The Jewish National Edition Post &Opinion Presenting a broad spectrum of Jewish News and Opinions since 1935. Volume 80, Number 3 • February 5, 2014 • 5 Adar I 5774 www.jewishpostopinion.com

A Focus on Healing

Cover art by Irene Konig (see About the Cover, p.2). 2 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT February 5, 2014 Editorial About the Cover Inside this Issue Love is like a mighty spring By Irene Konig Editorial...... 2 I was fortunate, recently, to meet and About the Cover ...... 2 hear a speech by an amazing Jewish Konig created this piece in the three Rabbi Benzion Cohen doctor just in time for our 17th Focus on months after her husband’s sudden death; (Chassidic Rabbi)...... 3 Healing section. Similar to Maimondies, he was in California when it happened. Henya Chaiet who after working all day would continue For three months she could not do any (Yiddish for Everyday) ...... 3 seeing patients all evening – while on his artwork, so plunged in mourning she was. Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D. back because of fatigue – Dr. Rick Hodes After that time, she created (Wiener’s Wisdom)...... 4 (www.rickhodes.org) spends most of his a set of about 20 artworks Rabbis Dennis & Sandy Sasso...... 4 waking hours working to over the following several Jim Shipley heal those who could months which she called (Shipley Speaks) ...... 5 never afford his services. Griefworks. This was one Bernie De Koven Dr. Hodes is the Medical of them. It is a poem by (Book Excerpt) ...... 6 Director of Ethiopia for Isaac of Nineveh. Ted Roberts the American Jewish Joint Her feelings for her late Irene Konig (Spoonful of Humor) ...... 6 Distribution Committee husband still gushed out of her, and the Melinda Ribner (JDC) (www.jdc.org) – Dr. Hodes form that they took was tears. Her love (Kabbalah of the Month) ...... 7 celebrating their centennial this year. It is for him was not quenched by his sudden Rabbi Jon Adland an organization whose purpose is to help passing. In fact, it took five years before (Shabbat Shalom)...... 7 Jews in need around the world. For this she felt like a single person. She added the Sybil Kaplan speech, he was accompanied by their (see About the Cover, page 9) (Seen on the Israel Scene)...... 8 Director of International Initiatives Elizabeth Rabbi Dr. B. Rosenberg...... Healing 1 L. Fine. The JDC is a partner agency of the j i Amy Hirshberg Lederman Jewish Federations of North America. “Sometimes God helps me in funny (Jewish Educator) ...... Healing 1 Called “the Jewish Mother Teresa,” Dr. ways.” He then shows the audience head Rabbi Gabriel Cousens, MD Hodes had worked at her Mission in India x-rays of a woman who has had a tumor (Jewish Ambassador) ...... Healing 2 in the 1990s. I first heard of him two years growing in her skull for ten years. Rabbi David Wolpe ago when Marilyn Berger was in town to He continues, “Whether or not it’s (Why Faith Matters) ...... Healing 4 promote her biography of him, This is a cancer, doesn’t matter because it is going Howard Karsh Soul: An American Doctor’s Remarkable to squash her brain and she is going (Jewish America) ...... 9 Mission in Ethiopia. It was a fascinating to die.” Although he networks with Dr. Miriam Zimmerman presentation with incredible stories and physicians in Germany, India, Israel, (Holocaust Educator) ...... 10 slides, demonstrating how one man can Ghana and the United States, he does not Rabbi Elliot B. Gertel be responsible for saving many lives. It know if he will find one who can help her. (Media Watch)...... 12 was exciting to meet him in person and to One morning on a trip to Minneapolis Rabbi Israel Zoberman see that he is not slowing down. he overslept and didn’t have time to do (Book Review)...... 13 Soon after Berger’s presentation, we Shachrit (the morning prayers). His alarm Professor Arnold Ages published a book review of her biography. did not go off and he woke up ten minutes (Book Review)...... 13 It says Dr. Rick Hodes is a Jewish before he had to be out of the room. Dr Sybil Kaplan American doctor from Syosset, Long Hodes explains,“This happens to all of us (My Kosher Kitchen)...... 14 Island who came to Ethiopia 28 years at sometime so you throw your clothes on, Abraham H. Foxman...... 16 ago to help the victims of famine, and you brush your teeth and run out the door. never left. The review, with a photo of In my case I put my tefillin in my backpack.” The Jewish the author, is on our website but below in He wanted to do Shachrit, so after his italics is an excerpt of the review. first meeting, he says to Mort, the man Post&Opinion Jewish News and Opinion since 1935. Berger went to Ethiopia to write about from the Federation who is not religious Dr. Hodes, not only, as she says, “because he but is taking him around,“Do me a favor 1427 W. 86th St. #228 has devoted his life to ministering to some of and take me to a synagogue.” Indianapolis, IN 46260 the poorest people on the planet, but…what Mort takes him to an Orthodox email: [email protected] had particularly grasped my imagination was synagogue but as they enter, the morning phone and fax: (317) 405-8084 the way he lives in this impoverished country. prayer group is walking out so Mort starts website: www.jewishpostopinion.com He has taken some 20 poor and sick children talking to the rabbi. Dr Hodes ends up publisher & editor: Jennie Cohen into his own home and officially adopted five talking to the rabbi’s Talmud student, a 45 graphic designer: Charlie Bunes of them. He cares for them, feeds them, and year old man who is getting a lesson. sends every one of them to private school.” Just to make conversation, Dr. Hodes asks something very special called skull based These children, suffering from TB of the him,“What do you do here in Minneapolis?” nerve surgery. I’m a neurosurgeon, but I spine, growth-hormone deficiencies, cancer, “I’m a doctor,”he replies. only operate on the bottom of the brain.” and malnutrition are given second chances “Oh, me too,”Dr. Hodes responds. Dr. Hodes perks up and remarks, “Oh, by this amazing egoless doctor.…what “What kind of doctor are you?”the man that’s interesting, let me show you drives Rick Hodes’ to leave the comforts asks. something.” He opens his computer and offered here in the U.S., for a life of difficult “Actually I do tropical medicine in shows him the x-rays of the woman with service as well as infrequent successes? Africa,”Hodes answers and then asks him, the tumor. During the speech Dr. Hodes tells “What do you do?” “Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen anything several stories. He begins one with, The other doctor explains, “It’s (see Editorial, page 5) February 5, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 3 biz vanen zee haut dos gehmacht vee zee Chassidic Rabbi Yiddish for haut gevault. (She twisted and turned the fabric on the paper pattern she had cut out BY RABBI BENZION COHEN over and over again until – Viola! – she Everyday made it work for her.) Tzu mir haut dos geven ah vunder ahz zee haut nauch The good life BY HENYA CHAIET gehkent machen eppes fuhn gornisht. (I marveled that her great enthusiasm for I grew up in Indianapolis, Ind. My life Mein Mahmeh creating “something out of nothing”was was basically secular, 364 days of the year. still there as I remembered it.) I do remember praying one day every year, Dee Shneiderkeh In ear gantzen leben fleckt zee dos Yom Kippur.Yom Kippur is the holiest day (My Mother the Dressmaker) tzores drayen ah hin un ah her biz vanen of the year. Even though my life was rather zee haut dos goot gehmacht. (The same devoid of spirituality, I still felt this holiness. Ich haub geh kayft tzveh klayneh twisting and turning played a role in every What were my goals? I wanted to have shticklach vareh vaus ich haub dos zayer facet of her life. She lived through many big muscles, succeed in sports, be popular gehglichen. (I had purchased two small wars and depressions in her lifetime of 98 and have beautiful girl friends. I spent a lot remnants of fabric not really knowing why years.) Zee haut geh glichen altz tzu zein of time lifting weights and exercising, I but just because I liked them so much.) richtig, ahz meh haut dos gehzen auder took protein supplements, but nothing Dee Mahmeh iz geven balt finf un nisht gehzen. (She worked her problems helped. My muscles just would not grow. I achtzick yor. (Mama was about 85 at the twisting and turning them until she tried out for sports, but failed. I wasn’t very time and had been a dressmaker most of made them work for her.) Zee haut unz popular and never had a beautiful girl her life.) Ich haub ear gebeten, “Effsher gehlerent “ahz meh nemt tzeit machen friend. In those days I was quite frustrated, kenst do mir machen ah klayd fun dos eppes macht men vee goot mehken.” and jealous of those who did succeed. shticklach vareh.” (I asked her if she (She took great pride in her finished Now I realize that even those who had big thought she could make me a simple product; the inside had to be just as well muscles and succeeded in sports were not outfit from these small pieces of fabric.) tailored as the outside. “Anything you much happier than me. Dos haut ear nisht gehnumen lang tzu spend your time on should reflect your When I was 17, I read a book about auskleren vaus tzu machen fuhn dos. (It very best,”she would say.) yoga. I decided to give it a try. I became a did not take her long to put her ideas Fuhn vaus ich haub gehzen in mein vegetarian, so as not to hurt animals. I did together and soon she was cutting out a mahmehs leben haub ich zach aus meditation and spent a lot of time in pattern from the brown paper [cleaners] gehlerent ahz der leben is amol nisht nature, in order to feel my soul and bag.) Zee haut dos gehdrayt ahin un aher gring, dahf men drayen ah hin un ah her Hashem (G-d). I was careful not to hurt biz vanen ear mach dos goot. (I learned anyone or anything. After a few months I j i so many positive things from watching my noticed that I was much happier. I was from morning till night. Mama sew a garment. Life is not always nicer to people, and they were nicer to me. While writing this I came to an amazing easy, just take the “fabric”and twist and I found friendship. realization.All of the things I dreamed about turn it one way then another until you After doing yoga for a year I spent a while growing up I have accomplished, make it work for you.) Sabbath with Chabad. That day changed thanks to Chabad and the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Zaugt nisht ken maul ahz ear kent my life. In the Chabad community I found I wanted to be popular. Now I have a lot nisht, haut haufening ahz ear velt dos a lot of love and happiness. These were of good friends. Many here in Kfar Chabad, drayen ah hin un ah her biz vanen ear people who did not know me, yet they and many scattered all over the world, in vet dos machen goot far eych. (DON’T greeted me with a warm smile. When they each of the 5 continents. How did I make so EVER GIVE UP HOPE – you can always finished praying, they danced. many friends? If you truly love someone, make something out of nothing. Just use All my life I had searched for happiness, they will eventually automatically love my Mama’s formula: twisting and turning. in vain. In Chabad I found happy people. I you. How do you learn to love everyone? I remember so many ways she had for decided to give it a try. I went to check out It takes time and effort, but any Chabad making it work for her. Even when she the Chabad Yeshiva for beginners. After a Rabbi can show you the way. Many had ample fabric she never wasted.) week I decided to stay. In yoga I had found Chassidic teachings deal with this. Macht eppes fun gornisht dos iz ah some happiness, and in Chabad I found I wanted relationships with beautiful gooteh zach far dos velt. (Remember to much more. girls. After learning in Yeshiva for four make something out of nothing. It’s good What is the secret of happiness? years I was introduced to my future wife, a for the environment.) Chabad taught me that I am not just an truly beautiful girl. Soon we were blessed Note: Some of the English in this accident. I was created for a purpose. What with many daughters, daughters-in-law column is not a direct translation of the is that purpose? To make this world into a and granddaughters, all of them beautiful Yiddish, but is additional information. holy place, a fitting place for Hashem to in many ways. Henya Chaiet is the Yiddish name for dwell in. How do we make the world holy? I wanted to succeed in sports. Hashem Mrs. A. Helen Feinn. Born in 1924 ten days By learning Torah and doing Mitzvahs. blessed us with a whole soccer team of before Passover, her parents had come to One of the most important Mitzvahs is to children. When they were young, we America one year prior. They spoke only love your neighbor. When I help someone, would go to parks and play soccer. We Yiddish at home so that is all she spoke until give them some love and cheer them up, would have a great time. And who was the age five when she started kindergarten. She then I am happy. Why? I have made best player on the team? You guessed, then learned English, but has always loved Hashem happy by doing one of His yours truly. Yiddish and speaks it whenever possible. Mitzvahs. And I have made one of His I wanted big muscles. Now I have five sons Chaiet lived in La Porte and Michigan City, children happy. I have done something and many grandsons with a lot of big muscles. Ind., from 1952 to 1978 and currently really worthwhile. What could be better. I found the good life, and I hope that all resides in Walnut Creek, Calif. Email: So I spend my day, doing Mitzvahs happily (see Benzion, page 5) [email protected]. 4 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT February 5, 2014 Don’t use Bible to justify The Indiana Board of Rabbis also passed Wiener’s a resolution to “fully support the work of gay marriage ban Freedom Indiana and others to defeat HJR-3,” and to oppose “any attempt to Wisdom amend the Indiana Constitution to define marriage in the proposed restrictive BY RABBI IRWIN WIENER, D.D. way….” The resolution sees such efforts as subversive of “an American value that the “Another bride, BY RABBIS Jewish community holds dear – religious DENNIS C. AND liberty.”It goes on to ground this position another groom… SANDY E. SASSO on the biblical proposition that all human beings are created “B’tzelem Elohim – Another season” The benefits of marriage and domestic in the image of the Divine”(Genesis 1:27) partnership have been expanded to – a “sacred truth also upheld in the A song made famous by the late homosexual couples in 18 states, indicating Declaration of Independence.” comedian Eddie Cantor included these that Americans are ready to move toward A similar position has been adopted words and went further to say… “Think a more inclusive and enlightened view by the Indianapolis Jewish Community what a year can bring.”This song came to of marriage rights. Yet, Indiana is still Relations Council and endorsed mind when I experienced a new year. considering legislation (HJR-3, formally overwhelmingly by Jewish congregations Where has the time gone? The days grow HJR-6) leading to a constitutional and social service organizations in our city shorter, the heat subsides, then spring amendment that would narrowly define and state. appears and finally summer. The cycle is marriage as between one man and one Americans are guaranteed freedom of complete and then renewed. woman. This would effectively ban gay religion. While some use that freedom So many questions run through my and lesbian unions and would also limit for restrictive and coercive purposes, mind: Have I? Should I? Could I? So benefits of domestic partnership to communities of faith have most often much to think about and I am, at the same heterosexual couples. been a voice for liberation and empower- time, so grateful that there is a period set Regrettably, the religious voice is often ment, expanding social horizons and aside to start anew and possibly correct identified with support of the amendment. the legal guarantees of our Constitution the wrongs. While there are urgent social, economic to all citizens. Yes, I am grateful for this chance to make and civil rights reasons to defeat HJR-3, Often those who take the Bible literally, sense