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January 19, 2012

Must Read, January 19, 2012

Leave a Comment / Is Featured?, Israel, Must Reads, Rosners Domain-mobile /

John Bolton: On Iran, sanctions are not the answer

The hawkish former envoy to the UN writes in USA Today that the only way to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions is by attacking its facilities.

“The most likely outcome is stark: The world’s central banker of terrorism will very soon become a nuclear weapons state. The only other option is to take pre-emptive military action to break Iran’s program, and the odds of doing so successfully are deteriorating daily, as it hardens and deeply buries new facilities.”

Military action against Iran? Don’t miscalculate

In its editorial USA Today answers Bolton with the argument that military action would be counterproductive, saying that the sanctions imposed on Tehran are “finally biting.”

”…sanctions remain the last best hope for a satisfactory solution. Even against the odds, they’re a better option than letting the pot boil over, hastening a conflict that reasonable people would prefer to avoid.”

Most Syrians back President Assad, but you’d never know from western media

Jonathan Steele writes in the Guardian that the international media has misled its readers about the level of Syrian support for keeping the embattled president, which is backed by a new, and widely ignored, poll .

“Some 55% of Syrians want Assad to stay, motivated by fear of civil war – a spectre that is not theoretical as it is for those who live outside Syria’s borders. What is less good news for the Assad regime is that the poll also found that half the Syrians who accept him staying in power believe he must usher in free elections in the near future.”

Women of the Arab Spring give voice to their hopes and aspirations

In a piece for The National of Abu Dhabi, Rachel Shabi and Laura Collins, meet five women who have played a part in the uprisings of their respective countries, and discover that for them, there is no going back in terms of women’s rights.

“Women at the forefront of the struggles that started in Tunisia and fast carried over into Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria have spoken of the protests as reawakening a sense of equality that had long been buried under layers of corruption, repression and social conservatism.”

Lebanon, by the Numbers

Blogging in the New York Times, Elias Muhanna seeks a solution to Lebanon’s sectarian political system, and finds that there is no easy solution.

“The imposition of religious representativeness in politics is a scourge. In the best of circumstances, it is vulnerable to the demagoguery of religious leaders; in the worst, it breeds civil violence and paralyzes the government. But others fear that a more open system would not provide the guarantees of power-sharing among religious minorities that the current model entails.”

Must Read, January 19, 2012 Read More »

Journalist: Netanyahu told me Israel’s biggest enemies are N.Y. Times, Haaretz

Leave a Comment / Israel, News /

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s two greatest enemies are The New York Times and Haaretz, the editor of The Jerusalem Post said in a speech.

Steve Linde, addressing a conference in Tel Aviv of the Women’s International Zionist Organization, said Wednesday that Netanyahu made the remark to him about the newspapers at a private meeting “a couple of weeks ago” at the prime minister’s office in Tel Aviv.

“He said, ‘You know, Steve, we have two main enemies,’ ” Linde said, according to a recording of the WIZO speech provided to JTA. “And I thought he was going to talk about, you know, Iran, maybe Hamas. He said, ‘It’s The New York Times and Haaretz.’ He said, ‘They set the agenda for an anti-Israel campaign all over the world. Journalists read them every morning and base their news stories … on what they read in The New York Times and Haaretz.’ ”

Linde said he and other participants at the meeting asked Netanyahu whether he really thought that the media had that strong a role in shaping world opinion on Israel, and the prime minister replied, “Absolutely.”

The Prime Minister’s Office could not be reached immediately for comment.

Journalist: Netanyahu told me Israel’s biggest enemies are N.Y. Times, Haaretz Read More »

Calendar Picks and Clicks: January 18-January 27

Leave a Comment / Picks and Clicks, What's Happening /

Pick of the Week: Sunday, Jan. 22

SONGS OF THE SPIRIT: DEBBIE FRIEDMAN REMEMBERED
A diverse lineup of musical performers and clergy celebrate the life of Friedman, a renowned musician who turned prayers into memorable folk songs, on the occasion of her first yahrzeit. The free program includes remarks by Friedman’s family; teachings by Rabbis William Cutter and Richard Levy from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR); and performances by Craig Taubman, Julie Silver, Rabbi Ken Chasen, Cantors Evan Kent, Linda Kates and Lorna Lembeck, and the Temple Isaiah Choir. Co-sponsored by HUC-JIR’s Kalsman Institute on Judaism & Health and Temple Isaiah. Sun. 7 p.m. Free (RSVP requested). Temple Isaiah, 10345 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 277-2772. templeisaiah.com.

