the dayton jewish observer, may 2014

Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton

May 2014Iyar/Sivan 5774Vol. 18, No. 9

Fatal shootings at Kansas JCC, Jewish retirement community p. 9

The Miami Valley’s Jewish Monthly • Online at JewishDayton.org

Treating Syria’s wounded11

Film Fest’s glimpse at Israeli leaders21

Architect of Ethiopian aliyah to visit Dayton2

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Marshall Weiss

A safe, sacred space for men

Learning to rest — and listen — at Temple Beth Or Men’s Retreat

Micha Feldmann

An Israeli medical worker on the Golan Heights treats a Syrian civil war victim

Kobi Gideon /GPO/FLASH90

Golda Meir, The Prime Ministers documentary

GPO

DAYTON

IN THIS ISSUEArts & Culture... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

D a y t o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Family Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

I n t e r n e t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0

Kvel l ing Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

O p i n i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2

Ob i tuar ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

R e l i g i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Wo r l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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Celebrating our 40th Anniversary

Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton’s 104th Annual Meeting, Wednesday, May 21, 7 p.m. at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. For more information, call Jodi Phares at 610-1555.

RelatedFinding a home for Take Us Home.....29

Micha Feldmann

Architect of Ethiopian aliyah at Federation annual meeting

In 1991, Israel brought 14,325 Ethio-pian Jews to the Jewish state in 36 hours on 34 airplanes. One of the key archi-tects of this covert military operation — Operation Solomon — was the Jewish Agency For Israel’s Micha Feldmann.

Now the director of the Ethiopian department of Selah — Israel Crisis Management Center, Feldmann will be the keynote speaker for the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton’s 104th Annual Meeting, on May 21.

For this year’s annual meeting, the Federation will focus on its history of overseas giving through its annual cam-paign. Currently, 25 percent of funds the Federation raises through its annual campaign is directed toward Jewish Federations of North America’s global partners, primarily the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

JDC is active in more than 70 coun-tries, providing aid to the world’s poor-est Jews including food, medicine and social services for the elderly, Jewish education for children, financial assis-tance and Jewish identity and renewal programs. This year marks the JDC’s centennial.

JAFI — chaired by former Soviet dissident and former Israeli Member of Knesset Natan Sharansky — funds training and educational programs in Israel to help break the cycle of poverty, provides mentoring and enrichment programs for children at risk, and offers services to help new immigrants inte-grate successfully in Israel.

Feldmann worked for JAFI from 1970 to 1994. In 1990, when Israel was permit-ted to open an embassy in Ethiopia, Feldmann served as JAFI’s representa-tive there and as Israel’s consul.

Known to Ethiopians in Israel as Abba Micha (Father Micha), Feldmann is the author of the 2012 book On Wings of Eagles: The Secret Operation of the Ethiopian Exodus and was featured in the locally-made documentary about Ethiopian aliyah (immigration to Israel), Take Us Home.

The Israeli government formally ended mass Ethiopian aliyah in 2013, which began with a trickle in the early ‘80s. Last year, Sharansky said JAFI would continue to assist olim (émigrés

with Jewish lineage) from Ethiopia ac-cording to their eligibility as established by the Ministry of Interior. More than 125,000 Ethiopians have arrived in Israel over three decades.

“As of now, we anticipate that by the end of this year, about 1,000 olim will have come,” Feldmann wrote in an email interview with The Observer from Ethiopia.

“Several thousands will have to remain in Ethiopia...most of the Falash Mura who came to Israel in the last 20 years did not come under the Law of Return, because they are descendants of Jews who have converted to Christian-ity about 100 years ago. Those families where at least one family member could show a maternal lineage to a Jewish woman that had converted to Chris-tianity were allowed to come to Israel according to a special decision of the Israeli government. If there will be no change in the government’s decision, the numbers of olim from Ethiopia will be very small in the coming years.”

During the annual meeting, the Fed-eration will also honor volunteers and staff, and will install incoming officers and board members of the Federation, Jewish Community Center, and Jewish Family Services.

— Marshall Weiss

PAGE 2 THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014

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A safe, sacred space for men

Learning to rest — and listen — at Temple Beth Or Men’s RetreatPhotos and Story by Marshall Weiss, The Observer

One by one, each man has expressed what he hopes to receive over the next 48 hours, and then places a slow-burning candle on a low wooden table in the center of the yoga circle.

Each then places photos of his family on the table — or a small blue stone to represent his family — and tells the men about the people closest to his

heart.Rabbi David Burstein asks

the men to close their eyes as he establishes the weekend retreat’s circle of trust, confiden-tiality, and kindness.

Drawing from the tradi-tional Jewish bedtime prayer, he beckons angels to gather and safeguard the group.

“Mich-ael, Gavriel, Uriel, Raphael.”

He then invokes the Shechi-nah, the Divine Presence of God, three times.

The circle is now open for the 22 men at Temple Beth Or’s Fifth Annual Men’s Retreat,

held at Hope Springs Institute in southeast Ohio’s Hocking Hills.

“I love retreats. I think it’s the best way for me to do my work, to be of service to the men,” said Burstein, who has served as the Reform temple’s assistant rabbi since 2001.

Nine years ago, Burstein started the temple men’s group.

“There was a lot of unifica-tion in temple events but there really wasn’t anything that was set aside (for men). We decided from the very beginning that we weren’t going to be a brother-Continued on Page Five

Rabbi David Burstein (R) leads Havdalah to mark the conclusion of Shabbat, in the Spirit House at Hope Springs Institute in southeast Ohio’s Hocking Hills during Temple Beth Or’s Fifth Annual Men’s Retreat

The Adventures of Bark Mitzvah Boy

BMB

2014 MenachemcO

Happy 66th, Israel.

You’ve come a long way,

bubbala.

Just as this issue was going to press — and the day before the start of Passover — news broke of the ex-klansman arrested after the shooting deaths of three people at Jewish facilities in Overland Park, Kansas. There’s no question our law enforcement system must carefully

parse whether this was a hate crime or a case of insanity. But from a societal point of view, hate is insanity. The accused — who was heard to say, “Heil Hitler” when he was taken into custody, who chose the day before the eve of Passover to attack the Jewish community — selected as his victims the elderly and the young. And in a twist of irony, this coward behind a gun took the lives of non-Jews in the process; Jewish Community Centers are known for their service to the entire commu-nity. The latest reports indicate that the Council on American-Islamic Relations and The American Sikh Coalition stand together with the Jewish community, grief-stricken in solidarity, staring down the evil at the lunatic fringes of society.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014 PAGE 3

Editor and PublisherMarshall Weiss

[email protected]

ContributorsDr. Rachel Zohar Dulin

Michael FoxRachel Haug Gilbert

Rabbi Joshua GinsbergMarc Katz

Candace R. KwiatekMark Mietkiewicz

Advertising Sales ExecutivePatty Caruso, [email protected]

ProofreadersKaren Bressler, Rachel Haug Gilbert,

Joan Knoll, Pamela Schwartz

BillingJeffrey Hollowell, [email protected]

937-853-0372

The Dayton Jewish ObserverPolicy Committee

Joan Knoll, chairChuck Kardon

Marc KatzLarry Klaben

Dr. Marc Sternberg

Published by the Jewish Federationof Greater Dayton

Dr. Gary Youra PresidentJudy Abromowitz OfficerDavid Pierce OfficerMelinda Doner OfficerMary Rita Weissman OfficerCathy Gardner CEO

The Dayton Jewish Observer, Vol. 18, No. 9. The Dayton Jewish Observer is published monthly by the Jewish Fed-eration of Greater Dayton, a nonprofit corporation, 525 Versailles Dr., Dayton, OH 45459.

Views expressed by guest columnists, in readers’ letters and in reprinted opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Dayton Jewish Observer, The Dayton Jewish Observer Policy Committee, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton or the underwriters of any columns. Acceptance of advertis-ing neither endorses advertisers nor guarantees kashrut.

The Dayton Jewish ObserverMission Statement

To support, strengthen and champion the Dayton Jewish community by provid-ing a forum and resource for Jewish community interests.

Goals• To encourage affiliation, involvement and communication.• To provide announcements, news, opinions and analysis of local, national and international activities and issues affecting Jews and the Jewish com-munity.• To build community across institution-al, organizational and denominational lines.• To advance causes important to the strength of our Jewish community includ-ing support of Federation departments, United Jewish Campaign, synagogue affiliation, Jewish education and participation in Jewish and general community affairs.• To provide an historic record of Dayton Jewish life.

Please recycle this newspaper. Thank you.

DAYTON

Chabad Lag B’Omer Kosher BBQ Cook-Off

On Lag B’Omer, Sunday, May 18 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Chabad will host its second Kosher Barbecue Cook-Off. Teams from the Jewish com-munity will barbecue chicken, to be judged and served at the event.

Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of counting the Omer, falls on 18 Iyar. It breaks up the seven weeks of semi-mourning between Passover and Shavuot. Lag B’Omer marks the end of a plague among Rabbi Akiva’s students, a victory of Bar-Kokhba’s soldiers over the Romans 2,000 years ago, and the death of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. In Israel, Lag B’Omer is celebrated with picnics, sports, and bonfires.

The cost of the barbecue is $15 adults, $5 children ages 3 to 12, free for children under 3. R.S.V.P. to 643-0770 or at chabaddayton.com.

JWV to place flags at graves for Memorial Day

Jewish War Veterans Post 587 is seeking volun-teers to help place American flags at the graves of Jewish veterans for Memorial Day weekend. JWV will place flags at Beth Jacob Cemetery on Friday, May 23 at 10 a.m., and at Beth Abraham Cemetery, Riverview Cemetery (Temple Israel), and Temple Beth Or’s section at David’s Cemetery on Sunday, May 25 at 10 a.m.

JWV maintains a list of Jewish veterans buried at those cemeteries and places a metal flag holder beside each veteran’s grave. The holders help JWV to quickly find veterans’ graves. To have a flag holder placed at the grave of a Jewish veteran in time for Memorial Day, call Post Commander Steve Markman at 886-9566.

Rabbis’ panel discussion rescheduled for May 27

Beth Abraham Synagogue has rescheduled the panel discussion Philosophical and Theological Un-derpinnings of Judaism, led by rabbis from across the Dayton community, for Tuesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. Rabbis participating in the panel will be Judy Chessin of Temple Beth Or, Joshua Ginsberg of Beth Abraham, Nochum Mangel of Chabad, and David Sofian of Temple Israel. Each rabbi will discuss the perspective of his or her Jewish movement on a variety of topics. The program is free and open to the public and will conclude with a dessert reception. For more information, call Beth Abraham at 293-9520.

Flower power celebration of Israel Independence

Temple Beth Or will host eco-friendly programs on May 3 and 4 to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day. On Saturday, May 3 at 6 p.m., Beth Or will host Groovy Flower Power Party, a 60s-themed dinner with dancing and a costume contest. The cost is $16 in advance, $20 at the door. R.S.V.P. to Leslie Beers at 435-3400. On Sunday, May 4 at 9:30 a.m., families are invited to help with environmentally-friendly projects, and at noon Beth Or and the Jewish Federation will present a community Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration with activity booths for children, Israeli wine tast-ings, Israeli dancers, a Skype chat with teachers in Israel, Israeli and American cuisine, and guest speaker Lt. Col. Moti Ben-Nun.

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Continued from Page Three

Men’s retreathood — it was just going to be a group of guys getting together and talking,” he said.

