Jerusalem Day Scholar-In-Residence Weekend p. 5 May 2015 Iyar/Sivan 5775 Vol. 19, No. 9
Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton
The Miami Valley’s Jewish Monthly • Online at JewishDayton.org Marshall Weiss
Parsing the framework
‘Every
child is gifted in some way’
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National Jewish Democratic Council Chair Greg Rosenbaum
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), House Armed Services Committee
Hoosier Jews on Religious Freedom Act
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Hillel Academy to honor Sandy Sloane-Brenner
Scene from the documentary Dancing in Jaffa
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DAYTON Photos by Marshall Weiss
Greater Dayton
Yom Hashoah Observance April 12 • Beth Abraham Synagogue 70th Anniversary of Liberation
Liberator Karl Pauzer (L) with concentration camp survivor Sam Heider
To our next monthly Friday Night Shabbat featuring a traditional Shabbat dinner with all your favorites.
Program led by Joe Bettman
Friday, May 22, 5 p.m. In The Atrium Dining Room
Hillel Academy sixth grader Lily Fullenhull shows her Max May Memorial Holocaust Art Contest entry to her grandfather, Jerry Kotler, and parents, Shlomoh and Batsheva Fullenhull
Nina Jacobs (Ctr.) serves as shamos for candlelighters (L to R) Rina Thau, Dr. David Shuster, Cherie Rosenstein, Jeff Gordon, Sandy Sloane-Brenner, and Rick Carne
Friday Night Shabbat is $10 per person. R.S.V.P. to 837-5581 Ext 1274.
Lunch & Learn
Open forum with Urologist Dr. Dan Miller Tuesday, May 19, noon Please enter at Door 1, Main Entrance. R.S.V.P. by Friday, May 15 to 837-5581, ext. 1274
Dr. Sharon Davis Gratto directs the University of Dayton World Music Choir
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Join our Alzheimer’s Support Group Wednesday, May 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m. We meet the third Wednesday of each month in our conference room near the Coffee House. Please enter at Door 18. For more information, call Pam Hall, 837-5581 ext. 1269.
Guest speaker John Koenigsberg of Columbus talks about surviving the Holocaust in the Netherlands
Holocaust Committee Chair Renate Frydman with winners of the Lydia May Memorial Holocaust Poetry/Prose Contest Lydia May Memorial Holocaust Poetry/Prose Contest
Division I 1st Place: Tai Tran, Northmont M.S. 2nd Place: Athena Dobles, Northmont M.S. 3rd Place: Alexis Farmer, Northmont M.S. Hon. Men.: Marissa Myers, Northmont M.S. Division II 1st Place: Mikayla Kleinhans, Chaminade-Julienne H.S. 2nd Place: Francesca Weizman, Chaminade-Julienne H.S. 3rd Place: Joseph Sattler, Chaminade-Julienne H.S. Hon. Men.: Dehja Morre, Chaminade-Julienne H.S.
Max May Memorial Holocaust Art Contest
Join our Diabetic Support Group Tuesday, May 12, 10:30 a.m. & 6 p.m. (2nd Tuesday each mo.) with Gem City Home Care Certified Diabetes Educator Mara Lamb. Friendship Village For more information call Pam Hall, 837-5581 ext. 1269. 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Located directly inside the Atrium entrance. Stop in & join us for a cup of coffee & Friendship Village Hospitality.
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The Coffee House is located just inside the Atrium entrance at Door 18. Watch for the Friendship Coffee House sign. FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE
Division I 1st Place: Lily Fullenhull, Hillel Academy 2nd Place: Menachem Simon, Hillel Academy 3rd Place: Charlie Blumer, Independent Entry Hon. Men.: Benny Caruso, Hillel Academy Divison II 1st Place: Natalie Davis, Chaminade-Julienne H.S. 2nd Place: Ray Hampton, Dayton Reg. STEM School 2nd Place: Edward Love, Dayton Reg. STEM School 3rd Place: Adela Leon-Witt, Chaminade-Julienne H.S. Hon. Men.: Claire Armstrong, Chaminade-Julienne H.S. Hon. Men.: Courtney Morah, Chaminade-Julienne H.S.
IN THIS ISSUE Calendar of Events....................17
Opinion...........................10
Family Education.........................21
Obituaries.............................23
Internet.............................22
Religion..............................20
Kve l l i n g Co r n e r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 8
Wo r l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
DAYTON Marshall Weiss
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Hillel to honor Sandy Sloane-Brenner
Sandy Sloane-Brenner, Hillel Academy’s Judaics teacher for kindergarten through grade 2, reviews the Passover Haggadah with students. Sloane-Brenner has taught at the Jewish day school since 1972.
By Marshall Weiss The Observer “Moses was in my class. He was the cutest boy,” Sandy Sloane-Brenner quips when she looks back over her years of teaching at Hillel Academy. “Hillel’s been my home for so many years, it’s very touching for me to talk about, because now I’m working with children of my former students,” Sandy says. The Jewish day school will celebrate Sandy’s 43 years of teaching Judaics to students in its younger grades, on May 31 with a brunch in her honor.
Proceeds will benefit Hillel. A native of Cincinnati, Sandy arrived in Dayton in 1972 when she married the late Les Sloane. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Cincinnati. Sandy was a remedial reading tutor for Dayton Public Schools when Beth Jacob Synagogue’s Rabbi Sam Fox told her, “Oh, we have a school for you.” At that time, Hillel was based at Beth Abraham Synagogue on Salem Avenue. In 1974, Hillel moved to its own building on North Main Street. Since 2010, Hillel’s home has been with Beth Abraham at its new location at Sugar Camp in Hillel Academy will honor Sandy Sloane-Brenner at a brunch on Sunday, Oakwood. “The main goal for May 31 at 11 a.m. at Beth Abraham Judaic teachers,” Sandy Synagogue, 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. The cost is $75, with proceeds says, “is for everybody to embrace Judaism and to to benefit Hillel. R.S.V.P. to 277-8966.
The Adventures of
Bark Mitzvah Boy I don’t think my parents will mind ...
BMB
The flight
home
c O 2015 Menachem
ask questions — not to be afraid to ask questions. No child should ever be unsuccessful in a religious studies class.” Her approach, she says, is to give her students the chance to make discoveries on their own. “When they first come in, we do a unit on Hashem (God) where they explore things for themselves,” Sandy says. “They begin to explore order. Where does order come from? We talk about davening (praying), about this little thing that we can do for Hashem — look at what he’s done for us. What can we do to thank Hashem? It’s our prayers.” She recalls a boy in her class one year who was terrified of thunderstorms. “Right away, he would get into the bed with mommy and Continued on next page
From the editor’s desk
With an issue so critical to the security of Israel, the Middle East, and the entire world as the framework agreement between the P5+1 and Iran, this month we present opposing perspectives Marshall from two key leaders connected to the Dayton area: U.S. Rep. Mike Weiss Turner, chair of the House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, and Dayton Dragons principal co-owner Greg Rosenbaum, chair of the National Jewish Democratic Council. However the negotiations with Iran play out between now and the June 30 deadline to finalize a deal, we’ll see heated, passionate debate in the Jewish world. And such debate is crucial. Let’s hope those in the arena will focus on the issues at hand — they’re complex enough — and not on scoring political points. The best advice I see in this Observer comes not from a political analyst or commentator but from Hillel Academy Judaics Teacher Sandy Sloane-Brenner who, with 40-plus years in the classroom, reminds us that “being Jewish means being respectful. And being kind. And caring.”
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
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DAYTON
Sloane-Brenner
‘And you shall teach your children.’
Temple Beth Or Thanks The Educators Who Diligently Teach Our Children.
PAGE 4
Continued from previous page daddy,” she says. “Well, it came to a point where we were doing a Siddur (prayer book) unit and one day his mother comes to me and tells me, ‘I was a little worried last night. He did not come into bed with us when it stormed. I went to check on him. His Siddur was open on his chest and he had fallen asleep.’ These are the things we talk about: how we love Hashem, how he takes good care of us. How we are very fortunate: we have food. And that brings us to tzedakah (right-eous giving), what we can do for others. And so they’re wonderful about bringing in tzedakah.” The most significant change she’s experienced over the years is Hillel’s more recent embrace of all Jewish movements in the Dayton area — in its approach to Judaics and in the school’s overall culture. Students have always come from Dayton’s Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox households. But now, Judaic instruction comes from teachers and clergy across these movements, too. The student body includes children from interfaith households who are being raised Jewish, and children whose interfaith parents are considering Judaism for them. Sandy says this microcosm of modern Jewish America offers the students teachable moments. “I want them to understand that being ‘I want them to Jewish means being respectful. And being understand that kind. And caring,” she being Jewish says. means being “Even those who respectful. say to me, ‘we don’t do that, I’m not really And being kind. Jewish,’ I say to them, And caring.’ ‘Isn’t it a wonderful thing that your parents made the decision to send you to a Jewish school so that you could learn all about being Jewish?’” Each fall, with the approach of the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur — a solemn period of fasting — Sandy tells her students “do not come and tell me your father did not fast or your mother didn’t. That’s between themselves and Hashem. I’m not coming to school to tell you whether I fast or don’t fast. Just know that if they don’t fast, they have a reason. And there are reasons why people don’t have to fast. They’re not bad people if they don’t fast and it doesn’t make them super-good people if they fast.” Hillel’s small environment, Sandy says, has made it easy for her to reach out and get to know her students’ families. “A very important strategy that I follow is to get to know the child,” she says. “I try to find their strengths and appeal to them. Because every child is gifted in some way. They may not be in math, they may not be in reading. They might be in music. Or they might be in art.” As she’s done for more than four decades, Sandy will preside over her students’ Siddur presentation ceremony in May. After an intensive year of learning the prayers in the Siddur and what they mean, each student receives his or her own Siddur and a miniature Torah scroll from Hillel, with their families there. “I decided that it should be like a pre-Bar or pre-Bat Mitzvah,” she says, “that it should be a very important step in a child’s life. And my children, over the years, could almost lead a Shacharit (morning) service. They know. And they love it.”
Editor and Publisher Marshall Weiss MWeiss@jfgd.net 937-853-0372 Contributors Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin Michael Fox Renate Frydman Rachel Haug Gilbert Candace R. Kwiatek Mark Mietkiewicz Rabbi David M. Sofian Advertising Sales Executive Patty Caruso, plhc69@gmail.com Proofreaders Karen Bressler, Rachel Haug Gilbert, Joan Knoll, Pamela Schwartz Billing Jeri Kay Eldeen, JEldeen@jfgd.net 937-853-0372 Observer Advisor Martin Gottlieb Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Judy Abromowitz President David Pierce President Elect Melinda Doner Vice Pres. Mary Rita Weissman Vice Pres. Bruce Feldman Vice Pres. Cathy Gardner CEO The Dayton Jewish Observer, Vol. 19, No. 9. The Dayton Jewish Observer is published monthly by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, a nonprofit corporation, 525 Versailles Dr., Dayton, OH 45459. Views expressed by guest columnists, in readers’ letters and in reprinted opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Dayton Jewish Observer, The Dayton Jewish Observer Policy Committee, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton or the underwriters of any columns. Acceptance of advertising neither endorses advertisers nor guarantees kashrut. The Dayton Jewish Observer Mission Statement To support, strengthen and champion the Dayton Jewish community by providing a forum and resource for Jewish community interests. Goals • To encourage affiliation, involvement and communication. • To provide announcements, news, opinions and analysis of local, national and international activities and issues affecting Jews and the Jewish community. • To build community across institutional, organizational and denominational lines. • To advance causes important to the strength of our Jewish community including support of Federation departments, United Jewish Campaign, synagogue affiliation, Jewish education and participation in Jewish and general community affairs. • To provide an historic record of Dayton Jewish life.
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
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Federation names new JFS director Jewish Federation of Greater master’s degree in education from the University of PennsylDayton CEO Cathy Gardner announced on April 20 that the vania, and her principal certification from Drexel Federation has hired University. Tara Feiner to serve Feiner was an active as director of Jewish volunteer with PhilaFamily Services begindelphia’s Jewish Famning May 1. ily and Children’s SerFeiner, a native of vices, which trained Philadelphia, takes her as a para-chaplain over from JFS Director for Children’s Hospital Mary Ann Hemmert, of Philadelphia. She who retires on May 7. also coordinated the For 15 years, Feiner Tara Feiner JFCS Youth Mitzvah worked for the School Corps, supervising Bar and District of Philadelphia, most recently as executive director of Bat Mitzvah students for their service learning projects. its federal programs. She also Since she and her husband, served the district as executive director of Title I grants compli- Dr. Adam Feiner, arrived in Dayton in August 2014, she has ance, and Title I coordinator. volunteered with Hillel AcadShe received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and her emy on development projects,
and in the Child Life Unit at Dayton Children’s Hospital. “We didn’t intend on hiring a director until the JFS strategic planning process was completed,” Jewish Federation CEO Cathy Gardner said. “However, a gift arrived at our doorstep and we had to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Tara Feiner is a strong leader and can help us mold our vision and work with the staff, board and community to make that vision a reality.” An agency of the Federation, JFS launched its strategic planning process in December to determine how best to serve the needs of Dayton’s Jewish community. Gardner anticipates JFS will complete its needsassessment by the end of June.
Jerusalem Day focus of collaborative scholar-in-residence weekend Beth Abraham Synagogue and Temple Israel will present a scholar-in-residence weekend May 15-17 about Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, led by Rabbi Jonathan Greenberg. A senior fellow with the Haym Salomon Center nonpartisan think tank, Greenberg is a former vice president of the Illinois Policy Institute and former Midwest political director of AIPAC. He was a rabbinic intern at Temple Israel from 2004 to 2006. Yom Yerushalayim marks the reunification of Jerusalem under Israel’s control during the Six Day War, on June 7, 1967, 28 Iyar on the Jewish calendar, which falls on May 17 this year. After Temple Israel’s 7:30 p.m. Shabbat service on Friday, May 15, Greenberg will talk about the Green Line and the historic significance of the 1967
Israel, and Rabbi borders. Joshua Ginsberg of On Saturday, May Beth Abraham will lead 16 following 9 a.m. text study sessions. Shabbat services and Beth Abraham Cantor kiddush lunch at noon, Andrea Raizen will Greenberg will discuss lead a session on songs issues of occupation, about Jerusalem. settlements, and interBeth Abraham and national law. Rabbi Jonathan Temple Israel religious He’ll conclude the Greenberg school teachers will weekend at Temple offer activities for chilIsrael on Sunday, May 17 at noon as part of Beth Abra- dren and families, including arts and crafts, stories and Hebrew ham and Temple Israel’s Day of Learning. Greenberg will ad- prayers. All learning sessions dress the significance of Jerusa- are free and open to the public, with funding from a Jewish Fedlem in messianic thought. eration Innovation Grant. Kosher Israeli lunch will be Day of Learning available for purchase from BerThe Day of Learning on nstein’s Fine Catering. The cost Sunday, May 17 will be held at is $10 for adults, $8 for children Temple Israel beginning at 9 a.m. with breakfast, and classes 4-12; lunch reservations are due by May 6. For more informathrough 1 p.m. tion or lunch reservations, call Rabbis David Sofian and Karen Bodney-Halasz of Temple Temple Israel at 496-0050.
