The Circuit

Standing Proud

A day after StandWithUs, the L.A.-based pro-Israel
grass-roots organization, and CAMERA (the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East
Reporting in America) held their March 21 joint advocacy conference, “Making
Israel’s Case,” organizers and attendees certainly had their work cut out for
them following the targeted killing of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin.

More than 300 people attended the daylong bipartisan program
— including high school and college students — at Beth Jacob Congregation to
learn techniques for dispelling myths about Israel, its policies and programs.
Not an easy task.

“Synergy can only lead to more effective activism,”
StandWithUs President Esther Renzer said during her opening remarks.

Nathan Wirtschafter, a CAMERA board member, opened the
morning session by praising the organization’s 4,000 letter writers and
introduced Alex Safian, CAMERA’s associate and research director, who spoke
about “Media Myths and How to Refute Them.” Safian noted that “Israel [is held]
to standards that no other country can meet.”

“Funding Evil” author Rachel Ehrenfeld focused on the
propaganda war Saudi Arabia is waging against Israel during her segment, “Saudi
Arabia and the Links to Terror — Pre-Sept. 11.” “Saudis should be put on the
[terror] list and we should freeze their assets,” said Ehrenfeld, director of
the American Center of Democracy.

CAMERA President Andrea Levin finished the morning session
with examples of the organization’s effort to correct errors in reporting,
especially “ABC News” and “Nightline.”

During the afternoon session, StandWithUs Executive Director
Roz Rothstein drew thunderous applause with a video of the organization’s
presence at The Hague in support of Israel’s security fence, testimonials from
Christian groups from around the world also supporting the fence and interviews
with relatives of suicide bombings victims.

One of the subjects in the video, Arnold Roth, whose
daughter Malki died in the Sbarro bombing, was visiting from Israel and took
time to address the conference.

“Terrorism is terrorism everywhere in the world, except when
it happens in Israel,” he said, adding that the best way to help people
understand the impact of terror is to offer humanitarian explanations, not
political ones.

Other afternoon sessions included talks from Danny Shapiro,
director of the Israel on Campus Coalition; Diana Stein, deputy director for
the Southern Pacific region of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC); conservative pollster Frank Luntz, and KABC’s Al Rantell.

StandWithUs is co-sponsoring a visit from Israeli Cabinet
member Natan Sharansky to Los Angeles, April 19-21. He will speak on why Israel
is losing the information war on campus at UC Irvine, April 19; UCLA’s Royce
Hall, April 20, and USC, April 21. For more information, call (310) 836-6140 or
visit www.standwithus.com. — Shoshana Lewin, Contributing Writer

Fulfilling Dreams

Under the sprawling chandelier of the Beverly Hills Hotel
crystal ballroom, about 200 people gathered on March 24 for the Friends of the
Fulfillment Fund’s 13th annual spring luncheon.

The Fulfillment Fund provides at-risk Los Angeles school
district students with mentors and financial assistance to help them graduate
high school and attend college. Since its founding in 1977, the fund has aided
almost 300 students.

This year’s event featured one of the program’s
beneficiaries, Erick Marques, who spoke of his journey from being an
eighth-grader without college aspirations at Henry Clark Middle School to
graduating from Stanford University.

“The Fulfillment Fund kindles a flame,” Marquez said. “My
mentor made my path to success his business.”

Marquez was joined at the podium by Hadassah Lieberman, the
wife of Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.).

“What is light?” Lieberman asked. “The American dream is a
dream of light. When children try to touch the light of education, we must make
sure the lights are on.”

Lieberman presented a Community Leadership Award to interior
designer Dee Dee Decherney and Dr. Alan DeCherney, both longtime supporters of
the Fulfillment Fund. The award is given each year for outstanding
humanitarianism and commitment to the education of all children. — Lea
Silverman, Contributing Writer

Parks Joins Journal Board

Michael Parks, director of the USC Annenberg School of
Journalism, has joined The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles’ board of
directors.

Parks’ coverage of the struggle against apartheid in South
Africa earned him the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. From
1997 to 2000, Parks served as editor of the Los Angeles Times, during which
time the newspaper garnered four additional Pulitzers.

From his first overseas assignment covering the Vietnam War
as the Baltimore Sun’s Saigon correspondent, Parks has reported on major
international news events from a variety of international capitals, including
Beijing, Moscow, Hong Kong, Johannesburg and Jerusalem. Parks joined the Los
Angeles Times in 1980 and in 1995 was promoted to deputy foreign editor and
later managing editor, before taking the helm as editor in 1997.

As editor of the Los Angeles Times, Parks was responsible
for news coverage and editorial page positions of the largest metropolitan
newspaper in the United States. He managed an editorial staff of 1,350 and a
budget of more than $120 million. Under his direction, the Times’ circulation
increased 16 percent to 1.17 million and also developed an enhanced online news
site, www.latimes.com.

With a sense of educational and social responsibilities held
by the newspaper, Parks helped launch Reading by 9, a community program to
ensure all 9-year-old children in Southern California would read at grade level
by the end of third grade, as well as editorial advocacy for adoption of a new
City Charter for Los Angeles and educational reform, including the election of
a new school board.

Parks joined the USC Annenberg faculty in fall 2000.

Originally from Detroit, Mich., Parks and his wife live in
Pasadena. They have three grown children and three grandchildren.

The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles is the West’s
largest independent Jewish weekly. The Journal also publishes the The Jewish
Journal Orange County and Jewish Family Life Magazine, which serves the Conejo
and West San Fernando valleys. The Journal is not affiliated with any movement
or institution.

Young Israel Anniversary

Young Israel of Century City celebrated its 28th anniversary
at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel on Feb. 29. At the dinner, Dr. Howard
and Elizabeth Abramowitz received the synagogue’s Tribute Award for their
efforts on behalf of the synagogue and community, and Sherrill and Jeff Kaye
received the synagogue’s first Chesed Award for leading the shul’s Chesed
Committee.

Army Pals

Lenny and Corrinne Sands, Brad and Cheryl Cohen, Larry and
Sue Hochberg and Robert Zarnegin of the  Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
(FIDF) co-hosted an intimate reception for Israeli Brig. Gen. Eival Gilady on
March 11 at the Peninsula Beverly Hills.

FIDF helps provide social, educational and recreational
programs and facilities for the young men and women defending the State of
Israel.