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Jewish Journal

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August 22, 2012

Melbourne radio host suspended for shouting ‘Sieg Heil’

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A Melbourne radio host who claims Jewish descent was suspended for one month for shouting “Sieg Heil” three times at the mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

John Michael Howson, 76, a talk-back host on 3AW Radio, reacted angrily with the Nazi taunts after Assange’s mother, Christine, said she would not conduct an interview on Sunday morning after the way Howson had treated the previous caller.

“I won’t be doing an interview with you because you’re acting like a pig,” Christine Assange said before hanging up.

Howson immediately responded by shouting, “Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!”

The network aired a pre-recorded apology by Howson Tuesday as the station announced his suspension.

Howson rejected accusations he was anti-Semitic, telling the Herald Sun newspaper his great-grandmother was Jewish and that he had participated at fundraisers for Temple Beth Israel, the city’s largest Reform synagogue.

But on Tuesday he said he was “thrilled” that he had become a “cause célèbre.”

“In fact, thanks for the publicity,” he told a Sydney radio station.

“Somebody said that saying ‘Sieg Heil’ meant I was anti-Semitic,” the Australian Associated Press reported him as saying. “I have a Jewish great-grandmother, I have a mezuzah hanging on the wall at my front door, I have a yarmulke in the wardrobe … and if you go into my pantry you will see matzah.”

Melbourne radio host suspended for shouting ‘Sieg Heil’ Read More »

Amsterdam Jewish community warns U.S. Jews of ‘dangerous’ Dutch politician

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The chairman of the Jewish Community of Amsterdam asked a Dutch politician to warn U.S. Jews about a “dangerous” rightist Dutch legislator.

Ronnie Eisenman, chairman of the executive board of the Jewish Community of Amsterdam, or NIHS, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that the “Amsterdam Jewish community regards [Dion] Graus as a danger for the interests of Dutch Jewish community.”

Graus, an advocate of a ban on ritual slaughter, is in charge of animal welfare for the Party for Freedom headed by Geert Wilders.

Eisenman said the statement was based on “the content of [Graus’] standpoints and his presentation” in debating ritual slaughter.

The message was “conveyed” to Wim Kortenoeven, another legislator, before Kortenoeven’s visit to to the U.S. earlier this month to meet with Jewish groups, Eisenman said on Twitter.

It is rare for Dutch Jewish community institutions publicly to state their positions on individual politicians or political parties.

In June, the Dutch Senate scrapped a ban on ritual slaughter that the lower house had passed last year. The law, tabled by the small Party for the Animals, had passed the lower house largely due to the support of the Party for Freedom—the country’s third largest.

Last month, the Party for Freedom pledged its commitment to legislating a ban in its platform for elections in September.

The Party for Freedom “was never prepared to go into a discussion with the Jewish community,” Eisenman also said.

In the U.S., Kortenoeven—who recently left the Party for Freedom—met with representatives of key Jewish organizations. He says he warned them about Wilders’ support for a ban on ritual slaughter.

Kortenoeven said he spoke with Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, and met with Orthodox Union representatives and other prominent Jewish American groups.

Amsterdam Jewish community warns U.S. Jews of ‘dangerous’ Dutch politician Read More »

Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires, Polish government honor Janusz Korczak

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The Polish government and the Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires inaugurated a two-day seminar about Janusz Korczak.

The event, which began Tuesday, is part of activities marking 70 years since German soldiers sent Korczak and 192 Jewish orphans to their deaths in Treblinka, a Nazi extermination camp in Poland.

“The importance of Korczak in relation to the Holocaust is very well known, so in this seminar we try to focus on his huge importance as a revolutionary educator and his support of the rights of the child,” Edyta Kwiatkowska Farys, the Polish embassy’s cultural attaché in Argentina, told JTA.

The first day of the seminar included the participation of Argentinean Federal Judge Daniel Rafecas; Israeli professor Iosi Goldstein, as well as other researchers; and the presentation of the book, “Inferno of Choices, Poles and the Holocaust,” by Sebastian Rejak and Elzbieta Frister.