WED | JAN 18

ROE V. WADE
The National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles hosts its annual education program, marking 39 years since the legalization of abortion. Leaders in the pro-choice movement — including Amy Everitt, state director of NARAL Pro-Choice California; Serena Josel, public affairs director for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles; Kaya Masler, USC student and political organizer; Joyce Schorr, founder and president of the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project; and Gabriela Valle, senior director for California Latinas for Reproductive Justice — will cover issues such as education in schools, treatment of women in the military regarding abortion, proposed changes to health insurance affecting abortion and parental notification initiatives. Wed. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Free. NCJW/LA Council House, 543 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 852-8503. ncjwla.org.

AMY WALDMAN AND AYAD AKHTAR
The acclaimed writers appear in conversation with Louise Steinman, curator of the library’s ALOUD series, to discuss their debut novels, “The Submission” and “American Dervish,” respectively, which explore the lives of Muslim Americans before and after 9/11. Wed. 7 p.m. Free. Mark Taper Auditorium, Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., downtown. (213) 228-7500. lfla.org.

THU | JAN 19

“HAUNTED BY HITLER: A FASCINATION REVISITED”
Eric Rentschler, professor of Germanic languages and literatures at Harvard University, examines the role fascist aesthetics play in a postwar and postmillennial world, drawing on the seminal essay “Fascinating Fascism,” by the late author Susan Sontag. Sponsored by the UCLA Center for Jewish Studies and co-sponsored by the UCLA Department of Germanic Languages. Thu. 4-6 p.m. Free. UCLA Faculty Center, 480 Charles Young Drive, Los Angeles. (310) 267-5327. cjs.ucla.edu.

LIVE READ, DIRECTED BY JASON REITMAN
The film and actors for the latest installment of Reitman’s table-read series at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) haven’t been announced yet, but based on the previous films in the series (“Princess Bride,” “The Apartment” and “The Breakfast Club”) and the stars who’ve participated (Natalie Portman, Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner) expect high-quality comedy and A-list names. Visit Reitman’s Twitter (@JasonReitman) in the days leading up to the event for announcements. Thu. 7:30 p.m. Stand-by tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis at 6 p.m. at the Hammer Building Ticket Office: $10 (general), $7 (LACMA members, seniors and students), $5 (LACMA film club members, Film Independent and New York Times Film Club members). LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 857-6000. lacma.org.

L.A. KINGS JEWISH COMMUNITY NIGHT
The Kings play the Calgary Flames during Jewish Community Night at Staples Center, sponsored by the Consulate of Israel. Temple Menorah’s Cantor Jessica Hutchings sings the national anthem, kosher food will be available, and a free limited-edition L.A. Kings yarmulke comes with every ticket purchased. Thu. 7:30 p.m. $29-$97 (individuals), $28-$91 (groups 15 and more). Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. (213) 742-7209. lakings.com/israel.

SAT | JAN 21

ZVI ZOHAR
The professor of Sephardic law and ethics at Bar-Ilan University and senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute discusses “Women, Torah and Mitzvot: Surprising Views by Sephardic Rabbis” during a Shabbat lunch-and-learn featuring Sephardic-style cuisine. Hosted by the Sephardic Educational Center. Sat. noon-2 p.m. $36. Kahal Joseph Congregation, 105050 W. Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 272-4574. bit.ly/wWow3A.

“ON THESE SHOULDERS WE STAND”
Beth Chayim Chadashim screens filmmaker Glenne McElhinney’s documentary, which chronicles gay life and activism in postwar Los Angeles, from the 1950s to the early 1980s. A
Q-and-A follows, including McElhinney and Dr. Marsha Epstein, one of 11 interviewees in the film. Sat. 7 p.m. Free. Beth Chayim Chadashim, 6090 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 931-7023. bcc-la.org.

