April 6, 2007
Briefs
Kollek a British Spy?
The late Teddy Kollek reportedly spied for Britain against the hard-line Jewish underground in British Mandate Palestine. Citing declassified documents, the Israeli newspaper, Yediot Achronot, reported last week that Kollek, who is best remembered as Jerusalem’s longest-serving mayor, had spent much of the 1940s passing information to the British authorities that helped them crack down on Etzel and Lehi fighters.
At the time, Kollek was a senior figure with the Jewish Agency, which was largely aligned with the more moderate Haganah and Palmach Zionist movements.
One of Etzel’s leaders, Menachem Begin, topped Britain’s wanted list, eluded capture and went on to become Israeli prime minister. According to Yediot, Israeli diplomats asked Britain’s government archives to keep the files on Kollek sealed while he was alive.
Asked about the report, Kollek’s son, Amos, told the newspaper, “Dad never spoke of his activities during that period.”
U.S. Lawmakers Want Insurance Firms to Release Names of Shoah Policyholders
Congress wants to force Holocaust-era insurance companies to disclose lists of their insured survivors. The Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act of 2007, introduced by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), seeks to supersede international agreements brokered by the State Department to settle insurance claims through the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims.
The proposed legislation asserts that commission, which officially ended its nine-year efforts last week, “did not make sufficient effort to investigate” or compile the names of Holocaust-era insureds or the claims due to survivors. The measure would require insurers to disclose comprehensive lists of those they insured during the Hitler era.
The legislation also authorizes federal lawsuits to recover monies from insurers, thus overruling the commission’s authority and a variety of adverse Supreme Court rulings that have denied survivors the right to sue.
The bill was spurred by survivors groups, following revelations in the Jewish media that the secret International Tracing Service archive in Bad Arolsen, Germany, contains thousands of uninvestigated documents relating to insurance and corporate complicity.
Briton Wins Largest Jewish Literary Prize
The largest-ever Jewish literary prize, the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature that was inaugurated this year, has been awarded to British writer Tamar Yellin, author of “The Genizah at the House of Shepher.”
The award carries a grant of $100,000. Individuals cannot apply but instead are recommended by an anonymous team of nominators. Many Jewish literary awards have modest, if any, honorariums attached.
The prize was established by Sami Rohr’s children and grandchildren to celebrate his 80th birthday and is presented to an emerging writer, whose work of exceptional literary merit stimulates an interest in themes of Jewish concern.
Yellin has won a triple crown of major Jewish literary awards this year. In addition to the Rohr Prize, she received Hadassah’s Ribalow Prize and the Reform Judaism Prize, both awarded for Jewish fiction.
When asked about how the latest award might change her life, she replied, “I’m carrying on with my writing. I’m working on a new novel.”
She explained that because of her supportive husband, she was able to give up teaching several years ago and become a full-time writer. She continues to visit schools in northern England as a Jewish Faith Visitor, teaching about Judaism in schools where there’s a large Pakistani Muslim community and many of the children have never encountered a Jewish person.
“It’s very important to connect with them, for them to meet someone Jewish and to learn about our traditions to break down the barrier of ignorance,” she said.
The daughter of a third-generation Jerusalemite father and a Polish immigrant mother, she studied Hebrew and Arabic at Oxford. In her novel and stories, she writes of identity, community, belonging and exile, which, as she explained, are themes that grow out of her experience of being Jewish in England.
Rohr was a real estate developer in Bogota, Columbia, for more than 30 years and now lives in Miami. His lifelong love of Jewish writing includes the work of Lion Feuchtwanger and, in Yiddish, Israel Joshua Singer.
The two runners-up, who will each receive $7,500, are Amir Guttfreund of Israel, author of “Our Holocaust,” and Michael Lavigne of San Francisco, author of “Not Me.” Other finalists are Yael Hedaya from Israel, author of “Accidents,” and Naomi Alderman from England, author of “Disobedience.”
Administered by the Jewish Book Council, the prize will be given annually, with awards to fiction and nonfiction writers in alternate years.