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Parsing disagreement on the Iran framework agreement Dragons co-owner/National Jewish Democratic Council Chair Greg Rosenbaum & U.S. Rep. Mike Turner weigh in By Marshall Weiss, The Observer “And in the course of that period, Among the 14 Jewish Democratic we’re going to learn an awful lot about leaders and fund-raisers President Iran’s nuclear program and its ambiBarack Obama met with at the White tions, such that if some of the direst House on the afternoon of April 13 to predictions about it come to pass, we’ll ratchet up American Jewish support for be in a much better position to deal with a nuclear agreement with Iran was Day- that than we are today.” ton Dragons principal co-owner Greg U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), who Rosenbaum. has represented Rosenbaum is chair of the Nathe Dayton area tional Jewish Democratic Council. for 12 years, “He didn’t say anything that describes the changed my view, because my framework as view all along has been supunenforceable. portive, and I’ve studied the “I think we’re framework in great detail, as already in a situawell as have regular channels of tion where there’s communication with the national major conflict security apparatus within the over what the White House,” Rosenbaum told deal means and The Observer. what is said,” he Earlier that day, the president said. met with leaders of mainstream Turner sits on Dayton Dragons principal Jewish organizations. As JTA the House Armed reported, one participant from that co-owner Greg Rosenbaum Services Comis also chair of the National meeting said, “people who came mittee and chairs Jewish Democratic Council in with an anger and a dislike still the House Armed walked out with an anger and a dislike.” Services Tactical Air and Land Forces On April 2, the P5+1 (United States, Subcommittee. He is also president of United Kingdom, Germany, France, Rus- the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. sia, and China, facilitated by the EuroOver Congress’ recess March 30-April pean Union) reached a framework for 10, Turner led a bipartisan congressional a deal to curtail Iran’s development of trip to Israel. nuclear weapons in exchange for sanc“They’re very concerned,” Turner tions relief. said of Israel’s defense ministry. “They “The president has been very clear believe the deal is not advisable and will that if the final deal does not hold to our result in an Iran that has a nuclear weapinterpretation of the framework, he’s on. They’re also very concerned that the not going to sign it,” Rosenbaum said. entire neighborhood around Israel and “What’s relevant is that the framework, Iran will view the deal as unenforceable, as set out, if codified into the final agree- and therefore might cause an arms race ment, will dramatically reduce Iran’s throughout the Middle East.” breakout time from where it was prior to The deal, Turner added, would signal the joint plan of action and from where it an “almost complicit acceptance” of is today.” Iran’s path toward nuclear capability. If the agreement holds, Rosenbaum Rosenbaum believes the world would said, it will keep Iran’s breakout time at be far more dangerous if the United a level “substantially higher” than it is States and Israel are “viewed as the vilnow, for at least a decade. lains who torpedoed a deal to halt Iran’s
The framework, Rosenbaum added, nuclear weapons program for at least scrutinizes several steps in the process a decade.” In that scenario, he said, the U.S. and Israel would have to go it alone. that Iran would need to go through to The American public appears equally build a nuclear weapon. “And Iran would have to evade individed across party lines on its support spection and cheat at each of six or seven for the framework. steps in order for us not to catch them,” A Bloomberg News poll conducted Rosenbaum said. “Whereas all we have April 6-8 reports that regarding the to do is catch them once framework agreement and the snapback proviwith Iran, Democrats sions on sanctions — as were 70 percent optiwell as the general dismistic and 24 percent approval of Iran internapessimistic; Republicans tionally — will happen were 62 percent pesinstantly.” simistic and 31 percent If the deal fails in the optimistic. United States, RosenGallup reported that baum believes the P5+1 Obama’s approval rating sanctions won’t hold. among American Jews “It’s important to note dropped from 61 percent that sanctions actually in January to 50 percent never worked until Rusin March. sia and China joined,” Obama and NetanyaRosenbaum said. “Their hu have publicly jabbed U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) trade level — both for at each other for months, with Israeli Prime Minister oil and for military leading up to the prime Benjamin Netanyahu in support — was so high minister’s address to Jerusalem in April during a bipartisan congressional trip to even under the Western Congress in March to Israel led by Turner sanctions regime, that halt the deal with Iran. Iran was still able to The public spat conget breakout time down to two to six tinued through the prime minister’s reelection, when Netanyahu appeared to months, depending on whom you listen to. And that even happened after the back away from support for a two-state Russians and Chinese joined. solution on the final day of his cam“But my sense is that the Russians paign, and spoke of Arab Israelis voting and Chinese are going to give this one “in droves,” a scare tactic to bring more chance. And if it’s going to blow up, let’s Likud supporters to the polls. make it clear that it blew up because Iran Rosenbaum said that from political, is not trustworthy. And then, I think, diplomatic, and geopolitical perspecany other option that someone may be tives, he views the framework as enrecommending — even a military strike forceable. — has the formal basis it needs for the “With the secretary of energy at the American people to get behind another table, with some of the specialists from war or attack in the Middle East.” the National Security apparatus in As evidence of Rosenbaum’s concern the executive branch who understand nuclear weapons, I’m willing to defer to about the U.S. scuttling the framework deal and how it would weaken sancthem in making the choices about what tions, he points to Russia’s April 13 ought to be in this framework and what announcement to sell S-300 air defense ought not to be in the framework.”
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
DAYTON missiles to Iran. “This is not a violation by Russia of the sanctions regime, but if Russia is willing to undertake sales like this to Iran now, what is Russia going to do if the U.S. somehow blows up the P5+1 discussions?” Turner is troubled that the administration hasn’t asked Iran to include abandoning its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program as part of the deal. “Iran has been actively seeking and has been testing ICBM technology that would place the United States at risk,” Turner said. “With this 10-year, 15year deal — as this president has characterized it — Iran will make major strides in the ICBM technology, and people do not seek ICBMs for conventional military capabilities. It’s only for weapons of mass destruction. And it should have absolutely been on the table.” Rosenbaum countered that Iran isn’t close to developing an ICBM at this time. “It took France nearly 40 years to develop an ICBM with the kind of range Iran would need to reach the United States,” Rosenbaum said. “Iran’s ability to develop an ICBM has been significantly slowed because Iran cannot procure the materials, like engine parts, that they need — a direct result of interdiction efforts and sanctions. Both U.S. and U.N. sanctions on ballistic missile activities will remain, even with the nuclear weapons deal. A lot of people lose sight of the fact that sanctions against Iran exist on several levels.” Rosenbaum added that along with the argument that Iran will have 10-15 years to perfect its ICBM technology, the United States will have the same period of time to perfect its air defense technology. One of the few areas of agreement Rosenbaum and Turner share is that the recent tensions between Obama and Netanyahu have not caused palpable damage to U.S.-Israel relations. Rosenbaum said, “I think the level of military cooperation, the maintenance of Israel’s qualitative military edge, the cooperation on intelligence has remained at a high level, and many people involved in both military and intelligence cooperation will tell you that the cooperation between the two countries has never been better.” The comments about the difficult relationship between the president and the prime minis-
hand-crafted pizzas and much more
ter, he said, go back a couple of years. “And yet the president rushed to provide additional Iron Dome funding during the Gaza situation last summer without batting an eye.” A key part of Turner’s recent trip to Israel was his firsthand look at how Iron Dome has been successfully deployed. “I’ve been a lead Republican on the issue of missile defense and had increased funding to Israel while the Iron Dome was in the development phase, and had been to Israel during the deployment,” Turner said. The success of Iron Dome, Turner added, has advanced the debate on missile defense in the United States. “There was a time when people argued we shouldn’t undertake missile defense because it doesn’t work, because there was no need, and because it was too expensive,” Turner explained. “Israel has addressed each of those by showing it absolutely works. And in the proliferation of missiles, there is a need. And certainly the missile defense technology that Israel has deployed de-escalates a conflict. It actually costs less than allowing the missiles to hit their targets and for a full military conflict to ensue.” The Israel-U.S. relationship, Turner said, goes well beyond two people. “I’ve certainly been very disappointed in the manner in which the president has handled the issue of Israel’s security,” Turner added. “But I’ve been equally disappointed in the manner the president has handled United States security. It certainly is going to be a significant issue in the upcoming presidential race.”
Chabad Lag B’Omer ‘Yiddish Kite’ BBQ Delco Park in Kettering (Shelter 3) is the location for Chabad’s Yiddish Kite Day and Lag B’Omer Outing, on Thursday, May 7 at 5:30 p.m. Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, breaks up the seven weeks of semi-mourning between Passover and Shavuot; it is traditionally celebrated with picnics and sports. Chabad will have a barbecue dinner available for purchase. Participants are encouraged to bring kites, or may purchase kites from Chabad. R.S.V.P. for dinner to 643-0770.
JWV to place flags at graves for Memorial Day Jewish War Veterans Post 587 is seeking volunteers to help place American flags at the graves of Jewish veterans for Memorial Day weekend. JWV will place flags at Beth Jacob Cemetery on Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m., and at Beth Abraham Cemetery, Riverview Cemetery (Temple Israel), and Temple Beth Or’s section at David’s Cemetery on Sunday, May 24 at 10 a.m. JWV maintains a list of Jewish veterans buried at those cemeteries and places a metal flag holder beside each veteran’s grave. The holders help JWV to quickly find veterans’ graves. To have a flag holder placed at the grave of a Jewish veteran in time for Memorial Day, call Post Commander Steve Markman at 886-9566.
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
PAGE 7
DAYTON
Expanding opportunities at Wright-Patt for Israeli tech Interview with Elbit Systems of America CEO Raanan I. Horowitz By Marshall Weiss, The Observer On April 7, Elbit Systems of America President and CEO Raanan I. Horowitz visited Wright-Patterson AFB materiel command leaders and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Mobility, Fighter and Bomber Directorates. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Elbit Systems of America is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd., Israel’s largest defense contractor. An example of Elbit’s high-tech offerings is the sensor-based detection system it just developed to locate tunnels on Israel’s border with Gaza. The U.S. Air Force accounts for about 30 percent of Elbit’s U.S. defense contracts.
Marshall Weiss
Raanan I. Horowitz (R), president and CEO of Elbit Systems of America, with Mike Retallick, Elbit’s strategic marketing director for the Dayton area
aircraft the Air Force is going to use, with computers and computer graphics, you can make the aircraft think it has different sensors. You can simulate What brings you to Dayton? different scenarios and threats. This vast The Dayton location is very key. We application is to reduce the cost of trainreally started investing in the last few ing so you don’t have to put up targets. years in developing this relationship. And with that, of course, Mike (Retallick, And by the way, it also has applications in the commercial market space to be Elbit’s director of strategic marketing able to train, more effectively, pilots in in Dayton) has done fabulous in startdifferent scenarios. So that’s something ing to develop relationships with the we’re promoting, we’re pushing for. community and with universities and Because Israel is such a small place everything around it. So this is part of an and they have so many challenges overall strategy to really establish ouracross the board — security, economics, selves as a contributor, as a player. everything else — you end up with comOur entire business model was built on leveraging Israeli technologies, Israeli panies like Elbit developing a portfolio innovation and bringing it over here and of products and technology that is vast. People don’t realize, in these platleveraging it for the applications. That’s forms and many others, how much the core. On top of it, we’re looking Elbit is inside: if it’s the helmet monithese days at different opportunities for commercializing some of the technology. tor display system on the F-35, which you can’t fly the aircraft without, if it’s We’ve talked about how can we apply the core heart of the Apache helicopter, UAS (unmanned aerial systems) to the commercial market space. I think there’s the mission processor, the brains of it is Elbit’s. Laser-guided capabilities, a lot of still quite a lot of regulatory challenges around that. So we’ll walk carefully into the seekers are being designed and built by us in our facility in Ft. Worth, Texas. that, because you just don’t know what Eighty percent of the cockpit on a V-22 is you can do still. There’s great potential done by us. in that. I think this community here has the anchor with the Air Force and the Air Force Research Labs but at the same time With the tensions between the U.S. universities, the research communities — president and Israel’s prime minister, do you think that will play out in the the climate to really do business. U.S. defense work you’re trying to get? It’s a complicated question. We’re not What tangibles do you hope to bring concerned with any specific policy away from your meetings today? change or anything that is going to be There are definitely several opportunities for us to expand. We have significant intentional. I think that the underlying relationship at the working level content and contribution to the F-16, between the Department of Defense and on the F-35, we, in partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense — and Rockwell Collins, are doing the monitor the business relationships — are strong display system. So we really have a lot and solid. I am concerned with an unof good presence on some platforms. I derlying tone of the tension, and how it think that we can bring more value to may influence individuals making decithe Air Force in upgrading, in bringing sions or willing to do certain things, the more technology insertion into some of business of relationships. That definitely their older platforms. is a concern. So far, we have not felt any A good example of some Israeli innovation and technology we clearly have of that. Because I think that Americans — in the military or in the industry — advanced significantly using computer technology (is) something called embed- have great respect for the technology ded virtual avionics. In a future training that we bring in. PAGE 8
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
THE WORLD
Will Russia’s missile deal with Iran end Israel’s silence on Ukraine? By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA After Russia invaded Ukraine in March 2014, Israel resisted pressure to join the United States and its European allies in condemning the move — citing in particular its concern not to antagonize Russia for fear it could provide Syria with a powerful anti-aircraft missile called the S-300. Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman was eager to mollify the Obama administration’s anger over Israel’s refusal to endorse sanctions on Russia or support a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s annexation of Crimea, according to an Op-Ed published last year by Israel’s former U.S. ambassador, Itamar Rabinovich, and noted concerns about the possible missile sales in a meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice. But if Israeli silence was indeed designed to keep S-300s clear off its doorstep, then that policy has clearly failed. Ignoring vociferous Israeli protests, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on April 13 that he would sell S-300 missiles not to Syria, but to Iran — a move that defense analysts say is guaranteed to complicate any aerial strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and tip the military scales in favor of the Middle East’s Shiite axis. “By charting its own appeasement policy on Russia, Israel under Netanyahu and Liberman further alienated the United States, our strongest ally, with little to show for it,” said Roman Bronfman, a Ukraine-born former Israeli lawmaker with the left-wing Meretz party and a television commentator on Russia-Israel relations. Until now, Russia and the former Soviet states had been a rare foreign policy success for Israel amid its escalating crisis with the Obama administration and growing isolation in Europe. Israel maintained relative silence on Russia’s actions in Ukraine, even as some of its closest allies were ramping up their criticism. As recently as last year, Israel pulled out of a deal to supply Ukraine with military hardware to avoid angering Russia, Israel’s Channel 2 reported at the time. Russia reciprocated by mut-
But to Bronfman, the crisis in ing its criticism of Israel’s milirelations with Russia is proof tary campaign against Hamas that those efforts have their limin Gaza, according to Zvi its and that Israel overreached Magen, a former Israeli ambassador in Kiev and Moscow, and when it charted an independent course on Ukraine. now a senior research fellow at “Israel’s foreign policy is Tel Aviv University’s Institute dependent on its best strategic for National Security Studies. partner, the United States,” “Both sides were careful,” Bronfman said. “Israel needs Magen said. “For years Russia that partner if refrained from Israel GPO/Kobi Gideon it is to exist in supplying balits problematic ance-disturbing neighborhood, weapons like and these crises the S-300 to the will just keep region; not to occurring as Iran, Syria or long as Israel Egypt.” doesn’t accept The arrangethat.” ment now Magen, howappears to be in ever, says the tatters. Within Russian President Vladimir Putin crisis with Rushours of Putin’s (L) greeted by Israeli Foreign announcement, Minister Avigdor Liberman at Ben sia is a limited one and could Netanyahu Gurion Airport, June 25, 2012 even offer Israel said that Israel a potential silver lining. “views it with utmost gravity” “Putin is pushing the S-300 and several Israeli media outdeal not because he wants to lets quoted unnamed defense harm Israel, but because he is officials threatening to sells advancing Russia’s interests,” arms to Ukraine and Georgia, Magen said. “Putin does not which has also had a territorial want relations to be ruined, and dispute with Russia. Even the that means that the Russians United States, despite its harsh could offer some compensation criticism of Putin, has thus for the sale of S-300s…(by) usfar held off supplying arms to ing the Russian vote at the U.N. Ukraine, though it has recently Security Council to Israel’s begun training Ukrainian miliadvantage when it comes to the tary personnel. Palestinian issue.” Putin responded publicly to the Israeli threats with a message of his own, saying in an April 18 interview with Rossiya 1 TV that Israeli arms sales would merely increase the death toll from the conflict without changing the outcome. “It’s a choice for the Israeli leadership to make,” Putin said. “They can do what they see necessary.” Russia’s silence, and its refusal to alter the military balance in the Middle East, were not the only dividends Israel drew from the rapprochement Liberman led with Russia and other Eastern bloc countries. Under Liberman, Israel signed visa waiver agreements with nearly all the countries that once made up the Soviet Union, paving the way for improved business ties and luring hundreds of thousands of tourists to Israel. Those successes were part of a broader policy that saw Israel invest in new and lucrative partnerships — including with Japan, India and China.
