Volume XIV Issue 4 Iyar/Sivan 5775 May 2015 The Jewish Federations of North America Urges Caution and Congressional Review of Any Iran Deal April 2, 2015 The Administration has repeatedly reaffirmed that “it is unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” Even during the current negotiations, the White House has often said, “a bad deal is worse than no deal.” We appreciate the good faith efforts made by the Admin- istration and the other members of the P5+1. We all hope that a diplomatic solution to stop Iran from acquiring a View photos of the community Yom HaShoah nuclear weapon is possible. Commemoration on pages 16-17. However, the framework presented today leaves vital is- sues woefully unresolved. The agreement provides scant detail on how the phased sanction relief will be imple- CAMPAIGN NEWS mented. It contains insufficient clarity on how Iranian Major Gifts Brunch to be held on May 17 adherence to the agreement will be verified. And it is The Major Gifts Champagne Brunch will be held on Sun- ambiguous on what penalties will be imposed if Iran fails day, May 17 at 11:00 a.m. at the home of Linda and Leon to fulfill its commitments. Ravvin. The guest speakers will be Jeff Polson and Tif- fany Fabing, Executive Director and Board Coordinator of A weak agreement presents a clear and present danger to the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence. all nations. It is also likely to lead other countries in the With financial assets exceeding $100 million, the Jew- region to seek their own nuclear capabilities, resulting in ish Heritage Fund for Excellence (JHFE) is committed to a proliferation of nuclear weapons in a part of the world improving health and fostering a vibrant Jewish Commu- already destabilized by Iranian proxies spreading terror- nity in Metropolitan Louisville and the Commonwealth of ism and fomenting extremism. Kentucky through its two grantmaking programs: Medi- And of course, a nuclear Iran, a regime which declares its cal/Health Grants and Jewish Community Excellence intention to wipe Israel from the map, represents an exis- Grants. tential threat to the Jewish State. In order to foster a strong, vibrant Jewish community, the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence has identified four We are heartened by the President’s statement that he will strategic funding priorities: Jewish Identity and Communi- engage Congress as the U.S. continues the negotiation ty, Creating Sustainability within the Jewish Community, process. We urge the Administration to present any agree- Jewish Education, and Senior Jewish Adult Services. We ment to Congress for review. are grateful for the grant our community has received for Camp Shalom. Last summer and this coming summer, the Jewish Heritage Fund has subsidized the cost of bus trans- Sincerely, portation and paid salaries for a camp nurse and Jewish Michael D. Siegal, Chair of the Board program specialist. The Fund continues to welcome grant The Jewish Federations of North America proposals from our community. The cost of the brunch is $18 per person. Jerry Silverman, President & CEO Major donors to the Federation give a minimum of $1000 The Jewish Federations of North America per couple and individuals contribute a minimum of $500 to the annual campaign. For information and registration, please call Judy Wortman at 268-0672. 1 President’s Message the same reality. He had a talent for bringing people Michael Grossman of different faiths, races, political leanings, and nation- alities together and persuading them to work towards Father Ted, RIP shared goals. He had a vision of working with part- ners everywhere to alleviate human suffering. As I noted in my previous President’s Message, there Father Ted devoted his long and consequential life to seems to be no limit or end serving humanity, always taking courageous stands to the shocking news of the on the serious moral issues that have faced our na- day. News cycles being tion and the world, including his fight for civil and what they are, before we human rights, his stand against nuclear proliferation can even process past trag- and global hunger and his efforts to seek peace among edies, today our attention people in conflict. As a dedicated member of the is focused on events in South Carolina, New York, clergy, outstanding educator, caring humanitarian, and California, and Ohio, where unarmed people of color civil rights champion, Father Ted leaves behind a tow- have been killed by the police. It seems that when ering legacy of leadership—inspiring all of us to keep it comes to civil rights, as a society we take one fighting for a world that honors the spark of divinity step forward and two steps back. This is not what that rests in everyone. the leaders of the civil rights movement envisioned. May Father Ted’s memory be for a blessing and a Where are the 21st century champions of the civil hope. rights movement? Where is Father Ted? L’hitraot. Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, who dedicated his life to justice and peace, died recently at the age of 97. “Longevity has its place,” the Rev. Martin Lu- Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass ther King Jr. said the day before he was murdered Nominations for Officers and Board in Memphis in April 1968. But it also has its draw- Members for 2015 backs. One of them is that many younger people will be unable to appreciate fully the significance of the Officers life of a long-lived person like Father Ted. President..................................…....Michael Grossman Father Ted is known to many for his legendary tenure Vice President..........................................Evalyn Block at the University of Notre Dame, where he served as Secretary..................................................Gayle Bourne its president for 35 years. (Full disclosure—Kathy Treasurer..................................................Dianne Bazell received her MBA, and I received my JD, from Notre At-Large Executive Committee........Amy Faust Mayer Dame). But his most lasting legacy may well be his Seth Salomon contributions to civil rights and humanitarian causes. Father Ted, who marched hand-in-hand with Rabbi Board Members Theodore Heschel and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in For a Second Three-Year Term......Mickey Hernandez, civil rights marches in the South, was appointed to the Seth Salomon, Judy Worell U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in the late 1950s. The Commission’s task was to find out what life was For a First Three-Year Term....................Daniel Baker, like for blacks in America. It held hearings across the Erin Gold country and compiled more than 100 reports on such topics as access to voting places, housing, justice, The Annual Meeting will take place on Wednesday, education, and transportation. M a y 2 7 a t 7 p . m . a t t h e F e d e r a t i o n o f fi c e . In 1971, as chairman of the Civil Rights Commis- sion, Father Ted released a report criticizing President Richard Nixon’s administration for its lack of effort on civil rights. Shortly thereafter, Nixon asked for “Like” us on our and received Father Ted’s resignation. Father Ted had a clear understanding of the relation- ship between peace, democracy, human rights, eco- @JFedofBluegrass page nomics, and cultural development. He saw those as interconnected and interdependent, all dimensions of www.twitter.com www.facebook.com 2 Letter to the Community The last issue of Shalom included an op-ed entitled How to Become a Rodef Shalom written by Gary Yarus. The Shalom editorial committee understood that the views expressed in it were controversial, and not held by the vast majority of our community. The op-ed was preceded by a statement from the editorial committee that the views expressed were not those of the committee, JFB or its constituent organizations. It was the editorial committee’s hope, which in ret- rospect was naive, that the publication of this op-ed would encourage thoughtful members of our commu- nity to address and refute the assertions in this piece. The editorial committee has heard from several mem- bers of our community. While unanimous in their refutation of the views expressed in this op-ed, they also question the editorial decision to print the op-ed in the first place. While our readers agree that encour- aging members of our community to write articles and letters for Shalom is a laudable goal, attempting to do so by printing viewpoints which otherwise have no support in our community was unwise. In hindsight, the editorial committee agrees with this assessment and understands that this op-ed should not have been published. Shalom is our Jewish Federation’s newspaper. Our Federation supports the people of Israel through your contributions. There are articles in Shalom every month featuring the exciting events and innovations taking place in Israel, and we will continue to report on them. Each issue of Shalom highlights the numer- ous activities and programs benefitting the Central Kentucky Jewish community that our Federation sup- ports. You will find some fresh faces and new prose in this edition of Shalom. The editorial committee wishes to thank you all for your continued support and understanding. The Shalom Editorial Committee ATTENTION PROUD GRAND- The Shalom Editorial Committee is seeking PARENTS, PARENTS, & STUDENTS enthusiastic new members to join their team. We want to publish any original writing The Editorial Committee convenes once per produced by our community’s elementary- month to edit Shalom articles and have a short and high-school-age children. If you’re proud meeting. If you are interested in learning more of something written by one of our kids, or wish to volunteer, please contact either fiction or non-fiction, please email it Judy Wortman at (859) 268-0672 or to [email protected] [email protected] 3 Big Blue Nation Sitting Shivah ever enough.