of all that has occurred this past year there are also religious grounds. Freedom and read Scripture selectively are the most and imagine how it will impact the year Indiana is promoting citizen education vociferous in claiming that the biblical just beginning. Have I learned anything and has enlisted civic, business and tradition is clear on what is right and from the experiences of the last 24 hours, academic leadership to support the defeat wrong. The Bible speaks of slavery and or the last week, or the last month? Have of HJR-3. polygamy: A religious community in I had an impact on those who come to me search of God understands that these are for guidance and connection? j i not eternal divine mandates, but historic Many challenges come to mind as a new true faith. When a husband and wife human constructs. People will use year begins and an old one gets lost in the begin a new life together they reinforce sacred texts to advance their own social moment of memory. All of us receive the that bond. The mystics wrote that God is and political agendas. Some have blessings of life not because we will it but forever creating new worlds. How is this employed the Bible to justify slavery, rather because we make it happen. As done? By bringing about new marriages. others to support abolition; some to corny as it may sound, determination and A new year, a new beginning, a new endorse terrorism, and others to promote faith make all things possible. Happiness chance to start fresh, is what is offered. understanding and peace. Scripture is is not an accident waiting to happen. This is what love offers us. This is what as good as those who interpret it. The Happiness occurs because we put effort faith offers us. So many things in front of scriptural texts that speak of kindness, into making it so. us. What is required is for us to reach out freedom, forgiveness and understanding Life is a story of struggle and courage and so that we can know, not think, what a testify to equality and acceptance. perseverance. Life is what we make of it year can bring. The deepest witness of the Bible is the understanding that there are good times as Entering into a new relationship as a promise of love and justice for all. To well as bad. Our responsibility to each other new year begins does not involve ignoring be faithful to that witness, we should and ourselves includes living life, loving everything else but rather seeing everything recognize that the rationale behind life and sharing life with those we love. in each other. That is true love. A great the scriptural prohibition against There will be another bride and another writer once wrote that to give yourself homosexuality, as the prescriptions groom as sure as there is another season. boundlessly will enable you to be richer, concerning slavery and polygamy, are not And as the song continues: “Lots of rice, deeper and better. That is also true love. only outdated, but morally unacceptable. the groom is nervous, he answers twice.” Enjoy each and every year and continue God’s creations are not an abomination. And it goes on to state: “Picture a little love to enjoy life. And the song goes on: “The Our universal share in the divine nest down where the roses cling. Picture choir sings here comes the bride. Another image is a pedigree that should not be that same sweet love nest, and think what bride and groom are side by side. It surely diminished to suit narrow understandings a year can bring.” Our relationships are is the season….”Perhaps this is also true for of God’s will. There are strong religious determined by our faith in each other and partnerships, significant others and friends. reasons to support the civil rights of our need to find love in order to be fulfilled. Rabbi Wiener is spiritual leader of the homosexuals and to recognize their Doing for one another is the ultimate Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation near entitlement to companionship and love expression of love for humanity and Phoenix, Ariz. He welcomes comments at in sanctified and legalized relationships. enhances our love for God. The bond ravyitz @cox.net. His new book Living with Experience has demonstrated that a between husband and wife is the secret of Faith can be obtained on Amazon.com. (see Sassos, page 5) February 5, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 5 knew from fertilizer and bug killers? The EDITORIAL Shipley food was grown on small farms, many of (continued from page 2) them owned by other Jews in New Jersey or that far off mountain range, The like that. I’d love to help her!” the Speaks Catskills. No more. The farms gave way to neurosurgeon exclaims. hotels catering to the Jews of New York Dr. Hodes returns home, dresses his BY JIM SHIPLEY and New Jersey. They gave way to cheaper patient like a Muslim so she can wear a airline flights and more affluence and God veil over her misshapen head and he gets What is a abandoned the Catskills and created her out of the country. Because of this Miami Beach. Miami Beach at one time, meeting in the synagogue he ends up Green Grocer? believe it or not, was “restricted”– no Jews. bringing her to St. Paul, Minn. Photos No, really! from six months later prove this There are words, expressions and entire Now, most of those blessed folks are neurosurgeon’s successful operation. languages that rise, spread and then seem long gone. Miami Beach is now mostly Salsa Dr. Hodes concludes his story: “If you to just disappear. Today it would seem and rap and Hip Hop. No more cha-cha, had said to me the day before,‘Rick if you even the e-mail is going out of style, no more Pupi Campo, but I digress. put on tefillin tomorrow you will save the replaced by texting which replaces words I guess the point of all this is that indeed, life of a woman,’ I would have said, ‘No, with single letters (You = U). This is not things change. Maybe not necessarily that doesn’t happen, that’s impossible.’ a judgment, just a statement of fact. for the better, but they change. Where However, it says in the Talmud one good Remember when you sent a “letter”in an the mailman handled all those letters deed (one mitzvah) leads to another.” actual envelope? When you addressed cyberspace now fills with them. This truly, Jennie Cohen, February 5, 2014 that letter to a certain someone and wrote could be the last generation to make eye on the flap of the envelope “SWAK”? (For contact. Buried in our electronic world, now j i those too young to remember, it stood for held in the palm of our hand, we disconnect. BENZION Sealed with a Kiss). Jews were always the masters of (continued from page 3) Yiddish was the prime language of conversation. Arbiters of a good Eastern European Jews. When most of argument. Language was always our tool, of those who read this will be inspired to them were killed by the Nazis, the our weapon. There are Yiddish words that go in this direction, to live a happy life, a language which burned so brightly convey an emotion, a description like no life of Torah and Mitzvahs – especially became a dim flame on a diminished other language. Those words have gone now, as we enter the month of Adar. It is a candle. The Jews who came to the United the way of the Green Grocer, the Mitzvah to be happy in the month of Adar, States (The Goldena Medina), both before Appetizer Store and the candy store. Ellis and to increase the happiness from day and after the Holocaust, brought with Island is a museum. The Lady with the to day. And this year we have two months them the remnants of “Mama Lushen”– Light no longer looks to take in the tired, of Adar. Yiddish. There are pockets here and there the poor, the ill clothed and ill fed. They The Lubavitcher Rebbe asked that each that keep that flame burning – however came when there was no such thing as of us should try our best to influence at faintly – and thank God for them. “Illegal Immigration”. least ten people to live a life of Torah and The Jews of the early 20th century also The country has filled up. The rails and Mitzvahs. So please show this to a least brought their culture and created even the airports have made the local farmer a ten people. This will certainly bring closer more of it. They crowded into the curiosity. Conversation, always the key our true and complete redemption, at tenement blocks of the lower east side weapon of a keen Jewish mind is becoming which time all of us will have a good and and into Brooklyn. Yes, there were other a series of acronyms and short bursts. wonderful life. We want Moshiach now! communities in Philadelphia and Boston The pace is faster, it seems no one has Rabbi Cohen lives in K’far Chabad, and elsewhere – even Dallas! But, it was the time to chat over a bagel and cream Israel. He can be reached by email at on the streets of lower Manhattan that cheese anymore. Tough to chat with your [email protected]. this mixed culture took root. eyes downcast, thumbs flying. Maybe From the push carts of Mott Street and there is no need any more for a Green j i Delancy Street where the peddlers would Grocer or an Appetizer Store. Find a store SASSOS sell whatever the neighborhood wanted where the pickles are kept in a barrel and (continued from page 4) to the first restaurants, European Yiddish the proprietor would roll up his sleeve and culture was transplanted. If you wanted reach in for a proper pickle for you. healthy family is determined not by the something besides a full meal you went to Technology has brought the world parents’ gender but by the respect and an “Appetizer Store”. No, not a Deli – not closer together. Facebook finds people commitment of two people who covenant a place to sit down and eat – you took the from your past, not always a blessing. to one another in faithful love. lox, the bagels, the cream cheese, maybe a Paper becomes electronic files, making the Both the Bible and the Constitution, little herring, some chopped liver trees happier. Curmudgeons like me long religion and citizenship, offer us not static (Gehoctah Lieber) and you went home to for a distant time. When few were in such but self-correcting ways of being and a feast! a damn hurry that they couldn’t take the becoming human. May the New Year find Either on the street or from a wagon or time to write “you”instead of “U”. us moving in that direction for the good of in the store, vegetables, and fruit anything Each generation brings to the world its us all. fresh came from the “Green Grocer”. own culture attitude and gifts. We who are Dennis Sasso is senior rabbi at There were no supermarkets; there were leaving are not to judge. My parents tried Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in hardly any grocery stores. Candy stores, when the “noise” of Stan Kenton and Indianapolis; Sandy Sasso is rabbi emerita of yes, but no one stop shopping. Foot traffic Count Basie invaded their 1940’s space to Congregation Beth-El Zedeck and director of was the transportation of choice – well, cure me of this strange disease. In a world the Religion, Spirituality and the Arts maybe not choice, but it worked. no longer wired, business is instantaneous Initiative at Butler University. Reprinted Organic? Most food was because who (see Shipley, page 15) from The Indianapolis Star Jan. 8, 2014. 6 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT February 5, 2014 into her and she conceived” Jacob or Book Spoonful Simon, or whoever. What a commendable, simple system. A masculine delight, as I of pointed out to my rabbi. Let’s revive the Excerpt Humor good ol’ days when…He left the room slamming the door on his way out. BY BERNIE DE KOVEN BY TED ROBERTS Parents, especially the bride’s folks, would save a fortune. I’m sure they’d vote Nachas and New wedding story my way. Think of it; no thank-you notes. My lovely wife still claims the Rosenfelds mechaiyeh I wonder when the wedding ceremony hate us because I’m 30 years late on a was mandated as the official seal of thank-you note. I say a Walmart salt and In my attempts to understand fun, and marriage. Don’t laugh and call me pepper shaker doesn’t deserve a thank- especially to convey that understanding, I uncivilized. You can open your Bible and you note. find myself very often using two Yiddish wade through all of Adam and Eve’s But to be serious, which I am one hour words: nachas and mechaiyeh. courtship and find not a single word of of the 24, where are our historians when The word mechaiyeh describes the wedding ceremony. Same for Abe and we need them? Who was the Hochem experience of soaking in a hot bath. Not Sarah and Isaac and Becky.You won’t see a who obviously worked for the bride’s too hot, of course. But perfectly hot. single word about a rabbi, the wedding family and somehow introduced all this Quietly soaking. Not scrubbing. Not even meal, or raspberry sorbet. Only the bare wedding mishamagas as a prerequisite to necessarily soaping. Effortlessly afloat in necessities are mentioned. “And he went the simple: “and he went into her and they the embrace of penetrating warmth. conceived”? What wedding planner in Finding yourself, from time to time, j i Solomon’s temple elaborated on this saying, to no one in particular, except and friends. You can be playing a game neat formula? maybe the entire universe: “ahhh, such with your kids, and get beaten, both fairly Though my own wedding was a few a mechaiyeh!” and squarely, and also totally and entirely, weeks after Abraham’s, I negotiated madly Of course you can have mechaiyeh-like and feel good about it. Because it gives with my in-laws. “Look, I’ll run off with experiences almost anywhere. A shower, you such nachas. Gwendolyn thereby economizing on the maybe. Even, you Nachas is the kind of fun where you 150 seated dinner, an out-of-tune band, should forgive the find yourself actually feeling happy for and a couple of gardens worth of Calla reference, on the someone else. Because of someone else. Lilies. And we’ll split the savings. The toilet. Of course, It’s the opposite of schadenfreude. It’s rabbi’s study will be our wedding hall.” you don’t need freudenfreude. Everybody nodded in agreement. water to experi- There are many kinds of nachas.You can All was going well. Me and the wife to ence a mechaiyeh. get a sense of nachas from walking into be are in the car bound for Honeymoon You can be lying in your kitch- en after a particularly grueling Hotel until my wife asked,“Where are we the sun, on the round of cleaning and putting away, and going?”“To our wedding,”I replied matter beach, on your just noticing how everything is so clean, of factly. The bride, however, immediately porch. You can be orderly. You can get nachas just from noted the lack of twelve bridesmaids, a having a massage. You can be sitting appreciating things – yourself, your twelve-piece band, and only an assistant still on a hot day in a cool breeze. And spouse, your kids, your car, even. associate student rabbi in the back seat – I then there’s that first sip of tea or soup, Nachas comes from the Hebrew word thought it’d be romantic to do the short especially in cold weather or in the noach – which means “rest” or “peaceful” simple ceremony at the Honeymoon morning. And then, in the evening, the or “comfort.” It also means a sense of Hotel. (A sheet makes a fine Chupah.) simple acts of opening your belt, taking satisfaction, contentment, gratification, Her nuptial instinct began ringing like off your shoes and socks, putting on a of feeling accomplished. It’s a kind of a bookcase size cell phone. “This is no bathrobe or a soft sweater. fun that feels good, like a mechaiyeh. But wedding,”she bristled.