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
PAGE 9
OPINION
How we got the tangled Middle East of today Creative By J.J. Goldberg, Forward By now it’s become a Washington cliché: Barack Obama stumbling cluelessly through a Middle East in flames. He’s leading from behind, surrendering to Iran, withdrawing from the world, pivoting to Asia. He tried to disengage from Middle East entanglements, but the region sucked us back in. Or did it? Here the cliché gets muddled. In one version, we’ve abandoned longtime allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia, who are left to battle the Iranian threat alone. In another version, we’re fighting on too many fronts — Iraq, Syria, Yemen — with no clear idea who’s the enemy. We’re fighting alongside Sunni Saudi Arabia against Shiite Iran’s proxies in Yemen. We’re fighting alongside Shiite Iran against Sunni ISIS in Iraq. We’re supporting Syrian rebels battling against both ISIS and Iran’s Syrian proxy, the Assad regime. Meanwhile we’re jawboning in Switzerland to make Iran eliminate half its centrifuges. And keep half. In one telling, Obama lacks an overall foreign policy vision, a must for real leaders. In another, he’s secretly adopted the arcane theory of “offshore balancing,” a modified isolationism. The idea is, you use naval and air power rather than ground troops to defend your friends. Which doesn’t sound quite like isolationism, but never mind. How did things get so confused? Actually, it’s rather simple. Let’s start at square one. In early January 2002, four months after the September 11 attacks, Israeli national security council director Uzi Dayan met in Washington with his American counterpart Condoleezza Rice. She told him — to his surprise, he later told me — that President Bush had decided to invade Iraq and topple Saddam Hussein. A month later Dayan’s boss, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, met with Bush in the White House and offered some advice, based on decades
So, what do you think? Send your letters (350 words max., thanks) to The Dayton Jewish Observer 525 Versailles Drive Dayton, OH 45459 MWeiss@jfgd.net PAGE 10
removing Saddam’s Sunniof Israeli intelligence. dominated dictatorship alRemoving Saddam, Sharon lowed the Shiite majority to said, according to three sources take over. Sunnis were marwith direct knowledge, will ginalized. Saddam’s army was have three main results, all disbanded rather than coopted. negative. Iraq will implode The Shiite-controlled governinto warring tribes of Sunnis, ment, though U.S.-backed, Shiites and Kurds. You’ll be effectively allied itself with stuck in an Iraqi quagmire for Iran, which now controlled an a decade. And Iran, a far more arc from the Persian Gulf to the dangerous player, will be rid of Mediterranean. its principal enemy and free to In late 2003, Iraq’s Sunnis pursue its ambitions of regional began fighting back. Leading hegemony. Bush didn’t agree. the insurgency was Abu Musab Israeli leaders continued al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian-born pooh-poohing Iraq all spring. terrorist with a gruesome penDismissal turned to alarm in chant for decapitation. In 2004 August, when Iranian dishis organization, swollen with sidents released evidence that Saddam’s veterans, intensiIran was pursuing nuclear weapons. In September, Sharon fied the fighting and took the name Al Qaeda in Iraq. Zartold his cabinet to stop discussqawi was killed in 2006, but the ing Iraq. It was annoying the organization was undeterred White House. and renamed itself the Islamic On September 12, however, State in Iraq. In a different IsNowadays you 2011 it entered raeli voice visited don’t hear much Syria to join the Washington: excivil war prime ministerabout Iraq being growing there, eventually turned-private renaming itself citizen Benjamin the inspiration yet again as the Netanyahu. A for the Arab Islamic State in longtime Sharon Spring...it’s too Iraq and Syria, or rival, closely alISIS. lied with Washembarrassing. In 2009 two ington’s neoconmore regimes changed: Washservatives, he’d been invited ington and Jerusalem. Barack to address the Republican-led Obama entered the White House as an expert on Iraq. Baghdad, he said, was hiding House on a wave of popular disgust with the long, pointless mobile centrifuges “the size of Iraq war. Ehud Olmert, Ariel washing machines.” Moreover, Sharon’s protégé, was forced “if you take out Saddam, Sadfrom office amid scandal and dam’s regime, I guarantee that his Kadima party was replaced it will have enormous positive by Benjamin Netanyahu’s reverberations on the region.” Likud. Throughout the Middle East, Netanyahu immediately including Iran, populations will set about sounding the alarm be inspired to topple their own about Iran’s nukes. A series of dictators. U.N. sanctions got nowhere. Bush, of course, listened to Ditto U.S. and European sancNetanyahu and the neocons, tions under both Bush and not Sharon and his generals. Obama. In 2006 the three powAlas, Sharon was right. Iraq ers negotiating with Iran were imploded. Iran surged. The joined by Washington, Moscow invasion had reverberations, and Beijing. But Bush’s Washbut hardly positive. The rest is ington took a back seat, reluchistory. Iran, we later learned, briefly tant to engage the enemy. Russia and China, noting America’s halted nuclear research in 2003, fearing it was next on Bush’s hit passivity, weren’t serious. Obama upgraded U.S. particlist. Once it realized it was safe, ipation in 2009. This jolted Rusit resumed work. The United sia and China to attention but Nations now started churnoutraged Netanyahu and the ing out resolutions condemnRepublicans. Netanyahu now ing Tehran for violating its began eyeing a military attack. signed commitments under the His generals and spymasters Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran resisted, warning that a solo dutifully sat with France, EngIsraeli attack wouldn’t work land and Germany and agreed and America wasn’t ready for to behave, but kept working another war. Iran’s working anyway. There was nobody to centrifuges multiplied from 164 stop it. in 2009 to 10,000 in 2012. In Iraq, as Sharon predicted,
Netanyahu tried pressuring Obama, but the gambit got mired in Washington’s partisan infighting. Relations turned poisonous. Looking for other answers, Bibi fired one security adviser after another but kept getting the same response: Work with Washington. Finally in 2013 Obama opened a back channel to Tehran, leading to the current compromise talks. Then came the explosion in Bibi’s relations with Obama — and, less noticed, with his generals. And what of those democratic regional reverberations? They came. In January 2011 an economic protest in Tunisia was coopted by hopeful democrats and became a revolution. Protests spread to Egypt, then Libya, Syria and Yemen. It seemed to be just what Netanyahu had predicted, an Arab Spring reverberating from Saddam’s downfall. So, at least, said Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and a bevy of academics. But it didn’t work out as Netanyahu promised. The autocrats fought back. Liberal democrats, never a significant force, collapsed before Islamist radicals. Libya descended into chaos. Syria became a slaughterhouse. Yemen fell into civil war. Obama dithered, looking for bloodless diplomatic solutions to the whirlwind. America’s Arab allies, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, fumed at the inaction. Washington wanted the moderate Arab powers to take charge of their own affairs, but that wasn’t how they rolled. The final straw came last summer, when Yemen’s capital fell to a little-known Shiite sect, the Houthis. In the 1960s, backed by the Saudis, they’d battled Egypt’s Nasser to defend the traditional imamate against his republicans. They’re still battling the republic, but now Iran’s backing them, part of its Shiite imperial ambition. The Saudis, seeing an Iranian pincer action on their southern flank, are finally fighting back, with backing from the full Arab League. As in Syria, as in Libya, Obama’s providing air cover while Arabs see to their own affairs. It’s Pax Americana for a post-Iraq, postabundance era. Nowadays you don’t hear much about Iraq being the inspiration for the Arab Spring, except in academic papers and intelligence assessments. It’s too embarrassing.
negotiations By Jonathan S. Tobin Commentary On April 17, President Obama acknowledged a painfully obvious fact that the White House and State Department have struggled mightily to ignore. After generally dismissing the stark divide between the spin the United States has put on the framework nuclear agreement and statements that directly contradict that interpretation, the president decided to address that contrast head on. The president said U.S. diplomats would have to conduct “creative negotiations” in order to bridge the differences between the two sides on Iran’s nuclear program. In doing so, the president made it clear that any agreement would have to give the West the ability to reimpose sanctions on the Islamist regime if it cheats on the deal. That sounds good, but the problem is that over the course of the past two years of talks with Iran, we have been given a very good idea of what is meant by “creative negotiations” in the Obama administration. In Obama-speak, creative means Iran gets its way. Let’s give the president some credit for addressing the fact that both Iran’s supreme leader and its negotiators have not been shy about contradicting the administration’s promises about severe restrictions on Iran’s nuclear efforts, its possession of its stockpile of enriched uranium, and intrusive inspections. In fact, despite the president’s effort to sell the agreement as fait accompli that has put to bed the Iranian nuclear threat, it is in fact still nothing more than a hope for such an accomplishment. Iran expects sanctions to be lifted immediately and not on a gradual basis as the administration has long promised. Crucially, even the New York Times noted that the president was not repeating his past statements about phased lifting of sanctions. If sanctions are lifted almost immediately and so long as the location of that stockpile, the nature of the inspections, or the willingness of Iran to agree to open its military facilities to the West so that the extent of their progress toward a bomb is discovered are set according to Iranian rhetoric and preferences, the entire framework is essentially meaningless.
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
THE WORLD
In Indiana, uncomfortable in the spotlight State’s Jews consider meaning of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act controversy By David Holzel Washington Jewish Week The talk at Rabbi Michael Friedland’s Seder table in South Bend, Ind., was about Memories Pizza in the small Indiana town of Walkerton. Not that the celebrants already had tired of unleavened food — rather, they were bemused at how the restaurant owner’s stand in favor of the state’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, was turned into a windfall. “The owner said that if someone asked them to cater a gay wedding, they wouldn’t do it,” said Friedland, who leads Conservative Sinai Synagogue. A four-day crowdfunding campaign in support of the pizzeria, set up by conservative commentator Glenn Beck’s Blaze TV network, raised $842,387. “Someone joked that the synagogue should come out in favor of discriminating against gays and we could raise almost a million dollars, too,” Friedland said. “Somebody else asked who would go to a pizza parlor to cater a wedding.” The catering question was hypothetical, and the pizzeria’s owner said they would serve gay couples in the restaurant. But the national attention that focused on Indiana after Republican Gov. Mark Pence signed the bill into law on March 26 has been something that Indianans — including the state’s 17,000 Jews — are unaccustomed to. In the face of national outrage the law’s proponents passed a “fix” a week later, which the governor signed. It says that religious freedom cannot come at the expense of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. “There’s a little bit of schadenfreude — that the governor was embarrassed and had to walk this back,” Friedland said. Still, the unfriendly spotlight on Indiana — and the travel bans and beginnings of a commercial boycott — “is not how we want to be the center of attention,” said Rabbi Sandy Sasso, rabbi emeritus of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis, the state capital. “Every time I bump into someone, they say, ‘I can’t believe this is happening. I’m so
embarrassed.’ You really can’t go anywhere without people talking about it.” In Evansville, at the southwest end of the state, Rabbi Gary Mazo spoke at his Seder about the meaning of freedom in the context of the RFRA debate. “I emphasized that in today’s world, where we are no longer slaves, we are compelled to focus our efforts on both remembering and working toward securing freedom for those who are oppressed, enslaved or persecuted,” said Mazo, of Reform Temple Adath B’nai Israel. “I then made it very clear that we live in a state that has sanctioned oppression and
bigotry under the guise of religious freedom and our job is to combat that.” Mazo said the clarifying legislation passed on April 2 does not resolve the controversy. “It was too little, too late, and the law should never have been enacted and should be repealed.”
‘Majority of Jews oppose’
“At this point, we’re doing what we can to make sure the rights of minority religious communities are being addressed,” said David Sklar, director of government affairs for the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council, which opposed RFRA.
