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OpinionThe Jewish National EditionPost&Presenting a broad spectrum of Jewish News and Opinions since 1935.

Volume 79, Number 5 • February 13, 2013 • 3 Adar 5773www.jewishpostopinion.com

Cover art byJackie Olenick (see About the

Cover, p.2).

1427 W. 86th St. #228Indianapolis, IN 46260email: [email protected] and fax: (317) 405-8084website: www.jewishpostopinion.com

OpinionPost&The Jewish

decree to kill all the Jews. People wantedto give up on God. They thought maybethey should try another religion.

Mordechai did not give up. He knew thedeep Hasidic teaching that RebbeNachman has taught us,“Never give up!”Even in the darkest moment, Mordechaiwent out in the marketplace and cried out,“Where are you, where is the place of yourglory?”

God’s name isn’t mentioned even oncein the entire Megillah, but Megillat Estheris a revelation of the hidden. “Megillah”comes from the root word meaning “toreveal,”and “Esther”means “hidden.”It is astory that doesn’t mention God, butdeeply hidden in it is how God works inthe world. And the whole point is, youcannot see it, you cannot know it, yousimply have to have faith. It’s a differentway of knowing.

At Purim we absolutely don’t see anytrace of God. During Pesach miracles areall over the place. God’s name is men-tioned everywhere in the Haggadah.Moses isn’t mentioned in it because oneshouldn’t think for a moment that themiracles were at the hands of coincidenceand people, as opposed to Purim where itonly looks like it’s simply people doingtheir thing. So we go from absolute hiddenness (Purim) to the holiday that isthe beginning of the revelation (Pesach),the uncovering of God showing himself inthe world.

Rabbi Zeller, of Blessed Memory, was aninternationally known musician, lecturer,and workshop leader in Jewish mysticism,

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spirituality and meditation, as well as intranspersonal psychology. Learn more about him and his accomplishments atwww.davidzeller.org.

Jennie Cohen, February 13, 2013 AAAA

2 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT February 13, 2013

The following is part of a lecture aboutPurim and Pesach given by Rabbi DavidZeller, z”l, at Temple Beth Abraham inOakland, Calif. on March 22, 1987. I hadtaped it so I was able to write it very close towhat he said. Both this and the portion onPesach were published in previous issues ofthis newspaper.

Purim is aboutcostume and dress– what we wear anddon’t wear. The veryfirst Purim costumewas God dressingup in the universe.It says in the psalms,“He puts the light onlike a garment and puts the heavens onlike a cloth.”

In all the pictures you see of wizards inthe Middle Ages, they are always dressedin coats with stars and crescent moonsbecause they are going to be doing magicand they are hoping to create as God did.God put on the universe, and they wantedto dress like God. These wizards also say,ahbra cadahbra, which is Aramaic forhabara cadahbara, which translates inEnglish to, “I will create according to myword.”

In fact we address God in every bless-ing, “King of the Universe.” In personalprayer we call God “Ribbono shel olam”(Master of the world). What does thatmean? The word “olam” (world) comesfrom the word “ne’alam,” which meanshidden or concealed. Our word for the“world,” which is all that we can see,means “that which is hidden.”

This shows that deeply embedded orencoded in Judaism is the understandingthat everything we connect with in thetangible world is simply a concealment ofwhat is beyond us – God. When we callGod Melech haolam (King of the world),what we are really saying is the “King ofConcealment” or the “Master of Hidden-ness”or “Master of Illusion.”

Every time we say “Ribbono shel olam,”it is a little bit of a prayer meaning: “I’mlost in world of material stuff. Please, I’mbegging you to reveal yourself to me a lit-tle bit. It’s so hard to see you. All I see isthe physical world.” Similarly with eachperson we see only the outer shell and weask, “Ribbono Shel Olam, who is hiddeninside there, who is this person really,what’s going on in his or her life?”

And that is the theme of Purim – thehidden of the hidden. It was bad enoughthat God has hidden Himself completelyin the world, then the Temple wasdestroyed, and the Jews were in exile. Ifthat wasn’t bad enough, there was then a

Editorial Inside this IssueEditorial.....................................................2About the Cover ......................................2Rabbi Benzion Cohen

(Chassidic Rabbi).....................................3Rabbi Sandy E. Sasso .............................3Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.

(Wiener’s Wisdom)..................................4Henya Chaiet

(Yiddish for Everyday) ............................4Ted Roberts

(Spoonful of Humor) ...............................5Rabbi Allen H. Podet

(The Art of Observation).........................5Jim Shipley

(Shipley Speaks) ......................................6Howard Karsh

(Jewish America) .....................................6Professor Arnold Ages

(Opinion) .................................................7Rabbi Moshe ben Asher andMagidah Khulda bat Sarah

(Gather the People)..................................8B’nai B’rith Mourns Ed Koch ...............8Amy Hirshberg Lederman

(Jewish Educator) ....................................9Sybil Kaplan

(Seen on the Israel Scene)......................10Melinda Ribner

(Kabbalah of the Month) .......................12Rabbi Avi Shafran

(An Observant Eye) ..............................12Morton Gold

(As I Heard It).......................................13Obituary ..................................................13Rabbi Elliot B. Gertel

(Media Watch).......................................14Professor Arnold Ages

(Book Review)........................................16Dr. Morton I. Teicher

(Book Reviews) ......................................17Sybil Kaplan

(My Kosher Kitchen) .............................18Rabbi Israel Zoberman

(Book Review)........................................19Rabbi David Wolpe

(Why Faith Matters) .............................20Sandy Rozelman

(Book Excerpt) .......................................20

“I am my Beloveds”by Jackie Olenick

This romantic image of morning gloriesand two lovebirds is a beautiful gift for awedding, or anniversary, and shows howlove is continually renewed with each newday. This fine art gicleeprint is 12”x 14”.

Olenick creates Judaicilluminations in severalmediums based upon her favorite Torah text,psalms and prayers. Shealso designs personalized,illuminated ketubot for the bride andgroom. The images created are joyful,contemporary, inspirational and speak toissues that guide us on our day-to-dayjourney. They are intended to bring blessing and holy reminders to everyJewish home. She also creates beautifulspiritual jewelry appropriate for men,women and teens. All jewelry is designed

About the Cover

Jackie Olenick

(see About the Cover, page 15)

Rabbi David Zeller, z”l

February 13, 2013 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 3

j i What will be the final result of all of this

love, and all of the other mitzvahs that wedo? The whole world will be full of loveand holiness. For thousands of years thenations of the world made war with eachother. The strong nations conquered theweaker ones and built up empires. ThePersian empire, the Greek empire, theRoman empire, and so forth.

What is happening today? Wonder ofwonders. The strong nations are helpingthe weaker nations. Much less war, muchmore love. When one country is struck bya disaster, many countries send aide.

L’Chaim, to Life! This past week we celebrated the completion of the dailystudy cycle of the Rambam (Maimonides).Now we are starting to learn the teachingsof the Rambam from the beginning.We invite all of you to join in this dailylearning. You can find the daily portion to learn at www.Chabad.org. The last two chapters of the Rambam deal with the coming of Moshiach. Here are the final paragraphs:

“In that era, there will be neither famineor war, envy or competition for good will flow in abundance and all the delightswill be freely available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will besolely to know G-d.”

“Therefore, the Jews will be great sagesand know the hidden matters, graspingthe knowledge of their Creator accordingto the full extent of human potential, asIsaiah 11:9 states: ‘The world will be filledwith the knowledge of G-d as the waterscover the ocean bed.’”

The First Commandment

The first commandment in the Torah isto get married.“Be fruitful and multiply”.How does one fulfill this commandment?By getting married and having children. Ifyou do this mitzvah right, you are well onthe way to having a good life. A happymarriage is very special. You can give andget a lot of love, support, companionshipand many other benefits. Children andgrandchildren are also very precious. (Idon’t have any great-grandchildren yet).

However, there is a catch. How do youbuild a happy home, a marriage that lastsa lifetime and gets better all the time? Somany marriages fail today. How do we createa successful marriage? What is the secret?

The first commandment is to get married.This is followed by 612 more commandments.In order to do the first commandmentright you have to do all of the others.

Learning Torah and doing mitzvahschanges our outlook and priorities. TheTorah teaches us that we were created tomake this world better and holy. We arenot here to take, and run after materialpleasures. We are here to give, and runafter spiritual pleasures.

I grew up rather secular. My prioritieswere to take from the world whatever Icould – to have a good time and to havematerial pleasures. When two people getmarried, if each is thinking about whatthey will take from the relationship, andabout everything their partner is going to give them and do for them, they areheading for disaster.

When I was 18, I started learning Torahin Kfar Chabad. I learned the importanceof giving. If you help someone, if youcheer someone up, it warms their heart –and your heart also. This is a spiritualpleasure. Once you learn to appreciatespiritual pleasures, you are ready to get married.

Marriage offers many spiritual pleasuressuch as endless opportunities to love andhelp your spouse, your children andgrandchildren. When you give love tomembers of your family, it warms theirheart – and yours also. What happensnext? They give you back even more. Thisis an endless cycle of more and more love,more and more spiritual pleasure.

The bottom line? The secret of a goodlife is a good marriage. The secret of agood marriage? Go to your local ChabadHouse and learn how to be a better personand a better spouse. Do more mitzvahsand learn more Torah.

BY RABBI BENZION COHEN

Chassidic Rabbi

(see Benzion, page 4)

January has been amonth of beginnings, the start of a year, anewly elected Congress, inaugurations ofthe governor and the president. Every newbeginning brings with it both trepidationand hope.

We fear the unknown, the possibilitythat forces beyond our control will maketomorrow bleaker and darker than today.If our favored candidates lost the election,we despair that new leadership will notmatch our dreams. Even if our preferredcandidate won, we wonder whether in acontentious, polarized atmosphere anypromises can really be kept.

Yet doubt is also matched with hope.There are new opportunities, lessonslearned, a better future envisioned. We can

start again.It is, of course, possible to be cynical, to

believe that government will never riseabove self – interest and political bickering,that party takes precedence over principle,controversy over common goals.

But it is also possible – and, I believe, farbetter – to be optimistic, to believe thatleaders can learn wisdom, put public goodover private interest and can broaden visionto embrace the well-being of all citizens.

Theodore Herzl, a Jewish visionary, oncesaid, “If you will it, it is no dream.”However, will is not enough. First youhave to dream it.

I share with you the words of hope andthe dream that were part of my benedictionat the inauguration of Gov. Mike Pence:

“We join with citizens across the State ofIndiana, diverse in culture and faith, yetunited by a common destiny, and by theunderstanding that the good of all dependson the good of each and every citizen.

May the One who is the Source of allBlessings, bless our governor with strengthof mind and vigor of body and guide himwith wisdom and humility.

May Gov. Pence make the word Hoosiermean not only hospitality but also vision,that our state be a heartland flourishing witharts and culture, a crossroads where jobs areplentiful, education superior, the environmentprotected and the health of all citizens a priority.

May our leaders be strong enough to standfor principle and wise enough to seek compromise; may they embrace the publicgood and affirm individual freedoms; maythey affirm what is right and just in a spiritof caring and compassion.

From the banks of the Wabash to the staratop the flame of the torch of liberty, from thelimestone quarries to the fields of corn, fromcheers for our sport teams to applause for oursymphony and theater, from the halls of ourmuseums to the classrooms and laboratoriesof our schools and universities, from businessoffices to factory floors, may we all be proudto call Indiana our home.

May we who have been blessed to come to this time and place, now go forth and be a blessing.”

The quote popularly attributed to thefamous German writer, Goethe, remindsus: “Are you in earnest? Seize this verymoment. Whatever you can do, or dreamyou can, begin it. Boldness has genius,power and magic in it.”

We are in earnest. This is the verymoment to hold our elected officialsaccountable to the dream of America andto partner with them in making magic forthe year ahead.

Rabbi Sasso and her husband Dennis C.Sasso have been senior rabbis atCongregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolissince 1977. This is reprinted with permissionfrom The Indianapolis Star Jan. 29, 2013. AAAA

A new start forour hopes and dreamsBY RABBI SANDY EISENBERG SASSO


“Haynt iz Purim morgen iz ouz, gitmir ah groyshen un varft mir ahroys.”

(“Today is Purim tomorrow it’s over, sogive me a penny and I’ll be gone.”)

Many years ago, little children wouldrun from house to house in their littleshtetl singing this on Purim. I heard itfrom my grandmother, as a little girl, and Istill remember it.

Dem ershter yor ven ich hob gehcumentzu mein haim in California, haub ichzayer gehbenkt far mein mishpokeh.

(The first year I came to my new homein California I was very lonely for my family and friends.)

Nu menschen vos tult men? (So people,what does one do?)

Meh macht zicht ah nyeh mishpoken.(You make yourself a new family.)

Ah Yid gehfint zich ah veg! (A Jewfinds a way!)

Siz iz geven Purim un ich haubgehbackt hamentashen un andereh zisehzachen, un gehbracht shalachmones tzumeineh nigheh frient. (It was Purim and Ibaked hamentashen and other goodies andI brought shalachmones (portions) to all mynew friends.)

Ich haub gehbeten ah por froyen cumentzoo mir un mir hauben gehleyent deeMegillah Esther un geh shlaugen Hamenmit unzereh gragers. (I asked some womento come to my home and we all read theMegillah Esther and made noise with ourgroggers when we heard Hamen’s name.)

Ah zeh macht men nigheh frient ahz mehvil hauben frient, muz men zein ah frient.(This is the way I made new friends. Tohave a friend you must first be a friend.)

Nu fargest nit braingen shalachmonestzu ayereh alteh frient, un macht nighehfrient. (So don’t forget, bring shalachmonesto your old friends and make new friends.)

Ah gooter frient is ah mahtoneh funGaut. (A good friend is a gift from God.)