“This is a ‘he went Mechaiyeh comes from the Hebrew it’s not the body that gets the good feeling. into her and conceived’!” Minimally, she word chai, which means life. To experience It’s more like nachas is a mechaiyeh for insisted on a neutral third party observer, a mechai- yeh is to experience yourself the soul. what our Christian friends call a qualified becoming more alive, your being being So here we have two kinds of fun, both preacher and we call a rabbi. enlivened. Listening to music. Dancing. penetrating very deep into the core of No, of course I’m kidding. Well before Holding hands with your spouse, your being: the fun of great physical comfort, my own imprisonment – sometime after friend, your children or grands. Ah, such and the fun of great spiritual comfort.They Bible time and before Las Vegas wedding mechaiyehs! are the kinds of fun that enrich our lives, chapels – problems arose. So, if you understand the meaning of whether we are young or old, healthy or “What d’ya mean we’re just great pals”, mechaiyeh, you understand something not so much. They are gifts, and the more said some marriage partner. Not true – else about fun. we receive them into our lives, the more we are married. There’s a ceremony and Then there’s nachas. Nachas is fun of a fun our lives become. contracts, stuff like that. very different kind. It’s the kind of fun you Bernie De Koven is the author of The Clearly, a sober third party, objective have when you’re watching your kids at a Well-Played Game, A Playful Path, and witness was required. And it so happened school play. A funny kind of fun, because Junkyard Sports. This is an excerpt from that unemployment was high at the you can have it even when you’re not A Playful Path which is available at: time. And for a haunch of moose meat doing anything. Fun of the nachas variety press.etc.cmu.edu/content/playful-path. One (kosher, you know) or a cluster of grapes is most often attributed to the fun you can also purchase and download the book you could buy this service. Furthermore, get from your kids and grandkids, and from aplayfulpath.com where one can also be there are biblical scholars who connect sometimes even your spouse and parents entertained and learn more about the author. (see Roberts, page 7) February 5, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 7 this land.” Since early this week we have Kabbalah Shabbat been flooded with remembrances and songs and the sounds of of the Pete Seeger and his Month Shalom banjo. Over the last few nights when I’ve walked BY MELINDA RIBNER BY RABBI JON ADLAND in the door Sandy has Jan. 31, 2014, Terumah been tuned in to Pandora Adar – healing Exodus 25:1–27:19, 30 Sh’vat 5774 listening to songs of and by Mr. Seeger. Pete Seeger comes from joy Pirke Avot 1:14 – Hillel used to say: If I Last night I walked in to hear Peter, Paul am not for myself who will be for me? Yet, if and Mary singing, “If I Had a Hammer.” Chodesh Tov! The new month of Adar I am for myself only, what am I? And if not Who hasn’t sung this song around a began in the evening of Jan. 31. The sages now, when? campfire or at camp or in youth group or in the Gemara have said that “Joy is (Pete Seeger (May 3, 1919 – Jan. 27, 2014) in school? People have posted on increased during the month of Adar”. The mused on this famous verse by Hillel in the Facebook about the time they heard Pete whole month is learning how to grow and following link that contains some of Pete Seeger in concert or about the influence of heal through joy and laughter. Reb Seeger’s Jewish songs and a conversation: this iconic American folksinger on their Nachman said that sickness comes from a http://forward.com/articles/191700/pete- life. My brother said that it was Pete lack of joy and healing comes from joy. seegers—most-jewish-songs/) Seeger who influenced him to learn how In preparing for this month and during to play the five-string banjo. I remember the month, let’s each commit to increasing “I’ve got a hammer and I’ve got a bell hearing a Weaver’s album in my home joy in our lives. Give yourself time to and I’ve got a SONG-TO-SING all over when I was in kindergarten or first grade. play, enjoy nature, dance, sing, meditate, Pete Seeger was leftist, a progressive, a and do what brings joy into your life. In j i liberal and didn’t mind telling you so. He addition, eliminate and reduce what does and relationships that allow you to express (see Adland, page 15) not generate joy in your life. Sometimes more of who you really are. There is no people feel so obligated to do for others, to reason for you to remain in a situation j i placate others, they forget or deny their where you feel abused. This does not fill ROBERTS own needs. Being there for other people any holy purpose. Trust in God, have faith, (continued from page 6) at your own expense usually generates and do not listen to the voice of doubt and resentment. Remember that appeasing or fear. Make steps in the direction you want this witnessing trend with the popularity placating others does not bring joy to anyone. to go. You may not be able to make the of the prophets. It was their time. And Kabbalah teaches us that this world was immediate changes you want, but affirm renowned for their honesty, it was a not created for suffering, but for love and that you will be guided and will do so at perfect sideline to preaching for copper joy. This is something we must internalize the right time. coins on dusty crossroads. If the prophet in our being. It is true that we learn If you are unclear about the kind of attended the service and said you were many things, and we are purified through work that best expresses your purpose, married, well, that settled it. And like all challenges but we must remember that pray for divine guidance and assistance. human affairs, the service grew from a the main reason we came into this You will be guided. When we can be six-word ceremony,”OK I guess you’re world is to experience and teach joy. It is authentic in our lives, when our inner and married now” to various costuming, important this month to not be too serious outer lives are in accordance, we are joyful. ceremonial marching around the groom, and analytical. Seek to see the humor in And that is what God wants for us. lacy veils so the groom wouldn’t be life – it is always there. This month is about embracing the constantly reminded that the bride had a Things do not happen randomly. Nothing Feminine. That is why Queen Esther is the bad wart two inches southeast of her right is an accident. God is communicating with heroine of the story of Purim the holiday eye, and stomping glassware before dining you through everything that is happening of Adar. In the Purim story, God’s on plastic chicken and green peas. in your life. Listen closely to what is being deliverance comes in the midst of feasting, And you don’t think lawyers were going said to you, read between the lines. drinking and sexual intrigue, revealing a to miss a pay day, do you? Some legal Remember that God has a sense of most important and deep teaching of genius offered the bride a legal certificate humor, so you should too! the wisdom of the feminine: God is proving beyond all doubt that the groom, As we grow spiritually, we are in a state everywhere and in everything. During the party of the first part, was committed of joy more of the time. This is because we the celebration of the holiday of Purim, we to certain obligations. are better able to access the joy that is are told to feast, to drink, wear costumes, Again, like all the affairs of humanity, integral to who we are. Happiness has to play and be happy. marriage grew from the simple to the be found within. One can have all the Melinda Ribner L.C.S. W. is the author complex. Nobody walked into their bridal material and physical blessings of life, of The Secret Legacy of Biblical Women, chamber without a blindfolded lawyer and and be unhappy. One can have little and Everyday Kabbalah, Kabbalah Month a ten-page ketuba in triplicate. Nothing be very happy. Be mindful of the voices by Month, and New Age Judaism. remains simple. within you that take you away from the Internationally known for her pioneering Roberts is a syndicated Jewish columnist experience of the absolute joy of simply work in kabbalistic meditation and healing, who looks at Jewish life with rare wit and being alive. she is also a spiritual psychotherapist and insight. Check out his Web site: www. To be open to living a more joyful life, for more than 30 years has used kabbalistic wonderwordworks.com. Blogsite: www. begin by saying yes to yourself. If you are not wisdom as part of treatment. She offers a scribblerontheroof.typepad.com. His collected happy in your work or in relationships, free newsletter on meditation, healing, works The Scribbler on The Roof can be inwardly speak to God about this and kabbalistic energies of the months, holidays, bought at Amazon.com or lulu.com/content/ then be open to accept the kind of work and so forth. www.kabbalahoftheheart.com. 127641. 8 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT February 5, 2014 Seen on the Israel Scene BY SYBIL KAPLAN PHOTOS BY BARRY A. KAPLAN Christians perform Book of Esther in Jerusalem

For the past 15 years, a modern Orthodox tour operator has brought a Security is tight; your name is on a list performing troupe from Knoxville, Tenn., Bezalel is a Christian home school and you show them your press card and to demonstrate their skills in Israel. cooperative organization made up of invitation. We did not have to go through Recently, the group came to Jerusalem to families of various denominations, any machines after that.This year we were the Baptist House, to perform The Book of whose vision is to teach the beauty of each given a gift of a lap-top carrying case Esther – illustrating their skills of dance, dance and pageantry as a language for and inside was a calendar and information drama, and silk artistry. education and communication among sheets, apparently in different languages Eight barefoot women dancers in people. The school teaches integrity, which were coordinated to the color of the Amish-looking dresses with pantaloons modesty and disciplined training, the bag (English was blue). underneath and Arab-like head gear, skills needed for presentation, dance This year there was a coat check. No opened the story, performing in modern instruction, garmenting, stage design, one has a name tag so you have no clue dance while the narrator, Mordecai, retold musical instruments, voice and drama. who is who.The male Israelis are the most the Biblical story of Esther. They also teach various art classes, such obvious because no one has given them a Before Esther was chosen to be queen, as oil and acrylic painting, silk artistry, dress code and they mostly come looking five dancers, wearing tallit-like scarves ceramics and photography, so that like shleppers – with a few exceptions. The danced, while two men and four women, students can create unique expressions female Israelis have a better sense how to dressed in Israeli IDF camouflage for God’s glory. Finally, they teach dress. Barry wore nice slacks and shirt, and uniforms and berets, symbolize the languages and cultures of the nations, a sport jacket; I wore black wool slacks, a Jewish struggle, made a Mogen David in to give students a broader view of turtleneck and a nice black jacket with gold ribbon to accompany them and then God’s kingdom and what He is doing nice jewelry. placed it on the floor. among the nations. Foreign press are dressed okay; consulate/ They offer weekly classes in dance, embassy people come in suits and ties and drama, creative worship, silk artistry, look like professionals but due to the and acrylic painting. nature of the evening, they stand around talking to each other and do not mingle. A huge cadre of waiters brings out appetizers for about 2 hours starting at 6 p.m. Unfortunately, last night’s chef was disorganized, so we got chicken satay on a skewer, celery soup in demitasse cups, fish carpaccio and ceviche served in paper Faithful to the Biblical story, another cones, tarts, brownies, mousse, malabi dance portrayed the Jews of Persia (milk-based pudding with rose water) and through five women dancers performing then more celery soup and fish and chicken folk-music type choreography. waving orange, tie-dyed flags; a flag of satay and meat appetizers. A bar served The finale, when Haman is taken away Israel was also waved (by “Haman”) and wine and cold drinks (as much as you to be hanged and Mordecai is honored, “Mordecai” held a lit menorah. The like); another served coffee and tea. included a rendition, in the background, evening concluded with the school director, We knew a handful of journalists from of Ecclesiastes “To everything there is Jean Mabry, and the dancers leading Government Press Office trips, but the a season.” This was followed by the audience members in Israeli folk dances. rest were “foreign”to us. About 8 p.m., we background reading of the Declaration lined up at the door but only cameramen of the State of Israel and playing of Attending annual Government Press were allowed in. About 8:10 p.m., the others the theme from the movie Exodus. Office meeting Jan. 16, 2014 were let in and we were fortunate enough Six dancers in blue and white dresses, This is always an interesting evening to get front row seats in a side section. We bearing three banners – one like the Israeli when card-holding members of the sat with Elliott, a friend who lives near us flag, one gold and one hand-painted with foreign press, like us, plus lots of people and belongs to our synagogue and works the Israel menorah symbol – performed a from foreign consulates and embassies for Newsmax, a Conservative news media modern dance. Hatikvah was then played come together. We left the apartment at organization based in West Palm Beach, and the audience stood to sing. 5 p.m., and arrived at Binyanei Haooma, Fla. He was formerly an editorial writer for While a song about Jerusalem played in Convention center, at 5:50 p.m., where the Jerusalem Post. the background, dancers in yellow dresses there were security people directing us About 8:20 p.m., we were told to stand with orange tie-dyed scarves came out to the correct security entrance. (see Kaplan/Israel, page 15) A Supplement to The National Jewish Post & Opinion February 5, 2014 Focus on Healing 1 A FOCUS ON H EALING are the most powerful arsenal I know. Unforgiveness Jewish From the start, we did everything we could to “tip the scale”in his favor. Ray’s will make intuitive response was both inspiring and Educator very Jewish: He took full responsibility for you sick his physical, emotional and spiritual BY AMY HIRSHBERG LEDERMAN health. He met with integrative health specialists, BY RABBI DR.BERNHARD ROSENBERG L’Chaim!