“And we would discuss whatever issue would come across. We’ve done everything from legacy to living well, to parenting, to the role of men in Judaism and Reform Judaism, the role of men in a synagogue, what it is to be a man, what it is to be a father, what it is to be a son.”

Burstein said about 40 men participate on the periphery of the men’s group, which meets the first Wednesday of each month. A dozen or so form its active core.

“It’s a way for men to come to services and see someone that they know, because sometimes it doesn’t happen,” he added.

After the men’s group held its first retreat, at Hope Springs five years ago, Burstein said the dozen guys who participated felt a powerful connection and decided to hold one each year.

“For the people who have been here more than once, you look forward to it,” said Mark Gruenberg, who has joined all five retreats.

“Up front, you know it’s going to be relaxing, although emotionally difficult. You really work hard.”

The topic for this year’s retreat was Sabbath. Burstein asked the participants to read Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in Our Busy Lives written by minister Wayne Muller.

“It’s one of my favorite books,” Burstein said. “I often look for, when I teach, a multi-religion kind of book. Just in general, I think that we have a

lot to learn from other cultures and other religions.”

Much of the work the men took up on the retreat explored the importance of rest, and how to remove obstacles that get in the way of true rest.

“Part of what I love about these retreat centers is there’s no cell phone access,” Burstein said. “There’s no wireless access that I’ll let you know about. There’s no alcohol, and the food is excellent, all organic and locally grown. It’s vegetarian, which I love.”

Gruenberg said he hopes to incorporate rest into home life for himself and his family.

“I’m focused on figuring out how to do that,” he said. “I think I’m moving toward setting an example, creating the environment at home.”

The father and husband said he values the introspection that comes with each retreat.

“It’s OK to look at yourself and the way that you feel, in a place that’s safe so you can make changes, to make things better,” he said. “Ultimately, that’s what we all want. Not only for ourselves but for our families and our communi-ties. To me that’s Judaism. It’s helping your family and your community.”

Burstein said he started thinking about approaching the retreat from an interfaith perspective during their second year out.

“I was talking about some-thing Jewish and I looked around and there were a lot of partners of Jews that weren’t Jews,” he recalled. “This isn’t just about Judaism. This is about men. Because we have a lot of the same issues. I’ve done some side work with Christian groups too. It’s just the same stuff.”

Along with members of the temple, some of Burstein’s

friends from Cincinnati joined this retreat.

Among the men from the temple, some are active with the men’s group, others aren’t.

“I’ve never really carved the time out for it (the men’s group), but the retreat, Rabbi David and I have been talking about it for a long time,” said congregant Mike Pickard, a first-time participant.

“I don’t know a lot of the guys very well, but I feel I know them better after this weekend.”

A husband and father of two teenagers, Pickard said the mes-sage to make time for intention-al rest resonated for him.

“We think it’s selfish, but to sit down, slow down and reflect actually makes you operate with more purpose. I like the idea of no one religion (the interfaith retreat format), that it’s open for different interpreta-tions. I was actually raised and baptized Catholic. My family, we’ve raised Sam and Emma as Jewish here. So we’ve kind of figured out a way to make it all work.”

Burstein also presented the men with exercises to under-stand the importance of active listening; the men practiced actively listening to each other.

“The whole concept is how to be a better man, how to be a better partner, how to be of better service to the community, to the temple, to the commu-nity in general and ultimately, how to be of better service to ourselves,” said husband and empty nester Corky Katz, a member of the men’s group since its inception. He’s been to three of the five retreats.

“It was a leap of faith for me, because I was never a retreat kind of guy. I was not sure what was being done at these kind of retreats. I trusted David, I trusted the process, I decided to give it a try and it’s a really enjoyable weekend for me.

“It really begins here and there are people I can talk to at temple about a lot of things that I wouldn’t talk to other people about.”

Burstein said the retreat helps satisfy the need men have for intimacy with other men: the ability to really talk to each other.

“We had a discussion about this on Wednesday night at our group,” he said. “Why is there a need for men’s groups? One of the guys said it so beautifully: that we often have superficial relationships with other men, and we need some depth. Because it can be really lonely being a guy.”

Rabbi David Burstein (L) leads a morning walking meditation at Hope Springs Institute during the Temple Beth Or Men’s Retreat


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Nazi Germany’s plan to eliminate the Jews was helped considerably when in 1933 Hitler gained power and moved quickly to refuse access to courts for all Jewish judges, public prosecutors and lawyers.

After that, it became simpler to move Germany into ‘legal-izing’ the extermination of mil-lions of people, including more than six million Jews in Europe.

With the justice system left in the hands of criminals and those afraid to stop them, there was no official way to halt the Nazis.

In 1998, the German Federal Bar conceived of a plan to exhibit not only what happened to the German legal sys-tem under the Nazis, but to find out what became of the lawyers, judges and others abruptly removed from their positions.

The result is the traveling exhibit Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany Under the Third Reich. Through sponsorship from the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation and the Dayton Bar Association,

The Jewish Community Relations Council and Dayton Bar Association present the exhibit Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany Under the Third Reich, May 14-June 8 at Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. For information, call JCRC Director Beth Adelman at 610-1779.

Nazi manipulation of legal system focus of exhibit

Lawyer Dr. Michael Siegel complained to Munich Police in April 1933 when one of his clients was taken into ‘protective custody.’ They cut the legs off Siegel’s trousers and led him barefoot through the streets with a board that read: ‘I will never complain to the police again!’

Lawyers Without Rights

Lawyers Without Rights will be on display at Temple Israel May 14-June 8. The final day of the exhibit coincides with the temple’s Jewish Cultural Festival.

Holocaust survivor Bob Kahn first read about the exhibit a few years ago. He contacted the American Bar Association, which also had become in-volved in the project.

“They said if your com-munity is interested in it, we’ll make it available,” Kahn said.

“I became involved through the Commu-nity Relations Council about a year and a half ago. First you have to get people interested in the subject.”

An extensive exhibi-tion, the project con-sists of several 7-foot panels of pictures,

stories and timelines.“The exhibition reflects a

time in Germany when the indi-vidual rights and the rule of law were utterly neglected,” reads an introduction to the exhibit endorsed by both the German and American Bar Associations. “Many non-Jewish German lawyers in those days kept silent. They did not say a word. There was no real resis-tance. Most of them did not even try to help their col-leagues. Why? We do not know, and this exhibi-tion does not give an answer to this question either.”

Lawyers Without Rights pro-vides some clues; it has been shown in more than 70 cities around the world since 2000 and comes to Dayton from an exhibition at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in New York.

Kahn, 90, grew up in Mannheim, Germany. Dur-

ing Kristallnacht in 1938, his school and synagogue were burned and the Nazis forced him to play his violin while he watched his father being beaten.

In 1940, at age 18, he made his way to the United States. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and worked in intelligence at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He has been a local resident ever since.

Kahn actually knew one of the lawyers in the exhibit, but says, “the exhibit speaks for itself. The message will resonate with all persons. When you look at the portraits of these people, you have to be remind-ed of the lawlessness of Hitler’s

reign, that people could be executed at will and taken to camps for no rea-son whatsoever.”

The exhibit will open on Wednes-day, May 14 with a 7 p.m. recep-tion and a talk by

University of Pennsylvania Law School Adjunct Prof. Harry Reicher about how the Nazis perverted Germany’s legal system.

The next day, the Bar Asso-ciation will present a continu-ing legal education seminar at Temple Israel for attorneys, judges and law students.

Though there are no other posted hours for visitation, individuals or groups interested in attending the free exhibit may call JCRC Director Beth Adelman at 610-1779.

Bob Kahn

‘People could be executed at will and taken to camps for no reason whatsoever.’

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DAYTON

Volunteers and staff with area Jewish community organizations met on April 3 with Kelly Geers (Center), district director for U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, to express their hopes that negotiations will resume in the Middle East, opposition to Palestinian unilateralism, and concerns about a nuclear Iran. Shown here with Geers (L to R): Dayton Jewish Community Relations Council Member Andy Schwartz and JCRC Chair Rick Carne, American Jewish Committee Cincinnati Region Director Barbara Glueck, and Dayton JCRC Director Beth Adelman.

Devorah and Rabbi Nochum Mangel (Center), founders and co-directors of Chabad of Greater Dayton, receive an album of photos and tributes from community members at Chabad’s 20th Anniversary Founders’ Dinner, March 19 at the Dayton Convention Center. Shown here with the Mangels (L to R): Dr. Dan German, Amy Bloom, Lee Schear.

Temple Beth Or’s Rabbi David Burstein, shown here with his daughter Emma, was among approximately 60 rabbis to shave their heads on April 1 at the Reform movement’s Central Conference of American Rabbis in Chicago as part of the Shave for the Brave campaign that raised more than $570,000 for pediatric cancer research in memory of 8-year-old ‘Superman’ Sam Sommers, son of Rabbi Phyllis and Michael Sommers of Chicago

Temple Israel Administrative Assistant Ellen Finke-McCarthy (L) had Karen Rose of Shear Joy (Center) shave her head as part of the Shave for the Brave fund-raising campaign, at the temple’s Purim carnival on March 16, with Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz standing by for support

Israeli photographer Yochanan Kishon (standing, center) talks about photo settings with Samuel Lauber as Joyce Hill works on perspective shots at the Boonshoft CJCE on April 4 as part of the JCC and Partnership2Gether’s three days of workshops with Kishon. Participants learned digital photography techniques, attended a night photography workshop at Cox Arboretum, and learned how to improve their photo-taking skills overall. Partnership2Gether is a program of the Jewish Agency and Jewish Federation to build people-to-people relationships through cultural, social, medical, educational and economic programs. Dayton’s Partnership is with 14 communities in the central United States connected to Israel’s Western Galilee.

S. Isaac Mekel, director of development of the American Society for Yad Vashem, and his assistant, Michelle Sinnreich (Center), visited Dayton on April 8 to discuss snow storm damage to the memorial gardens and the rail car used to transport victims to concentration camps, on the grounds of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, and to raise funds for their repair. Shown here with Mekel and Sinnreich are Dr. Jeffrey and Suzi Mikutis (L) and Julie and Dr. Robert Bloom.


THE WORLD

By Ron Kampeas, JTAWASHINGTON — When it comes

to Ukraine, Israel is parting ways with some of its staunchest American allies, namely neoconservatives — and it’s not the first time.

Israel’s reluctance to side too closely with the United States in its bid to isolate Russia is typical of an Israeli realpolitik that has led to past conflicts with the American neoconservatives, who prize humanitarian interven-tionism.

But Israel’s stance is not suf-ficiently consequential to set off a fight between friends, neoconser-vative scholars said.

“There’s generally, when it comes to the categories of differ-ences of opinions between Israel and neoconservatives, two catego-ries: the ones that directly impact U.S. policy and the ones that don’t,” said Seth Mandel, assistant editor at the neoconservative Jew-ish magazine Commentary.

Ukraine does not rise to the level of an Israeli policy that would rattle the relationship, Mandel said, as opposed to earlier examples of disagreements, including Israeli policy on the Arab Spring and the Israeli sale of arms to China.

An Israeli government official —one in regular contact with what he described as some of “Israel’s best friends” in Congress — agreed, saying that the Israelis had not heard complaints from neoconservatives, as they had in the past, like when Israel opposed the 2011 ouster of Egyp-tian President Hosni Mubarak.

“Israel is wrong on Syria, wrong on Egypt, wrong on lots of things,” Danielle Pletka, the vice president of the Ameri-can Enterprise Institute, the flagship neoconservative think tank, wrote in an email. “It doesn’t affect sup-port for the democratic state of Israel among American friends. That’s not the way it works. They’re an independent country, and have the right to be fool-ish; I don’t think anyone devotes even a minute to considering the Israeli posi-tion on Ukraine.”

