The National Jewish Post &Opinion Volume 77, Number 6 • March 9, 2011 • 3 Adar II 5771 Three Dollars www.jewishpostopinion.com TheThe MosaicMosaic thatthat isis Israel!Israel! Cover photos by Denis Ryan Kelly, Jr. (see p. NAT 2). NAT 2 March 9, 2011 deicide. Don’t get me wrong when I say About the Cover I appreciate his words, but they are Editorial Shabbat Shalom about 2,000 years and millions of deaths These photos by too late. Hopefully, the pope is preparing The Indianapolis Star carries a daily photographer Denis BY RABBI JON ADLAND for a better future between Christians and column titled, “5 Things You Need to Ryan Kelly, Jr. of Mar. 4, 2011, Shabbat Shekalim Jews, but, as is evident, the grassroots Know Today.” Since these are all very Indianapolis were taken (Exodus 38:21-40:38) 28 Adar I 5771 need some help. Hate is not innate. Hate short, the complier has most likely put in Israel and are part of is taught and someone taught Sheen, together excerpts from longer news his Exhibition Tour,“Holy Glenn Beck recently declared on his Galliano, and Assange to hate or blame stories. One of the five on Feb. 25 titled, Lands, Journeys of a radio show that Reform rabbis are just the Jews when things go wrong. Are we “Looking at Loved One Eases Pain”read Pilgrim Artist.” There are Denis Kelly like Islamic radicals. (He has since responsible for all that happens in this as follows: several other photos in this tour and apologized.) Julian Assange claims that world? There are only 14 million Jews in If you are in pain, look at a picture of others that can be viewed as slideshows a group of Jewish journalists was out to a world of over 7 billion people. your romantic partner rather than reach on his website: www.deniskelly.com. get him. Christian Dior designer John Disproportionately to our numbers is for a bottle of Tylenol. Researchers at Cover photos (clockwise from top Galliano lost his job after a video came what we have contributed to the world. Stanford University found that looking at left): Cave of Elijah the Prophet, Mount out of him making anti-Semitic There are websites about Jewish Nobel the image of a loved one cuts pain from 36 Carmel; Discussion at the Western Wall, comments. Charlie Sheen called his prize winners, inventions by Israelis, to 44 percent. Even “intense discomfort” Jerusalem; Monastery of St. George, manager a “stupid Jew pig” and referred Jewish contributions to the arts and can be reduced by up to 13 percent by Jerusalem; Mount of Beatitudes, in the publicly to his boss Chuck Lorre as humanities. Without question though, looking at photos. Researchers found that Galilee; and Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem. “Chaim Levine.” our greatest lasting contribution to the looking at the photo dulls activity in the Kelly creates expansive, deeply “If there’s anything salutary about this world is the Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures). area of the brain that processes pain. considered multi-media exhibitions that parade of stories, it’s the rapid, direct The words of the prophets, the wisdom of This is a leap year for the Jewish utilize photography and audio-recordings way bad behavior is confronted,”says an psalms and proverbs, and the historical calendar, which means there are two to ennoble and expand our awareness editorial in The Jewish Daily Forward. struggle that takes place from Joshua to Adars. In Shabbat services on Saturday, and connections within the web of life Pretty much all of the offenders have Kings, have taught us and given us the rabbi announced that we would be and Being. Among his works are two suffered from their statements. “Still, I pause to think and reflect. For me the reciting the Rosh Hodesh prayer for major exhibition series: “Great Forests of wonder,” writes columnist Danny most important part of Tanach is Torah. I the new month, Adar II, because it starts the Americas”and “Holy Lands, Journeys Groner,“what kind of culture do we live don’t agree with every word or command this week, Sun., March 6 after sunset. of a Pilgrim Artist.” These exhibitions in when supposedly accomplished in Torah. Sometimes I get angry with the He said we are to double our joy for this foster awe and commitment to stewardship people who skillfully perform on the beliefs my ancestors held, but the Torah second Adar. of the Earth while conveying the diversity world stage – designing, acting, leaking is there for me every day and week to I have written here before about ways of life and notions of the sacred. information and, yes, even reporting – ponder and struggle with. It gives