THE JEWISH VOICE AND OPINION Promoting Classical Judaism
March 2011
Vol. 24 • No. 7
Adar II 5771
Arab World Still Exploding, but Now Antisemitism Is in the Mix
D
espite the heady rush of promised independence in Egypt, the ugly specter of antisemitism came on with a vengeance when protesters in Tahrir Square began brandishing posters of President Hosni Mubarak and his new vice president, Omar Suleiman, with Stars of David emblazoned on their foreheads. Sometimes the Jewish symbol was drawn on ties before the two were hung in effigy. Their crime was their adherence to the 1979 Camp David Peace Treaty with Israel. The pact gave the Egyptian government almost $2 billion a year in US aid and the entire Sinai, but the Muslim Brotherhood has indicated
Zionist regime,” and, following the uprising in the country, “any treaty not approved by the Egyptian nation must be abrogated.” “People worldwide want to see unjust laws scrapped. It is no surprise for The Future of Egyptian Jew-Hatred Is Now the Egyptians to want the same,” it might be willing to forego the he said. financial incentive. Shameful Treaty In fact, Kamal Helbawi, a He noted that, following senior member of the Brotherthe dismantling of the Berlin hood said there was “virtually Wall, many previously signed no peace agreement with the treaties were discarded.
“The time is over for surrender to treaties which have brought humiliation to the Egyptian nation,” he said, calling for the permanent opening of the Gaza crossing. Keeping it closed, he said, was a “joint conspiracy of the US, Zionist regime, and Mubarak’s regime.” Echoing Mr. Helbawi was the Egyptian spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who, in Tahrir Square, prayed for “the conquest of the al-Aqsa Mosque,” which means the conquest of Jerusalem. Another possible Egyptian leader, Mohammed El Baradei,
Let store managers know they should keep Israeli products well stocked on the shelves,” said Roz Rothstein, co-founder and national director of Stand with Us, which, together with the American-Israel Chamber of Congress, is spearheading the BIG project. The date is no accident. March 30th was selected as the “Global Day of Action” by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign,
across North America to drop Israeli products, from local co-ops to Costco and Trader Joe’s,” said Ms. Rothstein. To counter their efforts, Stand with Us is calling on schools, colleges, synagogues, community organizations, and individuals to use March 30 to shop at stores and ask specifically for Israeli products. “Whenever a boycott is called, we must respond by
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On March 31, Israel’s Supporters Will Shop “BIG” to Counter the Boycott Movement
P
ro-Israel consumers are invited to hit the stores on Wednesday, March 30, to shop “BIG,” which is an acronym for “Buy Israeli Goods.” Knowing what to buy is easy; Israel’s supporters can simply follow the list of products and companies Israel’s enemies would like to see targeted by a boycott. “We are telling people to go to their local stores, request the exact Israeli products being targeted, and buy them out.
Hebrew Charter School.................... 3 The Current Crisis.......................... 4 Kol Ami: Boycotting Performers?.... 5 New SarahPAC Director................. 12 TofflerWatch................................. 13 Surfside Pesach............................ 19 Lag B’Omer in India.................... 21
a far-left, often antisemitic international initiative that seeks to undermine support for Israel. Ask for Products The BDS National Committee is asking its supporters to protest outside stores that stock Israeli products and speak out for academic and cultural boycotts of Israeli individuals and institutions. “Boycotters have been energetically lobbying stores
Inside the Voice
“New” Ancient Tzfat Cemetery... 22 Yesh Shabbat Teen Experience.......23 Kosherica Cruising....................... 25 New Olim with Nefesh B’Nefesh.. 26 The Log........................................ 28 New Classes................................. 38 Mazal Tov.................................... 39
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Chesed Opportunities................... 40 Ess Gezint: For Purim.................. 44 Index of Advertisers . .................. 47 The Booming Golan..................... 50 Honor the Professional ............... 51 Letters to the Editor .................... 52 Passover in Las Vegas . ............... 55
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March 2011
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Englewood’s New Charter School Already Filled
mong the 23 charter schools approved by Governor Chris Christie to open this September is the Shalom Academy Charter School (SACS), a Hebrew immersion school that is intended to service children primarily from Englewood and Teaneck. Its mission, according to founder Raphael Bachrach, a member of the Englewood-Orthodox community who has been shepherding the concept of a Hebrew-immersion charter school for more than four years, is to produce students who are proficient in Hebrew language. By the end of February, just after its first application deadline, virtually all 160 spots in grades K-5 were filled. The school, which will be located
on Williams Street in Englewood, will add a grade each year so that, in three years, it will offer classes in grades K-8 for about 240 students. Parental Choice A charter school is a public school that is overseen by the State Department of Education but operates independently of the local district. Each charter school has its own board, administration, and facility independent of local school districts. For Mr. Bachrach, SACS is the culmination of hundreds of hours of legwork, paper work, and networking. Disregarding the many naysayers, including educational professionals who tried to discourage him—often for reasons of their own, and
members of the community, who saw little chance of success, he stayed focused on his goal, which has now been realized. Mr. Bachrach’s own children have been attending public school in Englewood and while he said he and his wife, Nina, have been very pleased, they wanted the Hebrew immersion program. Their children and those of the other founders with whom Mr. Bachrach has been working had preference in terms of being able to secure spaces in the new school. Other families gained their slots by applying early enough and, if necessary, winning the lottery to gain admissions. Preference went to students from Englewood and Teaneck.
Had there been room, ten percent of the spaces could have gone to children from outside the district. This September, SACS will have 40 kindergarteners, 40 first graders, and grades 2-5 will each have 20 children. There will be a maximum of 20 children per class. Every kindergarten and first and second-grade classroom will have a teacher and an assistant. Upper grades will share “floating” assistants. Day School Transfers? It is not yet clear what the division will be between Englewood and Teaneck children. The school has until March 15 to provide a list of
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THE JEWISH VOICE AND OPINION, Inc. © 2011; Publisher and Editor-in-Chief: Susan L. Rosenbluth Phone (201)569-2845 Managing Editor: S. Edelman, Advertising: Rivkie Stall The Jewish Voice & Opinion (ISSN # 1527-3814), POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631, is published monthly in coordination with The Central Committee for Israel. A one-year subscription is $18. Periodicals postage is paid at Englewood, NJ and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Jewish Voice and Opinion, POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631. All advertising in the Jewish Voice and Opinion must conform to the standards of the Orthodox Rabbinic kashruth. Editorial content reflects the views of the writer and not necessarily any other group. The Jewish Voice is not responsible for typographical errors.
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March 2011
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The Current Crisis: “Even in Laughter, the Heart Can Ache”
Dr. Daniel Pipes is ready for Purim. Dressed as NY Times columnist Tom Friedman, he announced the Muammar Qaddafi International Prize for Human Rights. Past recipients include Winnie Mandela, Louis Farrakhan, Fidel Castro, and Hugo Chavez. This year’s winner is Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who will use his prize, won for “distinguished service to humanity while sailing with terrorists masquerading as human rights workers,” to improve his oratory expertise by repeating “Islamophobia is a crime against humanity.” If that fails, he’ll practice his German. *** Sign smuggled into Tahrir Square in Cairo by an Israeli: Dear Egyptian Rioters, Please don’t damage the pyramids. We will not rebuild. *** This one appeared just to the right: Dear Muslim Brotherhood, If you break the Camp David Accords, we take back the Sinai. *** The Lebanese newspaper, As-Safir, reported last month that an Israeli drugged a Palestinian prisoner, infecting him with polio. According to the article, the family back in Ramallah was frantic. “He may die at any moment, having been afflicted with polio after Israeli intelligence put a DDS pill in his drink,” said the beleaguered father. Although the family had not been in contact with their son, they knew he was paralyzed and vomiting blood. The father’s next step, he said, was to take his family and burn themselves
alive in front of the Red Cross headquarters in Ramallah. We suggest the whole family could use DDS, which is another name for Oleptro, an antidepressant. *** The Muslims-Think-Just-Like-Us Dept.: According to the official Iranian state-sponsored news agency, IRNA, last month, Iranian intelligence operatives arrested 14 squirrels carrying spy gear from foreign agencies. The animals were stopped before they could act, thanks to the alertness of the Iranian officials. At the same time, Wafa, the official news agency of the Palestinian Authority, announced that Israel “is using wild pigs to drive Palestinians out of their homes.” But hey, that’s an improvement. The previous week, Wafa revealed that “rats have become an Israeli weapon to displace and expel Arab residents of the occupied Old City of Jerusalem.” In Egypt, a few rioters took time out to read that “Israel was responsible for fatal shark and lethal jellyfish attacks in the Red Sea.” According to South Sinai Governor Mohammed Abdel, the Mossad is “throwing deadly sharks into the sea to hit tourism in Egypt.” At the end of the article, the paper confessed the story “is not out of the question, but needs time to confirm.” According to the BBC, in Saudi Arabia, a vulture, accused of being part of a Zionist plot, was arrested and awaits horrible punishment at the hands of sharia justice (really!). Only in the old country? According to recently released Gitmo inmate Walid Muhammad Hajj, Jews at the base cast “spells” on the Muslim inmates, using bewitched birds and a phantom feline that tried to sodomize Walid. Gotta watch those cats, Walid. Happy Purim, All, SLR
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Kol Ami: Boycotting Performers?
There is a lot of discussion about the so-called Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Some performers are being pressured not to come to Israel at all; some, like Theodore Bikel, decide not to perform in Judea and Samaria. At the Boca Raton Synagogue last month, the question was: What is your response to an artist who will not perform in Israel? Y
When the media is so overwhelmingly pro-Arab and antiIsrael, it is not surprising that many people, including celebrities, are going to be influenced. Those who want to see only the Arab viewpoint should know that we want to support those who want to see ours, too. Rick Adelman Boca Raton, FL
Boycotting concerts or albums of anti-Israel celebrities is not the answer to the problem in the Middle East. It’s more important to put faces and thoughts with names and people. Letter writing directly to the individuals or their fan clubs and speaking out against their decision to boycott Israel would be a better protest. Elana Barrish Boca Raton, FL
The question is: why are they submitting to pressure? If it is a matter of education, then we need to show that their perception of Israel as an apartheid state is inaccurate. If a performer isn’t interested in dialogue, then why bother trying to engage him at all. Hava Holzhauer Boca Raton, FL
Education is freedom. Israel is more aware of human rights than any other country in the region and more open-minded. If a performer doesn’t realize this, he is either uneducated or just biased. Joseph “JB” Ben Smihen Boca Raton, FL
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March 2011
Hebrew Charter School students to both districts in order to determine transportation needs. At present, it is also unclear how many of the 160 students expected to attend SACS this fall will be children whose parents would otherwise have sent them to Hebrew Day schools or yeshivot. The obvious draw for parents who will opt for SACS is cost. As a public school, SACS is free. Moreover, there are no entrance exams, interviews, or any other barriers to admission to SACS, other than space. Not for Everyone Nevertheless, as Mr. Bachrach realizes, for many Orthodox parents, SACS’s dual-language curriculum will not be an acceptable alternative. As a public school, it will not offer Jewish religious instruction as part of
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the curriculum, although there will be elements of “culture� that may be included, in addition, of course, to a commitment to total immersion in Hebrew language. According to discussions with the founding members, it may be acceptable for SACS students to perform certain rites, such as dipping apples in honey for a sweet year on Rosh Hashanah, but prayers may be stickier. Some legal experts say it is acceptable for public school children to recite prayers on their own, but not with any guidance from their teachers. The school will follow the Bergen County Community College calendar, which means virtually no Jewish holidays will be observed and there will not be early dismissal on Fridays. However, Mr. Bachrach
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pointed out that, according to NJ law, all Jewish holidays fall into the category of excused absences for which no student may be penalized in anyway. The state has a list of such religious holidays, which, in addition to Jewish holidays, include Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Wiccan, Sikh, Bahai, Zoroastrian, Shinto, and even Church of Scientology holy days. All classes at SACS will be co-educational, and the founders, including Mr. Bachrach, are committed to strong outreach steps to ensure diversity. The Englewood and Teaneck public school districts are heavily African-American and Hispanic. As a public school, SACS will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, disability, English proficiency, socioeconomic status, or national origin. Only Jewish Parents? While it is unclear how many non-Jewish parents are going to be sufficiently interested in a Hebrew-immersion program in Englewood, photographs from the website of the Hatikvah International Academy Hebrew charter school in East Brunswick, show interracial classes with nary a kippah in sight. Englewood School Superintendent Richard Segall said when a Hebrew charter
school was proposed to current Englewood public school families, only about 15 children were interested. This suggests to Mr. Segall that most, if not all, of the 160 students who will be attending SACS were already enrolled in Jewish day schools. Mr. Bachrach disagreed, saying that, as a neighborhoodbased school, SACS’s demographics “are likely to reflect those of the community.� “Our hope is that all of the Englewood and Teaneck demographics will come together into the school environment. This includes Jewish, African-American, Latino, and so on. Since African-American history is integral to US history, Shalom Academy Charter School will integrate teachings of African-American history throughout the history curricula—in both Hebrew and English,� he said. In its charter application, SACS does not indicate that the majority of its students will be Jewish or will transfer from yeshivas. If anything, it describes itself as vehicle for helping to integrate Englewood’s schools. No one denies that, if its students are mostly white and Jewish, SACS will help even out the Englewood schools’ demographic profile.
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March 2011
Hebrew Charter School
Learning Languages Hatikvah, which opened this past September, says its key goal is “that all children from all cultures, religions, and ethnicities make up a school community while maintaining identities and pride.” Priti Kandlur, who is not Jewish, is a member of Hatikvah’s board of trustees. Her son, Mihir, 5, is enrolled in the kindergarten because Ms. Kandlur believes learning a second language is beneficial. “A foreign language helps them in other subjects as well. Their grasping power actually increases,” she said. Full Curriculum Hatikvah currently serves students in grades K-2. It plans to add a grade each year until it reaches 372 students in grades K-8. Residents of East Brunswick are given preference over others. As will be the case for SACS, too, an exception will be made for siblings who come from outside the district. If Hatikvah does not fill to capacity with East Brunswick residents and siblings of current students, the school will look at applications for children from outside the district. According to the website, children in the school are taught “history, literature, art, and music of many different communities of Hebrew
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speakers in Israel and around the world and also learn about the impact that other cultures and languages have had on the Hebrew language.” At Hatikvah, Hebrew culture, which is permissible, means Jewish culture, history, art, music, Israeli culture, and language. Hebrew without Religion Asked if Hebrew can be taught without religion, Hatikvah Principal Colin Hogan said public schools in the US have been doing just that for many years, especially in high schools and colleges. “Hebrew is a distinct language, and, like any other foreign language, can be acquired outside the realm of religion,” he said. Ms. Kandlur said it would not bother her even if smatterings of Jewish religion filter into the classroom. She is pleased that her son is in a full-day, comparatively small kindergarten for which she does not have to pay. Because East Brunswick has a large Jewish community attending public school, the school calendar, which Hatikvah will follow, too, observes many—but by no means all—Jewish and non-Jewish holidays. “If parents ask to keep their children home in observance
of other holidays, we accommodate their requests just as other East Brunswick schools do,” said Mr. Hogan. Creative Solutions At an informational meeting for parents interested in SACS last month, held at the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, a packed audience of more than 500 heard educators tell them why learning a second language would be beneficial for their children. It is doubtful many of the parents in the room would have been there if the language in question were not Hebrew. Most of those in attendance were from the Orthodox community. While some were skeptical; others thought SACS might be an option for their families. While nothing was said about religious instruction at this meeting or on the SACS website, in previous discussions, there have been suggestions that parents may be able to rent space in the school or in a nearby facility before classes begin and after-school for activities such as services or religious instruction. The daily schedule starts at 7:30am for “early bird clubs” and breakfast. The school day is from 8 to 3, and “after school clubs” are from 3:15 to 4:15. Some parents saw this as little more than a new spin on
the after-school Hebrew school which has not been particularly effective. Others, however, said that since Hebrew language would not have to be the focus of the extracurricular programs, their children might get more out of them. Kashruth There has even been discussion about how the dietary laws might be observed at the school. Some charter school proponents have suggested that, if sufficient children need it, kosher food could be provided. “The school will be fully respectful of the needs and rights of all children; that’s an ongoing theme,” said Mr. Bachrach. At the meeting, when asked if the school would administer the Jewish Education Project’s BJE (Board of Jewish Education) placement exam for yeshiva and day school high schools, Mr. Bachrach said, “Absolutely not.” He did not say SACS students would be unprepared to take the exam in another venue. Saving Money More than one observant parent at the meeting last month noted that SACS might be a satisfactory way to save funds, if not for their children’s entire
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March 2011
Hebrew Charter School
school career, then, perhaps, for just a few years, especially while they are young. “As long as their Hebrew language skills are reasonable, they could be taught sufficient Yiddishkeit at home so that when they go to yeshiva or day school, they won’t be behind or have too much to catch up,” said one father who asked that his name be withheld. At current rates, for every year in the charter school, a family could save between $10,000 and $15,000 per child. “Multiply it by three or four children and you’re talking about real money,” said the father. Better Than Public School It is a problem many rabbis recognize. Rabbi Yitzchok Rosenbaum, a Teaneck resident who serves as executive director of the National Jewish Outreach Program, noted that, at Gamla, the established Hebrew immersion charter school in Florida, children receive religious training after school. While, like SACS and Hatikvah, Gamla is open to the entire community, most of its students are Jewish. This past year, with the economy still an issue and many families feeling the crunch, an increased number of Orthodox families sent their children to the school, seeing it as a better alternative than regular public school. Rabbi Rosenbaum agreed that Hebrew immersion charter schools have the benefit of allowing children to become proficient in Hebrew language and culture, “which should not be discounted as important
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facets of Jewish education.” “Shalom Academy presents an alternative to public school, where students run the risk of losing Jewish knowledge altogether, and consequently losing their faith,” he said. Not a Yeshiva Like many other observers, Rabbi Rosenbaum said he suspects most applicants to SACS will be Jewish families concerned with maintaining ties to the Hebrew language, such as displaced Israelis who also want a Jewish cultural connection. No one believes it will be an adequate substitute for a full yeshiva education. Rabbi Menachem Genack, who serves as the rabbinic administrator of the Orthodox Union as well as pulpit leader of Englewood’s Congregation Shomrei Emunah, worried that free tuition might draw families away from religious schools, encouraging them to settle for an inferior Jewish education. Nevertheless, the advantages of SACS prompted many rabbis, including Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of Congregation Ahavath Torah and author and media personality, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, as well as prominent members of the Orthodox community, such as former Englewood Mayor and immigration lawyer Michael Wildes, and Englewood Councilman Dr. Ken Rosenzweig to write letters in support of the school. Wrong Place? Yossi Prager, executive director of the
Avi Chai Foundation, a major day school supporter, opposes SACS chiefly because, he said, as a public school, it will be unable to offer as good a Jewish education as day schools and yeshivas. He argued that because the vast majority of Jewish children in Teaneck and Englewood currently attend Jewish day schools, this was a poor location for a Hebrew charter school. SACS supporters disagreed, pointing out that the tuition crisis coupled with the poor economy had prompted many Jewish day school families, especially those with special-needs children who often benefit from public schools’ special services, to consider public school. More than a year ago, Mr. Bachrach addressed complaints about the Hebrew charter school’s imperfections, saying it should not be a case of “sacrificing the good because it isn’t perfect.” Bilingual Children According to Elizabeth Willaum, who, until last December, served as Englewood Schools Assistant Superintendent and is now advising Mr. Bachrach and the other SACS founders, the school’s objective is to create students who are “bilingual, biliterate, and bicognitive” in English and Hebrew. “Immersion is the way of the future,” she said, adding that, with a four-to-sevenyear commitment to the immersion program, SACS students should emerge as Hebrew speakers and thinkers. A veteran teacher, Ms. Willaum, who is SACS’s acting head of school, developed NJ’s first Spanish-English dual-language program in Englewood in 1991 and has worked on other language-immersion programs in Long Branch, Perth Amboy, Elizabeth, and Union City in New Jersey as well as in upstate Syracuse, NY. Math in Hebrew The program is designed such that students in kindergarten and first grade will receive 75 percent of their classes in Hebrew and 25 percent in English. Subjects such as math, science, and history will be taught exclusively in Hebrew. “There will be no translation,” said Ms. Willaum, adding that total immersion “works; it’s like magic.” By the time students are in grades two through five, only half their classes—math,
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com science, and Hebrew language arts—will be in Hebrew. Language arts, health, and history will be taught in English. In grades 6-8, when content becomes more intense and their Hebrew skills are expected to be much improved, students will have only 25 percent of their classes, namely Hebrew language arts, in Hebrew. The other 75 percent of their day will be spend learning English, math, science, health, and history/social science in English. Tracking While there may be some academic “tracking” in the school, it will not be based on proficiency in Hebrew. Native English and native Hebrew speakers will not be separated in school. According to SACS’s website, the presence of native speakers of both language groups will make the environment more conducive to second-language learning. Hebrew and English will have equal status. “Some students will know a lot of Hebrew; some will have no Hebrew whatsoever, but being in an environment with everyone else will reinforce each other,” said Mr. Bachrach.
Adar II 5771 Funding New Students As is usually the case when charter schools have been approved, the educational establishments in Englewood and Teaneck have been less than enthusiastic about SACS. Englewood School Superintendent Richard Segall has complained that, in September, only about 20 of SACS’s 160 students will be former public school students. This means the district will acquire more than 100 students for whom expenses will have to be paid. For many years, this has been the tug-of-war between public and Hebrew day schools over issues such as bussing. Day school parents usually point out that, by not sending their children to the public schools, they are saving the district money. Public school officials usually counter with the separation-of-church-and-state argument. Privately, these officials often admit that if day school children were enrolled in public school, the testing scores in the public schools would rise dramatically. Budget Woes Teaneck’s Interim Schools Superintendent Barbara Pinsak also did not hide her disapproval upon learning that SACS
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had been approved. She said the school’s plan for “an academically rigorous Hebrew language immersion program” might not attract the “variety of learners” the school, in its application, had promised. Ms. Pinsak and Mr. Segall expressed concern about the money taken from their budgets to fund students in the new school. The exact dollar amount will depend on how many students from Teaneck and Englewood, respectively, actually opt to attend SACS. Mr. Segall said it would have cost Englewood less money to incorporate a Hebrew immersion program within an existing school, rather than creating a new school “with all the associated overhead and operational costs.” Supporters of the charter school point out that, as district residents, SACS students—even those who are attending public school for the first time—have a right to that funding. The budget Mr. Bachrach expects to be approved by the state will grant SACS about $13,000 per pupil for the year, which is a few hundred dollars less than what Englewood and Teaneck spend on other S.L.R.
