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Lynn House Sign Offends Neighbors, Provokes Anti-Semitic Calls and Letters

Gary Band
Jewish Journal Staff

LYNN — A hand-written sign on the home of Attorney Martin McNulty that reads, “Land-Grabbing Israel is Bleeding America” has offended and angered many Jewish residents in the neighborhood surrounding Congregation Ahabat Sholom and provoked a rash of anti-Semitic calls and letters to the Orthodox shul.

McNulty, a resident of 84 Nahant Street, the address from where he also practices law, has run for mayor of Lynn and a host of other municipal offices. He placed the sign outside the second floor of his large colonial home about three weeks ago.

Lynn Councilor-at-Large Tim Phelan said for McNulty to put up that sign is “hateful and disrespectful to the Jewish community.” A lawyer himself, Phelan says he understands that one of the great things in America is freedom of speech, “but unfortunately we as government officials can’t regulate good taste and consideration for your neighbor.”

Unwilling to answer direct questions over the phone regarding his motive and intentions, in a letter he wrote to the Journal, McNulty writes: “Are we to accept as principle that disagreement with the policies of [Israeli Prime Minister] Ariel Sharon is the same as anti-Semitism? I hope not. I suspect that many Jews agree with me but are fearful of speaking out because other Jews would ostracize them. Whatever happened to land for peace?”

The letter continues: “I support Israel. But I am against corrupt policies that have made it an apartheid state,” he writes. “I am against the wall, helicopter rocket assassinations, the existence of the settlements in the West Bank… the usurping of Jerusalem, the checkpoints, the way they treated Arafat, and the way they have condemned the Palestinians to a hopeless future.”

Rabbi Avraham Kelman of Ahabat Sholom says the sign is not an expression of free speech but is in fact “inflammatory and incendiary. The words ‘Land-grabbing’ is an anti-Semitic reference to the old caricatures used in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” he said.

“And to put up that sign now of all times when Israel is in the process of withdrawing from Gaza without any hope of reciprocity by the Palestinians is both foolish and insulting.”

Kelman went on to say that considering where the sign is placed, in an area with many Jews from the Former Soviet Union who survived the Holocaust, Stalin, and a culture of anti-Semitism, “for them to finally have the opportunity to come to the US and have to look at that sign everyday as they walk to their shul is very insensitive on the part of Mr. McNulty.”

Lidiya Shodchina, who lives in the area, said the sign was a “shocking discovery. At first we couldn’t believe our eyes. I am very saddened and disappointed,” she said, “that a lawyer, an educated man can put such an irresponsible sign for public display. It is a shallow judgment of a serious problem that cannot be summarized in such a way. It is very emotional and painful for me to walk by this house where we, Jews from the FSU, have made a new home.”

Serge Bologov of Marblehead, who works at the Russian Community Association of Massachusetts in Lynn, disagrees with McNulty’s message. “It’s a free country and you can express your personal opinion, but it’s completely wrong. Israel is trying to do everything in its power to give back the land.”

Vladimir Levin, another resident of the neighborhood, said, “I consider the sign as a disgraceful and not too smart political provocation of an anti-Semitic frame of mind that can only evoke feelings of disgrace towards the author.”

Allen Kort, editor of the Lynn Item, who wrote a column on August 4 about this situation, has dealt with McNulty before when he refused to run a letter McNulty wrote following the September 11 terrorist acts. In the letter, McNulty claimed that “recent statements by Osama bin Laden confirm it is Israel’s policies in the occupied territories that have brought this punishment down on us,” and that “the Arabs are angry with the United States” because “we have not had clean hands in the Mideast.”

At the time, McNulty hung a sign asking why Kort wouldn’t print his letter. Kort’s reason for reporting on McNulty’s current sign was one of responsibility for letting the residents of the Ward 4 neighborhood and the City of Lynn know what’s going on.

Herb Belkin of Swampscott, a writer and speaker on the Holocaust who is trying to organize a demonstration in protest of the sign, says, “This fellow has a perfect right to express his opinion; we have an equal right to protest.”

In his letter, McNulty further claims he is not alone in thinking the way he does. “The Sharon government has made Israel a pariah state in world opinion by allowing the extreme Kahanists to dictate policy in Israel that will surely bring about its destruction. Jews who agree with me should find the courage to speak out. Jews should thank me for my honesty.”

While Belkin doesn’t see the sign as necessarily anti-Semitic, he says the anti-Israel sentiment is “unfounded and has no basis in fact, especially as Israel is in the process of turning over Gaza, and has, between territory in the Sinai and Gaza, turned over eight times the area of Israel to the Palestinian government. As for Mr. McNulty’s motivation and bias, we’ll have to leave that in question.”

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Free Sukkah Offered Through Sukkat Shalom

Amy Sessler Powell
Special to The Journal

Sukkot in the summer?

Even though the festival of Sukkot starts at sundown on October 17, children at Camp Menorah and Camp Simchah are learning about the holiday using a sukkah donated by the Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundation.
“We are thrilled to be able to provide Jewish campers with the opportunity to build and decorate a sukkah,” said Julie Newburg, program director for the Lappin Foundation. “I hope families will extend the camp experience by participating in Sukkat Shalom.”

As a follow-up to the educational sessions at the Jewish day camps, all campers and their families will be offered a free sukkah as part of the community-wide Sukkat Shalom program of the Lappin Foundation.

The Sukkat Shalom program offers families an opportunity to learn about Sukkot in an educational session, receive educational materials, watch a live sukkah-building demonstration and then receive a free eight-by-eight foot wooden sukkah delivered to his or her home with a free lulav and etrog.

Cara Shaer, Jewish culture counselor at Menorah, explained that every single camper had some role in the camp sukkah. Older children set a beautiful Shabbat table inside the sukkah, all campers decorated a giant “Shalom,” sign for the outside with a mosaic of colored paper and all the campers made a hanging decoration. Counselors used the sukkah as an opportunity to reinforce the camp curriculum of that week, which dealt with Abraham and the mitzvah of hospitality.

“The mitzvah of hospitality, or hachnasset orchim, ties in well to the idea of a sukkah,” said Shaer.

Carrie Berger, co-director of Camp Simchah, explained that the Counselors-in-training (C.I.T.’s) built the sukkah and that all the campers decorated it and learned about it. Their Judaic counselor Zachary Levine and Israeli culture counselor Maayan Galili studied the holiday with campers.

“It was great to have the sukkah up and decorated for family night so that parents could enjoy it too,” said Berger.

