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Jewish Journal

Connect. Inform. Inspire.

February 19, 2004

Not Only on Sunday

Leave a Comment / Community /

Bailey Silverman and Rebecca Namm are in many ways typical teenagers. The best friends like to go to the mall, hang out with pals and talk on the phone.

But come Super Sunday, Feb. 22, the two Milken Community High School juniors will undertake the very adult mission of raising money for The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and its 15 beneficiary agencies, including Jewish Family Service, Jewish Vocational Service and Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters. During Super Sunday, the girls will supervise a group of high school and college students in the San Fernando Valley who will call Jews throughout the Southland to make The Federation’s annual fundraising extravaganza just that much more super.

"I feel that I’ve been lucky my whole life to have support and not be in the situation that some Jews are in, like with poverty and homelessness," said Encino resident Silverman, who, with Namm, co-chairs the Valley’s Super Sunday After Dark, a program that has teen and young-adult volunteers work the last session and then celebrate with an after-party. "It makes me feel good to give back."

Silverman and Namm will be joined by hundreds of volunteers at the Bernard Milken JCC in West Hills, The Federation’s Mid-Wilshire headquarters and in a Redondo Beach hotel. They hope to raise up to $5 million in 12 hours.

However, this year’s Super Sunday comes at a time when government funding for Jewish agencies is drying up because of budget deficits, and the soft economy has made some potential donors reluctant to open their wallets. Those dark clouds notwithstanding, volunteers remain optimistic and energized.

"Super Sunday puts a public face on The Federation," said Jill Namm, the Valley’s Super Sunday co-chair and Rebecca Namm’s mother. "This is our community building day."

Lee Rosenblum, a former campaign director at The Federation, attributed Super Sunday’s effectiveness to its ability to touch people on a personal level, if only by phone. By contrast, mail solicitations all too often end up in the trash.

Gerald Bubis, a former Federation board member, said he liked Super Sunday so much that he thinks The Federation should hold a second one every year. Instead of asking for money, though, volunteers would ask community members if they needed Federation or agency services. Bubis said such "Jew checkups" would foster a sense of community and help The Federation "humanize" itself.

"What I’m suggesting is to reach into hearts and not just into the pocketbook," Bubis said.

At least two-thirds of the nation’s 156 federations hold Super Sundays, which began more than three decades ago as daylong dialathons, said Vicki Agron, senior vice president for financial resource development at United Jewish Communities. Super Sundays have proven so successful that many federations have added Super Mondays, Super Tuesdays, even Super Weeks.

Such is the case at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Last year, the group expanded Super Sunday to include Monday and Tuesday evenings. By calling people over three days instead of just one, last year’s fundraising event raised $1.1 million, $200,000 more than in 2002, said Carol Kaczander, senior campaign associate.

"It increased our opportunities to find people at home," she said, adding that the super days attracted 300 volunteers, the most in at least two decades.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington holds Super Week, which lasts four days. To generate excitement among volunteers, dignitaries such as Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. dropped by recently to schmooze and make calls.

In New England, the Combined Jewish Philanthropies in Boston sponsors so-called "Tzedakah Fairs" concurrently with Super Sunday fundraisers. The goal: to bring young families into the Jewish community and cultivate them as future givers.

At the fairs, mothers, fathers and their children receive information on Judaism’s commitment to tikkun olam or healing the world. Children can get into the spirit by decorating brown bags and filling them with food, clothing and other donated items that will be given to homeless shelters and food pantries, said Elyse Hyman, the federation’s director of community building.

Super Sundays, despite their popularity, have limitations. Mark Charendoff, president of the Jewish Funders Network, an umbrella body for 800 Jewish family foundations, said the fundraisers are "in the fine tradition of giving a half-shekel to the temple." Although they might succeed in generating money from small donors, Super Sundays typically fall short with big contributors. That’s because it takes more than a cold call to build a fruitful relationship with wealthy individuals, he said.

Irwin Daniels, a former board member of The L.A. Federation, said Super Sunday excites local Jews and helps build community. But, like other Federation fundraisers, Super Sunday might attract even more dollars if professionals handled public relations and advertising instead of lay leaders, he added.

"The Federation hasn’t properly told its story about what services are provided with the money raised and why folks should give," Daniels said. "Many Jews don’t know what it or its agencies do."

None of that is on the mind of Rebecca Namm, the After Dark co-chair.

"I’m excited and a little nervous, but think everything will turn out as planned," she said. "It should be fun."

Not Only on Sunday Read More »

Dining With Tolerance in Krakow

Leave a Comment / Travel /

Soon after Alef Jewish Restaurant opened for business in Krakow’s Jewish quarter more than a decade ago, a gaggle of Polish schoolgirls wandered in during their lunch break. The anxious students asked the restaurant’s co-owner, Janusz Benigier, whether they served non-Jews.

Benigier recounts the story to support his theory that Polish anti-Semitism, which a recent survey measured at more than 50 percent, springs from a lack of knowledge rather than a dark place in the soul.

“There are cases of ignorance,” he said over dinner at his restaurant. “I hope we are one of the places that provides an education.”

A doughy, red-cheeked fellow with a brown mustache and an unfortunate Hiltler-esque haircut, Benigier acknowledges that Alef attracts few Polish customers. The restaurant caters mainly to tourists, some of the 200 Jews or so left in the Kazimierz neighborhood and the occasional Holocaust survivor in town to visit nearby Auschwitz.

“Survivors come here from abroad after years,” Benigier said. “They’ve wanted to avoid thinking of memories of their families, their children who perished. There are a lot of tears here.”

The candlelit dining room in the 17th-century merchant’s house does evoke a sentimental time — the “between the war” period, when 65,000 Jews helped establish Krakow as a thriving center of culture and commerce. Paintings and period photos hang on the walls, which are the color of braised celery. Portraits of Frida Kahlo, Mozart and local rabbis intermingle. Mismatched antique wooden chairs encircle white lace-covered tables, common in the homes of many a Jewish grandmother.

Distraught diners at Alef, named for the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, tend to brighten after sampling familiar food, sensitive service (the waiters, all non-Jews, learn about Jewish culture as part of their training) and a few shots of Shilivitz, a potent vodka made from, according to Benigier, “plums and fire.”

There were few diners during a recent visit to Alef, giving Benigier a chance to play host. He switched off Rosemary Clooney’s “There’s No Business Like Show Business” — the Klezmer band apparently had the night off — to give me a tour of his wall of fame. A framed note from Steven Spielberg, who filmed part of “Schindler’s List” at the restaurant, reads: “May your establishment survive for 2,000 years. The tradition is so important.” There’s a letter from Itzhak Perlman and a photo of Prince Charles–wearing a blue yarmulke embroidered with royal feathers. Last year, “Charles” — that’s how he signed the restaurant’s guest book, as if he were a supermodel — shared fruit juice and cake with Holocaust survivors during a photo-op at Alef.