Henya Chaiet is the Yiddish name forMrs. A. Helen Feinn. Born in 1924 ten daysbefore Passover, her parents had come toAmerica one year prior. They spoke onlyYiddish at home so that is all she spoke untilage five when she started kindergarten. Shethen learned English, but has always lovedYiddish and speaks it whenever possible.Chaiet lived in La Porte and Michigan City,Ind., from 1952 to 1978 and currentlyresides in Walnut Creek, Calif. Email:[email protected]. AAAA

A Freilichen PurimBY HENYA CHAIET

Yiddish forEveryday

Wiener’sWisdomBY RABBI IRWIN WIENER, D.D.

PurimSeveral things come to mind when the

holiday of Purim peeks though the mazeof calendar days and dates.

For example, there is the understandingthat it is unique in the Jewish experience.Nowhere in our celebrations do we commemorate victory with merriment. Infact, we are taught that we have a duty, anobligation, to not rejoice over the misfortune of others. Yet, here we are,rejoicing over the demise of villains whoseonly concentration was to destroy us.

A Midrash describes the salvation of theIsraelites from the clutches of Pharaohwhen they are cornered at the Sea. Thereis nowhere to turn, no retreat, and onlydeath in front. The Bible tells us thatMoses lifted his hands over the water andit parted. The Israelites are spared but theEgyptians drown in pursuit.Then the angelscry out to God as to why there should notbe celebrating and rejoicing to which Godreplies that the Egyptians are also Hischildren. Certainly, no cause for jubilation.

While many think of us as different,none went so far as to wish us harm forthat reason alone. When Pharaoh decidesto enslave the Hebrews it is because he feared that we were becoming toonumerous and lived in the most fertilepart of the Nile delta. When the Israelitesjourneyed to their promise, Amalek didnot want us to falter because of our beliefin the One God, but because they wereconcerned about their survival at beingoverwhelmed by our numbers.

Even when the mighty Roman Empiredestroyed the lands of Judea and Samaria,it was because of insurrection and rebellion.They had a great deal of respect for ourculture and religious practices. History tellsus that many soldiers converted to Judaismfor its element of connection and the valueof life. It was our hate for one another that contributed to our destruction. TheTalmud describes it as “Sinus Chinum.”

The equation changed when the Nazissystematically designed a “final solution”which included the indiscriminate murderof the Jewish people wherever they werelocated because they were Jewish. Theagenda was short, simple and direct.Therewas no pretense of them being “toonumerous”or too strong.

Haman remarks in his diatribe to thePersian King,“a certain people scattered aboutand dispersed among other peoples…” It

is an invitation to resent people who aredifferent. How many times have we seenhatred surface when we do not understandsomeone or find that person or people so different that it frightens us? That is why we gravitate to like-kinds whensettling somewhere or find ourselves in acontrolled environment.

Another example would be that Purimgives us an opportunity to escape fromreality. We dress differently, we masqueradeas someone else, all in a frenzy to eludethe terrible misfortune that waits asHaman and his cohorts develop a schemeto rid themselves of the Jewish presence.An ancient “Juden frei.”

A legend says that during World War II,Hitler was known to repress any mentionof Purim because of its reminder that evilis destroyed no matter how long it takes.Perhaps he considered that his fate wastied to Haman’s having come from thesame ancestry. I do not know if it is true,but it somehow has a ring of prophesyassociated with it. It certainly appears thathe was a student of the holiday and eventook a page from Haman’s determination.

The Jewish people arm themselves andfight the corruption and evil that wasdemonstrated. After all, does not theTalmud teach us that if someone comes tomurder you, move first to kill him. Murderand killing are two different things. Ourfirst obligation is defend ourselves. If, inthe process someone is killed, it is not thesame as purposely setting out to murderthat person.

However, the most unique aspect ofPurim is the dialogue we have regardingthe purpose and supposed absence of Godin things that seem to be evil. Maimonidesdebates this in his Guide to the Perplexedand in his Mishnah Torah. He talks aboutgood and evil and the part played by Godin both.

On the one hand, goodness is the primary purpose of creation. Each timesomething is completed, God says that “it is good.”This is because creation wasaccomplished in love and goodness(Guide, III,19). Evil exists because we

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(see Wiener, page 20)

Do you need any special blessings inyour life? We all do. The LubavitcherRebbe requested that everyone studyRambam every day. Join the daily learningand for sure you will see miracles.This willbring closer the great miracles of our finalredemption. We want Moshiach now!

Rabbi Cohen lives in K’far Chabad, Israel. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. AAAA

BENZION(continued from page 3)


On a cloudless, heavenly morning, wellbefore the Almighty turned the dust of theearth into man, he announced theHolydays to the assembled HeavenlyHosts. The angels listened solemnly,especially to Yom Kippur. And after a fewmoments of meditation they burst into aperfectly sublime harmonious Hallelujah.The Holydays were fashioned; a string ofpearls to decorate creation.

There was Rosh Hashanah and YomKippur for the pious and meditative; TuB’Shevat for the nature lovers. SimchasTorah for the joyous Chasids; Chanukah forthe chauvinists. Passover pleased severalgroups; the bright eyed lovers of matzohballs, and the historically minded.

Yes, all the angels and cherubim andsages yet to be, thundered a mighty“Amen” as the Almighty announced theholiday lineup. All except one that is. Oneof the younger angels – his wings stillfluffy with down.

“What about the children?” he blurtedout. “What about a holiday for the children? It should be a happy day ofgames and of course, some special delectable food. And most of all, NOISE.It should be the one day in the year when kids may shout to their hearts content without a giant, adult hand muffling their mouths.”

The Holy One listened with compassionateattention. Then he pronounced, “Yes, Ishall invent a happy day just for the children. I shall create a historical situationthat seems destined for tragedy, but at thelast minute dissolves into deliverance.(“Just like the Red Sea and the Exodus,”whispered the excited Heavenly Hosts inunison.) There shall be the essence of evilin the form of a tyrant. (Good, thought theangels – even children must know aboutevil.) And the young shall eat triangularcakes and shout as loud as they like at theevil name.” (“If they’re going to be loudand noisy, they may as well holler at evil,”said the Hallelujah Chorus.)

So, on the festival Megillah – the greatscroll of the holidays, HE who made timeitself, inscribed Purim.A holiday for children.

My friend, Herb, a childlike celebrantwho’d swap two Passovers and aChanukah for one Purim, says that ifPurim occurred daily, he’d attend Shul – all year round – as faithfully as the NerTamid – the eternal light that shines on the

A Purim story

Bema. Purim’s got it all, says Herb.“A lovestory like Ruth, but spiced with suspense.And all the joy of Simchas Torah, with aplot line.”

Herb may be right. Esther is one of thegreat triumvirate of Jewish heroines. Hertwo sister heroines are, who else? The militant Yael and Judith. The latter twoyou’ll recall, dispatch two of Israel’s enemies to that special Gehenna whereAmalekites sing Hatikvah on our holidays.This daring, dynamic duo were simplestraight shooters like Annie Oakley. ButEsther – ah there’s a woman of subtlety aswell as valor. You won’t find Hadassahruining her manicure with tent pegs orswords. She’s behind the scenes orchestrating, scheming, directing. Totallyinvisible to her antagonists, she’s theghostess with the mostest, you might say.

Once cousin Mordechai alerts her to theperil facing her people, she swings intoaction. Two lavish banquets – not one, buttwo – she throws for the king; and Hamenof all people. It’s the first Purim Oneg. Andalthough the Megillah does not spell outthe menu, I’m sure Esther laid out a niceKosher spread with plenty of Persianslivovitz and followed by platters of thosecrisp little layered honeycakes.

Esther’s eyes caress the King – thosesucculent cakes melt in his mouth. They’reeating high on the challah, so to speak.

Hamen, the quintessential Amalekite –Hitler, in a warp of time, sits in a corner

Spoonful of HumorBY TED ROBERTS

Among the most treasured “Gifts of theJews”to the world, not counting the Bibleand other trivialities, not counting the newconcept of time* that we taught the world,not counting the idea of a God who treasuresethical behavior above clan or race, notcounting the messianic idea so central tosome other religion, ... not counting allthese things, the really influential gift wegave the world is...Jewish food!

There is no Westerner, be he rich orpoor, philo-semitic or anti-semitic, whohas not enjoyed the old Yiddish bagel.Especially when it comes with lox andcream cheese, and maybe a slice of onion.

Less well known but still cursed byWeight Watchers are kosher chicken soup,

Poppyseed or fruit?

The Art ofObservationBY RABBI ALLEN H. PODET

also known as Jewish penicillin, good forall ailments especially with a matzo ball;gefilte fish with hot red khrain (horseradish);kharoset on Passover to remind us of themortar we used to build store cities inEgypt; and of course, ever-popular matzah,the tasty unleavened bread used by Jesusin his last supper, which may be your last supper too if you eat too much of itwithout prunes or other lubricants.

My Christian friends, unable or unwillingto read the recipe for real matzah, feedtheir people at Communion little circles ofdried library paste, although how anyonecould suppose Jesus or any other Jew wouldwillingly eat that stuff is beyond me.Maybe it is supposed to be a test of faith.

A latecomer to the Holy Food list datesback to the Book of Esther, the story ofPurim.The evil genius of that tale, Haman,was Prime Minister of Persia under KingAhasuerus (= Xerxes). Puffed up with hisown greatness, Haman conceived a plot tomurder the Jews of Persia, but was foiledby the noble Mordecai and the gorgeousQueen Esther, real name = Hadassah. Wewill read the Megillah with the wholestory in the Temple.

After the salvation of the Jews, itbecame our custom to celebrate by eatingsweet triangular cookies into which wasbaked – according to my mommie’s tradition – a sweet poppy seed confection.These we called Hamantaschen, or Haman’sPockets. Israelis call them Ozney Haman,Haman’s Ears.Too bloodthirsty for my taste.

Eventually we came to America, theland of the free, and our kids started making changes in the sacred tradition:not poppyseed filling, but – horrors! –fruit. Marmalade. Jam. Even chocolate.

Today you can get what they callhamantaschen in any flavor you wish. Butfor us purists, nothing will do but real historic poppyseeds. Serious arguments,even sober academic debates, have beenhad over this serious issue.

In fact, I am thinking of doing a PhDdissertation on the subject. We will have achance to discuss it together, and take avote on the subject. And of course eatthem so as to have a sound opinion. Startthinking about it. Marshal your arguments.

*new concept of time...Before theHebrew Bible, the Egyptians like theHindus and virtually all other ancient civilizations thought of time as a circle,ever repeating itself, an idea even preserved in the writings of KingSolomon, who said “There is nothing newunder the sun.”The Jews taught that timeis a one-way street.You had better do thebest you can because we only go aroundonce. Today the bulk of the Western worldaccepts this idea, but the Bible is where itwas taught.

Comments? [email protected] AAAA

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(see Roberts, page 9)


JewishAmericaBY HOWARD W. KARSH

All news has a short life

The necessary decision of the NationalJewish Post & Opinion to publish monthlyrather than bi-weekly has been especiallyhard on columnists who attempt to becurrent, and so it was very interesting forme to receive my latest copy. Although theheadlines were “old news,” the mattersthat it covered, for example the changes inEgypt and the importance of that for theworld and Israel, are not.

The news has definitely moved on. Weare no longer talking about Hillary Clintonpopping into Israel to help stop the GazaIncursion, and not even the debacle inLibya, we are now talking about the election of 2016, and whether she willwant to run for president. Barring someterrible calamity, I would bet she would.She definitely wants to be the first womanPresident of the United States. She haslived through trying times in history, inher marriage, and I cannot imagine thatshe will not want to make the race.

But back to the news that is still unresolved. What is happening in Egyptand what is going to happen? ProminentEgypt watchers are suggesting that theUnited States government is not fullyinformed on the will of the Egyptian people not to go from one dictatorship to another. It you follow the stories, theonly thing that has not happened yet is for the government to use the Army as adominant tool of rule.

Revolutions can change to dictatorships.Remember Castro in Cuba for one example of how quickly revolutionary

BY JIM SHIPLEY

A stiff necked peopleGod him/herself supposedly called the

Jews “A Stiff Necked People”. In modernterms: Don’t push us around. We havehad to demonstrate that trait time andtime again over the centuries. We shouldhave just plain disappeared centuries ago.We didn’t.

We outlasted the barbarian tribes ofIsrael, the Romans, the Crusaders, thewrath of the Catholic Church, the Nazisand interminable Anti-Semitism. We havedone this in spite of the fact that never,never have we agreed among ourselves.Ah, but there is one huge exception:When threatened with our existence,suddenly the differences seem to disappear and we stand together as one.

In America, we seem to have enteredthe mainstream. Overt Anti-Semitismseems to have pretty well become unfashionable. Jews sit at the heads ofmajor corporations, we have no problemin entering the most prestigious collegesand universities.

Sure, there are the mouth breatherswho come out of their rat holes from time to time seeking a voice or sometimeseven brandishing weapons – and usingthem. But for the most part, we are doingjust fine: on the domestic front. Has the hateful rhetoric disappeared? Havethe haters pretty well gone away? Don’tkid yourself.

It is harder to attack Jews in the mainpress, in political speeches or in mainstream American life. But. Go toYouTube. Try to watch a series of Yiddishvideos. Suddenly – right into the framecomes choices. Old timey Yiddish stars,brand new ones, from Russia of all places.And there, in the middle, Anti-Israel,Anti-Jewish talk meisters, sophisticatedAnti-Semitic videos sponsored and produced by Arab interests.

It’s interesting. Obama is often profiledas a “Jew Lover”. But in other YouTubecontexts as well as scores of web sites – heis a Nazi, a Fascist (and at the same time aSocialist – ah, well). Free speech is won-derful.Yeah, it can become frightening. Inthe past month some of the rhetoric fromthe fringes of the gun lobby could scareyou to death. It is even more frightening to see the same fury, the same jingoismthat the “Survivalists” and other overtAnti-Semitic groups use.

Today, you can substitute the word Israel

for Anti-Semitism. Not that all criticism ofthe Jewish State comes from these fringegroups. Hey! We’ve got organized AmericanJewish organizations who criticize Israeland get very low down about it. They takestands on the Israeli elections, on the veryfoundations of the State of Israel.