Sukkat Shalom is open to interfaith and Jewish families, with teenage children and younger, who live in any one of the 23 cities and towns in the Foundation’s service area or attend Camp Simchah or Menorah. The Sukkat Shalom educational workshop for adults will take place on September 13, 7:30 p.m. at Temple Ner Tamid in Peabody. Register online at www.rilcf.org or contact Julie Newburg at 978-740-4404 or jnewburg@rilcf.org.

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Final Thoughts From Outgoing JFNS President Debbie Ponn

Gary Band
Jewish Journal Staff

With just over one month to go before her two-year term expires on September 15 and Jack Fischer is slated to take over, outgoing Jewish Federation President Debbie Ponn has much to say about her 17 years as a Jewish community volunteer.

Involved since 1988, Ponn, 42, has served as President of Women’s Division, Women’s Division Campaign Chair and Allocations chair, president of the North Suburban Jewish Community Center, and, going back to where she began on the North Shore, Atede, or the Young Leadership Division.

“I’ve always been involved in Jewish community,” said the Chicago native, who was the first teen to sit on the board of her temple in the Windy City.

Her motivation for involvement: “It began as a way to meet people. I now recognize it as my responsibility and my joy to help provide for the future of the Jewish community. I do the work that needs to be done.”

In addition to local involvement, Ponn has also thought and acted nationally and internationally, traveling to conferences across the country, as well as to Israel and on a mission to Argentina in 2002.

“It’s important for us to be connected to our global Jewish community,” she said. “If I can get my colleagues to attend the General Assembly with 5,000 Jewish leaders from around the world, it would give them a better sense that we are part of something greater than what we see in our own community. It’s inspiring.”

Ponn says the last two years as president have been very gratifying. “I’m proud of the accomplishments. The objectives I stated in my incoming address two years ago are coming to fruition and the community is benefiting. The mission program I proposed is well established now with a second mission on its way to Israel this month. The Leadership Development Institute led by Federation volunteer Carl Sloane will help our community prepare for the future, and the Leadership Council, which represents all the agencies and synagogues in our service area, is making great strides. Agency executives and temple presidents are coming together to discuss and resolve issues that affect all of us,” Ponn said.

“We’ve also been concentrating on our core competencies, the business of a Federation. We’re focusing our energy and talent on fundraising, community planning and leadership development. We’re planning for the future.”

Indeed, Ponn has much to be proud of. But with the separation from the Lappin Foundation, how does she see the Federation reaching out, delivering its message and expanding the donor base?

“There is more to be done. I know we can do a better job in educating the community about the role of the Federation here and overseas,” Ponn said. “We need to reach out and engage different age groups. We must also impress upon people in the 23 towns and cities we represent the importance of giving to the Community Campaign. We all benefit. The Campaign supports programs, services and agencies that enhance Jewish life for all of us on the North Shore.”

With the formation of Project Solel, many things must happen to address the communities’ concerns and implement ideas that will better meet their needs.

“I’m particularly proud of Project Solel and Federation’s role in bringing it to the community.”

But she said there are some impediments to realizing the goals of Solel. “We need to realize we are one community. Project Solel will provide a road map, the rest is up to us.”

As she prepares to officially step down from the Federation presidency, and as her six-year term on the National Young Leadership Cabinet ended last week, Ponn says it’s the first time in a long time that she’ll have some time on her hands. She plans to remain involved with Project Solel, support incoming president Jack Fischer in his tenure, and help organize future missions.

“This is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” she said. “It’s kind of sad that it’s over.”

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Summer Reading Round-Up

Susan Jacobs
Jewish Journal Staff

In the summer, there’s nothing better than lounging by a pool (or gently swinging in a hammock) with a good book. The Journal presents the following picks for summer reading.

The Modern Jewish Girl’s Guide to Guilt, Ruth Andrew Ellenson (Dutton Adult, 2005), 320 pages, $24.95.

The editor of this collection of provocative, hip essays by contemporary women must know from Jewish guilt. Ruth Andrew Ellenson, the daughter of a rabbi, was born in Jerusalem and raised in New York and Los Angeles. In this very readable anthology, 28 of today’s top Jewish women writers expound upon what it means to be a Jewish woman in today’s society.

Stories by Aimee Bender, Daphne Merkin, Rebecca Goldstein and Tova Mirvis capture the essence of the modern Jewish woman. One writer discusses how difficult it was to tell her parents that she planned to marry a German boy, while another shares her tale of being outed as a lesbian at her mother’s Yiddish club. One laments how she can’t live up to the Zionist ideals of her father, while another details the pressure she feels to be perfect. Each piece is honest, frank and interesting, which makes for ideal summer reading.

How to Succeed on Any Diet! A Jewish and Friendly Guide to Dieting and Exercise, Chava Goldman (Distributed in the USA by Israel Book Shop, Brookline, 2005), 428 pages, $22.95.

Here is another book that targets the modern Jewish woman. How to Succeed on Any Diet was written by Chava Goldman, an Orthodox Jew from Britain who is a weight management consultant and an aerobics instructor. It is the first diet and exercise guide specifically written for Jewish women.

The book has only been out for a few weeks, and already more than 3,000 copies have been sold without any advance publicity. Goldman has clearly tapped into a hot button topic. What makes this book different from the myriad of other diet and fitness books out there is that Goldman includes sections on issues that concern Jewish women — such as how to feast after a Yom Kippur fast, eating options for Passover, and how to handle a bar mitzvah buffet.

In a short, quippy writing style that sounds (and visually resembles) the Idiot’s Guide series, Goldman offers basic advice about diet and exercise. Within the friendly, conversational tone are inspiring messages, motivating thoughts, and plenty of encouragement. There is evidently a need for increased awareness of health and fitness in the Jewish world. Many women will find this book to be helpful as they strive to get fit.

Kabbalah For Teens, Louis Belmont (Citadel Press, 2005), 183 pages, $13.95.

Teens who hear about Kabbalah via Madonna, Ashton Kutcher or Britney Spears may be sparked to delve deeper into the ancient body of spiritual wisdom. This practical guide is for them.

In a non-judgmental style, Louis Belmont introduces the tenets of Kabbalah to young adults. He shows how an understanding of Kabbalah can help them improve relations with family and friends, overcome lonliness, and bring abundance into their lives.

Belmont, who is well-versed in Kabbalistic principles, compares traditional Biblical tales to contemporary stories that teens can relate to. This makes it easy for him to communicate sophisticated philosophical and spiritual concepts in a way that doesn’t alienate his young readers.

Hating Women: America’s Hostile Campaign Against the Fairer Sex, Shmuley Boteach (HarperCollins Publishers, 2005), 326 pages, $25.95.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, author of Kosher Sex, is unafraid to take strong positions on social issues. In his newest book, the father of five daughters shows how misogyny in America is destroying us. He is appalled that so few women seem to care.

