It may be the most ideological presidency in recent memory, but on at least one issue, the Bush administration is pure pragmatism.
As Israel gets set for its summer of disengagement discontent, the administration has responded with a cautious, practical approach that has angered ideologues on both sides of the Mideast debate.
That could be the best strategy in a situation rife with potential for nasty surprises. But it could also be a dangerous dead end if the administration’s caution is just a cover for something else — a desire to avoid messy Mideast matters.
The recent Washington visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas triggered a new burst of speculation about what could come next, after Israel has left all of Gaza and part of the West Bank in August.
The administration continues to send out mixed signals — not a surprise, given its goal of helping both Abbas and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon deal with strong domestic opposition. At a joint news conference with Abbas, the president seemed to back away from his April 2004 promise that this country doesn’t expect Israel to abandon every inch of the West Bank, an acknowledgment of tacit understandings between Israel and the Palestinians about the big settlement blocs.
In fact, there was no change in U.S. policy — the administration has always said final borders need to be negotiated — but that didn’t prevent shudders of anxiety among pro-Israel leaders.
At the same time, the administration refused to do what Abbas wanted and ratchet up the pressure on Israel on the always-explosive issue of Jewish settlements.
The reason for both actions was the same: the Bush administration, taking things one step at a time, does not want to do anything to jeopardize either the upcoming Gaza disengagement or Abbas’ efforts to start moving the Palestinian Authority down the road of peace and democracy, key first steps in reviving any active peace process, the administration believes.
To do all that, officials here are willing to cut Sharon some slack as he faces declining support for the Gaza plan at home, and overlook the fact that Abbas has been less than aggressive in confronting terror groups.
The administration appears determined to keep its focus glued to immediate, practical priorities, instead of what could come next, despite strong pressure from some quarters to start talking more about the next steps in a revived peace process.
Administration Mideast strategists want the road map for Palestinian statehood to move to the center of the diplomatic game board after disengagement, and they hope the pullout will create conditions that will jump-start that plan, but there is a realistic awareness that there are too many unknowns to plan much beyond the present.
Those unknowns include the possibility new Palestinian terrorism or violence by Jewish extremists could delay or derail the plan.
Once implemented, the pullout could result in an orderly transfer of power to the Palestinians and a strong effort by Abbas to pacify the region — or it could turn Gaza into the launching pad for new terror attacks.
There is also the Palestinian elections, which have been postponed until November, in which Hamas expects to do well. Just how well and how successful Abbas is in turning the terror group into responsible players in his government are big unknowns.
Then there’s the question of Sharon. Does he plan to use the disengagement to tighten Israel’s grip on major West Bank settlements and put further negotiations into “formaldehyde,” as a top aide colorfully put it? Or has he started something that will inevitably lead to new pullouts and create conditions for the negotiation of a final settlement, as another aide has hinted?
Sharon isn’t talking, and nobody in Washington can accurately assess his intentions.
Then there’s the Abbas wild card. Many Jewish leaders here believe that he is sincere in wanting to reform his government and pursue peace — but uncertain about his ability to fill that tall order.
Given those huge uncertainties, the administration has adopted the view that a cautious, incremental approach may be more practical and less risky than the grandiose but failed Mideast plans of past administrations. There is a realization that if the disengagement fails, the region will once again plunge into chaos. So working for the disengagement is the top priority; while the road map remains on the table, figuring out how to make it happen will wait until the disengagement is complete.
That approach makes sense, but there are risks. Without assertive U.S. leadership, the current window of opportunity in the region could slam shut. Finding the proper balance between cautious pragmatism and creative leadership will be the top challenge facing this administration in the months ahead.
A one-step-at-a-time approach makes sense in today’s fluid environment, but it could prove disastrous if, after the August disengagement, it is revealed as a cover for a different kind of disengagement — the disengagement of the United States from active involvement in the search for Middle East peace.
At the beginning of her risqué comic monologue, “Sugar Happens,” Rachel Bailit struts onstage wearing a tight black corset, a skimpy skirt, garters, thigh-highs and an attitude.
“I know what you’re thinking: Big boobs … big lips. Bimbo. Starlet. Slut,” she says. “But don’t judge me; you don’t really know me. I’m just a nice Jewish girl from Needham, Mass.”
While laundering her costume at her rent-controlled Santa Monica apartment recently, the cheery actress says she intends her introduction to confront the bimbo stereotype and to declare, “I’m a lot more than that.”
