a way ofrewarding such trust.”
Other prominent Jewish con-servatives, however, are skepticalof Gingrich’s intellectualism andwhere it has led him.
Washington Post columnistCharles Krauthammer slammedGingrich for a 2008 televisionadvertisement that he made along-side then-House Speaker NancyPelosi (D-Calif.) calling for actionagainst climate change — an adfor which Gingrich has sinceexpressed regret.
In his column, Krauthammerwrote that Gingrich had made thead because he was “[t]hinking of
himself as a grand world-historicalfigure, attuned to the latest intel-lectual trend (preferably one with atinge of futurism and science, likeglobal warming), demonstratinghis own incomparable depth andfarsightedness.”
Krauthammer raised concernsabout Gingrich’s electability anddescribed him and Romney as “twosignificantly flawed front-runners.”
Liberals also take issue withsome of Gingrich’s manifoldpolitical enthusiasms.
Matthew Duss, director of theMiddle East program at the liberalCenter for American Progress,said that Gingrich’s alliance withelements in the conservativemovement that see Shariah, orIslamic religious law, as a threat tothe American way of life couldhave profound foreign policy con-sequences.
“He’s presented the challengesin apocalyptic terms, which is areal problem,” Duss said.
Gingrich’s freewheeling rheto-ric has raised eyebrows, too, in theJewish community. The AmericanJewish Committee in May 2010called on the Republican leader-ship to condemn Gingrich’s claimin a 2010 book that the Obamaadministration poses as “great athreat to America as Nazi Germanyand the Soviet Union.”
Gingrich at times also appearstone deaf to certain pro-Israel sen-sibilities. Asked during a Nov. 22GOP debate whether he wouldcome to Israel’s defense if itshould attack Iran, he said, “If mychoice was to collaborate with theIsraelis on a conventional cam-paign or force them to use theirnuclear weapons, it will be anextraordinarily dangerous world if,out of a sense of being abandoned,they went nuclear and used multi-ple nuclear weapons in Iran. Thatwould be a future none of uswould want to live through.”
‘Clarity’ or inconsistency? Conservatives debate surging Gingrich
Courtesy of Gage Skidmore via Creative Commons
The rise in the Republican presidential polls by Newt Gingrich, shownspeaking at a GOP leadership conference in Las Vegas on Oct. 19,2011, has refocused attention on his foreign policy statements.
NATIONAL • 7THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
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BALTIMORE (JTA) — WhenDahlia Jakutiene of Giedraicai,Lithuania, developed a braintumor in early November, CherylRosen offered to fly the womanshe has never met to the UnitedStates for treatment.
“I was heartbroken when Iheard she was sick,” said Rosen,who lives in suburban New York.“Of course we would havebrought her here. Whatever wasnecessary: If she had requiredfinancial assistance with [treat-ment], of course we’d help.”
Jakutiene’s tumor provedbenign, and she is recuperatingnicely. She didn’t need to fly toNew York for treatment, but com-ing through in an emergency iswhat family members do for oneanother, and here the matter waspersonal: Jakutiene’s grandmoth-er, the late Leokadija Ruzgys, andthe latter’s three children savedRosen’s mother, Mira “Mary”Erlich, during the Holocaust.
On Nov. 23, at New York’s JohnF. Kennedy Airport, Erlich, now 82,got a good look at Ruzgys’ daugh-ter, Egle Bimbirine, 83, and son,Aurimas Ruzgys, 81, for the firsttime since World War II ended.(Their sister, Meile, Jakutiene’smother, passed away in 1988.) Thesiblings embraced their hosts,posed for news cameras and droveoff to Rosen’s home in Scarsdale,N.Y., to spend nine days together.
On Thanksgiving night, withthe dishes washed and the day’slast football telecast attracting thehousehold’s 20-somethings,Bimbirine and Erlich relaxed inthe dining room, nursing dessertwith their respective daughters,Ida Juraitieme and Rosen. Ruzgyshad retired for the night, fatiguedby the long flight.
“This is my rescuer,” Erlichsaid, introducing a visitor toBimbirine.
The older women scarcely com-prehended the reality of the other’spresence after 66 years. Erlich’s lefthand grasped Bimbirine’s right fornearly an hour, continuing to holdon for dear life.
“I feel like we’re one family,”Bimbirine said, her daughter inter-preting.
“I feel as close to them as [to]family because if not for them, Iwouldn’t be here today,” Erlichsaid. “This is what we’ve beentalking about all day. You don’t dosomething like this for someoneyou don’t care about, only forsomeone you love.”
The two clans were reunited bythe Jewish Foundation for theRighteous, a New York-basedorganization that honors non-Jewswho rescued Jews during the
Shoah. At a Manhattan hotel lastweek, Ruzgys and Bimbirine,along with their late mother andlate sister, officially received theRighteous Among the Nationsdesignation from Yad Vashem,Israel’s national Holocaust com-memoration institution.
Seventy years ago, Israel Katz,a bakery shop owner inGiedraicai, rapped at the windowof Leokadija Ruzgys in Dudenaifour miles away, seeking refuge.His son, Leibel, had been killed byschoolmates following theGerman invasion, and Israel sur-vived a mass execution. Ruzgys, awidow, had been Katz’s steadycustomer. Her three children fre-quently had frolicked with hisdaughter, Mira, while Ruzgysshopped or attended church.
“We played hopscotch orwhatever it is that kids do,” Erlichrecalled.
Ruzgys hid the three Katzes,including Mira’s mother, Berta.Concerned over the family’s foodsupply and the consequences ofharboring Jews, Ruzgys tried lim-iting their stay to three days.Meile, Egle and Aurimas wailedin support of the Katzes, and theirmother relented in a scene thatplayed out periodically under thenew living arrangements.
When a female approached thefamily’s remote home from the val-ley, the Katzes buried themselvesin a narrow pit beneath the pantry,with one of the hosts replacing thefloor and topping it with a bushelof potatoes. A man’s arrival couldmean he’d been tipped off and wascoming to arrest them, so theKatzes squeezed into the smoke-house out back.
The families dwelled togetherfor three years until an informantblew their cover. Leokadija Ruzgysand the Katzes were jailed, butbribes kept them alive. They werereleased at war’s end. After fouryears in a displaced persons’ camp
in Germany, Katz moved his fami-ly to the United States in 1950.Until his death in 1984, Katz corre-sponded with the Ruzgyses.
“I never got them out of myheart. They were always there,”Erlich said of her rescuers. “It’svery emotional just seeing themagain. About three or four yearsago, we almost went there for avisit, but my husband got sick. Ifnot for [the Jewish Foundation forthe Righteous], I don’t know ifwe’d have been together for thisholiday.”
For rescuers and survivor, aThanksgiving to remember
Courtesy of Hillel Kuttler
Sixty-six years after they last saw one another, Mira Erlich, left,was reunited last week with Egle Bimbirine, who as a teenagerrescued Erlich and her parents.
RESCUERS on page 22
8 • NATIONAL WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
By Ron KampeasJewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON (JTA) —Barney Frank’s talk of retirementwas anything but retiring.
The veteran Jewish congress-man’s announcement on Mondaythat he would not seek re-electionwas replete with the same caliberof verbal bombs — lobbed andreceived — that characterizedmuch of his career.
Frank, a MassachusettsDemocrat, attributed his decisionnot to run in 2012 in part on whathe said was the Republican polar-ization of the legislative process.
The House GOP caucus, hesaid at his news conference, “con-sists half of people who think likeMichele Bachmann and half ofpeople who are afraid of losing aprimary to people who think likeMichele Bachmann,” referring tothe GOP presidential hopeful andconservative Minnesota congress-woman.
“That leaves very little room towork things out,” said Frank, 71,who has served in the House ofRepresentatives since 1981 and in1987 became the first member ofCongress to voluntarily come out
as gay.Frank also cited the redrawing
of his district that made it moreconservative as a reason for hisdecision.
His critics — among them aphalanx of Jewish conservatives— are not necessarily sheddingtears over his impending departurefrom Congress. Some assailed hisrole amid the financial crisis as
chairman of the U.S. House ofRepresentatives FinanceCommittee from 2007 untilJanuary of this year.
Frank is “a quick wit — all toorare on the left,” Joel Pollak wroteon the conservative website BigGovernment.
“Yet,” Pollak added, “his mostdamaging legacies — the housingcrisis, the financial ‘reform’ that
bears his name, and the hyper-par-tisanship to which he eagerly con-tributed — outweigh Frank’s pos-itive contributions. How unfortu-nate that his constituents did noteject him much sooner.”
Frank at his news conference atthe town hall in Newton, Mass.,where he lives, pushed backagainst such claims, saying thatmuch of the groundwork for theeconomic crisis was in place byJanuary 2007. But answering thereporter who asked him if heregretted his role, Frank expandedhis answer to say that he did haveregrets about his time in Congress.And they were substantive.
Frank said he rued his voteagainst the first Persian Gulf Warin 1991, as well as approvingrestrictions on the InternalRevenue Service that he now seesas impeding tax collection.
He was no stranger to publicregrets. In 1989, Frank expressedcontrition when it was revealedthat a man he once paid for sexand later hired to do chores anderrands had run a prostitutionservice from the congressman’sCapitol Hill apartment.
Jewish community profession-als who dealt with Frank said that
his ability to self-correct — theflip side of his acerbic wit and hisunwillingness to suffer fools glad-ly — made him valuable: He waswilling to be swayed by goodarguments.
“Barney was willing to admitwhen he was wrong,” said NancyKaufman, CEO of the NationalCouncil for Jewish Women, whofor years dealt with Frank in herprevious job as director ofBoston’s Jewish CommunityRelations Council.
“If he stepped out too far on anissue, he would call the Jewishcommunity leaders to apologize,”she said. “If he didn’t understandall the ramifications, he wouldcheck in.”
Rabbi David Saperstein, whodirects the Reform movement’sReligious Action Center, recalleda few hair-raising encounters withFrank.
“He could be scathing in hiscritique of your view,” he said. “Itdidn’t mean he was always right,but he would push you hard todefend your position. If you didn’tcome really prepared, you’d findyourself in deep trouble. Whenyou came prepared, he respectedthat.”
Barney Frank leaves as he served—with a sharp wit
Courtesy of World Economic Forum via Creative Commons
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, shown addressing the World EconomicForum in Switzerland in January 2010, announced his decisionthis week not to run for re-election.
By Ron KampeasJewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON (JTA) — TheCalifornia race between Democraticcongressional incumbents HowardBerman and Brad Sherman is seenas pitting experience against energy,compromise against confrontationand — painfully for many in theJewish community — pro-Israelstalwart against pro-Israel stalwart.
“These are two guys who areextraordinary leaders on issues ofimportance to those who care aboutIsrael,” said a pro-Israel insider inWashington who, like many othersin the community, asked not to beidentified in order not to offendeither congressman.
“Congress will be lessened byone of them not being there,” saidthe insider, who likened thechoice to Solomon’s judgment tosplit the baby.
Berman, 70, and Sherman, 57,currently represent adjacent districtsin Los Angeles’ San FernandoValley. They have been thrownagainst one another because of thepost-census redrawing ofCalifornia’s electoral map by a non-partisan commission.
Both men reside in the new 30thDistrict, which encompasses mostof Sherman’s current district in thewestern San Fernando Valley.Berman opted not to run in the new29th District in the eastern SanFernando Valley, which includes
much of his current district but has alarger Hispanic majority than henow represents.
The 30th includes a substantialJewish community, making it a nat-ural fit for either lawmaker — butnot for both.
Under California’s electionlaws, the two top vote-getters in thenonpartisan June primary will faceoff in the general election. In astrongly Democratic district, thatmeans a Berman-Sherman show-
down in November is likely.While they do have some policy
differences on issues such as tradepolicy — Berman last month sup-ported recent trade agreements withSouth Korea, Panama andColombia, while Sherman votedagainst them — both lawmakers areliberal Democrats. The fightbetween the two congressmen —who never have been close to oneanother — is shaping up as moreabout effectiveness and style.
Berman, who has served in theHouse of Representatives since1983 and exercised considerablepolitical influence locally throughhis longstanding alliance with Rep.Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), hasracked up support from Hollywoodbigwigs and elected officials.Twenty-three of the state’s 34Democrats in the U.S. House ofRepresentatives have endorsedBerman, as have Gov. Jerry Brownand Los Angeles Mayor AntonioVillaraigosa.
