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Jewish Journal

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May 29, 2003

Rabbi Fields Passes Torch of Leadership

Leave a Comment / Congregations, Cover Story /

Aside from being the oldest and most architecturally magnificent synagogue in Los Angeles, Wilshire Boulevard Temple may be remembered for another historic accomplishment: possibly the smoothest transition between a retiring rabbi and new rabbi in the annals of synagogue history.

When Rabbi Harvey Fields becomes rabbi emeritus on June 1, after serving for 21 years, Rabbi Steven Leder will succeed him — a transition the two have been preparing for, along with the staff and the board, for the past three years.

"It is a combination of luck and talent," said Bruce Friedman, incoming Wilshire Boulevard Temple president, who has been on the board for 10 years and helped engineer the transition. "There was absolutely incredible mentoring and an immense amount of grace and diplomacy on the part of Rabbi Fields, in terms of stepping aside to make room for Rabbi Leder to move ahead."

Fields, an eminent fundraiser, spearheaded the building of the $35 million Audrey and Sydney Irmas Campus at Olympic Boulevard and Barrington Avenue, establishing a crucial West Los Angeles presence to supplement the temple’s historic Edgar F. Magnin Campus on Wilshire near Western Avenue.

"You wake up one day," said the 67-year-old Fields in an interview at his Beverly Hills home, "and find that you are the rabbi of a congregation that has become a leaky boat, and you face the question of: Do I want to leave my successor a steadily diminishing congregation, simply because we are out of the geographic reach of our members, or do I push forward to create a whole new future?"

In the six years since the Audrey and Sidney Irmas Campus was completed, membership has gone from 1,900 families to 2,600.

The blending of time-honored traditions with innovative experiments has become a hallmark of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, which was founded when Abraham Lincoln was president in 1862, and where one rabbi, Edgar F. Magnin, served for 69 years, until 1984.

"There were those in the congregation that felt the temple would suffer with the retirement of Rabbi Magnin, but Rabbi Fields handled that extraordinarily well by moving the temple gradually into the last half of the 20th century," said Lionel Bell, temple president 1987-1991, whose parents were members when he was born in 1926.

As the Reform movement adopted more Hebrew and ritual observances in the past decade, Fields eased into more traditional practices at Wilshire Boulevard — "where you would least expect it," Bell said.

"Rabbi Fields brought the temple around to what is today a very progressive Reform synagogue, with outstanding leadership and programming covering a far greater depth in practice of Judaism than it’s ever had before," Bell said.

Fields introduced more music into the services, hiring Don Gurney in 1999 as the first cantor in the temple’s history. He crafted more adult learning opportunities and put together committees to rewrite the temple’s prayer book, High Holiday machzor and the hagaddah.

But even as some of the trappings of classical Reform fell away, core principals remained, such as the commitment to social justice and interfaith dialogue — areas where Fields has earned a national reputation.

Fields was a key player in setting up Hopenet, a network of religious institution in the Mid-Wilshire corridor that feeds about 200 people every Sunday out of the temple, and provides affordable housing, clothing and furnishings.

Active in the national Reform movement and Israel causes, Fields is a revered figure in the City of Los Angeles. On June 18, a breakfast will be held in Fields’ honor at the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, co-sponsored by the National Conference for Community and Justice, the Interreligious Council of Southern California, the Board of Rabbis of Southern California and the Jewish Community Relations Council of The Jewish Federation — all organizations in which Fields has been president.

Fields and his wife, Sybil, have three children and five grandchildren. He was honored in June 1998 as Father of the Year by the Los Angeles Father’s Day Council.

The rabbi said he is looking forward to the time he can spend with his family when he retires, including his daughter and her family in Israel. He plans to work on a new Commentary on the Prophets, to supplement his popular three-volume Commentary on the Torah, as well as a historical novel on his great-grandfather’s settlement in a farming community in Dakota in the 1880s.

Fields, who is a diabetic, albeit in very good health, said he wanted to retire before he ran himself down with the exigencies of running a huge organization.

"I wanted to see really significant quality in the time I have for my next adventure," he said, "and I just felt that the timing was right.

Rabbi Fields Passes Torch of Leadership Read More »

Celebrate Shavuot With Spring Harvest

Leave a Comment / Celebrations/Simchas /

When I was growing up, two types of food were usually associated with the holiday of Shavuot. There were the dairy dishes — blintzes, knishes, noodle kugels and, of course, cheesecake. Most of us remember them from our childhood, but they were always laden with cream, butter and cheese, and may not appeal to our diet today.