Bailit, for example, grew up in a WASPy New England town but attended Reform synagogue and camps. She achieved a lucrative journalism career before switching to acting in 1995; trained at the Lee Strasberg Institute; studied at the University of Judaism; taught at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and wears a Star of David, even to auditions. She had a good experience playing a naive screenwriter in Henry Jaglom’s “Festival in Cannes.”
“But my body confuses people,” she says. “In Hollywood, I’m considered sexy from the neck down, but with a character face. So they [often] have me play trashy or over the top.”
Bailit portrayed a Whoville resident in a tiny nurse outfit in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”; “Nose Job Girl” in a vinyl dress and dog collar in “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,” and a hooker wearing “really whory makeup” on “NYPD Blue.” “In many films, I’m wearing a bikini for no reason,” she says.
Then, while pitching a sitcom about herself as a non-clichéd Jewish woman, a producer suggested she try standup comedy and asked writer Sherry Coben (“Kate & Allie”) to help.
“So I went to Rachel’s Web site and immediately dismissed her as another starlet bimbo,” Coben told The Journal. “But then I met her and I thought, ‘She really is this nice Jewish girl.’ I was intrigued by the image she projects vs. who she is and also because I was so quick to label her as something she wasn’t.”
After conducting interviews, Coben decided a one-woman show, rather than standup, would best dramatize the actress’ roller-coaster life story. In the play, Bailit’s musings range from finding JDate guys “a little too nice” to working product testing jobs in which “I exercise 45 minutes, then drink Gatorade … and repeat. For six hours.”
Coben also wanted to capture Bailit’s unflagging optimism.
“I really believe that all these [negative] things are leading to something better; that sugar happens, not ‘s— happens,'” says the actress, who declines to give her age.
Workshop performances of “Sugar” run through June 21 at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. For information, call (323) 650-7777.
The near month-long dance-on-film extravaganza that is the Dance Camera West International Dance Film Festival offers a poignant Jewish dance piece this evening. Head to the Redcat to view Kaeja’s Dance Company’s short dance film, “Departure,” which evokes the Jewish experience through the tale of a husband and wife forced apart as the war draws near.
6 p.m. $10. Redcat (Roy and Edna Disney/Calarts Theater), 631 W. Second St., Los Angeles. (213) 237-2800.
Sunday, June 19
Two Father’s Day events to consider: The Workmen’s Circle offers a klezmer brunch today, complete with Klezmer orchestra entertainment and plenty of good food. Or honor his memory at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary. Special memorial services with music and song will be held this morning and afternoon.
Workmen’s Circle: 10:30 a.m. $5-$10. 1525 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 552-2007.
Hillside: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 6001 Centinela Ave., Los Angeles. (800) 576-1994.
Monday, June 20
The title sounds unlikely enough: “Rescued From the Reich: How One of Hitler’s Soldiers Saved the Lubavitch Rebbe.” But it’s nonetheless true, and only the tip of the iceberg in the remarkable tale of how one highly decorated Nazi soldier saved the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s life. Meet Bryan Mark Rigg, the author, at the Jewish Community Library this evening. Rigg is also the author of “Hitler’s Jewish Soldiers: The Untold Story of Nazi Racial Laws and Men of Jewish Descent in the German Military.” The event is co-sponsored by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles.
7 p.m. 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 761-8644.
Tuesday, June 21
Leave it to Heeb to make storytelling hip. The cutting-edge Jewish mag brings the party west today with their “Heeb Storytelling” series. Tonight’s event at the Three Clubs bar offers irreverent Jewish entertainment hosted by the Sklar Brothers. You’ll hear stories and monologues by Aimee Bender, Eric Friedman, Stephen Glass, Journal singles columnist Lori Gottleib, Jonathan Kesselman and Wendy Spero. Then after-party at La-La Land Gallery around the corner.
7:30 p.m. Free ($5 suggested donation). 1123 N. Vine St., Los Angeles.
Wednesday, June 22
Diverse paintings by Israeli artists make up the Michale Hittleman Gallery’s strong “Summer Exhibition of Israeli Masters.” View images from abstracts to still lifes to Jerusalem landscapes in the show that includes works by Moshe Gershuni, Samuel Tepler, Moshe Kupferman, Jan Rauchwerger, Pinchas Cohen-Gan, Pamela Levy, Itzhak Livneh and Lea Nikel.
