Jewish Father, Muslim Son, Home at Last the Deal's Off
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Published by the Jewish Community of Louisville, Inc. www.jewishlouisville.org INSIDE After accident, Matt Karr is still making art STORY ON PG. 2 ADL seeks help in chart- ing anti-Semitism here STORY ON PG. 4 Community■ ■ FRIDAY VOL. 42, NO. 13 7 HESHVAN 5778 OCTOBER 27, 2017 Fleischaker feted The deal’s off: as NCJW raises Texas develop- nearly $300K er backs out of for drug court plan to buy By Lee Chottiner Interim Editor Anshei Sfard By Lee Chottiner Jon Fleischaker’s professors at the Interim Editor University of Pennsylvania Law School were astounded when the promising Anshei Sfard’s deal to sell its proper- young law student told them he would ty to a Texas developer is off. return to his native Kentucky to prac- John Gilbert, president and chief tice. operating officer of Houston-based “They said I would never have an in- Bomasada, which agreed in August to teresting career,” Fleischaker recalled purchase the Dutchmans Lane syna- as the 300-some people gathered at The gogue and grounds, told Community Temple last week to honor his work Wednesday that the sale would not go erupted in laughter. through. Bomasada had been planning Their reaction was understandable. to build a 268-unit apartment complex In his 47-year career, Fleischaker has there. become known as one of the leading “We knew it was going to be a tough defenders of First Amendment rights deal,” he said, “but when we submitted in the state. our preliminary proposal to the city, I He drafted Kentucky’s Open Records just didn’t get the warm and fuzzies.” Law. The fate of the deal directly affects He forced the state Cabinet for the Community Mikvah – the ritual Health and Family Services to open Jewish father, bath – which sits on synagogue prop- records that show how children died erty and pays to use the congregation’s while under the department’s supervi- utilities. As late as this week, officials of sion. Muslim son, the Louisville Vaad HaKashruth, which He helped rural and urban newspa- owns the mikvah, were making plans pers resist suppression of news by pub- to build a new one at another site. lic officials. home at last And according to Anshei Sfard Rabbi Fleischaker’s achievements were Simcha Snaid, they still should. catalogued at an October 19 dinner, Above, Lansana Lapia Snaid said the congregation still sponsored by National Council of Jew- and his father, Dr. Ian plans to sell the property. Also, deal or ish Women, Louisville Section, where Zlotolow, whose story no deal, it is proceeding with plans to he accepted the 2017 David Reichart made national head- move to Shalom Tower, where it is al- Award. A cross section of official Louis- ines 15 years ago when ready paying rent. ville – lawyers, journalists, judges, poli- Zlotolow brought his “I’m trying to configure how the ticians and Jewish leaders – turned out future son to the states sanctuary will be set up so we can to fete him. from war-torn Sierra move stuff over there as soon as possi- U.S. Rep John Yarmuth, honorary Leone, now call Louisville ble,” he said. chair of the event, noted how appropri- home. Right, Lapia, who And Fred Levein, a broker associate ate it was that Fleischaker was being is passsionate about for RE/MAX 100 who is representing honored. basketball, goes for a Anshei Sfard, said he has other parties “The Open Records Law is dear to rebound on the same JCC who are interested in the property. this NCJW section,” Yarmuth said. He court where his father So Snaid, who sits on the Vaad’s mik- lamented that the First Amendment “is played as a kid. (See vah committee, which is exploring column, pg. 7. Photos by See FLEISCHAKER on page 19 Tara Cocco) See DEAL OFF on page 19 Budapest calling: Two Women to describe the Jewish vibe in Hungarian capital POSTAGE KENTUCKY LOUISVILLE PERIODICALS By staff and releases The two wom- ern Europe for 50 en will talk about years. Six million Two young Jewish women from Bu- what it’s like to Jews were mur- dapest, Hungary, will visit Louisville be young and dered during the on November 5 to describe the Jewish Jewish in East- Holocaust; then revival underway in their Eastern Eu- ern Europe, and the communist ropean country. how Jewish life in regimes that fol- They will speak at 5 p.m. in the Patio Hungary is being lowed drove the Gallery. The Jewish Federation of Lou- rebuilt. surviving com- isville is sponsoring the visit. “They want us munities under- The women, Sara Ozorai and Hedi to look at their ground. Pusztai, represent one of the largest community as vi- As in other Jewish