20 • A&E / FIRST PERSON
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Author returns to Cincinnati, offers discussion of her book By Michael Sawan Assistant Editor Cincinnati native Rebecca Gale will be offering a discussion on her newest book, Trying, at the JCC, Jan. 18, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Gale was an active member in Cincinnati’s Jewish community, having been a leader of Temple Sholom’s youth group, a graduate of Yavneh Day School (now Rockwern Academy) and the Cincinnati Reform Jewish High School.
The talk is a part of the JCC’s Think Tank series, a senior program that aims to stimulate intellectual interaction and foster discussion. Gale will present her work and will then facilitate a conversation around it.
Gale’s book is being published by Boxfire Press, an independent company that chiefly prints paranormal and science fiction works. Gale currently lives in Washington, D.C., where she is a contributing editor for Roll Call, a
newspaper covering Congress. She has also worked as a Press Secretary and Communications Director for members of congress. Gale graduated from Miami University, and received her M.A. from Johns Hopkins University.
Catching up with Lainey Paul Live from Israel
by Lainey Paul I have a lot of catching up to do... Sorry it’s been so long! Life has become crazier and crazier. Now that I have a job at Nu Campaign, I have been living part of the week in Jerusalem, part traveling, and part on the kibbutz. Truth is, as much as I love working for Nu, I definitely miss being on the kibbutz. My time is so precious until I draft into the army. I feel like my ability to get as much as I can out of living on the kibbutz is slipping through my fingers. I am going back this Shabbat (my birthday Shabbat!) and not planning on leaving for long periods of time until I draft, which means no more Nu. It was a great way for me to pass the time, however, and I am grateful to David (the creator) for giving me the opportunity to talk about how amazing Israel is and even get paid for it! On another note, here’s the basic gist of what I’ve been up to the past three weeks... After my five day, fun-filled adventure, I spent a lovely Shabbat on the kibbutz and met the new garin that has now joined us. Monday, another six day adventure kicked in: The Paul Family came to Israel! We were on the move literally every second, from Jerusalem FILM from page 7 bar mitzvah trapped in the horrors of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The rabbi who had smuggled the Torah into the camp did not survive; the boy, the scroll – the rabbi’s admonition to tell the world what happened in that place and the boy’s promise – did. Dr. Joachim “Yoya” Joseph, that bar mitzvah boy, became a physicist and was Israel’s lead scientist supporting Ramon on the ground. During their work together, Ramon learned the story of the scroll. When he returned to Houston, he asked
to Be’er Sheva to Tel Aviv to Nordia to Tel Mond to the kibbutz and back to Jerusalem; no wonder it went by within the blink of an eye! In Be’er Sheva we visited a past Chavera M’Yisrael, Ortal, who has now not only become a very close friend, but also a daughter and a sister. I have been fortunate to spend a lot of time with her lately but it was fun having the whole family catch up and eat a five-course Moroccan meal at the same time. We then visited a JNF project along the “river” (how could we not, knowing who my parents are). It was truly amazing to see the tangible difference JNF makes in Israel. You can see, feel, touch and smell where all the money goes; none of it is lost in translation. That evening we made our way up to Tel Aviv and met up with the Cincinnati crowd that had come on a family Bar/Bat mitzvah trip. It was lots of fun seeing such a huge part of home here in Israel. A new “friend” even came to meet my family and so did my friends from my garin. We all had a lovely dinner together, which was really nice. We spent the next couple of days in our old stomping grounds of Tel Aviv, which is always entertaining. We finally started making our way up to the kibbutz for Shabbat after stopping to visit friends in Nordia and the Birnbaum family in Tel Mond. Now my dad and Jake got to finally see where I’ve been living and met my friends and kibbutz family (my mom visited in October and already had that experience). It was weird, even for my family, I think. My mom understood more, having lived on a kibbutz and being a fluent Hebrew speaker. I think my brother and dad were a little surprised to see my living conditions and lifestyle and wondered why I chose this life versus what I could
have had at home. All in all, it was amazing, spending some quality time with my brother. I introduced him to all of my friends, played soccer with him and my host siblings, and even had a nice late night talk. It’s times like these where I truly take a step back and evaluate the decisions I have made. The decision to live far away from my family. The decision to potentially put my life in danger. The decision to feel at times excluded. Don’t worry, I’m not regretting my decision and I am so happy here I’m about to explode! It’s just important to never lose sight of what you’re leaving behind. Well family time came to an end exactly when Shabbat did. We drove straight into Jerusalem, where I was dropped off at work and they were off to the airport. It was hard to let them go, but I have to admit, Saturday nights at work are so much fun and ridiculously busy, I barely had time to think about them leaving. It was easier this way for me. The next big extravaganza was NEW YEARS! Israelis have very little to do with New Years, unless they are going to meet Americans, of course. I mean, let’s be real, the New Year already happened during Rosh HaShanah, right?! I ended up celebrating down in Be’er Sheva with Ortal and other friends and it was definitely a night to remember! I spent two nights there and by Wednesday evening I was up in Netanya where I met up with Gil (my other host brother who was a past Chaver M’Yisrael) and the Cincinnati Jewish Federation Young Leaders trip. It was a blast from the past seeing people I haven’t spoken to since Yavneh. There were many of my friend’s older siblings that I didn’t think I was ever going to see again. It was great spending time with
