| The Jewish Journal Archive | ||||||||||||
| July 1 - July 14, 2005 | ||||||||||||
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Local
Stories |
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Local StoriesProject
Unveiling Mark
Arnold PEABODY — Project Solel, the ambitious new strategic planning initiative for the Jewish community of the North Shore, was unveiled at a public meeting June 27. The audience reaction was largely positive. About 85 persons attended the two-hour evening briefing at Temple Beth Shalom. Invited to the gathering were all board members of the 15 synagogues and eight community agencies in the 23 communities served by the Jewish Federation of the North Shore, under whose auspices the project is taking shape. Purpose of the gathering was to explain Project Solel (Hebrew for “pathfinder”), which has been endorsed by the agency heads, rabbis, and lay leaders of almost all communal institutions, who have formed a community Leadership Council to foster greater cooperation among the disparate institutions that make up the North Shore Jewish community. The project seeks to build a stronger community based on a better understanding of the needs of Jews on the North Shore and the effectiveness of the institutions that now serve them. “Everything is on the table, all institutions, even the Federation itself,” said Jerome H. Somers, chair of the 12-member Solel Steering Committee that is overseeing the project. Added Merritt A. Mulman, executive director of the Federation: “The key question is ‘How can we best use the resources in the Jewish community to better serve the Jewish community in the future?’” The meeting included a keynote address by Dr. Hal M. Lewis, dean of public programming at the Spertus College of Jewish Studies in Chicago and an expert on Jewish community leadership. Dr. Lewis noted the contradictory trends in American Jewish life today: The pressures of assimilation are driving down support for Israel and philanthropy; synagogues and Jewish Community Centers are closing their doors, he said. On the other hand, there are more youths enrolled in Jewish day schools and traveling to Israel than ever before, more adults enrolled in Jewish learning programs, and there is “a 21st Century cultural renaissance in Jewish books, films, music, theater, the fine arts.” The key variable for communities, he said, is the quality of Jewish leadership. If our leaders can articulate a clear and motivating vision and create a coalition to achieve it, concluded Dr. Lewis, the North Shore, like other vibrant communities, can experience a “spiritual rebirth” and rededication to Jewish life. The planning stage of the project began in March and is scheduled to end with a set of recommendations for action by the end of 2005. It consists of five stages: 1. Gathering detailed financial and program information from all North Shore Jewish institutions to understand what is offered, at what cost and to identify potential synergies and gaps in coverage; 2. Conducting interviews and focus groups with several hundred North Shore residents of all ages, geographic locations and degrees of involvement in organized Jewish activities (including some who are uninvolved); 3. Analyzing the data to understand the composition, attitudes, and needs; 4. Developing a strategic plan for better use of community resources; and 5. Designing for implementation a “strategic roadmap,” with cost and funding requirements and success measures. The Federation, which is funding the project, has hired consultant Mark H. Friedman of Swampscott for the planning phase at a cost of $100,000. The eventual cost of making changes that come out of the study is expected to be several times that much. Mulman told the gathering he believes the community is spending about $40 million a year on programs and services. “But we don’t really know for sure,” he added. Asked whether the study should aid in community fund raising, Mulman said: “We believe we can raise more money by providing more of the services people want.” He expects real changes to be in effect in two years. Reactions of the attendees was largely positive. “I think it’s important that every agency take a good look at itself and make sure it is true to its mission and running things as efficiently as possible. I’m hopeful this process will do that,” said Glen Yanco of Peabody, a former president of the North Suburban Jewish Community Center and a member of the Federation Allocations Committee. Wendy Roizen, a board member of Temple Emanu-El, Marblehead, said: I’m very much in favor of a planning process that will help us sort out our priorities. A lot of needs are being met and some are falling through the cracks.” Stuart Cohen of Marblehead added a note of skepticism: “Saying that everything on the table is a bold statement. I don’t know if it’s really true. Every institution wants to survive. But if people are passionate enough to make it happen, it will.” Federation President Debbie Ponn, who convened the Leadership Council that got the process started, expressed the sense of the meeting when she said: “We’re here to build a shared commitment to the future, to build a community where everyone wants to live and raise their family.” Spirituality Matters: Programs Train ‘Holy Listeners’ Gary
Band Joel Grossman of Newbury-port is a psychotherapist. For 30 years he has seen patients, taught, and ministered to the sick. But now, having recently completed Lev Shomea (a listening heart), a two-year training program at Elat Chayyim Jewish Retreat Center in upstate New York, Grossman has become a professional spiritual director, or “holy listener.” Observant and learned in Jewish liturgy and practice, the past president of Newburyport‘s Congregation Ahavas Achim contends that for most Jewish people religious involvement manifests through attending services, maybe Torah study sessions, synagogue adult education classes, home-based rituals and performing mitzvot. But spiritual direction — which Grossman admits he never heard of before enrolling in the program — offers another means towards personal spiritual growth. By meeting one-to-one or in a group with a spiritual director, more of a companion, he says, people can begin to explore their spiritual lives, a calling for deeper meaning and connection, and appreciating God’s presence in their lives through seemingly coincidental occurrences in relationships, work and community activities. As Lev Shomea instructor Rabbi Zari Weiss writes, “To sit in quiet reflection with a trusted companion, to entrust the story of one’s sacred journey to another, is a precious gift; a gift to both the narrator of the story and the one privileged to hear it — the one who is blessed to witness the mysterious unfolding of God in another human being’s life.” In addition to the Elat Chayyim program, there is also a spiritual direction program offered at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia, and two others based in the Christian tradition, the Shalem Center in Washington and the Mercy Center in California. Many who choose to pursue this work are former therapists or rabbis. And while this practice may sound unusual, according to Grossman, examples of spiritual direction can be found in Torah, Tanakh, Hasidism, Kaballah and modern Jewish writings. Such examples include Moses and Yitro, the unknown man who helps Joseph find his brothers and the prophets informing the people of God’s guidance. And found in Pirke Avot is the suggestion to “provide yourself a teacher, but acquire for yourself a companion.” Ron Pressler of Amesbury, a retired teacher, has been an active member of Ahavas Achim for 30 years, and taught there for the last four. He thought speaking with Grossman would help him reflect on the meaning and value of prayer and Shabbat observance, and his place in Judaism and the community. “My work with Joel made me think about my actual experience during services, how I looked at the text of the prayers and their meanings, and how they are constantly changing for me from one week to the next,” he said. “There were some real revelations in our discussion.” While Pressler said he’s never felt the need to sit down and talk with a rabbi about these things, it felt “wonderfully satisfying, reassuring, and gave me a great sense of peace and ease to speak with someone who has a strong faith and who listens and accepts what you have to say without judging.” “There’s a deep hunger for God in our world right now,” says Sandy Jardine of Phoenix, AZ, coordinator of the Spiritual Directors Association that numbers 147 spiritual directors from around the country. Also a therapist, Jardine says the response to her offering spiritual direction at her Reform temple was significant. “People are seeking another more direct way of connecting with God than what has been offered,” she said, “and they found it in these small groups.” While there is no prerequisite knowledge of Judaism or even belief in God to attend a spiritual direction session, Jardine says that in discussing their spiritual journeys, creating an intimate community with other people in the group (limited to six people), and committing to spiritual practices they’re comfortable with, people were profoundly changed. “In the feedback forms I receive, people say they feel more connected to their temple, to their family and loved ones, and are more interested in tikkun olam. It takes a different form for each person, but when people are filled up spiritually, they feel happier and have a greater sense of connection with themselves, others and whatever they perceive God to be.” For more information, contact Joel Grossman at 978-363-2063 or joelandsheialg@earthlink.net. Lowell Gray’s Oxford Street Grill: Bubbie’s Nouveau Cuisine Gary
