Kislev/Tevet 5780 December 2019 HappyHappy ChanukahChanukah Playtime t o d a y. Strong skills to m or r ow. At Holland Hall, students as young as 3 years old learn the importance of the arts. They paint, draw, sing and sculpt. And they have opportunities to meet and work with world-famous artists-in-residence every year for ARTworks. The school is commited to offering a wide range of arts because each student has a creative niche to fill, and we want them to find it at Holland Hall. From a study of major artists in the primary school to playwriting, photography and dance in the upper school, we know the arts stimulate critical thinking skills and problem-solving capabilities. And we believe that by facilitating meaningful self-expression, we empower our students to express ideas more clearly and forcefully. WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EARLY PREK–GRADE 3 PROGRAM? Our Primary School Director of Admission Amber Graybill can help. Contact her at [email protected] or (918)481-1111 or visit www.hollandhall.org/ps for information about Welcome Wednesdays. Tulsa’s PreK through Grade 12 Independent Episcopal School December 2019 CONTENTS Kislev/Tevet 5780 volume 90 • number 12 10 18 This Month’s Advertisers This publication is brought to you each month thanks to the support of our advertisers. Please be sure to use their products and services and mention that you found them in the Tulsa Jewish Review. AFMDA 4 Letter from the Editor 888.674.4871 5 Seeking Upstanders by Drew Diamond Cinergy 918.864.9888 6 Throwback Article Circle Cinema 918.592.3456 8 December Community Events 20 Fitzgerald’s Funeral Home y Nancy Pettus 9 Giving Voice - Creating Empathy b 918.585.1151 10 Say Yes to the Jewish Wedding Dress by Mickel Yantz Holland Hall 918.481.1111 12 Zarrow Pointe News & Views Hyde Park 918.899.6512 15 Parents and Other Special Adults by Dr. Cathy Kass Jane’s Delicatessen 17 Mazels 918.872.0501 Levinson Sullivan Dentistry 18 Saving Lives on the Hindenburg by Phil Goldfarb 918.496.1358 20 Faith Must Always Win by Dr. Jim Myers Lexus of Tulsa 918.665.3987 22 L’Chaim 2019, the Museum Gala by Tracey Herst-Woods Marcy Cyter 609.432.7683 22 Solatube Daylighting 918.663.4242 The Campbell Hotel 918.744.5500 Woodland West Animal Hospital 918.299.5720 Woodland West Grooming 918.299.5720 Video Revolution 918.495.0586 JEWISHTULSA.ORG 3 Letter from the Editor Founded in 1930 by Tulsa Section, National Council of Jewish Women “He that gives should never remember, he that receives (ISSN# 2154-0209) Tulsa Jewish Review should never forget.” (USPS 016-928) is published monthly by -The Talmud jewish federation of tulsa 2021 E. 71st St., Tulsa, OK 74136. While chesed and tzedekah are year-round Jewish values and actions, Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, OK. gifts to charity and our loved ones are often a special part of the month of December. Chanukah and other holiday lights shine brightly in the darkness of winter, and it’s a perfect time to share our own light with others. This STAFF month’s issue of the Tulsa Jewish Review offers many examples. We witness a family’s strength in the face of hate. Read on to learn of the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR local tie to a deadly anti-Semitic attack and see how the victims are being Drew Diamond honored by their loved ones. [email protected] | 918.495.1100 What does it take to be an upstander? See how we can learn from the past for Tulsa today, about stepping in when you see others being EDITOR mistreated. Heather Setton Discover a surprising connection in the untold story of Jews who saved [email protected] | 918.495.1100 lives—including those of Nazi party members—after the deadly Hindenburg disaster. ADVERTISING MANAGER And, finally, a reminder of the importance of passing on meaningful Mindy Prescott holiday traditions in a culture of consumerism and what it means to be truly [email protected] thankful. May your Chanukah lights shine brightly, inside and out! ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Lee Hubby –Heather [email protected] BOARD PRESIDENT, JEWISH FEDERATION OF TULSA Larry Feldman DESIGN MAGAZINE DESIGN BY Mickel Yantz [email protected] Cover photo by Tracey Herst-Woods Postmaster: Send address changes to Tulsa Jewish Review, 2021 E. 71st St., Tulsa, OK 74136 4 JEWISHTULSA.ORG Seeking Upstanders by drew diamond, executive director 27,362 is a number worth taking into account. This number represents individuals honored by Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, as Righteous Among the Nations: “Non-Jews who took great risks to save... their Jewish neighbors at a time when hostility and indifference prevailed.” Stories of the Righteous are inspirational, and particularly meaningful to me is the story of Police Chief Jean Phillipe. Phillipe held various positions in the