Boteach makes it clear that men alone are not to blame. From Paris Hilton to Girls Gone Wild videos, Boteach points out how women actively buy into the sex-obsessed culture that is exploiting them. In the book, he discusses how popular culture has distorted femininity.

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Crossing the Barrier
Jewish and Muslim Teens Become ‘Friends Forever’

David Pepose
Jewish Journal Staff

If you asked them today what they wanted, many Jews and Muslims in Israel would give exactly the same answer: “their” land.

However, when the 10 participants of the YMCA’s Friends Forever program — 5 Israeli Jews and 5 Israeli Muslims — were asked that same question Aug. 2, they each gave a decidedly different answer:

“Underage dance clubs!” they shouted in unison.

With the oldest of their group being only 17, the kids from Friends Forever were frustrated by the fact that, unlike in their native Jerusalem, the clubs in Boston, and Portsmouth were only 18-and-older.

There is a reason for such an emphatic answer from this group of divergent personalities: after bunking together for the last two weeks in the Friends Forever program, the 10 teenagers have begun thinking more and more alike.

Obviously, this was not without some pitfalls. “We had a hard time with some of [the activities], because it’s hard to listen and cooperate sometimes,” said Dawud Salman, a 16-year-old Muslim in a green baseball hat and matching green jersey. He playfully continued: “We’ve gotten much better over the last two weeks.”

“The important thing [was] crossing the barrier,” said Negba Maor, a perky 15-year-old Jewish girl. “It was really an experience of being together.”

The experience seemed to be a success, as the teens interacted amongst themselves freely, joking and smiling throughout their presentation to the Peabody Rotary Club.

Without each of the participants identifying themselves, it was impossible to tell which were Muslim and which were Jewish — with their baggy jeans, brand-name T-shirts, and halter-tops, the teens seemed to defy any description of their nationalities.

Indeed, the members of Friends Forever looked like they could have been from anywhere.

From composing a rap song to working on the ropes course at the Brown Center in Portsmouth, NH, hanging out with students from Exeter to being introduced to the food at Friendly’s, the students in the Friends Forever program made strong, heartfelt friendships, and had a profound experience that none of them will soon forget.
“We can’t make peace around the world, but we can make peace in ourselves,” said Shiran Ber-Ishay, a bespectacled 15-year-old Jewish girl.

It is through that peace within that the Friends Forever Program intends to foster peace between different cultures and countries.

Friends Forever began in 1986, when Robert Raiche, a deeply-involved member of both the YMCA and the Rotary Club, decided to bring together Irish Protestant and Catholic teenagers, in an attempt to keep the next generation of Northern Ireland from succumbing to violence. The youth were brought to the U.S., so as to distance themselves from the politics of their families and various communities.

The 10 Israeli students in the program were drawn from several Israeli YMCA programs, chosen because of their desire to better understand their Jewish and Muslim counterparts. “I love my country, and we need to do a lot to improve the situation down there,” said Amit Mor, a lanky 16-year-old Jewish boy with spiky hair. “That’s why I came to Friend’s Forever.”

Negba Maor wholeheartedly agreed: “We know the other people because we’ve lived with them, so we can convince [anyone else] that they’re wrong; it’s the small things, the human things — it’s not the hatred and the fighting — it’s the small things a person is built on!”.

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Tarsy Takes the Helm at NE Regional ADL

Gary Band
Jewish Journal Staff

After a four-month search for a new executive director to replace Rob Leikind, the Anti-Defamation League has rehired former civil rights counsel Andy Tarsy to lead New England Regional Office in Boston.

Tarsy, 38, left the ADL in March to work for the Boston law firm of Nixon Peabody, LLP before being approached by search committee chair Jim Rudolph of Swampscott to return. He is a graduate of Cornell University and George Washington Law School.

“There are so many paths one can take, but this is an opportunity of a lifetime to make a difference working with an incredible team of dedicated professionals,” Tarsy said.

Still in the process of moving, Tarsy said his first priority is to meet everyone and find out what he’s missed.

“You can count on one thing,” he said. “We will aggressively embrace the entire mission of the ADL as it’s been given to us for 92 years. That means yes, we will fight anti-Semitism and pursue justice and fair treatment for all citizens.”

During his six years as civil rights counsel, Tarsy said he handled scores of cases dealing with various forms of racism and discrimination. “People call all the time,” he said. “If we had nothing else we’d have a table and a phone if anybody needed us to support them. If they were feeling the sting of hate we’d be there.”

Why is ADL necessary and what does Tarsy see as its most pressing tasks? “Widespread anti-Semitism is a reality of the past,” he said. But that isn’t the only form of pernicious hatred that has presented itself in this country and around the world. These lies and vile theories that get passed between people and get used to divide and destroy are sadly a part of humanity. Our role is to step into the breach and provide protection and comfort, but it’s much more than that. Our job is to show an example of the way the world could be if we reach out and connect with people different than us, build allies in our fight against hate and bigotry, and give communities the tools to build better places to live and where all people can thrive.”

Major ADL initiatives — Camp IF in Maine, which brings together Muslim Christian and Israeli youth beginning Aug. 22, the World of Difference program, which trains teens in diversity education, the No Place for Hate program and the North Shore Interfaith Seder — are some of the many things Tarsy is looking forward to engaging with.

“One of our most important roles is providing training on hate crimes, security, terror threats and racial profiling with law enforcement,” Tarsy said. “Police Chief Carney in Marblehead and the Swampscott police are very committed to this kind of work. We’re taking this statewide, providing training to officers in every department that would have us.”

Tarsy, once a World of Difference trainer, did a session in Newburyport, a No Place for Hate community, a few years ago.

“It really empowers kids to lead their own discussions in their own language about creating safe, welcoming environments for everyone. It takes a stroke of luck to come in and not put the kids to sleep, but I love firing them up, telling them why this matters, then getting out the way.”

Tarsy led a memorable workshop on harassment for educators and administrators last year at Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield.

“We cannot be shy about speaking out whenever bigotry of any kind appears,” he said. “I like to think we’ll use creative ideas like that to get through to people.”

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The Magic of Me’ah

Amy Forman
Special to The Journal

MALDEN — After two years of effort, the Me’ah program will be offered at Temple Tifereth Israel in Malden this November.

Me’ah, or 100, is an intensive, two-year adult Jewish learning program co-sponsored by Hebrew College and Combined Jewish Philanthropies’ (CJP) Commission on Jewish Continuity and Education. The focus of the program is on the historical, cultural and political movements from biblical, rabbinic, medieval and modern times.