The second group reminds us of the harvest, and includes wheat, barley, lentils, spring vegetables, honey and the traditional first fruits of the season.

This year I have planned a menu for my family Shavuot dinner using many of the foods in the second category. The recipes are designed for six, but may be doubled, and can be prepared in advance.

I always include Harvest Wheat Rolls for the holiday. They carry out the harvest theme and are a perfect accompaniment for the Lentil Soup, that is accented with rich vegetable flavors and topped with olive oil. Don’t forget to serve a bowl of honey to spoon on the rolls.

Harvest Wheat Rolls

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups unbleached flour

1 package active dry yeast

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup olive oil or safflower oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup peeled, grated carrots

2 eggs

1/4 cup yellow corn meal

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Combine the flours. Place 2 cups of flour mixture, yeast and salt in bowl of an electric mixer. Heat water, oil and honey in a saucepan until very warm, 115 F to 120 F. Add water mixture to flour mixture, beating until well blended. Beat in one egg, carrots and 2 cups of flour mixture to make a soft dough. Turn dough onto floured board and knead for 5-10 minutes, adding remaining flour to make a smooth and elastic dough. Place dough in an oiled bowl and oil the top. Cover with towel and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours.

Line baking sheet with foil; brush with oil and sprinkle with corn meal. Break off small pieces of dough (about 30) forming each piece into a long rope, twist into a knot and place on prepared baking sheet. Cover with towel and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Beat remaining egg and brush the top of rolls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes about 30 rolls.

Lentil Soup

1 1/2 cups lentils

2 bay leaves, crumbled

1/4 cup unsalted butter or nondairy margarine

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, finely chopped

1 parsnip, peeled, finely chopped

4 carrots, peeled, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely sliced

1/2 cup minced parsley

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

4 tomatoes, peeled, finely diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon each, minced parsley, green onions and basil leaves

Olive Oil for garnish

Soak lentils in 4 cups water six hours or overnight. Drain lentils and place in large pot with 8 cups warm water and bay leaves. Bring to boil, then simmer 20-25 minutes or until tender.

Heat butter and olive oil in large saucepan. Add garlic, onion, parsnip, carrots, celery and parsley. Saute 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add rosemary and tomatoes. Simmer 10 minutes.

Drain lentils, returning liquid to large pot. Remove bay leaves. Add 2 cups drained lentils to garlic mixture and mix well.

Place remaining drained lentils in food processor or blender with 1/2 cup reserved liquid and puree. Add pureed lentils and lentils with garlic mixture to pot with reserved liquid. Mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring to boil and simmer until soup thickens, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Ladle into serving bowl. Sprinkle parsley, green onions and basil and drizzle with olive oil.

Makes 8-10 servings.


Judy Zeidler is the author of “The Gourmet Jewish Cook” (William Morrow & Co, 1999) and “The 30-Minute Kosher Cook” (William Morrow & Co, 1999). Her Web site is members.aol.com/jzkitchen.

Celebrate Shavuot With Spring Harvest Read More »

Ha’Am Makes Its Mark at UCLA

Leave a Comment / Up Front /

hen the editors of Ha’Am, UCLA’s Jewish student newsmagazine, scrawled the words, “Ha’Am Is Back,” across the back of Kerchoff Hall, they didn’t realize the staying power of the statement that they were about to make. What the editors thought was sidewalk chalk, commonly used by students at UCLA as a means of political expression, turned out to be permanent.

“We’re still waiting for it to come off,” said Miriam Segura, Ha’Am’s editor-in-chief.

Ha’Am’s editors and staff hope that their quarterly newsmagazine, which has returned to print after four years of being only online, will have the same staying power.

“Now I feel that we’re really established,” Debra Greene, incoming editor-in-chief for Ha’Am, told the Daily Bruin, the university’s student newspaper. “Online, the readership was a lot smaller. Now people are picking them [copies of Ha’Am] up everywhere.”

Born in the 1970s by Jewish student activists who wanted to make their voices heard on the UCLA campus, Ha’Am has served the Jewish campus community for more than 30 years. Due to an editorial decision four years ago to focus on Web publishing, the publication went out of print. This year’s editorial staff, however, felt that the presence of a published Jewish student voice was essential — particularly now.

“There’s a lot of anti-Israel activism,” Segura said. “We are able to combat that, or at least provide a forum where students can express their frustration, as far as being marginalized as a group. At the very least, it should be a place for Jewish students to express anger and frustration at being marginalized, and at the the very most, it should be a place to respond to that kind of thing.”

Published by the UCLA Communications Board, Ha’Am receives 60 percent of its funding from profits generated principally by the Daily Bruin, according to Avril Ward, student media director. The remaining 40 percent is paid for by advertising generated by the publication.

