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Jewish Journal

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July 15, 2015

Israelis and teamsters unite for a common cause

Leave a Comment / Los Angeles /

Just two hours before speaking to a room packed with hundreds of labor union members on July 9, Yuval Rabin, son of late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, was sitting in an empty meeting room at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. 

Yuval Rabin, who speaks so low that you have to lean in to hear him, talked about his father’s legacy, eyes darting from his phone to his speech to the unpolished table in front of him. In some moments, he took a break from his fidgeting and said something strikingly real and personal.

How does a son remember his father, the subject of a political assassination that shocked the world 20 years prior? 

“The tendency is to forget. We vow to never forget, but life goes on, and people are busy with their own day to day,” Rabin, 60, told the Journal, eyes cast away.

Still, his father had some words of wisdom that Rabin will never forget.

“The advice is universally true for anybody and any set of circumstances, and it’s a simple one: Be honest with yourself, be true to yourself, be satisfied with yourself,” Rabin told the Journal, fidgeting with the speech in his hands. 

“That’s it. And it goes a long way,” he continued, finally making eye contact.

On this night, he appeared as the special guest at a gala memorializing his father and supporting the nonprofit American Friends of Yitzhak Rabin, honoring the work of American labor unions. Joined by his two daughters, who live in New York, he flew in for a four-day stint before returning to Israel. 

The gala honored two notable labor leaders, Randy Cammack, president of Teamsters Joint Council 42, the union’s largest regional arm, and Ken Howard, president of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Proceeds from the event will support a variety of educational programs and initiatives that reflect the legacy of Yitzhak Rabin, one of which is a scholarship with Hebrew University.

As the night progressed, the link between the gala’s participants and honorees became strikingly clear. Prior to presenting the Yitzhak Rabin Leadership and Public Service Award to Cammack, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters James Hoffa explained, “We are dedicated to the existence of Israel, and we will be all the way.” He then added, “That’s the connection.”

Previous honorees include Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and various labor leaders.

As Cammack ascended the stage to receive his award, a Teamster from the center of the ballroom rose from his chair and cried out, “Who are we?” with fierce pride. “Teamsters!” the audience bellowed. The question came again, and a thunderous call and response ensued that seemed to shake the crystal chandeliers overhead.

“It’s one of the greatest moments of my life to receive this award,” Cammack said. The Teamsters chant continued where it left off.

Howard, who was honored for bringing about the merger between SAG and AFTRA in 2012, graciously accepted the 2015 Yitzhak Rabin Legacy Award. “It’s a great honor to even be mentioned in the same breath as Yitzhak Rabin,” he said. 

Other attendees included Israel’s Consul General in Los Angeles David Siegel and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

During a heartfelt speech, Siegel reminisced back to Nov. 4, 1995: “I was a young diplomat in the horn of Africa — very, very far away from the ability to receive news.” 

Woken in the middle of the night, he and his fellow diplomats were informed that the prime minister had been assassinated. “And not only was he assassinated,” Siegel said, “he was assassinated by a Jew.” Still unable to grasp the implications of such a catastrophe, he described the experience as feeling like a “head-on collision.” 

Garcetti, the night’s keynote speaker, high-fived people at some tables before taking the stage. “Welcome to a city that I hope you feel at home in,” he said to the Rabins. 

Garcetti, who mentioned in his speech that he is a SAG-AFTRA member, was honored with a hamsa sculpture by Israeli artist David Gerstein. 

“Mazel tov and now, adios, dinner will be served,” said master of ceremonies Frank Mottek, anchor of  “Money News” on CBS’ KNX 1070 Newsradio, in his signature telecaster cadence, after Garcetti — who has both Jewish and Mexican ancestry — was gifted the brightly hued art piece.

After dinner, Rabin took the stage, adding a personal note to the night’s celebrations.

“My father, when he could, loved being behind the camera even more than in front of it. He left behind thousands and thousands of slides, pictures of the family, of wildlife,” he said.

“This is who my father was.”

Israelis and teamsters unite for a common cause Read More »

Torah portion: Not just wandering–living, Parashat Matot-Masei (Numbers 30:2-36:13)

Leave a Comment / Judaism, Torah /

In this week’s double Torah portion, we read in Chapter 33 of Bamidbar (Numbers) about the many dozens of stopping points where the Jews encamped in the Sinai Desert during our people’s four decades’ sojourn from Egypt to Israel. Verses read like these: “And they journeyed from Elim and pitched by the Red Sea. And they journeyed from the Red Sea and pitched in the wilderness of Sin. And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin and pitched in Dophkah. And they journeyed from Dophkah and pitched in Alush.” 

There were some 42 encampment stations as the Jews encircled the desert for 40 years. This seemingly endless going around in circles was punishment for the “night of weeping” on the ninth day of Av when the 10 evil spies (Numbers 13-14) delivered a horrifying report to the nation that slandered the Promised Land and discouraged so many from proceeding forward to enter Israel. 