The Rohr family will also establish the Rohr Family Jewish Literary Institute, a forum devoted to the continuity of Jewish literature. The institute will convene a biannual retreat, meeting for the first time after the next round of award recipients are announced in 2008. All of the finalists will be invited to participate.
Judges for this year’s award were professor Jeremy Dauber, Columbia University; novelist (and MacArthur Fellow) Rebecca Goldstein; Daisy Maryles, Publishers Weekly; novelist Jonathan Rosen; and professor Ruth Wisse, Harvard University. — Sandee Brawarsky, The Jewish Week
Briefs courtesy of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Acts of Faith
Prison Chaplain Seeks Biblical Help
This Passover as we celebrate our freedom, many men and women do not have that luxury, as they are in prison. Some still celebrate their spiritual freedom, though, with the help of Rabbi Yossi Carron, a chaplain of the Los Angeles prison system.
Carron helps prisoners by leading weekly Torah study groups and ministering to individual inmates at each of the half-dozen jails in his chaplaincy. But he said he needs help. He needs books.
“I know that all of you are aware of the transformational work I do serving the Jewish inmates in the largest jails in the United States,” he wrote in a e-mail plea to the Jewish community. “These men and women are so inspired by the texts of our tradition as they endeavor to turn their lives around. Unfortunately, we have a big problem. Almost no books: Tanakhim, siddurim, Chumashim, Jewish recovery books. My Christian colleagues are distributing the New Testament by the truckloads and I am in dire need of supplies.”
Carron mentions some of his men who are doing well because of their newfound connection to Judaism while they were in prison. He says that “Ari” has been sober for two and a half years, made restitution for what he did and is now in medical school; “Mike” has enrolled in USC to complete his last semester and is due to graduate in August; and “Steven” is now working in mortgage banking.
More books are needed to help men and women recover, draw meaning from their heritage to improve their lives and prepare them to enter the community as productive members.
“Remember that our tradition tells us that ‘if you save one life, it is as if you saved the world.'”
For a tax-deductible donation, send a check to The Board of Rabbis of Southern California, 6505 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 430, Los Angeles, CA 90049. Write On check: FOR RABBI CARRON’S BOOK/SUPPLYFUND. Or to Rabbi Yossi Carron, Mekom Tikvah: A Place of Hope, 17046 Burbank Blvd. Unit ’11, Encino, CA 91316.
To see the wishlist of books needed go to www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/17VAWQJ5861X6/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go/105-3566560-5906057
and send the books to Rabbi Carron, Men’s Central Jail, Office of Religious practices, 441 Bauchet Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Pluralistic Bet Din Reopens
The Sandra Caplan Community Bet Din of Southern California, a local pluralistic religious court dealing with conversions, has resumed operation after three months’ closure due to lack of funding.
The beit din has recently raised $5,000 in a challenge grant by George Caplan, the original funder of the court. These funds should last a year or two, as all the rabbis donate their services for free, and only operational costs are necessary.
“It’s the only permanent pluralistic beit din in the United States,” said Rabbi Jerrold Goldstein, who serves as secretary.
The court has performed more than 100 conversions since its inception in 2002. The conversions are acceptable to Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative movements, in an effort to streamline the process for converts who may choose to belong to one of those denominations.
For more information, visit www.scbetdin.us.
Tasting Judaism, the Reform Way
The Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) has begun its successful “Taste of Judaism” program here in Los Angeles, in 17 synagogue locations from San Pedro to Woodland Hills.
“A Taste of Judaism” consists of three free sessions: Jewish Ethics, Jewish Community and Jewish Spirituality, and is aimed at “beginners, open to anyone, Jewish or not,” as the ad says.
As an outreach tool, “A Taste of Judaism: Are You Curious?” reaches out to unaffiliated adults — Jews, interfaith couples and their families and anyone who is interested in learning more about Judaism. Each class aims to provide participants in three two-hour sessions with a “taste” of what is delicious about Judaism in the areas of spirituality, ethics and community (God, Torah and Israel) in order to whet their appetites for further Jewish learning and to provide opportunities for participation in congregational life.
