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The Jewish Star Independent and original reporting from the Orthodox communities of Long Island VOL. 8, NO. 5 JANUARY 30, 2009 | 5 SHEVAT 5769 TRAVEL CAMPS SUMMER 2009 THE VALUE OF LIFE Fun close to home Let the countdown begin Saving babies in Israel Page 10 Page 11 Page 9 IN MY VIEW ReturnReturn toto CubaCuba RCA tones down The Jewish prayer service rebuke charities crisis Rabbi Lookstein defends himself against critics BY MICHAEL ORBACH accounts, not appropriate,” said Rabbi Herring, offering a direct criti- The Rabbinical Council of Amer- cism of Rabbi Lookstein, the longtime Where do we go from here? ica appears to have rabbi of Congregation backed away from its Kehilath Jeshurun in earlier rebuke of Rabbi Manhattan, and head Haskell Lookstein for of the RAMAZ School. BY AZRIEL GANZ participating in a The RCA’s position prayer service with is based on responsa t is clear to everyone associated with President Barack against interfaith dia- Jewish charities that revenues are Obama at the National logue by Rabbi Yosef already significantly down. Fewer peo- Cathedral on the Dov Soloveitchik zt”l. I ple are paying full tuition or shul mem- Reached by phone morning after the bership, and donations to other charities are inauguration. Monday evening, generally down in both number and size. “Rabbi Lookstein Rabbi Lookstein said There is also little doubt that the situation is did not represent the that he was “happy likely to get worse and will certainly not Rabbinical Council of not to discuss this improve for a very long time, perhaps years. America in attending [matter] publicly.” So, the obvious question is: what can that service and there- Rabbi Haskell Lookstein “If Rabbi Herring be done to address fore we have no com- said I did not repre- this reality? I think ment on the matter,” sent the RCA, he’s it is helpful to look said Rabbi Basil Herring, executive right and I did not represent the at this question director of the RCA, on Monday. RCA. I think I represented Orthodox from two perspec- ”Fewer people An RCA statement issued last Jewry,” Lookstein said, noting that he tives. First, what Wednesday and reported by JTA said, was invited to attend the service by a are paying full can the charitable PolaPola BradmanBradman ofof BrooklynBrooklyn “The long-standing policy of the Rab- member of the President’s staff. organizations and atat thethe JewishJewish CemeteryCemetery tuition or shul binical Council of America, in accor- In a letter to his RCA colleagues, Jewish leaders do in Havana last month, in Havana last month, dance with Jewish law, is that partici- Rabbi Lookstein defended his atten- to address the membership, visitingvisiting herher nativenative CubaCuba pation in a prayer service held in the dance at the prayer service, citing diminishing rev- withwith twotwo daughtersdaughters fromfrom sanctuary of a church is prohibited,” what he said were halachic and his- and donations enues and, second, thethe FiveFive Towns.Towns. StoryStory andand and “any member of the RCA who torical precedents. how should we, as to other photos,photos, pagespages 66 andand 7.7. attends such a service does so in con- Failure to attend would have donors, react? travention of this policy and should been an “insult from the Orthodox This essay will charities are not be perceived as representing the community,” he added. The event address the first organization in any capacity.” was not an interfaith dialogue, he generally question. I hope to “To go into a cathedral, in this said, but an invitation from the Presi- address the second down... There is case an Episcopalian cathedral in the dent who is, in Rabbi Lookstein’s in a future column. also little main sanctuary is certainly, by most See RCA, Page 6 Strategic Focus doubt that the Before imple- situation is menting any cost Checking on the cutting or other likely to get remedial measures, worse.“ it is important for every charitable state of the union organization to engage in a “chesh- Survey measures satisfaction in Orthodox marriages bon hanefesh,” sort of an internal soul searching. (This is something organizations BY MAYER FERTIG and the Rabbinical Council of Cali- should be doing all the time; the need to do fornia, where it was first offered. in difficult times is even more acute). Frank Buchweitz wishes every “Unfortunately now in the They should be asking themselves: engaged couple would become shidduch world people know all What is our mission? Do we have a strategic educated about marriage before about the caterer” and other plan for the next few years? How do we they march down the aisle, but aspects of planning a wedding, Photo by Stanley Weiss adjust it to account for current circum- mostly he settles for running pro- “but they don’t know about getting Eli Gerstner (back to camera) rehearsing his Yeshiva Boys Choir backstage before a stances (e.g., does our capital expansion grams to help already married cou- married,” he observed. “I would plan still work in this environment)? Are we ples stay that way. Buchweitz, the love to see pre-marital education recent HASC concert; some will perform in The Event as ‘Pirchei Boys Choir.’ sticking to our core mission and strategic Orthodox Union’s national director be a requirement.” plan or have we veered off course? What of community services and special Buchweitz has run marriage are we doing well and, conversely, what are projects, is running an anonymous retreats during three of the last Less is more for concert we not doing as well? Are our investment online poll of Orthodox married four summers. They draw an strategies sound? Are our governance poli- couples. “interesting turnout of people –– a cies sound? Are there things that others do The study, “hopefully, will pro- cross-section of the community, ‘Event’ minus the ‘big’ better than us? Are there opportunities for vide information on the state of the looking for information.” strategic alliances? If an organization does- union,” he said. “It will give some “When they’re calling up to Lipa, Pirchei choir tribute planned for March concert register for a marriage retreat, n’t think about these issues before acting, it good feedback on the direction to BY MICHAEL ORBACH up to be one of the bigger shows put is likely to make inconsistent, scattershot take” in planning future programs. right away they think you’re a psy- on in the Jewish music world. The decisions rather than thoughtful, strategic chologist and start telling you all The Aleinu Marriage Satisfac- The Big Event is back, albeit very popular Lipa Schmeltzer will ones, and, consequently squander its the problems of their life. I tell tion Survey takes less than 10 min- without its leading adjective. headline, with a reconstituted Pirchei utes to complete and will be avail- them that marriage retreats are for Boys Choir. Half of the available See VIEW, Page 5 “I’ll let people decide if it’s bigger able online until March 31 at people in good marriages, not mar- 5,600 hundred seats are sold, Mend- riages that are on the blink or or small,” said Sheya Mendlowitz, the www.ou.org/marriage_satisfaction. producer of The Event, a concert lowitz said. It’s a project of the Aleinu Family “This show is the most talked Azriel Ganz is general counsel for a finan- See STATE OF THE UNION, Page 6 planned for March 1 at the WaMu cial services trade association. He lives in Resource Center in Los Angeles Theater at Madison Square Garden. about event since last year’s event Woodmere. As it stands, The Event is gearing See CONCERT, Page 12 That’s Life............................................................................2 Classified .............................................................................8 Candlelighting: 4:52 p.m. ■ Shabbat ends: 5:55 p.m. Inside Opinion .................................................................................4 Calendar.............................................................................10 Shabbat Torah reading: Parshat Bo 11530 PRST STD PERMIT NO 301 GARDEN CITY NY US POSTAGE PAID PAID US POSTAGE CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED CHANGE SERVICE 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530 City, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden 257658 2 The Jewish Star January 30, 2009 LASKO FAMILY KOSHER TOURS PRESENTS Photo courtesy HAFTR High School Pictured (L-R): Rachel Bandler; Neil Bernstein, Math Chair of HAFTR High School and project adviso; and Stanley Blumenstein, Principal of General Studies of HAFTR High School. Our 10TH The Bold New Our 9TH Year Year PGA National Entire Hotel Eden Roc Multi-Million Resort & Spa Odds in her favor Kosher Dollar Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for Passover Resort & Spa Make Over Intel semi-finalist’s interest in probability Miami Beach, Florida stoked by poker-playing uncle BY MAYER FERTIG coming out –– and my interest stemmed from that,” she said Hyatt Regency Our Ritz-Carlton Rachel Bandler, a HAFTR Monday. 2ND senior, is a semi-finalist in Intel’s Predictably, school officials Year annual Science Talent Search are pleased. Bonaventure Resort & Spa competition. She brings home “We are so proud of HAFTR High School’s 25th Rachel,” said Rabbi Zev Meir & the Elizabeth Arden Lake Las Vegas award in math and science in Friedman, Rosh Yeshiva of Henderson, Nevada Our 22ND Red Door Spa the last two years. HAFTR High School. In addition Year Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Finalists will be announced to being an excellent student, he on Wednesday after The Jewish added she “possesses stellar Star goes to press. middot.” Bandler, who lives in Scars- Demonstrating that attribute Our 5TH Our dale, NY and boards in Ocean- during a short interview, Bandler JW Marriott Rye Town side, did research in the field of stressed that credit for the win is Year 14TH probability using a mathemati- not hers alone.

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