Celebrate Israel Take 3—Focus on Jewish Music and Art Ay

From April 2007 Nisan/Iyar 5767 hai from Nazi Germany Nazi from hai bered...Stories of Jews Who Escaped to Shang- the of time the at Netherlands the in old girl six-year a Dahme, Maud of story the D T Emily writer Eisbruch, staff Holocaust Remembrance offersfilmsand bookeventfor Library suggested by ourcommunity partners.” was which of each events, interesting very and different very all are AADL, the “These at manager relations community Grimes, The HiddenChild mentary, mentary, docu- award-winning2006 the screeningof free a present will Library Downtown the O Services, Keshet Ann Arbor, Temple Beth Beth Temple Arbor, Ann Keshet Services, Family Jewish Center, Community Jewish Hadassah, Society, Cultural Jewish gation, Congre- Israel Beth Havurah, structionist Arbor Orthodox Minyan, Ann Arbor Recon- is Ann the representativesfrom of comprised committee planning the Kamil, Shirit Washtenaw of and County.Bernstein Marcby Co-chaired Federation Jewish the of leadership the under organizations Jewish Arbor Ann 20 nearly of effort collaborative which runs from 3 to 6 p.m., marks the celebration, third year’s This at 3. Israel Israel Celebrate of State the of anniversary 59th the celebrate to Center Student University also perform, including Temple Beth Emeth’s music, and other local community groups will Band”willplay klezmer, Israeli folk and rock Day.” Independence NeilIsrael Alexanderof Honor and his in “Klezmer Art Fusionand “KikarCelebrationSafra:JewishMusicA of Hebrew Day School. the and Arbor Ann of Chabad Arbor, Ann Hillel, U-M Hillel, the Israeli Community of Emeth, Young Judaea, Habonim Dror, EMU Ellisha Caplan, special to the Caplan,Ellisha special WJN Celebrate Israel Take 3—Focus on Jewish music and art ay. The ay. On Monday, April 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.8:30 to Monday,7 fromOn 9 April This year’s theme for Celebrate Israel is is Israel Celebrate for theme year’s This The Hidden Child honor of Holocaust Remembrance Remembrance Holocaust of honor in April during events three feature will Library District Arbor Ann he gather at the Eastern Michigan Michigan Eastern the at will gather community Jewish County Sunday,n Washtenawthe 29,April documentary documentary The Hidden Child Hidden The . According to Tim Tim to According . The Hidden Child Hidden The Shanghai Remem- Shanghai book his discuss will Falbaum Berl editor 20, April on Finally,Miller. Arthur by script an award-winning Time for ing film the ent pres- will Library the 16, April On 9.April on shown be Holocaust, will . This extraor- This . , with with , Play- ,

without food. U-M Hillel’s new kosher chef,kosherHillel’snewU-Mfood. without entire program to take place in one large area.mil, event co-chair. The venue weatherwill alsotends allowto be iffythe in April,” spacegreat,goingsaysisbeto especially sinceShiritthe Ka- is at the brand new EMU Student Center. “The mosaic to commemorate Celebrate Israel 3. who will work with the youngsters to create a with glass artists Dani Katsir and Gail Kaplan, to participate in a special hands-on art project opportunityhavethe will Children building. the in display on be will more, and Gallery, Art Center Student EMU the in play RuthWeisbergby dis- on paintings to (1943-1961) Goldman Paul by raelis Is- of photography from (with instruction). dancing Israeli and karaoke Israeli try to chance the have will HaLev Celebration-goers choir. Kol and band school high Hadash Shir parents.youngerherandShe sisterRita were her from separated Amsterdam,was Dahme in family her with hid Frank, who likeAnne Un- children. Jewish save to lives own their risked who strangers the of compassion as the well as survive, to order in lie to forced at the risk of their own lives. amoral obligation to do the right thing, even from Nazi death camps by Christians who felt savedNetherlandsandhiddenwere the who in children Jewish 8,000 to 3,000 estimated or in villages or farms. Dahme was one the of children,shutaway attics,in cellars, convents hidden were Most Holocaust. the survived Europein before World War II,only100,000 Television. Michigan for manager station White, nifer Jen- by led discussion a by followed be will Television.film Michigan The by sponsored tolerance.one-hour, This is film co- unrated lessonscourage,about and struggle,survival important imparts film the and death, and evil of face the in hope and courage of one is completestrangers.Dahme’s story of own bravery and decency the of because locaust six-year-old Dutch girl who a survived the Dahme, Ho- Maud of story the is film dinary Of course, no festival would be completebe wouldfestivalcourse, no Of Inachange from past years, the 2007 event art, WonderfulJewish Dahme recalls dodging bullets and being being and bullets dodging recalls Dahme Of the 1.6 million Jewish children who lived continued on page 8 continued Andrew Rudick, Mira Sussman and Evan Zacks, 2006 Celebrate Israel event event by visiting jewishannarobr.org/ci07. Center guest parking lot. Register online for this Student into right turn and structure parking Oakwood pastfirst thestop sign, past largethe Take Oakwood. onto be- Turnleft Cross). comes (which Packard or Washtenaw on east Ann Arbor. Togetto the Student Center, travel of east miles five approximately Street, wood Oak- 900 at located is Center Student EMU that will be available throughout the festival.Israel-inspiredfoodprepare will Boch, Emil Levine, our Producers. cational Foundation and Michael and Patricia especiallyCharlesGelmanRitatheEdu-and sponsors, all honor will gala night opening The festival. entire the for passes as well as receptionreceiveSponsorstheinvitations to tor,$5,000 –Producer; and $10,000 –Mogul. er; $1,000 – Casting Director; $2,000 – Direc- at $360 for a Movie Lover; $500 – Screenwrit- event to Ann Arbor. Sponsor categories begin sorsmake itpossible for the JCC to bring the around theworld. from films Jewish of days four of beginning the marks event This Scrumptious. Simply of Shepard caterer Lori local preparedby fet buf- cocktail delicious a enjoy will ticipants Theater.Par-Michigan the at p.m. 6:30 at 6 Sunday,Festivalon Film Jewish Marwil May opening night sponsor gala JCC holds Film Festival T Rosenthal, to the Rachel special WJN The contributions of Film Festival spon- Festival Film of contributions The Volume XXXI: Number 7 reception for sponsors of the Lenore the of sponsors for reception gala of a host will Center County Washtenaw Community Jewish he JCC FilmFestival, see pages6–8 For moreonthe continued onpage 8 continued n In thisissue… World. Jewry Vitals. Youth/Teens. . Seniors On Another Note. Israel. . Congregations . Classifieds . Calendar Art &Culture. Advertisers...... 39 P Page 17 Page 16 Page 12 Page 28

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2935 Birch Hollow Drive Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 Deir Yassin remembered – in full voice: 734/971-1800 By WJN staff writers fax: 734/971-1801 n Palestine “every acre of land acquired and of the Palestinian leadership vowed to e-mail: [email protected] by the Jews has been bought at a price thwart Jewish independence, even if it were fixed by buyer and seller,” noted Albert limited to areas of Jewish majority, the acres I Editor and Publisher Einstein in an outraged letter to the Man- “bought and paid for” with money raised Susan Kravitz Ayer chester Guardian (October 12, 1929). Two from small donations throughout the world months earlier, Arabs in Palestine had riot- (Einstein’s first trip to the United States was as Copy Editor ed for a week, massacring Jews in Jerusalem, a Zionist fundraiser). A number of Arab UN Emily Eisbruch Safed and Hebron, where the ancient Jewish delegates (Egyptian, Iraqi and Palestinian) community even threat- Calendar Editor Claire Sandler was forced en revenge out. Britain’s v i o l e n c e Design and Layout response was against the Dennis Platte to close the indigenous country to Jewish com- Staff Writers Jews. This, m u n i t i e s Emily Eisbruch, Sandor Slomovits argued Ein- throughout Contributing Writers stein, was the Middle Yosef Israel Abramowitz, Peggy Adler, Dan punishing the E a s t a n d Baron, Geoff Berdy, Jacob Berkman, Elli- victim. North Africa sha Caplan, Jonathan Cohn, Rabbi Robert “ D o e s if the resolu- Dobrusin, Emily Eisbruch, Devon Fitzig, public opin- Rabbi Aharon Goldstein, Esther Goldstein, tion passed. Tim Grimes, Ben Harris, Peretz Hirshbein, ion in Great On No- Meredith Jacobs, Ron Kampeas, Dina Kraft, Britain re- vember 30, Abigail Lawrence-Jacobson, Marilyn Krimm, a l i z e t h a t Palestinian leader offers his services to Hitler. Berlin 1942. 1 9 4 7 t h e Carol Lessure, Rabbi Robert Levy, Debbie the Grand United Na- Merion, Craig Pollack, Rachel Rosenthal, Mufti of Jerusalem… is the centre of all the tions did pass U.N. Resolution 181, calling Dina Shtull-Leber, Matt Siegel, Elliot Sorkin, trouble?” Einstein demanded, pointing to for the internationalization of Jerusalem Tom Tugend the Mufti’s incitement of the violence. “Is and partition of the British Mandate of Mailing Committee it tolerable that… so utterly irresponsible Palestine into two states, Arab and Jewish. Ruth Ankiewicz, Ruth Breslaw, Lucille Cas- and unscrupulous a politician should be Widespread disagreements over partition, sel, Ethel Ellis, Steve Fishman, Esther Gold- enabled to continue to exercise his evil in- tensions, and intermittent fighting between man, Betty Hammond, Jayne Harary, Doris fluence…?” Jews and Arabs boiled as British rule dete- Jamron, Marilyn Krimm, Doris Miller, Bob In 1929, even Einstein could not foresee and Sophie Mordis, Dorothy Newman, Es- riorated, culminating into widespread ri- ther Perlman, Irwin Pollack, Esther Rubin, the evil that would be stirred by Amin al- ots and low intensity warfare. Palestinian Sol Saginaw, Sarah Shoem, Nell Stern, Joanne Husseini, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, leader Arabs took responsibility for initiating the Taylor of the Palestinian national movement and violence. “The representative of the Jewish future Nazi SS officer (he was given the rank Agency told us yesterday that they were not The Washtenaw Jewish News is a free and in- SS Ubergruppenfuehrer by Heinrich Him- the attackers, that the Arabs had begun the dependent newspaper. It is published month- mler). Hitler earmarked him to be “Fuehrer fighting, Jamal Husseini, representing Pales- ly, with the exception of January and August. It is registered as a Non-profit Michigan Cor- of the Arabs” upon the Third Reich’s vic- tinian leadership, told the security council. poration. Opinions expressed in this publi- tory, which the Mufti worked assiduously “We did not deny this. We told the whole cation do not necessarily reflect those of its to ensure. He discussed their mutual Jewish world that we were going to fight.” Accord- editors or staff. problem with Hitler’s envoy Adolph Eich- ing to French journalist-historians Collins mann in summer of 1937 and fled from the and LaPierre (O Jerusalem) the violence was Special thanks to Betty Hammond, Irwin Pollack British that October. He escaped with his initiated by a phone call from the Mufti. entourage, landing in Iraq where he instigat- After WW II, the Yugoslavian government The WJN is supported by the donations of the ed a pro-Nazi coup. British forces defeated charged Mufti al-Husseini with genocidal businesses appearing within these pages. it (Churchill vowed the British now owed war crimes for his role in the destruction Member of nothing to Palestinian nationalists after the of Balkan Serbs, Gypsys and Jews. But the American Jewish Press Association war). The Palestinians fled Iraq to Berlin, Mufti escaped custody in France (apparently where the Mufti spent the war recruiting after promising the French help in under- Muslim divisions to fight for Hitler. mining Algerian calls for independence). He The Mufti’s legacy will be brought to made his way back to the Middle East and mind in April when the Deir Yassin Re- resumed Palestinian leadership. membered organization brings to Michigan During the months following the U.N. a campaign to publicize a massacre of Arab Resolution, Haganah reprisals were first civilians in the village of Deir Yassin by Jew- confined to specific attackers; then, by Feb- ish forces battling to break the Mufti’s star- ruary 1948, more general reprisals. Irgun ©2007 by the Washtenaw Jewish News. vation siege of Jerusalem. The attack on and and Lehi (also known as the Stern Gang) All rights reserved. No portion of the Washtenaw massacre at Deir Yassin occurred during the acting independently, reverted to terror Jewish News may be reproduced without civil war period of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War tactics of bombing Arab markets and bus permission of the publisher. (from December 1947 to mid-May 1948). stops. Palestinian Arabs retaliated with ter- Signed letters to the editor are welcome; they should On November 29, 1947, the UN debated ror bombings of their own, planned by the not exceed 400 words. Letters can be emailed to the the future of the former British mandate editor at [email protected]. Name will be withheld at Mufti’s Nazi-trained explosives expert Fawzi the discretion of the editor. territory of Palestine, the vaguely defined el-Qutb (who finished out his career con- territory of the Ottoman Empire defeated in sulting Yasir Arafat). Circulation: 5,000 WWI which was bitterly contested between A particularly gruesome attack took Subscriptions: $12 bulk rate inside Washtenaw County Jewish and Arab national movements. After place December 30, 1947. Arab workers at $18 first-class subscription much study, the UN commission deter- Haifa Oil Refinery spontaneously turned on mined that dividing the land was the best their Jewish coworkers with hammers, chis- solution. Months earlier the UN had simi- els, and clubs, killing 39, and wounding 50, The deadline for the May 2007 issue of the Washtenaw Jewish News is Monday, April 9 at larly recommended creating a new state before British forces intervened. The Arabs 3 pm. Publication date: April 27. for Muslims—Pakistan—by dividing the workers had been incensed on learning that Indian subcontinent. However, during the Extra copies of the Washtenaw Jewish News UN debate representatives of Arab countries are available at locations throughout continued on page 33 Washtenaw County.

Page Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Community

Chaverim B’Shirim celebrates the life and work of Irving Berlin Marilyn Krimm, special to the WJN haverim B’Shirim will present songs by Irving Berlin on Sunday, April 22 Cat 2 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Washtenaw County. Chaverim B’Shirim is a JCC-based choir that performs music by Jewish composers from the 1600s to the present day. Irving Berlin was one the most famous and important songwriters of the 20th century. To quote Jerome Kern, “Irving Berlin has no place in American Music, He IS American Music.” Irving Berlin was born in Tyumen, Russia, on May 11, 1888. His name was Israel Isadore Fast. Friendly. Fun. Effective. Baline. The family came to the United States to escape the persecution of Jews, and arrived in New York in 1891. His father, Moses, was a cantor and shoichet (ritual slaughterer), not an uncommon mix of occupations since the small villages could not support a family. Irving was sell your books the youngest of eight children. They all had to on consignment help with earning money. One of his first jobs ( ( ( CDs & DVDs too! ) ) ) was as a singing waiter. The boss asked him to we work. you get paid. great for students, professors, write an original song for the cafe since a rival cal This Is The Army, which raised $10 million The film Top Hat in 1935, with Astaire and businesses, schools, libraries, and you. establishment had a signature song published. for Army Emergency Relief. Opening in 1942, it Rodgers was a wild success. He and Astaire each Free Pick-up in Ann Arbor The result was “Marie From Sunny Italy,” in played for one year on Broadway and then went cleared over $300,000 dollars. any (734) 239–3172 time 1907. When it was published it earned him 37 on tour with a cast of 300 servicemen. Two of Holiday Inn was the vehicle for “White Or conveniently drop your items at cents. He had written both the words and mu- the hits were “This is the Army, Mr. Jones” and “I Christmas,” the most successful song of the sic. The cover stated “I.Berlin” as the composer. Left My Heart at the Stagedoor Canteen.” century. Berlin received an Oscar for “White This gave him a new career and a new name. His The “Irving Berlin Music Company” was es- Christmas” in 1942. The Broadway Shows, Call career in “Tin Pan Alley” was launched in 1911 tablished so that Berlin would not have to share Me Madam and Annie Get Your Gun were his iSold It Ann Arbor with “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.” the profits from his songs with another pro- best of Broadway and proved popular when in the Colonnade Center on Eisenhower details and examples at In 1917 Berlin joined the army and staged a duction company. Berlin published over 3,000 transformed to film. www.booksbychance.com musical revue—a tribute to the Armed Forces songs in his lifetime. Berlin supported many Jewish charities and called Yip, Yip, Yaphank. It contained 350 mem- After WWI Berlin built a theater, “The Music causes. He was honored by the Young Men’s bers of the army. The musical earned enough Box,” so that he could introduce his songs to the Hebrew Association as an outstanding Ameri- to build a Service Center at Camp Upton. “God public at his discretion. The first show was The can of the Jewish Faith. President Eisenhower Bless America” was written for the show. In 1938 Music Box Revue of 1921. These were shows with- presented him with a gold medal in 1955, for it was revised and was introduced to the nation out a story line. Every year he had a new revue with having composed so many patriotic songs. n his new material. The theater is still in business. by Kate Smith on her radio program. It remains Chaverim B’Shirim will present excerpts from Another outlet for his music was Hollywood one of his most popular songs. He assigned the Call Me Madam and Annie get Your Gun in movies. Al Jolson introduced music to film with royalties to the “God Bless America Foundation” their show on April 22, at 2 p.m. at the JCC. The Jazz Singer, in 1927. Jolson sang “Mammy” which supports the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Refreshments will be served. A $5 donation is During World War II, Berlin wrote the musi- and also “Blue Skies” that Berlin had written. Federation observes Yom HaShoah with UMS event Ellisha Caplan, special to the WJN

at University of Michigan Alumni Center’s Founder’s Room. The concert, which will include Samuel Barber’s famous “Adagio” for strings, begins at 4 p.m. in Rackham Audi- torium. The Jerusalem Quartet is comprised of four young musicians who began playing together in 1993 when they were still in their mid-teens. With more than a decade as an ensemble, they have matured into outstanding interpreters of the string quartet literature. They display a liveliness and spontaneity that has brought international acclaim, and their 2005 UMS debut led to immediate requests for a return appearance. “Musical electricity may be unfathomable, but one thing is for sure—they have it.” (The Strad) n For more information about the program, and to purchase specially priced tickets ($30.60), The Jerusalem String Quartet. visit www.jewishannarbor.org/jerusalemstringquartet. Questions about the program n Sunday, April 15, the Jewish Federation At 3 p.m. the community is invited to par- can be directed to Ellisha Caplan, 677-0100, or will honor Yom HaShoah (Holocaust ticipate in a ceremony honoring the memory [email protected]. ORemembrance Day) in conjunction of those who perished in the Holocaust at with the University Musical Society at a concert the Holocaust Memorial Sculpture in Raoul featuring The Jerusalem String Quartet. Wallenberg Square or, in the case of rain,

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page Arts & Culture

DVD release of TBE adult Director Jessica Brater back on home ground choir’s Eastern European WJN staff writers concert tour t’s great to be back in Ann Arbor,” says artistic director Jessica Brater, whose Debbie Merion, special to the WJN Icutting-edge New York theater company, A film of Temple Beth Emeth’s adult choir’s Polybe + Seats, performs at the University groundbreaking 2004 concert tour of Roma- of Michigan’s new Walgreen Drama Cen- nia, Bulgaria and Greece is now available in an ter April 6 and 7 as part of the celebration extended DVD version. The DVD includes a marking the opening of the Arthur Miller conversation with filmmakers Steve Haskin Theatre. “This is my home town and this is and Debbie Merion. Previously unseen footage where my interest in theater began.” of the trip is shown as they chat. Even before landing lead roles in stu- The film, calledKol Halev in Concert: Eastern dent productions at Burns Park Elementary European Tour, can be obtained in the TBE gift School, Tappan Middle School, and Pioneer shop or office for $18. Kol Halev, which means High in a repertory that spanned the gamut “voice of the heart” in Hebrew, is TBE’s adult from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to choir led by Cantor Annie Rose. Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, Brater was always On the DVD, the choir sings songs like busy organizing amateur theatricals with “Tumbalalaika” and “Hine Mah Tov” in mem- her childhood friend, Rachel Dengiz, now a orable settings that include a magnificent re- documentary film maker. Brater recalls, “We stored Sephardic temple in Romania and a used our siblings as not always enthusiastic Jessica Brater, left, working with members of Polybe + Seats on The Charlotte Salomon Project. humble Jewish Community Center in Bulgaria. stage props, but fortunately they have forgiv- An onstage camera captures the poignancy and en us.” She spent many childhood summers featured abroad, at theater festivals in Israel been hailed by nytheater.com as “a bubbling exuberance of the faces in the audience. in England, where her father, U-M Theater and in Italy. mixture of fine art, theatre, role-playing, and One memorable highlight of the film shows an Professor Enoch Brater, served as director of These days her major commitment rests installation, making this less a play than an elderly gentleman standing up in the 600 member the London Program. “I was fanatical about with Polybe + Seats, an avant-garde compa- experience.” audience of the Bucharest Choral Temple to sing Cats from age five to eight, but thankfully ny that produces plays and projects experi- The performance of The Charlotte Salo- an impromptu solo version of “Oyfn Pripetshik” my parents also took me to see Shakespeare.” menting with language and structure toward mon Project offers Ann Arbor audiences the after the Yiddish lullaby is announced. She stills remembers a production of The “the development of a new poetics for the rare opportunity to witness a dramatic narra- The Eastern European Tour film has been Comedy of Errors performed by the Royal theater.” Inspired by Stein’s writing for and tive that parallels the story told in Playing for shown at TBE, Glacier Hills, the Michigan The- Shakespeare Company in which the actors about theater, Polybe has been highly praised Time, the adaptation Arthur Miller based on ater, and the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festi- had blue faces. by the Village Voice as “a promising young Fania Fenelon’s The Musicians of Auschwitz, val in Ann Arbor. David Magidson, director of But it was at Barnard College in New company bravely taking on the impossible in a far more realistic style. (Theatregoers may the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival, said, “I York, from which she graduated magna cum Stein challenge.” note that Arthur Miller’s Playing for Time is thought it was filled with spirit, warmth and laude in 2000 and where she was awarded the The company kicked off 2007 by pre- the inaugural drama at the new Arthur Miller good feeling... Its greatest strength is the feeling Kenneth Janes Prize in Theater, that Brater’s miering a week of new plays by Suzan-Lori Theatre in late March and early April.) Both of attachment to the Jews of Eastern Europe focus on directing took shape. She was es- Parks in the 365 Days/365 Plays project at the Playing for Time and The Charlotte Salomon and to those who perished…. It is a splendid pecially attuned to the difficult challenge New York Public Theater. Later this year Po- Project detail the experience of Jewish women document conceived in joy and music rather of working on the plays of Gertrude Stein. lybe will begin work on a newly devised piece artists whose lives are abruptly interrupted by than weeping and instruction. How can you She was intrigued by the possibility of find- and will also produce a number of Stein’s the horror of the Shoah. not like it?” ing stage solutions that would convey Stein’s children’s plays, working with kids from the “Jessica Brater’s direction and Miriam The film is being released now to fundraise richly imaginative theatrical vision. Brater’s local community surrounding Brooklyn’s Felton-Dansky’s dramaturgy are perhaps the and raise awareness of TBE’s next film about commitment to this major modernist has Greenpoint Reform Church. real stars of the show,” one New York reviewer Kol Halev’s upcoming 2007 summer concert never waned. The name of her company, Po- In Ann Arbor the group will present The noted. “The acting, the paintings, the curating tour of Argentina. Funds raised by the Eastern lybe + Seats, is in fact a homage to Stein’s dog. Charlotte Salomon Project, which premiered of the paintings and the tableaus, when seen European Tour film are earmarked directly to “Seats,” she says, “are where you sit.” Shawn- at Brooklyn Fire Proof in November 2006 as shining components of a glittering whole, the TBE Film Fund to support the Argentina Marie Garrett, a contributing editor to and was developed as part of a residency at are ultimately what gives this play the status film. The Argentina film plan calls for upgraded Theater Magazine, calls Brater’s troupe “the Mabou Mines and a New Play Commission of a theatrical staging that defies definition. sound and camera equipment and editorial as- coolest new ensemble company in town.” from the National Foundation for Jewish The level of planning and thought that is ob- sistance to produce a film for local and national Brater has piled up an impressive num- Culture. The texts, visuals and actions of the vious when you are living this piece (there is distribution through community showings, ber of directing credits. In New York her play are drawn from the collection of over no better verb) is exceptionally impressive.” DVD distribution, television broadcast, film work has been showcased at the HERE Arts 1,300 paintings created by Charlotte Salo- In addition to her role as artistic director festivals, and the Jewish educational commu- Center, the Tank Theater, the Flea Theater, mon during World War II and printed by of Polybe + Seats, Brater is busy working on nity. An HD-quality film, even with in-kind the American Theater of Actors, the Present the young artist in a volume called Life? Or completing her Ph.D. in Theater Studies at contributions of travel costs and filmmakers’ Company Theatorium, the Makor Center, Theater? The paintings illustrate her complex the Graduate Center of the City University time, can cost $50,000 to $100,000. and the Paradise Theater, as well as in other family history and her relationships with her of New York. For the past three years she has A start-up grant of $5,000 has been awarded venues in the burgeoning artistic community mother, father, stepmother and an operatic served as key administrator for the Barnard- by the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County of trendy Brooklyn. Her directing credits also voice teacher who became her obsession. Sa- Columbia Theatre Department, where she to help support the Argentina film. For more include plays mounted for the Brown Uni- lomon was murdered by the Nazis in a con- has also taught courses and given workshops information on purchasing the Kol Halev East- versity Festival of New Plays and at the Ger- centration camp, but her book miraculously in her discipline. ern European film, call TBE at 665-4744 or visit trude Stein Symposium held at Columbia survived. Polybe has transformed her text “Bringing my work to Ann Arbor in a www.KolHalevFilms. n University in 2004. Her work has also been into a vibrant performance piece that has state-of-the-art facility like the Walgreen Drama Center is something I never could have imagined when I was playing with cos- New book explores Dialogue between past, present tumes and makeup on Wells Street and Lin- Emily Eisbruch, special to the WJN coln Avenue in Burns Park. It’s a very special way to be welcomed home,” says Brater. n On Wednesday, April 11 from 4–6 p.m., Sha- Reflections describes the fate of Holocaust a different darkness.” man Drum Bookshop will host a reception memories over the course of an entire life. These reflections, the The Charlotte Salomon Project will be per- and signing for Henry Greenspan’s Reflec- Greenspan, who also authored Listening to Ho- continuing dialogue formed at the new Walgreen Drama Center on tions: Auschwitz, Memory, And a Life Recreated. locaust Survivors: Recounting and Life History between past and pres- Friday, April 6 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. and on Greenspan, a University of Michigan psychol- (1998), explains, “my approach has been to inter- ent, are the story this Saturday, April 7 at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tick- ogy professor and a playwright, wrote the book view survivors as often as seemed useful to both book tells about Aus- ets are free of charge but should be reserved in based on his 25-year conversation with Agi Ru- of us. There are other survivors, too, with whom chwitz, memory, and a advance to ensure a seat. For more information bin, a Farmington Hills resident who survived I’ve spoken many, many times, but Agi has been life recreated. or to reserve tickets call the Michigan League Box Auschwitz and other concentration camps. my primary teacher about what it means to live Shaman Drum Bookshop is located at 315 Office at 764-2538. To learn more about Polybe Both Henry Greenspan and Agi Rubin will through and after the destruction.” South State Street. For more information, call + Seats or to support the company, visit www.po- speak briefly during the event to provide insight “New experiences reflect old ones,” Rubin 662-7407. lybeandseats.org. into their collaboration and the book itself. notes. “They put them in a different light, or

Page Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Measha Brueggergosman soprano J.J. Penna and William Bolcom piano Thursday, april 12, 8 pm Hill Auditorium Program to include music by Reynaldo Hahn, Ernest Chausson, Hugo Wolf, and assorted cabaret songs of William Bolcom.

Sponsored by

Media Partners WGTE 91.3 FM, Observer & Eccentric Newspapers, and Michigan Chronicle/Front Page. A Prelude Dinner precedes this performance. For reservations, call 734-764-8489.

April This is a CLASSICAL KIDS CLUB concert and a NETWORK event.

Together and Solo John Williams and John Etheridge guitars Friday, april 13, 8 pm

2007 Rackham Auditorium l Jerusalem String Quartet sunday, april 15, 4 pm Rackham Auditorium

2006 PROGRAM Haydn Quartet in f minor, Op. 20, No. 5 (1772) Barber Quartet for Strings, Op. 11 (1936) Tchaikovsky Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11 (“Accordian”) (1865)

Supported by Jane and Edward Schulak. Media Partners WGTE 91.3 FM, Observer & Eccentric Newspapers, and Detroit Jewish News. This is a CLASSICAL KIDS CLUB concert.

128th UMS SeaSon Bach’s Mass in b minor Netherlands Bach Society Thursday, april 19, 8 pm Hill Auditorium

Supported by Barbara Furin Sloat. Media Partner WRCJ 90.9 FM.

Trinity Irish Dance Company Mark Howard artistic director Friday, april 20, 8 pm saTurday, april 21, 1 pm [OnE-hOur Family pErFOrmanCE] saTurday, april 21, 8 pm Power Center

06/07 Family Series SponsorSponsored by Sponsored by

Supported by Robert and Pearson Macek. Funded in part by the Performing Arts Fund. Media Partners Metro Times and WEMU 89.1 FM.

Los Folkloristas sunday, april 22, 4 pm Rackham Auditorium Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Media Partners WEMU 89.1 FM and Michigan Radio.

