I was fortunate to be among a small group of United Jewish Fund (UJF) campaign leaders who visited St. Petersburg, Russia and Vilnius, Lithuania to witness the work that is being done in both communities by the American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI).
If Jonathan Kirsch\’s purpose in writing \”Moses: A Life,\” was to offer the reader a mightily researched, comprehensive chronicle of midrashic, scholarly, secular, Christian and even some Muslim commentaries about Moses and the events immediately surrounding his life as told in the Bible, he has succeeded. Anyone seeking explanations for a given period or event related to Moses need simply look to this well-organized volume. Even the most learned will find previously unfamiliar material explained in a clear, intelligent and accessible fashion. While not everything he has collected is exciting, there is a tremendous amount of fascinating material for anyone interested in Moses and his family as well as some wonderful insights.
When visiting Berlin you can\’t miss the golden dome of the New Synagogue on Oranienburger Strasse. It towers over the city skyline and stands as a reminder of the rich history of Berlin Jewry. Crowned with the Star of David, the dome also reminds us of persecution and near destruction.
During the night of November 9, 1938-the so-called \”Kristallnacht\”–when synagogues and Jewish businesses throughout Germany were destroyed– Nazi forces also tried to set fire to Berlin\’s New Synagogue.
Jewish community leaders across the country are buzzing nervously these days about a family feud within the Jewish philanthropic world that could help shape the political profile of American Jewry for years. It\’s one of those spats where both sides are a little bit right and a little bit wrong, and everyone else wishes they\’d just cool off before they break something and get us all in trouble. So far, sadly, there\’s no sign of temperatures dropping.
All evening Taumisha Freeman sat dutifully, listening to the story of the Exodus out of Egypt, tasting matzah (\”It needs salt\”), reciting the plagues, without any expression. It was hard to know if she was bored or if, given the fact that she had never been around anything Jewish before, it was just too strange to be here at this intergroup Passover, sponsored by the Pacific Southwest regional office of the Anti-Defamation League.
For Jewish leaders, lobbying sometimes involves tough choices between winning and doing the right thing. That dynamic is very much in play this week as many Jewish groups, with a boost from President Bill Clinton, fight desperately to save a new hate crimes law that has become cannon fodder in the nation\’s culture wars.
Before there was Vista Del Mar Child Care, the Jewish Home for the Aging, or the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles — there was B\’nai B\’rith International. And what the aforementioned institutions have in common with the world\’s largest Jewish organization is that they wouldn\’t have existed without it.
What makes this familiar setup fresh and involving is Margulies\’ wise, funny, wry dialogue and Lavin\’s strong performance.
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