| The Jewish Journal Archive | ||||||||||
| July 29 - August 11, 2005 | ||||||||||
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Local StoriesFighting
A Political Goliath David
Pepose BOSTON — Emblazoned with Israeli flags and orange “Gush Katif Forever” T-shirts, nearly 100 protestors rallied in the streets outside the Israeli Consulate at the Park Plaza Hotel July 19. They joined thousands of demonstrators in 25 other rallies around the world in their opposition to the disengagement of Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank. “I believe [the disengagement] is so illegitimate that I have no alternative,” said Gene Itkis, who participated in the rally. “The Israeli government put itself at fault by suppressing those who disagree: the latest to be arrested was because of a website. It reminds me of the Soviet Union.” The controversy began in December 2003 when Ariel Sharon proposed to relinquish disputed territories in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority. These lands have stirred up violence before, most dramatically in the Six-Day War of 1967, when Israel was pit against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Hostility still remains over the territories. Sharon’s proposal means the displacement of nearly 9,000 Israeli settlers as well as ceding control over strategic lands such as the Philadelphi Corridor and agricultural farmland. Israel would lose the ability to curb weapons smuggling from Egypt, as well as 12% of its own agriculture. Many fear that Sharon’s concessions will validate past Palestinian terrorism, and others still feel as though the disengagement will open Israel up for more. “It’s like a baby with candy,” said a young demonstrator who wished to remain anonymous. “If you give them some, they’re going to want the whole thing. But if we give it all to them, they’re not going to give us any of their stuff.” Dovi Tripper, another demonstrator, agreed: “[When] you put yourself in the hands of the United Nations and the EU, bombs start going off in the streets of Tel Aviv.” Indeed, the loss of parts of the West Bank brings about many fears of further terrorism against Israel, as it would place Palestinian borders against where 70% of the Jewish population lives, as well as 80% of Israel’s industrial base. Higher-ups in the Israeli government have since joined the protest, as well. The most notable of disengagement naysayers are Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has invited controversy by his absence in three disengagement-related bill votes, and General Moshe Ya’alon, Chief of the Israeli Defense Forces, who has gone on record to say “this Gaza withdrawal will blow up in our faces.” The main proponents in the war against disengagement have been local, ground-level protestors such as those rallying in Boston, Washington, New York, and Chicago, united worldwide by orange clothing and their indomitable beliefs. An organizer of the rally, Igor Chernin of Marblehead, put his thoughts — as well as those of the rest of the protestors — very succinctly. “[The disengagement] is just an obstacle to peace.” To those against Sharon’s decision, the “Stop the Disengagement” rally in Boston was just one more David fighting the mighty political pronouncements of Goliath. The question now is, will their slings be enough to topple the decisions of the intractable Israeli government? Teens Changed by European Adventure Amy
Sessler Powell Milbury of Peabody and Mahoney of Marblehead were two of the 35 North Shore and 20 Israeli teens on the Youth to Israel (Y2I) European Adventure, a two-week fully subsidized trip sponsored by the Robert I. Lappin Foundations and the Jewish Federation of the North Shore. The trip visits Jewish sights in Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest and Prague with emphasis on centers of Jewish life before the Holocaust and several of the concentration camps. Y2I is a yearlong program of education and community service highlighted by a free summer trip to Eastern Europe or Israel. The trip also features a mifgash, or encounter, with Israeli teens who travel with the Americans. Teens on the trip describe the mifgash as the best part as they bond with Israeli teens over their common Jewish history and make friendships with Israelis that will last a lifetime. “The Israelis were fun,” said Rebecca Clayman, 16, of Marblehead. “Just being with them, we got to know a whole different culture, and they brought a lot of life to the group.” Much of the Y2I European Adventure is emotional, as the teens visit the ornate synagogues that once accommodated thousands of Jews, and the concentration camps, such as Auschwitz, where so many Jews lost their lives. “In the beginning of the trip, many of the teens were not trying as hard as they could have to meet others,” said Alex Goldstein, one of the four counselors, “but by the second day, the day we spent in Auschwitz, that changed. That day alone brought the group together and it was amazing how quickly the bonds formed between different people. It was nice to see Americans comforting Israelis and Israelis comforting Americans throughout the trip.” Mahony described the mountains of hair and shoes on display in Auschwitz. She was struck by a braid, still intact, in a huge pile of hair shaved and cut from the heads of Jews. “It was so terrible to see that these people don’t have anyone left to remember them, to see that they are gone and all that is left is a yellow braid.” Milbury said he found himself upset by the nametags on the suitcases. “It was very personal to connect with the people who were killed in this tragedy.” In the gas chambers, Mahony found herself overwhelmed by emotion. “You are in there, standing there, realizing that people died where I am standing and it could have been me. It is so powerful, disturbing and painful at the same time,” Mahony said. “I have gone to Jewish school all my life, but on the trip the Holocaust was so real, not just something we study in school.” While many of the historical sights invoked powerful emotions, many of the teens said it had a positive effect on them. “It made me want to be a better person and want to give back to my community,” Milbury said. The trip also showed the teens a Jewish world outside of the confines of the North Shore. Robert Clayman, father of Rebecca, said, “My daughter saw the larger world in a way that was deep and meaningful to her. We had conversations about what it means to live Jewishly and we were not just talking about going to temple.” Elan Babchuck, one of the counselors, said the group learned so much from each other and developed resolve to move forward and strengthen the Jewish people from within. JFNS Board Approves 2005-06 Allocations Gary