Through Sept. 1. 8797 Beverly Blvd., Third Floor, Los Angeles. (323) 655-5364.
Thursday, June 23
Hebrew poetry becomes performance art in the one-woman show, “And Then I Went.” Utilizing dance, theater, music, video-art and animation, the show creates visual poetry based on the classic writings of some of Israel’s best-loved poets, including Leah Goldberg, Yonatan Rathosh and David Avidan. English subtitles are projected during the performance.
8 p.m. $20. Gindi Auditorium, University of Judaism, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Bel Air. (310) 440-1246.
Friday, June 24
Summer nights at the Hollywood Bowl kick off tonight with “Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl,” a benefit concert for “Music Matters,” the L.A. Philharmonic’s youth music education program. Tonight’s theme is music by the bowl’s two Hall of Fame inductees, Trisha Yearwood and Joshua Bell, who’ll be singing a number with his friend, Josh Groban. Quincy Jones will also lead a special tribute with Frank Sinatra Jr. in honor of “old blue eyes” himself.
8:30 p.m. $15-$97 (concert only), $425-$1,500 (pre-concert benefit reception, dinner and concert). 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. (323) 850-2000.
El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills has once again given Los Angeles something to kvell about. The school claimed top honors at this year’s national Academic Decathlon, the annual contest of intellectual prowess.
Three of the nine team members generated special pride for the Jewish community: Lindsey Cohen and Linsday Gibbs are both affiliated with Shomrei Torah, while Kevin Rosenberg attends Temple Aliyah.
“I got enormous support from my parents, from my temple [Shomrei Torah] and from my friends,” Gibbs said. “After we won state, the rabbi sent me a letter and the cantor called me…. They didn’t know what I got on each test or how I did medal-wise, and yet, they were all so supportive and welcoming and congratulatory when I got back.”
Team members began preparing for the April contest last summer, gradually increasing hours until December, when they started staying at school until 10 p.m. The competition challenges students in 10 different categories, including art, economics and science, and each nine-member team must include an equal number of A, B and C students.
“The questions were incredibly detailed,” said team member Kevin Rosenberg, who answered correctly when asked to name the 15 nations captured by Hammurabi. (He was the king of Babylon in the 18th century B.C.E. — but you knew that, didn’t you?) Rosenberg said a fellow teammate put the group’s study material on a scale and it came to 61 pounds.
Besides the studying, all three students cited the camaraderie and cohesiveness of the group as part of their success.
“The team chemistry put us over the top,” Cohen said.
Tryouts for next year’s team are already under way, and more than 80 students have indicated interest. Zol zein mit mazel (Lots of luck to you all)
In what is likely the ultimate “Cold Case File,” a researcher in Haifa may have figured out the cause of Jesus’ death.
Professor Benjamin Brenner, a Technion Medical School and Rambam Medical Center hematology expert, said the problem was not blood loss, but a blood clot that likely traveled to Jesus’ lungs.
“That Jesus was put on the cross on Friday before noontime and died only three to six hours later leads me to believe he did not die from crucifixion and blood loss alone,” Brenner said. The blood clot, or pulmonary embolism, “would be a common result from the physical and psychological adversity Jesus underwent during his final day.”
Brenner relied on descriptions of the events of Jesus’ death from the Christian Bible as well as Jewish and Roman sources. His findings were published last week in the online edition of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
Brenner believes that Jesus’ Jewish heritage may have provided additional, inherited risk factors that made him more susceptible to blood clots. Two clot-related genetic mutations, “Factor V Leiden” and “Prothrombin 20120,” are common in Israel, especially in the Galilee, the boyhood home of Jesus, according to Christian tradition.
Matters concerning Jesus’ death have been a source of interest and speculation for centuries, and modern times ushered in modern theories. In 1986, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) considered whether Jesus died of a blood clot, but concluded his death was due to blood loss. However, Brenner said that medical science’s understanding of blood clots has since advanced dramatically.
Pulmonary embolisms occur when an artery in the lung becomes blocked, typically by one or more blood clots that have traveled to the lungs from another part of the body. The clots often originate in the legs, but can also form in veins in the arms, for example, or on the right side of the heart.
Some of Jesus’ symptoms may have a familiar modern ring: dehydration, severe physical and emotional stress and prolonged immobilization. It’s what can and does occasionally happen today to unlucky passengers on long plane flights, especially in this no-frills era. Also at risk are others who remain inactive for long periods of time, like those confined to bed and people who have had surgery, a stroke or heart attack. Each year about 30,000 Americans die from pulmonary embolisms.