Rabbi David Starr is Dean of Me’ah, assistant professor of Jewish History at Hebrew College and a founder of the program that recently celebrated its tenth anniversary and has been offered throughout Massachusetts, as well as several other states.

According to Rabbi Starr, Me’ah offers a framework in which to understand and analyze Jewish texts and ideas. “Me’ah is designed to give people a map of Jewish culture and civilization and provide a sense of energy, of wanting to grow Jewishly,” he said.

Lauren Cherkas, vice-president and chair of lifelong learning at Temple Tifereth Israel, is a 2004 graduate of the program and has been integral in bringing the program to Malden.

Cherkas took the Me’ah program at Hebrew College’s Newton location because she was looking for something more Jewish in her life. “There was a gap between Hebrew school and adulthood where you miss out,” she said. “All of a sudden, I was back involved in temple life and I felt like I didn’t know anything anymore.”

Me’ah began to fill the knowledge gap for Cherkas, who said the program proved exciting. “It challenged me intellectually and spiritually,” she said. “It is a non-threatening environment. There are no tests, but lots of reading. You feel like you’re traveling through time by conversation and study. The instructors and teachers and rabbis are terrific. They expect and encourage participation in an interactive classroom. There are no wrong answers.”

The idea to bring the program to the Malden area blossomed. Cherkas rose to the challenge of engaging a local community “in serious Jewish studies that go beyond the temple walls.” A one-evening introduction called a Taste of Me’ah was held in Malden and Medford, and an effort was made to recruit a critical number of interested people.

Cherkas applied for and received on her second attempt a grant from CJP to help offset the cost of the program. Me’ah explores Judaism through multiple perspectives, and in Malden it has attracted an equally diverse range of adult learners including members of Temple Tifereth Israel’s Reform congregation and members of Malden’s other synagogues. Various denominations are represented and participants who have already signed on are coming from Saugus, Salem, Swampscott, Middleton, Melrose, Medford and Everett.
Jerry Boyd of Malden, who recently converted to Judaism, will be one of the attendees. “The thing that really drew me in to Judaism was the fact that Judaism placed such emphasis on learning. I saw how important it is to make the Torah relevant today,” said Boyd. “Since I completed my conversion, I wanted to keep up with my learning. I need some sort of structure as an adult learner. Me’ah will provide such a structure.”

The first year of the program focuses on the Hebrew Bible through primary and secondary texts and scholarly materials, and then the Rabbinic Period, from 500 BCE to 500 CE, when new Jewish leaders, sages and rabbis emerged and developed their own texts. Everett Fox, professor of Judaic and Biblical studies at Clark University, will be the first teacher. The second year continues with study of medieval and modern times. Knowledge of Hebrew is not necessary.

“The instructors are experts in their fields and are used to teaching at the college level,” said Laurie Jacobs of Swampscott, who took Me’ah when it was offered in Peabody and Beverly several years ago. “There is so much material out there and so many different ways of viewing Judaism. This is learning for the sake of learning.”

Although there has been some interest in bringing the course back to the North Shore, the requisite number of participants has not been reached.

Barbara Levitov, regional community manager at Hebrew College’s Center for Adult Learning, continues to be interested in offering another Me’ah course on the North Shore and has worked with Sandy Hoffman at the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore to do so. Hoffman agrees, “I would love to offer it on the North Shore. I am not giving up.”

Many find their participation in Me’ah to be life altering. Jacobs found since completing Me’ah as well as a third year of post-Me’ah classes, that she continues to foster her interest in Judaism. She has written a Jewish children’s picture book, entitled “A Box of Candles,” which will be published in the fall.

For Cherkas, participating in Me’ah has changed her life as well. “It hits your neshama, your soul,” said Cherkas, who is now planning to change to a Jewish career. “I would encourage anyone who is looking to enrich their lives to give this a shot.”

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International Stories

Netanyahu Quits, Creates Havoc

Dan Baron
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thrown Israeli politics into disarray with an 11th-hour resignation in protest of the upcoming Gaza Strip withdrawal.

After long denying pundits’ speculation that his days alongside Prime Minister Ariel Sharon were numbered, Netanyahu tendered his resignation Aug. 7, just as the Cabinet approved the first phase of settlement evacuations, which are slated to begin next week.

“I am all torn up inside,” Netanyahu told reporters. “Like anyone, I aspire to leave Gaza. I aspire to peace,” he said. “But the disengagement plan endangers Israel and is polarizing its people.”

Sharon had no immediate comment on the surprise move by his top Likud Party rival, which was hailed as a heroic act of conscience by many Israelis who see the unilateral withdrawals from Gaza and the northern West Bank as a recipe for renewed Palestinian terrorism.

But on the left, Netanyahu was accused of cynically staking out a claim on a second term as prime minister at the cost of government stability. Labor Party ministers were quick to recall how he handed over most of the West Bank city of Hebron to the Palestinian Authority while he was prime minister in 1997, despite having earlier lambasted the land-for-peace principle before he headed the government.

“Netanyahu is, once again, coming out as a schemer at a historic juncture, preferring his own interests over those of the nation’s,” Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said.

Barring copycat resignations by other Likud ministers who have voiced misgivings about the Gaza plan, Sharon’s most important policy is expected to stay on track.

Sharon wasted no time in naming Trade Minister Ehud Olmert to be Netanyahu’s interim replacement.
But all agreed that, in today’s global economy, Netanyahu’s shoes as finance minister would be hard to fill.

During two-and-a-half years at the Treasury, he made a major impact with belt-tightening reforms that many economists credited with pulling the Jewish state out of recession.

The Israeli markets panicked at Netanyahu’s resignation, which came an hour before trading ended. The MAOF Index plummeted 5.25 percent, and there were similar drops across the board.

Netanyahu appealed for calm, extolling the skills of his Finance Ministry aides and recommending that his successor keep them on.

“He will receive an economy that has gone from collapse to growth,” Netanyahu said. “As long as the same course is maintained at the helm, this trend should continue.”

According to media reports, Netanyahu’s decision to quit the government was so quick as to have caught his closest advisers off-guard. Some political analysts suggested that, with the removal of 25 Jewish settlements to formally begin on Aug. 15, Netanyahu seeks to inherit as the next prime minister an Israel devoid of the security burden of Gaza, while remaining unassociated with its evacuation.

The walkout could help restore Netanyahu’s credibility among hard-line supporters.

Just last week, one of his long-standing foreign funders, the Australian diamond billionaire Joseph Gutnick, said in an Israeli-television interview that Netanyahu had disappointed many of those who voted for him as prime minister in 1996.  

In his remarks to reporters, Netanyahu did not detail his political aspirations, saying only that he did not want to be remembered as having taken part in a withdrawal that could turn Gaza into a “base for Islamic terror.”