According to Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires president Alejandro Dosoretz, the objectives of this conference are to “learn in order to transmit, to keep alive the memory of Korczak and to promote his message.”

The seminar, “Janusz Korczak: the legacy of an educator,” continues Wednesday with addresses about Nazis experiments; childhood during the Holocaust; Korczak as educator; the Korczak view of the relation between teachers and students; testimony of Holocaust survivor Monica Dawidowicz; and a final panel with two dean of Argentinean universities.

The last activity, for teachers and researchers, is organized by the Polish government as part of “2012 Janusz Korczak year” activities and the Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires, with the support of almost 20 private companies; the Education Ministry of Buenos Aires City; Education Ministry of the Federal Government; Human Rights Department of Argentinean Foreign Affairs Ministry; DAIA, the Argentinean Jewish umbrella; and AMIA, the Buenos Aires Jewish Community Center.

Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires, Polish government honor Janusz Korczak Read More »

Jewish day school apologizes to child sex abuse victims

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The Orthodox Jewish school in Melbourne embroiled in a child sex abuse scandal apologized “unreservedly” to the victims.

The apology, issued Monday in a letter from the head of the Yeshivah College and the head of the Yeshivah Center, which houses the headquarters of Chabad-Lubavitch in Melbourne, said: “We understand and appreciate that there are victims who feel aggrieved and we sincerely and unreservedly apologize for any historical wrongs that may have occurred.”

Outlining safety measures the college had taken, the letter said it “wants to make it absolutely clear that we condemn sexual abuse in any form.”

It comes six weeks after a judge ordered David Cyprys, a former security guard contracted to the college, to stand trial next year for multiple child sex abuse charges allegedly perpetrated over two decades ago on 12 students – three of whom now reside in America.

Manny Waks, the only Australian-based victim who has spoken publicly, said that the apology was “an important milestone.”

“The other past victims and I sought recognition of the ongoing and serious sexual abuse we suffered from the very institution that we hold partly responsible for that abuse. Today’s statement by the Yeshivah leadership is an acknowledgement of the abuse we suffered,” he said.

But the apology is “only a first step,” he continued.

“The reality is that Yeshivah has not apologized for their despicable behavior over the past year,” Waks said. He also criticized the letter’s claim that they are cooperating with police even though detectives had accused the college of a cover-up in court.

One blogger slammed the letter as a “lawyer-drafted piece of propaganda” and a “non-apology apology” that “does not include an admission of guilt.”

Moves are afoot to extradite David Kramer, a convicted pedophile in America, over allegations he committed child sexual abuse at Yeshivah College in the 1980s. Kramer taught at the college.

Jewish day school apologizes to child sex abuse victims Read More »

Amsterdam tram company won’t punish conductor accused of anti-Semitism

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Amsterdam’s transport company, GVB, announced it would not punish an employee accused of making an anti-Semitic remark.

Two people told the Jewish Community of Amsterdam, NIHS, that they had heard a tram conductor aboard Line 17 say on Aug. 8 that the Anne Frank House was how “the Jews make money.”

The conductor and the driver deny this. According to reports, the conductor’s remark was made on the tram’s intercom in response to a question from the driver. As the tram neared the Anne Frank House, the driver reportedly said: “What are all these people doing here? That woman is long dead.”

Anne Frank was a Jewish teenage diarist who hid during World War II in a house in Amsterdam before she was deported to Auschwitz. She later died in Bergen-Belsen.

Last year the museum attracted more than one million visitors. The GVB company will, however, teach personnel more about Anne Frank’s history, according to an announcement on the GVB website.

Bas van ‘t Wout, a member of Amsterdam’s city council, called GVB’s decision “a sorry conclusion.” Van ‘t Wout, a former aide to Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte, has convened a city hall debate next month on the incident.