“They’ve got to build an advertising base,” Ward said.

In order to get the newsmagazine off its feet, Ha’Am recently accepted an anonymous donation in the amount of $3,018. According to Ward, the editors of the magazine say that it was isolated and that they do not plan to rely on such donations for sustenance. Additionally, for reasons of neutrality, Ha’Am’s editors decided not to find out the donor’s identity.

“Ha’Am thought it was critical to their editorial integrity,” Ward said. “They agreed that having a person pay for the magazine might call into question how independent the magazine was. These are young journalists, they’re very idealistic, and I applaud them for that.”

For more information on Ha’Am, visit haam@media.ucla.edu .

Ha’Am Makes Its Mark at UCLA Read More »

Do the Jews Need Geraldo

Leave a Comment / Up Front /

Geraldo Rivera has rediscovered his Jewish roots, and he declares the Jews "need" him back.

Rivera, 59, the flamboyant TV reporter, recently announced to the Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post that he is planning to marry TV producer Erica Levy, 29, in a Reform ceremony in New York this summer.

Rivera, whose mother is Jewish and father is Puerto Rican, told The Washington Post that "the Jews need me right now," apparently, according to the Inquirer, to help sort out the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Rivera could not be reached for comment, but he told The Washington Post that he is going to "take this whole Judaism thing seriously" from now on.

While this is his fifth wedding, Rivera said it’s his first in a synagogue or church. He celebrated a dual bar mitzvah in Israel with his oldest child, Gabriel, now 23.

Rivera has come under fire for some of his TV work in Israel and the Palestinian territories for Fox News. The media watchdog groups StandWithUs.com and the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), blasted Rivera in 2002 for his reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Although uninformed coverage of the Israel-Palestinian crisis is common, Rivera’s combination of inanity and incessant self-reference to his own feelings, reactions and experiences has prompted particular audience disgust and derisive criticism from other journalists," CAMERA said.

That April 2002 criticism came after Rivera said that although he had been a lifelong Zionist and "would die for Israel," Palestinian suffering was turning him also into a "Palestinian-ist."

Rivera and Levy are due to wed this August at the 128-year-old Central Synagogue in Manhattan. The guest list at the ceremony and reception, to be held at the tony Four Seasons, is said to include the likes of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.).

Upon learning of Rivera’s Jewish wedding, Andrea Levin, executive director of CAMERA, said, "He’s not going to be a Palestinian-ist anymore?"

While a Jewish marriage "doesn’t always necessarily guarantee level-headed reporting," she added, "I certainly hope he has a long and happy marriage and that it helps inform his reporting."

Do the Jews Need Geraldo Read More »

Your Letters

Leave a Comment / Letters to the Editor /

Date Addict

Amy, it’s not some imaginary flaw in your profile that’s attracting a lot of “commitment-phobic narcissists” (“True Confessions of a JDate Addict,” May 16). There are a lot of commitment-phobic narcissists.

When guys can expect sex even from nice, religious Jewish girls on a first date or a third — I know, you didn’t say you did, you were just laying out the realities of modern dating — they have no need to make a commitment. In fact, it’s an actual hindrance to filling that bottomless pit of narcissism through serial seduction.

You’ll save yourself a lot of time if you don’t even talk to a guy unless he shows a sincere interest in developing an actual relationship with a woman — who may or may not turn out to be you — and can describe this relationship in nonsexual terms.

Elin Guthrie , Los Angeles

Amy Klein wonders if its only Jewish men who lie about their height. Maybe we lie about our height because of the mantra-like repetitions we hear from Jewish women for a tall Jewish male. By the way, has astute Klein figured out how us not-so-tall males are expected to find love also in the Jewish community?

Name Withheld by Request

Aliyah Perspectives

I was glad that you published a piece on Angelenos who have made aliyah, especially since one of them is my daughter, Ariella (whose name was misspelled in the article) (“Aliyah Perspectives,” May 9). Concerning Ariella, [Amy] Klein only mentioned a Zionist father, not her mother who equally modeled a strong Jewish identity. Ariella’s grandparents contributed as well to the Israel connection by taking her there after her bat mitzvah. Ariella also went to two L.A. Jewish day schools before high school and Camp Ramah.

All of these influences are parts of the whole picture that led to Ariella making aliyah because she feels that there is no other place in the world to be.

Misha Askren, Los Angeles

‘Road Map’

[Reuven] Firestone’s article opens new doors and new ways of thinking in regards to the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (“‘Leasing’ of Peace Could Be Best Move,” May 9).

