| The Jewish Journal Archive | ||||||||||
| June 3 - June 16, 2005 | ||||||||||
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Local
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Local StoriesJFSNS Honors Nine ‘Community Heroes’ Mark
Arnold It was the eighth annual Community Service Awards and Celebration run by Jewish Family Service of the North Shore, and the most successful yet. Besides honoring nine community members whose lives were said to exemplify the ideal of volunteer service, the event raised more than $100,000 for the non-profit agency, which runs a range of programs to benefit families and individuals in need. The total was $40,00 more than was raised at any previous JFS function, said Chief Executive Jon Firger. The event drew 315 people — another JFS record — at Swampscott’s Temple Beth El. A high point of the evening was the poignant personal account given by Shari McGuirk of Swampscott, who described the caring, sensitive way that two JFS social workers, Ann White and Ann Woodfork, had guided her and her husband Steve in adopting a little girl from Guatemala three years ago. The honorees were chosen from among 50 nominees recommended by Jewish agency heads and individual members of the community. Honored were: Israella
“Izzi” Abrams, a children’s librarian deeply involved
with Jewish Book Month, the Holocaust Center, and the Board of the Jewish
Journal, honored for “tireless dedication to the children of our
community.” Eric
Kahn, a Holocaust survivor who became president of Temple Beth El, co-chair
of its Russian Resettlement Program and frequent speaker to community
groups about the Holocaust, honored for “tireless efforts to keep
the spirit of Holocaust victims alive for future generations and for work
on behalf of immigrants.” David Pliner, board member of the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore and the executive board of the Jewish Rehabilitation Center, who, as basketball coach and otherwise, has made a tremendous difference in the lives of hundreds of teenage athletes at the JCC and its Youth Maccabi program, honored for “making a difference in our community.” Chuck Sagan, leader of Temple Israel, Kernwood Country Club, the Federation, the Anti-Defamation League and a volunteer at the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry, honored for his “dedication to the Jewish community.” Brad Sontz, an energetic fundraiser, whose community involvement ranges from the traditional — serving on the boards of Temple Beth El and the Federation and its Allocation Committee — to the unusual: putting a new roof on the home of a needy person without cost for Mitzvah Day, honored for “tireless work and love of this community.” Michael Strauss, leader of the Jewish Community Foundation, the Jewish Journal, Chabad Lubavitch of the North Shore and Hebrew College, an early advocate of the College’s Me’ah program and its Rabbinic School, honored for “longstanding commitment to Jewish education and love of our Jewish community.” Beatrice Strome, long-time volunteer at Temple Beth El, where she has been president of Sisterhood and board member, and active at both the Hospice of the North Shore and the Jewish Rehabilitation Center, honored for “working tirelessly on behalf of her temple and the less fortunate.” Arnold Resigns from Journal: ‘It’s Time’ Staff Report Mark R. Arnold, editor-publisher of the Jewish Journal for the past three years, has resigned from the newspaper, effective July 1. In a letter May 31 to Dr. Gerald M. Perlow, president of the Journal’s Board of Overseers, Arnold said: “This job demands a thick skin and a commitment of time and energy that are hard to sustain over a prolonged period of time.” He conceded that long-standing differences with a vocal faction on the Board also contributed to his decision. “In consideration of the quality of life I want for myself and my family going forward, I think it is time to step down,” the letter said. A seasoned reporter and editor who spent 15 years in Washington before moving to the North Shore in 1977, Arnold served as president of the Journal for two years in the mid-eighties. A management consultant as well as a journalist, he was chosen to head the paper because of his twin areas of expertise, succeeding Judith Klein as editor in June 2002 and Gery Posner as publisher six weeks later. At the Journal his strategy has been to improve the quality and appeal of the paper to readers and thereby increase the paper’s potential value to advertisers. He noted that the paper has won 12 awards for excellence under his tenure as compared with five in the previous decade. The strategy worked, Arnold said, noting that advertising has grown 20 percent and voluntary reader contributions 33 percent under his leadership. “We raise significantly more money from voluntary reader donations than any Jewish newspaper in North America and are attracting more advertisers every month,” he wrote in his letter. Last
year, he noted, the Journal returned its first substantial surplus in
its 28-year-history, and he said the paper is on track to do so again,
with surplus funds being used to pay down debt and reinvest in the Journal.
Arnold said this was a good time to step down because the Journal staff is stable, highly competent, and works as a team, and also because the objectives he had when he took over “have now largely been accomplished.” He said he would work with the Board to ease the transition to new leadership. Sacred Space: Jewish Renewal in the Catskill Mountains Gary
Band ACCORD, NY — My grandparents wouldn’t recognize the place. That, is the once famous Borscht Belt region in general and the grounds where Chaet’s Hotel and Resort once stood in particular. That’s because 15 years ago, Rabbi Jeff Roth and his wife bought the land and created a spiritual community called Elat Chayyim, or pinnacle of life. Part moshav/kibbutz without the farm — although there is a garden opposite a weathered tennis/basketball court — and part summer camp, it is the closest to what can safely be called Zion, a utopia. Nestled
in a lush green valley, this 38-acre space is home to six residential
staff and close to 80 visiting faculty members who speak and instruct
at the over 30 retreats held all year, every year, rain or shine, sleet
or snow since 1990. Steeped in the Jewish Renewal movement and infused with Eastern practices such as yoga and meditation, we celebrated Shabbat, engaged in a number of workshops and presentations conducted by Rosalie, Efriam and secondary facilitators Daniel and Shirah, sang, danced, performed a talent show based on four of the 10 commandments, hiked, walked, talked, explored, cried, listened, meditated, and dined on fabulous kosher food. At once relaxing, healing and cathartic, social, spiritual and romantic, all told it was possibly the most rejuvenating four days of my life. And my fellow 30 retreatniks were some of the nicest, most compassionate and gifted people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet and interact with. Efriam and Rosalie, who married 15 years ago, live in Amherst. They founded the Basherte program two years later and hold singles retreats at Elat Chayyim and around the country every year. With seemingly effortless genuine kindness and compassion, these spiritual guides took us through prayers, projects, stories and sometimes-painstaking interactions and personal reflections that transformed each of us in ways it would be difficult to accurately describe. “We’re on a mission from God,” Efriam said on Shabbat morning. “It says in the Talmud that if you help three couples find happiness together there’s a place for you in the world to come.” In the last 13 years he and Rosalie have facilitated 140 events for close to 9,000 people and heard about 75 couples that met and married after attending a Basherte retreat. “People think they’re just coming to