The Sydney Jewish Report - September 2020

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VOL. 72 Friday, 18 September 2020 / 29 Elul, 5781

Fostering a closer Jewish community

ROSH 2020 HASHANAH P17

Together even when we apart

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EDDIE JAKU: 100

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KOSHER KAPERS

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

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COMMUNITY

Remembrance together SYDNEY JEWISH MUSEUM After the Sydney Jewish Museum’s closure for nearly four months, its reopening in July has meant that the Museum can facilitate communal commemoration once more.

The Sanctum of Remembrance – a space in which plaques are laid to honour victims of the Holocaust, survivors who have since passed away and Righteous Among the Nations – is now open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays for small plaque dedication ceremonies and for families to visit the plaques of their loved ones.

When the Sanctum of Remembrance reopened, Elizabeth Levy and her brother-inlaw James Hill brought their extended families

in to honour their descendants and learn from their family history. Elizabeth took the opportunity to share her childhood memories with her family.

In 1943, at age 4, Elizabeth and her family sourced false papers. She talked about how she overheard her two grandmothers looking out the window and saying, “They can’t kill us.” Elizabeth recalled how her mother, Lusia, was caught by the Gestapo who took her false papers. Lusia was forced to return with her daughter to show that she was not Jewish.

After laying eyes on Elizabeth, the men said, “Of course this is not a Jewish child!”

Elizabeth shared how difficult it must have been for her parents with a young child.

Elizabeth told her family, “It’s difficult to carry

the burden of memory when the memory is traumatic.”

Elizabeth has honoured her parents’ memory through a plaque as a way to ask her family to help her to continue to carry this burden. She expresses that she wants younger generations to remember the Holocaust so that the perpetrators are held to account. Elizabeth said, “Vigilance to early signs of discrimination is necessary. We ask you to stand up to support victims rather than being a bystander.”

To honour a victim of the Holocaust, a survivor who has since passed away, or someone who saved Jewish lives, please contact Rita Prager, Fundraising Manager: rprager@sjm.com.au or 0416 252 526.

Support the People of Israel through UIA This Rosh Hashana UIA UIA NSW is proud to continue to stand with Israel and support the People of Israel – now more than ever during the devastating global pandemic.

In partnership with the global Jewish community, we work to further the national priorities of the State of Israel through our many projects, with special emphasis on advancing weaker communities; nurturing disadvantaged and marginalised youth; encouraging Aliyah, and connecting young Diaspora Jews to Israel and Jewish life.

These projects include Aliyah, where we assist new immigrants in realising their dream

of making Israel their home. In 2020, there is a new and urgent motivation to make Aliyah due to global distress and growing anti-Semitism, where Aliyah is expected to increase by 50%.

Another key project is Youth Futures - a revolutionary mentoring program conducted in schools mainly on Israel's periphery, for disadvantaged children aged 6-13 with 14,000+ participants in 36 communities, where qualified mentors provide specialised support to each child and family to help them bridge critical gaps and succeed academically, socially and in life overall. Additionally, Family Matters is a family wellness program conducted during the absorption process, which works

to prevent domestic violence amongst Ethiopian Olim struggling to adapt to modern gender and societal norms in Israel.

As we approach the New Year, which will be tougher than ever before, a wonderful way to show your support for Our People is by contributing to UIA. As we in the Diaspora reflect together with our families this Rosh Hashana, take the opportunity to consider how you could support the People of Israel through UIA, so they too can enjoy the chagim during these challenging times.

UIA thanks you for your unwavering support For the People of Israel. Shana Tova!

Donate to UIA at uiaaustralia.org.au or contact 9361 4273 / info@uiansw.org.au

At Rosh Hashanah, and all year round, COA is here to • • • • • • •

help seniors maintain independence provide home delivered food and staples bring peer support to the isolated and housebound offer activities to increase social connection engage community members in volunteer work celebrate Jewish culture bring Yiddishkeit to those in residential care

COA’s Staff, Board, and Volunteers wish you a joyful Rosh Hashanah, a thoughtful Yom Kippur, and a sweet year ahead.

COA Krygier Centre 25 Rowe St, Woollahra, 2025 Ph: (02) 9389 0035 Em: coa@coasydney.org www.coasydney.org

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

Together even when we’re apart

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ALAIN HASSAN Alain Hasson, JCA CEO, reflects on our separation but also our togetherness as a community.

This year has changed all of our lives significantly and many of us will be feeling this especially now during the Chaggim – a time we traditionally associate with family gettogethers, observance of the holidays and, of course, Jewish cooking.

I have numerous childhood memories of large Rosh Hashanah meals where I got to see and catch-up with cousins and extended family that I hadn’t seen for most of the year (or at least not since Pesach).

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our ability to come together, physically, and celebrate with loved ones. I, for one, was supposed to be in Melbourne celebrating Rosh Hashanah with my family, but at the time of writing this article, public health guidelines have made that impossible. I know many in our community are challenged by the same separation from their friends and families, inter-state and across the world.

There is great consolation, though, in knowing that even when are separated, we are a part of something so much bigger.

This is evident in the way our community has come together through the remarkable work of JCA’s 23 member organisations who have adapted their programs and redoubled their efforts to provide for the most vulnerable in our community and to ensure continuity of the vital services they provide for Jewish families.

Our collective strength is also demonstrated by the generosity of our community in supporting JCA’s 2020 fundraising campaign.

Without this support, many of the programs we take for granted would simply not be

possible. It is a testament to our vibrant, connected Jewish community that so many have stepped up to help others who are in need.

JCA is also proud to be a supporter of the community-wide initiative – Together Never Apart – coordinated by Shules across Sydney in collaboration with Jewish community organisations to reinforce our sense of togetherness. Mindful that COVIDsafe practices will affect the number of people who can attend Shule this year, JCA is particularly honoured to support the ‘Yizkor Moment’ that is part of this program. To be held at 12pm on Yom Kippur day, it is an opportunity for all of us – and especially those who would normally attend Shule to say Yizkor – to take a moment, on a very personal level but also collectively as a community, to remember and reflect on those who are no longer with us. This is even more poignant given the current situation. For those in our community that are saying Yizkor for the first

time this year, we want you to know and hope that you feel you are not alone and that your community is with you.

For 5780 years, the strength of the Jewish people has been that even when physically disconnected we are still very much connected by our history, heritage, traditions, culture, love of food and so much more. This year, no matter where, how or with whom you are able to celebrate and reflect on the year that has been and that is to come, know that you are always connected to a much bigger community. We are never apart and we are stronger together.

On behalf of JCA’s Board of Governors, Executive and Office team, I wish you a Shana Tova U’metukah and that we may be blessed with a sweeter new year – and the ability to come together physically as a community in the very near future.

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

Shaare Zedek Medical Center is Israel’s national COMMUNITY leader in the response to the Covid 19 pandemic AROUND

T H E

MIRIAM PACANOWSKI

“We continue to stand in awe at our medical and logistical staff on all levels for their continued unwavering efforts to provide the uncompromised care for which Shaare Zedek is so famous.”

Director General Prof Ofer Merin and President of Shaare Zedek Prof Jonathan HaLevy recently reported that Israel has a unique distinction as a country with a continued troublingly high rate of infection but a relatively low mortality rate when compared to other countries.

“The flip-side of this positive trend,” they noted, “is that it somewhat hides the incredible burden this pandemic is taking on our hospital. People may naturally look at the relatively low numbers of intubated patients and infer that the hospitals are not being inundated with patients. That is sadly not the case and it would be incorrect to underestimate the extent of this challenge.

“The hospital’s resources are stretched ever more thinly and the challenges only grow by the day. We are providing both Jerusalem residents, and patients from all over Israel alike, our usual top-quality medical care for a myriad of medical conditions. Shaare Zedek continues to be one of the busiest maternity hospitals in the western world, with over 22,000 births per annum.

Infection control and prevention of infection of staff is a huge priority of Shaare Zedek.

Professors Merin and HaLevy continued. “We continue to stand in awe at our medical and logistical staff on all levels for their continued unwavering efforts to provide the uncompromised care for which Shaare Zedek is so famous.”

Shaare Zedek recently hosted Prime Minister Netanyahu for a tour of its facilities

with a focus on the hospital’s Covid-19 response programs.

This was Prime Minister Netanyahu’s first Corona hospital visit and it paid tribute to the centrality of Shaare Zedek’s role in this battle.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “I was very impressed by the extent of activity here at Shaare Zedek and how you are handling the absorption of new patients and of course the work of your doctors and nurses. I am deeply thankful for your work in treating the coronavirus.”

Professor Merin said, “I want to thank the Prime Minister for this important visit. Shaare Zedek serves on the front of this battle against the coronavirus. For many months already our teams have been working with tremendous dedication on behalf of these patients and I deeply appreciate that the Prime Minister has come to encourage them.

We are now in the midst of actively preparing

for the winter months and we welcomed the chance to show the Prime Minister and our national healthcare leaders our needs and the challenges that lie ahead for us and the entire nation.”

The hospital’s focus is now on preparation for the coming months which it acknowledges will be extremely difficult ones.

This reality has obligated the hospital to regroup for the next few months and to be prepared for a significantly higher number of patients than other winters, by adding beds to and increasing the size of the ICU. Dr Allan Garfield, Chairman of the Australian Friends of Shaare Zedek Inc. notes, “In these challenging times, we deeply appreciate the people in our community who continue to support the life-saving work of Shaare Zedek in Jerusalem. We wish our friends both in Australia and Israel a Shana Tova, and a year of good health.”),

High Holy Days Together@Home EDWARD BARAL In a first for North Shore Temple Emanuel (NSTE), High Holy Day services are to be conducted communally without members having to leave their homes.

Blending the wonders of technology with the deep meaning, stirring drama, and communal spirit of the yamim nora’im, the liturgical team at NSTE plans to make High Holy Days Together@Home an unforgettable season of reflection and renewal.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world and we are adapting to our present reality. Government social distancing requirements mean that we cannot all

congregate in our shule, however, thanks to the power of the internet and our dedicated group of volunteers, we will still all be together . . . at home,” says Gwen Harrison, President of NSTE. “When it became clear that the large choir that would normally be a hallmark of our High Holy Day services would not be possible, we initially planned to utilise a quartet. In July, however, Covid restrictions were tightened further and we had to pivot again.” noted NSTE Music Director, Judy Campbell. “We have had to be very creative and are delighted that our choristers will ‘come together’ as a ‘virtual choir’ to perform from their living rooms. We will also enjoy the cantorial talents of Simon Lobelson and Aaron Robuck, who will separately sing live during services from a safe distance, as well as pre recordings of both our choir and a number of talented ‘guests’ from around Australia and the world,” enthused Campbell. “Despite the restrictions, we are thrilled to be able to present such musically infused services.”

Rabbi Nicole Roberts added, “We are committed to creating an inclusive, engaging and uplifting worship experience, and facilitating the introspection that the season demands. Our services will blend live prayers and music from the sanctuary, aliyot and honours from home, and creative features designed to draw everyone into the spirit of the yamim noraim. Congregants of all ages will have meaningful opportunities to participate, creating a feel of connection across our whole community. Our services will be so much more

than simply a streaming broadcast.”

“In addition to our rabbis and music volunteers, we have also had technical, operational and risk teams of volunteers working for months to prepare for these unprecedented High Holy Days.” added Harrison. “We have tried to find a way to deliver everything that our members cherish at this time. For example, in addition to providing adult, family, tots, Yizkor, and meditative services, we have developed multiple ways of distributing machzorim and created opportunities for our members to safely fulfil the mitzvah of hearing the shofar.

Our tech team have even developed an eFoyer that enables members to greet each other before services commence!”

In communicating the concept of High Holy Days Together@Home to NSTE members, Harrison noted, \"Through ingenuity combined with a dash of pragmatism, our forebears adjusted to the conditions of the times. We look ahead to the High Holy Days, knowing that for safety and our foremost Jewish value of pikuach nefesh--preserving life--our practices need to adapt for this year\". Harrison added, “Like our ancestors, we stand ready to embrace a new means of observing sacred occasions as a community, during the coming Days of Awe.” Community members who would like to participate in NSTE’s Together@Home High Holy Day services are invited to register here https://www.nste.org.au/form/ HHDRegofInterest.html or contact the NSTE office via info@nste.org.au.

This Rosh Hashanah JNF Supports Families In Israel’s South JNF As Rosh Hashanah draws upon us, JNF Australia is preparing its Blue Box campaign to coincide with the long-standing tradition of giving tzedakah at this time of year. For almost 120 years, funds raised through the iconic Blue Box have been instrumental in Israel’s development. Considering the Negev region constitutes over 60% of Israel’s land mass, yet only 8% of the population reside there, it is JNF’s mission to help with the development and sustainability of this critical region of Israel. This year, JNF has focussed

on two areas of Southern Israel, Sderot for its annual campaign and Nitzana for the Blue Box campaign.

Nitzana is in one of the most remote areas of Israel’s Negev. This Rosh Hashanah, JNF will continue to raise funds for the development of the Nitzana Ecological Park. Once completed, the park will be transformed from a wastewater treatment plant into a complete oasis. Visitors will enjoy lush picnic areas, a cycling trail, recreation areas and a children’s playground. It will also be a haven for rare species of birds to stop on their migratory route. In addition, the existing water reservoir will be expanded and wastewater

from the surrounding neighbourhoods will be collected. The recycled water will be used by Negev farmers, further supporting the local economy.

By contributing to the Blue Box each week, you are continuing a long-held global tradition, teaching future generations the importance of supporting Israel and giving charity. And this Rosh Hashanah you will be helping communities that are developing the Negev and keeping watch over Israel’s Southern frontier.

Please donate now. Call 1300 563 563 or visit jnf.org.au/bluebox.

the sydney jewish report | september 2020

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AR OUND T HE MDA forefront of the fight against COVID COMMUNITY MDA

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the world operates with millions of people impacted around the globe. From day one, Magen David Adom has been leading the way to keep Israelis safe, and to continue our mission of providing world class service at any time of the day.

Since the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak, officially 24 February 2020, MDA teams have sampled 1,142,353 people at a variety of sites, nationwide, in private homes, hospitals, nursing homes, educational institutions, and MDA Drive and Test facilities.

At the end of August, MDA Emergency Medical Technicians, EMTs and paramedics in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Home Front Command and the Health Maintenance Organisation, HMOs, took samples from 88,489 people.

There has also been a significant increase in calls to MDA's 101 Emergency Call Centres reaching around 14,447 calls a day, an increase of about 240%.

Along with taking hundreds of thousands of samples for Coronavirus, MDA blood services continue to collect plasma from those who have recovered from the Coronavirus. The plasma is used for the treatment of severely ill patients and the production of a passive vaccine. To date, those who have recovered from Coronavirus have donated approximately 6,687 plasma units. 1,338 units have been given to 669 Coronavirus patients

in moderate and severe condition.