me to increase laughter during the month “Holy Lands, Journeys of a Pilgrim hold such nasty thoughts and feel free to guidance and a foundation for living a of Adar. I bet if the same researchers Artist”features grand-scale photographs express them? We’ve seemingly lost our good life and a life filled with God. studied the effects of laughter, they and audio from holy sites on four commitment to ‘good manners and civil It isn’t always a struggle with the would find that it also eases pain. continents among seven religions from the discourse,’and we must quickly ‘excise it words of Torah. There are many more In 1979, in his book Anatomy of an perspective of one seeking God’s Presence. from public discourse.’” moments when I feel the presence of Illness, Dr. Norman Cousins described how It has been his choice, privilege and grace The question that Jews often ask God as did our ancestors. The last line watching Marx Brother movies helped to journey the world, seeking people of themselves is, “Why us?” For two of today’s parashah in Exodus is one him recover from a life-threatening prayer and places of ‘Holiness.’ He thousand years Jews have been the focus such moment. It reads, “For over the tissue disease. “I made the joyous sought ‘wild’ lands where nature is less of hate, persecution, pogroms, crusades, Tabernacle a cloud of Adonai rested by discovery that ten minutes of genuine ravaged and produced several exhibitions riots and more. The culmination of this day, and fire would appear in it by night, belly laughter had an anesthetic effect exploring great forests and native hate is certainly found in the results of in the view of all the house of Israel and would give me at least two hours peoples. He experienced modern cities the Holocaust perpetrated against the throughout their journeys.”The Torah is of pain-free sleep,” he reported. “When including New York right after the Jews. I am no expert in trying to answer teaching us that God is with us and will the pain-killing effect of the laughter attacks on the World Trade Center. He this, but the accusation that Jews killed always be with us. God will not be some wore off, we would switch on the motion has heard again and again that we must Jesus is certainly right up there with far away concept, but will be right there picture projector again and, not hearken to awareness and respect for the answers in trying to figure this out. visible in a way that we can see – cloud infrequently, it would lead to another true depths of people’s spiritual lives. Evidently the pope, in a soon to be and fire. For me God is not about power pain-free interval.” “We must nurture one and other’s call to released book, exonerates the Jews of (see Adland, page NAT 3) I had the benefit of observing this first love and peace.” hand when visiting a family friend at Kelly has shown this exhibit in The National Jewish Hooverwood, a local nursing home. Indianapolis at several locations, and is After services on Saturday when I now interested in taking it to Chicago and walked into her room, I asked her how other places around the country. He can she was doing. She replied that she was be reached at [email protected]. Post &Opinion not feeling well even though she had taken a pain pill a couple hours prior j i www.jewishpostopinion.com to my visit. I could see in her face, her A few “new Jewish” words to forehead was all scrunched up. double your joy in Adar II Editorial and sales offices located at The Jewish Post & Opinion 1111 East 54th St., Suite 119, Indianapolis, IN 46220 Published monthly by However, after two hours of reminiscing Jewbilation (n.) Pride in finding out The Spokesman Co., Inc. office: (317) 972-7800 • fax: (317) 972-7807 and exchanging some funny stories, that one’s favorite celebrity is Jewish. (USPS 275-580) (ISSN 0888-0379) [email protected] which produced some deep laughter, Torahfied (n.) Inability to remember Periodicals postage paid at Address correspondence to: Indianapolis, IN she had relaxed, and it showed in her one’s lines when called to read from the 1111 East 54th St., Suite 119, Indianapolis, IN 46220 All circulation correspondence face with fewer lines and a smoother Torah at one’s bar or bat mitzvah. (OR should be addressed to look. She wasn’t the only one. Although from the Haggadah at Passover.) Publishers Advertising Director Accounting The National Jewish Post & Opinion, I had not been in any physical pain, I matzilation (v.) Smashing a piece of Gabriel Cohen, z”l Barbara LeMaster Vivian Chan Subscription Department, Jennie Cohen 1111 East 54th St., Suite 119, Indianapolis, IN 46220.