an ordinary singles weekend, and come away saying it was like entering Ne’ilah, the gates of heaven,” said Rosalie on the last day. Though campy and cozy, a bit new-agey and packed with meaningful social dynamics, it was neither hokey nor uncomfortably touchy-feely. Smart, sophisticated, professional and Jewishly-committed people run and attend every retreat the center hosts. Also staffed by young college-aged interns, the center has two circular structures called yurts, an arts and crafts cabin, a few private homes for staff and dorm-like lodging facilities for more than 200 people, a main building — complete with a dining hall, a pit group living room with a fireplace and Aron Hakodesh (Holy Ark), a book/CD and Judaica shop — trails, streams and ponds on either side of the three-mile road running through this spiritual village. Seventeen new programs and retreats have been added to the 2005 schedule. And beginning in September, a nine-month residential program called Neshama (soul or breath of God) — run by Rabbi David Ingber geared towards 20- and 30-year olds that focuses on study, prayer, yoga, meditation and farming — will begin its first official year following completion of the pilot program last month. Though funded by the moderate cost of the retreats as well as a number of individuals and foundations, while Elat Chayyim has many well-known and respected Judaic scholars and educators, the center is not widely known. “It’s the best kept secret in Jewish life,” said a young curly haired staffer in her pitch for people to become Elat Chayyim emissaries, after breakfast on Memorial Day. “We’d like that to change.” But while some infrastructural improvements are in the works, the modest accommodations and natural, though well-kept state of the grounds is very much part of the Elat Chayyim charm. Most importantly, the retreats provide a space for learning and healing, contemplation and camaraderie in incredibly creative and well- organized ways. The center is educating, connecting and inspiring people to find their soul mates, become more learned, more at peace and more helpful — to be closer to God, happier with themselves, their families and their world. But like Israel, you have to experience Elat Chayyim for yourself to believe it. Sprucing Up Your Living Space Susan
Jacobs
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| Birth Announcement Darren and Melissa Aizanman of Marblehead joyfully announce the birth of their first child, Jacob Lev Aizanman, May 9 at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz and was 20 inches long. The proud grandparents are Roger and Elaine Volk of Swampscott, and Bill Aizanman of Calgary, Canada. The very proud great-grandmother is Charlotte Volk. Jacob is named in loving memory of his late grandmothers, June and Lynne. Schauer
Appointed VP at Mellon
Cory B. Schauer, Esq. of Marblehead has been appointed vice president and senior portfolio manager for Mellon Financial Corporation’s Private Wealth Management Group in Boston. Schauer will manage the investment portfolios of wealthy families, entrepreneurs, not-for-profits, and professional practices. Prior to joining Mellon, Schauer was a partner and co-chair of the estate planning department at Donovan Hatem, LLP. Schauer received his bachelor’s degree from University of Massachusetts at Amherst, his law degree from Suffolk University Law School, and a master’s in tax law from Boston University Law School. He is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar and the U.S.District Court, Court of Appeals. Maistelman
Named Rising Star of Politics
Attorney
Michael Maistelman of Glendale, WI has been selected
as one of the “Rising Stars of Politics 2005” by Campaigns
& Elections magazine. Maistelman joins a distinguished list
of individuals who have received this recognition including James
Carville, George Stephanopolous, and Ring
Wins President’s Club at For the third consecutive year, Andrea Ring of Swampscott was named to The Presidents’ Club of Stiefel Laboratories, Inc.— the world’s largest privately-held pharmaceutical company. The international firm, which employs more than 2,000 people worldwide and specializes in dermatology products, awards The Presidents’ Club honor to its top nine Sales Representatives. Ring, a senior sales representative and district trainer, is the only employee in the firm’s history that has won the prestigious award three years in a row.. Scholarship Honors Levy The New England Institute of Professional Photography (NEIPP) has created a scholarship to honor master photographer Leonard Levy, who has taught and lectured in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. One scholarship to attend NEIPP will be awarded annually by the Professional Photographer’s Assn. of New England and the NEIPP board. Leonard and his wife Rose live in Beverly. |
Upcoming
Wedding Ellen
Golub and Steven Sass of Marblehead announce the upcoming marriage
of their daughter, Francesca Nehama Golub-Sass,
to Abraham David Weinograd, son of Maria and
Bruce Weinograd of Newton. Frannie and Abe met as undergraduates
at Brandeis University. The two also received Masters degrees
from Brandeis; she in international business and economics, and
he in computer science. Students
in the News
Carrie Berger graduated from Endicott College, receiving her Masters of Education (M.Ed) in Organizational Management. Carrie is Youth Services Director and Camp Simchah Co-Director at the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore, Marblehead. Alexis Rose Gerber of Greenwich, CT, daughter of Nina and James Gerber, formerly of Marblehead, graduated from Tufts University, Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She is the granddaughter of Mildred and Herbert Greenbaum and Marilyn Gerber, all of Swampscott. Alexis will attend the Jewish Theological Seminary in the fall. David Goldman of Marblehead recently received a BA from List College at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America at its 111th commencement. Sarah Chandler of Lexington received an MA from the Davidson School at the Seminary. Evan Beilin, a graduating senior and team captain of the football and tennis teams at Hamilton Wenham Regional High School, broke the Hamilton Wenham Generals’ record this year in total yards received and ranked third among the top receivers on the North Shore. He was chosen to represent Hamilton Wenham for the Boston Globe’s Most Outstanding Scholastic Athlete award. Evan will play football and attend Middlebury College next year. He is the son of Dr. George and Stephanie Beilin of South Hamilton, and younger brother of Ari Beilin, a junior at Middlebury College who plays Number 2 singles and is on the Number 2 doubles team at the college. Kristen Foaksman, daughter of Alex and Tatyana Foaksman of Swampscott, recently won first prize in the 9-year-old division of the piano competition at the 37th Annual Bay State Contest, sponsored by the Massachusetts Music Teachers Association. The event took place at Fitchburg State College. Comerchero Receives Mass. Literacy Champions Award Sherry Comerchero, Literacy Program Chair of the Northern New England region of Hadassah and a speech/language pathologist in the Haverhill public schools, has been recognized by the Massachusetts Literacy Foundation for her work in developing and coordinating the Merrimack Valley Jewish Coaltion for Literacy. She lives in North Andover. Northern New England region of Hadassah and a speech/language pathologist in the Haverhill public schools, has been recognized by the Massachusetts Literacy Foundation for her work in developing and coordinating the Merrimack Valley Jewish Coaltion for Literacy. She lives in North Andover. |
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New
People in the News Policy |
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Did You Hear the One About….?