It’s a shame HRH did not stay for more of a nosh. A meal at Alef, which is not kosher, proved a pleasure, aside from the unappetizing first course — carp Jewish-style. The hunk of white fish swims in a pond of viscous beige jelly studded with blanched almonds and black currants. Benigier noted with amusement that many Poles serve the dish on Christmas Eve, evidence of the comingling of cultures.

A better option is the rich wild mushroom soup with onions, a nice change from ubiquitous borscht. For a main course, I was tempted by the stuffed goose necks but instead opted for sticky but hearty cholent, a stew of beef, kidney beans, lentils and kasha that was traditionally eaten in Orthodox homes on the Sabbath. Religious law dictates that observant Jews refrain from using electricity on the Sabbath, hence the popularity of cholent, which can retain heat for hours. For dessert, I sampled a dense chocolate walnut cake, notable for its tempered sweetness.

After dinner, Benigier reflected on discovering his own Jewish roots as an adult. He lost two uncles in the Holocaust, but his family rarely discussed religion at the dinner table. “It was taboo during Communism. If you have to stand in a queue and fight for a meal, the interest in private affairs is not very critical,” he explained. His father fretted that his son would encounter harassment, or worse, by opening Alef, but so far the restaurant has been vandalism-free.

Encouraged by his success, Benigier plans to open an outpost of Alef in the middle of Krakow, which will test his hopeful hypothesis that anti-Semitism is waning in Poland. He has big plans: Jewish cooking classes, Jewish folk dancing and visions of tour groups spilling out of busses. Is he nervous about venturing out of the Jewish neighborhood?

“Not fear, just excitement,” he said. “I trust young people who are tolerant and looking [at the past]. A lot of them will find Jewishness in their own identities.”

For more information about Alef Jewish Restaurant, visit
www.alef.pl/en/2.html . Dinner for one runs about $20.

Dining With Tolerance in Krakow Read More »

The Rebirth of Jewish Vienna

Leave a Comment / Travel /

As our British Airways jet approached Vienna, we were able to make out the famous skyline of the Austrian capital. Excited, snatches of Viennese waltzes ran through our head, which somehow then turned to melodies by Mozart and Beethoven. But then more somber, darker images of the Jewish life that had been cut off as of 1938 slowly replaced the more beneficent thoughts. But soon we would see for ourselves what kind of reconstituted Jewish life pulsed in the city famous for music, pastries and good times.

Though Jews lived in Vienna over the centuries, the greatest efflorescence of Jewish life and contributions to European and world culture came in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when world-class personalities like Freud, Herzl, Stefan Zweig, Arthur Schnitzler, Gustav Mahler, Arnold Schoenberg and scores of other creative geniuses, scientists, lawyers, doctors and journalists made their mark way out of proportion to their numbers in the population.

Before 1938, Vienna, with 182,000 Jews (the third-largest Jewish community in Europe), had 59 synagogues, a vast Jewish education network and a noted rabbinical seminary. But all this came to a halt, like a candle suddenly snuffed out, in March 1938, when Austria was annexed (the Anschluss) by Germany, and Hitler was welcomed by enormous crowds of ecstatic well-wishers. Torments of Jews soon began. Most of the synagogues were burned; thousands of Jews were arrested and some, especially the intellegentsia, community leaders and men of wealth, were either murdered outright or sent to Dachau where they were imprisoned or killed.

For decades, Austria suffered from a split personality. On the one hand, it claimed it was Hitler’s first victim; on the other, most of Hitler’s henchmen, a good number of concentration camp commandants and Hitler himself, were Austrian. But Austria now has a memorial of sorts made of stone slabs and cubes. The top lateral bears the words “Never Forget.” A small Star of David is on the right corner, the gold star that Jews had to wear on their sleeves or chests, and on the left the inverted red triangle worn by political prisoners. Despite the “Never Forget,” something indeed is forgotten. Nowhere in the long paragraph inscribed in the large stone cube below, which speaks of the Gestapo, suffering and the rebirth of Austria, is the word “Jew” mentioned.

However, for the 65,000 Austrian Jews killed by the men who carried out Hitler’s policies in Austria there is a memorial in the center of Judenplatz, in front of the Museum Judenplatz for Medieval Jewish Life in Vienna. The outer walls of this large concrete house-like structure represent shelves of a library lined with books. And the doors of this “building” are symbolically locked. No entry. Since Jews are called the People of the Book, the books represent the people (remember Dr. Goebbels, the German propaganda minister with a doctorate in literature, whose thugs burned Jewish books years before they burned Jews?), and the books, like the Jews killed, are no longer accessible. No one can fail to be moved to by this imaginative and powerful monument.

Inside the museum there is a database that lists all the Jews who were deported.

The only synagogue not destroyed during Kristallnacht in November 1938, when hundreds of synagogues across Germany and Austria were torched, was the famous one on Seitenstettengasse. Built in 1842 by a theater architect who considered a synagogue as “holy theater,” its facade looked like an apartment building, but its sanctuary has an impressive classic simplicity. Since the synagogue abutted other apartment houses that would have been burned had the synagogue been set aflame, this Jewish house of worship was spared. Besides the main synagogue today there are also 15 shtibls (Chasidic prayer rooms). Vienna also has several Jewish schools, both primary and secondary.

Six-thousand Jews are registered with the community; about half are immigrants from other countries like Russia, Georgia and Israel. Like in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, there are other Jews living in the city who are not officially affiliated.

One of the glories of Jewish Vienna is the Jewish Museum, reopened in 1993. When the Jewish Museum first opened in 1896, it was the first Jewish museum in the world. Its doors, like so many other doors, were shut in 1938, and were reopened in 1993, sponsored by the city government of Vienna and the local Jewish community.

Among the few kosher restaurants in Vienna, we had the pleasure of dining in the elegant Alef-Alef, where the menu was variegated and superb, and the prices moderate (the waiter even spoke Hebrew). In addition, there are some three dozen shops that sell various kosher provisions.

Vienna offers the tourist miles of architectonic delights. At our superb Best Western Am Park Ring Hotel we were perfectly located. Stroll in the center of the Old Town from St. Stephen’s Cathedral to the opera — a lovely pedestrian mall — and then make a right turn and follow the “Ring” boulevard and you will see dozens of historic palaces, grand buildings, parks and museums. One must remember that Vienna was not only the capital of Austria, but for a long time was also the capital of the sprawling Austro-Hungarian Empire.

As a world-class city of the arts, like New York, there are dozens of choices daily for theater, concerts, opera, dance, art exhibits, clubs and cabarets. One afternoon we saw a superb production of our favorite opera, “The Magic Flute” at the Vienna State Opera, which was just a three-minute walk from the classic belle époque Hotel Astoria where we stayed. At another occasion, we enjoyed Vienna’s other opera house, the Volksoper Wien, where the charming operetta, “The General’s Wife” was staged .