And now, according to Blumberg Newsand not denied by the White House, thePresident of the United States has gotteninto the fray. Now, it is not exactly a secret that President Obama and BibiNetanyahu are not exactly dancing part-ners. But, dude, you cannot take sides in aforeign country’s election. Bibi might havebitten his lip, tongue and even his wristduring the recent election campaign; but outside of entertaining his one timecolleague Mitt Romney – not a word.

Obama apparently believes thatNetanyahu does not “Know what the bestinterests of Israel are.” This apparentlycame about because after the U.S. backedIsrael in its counterattack on Hamas inGaza, Netanyahu announced the plan tobuild homes adjacent to Mahlei Adumimin East Jerusalem. Well, if in life timing iseverything –Obama’s sucks. Israel is likeless than a week away from an election.While not endorsing any opponent (whoyou gonna trust?) it is definitely a shotacross the bow of Israeli elections.

While Obama will fight no more elections, his party needs a ton more representation in Washington. The Jewsrepresent a tiny portion of the electorate,but the support for Israel runs far andwide. It is more than the testy relationshipbetween the two national leaders. There isnow the case of Chuck Hagel. A decoratedwar hero who likes no belligerent national leader. Not just in the U.S.

I’ve read Mr. Hagel’s statements, seenthe reason he acts and speaks as he does.He hates war. Okay – the war he foughtin, the ones he despised and still does arefought thousands of miles from U.S.shores. Our interests are muddled inAfghanistan, in Pakistan and elsewhere.

What Mr. Hagel does not understand isthat Israel’s enemies are a 15 minute droneof plane flight from Tel Aviv, or God forbid,Jerusalem. I really believe that if Al Qaedamounted an attack on Lincoln, Nebraska,Chuck Hagel might just pull out that olduniform. It is a matter of perspective.

As Secretary of Defense for the UnitedStates, it will be his job to deploy troops,order munitions and determine militarypriorities for the United States. He will bethere as we leave Afghanistan and watchchaos return. He will watch, from a dis-tance, why the Iraq war was such a waste.He will have to decide, with thePresident’s advice and consent, as well asthat of the Congress – where our militarystrength is needed.

(see Karsh, page 7)

But Chuck – watch how you handleIsrael. We are indeed as stiff necked people. You and our president have noidea. As a leading Evangelical leader fromthe upper Midwest said to me years ago“Mess with the supporters of that HolyLand – you’re messing with a badger!” Iguess Badgers also have stiff necks.

Jim Shipley has had careers in broadcasting,distribution, advertising, and telecommuni-cations. He began his working life in radio in Philadelphia. He has written his JP&Ocolumn for more than 20 years and is directorof Trading Wise, an international trade andmarketing company in Orlando, Fla. AAAA

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ShipleySpeaks


The news released in the United Statesrecently that Current TV has been sold to Al Jazeera, the Qatar sponsored newspaper and television facility hasraised more than a few eyebrows.

The reason? The whopping price paid for the so called progressive network(with an estimated 40 million viewers) –$100 million (U.S.) and the fact that onetime presidential candidate Al Gore is amajor shareholder in the network, whichsuggests that his environmental preachingstands second to his economic interests.

Only a few demurrers have been offeredabout the real reason American should be concerned about the morality of thesale. The transaction makes it theoreticallypossible for Al Jazeera to piggy back on anexisting American TV platform and enableit to circulate the Arab point of view to thosehitherto exposed only to the conventionalEnglish language news sources.

It must be some ingrown masochism onmy part but I have been an avid reader ofAl Jazeera’s English language newspaperfor several years now, prompted, in part,by Voltaire’s observation that “when yougo to court it is useful to know what youradversary has in his files.” I have notwatched Al Jazeera’s television serviceexcept for the videos featured in its newspaper editions. About this lattermaterial I will have something to say later.

With regard to its print journalism –which I am limiting to its coverage of theMiddle East and the Arab-Israeli conflict –one of Voltaire’s other favorite words –execrable – describes it perfectly. Both inits editorial commentary and straightnews coverage it packs huge dollops oftoxic anti-Israel rhetoric. This, of course, isnot unexpected given the paper’s mandateto present the Arab point of view, butmany of the purveyors of the editorialbashing of Israel are Jews.

Two in particular stand out. M.J.Rosenberg, an American left wing journalist and Richard Falk, the UN’s “rapporteur”on Palestinian Human Rights(I knew of Falk as a brilliant professor oflaw at The Ohio State University during

Inconvenient truthsabout “The Peninsula”otherwise known asAl Jazeera

BY PROFESSOR ARNOLD AGES

my graduate study days at that university)have been regular contributors, along with diverse other critics of Israel, to theactive dumping on Israel exercise in whichAl Jazeera participates.

If one were to draw a chart illustratingthe major targets of Al Jazeera, Israel is way ahead in the demonizing tableau,followed at some considerable distance bythe United States for its “criminal”supportof Israel and its alleged impermissible violation of Muslim civil rights as well as the bogus hunt for Muslim terrorists inthe country.

Al Jazeera’s darkest chapter pivots on its coverage of egregious examples of terrorism perpetrated by Arab and Muslimextremists. When Sami Kuntar, thePalestinian terrorist who killed an Israelifamily during a savage foray into Israel,was released, Al Jazeera was rhapsodic inits benedictions for the newly liberated ex-prisoner and in a later article on thesame individual, celebrated his birthday!

Guided by the principle that people aregenerally better than the worst thing theyhave done, I have endeavored to find in AlJazeera lapses into occasional journalisticobjectivity and lucidity. I did not find themin the print news but wonder of wonders Idid find something startling in their hourlong videos.

One was a biographical study ofNorman Finklestein, the notorious son ofHolocaust survivors who has honed hisanti-Israel rhetoric somewhat moresharply than the average run of the millIsrael-hater. (Even Toronto’s MichaelCoren had a problem contesting some ofFinklestein’s outrageous remarks duringhis, Michael’s TV interview program inToronto, Canada.) In the Al Jazeera video,Finklestein’s addresses on television, touniversity audiences and other forumsconvey his deeply held convictions –which inevitably reflect the same kind of biases against Israel advertised in Al Jazeera.

However, towards the end of the videoin question, Finklestein is shown in aLondon, England studio interviewed by ayoung man who tried to goad Finklesteininto expressing support for the Palestinian“right to return.”Astonishingly Finklesteinrebuffed the interviewer by saying that theadvocacy and implementation of that rightwere nonsensical and that it was clearlyintended to destroy the State of Israel!Finklestein got it right and on Al Jazeera.

But the best hope for Al Jazeera was the video released in late 2012 of DavidFrost interviewing Israeli PresidentShimon Peres. In this remarkable video,which, to my best knowledge, has notbeen shown anywhere else, Frost askstough questions and permits Peres longand persuasive answers. Peres’s best

answer pivoted on Frost’s query about the“victimization” of the Palestinians – towhich the Israeli president replied “Yes but it is self-victimization.”

If Al Jazeera wants to make it in NorthAmerica, it should concentrate on videoslike this rather than on the ritualistic condemnation of Israel that suffusesthroughout its print version.

Arnold Ages is “Distinguished EmeritusProfessor,” University of Waterloo, OntarioCanada. AAAA

governments can become repressive, andif we need more examples, there are manyin Central and South America. The U.S. isnow going to aid the French in Mali. Theidea of backing up the French is fraughtwith historical danger. They opposed theGermans for about an “historical hour”then gave up the country and helped theNazis round up Jews. History demandsreview and caution, but now it moves soquickly that we can hardly stop to notice.

Keep your eyes on Egypt, Afghanistan,and Mali. I will too. I am asking JennieCohen, my Editor, to post my columns as Iwrite them (www.jewishpostopinion.com)for those of you who check in, and then publish them as one continuingcommentary in the monthly edition.

As life would have it, I was in Israel for the national elections. I came for two simchas, a Bar Mitzvah and a wedding, but the election was a plus.The issues were neighborhood by neighborhood. In the neighborhoodswhere my children and grandchildren live, the dominant issue was saving religious rights, and, interestingly, theywere not comfortable with either politicalparty, right, center or left. They voted for Netanyahu, but only as the lesser ofpoor choices.

In other neighborhoods, the attentionwas on the economy, the high price ofhousing, and the high price of everything.There are no bargains in Israel today. Tosurvive, you need two jobs per householdand good credit. The new government,if and when they form, will only rule until some charismatic leader can bridgeall of the real issues that divide Israel.There is a great deal of noise, and notmuch project.

Regardless of how often, I come, there isonly one deduction I can make as to howIsrael survives, G-d’s love and patience.

Howard W. Karsh lives and writes inMilwaukee, Wisc., and can be reached at [email protected]. He is a community columnistfor the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.Submitted Jan. 27, 2013. AAAA

KARSH(continued from page 6)

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Opinion

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 1, 2013—Wemourn the loss of Ed Koch, who died Feb. 1 at the age of 88. Known for hisplainspoken nature and charisma, Kochwas mayor of New York City during a particularly troubled time and became theface of New York around the world.

During three terms asmayor, serving from 1978–1989, Koch connectedwith New Yorkers of everybackground. His eagerquery to New Yorkers,“How’m I doing?”becamehis signature. Before hisstoried tenure as mayor, Koch served inthe U.S. Congress from 1969–1977.

His forthright support for Israel, and hisgreat pride in his Jewish faith, were alwayspart of his persona.

So connected to New York that he insisted on being buried there, five yearsago, he purchased a burial plot at TrinityChurch Cemetery, the only cemetery inthe city that had space. He even orderedand inscribed his tombstone, which features the final words said by DanielPearl, the murdered Wall Street Journalreporter: “My father is Jewish, my motheris Jewish, I am Jewish.”

B’nai B’rith International, the Global Voiceof the Jewish Community, is the oldest andmost widely known Jewish humanitarian,human rights and advocacy organization.Since 1843 – now in our 170th year – B’naiB’rith International has worked for Jewishunity, security, continuity and tolerance.Visit www.bnaibrith.org. AAAA

B’nai B’rithInternational Mournsthe Loss of Ed Koch

permanently suppress the truth. Butbefore we finally have an opening toaffirm the truth, lives may be needlesslydamaged or destroyed, or whole communities shattered. And as we learnin childhood, the longer we avoid tellingthe truth, the more damaging are the consequences when it ultimately andinevitably comes to light.

The ancient wooden ark was coveredwith gold not only on the outside, but alsoon the inside. Our Sages taught that ourinside must be like our outside – ourintentions must be matched by our actions– to lead our people effectively and unifyour congregational communities.

Israel’s tribal founders were told by theirfather (Genesis 49:1), “Gather yourselvesand I will tell you what will befall you….”Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch (1808–1888)

Why does a congregation allow one ormore of its members or leaders to underminethe unity and comity of its communal life?

It’s a nagging question if one has witnessed or been victimized by the devastation such people can wreak on acongregational community. And our history is replete with examples of congregations that were trashed,devastated by factions and fifth columns,because members and leaders took exception in destructive ways to their synagogue’s policies or practices.

What they did was of course forbiddenby mitzvot (commandments) and halakhah(rabbinic law), in addition to ordinarynotions of fair play and common decency.

So how are we to analyze such behavior?There are endless and complex

explanations of the behavior of congregants who engage in characterassassination, malicious gossip, self-serving manipulation, or a host of otherinappropriate and destructive behaviors in congregational life. We may learn thattheir childhood was a nightmare of abuseor abandonment, that they had terriblefailures and pressures in adult life, or that they suffer from physical or mentaldisorders and diseases.

The critical question, however, is notwhy individuals go off the path of righteousness to become destructive totheir congregations and themselves, butwhy so many of their fellow congregationalmembers remain passive and thus vulnerable to them. Why are those whohave lost their way permitted to continuetheir destructiveness, especially after somany others see and even personallyexperience the damage they are causing?

An answer to this question is suggestedin Exodus (25:16): “And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall giveto you.”

The ark in its golden splendor, therepository of the Torah, was created fromthe heartfelt offerings of every Israelitewoman and man. (Exodus 35:22) It was,literally, the treasured possession of awhole people, and so it resided at thephysical and spiritual center of the

community: the Torah guided the life ofthe people, their day-to-day decisions and direction. Not individual comfort orconvenience, but the good of the community and its continuity, measuredby the physical and spiritual health of itsmembers, present and future, were theguiding criteria.

When Torah ceases to be at the center ofour lives, no longer the measure by whichwe decide and act, which has been thenorm in modernity, even among those ofus who are congregationally affiliated,then each one of us – and ultimately ourwhole congregational community –becomes subject to the whim and schemeof every lost or misguided soul. Therationale allowing this perversion is thatindividual preferences should comprisethe centerpiece of community life, whichreflects the contemporary ranking of personal autonomy as the highest social value.

What is the price of not keeping Torah atthe center of congregational communitylife?

One of the common results is that wecountenance those who seek to divide andsubvert for their private purposes (oftenby our misconstruing the requirements ofmaintaining “shalom bayit,” i.e., peace ofthe house). In doing so, we unwittinglyempower an unaccountable faction thatcovertly rejects and ridicules the authorityof congregational leaders, implicitly disdaining the democratic electoralprocess. For the sake of keeping the“peace,” we mandate a group that sabotages sub rosa the legitimate missionand methods of the congregation.

Those of us either seeking spiritual solace, a religious foundation for justiceand righteousness, or social fellowship incongregational life, are alienated by thepainful divisiveness that eventuates.Those who imagine themselves to befuture beneficiaries when current policiesand practices are covertly undermined aremotivated to join the ranks of the unaccountable. And those who rely on the anesthetizing hope that temporaryfixes and diversions will relieve the crisis,resisting the painful but needed reunifyingremedies, find that, after applying organizational band aids, the internal corruption returns with a vengeance whenthey or their successors least expect it.