Mark
Arnold
Jewish Journal Staff
The
Big Book of Jewish Conspiracies,
by David Deutsch and Joshua Neuman, St. Martin’s Press,
New York City, 2005, 267 pages, $13.95.
Imagine if all the conspiracy theories about the Jews were true?
Preposterous, of course, but what would you think of a book that lays them all out, exaggerates them out of all proportion, and adds a few new ones to boot, just to show the absurdity of the claims?
That’s what David Deutsch and Joshua Neuman have done in their satirical Big Book of Jewish Conspiracies. Taking a page from the satire of Mel Brooks (think The Producers), they’ve dressed up every conspiracy — from the Holocaust to the World Trade Center crash — as proof that the Jews are out to take over the world.
The authors are part of the small irreverent crew who turn out the quarterly Heeb, a glossy in-your-face magazine that has won a following among hip Jewish singles turned off by traditional Jewish publications.
The book, like the magazine, is tongue-in-cheek, sometimes hilarious, never dull. Some of the more notable lines:
• “Though crucifixion may sound harsh, it was considered a humane alternative to the older punishment of Star-of-Davidization.”
• “To keep his skin young and supple, (the biblical David) was given frequent mud baths from the Dead Sea, which at the time was known as the Dying Sea.”
• “Jewish boys (in the Egypt of the Pharoahs) came to be viewed the way Chinese girls are today — as prospective adoptees for yuppie couples.”
Some of the humor is strained (it’s hard to sustain a full length book on a single premise, after all), but much of it is incisive. Some is both. Take their explanation for the World Trade Center crash – planned by a certain Rabbi Chaim Schnitzelbaum, who lived across from the twin towers and was sick of seeing a hundred stories of wall when he looked out his window. Not only did the rabbi plan it, he also warned the Jews who worked there to stay away on 9/11. How did he know who they were?
Schnitzelbaum
called the Mossad, saying he was planning a big appeal drive for the Jewish
National Fund and needed the home addresses of all the Jews who worked
there. The Mossad, while denying its own existence and the existence of
such a list, supplied it two hours later, wrapped around a pastrami on
rye delivered by a local kosher deli.
Absurd, of course — just like so many of the Jewish conspiracy theories.
The sad fact is that for many bigoted people, as Deutsch and Neuman say,“two
gentiles talk to one another, it’s a conversation; two Jews, it’s
a conspiracy."
A Fascinating Holocaust Survival Tale
Susan
Jacobs
Jewish
Journal Staff
In
Our Hearts We Were Giants, The Remarkable Story of the Lilliput Troupe-A
Dwarf Family’s Survival of the Holocaust,
by Yehuda Koren & Eilat Negev (Carroll & Graf, June 2004)
Just when you thought writers had exhausted every possible angle on the Holocaust, a new book by a pair of Israeli journalists emerges that explores the topic from a unique perspective. In Our Hearts We Were Giants is the fascinating tale of the Ovitzes from Transylvania, a family who survived Auschwitz because seven of its ten family members were dwarfs.
Prior to the war, the Orthodox Jewish family achieved considerable notoriety and fame performing throughout central Europe. The cheerful and energetic entertainers, known on stage as the Lilliput Troupe, played music, sang, and performed skits in various languages including Yiddish, Hungarian and German.
In May of 1944 the Nazis deported the Ovitz family to Auschwitz, along with thousands of other Hungarian Jews. They immediately attracted the attention of the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele, who was fascinated with genetics and planned to conduct extensive scientific experiments on them in an effort to propel his own career.
“Of every ten people who stepped down onto the ramp that had received the Ovitzes, nine were sent directly to the gas chambers. Their names went unregistered; their arms were not tattooed,” write Koren and Negev, who did meticulous research and interviewed dozens of witnesses in preparation of the book. Koren and Negev were lucky enough to have conducted several interviews with Perla Ovitz, the last surviving sibling, who died in Haifa in 2001.
“Mengele was a choosy collector. After a brief look, he’d often reject as ‘uninteresting’ specimens of twins and dwarfs, and without a second’s further thought send them on to their deaths. Had the Ovitzes arrived separately at Birkenau most of them almost certainly— and surely normal-sized Leah, Sarah, and the children—would have been killed. Their desirability lay in their number and in their anomaly as an entire family,” they conclude.
Although no stay at Auschwitz was luxurious, Mengele sequestered and protected the unique extended family, giving them better living quarters and more nutritious food. Unlike other prisoners, members of the Ovitz family did not have to shave their heads and were allowed to retain their own clothes. In exchange for the special treatment, the Ovitzes were required to submit to repeated blood draws, injections, measurements and invasive tests that were carefully documented by Mengele and his assistants.
The often-gruesome experiments were conducted at the death camps in state-of-the-art laboratories furnished with sophisticated technological equipment. The authors point out that “German pharmaceutical companies took advantage of the unlimited pool of subjects to test any new substance or procedure that captured their eugenic interest, such as efficient, cheap methods to implement mass sterilization, and to eliminate the mentally, genetically, or racially unfit.”
The authors chronicle the compelling tale of the Ovitz family in great detail. After the family was liberated by Russian troops, they returned to their small village in Transylvania. Although their former home was relatively intact, they found it difficult to resume their careers. After a stint in Belgium, they relocated to Israel where they performed and lived peacefully until their deaths.