Brenner hopes his research will raise public awareness about this largely preventable disease. Treatments include medication to break up clots or prevent new clots from forming. On long plane flights, it also helps to move around the cabin.
MARION APPELL died May 19 at 104. She is survived by her daughter, Adrienne (Stuart) Schweit; and two grandchildren. Groman
HERBERT APTEL died May 23 at 95. He is survived by his son, Joseph; daughters, Leslie Chotiner and Stephanie Siebert; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Groman
AVNER BAN died May 24 at 65. He is survived by his wife, Anna; and son, Erez. Chevra Kadisha
Dorothy Benson died May 20 at 85. She is survived by her sons, David (Shauna) and James (Sandra); granddaughter, Jennifer; and sister, Marjorie Paul. Mount Sinai
GERTRUDE BLEIER died May 23 at 89. She is survived by her husband, Alfred; son, Joel (Noel); daughters, Karen (Stuart) Tobisman and Elizabeth (Don Nickerson); seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Hillside
Thelma Blumenfield died May 24 at 100. She is survived by her son, Dr. Arnold (Kathleen) Jacobs; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai
Irene Bors died May 15 at 86. She is survived by daughter, Helene Zenia; and one grandchild. Malinow and Silverman
Stanley Bors died May 22 at 93. He is survived by his daughter, Helene Zenia; and one grandchild. Malinow and Silverman
Shelly Canes died May 22 at 73. She is survived by her husband, Lyonel; daughter, Julie Ann; and brothers, Nick Arditti and Morris Arad. Malinow and Silverman
SOLIMAN COHENSEDGH died May 5 at 77. He is survived by his brother, Moussa Kohansedgh; sister, Pari (Mansur) Asilzadeh; nephew, Amin Asilzadeh; and niece, Susan Gabby. Chevra Kadisha
Gertrude Davidow died May 21 at 91. She is survived by her daughter, Kayla Kantrowitz; three grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai
Marvin Stanley Ehrenberg died May 22 at 82. He is survived by his sons, Paul (Sara) and Jim (Karen); daughter, Francine (Jack) Darling; step-daughter, Rayna (Robert Tafoya) Morrison; five grandchildren; brother, Brad (Iilla) Sherman; and sister, Glory (Elias) Balbinder. Mount Sinai
HOWARD ESKO died May 20 at 78. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; sons, Michael and Neal; daughter, Lori Stein; and two grandchildren. Groman
Gilbert Fitch died May 22 at 95. He is survived by his daughter, Kate Nikolenko; and two grandchildren. Malinow and Silverman
Leonard Goldstein died May 23 at 71. He is survived by his wife, Vicky; daughters, Stacy (Jamie) Daugherty, Leslie (Dave) Steinman, Lisa Lipeies, Debbie Cipolla and Dawn (Ernie) Roubidoux; son, Derek; 11 grandchildren; and brothers, Richard (Penny) and David (Gloria) Goldstein. Mount Sinai
STANLEY GOLDENBERG died May 19 at 72. He is survived by his wife, Rosalie; daughters, Susan Lyn Schlosser and Beth Lisa Keesler; and three grandchildren. Groman
Henry Gould died May 19 at 86. He is survived by his wife, Charlotte; brother, Mauri (May); and sister-in-law, Sandra (Herbert) Bloom. Mount Sinai
SAMUEL GUBER died May 23 at 96. He is survived by his sons, Peter, Michael and Charles; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Hillside
SYLVIA HITTLEMAN died May 23 at 88. She is survived by her daughters, Barbara (Jeffrey) Robbins and Lynn Collins; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and sister, Gloria Epstein. Hillside
PARVIN HOMAYONFAR died May 20 at 73. She is survived by her husband, Alias; daughters, Mahsid Kashani, Diana Shahedi, Fariba Barokhian, Elena Yousefzadeh and Nazila Razi; brothers, Parviz, Shapoor, Shavel and Manoucher Shabanzadeh; and sisters, Pari Parivash and Nazi Ornamaguen. Chevra Kadisha
Fred Katz died May 19 at 75. He is survived by his sister, Doris; and nephew, Larry Linker. Malinow and Silverman
BEHROUZ KHALILI died May 20 at 49. He is survived by his wife, Mahnaz. Chevra Kadisha
David Allen King died May 19 at 55. He is survived by his wife, Cynthia; son, Aaron; daughters, Rebecca and Sarah; mother, Barbara; and brothers, Paul and Bruce. Malinow and Silverman