“You know, I’m the son of a historian,” he said. “In 10, 50, 100 years, I want them to be able to say, ‘He did not take part in it.’’’

Features

Lest We Forget
The Jewish Brigade: Soldiers, Avengers, Rescuers

Herbert Belkin
Special to The Journal

Soldiers. In November 1944, the inhabitants of the Italian village of Fiuggi watched in amazement as Allied soldiers marched through their town carrying a blue and white flag with a Star of David on it and wearing the same Star on their uniforms.

The soldiers were Palestinian Jews that made up the Jewish Brigade and had landed in Italy to fight Germans. What the Fiuggians did not know was that this was the first Jewish army in almost 2000 years. Not since Jews battled against Roman legions in the First Century had they fought as an organized fighting force

Primarily for political reasons, the Jewish Brigade was late to be formed and late to enter the war. From the very beginning of the war, the Jews of the Yishuv, the Jewish community in Palestine, had asked the British to form a distinctive Jewish fighting unit.

For five years, the British stalled the request. They were very reluctant to train and arm Jews who had fought against them before the war and more than likely would fight them after the war. But as the war wore on and the horrors of the Holocaust became known, Churchill finally decided that the Jews had a right to fight against their German blood enemies under a Jewish flag.

The Palestinian Jews in the Jewish Brigade played a dual role. Many of them were also members of the Hagganah, the Jewish defense force that was formed to protect Jewish settlers in Palestine. These Jews knew that just as they were now fighting with the British as allies, as soldiers in the Hagganah they would likely have to fight against the same British after the war.

During the winter of 1944-45, the Jewish Brigade finally faced Germans in Italy. The Jewish soldiers announced their arrival by painting “Die Juden kommen!” — the Jews are coming! — on the sides of their trucks. During that winter, the Jewish Brigade fought on the Italian peninsular in places like La Giorgetta, Senio and Mount Ghebbio, proving that given arms and training, they could fight bravely and with distinction.

Avengers. “In the name of the Jewish people, I sentence you to death.” These were the last words heard by 200-300 Germans who had murdered innocent Jews. They were spoken by soldiers of the Jewish Brigade filled with rage when they learned how the Germans murdered the Jews of Europe. Almost all of the Jewish soldiers had relatives in Europe and the fear that their family members were gassed or worked to death in the concentration camps filled them with a burning desire for vengeance.

But how to make sure they executed only guilty Germans? After the war, the common German cry was “I knew nothing about what was going on” and “I was never a Nazi; I hated Hitler.” There was one proof that their denials could not erase, that was the “SS” tattoo on the shoulders of members of the Sturmtroopers. Under Heinrich Himmler, Sturmtroopers were the leading executioners of Jews, and they became primary objects of vengeance. It is balanced justice that tattoos identified Jews in the death camps and tattoos also identified SS members who were sentenced to death by avenging Jews.

The story of Jewish vengeance against Germans has always been obscure. During this time, the War Crime trials were taking place in Nuremberg. The Jewish avengers were concerned that their actions might be linked with the trials and jeopardize the growing sentiment for Israeli statehood. Also, the Jewish soldiers turned from vengeance because they had something more important to do.

Rescuers. After the war, soldiers of the Jewish Brigade came across thousands of Jewish survivors in pitiable condition in Displaced Persons camps. Imagine the emotions when a survivor met a Jewish soldier. A Jewish soldier — miracle of miracles! Now the job of soldiers of the Jewish Brigade/Hagganah was to get the survivors out of the camps and into Palestine.

Faced with the British blockade of Palestine, the Jewish Brigade had to use their ingenuity in getting survivors out of the camps and to ports of embarkation. Their British uniforms, access to trucks in the Brigade’s motor pool and, yes, cleverly forged documents, brought thousands of survivors onto ships headed for Palestine. The story of how many of these ships were intercepted and sent to Cypress and destinations other than Palestine is well known.

After the war, soldiers of the Jewish Brigade were faced with a new, more critical challenge. The establishment of Israel as a desperately needed homeland for Jews was in the formative stage in the United Nations. The Brigade knew that their military skills would be called on if the newborn State of Israel was to survive. Battle-hardened, trained and disciplined, the Jewish Brigade moved out of Europe and prepared for the epic battle to win a Jewish homeland.

Herb Belkin is a writer and speaker on the Holocaust, dedicated to preserving its lesson so that this tragedy never happens again. He can be reached at beachbluff@comcast.net.

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Leo Golub: A Spectacular Senior

Nancy Fromson
Special to The Journal

Earning the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore (JCCNS) Senior Volunteer of the Year Award is a great tribute, and no one was more surprised than this year’s recipient, Leo Golub.

He never expected to be rewarded for volunteer work he loves, but is most grateful for the honor. Golub was recognized at a reception in his honor on Sunday, August 7, at the Center.

Golub chairs both the JCCNS Yiddish Club, which meets weekly, and the current events Discussion Group, which gathers bi-weekly; all attract numerous adults of all ages to the Center. Golub helps keep Yiddish alive by providing the environment for people to both listen to and speak the language. To prepare for the Discussion Groups, he reads widely and seeks topics of conversation that will educate and enrich the participants’ lives. Upwards of 60 adults, mostly seniors, attend the programs each week.

According to JCCNS Adult Services Director Susan Steigman, Golub is well-educated, well-prepared, committed to the JCC and has a corps of dedicated people involved with him. “Leo is incredibly generous with his time,” she said, “with lots of spirit. He brings programming to a higher level. With his knowledge of Yiddish, he helps make connections with the past. With his passion for current events, he brings his enthusiasm to timely issues.”

Steigman continued, “In the 15-year history of the Senior Volunteer of the Year Award, the Center has recognized individuals who have devoted time, energy and passion to the JCC and its programs in unique ways. We’re proud to honor Leo Golub this year.”

A 40-year resident of Marblehead, Golub was born in Lawrence and raised in Lynn. He dates his love of Yiddish to his childhood when Yiddish was spoken at home. He was thrilled to reconnect with his Yiddishkeit years ago when a friend told him about the JCC group. He understands and speaks the language fluently and moves comfortably between the two. “The key is to be able to think in the language,” he said. His passion for current events stems from being a voracious reader of periodicals and newspapers. He likes to stimulate others to think about science, politics and religion, as well as other items of current interest.

An attorney by training, Golub turned to a career in mechanical engineering when he discovered his love for “making and fixing things … anything!” He holds several patents, including one for providing safety for juvenile furniture and another for improving windshield wiper blades. Retired at age 64, the now 86-year-old still has his workshop at home where he enjoys puttering and fixing anything he thinks of or his family brings to him. He is still playful and inventive and enjoys his workshop “toys.”