Sherman, a Congress membersince 1997, may have fewer high-profile politicians in his camp — hiswebsite lists only two members ofCongress as endorsers — but he hasshown strength on the grass-rootslevel. Earlier this month Shermanreceived the endorsement of theDemocratic Party of the SanFernando Valley, an umbrella groupfor 27 local Democratic clubs.
In Sherman-Berman race, grass-rootsstrength faces off with Capitol Hill heft
Courtesy of Cliffords Photography via CreativeCommons
U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman,shown here speaking at aWashington careers day inSeptember 2010, is facing atough re-election battle againstanother veteran congressman,Brad Sherman, in a newlydrawn California district.
GRASS-ROOTS on page 22
Chabad rabbi has won hisbattle to join the U.S. Armywithout shaving his beard.
NEW YORK (JTA) — RabbiMenachem Stern, whoseapproval to serve as an ArmyReserve chaplain in 2009 wasrescinded because he refused toshave his beard, will be allowedto serve after settling a lawsuitagainst the military. Sternexpects to be sworn into servicenext week and begin chaplaintraining in January.
Though army policy doesallow religious waivers for beardson a case-by-case, the waivershad previously been granted onlyafter the men entered the serviceclean-shaven.
In December, Stern filed alawsuit against the military afterattempts — aided by Senators JoeLieberman, Charles Schumer andKristen Gillibrand — to receive awaiver failed.
According to the AlephInstitute, a Chabad organizationthat assists Jewish military per-sonnel, there are currently 37Jewish chaplains in the U.S. mili-tary, including nine rabbis onactive duty.
The Aleph Institute will belive streaming Stern’s swearing inceremony on Dec. 9.
Al-Qaida claims kidnappingof U.S. aid worker
NEW YORK (JTA) — Theleader of al-Qaida took credit forthe kidnapping of a 70-year-oldAmerican aid worker in Pakistan.
In a video posted on militantwebsites, Ayman al-Zawahiriclaimed responsibility for theAug. 19 capture of WarrenWeinstein from his home in thePakistani city of Lahore.Weinstein, of Rockville, Md., isthe director in Pakistan for J.E.Austin Associates, a U.S. firm thatadvises a range of Pakistani busi-nesses.
“I tell the captive soldiers ofal-Qaida and the Taliban and ourfemale prisoners held in the pris-ons of the crusaders and their col-laborators: ‘We have not forgottenyou, and in order to free you wehave taken hostage the JewishAmerican Warren Weinstein,’ ”Zawahiri said in the 30-minutevideo, which was translated by thenonprofit Site MonitoringService.
Zawahiri, who assumed lead-ership in June after Osama binLaden was shot and killed by U.S.Navy Seals, demanded that Israelends its “siege” of Gaza; that theU.S. stop its airstrikes inAfghanistan, Pakistan, Somaliaand Yemen; and that all al-Qaidaand Taliban prisoners be released.
He said Weinstein’s relativesmust pressure President Obama tomeet his demands “if you want tobring back your relative.”
A police official said Aug. 23that three suspects had beenarrested, according to CNN.
NationalBriefs
NATIONAL • 9THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
By Dan KleinJewish Telegraphic Agency
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.(JTA) — A good flight crewrequires a certain amount ofcharm to keep passengers calmduring turbulence, emergencies orpretzel shortages.
Five El Al Airlines flight atten-dants and a pilot put those skills tothe test Monday at RutgersUniversity in New Jersey as theyfielded questions on their personallives and on Israel from an audi-ence of more than 100 for nearlytwo hours.
It was the opening event forthe El Al Ambassadors program,an initiative to put El Al crews touse during their U.S. layover timeto create a positive image of Israelin the United States. The idea is tocounteract the negative images ofIsrael in the news with the person-al stories and faces of El Al pilotsand flight attendants.
“This is a unique opportunityfor a Zionist company in the pri-vate sector to do something mean-ingful,” said Alon Futterman, theprogram’s director and emissarydevelopment director at theJewish Agency for Israel. “Youhave real people. You have peoplewith families. You have peoplewith the same range of ages talk-ing about real life.”
El Al partnered with the IsraeliForeign Ministry, the advocacygroup StandWithUs and theJewish Agency to select 60 El Alcrew members from hundreds ofvolunteers to take part in the pilotprogram (no pun intended). Theevent at Rutgers, which boasts oneof the largest populations ofJewish undergraduates in thecountry, was organized by mem-bers of the university’s Hillel.
Organizers say the El Al vol-
unteers were chosen largely fortheir eloquence and English skills,but it did not escape the notice ofstudents that the El Al delegationwas unusually diverse: two gaymen, a Druze Israeli, a womanwho sidelines as an aerobicsinstructor and a pilot who also is ayoga teacher. The six also hap-pened to be particularly attractive.
Futterman said El Al crewsalready have received 20 invita-tions to speak at events across theUnited States in 2012.
“We weren’t specifically look-ing for diversity, but it came outthat way,” said Daniel Saadon,vice president of El Al’s Northand Central America operations.He described the six participantsas “the civilian wings of Israel.”
The Monday talk largely keptclear of the Israeli-Arab conflict.Questions ranged from what life islike for gay men in Israel — “Welive a normal life. The nightlife isbetter than New York,” said flightattendant Kai Elias — to balanc-ing a flying career with universitystudies to dealing with ear pop-ping upon descent.
The crew members also dis-cussed headier topics such asIsrael’s changing society, the tentprotests that sprung up in Israelover the summer and the changingrole of Zionism. Crew memberYuval Vershavsky, a 34-year-oldfather of two, said Zionism is nowabout making Israel “a more just,liberal and secular country.”
One of the gay flight atten-dants, Gilad Greengold, said theonly time he had felt the subject ofdiscrimination in Israel was whenhe and his partner were denied anapartment lease after the landladyconsulted with her rabbi.
“It’s not very common,” hesaid. “It’s just something we’llhave to deal with and change.”
In their off hours, El Alflight crews are now‘ambassadors’
Courtesy of Dan Klein
Six members of an El Al Airlines crew spoke with students atRutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., as part of a new pro-gram, Nov. 28, 2011. Shown with the crew is Lehi Rothschild, thirdfrom right, the Jewish Agency fellow who organized the event.
By Dan KleinJewish Telegraphic Agency
DETROIT (JTA) — BlairNosan grew up in the Detroit sub-urb of West Bloomfield, attendedthe University of Michigan andthen, like thousands of otheryoung Jews from the beleagueredstate, moved away.
Though she grew up in a heav-ily Jewish area Nosan, 26, had feltdisconnected both from herJewish identity and the nearbycity, which was undergoing itsown debilitating population drain.Over the last decade, 25 percent ofDetroit’s residents have takenflight. Some 5,000 young Jewsleft Michigan between 2005 and2010, according to a 2010 surveyby the Jewish Federation ofMetropolitan Detroit.
But then Nosan came back.In 2009, she moved to Detroit
to work in its burgeoning urbanagriculture scene, eventually start-ing her own pickling company,Suddenly Sauer.
Nosan was startled to learn thatshe was part of a significantmigration of young Jews to theMotor City — a young Jewishrenaissance that has been as unex-pected as it has been successful.It’s evident not just in numbers butin a resurgence of Jewish activityand vitality in the heart of Detroit,including among Jews who had
never been Jewishly active.“I did not expect to find a
Jewish community at all,” Nosantold JTA, echoing the sentimentsof many of Detroit’s new Jewishresidents. “Most of the Jews wereliving in Detroit as participants inthe Jewish community, but withtheir Jewish identity in mind weretrying to fill in the blanks of thislong history we had had in the citybut weren’t raised with.”
Over the last few years, a slewof new programs from the institu-
tional to the grass roots and fromsuburb to city have blossomed inthe Detroit area.
Detroit’s first Moishe Houseopened in June in midtown, andits occupants — five from the sub-urbs of Detroit and one from LosAngeles — have been holding fiveor six Jewish events a month. Themost recent was a sauerkrautworkshop taught by Nosan thatattracted 16 people.
In Detroit, Jewish resurgence ledby young aims to transform city
Courtesy of Dan Klein
Blair Nosan, foreground right, founder of Suddenly Sauer andchair of Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue’s Education andSocial Action Committee, teaches a sauerkraut workshop atDetroit’s recently opened Moishe House, Nov. 20, 2011.
DETROIT on page 19
10 • INTERNATIONAL / ISRAEL WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
By Alex WeislerJewish Telegraphic Agency
LONDON (JTA) — HistoricallyJewish fraternities are leading theintroduction of American Greekculture to the United Kingdom, butnot everyone is throwing a togaparty for England’s latest import.
Over the past year, Zeta BetaTau and Alpha Epsilon Pi —Jewish fraternities whose member-ship is open to all — have estab-lished the first fraternity chapters inthe United Kingdom. ZBT estab-lished its chapter in May inNottingham, followed by a secondin Birmingham. AEPi has openedchapters in Birmingham, Leedsand at the University of St.Andrews in Scotland. Except forSt. Andrews, the other chapters arecity based and open to membersfrom all nearby universities.
The fraternities aim to appeal toJewish students differently from thecountry’s existing network ofJewish societies, which operate sim-ilarly to Hillel chapters in theUnited States and are organizedunder the umbrella of the Union ofJewish Students. JSocs, as they areknown, focus broadly on servingJewish students and defending theirinterests, while the fraternity repre-sentatives say their focus will be onsocial events, volunteering and pro-fessional networking.
“It’s an unexplored territory forthe U.K., so when [British Jewishstudents] see that and understandthey can actually do that throughtheir own means, they becomereally enthusiastic,” said StevenSenft, AEPi’s director of interna-tional expansion.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, theUnion of Jewish Students, whichpromotes Jewish social life on cam-pus, isn’t sold on the new kid on theblock. UJS President Dan Grabinercalled American fraternities “alien”to Jewish life at Britain’s universi-
ties and cited concerns about theirsingle-sex nature and connectionwith binge drinking — a problemthat has dogged Britain for years.
“From reports of fraternity lifein the U.S., it appears that even if itis not their initial intention, they stillencourage binge drinking and anelitist culture which is divisive touniversity life,” Grabiner said.“This, to UJS, does not add toJewish life on campus.”
Laurence Bolotin, the Indiana-based executive director of ZBT,said that Jewish fraternities, whetherin England or the United States, are“as relevant today as ever.”
“They provide college men withan opportunity to bond together, pro-vide service to their campus and totheir Jewish communities,” Bolotinsaid. “Our groups at Nottinghamand Birmingham have alreadybecome active and engaged in theirlocal Jewish communities and planon growing that involvement.”
Though the fraternities are stillsmall in England — the ZBT chap-ter at Birmingham has just 11 mem-bers and the AEPi St. Andrewsbranch has nine — they are grow-ing, with expansion efforts plannedby both groups to target universitiesin Manchester and London.
Ryan Lipman, 19, a first-yearbusiness administration student atBirmingham City University, is thepresident of the Birmingham ZBTchapter. Lipman, who decided toattend university in large part for itssocial aspects, said the stereotypesof fraternity and sorority life are notwhat ZBT is about.
“To be honest, all I know aboutfraternities was literally what I’veseen in the movies — drinking, thehazing — things that have nothingto do with it at all,” Lipman said.“It’s kind of making friends forlife. That’s the main reason I wentto university, and I thought thiscouldn’t hurt it.”
Lipman said the organization
also has helped him meet fellowJews, which can be hard on cam-puses with small Jewish popula-tions.
“There’s 400 people living onmy campus and, of that, I knowabout four Jews and only two ofthem are guys,” he said ofBirmingham, where the ZBTchapter spans several area univer-sities. “You have to make it a kindof citywide one to get the reactionto a Jewish fraternity that we’reaiming to get.”
For a variety of reasons, Britishfraternity life is unlikely to mirrorits American counterpart. The chap-ters are smaller, there are no frater-nity houses (yet), and universitiesoffer little support. Public relationsrepresentatives from Nottinghamand Leeds said they had no knowl-edge of the new chapters.
But frat culture is getting aboost in Britain through a morefamiliar medium: reality televi-sion. “Sorority Girls,” a newBritish reality show, follows fiveAmerican sorority women tryingto create a new chapter in Leeds.According to the show’s website,the women “must endure weeks offull-on challenges while remainingbeautiful and perfectly turned outevery single day.”
The AEPi chapter in Leeds hasreached out to the “Sorority Girls”producers in the hopes of being fea-tured on the show. But despite theboost that such exposure couldbring, fraternity leaders say theymust be careful to find a balancebetween playing on fraternitystereotypes and dispelling them.And ZBT’s Bolotin says it’s impor-tant to create chapters smartly andsustainably, not just rush into thenew frontier of British universities.”
