The Jewish National Edition Post &Opinion Volume 78, Number 5 • February 29, 2012 • 6 Adar 5772
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The Jewish National Edition Post &Opinion Volume 78, Number 5 • February 29, 2012 • 6 Adar 5772 www.jewishpostopinion.com the auspices of the Israel Government on the Press Office and Minister of Public Seen Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs, Yuli Edelstein, who accompanied us, for a tour Israel Scene of the Samaria (Shomrom in Hebrew) Regional Council. Our guide was David BY SYBIL KAPLAN Ha’ivri, executive director of the Shomron Liaison Office, 44 years old, former Samaria American who has lived in Samaria for 21 years, married with eight children. Background Shomron Regional Council From the Jezreel Valley in the north to The Council is comprised of 30 towns the Jordan Rift Valley in the east, to the and 28–29,000 residents in communities Carmel Mountain Ridge and the Sharon ranging from 20 families to 1,000 families. Plain on the west and the Jerusalem Sixty percent of the residents are secular; Mountains in the south is an area in Israel 40% are religious. called the Shomron or Samaria. It was Barkan called the Shomron from ancient times Our first stop, an hour out of Jerusalem, until Jordan conquered and occupied the was the Barkan Industrial Park, founded in area in 1948, The Jordanian occupiers then 1982, which includes 140 factories and changed the name and coined the term employs 6,000 Israeli Jews and Palestinian “West Bank,” of which Samaria was the Arabs. Abed, Palestinian warehouse manager, of northern part, north of Jerusalem. This The plastics factory is managed by Barkan Industrial Park plastics factory. area is home to nature preserves, boutique Yehudah Cohen from Kibbutz Timorim. wineries, springs, museums, organic He is an enthusiastic and proud person when cleaning the toilet; its matching farms, restaurants, and places to stay who extols the fact that half of his 80 waste basket has a special rim allowing for overnight. workers are Israelis and the other half are the basket liner to fit the basket but be Judea, when used in Judea and Samaria, Palestinians who are entitled to the same hidden from the outside. Both are in a refers to all of the region south of workers’benefits. They have had “no event wicker-like plastic design. Jerusalem including Gush Etzion and Har or terrorism based on security issues and Hebron. no terrorist attacks here.”The Arabs live in Itamar On a cold, wintry January day, we were nearby villages. Riding on Road 60 is riding the highway part of a group of foreign journalists who “We are a bridge for peace,”he tells us. of the bible – where Abraham, Isaac and boarded a special bullet-proof bus, under Factory managers are both Israelis and Jacob walked. When one lives in this area, Palestinians. They barbeque together, “This is the core of Zionism, the core of travel together and celebrate together, as connection to the country, reconnecting to indicated in a wall of photographs in the our roots,”says Ha’ivri. office. Abed, the warehouse manager has Itamar is an Orthodox, Torah-observant been with the factory 4 years and says, community, founded in 1984, with about “People accept without problems that we 250 families today. It made worldwide work. We would like to live together like in news when, in March 2011, two Arab the factory.” cousins, Amjad and Hakim Awad, teens The plastics factory, with sales of 50 million from the nearby village of Awarta (where shekels in 2011 (approximately $13 million the sons of Biblical Aaron are buried), dollars), makes plastic installations and hiked from their village to the security sanitation products for the Israel market fence of Itamar on a Friday night. and most recently is exporting to the They stabbed and shot to death Udi and Netherlands, Italy, Australia, France, and Ruth Fogel, their 11-year-old son, Elad, the U.S. Cohen’s “baby”is a toilet brush in his 4-year-old brother Yoav, stabbed the David Ha’ivri, Shomron Liaison Office Executive a holder with a button at the top of the four-month-old baby Hadas, and left. Director. Photos by Barry A. Kaplan/Jerusalem. brush which releases the liquid inserted (see Kaplan/Israel, page 20) 2 The Jewish Post & Opinion February 29, 2012 the commandments.” (Jerusalem Talmud, Editorial Peah 1:1) Inside this Issue Several years ago after a near death experience, actress Jane Seymour had a Sybil Kaplan While working on this issue and also similar realization. She said that once you (Seen on the Israel Scene)................cover watching the 84th Annual Academy go, you can take absolutely nothing with Editorial.....................................................2 Awards, one trend stood out. Physical you. The clothes you love to wear, the car Bits of Wit .................................................2 beauty and glamour are temporary. How you love to drive, cherished acting awards Rabbi Benzion Cohen quickly the fashions come and go. One – all of those do not matter. All that you (Chassidic Rabbi).....................................3 year a precise