While in Vienna be sure to get the Vienna Card that permits you to use all the subways, trams and busses without extra charge and, in addition, offers many discounts for shopping and tourist attractions. Since we were also traveling to other European countries, we got the Eurail Flexipass in the United States, which yields double savings. It saves money, for the cost of each rail journey is greatly reduced; and, more important, it saves time — no standing in long lines to purchase tickets. It also lets you choose a new destination at a moment’s notice.

For more information, call Rail Europe at (888) 382-RAIL.


Curt Leviant is the author of several works, including the two-novella collection “Ladies and Gentleman, the Original Music of the Hebrew Alphabet and Weekend in Mustara” (University of Wisconsin Press, 2002). Erika Pfeifer Leviant has contributed travel articles and essays on Jewish art to various publications.

The Rebirth of Jewish Vienna Read More »

Between the Sheets

Leave a Comment / Up Front /

So what does a nice Jewish girl know about porn? Quite a bit. Writer Lynn Isenberg strived for silver screen success and Hollywood nights, but instead found sex scene success and "Boogie Nights." Tired of legitimate film studios’ constant rejection, Isenberg found success as a screenwriter for adult films.

"Everyone in Hollywood said I was a great writer, but I couldn’t get any projects going," said Isenberg, a Sinai Temple regular. "I wandered into the adult film industry by accident, but found I could tell good stories there and actually see them on film."

In contrast to her never-ending struggle to push projects through the legitimate studio system, Isenberg discovered the porn industry came with a quick turnaround and instant gratification.

"Instead of delayed contract talks, everything was done with a handshake deal," Isenberg said. "I found the industry to have a great deal of integrity."

Ten years later, Isenberg has written "My Life Uncovered," her debut novel inspired by her own unexpected journey through the porn industry. The book, published by Red Dress Ink, follows fictional protagonist Laura Taylor as she juggles her screenwriting dreams, secret adult film career, disastrous dating life and Jewish morals.

"The book is really about finding balance. It’s about self-improvement and self-discovery," Isenberg said.

What better place to discover oneself than in synagogue? That’s right, this insider peek at the porn industry comes complete with Shabbat morning service scenes. The rabbi’s sermons may not be steamy, but they are revealing. The book’s heroine does all her best thinking in shul.

"Laura has concerns about her work. She’s seeking moral redemption and solace. She finds it at synagogue," she said.

As for her own moral experience, Isenberg says she’s better for the time she spent in the adult industry.

"I’m a better person — more open-minded and less judgmental. I became more tolerant of others, of myself, and of the choices we make."

Isenberg will be appearing at Barnes & Noble, 16461 Ventura Blvd., Encino on Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m.

Between the Sheets Read More »

A Sweet Dream Come True

Leave a Comment / Up Front /

The tip jar at CremaLita in Santa Monica reads, “Make Me Fat,” which is the opposite of why patrons frequent this new, kosher fat-free ice cream chain in Los Angeles.

The trendy, Manhattan-based company dishes out more than 60 flavors — including peppermint and espresso — averaging 60 calories per four-fluid-ounce serving. Its three Los Angeles stores are part of a low-fat craze that has infiltrated the kosher market, with retailers reporting “dramatic” interest in not-so-naughty desserts, such as Colombo Chocolate Sorbet, according to Kosher Today. In Los Angeles, Baskin-Robbins and other franchises offer kosher low-fat fare, although CremaLita is perhaps the only chain in which the stores, as well as the product, are kosher certified, said Rabbi Eliezer Eidlitz of the Kosher Information Bureau.

As for why Jeffrey Britz founded CremaLita with his daughter, Allison, in 2001: “We’re weight lunatics,” he said. The 58-year-old entrepreneur — who rises at 4 a.m. to exercise most days — had sold his physical-therapy business when his thoughts turned to ice cream in January 2001. For years, he’d trekked to a soft-serve joint twice a week to pick up quarts of low-fat dessert. As that brand became a staple for chic Manhattan dieters, he analyzed the competition, opened his first store and soon drew a following. The cast and crew of “Sex and the City” bought 100 cones one afternoon; Us magazine ran a cartoon of that show’s Kristin Davis enjoying CremaLita; and 2001 Miss USA Kandace Kreuger called the brand her “secret weakness.”

But a recent New York Times story suggested the snack might not be entirely guilt free. The article alleged that samples of CremaLita and another brand had more calories than advertised, partly because of oversized servings and insufficient air beaten into the product. The piece referenced that “Seinfeld” episode in which Jerry and Elaine gain weight after pigging out on “diet” fro-yo.

In response, Britz said signs in his stores warn that size matters, but customers don’t seem to care.

“If we serve a strict four ounces, they feel cheated,” he said.

Besides, a big cup of CremaLita is still more virtuous than Häagen-Dazs: “At least it’s a large portion of something that’s low calorie and low fat,” Allison Britz said.

CremaLita stores are located in Santa Monica, WestHollywood and Sherman Oaks. For addresses and information, visit www.cremalita.com .

A Sweet Dream Come True Read More »

Your Letters

Leave a Comment / Letters to the Editor /

GLBT Jews

I’m a member of Beth Chayim Chadashim. I want to say how heartening it is to read your words, and the words of Rabbi David Ellenson last week (“‘Til Death Do Us Part,” Feb. 13 and “Countering the Family Values Monopoly,” Feb. 6). You do so much to take the conversation out of the place of fear where it was put by the right wing, and put the focus back where it belongs — on the simple fact that we just want to live our lives, like everyone else.

Melanie Henderson, Los Angeles

While it was gratifying to see recent coverage in The Journal in support of gay/lesbian-themed TV shows (“Producer Channels Life Into ‘L Word,'” Feb. 6) and same-sex marriage (“‘Til Death Do Us Part,” Feb. 13), it was disheartening to see a bigoted reference in Amy Klein’s feature “Jerusalem for a Song” (Feb 6). In an otherwise laudatory account of David D’Or’s career and his selection this year to represent Israel in the 49th Eurovision international song competition, Klein wrote: “Since it began competing in 1973, Israel has won the contest three times, most infamously with transsexual Dana International in 1998.” Merriam-Webster defines the word “infamous” as “having a reputation of the worst kind, disgraceful.”

On the contrary, at the time, then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said of Dana International’s win: “I congratulated her and all those who took part in the effort. This appears to me to be deserving of congratulations. It’s definitely an honorable achievement.”

In short, Dana International’s success enjoyed the support of the vast majority of Israel’s leaders and public, right, left and center.