“We want to be very intentionalabout the way that we’re growingthere,” he said. “We want to makesure that it’s going to be studentsthat are going to add to our name.”
American-style Jewish fraternitiescross Atlantic to Britain
By JTA Staff WriterJewish Telegraphic Agency
BERLIN (JTA) — Former KuKlux Klan leader David Duke wasarrested as he was about to speak ata neo-Nazi event in Germany.
Duke, who was discoveredduring identity searches of thoseattending the event on the out-skirts of Cologne, was ordered toleave the country, according to theDie Welt newspaper. In 2007, aruling originating fromSwitzerland banned Duke fromentering and staying in the con-tiguous states of Europe, but the61-year-old Holocaust denier
reportedly was living in Austriasince then and came to Germanyfor the event last week.
Duke returned to Austria theday after his arrest, according toKarl Ollinger, an Austrian memberof parliament with the Green Party,who according to the AustrianDaily Kurier watches the far-rightscene in Austria and takes a specialinterest in Duke’s activities.
The two neo-Nazi organizationssponsoring the event had advertisedDuke’s appearance. According toDie Welt, he only held a specialtransit pass through Germany.
Approximately 100 police offi-cers reportedly surrounded some 60
men and women on their way to theevent and conducted thoroughidentity searches when Duke wasdiscovered and arrested.
Ollinger told the Kurier thatDuke has lived in the resort area ofZell am See since 2007 and said hewas planning to question Austria’sInterior Ministry as to why “a lead-ing international figure from thefar-right extremist movement cantake refuge in Austria when anotherSchengen country kicks him out.”
Duke in recent years has beenpromoting his racist and anti-Semitic views primarily inEastern European and formerSoviet countries.
David Duke arrested prior toaddress at German neo-Nazi event
By JTA Staff WriterJewish Telegraphic Agency
(JTA) — A German neo-Nazigang reportedly created a version ofthe game Monopoly in which deathcamps were substituted for railroads.
The game, called Pogromly,also featured a swastika on the startsquare and offered players thechance to land on squares markedwith the SS emblem. The boardalso included pictures of Hitler andsinister-looking Jews, TheTelegraph reported.
The game was discovered in agarage used by the NationalSocialist Underground, which isaccused in the ethnically motivatedmurder of 10 people. Bomb-mak-ing equipment and unused nailbombs also were found there.
From 2000 to 2011, the gang
reportedly sold the game sets toraise revenue. The game is believedto be based on the events ofKristallnacht, the November 1938Nazi pogrom against German Jews.
“Holocaust survivors recoiledwith horror at the sight of theMonopoly-like board game repletewith swastikas, ‘gasworks,’ con-centration camps, burning Israeliflags, and grotesque caricatures ofJews,” Elan Steinberg, vice presi-dent of the American Gathering ofHolocaust Survivors and theirDescendants, said in a statement.
“The game itself is merely atrivial footnote to the monstrouscrimes these individuals are chargedwith, but the visual impact made bythis twisted theme on such an inno-cently remembered childhood itemserves to punctuate the all-consum-ing hatred that drove these people.”
Death camps featured inneo-Nazi Monopoly game
By Marcy OsterJewish Telegraphic Agency
JERUSALEM (JTA) — IsraeliChief Sephardic Rabbi ShlomoAmar slammed Hillary Clinton forthe U.S. secretary of state’s criticismof the haredi Orthodox establish-ment in Israel’s treatment of women.
“She has no real knowledge ofa Jewish woman’s modesty,” Amartold the haredi Orthodox KolBarama Radio station in an inter-view Monday. “The Jewish peoplerespect women and treat them likequeens and princesses.”
Amar also said that segregatingmen and women on buses is notrequired by Jewish law, but is doneby people who choose to be stricterin their observance.
The rabbi said he does not
oppose women singing in the IsraelDefense Forces, but that the requestto allow religious soldiers to leaveduring a recent performance“politely and without any humilia-tion of course, as the Torah does notinsult anyone and respectswomen,” was not unreasonable.
Clinton over the weekend dur-ing a closed session of the SabanForum in Washington reportedlyrapped the marginalization ofwomen in Israel, citing the exam-ples of religious Israeli soldiersleaving programs that featurewomen singing and women sittingin the back of the bus on somereligious bus lines.
If Clinton had learned from “theright people, scholars, she wouldsee that the Jewish people respecttheir women,” Amar said.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — TheIsraeli lawmaker who sponsoreda bill to limit funding to left-lean-ing NGOs said Joseph McCarthy“was right in every word he said.”
Likud lawmaker Ofir Akunistold a political television showSunday night that McCarthy, theWisconsin senator who presidedover a U.S. Senate committee inthe 1950s that investigatedAmericans suspected of sympa-thy with the communists, “was
right in every word. The fact is,there were Soviet agents.”
Akunis’ bill would ban politi-cal organizations in Israel fromreceiving donations of more thanapproximately $5,500 from for-eign governments and interna-tional organizations. Its progresshas been frozen in the Knesset atthe request of Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu.
Akunis later told the Israelidaily Haaretz that he does notsupport McCarthyism and said hemeant that McCarthy was rightabout Soviet agents infiltratingthe United States.
Over the weekend, U.S.Secretary of State Hillary RodhamClinton criticized the state ofIsraeli democracy, referring in par-ticular to Akunis’ bill.
IsraelBriefs
SOCIAL LIFE • 11THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
SIZE:Art must be no larger than 8.5" Wide x 11" High.
MATERIALS:Anything that shows up bold and bright, such as
markers, crayons, paint or cut paper.
AGE CATEGORIES:Open to children of all ages.
All entries must be received byTOMORROW!TOMORROW! FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9TH
THE AMERICAN ISRAELITE18 WEST NINTH, SUITE 2
CINCINNATI, OH 45202
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12 • GIFT GUIDE WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
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APPOINTMENTSFor 17 years, Appointments
has been the place to go for finepens and more. Located in theCarew Tower, Appointments isCincinnati’s largest fine pendealer.
They specialize in fountainpens and have 20 different lines instock.
Proprietor Doug Kennedy andhis associates Labron Miller andJay Plogman enjoy talking withpeople about gift needs. Betweenthe three of them, they have over50 years experience.
Excellent customer service isimportant to them. They’ll taketime with people to find out his orher needs especially with fountainpens.
At Appointments, customerscan also find items especially forthe men on their holiday gift listwith wallets, luggage and luggagetags, globes, clocks and walkingsticks. They also carry RookwoodPottery tiles, bookends and more.
True to their name,Appointments also carries anarray of stationary, journals andcalendars.
BELL’S HOUSE OFTOBACCO
Bell’s House of Tobacco inSymmes Township offers a uniqueand personable experience for
your fine tobacco needs. The shopcarries one of the largest varietiesof premium cigars, humidors,lighters and general cigar acces-sories in the area.
Since opening in 1999, Bell’shas been working hard to providetheir guests with superior prod-ucts, knowledge and excellentcustomer service.
Bell’s House of Tobacco is anexcellent place for customers newto cigars and pipes and also forcustomers who want to learnsomething new as well as the dis-criminating consumer.
With a passion for productsand customer service, the staff ofBell’s House of Tobacco isknowledgeable about current andfuture trends for premium cigarsand pipes. Bell’s will take the timeto find out exactly what youwould like in a cigar or pipetobacco, and find the best fit foryour budget and personal tastes.
Still not sure what you want,Bell’s House of Tobacco isaccommodating for people tosample wares. The shop has asmoking lounge, a private areadedicated for member guests tobe able to enjoy fine tobaccos.With comfortable leather chairs,televisions, and blues or jazzalways playing in the store, it’shard to believe that people everwant to leave.
ELEGANT TREASURESFor people looking for Jewish
and Hebrew items, this customembroidery shop offers elegantJewish treasures.
Indeed, the heart of ElegantTreasures from the beginning hasbeen to bring Jewish art intohomes. Owner Karen Schiffer wasmotivated to create objects for thehome and infuse them with beautyafter being inspired by a book ofJewish art.
In business since 1999,Schiffer started her operation withhome equipment bought atKramer’s Sew and Vac.
Elegant Treasures has sinceexpanded into commercial equip-ment in order to handle thedemand for her work that contin-ues to grow, even in this troubledeconomy. Today, they are capableof subcontracting work andscreen-printing, and enhancingdesigns with rhinestones andrhinestuds.
The shop is probably bestknown for a wide variety ofJudaica – including kippahs, tal-lit, challah covers, synagogueTorah table covers, dance dressesand humorous Jewish wear.Custom products in her repertoireinclude family tree afghans orwall hangings.
They have several Hebrewfonts perfect for adding names,lettering and monograms to a vari-ety of items like towels, aprons
Gift Guide 2011
GIFT GUIDE • 13THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
and wall hangings.Beyond Judaica, Elegant
Treasures can design and producecustom business identification andpromotional products, school spir-itwear, sports teamwear and gifts.
Owner Schiffer remembersbecoming fascinated by designaround age 10, when she begandesigning clothes for her Barbiedoll.
Schiffer came by business hon-estly. Her mother, Betty (Isaacs)Roth, owned a gifts, stationaryand collectible shop called“Something Else,” in Landen,Ohio for 23 years. Her father, theformer Dr. Oliver K. Roth, was afamily physician for over 30 yearsin Blue Ash, Ohio.
She grew up in Montgomeryand attended local schools. Sheearned her undergraduate degreeat Ohio State and her master’sdegree at Miami University ineducational disciplines.
Schiffer worked as a physicaleducation/health teacher andcoach before she went on to raiseher family in Cincinnati.
After her children were ontheir own and that phase of her lifewas done, Schiffer returned to herfirst love – design – by startingElegant Treasures.
Now every day holds thepotential of giving her creativityan outlet and the promise ofwatching the pleasure customersderive from seeing their design institches.
GATTLE’SLocated on Cooper Road in
Old Montgomery, Gattle’s hasbeen in Cincinnati since Germanimmigrant, Henrietta Gattle,began selling imported lace cur-tains door-to-door here.
Over the years Gattle’s busi-ness grew to include a location inMichigan, and another in Florida,while her product lines of luxuryfabrics and other items grew toencompass bath, bedding, sleep-wear and lingerie as well as tablelinens, soaps, fragrances and gifts.
Its reputation is based onassembling an array of fine linens– the finest cotton from Egypt;intimate apparel by the best
designers.Popes and presidents have
been customers.Henrietta and her son, Otto,
opened Gattle’s first storefront inCincinnati in 1920 on WestSeventh Street in downtownCincinnati. This was one yearafter Henrietta opened a store inPetoskey, Mich. to serve her cus-tomers there.
In the 1950s they opened storesin Florida and North Carolina.
In 1964, the company began toprint and distribute cataloguesnationally.
Third generation owner, TomGattle, sold the Michigan andCincinnati stores to familyfriends, the Cheneys, 25 yearsago.
Barbara Cheney said, “Wehave always strived to make ourstores a place where customers’comfort is never compromised.”
KRAMER’S SEW AND VACKramer’s Sew and Vac has
been in Cincinnati since 1947.At its store on Montgomery
Road, in the Kroger anchoredshopping center across from theCamargo Cadillac, Kramer’soffers a comprehensive array ofproducts and services for thosewho love to sew, embroider andquilt. They also carry a completeline of sewing furniture.
Included in their services areclasses in all sorts of fabric craftsas well as access to designs.
Every month Kramer’s offers afull calendar of classes and events.
In addition to sewing productsand services, Kramer’s stocks 40different models and nine brandsof vacuums.
Trade-ins are welcome, andwarranty work is done in the store.They repair and service mostmajor brands of sewing machinesand vacuums, and they are anauthorized Bernina and BrotherSewing Machine repair center.
Kramer’s offers a sharpeningservice for knives, scissors andpinking shears with a one-day turnaround as well.
Pricing is a major focus ofKramer’s – at or below the dis-count stores.
VICTORIA TRAVELThe Victoria Travel staff has a
combined total of 250 years of trav-el experience. Since 1960 they haveassisted clients with their travelneeds; they can assist you in com-pleting a well-planned, best valuetravel experience. Their associationwith a consortium of independenttravel agencies allows them to offerexclusive amenities, not availableto other agencies, when you bookcruises, tours and hotels.
Vicky Mary, the owner ofVictoria Travel has seen hundredsof hotels in cities and villages allover the world and it is her first-hand knowledge which will assistyou in planning a taylored vaca-tion or business trip. She has com-prehensive knowledge of hotels,restaurants and things to see anddo. From an island getaway to atour of Europe, her imaginationcan transform your vacation orhoneymoon into reality.