Since its inception in 1994, when 171 people responded to the first offerings in New Jersey, “A Taste of Judaism” has reached more than 75,000 participants in almost every state and province throughout the United States and Canada. It has been offered in 450 synagogues, both in large metropolitan areas with many congregations offering the program concurrently, as well as in smaller communities with a single small congregation.
According to the URJ, after the program, more than 33 percent of all participants enrolled in “Introduction to Judaism” classes; 34 percent enrolled in other congregational adult education offerings; 13 percent of non-Jews sought out sponsoring rabbis and entered the process of conversion; and nearly 20 percent of Jewish participants joined a synagogue.
“This program throws the doors open of our classes like a gift to the people of Los Angeles,” says Arlene Chernow, regional director of outreach and membership. “Come and meet our Reform rabbis and learn enough about Judaism so you can decide if you want to learn more,” she said.
For more information, visit www.urj.org/outreach/classes/taste.
Taste of Judaism – class dates and locations
April 9:
Northridge – Temple Ahavat Shalom
April 10:
Valley Village – Temple Beth Hillel
Los Angeles – Leo Baeck Temple
April 11:
Tarzana – Temple Judea
Hollywood – Temple Israel of Hollywood
April 12:
Los Angeles – Wilshire Blvd Temple
April 15:
Woodland Hills – Temple Kol Tikvah
April 17:
Brentwood – University Synagogue
April 18
West Hollywood – Congregation Kol Ami
April 19:
San Pedro – Temple Beth El
May 2:
Los Angeles – Wilshire Blvd Temple
The Circuit
Terrorist Expert Feted
Noted terrorism expert Steve Emerson was presented with a special proclamation from Beverly Hills by former Mayor Steve Webb.
Emerson, one of the foremost experts on terrorism, works closely with law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community. He has participated in substantial undercover work to expose the threat from within to the security of the United States.
He heads the Investigative Project on Terrorism and is the author of “American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us.”
According to Emerson, “….This zealous strain of Islam will settle for nothing less than our total subjugation or destruction. It couples its zealotry in pursuit of its goals with patience as to achieving them. An informed American public can confront this threat — not with anxiety and dread, but with intelligence, honesty and courage.”
Women of Vision
The vision was beautiful from every angle at the 2007 Women of Vision Luncheon, honoring Ruth Abramson, Elyssa Kupferberg, Barbara “Bobby” Deane, and Marion Silberberg at the Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach. Almost 250 women and men attended the luncheon, third in a series of bi-annual affairs in which the Palm Beach Region of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science recognizes women in the community who have made a difference. Guests viewed a video presentation narrated by the four honorees that discussed the influences that propelled them to become community leaders, their passions and the reason why the work of the Weizmann Institute of Science was important to each of them.
Dr. Margaret McKenna, president of Lesley University in Boston, was the keynote speaker and addressed the impact of women in leadership positions. She commented that Weizmann has been selected by scientists at biomedical research institutions as the most outstanding place to work, and that the percentage of women in its graduate degree program, about 50 percent, is almost unheard of in the world of science.
To learn more about the Weizmann Institute, go to The Circuit Read More »
Letters
Iraq Resolution
I hold my colleague Rabbi Steve Leder in high esteem and greatly admire the work that he does at Wilshire Boulevard Temple and in our community, so my comments regarding his latest article should be taken in that light (“Why I Am Ashamed of URJ’s Resolution on Iraq,” March 23).
Rabbi Leder states that it is beyond the purview of an organization composed of “business people, lawyers, housewives, rabbis and bureaucrats” to make a statement that enters into an area that is the domain of foreign policy specialists. Is it not the very right, in fact the obligation, of rabbis, doctors, students or any other American to voice their protests to any and all of the positions of the U.S. government? That these protests can come from individuals and from the organizations with which they affiliate is also a principle that lies at the root of American democracy.
In addition, the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) grounds its position in Jewish tradition with a substantive survey of Jewish sources. Clearly, the URJ position does not reflect the opinion of an ignorant, uninformed minority, as Rabbi Leder seems to imply.
I am not ashamed of the URJ, any more than I am ashamed of any other person or organization that voices their positions and opinions thoughtfully and responsibly, though I may disagree with them. In fact, I am inspired that my organization has spoken out and taken the associated risks in an effort to encourage all Jews to see that Jewish ethics and values are relevant to the current debate over this war.