Sklar said the JCRC began discussing the bill last summer. The agency opposed the legislation and lobbied against it, as “less of a specifically LGBT issue and more of an issue of potential discrimination,” he said. “Decades of court precedent has resulted in a workable balance in Indiana between individual and religious freedoms. RFRA would upset the balance,” he explained. And although Jews are protected by the constitutions of Indiana and the United States, “RFRA could cloud and confuse the landscape of religious freedom in the United States,” Sklar said. Jews have come down on
both sides of the issue, and an equal number of Jews testified before legislative committees for and against RFRA, Sklar said. But the overwhelming majority of Indiana Jews oppose the legislation, he said. Rabbi Yisrael Gettinger, of Congregation B’nai Torah in Indianapolis, has come out in favor of RFRA. The Orthodox rabbi appeared with Pence in the photo taken at the first bill signing, along with “supportive lawmakers, Franciscan monks and nuns, Orthodox Continued on next page
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of something being inappropriate if it’s called an abomination in the Bible,” he said. “Those Continued from previous page are not my words. Those are the Jews and some of the state’s Bible’s words. Those are God’s most powerful lobbyists on words.” conservative social issues,” acCritics of the bill say that it cording to USA Today. was not promoted to assure Gettinger declined to be religious freedom, but to estabinterviewed for this story. Last lish a fallback position after the year, he explained his opposiU.S. Supreme Court in 2014 let tion to “homosexual acts” to the stand a circuit court’s decision Indianapolis Star: to strike down Indiana’s ban on “One cannot be more certain gay marriage. “Given who was at the original signing, saying they didn’t mean to discriminate against Is your son or gays was a little hard to buy,” daughter Friedland said. “Most people saw it as a reaction to the graduating frustration that gay rights have moved too far.” high school “It’s part of this trend after this year? Hobby Lobby,” the Supreme The Observer is happy to offer Court decision that a corporation can be considered a person you a FREE announcement, under RFRA, said Rachel Laser, including a photo, in our deputy director of the Religious June graduation issue. Action Center of the Reform To receive a form for this free movement. announcement, contact Laser and others interviewed Karen Steiger at 853-0372 for this article differentiated or KSteiger@jfgd.net. the Indiana RFRA — and others under consideration in Forms must be Arkansas, North Carolina and received by May 1. elsewhere — from the federal
against. Religious Freedom Restoration “This is the first time that a Act, passed under President Bill state law makes a positive referClinton in 1993. ence to LGBT Hoosiers,” Sasso “It was to be a shield for said. religious people. It allowed “The only good thing to a boy who wants to wear his come out of this is the outrage yarmulke in school, or the of the community that forced Catholic priest who wants to the governor and legislators to give communion wine to his revisit this.” child parishioners. These new On April 9, Indianapolis dinRFRAs are intended to be used ers at any of four restaurants as a sword to disowned by Patacriminate,” Laser ‘Saying they chou Inc. could said. Nineteen states didn’t mean to support gay rights at what owner have RFRA laws discriminate Martha Hoover on the books. calls a “sit-in.” All Asked why Indiagainst gays proceeds for a $50 ana was singled four-course meal out for attention, was a little went to Lambda Sklar said one Legal, a civil reason was that it hard to buy.’ rights group suphad more potenporting LGBT communities. tial than others to be discrimiThe event is an example of natory. how Jewish entrepreneurs are “In the Indiana law, what a person entails is much broader. joining others in the business community in opposing disAnd Indiana did not have the protections for LGBT persons in criminatory legislation. “If you allow any discrimiplace that other states do.” nation, who controls the leap First positive reference to what comes next?” Hoover said. Although the fixed RFRA She calls the Republican does not make gays a legally backing of RFRA “both a misprotected class, it does say calculation and a tremendous they cannot be discriminated
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lack of leadership. It did catch them off-guard and suggests how out of touch they are.” That disconnect is particularly strong with young adults, said Rabbi Leonard Zukrow of Temple Beth-El, a Reform congregation in Munster, an Indiana town in suburban Chicago. “This is not an issue for them. Young people in Indiana are worried about jobs.” “Our tradition speaks to inclusiveness,” he added, and quoted from the Passover Haggadah: “To all who are hungry come and eat.” Indiana’s apparent lack of hospitality is ill-advised “for a state which is not a leading state for business opportunities,” Friedland said. Following the passage of the “fix,” the governors of New York, Washington and Connecticut cancelled their travel bans to Indiana. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser lifted a travel ban for city officials on April 7. The fix does not mean all is well in Indiana, Hoover said. By “signing one law,” Pence “has damaged the state,” she said. “Our concern is, how long lasting is the damage?
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of
Tikkun Olam
AS PART OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION’S ANNUAL CAMPAIGN, WE’RE SHARING LOCAL STORIES OF HOW JEWISH DAYTONIANS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE ACT OF TIKKUN OL AM,
Sunday, May 3 5:45PM › Presidents’ Dinner @ the Dayton Art Institute An evening with Keynote Speaker David Gregory and Special Guest Molly Rosen. Appetizers @ 5:45PM, dinner following @ 6PM. Sunday, May 3 12:30PM › Break the Hate w/ Molly Rosen @ the Boonshoft CJCE Friday, May 8 7PM › YAD Shabbat Dinner Contact Ehud Borovoy for more details. Tuesday, May 19 7PM @ Harrigan’s Tavern › YAD Trivia Night
HEALING THE WORLD. STAY TUNED THIS SUMMER FOR STORIES CELEBRATING TIKKUN OLAM LOCALLY HERE IN DAYTON, AND ACROSS THE GLOBE.
As a young girl, Sandy Zipperstein remembers going with her mother on the Sabbath to sit with the elderly. Keeping them company, hearing their stories, “they always loved seeing a little girl, it brightened their day”, Sandy remembered. Sandy continued the practice into her adult life as she sat and visited with patients at Hospice of Dayton, along with countless other acts of volunteering and community involvement. Today, with her husband Irv Zipperstein, she continues that practice of being a bright beam of light in someone’s day while sitting -- and driving. Sandy and Irv volunteer in their spare time as drivers for Jewish Family Service’s Transportation Program. Initially, Irv and Sandy would hear through the grapevine at their synagogue that someone needed help getting to services here and there. “It started out with us taking people to Beth
during the war, we always had service Abraham, and then anyone who needed men at our house who needed a place for a lift, we’d take them”. Shabbat or the holidays”, Sandy reflected. “They’re just the kind of folks that reach Jewish Family Services, an agency of the out to others, they are both just good Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, people”, says Janice Kohn, Program & works to keep families Volunteer Director of strong and engaged here Volunteer Services at “IT WAS JUST in the Dayton area. The Jewish Family Services. THE RIGHT Transportation Program Kohn started working with the Zippersteins THING TO DO.” helps community members be mobile, about 5 years ago, – Sandy getting from place to when they volunteered Zipperstein place. to extend their driving as part of the JFS As a past president of the Federation, Irv Transportation Program. became involved through encouragement from a friend, “It was a time when Israel The Zippersteins assist around town by had been formed not too long before, and transporting community members to … needed all the help people in America and from synagogue as well as making could give”. To him, Federation signifies regular trips to the grocery store. “We’re just happy to do it, and happy to have the “...somewhere Dayton community time to do it. It’s no problem for us, we’re members who would otherwise not work on a program together, have the chance retired”, commented Irv. to participate in collaborative programs that also help Jewish communities around One of Sandy’s the world”. influences comes early on from In retrospect, Sandy commented, “we her mother. “My can’t take all the credit, we’re just open mother was very and willing to give people a lift”. But to active in the Jewish Family Services, it’s community community and members like the Zippersteins that make we learned from the agency’s goals of local Tikkun Olam her. Our house a reality. was always open CONTINUE TO READ OUR TIKKUN to people and
IRV & SANDY ZIPPERSTEIN HAVE BEEN OPENING THEIR HEARTS (AND CAR DOORS) TO THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER FIVE YEARS.
2015 YOUNG LEADERSHIP ALTERNATIVE VACATION TO ISRAEL RSVPs are due at least 1 week before event. Events with no price listed are free. PLEASE CONTACT KAREN STEIGER REGARDING ALL EVENTS UNLESS NOTED: 610-1555, ksteiger@jfgd.net
August 30–September 6 | ages 25–45 years
OL AM STORIES ALL SUMMER ONLINE AT JEWISHDAY TON .ORG
2015 MEGA TEEN MISSION December 20–December 30 High school students
› VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE › COMMUNITY BUILDING › LESIURE TIME Contact Cheryl Carne for more information at ccarne@jfgd.net JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON AGENCY NEWSLETTER | MAY 2015
Exciting Summer Programming at the CJCE! We are thrilled to be offering a variety of programs this summer. TAI CHI
Jewish Community Center of GREATER DAYTON Sunday, May 3 › Yiddish Club in Memory of Lynda A. Cohen 1:30 @ Starbucks (2424 Far Hills Ave, Oakwood) Topic: Mir Kumen Aheym Aliyah to Israel. Contact Judy Woll at 470-0113.
Tuesdays, 4–5PM June 2–September 1 $5/class | $55/person - paid by June 2 ($15 savings) Instructor: Debra Stewart
LINE DANCING
Tuesdays, 5PM–6PM June 2–September 1 $5/class | $55/person - paid by June 2 ($15 savings) Instructor: Debra Stewart
INSANITY
instructor Debra Stewart. Line dancing is a fun way to socialize and exercise. This line dance
will offer instruction for beginners with
Registration with payment due by May 26
dance steps and rhythm. Debra has taught
MAHJONG FOR BEGINNERS
line dancing through Sinclair’s PED
June 9, 16 & 23, 6:30PM–8PM $25 (includes materials)
department and has choreographed line dances for local YMCA’s. Her programs
Instructor: Cathy Gardner
have been featured in the Wall Street
CALLIGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS
Journal and on Fox and Friends Video
July 7, 14 & 21 6:30PM–8PM $50 (includes materials)
with Griff Jenkins.
› Mamaloshen
Instructor: Cathy Gardner
A little bit of Yiddish to share with friends, courtesy of the JCC Yid-
REGISTER FOR ALL PROGRAMS BY CALLING KAREN, 610-1555 The JCC would like to thank our fantastic Women’s Voices: A Passover Experience committee!
Thursday, May 14 › CLOSING NIGHT- Run Boy Run 7:15PM @ The Neon Sponsor: Economy Linen & Towel Service, Inc. RSVPs are due at least 1 week before event. Events with no price listed are free. PLEASE CONTACT KAREN STEIGER REGARDING ALL EVENTS UNLESS NOTED: 610-1555, ksteiger@jfgd.net JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON AGENCY NEWSLETTER | MAY 2015
for clogging, Latin, Irish, and swing. We
walk through to build familiarity with the
Confirm attendance each week by Monday
(BELOW) Front L-R: Shirlee Gilbert, Melinda Doner, Bev Louis, Lori Cohen Back L-R: Sis Litvin, Angela Frydman, Bonnie Beaman Rice, Dena Briskin, Marti Jacobs, Judy Heller, Judy Woll, Bella Freeman
as country, top 40, ballroom, bluegrass
dance sheets, and every dance will have a
Registration with payment due by June 30
Tuesday, May 12 › For A Woman 7:15PM @ The Neon Sponsor: Square One Salon & Spa
Dancing, for all ages, with
OPEN MAHJONG
Friday, May 15 › Book Club 10:30AM–NOON @ Temple Israel (130 Riverside Dr., Dayton) The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman. Contact Judi Grampp, 890-6271.
Wednesday, May 6 › Dancing in Jaffa 7:15PM @ The Neon Sponsor: Washington Centerville Public Library & Friends of WCPL
we will be offering Line
class will feature music of all genres such
Thursday, May 7 › Youth & Teen Fun & Play 6:30–8PM @ UD RecPlex (2 Evanston Ave., Dayton) Grades 6–7 and 8–11 play sports and games. Contact Yale Glinter for more information.
Tuesday, May 5 › The Jewish Cardinal 7PM @ The Little Art Theatre
June 2 – September 1
Monday & Wednesday, 5PM–6PM June 8–September 2 $5/class | $105/person - paid by June 8 ($25 savings) Instructor: Lauren Baumgarten Tuesdays, 6:30PM-8PM June 9–September 1 No cost
FILM FESTIVAL $9 per ticket, $8 for students.
NEW THIS SUMMER @ the CJCE
dish Club, in memory of Lynda A. Cohen.
Shtaygn: \SHTAYG-en\ Verb To climb, rise, ascend, advance. Expression with shtaygn: Nisht geshtoygn un nisht gefloygn It never happened (lit., it did not climb nor did it fly).
Make a Matzah: Pat, Pat, Pat Vivian Klass and Andrew Simpson mix flour and water with assistance from Rochel Simon, Judaics Specialist, during Early Childhood’s annual Matzah Factory. (PHOTO BY LISA SIEGEL)
E!
TOP RIGHT: Raggedy Edge, starring Lynn Perdzok and Bob Farley performed at the JCC for the Active Adults. Their show was a musical trip down memory lane with familiar tunes we all know and love. (PHOTO BY JANICE KOHN) BOTTOM RIGHT: Doubly talented saxophone player and pianist Tim Cochlin, played the standards and more to an enthralled audience at the lunch program (PHOTO BY CHERYL BENSON) BELOW: Fraud Alert, an informative talk at the Covenant Manor Lunch program, was presented by volunteer advocate Ed Cokley from the AARP Watchdog Alert program. (PHOTO BY JANICE KOHN)
Jewish Family Services Jewish Foundation ofof GREATER DAYTON GREATER DAYTON AT COVENANT MANOR: › Tuesday, May 5 @ 12:30PM Enjoy the mellow sounds of Roderick Wilson on the Trumpet and Ken Baccus on piano › Fresh Friday Friday, May 8 @ NOON Enjoy a delicious home cooked meal prepared by Bernstein’s Fine catering
TO R N A D O S E AS O N
Are You Prepared for Emergencies? Thunderstorms and snowstorms as well as power outages are rare occurrences. However, whatever the emergency, communication is the key to coping. Keep in touch with family, friends and emergency personnel. Ask yourself these questions NOW: » Can I reach my family and friends? Every home should have at least one phone that will work during a power outage. The phone should have a built-in or attachable amplifier if needed. » Will my cell phone work? In an emergency, making cell phone calls may be difficult because of overloaded circuits. Text messages are more likely to get through busy circuits. Even if the message is not sent immediately, it is in line to be sent when the line is available. » Will I be able to send and receive e-mails and get news onling? Install a backup battery and power surge protector for your computer in case of an outage. » Will I be able to get news bulletins? Television stations broadcast emergency warnings visually, as well as with sound. A good transistor radio means you won’t be dependent on television. Special radio receivers are available to provide text information from the National Weather Service broadcasts. » Should I have a buddy system? It is always a good idea to have a nearby family member of friend to stay in touch with in case of an emergency. But it’s unreliable to count on someone else to alert you: they may be away or unreachable. You need to take independent action as well. » Do I have enough emergency lighting? You should have several battery-operated flashlights or lanterns. Some models can be left plugged into your household current and come on automatically in case of a power failure.
› Songs from the Swing Era Tuesday, May 12 Presented by Bob Kohn › Dayton Inventions Tuesday, May 19 Presented by Jim Charters › Fresh Friday & Bingo Friday, May 22 @ NOON Enjoy a delicious home cooked meal prepared by Bernstein’s Fine catering Bingo @ 12:30PM › Wild Wacky Wonderful word games Tuesday, May 26 PLEASE CONTACT CHERYL BENSON REGARDING ALL COVENANT MANOR EVENTS : 854-6319
ACTIVE ADULTS: › Dine Around Tuesday, May 28 @ 11:30AM North China Restaurant 6090 Far Hills Ave., Centerville Cost of lunch is on your own. › Norman Rockwell’s America Thursday, May 28 @ 1:30PM The Boonshoft CJCE Explore the world of Norman Rockwell, presented by the Washington Centerville Public Library. No Cost.