Magen David Adom, Israel's National Emergency Medical and Blood Services Organisation has been at the forefront of the fight against the Coronavirus. As part of its extensive activities, MDA operates a fleet of ambulances to transport patients between treatment facilities. In times of COVID the chances that ambulance teams will be exposed to the virus is high.

MDA in conjunction with Mifal Hapayis, the National Lottery of Israel, has come up with a unique solution to counter this problem. Ambulances are being outfitted with cameras and systems to monitor and transmit the patient's vital signs to MDA's Medical Control Centre which is staffed 24 hours a day by senior physicians and paramedics.

The MDA crew can constantly monitor the patient from their cabin and provide care should the patient display any signs of distress.

It might seem that MDA paramedics and EMTs are only dealing with Coronavirus cases. Not so.

They are still running to traffic accidents and other daily health incidents and births.

Daniel Yasso, an MDA EMT and ambulance driver, had been working for MDA for three years.

He had treated a wide variety of cases but had never delivered a baby.

All that changed recently when he started his routine shift in the Netanya area. Within 4 hours he had delivered two babies, a boy and girl, by the side of the road.

Daniel excitedly explained, “For three years I was waiting for this moment. During the MDA medics course, I learned how to deliver a baby and

practiced on smart dolls. I was a little nervous about the first birth I would have to do on my own. By the second birth I was already more experienced and relaxed. Now I’m looking forward to the next one!

Needless to say, both sets of new parents were extremely grateful to Daniel saying he was very capable and professional. “One moment he was driving the ambulance and as soon as the EMT who was with him told him that the birth had started, he stopped at the side of the road and together they helped deliver our daughter. G-d sent him to help us.”

All in a day’s work for Magen David Adom

A 35-year-old Rosh Hashanah tradition COA In the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, COA Sydney’s Centre is awash with activity and joy as staff and volunteers join forces to pack hundreds of parcels for the Yom Tov. These parcels are delivered to COA members, service recipients, and to Jewish residents in aged care facilities bringing Yiddishkeit and Rosh Hashanah celebration to seniors in nondenominational care through the Hannah Meyer Project.

COA has been providing Yom Tov parcels since its earliest days serving Sydney’s Jewish community.

Traditionally there are two levels of parcels provided. The first is a token gift delivered to most people, containing apples, honey, and honey cake baked by in-house catering volunteers Sonya Gorney, Evelyn Perets, and their helpers.

The second is more substantial parcel containing tinned food and personal care items, alongside traditional apples, honey, and cake, and the fund which finances them is named in honour of Sonya Gorney. These are delivered to individuals in difficult circumstances with the hopes that the contents will help to make a positive and happy Yom Tov for them.

Large or small the parcels deliver more than just “food”. They also deliver connection and caring.

Wishing you the sweetest New Year.

Recipients even address letters to the “COA Rescue Centre” to say, “thanks to you I’m not alone,” which is especially important in these days of social distance and isolation.

COA has already fielded queries asking if the parcels will be going out this year. The answer of course is YES! COA has expanded services during COVID, thanks to the support of the community.

COA’s array of partners have stepped up to provide special goods to be included in the parcels and COA volunteers are lining up for the opportunity to bring a little joy to all COA members, service recipients, and Jewish seniors in residential care, at this very unusual High Holiday period.

SHANA TOVA Warm wishes for a peaceful, sweet and healthy new year.

From the JNF family to yours, Shana Tova U’metuka.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our community through these difficult times.

JCA wishes you and your family the very best for the coming year.

May it be a year of health, peace and prosperity for those you love.

Shanah tovah u’metukah.

DONATE NOW TO THE BLUE BOX ROSH HASHANAH CAMPAIGN BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE RESIDENTS OF ISRAEL’S SOUTH www.jnf.org.au/bluebox Ph: 1300 563 563

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

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“I do not hate anyone, not even Hitler. Hate is a disease which may destroy your enemy but will destroy you in the process. You may not like everyone, but that doesn’t give you the right to be nasty to them. I don’t love everyone but I hate no one.

There is no revenge; s­taying alive is the only revenge."

Auschwitz author Eddie Jaku: how to be happy and live to 100

Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku never expected to live to 100 let alone become a first-time author just months after making that milestone. At times, in his early 20s and interned in Auschwitz, sleeping on hard wooden planks, 10 naked men to a row, with nothing but each other for warmth, he didn’t expect to make it through the frozen night.

“If I could survive one more day, an hour, a minute, then the pain would end and tomorrow would come,” he would tell himself.

He’d regularly be woken by the suicidal screams of fellow Jews who had “gone to the wire” – killing themselves by running into the electrified barbed-wire fence on the perimeter of the death camp rather than suffer further at the hands of the Nazis. At times he thought of joining them to perish, like his parents, who had been murdered in the Auschwitz gas chambers. But his friend Kurt Hirschfeld, a fellow young German Jew, convinced him to keep on living.

Then, a Jewish doctor, who helped dislodge a bullet from his leg after one escape attempt, helped the analytical young engineer see life as a mathematical equation: “One hour of rest equals two days of survival.”

He vowed to rest, and if he survived he would live every day to the fullest and dedicate the rest of his life to putting right the hurt that Adolf Hitler had inflicted on the world.

Jaku not only survived the horrors of the Holocaust, but he has lived to become a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather as well as a successful Sydneysider, running everything from a service station to a real estate agency. And now he’s an author. The Happiest Man on Earth, published this week, retells his powerful life story from stateless refugee to celebrated centenarian.

“I have lived for a century and I know what it is to stare evil in the face,” it begins.

“I have seen the very worst in mankind, the horrors of the death camps, the Nazi efforts to exterminate my life, and the lives of all my people. But now I consider myself the happiest man on Earth. Through all my years I have learnt this: life can be beautiful if you make it beautiful … Happiness is something we can choose. It is up to you.”

I meet the debut author at the Montefiore

residential aged care facility in Randwick, where he has lived for the past year, moving in when his wife of 74 years, Flore, needed care. He is dressed smartly in tie and suit, which conceal the crude indigo ink concentration camp tattoo on his left arm.

Like the nightmares and the yearning for his mother, it has not disappeared with time.

“My number was 172338 ... When they tattooed the number on my arm, I was sentenced to a slow death, but first they wanted to kill my spirit,” he says.

However, Jaku’s indomitable spirit could not be extinguished. Even today he remains wiry and active, with a full head of white hair and a deceptively youthful elan that could have him pass for a man in his 70s. He still drives his own car and starts each day by singing in the shower.

“I am 100 and two months,” he squeals, in a mixture of disbelief and delight.

“Every day I wake up is a happy day,” he says, his eyes sparkling like the Order of Australia pin he proudly wears on his lapel.

“I do not hate anyone, not even Hitler.

Hate is a disease which may destroy your enemy but will destroy you in the process.

You may not like everyone, but that doesn’t give you the right to be nasty to them. I don’t love everyone but I hate no one. There is no revenge; s­ taying alive is the only revenge."

It is estimated that more than 6 million Jewish people (as well as millions of other victims of Nazi persecution) died in the Holocaust, two-thirds of Europe's Jewish population. At Auschwitz, 1.1 million people died. As the Sydney Jewish Museum's oldest Auschwitz survivor and volunteer, Jaku has been telling his story since the museum opened in 1992. A gifted orator, he joined the speakers’ circuit, talking to students, teachers, politicians and professionals, sharing insights into his remarkable resilience. For his efforts he was this year named a finalist in the 2020 Senior Australian of the Year awards.

Last year, at 99, he gave a TEDx talk that was met with a resounding standing ovation from the 6000-plus crowd at Sydney’s International Convention Centre. The idea for his book came from the rough outline of that speech, and all the talks he’s given over the years.

The memoir is told in the vein of Anh Do's The Happiest Refugee. His narrative is

woven together like one of Aesop’s fables, with a moral enlightening even the darkest chapters. They are life lessons such as: hug your mother, tell her how much you love her, shared sorrow is half sorrow, shared pleasure is double pleasure, and love is the best medicine.

His optimism has a special resonance in this era of containment. COVID-19 may have quashed his plans to have a 100th birthday party at Point Piper Yacht Club in April, but now his legacy lives in a book that is bound to be a bestseller.

Jaku was born Abraham Salomon Jakubowic into a big, loving family in 1920 in the east German city of Leipzig. His Polishborn father Isidore was one of eight, his mother Lina one of 13, all of whom were killed in concentration camps. At 13 he celebrated his Bar mitzvah in 1933, the year Hitler came to power. Barred by the Nazis from the local high school because he was Jewish, it was his father, a mechanical engineer, who organised false papers and a false name: Walter Schleif. Isidore had worked for US typewriter maker Remington and been interned in World War I as an illegal Polish alien, but was freed because of his mechanical skills to make heavy weapons for the war effort. Sensing a growing cloud of anti-Semitism, he wanted his son to have similar opportunities; so 13-year-old Jaku was sent on a nine-hour train ride to Tuttlingen, then considered the epicentre of precision engineering. He slept in an orphanage and studied mechanical engineering by day, graduating after five years in 1938 as the top apprentice toolmaker.

“Not a moment passed when I did not miss my family … I told my father how lonely I was without them, but he said: 'Eddie, I know it is very difficult, but one day you will thank me' ... And he was right. Without what I learnt at that school, I would never have survived what was to come.”

On the night of November 9, 1938, 18-yearold Jaku made what he calls the “biggest mistake of my young life”.

“It was my parents’ 20th wedding anniversary and I resolved to surprise them with a visit,” he says.

He returned to find his family home empty but for his dachshund Lulu. They had gone into hiding, but young Jaku didn't know.

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

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He used his key to open the door, then fell asleep in his childhood bed only to be woken at 5am when 10 Nazis broke in and almost beat him to death. One took his bayonet and started to engrave a swastika on Jaku's arm, then killed Lulu with the bayonet when she jumped up to protect him.

Harry Skorupa, a distant relative of Jaku’s, Flore’s mother Fortunee Molho, Eddie carrying Michael, Flore, and Bella Skorupa. The families lived together on arrival in Sydney and are celebrating a fellow survivor’s wedding in 1951.

Harry Skorupa, a distant relative of Jaku’s, Flore’s mother Fortunee Molho, Eddie carrying Michael, Flore, and Bella Skorupa. The families lived together on arrival in Sydney and are celebrating a fellow survivor’s wedding in 1951.

It was the now infamous Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass”, named for the shattered shards that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, homes and synagogues were destroyed by the Nazi paratroopers, known as the brown shirts.

He was deported to Buchenwald in late November 1938 and jailed in camps in Belgium and France between 1939 and 1941.

He escaped several times, once joining his family in Belgium, where they had fled and lived in an attic, hidden from the world much like Anne Frank's family. He now describes that time in close confines with his parents, sister, aunts and another Jewish family as one of the happiest times of his life. “Because we were all together.”

In 1943, the family was arrested by Belgian police, denounced as refugees and deported to Auschwitz. After nine days on a train of fellow Jews, surviving on only two cups of water a day, they arrived in the middle of a bitter Polish winter.

“We were herded down the platform to where a man in a clean white lab coat stood in the mud surrounded by the SS,” he recalls.

This was Dr Josef Mengele, the notorious Nazi dubbed the Angel of Death for the ­barbaric trials he enacted on inmates.

“As soon as we ­ arrived he indicated whether we should walk left or right. He was conducting one of his infamous ‘selections’, separating those still young and strong enough to work as slave labour and those who would be taken straight to the gas chambers.

“I did not want to be separated from my father so I slipped from one line to the other.

I was nearly on the truck with my father when one of the stooges standing guard with Mengele said, ‘Hey, didn’t he tell you this way? Your father goes by truck and you walk into the camp’. I never saw my father again. He sent him and my mother to the gas chamber.”

Jaku survived thanks to the fine mechanical skills his father had insisted he learn. The Nazis recruited him to make surgical instruments when they saw how he could reshape anything, from a piece of wire to a spoon, into a useful tool. He'd swap his engineering expertise for extra food. At Auschwitz he was reunited with his Buchenwald friend Hirschfeld, but he had no idea if his sister Henni had survived Mengele's selection.

It was at this point in his life that he gave up on God: “If there had been a God, there would have been no Auschwitz.” But he didn't give up on his faith in friendship.

“Auschwitz was a living nightmare, a place of unimaginable horrors. But I survived because of my friend Kurt … Having even just one good friend can be your entire world.

The best balm for the soul is friendship,” he says.

On January 18, 1945, he and Hirschfeld were awoken at 3am and sent with thousands on the Nazi death march from Auschwitz in the dead of winter as Soviet forces approached to liberate this German-held area of Poland.

But I survived because of my friend Kurt … Having even just one good friend can be your entire world.

They both escaped but were separated, and Jaku was recaptured by Nazis and put to work on an assembly line, repairing gearboxes for war machinery back in Buchenwald. He again escaped, hiding in a cave in the Black Forest, where he was discovered delirious with hunger and close to death by US soldiers in June 1945, having spent the last few months of the war eating little more than slugs and snails.

At war’s end he weighed a mere 28 kilograms and was gravely sick with cholera and typhoid. Once recovered, he returned to Belgium, where he was reunited with his friend Hirschfeld and eventually his sister Henni, who had survived unbeknownst to him, in another part of Auschwitz.

One day he took his food stamps to a municipal town hall in Brussels and fell in love at first sight with the woman handing out the rations, a Belgian Jew called Flore. Thanks to the Belgian resistance she had fled to Paris, where she lived under a false name, with no one knowing her heritage. On return to Brussels she made sure to meet and talk to all the concentration camp survivors who came to authorities for help. She was first overcome with pity then love for Jaku. They married in 1946, defiantly on April 20, Hitler's birthday.

In the first few years after the war, Jaku was miserable. “I was not sure why I was still alive, or if I truly wanted to live.” That changed with the birth of their first son, Michael. “My heart was healed and my happiness returned in abundance,” Jaku says.

He vowed never to step foot on German soil again and migrated to Australia in 1950, along with Flore, her mother Fortunee and his sister Henni. They settled at Brighton-Le-Sands and another son, Andre, was born.

My heart was healed and my happiness returned in abundance.

Flore worked as a dressmaker for a host of glamorous Sydney identities, and Eddie worked at a garage as well as making fine precision instruments. In the early 1960s, they sold the garage then worked together as eastern suburbs real estate agents – both only recently retiring, in their 90s, having worked side-by-side for 40 years.

Jaku's friendship with Hirschfeld was lifelong. The latter also married in Belgium in 1946 and later moved to Israel; they kept up correspondence and had the opportunity to see one another a handful of times before

Hirschfeld's recent death.

“It took me about 30 years to be able to talk about the Holocaust. For a long time I didn’t want to burden my children with my story,” Jaku confides.

As adults, his sons Michael and Andre have been in audiences when he has spoken, but to this day he has never been able talk to them face-to-face about what happened.