It took nearly a week for Israel to issue a response to the Feb. 28 Russian takeover of Crimea.

The March 5 statement by Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, himself a Russian-speaking native of Moldova, was terse and did not mention Russia, whose leadership Liberman has long favored cultivating.

“Israel is following with great con-cern the events in Ukraine, it is anxious

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

On Ukraine, Israel & neocons not on the same page

for peace for all its citizens and hopes that the situation will not deteriorate to a loss of human life,” said the statement published in the Israeli media. “Israel expects the crisis in Ukraine will be handled through diplomatic means and will be resolved peacefully.”

Israel abstained from a March 27 United Nations General Assembly vote condemning a March 16 referendum in Crimea in favor of joining Russia; it was

virtually alone among American allies in not voting for the resolu-tion.

Republicans in Congress allied with the neoconserva-tive movement have blamed what they say is the Obama admin-istration’s fecklessness for fueling Russian President Vladimir Putin’s boldness.

“On the issue of Ukraine, my hero, Teddy Roosevelt, used to say talk softly but carry a big stick,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) chas-tised Secretary of State John Kerry at a congressional hearing. “What you’re doing is talking strongly and carrying a very small stick — in fact, a twig.”

The United States has led the impo-sition of economic sanctions on Rus-sia, but Kerry at the hearing rejected proposals to arm Ukrainians against

the possibility of further Russian incursions.

An aide to a Senate Republican who, like McCain, has been criti-cal of Obama adminis-tration Ukraine policy said it would not be fair to demand of a small country like Israel the confrontational posture that Republicans expect from the United States as a superpower.

The aide said Israel had to consider Russian cooperation in keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and in dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons capability.

“We just don’t know the underlying nature of the Israeli-Russia relation-ship,” the aide said. “It’s incredibly complex with secret intelligence deals going on, trade-offs for what Russia will or won’t do with Iran. In the end, I’m sure that’s what this is all about for Israel — but America doesn’t have that luxury; we are the superpower.”

Neoconservatives have clashed openly with Israel in the past, particu-larly in the early 2000s over Israel’s sale of weapons to China, which was seen as an affront to a bedrock stance of the

Neocons have clashed openly with Israel in the past, particularly in the early 2000s over Israel’s sale of weapons to China

Continued on Page 12


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THE WORLD

Are you reading this? So is the entire Jewish community. Contact Patty Caruso at [email protected]

to advertise in The Observer.

By Heather Norris, JNS.orgBaltimore Jewish Times

Kansas’s tight-knit Jewish community was rocked just one day before the beginning of Passover as an alleged gunman took the lives of three people and injured another in attacks just minutes apart outside the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City in Over-land Park and a local retire-ment village.

According to various news reports, at about 1 p.m., shots were reported outside the JCC’s theatre entrance, where auditions were being held for a singling competition for area teenagers.

One man was reportedly killed at the scene, while anoth-er died at a local hospital. The suspect — described later in the day by police officers who apprehended him as a bearded white male in his 70s—then fled to the Village Shalom com-munity and opened fire, killing one woman before fleeing to a school, where he was arrested.

Two others were shot at, but not injured. Some reports said that the gunman asked people if they were Jewish before firing his weapon and that he shouted “Heil Hitler” about the time of his arrest.

As people in cities across the country finished their last-minute Passover preparations, JCCs, benefited from a beefed-up police presence.

While the FBI and local police have not officially called the violence a hate crime, many national organizations are not waiting for confirmation to denounce the shootings.

“Unfortunately, this is not the first time there has been a shooting at a Jewish Commu-nity Center,” read a statement from B’nai B’rith International. “Comments attributed to the shooter after police had him in custody demonstrate a blind hatred toward Jews.”

Jewish organizations on alert after fatal shootings in Kansas City

The Anti-Defamation League, meanwhile, noted that just a week before, it released a security bulletin to commu-nal institutions warning of the increased potential for violence around Passover and the April 20 birthday of Adolf Hitler.

That day “has historically been marked by extremist acts of violence and terrorism, including the violence at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, and the Oklahoma City bombing,” read the state-ment.

“We mourn the tragic loss of life in today’s shootings

in the Overland Park, Kan., Jewish community,” Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said in a statement. “Information about the perpetrator is still being uncovered, but early reports indicate that antisemitism may have been a factor. If so, it is a tragic reminder, this day before Jews around the world observe Passover, of the hatred that continues to plague our world. It is also yet another horrific instance of an act of senseless violence involving the use of guns to take innocent lives.”

The suspect in the deadly shooting attack on two Jewish targets in a Kansas City, Kan., suburb on April 13 was identified as a prominent white supremacist. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a hate group monitor, identified the alleged gunman as Frazier Glenn Miller, 73, of Aurora, Mo., and said he was the “grand dragon” of the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1980s and subsequently a founder of the White Patriot Party.

The center in a statement said Miller served three years in prison on weapons charges and for plotting the assassination of its founder, Morris Dees. CBS News also identified the suspect as Miller, and a security source confirmed to JTA that the suspect had a long history in the supremacist movement.

Miller is suspected of killing a grandfather and his grandson on Sunday at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, Kan., and then shooting to death a female resident of Village Shalom, a Jewish assisted-living facility a few blocks away. The family of the victims killed at the JCC identified them as Wil-liam Lewis Corporon and his 14-year-old grandson, Reat Griffin Underwood, ABC news reported. KSHB, a local TV station, said they were members of the Church of Resurrection. The JCC was hosting a dance class and an audition for a play, both for teenag-ers, according to reports.

President Obama in a statement “pledged the full support of the federal government” in the investigation. — JTA

Suspect white supremacist, SPLC says

An Overland Park police vehicle at the JCC of Greater Kansas City, Kan., after shootings there and later at a nearby assisted-living complex that killed three April 13

Jamie Squire/Getty Images


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THE WORLD

By Ben Sales, JTATEL AVIV — What happens

when one man controls three major Israeli news outlets?

That’s the question Israeli media experts are asking after Sheldon Adelson, the American casino magnate and Republican mega-donor, purchased the respected conservative weekly Makor Rishon for nearly $5 mil-lion.

On March 30, a Jerusalem court approved Adelson’s purchase of the paper, which had acquired the now-defunct Maariv newspaper and its web-site, NRG.co.il, in 2012. Adelson already owned Israel Hayom, a free daily tabloid he founded in 2007 that is Israel’s most widely distributed paper.

With the new purchase, Adel-son now has control of Israel’s major right-wing media outlets, as well as two of the country’s four major newspapers.

“Adelson’s purchase of Makor Rishon is sad,” said Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, head of the Israel Democracy Institute’s Media Reform Project. “It consolidates the media market, which is bad for content, but we shouldn’t mourn it. There are opportunities we haven’t seen yet.”

Adelson’s increasing hold on Israeli media has prompted concerns of increasing ideologi-cal conformity and less govern-ment criticism. A staunch sup-porter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Adelson

Does Adelson buying another newspaper imperil Israeli media?

Sheldon Adelson (L) is escorted to his seat to listen to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during the Republican Jewish Coalition spring leadership meeting in Las Vegas

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

is widely seen as having used Israel Hayom to increase popular support for the Israeli leader. Israeli Economy Minister Naf-tali Bennett, the chairman of the pro-settler Jewish Home party, likened Israel Hayom to Pravda, the state newspaper of the for-mer Soviet Union.

“The paper is the trumpet of one man, the prime minister,” Bennett told Galei Tzahal, the Israel Defense Forces radio sta-tion. “At every intersection, ev-ery point of friction between the national interest and the prime minister’s interest, it chooses the prime minister’s side. I very much hope that Makor Rishon will maintain an independent, nationalist position. “

The CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., with a net worth of more than $28 billion — the 11th richest American, according to Forbes magazine — Adelson has never been shy about using his wealth to advance his political interests.

In 2012, he was a generous supporter of the failed presiden-tial campaign of Newt Gingrich. When Gingrich dropped out, Adelson threw his support behind Mitt Romney, the Re-publican nominee, donating $20 million to a Romney-supporting Super PAC.

In March, a number of Re-publican presidential hopefuls gathered at Adelson’s Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas for what some were calling the “Sheldon primary” in recogni-

tion of the casino magnate’s power as a Republican king-maker.

In Israel, there is little expectation that Adelson’s latest deal will augur the death of Israel’s free press. Israel’s other dailies — the centrist Yediot Acharonot and the left-wing Haaretz — are both critical of Netanyahu and remain widely read. Maariv, once Israel’s most popular paper, fell on hard times in recent years and ceased publication in March.

Still, some worry that Adelson’s pur-chase may narrow the param-eters of public discussion. In March, in an effort to maintain competition in Israel’s media market, Knesset members from seven parties — including the right-wing Jewish Home — pro-posed a law that would require readers to pay for Israel Hayom.

“There can be two right-wing papers that think differently,” said Tamir Sheafer, a professor of communications and jour-nalism at Hebrew University. “There can be a right-wing paper that criticizes the prime minister from the right. But if Sheldon Adelson has a favor-able attitude toward Netan-yahu, will Makor Rishon criticize

Netanyahu from the right?”A Makor Rishon reporter who

wished to remain anonymous acknowledged that political correspondents are “a little worried,” but said the Adel-son deal will allow the staff to continue its in-depth reporting and analysis from a right-wing perspective.

“For us as journalists, it was very reassuring to know people like the paper and want to buy it,” the reporter said. “They see the importance of holding on to this type of paper. I would always joke that if I wrote the same article for Maariv and Makor Rishon, I would dumb it down for Maariv and keep it

intellectual for Makor Rishon.”The closing of Maariv, along

with recent financial struggles at Haaretz and across Israel’s print media landscape, raise the question of whether a country of 8 million people can sustain four daily papers in the age of the Internet.

“The market in Israel is very small,” Altshuler said. “Its abil-ity to sustain three papers or three TV stations, that’s some-thing people don’t pay attention to. It was clear that one of them needed to close.”

Altshuler sees a potential boon for Israeli media in the growth of online journalism. But Tal Schneider, who writes the Plog, a well-respected Israeli political blog, says her work cannot replace the staff of a large newspaper.

“On my blog, we are not 100 reporters — we are a two-per-son business,” Schneider said. “We cannot provide the (same) extent of coverage. I cannot re-place Maariv or Makor Rishon.”

Despite the worry, few see Adelson’s growing control of Israeli publications as an im-mediate threat to the country’s free press. But should the rise of digital media continue to erode the financial viability of tradi-tional publications, that could change.

“I don’t think this specific deal will create irreparable dam-age,” said Sheafer. “But we need to make sure it doesn’t expand such that every media that gets into trouble goes to Sheldon Adelson.”


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THE WORLD

By Ben Sales, JTASAFED, Israel — When an

Israeli army ambulance brought an injured Syrian man to Ziv Medical Center in this northern Israeli city two months ago, the doctors didn’t know where exactly he was from.

They saw that his leg had been amputated, and based on his own fragmented account and the physical evidence, the doctors surmised he had been hit by a shell.

But they didn’t know exactly how he had gotten there. And when he leaves the hospital later this month, they don’t know where he’s going.

“I’m not scared,” said the Syrian, whose name was with-held by the hospital because Israel and Syria are in a state of war. “Nothing worse will hap-pen to me, so who cares if I’m in Israel?”