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March 2011
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New SarahPac Director Michael Glassner Is One of the Tribe By Benyamin Korn, director of Jewish Americans for Sarah Palin and JewsForSarah.com The new director of Sarah Palin’s political action committee—SarahPac— is not only a veteran GOP Presidential campaign operative, he has long years of experience working at the top level with major Jewish Republicans. He can thus be presumed to be intimately familiar with the whole range of Jewish political and religious issues, both here and in Israel. Though not a member of the Orthodox community, Michael Glassner served for
seven years as a senior vice president to well-known Orthodox communal leader Howard Jonas, at his Newark-based IDT Corporation. Prior to that, for three years Mr. Glassner was chief of staff to Chairman Lew Eisenberg at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. A Kansas native, Mr. Glassner attended the University of Kansas from 1981 to 1985, during which time he interned for Sen Bob Dole (R-KS), who later ran unsuccessfully for President in 1988, and again in 1996. In the interim, Mr. Glassner worked his way up to the position of
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senior advisor to Mr. Dole, serving as his executive assistant in his run for the Presidency in 1988, and in 1996 as key aide to the then-Senate Majority Leader from the Presidential primaries through the general election. Working with Palin According to Mr. Glassner’s published biography, his campaign responsibilities included traveling with the candidate on a full-time basis, coordinating the candidate’s schedule, crisis resolution, and day-to-day logistical arrangements. In the 2008 McCain-Palin campaign, Mr. Glassner was director of Vice-Presidential Operations, who—again according to his published biography—directed Mrs. Palin’s campaign travel and scheduling, logistical advance, personnel, budgets, fundraising, and other campaign activities. He managed a team of over 100 staffers and volunteers and served as a member of the senior staff, participating in strategy and planning for the McCain-Palin general election campaign. IDT Mr. Glassner’s seven-year stint as a senior executive with IDT chairman Howard Jonas immediately preceded his joining the McCain-Palin team. His daily proximity to Mr. Jonas must have familiarized Mr. Glassner with the communal leader’s wide array of Jewish activities, including IDT’s on-site kollel in the company’s Newark headquarters; major support for the SAR yeshiva in Riverdale; an oil exploration consortium— Israel Energy Initiatives—with Lord Jacob Rothschild and Jewish philanthropist Michael Steinhardt; and backing for joint religious-military education in Israel; as well as an arrangement with the aliyah agency Nefesh B’Nefesh, which makes jobs at the IDT-Jerusalem calling center available to new immigrants immediately upon their arrival in Israel. In public and private statements, Mr. Glassner emphasizes that Mrs. Palin is not at present a candidate for any public office. But if she were to announce her candidacy, a man of Mr. Glassner’s experience would bring invaluable Presidential campaign expertise to her organization, not to mention a nuanced understanding of Jewish and Israeli political and religious issues. Y
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TofflerWatch: Teaneck Councilwoman Charged and Censured but Wants Compensation
t’s been a busy season for Teaneck Councilwoman Dr. Barbara Toffler. In the course of a few short weeks, the selfstyled “ethicist” faced charges of leaving the scene of an accident (no one was hurt), and then censure by the Teaneck Town Council for making “erroneous and unsupported” accusations against Teaneck’s police chief, township manager, and deputy mayor. She was also censured for “interfering” with requests for public records. To top it off, Dr. Toffler has requested that Teaneck cover the legal fees she incurred while defending herself against the complaint that caused her to be censured. She suggested the rules calling for the town to cover an employee’s legal fees should apply to her situation. Caught on Camera In early January, Dr. Toffler backed into a parked car in front of the Cross River Bank on Teaneck Road and drove off without reporting the accident, all caught on the bank’s surveillance cameras. Although Dr. Toffler claimed she was unaware that she had caused damage to the other vehicle, she had, in fact, knocked off the front license plate. Police served two summonses at her home, one for leaving the scene of an accident and the other for failure to report the accident. According to Teaneck Lt Tanya Balser, both offenses carry a mandatory court date. When asked by reporters about the incident, Dr. Toffler said she had checked the hit car but did not see any damage. She said she was “embarrassed” that she had not bothered to leave her card on the car after she hit it. She said she and the other car owner had spoken and that she had offered to pay for repair costs. “Retaliation” When word of the incident inevitably spread, Dr. Toffler promptly accused Teaneck Township Manager William Broughton of notifying council members about her summonses. She said he had acted in retaliation for her opposition to the council’s attempt to install Teaneck Police Chief Robert Wilson as Public Safety Director. Several months earlier, Mr. Brough-
ton had actively promoted the creation of the position of Public Safety Director and sought for it to be filled by Mr. Wilson. Dr. Toffler had opposed the position. “Retaliation, sadly, has been a modus operandi of Teaneck leadership in the past. I hope it is not starting again,” she said. Manipulation Dr. Toffler then accused Messrs Wilson, Broughton, and Teaneck’s Deputy Mayor Adam Gussen of releasing the information about her summonses to the press. Mr. Gussen suggested the “retaliation”
accusation was actually Dr. Toffler’s manipulation effort to change the focus from the “serious” charges against her after she left the scene of an accident. “She leaves the scene of an accident and then she wants to change the story, to make it not about her behavior but about who told who about it. This is a flagrant attempt to draw attention away from herself and her dramatic lack of judgment,” said Mr. Gussen. Admission When Dr. Toffler was forced to ad-
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mit she had no evidence to substantiate her claim of retaliation, the council voted to censure her. According to the censure resolution, which was read at a town council meeting last month, Messrs Broughton and Wilson were found to have done nothing wrong. The censure resolution also accuses Dr. Toffler of interfering with public requests for documents under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) and creating a “hostile work environment.” The OPRA requests had been filed by Emil Lebovich, who wanted to see the police reports that were filed after officers visited Dr. Toffler’s home subsequent to the incident at the bank. Mr. Lebovich also wanted to see the surveillance camera footage of her car. Five Votes A critic of Dr. Toffler, Mr. Lebovich has repeatedly come
to town council meetings to disparage her, often in angry loud speeches. According to the censure resolution, Dr. Toffler, citing privacy concerns, interfered with the township’s effort to process Mr. Lebovich’s lawful public document requests. Five of Teaneck’s seven council members voted to censure her: Elie Y Katz, Yitz Stern, Monica Honis, Mr. Gussen, and Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin. Dr. Toffler recused herself from the vote and Councilwoman Lizette Parker abstained. Safety? In an effort to explain herself, especially after Mr. Broughton filed a complaint alleging that she had created a “hostile work environment” for him, Dr. Toffler sent an emailed press release in which she acknowledged that her speculation accusing Messrs
Wilson and Broughton of deliberately spreading gossip about her was “inappropriate and erroneous” and that no evidence supported it. She maintained, however, that she had not sought to interfere with Mr. Lebovich’s OPRA requests, but, rather, wanted him to undergo a criminal background check before giving him the documents. She stated that, for several months, at public council meetings, she had been subjected to Mr. Lebovich’s verbal personal attacks against her, a claim backed up by the video record. “The nature of his rambling ad hominem attacks and the manner in which they were delivered led me to believe that this man posed a possible danger to me, other councilmembers, and Teaneck residents,” she wrote. Tucson? Fearing an incident such as the “terrible tragedy in Tucson,” she said, “I became concerned that this information may be sought by someone who had a criminal record perhaps an ominous threat.” Although she did not explain how preventing Mr. Lebovich from receiving the documents would mitigate against any danger, she said she brought her concerns by email to Mr. Broughton, as acting municipal clerk, and sent copies of that email to others whom she believed would be involved in the OPRA process. “At no time did I attempt to interfere with the orderly processing of that OPRA request, but rather asked questions and requested the aforementioned background check be made prior to the distribution of those records for reason of personal, council and public safety,” she said.
Poker Player Dr. Toffler seemed to believe that if Mr. Lebovich had a criminal record, that would preclude his receiving the documents he sought. In fact, NJ State law prevents convicted criminals from obtaining only personal information related to their victims. In her emailed statement after her censure, Dr. Toffler said, “My requests, I now believe, have been viewed as interference and for this I am distressed, because that was not my intent.” According to several websites, Mr. Lebovich is a 21year-old professional poker player who seems to reside in Fair Lawn. It is not clear why he came to Teaneck Town Council meetings or why he told people he had voted for Dr. Toffler. A Victim? Not surprisingly, Dr. Toffler’s antics have prompted residents of Teaneck to comment on blogs. After the reports that she had left the scene of an accident surfaced, David Sarna accused her of posing as a “victim…who believes laws do not apply to her.” “If she breaks them, she is entitled to a pass [because] some residents do not agree with her leftist, tax-crazy, and destructive views about what is good for Teaneck,” he said sarcastically. “She deems being caught on camera leaving the scene of an accident to be ‘retaliation.’ How horrible. Police brutality. Let’s organize a million people to march on Washington to protest the unspeakably horrible ‘retaliation’ against this scofflaw. It is the injustice of the century.” Teaneck resident Mildred Tucker, however, accused Mr. Broughton of not knowing his
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place. “Barbara Toffler is an elected official…She is supposed to question him on issues, private cars, contracts, and safety and security of OPRA requests. Her job is to make law and she is his superior,” she said, accusing Mr. Gussen of targeting Dr. Toffler “in a political witch hunt.” Asking for Money At the end of February, Dr. Toffler sent an email to Teaneck Township Attorney Stanley Turitz, protesting the “considerable” legal fees she has amassed stemming from the complaint and censure and suggesting Teaneck cover the expenses. “While the modest fees for dealing with my car incident are mine, I have considerable legal fees related to William Broughton’s letter to me and the Council censure resolution. These should be covered by those same rules in place for covering employee legal fees,” she wrote. Apparently by error, she copied the email, which was marked “confidential”
in the subject line, to several current and former councilmembers, all of whom had served between 2006 and 2008. Former Councilman Elnatan Rudolph, whom Dr. Toffler had specifically targeted for defeat at the polls, shared the email with The Record and other journalists. In the email, Dr. Toffler, who has engaged a criminal defense attorney, Joseph Rem, accepted responsibility for the fees associated with the court case stemming from her hit-and-run episode. In court, one of her summonses was dismissed and the other cost her a $100 fine. It is unclear whether Teaneck’s code would allow Dr. Toffler to be reimbursed. The code calls for the town to defend its employees and officials in cases of criminal or civil action related to the performance of their duties. But the town is not required to protect an employee or official if doing so “would create a conflict of interest between the township and the
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official involved” or if the “action was brought by the township.” “Confidential” On Teaneck Patch, an online newsletter, a poster who said he disagreed with the notion of Teaneck’s paying Dr. Toffler’s legal fees, questioned why an email marked “confidential” was published. For longtime “TofflerWatch” observers, the response should come from “the ethicist” herself. In 2007, Dr. Toffler was quoted in the New York Times on the issue of Orthodox Jews moving into Teaneck: “People worry that there’s a group that wants this [Teaneck] to become an Orthodox community like some of the ones in Rockland County. This has always been an incredibly diverse community, and from my perspective, I don’t want it to become any one thing.” Nothing Confidential Several months later, in an apparent attempt to sooth ruffled feathers in the community she had offended before she attempted to be appointed to public office, Dr. Toffler sent an email to Mr. Stern, a well-respected member of the Orthodox community who has served off and on the Teaneck Town Council for many years. Although he is now on the council, when Dr. Toffler wrote to him, he was not. In her email to Mr. Stern, Dr. Toffler asked for his suggestions as to what she could do to make amends. He suggested that she begin by apologizing and then viewing, with an open mind, some of the issues that are important to the Orthodox community, such as considering variances when synagogues seek to expand. Evidently outraged by his recommendation, Dr. Toffler proceeded to take Mr. Stern’s thoughtful, well-reasoned email to a town council meeting, where she read it aloud as though Mr. Stern had written it as an unsolicited demand. When asked why she would read a private email (to say nothing of why she would misconstrue the circumstances under which it was written), Dr. Toffler, the ethicist, replied that there is no such entity as a private email, but, rather, that all emails are public. S.L.R.
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March 2011
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the Nobel laureate who served as former head of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), where he developed the reputation for serving as Iran’s front man, has cited the peace accord with Israel as one of the major’s causes of Mr. Mubarak’s unpopularity. In fact, Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt was with its leaders, who made certain there was never any real peace with the Arab nation. The government-controlled press, television, and even educational curriculum indoctrinated a generation of Egyptians with hatred and falsehoods about the Jewish state. “The Egyptians never instituted any cultural, commercial, or other normalization policies with Israel, and, indeed, the policy of the government in Cairo was to attack Israel at every single international forum,” said David Shalom, former leader of Betar in the United Kingdom.
Helping Students But if Israel’s reputation was suffering in Cairo, the Egyptian uprising caused Israel’s stock to rise for several US universities whose students had just begun their semester abroad at the American University in Egypt when the riots broke out. Five students from Elon University in North Carolina were the first to arrive. The school, maintains a student exchange agreement with Haifa University, and when the violence broke out in Cairo, Elon officials called their counterparts at Haifa’s International School, asking officials there to rescue the American students. Haifa University hastily prepared dorm rooms for the Americans, who began their new semester in Israel at the end of February. Frantic Families Arriving, Kate Donovan said the students’ frantic families simply wanted their offspring to
get out of Egypt as quickly as possible. “At first, there were options like Lebanon or Jordan, but when they heard that Israel was an option, they preferred we come here. Once they knew we were on our way here, they were much calmer,” she said. Student Jonathan Ordog said that although the American University is located on an island on the Nile, they could hear gunshots and smell tear gas. “A representative from the international program of the university in Cairo took us to his home on the shore of the Red Sea and, from there, we set on our way to Israel,” he said. Regardless of what happens in Egypt, the Elon students plan to remain in Haifa throughout the semester, much to their parents’ relief. Arabic in Jerusalem A week later, 12 other students from Egypt’s American University arrived in Israel. The students, representing Allegheny,
Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Princeton, UCLA, and the University of California at Berkeley, Santa Barbara, and San Diego, will spend the semester at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. “When we heard what was happening in Egypt, some colleges, such as the University of California, reached out to us,” said Jonathan Kaplan, director of Hebrew University’s division of undergraduate studies at the Rothberg International School in Jerusalem. The school in Jerusalem told officials at the various American universities that if their students needed assistance, “we would be happy to help out,” said Mr. Kaplan. Nancy Kanach, director of the Office of International Programs at Princeton, expressed her gratitude to Hebrew University for enabling the students to continue their studies of Arabic and Middle
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Best Western Oceanfront Suites: An Alternative for Pesach
or more than 40 years, Jewish families who want to enjoy a hotel right on the beach in South Florida for Pesach, but who also want to be able to cook their own meals and enjoy surrounding local kosher restaurants, have flocked to the Best Western Oceanfront Suites in Surfside, adjacent to Miami Beach. “We know what’s needed for a good Passover vacation, and we provide it,” says owner Chuck Edelstein. Having just completed a million-dollar renovation, the hotel offers one-bedroom apart-
Antisemitism
ment suites or junior suites, all with full kitchenettes and private balconies. There are two heated swimming pools, complementary beachside continental breakfast (all cold items are kosher, served on paper with plastic utensils), and free wi-fi, all just steps from the beach. Kashered Kitchen For guests coming for Pesach, the Edelsteins make sure the stoves, ovens, cabinets, and counters are kashered, and new pots and pans, two sets of dishes, and utensils are provided.
The hotel is across the street from a good-size Publix Supermarket which stocks many kosher products and only one block from Harding Avenue, whose shopping area boasts two other kosher markets and many kosher restaurants. The Young Israel of Bal Harbor (9592 Harding Avenue, 2nd Floor) and The Shul, a Chabad congregation (9540 Collins Ave), are each a short stroll away. The hotel is minutes from South Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and the Bal Harbour Shops. It is located between the Miami and Fort Lauderdale Airports.
Easier Rates are from $199 per night for up to five people in a suite, daily maid service included. The Best Western Oceanfront Suites is located at 9365 Collins Ave, in Surfside, Florida. The phone number is 305864-2232 or 800-327-1412. The email address is info@ bwoceanfront.com. “It is so much easier to leave the Passover holiday to us than for you to do it at home, and, in addition, you will get beautiful weather and 300 feet of gorgeous private beach,” says Mr. Edelstein. Y
an entity—occupying Jordanian, Egyptian, and Syrian lands, and Palestine in its entirety.” “On this occupied land, the [girls] did inappropriate things. The most basic thing he could have done, in defense of his country, his honor as a soldier, and his religion was to open fire as a natural response,” said Mr. Mujalli. Israel’s ambassador to Jordan, Daniel Nevo, demanded that the Jordanian government, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, issue a condemnation of Mr. Mujalli’s statement, but Jordanian officials would say only that the justice minister did not represent the government. Libya No one could use that ex-
cuse in Libya, where Muammar Qaddafi’s first instinct was to blame the Jews for the unrest sweeping the Arab world. Now 68, Mr. Qaddafi has been in power in Libya since 1969, making him the current longest-serving leader in the Arab world. Although Mr. Qaddafi likes to think of himself as a descendant of the Prophet Mohamed, there is a spreading rumor in Israel that, according to halacha, he qualifies as a Jew. According to a report on Israel’s Channel 2, Guita Brown, an Israeli woman, claims to be Mr. Qaddafi’s second cousin. Their grandmothers, she said, were sisters. Ms. Brown said that Mr.
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East issues “at this important time in the region.” Murdered Children In Jordan, too, there have been demonstrations, although because denigration of the royal family can result in a three-year prison sentence, criticism of the popular royals has been muted. But not the antisemitism. In the middle of February, Jordan’s Justice Minister, Hussein Mujalli, joined protesters outside his own office who were demanding the release of an imprisoned terrorist who shot and killed seven Israeli teenage schoolgirls in 1997 as they toured the “peace island” of Naharayim, right on the Jordanian border. The murdered 7th and 8th graders from the religious Amit School in Beit Shemesh, were on a class trip when Jordanian soldier Ahmad Daqamseh opened fire, killing seven children and wounding six. “Mentally Wounded” The defense claimed he was “mentally wounded” and could not be held responsible for his actions. After the late King Hussein accompanied then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
on a series of shiva consolation calls to the children’s bereaved families, Mr. Daqamseh was sentenced by a military court to life in prison. Mr. Mujalli, who had served as one of Mr. Daqamseh’s lawyers, told the protesters he agreed with them that the former soldier was a “hero,” who should be released. “If a Jewish person killed Arabs, his country would have built a statue for him instead of imprisonment,” Mr. Mujalli told AFP news, calling Israel is “a hostile, terrorist state.” Pride Mr. Mujalli said that, as far as he was concerned, the case was not over and that he would continue to defend the murderer. “We are proud of him as a soldier of this country,” said Mr. Mujalli, insisting that the murdered children “had made a mockery of Mohammed, Islam, and of Daqamseh himself” and had acted “in an immoral manner.” He claimed that “all this generated strong provocation,” leading to “extreme emotional distress,” grounds, he said, “for a pardon.” Blaming Israel The real culprit, he implied, is Israel, which he called “a state—
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Qaddafi’s Jewish grandmother was married to a Jewish man, but he treated her so badly, she ran away and married a Muslim sheikh. Their child was Mr. Qaddafi’s mother. While Mr. Qaddafi’s grandmother undoubtedly converted to Islam, she, her offspring, and the offspring of any of her daughters would still be recognized as Jewish. Some pundits in Israel said, if the story is true, Mr. Qaddafi would be eligible to immigrate to Israel and claim citizenship under the Jewish state’s Law of Return. Forcing the Law of Return But as the turmoil in Libya grew worse last month, Mr. Qaddafi’s response to the so-
called Days of Rage was for Arabs to “capitalize on the wave of revolts in the Middle East to amass on Israel’s borders” until the Jewish State agreed to capitulate to Arab demands for the so-called “right of return.” He directed his call to PA Arabs and the millions who define themselves as “Palestinian refugees,” most of them descendants of Arabs who, in 1948, thinking it would be only a temporary absence until the Jews were all killed, obeyed the orders of Arab leaders to leave their homes. Hundreds of thousands of Arabs fled Israel in 1948 during the Israeli War of Independence. The PA demands that Israel accept those who fled and their millions
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of descendants as citizens, which would be an end to the Jewish state. In some countries, among them Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, the descendants of Arabs who fled Israel have not been granted citizenship and live in their own separate enclaves. “Fleets of boats should take Palestinians and wait by the Palestinian shores until the problem is resolved,” Mr. Qaddafi said on Libyan TV, explaining that the purpose of the mass march would not be to declare war on Israel, but, rather, “to create a problem for the world,” he said. “Mad Dog” The brutality with which Mr. Qaddafi is currently treating Libyans protesting against his regime is not new. His brutal attacks against his own people during the turmoil have prompted some pundits to call him once again by the name given to him by the late President Ronald Reagan, “the mad dog of the Middle East.” Over the years, he has supported a wide variety of terror movements, but his favorite targets were Jews, against whom he encouraged terror attacks throughout the world. At the UN, his representatives regularly propagate blood libels against Jews. During the Oslo War, in 2003, he paid the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade more than $2 million to bankroll a new wave of suicide attacks. Once the center of a thriving Jewish community, there is no Jewish presence in Tripoli. After the 1973 massacre of the Israeli athletes in the Munich Olympic Games, almost all of the Arab countries competed for the bodies of the Black September terrorists who were killed at the German airport. Mr. Qaddafi, too, wanted the privilege of arranging the funerals to be able to hail as “heroes” and “martyrs” the five assassins of the Jewish athletes. Achille Lauro In 1985, Palestinian terrorists hijacked the Achille Lauro Italian cruise ship, killing one elderly American. The mastermind was later given a hero’s welcome in Tripoli by Mr. Qaddafi. The victim, Leon Klinghoffer, was shot in his wheelchair and then pushed overboard. Mr. Klinghoffer’s body washed ashore five days later in Syria. For Mr. Klinghoffer and his wife, Marilyn, their cruise on the Achille Lauro was a celebration of their 36th wedding anniversary.
