Jewish Journal Archives

“What kind of Jewish camp?” my neighbor persevered, when asking about my youngest daughter’s whereabouts this summer.
“A regular Jewish camp,” I said, perplexed. “Kosher, Shabbat—y’know?” But according to my neighbor there are different grades of Jewish camps.

“There’s Jewish and Jewish lite,” she explained, and then reiterated. “Jewish camps — and camps for Jewish children.” Which had I chosen?

A pang of anxiety gripped me as I began to measure our choice of Camp Yavneh against this new concept. Lite may be a proper attribute for a salad dressing or a beer, since excess sugar or fat are unwelcome in the food pyramid. But something tells me that a lite Jewish experience would be superficially palatable but contain little long-term impact on a child’s Jewish development.

The letters that came over the summer from our youngest daughter gave little hint of any unbearable liteness of being at camp. “I need more stamps,” wrote Zoe, a problem that we immediately remedied. Did we plan on picking her up early on the last day? — a clue that homesickness was lapping at her tender heart. Baruch HaShem (lite version: “thankfully”) all the emotional throat clearing quickly dissipated after the first week.

Zoe’s later letters were filled with stories of bunkmates and counselors, about the time the showers broke, about day trips and hikes, and buying candy and souvenirs at Kolbo (camp store). One especially moving epistle was about the profusion of chocolate chips in the cookies they served at dessert. “The food is great!” she told us. “Free swim is my favorite activity. . . .Color war will be starting soon.” But for all the homesick, dutiful, or ecstatic, letters arriving every few days in our mail box, there was little clue as to the Jewish quality of camp.

Regular or lite? An authentic Jewish experience of Torah, Israel, and kahal (community) or a nominally Jewish experience with other campers of Jewish descent? Ultimately—and I agonized over this — was my child spending the summer in a living, breathing Jewish world or was she seeing Judaism as a cultural artifact, a mere mascot for people who enjoyed the name, but not the practice?

All doubts dissipated as I hugged my camper on the dirt road leading to her bunk. Her hair had the blonde highlights that a summer spent outside brings; her skin was a glorious nut brown (she always tans the best of anyone in our family); her smile was broad, her body relaxed. Zoe was surrounded by a swarm of girls who giggled and spoke with warmth and humor. She couldn’t wait to show us the camp.

The first place she pointed out quashed all my anxieties about Jewish lite. Zoe pointed off-handedly to a non-descript building. “That’s the genizah,” she said. She continued our tour, showing off the agam (the lake), the hadar ochel (the cafeteria), the beit am (the gym), the places where she davened — with an explanation of why she had chosen this minyan and not that. It was a pleasure to travel with Zoe through the path of her summer community, watching joyous farewells with campers we passed throughout the tour. But for me, the genizah said it all.

A genizah speaks volumes about Jewish identity. As a depository for discarded holy papers and books, it displays an understanding of the barriers Jews habitually build between holy and profane. A genizah teaches the values of kedushah (holiness) and displays the reverence a community has for Torah. “Oh, yeah, that’s our genizah,” tells me that Zoe has spent the summer in a traditional community of people which takes Jewish texts and identity seriously.

Yavneh was established by Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai as one of the two Torah academies (the other is Pumbedita) established by Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai after the fall of Jerusalem. Without Yavneh and Pumbedita, Jewish culture could not have survived the destruction of the second temple. Similarly, there are many challenges and hurdles that American Judaism will have to survive— not all of them religious. Camp Yavneh gives me confidence that my young camper is being well prepared for them.

Opinion

Don’t Expect Any Applause

JONATHAN S. TOBIN

Jonathan S.Tobin is executive director of the Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia. He can be reached via e-mail at jtobin@jewishexponent.com

For supporters of Israel, the sense of cognitive dissonance about current events is by now commonplace.

This month, Israel is leaving the Gaza Strip 38 years after it conquered the small territory in a defensive war.

Jewish residents of the area have been forcibly removed. Farms, towns, homes, synagogues and even cemeteries are either being destroyed or carted back inside the 1949 armistice lines.