I might also add that Israel, in terms of attitudes toward and treatment of sexual minorities, has long been, and continues to be, more supportive and accommodating, both socially and legally, than either the United States or its Jewish communal institutions (The Jewish Journal included). Although the word “controversial” might have been more accurate of the press coverage at the time, I’m hoping Klein’s unfortunate word choice was a careless slip, rather than a deliberate decision. Still, an apology would be appreciated.

Scott Portnoff, Los Angeles

I found Rob Eshman’s editorial, “‘Til Death Do Us Part,” disturbing from a number of perspectives. For one, he quotes the late Rabbi Alexander Schindler, a leader of the Reform movement, as saying that “We cannot deny the demand for gay and lesbian visibility.” Schindler talks about visibility and Eshman uses that to support his argument in favor of state-sanctioned gay and lesbian marriages. Marriage was not what Schindler was speaking about. However, the most specious argument Eshman presents is that, “Logic and evidence indicates that legalizing gay marriage would strengthen, not weaken, families.” I wonder where Eshman uncovered evidence about gay marriages longevity since these unions do not exist in our country, and I question his logic. I have been a therapist for more than 20 years and would have never thought that gender identity is a guarantee for stronger family bonds. The gay and lesbian clients, colleagues and friends I have are faced with the same issues as everyone else. What kind of world of make believe is Eshman living in when he can use these arguments to try to convince me that legalized gay unions is a necessary development?

Avi Engel, Los Angeles

Regarding legalization of same-sex marriage: Laws are not meant to impose certain religious tenets on the population (“Countering the Family Values Monopoly,” Feb. 6 and “‘Til Death Do Us Part,” Feb. 13). They say the Bible refutes homosexuality. The Bible also says certain meats are to be avoided, women are not to talk in the church, we are not to work on the Sabbath (which was Saturday, not Sunday), we should all speak in tongues to prove our salvation and when women have their menstrual period they are unclean — among other things that nobody argues about.

No, when we talk same-sex marriage, we are talking about allowing discrimination or not allowing discrimination into our laws. If we allow discrimination against one group of people, then discrimination against other people is allowable.

Renee Durante, Sunnyvale

Hier vs. Gibson

As a Christian, I was mortified by Rabbi Marvin Hier’s attack against Mel Gibson for comparing the Holocaust with other slaughters. (“Hier: Gibson Is Insensitive,” Feb. 6)

Gibson’s statement that the Holocaust was one of many horrors of this century is true and does not diminish the importance of the Holocaust. Hier would do better to question the propaganda springing up by so-called Muslim mainstream groups about tolerance while holding Jews in contempt, rather than attack Christians, who believe in respect for Jews.

Caroline Miranda, North Hollywood

A Friendly Drink?

One wonders what Paul Berman was drinking when he wrote “A Friendly Drink in a Time of War” (Feb. 6). First, he accuses the left of a double standard in regard to the Arab world tolerating tyranny there but nowhere else. Next, he calls us anti-Semitic for allegedly singling out Israel for criticism. Most deluded, he proclaims the Iraq War an anti-fascist war.

The left has consistently decried not only Iraq’s, but all other despotic regimes in the region — most of which continue to enjoy near-unqualified U.S. support. It also decries unprovoked war against a sovereign nation. Israel is held to a higher standard precisely because it is the closest thing to a democracy; the left expects more of Israel, just as it expects more of the United States. And while it may be an anti-fascist war for Berman, does he seriously believe it was this for those who launched it? Democracy will only be tolerated in Iraq if it meets our geopolitical needs. This can be deduced not merely from our track record, but from our expanding alliances with the oil-rich and strategically significant former Soviet republics, most of which are at least as tyrannical as was Hussein’s Iraq.

Vincent Brook, Los Angeles

Another Israel

Gary Wexler is right (“Visit To Another Israel,” Feb. 6). We should stop kidding ourselves that Israel can exist without Judaism and that Judaism can exist without the Orthodox. Instead of seeing the Orthodox presence in Jerusalem as a negative, Wexler should thank God that the Orthodox are going to stick around for the long struggle — not because of a sentimental attachment to ancient history — but because we are commanded to do so today, tomorrow, the next day and the day after that.

Elaine Leichter , Los Angeles

Lets get to what’s bugging [Gary] Wexler. (1) Jerusalem has been “overrun” by religious Jews “squeezing out a creative, secular population”; (2) Israel is building a “wall through the country… unnerving everyone”; and (3) Israel needs to present “creative” ideas in order to solve the Palestinian issues.

As to the first assertion, it is both bigoted and false. The majority of Jerusalem’s Jewish population for thousands of years has been Orthodox, not secular, and nowhere have I seen asserted, except by Wexler, that secular Jews are being squeezed out of the city. On the contrary, one sees in Jerusalem a growing trend (and somewhat disturbingly so) toward Westernization.

As to the second assertion, official U.S. sources, and even the usually biased press refer to the separation created by Israel as a fence or barrier. Only the spokesmen for the Arab world — and Wexler — refer to it as a wall, a real attempt to depict Israel as an apartheid state. Sharon has stated throughout the time since the United States presented the “road map,” that were the Palestinians to rid themselves of the terrorist groups, Israel would make substantial territorial concessions and recognize a Palestinian state. No movement has been made by the Palestinian Authority.

Finally, how can anyone accuse Israel of not being creative in its search for peace? The failed Oslo accord and the failed Camp David proposals are not testimony to a failure on the part of Israel to be creative, but rather a failure on the part of the Palestinians to abandon [Yasser] Arafat’s goal of eliminating Israel and its Jews.

Richard S. Weiner, Los Angeles

Hong Kong Jews

I hope you know that Jonathan Kesselman’s article, “Jews in Hong Kong?” (Jan. 9), is extremely offensive to people of Chinese and Asian descent.

Is it common practice for The Jewish Journal to publish cheap racist stereotypes and try to pass them off as articles?

Radford Tam, Via e-mail

Alon Carmel and JDate

I read your cover story on JDate.com (“Desperately Seeking Souls,” Feb. 13) and wanted to send this letter. I live in New Jersey and joined JDate a few months ago because I wanted to meet a Jewish woman.

There are profiles of women pictured wearing crucifixes and openly stating they are not Jewish. When others and I have complained we were told, “There is nothing we can do about it.”

A Jewish dating service is supposed to be for Jews only and by allowing a large number of non-Jews to join, the owners of JDate are doing the opposite of what they supposedly desire. It’s time they state on their site what the “J” in JDate stands for and when they find a profile of a man or woman that says they are not Jewish to remove the profile.