MICHAEL WINOGRAD TRIO
Clarinetist Michael Winograd, accordionist Patrick Farrell and singer-bassist Benjy Fox-Rosen perform Yiddish songs and new klezmer compositions marked by chamber-like improvisations and spontaneous arrangements. The performance kicks off the 2012 yidARTS season. Sat. 7:30-9:30 p.m. $8. West Hollywood Library, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood. (213) 389-8880. yiddishkayt.org.

“HUNGER: IN BED WITH ROY COHN”
Playwright Joan Beber’s deathbed portrait of the power-hungry McCarthy-era attorney has its world premiere tonight. The serio-comedy offers a surrealistic version of history, exploring Cohn’s relationships with his controlling mother, housekeeper, lover G. David Schine, convicted Soviet spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Barbara Walters and Ronald Reagan. Sat. Through March 11. 8 p.m. $30 (Saturday and Sunday), $25 (Friday). Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 477-2055. odysseytheatre.com.

TUE | JAN 24

SHALOM AUSLANDER
The author of “Foreskin’s Lament” appears in conversation with “Seinfeld” writer/producer Peter Mehlman to discuss his forthcoming debut novel, “Hope: A Tragedy.” A Q-and-A and book signing follow. Tue. 8 p.m. (advance reservations recommended). Free. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org.

THU | JAN 26

FEMALE PERPETRATORS IN THE HOLOCAUST
Wendy Lower, an associate professor of history at Maximilians University in Munich, discusses “I Wanted to Prove Myself to the Men: Female Perpetrators in the Holocaust.” Lower is the author of “Nazi Empire Building and the Holocaust in Ukraine” and “The Diary of Samuel Golfard and the Holocaust in Galicia.” Organized by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute. Thu. 4 p.m. Free. USC Social Sciences Building Room 250, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. (213) 740-8999. dornsife.usc.edu/vhi.

“CAST A GIANT SHADOW”
Zionist Organization of America Western Region screens the classic Kirk Douglas film about an American World War II war hero who helps the Israeli army during the 1948 War of Independence. After the screening, head over to Rosewood Tavern on Fairfax to discuss the movie, Zionism and Jewish heroism — and to schmooze over fine brews, of course. Thu. 7 p.m. Free (donations welcome; RSVP required by Jan. 25). Film screening: The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Conference Room B, 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Post-screening drinks: Rosewood Tavern, 448. N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 744-0330. zoawest.org.

“THE CRUMBLING WALL SEPARATING CHURCH AND STATE”
Erwin Chemerinsky, the founding dean of the University of California, Irvine, School of Law,  discusses the Supreme Court’s lessening of restrictions on government aid to religion and religious involvement in government. RSVP necessary to park in building. Thu. 7:30 p.m. $8 (members), $16 (general). Sinai Temple, 10400 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 474-1518. sinaitemple.org.

FRI | JAN 27

“MAPPING AUSCHWITZ” FLASH MOB
The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMOH) hopes hundreds, if not thousands, of people will turn out to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the liberation of Auschwitz by lining a 15-square-mile area — along Pico, Robertson, Beverly, La Cienega and Sunset boulevards, Wilton Place and Arlington Avenue — roughly the size of Auschwitz. Visit the museum’s Web site to print off signs to hold up during the event and register where you plan to stand. Fri. Noon-12:30 p.m. Free. Various streets around Los Angeles, as indicated above. (323) 651-3704. lamoth.org.

Calendar Picks and Clicks: January 18-January 27 Read More »

Just breathe

Leave a Comment / Judaism, News, Torah /

In this week’s Torah portion, we meet a frustrated and dejected Moses. God’s reluctant leader of the Jewish people cannot convince Pharaoh to free the Israelites from bondage, no matter how emphatically he proclaims, “Let my people go.” Pharaoh doesn’t budge; in fact, things get worse for the people each time Moses asks. The Jewish people seem paralyzed by fear and depression, further frustrating Moses.

The cruelty of Pharaoh and his taskmasters increases. The suffering of the Israelites grows and grows. God instructs Moses to go to the people one more time and impress upon them that God will redeem them with great miracles from their harsh labors and cruel taskmasters. God will bring them to the land of their forefathers in freedom (Exodus 6:8). But when Moses tells them this, nothing happens. They won’t even listen to his words, the text explains, “their spirits crushed by cruel bondage” (Exodus 6:9)

The Hebrew of the verse is illuminating: “spirits crushed” (mikotzer ruach) literally means a breath cut short. The great medieval commentator Rashi explains, “One who is troubled in his wind [ruach] and his breaths are short [ketzarah], and he cannot [take] a long breath.”