14 • DINING OUT WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
By Sondra KatkinDining Editor
As a denizen of Milford, thecoolest little enclave in greaterCincinnati, it’s a pleasure to writeabout Padrino, an excellent exampleof local casual dining. Here in thissmall city, you discover a historicdistrict with buildings restored toresemble their original design. Itsmain street contains an eclectic col-lection of enterprises that includeantique shops, cupcakeries, bak-eries, candy shops, tea and coffeeemporiums, a custom dress designboutique, gift shops and restaurants;housed in all their period finery, andnow further enhanced by the holi-day decorations — a virtual paradeof 19th century stationary “floats.”
Restaurant commentary typi-cally applauds the small businessfolks whose families support theirdining establishments; Padrinoexemplifies family. Their chef,Court Thomas is the brother ofowner, Hunter Thomas, a prizewinning sommelier; their manager,Neil Barraco, is the brother ofexecutive chef, Paul Barraco. Inaddition, many of their recipes arehanded down by their mothers,aunts and grandmothers. This pro-motes a warm, friendly atmospherewhich I greatly appreciated on thechilly, rainy day of my visit.
Paul Barraco described their piz-zas as “non conforming” since theyare handmade and not always a per-fect circle. I sampled the bruschettapizza, “one of our best,” accordingto Barraco. More oval than round, ithad a juicy, creamy, herbal flavor.“All of our crusts are thin with but-ter, garlic and parmesan,” he added.I learned that there are several typesof mozzarella, with fresh being less“gummy,” softer and creamier. Awhole milk cheese, it’s a bit moreexpensive than the normal shreddedvariety but worth it to achieve asuperior tasting pizza. In addition,the bruschetta has generous slices oftomatoes, liberal shavings of freshbasil and a sprinkling of oreganoand parmesan. They are added at thelast minute for extra taste.“Cincinnati Magazine” got wind ofthese delicious pizzas and awardedthem placement (at number six) ontheir top 10 list. They have a nicevariety of vegetarian pizzas, fre-quent pizza specials and whatBarraco calls “interesting” pizzassuch as the hot brown pizza and thegrilled cheese and tomato souppizza. Some great imaginations areat work here. I was sorry that Icouldn’t bring my sample home formy husband Steve who can eat nogluten, but I did have other treats forhim (roast beef and salad).
Speaking of gluten, the bread onthe roast beef giardiniera sandwichis not to be missed. As aPhiladelphia girl who grew up onhoagies and pizza steak sandwiches,I wondered where I would find thatcrusty roll with just the perfect
amount of bread texture inside.Padrino has it. They import it fromNew York and bake it fresh. “This isa proper vessel for sandwiches,”Barraco commented. You can iden-tify this bread when you touch thecrust and large pieces actually flakeoff. Then you hear the crunch whenyou bite into it, and the flavors don’tget lost in a lot of dough. It’s filledwith melt-in-your-mouth slices ofangus beef covered with marinatedminced cauliflower, carrot, bananaand jalapeno peppers and garlic.There is homemade au jus for dip-ping, and if that’s not enough (it is)you can add their original hot sauce.In Sicily, when we asked forcrushed red peppers, they served usa hot oil mixture. Padrino hasimproved on this concept with a100% red Fresno chile sauce theycall “Dark Star” (Hunter Thomas’creation). Barraco explained, “It’s avery strenuous process with a lot ofcutting that yields a nice fluid saucewith a good balance of sweet andhot.” I loved it on my pizza; it addedan extra layer of savory savoir fairethat was quite salubrious.
The selection of salads includesCaesar, garden, antipasti, their ownversion of Caprice salad with basil,tomatoes and fresh mozzarella to
which they add a crisp mix ofgreens tossed in tomato basil vinai-grette. I sampled the “L.L.” salad. Ilearned the letters stand for ladies’love but I was assured that men loveit too. No wonder. The homemadecandied almond slivers added asweet crunch to a nice variety ofgreens with feta cheese. There werethinly sliced red onions too. Since Iam onion averse, I was hesitant totry them but they were so thin andwell blended into the other ingredi-ents, I could appreciate their slightlyhot bite without being over-whelmed. I also enjoyed the craisinswhich were chunkier than the tinyred “dot” you normally get. It wasaccompanied by a lovely briocheshaped garlic knot, a delicious foilto the bright flavors of the salad.You can add chicken to your selec-tion since “things are so customiz-able,” according to Barraco.
The Barraco’s Italian heritageshines through in their homemademeatballs and marinara sauce. Iwas informed that the sauce cooksfor three hours and consists of SanMarzano tomatoes, the cadillac oftomatoes because of their lowmoisture content which creates athicker sauce. Their meatballs arelight, slow cooked and handmade
with pieces of bread, no breadcrumbs. They also make their ownricotta cheese for the lasagna. Inthe Italian tradition, the restaurantis frequently filled with families.Other diner drawing delectablesare their comfort food specialssuch as lemon roasted chicken withrosemary garlic potatoes and salad,meatloaf and pot roast with bigchunky vegetables and gravy fromnatural juices. Regular features arecreamy tomato basil soup, severalvarieties of chicken entrees andspaghetti combos.
Neil Barraco told me they havefour revolving kegs for beer on tapto keep everything fresh, along witha wide selection of bottled beers,including Yuengling. People areenjoying all the varying subtle fla-vors available from micro brew-eries. There is always a featuredbeer and pizza on their blackboard.Neil enjoys creating herbal infusedcocktails such as sage, sage andbasil or lemon basil martinis alongwith the other choices of cocktailsand wines. On Saturday eveningsthey feature live music that rangesfrom five or six piece bands tosinger composers. An eating chal-lenge is also available for seriouslycompetitive ruminators. They have
a wall of fame/shame with plaquesdenoting the “lucky” winners whowere able to down two pounds ofspaghetti, one pound of marinara,one pound of meatballs and fourgarlic knots. They win a Padrino teeshirt, their $30 dinner is free andthey receive a gift card. I have beento this restaurant many times andhave always enjoyed the deliciousfood, friendliness and family atmos-phere. Steve enjoys their antipastiwith chicken and now I think he willorder the roast beef sandwich (with-out the bread of course).
Padrino does catering and has aprivate room that seats up to 35 peo-ple. Padrino is open Monday from11 a.m. to 9 p.m., on Tuesday toFriday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., andon Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.for the kitchen; the bar and bandwith pizza available by the slice till1 a.m. Happy hour is Monday toThursday from 4–6 p.m. with halfoff beers, discounted appetizers,house wines and cocktails. There isoff street parking behind the restau-rant with a convenient rear entrance.
Padrino111 Main Street
Milford, OH 45150513-965-0100
Fine food, friendliness and family atmosphere at Padrino
(Clockwise) Creative chefs, Court Thomas and Paul Barraco; Decorative front entry of Padrino; Perfectly crunchy bread meets meat ofhigh quality with tangy and spicy veggie topping; Sweet crunch in the “L.L.” salad and creamy cheese flavor in bruschetta “handthrown” pizza.
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DINING OUT • 15THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
20 Brix
101 Main St
Historic Milford
831-Brix (2749)
Ambar India Restaurant
350 Ludlow Ave
Cincinnati
281-7000
Andy’s Mediterranean Grille
At Gilbert & Nassau
2 blocks North of Eden Park
281-9791
Azad India Restaurant
4762 Cornell Rd
Blue Ash
530-9999
Baba India Restaurant
3120 Madison Rd
Cincinnati
321-1600
Bangkok Terrace
4858 Hunt Rd
Blue Ash
891-8900 • 834-8012 (fx)
Bella Luna Café
4632 Eastern Ave
Cincinnati
871-5862
Carlo & Johnny
9769 Montgomery Rd
Cincinnati
936-8600
Gabby’s Cafe
515 Wyoming Ave
Wyoming
821-6040
Incahoots
4110 Hunt Rd
Blue Ash
793-2600
Izzy’s
800 Elm St • 721-4241
612 Main St • 241-6246
5098B Glencrossing Way
347-9699
1198 Smiley Ave • 825-3888
300 Madison Ave
Covington • 859-292-0065
Johnny Chan 2
11296 Montgomery Rd
The Shops at Harper’s Point
489-2388 • 489-3616 (fx)
K.T.’s Barbecue & Deli
8501 Reading Rd
Reading
761-0200
Kanak India Restaurant
10040B Montgomery Rd
Montgomery
793-6800
Marx Hot Bagels
9701 Kenwood Rd
Blue Ash
891-5542
Mecklenburg Gardens
302 E. University Ave
Clifton
221-5353
Padrino
111 Main St
Milford
965-0100
Parkers Blue Ash Grill
4200 Cooper Rd
Blue Ash
891-8300
Pomodori’s
121West McMillan • 861-0080
7880 Remington Rd
Montgomery • 794-0080
Slatt’s Pub
4858 Cooper Rd
Blue Ash
791-2223 • 791-1381 (fax)
Stone Creek Dining Co.
9386 Montgomery Rd
Montgomery
489-1444
Sukhothai Thai Cuisine
8102 Market Place Ln
Cincinnati
794-0057
Sultan’s Med. Cuisine
7305 Tyler’s Corner Dr
West Chester
847-1535
Tandoor
8702 Market Place Ln
Montgomery
793-7484
Tony’s
12110 Montgomery Rd
Montgomery
677-1993
VIEW Cucina
2200 Victory Pkwy
Cincinnati
751-8439
R E S TR E S T A U R A N T D I R E C T O RA U R A N T D I R E C T O R YY
Rabbi Avi ShafranContributing Columnist
Remember Terri Schiavo, the“vegetative” Florida woman who,as a result of her husband’s insis-tence and a court order (over herparents’ objections), was removedfrom life support and died in 2005?
“Vegetative” patients—peoplewho, due to disease or accident,are unresponsive to stimuli—areconsidered by many to be lessthan truly alive.
Last year, though, a group ofEuropean scientists employedsomething called functional mag-netic resonance imaging (fMRI),which shows cellular activityacross brain regions, to demon-strate that four patients in a groupof 54 diagnosed as vegetativewere in fact hearing and thinking— and could actually communi-cate — answering yes-or-no ques-tions about their lives — throughmental effort.
And now, the prestigious med-ical journal The Lancet has pub-lished a study demonstrating thatthree severely brain-injured peoplethought to be in an irreversible“vegetative” state showed signs offull consciousness when testedwith a relatively inexpensive,widely available method of meas-uring brain waves. The researchersused a portable electroencephalo-gram (EEG) machine, which picksup electrical brain activity in thebrain’s cortex, or surface layer,through electrodes positioned on aperson’s head.
The research team gave 16“vegetative” people simple instruc-tions, to squeeze their right handsinto a fist or wiggle their toes whenthey heard a beep. The tasks wererepeated up to 200 times.
In healthy people processingthose instructions, the EEG pickedup a clear pattern in the premotorcortex, the area of the brain thatplans and prepares movements;the electrical flare associated withthe hand was distinct from thatassociated with the toes.
Although the three supposedlyvegetative people could not movetheir fingers or toes, their brainsshowed precisely the same elec-trical patterns.
Of course, even in the absenceof evidence of any brain activitydetectable by machines we havenow, no one can know whatdegree of consciousness persistsin a body unable to move. But adiagnosis of “permanent vegeta-tive state” can make it lawful towithdraw assisted nutrition andhydration — in other words, tostarve the patient to death.
A different issue is “braindeath”—a diagnosis of irreversible
cessation of all brain function,which modern medicine and secu-lar law consider sufficient to permitthe “harvesting” of organs beforeremoval of life-support. In the eyesof halacha, can such a patient,whose heart is still beating, in factbe considered a warm corpse?
Some rabbis say yes. But manyof the most prominent halachicauthorities, including Rav ShlomoZalman Auerbach, zt”l, andyibodel lechaim, Rav YosefElyashiv, disagree. Leadinghalachic lights in the United Stateswho concur with those poskiminclude Rabbi Herschel Schachterand Rabbi J. David Bleich.
(Halacha, to be sure, does notalways insist that life be main-tained; in some cases of seriouslyill patients, even those with fullbrain function, it even forbidsintercessions that will prolongsuffering. But Judaism considerslife precious, indeed holy, evenwhen its “quality” is severelydiminished. And so, halacha doesnot permit any action that mighthasten the demise of a person inextremis. And, needless to say, itforbids removal of vital organsfrom a patient not deemed byhalacha to be deceased.)