Mark Jeffery Koch, via e-mail

The article about Alon Carmel’s meteoric rise from growing up in “Mosad Ahava,” an orphanage in Israel, to becoming the successful cofounder of JDate was both heartfelt and inspirational. Alon has never forgotten the love and support that was given to him as a young child growing up in AHAVA. As an adult, he approached the Bnai Zion Foundation in Los Angeles and asked our organization to adopt AHAVA as one of our projects. AHAVA now represents one of our five ongoing projects in Israel including the Bnai Zion Hospital in Haifa, the Quittman Center for the developmentally challenged, the Library of Peace and the David Yellin College of Education. We are proud to have Alon Carmel as an active member of our Bnai Zion Board of Directors.

George W. Schaeffer, National Foundation Chairman Bnai Zion

Irving Moskowitz

I was shocked and appalled to read a hate and trashy letter in your Feb. 6 issue, assassinating the character of Dr. Irving Moskowitz (“Irving Moskowitz”). Moskowitz is a great American benefactor and a great Jewish patriot for many years. How could The Jewish Journal print such a hateful piece of trash without checking into the truth of this matter? Who is the author of that piece of garbage and what is his agenda? With people like that so-called rabbi, the Jewish people do not need other enemies.

Bernard Nichols , Los Angeles

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The Circuit

Leave a Comment / Circuit /

Big Brothers Bash

Hollywood producer Mark Canton received the Sydney J. Rosenberg Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters/Camp Max Straus 12th annual Dinner and Auction Gala on Jan. 24 at the Century Plaza Hotel.

Jewish Big Brothers/Big Sisters is an organization that provides mentors to underprivileged children, and special guest Mark Okyansky spoke about how he changed from a shy stutterer to a confident young adult thanks to the involvement of his Big Brother and the caring counselors that he met at Camp Max Straus.

Canton, who produced blockbusters like “Batman” and “Lethal Weapon,” bought his friend and golf buddy, actor Dennis Hopper, to the event to be the master of ceremonies. Another one of Canton’s pals who was in the crowd was actor Michael Keaton.

Leslie Cavanaugh and David Weissberg were the dinner’s co-chairs, while comedian Sinbad was the auctioneer who simultaneously exhorted and shamed the crowd to bid high on great prizes, like two first-class tickets to London and a cruise to Portugal.

Between formalities, guests danced away to the music of West Coast Music’s Durrell Coleman Band.

Hillel Yuks It Up

Once you’ve starred in any big, fat movie, the title follows you around for years to come.

Actress and comedian Lainie Kazan, who played the mother in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” was Hillel at Pierce and Valley College’s honoree at Comedy Night 2004: Our Big Fat 40th Anniversary Celebration, which was held at Pierce’s College’s Main Theatre on Jan. 31. Kazan received the Woman of Valor Award for being a positive Jewish role model, her accomplishments and for her acts of lovingkindness.

Kazan was not the only funny person at the event — other comedians on hand to keep the laughs coming, including

Wayne Federman, Robert Koch, Avi Liberman and Marla Schultz. Scott Blakeman came in from New York to serve as the master of ceremonies at the event

that attracted 400. Proceeds went to support Hillel programs at the

colleges, which reach 3,500-4,000 Jewish students.

Eyes on the Media

Itamar Marcus, the director of the Palestinian Media Watch, addressed a sellout crowd at the Museum of Tolerance on Feb. 2. Marcus, who was brought out to Los Angeles by StandWithUs, Hasbarah Fellowships, American Jewish Congress and the Museum of Tolerance, monitors and reports on the media of the Palestinian Authority. He shared footage of the Palestinian Authority television broadcasts indoctrinating children to aspire to be “martyrs,” who kill themselves and others in suicide bombings.

Marcus was joined onstage by KABC talk show host, civil rights attorney and African American community leader Leo Terrel.

City of Hope’s New Faces

City of Hope, the world-renowned research and treatment center for cancer, recently appointed Phillip L. Engel, the former president of Chicago-based CNA Insurance Companies, as the chair of their board of directors. The board of directors also added the new position of vice chair to support the new chair. Sheri Biller, the current chair of the board nominating committee, and Terry Peets, the current chair of the development and marketing committee on the board, were both named vice-chairs-elect.

And that’s not the only new thing at City of Hope. At a Jan. 25 benefit for Tower Cancer Research Foundation at the Skirball Cultural Center — emceed by Brad Garrett of “Everybody Loves Raymond” — the research center announced a new affiliation with the foundation that will bring more clinical trials for cancer treatment to the Westside. Through the affiliation, Westside residents will now have easy access to the hundreds of cutting-edge clinical trials conducted by City of Hope.

Westside residents interested in clinical trials can call Tower Cancer Research Foundation at (310) 854-9269, or City of Hope at (800) 826-4673 for information.

Etta Does It Betta

The Etta Israel Center, an organization that helps youth and young adults who have special needs, held its 10th anniversary dinner at the Petersen Automotive Museum on Jan. 10. The event paid tribute to Aaron and Rickey Bloom, the founders of the center, and presented its first ever Educational Leadership Award to Richard Goldman.

Meier’s Service

Congregation Beth Meier in Studio City honored its founder, Rabbi Meier Schimmel at a tribute brunch at Pat’s Restaurant on Jan. 18, on the 70th anniversary of his rabbinic ordination. Schimmel was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and was ordained there in 1934. After serving as a rabbi for a time in London and as a chaplain in the American army during World War II, he and his late wife, Rochelle, came to Studio City and created Congregation Beth Meier, its first synagogue. Schimmel has served as a spiritual leader of the congregation for more than 45 years.

Go Guardians!

The Guardians of the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging, the well-known fundraising group dedicated to funding and preserving the home, held its leadership installation ceremony at the Regency Club in Westwood on Jan. 28.

Commercial attorney Bradley Mindlin of Sherman Oaks was installed as the new president, taking over from Robb Greenspan. Mindlin recited the pledge of allegiance with his daughter, J.T Mindlin, and her 8-year-old classmate, Ashley Grossblatt.

Among the 170 people crowded into the Regency Club were Los Angeles City Councilmen Alex Padilla and Jack Weiss, and former California Gov. Gray Davis, who said that he has been coming to Guardian meetings “every Tuesday night off and on since 1981.”

At the installation, Mindlin challenged his fellow Guardians to raise more money for the Jewish Home and spend at least three to five hours a year visiting the Home’s 800 residents.

“Our need is real,” Mindlin said. “Every generation of Americans stands on the shoulders of preceding generations.” — David Finnigan, Contributing Writer

Give Me a Break

West Hollywood’s Citrine restaurant hosted the Jan. 28 Los Angeles Press Club/Reason Magazine party for ABC News consumer reporter and “20/20” cohost John Stossel and his new book, “Give Me a Break.” Guests at the party included KABC-AM’s pro-Israel talk show star Larry Elder; Elle contributor Ruth Shalit; USC sociology and Jewish studies professor Barry Glassner and his wife, literary agent Betsy Amster; National Review Online columnist Cathy Seipp; author David Rensin; and former Los Angeles Times editor Debbie Gendel and her husband, TV writer Morgan Gendel. — DF

Frank Talk

More than 6,000 people showed up the Universal Amphitheater to hear Gen. Tommy Franks give the first lecture of the University of Judaism’s 2004 Public Lecture Series. Other speakers in this year’s series include Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Bill Maher, William Kristol and Tom Brokaw with Dee Dee Myers and Ari Fleicher.