Having grown up within an Islamic society, I share Firestone’s view that “Normative Islam today cannot make a peace treaty with a Jewish State….” However, for my American and other Ashkenazi friends this may not be so obvious.

Solie Nosrat, Encino

I read with great interest “Peace Opportunity FacingObstacles” (May 2) by Leslie Susser. No one would like to see the “road map”derailed before it has a chance to get started. We in America are alwaysexpecting instant success. We must learn to be patient. The peace process isgoing to take time.

Ed Rasky, West Hills

Run for the Roses

It’s funny that [Bobby] Frankel mentions Buddy Jacobson as his role model (“Trainer Saddles Up to Run for the Roses,” May 2). No article about Jews in horse racing would be complete without mention of Buddy’s uncle (my great-uncle), the late Hirsch Jacobs.

Hirsch was the first Jewish trainer to be inducted into the National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and was the winningest trainer (and owner) in the history of thoroughbred racing (both in dollars and races won) when he died in 1970 — and faced anti-Semitism along the way (e.g., being refused membership in the exclusive Jockey Club, which later regretted the snub). Hirsch is still remembered to this day in racing circles. In fact, every year, on the same day as the Preakness, Pimlico Race Track hosts another less famous, but still very special race, the $100,000 Hirsch Jacobs Stakes.

Jacqueline Jacobs Caster, Pacific Palisades

Falling Minds

Concerning Jane Ulman’s April 25 cover story, “Failing Minds Fall Prey to Holocaust,” our Holocaust Reparations staff at Bet Tzedek also shares the heartbreaking experience of assisting clients struggling with early stages of dementia.

When is their suffering going to stop? In light of this terrible illness that afflicts the elderly, we encourage the New York Conference for Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, (Claims Conference) to increase the allocation of health care funding for Holocaust survivors.

Michael Freeman, Bet Tzedek Legal Services

Miriam Meditations

In the May 16 Journal, columnist Hank Rosenfeld wrote about how difficult it has been to meet women in Los Angeles (“Miriam Meditations”). There is good news, though. Unlike the past, people do now walk in Los Angeles and there are many sidewalks, outdoor malls, mountain trails, farmers’ markets and promenades bustling with women certain to attract the writer.

The odds are great that Rosenfeld will meet his soulmate quicker walking than driving. Then we will miss his funny columns about being alone and searching and roaming the Southland.

Chuck Levin, Los Angeles

Your Letters Read More »

Kids Page

Leave a Comment / Kids & Teens /

We received the Torah 50 days after we left Egypt. Now that we, the Israelites, had our freedom, it was time to figure out what to do with it.

But, of course, you can’t do anything you want. You need to be responsible: Don’t spend it all in one shopping spree. Don’t just buy Starbursts and Warheads. Maybe you can save it for something big, like a bike. Maybe you can even give a dime or two every week to tzedakah from your allowance. One might say that good sense makes good cents!
Those spending rules are what it was like to leave Egypt and receive Torah.

God is saying: Use — don’t abuse — your freedom. Create a meaningful life full of goodness and value.

Kids Page Read More »

No Major Names for Jerusalem Mayor

Leave a Comment / Worldwide /

Next week’s vote for mayor of Jerusalem will be unprecedented: For the first time since the reunification of the city in 1967, no major national figure is running.

The front-runners are three candidates who, until now, were little known: a high-tech multimillionaire, a ultra-Orthodox provider of auxiliary medical equipment and a loyal Likud Party functionary.

Likud leaders wanted former Finance Minister Dan Meridor, the man Menachem Begin predicted one day would be prime minister, to take the job. He politely declined.

Labor heavyweights Avraham Burg, Matan Vilnai, Dahlia Itzik and Ophir Pines-Paz all briefly toyed with the idea of running, but chose not to.

That left the field open to Nir Barkat, 43, director of BRM, a venture-capital firm worth an estimated $250 million; acting mayor Uri Lupoliansky, 51, founder of Yad Sarah, the biggest volunteer organization in the country; and deputy mayor Yigal Amedi, 47, a Likud activist who has been involved in local party politics since his teens.

The June 3 election comes just four days after Jerusalem Day, which celebrates the reunification of the capital under Jewish rule in the 1967 Six-Day War. But it also comes as the city’s future is more uncertain than ever: As momentum builds for new peace talks under the "road map" plan, Jerusalem’s fate is sure to be reopened as the Palestinians demand the eastern part of the city for the capital of their expected state.

The reason for this year’s election partly explains why major national players aren’t lining up for the race.