Back in 2005, PrincetonUniversity Professor of BioethicsPeter Singer was asked by TheNew York Times what today-taken-for-granted idea or value hethinks may disappear in the next35 years. He responded: “the tra-ditional view of the sanctity ofhuman life.” It will, he went on toexplain, “collapse under pressurefrom scientific, technological anddemographic developments.”
The professor, unfortunately,is likely right about society’sregard for human life — particu-larly as life-spans increase, insur-ance costs rise, and demand fortransplantable organs intensifies.Human beings run the risk of mor-phing from holy harborers ofsouls into… commodities.
Ironically, though, Singer maybe wrong about technologicaldevelopments. As events of latehave shown, the creative use oftechnology can upend our assump-tions about things like “vegeta-tive” patients, and act as a brakeon the “progress” of the com-moditization of human life.
Would an EEG have yieldedany sign of consciousness in TerriSchiavo’s unresponsive body?Doctors say it is unlikely, that herbrain was likely too deeply dam-aged.
But of course we’ll never reallyknow.
Rabbi Shafran is an editor at largeand columnist for Ami Magazine.
LETTERS TO THE EDITORDo you have something to say? E-mail your letter to [email protected]
Dear Editor
I walked into Montreal,Canada’s Notre-Dame Basilicaand was awed by gold-tippedcarvings, statues, a magnificentaltar. I sat in a pew, for a few min-utes, trying to take in the splendorof such a structure. I imagined aHollywood-type wedding whereguests rose as a bride glided downthe aisle, rose petals at her feet,and Prince Charming touching herarm as both kneeled in the sur-roundings of vaulted ceiling andglamour. Adding to the magic, Imused about the massive organsounding out the traditional wed-ding march, and a Mass in Latinwith incense waving and priestlyrobes on clergy, and echoesbouncing from gilded walls.
As a little girl, I saw my neigh-bor in her pretty Communion out-fit ready to go to her Catholicchurch. I wondered why I couldn’thave such a bridal dress and head-piece, and a wafer put in mymouth, and even walk into a big,big church. Definitely, I believed,people, on bent knees asking to beblessed, have to feel a great pres-ence of the Almighty in hugebuildings with stained glass win-dows. My synagogue was first justa room above a shoe-repair shop;a house on Northern Blvd. inQueens County, NY, was laterconverted into the shul with class-rooms from original bedrooms. Avelvet drape with gold embossedletters, saying ‘in memory of’ anda name, was the equivalent of analtar cover. Certainly didn’t lookeither spiritual or splendid like achurch’s altar.
My mind visualized parts ofmy past as I sat on a rear-seat inthe Notre-Dame Basilica. Hm.Could I whisper my privatethoughts amid these distractionsof art and architecture? Might Iconstantly stare at polished woodpews and glittering gold decora-tion rather than a prayer book?Could I twirl a grogger in here, ormarch around doing dancingmovements during SimchatTorah? This Basilica was beauti-ful; my little shul, with the centerof attention being the Torahscrolls adorned with silver breast-plates, was beautiful. I didn’t real-ize this growing up. I assumedthat trappings tapped into reli-gious souls, whatever a soul wasanyway, and someone as powerfulas the maker of the entire universejust would prefer a palace to aconverted house; it still lookedlike a house no matter what themailing address label said.
For the girls’ confirmation, wethirteen year olds put on whiterobes like the ones worn for highschool graduations. The congrega-tion was seated in what had beena master-bedroom, our chapel,and we girls climbed the fireescape to make our specialentrance to the bima. The outsidestaircase wasn’t easy to navigatein the ankle length robe with itsflowing sleeves, but I pretended tocope well. What would a girls’confirmation be like in Montreal,Canada’s Notre-Dame Basilica?Oh my gosh, a fairy tale. Oh mygosh would I have rememberedlittle details of my religious rite ofpassage, and the small leatherBible given to me by the Ladies’
Guild that continues to hold fami-ly birth/death dates, had I been ina majestic building like this?
People near me were speakingFrench; I didn’t understand them.I was not allowed to learn Hebrewas a girl and smiled, hearing theforeign language, that I wouldn’thave understood the very samepersons had they been speakingIsrael’s official language.
The church was a gorgeous artgallery and museum and com-plete escape from a real world,but, for me, didn’t allow rever-ence. Maybe, as a little girldecades ago, I would have felt thesame had I walked into the houseof worship my neighbor attended;I never considered that before andit seemed to surprise me. Mymaternal grandma scolded mewhen I stubbornly refused tocross a street and walk anothersidewalk because I would actual-ly be in front of a reform syna-gogue. And, at about age ten, I sowanted to peek into the one nearCentral Park in NY but didn’t as Isensed my grandmother’s pres-ence and heard, in my mind, herscolding words. Yet, in aMontreal tourist attraction, as anadult, I still felt my identity; whydid my mother’s mama think I’dchange my religion at age ten if Iambled by a non-orthodox place?
Childhood instruction, services,and where I was married tookplace in that house converted into asynagogue, and I was connected tosimple yahrzeit plaques and aneternal light. Sitting in that space inMontreal, I first realized my roots
1.) Where did Esau live? (Two answers)a.) Israel b.) Edom c.) Babylond.) Egypte.) Land of the Philistines
2.) How many men accompanied Esauto meet Jacob?a.) He went aloneb.) 120 c.) 400
3.) Where did Jacob fight an angel?a.) Mount Hermon b.) Edom
c.) River Yabok
4.) Where did Jacob sustain an injuryduring this fight?a.) Hipb.) Shoulderc.) Foot
5.) Where is Rachel buried?a.) Jerusalemb.) Hebron c.) Bethlehem
Extra Credit) Who was Eliphaz? Where else doeshis name appear in the Bible? (Hint: He befriendeda man who is a symbol of suffering.)
ANSWERS1.) A,B—32:4, 36,6-8 Esau left Canaan because Isaac blessed Jacob that hewould inherit Canaan. Ramban2.) C—32:7 The men went alongside Esau, but were not one with him. R Bchai3.) C—32:234.) A—32:26 The injury started to heal at sunrise (32:32), “a sun of righteous-
ness which brings healing” Rashi5.) C—35:19E. C.) 36:10-12—Eliphaz was the son of Esau and the progenitor of Amalek, thenation which later attacked the Israelites after their Exodus from Egypt. He wasalso a friend of Job and had philosophical discussions with him about why therighteous suffer.
THIS WEEK’S PORTION: VAYISHLACH (GENESIS 32:4—36:43)
Written by Rabbi Dov Aaron Wise
TEST YOUR TORAH KNOWLEDGE
16 • OPINION WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
‘Is Anybody There?’
LETTERS on page 22
Efrat, Israel — “I am the Lordof Beth El, where you annointed amonument and where You mademe a vow. Now, — arise, leavethis land, and return to the land ofyour birth” (Gen 31:13).
After more than two decadesaway from home, Jacob has final-ly extricated himself from Labanand the comfortable, materialisticexile which his uncle created forhim. He hears a Divine voicecommanding him to go home andJacob plans “to go back to myfather’s house in peace.” So hesets out for Hebron where Isaachad lived with Abraham (Gen35:37), and where the initialfamilial charge had been given.
However, although Jacob takeshis leave of Laban at the end ofthe portion of Vayetze, it is onlyafter stopping off at Seir, and thenSukkot (which suggests continuedwandering) then Shekhem for anextended stay, then Beth El wherehe builds a monument, thenBethlehem where he buries hisbeloved Rachel, and finallyMigdal Eder — only after all thesestops and way-stations does hefinally return to his father’s homefour chapters and many adven-tures later. What took him solong? What is the Bible teachingus in detailing this long delay?
Jacob asked G-d to return himto his father’s house “in peace.”Jacob’s early years were certainlynot peaceful; his relationship withtwin-brother Esau was tense; andhis relationship with his fatherIsaac was too. Jacob felt unappre-ciated and unloved by his fatherand he felt guilty toward his fatheras a result of his deceptive mas-querade in the guise of Esau tosteal the birthright.
Most significantly, Jacob wasnot at peace with himself and withhis G-d. Yes, Abraham had alsobeen an aggressive fighter, whocame from behind with only asmall militia to defeat the four ter-rorist kings; and yes, the heir tothe Abrahamic birthright wouldhave to act courageously and evenmilitantly to see to it that compas-sionate righteousness and justmorality would dominate theworld order. But, even though
Esau had sold him the birthrightfor a bowl of lentil soup, hadn’tJacob taken unfair advantage ofhis brother’s hunger? Would notcompassionate righteousness havesuggested that he give him thesoup without charge? And is itmorally just to pretend to besomeone else and deceive yourfather into giving you thebirthright?
Although Rebecca had provento Isaac that Jacob could utilizethe hands of Esau to claim hisrightful birthright — making useof those grasping hands of Esaucan potentially strangle the Divinevoice of Jacob, the wholeheartedand scholarly image of G-d with-in. This is clearly what happensto Jacob in Labanland, where heout-foxes the sly and foxy Labanhimself. This is why the angel inhis dream calls him back to hisbirthplace, reminds him of his ear-lier idealism, and returns him histruest original self, the whole-hearted dweller in tents.
But Jacob must repent beforehe returns to his father; he must goto Seir where he returns the“blessing” to Esau whom headdresses as his master and elderbrother (Gen 33:11). Jacob mustdisgorge the Esauism andLabanism which has almost pene-trated the essence of his being. Hedoes this in the wrestling matchwhich takes place within his ownself, when the image of G-d isreturned to his innermost soul(33:10). Yes, he can and shouldachieve aggressive mastery overthe strong and powerful evilforces of Esau and the angel ofEsau (Yisra-el), but with yosher— moral integrity for G-d wantsrighteousness, “Yashar-el.”
He goes to Shekhem, where —despite the rape of his daughter,Dinah, he refuses to behave withduplicity to Shechem (the rapist)
and his father. Indeed, he roundlycondemns Simeon and Levi fordeceiving their city into circumci-sion only in order to weaken andeventually kill them Jacob isdemonstrating that he has nowlearned the importance of honestconfrontation, the lesson of being“straight,” up front and not a“heel-sneak.”
Jacob is forced to bury hisbeloved Rachel because she didnot confront her father honestly.He should have pointed out thatsince her husband — and not herbrothers — had secured Laban’swealth in livestock, he, Jacob,deserved the household godswhich represented the right ofinheritance. Rachel also stoopedto deception, and Jacob had swornthat whoever had stolen the godsdeserved to die!
Finally, Jacob realizes that hiseldest son, Reuben, slept with hisconcubine Bilhah to demonstratethat as the eldest son of the firstwife Leah, he deserved thebirthright, rather than his youngerbrother Joseph, the first-born sonof Rachel. By favoring Joseph,Jacob had done to Reuben whathis own father had done to him.Now Jacob realizes that in settingpatterns of behavior in his desireto be Esau, he is in no small wayresponsible for Reuben’s trans-gression. Now he is finally able toappreciate and forgive Isaac’sfavoritism. Simultaneously, heunderstands that his father cannow forgive him just as he is nowforgiving Reuben.
Jacob is able to return to hisfather “in peace,” finally leavingthe family tensions, jealousies andhatreds behind!
Jacob’s early years were certainlynot peaceful; his relationship with
twin-brother Esau was tense; and hisrelationship with his father Isaac was
too. Jacob felt unappreciated andunloved by his father and he felt guilty
towards his father as a result of hisdeceptive masquerade in the guise
of Esau to steal the birthright.
By Nate BloomContributing Columnist
SOMETHING FUNNY;SOMETHING SCHMALTZY
“The Sitter” stars JONAHHILL, 27, as a college student(“Noah Jaybird”) who is suspend-ed from school, goes home, and iscoaxed into babysitting for thethree young kids next door (boyand girl siblings and a foreign stu-dent living with the neighbors).Noah’s hot girlfriend (ARIGRAYNOR, 25) calls him just ashe starts watching the kids andtells him to meet her at a party.Noah takes the kids with him anda wild night, including beingchased by drug dealers, ensues(opens Friday, Dec. 9).
ERIN DANIELS, 38, has asupporting role, playing thekids’ mother, the sexy Mrs.Pedulia. Born Erin Cohen in St.Louis, Daniels is instantly recog-nizable to fans of the formerShowtime series, “The L Word.”She co-starred as DanaFairbanks, a pro tennis playerwho died of breast cancer duringthe series’ 3rd season.