GVB also announced it had removed the historically loaded digit 8 from the devices that indicate the numbers of tram lines. The decision was made after a tram with the number 8 was seen riding around in Amsterdam on May 4, the Dutch Memorial Day. The deportation of thousands of Amsterdam Jews began on Line 8 streetcars.

The Jews would ride the trams to Central Station where trains transported them to concentration camps. Amsterdam’s municipal transport company scrapped the number 8 from its list of active lines out of consideration for Holocaust survivors’ feelings.

Amsterdam had a Jewish population of some 80,000 people before the start of World War II, according to the 4 and 5 May Committee, the national commemoration authority. The last mass deportation occurred in October 1943. Between 41,000 and 45,000 Jews live in the whole of the Netherlands today, according to the European Jewish Congress.

Amsterdam tram company won’t punish conductor accused of anti-Semitism Read More »

In letter to Quartet, Lieberman calls for Abbas’ ouster

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Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman asked countries working for Israeli-Palestinian peace to call for new elections to remove Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from office.

The letter, sent to the Mideast Quartet—the grouping of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations that guides the Middle East peace process—also called Abbas “an obstacle to peace.”

Palestinian elections were scheduled for 2010 but have continued to be postponed. Talks between Israel and the PA have been stalled for nearly two years.

Lieberman outlined the positive, confidence-building steps that Israel has taken toward the Palestinians in recent weeks in order to bring the PA back to the negotiating table, but said that these gestures – including reducing roadblocks in the West Bank down to 10, advancing tax collection money and returning the remains of Palestinian terrorists – have been met with “a rise in the Palestinian activity against Israel in the diplomatic and legal arenas.”

“We do not see any willingness or positive attitude on the part of the PA,” Lieberman wrote.

Lieberman said that “general elections in the PA should be held, and a new, legitimate hopefully realistic Palestinian leadership should be elected.”

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement to several Israeli media outlets after publicity on the letter, saying that it does not represent the position of the prime minister or the government and that it is not Israel’s policy to involve itself in the elections of other places.

In letter to Quartet, Lieberman calls for Abbas’ ouster Read More »

South Africa approves West Bank labeling regulation

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South Africa has adopted a regulation to prevent the labeling of goods from the West Bank as being produced in Israel.

Government spokesperson Jimmy Manyi announced Wednesday that goods produced in the West Bank should now be labeled as originating from the ‘‘Israeli Occupied Territories.” Manyi said that the proposal was adopted to prevent consumers from being misled into thinking that such goods come from Israel.

South African Jewish leaders, including the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, the Zionist Federation and South Africa’s chief rabbi, on Wednesday issued a strong statement deploring the Cabinet’s decision.

The statement said that the South African Jewish community is “outraged” over the decision, which it said not only has “bypassed the consultation process set in motion by the notice but shown itself to be completely dismissive of Jewish concerns.”

“It is the firm belief of the Jewish communal leadership that the proposed measures are discriminatory, divisive, inconsistent with South African trade policy and seriously flawed from both an administrative and procedural point of view. At bottom, they are believed to be motivated not by technical trade concerns but by political bias against the State of Israel. All attempts to discuss these concerns, however, have come to nothing,’’ said the statement.

In spite of repeated requests, Trade Minister Rob Davies refused to meet with representatives of the Jewish community for several months. A short meeting took place in June in Cape Town, but with no resolution. Board of Deputies representatives attending that the meeting said that the minister categorically refused to enter into a dialogue.

Wednesday’s statement emphasized the Jewish leaders’ willingness to work toward a mutual solution on the issue:  “While the Jewish leadership has shown a willingness to discuss compromises and explore solutions that might allay the concerns of all parties, the government has refused to meaningfully engage on the issue. Regrettably, this in turn is indicative of government’s increasingly hostile attitude not against Israel but towards acknowledging and engaging with how the Jewish community feels about issues relating to it.”

An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson told JTA that the ministry is still deliberating how to respond to the issue. Israeli officials have stressed in recent weeks that the South African government has been adding a new and worrisome dimension to the already strained bilateral relations, making the diplomatic crisis more visible and more public than ever.