The downward spiral of unchecked conflict and disunity – driven by distortion, exaggeration, misrepresentation,and mischaracterization – has aninevitable outcome. The only question is how long it will take to reach thedenouement. As with all prevarication, thetruth will ultimately emerge, because, aswe’re taught, the seal of God is truth: the rule of creation is that we cannot

BY RABBI MOSHE

BEN ASHER, PH.D.AND MAGIDAH

KHULDA BAT SARAH

Keeping Torahat the center

(see Ben Asher/Bat Sarah, page 9)


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Ed Koch

Gather the People


The year was 1976: America celebratedits 200th birthday, Alex Haley publishedRoots, the Dow Jones closed at 1004 and I arrived in Tucson with a backpack, a college degree and $80 in my pocket. Myparents were less than thrilled with mypost-grad decision to hitchhike across thecountry to “find myself,”and my mother’sparting words summed up her anxiety:“When you stick out your thumb to get aride, my face will be at the end of it.”Predictably, I never used my thumb butfound a unique way of flagging down carswith a bandana.

Tucson was, and still is, a truly welcomingcommunity and it didn’t take long to feelat home. The mountains and desert airintoxicated me in a way I hadn’t felt sincemy junior year in Israel. Everyone I metoffered help and suggestions about placesto live, jobs to find and the best places toeat under $3.

But it didn’t take long before my wanderlust turned to wonder-lust. I wondered, long and hard, about what Iwould actually do with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and no real skillsother than waitressing tables and acquiring a serious tan.

I don’t remember much from my 20s(not because I didn’t inhale, but becausemy memory is getting hazy), but one thingstands out: volunteering did more to positively direct and influence my choicesthan almost anything else. It may be thebest kept secret of all time, one whichdeserves a great big shout out for most ofus who struggle to figure out who wewant to be “when we grow up,” but it’s true.

I started with what I knew and felt mostcomfortable with – food. As I shelved andbagged organic products at the Food Co-op, I met wonderful people andlearned more about Tucson than anyguidebook could ever tell me. Next I volunteered during the summer at theSecond Street School where I heard aboutanother volunteer opportunity workingwith kids at a counseling center. That position actually led to a paying job whena parent asked me to work privately withher disabled daughter. We didn’t call it

networking in those days, but that’s exactlywhat it was: a pathway to the people,places, and opportunities that wouldindelibly affect my efforts to define myselfand determine a career.

The most significant experience was my volunteer stint as an intake-receivingofficer at the Juvenile Court Center. Thisrequired extensive training from some of the finest professionals in the juvenilesystem and while the hours were long andthe work demanding, the rewards weregreat. It was in those offices in the fall of1976 that I decided to apply to law schoolso I could better understand the legal system, with the hope that one day Imight help those who found themselvestangled up within it.

The concept of helping others, of givingof our time, resources, talents and moneyto those in need, is one of the pillars ofJudaism, based upon core values likechesed (compassion), tzedek (justice) andtikkun olam (repairing the world.). Theidea that we are partners with God in thecontinuing creation of the world andtherefore have an obligation to repairwhat is broken, informs much of the workof Jewish philanthropy.

At a time when funding for so many ofour community needs – from healthcareand education to employment and housing – is being cut, resulting in seriousstaff and service reductions, it is moreimportant than ever to volunteer. Yet,according to a recent study by theNational Conference on Citizenship, 72percent of Americans report that theyhave reduced the time they spend volunteering, largely as the result of therecession and a need to look out for themselves. The findings amount to what the report’s authors called “a civicdepression.”

The paradox of volunteering is this: the more you give, the more you are given – personally, psychologically and professionally. Helping others who haveproblems or needs greater than your own can provide a perspective about yourown life that contributes to a more positive attitude or sense of self-worth.Informal networking can lead you intonew directions and open doors you neverknew existed. It is truly a win-win situation as everyone, from the giver to the recipient to those who are inspired byyour efforts and decide to volunteer as aresult, comes out ahead.

Winston Churchill said it beautifullywith these words: “We make a living bywhat we do, but we make a life by whatwe give.”Today, more than ever before, weshould heed his message.

Amy Hirshberg Lederman is an author,Jewish educator, public speaker and attorney who lives in Tucson. Her columns

in the AJP have won awards from theAmerican Jewish Press Association, theArizona Newspapers Association and theArizona Press Club for excellence in commentary. Visit her website at amyhirshberglederman.com. AAAA

Volunteering: You get more than you give

JewishEducatorBY AMY HIRSHBERG LEDERMAN

daydreaming of the gibbet for the Jew,Mordechai. Esther, the supplicant whofantasizes a special gehenna for Hamen inwhich he eternally grates potatoes for allthe Chanukahs yet to come, pleads withthe king for her people, Israel. She gazestearfully at the king like he’s a titanic honeycake. In the background, we canalmost hear a silvery “Taps” – with aKlezmer lilt – for Hamen the Aagegite.

My good friend, Herb, loves to hear thisMegillah. As I say, he’s a Purim regular.There he is – every year with his owngrogger – just like the Minyon Club members have their own Tallis andTefillum. And he’s carrying one of thoseneat, silvery hip flasks just to make sure he obeys the Talmudic injunction to besufficiently zonked so you can’t tellHamen from Mordechai. Over the wholeyear – 613 mitzvah opportunities availableto him – this is Herb’s finest moment of observance.

Well, I love Purim as much as Herb.On what other holiday can you makeobnoxious noises and even talk more thanthe rabbi without being shushed. I guess,like Herb, I’m a Purim Jew.

Ted Roberts, a Rockower Award winner, isa syndicated Jewish columnist who looks atJewish life with rare wit and insight. Checkout his Web site: www.wonderwordworks.com. Blogsite: www.scribblerontheroof.typepad.com His collected works TheScribbler on The Roof can be bought atAmazon.com or lulu.com/content/127641 AAAA

ROBERTS(continued from page 5)

teaches that the Hebrew root for “gather”means “to bring something from theplace… where it does not really belong, towhere it does belong.”So the Hebrew tellsus to “break away from everything towhich you really do not belong, and findyourselves united in one common pur-pose”– Torah.

© 2013 Moshe ben Asher & Khulda bat SarahRabbi Moshe ben Asher and Magidah

Khulda bat Sarah are the Co-Directors ofGather the People, a nonprofit organizationthat provides Internet-based resources forcongregational community organizing anddevelopment (www.gatherthepeople.org). AAAA

BEN ASHER/BAT SARAH(continued from page 8)

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floor, dancing to Israeli and MiddleEastern music. This continued for quite awhile with everyone dancing, the brideand groom being elevated on chairs andmore dancing. After about half an hour ofdancing, choice of fish or chicken wereserved but this was not the entree, just ahot appetizer. Around 10 p.m., the entreeof hot and delicious steak and a smallpiece of stuffed chicken were served alongwith rice, roasted white and sweet potatoesand vegetables.And the dancing continued.

Finally chocolate soufflé and pareve icecream were served, and the dancing continued, even including a favorite of mine,“the electric slide.” It was such a lively,enjoyable, fun evening, and we were amongthe last to leave – way after midnight.

Our first Bar Mitzvah at the Wall withBarry Kaplan

Sybil: When we saw the weather forecast, we were certainly disheartened.Rain. Rabbi Mandl, our rabbi in OverlandPark, Kansas, had invited us to the BarMitzvah of his grandson, Sammy, son ofAaron and Chaya, at the Western Wall.

We left our apartment before eight tograb a taxi, and it was a nice rain. By thetime the cab arrived as close as he couldget to the Western Wall, it was hailing andthere were snowflakes.

We recognized Seth and Osnat Mandl, therabbi’s son and daughter-in-law from NewYork, with their two girls, and proceededto the shelter area where the men werewhisked away. I soon found Barbara, therabbi’s wife, with Chaya, the Bar Mitzvahboy’s mom (from Houston), her four otherchildren, her mother and more women.

We were led through a tunnel to a smallroom with prayer books and chairs. At oneend was a curtained wall. One peekshowed a sea of talitot and no way to distinguish who was under them.

Barry: The room was packed with worshippers due to the rain outside. Eventhough it looked and sounded like chaos,if you stopped a moment, you saw that allof the bimahs were conducting individualservices. Families were clustered aroundeach, and were davening the Shacharit service.

Men were coming in and out, but wewere lucky enough to be by the firstbimah – with the family and friends of theMandls all standing there and the childrenstanding up close to hear. The bimah waspositioned above the underground tunnelso you could see through part of the floorthat was made of thick, light glass.

A Torah was brought out at the appropriate time.

We moved the bimah a few feet so that maybe the women could see the ceremony. (I found out later, they saw themen with talitot, but could hear the BarMitzvah boy read the Torah.

With the Wall in front of the bimah, thechanting of the Torah and services, I knowthis will be a wonderful memory for all.

Sybil: After some time, we heard ayoung voice and Chaya and others wentup to the curtains to hear her son. Whenhe was done, she threw bags of candy overthe wall and we hoped he received them.More time and then we went backthrough the tunnel and out of doors tomeet the men and walk in the rain to thestreet where the family had hired a bus totake us to Mamilla Mall and Cafe Cafewhere a nice private room upstairs heldfood for brunch.

Election Week with the KaplansWhen we came to the States a few months

ago, we brought our U.S. absentee ballotswhich we mailed before U.S. election day.Last evening, we watched U.S. PresidentBarack Obama’s inauguration and addressbefore going to our synagogue to hearProfessor Gil Troy lecture on “The U.S. &Israel in 2013: Close Friends or a Bad Date?”

This morning, we headed for the pollsfor Israel’s 19th general election.

Last week a complete “ultimate citizen’sguide to the 2013 Knesset elections”appeared on Janglo (Jerusalem Anglo-Saxon web site). Anglos or anglo-saxonimis the term used for anyone whose nativelanguage is English, and this web siteoffers jobs, housing, events and manyinformative articles and translations fromthe Hebrew press.

All Israeli citizens (5,656,705) can votein Israel’s general election (and there is nosuch thing as voter registration). In general,three weeks before elections, votersreceive a voter notification listing theirpolling place (10,132 nationwide). By oneweek before, we had not received ourcards, so Janglo provided a link, in Hebrew,where I plugged in my Israel identitynumber and received the address of thepolling place and the group number.

This morning, election day, we took abus one stop to the major street, DerechBethlehem, walked down to the addresswe had, which was a school, were directedaround the courtyard and down steps toanother entrance and then to the roomwhere our group number was listed.

There were people all along the wayoffering assistance of where to go. Aftershowing them our identity cards, we werehanded envelopes, one at a time, anddirected behind a cardboard stand. Thereon a table were boxes with the symbols ofall the 32 parties from which to choose apaper, insert it into the envelope, seal theenvelope, emerge from the closed-in areaand drop the ballot into a box.

When we left, we discovered we were onlyone bus stop past the area where we live.

It felt good to vote as a citizen of Israel.

It was with much anticipation andexcitement when we received an invitationto the wedding of the daughter ofAmerican Christian friends marrying aMessianic Israeli.

The Baptist minister and his wife (ourclose friends), a visiting professor and hiswife and Barry and I – plus the minister’sdaughters and a friend – filled the van aswe drove to the industrial part of the suburb of Talpiot and a wedding hall.

The guests were Christians from theBaptist church and the Messianic church,secular and religious Israelis and someAmericans. The reception area hadnumerous stations with wonderful MiddleEastern hors d’oeuvres and veggies andhot and cold drinks as we ate and drankand visited for an hour and a half.

As we noticed at other weddings, only afew chairs were set up – not enough for allthe guests. These were by steps leading toa stage with white floor covering, flowersand a white chiffon-like chuppah.

Finally, a man wearing a keepah (an elderof the Messianic church) called everyonetogether. The groom, in suit, white shirtand tie, came up the steps with his parents. Then the bride’s mother camewith her son. Next was the beautiful bridein a strapless gown with a long train (andlater she showed off the tennis shoes shewas wearing!) on her father’s arm. Thegroom came to meet them and took theveil which was attached to her hair andcovered her face. The parents stood underthe chuppah with the bride and groomand the bride’s father welcomed everyone.The elder explained what was to happenin Hebrew and English and did so for theentire ceremony.

The wedding ceremony was basicallyJewish with blessings and rings and a kiss.The ketubah was explained but not read or given to the bride. Then friends and relatives of the groom came forward torecite the “sheva brachot.”

The elder then told the guests to gointo the dining room and the couplewould join them in 15 minutes.The diningroom tables were beautifully set, the discjockey was loud with lots of fast music,and the appetizers were served.

When the bride and groom came in,many of their friends were on the dance

Seen on theIsrael SceneBY SYBIL KAPLAN

Our third weddingin Israel

February 13, 2013 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 11Professor Troy concluded that “when we

see the toxic way in which Israel is discussed in a wider sense and narrow theband of conversation, we appreciate theenduring ties.”

About his new book:Moynihan’s Moment: America’s Fight

against Zionism as Racism. By Gil Troy.Oxford University Press. Dec. 2012. 383pp. $29.95 hardcover.

Moynihan’s Moment traces the eventsleading up to the UN resolution, and the condemnationand its aftermathby Moynihan –“the respected buteccentric Harvardprofessor, policywonk, and WhiteHouse adviser topresidents JohnKennedy, LyndonJohnson, RichardNixon and GeraldFord.”

His position forced Moynihan to resignas ambassador after only eight months.“Moynihan recognized the attack onZionism as a totalitarian assault againstdemocracy itself, motivated by anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism.” He subsequently served four terms as NewYork’s Democratic Senator. He died at theage of 76 in 2003 – “with the Zionism is racism resolution repealed but the libel still living and the new Islamist totalitarian threat still raging.”

Professor Troy admits his fascinationwith Moynihan, “the scholar-politician,the activist intellectual, the ThomasJefferson of the late twentieth century.”

This scholarly work covers Americanhistory, particularly the ReaganRevolution, and the history of Zionism. Itpresents original research and interviewswith key figures, including Moynihan’sformer assistant, Suzanne WeaverGarment; his UN colleague, LenGarment; his mentor and friend, NormanPodhoretz; his ideological ally, CarlGershman; and his wife, ElizabethMoynihan. This is truly the first majorwork about Moynihan and the “Zionism is Racism”resolution.

All inclusive Jewish wedding bookBeyond Breaking the Glass. By Rabbi

Nancy H. Wiener. CCAR Press. July 2012.192 pp. $18 paperback.