Band While some agencies thought their allocations might be reduced by up to 20 percent — roughly what the anticipated reduction amounts to in total campaign dollars — the Board approved only a 5 percent cut for agencies across the board. “Our first obligation was to do no harm,” said Federation Executive Director Merritt Mulman. “To do nothing that would compromise the services and provisions that our agencies deliver. I really laud the prudent and difficult decisions that were made.” Mulman said the Federation was able to keep allocation reductions low in part by reducing its overhead by 19 percent over the last two years, and, for the first time, asking United Jewish Communities (UJC) to forgo payment of its $124K Fair Share dues this year. This payment is in addition to the $300K the Federation allocates to UJC every year to support Israel and Jews in need through the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFE) and the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). Also, in a show of commitment to the Y2I program, a partnership with the Robert I. Lappin Foundation, the Federation Board also decided to move the $66K in administrative expenses “above the line,” taking this amount right off the top and indicating its core value and necessity. Meanwhile, the Lappin Foundation has increased its support of Y2I in the amount of $130K, a cost-sharing figure that the Federation had annually contributed in the past. “There is no program in which we have greater pride,” said Mulman. “We’re very grateful to Mr. Lappin that after 34 years he continues to support this invaluable experience.” In addition to moving Super Sunday up in the calendar from November, the Federation has also implemented new ideas in an effort to increase giving. One is the appointment of NSJCC President Greg Ehrlich and Marblehead’s Temple Sinai President Myranne Janoff to approach members of synagogues and agency boards. “There should be 100 percent giving here,” said Mulman. “People need to be solicited and we can’t be shy about asking. These are the leaders of the community and they should lead by example.” Mulman says that in addition to himself, his senior staff and volunteers, Federation needs to bring in more people and expand the donor base. And with a seven percent increase in campaign dollars last year and 11 percent the year before, Mulman is confident that this year’s number of givers and dollars will also increase. But still, changes must be made. “We need to bring in more volunteers and approach people in a way that makes sense and inspires them to give back to the community,” he said. As for whether or not Mr. Lappin will make his annual gift, Mulman says that he has shown his commitment to the community at the highest level, and hopes that he and his family will choose to be part of this year’s campaign. “This is not an expenses issue,” Mulman said, “but a revenue issue. Whenever a business loses its largest customer, it’s difficult for everyone. The Campaign gifts have already shown growth, but now is the time for everyone to step up and fill in the gap in the budget.” Teens Bond, Learn on Y2I Israel Trip Amy
Sessler Powell After years of studying the Holocaust and Israel in different academic settings, many of the 55 teens on the Youth to Israel trip said the real thing was “amazing.” “I think being in the old city in Jerusalem and floating in the Dead Sea and just seeing all the stuff I learned about in Hebrew school was amazing,” said Elise Williams, 16, of Swampscott. “When I was younger I didn’t think I would go there and it was really good to be there with people my age.” The 55 local teens started their trip in Poland before connecting with 33 Israeli teens in Israel. Known as a mifgash, or encounter, the teens traveled in Israel for two weeks, seeing everything from Jerusalem to Masada to the Negev to the Golan Heights to Tel Aviv. The Youth to Israel trip is part of the year-long Youth to Israel program, a combination of education and community service highlighted by a free summer trip. The trip is fully subsidized by the Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundations and the Jewish Federation of the North Shore. Visiting Poland first put much of Israel in perspective for the teens. “Auschwitz was really tough, but it made me appreciate the thriving Jewish life in Israel in contrast to the death and depression of Auschwitz,” said Nate DeGroot of Hamilton. While the most ornate synagogues of Poland are mostly empty, “the Western Wall is packed on shabbes with so many people davening. It was an amazing time to be there.” For many of the teens, the highlight was the mifgash or being able to be in Israel with Israelis who proudly showed off their country, helped the Americans understand the culture and put events and sights into perspective. “They
take so much pride in their country,” said Juliana Robbins, 16,
of Peabody. “Here, we dread the army, but the Israelis go into the
army to secure their country. They know so much about their wars and their
land.” Whether it was riding camels in the Negev or climbing Masada at sunrise, the teens felt connected to their Judaism through the trip in a way that was new to them. “It makes it a lot more meaningful to be Jewish,” said Lilya Kholomyanskaya, 16, of Swampscott. “Going to Israel made me more connected to the history and to a lot of other Jewish people.” Elana Weiner found herself overwhelmed by the beauty of the country and the commitment of the people there. “We saw men wearing fur hats and long robes while we were sweating in our shorts and tank tops. They were really showing their faith and commitment,” she said. “We went up so many mountains and hills where we looked over the landscape. I really found everything in Israel to be amazing.” Bonds were formed between Americans and Israelis, and between Americans from the North Shore who were not close to each other before the trip. “In the beginning of the trip, when we said the shehechianu prayer overlooking the city of Jerusalem, the American and Israeli teens were cautious with each other,” said trip leader Marla Gay. “By the end, it was clear everyone had bonded by the hugs, kisses and tears as they said good-bye. A lot of good friendships were made on this trip.” Gilli’s Café Dishes Up Middle Eastern Fare Susan