Rabbi Ron Stern
I write to commend Rabbi Steve Leder on his excellent and insightful analysis of the misguided resolution concerning the Iraq War passed recently by the Union for Reform Judaism Executive Committee. Rabbi Leder speaks truth to power and has shown considerable courage to question the sentiment of the majority. And he does so in an age of substantial and growing intolerance by that majority of contrary opinion.
I salute Rabbi Leder for standing against the tide. Like so many distinguished minority voices throughout history, he is right.
Rabbi Clifford E. Librach
United Jewish Center
of Danbury, Conn.
More Questions
In response to “Where Are the Other Voices?” by Leonard Fein (March 23):
Especially as Passover approaches, we Jews appreciate a good question. Vice President Dick Cheney, of all people, posed one when he asked how could one demand aggressive action against Iran and retreat from Iraq at the same time.
Fein responded with non sequiturs, such as Cheney’s not getting his typical good reaction at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and ad hominem attacks against Cheney’s “wicked policies.”
In the holiday spirit, I would ask Fein some more questions: Is it possible to believe that in hindsight the war was a mistake, without believing in the Union of Reform Judaism’s (URJ) cure of abandoning the effort, which would most likely lead to greater bloodshed? Why does the Israeli mainstream leadership from left to right believe that the URJ’s position is dangerously erroneous? And finally, how does one reconcile the URJ’s current statement with its position in 2002 that forcibly removing Saddam was a “just cause”?
If this is the best Fein can do in dealing with the toughest questions of our time, I think I would rather attend Cheney’s seder than his.
Avi Peretz
Los Angeles
Peter Lowy
Rob Eshman’s ode to Peter Lowy and his business-first philosophy on Jewish philanthropy was a welcome breath of fresh air, and indeed, Peter and Janine Lowy’s model must be emulated by others in the community, and I applaud them for their initiative (“A Big Giver,” March 23).
As to the issue of why only 6 percent of Jewish megadonors give to Jewish causes, I respectfully disagree with Lowy’s questioning whether “our communal institutions are capable of not only soliciting large donations but of properly accepting them…. Donors expect the highest level of financial stewardship, operational expertise and transparency.”
I would aver that the issue is much more simple. Museums, philharmonic orchestras and medical buildings are sexier and carry more cache than a children’s orphanage or youth village. Additionally, if donors like the ones Lowy alludes to truly fear the implied mismanagement and improprieties that permeate some Jewish organizations and many non-Jewish nonprofits, as well (see: Red Cross and United Way), it would be my pleasure to invite them all for a most professional tour of Migdal Ohr and a trip through not only our campus but our accounting books, as well.
In fact, I’ll go one better than any hospital, museum and, especially, hedge fund practice and happily offer the prospective donor/investor a money-back guarantee if not completely satisfied.
Robert Katz
Executive Vice President
American Friends of Migdal Ohr
New York, N.Y.
‘Deliverance’
A great haimishe article (“Deliverance,” March 30). A case study of heroism, guilt and redemption. You made my day!
Hal Margolis
Via e-mail
Corrections
In “Ranking the Rabbis” (March 30), Satmar Grand Rabbi Zalman should have been listed as No. 15.
In Slavery Lesson Stirs Action” (March 30), Sonia Levitin should have been noted as the author of “Dream Freedom.”
Clarification
In “5th District’s Jews Spar Over City Councilman Jack Weiss”(March 30), the Journal reported that in 2005 district residents received a flyer from the “Jewish Political Federation” with Marcia Selz’s name at the top of the masthead. Selz said she had nothing to do with that flyer, and had no knowledge off its existence until The Journal brought it to her attention.
Obituaries
Shirley Berk died March 3 at 86. She is survived by her sons, Michael (Karen) and Arnold (Sally); daughters, Michelle (Herman) Desser and Penny (Philip Attneave); six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and brother, Marvin Rowen. Eden Memorial Park.