Imagine the sense of suffocation, imagine a feeling of drowning — the helplessness, the awareness that what you need most of all — air to breathe — you cannot have.

Mitzrayim, the Hebrew word for Egypt, means “narrow place.” With the Israelites we get a sense that the walls are closing in, that they are being crushed and pressed to the point at which they can barely breathe. They have given up on hope, on life, on redemption, on God.

When you stop breathing, you die, and the Israelites are mikotzer ruach (crushed), their breath is short and labored. Their spirit, if not their bodies, is nearly extinguished.

Rabbi Levi Yitzak of Beredichev, the great Chasidic master, taught that in each and every moment our breath tries to escape from us, but the Holy One, in great mercy, watches over us and does not let it depart. This is the meaning of the verse, “With each and every breath praise God” (Psalms 150:6).

If every breath a person takes is a prayer, an expression of thanksgiving to God for our very lives, then the fact that the Israelites can take only short, shallow breaths indicates they have lost faith and hope in God’s redemption. That is why they won’t listen to Moses; they don’t think he can deliver. In this moment of ultimate crisis for our people, breath for life, breath for prayer was almost gone.

And so what must God — through Moses — do? God has to do something that will quite literally take their breath away — something that will be so profound, so inspiring that they will awaken from their despair, breathe deeply and know in that moment that they are alive and in the presence of God’s redemptive power. What better medium to impress the people than a miracle, or maybe 10?!

Many of us have been taught that the purpose of the 10 plagues (which make up the balance of this Torah portion and the next) was to convince and ultimately punish Pharaoh for his cruel treatment of the Israelites. But that was not the only reason — maybe not even the main reason. The reason for the plagues was to wake the Israelites from their stupor, through signs and wonders to remind them of God’s redemptive power. The plagues were God’s way of telling the Israelites that God had not abandoned them.

When the Israelites encountered such a moment, when frogs rained down from heaven, when rivers turned to blood, when locusts blotted out the sun, there was only one possible response: to stand in awe, breathe deeply, and through that breath praise God, the source of life.

When people come to me for counsel or comfort, they, too, are in a place of narrowness not unlike the Israelites in bondage, mikotzer ruach, spirits crushed. They feel that every avenue to repair a relationship or health or sustenance is closed off to them, that they are out of options, constricted, helpless … can’t draw a breath. Often the best advice I can offer is what we all so often forget to do in those moments: Take a deep breath, and just breathe. Remind yourself that you are alive. You are a living human being with unlimited potential to overcome life’s burdens. When each and every breath we take is a prayer thanking God for life, even when that life is burdened and difficult, then every breath is a miracle and a reminder of God’s redemptive power. Sometimes the best advice is — just breathe.

Hey, it worked for Moses.

Just breathe Read More »

Insights for investors from one who knows firsthand

Leave a Comment / Business, Finance, Mobile Sections, News /

Rebecca Rothstein, a managing director at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Beverly Hills, focuses on helping high net worth and ultra-high net worth investors with estate, tax and financial planning. But she hasn’t always been a Barron’s top 100 financial advisor. A high-school dropout who went on to get her GED and an associate’s degree in design and merchandising, Rothstein started out as a buyer for the Robinson’s department store chain but left the job because it required too much time on the road away from her four young sons. At her husband’s suggestion, Rothstein switched careers and became a broker for a small L.A. firm in 1987, one month before the market crashed. From there the Hidden Hills resident moved on to Bear Stearns and Deutsche Bank before joining Smith Barney in 1999. During her tenure with Smith Barney, she has become a member of the Investment Management Consultants Association and is a member of its Directors Council, which features the top 5 percent of the firm’s financial consultants. She manages $2.4 billion in assets for clients whose typical net worth is $10 million. Barron’s has her at No. 21 on its 2011 list of the Top 100 Financial Advisors and No. 2 on the list of Top 100 Female Financial Advisors.