Perla Ovitz understood that her handicap ultimately saved her life. “If I were a healthy Jewish girl, one meter seventy tall, I would have been gassed just like the hundreds of thousands of other Jews in my country. So if I ever wondered why I was born a dwarf, my answer would have to be that my handicap was God’s only way to keep me alive,” she explained.
Years after the war, Perla and her family acknowledged that being Mengele’s guinea pigs was a blessing in disguise. The close-knit Ovitz family, comprised of seven dwarf children, two normal-statured siblings, and a handful of spouses and cousins, is one of only two extended families to have survived Auschwitz intact.
Unlike other Holocaust stories that focus on the torture and misery of life in the concentration camps, In Our Hearts is strangely uplifting. The quirky yet true tale is a valuable addition to the library of works that preserve memories of the Holocaust.
Editorial
Invitation to Help Plan Community’s Future
You’ll see a half-page advertisement on page 2 of this issue headlined “Help Build Community.” It invites everyone to attend a public meeting June 27 at 7 p.m. in Peabody’s Temple Beth Shalom to learn about Project Solel and find out “how you can become involved in this critical effort.”
Project Solel (Hebrew for “pathfinder”) is an ambitious initiative to, as the ad says, “design our Jewish community’s future.” Many people have trouble understanding that concept.
Look at it this way: We have lots of Jewish institutions (examples: two community centers, a Federation, historical society, this newspaper, day school, summer camps, synagogues). And we have lots of Jewish people, some of whom — maybe 50-60 percent — take advantage of programs and services offered by one or more of those institutions and the rest of whom don’t.
Now, those institutions can continue to do what they do and serve those they serve. Or they can try to find out what services and programs people want and need and then refashion themselves, if necessary, to better serve the community in the future.
Project Solel is a systematic effort to identify how people’s needs are changing and suggest ways the community, and the institutions, can change to meet them. To learn more — and decide whether or not to become involved — we urge you to attend the session.
On Those Charges of Bigotry
It stings to be accused of bigotry. Two angry letters on this page accuse the Journal of being anti-Catholic for running letters in past issues, one from a Journal Board member, that were critical of the Catholic church.
The original letters criticizing the church were both in response to our laudatory coverage of the legacy of late Pope John Paul II, which included two page one articles, an editorial, and an Op-Ed column by another Board member headlined: “John Paul II: Not Just Historic, But Heroic.”
For the record, it’s our job to run letters from readers. We edit them for length, libel and good taste; it isn’t our job to omit them if we don’t like what they say. Board member letters and articles in the future will carry a disclaimer that the writer’s views don’t necessarily reflect our own or those of our Board.
Even so, as Jews, our sensitivity to how people write about us should make us more sensitive in the future to how we allow others to be portrayed in our pages.
— 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.. |
The members of the reunion committee, seven Kissinger cousins, tackled the question of the first reunion’s meeting in Germany in their letter of invitation: “Germany is ‘the common denominator’ in our history. To see the place, to feel the place, is an opportunity to put what we know in context, good and bad. The family’s successes and contributions of at least 250 years before the Holocaust should not be discarded….Going back [to Germany] is a statement. Whatever [the Nazis] tried to do failed. Here we are, a growing, thriving, successful family… still here and going strong.”
The letter was addressed to the almost 300 Kissinger families spread across the world today. Over half of the Kissingers now live in Israel, most of the other half in the U.S., and the rest scattered across 15 other countries over six continents. The strong desire to reunite this once very close-knit family was agreed upon by all. The decision to hold the reunion in Germany was not.
Some of the family members voiced strong opinions of dissent. They would not set foot in Germany again. They would not spend one penny to support the German economy. The situation sparked much debate and emotion. Everyone agreed to the seriousness of the Holocaust. The way it would be dealt with differed immensely between family members — survivors and second and third generation.
The source of the initiative goes back to 1987 when Martin Kissinger of Herzliya, Israel, gave Elizabeth Levy of Jerusalem, my daughter, the roots of the Kissinger family tree.
Martin’s earlier research on the family history led to a list of about 200 family members, living and dead. Martin had discovered the “first” Kissinger, Meyer Loeb, who moved from Kleineibstadt to Bad Kissingen before 1800 to marry Marianne David-Stahl. In 1812, after Marianne’s death during the birth of their third child, Meyer Loeb married her sister, Schoenlein, and they had 10 more children. Three of those children lived to have families of their own. In 1813, required by law, Meyer Loeb adopted the family name “Kissinger” (meaning “of Kissingen”), and this was the beginning of the Kissinger Family tree.
Elizabeth took the assignment and was buoyed by each success in finding a new person or branch; the tree now lists about 1300 members of the Kissinger clan. Elizabeth’s connection is through her maternal side of the family. Bella Wallach, daughter of Ida Kissinger, who escaped Germany and came to Malden in 1940, with husband Julius, and Elizabeth’s mother, Lisa.
Though family changes have been immense over these eight generations, some common threads remain clear. For six generations, for example, almost every Kissinger was either a teacher (or married to a teacher) or an artisan of some kind; today, family professions and family hobbies are often related to academic or artistic fields.
Similarly, Elizabeth found the common family “personality” to be warm, interesting and interested. With the overwhelming curiosity by the members to find out more about their past and their extended family, a reunion was inevitable.
This is a story about genealogy research and its marvelous capacity to bring families together. This is the story about a German Jewish family, alive and well, and back together as a family after 60 years. (Have you called your cousin today?)
More information, including the family tree, is available at www.kissingerfamily.com.
Sentencing Guidelines: Twenty-Five to Life
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ELLEN GOLUB Ellen Golub teaches journalism at Salem State College.She can be reached at elkele@attbi.com |
“He’ll make a great first husband,” one of my discerning friends whispered, after meeting my fiance.
Just when I thought I had made up my mind about Steve, the guy I had tumbled head over heels for, prickly sprouts of indecision began peeking through the soil of my commitment.
“Reader, I married him,” as they say, but not before deciding that I could definitely stick with it for at least a year or two. By then, all the butterflies in my stomach would be gone. I could sort through all the contraries and — worst-case scenario — we could always split up our stuff and see a lawyer for the details. Half of the people in America seemed to do it that way. “Your honor, we have irreconcilable differences!” The judge would slam down his gavel, and I would call my therapist for an appointment.