On that night of wrongful tears, the Jews were only days away from arriving at the final destination: the land of Israel. We were so close that the advance scouting party — the spies — were able to reach Israel, scout the necessary territory and return back in only 40 days. Instead of going onward, however, the men of fighting age bitterly cried in remorse, refusing to move ahead, and so they brought on themselves the curse that they instead would have to peregrinate 40 years through the wilderness: one year of wandering for each day of the spies’ disastrous mission.

And so they did. At the time, they had been out of Egypt for only approximately 16 months; they wandered nearly 39 more years. Eventually, the Desert Generation’s men died, and their children entered the Promised Land instead. 

Over the duration of recorded time, the ninth of Av — that night of the bitter but pointless weeping — would be a day pocked with Jewish tragedy. That’s when the Babylonians destroyed our First Temple in Jerusalem and, more than six centuries later, when the Romans destroyed our Second Beit HaMikdash (Temple). The ninth of Av — in Hebrew, literally, Tisha b’Av — was the day in 135 C.E. that Betar, the final fortress that experienced the last breath of Jewish independence in Israel before the long exile, fell to Rome. More than 1,000 years later, it was the date in 1492 when Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand expelled Sephardic Jewry from Spain.

But before any of this, the Jews in the Sinai Desert had to grasp the immediate nightmare that, only days away from reaching their intended final destination, the Promised Land, they now were doomed to 40 years of wandering, with no destination ever to be attained in their lifetimes. They simply would follow the pillar of fire by night and the clouds of glory by day, embarking when the pillar and clouds embarked, stopping when those signals halted. They had no clear indication as to where their next station would be. All they knew was that, from now on, they just would have to follow the pillar and the cloud — for the rest of their lives.

I ask myself: How did they do that? How did they cope for a lifetime, knowing that they were doomed to wander without a destination? How does one wake up in the morning, put on tefillin and tallit, recite prayers, get the children clothed and groomed and fed and proceed through a day when one knows that he is going nowhere and will be going nowhere tomorrow and the day after that, for the rest of his life? How does she do that and hold it together?

In many ways, we all encounter those periods. Sometimes in our younger years, sometimes during midlife, sometimes in the golden years. A sense that we are going nowhere, just waking in the morning, getting the routine done, and then alternating one foot in front of the other, with no destination ahead. 

Maybe we are locked in a family that is going nowhere. A job that is going nowhere. A marriage going nowhere. Whereas we once enjoyed so much hope and anticipation, something went wrong. And now we are stuck. Going in circles. The destination long out of sight. Just peregrinating through life. And now another year has passed. And now a decade.

Yet we see from this week’s Torah portion that the Desert Generation, once having come to terms with their new fate, learned to see their lives still had a meaningful destination. If they personally would not be entering the Promised Land, they knew their children would take up the journey, as a relay teammate seizes the precious baton, and would reach the finish line, the land of Israel. As long as the Desert Generation did not drop the baton and focused their lives effectively on preparing their children to carry on, to learn and live by the Torah, to be Jews to the fullest, their lives still had enormous purpose. They still had a mission.

All our lives have purpose. We all are on a mission. People locked in disastrous marriages attest that there is life after divorce. People stuck in bad careers can retrain. A great new day awaits.

To make personal leaps takes courage. To go back to school for a new career is a challenge. To leave a miserable job that pays well takes bravery. To take risks is scary, but that is the stuff from which heroes are made. Each and every one of us has that hero within us, waiting to emerge — if only we release it. 

Rabbi Dov Fischer, adjunct professor of law at Loyola Law School and at UC Irvine School of Law and a member of the national executive committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, is rabbi of Young Israel of Orange County. His writings appear at rabbidov.com

Torah portion: Not just wandering–living, Parashat Matot-Masei (Numbers 30:2-36:13) Read More »

Calendar: July 17-23

Leave a Comment / What's Happening /

FRI  | JULY 17

SHABBAT UNDER THE STARS

Join a group of fun and diverse young Jewish professionals for an evening poolside with an open bar and four-course dinner. Young Jewish Professionals is partnering with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles to highlight its important work. Dress code is evening attire, so dress to impress! Space is limited. 7 p.m. $80-$100. Private home in Hancock Park; address emailed upon registration. ” target=”_blank”>jewishla.org/yala/events.