One diplomat said that South Africa continues to reduce the volume of diplomatic relations on different levels, referring to numerous events in the past few months, including several cancellations: a May lecture by an Israeli deputy ambassador at the University of Kwazulu Natal, the South African agriculture minister’s visit to Israel and a visit of South African mayors.

The diplomat also referred to South African Deputy Foreign Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim’s recent speech “recommending’’ South African citizens not visit Israel.

South Africa approves West Bank labeling regulation Read More »

Obituaries: Aug. 24-30, 2012

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Mary Batansky died July 13 at 93. Survived by daughter Lorraine First; son Norman; 8 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren. Groman

Leonard M. Bram died July 15 at 71. Survived by daughters Dominique, Jessica (Brett) Fisher; sons Eric (Danielle), Jason (Dana); 4 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

David Leon Brown died July 14 at 85. Survived by wife Zelda; sons Michael, Peter; stepsons Steve (Sharyn), Michael (Patti), Robert (Tammy) Gats; 3 grandchildren; 4 stepgrandchildren. Mount Sinai 

Libbie Bucky died July 10 at 94. Survived by daughter Ruth (Dennis) Sokol; 1 grandchild. Mount Sinai

Esther Bulka died July 5 at 89. Survived by daughter Jean Brown; sons Stephen, Howard (Jennifer); 4 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren. Chevra Kadisha

Pat Cantor died July 17 at 61. Survived by sons Aaron, Joshua; mother Joan Rorke; brother William (Laura) Rorke. Malinow and Silverman

Phillip Caplan died July 16 at 63. Malinow and Silverman

Bernard Coler died July 14 at 95. Survived by wife Pauline; daughters Donna, Barbara; sister Esther Bernstein. Hillside

Pearl Elichman died July 8 at 94. Survived by daughter Michele Cherney; son Bruce; 4 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren. Malinow and Silverman

Ursula Felsot died July 15 at 92. Survived by daughter Julie Felsot Schlesinger; sons Peter, Steven Berger; 4 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren.

Eugene Zachary Field died July 14 at 69. Survived by wife Karen; daughters Felicia (Chris) Bennett, Stacey; son Darren (Trisha); 4 grandchildren; brothers Brian Finke, Barry. Mount Sinai

Paul Bernard Fox died July 11 at 80. Survived by wife Emelie; daughter Rachel; sons Jonathan, Jordan; 3 grandchildren; brother Steven. Sholom Chapels

Raymond Gelgur died July 15 at 90. Survived by wife Beatrice; daughter Lori (Bill Angell); son Dale (Merete); 1 grandchild. Malinow and Silverman

Carol Goldstein died July 16 at 65. Survived by friend Gail Michelman. Sholom Chapels

Sarah Gutman died July 8 at 86. Survived by husband Benzion; son Henry; 2 grandchildren. Hillside

Harry Halperin died June 29 at 96. Survived by wife Dale; daughter Lisa (David); sons Jeff (Shelley), Andy (Teresa);  6 grandchildren. Neptune Society

Bradley Halpert-Schilt died July 6 at 25. Survived by mother Elena; father Alan; sister Erica; grandfather Larry Schilt. Malinow and Silverman 

Colleen Huniu died July 1 at 88. Survived by sisters Esther Michaels, Gladys Levy; brothers Mike, Joe (Joan), Eddie (Shelly. Malinow and Silverman

Murray Jackson died July 15 at 84. Survived by wife Linda; daughter Elizabeth (Brad) Fields; sons Mitchell (Pamela), Stuart; 3 grandchildren; sisters Irene Klein, Lorraine Arzt. Mount Sinai

Moise Kamhis died July 8 at 93. Survived by sons Daniel, Jacob (Linda Reser). Malinow and Silverman

Frances G. Katz died July 10 at 84. Survived by daughter Elyse Katz Flier; son Richard (Regine); 1 grandchild. Mount Sinai