Despite decades of hostil-ity between Israel and Syria, hundreds of victims of Syria’s 3-year-old civil war have re-ceived life-saving treatments in Israeli hospitals.

Israeli medical personnel say that while they’re happy to treat Syrians, the wounded pose a unique set of challenges.

For one, their injuries are often complex, owing to the heavy artillery used in the conflict. They sometimes arrive at the hospital as much as days after suffering the injury, com-plicating treatment.

And the wounded often are wary of Israelis they have been taught to despise, making it hard for Israel to address their emotional traumas in addition to their physical ones.

“As nurses, it’s unique to deal with wounded like this,” said Refaat Sharf, a nurse at Ziv, which has treated 162 Syr-ian patients. “We hadn’t been used to these injuries, neither in terms of their character nor their frequency.”

Since last year, more than 700 wounded Syrians have come to Israeli hospitals via the Syria-Israel border cross-ing on the Golan Heights. The

Israelis treating Syria’s wounded confront complex injuries, cultural gaps

Israel Defense Forces has set up a field hospital there, and transfers patients it cannot care for to nearby hospitals. In some cases it brings a family member as well.

Northern Israel’s hospitals have extensive experience deal-ing with patients wounded in battle — most recently during Israel’s 2006 war with the Leba-nese terrorist group Hezbollah. But in that conflict, the wound-ed typically received medical attention quickly.

Joseph Guilbard, the director of pediatric neu-rosurgery at the Rambam Medi-cal Center in Haifa, recalled an especially severe case in which a 12-year-old Syr-ian boy arrived in a deep coma with a severe brain injury.

Guilbard performed multiple surger-

ies, reducing excessive pressure on the brain, removing parts of his skull and replacing them with acrylic. When he was dis-charged, the boy was walking.

“If you see yourself as a doctor, a surgeon and a trauma specialist, you give the same treatment to everyone,” said Hany Bathoth, the director of

the trauma unit at Rambam. “In every trauma, that’s how it is. You feel like you helped the in-jured. That gives you strength.”

Hospital personnel tasked with providing emotional sup-port say Syrians are reticent to open up about their experi-ences.

Besides the trauma of war, there is the additional fear of being in an enemy state. Israeli

Arabs who share a language and certain cultural norms with the wounded are em-ployed at all levels at Ziv and Rambam and say they help Syrian patients navigate the cultural gaps they encounter.

“If you want to talk about respect for men and women, (a male Syrian patient) can’t see a woman, say hi to a woman,” said Johnny Khbeis, an Israeli

A medical worker on the Golan Heights treats an individual wounded in Syria’s civil war in February

Kobi Gideon /GPO/FLASH90

Arab who works as a medi-cal clown at Ziv. “There are women who change their sheets, and that’s hard for them because that doesn’t hap-pen there.”

Adi Pachter-Alt, Rambam’s deputy director of social work, said the patients’ reluctance to speak openly about their feelings comes more from the

Hundreds of victims of Syria’s 3-year-old civil war have received life-saving treatments in Israeli hospitals.

Continued on next page


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Young AdultsYAD at Hazy Shade Belmont Park Disc Golf Course: Sun.,

By Jerry Silverman and Steve Gutow

Leaders of the boycott, divest-ment and sanctions movement say they are protesting Israel’s policies in the West Bank. They are doing far more than that.

BDS advocates routinely oppose a two-state solution and seek to delegitimize the sovereign Jewish state of Israel. In some cases, BDS becomes the latest form of antisemitism.

The BDS movement aims to isolate and punish Israel, using the same techniques applied to apartheid South Africa. Not hesitating to misrepresent facts and ignore context, these Israel bashers take advantage of igno-rance and naïveté within civil society circles, mostly in West-ern Europe, to advance their anti-Israel agenda.

BDS advocates view the situ-ation in the West Bank through a one-way lens, seeing only a single perspective.

They cite, for example, the security checkpoints that make life difficult for Palestinians but conveniently overlook the rea-sons for those checkpoints.

They ignore the fact that hurt-ing Israel’s economy would also hurt Palestinians who earn their livelihoods from Israeli-owned businesses.

BDS backers don’t bother to protest the many countries that have horrific human rights records, instead singling out the world’s only Jewish state, often based on false or misrepresent-ed information.

A tipping point for the Jewish community’s response to BDS came in 2009 when a number of anti-Israel groups called for a boycott of the Toronto Inter-national Film Festival because one of its themes was Tel Aviv’s 100th anniversary. The Toronto and Los Angeles Jewish federa-tions joined forces and, with the involvement of major figures in the entertainment industry, fashioned an effective response.

With calls for BDS escalat-ing in the mainline Protestant churches, on college campuses and elsewhere, Jewish com-

CALENDAR


Beating back the assault on Israel’s legitimacy

munity leaders realize that the situation calls for more than an ad hoc approach: Local commu-nities need a strategic approach with national support and coordination.

In 2010, the Jewish Federa-tions of North America, rep-resenting more than 150 local federations, allocated significant resources so that the Israel Ac-tion Network could serve this purpose. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs — with its 16 national member organiza-tions, including all four of the religious movements, and 125 Jewish community relations councils, which work with non-Jewish coalition partners on a range of international and domestic concerns — was the JFNA’s obvious partner.

One principle that guides this work is that we should understand our audiences. And when we speak with others, we should do so with a respect for the sensitivities of that con-stituency so that our important messages are authentically heard. Whether on a campus, in a church or speak-ing with an LGBT group, we should always be clear that we stand as partners, sharing the goal of a future with peace and se-curity — not one of conflict and BDS.

Experience and research dem-onstrate that what works best with these audiences — mostly made up of political and reli-gious progressives — is not an all-good-vs.-all-bad character-ization of Israelis and Palestin-ians. Instead, a more nuanced narrative is the one that is likely to defeat the one-sided and hostile stance of those seeking to delegitimize Israel.

This means honestly convey-ing the situation’s complexity, expressing empathy for suf-fering on both sides (without implying moral equivalency) and offering a constructive pathway to helping the parties move toward peace and recon-ciliation based on two states for two peoples.

Whether we are dealing with a boycott of Israeli academic institutions adopted by the American Studies Association or an attempt to remove Israeli products from a Brooklyn food

co-op, the most effective op-ponents of these initiatives are the people who travel in those circles.

While we in the organized Jewish community should not remain silent in the face of Isra-el’s delegitimization, we should strongly support and accentuate the efforts of these third-party validators who share our values and viewpoints.

The 247 (and counting) uni-versities and colleges that have denounced academic boycotts generally — and academic boy-cotts of Israel specifically — are just such validators.

It is not enough to only expose the true goals of the boy-cotters and their allies. Israel’s supporters must also go on the offensive and drain the swamps of ignorance that allow the poisonous ideas of the Jewish state’s opponents to incubate. Thus, we are taking the initia-tive to inoculate vulnerable politically progressive sec-tors, presenting a more factual perspective on Israel and taking prominent leaders to the region

to see the real situa-tion firsthand.

The Israel Action Network, of course, does not work alone in this arena. On a daily basis, numerous organi-zations stand up for Israel. Through the

IAN, JFNA and JCPA are work-ing together to convene around a common strategic planning table not only our affiliates but also a range of other North American, Israeli and European groups in order to share best practices and coordinate our collective resources in confront-ing this global danger.

There is no imminent threat to the critical and broad North American support for Israel. But American support for Israel is not something to be taken for granted in light of the organized campaign we now face.

While should not be pan-icked, we cannot be complacent either. We pledge to continue to work hard to prevent any ero-sion of that support.

Rabbi Steve Gutow is president and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. Jerry Silverman is president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America.

One principle that guides this work is that we should understand our audiences.

neoconservative movement — defending the interests of Taiwan.

The arms sales led the administration of President George W. Bush to suspend its strategic dialogue with Israel from 2002 to 2005, until Israel acquiesced to a U.S. demand that the Pentagon vet Israeli arms sales to China.

Bush’s decision to suspend the dialogue was made on the advice of prominent neoconser-vatives in his administration, among them Douglas Feith, then the undersecretary for defense.

In 2011, Mandel said, neocon-servatives were dismayed again when Ehud Barak, then Israel’s defense minister, made the case against backing rebels seeking to oust Syrian President Hafez Assad at a time when American neoconservatives were argu-ing that it would make sense to assess which rebels deserved more robust U.S. backing.

In each of those cases, Man-del said, Israel’s posture had U.S. policy consequences — for instance, in the case of Syria, Obama administration officials could cite Barak’s argument in pushing back against interven-tion.

“That was a situation that directly impacted American policy,” he said. “It’s not clear whether Russia gets to that point.”

Israel & neoconsContinued from Page Eight

Syria’s woundedContinued from previous pagetrauma of being injured and less from ill will toward Israel.

“It’s hard for us to give over-all emotional support because they mistrust us,” Pachter-Alt said. “It’s not due to the state of war. It’s because you’re in a dif-ferent state after trauma. You’re very alone, very suspicious.”

Medical personnel said that when they do leave the hospi-tal, Syrians are grateful for the care they received. The Syrian patient in Ziv said his opinion of Israel had flipped during his stay there.

“Before the revolt, the authorities told us Israel was the enemy and we must fight them,” he said. “But after the recent events there, I saw that in Israel they take care of the patients. All of the Israelis I met, Arabs and Jews, seemed unified.”


May 25, noon-3 p.m. Frisbees, drinks & dessert provided. Pack lunch. Free. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 610-1555 by May 21.

FamiliesJCC Camp Shalom Nature Program: Sun., May 18, 1:30-3 p.m. For grades K-2 and parents. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 610-1555.

JCC Camp Shalom Family Weekend at Camp Livingston: Fri., May 30, 6 p.m.-Sun., June 1, noon At Camp Livingston, 4998 Nell Lee Rd., Bennington, Ind. $85 child, $100 adult. R.S.V.P. by May 19 to Karen Steiger, 610-1555. SeniorsJewish Family Services Events: See Federation newsletter in center spread.

JCC Active Adults Book Club: Fri., May 16, 10:30 a.m. at the home of Dr. Judy Woll. Old Fifth R.S.V.P. to Judy, 470-0113.

JCC Lynda A. Cohen Yiddish Club: Sun., May 18, 1:30-3 p.m. Starbucks, 2424 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. R.S.V.P. to Dr. Judy Woll, 470-0113.

JCC Film FestivalSee listings on Page 22.

Community EventsTemple Beth Or Groovy Flower Power Party: Sat., May 3, 6-9 p.m. Dinner, dancing, costume contest. $15 in advance, $20 at door. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. R.S.V.P. to 435-3400.

Temple Beth Or Eco-Friendly Family Projects: Sun., May 4, 9:30 a.m. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. R.S.V.P. to 435-3400.

Israel Independence Celebration: Sun., May 4, noon sponsored by Temple Beth Or and Jewish Federation. At Temple Beth Or, 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp.

Hillel Academy Meet The Director Fund-Raiser: Tues., May 6, 6:45 p.m. w. director Barry Avrich. CADC Art Gallery, 45 S. St. Clair St. Food drinks,

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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ticket to Quality Balls, 7:40 p.m. at the Neon, 130 E. 5th St. Call Hillel, 277-8966.

Beth Abraham Synagogue Women of Valor Luncheon: Wed., May 7, 11:30 a.m. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. 293-9520.

Beth Abraham Synagogue Men’s Club Complimentary Mother’s Day Brunch: Sun., May 11, 10 a.m. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. R.S.V.P. by May 9 to 293-9520.