Bravely, gingerly, temporarily, I stepped into my marriage like it was a barrel destined to go over Niagara Falls. I was a bit afraid to tell my boss, the chairman of the English Department where I worked, that Steve and I were getting married because I knew his dim view of the institution. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, over several glasses of dry sherry. “You can always get out of marriage. It’s children that turn it into a life sentence.”
That was the down side. But the up side was only marginally better. Steve and I might stay together, but by the time we marked our twenty-fifth anniversary, we’d be worn and weary, like Tevye and Golda, sighing and dragging ourselves across life’s stage.
Our bridge club might give us a party or get together and buy us an engraved silver platter. But late middle age would cling to us like nuclear fallout and we’d fall asleep grumbling about our aches and pains on distant ends of a large bed, snoring loudly and wistfully remembering our lost youth.
What was I thinking? At our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary this past week, Steve and I felt like kids on a date. Young, happy, in love. The only difference was that we could afford to eat at a fancy restaurant — with desserts so small they looked like mini-architectural models — and I had long ago stopped checking my judgment against those of what Saul Bellow used to call “reality instructors.”
Life has some really quirky curves, twists and loops that defy gravity, but I have found that its greatest challenges are really the imaginary ones, the things you worry about, the what-ifs that never materialize. Reality is much closer than it may appear in your rearview mirror — and not nearly as threatening.
Too bad you only go around once. The second time would really be a piece of cake.
The Road to Temple Tells Your Story
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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. |
The cell phone reception in Boston’s Government Center is fuzzy, but I need to call my business line to see if a recent prospect accepted my proposal. “You have one new message,” the phone cracks. “Hello, it’s your mother. The temple group wants you to speak again,” the voice mail announces. Looks like destiny has other plans for me.
I have enjoyed three public speaking gigs in my life, all at Temple Emmanuel in Chelsea. The first was my bat mitzvah, the second was when I addressed the Sisterhood last year, and the third was earlier last month when I once again made a cameo appearance in the temple’s social hall. The ladies laugh at my jokes and think I’m young and pretty, so how can I pass up the opportunity to enchant my adoring fans?
What I love best is walking to the temple. I park the car on one of the side streets near where I grew up and take a stroll down memory lane. First I walk past my grandparents’ old house and remember sitting on the front porch with my grandfather and listening to stories of how he grew up in Russia. My grandmother would prepare a tray of salted nuts and marshmallows which she would gobble up and call my mother and report that I had eaten.
I stroll along the street dotted with homes that tell stories of the neighborhood thug that I thought was dreamy, the home of the pug that bit me, and the place where I learned to master double-dutch jump rope.
For a brief moment I am not a grown woman with children of my own thinking about vacuuming my car, I am a young girl fleeing bees and popping bubblegum dreaming about being crowned Miss America.
I used to love standing on the temple steps and watch the fancy ladies gingerly walk up the stairs in their high heel shoes. I couldn’t wait to grow up and wear lipstick and decide for myself when it was time to break the fast. I had myself a grand time in my imagination sandwiched between my parents in temple braiding my father’s tallis and counting yarmulkes like sheep.
The walk home from temple was more like a sprint. I was always hungry and anxious to put on play clothes. I revel in the fresh air as I play hide-and-seek and munch on malted milk balls. Clothes flap on laundry lines as hopscotch boards fade in the sunshine. I am a wide-eyed little girl with dreams bigger than Mrs. Cohen’s hips.
I chuckle at the memory of my innocence as I near the temple door to my presentation. The ladies smile at me in between bites of sponge cake. They think I’m the best thing since sliced challah. I am happy that I have traveled home.
Cartoonist Defends Image
I noted with dismay Hersh Goldman’s negative response to my editorial cartoon showing the former Pope being given an “EZ-PASS” into heaven.
My intent was to pay tribute to a man who was generally well-respected by both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities. As described in a number of articles, both in The Journal and elsewhere, Pope John Paul had reached out to all nationalities and religions over his entire lifetime.
I was surprised that Mr. Goldman would read into my cartoon any heavenly favoritism for Christianity. The concept of heaven is not particular to any religious denomination, and one’s “EZ entry” would not exclude anyone else. To the contrary, my hope was to embrace the ideal that an honorable person, regardless of background or religion, deserves special recognition. To speak about “leaving your cross outside” is not only exclusionary but prejudicial and disrespectful.
George
S. Freedman
Journal Cartoonist
Pope Cartoon ‘Too Goyish’
Pope John Paul seems to have been a nice human being who (for a pope) was remarkably friendly to the Jews. Still, the Jewish Journal Editorial Page cartoon (April 8-21) following Pope John Paul’s death dances too close for my comfort in its adoration of the pope.
The cartoon pope is at the heavenly gates and the caption on the portal reads, “E-Z entry.” Judaism acknowledges righteous gentiles. I can abide the cartoon pope in his flowing Roman Catholic ministerial garb holding his priestly staff of religious leadership, and, presumably, (although it doesn’t show due to the angle of the figure) wearing that definitive Christian accessory, the crucifix. The Journal should leave the cartoon intact.
Just kasher it (make it kosher) by rerunning it with a caption underneath the cartoon frame reading: “Welcome to Heaven. Please leave your cross outside. “
Otherwise the cartoon looks like it is saying that Heaven favors Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism.
Hersh
N. Goldman
Swampscott
Is Journal Anti-Catholic?
Your Editorial Policy states that “all submissions to the Jewish Journal/North of Boston are subject to editing for. . . libel issues and good taste. Publication of submissions is subject to the editor’s discretion. . .”
In view of the above, how was it possible that Hyman Goldin’s anti-Catholic diatribe letters (May 6-19), was published? Not only is it libelous and lacking in good taste, but if the shoe were on the other foot, a Catholic would be accused of being anti-Semitic and guilty of a hate crime.
Perhaps because Mr. Goldin identifies himself as a member of the Board of Overseers of the Journal, the editor’s discretion was overruled. However, because he is a member of the Board of Overseers and his anti-Catholic sentiments were published, one has to wonder if this is in fact the feeling of the Board and/or the Editor of the Journal.