Band LYNN — It’s what your grandmother would have made if she had worked with Wolfgang Puck and spent some time in the Far East. Indeed, the eclectic cuisine of Oxford Street Grill, created by the vision of owner Lowell Gray of Nahant and the talent of Chef David Fitzgerald of Beverly, has broken new ground in Lynn. Surrounded by other ethnic eateries featuring Indian, Jamaican and Czech, to name just a few, OSG’s grand opening June 7 saw customers from around the North Shore curious to see and reportedly thrilled to sample what the former Shore Net owner and its seasoned chef served up. “I wanted the food to resonate with my ancestry and speak to my roots,” Gray said from behind his bar two weeks after the opening. But while the fare is a century or so removed from grandma’s home cooking, in addition to the tuna tartare and organically farmed Tasmanian salmon filet, diners can also get a taste of the old world by ordering homemade gefilte fish, mini wursts with three different sauerkrauts, potato latkes and German chicken soup. Gray had met with many chefs in pursuit of the perfect menu, but says when he spoke with Fitzgerald he had found the man with whom to create the unique fusion of Far East and German Jewish cuisine. “It’s a play on the classics,” Fitzgerald said as we sampled his brisket sandwiches on the thick, fresh baked bread he also makes. A
blend of comfort and “finesse” foods, he says the combination
of salads, meats and fish — from farm-raised sturgeon and salmon
to wiener schnitzel, lamb, steak, short ribs and chicken — offer
something for everyone. According to Fitzgerald — who trained with a German master chef and worked at Olives and other well-known eateries — this style of cooking is “a uniqueness you won’t find anywhere in Boston. It’s elegant, flavorful and healthy, and none of the flavors are masked by heavy sauces. Simple is better.” As for drinks to complement the food, OSG pours Ipswich, Sam Adams and Harpoon ales and features a host of fine European wines. Desserts include a crème brule, white chocolate fondue and fruit strudel. For Gray, who spends most of his waking hours behind the bar, in the kitchen, serving the food and greeting his customers, the work is a labor of love. “This is a great city,” Gray said. “As a business owner, I appreciate the diversity and that Lynn once had a tremendous Jewish population. We hope to be among the many things bringing this city back to life.” Wallman Wins Pride of Peabody Award Gary
Band
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| Clearing
Clutter From Your Home Lawson’s
Time Management Tips |
Lawson admits that keeping things tidy is more challenging with young children in the house. She is ruthless about toys. If one is broken or missing pieces, she tosses it out.
To keep clutter under control, she abides by the “One in…one out” rule. When the child receives a new toy on Chanukah or a birthday, he or she must donate an old one to charity.
To prevent closets from becoming cluttered, clothes are also subject to the “one in… one out” rule. Lawson is not fond of sales. “Don’t buy something just because it is on sale,” she warns. “There are always sales, and there is no savings if you don’t really need the item.”
At the end of each season, Lawson recommends carefully combing through your wardrobe. “If you didn’t wear that fuzzy yellow sweater this winter because it felt scratchy or was the wrong color, that’s not going to change next winter. Just admit that you made a mistake and move on,” she says.
One of Lawson’s main maxims is: If you don’t use something within two years, get rid of it. This applies not only to toys and clothing, but also to appliances. “That bread baking machine may have been a good idea at the time, but if you don’t use it anymore, it’s just taking up space,” she remarks.
Lawson believes that collecting knick-knacks can become a problem because eventually you will run out of space. She knows from personal experience. She used to collect clowns, and often received them as gifts. Her collection grew and grew, and she felt obligated to display them all. Her solution: Be selective about what you collect, and allocate a limited amount of space for the collection on a shelf or a bookcase.
Two
Conservative Synagogues, Now One,
Set Course for Renewal
Mark
Arnold
Jewish Journal Staff
SWAMPSCOTT — First there were two — Temple Beth El, founded in 1927, and its 1946 breakaway offshoot, Temple Israel, Conservative synagogues both — who competed from their respective perches across Atlantic Avenue.
Now they are one.
After two years of negotiation, public meetings, and seemingly endless planning, the two ceased to exist with the state’s acceptance of the legal paperwork, May 26, to transform them into a new single unit: Congregation Shirat Hayam (Song at the Sea).
The new entity held its first congregational meeting June 20 in the social hall of the former Temple Beth El (now dubbed “Shirat Hayam East”), where leaders outlined their ambitious plans to an audience composed of 120 persons from the 700-household congregation.
Plans announced include the following:
High Holiday Services — These will be held at Israel while Beth El undergoes renovations (see below). Ritual Chair Mark Messenger described four types of services to be offered: a traditional service in the sanctuary; a shorter “contemporary service” downstairs with Rabbi Sara Zachariah of the Ziegler School of the University of Judaisim in Bel Air, CA; a family service, and a junior congregation. A survey will ask members for their attendance preference. Discussion focused on the decision to try open rather than reserved seating this year for the first time. To complaints that both temples have always had reserved seating, Messenger said: “Moving forward we’re trying new and different things. You never know if they work if you don’t try.”
Renovations — An architect is drawing up plans to change the “look and feel” of the Beth El entrance, lobby, social hall and sanctuary. A timetable for renovations also involves adding capacity to the school wing as part of a longer-term building master plan.
Disposal of Israel Property — Two unsolicited bids have been received for the synagogue site, said Mark Friedman, president of the interim B’reisheit Committee, which engineered the unification of the congregations. In addition, the town of Swampscott has set aside $500,000 toward the possible purchase and appointed a committee to recommend how it might use the property. The committee’s report is due October 15. There has been talk of moving police and fire headquarters to the site, or using the site for multi-unit housing. Friedman declined to disclose any information about the bids, bidders, or their intended uses for the property.
Dues — Dues will be set at $1,275 for the average household, an increase of $300 for Temple Beth El members and no increase for those of Israel. Several Beth El attendees criticized the increase. Leaders noted that last year’s dues at Beth El were kept unusually low because of an extra subsidy from the temple’s Sisterhood. Former Beth El president Diana Caplan said the Sisterhood donated $50,000 last year to keep down dues, versus $25-$30,000 in a normal year.
Elections — A new leadership development committee headed by Alan Diamond was named to present a slate of officers and candidates for a new 41-member board, to be voted on at the first annual meeting of the congregation, August 15. Their job is complicated by the fact that the two old boards totaled well over 125 members.
In other plans, leaders are forming a “family life group” for parents of pre-bar/bat mitzvah age children; it will meet July 13 to brainstorm ideas for the new congregation. An education committee headed by Desiree Gill is reviewing all school programs under the Conservative Movement’s Framework for Excellence program, including alternatives to a three-day-a-week Hebrew school. An all-member retreat is planned for some time in August to explore ways of reinvigorating the new congregation, and a Rabbi Search Committee, headed by Chuck Leidner, is working with the Rabbinical Assembly in New York to secure a spiritual leader beginning in September 2006. Beth El’s Rabbi Weinsberg will serve a transitional year and is being urged by some supporters to apply for the position.