Jacobs The café is operated by Gil Harari, an Israeli who has infused the menu with a Middle-Eastern twist that features freshly-prepared salads, sandwiches, bagels and drinks. The food is primarily vegetarian, but it is not kosher. The tiny café, which has seating for about a dozen customers, is currently open weekdays until 2:30 p.m. In the fall, it will also stay open until 6 p.m. and will operate on Sundays. Come autumn, the menu will expand as well, when Harari will introduce an array of hot soups and plans to institute a take-out menu of salads, quiches and prepared holiday food to go. In addition to Gilli’s Café, Harari operates Gilli’s Too by the pool. This outdoor eatery is geared towards children and features pizza, grilled cheese, salads, ice cream, brownies and smoothies. Specialties include corn on the cob and watermelon slices. The poolside facility will close after Labor Day. Gilli’s customers include the JCC staff and members, as well as staff from nearby Cohen Hillel Academy and Temple Sinai. While Harari does a brisk business in basics such as bagels and coffee, other best sellers include the Pesto Sandwich made with homemade pesto, fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil, and the Truly Good Sandwich, made from roasted eggplant, carmelized onion, arugula and goat cheese prepared on organic rye or whole wheat bread, a French baguette, or as a wrap. Rotating specials include a Salmon Sandwich made from roasted salmon, roasted red peppers, arugula and Dijon mustard, and a Health Salad made with spinach, beets, corn, broccoli and carmelized onion. One of the biggest hurdles currently facing Gilli’s is that the JCC kitchen is not up to code, so Harari can’t cook in it. Although Harari washes and chops the cold food there, he prepares the warm food in the kitchen at Sandwiches & More in Vinnin Square and transports it to the JCC. The JCC is attempting to raise the money necessary to properly renovate its kitchen. Harari, 34, has an extensive background in cooking and hotel/restaurant management. He has managed several large restaurants in Tel Aviv, and spent many years in the catering business. He has also worked as a personal chef. The native Israeli grew up on a kibbutz. He moved to Massachusetts about five years ago, and lives with his wife Tami, a singer, in Belmont. To gain inspiration, he watches cooking shows on TV and enjoys reading cookbooks. He also likes visiting other restaurants to see what chefs are doing. He is especially fond of ethnic cuisine. Two of his favorite local food finds include an Afghan restaurant in Cambridge and a Persian eatery on Beacon Hill. Rebuilding the Temple: Sinai Gets ‘21st Century’ Treatment David
Pepose MARBLEHEAD
— The Temple Sinai building may have been constructed in 1962, but
with the help of its congregants, the renovated synagogue is now entering
the 21st century. “[We have] updated parts of the bimah, the side area, the honors board, a new fire alarm,” Kamer said. “The whole nine yards.” The renovation project began in April of 2005 when the congregation decided to gut and rebuild the temple’s walls, which had since been discovered to contain asbestos foam. In the 14 weeks that have followed, however, Temple Sinai, with the help of Marblehead architect Gazado Velleco, has gone far beyond simple asbestos removal, and been “brought to the 21st century,” as Bernie Kummins, another key player in the $250,000 renovation, stated. Kamer, along with interior design committee head Lynne Zolot and former temple president Herb Newborn, as well as Velleco and contractor Groom Construction, went through a rigorous process to decide which direction would be best for the temple to follow. “We went through a process where we went through the board, and then went to the entirety of the congregation for review,” Kamer said. “The project was approved by the entire general membership — by passing through a majority and then, later, by more than that.” The temple has completely redone and repainted its walls and floors, and has installed a state-of-the-art fire alarm system, as well. The renovations do not end there, however, as the list of the temple’s new innovations goes on and on. Sinai constructed new doors and four custom-built bookshelves for holding siddurim, and has put in co-lit lights and dimmable chandeliers for greater light control, a repolished and updated memorial plaque, and acoustic paneling, as well, placed strategically around the sanctuary for clearer, richer sound. The bimah has also been renovated, now complete with acoustic paneling on its sides, as well as a custom-built section for holding the Torah after it has been read during services. “When
a smaller congregation does this, it has more of an impact than it would
be for a larger one,” said Temple Sinai’s Rabbi Jonas Goldberg.
“This is a statement about our future more than anything else.”
“We currently have stained-glass windows behind the bimah, but we’re working on getting more natural light,” Kamer said. “There’s still things to be discussed, and there’s no definitive timetable.” Thus far, however, the congregation has been more than ecstatic with the temple’s new face after just “Phase 1”: “We’re very pleased with the architect,” said an enthusiastic Kummins, who has been with Temple Sinai for many years. “This was the first Jewish organization he worked with, and it came out extremely well.” Local Teen Goes to Washington David
Pepose
Ricki,
18, a senior at Marblehead, High School, has just returned from the Global
Young Leaders Conference, which took place in Washington, D.C. and New
York. Ricki was nominated for the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC), and extension, the GYLC. Her curiosity was piqued when she discovered the GYLC through the CYLC’s web site. “I was really interested in international relations, and international law, she said. Ricki was first put into one of 18 “country groups,” and then was delegated to a commission. “I was in the health commission,” she said. These commissions broke into subcommissions — such as AIDS prevention and reproductive health and deliberated their motions until they reached the “Global Summit,” which was delivered in front of members of the United Nations. Ricki, however, enjoyed the friendships she made in the conference even more than presenting in front of the daunting UN. “They called it ‘networking,’ but it was just meeting people from all around the world,” she said. “When I go online, I now see people from China and South Africa and Pakistan!” The most important lesson Ricki learned during her travels, she said, was just how differently people are educated. I remember when we went to the Holocaust museum. There were two girls from the United Arab Emirates, and one of the girls had only heard of the word,” Meyer said. “So I took her around trying to teach her the Holocaust in two hours, which was impossible. I was shocked to learn that not everyone had the same education as I did.”