It wasn't until 1972, when he met some fellow Holocaust survivors in Bondi Junction, that they began to see the value in not only talk therapy but creating a museum to tell the Jewish Australian Holocaust survivors' stories.

Eddie Jaku received his OAM in 2013 with sons Andre and Michael and wife Flore.

Eddie Jaku received his OAM in 2013 with sons Andre and Michael and wife Flore.

“It is hard to tell my story. Sometimes it is very painful. But I ask myself what will happen when we are all gone? Will our story fade out of history? There are now deniers of the Holocaust. Where do they think 6 million of us went? Where do they think I got this tattoo?

“I feel it is my duty to tell my story. I know if my mother were here she would say: ‘Do it for me. Try to make the world a better place.’

“This is the most important thing I have ever learnt: the greatest gift is to be loved by another person. Love saved me. My family saved me. Small acts of kindness last longer than a lifetime.”

Our conversation has gone way over time so he excuses himself to leave for lunch with Flore. I wave them goodbye as his tattooed arm makes its way lovingly to the small of his wife's back, guiding her gently to the dining room.

This article was originally published in The Sydney Morning Herald www.smh.com.au

T HE

COMMUNITY

“This is the most important thing I have ever learnt: the greatest gift is to be loved by another person.

Love saved me. My family saved me. Small acts of kindness last longer than a lifetime.”

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

IS R AE L

NEWS

I grew up like most boys in the US playing sports. I still love to play and compete. When my kids were old enough I couldn’t wait to help coach their teams.

I enjoyed it so much I continued coaching after they were done. This is my story of how a moment in sports history changed my life.

Zaq Harrison has taken his commitment to the memory of the Munich 11 and created http://wecannotforget.com/, an interactive program focusing on dilemmas, choices and heroism.

11 ISRAELI HEROES:

WE CANNOT FORGET

I

lived in the small Appalachian town Williamsport, PA, the birthplace of Little League. It was August 1972, the Olympic Games were on. What a thrill to see the world on parade right in my living room. So many sports, many I knew nothing about and some I couldn’t take my eyes off especially swimming. I loved baseball but I was a swimmer. I was a fish and loved competing.

I had a new “idol.”

Mark Spitz, the new King of the sports world.

Spitz was the trifecta - #1 the greatest athlete on the planet, #2 a swimmer and #3 most importantly he was Jewish. Just like me. My own Jewish Superhero. The joke in our small community was after Spitz won those medals it was said the last Jew that had this much gold was King David.

As a child I heard the stories about the war and the death camps. Mom’s family wasn’t far removed from Europe, the ones who left before the war lived the ones who didn’t perished. My father was in the US infantry under Patton. Pop lived through Bastogne, he crossed the Rhine and helped liberate a slave labor camp in Eggin on the way to Frankfurt.

But summer 1972 was a new day in Germany. The Nazis were gone and the superstar of these games was Jewish. Here in the very same place where Hitler hosted the 1936 games. This was too good to be true.

God has a sense of humor my mother said.

September 4th. We watched at home when Jim McKay broke the story on ABC Sports.

The initial reports of terrorists taking Israeli Olympians hostage. Then fear as the story dragged on. I was glued to the TV. The Israelis were held hostage in the Olympic Village, in their suite at 31 Connelystrausse.

What was going on? Why was this happening? Terrorists live on my TV. Mr. McKay seemed to have stayed on nonstop from the beginning until the end.

At one point I looked over at my parents, I saw something different in their eyes. The Munich Games were not that far removed from the war years for them. They knew this wouldn’t end well.

I looked and looked at the TV screen through my eight year old eyes. This just didn’t seem right. A year before the Munich games we travelled to Israel for my brother’s Bar Mitzvah. My father gave us a very strong Jewish Identity in an Appalachia that wasn’t always kind. It was important to him that we see certain things through his eyes and his heart.

I am one of those guys who doesn’t cry much. The birth of my children and the death of my father. In 1939 my father just missed being part of the very first Little League.

Sports was a constant in my relationship with my father.

In 2006 I found myself living in Israel and the Manager of the Israeli National Little League Team. That summer in a small town in the Czech Republic we were set to march in the opening ceremonies of the European Championships.

We entered the stadium to the sound of the Israeli national anthem Hatikvah, The Hope. I stood next to our 2nd baseman, my son, tears poured from my heart and down my cheeks. It was all coming back to me.

In August 1972 during the opening ceremonies, just miles from the infamous Dachau concentration camp, the Israeli Olympic delegation had marched into the Stadium in Munich also with Hatikvah playing.

Marching into their stadium just like I was marching into mine.

In Munich they all knew what it meant to be able to walk behind the Israeli flag.

None of them could have imagined what was to happen. Man plans, God laughs. I never knew how much Munich had affected me.

During the lead up to the baseball tournament I assigned the players a project.

They drew lots and were each given an envelope with the name of a world class Jewish athlete who had made sacrifices but never compromised their identity.

I included the Munich 11. The kids were to research their athlete on the internet and write a one page bio on what made their athlete special. Wikipedia was the first place they looked. I found out later that only two, David Berger and Andre Shpitzer, were listed.

in Czech, of Wikipedia and wished his father well. I received a touching letter in return.

We exchanged short notes when his father passed in 2008 and again when my father passed in 2009.

As an 8 year old sitting in Williamsport heroes in sports won races, hit home runs, ran for touchdowns. As an adult, I have a better understanding what a hero really is.

Yosef Gutfreund used his massive body to block the door, screaming to his teammates to flee.

Several teammates were able to escape.

Later Moshe Weinberg and Yosef Romano attacked the terrorists so their teammates could escape were heroic, both paid with their lives.

In my heart the real heroes in the world of

The Israel I experienced then was full of people that were tough as nails. The heavy security at the airport was still fresh as was the memory of the soldiers with rifles in the streets during our visit. They were so tough even the girls had Uzis. But this was the Olympics, sports. I knew something was wrong on TV but I just didn’t understand. It felt like ketchup on ice cream.

I arranged during our meals at the tournament for the kids, eleven and twelve year olds, to give a short talk about “their athlete.” Many of the parents had traveled to the tournament and were visibly moved by what the kids wrote. One by one they took their turn. When the last presentation was completed I finally stood and spoke. As their manager I was so proud in their children’s accomplishments on the field, we got the bronze, we were 3rd in all of Europe, our best ever. I wasn’t done.

I then told the parents about the contributions off the field. I wanted them to know that as a team we updated Wikipedia to include the biographies of all of the men.

A small gesture but now anyone in the world could look up the Munich 11 on Wikipedia and learn who they were. These kids with a few simple keystrokes made sure we’d never forget.

Third place in Europe was amazing, 1st place in life is forever. Through sports these kids had made a difference.

As our trip in Czech wound to an end I bid goodbye to the team as my son and I took the short flight to Munich. The Olympic grounds are still impressive. The pool where Mark Spitz electrified the world is still amazing.

We walked and walked eventually we found our way to where the Olympic Village once stood. 31 Connelystrausse. I was shaking.

There on the building was the only physical reminder of what happened. Written in Hebrew on a small plaque were the names of the Munich 11. I leaned forward, I put my hand out. I touched the plaque and for a brief moment the soul of an eight year old boy. I brought my hand back and kissed it gently.

I was standing with my son on hallowed ground. My journey from Williamsport to Israel to Czech and then Munich. This was my ground zero, where my childhood ended.

And where sport transcended the arena.

After the tournament I read that Jim McKay was in declining health. I wrote his son asking him to thank his father for the heartfelt reporting during the event that changed my life. I shared my story of the baseball team

sports are Moshe Weinberg, Yosef Romano and the 9 other teammates who died in Munich. We say their names out loud, something spoken is not forgotten.

Moshe Weinberg - Yosef Ramano - Ze’ev Friedman - Yosef Gutfreund - David Berger Yakov Springer - Eliezer Halfin - Kehat Shorr Mark Slavin- Andre Spitzer - Amitzur Shapira I’ve seen plenty of amazing moments on TV - Willis Reed, Franco Harris, Dr J & Carlton Fisk in their immortal moments. I’ve seen others live - an epic Rose Bowl - McGwire’s 62nd – An NCAA Final - The Bartman game.

There has only ever been one experience that changed my life. A ball wasn’t thrown, a race wasn’t won and my team didn’t win the championship. I wanted to be an Olympian.

Just like Mark Spitz.

I was eight when that dream died that September day along with a small part of my soul. I mourned as best as any eight year old could.

If I close my eyes right now I see Jim Mckay’s face. I remember how terrible he looked. I hear his voice like he’s standing next to me. I still cry, I’ve always cried when I hear his voice or read the words he spoke: "When I was a kid, my father used to say "Our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized." Our worst fears have been realized tonight.

They've now said that there were eleven hostages. Two were killed in their rooms

9

the sydney jewish report | september 2020

What Israel-UAE Recognition Means KENNETH STEIN On Aug. 13, when the United Arab Emirates agreed to pursue full normal relations with Israel without any Israeli withdrawal from lands it won in the June 1967 war, the sacred negotiating formula “Land for Peace” that had dominated Arab-Israeli talks for half a century, abruptly ended. In return for only an Israeli promise not to annex any of the land it had occupied and administered on the West Bank since June 1967, a third Arab state accepted Israeli legitimacy. Egypt, Jordan, and now the UAE have demonstrated that while each had or has residual, if not waning sympathies for the Palestinian plight, each refused to postpone advancement of their own strategic national interests. None of them proved patient enough to wait for the Palestinians to enter serious negotiations with Israel.

Initial Palestinian reaction to the UAEIsrael understanding was fierce anger and total dismay. Advocates, diplomats, organizations,mand countries that seek a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are keenly disappointed because the UAE has advanced Israel’s status in the region without forcing Israel to pay a price to the Palestinians. Those who advocate for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel now contend with another Arab state that accepts Israel’s legitimacy. The UAE follows Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994) in recognizing Israeli statehood without obtaining a political promise, selfdetermination, or an independent state for the Palestinians. Israel pursued normalization of relations with the UAE because doing so was definitely in its national interest. Around its borders, Israel sees Arab states crumbling or fraying at the edges. They are all under the combined weight of onerous economic

decline, pesky COVID-19 issues, massive displaced populations, and pockets of corruption in pandemic proportions.

Israel has again internalized the reality that the Palestinian political leadership is sclerotic, divided, dysfunctional, and highly autocratic.

For Israel, resolving the Palestinian issue is not an existential matter.

What matters for Israel is its security relationships with Jordan and Egypt, and keeping Iranian influence to a minimum in Lebanon, Syria and among the Palestinians.

Israel seeks to be proactive in supporting its Sunni Arab friends in the Gulf, important allies against both Iran and the spread of Chinese influence regionwide. A central core of Zionism remains: to be active, not passive, turn challenges into opportunities, adjust on the run, shape one’s tomorrow, and preclude nothing, except the country’s demise.

Since after the June 1967 War, under the guidance of 10 successive U.S. presidents, from Lyndon Johnson to Donald Trump, the United States became the primary steward of Arab-Israeli conflict negotiations. Each president operated with the land-for-peace formula. The concept was enshrined in UNSC [United Nations Security Council] Resolution 242 (November 1967) which spoke about the “inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war,” and critically, the “withdrawal of Israeli forces [from lands] occupied in the recent conflict.” Simply put, the formula is: under what circumstances and over what period of time would Israel return tangible land to an Arab party living adjacent to it, and what intangible promise, such as a treaty or agreement, would Israel receive in return?

As far as the Gaza Strip is concerned, Israel returned that to Palestinian leadership in August 2005. Israel annexed to itself a large segment of Jerusalem in June 1967.

And for the Golan Heights, the United States recognized Israeli sovereignty over them

For the People of Israel

(formally annexed by Israel in 1981) in March 2019.

In the UAE-Israel agreement, Israel has not promised the return of any territories, but instead promised not to annex any lands on the West Bank. This agreement does not preclude that at some future point the area of the West Bank, or a portion of it, could be become part of a Palestinian entity or eventually annexed to Israel. [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, with many threatened gyrations toward annexation in May to July, seems to have settled comfortably in [predecessor] Menachem Begin’s philosophical camp, at least for the time being: Do no harm, even if political supporters to your right think you have abandoned the dream of annexation.

Addressing the Knesset Sept. 25, 1978, Begin said that “Israel would assert its right over sovereignty in the West Bank, Judea and the Gaza Strip against the background of counterclaims, and if no agreements are reached at the present time [with the Palestinians and Israel], then the present autonomy arrangements and Israel’s security will remain in force.” For not annexing and – at least not yet – and in spite of his other achievements, outstanding and regretful in the over a decade he has been in office, Netanyahu has secured an esteemed place in the annals of Israeli history. He is one of the four Israeli prime ministers who personally escorted Israel statehood toward acceptance and legitimacy: David Ben-Gurion, in declaring and sustaining the state; Menachem Begin in gaining Egyptian recognition; Yitzhak Rabin, in negotiating the peace treaty with Jordan, and now Netanyahu with the UAE’s portended recognition. ]There are six other interim conclusions to be considered: 1. It is evident that a military-strongIsrael carries favor and weight among Middle Eastern countries, particularly at a moment

BE A VOICE

for respect for empathy for their memory to live forever.

Honouring a loved one with a plaque in the Sanctum of Remembrance ensures their memory lives on forever alongside the names of other Holocaust victims, survivors and Righteous Among the Nations.

The Sanctum is now open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. To visit the Sanctum or for details on dedicating a plaque, please contact Rita Prager on plaques@sjm.com.au or 02 9360 7999.

I SR AE L

NEWS

when the U.S. and EU do not have strong footprints in the region. Those who advocate for a militarily strong Israel will feel gratified by the result of the UAE-Israel agreement.

2. Radical Islam as a core theological organizing platform for badgering and menacing Israel took a body blow; instead a secular Arab national view accepted the reality of Israel as a Jewish state. Other Arab states may do likewise in the near and intermediate future.

3. Unilateral actions such as annexation or building of settlements need not take place for Israel to enhance its security.

4. U.S. politicians — both Democrats and Republicans — who strongly opposed Israel’s annexation of any portion of the West Bank are saved from taking a contentious position on annexation as they enter the coming election cycle.

5. The Trump administration gleefully announced the agreement; similarly, the Biden-Harris ticket called the event a badly needed act of statesmanship. Both major parties continuously endorse Israel as a highly valued strategic partner in a perennially volatile neighborhood. Concern that Israeli policies would be a partisan “wedge” issue in the 2020 elections are greatly diminished.

6. While Washington took the public credit for this agreement, it unfolded because decades of private talks transpired between UAE and Israel officials.

Professor Kenneth President, Center for Education, Atlanta, www.israeled.org

Stein, Israel GA.

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

A S K

T H E

RABBI

Are We Obligated to Forgive?

