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May 26, 2005

MY IRAQ

Jewish Journal May 26, 2005

When a Marine finds himself in a ditch or an abandoned house, suddenly under fire, having to decide where to shoot and who to kill, it may not much matter if the Marine is Jewish. It was before and after the firefights in Iraq that Marine Corps Sgt. Kayitz Finley remembered and confronted his belief.\n\nThe war in Iraq cost Finley his faith for awhile. It also took away 11 buddies — including a close friend — men on whom he\’d depended to get home in one piece. Still, for Finley, the conflict was never the wrong war, the wrong place or the wrong time. For him, the Iraq War was as advertised — a war of liberation, a war keeping faith with the American principle of bringing freedom to those lacking it.\n\n\”Every Marine out there was for the cause,\” said Finley, who served two combat tours in Iraq. \”I believe in the cause, and I wanted to continue what I was doing.\”

‘Cinderella’ Villain Not Such a Bad Guy

Tom Tugend May 26, 2005

The upcoming \”Cinderella Man\” chronicles the fall and rise of Depression-era heavyweight champion James Braddock, but the movie is as likely to revive the memory of another title holder, \”Jewish\” boxer Max Baer.\n\nIn the climactic scene, the movie depicts the 15-round fight in 1935 between Braddock (Russell Crowe), the victorious underdog, and a menacing, beady-eyed Baer (Craig Bierko).\n\nBaer\’s greatest fight was in June 1933, when he faced the heavily favored German, Max Schmeling. Hitler had come to power a few months earlier and the Nazis were busy smearing Stars of David on Jewish-owned stores.

‘Star Wars’ for Jews

Adam Wills May 26, 2005

I was out communing with the nerds last weekend, contributing to the $158.5 million record four-day opening for \”Revenge of the Sith.\” Now that the series is over and done with (at least until George Lucas launches his live-action \”Star Wars\” television series), I began reflecting on all things Jewish in the saga set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Even though Lucas considers himself a \”Buddhist Methodist,\” and many of the themes from the series are inspired by the universal mythic structure explored by writer Joseph Campbell, there are some elements in the series that are undeniably Jewish.

Letters

Jewish Journal May 26, 2005

Letter to the Editor.

‘Little Flower’ Could Help Antonio Bloom

Joel Kotkin May 26, 2005

I imagine you are enjoying the hoopla surrounding your election. As the first Latino chief executive in more than 130 years, it may be tempting to bask in the warmth of a great ethnic triumph.

But don\’t enjoy it too much. Los Angeles does not need a symbol or an icon; it needs a mayor, one who can be both decisive and effective. We need less rah-rah and more Fiorello La Guardia.

Shadows Obscure Illegal Aliens’ Hopes

Andy Glass May 26, 2005

In speaking about illegal aliens, President Bush says the time has come to bring \”millions of hard-working men and women out of the shadows.\”

However, Republican leaders in Congress claim that Bush\’s proposals would reward lawbreakers. They soon plan to pass legislation tightening the legal and physical screws on illegal immigrants. The idea is to make the bill veto-proof by tying it to emergency funding for U.S. troops in Iraq.

For me, the issue is of more than passing interest. It was to California, long an immigration battleground, that I came to the United States in 1941 as the only child of illegal aliens.

Laser Heart Surgery

Orit Arfa May 26, 2005

My only decent pair of glasses broke en route from Los Angeles to Israel, and I took it as a sign — it was time to for corrective laser surgery, a.k.a. LASIK.

\”Make sure on the day of surgery someone comes with you,\” the Israeli receptionist said to me after I set my appointment.

Great. Who would I call on to come with me? If I lived in Los Angeles, someone in my family would have shepherded me. But I wasn\’t comfortable asking my family in Israel to escort me.

A Bigger Sunday

Rob Eshman May 26, 2005

At the risk of sounding like a cranky old-timer, the Jewish festivals of yore — the \’70s and \’80s — had a distinctive communitywide feel to them. The festival that was once held in Rancho Park drew thousands of people from across the communal spectrum — young, old, Orthodox, Reform, Israeli, American, rich, poor.\n\nPart of the celebration was a morning march through the city, the marchers waving flags and accruing donations for Israeli charities for each mile they walked. The booths reflected the entire spectrum of Jewish involvement, and the entertainment — David Broza, Theodore Bikel — had a multigenerational, cross-cultural appeal.\n\n\”It was amazing,\” said Temple Aliyah\’s Rabbi Stuart Vogel of the Rancho Park Jewish Festival — affirming my nostalgia. \”The whole Jewish community turned out.\”

Behind the Kvetch

Rabbi N. Daniel Korobkin May 26, 2005

A guy gets a Labrador and he can\’t wait to show him off to his neighbor. So when the neighbor comes over, the guy calls the dog into the house, bragging about how smart the little guy is. The dog quickly comes running and stands looking up at his master, tail wagging furiously, mouth open in classic Lab-smile position, eyes bright with anticipation. The guy points to the newspaper on the couch and commands: \”fetch!\”

Immediately, the dog sits down, the tail wagging stops, the doggie-smile disappears; he hangs his head, looks balefully up at his master and says in a whiny voice, \”Oh! My tail hurts from wagging so much. And that dog food you\’re feeding me tastes absolutely terrible. And it\’s so hot in here. And you\’re not giving me any treats. And I can\’t remember the last time you took me out for a walk….\”

The neighbor\’s jaw drops.

\”Ah,\” the dog owner explains, \”he\’s a little hard of hearing. He thought I said \’kvetch!\’\”

Artful Solution to Nazi Looting

Tom Tugend May 26, 2005

After six years of litigation and diplomatic battles over Nazi-looted art, in a legal case stretching from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., to Vienna and back, the Austrian government has agreed with Maria Altmann, an 89-year old widow, to let arbitration decide who now owns masterpieces that once belonged to her family.

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