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Lag B’Omer Tour to Fascinating India: The Golden Triangle
trip to India is always an authentic adventure. It is stimulating, daunting, sometimes very moving, and can be quite shocking. This May, Jewish Heritage Tours is responding to many requests and, for the first time, offering an affordable kosher tour to fascinating India. “Here is one of the world’s great dramas: an ancient, vast, and crowded land, committed to the most formidably challenging exercise in mass democracy. It is a spectacle in which hope, pride, paradox, and uncertainly mingle and struggle,” says Rabbi Dr. Nosson Dovid Rabinowich, Jewish Heritage Tours CEO and acclaimed talmid chacham and historian. The tour will depart on May 22 and return on June 3. Lasting Memories According to Rabbi Rabinowich, the lasting memories participants on this trip can expect are of the hospitality, kindness, good humor, and generosity of the people of India.
Antisemitism cont. fr p. 20 Pan Am 103 In 1988, it was widely suspected that Mr. Qaddafi was involved in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which 270 people were killed. A Libyan, Basset al-Megrahi, was convicted of carrying out the attack and held in in a Scottish prison. In 2009, presumably for health reasons, Mr. al-Megrahi was released. Although doctors at the time said he had cancer and only three months to live, he has, thus far, outlived their predictions. At the end of February, there was a report from a Libyan Justice Minister Mustafa Mohammed Abud al Jeleil, who rebelled against Mr. Qaddafi, saying that the Libyan chief had personally “given the order for Lockerbie.” “He did everything in his power to get Megrahi back from Scotland,” said Mr. al Jeleil, who accused Mr. Qaddafi of protecting Mr. al-Megrahi in order to conceal his own role in the deadly attack. “Qaddafi ordered Megrahi to do it.” Mr. Jeleil resigned his post in protest of violence in Libya, where Mr. Qaddafi’s regime has killed an estimated 1,000 demonstrators. S.L.R.
“Here is a society of over 100 million people, growing by a million a month, divided and united by language, caste, religion, and regional loyalties. It has often been described as a functioning anarchy, and it is in many ways an amiable one, of marvelous fluidity and tolerance,” he says. He says the true Indian motif is not the Taj Mahal, the elephant, or the patient peasant behind the ox-drawn plough. It is, he says, “the crowd, the ocean of faces in the land of multitudes, endlessly stirring, pushing and moving.” “It is in this human circulation that one sees India’s color, variety, and business, and it is here that one senses its power, vitality, and grandeur,” he says.
Kosher Cuisine Like all Jewish Heritage Tours, the trip to India will feature glatt kosher Americantraditional and Indian cuisine prepared by the company’s in-house caterer, an excellent itinerary, wonderful guides, and exquisite hotels, all at a very affordable price. Rabbi Rabinowich will accompany the tour to offer shiurim, lectures, and his very popular Daf Yomi and Parshat HaShavua classes. Space is limited because the group will be no larger than 25-30 participants. Therefore, reservations should be made promptly for this unusual experience. For a detailed day-by-day itinerary and reservation forms, visit www.ahavathtorah.com or call 888-253-9167 or 917-753-5178 as soon as possible. Y
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Burials Once Again Possible in Holy Ancient Cemetery of Tzfat
n the holy city of Tzfat, the municipality’s religious council, the Hekdesh Beit HaHachaim Tzfat, has allocated a new parcel of land to enable Jews in the Diaspora to purchase burial plots adjacent to the ancient cemetery. The northern municipality of Tzfat has begun to expand the famed and hallowed ancient cemetery on the lower slopes of the steep Galilee mountainside, allowing Jews in Israel and worldwide the opportunity to be laid to rest next to the great Jewish sages of 2,000 years ago, among them Tannaim (Mishnaic sages), Amoraim (Talmudic sages), and famed Kabbalists of the 16th century CE.
“Purchasing a burial plot during one’s lifetime is a merit for longevity, and purchasing a plot in Tzfat is a merit for life in the World to Come. According to Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai, the Chidah, Tzfat is a direct pathway to Lower Gan Eden,” said Moti Dayan, a representative for the Tzfat Religious Council, the Moetza Datit. Mr. Dayan is currently in the US to meet with individuals and groups interested in purchasing a plot in the ancient cemetery. Synagogues and communities may make collective purchases, he said. According to Mr. Dayan, there have been no burials in the ancient cemetery for more than 50 years. “We recently de-
cided to expand the cemetery and give contemporary Jews the opportunity to be laid to rest there,” he said. Sages and Heroes Among the great leaders buried in the Tzfat cemetery are the Prophet Hoshea; Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, one of the Levites who served in the Temple; and his student, Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair. In the heart of the cemetery are the gravesites of the great 16th-century Kabbalist, the holy Ari (Isaac Luria Ashkenazi), and his student, Rabbi Yosef Caro, the compiler of the Code of Jewish Law. These two scholars emigrated to Tzfat 500 years ago and re-established the city, bringing a unique spiritual intensity to the world that has guided the Jewish people ever since. Every year, on the 5th of Av, thousands of Jews flock to pray at the Ari’s gravesite on the occasion of his yahrzeit. This year will mark the 439th anniversary of his death. Also buried nearby are Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, author of Tomer Devorah; Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, author of Lecha Dodi; Chana and her seven sons; and Rabbi Yaakov Beirav, who served as Chief Rabbi of Tzfat almost 500 years ago. In another area of the mountain cemetery are the graves of Rabbi Leib Baal HaYisurim, a Chabad chassid who emigrated to the holy city of Hebron and died in 1836; as well as the Olei HaGardom, the 12 members of the pre-state Jewish underground—Lechi and Irgun—who were hanged by the British. Tours The Tzfat cemetery is administered by a staff under the direction of the Chief Rabbi of Tzfat, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, shlita, the son of Rav Mordechai Eliyahu, z”tl. Rav Eliyahu is directing the restoration, preservation, and development of the new section of the cemetery. Until Purim, Mr. Dayan can be reached in the US at 347-635-5770. After Purim, he can be contacted in Israel at 011-9724-682-0089 or on his cell, 011-972-52429-7737. His email address is Moti@ safed-israel.net. The website is http:// www.safed-israel.net. In the US, he will guide prospective purchasers through a computer-simulated map of the cemetery. Those who meet with him in Israel will be personally guided around the cemetery. S.L.R.
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Yesh Shabbat Overnight Camp Offers Unique Summer Experience for Jewish Teens and Tweens
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ocated at Haverford College on the beautiful Philadelphia Mainline, Julian Krinsky’s Yesh Shabbat redefines the kosher overnight summer camp experience, helping Jewish teens develop their personal talents, interests, and skills through a schedule they build for themselves. Students choose from an array of challenging programs in which they can channel their personal interests and passions into a fun, constructive, and growthoriented summer. Yesh’s program offers a unique and diverse selection of courses which will satisfy even the most eclectic tastes. The high school enrichment program, for example, includes major courses in business, music, cooking, and fashion design, but also offers a broad range of minor and elective classes, ranging from photography to fencing, and mathematics to video-game design. Similarly, Yesh’s Xploration program provides instruction in fields ranging from debate and public speaking to the martial arts. Other options include hip-hop, team sports, art, engineering, creative writing,
Fencing, cooking, business, public speaking and video -game design are some of the courses offered in this unique summer program
and many other selections, all geared to the diverse skills and interests of today’s students. Through Yesh’s sports program, students may choose to attend the Julian Krinsky Schools of Tennis, Golf, or Basketball at Haverford College’s stateof-the-art facilities. Power of Shabbat The stimulating educational and physical programs are matched by the power of Shabbat at the camp. The atmosphere, tefillot, Shabbat meals, and zemirot combine to create a unique Shabbat experience that spills over into the new week and provides inspiration for everything else at the camp. The family-like atmosphere, geared to conveying a deep appreciation and love for Judaism within a shomer Shabbat and glatt kosher environment, is a vital component of the Yesh experience. Through observance of halacha, fully engaging in the camp’s chesed program, and delving into Jewish heritage with Torah-related discussions and seminars, students at
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
March 2011
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http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com By Yochanan Gordon efore I actually ever embarked on a trip with the Kosherica family, I could not imagine what a cruise specialist does, but having experienced first-hand what it takes to ensure happy cruising for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of discerning travelers, it is easy to understand that it takes nothing less than a cruise specialist to get the job done. Last year, when I contemplated our summer vacation, I recognized that, like most people, we could get away for at most one or two weeks. But with a heavy workload and necessary time spent with my family, I, like most people, had no time to research and plan an all-inclusive and overall rewarding travel itinerary that would allow
B
Yesh Shabbat
Yesh are imbued with a deep love of Yiddishkeit. Kashruth at the camp is under the supervision of a representative of the Vaad Harabanim of Philadelphia. “What is really special about Yesh is the combination of a traditional observant community with the challenging and fulfilling courses provided to campers, balancing daily tefillah, Torah learning, and chesed activities to give them a well-rounded experience in
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Summer Cruising with Kosherica the right balance of relaxation and creative recreation necessary to feel rejuvenated before zoning back into reality. That’s where Kosherica comes in. The company has garnered a reputation for excellence in the kosher travel industry, taking guests to the most breathtaking destinations aboard the world’s most progressive and luxurious cruiseliners, accompanied by the finest lineup of entertainers and thought-provoking scholars, as well as a culinary team which is second to none. New Destinations And just when you think you have seen it all, the Kosherica team returns to the drawing board, looking for new uncharted destinations or a series of new onboard programs
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all areas of their lives,” said Julian Krinsky, who founded the Julian Krinsky Camps and Programs more than 30 years ago. Two Sets of Staff Yesh utilizes two sets of staff, one dedicated to professional instruction for all the available courses and the other devoted to the residential life of the campers. Instructors and coaches with superb professional expertise ensure that the educational aspect of
that will pique the interests of their satisfied customers as well as attract those who have not yet joined their extended family—which is what each client essentially is. Those who have already been with Kosherica to Alaska, Europe, Bermuda, the Caribbean, or any of their exciting destinations, can be sure that this summer’s roster of cruises and programs will in no way resemble any of their past trips. This summer, Kosherica will feature a series of Jewish Heritage Tours to various destinations of strong Jewish interest and significance. Eight different cruises include five to the Mediterranean, beginning June 26, aboard the All Star Epic; July 4 to the Greek Isles featuring world-renowned Cantor Yaakov
Motzen; Aug 14 to Portugal, Belgium, and Spain; Aug 15 to the Greek Isles; and Aug 21 to Spain, Monaco, and Italy. There will be three to the Baltics and Russia, beginning July 3 to the Norwegian Fjords, and July 10 and Aug 24, featuring Cantor Chaim Adler, who serves as chief cantor in the Tel Aviv Great Synagogue. Jewish History The Mediterranean cruises will visit Barcelona, Florence, Rome, and Naples, featuring landmarks such as the Jewish Ghetto of Rome, the Arch of Titus, and the Museo Ebraico, which recounts the history of the Jews in Rome during the Middle Ages, the Papal Era, and the Nazi Occupation. This is an opportunity to reaffirm
the camp is truly rewarding. The residential staff, mainly comprised of college juniors and seniors and recent graduates, devote their time to the students’ needs and requirements outside the educational environment. At Haverford College, Yesh takes advantage of the outstanding facilities and excellent dormitories set on the beautiful 216-acre campus. More information is available at the website, www.ye-
shshabbat.com “Yesh provides sophisticated, world-class instruction in the arts, sports, fitness, and academics in a Shomer Shabbos, glatt kosher environment. With our small class or group sizes and carefully selected, highly professional instructors, students are encouraged to make new friends, discover new ideas, develop new skills, and have fun in a friendly atmosphere of exploration and growth,” said Mr. Krinsky. Y
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
March 2011
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New Olim Bring New Ideas to Strengthen Israel and Themselves
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ast month, more than 100 Jews from throughout the New York metropolitan area gathered at The Jewish Center in the Upper West Side of Manhattan to take part in a panel-led discussion entitled, “Innovation Israel: Shaping Israel’s Future Today,” organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh and PresenTense. The social entrepreneurship roadtrip was the first of its kind, aiming to engage Israel-conscious members of the Diaspora community in discussions about social change in Israel through innovative entrepreneurship. The New York event marked the final stop in the panels’ weeklong road-trip throughout North America. Earlier in February, they had stopped in Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, and Los Angeles. “This is a great opportunity to create dialogue among young Jewish professionals from North America and Israel and help foster and cultivate Israel-related social ideas and initiatives,” said Marc Rosenberg, director of Nefesh B’Nefesh’s One Aliyah department. “We believe this will help maintain Israel awareness and consciousness in the minds of future leaders in the Jewish world.”
Bubbles and Letters The New York event began with a networking session over food and drinks, giving locals an opportunity to meet, followed by a panel discussion led by Elyssa Moss-Rabinowitz (an Israeli immigrant, olah, from California), Chaim Landau (an oleh from New York), and Romi Shamai, all chosen for their inspiring contributions to social change in Israel. The panelists
Summer Cruising
introduced their various projects and illustrated the impact they are making on Israel, as well as their vision for the country over the next few years. Mr. Shamai began by depicting his unique initiative called “Baabua Gigantic Bubbles,” a business that produces devices to blow enormous bubbles, which he put on display for the participants inside the auditorium. These bubble-blowing
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our connection with history, to appreciate the sacrifices of past generations of Jews who paved the way for flourishing 21st-century Jewry. For the first time, on a Baltic and Russia cruise, Kosherica will provide for a full-day stop in Berlin as well as two days in St Petersburg, where participants will have the opportunity to come face to face with both the brightest and darkest parts of Jewish history. While Berlin has become synonymous with the Holocaust, at the turn of the 20th century, it was home to some of Jewish history’s most significant players, including physicist Albert Einstein, director Billy Wilder, Nobel Prize laureates Shalom Yosef Agnon and Nelly
Sachs, philosopher Martin Buber, and the late leader of the Chabad movement, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. It’s clear that Kosherica did not become the cruise specialist overnight. It earned its title through years of researching the world’s most fascinating destinations and most luxurious cruise-liners. It also has its finger on the pulse of the Jewish traveler. Kosherica has become the glatt kosher tour leader with its ability consistently to generate new and exciting travel itineraries to make each getaway a memorable experience. For more information, visit www.kosherica.com or call 877-724-5567 or 305695-2700. Y
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com paraphernalia are easy to operate and appeal primarily to children from all social classes in Israel, bringing them joy and also bringing people of different backgrounds together. Mr. Shamai also founded peula.net, which allows grievance letters to businesses and government offices to be published publicly online, resulting in more accountability to the people of Israel. Discussions and Art Chaim Landau followed with a discussion of “Perspectives Israel,” a tour group he founded, devoted to giving students studying in Israel the opportunity to “cross borders” to meet people with whom they may not regularly associate or agree. The students, however, do want to listen to these people, focusing mainly on the Arab-Israeli conflict and enabling them to make decisions for themselves by hearing all sides. And lastly, Ms. Moss-Rabinowitz described “Kol Haot,” which she founded, and showed her beautiful artwork. Kol Haot aims to use the power of the arts to convey and teach Jewish learning. While it initially pertained to children, her concept of using artwork for Jewish learning has expanded to include many different age groups. It may be close to expanding beyond Israel. A Month to Decide Ben Teper, 27, who lives in Manhattan, is leaning towards making aliyah in June. An entrepreneur, he splits his time between working on his own projects in new media and incorporating his skills and experiences as a fashion photographer and a real estate broker. Because he was getting ready to spend a month in Israel before making a final decision about his aliyah, he said he found the event personally meaningful. “It is so good and refreshing to hear all these experiences and these great projects that people of all ages are creating in Israel,” Mr. Teper said. “I am really looking to develop a new media to channel the creative energy of Israel. You hear about people making aliyah with ideas all the time, but now I‘ve really seen how much opportunity there is to develop them. Of course there are opportunities in the US as well, but much more in Israel with more help, and tonight was proof of that. Israel needs olim, and olim with ideas is that much better.”
Adar II 5771 Another participant at the event, Rivky Weinberg, from Brooklyn, was also inspired by the panel. A court reporter in New York, Ms. Weinberg speaks Hebrew, but she recognized that to be successful in her field in Israel, she will need to much more fluent. Hearing about these opportunities opened more avenues for her to pursue in her aliyah ambitions. “I’ve thought about making aliyah many times before in the past and I very much want to buy an apartment somewhere in Israel, but I can’t be a court reporter there,” Ms. Weinberg said. “Listening to the panel inspired me that I might be able to start something new in Israel and make a difference at the same time. It is something to definitely think about.”