RABBI DOVID ROSENFELD

I

was hurt very deeply by another person.

She either isn’t aware how hurtful her actions were or just doesn’t care.

I’m wondering what I should do now, especially with Yom Kippur approaching. I know I am supposed to forgive everyone, but I honestly do not have it in my heart to let her behavior pass. Even if I would say I forgive her, I wouldn’t really mean it. So what should I do?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Dovid Rosenfeld, a native of the Washington, D.C. area, works both as a programmer for aish.com and as a responder for its Ask the Rabbi service. He also serves as a volunteer writer for Torah.org.

He lives with his wife and family in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel.

TO R AH

THOUGHT

I’m very sorry to hear of your upset, but it’s nice that you are so intent on doing the right thing.

The truth is, although you feel you must forgive everyone who has hurt you, that is really not the case. Jewish law advises that we be forgiving to our fellow, but that is referring specifically to if the person truly regrets what he did and comes to beg our forgiveness. If (and only if) that occurs, we are told to open our hearts and accepts his apology.

If, however, a person hurt you and does not even care, you most certainly do not have to magically erase all your hurt and forgive him. Forgiveness comes after the apology and resolution, not before.

Even if the person who hurt you does apologize, you have the right to feel that his apology is not sufficiently sincere and heartfelt, and as a result reject it. It is his obligation to appease you and to show that he truly understands the extent of his wrong and honestly wants to make up for it.

There is, however, a different obligation

We should feel bad for him rather than angry at him. We should let it go and move on.

(Again, this is not an obligation but a pious act. If the victim can find it in his heart to feel bad for the perpetrator and forgive him that is great. But often the victim in such a situation is suffering terribly from PTSD and the like. Trying to force himself to forgive the one who abused him so is liable to increase his hurt even more.

In such a case, the victim should work on healing himself. The forgiveness can come later, when he is stronger.)

We do find that it is proper (but not obligatory) to forgive all – based on Talmud Megillah 28a that a rabbi claimed one reason he lived so long was that he never went to bed at night without first forgiving anyone who hurt him that day. Based on this, the Shema we say before going to bed includes a paragraph in which we forgive anyone who hurt us.

But this requires judgment. If someone hurt you deeply, rather than trying to erase it from your heart and forgive him, the more proper approach would be to admit that you have hard feelings towards him and deal with them. Fulfill Leviticus 19:17 and express your hurt to him. This will allow him to do a proper repentance and properly mend the relationship. If you would just try to forget about it yourself, your friend would never realize the error of his ways and improve – and the relationship might limp along but would never truly be healed.

I hope the issue is resolved very soon.

(Sources: Rambam Teshuva 2:10, De’ot 6:6, 6:9, Shulchan Aruch O.C. 606:1 with Rema, Mishna Berurah 606:9, 239:9.),

Who Is In Charge?

RABBI MOSHE D. GUTNICK

In the face of COVID-19 I am filled with deep humility and a sense of reverence. I am filled with hope in the belief that this is not a random occurrence, but rather part of a Hashem’s divine masterplan. I am profoundly comforted by putting my faith and trust in Him.

in a case like yours. Leviticus 19:17 states, "You shall not hate your fellow in your heart; you shall surely rebuke your fellow..."

We are not allowed to just hate a person who has hurt us and keep it bottled up. We are obligated to somehow convey to him our hurt – and by so doing afford him the opportunity to own up to his bad behavior and make amends.

Thus, in your case, it is especially important that you let your friend know how hurtful her behavior was. If it would be too hard to bring this up in person, you could send her an email, or possibly better, involve a trusted go-between, someone respected by both parties who could help restore peace. Hopefully, the result of all this will be that your acquaintance will realize how insensitive she was, will regret it, and will sincerely ask your forgiveness.

And if all that occurs, you will hopefully find it in your heart to forgive her as well.

Maimonides writes further that sometimes it is clear that the person who wronged you is not a stable person.

He is not someone capable of healthy relationships. He abuses others and feels no remorse.

In such a case, writes Maimonides, there is no obligation to communicate our hurt to the person to allow him to reconcile.

Nothing will be gained. It is considered an act of piety (but not an obligation) to forgive such a person. Ultimately, we should feel bad for a person like that, who is so incapable of maintaining wholesome relationships and who turns to abuse in hopeless attempt to build up his own selfesteem. He is the one with the problems – who was quite possibly the victim of abusive relationships in his own childhood.

The Talmud relates that when the Roman General Titus destroyed the Second Temple, he pierced the curtain covering the Holy of Holies with his sword, and blood gushed out. Titus believed he had killed the Almighty himself. Upon his return to Rome by ship, a fierce storm arose, threatening to capsize all aboard. Titus believed that within this treacherous scenario he saw the hand of G-d. He proceeded to raise his hands to the heavens and called out, “It seems the G-d of these ones [the Jews] can only wage war in the water – he drowned the Egyptians and drowned Sisera – let us meet up on dry land and then we will see who will win”. Hashem responded, “Wicked one, son of a wicked one, the grandson of Esau the wicked [Romans were the descendants of Esau] - I have amongst my creations a tiny insect. I will permit you onto dry land and let us see you wage war with it”.

The ship docked and as he alighted, a tiny gnat flew into his nasal cavity. From that time until the moment of his death, he suffered with terrible headaches from that trapped, invasive gnat – with no respite.

Legend has it that after he died, the gnat was removed, and it had grown to the size of a small bird. Of course now, on a macro level, the Roman Empire is no more, and Jews have returned to Jerusalem.

We have experienced this year like no

other before. COVID-19 has brought the world to its proverbial knees. Coronavirus knows no borders nor cultural differences.

It is colour blind and respects no class. With all our scientific and medical advances, with our ability to reach for the stars, we are struggling to find adequate treatments and an effective vaccine. It is waging war with us whether we are on the land or sea – and we are struggling to stay afloat. As well as the physical casualties, the economic chaos is the likes of which we have never seen in our lifetime. It is hard to imagine that anything could have eclipsed the devastating bushfires endured at the beginning of the year.

Yet those blazes were only a smouldering portent of what was to come.

Despite it all, I am not weighed down by fear or despair. Quite the contrary, I am filled with awe. The Roman Empire which mercilessly exiled us from our Homeland, was the greatest powerhouse of that epoch. Historians still marvel at its achievements. Yet one of G-d’s tiniest creatures taught Titus a harrowing, lifelong lesson. Over the past few decades, global advances have been exponential in all areas of human achievement. Many have postulated that we have simply outgrown a need for G-d; we have effectively conquered nature and they argue our faith in science should replace our faith in the Almighty.

Meanwhile, Hashem sends one of His tiniest organisms, a virus, a bit of protein fat

and RNA, and it continues to “wage war” and wreak havoc on a global scale.

I see this coronavirus crisis as a stark reminder that we are mere mortals. I see the relevance of the overarching theme of Rosh HaShanah prayers: that humankind is simply fashioned out of clay by our Creator and to Him we submit as King over us all.

There is one G-d who is Master of the Universe. He not only created the world but everything that takes place in it is by His design. He “runs the world” as He sees fit, and as the prophet Isaiah says in His name, “Just as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts”(Isaiah 58:9).

In the face of COVID-19 I am filled with deep humility and a sense of reverence. I am filled with hope in the belief that this is not a random occurrence, but rather part of a Hashem’s divine masterplan. I am profoundly comforted by putting my faith and trust in Him. As we welcome the New Year, may we all be written and sealed in the Book of Life and good health. May the coming year reveal Hashem’s providence and protection through the healing of the sick, and may it bring His people back to a golden Jerusalem with the rebuilt Temple speedily in our days. Then the whole world will see just “who is in charge”.

the sydney jewish report | september 2020

Israel's "Settlers" Are Beneficiaries of the Israel-UAE Accord Fortunately, they do not know it

W

MALCOLM LOWE

idespread surprise greeted the publication of the "Joint Statement of the United States, the State of Israel, and the United Arab Emirates," announcing "the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates."

Delegations from the two countries "will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare, culture, the environment, the establishment of reciprocal embassies, and other areas of mutual benefit." Israel, for its part, "will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President's Vision for Peace and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world" Reactions, both local and worldwide, have varied from exultation to despair, depending upon how different parties identified themselves among the winners and losers of this development. Instructive is an analysis by Ben Sales, who picks "5 winners and 4 losers."

The winners include – obviously – Trump, Netanyahu and the UAE, but also "the long view of Israeli history." By the last is meant, despite decades of hostility to Israel from its neighbors, "the hope for peace in the Middle East" that is "written into Israel's founding documents." Liberal Zionists are both winners and losers. Thus J Street has claimed that the Joint Statement is "just the latest evidence that dialogue and diplomacy, rather than unilateral action and belligerence, are the route to long-term security." But the more fundamental assumptions of Liberal Zionists have been refuted: that Israel's settlement enterprise in the West Bank makes "peace with other Arab countries is impossible" and "harms U.S.-Israel relations."

The outright losers, for Sales, are the "Palestinians," the "Israeli opposition" and the "settlers." On this last point, we part company.

The "settlers" belong to the winners.

Fortunately, however, they are behaving vociferously as if they were the biggest losers: since this behavior is exactly what the UAE needs in order to sell the accord with Israel in the Arab world.

Retrospect To explain why the settlers are winners, a short look back is required. In January 2020, the Trump administration published "Peace to Prosperity." This document, the so-called "deal of the century," outlined the administration's vision for a settlement of all the issues obstructing peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Its main architect was Jared Kushner. It was widely welcomed not just by most members of Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition but also by Benny Gantz, then the leader of the opposition in the Knesset.

The plan envisaged that all the Israeli settlements in the West Bank (aka Judea and Samaria – we use common terminology without prejudice) would remain in place in a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, while Israel would make some territorial concessions elsewhere. Moreover, the Trump administration indicated that it might agree to let Israel already help itself to territory that the plan envisages for Israel, provided that Israel refrains from settling on land that the plan awards to the Palestinians and agrees to work with the administration on accurately delineating the areas in question. Contrary to the misleading talk of "annexation" and "declaring sovereignty," what it would mean in practice is a decision by the Knesset to apply internal Israeli law to those areas, in place of the military law under which they have been administered since 1967.

Netanyahu and his Likud party made this scheme a major plank in their platform for the Knesset election on March 2. The coalition agreement made subsequently

between the Likud and Gantz's Blue and White party allowed the Likud to bring the scheme to a Knesset vote from July 1 on.

Blue and White is not obliged to vote in favor, since Gantz – while approving the American plan – is opposed to implementing it without broader international support. But there is an estimated Knesset majority for the scheme.

It has not yet been brought to the Knesset, first and foremost because the Israeli and American teams have not completed the tedious and intricate process of mapping out areas on the ground. Anyway, this is what Israel has "suspended" for the sake of full relations with the UAE. Moreover, as Israel estimates that full relations with other Arab countries are in the offing, even a "temporary" suspension may last a long while. First those opportunities need to be brought to fruition, as may be.

Then a decent period must be allowed to elapse before Israel, alleging unending Palestinian intransigence, could envisage unilateral steps without fatally annoying its new Arab friends.

Settlers as Winners There seems to have been universal automatic assent to placing the settlers among the losers of the Israel-UAE accord. It is nevertheless mistaken, for a reason that is simple to explain. Why is there opposition to the settlement project in principle, whether from friends or enemies of Israel, including both Jewish organizations and foreign governments? It comes down to two alleged reasons: first, that the settlement project was illegal under international law; second, that it is an obstacle to peace. Now note that many commentators have already said, like Sales, that the agreement between Israel and the UAE has refuted the second reason. Then, finally, ask: Which of the two reasons was more important?

If the scheme to extend internal Israeli law to the settlements had gone ahead at the expense of peace agreements with a series of Arab states, just imagine the international opprobrium directed at Israel and at the settlers in particular. Now the opposite has happened: the settlers are no longer an obstacle to peace, just some people who allegedly ought not to be where they are, a local nuisance and not a global one.

The implication is that the settlers can now basically anticipate living where they are forever. The question of their presence has been reduced to a local issue that will not arise as long as the Palestinians maintain their perennial intransigence. Even if it does arise, the Trump-Kushner plan is based on the principle that neither Israelis nor Palestinians need leave their current dwelling places.

As it happens, we have also shown previously that the first alleged reason – the argument from international law – is invalid.

The argument turns on a sentence in clause

49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention: "The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies." The Convention, however, was designed to regulate conflicts between states, whereas the IsraeliPalestinian conflict originated as a civil war within the territory of the British Mandate for Palestine in which both sides, but especially the Palestinians, laid claim to the whole area.

The Convention does contain one clause on civil wars, clause 3, but it is confined in general to humanitarian issues, such as that nobody who lays down arms shall be harmed and all sides are obliged to tend the injured of all sides. Clause 3 adds to all that a further significant sentence: "The Parties to the conflict should further endeavour to bring into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the present Convention." That is, clause 49 has to be interpreted in the context of clause 3.

For decades, the Palestinians refused to negotiate with or recognize Israelis in any manner. The first "special agreements" between "the Parties to the conflict" were precisely the Oslo Accords of 1993 and 1995. So no settlements established up to then violated the Convention. Moreover, the Oslo Accords exclude the settlements and Jerusalem from their provisions, saying that they are issues that belong to negotiations over the final status, in which: "Neither Party shall be deemed, by virtue of having entered into this Agreement, to have renounced or waived any of its existing rights, claims or positions."

The conclusion to be drawn is therefore: All the settlements created by Israel before the Oslo Accords are legitimate, including the new Israeli housing estates created in the extended boundaries of Jerusalem. As long as the "interim period" envisaged in those accords remains in force, Israel is allowed to build within the originally defined pre-Oslo boundaries of the settlements, but is not allowed to change their pre-Oslo status. As initial negotiating positions on the final status agreement, the Palestinians are not excluded from demanding a total Israeli withdrawal to the ceasefire lines of 1949, but Israel is likewise not excluded from demanding the retention not merely of the settlements but also of any other part of the Mandatory Palestine of 1947.

Further articles on the matter can be found here and here. As already said, however, the major persistent objection to the settlements is not niceties of international law but the claim that they are an obstacle to peace. Take that claim away and the settlers can look forward to a prosperous future, albeit without the fulfillment of the wilder dreams of some.

Original published in Gatestone Institute, International Policy Council (www.gatestoneinstitute.org)

11 P OL I T I CAL

CROSSFIRE

Malcolm Lowe is a Welsh scholar specialized in Greek Philosophy, the New Testament and Christian-Jewish Relations.

12 PO LIT I C AL

CROSSFIRE

the sydney jewish report | september 2020

The Biblical Command to Pursue Justice Is as Relevant Today as It Ever Was

S

The writer is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School and author of Guilt by Accusation: The Challenge of Proving Innocence in the Age of #MeToo, Skyhorse Publishing, 2019.

