Published by the Jewish Community of Louisville, Inc. www.jewishlouisville.org JEWISH LOUISVIllE INSIDE Talk about talent! Louisville’s Got Talent showcases local stars COMMUNITY STORY ON PG. 13 FRIDAY Vol. 43, No. 4 | 12 Iyar 5778 | April 27, 2018 Louisville celebrates Israel’s 70th birthday... Children from Jewish Louisville form the number 70 as Cantor Sharon Hordes leads them in the singing of Hatikvah during The J children’s celebration of the 70th anniversary of the state’s independence, Sunday, April 22. See photo gallery, page 11. (Community photo by Tara Cocco) ...and remembers the Holocaust with service By Lee Chottiner Wind Preston filled four notebooks – 167 Community Editor pages – with poetry and prose, all written in Polish. Down in the dark sewers of Lvov, Po- Preston discovered his mother’s dia- land, Halina Wind Preston, and other ries three years ago while rummaging Jews hiding from the Nazis, saw and did through a Xerox box filled with her pos- things that no person should ever have sessions. There they were, in a smaller to do. box, labeled with the Polish word for “A baby was born,” said her son, David “sewers.” Lee Preston, “and had to be suffocated An award-winning journalist and as- lest its cries give away the group.” sistant city editor for the Philadelphia Others, frustrated from hiding below Media Network, Preston read an excerpt ground, tried to escape to the outside. from these unpublished diaries for the They were caught … and shot. first time to some 300 people at the April Nine Memorial candles were lit for the victims of the Holocaust during the April 11 Yom HaS- But there were also the diaries. hoah Community Holocaust Commemoration at Bellarmine University. The candles were lit by During her time in hiding, Halina YOM HASHOAH survivors, children of survivors, Holocaust educators and the spouse of a G.I. who helped liber- See page 23 ate the concentration camps. (Community photo by William Beasley) Kentucky Legislature passes mandatory Holocaust education By Lee Chottiner Rhode Island, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, on the Prevention and Punishment of students in the process, bringing them Community Editor Michigan and California as states that the Crime of Genocide. It further states to Frankfort to testify before House and require some measure of Holocaust and that a genocide must be determined by Senate committees on how Holocaust FRANKFORT – After 13 years of lob- genocide education. “a court of competent jurisdiction” to instruction has affected their lives. bying by a parochial school teacher and Passage comes as a bipartisan group have been committed. Other St. Francis parents and students his students, the Kentucky Senate made of congressmen has sponsored a bill in Since approximately 10,000 Jews live worked the phones and social media and history Wednesday, March 21, when it the U.S. House of Representatives to in Kentucky, mostly in Louisville and stood on the capitol steps with signs in unanimously passed a bill making in- make Holocaust education mandatory Lexington, it wasn’t the political clout of what became a full-court press for pas- struction of the Holocaust mandatory in nationwide. the community that got the bill passed, sage. public schools. Kentucky already has a curriculum in but the work of many non-Jews who be- “Every year, there’s been some sort of By a 37-0 vote, with one senator not place, thanks to a law passed years ear- lieved in the cause. activity where we have tried make legis- voting, the Senate passsed the Ann Klein lier that encourages such instruction. Fred Whitaker, a science and reli- lators aware, the community aware, our and Fred Gross Holocaust Education The bill requires every public middle gion teacher of Holocaust studies at St. peers aware,” Whitaker said. “Awareness Act. and high school in the state to include in Francis of Assisi School in Louisville – a has been the main battle in between the Governor Matt Bevin signed the act their curriculum instruction on the Ho- Catholic middle school – has been lob- efforts that we have made in the legisla- into laws days after the Senate vote. locaust and other acts of genocide, as de- bying for mandatory Holocaust instruc- ture.” Kentucky joined New York, New Jersey, fined by the United Nations Convention tion for 13 years. He’s even involved his See HOLOCAUST BILL page 27 ISRAEL AT 70 SEE STORIES ON PAGES 10 & 18 2 