Seniors Enjoy Pampering at CJNH’s European-Style Health Spa Susan
Jacobs CHELSEA — The elderly residents of the Chelsea Jewish Nursing Home don’t have to jet to Palm Springs or Beverly Hills to enjoy the luxuries of a top-notch European-style health spa. CJNH has just opened one, and the best part is that all services are free for the 123 residents. By law, nursing homes are required to give grooming care to their patients. When creating the spa, CJNH went well beyond the federal and state requirements. “When you go through the hand-painted doors, you feel like you’re entering a different world. When you’re in there, you forget that you’re in a nursing home,” says Barry Berman, 52, executive director of CJNH. The 1,500 square foot state-of-the-art facility includes soft lighting, soothing music and a waterfall. Practitioners skilled in working with the elderly treat them to facials, manicures, pedicures and eyebrow waxing. “When you look good, you feel good,” maintains the gregarious Berman, who says that the elderly are seldom touched and often lose interest in their appearance. “During a staff meeting, we brainstormed the concept: What more can we do for our residents that’s not currently being provided? We thought of creating a European day spa that mirrored the type you’d find on Newbury Street. A spa experience is therapeutic and helps elevate the mood. And it lets our people spend their final days in luxury. Most people come to a nursing home to die. At CJNH, we want them to live everyday to the fullest,” adds Berman. The
visionary Berman spared no expense to transform the innovative idea into
a reality. The non-profit CJNH received a $30,000 Resident Empowerment
Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the CJNH
Foundation and its Ladies Auxiliary privately raised the balance of the
$200,000 it cost to build the facility. The entire project took nine months
to complete. An aesthetician, manicurist and two hairdressers are employed at the spa. Every five weeks on a rotating basis, each resident receives a free day of comfort and beauty. This includes a facial complete with lavender aromatherapy, steam, enzyme and exfoliation treatment, a manicure and pedicure, hand, leg and upper body massage, facial waxing and hair care. The ladies are also treated to make-up and lipstick. “This service is available to all residents, regardless of their disabilities or level of cognitive ability,” says CJNH Assistant Administrator Betsy Mullen. The spa accommodates for frail residents who are bedridden, on oxygen, have agitated behavior problems, or are incontinent. Practitioners use hypoallergenic products formulated especially for older skin. Mullen
points out that most CJNH residents are in their 80s or 90s and have never
been exposed to a spa. “People in that generation never pampered
themselves and did not grow up going to spas,” she notes. Although
some residents were initially reluctant to participate, all now look forward
to their treatments. “When people leave, they definitely have a glow,” agrees Magdalena Ifrim, the Romanian-born aesthetician who works at the spa. “But it’s more than just attending to their skin. The treatments change the mood and make people happy. Many people feel so relaxed that they fall asleep.” When a resident has an upcoming simcha, the spa helps them to look their best. Ruth David recently had 50 members of her family coming in from all over the world (including Israel) to help celebrate her 95th birthday. After a full treatment at the spa, her skin shone, her hair was neatly set and her nails were painted bright red. She looked gorgeous. “I feel very fortunate to be here,” says David, who has coronary problems and suffers from Parkinson’s Disease. “When I first arrived here two years ago, I couldn’t walk or talk, and I didn’t have a hair on my head. I was like a zombie. But they brought me out of it. This is a wonderful place.” People in the News
Editorial Declaration of Community W hen in the course of a Jewish community’s evolution, there are certain people whose vision and/or financial support create and sustain the organizations that enrich the lives of all who live there… As the cities and towns that comprise a greater community grow and prosper, more and more people inevitably see the promise of a future and make a contribution — monetary, voluntary or professional. With the July 19 passing of the Jewish Federation of the North Shore’s 2005-06 nearly $1.9M budget, the Allocations Committee breathes a sigh of relief while the eight beneficiary agencies (see chart on page 5) extend a collective toda raba to the estimated 3,400 people who have and will contribute to this year’s Campaign. The value of these contributions cannot be overstated and these families and individuals cannot be thanked enough. When you consider that Federation, founded in 1938 as the United Jewish Appeal of Greater Lynn, raised $22,860 in its 1940 Campaign, the current numbers are even more impressive. Yet we can and must do better. While the exact number of Jewish households and individuals here forever eludes us, if the Journal mails to 11,000 households, multiplied by an average of two adults per, and distributes another 1,500 copies, all of which are picked up every two weeks at 75 north of Boston locations, we’re talking around 25,000 adults, an untold numbers of kids and teens, and perhaps another few thousand unidentified households within our 26-community readership area. If there are an average of only 3,400 gifts to the Federation’s Annual Campaign, where are the rest of you? Looking through some of the contribution envelopes that former Journal Editor-Publisher Mark Arnold saved over the last three years, I am struck by and unspeakably grateful for the number of comments and contributions. In 2001-02 we received 2,299 envelopes totaling over $56K; in 2002-03, 1,885 totaling over $70K; 2003-04, 2,172 totaling over $90K; and so far in 2004-05, 2,600 totaling nearly $85K. As in all organizations, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Just as our 30 years in business is due to the vision of the Journal’s 25 founders, community contributions and the hard work of the editors and staff that have put out this paper since 1977, so are the north of Boston agencies such as Federation, Cohen Hillel Academy, the JCCs, the Holocaust Center and the synagogues grateful to those who created, supported and sustained them all these years. If the number of gifts remains the same, it may be enough. But as we evolve as a community, and as all our agencies continue to struggle, it is everyone’s responsibility to do her/his part to ensure not just the survival of this Jewish community, but its growth and prosperity for all who value it. — Gary Band What Fools These Mortals Be!