FRI/SAT | JULY 17/18

RELATIONSHIP REVOLUTION WEEKEND

Trying to find “the one”? Come to a transformational weekend of relationship education with internationally known dating and marriage expert Leonard Carr. He has 30 years of clinical experience as well as a deep knowledge of Torah — a fine combination to guide you in the direction for love. Weekend highlights include a Shabbat dinner for young adults followed by a dessert oneg and Q-and-A with Carr, a Saturday afternoon presentation titled “Update Your Relationship GPS for the Journey of a Lifetime,” a Sunday brunch and talk focused on giving singles the tools they need to be effectively supported in the dating process and a Sunday evening workshop for marriage-minded singles. $25 (Shabbat dinner, reservation required), $18 (Sunday singles workshop), free (Sunday brunch, Saturday presentations). Times vary. 9041 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. SAT | JULY 18

THIRD ANNUAL DAY FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Get inspired, build your social and professional skills, increase independence, find a passion, make new friends, create community — the opportunities are endless. Hosted by The Help Group’s Advance LA, the day for young people with special needs will offer interactive workshops and hands-on experiences in areas such as financial budgeting, time management, dating and healthy eating. Discussion topics include “Conversation: A Two-Way Street,” “Job Interviewing With Style” and “Stress-Free Exercise: How to Work in Your Workout.” Take a break after lunch with a yoga session or goof off with improv. Lunch is provided and the day concludes with an ice cream bar and a dance party. 9:15 a.m.-4 p.m. $95. American Jewish University, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles. (818) 779-5198. SUN | JULY 19

BACK 2 SCHOOL STORE

We all remember how nerve-racking the first day of school can be, picking out the perfect outfit and getting all the cool new school accessories. This initiative provides Los Angeles kids in need with brand-new clothing, shoes and school supplies in their favorite colors and styles so they can be excited to start the school year, too. Children are assigned an adult volunteer to help them shop at this one-day, department store-style event. Give these kids the confidence they need for a successful school experience! Sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles and Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles Tools for Schools. 8 a.m. Free. National Council of Jewish Women, 543 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 852-8505. “>aju.edu.

MON | JULY 20

“7 CHINESE BROTHERS” 

Actor Jason Schwartzman (“Rushmore,” “I Heart Huckabees”) has been charming and smarming his way to our hearts for almost 20 years with his portrayal of magnetic malcontents. Adding to his oeuvre is “7 Chinese Brothers” from award-winning director Bob Byington, about a self-entitled, self-medicating burnout who, upon meeting a woman, is inspired to make a change — sort of. Come support one of Los Angeles’ best repertory theaters and stick around after the screening to meet Schwatzman and Byington in person. 7:45 p.m. Free (first come, first served). Registration required. Cinefamily Silent Movie Theatre, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 655-2510. Calendar: July 17-23 Read More »

To defeat BDS, enlist Israeli Americans

Leave a Comment / Opinion /

American Jewry has witnessed a tsunami of hate on college campuses and across our communities. In the past year, resolutions calling for a divestment and boycott of Israel have been considered or passed by 30 student governments across the U.S. Israel haters have charged Jewish undergraduates seeking student government positions at UCLA and Stanford with “dual loyalties,” claiming that their strong Jewish identities should disqualify them from representing other students. AEPi — America’s largest Jewish fraternity — has seen an unprecedented rise in attacks on its members and vandalism on its houses. On and off campus, pro-Israel and Jewish students have been targeted, harassed and even physically assaulted.

These developments have spurred serious concern and significant conversation within the American Jewish community. Many debate the causes for these incidents. Others question the seriousness of the threat. As philanthropists and pro-Israel activists, my wife and I have engaged for many years on the front lines of the fight, working with a range of organizations that seek to defend Israel and the Jewish people. We’ve observed three basic facts about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement — and its affiliated hate groups — that must inform the way we move forward. 

First, this movement seeks to eradicate Israel, plain and simple. After failing to destroy the Jewish state with bullets and bombs, Israel’s enemies have turned to tweets, memes and YouTube videos. In recent years, these hate groups have learned that they are much more effective when posing as social justice activists who simply oppose Israel’s policies. Too many in our community have bought the lie that this is a response to actions taken by the Israeli government. They believe BDS will go away if Israel withdraws from the land acquired from Jordan during the Six-Day War — or finds another way to engage a Palestinian leadership that has rejected numerous peace deals offering 97 percent of this territory. The reality is that these hate groups don’t recognize the right of Israel to exist within any borders. The maps they publish of the region tell the whole story about their true goals, depicting a single Palestinian state that extends “from the river to the sea” with no trace of Israel. 

Second, BDS is anti-Semitic. While tyrannical regimes trample on human rights throughout the Middle East, BDS chooses to single out only the Jewish state, the region’s only democracy, for criticism and boycott. By trafficking in vile lies about Israel and launching accusations of genocide and apartheid, these hate groups seek to demonize the Jewish state and boycott it in the same way anti-Semites have long demonized the Jewish people and boycotted Jewish businesses. If their movement is really about Palestinian welfare, why hasn’t there been a single BDS resolution targeting Lebanon, where Palestinians are kept as second-class citizens, denied the right to own property, and prevented from entering professions such as law and medicine? If they are really concerned about human rights, why hasn’t there been a single BDS resolution about Iran, where women are subjugated, homosexuals are hanged and journalists are jailed? 