Ten years ago, this book was first published, but since then, “American society and the American Jewish community have experienced significantchanges,” writes Rabbi Wiener. She cites the increase in rabbis officiating atinterfaith marriages and changes in views

toward sexual orientation and genderidentity as the two examples of changes.

Rather than just being, “A SpiritualGuide to your Jewish Wedding,”this bookis a very user-friendly, informative guidewith a wide variety of options discussed.

The sections are varied andcomplete.“WorkingTogether to Createa Holy Context”includes planningwith intention,Jewish history andcustoms, exercisesto frame decisionmaking, remarriageand more. “JewishWedding Rituals”encompasses their history, the ceremony,the chuppah, the betrothal, ketubah, clergy,recessional and more. “A Holy Process”discusses the months and weeks of pre-wedding rituals and celebrations. “Non-ritual Elements”deal with the rabbi, date,location, reception and more.

“Making Your Home a Holy Space” is a lovely postscript. Appendices include: a wedding rituals checklist, planningtimeline and information on a weddingbooklet, chuppot, ketubot, birkat erusinvariations, Sheva brachot variations and resources.

Rabbi Wiener does a very good job ofincluding information of a spiritual andpractical nature for all couples planning a Jewish wedding whether they be heterosexual, same sex, interfaith orremarriage.

Although Rabbi Wiener is Reform andpart of a same-sex relationship personally,she is very careful to include all aspects ofvarious rituals – even some primarilyobserved by Orthodox but adopted byothers today. Examples are fasting on theday of the wedding, bedeken (a ceremonywhere the groom covers the bride’s facewith a veil prior to the ceremony) andyichud (private time for couple after theceremony and before the party).

If you know someone newly engaged,this would be an excellent gift because it is so informative, so warmly written, andinclusive. Black and white photographs of diverse couples appear throughout the book.

Rabbi Nancy H. Wiener is ClinicalDirector of the Jacob and Hilda BlausteinCenter for Pastoral Counseling of HebrewUnion College-Jewish Institute of Religionin New York. She is also rabbi of PoundRidge, New York Jewish CommunityReform Chavurah.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, food writer,lecturer and cookbook author. She also leadswalks though Machaneh Yehudah, theJewish produce market in English. AAAA

Professor/Columnist Lectures on U.S. & Israel Relationship

Gil Troy is Professor of History atMcGill University and a Shalom HartmanInstitute Engaging Israel Research Fellowin Jerusalem. He has written eight booksand his latest, Moynihan’s Moment:America’s Fight against Zionism as Racismwas recently published by OxfordUniversity Press.

On the evening of the U.S. presidentialinauguration and the night before Israel’selections, he spoke at a synagogue inJerusalem on the “U.S.-Israel relationship– Close Friends or a Bad Date?”

One of Professor Troy’s opening statements reflected his theme of theevening’s lecture – “Whatever tensionsthere are, there is a deep friendshipbetween the U.S. and Israel and enduringbonds are here to stay.” This dynamic, hestated, is reoccurring going back to 1948.

He then recounted the relationship ofthe presidents from 1948 to the present inlight of Israel’s wars, emphasizing thestrong sense that “Israel is in the bestinterests of the U.S.,” and the “sentiment,lobbying, interest and conscience” issueswhich guided the presidents.

He began citing the 1948 meetingbetween Harry Truman and his formerbusiness partner Eddy Jacobson; proceededto 1956 and Eisenhower when because ofSinai,“the relationship was at its weakest.”During the Kennedy administration, the U.S.sold weapons to Israel which was “a newdimension in the Israel-U.S. relationship.”

During the Six-Day War in 1967, LyndonJohnson supported Israel “because it wasright.”The defeat of the Arab armies wasseen as a defeat of the Soviet Union, andthe U.S. became a main supplier of armsto Israel. “This was a unique relationshipbecause Israel had heavy dependence onthe U.S.”

By the 1973 Yom Kippur War andRichard Nixon, Henry Kissinger wasdeeply involved with his shuttle diplomacy,and it became a “national security imperative”to solve the problems in Israel.

Under Gerald Ford, there was a majorreassessment of the American policy inIsrael, and then the Zionism is racism resolution in November 1975 was passedby the United Nations. Chaim Herzog wasIsrael Ambassador to the UN and becamefriendly with the U.S. Ambassador, DanielPatrick Moynihan, who was standing upfor Israel despite the anti-semitic U.S.State Department. Under George W. Bushthe UN repealed this infamous act inDecember 1991.

The Clinton years were fraught withtensions and fights. By the current Obamaadministration, there was a commitmentbecause of sentiment, interest, lobbyingand conscience.


The energy of Purim can transform ourlives as demonstrated in this wonderfulimportant story that I heard from RebShlomo Carlebach. Good Purim!

Pinchas was the poorest disciple of theKosnitzer Maggid, a great rebbe in Polandin the 1800’s. On Purim, it was the customto line up and present a holy gift to theMaggid. Picture this scene. Pinchas, theholy shlepper, stooped over and looking atthe floor, is in line with everyone else buthe is dejected and sad for he has no giftfor the rebbe. The Rebbe says to him”Pinchas why did you not bring me a giftfor Purim.”

“Rebbe, I have a wife and seven children. We have nothing to eat. I do nothave money to buy you shalachmonis.”

“Pinchas, you know what your problemis. You do not know how to say ‘GoodPurim”. The rebbe demonstrates how oneshould say, Good Purim. Good Purim. Therebbe yells Good Purim holy Pinchas.

He tells Pinchas to stand up tall, as tallas he can and yell back to him “GoodPurim. They yell Good Purim to eachother several times. Each time the rebbeyells “Good Purim holy Pinchas, Pinchasfeels as if he is receiving an injection of strength.

Finally the rebbe tells him,“Pinchas, goout and get me shalachmonis.”

Pinchas leaves and goes directly to theone neighborhood grocery store in theshtetl. Usually, in the past, Pinchas wouldstand by the door of the store on Fridaybefore Shabbat, people would give himvarious foods as they left the story andfrom this his family would live from weekto week.

But now on Purim he actually walks into the store. He says “Good Purim,Good Purim. Give me the biggest cakeand the finest bottle of wine. I have tobring shalachmonis to my rebbe. I’ll payyou tomorrow.”

If he had said this before, he would havebeen thrown out of the store. But now theowner brings him the cake and wine herequested. Pinchas returns to the HolyMaggid and as soon as he approaches therebbe, he yells to him, Good Purim, HolyMaggid. And the rebbe yells back, GoodPurim holy Pinchas. Pinchas gives therebbe the shalachmonis.

And the rebbe then says,“I want to giveyou shalachmonis back. I am giving you

the gift that Purim should be with you allyear long.The strength of Purim should bewith you forever.

Pinchas walks away a new person. Hegoes back to the grocery store and saysagain to the owner, Good Purim, my family has nothing to eat. Give me somefood and I will pay you tomorrow. Theowner brings out the most extraordinarybox of delicacies.

Pinchas then goes to a clothing storeand says “Good Purim. I need clothes formy children, I will pay you after Purim.And they give him beautiful clothes. Hepasses by a women’s boutique. He thinksof his wife, reflecting on how beautiful sheused to be. He goes into the store,“GoodPurim. Please give me some nice dressesfor my wife”

Carrying all his bundles of goodies, heenters his home and yells, Good Purim.Good Purim to all his children and hiswife. In the past so ashamed of not providing adequately for his children andwife, he could barely say hello to themwhen he entered the house.

Now he looks them straight in the eyeand says,“I have not been a good father orhusband, but now I promise I will be better. The Holy Rebbe blessed me withthe strength of Purim, everything willchange now.

The first thing I want to teach you is tosay “Good Purim”. He tells his children tostand up straight and he yells, “GoodPurim, wonderful children.” The childrenyell back, “Good Purim”. He yells to hiswife, “Good Purim, beautiful wife.” Sheyells back, “Good Purim!” They do this several times. There is such a feeling oflove, blessing and abundance in their home.

After Purim, Pinchas goes to the richestJew in town and says to him, “The HolyMaggid blessed me with the strength ofPurim. Would you lend me ten thousandrubles? I will give it back in four weeks.”

God was surely with Pinchas, for withthis loan, he started a business and hesoon became the richest Jew in Poland.Not only did he provide for his family andthe poor, he supported all the Chassdicdynasties.”

This story is printed in Kabbalah Monthby Month.

Melinda (Mindy) Ribner, L.C.S.W. is aspiritual psychotherapist and healer in privatepractice (www.kabbalahoftheheart.com). Sheis a teacher of Jewish meditation andKabbalah for more than 25 years. Author ofKabbalah Month by Month, New AgeJudaism, and Everyday Kabbalah, she isalso the founder and director of Beit Miriam (www.Beitmiriam.org). Her newbook, The Secret Legacy of Biblical Womenis available on amazon.com. She can bereached by email at [email protected] [email protected]. AAAA

Kabbalahof the MonthBY MELINDA RIBNER

Good Purim!

(see Shafran, page 13)

BY RABBI AVI SHAFRAN

Purim presentOn the first day of the Jewish month

Adar, the Talmud enjoins us to “increasehappiness.” It is, after all, the month thatholds Purim, when we express our gratitude to G-d for delivering the Jews inancient Persia from their enemies, andwhen we give alms to the poor and gifts offood to one another.

In 2003, the first day of Adar brought usan early Purim present. It wasn’t food, butrather food for thought.

The previous day had been the 50thanniversary of the death of IosefVissarionovich Dzugashvili, better knownas Joseph Stalin. A new book on the Sovietdictator and mass murderer, Stalin’s LastCrime, was about to be published, and The New York Times ran a lengthy articlethat day about the book, including its suggestion that Stalin may have been poisoned. The Soviet leader had collapsedafter an all-night dinner with four members of his Politburo at Blizhnaya, anorth Moscow dacha, and he languishedfor several days before dying. If indeed he was done in, as the book’s authors suspect, the likely culprit, they say, wasLavrenti P. Beria, the chief of the Sovietsecret police.

The book also recounts the story of theinfamous “Doctors’ Plot,” a fabricated collusion by Kremlin doctors to kill topCommunist leaders.

“By the time Stalin disclosed the plot to a stunned Soviet populace in January1953,” the article noted, “he had spun itinto a vast conspiracy, led by Jews underthe United States’ secret direction, to killhim and destroy the Soviet Union itself.”

The article went on to relate somethingless widely known. “That February,”it states, “the Kremlin ordered the construction of four giant prison camps in Kazakhstan, Siberia and the Arcticnorth, apparently in preparation for a second great terror – this time directed at the millions of Soviet citizens of Jewish descent.”

That terror, however, thankfully neverunfolded. Two weeks after the camps wereordered built, Stalin attended theBlizhnaya dinner and, four days later, wasdead at the age of 73.

The gift that Adar in 2003 brought was the knowledge of that theretoforeunrecognized salvation, of what the killer

An ObservantEye


As I Heard ItBY MORTON GOLD

Pet peevesFew things really tic me off, although

some things get me irritated.“Like what?”you might ask. Well, people singing orplaying out of tune is near the top of thelist. Sloppy rhythm is another, people (oractors) slurring their words together at toofast a speed are others. At the very top ofthe list is the mangling of our nationalanthem.The “Star Spangled Banner”is justthat, our national anthem.

Admittedly it is difficult to sing. I suspect that it was chosen by an act ofcongress in 1931 more for the words thanfor the tune. The range at an octave and ahalf is challenging for most people. Forthose with high pitched voices (sopranosor tenors) it is too low and for the averagevoice (baritone or alto) it goes too high.Certainly there are other more melodicanthems. The Canadian anthem, forexample is more melodious, the Englishmore dignified, and the French or Russianmore stirring. Our melody is taken froman old German drinking song calledAnacreon in Heaven. (I’ll bet you did notknow that!)

It is the words that make our anthem assignificant as it is. The words were writtenby Francis Scott Key who was aboard aBritish warship (in 1812) as it and a host ofother ships bombarded Fort McHenry inBaltimore harbor. After an all night bombardment the large American flag atthe fort was still waving.

While not many folks even rememberthat we fought a war back in 1812, mostAmericans are still stirred today by thewords “O say does that Star SpangledBanner still wave o’er the land of the freeand the home of the brave?”It has become acustom, even a tradition that the nationalanthem be sung before football gamesand at other athletic events. I surely have no quarrel with that. What really sets me off is the attitude that the national anthem is merely a song that may be “interpreted” as the performerwishes. I maintain that it is not.

An event occurred prior to the fourthgame of the world series in Detroit.The success of performers in the world of commercial music is subject to theapproval of the public. This is as it shouldbe. If folks enjoy listening to people singthrough their noses, sliding from note tonote, often screaming instead of singing,and so forth, that is their right. After all

this is still nominally a free country.My point is that these vocal atrocities are not desirable in performing ournational anthem.

All right, one may think, some vocalistsare better than others and even goodsingers can have a bad day.Very well, vocalquality or vocal production is not what Iam getting at. There are the printed noteson paper. To know what the anthemshould sound like one can merely listen toany band from one of our armed forcesplay it. It was more than stirring to hearthe US Marine Corps band play it at arecent concert in Springvale. One notesthat they do not alter the tune or in anyother way vary from it. They do not placetwo notes on the syllable ban from theword ban-ner where only one is indicated.

I wish there was a law to prevent thedesecration of the national anthem. Just asone may not yell fire in a crowded theaterwhere there is none, one should berequired to sing the anthem just as it iswritten. Just as it is more than merely poortaste to drag the flag on the ground, it ismore than merely poor taste to manglethe anthem in the manner that the singerdid in Detroit. If it is merely up to me I would ban her singing the anthem inpublic for several years at a minimum.

I am neither a lawyer nor a member of congress so I cannot suggest the appropriate wording. However, I wouldhope that someday it would becomeapparent that our national anthem beregarded as an extension of our flag andtreated with the same degree of respect. Itis not just any old tune, at least to me.