Once upon a time many years ago when I delivered newspapers to homes in Revere’s Shirley Avenue neighborhood, the masthead of the now defunct Hearst Sunday American carried the quotation “What fools these mortals be!” At the time I thought the quotation was a weird one, coming from a newspaper to its readers. Today, however, when I read stories about what is happening in Israel, when I talk on the phone to people in Jerusalem and around the country, I think that quotation aptly applies to the withdrawal of Israeli residents from Gaza. The day of reckoning is fast approaching. I support the withdrawal because the option of incorporating one million unwilling but highly reproductive Arabs into the Israeli body politic is a demographic nightmare for a small Jewish nation. Further, the cost in lives and money keeping Israeli soldiers forever guarding a small Jewish population is too much. Most of all, the mistake was huge in the beginning when the governments in power provided settlers with major incentives to populate the area, not realizing that plunking down First World Jews into a small area with over one million poverty stricken Third World Arabs is both wrong and non-sustainable. I say to the settlers: what government gives, government may take away. It may be sad, disruptive of your lives, and less than skillfully carried out, but it is still the will of the legitimate, democratically-elected, government, and its reasoning is sound. Let us admit that the struggle in Israel today is a civil war, not as horrendous as America’s war between the states or Russia’s revolution, but still a conflict over who is to control the state. If
the religiously dominated and motivated Gaza Settlers win and withdrawal
fails, the outcome will be perilous to Israel’s future. The settler movement has made a big splash during the past months with demonstrations, traffic blockades on multiple highways, large scale marches, infiltration of the Gaza border, and spreading the color orange (why orange? I don’t know) around the country to symbolize opposition to withdrawal. Dud bombs have been placed in bus stations with notes protesting withdrawal. Settlers and rabbis encourage soldiers to lay down their arms and not participate in the withdrawal. As the Forward’s July 22 headline put it, “Religious Troops Torn Between Faith, Duty”. Settler leaders have fueled a movement that is rapidly getting out of control. As Moshe Feiglin, a key Likud official wrote following a large protest march that ended at the entrance to Gaza, “The main question now is if the believing public will follow G-d despite its current leaders and despite some of its rabbis.” The question is, will the simple, faithful Jew negate the establishment and start to march? Will the simple, faithful Jew overcome his servile leadership and start to march? Feiglin and others want the crowds to march right over the soldiers regardless of consequence. Here in this intersection of God and militancy is where a dangerous change in Israel’s future resides. One religious woman in Gaza told a television reporter she would put explosives under her house and when soldiers come, they will die together. Already, scores of young women carry their infants to demonstrations. My two worst nightmares are that a soldier’s bullet will pierce the body of a mother and a child killing both, or that a settler will hurl a grenade into a group of young soldiers. “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” comes from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. How I wish we could wake up and learn that the increasingly vitriolic resistance to the Gaza withdrawal was really only our 2005 middle-of-the summer’s night dream. No such luck. A Letter to Lutfiah About the Kids
Dear
Lutfiah: It’s a strange world we live in, very violent, filled with uncertainty and doubt. You take your lunch pail and hop on a train. Poof. The next thing, you’re on CNN, an arm here, a foot there, your head rolling down the street. Netanya. Iraq. London. People say they’ll be in New York again next — I suppose no place can be safe now. But what blows my mind (bad pun, I know) is that Muslim kids all over the world are thinking it’s okay to strap bombs to their bodies and detonate them where they can do the most damage. They’re rather random about whom they kill, and they seem quite content to die themselves. I want to ask them the same question I put to my kids when they walk into the house and throw their coats and book bags on the floor, “Where were you brought up?” My mother says that, in her day, kids were more disciplined. Parents were better, more focused. Because times were harder, kids knew the value of a dollar and the importance of family. But I don’t think material wealth has done a fraction of the damage to my kids that your brand of brutal and illiterate Islam has done to yours. When your son Sami concealed 22 pounds of explosives beneath his jacket and blew himself up at the Netanya Mall, killing some Israeli teenagers and young women, you told reporters you were proud of him, that you only hoped his 14-year-old brother Mahmoud would follow in his footsteps as a martyr. Lutfiah! What are you thinking? What is your community thinking? Or, as my kids say, “Are you on crack?” I can understand that maybe Sami fell in with a bad crowd, that he was convinced to do something stupid by some fast-talking louts from Islamic Jihad. But Lutfiah, it was you who encouraged him! You brought up Sami and Mahmoud, you are bringing up your other children — intending that they become murderers. On my planet, what we call “the civilized world,” adults who behave abusively toward children face dire penalties. If you strike a child, you can go to jail. If you are verbally or emotionally abusive, your child will be taken from you by the state. Hell! If you don’t fasten their seatbelts in the car, you’re considered a terrible parent. Are there no Palestinian mothers willing to speak out? Are there no Palestinian officials willing to arrest and make an example of you for your crime? How do you expect to live as a nation beside us when one of us brings up our children to live and the other calmly delivers them to a cult of death. I want so much to believe in the two state solution. I want to think that handing over Gaza is a first step toward peace. But I can’t get past the rampant child abuse in your society and my sense that you are, all of you, either profoundly ill or irredeemably evil. Lutfiah, do you hear me? Golda Meir said it best when she forecast that there would be peace only when the Arabs loved their children more than they hated us. Judging by your example, I’d say your people have not made much progress. Jewish Mother Power Travels Faster Than Speed of Light