French army and the police. In late 1942, he was named Chief of Police of Toulouse and soon began using his position to prevent the arrest of many resistance fighters and to provide false identification papers to Jews. A member of the Jewish underground network testified after the war that Chief Jean Phillipe had helped him obtain forged identity papers with authentic police seals for young Jews who were smuggled to Switzerland or provided hiding places in France. For his humanitarian efforts, Chief Phillipe was arrested by the Gestapo on January 28, 1943, interrogated, tortured, imprisoned in Karlsruhe in Germany, and executed on March 1, 1944. Forty-five years after Jean Phillipe was named Chief of Police of Toulouse, I was promoted to Chief of Police of Tulsa. Today, 28 years after my retirement, Tulsa is not wartime France, but we are a community facing many serious issues. One of particular concern to me is racially biased policing. While addressing this problem, I find myself reflecting on the ultimate sacrifice of Chief Phillipe. Chief Jean Phillipe As we work to change the behavior of our law enforcement, we hope for an upstander to emerge from the ranks of the police or prejudice, arbitrary decisions, treatment disparity, and disrespect. our elected officials. We need (expect) this person to speak, act, or By bringing fellow officers into full accord with their sworn oath, intervene on behalf of those being wronged or attacked. The men these upstanders will encourage their colleagues to respect the and women of the Tulsa Police Department have sworn an oath dignity and rights of every individual and to exercise wisdom to protect all in our community, and they know that the injury to and fairness in dealing with all people. Tulsans of color from racially biased policing practices is actual We as a Jewish community, along with those that travel with and ongoing. It is past time for police officers to move from the us, understand that failure to stand up with and for people who ranks of bystanders to become upstanders helping us to overcome are being wronged is to fail as a human being. JEWISHTULSA.ORG 5 THROWBACK Earning Fund Luncheon Held Giving Voice – Creating The Tulsa Section of the National Council of Jewish Women held its Empathy opening meeting, the annual Earning Fund Luncheon, on September 21, 1983 CHE Book Discussion: Refugee, by Alan Gratz at Temple Israel. Section president Phyllis Fist conducted the meeting and by Nancy Pettus, Director of Holocaust Education the invocation was given by financial secretary Anita Mattis, Ann Landgarten was in charge of the food and Zola Brand provided and arranged the fresh IZZA, SALAD, COOKIES, trick-or-treat candy and flowers which decorated the tables. a good book….who could resist! Apparently this Seated at the head table and reporting tempting combination was the perfect storm that to the membership were Section officers brought forth 70 participants to the Council for Marcie Fenster, Nancy Polishuk, Barbara PHolocaust Education’s (CHE) book discussion on Thursday Geffen, Judy Alexander and Barbara evening, Oct. 24. Refugee by Alan Gratz, our featured novel, Curnutt. Becky Weinstein served tells the story of Josef, a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Ger- as Earning Fund gifts coordinator. many; Isabel, a Cuban girl in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian For the eighth consecutive year the boy in 2015. All three characters give voice to the current Section’s Mae Trope Fund awarded refugee crisis as they seek asylum from the worst moments a nursing scholarship to a nursing student at the Tulsa Area Vocational of our recent history. Kristi Merchant, our discussion leader, is the head librarian at Booker T. Washington and a member Tulsa Jewish Review November 1983 November Review Jewish Tulsa Technical School. This year’s winner, who was present to receive her award, of the Holocaust Council. Our multi-generational crowd, was Linda Brock. Thirty-one years old ranging from pre-teen to adults, delighted in the exchange facilitated by Mrs. Merchant’s and the mother of four children aged 5 video, which was created specifically by the author for our event. The format included through 13, she is an excellent student questions posed to and answered by the audience, followed by the opportunity to hear and is in the upper part of her class. the author’s response to these same questions. Because of the generosity of Section Coincidentally, Naomi Poindexter’s Edison 6th graders were in the process of members and friends who make reading Refugee, so their inclusion was a no-brainer. My concern that these youngsters contributions “in gladness and sadness," might be intimidated by the adults in attendance quickly vanished after several hands Tulsa Section is able to continue work of shot up to answer the first question.