Third, this movement is well funded, nationally organized, and connected to a range of radical, anti-American, anti-Western and, in some cases, terrorist organizations. Hatem Bazian — the co-founder of Students for Justice in Palestine — publicly called for an intifada inside of the United States against the American government. Many former leaders of the Holy Land Foundation — a front group convicted of raising millions for Hamas that was shut down by the U.S. government in 2008 — now lead American Muslims for Palestine, the largest umbrella organization supporting BDS activities on and off campus by raising money, developing anti-Israel materials, organizing conferences and arranging speakers for events. Masquerading as social justice activists, this small group of dangerous radicals has been able to brainwash large numbers of students on campus after campus, forming alliances with groups working to promote rights of minorities, women and LGBT members.

In the face of an anti-Semitic enemy committed to the destruction of Israel — and willing to play dirty — what is the best way to respond? Many pro-Israel organizations are doing important work in education, public diplomacy and training, which must continue. Yet, in the face of this onslaught of hate and intimidation, we need a new infusion of resources, a new framework for fostering collaboration and new advocacy tools to beat back the bad guys.

Last month, I was honored to help organize a summit in Las Vegas hosted by Miriam and Sheldon Adelson to bring together more than 50 organizations in the battle against these hate groups. We’ve formed a task force called the Campus Maccabees, which will organize a nationwide movement to fight anti-Semitism and the hate groups that attack the Jewish people and Israel on American universities and beyond. 

We believe that this new task force will be a game changer in this fight, coordinating the work of the very best pro-Israel organizations in unprecedented ways. We will go on the offense against Israel’s enemies. We will reveal the baseline anti-Semitism of this movement, expose its desire to eradicate the State of Israel and give our students the tools to defeat it.

As part of this campaign, we must tap into a unique strategic asset that has not yet been fully leveraged: the Israeli-American community. For too long, most Israelis living in America have remained separate from the traditional Jewish community and disengaged from Israel advocacy efforts. Eight years ago, I joined with several other Israeli-American leaders in Los Angeles to found the Israeli-American Council and change this reality. Israeli Americans are knowledgeable and passionate about this subject. They can speak from personal experience — it’s much easier to explain Israel’s security challenges when your family lives in Sderot or you have served in the Israel Defense Forces. Israeli Americans — instilled with our culture’s characteristic boldness — can form an army of activists who are unafraid to stand up and speak out against the lies about the Jewish state and the Israeli people.

We’ve reached a critical tipping point. We need everyone in the pro-Israel community to lend their skills to this fight as we realign our strategic focus from reactive to proactive. With strength, determination and unity, we can show the anti-Semites taking over America’s universities that tsunamis travel in more than one direction.

Adam Milstein is an Israeli-American philanthropist, activist and real estate entrepreneur. To learn more about Milstein’s work in pro-Israel advocacy, visit the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation or follow him on Twitter @AdamMilstein.

To defeat BDS, enlist Israeli Americans Read More »

Encountering familiar strangers

Leave a Comment / Blogs, Community, Culture, Family, First Person, Health, Judaism, Living Well, Mensches, Mitzvahs and More, More Culture, Personal Voice, Womans Voice /

[Editor’s Note: 18 students of the Gamliel Institute, the leadership training arm of Kavod v’Nichum, having successfully completed all courses and requirements as part of the certification process by the Gamliel Institute, participated in, and recently returned from, the first ever Study Mission that was at the heart of the capstone course in the Gamliel program. They studied, visited, learned, taught, met and connected with people and organizations involved in the mitzvot of Kavod Hameit and Nichum Aveilim in New York, Prague, and Israel (Including Tsefat and Jerusalem, among other sites). The study mission was groundbreaking, in that it exposed the Gamliel students to practices internationally, but even more so in that it created a dialogue and initiated relationships between Jews in all these places around the mitzvoth that are shared, though very differently practiced in the details. It is an opening on which to build to create a conversation and a sharing of best practices, learning, and mutual respect, cutting across boundaries of geography, denomination or practice, and time.

This blog entry is one of a series of entries, written by various Gamliel graduates, and presenting their takes and thoughts on various aspects of the trip.   — JB]

 

At the recent Gamliel Institute sponsored symposium of Chevrah Kadisha and spiritual care folks in Jerusalem, I sat down next to a stranger.  Not only was her name also Rena, (and with the same spelling, a rare occurrence), but it turned out we had a Winnipeg connection through her nephew, a Jewish educator, who lived here for few years.

We were in a study session about Taharah liturgy, exploring the passages and prayers recited by the Chevrah Kadisha during a taharah, ritual preparation of the deceased. 

The other Rena immediately recognized that one of the words in the “Chamol”, the opening Taharah prayer, is also found in the Tefillat haDerech, the Traveler's Prayer.   An unusual word, not familiar in any other context, pur’aniyot. 