– A consulted with nutritionists, ate foods and drank sludgy concoctions rich in anti- What do you do when you are offended; Jewish view of oxidants. Regardless of how exhausted he hurt by other’s words or actions? I believe was from chemo, he did some form of we all have been hurt at some point of our health and healing exercise every day. He tried acupuncture, life, maybe betrayed and disappointed by listened to meditation tapes and gardened a friend, boyfriend, girlfriend or even a When my husband, Ray, was until we had more tomatoes that I knew brother or sister. diagnosed with lung cancer two years what to do with. He spoke to a therapist You would agree that after any offense ago, it came as a total shock. We were when things got tough and a rabbi when you get angry and bitter, you start still basking in the glow of our trip to he needed spiritual guidance. Most of all, automatically to dislike that person maybe northern Italy; images of the lush he stayed connected – to the people and even hate, wish him the worst. All these Piedmont countryside and Lake Como community he loved and with whom he negative emotions if not dealt with still fresh in our minds. could talk honestly and openly. properly are very dangerous to your health Ray’s voice had gotten hoarse during All of these steps were Ray’s way of taking as well as to close people around you. our travels but we were too busy exploring charge of his illness and responsibility for Know this – unforgiveness will make and Florence to give it much thought. When his total well-being. Instinctively, he was keep you sick! we returned, he saw the doctor who following the commandment in the Torah Have you ever seen a beautiful apple ordered the X-ray that changed our lives to “take utmost care (of your body) and and when you cut it in half you find it is forever. Within less than two weeks, we watch your soul scrupulously.” rotten. Simply anger and bitterness eats went from drinking wine and eating The definition of health in Jewish tradition away at us from the inside. We do not see truffles to waiting for CT scan results is inherently holistic. Concern for the it and we simply do not realize it. Some and scheduling surgeries. To say we person as a whole – for the body, mind, people carry the bitterness throughout were unprepared for the challenges that and soul is necessary in order to achieve their entire life. followed is an understatement. But then optimum health. The very word for health again, I have never met anyone who was. in Hebrew, breeyut, is derived from the How anger, hate, resentment, We faced it like soldiers entering a war verb barah, which means “to create”, bitterness hurt us zone – determined that we would fight implying the continuing regeneration of All these negative emotions have one this battle together. But instead of guns, the body that is required to maintain good thing in common. They trigger stress our weapons consisted of love, family, health. Medieval Jewish literature uses the reaction and as we stress, a big amount faith and hope which, when combined, (see Lederman, page Healing 4) of cortisol and adrenaline is released into the blood stream. This is a natural stress j i j i reaction. It is called fight or flight. After the definitely robs you of your joy.You can no What forgiveness is not. Forgiveness threat is gone, the stress hormones are longer enjoy life because you spend most is not justifying other’s actions or denying cleared from our body. But carrying of your time thinking about the offense the hurt, otherwise your wounds will around a load of anger and hate, desire for or the offender. You basically can’t move never heal. It’s not forgetting it. For revenge, or feelings of hurt, keeps all these forward with your life, think clearly, or example, how can you forget if your stress hormones active in our body and make a good decision. brother got killed by a drunk driver? over a long time this results in damage to It also affects the people around you. For What can you do about it? Find the our body. example, if you are mad at your brother or courage to forgive. It is not easy. It is a Our arteries are being damaged; the sister, your whole family suffers. Healthy process and a choice you can make. Say no plaque buildup starts to form. The heart new relationships are not possible. Why? to unforgiveness, do not let your past begins to suffer. Also your immune system Because you will bring that anger and effect your health and future. is down which makes you vulnerable to bitterness to that new relationship and it’s Rabbi Dr. Rosenberg is spiritual leader of any disease.Your body is simply not able to not fun. You can never live well in the Congregation Beth-El in Edison, N.J. He fight it. Being stressed makes you feel tired present if you are stuck in the past. received his ordination and Doctorate of and worn down, it disrupts the harmony If you think that by holding onto Education from Yeshiva University in New of brain waves, and gives you sleepless unforgiveness you are accomplishing York. He also possesses A.A., B.A., M.A., nights. This will lead you to anxiety and something, you are wrong. Yes, you want and M.S. degrees in communication and depression as well as to addiction because the offender to be punished or feel guilty education. He possesses a Doctor of Divinity at some point you are going to find or ashamed, but unforgiveness does not from The Jewish Theological Seminary, New yourself so miserable you may take accomplish the goal you think. The person York. He taught at Rutgers University in alcohol and drugs to relieve the pain. it hurts the most is you. New Jersey and Yeshiva University in New The quality of life with unforgiveness What is forgiveness? It is letting go of York, and is currently professor of speech at affects you inside as well as outside. It grudges, bitterness, and thoughts of revenge. Middlesex College, New Jersey. 2 Focus on Healing February 5, 2014 A Supplement to The National Jewish Post & Opinion means that we are able to maintain a our actions influence our ways of thinking Jewish healthy life by keeping a balance between and being. In this sense how we eat body, emotions, mind, and spirit, so that influences our thoughts. This expanded we do not get sick from the journey of life understanding of kashrut encourages us Ambassador and the cosmic exchange involved in life. to eat in ways that affirm life and health. In this context, health is the ability to That which is appropriate is food that is BY RABBI GABRIEL COUSENS,MD move through the orchard to receive the considered according to whether it cosmic divine energy from every aspect of improves and affirms life. In this context, Jewish healing the divine, from the four worlds (physical reverence for life is key. in Assiyah, emotional in Yetzirah, mental A diet that promotes life principles The secret and foundation of Jewish in Beriah, and spiritual in Atzilut). It expands the idea of the meaning of eating, healing and health is to do everything we also implies that we can move through for purifying and sanctifying all life and can to merge with God (deveikut/ the orchard and harvest the fruit from all bringing holiness into our lives. Eating in chay’rut).[1] The foundation of the healing the worlds. this way is a form of prayer and deepens and spiritual path in the great Torah Way is Harvesting from all the worlds leads us our connection with the Divine. Food to do all the mitzvot (good deeds), to another healing concept, which is in this context becomes an ecological, hamtakah (devotion and sweetness), and the idea of the cosmic exchange. Kabbalah organic, prayerful way to connect with the also achdut[2] (direct realization of God) teaches us that the mystery of receiving larger life flow as well as to personal of which one is capable. From this is giving. This flow of exchange keeps the health specifically. In this context, impurity perspective we look at health as that balance and supports health in our lives. is a lack of harmony with life, health, which comes from the result of our So as we move through the mystery of the and the life flow. Being overweight, for increasing alignment with the Divine. four worlds, in order to keep healthy, we example, except in the case of glandular Illness is that which came from being out must be clear on the receiving and giving disorders, betrays a lack of awareness of of alignment with Hashem and also our parts of our being. the true flow of life.To eat according to the unique soul mission. On the physical plane, we eat food, principles of kashrut implies a thoughtful This primary health-creating Torah digest it, and excrete it. Everything is part examination of each food as to whether or teaching is stated clearly in Exodus 15:26, of the whole and must be balanced to not it affirms life and health. Therefore, in these words, “If you listen carefully to create health. The incoming energy, if we when we say, “L”Chaim” (“To Life!”) we the Lord your God and do what is right are relating to the world in a healthful are really making a statement about in His eyes, if you pay attention to his and holy way, is converted into expanded kashrut. In this context, kosher food commands and keep all His decrees, I will consciousness, which supports us in living does not contain additives (which often not bring on you any of the diseases I a holistic and radiant life. come from animals that are not kosher), brought on the Egyptians, for I am the In this process there are several Torah white sugar, white flour, or junk food. Lord, Who heals you.” In summary, the health teachings that are key to creating Holistic kashrut is organic, vegan, without secret to good health is following the and maintaining health. Pikuach ha-Nefesh pesticides, herbicides, or other carcinogens. Torah path. means to preserve life and protect the life A truly kosher diet is one that expands From the Jewish view in which we are force. Sh’mirat ha-Guf means to preserve and upgrades our consciousness, supporting seen as multi-dimensional beings, some the health of the body. V’nismartem tikkun ha-guf (repair of the body), tikkun of our great sages and healers taught as meod l’nafshotechem (Deuteronomy, 4:15) ha-nefesh (repair of the soul), and tikkun the Baal Shem Tov said: “When the body means to be extremely protective of your ha-olam (repair of the world). ails, the soul too is weakened, and one is life force. Eating junk food, factory-farmed meat, unable to pray properly, even when clear The teaching of kashrut is also about and preservatives move us away from the of sins.Thus, you must guard the health of health, which is to eat and live in a way meaning of the life principle and, according your body very carefully.” Likewise, the that creates holiness, and hence health. to recent research, longevity and good Maggid of Mezritch said,“A small hole in Kashrut can be understood as experiencing health. For example, recent studies from the body causes a big hole in the soul.” holiness in food as a totality. The word the Harvard School of Public Health have Maimonides, the great medieval rabbi kashrut means,“that which is appropriate,” found in a research project that studied and physician, taught in Hilchot De’ot, including for our health. It helps us to some 120,000 people over a 24–28 year “The welfare of the soul can only be examine the function of eating because in period, that people who eat meat lose achieved after attending to the welfare this context eating is a way that transforms 13–20% off their life span. In another of the body.” These teachings point us and expands the consciousness of the major study, a meat-centered diet has now toward a multi-dimensional perspective individual and helps him/her to develop been proven to increase the incidence of on Jewish healing that makes Jewish self-control and to affirm all of life. As it heart disease by 32%. Another set of 12 healing truly holistic. says in Vayikra (Leviticus) 11:44, “Since I studies showed meat eating increased the The PaRDes story of Rabbi Akiva gives a am holy, you must make yourselves holy rate of diabetes by 35–50%. Eating meat particular insight in understanding this and remain sanctified.” It also says in in this context is a violation of tikkun concept. Because Rabbi Akiva was the Vayikra 20:26,“You shall be holy to me, for ha-guf and is thus not a fully kosher epitome of health and spiritual strength, I, God, am holy.” This sets the overview practice, as it has been shown to not be he was able to live in all the worlds and clearly. This teaching is in alignment good for our health. Full kashrut means survive. The other rabbis/sages who with the primary health teaching of that we examine and consider the health, entered the PaRDes with him were Exodus 15:26 ecological, political, and spiritual impact of unable to mitigate the complication of the In this context, kashrut has to do with our food. Kashrut in this larger holistic worlds and either went crazy, died, or purity of food and eating food in a way context is eating in a way that supports all lost touch with their overall health and that sanctifies the individual and preserves life on the planet. spiritual balance. all of life. As is pointed out in Shemot Not using this larger definition of This story is very important because (Exodus) 24:7, Na’aseh v’nishma / “We will kashrut disassociates us from the full being able to leave intact from the orchard do and we will listen.” This implies that reception of food as a love note from God. A Supplement to The National Jewish Post & Opinion February 5, 2014 Focus on Healing 3 In this way food is understood as a abridgment of the Shulhan Arukh written The Kitzur Shulhan Arukh also includes living, holy energy that transforms all by Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488–1575). Among instructions on eating according to the levels of our being and consciousness, many other things, it contains rabbinic seasons; to eat according to the seasons of individually and at a planetary level. A advice on how to return people to good one’s life; and to eat according to the kosher diet in this way not only preserves health and provides authentic teachings weather of the day.These are all laid out in personal health but also upholds on Jewish healing. It also reflects the beautiful detail. They are very similar to ecological principles that ensure the fundamental way that Maimonides Ayurvedic teachings. survival of the species. The diet should worked. He saw that a healthy diet and The sefer suggests exercising a bit before support tikkun ha-guf as well as tikkun lifestyle were vital for returning to and eating to activate the system, as it says in ha-nefesh. An exclusive focus on tikkun maintaining good health. In his view, Genesis 3:19,“With the sweat of thy face ha-guf alone does not support all life and one’s lifestyle involves performing the thou shalt eat bread,” and Proverbs 31:27, in that sense being fully healthy. Tikkun mitzvot, living the Torah, and having an “And the bread of idleness she doth not ha-guf can become mechanical and ever-deepening relationship with God. eat.” It also has some subtle things such enslave us in the rules of good eating. In On the physical plane, the Kitzur Shulhan as: it is not good to bathe after eating, this context a holistic, kosher diet supports Arukh, under “Rules Concerning Physical to do bloodletting, or to have sexual all of planetary life. This larger awareness Wellbeing,” has some key teachings. The intercourse directly after a meal. It also is both the cause and the result of the following is an extract from it: discusses the balance of cold and hot expansion of human consciousness. “It is the will of the Almighty that foods in a way that closely resembles Therefore, eating healthfully means eating one’s body be kept healthy and strong Ayurvedic teachings: in a way that supports the planetary web because it is impossible for anyone to have “One whose temperament is hot should of life at all points in time and in that way knowledge of the creator when one is ill. not eat hot foods such as spices and the is sustainable for the planet. (This is a fundamental overview to Jewish balsam plant, but should eat cooling and At this point in history, eating a healing as earlier pointed out.) It is fermented foods; however, one whose meat, fish, and chicken-centered diet therefore his duty to shun anything that temperament is cool should eat warming does not achieve this.The food (life)-chain may waste his body and to strive to acquire foods, such as spices.”All is given from a considers the whole web of life, including happiness and to become healthy. Thus it deep level of understanding to keep people the lives of the workers, the farmers, and is written in Deuteronomy 4:15,‘Take you, healthy and to help them recover from the consumers. This concept in Hebrew is therefore, good heed of your souls.’” illness. The text uses the words “whole- known as oshek / exploitation. At the end There are specific teachings in the some food,” which today would include of this kashrut discussion we go back to Kitzur that relate to maintenance of good whole, organic, raw, plant-source food, Maimonides, in his essay “Preserving health, and it is probable that many of without GMOs, pesticides, and additives. Youth,”and the secret to what I am talking these teaching were taken from One of the classic rules of good about: “The wisdom of how to consume is Maimonides, for he is one of the three nutrition is that one should eat only when hidden from the masses.” authorities upon whose teachings Yosef one is hungry. The Kitzur offers a Understanding the overview of the Karo relied in his summary of Jewish law complete explanation of chewing, exchange of energy and consciousness (the others being Alfasi and Asher ben including masticating so that one’s saliva and considering that we walk between the Yehiel (the ”Rosh”). One is maintaining an mixes with the food, and how important it four worlds as multi-dimensional beings optimal body temperature and balance. It is not to swallow unchewed food. There is (whether we are conscious of it or not) is a stresses the importance of chewing well. an interesting point made by Maimonides, challenge that helps us to evolve both in This is a lesson that is also emphasized in that “one should not eat the fruit of our health and spiritually. The next step is Macrobiotics. Not allowing any waste to trees too much when they are dried.” He to go to the micro-level in understanding remain in the body is another teaching, continues with specifics, writing, “Carobs the disease process and how to reverse and therefore proper assimilation and are always