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Jewish Journal

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January 13, 2010

Obituaries: January 15-21, 2010

Leave a Comment / Obituaries /

Eli Bar-El died Oct. 15 at 29. He is survived by his parents, Zion and Avina; sisters, Eliana and Elissya; and brothers, Elior and Eliran. Malinow and Silverman

Cypora Baum died Oct. 4. She is survived by her husband, Ralph; daughter, Ruchama (Richard) Van Allen; son, Jack (Maxine); and seven grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Regina H. Beckerman died Nov. 2 at 104. She is survived by her son, Arnold; and three grandchildren. Hillside

Corey Berland died Oct. 29 at 49. He is survived by his wife, Anne; and father, Robert. Mount Sinai

Morris Block died Nov. 3 at 93. He is survived by his son, Carleton (Barbara); two grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and sister, Mildred Witzer. Mount Sinai

Sidney Brawer died Nov. 3 at 87. He is survived by his daughter, Ann Schwartz; son, Michael; and five grandchildren. Hillside

Eugene Cofsky died Nov. 1 at 81. He is survived by his wife, Rita; daughter, Lori (Perry) Tessel; son, Ted (Beth); two grandchildren; and brother, Sheldon (Corinne). Mount Sinai

Alice S. Davidson died Oct. 30 at 95. She is survived by her daughters, Terry E. Jennings and Sara; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Hillside

Marion U. Doiwchi died Nov. 2 at 92. She is survived by her brother, Bob Uyetani; and niece, Jeanne Guy. Hillside

Donald Dunkleman died Oct. 19 at 83. He is survived by his daughters, Robin (Larry) Kaplan and Fern (Mike) Rajic; son, Scott (Leslie); nine grandchildren; and brother, Daniel (Doreen). Malinow and Silverman

Edythe Erdmann died Nov. 2 at 87. She is survived by her daughter, Lori Clement; son, Ira; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Gahlit Eshett-Friedenberg died Oct. 13 at 42. She is survived by her husband, Marc Friedenberg; daughter, Maayan Jasmine; parents, Ali and Channa Eshett; and sister, Sharon Eshett. Malinow and Silverman

Warren N. Estrin died Oct. 30 at 71. He is survived by his wife, Roberta; sons, Shlomo (Leah) and Chaium (Dena); 16 grandchildren; and brother, Philip (Mindy). Mount Sinai

Philip Frankel died Oct. 8 at 83. He is survived by his daughter, Heidi; and son, Marvin. Malinow and Silverman

Morris Gelb died Oct. 18 at 96. He is survived by his daughters, Sandra (Henry) Krist and Barbara (Arnold) Becker; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Chevra Kadisha

Edward Goldstein died Nov. 3 at 90. He is survived by his wife, Sylvia; daughter, Laura Allen; sons, Lee (Marcia) and Nachman (Gudron); four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Chevra Kadisha

Mark Golubchik died Nov. 1 at 71. He is survived by his wife, Helen; daughter, Irene (Anthony Merrit); one grandchild; and sister, Tina (Roman) Babitchnko. Mount Sinai

Gloria Gruen died Nov. 1 at 87. She is survived by her husband, Louies; sons, John L. and Edward; and two grandchildren. Chevra Kadisha

Patricia Harmatz died Nov. 2 at 89. She is survived by her daughter, Jill (Robert Sanders); sons, Sheldon (Joann Gray) and Gary (Susan); four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Paul Hirsch died Oct. 14 at 81. He is survived by his wife, Harriette; daughters, Joanne, Heide and Sara Rice; and four grandchildren. Malinow and Silverman

Dorothy Jacobson died Oct. 15 at 87. She is survived by her sons, Peter (Nancy Helget) and Don (Patricia); and three grandchildren. Malinow and Silverman

Eva Judovits died Nov. 2 at 83. She is survived by her daughter, Edith; son, Tom (Judy); two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and sister, Agi (Samuel). Mount Sinai

Frieda Kaminski died Nov. 1 at 88. She is survived by her daughter, Rachel (Henry) Lehrman; and three grandchildren. Chevra Kadisha

Sandra Kaufman died Oct. 19 at 55. She is survived by her mother, Rosalind; and brother, Michael. Malinow and Silverman

Beulah (Belle) Kravitz died Oct. 17 at 93. She is survived by her brother, Gene; nieces, Deane and Eleanor; nephews, Sheldon and Herbert; and five grandnephews and grandnieces. Chevra Kadisha

