The National Jewish Post & Opinion 5-18-11
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The National Jewish Post &Opinion Volume 77, Number 8 • May 18, 2011 • 14 Iyar 5771 www.jewishpostopinion.com A Torah Mantle by Suzanne R. Neusner (see JPO 2). May 18, 2011 JPO 2 Editorial About the Cover Shabbat Shalom Torah Mantle BY RABBI JON ADLAND My editorial for the Aug. 15, 2007 issue was about a bereavement support group I BY SUZANNE R. NEUSNER May 13, 2011, B’har was attending to help me cope with the (Leviticus 25:1-26:2) 9 Iyar 5771 challenge of losing my father and founder of The Torah is loved and cherished and this newspaper, Gabriel Cohen (1908–2007). it deserves a covering that befits its Pirke Avot 1:65 – Joshua ben Perachyah For the benefit of the other group importance. As a textile artist, I was and Nittai the Arbelite received the Torah members, I had made a list of excerpts challenged to match the outside to the from them. Joshua ben Perachyah said: from sympathy letters that many readers inside, to do justice to the most sacred Provide for yourself a teacher and get of this newspaper had sent to my father in object in Judaism. yourself a friend; and judge every man 1999 when my mother, Helen Cohen died. What I created is a pattern of vines towards merit. In that editorial I wrote, “Some of those around a Star of David. This motif words are here for you, my dear readers, in symbolizes growth and life. The quilting I apologize for the brevity of this hopes that if a time comes when you need medium with its detailed stitching evokes Shabbat Shalom, but it is early Friday to hear or offer words of comfort, they will the detail of the text: the visual hints at morning and I am on my way out to be helpful.” the written. Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI) That time of need recently came for me Suzanne Richter Neusner is an artist, for the annual Brotherhood work and I found myself looking again at these working in Rhinebeck, NY. She works in weekend. This is when a bunch of Jewish words of wisdom. It was three days before fabric art and makes chuppot on order. She guys with tools come together to build, fix my father’s fourth yahrzeit, 1 Iyar, when has had work in many shows including one or repair things at camp. Started by the my father’s first cousin Joseph (Joe) woman shows and has won prizes. She can Brotherhood from Toledo, Ohio, it now Buchwald died after a short illness. He be reached at [email protected]. includes men from Dayton, Cincinnati, was 77, and since his mother Belle (my Indianapolis and a few other cities. It is father’s aunt) lived to be 92, I had assumed j i always fun. I would be talking to and visiting him is temporary. We old-timers with enough This year the weekend is bittersweet as many more times in the upcoming years. experience know that there is an end to our during this weekend a special celebration What a lesson in not putting off what can temporal existence and [we] develop our own will be held for the outgoing director of be done right away (calling/visiting)! philosophical outlook and personal faith.” GUCI, Rabbi Ron Klotz, who has led this I didn’t meet Joe until 15 years ago ~ Rabbi Gedalyah Engel, West Lafayette, Ind. camp since 1975. At the end of camp last but he left an indelible impression on me. “We invest a lot of ourselves in our loved (see Adland, page JPO 9) One reason is that he ended his phone one, so that she becomes an integral part of conversations to family and friends with a our own life. No one can replace her…As j i sincere,“I love you.” (Once when he was you know, we must accept God’s inscrutable “Even while we mourn the death of a visiting my father, I heard him talking on will. God’s intended imperfections of our life cherished one, there is room in our hearts for his cell phone, and I realized it wasn’t only and the universe was to inspire us to make thankfulness for that life. We have lost what in phone calls with me.) He also made our life better. We are partners with God, we have had. For those years of love and sure that there was laughter at some point and perhaps some day we will be able to comradeship, there is no adequate compensation. in the conversation because he never conquer some of these diseases and physical Impoverished as we are by the passing of our hung up the phone without telling at least imperfections. In the meanwhile, we must beloved, we would be poorer by far if we one good joke. live this life, with