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JS SMALL 9X12 LAYOUT_Layout 1 12-12-03 9:40 AM Page 1 DECEMBER CHANUKAH 2012 1929 of- 2012Service Years to Eighty Canadian-Three Jewry - www.thejewishstandardmag.com (Cover story on page 2) JS SMALL 9X12 LAYOUT_Layout 1 12-12-03 9:40 AM Page 2 2 The Jewish Standard, December 2012 Israelis Turn Attention to MICHAEL HAYMAN PUBLISHER AND EDITOR January 22nd Election With the ceasefire between Israel Yair Lapid has sought out modern JULIUS HAYMAN and Hamas still holding campaigning for Orthodox rabbis who share his views EDITOR AND PUBLISHER the January 22nd election has resumed. on religious extremism. He counts among 1937-2000 The bi-partisan spirit that Israelis dis- his friends rabbis Shai Piron, Benny Lau played during Operation Pillar of Defense and Dov Lipman. Indeed, Piron is second has already given way to the vitriolic on Yesh Atid’s list. And in contrast to the attacks that inevitably accompany politi- home in which he grew up, when guests cal debate in Israel. Opposition Leader visit Lapid’s Tel Aviv residence they will Shaul Mofaz wasted no time in criticiz- find kosher food on the table. ing the government for agreeing to a Yair Lapid may be more concilia- ceasefire long before the operation’s tory than his father. He may want to goals had been met. avoid fratricidal conflicts. But Lapid With a month left until voters intends to confront those who oppose his cast their ballots, every public opinion view that “religion should not be involved Cover Story poll indicates that Benjamin Netanyahu in politics”. His party condemns heredi will retain power, although Likud’s shift leaders who “don’t let followers go to work Top photo further right during its primaries might and release themselves from poverty.” It shows Israelis in alienate more moderate voters. Still, the would fight any attempt to reintroduce Kiryat Malachi head- opposition is splintered, even more so the expired Tal Law that for too long now that Tzipi Livni has re-entered the “released people from their duties as cit- ing for a bomb shelter political arena. Likud-Yisrael Beytenu izens”. Indeed, praying for the success of following a siren. should have little difficulty forming the IDF should be encouraged. Using it Bottom photo illus- another coalition. And while we have as an excuse to avoid active participation trates the damage to been uneasy with some of the govern- in the defence of Israel’s citizens cannot an apartment in the ment’s policies - we did, after all, express be tolerated. The party would end the our hope that Kadima would win the monopoly of the chief Rabbinate on mar- same community. 2009 election - we have always believed riage, scrap MK David Rotem’s conversion Most Israelis believe that Jews living in their comfortable bill and welcome women at the wall. that another war with Diaspora pews should permit Israelis to Lapid reserves his harshest criticism for Hamas is inevitable make the decisions upon which their politicians such as United Torah and the photos on the lives depend. There is a simple solu- Judaism’s Yisrael Eichler who maintain tion for those in the Diaspora who com- that Reform Jews are “anti-Semites”. For front cover are not the plain about the foreign or domestic poli- Lapir craven capitulation to religious last we will see of the cies of an Israeli government. Sink your extremists and the unilateral imposition impact of rocket roots in Israeli soil and become a full of halachic law have no place in Israeli attacks on innocent partner in the political life of your new society. And to help ensure that smaller civilians. Photos IGPO home. parties aren’t able to cow the larger par- But while we will accept the out- ties into submission and thereby paralyze come, whatever it is, there is no moral policymaking, Yesh Atid would raise the imperative preventing us from expressing threshold for knesset representa- our wish list for the make-up of the next tion to 6%. While this is hardly the polit- knesset. And we would hope that the Israeli ical overhaul Israel’s electoral system electorate would take a look at Yair Lapid needs, this measure would at least make and his new party Yesh Atid. Yesh Atid may it difficult for otherwise inconsequential not have the experience necessary to gov- political parties to exert an influence that ern. Its foreign policy initiatives lack clarity their numerical strength does not justify. and consistency. But its domestic platform Reform, Conservative and secular takes dead aim at those Israelis who believe Israelis need a strong voice in the next that there are “Christian Jews” living knesset to continue their fight against the among them and that “secular Jews are just