Donald Krell died Oct. 21 at 76. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne; daughter, Amy; son, Charles; and brother, Jerry (Arlene). Malinow and Silverman

Morton Kroll died Oct. 4 at 81. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; daughters, Barbara White and Sandra (Craig) Peterson; sons, Marc (Kim) and Louis (Helaine); and nine grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Eleanor Krueger died Oct. 8 at 92. She is survived by her daughter, Deborah Trevino; son, Robert (Rosie) Berson; two grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and sister, Charlotte Marcus. Malinow and Silverman

Sophie Kublin died Oct. 9 at 104. She is survived by her daughters, Annette Ross and Ilene (Jerome) Schur; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Malinow and Silverman

Tatyana Kukuyeva died Sept. 28. She is survived by her husband, Arsenly; and daughters, Irina and Anna. Malinow and Silverman

Dianne Lewitt died Oct. 9 at 94. She is survived by her son, Bruce. Malinow and Silverman

Rosalind Manson died Oct. 13 at 89. She is survived by her husband, Ivan; daughter, Lin (Michael) Bethanacourt; son, Bevan (Jennie Hansen); and two grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Helena Milrad died Nov. 2 at 60. She is survived by her brother, Joseph; and nieces, Peri and Jordan. Mount Sinai

Victor Mizzy died Oct. 17 at 93. He is survived by his daughter, Lynn Mizzy Jonas; and two grandchildren. Malinow and Silverman

Mia Nagel died Nov. 2 at 84. She is survived by her husband, Seymour; daughters, Brenda (Bill) Houser, Elyse (Bruce) Bleaman and Joyce (Jeffrey) Sudifoff; son, Philip (Karen); 10 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and brother, Henry (Roslyn) Greenberg. Hillside

Marion Pode died Nov. 1 at 88. She is survived by her daughter, Donna (John) Boni; son, Charles (Laura); and six grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Marcia Ross died Nov. 1 at 79. She is survived by her husband, Alvin; daughter, Karin Elise; and one grandchild. Mount Sinai

Jeffrey Rothberg died Oct. 9 at 52. He is survived by his wife, Meg Siegler. Malinow and Silverman

Elizabeth Ryback died Oct. 22 at 57. She is survived by her sister, Anne (Steven) Schmidt; brother, Charles; nieces, Samantha and Cassandra; preceded in death by her parents, Rabbi and Mrs. Martin B. Ryback. Mount Sinai

Nathan (Nate) Sacks died Nov. 3 at 88. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; sons, Marc (Judy) and Howard; and three grandchildren. Hillside

Diana Sklar died Oct. 10 at 69. She is survived by her daughter, Hillary; and brother, Richard Haines. Malinow and Silverman

Corinne Sterling died Oct. 9 at 79. She is survived by her companion, Ed Friedman; sons, Scott, Randall and Barry; and brother, Mark Spitz. Malinow and Silverman

Theodore Strauss died Oct. 14 at 96. He is survived by his daughter, Miriam (Martin) Fishman; son, Stanley; eight grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. Chevra Kadisha

Samuel C. Taylor died Nov. 4 at 97. He is survived by his daughters, Mollie and Cheryl; son, Barry; two grandchildren; and sister, Gloria Radel. Hillside

Lillian Te Selle died Sept. 29 at 95. She is survived by her daughter, Anita (Harold) Nadel; sons, Charles (Mindy) Glatstein and Fred (Bonita) Glatstein; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Malinow and Silverman

Milton Turner died Nov. 1 at 91. He is survived by his wife, Florence; daughters, Petrice (Dennis) Ryan and Iva; and sister, Eunice Roth. Hillside

Sam Winer died Aug. 16 at 94. He is survived by his wife, Claire; sons Jack (Barbara), Aaron (Trisha) and Mark Warmbrand (Mary); many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren; and brother, Marvin (Evelyn). Mount Sinai

Robert Sterling Wolf died Oct. 26 at 81. He is survived by his wife, Mildred; daughters, Carole (Elliot) and Susan (Gary); son, Martin (Nazy); eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Chevra Kadisha

Roslyn Zimmerman died Oct. 21 at 82. She is survived by her husband, Robert; sons, Zachary and Jeffrey. Malinow and Silverman

