December 30, 2016-January 5, 2017 Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton Volume XLV, Number 53 BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK TC to hold Havdalah Ben Kasper to speak at Happy Hour on Jan. 21 January BD luncheon Jan DeAngelo will perform, County Arts Council in 2012. By Paula Rubin Friedman’s course on American singing and playing piano, for Following drinks and snacks, SUNY Broome Professor Jewish thought. He will describe Havdalah Happy Hour on Sat- DeAngelo’s music and singing, Emeritus Ben Kasper will be how someone becomes a partic- urday, January 21, at 6 pm, in and a brief Havdalah service, the guest speaker at the Shabbat ipant in the Older Adult Auditor the Kilmer Mansion at Temple attendees can attend a dinner luncheon planned for Saturday, Program. In addition, he will Concord, 9 Riverside Dr., Bing- at 8 pm at a local restaurant. January 14, at Beth David elaborate on what he learned hamton. All members of the Those planning to attend have Synagogue, 39 Riverside Dr., about Jewish culture and reli- community have been invited. been asked to call 785-6787 or Binghamton. His talk, “What I gious perspectives and how the DeAngelo has recorded sev- e-mail cbischo@binghamton. didn’t learn at my bar mitzvah,” course expanded his knowledge eral albums and is “a much edu so organizers can plan ahead. will follow the free luncheon about contemporary Judaism. sought after vocalist,” according Those who will come to dinner after services. Everyone in the Courses including Holocaust to program organizers. He has Jan DeAngelo should leave their name and community has been invited Ben Kasper studies, Zionist thought, and performed across the United phone number for a reservation. to attend. Yiddish and Jewish literature are States, Canada and Italy. He performs in Reservations must be made by Wednesday, Kasper will base his talk on his partici- among the courses offered for study. A list many styles, including musical theater, January 18. Messages can be left on the pation as an auditor in one of Binghamton of courses offered during the spring 2017 cabaret, opera and pop. He was the recipient answering machine. University’s Judaic Studies Department semester will be available for each attendee of the Friars Club Award from the Theater Havdalah Happy Hour is free and spon- courses. To audit, participants must be at least at the luncheon. (See also the December 23 Department at Binghamton University in sored by the Temple Concord Outreach 60-years-old, there must be space available issue of The Reporter for a list of classes.) 1987. DeAngelo received the Lifetime Committee. The inclement weather date and the instructor must grant permission For more information, call Beth David Achievement Award from the Broome will be Saturday, February 4. to do so. Kasper audited Professor Randy Synagogue at 722-1793. With U.S. abstention, Israel again forced to face reality of world’s rejection of settlements By Ron Kampeas have exercised its veto power. Instead, the WASHINGTON (JTA) – Ahead of the resolution passed, 14-0. unknowns a Trump administration will For 24 years, the United States under bring to American Middle East policy, the Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush Obama administration allowed a reminder and Barack Obama insulated Israel from on December 23 that the international com- an international community that since 1967 munity does not recognize the validity of has sought to exact consequences for its Israel’s presence in eastern Jerusalem and continued presence in disputed lands. After the West Bank. the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, The U.S. abstention on the recent those three administrations considered the U.N. Security Council vote was hardly isolation of the Jewish state at the United unprecedented, but neither was it entirely Nations to be counterproductive to encour- consistent with recent U.S. policy. The aging Israel to take “bold steps” for peace. Obama administration did not quite en- The number of Security Council res- dorse Resolution 2334, but its abstention olutions opposed by Israel dropped sig- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama met at the White ensured the resolution, reaffirming the nificantly during those three presidential House on November 9, 2015. The Obama administration allowed a reminder last week illegality of Israeli settlement in lands cap- eras and were narrowly focused on limited on December 23 that the international community does not recognize the validity of tured by Israel in 1967, would be adopted. crises. During the Clinton presidency, Israel Israel’s presence in eastern Jerusalem and the West Bank. (Photo by Haim Zach/Israeli As one of the five permanent members of objected to just three resolutions adopted by Government Press