Leaders expressed disappointment that few young members were among those turning out for the meeting. “Our hardest challenge,” said B’reisheit Vice President Scott Smith, “is communicating with everyone to get an ongoing renewal process working — really understanding what people want and then creating it.”
The retiring presidents of the two congregations were recognized for their work on behalf of the temples: Helaine R. Hazlett of Beth El and Marla Gay of Israel. They in turn bestowed presidential awards on the following members: For Beth El — Sheryl Levy, Polly Glosband School, Jack Polansky, and Leslie R. Sacks. For Israel — Joan Rich, Sonny Waxman, and Harold Mack.
Blind Senior Sees the Glass as Half Full
Susan
Jacobs
Jewish
Journal Staff
PEABODY — Bertram (“Bert”) Silverman, 92, suffers from age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of irreversible blindness in the United States. This progressive disease affects one out of three Americans over the age of 75, and there is no cure available.
Bert
was 70 when he was first diagnosed with the disorder. Over the course
of 15 years, he gradually lost his sight and is now considered legally
blind. Although visually impaired, Bert has not lost sight of the importance
of a positive attitude. As a resident at Woodbridge Assisted Living in
Peabody, he leads a full life; performing many daily activities with the
help of special devices that enable him to function independently.
At the urgings of others, he decided to write a book about his experience.
Bert’s Eye View; Coping with Macular Degeneration was published
in 1997 and revised in 2004.
The paperback book offers practical suggestions on how to cope with the disorder, and lists resources that help the visually impaired. Net proceeds from the sale of the $10.95 book are donated to The Iris Network, a non-profit organization in Maine that helps those with vision problems lead active, independent lives.
A polite and articulate gentleman, Bert has achieved a degree of notoriety since the book was published. He has appeared on television and radio, and regularly lectures to groups. Several years ago, he started a macular degeneration support group at the Leahy Clinic in Peabody, and he fields phone calls from all over the United States. He has, in fact, developed what he calls “a telephone pen pal” in Delaware. Although they have never met, they have spoken to each other every month for the past two years.
Although Bert is legally blind, he is not totally blind. He can recognize shapes, but they are blurry and hazy.
Although he strives to be independent, he sometimes needs help. He has found most people to be very obliging, assisting him at the airport or in elevators, or helping him dial a phone or make change.
“I have a lot of energy,” says Bert, who is up every day at 6 a.m. He participates in a lot of the activities at Woodbridge, especially, he says, the cocktail parties where he likes to drink bourbon straight up in a frosted glass.
Bert
has always enjoyed reading, and he doesn’t let his vision problems
destroy that pleasure. He owns a closed circuit TV machine that greatly
magnifies and contrasts letters so that he can read, albeit slowly.
A big sports fan, Bert roots for the Red Sox and has their championship
banner hanging in his neat apartment. “I’m glad I lived long
enough to see that,” he quips. He also likes the Patriots. To watch
sports, he must sit very close to the television and use telescopic glasses.
An avid golfer, Bert had to give up the sport two years ago when it became too difficult to see the ball. He still likes to play poker, but admits that it is getting increasingly difficult to discern the numbers and suits on the cards. “I have an assistant help me. We play penny ante poker, which is a far cry from what I used to play in Las Vegas. I might come away making 30 cents, but it is fun,” he says.
A native of Portland, Maine, who lived in that city for most of his life, Bert graduated as salutatorian from Portland High School and was Phi Beta Kappa at Bowdoin College, where he graduated in 1934. He was married for 45 years to Evelyn Setlin of Malden. He has two children; James who lives in Cumberland, ME, and Marjorie, who lives in Framingham. He has three grandsons.
He had a successful career in a textile business started by his Russian-born father, whom he loved and admired. After retiring in 1983, he volunteered for S.C.O.R.E., the Service Corps of Retired Executives, mentoring young people who want to go into business. An observant Jew, he served as president of Shaarey Tphiloh, an Orthodox synagogue in Portland, for seven years. He was also a member of the Senior City Council of Portland.
Although Bert has had two bypass operations and has a pacemaker, he is in remarkably good health for his age. He chalks it up to heredity: His mother, who also had eye problems, lived to 94. On the advice of his doctor, he recently underwent cataract surgery in his left eye. He found it beneficial, so he plans to do the other eye in the near future.
“The fogginess is still there due to the macular degeneration, but things have brightened up a lot, and I notice quite an improvement,” he says. That’s a typical comment from a gentleman who always sees the glass as half full.
Pro-Israel Groups Refine Campus Tactics
Rachel
Pomerance
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
NEW YORK — Nearly five years after the intifada exploded, American college campuses no longer see the frequent flare-ups that roiled campuses at the peak of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
But systemic issues that promote anti-Israel bias remain in place — namely, anti-Israel professors and Middle Eastern studies departments.
That was one finding of the Israel on Campus Coalition, which held its year-end review and planning conference earlier this month.
“I think there’s a recognition that the challenges on campus are in some respects deeper, broader and more institutional, but the allies and opportunities are greater than first suspected,” said Wayne Firestone, the group’s director.
The coalition — a group of 26 Jewish organizations sponsoring pro- Israel campus activities — is responding with a plan to deepen ties between U.S. university communities and their Israeli counterparts. Efforts will include joint research programs between Israeli and U.S. universities, academic collaboration and student exchanges.
The ICC also will rely on programs designed by students, who have shown the ability to craft appropriate responses for their particular campuses.
“You have to have multiple approaches to all of these issues and you have to have a variety of constituents involved,” from trustees to students, said Rachel Fish, New York regional director of the David Project, a pro-Israel group that produced a controversial documentary alleging intimidation of Jewish students by pro-Palestinian pro-fes-sors at Columbia Uni-versity.
Fish said the Jewish community has yet to devise long-term strategies to combat systemic threats from allegedly biased scholarship in Middle East studies departments, and to help Jewish students attain a sense of Jewish belonging and leadership skills.
Shocked by the extent of pro-Palestinian activity on campus when the intifada began, Jewish groups scurried to assemble Israel-education and advocacy programs to aid confused and apathetic Jewish students and win over students detached from either side of the conflict.
As
they refine their tactics, pro-Israel advocates have made some key achievements
over the past year.
One of the most striking was student activism that helped loosen barriers
to study in Israel. Dozens of universities provided waivers for students
to attend programs in Israel, despite the U.S. State Department’s
travel warning for the region.
The activity followed an ICC initiative — “Let Our Students Go!” — launched at the start of the academic year, urging activists to undo barriers to study in Israel.
In addition, the move to force universities to divest their holdings in companies that do business with Israel continued to founder.
Divestment
petitions have been dwarfed in the past few years by counterpetitions,
and the ICC now is developing a plan to deepen ties between Israeli and
U.S. universities by investing in joint academic programs.
An effort to solicit support from pro-Israel professors, who largely have
remained quiet amid the pro-Palestinian activism, is seeing some success.
Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, a pro-Israel network of college professors, now has more than 600 members on 200 campuses around the world.
Meanwhile, the pro-Israel movement is attempting to broaden its appeal with the formation of a new left-wing organization and alliances with non-Jewish campus groups.