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Invigorating Olim Following the panel discussion, participants were invited to share their own thoughts and experiences. The event allowed them to glimpse into possibilities and opportunities to be able to make an impactful difference by identifying problems, seeking to find solutions, and then acting upon them to bring about social change in Israel. According to Ms. Moss-Rabinowitz, Israel benefits very strongly from this kind of event. “The olim and their ideas and innovations that they bring with them are great examples that people just like you can really make a difference to the country,” she said. Y
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
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JESNA’s Lainer Interns for Education (LIFE), fellowships for college graduates entering the field of Jewish education, 212-584-7341 If You are Living with or Have a Close Family Member Living with Bipolar, and are looking for support, email JewswithBipolarsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Holocaust Remembrance Project Essay Contest, spons by The Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation, for high school students, no more than 1200 words analyzing why it is vital that the remembrance, history, and lessons of the Holocaust be passed on to a new generation; and suggesting what young people can do to combat and prevent prejudice, discrimination, and violence in our world today. All essays must be posted by 6pm, April 15. Winners will receive scholarships ranging from $250 to $5,000, http://holocaust.hklaw.com/index.asp Sharsheret, a Teaneck-based national organization address-
March 2011
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ing the needs of Jewish women and families facing breast cancer, seeks applicants from college and graduate students for the Sema Heller-Netivot Shalom Summer Internship. There is a stipend. Send resumé with cover letter and interview availability to internship@sharsheret.org or call 866-474-2774 NORPAC Mission to Washington, April 6, advocacy for Israel with private meetings with members of Congress, three glatt-kosher meals, register at www.norpac.net or call 201-788-5133
Shabbat, March 5
Scholar-in-Residence, Rabbi Menachem Liebtag, Young Israel of Teaneck Pre-Purim Singles Shabbaton, for ages 24-37 and 38+, includes Saturday evening party, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 718575-3962 or 646-529-8748 Carlebach Minyan, Cong Darchei Noam, Fair Lawn, 8:45am “Megillah Esther: Hestair Panim—Even When G-d Is Hid-
den, He Is There,” Sherry Krupka, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, 10:15am, 973-597-1655 “Issues of Safety,” Teaneck Fire Dept Captain Jordan Zaretsky, Lt Martin Rolaf, and Teaneck Police Officer Charles Mulligan, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 11am “From Slavery to Freedom,” Rabbi David Silber, scholar-inresidence, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 11am; “Arami Oved Avi,” 5:25pm “The 3 Cs: Cholent, Cugel, and Conversation: Which Parents Know Best? Tiger Moms and Traditional and Contemporary Jewish Models of Parents,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 11:45am, 201-833-0515 “Machatzis Hashekel, the Seder, and Modern-Day Chinuch,” Rabbi Shlomo Schwartz, scholar-in-residence, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, noon, 973-736-1407 “The Problems Facing Israel,” Rabbi Ari Kahn, Kehillat New Hempstead, 4:15pm, bwminsky@gmail.com “Moshe and Miriam: A Sibling Relationship,” Fayge Safran Novogroder, in memory of Rochi Lerner, z”l, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 4:25pm “Count and Be Counted: Balancing Individuality and Communal Responsibility,” Rabbi Shlomo Schwartz, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 4:30pm
Motzei Shabbat, March 5
MishMash, parent-child learning, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 7pm 973-736-1407 Comedy Night, with Tim Hayes, Gregory Korostishevsky, Ross Bennet, and Seila Kay, with snacks and dessert, JCC, Bridgewater, 8pm, 908-725-6994 ext 201 Middle School Melava Malka, Elmora Ave Shul, Elizabeth, 8pm, 908-355-4850 Men’s Club Pre-Pesach Wine Sale, includes sushi bar, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 8pm, 917-771-8015 Cong Netivot Shalom Dinner, honoring David and Rena Schlussel, Richard Goldberger, and
The Log:
Joseph Idler, at Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley, Woodcliff Lake, 8pm, 201-801-9022 Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps Fundraising Gala, featuring Willie Asbury, Tom Caldora, and Kevin Israel; food samples from local restaurants and caterers; raffle prizes, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 8pm, 201314-5033 or 201-926-9833 Café Chabad, featuring YLove (Yitz Jordan) in concert, Chabad Center, Wayne, 8pm, 973-694-6274 Pey Dalid in Concert, Riverdale YMHA, 8pm, 718-884-4839 Thurnauer Chamber Music Society in Concert: “Mostly Hebraic and All Soulful,” featuring Kol Nidre for cello and piano by Max Bruck, a suite from Fiddler on the Roof, Paul Schoenfield’s “Café Music for Piano Trio,” Joseph Achron’s “Hebrew Melody,” Prokofiev’s “Overture on Hebrew Themes,” and Simeon Bellison’s “Suite of Four Hebrew Melodies,” JCC, Tenafly, 8pm, 201-408-1465 Purim Costume Superstore, Yeshiva Beis Hillel, Passaic, 8-10:30pm, also Motzei Shabbat, March 12, 8-10:30pm, 973777-0735 Mesivta Sanz Dinner, honoring Rabbi Meir Eisenberger, Moshe Yitzchok Friedman, Avrumy Lipschitz, Yakov Askal, Mesivta Sanz, Union City, 8pm, 201-867-8690 Yeshivat Noam Dinner, honoring Lisa Baron and Rachel Markovitz, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 8pm “Stand Up for Peace,” Dean Obeidallah and Scott Blakeman, spons by Rutgers Hillel, at Douglass College Center, Trayes Hall, New Brunswick, 8pm, 732-545-2407 Chinese Auction and Melavah Malka, benefitting Kollel America of Rav Meir Baal HaNess to support Americans who make aliyah to Israel, Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 8:15pm, 732-985-1866 “Modern Orthodoxy at the Crossroads,” Rabbi Dr. Barry Freundel, spons by the Orthodox Forum of Edison-Highland Park, at Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 8:30pm Oneg, for grades 3-5, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8:30pm, 718-548-1850
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Adar II 5771
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
“Separate Yourself Not from the Community” “Stories of a Tzaddik, Rabbi Grossman of Migdal Ohr: Saving Israel One Child at a Time,” Rabbi Ari Kahn, Kehillat New Hempstead, 8:30pm, bwminsky@gmail.com “Shifting Sands: What the Turmoil in Egypt Means for the Rest of the World,” Dr. David Luchins, Cong Tifereth Israel, 9pm
Sun., March 6
Opening of Exhibit: “Camp Siegfried and the Story of American Nazism,” Holocaust Museum and Study Center, Spring Valley, through Thurs., April 28, 845-356-2700 “Haman Min HaTorah Mi’Nayin? The ‘Peshat’ of Chazal’s Drashot on Megillat Esther,” Rabbi Menachem Liebtag, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 8:30am, 201-837-2795 Matzah Baking Trip, spons by the Community Synagogue of Monsey, to the Shatzer Bakery, Brooklyn, 9am, 845-356-2720 Trip to the Funplex, for grades K-5, leave Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 9am, 201-568-1315 Hamantaschen Baking, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, Pre-K and K, 9am; grades 1-2, 10am; grades 3-5, 11am, 973-736-1407 “The ‘Peshat’ of Chazal’s Drashot on Megillat Esther,” Rabbi Menachem Leibtag, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 9:10am Shomer Shabbat Cub Scout Pack 613 Den Meeting: Compassion, Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, 9:30am, jschachter2@gmail.com UJA Super Sunday Phonathon, UJA, Paramus, 9:30am-7pm, 201-820-3955 “Live a Life of Purpose and Passion: An In-depth Class on the 13 Ikrei Emunah of Yiddishkeit,” for women, Ayala Berney, private home in Monsey, 10am, 845-356-0170 Hatchala (Beginning) of the Writing of a Sefer Torah in Memory of Taly Cohen, z”l, funds raised will support the Taly Cohen Memorial Fund to support the writing of the Sefer Torah and an annual scholar-in-residence program, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 10am, 732-745-8774 Bat Mitzvah Program: “Learn
How to Manage the Media instead of the Media Managing You,” Tommi Blank, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 10am, 973-736-1407 Purim Costume Gemach, donate a gently used costume and/ or pick up a “new-to-you” costume, more than 100 costumes from infant to adult sizes, $5 donation to borrow, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 10am-2pm, 732-572-9192 “Fun with Cookies and Cupcakes: Basic Cake Decorating,” for girls in grades 1-3, parve oven, Malya Goldberg, private home in Passaic, 10am, 973-246-5226 Zvezdochka Russian/ English Toddler Play Group, for parents and children, JCC, Tenafly, 10am, 201-408-1437 Arts and Crafts, for ages 3-8, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 10:30am, 973994-2620 or 973-994-0122 Film: “Berel and the Bus Driver,” Yeshiva Beis Hillel, Passaic, girls showing, 10:30am; boys showing, 1:15pm, 973-472-1030 Kiruv: Matching Observant Women with Members of the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project Who Want to Learn to Read Hebrew, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 10:30am, 201-384-0434 Purim-Themed Bikur Cholim Visit to Rockleigh Senior Citizens Home, spons by Cong Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, prizes for all children who attend, 10:45am, hochbergj@sullcrom.com Purim with Circle Time Live, for children under age 7, YMHA, Wayne, 11am, 973-5950100 ext 237 Purim Costume Superstore, Yeshiva Beis Hillel, Passaic, 11am-5pm, also Sun., March 13, 11am-5pm, 973-777-0735 Kids Extravaganza, featuring cartoon characters, shows, and games, JCC, West Orange, 11am-2pm, 973-530-3520 Larry Hochman: How He Composes and Orchestrates for Performers Such as Barry Manilow and for Broadway Theater Such as “Fiddler,” YMHA, Wayne, 11am, 973-595-0100 ext 237 Conference for NJ Parental
Rights Program Act, to promote a school-choice bill introduced by NJ Assemblyman Tony Bucco (NJ25) that will allow parents to choose the proper school for their children, spons by the Alliance for Free Choice in Education, including Rabbi Israel Teitelbaum, director, Parents for Free Choice in Education, at the Robert Treat Hotel, Newark, noon, 973-267-4213, info@allianceforfreechoiceineducation.com Esther’s Closet, used Purim costumes for $5 to benefit Early Childhood programs, Riverdale YMHA, noon-2pm, 718-548-6200 “Looking at Esther through a Different Lens: Unique Insights into the Book of Esther,” for women, Janice Michaelis, followed by Helen’s Hats sale, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 1pm, 973-669-7320 Purim Crafts, for Pre-Kgrade 3, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 1pm, 201-837-2795 “Make for Yourself a New Heart and New Spirit—Vision of Wholeness: New Perspectives, New Possibilities for Those with Spectrum Disorders,” for special-needs
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parents, professionals, and practitioners, Cantor Steven Puzarne, JCC, Tenafly, 2pm, 310-902-6329 “Hindsight,” for girls and women, presented by the 7th and 8th grades of Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion Girls’ School, Piscataway, at Piscataway High School, 2pm, 732-339-0677 Shlock Rock in Concert, Adolph H Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland (ASHAR), Monsey, 2pm, 845-357-1515 Cong Beth Aaron Sisterhood Players: “Hay, Man— It’s Purim! A Musical Parody,” for women, CareOne, Teaneck, 2:30pm, 201-357-2029 Babysitter Training, for ages 11-15, JCC, West Orange, 3pm, 973-530-3400 Sushi and Karaoke Event, for grades 2-5, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 3:30pm, bethaaronyouth@yahoo.com Cong Rinat Yisrael Dinner, honoring Kenny Hoffman, Bernie Stahl, David Jacobowitz, and Bina Faber, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 5pm, 201-837-2795
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Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School Tribute Dinner, honoring Rabbi Dov Linzer, Pamela and Jeffrey Gurock, and Dr. Kenneth and Regene Prager, at the Ramaz Upper School, NY, 5pm Cong Bnei Torah Clifton, Yeshiva Gedola of Passaic, Dinner, honoring Mr and Mrs Zecharia Lind and Mr and Mrs Elisha Schwab, featuring HaRav Don Ungarisher, at Cong Adas Israel, Passaic, 5pm Bikur Cholim of Raritan Valley Dinner, featuring Rabbi Benjamin Yudin, at Pines Manor, Edison, 6pm, 732-572-7181 Ben Porat Yosef Dinner, honoring Andrea and S. Fitzgerald Haney, Penina Grossberg, Matt Epstein, and Gila and Israel Wertentheil, at Lubavitch on the Palisades, Tenafly, 7pm, 201-845-5007 Cong Beth Aaron Sisterhood Players: “Hay, Man—It’s Purim! A Musical Parody,” for women, at Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-836-4644 “Color Me Mine” Ceramics, for women, Cong Ohr HaTorah, Bergenfield, ninajudah@gmail.com Purim Masquerade Ball,
spons by Rutgers Hillel, at Rutgers Student Center, New Brunswick, 8pm, 732-545-2407 Rosh Chodesh Concert for Women: Mishenichnas Adar Marbim B’simcha, private home in Monsey, 8pm, 845-893-1882
Mon., March 7
“Applied Judaism,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC, Tenafly, 9am, 201-408-1426 Video-Lecture: “McCarthy Witch Hunt: A Not-SoFunny Reminiscence,” Dick Burnon, JCC, Tenafly, 11:15am, 201-408-1455 Café Europa Holocaust Survivor Group, Linda Storfer, Riverdale YMHA, noon, 718-548-8200 Kosher Cooking Demonstration: French-Moroccan Dinner, Chef Michele Toledano, spons by Chabad of Greater Somerset County, at Mosaica Restaurant, Vauxhall, 6:30pm, 908-604-8844 ext 229 Film: “From Sarajevo to Israel: Two Stories,” Ilana Shafir, a hidden child from Sarajevo, spons by the Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish life, Brower
Commons, New Brunswick, 7pm, 732-932-2033 “Towards a Meaningful Life: Pain, Loss, and Anxiety,” Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz, Chabad Center, West Orange, 973-4862362; Rabbi Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 732972-3687, 7:30pm Rosh Chodesh Adar Women’s Event: “Food, Friends, and Fun,” Prima Pizza, Passaic, 7:45pm, 973779-3736 or 973-246-3125 “Heidegger’s Jewish Teachers and Disciples: The GermanJewish Context of Heidegger’s Thought—Hermann Cohen and Edmund Husserl,” Dr. Yoni Brafman, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8pm, 718-548-1850 Confidential Divorce Support Group, Dr. Carol Glaser, private location in Teaneck, 8pm, 201-833-8822 Community Synagogue of Monsey Sisterhood Book Club, private home in Monsey, 8pm, 845-356-2060 “Torah-True Instruction on Raising Children,” Rabbi Shmuel Berkovicz, separate seating, Ohel Yosef Hall, Passaic, 8pm “Faces of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Loss and Forgiveness,” Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, who lost three daughters during the 2009 Israeli incursion into Gaza to stop rockets from being fired into Israel, and Laura Blumenfeld, whose father was shot by a Palestinian terrorist in 1986, with Christiane Amanpour, live from the 92nd Street YMHA, by satellite, at JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 8:15pm, 845-362-4400 Teaneck Shidduch Meeting, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:30pm, cvsschwartz@aol.com Latte and Learning: Mishloach Manot Making, Rabbi Akiva Weiss, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 9pm, 732-545-2407
Manalapan, 732-972-3687, 10am; Rabbi Michael Gurkov, Chabad Center, Wayne, 973-694-6274, 7:30pm; Rabbi Meir Konikov, Chabad of Fort Lee, 201-886-1238, 7:30pm; Rabbi Levi Azimov, Chabad Jewish Center, North Brunswick, 7:45pm, 732398-9492; Rabbi Dov Drizin, Valley Chabad, Woodcliff Lake, 7:45pm, 201-476-0157; Rabbi Mordechai Shain, Chabad House, Tenafly, 8pm, 201-871-1152 ext 112; Rabbis Levi Shemtov, Yitzchok Dubov, and Hershel Weiszner, Riverdale YMHA, 8pm, 718-549-1100 Navi Shiur, Rabbi Menachem Leibtag, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 11am, 201-907-0180 Halachos and Hashkafa of Taharas Hamishpacha, for women, Ayala Goldman, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Passaic, 11am, 908-278-4059 “Where’s My Miracle?” Dr. Morey Schwartz, spons by the Melton Alumni Association, UJA, Paramus, 7:30pm, 201-820-3913 Arrowsmith Program, for parents of children who are struggling with issues of auditory processing or memory, reading and comprehension, or attention, Rabbi Eliyahu Teitz, Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, 8pm, 908-355-4850 ext 112 Pre-Purim Party for Mothers of Special-Needs Children, spons by the Friendship Circle, bake hamantaschen and pack mishloach manot packages, Chabad Center, Wayne, 8pm, 973-694-6274 “Jewish Hair: Shave It? Cover It? Keep It?”, Rabbi Yitzchak Sebbag, Cong Anshei Lubavitch, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-794-3770 “A Rabbi’s Letter of Advice to His Son: Iggeres HaRambam,” from a 13th century philosopher, Rabbi David Pietruszka, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Torah Academy, Teaneck, 8:30pm, 201-966-4498
Deadline to File for Candidacy for the Teaneck Board of Education Elections, which will be held on April 27, http://www. njsba.org/candidacy/ “Towards a Meaningful Life: Pain, Loss, and Anxiety,” Rabbi Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House,
“Women in Halacha: Women and Zimmun,” Shayna Goldberg, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School, Teaneck, 11am, 201-833-4307 Holocaust Lunch and Learn, survivors, liberators, and POWs, facilitated by Barbara Wind, Aidekman Family Center, Lautenberg JCC,
Tues., March 8
Wed., March 9
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Whippany, noon, 973-428-9300 Film: “A Thousand Clowns” with Wine, Dessert, and Discussion, Prof Jason Lucero, Riverdale YMHA, 6:30pm, 718-548-8200 “What’s the Point of Purim?” Matt Nover, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 7pm, 732-545-2407 “Towards a Meaningful Life: Pain, Loss, and Anxiety,” Rabbi Mendy Herson, Chabad Jewish Center, Basking Ridge, 7:30pm, 908-604-8844; Rabbi Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 732-972-3687, 7:30pm; Rabbi Chanoch Kaplan, Chabad House, Franklin Lakes, 8pm, 201-848-0449; Rabbi Ephraim Simon, Chabad House, Teaneck, 8pm, 201-907-0686 “Towards a Meaningful Life: Religion and Faith,” Rabbi Mendel Mangel, Chabad Center, Cherry Hill, 7:30pm, 856-874-1500 Support Group for Caregivers, those caring for an older adult who is physically frail or suffering from memory loss, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-408-1450 “Weather a Job Loss: Preserving Your Financial Future,”
Richard Atkinson, includes a drawing for a free financial consultation, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-837-9090 “Chicks with Sticks Knitting Circle,” hats for preemies, children with cancer, and IDF soldiers in Israel, private home in Highland Park, 8pm, 732-339-8492 “Community and Privacy,” Rabbi Shalom Baum, spons by Torah on Cedar Lane, Teaneck General Store, 8pm, 201-530-5046 “Women and Children First: Halachic Triage, Western Ethic, Neither, or Both?—Who Gets Halachic Priority in the Allocation of Scarce Resources in Different Situations?” Joel Rich, Cong Ahawas Achim, Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 8pm, 973-736-1407 “Purim and the Persian Empire: An Historical, Archaeological, and Geographical Perspective,” Rabbi Yehuda Landy, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, 8pm, 973-597-1655 “Tefillah and You,” for women, Rabbi Aharon Ciment, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 8pm, 201-530-0043 “Connecting to the Inner
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
Meaning of Purim by Deepening Our Connection to One Another,” for women, Rebbetzin Tehilla Jaeger, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:30pm “Emunah in Marriage,” for women, Racheli Miller, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 9:30am, mandanabolour@yahoo.com
Thurs., March 10
Deadline to Enter a Short Film to Celebrate Jewish Heritage, spons by JCC Rockland, all genres—documentary, narrative, poetry, animation, clay-mattion, etc— are encouraged as long as there is Jewish content or theme, maximum of 10 minutes, on DVD or VHS format, 845-362-4400 ext 175 America Eats for Israel Day, participating restaurants will donate 10 percent of the day’s revenue to Meir Panam, which works to eliminate poverty in Israel, in Teaneck: Burgers Bar, Chickie’s, Dougie’s, Mocha Bleu, Fish of the C’s, Nobo Wine and Grill, Poppy’s Bagels, Rabica, and Smokey Joe’s; in Elizabeth: Glatt Star Restaurant; in Highland Park: Jerusalem Pizza and Park Place; in Cherry Hill: Perlin’s
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Vegetarian; in Livingston: Jerusalem Pizza and Super Duper Bagels; in Riverdale: Ginger Grill; for others: www.americaeatsforisrael.net “Know Your Reputation… What Are My Capabilities? How to Build and Leverage Your Reputation for Career Success,” for women, Elese Tonelli, UJA Federation, Paramus, 7pm, 201-820-3952 Hamantashen Baking, for 6th grade girls, private home in Englewood, 7:15pm, 201-4084495 or 201-568-1315 Jewish 12-Step Meeting, JACS—Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons, and Significant Others, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-8379090, ask for IRA (Information and Referral) or 201-981-1071
Fri., March 11
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, scholar-in-residence, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 6pm, 201-907-0180 Senior NCSY Oneg Shabbat, private home in West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-736-1407
Shabbat, March 12
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, scholar-in-
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residence, Cong Keter Torah, 10:30am; “Can We Sell Land in Israel to a Gentile?” 5:15pm, 201-907-0180 “The Mystery of the Second Chumash,” Rabbi Shasha Pecaric, scholar-in-residence, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 11:15am; “From Inside Queen Esther’s Mask,” 5:35pm, info@arzeidarom.org Bat Mitzvah Girls Learning Program, Rebbetzin Peshi Neuburger, private home in Bergenfield, 3:15pm, shiragreenberg18@gmail.com
Motzei Shabbat, March 12
Parent-Child Learning, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 732-618-9473 Baking with Divsha, for girls in grades 2-3, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 7:45pm, 201-837-2795 Cong Ahavas Achim of Highland Park Dinner, honoring Lori and Jonathan Caplan and Cheryl and Michael Kornfeld, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 8pm, 732-247-0532 High School Laugh and Learn, featuring stand-up comedy, raffle, dinner, and dedication of the new Bais Medrash, Elmora Avenue Shul, Elizabeth, 8pm, 908-355-4850 “Issues Facing Israel Today: The Impact of Recent Developments in the Middle East, Diplomatic Attacks from the UN, and the Iranian Nuclear Threat,” Yossi Siegel and Rabbis Steven Weil and Steven Pruzansky, spons by AIPAC, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:15pm, 212-750-4110 Zayin Adar Melave Malka, honoring Rabbi Shmuel Tokayer, Dr. Herbert Ennis, and the memory of departed loved ones, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West
Orange, 8:30pm, 973-736-1407 Comedy Café Night, featuring Modi and Pete Dominick, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8:30pm, 718-548-1850 ext 111 Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls Scholarship Fund Dinner, honoring Dr. Howie and Paula Friedman, Abie and Dena Feigenbaum, Dr. Hillel and Linda Moed Cohen, and Shayna Goldberg, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 8:30pm, 201-833-4307 ext 110 Jazzy Night of Wine Tasting, featuring West Hills Trio, must be 21, Cong Israel, Springfield, 8:30pm, ciwinetasting@ hotmail.com Wine and Cheese Tasting, must be over 21, with Jay Buchsbaum and Royal Wines, Cong Etz Ahaim, Highland Park, 8:30pm, rjshak@yahoo.com “Jewnatra—Chairman of the Borsht,” comedy, music, wine, cheese, and other dairy delights, Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, 8:30pm, egreene@acm.org
Sun., March 13 Daylight Savings Begins
Orientation for New Flag Football League, designed for yeshiva high school students, games to be held on Sundays in Englewood or Teaneck, private home in Teaneck, noon, yeshivafootball@gmail.com, deadline to register is Sun, March 27 Deadline to Register for the Englewood Girls Spring Soccer League, for grades 1-4, Sunday mornings only, 201-803-2635 or 201-376-1948 Secret Synagogue Shopper: “You Don’t Know Me,” spons by the UJA’s Synagogue Leadership
Jesse Mintz, M.D., FAAP Neuro-Developmental Pediatrics
10-D Auer Court, East Brunswick, NJ (732) 254-7100 Fax (732) 254-7474
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Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”
Are you tired of doing homework with an uncooperative child? Do teachers say that your youngster is disruptive and cannot sit still in class? Does your child shy away from team activities?
If some of these concerns apply to your family, then perhaps an evaluation would be of benefit both to you and to your child. Specializing in youngsters with difficulties regarding behavior and attention as well as those with learning and developmental issues.