Over the past several years, the ecumenical overtures of both the Jewish and Catholic faiths both locally and worldwide have brought our people closer together than at anytime in history. For Mr. Goldin to fan the flame of anti-Catholicism in his letter (read Editorial) only causes members of both faiths to take great steps backwards.
Perhaps the Editor should show much more discretion in the future.
Philip
D. Moran, Esq.
Salem
Editor's Note: Mr. Goldin was speaking for himself, not for the
Board or the editor.
Congregants: ‘Get Involved'
After reading the editorial from Mark Arnold in the last edition (May 20-June 2, 2005) of the Journal, we would like to respond to the issues that were raised.
In the beginning of this process, there were open congregational meetings for the purpose of keeping the membership fully informed. Difficult questions were asked and the answers that were given were honest and helpful. Monthly updates continue to appear in the bulletins of both Temples. [Chairman] Mark Friedman has said many times over that all members were welcome to attend monthly B’resheit Board meetings even if they were not on the Board.
While one of us is on the B’resheit Board and the other is not, we both have attended meetings where members have come to be heard or to hear the issues on the agenda. On every occasion, Mark and his slate of officers have been welcoming and professional. Questions have been answered to the best of his ability, and the issues that were brought up were addressed honestly. Organizations cannot be run efficiently with hundreds of people in charge. Eventually tough decisions have to be made, and we feel that the current board has done a superb job and deserves our support.
While we will never achieve 100% approval in support of all decisions made, we must be willing to put aside our personal preferences for the good of the community. We urge all members to get involved in this exciting process. Congregation Shirat HaYam will not be successful if people continue to stay away. If you’re not going to be part of the solution, you will continue to be part of the problem.
People in leadership positions need to become active synagogue attendees and act as role models. Members need to come to synagogue regularly, become part of committees, and be proactive in implementing programs that will enhance the ruach and excitement of our new congregation. It is up to us to insure the success of Congregation Shirat HaYam. We’re ready to step up to the plate. Are you?
Barbara
and Alan Sidman
Salem
Priest Protests ‘Anti-Catholic Letter’
As a subscriber and reader of the Jewish Journal for many years, I was insulted by Hyman Goldin’s letter (May 6-May 19) bitterly attacking the Catholic Church. To add to the insult, he identifies himself as a member of the Board of Overseers of the Jewish Journal. He has resurrected in a few paragraphs a host of the slanderous accusations of anti-Catholic bigots.
Have we forgotten the Klu Klux Klan and their characterizations of blacks, Jews and Catholics as ipso facto evil? Have we forgotten the Shoah and what led up to it?
It is incumbent upon the Journal to issue an apology for publishing this letter and to remove Mr. Goldin from its Board of Overseers. If that is not done immediately, I can no longer be associated in any way with the Jewish Journal and would ask you to cancel my subscription.
Fr. Timothy J. Murphy, Pastor Immaculate Conception Parish, Salem
Pastor Defends Hosting ConferenceRegarding your coverage of the May 7 conference, “Peacemaking in Israel/Palestine” at our church, I am a supporter of Israel, as are the people in my church. I believe that Israel has a right to exist and to protect itself, as it has done during past conflicts. That being said, there must be way to be a supporter of Israel and yet be critical of particular policies of the current Israeli government.
There must be a way to express heartfelt concern and criticism of the policies concerning the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and not be reflexively labeled anti-Semitic or anti-Israel. I have been critical of some of the policies of the U.S. Government and the current Administration — as I suspect some of those reading this have been. Does that make you or me automatically anti-American? Is our legitimate concern and criticism tantamount to treason or a wholesale rejection of our country? Hardly.
My church, The First Church in Salem, Unitarian, hosted a conference called “Peacemaking in Israel and Palestine” during which several local activists spoke, including Hilary Rantisi, who is a Palestinian Christian, and Duncan Kennedy, a professor of law at Harvard Law School. Certainly a particular viewpoint was stated, one that expressed concern over the living conditions and alleged human rights abuses of the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Despite what Mr. Nystedt alleges in his unfair letter (“Anti-Semitism at Salem Church?” May 20-June 2), no one called for the elimination of Israel. No one suggested in any way, shape or form that Israel did not have the right to defend itself. No one stood up and blamed the Jews for the sorry state of the world. In short, as far as I can tell, no one was anti-Semitic.
The conference did express grave concern about the current situation in the occupied — or disputed — territories. And one speaker did compare the current treatment of the Palestinians to an apartheid-like system in which people are deprived of their rights and relegated to second-class citizens. For the record, this is not a new comparison. The Israeli human rights groups B’Tselem and Peace Now have also been making such comparisons, to say nothing about Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Even the United States Government has routinely expressed concern about the expansion of the settlements, as the Boston Globe reported on May 17. Does that make the US government anti-Semitic, too?
My
church has a long history of encouraging interfaith dialogue and understanding
on the North Shore. In particular, we have been supporters of the Jewish
community in Salem since the first minyan was formed over 100 years ago.
Indeed, for 35 years, my church and Temple Shalom co-hosted something
we called Brotherhood Weekend in which the minister from my church and
the rabbi from the synagogue exchanged pulpits (so to speak). Even today,
I don’t think anyone who knows my church or me would question the
commitment we have to fostering interfaith understanding and supporting
the local Jewish community.
It has been suggested that I scheduled this conference intentionally on
a Saturday and on the weekend of Yom-HaShoah. This is just simply not
true. Quite frankly, this was the only date that worked for our speakers.
In retrospect, I regret hosting such a conference on the weekend when
the Holocaust is formally remembered. If I could do it over, I would have
tried to avoid that.
I have to say that I found it quite ironic for Mr. Nystedt to compare my church to the churches of Nazi Germany who remained silent while heinous crimes against humanity were being committed. Those in churches that did try to do something were sent to the camps if not immediately to their deaths. It seems to me that the sin committed by those churches was that of indifference and inaction. They did nothing while injustice turned into evil around them. They remained silent while others were being oppressed and annihilated.
What my church and I did with the conference on May 7 was actually to avoid committing a similar mistake.
We spoke out when we saw others being wronged — when we saw an injustice being committed. And we are not alone. Across the country, there is a growing consensus among Christian denominations that the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories are being treated unjustly and unfairly and being robbed of their land and their dignity.