communities in Europe. Buda- Sara Ozorai brant and new,” Hedi Pusztai Eastern European pest has more than 100,000 Jews; it is said Matt Gold- countries, many young and it is working to reestablish berg, director of the Jewish Communi- Hungarian Jews have learned who they its communal institutions – all while ty Relations Council. are from their parents and grandpar- a xenophobic government has taken The one-two punch of Nazism and ents, frequently on their deathbeds. power in Hungary and anti-Semitism communism undeniably crippled Jew- is on the rise there. ish life in Hungary and the rest of East- See BUDAPEST on page 19 2 Community Y OCTOBER 27, 2017 Y 7 HESHVAN 5778 Showcase Accident didn’t stop him With bassoon or band saw, Matt Karr makes beautiful art By Syd Bishop keys on the bassoon. I think we modi- For Community fied eight keys, nine keys. I went back to work on the first of September. I was Matthew Karr has dedicated his life able to be successful.” to making yours a little brighter. As a musician Karr feels twice bless- The son of artistically inclined par- ed: to interpret the works of great ents, Karr and his two brothers were composers, and to be a student work- exposed to music early on, perform- ing continuously toward self-improve- ing musicales as a family ensemble for ment. their friends. “A life in music is a wonderful thing,” An accomplished musician, he has he said. “My bosses are geniuses. Bee- played bassoon for the Louisville Or- thoven is a great mind. There is a down chestra since 1979. side to that, which is that you’re never A skilled and creative woodworker, good enough. You work in service to his work has reached an international the composer. audience, with his recent work show- “If you’re continually striving for per- casing his Jewish faith. fection, the road never ends,” he con- But in 2013, both careers almost tinued. “It’s why musicians love what ended tragically in a band saw accident they do and why they keep doing it.” at his workshop. Nevertheless, he said his greatest leg- Yet today, Karr continues to play the acy is neither his music nor his wood- music he loves while taking on more work. ambitious woodworking projects than “My biggest legacy is my children ever. and grandchildren, he said. “My grand- Here’s how: Matt Karr, a bassoonist for the Louisville Orchestra and an accomplished woodworker, nearly lost both gifts in a son, Noah, likes to ask “Pop Pop shop,” tragic accident four years ago. (photos provided by Matt Karr) because he wants to go to the shop. It As a child, Karr learned about makes a big sound when you turn on wood and the natural world from his his mental and emotional well-being. liked the kind of work that I did and the light. It’s kind of a boy thing. That’s father who had his own woodshop. “It was a tough summer,” he admit- asked that I build a Torah table. Then legacy number one.” From his mother, he developed an ap- ted. they said that it would only make sense preciation for architecture and design. But he learned things about himself. that the eternal flame match the Torah Sharing and building on both those “The injury helped me redefine what table, so they asked for that. interests, Karr took small steps to ac- was important to me, which is being a “After that, they wanted a donation climate to his woodworking projects, musician, working in the shop, riding box to be out in the main lobby. They starting when his wife Kathy, also a my bicycle, and mountain climbing,” wanted off in the distance to see a member of the orchestra, gave him a he said. “I wanted to get all that back.” glowing box, which is sort of a carica- table saw as a Chanukah present. ture of those ark doors, except it’s 18 “She allowed me to build my shop off Raised in a Jewish family, Karr inches tall.” the back of our house with one caveat: spent his youth active in his synagogue He described the California project ‘No wood dust will ever come from the in Toledo, Ohio. “Judaism,” he said, as “a whole different animal.” shop into our house.’” “and the spirituality and the moral “It’s different to jump through the Karr’s woodwork grew from there. compass of Judaism has always been hoops of a committee. Usually I’m just He started with easy things, like cof- in my life.” building a table and dealing with a fee tables. Over time, though, with the About 20 years ago, Rabbi Andrew wife, and you just do what she wants. purchase of a band saw and some ex- Pepperstone, then spiritual leader of It’s always difficult to work with com- perience under his belt, Karr’s designs Keneseth Israel, asked Karr to make mittees.” became more curvy and intricate.