“New Year’s Eve,” directed byGarry Marshall, is very much likehis 2010 hit, “Valentine’s Day,”which was killed by critics, but didgreat at the box office. Like“Valentine’s,” it features inter-spersed stories of couples and sin-gles seeking romance on a holiday.The huge cast includes SARAHJESSICA PARKER, 46, LEAMICHELE, 25, and SARA PAX-TON, 23. It looks like, from thetrailer, that Michele (“Glee”) beltsout a song to the Times Squarecrowd (opens Dec. 9).
Paxton, a pretty lithe blonde,co-starred in “Aquamarine”(2006) and the 2009 re-make of“Last House on the Left.” Both herparents are dentists. Her mother,who was born and raised inMexico, was born Jewish. Herfather is a convert to Judaism.
PORTLY AND JEWISHSeveral mental strands came
together as I was writing this col-umn. First, I noticed that JonahHill (above) was still roly-polywhen he filmed “The Sitter.” Hedidn’t dramatically slim downuntil later this year. Then Iwatched a feature about films andspecials on Turner Classic Movies(TCM) this month. Mentionedwas a new documentary onChristmas films and a clip of afilm co-starring one of my all-timefavorite character actors — S.Z.SAKALL (1883-1955).
Sakall was born in Hungary.Quite rotund, with fat, dimpledcheeks and a double chin, he wasso cute that he was often billed,“Cuddles” Sakall. He’s best
remembered as the waiter in“Casablanca” (1943). Sakall’sthree sisters died, sadly, in theHolocaust.
Sakall never played Santa, buteasily could have — and then Istarted to think — were there otherJewish actors who could have litup a Christmas celebration oreight nights of Hanukkah partieswith their cheery bulk?
Hill (formerly) and Sakall aretwo. Here are six others: EDASNER, 81. This gruffly funnyfellow actually played Santa in thehit XMAS 2003 movie, “Elf.”;MAURY CHAYKIN (1949-2010). Best known for playingTV’s Nero Wolfe; Chaykin playeda very chubby and lovable Jewishuncle in the sweet film, “UnstrungHeroes” (1995); JONFAVREAU, 45. Like Ed Asner, hegoes up-and-down weight-wise.He can be “zaftig zany”; MAU-RICE GOSFIELD (1913-64).Built like a matzo-ball with legs,he’s best remembered for playingthe hapless Pvt. Duane Dobermanon the hit ‘50s sit-com, “Sgt.Bilko”; JEROME “Curly”HOWARD of the Three Stooges.Need I say more?; and, of course,ZERO MOSTEL (1915-77),who’s comic genius was as ampleas his waist line.
Mostel, by the way, co-starredas a Jewish comedian who is a vic-tim of the ‘50s Hollywood black-list in the excellent 1976 film,“The Front,” directed by the lateMARTIN RITT. It co-starsWOODY ALLEN (who didn’twrite the film) as a cashier who’spaid to put his name on TV scriptswritten by blacklisted writers. Thefilm was “selected” by actressWINONA RYDER, who isTCM’s “guest programmer” thismonth. It airs on Wednesday, Dec.21, at 8PM. This well-paced filmhas some humor, but it’s a searingdrama at its heart. Ryder will introthis film and three others that fol-low it that night.
SPIRITUAL SUSTENANCEActress MAYIM BIALIK, 35,
(TV’s “Blossom”; Amy Fowler on“Big Bang Theory”), who has aUCLA doctorate in neuroscience,will teach a live on-line class onWednesday, Dec. 14, at 9AMEST, entitled: “Eight Ways toConnect to G-d through Food: APersonal Journey.” She’ll discusshow she combined her experi-ences with food with her journeyto observant Judaism. The class isopen to all women and girls, butspace is limited. Sign-up for theclass or watch a recording later onthe Jewish learning websiteHYPERLINK.
Check out the site even ifBialik’s class is not quite your dishor cup of tea.
JEWZ IN THE NEWZ
18 • JEWZ IN THE NEWZ WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
Among the betrothalsannounced during the past weekare those of David J. Joseph, son ofMrs. Joseph Joseph and MissEmily, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.Bernard Aram of LexingtonAvenue, Avondale; Walter Kleinand Miss Francis Weil; RabbiHorace J. Wolf of Rochester, N.Y.,to Miss Ruth, daughter of Mr. andMrs. Louis S. Levi of ProspectPlace, Avondale.
Mr. Jacob Strauss, a longtimeand highly respected resident ofthis city, died in Chicago, onDecember 3, after a short illness.The funeral took place from his lateresidence, 1394 Myrtle Avenue,Walnut Hills, Wednesday after-noon. Dr. Grossman officiated inthe Chapel of the United JewishCemetery. The deceased is sur-vived by three sons, Jerome, Harryand Ned, and two daughters, Mrs.Ruth Strauss and Mrs. Dr. BernardKatz of Chicago, Ill.
Cincinnati friends havereceived cards announcing thearrival on November 29, of JeanneNettle Gidding, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. J. D. Gidding, of NewYork City.
Cincinnati is unique amongcities of the first-class in the UnitedStates, in that it permits the drivingof hogs in the day-time through itsstreets, and its principal streets atthat. This is an oportunity for amuch needed reform. — December7, 1911
Lester A. Jaffe is the nomineefor presidency of Cincinnati’sRockdale Avenue Temple, the elec-tion being a part of the program forthe congregation’s annual dinnerSunday, Jan. 24th, at the HotelSinton. He is to succeed AdolphRosenberg, president the past twoyears, and has been on the boardeight years.
Other choices are Morton J.Heldman, vice president, andStanley Klein, re-election as secre-tary, and Julius W. Freiberg, re-election as treasurer.
Joseph Schwartz, 52, passedaway at his home in Dayton, Oh.,Saturday, Dec. 5th.
Mr. Schwartz was a formerCincinnatian and was a former rep-resentative of the Keilson TobaccoCo. of Dayton.
Surviving are his widow, Mrs.Evelyn Schwartz, of Dayton; twosisters, Mrs. L. W. Dargul and Mrs.Harry Litt, Hamilton; and sevenbrothers, Dr. A. L., Dr. B. and PatSchwartz, all of Cincinnati.
Services were held at Weil’sMonday, Dec. 7th, Rabbi SamuelWohl officiating.
Miami Lodge 46, F. & A. M.,
installed the following officersWednesday, Dec. 2nd, at ScottishRite Auditorium: Messrs. SolKaplan, worshipful master; NicolasGolusin, senior Warden; SchachneWittstein, junior warden; Dr. J. B.Falk, senior deacon; Harold Baron,junior deacon; Sidney Karp, seniorsteward; Albert L. Weinstein, chap-lain; Sam Rouda, treasurer; J.Weinberg, secretary; Jack Radin,tyler. — December 10, 1936
Mr. and Mrs. Leon Bass, 1310Paddock Hills Avenue, havereturned following a two-monthstay in Israel and a visit in Europe.
Mr. Bass was in Israel at theinvitation of the U.S. StateDepartment International Co-oper-ation Administration as a nationalquality control survey consultant toIsrael’s Ministry of Commerce andIndustry.
He is manager of advancedquality control engineering atGeneral Electric’s large Jet EngineDepartment here.
Officers of the AlfredBewttman Foundation for UrbanPlanning were re-elected at theannual meeting at the Queen CityClub.
They are Walter A. Draper,president; Ladislas Segoe, vicepresident; James L. Magrish, secre-tary, and Max Hirsch, treasurer.
Judge Gilbert Bettman,Bleecker Marquette, Mr. Hirschand Mr. Magrish were re-elected tothree-year terms as trustees.
Judge Benjamin S. Schwartz ofJuvenile Court was elected presi-dent of Queen City Lodge 4,Fraternal Order of PoliceAssociates on Tuesday night, Dec.5.
Judge Schwartz succeeds JudgeCharles S. Bell as president of theorganization. He has been servingas chairman of the entertainmentcommittee of the lodge. JudgeSchwartz was nominated by boththe Blue and White ticket nominat-ing committees.
Other unopposed nomineesincluded William Hyman, secre-tary; Alfred D. Meitus, a trustee. —December 7, 1961
Four million dollars in IsraelBonds were purchased at the Dec. 7dinner paying tribute to Oliver W.Birckhead, chairman of the board,president and chief executive offi-cer of the Central Trust Company,as Israel Bonds Man of the Year.
Led by a generous commitmentby Central Trust, the communityresponded in terms unequalled atprevious Man of the Year dinnersmaking the event “the largest night
ever experienced in Israel Bondshistory in the city,” announcedMark Alan Greenberger, IsraelBonds chairman.
Former United States Secretaryof State Alexander M. Haig, Jr. wasguest speaker.
Juanita S. Rosenbaum of 1164Cheyenne Drive passed away Dec.1.
She is survived by her husband,Morton I. Rosenbaum; two daugh-ters, Diane N. Resnick of Chicagoand Ruth L. Rosenbaum ofCincinnati; and a granddaughterJulia Jennifer Resnick. —December 11, 1986
Vera Sanker, volunteer forJewish Family Service (JFS) washonored as a finalist for theCommunity Quarterback Award bythe National Football League’sCincinnati Bengals. The award is anNFL-wide volunteer recognitionprogram that has donated nearly $1million to community organizationsserved by outstanding volunteers.Agencies nominated outstandingvolunteers for the award and a panelfrom the Bengals chose the final-ists.
Sanker has served on the JFSboard for more than 40 years, vol-unteering as an officer of the boardin almost every capacity and onalmost every agency committee.She has advocated for the adoptionprogram, resulting in growth infamilies and services offered. JFSreceived $1,000 from the Bengalson behalf of Sanker’s volunteerism.
In 1909, they were Europeanimmigrants without families, orfarm girls coming to the city tostudy or work in factories. In the1940s they staffed industry whilethe men were off to war. In the newcentury, they may be students whoalso need to hold jobs, newdivorcees starting over, widowswho can no longer maintain theirformer homes or recovering addictswho need a safe, clean environmentwhile they get on their feet.
Through all the changes, theAnna Louise Inn in downtownCincinnati has filled that need.Founded by Cincinnati UnionBethal as a “Hotel for WorkingGirls,” the Inn was a logical exten-sion of CUB’s Settlement Houseand lunch program for women fac-tory workers. When the need forwomen’s housing became apparent,Anna Sinton Taft (by the mores ofthat time, Mrs. Charles Phelps Taft)donated both property for the Inn,which sits across Pike Street fromthe Taft Museum, and funds to beginoperating it. Women who were rap-idly taking industrial jobs at wellbelow that of their male counter-parts soon filled the Inn and its wait-ing list. — December 6, 2001
100 YEARS AGO
75 YEARS AGO
50 YEARS AGO
25 YEARS AGO
10 YEARS AGO
F R O M T H E PF R O M T H E P A G E SA G E S
SENIOR SERVICES
• Up to 24 hour care• Meal Preparation• Errands/Shopping• Hygiene Assistance• Light Housekeeping
(513) 531-9600
HELP WANTED
WANTED: Retiredprofessionals & adults to teach
various specific and generalinterest subjects to seniors,caregivers & others using
Chai Tots Early Childhood Center(513) 234.0600 • chaitots.comChabad Blue Ash(513) 793-5200 • chabadba.comCincinnati Hebrew Day School(513) 351-7777 • chds.shul.netHUC-JIR(513) 221-1875 • huc.eduJCC Early Childhood School(513) 793-2122 • mayersonjcc.orgKehilla - School for Creative Jewish Education(513) 489-3399 • kehilla-cincy.comMercaz High School(513) 792-5082 x104 • mercazhs.orgKulanu (Reform Jewish High School)513-262-8849 • kulanucincy.orgRegional Institute Torah & Secular Studies(513) 631-0083Rockwern Academy(513) 984-3770 • rockwernacademy.org
ORGANIZAORGANIZATIONSTIONS
American Jewish Committee(513) 621-4020 • ajc.orgAmerican Friends of Magen David Adom(513) 521-1197 • afmda.orgB’nai B’rith(513) 984-1999Hadassah(513) 821-6157 • cincinnati.hadassah.orgJewish Discovery Center(513) 234.0777 • jdiscovery.comJewish National Fund(513) 794-1300 • jnf.orgJewish War Veterans(513) 204-5594 • jwv.orgNA’AMAT(513) 984-3805 • naamat.orgNational Council of Jewish Women(513) 891-9583 • ncjw.orgState of Israel Bonds(513) 793-4440 • israelbonds.comWomen’s American ORT(513) 985-1512 • ortamerica.org.org
C O M M U N I T Y D I R E C T O RC O M M U N I T Y D I R E C T O R YY
At a bar in Royal Oak, a sub-urb near Detroit, Rabbi LeibyBurnham began a weekly programin 2007 called Torah on Tap totalk about Judaism in a bar setting,with the drinks paid for by ananonymous donor. Starting withseven people, the event nowdraws as many as 100 per week.