This article was originally published in The Jerusalem Post and republished in Gatestone Institute, International Policy Council (.gatestoneinstitute.org) Follow Alan M. Dershowitz on Twitter and Facebook

ALAN M. DERSHOWITZ

aturday was the 69th anniversary of my bar mitzvah. To celebrate it, my son videotaped me chanting from the same Torah portion I chanted 69 years ago in the Young Israel of Boro Park. The words I intoned were written three thousand years ago. And yet not a single revision is required to make them relevant to today's world.

My portion begins with a command to the Israelites to "appoint judges and magistrates in all your cities." The judges are then commanded not to pervert justice by showing favoritism or taking bribes, "for bribery blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts just words."

Then comes the central command, perhaps of the entire Torah: "Justice, justice must you pursue." Actually, the word pursue is not as strong in the English as it is in the Hebrew. The Hebrew word "tirdof" literally means to chase or run after. It is as if God was telling his people that the quest for justice never stays won. It must always be actively pursued. No one can ever rest satisfied that justice has been achieved.

Think of that demand for active justice in the face of the racial injustice that had plagued our country since its founding. In the 1940s, many thought that racial justice had been achieved when the army was integrated. In the 1950s, we thought that justice had been achieved when the Supreme Court ordered desegregation of the public schools. In the 1960s, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act promised equal justice.

In every generation, the quest for justice has achieved better and better results. There is far more racial justice today than ever before in our history. But no one looking at today's America can rightfully conclude that we have achieved ultimate justice for African-Americans. The same is true of other disadvantaged and discriminated-against groups. We are on a road that never ends.

We must never be content with the status quo, certainly as it regards justice. There is a line in the Merchant of Venice that implicitly makes this point. Shylock has been forced to

convert on threat of death. When he is asked whether he has truly converted from Judaism to Christianity, he replies "I am content." I have always thought that his answer proved beyond a doubt that he was no longer a Jew. Because no Jew is ever content. It is not in the nature of Jews to be content and it is not in the nature of anyone who believes in the Bible to be content with the current state of justice.

The commentators on the Bible frequently ask why God repeated the word "justice"?

Wouldn't it have been enough for Him to command, "Justice must you pursue?" But no: God says, "justice, justice."

There are no extra words in the Bible.

Every word has a meaning. So various commentaries have been offered in the meaning of the duplication. Some say that one reference is to substantive justice while the other is to procedural justice. Others say that one justice is for the victim, and the other for the accused.

Still others say that there is no single definition of justice: we know injustice when we see it, but there is no agreement about what constitutes perfect justice. It is in the nature of biblical commentary that it never ends. Every generation comes up with new interpretations and new insights as to the meanings of ancient words.

I was fortunate to have my bar mitzvah fall on the week in which this particular biblical portion is read by Jews all around the world.

I always believed that it sent me a message.

I have devoted my life to seeking justice for others, from my earliest opposition to the death penalty while I was in high school to the current pro bono work I do with Aleph, the wonderful Chabad organization that provides services to imprisoned men and women all over the world.

Now, at 82, I am demanding justice for myself. I have been falsely accused by a woman I never met of having sex with her.

I have already achieved justice in terms of the evidence that conclusively proves to any open-minded person that it is impossible that I would or could have done what she falsely accused me of.

Indeed, the best evidence of my innocence is in her own words: a series of emails and manuscript that she tried to suppress in which she essentially admits that she never met me. Her lawyer's own words -she is "wrong... simply wrong" in accusing you -- constitute an admission attributable to her.

Another of her lawyers has acknowledged that she lied about other prominent men.

She told her best friend and her best friend's husband that she was pressured by her lawyer to falsely accuse me. You would think that would be enough. But no, not in the age of cancel culture and #MeToo, where evidence and lack thereof count for little.

What is most important in this age of identity politics is the identity for the accuser and the accused: Always believe women, regardless of their history of lying; or regardless of the accused's history of truth-telling and sexual probity.

The Bible teaches otherwise. In my portion, judges are directed not to take identity into account. The words in Hebrew are "Lo takir panim," which means do not base your decision on the faces or identities of the litigants. Base it instead on the facts and the evidence. I wish people today would abide by that 3,000-year-old wisdom.

I also wish judges and prosecutors paid more heed to another command of my Bible portion: "The judges shall inquire diligently; and behold if the witness be a false witness and has testified falsely against his brother, then shall ye do unto him as he had proposed to do unto his brother..." I have invited prosecutors and judges to "inquire diligently" into my accuser and me. If they do, they will conclude that she has "testified falsely" and should be punished under the law of perjury.

I, for one, will continue to live and work in the spirit of the commandment to chase after "justice, justice." Justice for those who have been sexually exploited. And justice for those who have been falsely accused -- as Joseph in the Bible was -- of sexual misconduct. I am confident that justice and truth will prevail in my case, no matter how long the road or how exhausting the chase.

the sydney jewish report | september 2020

13 P OL I T I CAL

CROSSFIRE Affirming Civilization, United Arab Emirates and Israel

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ISSI LIEBLER

ivilization is currently facing the greatest threats since the rise of Nazism. Coronavirus and its social and economic byproducts have resulted in global waves of populism, accompanied by violent demonstrations initiated from elements of the extreme left and right.

These elements, in particular the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in America, are exploiting racial issues to host radical anti-Semitic groups and oppose Israel in their platform.

They systematically riot, torch and loot buildings, beat up innocent civilians, attack police, and destroy monuments. They have demanded defunding, reduction and in some cases, abolition of police forces.

Many “progressives” either endorse or stand aside from this madness, with a number of Democratic mayors going so far as to justify the violent riots and destruction of property as legitimate expressions of protest. In what has awesome parallels to Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, some also seek to repudiate history and substitute it with their crazy, false narratives, which amount to a rejection of Western civilization Many of those involved were incubated in American university campuses where they were brainwashed with this nonsense by anarchistic, radical professors.

The dominant liberal media has downplayed the hatred being disseminated and encouraged “legitimate protests against racism” on the grounds of “undisputed moral authority.”

While purportedly combating racism, these demonstrations have intensified the already prevalent anti-Semitism from vociferous antiZionists and Jew-baiters. The platform of the Movement for Black Lives accuses Israel of engaging in genocide and calls on the US to deny support for Israel. Its leaders include the most vicious anti-Semites who vociferously promote the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The same applies in the United Kingdom, where London Mayor Sadiq Khan has allied himself with those seeking to reject the “slave culture” upon which, he alleges, Britain history was based.

What is astonishing is that the vast majority of Jews regard it as incumbent on them to be seen supporting the BLM movement despite its anti-Semitic components. The only organization consistently and vigorously protesting the antiSemitic aspects of BLM is the Zionist Organization of America. This is an extension of the cowardly failure of Jews to speak out against US President Barack Obama’s anti-Israeli policies. It is also a reflection of the appalling global decline of Diaspora Jewish education other than in Orthodox enclaves.

Many young people today are no longer

able to visualize the powerlessness of Jews before the Jewish state was created. They have come to believe that it is inconsistent to be liberal and support what they view as a “reactionary” nationalistic Jewish state. Sadly, Jews in the United States and other parts of the Diaspora do not consider support of Israel to be a priority in their political agenda and rather seek to blend into the progressive camp even if that entails abandoning or turning against Israel. This explains the deafening silence of major Jewish organizations in the face of antiSemites in the BLM and other “progressive” movements.

A decade ago, it would have been inconceivable to have traditional Jewishdominated constituencies abandoning support for long-standing pro-Israel congressmen and electing anti-Israel and even openly anti-Semitic candidates. One of these, Rep. Ilhan Omar (who in a recent primary defeated Antone Melton-Meaux, a wellfunded pro-Israel candidate), was nominated with the support of House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the influential Foreign Affairs Committee. For an open anti-Semite to be approved for membership on such an important congressional committee without a protest from the major Jewish organizations (other than the ZOA) reflects not merely cowardliness but the abject collapse of American Jewry’s political influence.

In less than three months, elections will take place in the United States. Should the most pro-Israel administration be displaced by a radicalized Biden administration, it would portend a great danger to Israel.

Joe Biden, having already displayed a willingness to succumb to pressure by the radicals, is not young and seems to be suffering from dementia. Should he win the election, he may not even see out his term in office. His nominated vice president, Senator Kamala Harris, a woman of color, boasts a radical voting record in the Senate. If Biden steps down or is incapacitated, she would automatically become president.

However, in relative terms, from an Israeli standpoint Harris was nevertheless by far the preferred candidate on his vice presidential short list. In the past, she has condemned BDS, spoken at two earlier AIPAC meetings and professed support for Israel. However, when campaigning in the Democratic primaries, she refused to attend the 2019 AIPAC conference and chose to hold private meetings with AIPAC’s leadership to avoid a backlash from the progressive elements of the Democratic Party.

She endorses Biden’s determination to reinstate America’s support for the 2015 Iran nuclear arms deal and renew support and funding for the Palestinian Authority. It is very disconcerting that she recently appointed proBDS far-leftist Karine Jean-Pierre as her chief of

staff.

Like Biden, she will also be under pressure from anti-Israel radicals, whose influence is dramatically expanding, and will wish to reinstate Obama administration political appointees who promote an “even handed” policy that regards Israelis and terrorists as moral equivalents. Chief among these is Susan Rice, former national security adviser, one of many key former Obama advisers who are negative toward Israel. They are the leading contenders for secretary of state and other key positions in a Biden administration.

A politically dysfunctional Israel and a hostile US administration could pose a daunting threat.

But once again, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pulled a rabbit out of his hat.

With the help of US President Donald Trump, he brought about the peace treaty with the United Arab Emirates, postponing any moves to annex territories.

One cannot underestimate the importance of this achievement and what is likely to follow.

It sets the foundations for Israel’s peace policy goals and demonstrates to the Palestinians that the Sunni Arab world today does not support their intransigency. It creates a new economic, social and security pact that will benefit the entire region and isolate Iran. Additional Muslim countries, outside the Iranian-Turkish bloc and its surrogates, will forge diplomatic relations with Israel. The Palestinians will then hopefully realize that there is no alternative to direct negotiations with Israel to bring about an end of conflict and peace.

Should Trump be re-elected, those seeking to undo Western civilization and promote antiSemitism will be neutralized and the wide ArabIsraeli peace process is likely to expand across the region.

However, should Biden win, the situation may quickly deteriorate. Despite the advances reflected by the peace treaty with the UAE, a radical Democratic administration, bolstered by the Europeans, will continue seeking to pressure Israel to revert to the 1967 boundaries as a starting point for any negotiations and undermine any prospects to forge full relations between Israel and other Sunni states.

But if now we have a united Israel dominated by a centrist government, this will largely neutralize the “progressives” and Europeans who will no longer be able to claim that Israel is run by an extremist right-wing government. It may also encourage American Jewish leaders to speak out in our favor.

We desperately need to capitalize on this achievement and unite.

If that happens, setting aside corona, we have grounds for greater optimism in the regional arena than ever before.

This column was originally published in the Jerusalem Post and Israel Hayom

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

FOO D I E S

CORNER

The History of Honey Cake This Rosh Hashanah tradition has a long, sometimes sweet, history.

H

LAURA WILLIAMS

oney cake has had a long and diverse evolution. From breadcrumbs mashed with honey came the sweet and spiced cake we know today. Whether you like it, love it, or will always pass on this Rosh Hashanah classic, its evolution exemplifies the culinary journey of Jewish Diaspora. This is more than a cake; it connect Jews to Torah, holidays, and the sweetness of life.

Though ancient Egyptians and Romans used honey mashed with yeast or barely, the birth of the spiced honey cake, evolving into something more similar to the one we know today, was in Italy in the early 12th century. Similar to a panforte, it was a dense and heavily spiced cake.

Elsewhere in Europe, another variation became known as “gingerbread.” This dense honey cake made its way up to Central Europe, where Ashkenazi Jews adapted it into their cuisine.

According to the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, the first mentions of the Ashkenazi version of honey cake came in 1105, describing it like a fine-floured challah with honey. The official name of lekach was found in the year 1200 in Germany.

Medieval Ashkenazi Jews incorporated honey cakes into a custom surrounding the study of Torah. When a new student would

learn Torah for the first time, sometimes on Shavuot, the child would be given a slate with Hebrew letters, covered with honey, to lick. They would also receive honey cake as a treat. Both applications of honey were used so that they would associate the study of Torah with sweetness. It is not surprising then, that the Yiddish word for honey cake, lekach, probably comes from the German word lecken, meaning “lick.”

The honey cake lived on in multiple forms and countries. The 19th century saw “old fashioned honey cake” as a common compliment to tea time in both England and the United States. One article even offered it up in a list of “Prize Christian Cakes” (The Evening Post, December 21, 1818). But the Jewish community kept its own twist and connection to the honey cake.

As honey is used on the Jewish New Year as a symbol for sweetness to come, a round (another symbol of the New Year) honey cake is commonly a staple at the festive Rosh Hashanah meals. In addition to the beneficial symbolism, honey cake also has the benefits of a long shelf life; it is even said that this cake is better a couple days after it is made.

But not everyone is in favor of this practical confection. Some argue that the honey cake’s place at the table is a matter of tradition or nostalgia for bubbe’s recipe, rather than an actual appreciation for the cake itself. One NPR article connects the

traditional obligation honey cake to its cousin, fruit cake, both coming with a list of grievances. There are often claims that honey cake is too dense or dry, and has earned itself a reputation for remaining on the Rosh Hashanah table to be saved as leftovers, but inevitably thrown out well after Sukkot.

However, like many other traditional Jewish dishes, the honey cake has evolved once more with few modern interpretations that attempt to make it more appealing and palatable to the masses. A quick search of recipes online today shows the ways bakers have taken honey cake to a new level. There are tahini honey cakes and honey cakes with a chocolate glaze.

If you’re thinking, “I want honey cake but also mandlebrot at the same time,” that exists, too! Gluten free? Done. Vegan?

Done (I know, I know, how could this be?

You can actually use silan/date syrup.)

Regardless if you like a slice that is super spicy, toned down with a chocolate glaze, or left on the table untouched, the honey cake has burrowed itself deep in the cycle of the annual Jewish menu, and therefore lives to see another year.

Like the Jewish people, the honey cake reflects hints of the places we have been, while remaining sturdy and long-lasting through its connection to Jewish learning and tradition. And I, for one, am thankful that it has survived this long.

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

Holiday Flavors

FOODI E S

CORNER

Preparing for the high holidays? We’ve got recipes to start planning your holiday tables.

Some of our contributors and staff, along with members of the community, added their holiday favorites to this year’s lineup ready for the sampling. From challah to brisket to dessert, we hope we start to whet your appetites for the upcoming New Year.

Sea Bass in Sabra SUSANNE KATZ

The fish is baked in white wine and has a special aroma from the Sabra.