Chabad Lag B’Omer Kosher BBQ Cook-Off: Sun., May 18, 4:30-7:30 p.m. $15 adults, $5 children 3-12, free under 3. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 643-0770.

Jewish Federation 104th Annual Meeting: Wed., May 21, 7 p.m. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. 610-1555.

Rabbis’ Panel Discussion: Philosophical & Theological Underpinnings of Judaism. Tues., May 27, 7 p.m. Beth Abraham. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. 293-9520.

Is your son or daughter graduating from high school this year?

The Observer is happy to offer you a FREE announcement, including a photo, in our June graduation issue.To receive a form for this free announcement, contact Karen Steiger at 853-0372 or [email protected]. All forms must be received by May 2 to be included in our graduation issue.

Continued from previous page


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Ray Must’s artwork will be on exhibit at the Dayton Visual Arts Center. The retrospective, Oil & Water: Raymond Must and Ernest Koerlin, runs May 9-June 21 and was selected from 117 applications through DVAC’s call for exhibitions. Ray and Ernest taught drawing,

printmaking and painting at Wright State for more than 30 years. DVAC also honored Ray at its 20th Annual Art Auction Anniversary Party in April; Ray was among the auction’s founders.

Karin Hirschkatz and Dr. Neil Katz’s daughter, Elana Hirschkatz, spent two months traveling in Chile and Argentina. She backpacked, climbed, and worked on a farm. She’s now back in Los Angeles.

Rachel Haug Gilbert

Joe Gruenberg was featured as Barrister of the Month in the December issue of Dayton Bar Briefs magazine, published by the Dayton Bar Association. The piece profiles Joe’s humble beginnings as a child in Tarnopol, Poland, his family’s move to the United States, and his 45 years in law practice.

Dr. David Novick received an honorable mention in the 2014 Erma Bombeck Writing Competition for his essay, Rose, the Tarantula. David practices gastroenterology with Digestive Specialists and is working on a humorous book on gastroenterology, intended to entertain, educate, and advocate for colon cancer

screening and high-quality care of digestive disorders.

Bernstein’s Fine Catering Vice President Adam Baumgarten will receive a 2014 Dayton Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award on May 22 at the Schuster Center.

Dr. Marti Moody Jacobs received the volunteer recognition award from South Community Inc. Marti serves on the SCI board and volunteers helping adolescents with mental health issues. She uses her background as a physician and author to tap into kids’ creativity to teach them to use writing as a tool to deal with their challenges.

Matthew Diamond completed his fourth season on the Centerville High School Bowling Team with a second return to the OHSAA State Tournament as an individual advancer from the Southwest District in as many years. Matthew finished third at state with a 690 series (210-214-266). He finished his high school bowling career earning the season high two game series of 492, high three game series of 712, and the MVP Award. He’ll bowl for the University of Pikeville, K.Y. in the fall. Matthew is the son of Susan and Rob Diamond.

Send your Kvelling items to Rachel at [email protected] or to Rachel Haug Gilbert, The Dayton Jewish Observer, 525 Versailles DriveCenterville, OH 45459Self portrait by Ray Must

Are you reading this? So is the entire Jewish community. Contact Patty Caruso at [email protected]

to advertise in The Observer.


JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON AGENCY NEWSLETTER | MAY 2014

Annual Meeting2 0 1 4

SAVE THE DATE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 7PM - 9PM

Jewish Federation of GREATER DAYTON

RSVPs are due at least 1 week before event. Events with no price listed are free.

PLEASE CONTACT KAREN STEIGER REGARDING ALL EVENTS UNLESS NOTED OTHER-WISE: 610-1555, [email protected]

TRIBEFEST 2014 offers YAD members unique experiences

The Dayton Federation’s Young Adult Division (YAD) joined over 1,200 Jewish young adults (ages 22-45) from across North America in New Orleans last month to attend Tribefest.

Being in such an amazing city like New Orleans with 1,200 young Jew-ish adults is a feeling like no other. For three whole days you experience how powerful, cool and inspiring it is to be Jewish. I felt a constant con-nection to everyone else in the room whether we were listening to a jazz band, sharing a meal or parading down Bourbon Street, accompanied by a New Orleans marching band to board the ferry, where we danced till dawn, TRIBEFEST! Where else will you meet a new friend every time you ride the elevator, TRIBEFEST! Where else can you be in a room and be deeply inspired by speakers such as Emmy nominated, award win-ning writer David Weiss, who wrote Shrek, TRIBEFEST!

Jacob Rapport, a new member of YAD here in Dayton, had this to say about his experience at Tribefest:

“Going to Tribefest made me re-alize that the Jewish community is a global community, and that I can

If you are into word games like me, you can easily see that “fun” is the first word you derive from FUNdraising. It would seem counterintuitive to combine those two words. However, this is one of the greatest benefits derived from doing good, as purported in a recent op-ed article in the New York Times, by Arthur C. Brooks, social scientist and president of the American Enterprise Institute.

Brooks goes on to say that giving to causes important to you raises hap-piness and has some links to individual prosperity. I have one other reason to put on the table: the great relationships we develop in the process.

As we approach a “changing of the guard” on our JFGD Board of Di-rectors, I reflect on the wonderful experience I’ve had with Gary Youra as my partner and president during my freshman year at the Jewish Federa-tion of Greater Dayton. Gary has provided strong level-headed leadership, insightful input and deep passion for the work we do. Many thanks to Gary for his support; I won’t forget my first year in Dayton. You have made it rewarding and fun.

Cathy L. GardnerCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton

DAYTON: FUNdraising is just the beginning

ABOVE: Federation CEO Cathy Gardner with Federation President, Gary Youra.

Is it just a coincidence?

THE POWER OF THE COLLECTIVE

(and will!) be a part of it by partici-pating here in Dayton through YAD! Going to Tribefest and being able to see and feel this community helped me understand how my Judaism is a fundamental part of my identity. I at-tended my first YAD event last week and I couldn’t believe how many oth-er Jewish young adults like me lived here in Dayton. “

Dayton’s attendance at TribeFest is the beginning of a long and collab-

orative effort to build participation in YAD. Gathering a group of young Jewish adults to connect, collaborate and just have fun together in Dayton is our chance to feel the power of the collective. Get involved!

Ready to join us? Our next YAD event is Frisbee Golf at Hazy Shade, Belmont Park Disc Golf Course on Sunday, May 25th from 12PM to 3PM. YAD singles, couples and families are welcome. Let’s enjoy the

sun and have some fun! Pack a lunch, Frisbees and dessert will be provided!

If you have any questions or would like to become involved in YAD please do not hesitate to contact me at 937-610-1555 or [email protected].

Hilary ZappinCOMMUNITY OUTREACH MANAGER Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton

ABOVE: Canadian YAD members Ezra Rabinsky and Amia Kurs socialize with Dayton YAD members Ehud Borovoy and Jacob Rapport in New Orleans at Tribefest.

Sunday, May 4› Yom Ha'atzmautNoon - 3PM @ Temple Beth Or (5275 Marshall Rd, Dayton 45429)Celebrate an environmentally friendly Israel Independence Day with Family and Friends.

Wednesday, May 14› Lawyers Without Rights Opening Night7PM @ Temple Israel (130 Riverside Dr., Dayton 45402)Keynote speaker Harry Reicher joins us to kick off opening night of the Lawyers without Rights exhibit (see page 6 of this issue of the Observer for more information).

Wednesday, May 21› Annual Meeting7PM @ Boonshoft CJCEJoin us as we celebrate local and world Jewry at our 2014 Annual Meeting, featuring keynote speaker Micha Feldmann.

Sunday, May 25› YAD Discgolf12PM - 3PM @ Hazy Shade Belmont Park Disc Golf Course (723 Watervliet Ave. Dayton, Ohio 45420)Calling all YAD singles, couples and families, let’s enjoy the sun and have some fun. Frisbees provided! Pack a lunch, drinks and dessert provided.

@ THE BOONSHOFT CJCE


Jewish Community Center

of GREATER DAYTON

RSVPs are due at least 1 week before event. Events with no price listed are free.PLEASE CONTACT KAREN STEIGER REGARDING ALL EVENTS UNLESS NOTED OTHER-WISE: 610-1555, [email protected]

›Mamaloshen A little bit of Yiddish to share with friends, courtesy of the JCC Yiddish Club, in memory of Lynda A. Cohen.Mid : \MEED\ Adjective Tired, weary.Phrases with mid:

1. mid un mat - worn out;2. mid vi a hunt - as tired as a dog;Expression with mid:3. Der vos zukht laykhte arbet geyt mid tsu bet - He who seeks light work goes to sleep weary.

LEFT: Maggie Gaster practices shaving Isabella MacKenzie (with a popsicle stick!) like Daddies do while learning about families in the Brachot Cheder. PHOTO CREDIT: LISA SIEGEL. BELOW: Jake Davis sees how many words per minute he can get on an “old fashioned” typewriter Miss Cindy brought in for her Mitzvah Cheder. PHOTO CREDIT: RACHEL SCHUBELER.

Our goal for the Active Adults Committee is to plan and implement activities and events for the young at heart. We strive to offer diverse pro-grams-both social and educational. We plan trips, speakers and musical entertainment and we always have plenty of good food. The chairs, Ira Segalewitz and Marion Chadwick, are always open to new ideas!

One of our most popular outings is our annual casino trip. We will head to the Hollywood Casino in

Columbus on June 26. For more in-formation about this trip, or to pass on information to the committee, contact Rachel Wilson at 401-1541. Come join the fun — watch for fu-ture programs in The Dayton Jewish Observer, and the mailings sent out by the Federation. We look forward to welcoming you soon!

Marion ChadwickVice Chair JCC Active Adults Committee

Active Adults enjoy the jackpot of friendship

ABOVE: Active Adult Annual Casino Trip – June 2013 at Scioto Downs in Columbus. L to R: Jack & Bernice Bomstein, Clara Hochstein, Phyllis Levine, Gert Kahn, Shirlee & Ron Gilbert

Committee aims to keep those young at heart engaged and active

EARLY CHILDHOOD: Practice makes perfect

SHARING TRADITONS: PassoverThe Fifth in its series of intergenerational program-ming between the JCC and Chabad, Sharing Tradi-tions: Passover included traditional Passover foods, making Elijah’s cup, searching for the Afikomen, and singing Passover songs. This program is made possible through funding from the Jewish Federa-tion of Greater Dayton’s Innovation Grants. From Left to Right: Jenna Greenberg, Audrey Mackenzie, Pat Jones, Ranon & Elior Ginsberg, Chaya Simon, Lily Ray, Yoel Simon, Rachel Gilbert, Shoshanna Farrel, Menechem Simon, Shmuel Simon, Rochel & Levi Simon, and Avi & Chava Gilbert.

Thursday, May 1› Bethlehem7:15PM @ The Neon $9 adults / $8 sudents.FOR MORE MAY FILM FEST LISTINGS, PLEASE SEE PAGE 22 OF THIS ISSUE OF THE OBSERVER.

Friday, May 16› Active Adult Book Club10:30AM @ Judy Woll’s homeOld Filth By Jane GardamContact Judy Woll, 470-0113

Sunday, May 18› Camp Shalom Nature Program & Pre-Camp Event1:30PM @ Boonshoft CJCEInviting children in grades K - 2 and their parents to help prepare our Camp Shalom Garden. Come get a little messy and have fun outdoors followed by a cool snack and tour of the facility.