Golub enjoys an especially close family life with his daughter, Ellen Golub and her husband Steven Sass of Marblehead. His grandchildren, Frannie (married recently to Abraham Weinograd), Yoni, Alex and Zoe look forward to their zayde’s daily visits to their home. Ellen recalls that, as a three-year-old, her daughter expressed the desire to be a zayde when she grew up. Ellen says, “He is the best Jewish mother there ever was.” That mutual affection continues to this day as Golub has a special relationship with his children and each of his grandchildren.

Other passions in his life include using a computer, where his is currently designing greeting cards; writing a book about Judaism; riding his exercise bicycle and playing the piano. Other musical interests include his two accordions and an electric organ.

Golub is happy in his life, with his home away from home at the JCC, with his family nearby and at home with his “toys.” He is a very busy — and spectacular — man.

Y2I 2005: A Jewish Rebirth

Jared Pliner
Special to The Journal

On July 17, I, along with 34 North Shore teens, landed at Logan Airport, returning from Y2I, a 14-day expedition through Eastern Europe. The trip showed us an area of the world once rich with Jewish culture, now left desolate by the horrors of WWII and the Holocaust.

We began our journey on July 3, touring the Polish capital of Warsaw, arguably the least modernized city of our historical itinerary. Once home to nearly 400,000 Jews, Warsaw is now populated only by a few thousand.

Shortly after arriving, we met with 20 Israeli youths for a picnic lunch. We learned each other’s names and interests, never imagining the bonds we were about to make with those who came from a culture so different than ours.

“I thought the best part [of the trip] was getting to meet the Israelis,” said Ariana Katzman of Marblehead, “because it made me realize how much larger the Jewish community really is, not just here at home.”

Spending two days in Warsaw, we viewed what few traces of Jewish culture remained. After just one day in Poland, we stood before the remains of the original Ghetto wall, walking on the road that nearly led to genocide.

We continued on to the Okapova Jewish cemetery, a burial ground of Jewish physicians, artists, and local merchants, and the Jewish deportation site known as the Umschlagplatz, where thousands were sent to their deaths at Treblinka.

Now galvanized by our emotional travels into a cohesive group, we journeyed 150 miles south to Krakow. A horrible place, the soft ground and the walls of Krakow serve as a bleak monument to the stories of the two million victims who passed through its gates.

At the doorway to the visitor’s center, we met a survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau, returning there for the first time since he was liberated in 1945. He told us his story, his eyes brimming with tears, as he told us never to forget.
After hearing his story, none of us ever will.

To a Jewish American teenager like me, Krakow was unreal. With a nearly non-existent Jewish population, many of Krakow’s inhabitants have great difficulty acknowledging the Holocaust, out of either ignorance or disbelief.

I remember when one Israeli girl asked why people were playing soccer on the grounds of the Plashow labor camp, which we had visited earlier that day. “They’re just not educated,” someone answered. “They don’t know any better.”

Anxious to depart Krakow for Budapest, we soon embarked on what was to be a 12-hour bus ride through the lush Slovakian hills.

Budapest was invigorating. Home to the third largest Jewish population in Europe, one of my favorite locations was the Dohany synagogue, the largest in Europe and, in my opinion, the most beautiful in the world.

There, we met the cantor of the congregation, who told us the synagogue’s history, as he opened the large golden doors of the ark, exposing over 20 Torah scrolls. He began to chant the Hatikvah, the song of hope.

For those of us on the Y2I trip, this was a time when it could not have been more meaningful.

Visiting Budapest is a celebration of life. We saw the bleakness of the Warsaw ghetto, we felt the chill of Auschwitz’ legacy, but it was in Budapest where we finally saw a place where Judaism has survived, and, perhaps even more miraculously, continues to grow strong.

Four days later we traveled to Prague, the highlight of our European excursion. The city of Prague is truly one of the most amazing places I have ever traveled. The gothic style of Prague’s Roman Catholic churches, cobblestone paved streets, and Central Square was a welcome departure from the desolate Warsaw ghetto.

For me, Shabbat in Prague was a reflective experience. We attended reform services at a Sephardic synagogue, a rare event because of the few practicing Jews living within the city.

“For the first time, I wanted to participate,” said Rachel Marcus of Marblehead, “and I was proud that I did.” Rachel’s feelings were shared by many on our trip who experienced a spiritual rebirth, and a new sense of pride in being a Jew.

“The goal of the Germans was to wipe out the entire Jewish population,” said Jonathan Salter of Swampscott. “But us being able to go back to Europe proved that they failed.”

While I have always possessed a strong sense of Jewish identity, this trip solidified my Jewish character. I offer my most sincere thanks to the Lappin Foundation for providing us with this truly life-changing experience.

I strongly encourage those who will be entering their junior year of high school to go on this trip, not only as a reaffirming religious experience or to study the legacy of the Holocaust, but for a sense of personal fulfillment that we — the future of the Jewish people — were able to return.

After all, returning to our roots — and honoring them — is the greatest thing we can possibly do.

People in the News

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Arts & Entertaniment

‘I Hate Hamlet’? The Audience Will Disagree

David Pepose
Jewish Journal Staff

SALEM — “This is why people envy actors!” shouts Barrymore maniacally, swinging his fencing sword as he climbs upon a moving crate. “Because we can do this sort of thing!”

Salem State College’s production of I Hate Hamlet, directed by Marblehead’s Anne Lucas, thrives on this sort of humor, feeding itself — both in humor and in strategically placed scenes of true poignancy — with a sharp analysis of theatre and the commercialization of art as we know it.

The play begins with former TV star Andrew Rally (Paul Melendy) moving into a dusty old apartment once owned by the late actor John Barrymore (Paul Metri), who wowed the theatre world in his portrayal of Hamlet. Rally isn’t impressed, but real estate agent Felicia (Lex Rogers) tries to seal the deal by contacting Barrymore’s disembodied spirit.

This hits a bit close to home, however, as the uneasy Rally has just been tapped to play the lead role of Hamlet in Shakespeare in the Park. Laughing off the séance, Rally continues to ponder his next step — that is, until the ghost of John Barrymore arrives, determined to help the neophyte actor enter into a long, proud line of Hamlets.

Perhaps because this is a play that so closely scrutinizes the institution of acting, the performances of each of the actors are, for the most part, completely nuanced, neurotic, and quirky — and more often than not, perfect.