Dr. Gold is a composer/conductor andmusic reviewer for The Jewish Post &Opinion. He is the 2010 recipient of theKavod Award given to him by the Cantors Assembly of North America at theirconvention in May 2010. AAAA

SHAFRAN(continued from page 12)

of millions of his countrymen had apparently planned for the Jews under hiscontrol but which never came to pass.That Stalin met his fate (however that mayhave happened) just as he was poised tolaunch a post-Holocaust holocaust of hisown, is something we might well add toour thoughts of gratitude at our ownPurim celebrations today, more than a halfcentury later.

And we might note something else aswell, especially during this season ofmeaningful ironies, when G-d’s hand isevident “between the lines”of history to allwho are sufficiently sensitive to see it.

During the feast at which Stalin collapsed, according to his successorNikita Khrushchev, who was present, thedictator had become thoroughly drunk.And the party, he testified, ended in theearly hours of March 1. Which, in 1953,corresponded to the 14th day of Adar,otherwise known as Purim.

© 2009 AM ECHAD RESOURCES Rabbi Shafran is director of public

affairs for Agudath Israel of America.Communications: [email protected]. His new book, It’s All in the Angle(Torah Temimah Publications), is a collec-tion of selected essays and is now availablefrom Judaica Press. AAAA

j i

j i (see Obituary, page 18)

Rabbi Professor David Hartman, 81

One of the great Jewish philosophersof his generation and the founder of theShalom Hartman Institute, died Sun., Feb.10, 2013. Rabbi Hartman is considered tobe one of the leaders ofliberal Orthodoxy, and his philosophy influencedtens of thousands of Jews in Israel and aroundthe world.

Rabbi Hartman foundedthe Shalom Hartman Institute inJerusalem in 1976, in memory of his father.The Institute has since become a centerthat has established a pluralistic Jewishworldview which responds to the challenges facing contemporary Judaism.Over the course of four decades,Rabbi Hartman taught and mentoredgenerations of students who are today at the forefront of Jewish education andthought in Israel and around the world.

Rabbi Hartman was born in Brooklyn in1931 to an ultra-Orthodox family. He wasraised and educated at the LithuanianLakewood yeshiva, which was consideredthe most important and prestigious yeshiva for North American Jews. In hisadolescence, he was one of the mostprominent students of Rabbi Joseph B.Soloveitchik, who ordained him as a rabbi.Rabbi Hartman completed his doctoratein philosophy at McGill University inMontreal, Canada.

After serving as a pulpit rabbi at a number of important congregations inNorth America, Rabbi Hartman, inspiredby the Six Day War, made aliya with hiswife and children. For more than twodecades, Rabbi Hartman served as a professor of Jewish Thought at theHebrew University in Jerusalem. From1977–1984 he was an advisor to Minister

Obituary


more sappy than funny. Would the filmhave been more honest, touching andhumorous had mother and son confrontedAndy’s passive-aggressiveness with thehelp of some authentic Jewish insightssomehow provided on their trip?

Parental Guidance In Parental Guidance, Bette Midler and

Billy Crystal play a California couple intheir late 50s, Diane and Artie Decker.They are summoned to babysit for theirthree grandchildren in Atlanta, whomthey have not seen in over a year. Theircareer-oriented daughter and her inventorhusband must attend a convention wherethe young father is feted for his inventionof automated, talking and computer-connected home mechanisms. Marisa Tomeiand Tom Everett Scott are sweet as theyoung parents, and an uncharacteristicallyreserved Crystal and Midler are pleasingin their roles, as well. The children actorsare delightful and offer performances withimpressive range.

It is obvious after the first ten minutes orso that the script by Lisa Addario and JoeSyracuse and direction by Andy Fickmanare going to provide rather uneven fare,with good moments followed by many flatand even grating interludes. Still, there areredeeming factors in this film, not the leastof which is its faith that individuals andfamilies are redeemable.

We never quite learn why the grandparentsvisit so rarely and why they feel like “theother grandparents,”though it is suggestedmore than once that Artie’s obsessionwith his baseball announcer career and hisconfrontational nature may have had a lotto do with it, so much so that Midler’scharacter as much as tells her husband,with one of the film’s best lines, that she isgoing to have a good relationship with hergrandchildren but that his relationshipwith them is “your problem.”That the lineis intended affectionately makes it somuch more powerful.

Parental Guidance“succeeds”at offeringone of the sweetest moments of toilethumor (literally) in film history, but, sadly,forfeits all dignity for lack of a urinal.This movie dismisses high culture as aform of stress, particularly for children,but glorifies technology and political correctness (which it purports to critique)by making far too light of their effects onmind and soul, suggesting that occasionalplayfulness is the cure.

Neither grandparents nor parents norchildren are identified as Jews here. Midlerand Crystal go along with the writer anddirector and render Artie and DianeDecker as generically as possible. The onlything “Jewish” about the film is the fieldtrip to the Chinese – that is, Asian naturalfood – restaurant, whose proprietor brags

there is one (possible) reference to kosherfood here, when Joyce jokes that her son might have left her as a child for aMrs. Shapiro’s cookies.

Joyce unloads a shock and awe bombshell on Andy at the beginning ofthe film when she tells him that he wasnamed after his mother’s first love, AndyMargolis, and that she accepted her husband’s proposal because the originalAndy was not ready to settle down. WhileAndy the son is relieved to know thatAndy the original was not his biologicalfather, that our prodigal inventor wasindeed his late father’s son, he responds ina passive aggressive way by looking up theoriginal Andy Morgolis on the internetand tracking him to San Francisco. Thenhe invites his mother on a trip with SanFrancisco as the final destination. Hisintention all along is to force his mother toconfront her old boyfriend, though he tellsher the reason he wants her to travel withhim is to spend time with her.

Our mother and son are named“Brewster,” but they end up searching forsomeone named Andy Margolis, bothhoping that he will somehow prove to bethe wizard in their journey to Oz.Fogelman thus has them searching forsomeone Jewish without any kind ofJewish commentary.

If indeed the name Margolis is usedhere for Jewish identification purposes ofsome kind, of any kind, does this tatehleh-saying woman marry a non-Jew on therebound, or a Jew who has changed hisname and who clearly did not establishany kind of Jewish home with her?Streisand is too respectful of Joyce to turnher into a stereotyped Jewish mother, butshe does provide inflections that onewould not expect from the script. Leavingthe “Jewish” aspect aside, the script never gets around to recognizing that thisson invited his mother not so much on a“guilt trip” as on a “Revenge Trip” afterbeing shocked by how his mother chosehis first name.

In the end, Joyce tries to put a spiritualspin on things, borrowing but not mentioning the old Jewish folk concept ofbeshert, (destiny) – with a New Age spin,of course: “I was meant to marry yourfather, because, if I hadn’t met him, Iwouldn’t have had you.”

By that point, the film had become

MediaWatchBY RABBI ELLIOT B. GERTEL

Three comediesGuilt Trip

Guilt Trip is lacking in laughs andinsight. Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogendo their best as mother and son Joyce andAndy Brewster, but writer Dan Fogelmansidesteps the conflict that makes for realcomedy with TV sitcom-type squabbles andsituations. In the film, 20-something Andy,a brilliant UCLA-graduated organic chemistwho has invented a non-toxic cleaningfluid, invites his mother on his sales tourfrom her home in New Jersey to Las Vegasand then to San Francisco. Not until theycross the country is floundering Andy ableto take his mother’s sales advice and toappreciate her in a new light or two.

Streisand and Rogen deliver nicely here,managing to be touching and funny attimes, though left by the lacking script totheir own not inconsiderable abilities toengage and to entertain. They both bringthe right attitudes and tone to their roles,despite Fogelman’s failure to feed themthoughtful – and appropriate – dialogue.Clearly, Rogen and Streisand figured outthat there are themes in this movie thatthe writer himself could or would not dealwith. So they did what they could with thesilences as the dialogue failed them.

Early on, Streisand calls her son,“tatehleh,” an interesting Yiddish nickname, in a post-Freudian sort of way,for it is an affectionate term for “father.”(Itis the term that Hasidic masters used toaddress the Deity.) There are Jewish elements in this film, though nothing is made of them, and one gets the impression that Streisand and Rogenwould have made more of them, had theybeen given the opportunity. The writerdoes not allow his characters to use theword, “Jew,” though he does allow Joyce,after they escape hazardous snow conditions, to say “Thank God we’re alive”– a Shehechiyanu of sorts.

The only ritual that binds mother andson together centers around non-kosherfoods, though Joyce comes close to confessing at one point that food is theonly way that she can express love. Sheapologizes to her son that she had to useturkey bacon to make eggs the way Andylikes them because it was “on sale.” Hermoment of glory on the trip is winning acontest by consuming shrimp cocktail andpounds of steak at a Texas restaurant. Oh,

February 13, 2013 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 15just fathered triplets with his new wife. Hetells his daughter-in-law that his son is“smarter” than he and “probably a littlecuter, a little less Jewy,” but that “after 50that changes”and she can expect one dayto “wake up with a rabbi.”

With all this “heavy” Jewish discussion,the family can’t stop talking aboutChristmas and even menacing one anotherwith it. When daughter Charlotte threatensto tattle on her father to her mother,Peter’s first response is, “Try it. See whatyou get for Christmas.” When Debbie’sdoctor asks her if she has a Christmas tree and all the trimmings (an essentialquestion in a medical exam?), sheresponds,“Yes.”

Why all this back-and-forth about“Jewyness” and Christmas? My ownimpression is that Apatow is intent on giving us a miracle here, but not the miracle of Jewish loyalty to God and Torahor the Christmas miracle of virgin birthand incarnation. He uses religions forlaughs and to further complicate a difficultmarriage – even though someone seemsto have decided at some point that theson’s daughters are Jewish but not thegrandfather’s newest sons.

Apatow will do anything to ensure thatthe marriage here survives despite all oddsagainst it. That’s the only way that manyunpleasant scenes found in this film canadd up to comedy rather than tragedy.And he certainly catapults forth his“Jewish” references, literally tossing themaround to complicate things as much aspossible. This, I suppose, is intended toglorify the miracle of love (or at least abiding physical attraction) conquering alldespite the obstacles of religion.

Still, for all his faults, the Jewish grandfather does have some “family values.” He tells Peter that Peter’s motherhad wanted him aborted (“That’s what we did in the 70s”) and would have doneso had the young father-to-be not bribedher with a pizza.

The Jewish grandfather (and newfather), who is content to borrow moneyhe can never pay back, is not withoutwarmth, and does have nice-soundingslogans like “family helps family,”especiallywhen he is the one being helped. Thewealthy Gentile grandfather (also a fatheragain, of a troubled teenage boy), Oliver(John Lithgow) is unhappy with his newfamily and willing to take a second look atthe virtues of the daughter from whom hehas distanced himself for 15 years. It lookslike he may end up helping the couplethrough the financial difficulties that havejeopardized their marriage.

At a key moment, the Jewish grandfathertells a Gentile in the family,“Your problemis you hate Jews.” He is then told that hecan’t use up the Jewish card. But of course,

about being Japanese with a Chinese wife,and about having North Korean kids who“go to Hebrew day school.”

What stands out here is the patent lackof guiding values and proprieties – and ofworldview and meaningful perspective – inall three generations. Whether intended ornot, a pretend funeral scene at which Crystalwas asked by one of the grandchildren to officiate offered the most profoundmoment of family bond. While it wouldseem that the writers and director meantthe funeral as a bizarre flourish with atouching aspect, it brought healing toindividuals and to the family, not unlikeauthentic, heartfelt religious rituals.Whether subliminally or in spite of themselves, the filmmakers here made arather moving plea for the power of religious ritual in the family dynamic,though they obviously wanted to keeptheir ritual and their family “generic.”

This is 40I can’t figure out what holds together

the marriage in Judd Apatow’s This Is 40,except perhaps the two daughters andsome lingering physical attraction thatpersists for the handsome couple, Peteand Debbie, played by Paul Rudd andLeslie Mann. Writer Apatow has themalready at the stage, at barely a decade anda half into marriage, where they derivesome joy and comfort in imagining howthey would move on after the otherspouse’s demise.

Pete is selfish. He is a music producerwho chooses acts based solely on his owneclectic interests, and does not think of theeconomic well-being of his family. Hischief joy is bike-riding, mainly because itgets him out of the house.Why Apatow putshim in the music business, I am not sure,unless as an excuse for unnecessary andinsulting jokes about Simon and Garfunkel.

The film obsesses over two things: Jews and Christmas. That is a sure formulafor either schizophrenia or for silly humor.The characters, the writing, the atmosphere,everything about his film, manifest both.As regards silly humor, Apatow can’t wait to have a character observe that oldJews are the “only ones who still have hardcore records because they don’t like todownload because they don’t know whatdownload means.”

Such “Jewish” references pop up whereyou least expect them. In fact, the filmcomes out and says that being “tooJewish” brings disabilities. When thedaughters try to keep up with their babytriplet “uncles” – the newest generationhas Jewish fathers – the girls come up withan excuse for their slowness, “We’reJewish.” Pete’s father, Larry (AlbertBrooks), keeps borrowing money from hisson, whom he calls “Boychik.” Larry has

Apatow does precisely that. He literallydiscards in the sense of throwing out andthrowing around some “Jewish”references– again, in order that true love can triumph over any possible obstacle,including ethnicity and religion.

The couple’s closest moment in the film,the only time they bond emotionally, iswhen they engage in a boldface lie in theprincipal’s office, ducking responsibilityfor hurtful behavior and leaving the victims looking like the liars and the troublemakers. In the end they bond onthe ultimate excuse, “We’re not mad ateach other. We’re mad at our parents.”But love does conquer all in this movie,even vicious irresponsibility and hostilerationalizations.

Rabbi Gertel has been spiritual leader ofConservative Congregation Rodfei Zedek in

j i

with words and symbols, to bring onecloser to the sacred, to lift one up andopen ones heart.

Olenick presents and teaches hands-onworkshops for temples, schools andorganizations where participants of allages and all levels of skill can learn aboutJudaic art and create their own uniquepieces for their home.

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi hashonored Olenick as an artist and artisan inthe Sacred Guild of the Disciples ofBetzalel.Two of her images are included inthe set of the Coen Brothers movie, ASerious Man.

The Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) hasselected several of Olenick’s images forbook, CD and songbook covers. Manyimages adorn greeting cards, which can bepurchased at fine gift and Judaica shopsthroughout America.This year the URJ hasselected Jackie’s artwork exclusively fortheir calendar.

The artist’s work has been exhibited andextensively collected throughout Americaand is in private, organizational and synagogue collections.

She works in several mediums includingacrylic and collage/multimedia, for which she is noted. Olenick has createdbold and bright, large pieces that areappropriate for a temple or can serve as a focal point in a home.

She is married to Rabbi/Chaplain LeonOlenick and they have three grown children and nine grandchildren, fromwhom she constantly draws inspiration andnaches. To see more of her artwork visit her website at www.jackieolenickart.comor email her at [email protected] check on Facebook and Twitter. AAAA

ABOUT THE COVER(continued from page 2)

(see Gertel, page 18)


of important virtues. Although Hendel is widely read, he appears to have missed Daniel Huet’s Treatise on theLocation of The Terrestrial Paradise (1691)in which the learned French bishopassured readers that the geographicalcoordinates of the Garden of Eden indicated Aden as the assured location ofthe Biblical garden.

As a perfect text the Genesis saga couldnot contain imperfect material. As a God-given work the Torah reflects divineperfection. Thus even repetitions andseemingly contradictory passages must beresolved through recourse to a deeperunderstanding of the words. Accordingly,theologians representing diverse views onthe religious spectrum presented the ideathat Holy Scripture was coded with hidden meanings and the vocation of thecommentator was to ferret them out. TheFrench polymath, Blaise Pascal endorsedthis idea in his book Thoughts (1669)when he embroidered the idea of the “senscaché” – the hidden meaning – into theological filigree.

The fourth mode in entering the Biblicalprecincts requires respect for the divineorigin of the revelation. This idea gave riseto the rabbinic notion that both the wordsof Scripture and their interpretation werehanded down at Sinai. This idea was welcomed by the rabbinic tradition whichheld that it was impossible to understandeverything in Scripture without recourseto the oral tradition which God communicated to Moshe.

Having presented these interestingalthough scarcely comprehensive categories,Hendel then proceeds to explore what hecalls the “figural” sense of Scripture, a necessary expedient given the complexity,variety and obscurities of the first book ofthe Bible. It is in this part of his essay thatHendel expands his inquiry by adducing thewisdom of Plato, the Greek philosopherwhose concept of the “divided line and the allegory of the cave” (in his famous TheRepublic) dovetailed beautifully with thefigural sense. Just as the cave dwellers hadonly an imperfect understanding of theirenvironment, readers of the Bible weresimilarly affected by the imperfections of their own cave-like domicile in thisworld. The meaning of life as well as the meaning of Scripture required a giantleap in order to penetrate the true pictureof reality.

The author is very eclectic in his choiceof those who were involved in Biblicalexegesis. Luther is mentioned as one commentator who was not enamoured ofthe homiletical or figural sense of theBible. In fact, he derided this type ofanalysis with almost the same pique as he did in his violently anti-Semitic tirades against Jews. For Luther the literal

understanding of the Bible was the preferablemode along with the assistance of theHoly Spirit.

Hendel’s analysis becomes all the moreoriginal when he expands the category ofBible analysis to points of view widely at variance with the received wisdom.Thus he has an intriguing section on thediscovery of the new world in 1492 andthe impact it had on the traditional takeon Scripture. That discovery promptedquestions about what Genesis did nothave to say about the aboriginal inhabitants of North and South America.How was it possible for Genesis to haveignored the masses of peoples that covered that land mass?

Within a century or two serious mindssuch as Galileo and Spinoza began to dismantle much of Genesis’s pre-scientificportraiture of the cosmos. Hendel is rightwhen he says that Hebrew Bible’s view of the cosmos was an advance over contemporary pagan ideas about celestialobjects representing divine beings whowere to be worshiped, while Hebrew wisdom rejected these ideas. However,the astronomical observations of Galileo,actuated by his keen acuity of vision – and Spinoza’s work as a lens grinder(which sharpened both his vision andmental processes) served to begin the dismantling of the old ideas about thesanctity of Genesis.

By the 20th century, having enduredDarwinism and other manifestations ofmodernity, critics of the Bible and Genesisin particular sought new and more subtleprisms through which to explain the verses of the Pentateuch’s first book. Inthis context Hendel alights on EmilyDickinson, the American poet and showsthat some of her best verse portraysGenesis as a beautiful repository of myths and legends which is valuable as amoral paradigm.

But Hendel’s best observation comesfrom his study of Erich Auerbach’sMimesis, the marvellous book he wrotewhile he was in exile in Turkey as aGerman Jew fleeing the terrors of Nazism. Auerbach’s analysis of theAkedah, the binding of Isaac, was a literary masterpiece and can only beunderstood, says the author, by examiningthe creative tension which the redactor ofGenesis weaved into the narrative ofAbraham’s sacrificial act.

Genesis: A Biography is one of the mostoriginal and refreshing books published in2012 and I heartily recommend it for aNational Jewish Book Award.

Arnold Ages is “Distinguished EmeritusProfessor,” University of Waterloo, OntarioCanada. AAAA

The Book of Genesis: A Biography. ByRobert Hendel. Princeton UniversityPress. New Jersey. 2012. 187 Pages.

We know who some of the great JewishBible/Torah commentators were; Onkelos,Rashi, Sforno, Ibn Ezra, Kimche andLeibowitz. Similarly the names of famous(or infamous) gentile commentators arealso well known: Jerome, Calvin, Luther,Wellhausen and Kittel.

One of the remarkable aspects of RobertHendel’s “biography” of Genesis holds that we must be preparedto enlarge theenvelope assignedto the Biblicalcommentary genreto include originalthinkers such asSpinoza, Galileo,Rabelais, EmilyDickinson, andEric Auerbach.

This rather boldthesis is quite logical when you realize that Hendel’seclectic approach to Genesis, by which hemeans primarily though not exclusively,the creation chapters, is designed to showhow early and later interpreters, bothamong the pious and the impious, parsedthe meaning and grammar of the firstbook in Hebrew Scripture.

Before the author introduces his ownband of modern Bible commentators,Hendel quotes James Kugel’s assertionthat traditionally there were four differentapproaches to Scripture – that it was cryptic, relevant, perfect and divine. Foreach of these descriptive rubrics theauthor provides textual examples. Jacob’sreference in Genesis 49:10 is indeed cryptic because the Shilo of the verse hasgiven rise to Messianic resonance from theHouse of David as well as descriptions of the periodization of various Hebrewcommonwealths.

For relevant, the author discourses onthe various speculations with regard to the location of the Garden of Eden andthe rivers whose confluence is mentionedin the text. Philo of Alexandria, the greatJewish philosopher, held that these werenot geographical coordinates but symbols

Original andrefreshing

BookReviewREVIEWED BY PROF. ARNOLD AGES

February 13, 2013 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 17Avishag and Lea. Two years later, at the age of 19, Yael is a soldier in boot camp, missing her boyfriend, Moshe,who has completed his military service.She learns to shoot, among other things,and becomes sufficiently proficient that she trains marksmen. She is assignedto the military police, serving at theHebron checkpoint where she is chargedwith making sure that the Palestinian construction workers coming into Israelfor the day are not carrying weapons. Oneof them with whom she has becomefamiliar attacks another Israeli checkpointguard with disastrous results.

Other experiences are described,emphasizing the relationships among thewomen soldiers and between the womenand the men. The end of their militaryservice brings the three friends backtogether and there are some disjointedimages about what they encountered.Strangest of all is the reference to what happened in Entebbe and thehijacked plane with many Israelis, rescuedin an unbelievably brave feat. This story, told by Yael’s mother who had someminimal connection to the event, seemsout of context.

What is totally omitted from the story is the fact that the Israel army has an education program for its soldiers thatcontains instruction in military ethics.(During my years in the American armyduring World War II, the only ethicsinstruction provided was that triagerequired treating the least injured soldierfirst.) Israelis are taught not to hate thePalestinians and to use force only to theextent required. The objective is to makesure that Israeli soldiers complete theirmilitary service in war or in peace with a clear conscience. Unfortunately, thisremarkable attitude is not included in the book. It is a serious failure, given the book’s effort to capture the experiences of young Israelis as they fulfillthe requirements of military service.Perhaps, Boianjiu’s next publication willreflect this significant aspect of an Israelisoldier’s training.

Tangled relationshipsThe Middlesteins. By Jami Attenberg.

New York: Grand Central Publishing,2012. 274 Pages. $24.99.

Can an author write an appealing bookabout a Jewish fat lady? That was whatJami Attenberg set out to do and readerswill have to judge for themselves thedegree of her success. One measure is thefact that this is the first of Attenberg’s fourbooks to appear on the best-seller lists.

The protagonist is Edie Middlestein, first

resigned in 1970 over an argument abouta Middle East peace agreement. In the1977 election, Begin’s party won a landslide victory and he became Israel’ssixth Prime Minister, ending 29 years ofleft-wing domination over Israeli politics.

In 1979, after Egyptian president, AnwarSadat, visited Jerusalem, the Camp Davidaccords were signed and Begin and Sadatwere awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Also,under Begin’s rule, the Iraqi nuclear plantwas destroyed and Begin stated,“We shallnot let our enemies develop weapons ofmass destruction,” a guide for today’sIsraeli government confronting Iran.

During Begin’s six years as PrimeMinister, a major achievement was theeffort to help depressed areas in Israelwhich Shilon refers to as the“Neighborhood Rehabilitation Project,”Afull description may be found in DistantPartners: Community Change ThroughProject Renewal by Ben W. Lappin andMorton I Teicher, University Press ofAmerica, 1990.

The disastrous 1982 war in Lebanonwith the Sabra and Shatila massacre; thedeath of Begin’s wife in November, 1982;and his own ill-health led him to resignfrom politics. He died in March, 1992.

Shilon concludes with a masterful summary, claiming that Begin put “hisstamp on the Jewish character of Israel.”This powerful presentation is biography in the great tradition of James Boswell,making us eager to see Shilon’s book on Ben-Gurion.

Women in the IDFThe People of Forever Are Not Afraid. By

Shani Boianjiu. New York: Hogarth.Crown, 2012. 339 Pages. $24.

The Israeli author of this novel was bornin Jerusalem in 1987. She has previouslypublished several short stories but this is her first book.It is clearly basedon her two years of required servicein the Israeli army,resulting in thethinnest possibleline between fictionand reality. Readerswill come awayfeeling that theyhave been exposedto some significant aspects of what it islike for a young, Israeli woman to fulfillher obligation to spend two full years ofher life in the Israel Defense Forces.

We briefly meet Yael, the first personnarrator, when she is living in a smallGalilee village, still in high school whereshe is bored, despite being friendly with

Israel’s sixth Prime Minister

Menachem Begin. By Avi Shilon. NewHaven: Yale University Press, 2012. 584Pages. $40.

Many authorities consider JamesBoswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson,published in 1791, to be at the top of thelist of biographies. Serious biographiessince that time are inevitably compared toBoswell’s magnum opus and this is true ofShilon’s biography of Menachem Begin.Unlike Boswell, Shilon was not personallyacquainted with Begin but he interviewedmany people whowere, includingBegin’s son, Benny.He spent five years interviewing,collecting data andwriting in Hebrew.The thoroughnessof his research isattested to by 66pages of footnotes.An independentjournalist, Shilon is a Ph.D. candidate atBar Ilan University and is now working ona biography of David Ben Gurion.

Since Begin was a public figure, the factsof his life are generally known to all whoare familiar with Israel’s history. Born inPoland in 1913, he received his law degreefrom Warsaw University in 1935. Active inZionist youth movements, he achievedleadership positions in Betar and becamea disciple of its right-wing founder,Vladimir “Ze’ev” Jabotinsky. When theNazis invaded Poland, Begin escaped toWilno (Vilnius) Lithuania but was thenimprisoned by the Soviet Union. He was released in June 1941 and he joinedthe Polish army. In May, 1942, he was sent to Palestine where he left the army in December, 1942. His family died in the Holocaust.

Begin became the leader of Irgun, theunderground organization that had splitfrom the Haganah, the main Jewish military organization. Their fierce conflictswith each other and in resisting the Britishare described. When the State of Israelwas born, this turned into political rivalryas Begin formed Herut, a right wing party.It remained in the opposition with Ben-Gurion severely deriding and condemningBegin. Just before the Six-Day War of 1967,a national unity government was formedunder Levi Eshkol and Begin joined thecabinet as minister without portfolio. He

Book ReviewsREVIEWED BY MORTON I. TEICHER

(see Teicher, page 19)

Israel, for those interested in preservationof traditions and for those who enjoymeeting interesting women living inIsrael. Although this journey is not meant to be a cookbook, here are a few ofthe less complex recipes readers mayenjoy attempting.

When I lived in Israel in the 1970s, wedidn’t have cream cheese, so I would poursour cream into a cheese cloth, suspend itover my sink for 24 hours, add salt andscrape it into a bowl for home-madecream cheese. Now I can buy a variety ofcream cheese including varieties of Kraftproducts. This recipe reminded me ofthose years.

Labaneh Pour two cups of yogurt (at least 4.5%

fat) into a cheesecloth bag. Suspendovernight to let the water drain out. Thenext day, collect the cheese from the clothand put it in a bowl. Spread on a dish, topwith olive oil, zaatar mixture or even asprinkling of fresh zaatar leaves, and servewith fresh pita for dipping.

Zaatar is a popular Middle Eastern spiceblend made of sumac, thyme, sesameseed, marjoram, oregano and coarse salt –put atop humus, cheese and pita.

TaboulehMix 1 large bunch of finely chopped

parsley, 1 small bunch of finely choppedfresh mint, 2 chopped green onions (boththe green and white parts), 1/4 cup finelyground bulgur, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, lemon

of Education Zevulun Hammer and actedas an advisor to many prime ministers onthe issues of religious pluralism in Israeland the relationship between Israel andthe Diaspora.