Initiative, UJA Federation, Paramus, 8:30am, 201-820-3904 Davening, Breakfast, and Bikur Cholim, at Daughters of Miriam, Clifton, minyan at 8:45am, samapprais@aim.com Sort and Bag Food for the Rockland Jewish Family Service Food Pantry, for grades 6-12, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 9am, 845362-4400 ext 173 “Make Evert Day a Mitzvah Day,” for sixth graders and their parents, Daniel Rothner, spons by Areyvut, Cong Beth Chaim, Princeton Junction, 9am, 201-244-6702 Encounters Information Table for Purim, Shoprite, Livingston, 9am-9pm, volunteers needed, mali.schwartz@verizon.net Explanatory Morning Service, Rabbi David Pietruszka, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9:15am, 201-966-4490 “Raising G-dly Teens in an Ungodly World,” spons by the OU and NCSY, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 9:30am “My Dad and Me: Hamantaschen Bake-Off,”for fathers and children, JCC, West Orange, 9:30am, 973-929-2922 Purim Carnival, Riverdale YMHA, Early Childhood Gym Play Station, 9:30-11am; Crafts and Games, 11am-12:30pm; lunch, 11:30am; Children’s Costume Parade, 12:30pm, 718-548-8200 Shomer Shabbat Cub Scout Pack 613 Rocket Derby, Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, 9:30am, jschachter2@gmail.com “Live a Life of Purpose and Passion: An In-depth Class on the 13 Ikrei Emunah of Yiddishkeit,” for women, Ayala Berney,
private home in Monsey, 10am, 845-356-0170 Purim Costume Gemach, donate a gently used costume and/ or pick up a “new-to-you” costume, more than 100 costumes from infant to adult sizes, $5 donation to borrow, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 10am-2pm, 732-572-9192 “Fun with Cookies and Cupcakes: Basic Cake Decorating,” for girls in grades 1-3, parve oven, Malya Goldberg, private home in Passaic, 10am, 973-246-5226 Israeli Self-Defense Seminar: Kapap (Krav Panim el Panim), for adults and teens 12 and up, including those with disabilities, Major Avi Nardia of Israel’s elite counterterrorism unit, Yamam, Family Martial Arts Academy, Highland Park, 10am-2pm, 732-296-1677 Sibshops, for children 7-12 who have a special-needs sibling, JCC, Tenafly, 10:30am Nefesh B’Nefesh’s LoneSoldier Program, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, for the more than 1600 Israeli soldiers who made aliyah without any family, private home in Edison, 11am, 732-777-0933 Boutique, spons by the JEC Elmora Ave Shul Sisterhood, at the Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, 11am-3pm “Aaron’s Party under the Sea: A Musical,” for children, recalling Jewish stories, Palistage Youth Theater’s Traveling Professionals, JCC, Tenafly, 11:30am and 2pm, 201-408-1393 Pre-Purim Games, Artsand-Crafts, Entertainment, and Ice Cream, for grades 1-5, Elmora Avenue Shul, Elizabeth, 11:30am, 908-355-4850
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Amazing Purim Carnival, with Moon Bounce, Nerf Tag, Velcro wall, treats, prizes, children come in costume, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 12-2pm, 973-736-1407 Family Purim Carnival, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 1-3:30pm, 845-362-4400 Family Purim Carnival, with gyroscope ride, adventure surfing, rocky mountain climber, caterpillar slide, pony rides, DJ, face-painting, hair-braiding, food, and vendors, JCC, Bridgewater, 1-4pm, 908-725-6994 Simon Sings: A Jewish Holiday Concert, with Howie Kahn, for toddlers-grade 2, Ben Porat Yosef, Paramus, 1:30pm, Shaaretefillah. youthdepartment@yahoo.com Purim Performance: “The Magical World of Yiddish Song,” Zalmen Mlotek and his children, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 2pm, 201-833-0515 Purim Carnival, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, 2-5pm, rblopkin@optonline.net “Camp Siegfried and the Story of American Nazism,” Rabbi I Aizenberg, Holocaust Museum and Study Center, Spring Valley, 2pm, 845-356-2700 Purim Story Hour for Children with Special Needs, includes arts-and-crafts, spons by the Friendship Circle of Passaic County, at the Allwood Branch Library, Clifton, 2pm, 973-694-6274 Story Hour in Hebrew, for children 3-5, Shiri Wirtzler Kler includes activities, JCC, Tenafly, 4pm, 201-408-1427 Biblical Stories in Hebrew, for children 6-8, Zahava Streit, JCC, Tenafly, 4pm, 201-408-1427 Adolph H Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland (ASHAR) Dinner, honoring Karen Jacobs, Dr. Joel and Beth Selter, and Rabbi
Leibel Chaitovsky, at New York Country Club, New Hempstead, 5pm, 845-357-1515 Friends of Lubavitch of Bergen County Dinner, honoring Yitz and Shani Norman, Mark and Debbie Rosalimsky, and Daniel and Carol Berlin, featuring comedy by Elon Gold, at the Woodcliff Lake Hilton, 5pm, 201-907-0686 Cong Shomrei Torah of Fair Lawn Dinner, honoring Sarah and Ed Gerstley, David Goldberg, and Carol and Harvey Granoff, 5:30pm Cong Keter Torah Dinner, honoring Shari and Yossi Katz and Flora and Jerry Press, Teaneck, 6pm, 201-907-0180 Cong Tifereth Israel Dinner, honoring Charles and Nicole Sebbag, Gavriel and Shira Giloni, Ozer and Deborah Herzog, and Eliezer Gorelik, Passaic, 6pm, 973-4724996 or 973-773-2552 “How to Like the People You Love: Healthy Family Relationships,” Sarah Karmely, for women, Spa for the Body and Soul, includes desserts, beauty and wellbeing workshops, jewelry and accessories vendors, Chabad Center of Northwest NJ, Rockaway, 6:15pm, 973-625-1525 ext 110 Chevra Kadisha Zayin Adar Seuda, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 7pm “Proving Judaism: The Authority of the Senses vs the Authority of Reason,” Rabbi Gamliel Shmalo, Kehilas Bais Yosef, Passaic, 7:30pm, kby613@gmail.com Music Concert, featuring Beatrice Long, piano; Steve Reisman, clarinet; and Howard Longman, piano, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 7:30pm, 973-994-2620 or 973-994-0122
Mon., March 14
Jewish Early Childhood Con-
The Log is a free service provided to the Jewish community in northern and central New Jersey, Rockland County and Riverdale. Events that we list include special and guest lectures, concerts, boutiques, dinners, open houses, club meetings, and new classes. Announcements are requested by the 25th of the month prior to the month of the event. Due to space and editorial constraints, we cannot guarantee publication of any announcement. Please email them to : susan@jewishvoiceandopinion.com.
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
ference, featuring “We’re All in It Together,” Gigi Schweikert, spons by the UJA Federation of Northern NJ’s Jewish Educational Services, at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Hackensack, 8:15am, 201-820-3914 “Destination Torah: Different Paths of the Jewish Textural Tradition,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC, Tenafly, 9am, 201-408-1426 Purim Costume Superstore, Yeshiva Beis Hillel, Passaic, 11:30am-2:30pm and 8-10pm, 973-777-0735 Purim Story Hour, for children with special needs, includes crafts, spons by the Friendship Circle of Passaic County, Wayne Public Library, 4:30pm, 973-694-6274 “Towards a Meaningful Life: Religion and Faith,” Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz, Chabad Center, West Orange, 973-486-2362; Rabbi Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 732-972-3687, 7:30pm “Heidegger’s Jewish Teachers and Disciples: Heidegger’s Life and Thought—‘Being and Time,’ the Disputation at Davos and the Nazi Inaugural Address,” Dr. Yoni Brafman, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8pm, 718-548-1850
Tues., March 15
“Towards a Meaningful Life: Religion and Faith,” Rabbi Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 732-972-3687, 10am; Rabbi Michael Gurkov, Chabad Center, Wayne, 973-694-6274, 7:30pm; Rabbi Meir Konikov, Chabad of Fort Lee, 201-886-1238, 7:30pm; Rabbi Levi Azimov, Chabad Jewish Center, North Brunswick, 7:45pm, 732-398-9492; Rabbi Dov Drizin, Valley Chabad, Woodcliff Lake, 7:45pm, 201-476-0157; Rabbi Mordechai Shain, Chabad House, Tenafly, 8pm, 201-871-1152 ext 112; Rabbis
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Levi Shemtov, Yitzchok Dubov, and Hershel Weiszner, Riverdale YMHA, 8pm, 718-549-1100 Café Europa Purim Celebration, for Holocaust survivors, with musician Jerry Najman, Holocaust Museum and Study Center, Spring Valley, 11am, 845-356-2700 “Purim: The Lottery of Life,” for women, Mina Glick, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Passaic, 11am, 908-278-4059 Purim Costume Superstore, Yeshiva Beis Hillel, Passaic, 11:30am-2:30pm and 8-10pm, 973-777-0735 Nechama Inc, for Jewish families who have experienced infant or pregnancy loss at any time in their lives, presented by Reva Judas, with recipes by Jamie Geller, Holy Name Hospital Social Hall, Teaneck, 7:45pm, 201-692-9302 Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center Sisterhood Game Night and Mah Jongg Madness, at Teanacious, Livingston Town Center, 8pm, 973-994-2620 or 973-994-0122 “A Rabbi’s Letter of Advice to His Son: Iggeres HaRambam,” from a 13th century philosopher, Rabbi David Pietruszka, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Torah Academy, Teaneck, 8:30pm, 201-966-4498 Purim Shiur: “Adar to Nissan, the Three-Month Journey of Redemption,” Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, Young Israel of PassaicClifton, Passaic, 8:30pm “Spiritual Challah Baking Class,” for women, Mandana Bolour, private home in Englewood, 9:30pm, 201-871-1513 or 201-871-9761
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The Log
March 2011
Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”
continued from page 33
Wed., March 16
“It’s All about the Grape,” Prof Jonathan Golden and a trip to the Kosher Royal Wines Winery in Marlboro, NY, JCC, Tenafly, 9:45am, 201-408-1457 Purim Costume Superstore, Yeshiva Beis Hillel, Passaic, 11:30am-2:30pm and 8-10pm, 973-777-0735 Book Review Club: “People of the Book” by Geraldine Brooks, facilitated by Lucille Schroeder, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 1pm, 845-362-4400 “Weather a Job Loss: Preserving Your Financial Future,” Richard Atkinson, includes drawing for a free financial consultation, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 1pm, 201-837-9090 Book Club: “Freedom” by Jonathan Franzen, facilitated by Arlene Sandner, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7pm, 845-362-4400 Hamantaschen Baking Course, Elizabeth Kratz, CareOne, Teaneck, 7pm, 201-287-8511 Confidential Abused Women’s Support Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “A Film Unfinished,” “Das Ghetto,” unfinished Nazi propaganda film of the Warsaw Ghetto, with Stuart Weinstock, Rockland Community College Cultural Arts Center, Suffern, 7:30pm, 845-5744000 or 845-362-4400 “Towards a Meaningful Life: Religion and Faith,” Rabbi Mendy Herson, Chabad Jewish Center, Basking Ridge, 7:30pm, 908-6048844; Rabbi Boruch Chazanow,
Chabad House, Manalapan, 732972-3687, 7:30pm; Rabbi Chanoch Kaplan, Chabad House, Franklin Lakes, 8pm, 201-848-0449; Rabbi Ephraim Simon, Chabad House, Teaneck, 8pm, 201-907-0686 “Menschlachkeit on Main Street: Jewish Legal and Ethical Perspectives on Buying Local,” spons by Torah on Cedar Lane, Teaneck General Store, 8pm, 201530-5046 “Women and Children First: Halachic Triage, Western Ethic, Neither, or Both?—Who Gets Halachic Priority in the Allocation of Scarce Resources in Different Situations?” Joel Rich, Cong Ahawas Achim, Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 8pm, 973-736-1407
Thurs., March 17 Ta’anis Esther
Deadline to order Shmura Matza from the Shatzer Matza Factory, from Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 201-233-0310 Purim Costume Superstore, Yeshiva Beis Hillel, Passaic, 11:30am-1:30pm, 973-777-0735 La Leche League of Bronx/ Riverdale, Mia Damond Padwa, pregnant women, babies and small children welcome, healthy snacks, Riverdale YMHA, 9:30am, 718-543-0314 Hamantaschen Baking, Moishe House, Hoboken, 7:30pm, moishehousehoboken@gmail.com
Fri., March 18
Purim Costume Superstore, Yeshiva Beis Hillel, Passaic, 11:30am-1:30pm, 973-777-0735 “A Taste of Shabbat,” for children 2-4 with adult, Aviva Kohl, JCC Rockland, West Nyack,
11:45am, 845-362-4400 Purim Nursing Home Visits, grades 8-12 distribute mishloach manot, and share gifts, stories, card games, and smiles, meet at JCC Rockland, West Nyack, noon, 845-362-4400 ext 173
Shabbat, March 19
Mommy and Me, for children ages 0-3, with a parent, Shabbat stories, games, songs, and Kiddush, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 10:45am, info@arzeidarom.org Purim Puppet Show and Oneg, for grades Nursery-1, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 4:30pm
Motzei Shabbat, March 19, Purim
Adult-Only Purim Party, Megillah Reading, followed by “Absolut,” including food, “Magnificent Flavian” mind-reading, and Masquerade Mania, spons by Chabad, Wayne, 7:45pm, 973-694-6174 Purim Night Party, for grades N-3, featuring Caesar the Magician, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 8pm, 201-837-2795 Purim Chagiga for Everyone, Elmora Avenue Shul, Elizabeth, 8pm, 908-355-4850 Megillah Reading for Parents and Mad Science Show for Children, in costume, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 8pm Megillah Under the Sea: Kid-Friendly Kosher Megilla Reading and Short Chagiga, for grades K-5, with a parent, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 8pm Megillah Reading and Masquerade, includes refreshments and hamantashen, Chabad Ventnor Shul, 8pm, 609-822-8500 Megillah Reading, WineTasting, and Sale, Cong Etz Chaim,
Livingston, 8pm, 973-597-1655 Megillah, Fun, and Festivities, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 8:15pm Megillah Reading, Purim Shpiel, Food, Fun, Games, Tzedaka Projects, featuring Ahd-D-LoYadda Rockin’ Rabbi Asher Klein and his band, Cong Ahawas Achim, Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 8:15pm, 973-736-1407 Purim Chagiga, with music, food, games, costumes, raffles, and a prize for every child, Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 8:15pm Purim Carnival, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 8:30pm, youth@suburbantorah.org Gala Purim Chagiga, singers, actors, performers, Cong Darchei Noam, Fair Lawn, 8:45pm, 201773-4080 or 201-376-6079
Sun., March 20, Purim
“The 4 Ms of Purim: Megillah, Mesiba (Seuda), Mishloach Manot, and Matanot La’Evyonim,” Jewish Center of Teaneck, 9am Shacharit, Megillah Reading, and Dunkin’ Donuts, for grades 6-12, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 9am, 201-568-1315 Women’s Only Megillah Reading, JCC, West Orange, 9:15am, bhindin2002@yahoo.com Purim Carnival, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 10am, 973-994-2620 or 973-994-0122 Purim Party, Chabad of Passaic-Clifton, Passaic, Megillah, 10am; Chai Tots Presentation, 10:30am; “Eva the Clown,” 10:45am, 973-246-5251 Minyan Tifereth, a Shira Ha-
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com dasha-style Megillah reading, private home in Englewood, 10:30am, minyantiferet@gmail.com Women’s Megillah Reading, Deborah Wenger, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 11am, debwenger@ optonline.net Shushan Purim Extravaganza, spons by Cheder N’Shei, YMHA, Clifton, book fair and other activities, 11am-3pm; carnival for boys, 11am-1pm; show for boys, 1:45pm; show for girls, noon; carnival for girls, 1-3pm, 973-919-7178 Delivering Mishloach Manot Baskets to Hospitals, Shelters, and People in Need, spons by Rutgers Hillel and Tomchei Shabbos of Highland Park, 11am-1pm, 732-545-2407 Public Megillah Reading, Iranian UN Mission, 633 Third Ave, at 40th St, Manhattan, noon, 212-828-2424 Family Purim Carnival, includes characters, train ride, Moon Bounce, Double Slide, game booths, JCC, Tenafly, families with specialneeds children, noon-4pm; all others, 1-4pm, 201-408-1484 Purim Palooza: Festive Character Lunch, with Megillah reading, starring King Ahashveros (Mickey Mouse), Queen Esther (Hello Kitty), with Clifford the Big Red Dog and Captain America, wine tasting, face painting, costume contest, and Purim scavenger hunt, spons by Chabad at the Shore, at the JCC, Margate, 12:30pm, 609822-1167 ext 138 Beth Aaron Boys Choir, Purim performance at CareOne, Teaneck, 2pm Purim Megillah Reading and Seudah, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 2pm, 732-545-2407 Special-Needs Adult Purim Party, JCC, West Orange, 2pm Purim Willy Wonka-Style in the Chocolate Factory, spons by Chabad Center of Passaic County, featuring children’s concert by Bobby Doowah, chocolatethemed desserts, chocolate fountain, lollypop-making, and full buffet dinner, at Regency House Hotel, Pompton Plains, 5:30pm, 973-694-6274 Purim Mesiba, live music and dancing, Passaic Torah Institute, 6pm, 862-371-3186
Mon., March 21
First Day of the “Not Kosher-for-Passover Food Drive,” bring canned or dry non-expired, not-kosher-for-Pesach foods to the Riverdale YMHA food drive for City Harvest, through Fri., April 15, 718-548-8200 First Day of the Kosher-forPassover Food Drive,” to benefit the Bronx Jewish Community Council, Riverdale YMHA, through Fri., April 8, 718-548-8200 “Applied Judaism,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC, Tenafly, 9am, 201-408-1426 Purim Party for Seniors, includes crafts and hamantaschen, JCC, Tenafly, 11:15am Mini Mitzvah Makers, for children 2-6 with an adult, Tara Bernsweig, Sharon Kantrowitz, Elissa Koenig, Roberta Leitner, projects that help real people in the community, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 3:45pm, 845-362-4400 Celebrate Purim, for children 2½-5 years with adult, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 4pm, 845-362-4400 “Bully Secrets: It’s about the Bully, Not the Target,” Dr. Steve Wruble, The Venn Center, Ridgewood, 7pm, 201-444-6824 Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “One Day in September,” JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845-362-4400 “Heidegger’s Jewish Teachers and Disciples: Heidegger’s Jewish Students—Hannah Arendt, Leo Strauss, and Emanuel Levinas,” Dr. Yoni Brafman, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8pm, 718-548-1850 Confidential Divorce Support Group, Dr. Carol Glaser, private location in Teaneck, 8pm, 201-833-8822 Jewish Speed Dating, spons by Rutgers Hillel, Rutgers Student Center, Room 115, New Brunswick, 8pm, 732-545-2407 “ADHD and the Brain: Cogmed Working Memory Training, a Non-Medication Intervention for ADHD,” Dr. Steven Wruble, The Venn Center, Ridgewood, 8pm, 201-444-6824
Tues., March 22
Democratic NJ State Sen Loretta Weinberg and Assemblyman Gary Schaer, UJA, Paramus, 10am, 201-820-3946
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
“Insights and Inspiration into Pesach,” for women, Tova Plotkin, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home, Passaic, 11am, 908-278-4059 Purim Celebration, Cantor Mark Biddleman, YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 1pm, 201-666-6610 Euro Café for Teens and Holocaust Survivors, for grades 7-12, dinner and sharing stories, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 6pm, 845-362-4400 ext 173 First Meeting of the Erez Jewish Youth Wrestling League, for boys in grades 5-8, Torah Academy, Teaneck, 6:30pm, 201-310-4184 or www.erezwrestling.com Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “Barney’s Vision,” AMC Theaters, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845-362-4400 Book Discussion on “The Reliable Wife” by Robert Goolrick, for those over 17, facilitated by Sharry Friedberg, YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 7:30pm, 201-666-6610
Wed., March 23
NJ Jewish Film Festival: “The Tailor” and “The Yankles,” with director David Brooks and producer Zev Brooks, Bickford
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Theater at the Morris Museum, Morristown, 5pm; gallery access, 6pm; reception, 7pm; reshowing of film, 7:30pm, 973-971-3706 or 800-494-TIXS “Chicks with Sticks Knitting Circle,” hats for preemies, children with cancer, and IDF soldiers in Israel, private home in Highland Park, 8pm, 732-339-8492 “Shalom Bayis: Making the Most of Your Relationship,” for women, Rabbi Aharon Ciment, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 8pm, 201-530-0043 “The Relationship between Yehudah and Tamar,” for women, Chana Greenberg, private home in Livingston, 8pm, 973-422-0505 Israel Leadership Initiative: Meeting 4 IDF, Rutgers Hillel, 9:30pm, 732-545-2407 ext 403
Thurs., March 24
Theater: “Dear Esther,” by Richard Rashke, inspired by letters from students to Esther Raab, author of “Escape from Sobibor,” at the Goodwin Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Cherry Hill, 10am, 856751-9500 ext 1249 Support Group for Caregiv-
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The Log
March 2011
Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”
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ers, those caring for an older adult who is physically frail or suffering from memory loss, JCC, Tenafly, 11am, 201-408-1450 Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “Nora’s Will,” AMC Theaters, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845362-4400 NJ Jewish Film Festival: “The Matchmaker,” AMC Lowes, East Hanover, 7:30pm, 973-5151160 or 800-494-TIXS “I Respectfully Disagree: Fostering Tolerance and Acceptance in Our Diverse Jewish Community,” YMHA, Wayne, 7:30pm, 201-820-3946
Fri., March 25
Facing History and Ourselves: “Exploring the History of Antisemitism,” Montclair State University, Montclair, 8:30am-3:30pm, www.facinghistory.org/ workshops Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, scholar-in-residence, Riverdale Jewish Center, through Shabbat, March 26, 718-548-1850
Shabbat, March 26
Bat Mitzvah Girls Learning Program, Rebbetzin Peshi Neuburger, private home in Bergenfield, 3:15pm, shiragreenberg18@ gmail.com Leadership Trial Shabbos, for 8th graders, Elmora Avenue Shul, Elizabeth, 3pm, 908355-4850 Motzei Shabbat, March 26 Parent-Child Learning, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 732-618-9473 Movie and Pizza Night, for grades 6-10, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8pm, 718-548-1850 “The Kettle and the Broom,”
a musical in Hebrew, JCC, Tenafly, 8:30pm, 201-408-1427 Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “Exporting Raymond,” with director Phil Rosenthal and producer John Woldenberg, Ramapo Cultural Arts Center, Spring Valley, 8:45pm, 845-357-6100 or 845-362-4400 NJ Jewish Film Festival: “Bride Flight,” AMC Loews, East Hanover, 9pm, 973-515-1160 or 800-494-TIXS
Sun., March 27
Davening, Breakfast, and Bikur Cholim, at Daughters of Miriam, Clifton, minyan at 8:45am, samapprais@aim.com Rosen Family Blood Drive, babysitting and snacks available, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 9am-3pm, 732-393-1018 Explanatory Morning Service, Rabbi David Pietruszka, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9:15am, 201-966-4490 Project SARAH (Stop Abusive Relationships at Home) Breakfast, honoring physicians who partner with Project SARAH: Drs Sema Bank, Ruth Borgen, Efrat Meier-Ginsberg, Wendy Hurst, Steven Schuss, Vickie Shulman, Lynn Sugarman, and David Wisotsky, featuring Dr. Susan Schulman, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 9:30am, 973777-7638 ext 137 Shomer Shabbat Cub Scout Pack 613 Den Meeting: Compassion, Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, 9:30am, jschachter2@ gmail.com Shaimos Collection, Clothing Drive to Benefit Israel, and
Seforim Sale, Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 10am-5pm Shul Fantasy Baseball Auction, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 10am, popack1@verizon.net Trip to Matzah Baking Factory in Borough Park, spons by Rutgers Hillel, leave New Brunswick 10am, ravakiva@rutgershillel.org NJ Jewish Film Festival: “Live and Become,” Temple B’nai Abraham, Livingston, 1pm, 973994-2290 or 800-494-TIXS Passover Sundae Funday, Lautenberg JCC, Whippany, 2-4pm, 973-229-2926 “Real to Reel: Holocaust Film,” facilitated by Carol Simon, Aidekman Family Center, Lautenberg JCC, Whippany, 2pm, 973-428-9300 Musical Event: “Now We Can Sing,” Holocaust Museum and Study Center, Spring Valley, 2pm, 845-356-2700 Art Circle for Children with Special Needs, spons by the Friendship Circle of Passaic County, Chabad Center, Wayne, 2:30pm, 973-694-6274 Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David of West Orange Dinner, honoring Susan and Shuli Moskowitz, Debra and Chaim Silverman, and Shira and Barry Hammerman, featuring music by Bnai Jazz, at the Renaissance Hotel, Elizabeth, 5:30pm, 973-736-1407 Cong Agudath Israel of Highland Park Dinner, honoring Mr. and Mrs. Arya Eisner and Mr. and Mrs. Moshe Eisner, 5:30pm, 732-777-3383
Cong Ahavat Yisrael of Wesley Hills Dinner, honoring Micah and Rachel Katz, at the New City Jewish Center, 5:30pm, AhavatYisraelofWH@gmail.com Cong Arzei Darom of Teaneck Dinner, honoring Melissa and Donny Furer, at Cong Beth Shalom, Teaneck, 6pm JACS Meeting, 12-steps meeting for Jews in recovery, Rabbi Steven Bayar, Cong B’nai Israel, Millburn, 7pm, 973-379-3811 Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “La Rafle (The Round Up),” Lafayette Theater, Suffern, 7:30pm, 845-369-8234 or 845-362-4400 NJ Jewish Film Festival: “Precious Life,” JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-530-3444 or 800-494-TIXS “Holocaust History and Survivor Testimony: The Case of the Starachowice Factory Slave Labor Camps,” Christopher Browning, spons by the Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life, Douglass Campus Center, New Brunswick, 8pm, 732-9322033 or 732-932-3345 Pre-Pesach Wine-Tasting and Sale, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 8pm
Mon., March 28
“Destination Torah: Different Paths of the Jewish Textural Tradition,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC, Tenafly, 9am, 201-408-1426 NJ Jewish Film Festival: “Pinhas,” and Lenin in October,” JCC, West Orange, 12:30pm, 973530-3444 or 800-494-TIXS Film: “Biloxi Blues,” discussion with Stan Goldberg, JCC, Tenafly, 1:30pm, 201-408-1457