6 sea bass steaks (about 3 pounds) 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1 cup dry white wine 4 tablespoons vermouth 2 tablespoons Sabra or other orange liqueur 2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon ground black pepper Preheat oven to 350 F. Arrange fish in a heatproof baking dish and dot with butter.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Mix wine, vermouth, Sabra, soy sauce and pepper. Pour over fish.

Bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Originally published in Atlanta Jewish Times (Aug 2020)

Marinated Carrots SUSANNE KATZ

6 to 8 large carrots, peeled and julienned 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1 small onion, sliced 1 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon salt

Juice of 1 large lemon Salad greens Boil carrots for 3 to 5 minutes.

Combine rest of the ingredients for the marinade.

Add carrots.

Refrigerate overnight. Serve over greens.

Originally published in Atlanta Jewish Times (Aug 2020)

Rebbetzin Esty Gutnick's Apple Kugel REBBETZIN ESTY GUTNICK Below is a family favourite (Pareve) that often features on our Rosh Hashana table.

Another sweet way to enjoy your apples over New Year!

Ingredients: 5 medium Granny Smith apples 5 eggs 1/2 cup of vegetable or canola oil 1 cup plain flour 1 cup sugar (or less if desired) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup orange juice Cinnamon sugar (for dusting) Method: Peel and thinly slice apples Place into baking dish (see in photo 21cm*30cm ceramic dish; can use 9*13\" as well).

Grease with canola oil spray.

In a separate bowl, whisk all remaining ingredients together by hand.

Pour mixture over apples.

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top.

Bake @ 180 degrees Celsius for 50-60 minutes until the centre springs back when touched. Enjoy - Chag Sameach!

Trifle SUSANNE KATZ

16-ounce pound cake 1 can chocolate fudge 1/4 cup Kahlua 6 Heath bars, crushed 3 small boxes instant vanilla pudding 3 cups milk 3 cups whipping cream, whipped until stiff 3 bananas sliced (optional)

6 ounces Cool Whip Slice pound cake and cut into cubes. Combine Kahlua and chocolate fudge.

Combine milk and instant pudding.

Layer all ingredients and end with Cool Whip topping.

Originally published in Atlanta Jewish Times (Aug 2020)

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

FOO D I E S

CORNER

Sweet and Sour Meatballs MARTHA JO KATZ This is easy and foolproof, and offers memories for me of two great ladies, my mother and grandmother! It is a favorite of our family for the holidays and for any other day they are served.

My mother Annette Harris Felson and grandma Ida Bank Harris made them during the holidays as a first course instead of soup. My great-great grandmother Chase Bank made them as well as my namesake, Martha Bank, who came to Baltimore in 1887.

The secret is to make them very small and to balance the sweet and sour.

Grandma Harris used to call me to walk the two blocks to her house in Ocilla, Ga., to be the “taster” and she trusted my judgment, even as a child, to tell her if it was too sweet or too sour.

I have added carrots to the sauce since they pick up the flavor, add color and our family loves them.

For dinner during the holidays, they can be served as the first course and for lunch, the main course paired with a salad of sliced cucumbers, avocadoes, tomatoes, and hearts of palm with olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper mixed in. And, of course, a big slice of challah to accompany them at lunch or dinner.

I always have the memory of the smell in mama and grandma’s kitchens when I make them. A recipe legacy I am proud to inherit, pass down, share and am always happy to serve.

For meat: Two pounds of ground lean beef (chuck, round or sirloin) Three slices bread, edges trimmed and soaked in warm water One small onion, grated fine Salt and pepper, to taste Garlic salt (optional) Mix meat with water-soaked bread, onion, and seasonings and set aside

For sauce: 2 large (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes with added puree ¾ cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 2 carrots, sliced in rounds In large Dutch oven, put the tomatoes, sugar, kosher salt and carrots and bring to a simmer: Roll meat in tiny balls (quarter size) and drop into simmering sauce. Reduce heat, cover and simmer and cook for 1 hour and a half, stirring occasionally.

Finishing touch: 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/8 teaspoon citric acid salt Add lemon juice or citric acid salt and then taste. Add more sugar if too sour or more citric acid or lemon if too sweet.

Originally published in Atlanta Jewish Times (Aug 2020)

Macadamia Nut Banana Bread LILLI JENNISON This recipe is great to gift to friends and family for a sweet new year. It is very easy and delicious. Great as a snack, dessert or breakfast. It is an interesting twist to a quarantine favorite.

4 large bananas, mashed 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped (divided) Brown sugar and cinnamon, to taste, for topping Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray loaf pan with baking spray.

Add bananas, sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil to stand mixer and blend on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Add into the stand mixer and blend on low speed until combined, but not overmixed, about 30 seconds.

Mix in 3/4 cup macadamia nuts with a spatula, then pour into loaf pan. Top with remaining 1/4 cup macadamia nuts.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes. Note: When there is about 10 minutes left of baking, add the brown sugar and cinnamon mix to the top of the bread.

Originally published in Atlanta Jewish Times (Aug 2020)

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

KOSH E R

KApers

Welcome to Kosher KApers!

RAMONA FREEDMAN The Kashrut Authority is delighted to collaborate with The Jewish Report to bring you the latest kosher news around town.

Each month we will feature a few fabulous highlights from Sydney’s kosher landscape and will share it right here!

In this bumper Rosh Hashanah edition, we have some sweet stories to tell.

Let’s begin with a new KA-certified eatery named Oakberry Açai, located at 82-92 Gould Street, Bondi Beach. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Oakberry Açai into our KA Family and announce kosher Pareve Brazilian Açai with all the trimmings! This healthy South American superfood is packed with antioxidants, amino acids, essential vitamins and minerals, fibre … oh, and it tastes sensational too!

Every single item in store is KA-certified, from açai bowls to smoothies – this means you can add all toppings to your heart’s desire. These include seasonal fresh fruit, creamy nut butters, coconut chia pudding, crunchy vegan granola, seeds, nuts, natural yoghurt, cacao nibs, coconut flakes and more! (Please note: a few toppings are Dairy, not Chalav Yisrael).

With spring right here, this is the perfect time to breathe in the fresh air and sample this brand-new kosher açai!

With Rosh Hashanah now literally minutes away, we wanted to share the news that an amazing small apiary on the Upper North Shore, Snives Hives, is also KA-certified. The local 100% cold-pressed raw Australian honey produced has no additives, and is fresh out of the hive! In fact, the beehives are from local colonies rescued for free to save them from extermination.

The unique honey is harvested every season ensuring a significant range of flavours as its essence harnesses the taste of different flowers that blossom throughout the year!

Kosher consumers can purchase Seasonal Honey and Bee Pollen – so you can now support local business, support the rescue of bees and support KA-certified products – now that’s a sweet trifecta we love!

Okay, here’s another sweet something – actually, it is an artisanal creation that can be marvelled at and then savoured! We are talking about the limited edition Oh Boo Rosh Hashanah 36-piece treat box, emerging in collaboration with local culinary marvel, Lainie Cadry. Within it contains three (Dairy, not Chalav Yisrael) varieties never seen or experienced in Kosher Sydney. This fusion of flavours is perfection and includes: Honey burnt butter milk chocolate caramels; Baby golden apples filled with Fuji apple jam & lemon white chocolate ganache, encased in a crisp dark chocolate shell and not to

forget the Pomegranate molasses caramel in a dark chocolate shell. Kosher KA-certified heaven on earth!

This Rosh Hashanah, for the first time, brilliant French baker Joel Barda offers the community his new signature Apple and honey Tart Tatin (Dairy) as a novel seasonal addition to the Patisserie Le Marais Rosh Hashanah menu.

It is now only fair that we balance all of the above with just a couple of KA-certified savoury mentions before we sign off. You can now purchase Dave\'s Food Co artfully cured Gravlax range at Jesse’s Café and Krinskys every Friday. This is a brand-new sliced range in three flavours: Pastrami, Dill & Pepper and Beetroot. This is in addition to the impressive Gravlax Bites range comprising: Honey Mustard; Classic and Lemon & Cracked Pepper. Balanced beautifully & impressively infused, make sure you pick up some KA-certified gravlax to elevate your Rosh Hashanah!

And finally, for a hearty main meal, look no further than recently certified ‘7 Fat Cows’.

We are talking about Point End pastrami that is expertly pickled, spiced with a home-made rub, smoked and vacuum sealed. Dining on this tender, melt-in-your-mouth pastrami is an experience. Think of the finest offered in New

York delis now available in sunny Sydney! Oh and the perfect pastrami condiment is now KA-certified too – add some 7 Fat Cows Spicy Mustard! A wonderful addition to any Yom Tov or Shabbat meal!

We have so much more to share in the next edition, stay tuned for the latest kosher news including new additions. For now, feel free to join thousands of people in our two-way on-going kosher conversation, located within The KA Facebook Group, “Kashrut Authority of Australia & NZ”.

The KA would like to take this opportunity to thank The KA’s family of companies and kosher consumers for their on-going support.

Oh behalf of The KA Team, we wish you Shana Tova u’Metuka!

May you have a happy, sweet (and safe!)

New Year.

For more information about products above, visit: www.ohboo.com.au; www.sniveshives.com.au; www.lemarais. com.au; www.7fatcows.com.au - all are also on Facebook and Instagram including Oakberry Açai & Dave’s Food Co.

KA UPDATES Following is a snapshot of a few products which have recently been certified by The Kashrut Authority & are now available around town: • Absolute Organic Sauerkraut with Ginger & Turmeric Pareve Sauerkraut with Red Beetroot – Pareve (only when bearing KA logo) • Coles St. Ives Flatbread (baked in-house in KA-certified bakery) – Pareve • DJ&A Back to Basics range of Shiitake Jerky in five flavours: Original; Mustard & Herb; Middle Eastern; Smoked Chilli & Garlic and Texas BBQ – Pareve • Kettle Chips Sea Salt & Vinegar – Pareve • La Stella Latticini Cow’s Ricotta – Dairy (not Chalav Yisrael) • Natural Chip Company Sea Salt & Vinegar – Pareve • Tyrrell’s Lightly Sea Salted Slow Cooked Crisps – Pareve All these products and thousands more can be found at our KA Kosher Product Directory located at ka.org.au

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

HE A LT H

&

FITNESS

Six Steps To Better Sleep CHERYL FINGLESON

Cheryl Fingleson is a paediatric sleep consultant. As a mother of two, she very well knows the feelings of agony and desperation when you have a child that struggles to settle and sleep. She doesn’t believe in leaving babies or children to cry it out, nor in the practices of controlled crying. Her approach is to empower parents with the right tools and techniques to teach their babies and children to go to sleep calmly, happily and independently.

Feeling stressed and on edge? Having trouble easing into a deep sleep come bedtime? You are not alone. Around one third of Australians experience insomnia at some point in their lives. This can be due to a number of factors, including a lack of sleep routine, the consumption of caffeine and alcohol, stress and anxiety, health problems and undertaking shift work.

So during a time of great uncertainty where more people are experiencing financial stress, isolation and social disconnect, it’s no wonder many of us are losing some serious shut-eye.

Feeling edgy, having trouble concentrating, losing sleep and waking early with anxious feelings are completely normal human reactions to a completely abnormal situation. Worrying about both the present and the future is part of the experience right now. And for many of us our sleep is suffering.

How sleep impacts your health and wellbeing Want to be at the top of your game when you eat, train and work? Then sleep is a must.

Cognitive tests showing vast differences between a well-rested brain versus a sleep deprived brain.

‘The sleep deprived brain is acutely affected the following day because we haven’t given the brain time to do the functions that it needs to do in order for it to be ready for the next day’s set of information and decision making,’ says sleep expert Dr Carmel Harrington.

There’s a really important part of the brain called the pre-frontal cortex – situated behind the forehead, and this gives us our smarts. If we don’t sleep well, it’s very difficult to access our pre-frontal cortex the next day.

Because we aren’t able to activate it, we think slower, and we can’t access different memories and processes that our brain goes through.

What’s more, less sleep results in an increased emotional centre. Meaning, you can feel moody, down and irritable for absolutely no reason.

Sleep deprivation also prevents your immune system from building up its forces – particularly important during winter and a health pandemic.

So what’s the secret to catching enough regular zzzzs? Here’s six habits that the experts

say you should adopt, stat: 1. Routine, routine!

Set a regular bed time and wake time (seven days per week, not five!). Your internal body clock (known as your circadian rhythm) cycles between wakefulness and sleepiness at regular intervals. It’s important to sync your body clock right so that you tap into a natural cycle of energy and recovery.

Try to switch off all electronics 60-90 minutes before you get snug under the sheets. That includes no replying to emails, scrolling through your Instagram feed or finishing a Season of your series.

It may be tempting to stay up late and finish the last chapter of your book on your ipad because you don’t have to go to work in the morning, but it is more important than ever to prioritise your sleep. If you can’t do 60-90 minutes straight up, start with 15.

Blue light causes the body to produce less melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness.

Why is this important?

While it’s tempting to check the news before bed, it can increase your anxiety levels. Stay informed, but perhaps monitor updates during the day. Setting plans of action for the morning can help alleviate uncertainty. We tend to keep our anxieties bottled up and they burst out in the dark. Try to clear out the mental cabinet ahead of time.

2. Make yourself comfortable Take a warm bath or shower, and make sure your bed is comfortable and your room is dark.

And you can’t go wrong with a freshly washed set of Egyptian cotton threads waiting for you post-shower..

Tip: Invest in a good-quality mattress. Some people like to spend their pretty pennies on a flash car or designer handbag. While we’re not opposed to individual indulgences, who wouldn’t want to invest in an item they spend aro 3. Exercise daily It goes without saying that keeping active not only makes you feel tired and ready for bed, it also alleviates any anxious and nervous energy that might have built up.

While there’s no clear connection between exercise and treating chronic insomnia, numerous studies have indicated that even moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (think walking or a slow job) can improve sleep quality and quantity.

What’s important is that you do something

The team at The Sydney Jewish Report wish all advertisers, contributors and readers

Shana Tova U’metukah

active every day. It can be as simple as a walk around the neighbourhood or an athome workout.

4. Breathe easy and relax Stressful thoughts tend to manifest while you’re lying still in bed at night. So try to switch your brain to more positive thoughts, such as things you are grateful for. Breathing exercises can also help. Get in a comfortable position, inhale slowly, hold your breath, then exhale slowly. Repeat as necessary.

Yoga or meditation are great ways to wind down and relax. And when it came to sleep, 55 per cent of people who did yoga or meditation said that it helped them get a better night’s rest and reduce stress levels.

If you are suffering from ongoing anxiety, it’s best to speak with your GP or other medical professional. Asking for help is really important, especially during these increasingly tough times.

5. Don’t eat or drink alcohol right before bed Eating too close to bedtime can cause indigestion, which will only make you feel uncomfortable, and could worsen any anxious feelings that might be festering.