Former Mayor Ehud Olmert was forced to resign after being elected to the Knesset on the Likud ticket in January, because of a new law prohibiting Knesset members or Cabinet ministers from serving as mayors at the same time. Had Meridor, Burg or any of the other national politicians run, they would have had to leave behind the Knesset — and their national leadership aspirations — at least for the foreseeable future.

Olmert’s critics argue that he used the mayoral office to resurrect his national political career so blatantly that no one else would feel comfortable doing the same. All three front-runners feel obligated to stress that they would be "full-time" mayors in a way politicians with national aspirations never could. Each is convinced he has a special contribution to make to the development of the capital in the 21st century.

Amedi, a self-made man from the poor Nahlaot neighborhood, claims to have an innate understanding of the city’s residents and their needs.

"There is not a stone in the city I don’t know," he boasted, adding that he wants to be "the people’s mayor." If elected, he would be the first Jerusalem-born incumbent.

Barkat is convinced he can revolutionize the way the city operates by applying the same standards of excellence that made him rich. He sees running the city in terms of a customer-driven service market: The people — the customers — must be empowered to let the service provider, the city, know what they want, and the city must then provide those services with maximum efficiency. In Barkat’s view, the mayor’s job is to monitor all municipal services, from garbage collection to education, in terms of customer satisfaction and to demand constant improvement.

"We will put a mirror up to each and every department in the municipality, and I will demand that they keep raising their standards," he said.

For example, schools that aren’t up to the mark will be closed, and their buildings handed over to successful schools that will be encouraged to expand and open new branches.

If he wins, Barkat would be the first mayor elected on a nonparty ticket.

Lupoliansky’s flagship is Yad Sarah, which loans medical equipment to the sick and infirm, religious or secular, Jew or Arab, virtually free of charge. He claims its success is evidence of his ability to run large organizations, and that he will run the city in the same nondiscriminatory way.

Lupoliansky — who became the city’s first ultra-Orthodox mayor when he took over from Olmert in February — said he hopes to create a more caring community in which people from all sectors live in harmony.

"What burns in my bones is to build a city that will be a joy to live in, where everyone can dance to his own tune in his own place without stepping on anyone else’s toes," he said.

But running a city holy to three religions, at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with more than 3,000 years of history — and a population of 670,000 that is the largest, poorest and most ethnically diverse in the country — will take more than sloganeering.

For years young, mainly secular Israelis have been leaving the city in droves because of a perception of growing Orthodox influence on its lifestyle and because of a dearth of housing and job opportunities.

For example, 220,000 people work in Jerusalem every day; in Tel Aviv, with a population half as large, the figure is 340,000. Clearly, anyone who wants to keep young people in Jerusalem will have to bring in more businesses that provide jobs.

There are other pressing problems, too: the run-down state of the city center; the ongoing threat of Palestinian terrorism that keeps tourists away; light-rail infrastructure clogging up the roads; keeping the peace between ultra-Orthodox and secular Jews, while allowing secular entertainment and travel on the Sabbath; dealing with social problems in poor neighborhoods; equalizing educational opportunities; restoring Jerusalem’s status as a great international city; and providing an acceptable level of services to Palestinians in the eastern part of the city.

With less than a week to go, polls show Barkat and Lupoliansky running neck and neck at around 40 percent, with Amedi winning 10 percent to 15 percent. If no candidate wins 40 percent on the first ballot, there will be a run-off between the top two finishers. If that happens, Barkat, who would be expected to pick up most of the rest of the secular vote, would be the favorite.

Still, many secular Jerusalemites complain they have no one to vote for: Barkat’s critics fear he may try too much too soon and end up being a mayor for the rich, while Amedi’s critics say he is a good No. 2 but doesn’t have what it takes to be No. 1.

As for Lupoliansky, critics say that as talented and personable as he is, the ultra-Orthodox establishment will force him to divert huge budgets to yeshivot and Orthodox schools.

The big question is whether the new mayor will be able to grow in stature and restore the city to its former glory. That could depend on events outside his control — particularly on whether the "road map" ends terrorism, brings back tourists and investors and re-establishes Jerusalem, the holy pilgrim city, as a symbol of peace and spirituality.


Leslie Susser is the diplomatic correspondent for the Jerusalem Report.

No Major Names for Jerusalem Mayor Read More »

U.S. Jewish Leaders Face Risky Situaton

Leave a Comment / Worldwide /

As a new round of Mideast peacemaking begins, U.S. Jewish leaders are putting themselves on the line for a government in Jerusalem, whose real intentions are more impenetrable than ever.

