Talking About Israel, Even Among Jews, Isn't Easy Local Synagogues
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
HEADLINES | 8 SPECIAL SECTION | 18 TRAVEL PLANS SENIOR LIFESTYLE Locals make plans Cactus ORT for the summer auction June 6 JUNE 4, 2021 | SIVAN 24, 5781 | VOLUME 73, NUMBER 20 $1.50 Talking about Local synagogues introduce new rabbis Israel, even among this summer NICOLE RAZ | STAFF WRITER Jews, isn’t easy everal synagogues across Greater Phoenix are ready NICOLE RAZ | STAFF WRITER Sto introduce new clergy to their congregations this summer. andice Gimbel has a lot to say about Israel, but she After a year in transition, Congregation Or Tzion will Cisn’t offering many thoughts on social media or in welcome its new spiritual leader, Rabbi Andy Green, in July. large gatherings these days. “I’m excited to be joining such a robust and powerful “Everything I say can and will be used against me,” and meaning-seeking community,” said Green. she said. There was a time when she could talk to her The most important thing a rabbi can be is “present neighbors, her friends and even her brothers about and listening,” he said, so he plans to spend his early Israel. But not anymore. months in Scottsdale getting to know the community and “It wasn’t long ago when we would talk about Or Tzion members. the vibe of the country, and we were talking about “I love sharing Torah but I also realize that every person Washington. And then the conversation expanded,” she connects and relates to Judaism in different ways,” he said. said. “There’s a very cynical assumption that everybody “I’m not interested in imposing myself as much as being assumes somebody else is biased.” in relationship with the members — and future members Gimbel’s struggle reflects a lot of what local — of our community.” Jewish leaders feel when speaking about Israel to As a college freshman, Green became aware of how their congregations and in other Jewish spaces. For many Jewish learning opportunities he had compared to them, too, addressing the topic in a time of intense his peers and was “somewhat thrust into Jewish communal polarization is tricky. leadership.” He was president of the Jewish Student Union Rabbi John A. Linder, Temple Solel’s senior rabbi, and later became president of the campus Hillel. But it said he feels like he is walking a tightrope whenever he wasn’t until long after he graduated from UCLA that he talks about Israel — that he has to preface whatever he realized he wanted to be a rabbi. says with an explicit caveat: “Rabbi John Linder, lover “I worked in different contexts — I was in management of Israel.” in an industrial supply company and was involved in public Clockwise from top left: Rabbi Andy Green and family, Rabbi “The tightrope is where I want to listen to Arabs that policy and doing different things — but in my heart and in Cookie Lea Olshein, Rabbi James Simon and Rabbi Jeffrey Lipschultz PHOTOS COURTESY OF RABBI ANDY GREEN, RABBI COOKIE LEA OLSHEIN, are being discriminated against,” he said. “Although I the back of my mind, Judaism SEE RABBIS, PAGE 3 RABBI JAMES SIMON AND RABBI JEFFREY LIPSCHULTZ am conscious of walking a tightrope, I will not, for the sake of fear of ruffling feathers, remove myself from the arena.” Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley Rabbi A fond farewell Herschel “Brodie” Aberson said, he too, is keenly Temple Chai held a drive-thru goodbye for Rabbi aware of the parameters of what is, and what is not, Mari Chernow before she moves to Los Angeles next considered “safe” to say. month. To see more community photos, go to p. 26. It’s disturbing that expressing concern for others — without saying PHOTO BY JOEL ZOLONDEK any one is particularly evil or SEE ISRAEL, PAGE 2 KEEP YOUR EYE ON jewishaz.com NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL ISRAEL Jewish leaders urge Biden to fill key Israeli woman makes history as she IDF seeks to fast-track revolutionary positions on anti-Semitism summits Mount Everest approach to lessening future rocket fire HEADLINES ISRAEL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 wrong — could be perceived as a betrayal, he said. “I believe Jews have a right to self- determination of their own land. I would never deny that to another people,” he said. “If a rabbi can’t say we need to actually try and cultivate empathy for not just ourselves but the other, then what’s the point of being a community leader? What’s the point of being a spiritual leader?” Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, president and dean at Valley Beit Midrash, said the 2021 Phoenix Arizona Jewish community needs more local Jewish leaders willing to talk about Jewish News Israel in a nuanced way. The American Jewish relationship to “JERUSALEM _ OLD AND NEW _ EVENING _ NOAM CHEN_IMOT” BY ISRAEL_PHOTO_GALLERY IS LICENSED UNDER CC BY-ND 2.0 Israel has become almost completely Print Dates intertwined with American Jewish for decades,” he said. But that norm has background of the conflict, considering partisan politics, he said. broken down over time. various perspectives.” January 8 August 6* “People expect bandwagoning,” he said. “I don’t believe it’s solely because She said that Israel is a “beautiful, joyful, “There’s a conservative bandwagoning of the difference of views in terms of inspiring and sometimes frustrating place January 22 August 20 and there’s a progressive bandwagoning. Israeli policies,” he said. “Some of it and her politics do not map out easily on February 5 August 27 And if you stray from that, you are in has to do with polarization here in the the American political landscape.” trouble. It is fierce and relentless.” United States.” Sharfman is a Zionist to her core and February 19 September 3 A recent survey by the Pew Research Jason Greenblatt, former White House is “deeply aware” of the role Israel has March 5 September 10 Center found a growing political Envoy to the Middle East during the played in her identify as a Jew. “I am divergence of the American-Jewish Trump administration, did not directly able, with pride, to share Israel’s many March 12 September 24 population. While 71% of Jews are address questions about partisanship, but accomplishments and to share, with pain March 19 October 1 Democrats or lean Democratic, 75% said “social media, strident activism and (but hope), the areas in which she falls of Orthodox Jews are Republican or cancel culture pose significant challenges short,” she said. “It is simply honest March 26 October 15** lean Republican. to some when it comes to talking about discussion, akin to a family member who April 2 November 5 Orthodox Jews are becoming “as Israel in public spaces.” may, at times, fall short of expectations, solidly Republican as non-Orthodox Congregation Kehillah Rabbi Bonnie but yet we still are a family and try to April 16 November 19 Jews are solidly Democratic,” the Sharfman talks about Israel in a variety learn from one another and make each May 7 December 3 survey found. of ways within her congregation: other healthier.” Scott Lasensky, former Middle East “I talk about Israel frequently from Democratic state Rep. Alma Hernandez May 21 December 17 adviser to the Obama administration, the bimah and always have, so it’s not a (LD-3 ), who describes herself as an June 4 said the American Jewish community as a new thing for my congregation to hear unapologetic Zionist, said talking about whole is still broadly supportive of Israel about Israel from me; it is challenging Israel has never been easy, especially July 9 *Best of Magazine and its decisions around security. to explore serious issues in the limited “being a progressive, being a person of **Annual Directory “There’s a strong norm of deference time allocated for teaching from the color and being in a lot of the circles that to Israel, of solidarity with Israel. It’s a bimah during services, so I offer classes sometimes these comments and issues are WWW.JEWISHAZ.COM baseline norm in American Jewish life to explore in more depth the history and SEE ISRAEL, PAGE 12 OFFICE HOURS HEADLINES ...........................................2 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday Local 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 206, Scottsdale, AZ 85254 DEADLINES OPINION ...............................................13 Phone: 602.870.9470 | Fax: 602.870.0426 | [email protected] | [email protected] EDITORIAL: Noon, Tuesday Editorials [email protected] | www.jewishaz.com 9 days prior to publication Commentary ADVERTISING: 11 a.m., Friday PUBLISHER ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANT 3 days prior to publication TORAH COMMENTARY .................15 Jewish Community Foundation Jodi Lipson | 602.639.5866 Jaime Roberts, Publisher | 2013-2016 of Greater Phoenix [email protected] SPECIAL SECTION: Florence Newmark Eckstein, Publisher | 1981-2013 Cecil Newmark, Publisher | 1961-1981 SENIOR LIFESTYLE .........................16 GENERAL MANAGER SUBSCRIPTIONS Rich Solomon | 602.639.5861 602.870.9470 x 1 Pearl Newmark, Editor | 1961-1981 M.B. Goldman, Jr., Founder | 1948-1961 LIFESTYLE & CULTURE ................ 22 [email protected] [email protected] COMMUNITY ......................................24 MANAGING EDITOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Shannon Levitt | 602.639.5855 Frank Wagner | 410.902.2300 PROUD MEMBER OF Calendar [email protected] [email protected] Community STAFF WRITER Milestones Nicole Raz | 602.872.9470 [email protected] Top Left: Photo courtesy of Doran Arik Miller | Top Right: Photo by David Tuckman | Bottom Left: O cial White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson via JNS.org | Bottom Middle: Photo courtesy to JNS.org | Bottom Right: Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90 via JNS.org ©2021 Phoenix Jewish News, LLC, an asset of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix. Awards: Arizona Newspaper Association, Arizona Press Club, National Federation of Press Women, Arizona Press Women, American Jewish Press Association.