And while knocking back a couple of Cab Savs can make you sleepy, it doesn’t promote quality rest. Numerous studies show that alcohol can initially act as a sedative, but later causes sleep disturbances. Explains why you hit the hay hard after a few reds, but feel restless for the second half of the night, and wake feeling foggy-headed.

6. Get in tune with your body’s needs If you’re feeling a bit under the weather, there’s a reason for it. Listen to your body and give it the extra rest it needs so that it can heal.

You’re also more likely to fall ill if your sleeptime is minimal. The immune system fires up during sleep, activating natural killer cell activity, which provides a defence against bacteria, viruses and even cancer.

It is important for us to be aware that COVID has affect children and adults alike.

If your children are having problems with sleep, don't hesitate to call.

Stay safe!

Chag Kasher V’Sameach.

Cheryl For more sleep tips and advice, please visit www.cherylthesleepcoach.com.au Or why not like our facebook page? www. facebook.com/cherylthesleepcoach

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

How to eat healthily when you’re pregnant LINDI COHEN

B

efore we begin ... Congratulations! You’re busy making an adorable human.

I’m always amazed by what the human body is capable of. That a person can grow a tiny little human as they go about their day… well, that seriously fascinates me.

Still, while we don’t need to concentrate to make sure we’re building little babies’ fingers and toes (or a brain and heart), there are many things you can do to create the best environment for a healthy pregnancy, a healthy body and a healthy baby.

One of those things is eating well, for both you and baby.

But first, let’s bust the biggest myth about eating when you’re pregnant…

The Biggest Myth About Eating When Pregnant TRUTH: You don’t actually have to eat for two OR eat twice as much as you normally do!

It’s easy to think you need more energy because you feel so darn tired all the time!

But according to the research – it isn’t until the second and third trimester that your food intake requirements go up at all.

In general, your energy requirements go up by about 350-500 calories a day from about 13 weeks (start of your second trimester).

Now, if you’re a regular around here you know that I don’t usually mention the C-word.

Calories (obviously).

So to help paint the picture of how much extra food that is, here are some examples of a healthy, balanced 400-calorie meal: A cup of cooked porridge oats, a whole sliced banana and a small handful of berries with a sprinkle of flaxseeds and chia seeds.

A small piece of well-done salmon, a cup of quinoa and broccolini A veggie and hummus sandwich with whole wheat bread and an apple on the side A big leafy Mexican salad with pumpkin, black beans, sweet corn, coriander and a light olive oil & lemon dressing.

Try my Sticky Date Chia Pudding recipe from Back to Basics Pregnancy!

Sounds pretty delicious, right?

Here’s also what 400-calories looks like: 2 slices of cheese pizza A double cheeseburger from McDonald’s 2 scoops of chocolate ice cream I mean, that also sounds delicious (cravings, anyone?). We know that when you’re baking an adorable little bun in your proverbial oven it’s more important than ever to try to cook fresh, healthy foods at home.

That said, I’ve also found it harder than ever to make a healthy choice in pregnancy.

I craved chocolate milk and chips and couldn’t stomach a salad in the first few months.

If you’re the same and want a little help to be healthy in pregnancy, then check out Back to Basics Pregnancy App. It’s a handy guide with pregnancy workouts, recipes you actually want to eat and a lot more important info about growing a bub.

I don’t believe in creating lists of forbidden foods (nothing is off limits!) but it’s a lovely time to try swapping to healthier options, crowding in more of the healthy stuff (like vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts) so you feel your

best.

Instead, you want to crowd your plate with as many healthy, nutritious foods as possible.

But more on those later…

Also, when you choose to consume that additional energy is up to you. You may want to eat four smaller meals a day instead of your usual three or add a few healthy snacks in between meals (scroll down for my faves).

My advice?

Listen to your gut – literally! Follow your hunger cues by eating when you’re hungry, but not starving.

But I Can’t Stop Craving Carbohydrates!

It’s easy for me to suggest eating salmon and broccolini but what if all you feel like is some bread, layered with bread and sprinkled with pasta?

My advice is ALWAYS to be gentle with yourself.

Even small little swaps are going to be lovely for your bub (and good for your mental health).

Feel like pasta? Try pulse pasta and add in some tins of tomatoes (loaded with for lycopene for healthy hearts).

Low GI white rice is a healthier alternative to plain white or choose a whole grain carb you love like freekeh or quinoa.

Oats for breakfast or a snack – or even dinner – is nothing to scoff at. Cook it the way you like and trust you’re adding in beautiful fibre to help your gut and heart.

If toast is all you feel like, then eat toast. Add avocado for an extra serve of fruit (and add a few slices of tomato if you’re feeling it).

You can eat carbohydrates are be healthy.

I promise you.

There is no need to worry. Or feel guilty (that has no place in health).

Instead, find little ways to add in a little more of the healthy stuff and stress less.

Healthier fried rice – like this recipe from Back to Basics Pregnancy App – is an easy way to sneak in some veggies while keeping it plain and carb-based.

How Do I Eat With Morning Sickness?

Probably one of the most dreaded side effects of pregnancy is morning sickness.

Morning sickness is when some pregnant women experience waves of nausea and sometimes vomiting, particularly during the first three months of pregnancy.

Oh, and it’s not just a morning thing – often it can happen at all hours of the day. So how’s a gorgeous mama-to-be to cope?

Experts still don’t really understand why morning sickness happens, but it may be caused by hormonal changes or lower blood sugar.

The best thing to do?

Try eating smaller amounts of food throughout the day, ideally ones that don’t trigger your gag reflex or upset your tummy.

The worst thing for you and baby is for you to avoid food altogether.

Many pregnant women also swear by ginger, so try ginger ale, ginger candies or ginger tea. So give that a go, if you want.

If you’re vomiting, make sure you’re keeping hydrated by sipping on water and fluids throughout the day – just don’t drink a whole glass in one go!

If you’re losing weight or can’t get enough energy or hydration, it’s really important to check in with your doctor.

Why Do I Get Cravings When I’m Pregnant?

If you’ve never Googled “weird pregnancy food cravings”, I highly recommend it.

Some of the combinations are straight out of a Dr Seuss book! Pickles on vanilla ice cream, anyone…?

Sure, we all get food cravings. But for pregnant women, it’s pretty common to develop a sudden urge or a strong dislike for certain foods.

Again, no one’s really sure why we get strong pregnancy cravings.

Some people think a craving could be your body’s way of telling you it needs a specific nutrient, rather than a particular food.

But there is zero evidence to back this up.

What may be happening is that your body craves familiar foods – particularly foods you had growing up that remind you of a time when you were safe. Real comfort food.

This could explain why you crave foods you ate as a kid. Things like McDonald’s or Nutella or Milo or hot chips.

Why don’t I feel like eating certain foods in pregnancy?

Noticed you don’t want to eat salad when pregnant?

It might be your biology trying to keep you safe.

Fresh foods that haven’t been cooked can have a higher chance of having a food contaminant.

Things like sprouts, rockmelon (cantaloupe) and fresh leafy greens that haven’t been washed properly can be high-risk foods.

This might explain why your body craves toast (which has a low chance of having a contaminant) compared to a leafy salad.

My tip?

As long as your cravings aren’t telling you to eat dirt or eat foods on the pregnancy “avoid” list, be kind to yourself and don’t beat yourself up for what you’ve eaten.

Also, experiment swapping your craving with a healthier option. For example: Craving a sweet scone? Try a piece of wholegrain toast with raspberry jam and peanut butter.

Craving chocolate? Make a chocolate chia pudding for the yummy flavour and to get fibre to help combat pregnancy constipation.

Craving salty potato chips? Whip up a batch of my Sweet Potato Curly Fries.

Try these healthier Peanut Butter Muffins from Back to Basics Pregnancy for an easy snack or fibre-rich option.

Need a little help being healthy in pregnancy?

I’ve got your back.

My Back to Basics Pregnancy App has heaps fo content to help you, including: 300+ pregnancy-safe recipes Loads of pregnancy workouts made for each trimester Expert physio and nutrition videos to help you with constipation, nausea, bloating, cravings and more.

Menu planner, direct integration for online grocery stores…

Plus, mindset tips and challenges to help you reach your goals

H E ALT H

&

FITNESS

Lyndi Cohen is the resident nutritionist on Channel 9's The Today Show in Australia, a Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Ambassador and an accredited, practicing dietitian and nutritionist (www.lyndicohen.com).

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

B O O K

REVIEW

"I Was Arrested at 3AM" for Zion MOSHE PHILLIPS

Moshe Phillips is national director of Herut North America’s U.S. division; Herut is an international movement for Zionist pride and education and is dedicated to the ideals of pre-World War Two Zionist leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky.

Herut's website is www.herutna.org

Ya'acov Meridor begins his memoir of the nearly three year period of his life he spent in a British prison camp and elsewhere in East Africa with hundreds of other young Zionists with the words "I was arrested at 3AM on the 13th of February, 1945."

His book is titled Long Is The Road To Freedom and was first published in a U.S. edition forty years later. Meridor died 25 years ago this summer and his remarkable book is worth recalling as is his amazing life.

But more than the tale and the man we should take the time to consider the overwhelming sacrifices that the women and men who comprised Israel's founding generation took upon themselves and be inspired to do more for the Jewish People.

Meridor was just 19 when he led over two dozen other young members of the Jabotinsky movement against the British blockade that was in place stopping European Jews from entering the Land of Israel. Once in Israel, he joined the Irgun underground army, as did hundreds of other recent immigrants. He rose quickly and became a part of the underground's leadership.

The summer of 1940 left the Irgun reeling. The Nazis launched their North Africa Campaign in June and Ze'ev Jabotinsky died in August.

In May 1941 Meridor agreed to accompany the commander of the

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Irgun, David Raziel, on a British army conceived commando sabotage mission to Iraq aimed at destroying a high value target, an aviation fuel depot near Baghdad. The operation was during the pro-Nazi Rashid Ali alGaylani coup that had led to what is remembered as the Anglo-Iraqi War. Raziel was killed in action. Subsequently, Meridor became the Irgun's commander after he returned home.

When Menachem Begin arrived in the British Mandate in 1943 Meridor handed over his command to him. Meridor, however, did not leave the Irgun and continued as a member of its high command.

In 1945 Meridor was captured by the British, at the time he was second-incommand of the Irgun. Begin depended on Meridor so thoroughly that he relates in his memoir The Revolt that when he learned of Meridor's arrest he "thought the blow (to the Irgun) would be fatal."

It is seldom remembered today that the British Mandate authorities sent over 430 Jews to prison camps in East Africa in an attempt to disable the Zionist revolt against them.

Meridor was one of the highest ranking prisoners and as such he personally led five escapes from the camps and spent 18 months at large.

His imprisonment and escape make up the bulk of Long Is The Road To Freedom and Meridor's exploits rival --and at times surpass-- those dramatized in the World War Two epic 1963 film The Great

Escape.

On January 14, 1947, Meridor and future Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir escaped prison through a 200 foot long tunnel they had dug by hand. Later, they hid in an oil truck's tank for three days as it was driven over the Djibouti border Eventually, Meridor made his way to France and it was there that he was granted political asylum.

Meridor arrived in Tel Aviv on a flight with other exiled top Irgun leaders. It was the first passenger flight to land in the new State of Israel.

He was at the center of the tragedy of the Altalena episode when Jewish forces attacked Irgun soldiers without provocation and killed many.

After Israel's independence, Meridor turned to politics and alongside Begin founded the original Herut party. He won a seat in six out of the first 10 Knesset elections and eventually served as Israel's Minister of Economics and InterMinistry Coordination when Begin was prime minister and most fittingly held the post under Shamir as well. He died in 1995 at the age of 81.

Yitshaq Ben-Ami, a leading Irgun member and the father of the founder of J Street, Jeremy Ben Ami, wrote about Meridor in his Irgun memoir Years of Wrath, Days of Glory. “Meridor was undoubtedly one of the most courageous men we ever had...” stated Ben-Ami.

Smart Jewish Filmmaker Finalist in Phone Fest GEOFF SIRMAI Bondi-born Jewish film-maker Lee'at Bruhl is a finalist in the 2020 Smart Fone Flick Fest. The New York-based Aussie's hilarious hilarious film Australian Hotel Quarantine features herself sending up her own true experience this year after returning to Sydney from NYC. Shot entirely on her iPhone, the short film was selected from over 300 international entries to take its place in the finals which will take place online and in-cinema in Sydney from 9 October.

Australians returning home from overseas during COVID must stay in government mandated hotel for 14 days. This is the story of one Australian citizen, Lee'at, made upon returning to Sydney from New York (where Lee'at has lived for the last 8 years until the world fell apart). She stayed at the Marriott Hotel in Circular Quay.

"I really was in hotel quarantine at the Marriott hotel when I filmed this so I did all the filming and editing by myself!" said Lee'at.

"I wanted to film a bit where the security guard told me to stay in my room so I asked one of the security guards if he wanted to be in my video but he politely declined. I was wearing my full wig and costume when I spoke to him. I also answered the door in getup when a hotel staff member dropped off toilet paper one day because I was in the middle of filming. They must have thought I was totally crazy... "Who's that lady in room 1420 with multiple personalities?" I wonder if it was the weirdest thing they've seen in hotel quarantine - but somehow I suspect not!"

This is the The SmartFone Flick Fest's 6th year. Not only is it the first year SF3 is going online, but it’s also one of the few film festivals around the world to also host in-cinema screenings, made possible by Sydney’s current moderate level of restrictions…

With more than 2000 international entries

since its debut in 2015, this year’s bumper crop of 300+ included films from as far afield as Congo, El Salvador, Bulgaria and China.

And, with the pandemic front and centre in so many minds, SF3 is sharing 44 Isolation Lockdown stories in its new zeitgeist-nailing ISO category.

Each are 3 minutes or less and shot within local lockdown laws. There are feature films, a popular SF3 Kids catergory and SF3-360 films too! All will be available online from 9 October and the best will be screened as part of a day long feast of film – most of which showcase a wealth of local Australian talent - on October 10 at Event Cinemas, George Street Sydney.

Full details, including trailers, links to the films and more at www.sf3.com.au

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the sydney jewish report | september 2020

KI D' S

CORNER

Rosh Hashanah Funpage

22

the sydney jewish report | september 2020

M O V I E

REVIEW

Adam: Women in Distress

ALEX FIRST Sensitive and affecting, Adam takes a close up look at two women caught in a maelstrom of emotional distress in one of Casablanca’s poorer neighbourhoods.

One is a stern and dour widowed mother who can’t get over the untimely death of her husband.

The other has arrived from another village and is facing the imminent birth of a child out of wedlock ... alone and on the streets, without a roof over her head.

Clearly intelligent and resourceful, this younger second woman – Samia (Nisrin Erradi) – goes door-to-door looking for work.

A hairdresser by trade, she is also adept at cooking and cleaning, but no-one will engage her.