In order to do this, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has divided his Likud Party, forced out some of the most talented members of his Cabinet and set in motion a series of events that threatens at times to tear Israeli society to pieces.

In exchange for this angst, Israel is getting from the Palestinians nothing but the knowledge that the retreat will most likely strengthen the hands of those who believe terror is the best way to deal with the Jewish state.

Sharon has powerful reasons for the Gaza move, including the need to keep the area’s million-plus Arabs outside of Israel’s borders, and create a more defensible position than the current deployment of troops who defended the settlements.

But disengagement also has led many American Jews to piously hope that this sacrifice will win Israel the plaudits of the world - or at least lessen the drumbeat of criticism that can be found every day in the pages of major daily newspapers and on television news.

By giving up Gaza, they reason, Israel has confirmed its status as the certified good guy of the conflict.

But those who think that giving up Gaza will make Israel more popular are deluded themselves. Its enemies aren’t impressed by its desire for peace or its willingness to give up part of its historic territory after winning wars, something no other sovereign state has ever done.

Shimon Peres, currently a member of Sharon’s coalition, once famously said that Israel didn’t need a smart public-relations effort to tell its story. It just needed smart policies.

Once Arafat was installed as head of a Palestinian territory, his “police” armed and terrorists released from Israeli prisons, the false idea that Israel was a murderous occupier that killed babies became far more prevalent throughout the world, not less.

Even more recently, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak- whose bold bid for peace at the 2000 Camp David summit put almost all of the territories (including Gaza) on a silver platter for Arafat - was burned as well. Not only did Arafat say no to Barak’s peace offer, within months he launched a bloody terror war.

But Israel gained no credit for its peace offer, and sympathy for the Palestinian cause did not decrease because of the decision to pursue the murder of innocents on the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Instead, for the first time in decades, Israel’s existence and the very legitimacy of Zionism become a matter of debate in respectable circles.

And now, even after weathering four years of heightened terrorism that took more than a thousand Jewish lives and having handed Arafat’s successor - and his Islamist allies - all of Gaza without even so much as requiring them to sign another piece of paper, just where does Israel stand?

Letters to the editor

Land for Peace?

The attorney who chose to exercise his “free speech” to attempt to demonize Israel clearly ignores the facts on the ground to promote apartheid and genocide.

If anyone should offer “land for peace” it is the 22 hostile Arab dictatorships that control 5,120,000 square miles, yet still want the 8,000 square miles that comprise the State of Israel.

It is clearly not the land the Arab extremists want; it is the eradication of Jews, then of Christians and all non-Muslims, beginning in the Middle East. The goal of ethnically cleansing of all that is not Islam would qualify as apartheid and, last I checked, that does not promote peace.

Lisa Cohen
Menlo Park, CA

McNulty a Disgrace

I’ll bet Martin McNulty had no problem taking his fee from Jewish clients. This man is a disgrace to his profession. I live on the South Shore and you can be sure he’ll never get a Jewish client (or anyone else) from this area.

The man is an outright anti-Semitic moron. No matter what we “Jews” give up, people like McNulty will never be happy unless they see all of us destroyed. I’d like to put something on his lawn, but I won’t say what!

Respectfully submitted, and proud to be a “JEW”.

Sheila Sandler
Stoughton

Ideas for Unity

Over the past few months, I have followed with great interest the studies, meetings, conversations and general wringing of hands over how we can strengthen the Jewish community on the North Shore. We owe the participants in these sessions a good deal of gratitude for their earnest efforts to keep our children Jewish and make our lives as Jews more meaningful and fulfilling.

Allow me to make a simple suggestion that, with cooperation from this fine newspaper and all of the synagogues north of Boston, could go a long way in fostering that feeling of unity and spur on participation by Jews of all disciplines, including Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Messianic, Chasidic and others I may have inadvertently slighted by omission:

The synagogues should submit a list of their individual activities for the upcoming month to the Journal, this newspaper should print them, and these temples should invite and welcome members of other congregations and those unaffiliated to participate. That is, with no additional fees other than what their regular members would be charged.

This, particularly, would open up the world of Judaism to our young people, and allow them to see that although others that may not worship in entirely the same manner that they do, we are all Jews. I feel that this would stimulate a real sense of unity, solidarity and community.