Morris Klein died May 20 at 88. He is survived by his nephew, Stephen (Barbara) Queen. Malinow and Silverman
ELEANOR KRETZER died May 21 at 90. She is survived by her son, Dr. Frank (Marilyn); daughter, Carol (Rabbi Richard) Levy; four grandchildren; brother, Leon Hollerman; sisters, Evelyn Karin and Betty Stoller; one niece; and two nephews. Hillside
VICTORIA KRIEGER died May 19 at 86. She is survived by her son, Jerome (Adrien); daughter, Sharon Fisk; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and sisters, Anne Levin, Tillie Addison, Irene Rifkin and Essie Baron. Chevra Kadisha
Louis Kripple died May 21 at 72. He is survived by his wife, Adrianna; and sisters, Sharlene Basch and Esther Pretsky. Chevra Kadisha
MILDRED JACOBS died May 21 at 79. She is survived by her husband, Bernard; son, Dr. Michael; daughters, Dr. Brenda and Linda; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Groman
YAKOV LIVSHITS died May 22 at 46. He is survived by his wife, Bronislava; daughter, Inna; and father, Aron. Groman
Susan Menin died May 22 at 69. She is survived by her husband, Lloyd; and son, David. Malinow and Silverman
JAY MILLER died May 24 at 91. He is survived by his wife, Freya; sons, Michael (Miriam) and William; daughter, Suzanne Kasmer; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Groman
John Miller died May 24 at 63. He is survived by his wife, Madeleine; son, Joel; and daughters, Danielle and Gabrielle. Mount Sinai
ISADORE PITESKY died May 21 at 87. He is survived by his wife, Elva; and brother, Sheldon. Groman
Harper Roisman died May 21 at 95. He is survived by his friends. Malinow and Silverman
JEANETTE ROSENBERG died May 19 at 88. She is survived by her sons, Alan, Steven and Howard; and eight grandchildren. Groman
EVELYN SALKA died May 23 at 82. She is survived by her husband, Saul; son, Donald; daughter, Sandra Milken; eight grandchildren; and sister, Janice Clotzman. Hillside
JEAN SAYER died May 19 at 75. She is survived by her husband, Floyd; son, Andrew; daughter, Nancy; and brother, Dr. Howard Fenning. Groman
Max Schwartz died March 30 at 90. He is survived his sons, Philip and Jack; daugher-in-law, Andrea Wagner-Schwartz; three grandchildren; great-granddaughter, Ella; and life partner, Anne Rothschild.Â
Sanford Steinberg died May 19 at 78. He is survived by his daughters, Terri (Barry) Budow and Denise; son, Stuart (Evie); three grandchildren; sister, Dorothy Rice; and sister-in-law, Gloria. Mount Sinai
STANLEY SEYMOUR STRAIN died May 23 at 63. He is survived by his son, Michael; brother, Robert; sister, Anita; ex-wife, Sherri; and companion, Gail Lukas. Groman
BEATRICE THOMAS died May 19 at 86. She is survived by her sons, Laurence and John; and one grandchild. Groman
Andrew Warren VanDerlaske died May 22 at 39. He is survived by his son, Aaron; daughters, Jessica Yaugher and Haiden; parents, James and Barbara; sister Jolenne (Andy) Tuttle; brother, Ian; parents-in-law, Ronald and Marilyn Otting; and brother-in-law, Steven (Tamara). Malinow and Silverman
Rhonda Eugenia VanDerlaske died May 22 at 39. She is survived by her son, Aaron; daughters, Jessica Yaugher and Haiden; and parents, Ronald and Marilyn Otting; brother, Steven (Tamara); parents-in-law, James and Barbara; sister-in-law, Jolenne (Andy) Tuttle; and brother-in-law, Ian. Malinow and Silverman
Marilyn Walitt died May 19 at 67. She is survived by her husband, Leonard; daughter, Stephanie; mother, Frances Walley; and brother, Morton Bernard (Roberta) Walley. Mount Sinai
Leah Grace Whiteman died May 23 at 88. She is survived by her husband, David; son, Norman (Linda); daughters, Harriet (Alan) Cohen and Sandy (Marvin) Schotland; eight grandchildren; six great- grandchildren; and sisters, Sophie Spector and Edna Fried. Malinow and Silverman
Eva Zepel died May 22 at 90. She is survived by her husband, Irving; sons, Arnold (Sharon) and Barry (Janet); and one grandchild. Malinow and Silverman
The idea that in medieval Europe, among Christians, the smartest people generally practiced celibacy, while, among Jews, the scholars and rabbis had big families, had occurred to me some time ago (“Are Jews Smarter?” June 10).