Obituaries: January 15-21, 2010 Read More »

Farahi investor fraud suit shocks L.A.’s Iranian Jewish community

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(KIRN 670 AM Persian language radio talk show host John Farahi in 2007 at Temple Beth El synagogue in West Hollywood, photo by Karmel Melamed)

Yesterday Southern California’s Iranian American Jewish community was shocked to learn that on January 8th, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil law suit against popular Iranian Jewish radio talk show host and financial advisor, John Farahi. The suit alleges Farahi and his Beverly Hills firm, NewPoint Financial Services Inc., defrauded Iranian-American investors of millions of dollars and that Farahi, his company, his wife Gissou and the firm’s controller, Elaheh Amouei, misled investors by falsely telling them their funds were being invested in low-risk unsecured corporate bonds, FDIC insured certificates of deposit, government bonds and corporate bonds issued by companies backed by funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). In reality, the complaint alleges, the investors’ money were transferred into personal accounts controlled by Farahi and his wife to fund construction of their multi-million dollar mansion in Beverly Hills and in risky option futures trading in the stock market that resulted in more than $18 million in losses for investors.

The SEC’s suit also claims that since 2003, Farahi used his radio program, “The Economy Today” featured on the Studio City-based Persian language radio station Radio Iran KIRN 670 AM to target members of L.A.’s Iranian American community, recommending they make appointments at his firm. “They lured victims with false promises of investment safety while secretly enriching themselves and diverting investor funds for their personal use,” stated Rosalind R. Tyson, Director of the SEC’s Los Angeles Regional office in a statement.

In conjunction with the suit, the SEC has obtained an order temporarily freezing the Farahis’ and NewPoint’s assets until the government can investigate the case further. A hearing on the Farahis case is scheduled for January 15th in U.S. Federal court in downtown L.A.

I have met Farahi in the past as a journalist covering a number of local Iranian Jewish events in which he participated in as the master of ceremonies. I found many community members were typically impressed by his charisma as well as his ability to communicate. Farahi and his wife were typically rubbing elbows with socialites in the community and involved in a number of philanthropic Jewish events— and even donating themselves to such causes. His wife, Gissou, was a former executive board member of the Iranian American Jewish Federation (IAJF) and I can recall her being responsible for organizing a few Israel related fundraising events at the IAJF’s synagogue, Temple Beth El in West Hollywood roughly three to four years ago. This reputation the Farahis created in the community as well as his persona as a talk show host with “knowledge of American finances and investments” on KIRN, quickly won the couple friends among local Iranian Americans of various religions. All the reason why community members are now horrified to learn of this civil lawsuit brought by the SEC against this couple. Aside from the legal and financial ramifications of this case for the Farahis, this case will undoubtedly damage their high profile reputation in the local Iranian Jewish community which is so tight-knit. 

In addition, this current alleged investment fraud case involving an Iranian Jewish businessman comes nearly a year after a similar case of supposed investor fraud involving Ezri Namvar, a Los Angeles area Iranian Jewish businessman came to light. Namvar was forced into involuntary bankruptcy by his Iranian Jewish creditors who accused him of losing as much as $400 million in funds they loaned him. Many local Iranian Jewish community leaders have privately informed me that both of these incidents have been a source of tremendous shame and pain for them as they are upstanding citizens. “How are we supposed to work in this city and maintain our own reputations when these types of people from our own community are involved in such blatant crimes!” said one L.A. Iranian Jewish activist, who asked that he not be named out his fear of being ostracized by his friends and family members. (We won’t get into the Madoff case, but Madoff’s name is also raised many times in community conversations relating to Namvar).

On a side note, it’s interesting to see how the SEC’s investigators have connected Farahi’s comments on his radio program to this case of alleged investment fraud considering how KIRN is a very influential radio station in Southern California’s Iranian American community. For one thing, KIRN is the ONLY 24-hour Persian language radio station in the free world on the AM dial that can be picked up by almost any radio and on the internet. Hence a significant number of local middle-aged to older community members who may not enjoy or understand English language television or radio programming, tune in daily to KIRN and rely on it for their information. I’ve appeared on the station’s bilingual youth program many times and have always been surprised at how many local Iranians of various ages actually listen to the station/ So it’s no surprise that Farahi’s daily show on this radio station may have either indeed directly or indirectly influenced people to seek his financial investment services.