Call or Click for Tickets! 734.764.2538 | www.ums.org outside the 734 area code, call toll-free 800.221.1229

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page JCC Jewish Film Festival

JCC Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival returns to Michigan Theater Rachel Rosenthal, special to the WJN he Jewish Community Center of Washt- full schedule is listed on the JCC web site at All good art is available on many levels, and it is also Israel in miniature—a whole society enaw County, in association with the www.jccannarbor.org. on the surface this profound film is about a determined to pick itself up, dust itself off and TJewish Community Center of Metro- Tickets to each film are $10; a festival pass, Jewish attorney required by the system to de- start all over again. politan Detroit and the Michigan Theater, will good for all 19 Ann Arbor films, is available for fend an anti-Semitic, hate-filled criminal who Director Joshua Faudem and the Baxters, bring the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival $65. Tax deductible sponsorship opportunities has killed a Pakistani restaurant worker for producers of the film, have been invited to Ann Arbor for its sixth year. The festival will are also available. For more information, call nothing more than spilling something on his to attend. showcase 19 films over five days at the Michi- the JCC at 971-0990. new steel-toed shoes. Preceded by… gan Theater on East Liberty from Sunday, May Based on writer/co-director David Gow’s Dark Night…2006, 30 minutes, Hebrew, 6 through Thursday, May 10. Sunday, May 6, 2007 own play, Steel Toes tells the story of court- Arabic and Russian with English subtitles, Festival highlights include the opening appointed Jewish lawyer Danny Dunkelman 10 a.m. – Special student screening of Color, Israel night film, Steel Toes, starring Oscar nominee (Oscar Nominee David Strathairn; Good Night Stolen Summer During their return to their post, three Is- David Straithairn (Good Night and Good Luck, and Good Luck), who is assigned the case of a 2002, 91 minutes, English, Color, USA raeli soldiers run into a deadly ambush. While Lost in Yonkers, A League of Their Own), and skinhead, Mike, accused of this racially moti- The Jewish Film Festival will hold a free escaping, they commandeer a Palestinian vated murder. couple’s home to wait for their rescuers. Lack Dunkelman is angry at both the assign- of communication breeds increasing hostility ment and at Mike (Andrew W. Walker), but until a small detail is revealed that helps them then becomes challenged by his unremorseful find common ground. The two sides begin to client, even beginning to examine his own be- see their enemies as human beings. New hope lief that there may, in fact, be a human being seems born, and then… . worth redeeming in the young man. Strathairn, who actually originated this role on stage, deliv- ers a triumphant performance as Dunkelman and as the two perform an elaborate dance of life and death, it becomes clear that the film is about even more than we thought. It is a finely wrought parable that tries to answer the question about what it “costs” to be one of the “chosen people”—to be Jewish—and by extension, whether or not it is worth it. This exquisite yet terrible film takes us on a harrowing, rewarding journey with Strathairn’s A scene from Dark Night masterfully portrayed Dunkelman as we all A scene from Steel Toes learn what the cost of fairness, belief in God screening of Stolen Summer for middle school and true justice is, and having found out we 5 p.m. – Checking Out 2005, 95 minutes, English, Color, USA winner of the 2007 Sarah and Harold Gottleib and high school students and families. This film can all decide for ourselves about whether it is A Special Director’s Selection Award for Contributions to Jewish Culture. and writer/director Pete Jones were the subjects ‘right’ or if it is too much to pay. Start with Peter Falk, Judge Reinhold, Da- Blues by the Beach is an important documen- of the first season of the Matt Damon/Ben Af- The director of the film has been invited to vid Paymer, Laura San Giacomo and a host of tary that began as a film about fun in Israel at fleck-produced HBO reality TV series Project attend. Steel Toes is presented in cooperation other stars. Throw in high Hollywood produc- a Tel Aviv bar called Mike’s Place and became Greenlight. Millions saw the HBO series; now with Detroit’s Consulate General of Canada and tion values, writing and acting and then tell the something else entirely after a terrorist attack viewers can see the full-length final cut. is sponsored by Sarah and Harold Gottleib. story of former Yiddish Theater star, Morris took place at the bar during filming. In Sen- The film is about Pete, an eight-year-old Applebaum, who writes to each of his three tenced to Marriage, the audience is introduced Catholic boy growing up in the suburbs of Chi- Monday, May 7, 2007 children that they should come home immedi- to the stories of three women trying to obtain a cago in the mid-1970s. Pete attends Catholic 2 p.m. – Blues by the Beach ately as he has decided to commit suicide and Get (divorce) in Israel. With unprecedented ac- school, where as classes let out for the summer, 2006, 90 minutes, English and Hebrew with wants them there. cess into secret religious courts, viewers witness he’s admonished by a nun to follow the path of English subtitles, Color, Israel and USA This witty, honest portrayal of a bizarre both amazing suffering and important revela- Lord, and not that of the devil. Perhaps taking A Special Director’s Selection Jewish family shows American Jewish culture tions. The First Basket, narrated by Peter Reigert this message a bit too seriously, Pete decides his Blues by the Beach is an important film in the most loving way imaginable. Peter Falk is goal for the summer is to help someone get into about the direct taking of innocent life for at the top of his game and is just fun to watch. heaven. Having been told that Catholicism is supposedly political purposes. Producer Jack Reinhold, San Giacomo and Paymer add layers the only sure path to the kingdom of the Lord, Baxter (Malcolm X) focuses on Mike’s Place, a of humor, feeling and family. The wonderful Pete decides to convert a Jew to Catholicism in popular American bar on the Tel Aviv board- script has a ton of memorable schtick. Watch order to improve their standing in the afterlife. walk, where there was beer and fun amid the for Gavin Mcleod (Captain of the “Love Boat”) Hoping to find a likely candidate, Pete be- tragedy of the Middle East. A merry bunch as the doorman. gins visiting a nearby synagogue, where he gets until 1 am on April 30, 2003 when Asif Hanif Director Mark Lane will attend the to know Rabbi Jacobson, who responds to Pete’s walked in with sophisticated explosives in a barrage of questions with good humor. Pete hollowed-out Kuran and killed and injured 53, screening. also makes friends with the Rabbi’s son, Danny, including Baxter who was, ironically, partially 8 p.m. – Matisyahu who is about the same age; when he learns that shielded by Hanif’s own body. 2005, 11 minutes, English with some He- Danny is seriously ill, he decides Danny would brew, Color, USA be an excellent choice for conversion. Matisyahu, aka Matthew Miller, is a phe- A scene from Stolen Summer This is a deeply spiritual film with a lovely nomenon and if you want to know what kind story to match its interfaith message of friend- of music today’s kids are into, you’d better see ship and faith. The friendship between the two this short film. In fact, bring them along. Re- (Crossing Delancey, King of the Corner), tells boys in the film and their commitment to each cent recipient of the prestigious Moviefone the story of the NBA’s Jewish pioneers. Sophie other is almost heartbreaking. The film will be Grand Prize, it was also named “Most Down- Scholl: The Final Days, a 2006 Academy Award followed by an educational discussion. loaded,” beating out the top 12 films of the year nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, is the that were selected by an industry panel. true story of Germany’s most famous anti-Nazi Opening Night Followed by… heroine. In addition, special guests will join the festival for post-film discussions. Sunday, May 6 The First Time I Turned Twenty The Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival is made 8 p.m. – Steel Toes 2004, 97 minutes, French with English sub- possible by the Charles and Rita Gelman Edu- 2006, 91 minutes, English, Color, Canada titles, Color, France cational Foundation, the Michael and Patricia The winner of the fifth annual Sarah and A scene from Blues by the Beach It’s the 1960s and Jewish 16-year-old Han- Levine Philanthropic Fund and the Michigan Harold Gottleib Award for Contributions to nah, the ugly duckling of her affectionate, sti- Theater. Ann Arbor chairs are Elaine Margolis, Jewish Culture The film, which started out to be about fling family, lives in the Paris suburbs with her Rachel Seel and Roberta Tankanow. The fes- This main attraction is the 2007 winner drinking and fun in Israel becomes quite some- hard-working father, doting mother and two tival will also take place in Commerce Town- of the fifth annual Sarah and Harold Gottleib thing else after the attack. Although it is suf- pretty sisters. ship, Birmingham, Windsor and Flint. The Prize for Contributions to Jewish Culture. fused with sorrow for the dead and wounded, As a talented bass player, her dream is to

Page Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 mon ‘Bud’ Schwartz, Jack Silverman, Sy Rose, the dramatic story of the unprecedented heroic Brooms Abromovic, Jerry Fleishman, Hank efforts of the US Monuments Men who were Rosenstein, Dolph Schayes, Max Zaslofsky and sent to Europe to safeguard and return dis- hundreds more. placed art at the end of the war. Most important, director David Vyorst’s film, narrated by Peter Reigert King( of the Cor- 8 p.m. – The Tribe ner, Animal House, Crossing Delancey), is about 2005, 17 minutes, English, Color, USA becoming American. After nostalgia, this won- If a movie claimed to cover 5,768 years of derful film observes the immigrant experience, Jewish history, customs, religion, culture, fights discussing the role sports played (and still plays) and other tumult in 17 minutes, you would in weaving the fabric of the US as we know it. pay just to see the trick, right? Well, this is your Filmmaker David Vyorst joins us as we chance. New age media with old age material watch this meticulously crafted work featuring from an Oscar-nominated director whose par- 50 years of basketball and including everyone ents were Detroiters, Tiffany Shlain. from the Harlem Globetrotters to the Celtics, John Columbus, founder and director of Pistons and Knicks. Wednesday, May 9, 2007 2 p.m. – Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner 2006, 98 minutes, English, Color, USA A scene from Checking Out A Special Director’s Selection be chosen for her school’s small, all male tour- the overriding issue, Judaism and change in a Whether through Angels in America, Home- ing Jazz band, complete with a cute trumpet modern world, crystallizes in this documen- body/Kabul, Caroline, or Change, the screenplay player. Well, in a “fair fight” blind audition, she tary, as it does nowhere else. for Munich or his joyful commitment to his is chosen, and this is where her real troubles The director of the women’s organiza- partner, Tony Kushner has changed the Ameri- begin. Because of her gender, Jewishness, and tion that financed the film has been invited can arts landscape. His masterful blending of A scene from The Tribe appearance, the boys in the band begin to play to attend. serious questions and pulse-quickening an- practical jokes on her and she is thoroughly 5 p.m. – Paper Dolls swers have made him the most important Jew- the Black Maria Film Festival says, “The Tribe miserable. 2005, 89 minutes, English, Hebrew and Ta- ish playwright alive, and now we get to see just is a brilliant, irreverent, wry and buoyant film This film presents an appealing tale of an galog with English subtitles, Color, Israel who he really is. about an icon of American culture, the waspy underdog who struggles in a hostile environ- Good film can take us right to the heart of Slant Magazine said, “Wrestling with An- Barbie doll and its creator, a Jewish woman. ment. The story is laced with dark humor and Israel’s most heated topics. This film is about gels shows us how Kushner’s personal life has The film is a stunning achievement and I love features a fabulous jazz soundtrack. foreign workers in Israel—over 300,000 have shaped his breathtaking plays… how [his it and so do audiences.” father’s] lifelong musical interest [had] irrevo- been brought in from all over the world since Followed by… Tuesday, May 8, 2007 the Intifada reduced Arab worker availability. cable effect on [Kushner’s]… work, like Caro- 2 p.m. – Sentenced to Marriage And while this film may seem “out there,” its line, or Change… and his children’s book with Only Human (Mekudeshet) motive is to uncover the human nugget from Maurice Sendak… .” 2004, 88 minutes, Spanish with English 2004, 65 minutes, English, Hebrew with the dire and the extreme. Academy Award winning director Frieda subtitles, Color, Spain English subtitles, Color, Israel A movie about outsiders, the Paper Dolls Lee Mock took almost three years to make this Starring Oscar-nominated Norma Alean- The story of how to obtain a Get (divorce) of the title are transsexual Filipinos who have remarkable film. dro, this glorious family comedy reworks the in Israel is a difficult but important one. You come to Israel and work as sensitive caregivers, age-old story of meeting the parents—but this will see and hear heretofore unprecedented ac- willing to do what needs doing in an Israeli so- time with a hilarious up-to-the-minute Jew- cess to private, secret religious courts, amazing ciety that has a hard time coming to terms with ish twist. Using a skillful blend of warmth and suffering and important revelations. who does it. humor, this picture addresses head-on what Three young married women are trapped Paper Dolls is a documentary film by award- happens when cultures clash within our very by the religious courts. They can’t obtain a di- winning filmmaker Tomer Heymann. The Fili- homes. vorce because for the court to grant one they pinos have emigrated to Israel to take care of When Leni comes home to introduce her need their husband’s consent. They don’t know elderly religious Jewish men. On their one day fiancé Rafi to her idiosyncratic Spanish Jew- when they will be set free because the date of off per week, they perform as drag perform- ish family, everything goes smoothly until the their release depends on their husband’s whim. ers in a group called the Paper Dolls. On the lovers belatedly reveal that Rafi is Palestinian. They are forbidden relationships because a political level, it explores the perils of global Amid the ensuing hysteria, Rafi escapes to the immigration. On the human level, the film is kitchen to help prepare the dinner but drops about people who are rejected by their own A scene from Wrestling with Angels the soup he was trying to defrost out of the sev- families for being gay/transvestite and who enth story window, hitting a pedestrian below. And just in case the evening’s not going badly emigrate and end up with jobs taking care of 5 p.m. – The Rape of Europa other people’s parents who have been rejected enough, it turns out the pedestrian may be 2006, 96 minutes, English, Color by their own children because they are old, dif- Leni’s father. A Special Director’s Selection ficult, etc. The Rape of Europa is a feature documen- The men in this film work grueling hours Thursday, May 10, 2007 tary based on the National Book Critics Circle to send money back to the Philippines to sup- Award winning history by Lynn H. Nicholas. 2 p.m. – Sister Rose’s Passion port the families that have rejected them. Paper 2004, 36 minutes, English, Color, USA The film tells the epic story of the systematic Dolls does not soak itself in its subjects’ extrem- This story of Sister Rose, a Dominican Nun, theft, deliberate destruction and miraculous ity, and so becomes one of those extreme sto- rekindles faith in what any human being can survival of Europe’s art treasures during the ries that tell us true things about less extreme accomplish. Third Reich and Second World War. The film goings-on. This film is a poignant testament to the interweaves the history of Nazi art looting with A scene from Sentenced to Marriage human spirit and director Oren Jacoby has 8 p.m. – The First Basket the stories of contemporary restitution cases. captured an unprecedented sense of right and 100 minutes, English, Black and White, From the book jacket: “The fate of the wrong that has changed the lives of millions of married woman is forbidden to another man. Color, USA World’s art treasures hung in the balance dur- Christians. They are condemned to be barren, as a mar- Special Director’s Selection ing the destructiveness of the second world Born in 1920, Sister Rose Thering spent ried woman is forbidden to bear another’s Amazing: basketball, the ultimate Jewish war. The cast of characters includes Adolf over 50 years challenging authority, particular- child. Their voices are silenced because they are sport? Well, owners and managers were, but Hitler, Hermann Goering, Gertrude Stein and ly institutionalized anti-semitism and bigotry young, anonymous women whose pain and players, promoters? It seems that everybody was Marc Chagall—not to mention works by art- inside the Catholic Church. Drawing on scrip- suffering is embedded in the law of a demo- Jewish! The NBA’s first points—ever? Scored ists from Leonardo da Vinci to Pablo Picasso. ture and deeply held religious beliefs, Sister cratic country in the 21st century. by Jewish power forward Ossie Schechtman on Hitler diverted attention from the prosecution Rose spoke out for tolerance and understand- The film follows Tamar, Sari and Smadar’s November 1, 1946 as the New York Knicks beat of the war to the systematic theft of Europe’s ing. When she met Pope John Paul II, she said Kafkaesque struggle over a period of two years. the Toronto Huskies. Emmes. greatest art. His dream of building the world’s Each of these three young women is doing all So add all the names you remember: Red greatest museum—the Führer Museum in his what she thought and got her way. she can to obtain a divorce with the help of a Auerbach, Abe Saperstein, Leo Gottlieb, Ralph hometown of Linz, Austria—obsessed him to group of female Orthodox rabbinical advocates. Kaplowitz, Max Cohn, Nat Frankel, Sid Ger- the bitter end.” Although the focus of the film seems narrow, chick, Meyer Goldman, Manny Kaplan, Solo- But it does not end there. The film also tells Continued onpage 8

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page JCC Film Festival

Followed by… of Ann Arbor have put together this brief dedi- Holocaust Remembrance from page 1 Queen of the Mountain cation to the Wallenberg (a former student at 2005, 56 minutes, English, Color, USA the University of Michigan) legacy. This is im- raised as Christians and grew up under assumed the Bridge, All My Sons and Death of a Sales- A Special Director’s Selection portant, both as a dedication and as history. names, first in Dutch farm country, and then in man. He was the recipient of the Pulitzer Theresa Goell started her career as an ar- This film is a miniature masterpiece. a fishing village. After the war the Dahme girls Prize for Drama among many other awards. cheologist with four strikes against her: she was 8 p.m. – King of Beggars were reunited with their parents. At the time of his death Miller was con- female, divorced, Jewish working with Mus- 2006, 98 minutes, Hebrew with English The Hidden Child is an outgrowth of a July sidered one of the greatest American play- subtitles, Color, Israel and Poland 2004 trip to the Netherlands with Dahme wrights of all time. A Special Director’s Selection and a contingent of 20 New Jersey school Inside a 16th century Polish cemetery, two teachers. Chronicled by an award-winning Shanghai Remembered social outcasts are joined in matrimony under a production team, the film captures Dahme’s It is a little known item of World War II moonlit sky. Fishke, a lame bath attendant weds return to the Dutch farmhouse and country- history that about 20,000 Jews fled Nazi Eu- a mysterious blind woman who wandered to side where she had been hidden as a child and rope to escape to Shanghai. On Friday, April the village only days before. But soon, Fishke documents her emotional reunion with one of 20, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., this period in history learns that his new wife is really a member of a the Christian women who saved her life. will be brought to light as former refugee group of Jewish brigands out to rob the town. The film also follows Dahme and the Berl Falbaum tells his story along with oth- She runs but Fishke follows her, believing she is teachers to Vught, a Nazi concentration ers collected in the gripping book of memo- his lawful wife in the eyes of God. camp, and to the Anne Frank house as well as ries Shanghai Remembered... Stories of Jews When he catches her though, he finds a to the old Jewish quarters of Amsterdam, re- Who Escaped to Shanghai from Nazi Europe. world he did not know existed—one filled cording reactions to both the Maud Dahme This event, co-sponsored by the Eastern with Jewish outlaws who victimize other Jews. story and the Nazi’s systematic destruction Michigan University Hillel, will also feature A scene from Queen of the Mountain He escapes, but the leader tracks him down, de- of Jewish life in the Netherlands. The Hidden a book signing and books will be on sale at manding revenge but finds defeat at the hands Child features interviews with Pieter Meer- the event. lims and hearing impaired. Yet she abandoned of the young Torah scholar/warrior to whom burg, an 83-year-old Dutch rescuer whose Shanghai Remembered is a collection of the comfortable lifestyle with her conservative the beggars now turn to for leadership. Amsterdam student group saved hundreds first-person accounts telling how the refu- Jewish family in 1933 to pursue her pioneering Fishke, who believes in earning rights by of Jewish children; Max Arpels Lezer, a for- gees found themselves traumatized, stateless passion at Nemrud Dagh, an isolated, mysteri- fulfilling one’s duties, sets out to liberate his mer hidden child, who is now chairman of and penniless in a strange and inhospitable ous mountaintop in southwestern Turkey. people and earn his torn ‘nation’ its own piece the Hidden Child Association of the Neth- place. The editor, Berl Falbaum, was a for- Struggling with hearing, her extraordinary of land. A surprising and unique tale of a Jew- erlands; his Excellency Clifford Sobel, then mer Shanghai refugee himself, and has since site work also included bringing roads, tour- ish Robin Hood. n US Ambassador to the Netherlands; and his spent 10 years as a reporter at The Detroit ists and employment to the impoverished lo- Excellency Eitan Margalit, Israeli Ambassa- News; four years as administrative aide to cals. After spending most of her life there as an dor to the Netherlands. The award-winning Michigan’s lieutenant governor; and 15 years outsider, Goell became ‘Queen of the Moun- production team includes Sara Lee Kessler, as a corporate public relations executive. tain’, gaining worldwide attention for her work host, senior producer and writer; Lisa Bair In the 1930s, as anti-Semitism was and finding a new home among the mountain Miller, producer and editor; and Ron Wag- spreading like a cancer, Jews from various Kurds. ner as principal photographer. parts of Europe discovered, through word of Martha Goell Lubell’s tender film take the mouth or information from travel agencies, shape of an epic adventure and Theresa’s saga Playing for Time that Shanghai was an open port. No visas or lives through breathtaking National Geograph- The much-anticipated Arthur Miller The- passports were required. About 20,000 refu- ic footage of the excavations, hundreds of pho- ater opened at the University of Michigan in gees made the decision to flee from impend- tographs and finally, Goell’s own stunning oral late March with performances of Miller’s ing extermination—leaving behind their history and letters, read by Tovah Feldshuh. harrowing play of the Holocaust, Playing for highly civilized and sophisticated culture for Lovingly restoring the legacy of this pio- Time. Now, the AADL and the U-M collaborate a haven that could not have been more unlike neering Jewish woman, Queen of the Mountain for a screening of the rarely seen 1980 CBS film the life they had experienced. What was their offers a unique, intriguing portrait. that won multiple Emmy awards. Playing For new life like? How did they survive? What did Time will be shown at the Downtown Library they leave behind? Editor Berl Falbaum will on Monday, April 16 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. share his own story during this event. n 5 p.m. – Sophie Scholl: The Final Days This drama features an all-star cast and 2005, 111 minutes, English, Color, Germany All three events are free and open to the public. tells the story of a group of women pris- and USA They will be held in the Downtown Library oners in Auschwitz who survived the gas A Special Director’s Selection Multi-Purpose Room, 343 S. Fifth Avenue. chambers by playing in a small orchestra. Everyone didn’t give in to Hitler, at least at For more information, contact the library at This is a powerful adaptation of Holocaust first. One group, The White Rose, specialized in 327-4560. survivor Fania Fanelon’s autobiography. circulating positions contrary to the Third Reich Fanelon, a Jewish singer-pianist, was impris- Tim Grimes contributed to this article. as a matter of academic/intellectual pride. They oned in the Auschwitz concentration camp were caught early by the Nazis and this achingly during World War II. She was able to stay well-made film follows three members of this alive by becoming a member of the prison’s group as we watch trials that quickly escalate Downtown Library A scene from King of Beggars female orchestra. In the process, she struck into a searing test of wills. Sophie Scholl deliv- up a close relationship with Alma Rose, the Holocaust Remembrance ers a haunting, timeless, passionate call to free- musical group’s leader, as well as the other dom and personal responsibility. Events members of the band. Playing for the Na- This true story of Germany’s most famous Gala Opening from page 1 zis, however, robbed the women of much of anti-Nazi heroine is brought to life in this The feature film shown that evening will be their dignity and some of them questioned Monday, April 9, multi-award winning film. It was a 2006 Acad- Steel Toes. Based on writer/co-director David whether remaining alive was worth the abuse 7–8:30 p.m. emy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Gow’s own play, Steel Toes tells the story of Documentary film they constantly suffered. Film and stars Julia Jentsch in a luminous per- court-appointed Jewish lawyer Danny Dun- The acclaimed film features Vanessa Red- The Hidden Child formance as the young student-turned-fearless kelman (Oscar Nominee David Strathairn; grave as Fania and Jane Alexander as Alma— activist. Using actual, long-buried historical Good Night and Good Luck), who is assigned both Emmy winners for their heartbreaking Monday, April 16, records of her incarceration, director Marc the case of a skinhead, Mike, accused of a roles. Christine Baranski, Viveca Lindfors, 6–8:30 p.m. Rothermund hypnotically recreates the last six racially motivated murder. n Melanie Mayron and Marisa Berenson are Award-winning film days of Sophie Scholl’s life; a heart-stopping Tickets to the Film Festival screenings are $10. among the many prominent actresses who Playing for Time journey from arrest to interrogation, trial and A Film Festival Pass, good for all 19 films, appeared in this landmark film, which was sentence. is $65. Ticket order forms and a full festival named best Television Movie of the Year. Ar- Friday, April 20, Preceded by… schedule are available on the JCC website, thur Miller also won an Emmy for his pow- 7–8:30 p.m. Raoul Wallenberg: One Person Can www.jccannarbor.org. If you are interested in erful script. Berl Falbaum presents his book Shangai Remembered...Stories Make a Difference becoming a Film Festival sponsor and attend- Playwright Arthur Miller was a promi- ing the reception, contact Leslie Bash or Ra- nent figure in American literature and cin- of Jews Who Escaped to 2006, 11 minutes, English, Color, USA Shanghai from Nazi Germany Emmy Award winning filmmaker Harvey chel Rosenthal at the JCC at 971-0990. ema for over 61 years, writing a wide variety Ovshinsky and the Raoul Wallenberg Society of plays, including The Crucible, A View from

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Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page Seniors Community

April 2007 SPICE* of Life *Social, Physical, Intellectual, Cultural, and Educational Programs for Adults JFS: Cruising thru 13 years welcoming

All events are free unless a fee is listed. Programs are cancelled when the Ann Arbor Public strangers and promoting freedom Schools are closed. Carol Lessure, special to the WJN can relive the good, bad, and funky tunes from s we prepare for Passover by cleaning, your 13th year. Mondays And this cruise offers children—middle April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 cooking, and considering ways to en- 11 a.m.–noon: Fitness Fun with Maria Farquhar, $4 or 3/$10 liven our seder services, Jewish Family school age and up—their own tropical pool A party with pizza dinner, DJ and activities. So Noon–1 p.m.: Buffet of dairy delights, $3. Services reflects on its 13 years of providing a 1–2:30 p.m.: Writing Group: Express yourself through personal recollections, poetry and safe haven to those in need and basic needs to the whole family can enjoy a little Mitzvah fiction. No previous writing experience required. “all who hunger.” magic during the JFS Bat Mitzvah Cruise. JFS will celebrate and commemorate this “I hope everyone in the community will Tuesdays come to celebrate the work of JFS at our Cruise- April 3, 10, 17, 24 milestone in a unique event: The JFS Bat Mitz- vah Cruise on Sunday, April 22, from 5–8 p.m. inspired event in April. The Ann Arbor Jewish 10:30–noon: Arts and Crafts: Bring something that you are working on or participate in community has been able to nurture and grow group project. Coffee and noshes are provided. at Travis Pointe Country Club. Attendees can a social service agency that can distinguish it- noon–2:30 p.m.: Mah Jongg enjoy a cruise-inspired evening without leav- Tuesday, April 10 ing dry land. self as both the prime source of support for 10:30 a.m.–noon: Arts and Crafts: Make your own greeting cards. Bring in paper, ribbons Some of the accomplishments of JFS over Jews in the area and a key provider of services and other materials. Instruction provided. the past 13 years include: to the community at large,” stated Steve Gerber, 7:15 p.m.: Evening Entertainment Excursion: Enjoy a trip to see the University Choir and • Welcoming strangers – resettling 300 refugees board member and chair of the JFS Friends of Orpheus Singers at Hill Auditorium. Meet at the JCC. Transportation $6. RSVP by April 1 and helping them adjust to our community the Family Committee. to Abbie at 769-0209 or Laurie W. at 971-0990. • Feeding the hungry and sheltering the poor Margie Checkoway, JFS board president Tuesday, April 17 – leveraging over $30,000 in financial as- added, “The professional staff and volunteers 7:15 p.m.: Evening Entertainment Excursion Enjoy a trip to see the University Symphony sistance from partners to aid hundreds of demonstrate daily their commitment to im- Orchestra at Hill Auditorium. Meet at the JCC. Transportation $6. RSVP by April 8 to Abbie families in need of rent, food, utility pay- proving the lives of every member of the com- at 769-0209 or Laurie W. at 971-0990. ments, and clothing munity, whether it be an unemployed worker, Thursdays • Promoting freedom and self-sufficiency a senior who needs living assistance, a young April 5, 12, 19, 26 – guiding hundreds of unemployed people person who is engaged in risky behavior, a per- 10–11 a.m.: Fitness Fun with Maria Farquhar, $4 or 3/$10 to new jobs son with depression, or a newly arrived indi- 11 am–noon: Current Events with Heather Dombey • Protecting the elderly – easing the lives of 300 vidual or family who is resettling in the U.S. JFS Noon–1 p.m.: Yummy Kosher lunch, $3. older adults in the community is there for all of us when we need emotional, Thursday, April 5 In reaching this bat mitzvah year, the agency social, or financial support. The JFS Cruise will 1–2:30 p.m. “Shalom Y’All” student presentation Students from the Sol Drachler Program has relied on hundreds of volunteers and sup- mark a milestone year while launching the share stories and photos of their visit to Jews in the deep South. porters to keep the agency vital and responsive agency into adulthood and the future. Please 4–6 p.m. Traditional Community-wide Senior Seder For all older adults and their families, to the community needs. help us commemorate the hard work of the $15. RSVP ASAP to Abbie at 769-0209. past that has provided a safety net, the current Thursday, April 12 The cruise-themed celebration will include a strolling international-themed dinner work that is improving lives, and the future Civic Life Series work that will enrich the community.” 1 p.m. “Civic Engagement in the Neighborhood: Building Community from the Ground and champagne toasts. Attendees can choose The cruise event will honor those who have Up”. Marti Bombyk, L.M.S.W., Ph.D. will speak. among a variety of “excursions” including a Thursday, April 19 wine tasting by Intermezzo magazine editor made a significant contribution to the agency’s Civic Life Series Becky Sue Epstein, floor show with Emcee “Big past, present, and future. Youth who have vol- 1 p.m. “Making Volunteerism Meaningful”. With Jewish Family Services Volunteer Coor- Al Muskovito” of the WOMC Dick Purtan unteered their time to special projects, tireless dinator, Elizabeth Solomon. Show, caricaturist, magician, games of Mah board members, charitable donors, and mem- Thursday, April 26 Jong or tennis, and service oriented projects bers of the community who resettled Russian 1–2:30 p.m. “Argentine Jews/ Jewish Argentines.” With Dr. Judith Laikin Elkin such as JFS Lifecycle Story Corps and Crafts Jews and provided support services before JFS Who are the Argentine Jews? How do Jews accommodate to life in the southern hemi- for Clients. existed — all played a significant role in the suc- sphere? In what ways are they similar to North American Jews, and how do they differ? A What would a cruise be without entertain- cess of JFS – Your Family in the Community. short talk will be followed by audience participation. ment? The JFS Bat Mitzvah Cruise will offer a Climb aboard the JFS Bat Mitzvah Cruise Fridays multigenerational Newlywed-style game show, for a community-wide celebration. Reserve Fridays, April 6, 20 and 27 music and dancing to the sounds of past de- your berth online at www.jfsannarbor.org for Yiddish Speaking and Reading Group. All levels welcome. Call JCC 971-0990. cades, and B’nai Mitzvah Karaoke where you a very special evening. n Friday, April 13 1:30–3:30 p.m. Monthly Yiddish Group: Yiddish Film (with Czech Subtitles). The Shop on JFS seeks young artists for card contest Main Street. Oscar-winning film with Ida Kaminska. JCC Newman Room. 971-0990 Friday, April 13 Carol Lessure, special to the WJN 1:30 p.m.: Matinée Musicale Refreshments, 2 p.m. performance: Arie Lipsky and Friends. Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County invites young artists (from ages 1–18) to design three Cost: $7.00/person. The Matinée Musicale Series is a five-concert recital series of classical new tribute cards for lifecycle events including celebrations (all accomplishments from new baby to music presented by Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra Music Director Arie Lipsky and the new job), wedding/anniversaries, and in remembrance of loved ones. A2SO’s brass, string, and woodwind ensembles. Winners of the JFS Tribute card contest will have their designs printed and sent all around the country as community members honor and remember others with donations to JFS. All entries will Sunday, April 22 be on display at the JFS Bat Mitzvah Cruise on Sunday, April 22, at Travis Pointe Country Club. JFS 3–5 p.m. Jewish Family Services Bat Mitzvah Cruise. Choral concert will recognize all artists and announce the winners and prizes for participants at the Cruise. The Haverim Visharim with Marilyn Krimm at JCC. original artwork of winning entries will be framed and on display at the new JFS offices. 4–8 p.m. Jewish Family Services Bat Mitzvah Cruise. Set sail for the JFS Bat Mitzvah Cruise, Are you an artist seeking to contribute your art to a meaningful project? If so, design a card— a celebration and commemoration of our 13 year history of providing needed human ser- no words necessary—and submit your entry by 3:30 p.m. on April 13, 2007 to JFS. Entries may vices to the community. The event will feature cruise-inspired activities, food and fun for all be dropped off either to the JFS mailbox at the JCC or at the new JFS offices on 2245 South State Street. Look for entry forms at the JFS office, JCC, and area religious schools or download a form ages at Travis Pointe Country Club. Call 769-0209 for more information. from www.jfsannarbor.org.

Page 10 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Civic life and community engagement receives attention in new JCC series Abigail Lawrence-Jacobson, special to the WJN he Jewish Community Center of Washtenaw County will present a new series on “Civic Life and Community Engagement,” which will bring scholars, community Torganizers, authors, researchers, and community members to speak on topics ranging from volunteerism to voting. The hope is that these monthly or bi-monthly presentations will spark a dialogue on the many ways to build a vibrant and engaged community for all ages. Two April events are planned. On April 12 at 1 p.m., Eastern Michigan University professor Marti Bombyk will speak on “Civic Engagement in the Neighborhood: Building Com- munity from the Ground Up” as she recounts the process of organizing resident councils in Ypsilanti. On April 19 at 1 p.m. Jewish Family Services Volunteer Services committee chair Elizabeth Solomon who will discuss the purpose and meaning of volunteerism. Both events will be held at the JCC and are free and open to the public. Civic renewal… Social Capital… Engaged Citizenship… Civil Society. What are these buzz words all about? Are they relevant to the Jewish community? Read any newspaper, sociology journal, or news magazine, and you’re bound to come across a mention of troublesome trends in mainstream society, including declining public participation (as notably documented in Robert Putnam’s 2000 book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community), growing cynicism, low voter turnout, and declining trust and social bonds among neighbors, families, and communities. Many social scientists and critics are concerned that, as Putnam wrote, “the bonds that connect us at the local level and serve as an essential counterbalance to American individual- ism have fallen into grave disrepair.” In response, initiatives are springing up across the country to stem the erosion of community life and to strengthen the social fabric of communities. Locally, both the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2007 program (“We the People…”) and the University of Michigan Theme Semester focus on the process of fostering a sense of civic engagement, community, and a sense of belonging in the modern world. The JCC’s “Civic Life and Community Engagement” series was launched in March with a community-wide discussion of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads book choice, Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World (Random House, 2003). In addition to the two events in April, an event is planned for May 17 at 1:30 p.m. at the JCC. Jeff Bernstein, associate professor of political science at EMU, will present a discussion of Putnam’s book Bowling Alone, and the decline of social capital and civic participation in the United States. Bernstein will address the implications of Putnam’s arguments for democracy and policymaking. Stay tuned for additional presentations as part of the new “Civic Life and Community Engagement” series. For more information, contact Abbie Lawrence-Ja- cobson at 769-0209. n 2007 JCC Matinée Musicale Series The opening JCC Matinée Musicale concert featuring members of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra will take place on Friday, April 13, at the Jewish Community Center of Washtenaw County. The event will begin with a sit-down dessert at 1:30 p.m. where patrons and musicians can meet. Concert-goers will enjoy a one-hour concert at 2 p.m. while seated at tables in the performance hall. This concert will feature AASO Maestro Arie Lipsky and Friends. The five-part concert series will also include the Brass Quintet, who will perform old-time favorites including the “Best of Broadway” and Swing tunes on Wednesday, May 16; the Wood- wind Quintet will perform a special concert in honor of Daniel Pearl Day on Wednesday, October 10; the Wednesday, November 14 concert will be announced soon; and finally, Arie Lipsky and Friends will perform on Wednesday, December 5. Tickets cost $7 at the door. For more information or to register, please call Laurie Wechter at 971-0990 or Abbie Lawrence-Jacobson at 769-0209. Volunteers needed for Bookstock Sale The Jewish Community Center of Washtenaw County is looking for volunteers to participate in this year’s Bookstock Used Book and Media Sale from April 29 through May 6 at Laurel Park Place Mall. All proceeds go to benefit participating organizations, including the JCC. Your volunteer hours support literacy, the community, and the JCC all at the same time. For more information, or to volunteer, contact Rachel Rosenthal at 971-0990 or [email protected]. ORT Bowling and Dinner Fundraiser April 21 Join Ann Arbor ORT for an dinner, bowling, and fun on Saturday, April 21. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with dinner at the Colonial Lanes Restaurant. Those who would like to bowl will begin at 7 p.m. (three games). Each participant will purchase her own dinner and there is a $10 charge for bowling and shoes. Remember, you don’t have to be good at bowling to have a great time. There will also be fun prizes and a silent auction of dinner gift certificates. Today, through its network of schools, colleges and centers, ORT strives to meet the training and education needs of its nearly 275,000 students, young and old, from every corner of the world so that they can compete in today’s rapidly changing market. To learn more about ORT, visit www.waort.org. For more information on the April 21 dinner and bowling, contact Barbara Goodsitt at 662- 6671 or [email protected] or email Brenda Riemer at [email protected]. Also contact Barbara or Brenda if you are not able to attend but are interested in being a sponsor and making a pledge to support ORT.