injurious, particular fruits are it. The teachings of Maimonides are excretion is considered essential. bad, and one should eat little of them in specifically helpful here, but even before As Maimonides does, the Shulchan the summer or in warm climates.” Of the Maimonides came King Hezekiah who Arukh emphasizes that one must not eat food in his era, the 12th century, he writes, taught that all disease is both a gift from too much. Food should be fresh, organic, “Figs, grapes, dates, almonds, and God and a wake-up call from God. That is and easy to digest. The key Jewish pomegranates are always wholesome and a fundamental part of understanding teaching is not to overeat or under eat. good, whether fresh or dried.” He Jewish healing. We have to answer that The extrapolated and modernized Torah deals with water and the importance of question as part of the fully healing process. teaching is that the illnesses that afflict keeping well hydrated and having pure Maimonides outlines three steps for humanity are those that come from eating and clean water. healing: (1) make the person comfortable. unwholesome foods (namely, white flour, These days this translates as avoiding (2) Elevate them from sadness to some white sugar, pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, fluoridated and chlorinated water. (Israel degree of happiness, and bring them to micro-waved food, and/or indulging in has finally decided to get fluoride out of its the understanding that whatever God excessive eating, including excessive water as of 2014.) This is a sensitive point does is for the best and that disease is a consumption of junk food). for Jews because the Nazis used fluoride message of imbalance to be corrected. (3) The Book of Proverbs (Mishle), the in the water to sedate, decrease spiritual Help them develop faith in God in general reputed author of which is King Solomon, will power, make infertile, and accelerate – and specifically – to understand that says,“Whoever keepeth his mouth and his aging in the people in the concentration their disease is a personal caring message tongue, keepeth his life from trouble.” camps. Fluoride is also a well-known from God for them to elevate their lives. (21:23) This is a warning against gluttony. carcinogen. It also addresses the issue of These are the key healing aspects that are Gluttony is considered a sin in the Torah. abstaining from ice-cold water. Cold water fundamental to Jewish healing, which The teaching is to eat what is necessary for slows digestion. What is interesting is that today would be called a holistic approach. our daily needs. Eating excessively, even of the Kitzur Shulhan Arukh addresses basic The Kitzur Shulchan Arukh, by Rabbi good food, as Maimonides taught, can human physiology from the perspective of Soloman Ganzfried (1804–1886), is an drive us to illness. (see Cousens, page Healing 4) 4 Focus on Healing February 5, 2014 A Supplement to The National Jewish Post & Opinion COUSENS told: “Therefore shall a man leave his (continued from page Healing 3) father and his mother, and shall cleave Why Faith unto his wife (v’davak b’ishto); and they health as accurately as any other system in shall be one flesh.” the world. Chay’rut means both “graven inscription” Matters The other thing is, as I teach in my work, and “freedom.”In parasha Ki Tissa, (Exodus “there is never enough food to feed a 32:15) Moses descends from the mountain BY RABBI DAVID WOLPE hungry soul.” The sefer specifically with the luchot ha-aydut (tables of the addresses this issue when it says, “One testimony), described as “the work of Nothing erases pain; nothing wipes should not try to stimulate joy in life by God, and the writing was the writing of away loss. But a kehilla kedosha, a sacred eating and drinking as fools do.” The God, graven (charut) upon the tables.” community, is the beginning of healing teaching is that the way to bring joy is to Passover is known as Z’man Chayrutaynu, our hearts. ~ 4-24-13 fulfill the mitzvot and to love God. Joy the Festival of our Freedom. Why? As Maimonides noted over a thousand makes us healthy and improves digestion. Because only when we adhere to the years ago, habit becomes second nature. Grief and sadness weaken our digestion. commandments that God has given us Creating habits that sustain and empower Fright cools the body. are we truly free. us is crucial to our wellbeing. So go do The Kitzur also talks about the importance [2] This translation of the word achdut is something good, repeatedly. ~ 6-25-13 of sleep, which is extremely important, as also not exact; it is inferential. Achdut “When Adar begins, joy is increased.” optimal sleep is 7–8 hours nightly. It is means “unity.” Here the term is used to Happy Adar, may this new month and this estimated that there are over 100 million mean union with God. Shabbat cheer your spirit and inspire you. people who are sleep deprived in the U.S. Rabbi Gabriel Cousens, MD, M.D. (H), ~ 1-31-14 (there are no statistics for Jewish people, Diplomat American Board of Holistic We work hard all week at self-transfor- but our rate is probably not any less than Medicine, Diplomat of Ayurveda, D.D. mation; Shabbat is the day for the peace of the U.S. average). Research is clear that (The footnotes and other edits were made self-acceptance. ~ 1-30-14 people who don’t get enough sleep have by Maggid and Rabbinic Deputy Reuven To eat without blessing,says the Talmud, 40 times more depression and have more Goldfarb. His poetry, stories, and essays is like being a thief. Gratitude is our disruption in the endocrine system, a have been published in scores of magazines, payment for the many gifts we are given. weakened reproductive system, and a newspapers, and anthologies including this ~ 1-27-14 weakened immune system.They also have one.) “Greet everyone pleasantly” teaches slower and weaker cognitive function. Pirke Avoth. In an age of cynicism and In addition, the Kitzur talks about the j i snark, these simple words are welcome, importance of lymphatic cleansing with LEDERMAN needed and healing. Greet kindly to start hot and cold bathing and the importance (continued from page Healing 1) the week. ~ 1-13-14 of avoiding pollution. “A person should Hasidic authors associate the word endeavor to dwell where the air is clean, word shlemut which is derived from the mitzvah, commandment, with the Aramaic on elevated ground, in a house of ample word shalem, or whole. Good health is tsavah, togetherness. A mitzvah is an act in proportions.” It is important to balance an ongoing process of establishing and which person and God are joined together the heat in the house so that it is neither maintaining wholeness within us. and in which people are linked to one too hot nor too cold. These are the basics Jewish tradition elevates the act of another. So do a mitzvah and connect. of Jewish health teachings as well as taking care of ourselves into a religious ~ 1-9-14 modern holistic health today. duty; it is an extension of the way we Even though we designate certain times People who are aligned with the will of acknowledge the sanctity of the life, of the like New Years to begin afresh, each God are more likely to be healthy. I am physical body, that God has given us. Our sunrise offers that chance.The past cannot working worldwide to address diabetes. job is to nurture and care for our body and be altered but it can lead to a better I teach that diabetes is a symptom of a soul as we would a most cherished gift. future and every blessed day offers that culture out of alignment with God’s This is beautifully stated by a 13th century opportunity. Start new; start now. ~ 1-6-14 ways. As I wrote in my article on Papua Jewish scholar who said: “A person must From Facebook posts of Rabbi Wolpe. New Guinea, the people who were Torah care for his body like an artisan cares for Wolpe is the senior rabbi of Temple Sinai in literate understood this teaching and his tools for the body is the instrument L.A., and author of Why Faith Matters. accepted that the healing of diabetes was through which one serves the Creator.” contingent upon returning to the Genesis Over 850 years ago, Maimonides, who j i 1:29 diet and living a balanced, served as the court physician to the Sultan day that passes without us appreciating harmonious life. of Egypt (in addition to being one of the how precious and precarious life is. And This is the secret to good health. God most influential Jewish sages and prolific while we can never know what our has given us explicit instructions to heal philosophers) offered six basic rules that future holds, or what challenges to our disease and bring holiness and health into are on par with the best holistic health health we will face, we do know that our lives so that we may become ever program we could follow today. His advice Judaism offers us a practical and positive stronger in our worship of the One. These to us is: To maintain a balanced, healthy way of responding to illness and are the secrets and subtleties of Jewish diet, exercise in moderation, get sufficient maintaining optimal health. healing. May all be blessed to return to sleep, use the bathroom regularly, breathe Amy Hirshberg Lederman is an author, these fundamental Torah teachings. clean air and moderate our emotions. Jewish educator, public speaker and attorney [1] Deveikut means “clinging“ or Maimonides counsel suggests that we who lives in Tucson. Her columns in the AJP “cleaving,”in this case, clinging to God. It have always understood what we need have won awards from the American Jewish is a common Hasidic term for “devotion” to do keep ourselves healthy. Jewish Press Association, the Arizona Newspapers to God. (The Hebrew word for “glue”is tradition elevates it to a sacred duty. Association and the Arizona Press Club for devek.) Its first use in the Torah is in Our family’s efforts thus far have had excellence in commentary. Visit her website Genesis 2:24, where Adam and Eve are miraculous results and there isn’t a single at amyhirshberglederman.com. February 5, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 9 I greet them all, and allow for a short ABOUT THE COVER Jewish self-introduction of each participant. Then (continued from page 2) I ask them to follow me into the mall, walking slowly to see what is going on, rose, slightly inclined, accepting what had America and importantly, who else is in the mall. occurred, and surrounded it with a shawl Our destination is Cafe Ramon, where of silk and flowers, as a sort of protective BY HOWARD W. KARSH the table has been set for 40. I ask them to cover.The words of this piece spoke to her, look at the menus – which are in more yes, “There is a love that is like a mighty A new peace plan than one language – and to order. spring gushing out of the earth; it keeps Everyone can order, because the menu flowing forever and is inexhaustible.” for Israel and the makes it possible for Jews of every stripe That is just the way she felt at the time. and kind, Arabs – both Muslim and Konig has created many works with Palestinians Christian – to eat together, and also to Jewish themes, including works that have look around and observe that at other a tallit image as a background.The Jewish- My wife and I are in preparations for a tables, there are Arabs, Israelis and Jews themed works range from calligraphy and trip to Israel, the Holy Land, Eretz Yisroel. of every kind seated and having lunch. design prints for weddings to comforting It will be the 4th time in a year and a half, This might be enough, without any works for those in mourning, inspirational because we are parents, grandparents and discussion. Imagine a place in Israel, in quotes, excerpts from the Song of Songs, great-grandparents of family in Israel, and Jerusalem, where everyone who chooses other Psalms, quotations from some of because, as long as we can, we want to be can come, walk, shop, talk and eat without the greats in Jewish history, home and at every simcha. any fear of problems. But, of course, there personal blessings, and many, many more. Did we realize when two of our five will be discussion about what it means. In addition to this large collection of children made aliyah that our lives would The Mamillia Experience proves that there Jewish inspired art, Konig has also created change with theirs? I suppose so, but as can be a “world”within the conflict, where many other art pieces, which encompass a the children grew, there were bar mitzvahs, everyone can co-exist. Not every Jew will wide range of feelings, thoughts, and weddings, grandchildren and great- choose to come because there are no dress experiences, all heartfelt. All master prints grandchildren, and it has come to deter- codes. That could be true as well for are made up by hand, and then prints are mine our lives. It is now only a question conservative Arabs who will be sitting next made from this master print. All in all, of “When is the next trip?” We are not to more liberal Arab women who are there are close to 300 prints, all available in complaining, just reporting, and we were indistinguishable in the crowd in the mall modest prices, all made on request, and all fortunate to do a lot of trips to Europe and at the restaurant. matted for gifting, or for the individual, when we could. I led over 10 trips for The important part to me, at least, in my and enclosed in a crystal-clear envelope. seniors to Israel and Europe, and while simplistic tour, is that everyone has chosen Categories on the website, www.artoflife there are still destinations that I have on where to sit, what to eat, and has come by .us, serve to help in the search for the my “bucket list,” I know in my heart, that choice, and can leave by choice. We are perfect piece. Konig will be glad to work my priority will be to go to Israel. not there to find resolution to the very with you to find what would be the best A great part of every trip is making a serious decisions on who will rule where, print, and gift certificates are available, if political assessment. I want to be able to or whether there can be neighborhoods needed, in case you can’t decide. share what I see. I have been hoping that where Arabs and Israelis will live together. Konig likes to use interesting materials in one of these trips that have spanned But, we are existing at the same table in and incorporate them into the master from 1972 to now – well over 40 of them – the same city, without armed guards, print. She has used leaves and berries, that I could come up with some idea that screaming, hurling curses or all of the ribbons, fabric, flowers of all kinds, jewelry, might actually bring the Israelis and negatives that historically have always masks and other assorted objects. Often Palestinians together, in a world that must occurred. It is simply an indication of a she puts into calligraphy her own words, come about. world in which we can co-exist while we expressing a sentiment that she could not Everyone who has experienced Israel work on some of the real and heady issues find elsewhere as a quotation. Her works realizes that “what is”cannot “to be.” So that need to be addressed. adorn many homes in the central Texas come along with me on this tour of Israel Progress will have a cost, as it always area and in other parts of the country. that I believe has credibility and promise. does. It cannot realistically come about, if In addition, she has donated some of her You must meet me at the Mamillia Hotel one side has to win every issue. Israelis, artwork to the Jewish Community Center in Jerusalem, just off Jaffa Street, and one without the unifying hatred of Arabs, will in Havana, Cuba, and to a hospital in of the entrances to the Mamillia Mall. I have to face and work on their own set Israel, Shaare Zedek. have invited, including you, the movers of issues, like military responsibility and Konig holds a bachelor’s degree in fine and shakers of the peace process. I have secular-religious conflict. It is possible, arts from the City College of New York, as told them nothing in preparation. They that after everyone sees from our lunch well as a master’s degree in psychology have come, partially, because I sought out experience that serious issues can be from the New School for Social Research people of note to get them to come, and handled seriously without threat, that in New York.Just a little over half of