Finally, this current scandal brings up one very ironic conversation I witnessed a few years ago outside the Nessah Synagogue in Beverly Hills between Farahi and another Iranian Jewish gentleman right after the sex scandal story regarding former Israeli President Moshe Katsav broke. I remember Farahi fervently arguing with this other gentleman about the “shame” Katsav brought upon the larger Iranian Jewish community worldwide as a result of Katsav’s alleged rape of a woman and how the community should not support Katsav any longer. Thereafter Farahi promptly got into his new Rolls Royce, slammed the door and drove off. It’s painfully ironic how Farahi may now be facing the same criticism he dished out for Katsav with this current case.

The SEC’s complaint against the Farahis, their firm and Elaheh Amouei can be found here

Farahi investor fraud suit shocks L.A.’s Iranian Jewish community Read More »

Canters or Langer’s? No contest

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Robert Faturechi, a young reporter at the Los Angeles Times who I gave some play on GetReligion last fall, has a great story in today’s paper. It’s about the double-dipping waiters at two of L.A.‘s famous Jewish delis:

Salvador Lopez, a waiter at Langer’s, has the routine down pat. After a hectic lunch shift serving sandwiches on rye at the pastrami mecca next to MacArthur Park, he negotiates a series of surface streets—up Normandie, across Beverly—to make his way into the Fairfax district.

He beelines into the locker room of another renowned Jewish deli, shedding the signature Langer’s bow tie for a tight-fitting black T-shirt that reads: I ♥ Canter’s.

Lopez is not a delicatessen double agent, funneling trade secrets on Russian dressing and blintzes. The 29-year-old is one of several waiters who openly works at two of the delis that compete for the title of Los Angeles’ best.

The delis’ unique shared employee pool speaks to the changing demographics of their neighborhoods. Langer’s, surrounded by drug dealers and vendors selling fake IDs, is open for lunch only. Canter’s, in a once-sleepy neighborhood now home to cafes and clubs, draws a younger crowd well into the wee hours.

Sharing workers makes sense, the deli owners say, because top talent is rare. A good waiter who understands the makings of a mean Reuben is hard to find.

“It has nothing to do at all with Canter’s and I getting along,” said Norm Langer, who took over running the deli from his late father. “It requires manual dexterity. It requires caring. It requires knowledge. Every sandwich is its own work of art.”

A great story, but it involves one faulty premise: That there is any debate about which L.A.‘s deli is supreme. Langer’s all the way.

Canters or Langer’s? No contest Read More »

‘The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage’

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The constitutional challenge to California’s Prop. 8 continued today in a federal court in San Francisco. One of the key players this go around, as noted back in May, is none other than conservative litigation juggernaut Theodore Olson, who represented George W. Bush in Bush v. Gore.

Why does Olson support gay marriage? Here’s what he had to say in a bit of commentary he wrote for Newsweek:

Many of my fellow conservatives have an almost knee-jerk hostility toward gay marriage. This does not make sense, because same-sex unions promote the values conservatives prize. Marriage is one of the basic building blocks of our neighborhoods and our nation. At its best, it is a stable bond between two individuals who work to create a loving household and a social and economic partnership. We encourage couples to marry because the commitments they make to one another provide benefits not only to themselves but also to their families and communities. Marriage requires thinking beyond one’s own needs. It transforms two individuals into a union based on shared aspirations, and in doing so establishes a formal investment in the well-being of society. The fact that individuals who happen to be gay want to share in this vital social institution is evidence that conservative ideals enjoy widespread acceptance. Conservatives should celebrate this, rather than lament it.

Much more here. As a point of reference, this reasoning differs from why I voted no on Proposition 8.

‘The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage’ Read More »

Jewish Gripes

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As seen in The Jewish Week

Everyone has pet peeves – the things that really bug you. Sometimes these are trivial and sometimes not, but we all have them and we all wish someone – anyone! – would just hurry up and solve them. According to Consumer Reports, here are America’s top ten gripes:

1. Hidden fees
2. Not getting a human on the phone
3. Tailgaiting
4. Cell-phone use by drivers
5. Incomprehensible bills
6. Dog poop
7. Unreliable Internet service
8. Discourteous cell phone use
9. Waiting for repair people
10. Spam

At JInsider we asked, what are the gripes of American Jews? What changes might encourage a healthier, more inspiring community in which more Jews would want to be involved? This is not about looking back and casting blame on how things got to be this way, but about understanding what are the nagging issues we have with our community. To determine which are the worst of lot, we are currently conducting an online survey asking people to rate Jewish gripes (see list below). The first step to any solution is identifying the problems. We are hoping this is that first step.