Listening and Smiling

Still Listening: 150 years of Jewish Family Service (JFS), the multimedia art and historical exhibition at the Skirball Cultural Center’s Ruby Gallery held its gala opening on Jan. 6. Attending the celebration were Wells Fargo regional president Shelley Freeman; Paul S. Castro, the executive director of JFS; Lois Gunther, JFS event chair; Robert Kanne, JFS exhibition chair; Marcia Volpert, president of JFS; and Jonathan Weedman regional vice president of the Wells Fargo Foundation.

Drawing on Trial

On-the-spot courtroom drawings, covering a virtual who’s who of high-profile criminal trials over the last 30 years, have been acquired by the UCLA Library from artist-journalist David Rose.

The 741 sketches includes scenes from the trials of the Manson family, Patty Hearst, Black Panther leader Huey Newton, Daniel Ellsberg, director Roman Polanski and Jonathan Pollard.

Overseas, Rose covered the trial of Yigal Amir, the assassin of Yitzchak Rabin, in Israel, and the case that touched him most deeply, the conviction in France of Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie, “the Butcher of Lyon.”

Rose got his professional start at the Walt Disney Studios, served in the U.S. Army’s animated cartoon section headed by Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and has since worked for leading newspapers, magazines and TV networks.

Now in his 80s, Rose shows no signs of slowing down. His drawings will be housed in the UCLA’s Department of Special Collections. — Tom Tugend, Contributing Editor

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Right Wing Girds to Block Gaza Plan

Leave a Comment / Worldwide /

The earthquake in Israel that measured 5 on the Richter Scale last week is not the only ground shifting these days in the Jewish state.

In the wake of the recent announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that Israel soon could withdraw unilaterally from Jewish settlements from Gaza, the political landscape is shifting as well. Since Sharon made his remarks two weeks ago, right-wing ministers have been busy mobilizing Cabinet colleagues in an effort to stop the prime minister, while the left-leaning Labor Party has been preparing to embrace Sharon.

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the hawkish National Union, has written to 10 right-wing ministers, urging them to come up with an alternative plan to Sharon’s. The Likud’s Uzi Landau is openly trying to drum up a majority against the prime minister in the Cabinet. In addition, the National Union and the National Religious Party are threatening to bolt the coalition, if Sharon goes ahead with his plan.

Some politicians are predicting that Sharon’s move will tear apart the government and bring early elections. What’s more, some military officials are saying a unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip might encourage more terrorism, as Palestinians interpret the withdrawal as a retreat under fire.

But Sharon is not backing down. To take the wind out of the right wing’s sails, the prime minister said he will take the matter directly to the people by calling a nationwide referendum on the Gaza withdrawal plan. Sharon is hoping that a popular mandate for withdrawal will make it difficult for the right-wingers in his own party to continue opposing him, thereby paving the way for a coalition with Labor.

Last week, Matan Vilnai, a Labor leader, said in Washington that the Labor Party would consider joining Sharon’s government if the prime minister has a plan to return to peace talks. Vilnai said the ruling Likud Party could count on Labor’s support if Sharon goes ahead with his plan to uproot Jewish communities in Gaza.

The most active Likud opponent to Sharon’s plan is Landau, a minister without portfolio, who said he is close to assembling a majority of 12 votes in the 23-member Cabinet against the Gaza withdrawal. So far, Landau counts seven ministers against: Effi Eitam and Zevulun Orlev of the National Religious Party; Lieberman and Benny Elon, National Union; and Likud’s Yisrael Katz and Natan Sharansky, in addition to Landau.

Landau said four other Likud ministers — Benjamin Netanyahu, Meir Sheetrit, Tzachi Hanegbi and Limor Livnat — are leaning toward vote against Sharon’s plan. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom or Shinui’s Eliezer Zandberg could provide a decisive 12th vote against the prime minister.

In his letter to the 10 hawkish ministers, Lieberman attempted to build on Landau’s work. He urged them to set up a joint forum to draft what he calls a "plan for the national camp."

Lieberman wrote that the "national camp" is divided, merely reacting to left-wing plans, like the unofficial Geneva peace proposal. Instead, Lieberman said, the government should come up with a plan of its own — and quickly. Lieberman proposed "fencing in the Palestinians" in several cantons, with Israel controlling passage between each one.

Clearly, Lieberman’s target is not the Geneva plan but the prime minister’s. Lieberman wants both to block Sharon’s unilateral disengagement plan and set a political agenda for a post-Sharon era. Elon, Lieberman’s colleague in the National Union, has been speaking out against the Sharon plan in the United States.

Such actions on the part of ruling coalition members are tantamount to mutiny in Sharon’s government.

The questions are: Will Likud Cabinet ministers agree to join the rebel forum, will Sharon vanquish the rebels or will Sharon dump the rebels for new, left-wing coalition partners?

Netanyahu’s position is the key. Having staked his political future on the success of his stewardship of Israel’s ailing economy, the finance minister and former prime minister is believed by some pundits to favor the plan that would help propel the economy out of its current slump. That would put Netanyahu in Sharon’s camp of withdrawal from Gaza.

However, if Netanyahu believes the timing is right, he could well vote against Sharon’s plan and take the lead of forces in the government opposing Sharon, thereby challenging the prime minister’s leadership. Netanyahu’s decision could decide the fate of Sharon’s government and the unilateral withdrawal plan.

Several Knesset members and expert observers believe the countdown to early elections has already begun. One of them is Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, a former Sharon ally who now opposes the prime minister’s disengagement plan.

Rivlin said he does not believe Sharon will be able to keep his present coalition together for long or form a stable government to replace it. He also predicted Netanyahu would not make a leadership bid until new elections are called.

Rivlin’s reasoning is simple: If Sharon gets his plan through the government, the right-wing parties will leave. Then, if Sharon replaces them with Labor, he won’t be able to count on the support of the right-wingers in the Likud or on Labor’s hard left.

That would make Sharon’s government quite vulnerable. Theoretically, Netanyahu then could make his move. By triggering a vote of "constructive no-confidence" in Sharon, Netanyahu could have an opportunity to take over as prime minister.

But it would be tough for Netanyahu to assemble and hold together a ruling coalition, according to Rivlin, because Netanyahu’s coalition partners would have to be constituted exclusively of hawks and the ultra-Orthodox parties.