The Union of Progressive Zion-ists, representing Hashomer Hatzair, Habonim Dror, Ameinu and Meretz USA, held its inaugural conference last fall to provide what they call a nuanced voice in the campus conflict.
In a debate allegedly framed by fundamentalists on each side, the union is a “third way,” according to Jamie Levin, executive director of Ameinu, formerly known as the Labor Zionist Alliance.
Groups like Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life aim to offer a range of views on Israel. Levin, though, says he’s drawing on his own experience and that of his friends.
Promoting a pro-Israel, pro-peace agenda will capture the widest swath of students on campus, Levin said.
Toward that end, the union coordinated a campus speaking tour last year by an Israeli and a Palestinian, each of whom has lost a brother to the conflict but who continue to strive for coexistence.
At a time when it’s trendy on campus to support the Palestinians because they’re perceived as the underdog, “no amount of hasbarah,” or pro-Israel public relations, can turn the tide, Levin said.
Showcasing people who support Israel while still acknowledging its failings can be more effective at building sympathy and understanding, Levin said.
That’s precisely what happened at Duke University this past school year.
Despite the uproar over Duke’s decision to host the annual conference of the Palestine Solidarity Movement last fall, it was a Jewish student who seemed to make the biggest impact on the issue.
College was the first time that Maital Guttman, who was born in Israel and educated in Jewish day schools, was exposed to anti-Israel sentiment.
Guttman wanted to show her peers the life of an 18-year-old Israeli who, like a cousin who inspired Guttman to make the film, sees no contradiction between army duty and a desire for peace.
Guttman attended Mechina, an Israeli army deferment program of study and volunteerism offered by the Reform movement, and filmed a documentary about the Israelis she encountered.
More than 500 Duke students flocked to a standing-room-only screening of her film this spring, said Guttman, who is taking the film on tour to colleges and Jewish communities around the country.
“I think it shows that people are really thirsty for a new way of understanding the Middle East,” she said, noting the reaction of a Jewish student who, after viewing the film, told Guttman that for the first time he felt proud to be Jewish and pro-Israel on campus.
Pleasures Await Cape Ann Visitors
Joan
Millman
Special
to The Journal
GLOUCESTER — Steeped in the lore and lure of the ocean, visitors to Cape Ann are enriched by countless educational opportunities. Whether on a walking tour at ocean’s edge or ruffled by the winds of the sea, their lungs fill with the scent of salt about them. Here are some highlights:
Gloucester’s Maritime Trail (800-649-6839; www.gloucester@ma.com): Along Gloucester’s granite coast one conjures the time when the fisher kings arrived on 200 sailing vessels a day. Fishing remains the major industry, poignantly depicted in The Perfect Storm. “They who go down to the sea in ships,” commemorated by the statue of the captain manning his wheel, is Gloucester’s unforgettable memorial to lost seamen. A map guides the visitor on a walking tour of the harbor, highlighting the seafarer’s story.
Maritime
Heritage Center (contact Harriet Webster: 978-281-7470): Here is a bustling
mecca for ship repair, aquaculture and educational programs for school
children. Boat-building classes and rowing teams complement the daily
work, restoration of historic wooden sailing vessels, ship building on
the oldest continuously operated marine railway in the country. In full
view of the public, a crew of shipwrights, caulkers and riggers bring
ailing ships to health.
Diving Locker (978-281-7470): Tucked beneath the GMHC museum is an appropriately
dark and narrow spot to store an array of diving suits, helmets, gear
and underwater working equipment. Year round, weekdays from 10 a.m. to
5 p.m., curator Paul Harling spins tales of sensational rescues and salvage
operations.
MIT Sea Grant Hatchery and Marine Education Center (978-281-7470): An active science laboratory, it features marine fish in various stages of development. The facility is part of a network of 30 programs in each of the coastal and Great Lakes states.
Ocean Connections (978-281-7470): A six-week maritime after-school science program for students in grade six, seven and eight. Students participate in hands-on investigation of marine science and related technology.
The Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum (978-768-6441): Dedicated to preserving the town’s legendary maritime history; founded in 1668, the center hosts about 5,000 visitors a year, including school groups who participate in the actual construction of a traditional lapstrake dory. The students select the wood and fasten the planks in time-honored oak or pine frames, held together with bronze clench nails.
Whale Watching (Seven Seas Whale Watch 888-231-1776): Perhaps nothing is as thrilling as spotting a whale from your vessel. Humpbacks, finbacks, minkes, harbor porpoises, pilots, and the very rare North Atlantic right whales are described by naturalists, specialists on this fascinating and elusive mammal.
Lighthouses (888-238-1775): A new excursion in Gloucester, the “Privateer” takes passengers from Memorial Day to Labor Day on a 90-minute narrated cruise to view the harbor lighthouses. Annisquam Harbor Lighthouse, erected in 1801 to mark the entrance to the Annisquam River at Wigwam Point is a poplar Native American summer encampment; Straightmouth Island Lighthouse, erected in 1835 to mark the entrance to Rockport Harbor; Thatcher Island Twin Lighthouses, the only surviving multiple lights, originally constructed in 1771; Eastern Point Lighthouse, built in 1832 to mark Gloucester’s harbor entrance, Ten Pound Island Lighthouse, built in 1821, as a marker for navigating Gloucester’s inner harbor.
Ocean Detectives (800-877-9110): Aboard the Hurricane II, fourth, fifth and sixth graders explore and discover the smallest animals below the harbor. Wednesday mornings throughout July and August, the students collect and examine data, such as plankton, benthic organisms, and lobsters. In the afternoon they observe whales, dolphins, sea bird and sharks in their natural habitat. A similar seminar is offered for teachers and interested adults.
Rockport Walking Tours (888-726-3922): Provided by the Chamber of Commerce, Rockport’s walking tour maps guide a visitor around this charming scenic waterfront town. Small and quaint, its attraction is mainly to artists who revel in its special ocean light and to tourists browsing along Bearskin Neck. There, the famous Motif No. 1, evokes the ultimate artist’s rendering of a traditional New England fishing shack. Dedicated to those who serve in the armed forces, it is the most painted and photographed site in America.
Hannah Jumper House (888-726-3922): Rockport boasts the illustrious lady who led The Hatchet Gang in 1856 to rid the town of liquor. It has been a “dry” town until this year when the Town Meeting approved changing the law and the culture.
‘I Want a Guy Who’s Jewish Beyond Eating Bagels’
Chava
Hudson
Special to The Journal
So, what’s a nice Jewish girl doing in a place like this? A place with over 500 photos of men that meet my initial requirements for finding a man: he wears pants and was born before Nixon was in office. Some of the men are smiling, some are looking dashing on their boats, while others have the edge of a mysterious woman’s face in the corner of the photo.
All of them are looking for love, but what about me? What am I looking for? A relationship would be great, and I’ll say right here that I’m interviewing applicants, but you should know that besides requiring pants, I have my list, and the older I get, the longer it gets. This is because every time I meet someone new, I might suddenly discover that I don’t want to be with a guy whose car is held together with duct tape or who has installed a port-a-potty in the living room for guests. Each new man is ingenious in presenting some totally original quality that I’d never even considered.