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 11 Congregations

A Torah of one’s own Peggy Adler, special to the WJN ntil I was introduced to Pardes Han- from Toledo have driven a borrowed Torah nah, Ann Arbor’s Jewish Renewal up and down US-23, seat-belted tightly in Ucommunity, I’d been living in Ann back. (“Torah On Board”?) At other times, Arbor for eight years without finding a con- Beth Israel Congregation, whose Rabbi Do- gregation that felt, to me, like home. Since brusin and congregation have been kind arriving from New York, I had long surren- enough to house our off-off-broadway-like dered to being a synagogue-goer-at-large, shabbat minyan, has lent us their sacred text. vying for tickets on high holidays, crashing It is our hope to be in a position soon to help services at Hillel. To find Pardes Hannah, I other small Jewish communities seeking to had to go all the way to Israel where an art- borrow a Torah. ist in Safed told me that upon my return, I My own quest for Torah began when should find Pardes Hannah’s rabbi, Elliot I turned 40, one year ago. Months earlier, Ginsburg. Thankfully, I did. I’d had a sharp, almost physical awareness Since leaving New York—home to as that I needed to mark my passage by go- many flavors of spiritual practices as de- ing to Israel, where I hadn’t been since I signer dog breeds—I’d had trouble finding was 16. I made my pilgrimage over U-M’s the hybrid community for me. Renewal Ju- short spring break, and had a trip so rich, daism finds her roots in Hasidism, within an it seemed to me the oil had burned for each egalitarian framework, while drawing from of my eight days there. On this journey, one traditions of Jewish mysticism and music. thing led to another on a trail of connections As a fiction writer who had never learned to that seemed, as things do in Israel, beyond read Hebrew, yet was drawn to the Torah as my power. I followed the bread crumbs, and what Renewal circles call “Deep Story,” it was when the artist in Safed told me that I must here that I found a place. meet Elliot Ginsburg and he would intro- In Pardes Hannah, I’ve found a commu- duce me to my community, something told Peggy Adler in Israel nity in which members wrestle with their me to put an asterisk in my journal: on this own inner-halachah. A spiritual community I would follow up. print was gone, never to be recovered. Emp- hand on top of theirs. By then, I said, I’d be that, like many others, believes that despite I did not. tied, I was reminded of how at first, Moses reading Hebrew, and when Mishpatim came the pundit-deemed culture war often per- Instead, upon my return to Ann Arbor shattered the commandments he’d received. around, I, too, would have my bat mitzvah. petuated in our university culture, intellect I realized that I needed to turn around and The people weren’t ready for them. I can’t I would be ready; ready this time to hold on and faith are no less connected than the spend my summer in Israel, making the end help wondering, though, if Moses, too, to my Torah. mind and the heart. of my teaching semester crazed. And yet, wasn’t ready, as we are all mirrors for each In our small havurah, everyone is prepar- Looking back, I can see why it took me when I was getting my hair cut the day be- other. Perhaps too much came in for Moses ing. One member has volunteered to create all this time to find Pardes Hannah, why our fore leaving town, by a person I’d never been too suddenly, and when he returned from the Torah cover, another a band, a wimple, lives intersected at this particular point on to before, and he told me that the man com- the mountain, back to his life on ground ceremonial pomegranates, a yad. our respective journeys. Pardes Hannah is in ing in after me was also spending the sum- level, he found the knowledge too much to Like a family preparing to adopt, we her 13th year. She has been preparing. Now, mer in Israel, I was unsurprised to find that hold. Just as we can lose our temper with our don’t yet know our Torah’s story, where it as her coming-of-age lifecycle would have it, the man’s name was Elliot. This was the way children for mirroring our own shortcom- will come from, but we trust that it is on its she is ready to receive her Torah. things had worked since I’d been to Israel; ings, so did Moses with the people, breaking way to us, as we are to it. As we raise our- The preparation of b’nai mitzvah includes the universe offered signs, and when I didn’t the commandments in a fit of frustration. selves to the occasion of our union, so, too, the formal (Torah study), and the informal honor them, second chances. He would have to prepare himself, again, we are raising the money we will need. With (each regret); the tangible (Hebrew school), Last summer, I arrived in Jerusalem just with compassion and humility, to make his the help of many members, we are hosting and the intangible (each sensory awaken- in time for Shavuot, the day the Torah was journey back to Mount Sinai, this time pre- a benefit concert at the Kerrytown Concert ing). It is possible to argue that everything given to Moses on Mount Sinai. I learned pared to live with what he received. Hall, featuring Ian Cumming, violin, and in that child’s life, preceding that day, has that had I ever been bat mitzvahed, which Since arriving back to Ann Arbor, I’ve Renee Robbins, piano, along with Noah led to that moment, standing on the pulpit, I had not, my Torah parashah would have been embraced by Pardes Hannah and her Ginsburg and Friends Jazz Trio Ensemble. reading the haftorah portion determined by, been Mishpatim: Moses has been traveling ever-growing community. The name Pardes We would appreciate your presence, your and therefore on, their date of birth. on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights; Hannah is a rough translation of Ann Arbor ears, your support as we call in our Sefer To- B’nai mitzvah often speak of the Torah he is ready to receive the Torah. I had been into Hebrew: the orchard, or Arbor, of Ann. rah in the true spirit of prayer, like Miriam in awe, fear, even disdain. Never, though, traveling in the desert, on the mountain, When I chose a Hebrew name for myself just in the desert: with music. have I heard b’nai mitvah wonder how they for 40 years, I thought. I, too, was ready for a few years ago in order to sign a friend’s ke- We are ready—ready for our heart to should be so lucky as to have access to a To- my Torah. That summer, I was fortunate to tubah, I chose Ayla, a small oak tree, and so manifest—as the Torah is seen as the heart rah. Some, the sensitive, have pondered over spend time with Rabbi Elliot Ginsburg in it is with Pardes Hannah that I have planted of creation. According to Hasidic teach- how there could possibly be so many Torahs Jerusalem. I also befriended an artist, Yit- myself. Each member, I’ve found, is on his ings, the first letter of the Torah is Bet of when each is hand-lettered, taking a year to zhak Greenfield, whose late, Yemenite wife’s own spiritual journey, committed to her own Bereshit—“In the beginning.” The last is scribe; when we have lost so many to war, name was Zipporah, making him a modern growth, and each person’s presence bears the Lamed, of Yisrael. Together, they spell Lev, fire. Still, asking b’nai mitzvah to wonder day Moses. Although I couldn’t read a single weight, and gift, of being a pillar of support heart, and the name of one of our youngest how their synagogue should be so fortunate letter of Hebrew, I was inexplicably drawn to the other, a tree in the orchard of Ann. and most beloved congregants. as to possess one of the world’s holy scrolls is to his stark print of the aleph bet, seemingly I’ve started, too, to learn Hebrew. With Rabbi Elliot Ginsburg shared this teach- like asking a child raised with shelter to con- illuminated. I purchased it knowing that it only half the letters, I hear myself sound out, ing by Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev: we must template his luck. Synagogues, we can safely was beyond my comprehension; that yet, with the slowness of a child: Sha-lom, Reb- learn not only to read the black letters of assume, have a Torah. Often many. Some somehow, it belonged to me, the way it is be, Av-ra-ham. the Torah, but also its white spaces. Gins- might argue that the Torah is what makes said that we are given the Torah in the womb Last month, I was invited to join Pardes burg himself adds, “As we prepare to receive a synagogue a synagogue; that the text itself and forget it upon birth. It is our life’s work, Hannah’s Torah Fundraising Committee a Torah, we are committed to wrestling creates place, the way language preceded the then, to return to what we already know. along with long-time members. When we with, and hearing, what is written, even as creation of the universe. On my journey home from Israel, on Ti- realized that Pardes Hannah was in her 13th we hold ourselves open to the larger mys- At Pardes Hannah, spirit creates place, sha B’Av, I lost the print. Twice. First, I lost year, her birthright year to receive her Torah, tery: to silences not yet plumbed, melodies and members have trusted that they can it in London, Heathrow. Panicked, I ran to Miriam Brysk, a member and holocaust sur- still unheard.” n study Torah without actually owning one. the Lost and Found, assuming this was fu- vivor, said that when we received our Torah, The Torah Benefit Concert will take place at the Of course, there is the Torah as metaphor, tile. Amazingly, the print was there. From she would be bat mitzvahed as she was un- Kerrytown Concert House, 415 North Fourth for, really, everything, in the sense that all our that point forward, I guarded it carefully, as able to do as a child. Board member Lucinda Avenue, on Sunday, April 29, at 7 p.m. Tickets, lives are Torah study. But, too, over the years, if it were my passport, my identity. And yet Kurtz put her hand on top of Miriam’s: she ranging from $5 for students to $25, can be re- Pardes Hannah members have made compli- somehow, again, in Newark, I lost the print had always planned to be bat mitzvahed on served by calling Kerrytown at 769-2999. cated arrangements to borrow an actual Se- of the aleph bet. I ran back to each place I’d her 60th birthday, in one year, and she, too, fer Torah. For particular holidays, members been, searching frantically, but this time the would do so with our first Torah. I laid my

Page 12 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Congregation

What’s happening in April at Temple Beth Emeth Israel Inspiration Devon Fitzig, special to the WJN This past February Rabbi Robert Levy led a the “contemporary” ways that these three on our soul traits. A process dating back to group from Temple Beth Emeth to visit and writers approached the struggle of living. Kabbalistic times sets in place a method for hike in Israel and Jordan. Their trip included systematically doing this. Open to beginning visits to Jerusalem, Eilat and Petra. This poem Women’s Rosh Chodesh or experienced meditators. April 4, 18, 25; speaks to the group’s day at Petra in Jordan. Sunday, April 29, 6:30 to 7:30 pm, TBE May 9, 16, 23 Petra is an archeological site in Jordan, ly- Chapel, Topic: Janice Gutfreund will lead a ing among the mountains in the great valley discussion on Conversion. Co-sponsored by Families with Young Children running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Eilat. Caring Community and the TBE Sisterhood, For families with kids aged zero to five It is famous for having many stone structures each short service is followed by a discus- years old. Older siblings and grandparents carved out of the soft rock. The long-hidden sion, study session, or special presentation. are welcome. Non members are welcome at site was revealed to the European world by a Open to the community. After this meeting, all events. For more information, contact Swiss explorer in 1812. Its famous description Yom Hashoah Service Women’s Rosh Chodesh will resume in the Devon Fitzig, dfitzig@templebethemeth. “a rose-red city half as old as time” is the final Sunday, April 22, 6:30 to 7:30 pm, in the fall. To subscribe to the Rosh Chodesh email org or 665-4744 or Jill Pritts, jillpritts@ya- line of a sonnet written in the 1840’s by John TBE Sanctuary, there will be a commemo- list, or to lead a service or discussion, contact hoo.com. William Burgon. rative Holocaust Memorial Service taking Susan Harris, [email protected] or 668-7864. Tot Shabbat, April 13 and May 11, 5:30 place during religious school, created by pm Tot Shabbat followed by a Tot Dinner at Movie Tuesday: The Forgotten 6 p.m., $3 per person for the dinner, RSVP members of the Generations After group Petra, Jordan and their children. The service will feature Refugees to 665-4744 a week in advance. music, the narratives of Holocaust survivors April 17, 1-3 p.m., film followed by discus- Shira, music for young families is at 6:30 By Rabbi Robert D. Levy and photos of their lives before and after the sion. Coffee, tea and a nosh will be provided. p.m. in the sanctuary. Buried beneath the headlines of the Middle If Petra were not already a movie set it war. Refreshments will follow this powerful Tots at Urban Toddler service. Open to the community. East conflict is the forgotten story of the region’s should be. indigenous Jewish communities. The Forgotten Sunday, April 22, 10:30 a.m., $5 per child, Adult Hebrew Courses Spring Refugees, a film produced by The David Project pay at the door. A great time to play, relax A line of fake and elegant buildings and IsraTV, tells the story of the hundreds of and meet other families. RSVP to Jenny ending three miles down the Semester Small at [email protected] or call Biblical and Conversational Hebrew with thousands who fled their homes, who endured narrow sandy path at a restaurant. in refugee camps, and who today quietly carry 665-4744 by April 18. Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced lev- Then a hike to the roof of the world. els. The six-week class begins the week of the memory of a destroyed civilization. Following the film, TBE member, Alfred Twenties & Thirties (TNT) Events I walk in the company of young men, April 15. Winter and spring semesters are TNT Break Pesach at Pizza House, Tues- moving fast to keep up and hide my age. a continuation of the fall semester. New Gourdji, will discuss growing up as a Jew in Iran. day, April 10, 7 p.m. Pay for your own din- At the very top, on an overhang students may be able to join the classes, God’s Top Ten: The Essential ner. RSVP to Jessica at [email protected] to everything, a man sells tea depending on their skill level. For more in- by April 3. formation, contact Devon Fitzig, dfitzig@ Commandments Twenties and Thirties (TNT) of Temple with conversation. Tikkun Leil Shavuot Adult Study Session templebethemeth.org or call 665-4744. Beth Emeth provides a welcoming, inclusive with Rabbi Levy, Tuesday, May 22, 9 p.m. Off to the right a shepherd and Jewish community through monthly social Enjoy some Torah learning and cheesecake. small flock. Aaron’s grave off to the left. Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), Job and and cultural activities. Non-TBE members And blue sky, so blue. Maimonides Continuing Jewish Meditation are welcome. Visit our website at http:// Instructor: Rabbi Robert Levy, Sundays, Counting the Omer—The time between www.templebethemeth.org/tnt Petra only appears historic. April 1, 15, 29 and May 6 from 7:45–9 pm. Pesach and Shavuot is the traditional time In its day and today Petra requires Modern issues about the meaning of life in in Judaism to do self reflection and work ancient garb is the topic. It is almost scary imagination. Petra is less about the path and sand Activities at Beth Israel Congregation than the walk. Elliot Sorkin, special to the WJN Passover Services Kiddush,” a Kiddush planned and prepared songs, stories, prayers, and puppets. On Sat- Passover morning services are held in the by interested fifth and sixth graders, under urday, April 14 the Tot Shabbat is run by Beth Israel Sanctuary on the first two days of the supervision of Nikki Klein, the kitchen Peretz Hirshbein and on Saturday, April 28 Passover, April 3 and April 4, and on the last coordinator. The planning and kitchen Jennifer Levine will lead Tot Shabbat. A spe- two days of Passover April 9 and April 10. preparation gives youngsters who will have a cial Kids’ Kiddush just for the tots follows. All the services begin at 9:30 a.m. The Yizkor bar or bat mitzvah within the next two years There is no charge for this program. an idea of what a reception is all about. service takes place on April 10. Beth Israel Reads Lunch and Laugh Series Spring Retreat for Young Families In conjunction with the third annual On Wednesdays, April 11, 18, and 25, from The Beth Israel Spring Retreat for Young Beth Israel Religious School Read-A-Thon, noon–1:15 p.m. Rabbi Robert Dobrusin will Families, May 25–27 at the Butzel Confer- the BIRS Education Committee is premier- discuss some of the famous Jewish come- ence Center in Ortonville, Michigan is ing its first annual “Beth Israel Reads” with dians of the past as well as look at the par- open to the general community. There is a the Holocaust novel, The Boy in the Striped ticipants lives to find humor in their own charge. Activities including Shabbat pro- Pajamas by John Boyne. The book may be Jewish experiences. All sessions take place grams, crafts, sports, family games, hiking, a purchased at the Beth Israel Religious School in the lower level of the Garfunkel – Schte- camp-fire and more. The Butzel Conference and Administrative offices. After Beth Israel’s ingart Activities Center (2010 Washtenaw). Center offers comfortable resort-like facili- Yom HaShoah services on Sunday April 8 at Participants are asked to bring a dairy lunch. ties overlooking a private lake in a beauti- 7:30 p.m., those who have read the book are Drinks and desserts will be provided. There ful countryside setting. It is located on the invited to a general discussion at 8:15 p.m. Petra, Jordan is no charge for this drop-in series. grounds of Tamarack Camps, and is staffed by experienced counselors from their sum- Teen Shabbat and Kids’ Kiddush mer or other family camp programs. On Saturday, April 28 at 9:30 a.m. teens Auction items for you: take over the Shabbat morning service, Tot Shabbat You still have time to bid on auction items remaining at the JCC. include reading from the Torah, leading Tot Shabbats on Saturday April 14 and From light fixtures, photographs and vases to mirrors, sculptures and prayers, and even delivering the sermon. April 28 at 11 a.m.–noon discounted admittance to local businesses – we have something that’s After Shabbat services, at about 12:15 p.m. These gatherings are intended for three meant for you. Please stop by the JCC lobby to submit your bid(s) everyone present will be treated to a “Kids’ to six year olds and their parents and include and support the JCC in building a new playground.

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 13 Religion

Haftorah for Parashat Metzora Experiencing Passover today Rabbi Robert Dobrusin, special to the WJN Rabbi Aharon Goldstein, special to the WJN This article is one in a series on the Haf- is presumed that in addition to being os- he Seder is intended to be a personal they come together at the same table. For they tarah, the reading from the prophets during tracized to keep their disease from spread- experience. It should not, however, be are all part of the same people, and the expe- the Shabbat morning service. Each month, ing, they were ostracized by a tradition Ta private one. rience of redemption that each is seeking is Rabbi Dobrusin comments on one of the tra- that assigned a moral value to their con- Every person should look upon the exodus intertwined with that of the other. ditional Haftarah readings for that month. tacting the ailment. It is therefore critical as an event of the present, not of the past. The haggadah points to this concept in its that in this story, these four men become He should feel that he is leaving his words: echad chacham, echad rasha.... “One is he Torah reading from Parashat the heroes by using the fact that they were personal Egypt, i.e., going beyond all the wise, one is wicked,...” The essential oneness Metzora, in the book of Leviticus, outside of their own city to infiltrate the boundaries and limitations that permeates the Jewish T is not the most popular reading of camp of the Aramean enemy and come that confine his essential people and the mystic one- the year. It focuses in great depth on the back with critical information that led to Godly nature. ness of God that pervades Torah’s description of the steps to be taken their defeat. And yet, the Torah all existence is reflected in when an individual is suffering from lep- There is a lesson to be heard in this sto- teaches us that this realiza- all four sons. rosy or similar diseases. The “treatment ry. While our society has hopefully moved tion should be experienced The order in which the methods” are clearly archaic and reflect the far beyond attributing all disease to moral communally. four sons are mentioned belief that all such diseases are sent directly lapses, we do still tend to judge those who The Paschal sacrifice, it also teaches us an impor- from God and are treated only with reli- afflicted with illnesses of one kind or an- commands, should be of- tant lesson: gious ritual and prayer. other or with physical or emotional chal- fered “for your families.” The wicked son comes While spiritual efforts to help us or help lenges to be less valued than others in our For however personal our right after the wise son. others recover from illness are certainly society. We tend to leave these individuals Passover experience is, we should share and This points to the wicked son’s inner poten- part of Jewish tradition and, some argue, outside of the gates either physically or celebrate it together with our families—im- tial. The only thing separating him from the can be of great value in health care, clearly metaphorically and assume that they can mediate and extended. Each person extends wise son is his desire, and that can be changed. we do not benefit from turning only to not be the ones who will lead us or provide a hand to another, helping him or her under- And that is another reason why they are sit- spiritual means for healing. for our society that which we vitally need. stand and taste Redemption. ting together, so that they can share and com- Much of the rabbinic tradition focused The lesson of the haftarah for our day The Haggadah points to this concept in its municate and allow the fundamental Jewish on using these Torah chapters to impress is that ostracizing those who suffer from discussion of the four sons. It is not only the desire that they possess in their hearts to come upon us the importance of certain moral an illness or casting aspersions on their wise who are gathered at the Seder table, but to the surface. traditions in order to avoid disease. Among worth as a human being only robs us of also the simple, those who identify Jewishly When these four sons get together, they these are avoiding gossip, lashon hara, which the opportunity to learn from and benefit and appreciate observance, but have difficulty can bring a fifth son to the seder table—a son both because of both a play on the Hebrew from what each individual can contribute defining and verbalizing their identification. or a daughter who is Jewish but for some rea- word for leprosy and the corroborating story to society. And they are joined by those who do not son was not planning to come to a seder table. of Miriam’s bout with the disease, was seen We can scoff at the Torah’s archaic know how to ask—those who know that they When the haggadah was written, this type of to be the cause for contacting leprosy. response to those with disease. But, we are Jewish, but know little more than that, son did not exist. Now unfortunately he is a Avoiding gossip and following other have to ask ourselves how much we have who do not know where to begin looking to very prevalent type of person within the Jew- moral guidelines are, of course, critical and learned and how far we have come from find out more about their faith. ish community. our lives are improved by living in a more the days when those afflicted with illnesses And together with them comes the wick- However apathetic to his or her Jewish ethically based society. But, for most, the were looked down upon and treated as less ed—Jews who rebel and challenge obser- roots this fifth son appears, within his heart, linkage of disease to such actions is, at best, than human. n vance, but at the same time, want to share in there is also a desire to become part of the misguided and, at worst, an encouragement the seder experience. Whatever their personal Jewish experience. And when all four sons to sit in judgment of those who are stricken. or ideological peeves with Jewish practice, come together on Passover, the dynamic syn- In the haftarah reading for Parashat they feel that on Passover night, they belong ergy that results will be powerful enough to Metzora, taken from the book of Second at a seder. inspire all the fifth sons to claim their place at Kings, we read the story of four lepers who And these sons celebrate the seder togeth- the Seder table. n are sitting outside of the gates of the city. It er. They do not make four separate Sedarim;

Page 14 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Religion 5XFOUZmWFZFBSTJOUIFXSJUJOH New history course explores the past to find lessons to guide the future "SFDFQUJPOUPDFMFCSBUF Rabbi Aharon Goldstein, special to the WJN UIFQVCMJDBUJPOPG look to the past, a reflection on the that you will enjoy it” say the organizers,“that future. we invite anyone interested to attend the first A The Rohr Jewish Learning Insti- lesson free, with no obligation.” 3FnFDUJPOT tute is set to launch a challenging new his- What can students gain by taking this "VTDIXJU[ .FNPSZ tory course at over 200 affiliates across the course? A chance to discover where they globe. But unlike traditional history courses came from and how they survived countless BOEB-JGF3FDSFBUFE where students focus on dates, names, and persecutions to get here. A chance to experi- CZ events, “Flashbacks in Jewish History” looks ence the wonder of Jewish survival and re- beneath the surface at what history means to flect back on the past. A chance to face the "HJ3VCJO the Jews as a people. future with renewed hope and inspiration. BOE)FOSZ(SFFOTQBO “Jews have had to grapple with the chal- And an opportunity to learn the secrets that lenge of maintaining their identity in en- will help make that future brighter and more vironments that were foreign and often meaningful. 8FEOFTEBZ "QSJM hostile,” explains Rabbi Aharon Goldstein. oQN “By probing the wonder of Jewish survival, About the JLI we hope our students will be led to think The Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) is the 4IBNBO%SVN#PPLTIPQ critically about their own strategies for inter- adult education arm of Chabad-Lubavitch. 4UBUF4USFFU acting successfully with the greater culture.” JLI’s classes and programs, now offered in "OO"SCPS .* “Flashbacks in Jewish History” does not at- over 250 locations in 200 cities nationwide, tempt to be comprehensive in its coverage as well as international locations (including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Co- lombia, Denmark, Finland, Holland, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and i$PNQBDU QPFUJD BOEBDDFTTJCMF UIJTCPPLXJMMCFSFRVJSFESFBEJOHJOVOJWFS Venezuela), have been attended by nearly TJUJFTBOETFDPOEBSZTDIPPMT'PSBMMSFBEFST JUXJMMCFBNJMFTUPOFJOUIFJSPXO 40,000 people since JLI’s creation in 1998. SFnFDUJPOTBCPVUUIFUFSSPSTBOEIPQFTPGPVSUJNFT UIFOBOEOPX3FnFDUJPOT Many others participate virtually through JTRVJUFTJNQMZ POFPGUIFNPTUJNQPSUBOU)PMPDBVTUNFNPJST*IBWFFWFSSFBE online message boards and other internet- *UJTUIFSFBMUIJOHBMBOENBSLBDIJFWFNFOUw based channels. 4JEOFZ#PMLPTLZ 7PJDF7JTJPO)PMPDBVTU0SBM)JTUPSZ"SDIJWF%JSFDUPS Every course offered by the JLI is synchro- nized so that lessons are offered concurrently in all locations. This not only has helped to create a true global learning community; it is a unique feature that sets JLI apart from other such programs. Visit www.myjli.com for up-to-the-minute information about “Flashbacks in Jewish History.” 2007 JLI courses are presented in Ann Arbor un- l Rabbi Aharon Goldstein der the auspices of Ann Arbor Chabad House. For more information, call 995-3276 n of any era; rather, it tries to spark curiosity 2006 and to engage students emotionally. “Flash- backs in Jewish History” appeals to the intellect by introducing the impassioned debate Course overview of historians over what really happened, at This course covers how Jews far- times even casting students directly into the flung from their lands survived cultural historian’s role as they are asked to interpret onslaught and the threat of assimila- 128th UMS SEASON primary texts. The course touches the heart, tion. New perspectives are presented for as students are shown that history is about facing the modern challenges of scien- people just like them, with hopes, dreams, tific inquiry, moral relativism, Western and challenges. hedonism, and religious warfare. By Jerusalem “We live in an increasingly global com- probing the miracle of Jewish survival, munity, where people with differing views participants will find new ways to live are forced to interact more than at any other meaningfully as a Jew in the 21st cen- String Quartet tury and beyond. time in human history,” says local JLI coor- SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 4 PM4Rackham Auditorium dinator Dr. Paul Shapiro. “So I’m excited to Lesson 1: Cultures in Collision: Is- learn how Jews have survived history with • rael vs. Greece and Rome their culture and traditions intact.” The Jerusalem String Quartet is comprised of four young As cries of “jihad” resound through the • Lesson 2: Far from the Place That musicians who began playing together in Israel in 1993 when Middle East today, one could be reminded We Call Home: Jewish Exile and they were still in their mid-teens. With more than a decade as of the radical Almohads sweeping through Dispersal in the middle East an ensemble, they have matured into outstanding artists, known Spain, leaving destruction in their wake. On for their “musical electricity” (The Strad). This new generation Lesson 3: All that Glitters: The Gold- encountering religious and cultural intoler- • of Israeli musicians performs with beauty and warmth in a en Age in Moslem Spain Prevailing Supported by Jane ance in many parts of the world today, we and Edward Schulak. special concert on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Despite Hate and Oppression not infrequently experience déjà vu, an un- Media Partners PROGRAM WGTE 91.3 FM, canny feeling that we have lived through all • Lesson 4: Rivers of Blood: Antisemi- Haydn Quartet in f minor, Op. 20, No. 5 (1772) of this before. “Flashbacks in Jewish History” Observer & Eccentric tism in medieval Christian Europe Newspapers, and Barber Quartet for Strings, Op. 11 (1936) shows students how we can learn from the Lesson 5: In the Shadow of the In- Detroit Jewish News. Movement 2, Adagio, performed in memory of past to better guide and direct our future. • Holocaust victims quisition: The Downfall of Spanish This is a CLASSICAL This new course will be offered at the KIDS CLUB concert. Tchaikovsky Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11 (“Accordian”) (1865) Jewish Community Center of Washtenaw Jewry County for six Mondays, starting Monday, • Lesson 6: Rising from the Ashes: The Call or Click for Tickets! April 30. The course costs $60, which in- Revival of European Jewry 734.764.2538 | www.ums.org cludes a student textbook. “We are so sure outside the 734 area code, call toll-free 800.221.1229

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 15 Ad#5 – Detroit Jewish News Jerusalem Quartet Due: Wed, March 7 Size: 4 13/ 16 x 6 3/ 8 Run: April Output: Email Yam Ha Shoah