Though it began somewhat slowly, as the narcissistic and arrogant Rally and the vapid, new-age Felicia knew where their feet were planted, Rally’s ditzy “not-until-marriage” girlfriend Deirdre (Maria LaRossa) and maternal agent Lillian (Anne O’Neill) took a little to get comfortable in their roles. LaRossa had the time on stage to recover, blossoming from bland to Beverly Hills spoiled rich girl; unfortunately, with Lillian’s shorter role, O’Neill did not.

Lex Rogers is a great foil to the other characters, with her portrayal as “working girl” shedding light onto the heavily hidden faults of the rest of the characters. Leo Giannopoulos’ portrayal of Gary, Rally’s materialistic “director-producer-writer” friend from L.A., has a James Dean/Franco-style allure, simultaneously radiating the spoils of selling out while at the same time being a symbol of its hollowness and futility.

The real stars of the show, however, are Rally and Barrymore, as Melendy and Metri seem to duel far past the sword-fight scene of Act 1, instead piling quip upon quip as they compete to see which one can steal scenes quicker.

Melendy, a well-deserved NETC “Best Comedic Actor” award winner, plays Rally as a neurotic “TV lightweight,” wearing his shortcomings and insecurities on his sleeve as he struggles (with great comedic effect) to sort out where he stands with life, love, and the world in general. Metri, on the other hand, lets his hair down both literally and completely as John Barrymore, whose womanizing and alcoholic sarcasm couples wonderfully with great comedic timing, slapstick gesticulating, and his overall bombastic demeanor.

Writing a review of a play as phenomenal as I Hate Hamlet in a biweekly newspaper would be a crime in and of itself if not for director Lucas’ pragmatic decision to do another run of the show, from September 8–10 @ 8 p.m., 11 @ 2 p.m. There are few shows — especially done on a college campus — that are as genuinely earnest and fun as Salem State’s production of “I Hate Hamlet.” Indeed, it is a title few audience members will agree with.

Neil Diamond Coming to the Garden

Marvin Glassman
Special to the Journal

Though it’s been 25 years since singer Neil Diamond starred in the remake of the film “The Jazz Singer,” the soundtrack to the film still is featured in his concerts. Known more for his singing/songwriting than his acting, “The Jazz Singer” has sold more than six million of his 120 million album sales over his 40-year career.

Fans in the Boston area will hear Diamond sing the familiar songs “America,” “Hello Again,” and “Love On The Rocks” when he plays the TD Banknorth Garden August 15 and 16.

“‘The Jazz Singer’ is memorable as my first movie,” said the 64-year-old singer to Larry Kart of the Chicago Tribune. “I worked very hard to retell this classic story of a Jewish cantor who left his expected place in society for a world in show business. So much of the story reminds me of my grandparents and their kind of life. They were immigrants to America and taught Yiddish to me as a child.

“I wanted Yiddish in this movie. In fact, I tried to convince the director at one point to have the whole opening in Yiddish with subtitles as they did in “The Godfather.” Yiddish is a beautiful language and I wanted to do my bit to keep it alive.”

Although Diamond’s biography is not retold in “The Jazz Singer,” there are many similarities to his life and — of the character Jess Robbins that he portrayed. Diamond had battles with his parents when he told them he wanted a career in music.

Born in Brooklyn in 1941 to Akeeba and Rose Diamond, Neil‘s father was a dry goods store owner and moved frequently to change locations. As a result, young Neil shifted from school to school and was often lonely and drew solace from music.

Music played a significant role in the Diamond household, with Neil listening to big band hits of the 1940s, Gershwin, Berlin and classical music, as well as traditional Yiddish material. Neil knew he wanted a career in music, but to satisfy his father’s wishes for a stable career, he enrolled as a pre-med student at New York University and was awarded a fencing scholarship.

Before graduating from NYU, Diamond put music first, taking his first job as a songwriter for $50 weekly in 1961 and never looked back at a career in medicine.

Diamond was married to his high school sweetheart, a Jewish schoolteacher named Jaye Posner, for six years until they divorced in 1969 with two daughters, Marjorie and Elyn. In the late 60s, Diamond’s stardom was on its way with his recording of “Sweet Caroline” and “Solitary Man,” but his family life was to suffer.

“For years, Jaye complained about the inordinate amount of time we were apart,” said Diamond to Alan Grossman in “Diamond: A Biography.”

“It was almost as though our destiny was preordained. We were to be married, have children, and the best we could hope for was a little house on Long Island. We’d live the lives our parents wanted to live. I wanted to remove myself from that peer group and wanted greater success than this.”

Like Jess Robbins in “The Jazz Singer” who found more success with the gentile girl in show business played by Lucie Arnaz, Diamond courted Marcia Murphy, a production assistant at ABC television, and married her in 1969. Their marriage lasted 25 years with two sons, Jesse and Michah. They divorced in 1994.

“Marcia was my rock. I looked up to her as my source of inspiration. I honestly blame myself for the breakup of our marriage, and my marriage to Jaye as well, said Diamond on “Larry King Live” in 2002.

“The career I have of making music, traveling on the road and all the time needing to be in the studio, takes a toll on a marriage. Both my wives were exceptional women and did not like that work came first to me.”

Diamond is now a proud grandfather to three grandsons and relishes the time he spends with them. “I love being a grandfather,” added Diamond to King. “It is positive because I am not their parent and I can come on over and spoil them anytime I want.”

Although Diamond has not labeled himself as religious, he has performed for Chabad, singing “America” at the 2002 “L’Chaim To Life Telethon” and has donated funds to Hebrew University at a 2003 dinner in honor of Barbra Streisand.

Diamond hopes to find a balance between being a superstar and the need for a private life.

“I’ve succeeded beyond my wildest expectations, said Diamond to Barbara Walters. “My goal was to exist as a musician, and when your songs work, it tells you that you, too, are worthwhile.”

Neil Diamond will perform in concert on August 15 and 16, 8 p.m. at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston. Tickets are $42.50-$85. Call the box office at 617-931-2000 or go to www.neildiamond.com.

Editorial

Take Down the Sign

On the front page of this issue is a story about a sign on a home in Lynn that reads, “Land-Grabbing Israel is Bleeding America.”
The home (once owned by a Jewish doctor), place of business and authorship of this inflammatory sign belongs to one Martin McNulty, an attorney-at-law.

As reported in the story, the Ward 4 neighborhood is home to a large number of Jewish people, many from the Former Soviet Union, and Congregation Ahabat Sholom, a proud and long-standing Orthodox shul, is located nearby.

For Mr. McNulty to display this sign at any time strains the bounds of decency and good taste. But to do so now, when Israel is engaged in dismantling 25 communities in Gaza, is especially insulting and untrue.

In 2001, McNulty put up another sign asking why the editor of the Lynn Item wouldn’t run a letter McNulty wrote in which he blamed Israel and US policy in the Mideast for the September 11 attacks.