Another possible reason for Jewish intellectual achievement could be that with the rise of rabbinic Judaism and synagogues in the Talmudic period, Jewish men at least were required to learn to read in order to recite the Torah. This requirement for study and learning probably spilled over into the pursuit of secular learning.
In order to test the idea of smart genes connected with Tay-Sachs disease, a study of Sephardic Jews should be made to see if they, too, have a history of intellectual achievement and success. I have only anecdotal data.
For example, a good friend of mine is a Sephardic Jew from Peru. His father’s success story parallels that of many Ashkenazim: He was born in Constantinople and moved to Peru where he started a fabric store in Lima and became wealthy. He sent his children to American colleges, where I met his son. In the Turkish empire, Jews held prominent positions in the court of the sultan, due to their ability. Bernard Baruch had a Sephardic background. In England there were prominent Sephardic families: the D’Avigdors, Montagus and Desola-Pools.
Therefore, it would be good if a study could be made to show whether Sephardim have a high intelligence level without the benefit of Tay-Sachs. By the way, I am not Sephardic, myself — solamente en mi Corazon [only in my heart].
Marshall Giller Winnetka
Reel Was Real
Several weeks ago, an old college classmate on the East Coast posted a rave review touting the cultural diversity lessons of “Crash” on the alumna message boards (“Reel Life,” June 10). Against our better judgment, my husband and I went to see the movie. Since then, I have been trying to write her to tell of the negative feelings that “Crash” evoked in me. I also felt that I needed to describe and defend my “L.A.” to her.
My struggle has ended. A few moments ago, I e-mailed your editorial “Reel Life” to her.
One of the reasons I have loved living in L.A. for the past 35 years is the cultural diversity that the city offers. Your “snapshots” are indeed reflective of the truth of Los Angeles, where we value differences for the positive outcomes and growth that are provided by a diverse population.
Your editorial is beautifully written and was the perfect answer I needed.
Sonya Baum Marina del Rey
Left Out of Cannes
I am writing in response to the article, “Project Shabbat a ‘Go’ in Cannes,” written by Carole Raphaelle Davis (May 27).
My first question for Davis is, “Were we at the same Shabbat dinner?” As an attendee of the event, I found the article to be too disingenuous. The false impression she presented was that this was just another schmooze fest. When in reality our hosts, with limited resources, succeed in creating an oasis of Jewish spirituality in Cannes.
Davis begins her article quite correctly in describing the 24/7 deal hustling that occurs in Cannes. The film festival is a marketplace where people spend time, energy, and money in order to secure a deal so they can return and repeat the cycle the following year. Scott Einbinder and Steven Kaplan diverted much personal energy to coordinate what turned out to be a beautiful community-building event. Do you know how hard it is to find a kosher caterer in Cannes?
Davis stated that Rabbi Mendel Schwartz flew in for the dinner. She failed to mention that Einbinder sponsored the trip.
I wish Davis had referenced my conversation with Schwartz about the beauty of creating a community and acknowledging, through ritual, how blessed we are.
Also she could have mentioned that a Jewish woman from New Orleans had her first experience of a formal Kiddush. She had such a meaningful experience and wanted to kiss the rabbi, but then understood that it would be improper (so she kissed the person next to him).
Instead, Davis chose to misquote a joke I made about the nature of Einbinder’s film, “Velvet Side of Hell.” This quote angered me because it slanderously portrayed Einbinder’s professionalism as a filmmaker.
Yes, people did talk business during Shabbat, but it was not the primary focus of the dinner. I trust God will forgive some unconscious transgressions. I don’t know why Davis considered that the “business chatter was predictably ridiculous.”
Quite frankly I would prefer to work with people who make the moral choice to take time out for a Shabbat dinner then some other Cannes event.
Yet the fact that 40-plus people choose to celebrate Shabbat instead of going to a premiere or other event (and there were many alternatives to choose from) was lost in her narrow vision.