her life because they understand that the present there will be other meetings to “work has been spent in Austin,Texas, where she situation in Israel simply will not move things out.” currently resides. Her other years were us forward. I have always believed that the reason spent in New York. She is the mother of Its basis is hatred, fear, distrust and we have complex issues, which seem two young adult daughters. denial, and hopefully, they believe there unresolvable is simply because we were might be something in the idea they are unwilling to face the consequences of j i willing to hear. Perhaps we have attracted dealing with the simple truths. There are won the wars, but now they must win them just to hear what we have to say, and some simple truths we should not, cannot the peace. that might correspond to your taking the avoid. Winning the war and winning There once was the “Marshall Plan”after time to finish reading this article. the peace are two different issues. Israel (see Karsh, page 15) 10 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT February 5, 2014 Holocaust educator, there cannot be too today’s students have seen this important Holocaust many Holocaust remembrance days, no film. Spielberg “stressed that the world matter what the point of reference. Both cannot emerge from the Holocaust until days provide opportunities for learning as there are no more genocides, until the Educator well as remembrance. unthinkable becomes impossible….” To students enrolled in my Holocaust One of the Schindlerjuden (as those saved BY MIRIAM L. ZIMMERMAN class at Notre Dame de Namur University, by Oscar Schindler came to be known), I note that the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is Rena Finder, shared her testimony at the A day in the life the first armed resistance by Jews since the U.N. “Encouraging young people to be revolt of the Maccabees, in the year 164 more accepting of others and learn from A day in the life of a Holocaust educator: BCE against the Greek tyrant Antiochus, the cruelty that was inflicted on Jews and Jan. 28, 2014. Today, I must pick up Helen which led to the miracle of Chanukah. other minorities during the Holocaust has Farkas to take her to Mercy High School Parallels between the Warsaw Ghetto been my life’s work,”she said. in San Francisco, where she will talk Uprising and the revolt of the Maccabees The U.N. article concluded by describing about her experiences in the Holocaust. abound. Both the Nazis and Antiochus “exhibitions at UN Headquarters under Auschwitz survivor, speaker, and author of underestimated the power of spiritual the theme ‘Remembrance Week: Journeys the memoir, Remember the Holocaust,at resistance and had to call in additional through the Holocaust,’ marking the 70th the age of 93, Helen continues to inspire troops. I emphasize to my students the anniversary of the deportation of over half students, their teachers, and anyone else youth of the leadership of the under- a million Jews from Hungary to the privileged to hear her story. The program ground ghetto fighters, including 23-year- German Nazi death camps.” commemorates yesterday’s International old Mordechai Anielewicz, who founded How fitting to have a Hungarian Holocaust Remembrance Day. the Jewish Fighting Organization Jew speaking at our Mercy High School Before I leave, I must adapt evaluation (Zydowska˙ Organizacja Bojowa,“ZOB”).˙ commemoration on the 70th anniversary forms from a prior program for today’s Today’s Israeli paper Haaretz online of the deportation of Hungarian Jews. I presentation, prepare for tomorrow’s edition reports that both Poland and confess I had not made this connection. I mediation for my Germany held ceremonies of commemo- almost forgot to adapt the evaluation form day job as a ration on Jan. 27. “Russian author Daniil for today’s program at Mercy High School. divorce mediator, Granin, 95, who was transported to I dashed out of the house just after 2 p.m. answer a myriad of Auschwitz in 1944 after surviving the Nazi for my rendezvous at the Burlingame emails, and check siege of what was then Leningrad [now, home of Helen Farkas. in with one of my St. Petersburg], was the keynote speaker Helen was ready and waiting for me, as I daughters who is a in the Bundestag (German Parliament).” knew she would be. She has been speaking new mom. I began Haaretz points out that “in addition to in schools since 1974. I realized in writing writing this article the 6 million Jews who were murdered by this column that it is the 40th anniversary at 7:20 a.m., after the Nazis, International Holocaust of her Holocaust activism. During the ride waking up my Remembrance Day also commemorates to San Francisco, it was a pleasure to hear computer and other victims of the Third Reich, including her describe her recent vacation with her feeding our flat- the mentally ill, homosexuals and Roma daughter Amber, who lives in Hawaii. coated retriever, Sheba. First things first. and Sinti.” Ever the educator, I need to Since the weather was too bad to go The Israeli Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) point out that the Roma and Sinti are also swimming, she related that she spent a lot established Yom HaShoah Ve-Hagevurah, known as “Gypsies,”a pejorative term best of time just “hanging out”with her family. literally translated as “Day of (remem- forgotten. Unfortunately, today’s students I had to smile at the use of this term by a brance of) the Holocaust and the need this connection to understand who 93-year-old. Inclement weather or not, Heroism” on April 12, 1951, according to the Roma and Sinti are. Hawaii is a long way from Auschwitz. the Jewish Virtual Library. Yom HaShoah By 9:30 a.m., I finished breakfast and Helen deserves many such vacations. occurs on the 27th day of the Hebrew The Wall Street Journal. I could find no We arrived early for the 3:30 p.m. month of Nisan, midway between Passover mention of Holocaust Remembrance Day program. A half-dozen students were and Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli Memorial in today’s edition. I wondered how the already seated in Mercy High School’s Rist Day for its fallen soldiers. It also marks U.N. observed the day they instituted Hall. Although sponsored by a consortium the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto almost a decade ago. The U.N. News of organizations, the initiative for this uprising, from April 19 to May 16, 1943. Centre online reported that on Jan. 27, program came from the Helen and Joe The U.N. General Assembly proclaimed 2014, the U.N. “paid tribute to the 6 Farkas Center for the Study of the January 27 as International Holocaust million Jews and countless others Holocaust in Catholic Schools at Mercy Remembrance day on Nov. 1, 2005. Tied massacred in the Nazi Holocaust with a High School, San to the liberation of the largest Nazi solemn ceremony in the General Francisco. As the extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau Assembly Hall, a rebuke to Holocaust interim volunteer by Russian soldiers on Jan. 27, 1945, I deniers, and a warning from Secretary- director of the remember the controversy in Jewish circles General Ban Ki-moon of the perils of Farkas Center, I when the U.N. passed its resolution. anti-Semitism and hatred of any kind.” am proud that our International Holocaust Remembrance Filmmaker Steven Spielberg delivered organization has Day on the anniversary of the liberation the keynote speech at the ceremony. His been the catalyst of a death camp, subtly reminds us of award-winning (seven Oscars) 1993 film, to bring together the “victimage” of the Jews. Inevitably, Schindler’s List, depicted the story of “a so many educators Auschwitz evokes images of gas chambers German businessman who saved over and their students. and piled bodies.Yom HaShoah, connected 1,000 mostly Polish-Jewish refugees The students kept arriving. By 3:20, no to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, subtly during the Holocaust by employing them more empty chairs. Morgan Blum, reinforces the heroism of the Jews. For this in his factories.” In my experience, few of Director of Education, Jewish Family and February 5, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 11 Children’s Services Holocaust Center and We did not leave until after 6:00 p.m. a Farkas Center Board member, invited Helen was ready to get home. Rush hour entering students to come to the front traffic from San Francisco to the suburbs where there was space for them to sit on has reversed since I lived in the City over the floor. 40 years ago. The City has become a Masterfully, Morgan commanded their bedroom community for Silicon Valley. attention and introduced a video clip from We sailed back to Burlingame with very a new film by the U.S. Holocaust little traffic, while cars returning to the Memorial Museum (USHMM), The Path City were bumper to bumper. Helen did to Nazi Genocide. I applaud her choice, not want me to walk her to her darkened having discovered this powerful 38- front door, but I helped her anyway. We minute film last semester, and added it to hugged good-bye and I returned home. Joe and Helen Farkus in 1990, courtesy of my required WebQuest assignment for Home for me is San Mateo, one suburb Helen Farkas. next year’s Holocaust class at Notre Dame south of Burlingame. I found my husband de Namur University (NDNU). This The students were writing their Richard holding our youngest grand- important film is available on the responses in journals in the silence of the daughter, Sarah Hannah, just six weeks USHMM website at: http://www.ushmm grasslands where the barracks used to be old. Jealous of the baby, Sheba lay at his .org/learn/introduction-to-the-holocaust/ in Birkenau, near the railway spur. Helen feet. It was my turn. path-to-nazi-genocide. went to each of the students and put her I held the sleeping baby for the next I mentally counted over 200 students arms around them. Each student cried two hours, and gave her a bottle when and realized I hadn’t brought enough with Helen individually. she awakened. A rush came over me as evaluation forms. Mercy teacher Kathy Jim let Helen tell her story. For 45 minutes, I thought of Helen’s little nephew, Curran, seated to my right, graciously Helen gave a first-person account of her disappearing with the throngs on the ramp printed more. experiences during the Holocaust to a in Birkenau, headed for the gas chamber. Morgan introduced Jim McGarry, rapt audience of students from eighth After my daughter Rebecca picked founder of the Farkas Center. Jim has grade through high school seniors. Helen up little Sarah, Richard and I watched brought Holocaust survivors to Catholic illustrated all the steps to genocide: normal President Obama’s State of the Union schools for over 20 years. He and Helen go family life before the Nazi occupation, address to Congress on our DVR. back at least that long. A 2010 article rising discrimination and prejudice, I multitasked by sorting the 130 about Jim in Catholic San Francisco relocation to a ghetto, and ultimately student evaluation forms. Students at describes him as follows: “Since 1992,first deportation to Auschwitz in a three-day today’s Holocaust Remembrance Day at St. Ignatius College Preparatory, where cattle car ride by rail. The subsequent loss commemoration represented five Catholic he taught morality and social justice for 20 of her family on the ramp in Birkenau and two public schools. They listed 24 years, and for the last 10 years at Mercy resonated with these students, many of different teachers. High School, McGarry has brought before whom referenced it on the evaluation Student responses are fascinating to this his students and full-school assemblies forms. Helen found words to describe her Holocaust educator. “It was interesting survivors who, in his words, are ‘exemplars experiences in the camp to convey the that the [newly arrived] women didn’t for learning about conscience.’”Currently, horror in terms the students could under- believe that the gas chambers existed.” Jim is the Director of the Sister Dorothy stand. She survived a death march and “That all their hair was shaved.”“Her niece Stang Center for Social Justice and escaped by the help of an elderly woman. with polio – protecting her [in the camp].” Community Engagement at NDNU. Helen’s escape from the death march “The detail she told her stories with.” Jim began by referencing the Peace was the answer most often given to the “When Helen returned to her home, and Prayer of St. Francis, appropriate for an question,“What was the most interesting ‘confronted’ her neighbors.”“All of it; it audience of primarily Catholic students. part of the survivor’s story for you?” on was interesting and sad to hear about a “Where there is despair, hope; Where the evaluation forms. The students retold new perspective of the Holocaust.” there is darkness, light; And where there is Helen’s story in their own words on the Helen’s story as repeated by the sadness, joy.” forms,“Family and moments remembering students on the forms: “The part of the Jim introduced Helen by telling a story the faces of [lost] loved ones.”“She swore camps and how they were set up and from a year and a half ago when he and she wouldn’t go back to her homeland but orderly.”“…how they were treated by the his wife Kathy Curran accompanied she did anyway.”“Honest/actual account soldiers.”“How she was able to survive Helen to Auschwitz, along with Morgan made it real for me.” this tragedy.”“I liked how Helen explained and Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan, also a ”About how Jewish people went to that her father and his family would member of the Farkas Board. Morgan and the Holocaust (it scared me).”“How she always find a way to be together eventually Rabbi Peretz served as teachers on this still remembers her mother; could tell (after separations).”“Her description of the pilgrimage. They were at the Grunewald she loved her a lot and still does.”“That death march.”“How grateful she is that Railroad Station in Berlin en route to she stayed strong throughout her she came to America because ‘I feel like we Auschwitz to meet with students. The imprisonment.” “It’s the part when her complain a lot, but we are actually lucky to Grunewald Station was the major site of sister was separated from her little boy live here.’”“How multiple people in her deportations of Berlin Jews, first to and never came back again.”