Jewish Journal: I’m sure it’s an honor every time you’re named to Barron’s top 100 advisors. How does it feel after eight years of being on this list?
Rebecca Rothstein: It’s shocking to me that we make the cut every year. I’ve always been No. 1 or No. 2 [in the Top 100 Female Financial Advisors] and that’s even more stunning to me because I’m a high-school dropout. I don’t take that lightly. There are certainly people smarter on the list than me. I have a great team. I give most of the credit to my team.

JJ: Are you disappointed that you weren’t No. 1?
RR: I’d be lying if I said anything but ‘of course.’ The thing that I measure myself on and measure my staff on is: Every year we publish our numbers as dictated by a number of things, like number of households and things like that. But one of the things they tell you is the number of clients gained or lost in that year. My client retention is about 98 percent, which is about 20 percent higher than the rest of the industry. So that’s how I measure myself.

JJ: Are there any challenges unique to being a woman in this business?
RR: My old answer would have been yes, it’s challenging to get credibility. The other thing that was really hard was to convince a guy that I was as good as another guy at what I did. Very often, at the beginning, I would only get a small piece of a guy’s account and then I had to earn the rest. Men don’t have the same problem. Now I realize that that’s not really true. You’re having a tougher time because that’s the story you’re telling yourself. As time has evolved, I’ve become a lot more comfortable in the fact that when I go see a client, I expect to win. And I expect to win regardless of whether I am a man or a woman.

JJ: Are there any rookie mistakes that you felt like you made when you first started investing? 
RR: There wasn’t a mistake I didn’t make. You make them all. And then it’s only over time that you understand: ‘You know, I would have handled these situations a little differently.’ … In the beginning, they train you in these places, but they don’t train you in the minutiae of the business, and that only comes with time. That only comes with getting your head punched in. That only comes with making a mistake, looking at it, understanding why it was a mistake and not doing it again.

JJ: What are the public’s thoughts about investing in this economy?
RR: I think that people are angry, very distrusting. I personally had to live with two years of people going: ‘You’re responsible for this!’ They were people I’ve known for many, many years, and I would say, ‘Really? Me personally?’ And they would say, ‘No, your industry.’ And, unfortunately, I can’t really disagree with them, because there was a lot of really bad behavior that occurred in this business: Madoff. The guy in Texas. These were people who behaved badly. But we [Morgan Stanley Smith Barney] didn’t behave badly.

JJ: What’s your advice for investing today as opposed to a couple of years ago?
RR: We’ve changed our investing mandate to be much more cautious. So, for example, in days gone by, if a bond was triple-A rated in California, we never thought about it. We’d buy it, and that was that. Now when we buy a bond for somebody, we look at the underlying rating for it and do they have enough money to service the debt. This is a much more granular way of looking at it. Because of the granularity, we’ve become smarter.

JJ: What are some of the things you do to prepare people for retirement?
RR: It depends really on what the client’s life story is, how many kids they have, where they are when I met them. So, if they’re 60 and they want to retire at 65 and they haven’t saved any money, it’s a little tougher to get them to that goal. It all comes back to spending. If they are making half a million dollars a year and they are saving 20 percent of that, 20 percent is sort of the goal post to me. If you save 20 percent of your money and you pay off your house, you should be able to get to your goal.

JJ: How do you advise clients who want to donate money to charities?
RR: For my clients who want to make donations and contributions, we are very helpful to them in how they set up the charitable giving account. More often than not, we use what is called a Donor Advised Fund (DAF). People open up these accounts and put in money and then they give away the money. So when they give away money to charities, more often than not, we look [the charity] up. These are things that we used to never even do. If a charity doesn’t spend at least 93 cents of every dollar directly to the benefit of the charity, we won’t allow our clients to give them money or we’ll strongly suggest to them [to not give the money].

JJ: Where are you headed? What’s in your future?
RR: The biggest problem that my industry has is people like me—I’m in my mid-50s, I have a wonderful client base. If I retired, what would they do? For me personally, I’m trying to build a pyramid that can pass [clients] to my other partners, where they can continue to be the trusted advisor to those families. If you don’t stay involved and don’t do things in your life, what are you going to do? I don’t golf. I want to have my intellect challenged, and I want to learn new things. But I definitely want to have more free time than I’ve had in the last 30 years. l

Insights for investors from one who knows firsthand Read More »