Lewis Katz died July 12 at 67. Survived by wife Anne; daughter Rachel (David) Brenneman; son Andrew (Eileen Shelden); 1 grandchild. Malinow and Silverman

Vivian Klein died July 12 at 85. Survived by daughters Diane (Hil) Covington, Sandra (Donald) Dumont, Linda (Marcos) Fleiderman; 4 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; sisters Beanie (John) Howe, Dorothy (Ralph) Hersch. Hillside

Doris Koonin died July 13 at 72. Survived by sons Mark (Erica), Brian; 7 grandchildren; sister Maxine Barens; brother Sammy Hess. Mount Sinai

Harriet Levenson died July 15 at 89. Survived by husband Alexander; daughter Gail (Gary) Margolis; sons Steve, Jerry (Sarah); 5 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Beba Leventhal died July 17 at 88. Survived by husband Lee; daughter Mary; son Michael (Sharon); 2 grandchildren. Hillside

Ned Lockman died July 11 at 87. Survived by wife Eleanor; daughter Sandra (Scott) Marks; son Emmitt; 1 grandchild. Mount Sinai

Rosa Maister died July 2 at 99. Malinow and Silverman

Sophie Malloy died July 12 at 102. Survived by daughter Marsha (Bob) Hersh; son Gerald (Sondra); 4 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren. Chevra Kadisha

Herbert Marmorstein died July 2 at 82. Survived by daughters Rochelle, Dara (Tom) Deremo; son Mark (Louisa); 8 grandchildren; companion Rennee Fordis. Malinow and Silverman

Lynne Mazur died July 10 at 57. Survived by husband Jeff; daughter Jessica; sons Michael, Jonathan (Susan). Mount Sinai

Marvin Meyer died July 16 at 88. Survived by wife Helen Lewis; son Michael. Hillside

Stanley Morse died July 11 at 80. Survived by wife Aileen; daughter Leslie; son Todd; 1 grandchild. Hillside

Doris Pastor died July 9 at 85. Survived by daughter Joyce Lucas; 2 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Nitza Paz died July 12 at 87. Survived by son Ariel; 2 grandchildren; sisters Sara, Judith Liberman; brothers Mayer, Abraham. Mount Sinai

David Plotkin died July 11 at 86. Survived by daughter Nancy Nimoy; sons Daniel (Gretchen), Gary (Helene); 6 grandchildren; brother Peter. Hillside

Ben Powers died July 13 at 87. Survived by wife Joyce; daughters Linda Leviton, Cynthia; son Mark (Ginger); 5 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Idlya Romashkanu died July 10 at 92. Survived by sons Boris (Lydia) Rome, Yulian; 3 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild. Mount Sinai

Natalie Rosenthal died July 12 at 94. Survived by sons Jeff Harlan, Allan. Malinow and Silverman

Marc Alan Ruskin died July 11 at 52. Survived by father Franklin; sister Lisa (Steven) Chlavin. Hillside

Anna Scharf died July 8 at 93. Survived by daughters Charlotte (Rick), Jackie (Marc) Alain; son Eli (Debbie); 7 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren. Eden

Michael Silberman died July 14 at 65. Survived by wife Denise; daughter Stacey (Jill); son Marc; 2 grandchildren; brother Steven (Nora) Silberman. Malinow and Silverman

Elisa Sokol died July 10 at 79. Survived by husband David; daughter Claudine (Ira) Unterman; son Aaron (Heidi); 7 grandchildren.

Joseph Solomon died July 14 at 89. Survived by wife Charlotte; daughters Phyllis, Ellen Edinger; 5 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Yolande Wade died July 10 at 88. Survived by nephew Joey Benadretti. Sholom Chapels

Jan Young died July 13 at 80. Survived by husband Fred; daughter Laura (James) Case; sons Mark (Laura), Michael (Roberta); 6 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Jerry Zeitlin died July 14 at 82. Survived by wife Rita; daughter Michelle (Plynn) Doss; son Jeffrey; 3 grandchildren; brother Alan (Harriett).