Beryl Porter
Beverly Farms

What Should Jews Do?

The anti-Israel sign on the house in Lynn is hateful and wrong, despicable and muddled. To call Israel “land-grabbing” ignores the thousands of acres of land that Israel has turned over to Arabs in the search for peace. This is compellingly true with the turnover of Gaza to the Palestinians just this week.

The statement on the sign that “Israel is Bleeding America” would be humorous if it was not such a blatant lie. The bleeding of America is the billions of dollars going to Arab countries because of their chokehold on oil. (Have you filled up your car lately?) While the Lynn sign is contemptible, it must not be ignored and raises an important question for North Shore Jews. What action should we take to confront this slur against Israel?

The traditional but somewhat pale response takes the form of letters scolding the author of the sign about his lack of judgment and insensitivity. The author replies that he is invoking his freedom of expression and that he is not going to retract his statement. More letters, some telephone calls and the issue becomes an obscure, private exchange that tails off to silence. Lots of motion but no real movement.

An alternative reaction to this anti-Israel insult is a peaceful, legal protest that uses the same constitutionally protected freedom of expression that the sign’s author invokes. A public demonstration by North Shore Jews and other citizens of good will in front of the offending sign enforces the message that lies about Israel will not go unchallenged. Just as this defamer of Israel has gone public, so a Jewish protest would make public — with the help of invited media — that Israel cannot be unfairly maligned.

A public statement will make clear that affronts on Israel will be challenged and countered, a message that would help deter any future attacks. Further, a public protest would signal to the entire North Shore that its Jewish community is attuned to anti-Israel insults and its evil twin, anti-Semitism, and will not tolerate them.

Perhaps the most important reason for a public protest is the effect it will have on North Shore Jews. Defense of Israel can be the most unifying cause of our Jewish community. Defense of the Jewish homeland transcends all of the differences that sometimes split our community into differing factions.

A public protest would say, yes, we are united; yes, we do take a common stand; and, vehemently, we will not tolerate lies broadcast about Israel. The North Shore Jewish community would literally be standing shoulder to shoulder in a worthwhile, bonding cause.

Another possible action, or inaction, is to do nothing about the sign. History has shown that, unfortunately, Jews have been known to do just that – nothing. But we have learned from our tragic history that issues ignored come back in a more virulent form. We must not let that happen.

How will the North Shore Jewish community respond? The choice rests with you.

Herbert Belkin
Swampscott

Credit Was, Has Been Given Where Due

I was quite surprised and more than a little perplexed to read the responses from Neil Cooper in the last two issues of the Journal to my interview in the July 15 issue.

In that interview, and at most every opportunity afforded me, I do my best to make it clear that I understand and truly value that this community, as all Jewish communities, stands on the shoulders of those who came before us, both lay and professional.

I not only recognize this fact, but relish in pointing out the successes of the men and women whose hard work and philanthropy 10, 15 and even more years ago (as were the examples which Neil offered) afforded us the opportunity to live in such a wonderful community today.

Jewish continuity at its core is the transference of responsibility for the maintenance, nurturing and growth of Jewish life to the next generation. I know those who gave of their time and resources in years past to help build this North Shore Jewish community did not do so with the intent of personal recognition, but to insure continuity — to insure their children and grandchildren had a wonderful Jewish place to call home.

That said, just as we cite our teachers and sages when discussing sacred texts, it is the responsibility of the subsequent generations to acknowledge and honor those who came before them. I cannot thank enough those who served our community and our Federation in the past, and only hope this generation and those which follow continue to honor their legacy by striving to realize the promise of our Federation’s mission of Helping to Keep our Children Jewish, the true essence of Jewish continuity.
Here Neil and Deanna Cooper have clearly succeeded as exemplified by their children Marc and Diana co-chairing our Federation’s Family Mission to Israel this month and bringing with them their children, connecting the next generation of the Cooper family to Israel and their Jewish heritage.

We do what we do not for the recognition Neil wanted to make sure occurred through his letters. We do what we do so our peoplehood will continue in perpetuity just as Hashem promised Abraham thousands of years ago.