The hawks would press for special allocations for settlements, and the ultra-Orthodox would press for special funding for yeshivas. These financial demands would torpedo the tight fiscal policy upon which Netanyahu has staked his political reputation.

On the other hand, if Sharon fails to get his disengagement plan through, that in itself could be enough to spark elections.

Therefore, Rivlin believes, there is no escaping early elections, probably in 2005. Then the battle for the Likud leadership will begin in earnest.

Sharon sees things differently. His aides are already making plans for a referendum on the issue of the Gaza settlements, which they are sure he will win. Recent public opinion polls show that an overwhelming 77 percent of Israelis favor withdrawal from Gaza.

Winning a referendum with such an overwhelming majority would give Sharon the moral and political authority to proceed with his plan, perhaps enabling him to set up a stable government with Labor. But any referendum on the fledgling plan still is a long way off.

In the meantime, Lieberman and the other right-wing members of Sharon’s coalition are looking to the future — working, watching and waiting.

Right Wing Girds to Block Gaza Plan Read More »

Who Has Kerry’s Ear?

Leave a Comment / Worldwide /

Now that he’s running for president, Sen. John Kerry’s openness to a broad range of Jewish opinion is making some in the pro-Israel community nervous — and others hopeful.

The very quality that attracted Jewish voters to him as a longtime Massachusetts senator is now earning the candidate closer scrutiny across the Jewish spectrum.

Kerry’s Jewish supporters accurately cite his solid voting record in the Senate and his frequent readiness to meet leaders of Washington’s main pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

They also say he emulates President Clinton’s activist philosophy when it comes to Middle East peacemaking, an approach that won broad Jewish support during the Clinton presidency.

Detractors inevitably — and just as accurately — mention Kerry’s closeness to critics of U.S. foreign policy who say U.S. Middle East policy is a dog wagged by Israel’s tail. They include the former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Joseph Wilson.

The variegated palette of advice Kerry has drawn upon over the years — and the fact that he ultimately keeps his own counsel — has made pinning down the candidate’s positions that much harder.

It’s one thing to see all sides of a question when you’re one voice out of 100 in the Senate, some pro-Israel officials in Washington say. When you’re the Democratic frontrunner, it’s another.

Now, as Kerry’s views, both foreign and domestic, are put under the microscope, the question abounds, as one pro-Israel official put it: "Where is he getting his advice?"

On the one hand, Kerry’s campaign has recruited Wilson, who has likened the legality of Saddam Hussein’s occupation of Kuwait in 1990 to that of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Wilson also has said that close U.S.-Israel ties hinder U.S. engagement in the Arab world.

On the other hand, Kerry’s top foreign policy adviser is Rand Beers, a former top Bush counterterrorism adviser who made headlines last year when he quit because he said the war in Iraq was doing major harm to the war on terrorism.

Beers’ views on Israel are unknown, but he has said he believes the Saudis should do much more about support in Saudi Arabia for terrorist groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah.

And Kerry’s closest adviser, according to a profile published over the weekend in The New York Times, is his younger brother, Cameron, who converted to Judaism two decades ago when he married Kathy Weinman. Weinman’s family is active in the Detroit-area Jewish community and remains active in the Boston Jewish community.

Both Kerry brothers said they were surprised and pleased to learn last year of their own Jewish connections — through their paternal grandparents.

"The pattern of how he does things is to get as many opinions as he can," says Candy Glazier, a Kerry supporter from Longmeadow, Mass., who also is on AIPAC’s executive committee.

"He’ll listen to every side of the story, and he’ll make the final decision."

Seeking such diversity of opinion is in stark contrast to President Bush, who is much more likely to make foreign-policy decisions by relying on his advisers. These advisers include security adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney — all of whom are seen as solidly in the pro-Israel camp.

Israel advocates across the political spectrum are quick to say that Kerry’s voting record is "stellar."

On the domestic issues Jews care about, Kerry’s record is unchallenged. He actually may be one of the few leading legislators who excites Orthodox and Reform Jews alike.

"He’s very good at navigating the waters of the diversity of the Jewish community — the Orthodox, the Reform, the Jewish defense organizations," said Nancy Kaufman, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) in Boston.

On his Boston staff, Kerry employs Joan Wasser, a graduate of the city’s Jewish day school system who is well-respected among Jews and who runs Jewish community outreach for Kerry. Her formal responsibilities are policy advice on education and senior issues, both areas of pronounced concern to the Jewish community.

Kerry’s record on church-state issues lands him solidly on the liberal side of the Jewish community. He opposes government aid to religious schools and for faith-based charities.

But his status as a powerful Democrat who has taken on teachers’ unions as overly powerful endears him to Orthodox Jews who advocate for greater parental voice in the schools.

Most outstanding for all sides has been Kerry’s lead role in trying to push through Congress the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, which encourages employer flexibility in areas of religious observance. For Jews, this translates into easing Sabbath and holiday observance, and promoting acceptance of religious attire, such as yarmulkes, in the workplace.

"He has shown great sensitivity toward religion and religious minorities and religious observance," said Abba Cohen, who heads the Washington office of Agudath Israel of America, an organization that awarded Kerry its Religious Freedom Award in 2000.

Cohen said he was especially impressed that Kerry took on the workplace freedom initiative himself, not at anyone’s behest.

The senator was outraged after reading in a local newspaper that two devout Roman Catholic women were forced to work on Christmas.

"It’s definitely worthwhile saying he introduced the legislation on his own," Cohen said.

Yet it is that notion — on his own — that is now unnerving some pro-Israel activists who wonder how Kerry comes to his policy decisions.

For example, Kerry’s vision of how to jumpstart the dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace process has taken some in the pro-Israel community off guard. Particularly, Kerry cites negotiations in Taba, Egypt, in January 2001 as a starting point for returning to the table.

"That’s not where we want to be," said one Jewish organizational official in Washington.

Taba represented the last-ditch effort by the Clinton administration and Israel’s Ehud Barak government to salvage the peace process after the launching of the Palestinian intifada.

The outline for a deal envisioned there, which would have set Israel back to its pre-1967 borders, alarmed many. It was vague about the right of return of Palestinian refugees to Israel, and critics said that it gave away too much to the Palestinians as a starting point for negotiation, rather than its culmination.

Another concern for pro-Israel activists is that, in private, Kerry is reported to have expressed dislike for Ariel Sharon, Israel’s two-term prime minister.

Some worry that Kerry might be taking advice from Yossi Beilin, the left-wing Israeli politician whose informal peace proposal, the "Geneva accord," mirrored the Taba talks.

People close to Beilin say the Geneva negotiators have met with Kerry no more than any other leading U.S. legislators — and they note that Kerry did not sign onto a non-binding "sense of the Senate" resolution this session that cites the Geneva proposal as positive.