To take the survey please go to www.jinsiderblog.com and click on the link. This project will also be part of our three-session program at Limmud NY 2010 (www.limmudny.com). Join us this weekend. We will report back soon with all the results.

Religious Gripes
Lack of modern relevancy
Few inspiring and engaging spiritual leaders
Synagogue membership is too expensive
Progressively liberal standards of Jewish observance
Jewish education fails to deliver
Ignorance of tradition by secular Jews
Self righteous and judgmental Orthodox
Too many mitzvot! 613 is a lot
Still waiting for the mashiach

Community Gripes
Lack of community unity
Israel’s actions are morally complicated
Embarrassing Jews (Madoff, etc…)
Too much focus on unaffiliated and not on the affiliated
Bureaucratic organizations only focused on gathering more money
Philanthropists’ egos
The community’s perpetual identity crisis
Day school is too expensive
Sense of entitlement (unwillingness to pay for Jewish services)

Cultural Gripes
Unhealthy food
Jewish stereotypes
Mass media undermining traditional values
Shifting holidays (darn lunar calendar!)
Pressure to date Jewish
My nose
Too much complaining

Jewish Gripes Read More »

36th District Race Heats Up Over Israel

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36th District Race Heats Up Over Israel

The sunny beach towns along Los Angeles County’s southern coastline are famous for their surfing culture, but some of the waves roiling the electorate of the 36th Congressional District originate in the Middle East.

Veteran Democratic Congresswoman Jane Harman is being challenged on her left flank by longtime progressive activist Marcy Winograd in the strongly Democratic district, stretching from Marina del Rey to Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and on to San Pedro. Both women are Jewish.

Although the district’s voters share with the state and nation such concerns as the economy, environment and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a spate of attacks and counterattacks have shifted some of the attention to American policy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Harman has been a longtime champion of U.S. support for Israel, along with the mainstreams of both major political parties.

Winograd, a public school teacher, is the co-founder of LA Jews for Peace and an advocate of Palestinian rights and of a one-state solution. She is a frequent presence at meetings denouncing Israeli oppression of Palestinians and accusing the Jewish state of various war crimes.

The simmering issue came to a boil this week, after Democratic congressional leader Henry Waxman circulated a pro-Harman letter stating that “Ms. Winograd’s views on Israel I find repugnant in the extreme.”

Waxman added that if the U.S. government were to follow Winograd’s proposed policies, “Israel would cease to exist.”

Quoting from a previous Winograd speech at a Pasadena church, Waxman noted that she and her group had picketed the Israeli consulate and the Museum of Tolerance following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and cited her statement that “it is now too late for a two-state solution.”

In the same speech, Winograd declared that “I do not want my tax dollars to support institutionalized racism. As a Jew, I do not want my name associated with occupation or extermination.”

However, Winograd also said, “I cannot condone cross-border rocket attacks or discotheque bombings that send blood through the streets of Tel Aviv.”

Linda Milazzo, a self-described participatory journalist, educator and activist, struck back Monday in the Huffington Post, under a headline claiming that Waxman had stepped “into a firestorm of controversy.”

She charged that [Waxman’s and Harman’s] “legislative focus is defined more by the welfare of Israel and Israelis and less by the welfare of America and Americans.”

Winograd herself has toned down the rhetoric on her Web site, stating that she supports “a negotiated peace settlement that ensures peace and justice for all parties to the conflict.”

She conditions that sentiment by adding, “A two-state solution should not preclude reparations for displaced Palestinians and should not preclude the eventual establishment of a binational state where all people live as equals.”

When Winograd ran against Harman in the 2006 Democratic primary, she pulled a respectable 38 percent of the vote.

Some Harman supporters fear that Winograd’s progressive stands on social issues and her opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may appeal to many Jewish voters, especially those not familiar with the challenger’s views on Israel.

Voting positions have not hardened yet, but political consultant Allen Hoffenblum believes that for Winograd to win “she will have to have mainstream liberals rally around her and not just the Tom Hayden, hard core, ultra-liberals.”

36th District Race Heats Up Over Israel Read More »