The National Jewish Post &Opinion Volume 76, Number 15 • April 21, 2010 • 7 Iyar 5770 Two Dollars
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The National Jewish Post &Opinion Volume 76, Number 15 • April 21, 2010 • 7 Iyar 5770 Two Dollars www.jewishpostopinion.com ArtwArtworkork bbyy Samuel Bak NAT 2 April 21, 2010 years along with graduations from About the Cover college and graduate school programs. Editorial Shabbat Shalom I must say that I did miss not having This 2001 artwork by artist Samuel Bak my parents at Elliott’s celebration. It was In this annual Yom HaShoah issue we is titled Crossing. It is oil on canvas – BY RABBI JON ADLAND the same hole I felt last July at my niece’s have an array of wonderful articles, good 20x16 inches. A permanent exhibition of April 16, 2010, Tazria-Metzora wedding from Sandy’s side of the family. book reviews, and a moving poem on paintings and drawings by Samuel Bak (Leviticus 12:1–15:33), 2 Iyar 5770 Sandy and I didn’t have grandparents at the subject. In previous years at this may be viewed at the Pucker Gallery in our wedding nor did my siblings at time, I have written stories about the Boston: www.puckergallery.com. I received an email from a dear friend theirs. It is the cycle of life, but just once Holocaust. Since I wrote about the Anne Artist Samuel Bak, a child survivor of this past week wondering why she I’d like to slow the cycle down. I am sure Frank Peace Park at The Children’s the Holocaust, was born in Poland in didn’t get a Shabbat Shalom bemoaning many of you understand what I mean. Museum in Indianapolis in our Jan. 13 1933. After surviving both Soviet and Butler’s two-point loss in the NCAA Yet, we can’t slow down the march of issue, I am going to depart from that Nazi occupation, Bak wound up in a championship game. The reason was time. In Indianapolis, a long snowy subject this year. You can read that displaced persons’camp in Germany and that last week our family was at the bar winter has given way to a magnificent editorial and see related photos at the then studied painting in Munich. In mitzvah of my youngest nephew Elliott spring. The flowers are beautiful. The following link: www.jewishpostopinion 1948, Bak emigrated to Israel where he in Lancaster, Pa. Instead of writing on green on the trees is rich. (For those of us .com/pdf/NAT_1-13-10.pdf. became a student at Jerusalem’s Bezalel Friday, Sandy and I were in the car with allergies, the pollen is in the air.) In In case you, dear readers don’t fully Art School. After serving in the Israeli cautiously driving the Pennsylvania the not too distant future, spring will give understand the meaning of the Yiddish army for three years, Bak moved to Paris Turnpike, which is one stretch of road I way to the heat of summer and so on. word chutzpah, I have a story that will for further study. He then spent more have never liked. As to Butler, they As Jews, along with the life-cycle help explain it. than 30 years living in Europe, Israel, played as hard as they could, made a city events of our children and families, we This week I received a letter from David and New York until 1993 when he settled very proud, and gave the country an also mark time with the holy days and Kodicek of Delray Beach, Fla. It said: My in Weston, Mass., where he now lives. amazing game to watch. holidays. Pesach means spring, Shavuot Mom is now 100 years old. She was born If you aren’t aware, Lancaster is the means the beginning of summer, and, of in New York City on March 15, 1910. Her j i 4th oldest Jewish community in the course, in the fall are the holy days parents moved to Indiana when she was We are at a crossroads now because of United States with a cemetery dating where we think back to those we sat three years old. As you know she was the the continuing increases in the cost of the back to the first half of the 18th century. with in services who are no more. The Hammond, Ind., correspondent for The printing and mailing of the newspaper. I learned that the original settler was cycle of reading the Torah also helps us Jewish Post & Opinion during the early Many of our longtime subscribers are either also the last member of the original measure time.This week’s portion marks 1940s. Just to let you know, her brother Harry no longer able to read or have passed on. community. He died in 1801. A few the halfway point of Leviticus. It may not Feldman turned 99 years old on March 29. Because of the appearance of many new decades later German Jewish settlers be exactly the middle of the Torah, but it First of