Sunday, May 18› JCC Yiddish Club1:30PM @ Oakwood Starbucks(2424 Far Hills Ave.)Bintl Briefs with Allan SpetterContact Judy Woll, 470-0113

Friday, May 30, Saturday May 31, & Sunday June 1› Camp Shalom Family Weekend Starting 6PM Friday, through 11AM Sunday @ Camp Livingston (4998 Nell Lee Rd, Bennington, IN 47011)Get a taste of Jewish camping with your family! $85 per child and $100 per adult (include lodging, food and activities).


Jewish Family Services of GREATER DAYTON

PLEASE CONTACT CHERYL BENSON REGARDING ALL COVENANT MANOR EVENTS : 854-6319

L’Chaim,To Life!

» Is there is a voice inside you

that says: “I now have time to

learn something new” or “It’s

time to expand my horizons”?

Your life will be enriched on

July 10th when you attend the

L’Chaim ,To Life! Fair spon-

sored by Jewish Family Ser-

vices at Temple

Israel, July 10, 10AM - 2PM.REINVENTING OURSELVES THROUGH ENRICHMENT, ENGAGEMENT, & EDUCATION

Tim, Larry, Josh, Kenny and Kyle (Left to right), Food pantry volunteers, were thrilled to receive free tickets from Jewish Family Services for a trip to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery.

What is Blood Pres-sure? Blood Pressure is the pressure used by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels while it is moving through the body. With each heart-beat, there is a maxi-mum and minimum amount of pressure used. This is known as systolic (maximum) and diastolic (minimum) pressure. Sys-tolic pressure is the high-est pressure used while your heart is pumping; the diastolic number is the lowest pressure used

on the blood vessels when the heart is relaxing. Blood Pressure is read as a fraction, with the sys-tolic number first, then the diastolic. Healthy blood pressure is within the range of 90-119 for systolic and 60-79 for the diastolic, read as 90/60.

Having high blood pressure can lead to serious health problems. With High Blood Pres-sure (also known as Hy-pertension), there is more stress on the heart which could make it enlarged,

weakened, or thickened. High Blood pressure can also lead to heart attacks, chronic renal failure, heart failure, strokes, and a shorter life expectancy. Risks for having high blood pressure include but are not limited to stress, older age, weight, smoking, lack of exercise, poor diet, and genetics.

The only way to find out you have high blood pressure is to get tested for it. The test is quick, easy, and painless. There are several ways to help

control your blood pres-sure including; eating healthy, managing stress, being physically ac-tive, avoid tobacco and excessive alcohol use, and regularly taking any pre-scribed medications. It is important to keep track of your blood pressure. It is helpful to test and re-cord your blood pressure at home. Staying healthy and having knowledge about your blood pres-sure can create a healthy, happy, and long life.

Tuesday, May 612:30 @ Covenant ManorDown Memory Lane

Friday, May 9NOON @ Covenant ManorFresh Friday- Enjoy a delicious home cooked meal prepared by Bernstein’s Fine Catering.

Tuesday, May 1312:30PM @ Covenant ManorEntertainment presented by Don Simones – Piano, Vocals, Ukulele

Wednesday, May 1412:30PM @ Covenant ManorCraft Circle

Tuesday, May 2012:30PM @ Covenant ManorUnderstanding hearing loss and new technology, presented by Tommy Riddell from Avada Hearing Center.

Friday, May 23NOON @ Covenant ManorFresh Friday- Enjoy a delicious home cooked meal prepared by Bernstein’s Fine Catering. 12:30PM Bingo

Tuesday, May 27 12:30 @ Covenant ManorGlen Parks, Banjo Player Extraordinaire12:30PM Bingo

OSHIIP, the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Informa-tion Program and part of the Ohio Department of Insurance invites you to "Welcome to Medicare: 2014", a free service, providing unbiased informa-tion and counseling to people covered by Medicare on Thursday, May 22 at 6PM at the Boonshoft CJCE (525 Versailles Drive, Centerville),

OSHIIP and the Depart-ment of Insurance host free Welcome to Medicare events throughout the state each year to answer ques-tions and concerns about their health insurance and to explain and remind those enrolled or those wanting to enroll of important dead-lines for certain benefits.

New and soon-to-be beneficiaries can meet with our professional staff and learn about Medicare benefits, supplemental insurance policies, Medicare Advantage plans and pre-scription drug coverage.

— Connie BlumCertified OSHIIP Medicare Counselor

Stay healthy in May by learning more about high blood pressure

VOLUNTEERS: Helping hands

OSHIIP MEDICARE EVENT TO BE HELD AT BOONSHOFT CJCE


Jewish Foundation of GREATER DAYTON

Legacies, Tributes, & Memorials

JCC

FAMILY SERVICES FOUNDATION

PHILANTHROPY: The Book of LifeJEWISH FOUNDATION BEGINS NEW CHAPTER, SHARES STORIES

Some of the most valuable things we can share with others are our precious memories,

our family heritage and our hopes for those who come after us. The Jewish Foundation

of Greater Dayton is proud to embark on the creation of our community’s Book of Life.

The Book of Life will feature stories from those who have established an endowment

fund with the Foundation, either during their lifetime or through their will.

In addition to a picture, personal stories may include family information, why the en-

dowment was established, why tzedakah is personally important, or anything the donor

feels is significant and would like to share. These stories are meant to beautifully convey

the generosity and rich history of the Dayton Jewish community, as well as inspire future

generations to create legacies of their own.

We invite you to join us as we create what is sure to become a Jewish Foundation of

Greater Dayton treasure. If you have an endowment with the Jewish Foundation of

Greater Dayton and would like to be a part of this meaningful project, please contact

Alisa Thomas at [email protected] or 937-610-1796 by May 23, 2014.

What is a donor advised fund?» A donor advised fund (also known as a philanthropic fund) allows you, or anyone you designate, to make grant recommendations to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations (tax exempt nonprofit organizations). Requests are not limited to Jewish 501(c)(3) organizations – any qualifying 501(c)(3) organization can be recommended.

What is an endowment fund?» An endowment fund allows you to give in perpetuity. A restricted fund can be used to support the Annual Campaign; the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, Jewish Community Center or Jewish Family Services; or a specific program or event. You may also decide to establish an unrestricted endowment, which is available to the organization for general use.

» If you would like more information about establishing a donor advised fund or an endowment fund, please contact Cathy Gardner, CEO or Cheryl Carne, chief development officer, 937-610-1555.

» Do you have a donor advised fund or endowment fund through the Jewish Foundation of Greater Dayton? We want to share you story! If you would like to submit information, please contact Alisa Thomas at [email protected] or 937-610-1796.

CAMPAIGNIN HONOR OF› Elaine Bettman receiving the YWCA Women of Influence Award

Susan and Stanley Katz› New granddaughter of Debbie and Bruce Feldman› Susie Katz receiving the Beth Abraham Women of Valor Award› Melinda Doner receiving the Beth Abraham Women of Valor Award

Bonnie and Sandy MendelsonIN MEMORY OF› Sylvia Weissman

Cheryl and Rick CarneMary and Dr. Gary Youra

› Davideen SwangerEmalee Weisman

LINDA RUCHMAN FUNDIN HONOR OF› Birthday of Marshall Ruchman

Diane and Jim Duberstein› Joe Gruenberg being named Barrister of the month by the Dayton Bar Association

Natalie and Franklin Cohn

ACTIVE ADULTSIN HONOR OF› New granddaughter of Jane and Dr. Gary Hochstein

Shirlee and Dr. Ron Gilbert Helene Gordon

› Harriet Klass receiving the Beth Abraham Women of Valor Award

Sylvia Linsker

FILM FESTIVALIN MEMORY OF› Robert Coleman

Jane and Dr. Gary Hochstein

JOAN AND PETER WELLS FAMILY, CHILDREN AND YOUTH FUNDIN HONOR OF› Birth of Zoey Lader

Cathy GardnerIN MEMORY OF› Sylvia Weissman

Cathy Gardner

FEDERATION IN MEMORY OF› Arthur H. Field

Natalie and Franklin Cohn

BEN AND DOROTHY HARLAN CHILDREN’S FUNDIN HONOR OF› Speedy recovery of Judy Lipton

Marla and Dr. Stephen HarlanIN MEMORY OF› Beverly Elovitz

The Breakfast Club Group

SENIOR SERVICESIN HONOR OF› Speedy recovery of Nancy Schwartzenfeld

Esther and DeNeal Feldman› Speedy recovery of Judy Lipton


SPECIFIC ASSISTANCEIN HONOR OF› Speedy Recovery of Shirley Frankowitz› Speedy recovery of Larry Briskin› Speedy recovery of Lewis Kest› Jerome and Goldye Kopmar’s continued kindness to the Jewish community

Hyla and Dr. Raymond Weiskind

JEREMY BETTMAN B’NAI TZEDEK YOUTH PHILANTHROPY FUNDIN HONOR OF› Elaine Bettman receiving the YWCA Women of Influence Award

Helene GordonIN MEMORY OF› Sylvia Weissman

Jean and Todd Bettman› Brother of Dr. Ron Gilbert

Elaine and Joe Bettman

FOOD PANTRYIN HONOR OF› Elaine Bettman receiving the YWCA Women of Influence Award

Jane and Dr. Gary HochsteinIN MEMORY OF› Sylvia Weissman


Donating to an endowment fund is a wonderful way to honor someone. To make a contribution, call Sheila Myers at 937-610-5538. Let us know what fund you would like to donate to, or we will be happy to help you choose a fund.

The JCC Film Festival presents The Third Half on Sunday, May 18 at 7:15 p.m. at the Neon Movies, 130 E. 5th St., Dayton. Following the film, attorney Alan Gabel will talk about his connections to the movie. Tickets are available at the door, at jewishdayton.org, at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville or by calling Karen Steiger at 610-1555.

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In the Comfort of Your Home.

Alan Gabel

Katarina Ivanovska as Rebecca in The Third Half

Kino OkoBy Marc Katz Special To The Observer

Hardly lost in a film of drama, love and a mostly Jewish football (soccer) team that beat a German team — de-spite the harshest of consequences — is the Nazi elimination of more than 7,000 Macedonian Jews during World War II.

Ninety-seven percent of Macedonia’s Jewish population was sent for termination to the Treblinka death camp.

Transportation for the mass murder was orchestrated through the Bulgarians, willing agents of the Nazis.

In contrast to that stark real-ity, “It’s a movie about love,” says Alan Gabel, a lawyer from Dayton who lived in Macedonia in 2011 when the feature film The Third Half was filmed.

Gabel helped producers line up some pre-funding dollars and was able to introduce them to a Hollywood friend

Area lawyer’s ties to Macedonian film about Shoahof his who helped the filming process along.

Eventually, most of the funding came from the country of Macedonia, and as Gabel watched the project take shape, he gained a deep knowledge of the country and the Jews who used to and still live there.

“It’s about religious toler-ance,” Gabel says of The Third Half. “It’s about loyalty. It’s about sports. The good guys won, knowing if they won they could be shot and killed by the Nazis.”

The Third Half is the final film for this year’s JCC Film Fest, on May 18 at the Neon. Gabel will be on hand to add

commentary about the film, and about life in Macedonia — the country just north of Greece and formerly a part of Yugoslavia — where only about 200 Jews live today, mostly in Skopje, the capital, with a few in Stip and Bitola.

That Gabel was involved in the filming was a matter of circumstance. He had lived in Azerbaijan (a former part of the Soviet Union) for more than a year beginning in 2007 when he took a volun-teer job with the American Bar Association to work on Azerbaijan’s criminal defense program.