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com NJ Jewish Film Festival: “Mary Lou,” and “Anita,” JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-5303444 or 800-494-TIXS Film: “Waltz with Bashir,” with Harold Chapler, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm “Heidegger’s Jewish Teachers and Disciples: Heidegger’s Effect on Modern Jewish Thought— Joseph Soloveitchik and Michael Wyschogrod,” Dr. Yoni Brafman, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8pm, 718-548-1850 Chabad Center of Passaic County Women’s Book Club: “Not Me” by Micheal Lavigne, private home in Wayne, 8pm, 973-694-6274 Rep Shelly Berkley (D-Nev), sponsored by NORPAC, private home in Englewood, 8pm, 201894-0954 or 201-894-0107
Tues., March 29
“Pesach Preparations for the Body and Soul,” for women, Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home, Passaic, 11am, 908-278-4059 NJ Jewish Film Festival: “The Matchmaker,” JCC, West Orange, 12:30pm, 973-530-3444 or 800-494-TIXS Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “The Yankles,” with director David Brooks and producer Zev Brooks, AMC Theaters, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845-362-4400 NJ Jewish Film Festival: My Father, Joe,” JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm; also Wed., March 30, 12:30pm, 973-530-3444 or 800-494-TIXS NJ Jewish Film Festival: “La Rafle (The Round Up),” JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm; also Wed., March 30, 12:30pm, 973530-3444 or 800-494-TIXS “Make Your Own Seder Traditions,” spons by Empowering Ruth and Mother’s Circle of the JCC in West Orange, at Glassworks, Morristown, 7:30pm, 973-929-2936 “Louis D. Brandeis: A Life,” Prof Melvin Urofsky, JCC, Tenafly, 8pm, 201-408-1411 “Preparing for Pesach: Contemporary Halachic Issues,” Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton, Passaic, 8:30pm
Wed., March 30
Buy Israeli Goods to Counter
a Global Anti-Israel Boycott, the fifth annual Global Day of Action by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign; to counter this, think BIG (Buy Israeli Goods), http://www.buyiseaelgoods.org Last Day for Pre-Pesach Wine Orders, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, www.bethaaron. org/winesale Confidential Abused Women’s Support Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “The Loners,” Ramapo Cultural Arts Center, Spring Valley, 7:30pm, 845-357-6100 or 845-362-4400 NJ Jewish Film Festival: “Ahead of Time,” photojournalist Ruth Gruber, JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm; also Thurs., March 31, 12:30pm, 973-530-3444 or 800494-TIXS
Thurs., March 31
“Teaching the Holocaust in an Age of Genocide,” featuring Michael Berenbaum, Kean University Holocaust Resource Center, Union, 8:30am, schilles@kean.edu, deadline to apply is March 10 Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “Grace Paley: Collected Shorts,” with director Lilly Rivkin, AMC Theaters, West Nyack, 4pm, 845-362-4400 Daughters of Israel Casino Night Fundraiser, glatt kosher buffet and Texas Hold’em Tournament, with prizes, Aidekman Family JCC, Whippany, 6:30pm, 973-400-3360 “UJA Ladies Night Out,” includes fashion, wine, cheese, dessert, and entertainment from Kenny B, at Neiman Marcus, Garden State Plaza Mall, third floor, Paramus, 7pm, 201-820-3921 Cooking: Passover Possibilities with Panache, Shawna Goodman, JCC, Tenafly, 7pm, 201-408-1457 Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “Women Unchained,” modern-day agunot, with Leta Lenik, Susan Rosenbluth, Leslee Brown, Susan Aronoff, and Estelle Freilich, AMC Theaters, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845-362-4400 NJ Jewish Film Festival: “Gruber’s Journey,” Bickford Theater at the Morris Museum, Morristown, 7:30pm, 973-971-
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3706 or 800-494-TIXS NJ Jewish Film Festival: “Prinz: The Courage to Speak,” Dr. Joachim Prinz, and “Brothers,” JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973530-3444 or 800-494-TIXS
Fri., April 1
Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “Hava Nagilah” and “Singing in the Dark,” Lafayette Theater, Suffern, 1pm, 845-369-8234 or 845-362-4400 Rabbi Meir Goldvicht, Scholar-in-Residence, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, through Shabbat, April 2, 973-736-1407
Shabbat, April 2
Carlebach Minyan, Cong Darchei Noam, Fair Lawn, 8:45am
Motzei Shabbat, April 2
Film: “The Matchmaker,” JCC, Tenafly, 8:30pm, 201408-1427 Surprise High School Program Extreme, Elmora Avenue Shul, Elizabeth, 8pm, 908-355-4850 Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “Imagine This: The Musical,” “Masada” in the Warsaw Ghetto, with producer Beth Trachtenberg, Ramapo Cultural Arts Center, Spring Valley, 8:45pm, 845357-6100 or 845-362-4400 NJ Jewish Film Festival: “The Human Resources Manager,” JCC, West Orange, 9pm, 973530-3444 or 800-494-TIXS The Maccabeats in Concert, Cong Agudath Israel, Caldwell, 9:30pm, 973-227-3235 or 973-334-1872
Sun., April 3
Shomer Shabbat Cub Scout Pack 613 Den Meeting: Chessed Project, Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, 9:30am, jschachter2@gmail.com Matza Baking, Cong Beth
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Abraham, Bergenfield, 9:45am Zvezdochka Russian/ English Toddler Play Group, for parents and children, JCC, Tenafly, 10am, 201-408-1437 “Israel and the World around It,” Bret Stephens, Community Synagogue of Monsey, 10:15am, 845-356-2720 Rosh Chodesh Brunch and Lecture, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 973-994-2620 or 973-994-0122 “The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah,” Leslie Kimmelman, JCC, Bridgewater, noon, 908-725-6994 x210 NJ Jewish Film Festival: “The Yankles,” 12:30pm, and “Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story,” 3:30pm, JCC, West Orange, 973-530-3444 or 800-494-TIXS Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “100 Voices,” cantors in Poland, AMC Theaters, West Nyack, 2:30pm, 845-362-4400 Bnot Pre-Pesach Boutique, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 5-9pm, symarko@msn.com Cong Beth Aaron of Teaneck Dinner, honoring Menucha and Hillel Hyman and Meryl and David Rubin, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 5:30pm Rockland Jewish Film Festival: “Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story,” with director Peter Miller, Lafayette Theater, Suffern, 7:30pm, 845369-8234 or 845-362-4400 NJ Jewish Film Festival: “My So-Called Enemy,” with producer/director Lisa Gossels, and Melodye Feldman, of Building Bridges for Peace, JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-530-3444 or 800-494-TIXS Y
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion Sundays
March 2011
Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”
New Classes this Month
Practical Halacha Shiur: Kitzur Hilchos Shabbos, Rabbi Gershon Tave, the Passaic Torah Institute, 8am, 973-594-4774 Gemara Shiur, Rabbi Asher Bush, Cong Ahavat Yisrael of Wesley Hills, 8:45am, AhavatYisraelofWH@gmail.com Englewood Girls Spring Soccer League, grades 1-4, MacKay Park Soccer Field, Englewood, 9am, 201-803-2635 or 201-376-1948, begins April 3 Simcha and Israeli Dance, Jodi Senter, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, grades 1-2, 9am; grades 3-4, 10am, 201-384-0434 “Insights into Parshas HaShavua,” for men, Rabbi Solomon Weinberger, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 9:15am “Jewish Learning Is for Everyone—Gan Class,” for specialneeds children ages 5-8, JCC, Tenafly, 10am, 201-408-1459 “Duties of the Heart: Shaar Habitachon—Developing Trust in Hashem,” Rabbi David Bassous, Cong Etz Ahaim, Highland Park, 10am, 732-247-3839 Conversational Hebrew and Hebrew Reading Crash Course, for beginners, Rabbi Mordechai Baumgarten, Chabad Center of Northwest NJ, Rockaway, 10:15am, 973-625-1525 ext 202, begins March 6 “Bead with Me,” jewelry for girls, Chana Shiff, private home in Passaic, ages 7-9, 10:20am; ages 10-13, 11:30am, 646-837-2230 Karate Class, for girls ages 5-7, Sensei Dr. Walter Kraweic, private location in Clifton, 5pm, cheder.nshei@gmail.com Erez Jewish Youth Wrestling League, for boys in grades 5-8, coached by high school wrestlers and coaches at Torah Academy of Bergen County, at TABC, Teaneck, 5pm, 201-310-4184 “Introduction to Talmud: Tractate Berachos—Dreams and Blessings,” Rabbi David Pietruszka, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 8pm, 201-966-4498, begins March 6 “Gemara Rosh Hashana,” for men, Rabbi Yonah Lazar, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 8pm
Mondays
“Understanding the Hebrew of the Torah: Finishing the Book of Deuteronomy and Reviewing Genesis and Exodus,” Etia Segal, JCC, Tenafly, 9:30am, begins March 7, 201-408-1458 Purim and Pesach Songs and Arts-and-Crafts, for toddlers 20-30 months, private home in Teaneck, 9:30am, atweinberg@gmail.com, begins March 7 “Insights into Bereshit,” for women, Leah Kohn, spons by the Jewish Renaissance Center, private home in Englewood, 9:45am, learning@jrcny.org, 567-9777 Parsha, for women, Rabbi Ari Zahtz, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 11am “Advanced Intermediate Hebrew Reading: Finishing Second Kings with Selected Chapters in Ezra and Nechemia,” Etia Segal, JCC, Tenafly, 11:30am, begins March 7, 201-408-1458 Women’s Tehillim Group, for those in need of a refuah, library, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 7pm, 973325-9014 or 973-731-7909 “Re Jew-venation: You Choose the Topic and Area of Interest,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 7:45pm, 201-833-0515 “Changing Habits—A Guide for the Ages: The Book of Leviticus,” Rabbi Asher Herson, Chabad Center of Northwest NJ, Rockaway, 8pm, begins March 7, 973-625-1525 ext 227 Shiur, Rabbi Shlomo Krupka, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, 8pm, 973-597-1655 “Insights into the Weekly Torah Portion,” Rabbi Moshe Yasgur, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:15pm, this class can also be accessed by phone, 218-8621001, access code: 947046#, 201-966-4498 “Uncoupling: Coping with Divorce and Separation,” Judith Brauner, JCC, Tenafly, 8:15pm, 201-408-1456
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com “The Centurions,” Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:15pm “New Perspectives on Familiar Words: Exploring the Prayer of Shemoneh Esrei,” Rabbi Larry Rothwachs, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 8:30pm
Tuesdays
Conversational Hebrew, private home in West Orange, 9:30am, 973-325-3125 Navi: Intermediate Level, for women, Shoshana Sperling, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Passaic, 9:40am, 908-278-4059 Parshat HaShavua, for women, Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 10am, 973-736-1407 “Every Treasure Has a Story: Inviting Holocaust Survivors to Share Their Personal Artifacts,” Dr. Mordecai Paldiel, personal appointments, JCC, Tenafly, 10:30am-12:30pm, 201-408-1426 Girls Connection: A Program for Enhancement of Social Skills and Self-Esteem, for grades 3-5, Chana Weitz, LCSW, private office in Monsey, 5pm, 845-362-1247 Erez Jewish Youth Wrestling League, for boys in grades 5-8, coached by high school wrestlers and coaches at Torah Academy of Bergen County, at TABC, Teaneck, 6:15pm, 201-310-4184 Shira Community Chorus on the Palisades, Matthew Lazar, songs in Yiddish, Hebrew, English, and Ladino, JCC, Tenafly, 7pm, 201-569-7900 Gym Night, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, grades 4-5, 7pm; grades 6-8, 8:15pm, 973-736-1407 Beginners Hebrew: “Learn to Read in Time for the Pesach Seder;”, Mark Wagshul, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, Torah Academy, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-966-4498 Parshat Hashavua, Rabbi Aharon Ciment, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 8pm, 201-530-0043 Gemara Shiur: Masechet Pesach, Rabbi Duvie Weiss, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 8pm Gemara: Mesechet Brachot, Rabbi Daniel Fox, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, 8pm, 973-597-1655 Parshat HaShavua, for women, Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 8:30pm, 973-736-1407 “Jewish Philosophy: Exploring Principles of Faith, Based on the Weekly Torah Portion,” Rabbi Jonathan Kaplan, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, 8:45pm, this class must be accessed by phone, 218-844-3366, access code 6724123# Navi Shiur, Rabbi Asher Bush, Cong Ahavat Yisrael of Wesley Hills, 9:15pm, AhavatYisraelofWH@gmail.com
Wednesdays
Chumash, Susan Weissman, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Passaic, 9:15am, 908-278-4059 Parshas HaShavua, for women, Rabbi Aaron Cohen, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 9:15am Purim and Pesach Songs and Arts-and-Crafts, for toddlers 20-30 months, private home in Teaneck, 9:30am, atweinberg@gmail.com, begins March 9 Parsha HaShavua with Insights of Chassidus and Kabbalah, Rabbi Boruch Klar, Lubavitch Center of Essex County, West Orange, 10am, 973-731-0770 “Ethics in Action,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 11am, 201-833-0515 Support Group for Parents with Children with ADD or ADHD, Nancy Silberman Zwiebach, private office in Paramus, 7pm, 201-5693299 or 201-843-1373 “Jewry in the 20th Century,” Prof Larry Domnitch, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, Torah Academy, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-966-4498 Tanach Shiur, for women, Rachel Frazer, CareOne, Teaneck, 7:30pm Chicks with Sticks, knitting hats for Israeli soldiers, Riverdale Jewish Center, 7:30pm, 718-796-3775
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Chassidus, for women, Ayelet Crane, private home in Passaic, 8pm, 973-249-0014 “How to Use a Digital SLR Camera,” for adults and students 12 and up, Zush Heinrich, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 8pm, 973-736-1407 Shiur, Rabbi Jeffrey Troodler, Cong Ahavat Yisrael of Wesley Hills, 8pm, AhavatYisraelofWH@gmail.com Livingston Community Kollel, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, 8:30pm, 973-597-1655 “The Intricacies of the Oral Law,” Rabbi David Pietruszka, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Torah Academy, Teaneck, 8:30pm, 201-966-4498 Gemara, for women, Rabbi Michel Stein, Riverdale Jewish Center, 8:30pm, 201-575-5691 Chumash/Parsha Shiur, for men, Rabbi David Sheer, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 9pm Makos Chaburah, Avi Turkel, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 9pm Women’s Tehillim Group, for those in need of a refuah, private home in West Orange, 9:30pm, 973-325-9014 or 973-731-7909
Thursdays
Chumash Shiur, Rabbi Eli Mansour, live via the internet, Cong Beit Tefillah, Paramus, 7:45pm, sylvan2112@yahoo.com “Sefer Tehillim Revealed: Lessons for Life in All Its Complexity,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 7:45am, 201-833-0515 Chassidus, for women, Ayelet Crane, private home in Passaic, 8pm, 973-249-0014 “The Shidduch Connection,” a teleconference program for Jews of all backgrounds and ages, 9-10:30pm, 712-432-0075, pin: 166138# Makos Chaburah, Avi Turkel, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 9pm Minchas Chinus, for men, Rabbi Avi Sarfaty, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 9:30pm Chassidic Thought, for men, Rabbi Shlomo Besser, Cong Tfereth Israel, Passaic, 9:40pm Chassidic Vort on the Parsha, for men, Rabbi Shlomo Besser, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 10:30pm
Fridays
Women’s Tehillim Group, for those in need of a refuah, Steiner Court, JCC, West Orange, 10:15am, 973-325-9014 or 973-731-7909
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Mazal Tov
Mazal Tov to the Bar Mitzvah Boys: Eli Berg, Paul Grad, Binyomin Kluger, Moshe Mermelstein, Isaiah Rappaport, and Raphael Shankman; and the Bat Mitzvah Girls: Sharona Bellin, Danielle Burbank, Bracha Eisenstat, Rivka Daniella Friedman, Rachel Kraft, Sarah Lichtenstein, Adina and Elisheva Niderberg, and Naama Schwartz Mazal Tov to Esther Levens of the Israel Unity Coalition on being honored, along with her late husband, Vrem Levens, z”l, with the Mordechai Award by the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art by the Johnson County Community College of Overland Park, KS Mazel tov to Dr. Zevi and Elisheva Davidovics on the birth of their newest daughter, Yakira Eliora, sister to Gavriella Aliza and Adi Amalia, and to the proud grandparents, Shmuel and Judy Davidovics and Rabbi Menahem and Tzipora Meier, great-grandfather David Hollander, and all the happy uncles, aunts and cousins Mazal Tov to Yigal and Tami Sklarin on the birth of a son. Mazal Tov also to the Sklarin family and grandparents Rabbi Menachem and Sarah Genack Mazal Tov to Rabbi Ronald “Ronnie” Greenwald on receiving NEFESH’s Esther Solomon Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions to Mental Health in the Torah Community Y
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
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March 2011
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“The Meaning of Minhag,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, between Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma’ariv, 201-833-0515
Shabbat
Tot Shabbat, for children ages 2-3 and their parents, includes davening, dancing, singing, snack, and a story, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, 10:30am Chofetz Chaim, for women, Rabbi Eliezer Moskowitz, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home, Passaic, 3:30pm, 908-278-4059 Messechet Megillah, for teens, Shlomo Weissberg, Riverdale Jewish Center, 4:30pm, shlomoweissberg@gmail.com Mishna Berurah, for ages 11-15, Rabbi Grossberg, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, between micha and ma’ariv, 973-669-7320
organizations; perform Purim skits for residents of nursing homes or hospitals; host a Purim party and donate the cover charge to tzedaka; have a Purim carnival for children with special-needs; donate some of the food you receive from mishloach manot to a local food pantry. Sharsheret Purim Cards to help support young Jewish women and families facing breast cancer, 866-474-2774 Jewish Education for Special Children Purim Cards are available for sale, call 201-262-1090 or 201-692-8236 Send Mishloach Manot Baskets to IDF Soldiers on Active Duty, include cards and letters from children in Hebrew, if possible, 973-769-4990 Send Mishloach Manot baskets to Jewish US soldiers stationed abroad, 845-354-7763, koshertroops.com Send Mishloach Manot baskets anywhere or pick-up in Teaneck, Fair Lawn, Bergenfield, Monsey, or Wesley Hills, to support girls of the Rubin-Zeffren Children’s Home and the Lev LaLev Fund, elianasmitzvah.com Purchase Project Ezrah Mishloach Manot Purim Packets, www.ezrah.org and click on the Purim icon Send Mishloach Manot to Montreal and support Yad Eliezer to help the poor and hungry in Israel, 973-779-3736 Send Mishloach Manot anywhere in Israel, including to IDF soldiers and the poor of Sderot, through National Council of Young Israel in Israel, www.yimanot.org Purim Costume Gemach, accepts donations of costumes for credit on future loans, private home in Highland Park, 732-572-9192 The Children’s Purim Gemach in Livingston, L’Zecher Nishmas Yehudah ben Baruch HaLevi, has costumes to lend and is looking for donations, 973-422-0505 Bikur Cholim of Raritan Valley is looking for men who can read the Megillah on Purim for people who are hospitalized or homebound, 732-690-7193 or 732-572-5140 Y
you omitted Spain and Namibia.( i think u already have india) Special 2) also = strictly kosher , NOT "glatt" ! Live Daily Daf Yomi Shiur, on computer or mobile phone, Rabbi Dov Linzer, 7:30am, http://dailydaf.wordpress.com Mishna Berura Shiur, Rabbi Mordechai Fishman, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, Mon-Thurs, 9-9:15pm
New Minyanim
Young Israel of Fort Lee welcomes all morning commuters to its morning minyan, 1610 Parker Ave, Mon and Thurs, 6:20am; Tues, Wed, and Fri, 6:30am; Rosh Chodesh, 6:10am; all minyanim finish by 7am, 201-592-1518 Cong Ohr HaTorah, Bergenfield Sunday Shacharis Minyan, 8am Mesivta Sanz in Union City has minyanim for those traveling to or from New York via the Lincoln Tunnel, 201-867-8690 or 917-576-4177
Chesed Ops in Time for Purim
Areyvut Suggestions for Purim: Prepare a community-wide Purim seudah; read the Megillah for people who are unable to leave their homes; create and distribute costumes for those who can’t afford them; bring mishloach manot to home-bound or hospitalized people; dress up as a clown or in a Purim costume and visit hospitalized children; decorate tzedaka boxes and place them in community establishments for worthy
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BIG on March 31
purchasing the very Israeli goods that are being targeted,� said Ms. Rothstein. While Purim is before BIG day, she said, those who want to get a jump start on the initiative should certainly start while preparing for the holiday. Passover, which starts on April 18, could easily be a goal for March 30 shoppers. Photos and Videos Stand with Us has made knowing where to shop and what to look for a simply matter of visiting www.BuyIsraelGoods.org. Not only does the website include a locator — so that participants can find local stores that carry Israeli products — it also has suggestions ranging from books and gifts to clothing for the entire family and even furnishings. BIG participants who go in groups are being asked to take photographs and videos of themselves purchasing Israeli products. Videos can be placed on YouTube, while photos and links can be emailed to big@ standwithus.com. “Make the photos and videos positive, fun, and/or funny,� suggested Ms. Rothstein. According to Ms. Rothstein, the mission of Stand with Us, which has 12 offices and chapters around the world, is to “bring peace to the Middle East by education about Israel and challenging misinformation that surrounds the conflict in that region.� Israel’s Market The group’s “BIG� initiative covers markets in which more than 75 percent of the Jewish population in the US resides. But in the US, Israel’s supporters are hardly limited to Jews. According to a Rasmussen poll taken at the end of February, despite the possible turn towards democracy in the
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continued from page 1 eur shoe store, because it sells BeautiFeel shoes, produced in a factory outside Tel Aviv. The store’s owner, Yves Archambault, is not Jewish, but he insisted on the right to select his own inventory. “There is no one who will tell me what I will sell in my store,� said Mr. Archambault. Montreal, which boasts large Jewish and Arab communities,
are not sure. On the other hand, 51 percent of Americans favor continued aid to Israel; 32 percent oppose it; and 17 percent are unsure. Buy-Cott In January, a similar campaign, calling itself “Buy-cott� was successful in Montreal, Canada, when an Iranian-born Quebec legislator, Amir Khadir, led a protest against the Le March-
Arab world, most Americans want to end US foreign aid to all Arab nations. But more than half of Americans favor foreign aid to the US’s numberone recipient, Israel. Only 20 percent of American adults think the US should continue providing foreign aid to Arab countries in the Middle East. A full 58 percent say that aid should come to an end, while 21 percent
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
BIG on March 31
has recently seen antisemitic vandalism at four synagogues and a Jewish school. Producing Customers When the picketing outside the Le Marcheur storefront by Mr. Khadir and his supporters became uncomfortable, Mr. Archambault reached out to the Quebec legislature, prompting legislators from across the political spectrum to purchase shoes in what was called a “buy-cott” of the store. Marlene Jennings, for example, made a special trip to the store and walked out with a pair made in Israel which she described as “gorgeous.” Despite calls by Mr. Khadir to declare St. Denis St, on which Le Marcheur is located, “Israel Apartheid-Free Zone,” Ms. Jennings was one of 150 politicians and others who crowded into the store to buy shoes. “Israel is a democracy. The shoes that are being sold are being produced legally in Israel, imported into Canada legally, and being sold at Le Marcheur legally,” she said. Shopping Bonanza While most of Quebec’s media criticized Mr. Khadir and the attempted boycott, some Montreal residents saw it as a boon for Israel. “I believe Amir Khadir and his friends are being paid by the Israeli consulate to promote Israeli products,” Nicole
March 2011
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continued from page 41
Allio wrote to the Montreal Gazette. “Every time there is a demonstration against Israeli products, they sell out fast and shop owners rejoice.” She pointed out that, in December, a store selling Ahava products—a frequent BDS target—sold out all its products in two days. The headquarters for Ahava cosmetics and beauty supplies is a kibbutz near the Dead Sea. “Now Montreal is aware that BeautiFeel shoes are both comfortable and fashionable, thanks to a promotion campaign worth more than $1 million,” she said. Empty Shelves In Toronto, Hudson’s Bay Company had a similar experience when BDS tried to convince the store to stop stocking Ahava. The store issued a special announcement specifying that it would never succumb to political pressure to stop selling products. The store’s statement was seen as resounding and somewhat embarrassing defeat for the BDS movement. The “buy-cott” in Canada continued, resulting in empty shelves in many stores after buyers cleaned them out, purchasing wine, snacks, cosmetics, and hundreds of other Israeli-made products. Cancelled Meeting It is unclear if Jews through-
