ONE STOP KOSHER FOOD SHOPPING

Dine In — Take Out — Catering

www.koshercajun.com clear retaliation will justify Russian criminality. One should not be misled to believe that all Americans or Europeans are on board with rightfully helping Ukraine. The nightly airwaves are filled with the disgusting and inflammatory rhetoric of the likes of Tucker Carlson and Congressional isolationists like Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Their “America First” philosophy — also invoked by our former president — was wrong in the 1930s and 40s, and remains flawed today.

Lastly, I will be forever haunted by a late night conversation I had with what seemed like a nice old Austrian woman in the Vienna train station. After hearing of my Ukraine interests, she calmly told me her country should remain neutral and not be helping the Ukrainians, and that she wished for the good old days when Austrians would not have to be bothered by Ukrainians nor any other immigrants. When I asked if her Austria should have fought back when Nazi Germany invaded in 1938, she quickly advised me that, as a proud Austrian, there was ample justification for the rise of Nazism back in the day. Clearly this was not the Von Trapp family from “The Sound of Music,” but rather a woman who, in another life, would have been saluting the swastika and wondering why this proud Jewish-American was allowed to even be in her country. Pretty eye-opening!

I hope and pray the Ukrainian conflict will end in 2023. I concur with President Zelensky that the best chance for just peace is for Ukraine to continue to win on the battlefield. America’s support is crucial to this strategic objective, and I applaud our executive and legislative branches of government for doing the right thing. I am grateful for their support and so very proud to be an American! “Slava Ukraini — Glory to Ukraine.”

Arnie Fielkow recently retired as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, and is former president of the New Orleans City Council.

JEF Annual Event on March 5

The Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana will hold its Annual Event on March 5 at the Audubon Tea Room in New Orleans, with a patron reception at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m.

Melinda and Morris Mintz will be honored with the Tzedakah Award. Carole Neff will receive the Jewish Federations of North America Endowment Achievement Award, and Leslie Fischman, who recently retired as executive director of the New Orleans Jewish Community Center, will receive the Helen Mervis Community Professional Award.

Reservations are $75, patron level is $175.