“Hi, mom, it’s me Rachel. I’m in Budapest and I lost Uncle Andy’s phone number. Can you call Aunt Lesley and tell her to tell Uncle Andy I’m sorry we couldn’t get together? I have a stomach ache.”I received this message while Mitch and I were away for a quick vacation in Charleston, South Carolina. I had been working round the clock with my sister-in-law to try to get Rachel, who was in Budapest with the Federation group, to connect with my brother-in-law who is working in Budapest. Juggling Andy’s business and travel schedule with Rachel’s itinerary was like mediating with the League of Nations. I had just spoken with Rachel the night before and she had communicated that they had crafted a plan and all was set. Now it seemed like all had gone awry. Yet, half a world away, I still felt that I could pull a bunny out of a hat and make the meeting happen as scheduled. Since I didn’t have my phone book with me and there was seemingly nothing I could do, Mitch rationally pointed out that I should just chill out and let it go. Asking a Jewish mother to give up trying when it comes to her children is like demanding a zebra to surrender its stripes. I thought for a moment and remembered that my mother-in-law in Boynton Beach is quite resourceful, so I got her in the loop. She called my sister-in-law who said she would call Budapest in the morning. I subsequently fled the hotel and ran from store to store in an anxiety-drenched frenzy, calming my Jewish mother nerves by boosting the economy. Why did I feel this intense pressure that I need to choreograph events in my daughter’s life? Would the sun plummet to the earth in a fiery ball if Rachel didn’t get together with her Uncle Andy for dinner in Budapest? Maybe it was the mention of a tummy ache that catapulted me into action. I won’t bore you with the back and forth phone calls to Boynton Beach. I’ll just report that Rachel and Andy did get to enjoy dinner in Budapest. He was kind enough to e-mail me a digital photo of Rachel. I thought she looked a little pale and wondered if I should ring up the hotel. Synagogue Membership Should Not be a Requirement for Hillel I asked Rabbi Samuel Zaitchik, Rabbi Emeritus of Cong. Ahabat Sholom of Lynn, whether the Ahabat Sholom Hebrew School that he had been in charge of, ever required synagogue membership of any kind from the parents of their Hebrew school students. I explained that I wanted to know because the Jewish Journal (Rabbi Zaitchik has the paper forwarded to him where he now lives in Newton) carried news that Cohen Hillel Academy had recently thrown out the rule they had that required families to be temple or synagogue members in order for their children to be accepted at the school. Rabbi Zaitchik answered that the Ahabat Sholom Hebrew School never required a student’s parents to be members as a condition for acceptance in their Hebrew school. He said, “If a person wants to learn Torah you shouldn’t have to put obstacles in the way.” He quoted from the Talmud, “habo ltahar poschin lo” (if a person seeks cleansing, open your door to him). In other words, if a person seeks after something religious, reach out to him to help him find it. He said that Cohen Hillel should try to encourage people to join a synagogue, but that it is wrong to make it a requirement. He said that there are a lot of people who might not want to join a synagogue at first but will join one later as a result of the Jewish education they receive. When I asked if Orthodox schools in general accept students regardless of synagogue membership, he said that the Lubavitch movement is an excellent example of a movement that is eager to teach Torah to any Jew who wants to study it, regardless of synagogue membership or religious background. Hersh
Goldman
Comments on Keshet-Rabbis Recently you published an article about North Shore rabbis who have signed up with Keshet, a group of over 180 Conservative rabbis world-wide. Your article mentions that these rabbis have publicly indicated they wish to intensify their efforts to help make gays feel welcome in the synagogue, as our Law and Standards Committee in New York deliberates the issue of gay marriages. I am sorry that my annual summer vacation made it impossible for you to include me in that interview, especially since I was one of the first local rabbis to sign up with Keshet. Like some of my North Shore colleagues, I recall signing up when Keshet was initiated by my South Shore colleague, Rabbi Menachem Creditor, a few months ago. As it happens, over three years ago when I hosted Peabody public television’s Jewish World, I invited a group of three college-age or post-college Jewish young people to speak out about their concerns as openly gay or bisexual individuals. I still have a tape of that televised broadcast, which implicitly endorses our embracing such fine young people regardless of their sexual orientation. Anyone who is interested in viewing that tape may contact me at my congregation by calling me at 781-599-8005. Rabbi
Edgar Weinsberg Rabbi Stands With Keshet In the preface to his new book, Re-envisioning the Synagogue, editor Zachary I. Heller makes the following comment about the synagogue of today: “One objective emerging from many studies in this volume is that the synagogue must be open and inviting to all Jews, both for those who already are committed to Jewish tradition and find fulfillment in it, as well as for those who find the language and symbols of the synagogue either unfamiliar or lacking in meaning.” Like many other synagogues, the members of Temple B’nai Abraham go to great lengths to insure that its members and those who are looking for a religious community will find a place for themselves in our midst. We think of ourselves as a warm and inviting community where interfaith families feel at home. But our hospitality is not limited to just one group that requires special attention. There are several other “groups” that seek a place for themselves in the traditional place for religious expression and do not want to feel marginalized by the greater population. In Susan Jacobs’ article about the Conservative Rabbis of the North Shore who have enlisted with Keshet, an organization that supports the efforts of gay and lesbian Jews to find a home in the synagogue, there is one glaring omission. Temple B’nai Abraham of Beverly and its rabbi were overlooked. Perhaps it is because I, as their spiritual leader, am not a member of the Rabbinical Assembly (the official rabbinical organization for Conservative Rabbis) and was not solicited to sign my name to the growing list of rabbis on Keshet’s web page. Had I been asked, I would have done so willingly and without hesitation. When I was training to be a rabbi at the Academy for Jewish Religion, I learned Talmud and Torah in the same classroom as individuals who were open about their sexual orientation. The school prides itself as an institution that ordains rabbis and cantors in the tradition of religious pluralism, without prejudice to denomination or sexual affiliation. We live in an open society where each person must be treated on an individual basis to discover his or her place in our faith. I see it as my position to help each and every person discover their own path to religious expression without judging that person in any way. Even though I have not signed a published list acknowledging my support for gay and lesbian rights in the religious realm, please do not exclude me from standing with my colleagues when identifying individuals of our community that are a part of that group. Rabbi