Clara Berkowitz died Feb. 14 at 79. She is survived by her daughter, Sue (Alan) Trock; sons, Michael (Denise) and Robert (Lisa); and six grandchildren. Sholom Chapels
Lisa Jones-Borden died March 3 at 36. She is survived by her husband, Harold Hutton; daughter, Cherie Baines; parents, Sheryl and Edward Borden; sister, Maureen Borden; stepsisters, Cindy and Robbyn Borden. Mount Sinai
William Carter died March 2 at 97. He is survived by his daughter, Dorothy (Caroline Dann) Carter; sons, Dr. Richard (Cindy) Klasco and Alan; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai
Jerome Chester died March 8 at 83. He is survived by his wife, Adele; daughter, Dee (Howard) Feldman; grandchildren, Jeremy and Joshua; great-grandchild, Eliza; and brother, Ira (Judie). Mount Sinai
Harold Cohen died March 7 at 87. He is survived by his wife, Bette; daughter, Barbara Halpern; son, David; stepdaughter, Barbara Starler; stepson, Steve Marson; one grandchild; sister, Fay Hillman; brother, Stanley. Malinow and Silverman
Sidney Dicker died March 6 at 92. He is survived by his wife, Rose; sons, Howard (Diana) and Jerry (Patricia); daughter, Elayne (Arthur) Horton; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai
Roseann Erieg died March 7 at 53. She is survived by her mother, Annabel Lasoff; and brother, Robert Lasoff. Malinow and Silverman
Otto Falkenstein died March 6 at 95. He is survived by his friends. Groman
Louis Freeman died March 3 at 91. He is survived by his wife, Minnie; daughters, Roberta Goldstein, Eleanor Lawrence and Doreen Kaye; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Groman
Ann Fuerst died March 2 at 93. She is survived by her sons, Michael (Marsha) and Edward (Sheila); six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and brother, Bernie Shultz. Malinow and Silverman
Judith “Judy” Grant died March 7 at 67. She is survived by her husband, Armand; son, Michael (Adrienne); daughters, Lisa (Brian) Paperny and Steffani (Nick) Pugh; eight grandchildren; brothers, Bernard (Debbie) and Benjamin (Lynn) Gehrman; and sister, Judy Newman. Mount Sinai
Dr. Stanley Norman Gurman died March 7 at 78. He is survived by his wife, Cynthia; and daughter, Diane. Malinow and Silverman
Florence “Flo” Gussman died March 7 at 88. She is survived by her son, Dr. Frank; daughter, Sherilyn; granddaughter, Geri; sisters, Roslyn and Estelle; and brothers, Bernard and Morton. Mount Sinai
Helen Hirsch died March 3 at 81. She is survived by her sons, Lee and Mark; and five grandchildren. Groman
Ernest Hoyer died March 4 at 91. He is survived by his wife Aviva; sons, Paul and Daniel; daughters, Jennifer Holtzman and Stephanie Pincus-Oseroff. Hillside
Sue Kale died March 3 at 89. She is survived by her daughter, Kathy (Marc) Weitzman; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Mount Sinai
Michael Katz died Feb. 27 at 61. He is survived by his son, David. Malinow and Silverman
Henry Kulik died March 6 at 89. He is survived by his wife, Ellen; daughters, Helena (Richard) Neidorf, and Gina; and grandson, Andrew. Mount Sinai
Beatrice Kramer died March 7 at 96. She is survived by her daughter, Rosalie Shields. Sholom Chapels
Allen Leof died March 5 at 66. He is survived by daughter, Lisa; sister, Louise Russ; and ex-wife, Irene. Malinow and Silverman
Leona Medill died Feb. 24 at 92. She is survived by her daughters, Rona (Eliot) Rosen and Nedra (Barry) Schneider; son, Cary (Marlene Greenly); 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai
Gunther Mendel died March 6 at 87. He is survived by his wife, Marie; daughters, Monique (James) and Linda (Don); four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Mount Sinai
Helen Mendelsohn died March 6 at 93. She is survived by her son, David (Beverly); daughter, Bonnie (Arthur) Cherdack; and three grandchildren. Groman
David Mark Michaelson died March 4 at 59. He is survived by his wife, Ferne; daughter, Gayle (Steve) Lipson; son, Peter; one granddaughter; mother, Betty; and brother, Ronny (Michi). Malinow and Silverman