The most striking example ofthe transformation of Jewish lifein Detroit is at the Isaac AgreeDowntown Synagogue, the lastremaining synagogue in the city.Detroit once was a major hub ofJewish life, with 44 synagogues.But after race riots in the 1960s
and economic decline, most of thecity’s whites — Jews included —left for the northern suburbs,repeating a pattern taking place incities across America.
In 2008, the 90-year old con-servative shul was in dire straits— open only once a week, oftenunable to assemble a minyan andwithout a rabbi (the last one haddied in 2003). The board wasconsidering packing it in andselling the historic four-storybuilding.
“Some didn’t think we had afuture,” said David Powell, whohas attended Isaac Agree fordecades. “We continued to plodalong until reinforcements came.”
DETROIT from page 9
Makes 4 dozen large or 6 dozensmall cookies
Mrs. Polakoff’s visits toCincinnati came with tins filledwith cookies and strudel. She wasan excellent cook and her son Abesang with our Cincinnati OperaCompany. One year, I asked if shewould teach me how to preparethese delicious cookies made withoil. Because they’re made withoil, they are especially significantat Chanukah and have become afavorite with my family.
Ingredients2-1/2 cups flour3 teaspoons baking powder1 cup sugar3 large eggs1/2 cup vegetable oil1 teaspoon vanilla
Method1. Sift the flour, baking soda
and sugar together in a mediumbowl. Grease a baking sheet orcover it with parchment paper.
2. Place the eggs, oil and vanil-la into the food processor or largebowl of your electric mixer.Process or beat until well mixed.Slowly add the sifted ingredients.When the dough begins to form aball around the knife or the beater,stop and remove it. A humid orrainy day may require additionalflour. Add no more than 1/4 cup.
3. Remove the dough and roll itin a little flour, then form a ball.Divide this into 3 pieces, and allowit to rest 10 to 15 minutes. Preheatthe oven to 325°F. On a lightlyfloured board, roll the first piece ofdough about 1/4 inch thick. Cut thedough with cookie cutters and placethem on the prepared baking sheet.Continue with the remaining dough.Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until theyturn a little brown on the edges.Remove and cool on a baking rack.Store in an airtight container.
Zell’s Tips: Should you wish todecorate the cookies with coloredsugar or sprinkles, press them intothe dough with a flat spatula orbrush the tops with an egg wash,then decorate the cookies and bakethem. To prepare an egg wash, mix1 egg plus a teaspoon of cold watertogether in a one-cup measure.
Mrs. Polakoff’sChanukah cookies
Zell’s Bites
byZell Schulman
20 • TRAVEL WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
Carpe Diem:‘Seas’ The DayPART 4 OF A SERIES
There are said to be only threeplaces in the world with aMediterranean climate: The actualMediterranean coast…CatalinaIsland, California…and the coastof Chile around Santiago. And, ifyou work it right, you could enjoythe best of The Med’s climate 12months of the year.
During spring, summer andfall, that glorious Mediterraneanclimate is yours for the asking onthe Mediterranean coast or onCatalina Island. However, whenwinter’s chilling blasts blow in,enjoying a Mediterranean climatetakes a little more doing.
That fete involves flying down,or cruising to, Santiago, Chile inthe dead of our winter…when it ismid-summer in the SouthernHemisphere. Silver Sea’s SilverWhisper afforded me that oppor-tunity this past winter when shesailed me from Buenos Aires toValparaiso, the port for Santiago.
Once a city little known toNorth Americans, in the last fewyears Santiago has become one ofthe great places to visit in SouthAmerica. Back-dropped by themajestic Andes Mountains, thiscapital of the Republic of Chile isa bustling, vibrant metropolis of 6million people.
An interesting bit of trivia aboutthe country of Chile itself is thefact that it is the longest, slimmestcountry in the world. Stretching2604-miles from north to south, itis only 150-miles wide at its widestpoint. It has been said that if Chilewere a man, he would definitely bea star basketball player.
In Santiago, Colonial structuresabut soaring skyscrapers. Tangledelectric lines, resembling those seenin third-world countries, are reflect-ed in the facades of sleek glass sky-scrapers. Horse-drawn woodencarts click-clack along the sametourist routes as Mercedes limos.
In recent years, visitors toSantiago have been impressed withits smartly designed hotels, sophis-ticated shops, contemporary restau-rants, stunning street sculptures,
and modern museums.For those whose taste in hotels
runs to elegant old-world decor, theRitz Carlton should be your hotel ofchoice. Located in one ofSantiago’s most exclusive neighbor-hoods, El Golf, the hotel boasts ahuge fitness center and stunningswimming pool area beneath aglass-enclosed rooftop. Whetheryou are overlooking the mountainsin the afternoon, or the dazzling citylights in the evening, it is the perfectplace to relax after a hectic day inthe fascinating city of Santiago.
If a drop-dead, contemporary,avant garde lifestyle is your choice,head for the W Hotel. A sushilunch in W Hotel’s Osaka Sushi Barwas the best sushi I’ve ever eaten.Be sure to check out the gift shopsin both hotels. The only purchasesI made in all of Chile were in thegift shops of the Ritz Carlton and Whotels. Both hotels are located inthe upscale El Golf neighborhood.
Once a traditional neighbor-hood, El Golf is now the most luxu-rious area of the city. It is resplen-dent with its displays of street sculp-tures and decorated park-like bench-es scattered along the avenues.
The vibrant metropolis ofSantiago, a geographically giftedcity, is easily accessible to sandybeaches, the Pacific Ocean, skiresorts, vineyards and snow-cappedmountains. It also offers a plethoraof attractions within the city itself.
Downtown Santiago is thecity’s center of government. In theblink of an eye, the historic Plazade Armas will transport you fromColonial times to the present. ThePlaza de Armas is framed by theNational History Museum, theCathedral of Santiago, the mainCorreos de Chile (Chilean PostOffice) and the Presidential Palace.
Carbineros (policemen onhorseback) sit at attention on well-groomed horses; children jumpover silvery rain puddles; anddogs splash in the circular granitefountain. Devotees of CincinnatiChili and chili-dogs please pardonmy pun…but these are the originalChile-dogs!
Approximately 30 museums inSantiago exhibit a faithful repre-sentation of its cultural wealth.There is something for every-one…everything from the Chileanpre-Columbian Art Museum, tothe Sephardic Jewish Museum, tothe Museo de la Moda, a museumdevoted to fashion.
The latter is housed in a 1960smodernist glass building, once thefamily mansion of textile mer-chants. It showcases approximately10,000 garments including a blackstrapless gown worn by PrincessDiana, a conical bra designed forMadonna and a tutu that belongedto Margot Fonteyn.
San Cristobal Hill (Cerro SanCristobal) offers a spectacular viewof the city. At the bottom of the hill
is the Metropolitan Zoo. You canwalk, run, bike or drive to the hilltopMetropolitan Park. If those optionsdon’t work for you, there are alwaysthe telefericos (aerial cable cars)that will zip you up the hill.
The Central Market (MercadoCentral), founded in 1872, is amost popular attraction inSantiago. Evoking the spirit,warmth and hospitality of Chile, itis surrounded by fish markets andrestaurants. The Central Marketis a must for those who crave afresh seafood meal cookedaccording to ancestral recipes.
Another interesting attraction inSantiago is one that, hopefully, mostvisitors will never see in action.Bomba Israel is a Jewish fire com-pany created in 1954. With itsmotto of “Overcoming,” it attendsto emergencies in five communitiesof Santiago. The Jewish community(less than 10,000 people) has sup-ported Bomba Israel not only withmaterial donations but with the mas-sive contribution of young peoplethat has given strength, prestige andefficiency to the fire company.
Time permitting, if you are alover of good Chilean wine, youmight enjoy a day trip to visit one ofthe Chilean vineyards in the valleyssurrounding Santiago. Or, if you’reinto seeing all the superlatives theworld has to offer, you can drive 60miles west of Santiago to Chile’sSan Alfonso del Mar resort thatboasts the world’s largest swim-ming pool. This “Big Dipper” cov-ers 10 acres and stretches half a milelong. A sandy shore and an oceandotted with sailboats surroundsswimmers in the gargantuan pool.
Janet Steinberg is an award-win-ning Travel Writer, InternationalTravel Consultant, and winner of38 national Travel Writing Awards.
Santiago: Like wintering in the MediterraneanWandering Jew
byJanet Steinberg
(Top-bottom) A typical Sunday atop San Cristobal Hill; Carbineros(police on horses)/Plaza de Armas/Santiago; The original “ChileDog” bathes in front of the Presidential Palace.
FIRST PERSON / AUTOS • 21THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
For the past few months Israelhas been going through a crisis inits medical system — although ithas not affected Jerusalem. Theagreement under which doctors inpublic hospitals were workingexpired in the spring, and negotia-tions for a new agreement werelong and arduous. The hospitals inJerusalem — Hadassah, Sha’areTzedek and Bikur Cholim — werenot affected since they are privatehospitals.
(It’s a complicated system;they are private hospitals main-tained partially by nonprofitorganizations, but open to the pub-lic and covered by the nationalhealth system. Hospitals in the restof the country are maintained bythe government, and thus the hos-pitals and their staffs have to nego-tiate with the Finance Ministry foroperating funds and salaries.)
A new nine-year agreementbetween the Finance Ministry andthe Israel Medical Association,representing doctors in the publichospitals, was signed in August.However, residents in these hospi-tals were dissatisfied with theagreement and the terms that it
imposed on the residents. As aresult, they threatened to resign enmasse and turned in resignations totheir respective hospitals, leavinghospitals understaffed and forcingcancellation of non-urgent surger-ies and other medical procedures.
In response to the state prosecu-tor’s request that the NationalLabor Court issue an injunctionagainst the resignations, the courtdenied the validity of the mass res-ignations and ordered the residentsback to work. Next, the residentsturned in individual resignations,but the Labor Court once againdenied their validity. The residentsthen appealed to Israel’s SupremeCourt, which ruled that the casehad to be submitted to negotiationand appointed mediators.
Currently, the case is in media-tion. (It may be possible that by thetime you read this article on Dec. 8,the dispute may have been solved.And, then again, maybe not.)
Do doctors have the right tostrike?
A very interesting op-ed articleon the subject appeared recently inThe Jerusalem Post written by anIsraeli doctor with a Cincinnaticonnection — Dr. Shimon Glick,professor emeritus of the Facultyof Health Sciences at Ben-GurionUniversity of the Negev, who ismarried to former CincinnatianBrenda Rubenstein, the sister ofEsther Deutch.
Noting that the right to strike is“so engrained in modern societiesthat it is unlikely to change in thenear future,” Professor Glick asks,“Are strikes by physicians differentthan strikes by other groups?”
His answer: “I believe thatphysicians are indeed different.They deal with human lives [and]during strikes it is impossible toprevent serious human sufferingand unnecessary death.”
Moreover, Professor Glick con-tinues, “the key component inmedical professionalism is the pri-macy of the interests of the patientand the community over those ofthe physician.”
He goes on to cite the Jewishpoint of view: “In Judaism, provi-sion of treatment to a patient is nota matter of private contract, or dis-cretion, but is a religious obliga-tion, a biblical mandate. TheShulhan Arukh states, ‘If a physi-cian withholds his services, it isconsidered as shedding blood.’”
Recognizing that Israel is notgoverned by Halacha (Jewish law),nevertheless, Professor Glick endshis article by urging the physicians“to find creative and dynamic ethi-cal ways for the settling of labordisputes” through “binding arbitra-tion by objective experts.”
The dilemma is: Will that hap-pen? Or will patients in Israel’spublic hospitals continue to beheld hostage?
This Year in JerusalemSinger Says
byPhyllis Singer
“The keycomponent inmedical professionalismis the primacy ofthe interests ofthe patient andthe communityover those ofthe physician.”
Dr. Shimon Glick
The compact executive car, theAudi A4 sedan, holds the distinc-tion of single-handedly revivingthe Audi brand after its salesslump two decades ago. Firstreleased in 1994, the A4 proved afavorite among luxury-car buyersthanks to its handsome, well-fin-ished cabin, sharp handling andavailable Quattro all-wheel drive.Tight panel gaps, high-qualitymaterials and firm, comfortableseating give the interior the properEuropean ambience, while a sup-ple ride and willing performancemake the Audi A4—now in itsfourth generation—a great roadtrip choice.