In a flurry of actions and statements in recent days, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon just added to the confusion — and to the risks U.S. Jewish leaders face as they rally their troops to support his government in the face of a friendly but firm squeeze from Washington.

A lot is at stake for U.S. Jewish leaders, whose greatest fear is getting caught in the crossfire between the Bush administration, the government in Jerusalem and their own constituents — a Jewish community that will support Israel’s fight for security, but which has little interest in fighting to preserve Jewish settlements in Gaza and the West Bank.

Sharon has made a tantalizing, hard-to-read series of moves on the political and diplomatic chess board in recent days.

On May 25, the old hawk and architect of Israel’s sprawling settlements network won his government’s conditional endorsement of the international "road map" for Palestinian statehood. He won by a comfortable 12-7 vote, despite threats by far-right parties to bolt.

In a startling break with the past, Sharon told Likud Knesset members that the "occupation" must end, because "ruling 3.5 million Palestinians cannot go on indefinitely." That marked the first time a leader on the Israeli right referred to Israel’s presence in the West Bank and Gaza as an occupation.

At the same time, Sharon said construction in settlements will continue for generations. He has offered no clues about what kind of Palestinian state he will allow.

Sharon’s real intentions remain as opaque as ever. Is he prepared to offer a minimally acceptable amount of territory for creation of a Palestinian state and genuine sovereignty? Or are his recent statements and actions simply a new version of the old stall, meant to appease Washington until the pesky road map problem goes away?

Privately, members of his government say that accepting the road map wasn’t particularly risky, because they expect Yasser Arafat and Hamas to quickly undermine it.

The problem facing U.S. Jewish leaders, who have risked their relations with the Bush administration by lobbying against the road map in Congress, is that they don’t have a clue where Sharon is taking them and his nation. If Sharon’s endorsement was just a gambit, Jewish leaders here could find themselves in an awkward position, especially if the new Palestinian government tries to live up to its commitments under the plan.

A good-faith effort by the Palestinians could cause the administration’s enthusiasm for the road map, now tempered by low expectations, to soar. That could produce a White House backlash against those Jewish groups seen as trying to erect new road map obstacles on behalf of a balky government in Israel.

Alternatively, Jewish leaders could face a problem if the Sharon government really decides to embrace the plan. In the past, Israeli governments have abruptly reversed longstanding policy, leaving U.S. Jewish groups in the lurch.

That happened in 1993, when another old hardliner, Yitzhak Rabin, decided to talk to the PLO, while many Jewish groups here were still treating "dialogue" with Arafat as a mortal sin. It could happen again if Sharon surprises the world and decides to follow the road map’s route to a settlement.

Sharon’s whole history may argue against acceptance of the road map’s core demands, including quick timetables for statehood and a settlements freeze, but he has also demonstrated a fierce determination to preserve smooth relations with Washington.

Jewish groups here need to be prepared for sharp policy changes in Jerusalem, as Sharon weighs his options. Harder to deal with will be the already wide gap between community leaders and rank-and-file Jews on peace issues.

Polls show that a majority of U.S. Jews still support the road map’s basic principles, including Palestinian statehood, security for Israel and a negotiated end to the occupation, despite almost three years of horrific terrorism. If the plan moves forward, Jewish leaders, who seem to be fighting a rear-guard action against it, could find themselves at odds with a community that may be much more willing to see Israel take risks for peace.

American Jews will support Sharon as long as they believe he is fighting for Israel’s security. That support has generally encompassed even the tough military actions he has taken in recent months to do what the Palestinians have failed to do — put the terror groups out of business.

But they are unlikely to rise to the defense of an Israeli government that seems more intent on preserving settlements than on serious negotiations.

If the administration pursues the plan and Israel resists, the gap could widen between a Jewish leadership that defends the policies of the current Israeli government and a Jewish public that is not yet ready to abandon active, difficult peace efforts, despite two very grim years.

U.S. Jewish Leaders Face Risky Situaton Read More »

‘Map’ OK Opens Way for Forceful U.S. Role

Leave a Comment / Worldwide /

In the end, the message from the White House to the Jewish world could have been this: When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the vision that President Bush set forth last June is like the Torah.

The "road map" peace plan is like the Talmud, explaining that vision — but open to multiple interpretations.

The Israeli Cabinet vote May 25 accepting the road map — which came after U.S. officials said they would seriously consider Israel’s reservations during the plan’s implementation — clears the way for more forceful U.S. engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

If Bush puts his presidential prestige to work, the road map could mark the first real sign of progress since the Palestinian intifada began in September 2000, said Jon Alterman, director of Middle East programs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"This is where it becomes an art and not a science," Alterman said. "You need enough oomph to get it moving but not too much so that each side gets immune to presidential influence."