Community Y APRIL 27, 2018 Y 12 IYAR 5778 THE DASHBOARD D’var Torah Snapshot ‘Happy Birthday, Israel’ can have many meanings By Rabbi Chaim Litvin people from its very For Community creation). Indeed, Israel is These three words are both powerful singled out in the and meaningful: Happy Birthday, Israel. Torah and referred Let’s look at them one by one: to as “the land First, what is a birthday? People of- which G-d looks ten celebrate the day of their birth with upon, from the first parties and celebration. In the writings day of the year un- of the Kabbalah, it is explained that on til the last day of one’s birthday the stars are lined up just the year.” There is the way they were at the time when they Rabbi Chaim Litvin a special bond be were born. The same energy that gave tween the G-d of Is- them life can be drawn down again for rael, the land of Israel and the people of more energy and blessing in their life. Israel. The Sages even go so far as to say: Therefore, it is quite proper to celebrate This special bond was the purpose of all one’s birthday and use that day for per- of creation. sonal reflection and growth. This leads us to our third word and When is the birthday of Israel? Some concept: being happy. When one realizes would say it was 70 years ago, in 1948, that they are connected to G-d, creator when David Ben-Gurion declared the in- of Heaven and Earth, and that G-d is a dependent State of Israel. Others might personal G-d who cares about every de- say it was 3,000 years ago, when King tail in their life, then the little things that David completed the conquest and set may have bothered them will no longer Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel. detract from their happiness. This leads Still others might look back to the first to fulfilling the directive “serve G-d with day when Joshua led the Jewish people joy.” across the Jordan River into the land just When one is focused on the bond with after the passing of Moses. G-d, Israel and our fellow man, then one Upon can hear the song of joy which emanates closer from every creation. scrutiny, The Baal Shem Tov, the founder of though, we Chasidism, taught that maintaining a find thatstate of joy draws down divine blessing G-d had and power to overcome all obstacles in already life. He taught that joy is the gateway to promised blessings for us, removing any problem this land to in life. Abraham So be happy, my friends. Celebrate our 1,000 years bond with the Almighty and G-d’s gift earlier, as of Israel. Stay connected to each other, a covenant maintain happiness all the time, and we with his will be blessed with the greatest birth- The outdoor lap pool is open when the air temperature is over 60 degrees. Lap pool hours are children for all generations. Likewise, day gift of all times – the coming of the noon-6 on the weekdays and noon-5:45 p.m. on the weekends. The family pool will open Memo- G-d reiterated this promise to Isaac moshiach (messiah) and the era of peace rial Day weekend. (Community photo) and Jacob. There is a fascinating com- and goodwill for all mankind, with our mentary by Rashi on the first verse of return to Israel in peace, together with the Bible. There, where it says G-d cre- all Jews from around the world, to serve ated heaven and earth, Rashi, quoting G-d there once more. Amen, let it be the Midrash, says G-d put Israel aside soon. Candles for the Jewish people while creating the world. (That is also why so many com- (Rabbi Chaim Litvin is the outreach di- Here are the candle-lighting times for Shabbat in May: mandments of the Torah can only be rector for Chabad of Kentucky.) • May 4 @ 8:19 • May 18 @ 8:31 performed in Israel, because Israel was • May 11 @ 8:25 • May 25 @ 8:37 planned as the homeland of the Jewish I’m dedicated to our Jewish community. JEWISH BEDTIME STORIES and SONGS Contacts Buying or selling, Got a story idea? A letter? A gripe? A Administrative Coordinator David Mays kudo? can handle all circulation questions. He I’ll work just as hard Send it to Community Editor Lee can be reached at dmays@jewishlouis- Chottiner at lchottiner@jewishlouis- ville.org or 502-238-2770. for you! ville.org. You can also call Lee at 502- Got an item for the Community eblast? 238-2783. Send it to weeklyupdate@jewishlou- Not getting your paper? Want to sub- isville.org. Dara Woods scribe? Put your subscription on hold? 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