Nikki Nedelman died March 5 at 77. She is survived by her husband, Burton; sons Alec (Libby) and Dean; daughter, Bari (Paul) Pearson; three grandchildren; sisters, Sophia Cohen and Mary Moss; and brothers, Izzy (Gloria) Levy and William (Faye) Levy. Mount Sinai
Lothar Plaut died March 7 at 83. He is survived by his wife, Lillian; children, Michael and Monica; and grandchild, Brandon. Hillside
Hyman Zalman Ram died Feb. 21 at 79. He is survived by his wife, Helen; and stepson, Ron Chermin. Malinow and Silverman
Maxine Robinson died March 7. She is survived by her son, Lloyd; daughter, Diane Gordon; three granchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Hillside
Bina Pauline Rosenbloom died March 3 at 74. She is survived by her husband, Alvin; sons Herbert and Jonathan; daughter, Suzanne Rosenbloom Shelton; and brother, Melvin Greenball. Groman
Maria Rowena (Nastich) Ross died March 5 at 79. She is survived by her husband, David; and five godchildren. Hillside
Freda Sacksdied Feb. 18 at 89. She is survived by her daughter, Ghita Wolpowitz; son, Dr. Harold Sacks; and grandchildren. Sholom Chapels
Arthur Satin died March 4 at 69. He is survived by his wife, Elaine; daughter, Rebecca (Boris) Lubavin; one grandchild; brother, Les (Donna); and sister, Lynda. Mount Sinai
Rhonda Schachtel died Oct. 19, at 45. She is survived by her husband, Jack; daughter, Michelle; sons, Marc and Marshall; brothers, Steven (Johanne), Jacob and Nicholas Shinder; and parents-in-law, Harry and Linda. Mount Sinai
Florence Scherer died March 7 at 93. She is survived by her daughter, Irene; son, Barry (Lois); three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Walking Through The Echoes of History
It was 5 a.m. and there we were, 39 tired teenagers trudging up Masada’s historic snake path.
From the bus windows, Masada did not look so formidable, just a normal midsized rock fortress. But once on the path, all we could see was the side of this steep mountain fortress, looming ominously, forever upward.
We were all 10th-graders at Milken Community High School, spending four months of the school year studying in Israel with the Tiferet Israel Fellowship. Like many of our trips, this one up Masada allowed us to walk the paths of history we had studied in the classroom.
The climb was quite hard. We stopped several times to catch our breath, close the gaps between the fast hikers and the slower hikers and take in the view. From halfway up Masada, we looked down to see the Dead Sea, and surrounding it, the brown, barren mountains of Jordan. I did not talk much on the hike up; I took in the view in silence.
Seven-hundred stairs, several inclines and an hour and half later, we reached the summit. After climbing the last stair, a great wave of relief and accomplishment overcame me. I found myself yelling, along with many others, phrases of accomplishment. By this point, the sun was partially out, but blocked by the clouds. We then rested for about 20 minutes while taking pictures and catching glimpses of the sun peeking out from behind the clouds.
Then we headed over to the beit midrash, the study and prayer hall used by the people of Masada, and learned about the history of Masada.
After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, approximately 1,000 zealots, mostly teenagers and 20-year-olds, fled to the fortress Masada. The zealots hated the Romans and everything that had to do with Rome. About 100 years prior to the zealots’ arrival, Herod, a governor of Jerusalem who had ties to Rome, had his summer home there. When the zealots arrived, they destroyed his palace, turned his bathhouses into mikvahs and built their own modest houses.
The Romans destroyed Jerusalem, then set their sights on Masada. After witnessing the Roman army killing approximately 1 million Jews, and destroying Jerusalem, the zealots believed themselves to be the last Jews alive. As such, they thought they could not lose to the Roman army.
For years, the zealots held off the Roman army — the strongest army in the world. But three years later, the Romans broke down the gates of Masada, and found all the zealots dead by suicide.