Israeli officials had feared that the plan diverged too much from the vision Bush presented in a speech June 24, in which he called for a change in Palestinian leadership and an end to terrorism before progress could be made toward a Palestinian state.

Reassurance from White House officials that the June 24 speech indeed sets the parameters for the road map allowed Sharon to endorse the plan May 23. He brought it to his Cabinet for approval on May 25, and it passed in a 12-7 vote, with four abstentions.

The vote came days after Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice acknowledged that Israel’s concerns about the plan were valid and that the United States would "address them fully and seriously" during implementation.

Yet the statement was sufficiently vague that it didn’t thwart the plan, which the Bush administration believes is the right path toward peace.

"We are not planning on making any changes to the road map," Powell said in Paris May 23.

The Israeli Cabinet qualified its approval by attaching 14 reservations to the plan. It also voted to reject the Palestinian demand for a "right of return" for refugees from Israel’s 1948 War of Independence and their descendants — several million people in all — to their former homes inside Israel.

Israeli officials fear the plan calls for irrevocable Israeli concessions before the Palestinians prove that they are serious about fighting terror, and that it is too driven by timelines as opposed to performance.

Most of Israel’s reservations relate to implementation, the Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported. Israel wants to stiffen the security demands on the Palestinians, delay a settlement freeze until the Palestinians start fighting terror in earnest and ensure that implementation will be monitored only by the United States — not by the European Union, the United Nations and Russia, the other bodies that helped the United States draft the plan.

Many in Israel saw the road map as a far cry from Bush’s June 24 speech, which set tough conditions for the Palestinians to meet before achieving statehood.

The Palestinians accepted the plan quickly, and Israel came under growing international pressure when it refused to sign on.

The United States at first seemed understanding, allowing Sharon to accept the plan piecemeal, making small goodwill gestures to allow the Palestinians to begin enforcing security, without binding Sharon to the goal of an eventual Palestinian state and the dismantling of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Despite Israel’s steps on the ground, however, Arab and European governments focused on Sharon’s reluctance to endorse the plan, not the Palestinian failure to crack down on terror attacks. The Palestinians refused to begin fighting terrorism until Israel formally accepted the document.

Increasingly, the White House saw that the road map was becoming an impediment to progress, rather than an inspiration, and sought a way to get all the parties on to the same page.

The deal was worked out May 21, when Sharon’s chief of staff, Dov Weisglass, met with Rice in Washington. It essentially was the meeting Sharon and Bush were due to have on May 20, before a series of terror attacks early in the week killed 12 Israelis and caused Sharon to cancel his trip.

White House officials understood Sharon’s domestic political problems and came up with a political solution that satisfied his needs, while allowing the United States to move forward.

The Palestinians welcomed the Israeli vote, but warned that the reservations could empty the plan of its content.

Now that all sides are working from the same script, the Bush administration is expected to take a tougher line with the Palestinians, pressing them to curb violence. Much of the focus will be on Mahmoud Abbas, the new Palestinian Authority prime minister, as he faces the first tests of whether he can steer Palestinian affairs away from the corruption and terrorism that were endemic under the rule of Yasser Arafat.

However, with Arafat maintaining a significant amount of power and prestige — and, according to reports, actively working to undermine the prime minister — it’s not at all clear if Abbas can succeed.

Bush is scheduled to meet with Sharon and Abbas on June 4 in Jordan. Bush is expected to meet June 3 with leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.

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Chandra Levy Laid to Rest

A private Jewish burial was held for Chandra Levy in California. Between 75 and 100 people attended the service, which was held just days after Washington police turned over Levy’s remains to her family. The case of Levy, who disappeared in April 2001 in Washington at the age of 24, received widespread media attention because of speculation that she was having an affair with then-Rep. Gary Condit (D-Calif.). Condit has denied the affair. Her body was found in a Washington park in May 2002.

Burns, Abrams Heading to Region

Two senior U.S. envoys will travel to the Middle East to lay the groundwork for an Israeli-Palestinian summit. William Burns, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, and Elliott Abrams, senior director of Near Eastern affairs at the National Security Council, are expected to leave Wednesday morning for the region, sources told JTA. They will prepare for a meeting in the region next week involving President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, as well as a likely second meeting between Bush and Arab leaders. Sources say Bush will press Arab leaders to support Abbas and play a larger role in furthering peace efforts.