Tefillat HaDerech, or the Traveler's Prayer, is hundreds of years old.  We recite it before the onset of a journey, asking God for protection, grace and mercy. In this context, we ask for Divine protection from pur’aniyot as “all kinds of punishment that rage and come to the world”, or “all calamities that threaten the world. “

Chamol is the opening prayer in the seder taharah.  The Chevrah members ask for God’s forgiveness, compassion, and mercy on behalf of the deceased. We pray that the soul will come to rest with the righteous in Gan Eden. In presenting a defense on behalf of the soul, we include a reminder of her Yichus, her lineage, as a child of our foreparents. We ask for redemption from suffering. Pur’aniyot is translated as “calamity, trouble, divine punishment.”

Both of these prayers are recited before a frightening and potentially dangerous journey.  One we recite on our own behalf, and one we have recited on our behalf by the Taharah team. The message is the same. Body and soul are embarking on a journey to the unknown. We ask for Divine grace and protection, and we ask to arrive at our destination in peace.

As a newcomer to the taharah liturgy, the other Rena was moved by the beauty of the prayers and the kavannot, intentions, of the Chevrah members. As we wash, purify and dress the meitah, we pray for her as she would have prayed for herself.  

This is the essence of Chesed, the relationship of trust and commitment the Chevrah Kadisha has with the community we serve.  

 

Rena Boroditsky is the Executive Director of the Chesed Shel Emes, the non-profit Jewish funeral chapel and Chevrah Kadisha in Winnipeg, Canada. For fifteen years, she has been a student and teacher of end-of-life Jewish rituals. Rena has led sessions at Kavod v'Nichum conferences and at Limmud events in the US & Canada. She recently launched Death Cafe Wnnipeg. She has served in past as a board member of Kavod v'Nichum, and was appointed to another term as an officer at the most recent Kavod v’Nichum conference. She has been a lecturer and student in the Gamliel Institute. Rena is a member of the first graduating class of the Gamliel Institute, having completed the required studies and projects, and she has returned recently from the inaugural Israel Study Mission which is the heart of the sixth course in the Gamliel Institute curriculum, International Perspectives.

 

 

UPCOMING GAMLIEL INSTITUTE COURSES

Starting in October:

Chevrah Kadisha: History, Origins, & Evolution (HOE). Tuesdays, 12 online sessions (orientation session Monday October 12th, classes Tuesdays from October 13th to December 29th, 8-9:30 pm EST/5-6:30 pm PST. An examination of the modern Chevrah Kadisha from 1626 in Prague, through history and geography, as imported to Europe and the rest of the world, and brought to the US; with a specific contemporary focus on North America, and how the Chevrah has developed and changed over time up to the present. Studies include text study, and emphasize history, sociology, politics, government, and many other factors.

Winter 2016:   

During the coming Winter semester, the Gamliel Insitute will be offering two courses. Chevrah Kadisha: Taharah & Shmirah (T&S), and Chevrah Kadisha: Ritual, Practices, & Liturgy [Other than Taharah] (RPL). These courses will begin in January, and will each run for 12 sessions. More information to come, or visit the Gamliel Institute section of the Kavod v’Nichum website.

NEW CLASS TIMES OPTION:

We are considering offering courses mid-day (East Coast time) as a convenience to those who have scheduling issues with the evening times now in use (including those overseas in Israel and other places). This is anticipated to be the same online format and material as the courses that have been offered in past, but at a time that works better for some than the evening (Eastern Standard). If you are interested in this option, please be in touch to let us know: we need to assess the level of interest as we determine whether to offer this option info@jewish-funerals.org.

Contact us for more information about scholarships, or any other questions. info@jewish-funerals.org or call 410-733-3700.

You can “>jewish-funerals.org/gamreg.

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Obama challenges Iran deal critics to come up with an alternative

Leave a Comment / Mobile, United States /

President Barack Obama on Wednesday challenged critics of the Iran nuclear agreement to come forward with a viable alternative, saying the only two real options were a negotiated deal to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions or war.

“What I haven't heard is: what is your preferred alternative,” Obama told critics during a White House news conference.

“And I haven't heard that. And the reason is because there really are only two alternatives here: either the issue of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon is resolved diplomatically through a negotiation or it's resolved through force, through war. Those are the options,” Obama said.

“I share the concerns of Israel, (the) Saudis, Gulf partners about Iran shipping arms and causing conflict and chaos in the region,” Obama added. “And that's why I've said to them, 'Let's double down and partner much more effectively to improve our intelligence capacity and our interdiction capacity so that fewer of those arms shipments are getting through the net,” Obama said.