David Hartman published dozens ofarticles and books. His thought dealt withthe intersection of the traditions of thepast and the challenges of the present.At its foundation stands a request for dialogue with the tradition on one handand with modern streams of thought onthe other. AAAA

OBITUARY(continued from page 13)


Grandma Sade’s Poppy Seed Filling1 cup ground poppy seed3/4 cup milk2 Tbsp. butter or margarine1 tsp. vanilla1/2 cup raisins1/2 cup finely chopped nuts2 Tbsp. honey

Place all ingredients but vanilla in asaucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat andsimmer until milk is absorbed. Add vanilla.Let cool before spooning onto dough.

Food in IsraelBreaking Bread in the Galilee. By Abbie

Rosner. Hilayon Press. April, 2012. $15paperback.

When AbbieRosner moved toIsrael 26 years agomarried to a dairyfarmer to live in a farming village in the Galilee, shebegan a journeywith many facets,but it was her culinary journeythat produced this book.

“I set out on an adventure, using thelocal foods of the Galilee to trace the livinglinks to the ancient past of my contemporaryagricultural landscape.”

She began by marking every place in theBible where food was mentioned. Thenshe began investigating culinary traditionscurrently practiced in various ethnic communities in the agricultural villages ofthe Galilee.

For Example, she learned about hubeisa(don’t mention this to anyone who lived inIsrael in 1947–48!), the plant Israelis livedon during the 47-day siege of Jerusalem.She found the zaatar herb used by theIsraelites in Egypt to dip in the blood tomark the doors for the angel of death topass over.

She found the mandrakes, the inducerof fertility, and what was used to persuadeJacob to sleep with Leah. She visits theMuseum of Palestinian Arab Tradition andCulture, struggles to learn Arabic from aman in his early 80s, finds a family thatgrows wheat to make flour, olives for oil,grapes for wine and goats for cheese.

She decides to build a tabun, a clay-burning oven, often used for baking special breads. She relates the time-consuming process of preparing andcooking the plants she finds. More importantly, she reaches out to makefriends with Bedouin, Druze, Muslims and Christians. She shows her readers the food traditions that are vanishing.

This is really a fascinating book for people who like to learn about food in

My KosherKitchenREVIEWED BY SYBIL KAPLAN

Hamantaschenrecipes and bookon food in Israel

The most important aspect of mostPurim pastries is their shape. MostAshkenazic Jews only know of hamantaschen, the triangular pastries filledwith prunes or other fruit fillings.

The word is taken from the Germanwords, mohn (meaning poppy seeds) andtaschen (referring to pockets). Some saythe pockets refer to Haman who stuffedhis pockets with bribe money.

The original name was mohntaschen,and the tradition of eating them may dateback as far as the 12th century. ShmilHolland, the Israeli historian, caterer andcook, says when Jews fled Germany forEastern Europe in the late Middle Ages,they took the poppy seed pastry withthem and added the Yiddish prefix, “ha,”thus making it hamantashen.

My Mother’s Cookie Dough for Hamantaschen2 eggs1 stick margarine or 1/2 cup oil2 3/4 cups flour1/4 tsp. salt1 tsp. vanilla2 tsp. baking powderjuice of 1/2 orange or 1/2 cup sour cream

Mix ingredients. Put in refrigerator for20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Rollout dough, cut circles 1/4-inch thick,spoon on filling, fold into triangles, placeon a greased cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven 20–30 minutes.

My mother told me that my grandmotheralways made her hamantaschen withmohn and yeast dough. My mother said when she was a child, she couldremember grandma boiling the poppyseeds, draining them and then she and herbrothers took turns chopping them in thebrass mortar and pestle which her fatherhad gotten from Europe. Now I have thatmortar and pestle.

Grandma Sade’s Prune Filling1 1/2 cups cut prunes1/4 cup sugar2 tsp. lemon juice

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Chicago since 1988. He is the author of twobooks, What Jews Know About Salvationand Over the Top Judaism: Precedents andTrends in the Depiction of Jewish Beliefsand Observances in Film and Television.He has been media critic since 1979. AAAA

GERTEL(continued from page 15)

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(see Kaplan/recipe, page 19)


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introduced as Edie Herzen, age 5, and “not so little.”We quickly meet her manyyears later when she is a sick, fat old ladywho practiced law for 35 years and whosehusband, pharmacist Richard Middlestein,has just left her after almost 40 years ofmarriage. Their son, Benny, is married to Rochelle and they have twins, a boy anda girl, who are getting ready for their b’nai mitzvah. Their daughter, Robin, is an unmarried school teacher who is very angry with her father for leaving her mother.

After leavingEdie, Richard turnsto the internet tofind women. Hegoes out withmany of them:divorcees, widows,and those whonever married untilhe settles onBeverly, a half-Jewish divorceewith a British accent. He has occasionaland always frustrating meetings with hisson, his daughter, his daughter-in-law andhis grandchildren.

Edie continues to be a compulsive eaterboth at home and in a Chinese restaurantwhere she is particularly enamored withthe chef-owner. Even her illness andnecessity for surgery does not stop herfrom her uncontrollable eating.

The setting for the novel is a Chicagosuburb, not dissimilar from the one inwhich the author herself grew up. Also,there was a time in her life whenAttenberg ate too much although not tothe same extent as Edie Middlestein whois depicted as over-eating to the point ofkilling herself.

Attenberg excels in painting portraits ofeach member of the family and of someminor characters as well. She also does anexcellent job of examining their tangledrelationships with each other. Indeed, thebook is a powerful exploration of whathappens to a family as its members come into conflict. In addition, there is auseful analysis of each family member’srelationship to Judaism, a topic not handled by Attenberg in her previouswriting. She wrote two novels, The KeptMan and The Melting Season, as well as acollection of short stories, Instant Love.She has published short stories and articles on a variety of subjects in newspapers and magazines. The warmreception of The Middlesteins shouldencourage Attenberg to write more novels which her readers eagerly await.

Dr. Morton I. Teicher is the FoundingDean, Wurzweiler School of Social Work,Yeshiva University and Dean Emeritus,School of Social Work, University of NorthCarolina at Chapel Hill. AAAA

TEICHER(continued from page 17)

Though some of the book’s sharedinformation is by now well known, such as the daring escapades of the Bielski family partisans in Belorussia’s forests, thematerial on the saga of the Greek Jews, forexample, is enlightening as well as thewomen’s noble role in the excruciatingstruggle of fighting back in a variety ofways, albeit against overwhelming odds.

Reading the book during the Festival ofChanukah, I was deeply moved by itsincredible celebration at the Kaufering IVlabor camp in Hurlach, Germany, as survivorIsrael Cohen tells of the ingeniousMenorah he and fellow inmates were ableto create, bringing to the darkness of theirpredicament the past light of sustaininghope and faith. The amazing photo takenat the Netherlands’Westerbork transit campof lighting the Menorah on Chanukah’sseventh night and the creative Chanukahcard from Zionist youth at the LodzGhetto, are precious testimony.

Over six years in the making, the bookwas nourished by Rappaport’s painstakinglabor of love and driving commitment tothe book’s theme, by wide and multipleinput from survivors and professionals inthree continents, including the staff of theU.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. A finalcritique is offered by renowned MichaelBerenbaum, currently professor of JewishStudies at The American Jewish Universityin Los Angeles.

Beyond Courage (how apt a title!) movingly concludes with a poem byeleven year old Franta Bass who perishedin Theresienstadt.“I am a Jew and will bea Jew forever./ Even if I should die fromhunger,/ never will I submit./ I will alwaysfight for my people,/ on my honor./ I willnever be ashamed of them,/ I give myword./ I am proud of my people,/ how dignified they are./ even though I am suppressed,/ I will always come back to life.”

Rabbi Israel Zoberman, spiritual leader ofCongregation Beth Chaverim in VirginiaBeach, Virginia, is the son of PolishHolocaust Survivors. AAAA

Extraordinary heroic resistance

Beyond Courage (The Untold Story ofJewish Resistance During the Holocaust).By Doreen Rappaport. Candlewick Press.2012. Pp.228. $22.99.

Doreen Rappaport, prolific children’sbooks’ author and winner of theWashington Post Children’s Book Guildlifetime achievement award for nonfiction,has made a welcome and unique contribution to the vast Holocaust literature with her latest inspiring volume,Beyond Courage. The highly attractivealbum style format with poignant photos honors the extraordinary heroicresistance – physically, psychologically and spirituality – under harrowing circumstances of fellow Jews during theHolocaust’s devastation.

The idea for the book germinated as anattempt by theauthor to dispelthe prevalentnotion of heryouth that “Jewswent like lambs to the slaughter,”a view conveyingpassive resignationand even cowardice,that interestingly, I was exposed to in theState of Israel of the 1950’s.

It was also manifested by my parentsbeing told upon our arrival in Israel in1949 from post – Holocaust Europe, not totalk in Yiddish to me and my sister Estherfor no children would play with us; for theethos of the new state called for a newkind of Jew different from the “weak”Diaspora one, speaking the Hebrew language of Biblical Joshua and the conquering Israelites. Not till the 1961Adolph Eichmann trial in Jerusalem didHolocaust awareness, appreciation andeducation take root in both Israel and the U.S.

This vital book, that makes for a specialgift across the age – divide, thoughdesigned for a younger audience whosurely requires proper exposure to anessential and complex theme, includes fiveparts: The Realization; Saving The Future;In The Ghettos; In The Camps andPartisan Warfare. My mother’s relatives,the Bobrovs, were among Belorussia’s partisans. One testified against a Nazi warcriminal at the war’s end.

BookReviewREVIEWED BY RABBI ISRAEL ZOBERMAN

juice from 3–4 large lemons and salt totaste. Let the mixture sit until the juicessoften the bulgur. For tabouleh salad,add finely chopped cucumbers, lettuceand/or tomatoes.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, food and featurewriter, and author of nine kosher cookbooks. AAAA

KAPLAN/RECIPE(continued from page 18)


1427 W. 86th St. #228Indianapolis, IN 46260

OpinionPost&The Jewish

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

US POSTAGEPAID

INDIANAPOLIS, INPERMIT NO. 1321

On a very windy day, a rabbi’s bigblack hat blew off and a young man ranafter it and returned it to the rabbi. Therabbi thanked the man and added, “MayGod bless you.”

I’ve been blessedby a rabbi, thought the man. This mustbe my lucky day.He headed for the racetrack andput his money on a horse namedStetson with 20 toone odds. He won.In the second race, he bet on a horsenamed Fedora at 30 to one odds. He won again.

At the end of the day, the man returnedhome and told his wife about the rabbiand betting his money on horses namedafter hats.

“So where’s the money?”she asked.“I lost it all in the ninth race. I bet on a

horse named Château. It lost.”“You fool!” the wife screamed. Château

is a house. Chapeau is a hat!”“It doesn’t matter,”he said.“The winner

was some Japanese horse named Yarmulke.”Sandy Rozelman, author of Who Said Jews

Aren’t Funny? is a wife, mother of three,grandmother of four, at the beck and call to one dog and two cats, Chronic PainManagement Coach, Facilitator for a wellnesssupport group, collector of frogs (notice frogon the cover of the book), maker of chocolatecandy, knitter for charity, volunteer, puzzleand game lover, poet, singer and retired.Please send me an email at: [email protected] if you’d like me to send you an autographed copy of my book. Website:www.youregonnalaugh.tateauthor.com. AAAA

allow it to prosper.Then, on the other hand,God does not control everything that happens. Creation gave us the ability tochoose the paths we take. Evil is inflictedupon us sometimes because we have atendency to do things to ourselves that haveno rhyme of reason and, in fact, defy logic.

Purim is a holiday, the last in the Jewishsequence that allows us to examine ourrole in accepting that which happens or making the effort to extract form theexperience the ability to allow our goodness to dominate our lives. Purim is aholiday that enables us to understand thatwe must take control of our destiny. Purimis a holiday that helps us comprehend themeaning of freedom as fully described in aholiday that follows just four weeks later –

WIENER(continued from page 4)

Why FaithMattersBY RABBI DAVID WOLPE

SANDY ROZELMAN

Passover, the ultimate expression of self-determination.

Purim is the one exception that permitsus to celebrate our deliverance in a waythat enables us to escape to a world ofmake-believe. It is the stuff that dreamsare made of. It is the coach that takes usto forever, as the stroke of midnightapproaches. It is sweetness and happinessgiving us the ability to enjoy everymoment of our lives in goodness and love.

Dance, be merry, laugh, hide, be someone else, and then remember thatPurim is there to encourage us to abrighter tomorrow with all its noisemakersand dancing. The name of evil is drownedout by the tumult. Perhaps then, we willfully understand the essence of the story,whether true or not, that, as Isaiah taughtus,“Cease to do evil, and learn to do good.See justice, and relieve the oppressed.”Maybe that is why we particularly distribute charity at this time in our cycleof life’s journey.

Rabbi Irwin Wiener is spiritual leader of the SunLakes Jewish Congregation. Comments to [email protected]. His new book, Living with Faith, will bepublished in April, 2013. AAAA

BookExcerpt

Rabbis from Chabad/Tzemach Tzedek, House of Love and Prayer and Mayanot yeshiva,with Muslim, Christian and Druze leaders – Ibrahim Abu El Hawa, Imam Sameer Assi andJiries Mansour attend Abrahamic Reunion gathering at the home of Rabbi ShmuelEliyahu in Tsfat on Feb. 6. Posted on Facebook by Jerusalem Peacemaker Eliyahu McLean.

The Talmud recounts that one day Elijahappeared to Rabbi Baruqa, who asked ifanyone in the marketplace would achieveeternal life. Elijah pointed to two men and when Rabbi Baruqa asked their occupation, they said, “We are jesters.When we see someone who is sad, wecheer him up. When we see two peoplequarreling, we try to make peace betweenthem.”(Ta’anit 22a). God bless those whomake us laugh. ~ 2-5-13

From Facebook posts of Rabbi Wolpe.Wolpe is the senior rabbi of Temple Sinai inL.A., and author of Why Faith Matters. AAAA

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