Finally, she catches the eye of a pretty eight-year-old girl, Warda (Douae Belkhaouda), who is eager to welcome her, only her mother – the first woman I spoke of, named Abla (Lubna Azabal) – feels entirely differently.

Samia seeks refuge on a bench immediately opposite their home and eventually guilt gets the better of Abla and she lets Samia stay for the night.

At that stage we don’t know either woman’s back stories.

These are gradually unveiled during the course of the picture, although the fine details of Samia’s “mistake” are never revealed.

One night becomes two and so on and although the two women’s path to trust is far from straightforward, they bond, while Abla’s daughter has taken an immediate shine to Samia.

The latter also proves her worth in the kitchen, from where Abla makes a living selling bread and pastries.

Abla is also being wooed by the local produce delivery man, but she tries to ignore his advances.

Samia’s biggest moment – and the biggest moment in the film – is still to come and, not surprisingly, that is what we have been building up to.

She has decided to give her unborn child up for adoption as soon as it is born because as a bastard child she can’t offer him or her

a decent future.

While you could reasonably argue that the trajectory of Adam is obvious, that is not to take anything away from the performances of the leads, who invest their all into their respective roles.

They imbue their characters with a singlemindedness and dignity throughout as the pendulum that is the story arc shifts.

Each is excellent.

Belkhaoudais a little charmer and provides some lighter relief as the dutiful but cheeky daughter.

Aziz Hattabis somewhat too eager as Abla’s suitor, Slimani, hardly a fully fleshed out character.

It is as much the expressions and gestures – a look here, a touch there – in this movie as the sparse dialogue that define it.

So, too, the exquisite cinematography, including especially impressive close ups,

by Virginie Surdej. These are things of real beauty – so expressive.

Now, if you are wanting a neat, Hollywood ending ... well, you will just have to see Adam to find out whether or not that is forthcoming.

Suffice to say, I found the conclusion most satisfactory.

While the film unashamedly pulls at the heartstrings, for the most part it does so with a deft touch.

It is an impressive directorial debut from Maryam Tourzani, who also wrote the screenplay.

Rated PG, it scores a 7 out of 10.

Adult Animation at its Best M O V I E

REVIEW

You can hear more of Alex First’s film reviews each Sunday between 11am and midday on J-AIR (j-air.com. au) on a program titled “First on Film and Entertainment”. The show is also available as a podcast by clicking onto the Program Grid on the web site.t.

ALEX FIRST The Swallows of Kabul (M) – From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban ruled over the vast majority of Afghanistan with an iron fist.

So, during this time, many basic human freedoms were emasculated and public executions – stonings, shootings and throat cuttings among them – became common place.

All are highlighted in this remarkable portrait of life under Sharia law.

Specifically, we are in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in the summer of 1998. The place is in ruins. The population is shell shocked.

The focus is on two couples – one young and the other somewhat older.

The younger pair is very much in love.

Husband Mohsen (the voice of Swann Arlaud), a history teacher, is despondent.

He has just witnessed another public stoning of a woman determined by the rulers to have fornicated.

Against his better nature – along with so many others – Mohsen hurled a rock at her.

His wife, Zunaira (Zita Hanrot),an artist, is more of a free spirit, but must be careful not

to run foul of strict adherence to what the Taliban deem propriety.

That includes being covered from head to toe in public and not playing music too loudly in one’s home.

All goes pear-shaped after Mohsen and Zunaira head out to recapture a fond memory at a bookshop, now in ruins.

The older male, Atiq (Simon Abkarian), is warden of the prison for condemned women, but with no real authority.

With a gammy leg – the result of a war wound – he is a broken man, seemingly with no life left in him.

He married the woman, Mussarat (Hiam Abbass),who tended to his wounds, but it is a loveless marriage.

Now she is suffering from terminal cancer and she can’t shake the belief that she has let down her husband, who she fears has a “fossilised” heart.

That changes with the arrival at the jail of a young woman found guilty of killing her husband. The consequences of Atiq taking affirmative action are profound.

A superbly rendered, searing and heart wrenching story of life under the Taliban, this is adult animation of the highest order.

It is artwork with an acid tongue.

The water colours are sublime, the sounds all too real and the setting devastating.

The wicked atrocities of religious fundamentalism are on trial and they smack of barbarity at every turn.

Man’s inhumanity to man – mind you, in this case, mainly women (who are regarded as inferior to men and therefore second-class citizens) – is brought into sharp focus.

Once seen, the imagery won’t be forgotten.

Among the most memorable scenes is one early on when blood is seen pooling underneath the chador of the woman who has been stoned to death.

Credit must also go to the writers Zabou Breitman, Patricia Mortagne and Sébastien Tavel forcrafting such an evocative piece, based on a 2002 book of the same name by Algerian author Yasmina Khadra.

And then there is the direction of Breitman and Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec, which, too, is full of merit. Regardless of whether or not animation is usually your thing, The Swallows of Kabul needs to be seen.

It truly is an extraordinary piece of work.

Rated M, it scores an 8½ out of 10.

Yiddish word of the month SHMITCHIK

Wishing you a sweet and happy New Year and

thanks for supporting a small family owned business Noni and Bill Ilić

Shmitchik is somewhat like doodad, a good word to describe something small whose name is unknown. So if you are cleaning your sink for Passover and wish to store the aerator safely, you can put it in an envelope and label it “faucet shmitchik.” You can be sure that you—and anyone snooping in your kitchen—will know exactly what you are referring to. Pronounce it: SHMIT-shik

23

the sydney jewish report | september 2020

MOV I E

REVIEW

Unorthodox gets Chasidic life - and music - wrong NORMAN LEBRECHT Like many a frum male who holidays beside the sea, I quickly committed a transgression.

Alone in a room, I turned on the television and, if that wasn’t bad enough, I went looking for the thing they had all been talking about after shul and no-one mentioned by name.

The Netflix mini-series Unorthodox has been lauded to the heavens for its vivid take on Chasidic life. The core story rings true enough.

A 19-year-old bride, Esty, flees the Satmar sect in Williamsburg and catches a plane to Berlin to seek out her mother, herself a Satmar fugitive. The film is based on a real-life 2012 memoir by Deborah Feldman.

“A thrilling story of rebellion and freedom”, according to the Guardian, it was nominated for no fewer than eight Emmys. The New York Times called Unorthodox “stunning, thrilling, probing”, as if it uncovered a heart of darkness on the newspaper’s own doorstep.

“The thin eruv wire that surrounds the Satmar Hasidic community,” wrote the Times, “might as well be an Iron Curtain.”

I don’t intend to deconstruct the reviews, nor to deprecate the immense efforts that went into creating genuine Chasidic interiors. The sheitls were not cheap, the shtreimels were real fur and the AmericanYiddish mumbled by the actors was rich in euphemisms for all things unspoken, starting and ending with sex. One shot I shall never forget is a wide-angle pan around a Satmar kitchen at Pesach time, covered in silver foil from floor to ceiling as if it were a decontamination chamber for newly-landed

astronauts. So authentic, you could cut your finger on it.

The trouble begins the moment the film leaves Williamsburg, at which point it suffers a reality fail so severe as to make all that follows utterly unbelievable. Runaway Esty lands in Berlin and falls in with a bunch of music students she meets at a coffee shop. On the strength of three years of piano lessons, she decides to apply to one of Europe’s premier music conservatoires. Far fetched? Just wait.

Deflated by an Israeli student who tells her she’ll never be Evgeny Kissin, Esty pleads with the audition panel to let her sing to them instead. After all, she’s a poor Charedi girl and the Germans should cut her some slack (they owe us, after all). Tears glisten in the judges’ eyes. Yeah, right.

Let’s be clear: I may not be an expert on sheitl prices, but I know a thing or two about music academies. The admission rules are roughly as rigid as a rebbe with a broken eruv wire. These schools won’t look at a student without years of exam passes or a testimony from Daniel Barenboim. They certainly won’t switch an audition from piano to voice to suit a half-baked dumpling off the kosher menu who claims she is a special case. Trust me, I’ve seen really gifted kids trying to break into music college and winding up with nothing more than bruised knees and a battered ego. Esty, with her lack of qualifications, is going precisely nowhere.

Now that would have been a film worth making: one that showed how, by starving children of a modern education, the Charedi world disables them from embracing science and art, locking them for life in a mental ghetto. Deborah Feldman escaped

Williamsburg by reading library books under her bedcovers; I’m sure someone has since blocked off that outlet. In Berlin, Deborah was delighted to find how easy it was to convert her vernacular Yiddish into everyday German.

Unorthodox has an agenda to portray religion as limitlessly oppressive and western music as liberally permissive. It is a profoundly dishonest piece of storytelling on both counts. I know people who have attained complete freedom of mind by submitting to religious laws, and others who are reduced to cowering servility at the sight of a musical score.

Music can be far more tyrannical than Moses. It makes huge demands on one’s time, longer hours of study than any yeshiva.

To pretend, as Unorthodox does, that being a musician is a more carefree than being a Satmar Chasid ignores the personal confidence that is granted by a community of faith and the dry-eyed terror that stalks a pianist who steps on stage, reliant on ten fingers and a fallible memory. Remember the Wim Wenders film The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty? That’s musical liberation for you.

Switching off Unorthodox I went down to the sea to find a young man in long white undergarments — gatkes — bobbing happily in the waves, side-curls akimbo, while his teenage wife waited with their baby on the wharf. They were part of a group who had taken over a nearby school for a week. Only the men got to swim. The women waited.

Nothing’s perfect.0.

This article was originally published in The JC (www.thejc.com)

The trouble begins the moment the film leaves Williamsburg, at which point it suffers a reality fail so severe as to make all that follows utterly unbelievable

24

the sydney jewish report | september 2020

More than just a Coronavirus survivor MARIANNE SCHWARZ

She puts down her amazing resilience to the fact that the experiences she had during the holocaust. She had to endure the horrors, tension, and deprivation of being in three major concentration camps over 6 years. It gave her the strength of mind not to submit to any adversity.

There have been a lot of stories about how Covid-19 has impacted thousands of lives in Australia. In particular, how it has tragically affected so many elderly people who have succumbed to the infection. However, at 98, there is one person who might well be the oldest corona virus as well as a holocaust survivor in Australia. Against all the odds she has fully recovered. Her name is Marianne Schwarz. While being hospitalised she also contracted bacterial pneumonia. She was kept in isolation far longer than anyone had expected because she was unable to get two successive negative results. She was infected quite seriously by the virus and often felt very miserable while she was in medical care at the hospital. Her niece, Karin played a pivotal role in encouraging her to persevere and recover so that she could resume her extraordinary lifestyle.

By saying extraordinary lifestyle, it is not just comparing her to anyone her own age but anyone, many years younger than her, who could not hope to match her feats. To list some of her activities which she was deprived of by the coronavirus, beggars belief. To begin with she still drives her own car with a licence that she had to resit 10 years ago, she lives independently, occasionally cooks, plays competitive Bridge three time a week, solves sudoku and crossword puzzles, reads novels and newspapers, plays scrabble on her recently acquired iPad and is learning how to use her new iPhone. She was even a bingo caller at Emmy Monash up until a couple of years ago. She can still recite long German poetry she learnt 90 years ago as a child. All of these activities have kept her mind alert and sharp. And as for her body, she can still go on a treadmill at a rather brisk pace for up to 15 minutes, do exercises and rides an exercise bike as well. Not to mention the fact that she also plays competitive table tennis twice a week.

She puts down her amazing resilience to the fact that the experiences she had during the holocaust. She had to endure the horrors, tension, and deprivation of being in three major concentration camps over 6 years. It gave her the strength of mind not to submit to any adversity.

She was born in Vienna on August 8th, 1922. Austria after the Anschluss (Merger) in 1938 was amongst the first countries to have its Jewish citizens transported to the camps.

So, from the age of seventeen to twentythree she went through Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, several labour camps and finally Bergen-Belsen. In Theresienstadt she was a nurse, having previously been trained at the Rothchild Hospital in Vienna. She also had a boyfriend in Theresienstadt, who sadly did not survive.

At the end of the war she was emaciated, having not received food for three weeks at

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Bergen-Belsen and she had to be taken by stretcher to Sweden to recover. When she regained her health she then volunteered as a nurse. She received a permit to come to Australia sponsored by her uncle in 1946. On arrival she became a nanny to an infant who later became a well-known psychiatrist. She claimed to have initially been taught English by the children she cared for. She liked living here in Melbourne, however having been one of the first holocaust refugees to arrive in Australia, she had difficulties in adjusting to a new culture, language, and people who could not empathies with her past war experiences. Her life experiences were so different that she had difficulties in finding a suitable husband with whom she could find anything in common.

So, when a friend she had known through a Jewish Social group in Vienna prior to the war, contacted her and told her that a male friend of the family from that group had survived and had returned home, she made the difficult decision to return to Austria and marry him. His name was Joschy.

Her friends and relatives in Australia tried to dissuade her from going back and told her that she was taking a big risk going back to Austria, a country she loathed and to a man she had not seen for almost ten tumultuous years. This was truly an act of faith, from when they last met, just socially from when he was twenty-four and she was just seventeen. He also had life changing experiences, except his was totally different to hers. During the war, he had been in the French Foreign Legion and later joined the British African Forces. In late forties Australia, it was unheard of for an Austrian Jewish refugee to return to war ravaged Vienna; a city that had caused her so much pain and left her with bad memories of betrayal and the death of all of her immediate family with the exception of her younger brother, Heinzi. This marked her greatest characteristic, her independence

and determination to achieve what she wanted. Fortunately, it all worked out and they got married soon after she returned to Vienna. The first six months were traumatic, having to relive her past in a place she no longer cared for. However, things didn’t go according to plan. They intended to return to Australia in as short of time as possible. Joschy became sick and seriously debilitated. He also had to finalise the disposal of his textile retail businesses which kept them back even longer. Eventually, after two years she returned with her husband and his sister Malvine, with whom she later became very close.

Joschy set up a clothing manufacturing business with Malvine, who was a talented fashion designer. Marianne became a housewife and looked after her niece Karin, who was the daughter of Malvine and her husband Louis, as her own. They became active members of B’nai B’rith in ’54 (Jewish equivalent of Freemasons). After sixty-six years she is now the oldest active member of that organisation. Her contribution will soon be recognised by awarding her “The Menorah Award”. She eventually became a welfare officer, ending her career as an officer of the Children’s Court. Joschy passed away at the age of eighty in 1995, after fortysix years of happy marriage.

Even though she had a strong bond with Joschy she re-invented her life and travelled overseas and became active again.

However, her war experiences never really left her as she became a much-respected survivor speaker of “Courage to Care”, an organisation dedicated to the eradication of bullying, which tragically encompasses the narrative of the Holocaust.

So, just to refer to her as a coronavirus survivor tells only a very small part of the life of an extraordinary person with an extraordinary will to make the most of it.