PLEASE CONTACT KAREN STEIGER REGARDING ALL ACTIVE ADULT EVENTS : 610-1555
JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON AGENCY NEWSLETTER | MAY 2015
PACE vs. LOJE
Jewish Foundation of GREATER DAYTON
Thank you for your scholarship and grant submissions. Awards will be announced in May. Please contact Alisa Thomas at 937-610-1796 with any questions.
Within the world of a Foundation, there are many different types of funds - donor advised funds (also known as philanthropic funds), unrestricted funds, restricted funds – the list goes on and on. Through a donor advised fund, you can manage your charitable giving all from one account, and fulfilling your philanthropic goals is a simple as making a phone call. When you establish an endowment, you create an everlasting gift and leave a permanent mark that will help provide funding for what you love in perpetuity. Two popular endowments are PACE and LOJE funds. So what do these acronyms mean? PACE stands for Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment. LOJE stands for Lion of Judah Endowment. Both funds are considered restricted funds, which means they may only be used for their intended purpose, as opposed to an unrestricted fund which provides for various Federation programs and agencies based on where the need is the greatest. PACE and LOJE funds help support the Annual Campaign in perpetuity. So what is the difference between a PACE fund and LOJE fund? There are several differences. A PACE fund can be established by both men and women. The minimum required to establish a PACE fund is $10,000. A LOJE fund is very similar; a LOJE fund may be established by a woman who endows her gift with a minimum of $100,000. This will in turn yield a yearly gift of approximately $5,000 for the Annual Campaign, thus maintaining the donor’s Lion of Judah level posthumously. There are numerous giving vehicles available to establish a PACE or LOJE fund. Life insurance policies, bequests, or an outright gift of cash are just a few examples. We encourage you to speak with your financial or legal advisor for a full list of available options. The Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton currently has 33 women who give at the Lion of Judah level, including 15 with Lion of Judah Endowments. In 2014, 15 PACE funds and 4 LOJE funds accounted for $75,954.39 of the Annual Campaign. Making a decision to leave a legacy to the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton and its agencies is a meaningful way to ensure your support never ends. Our community has demonstrated time and time again its supportive and generous nature. There is no amount of thanks that could ever express our true gratefulness and appreciation for our donors. If you would like more information about our Foundation, please contact us at 937-610-1555.
JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON AGENCY NEWSLETTER | MAY 2015
Legacies, Tributes, & Memorials FEDERATION
BOARD DISCRETIONARY ENDOWMENT FUND IN MEMORY OF › Bernice Carson Cathy Gardner PJ LIBRARY IN HONOR OF › Special birthday of Dr. David Marcus Marcia and Ed Kress LINDA RUCHMAN MEMORIAL FUND IN HONOR OF › 90TH birthday of Oscar Soifer Diane and Jim Duberstein IN MEMORY OF › Jerry Mayerson Judy and Marshall Ruchman Diane and Jim Duberstein › Yale Holt › Bert Lieberman › Herman Levitt Diane and Jim Duberstein JCC
ACTIVE ADULTS IN HONOR OF › Get well to Joe Litvin Jane and Dr. Gary Hochstein FAMILY SERVICES FAMILY SERVICES
IN MEMORY OF › Barbara Levin Susan and Jonas Gruenberg SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE IN HONOR OF › Get well to Joel Newman Hyla and Dr. Ray Weiskind IN MEMORY OF › Sister of Nancy Newman Hyla and Dr. Ray Weiskind JEREMY BETTMAN B’NAI FOUNDATION
TZEDEK FUND IN MEMORY OF › Bernice Carson › Colonel Richard Poch Jean and Todd Bettman
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Classes
Chabad Jewish Learning Institute: Origins & Evolution of Jewish Traditions. Six Mondays, 7:30-9:30 p.m. beginning May 4. $69. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 643-0770. Temple Beth Or Classes: Sun., May 3, 9:30 a.m.: How To Talk To Kids About Death. Wed., May 6, 7 p.m.: Men’s Circle. Sundays, 10:30 a.m., May 10 & 24: Tanach w. Rabbi Chessin. Sundays, 1 p.m.: Adult Hebrew w. Rabbi Chessin. Thurs., May 14, 1 p.m.: Socrates Café. Wednesdays, 6-9:30 p.m.: Israeli Folk Dancing w. Janifer Tsou. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 435-3400. Temple Israel Classes: Mondays, 1:15-2:30 p.m.: Learn to Crochet or Knit. Wednesdays, 10 a.m.: Lattes & Legends, Dorothy Lane Mkt., 6177 Far Hills Ave. Wednesdays, noon: Talmud study. Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.: Torah study. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496-0050.
Discussions
Sundays, 9:45-11:45 p.m. $5 each. May 3: Rabbi David Sofian. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496-0050.
May 19, 7 p.m.: Trivia Night at Harrigan’s Tavern, 4070 Marshall Rd., Kettering. Call Ehud Borovoy, 610-1555.
Rockwell’s America at Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. Call Karen Steiger, 610-1555.
JCC Book Club: Fri., May 15, 10:30 a.m.-noon. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman. Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. Call Judi Grampp, 890-6271.
Fitness
JCC Film Fest
Women
Chabad Women’s Circle: Sun., May 3, 10 a.m.: End of Year Tea. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. Call 643-0770.
Teens
Break The Hate With Molly Rosen: Israel advocacy session and lunch. Sunday, May 3, 12:30 p.m. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. Free. R.S.V.P. to Caryl Segalewitz, 610-1555. JCC Youth & Teen Fun & Play. Thurs., May 7, 6:30-8 p.m. UD RecPlex, 2 Evanston Ave., Dayton. Grades 6-7 and 8-11. Call Yale Glinter, 610-1555.
Young Adults
Temple Israel Ryterband Lecture & Brunch Series:
YAD Events: Fri., May 8, 7 p.m.: Shabbat Dinner. Tues.,
Tai Chi @ the CJCE: Tuesdays. Beginners 3:30-4:30 p.m. Advanced 4:45-5:45 p.m. First class free, then $5. 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. R.S.V.P. to 610-1555. Insanity Workout: w. Lauren Baumgarten. Mondays & Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m. First class is free, then $5. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. R.S.V.P. to 6101555.
Seniors
Jewish Family Services Events: See Federation newsletter in center spread. JCC Yiddish Club: Sun., May 3, 1:30 p.m. Starbucks, 2424 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. Call Dr. Judy Woll, 470-0113. JFS Active Adults Dine Around: Thurs., May 28, 11:30 a.m. North China Restaurant, 6090 Far Hills Ave., Centerville. Followed at 1 p.m. by Norman
A new home for you ...
... a more carefree lifestyle, too.
Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. Sat., May 16, noon: Occupation, Settlements & International Law. At Beth Abraham, 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. Sun., May 17, noon: Jerusalem in Messianic Thought. At Temple Israel. For info., call Rabbi Karen BodneyHalasz at Temple Israel. 4960050.
See schedule on Page 25.
Community Events
Jewish Federation Presidents Dinner: Sun., May 3, 5:45 p.m. Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park N. For info., call 610-1555.
Beth Abraham Synagogue & Temple Israel Day of Learning: Sunday, May 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Includes breakfast. Kosher lunch available for purchase ($10 adults, $8 children 4-12) with advance reservations by May 6 to Temple Israel, 496-0050. At Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton.
Chabad Yiddish Kite Day & Lag B’Omer Outing: Delco Park, Kettering, Shelter 3. Thurs., May 7, 5:30 p.m. R.S.V.P. for dinner to Chabad, 643-0770. Beth Abraham Synagogue men’s Club Mother’s Day Brunch: Sun., May 10, 10 a.m. Free. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. R.S.V.P. to 293-9520 by May 8.
Chabad Shavuot Lunch & Ten Commandments: Sun., May 24, 11 a.m. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 643-0770. Hillel Academy Brunch Honoring Sandy SloaneBrenner: Sun., May 31, 11 a.m. Beth Abraham Synagogue, 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. $75. R.S.V.P. to 277-8966.
Yom Yerushalayim ScholarIn Residence Weekend: sponsored by Beth Abraham Synagogue and Temple Israel. With Rabbi Jonathan Greenberg. Fri., May 15, 7:30 p.m.: The Green Line. At
Bethany Village has immediate openings in our apartments and cottages ... ready for you to move in and embrace an easier way of living. Get to know a carefree lifestyle and discover whether an apartment or cottage suits you best:
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(937)701-0603 • BethanyLutheranVillage.org THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
PAGE 17
Have an
KVELLING CORNER
awesome! simcha
Bar & Bat Mitzvahs Birthdays • Weddings Anniversaries • Sweet 16s
Beth Abraham Synagogue celebrated employee Dennis Day for his 30 years of service as custodian to the congregation, with a kiddush luncheon in his honor on April 25. As Marc Katz wrote in Beth
buildings) for two lightning strikes, four USY or Kadima conventions, ‘and a lot of directors and presidents.’” James S. Nathanson & Associates has earned a Pollie Award from the American Association of Political Consultants, the industry’s highest honor. JSN Associates was recognized in the category of field operations/best getout-the-vote effort for its work during the 2014 political season. “The most effective new weapon in a campaign’s arsenal is an enhanced version of the very oldest — face-to-face conversations with the voter,” Jim said. “In a sense, we are leaping forward into our past.”
Rachel Haug Gilbert Call or email for pricing information 937-723-7692 • awesome.yogurt@ymail.com 3012 Far Hills Ave. • Kettering (Far Hills & Dorothy Lane)
Make every day awesome! A. Requested changes
www.awesome-yogurt.com B. Without Swirl - Smaller Yogurt
Moving in May
Abraham’s April Bulletin, “He isn’t Jewish, but he knows most of the laws and customs, often pointing out which days board members can meet and which they can’t, according to the holiday season. He not only helps set up the sukkah, he knows how to do it and why. By his reckoning, he has been at Beth Abraham (in two
Susie Broidy has received a Promise Hero Award from the Springfield Promise
We’ll be on Brown Street for all of your Mother’s Day needs 1132 Brown Street Dayton, Ohio 45409 Easy access parking behind the Shoppe
And Beginning May 15 2316 Far Hills Avenue Oakwood, Ohio 45419
Finer & Designer Consignments
Feeling
Chained to your Wardrobe?
In The Shops of Oakwood
For both locations, call 937-224-7673 Are you reading this? So is the entire Jewish community. Contact Patty Caruso at plhc69@gmail.com to advertise in The Observer.
Specializing in: • ladies’ clothing sizes 0-2X • current season and styles • designer handbags and accessories • designer fine and costume jewelry
Walk-in consignments accepted daily until 4 p.m. (or until 6 p.m. on Thursdays). After hours or in-home pick up available by appointment.
43 W Franklin St, Centerville, OH loraleidayton.com • 937-528-6861 Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday (or until 7 p.m. on Thursdays).
Family Fun, Live Music, and Skydiving! at Carillon Historical Park
MAY 20
25
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11:00am - 8:30pm Admission: $8 per Adult (18-59), $7 per Senior (60+), $5 per Child (3-17),
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1000 Carillon Boulevard | Dayton, OH 45409 | www.daytonhistory.org | 937-293-2841 PAGE 18
Neighborhood Association for her efforts to increase fresh food, gardens, and nutritional education for Springfield residents. Susie is a retired art teacher, a gardener, and works for Ohio State Extension. Lois Unger, a longtime volunteer and board member with the Dayton Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, has received the chapter’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Larry Klaben was honored as one of Springfield City Schools’ 2015 Alumni of Distinction. A graduate of the North High School Class of 1972, Larry is president/CEO of Morris Home Furnishings and chair of the Wright State University Board of Trustees. The Bexley Community Foundation has named Hallie C. Blazar Raskin as its new executive director. Hallie most recently served as assistant director of development for the Jewish Council for Youth Services in Chicago. Lindi Shane has been elected to the Goldman Union Camp Institute Board of Advisors. Lindi is an attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Dayton. A watercolor painting by Hillel Academy student Lucie Jacobs was selected for display as part of the Ohio Youth Art Month Exhibition at the State Teachers Retirement System Building in Columbus. Lucie’s entry was selected from among hundreds submitted by students across Ohio. Her art teacher is Thea Klass. Lucie is the daughter of Drs. Cassandra Milling-Jacobs and Bradley Jacobs. Jessica Cohen, daughter of Lori Appel-Cohen and Dr. Scott Cohen, is one of 73 teens from across North America on the National Federation of Temple Youth High School in Israel program from January through May. The program is based at Kibbutz Tzuba in the Judean Hills 15 minutes outside of Jerusalem. Students take an advanced Jewish history class and Hebrew Ulpan, general studies courses, and spend three days each week on field trips. Send your Kvelling items to kvellingcorner@gmail.com or to Rachel Haug Gilbert, The Dayton Jewish Observer, 525 Versailles Drive, Centerville, OH 45459.
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
Mother’s Day 2015
What I learned from my mother was growing up consisted of a protein, By Renate Frydman a starch, a salad, and lots of vegetables. Special To The Observer They were all thoroughly cooked, but This is the first time since I was a apparently still contained enough vitalittle girl that I won’t buy a Mother’s mins to sustain a long, healthy life. Day card. 5. Stealing is totally unacceptable. My mother, who passed away in December, was almost 108 years old. I miss However, if you didn’t have flowers growing in the small green space by the her tremendously. apartment house you live in, then it was Carmen was possibly the oldest JewOK to “borrow” a few from a neighbor’s ish person in our city; she had amassed yard. a gargantuan amount of knowledge 6. Use every talent God has given over her many years. you, even if you have limited means. As her only daughter and only child She managed to take me to plays, ballet, until my brother, Brian, was born when symphony, opera. I was 13, I absorbed I started ballet so much of life’s leslessons at 4, and sons from her. progressed to art I probably didn’t classes at the Dayeven realize it as I ton Art Institute, accompanied her and piano lessons to meeting after at home. meeting, to the train 7. Use materistation to welcome als at hand to émigrés to Daycreate beautiful ton, and to all her decorations such missions of mercy. as flowers made I thought everyone from crepe paper. did these things. Recycling wrapping Little did I know paper and ribbons then how amazing from gifts — which she was. That is still in later years made the word everyone her great-grandchilelse uses to describe dren roll their eyes Carmen — amaz— was a saving ing. Renate Frydman with her mother, Carmen Looking back at Appel, who died last year at the age of 107 measure from her earlier years. Growour time together, ing up, we cut pictures from Life magahere are some of the things I learned zine to tape on our walls for parties and from my mother. we made Ritz cracker appetizers with 1. Feel sympathy for those less fortuegg slices and a touch of caviar. nate. Whenever she met a person who 8. Make friends with people younger needed assistance in any way, she tried than yourself. As you age, this helps to help them. And help them she did. keep you young. She left no stone unturned to solve the 9. Volunteer for many organizations. problem at hand. There are so many ways to help people. If someone needed a job, housing, Carmen was not afraid of new experidoctor visits, meals, a lift-up when they ences. were down, Carmen was there. Her She bravely became the first Jewphone never stopped ringing; her probish woman on the board of the YWCA lem solving was endless. and the League of Women Voters in the 2. Be polite to everyone you encounter. She was always polite to others. Her 1940s. 10. Never take no for an answer when caregivers from her last seven years said you are soliciting for a charitable cause. they all loved this trait about her. She It’s for the common good. still was able to say thank you until her 11. Get dressed early when you arise very last day. and take on each day head on. 3. “Giving is living” was her famous 12. Do anything and everything quote. As a newcomer to this country, she had to find her own way around the necessary to sustain your family. At the age of 29, my mother went to the British city and resolved to make it easier for Embassy in Nazi Germany on Kristallothers when they began arriving after nacht — the Night of Broken Glass — World War II. Carmen gave her time over and over to others who were recent and came away with the papers to get her family to England. arrivals to this great country. From the 13. Do not dwell on your own mis1940s to more recent years, she reached fortunes or let sadness overtake you. out to them and helped them find their Rather you march on, helping others way. with their problems, and in that effort, 4. Eating well-balanced meals makes your own burden becomes lighter. for a healthier person. She did this way 14. It is never too late to say, ‘I love before food charts and calorie counters you.’ That was her final gift to me. came out. Each of our dinners when I THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
PAGE 19
May
Iyar/Sivan Candle Lightings
RELIGION
Shavuot and revelation
First Eve Shavuot, May 24 9:39 p.m.
