While not everyone is jumping on the \’I gotta be me\’ funeral bandwagon, a funny thing is happening on the way to the mortuary. When it comes to thinking about the end of life, be it in the business of funeral homes or in the minds of Jews everywhere, the world is changing.
A traditional Jewish funeral is simple and not ostentatious — good news for people concerned about the high cost of dying. But while Jewish law doesn\’t require embalming, elaborate floral displays or 16-gauge metal caskets with tufted crepe interiors, it does require Jews to be buried in the ground. And that costs money.
An eight-to-one vote by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Board — along with a unanimous vote by the Conservancy Advisory Board — last night soundly defeated Chabad of Pacific Palisades\’ appeal to temporarily extend the lease for its preschool site at Temescal Gateway Park from September 2008 through January 2009
Not only are survivors alive in large numbers — estimated at 700,000 worldwide, with about 85,000 in the United States — but they are projected to be a part of Jewish society for another 10 to 15 years, and even longer for child survivors.
The recent discovery of a long-overlooked legal document could substantially alter the situation, potentially allowing for a public street to be constructed that would lead directly to the entrance of the proposed site.
Everything went smoothly until April 2, when Getty Trust attorney Lori Fox informed Cunin that Chabad does not have the right to approach the building via a private Getty service road — which Chabad disputes
\”It\’s amazing. It\’s awesome,\” Nicole Lavi said. \”I have an older \’sister.\’\”
Against a backdrop of threatening skies, clearly not a metaphor for the future of Israel\’s film industry, two Israeli feature films premiered on May 15, opening day of the 61st Cannes Film Festival. And a short by Israeli student filmmaker Elad Keidan took first prize in the Cinefondation, a competition supporting new talent.
Israel, girlfriend, what is your problem? Why all this hoopla and hype? Does the whole world have to know that you and I — hey, break out the Botox — are turning 60?
More than 60 years after the Holocaust, the descendants of survivors continue to be undeniably and deeply shaped by an event that preceded their birth. Together they share a unique upbringing that many say is both an onus and an inspiration.
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