Picture of my past Sandor Slomovits, staff writer Note: This article is in honor of Yom HaShoah, up to him, was tenacious. “No, Herman. Two of the in his silent prayers, all his children were together. lighthearted, not somber or serious, not criti- Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorated on children are in the picture. I remember the little girl.” Did he ever feel guilty that he was betraying their cal and judgmental, the way he seemed to be at April 15. My father snorted in disgust and left the room. memories by loving us? most other times. Maybe he could relax with this My mother began setting the table for supper. I And there were my feelings of guilt, of shame; make-believe wealth, this fantasy city. Maybe it re- t was the day before my parents’ 50th joined her and we worked silently. I could hear my the by now familiar guilt and shame of the child minded him of his happy life with his first family. wedding anniversary. My brother and I father rummaging in his study. A few minutes lat- of a survivor of the Holocaust; shame that I might Or maybe it allowed him to briefly forget. Iwere visiting them. We’ve known since er he was back, carrying a small black prayer book. dare feel resentment and jealousy in the face of the I stared at the picture between the pages of the we were 16, when our mother let slip one day Holding it open to the middle with one hand, he horrific losses my father has endured; guilt, that book my father was holding. I could not look at that she was our father’s second wife, that our was fingering a small photo with the other. Softly, my very existence mocks those losses. After all, my father. Finally, I reached out and picked up the father had lost his first wife and three young in a tone of wonder, he said to my mother, “You I might not have even been born were it not for picture. I held it gingerly, as though it was a rare children in Auschwitz. Long before that rev- are right, Blanka, the children are here.” these people dying. archeological artifact. elation, we’d heard about our father’s other I reached for the photo but he stopped me Finally, through the din of all these emotions, Which it is. Taken sometime in the mid-1930s, relatives who were killed in Auschwitz. Our and said, pointing to the page in the book oppo- I recognized gratitude. My father was giving me a it is a sepia-toned, informal, outdoor portrait of father occasionally told us stories of these site where the picture had been secreted all these priceless gift. He was telling me, in the only way my father’s first wife, Etta, his oldest son, Ernö, people. The stories often ended with, “They and his daughter, Zelda. Etta, smiling faintly, were taken to Auschwitz.” I can’t recall a time clearly pregnant with their third child Gyuri, is sit- when I felt a need for further explanations. ting on a simple wooden chair, her hands folded Auschwitz was a part of our family history in her lap, wearing the traditional wig of orthodox that I inhaled as naturally as many other far Jewish women. Zelda, blonde and plump, about less remarkable facts. It seemed as if it was four years old, wearing a simple, short white dress always there—like air—not really hidden, and white knee socks, is standing to her left, look- but usually invisible. ing suspiciously into the camera. Ernö, two years Though our father sometimes spoke of his older, is standing next to his sister, wearing a dark parents, brother, and sisters who perished in Aus- cap, white sailor outfit with short pants, also with chwitz, he never mentioned his first wife and chil- white knee socks, and holds a small ball in front dren. And while there were pictures of his other of him. relatives in our family photo albums, we never saw I pulled the picture close. I tried to see if there any pictures of his wife and children. Our mother is a resemblance between my half brother and sis- did tell us once, that shortly after she and our fa- ter and my brother and me but I was too stunned, ther married, she’d found a photo of them in his numbed to be able to make that judgment. To wallet, had asked him about it and had not seen this day I can’t tell. However, I noticed with some it since. amazement the strong resemblance between my It wasn’t until I was in my late forties that I father’s first wife and my own mother. finally braved talking with my father about his I noticed something else. Three sides of the first family. He did not seem surprised then that photo are professionally trimmed, but the fourth, I knew about his wife and children. I asked for the side where Ernö stands, is uneven and rough. Herman Slomovits, his first wife, Etta, daughter Zelda, and son Erno. stories about them, asked him to describe what Suddenly, I recalled another photo, one that I have they looked like. And he did. Briefly, haltingly, and years, “See, this is where I recorded your birth in which he was capable, that I have been dear to seen before, in one of our family albums. It is of my with so much pain and sadness on his face that, dates.” I looked where he was pointing and there, him; that he has loved me, loved us, though he father, seated in a chair identical to Etta’s. I realized feeling guilty about opening old wounds, I always in my father’s beautiful Hebrew printing, was the needed to keep his love secret, as he kept secret his with a start—this was a family portrait that had dropped the topic after a few minutes. Only to abbreviated heading “Boruch Hashem, Blessed is love and grief for his first family. “Bonai hajkirim,” been cut in half. I was holding the picture of the find myself, days, weeks or months later, feeling the Lord.” Below that, my brother’s and my He- my dear children. He was letting me know that, family that was torn away, destroyed in Auschwitz. compelled to bring it up again. But, I never asked brew names, the date of our birth according to the contrary to the way I’ve sometimes felt, I’ve not My father had been hiding them ever since, keep- about the picture of his first family. Jewish calendar and the words, “bonai hajkirim,” been merely a replacement, a sad, inadequate sub- ing them safe, as he was not able to then. Finally, on this golden anniversary visit, I got my dear children. stitute, for all he has lost. I asked my father, “Why was this picture cut?” I my father alone and asked him if he had a pic- I stared silently at the writing and the picture. Finally I admitted to myself that perhaps the reminded him of the other half. Did he cut it so he ture of his first wife and children. (Not wanting to I stood frozen, numb. A myriad of conflicting emo- reason I hadn’t dared ask my father about his first could fit this half into his wallet? Or had some- create problems between my parents, I didn’t tell tions stormed through me. Many of them I only family was not only to spare him pain but because one else cut it? him that I already knew of its existence from my recognized and sorted out weeks and months later. it was too painful for me—too painful to contem- My father looked at me incredulously, “This mother.) My father made a grimace, looked away, Resentment and jealousy—Lord help me—be- plate that my mother and brother and I might not was more than 50 years ago. Do you think I and said, “No.” I wanted to spare him the pain, but cause I didn’t have the page to myself; I need share be first in his affections. I saw how we conspired, remember?” my longing to see these people had become so it, of course with my brother, and also with these colluded together to keep these secrets. Perhaps I, Was it my father who cut this photo? Was it strong that I persisted. other children. I’d always only thought of them as like my father, also needed to pretend all these years he who literally cut himself out of the picture, cut “Are you sure you don’t have any pictures of my father’s first children. But I now realized—they that these people have disappeared from our lives. himself off from his first wife and children, as he them? Weren’t there any left when you returned are also my half brothers and sister. And for the first time in my adult life I began to was cut off from them by the Nazis? Was it he who from the Camps?” Rage. My fists clenched, my jaw clamped. think of him not as my hand-me-down father—the removed himself from them, disappeared from Irritated, he snapped back, “You don’t under- What kind of monsters could order these people father who first belonged to these other three chil- the picture, as in a way he also has from us, his stand. There was nothing left in my house. They into gas chambers? dren—but as my own father; worn, torn, patched second family? were using it as a stable.” Pain. Like the agony of someone whose an- and faded by all he experienced before I was born, In the next few days, I searched meticulously In my best investigative reporter/prosecuting esthesia has worn off after major surgery. For the but still shielding me, protecting me, as he was un- through all my parents’ photo albums. I could not attorney manner I continued. “But you have pic- briefest moment, before I am overwhelmed by the able to shield and protect his first children. find the other half of the picture anywhere. I be- tures of your parents and brother and sisters.” horror of it and need to push the emotions away, An absurd memory flashed in my mind. When gan to question whether I ever did see it. He went on the defensive, “I have no idea I truly feel my father’s anguish. How he must have my brother and I were in our early teens, we loved But I knew I had. It was the only picture of my where I got those from. Maybe from one of my ached when he looked at this picture. What was it to play Monopoly with our father. It was the one father from that period of his life. Did he hide that sisters who wasn’t taken to the Camps.” like to lose your wife and three children like that? game that he ever played with us, and one of the picture too? Did he throw it away? Has it vanished I was about to give up, but my mother, over- Next comes grief. For the first time in my life very few leisure activities in which we could en- as completely as the man he was then? hearing our conversation from the kitchen, I began to consciously grieve for my dead broth- gage him. For several years we played it frequently, More than a year went by before the other half called out now. “Herman, you used to carry one ers and sister and for the woman who might have sometimes with my mother joining us, but often of the photo turned up. I moved a bookshelf my in your wallet. I saw it. It was of your wife and been my mother. just the three of us. We all took a childlike delight mother wanted to relocate, and the picture, along two of the children.” Hard on the heels of the grief came guilt—rec- in accumulating the piles of fake money and with a few inconsequential scraps of paper, was Embarrassed, either at being caught in a lie, or ognition of my father’s and my own. I understood the various properties. Perhaps my brother and underneath it. Neither of my parents had any idea at having his fading memory pointed out to him, that when he insisted on showing me what he had I reveled in having him all to ourselves at those how it got there. I put the jagged edges of the two my father said slowly, “You’re right, there was one written in his prayer book before allowing me to times—being able to monopolize him, not having pictures side by side. They fit perfectly. Together, picture.” Then he quickly added, “But the children see the picture, my father was perhaps trying to to engage in the felt, but as yet unknown, unfair they formed a picture of my past; a past I never were not in it.” reassure me that he loved me as much as his other competition with our dead brothers and sister. saw, yet a past I can never forget. n My mother, with 50 years of practice in standing children. In my father’s prayer book, and maybe During these games my father was always very

Page 16 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Religion

This is Sunday School? Reconstructionist Havurah’s Geoffrey Berdy says yes! Jonathan Cohn, special to the WJN verybody knows that religious school friends during his grade school years in London All of that is fine and well. But what do all these Berdy—who is a fan of Montessori-style edu- is boring—everybody, that is, except was a fellow student at who happened to be Pal- heady concepts have to do with Sunday School? cation—says the “kids get it right away.” They EGeoffrey Berdy. estinian. Together they founded a group called Quite a lot, it turns out. While in Boston, tune out when a teacher hands down doctrine. It is an ordinary Sunday morning in early M.E.M.O.: “Middle Eastern Minorities Orga- Berdy had started working at a local Jewish But when a teacher makes them think for January. And Berdy, who runs the local Recon- nization,” in which they wrote letters to Middle school. Later, after marrying a woman he’d themselves, by participating and asking ques- structionist Beit Siefer (school), has a full lesson East leaders urging them to initiate dialogue. first met at Michigan State, he returned to the tions, they engage—and start to love learning planned for his students. There will be singing, Although Berdy likes to think of himself as Detroit area—and became program director at for its own sake, which is the very definition of introduction to a Jewish holiday, plus some something of a “religious rebel,” he grew up in Ann Arbor’s Beth Israel congregation. “It was a lishmah. “In many cases the analytical thinking instruction in Hebrew—a few words for the the Orthodox tradition and always had a strong wonderful start,” Berdy says. “I liked the congre- embedded in Jewish learning has been sucked youngest ones, more sophisticated material for sense of Jewish identity. He was one of the only gation very much. It’s a special place and it gave out,” Berdy says. “That’s the heart of the Jew- their older ones. Jewish students at that London school. (He end- me an introduction to Ann Arbor.” ish tradition. We want to create critical thinkers But before Berdy gets to that traditional fare, ed up playing Joseph in the nativity play.) Later In 2006, Berdy got an offer to direct edu- right off the bat.” he has something else in mind. on, the years Berdy spent in Yeshiva turned him cation and outreach for the Toledo Board of And once the students get used to this style of It’s time for “Torah yoga.” on to Jewish education—particularly the con- Jewish Education, a job he still holds today. It’s learning, Berdy argues, they can really run with Standing at the front of the class, Berdy turns cept of lishmah, or learning Torah for its own a job that requires Berdy to “wear many hats”: it. Older children, he says, can use the same skills his shoulders and feet inward, as if he were a set sake. As an undergraduate at MSU, he helped of the sacred scrolls. He beckons the students to start a Jewish Student Union, in response to a do the same and they oblige, standing up from planned visit by Louis Farrakhan. He would go the rug where they’ve been sitting and—one by on to spend his last undergraduate semester at one—assuming the same position. “Breathe in, Hebrew College, in Newton, Massachusetts. nice and easy, and now breathe out,” Berdy says, For many years, Berdy says, his family and as the kids inhale and exhale as one. Then, fol- friends figured he was destined to become a rab- lowing Berdy’s lead, they unfurl themselves with bi. And Berdy admits he thought about it. But Zen-like fluidity until they are all standing feet he eventually chose a different academic path: apart, hands high in the air. pursing a master’s in theology at Harvard’s Di- It’s not the first time Berdy has started off vinity School, where—in addition to studying a class with yoga. He figures it’s a good way to under scholars like Cornel West and Elie Wi- relax the kids and put them in the mood for esel—he delved deeply into issues surrounding learning, which is no small feat given their ages. the philosophy of education. (Some are just five years old.) But this week, It was around this time, he says, that he be- yoga is also part of the official curriculum. After gan to think a lot about the disconnect he per- the kids are done pretending to be Torah scrolls, ceived between contemporary Judaism and its Berdy teaches them what yoga masters call the past. Concepts like lishmah were fading from the “tree position.” And that’s appropriate, he says, Jewish community’s collective consciousness, since the holiday of Tu B’Shvat—Judaism’s cel- he says, with only the orthodox keeping them ebration of trees—is coming up soon. alive. And the practice of the faith was increas- A discussion of trees follows. When Berdy ingly top-down, with rabbis increasingly adopt- Geoffrey Berdy leads a group in song at the Reconstructionist Havurah Retreat asks the kids why trees are important, hands ing the exalted position of priests—preaching shoot up. “They give us oxygen,” says one stu- down to their congregations rather than engag- dent. “They give us shade,” says another. Then ing with them. “Rabbis came to prominence Among other things, he serves as vice president to direct their study of the Torah as they prepare a third student volunteers, “they have roots, like during the Second Temple period, probably as for Judaic studies at the David S. Stone Hebrew for bar and bat mitzvah, picking and choosing families.” Bingo—that’s exactly where Berdy a reaction to the priests, who had been domi- Academy, which is Toledo’s Jewish day school. the parts of the text that interest them the most. wanted this discussion to go. Soon Berdy is re- nant,” Berdy explains. “Rabbis couldn’t absolve But even with the multiple jobs—not to men- “We don’t want kids having cookie-cutter bar counting a Talmudic fable about an elderly man sins—they were just spiritual teachers, bringing tion a one-year-old son, Lev—Berdy had time mitzvahs,” Berdy says. “We want them to have who plants a seedling, knowing that it won’t people closer to God by their own knowledge for one more commitment. their own interests and a strong sense of their blossom into a tree until long after he’s died. But and powers of persuasion.” That’s where Ann Arbor’s Reconstructionist own identity.” This style of education inevitably the man does it anyway, Berdy explains, because According to Berdy, this relatively demo- Havurah comes into the story. It had been of- tolerates—indeed, it embraces—a large diver- his ancestors have done it for him—and this is cratic model of faith, in which anybody with fering religious classes for some ten years or so sity of opinion when it comes to fundamental a way of passing on tradition and strengthening the right training could lead a congregation, – first in the homes of families, later at the Jew- matters of faith and spirituality. But that, says the community over time. befit a religion that was dispersed and con- ish Community Center of Washtenaw County. Berdy, is entirely consistent with Reconstruc- It’s not the most conventional way to teach stantly on the run. (Berdy notes that, in this But with the congregation growing, its board tionism and, more generally, Judaism’s tradition children about Judaism. But, then, Berdy doesn’t respect, Judaism’s evolution closely resembled decided it was time to hire a fully credentialed of spirited debate over the meaning of text. want to be conventional—and neither do the the evolution of African-American churches, teacher. It wanted somebody with extensive ex- v v v people who hired him. where anybody who learned scripture could perience in Jewish education but also somebody One other focus of Berdy’s classroom is When the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Ha- lead a congregation.) Today, he says, that’s comfortable with their approach to faith: “Our teaching about the importance of serving others vurah—the local Reconstructionist congrega- changing: “With the institutionalization of re- curriculum comes out of the Reconstructionist in the community, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. tion—set out to upgrade their religious school a ligion, the Jewish community has given over approach to Judaism,” says Deborah Field, who In one of this year’s earliest sessions, Berdy had year ago, they sought a director who would create too much of the responsibility of Jewish learn- is head of the Havurah’s education committee. all the students make boxes for Tzedakah out of a program consistent with Reconstructionism’s ing to rabbis. Part of my personal mission is “We are supposed to learn about the tradition, construction paper. The boxes now reside in the broader philosophy. They wanted a director who to foster the notion that we can all be Jewish study it in its historical context, and then make kids’ homes; every week, they collect donations would take the Jewish faith seriously, but teach teachers and lovers of Jewish learning, even decisions as a community and as individuals that they bring to the school on Sunday. about it in a fun, innovative way—somebody with a limited background.” about how we relate to that tradition – which I know from personal experience—my son who would honor tradition even as he modern- During his years at Harvard, Berdy says, aspects we adopt, which we adapt, which we is a student in the class—that the kids see the ized it. In Geoff Berdy, they seem to have found he also became fascinated with the relation- forgo, and so on.” exercise as both exciting and meaningful. Fill- just such a person. ship between the Jewish faith and technology. Those ideas led the Havurah to Berdy, whose ing the box is a game, yet they understand why v v v Jews “really were the first virtual community,” classroom style closely matches that philosophy. they are collecting the money and what it will Now 35 years old, Berdy has strong local ties: Berdy says. And he’s only half-joking: After all, He asks questions more than he answers them; eventually mean to the people who benefit He was born at Detroit’s Sinai Hospital and spent for hundreds of years Jews were scattered about he leads discussions rather than giving lectures. from it. But then, that’s exactly the way Berdy much of his childhood in the area. He also has the world, united only by a common text—one Berdy teaches about the Talmud and the Torah, and the Reconstructionist Havurah like it. They an undergraduate degree from Michigan State that passed from tablet to parchment and then but he’s constantly encouraging the children de- want learning about Judaism to be both fun and University, a fact he hopes all of his friends in to book. “People in Spain were writing to Mai- velop their own interpretations of the text. He ex- meaningful. n Ann Arbor won’t hold against him. But Berdy’s monides in Egypt,” Berdy notes. “Communities plains how different Jewish cultures from around Jonathan Cohn, a senior editor of the New Re- eclectic background also includes time abroad— were connected by tradition, across national the world celebrate holidays, careful never to sug- public and the author of Sick: The untold story some of it in Great Britain and some of it on a boundaries, and not through hierarchy the way, gest one method is better than the other. of America’s health care crisis--and the people kibbutz in Israel. And he credits that experience for example, the Catholic Church was.” That’s asking a lot of initiative and self-di- who pay the price, is based in Ann Arbor. with broadening his horizons: Among his best v v v rection out of some very young children. But

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 17 Youth FREEDOM Second year at JCC Camp Keshet Peretz Hirshbein, special to the WJN or the second summer in a row, the Jewish Community Center of Washtenaw Coun- FAITH ty’s preschool program will be transformed into Camp Keshet. For preschool-aged Fchildren, Camp Keshet is organized around two-week long theme sessions, taking full advantage of the ECC’s spacious outdoor facilities. Each day children will participate in specialized art, nature, sports and music activities that highlight that session’s topic. Camp Kes- het will build on last FAMILY year’s successful program by introducing new themes. HAPPY PASSOVER 2007 T h i s su m m er ’s themes focus heavily on the natural world, including Garden Days, Tik- On Passover, We Remember When kun Olam (repair- We Were Freed From Slavery In Egypt ing the world), Down on the Farm, and Things that Go. www.hillers.com During the Gar- den Days theme, campers will learn how to sow, nurture Teacher Michelle Paris with her group during sports. and harvest fruits, vegetables and flow- ers as they work each day in the ECC’s garden plot. Children will not only sow and care for new plantings, they will also harvest vegetation planted previously in the spring. The theme for the second session will be Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). Campers MARKETS will learn practical lessons in recycling, reusing and reducing, highlighted by a trip to Ann Arbor’s Materials Recovery Facility. At this facility, campers will get a first-hand look at what happens to the recyclables that their parents send there each week. ANN ARBOR - BERKLEY - COMMERCE TWP. - NORTHVILLE The third session’s theme is PLYMOUTH - WEST BLOOMFIELD Down on the Farm and will focus on the mitzvah of Tza’ar Ba’ali Chayim (taking care of animals). Campers will learn about what life is like on a farm, with a field trip to visit real farm animals. The summer will conclude with a more mechanically-oriented topic, Things That Go. Campers will take apart and (try to) put together mechanical equipment, as well as explore different modes of transportation, all in an effort to discover how things go! At Camp Keshet, small groups of campers, with two of the Early Child- hood Center’s highly qualified teachers acting as counselors, participate in art, science and nature and sports activities. The entire camp joins together for music each day, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, take a trip, via school bus, to Buhr pool, where Camp Keshet has its own private Camper Rebecca Cooke at the pool. time slot at the tot swimming pool. The entire camp also participates in field trips and special visitors that provide the centerpiece of each theme. For more information on Camp Keshet, contact the JCC Early Childhood Office at 971-0990.

Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Havurah pre-K event Geoff Berdy, special to the WJN The Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Havurah invites families of pre-kindergarteners, tots and toddlers to join at the Jewish Community Center of Washtenaw County for a fun-filled morning of songs, stories, crafts and snacks and a new feature: bagels and coffee for adults. The event will take place on Sunday, April 22 from 10–11:30 a.m. This is an opportunity to engage in some informal Jewish education with your child and the staff of the Havurah’s Beit Sefer (religious school). RSVP to Geoff Berdy at 649-8723 or [email protected]. This event is free and open to everyone, so invite a friend to join you. n

Page 18 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Federation launches the PJ Library Giving Jewish books to families with young children Eileen Freed, special to the WJN uddling up and reading our children easy for parents of any background to dis- Established in 2005 by the Harold Grin- a good book before bed—this special cuss the books with their kids.” spoon Foundation of Western Massachu- Ctime creates a memorable bond and “The PJ Library Project shows that our setts, the PJ Library sends a high-quality lifelong love of books. community believes in the power of family,” book or music CD each month to partici- Now a new Jewish Federation of Washt- said Harlene Appelman, executive director pants who enroll. Each monthly package enaw County program is nurturing a love of of the Covenant Foundation and nationally includes a helpful guide for parents and Jewish books. Thanks to the generous sup- renowned Jewish educator. “Developing occasionally a parenting book as an added port of an anonymous philanthropist, the a language of intimacy around wonderful bonus. Early childhood experts have se- Jewish Federation is partnering with the stories gives kids hope and security and lected all available books and CDs to cover Harold Grinspoon Foundation to launch gives parents or other caring adults an op- a wide range of topics appropriate for ages the PJ Library. portunity to get a glimpse into children’s six months to five years. Themes include Conceived as a giving library, the PJ Li- most profound thoughts. This opportunity Jewish holidays, folktales and Jewish family brary (PJ as in pajamas) provides young is truly a ‘no strings’ gift to the community life. Participating families will enjoy family families with a treasury of Jewish books and and an investment in the future.” programs related to the books throughout CDs through monthly mailings. The pro- Temple Beth Emeth piloted PJ Library the year. gram is free for children ages six months to this fall. Through the generosity of Paul and Introductory materials will be mailed to five years old and is available to the first 250 Judy Freedman, the program is available to all Jewish families in the area in early April. children to register. participants in TBE’s Tot Shabbat program. Current funding limits require that partici- “The beauty of this program is that it Judy, a librarian at TBE, discovered the pro- pation be limited to the first 250 respondents. gives parents an opportunity to take a uni- gram at an international meeting of the All others will be placed on a waiting list. For versal experience—reading to children at Association of Jewish Libraries and was im- more information or to register, visit www. night—and infuse it with Jewish meaning,” pressed with its potential. “My husband and jewishannarbor.org/pjlibrary or contact Ei- said Jeff Levin, executive director of the I were inspired by PJ Library and thought it leen Freed, at the Federation, at 677-0100 or Jewish Federation. “The books are modern would be a great gift for our families. People [email protected]. n and high quality. And the guides make it are thrilled with the program.”

Sample of books and music available through the PJ Library Books The Opposites of My Jewish Year by L.N. Dion Let’s Nosh by Amy Wilson Sanger Let’s Visit Israel by Judye Groner The Peace Book by Todd Parr Happy Birthday World by Latifa Berry Kropf Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback To Everything by Bob Barner Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman It Could Always Be Worse by Phoebe Gilman Dinosaur on Passover by Diane Levin Rauchwerger Noah’s Bed by Lis and Jim Coplestone Chicken Soup by Heart by Esther Hershenhorn The Matzo Ball Boy by Lisa Shulman Why Noah Chose the Dove by I.B. Singer The Keeping Quilt By Patricia Polacco A Sack Full of Feathers by Debby Waldman Music ShirLaLa Chanukah by Shira Klein Everybody’s Got a Little Music by Rabbi Joe Black My Newish Jewish Discovery by Craig Taubman Parenting Resources The Blessing of a Skinned Knee by Dr. Wendy Mogel

ECC and HDS hold spring Literacy Night Peretz Hirshbein, special to the WJN Spring is in the air, which means that it is features a series of theme-based activities for different versions of stories, to creation of time for the Jewish Community Center of children and parents to engage in together. alternate endings, to composition of stories, Washtenaw County Early Childhood Center These activities are designed for multiple and much more. The cost is $15 per family and the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor’s reading levels, from the pre-reader to the and dinner will be included in the program. spring Literacy Night. The event, designed child reading with confidence. Contact the ECC office at 971-0990 for de- for children from preschool through second The theme for this year’s spring Litera- tails and to register. grade will be held at the JCC on Thursday cy Night is fairy tales. Fairy tales are a rich evening April 26, at 6 p.m. Literacy Night source of literacy activities, from comparing

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 19 B”H Youth

Gan Yeladim Playgroup Esther Goldstein, special to the WJN his coming Sep- tember, the Gan T Yeladim Playgroup will begin its fourth year of providing Jewish enrichment to preschoolers in TH TH JUNE 2 5 - AUGUST 10 the Ann Arbor area. Two Gan Izzy 5-11, NEW! Pioneer 11-14 9AM-3:45PM separate classes will offer Tiny Tots- Ages 3 - 4 years 9AM-12:45PM a stimulating Jewish envi- EXTENDED CARE AVAILABLE ronment for children on Registration opens February 15. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings; Kvutza • Sports • Swimming • Field Trips • Workshops - Aleph is for children age Tae Kwon Do, Dance, Science, Horse Back Riding, 20 months up through age Jewelry Art, Baking,Yoga, Chess • Hot Lunches five, and Kvutza Bet is for • Shabbat Celebration • Warm & Loving Counselors children age three through age five. Both classes offer an age-appropriate curriculum designed to provide Rabbi Alter Goldstein showing the children the Torah. the children with a fun and enjoyable opportunity in several events throughout the year, such to socialize with each other, while concur- as a Chanukah party, a Purim celebration, rently teaching them about Jewish holidays and a parents’ coffee get-together. and traditions. The day’s schedule includes All of the playgroup instructors are ex- circle time highlighting tzedaka and mitz- perienced teachers and youth instructors SUMMERTIME OF FUN....A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES vot, arts and crafts relating to the upcom- who love children and care deeply about ing holidays, song and story time, and an For more information or to attend an open house please call: their emotional, cognitive, and Jewish 734-994-9832 • www.mycampganisrael.com age-appropriate presentation of the weekly growth. Enrollment is limited so that the Torah portion. Children are also provided ratio of children to teachers does not exceed with a morning snack, as well as with lunch four to one. provided from home. Throughout the class, New for this year are additional enrich- children are encouraged to work and play to- ment classes which will be offered following gether in order to foster cooperative skills. the Playgroup. These enrichment classes, Recent examples of activities the chil- available by separate enrollment, will pro- dren have engaged in include making felt vide instruction in such fun and stimulating shofars, learning about trees for Tu B’Shvat, activities as yoga, ballet, art, and music. baking challahs, assembling their own grog- Registration for the fall of 2007 is now gers, decorating a Kiddush cup, and other open. For more information about the Gan enjoyable and educational projects. While Yeladim Playgroup and the new enrichment both classes are drop-off programs for the classes, contact Esther Goldstein at 995- children, parents are invited to participate 3276 or [email protected]. n JCC Raanana Day Camp hires new assistant director Rachel Rosenthal, special to the WJN The Jewish Com- acting in primarily an administrative capacity munity Center and doesn’t spend much time with the camp- of Washtenaw ers. Raanana will be a refreshing change,” states County has hired Bankirer. Nathan Bankirer Camp Director Craig Pollack states, “Nate as assistant camp has the skills and personality that I always look director for Camp for in an assistant director. He knows what it Raanana. Bankirer takes to run a safe, fun camp and he can’t wait is currently a third to get to know the campers and parents. I think year student at Nate will be a tremendous asset to our camp Eastern Michigan this summer.” Nathan Bankirer University and is Camp Raanana is for children entering kin- pursuing a degree dergarten through 13 years of age and is one of in special education with a focus on emotional the few Jewish camp programs in Washtenaw impairment. Bankirer teaches at Beth Israel Re- County. The camp is located on its own private ligious School and will bring his knowledge of beachfront site at Independence Lake in Web- Judaic programming to Raanana. ster Township and at the JCC in Ann Arbor. His previous camp experience includes The facility includes a large covered pavilion, a three summers working at Camp JCC in West swimming beach, ball fields, nature trails, of- Bloomfield. Last summer his position as pro- fices and a variety of other features. In addition, gram director required him to provide creative boating, fishing, a “spray zone” and additional programming for 1,500 campers in addition to facilities are available throughout the park. the many administrative tasks associated with a For more information, questions, or a regis- large camp. “One of the reasons that I’m excited tration form, call Craig Pollack at 971-0990 or to be working at Camp Raanana this summer, e-mail [email protected]. is the opportunity to get to know and interact with all of the campers personally. At a larger camp, the assistant director often finds himself

Page 20 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 6TH ANNUAL Jewish Film Festival STEEL TOES MATISYAHU 19 FILMS IN 5 DAYS! 2007 In Ann Arbor May 6 - May 10

PAPER DOLLS at the Michigan Theater on East Liberty

KING OF BEGGARS DARK NIGHT BLUES BY THE BEACH STOLEN SUMMER

Rabbi Alter Goldstein showing the children the Torah.

Sponsor Reception Sunday, May 6, 6:30 pm For a detailed listing of all films and times see page 6 Individual tickets & Festival passes available at the JCC and watch for your brochure soon to arrive in the mail. 2935 Birch Hollow Drive, Ann Arbor 734-971-0990

What Do You Want JUNE 25 - AUGUST 17, 2007 Your Child’s

Camp to For children entering kindergarten through 8th grade Have?

� A State of Michigan Licensed Program PLUS � An American Red Cross Certified Swim Lesson Program � Bird Watching � College Age Counselors With Years of � Row Boating Camping Experience �� Fishing Safe Transportation Provided By Ann Arbor � Public School Busses Orienteering � Optional Overnights � A Counselor In Training Program �� Shabbat Celebrations � A Beautiful Waterfront Campsite with Miles of Hiking Trails and a Spray Zone � Judaic Programs

� An Extended Day Care Program �� Sports � Field Trips �� Arts and Crafts “I really feel that Camp Raanana is a � Special Event Days superior camp experience and that the Contact Craig Pollack for � more information: � Weekly Themes NEW! director and the staff he chooses are 734-971-0990 or �� 9th Week Post Camp Program [email protected] outstanding counselors and role models,” says parent Natalie Iglewicz.