Steven J. Rubenstein Give Credit Where Credit is Due With regard to the statements attributed to the Federation executive director in the last edition of the Journal, some good people were not given appropriate credit for their work, and the recent history of some of the subjects covered was incorrectly stated. The first misstatement involves lack of communication between agencies and synagogues. During the last 10 years, the presidents of Federation have been extremely involved in that issue. Past Presidents Ed Braun and Ed Bromberg commenced the thinking and effort that led to two community seminars at which about 250 people each time began to wrestle with such community issues. This began a process furthered by past President Shep Remis, where the directors of all of the agencies and rabbis met once a month with the then Federation executive director to move ahead with the process of creating more community cooperation and other items gleaned from the two seminars. This was really the beginning of partnerships in some areas of programming, which continue to this day. These meetings led past President Steve Baker, with the assistance of the then executive director, to begin a wider community process to tackle the issues of community planning and community priorities. Federation for two years allocated $25K each year for this process. United Jewish Communities lent us a professional to help organize the process. There were a series of meetings at Temple Shalom, and work started on developing the process. There was a change in professional leadership, and other issues arose including the method of defining the information being sought. The process was delayed until the new leadership was ready to push ahead with the program now called Project Solel. For the current executive director to state that the Federation has not functioned as a touchstone for our community totally misses the effort of those leaders who not only attempted to deal with community issues, but had to run an annual campaign for our agencies and Israel, special campaigns for Ethiopian immigration, for Russian immigration, for countering the effects of the Palestinian suicide bombers and for commencing a small loan program with the Koret Foundation, providing business loans to new immigrants which has been honored by the president of Israel. During this period, the lay leadership also approved the creation of the Young Leadership Division, a leadership development program named STAR which included all agencies and synagogues, organized a Business & Professional Division, instituted an endowment program, created a newsletter, and developed a program for synagogue grants which was the start of an extraordinary continuity effort that is receiving national attention and is fully funded by the Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundation. The efforts of synagogue, agency and Federation leadership is the bedrock of our community. The executive director said his challenge in the community he “inherited” is to overcome a degree of disjointedness and lack of communication between agencies and synagogues. I believe our community has spent this past decade learning to communicate. If Project Solel is a success — and we all wish that it is a success in that there are positive, action-oriented results that follow the study — the credit also belongs to the many lay leader volunteers and professional staff who have given time and money to bring us to this point in time. I also find troubling that the Robert I. Lappin Supporting Foundation and Bob Lappin have separated the Foundation from the Federation, when the Federation was the sole beneficiary of the Foundation. At the same time, Bob Lappin, who has contributed millions of dollars to the Federation over his lifetime, is now considering not making a gift to the 2005 campaign, but distributing his philanthropic funds in different venues. One final issue that I have heard raised is Bob Lappin’s control of the Federation. I was amazed. In my 10 years as executive director, Bob never called with “an order.” He certainly called about methods to raise the campaign, or an idea for doing more for our children and their families in an effort to help keep them Jewish. Yet win or lose, Bob never talked about moving his Supporting Foundation out of the Federation or not giving a gift to the annual campaign. Like many people, Bob saw the Federation as a symbol of the community. Community action has always been the historical manner by which we Jews chose to help each other. Our community will survive, but I ask what has brought us to the present state where our largest and proven dedicated philanthropist may choose to distribute his largess elsewhere? Additionally, I believe many of Federation’s staunchest supporters also have been alienated. At a time when the National Population Study has demonstrated that we as a people are less in numbers than 10 years ago, lay and professional leadership need to be particularly thoughtful about treating volunteers with the respect and credit they deserve to receive. Neil
Cooper Rabbi Weinsberg Should Lead Shirat Hayam Like Harvey Michaels, I too would be remiss if I did not speak out regarding Edgar Weinsberg and the decision to dispense with his services as a religious leader in our community. I’m writing as his friend; by definition, I’m not objective. However, if I don’t support my friend when he needs it, then what kind of friend am I? Not one I’d care to have. Now that I’ve made my bias clear, let me move to a topic I can be somewhat objective about. For the past 40 years, I have been, by training and experience, a management consultant/manager. I know of no recent, significant corporate merger wherein the merged organization employed an outsider, someone with no history of leadership within one or the other entity being merged, as the CEO of the merged company. It
appears that the leaders of the merger deem it necessary to destroy the
past to create the future. That’s not advisable, for reasons enumerated
above; nor is it possible, for obvious reasons. The old “saw”