powers of inequity. They need to be cer- like goyim”. A party that believes that all tain that they have a place in the national ANITA SURMAN streams of Judaism must be treated equal- religious constellation of the country. Editor ly deserves representation in the knesset. Polls vary but Yesh Atid is predicted to win General News Section Readers may remember Yair up to ten MKs. That result, together with Lapid’s late father, Yosef ‘Tommy’ Lapid, a rejuvenated Labor, would give a strong former justice minister and leader of the voice to those Israelis who resent being secular, almost virulently anti clerical accused of avoiding the obligations neces- Shinui party. But unlike his father sary to be a good Jew. The Jewish Standard is published monthly by Michael Hayman, B.A., M.A., , Editor and Publisher. 1912A Avenue Road, Suite E5 Toronto, Ontario M5M 4A1 . (416) 537-2696; 4342 Walkley, Montreal, Quebec H4B 2K5 489-3124 Printed and bound in Toronto, Canada by Regal Press Canada. Publication Mail Registration Number 140715545 JS SMALL 9X12 LAYOUT_Layout 1 12-12-03 9:40 AM Page 3 The Jewish Standard, December 2012 3 NEWS OF THE RECENT PAST IS REVIEWED By NOAH FREEDMAN Sister of Nazi Leader fund raising efforts on the “We were outspent aid who ran a Jewish Hid Jews part of Jewish Republicans, by Jewish Republicans by media hub to help the and the perceived unfriend- over $40 million and they president’s re-election bid. Madeline Cornet, ly attitude of the White have only four points and “Some mazel” he noted the sister of Leon Degrelle, House towards Israel, failed another four years in exile sarcastically. leader of the Belgian Nazi to make much of a dent in to show for it,” said Steve While it may be Rexen movement instru- Jewish support for the pres- Rabinowitz, a former true that Jews in general mental in the deportation of ident. Clinton White House press are shifting slightly to the Jews during the German right the decline in Jewish occupation of Belgium, hid vote corresponded with the three Jews in her home national decline for near Brussels. Obama. Hanna Nadel, 86, says that she, her niece and Jewish Pollster her mother was rescued by Bang On Cornet. The three had escaped deportation orders Polling during elec- and were wandering aim- tion is a highly competitive lessly around the town of business. The public may Sint-Genesius Rode. become tired ot the daily Cornet had a help wanted polls released, with all their sign on her door. Cornet minute details, but the immediately hired them as reputation of the polling cook and chambermaids. companies is at stake and Cornet apparently they take their numbers, realized that the three and their methodology very women were Jewish but seriously. despite her family ties The winner in the assured Nadel that they presidential polling sweep- would survive. “I have”, she stakes was Nate Silver, the told them, ”broken with the man behind the popular fascism of my brother”. FiveThirtyEight blog. When Nazi visitors came to Silver correctly predicted the house the three Jews the results in 49 or the 50 would hide in the basement. THE HONOURABLE JOE OLIVER, CANADA’S states. The gefilte fish Nadel’s moth- During the cam- er cooked, was given to her Minister of Natural Resources and Member of paign Silver took a lot of Nazi guests as “oriental fish”. Parliament for Eglinton–Lawrence, visited Chabad heat from Conservative Hanna Nadel, who House during a recent his visit to India. “Canada anchors for maintaining was 16 at the time, eventu- stands united with the friends and families of that Obama had a 90.9 per ally immigrated to Israel, those who were slaughtered in the atrocity that cent chance of being re- Degrelle, who never apolo- elected. But even Bret gized for his Nazi beliefs, targeted Chabad House in Mumbai and indirectly Baier of FoxNews praised managed to escape death all the Jewish people.” said Minister Oliver. ”The his accuracy at the end. after the war and died of resilience and strength of Chabad House is an And firms like Gallop and natural causes in Spain in inspiration in the face of unspeakable acts of bar- Rasmussen again were 1994. baric cruelty.” The coordinated attacks of way off the mark. Jewish Vote Some 90 polling November 26 – 29, 2008, included Chabad House firms conducted at least Propelled Obama and the Taj Mahal Palace. Over 166 people were one poll during the final Barack Obama may killed in 11 shooting and bombing attacks, includ- weeks of the campaign. not have received the 74% ing two Canadians. Chabad House has been pre- There seems little doubt of the Jewish vote he gar- viously visited by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, that Silver deserves what nered four years ago.