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 21 Youth

Community volunteers seek out HDS Dina Shtull, special to the WJN olunteerism is flourishing at the He- Frey (class of 1993). Just retired from 30 years Center, the children’s division of Ypsilanti brew Day School of Ann Arbor, and of teaching, Richard is volunteering twice a State Hospital; and most recently at the Bea- it extends beyond the parent popu- week with fifth grade students in math and con Day Treatment Center, a day treatment V language arts. He is also leading a lunch time program for emotionally impaired children lation. This year there have been four volunteers from the community who contacted chug (club) in chess. in Western Wayne County. He taught math, the school to offer their help, and who have A U-M graduate (his- as well as chess and sudoku as part of the math arranged to share their time and talents on tory, 1969), Richard curriculum. a regular basis. The students have greatly has an M.A. in special benefited from their efforts. Two of the vol- education and a teach- Lea Grossman unteers have previous connections with the ing certificate in physi- Lea Grossman’s love of Hebrew and Juda- school, and two of them are new to the He- cal education from ism brought her to Hebrew Day School. “I was brew Day School community. Wayne State. “Why am born in Italy during the Shoah. By the age of I tutoring at HDS?” he fifteen I was uprooted many times to live in Josh Berman Richard Frey asks aloud. “It’s really three countries with different languages and Josh Berman volunteered in Aaron about the children and very different cultures. Today, as a result, I Kaufman’s (Moreh Aharon’s) first grade He- the relationships. I miss the kid contact.” enjoy finding a common thread with virtu- brew class two afternoons a week during the Richard also points out that his own chil- ally anyone. I enjoy belonging to and giving first half of the year. Berman an alumnus of dren got an excellent education at HDS, which back to a stable community.” Grossman refers Hebrew Day School (class of 1995), gradu- provided a strong foundation for their subse- to the children at Hebrew Day School as “my ated from the University of Michigan in 2006, quent academic success. Robert has finished new yeladim” (children). where he majored in Political Science and his coursework at Columbia for his PhD in an- Grossman also volunteers at the U-M hos- Psychology. “HDS was the foundation for my thropology and public health. He is a teacher’s pital. When she is not volunteering, she stud- Jewish education,” he said. “While I didn’t re- assistant for two courses, and is studying for ies with Rabbi Dobrusin, exercises, sings with alize it at the time, this education was what set written and oral exams which he will take in the Chaverim B’Shirim choir, cooks, gardens, the tone for my intellectual success and con- the next six months. He is also finalizing and plays tennis, works with clay, knits, crochets, nection with my Judaism.” working on funding for his research proposal, paints, takes care of her two collies, and visits Berman was inspired to volunteer at the which he plans to do in Israel. Rachel is in Ma- her grandchildren. HDS in order to have a chance to give back to drid, on a Fulbright teaching fellowship. She is the school. “I hope to be a positive influence working in an elementary school in a bilingual Jessica Taylor in the lives of these children in the same way program, with many of the children being im- Jessica Taylor volunteers as an instrumen- that many of my teachers were for me,” says migrants to Spain. She is teaching English to tal music assistant one a week. Jessica helps in- Berman. “Of course,” he continues, “there is the adult staff as well as to the children. “In- strumental music teacher, Sharon Homeyer, no better way to say thank you to my teachers credible academic achievements,” he added. teach the fifth grade string program. Taylor than to give them a hand in the classroom.” “Life is short. There is much I hope to do in has played violin for 16 years and has taught Berman also appreciates the great opportu- my retirement, but I want tutoring at HDS to private violin lessons for seven years. She is the nity to keep up with his Hebrew. be a fulfilling part of that future.” orchestra secretary for the Eastern Michigan Frey has taught many subjects to chil- University Orchestra, and an intern with the Richard Frey dren of all ages in a variety of educational Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. Richard Frey is a parent of two HDS alum- and special need settings. He taught at U-M’s Taylor will be graduating from EMU in ni—Robert Frey (class of 1990), and Rachel Children’s Psychiatric Hospital; York Woods April with a music major and business minor and plans to continue her studies to receive a master’s in performing arts management. Twentieth Anniversary Season Passover Vacation Fun Days at the JCC Taylor’s primary responsibility at HDS is to work with string players who have had prior Craig Pollack, special to the WJN experience. SPRING The Jewish Community Center of Washtenaw County is offering five days of field trips and activities for JCC members ages 5-10, during the Ann Arbor and Hebrew Day School’s Spring/Passover Crucial Volunteer Roles AUDITIONS! Break. Sign up for one or more days: 8 a.m.–4 p.m. The cost is $35/day (additional siblings $33). Late In addition to these four volunteers, Rab- afternoon care is available from 4–6 p.m. for an additional $8/day. JCC membership is required. bi Dobrusin from Beth Israel Congregation A Passover lunch will be provided on April 5 and April 6—on those days, participants has been teaching Mishnah to the HDS fifth April 20, 27, & 28 should not bring lunch from home. On April 11, April 12 and April 13, bring a dairy-only, graders for many years. For an easy, 10-minute nut-free lunch from home. “Parents also play a crucial volunteer appointment contact us at Spaces are limited and fill quickly. Look for a registration form in the mail. For further role in our school,” says Dina Shtull, Head (734) 996-4404 or information contact Craig Pollack at 971-0990 or email [email protected]. of School. “If you walk into the Hebrew Day [email protected] The field trips for this year are: School on any day of the week, you will see No preparation needed! • Thursday, April 5 – U-M Natural History Museum parents helping in the classroom — leading Take a high-velocity rocket trip to the Red Planet with the space explorers at the Natural an activity or preparing classroom materials. Open to all boys (with treble History Museum. The museum’s planetarium brings this mysterious planet to life and In fact, the school is unique in its Helping voices) and girls ages 9-16 reveals its many fascinating features. Participants will have the opportunity to make an Hands Program, through which parents of- interested in high quality choral “Alka-Seltzer Rocket”, Mars Landing Craft, or even a Mars Volcano. fer a variety of help as part of their commit- training for the 2007-08 season. • Friday, April 6 – Domino Farms and Petting Zoo ment to the school.” Scholarships available Take a seat on a hay bail in the barn and watch the newest members of the barnyard strut “It’s one of the foundations of our strong based on need. their stuff on stage. Afterwards make friends with all the critters in the petting area. The community,” says Rachel Beaver, an HDS Visit and hear us at trip will finish off with an old-fashioned hayride. parent who matches volunteers with op- Wednesday, April 11 – Rainbow Creation Ceramics Studio annarboryouthchorale.org • portunities. “Parent volunteerism is part of Kids will have the chance to choose an unfinished piece of pottery at this wonderful studio the culture,” says Jennifer Siegel, co-chair of Perform & train with us! and let their artistic abilities loose. Participants can create their own design and paint and PTO with Rachel Portnoy. glaze their finished work of art. The pottery creations will be fired in a kiln and ready to Hebrew Day School is grateful to par- take home the following week. ents, alumni, alumni parents, and members • Thursday, April 12 – Carnival Time at the JCC of the community for enriching the atmo- Kids will have the chance to play the games along the carnival boardwalk, win prizes ga- sphere at the school. “Children learn from lore, and compete in the outrageous relay races. Fun activities include rolling eggs, break- our volunteers how important it is and how ing the piñata, and shaving hair off of a balloon buddy. rewarding it can be to give back to the com- • Friday, April 13 – The Toledo Zoo munity,” says Dina. “This lesson is part of The Toledo Zoo is rated as one of America’s best, and is home to 2,700 animals represent- our educational mission.” To learn more ing 490 different species. Twelve climate-controlled buildings make the zoo a unique, volunteer opportunities at HDS, contact the educational and fun place to visit anytime of the year. school at 971-4633. n

Page 22 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Shabbat Dinner at the ECC Peretz Hirshbein, special to the WJN On Friday, April 20, at 6 p.m., the JCC Early Child- hood Center’s Giraffe Room will host a Shabbat Dinner. Children from the Giraffe Room will lead attendees in Shabbat blessings and songs. Families will have the opportunity to immortalize their children’s time at the ECC by creating a ceramic tile to be added to the growing wall of tiles near the ECC’s Monkey Room. For this creative and popular fundraiser, families can decorate and glaze their tiles, which will then The wall of tiles near the ECC’s Monkey Room. be sent out to Rainbow Cre- ation for firing. Upon their return, they will be mounted on the JCC wall, adding to the tiles created by families last year. The ECC would especially like to invite alumni of the program to attend and add a family tile to the wall. Families are welcome to come to only make tiles, or just for the dinner. The cost for the Shabbat Dinner is $10 for adults, $5 for children 2 years and up. Contact the Early Childhood Center office at 971-0990 for details and to register, or for alternate times to create tiles.

Lea Grossman helps HDS students Gal Hodish and Ayelet Pollock with their Hebrew reading

Jessica Taylor (center) with violin students Zoie Palan, Yael Silver and Molly Mintz.

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 23 World Jewry

FSU emigres revive Finnish Jewry By Matt Siegel HELSINKI (JTA) — Before Tamara Tuu- Taking in so many immigrants has been sive program at its day school for kindergar- minen left her native Moscow in 1978 with challenging for all involved. Most Soviet ten to 12th grade. Students can enroll in the her husband, an ethnic Finn, she distanced Jews had lost any connection with their school as long as one parent is Jewish. Both “Today we have about 1,200 herself from her Jewish roots. In the Soviet religious roots. “They had very hard times parents are required to sign a contract stipu- members; in the 1980s we had Union in the 1970s, “it was dangerous to be in Russia,” said Binyamin Wolff, a Chabad lating that they want their child to have a Jew- ish education and that upon reaching bar or about 800 members, and if you bat mitzvah age, the child will be converted to Judaism. For boys, circumcision is required. look at the background of the The school, which receives 80 percent of its funding from the state and the rest from schoolchildren, some 75 percent private donors, goes to great lengths to en- S iege B y M att photo sure that students don’t completely lose touch have one immigrant parent. ” with their native background. The school has an intensive language program for children minen, whose two grown sons didn’t receive who enter with no knowledge of Finnish, but a Jewish education while attending state lessons also are given in Russian to preserve schools in Helsinki, would do things differ- the students’ mother tongue. ently if she could. “When you become older,” In addition to the mandated state curric- she said, “you become more interested in your ulum, the children learn Jewish history and history, in where you came from.” Still caught Hebrew. between two worlds, Tuuminen said she feels “For the children it’s a very efficient way “European, but with a Jewish background” to strengthen their Jewish identity and also to — and, she noted with a laugh, “definitely integrate into Finnish society,” Kantor said. not Russian.” She attends services on the High “And of course, through the children, the Holidays, as well as a yearly synagogue com- parents are very efficiently integrated into the memoration of the formation of the State of community and, also through the commu- Israel, where her mother now lives. nity, into society.” Not all of the community’s problems have But how to integrate adults with virtually been solved by the influx of Russians, howev- no knowledge of their cultural history with- er, and some may even have been aggravated. out boring them or scaring them away? That’s According to Kantor, the intermarriage Helsinki’s 100-year-old synagogue a struggle for Rabbi Wolff. “I like them to feel rate has reached a record 90 percent in the that being Jewish isn’t something that’s reli- past 15 years, up from roughly 50 percent half a century ago. But Kantor is wary of blaming involved” in Jewish life, said Tuuminen, 51, rabbi from New Jersey serving in Helsinki, gious or just in synagogue,” Wolff said. “I like rising intermarriage on the immigrants, not- a specialist in immunology and clinical mi- “and now we have to give them the message to show them that being Jewish is something ing that their contribution to Finnish Jewry crobiology who lives in Helsinki. “You could that times are different.” that’s a part of our life and it’s something en- cannot be overstated. “You could say that lose your right to study” at university. Only Chabad and the JCH are at the forefront joyable. We eat like a Jew, we do business like they’ve saved the future,” he told JTA. n in Finland was she able to reconnect with her of outreach to the immigrant Jews from the a Jew and we hang out with friends like a Jew, background, as have hundreds of recent Rus- FSU. Chabad sponsors monthly gatherings and I like to give them those opportunities.” sian-born Jewish immigrants. of Russians, and the JCH has a comprehen- In some cases, time is the best aid. Tuu- Those immigrants have saved the community from extinction, say leaders of the small native Finnish Jewish community. Finland’s short Jewish history At the dawn of the 1990s, decades of im- by Matt Siegel migration to Israel and intermarriage had decimated Finland’s Jewish population. The HELSINKI (JTA) — For any forthcoming despite strong pressure from the Nazis. Today’s fled to Finland during the Holocaust were de- country’s third-largest Jewish community, in edition of Jewish Trivial Pursuit, the Jew- community has a memory of a “field synagogue” ported. the city of Tampere, was forced to cease op- ish community of Finland might become a built by Finnish soldiers in which they could con- During Israel’s War of Independence, the 29 erations in 1981, and the country appeared to source of inspiration. duct services alongside SS units. Finnish volunteers constituted the highest per have lost the fight to maintain its dwindling Consider just these two stumpers: Which Most interesting, perhaps, is another lo- capita contribution from any Diaspora commu- Jewish population. Diaspora community contributed the most vol- cal story of a Jewish soldier who defied death to nity, according to Finland’s office of the Jewish “The future wasn’t looking very good be- unteers per capita during the Israeli War of Inde- rescue a battalion of SS soldiers pinned down by Agency for Israel. cause the number of community members pendence? In which front did Jews fight alongside enemy fire. Offered an Iron Cross he refused, in After the State of Israel was born, Finland had been declining all the time,” recalls Dan Nazi soldiers in World War II? flawless German. had a high rate of aliyah, which reduced Finland’s Kantor, executive director of the Jewish Com- Jewish roots in Finland go back only a century When a German officer asked where he Jewish population considerably. As a result, the munity of Helsinki, or JCH. and a half. The first Jews to settle permanently in learned to speak so well, the soldier reportedly country’s third-largest Jewish community, in the The JCH runs the city’s 100-year-old syn- this northern land were retired czarist Russian answered that he was Jewish, and that since Yid- city of Tampere, ceased operations in 1981. agogue, which houses Finland’s only Jewish soldiers granted the right of settlement anywhere dish was his mother language, it was easy for him An influx of Russian Jews since the collapse day school, and operates the only kosher deli in the empire regardless of religion. to speak German. He then marched out of the of the Soviet Union has helped revitalize the com- in Finland. Local tradition says this was in 1858. Sixty deathly silent tent. The Finnish government sup- munity while again linking it to its Russian roots. When the Soviet Union collapsed and years later, in December 1917 — following Fin- ported his refusal of the award. The Jewish day school in Helsinki now serves Jewish emigration began in earnest in the ear- land’s independence from Russia — the country’s The question of the Finnish government’s more than 110 students, up from about 60 in the ly ’90s, most Jews who left went to Israel, the Parliament granted their descendants full citizen- wartime alliance with the Nazis — the country 1980s. Kantor estimates that at least 75 percent United States or Germany. But a few hundred ship. was never occupied in World War II — is often of students have at least one immigrant in their families went to Finland, the USSR’s closest Finland’s Jewish population rose between the misunderstood outside of Finland, says Dan Kan- immediate family, primarily Russians and Israe- capitalist neighbor. two world wars, reaching approximately 2,000 in tor, executive director of the Jewish Community lis who live and work in Finland. Besides Finnish It seems an inversion of the now common 1939. of Helsinki. and Hebrew, Russian is now the most prevalent story of the revitalization of Jewish communi- During the 1940 war between Finland and “We allied with the Germans because they language at the school. ties in the FSU: These Jews helped speed the Russia, known here as the Winter War, Finnish were the only ones who could help us, who came The country’s 1,500 or so Jews continue to revival of what was once a small but strong Jews fought alongside their countrymen. But to help us against Russia,” Kantor said. have a strong influence on Finnish life. From Max Diaspora community with close historical ties most surprising to those unfamiliar with this Far from betraying the country’s Jews, the Jakobson, the former Finnish ambassador to the to Russia. “Today we have about 1,200 mem- nation’s Jewish community could be the fact that death of 23 Jewish soldiers fighting for indepen- United Nations and candidate for secretary gen- bers; in the 1980s we had about 800 mem- Finnish Jews fought in World War II alongside dence “was really, in a way, some kind of emanci- eral in 1971, to Ben Zyskowicz — who in 1979 bers,” Kantor said. “And if you look at the Germany on the Russian front, as their country pation,” he said. became the first Jewish member of Parliament background of the schoolchildren,” some 75 allied itself with the Nazis. That perspective is supported by the fact that — the Jews of Finland are part of a unique and percent have one immigrant parent. “There, Even more unusual, the Finnish government no Finnish Jew was turned over to the Nazis dur- accepting culture. n in very clear numbers, is what has happened.” afforded Jews full civil rights throughout the war ing the war. Eight Austrian Jewish refugees who

Page 24 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Israel

There’s no place like home: Israeli campaign woos expats By Tom Tugend LOS ANGELES (JTA)—The message from the er, about 8,000 to 9,000 Israelis left for residence and togetherness few expats can find elsewhere, 1970s and ‘80s. Israeli official addressing more than a hun- overseas during the same year. and the worry that their children and grand- “Israelis have their own cafes, markets, dred Israeli expatriates at a Los Angeles syna- Some of those at the Los Angeles event children will lose their feeling of Israeli con- dances, and social and business networks,” gogue was simple and direct: “We want you stayed to talk about returning home. nectedness. he said. to come back.” Among them was Angie Geffen, the Ameri- Rivka Dori is among the veteran expats in “They pop into each others’ homes unan- Translating the catchy slogan into reality is can-born daughter of Israeli parents who trav- Los Angeles, arriving in 1966 with her future nounced and are very much into each others’ complex, Immigrant Absorption Minster Ze’ev eled from Scottsdale, Ariz., with her husband, husband, who came for a college education. business,” he adds. “On the one hand they tend Boim acknowledges. Amir, an Israeli electrical engineer. A week later As a longtime teacher—Dori is director of to be hawkish and super Israeli patriots, on the In the early decades of the Jewish state, Israe- she praised Boim’s support staff as organized the joint Hebrew studies program at Hebrew other hand they are highly critical of Israeli so- lis abandoning the homeland were scorned as and helpful, and said the meeting had saved her Union College and the University of Southern ciety, perhaps to justify their own departure.” weaklings, traitors and “yordim,” those “going weeks of research. “We’ll move in a couple of California—she is especially focused on the The Council of Israeli Communities is the down” from Israel to the diaspora. But the Is- months,” she said confidently. second generation of American-born Israelis. closest to a central expat organization in Los raeli government for some time has been woo- Two months later, however, Gefen was com- The second generation, she believes, “is nei- Angeles, with a membership of about 5,000, ing the growing number of citizens abroad. plaining about protracted disputes with the ther here nor there, not Israeli and not Ameri- according to its president, Moshe Salem. Boim was in Los Angeles in recently with Israel housing authorities over obtaining land can.” Dori established an afterschool program Founded in 2001 to speak up for Israel and a team of government and private industry and homes for her and 32 other families in a for second-generation Israeli high school stu- its policies, the council now focuses mainly on representatives as part of a campaign in seven Galilee community. dents to expose them to modern Hebrew and strengthening relations with the people and American and Canadian cities. Gefen, her husband and their young son still Israeli culture. culture of the home country. Boim is focusing on holders of Israeli pass- hope to leave for Israel before Passover, “but we Her students, she said, are exposed to the A sign that the Israeli community is com- ports, including those with dual citizenship. He will have to rethink our finances,” she said. pressures and attractions of American teen life ing of age is that academic researchers are estimates that there are 700,000 to 1 million Another participant was “Ehud,” a 31-year- while their parents try to indoctrinate them beginning to pay attention to it. Through Israeli expats, of whom some 600,000 are in old teacher at a Jewish day school here who left with a feeling of loyalty and belonging to Is- the Israel American Study Initiative, a group North America, including 150,000 to 200,000 Israel as a child and asked that his real name rael—up to a point. of UCLA scholars and librarians is trying to in the Los Angeles area. not be used. “When the youngsters absorb their parents’ collect and analyze the chronicles and docu- Meanwhile, Los Angeles demographer Ehud said he was impressed by Boim’s talk, lesson and one day tell them that they want to ments that tell the history and development Bruce Phillips maintains that there are 26,000 but not by a 10-minute follow-up interview join the Israeli army, the parents are usually of the community. Israelis in the city. with one of the minister’s assistants. horrified,” Dori said. IASI tracks Israeli culture and life in the In each of the cities Boim visited, expats could “When I talked about available job oppor- Dori doubts that many of them will follow United States in its BAMA magazine and on its talk to ministry and private industry specialists tunities in Israel, I was told, ‘We’ll try to find you Boim’s exhortation to resettle in Israel, and Web site, www.IsraelisinAmerica.org. about jobs, establishing businesses, housing and something when you get there,’ “ Ehud said. that when the members of the third generation Writing in BAMA, Professor David Myers, government assistance. They also could speak to When he pressed the matter, the interviewer grow up, “they will be less conflicted and more director of the UCLA Center for Jewish Stud- liaisons with local Israeli consulates. told him, “We don’t start the process until you Americanized.” ies, noted one crucial contribution of Israeli Boim held out inducements in the form get there.” Avner Hofstein, a reporter for Yediot Achro- expats, along with Jewish immigrants from of tax relief, cutting bureaucratic red tape and Ehud still wants to marry and start a family not, has been the paper’s West Coast correspon- Iran and Russia. even deferment from mandatory military ser- in Israel, but first he may visit to check out the dent for the past four years. Israelis here, as in Without them, Myers wrote, “The Los An- vice. Additional perks are reserved for those job situation. their native country, are full of contradictions, geles Jewish community would either have hit ready to settle in the underpopulated Galilee Talks with expats yield some common Hofstein observes. the wall demographically or be in decline.” n and Negev regions. themes: The draw in coming to the United They have bought into the materialistic life Boim cites the return of some 6,000 expats States is nearly always economic opportunity. of America while trying to re-create the Israeli in 2005 as a promising sign. Conversely, howev- The pull to return is the sense of social intimacy neighborhoods and milieu they knew in the P.A. forms government amid Israeli skepticism By Dan Baron JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Palestinians’ new “We expect that the international commu- state and a future Palestinian state in the West “If we want to hurt Hamas politically and unity government may well achieve its immedi- nity will not be led astray by the creation of the Bank and Gaza Strip. militarily, we must open negotiations with ate aim of healing factional rifts between Hamas coalition government,” Olmert said. “The recognition of Israel is included in the Hamas’ rival, Abu Mazen — a real negotiation and Fatah, but whether it can break up the in- If there was a note or urgency to this appeal, various articles of the program,” Amr told The that the Palestinian people will perceive as pro- ternational isolation of the Palestinian Authority it may have come in response to signs that some Jerusalem Post. viding a diplomatic horizon,” said Deputy De- remains unclear. Western nations could abandon an aid and dip- “If Israel wants recognition, it has to rec- fense Minister Ephraim Sneh of Labor. After a year in which they fought each other lomatic boycott imposed on the Palestinian Au- ognize the Palestinians as well,” he said. “To- For now, Israel may join the Quartet in ex- more than Israel and sank under a Western em- thority after Hamas took power last March. day there is no excuse for anybody not to tending hope for a breakthrough. The forum bargo the Harmas-Fatah coalition was installed While the U.S. State Department voiced accept the government unless they want us to may be the Arab League summit in Riyadh at in March. alarm at the Palestinian Authority’s continued remain slaves of occupation and Israel, which month’s end, where a Saudi proposal for com- The big question is whether Hamas has re- embrace of violent “resistance” against Israel, will never happen.” prehensive Israeli-Arab peace is to be discussed. ally changed direction or merely sees the more Washington officials said they may talk to its In fact, Hamas refuses to abandon its 1988 Under the proposal, Israel would win rec- moderate Fatah as a fig leaf to cover its diehard new finance minister, Salam Fayyad, a reformer charter calling for Israel’s destruction and has ognition from all Arab states in exchange for a hostility to Israel. who is not from Hamas. publicly described the alliance with Fatah as a full withdrawal from lands captured in the 1967 As far as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert France invited P.A. Foreign Minister Ziad “transitional” measure. Six-Day War and an agreed-upon solution to is concerned, the answer is clear. Abu Amr, another political independent, to visit That has stoked contrary instincts even with- the Palestinian refugee problem. “The platform of the new government in- Paris, and diplomats said Britain was expected in the Israeli government, with some of Olmert’s Israel has voiced reservations about the cludes very problematic elements that cannot be to pursue contacts with non-Hamas members coalition partners calling for a boycott of Abbas phrasing of the proposal, but the possibility that acceptable to Israel or to the international com- of the new government. along with Hamas, and others urging stepped- it would co-opt the Hamas-led Palestinian Au- munity,” he told his Cabinet on Sunday, shortly Still, a full resumption of direct aid to the up diplomacy with the P.A. president, known thority to a full peace deal could now be a major before it voted to continue a boycott of the Pal- cash-strapped Palestinian Authority would familiarly as Abu Mazen. draw for Jerusalem. estinian Authority. require consensus among the Quartet — the “It would be better that there be no contact But Israel’s sole Arab minister said the Ol- Olmert reiterated Israel’s refusal to deal United States, European Union, United Nations with the new Palestinian government, includ- mert government should make its openness to with the new P.A. government until it accepts and Russia. ing Abu Mazen, who in effect provides a cover rapprochement clear through greater openness demands, set by the Quartet of foreign me- While Moscow has called for the embargo to for the new government,” said Strategic Affairs toward the new Palestinian Authority. “Normal- diators, to recognize the Jewish state and re- be abandoned, its partners have adopted a wait- Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the right- ization with the Arab world is what we fought nounce terrorism. and-see approach to how, and if, the Palestinian wing Yisrael Beiteinu party. for all of these years,” said Galeb Majadele. “If, He also said he would limit contacts with Authority pursues diplomacy with Israel. But several members of the center-left Labor God forbid, we now give even a minimal im- P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas, the Fatah Amr argued that Hamas, by endorsing Ab- Party, the senior partner to Olmert’s Kadima, pression of rejectionism, how will we face the leader who had long been Israel’s designated bas’ efforts to negotiate with Israel, had indirect- said now was the time for Israel to empower entire world in another two weeks after the Ri- peace partner. ly approved of coexistence between the Jewish Palestinian moderates by engaging Abbas. yadh summit?” n

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 25 A Troubled Exodus

Israel in a quandary over Sudanese: Let them stay or send them away By Yosef Israel Abramowitz KIBBUTZ KETURA, Israel (JTA) — With A four-month JTA investigation into the well-known dissidents two miles of bare footprints behind them, plight of the refugees and the Israeli gov- as Natan Sharansky and Ahmed and Fatima, and their three chil- ernment’s handling of the situation found a Nelson Mandela, has dren, approached the border with Israel in system that even the top Israeli official adju- joined with the Israel Bar the middle of a cold winter night. Snow was dicating each of the cases has said often vio- Association in filing sup- falling in the Sinai. lates Israeli and international law. porting documents on Avoid the Egyptian military patrols, they After two years of legal challenges and behalf of the Sudanese to were warned by their Bedouin smugglers, growing Israeli media attention, the issue the Israeli High Court. whom they paid with money borrowed from now is coming to a critical juncture. “Israel should be Sudanese friends. The practice of arresting and indefinitely more part of the inter- “If they catch you, you could be shot or detaining Sudanese asylum seekers on secu- national struggle against deported back to Sudan,” the Bedouins said. rity grounds is being tested in the courts even genocide in Darfur,” The 12-hour trip from Cairo was the last as Israeli Border Police are showing signs of Cotler said. “If Israel leg of a multi-year journey stretching from the resisting the orders to arrest and detain the grants refugee status violence of Darfur to Sudan’s dangerous capi- refugees crossing the borders. or temporary resident tal, Khartoum, to the teeming streets of Cairo. Major international human rights figures status to the Sudanese, Ahmed had been imprisoned in each city. have embraced the cause, and a handful of it can be Israel’s own Israel was their last hope for what Fatima Knesset members and activists in Israel are modest contribution to M emorial useum olocaust H U.S. , F owler of J erry courtesy P hoto At the Iridimi camp in Chad in May 2004, Sudanese refugees calls “a normal life” without the “fear of being pressing for a resolution of the crisis. Some speaking up against the make shelters from donated sheeting and bits of local material. sent back to Sudan.” of these activists in turn have strong ties to genocide rather than in- Two hours after dusting the sand off their the American Jewish community, which has terring them and mak- “Israel is deeply sensitive to the issue of dark clothing from crawling under two se- embraced the cause of Darfur as a top hu- ing the opposite statement.” genocide,” this official said, ``but it is also curity fences, their 5-month-old baby’s cry manitarian priority. Although the numbers are fluid, an es- worried about a massive influx of Sudanese pierced the silence of the frigid Negev air. Some 200,000 to 400,000 people have been timated 300 Sudanese have arrived in Israel at its border.” The response was an Israeli military killed in the Darfur region of western Sudan. over the past two years. Of these, some 120 The prevailing government preference spotlight. Another 2.5 million have been displaced. remain in prison; the rest are in alternative is to deport the refugees back to Egypt -- if “Do you know where you are?” the sol- Israel’s quandary is a difficult one. detention, meaning crisis centers, kibbutzim Egypt will guarantee it will not deport them diers called out in Arabic. “Sudanese refugees are right now con- or moshavim, where many of them work and back to Sudan. “Yes,” they answered. sidered enemy nationals since Sudan is an live but are not free to leave the premises. “The natural and correct solution is a re- “Why are you here?” Islamic fundamentalist country,” explained Another estimated dozen or so Sudanese turn to Egypt,” Eliyahu Aharoni, deputy di- “Because we were mistreated in Egypt.” Anat Ben Dor, the country’s leading refugee men in the Sinai are partnered with Israeli rector of the Immigration Police, testified to “Who are you?” rights lawyer, who has emerged as a top ad- women and have children, but cannot enter the Knesset in late December. “We are Sudanese.” vocate for the Sudanese refugees. “Yet Israel Israel for fear of arrest. “Sudan is one of six nations that supports Ahmed lowered his 2-year-old son from is a signatory to the International Conven- Sigal Rozen, 39, co-founded the Hotline Islamic terror,” he said. ``All the security ser- his shoulders and held up his Sudanese pass- tion on Refugees, which guarantees humane for Migrant Workers with a grant from the vices say that there is a danger when it comes port, as well as the worn yellow card from treatment and a safe haven from genocide.” New Israel Fund. Her tiny fourth-floor of- to the Sudanese. Detention or alternative de- the United Nations High Commissioner for Ben Dor, 40, directs the Tel Aviv University fices next door to a Tel Aviv police station tention is legitimate in a democratic country Refugees, or UNHCR. The card had been Law School Refugee Rights Clinic and in late are a hot spot for undocumented workers and also in the State of Israel.” obtained in Cairo and saved them from be- February filed suit against the government of all colors and nationalities who come Debate is being waged about how many ing deported back to Sudan, as the Egyptian for its alleged treatment of three refugees. knocking for assistance. Sudanese would seek refuge here if the de- police had threatened. Israel helped author the convention in the The hot line brings them to the U.N. High tainees are released from prison and accorded The Israeli soldiers gave the children their aftermath of World War II. Jewish refugees Commissioner on Refugees offices to get pro- good treatment in the Jewish state. green military coats. fleeing Nazi Germany were routinely refused tection papers, documents that verify their “What we do here will determine if 3 mil- “We were afraid of the Egyptian army, not safe haven because they, like the current Su- refugee status so they can qualify for a tem- lion will come” from Egypt or will stay there, of the Israeli army,” Ahmed recalled later. danese, were classified as enemy nationals. porary work visa. said Yossi Edelshtein, director of the Enforce- In an often reluctant ritual that has been Activists enjoyed a small victory March 21 “There are people from all over the world ment Unit of the Immigration Police. repeated almost weekly for two years with when Israel’s Supreme Court gave the state 45 who come to Israel,” Rozen said. ``If a Turk The 3 million figure is often cited by Is- Sudanese sneaking into Israel, Israel Defense days to determine whether the detainees were and a Chinese come across the border with a raeli policy makers, particularly in the secu- Forces patrols gathered up the tired refugee getting a fair and proper judicial review. Sudanese, only the Sudanese is imprisoned. rity services. But others dispute those figures. family, placed them in an ambulance and “Bringing justice is the issue here,” said That is discrimination.” “Anyone who talks about millions of Su- handed them over to the Border Police. Supreme Court Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch, Israeli government officials say the situa- danese coming to Israel is scare-mongering,” The Border Police sent Ahmed to Ketziot who is presiding over a three-judge panel tion is a difficult one. said Michael Kagan, an American human prison for violating the Infiltration Law, a 1954 hearing the case. “The Israeli government is endeavoring to rights lawyer who has worked in Israel and statute enacted against enemy combatants. “This is very significant,” said Ben Dor, deal with this issue as humanely as possible,” Egypt. “No one even knows that there are If the experience of others before him is who together with the Hotline for Migrant said Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Foreign millions of Sudanese in Egypt; some estimate any precedent, Ahmed could remain incar- Workers, filed the appeal to the court arguing Ministry. “Jewish history has made us espe- there are only a few hundred thousand. cerated for at least a year, until Israel figures that those Sudanese arrested and put in jail cially sensitive to genocide. No one is being ``But in any case, we’re not talking about out what to do with him and the more than for illegally entering the country should not sent back to the inferno in Darfur.” all Sudanese. We’re talking about refugees,” 120 other imprisoned Sudanese. be charged as infiltrators of an enemy state. At the same time, he said, “we have to take he said. ``The U.N. says there are only Fatima and the children were sent to a bat- The petition against Israel’s defense and precautions” to minimize the security risk 15,000 Sudanese refugees in Egypt, and of tered women’s shelter in the western Galilee interior ministers argues that even though given where the refugees come from. these, how many are going to pay big mon- that has largely been taken over by Sudanese 150 Sudanese have been released into alter- In the March 21 court case, state attorneys ey, risk their lives and risk arrest to go over refugees whose husbands are in prison. native detention, the lack of formal judicial argued that the system was working and there the desert to Israel?” The failure of the United Nations to cope review makes the detention illegal. was no need to change the legalities under As to the porous border with Egypt, it is with the doubling of refugee applications in Under Israeli law, other nationals who which the Sudanese are being held. not the Sudanese that Israel most worries the past decade or to intervene to prevent sneak through the Sinai desert into Israel Some officials, in private conversations about but terrorists like Muhammed Faisal the genocide in Darfur has had ripple effects are charged with the Law of Entry. In those and in Knesset testimony, contend that be- Saksak. On Jan. 29, the 21-year-old Palestin- throughout the world. cases, the government must review their yond the immediate security concerns about ian crossed the border about 12 miles north That now includes Israel and the Jewish cases every 30 days and justify their impris- individual Sudanese, the greater fear is the of the resort city of Eilat and blew himself up world. onment. But since Sudanese are considered ripple effect of even more refugees seeking in a small bakery, killing three. Faced with genocidal threats from Iran “enemy nationals,” they are charged under asylum in the Jewish state. In either a slip of the tongue or a calculat- and terrorist groups, a legacy of the Holo- the harsher Infiltration Law, which has no The fault lines drawn around the refugee ed leak to remind the Knesset of the potential caust, and even echoes of the Exodus 3,700 official review mechanism and by which de- battle between those advocating deportation security risks of too liberal an asylum policy, years ago, Israel is torn between its commit- tainees can be held indefinitely. and those advocating granting asylum is “a Aharoni of the Immigration Police revealed ment to universal humanitarian concerns Irwin Cotler, Canada’s former minister paradox,” as one high-ranking Jewish organi- zational official called it. and its own security interests. of justice and human rights attorney to such Continued on next page