Obituaries: Aug. 24-30, 2012 Read More »

An ode to television

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Israel’s image worldwide may be not so great, but Television’s image is much worse. When we think of television we think of low culture, something that fits all people, even the less intelligent ones. In our minds, television appears to be the lowest common ground of mankind, unlike books, for instance, which we see as high culture, as it symbolizes intelligence and education. When we have spare time, we will always find watching television as the “lazy” alternative to relax our minds. Just sit back and stare, no thinking is required.  This perception became more intense and more realistic when I started University. In “Mass Media” class, we examined media content throughout the prism of critical theories, such as Feminism, Frankfurt, Economical-Political theory, and more. We saw how television “drugs” us, as we stare at the screen all day, living throughout the television without actually living. We also learned how media content preserves the Hegemonic way of life instead of criticizing it. I see myself as a critical person, so I was enthused and eager to learn more. That until during one of the classes, Gal, the TA, showed us a scene from Mad Men.

While Gal used that scene to demonstrate the effect media has on people by showing us Don Draper’s work, I couldn’t help but thinking: this is not garbage. Mad Men is, to me, a fine piece of art. It is the highest level of quality possible, and way more educating and intelligent than any book I’ve ever read. That was my turning point, that moment when I realized television is not what it used to be. It has entered a new age, the golden age of art-making. Television is no longer just a platform for commercial content and low-level entertainment. It is also where your mind is stimulated and your intelligence is constantly being challenged. 

In the past couple of years, television has proven to be both the lowest level of culture as much as it is the highest level. Television series are no longer low-budget sci-fi/sitcoms. They are high-definition, high-quality dramas and sharp, sophisticated comedies. Television series are not only for illiterate, lazy couch-potatoes, but also for intelligent, well-educated people as well. Watching Black Mirror made me completely speechless. I was blown away by the way the creators managed to capture our reality, our culture, and shove it in our face, and hitting us right in the guts. Every episode made me think, first to myself, and then with my friends. Modern Family does the exact same thing, only while making me laugh while getting a reality check. An episode of Revenge leaves me speechless, every time, as my jaw is being pulled down by the brilliance of the script. Smash makes my heart pound. Once upon a time takes my childhood and makes me examine it in a different way. All of those shows are art to me. They stimulate all of my senses, and most importantly- make me think, revise the world I live in. Some show me worlds and cultures different from my own, helping me get out of my bubble. Others teach me some history, but not in a bookish way. I can always read about the 60’s, but only by watching Mad Men will I know how Kennedy’s assassination affected the American individuals. I can read about the Middle Ages, but only by watching The Borgias will I feel the atmosphere in the streets of Rome.

Whether they have visual qualities or a remarkably interesting script, I believe television series are a brand new form of quality art. It is the kind we usually see in museums, only this time, we don’t have to spend millions of dollars to have a masterpiece hanging in our living room. All we have to do is pick up the remote.

An ode to television Read More »

Netanyahu’s approval: Still sliding

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It has not been a good summer for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It began with something close to euphoria, as the coalition was broadened to include the Kadima Party and reach a near-record 94 ‎mandates. But the coalition did not exactly thrive: Kadima was forced out when agreement on the ‎draft of Haredi men could not be reached – not exactly what the public wanted.

And other ‎issues also started to erode Netanyahu’s previous support. While the social protest movement wasn’t ‎able to accomplish something that even remotely reminiscent to last year’s successes, the ‎government made life harder for itself by imposing necessary but never popular austerity measures ‎on the public. Taxes are going up, services are being cut. The public – already fearful of the ‎consequences of possible armed conflict with Iran – can be forgiven for its lack of confidence. As you ‎can see in our Netanyahu Approval tracker, the result is a continued decline in Netanyahu’s numbers. ‎He is now barely above 30% approval – not long ago he was above 50%.‎

Read the full analysis here.

Netanyahu’s approval: Still sliding Read More »