Merritt Mulman
JFNS Executive Director
Jewish Federation of the North Shore

Comments on Keshet

What’s with all these North Shore Conservative rabbis falling all over themselves to join Keshet, a group dedicated to make gays feel super-welcome in the synagogue? Methinks this rush to embrace suggests a) falling memberships, b) classic knee jerk liberalism, and c) fears lest they, the rabbis, be labeled homophobic, reactionary and (gasp) politically incorrect.

Personally, I think if a Jew who is gay wants to join a shul, that’s fine. But if he thereby seeks public acceptance and legitimacy of homosexuality (e.g., using the synagogue for a gay service), then I would object, much as I would if a Jew who’s a gambler, alcoholic or a Jew for Jesus wanted to use the synagogue to legitimize his lifestyle or private heresy. And I certainly would not want kids brainwashed into believing that homosexuality is kosher.

Indeed, it should be remembered, despite all the “sanitizing” pro-gay propaganda flooding us from the media, the homosexual act (male anal intercourse) is in Torah a major sin and abomination.

I would advise these rabbis who are bending over to welcome gays (low class pun intended) to straighten up and reread their rabbinic texts and remind themselves that they are Jews, not Unitarians or pagans.

They should also realize that by ostentatiously welcoming the gay person as a special category, they will inevitably turn off and drive away others — young families especially — who rightly fear today’s epidemic of pro-gay preachings (always packaged with guilt-inducing phrases like “show tolerance” and “respect diversity”) in public schools, etc.

(For those interested in learning more about why Judaism regards homosexuality negatively yet believes it is treatable and not inevitable, consult www.jonahweb.org.)

Pinchas Baram, Ph.D.
Brookline

The Work of True Sisters

I just made out $10,000 in checks from an organization that has been giving this amount every year to the North Shore Medical Center Cancer Department. If you visit Salem Union and Beverly Hospital, you would see plaques, furnishings and equipment given by the United Order of True Sisters Heritage #53 over many years.

Nationally this organization has been in existence 90 years and most of our members are senior seniors. It is the oldest women’s organization in the United States and has supported hospitals, clinics and given research grants throughout the country. (See uots.org.)

We also support “Nam Camp” that sends young people to camp during the summer who are suffering from cancer or whose parents are stricken with that deadly disease.

This is a real human interest story, as our membership is depleted by death and members going into old age homes. I just turned 82 and I am one of the youngest members. We raise money with an ad book, a donor dinner and various donations, but if we don’t get an infusion of younger members I’m afraid True Sisters will not be able to continue our philanthropic endeavors. Our mission is to work to replace despair with hope for all those who seek our call.

In our quiet way we have been helping this community for years with no recognition, but now we’re hurting. Maybe if the community knew more about it, younger women might join.

Georgie Sawyer
Swampscott

Subverting Sheehan

There is a rumor that Cindy Sheehan, the Gold Star Mother for Peace, has been making anti-Israel statements. The original charge appeared without attribution on right-wing Matt Drudge’s blog, a site which frequently prints Republican “talking points.” KKK member David Duke’s website cited a similar statement she is alleged to have made on Nightline. From there the story made it to the mainstream press.

Cindy herself denies having made any statements about Israel. When questioned by reporters, she flatly stated that these alleged quotes were untrue. Of course, many Jews are liberal. Painting Ms. Sheehan as pro-Palestinian is a very clever way to turn this powerful block against her.

In another case, an Iraqi woman visited Cindy Sheehan in Texas, and then made derogatory statements about her. This woman, it turns out, is married to a reporter for Voice of America, a station whose propaganda is aimed at foreign countries and banned from broadcasting in the USA. This is another attempt by the government to disempower a woman who is fueling anti-war protests.

This information comes from a personal search on Google and from listening to audio tapes played on Air America, (1200 AM and 1430 AM on your radio dial).

Be aware that there is a major attempt to subvert the truth and be skeptical.

Linda Weltner
Marblehead

Go Pliner!

Jared Pliner is an amazing teen. He relayed his story (Y2I 2005: A Jewish Rebirth, August 12-25) from a personal and reflective angle. He was still able to reach out and let the reader see history from his eyes. He is a journalist in the making.