By Rabbi David M. Sofian Temple Israel Lately I have been rereading Rabbi Neil Gillman’s book, Doing Jewish Theology. I doubt Neil Gillman’s name is one that most of you readily know. It is worth knowing, because he can be an extremely helpful philosopher/theologian. Gillman spent his entire professional career teaching at Jewish Theological Seminary (the Conservative movement’s rabbinical
Shabbat, May 29: 8:38 p.m.
Perspectives
Shabbat, May 1: 8:13 p.m. Shabbat, May 8: 8:20 p.m. Shabbat, May 15: 8:26 p.m. Shabbat, May 22: 8:33 p.m. Erev Shavuot, May 23: 9:38 p.m.
Torah Portions May 2/13 Iyar Acharei Mot-Kedoshim (Lev. 16:1-20:27) May 9/20 Iyar Emor (Lev. 21:1-24:23) May 16/27 Iyar Behar-Bechukotai (Lev. 25:1-27:24) May 23/5 Sivan Bamidbar (Num. 1:1-4:20) May 30/12 Sivan Naso (Num. 4:21-7:89)
Lag B’Omer
33rd Day of Omer May 7/18 Iyar The 33rd day of the Omer breaks up the seven weeks of semi-mourning between Passover and Shavuot. It marks the end of a plague among Rabbi Akiva’s students and a victory of Bar-Kokhba’s soldiers over the Romans 2,000 years ago. It is celebrated with picnics and sports.
Yom Yerushalayim
Jerusalem Day May 17/28 Iyar Marks the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty during the Six Day War, on June 7, 1967.
Shavuot
Festival of Weeks, Receiving of the Torah May 24-25/6-7 Sivan Marks the end of the counting of the Omer, a 49-day period that begins on the second night of Passover, and recalls the giving of the Torah at Sinai. In biblical times, it fell at the end of the spring harvest. An all-night study session called a tikun, originally a mystical practice, has become increasingly popular. PAGE 20
CONGREGATIONS
seminary) in New York, from which he retired a few years ago. Perhaps you are thinking at this point: what is a Reform rabbi doing reading a JTS (Conservative) philosopher? Truth is, rabbis read thinkers from all the movements all the time. Let me just mention a couple of his earlier works: Sacred Fragments: Recovering Theology for the Modern Jew (1990), for which he won the national Jewish book award, and The Death of Death: Resurrection and Immortality in Jewish Thought (1997). I find him particularly helpful because he so often focuses on the metaphors through which we think about God. Among all the many insights
Avodah, work Leshon Ima: Mother Tongue
For some of us the month of May conjures an association with labor’s struggle for work-
Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin ers’ rights. On the Hebrew calendar, summer comes to mind. This year, we celebrate Shavuot at the end of May. Shavuot is a biblical agricultural holiday that marked the end of spring. Farmers and their families celebrated with joy the fruits of their labor, bringing the first produce of their fields as gifts to God, expressing gratitude (Deut 16: 9-12). Only later in our history did Shavuot become the holiday to mark matan Torah, the receiving
brought to Jerusalem in thanksI’ve gained from reading his giving to God. The rabbis of work, I am particularly fascinated by his discussions of rev- the Talmud added that this elation and how what we think time was also the time of the giving of the Torah. about that determines Given the centrality also what we think of Torah (study and about authority in practice) in Jewish Jewish life. life, it is always sad I won’t try your to me that this festireading patience val is something of a with any details here stepchild in modern about his or for that Jewish observance. matter my thinking There are probably on the subject. Inmany reasons for this stead I want to raise including its lack of the subject generally colorful observances as the appropriate Rabbi David M. Sofian like the Seder. But Jewish thing for all of us to be thinking about around the one that stands out in my mind is that it is so theologithis time of year. cally challenging. As modern As I write these words, we have begun counting the Omer, Jews, it can be difficult to think about subjects like revelation, those days between the beginTorah and God. Perhaps this is ning of Pesach and Shavuot. why we don’t readily engage. According to our tradition My hope is that you will these are the days when our resist our tendency to disenancestors, having left Egypt, gage and use this time of year were on their way to Sinai to receive the Torah. The redemp- to ask yourself hard questions about what you really think tion from Egyptian slavery is about God, Torah, and Jewish only complete and meaningful practice. If you are willing to once the Covenant with God engage in that kind of serious is concretized in the revelation embodied in Torah. This means thought at this season of Shavuot, the festival will take on that this time of year is when new and greater significance. If we are preparing for Shavuot. you want Neil Gillman’s help The Torah teaches us that in your thinking, his books are Shavuot originally celebrated ready and waiting. the first fruits of the land of the Torah. In Europe, also, May marks the beginning of summer. Sending flowers and burning bonfires were part of the Northern Hemisphere’s rites of May Day. These celebrations did not enter American lore due to Puritan rejection of pagan customs. But it was on May Day that the American labor unions made their mark worldwide. Events in Chicago, from demonstrations on Michigan Avenue on May 1, 1886 to the Haymarket Square riot gave impetus to the workers’ unions worldwide to fight for civil rights, including an eight-hour work day and better child labor laws. In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed the bill recognizing the achievements of the labor movement. However, Labor Day in America was set for September in order not to give credit to labor organizers who were perceived to be foreign, social anarchists. Let us look at the Hebrew word for work, avodah, in honor of Shavuot, Israel’s farmers’
holiday, and the achievements of the labor unions. Avodah means work, labor, employment, occupation, profession, creative work, service and worship. Avodah is derived from the verb avad meaning work, serve, perform and worship. It is mentioned 145 times in the Bible, in terms of physical or harsh labor (Lev. 23:7; Ex. 1:14) and in reference to observance of the Law (Ex. 12:25) and worship (Num. 7:5). In post-biblical Hebrew, avodah also meant cultivate, tan (hides), as well as the names of portions of the liturgy. In modern Hebrew, avodah received added meanings such as life’s work, creative enterprise and a project. Avodah is at the center of many Hebrew phrases. Avodat adamah means cultivation of the soil. Avodat yad means handmade, and avodat kapayim means manual labor (kapayim means palms of hands). Avodat nemalim (work of ants) implies industrious labor, and avodat perech means hard labor (perech means oppresContinued on next page
Beth Abraham Synagogue Conservative Rabbi Joshua Ginsberg Cantor/Dir. of Ed. & Programming Andrea Raizen Monday through Friday 6:50 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. Fri., 5:30 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. Sundays at 8:30 a.m. 305 Sugar Camp Circle, Oakwood. 293-9520. BethAbrahamDayton.org Beth Jacob Congregation Traditional Saturdays 9:30 a.m., Sundays 8 a.m., Sunday through Friday, 7 p.m. 7020 N. Main St., Dayton. 274-2149. BethJacobCong.org Temple Anshe Emeth Reform Fri., May 8, 7:30 p.m. led by Rabbinic Intern Tina Sobo. 320 Caldwell St., Piqua. Call Eileen Litchfield, 937-5470092, elitchfield@woh.rr.com. Correspondence address: 3808 Beanblossom Rd., Greenville, OH 45331. ansheemeth.org Temple Beth Or Reform Rabbi Judy Chessin Asst. Rabbi/Educator David Burstein Fridays 7:30 p.m. Tot Shabbat 4th Friday, 5:30 p.m. Saturdays 10 a.m. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 435-3400. templebethor.com Temple Beth Sholom Reform Rabbi Haviva Horvitz See Web site for schedule. 610 Gladys Dr., Middletown. 513-422-8313. thetemplebethsholom.com Temple Israel Reform Rabbi David M. Sofian Rabbi/Educator Karen Bodney-Halasz 1st & 2nd Fri., 6 p.m. Other Fri., 7:30 p.m. Tot Shabbat 4th Fri., 6 p.m. Sat., 10:30 a.m. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496-0050. tidayton.org Temple Sholom Reform Fridays 6 p.m. 2424 N. Limestone St., Springfield. 399-1231. templesholomoh.com
ADDITIONAL SERVICES Chabad of Greater Dayton Rabbi Nochum Mangel Associate Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin Youth & Prog. Dir. Rabbi Levi Simon, Teen & Young Adult Prog. Dir. Rabbi Hershel Spalter. Beginner educational service Saturdays 9 a.m. adults, 10 a.m children. Sundays 9 a.m. Tuesdays & Wednesdays. 6:45 a.m. 2001 Far Hills Ave. 643-0770. www.chabaddayton.com Yellow Springs Havurah Independent Services 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 10-noon. Antioch College Rockford Chapel. Contact Cheryl Levine, 937-767-9293.
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
JEWISH FAMILY EDUCATION
Ritual matters
where he asked one of the chief rabbis what element of doctrine unites Jews throughout the world. The rabbi responded, “When Jew in the Christian world series it comes to doctrine, there is Following a two-year courtclaim not to believe that rituals hardly any uniformity. What ship, Conservative synagogues work,” write Harvard Business unites all faithful Jews are the rituals.” B’nai Tzedek and Ohav Shalom School behavioral scientists Despite exceptional diversity in Cincinnati recently joined Francesca Gino and Michael within the Jewish world, rituals together in a marriage ceremoNorton in the article Why Ritusuch as tzedakah, the mezuzah, ny, forming Congregation Etz als Work in the May 14, 2013 Shabbat candles, challah, and Chaim. issue of Scientific American. the Seder are embraced by or Attended by hundreds In another study, reported are at least familiar to nearly dressed in tuxedos and gowns, at psychologicalscience.org all Jewish communities. Rituals it was a formal occasion feaon July 22, 2013, psychologimatter for maintaining continuturing a rabbinic officiant, a cal scientist Kathleen Vohs at ity and connection. congregant-made chupah (wed- the University of Minnesota Although rituals abound in and her colleagues observed Jewish life, their rote perforthat “personal involvement in mance — as many mistakenly the ritual is paramount...the Candace R. fact that rituals believe — is not their purpose. draw people Rituals teach us Kwiatek Their purpose into what they how to be moral isn’t blind are doing — obedience or fully accounted as we express or ding canopy), Torah-circling for the positive ourselves, interact salvation redemption. ceremony, and values-focused effects that rituwith others, and Their purketubah (marriage contract). als have.” pose isn’t just to Why all the hoopla for the Rituals mat- build community. tell the Jewmerger of two congregations? ter for developish story or to Because rituals matter. ing our awareconnect with the Divine. Their Sociology tells us that all ness and attitude. purpose isn’t simply commurituals emanate from common Judaism is well-known for nity or cultural expression or sources: deity, sacred literature its expression through ritual. continuity. or leaders, religious or historical While various branches of The genius of Jewish rituals tradition, or human creativity, Christianity may observe a is their capacity for teaching or some combination thereof. limited number of rituals, they values and ethics, the central Furthermore, ritual is found are not ecumenical. theme of the Torah echoed by in every culture and society Christian worship may be the Prophets. Rituals matter throughout history, where it on Saturday or Sunday. It may serves human needs: communi- range from silence and personal most of all as a means to moralcation with the divine, embodi- reflection to a communion mass ity. In the Mosaic Haggadah, ment of history and storytelling, (a ceremony of bread and wine response to physical or emoalso called the Lord’s Supper) tional needs, evaluation of the to a rock-style songfest with a self, reflection of religious and sermon. cultural values, and bonding Observance of sacred days within family or community. and seasons such as Christmas, Rituals matter for expressing Easter, and Lent varies, as do our humanness. life-cycle events such as bapScience offers clues about tism and marriage. Fasting and the power of rituals. “Recently, tithing are not universal. a series of investigations by Within Christianity rituals psychologists have revealed abound, but individually they intriguing new results demonare neither embraced by nor fastrating that rituals can have miliar to the entire community a causal impact on people’s of churches. thoughts, feelings, and behavJudaism offers a significant iors…What’s more, rituals apcontrast. The Dalai Lama tells pear to benefit even people who the story of a visit to Israel
Avodah
Continued from previous page sive). Avodat kodesh means worship (kodesh means holy) and avodah zara refers to idolatry (zara means foreign). We will end on a political note. The Israeli Zionist Union Party (Hamachaneh Hatziyoni) is a merger of parties, Avodah (Labor) being the largest. The name of the new political camp indicates that the idea of avo-
David Silberman writes, “Tradition is designed to make us think, to look for bigger messages that apply to us today, not just to automatically rote go through a ritual.” Through symbol and action, rituals are catalysts for the moral development of individuals and communities. The impermanent man-made sukkah teaches humility, the blessing after eating teaches gratitude. Tzedakah teaches the obligation to pursue justice, the mezuzah teaches moral character both in and out of the home. The Seder teaches the universal significance of liberty and the obligation to care for the needy and the stranger. Rituals teach us how to be moral as we express ourselves, interact with others, and build community. “Morality is God’s supreme
demand of all human beings,” Rabbi Reuven Hammer asserts in The Torah Revolution. “Ritual is secondary to right conduct.” If morality is the ultimate obligation, why add the intermediary of rituals? Can’t we just learn a catechism of Jewish values and moral precepts? Leaving aside that many rituals are directly commanded by God, modern research suggests rituals are extremely effective in both life-changing and mundane situations via regular reinforcement, multi-sensory engagement, and emotional stimulation. And Jewish rituals in particular also offer simultaneous multi-level learning opportunities, intergenerational participation, linkage to history and culture, and opportunities for fun and enjoyment. Rituals matter.