Page 26 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Team effort strengthens Darfur cause Israeli, U.S. groups become one in fighting for the Darfur refugees By Yosef Israel Abramowitz KIBBUTZ KETURA, Israel (JTA) Michael Jewish World Service, is credited with putting the winner of Israel’s first “Ambassador” real- of the Washington-based New Israel Fund. Bavli, a former Israeli ambassador, was pulled Darfur on the agenda both of the Jewish organi- ity televison show, to become involved. Garber said that last spring, after the rally in out of retirement by the United Nations eight zational world and mainstream America. Schwartz, 32, American born and Israeli Washington, he asked his counterpart in Israel, years ago to establish an asylum system in Is- AJWS was pivotal in organizing the Save educated, was sent to the United States two Eliezer Ya’ari, whether concern about the Darfur rael with support from the American Jewish Darfur Coalition’s two rallies — one outside years ago to work with college students and genocide resonated at all in Israel. Joint Distribution Committee, the relief arm the United Nations headquarters last Sep- Jewish organizations to help them advocate Until that point, Garber said, “the issue of American Jewry. tember and one in Washington last April. for Israel. had not much entered the public conscious- Bavli, 71, now serves as the point man in Isra- Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel was the But instead of being confronted with po- ness.” But then Israelis discovered that the el for the U.N. High Commission on Refugees. keynote speaker opening the Washington rally, litical issues, he said, “Everywhere I went, it Hotline for Migrant Workers, a longtime NIF He is one of several Israelis official and which attracted about 75,000 participants, ap- was Darfur, Darfur, Darfur. I knew there was grantee, was assisting refugees from Darfur unofficial playing a key role in determining proximately half from the Jewish community. a genocide in Darfur, but was not aware of the who had found their way to Israel. the fate of the some 300 Sudanese refugees in Some 200,000 to 400,000 people have magnitude of the American Jewish response.” The hotline “wanted assistance in pub- Israel today. been killed and 2.5 million displaced as a re- When Schwartz returned to Israel, he licizing the plight of their clients, most of Bavli often is also the first address for a sult of the genocide. called Sigal Rozen at the Hotline for Migrant whom were being kept in detention cen- host of American Jewish organizations that “The American Jewish community has Workers and volunteered to make weekly vis- ters under terrible conditions,” Garber said. have expressed concern about Israeli policy been and continues to be not only tremen- its to Sudanese refugees in prison. “With NIF assistance, primarily through on the refugees. dously concerned about the ongoing geno- Schwartz now serves as the spokesman for discussions with key media contacts and “I welcome it,” he said of the American cide in Darfur, Sudan, but also hugely active CARD, the Committee for the Advancement behind-the-scenes conversations with gov- Jewish involvement. “We all want Israel to do in protesting the deteriorating situation in of Refugees from Darfur [www.cardisrael. ernment officials, the topic quickly became the right thing.” that region,” Messinger said. org], a coalition of 10 nongovernmental or- front-page news in Israel.” Indeed, the Darfur issue has brought Is- She said national organizations and reli- ganizations working on behalf of the Suda- Ultimately, he said, the more egregious as- raeli and American Jewish groups together in gious denominations, many congregations nese refugees in Israel. pects of government policy toward Sudanese an unusual way. and Hillels, and tens of thousands of indi- CARD’s chair is Yehudah Bauer, a distin- refugees were changed, and many were released “American Jewish organizations and individuals have been writing letters, attending guished Holocaust scholar who addressed from the detention centers, although their asy- viduals, along with key NGOs and individuals rallies, calling elected officials and organiz- the U.N. General Assembly last year to mark lum petitions were not necessarily granted. in Israel, have mobilized on a common issue ing in their communities trying to pressure the first U.N. Remembrance Commemora- “The depth of concern about the Darfur that is not parochial,” said Rabbi Ed Rettig, the United States and the United Nations to tion of the Holocaust. genocide among American Jewish organiza- associate director and coordinator of relief ensure that a robust U.N. peacekeeping force “In terms of security, it is our position tions influenced Israeli officials to modify activities of the Jerusalem office of the Ameri- be employed to stop the killing. that a short detention of any illegal incomer their posture of seeming indifference to the can Jewish Committee , which donated warm Messinger said there has been concern is legitimate, as long as its purpose is a speedy situation in Sudan and their treatment of the winter clothing to dozens of Sudanese prison- among some American Jews about the situa- security check,” Schwartz said. ``However, Sudanese refugees residing in Israel,” he said. ers being held in the open-air Ketziot prison. tion of the Sudanese imprisoned in Israel. She once the security authorities are satisfied Anat Ben Dor, the Israeli lawyer who has The head of his office, Eran Lerman, sent has been in regular contact with Israeli officials with the results of the interrogation and de- filed suit in Israel on behalf of the imprisoned letters to all government ministers and to the in New York “urging rapid action by the gov- termine that the incomer is indeed an inno- refugees, said the involvement of American Prime Minister’s Office. ernment to free these individuals and guarantee cent refugee, the detainee should be released Jewry in the issue “could be the deciding fac- “There isn’t a synagogue in the United that they will not be returned to Sudan.” from detention. tor in winning the release of the prisoners.” States where Darfur is not an issue,” he told Messinger and other Jewish officials have “I love my country, and I see my country “The Israeli government has a lot on its JTA. “You can’t imprison refugees from Dar- also continued to raise the issue with other not doing the right thing,” he said. plate right now and it can’t afford to jeopar- fur in the Jewish state and not expect Ameri- high-level Israeli officials. The actions on Sudanese refugees in Israel dize the support of American Jewry, who are can Jewry to be upset.” It was the American Jewish attention on “reflects a new model of Israel-Diaspora part- very clear about where they stand on Darfur,’’ Ruth Messinger, president of the American the Darfur issue that inspired Eytan Schwartz, nership,” agrees Larry Garber, executive director Ben Dor said. n Sudanese from previous page to legislators in his Knesset testimony that “it Egyptian police killed 27 and injured sev- people have to know how to behave.” to cross illegally into Israel. appears that one Sudanese refugee belonging eral hundred Sudanese refugees protesting The Knesset Committee on Foreign Three days later, when Fatima arrived at to al-Qaida was released.” outside the UNHCR office in Cairo at the Workers held a Christmas Day hearing on the shelter in Israel’s North, she was greeted Half a dozen ministries, including the end of December 2005. the issue under the chairmanship of Ron with media reports that Israel was considering Prime Minister’s Office, would not respond None of the Sudanese who have crossed Cohen of Meretz. deporting her and her family back to Egypt. to queries about the link. into Israel in the past 18 months has been Two days later, Israeli Foreign Minister She quickly dictated an impassioned letter in Daniel Ben-Zaken, the director of Ketziot granted asylum or temporary refugee status, Tzipi Livni sat across the table from Egyptian Arabic, which was translated into Hebrew by prison, which is holding many of the detain- according to Michael Bavli, head of the UN- Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit at the a Druze linguist, and it was sent to the Knesset ees, told JTA: “We asked and we received no HCR office in Israel. Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, and asked her lobby, which sent a direct appeal to Defense information about anyone connected to any- This contrasts with the some 200 asylum counterpart if Egypt would consider taking Minister Amir Peretz. thing like that.” seekers from many countries, including some back some of the refugees, according to a se- Peretz’s office has not responded to re- In 2005, the security forces caught 5,600 Sudanese, who had been granted permanent nior Foreign Ministry source who asked not quests for an interview. people trying to infiltrate across the Egyptian- asylum in Israel between 1985 and 2005. An to be identified. In her letter, Fatima briefly recounted her Israeli border, including drug and weapon additional 700 non-Sudanese refugees were Livni wanted to know if Egypt would family’s flight. smugglers, women destined for prostitution, granted temporary asylum during that time. consider a “hot return” policy, which would “I beg you not to let them send us away foreign workers and refugees. With each new arrival stretching an em- mean an immediate return into the Sinai of from here... I know that if they send us back In 2006, 100 of those caught trying to in- bryonic asylum system of the state, the issue the refugees at the time they are picked up by to Egypt, we’ll go to prison and perhaps never filtrate belonged to terror organizations, ac- of the Sudanese has been coming to a boil. the IDF on the border. She also explored the get out,” she wrote. ``We could also be sent to cording to Israeli media reports. That same A Knesset lobby headed by Labor Party possibility of an organized return to Egypt of the Sudanese Embassy, and from there back to year, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refu- member Avishai Braverman and Likud mem- all the Sudanese refugees who carry U.N. blue Sudan, and that will be the end of us. We’ll die gees in Israel saw an increase in its case load, ber Gilad Erdan formed last November to cards, meaning they were recognized as refu- like all the others who have died there.” n with 1,600 applying for refugee or asylum sta- “push for the release of all the prisoners who gees in Cairo and are eligible for third-coun- Yosef Israel Abramowitz is an award-winning tus, up from 1,000 in 2005. have sought asylum in Israel,” said the lobby try resettlement from Egypt. journalist and founder of socialaction.com. Most of the increase was from foreign spokesman Yehuda Minkovitz. The Egyptian Embassy declined to com- Abramowitz, who moved with his family last workers who did not want to return to their Its focus is having the prisoners released ment on the exchange. year to Israel, blogs daily at peoplehood.org. JTA native lands, often because of wars in the and then advocating for at least some being Just as the Egyptian foreign minister was correspondent Dina Kraft in Israel contributed Congo, Sierra Leone, the Ivory Coast and granted permanent asylum status in Israel. returning to Cairo with the Israeli request to to this piece. The names of the refugees have other African countries. “I am ashamed as a person and as a Jew,” help them facilitate hot returns, Ahmed and been changed to protect from reprisals against The number of Sudanese seeking pro- Braverman told JTA, referring to the practice Fatima packed two small bags and quietly left family members in Arab countries. tection in Israel started to increase after of imprisoning asylum seekers. “We of all the Egyptian capital, beginning their journey

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 27 Israel

As economy grows, so does class chasm By Dina Kraft TEL AVIV (JTA)—In a shimmering luxury man capital and capabilities to be able to get immediate evidence of that socioeconomic ilies below the poverty line are either haredim hotel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, out of poverty, to be mobile in society.” transformation when he arrived in Israel in or Arabs. Israel’s banking and financial elite mingled Chana Eliyahu, 35, grew up in a family 1994, and it shocked him. Haredi women are the focus of a unique over cocktails recently with foreign investors living in poverty, and now as an unemployed “Zionist organizations like the Jewish employment initiative in a West Bank com- as they watched Donald Trump on a live tele- single mother of a 2-year-old girl, she has be- Agency and the Foreign Ministry don’t like munity that has produced encouraging re- cast praise the strength of the Israeli market. come part of that cycle. people to start talking about poverty when sults there and elsewhere. Haredi men are Across the street from the David Intercon- She lives off of $640 a month in welfare they want to establish the appearance of a being trained in professions ranging from tinental, meanwhile, more than 1,000 people and child subsidy payments, and has trouble normal country, so I thought there was not computer programmers to bus drivers. protested the country’s premier business con- finding full-time work because she suffers As for Israeli Arabs, results and program- ference, chanting “welfare before wealth.” from anxiety attacks. ming have been less dramatic. Many, how- Welcome to 21st-century Israel in Eliyahu lives on the second floor of an apart- ever, have participated in recent government microcosm. ment building in one of Tel Aviv’s roughest The number of Israeli welfare-to-work program pilots modeled on Once idealized as a socialist paradise, the neighborhoods, one populated by drug dealers the American “Wisconsin Program.” Jewish state is increasingly becoming a coun- and prostitutes. To reach her small apartment, millionaires per capita is In contemporary Israel, minimum-wage try of two classes—those who have soared in one has to pass brothels and climb a staircase salaries—about $12,800 per year for a couple the increasingly capitalist economy and those reeking of urine and rotting garbage. twice the world average, with two children—are insufficient to pull a who have stumbled in its wake. Her daughter, Hila, is her inspiration to family out of poverty. As a result, even many Despite its much mythologized egalitar- find a better life, outside the walls of an apart- according to the 2005 dual-income earners find themselves set- ian image, Israel has always experienced ment where she fights off rats and cockroach- ting stark spending priorities for themselves economic gaps. But now the divide between es and tries to ignore the peeling paint. World Wealth Report. and their families. They sometimes have to “My dream for her is to live in a normal choose between buying food or medicine or haves and have-nots has grown to alarming much poverty,” said Darmon, who works in place,” said Eliyahu after collecting a week’s paying the rent. proportions. If economic policies and other finance. “But when I arrived I said, ‘Wow, supply of dry goods and diapers from the relief Avraham Sobolson, 55, said he often factors have spawned a privileged class, they there is a problem.’ “ group Food for the Disadvantaged. “She’ll go to struggled with the dilemma of buying food also have produced a deeply entrenched un- In 1996, Darmon established La’tet, the derclass populated by the elderly, Holocaust a school where there are no drugs or violence, or medicine to treat his ailments—including country’s first and largest food bank, which survivors, Arabs, immigrants, fervently Or- and will go to extracurricular activities. We’ll physical problems such as diabetes and men- is headquartered in Tel Aviv. With the help thodox Jews, single parents—even two-in- do her homework together. She’s so smart.” tal woes like schizophrenia—until Food for of 114 local organizations, La’tet collects come families. the Disadvantaged began delivering weekly and distributes 3,500 tons of free food a One of the many faces representing this The rich get richer packages to his one-room apartment in the year to about 30,000 to 40,000 impover- underclass is R., a poverty-stricken, 43-year- Meanwhile, about a mile away from Hadar Yosef neighborhood of Tel Aviv. ished families throughout Israel. old mother of four. Eliyahu’s apartment, at the business confer- The former professional weightlifter and Demand for La’tet’s services has grown At a Tel Aviv-area hospital, she weeps in ence, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert wrestler with a round, thick face and bald the corridor as her children are being treated. boasts that the Israeli economy is in top 300 percent in the past three years, which head now is confined to a wheelchair because “Things are very hard for people like us; there form. Darmon says is an ominous signal. of a blood disease that affects his legs. Sobol- is no life, no holidays, no Shabbat,” said R., As evidence that at least one sector is “When you have such a jump in a West- son lives in a dark, dank ground-floor apart- who lives in the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon thriving, consider that the number of Is- ern society like Israel, it means something ment with bare floors and little furniture—a about five miles from the hotel hosting the raeli millionaires per capita is twice the very major is happening in the society, bed, a couple of plastic chairs, a teetering nar- business conference. world average, according to the 2005 World something has collapsed in the involve- row plywood wardrobe and a shelving unit Like others interviewed for this series, R. Wealth Report. ment of the state in social issues,” he said. stacked with medicine bottles and gauzes. Some 7,400 Israelis are worth at least $1 was so ashamed of her plight that she asked Bibi’s plan On the walls of peeling paint hang what million, the report said, including 84 who he calls his certificates that speak of his past that her real name not be used. Her apart- Some say the current economic disequilib- have at least $30 million. The total liquid as an athlete and coach. A thick layer of grime ment was repossessed recently by the bank, rium in Israel can be traced to the neo-conser- assets of Israel’s upper echelon grew by 25 clings to the walls and floor. and now she faces eviction from another one vative fiscal policies of the Likud Party acting at percent, to $30 billion, between 2004 and Sobolson lives off of $540 a month in dis- because she cannot pay the rent. the behest of then-Finance Minister Benjamin 2005, according to the report. Those des- ability payments and volunteers teaching tai R. stopped working full-time as a govern- Netanyahu, who believed that Israel’s economy ignated by the report as the nine richest chi from his wheelchair to groups of the men- ment clerk when two of her children became had become too bloated and bureaucratic to Israelis made their fortunes in everything tally ill. He is fighting the National Insurance chronically ill. She and her family now live compete in the global market. Institute for an allowance that would let him mostly off her husband’s monthly salary of from diamonds to real estate to communi- Netanyahu’s remedy: Cut spending, re- hire an assistant to help him bathe and clean cations to entertainment. duce dependence on government services his apartment. The money also would pay for During his December speech at the and reduce inflation. While Netanyahu is taxis so he could more easily reach the class he One of every four Israelis lives David Intercontinental, however, Olmert no longer the finance minister, the same ap- teaches, which is outside Tel Aviv. also acknowledged the roughly one-third proach remains in place today. below the poverty line—that’s “The National Insurance Institute has no feel- of Israeli children living in poverty and The resultant budget cuts that began in ings about sick people,” he said. “Do you know announced $143 million in government 2002 included the elimination of food sub- 1.6 million people. how many people there are like me out there?” funding for a new program that aims to sidies, a decrease in child allowances, in- help children at risk. creasingly stringent eligibility standards for Seniors, survivors feel sting $760 as an employee of a moving company. Although the general standard of living welfare, the elimination of many social pro- The elderly have also disproportionately Government child allowances and her occa- in Israel has risen in recent years, the lower grams for the elderly and a reduction in wel- felt the sting of cuts in social spending. Unable sional work cleaning the staircases of apart- socioeconomic classes have seen their situ- fare benefits. to save for pensions, some senior citizens find ment buildings bring the family’s monthly ation plummet, largely due to massive cuts The cuts effectively shredded the social income up to about $1,010, officially put- themselves living off monthly checks of rough- in government social spending that began safety net, leaving many families unprepared ly $400 from the National Insurance Institute. ting the family among Israel’s 20 percent of in 2002. for the misery that would follow, social policy households living below the poverty line. And as they age and become more frail and ill, The budget cuts reflect an ideologi- activists say. their costs for medicine and nursing assistance Poverty rates in Israel reached a new peak cal and policy trend that is reordering the But since the early 1990s, with the mass in 2005, although they leveled off in 2006, ac- rise while their incomes shrink. country’s class structure, according to Uri arrival of immigrants from the former Soviet There is no mandatory pension law in Isra- cording to statistics by the National Insurance Ram, a sociologist at Ben-Gurion Univer- Union and the growth of the high-tech sec- Institute. According to institute findings, one el, although Finance Minister Avraham Hirsch- sity of the Negev, and the author of the tor, Israel has seen itself become an increas- son again called for one as part of his economic of every four Israelis lives below the poverty upcoming book The Globalization of Israel: ingly capitalist society, a society where the line—that’s 1.6 million people. reform plan announced in late January. McWorld in Tel Aviv, Jihad in Jerusalem. economically strong survive and those in Among the impoverished elderly are many Thirty-five percent of children are living Even the Labor Party, which typically the middle and lower rungs have had some in poverty, leaving Israel with this unhappy Holocaust survivors. In fact, NoahFlug, who is associated with generous social welfare trouble adjusting. heads an umbrella group of Holocaust survi- distinction: It ranks among Western countries spending, has gone back on its founding Among the hardest hit have been the el- with the greatest percentage of poor children, vor organizations in Israel estimated that about values, said Ram, to become a part “of this derly, single-parent households and large one-quarter of Israel’s 250,000 survivors are according to the insurance institute. process of transforming Israel from a wel- families, which in Israel usually means ei- “Children who grow up in poverty are living in poverty. fare society into this kind of free-market, ther Arabs or fervently Orthodox Jews, also more than likely to live in poverty as adults,” “There is lots of focus in Israel on those corporate-dominated society.” known as haredim. According to the National said John Gal, an economist at the Hebrew French immigrant Gilles Darmon saw Insurance Institute, about two-thirds of fam- University. “They won’t have the capacity, hu- Continued on nxt page Page 28 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Poverty in Israel: Ideas made in America boost bid to get Israelis back to work By Dina Kraft TEL AVIV (JTA)—Eti Sharabi walked through can Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and er. He’s doing so well, his boss is planning on “who might be a good fit,” according to Sari the glass doors and marveled at the shining the Israeli government. giving him a raise. Revkin, executive director of Yedid, a Jerusa- hardwood floors and the walls splashed with Another such American transplant is called “I was apprehensive about working; I had lem-based social welfare organization. green and orange, making this space feel more Mehalev, Hebrew for “from the heart,” and it is never done it before,” he said. “I’ve learned a “The idea [is] not to get people to change like a sleek advertising or architectural firm based on the state of Wisconsin’s welfare-to- lot, most of all that I am capable of working. their motivation and skills,” Revkin said. “It’s than an office to help the unemployed. work plan unveiled in the mid-1990s after the In the past I thought no one would ever hire to get them into a job quickly. With the popu- She found herself in the headquarters of U.S. Congress revamped welfare regulations. me because of my criminal past. lation of new immigrants and Arabs this is STRIVE after not working outside the home One STRIVE participants is Tsivka Ben- “I wake up in the morning and I have very, very problematic.” since her first child was born 15 years ago. Porat, 36 who spent a decade working in hotel somewhere to go. I’m feeling great, and it’s all One of the four program centers in Israel “I lost faith in myself and thought I would kitchens as a cook—he was unemployed for because of thework.” is located in Nazareth, the largest Arab city in never find it again,” said Sharabi, 38, now a several months before finding STRIVE. With Is Mehalev working? The program, how- Israel, where some participants are women mother of four. “Here they have given me so the help of its counselors and coaches, Ben- ever, has met with mixed results and has been older than 50 who have never held jobs and much strength.” Porat is now working at a media company ed- widely denounced in the Israeli media and by have rarely traveled beyond their home villag- Sharabi is part of the expanding Israeli un- iting video, a steppingstone in his new chosen social welfare advocates, who maintain that es. Now they are expected to find employment derclass—a populace that includes the unem- career: communications. Mehalev has backfired. Rather than increase that may carry cultural baggage in the form of ployed, the underemployed and the destitute. The program, he said, “is like being given a employment, detractors charge, the program their husbands’ or families’ disapproval over Many are casualties of what some consider key to life, professionally and personally.” has swelled the ranks of Israelis who receive them working at outside jobs, critics say. draconian economic policies. Another STRIVE participant is Hanan Jaf- neither paychecks nor public assistance. Meanwhile, many workplaces in Arab lo- STRIVE, an intensive work-readiness pro- faly, 32, an Arab Israeli single mother of two A recent report by the National Insurance cales pay below minimum wage. And those gram, is modeled after an initiative of the same who had been in and out of what she described Institute, the Israeli equivalent of the Social Arabs who seek work in predominately Jewish name that began more than 20 years ago in as dead-end customer service jobs for years. Security Administration in the United States, areas such as west Jerusalem sometimes en- Harlem to help women on welfare overcome She supports her children on her own, with no found that the program saved Israel $1.43 mil- counter discrimination and consequently are their severe difficulties in finding and keeping assistance from her family. lion in welfare payments since it began, but refused employment. meaningful jobs. Through STRIVE, Jaffaly is hoping to re- that relatively few of its participants had found However, Roy Newey, group board direc- The program’s core message: Participants alize her goal of eventually becoming a social work, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported. tor for A4E, the British company running the are important as individuals and therefore are worker and finally create a stable, middle-class The savings in welfare payments apparently pilot Mehalev program in Jerusalem, said he worthy not just of make-work employment life for her family. stemmed from people who had dropped out of has seen some success in placing Arab women but of fulfilling careers. Mehalev was designed as a two-year pilot the program and had their payments cut off. in jobs. He cites 15 women who found work That message of personal empowerment program in four Israeli cities. Launched in More than 80 of the Knesset’s 120 members on a mushroom farm near Jerusalem for about and tough love is underscored, its organizers 2005, it was aimed initially at getting at least signed on to proposed legislation recently that $830 a month, the Israeli minimum wage. explain, by the professional and pleasant look half of the country’s 150,000 welfare recipients called for a major overhaul of the program. “They have self-esteem, finances, purpose and feel of the STRIVE offices, as well as the off the public rolls and back to work. Partici- The bill calls for, among other things, cancel- in their lives,” Newey said. “It’s a real success intensive personal guidance that the organi- pants are required to report to employment ing the stipulation that all unemployed people, story.” zation provides its clients for more than two placement centers for 30 hours a week or lose such as single mothers or those with part-time Of the 8,000 participants who have come years after they enroll. their welfare income, which averages about work, participate full time in the program or through the Jerusalem Mehalev, 3,000 have Participants are counseled in everything $380 per month for an individual. lose their welfare benefits. found and kept jobs since they joined the pro- from how to pay off personal debts and find Safi Sasson, 40, has his first job ever after The bill also would provide alternative ar- gram in the past year and a half. creative childcare solutions to discovering and going through the program. He had spent rangements for the disabled, those nearing Role playing for success pursuing an ambitious career path that suits the majority of his adult life involved in petty retirement age, people who speak little or no At the STRIVE office in Tel Aviv—others are their interests and abilities. crime and spent a total of eight years in prison, Hebrew, and others who activists say are hurt planned for Haifa and Jerusalem—a class in how STRIVE is one of at least two programs off and on, for offenses that included selling by the program in its present form. to undergo a group interview is taking place. operating in Israel patterned after Ameri- drugs and theft. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert In keeping with the STRIVE emphasis on can-originated efforts to boost employment Sasson never imagined being able to be a approved the establishment of a government nurturing long-term careers rather than land- among the economically struggling and long- salaried worker, but for the past three months committee that will work to make major ing stopgap jobs, participants are urged to time unemployed. It is funded by the Ameri- he has held down a job as a construction work- changes in the program to address some of dress for success. As a result, the Tel Aviv role these same issues. players are wearing proper business attire-dark Continued from previous page According to Dorit Novack, until recently pants, skirts and button-down shirts. the administrator of Mehalev, in the program’s In preparation for the group interview, a killed in the Holocaust, but those who lived Sari Revkin, who nine years ago founded first year 11,000 job placements were found for common hiring exercise used by Israeli firms, through it are forgotten,” said Flug. the citizens-rights organization Yedid: The As- participants. About double that number ini- half the class is given a problem to solve col- The social welfare crisis in Israel was re- sociation for Community Empowerment, said tially reported to the centers. lectively. The other half observes and provides flected in the 2006 national elections. Instead of the needs of the underclass grow every month Not all the participants stayed in those jobs, feedback on how their classmates performed. national security taking center stage, the social and the government “seems to sink back into however. The figure of 11,000 job placements For example, they evaluate who displayed lead- gaps were a dominant theme in the campaign. silence.” includes those who have been placed in several ership qualities, who was a good team player, Likud was roundly punished through what was “We’ve been put in the position of doing jobs successively, Novack noted. But those fig- who knew how to set priorities and who failed seen in part as backlash against Netanyahu’s what the government should be doing, knowing ures, she said, do constitute progress. to participate sufficiently. economic policies—the party landed only 12 that if we turn people away they will retrench “I am not saying the project has not made “The enthusiasm is catching and they start seats in the Knesset after earning 36 in the pre- into themselves,” she said. “Three thousand new mistakes,” Novack said. “But the main point of believing in themselves, and we see people vious vote. Labor returned to its quasi-socialist people a month come [to us] for help.” this program is trying to help people change with very limited desires jump to much wider roots, promising to deal with the growing gap Meanwhile, R. of Holon awaits an uncertain their future. If they are now working a mini- horizons,” said Amir Natan, 33, a former high- between rich and poor. future. mum-wage job, that is double what they were tech executive who directs STRIVE in Israel. But a few months after the new government “The cell phone company wants to take making on welfare. I would prefer to see every Nearly 90 percent of STRIVE participants came to power with Labor as a partner, the war away my phone, the electricity company says person work as long as they are able physically.” have found jobs. with Hezbollah broke out and the national fo- they are going to cut me off,” she said. “And One of the main differences between the One is Sharabi, who said she plans to start cus again shifted to security issues. there is no government budget to help us, my Wisconsin program in the United States and work as an office clerk, with hopes of eventu- Ironically, though, the war highlighted the social worker tells me.” the Israeli version is the demographic profile ally becoming an accountant. chasm in Israeli society between haves and She gets free food packages from the Israeli of the participants. In the United States, the “My oldest son said he has such fun watch- have-nots. charity Ezer Mizion, which has seen the de- focus is predominately on young, black, single ing me do homework and seeing me interested Those who could afford to leave the North mand for food soar in the past year. mothers. But in Israel, the clients are men and in something,” she said. did so. The poor, however, were left behind to Moshe Traube, the manager of the Holon- women, often older than 40, many of them Sharabi then politely excuses herself from fend for themselves in bomb shelters. Bat Yam branch of the charity, said the tragic immigrants or Arabs. Some have physical or talking about the program to continue par- Without the government to provide suffi- stories of destitution and abandonment he mental disabilities or limited Hebrew-lan- cient help, private social welfare organizations hears constantly can be overwhelming. ticipating in it. The assignment: A role-playing have proliferated in recent years. Such groups “Here the rich get richer and poor get poor- guage skills. workshop aimed at familiarizing clients with were at the forefront of assisting those in the er,” he said. “Everyone has to struggle for him or All told, many participants were funneled the ins and outs of office jobs. North during the Hezbollah war, delivering herself alone.” n into the program by the National Insurance There is still a lot to learn, she says with n food, medicine and psychological care. Institute without an adequate assessment of a smile.

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 29 American Jewry

Many guests at AIPAC event, but one is most unwanted — Iraq by Ron Kampeas WASHINGTON (JTA) — AIPAC’s annual appalled by the advocacy for Bush’s plan to tended the event and gave a closed-door brief- Pelosi delivered her own limited broadside policy conference is truly a come-one, come- increase troop levels in Iraq. ing, said he felt Olmert had crossed a line. against the Iraq war, saying “any U.S. military all event, with a “roll call” at the gala dinner Amy Friedkin, a past AIPAC president who Peretz believes Israelis “should not inter- engagement must be judged on three counts announcing the hundreds of VIPs in atten- is close to Pelosi, stared stonily at Cheney’s fere in a democratic process, especially in a — whether it makes our country safer, our dance. But this year, one uninvited guest kept back as he delivered his warning. country where there is such sensitivity about military stronger or the region more stable. turning up — the Iraq war. The reception to Cheney’s speech was the democratic process,” the officials said. The war in Iraq fails on all three scores.” No matter how hard the American Israel lukewarm at best; he earned no more than AIPAC was circumspect. The organization That earned her light applause and a Public Affairs Committee tried to keep the three standing ovations, and applause was sees the Iran issue “differently” than does Ol- few boos. 6,000 activists at its conference focused on the mostly polite. mert, Block said. In the end, however, delegates dropped consensus issue of Iran’s nuclear threat, Repub- The attempt to force the Iraq issue into “We’re interested in ensuring that Iran whatever they felt about Iraq as they ascended licans and Israeli officials kept bringing up what does not acquire nuclear weapons by ensur- the steps of Capitol Hill. is likely the most divisive issue of the day. ing that every sanction is used,” he said. “We lobby on U.S. and Israeli issues,” said The equation promoted by those who “Stiff sanctions and targeted To be sure, that was the tone set at the Eric Zoller, 30, of West Orange, N.J. Touring support continuing the war is simple: Israel’s conference. his state’s congressional offices in the Cannon security requires a continued U.S. presence in divestments — these will be “Stiff sanctions and targeted divestments Building for House members, he said Iraq Iraq, and questioning President Bush’s policy — these will be our focus as we work to keep was “no issue.” is tantamount to undermining Israel and the our focus as we work to keep the pressure on Iran,” AIPAC Executive Direc- Benny Schechter, 51, a wholesaler from United States. tor Howard Kohr said, speaking at the same Coral Gables, Fla., noted Olmert’s appeal to “When America succeeds in Iraq, Israel the pressure on Iran,” session as Cheney. make Iraq an issue — but he rejected it. is safer,” Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert The focus was a new sanctions act, co- “This is not an issue that we want to raise,” – AIPAC Executive Director Howard Kohr said in a live satellite address from his Jerusa- sponsored by Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), Schechter said after meeting with Rep. Ciro lem home that capped the gala dinner. “The the AIPAC conference appeared coordinated chairman of the House Foreign Relations Rodriguez (D-Texas). friends of Israel know it, the friends who care in part by the White House. AIPAC closed Committee, and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Stopping Iran from getting nuclear weap- about Israel know it. They will keep the Amer- Lieberman’s session Monday to the press, (R-Fla.), its ranking member. ons is the bottom line, Schechter said. icans strong, powerful and convincing.” though it had been touted as being open. That “Chairman Lantos’ legislation prohibits “If that happens, the war in Iraq means Vice President Dick Cheney was even kept his message of support for the troop Iranian-owned state banks from using the nothing,” he said. “We have a limited time and more blunt. surge out of the headlines – for 24 hours. American banking system,” Pelosi said in her we need to pick what issues are important.” n “Friends owe it to friends to be as candid as Lieberman’s office distributed the remarks remarks. “In terms of diplomacy, it proposes that we use our influence with Russia and Chi- possible,” he said. “My friends, it is simply not Tuesday, and within minutes they were for- Rachel Mauro and Gabe Ross in Washington na to encourage them to join the world com- consistent for anyone to demand aggressive warded to Jewish leaders by the White House contributed to this story. action against the menace that is posed by the liaison to the Jewish community with a note munity in opposing Iran’s nuclear program.” Iranian regime while at the same time acqui- labeling them as “important.” escing in a retreat from Iraq that would leave It did not help AIPAC’s case for biparti- Israel’s best friend, the United States, danger- sanship that the lobby this week successfully ously weakened.” pressed for the removal of a provision in an Report: U.S. anti-Semitism falls, but The equation infuriated Democrats. Iraq war funding bill that would have required The sniping on Iraq — at one point it de- the president to get congressional approval for ADL counsels warniness volved into scattered boos for Rep. Nancy Pe- war against Iran. By Ben Harris losi (D-Calif.), the speaker of the U.S. House Many Democrats favored the provision NEW YORK (JTA) Anti-Defamation League crime statistics as well as information proof Representatives — ran counter to AIPAC because it reasserted Congress’ constitutional officials were sounding a cautionary note vided to the ADL’s 30 regional offices around billing that the event would be an unmatched role in declaring war, which some charge Bush following the release of the group’s annual the country, and includes both criminal and show of bipartisan support for Israel. has eroded in Iraq. AIPAC and some other Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents showing that non-criminal activity. But a spokesman for the pro-Israel lobby Democrats close to Israel feared the clause attacks against Jewish targets in the United The highest number of attacks were re- powerhouse said the Iraq issue did not detract would restrain Bush as he pushes Iran to come States declined for a second straight year. ported in heavily Jewish districts in the clean about its nuclear program. from the conference’s focus. The audit, released month, reported Northeast, California and Florida, reflect- “I don’t know that you need to put in a “Our focus is on the things we’re lobbying 1,554 incidents against Jewish individuals or ing both the number of Jewish targets there on,” Josh Block said. supplemental budget bill that you believe in community institutions in the United States, and the increased reporting of anti-Semitic The March 12 gala dinner drew half the the U.S. Constitution,” Rep. Gary Ackerman a 12 percent drop from the 1,757 reported incidents in areas where the community is U.S. Senate and more than half the House. (D-N.Y.), a Jewish congressman who sup- in 2005. robust and the ADL enjoys a strong relation- It featured addresses by Sen. Harry Reid (D- ported leaving out the Iran provision, told In 2006 there were 669 acts of vandalism, ship with law enforcement. Nev.), the Senate majority leader, and Sen. JTA. “That should be obvious. a slight increase from the previous year, while New York had the most reported inci- Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), its minority leader. “If you’re trying to get a terrorist rogue incidents of harassment or assault dropped dents with 284, followed by New Jersey with The next morning, Pelosi and Rep. John regime to give up its weapons,” he said, “you substantially, from 1,140 to 885. 244, California with 204 and Florida with Boehner (R-Ohio), the House minority lead- should get them to think maybe we’re as crazy “The audit is just one measure of anti- 179 all of which were down from last year. er, headlined the traditional Tuesday-morning as they think we are.” Semitism in the United States,” said ADL Na- Connecticut and Illinois saw significant in- sendoff to the Capitol for a day of lobbying. On Monday night, Olmert appeared to be tional Director Abraham Foxman. “There is creases, with the latter nearly doubling from McConnell and Boehner also attempted to making a pitch for removing the provision. also an onslaught of anti-Semitism out there 30 incidents to 56. Massachusetts saw a mod- build support for the administration’s recent “President George W. Bush is the only in blogs, e-mails and Web sites and most est increase, from 93 to 96. deployment of more than 20,000 additional leader and the United States is the only coun- significantly in conspiracy theories about Two trends the league identifies as “on- troops to Iraq. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I- try that can be of enormous influence on alleged Jewish power which have even pen- going factors” anti-Semitism in middle and Conn.) made it the centerpiece of his speech. what the Iranians will do,” he said. “They are “There is something profoundly wrong the only ones that can confront effectively the etrated the mainstream that simply cannot high schools and on college campuses both when, in the face of attacks by radical Islam, aggressiveness of the Iranians in their plans to be quantified.” declined in 2006. we think we can find safety and stability by build up nuclear capacity. Glen Lewy, the ADL’s national chair, ADL leaders seemed to downplay what pulling back, by talking to and accommodat- “I know that all of you, friends of the State sounded a similar tone, noting that despite appears to be good news. ing our enemies, and abandoning our friends of Israel, well-wishers of the State of Israel, all the decline, approximately four anti-Semitic Foxman told JTA that notwithstanding and allies,” Lieberman said to a group that he of you who are concerned about the security attacks occur daily in the United States. yearly fluctuations, the number of incidents likes to call “family.” and the future of the State of Israel, under- Among those was a shooting attack last appears to have “settled” around 1,500 over the “Some of this wrong-headed thinking stand the importance of strong American summer on the Jewish federation offices in past 15 years, despite the community being “at about the world is happening because we’re in a leadership addressing the Iranian threat, and Seattle in which the federation’s assistant di- the maximum” in terms of awareness, commit- political climate where, for many people, when I am sure you will not hamper or restrain that rector, Pamela Waechter, was killed and five ment to reporting and investment in security. George Bush says yes, their reflex reaction is to strong leadership unnecessarily.” people were wounded. “There’s no trend established,” Foxman say no,” he said. “That is unacceptable.” Democrats said they were stunned by what The alleged gunman was Naveed Afzal said. “What we’re concerned about, there is Democrats, speaking on background, said they considered Israeli intervention in the U.S. Haq, an American of Pakistani descent ap- this leveling-off which is troubling, because they were unsettled by how Iraq kept intrud- political process. parently motivated by anger over U.S. sup- we’re not seeing a trend for the elimination ing into an event dedicated to securing Israel. They weren’t the only ones. Officials close port for Israel. of anti-Semitic incidents.” n Some top AIPAC officials also appeared to Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who at- Data in the audit is compiled from official