Office) the 15-member council, the U.S. could See “Reality” on page 5 Berlin attack highlights divide over refugees in fractious German Jewish community By Toby Axelrod In the December 19 attack, a man de- BERLIN (JTA) – Even before the scribed by the Islamic State terrorist group At right: Mourners deadly attack on a Christmas market in as one if its “soldiers” killed 12 people lay flowers and Berlin, Jews in Germany were divided in and wounded 48 by plowing a stolen truck candles at a their approach to the arrival of hundreds through the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial makeshift memorial of thousands of immigrants from Muslim Church market. in Berlin on countries since 2014. Citing a Jewish Following the attack, the top priority December 21 near moral duty to aid the displaced, many is to take on “this army of Muslims from the site where, two Jewish organizations, synagogue groups the wildest part of the earth,” said Pavel days earlier, a man and individuals have rallied to help the Feinstein, a member of Berlin’s Jewish drove a heavy truck newcomers, including asylum seekers flee- community who supports the far-right into a Christmas ing the civil war in Syria. But some Jews Alternative for Germany party, whose market in an have warned that the influx of immigrants manifesto from April declares that “Islam apparent terrorist risks importing to Germany the homicidal is not part of Germany.” AfD, as the party attack. (Photo by antisemitism of Muslim extremists who is known, also is accused of being a hotbed Sean Gallup/Getty attacked Jewish targets in France, Belgium, for antisemites. Images) Denmark and beyond. See “Berlin” on page 8 INSIDE THIS ISSUE City of Training Bases Biblical face off News in brief... Special Sections The IDF’s new City of Training A look at two finalists in the Amona eviction postponed; a web- Legal Notices ................................... 4 Bases is changing demographics International Adult Bible Contest site targets leftist professors; Hez- Book Review .................................... 4 and more in the southern Negev. held in Jerusalem. bollah has U.S. military vehicles. Safe Driving .................................. 6-9 ........................................Page 3 ........................................Page 6 ...................................... Page 12 Classifieds ..................................... 12 Page 2 - The Reporter December 30, 2016-January 5, 2017 Opinion The importance of combating fake news By Richard Friedman clearly was intended to feed doubts that Obama was an that I failed in the above instance by just going about my It was a couple of years ago. I got an e-mail from a American citizen and that he believed in American excep- business rather than leaning on my friend to pull back the friend, someone I liked and respected. Mine was one of tionalism, a belief that America is a unique country with a Obama National Anthem story. In fact, I could’ve just cc’d about 15 names listed as CC’s. distinct mission in the world. everyone on the original e-mail directly to let them know The e-mail was about President Obama. More spe- I e-mailed the friend who had sent this item out, to give the story was fake, but I didn’t want to embarrass my friend. cifically, it was an e-mail about him appearing on the him a heads up that what he had sent out regarding Obama In thinking back, I realize that not only did I drop the well-respected news show “Meet the Press” in September and the National Anthem was false. I even included the ball by not intervening, but we all drop the ball when we of 2008, two months before he was elected president, link to the Snopes site and suggested that he let all of the allow overt falsehoods to be promoted on the Internet or and talking about America’s national anthem, “The Star others who he had cc’d know it was false. in other venues. Spangled Banner.” His reply was that it was something Obama would have Who would’ve thought we’d each have to play this role “There are a lot of people in the world to whom the said, and he showed no inclination to pull it back. This – to be guardians of objective truth? Yet, this is a challenge American flag is a symbol of oppression,” the e-mail bothered me as a former journalist and current community now facing all of us, one that is crucial to maintaining the quoted Obama as saying on the show. “And the anthem leader committed to accuracy and a belief that information integrity of our free speech rights, which are so integral itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs shared in any forum should be honest and truthful. to our democracy. bursting in air and all. It should be swapped for something I shamefully said and did nothing further. And I am As Benjamin Franklin so memorably said at the time of less parochial and less bellicose.