Literature to share The Night that Unites Passover Haggadah by Aaron Goldscheider: Newly published to high acclaim, this Haggadah is a brilliant compilation of the stories and insights of Rabbis Kook, Soloveitchik, and Carlebach, combined with the traditional Seder text in English and Hebrew. Inspiring and informative, it explores traditions, values, history, Israel, and more, making it a must-have book to be savored all year. Zvuvi’s Israel by Tami Lehman-Wilzig: Join a little fly (zvuv) and his cousin as they explore dozens of cities and sites around Israel. Open air markets, scuba diving, an alligator farm and spelunking are some of the unusual adventures included in this informative, engaging book. A delightful introduction to Israel for youngsters ages 5 to 10.
dah is no longer at the center of the newly formed party’s agenda. Does it represent a shift in Israel’s political culture? Time will tell. I wish all our readers a happy Shavuot, a holiday in which Torah and avodah juxtapose. Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin is a professor of biblical literature at Spertus College in Chicago and an adjunct professor of Bible and Hebrew at New College of Florida.
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
PAGE 21
FOOD THE JEWISH INTERNET
Sites on The Ten Commandments Sorry, Dave, you were a bunch of centuries late. THIS is the original Top Ten List. On Sunday, May 24, Aseret Hadibrot, the Ten Commandments, will be read from the Torah to mark the first day of Shavuot.
Mark Mietkiewicz Aside from being fundamental to Judaism, those commandments have influenced civilization and worked themselves into all aspects of Western culture. This month, here are 10 (or so) sites for the Ten Commandments. 1. The original text(s) You can read the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1 (bit.ly/tencomm1). Actually, the Ten Commandments appear twice in the Torah, the second time with some variations, in Deuteronomy 5:5 (bit.ly/tencomm2). 2. Counting the Commandments In the Torah, the Commandments aren’t actually numbered. According to Yitzchak Etshalom, that has been a source of controversy in Judaism. “Where does #1 end, where does #2 end, etc.?” Etshalom presents three different
PAGE 22
numbering schemes. Part of the confusion rests in the fact that depending on the count, there are 13, 14 or 15 separate mitzvot (commandments) contained within the Ten Commandments (bit.ly/tencomm3). 3. Their special significance If the Ten Commandments are raised to a unique status, what does that say about the status of the rest of the Torah? The essay Special Treatment for the Ten Commandments? examines this question and related debates over whether it is proper for the congregation to stand while the Ten Commandments are recited, and even whether the tablets should be displayed inside the synagogue (bit.ly/tencomm4). 4. The Tablets Speaking of which, Rabbi Anchelle Perl is happy to burst a misconception. We are all familiar with those iconic tablets, square on the bottom, rounded on the top. Check out this amazing gallery of classic art from Rembrandt to Chagall, at bit.ly/tencomm20. Well, not quite, says Perl. He quotes the Talmud to argue that the tablets were also square on top. He says Judaism has a responsibility to depict accurately one of its most important symbols (bit. ly/tencomm5). 5. In song Actually, in chant. You can listen to the Aseret Hadibrot
thanks to Cantor David Goldstein of North Shore Congregation Israel of Glencoe, Ill. at bit.ly/tencomm6. 6. The night before One popular Shavuot tradition is the Tikkun Leyl Shavuot, to stay up and learn throughout the first night of the holiday in anticipation of the giving of the Torah, which is commemorated in the morning. The Union for Reform Judaism has created a detailed booklet for the Tikkun Leyl Shavuot evening titled, Aseret Hadibrot: Illuminating the Ten CommandRembrandt van Rijn, Moses Breaking the ments (bit.ly/tencomm7). Tablets of The Law, 1659
7. For kids The Jewish Theological Seminary site has a large poster celebrating the giving of the Torah that kids can print out and color (bit.ly/tencomm8). TorahTots has a comprehensive look at the preparation the Israelites went through in order receive the Torah (bit.ly/ tencomm9). 8. In the courts The Ten Commandments are a common adornment to many synagogues. But when displayed in public schools, government buildings and courthouses, controversy has been common because of the separation of church and state. (bit.ly/tencomm10).
9. The movie There have been several screen adaptations but when you talk about THE movie, you must be referring to Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 epic with Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner. Although some of the dialogue from that film has its basis in the Torah, I should clear up one fallacy. There is no biblical proof that Princess Nefertiri (Anne Baxter) ever uttered the immortal words: “Oh Moses, Moses, you stubborn, splendid, adorable fool (bit.ly/ tencomm11).” Thanks to YouTube, you can watch 10 highlights from the classic 1956 version (bit.ly/ tencomm12). And while we’re in movie
mode, don’t miss the only other performer who gave Charlton Heston a run for his money as Moses, the great Mel Brooks. And his classic take on why we don’t observe the Fifteen Commandments (bit.ly/ tencomm14). 10. In popular culture The Ten Commandments have not only become central to Judaism; they’ve woven themselves into popular culture. Many sites have lists of “new” commandments, some sensible, some sublime, some ridiculous, including the Ten Commandments: • Of breast-feeding: “You shall not wean your children for the sake of convenience (bit.ly/tencomm15).” • Of termination: “Thou shalt allow the employee to leave with dignity (bit.ly/tencomm16).” • Of square dancing: “Thou shalt take care that the words of thy mouth are not scented with garlic or beer (bit.ly/tencomm17).” • Of sane living: “Strike a balance between work and play... Nobody ever said on their deathbed, ‘I wish I had spent more time in the office. (bit.ly/tencomm18).’” • Of Twitter: “Thou shalt not retweet thine own awesomeness (bit.ly/tencomm19).” Mark Mietkiewicz writes about resources for Jewish life to be found on the Internet. Contact him at highway@rogers.com.
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
OBITUARIES Bernice S. Carson, age 96 of Dayton, passed away March 28. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Pearl Rosensweet; husband, Bernard Carson; son, Robert Carson; sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Bill Semmelman. Mrs. Carson is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Joyce and Charles Kardon, many nieces and nephews. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Israel or the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton. Herman Ehrlich, age 79, born in Dayton Dec. 31, 1935, passed away peacefully March 21 at his home, The Carlyle House. He was a long-time resident of Centerville, since 1976. Mr. Ehrlich was preceded in death by his parents, Max and Lottie, and sister Sylvia Ehrlich. He is survived by his three children, Marla (Brian) Katz, Allen (Kara Sandler) Ehrlich, Lois Michelle (Sid) Lane: grandchildren Daniel Katz, Ben Ehrlich and Sara and Jake Lane. Mr. Ehrlich was a Fairview High School and Ohio State University graduate. He joined the family grocery business, Ehrlich’s Market in Lebanon until the business was sold in 1986. His passion for selling cars led him to join Bob Ross Buick until he retired in 2009. His hobbies included his visits with his children, grandchildren, Ohio State Football (Go Bucks), action movies, friends at the YMCA, and his cars. His family wishes to extend their appreciation to The Carlyle House in Kettering and Hospice of Dayton for their care and support. Interment was at Beth Jacob Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to The American Cancer Society or the charity of your choice. Dr. Robert Flagel passed away unexpectedly at his home on April 15 at the age of 75. Dr. Flagel was a lifelong resident of Middletown, practicing optometry in town for 50 years. Dr. Flagel is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Sharon, and his four children and 11 grandchildren — his pride and joy: Laurie (Greg Cameron) Flagel and children Colin, Jake, and Braden of Cincinnati; Todd (Jamie) Flagel and children Evan, Daniel, and Sam of Cincinnati; Eric (Dena) Flagel and children Alexandra, Adam, and Kate of Chicago; and Shelly (Jonathan Morrow)
Flagel and children Elijah and Gabriel of Ann Arbor. He is also survived by his sister, Joyce (Steve) Kiourtsis, of Columbus, and was preceded in death by his mother, Judith Freeman Flagel and father, Louis Flagel. Dr. Flagel graduated from Middletown High School in 1957 and The Ohio State University College of Optometry in 1963. For decades, Dr. Flagel proudly served the Middletown community in a variety of roles, including as president of the Middletown Community Foundation, president of the Noon Optimist Club, president of Temple Beth Sholom, chairman of All American Weekend, and committee member of the Pigskin Roundball Spectacular. In recent years, Dr. Flagel enjoyed daily walks at Smith Park with his wife, Sharon, and dog, Wriglee, which replaced his 30-year routine of running after work. His greatest joy was spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. He will be greatly missed for his sense of humor, generosity, and positive spirit. Interment was at Woodside Cemetery, Middletown. Contributions may be made to Temple Beth Sholom, 610 Gladys Dr., Middletown, OH 45044 or the Middletown Community Foundation, 300 N. Main St., Suite 300, Middletown, OH 45042. Nathaniel W. Goldwasser, age 85, of Union, passed away April 12. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joan. Mr. Goldwasser is survived by two daughters, Andrea and Kim; three sons, Alan, Mark and Robert; special son-in-law Brett, 10 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, sister Hannah. Interment was at Beth Abraham Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Dayton. Gerald Simon Maybruck, age 76 of Columbus, passed away April 12. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elsie and David Maybruck, and brother, Martin Maybruck. He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Judith Maybruck; his children, Julie, Brian and Alison Maybruck; daughter-in-law Jill Maybruck; grandchildren, Grayson and Emma Maybruck; brothers, Alan, Eddie and Dan Maybruck. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.
Col. Richard (Rick) Charles Poch (USAF Ret.) of West Chester, Pa. died March 29. He was the husband of Honore (nee Levine); father of Eric (Sheri) Poch and Helena (Walter) Ciechanowski; brother of Joel Poch, Bettina BereshPoch and Diana Suslak-Spriggs; grandfather of Jordan, Alayna, Leianna, Stephen and Zoeanna Darcie. Col. Poch was born in the Bronx, N.Y., graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and is recognized as a notable alumnus. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from New York University in aeronautics and astronautics engineering. He served in the United States Air Force for 30 years, graduating from the USAF Test Pilot School Class 76B (1976). His assignments included but were not limited to serving as the chief flight test project engineer for the KC-10 air refueling boom at Edwards AFB and he received an outstanding airmanship award as result of his accomplishments, as a detailee for NASA’s Johnson Space Flight Center as a front room mission controller during the Space Shuttle’s Return to Flight mission and earned a NASA Group Achievement Award for his role, as space and missile evaluation manager and assistant chief test policy and procedure at Headquarters System Command at Andrews AFB, which contributed to the technology responsible for GPS, as deputy director of the Aero Propulsion and Power Directorate at Wright-Patterson AFB, and as director of Test and Evaluation Directorate at Hanscom AFB where he was awarded the Legion of Merit for Meritorious Service. Col. Poch was also a National Association of Flight Instructors’ Gold Seal Master Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) with almost 10,000 hours of flight instruction. Out of approximately 81,000 CFIs, fewer than 400 hold this distinction. He also loved to sing karaoke and sang for Temple Sholom’s choir with his wife, Honore, in Broomhall, Pa. He will be remembered as a loving grandfather, father, and husband. His intelligence, wit, love of teaching, loyalty to country, family, friends, and students will live on with those he positively impacted. Interment was at Haym Salomon Memorial Park, Frazer, Pa. Contributions in his memory may be made to Temple Sholom in Broomall, Pa.
Selma Schwartz, age 97 of Dayton, passed away March 26 peacefully at home. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack M. Schwartz; three sisters, Leah Slutzky, Celia Gershow and Lena Scharff; three brothers, Jake, Bill and George Zappin. Mrs. Schwartz was born in Columbus, in 1918 to Harry and Ida Zappin. When she was six months old, her mother died and she was then adopted by her mother’s brother and his wife, Paul and Sarah Cruce. In her 20s, she moved to Dayton where she was employed at WPAFB until she married. She was a loving wife and mother. Mrs. Schwartz is survived by her daughter, Paula Weiss of Cincinnati, and several nieces and nephews. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Israel or the charity of your choice.
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Whose lives & loves to save?
Nicolas Duvauchelle (Jean) and Melanie Thierry (Lena) in For A Woman
tion camp, pretending that she was his By Marshall Weiss, The Observer fiancée. In the Talmud, we learn that “whoBut Michel and Léna had only met ever saves a life, it is considered as if a day before the escape; Michel fell in he saved an entire world (Mishnah love with her on sight. Sanhedrin 4:9).” Much of the film plays out immediSteven Spielberg used ately after World War II in Lyon, where this dictum as a tagline the young husband and wife are active to promote his landmark with the communist party. Michel has 1993 Holocaust film, opened a modest suit shop there; Léna Schindler’s List. tends to their 4-year-old girl, Tania (OnBut what happens dine Barry), in their apartment above when the one who was the store. saved lives a desolate life with the one As Léna, Thierry projects the inner who saved her? tension of a woman who’s grateful to That’s the premise director Diane her husband but trapped in Kurys explores in the 2014 Kurys a claustrophobic life with a French feature film For A man she just doesn’t love. Woman. skillfully The tipping point comes The JCC Film Fest will stretches the when Michel’s younger screen For A Woman at the brother, Jean (Nicolas Neon on May 12. suspense Duvauchelle), shows up Kurys is known for across most at their apartment. Michel writing and directing believed Jean had perished films loosely based on her of For A in the Holocaust. parents’ rocky marriage Woman Jean is now on a mission, and her childhood in that but it’s not clear what it is. environment. His air of mystery draws “At the end of the day, I am not making films to heal from a painful past but suspicion from the communists; it also proves irresistible to Léna. to convey emotions,” Kurys said in an Léna’s husband and brother-in-law interview with the French Embassy in couldn’t be more different. Where the United States. “People can relate Michel is cautious and abides the rules, to...other people’s family history.” Jean survives however he can. Even In For A Woman, the father, Michel so, the brothers’ love for each other is (Benoît Magimel), has saved Léna apparent. (Mélanie Thierry) from a concentraIt’s too bad Kurys places the main plot within a frame, as a story within a The JCC Film Fest presents For A story. This formula isn’t necessary. Woman, Tuesday, May 12, 7:15 p.m. Kurys skillfully stretches the susat the Neon Movies, 130 E. 5th St., pense across most of For A Woman. It’s Dayton. Tickets are available at the door, not clear which difficult choices Michel, at jewishdayton.org, at the Boonshoft Léna, and Jean will make in the end: CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville, or each must decide whose lives — and by calling Karen Steiger at 610-1555. loves — to save.
Is your son or daughter graduating from high school this year?