How hard can it be to find a man who’s honest, smart, funny, loyal, and solvent? Maybe not that hard, but then there are the other factors: I have height and weight requirements, being 5’8” myself. And then of course, there is religion: I want a Jewish guy. Not that I’m so observant, but there’s that certain something that makes me more comfortable with someone who’s Jewish beyond eating bagels. I have given up on hoping he will have hair, or that he can play tennis and dance like Fred Astaire. But the word “Jewish” on a guy’s Match.com profile, (assuming he meets the height and weight requirements) is usually enough to initially pique my interest.
Problem is, there aren’t so many, and the ones who are there can often be divided into two groups: those who have been married, and those who haven’t but are still looking.
Being a member of the first group, I favor that one, thinking that those men are at least house broken and capable of committing to a relationship. That drastically cuts the list to a paltry few, considering my other requirements.
Bars aren’t for me, and being single and Jewish on the North Shore does have some limitations in activities for singles of my age group. Still, it just takes one good man. Forgive me if I sound like the Marines here.
Like the lottery, someone has to win, and if you don’t play, you don’t have a chance.
Chava
Hudson is a web designer, artist, and novelist who lives in Beverly. She
may be reached at chava@
chavahudsondesign.com.
Disengagement: A Sacrifice Worth Making
Meir
Shlomo
Special to The Journal
Recently,
many communities joined together in celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut,
Israel’s Independence Day.
For the past 57 years, Israel has thrived as a sovereign state —
open and democratic. Israel’s mission has always been twofold: to
ensure the security of its citizens and to pursue peace with its neighbors.
This summer, Israel is scheduled to strive toward both of these worthy ambitions by completely withdrawing its civilians and military from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank. Through this Disengagement Plan, Israel is determined to fulfill its promise to make painful compromises in the name of peace.
But
Israel’s sacrifices must be met by those of its counterparts. The
Palestinian Authority must confront the terrorist groups in its midst,
dismantling their infrastructure and discrediting the incitement that
leads to hatred and violence.
Chairman Abbas must choose between continuing the miserable reality of
recent years and creating the possibility of a better future for Palestinians
and Israelis alike. Abbas must lead the Palestinians in their commitment
of tackling terrorism in a meaningful way. There can be no real diplomatic
progress until the issue of terrorism is confronted fully and decisively.
It is also crucial that the Arab world at long last step forward to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians. For too long, Arab leaders have exacerbated and exploited the suffering of the Palestinians for their own selfish political ends. The time has come for the Arab world to actively support the peaceful creation of a future Palestinian state.
Independent of these foreign actions, the historic decision of the Israeli government to completely withdraw from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank is a sacrifice that Israel must take to foster peace in the beleaguered region.
The plan is intended to ease tensions between Israelis and Palestinians and to augment security in the region, thereby creating conditions that will foster a renewal of the peace process. The implementation of the Disengagement Plan will give the Palestinians the opportunity to exercise their independence, control their destiny, and show that they also desperately desire peace. According to this plan, the Palestinians will be better able to determine their future, and Israel will be better able to determine its own.
Undoubtedly, Israel’s decision to completely withdraw its settlements from Gaza and part of the West Bank, relocating the homes of thousands of its own citizens, is a tough one. Israel hopes that the new Palestinian government will accept this responsibility with equal determination to annihilate the terrorism that threatens to thwart peace at every turn. Israel recognizes that it must take the initiative in fostering what we hope will be a new era of peace in the region.
Disengagement is a sacrifice, but ultimately, it is a sacrifice worth making.
Meir Shlomo is Consul General of Israel to New England. He can be reached at concal.sec@boston.mfa.gov.il.
Disengagement: Land for Terrorism
Gary
Fitleberg
Special to The Journal
Disengagement will advance terrorism rather than peace. If the PA/PLO gets territory in return for terrorism, it sets a very dangerous precedent for other Arab/Islamist nations to extract political concessions through terrorism rather than a peaceful negotiation process with Israel.
The plan for unilateral “disengagement” or “withdrawal” fuels political pressure through violence. A reward for the support of terrorism will transform Jerusalem, Tel Aviv (including Ben-Gurion Airport), Haifa, Netanya, Afula, Ashdod, Ashekelon, and other major places into targets for a future state of terrorism and its missile range.
Already, the disengagement of southern Lebanon has proven disastrous as Hezbollah now has a launching point for missiles that can destroy major population centers in Israel.
The July 2000 disengagement from Israel’s security buffer zone in occupied southern Lebanon has propelled Hezbollah from local to regional stature. The proximity of this organization plagues U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq with Arab/Islamist terrorism.
The Oslo-driven disengagements have ignited an unprecedented wave of Arab terrorism. Each and every square inch added to the PA/PLO since 1994 has become the largest terrorist base in the world, a safe haven for Arab/Islamist terrorists under the control and domination of the Iran-Syrian axis of evil.
Israel has not controlled the Arabs living in Gaza since the 1994 Oslo Accord. The PA/PLO controls and dominates the territory together with its sister terrorist organizations Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad, working hand in hand towards the complete destruction of the only Jewish nation state in the entire world.
Disengagement therefore would not impact Israel’s demography.
Disengagement of Gaza and Gush Katif has similar symptoms of the failed Oslo Accord and failed peace process. Land for Terrorism. Nothing less. Nothing more. Israel is getting nothing in return in its unholy alliance and agreement at suicidal self-destruction otherwise erroneously and falsely called withdrawal. The withdrawal symptoms are weakness and willingness to self-destruct as seen through the eyes of the Arab/Islamists.
Disengagement is a complete setback for deterrence, intelligence gathering and pursuit of peace. In other words the plan is a bottomless keg, militarily, diplomatically and economically.
Disengagement will increase Israel’s budget deficit, avert economic recovery, worsen unemployment, increase taxes, impose government bonds, and cut human services and infrastructure expenditures.
Israel and the Jewish people better beware of President Bush’s call for a total freeze of all so-called “settlements” (derisively used as gypsies living in tents) and Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice’s call for a contiguous Arab “Palestine.” According to the Balfour Declaration, all Palestine was to be a Jewish homeland and the British Mandate gave away 80% to the Arabs in the created Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, formerly Transjordan.
Disengagement is destructive. Disengagement is dishonest. Disengagement is disastrous.
Gary Fitleberg is a political analyst specializing in international relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs. He may be reached at jewsinthenews10@yahoo.com.