“In the Q&A, family survived.” “That she ended up ghettos, then to the camps. It houses a she said she questioned God.” meeting her fiancé after the war, and they Holocaust memorial. Morgan wrapped up the Q&A so that got married.” Helen burst into tears. She said she the program ended as advertised, at 5:00 Joe and Helen were married for 65 knew it was not the station she took to p.m. Students swarmed Helen. Some years, until his passing three years ago. Auschwitz. She explained to Jim and the wanted their pictures taken with her; “She doesn’t hate humanity, but calls others,“I am crying now, so that I can be others wanted to purchase her memoir, for love, tolerance.”At the end of her talk, strong for the students.”She was right; the Remember the Holocaust. Helen’s book is Helen thus brought the proceedings full students needed her to comfort them. available on Amazon.com. (see Zimmerman, page 15) 12 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT February 5, 2014 Scully has Eli accuse his selfish Dad of priest’s remark, Gammill and Pross proved Media being “Youish”: “You are the reason an effective writing team. Their success people hate the You’s.” Dad protests, may rest in having the fathers and sons “That’s anti-Semantic.” trying to do things together, and in Watch In Episode Four, David advises Eli that making Eli and Warner more sympathetic Eli will leap to his death if he allows an to one another as business partners and BY RABBI ELLIOT B. GERTEL obnoxious girlfriend to move in. So the as friends. death wishes run both ways? Eli tells his Gamill and Pross also wrote the sixth Dads and NCIS business partner Warner that he, Eli, has episode, about sexual harassment in the to find a way to stay with this girlfriend for workplace, and it was creditable but not On Fox’s Dads, two fathers have 30 years, until his father dies, “and I’ll as strong as their previous offering. moved in with their sons who are partners win.” Writer John Viener even inserts a When Warner expresses his concern that in a video game production business – “joke,” twice, about the husband of a office complaints about Eli’s “sexist” Crawford (Martin Mull), with his son famous comedienne killing himself, along behavior will get the company sued, Eli Warner (Giovanni Ribisi) and daughter- with the show’s requisite bathroom humor shoots back, “Yes, but they’re all [from] in-law and their children; and David and with a scene in which Crawford’s own women, so who cares?” Doesn’t such (Peter Riegert) with his son Eli (Seth granddaughter kicks him and beats him humor target political correctness while Green). Both dads are serial ne’er-do-wells; with a briefcase for refusing to accept Girl glorifying misogyny? they are, respectively, Jewish freeloader Scout cookies to which he is allergic. This episode, like most, is filled with and Gentile Wall Street wannabe. Still, Dads remains the most toned jokes about African Americans and Asians. While all the actors are likable enough, the down and “tasteful”of Seth MacFarlane’s But it is all so gratuitous, including the characters were not written sympathetically, series, on Jews and on other subjects. Jewish stuff. When Crawford’s daughter- especially in the opening episodes. In the For the first four episodes it aimed to in-law asks if he has any plans for the first episodes, Eli wishes for his dad’s be offensive enough. But something evening, he replies: “I got three people death. When a girlfriend sees Dad around happened in the fifth episode, about the coming over to teach me Yiddish. I got to the apartment and asks if he is a ghost, Eli fathers and sons visiting a doctor. It was go make a yarmulke out of a coffee filter.” replies: “Hopefully soon.”Writers/creators consistently funny and even finely crafted. When the doorbell rings, Crawford blurts Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild justify Eli’s Writers Tom Gammill and Max Pross are out, “That must be my Jews.” Is this attitude by revealing that Dad abandoned MacFarlane’s most winning team. The intended as a double tease? Eli and his mother when Eli was five. Dad jokes teased, but remained somewhat admits that he failed as a father, a husband, tasteful, even the opening spiel about NCIS’s Farewell to Ziva David and as a homeowner. The sins of the terrorists stealing Warner’s birthday on In the first two episodes of the Gentile dad are not enumerated. We are September 11. Even the Holocaust 2013-2014 season, NCIS resorted to simply told that he is too much like a reference was reminiscent of the survivors’ discombobulated fare in order to retire Golden Retriever for his son to protest his humor. David protests, “I don’t need a its Mossad-operative-turned-U.S.-Navy- inappropriate behavior. (Several episodes doctor. The leading cause of death in our investigator, Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). later it was suggested that his wife left him family is Nazis.” At first we were led to believe that because he stifled her.) In the context of a doctor’s visit, all the Ziva might be killed off by a terrorist By the end of the second episode, “Jewish” health and bathroom humor organization, Brotherhood of Doubt, an written by Julius Sharpe, we are told that actually becomes good satire. Eli beckons unholy alliance of angry young Pakistanis there is nothing in the psyches of these to a prostate exam, “C’mon, let’s go get and American MBA’s (!). But instead two fathers that marijuana brownies our speedbags squeezed by some old she fades away into New Age or cannot cure or at least sedate. That Jewish dude.” Neo-Buddhist clichés. Along the way, episode also features an “intervention” by A lot of the dialogue is good.“What you the opening episode’s writer, Gary Eli’s associates who send him home with put in your body in no way affects your Glasberg, provides a helpful lieutenant the “pot brownies”so that he can think up health,” David says. “If people aren’t in Iraq named Kagan (a nod to Jews in a lucrative new video game to sell. It is enraged with how long you’ve been combat?) and a blackmailed African said, albeit in jest, but it is said more than in…[the bathroom], you haven’t been in American officer who redeems himself once, that drugs give Eli “better ideas.” there long enough.”David shows Eli how in the second episode. This series is not shy about Jewish to scream at the TV for “cardio” exercise. Ziva’s former partner, Tony DiNozzo references and jokes. In the pilot episode There are some hilarious moments. (Michael Weatherly), who had always the focus is on the Holocaust and anti- When father and son are late to work been sweet on her, pursues her to Israel. Semitism. The partners offer a “Kill Hitler” because they have partaken of a pancake Yet he is unable to shake his distrust game because “people love killing Hitler.” breakfast at St. Mary the Blessed Heart, of Mossad and of Israeli officials, an Eli provides the option of impaling Hitler Eli’s sharp-tongued female Asian- understandable attitude, considering the with a menorah.When David relaxes at home American associate reminds them,“You’re way the series has depicted them, though he watches a show on the history of the Jewish!” When Eli replies, “But who can a worried Tony does enlist the help of Inquisition and other anti-Semitic events. tell?”, she replies, “Everyone.” Even the a male Israeli colleague of Ziva’s. In the The second episode brings up “religion.” doctor’s death, while he performs a second episode, with story by Glasberg When David declares that there is no prostate test on hospital-shy Warner, is and script by Scott Williams and Gina Heaven, the Hispanic maid calls him handled with comedic aplomb, though it Lucita Monreal, Tony learns to distrust a “Diablo” or devil. Trying to avoid trying was unnecessary and offensive to bring in non-Mossad Israeli woman, a physician. penguin meat, Eli says, “I’m Jewish.” To a priest and to have him make a nasty The new director of Mossad, a woman which the politically incorrect Crawford remark about the Catholic Church. who took over the position from Ziva’s responds, “It’s free.” Episode Three takes That fifth episode was my first inkling murdered father, is full of sanctimonious a cue from an old Seinfeld routine about that there might be some potential in this clichés, “Do not tie my hands with your an “anti-dentite.” Writer Julie Hacker series. With the glaring exception of the (see Gertel, page 14) February 5, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 13 ironically at the joke’s punch line. [1] Book Book Review Canadian newspapers have recently published an interview with a forensic psychiatrist who specialized in serial Review murderers and who was obligated in pre- REVIEWED BY trial exercises to view videos, some live, REVIEWED BY RABBI ISRAEL ZOBERMAN PROFESSOR ARNOLD AGES of the murder scenes. The accumulation of these violent scenes affected the Inspiring, instructive Chilling anthology psychiatrist so severely that he suffered post traumatic stress syndrome and found and humorous Resurgent Antisemitism: Global it necessary to undergo therapy. Despite Perspectives. Edited by Alvin H. Rosenfeld. his age (late 60s) and many years of Thanks. I Needed That. (And Other Indiana University Press. 561 Pages. experience, he was unable to neutralize Stories Of The Spirit). By Robert Alper. I had originally the effect of what he was seeing. Read The Spirit Books. 2013. Pp. 182. intended to start I do not suggest that readers of We can respond this review with an Rosenfeld’s anthology of hatred for Jews indeed to the anecdote about a and the Jewish State will necessarily book’s unusual Jewish civil servant unbalance them but a cautionary note is title – Thanks. I in 1939 who sends necessary nonetheless. Reading this book Needed That – with a telegram to his should be done slowly and intermittently; the same spirited New York office… plunging into it willy nilly will not be and gracious After reading a profitable venture and may occasion words to Robert Alvin Rosenfeld’s moments of high anxiety. Alper, the gifted chilling anthology Let us be clear: this has nothing to do author of this of current anti- with the quality of this collection of essays. inspiring, instruc- semitism (note that the spelling of the The editor has culled articles from out- tive and humorous word itself – without a capital – is standing, thorough and sophisticated collection of 32 real life stories. As we designed to deflate its heinous toxicity) scholars representing diverse disciplines. have learned from the latest Pew it is no longer appropriate to grin even The result is a brilliantly nuanced survey, American Jews embrace the geographical and ideological atlas which divine gift of laughter disproportionately j i analyzes the coordinates of antisemitism to other Jewish pursuits, given perhaps in-law, and his soulful regret in another in its malevolent tentacles all over the world. their people’s disproportionate historic story concerning a photographer Alper The breadth of the inquiry is astonishing trying circumstances. admonished at a wedding he performed – Britain, Spain, Norway, Hungary, Rabbi Alper who hails from Rhode only to learn that he had hearing aids in Romania, Poland and Turkey are first Island and resides with his wife Sherri, a both ears… Or the vignette from his days monitored historically for the record (and psychotherapist in Vermont’s countryside as a student rabbi of 20 families in there are some positive surprises here) (Away from people!) has proven that he Owensboro, Ky., and a congregant who and then subjected to a contemporary can also deeply move us through comedy missed rubbing the velvet cushions of his audit of antisemitic rhetoric. The picture acts. After all, he has garnered quite an childhood Syracuse temple, contending which emerges is not a comforting one as arsenal of poignant material from his life’s instead with barren wooden pews. Moved the essayists quote chapter and verse from rich exposure as well as having led large we shall be, almost as Alper was, when the modern purveyors of what Maurice Reform Congregations in Buffalo and his son hugged him at his Bar Mitzvah Samuel once called the non “filterable Philadelphia – “years of experience ceremony. virus of antisemitism.” performing in front of a hostile audience” The author ‘s heartfelt commitment Naturally there are vast swaths of P.VII (Funny and serious). He is surely an to Tikkun Olam’s healing premise is inquiry about the current status of Islam’s astute and sensitive observer of the courageously manifested in his partnering war against Jews and the State of Israel, human condition, a prerequisite for being with Muslim and Christian colleagues to a quagmire of incendiary threats of successful both as a rabbi and a stand-up perform described “Laugh in Peace”(How politicide and genocide thrown together. comic (over 2,000 appearances), two ingenious!) in front of diverse audiences The ideological struggle against Jews, professions with an essential entertaining and settings, including college campuses, Judaism and Israel is examined on the dimension. diffusing divisive tension with uniting American campus where all too often Alper creatively utilizes the timeless laughter and planting seeds of mutual professors misuse the guise of academic and timely verses of Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, appreciation for a transformed world. freedom to launch anti-Israel verbal “To everything there is a season…” to Notably, Alper earned a doctorate from missiles with seeming immunity. divide his stories according to the various the Presbyterian Princeton Theological Perhaps the most painful chapter in this seasons and times in the human drama Seminary and mine is from the sister work is Ilan Avisar’s measured disclosure with the co-mingling of tears of joy and Presbyterian McCormick Theological that what the rabbis called the av hatumah sorrow. The fortunate reader of these Seminary, and we are both trained – “the foundational impurity”that is to say penetrating stories will be renewed with a counselors. Thanks, we needed it, rabbi a noxious form of anti-Zionism, can be spirit of appreciation for life’s multi-facets and comedian (interchangeable) Bob for found in a coterie of Israeli academics, which Rabbi Bob so fully embraces and your overriding humanity, providing us many of whom teach outside of Israel, celebrates, merging the reverent with with a perfect gift to uplift and all of us and who feed the international appetites the irreverent. are in need. L’Chaim, to life! for antisemitism and the boycott of the We witness an encounter with a kind- Rabbi Israel Zoberman is the spiritual Israeli State. hearted dentist who reaches out to protect leader of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Norman Cohen published a book many the dignity of Alper’s challenged mother- Virginia Beach. (see Ages, page 15) 14 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT February 5, 2014 servings by each recipe – really important GERTEL My Kosher for me when I am cooking so I know if (continued from page 12) this is just for the two of us or I can Kitchen make it for a company dish. The other is distrust.” Mossad correctly decides that inconsistency in mentioning approximate Ziva’s absence is voluntary. Ziva left times, as guidelines, for various methods her Star of David at a safe house to show REVIEWED BY SYBIL KAPLAN of cooking – e.g., sautéing, until that she survived an attack. But Ziva is something has dissolved, until something thrown into a guilt trip by a childhood Authentic has softened, until water has absorbed. friend, a rather vengeful Israeli woman, a To enhance the cookbook, there are 200 doctor, who had been engaged to Ziva’s Mediterranean- color photographs. Many are part of step- murderous rogue-spy brother whom by-step instructions – such as stuffed Ziva had to kill before he harmed others. Israeli cooking peppers with rice, makluba (upside down Tony meets up with Ziva at her rice), borekitas and date and walnut childhood home. She laments that she Cook in Israel: Home Cooking Inspiration. pinwheel cookies. could have walked away from her father’s By Orly Ziv. $35 hardcover. 