out the world will follow this lead, but in January, in France, when it was announced that the BDS movement had scheduled a meeting at the prestigious Ecole normale superieure in Paris, the school’s administration cancelled it. According to some reports, the cancellation was at the behest of prominent French-Jewish intellectuals, Bernard-Henri Levy and Alain Finkielkraut. Mr. Levy denied ever having “directly or indirectly pressured anyone to cancel a meeting in support of the partisans of the boycott of Israel.” In fact, he said, he would have been “more than happy” to debate BDS, because, he said, “we are faced here with a skillfully orchestrated but calumnious, bellicose, antidemocratic, and, in a word, despicable campaign.” “One boycotts totalitarian regimes, not democracies,” he said, explaining that some boycotts are reasonable, such as against Sudan, “guilty of the extermination of part of the population of Darfur;” China, “guilty of massive violations of human rights in Tibet;” Iran, “a country whose leaders have become deaf to the language of common sense and compromise,” and “those Arab regimes whose citizens’ freedom of expression is forbidden and punished, if nec-
essary, with blood.” “One does not boycott the only society in the Middle East where Arabs read a free press, demonstrate when they wish to do so, send representatives to parliament, and enjoy their rights as citizens. Regardless of what one thinks of the policies of its government, one does not boycott the only country in the region, and beyond the region, where voters have the power to sanction, modify, and reverse the position of said government,” he said. Deplorable He insisted that regardless of what BDS’s promoters and “useful idiots” say, “the only real, accepted, hackneyed goal of this boycott campaign is to delegitimize Israel as such.” Their goal, he said, is “not two states, but two Palestines.” He also disparaged as “deplorable and indisputable” the “rather shady initiatives whose purpose is to mark Jewish— sorry, Israeli—merchandise with supposedly derogatory stickers intended for the attention of the vigilant French consumer.” “Presenting the promoters of this discourse of hatred as victims speaks volumes of the current state of confusion— intellectual and moral—of a Western world one would have hoped had been cured of its worst criminal past,” he said.
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com BDS in Israel In Israel, other tactics are being used to combat the BDS campaign, which officials say has infected many sectors of the community. In early January, the Palestinian Authority announced it was building a new city, to be named Rawabi, but would entertain bids from Israeli companies only if they commit not to purchase Jewish goods made in Judea, Samaria, the Golan, or eastern Jerusalem. Initially, Army Radio reported that as many as 20 companies had signed contracts with the PA, but the names of the companies were not released, presumably for fear of retribution from mainstream, and nationalist Israeli public opinion and purchasing power. Finally, a few names appeared, among them Taldor Cables from Kibbutz Ein Dor, between Afula and the Sea of Galilee, and Ytong, a licensee
of the Itung Company of Germany, which manufactures insulated building blocks, but it was unclear if either had signed the controversial clause. “Ugly” Ytong spokesman, Yehuda Swizer, said his company “refuses to participate in any boycott of any Israeli product.” Calling the boycott “ugly,” Mr. Swizer said it was up to the lawyers if his refusal to participate would nullify the contract with the PA. “All I can tell you is that we will have no part in any boycott,” he said. Ytong CEO Sasson HarSinai agreed, explaining that the firm is “a deep-rooted Israel company that is a full partner is building the Land of Israel—in all parts of the Land of Israel.” Manipulation Disassociating Ytong from “any hint of a boycott” of Israeli
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
goods, he said the company had “fallen prey to a sordid manipulation by interested parties who are motivated by foreign interests that linked our name to boycotts of Israeli produce.” He said that when Ytong applied to supply Rawabi, he was asked where Ytong’s installations were located. He replied: Ashkelon and Pardes Hana. “We did not realize that this innocent answer would end up tying our name to an ugly boycott of goods made in the settlements,” said Mr. Har-Sinai. Ytong’s building blocks are widely used in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. At Taldor, the official response was “no comment,” but the spokesman added that Taldor is “part-owner of a factory located in the Golan Heights.” Breaking the Treaty Likud MK Carmel Shama HaCohen, who chairs the Knesset Economics Committee, said
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the government would insist that the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria, which governs the area and has some supervision over the construction of Rawabi, release the names of the companies that caved to the demanded boycott. “Every company that signs a political contract of that nature must know it will pay a price out of its own pocket,” said National Union MK Aryeh Eldad. “The US put an end to the boycott on Israel by passing a law that whoever boycotts Israel will not be able to sign contracts with the US government—and that’s what Israel must do now as well.” Israel’s Minister of National Infrastructure Uzi Landau said in light of the PA’s call to boycott Israel, the economic treaties between Israel and the PA should be reconsidered. The PA boycott is in violation of the Protocol on
continued on page 45
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The Jewish Voice and Opinion
March 2011
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Ess Gezint: A Cookbook in Time for Purim
Reyna Simnegar was a nice Ashkenazic-Jewish girl from Venezuela who married Sammy, a nice Persian-Jewish boy living in the US, and she not only became frum, she became Persian. Now that they are the parents of five little boys, she decided to write a stunningly gorgeous and very user-friendly cookbook, Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride and Other Kosher Sephardic Recipes You Will Love (Feldheim). After all, she says, her future daughters-in-law will “need guidance on how to make their husbands happy.” Some of the recipes would make recipients of your shalach manos baskets happy, too. Since Purim is the ultimate Persian holiday, the book, which includes essays on the history and culture of the Iranian-Jewish community, would make a phenomenal house gift for anyone’s Purim seudah. Happy Purim, all. Y
Slivered Almond Brittle (Sohan’e Asali)
¼ cup honey ½ tsp crushed saffron threads ¼ cup canola oil 1 cup slivered almonds ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup crushed pistachios Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Pour honey, oil, and sugar into the middle of a small saucepan to form a pyramid, making sure they do not touch the sides of the pan. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium and add saffron and almonds. Mix well. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until a candy thermometer reads 285°. Remove from heat immediately and, using a spoon sprayed with canola oil, quickly spoon portions of the syrup (forming pools about 2 inches in diameter) onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each portion with crushed pistachios. Allow to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes or until hardened. Yields 14 pieces.
Walnut-Stuffed Dates (Ranginak)
½-lb box medjool dates 1 cup halved walnuts 5 Tbs parve margarine 5 Tbs flour
1 Tbs powdered sugar 1 Tbs cinnamon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Select a nice pie dish to set up the ranginak. Take each medjool date and make a small vertical incision with a knife on its side. Remove the pit. Replace each pit with a walnut half and press the cavity shut with your fingers. Arrange the dates vertically one next to the other in the pie dish. Make the syrup by melting the margarine in a small saucepan and stirring in the flour and powdered sugar. Cook until golden. The syrup’s consistency should resemble that of cough syrup. Drizzle over the arranged dates, filling all the crevices; garnish with cinnamon and toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serves 8-10
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BIG on March 31 Economic Relations between the Israeli Government and the Palestinians, part of the Oslo Accords. Unreciprocated Moves According to Mr. Landau, Israel continues to abide by agreements calling for trade without borders between the Jewish state and the PA, giving PA merchants access to Israeli markets, allowing PA Arabs to work in Israel, and promoting initiatives to boost the PA’s economy, despite the PA’s violation of the same agreements. Israel also sends water, electricity, and gas to Gaza, despite Hamas’s takeover of the region. According to Mr. Landau, Israel does this out of “fear of the political backlash the state could face for violating the Accords.” He said he will appeal the government’s recent decision to issue an additional 5,000 work permits for PA Arabs. According to Mr. Landau, 11 percent of employed PA Arabs currently work for Israelis. “Not only are we not insisting on separation between us, we are turning the other cheek and putting up with boycotts,” he said. Sanctions However, he said, companies that acquiesce to the PA’s demand to boycott areas of Israel will find themselves cut off by the National Infra-
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continued from page 43 structure Ministry. He slapped sanctions against such firms and copies of the new directive were sent to Israel’s national water, electric, and natural gas authorities. Nearly half of all MKs, including Minister of Science Daniel Hershkowitz, have signed a petition calling for sanctions against firms agreeing to the PA boycott. “It is utterly unacceptable for the Ministry of National Infrastructures to enter into any business contract with any company carrying out any work for the city of Rawabi that, for the purposes of their work there, undertook not to buy products from Israeli companies in the areas of Judea and Samaria,” said Mr. Landau. Barring Boycotters Also, in January, a bill was proposed in the Knesset giving the government new powers to bar “boycott supporters and other haters of Israel” from entering the Jewish state. If this bill were to pass, the Interior Ministry would be empowered to bar hostile activists, defined as anyone who works to boycott Israel, tries to place Israeli leaders on international trial for activities undertaken in the line of duty, or denies the Holocaust. According to Likud MK Yariv Levin, who is working on the proposed bill with the
Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, the suggested legislation would apply to anyone who “incites against the country, carries out verbal or physical attacks, organizes hostile activities, or tries to interfere with foreign diplomatic and trade relations.” Nachi Eyal of the Legal Forum agreed, pointing out that those who act against Israeli citizens often call themselves “peace activists” or “human rights activists.” “Right now, they are free to travel in the country without any restrictions,” said Mr. Eyal. Investigations While most observers do not expect Mr. Levin’s bill to move forward, the Knesset has already passed legislation to investigate the activities and funding of Israeli non-profit political organizations. According to supporters of the new law, its purpose is to prevent money-laundering and infiltration of organizations by international antiIsrael forces, especially those linked to terrorism. “The law protects Israeli citizens from negative influence of interests that are opposed to Israel’s national good,” said the bill’s sponsor, Likud MK Ze’ev Elkin. Two Committees Two committees, one chaired by Likud MK Danny Danon and
the other by Israel Our Home MK Fania Kirshenbaum, were originally established to investigate radical far-left organizations, but, as a compromise with the leftists, have been changed to include all political groups, including nationalists. Mr. Danon’s committee will also look into the foreign funding of Arab land purchases. Left-wing groups, many of which have long been suspected of receiving funds from the European Union and/or Arab countries, are actively opposed to the committees, whose establishment was supported by an overwhelming majority in the Knesset. According Ms. Kirshenbaum, who initiated the inquiry, the left-wing groups’ efforts hamper Israel’s right to defend itself. “The Knesset must get to the bottom of the issue,” she said. Illegal? Despite the fact that rightwing groups will undergo the same scrutiny, MKs from the far-left Meretz Party insist that the initiative is “illegal.” “The extreme right is trying to silence legitimate criticism,” said Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz. But support for the initiative comes from Israel’s center as well. Kadima MK
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BIG on March 31
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Otniel Shneller likened the committees that will research organizations’ funding to “a democratic and Zionist fence against the use of human-rights claims at the expense of Israeli patriotism.” “These organizations apparently know why they are hiding the sources of their funding. I don’t know any Western democratic country in the world that would agree to have a foreign country invest hundreds of millions of dollars in its territory in order to undermine its values and create a new country,” he said. National Union MK Michael Ben-Ari 0611the LEARN ad:0611 Academy ad called left-wing groupsTorah “traitors” who want “no less than to liquidate the Jewish state.”
“An IDF general flies to England and can’t get off the plane, because the information provided by these organizations leads the British to issue a warrant for his arrest. We see how Peace Now has beautiful buildings and cars for low-level clerks. Who pays for all this? The enemies of Israel pay for this,” he said. “We have to find out about their funding and hit them where it hurts—in their pockets. We must pursue them in all legal ways, and get the Attorney General and Prosecutor to investigate them.” Many Groups 2920 2/22/11 3:57 PMorganizations Page 1 The groups and expected to be investigated include Adallah,
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a leading New Israel Fund grantee; Association for Civil Rights in Israel, which also receives funds from the New Israel Fund; Ataja, an umbrella group of Arab organizations whose former head, Amir Mahoul, recently admitted to charges of espionage; B’tselem, which reports on IDF and government activity in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza; The Center for the Defense of the Individual (Hamoked); Doctors for Human Rights in Israel; Gisha; Human Rights Watch; New Profile, a self-described feminist pacifist group that encourages young people to avoid service in the army; Peace Now; The Public Committee against Torture in Israel; and Yesh Din. Other groups that may be called include Breaking the Silence, which encourages IDF soldiers to speak to foreign groups to condemn the Israeli army; Machsom Watch; The Israeli Committee against Home Demolitions, which argues for Palestinians but not for Jews; and the Center for Alternative Information. Adallah, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Doctors for Human Rights in Israel, Gisha, and Hamoked signed a letter to the Goldstone Commission accusing the IDF of targeting civilians, mosques, and schools in Gaza during the Cast Lead incursion. “The leftists seem afraid and they must have a reason for fearing this committee,” said Mr. Danon, who said his committee will “try to find out who are the ones who arrange the riots at the Bil’in checkpoint, who funded the legal motions in the matter of Highway 443, and who fund the groups that roam the Galilee and purchase private lands with Saudi money.” Lying In the past few months, less than honest actions undertaken by some left-wing groups have provoked ire even in the predominantly left-wing Israeli media. In January, an Arab from Jerusalem was charged with using photographs taken in 2006 to falsely accuse three Israeli police officers of beating him in 2008. In court, he testified that B’tselem and Hamoked assisted him, ensured his complaint received media coverage, and pressured Israeli officials to move the
continued on page 48
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Adar II 5771
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Travel & Vacations Elite Dimensions Passover....................7 Emunah Pesach in Israel.......................3 Emunah Bar/Bat Mitzvah in Israel......13 Emunah Travel....................................26 Jewish Heritage Tours.........................40 Kosher Expedition to Costa Rica........33 Kosherica Summer Cruises.................56 Kutscher’s.....................................28 Lasko Passover Fontainebleau..............2 Lotus Tours Exotic Journeys................49 MatzaFun Tours Passover...................20 Mendy Vim’s Holidays Passover........23 Passover at South Beach......................35 Passover in Valencia............................43
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BIG on March 31
case forward. The attorney representing the police showed that the injuries the Arab said he had suffered were apparent on a disk taken two and half years earlier. Pro-Terrorists’ Funds Problems for B’tselem and Hamoked worsened when Ma’ariv reported that they and 11 other Israeli leftist groups receive funds from Arab proterror organizations. The report concerns a study conducted by the grassroots Israeli-nationalist group, Im Tirtzu, which tied the Israeli left-wing organizations to a Ramallah-based fund, the National Development Center. The NDC is closely linked to a fund called the Welfare Association (WA), which, in turn, receives money from the Islamic Investment Bank, Arab countries hostile to Israel, and the Al Aqsa Fund. In 2007, Al Aqsa, which also gives money to relatives of suicide bombers who killed Jews, gave the WA $797,000. According to Im Tirtzu, by receiving funding from these sources, the left-wing Israeli groups undertake to disparage Israel through propaganda and “lawfare,” the term used for the abuse of law and legal systems for strategic political or military ends. According to the report, in 2008-2009, the NDC gave
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the 13 left-wing Israeli groups about $2 million. Hamoked received $450,000 and B’tselem received $400,000. Transferring Money The NDC, which was founded in 2006, is officially funded by the governments of Switzerland, Sweden, Holland, and Denmark. Its website says its assets, systems, and founding team came from the WA in Ramallah. According to Im Tirtzu, the WA grants aid to recipients who commit to “monitoring human rights abuses by the ‘Israeli Occupation Force’” and conducting a propaganda and legal struggle against the “occupation” of Judea and Samaria. Neither B’tselem nor Hamoked denied the report in Ma’ariv. They justified the funding by concentrating on the European support. B’tselem called NDC a “body for transferring money” from the European governments. “Four European nations that are friendly to Israel chose to give money to Hamoked through a pipeline knows as NDC. Any other presentation of this simple fact is an underhanded attempt to depict the group in a bad light,” said Dalia Kirstein Hamoked’s director. Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman noted that, one day after Operation Cast Lead began, the New Israel
Fund sent out a letter calling to end the operation. “When you look at all these facts, you ask: Why didn’t they protest Gilad Shalit’s situation even once? It is obvious that these groups have no connection to human rights,” said Mr. Lieberman. No Right-Wing Concerns Although nationalist groups, too, will come under scrutiny from the new committees, they have not expressed the same concern as the left-wing organizations. According to Im Tirtzu, this is because “we are not funded by foreign governments or international funds.” Some leftist groups say that is untrue, insisting that Im Tirtzu, for example, has received money from Evangelical Pastor John Hagee and Christians United for Israel, which, the leftists say, can be construed as receiving funding from the US. Looking to Poland Last month, a group of leftwing academicians seemed to prove the point of those who say the investigations cannot start soon enough. Just as Polish officials were about to come to Israel on a planned two-day visit, a group led by Prof Rachel Giora of Tel Aviv University, issued a letter demanding that Poland, which is about to assume the presidency of the European Union, take action against Israel for the Jewish state’s “crimes of occupation.” The academicians demanded that Poland cancel a cooperation agreement with Israel to produce the Spike missile, which the academicians claimed Israel directs against civilians. The academicians called on Poland to promote an “arms embargo” on Israel on behalf of the EU; send independent observers to monitor what they termed “the human rights violations perpetrated by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian terri-
tory, including East Jerusalem;” and disallow the activities of Israeli companies that operate in Judea and Samaria, such as the Egged bus line and Eden mineral water, which has operations in Poland as well. Recognizing the ammunition they were handing to the MKs waiting to investigate groups like theirs, the academicians demanded that the Poles “begin to protest against the wave of racist legislation that was recently adopted by the Knesset,” a reference to the parliamentary inquiry into the funding sources of political groups. Criminal Investigation In response, Kadima’s Mr. Shneller addressed a letter to Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, asking him to investigate the letter’s signatories. “As a citizen who sees great importance in the right to free speech, I’m afraid that the legal system sets no clear boundaries which clarify how far one may go before harming the interests of the State of Israel,” he said. Recognizing that Ms. Giora, whose salary as a professor is covered by Israeli taxpayers, was essentially calling for a boycott of Egged and Eden, Im Tirtzu requested the Attorney General to open a criminal investigation against her. The group demanded that Tel Aviv University fire her. Other Boycotts In the past, Ms. Giora has participated in groups demanding that performers boycott Israeli venues. She is usually unsuccessful, just as she was last month, when she demanded that British novelist Ian McEwan refuse to accept the Jerusalem Prize at the 25th annual Jerusalem International Book Fair. Accepting what he called “a highly distinguished award,” Mr. McEwan said he was “honored
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com to join the backlist of writers who are previous winners.” British Writers in Support of Palestine urged Mr. McEwan to reconsider, telling him that the book fair is organized by the municipality, which the writers called “a key institution of the Israeli state and a major instrument in the illegal colonization of East Jerusalem” the general term BDS groups use for Jewish neighborhoods in southern, northern, and eastern Jerusalem where some 25,000 Jews live. Mr. McEwan defended his right to receive the prize, noting that literature can serve as a bridge between people. Polish-Israel Friendship The academicians also struck out with Poland. During Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s trip to Israel, a rocket fired by terrorists in Gaza hit a house in Beersheba in the Negev. Horrified, Mr. Tusk told reporters, “Poland is not prepared to allow anyone to deny the existence of
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Israel. Poland will not let these things happen.” At a joint press conference, he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “You have a real friend in Europe.” In Jerusalem, Messrs Tusk and Netanyahu signed a joint declaration saying that denial of the Holocaust and calls to destroy the state of Israel are absolutely unacceptable. The declaration calls for strengthening cooperation between Israel and Poland on strategic affairs, the economy, defense, and academic research. Hardcore Despite some setbacks, no one expects BDS to disappear, which is why, in the US, Zionist Organization of America president Morton Klein supports the Knesset’s plan to investigate BDS’s proponents. Mr. Klein pointed to two polls last year indicating that a majority of Israelis found Peace Now’s activities damaging to their country. “Clearly the Israeli pub-
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lic believes they are serving something other than the health and vibrancy of Israeli society and institutions,” said Mr. Klein, who applauded the Israeli government for taking steps to investigate and “shine light on these groups’ funding and connections.” The new Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, agreed. At the Herzliya Conference last month, as part of a panel entitled “On Criticism and Prejudice: The Arab-Israeli Conflict and the Assault on Israel’s Legitimacy,” Mr. Prosor said efforts should be made against “hardcore delegitimizers.” “It’s important to out them, name them, and shame them so that respectable organizations don’t coordinate with them. Our adversaries are crossing the red lines all the time, and we have to call it, because, if we don’t, we risk losing what we really stand for,” he said. Characterizing the current
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situation as “a battlefield,” he called for Israelis and their supporters to work together to “target the people who are trying to delegitimize us and demonize us.” “This has become an integral part of Israel’s national security,” he said. Boycotting Peace This is also the central theme of a new book, Boycotting Peace, by Fred Taub, founder of Boycott Watch and DivestmentWatch. According to Mr. Taub, the “divest-from Israel campaign is about destroying Israel, not creating peace.” “It is an effort to export the official Arab foreign policy to weaken and eventually bankrupt Israel,” he said. The book connects the dots, showing the direct connection between the BDS campaign and the PA’s rejection of an independent state for themselves as well as the UN Goldstone Commission. S.L.R.