People in the News
| Birth Announcement Jonathan and Melissa (Soltz) Gershon of Cranston, RI, announce the birth of their daughter, Ava Belle Gershon, on June 11. She has an older sister named Mia. The proud grandparents are Lorily and Robert Soltz of Salem, and Linda and Michael Gershon of Warwick, RI. Simon
Receives Award
Rally
for a Cure
Kernwood Country Club is taking part in Rally for a Cure, a breast cancer awareness campaign presented by Golf For Women magazine. Nearly 150 local players will tee off on July 12, joining nearly one million who have participated since its inception in 1996. Educational Program Presented The JRC in Swampscott, in conjunction with All Care Visiting Nurses Association and Neighborhood Diabetes in Lynn, sponsored an educational program for health care professionals about the latest guidelines for diabetes care and management. Pictured at the event are (front row) Ina Hoffman, Mary Barbuzzi, and (back row) Elvira Johnson, Brendan Reen and Claudia O’Connell. |
Scouts Honor London The Yankee Clipper Council of The Boy Scouts of America and The National Court of Honor of The Boy Scouts of America bestowed the Silver Beaver Recognition Award upon Georgia London. It is the highest award a council can bestow upon a volunteer. London’s service to scouting includes leadership roles in Texas and the North Shore. She is currently Chair of the North Shore District, and served as a Cub Scout den leader for 14 years. A psychologist and management trainer, London lives in Boxford with her husband Philip and their three sons, two of whom are Eagle Scouts. Students in the News Eye
of the Tiger Karate in Salem, awarded Irina Zhorov,
daughter of Yulia and Eugene Zhorov of Marblehead, and Philip
Freidin, son of Jonathan and Lynette Freidin of Marblehead,
the title of Sensei at its recent Black Belt Extravaganza held
at Marblehead High School. This honor is bestowed upon Black
Belts who have been assistant instructors for a year beyond their
Black Belt promotions. Jessica Ann Hunter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ian Hunter of South Hamilton, graduated from Wingate University in North Carolina on May 14. Segal
Sisters Sworn In
Honor Kerry Segal, JD, and Meredith Rete Segal, JD, daughters of Atty. Ronald Ian and Carol S. Segal of Peabody and Hull, were sworn into the Massachusetts Bar in Boston on June 23. Honor, a 2004 graduate of Pierce Law School in Concord, NH, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Salem State College in 2000, and Bishop Fenwick High School in 1996. Meredith, a 2005 graduate of Pierce Law School, graduated Cum Laude from Salem State in 2001, and Bishop Fenwick in 1997. |
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People in the News Policy |
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The
Ninth Day
Imprisoned Priest Faces Moral Dilemma in Nazi Germany
Susan
Jacobs
Jewish Journal Staff
While stories of Jews imprisoned at Nazi concentration camps have been well documented, we hear less about the 2,720 clergymen from 24 nations sent to Dachau, where one third of them perished. The pajama-clad prisoners in the sequestered Priest Block were routinely beaten, tortured and tormented by SS guards, who often strung them up on crosses and left them outside to die.
Father Jean Bernard was a priest from Luxembourg arrested in 1941 for aiding French resistance forces. He was sent to Dachau, where he kept a detailed journal of his 20-month imprisonment.
In 1942, the SS furloughed Bernard from Dachau, giving him nine days to convince Luxembourg’s cloistered anti-Nazi bishop to support the Nazi occupation. If Bernard resisted or tried to escape, the Gestapo made it clear that he would be persecuted and his family (including his pregnant sister) would be in danger. Bernard’s resulting moral dilemma serves as the basis for The Ninth Day, which premieres in Boston this week.
The film, in German with English subtitles, is directed by Volker Schlöndorff, who won an Oscar in 1979 for The Tin Drum. Shot in a muted, grainy style, it stars Ulrich Matthes as the intense Father Henri Kremer. German actor August Diehl is smooth as Untersturmführer Gebhardt, the zealous Gestapo officer that pressures Kremer to persuade the bishop.
Although Kremer knows the bishop will not capitulate, he is terrified about returning to Dachau, as incidents at the concentration camp have permanently scarred him.
Kremer meets with the bishop, who, as expected, refuses to compromise with the Nazis. Kremer returns to SS headquarters without the decree Gebhardt wanted, knowing he will be punished. The Gestapo, himself a lapsed seminarian, puts a gun to the priest’s head but cannot bring himself to pull the trigger.
Kremer is returned to Dachau, but this time he has a renewed sense of faith. He is proud of his moral stance, and his strong will to live allows him to survive.
The Ninth Day screens at the MFA in Boston July 1, 2, 3 & 7. $8/MFA and BJFF members, seniors, and students; $9 for the general public. Call 617-369-3306 or visit www.mfa.org/film.
Like Mother; Like Daughter
Susan
Jacobs
Jewish
Journal Staff
The Israeli film Or (My Treasure), which premieres in Boston on June 23, is a stark portrait of a tender yet grim mother/daughter relationship.
Ronit Eskabetz, a well-known Israeli actress and director, plays the role of Ruthie, a still-attractive 40-year-old who spends most nights in skimpy garb strolling the streets of Tel Aviv hunting for tricks. During the day, the depressed woman lounges around the dingy flat she shares with her teenage daughter, Or. She pays the rent by periodically seducing the landlord, Shmuel.
Dana Ivgy delivers a convincing performance as Or, an industrious girl who takes care of her mother while juggling school and work in a small restaurant. Or desperately wants her mother to leave her life of prostitution, She gets her a job as a cleaning lady for an upper class woman. Unfortunately, Ruthie is unable to “clean up” her life, and before long she is back on the street where she is subject to humiliation and attack.
Although Or has fallen in love with the affable boy next door, the boy’s mother discourages the relationship because of Or’s pedigree.
Disillusioned, the girl takes a hard look at her options in life. When Shmuel is no longer interested in obtaining the rent in his usual way from Ruthie, Or is tempted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She pays Shmuel a visit. The process proves so easy that Or is soon converted. Yet instead of walking the street like her mother, the teen becomes a high-paid escort.
Without judgment, the film explores the issue of prostitution, as well as who protects who when the traditional mother/daughter relationship is turned around. Although Or and Ruthie share a rough life, they also share an intimate bond. The film expertly captures the gritty realism of their existence.
At 100 minutes, the film is a tad long. Tighter editing and less long, drawn-out still sequence shots would add more sizzle to this otherwise penetrating drama.
The film is ably directed by Keren Yedaya, whose previous short films addressed feminist social causes. This is Yedaya’s first feature film, and she plans to use proceeds to help construct a halfway house for women tying to get out of prostitution.
Or (My Treasure), which won Camera d’Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, is in Hebrew with English subtitles. It will be screened seven times at the Museum of Fine Arts from June 23 - July 3. For times, call 617-369-3306 or visit www.mfa.org/film.
Editorial
On the Jewish Press and The Jewish Journal
The American Jewish Press Association met in Boston recently. The Journal co-hosted the annual meeting of editors, publishers and freelancers from more than 100 Jewish newspapers, magazines and websites.
The event got off to a roaring start with a spellbinding presentation by historian Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis University at a session titled “The Role of Jewish Journalism in Revitalizing Jewish Life.” Sarna began, as historians are wont to do, by reaching back, to the origins of the Jewish press in the 1840s, when Biblical scholar Isaac Leeser began publishing a monthly with the unwieldy name, The Occident and American Jewish Advocate.
Its mission was three-fold, said Sarna: To rouse the Jewish masses, to educate them, and to create “a sense of community” among Jews who were widely dispersed. That three-fold mission also informed the next important Jewish publication, The American Hebrew, which debuted in 1879, published by a group of young men in their twenties who sought to “stir up our brethren” about events of the day of Jewish concern.
To serve our Jewish community, I signed on as editor and publisher of the Jewish Journal just over three years ago. I loved the statement of mission I read in our 1996 bylaws, which pledge us to “create and maintain links between our community, Israel, and Jews” throughout the world; educate, promote the rights of the Jewish people, and provide “a source and forum within the community for the exchange of information and ideas of Jewish concern.”
To those sentiments I added my own, in the form of a vision statement that appeared in the first issue I edited, June 7, 2002. I said I wanted the Journal “to reflect the diversity of our readers: young and middle-age couples, singles, empty-nesters, seniors, traditional and nontraditional families, intermarried families, new immigrants and long-term residents,” to report on what established Jewish organizations are doing and what ordinary people are doing “to enhance Jewish understanding and identity.”