all of its challenges as well never tasted the joy and richness of that Joe set an example of living life to the as fulfillments, the best way we can.” union. May the pain of parting be mitigated fullest, enjoying each moment. He wasn’t ~ Rabbi Harold L. Gelfman, Jacksonville, Fla. by faith in a divine providence, which afraid to express his beliefs. He kept up “Your departed dear one has bequeathed permits no life to be utterly destroyed.” with what was going on in the world innumerable fond and deathless memories, ~ Author Unknown especially politics, sports and finance. which will keep her alive in your hearts and “It is so difficult to know what to say at He had earned a Ph.D. in 1965 from minds for an enduring blessing.” ~ Rabbi a time like this. I hope and pray that soon University of California, Los Angeles, and Morton M. Applebaum, Boca Raton, Fla. your feelings of loss and grief will transform worked until his retirement a couple of “[Even with the best choice of] words, it is to acceptance and peace.” ~ Miriam years ago as Professor of Finance, Real difficult to assuage the pain which is yours. Zimmerman, San Mateo, Calif. Estate and Insurance at California State Prayerfully, the knowledge that you shared “Tragedy and sorrow come to us all – its University Northridge. He had done well her life for so many years in a constructive part of what it means to be human and alive. financially investing in real estate. and rewarding manner will bring you some So if we have one miracle to make our own, He is survived by a daughter Phyllis and measure of comfort in these difficult days. one strength – let it be the strength to turn son Norman, both of California. He will be You and others were immeasurably enriched by curses into blessings, to learn joy from sorely missed. her life and now diminished by her passing.” sadness, and life from death.” ~ Rabbi After rereading these words below, I ~ William Z. Novick, Chicago, Ill. Steven Z. Leder, Los Angeles, Calif. recognized that since the original printing, “Words of comfort are difficult to accept I have added new excerpts (see bottom some of these letter-writers have at a time like this, I know, but having the three) to my original editorial from Aug. themselves passed away. It made me knowledge that so many of your friends share 15, 2007. I plan to continue to add more realize that one is still able to receive your loss will, I hope, be an ameliorating words of comfort to my list so that they comfort from loved ones even though that factor. May the fond memories and good will be there for me again and for you, person is no longer living. times shared…be a source of comfort and dear readers. Until then hopefully we will “It is difficult to accept the reality of death, serve as a means of easing your sorrow.” be experiencing only simchas! but we are born with the awareness that life ~ Philip Lax, Maplewood, N.J. Jennie Cohen, May 18, 2011 May 18, 2011 JPO 3 at the event about the subject of her new Chassidic Rabbi Jews’ News book, The Eichmann Trial (ee review page JPO 23), written while she was the Judith BY RABBI BENZION COHEN B. and Burton P. Resnick Invitational Elie Wiesel presented Scholar at the Museum’s Center for with United States Advanced Holocaust Studies. Home sweet home. Baruch Hashem, This year marks the 65th anniversary of we are very happy to return to the Holy Holocaust Memorial the verdicts at the first Nuremberg trial, Land after traveling around the world for Museum’s inaugural a watershed moment in international five weeks. We are gradually recovering. justice, and the 50th anniversary of the Wed., March 28, we got on a plane in award trial of Adolf Eichmann, one of the most Vancouver at 5:30 a.m. and flew four and high-profile postwar recountings of the a half hours to Toronto. There we WASHINGTON, D.C. – The inaugural Nazi genocide and a landmark in public changed planes and flew eleven hours to United States Holocaust Memorial awareness of the Holocaust. Israel. I think this is the most that I have Museum Award was presented at the Days of Remembrance observances will ever flown in one day, and it wasn’t easy. Museum’s National Tribute Dinner to also take place in communities, state houses, However, it was worth it because we got Nobel Laureate and Museum Founding city halls, churches and synagogues in the a royal welcome from our children and Chairman Elie Wiesel for the singular United States and military installations grandchildren.