I don’t believe it is anti-Semitic to state this and I know I am not alone. I hope and pray that in the months and years to come, all of us on the North Shore will try dialogue and discussion before we hurl insults and accusations.
The
Rev. Jeffrey Barz-Snell
31st Pastor, First Church in Salem, Unitarian
Editor’s Note: This is an abridged version of a longer letter sent to Jewish publications around the world by PETA, whose statements — carried in the Journal and numerous other publications — have compared the kosher slaughter of animals to the slaughter of Jews in World War II.
When the investigative footage of the violations at the AgriProcessors glatt kosher slaughterhouse was released last December, an observant Jewish staff member here at PETA suggested that we consider referencing the classic Yiddish song “Dona, Dona” to convey the horror of the calves who are transported to slaughter, and perhaps use its haunting music to accompany the video images. When I consulted with other Jewish staff and PETA advisors, some thought that this was an offensive and inappropriate use of the song, which alludes to the journey to concentration camps.
This renewed the heated debates that were provoked during the “Holocaust on Your Plate” Campaign, taking me back to the mental wrangling that we have experienced here over the profound conflicts that comparisons to the Holocaust generate, and the diversity of complex positions on these issues within the Jewish community, even among Jews who are aligned with animal rights—including those at PETA. What was originally thought of as a simple, melancholic song incited a spectrum of passionate and visceral reactions. We decided not to use the song in connection with the AgriProcessors case, and I have decided to apologize for the pain caused by the “Holocaust on Your Plate” Campaign.
Hard as it may be to understand for those who were deeply upset by this campaign, I was bowled over by the negative reception by many in the Jewish community. It was both unintended and unexpected. The PETA staff who proposed that we do it were Jewish, and the patronage for the entire endeavor was Jewish. We were careful to use Jewish authors and scholars, and quotes from Holocaust victims and survivors. And since Judaism has some of the strongest teachings regarding compassion for animals among the monotheistic faiths, I truly believed, as did the Jewish staff members who proposed the exhibit, that a large segment of the Jewish community would support it.
As with the song “Dona, Dona,” we had hoped to draw attention to the common, terrifying experience of the condemned en route to their horrible and unnecessary slaughter.
We sincerely wished to bridge these different forms of systematic abuse. By showing how humans were treated “like animals,” it was never our goal to humiliate the victims further—instead we hoped to shed light on the process through which any living being can be reduced to an interchangeable, disposable “thing.”
Our mission is a profoundly human one at its heart, yet we know that we have caused pain. This was never our intention, and we are deeply sorry. We hope that you can understand that although we embarked on the “Holocaust on Your Plate” project with misconceptions about what its impact would be, we always try to act with integrity, with the goal of improving the lives of those who suffer. We hope those we upset will find it in their hearts to work toward the goal of a kinder world for all, regardless of species.
Ingrid
Newkirk, President
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
In Support of Rabbi Weinsberg
We have been very distressed since we first learned that Rabbi Weinsberg (of Temple Beth El in Swampscott) would not continue to be the spiritual leader of our new congregation. Since Rabbi Loevinger (of Temple Israel) had not wished to be considered, it seemed logical that Rabbi Weinsberg would get the position. After all, he has been well-respected and greatly admired by Temple Beth EI and the community as well, and he and his family have made Swampscott their home for the past 20 years. We have spoken to several friends trom both temples, and the sentiment seems to be the same. To ask Rabbi Weinsberg to leave at this stage of his life is both callous and Jewishly unethical. Therefore, we have decided to follow Russell Grand’s admonition from last week and speak out.
Of course, there are some people who have not been completely pleased with one thing or another that Rabbi Weinsberg has done. However, with a slight twist on a famous quote, “You can please some of the people all of the time, and you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” Rabbi Weinsberg certainly has given a great deal to our community, and it’s time that we show him our support.
In the answer from B’resheit leaders in the last issue of the Journal (May 20 - June 2), they gave their “rational” reasons for getting a new rabbi for our new congregation. But what is the message that we are sending to our children, our congregants, and our community at large? Are we telling them that we should do what seems most expedient at any given time and that we should ignore the people who get left by the wayside? Is that the way to bring harmony, ruach, and the true meaning of Judaism to our new congregation?
Is that going to be the philosophy of Shirat HaYam?
We think not, and urge the B’resheit Committee to reconsider its decision. Please do what is right for Rabbi
Weinsberg
and his family.
Reggie and Lewis Weinstein Marblehead
B'reisheit Leaders Got It Right
The letter to the editor, in the May 20 issue from the leaders of the new Congregation Shirat HaYam Implementation Board regarding B’reisheit for Temples Israel and Beth El, was beautifully written and should be studied by all members of both Temples.
When serious talks began a few years ago, I felt that it should be called a merger, because of the long history of both congregations and the fond memories of their members. But the more I thought about it, the more convinced I was that the committee chose the correct path to success. Votes on major decisions would not lead to congeniality; they would cause friction, or a “schism”, as the letter put it.
I admire and compliment Rabbi Neal [Loevinger] of Temple Israel because he chose, months ago, to step aside, sell his house, and hopes to make new friends in some other community in deference to our senior rabbi, Rabbi Weinsberg. Rabbi Neal is a great teacher, a wonderful kibbitzer, and a spiritual leader who leads by doing what he preaches. Those of us who studied with him will always remember, and try to abide by, what we learned.
Sid
Harris
Swampscott
BAER,
Alfred — late of Lynn, formerly of Chelsea and Revere. Died May
22. Father of Steven W. Baer and Mary Bennett of Spencer, MA, and Alicia
and Liess Hamdi of Hyannis. Brother of Sidney Baer of FL, and the late
Martha Cohen. Uncle of Saraherma Chait of Revere, and Lorraine Alpert
of Saugus. Grandfather of Carly and Daniel. (T)
BARTENSTEIN, Sylvia (Myers) — late of Beverly.