One can debate whether or not to give acts like this space in a newspaper, to either validate them in print or ignore what many would surely deem the thoughts and actions of one troubled person.

It would be one thing if this individual had just appealed to the Lynn Item, the Journal or other media outlets privately to hear his arguments. But this is a public airing of an extremely complicated issue for public consumption in a neighborhood where people who have spent a lifetime being scared to be Jewish are made to feel uncomfortable on their own street.

Freedom of speech and expression are deeply held rights in this country that should not be abused or taken for granted. The actions of this man are not illegal, but come close to violating one’s right to live in peace without fear or intimidation. What if a person chose to hang a swastika on his porch? Or a sign that called for a certain race of people to leave the community?

“Why doesn’t he put up a sign that says ‘Stop Blowing Up Innocent People at Cafes in Jerusalem,’” said a neighborhood resident.

This situation is being perpetuated by a man not only with a law degree, but who has run for many a municipal office in a city rich with diversity. And despite whatever personal positions he may have, this sign does unnecessary harm to other people without doing anything to further his cause.

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Local Columnists

Please Help Save My Zayde

When a young child writes and pleads for something that I (and you) can personally do to change his world, this world, improve a life and a lifetime, it gets my attention. Let me share his letter with you:

My name is Alec and I am 17 months old. I need your help.
(Note: Alec is a very bright and handsome boy and he got parental help writing this letter.)

My grandfather, Murray Steinberg of Brockton, was diagnosed in January with acute myelogenous leukemia or AML. He’s only 57 years old.

After a rocky five months of chemo and other therapy, my Papa finally went into remission. On July 14, we sadly learned that his cancer returned and he is now undergoing more chemotherapy (more intensive and dangerous than before) to put him in remission again.

Then, he will need a bone marrow transplant. 

This is where I need your help: Because Papa has a rare tissue type, my parents and I are asking everyone we can possibly contact (friends, family members, people with compassion, people without compassion, people who have lost loved ones to cancer or any disease) to please get tested and help save my Papa. 

From what my mom tells me, the tissue typing involves a simple blood test (which takes less than five minutes). An appointment to have it done can be made at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street, D1B30, Boston, MA 02115-6013 or by telephoning (617) 632-2561 or toll free (866) 875-3324. 

Their website is www.dana-farber.org/how/donatebone/

My Papa waited a long time for me to arrive and I don’t want to lose him now. We even share a special song that he wrote and sings to me every time I see him, “Shining Star.” He’s my shining star and I will do anything to keep that star shining. My Papa…My hero. 

Thank you with much love and appreciation. Alec Beane. 

Alec’s grandfather, Murray Steinberg, is a tall and strong, yet so very gentle and kind, man. He is also my cousin Janet’s husband.

Before Murray’s diagnosis, I, like most of Murray’s family, knew little about leukemia and even less about bone marrow transplants. We all get that unwanted educational boost when personal circumstances make scary knowledge necessary.
I had thought the bone marrow testing procedure would be something very complicated and painful, and maybe even dangerous.That, I learned from the Dana Farber people, was absolutely wrong. 

First, the blood test is simple. Second, should you be a match and thus able to perform this mitzvah, the marrow would be taken from your hip area. At worst, the experts tell me, the donor might feel sore for a few days, like he or she has bumped into a desk or some furniture. That’s it.

Virtually every bone marrow donor feels that this event, this contribution, this saving of the life of a real person, a person you can talk with, shake hands with, even hug, was one of the most important positive moments and contributions of their lives.

So, I ask you, dear readers, if you meet the criteria (donors need to be between the ages of 18 and 59 and, of course, must not themselves have cancer or certain other very serious illnesses) to phone the Dana-Farber Institute today and help Alec’s grandfather Murray, Janet’s husband, my cousin, to have a new lease on life.  You won’t be sorry and a lot of people will be eternally grateful.

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In Dreams Begin Responsibilities

Do other people have historical fantasies? Mine are like movies, vast cinematic narratives in which I star, along with other heroic beings, fulfilling the Zionist dream.

In one ”movie,” I am a “bilui,” a Russian woman from the 1880s, intoxicated with the romantic notion of a Jewish homeland. I learn Hebrew and farming with my similarly motivated youth group, then emigrate to Eretz Yisrael, where I found a moshav and establish deep roots in the land, the country, and the soul of the Jewish people. Another fantasy, possibly my favorite, is a daring double agent flick during “y’mai kam hamedina,” the early days of the establishment of the state, and includes many campfires and horas on the beach in Tel Aviv.

Clearly I am enamored of the Zionist mission, the heady, consequential moments of high drama, when critical pieces fell into place to determine the future of the Jewish people. But, as I confess my pleasant fantasies about nascent Zionism, I must also refer to an anxiety dream that plays all too frequently in my head these days. This is a dream of chaos and disruption; its boundaries are porous; its reality is as convincing as a toothache.

In my dream, I am a flag-waving Gush Katif settler. I wear orange, from head to toe, in protest against this absurd and unpopular government policy. Jews don’t evict Jews; Judenrein is a Nazi concept; I am against even calling the “evacuation” a “disengagement” when it is shear capitulation to our enemies. My husband, Nir, our children, and I are the line between the terrorists and the heartland. We are the heirs to the land flowing with milk and honey, as promised by God.

My next door neighbors are in jail just for protesting the evacuation. Other neighbors have already pulled up stakes and resettled behind the Green Line. I would never lift up a finger against the army — but since when did I become the enemy? I am the granddaughter of socialists, heir to a Zionist tradition that is anti-clerical and pragmatic and hopeful about the possibilities of co-existence with our Arab neighbors. But now I am pious and moved by religion. And I also believe that Jabotinski was right; an “iron fist” is the only policy what will work with the Arabs.

Let Sharon hold an election right now and see how much support he has! Gaza is his laboratory as he conducts his experiment in diplomacy. Reckless and irresponsible. Unconscionable. Let them sit in the cafes in Tel Aviv and trade theories about the future. For us, August 15 is capitulation. It is a reward for terrorists, a punishment for realists — it’s a day I never thought would come.

Adolescent fantasies are always more positive than the anxiety dreams of one’s later years. Zionism and I are both aging rapidly, if not so well. And it’s been a long time since I had my youthful innocent dreams of the moshav and the Tel Aviv beach. But I am trying to envision a new dream, something age appropriate but sufficiently cheery. Something pleasant to ruminate on in my spare moments, a fantasy that will not overwhelm me with fear or depression. After all, day dreams should provide a relief from reality, not a replay of one’s darkest fears.

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Raising a Jewish Dog