Finally, I said I hoped to “help our readers find ways to lead Jewishly meaningful lives and to connect with others who are doing so.” In pursuit of that mission and vision, I concluded, “We hope every two weeks to be able to enrich your lives Jewishly — and by so doing to enrich ours as well.”
My life has been enriched immeasurably by serving this community, through this publication, these past three years. I hope in some small measure, this publication has made a difference in your lives as well.
— Mark R. Arnold
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DOV
BURT LEVY Dov Burt Levy is a Salem, MA based columnist. He can be reached at dblevy@columnist. com.. |
On June 25, the Washington Post ran a long story on the front page of the Style Section about Rabbi Daniel Lapin, rabbi of choice to conservative politicians, Rabbi Lapin, according to Post reporter Hanna Rosin, flies every few weeks from his home in the state of Washington to Washington DC to visit his friends among them President Bush (with whom he has enjoyed a White House Shabbat dinner), House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Karl Rove, and the much investigated, now nationally known lobbyist-scammer to Native American tribes, Jack Abramoff.
Not hard to understand why they love the rabbi. He justifies low taxes for the rich because in Joseph’s time (he of the multi-colored coat), taxes never exceeded 20 percent. That’s a real humdinger — with that logic slaves could be used to build a new pyramid on Revere Beach or Salem Common.
Lapin keynotes conferences of the Christian Coalition and he calls the 700 Club one of his big all time favorites, But he labels Abe Foxman of ADL “breathtakingly arrogant” for saying that the film “Passion of the Christ” was anti-Semitic.
Lapin wrote a 1999 book titled America’s Real War, which, according to Ms. Rosin, is “a polemic along the lines of Pat Buchanan’s famous culture war speech at the 1992 Republican convention.” Lapin’s enemy list includes atheists, pornographers, the gay rights movement and liberal Jews. Note how he slips those justifiably hated pornographers in there with good guys.
Clergy should embrace an 11th commandment stating those who choose to lead or teach religion need hold themselves to an even higher moral standard than regular people. Or, if they want to get into the political wars, they should drop the rabbi title.
In this regard, June 26, in Gaza, the second disquieting event of the weekend occurred. Fourteen people were injured in clashes between right-wing activist-settlers and Israeli army soldiers. Army bulldozers had just finished destroying 11 abandoned beachfront cottages in the Gaza Strip.
Army intelligence had learned that people were preparing to occupy the cottages to oppose the disengagement. Jewish militants (I really don’t know what to call them any more) ran to the site, climbed on and under the bulldozers and provoked a clash with the soldiers.
The
settler’s opposition to leaving Gaza has been fueled and financed
in large measure by people holding religious positions, many with the
title, Rabbi. The Young Israel and the Lubavitch movement are just
two of several American rabbi-led organizations to oppose Israel’s
announced plan to leave Gaza and worse, supplying rabbinical approval,
biblical citations and sending people. Some Israeli rabbis have done the
same.
Do the rabbis have the right to intervene in the Gaza situation? Does
Rabbi Lapin have the right to use Jewish history and his religious standing
to oppose stem cell research, repealing last year’s tax reduction
or abortion rights? Sure they do, rabbis enjoy free speech.
But these rabbis also deserve what comes with religious involvement in politics: controversy, sometimes condemnation, possible censure and loss of station.
Remember the fate of the pastor of the East Waynesville, NC Baptist Church during the last election. The pastor removed nine members from the church membership rolls because they were likely to vote for Democratic Party candidates. When the dust settled on the controversy, the pastor lost his job.
One of the church members, Doris Wilson, said that God doesn’t play partisan politics. “I hate to see the church suffer like that. God doesn’t care whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat. It just hurts to see that going on.”
For Francesca and Abraham: A Box of Broken Glass
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ELLEN GOLUB Ellen Golub teaches journalism at Salem State College.She can be reached at elkele@attbi.com |
The classic book of Jewish moral philosophy, Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), opens with an explanation of how Jewish tradition is handed down: from Moses to Joshua, from Joshua to the elders, and from the elders to the men of the great congregation. Aside from the fact that women are invisible in this chain of tradition — and that really bothers me — what has always worried me about this chain is the obvious problem of handing things down.
In the physical, even the spiritual world, items handed down become frayed and damaged. Loss is a problem, since not all caretakers are equally capable or motivated. In short: by the time these items get down to me schlepping around the Diaspora 40 generations later, what is left of this mutiply-handled, reshaped-and-sometimes-discarded, shop-worn tradition?
Call it neurotic. Call it obsessive. Call it an anxious kid grown into an overly serious adult. But lifelong I have always worried about that delicate vessel we call “Judaism.” Certainly it did not arrive intact in America. And who is to say that the Second Temple, or the all-male rabbinate, or even the ghettoes of Europe were proper shomrim (caretakers)?
Like a box of broken glass dropped off by a hapless delivery person, Judaism seems always in urgent need of repair. And as we all stand around staring at the shards of glass clustered at the bottom of the box, wondering what it was that must have been so valuable to the sender, we sometimes find it impossible to imagine or visualize the object in its original form.
Each of us walks around with a vague personal impression of what the original must have been, and we reflect that in the construction of our Jewish lives and communities. But some of us — the anxious, the serious, the curious, or committed — are never satisfied with the visualization we achieve. We keep staring into the box, trying to imagine potential re-configurations.
As a bride and groom, Steve and I configured our Jewish lives in ways that made sense to us. We knew, for instance, that Israel was vital to our tradition, so we spent a nice long honeymoon soaking up the motherland. We knew Torah study and Shabbat were essential, so we made sure to include them in our lives. As parents, we knew that day school was a non-negotiable, so we committed all of our discretionary income, and then some, on Jewish education for our children.
Looking back at this Jewish construction we have built, Steve and I realize it is a work in progress. Certainly the Judaism handed to us by our parents was not ideal. And, indeed, though we have tried to imagine and reassemble it, the work we have done in our lifetimes is far from perfect. Questions, shards, lost pieces still beckon and challenge us.
And yet, as we stand in the prozdor (entryway), about to bring our eldest daughter to the Chuppah, we realize that with every generation, there is a greater chance of recreating the whole vessel. Shomrim may be inattentive; schools, communities, individuals may function ineptly. But as long as there are Jews who are driven to reassemble shards of holiness, the tradition handed from Moses to Joshua to the elders… is potential.
As we stand with Francesca and Abraham under the chuppah this weekend enacting the ancient rituals of keddushin, Abe’s parents, Steve, and I wish them good health together and a life filled with love and happiness. May they be privileged to build a bayit na’eman b’yisrael. May they fill it with many children and good deeds, respect for Torah, and love of Yiddishkeit.
And when they open the box of shards we give them, so they may attempt to assemble their version of the tradition Moses handed down to us, may they find infinite delight, fascination, and success in their task. May their good works help to usher in the days of Mashiach. And may Jews everywhere find contentment in the wholeness of our shared masorah (tradition).
Children: A Passport into A Whole New World
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STACEY MARCUS Stacey Marcus runs Grapevine Communications and is also a freelance writer who resides in Marblehead. She invites readers to contact her at grapecom@aol.com. |
When I was a little girl I went on an extraordinary journey.