There, he be-came friendly with a member of the U.S. Department of Justice who later asked Gabel if he wanted to work in Macedonia as part of a U.S. program to help Macedonia modernize its gov-ernment human resources program.

A two-year com-mitment turned to three, and during this time Gabel became involved with The Third Half.

He’ll talk about Macedonia’s small synagogue, its Jewish museum, and its complicated argument with Greece over the legal name of the country.

“Macedonia struggles with the Jewish issue,” Gabel says. “The few Jews who still remain have a difficult time. They still have a shul on the second floor of

their activity building, and it’s nice. But not many Jews have a lot of tradition. Not only did the Nazis kill most of the Jews there, Macedonia became part of Yugoslavia, which is Com-munist, so they didn’t practice religion. So there’s been a long time since there’s been a strong Jewish worship. They still celebrate Chanukah, they still

have a Purim gathering, they still have a Seder. But overall, they struggle with it.”

That struggle has grown since the community does not have a rabbi, although it had one for a short time until he left for Israel.

That leaves no one to answer ques-tions, since the community is small and also not well-versed in Jewish ways. and a rabbi would have to speak Macedo-nian as well.

As for integrating into the commu-nity at large, Gabel says, “the Jews are accepted, but there are so few of them. They get along, but they don’t stick out.”

Gabel is back in Dayton, rebuilding his law practice. The sense is, he’d go back to Macedonia, even if just for a visit. He might talk some others into go-ing with him.


The JCC Film Festival will present two showings of Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story on Tuesday, May 6, at 7:20 and 7:40 p.m. at the Neon Movies, 130 E. 5th St., Dayton, in partnership with Hillel Academy. Following each showing, Quality Balls director Barry Avrich will lead a Q&A. Tickets are available at the door, at jewishdayton.org, at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville or by calling Karen Steiger at 610-1555.

Prior to the showings at the Neon, Hillel Academy Jewish day school will host a fund-raiser with Avrich at 6:45 p.m. at the CADC Art Gallery, 45 S. St. Clair St. Admission to the fund-raiser includes food, drinks and a ticket to the film. For more information, call Hillel at 277-8966.

By Gerri Miller, Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles

“I would have been a lousy rabbi,” confided David Steinberg, candidly re-flecting on what would have happened if he’d continued his yeshiva studies and followed in his father’s footsteps. The rabbinate’s loss is comedy’s gain, and Steinberg has 50 years of memories to show for it — as a performer, person-ality and in-demand director.

For the past three years, he’s turned the spotlight on other comedians with his Showtime series Inside Comedy.

But the focus of the biographical documentary Quality Balls: The David Stein-berg Story directed by Barry Avrich, is personal. The film follows his life and career from the Jewish commu-nity in Canada’s Winnipeg, to Chicago’s Second City troupe, to New York and Hollywood, including ar-chival clips and testimonies from his comedy peers.

Quality Balls will have two showings at the Neon as part of the JCC Film Fest, on May 6.

The title comes from a comment made by his good friend Jerry Seinfeld.

When a Canadian company pitched the documentary to Steinberg, now 71, more than a year ago, he wasn’t inter-ested.

“It struck me — and it still does strike me — as a little on the self-indulgent side.”

But his wife, Robyn, insisted he do it, “and I reluctantly agreed.” Busy with directing projects and the five months a year he spends on Inside Comedy, Steinberg hadn’t done stand-up for a few years, so he booked the La Jolla Playhouse to work out new material last summer. Not only did it provide fodder for the film, it rekindled his interest in doing stand-up, leading to subsequent solo bookings and a 20-city tour with Robin Williams last year.

Quality Balls also covers Steinberg’s appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson — 140, including guest hosting — his controversial-for-the-time political humor and his Jewish roots, which indelibly impacted his comedy.

“It’s certainly part of my comedy DNA and my DNA in general. It’s important to me as anything. It’s who I am,” said Steinberg, who is known as

David Steinberg’s Quality BallsDudy to his friends and family.

Although he was pressed to do so, “I never changed my name because nothing about that made sense to me,” he said. “Why would you want to get known as anything other than who you are?” Steinberg said he was deter-mined to prove to an English teacher who didn’t think he would amount to anything that he could make a name for himself — as himself.

Steinberg grew up in an Orthodox home, the youngest of four children born to Russian immigrant parents; his

father owned a grocery store and ran a shul. He was exposed to live comedy and radio shows early on because “tele-vision came late to Winnipeg,” and com-ics like Jack Benny and the duo Wayne and Shuster sparked his imagination.

“When you’re listening, you’re creating pictures in your head. But I never thought of it as a profession. I just laughed and loved them,” he said. “I had no plan to be in show business.”

That is, until he discovered and fell in love with theatre at the University of Chicago. Still, he can’t pinpoint the moment he realized he was funny.

“It’s like saying, ‘When did you realize you were breath-ing?’ It’s just something that you do. It is who you are,” Steinberg said.

As for what attracts him to the stand-up medium?

“It makes you think about what’s go-ing on around you all the time,” Stein-berg said. “You have to have an opinion, even if it’s unpopular. It’s an incredible platform to express your point of view.”

Observing that stand-up comedy is a more prestigious career option than it used to be, Steinberg quipped, “You can’t swing your arms and not hit a Jew in Beverly Hills who doesn’t have a son

Showtime

David Steinberg yuks it up with Jerry Seinfeld

Continued on Page 30


By Michael FoxSpecial To The Observer

Depending on your perspective and politics, Moriah Films’ adaptation of The Prime Ministers is a pride-inducing tour of the first three decades of Israel’s existence or a stunningly blinkered view of ancient events That’s the nature of oral history: It’s resolutely subjective.

The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers, a nearly two-hour illustrated interview with Amb. Yehuda Avner that draws on his bestselling memoir, screens with the JCC Film Festi-val on May 12.

The British-born Avner originally moved to Palestine in 1947, but it wasn’t until the mid-‘50s that he settled per-manently in Israel and found himself drawn into the inner circles of power as a press aide and speechwriter.

An enthusiastic raconteur, he recalls detailed anecdotes like the one about Levi Eshkol and Lyndon Johnson bond-ing over a newborn calf at the presi-dent’s Texas ranch, and the resulting agreement to sell Phantom jet fighters to Israel.

Avner provides 90 percent of the dialogue in the film, augmented by speeches, texts and conversations deliv-ered by actors. In a misguided strategy of employing name talent, director Richard Trank miscast Leonard Nimoy as the voice of Levi Eshkol, Sandra Bull-ock as Golda Meir, Michael Douglas as Yitzhak Rabin and Christoph Waltz as Menachem Begin.

Trank has produced and/or directed numerous feature-length documentaries for Mo-riah (the film division of the L.A.-based Simon Weisenthal Center), including the beautifully crafted Acad-emy Award-winner The Long Way Home (1997).

Moriah’s extensive body of work, which includes It Is No Dream: The Life of Theodor Herzl (2012), amounts to an impassioned, multi-pronged argument for Zionism. While one may concur that the basis for a Jewish state needs to be reiterated when Israel’s unpopularity and antisemitism (which are not the same thing) are rising, one must also be sensitive to advocacy taking precedence over a broader view of history.

The Six-Day War, for example,

The JCC Film Festival presents The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers on Monday, May 12 at 7:15 p.m. at the Neon Movies, 130 E. 5th St., Dayton. Tickets are available at the door, at jewishdayton.org, at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville or by calling Karen Steiger at 610-1555.

Selective, insider glimpse at Israel’s prime ministers

Prime Minister Golda Meir with Israeli troops on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War

GPO

naturally takes up a chunk of the film. Avner emphasizes that Yitzhak Rabin, then chief of staff for the Israel Defense Forces, argued forcefully for taking east Jerusalem from Jordanian soldiers, and the Temple Mount happily came under Jewish control for the first time in centuries.

The war also put thousands of Palestinians under Israeli military rule, a situation that continues to this day. Avner never mentions them, except for a reference or two to terrorists. Neighbor-ing countries, meanwhile, are enemies whose relevance on the geopolitical scene is as pawns of the Soviets or pur-veyors of oil.

Understandably, Avner evinces a sub-tle “you’re with us or you’re against us” attitude throughout the film. Richard

Nixon is revered for airlifting tanks, planes and materiel to Israel in the middle of the Yom Kippur War (even as the Watergate scandal was eroding his hold on the presi-dency).

The segment on that war reveals Avner’s tacit posi-tion that Israel is incapable of mistakes. In fact, the nation was not merely surprised by

the holy day attack but militarily un-prepared. Golda Meir was subsequently forced to resign, thanks in part to a push from Rabin that Avner considers disre-spectful or worse.

He tells a story of Golda speaking to a group of reservists on the Golan Heights during the war, ostensibly to suggest she was a much better human being than politician. In fact, one comes away from The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers with the feeling that Israel’s first and greatest leaders were anything but Machavel-lians or ideologues.

The great attraction of oral history is access to the inner dealings of powerful or talented people. At the end of the day, Avner provides that in abundance, with the sense of intimacy — and history — enhanced by a trove of marvelous archi-val footage and still photographs.

Moriah is in production on a sequel, The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peace-makers, that picks up after 1974 and is slated to be released later this year.


THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014

Traitor or hero? Film examines role of Jewish rescuer who also aided NazisBy Sue Fishkoff, j.weekly

Walter Süskind, the hero of this dramatized version of his life, was a German Jewish business-man who escaped to Amsterdam in 1938 and became trapped there when the Nazis marched in.

In 1942, the Jewish Council of Amsterdam put him in charge of the Dutch Theatre, which was being used as a holding pen for Dutch Jews as they were rounded up and deported to Westerbrok transit camp, and then — al-though few knew it — on to

their deaths. His terrible orders were to make sure the “operation” went as smoothly and quietly as possible.

The white armband Süskind wore as a coun-cil member saved him, his wife and their young

daughter from immediate transport — and marked him as a collaborator to many.

But even as he funneled tens of thousands of his fellow Jews to the gas chambers, he used his position to save nearly 1,000 infants and children, spirit-ing them away to safe houses in the Dutch countryside.

Traitor or hero? That was the ago-nizing question put to every Judenrat, the Jewish councils set up in German-occupied lands ostensibly to manage social services for the local Jews but really to aid in their roundup and deportation.

Do you help the Nazis if you can save even a handful of Jews? Or must you refuse to work with them at any cost? These questions and others are raised in the Dutch film Süskind.

If this weren’t a true story, the film might be dismissed as unbelievable and overly sentimental. But in fact Süskind and his helpers from the Dutch resis-tance did sneak out children right under the eyes of the Nazis.

And yes, the real Süskind did pretend to befriend the bitter and lonely Nazi officer in charge of the deportations, SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Ferdinand aus der Funten, passing him cigars and brandy,

all to prolong the inevitable just a little bit longer. And yes, in late 1944 when his wife and daughter were deported to Auschwitz, the real Süskind chose to go with them, knowing it would be their last ride together.

This isn’t an easy movie to watch, knowing the history of the Holocaust and of Süskind himself. Watching the self-satisfied men of the council saving their own skins and refusing to believe stories of the gas chambers to which they were sending their fellow Jews, the viewer is tempted to scream out to the men and women lining up politely at the train station, Stop! Run!

A toddler drops his teddy bear. A mother screams as she’s torn away from her children. Sure, we’ve seen these scenes in countless Holocaust movies.

But they never fail to tear at our souls.

Given the constraints of working with a true story, the director, screenwriters and actors managed to turn out a compelling film.