them cooking and doing team building activities and hanging out with Gil afterward. By early Thursday morning I was on my way back to Jerusalem, meeting up with friends and heading over to Latrun where two members of my garin were being sworn in to Shiryon (tanks). It was a very nice ceremony and I even got a little teary eyed. It’s crazy that these boys have been in the army for almost two whole months and I haven’t even started anything yet! I was so proud of them, though, as they approached the table and chanted “I promise” as they held their gun for the first time while also receiving a Tanach. How amazing is that? When you are sworn in to Tzahal, not only are you given your weapon, but you’re also given the Jewish Bible. I find that so incredibly fascinating and shows 100 percent where our values and intentions lie. After their “tekes” (ceremony), we gave them huge hugs and raced back to Jerusalem to the Kotel for another garin member’s “tekes.” He was being sworn into Nachal (a branch of infantry). We weren’t able to sit at this one and the claustrophobia was a bit overwhelming, but we managed. We stood literally right behind him and chanted his name the entire time. When the tekes was over, his rabbi came up from behind him, lifted him on his shoulders, and all of his friends that were in Yeshiva with him last year circled around him and started singing and dancing. Someone even gave him a giant Israeli Flag to wave in the air. That’s where I lost it. It was just so beautiful and moving. Absolutely an amazing sight to see! I spent that Shabbat in Jerusalem with Elana Pentelnik, a very good friend from Cincinnati who was here on a program for a
few weeks. We davened the most beautiful Kabbalat Shabbat on the roof of my friend’s Yeshiva, looking onto the Kotel (Western Wall). The kavana (purpose/meaning) these boys had while they prayed was so moving. It allowed for an extraordinary davening experience with tons of singing and dancing (just how I like it!). Shabbat ended and I had another super exciting and busy night at work. Birthright has officially taken over all of Israel. It’s unbelievable! We, as in the Nu Campaign Team, even got to work the Birthright Mega Event this past Monday night! Now that was an experience. I am all for showing these kids a good time and getting them pumped up to come back to Israel, but the money that is thrown at these extravagant events is simply mind-boggling. Getting in was certainly no fun in the pouring rain, but once inside and all settled in, we had a blast! It literally has been hurricane weather the past couple of days, though, and thank G-d, Israel is getting rain. Unfortunately, it also has come at the cost of some lives. I was barely even able to get out of Jerusalem! And I now have army news...DRAFTING ON MONDAY, Jan. 14! One day before I turn 20! All those special interviews payed off in the end, though I can’t disclose too much information. When I know more and am able to discuss some things, you’ll hear from me. I do know that I must shut down my Facebook page and I might not be able to continue writing this blog. Hopefully I’ll know more once I’m in my unit and beginning my army experience. Shabbat Shalom!
permission to take the tiny Torah saved “from the depths of Hell to the heights of space.” “Ilan felt Yoya’s promise deep within his heart and carried it with him deep into space,” Cohen said. “Keeping the promise is an important part of the mission of this film.” Mission of Hope is the story of the most diverse shuttle crew ever to explore space. “Moving tributes like this film remind us all that spaceflight always carries great risk,” NASA Administrator and four-time space shuttle astronaut Charles Bolden said. “But fallen heroes like Ilan were willing to risk the ultimate
sacrifice to make important science discoveries and push the envelope of human achievement.” For Cohen, Mission of Hope became a personal mission. He sought to tell the story not as tragic, but rather as uplifting. “When Yoya asked, ‘What can I do to help you tell this story?’ I did not realize that conversation would lead me down a seven-year path,” he said. Meetings with General Rani Falk at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, with Ramon’s widow, Rona, and the other astronauts’ families followed. Overall, making the film took the full 10 years since the
Columbia tragedy. “We had to wait for Rona (Ramon’s widow) to be ready,” Cohen said. “Raising money was also difficult.” Dr. Alex Grobman, historical consultant for the documentary and executive director of the America Israel Friendship League, has great admiration for Cohen. Grobman, who also appears in the production, was called upon to verify the historical correctness of the story of the bar mitzvah in Bergen-Belson, including confirmation that there was actually a Torah at the ceremony. “Filmmakers rarely care about
historical accuracy,” Grobman told JNS. “Cohen’s approach was different – he was meticulous in his research. For him, this was a labor of love.” “Ilan Ramon was an exceptional man, a charismatic personality who recognized that being part of the Columbia shuttle crew was a transformational experience,” Grobman said. “Ramon embodied the best of Israel. One cannot view this film without understanding the depth of his humanity, love of Israel, and responsibility to the Jewish people. Being involved with this production, as an historian, as a Jew, was a great honor.”
Until next time, Lainey