The Observer is happy to offer you a FREE announcement, including a photo, in our June graduation issue. To receive a form for this free announcement, contact Karen Steiger at 853-0372 or KSteiger@jfgd.net. All forms must be received by May 1. PAGE 24
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
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ONLINE: Credit Card Orders Only jewishdayton.org
LAT
Season Pass $75
IN PERSON: Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Drive, Centerville
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The Neon
The Little Art Theatre
247 Xenia Ave, Yellow Springs
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SPONSOR: SQUARE ONE SALON & SPA
Run Boy Run 107 min
FILMS MAY CONTAIN ADULT CONTENT OR THEMES. PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION:
jewishdayton.org
84 min
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Y
90 min
For A Woman
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A
The Jewish Cardinal
Dancing in Jaffa 7:15PM
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STUDIO EXECUTIVE Sam Levin Foundation PRODUCER Bernie & Carole Rabinowitz DIRECTOR Iddings Foundation SCREENWRITER Rochelle & Michael Goldstein Cultural Arts Fund of the Jewish Foundation of Greater Dayton Charles & Joan Knoll David London Irvin & Gayle Moscowitz ACTOR Judy Abromowitz Enrique & Ruth Ellenbogen Robert & Vicky Heuman Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal Carole & Donald Marger Norman & Mary Rita Weissman
(includes all films)
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SUPPORTING ACTOR Joan R. Ackerman Linda & Jeff Albert Anonymous Theodore Arnovitz Film Festival Fund of the Jewish Foundation of Greater Dayton Ron Bernard & Judy Woll Stanley & Connie Blum Charlotte Braverman Felix Garfunkel Bob & Debby Goldenberg Lynn & David Goldenberg Joan & Art Greenfield Jane & Gary Hochstein Linda & Steve Horenstein Martin & Martha Jacobs Mike Jaffe Meredith Levinson Beverly Louis Mel & Elaine Mayerson Jim & Carol Nathanson Jane & David Novick
OPENING NIGHT SPONSOR:
DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SPONSOR:
AT THEATRE: Day of Event
Patricia A. Patterson Cantor Andrea Raizen Russ Remick Dr. Franklin & Renee Rubin Handel Allan Spetter & Claudia Birch Yellow Springs Havurah Mary & Gary Youra
Arlene Graham Henry Guggenheimer Helen Halcomb Mrs. Bea Harris Lois Harris Clara & David Hochstein Emily & Jon Holt Kim & Candace Kwiatek Sam & Ellen Lauber Nancy & Myron Levine Cheryl & Franklin Lewis Lynn Mantell Edward & Ruthe Meadow Bernadette & Brian O’Koon Edie Pequignot Cherie Rosenstein David Rothschild Howard & Deborah Rubenstein Mrs. Maxine Rubin Rina Thau Suzanne & Bob Thum Felix Weil Corinne & Thomas Wright
CREW Helen Abramovitz Beth Adelman Michael & Cynthia Africk Lawrence & Frayda Beloff Maryann & Jack Bernstein Frieda Blum Bernice Ezekiel Brant Dena & Larry Briskin Shelly Charles Alan & Judy Chesen Phil & Louisa Dreety Marni & Richard Flagel Michael & Bella Freeman Chuck & Dee Fried Helene Gordon
CLOSING NIGHT SPONSOR:
FILM SPONSORS:
FILM FEST HOTEL SPONSOR:
Ryan Levin & THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
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Stunning Mother’s Day arrangements
Our Garden Center is open! Hanging baskets & blooming baskets for Mother’s Day delivery. Bring in this ad and receive $10 off your next in-store purchase of $60 or more* Expires 12.31.2015. *Some exclusions apply. Not valid on wine, candy, or delivery.
1306 Troy Street • Dayton, Ohio 45404 (937) 223-1213 • furstflorist.com
Men’s Club Annual Complimentary
Mother’s Day Brunch Beth Abraham is Dayton’s only Conservative synagogue, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. We are an enthusiastically egalitarian synagogue. We also have an energetic Keruv program that reaches out to intermarried Beth Abraham is Dayton’s couples and families in our only Conservative synagogue andisinDayton’s the Dayton Beth Abraham synagogue, affiliated with Jewish community. only Conservative the United Synagogue of synagogue, liated with Conservativeaffi Judaism. the United Synagogue ofof For a complete schedule We are an enthusiastically Conservative our events, goJudaism. to egalitarian synagogue. bethabrahamdayton.org.
Sunday, May 10 10 a.m. Featuring lox and bagels, blintz souffle, musical entertainment. R.S.V.P. to 293-9520 by May 8.
We an enthusiastically For are a complete schedule of egalitarian our events, synagogue. go to bethabrahamdayton.org. We also have an energetic Keruv program that reaches out to intermarried couples and families in our synagogue and in the Dayton Jewish community. For a complete schedule of our events, go to bethabrahamdayton.org.
2015
Graduate Shabbat
Saturday, May 16, 9 a.m.
Beth Abraham is Dayton’s only Conservative synagogue, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. We are an enthusiastically egalitarian synagogue. We also have an energetic Keruv program that reaches out to intermarried couples and families in our synagogue and in the Dayton Jewish community.
Are you reading this? So is the entire Jewish community. Contact Patty Caruso at plhc69@gmail.com to advertise in The Observer.
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For a complete schedule of our events, go to bethabrahamdayton.org.
Fridman’s chilEvery survivor dren attribute his of the Holocaust survival to considhas a distinct story, erable luck, and and among the even more so to his most remarkable inherent resourceis the one told in fulness — a trait the movie Run Boy he also displays in Run. diapering and tying It’s the tale of the shoelaces of his an 8-year-old boy youngest grandwho escapes the children with one Warsaw Ghetto hand, after rejectand survives on his ing a prosthesis own for three years By Tom Tugend following a short in Nazi-occupied Jewish Journal test-run. Poland; the story of Greater Los Angeles Last year, the could easily defy family attended belief if the survithe premiere of vor were not still Run Boy Run at the alive and ready to Identical twins Kamil and Andrzej Tkacs portray an 8-year-old Jewish Museum in detail his experiboy who escapes the Warsaw Ghetto and survives on his own Warsaw, liked the ences. for three years in Run Boy Run film and deemed it At the center of 90-percent factually correct. In one of the film’s few light Run Boy Run — to be screened Veteran German director episodes, Jurek earns extra May 14 as the closing movie Pepe Danquart was attracted food from sympathetic adults of the JCC Film Fest — is the to the film’s theme because it by spinning wild stories about lad born as Israel Fridman but viewed the Holocaust through how he lost his arm, first blamnicknamed Srulik, the son of the eyes of an innocent yet ing a German tank and finally a baker in the Polish village of adventurous child. assuring his listeners that HitBlonie. “The Holocaust is still topiIn 1942, the 8-year-old Srulik ler personally cut off his arm. cal, still relevant,” Danquart In 1948, he is tracked down is smuggled out of the Warsaw said in a phone call from by a Jewish search agency and, Ghetto and hunkers down — Germany. “But six million despite the boy’s initial denials wet, cold and hungry — in a dead Jews is an abstract figure, of being Jewish, he eventually vast Polish forest. especially to kids. Yet, they can returns to his ancestral roots. He first falls in with a band be reached through a well-told The film essentially ends of orphaned Jewish youths adventure story.” there, but in a phone call to his who raid Polish farms for food Danquart, who won an home in Shoham, a Tel Aviv and wood, but when that falls Oscar in 1993 for his short film bedroom community, Yoram apart, Srulik again strikes out Israel Fridman — formerly Sru- Black Rider, had considerable on his own. difficulty finding the right lik and Jurek — told the rest of Knocking at the doors of actor for the central role of the story. Polish farmers to ask Srulik/Jurek. With his daughter, for shelter in return for “Two weeks before we were Michal, translating work, Srulik encounto start photography, I had from Hebrew and fillters rejections and even interviewed 700 youngsters ing in for her 79-yearbeatings until finally he without finding the right one,” old father, Fridman is taken in by Magda he said. Just then, he discovcontinued his life story (Elisabeth Duda, in a ered not only the one actor he from his aliyah (imstellar performance), was looking for, but two: idenmigration to Israel) in the wife and mother of tical twins Kamil and Andrzej 1948 to the present. Polish partisans. Tkacs. After arriving in Israel as a Magda is warm-hearted and With the huge physical and functional illiterate, Fridman brave, but above all, practical. psychological effort the role took an intensive six-month Knowing that Srulik will demanded, the twins could have a better chance of survival ulpan course in Hebrew, then relieve one another in front of as a Catholic boy than as a Jew, started his formal education the cameras. she renames him Jurek, teaches and eventually earned a masNorth Germany’s fields and ter’s degree in mathematics. him the Hail Mary prayer, forests largely stood in for the In 1963, he married Sonia, gives him a crucifix and, most who was born in Russia during Polish landscape, impressively importantly, warns him never rendered by cinematographer World War II, and the couple to take down his pants or reDavid Gottschalk. now has two children and six lieve himself in front of a Pole. One notable aspect of the grandchildren. Despite all precautions, movie is the depiction of Poles Fridman retired from his word spreads in the village that and Germans. There are Poles position as a math teacher 11 Magda is hiding a Jew. The SS who risk everything to help years ago and now enjoys life raids and torches her home, Jurek, and others, like a Polish as the family patriarch, an arand after some heart-stopping doctor, who refuse to treat a escapes, the boy is again on the dent basketball fan, and helpJew whose arm was ripped off ing his grandson with math run. in a farm accident. homework. In contrast, there is not a Some years ago, he told his The JCC Film Fest presents single good German in the wartime story to Israeli author Run Boy Run Thursday, German director’s movie. Uri Orlev, who wrote the book May 14, 7:15 p.m. at the Neon on which the film is based — in Danquart explained that he Movies, 130 E. 5th St., Dayton. didn’t want to diffuse the film’s the form of a thriller for young Tickets are available at the door, central theme by including an readers, in the same way Fridat jewishdayton.org, at the Oskar Schindler or a musicman has recounted his expeBoonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles loving Nazi officer as in Roman riences for his children and Dr., Centerville, or by calling Polanski’s The Pianist. grandchildren, Michal said. Karen Steiger at 610-1555.
The boy who ran, the man who lived
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
Children dancing toward peace By Michael Fox Special To The Observer Going back at least as far as 2001’s Promises, most recent documentaries that opted for an optimistic slant on the A scene from the documentary Dancing in Jaffa Israeli-Palestinian situation will be girls, Dulaine perseveres with centered on children. firmness as well as affection. Progress The next generation, to be sure, is in the classroom can be hard to discern, the universal embodiment of hope. however, so the film provides glimpses But betting on today’s children to of the home lives of three children to solve a problem down the road is tacit suggest their individual blossoming. acknowledgement that today’s adults Hilla Medalia, the prolific Israeliaren’t up to the task — or so those who born producer and/or director of such see the Middle East glass half-empty documentaries as To Die in Jerusalem, might say. Numbered, and the new The Go Go Boys: Both perspectives are skillfully The Inside Story of Cannon Films, again interwoven in Dancing in Jaffa, a nudisplays her talent for gaining access, anced, feel-good study of cross-cultural winning trust and crafting small, revealfence-hopping in which the best traits ing moments. in human nature vie with street-level The most memorable are political realities. rather than interpersonal, and occur Dancing in Jaffa screens May 6 as part on the street rather than in someone’s of the JCC Film Fest. home. The arrival in town of an intenThe movie’s motor is world champion ballroom dancer and teacher Pierre tionally intimidating group of rightwing Israelis chanting some variation Dulaine, who returns to his hometown of “Jaffa for the Jews” provides buzzafter many years, with the self-prokilling evidence that conciliation is not claimed goal of giving something back. everyone’s goal. Perennially dressed in a An illuminating sequence starched shirt and tie, and contrasting the observance of fluent in Arabic, English and Independence Day at a Jewish French, the gray-haired Dulaine school with its description as is a cosmopolitan alien in a the Nakba — catastrophe — at working-class town. a Palestinian Israeli school The indefatigable Dulaine likewise underscores Medalia’s is a lifelong proponent of preference for presenting reality partnered dancing as a way to rather than peddling fantasy. develop social skills and selfIn this regard, she and Dulaiconfidence, but in Jaffa, he’s determined to apply his pedagogy to an ne are perfectly in step. He was 4 years old when he left Jaffa with his Arab even greater good. mother and Irish father during the War His plan is to teach merengue, of Independence, and he’s chagrined rhumba and tango to 11-year-olds but not surprised when his request to at various schools, culminating with re-enter his family’s old home is sumyoung Jewish and Palestinian Israelis marily rejected by the Jewish owners. dancing together in a public ballroom Consistent with the theme that the dance competition. future is more important than the past, “This is how you learn to work with Dulaine’s presence in the film steadily another person,” Dulaine offhandedly diminishes. remarks to one child while correcting We are left with the satisfaction that his form. individual children have grown and It’s a lovely sentiment, one that will glimpsed possibilities they couldn’t gradually sink in after the student has have imagined. become comfortable with the steps and A small victory, perhaps, compared can actually look at and interact with to a lasting resolution to the ongoing his or her partner. conflict? Even a pessimist wouldn’t There’s an unpredictability and bumpiness to Dulaine’s mission, at least have the chutzpah to call a child’s transinitially, that negates the comforting for- formation a small victory. mula that some viewers will expect. The JCC Film Fest presents Dancing in Most of the kids are shy, embarrassed Jaffa, Wednesday, May 6, 7:15 p.m. at and downright resistant to engaging the Neon Movies, 130 E. 5th St., Dayton. with the opposite sex, even without the Tickets are available at the door, at Islamic prohibition on touching somejewishdayton.org, at the Boonshoft CJCE, one of the opposite sex. (None of the 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville, or by Jewish kids is Orthodox.) calling Karen Steiger at 610-1555. While boys will be boys, and girls
bigger and better more to explore
NEW Oy Vey 5k run/walk and Israeli petting zoo
more to eat and drink
Jewish favorites reinterpreted by El Meson, Pasha Grill, & Smokin’ Bar-B-Que Traditional Jewish deli by Bernstein’s Fine Catering
more to see and hear
The Cincinnati Klezmer Project, the Shimmy Cats Dance Troupe, and Rock, Folk, and Broadway music from local favorites!
more to learn
Learn about Jewish food and cooking, Jewish athletes, surviving the Holocaust, and Jewish ritual objects. Play kids’ games and make projects about Israel!
more to win
Win $500 to Morris Home Furnishings, a gold necklace from Weber Jewelers, dining certificates, Dragons tickets, or $500 cash. Purchase tickets from a volunteer, at Temple, or on Temple’s website.
11am to 7pm
June 7
130 Riverside Drive • Dayton, OH 45405 • www.tidayton.org
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015
PAGE 27
“Call them not your children, Call them your builders” -Talmud
Educating our builders for today and tomorrow Hillel Academy helps develop our “builders” with a foundation of Tikkun Olam . . . “repairing the world one block at a time”. When our “builders” leave Hillel, they are prepared to make a positive impact individually, in the community and globally.
Now accepting applications for 2015-16. Call Hillel Academy to arrange your personal tour.
Nurturing confident and successful learners www.daytonhillel.org 937.277.8966 • dkmecoli@daytonhillel.org
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3/31/15 9:28 AM
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2015