Obama challenges Iran deal critics to come up with an alternative Read More »

Obituaries: Week of July 17, 2015

Leave a Comment / Obituaries /

Richard Botwin died June 5 at 83. Survived by brothers Marvin, Harvey (Harriet); 1 niece; 1 nephew. Mount Sinai

Yana Lisetsky Castillo died June 9 at 32. Survived by husband Jose; mother Marina Lisetsky; father Vitaly Lisetsky; grandparents Edward Berlyant, Tamara Berlyant, Minda Lisetsky, Bella Zelotsky, Gregory Zelotsky. Mount Sinai

Roslyn Cohen died June 18 at 82. Survived by daughter Sharon (Alex) Baskin; 2 grandchildren; brother Leonard Simon. Mount Sinai

David Ferber died June 14 at 91. Survived by wife Toby; daughter Stefani; sons George Case, Douglas, Jeffrey, Stewart; 11 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Madeline Fish died June 19 at 91. Survived by son Lawrence; 1 granddaughter. Hillside

Raymond Fox died June 17 at 92. Survived by sons David (Lauren Meltzner), Daniel (Anne). Mount Sinai

Harold Freedman died June 11 at 84. Survived by wife Rosalie; daughter Meredyth; son Roger; brother Joe; 2 cousins. Mount Sinai

Alison Geoffrey died June 11 at 43. Survived by wife Alyssa; daughter Abigail; sisters Margie (David) Sorge, Kim (Dan) Bissell, Kate; 1 father-in-law; 1 stepfather-in-law. Hillside

Samuel Goldman died June 10 at 94. Survived by son David (Myra Lorie); daughter Kaye (Steve Johnson) Clark; 1 grandson. Hillside

Leon Groode died June 10 at 78. Survived by wife Judy; son Steven (Judy); daughters Tamara, Tiffany (Carlos); stepsons Larry (Sharon) Richman, Ron (Sarah) Richman; 4 grandchildren; sister Dolores (Jim) Strickland; former wife Joyce Linden. Mount Sinai

George Hillinger died June 11at 95. Survived by wife Gabriella; 1 nephew. Mount Sinai

Marliese Hirsch-Behrstock died June 15 at 83. Survived by husband Donald; daughters Denise (Bruce) Glesby, Caryn (Louis) Speizer; son Warren (Penelope Mancheca) Wior; stepdaughter Karna Ruskin; stepson Brandon Behrstock; 11 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren. Hillside

Burton Horwitch died June 18 at 89. Survived by wife Roberta; daughters Lisa, Debbie (Todd) Molnar; son Rick (Amy); brothers Arnold (Penny), Elliot (Adrianne); 5 grandchildren. Hillside

Irving Karp died June 16 at 94. Survived by son Warren; 3 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; brothers Harvey, Melvin; sisters Dorothy Koenig, Beatrice Gordon, Ann Elbaum. Hillside

Irving Kornfeld died June 15 at 93. Survived by wife Charlotte; sons Alan (Aimee), Joel (Teri) daughter Myra (Stephen Massimilla); 3 grandchildren; sister Toby Moses. Hillside

Harold Lambert died June 11 at 85. Survived by son Christopher; 2 grandchildren. Hillside

Albert Morris Lapides died June 14 at 87. Survived by wife Sherry; sons Larry (Lori), Ira (Melissa); daughter Roberta (William) Foltz; 8 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren. Groman Eden

Samuel “Jerry” Leboff died June 9 at 88. Survived by 3 daughters; 7 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Robert Magid died June 13 at 85. Survived by wife Roberta; sons Greg (Giulia) Segal, Paul (Lori) Segal, David; daughters Wendy Greenberg, Stephanie, Dina Clayton; 10 grandchildren. Hillside

Toby Miller died June 11 at 93. Survived by daughters Rachel (Lawrence Greenfield), Nancy (Allan Feinberg); 3 grandchildren. Hillside

Edith Mills died June 10 at 98. Survived by brother Karl Kent; 1 grandson; 2 great-grandchildren. Hillside

Helene Murry died June 12 at 61. Survived by husband Michael; daughters Gina, Jennifer Filkow-Murry, Christine Campos; son David; mother Nancy Filkow; 7 grandchildren. Mount Sinai

Frances Ring died June 18 at 99. Survived by daughter Jennifer; son Guy. Hillside

Alice Schoenwald died June 12 at 96. Survived by daughters Suzanne (Cary) Reisman, Phyllis (Michael Marcum), Leah (Juan) Valverde; 8 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild. Mount Sinai

Robert Shaw died June 13 at 83. Survived by niece Linda Arslan. Hillside

Melvyn Snidman died June 15 at 80. Survived by wife Eileen; daughter Michele (Ken) Sartain, son Robert (Liz); brother David; sister Susan Bardet; 4 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren. Hillside

Ann Vollmer died June 10 at 93. Survived by son Jim (Shirah); daughter Joyce (Eric) Van Vliet; 4 grandchildren. Hillside