We returned to the beit midrash and learned about a gnizah, a document burial site, found on Masada. Because documents that have God’s name on them cannot be thrown away, they are buried in a gnizah. On top of all the papers in the Masada gnizah lay Ezekiel, chapter 37, a verse expressing hope that through God, one day, all of Israel will be reunited.
The person who left that verse there had an enormous amount of hope, something I have trouble trying to understand. That person thought himself to be among the last Jews in the world, and yet he had enough hope to leave that chapter there for future Jews to read.
Tuvia Aronson, a Milken teacher and dean of the Tiferet fellowship, then took on the role of Eleazar ben Ya’ir, the 19-year-old leader of the zealots. We became zealots and discussed our plans, on this the eve before the Roman onslaught. We decided to take our own lives and not give the Romans the satisfaction of killing us.
Aronson and Aubrey Isaacs, another teacher, led us to the south side of Masada. We were instructed to repeat this famous line: “Shenit Metzadah Lo Tipol! For a second time Masada will not fall!”
Isaacs said, “Shenit,” and we shouted it in response, a bit hesitantly, not sure what to expect. For a few seconds, dead silence puzzled us. But then a thunderous echo repeated our calls. We shouted, “Metzadah!” and we heard another, thunderous echo. And “Lo!” Then we yelled, “Tipol!” Finally we bellowed all together, “Am Yisrael Chai! The people of Israel live!” “This is called the ‘Echo of History,'” Tuvia told me.
At first I agreed. But then I realized that this was not a natural phenomenon; it was the zealots yelling back at us.
Daniel Ulman is a 10th-grader at Milken Community High School.
Walking Through The Echoes of History Read More »
For German Teens, Shame Stirred Action
When six German teenagers entered the beit midrash at YULA boys high school, there was an indescribable sense of tension in the air. The four girls and two boys seemed hesitant and slightly anxious as they faced 60 Jewish boys eager for discussion. As a natural skeptic, my personal attitude toward conversing with people of possible Nazi ancestry was not very optimistic.
But within a few moments, the Germans’ anxiety visibly disappeared due to our welcoming disposition. And I must admit that by the end of the program I learned a beneficial lesson, which applies to every single Jew alive today.
Along with other German students, these visitors had participated in translating a German book, “Never Tell Anybody your Name is Rachmiel,” by Rosine De Dijn. The book tells the story of a Polish Jewish single mother who managed to hide her son with a family in Belgium before she was deported to Auschwitz and killed.
Inspired by a visit from De Dijn, the teens began a project to translate the book into English so that the descendants of the rescuers and of the Holocaust survivor, two of whom live in California, could learn of their ancestors’ story.
When the school contacted the Museum of Tolerance at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the museum extended an invitation to the students, a teacher and the author. The trip was funded by a German foundation called Remembrance, Responsibility and the Future.
As I learned of their story, my admiration for the noble actions of these students grew, and my pessimism began to slowly decline. However, the images of the atrocities of the Holocaust — and the voices of my Holocaust-survivor grandparents — constantly reverberated in my mind.
Following a brief description of the book, a question-and-answer session opened. With many grandchildren of Holocaust survivors in the audience, myself included, an array of hands propelled into the air. One of the many interesting questions posed to the German teens was, “Do you feel guilty?”
German student Hagen Verleger answered: “I do not feel guilty, however I feel greatly ashamed.”
I was fascinated with that answer, because I realized that shame and guilt are directly connected, but they are far from synonymous.
While the Nazi story ends with shame, it began with an excess of pride. Hitler and the Nazi party exemplified the utmost arrogance in their stride to conquer the world and “ethnically cleanse” society. But after their defeat, surviving members of the Nazi party and the generation of Germans to follow them were internationally blacklisted.
The students explained to us that for a very long period of time not many people would openly admit to being “German” due to the stigma attached to the nationality. Germany went from being the superior race and nation to bearing a universal mark of Cain.
But things have changed for this generation. The students pointed out that the 2006 World Cup competition in Germany saw the German flag flown with pride at this international event, with black, red, gold and the eagle emblem appearing on shirts, signs and venues all over the country. Clearly, this generation of Germans has found a way to deal with their infamous past and appropriately display national pride once again.