Too bad Davis had not been with us after the “party” as we were carrying the leftovers home, looking for a cab, when behind us we saw the silhouettes of the three rabbis walking down the hill from the villa. We saw that as a sign and decided instead to walk back three kilometers home. The rabbis joined us, and when we got to the Croisette (the center of Cannes) the three rabbis and Einbinder started dancing in street celebrating the Shabbat. That alone is very newsworthy!
Perhaps if Davis were not preoccupied with her “handsome Corsican” friend, who gave her a ride to the party, she would not have missed the true meaning and beauty of the evening. Note that I was one of several non-Jews in attendance and the event helped deepen my appreciation of Judaism.
Peter M. Graham II Principal 120 dB Films
Iraq vs. Israel
Regarding David Finnigan’s interview with me in his article on Jews who’ve been to Iraq since the U.S. invasion (“Professor Sees Iraq War as a ‘Disaster,'” May 27), I wish to make an important clarification to the quotation from me at the end of the piece.
In the midst of a discussion of the boycott call against Israeli academics, I am quoted as saying: “How can someone sitting in America or the U.K. call for divestment from Israel, when the occupation of Iraq has killed far more Iraqis and done far more damage to that society in two years than Israel has done to Palestinian society in more than a century? Or China: How horrific the occupation and the genocide of Tibet has been. Sudan?”
What I believe I said in that conversation — or certainly intended to say, and I think was clear from our longer conversation — was “How can someone sitting in America or the UK call only for divestment from Israel….”
The point being that focusing only on Israel when other countries engage in similar or even more extreme violations of human, political and civil rights is intellectually, morally and strategically shortsighted.
This is very different from arguing, as the quote suggests, that Israel should not face sanctions as long as other countries engage in even graver rights violations. Rather, one standard should be applied to every country, including our own, if real peace and justice are ever to be achieved in any country.
Mark LeVine UC Irvine Department of History
Don’t Knock Nixon
Once again your “rag” printed an outrageous piece of trash about “Deep Throat,” intimating that President Richard Nixon was an anti-Semite (“Deep Throat: Not a Jew,” June 3).
Just the opposite is true. I knew President Nixon and if you could read Golda Meir’s biography you may learn something. Don’t you just wish that someone would investigate something just as vile against President Bush? I bet you do!
Diane Jacobs Los Angeles
Harburg’s Heritage
A recent letter by Jacqueline Bassan makes the ridiculous claim that lyricist E. Y. Harburg was not Jewish (“Letters,” May 27).
I direct the writer’s attention to two books that abundantly state otherwise. The first is a memoir by Harburg himself, in the collection “Creators and Disturbers” (Columbia University Press, 1982). The other is by his son, Ernie, in collaboration with Harold Meyerson, in “Who Put the Rainbow in the Wizard of Oz?” (University of Michigan Press, 1993).
Jack Gottlieb Author “Funny, It Doesn’t Sound Jewish”
More Than ‘Special’
I am writing this because I was not satisfied with how we were portrayed in your 2005 graduation article (“A Special School?” June 10).
We at Ohr Haemet appreciate that Julie Gruenbaum Fax took the time to interview two of our students. While we are indeed a special school, there is far more about our school that makes it special besides not only measuring a student’s success based on which Ivy League they got into.
We are a college preparatory, WASC accredited school. We offer honors and AP courses. Our classes are small, our teachers are available to our students. Our students go to the UCs, the Cal States and other private universities like USC. Our students are taught the beauty of our Torah with such warmth and love that they usually make the choice to observe Shabbat, kashrut and family purity (when they marry).
Who comes to our school? Girls who want individualized attention in the classroom, girls who want to focus on what it means to be a good Jew and a good person. We focus holistically on each student so they can leave our school feeling confident both academically and spiritually.
Our students become nurses, doctors, lawyers, teachers, pharmacists, writers and social workers. They have made very conscious choices in their education and careers so they can also marry and raise a family. They leave Ohr Haemet with their priorities straight. We are proud of every girl’s accomplishments.
We measure our success by helping and encouraging every girl to use her potential to succeed. We are a viable option for the secular and Jewish education for many high school girls in Los Angeles.
Batsheva Isaac General Studies Principal Ohr Haemet Institute
Look for Local Brains
After reading Professor Aaron Ciechanover article (“Is an Israel Brain Drain Nigh?” June 10), I find it sad that Israel can’t tap the resourses in Southern California of laid-off and unemployed engineers and technicians who would be willing to work as well as teach and train to increase Israel’s technical brain power.