Diana Redfearn

Jared Rocks

I thought Jared Pliner’s article (Y2I 2005: A Jewish Rebirth, August 12-25) was amazing. It was a brilliant article for a junior in high school.
Jill Sherman

Obituaries

BACKMAN, Rose (Shapiro) – late of Lynn. Died August 10. Wife of the late Abraham Backman. Mother of Joanne Gerber of Canton and the late Carolyn Backman. Sister of Miriam Nathanson of Baltimore, MD, and the late Joseph Shapiro and Sally Pliskin. Grandmother of Heidi Guarino, David and Steven Greenberg, Ada Greenberg-Hogan, Debora and Nancy Gerber. Great-grandmother of 8. (S)

COHEN, Sadie (Ludwig) – late of Paso Robles, CA, formerly of Everett. Died August 1. Wife of the late Louis Cohen. Mother of Dorothy Lefebure and Daniel Cohen. Grandmother of 8. Great-grandmother of 11, and great-great-grandmother of one. (G)

PEARLMAN, Samuel “Sonny” – late of Revere. Died August 9. Husband of Ruth (Cohen) Pearlman. Father of Jeffrey Pearlman of Salem and Anita Cutler of Peabody. Grandfather of Sara Cutler, David Cutler and the late Rachel Pearlman. (G)

RIMER, Richard – late of Marblehead. Died August 13. Son of John and Anita (Rafey) Rimer of Marblehead and Palm Beach, FL. Brother of Robert Rimer of Stuart, FL, and the late Donald Rimer. Uncle of Jeremy, Elizabeth and Daniel Rimer. Cousin of Ted Rimer of Peabody. (S)

In Memoriam

Saul Gilberg, Real Estate Developer

al estate developer from Swampscott, died at the Mass General Hospital on Sunday, August 14. He was 79 years old.

Born and raised in McDonough Square in West Lynn, he attended Lynn Public Schools, graduated from Lynn Classical High School and attended Northeastern University after a tour of duty in the US Army during WWII.

Like many of his generation Mr. Gilberg never forgot his roots and the city he loved. As president of International Realty and Broad Street Trust he prided himself in being a “one man urban renewal team,” having transformed rundown, problem properties in Lynn into decent affordable taxable property.

For his work he received numerous awards and recognitions, including Realtor of the Year in 1966 by the Greater Lynn Board of Realtors, and the prestigious Item Bouquet of the Week in 1967 for his efforts to upgrade properties in the city.

In the 1980s he provided Swampscott with its “White Gateway” by restoring several rundown buildings at the town’s entrance from Lynn Shore Drive. In 2003 he was elected to the Greater Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame.

He was very active in community affairs, having been a prime mover in the construction of the new YMCA in Lynn and the North Shore Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Marblehead that replaced the old Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA) in Lynn. He received the JCC’s Presidential Citation in 1967. Because of his expertise in real estate and affordable housing, in 1980 then Governor Edward King appointed Mr. Gilberg to a seven-year term at the Massachusetts Home Mortgage Financing Agency.

He was a member of Temple Israel of Swampscott, Rotary Clubs, and was a life member of the Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach. He was past president of the Greater Lynn Board of Realtors, a member of the Lynn Business Partnership, the Chamber of Commerce, the Insurance Brokers Association of Massachusetts, the Salem Board of Realtors and the Lynn Credit Union. For many years he was active in the Swampscott Little League Association.

He was the beloved husband for 55 years of Irene (Stone) Gilberg. He is survived by his children: Gary Gilberg of Swampscott and his late wife Evelyn, Richard Gilberg of Swampscott, Robert and Jill Gilberg of Swampscott, Andrea and David Cohen of Swampscott, Jayne and Lee Goldman of Marblehead, Carol and James Goldman of Swampscott and John and Rhonda Gilberg of Marblehead, as well as his sister, Sylvia Goldstein of Lynn. He was a grandfather of 13, and a great grandfather of one.

Donations in his memory may be made to a charity of choice.

Local Stories

Shhh, A Secret Between My Readers and Me