Exemplifying this revolution in Germany’s national attitude, the six visitors from Germany commendably presented a translated book — a product of their stirring shame. Although Germany’s actions cannot and will never be atoned for, the German students of my generation took ownership of this inherent guilt and utilized shame to spark a contribution to society.
By willingly encountering Jews, these German teens have exposed the wrongdoings of their fathers with the intent of setting the ethical standards for the generations to follow. It is their version of our “Never Again” slogan.
Hearing all of this, I started to think about what we, direct descendants of Holocaust survivors, can learn from the grandchildren of pre-1945 Germany. After recapping the issues discussed, I realized that what my generation and the German teens have in common is that we are the youth of our nations.
Obviously, nothing previous generations of Jews have done can be equated to the crimes of Nazi Germany on any level whatsoever. But every generation does have its faults. Moreover, it is every generation’s responsibility to recognize and remedy the faults of their predecessors.
As a teen, I find it essential to look at our past and scrutinize Jewish history in order to improve or even attempt to improve my generation and set the tracks for future generations.
One issue that has always vexed me and continues to haunt the Jewish people is that of our lack of unity. Whether the issues are political, religious or moral, they cause serious divisions within our nation, which have devastating effects on our chances for success. Political differences, which resulted in the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin by a fellow Jew, and religious differences between secular and ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel not only split us internally but destroy our reputation in the eyes of the outside world.
Will we look back on our ancestors’ mistakes with futile guilt, unproductively blaming ourselves? Or will we be stimulated by our shame and become motivated to possibly rectify those faults? Will we unify or continue to be fragmented and suffer our demise?
Adam Deustsch is a junior at YULA High School for boys.
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Is Pot Kosher for Pesach?
Here’s a fifth question for the seder: What makes this herb different from all others?
The Green Leaf Party, a small Israeli political party that supports legalizing pot, announced March 27 that marijuana might not be kosher for Passover.
The reason, they say, is that marijuana seeds — and likely hemp seeds — are kitniyot, which Ashkenazim traditionally don’t consume on Passover. Sephardim do eat kitniyot.
“You shouldn’t smoke marijuana on the holiday, and if you have it in your house, you should get rid of it,” Green Leaf spokeswoman Michelle Levine told the Associated Press.
The announcement did not set off much of an uproar in Jerusalem, according to Jewschool.com editor Dan Sieradski.
Jews may be kashering their pots and pans for Passover, but he said he wasn’t aware of anyone throwing out their pot.
But even on a religious level, Sieradski said the argument that pot is kitniyot and should not be used by Ashkenazim is a pipe dream.
Kitniyot, generically called legumes, include rice, corn, beans, peas, lentils and seeds. The traditional ban among Ashkenazim, which is not rooted in halacha, began in medieval times from fear that kitniyot could come into contact with banned grains while in storehouses.
“For those who are machmid,” or stringent, about kitniyot, Sieradski said, “it could be an issue. But if they’re really that observant, they probably don’t smoke weed anyway.”
Perhaps it’s something on which the Orthodox and Reform could smoke a peace pipe: No herb — not on Passover or any other time.
“Marijuana is not kosher all year long,” said Rabbi Moshe Elefant, chief operating officer and rabbinic coordinator of kashrut for the Orthodox Union.
However, Elefant noted that if the marijuana is used for legal medical purposes, it would be acceptable on Passover, as are all medications.
Elefant’s Reform movement counterparts took a similar position.
“The law of the land is the law,” said Rabbi Eric Yoffe, president of the Union for Reform Judaism. “If it’s illegal to use marijuana, we certainly don’t sanction the use of it.”
One Orthodox smoker in her late 20s said she had never asked her rabbi if pot was kosher for Passover because — like other natural products that are not grain-based — she assumed it was fine. If she did consult a rabbi over this, the woman said, she would consult the most lenient one she could find.
And if that rabbi told her pot was illegal for Passover, “I would just have to double my prescription for Xanax,” she said. “There’s always a replacement.”
JTA Staff Writer Ben Harris and intern Armin Rosen contributed to this report.
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