all, Happy Birthday to you, Anne places to get Jewish news and commentary – began to come to Lancaster and a is pretty close. Thus, we are about Kodieck, and your brother! If you are not especially on the Internet – our number synagogue was founded in 1856, the halfway through the Jewish year. the oldest reader of this newspaper, of readers has gradually declined. same year as Indianapolis Hebrew It is easy to note all these landmarks of there is probably no other person who Unless we can increase our readership Congregation. Some time later Shaarai time, but what we do with our time is has been subscribing to it for 70 years! of the printed copy of the newspaper we Shomayim (Gates of Heaven) became much more critical. Do we make efforts But what chutzpah you have at age 100 may have to discontinue our print version affiliated with the Reform movement. to help those who are in need? Do we to subscribe not for one, but two more and go to an online publication only. I The temple building was built at the end make a difference in the world in which years when many people of your age would prefer not to do this because I, for of the 19th century. It is a beautiful old we live? Do we find ways to improve wouldn’t buy green bananas. one, am on my computer several hours a day building located in downtown Lancaster. ourselves? Time marches on, and we Another letter came from Prof. Robert and I like to read my newspapers, books I was honored with delivering the Erev can’t slow it down, but it shouldn’t (Bob) Sandler of Miami, Fla. He wrote: and magazine while sitting in a comfortable Shabbat sermon, but the weekend defeat us. Enjoy the celebrations and I’m not coming with an article this time. chair away from my computer screen. belonged to Elliott, his mother (my anticipate what is to come, but don’t For several years, I have been going to Torah Another more important reason is that sister) Beth and her husband Simon. forget that while living in the present, study at Temple Beth Am on Saturday some of these longtime subscribers do not This bar mitzvah brings to an end that there is much work we can do. mornings. Last week, they came to tell me use a computer and our Jewish readers stage of Jewish life in our family’s When you light your Shabbat candles that I have been selected for a Talmud in prisons who benefit greatly from this journey. Except for Elliott, the other first this week, light one for celebrations Torah Award. How about that! On May 7 newspaper are not allowed to use the cousins range in age from 20 to 28. we encounter on our life’s journey. Light there will be a special Friday evening service. Internet. Another possibility would be to Hopefully, the Adland families will begin the other as a beacon to guide us in Enclosed with the letter was the continue printing but only once a month to celebrate weddings over the next few (see Adland, page NAT 3) following: “The award is presented to instead of biweekly. a congregant who has demonstrated For everyone who enjoys reading this The National Jewish superior commitment to adult Jewish newspaper, my request is that you please education in general, and to the Temple’s purchase gift subscriptions for your local adult education programming in particular. synagogues, libraries, relatives and good Recipients should demonstrate both friends who will appreciate reading it as Post &Opinion breadth of commitment by participating much as you do. This suggestion goes in a variety of activities and depth of especially to our writers who will be www.jewishpostopinion.com commitment through consistent and happy that some new people will have thoughtful participation. The recipient the opportunity to benefit from reading Editorial and sales offices located at The Jewish Post & Opinion 238 S. Meridian St., Suite 502, Indianapolis, IN 46225 Published biweekly by receives recognition at a Friday night their column. The Spokesman Co., Inc. office: (317) 972-7800 • fax: (317) 972-7807 service in the spring, and then delivers a Another way to support the newspaper (USPS 275-580) (ISSN 0888-0379) [email protected] D’var Torah on the weekly torah portion.” is with a donation. If you give $18 or more, Periodicals postage paid at Address correspondence to: Indianapolis, IN Bob, Mazel Tov and Yasher Koach! we will send you a free book of your choice 238 S. Meridian St., Suite 502, Indianapolis, IN 46225 All circulation correspondence This coming December marks the from a long list of books on different Jewish should be addressed to 80th anniversary of this newspaper topics.