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March 2011
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The Golan: Jobs, Apartments, Beauty in Biblical Land Where Heroes Walked
W
hile some areas beyond Israel’s so-called Green Line are stagnating, waiting for the Netanyahu government to end the de facto building freeze, another region is experienced an unprecedented building boom. In the Golan Heights, there are no apartments for rent or sale. “The wave of building is at a record high,” said Sammy Bar Lev, chairman of the Golan regional council in Katzrin, the region’s largest city, with a population of 8,000. According to Mr. Bar Lev, there has been approval for more building, with a current project that will add 36 new family units. In addition, he said, unemployment is very low. Local industry, which includes farms, a large successful winery, a bottled-water plant, and many boutiques has created hundreds of jobs. The nearby ancient holy city of Tzfat in the Upper Galilee is also a source of employment. No Expulsion Although Golan residents have been under the threat of expulsion for years, due to American-sponsored attempts to wrangle an Israeli-Syrian treaty based on the Jewish state’s surrender of the strategic and water-rich area, the risk of a Gaza-style “disen-
gagement” has diminished in recent years. First, there is little public support for relinquishing the Golan, especially in light of the lack of trust in Syria’s sincerity in a quest for peace. In addition, the Knesset has passed a law requiring a super-majority of the Knesset to approve any such evacuation as well as a public referendum on the issue, requirements that make a surrender of the Golan virtually impossible. Mr. Bar Lev said the recent turmoil in the Arab Middle East makes the possibility of an agreement with Syria even more remote. Part of the Covenant Israeli devotion to the Golan, called Bashan in the Bible, is based on the recognition that it is part of the Biblical territory promised to Abraham the Patriarch and the people of Israel for an everlasting covenant—the Covenant of Parts—recounted in Genesis 15. In Deuteronomy, Bashan is described as a refuge city. According to author Victor Sharpe, during the Biblical period of the Jewish Kings, a battle high on the Golan took place between King Ahab and the army of Aram. “A Jewish victory occurred at the present site of Kibbutz Afik, which lies a few miles east of the Kinneret,” he said.
At the end of the Babylonian Exile and during the Second Temple period, Jews returned to their homes on the Golan, but the returnees were attacked by Gentiles, and Judah Maccabee brought his forces up to the Heights to defend them. “At the conclusion of the Hasmonean period, King Alexander Yannai finally re-conquered the Golan and Jews returned yet again. They built communities in central Golan, including the major cities of Banias and Susita, which formed part of the defense of the Golan,” said Mr. Sharpe. Heroic Battle During the Great Revolt of 135 CE, known also as the Second Uprising, residents of the Golan fought heroically against the Roman Legions. “It was led by the charismatic Shimeon Bat Kokhba, known as the ‘Son of a Star’ and a folk hero as great as Arthur or Ulysses. Some 10,000 residents of Gamla alone perished fighting against Rome,” said Mr. Sharpe, pointing out that some second-century CE Jewish coins, inscribed with the words “For the Redemption of Holy Jerusalem,” were found on the Golan after its liberation during the last days of the June 1967 Six-Day War. According to Mr. Sharpe, in the succeeding Talmudic period,
Jewish communities flourished and expanded on the Golan. Archaeologists have found the remains of 45 synagogues. “But Jewish life on the Golan largely ended after the defeat of the Byzantine army and the region descended into a long period of neglect when it fell under occupation by Arabs carrying the new banner of Islam,” he said. Given to France Jewish life returned yet again towards the end of the 19th century, he said, when members of the Bnei Yehuda society from Tzfat purchased land on the Golan. In 1891, Baron Rothschild purchased approximately 18,000 acres in what is present-day Ramat Magshimim. “The Jewish pioneers of the First Aliyah began to farm land they had purchased in the Horan region until the TurkishOttoman occupiers evicted them in 1898. Their land was then seized and, in 1923, the entire Golan was given away by the British to the French Mandate over Syria and Lebanon,” he said. According to Mr. Sharpe, Zionist leaders had already demanded the Golan be included within the new Jewish National Home because of its historic roots in Biblical and post-Biblical Jewish history.
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Groggers on Purim
In Shushan many years ago, there was a Persian king, For beautiful young gals, this dreadful despot had a thing. He had a hefty harem, and he boasted of their beauty, But prized above them all was his Queen Vashti, a real cutie. To a drunken feast he summoned her, but Vashti wouldn’t come, A strong-willed dame, a feminist, but, frankly, pretty dumb! When Vashti balked at coming to the king when she was called, By order of Ahasuerus, from his palace she was hauled. The vain and vixen Vashti vanished from the Persian scene. How fortunate for Jews, for then dear Esther became queen. # Now every Jewish person knows, be he scholar or just layman, The wicked machinations of the hateful, horrid Haman. He was consumed by jealousy of Torah-true Mordechai, Since Mordechai wouldn’t bow to him, Haman felt he ought to die. And if that weren’t bad enough, Haman sought to kill all the Jews, The scenario was scary, all our forebears sang the blues. Then Mordechai told Esther: “Our people’s fate rests in your hands, “The situation is dire, and your attention it demands. “If you refuse to get involved and refuse to please our case, “Then help will come from somewhere else, and the Lord will bring a “‘nase.’” # So Esther bit the bullet; Haman’s wicked plot exposed, The king had Haman hung up high, no appeals, the case was closed. Each year when Purim comes around, Jewish people do rejoice, Our groggers drown out Haman’s name with one collective voice. But truth be told, what glee I’d feel, what overwhelming joy, If with the grogger’s twist, our hateful foes we could destroy. Ahmadinejad would head the list, but there are many others, Their hatred of the Jewish folk unites them as blood brothers. Alas, my wish is fanciful, their fate rests in G-d’s hands, Our groggers can’t wreak punishment; they won’t follow our commands. # So we’ll just keep on making noise; we’ll shout and yell and boo, Until G-d seeks retribution, our noisy groggers will have to do. But if, perchance, Israel is forced to use a nuclear missile, Why not put a grogger on its warhead? “Good riddance!” it can whistle. Ellen Wasserman New Rochelle, NY
Mishloach Manot and a Bridal Shower
One of the main aspects of our program at Machon Maayan is chessed. Earlier this year we spent one of our Thursday Seminars experiencing what life is like for those who, after the “disengagement,” were thrown out of their homes in Gush Katif. As a school, we were inspired. We decided to take on two projects to make their lives a little easier. The first will be a Shushan Purim carnival, held in the town of Nitzan. For the second project, the Machon Maayan girls will be throwing a bridal shower for one of the many young women who, due to the “disengagement,” can’t throw her own. To help raise money for these two events, we are selling mishloach manot. You can order directly from us at mmmishloachmanot@gmail.com. Ricki Tannenbaum West Orange, NJ
Letters to the Editor
When the Media Forgets to Report Antisemitism
The press has been suspiciously quiet about the Jewish component in the heinous attack on CBS reporter Lara Logan in Cairo, Egypt. The NY Post, which did describe the brutal beating and sexual assault she sustained by a “mob of men,” neglected to mention, until a later report, the fact that while she was being attacked, she was called, “Jew, Jew” and accused of being a spy for Israel. The Post’s Ashleigh Banfield made reference to the “violent death of Daniel Pearl,” in an article about Logan on Feb. 17, but failed to mention that one of the reasons for his beheading was that he was a Jew. President Obama and the State Department ignored the antisemitic nature of the attack and simply called for the “accountability” of the “thugs” and “anyone involved in violence during the demonstrations.” In their downplaying of the horror, one would think there was a street fight of some kind and some hoodlums lost control of themselves. This is a dangerous deception. The group that attacked Lara Logan so brutally is not some fringe group of “animals.” They reflect the rantings of the Egyptian press which has been the most virulently antisemitic, antiIsrael, and anti-American in the Arab world. If Egypt is to be considered an American ally, and if we are to bemoan the loss of the cold peace that Israel had with Egypt, let us consider just a few quotes from the Egyptian press: “I advise the US, do not forget what happened to the Marines in Lebanon, nor the bombing of the USS Cole Destroyer in Yemen.” Columnist Bahjat Ibrahim in Al Akhbar, June 1, 2001. “The issue no longer concerns the Israeli-Arab conflict. The real issue is the Arab-American conflict. Arabs must understand that the US is not ‘the American friend’” Columnist Mahmoud Abd Al-Mun’im Murad in Al-Akhbar, August 26, 2001. “At the WTC, thousands of Jews worked in finance and the stock market, but none of them were there on the day of the incident. Out of 6,000 killed, of 65 nationalities from 60 countries, not one was a Jew!!” Dr. Gamal Ali Zahran, chair of the political science faculty at Suez Canal University, in Al Ahram, October 7, 2001. American lives are put at risk if the US government and media fail to tell the truth about the hatred and lies existing in the world of America’s so-called Arab “allies.” Let the facts— and the words—speak for themselves. Helen Freedman Americans for a Safe Israel New York, NY
Megillahs for the Troops
This Purim, we would like to send 300 translated Meggillahs to Jewish US soldiers stationed in the US or abroad. If anyone is interested in sponsoring all or part of this, in memory or in honor of someone, please contact us at 845-354-7763 or 845-354-7641; or sara@koshertroops.com or ava@koshertroops.com. Sara Fuerst Ava Hamburger Monsey, NY
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“Thought Is the World of Freedom” (R’ Dov Ber of Mazeritch)
Good for the Egyptian Goose, Good for the Israeli Gander
The Israeli government should make it clear that, if Egypt abrogates the peace treaty with the Jewish State, as recently threatened by prominent Egyptian figures, Israel will also cancel the treaty, rescind its concessions under it, and consider reoccupying the Sinai desert. Israel relinquished the Sinai, together with its precious oil fields and airbases, and uprooted 5,000 Jews living in Yamit under the terms of the treaty. It is a contractual undertaking by both sides and requires the faithful performance of all treaty obligations. It is unthinkable that Egypt can retain all the concessions made under its terms by Israel, while Israel simply loses all it had been promised by the treaty—peace and recognition. Egypt cannot renounce the peace treaty without automatically forfeiting whatever it gained by it. Israel should be making this crystal clear to those in authority in Cairo. If Egypt rescinds the treaty, the US should end the $2 billion in aid it gives Egypt under it. By doing so, Israel and the US may play a valuable, stabilizing, and restraining influence on Egypt. By showing that significant negative consequences could flow from Egypt abrogating the peace treaty, Israel and the US would reduce the likelihood of Egypt doing so. Morton A. Klein Zionist Organization of America New York, NY, 10016
Middah of the Month Update
At JEC Elementary School in Elizabeth, we’ve been very busy pursuing our Shmiras Halashon goals. We are watching what comes out of our mouths—e.g., negative comments about others, negative comments to others, and inappropriate speech in general. Children have spent their lunch periods completing forms with what they were about to speak, and how they withheld the negativity and instead turned their conversations into positive communication. As a student makes submissions, he or she is able to move up the ranks of the Shmiras Halashon Patrol. Some of the children have already graduated from rookie status to officer; there are even a few who have moved up to the rank of sergeant. We can’t wait to see how many more students will scale the ranks! Jeff Kimmel West Orange, NJ
No Takeover by Terror Groups
It is imperative that the world see the US as unanimously opposed to any takeover of Egypt or any other sovereign nation by the Muslim Brotherhood or any other terror-aligned organization. We must not forget that we are a world leader, and even though world media and even some of our own may seem against our own country, the people of the world still see us and perceive us as the land of the free and the land of opportunity. Why else would decent, hardworking families want to come here to escape their totalitarian regimes? Our nation was built on immigrants. If their perception of us changes, why would they consider coming here in the first place? The US Government must come out very strongly against such wanton takeovers by extremist groups who would think nothing of using their “legitimized status” to form connections here which would enable them to influence our policies, weakening us and convincing us to become a target. But the reasons for this request far outweigh the need to attract new citizens. If we, by our actions or inactions, show that we favor, or simply do not oppose these terror organizations, then what will happen to the will of people all over the world who believe in the rights of women or minorities? All the progress we’ve made as a society over the last 45 years will come to naught. All the sacrifices made at home and on the battlefields will have \meant nothing. Are we giving up? Are we saying to the world, “We just can’t fight the terrorists; democracy is just too big an ideal to fight for.” Are we just going to roll over and let them push us all the way to a medieval society ruled by warlords and religious zealots? Does separation of church and state have no meaning anymore? We ask, we beseech, and we demand that you take the mantle of leadership in speaking with a loud voice against such tyranny. Barbara Sommer Tenafly, NJ The Jewish Voice and Opinion welcomes letters, especially if they are typed, double-spaced, and legible. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and style. Please send all correspondence to POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631. The phone number is (201) 569-2845. The FAX number is (201) 569-1739. The email address is susan@jewishvoiceandopinion.com
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“But Jewish liberation of the ancestral land was not possible until Israel was forced to fight for its very survival during the Six-Day War,” said Mr. Sharpe. “Those of us who have visited the Upper Galilee and the Golan cannot but be struck by the strategic value to Israel of control of the Heights. The Golan’s steep escarpment rises some 1,700 feet and overlooks Israel’s fertile Hula Valley and the beautiful harp-shaped lake called the Kinneret.” Constant Threat Mr. Sharpe noted that the Golan is a mere 60 miles from Haifa. Before the Six-Day War, the heights were used exclusively by hostile occupying Syrian forces as an artillery site from which to bombard Israeli farmers in the valley below as well as fisherman on Lake Kinneret. “The slopes of Mount Hermon, the highest point in the region, are the present-day eyes and ears of Israel,” he said. It was not until 1980 that the Golan Heights were officially annexed to Israel. “But it was then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who first offered to give the Heights away in 1994,” he said, noting that, since then, Israelis have “winced at the wrenching offers made by subsequent Israeli governments and
ALAN L. MUSICANT
March 2011
politicians who declare publicly their desire to give the entire Heights to the Syrians in return for a delusional peace.” Polls Show No In fact, polls consistently show that the overwhelming majority of Israelis were and are adamantly opposed to any such exchange. Mr. Sharpe recalled that five years ago, the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group (ISG) suggested the US could emerge from the Iraqi imbroglio if Israel were to give the Golan Heights away to Syria. “This, it was believed by the ISG, would bring Syria into responsible nationhood and wean her away from support of the ‘insurgents’ attacking Iraqi and other US assets,” he said, adding that this was before the successes of the “surge,” initiated by General David Petraeus, made such a plan moot. Delusional Act Now, it is President Barak Obama’s turn to eye diplomatic relations with Syria as a way, he believes, of distancing the Arab dictatorship from its alliance with Iran. Mr. Sharp called it “yet another delusional act by the current US President.” Unfortunately, he said, “Obama’s carrot to the Syrian dictator will inevitably be
the Golan Heights, and brutal pressure will no doubt be applied on Israel to relinquish yet more of its Biblical patrimony.” The pressure Mr. Sharpe expects might involve bringing down the Israeli radar stations on the Hermon Massif to the valley floor below, which, he said, would seriously degrade any warning of future hostile Syrian attacks. It would also hamper Israel’s ability to prevent attacks by Syrian forces or Hezbollah, which has been strengthened by Syria and Iran after the two recent wars in southern Lebanon. Trusting Syria? “Israelis have been ill served by too many of their leaders. The fact that any Israeli politician or military leader would even contemplate blowing away both ancestral and strategic territory is a recurring blight the Jewish state can ill afford,” he said. He considers trusting any Arab nation, but especially the Iranian-backed Syrian regime, “truly mind boggling.” “Besides which, it would be a betrayal of those first Jewish ancestors on the Golan who long ago ‘built sheepfolds for their cattle and cities for their little ones,’” he said. S.L.R.
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Passover with Rabbi Blech and the Maccabeats at Ravella at Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa
t the Five-Diamond Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas resort, now renamed Ravella at Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa, Passover guests will spend the holiday with Rabbi Benjamin Blech and the Maccabeats. The desert oasis, chosen by Passover Resorts, offers warmth and serenity yet is only 30 minutes from â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Strip.â&#x20AC;? All rooms and suites, dining room, synagogue, day camps, entertainment, and classes will take place in one building of the resortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three wings. From oversized rooms with plenty of closet space, guests can select mountain, village, or lake views. The huge marble bathrooms have separate walk-in showers and tubs as well as private commode rooms. Wi-Fi is free for Passover Resorts guests, as is complementary self-parking and valet parking. Steps from the hotel rooms, is a white sand beach with a magnificent giant waterfall and lagoon swimming in addition to an Olympic heated pool and Jacuzzi. The marina has gondolas, kayaks, pedal boats, fishing, and cruising boats. For outdoor activities, the resort offers three golf courses, a sand volleyball court, basketball court, croquet, and bicycle and lakeside walking paths. Village and Spa Guests can meander through the cobblestone streets of Monte Lago Village with its variety of shops and boutiques, or just sit on one of the many benches to enjoy the Florentine Gardens or the breathtaking views of Lake Las Vegas and the surrounding mountains. In the 30,000 square-foot spa, guests will be pampered with separate menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plunge pools and Jacuzzis and a full fitness center for workouts. Guests can participate in the many scheduled aerobic, Yoga, and Pilates classes, or enjoy the hair and nail salon. In addition to a long list of different massages, this spa offers hydrotherapy treatments, facials, wraps, masques, and aromatherapy. There is also a steam room, sauna, and Vichi Shower. The program includes a pre-school day camp for ages 18 months-four years; a day camp for children 5-12; and a teen program. Seders Passover Resorts seders are elegant events. The shul holds services three times a day, and the roster of scholars, rabbis,
and professional speakers is designed to enlighten, entertain, and amuse. The menus have been designed to delight the most sophisticated palettes while satisfying those with more traditional tastes, children, and those on special diets. All meals are cooked and prepared on-site using only fresh foods and produce. Glatt kosher, the program is under the strict rabbinic supervision of the Vaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ad HaRabonim of San Diego. Passover package rates begin at $3,000 ppdo, plus tax and tip for rooms. Children 5 and under are free if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the same
room as two adults or two teens. There is some free space for children from 6-12 if they are in the same room as two adults or two teens. For more information about packages for one to ten nights, visit the website at www.passoverresorts.com or call 1-800PASSOVER. Passover Resortsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; travel agent has arranged for special air fares for guests from the NY/NJ area. Passover Resorts has been making Passover guests happy for more than 20 years, coordinating classic and elegant Passover programs. Y
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