Power comes from the award-winning 2.0 TFSI® engine, whichprovides 211 hp and 258 lb-ft. oftorque and combines Audivalvelift system, variable valvetiming and TFSI® direct injectionfor increased power and efficien-cy. The Audi 2.0 TFSI® has beenthe engine of choice for more than1.3 million Audi drivers world-wide and is one of the mostawarded engines of the lastdecade. Audi premium sound sys-tem includes 10 speakers andSiriusXM® Satellite Radio. Thisstereo system integrates 180 wattsof power, SD card slot, MP3 capa-bility, a CD player and auxiliaryinput for easy access to a varietyof music devices. Aside fromexceptional sound quality, the sys-tem also features the Radio DataSystem (RDS), which includesSiriusXM Satellite Radio. With
the 3-month trial subscription tothe Sirius Select package you’llget commercial-free music, plussports, news talk and entertain-ment. It also features several typesof FM radio information.
Leather seating surfaces madeof high-quality, sumptuous leathercomplements the vehicle’s seatdesign while enhancing the overallinterior style. With power frontseats with driver lumbar support,this allows the driver and passengerto electronically adjust the seats’forward/backward position, height,angle of set cushion and seatback,and the driver’s lumbar support.
Add to that the single-zone
automatic climate control and youhave a harmonious driving experi-ence. The climate control systemallows the driver and passengersto enjoy an ideal level of heatingor cooling via the center console.A light sensor on the dashboardadjusts the system based on thesun’s intensity.
At its core, the A4 is still thesport sedan that many enthusiastslove, and the new larger, moremature sedan is now even betterprepared to take on its class rivals.
The 2012 Audi A4 has anMSRP that starts at $32,500 to$42,500 depending on your pack-age of choice.
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22 • OBITUARIES WWW.AMERICANISRAELITE.COM
KORROS, Rita, age 78, died onNovember 25, 2011; 29 Cheshvan,5772.
SACHS, Anita, age 83, died onNovember 28, 2011; 2 Kislev, 5772.
GOLDEN, Bernyce, age 74, diedon December 2, 2011; 7 Kislev,5772.
PERLMAN, Harold E.
Harold E. Perlman, 87, passedaway on Wednesday, November 16in Youngstown, Ohio. His funeralwas held in Youngstown and burialwas at Love Brothers Cemetery.
Mr. Perlman was born onAugust 27, 1924 in Covington, Ky.He was the son of the late Ethel andIrving Perlman. He was preceded indeath by his beloved first wife of40 years, Libby (Paim) Perlman.
Mr. Perlman graduated fromWalnut Hills High School in1942. He attended Johns HopkinsUniversity and served in the 84thInfantry Division of the U.S.Army, which went into combat inGermany during World War II.
After the war, Mr. Perlmanearned his Bachelor of Sciencedegree in chemistry from theUniversity of Cincinnati. He spenta number of years in the research,development and manufacturingof polyester resins (plastics). Heretired from SteelcraftCorporation in 1989.
Mr. Perlman was a longtimemember of Ohav Shalom andAdath Israel synagogues beforemoving to Youngstown in 1997.There he was a member ofTemple El Emeth and served onits board of directors for manyyears. He was chairman of thetemple’s social committee. Healso served as secretary of theYoungstown Israel InvestmentClub. He was an avid bridgeplayer and a longtime sports fan.
He is survived by his belovedwife, Phyllis (Klein) Perlman;three sons, Dr. Mark S. (Irina)Perlman of Youngstown, Dr.Steven (Dr. Susan) Perlman,Edward (Pamela) Perlman of
Greenwich, Conn., a daughter,Judi (Eric) Kline of Pittsburgh,Penn.; two step-children, Steven(Carol) Klein and Sherri (Sal)D’Alessio; 10 grandchildren,Lindsay, Jason, Eric, Andrea,Brent, Evan, Scott, Jennifer,Allison and Diana; four step-grandchildren, Kate, Anna,Christie and Nikki; three great-grandchildren, Daniel, Kaitlyn andJacob; sister-in-law, LenoreAckerman; mother-in-law, MinnieHarskovitz; and brother-in-law,Morris Paim.
Memorial contributions maybe sent to Temple El Emeth, 3970Logan Way, Youngstown, Ohio44505.
HATTENBACH, Eric Max
Eric Max Hattenbach passedaway after 92 active years onNovember 26, 2011, following abrief illness. For 62 years, Mr.Hattenbach was the beloved hus-band of Annette (Callis)Hattenbach. He was the devotedfather of Joni (Joan) and MelShuller, Marc Hattenbach, ofSherman Oaks, Calif., LarryHattenbach and the late RichardJay Hattenbach, dear brother ofthe late Arthur and WalterHattenbach, loving grandfather ofMeredith (Josh) DeWitt,Kimberly Shuller and MichaelShuller, of Los Angeles, Calif.,and great-grandfather of Zoe,Zach and Charlie DeWitt.
Born in Kassel, Germany, in1919, Mr. Hattenbach immigratedwith his family to America in 1938.He spent four years in the U.S.Army where he returned to Europeto serve as a German translator.Upon his return, Mr. Hattenbachbegan his 38 year career withGeneral Electric as an EngineeringDesigner. He was an industry pio-neer and among the first to usecomputer technology in his field.
Mr. Hattenbach was a memberof B’nai Brith for over 60 yearsand was the longtime treasurer ofthe Alfred M. Cohen BowlingLeague. He was a 40 year memberof the Avon-Miami MasonicLodge and was named Man of theYear in 2010. Mr. Hattenbach wasa member of Adath IsraelSynagogue, where he attended
services regularly and was a week-ly attendee at morning minyanthroughout his retirement.
A tireless volunteer, Mr.Hattenbach utilized his computerskills in Records Managementsince 1992 at the ShrinersHospital. His volunteer service tothe Cedar Village RetirementCommunity and the CincinnatiJewish Community was recog-nized in May 2011 when he was arecipient of the Cedar VillageEight Over Eighty honor. At CedarVillage, he helped in the MedicalRecords Department and assistedeach year with the Golf Classic.
Funeral services were onNovember 28 at Weil FuneralHome and burial followed at theAdath Israel Cemetery in PriceHill. Rabbi Gerry Walter officiated.
Memorial contributions to AdathIsrael Synagogue, the ShrinersBurns Institute or Cedar Villagewould be greatly appreciated.
SCHEAR, Melvin Robert
Melvin Robert Schear, age 84,passed away November 26, 2011,in Cincinnati. Born in Dayton,Ohio on October 23, 1927 to thelate Mose and Anna Schear (neeGoldhoff), he was the dear brotherof Dr. Myrna Jean Weissman, thelate Sydney Schear and BerthaBarasch; beloved husband of 60years to Vivian (nee Brown)Schear; devoted father of Bradley,Neal (Kathy), Michael (Connie)and Rick (Paul Cauthen) Schearall of Cincinnati; loving grandfa-ther of Jacqueline and AutumnSchear, Katherine (Benjamin)Brooks, Jeffrey, Daniel (Margaret)Schear, David and Gabriel Schear.
Mr. Schear spent his workingcareer as a CPA at Schear &Schear, Certified PublicAccountants. Mr. Schear was abusiness entrepreneur creatingvarious businesses over his life-time. Most notably were the chainof Photo Bug stores which thrivedfor years in the Tri-state area, andthe travel agency Travel Bug.
Services were held at WeilFuneral Home with interment atRest Haven Memorial Park inEvendale. Memorial contributionsto the charity of one’s choicewould be appreciated.
DEATH NOTICES
OBITUARIES
were significant. My father’s namewas etched on a bronze rectangle,and my mother paid for the spacenext to it to be saved for the“whenever” she died and her namewould be added to the yahrzeitwall. After my father’s burial, inhis memory, my family bought anew eternal light for the shul. Itwas there above my canopy offlowers as I wed. I didn’t care thatthis ceremony, elegant meal andgentle violins emitting music weretaking place in a large basementroom that was both sanctuary andjust meeting-place. My religiouswedding was also to embrace my
childhood learning, feel my dad’spresence as I witnessed mywidow-mother’s courage and cour-tesy with all the guests, and not bea “show.” It was a union and notan event. My roots. Important partof me. It seemed so strange to taketime to emotionally understand theadult “me” just by sitting in a for-eign country in church.
A Moorish-Gothic structure onPlum Street in downtownCincinnati, Ohio, straddled churchor shul from its architecture; myoldest grandson became BarMitzvah there. Sitting in a pewwith familiar books that read fromright-to-left, listening to chants in alanguage that I still couldn’t
read/write/speak, I was not atourist but there, with family, toparticipate and witness his reli-gious rite of passage. My deceasedmaternal grandmother never reallyunderstood thatOrthodox/Conservative/Reformare just different branches of thesame tree. Even in this structurewhich didn’t conform to any reli-gious building I’d ever been in, Iwas connected to tangible yahrzeitplaques and a visible eternal light.Sometimes identity is quite simpleand a different time or place ismerely a reminder.
Lois Greene StoneNew York
LETTERS from page 16
“It is a very special day,”Bimbirine said. “I was so nervousabout meeting. I wondered whetherwe’d recognize each other. Miraand I thought that it’s a pity that mymother and sister, and Mira’s par-ents, are not with us… I was soglad I met Mira and that she and Iare still alive and can talk about thetime we spent together.”
The next generations take thesentiment to heart. After Bimbirineand Juraitieme climbed the stairs tothe bedrooms they’d call home fornine nights, Rosen’s childrenreplaced them at the table besidetheir grandmother.
“I’m not the biggest fan of theterm ‘rescuers.’ It doesn’t do justiceto what they’ve done for the fami-ly,” said Ilana Rosen. “The balanceof the universe is so delicate, andeverything happens for a reason.”
“[Mira] had three children andnine grandchildren,” said AdamRosen, 23. “You keep going furtherand further down the line, and [theRuzgyses] ultimately will havesaved thousands of people.”
Daniel Rosen, 21, said, “To seethem embrace after 66 years, youcan still see the love.”
At last week’s dinner, Israel’sconsul general presented the
Lithuanian rescuers with YadVashem’s award. A 13-minute doc-umentary of their heroism wasscreened. A three-generation photo-graph of Mira Katz Erlich and thedescendants whose existence theRuzgyses enabled was presented.
By then, Dahlia Jakutiene, herhusband and three children werelikely fast asleep back inGiedraicai. The Jakutienes willcontinue to live for many moreyears, many thousands of multiplesof three days, in the modest housethey’ve renovated, a dwellingwhose doorposts the executive vicepresident of the Jewish Foundationfor the Righteous, Stanlee Stahl,swears bear old indentations formezuzot. Dahlia has owned thehouse since 1988, when her motherdied. Meile had lived there since1964, when Meile’s mother,Leokadija, died. Leokadija hadlived there since the late 1940s.
That was when Israel Katzsigned the deed over to her. It wasthe least Katz could do to expresshis gratitude. And it ensured thatthe home remained in the family.
Please send a message to SeekingKin at JTAif you would like our helpin searching for long-lost friends orfamily. Include the principal facts ina brief e-mail (up to one paragraph)and your contact information.
RESCUERS from page 7
Sherman insists the race will bewon locally.
“Talk to your cousin’s old friendin college and if they happen to livein 818, they’re for me,” he said,using the area code for the SanFernando Valley.
Widely acknowledged as adogged grass-roots campaigner,Sherman says he attends 300 com-munity events a year.
Berman, for his part, acknowl-edges that Sherman is an energeticcandidate. But Berman, who hasenjoyed decades of large-marginvictories and has a reputation as aquieter political operator, says he isready to take it to the streets.
“There’s no doubt Brad is tire-less and getting himself out there,”Berman said in an interview. “I’mbuilding an endorsement list of peo-ple within the district, neighbor-
hood councils, homeowner associa-tions, chambers of commerce.”
Berman has his work cut out forhim. A poll done for the Shermancampaign and released publicly inAugust, just after the new district’slines were finalized, shows Bermanscoring just 24 percent to Sherman’s51 percent in a two-way race. Witha third candidate in the race, localRepublican businessman MarkReed, Sherman had 42 percent,Reed 26 percent and Berman 17percent. The survey of 600 likelyvoters had a margin of error of 4percentage points.
Berman, who has been less visi-ble locally than Sherman, says hewill be pitching an ability to getthings done in Washington.
“My bet is that the voters care atleast as much about what we havedone in Washington,” he said.“They will have plenty of me beforethe June election.”
GRASS-ROOTS from page 8
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