really is true — one ignores history at one’s peril. They left Temple Beth El when Temple Emanu-El was founded to become members of a reform congregation. In 1963, when Alice and I wanted to marry, we turned to Rabbi Harburg. When my father died in 1993, I didn’t ask the new rabbi at Temple Emanu-El to officiate because I did not know him, nor did I ask the rabbi emeritus to officiate because I did know him. Again, I turned to Temple Beth El and asked Rabbi Weinsberg to officiate even though the service was held at Temple Emanu-El. When my wife became terminally ill she expressed a desire to be buried beside her in-laws in Temple Emanu-El’s cemetery. That turned out to be impossible. Thus, we contacted Temple Beth El and arranged to bury Alice in their cemetery in Peabody. And Ed Weinsberg, who had ministered to Alice [and my daughters and me] as Alice neared the end of her life, officiated. I know Ed Weinsberg to be a compassionate, caring, sensitive man who fulfills his obligations and does not make promises he cannot keep. He’s also well-educated, intelligent, articulate, and extremely well-versed in religious matters, not just those relating to Judaism. He has a wonderful sense of humor, which is almost a requirement given his vocation. And it doesn’t bother him that I’m an agnostic. I’ve known several rabbis in my life and he’s one of the good ones. Let me list the others [apologies to their families if I’ve misspelled their names]: Joshua Loth Liebman; Israel Harburg; Meyer Strassfeld; Samuel Zaitchik; Mitchell Wohlberg; [Beth Tfiloh, Baltimore] That’s pretty good company. I can’t imagine replacing Ed with someone more suited to leading the new congregation. Laurence
B. Berger Wonderful Article Our entire family would like to extend a hearty toda raba to Ms. Susan Jacobs for her beautiful tribute to our wonderful Mom, “Spectacular Senior” Minnie Singer. In the July 15 issue of the Journal, Susan captured Mom’s joy of life itself through the picture she took of Minnie playing the piano. We never fail to be amazed at what Mom accomplishes in any one day and how she extends herself to the entire community, as well as to her devoted family. Debbie
Hallett, Lynn Retain Mark Arnold I am writing this letter in support of Mark Arnold, a person I have known for more than 20 years. Mark is a gifted journalist, having spent over 10 years as a White House Correspondent. He has transformed the Jewish Journal as its publisher and editor into an informative newspaper covering matters at the local, national and international levels as it affects Jews. He has brought financial stability to the Journal, garnering contributions from its readers and increasing advertising revenues from various business people in the community. The Jewish Journal has made a significant niche on the North Shore due to the efforts of Mark Arnold. To not retain Mark Arnold as the editor and publisher of the Jewish Journal will be a critical loss to the newspaper. Malcom
D. Finks Proud to be Jewish One cannot help but shout to the rafters that it is a great privilege and honor to be a part of the Jewish people. We have been a major force in the fashioning of Western civilization. At the highest level are the mind-benders: the works of the Bible, the sayings of Jesus (See, Harold Bloom, Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?) of Freud, Marx, Einstein, Proust, Kafka — all towering works that have shaped our consciousness. Then there are a plethora of secondary luminaries — artists, novelists, poets, composers, scientists, social scientists and philosophers. We who throughout most of Western history have been a persecuted, endangered minority have contributed so much to the majority culture. We Jews stand with the greatest of Western influencers — with classical Greece, with the Italian Renaissance, with the English Renaissance, with the French philosophers of the Enlightenment. Hyman
Goldin
In Memoriam Sophie Waldman Gass, Political Activist Sophie Waldman Gass died July 10 at the age of 94. She was the beloved wife of the late Nathan Gass, and the devoted mother of David and Stephanie Gass of Lynn, Dr. Arnold and Joan Gass of San Diego, CA, and the late Judith Gass. Born
in Chelsea in 1910, she moved to Lynn in 1914 with her father, Harry,
after her mother died. Her father was a shoe manufacturer who assisted
Jewish immigrants from his hometown of Bialystok, Poland. After graduation she traveled to Baltimore to investigate employment, but was repelled by the segregation she encountered. In 1933 she attended FDR’s first inauguration and joined the efforts for New Deal legislation and the fight against fascism in Spain. She met Nathan Gass at the Shorey St. African-American Church at a protest meeting. They married in 1938 and lived with his parents on Warren St. She operated Filene’s first telephone ordering service from her home. In the 1950s Nathan and Sophie formed Allen Realty on Union St., cold-calling customers from the phone book. They ultimately built and sold hundreds of suburban homes. While raising her three children, she was president of the Harrington School PTA, circulated petitions to create public television (PBS), and joined the Emma Lazarus Club and the League of Women Voters. After
returning from the 1963 March on Washington, Sophie and Nathan became
active in the NAACP. They collected the works of black artists,
and commissioned new works from John Wilson and Lynn’s Dana Chandler
and Tyrone Geter. They also hosted one of the first meetings of Lynn’s
Latinos. In the mid-1990s, Sophie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, prompting her son David and wife Stephanie to live with her. Greater Lynn Senior Services, the Ride and the Jewish Rehabilitation Center’s day-care program allowed her to continue her social life in the community until early 2005. At her funeral, all who spoke of her life and deeds agreed that she had fought for her progressive ideals and had not a bad word to say about anyone. She was the grandmother of Jonathan, Corey, Ari, Aaron and Michael, and the great-grandmother of four. Contributions in her memory may be made to North Shore Jewish Historical Society, c/o Temple Sinai, 1 Community Rd., Marblehead, MA 01945. A celebration of her life will be held on her 95th birthday, Sunday, July 31, at the Heritage State Park Pavilion (adjacent to Seaport Landing on the Lynnway) at noon. All are welcome. Irving Paul Gerren, Entrepreneur, Bowling Champ Irving Paul Gerren, 94, of Hollywood, FL, passed away July 19, 2005. Paul was the former owner of Essex Tile Supply in Salem, MA. Mr.
Gerren was born May 27, 1911, in Odessa, Russia, and came to the United
States when he was two years old. Along with Essex Tile in Salem, he owned Wenczel Wholesale Tile in Woburn, Peabody and Salem. Paul was a member of Temple B’nai Abraham and former Vice-President of B’nai B’rith in Beverly. He was the Massachusetts State Bowling Champ in the 1960s. Helen, his wife of 51 years, preceded him in death in 1991. Survivors include his children, David Gerren of Pembroke Pines, FL, Deanna Gerren of Baltimore, MD, and Mardee Goldberg of Beverly, MA; grandchildren, Lisa Gerren of Delray Beach, FL, Andrew Gerren of Sunrise, FL, Mindy Goldberg of West Palm Beach, FL, and Jay Goldberg of Chicago, IL; and brother, Hy Gerren of Albany, NY. A
graveside service with military honors was held at Hollywood Memorial
Gardens in Hollywood, FL. |
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