Page 30 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 American Jewry IZENBERG

New study finds more U.S. Jews; the HING challenge is how to engage them By Jacob Berkman BEIL NEW YORK (JTA)—A new study gives fairly work or social engagements, Saxe said. concrete evidence that the American Jew- When the survey did find Jews at home, ish population could be more than 1 million there was a greater-than-average chance that SHERICK people larger than believed—but if so, it means they were Orthodox, who tend not to eat out efforts to engage them may have been less suc- and have familial obligations at a younger age, cessful than the community realized. he said. The United Jewish Communities’ National Especially in today’s cell phone age, some Jewish Population Survey 2000-01 was widely young Jews may not even have land lines, giving viewed as flawed. Still, the Jewish community surveyors virtually no chance of reaching them. held to the survey’s estimate that there were 5.2 In all, the NJPS underestimated the total million American Jews. number of children by up to 30,000 per age co- But even using the same criteria as UJC did hort, according to the new study. to define who is Jewish, it’s more likely that The NJPS estimates that 29 percent of Jew- there are 6 million to 6.4 million American ish children attend day school. But if there are a Trust the cosmetic surgery experts. Jews, according to a report released last month few hundred thousand more children than be- by a team of sociologists at the Steinhardt So- lieved, the percentage attending day schools is WHEN CONSIDERING COSMETIC SURGERY, COSMETIC SURGERY cial Research Institute at Brandeis University. correspondingly lower, Saxe said in his study. If a broader definition of Jewishness is used, The new report also represents a challenge the most important decision you can make for the face, the number could be as high as 7.4 million, ac- to the federation system, which already knew it is to put your trust in a physician who is breast, and body cording to Len Saxe, a Brandeis professor and was collecting fewer dollars from fewer donors, head of the Steinhardt research center, who led but now must consider that it is actually receiv- medically trained and credentialed in the AESTHETICSERVICES the report. ing money from an even smaller percentage of procedures of interest. The Center for Plastic Saxe’s study suggests a larger, more diverse its donor base. Botox ® Cosmetic and less affiliated community than did the If Saxe is correct, the undercounting of & Reconstructive Surgery is the most experienced Restylane® NJPS. The two surveys present very different Jews in their 20s means that even successful private plastic surgery practice in southeastern ® narratives, Saxe said. programs, such as birthright israel, will have to Radiesse The difference, he says, can be seen in the redouble their efforts. Michigan, and all of our physicians are board- Juvederm® opening chapters of Scott Shay’s new book, Steinhardt made his statement several days certified in plastic surgery. Pixel Laser “Getting our Groove Back: How to Energize before Feb. 6, when the Adelson Family Chari- American Jewry.” Drawing on the NJPS results, table Foundation pledged $25 million a year to Photo Facial Their skill is matched by an Aesthetics team of the opening chapters paint American Jewry as birthright for the next several years. Microdermabrasion a melting ice cube. But the U.S. Jewish popula- The growing wait list for birthright is- nurses and clinicians who are also credentialed tion is actually growing, Saxe says. rael trips could provide anecdotal backing for Laser Vein Treatments That implies two very different motives for Saxe’s findings, according to Jeffrey Solomon, in their specialties. So consider carefully, and Advanced Skin Care communal programing. One is alarmist: If the president of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman trust our team of experts to enhance your Permanent Makeup Jewish community is rapidly shrinking, then it Philanthropies. In North America, there were must be saved. The other is optimistic: More more birthright applicants last year than young look— and your life. Therapeutic Massage potential Jews means more people to bring Jews having bar and bat mitzvahs. back to the core. For the organized Jewish world, the chal- But the numbers suggest that the commu- lenge is to reach the demographic of Jews be- Call for a confidential consultation: 734 712-2323 nity, even if it is growing, has not been effective tween college entry and marriage, about an in certain areas—penetrating a much smaller 11-year period. portion of the Jewish population than previ- “Those years are especially important to Paul Izenberg, MD David Hing, MD ously thought—and it will take more program- identity forming, but at the same time there Richard Beil, MD Daniel Sherick, MD ming to reach the underaffiliated. That also is very little in Jewish life that targets that age means significantly more philanthropic fund- group,” Solomon said. “It is time for us to Board certified by the ing will be needed, Saxe said. play a little catch-up and see this as an enor- American Board of Plastic Surgery Philanthropists such as Michael Steinhardt, mous opportunity.” Members, American Society of who funds Saxe’s institute, are looking at the But it’s not time to panic, according to Aesthetic Plastic Surgery new numbers as a rallying call. Sanford Cardin, executive director of the www.cprs-aa.com “What is of great concern is the fact that Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family the institutional Jewish world is serving fewer Foundation, a major funder of programs Reichert Health Center, Suites 5001 & 5008, Ann Arbor Offices in Brighton, Chelsea, and Saline people, less meaningfully than we thought that target young Jews. before,” Steinhardt told JTA before the report The challenge is the same whether there came out. are 5.4 million American Jews or more than Another recent survey conducted by sociol- 6 million, Cardin said. While more phil- ogist Ira Sheskin comes to a similar conclusion, anthropic dollars are needed, it’s up to the but Saxe’s study involved a “meta-analysis” of organized Jewish world to create excitement some three dozen government and private about Judaism that the will inspire people to foundation surveys that query religion. return to the fold, and that’s not a function A painstaking process that involves not only only of the amount of programming. analyzing the data but calibrating each survey “Jewish life is not about providing services to make sure they all use the same statistical and programs,” Cardin said. “It is about at- language, the meta-analysis provides a more tracting, engaging and infusing people with a accurate portrait than the NJPS, Saxe said. way of living that they can choose to live. The surveys Saxe used generally are more “Ultimately this isn’t about creating a pot extensive and thorough than the NJPS and, of money. This is about sparking renewed he said, are better at finding Jews by birth and interest and understanding of Jewish life by self-identity. The NJPS also missed Jews on a large number of Jewish people,” he said. college campuses. “It’s about reaching the individual. And the But the biggest discrepancy is that most of way that is going to work is more viral and the calls for the NJPS surveys were made dur- through a network.” n ing early evening hours, when many Jews in their 20s and early 30s are not home because of

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 31 On Another Note

Listening to the music of Borat Sandor Slomovits, staff writer n her opening monologue at the 2007 The Borat soundtrack CD contains most meters, while at the same time creating ideal Academy Awards Show, host Ellen De- of the music from the film, though it does straight-man foils for Baron Cohen’s words. IGeneres joked, “If there weren’t blacks, not include Harry Nilsson’s version of the The CD opens with the wild vocaliza- Jews and gays, there would be no Oscars.” Fred Neil song “Everybody Talking At Me” tions of Esma Redžepova, a well known, at It’s probably equally true that without from the 1960’s classic, Midnight Cowboy, least in her part of the world, Roma singer those populations, along with the virulent another film about a man wildly, albeit un- and songwriter from Yugoslavia. Her “Chaje prejudices they inspire in some Americans, consciously, out of his element. It also does Shukarije” is, like much of the music here, there would be no movie Borat. not have Steppenwolf’s heavy metal version a compelling blend of the raw, unprocessed of “Born To Be Wild” which accompanies elements often heard in traditional folk mu- Borat as he heads out on his cross-country sic, and the more polished arrangements and journey to find and marry the lust of his studio wizardry of modern pop music. (By life, Pamela Anderson of Babe, uh… sorry, the way, she is suing Baron Cohen because Bay Watch. Instead, there is a version of the she claims he used her song without permis- song recorded by Fanfare Giocarlia, a terrific sion. She will have to take a number. There are 12-piece Roma brass band from Romania. apparently a number of people who appear The song is given a different rhythm and the in the film who are also suing because they chorus, just the title repeated, is sung in Bal- don’t like the way they were portrayed.) kan inflected English. The verses are sung in The soundtrack CD features the work of a Roma, Romanian or some unidentified, and number of other prominent Balkan and East- possibly fake language. ern European composers, instrumentalists The CD also, and I quote from the cover, and singers and ranges from acoustic brass “Contains bonus purchasing incentives, in- band to synthesized, sampled and electronic cludings unseen footages from Borat mov- music. Names like Goran Bregović, Stefan De Now that the hoopla about the controver- iefilm and romantics lovesong about my La Barbulesti and German Popov, are all well sial comedy has died down a bit, now that dead wife.” In addition to the soundtrack, known in Europe and the Balkans and de- its creator and star, Sacha Baron Cohen is no there are in fact two brief scenes from the longer doing all his promotional interviews movie, one of Baron Cohen “studying” with in character, now that some of the furor has a humor coach, and the promotional video faded about the film’s politically incorrect that accompanies the singing of the Kazakh- (to put it mildly) content, not to mention its stan National Anthem. The only “unseen heavy reliance on anti-Semitic set pieces (de- footages” is a hilarious one of Borat grilling spite that, Borat, it turns out, is very popular a supermarket manager about the contents in Israel), now that the film has received an of his cheese aisle. Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screen- The CD cover stays in character with the play (it didn’t win), now that Baron Cohen film, using the same fractured grammar that has been nominated for a Golden Globe Borat used in the movie. It shows the full Award for best actor in a musical or comedy title, “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America (he won), now that the movie is even out on for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakh- DVD, I get to focus on an aspect of the film stan,” and adds the following, “Stereophonic that has gone mostly unnoticed—the music. Musical Listenings That Have Been Origin I didn’t go to see Borat when it came out In Moving Film.” The effect is somewhat last November. My wife did, and long fa- spoiled by the correct grammar of the “Pa- serve to be heard here more often as well. All miliar with my aversion to certain comedy rental Advisory – Explicit Content” notice in of this music reflects the traditional roots, of- genres, she reported, “You may not like it.” the lower right corner. ten Gypsy, of these musicians, but also shows A friend gave me a two-sentence review that The CD also includes songs that are not that they have listened to, absorbed and in- also didn’t inspire me to go. “Worst movie I in the movie such as the infamous set piece, corporated modern pop and even rap, new ever saw. I laughed my a—off.” “Throw the Jew Down the Well” that has age and world music influences. But then another friend told me that been featured on Baron Cohen’s Da Ali G If you liked the humor of the movie, you’ll the soundtrack was great, that it consisted show, and which was filmed live in a country love Baron Cohen’s songs, as well as the bits of a lot of traditional Balkan and Eastern western bar in Tucson, Arizona where Baron of dialog from the movie that he intersperses European music. So, I listened, and agreed, Cohen got the bar patrons to enthusiastically between the cuts. (though most of it, as it happens, is not tra- sing along on the chorus. It also includes “You If you hated the movie, there is still plenty ditional, but modern music influenced by Be My Wife,” the “romantics lovesong about of music here I think you will enjoy. And, if those styles) and decided I should go to see my dead wife,” with fantastically feminist you don’t want to listen repeatedly to Baron the movie. friendly lyrics—NOT. Baron Cohen wrote Cohen’s shticks, you can do what I did. After I wanted to be sure I got my money’s the words to both these songs, as well as to buying the CD, I burned my own copy, edit- worth so I waited till the end of February his fictional Kazakhstan National Anthem, ing it to include only the songs and instru- and saw Borat at Briarwood on a Tuesday which is side-splittingly funny—unless you mentals I wanted. night for 50 cents. It was worth every bit of happen to be from Kazakhstan. Baron Co- Oh, and you know how we Jews are about those two bits—and then some. Even though hen’s brother, Erran, a well-respected Brit- money. I bought the Borat soundtrack CD— I didn’t laugh my tochis off, well, not all of ish trumpet player and composer wrote the used—at Encore Recordings for eight bucks. it anyway. well-crafted music for all of Sacha’s lyrics. Fifty cents for the movie, eight bucks for But, enough already. This is not a movie He manages to make musical sense of the the music. Such a deal. n review, but a music column. humorous and deliberately uneven poetic

Page 32 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Passover

Passover on the internet Passover marks the birth of the Jews as a people and their emergence as a unique nation in history, devoted to God’s will. It celebrates the liberation of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt over 3,000 years ago, under the leadership of Moses. This year Passover begins on Monday night, April 2. The J Site - Jewish Education and Entertainment www.j.co.il has several entertaining features for Passover: Additional Passover resources and games on the J site include: • Free Passover Clipart • The Multilingual Hangman Game (English / Hebrew) • The Multilingual Word Search Game (English / Hebrew / Russian) • My Jewish Coloring Book (online / offline) • Hebrew Passover Songs with Vowels (Nikud) The J site has something for everyone, but if that is not enough, posted on the website are 162 links about Passover, ranging from laws and customs to games and recipes. Site languages include English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, French, Portugese, Italian and German. The web address is: www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaypa.htm

Deir Yassin from page 2 the dissident Jewish militia, the Irgun, had rusalem. In intense fighting, lasting for days, earlier tossed a bomb at Arab workers at a control of the key village see-sawed back and bus stop outside the refinery. The massacre forth. While it raged, on April 9, Irgun-Lehi of Jewish workers was revenged by a Haga- forces on their own initiative attacked Deir nah strike against civilians in the neighbor- Yassin, two kilometers south of al-Kastel. In hood where many Arab refinery workers the course of and after that battle, Jewish lived. fighters brutally killed over 100 non-com- On February 5, in Damascus, Palestin- batant civilians. Details of the massacre, and ian military planners met and divided Pal- various accounts of the levels of provoca- estine into four zones. Jewish kibbutzim in tion, military necessity and authority justi- the Galilee and Samaria were to be attacked fying the action, are fairly delineated in the by the Arab Liberation Army, a force of Pal- Wikipedia article on the massacre. estinians and volunteers from across the Palestine Radio broadcast exaggerated Middle East, under the command of former and fabricated details of the Deir Yassin German Wehrmacht officer Fawzi al-Qu- massacre. Expecting to rouse Arab states to wakji. Abdul Khader Husseini (The Mufti’s indignation and therefore “come to liber- cousin) would command the Mufti’s forces ate Palestine from the Jews,” editor Hazem in the Jerusalem district, while the Lydda Nusseibeh and Hussein Khalidi of the Arab area would report to Mufti loyalist Hassan Higher Committee miscalculated. Their Salame. Both Palestinian commanders were broadcasts sowed panic among Palestinians. graduates of Nazi SS commando training. “This was our biggest mistake,” Hassan (Salame’s son would go on to perpetrate the Nusseibeh, former Palestine Broadcasting Munich Olympics massacre of Israeli ath- Service Arabic News editor, told BBC docu- letes). Southern areas of Palestine were to be mentary filmmakers. “We did not realize under an Egyptian commander. how our people would react. As soon as they Both Jews and Arabs quickly realized that heard that women had been raped at Deir the scattered Jewish enclaves earmarked for Yassin, Palestinians fled in terror The[ Fifty independence were especially vulnerable to Years’ War: Israel and the Arabs (1998)]. being cut off from one another by merely On April 13, Arab village militia fighters closing the roads between them. Abdul Khad- wreaked revenge for Deir Yassin. Ambushing er Husseini announced a plan to “strangle Je- a medical convoy to Hadassah Hospital, the rusalem,” to starve the city’s Jews (16 percent militiamen massacred 78 Jewish nurses and of all Jews in the Palestinian region) into sub- doctors, dousing with gasoline and burning mission by cutting the highway linking Tel alive the bleeding wounded. Aviv with Jerusalem. This road, Jerusalem’s A Deir Yassin “Wheels of Justice Tour,” sole supply route, winds through a narrow sponsored by Deir Yassin Remembered or- gorge. Abdel Khader organized villagers on ganization, has already presented at over the hilltops to snipe at the Jewish trucks, 4,000 venues in 48 states during the past sweep down the steep mountainsides and four years, according to their web site. About to ambush the Jewish food convoys. By late half of their appearances have been at high March 1948, the vital connecting road was schools, colleges and universities where they cut. Jerusalem was under siege. No food got tell a version of the Deir Yassin that carefully through. By April, the shortages had become avoids any mention of the Mufti, the Pales- critical. Severe rationing of water and food tinian SS commandos, their siege to “strangle was in effect and Jerusalem’s Jewish defenders Jerusalem,” the desperate fight to open the feared food riots would sweep the city. road to Jerusalem, or the massacre of Hadas- Suffering defeats at the hand of Palestin- sah medical personnel. Henry Herskovitz, a ian militias, and facing an invasion by Arab retired mechanical engineer on the board of armies the moment British troops left, the directors of Der Yassin Remembered, has in- Haganah changed strategy. It went over to vited Daniel McGowan, its founder, to join the offensive, beginning by uprooting Pal- him April 7 in picketing Beth Israel Congre- estinian communities “unsystematically and gation, where he weekly taunts families ar- without a general policy” in order to open riving for Sabbath services. internal lines of communication and deny bases to militias, explains historian Bennie Wikipedia was used a source for this article. Morris (“And Now for Some Facts” in The Also, thanks to Dan Cutler for the Einstein New Republic, May 8, 2006). quotes. View Cutler’s project on Albert Ein- On April 6, the Haganah took al-Qastal, a stein’s Zionism by following the link on www. n town overlooking the highway as it enters Je- dancutlermedicalart.com Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 33 Calendar

April 2007 15 minute drive from UM Hillel. Fill a taxi roundtrip transportation on JFS CareVan, if finished piece of pottery and let your artistic and Hillel will pay. Full kosher dinner. Check needed. Contact Nina Dmitrieva at nina@jf- abilities loose. Paint and glaze your own work Sunday 1 www.sitemaker.umich.edu/gap/home for sannarbor.org or 769-0209 for information. of art and your masterpiece will be fired in the Reading Hebrew through the Prayer Book–for more information. Mystical Insights to the Torah—for Women: kiln and ready in a week. Bring a dairy lunch. Women: Chabad. An in-depth study into the Wednesday 4 Chabad. Learn more about the mystical di- 8 a.m.–4 p.m. with extended care from 4–6 prayer book, an overview of the weekly Torah Morning Passover Services: AAOM. Held at UM mensions of the Torah. 1 hour before sun- p.m. at the JCC. $35/program; $33/additional reading, with Jewish philosophy. 9:30 a.m. at Hillel. Call 662-5805 for time. down at Chabad House. Every Saturday. siblings; $8/extended care per child. Contact Chabad House. Every Sunday. Craig Pollack at 971-0990 or email craigpol- Morning Passover Services: BIC. 9:30 a.m. Laws of Shabbat–Jewish Ethics: Chabad. Study Schmooze: Jewish Cultural Society. “Historical [email protected]. Evening Passover Services: BIC. 6 p.m. group code of law for Shabbat, and study of Evidence of the Flood.” UM professor Steven Jewish Ethics, 1/2 hour before sundown at Concert Outing for Older Adults: JFS. Hear Per- Segal shares his research about whether this Meditation: TBE. 7:30 p.m. Chabad House. Every Saturday. shin’s Own Brass Quintet Band at Britton Recital biblical event actually happened. 10 a.m.– Thursday 5 Shabbat services: See listing at the end of the calendar. Hall. 8 p.m. $6/transportation on JFS CareVan, if noon at the JCC. Passover Vacation Fun Day: JCC–Youth Depart- needed. Contact Nina Dmitrieva at nina@jfsan- Tanya–Jewish Mysticism: Chabad. Delve into ment. Take a high velocity rocket ship to the Sunday 8 narbor.org or 769-0209 for information. the basic text of Chassidism and open your Red Planet with the space explorers at the U- Reading Hebrew through the Prayer Book–for Women: Chabad. An in-depth study into the Thursday 12 eyes to the beauty of Judaism. 10:30 a.m. at M Natural History Museum. For JCC mem- Passover Vacation Fun Day: JCC–Youth Depart- Chabad House. Every Sunday. bers only. A Passover lunch will be provided. prayer book, an overview of the weekly Torah reading, with Jewish philosophy. 9:30 a.m. at ment. Enjoy Carnival Time at the JCC (for JCC Evening Minyan: BIC. 7:30 p.m. 8 a.m.–4 p.m. with extended care from 4–6 Chabad House. Every Sunday. members only). Play games along the carnival Rabbi’s Class #2: TBE. Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), Job p.m. at the JCC. $35/program; $33/additional boardwalk, compete in relay races, break a pi- Tanya–Jewish Mysticism: Chabad. Delve into and Maimonides. 7:45 p.m. siblings; $8/extended care per child. Contact ñata, watch a movie on the giant screen with Craig Pollack at 971-0990 or email craigpol- the basic text of Chassidism and open your Jewish Concepts–for Women: Chabad. Learning popcorn included and more. Bring a dairy [email protected]. eyes to the beauty of Judaism. 10:30 a.m. at lunch. 8 a.m.–4 p.m. with extended care from the deeper meanings to the Jewish way of life. Chabad House. Every Sunday. 8 p.m. at Chabad House. Every Sunday. Prayer, Weekly Torah Reading and Jewish Phi- 4–6 p.m. at the JCC. $35/program; $33/ad- losophy–for Women: Chabad. 9 a.m. at the Services: BIC. Mincha Maariv service. 7:30 p.m. ditional siblings; $8/extended care per child. Monday 2 JCC. Every Thursday. Evening Passover Services: AAOM: 7:45 p.m. at Contact Craig Pollack at 971-0990 or email Shaharit Minyan and Siyyum: BIC. Minyan fol- SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Fitness Fun with UM Hillel. [email protected]. lowed by completion of study of a section of Maria Farquhar, 10–noon, $4 or 3/$10; Cur- Jewish Concepts–for Women: Chabad. Learn- Prayer, Weekly Torah reading and Jewish Phi- traditional text to provide a “seudat mitzvah,” rent Events with Heather Donbey. 11 a.m.– ing the deeper meanings to the Jewish way of losophy–for Women: Chabad. 9 a.m. at the a celebratory meal following completion of noon; $3 Kosher Lunch, noon; Guest Presen- life. 8 p.m. at Chabad House. Every Sunday. JCC. Every Thursday. a commandment. Conducted by Rabbi Do- tations (varied), 1 p.m. at the JCC. brusin. Light hametz breakfast served. Per- Monday 9 SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Fitness Fun with missible even for those who would otherwise Guest Presentation: JCC Seniors. “Shalom Morning Passover Services: AAOM. Held at Maria Farquhar, 10–noon, $4 or 3/$10; Cur- fast, such as the first born in recognition of Y’All” student presentation. Students from UM Hillel. Call 662-5805 for time. rent Events with Heather Donbey. 11 a.m.– noon; $3 Kosher Lunch, noon; Guest Presen- Erev Pesach, a “taanit bechorot.” 7–8 a.m. at Sol Drachler Program share stories and pho- Morning Passover Services: BIC. 9:30 a.m. tos of their visit to Jews in the deep South. 1 tations (varied), 1 p.m. at the JCC. Garfunkel Schteingart Activity Center, 2010 Passover Yiskor Service and Lunch: TBE. 11 a.m. Washtenaw Ave. p.m. at the JCC. Civic Life and Community Engagement Series: SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Fitness Fun with SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Fitness Fun with Senior Seder: JCC Older Adult Programs and JCC–Older Adult Programs. Guest presenter Jewish Family Services. Join the JCC and Maria Farquhar, 11 a.m.–noon, $4/session Marti Bombyk, L.M.S.W., PhD, will speak on Maria Farquhar, 11 a.m.–noon, $4/session or $10/3 sessions; $3 Buffet of Dairy De- or $10/3 sessions; $3 Buffet of Dairy De- JFS for a community-wide traditional seder “Civic Engagement in the Neighborhood: Build- for older adults and their families. $15/meal, lights, noon; Writing Group; express yourself ing Community from the Ground Up.” Part of lights, noon; Writing Group; express yourself through personal recollections, poetry and through personal recollections, poetry and transportation available. 4–6 p.m. at the JCC. a new series aligned with Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti RSVP by 3/22 to Abbie Lawrence Jacobson at fiction. No previous writing experience re- Reads program and University of Michigan fiction. No previous writing experience required, 1–2:30 p.m. Every Monday. quired, 1–2:30 p.m. Every Monday. 769-0209. Theme Semester. 1 p.m. at the JCC. For informa- Jewish Learning Institute (JLI): Chabad. A tion, contact Laurie Wechter at 971-0990 or Ab- Mincha Service: BIC. 6 p.m. English as a Second Language Evening Classes: JFS. Ongoing Thursday evenings 6–9 p.m. at chance to explore modern cases actually bie Lawrence Jacobson at 769-0209. Evening Passover Services: AAOM: 7:40 p.m. at Jewish Family Services, 625 State Circle Drive. brought before the courts of Jewish law and Concert Outing for Older Adults: JFS. Hear a Pi- UM Hillel. Contact Jewish Family Services at 769-0209 to examine the reasoning behind the deci- ano Recital with a guest artist at Britton Recital First Night Seder: Chabad. A traditional seder, or email [email protected] for more in- sions. You get to be the judge as you take the Hall. 8 p.m. $6/transportation on JFS CareVan, if full of Chasidic and mystical insights into formation. “driver’s seat” to steer your way through Jew- needed. Contact Nina Dmitrieva at nina@jfsan- the hagaddah. Festive homemade meal with ish law. 7:30–9 p.m. at the JCC. Talmud Study Group–Jewish Civil Law: Chabad. narbor.org or 769-0209 for information. new and old friends. 8 p.m. at Chabad. $30/ Sharpen your wits and knowledge of the Jew- Evening Passover Services: BIC. 7:30 p.m. Pass- Talmud Study Group–Jewish Civil Law: Chabad. community members; $10/newly Americans; ish legal system by following the intriguing over Mincha service, no Maariv. Sharpen your wits and knowledge of the Jew- $18/students Reservations required. Reserve discussions in the Talmud. The Talmud is a Evening Passover Services: AAOM: 7:45 p.m. at ish legal system by following the intriguing at www.jewmich.com, email info@jewmich. composite of practical law, logical argumen- UM Hillel. discussions in the Talmud. The Talmud is a com, or call 995-3276. tation and moral teachings. Study of the origi- Tuesday 10 composite of practical law, logical argumen- Tuesday 3 nal Talmud tractate Bava Metziah chapter 6. 8 Morning Passover Services: AAOM. Held at tation and moral teachings. Study of the origi- Morning Passover Services: AAOM. Held at UM p.m. Every Thursday. UM Hillel. Call 662-5805 for time. nal Talmud tractate Bava Metziah chapter 6. 8 Hillel. Call 662-5805 for time. p.m. Every Thursday. Friday 6 Morning Passover Services: BIC. Passover Ser- Morning Passover Services: BIC. 7:30 a.m. Passover Vacation Fun Day: JCC–Youth Depart- vice at 9:30 a.m. (with Yizkor at approximate- Friday 13 SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Arts and Crafts– ment. Dominos Farms Petting Zoo and Hay- ly 11:00 a.m.) Passover Vacation Fun Day: JCC–Youth De- bring something that you are working on ride for JCC members/Hebrew Day School SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Arts and Crafts– partment. Toledo Zoo Trip for JCC mem- or participate in a group project. Coffee and students only. Take a seat on a hay bale in bring something that you are working on or bers only. Bring a dairy lunch. 8 a.m.–4 p.m. noshes provided, 10:30–noon; Mah Jongg, the barn and watch the newest members of participate in a group project. Today’s proj- with extended care from 4–6 p.m. at the JCC. Noon–2:30 p.m. Every Tuesday. the barnyard strut their stuff, visit the pet- ect: make your own greeting cards. Bring $35/program; $33/additional siblings; $8/ex- Opera Workshop Outing: JFS. Watch a perfor- ting area, and take an old-fashioned hayride. paper, ribbons and other materials. Coffee tended care per child. Contact Craig Pollack at mance of a 19th century opera workshop at the Passover lunch will be provided. 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and noshes provided, 10:30–noon; Ma Jongg, 971-0990 or email [email protected]. UM McIntosh Theatre. $6/roundtrip fare on with extended care from 4–6 p.m. at the JCC. Noon–2:30 p.m. Every Tuesday. Matinee Musicale: JCC–Older Adult Programs. $35/program; $33/additional siblings; $8/ex- JFS CareVan, if needed. Contact Nina Dmit- Break Passover: TNT of TBE. Break Passover Enjoy coffee, cake and conversation plus a tended care per child. Contact Craig Pollack at rieva at [email protected] or 769-0209. with the ‘Twenties and Thirties” Group at 7 musical performance by Arie Lipsky and 971-0990 or email [email protected]. Evening Passover Services: BIC. Mincha services p.m. at Pizza House. Friends from the Ann Arbor Symphony Or- Weekly Yiddish-speaking Group: JCC Seniors. chestra. 1:30–3:30 p.m. at the JCC. $7/person. at 6 p.m. Evening Entertainment Excursion: JCC–Older Meets at a private home every week except For information, contact Laurie Wechter at Second Night Seder: TBE. 6 p.m. Adult Programs. Enjoy an evening of music when monthly group meets at JCC. 1:30–3 [email protected] or call 971-0990 or with a trip to see the University Choir and Second Night Seder: Jewish Cultural Society. p.m. Call 971-0990. Abbie Lawrence Jacobson at abbie@jfsAnnar- Orpheus Singers at the UM’s Hill Audito- Secular Humanistic seder. Dairy/veggie pot- bor.org or call 769-0209. luck provided by B’nai Mitzvah families. First Friday Shabbat: Observance and Naming rium. $6 for transportation. 7:15 p.m. Meet Beverages and wine provided. Donations re- Ceremony: Jewish Cultural Society. Human- at the JCC. RSVP by 4/1 to Laurie Wechter Yiddish Movie Day: JCC Seniors. Monthly Yid- quested for adult guests. Children welcome. istic service and potluck veggie dinner. Nam- at 971-0990 or Abbie Lawrence Jacobson at dish-speaking group meets the second Fri- 6:30–8 p.m. at the JCC. ing ceremony for second grade class. 6:30–8:30 769-0209. day of each month with a planned program p.m. at the JCC. For information, visit www. of Yiddish films. Today’s Yiddish film, with Evening Passover Services: BIC. 7:30 p.m. Pass- Evening Passover Services: AAOM: 7:40 p.m. at jewishculturalsociety.org or phone 975-9872. Czech subtitles, is The Shop on Main Street. UM Hillel. over Mincha service, no Maariv. Friday evening services: See listing at the end of 1:30 p.m. at the JCC in the Newman Room. Moshiach’s Dinner: Chabad. Festive homemade Second Night Seder: Chabad. A traditional seder, the calendar. Call 971-0990 for information. meal with new and old friends at the end of Pass- full of inspiring Chasidic and mystical insights Shabbat Services: TBE. Tot Shabbat Service at Saturday 7 over. 8 p.m. at Chabad. $12/community mem- into the hagaddah. Festive homemade meal. 8 5:30 p.m.; Tot Shabbat dinner at 6 p.m.; Shira Day Trip for Older Adults: JFS. Visit the Flint bers; $5/newly Americans; $8/students. Reserva- p.m. at Chabad. $30/community members; at 6:30 p.m.; Family Service at 7 p.m.; Chapel Institute for the Arts. $11.50/museum admis- tions required. Reserve at www.jewmich.com, $10/newly Americans; $18/students. Reserva- service at 8 p.m. tions required. Reserve at www.jewmich.com, sion and transportation. Pickup at 9:30 a.m. email [email protected], or call 995-3276. Friday evening services: See listing at the end of email [email protected], or call 995-3276. Contact Nina Dmitrieva at nina@jfsannarbor. Wednesday 11 org or 769-0209 for information. the calendar. Second Night Seder: GAP. Join the Jewish Grad- Passover Vacation Fun Day: JCC–Youth Depart- uates and Professionals Group for a first night Older Adult Outing: JFS. Outing to hear Cho- ment. Trip to the Rainbow Creation Ceramics Saturday 14 seder. RSVP for directions to Joel’s house, a pin’s Piano works at Britton Recital Hall. $6/ Studio for JCC members only. Choose an un- Tot Shabbat: BIC. Led by Peretz Hirshbein fol-