Died May 24. Wife of the late Eugene Bartenstein. Mother of Lynne Bartenstein
and her husband Dan Heims of Portland, OR, and Jeuli Bartenstein and her
husband Michael Carleton of Arlington, VA. Sister of Erle Stanley Myers
of Watertown, and the late Ernest Myers. Sister-in-law of Shirley Myers
of Beverly. Grandmother of Aaron and Carly Heims. (S)
BECKER, Sheryl L. — late of Salem, formerly of
Danvers. Died suddenly May 30. Daughter of Jerry and Millie (Pernitchi)
Becker of Danvers. Granddaughter of Sophie Pernitchi of Peabody and the
late Leo Pernitchi, Paul and Kay Becker. Sister of Jodi Renaud of Danvers
and Michael Becker of Danvers. Companion of Erik Knosp of Salem. Niece
and cousin of many aunts, uncles and cousins. (S)
BIERMAN, Seymour — late of Swampscott. Died May
22. Husband of Frances (Phillips) Bierman. Father of Andrea and William
Strauss of Marblehead, and Bobbie Bierman of Swampscott. Grandfather of
Megan, Benjamin and Evan. (S)
BROWN, Julia (Small) — late of Burlington. Died
May 10. Wife of Herbert Brown. Mother of Sylvia Yeomans, Leland Brown,
Gary Brown, Candace Bracken and Ginger Barreto. Sister of David Small.
Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of 11. (G)
COHEN, Morris Professor Emeritus — late of Swampscott.
Died May 27. Husband of the late Ruth (Krentzman) Cohen. Father of Dr.
Joel and Sara Cohen of San Rafael, CA, and the late Barbara C. Nordwind.
Brother of Louise Polansky of Los Angeles, CA, and Charlotte Freed of
Chestnut Hill. Grandfather of Julie Adler, and William and Timothy Nordwind.
Great-grandfather of Briahna Phillips, Alexander Phillips, Sivan Adlver,
Eleanor Nordwind and Juelle Adler. (S)
FIELDMAN, Sidney — late of Marblehead. Died May
15. Husband of Betty (Sussman) Fieldman. Brother of Gladys Rothstein of
Longmeadow, and the late Norman Fieldman, Esther Creeger and Ruth Belasco.
Uncle of several nieces and nephews. (S)
FREEDMAN, Ida (Tenofsky) — late of Lynn. Died May
15. Wife of the late Barnet “Ben” Freedman. Mother of Jay
and Mona Freedman of MD. Grandmother of Jamie and Andrea. (T)
GOLDBERG, Bessie (Waldman) — Died May 22. Wife
of the late David Goldberg. Friend and companion of the late Benjamin
Schwartz. Mother of Anne F. Goldberg of Salem, and the late Bernard S.
Goldberg. Sister of the late Rose Rutfield, Rebecca Himmelstein and Philip
Waldman. (S)
GORDON, Rose (Krasnof) — late of Revere, formerly
of Chelsea. Died May 26. Wife of the late Manuel Gordon. Mother of Barbara
and Irving Connors of FL, and Harriet Gordon and Ann Maguire of Provincetown.
Sister of Lillian Litcofsky of Revere, and the late William Krasnof and
Mollie Glimcher. Grandmother of Lawrence and Karen Connors, Brad and Paula
Connors, Jennifer and Steve Pratt, and Alyson and Ed Aneshansley. Great-grandmother
of Jonathan and Joshua Connors, Brittany, Alexandria and Dylan Connors,
Elizabeth and Benjamin Pratt, and Jack Aneshansley. (T)
LEVINE, Rae (Danoff) — late of Chelsea. Died May
13. Wife of the late Milton M. Levine. Mother of Alan and Anita Levine
of Andover. Grandmother of Jay Levine of Somerville. (T)
LIMON, Judith S. (Zelig) — late of Salem. Died
May 20. Mother of Michael A. Limon of CA, and Debra S. Limon of Seattle,
WA. Former wife of Peter Limon. (S)
NADLER, Rachel (Rubenstein) — formerly of Malden
and Everett. Died May 11. Wife of the late Max Nadler. Mother of Dr. Melvin
and Joann Nadler, Karen Sklar, and the late Gary L. Nadler. Sister of
Mary Fox, Edward Rubenstein, the late Celia Rubenstein, Pearl Vernon,
Freida Rosen and Rose Kratman. Grandmother of Lisa and Robin Sklar, and
Keith and Derek Nadler. (G)
POTASH, Tillie (Sadowetz) — late of Swampscott,
formerly of Revere. Died May 12. Wife of the late James Potash. Mother
of Alan and Ellen Potash of Marblehead. Sister of Ida S. Kagan of Swampscott,
and the late Thomas and Joseph Sade. Grandmother of David Potash, and
Danielle and Mark Gotobed. Great-grandmother of Olivia and Zachary Gotobed.
(S)
ROSE, Linda — late of Peabody. Died May 11. Partner
of Paul Baizman. Mother of Lisa Austin, Michael and Peggy Harrison, and
Daniel Harrison. Sister of Robert M. Rose and Arthur Rose. Grandmother
of Molly Jean Harrison and Jacob Harrison. (G)
WEISS, Ethel (Steinberg) — late of Chelsea. Died
May 25. Wife of the late Abraham Weiss. Mother of Harold and Rosalyn Weiss
of Swampscott, Renee and Morton Tapper of FL, Sheila Rudin of Brockton,
Judy Weiss of Revere, and mother-in-law of Beatrice Weiss of Marblehead
and the late Leonard Weiss. Sister of the late Alfred Steinberg, Libby
Rosenberg and Esther Afrow. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of
six. (T)
WINKELLER, Emily (Lavoot) — late of Marblehead.
Died May 22. Wife of the late Henry Winkeller. Mother of Steffie and Jerry
Garfield, Kailie Winkeller, and Laura and David Lipman. Sister of Sue
Bornstein and Pater Lavoot. Grandmother of Kim, Peter and Dan Lipman,
Gregory Price, Shelly (Price) and her husband Dr. David Emanuel, Amy and
Gilbert DaSilva, and Scott and Cindy Garfield. Great-grandmother of Rachel
and Jacob Garfield, Samuel DaSilva, and the late Jason Garfield. (S)
ZAKS, Simon — formerly of Chelsea. Died May 12.
Son of the late Louis and Pauline Zaks. Brother of Ruth Green, Harold
Zaks, and the late Barnet Zaks and Frances Kurtzer. Uncle of many nieces
and nephews. (G)