Marshall D. Wexler died June 15 at 74. Survived by wife Bonnie; daughter Wendy; sons Steven (Michele), Adam; stepdaughters Loren Halpern, Jami Halpern; stepson Derryl Halpern; 13 grandchildren; sister Barbara Charles. Mount Sinai

Lee Wolkowitz died June 17 at 29. Survived by father Edward; mother Marla; brothers Jarrod, Michael. Hillside

Obituaries: Week of July 17, 2015 Read More »

UC regents delay discussion on anti-Semitism definition

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The University of California Board of Regents has decided to wait until September to address adopting the U.S. State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism. There was expectation that the board was going to discuss the issue and vote on it during its July 22-23 meeting in San Francisco. No reason for the delay was given. The regents do not meet in August.

The State Department’s definition, which has generated controversy, notes that denying Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and holding it to a double standard are ways in which anti-Semitism can be manifested.

In May, 57 California rabbis signed an open letter to the board, urging the regents to adopt the definition. The letter read, in part: “We believe that it is essential for campus administrators and staff to be trained in using the State Department definition to identify anti-Semitic behavior and to address it with the same promptness and vigor as they do other forms of racial, ethnic, and gender bigotry and discrimination.”

At the same time, a petition sponsored by pro-divestment groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace garnered 4,000 signatures. It reads in part: “The proposed definition does not protect students and in fact endangers the capacity of students and faculty to be critical thinkers and speakers.”

In an interview with a Boston radio station in May, UC President Janet Napolitano said that her “personal view” is that the UC should adopt the State Department’s definition, but that the regents must vote to adopt it before it can become UC policy.

Meanwhile, the California Assembly this week passed a resolution urging “each [UC] campus to adopt a resolution condemning all forms of anti-Semitism.” Originally passed by the state Senate in May, the amended version of the bill now returns to that body for final approval; if passed there, it does not need to be signed by the governor.

Although the latest version of the bill omits references to Israel and Zionism, it borrows from the State Department definition of anti-Semitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” 

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One question for rabbis who perform same-sex weddings

Leave a Comment / Dennis Prager /

For most supporters of same-sex marriage, the most persuasive, and certainly the most frequently offered, argument on behalf of same-sex marriage has been that homosexuals have no choice, that they could no more choose to be heterosexual than a heterosexual can choose to be a homosexual. 

Although the argument, as I will explain, is a non sequitur, it is true. Especially in the case of gay men, it is simply silly to say that they have “chosen” to be gay. I ask heterosexual men who make this argument: If you were threatened with death unless you stopped being attracted to women and started desiring men sexually, could you do so?

The answer, of course, is no. Even under threat of death, a heterosexual male could not choose to have a homosexual orientation. (I have referred to men specifically because women’s sexuality is considerably more complex. For many women, though certainly not all, there is an element of choice.)

So, now, given the power of the “gays have no choice” argument, I’d like to ask rabbis who perform religious Jewish same-sex weddings a question.

If a bisexual Jew came to you for religious advice, how would you counsel him or her? Let us imagine a bisexual man asked you, “Rabbi, I am capable of having a fulfilling sex life with either a man or a woman. Does Judaism have anything to say to me on this matter? Should I confine my sexual activity to women with the aim of eventually marrying a woman, or should I continue to have sexual relations with both sexes and marry whomever I fall in love with?”

If this rabbi responds to the bisexual by saying that Judaism has no preference for heterosexual relations and heterosexual marriage, then the argument that gays have no choice is, as I described above, a non sequitur. It is so because this rabbi is saying that even for those individuals who do have a choice, Judaism doesn’t care if a person has sex with the same sex or with the opposite sex, or whether he or she marries a member of the same sex or the opposite sex.

It seems pretty clear that rabbis who wish to be consistent with their argument that not allowing same-sex marriage is unfair to gays because they haven’t chosen to be gay would have to counsel a bisexual to confine his or her sexual activity to, and marry, the opposite sex. Bisexuals, after all, do have a choice.

The bisexual forces rabbis who support same-sex marriage in the name of Judaism to confront the most important question: Does Judaism have a heterosexual ideal or not? The “gays have no choice” argument strongly suggests that Judaism does have a heterosexual ideal, but that gays simply cannot meet it.

No one who has ever argued for black equality based their position on the argument that blacks have no choice, that no black has ever chosen to be black. Why not? Because the argument would clearly suggest that being black is an inferior state to being white. The only argument ever offered — and indeed the only correct one — was that there is no difference between a white human being and a black human being. 

Why then was this not the primary or even the only argument for same-sex marriage — that there is no difference between heterosexual marriage and same-sex marriage — instead of “gays have no choice”?

Because even most of those arguing on behalf of same-sex marriage believe that there is a difference between heterosexual and homosexual marriage — that, for example, at the very least, it is best for a child to have a loving mother and a loving father. Yes, there are some people who argue that if there are two loving fathers, never having a mother means nothing, and that having two loving mothers and never having a father means nothing. But do most people outside of academia really believe this? 