style of clothes, hair, shoes can take with you is the love you gave and Melinda Ribner and make-up are all the rage and the next received, and what you have done to make (Kabbalah of the Month) .........................3 year all are outdated. a difference in the world. Rabbi Jon Adland My mother, Helen Cohen, z”l, who Since it is the month of Adar when Purim (Shabbat Shalom).....................................4 wrote a column for this newspaper for 27 is celebrated and one is supposed to Howard Karsh years while raising eight children, had a increase ones joy, it is worth mentioning (Jewish Anerica) ......................................4 favorite adage: “Nothing is sure in life that we here in Indianapolis started Amy Hirshberg Lederman but change.” experiencing joy early from hosting the (Jewish Educator) ....................................5 This is also true with the actors, directors, Super Bowl earlier in February. Besides Rabbi Moshe ben Asher and producers, musicians and all the others record breaking high temperatures and a Magidah Khulda bat Sarah who contribute to making successful great game, a lot of celebrities were in (Gather the People)..................................6 entertainment. Although a few continue town and fun activities took place. Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso...........................7 excelling at their craft year after year, for Since I am no Billy Crystal, this year’s Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso ..............7 most their popularity waxes and wanes. Oscar host (for the ninth time), I am Rabbi Irwin Wiener One year they have a box-office hit and including below one-liner jokes for Purim (Wiener’s Wisdom)..................................8 then their next three movies are flops. by mostly Jewish comics. Chag Sameach! Bit of Wit...................................................8 When Meryl Streep gave her acceptance Jennie Cohen, February 29, 2012 Ted Roberts speech for winning the best actress (Spoonful of Humor) ...............................9 award for her role in The Iron Lady, Jim Shipley she highlights the importance of long (Shipley Speaks) ....................................10 standing values over temporary successes. Seth Ben-Mordecai Instead of beginning by thanking all of (The Roads from Babel) .........................10 those responsible for this particular movie, Irene Backalenick teary eyed, she starts by thanking her (Jewish Theater).....................................11 husband Don because “everything I value Rabbi Steven M. Leapman most in our lives, you’ve given me”. (Addictions Counselor) .........................12 Then she thanks her make-up artist, J. Avi and Adele Roy Helland who also won an academy Photo by Bobbi Frankovitz (Confidentially Yours)...........................13 award for his work in the same movie. She Rabbi Elliot B. Gertel said he has worked with her in all of her Bits of Wit (Media Watch).......................................14 movies for the past 30 years starting with Morton Gold Sophie’s Choice. Finally she thanks her You may remember the old Jewish Catskill (As I Heard It).......................................15 fellow actors – her friends living and those comics of Vaudeville days, Shecky Green, Israel Special Olympics .......................16 passed on – for the sheer joy of making Red Buttons, Dotie Fields, Milton Berle, Spring festivals......................................16 movies together in her “inexplicably Henny Youngman, and others? You’ve Dr. Morton I. Teicher wonderful career”. probably heard of them before, but don’t you (Book Reviews) ......................................17 If physical beauty is illusory, if fashions miss their humor? Not one single swear Sybil Kaplan are fads and if awards acknowledging the word in their comedy. (My Kosher Kitchen).............................18 best job achieved among all the others in Rabbi Israel Zoberman ........................20 the same field are not that significant, A drunk was in front of a judge. The then what is important? What will still be judge says,“You’ve been brought here for The Jewish valuable a thousand years from now? drinking.”The drunk says “Okay, let’s get Although I don’t agree with the language started.” Post &Opinion that my brother uses in his column by referring to God only with masculine There was a beautiful young woman 1427 W. 86th St. #228 pronouns (see Chassidic Rabbi p. 3), I do knocking on my hotel room door all night! Indianapolis, IN 46260 agree that studying and practicing the I finally had to let her out. email: [email protected] words of our sacred texts are keys to those phone and fax: (317) 405-8084 values that will stand the test of time. A car hit an elderly Jewish man. The Love God with all you heart, mind and paramedic says, “Are you comfortable?” website: www.jewishpostopinion.com strength, and love your neighbor as The man says,“I make a good living.” yourself are examples of teachings from My wife was at the beauty shop for two the Torah that come to mind as values that I just got back from a pleasure trip.