Page 34 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 lowed by special Tot Kiddush for parents and Abbie Lawrence Jacobson at 769-0209. children 3–6 years old. 11 a.m. at Beth Israel. Weekly Torah Portion—for Women: Chabad. Mystical Insights to the Torah–for Women: Reading the Bible may be easy, but under- Chabad. Learn more about the mystical di- standing it is no simple matter. Study the mensions of the Torah: Chabad. 1 hour before text in the original, together with the classical sundown at Chabad House. Every Saturday. commentaries. 8:30 p.m. at Chabad House. Laws of Shabbat–Jewish Ethics: Chabad. Study Every Tuesday. group code of law for Shabbat, and study of Topics in Jewish Law: AAOM. Rabbi Rod Jewish Ethics, 1/2 hour before sundown at Glogower presents different topics each week Chabad House. Every Saturday. (except during vacation) using texts from Tan- Shabbat services: See listing at the end of the calendar. ach, Talmud and rabbinic literature. English translations of texts provided. Discussions in Sunday 15 areas of law, philosophy and theology. 8 p.m. Reading Hebrew through the Prayer Book–for at UM Hillel. For information, call 662-5805. Women: Chabad. An in-depth study into the prayer book, an overview of the weekly Torah Wednesday 18 reading, with Jewish philosophy. 9:30 a.m. at Lunch and Laugh Series: BIC. Led by Rabbi Do- Chabad House. Every Sunday. brusin. A look at some of the famous Jewish Tanya–Jewish Mysticism: Chabad. Delve into comedians of the past and how we can find the basic text of Chassidism and open your humor in our own Jewish experiences. Bring eyes to the beauty of Judaism. 10:30 a.m. at a sack lunch. Drinks and dessert will be pro- Chabad House. Every Sunday. vided. Noon–1:15 p.m. Hike: GAP. Hike along the Huron River and enjoy Israeli Dancing: JCC. Join your friends for a night the warmer weather. Meet at Bandemer park- of Israeli dancing at the JCC with veteran in-

ing lot off N. Main Street on Lakeshore Drive, structor Tom Starks. 7–9 p.m. $5/person. expires 4/30/07 just before the M-14 on-ramp. 3–5 p.m. Adult Biblical Hebrew #1: TBE. First session of Holocaust Remembrance Day Observance: Jew- six-week spring term class. 6:30 p.m. ish Federation. Yom Hashoah observance in Meditation: TBE. 7:30 p.m. conjunction with University Musical Soci- Thursday 19 ety with a concert featuring Jerusalem String Prayer, Weekly Torah reading and Jewish Phi- Quartet. Ceremony begins at 3 p.m. in Raoul losophy–for Women: Chabad. 9 a.m. at the Wallenberg Square outside UM Alumni Center JCC. Every Thursday. (or in the Center’s Founder’s Room in case or SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Fitness Fun with inclement weather). Concert in Rackham Audi- Maria Farquhar, 10–noon, $4 or 3/$10; Cur- torium at 4 p.m. Discounted tickets offered for rent Events with Heather Donbey. 11 a.m.– $30.60 and can be purchased online at www. noon; $3 Kosher Lunch, noon; Guest Presen- jewishannarbor.org/jerusalemstringquartet. tations (varied), 1 p.m. at the JCC. Concert Outing for Older Adults: JFS. Hear the Civic Life and Community Engagement Series: Jerusalem String Quartet at the UM’s Hill JCC–Older Adult Program. Guest presenter Auditorium. 4 p.m. Limited number of free Elizabeth Solomon will speak on “Making and subsidized tickets available through JFS. Volunteerism Meaningful.” Part of a new se- $6/transportation on JFS CareVan, if needed. ries aligned with Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Contact Nina Dmitrieva at nina@jfsannarbor. program and University of Michigan Theme org or 769-0209 for information. Semester. 1 p.m. at the JCC. For information, Minyan with Observance of Yom Hashoah. BIC. contact Laurie Wechter at 971-0990 or Abbie Minyan at 7:30 p.m. followed by discussion Lawrence Jacobson at 769-0209. of the holocaust-themed novel The Boy in the Adult Hebrew #1: TBE. First session of six-week Striped Pajamas by John Boyne as part of Beth spring term class. 6:30 p.m. Israel Reads program. 8:15 p.m. Talmud Study Group–Jewish Civil Law: Chabad. Rabbi’s Class #3: TBE. Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), Job Sharpen your wits and knowledge of the Jew- and Maimonides. 7:45 p.m. ish legal system by following the intriguing Concert Outing for Older Adults: JFS. Hear a discussions in the Talmud. The Talmud is a Cabaret Studio Recital at the UM Walgreen composite of practical law, logical argumen- and Drama Center at 8 p.m. $6/transporta- tation and moral teachings. Study of the origi- tion on JFS CareVan, if needed. Contact Nina nal Talmud tractate Bava Metziah chapter 6. 8 Dmitrieva at [email protected] or 769- p.m. Every Thursday. 0209 for information. Holocaust Memorial Lecture: Jewish Historical Jewish Concepts–for Women: Chabad. Learning Society of Michigan. Harvard Professor Su- the deeper meanings to the Jewish way of life. san Rubin Suleiman, Jewish Studies Program, 8 p.m. at Chabad House. Every Sunday. Michigan State University. For more informa- Monday 16 tion, call (517) 432-3493. SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Fitness Fun with Friday 20 Maria Farquhar, 11 a.m.–noon, $4/session Weekly Yiddish-speaking Group: JCC Seniors. or $10/3 sessions; $3 Buffet of Dairy De- Meets at a private home every week except lights, noon; Writing Group; express yourself when monthly group meets at JCC. 1:30–3 through personal recollections, poetry and p.m. Call 971-0990. fiction. No previous writing experience re- Shabbat Dinner: JCC–Early Childhood Center. quired, 1–2:30 p.m. Every Monday. Families with young children from birth to “From Israel With a Smile:” JFS. Outing to the age five will welcome in Shabbat with din- Detroit area for a Russian performance fea- ner, sing-a-long and special presentation by turing Yan Levinson at 7:30 p.m.. $25/tickets Giraffe Room children. There will be also with a modest fee for transportation. Contact be an opportunity to participate in popular Nina Dmitrieva at [email protected] or fundraising event to create a ceramic tile to 769-0209 for information. add to wall of tiles in ECC’s Monkey Room. Jewish Learning Institute (JLI): Chabad. See 4/9. 6–7:30 p.m. at the JCC. $10/adults; $5/chil- 7:30–9 p.m. at the JCC. dren 2 years and up. RSVP by 4/16 to the ECC Tuesday 17 at 971-0990. SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Arts and Crafts– Kabbalat Shabbat Service and Yom Ha’Atzmaut bring something that you are working on or Dinner: TBE. 6 p.m. participate in a group project. Coffee and Friday evening services: See listing at the end of noshes provided, 10:30–noon; Mah Jongg, the calendar. Noon–2:30 p.m. Every Tuesday. Movie Tuesday: TBE. 1–3 p.m. Saturday 21 Evening Entertainment Excursion: JCC–Older Mystical Insights to the Torah—for Women: Adult Programs. Enjoy an evening of music Chabad. Learn more about the mystical di- with a trip to see the University Symphony mensions of the Torah: Chabad. 1 hour before Orchestra at the UM’s Hill Auditorium. $6 sundown at Chabad House. Every Saturday. for transportation. 7:15 p.m. Meet at the JCC. RSVP by 4/8 to Laurie Wechter at 971-0990 or continued on page 36

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 35 Calendar

Climb aboard for a cruise-style evening without leaving dry land! Laws of Shabbat–Jewish Ethics: Chabad. Study noshes provided, 10:30–noon; Mah Jongg, JFS Bat Mitzvah Cruise group code of law for Shabbat, and study of Noon–2:30 p.m. Every Tuesday. Jewish Ethics, 1/2 hour before sundown at “The Psychology of the Israeli-Palestinian Con- Sunday, April 22, 2007 Chabad House. Every Saturday. flict:” TBE. Talk by Aaron Ahuvia at 7:30 p.m. 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Kol Halev: TBE. Adult choir Cabaret. 6 p.m. Topics in Jewish Law: AAOM. Rabbi Rod Bowling Fundraiser: ORT. An evening of din- Glogower presents different topics each week Travis Pointe Country Club ner, bowling and fun at Colonial Lanes. Din- (except during vacation) using texts from Tan- 2829 Travis Pointe Road ner at 6 p.m. Bowling begins at 7 p.m. No skill ach, Talmud and rabbinic literature. English necessary. Prizes and silent auction of dinner translations of texts provided. Discussions in Ann Arbor, 48108 certificates. For information, contact Barbara areas of law, philosophy and theology. 8 p.m. Goodsitt at 662-6671 or b.goodsitt@comcast. at UM Hillel. For information, call 662-5805. net or email Barbara Riemer at briemer@ Weekly Torah Portion—for Women: Chabad. emich.edu. Reading the Bible may be easy, but under- Celebrate 13 years of service with: Shabbat services: See listing at the end of the calendar. standing it is no simple matter. Study the • a strolling buffet of international food Sunday 22 text in the original, together with the classical commentaries. 8:30 p.m. at Chabad House. • emcee Big Al Muskovito of the Dick Purtan show Reading Hebrew through the Prayer Book–for Women: Chabad. An in-depth study into the Every Tuesday. • a magic show with Jeff “the magician” Olds prayer book, an overview of the weekly Torah Wednesday 25 • wine tasting with an editor from Intermezzo Magazine reading, with Jewish philosophy. 9:30 a.m. at Meditation: TBE. 7:30 p.m. • indoor pool party for youth, middle school and older Chabad House. Every Sunday. Thursday 26 Sunday Fun: JCC and HDS. Children ages 2 and Prayer, Weekly Torah reading and Jewish Phi- up and their parents will join percussionist losophy–for women: Chabad. 9 a.m. at the and Hebrew teacher Aron Kaufman for songs, JCC. Every Thursday. Hebrew and Israeli Independence Day fun. SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Fitness Fun with 10–11 a.m. at the JCC. RSVP to sundayfun@ Maria Farquhar, 10–noon, $4 or 3/$10; Current hdsaa.org. For more information, call HDS at Events with Heather Donbey. 11 a.m.–noon; $3 971-4633. Kosher Lunch, noon; Guest Presentations (var- Save Lives - Support JFS Tanya–Jewish Mysticism: Chabad. Delve into ied), 1 p.m. at the JCC. the basic text of Chassidism and open your Guest Presentation: JCC Seniors. Dr. Judith Lai- JFS - Your Family in the Community eyes to the beauty of Judaism. 10:30 a.m. at kin Elkin will present “Argentine Jews/Jewish Chabad House. Every Sunday. Argentines.” Who are the Argentine Jews? How Jewish Family Services provides a safe haven to Chaverim B’Shirim Concert: JCC. Chaverim do Jews accommodate to life in the southern all in need of shelter, support and a guiding hand B’Shirim will celebrate the life and work of Ir- hemisphere? How are they similar to North ving Berlin, considered to be one of the most American Jews and how do they differ? This famous and important songwriters of the 20th short talk will be followed by audience par- Pledge your support to JFS - Your Family in the Community Century. Excerpts from Call Me Madam and ticipation. 1–2:30 p.m. at the JCC. Annie Get Your Gun. $5/suggested donation. 2 Family Literacy Night: JCC–ECC and HDS. For call (734) 769-0209 or visit www.jfsannarbor.org p.m. at the JCC. RSVP to 971-0990. families with children pre-school through 2nd Bat Mitzvah Cruise: JFS. Set sail for the JFS Bat grade. Join in a variety of literacy activities Mitzvah Cruise, a celebration and commemo- and games based on Jewish stories. A pizza ration of the 13-year history of providing hu- dinner will be served and a guest storyteller man services to the community and serving as will be there to share stories. 6–8 p.m. at the “Your Family in the Community.” Cruise-in- JCC. $15/family. RSVP by 4/23 to the ECC at spired activities, food and fun for all ages. 5–8 971-0990. AtTention Proud graduates p.m. Travis Pointe Country Club. Call 769-0209 Talmud Study Group–Jewish Civil Law: Chabad. or contact [email protected] for more in- Sharpen your wits and knowledge of the Jew- & Parents! formation or register online at www.jfsannar- ish legal system by following the intriguing bor.org/Bat_Mitzvah_Cruise_reg.htm discussions in the Talmud. The Talmud is a Yom Hashoah Service: TBE. 6:30–7:30 p.m. composite of practical law, logical argumenta- Celebrating Concert Outing for Older Adults: JFS. Hear a tion and moral teachings. Study of the original Graduation Faculty Recital featuring Diana Garnet on Talmud tractate Bava Metziah chapter 6–8 p.m. Bass at Britton Recital Hall. 8 p.m. $6/trans- Every Thursday. this Spring? portation on JFS CareVan, if needed. Contact Friday 27 Nina Dmitrieva at [email protected] or Weekly Yiddish-speaking Group: JCC Seniors. 769-0209 for information. Meets at a private home every week except Jewish Concepts–for Women: Chabad. Learning D]rapdabqhh)Û]rkna` when monthly group meets at JCC. 1:30–3 the deeper meanings to the Jewish way of life. p.m. Call 971-0990. Vejcani]j#oatlaneaj_a 8 p.m. at Chabad House. Every Sunday. Friday evening services: See listing at the end of ^nkqcdppkukqû Monday 23 the calendar. Photography exhibit: Moonwinks Cafe. As part Vejcani]j#o?]panejc* Saturday 28 of the week-long opening celebration, Moon- Mitzvah Day: TBE. ?dkkoabnkikqn]hh)peia winks Cafe will host an exhibit of photos Teen Shabbat and Kids’ Kiddush: BIC. Teens by Nancy Margolis from her trip to China. b]rknepao(hegapda take over the entire service from reading To- Proceeds from photo sales will be donated rah to leading prayers plus delivering D’Var ?kilhapa?h]ooe_@ahePn]u to the JCC Playground Campaign. For info Torah. Kiddush is planned and prepared by 5th about the opening reception, call 662-5580. and 6th graders. 9:30 a.m. ba]pqnejckqn]s]n`) 5151 Plymouth Rd. Mystical Insights to the Torah—for Women: sejjejc_knja`âab( Grandparent’s Day: HDS. Rosh Chodesh Iyar Chabad. Learn more about the mystical di- o]h]ò(i]ce_^nksjeao( and Yom HaAtzmaut celebration with Hebrew mensions of the Torah: Chabad. 1 hour before Day School students, parents, and grandpar- sundown at Chabad House. Every Saturday. _kkgeao]jìkna* ents. For information, call HDS at 971-4633. Laws of Shabbat–Jewish Ethics: Chabad. Study SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Fitness Fun with group code of law for Shabbat, and study of Maria Farquhar, 11 a.m.–noon, $4/session Jewish Ethics, 1/2 hour before sundown at or $10/3 sessions; $3 Buffet of Dairy De- Chabad House. Every Saturday. Ha]ra=jj=n^knejCkk`P]opa lights, noon; Writing Group; express yourself Salsa Bar Night: GAP. Meet at 9 p.m. and learn through personal recollections, poetry and ?da_gkqpkqncn]`q]pekjiajqsss*vejcani]jo_]panejc*_ki salsa with lessons beginning at 9:30 p.m. sharp fiction. No previous writing experience re- followed by open dancing. Papi Os, 2275 Ells- quired, 1–2:30 p.m. Every Monday. worth at Hewitt in Ypsilanti. $8/cover after 10 For a really good time, caLl (734) 663.3400! Jewish Learning Institute (JLI): Chabad: 7:30–9 p.m. p.m. at the JCC. See 4/9 Shabbat services: See listing at the end of the calendar. See the Zingerman's Delicatessen Passover menu online Tuesday 24 Sunday 29 at www.zingermansdeli.com SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Arts and Crafts– State Historic Marker dedication: Jewish His- bring something that you are working on torical Society of Michigan. Join the celebra- or participate in a group project. Coffee and Zingerman’s Deli • 422 Detroit Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 • 734.663.DELI Open Daily: 7am-10pm tion of a new Michigan Historic Marker com-

Page 36 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Calendar

memorating the first Jewish settler in Detroit, ally meets the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each fur trader Chapman Abraham, and the par- month. Call 663-4039 for more information. ticipation of Michigan Jews in the Civil War. 2 10 a.m. led by Rabbi Elliot Ginsburg. p.m. at Tri-Centennial Park and Harbor at the Shabbat Services: TBE. Weekly Torah Study at Detroit Riverfront. Bus transportation avail- 8:50 a.m. led by Rabbi Levy in the chapel fol- able in Detroit area. For more info, call (248) lowed at 9:30 a.m. by congregant led service. 432-5517. Service in the sanctuary at 10 a.m. on weeks Reading Hebrew through the Prayer Book–for when there is a bar or bat mitzvah. Call the women: Chabad. An in-depth study into the office at 665-4744 or consult webiste at www. prayer book, an overview of the weekly Torah templebethemeth.org for service details. reading, with Jewish philosophy. 9:30 a.m. at Seudah Shlisheet Dvar Torah: AAOM. On Chabad House. Every Sunday. Shabbat after Mincha every week at U-M Hil- Tanya–Jewish Mysticism: Chabad. Delve into lel. Torah topics and snacks are part of this the basic text of Chassidism and open your weekly tradition. Discussions are led by Rabbi eyes to the beauty of Judaism. 10:30 a.m. at Rod Glogower and other local scholars. Chabad House. Every Sunday. Home Hospitality for Shabbat Meals: AAOM. Celebrate Israel 3: The Jewish community will Call 662-5805 in advance. th gather to celebrate the 59 anniversary of the Home Hospitality and Meals: Chabad. Every State of Israel. This year’s theme is Kikar Saf- Shabbat and yom tov (Jewish holiday). Call in ra: A Celebration of Jewish Music and Art in advance, 995-3276. Honor of Israel Independence Day. Live mu- “Mystical Insights to the Torah”: Chabad. For sic from local groups, art displays, and a youth women to learn more about the mystical di- art project. Israeli-inspired food will be avail- mensions of the Torah. Saturday, one hour able for purchase. 2–6 p.m. at EMU’s Student before sundown. Call 995-3276. Center, 900 Oakwood Street in Ypsilanti. “Laws of Shabbat—Jewish Ethics”: Chabad. Women’s Rosh Chodesh. TBE: 6:30 p.m. Study group examines the code of law for Youth Choir Concert and Reception: TBE. 7 p.m. Shabbat and Jewish ethics. Saturday, 1/2 hour Jewish Concepts–for Women: Chabad. Learning before sundown. Call 995-3276. the deeper meanings to the Jewish way of life. 8 p.m. at Chabad House. Every Sunday. Torah Benefit Concert: Pardes Hannah 7 p.m. Phone numbers and addresses of Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. 4th Ave. organizations frequently listed in Call 769-2999 for tickets. the calendar: Monday 30 Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan (AAOM) SPICE of LIFE: JCC Seniors. Fitness Fun with 1429 Hill Street 994-5822 Maria Farquhar, 11 a.m.–noon, $4/session Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Havurah or $10/3 sessions; $3 Buffet of Dairy De- P.O. Box 7451, Ann Arbor 913-9705 lights, noon; Writing Group; express yourself Beth Israel Congregation (BIC) through personal recollections, poetry and 2000 Washtenaw Ave. 665-9897 fiction. No previous writing experience required, 1–2:30 p.m. Every Monday. Chabad House 715 Hill Street 995-3276 Jewish Learning Institute (JLI): Chabad: 7:30–9 p.m. at the JCC. See 4/9 EMU Hillel 965 Washtenaw Ave., Ypsilanti 482-0456 Here’s Weekly Friday night Shabbat Jewish Community Center (JCC) services 2935 Birch Hollow Drive 971-0990 Shabbat Services: AAOM. U-M Hillel. Home the Reason hospitality available for Shabbat meals. Call Jewish Cultural Society (JCS) 662-5805 in advance. 2935 Birch Hollow Drive 975-9872 Shabbat Service: BIC. 6 p.m. Jewish Family Services (JFS) You Want a Shabbat Service: TBE. Weekly services at 8 p.m. 625 State Circle Drive 769-0209 The second week of the month the Friday Ser- Jewish Federation vices schedule changes to include: 5:30 p.m. Tot 2939 Birch Hollow Drive 677-0100 Stain Resistant Shabbat followed by Tot Dinner at 6 p.m.; Shira Pardes Hannah song session at 6:30 p.m.; Family Service at 7 2010 Washtenaw Ave. 663-4039 p.m. and Chapel Minyan at 8 p.m. Carpet... Temple Beth Emeth (TBE) Shabbat Service: Ann Arbor Reconstructionist 2309 Packard Road 665-4744 Havurah. 6:15 PM at the JCC the last Friday U-M Hillel of each month. Musical Shabbat service fol- 1429 Hill Street 769-0500 lowed by vegetarian potluck. Tot Shabbat with optional kid’s pizza dinner at 6:00 PM. All are welcome to attend. For information, call 913- Shabbat Candlelighting 9705, email [email protected] or visit www. aarecon.org. April 6 6:46 p.m. Shabbat Service: Chabad House. Begins at can- April 13 6:53 p.m. dle-lighting time. Home hospitality available April 20 7:01 p.m. for Shabbat meals and Jewish holidays; call 995-3276 in advance. April 27 7:09 p.m. ANN ARBOR•BRIGHTON• CHELSEA Weekly Shabbat services and classes Shabbat Services: AAOM. Morning service, 9:30 a.m. Evening service, 35 minutes before sunset. ANN ARBOR • BRIGHTON • CHELSEA U–M Hillel. Call 662-5805 for information. Mincha/Maariv with Seudah Shlisheet and 734-971-2795 Dvor Torah every week at UM Hillel. Torah Lamp Post Plaza, 2396 E. Stadium topics and a bite to eat. Discussions led by Rab- bi Rod Glogower and other local scholars. Shabbat Services: BIC. 9:30 a.m.; 6 p.m. Mincha. Shabbat Services: AA Reconstructionist Ha- vurah. Participatory, lay-led services. For Dennis Platte info, email [email protected] or call 913-9705 734.483.9619 or visit www.aarecon.org. [email protected] Shabbat Services: Chabad. Morning services at 9:45 a.m. Afternoon services 45 minutes be- Graphic Design for All Occasions, fore sundown. Business, Invitations, Newsletters, Programs The ONE store for your perfect floor. Shabbat Services: Pardes Hannah. Gener-

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 37 Classified

Looking for rewarding part-time work? The Washt- Infant massage classes for parents and babies. enaw Jewish News is currently seeking ad sales per- Communicate your love through touch. Deepens son. Flexible hours, approximately 10 hours/week; bonding. Helps to relieve colic and sleepless nights, some work can be done at home. Must be outgoing, relaxes and soothes. Call Audrey Simon, 741-9706. positive, well-organized. Will train. Please call 971- 1800 for more information. Pregnancy massage focuses on the special needs of mothers-to-be. Relieves stress on weight-bear- Happiest Baby on the Block! Extraordinary proved ing joints, assists in maintaining proper posture. Call method to soothe fussy babies fast. Group and pri- Audrey Simon, 741-9706. vate lessons. Gift certificates available. 734-657-6784; [email protected] Volunteers needed for Jewish Family Services. Call 971-0209. Call now for information on advertising in the Guide to Jewish Life in Washtenaw County 2007-08. The deadline for the May Washtenaw Jewish News is 971-1800. Monday April 9, at 3 p.m. Publication: Friday, April 27. Baseball making its pitch in Israel by Jacob Berkman NEW YORK (JTA)—Modi’in may not be as interest in baseball spreads and the players the Mudville of Casey fame, but its Miracles improve in a game that now exists in the Jew- will enter baseball lore when their pitcher ish state only on the Little League level. unleashes his first fastball against the Petach There is no official connection between Tikva Pioneers on June 24. The central Is- the Israeli government and the IBL, accord- raeli town is hosting the opener of the new ing to the league’s founder and managing di- Israel Baseball League, which will feature six rector, Larry Baras. But infusing a deep-seated teams playing a 45-game schedule this sum- part of Americana could be a public relations mer, officials announced Monday at a press boon for Israel. conference in New York City. Fittingly, the league’s first commissioner IBL officials are hoping the league will is Daniel Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador quickly spur Israeli interest in American to Israel. baseball—they aim to draw about 1,000 fans The opportunity to show Israel not only per game in the first year—while govern- as a country at war but as a country involved ment officials hope it will help boost Israel’s in sports—quintessentially American sports image abroad. at that—could help Americans bond with Is- As the IBL’s early fan base will likely be rael, the country’s deputy consul in New York, American expatriates yearning for a baseball Benjamin Krasna, told JTA. fix, the league has enlisted three high-profile “Sports is such an important part of Amer- Jewish ex-Major Leaguers as managers: Ken ica, if you can touch Americans through sports, they Holtzman, the winningest Jewish pitcher in can see that Israel is not just a fortress,” Krasna said, baseball history with 174 victories, including adding that exposing new audiences to Israel is an two no-hitters; New York Yankee Ron Blom- important part of this initiative. berg, pro baseball’s first designated hitter; and League officials are adamant about getting Art Shamsky, a member of the New York “Mir- Israel into the 2009 World Baseball Classic, an acle” Mets that won the 1969 World Series. international baseball tournament comprised Shamsky, an outfielder and first baseman, of professional and amateur all-stars. smacked four consecutive home runs while Krasna said that names such as Blomberg, playing for the 1966 Cincinnati Reds. Shamsky and Holtzman could pique Ameri- “My mother’s proudest moment for the can interest, as could convincing a high-pro- past 41 years has been the day in 1966 when file Jewish player, such as the New York Mets’ I pitched against Sandy Koufax,” Holtzman Shawn Green, to play in Israel after his Ameri- said. “Now that I have the chance to manage can career ends. in Israel, she’s also very, very proud.” That might be a tough sell, consider- Dan Duquette, former general manager of ing that each team will have a salary cap of the Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos, will $45,000 for its entire 20- player roster. serve as the IBL’s director of baseball opera- The Jewish National Fund is helping con- tions. Major League Baseball Commissioner nect potential funders to the IBL, which will Bud Selig is on the advisory board, as is his have a budget of $2.5 million in its inaugural daughter, Milwaukee Brewers owner Wendy season. According to CEO Russell Robinson, Selig-Prieb. the JNF may help the league find land for sta- On the field, the league will provide op- diums. Starting out, the six teams will share portunities for players like Leon Feingold to three fields. continue or revive their baseball dreams. The IBL will have no official relationship Feingold pitched for the Cleveland Indians with Major League Baseball, but it is getting in 1994 and 1995 before elbow surgery ended a hand from the world’s most profitable base- his career. Instead of attempting a comeback he ball league: MLB.com will carry coverage of went to law school. But at 33 he will put his law Israel’s games. On April 15, after big- league career on hold to resurrect his baseball dreams. teams have broken camp and started their sea- Feingold, who has been playing semi-pro sons, Major League Baseball and the IBL will ball in Westchester, N.Y., also has been ranked hold a tryout in California for players who did as high as 12th in the world by the Interna- not make major or minor league rosters. tional Federation of Competitive Eating. He One thing Israel has to work on, Krasna once downed 152 hot dogs in 12 minutes. In says, is its baseball lexicon: There is no He- Israel he will trade buns for fielding bunts— brew word for bat, and pitch and throw are the an opportunity he relishes. same word. The IBL features a Hebrew-English “Getting a chance to play baseball again on glossary of baseball terms on its Web site. the same level is getting a second chance at At the press conference, Shamsky stumbled something that most people don’t get a first over a couple of Hebrew phrases he thought chance at,” Feingold said. would come in handy with umpires during his The IBL has signed players from eight first season. countries including the Dominican Republic, “ ‘Ata eever’ means ‘you’re blind,’ and ‘pa- Australia, Venezuela and the United States, tach eynayim’ means ‘open your eyes,’“ he Duquette said. About a dozen players will be said jokingly. n Israeli, a dynamic the league hopes to change

Page 38 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Vitals

Mazal Tov Ari Axelrod on his bar mitzvah, April 21. Jeffrey and Rachel Urist on the birth of their grandson, Joshua Urist, son of Joseph Urist and Lisa Cohen. Victor and Sharon Lieberman on the birth of their grandson, Julius Saul Pitt. Noam Raphael on his bar mitzvah, April 14. Ellen and Sam Offen on the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie, to Andy Frankel. Catherine Zudak and Robert Silbergleit on the birth of their daughter, Marina Hope Silbergleit, March 2.

Condolences Paul Lichter and Allen Lichter on the death of their mother, Buena Lichter. Jack Scheerer on the death of his sister, Libby Sturman. Jill Cohen on the death of her mother, Charnee Schatel, on February 16. Ken Kiesler on the death of his mother, Rose Kiesler, on February 26. Edwin Pear on the death of his mother, Ceil Pear. Sarajane Winkelman on the death of her husband, Jan.

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Correction Our apologies to Abbie Lawrence- Jacobson and Laurie Wechter. We inadvertently switched their names and photos in the March Washtenaw Jewish News. Here is the correct photos and captions.

Laurie Wechter Abigail Lawrence-Jacobson

Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007 Page 39 Page 40 Washtenaw Jewish News A April 2007