This in no way dismisses the love or the sincerity or the goodness of same-sex couples. It is only an acknowledgement of the obvious. 

The bisexual question posed here forces people — in this case rabbis who perform same-sex weddings — to confront the obvious: that, of course, there is a Jewish ideal — namely male-female sex and male-female marriage. That gay men and many gay women cannot — through absolutely no fault of their own — meet this ideal is truly unfair. Therefore, one can easily understand why many people will conclude that it is worth denying the Jewish heterosexual standard. 

I do not agree with denying this standard, but I can respect those who are preoccupied with fairness for gays. I cannot respect those who deny that Judaism has a male-female sexual and marital ideal. 

Every rabbi who performs same-sex weddings needs to answer the bisexual question. Then we can know whether they are animated exclusively by sympathy for gays or whether they also deny the Jewish male-female ideal. 

Why is this important? Because religion without ideals and standards is no longer religion. Compassion is a major personal virtue, but it is not a standard.

Our task in life is to maintain both compassion and standards. 

Dennis Prager’s nationally syndicated radio talk show is heard in Los Angeles from 9 a.m. to noon on KRLA (AM 870). His latest project is the Internet-based Prager University (prageru.com).

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Israel: Iran deal ‘naked as emperor with no clothes’

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Israel's nuclear affairs minister said his country was like the boy in the fairy tale who pointed out the emperor had no clothes, heaping scorn on the Iran nuclear deal on Wednesday and emphasising Israel's right to unilateral self-defence.

Tuesday's agreement between six world powers and Iran has left Israeli officials scrambling for leverage and crying foul, convinced the historic deal will do little to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions and will leave Israel under greater threat.

“Israel is like the little child that is pointing its finger and saying, 'the king is naked, this agreement is naked,'” Yuval Steinitz, who is responsible for nuclear affairs in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, told reporters.

Despite months of trying to stall or derail the agreement – including Netanyahu denouncing it before a joint session of the U.S. Congress in March – Israel has failed to exert influence on the United States, its closest ally, and is feeling exasperated.

Netanyahu spoke to Barack Obama on Tuesday evening and issued a lengthy statement afterwards that sought to explain that his poor relationship with the U.S. president had had no bearing on the outcome of the negotiations in Vienna.

“The claim heard from political elements to the effect that the personal relationship between myself and President Obama affected the nuclear agreement is absurd,” he said.

“Even before I took office as prime minister, there was an intention on the part of the American administration to normalize relations with Iran.”

The first Israeli opinion poll published since the deal was announced found a solid majority supported Netanyahu's view. The survey broadcast by Channel 10 television found 69 percent objected to the agreement with Iran and only 10 percent backed it, with the rest undecided.

Thirty-two percent of Israelis thought their country should respond by attacking Iranian nuclear installations, while 40 percent opposed that idea and 28 percent had no view, polling results broadcast on Wednesday showed.

“FUEL ON FIRE”

Steinitz described the deal, painstakingly negotiated over the past several years, including 17 straight days before Tuesday's signing, as full of loopholes, particularly when it comes to verification and Iran's “breakout” capability – the time it would theoretically take it to develop a nuclear weapon.

Israel is also agitated by the fact that Iran will have access to around $100 billion of frozen assets as soon as the deal is implemented, which is expected to take six months.

“Those who think that giving Iran $150 billion will have no effect on the Middle East are naive,” said Steinitz. “It's like pouring fuel on the burning Middle East.”

As well as the long-term nuclear threat, Israel's alarm stems from Iran's backing for militant groups in the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and parts of Syria, Hamas in Gaza and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

“(We are) this little, tiny Jewish democracy that survives in the most difficult and problematic neighbourhood on the face of the earth,” said Steinitz.

While small, Israel has a strong army, is believed to have the region's only nuclear arsenal, and receives around $3 billion a year in military-related support from the United States, an amount expected to increase following the Iran deal.

Asked what extra weapons Israel might request from the United States, Steinitz would not be drawn, saying the only acceptable compensation would be an agreement that prevents Tehran producing nuclear arms.

In the interim, he said, Israel reserved the right to defend itself, and would do so unilaterally if required.

“Israel's right of self-defence is non-negotiable and cannot be limited by any international agreement, good or bad.

“When a country like Iran is calling once again, even in the last few days, for Israel's destruction, Israel of course has the right, and also the duty, to defend itself by itself.”

With the United States and other major powers determined to work with Iran, Israel finds itself allied with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Gulf states in expressing wariness over the deal.

Domestically, though, it has served as a unifying force in Israeli politics. The centre-left opposition is fully behind Netanyahu's criticism of the deal and there is the possibility of a new national-unity government being formed as a result.

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