Amnesty Report Slams Israel,
Palestinians

Both Israel and the Palestinians are committing war crimes, according to Amnesty International. The group’s annual report cited what it termed Israel’s unlawful killings, obstruction of medical assistance and targeting of medical personnel, extensive and wanton destruction of property, torture and cruel and inhuman treatment, unlawful confinement and the use of human shields. The group also cited armed Palestinian groups for deliberate targeting of civilians and the Palestinian Authority for arresting scores of people for political reasons, even executing some of them. The report also criticized the U.S.-led crackdown on terror, saying it has made the world a more dangerous place.

France to Study Head Coverings

France is establishing a parliamentary commission to examine the possibility of outlawing the wearing of religious symbols in public schools. The issue has split France’s Jewish community. French Chief Rabbi Joseph Sitruk calling on the government to allow students to attend classes wearing Muslim scarves, crosses or yarmulkes, but the president of the CRIF organization of secular French Jews, Roger Cukierman, said he personally supports a ban.

Group Helps Quake Victims

The American Jewish World Service is collecting money for victims of last week’s earthquake in Algeria. More than 2,000 died and more than 9,000 were wounded in the quake, which was followed by a strong aftershock Tuesday.

Contributions can be sent to: American Jewish World Service, Algeria Earthquake, 45 W. 36th St., 10th Fl., New York, NY 10018; or visit the Web site at www.ajws.org.

She’s a Mystical Girl

Madonna reportedly is funding a new building for the London Kabbalah Centre. The singer, who in recent years has become a student of Jewish mysticism, and her husband, film director Guy Ritchie, donated nearly $6 million to help the center move into a 10,000-square-foot building.

Israel Boycotts Belgian Court

Israel plans to boycott all future proceedings of a lawsuit filed in Belgium against a senior government official for alleged war crimes. A Belgian court is set to rule next month in a lawsuit filed against Gen. Amos Yaron for alleged war crimes in a 1982 massacre by Lebanese militiamen of Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps during the Lebanon War. Israel says Belgium’s universal jurisdiction law is heavily politicized. Belgium recently amended its laws so that suits against defendants who come from democratic countries where they could receive a fair trial could be returned to those countries. Using that argument, a lawsuit against the first President Bush and other U.S. officials over the 1991 Persian Gulf War was sent to U.S. courts but the suit against Yaron is still proceeding in Belgium, which Israeli officials say is discriminatory. Yaron, who at the time of the massacre commanded Israeli forces in Beirut, today is director general of Israel’s Defense Ministry.

Australia May Ban Hezbollah

Australia may list Hezbollah as a terrorist group. Australia currently follows a U.N. terror list, but the country’s attorney general says the list is inadequate because it only includes organizations linked to Al-Qaeda. Individuals linked to terrorist groups may be prosecuted under Australian law.

Israel Chairs Disarmament Parley

Israel chaired a major international meeting for what is believed to be the first time. Ya’akov Levy, permanent representative of Israel to the U.N. Office in Geneva, opened Tuesday’s Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. In protest, several Muslim countries sent lower-level representatives to the meeting, and two delegations sat in the gallery instead of behind their country’s nameplates, but no one walked out of the meeting. The conference is the forum for negotiating disarmament treaties.

Belarus Memorial Defaced

The main Holocaust memorial in Belarus was desecrated. On Monday, swastikas and such slogans as “Holocaust 2003” and “Kill the Kikes” were found on the memorial in the capital of Minsk, according to NCSJ: Advocates on Behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eurasia. Police are investigating the incident.

State Workers Covered By Leave

Jewish groups are praising a Supreme Court ruling that state employees are protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act. The court found that state employees have the right to 12 weeks of leave per year for the birth or adoption of a child or to care for an elderly relative. Several Jewish groups including the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and National Council of Jewish Women had joined a brief by the National Women’s Law Center arguing that the law protected state employees from gender discrimination in hiring because it allows both male and female employees to take leave.

Illegal Palestinians Arrested in Sweep

During a 24-hour sweep, Israeli police arrested more than 1,000 Palestinians who were in Israel illegally. Twenty of them were brought before a military court for a trial, and the rest were returned Tuesday to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Two of the detainees possessed forged Israeli identity cards they said they had purchased in the territories. Twenty-three Israelis were also detained for transporting the Palestinians and giving them a place to sleep.

Knesset Votes on Economic Austerity
Plan

Israel’s Knesset was expected to give final approval Wednesday to the Treasury’s economic austerity plan. The vote follows nearly two days of marathon debate and a mass protest in the capital against the reforms. The plan, which prompted a four-day general strike earlier this month, calls for large-scale budget cuts in the public sector.

Briefs courtesy Jewish Telegraphic Agency

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