I grew up in a three-family house at Five Fitz Terrace in Chelsea, and I traveled across the street to sleep over at my best friend Robyn’s house who lived at Four Fitz Terrace. I packed my pink suitcase, stuffed in my favorite tattered teddy bear and mustered up the courage to travel across the street to sleep away from my parents. I spent the night trembling and wondering when I could return to the safe harbor of my flowered bedroom and bake a cupcake in my Easy Bake Oven.
When I matured a bit, I went on excursions to places like Revere Beach, the Catskills and on a bold journey for a week alone traveling to Florida. I considered myself an independent lady with an expansive view of the world. When Mitch and I got married, he worked at an airline credit union so we got to travel virtually for free. The lens of my world expanded to places like Hawaii, Aruba and the Bahamas.
When
our children were small, we began what would become our treasured tradition
of taking long summer vacations, which began in tide pools on Cape Cod
and graduated to California, Mexico and St. Thomas.
Travel is a wonderful activity, not just because you get to explore new
places, but also to learn new things about oneself. As G.K. Chesterton
says, “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign
land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign
land.”
Just last year, we hit a new milestone when our teenage daughter Rachel signed up for the Federation-led trip to Eastern Europe. We all got passports. “What do you mean you’ve never been out of the country?” asked Emily who still is in amazement that I’ve never lived anywhere but Massachusetts.
All of a sudden I realized that the prescription for my lens on the world needs to be adjusted. I will learn about my daughter’s first-hand experience visiting the Okapova Cemetery and the Remnants of the Ghetto Wall in Warsaw, the Altshul in Poland, taking a boat ride on the Danube River in Budapest and visiting the Prague Castle and Golden Lane.
It’s a long journey to travel from childhood to adulthood. Thanks to my children I have a new door open with lots to explore.
School Should Reconsider Temple Links
I was extremely dismayed to read of the decision (“Rabbis Protest Dropping of Temple Rule,” June 17-30) to drop the “requirement of synagogue membership for the families of prospective students at the Cohen Hillel Academy (CHA). I’m sure that Eli & Bessie, Z’I, would be appalled at the idea that students at the school that bears their names came from families who were not associated with a synagogue or temple.
I know that most, if not all, of the synagogues in the area are pleased to make special arrangements for people who cannot afford standard membership fees. And in the case of my own synagogue, Congregation Ahabat Sholom, we go out of our way to make attendance at CHA or other Jewish schools a possibility by offering greatly reduced membership rates and payment plans.
I know, too, that Hillel grants an excellent education which is the envy of most other schools in the area. But Hillel is not just another private school; it is primarily a Jewish school. What is the value of a Jewish education if it does not teach that a basic requirement of a Jew is membership in the community and its houses of worship? What good is it to learn to read Hebrew, to study our history and literature, to read our Holy Bible and Siddur, if we do not put what we learn into practice in a synagogue or temple service?
Over the years I have studied the history and literature of many religions, and even attended a few church weddings, but that did not make me a believer in any of them. Similarly, eight years of CHA without association with a synagogue other than the occasional bar/bat mitzvah of classmates will not make a Jew of even the brightest student.
I hope, and yes, pray, that the Board of Directors will reconsider its decision and reinstitute the synagogue membership requirement.
Gary
Kaplan
Lynn
Dropping CHA Rule is Wrong
I am writing to comment on the decision by Cohen Hillel Academy (CHA) to drop the requirement of synagogue membership for its students.
It takes three settings to educate our kids about living a Jewish life - home, school, and synagogue. In changing its policy, CHA sends the wrong message to its students and their families about the importance of synagogue life.
Moreover, CHA is a beneficiary of the North Shore Jewish Federation. As a beneficiary, CHA should promote other Jewish organizations in our community.
According to the Journal’s report, despite CHA’s significant tuition reductions for its new students, CHA enrollment has continued to drop. As the rabbis noted in their letter, most synagogues offer abatements. It is hard to believe that dropping the synagogue membership requirement will significantly change school enrollment.
CHA would do better to look to changes in its program, format or curriculum that would allow it to rebuild its enrollment.
Marilyn
Schlein Kramer
Beverly
Fed Notes Its Role in Leadership Program
We sincerely appreciate the Journal’s page one coverage of the Leadership Development Institute in the June 17 issue “Plan Set to Close Leadership Gap.” As stated in the article, the program outlined before the North Shore Jewish Community Leadership Council on June 9 will help prepare the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our Jewish community. The need for quality leadership development is one shared by every agency and synagogue in our community.
One enormous omission existed in the article, however. The Leadership Development Institute is a program of the Federation, and one that we are proud to bring to and provide for the synagogues and agencies in our community. A Federation provides three basic services: First and foremost, making sure the necessary resources are available to our partners through the annual Community Campaign. Nothing we do can be more important. Second is community planning. Our leadership of Project Solel will help the community envision and realize a wonderful future built upon the many successes of our past. Third is leadership development. The Leadership Development Institute presented publicly for the first time is the upshot of identifying and addressing a problem common to each of our communal institutions. We will all benefit — synagogues, agencies and future generations of Jews on the North Shore.
The article also failed to explain that Federation recruited the services of Carl Sloane, retired CEO of Mercer Management Consulting and a member of our Federation’s Board of Directors, to develop and present the Leadership Development Institute. Professor Sloane has generously agreed to donate his time and expertise to the community through his relationship with the Federation. The team building effort he created for our community will no doubt have a positive impact on each institution that participates. We express our sincere and deep appreciation to Carl for facilitating this vital endeavor.
Finally, the Journal presented the misleading notion that a Campaign Cabinet was developed in the absence of a Campaign Director. Historically, Federation has recruited volunteers for a cabinet to work in cooperation with the director. As in most like-size communities, my position of executive director will now encompass the responsibilities of Campaign Director. I am proud and honored to work closely with the dedicated women and men of our Campaign Cabinet.
Merritt
A. Mulman
Executive Director, Jewish Federation of the North Shore
Salem
| Readers Weigh in on Arnold Resignation Editor’s Note: The Journal policy is to print letters received on issues of local interest, within the bounds of libel and good taste. The following letters reacting to Mark Arnold’s resignation as Journal editor-publisher represent all the letters we received on the subject since we last published. They were unsolicited. I am writing in reference to the article on the departure from the Journal of Editor/Publisher Mark Arnold (“Arnold Resigns from Journal,” June 3-16). Having worked with Mark as an unpaid business consultant for the last 2 1⁄2 years, I have had a front row seat to view Mark’s performance. As editor, Mark has made many changes to the Journal. It is now a lively, interesting and informative newspaper with excellent local and national coverage. The Journal has won a dozen national awards in Mark’s three years as editor. Our community has responded very favorably to the “new” Journal and I think it is safe to say that readership is at an all-time high. As publisher, Mark inherited a publication with a long history of financial difficulties. Thanks to his efforts, the Journal has now achieved financial stability and is on the way to paying off accumulated debt. There were more than a few bumps along the road. The financial losses in Mark’s first year threatened the survival of the paper. Mark responded by making necessary staff changes, cutting expenses and significantly increasing ad revenues. Along the way, he converted the Journal to electronic publishing. This long overdue conversion keeps the budget in line and streamlines the publishing process. The Journal cannot survive financially on advertising and the annual grant it receives from the Jewish Federation of the North Shore. |