245 pp. 2013. This would definitely be a winner for Mossad-breeding dysfunctionality. Tony If you’ve been hunting for an authentic anyone who is a vegetarian and loves tells her, “It’s never too late….The Mediterranean/Israeli cookbook, this one authentic Mediterranean-style family Universe is practically begging you to surely rates at the top of the list. cooking. wipe the slate clean.” The New Age Orly Ziv was a clinical dietician for terminology renders conspicuous the many years before launching her company, Pumpkin Stew with Carrots & Raisins absence of any Jewish spiritual guidance Cook in Israel, in 300 g (10.5 oz) pumpkin, diced in Ziva’s Israel. The best moral advice she 2009, to offer 2–3 carrots, sliced received as a child was, according to the culinary tours of vegetable oil writers, that of her Israeli English teacher Israel and intimate 2 onions, sliced who told her pupils to write a wish list, cooking classes in 150 g (about 3/4 cup) golden raisins bury it, think about it every night,“and it her Tel Aviv home. 1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional) will become truth.”By episode’s end, Tony A vegetarian for 1–2 Tbsp. sugar prods Ziva to write and to bury another the past 30 years, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon list, an “Israeli”ritual that they do together. she offers 100 1/4 tsp. ground cloves Ziva decides to sever all ties and try to recipes (only a very Salt make Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), few with poultry or her father figure in NCIS, proud,” for, meat), taking into Cook the pumpkin and carrots as she puts it, “He taught me to follow account her Greek mother’s teaching and separately in boiling water until sift my heart.”She must “let go”for Gibbs, lest her instincts for the Middle Eastern and but not mushy. Meanwhile, heat vegetable she be “pulled back to where she started,” Mediterranean diet. oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions and that includes letting go of Tony, as One unique idea is her table of contents until golden. Add the pumpkin, carrots, well. She tells Tony, “You are loved,” and – quite different from typical cookbooks. raisins, chickpeas, sugar, cinnamon, cloves gives him a big Hollywood kiss at the end. Her categories are: eggplant and tomatoes, and a little water and cook uncovered, But she insists on separation, if not for salads, vegetables, gains and legumes, for 10–15 minutes. Season with salt and biblical concerns about intermarriage, breads, fish, family recipes, holidays serve with couscous. then maybe for Buddhist reasons – and and sweets. also because she can’t say “I love you,”only One of my favorite aspects of cookbooks Roasted Eggplant with Tomato Salsa “You are loved.” – especially those that have a warm, 2 medium eggplants It seems that Ziva will remain in Israel, family connection – are those that have a 2 tomatoes, chopped even after having become an American personal comment by each recipe, and this 2–3 cloves garlic, minced citizen in revolt against her father’s one rates high because of that. She also 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro zealous and offspring-exploiting Mossad uses the metric system and converts it for green hot pepper, chopped (optional) ways. Will she now become a secular those unfamiliar with it. salt Israeli Buddhist nun? She gives Tony her Eggplant baladi the author learned in a juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste Star of David – another “thing”from which cooking class and uses date honey; 3 Tbsp. tahini paste to disengage? Clearly, the writers are multicolor pepper antipasti is one her 1/2 cup canned or boiled chickpeas (op.) unaware of how vacuous and cliché are mother made often which she updates not only their Israeli characters, but the using balsamic vinegar; tabouleh she Roast the eggplant over an open flame writers’own “spiritual solutions.” seasons with cinnamon and allspice or in the broiler until very soft and charred. (On the Ziva David character and the (learned from an Arab friend); the recipe Cut a slit at the bottom of the eggplants depiction of Israelis on NCIS, see my for leek patties for Rosh Hashanah is her and place in a sieve. Leave to drain. Once article in The American Thinker,“TV’s NCIS mother’s recipe, often made by Jews from drained and cool enough to handle, on Those Sinister Israelis,”Jan. 28, 2013.) Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria; malabi is a remove the peel and dark seeds (leave Rabbi Gertel has been spiritual leader of Middle Eastern milk pudding. the stem on). Put the tomatoes, garlic, congregations in New Haven and Chicago. Another stylistic issue I look for when cilantro, hot pepper and salt in a bowl and He is the author of two books, What Jews reviewing cookbooks is the page layout mix to combine. Drizzle the eggplants Know About Salvation and Over the and she gets a high grade on that – with the lemon juice and tahini, then Top Judaism: Precedents and Trends in ingredients are in one column, numbered spoon the tomato mixture over. Garnish the Depiction of Jewish Beliefs and instructions are in the next column. with chickpeas, if using, and serve. Observances in Film and Television. He About the only negatives I can find with Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, food and feature has been media critic for The National this cookbook is a lack of number of writer, and author of nine kosher cookbooks. Jewish Post & Opinion since 1979. February 5, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 15 ADLAND When you light your Shabbat candles, SHIPLEY (continued from page 7) light one for Pete Seeger and the legacy (continued from page 5) he left us with. We will continue to sing believed in helping the little guy and lent his songs around campfires for years to and worldwide, the old rules no longer his voice and talent to reminding us about come. Light the other candle to be an apply. But – where R we heading? LOL. those in need. He believed in working inspiration to us to lend our own voices Jim Shipley has had careers in broadcasting, toward peace and his song “Where Have for the betterment of this world. distribution, advertising, and telecommuni- all the Flowers Gone?”was something we Rabbi Adland has been a Reform rabbi for cations. He began his working life in radio sang in youth group as we protested the more than 25 years with pulpits in in Philadelphia. He has written his JP&O continuing war in Vietnam. He didn’t Lexington, Ky., Indianapolis, Ind., and column for more than 20 years and is director believe in just performing, but in engaging currently at Temple Israel in Canton, Ohio. of Trading Wise, an international trade and the listener in the music or the protester in He may be reached at [email protected]. marketing company in Orlando, Fla. the movement. There is really no one out there right j i j i now who commands our attention to KARSH KAPLAN/ISRAEL these kinds of issues except maybe Bruce (continued from page 9) (continued from page 8) Springsteen. There used to be Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary, though their the cessation of the World War II. There and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu music still touches our soul. was no question about who won the war, marched in with his cadre of body guards, Though I can’t say it was Pete Seeger in but rather who would “win that peace.” went to the front row, turned to face the particular that inspired me, there is no We had the example of World War I to audience and told everyone to sit down. question that what he said and sang, demonstrate what happens when all of After the speech, questions are pre- along with the many others he influenced, the factors are not resolved. There were chosen – three journalists are allowed to touched my social activist soul. I believe in people, probably in the majority, who ask questions which have been given to finding ways to help the hungry and wanted the Axis to suffer in defeat. The the PM ahead of time. He then leaves and homeless. I believe in peace. I believe Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe and Asia so do the rest of us. Happily, one of the that people need a hand to help pull was not immediately popular, but as we buses to our area came within a few themselves up. I believe that we who “read backward,” we see that it was vital moments; we transferred in town and the “have” should never close our eyes to for peace to exist, even when challenged other came within minutes and we were those who don’t “have.” by the Soviet Bloc. home by 10 p.m. At the beginning of our parashah this week, History itself is “revealed backward, but The report of Netanyahu’s speech in The God commands Moses with the following, lived forward.” We want Israel to exist, Jerusalem Post can be read at: www.jpost “2Tell the Israelite people to bring Me peace to blossom, and until it works for .com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Netanyahu- gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from everyone, it cannot. This does not mean slams-EU-after-Israel-envoys-censured- every person whose heart so moves him. simply “giving in,” but it does mean over-settlements-338487. 3And these are the gifts that you shall that the issues are real and need to be Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, food writer, accept from them: gold, silver, and reasonably dealt with. lecturer and cookbook author. She also leads copper….” God doesn’t want us to sit on As always, I would like to hear what walks though Machaneh Yehudah, the what we have, but to share willingly. And you think. Jewish produce market in English. the people did. Not only did they bring Howard W. Karsh lives and writes in gold, silver, and copper, but they brought Milwaukee, Wisc., and can be reached at j i many other possessions as well. True, in [email protected]. Submitted Nov. 20, AGES this case it was to build a sanctuary, but we 2013. (continued from page 13) as a people, have never stopped giving. We support our Temple and our j i years ago called Warrant for Genocide an Federation. We support Israel. We donate ZIMMERMAN apt title to describe the nexus between our time and energy and money to any (continued from page 11) preaching unbridled hatred for Jews and number of causes from Jewish to secular murdering them. One of the writers in this to changing lives to making advances in circle, back to the values expressed in the volume uses a slightly different phrase science. We are a generous people because prayer of St. Francis. to describe the same syndrome – “a licence we believe in the act of tzedakkah.“If I am As I drifted off to sleep around 11 p.m., to kill.” Lucy Dawidowicz, the eminent only for myself, what am I? If not now, I thought of the various International historian, wrote a book titled The War when?” Two thousand years ago, Hillel Holocaust Remembrance Day observances, Against The Jews. She was referring of understood that we need to think about from the United Nations in New York to course to the Nazis genocidal war against more than ourselves and the time to act Mercy High School in San Francisco. European Jewry which they pursued was now. Pete Seeger was moved by these Whether it is a Steven Spielberg or a Jim independently from the war they waged words and so are we. We may not all McGarry who makes a survivor’s testimony against the allies between 1939 and 1945. agree on the what, but this doesn’t forgive available, spiritual resistance resonates The Rosenfeld document is proof us from doing something and doing it now. with today’s students.“That she is still so positive that the war against the Jews has If I had a hammer I’d use it to hammer brave.” On a deep primal level, it is one been renewed. Let no one say that there wherever I could. I’d hammer away survivor, one student, and one story, which were no warnings. injustice and hate and intolerance and will make the unthinkable impossible. [1] The Jewish civil servant writes: “Start build a better, loving place for all. If I had Dr. Zimmerman is professor emerita at worrying – details to follow! a bell I’d ring out freedom for the Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) Arnold Ages is “Distinguished Emeritus oppressed everywhere and let the sounds in Belmont, Calif., where she continues to Professor” University of Waterloo, Ontario, be the sound of peace. If I had a song to teach the Holocaust course. She can be Canada and the Scholar-in-Residence at the sing I’d sing love between all peoples. reached at [email protected]. Beth Tzedec Synagogue, Toronto Canada. 16 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT February 5, 2014 The Jewish Israel will miss PRESORTED Post &Opinion STANDARD US POSTAGE Ariel Sharon 1427 W. 86th St. #228 PAID BY ABRAHAM H.FOXMAN Indianapolis, IN 46260 INDIANAPOLIS, IN PERMIT NO. 1321 I was privileged to know, appreciate, and befriend Ariel Sharon for both before and during the years he served as Israel’s 11th prime minister. He became, through the years, a dear friend. In today’s parlance, we were on each other’s “like list.” We frequently spoke on the phone. Whenever I visited Israel, or he visited the United States, we would make time to see each other. While in Israel this week for Sharon’s funeral, I’ve thought a great deal about our unending conflict and took the easy relationship and his legacy. way out by blaming the “occupier.” At the time of his stroke eight years Boycotts, isolation, one-state ideas ago, Sharon was at the height of his seemed to be the wave of the future for powers. Not only had he been elected the “occupier”of the territories. overwhelmingly a few years earlier as And so Sharon chose to withdraw from prime minister of Israel, but he had Gaza, along the way securing the letter brought the U.S.-Israel relationship to from President Bush. unprecedented levels by securing a letter I highlight Sharon’s thinking on this from President George W. Bush. In that matter for two reasons: to illuminate what historic letter, for the first time the United a remarkable leader he was despite some States indicated that it supported Israel of the controversial actions he took earlier holding on to some territory in the West in his career. And to point out how much Bank in any peace arrangement based on Israel misses him to this day with all the changes in history. And, the American Ariel Sharon (right) with Abraham H. complexities that face the country. president made clear that the Palestinian Foxman at the Anti-Defamation League’s Sharon’s low moment was the events refugee problem must be resolved (ADL) 2002 National Leadership Conference surrounding Sabra and Shatilla during the through the prospective new state of in Washington, D.C. Photo credit: ADL. first Lebanon War. He paid a price for his Palestine, not in Israel proper. role, but he came back. And he came back The context for this breakthrough was campaign, but it was clear that there was as a more uniting figure. He was able to the controversial decision that Sharon no Palestinian ready to make peace. speak to both of the public’s fundamental made for Israel to withdraw unilaterally Historically, when Israel had no partner demands: for peace AND security. There from the Gaza Strip. To this day, for peace, the response was: we must was great faith in his protecting the particularly because of the subsequent tough it out, remain strong, and wait for country as he did in defeating Palestinian takeover of Gaza by Hamas, that decision change on the other side. And Sharon had terror. And at the same time, his thinking has been the subject of much criticism. been a key Israeli, both on the military and on Gaza reflected a creativity about Whatever one’s views on Sharon’s political levels, to articulate this approach. Israel’s future and an approach which at initiative, and I believe that there is still In this instance, however, he challenged the least could lead people to conclude much to be said for the decision, what that way of thinking because he under- that Israel was ready to act for peace even must be regarded with esteem were the stood that Israel faced a number of if the other side was not ready. questions that Sharon posed which led to threats, not only the rejectionism and ter- Sharon had moved from being a warrior his decision. rorism of the Palestinians. He understood to becoming a statesman. As was true in I believe that the way he addressed this that exactly because the Palestinians were the case of the late Yitzhak Rabin, so too issue spoke volumes about Sharon’s not ready for peace, that Israel could not with Sharon – the changeover is overstated. whole life: his leadership abilities, his afford to stand still. Time was not working In both capacities, Sharon was thinking ability to think seriously and responsibly, in Israel’s favor. The notion of a one-state and acting on behalf of his beloved Israel. his talent for looking at the bigger picture solution between the Mediterranean and Sometimes this meant strength and and breaking with past thinking if he the Jordan was starting to gain traction. toughness. Other times it meant creative deemed it necessary. And, of course, his This would be a disaster for the whole non-military decision-making. love of Israel and the need to do what one enterprise of Jewish independence since Ariel Sharon’s legacy is a more secure has to do to ensure its future and security. taking in the Palestinian population of the State of Israel, safe on its borders and What Sharon saw in 2005, at the tail end West Bank and Gaza would make it resolved to put an end to the campaign of of the Second Intifada, was first that Israel impossible for Israel to remain both a Palestinian terrorism once and for all. It is did not have a partner for peace. Former Jewish and democratic state. not only Israel, but the Jewish people, the Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat had rejected And he saw that international opinion U.S., and the international community the generous peace offers at Camp David was turning against Israel and while Israel who have lost a towering figure who and launched the brutal campaign of believed that the absence of peace was offered hope to his people and the region. terrorism and suicide bombings. Israel strictly due to Palestinian hostility, the Abraham H. Foxman is National Director under Sharon had managed to defeat this world was tired of the seemingly of the Anti-Defamation League.