Still, supporters of the Geneva initiative give Kerry high marks and note with approval the closeness to his campaign of Alan Solomont, a top Boston Jewish philanthropist who raises funds for Kerry and who is prominent in the Israel Policy Forum, which backs greater U.S. engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

"An engaged president and an engaged United States is what would provide the greatest amount of security to Israel," said Ken Sweder, a past president of the Boston JCRC, who accompanied Kerry on a visit to Israel in 1986

For his part, it is likely that Kerry — who demonstrates an impressive command of foreign-policy issues — arrived at Taba as a launching point on his own.

That tendency to go it alone worries some admirers who wonder if Kerry will heed their advice as president.

"He has made statements that have been disturbing and indicate a lack of real understanding of some of the issues relating to Israel," said Cohen of Agudath Israel. Nonetheless, he calls Kerry’s record of support for Israel "exemplary."

Kerry’s suggestion that he would consider former President Carter and former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker as Middle East envoys has especially worried some in the pro-Israel community. Both Carter and Baker are unpopular among many pro-Israel activists. A top Jewish Kerry supporter, New York Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver, told the Forward recently that Kerry has backed down from his intentions on appointing the pair envoys.

That has not stopped anonymous opponents from circulating e-mails citing the Baker and Carter references as a reason not to support Kerry.

Kerry’s supporters say the candidate will survive such attacks as it becomes clear that while he listens to a broad range of opinion, in the end he relies mostly on pro-Israel opinion, diverse as it is, in his assessments of U.S. policy in the Middle East.

"I’m one of the people who call on his office," said Glazier, of AIPAC, "and he’ll come and meet with us personally. Most people will send their foreign policy adviser, but John takes quite a lot of time to take questions."

Who Has Kerry’s Ear? Read More »

World Briefs

Leave a Comment / United States /

Foxman Presses Vatican on Film

Abraham Foxman wants the Vatican to take a stand on Mel Gibson’s controversial film on Jesus. Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, met with Vatican officials Tuesday. He urged Vatican officials to tell bishops around the world to inform Catholics that the movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” is Gibson’s interpretation of the Gospels, and not a factual record. The movie is slated to open in the United States on Feb. 25. Foxman also scheduled meetings with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and other Italian officials during his two-day visit. Foxman stopped in Rome en route to Brussels, where European Commission President Romano Prodi will host an international seminar on anti-Semitism and minorities in Europe that begins Thursday.

Gibson: Anti-Semitism ‘a Sin’

Mel Gibson denied he is anti-Semitic and insisted his new movie does not blame the Jews for Jesus’ crucifixion. Gibson, in an interview with Diane Sawyer on the ABC News show “Primetime Special Edition,” which aired Monday night, said “The Passion of the Christ” echoes his belief that “we all” are responsible for the death of Jesus.

“To be anti-Semitic is a sin,” he told Sawyer. “To be anti-Semitic is to be un-Christian, and I’m not.”

Some Jewish leaders have warned the movie will fuel anti-Jewish attitudes because it asserts the Jews pushed the Romans to kill Jesus. Gibson denied that, saying the movie is “not about pointing the fingers.”

No-show No Good?

Israel’s justice minister opposed Israel’s decision to abstain from The Hague’s hearings on the West Bank security barrier.

“This is basically a worldwide tribunal where your opinions should be broadcast and reported everywhere in the world,” Yosef “Tommy” Lapid told Reuters on Tuesday, referring to hearings at the International Court of Justice set to begin Feb. 23. “If you do not put up an argument, you will not have publicity for your views.”

Israel has decided to sit out the hearings at The Hague after filing an affidavit describing the fence as a counterterrorist measure and challenging the authority of the court to rule on the fence’s legality. Lapid said Cabinet colleagues overruled his call for Israel to argue its case in the court.

Conservative Rabbis Support Fence

Conservative rabbis from around the world approved a resolution supporting Israel’s West Bank security barrier. The resolution passed with an overwhelming majority Feb. 12 at the close of the Conservative movement’s annual Rabbinical Assembly, held this year in Jerusalem. The subject of the fence had been one of the most controversial items at the conference, and a revised version passed after a debate over the language. The final version stressed Israel’s right to self-defense while cautioning that Israel should do all it can to “avoid unnecessary hardships to innocent Palestinians” and maintain “the Jewish and democratic character of the state.”

U.S. Backs Gaza Pullout

The Bush administration announced its clearest support to date for Ariel Sharon’s plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. The United States government seemed to be caught off guard by the Israeli prime minister’s plan to uproot 17 Gaza settlements; U.S. officials were concerned that the move could undermine prospects for a peace treaty. After Israel explained the plan, however, administration officials warmed to the idea. On Wednesday, the State Department said in a statement that “Israeli moves to ‘disengage’ by removing settlements could reduce friction between Israelis and Palestinians, improve Palestinian freedom of movement and address some of Israel’s responsibilities in moving” toward the vision of peace that President Bush outlined in a June 2002 speech. The speech called for regime change in the Palestinian Authority, an end to terrorism and a Palestinian state by 2005.

Israel Gets Time on Falash Mura

Israel’s High Court of Justice agreed Feb. 12 to give the government more time to bring Falash Mura to Israel from Ethiopia. The government agreed to verify within the next 90 days those eligible to immigrate. The government will be working off a list of people who claim to be Falash Mura — Ethiopians whose Jewish ancestors converted to Christianity but who now are returning to Judaism. There are an estimated 20,000 Falash Mura waiting to emigrate from Ethiopia. The next court hearing on the case will be held in four months.

Birthright Funding Restored

A new matching grant will allow Birthright Israel to more than double enrollment for its summer programs. The free trip to Israel for young adults who never have been on a peer tour to the Jewish State notified its trip providers Sunday that it had secured funding for more than 8,200 spots for its summer programs. Due to funding problems, Birthright had planned to accept only 3,500 people, all but 500 of whom would come from North America. The Avi Chai Foundation announced it would provide Birthright with a “challenge grant” of $7 million, which they expect will be matched by philanthropists. In a statement, the foundation said it decided to give the grant in response to the cutback in funding for the program by the Israeli government, which reduced its funding for Birthright to a token amount for 2004 due to budget constraints.

Landau Takes Charge at Ha’aretz

English-born journalist David Landau was named editor in chief of Ha’aretz. Landau is to replace Hanoch Marmari, who resigned last month after a 13-year tenure, the Israeli daily announced Feb. 12. Landau, 56, was Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s longtime Jerusalem bureau chief. Landau began his career at the Jerusalem Post but left after the newspaper was sold to Hollinger International in 1990. Following a stint at Israel’s daily Ma’ariv, he co-founded Ha’aretz’s English-language edition in 1993. Landau also is a contributing writer at The Economist.

Briefs courtesy Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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