Oddly, and somewhat disappointingly, the most interesting charac-ter in the film is aus der Funten, probably because his inner conflicts are most clearly expressed.

Süskind’s face, by contrast, is most of-ten a mask — we imagine what he must have felt when forced to decide, for example, between putting 13 orphans on the next transport or replacing them with a 13-member Jewish orchestra, brilliant musicians all. Did that really happen? It must have, if not to Süskind, then to someone else.

Director Rudolf van den Berg, who also co-wrote the screenplay, might have done well to emulate Steven Spiel-berg, who ended his remarkable film Schindler’s List with a shot of the real-life survivors coming toward the camera in a field in Israel. Surely some of the children saved by Süskind are still alive. Where are they now? What do they look like? That would have been a powerful, more uplifting ending to this real-life tearjerker.

The JCC Film Festival presents Süskind on Thursday, May 8 at 7:15 p.m. at the Neon Movies, 130 E. 5th St., Dayton. Tickets are available at the door, at jewishdayton.org, at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville or by calling Karen Steiger at 610-1555.

Jeroen Spitzenberger as Walter Süskind

Do you help the Nazis if you can save even a handful of Jews? Or must you refuse to work with them at any cost?


RELIGION

The realization of a dreamBeth Abraham SynagogueConservativeRabbi Joshua GinsbergCantor/Dir. of Ed. & Programming Andrea RaizenMonday through Friday 6:50 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. Fri., 5:30 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. Sundays at 8:30 a.m. 305 Sugar Camp Circle, Oakwood. 293-9520. BethAbrahamDayton.org

Beth Jacob CongregationTraditionalMornings: Sun., Mon., Thurs., 7 a.m. Sat. 9:30 a.m. Evenings: Sun. through Fri. 7 p.m. 7020 N. Main St., Dayton. 274-2149. BethJacobCong.org

Temple Anshe EmethReformFriday, May 9, 7:30 p.m.Rabbinic Intern Marc Kasten320 Caldwell St., Piqua. Call Eileen Litchfield, 937-547-0092, [email protected]. Correspondence address: 3808 Beanblossom Rd., Greenville, OH 45331. ansheemeth.org

Temple Beth OrReformRabbi Judy ChessinAsst. Rabbi/Educator David BursteinFridays 7:30 p.m. Tot Shabbat 4th Friday, 5:30 p.m. Saturdays 10 a.m. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 435-3400. templebethor.com

Temple Beth SholomReformRabbi Haviva HorvitzSee Web site for schedule.610 Gladys Dr., Middletown. 513-422-8313. thetemplebethsholom.com

Temple IsraelReformRabbi David M. SofianRabbi/Educator Karen Bodney-Halasz1st & 2nd Fri., 6 p.m. Other Fri., 7:30 p.m. Tot Shabbat 4th Fri., 6 p.m. Sat., 10:30 a.m.130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496-0050. tidayton.org

Temple SholomReformFridays 6 p.m. 2424 N. Limestone St., Springfield. 399-1231. templesholomoh.com

Chabad of Greater DaytonRabbi Nochum MangelAssociate Rabbi Shmuel KlatzkinYouth & Prog. Dir. Rabbi Levi Simon. Beginner educational service Saturdays 9 a.m. adults, 10 a.m children. Sundays 9 a.m. Tuesdays & Wednesdays. 6:45 a.m. 2001 Far Hills Ave. 643-0770. www.chabaddayton.com

Yellow Springs Havurah IndependentServices 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 10-noon. Antioch College Rockford Chapel. Contact Cheryl Levine, 937-767-9293.

CONGREGATIONS

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

By Rabbi Joshua GinsbergBeth Abraham Synagogue

A rebbe and his devoted disciple were on a journey.

Night was falling as they passed a forest, so they had to stop, make camp, and set up a tent for the night. After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep.

Some hours later, the stu-dent woke the rabbi and said, “Rabbi, look toward the sky. What do you see?”

The rabbi replied, “I see mil-lions of stars.”

“What does that tell you?” asked the disciple.

The rabbi pondered for a minute then stroked his beard

and said, “Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies. Time wise, it’s a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, Hash-em is all powerful, and we are small and insignificant. Me-teorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. And turning dreamily toward his pupil, the rabbi asked, and what does it tell you, my son?”

“Shmendrick!” yells the Cha-sid. “It tells me that somebody stole our tent!”

To be a Jew is to be a dream-er, to overlook the harsh reali-ties of the moment and see past them to the stars. Arguably the greatest Jewish dreamer was Theodor Herzl, who by the force of his personality, indomi-table spirit, brilliant mind and political connections, almost single-handedly created mod-ern Zionism.

Despite being ridiculed and dismissed by many Jewish leaders of his time, on Aug. 29, 1897 he convened a group of nearly 200 Jewish delegates from all over the world in Basel, Switzerland for the First Zionist Congress.

Afterward Herzl wrote in his diary:

“If I were to sum up the Basel Congress in a single phrase I would say: In Basel I created the Jewish state. Were I to say this aloud I would be greeted by universal laughter. But perhaps five years hence, in any case, cer-tainly 50 years hence, everyone will perceive it.”

Almost exactly 50

May 2: 8:13 p.m.

May 9: 8:20 p.m.

May 16: 8:27 p.m.

May 23: 8:33 p.m.

May 30: 8:39 p.m.

Torah Portions

May 3/3 IyarEmor (Lev. 21:1-24:23)

May 10/10 IyarBehar (Lev. 25:1-26:2)

May 17/17 IyarBechukotai (Lev. 26:3-27:24)

May 24/24 IyarBamidbar (Num. 1:1-4:20)

May 31/2 SivanNaso (Num. 4:21-7:89)

MayIyar/Sivan

ShabbatCandle

Lightings

Yom HazikaronIsrael Memorial DayMay 4/4 IyarMemorial Day for all who died serving Israel. Concludes with a siren blast as stars appear and Independence Day begins.

Yom Ha’atzmautIsrael Independence DayMay 5/5 IyarCelebrated by Jews around the world. Israel celebrates with parades, singing, dancing and fireworks.

Lag B’Omer33rd Day of OmerMay 18/18 IyarThe 33rd day of the Omer breaks up the seven weeks of semi-mourning between Passover and Shavuot. It marks the end of a plague among Rabbi Akiva’s students and a victory of Bar-Kokhba’s soldiers over the Romans 2,000 years ago. It is celebrated with picnics and sports.

Yom YerushalayimJerusalem DayMay 28/28 IyarMarks the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty during the Six Day War, on June 7, 1967.

Rabbi Joshua Ginsberg

Perspectives

years to the day of that entry, on May 14, 1948 (Iyar 5, 5708) the state of Israel was born.

Herzl had big dreams for Israel, as he states in the conclu-sion of his book The Jewish State: “The Jews who wish for a state will have it. We shall live at last as free people on our own soil, and die peacefully in our own homes. The world will be freed by our liberty, enriched by our wealth, magnified by our greatness. And whatever we attempt there to accomplish for our own welfare, will react powerfully and beneficially for the good of humanity.”

Herzl’s vision continues to grow and develop with each passing year.

In 66 years, Israel has sur-passed the dreams of its found-ers, emerging as the prosper-ous homeland for the Jewish people.

At Israel’s independence in 1948, the country consisted of 650,000 people. Today, Israel’s population has multiplied 10 times over, absorbing Jews from all corners of the globe, including Holocaust survivors from Europe, Jews expelled from Arab countries, Ethiopian and Russian immigrants.

This makes Israel the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth relative to its population. Despite the challenges involved in absorbing these different population groups — including major political, cultural and re-ligious differences — the ADL’s Abraham Foxman observes that Israel has rarely succumbed to internal violent conflict.

Even more amazing, Israel has miraculously grown from a “third-world” country with a tiny economy, existing on a small slip of mostly rocky des-

ert, into a highly developed na-tion with a first-class economy that has made the desert bloom.

Israel today is one of the fast-est growing, dynamic, entrepre-neurial and innovation based start-up nations in the world. Little Israel, with less than 1/1000th of the world’s popu-lation, has the largest number

of startup companies in proportion to its population than any other country except the United States.

Israel, known as the Silicon Wadi, creates and exports cutting edge medical, com-puter, agricultural, and military and secu-rity technology used around the globe.

Remarkably, Israel ranks 16th among the world’s 187 nations and territories on the U.N.’s Human Develop-ment Index, has the highest ratio of university degrees to population in the entire world, produces more scientific papers per capita than any other na-tion, and since its founding in 1948, Israel has had more Nobel Prize winners per capita than any other country.

As David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of the state of Israel aptly said, “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.”

“What (truly) sets Israel apart from so many other na-tions,” Foxman notes, “is its desire and ability to help others in need.”

For example, following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Israel had one of the first rescue teams on the ground, and operated the only fully functioning field hospital in the country.

Last year, Israel sent 150 IDF personnel, comprising national search-and-rescue unit officials

and senior doctors in the medical corps, to provide care for the casualties of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philip-pines.

Of the hundreds of thousands of Syr-ian casualties from Syria’s three-year civil war, more than 700 wounded — includ-ing children and the elderly — have been treated in Israel, in an


WZO

Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, reads the Israeli Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948


OBITUARIES

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Cremation Services • Transfers

Joseph Benjamin Braunstein, age 97, of Dayton, passed away April 5. He was born Jan. 14, 1917 in Cincinnati and moved to Dayton shortly thereafter. Mr. Braunstein was preceded in death by his parents, Nathan and Esther Braunstein, sister, Bette Getline, and stepson, Thomas May. Mr. Braunstein is survived by his wife, Janice, sons, Jeffrey (Clara) Braunstein, Larry (Lynn) Branton, Michael (Mannetta) Braunstein, daughter Beth Braunstein, stepson Jeffrey (Valerie) May; stepdaughters Sharon (Robert) Stettner, Sheryl (Larry) Purcell, stepdaughter-in-law Laura May; four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, eight step grandchildren and three step great-grandchildren. Mr. Braunstein was a member of Temple Israel and a charter member of Temple Israel Brotherhood. Before retiring in 1987, he was the owner of The Braunstein Insurance Agency Inc. Mr. Braunstein was an avid lover of the arts and was a member of The Dayton Art Institute and a longtime attendee of the Dayton Philharmonic. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave. Dayton, OH 45420, or the charity of your choice.

Robert K. “Bob” Emoff, age 81, of Dayton, passed away April 3 at Hospice of Dayton. Mr. Emoff was the CEO of Emoff’s Furniture, a member of Temple Israel, a graduate of Northwestern University and was honorably discharged as a lieutenant from the U.S. Navy after four years of service. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Marjorie Jane Emoff. Mr. Emoff is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, Todd Emoff, Michael and Anita Emoff, Tom Emoff, Mitchell and Kelly Emoff; grandchildren, Caroline, Katherine, Daniel, Brent, Cole, Grant, Adam, Victoria, Alexandra, Thomas, Courtney, Hope and Paige Emoff; and many other relatives and friends. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton.

H. Marvin Felman, age 88, of Dayton, passed away March 28. Mr. Felman was born Oct. 12, 1925 in Detroit to David and Eva Felman, who preceded him in death. He was also preceded

in death by his wife of 40 years, Edith Mayer Felman, and his sister, Esther Acker. Mr. Felman is survived by his wife of 20 years, Carol Denmark Felman, his daughters Judith Felman, Jan Felman and her husband Harvey Schwartz, Jyl Lynn Felman and her spouse, Lynne S. Brandon, grandson, Eric Felman Schwartz, stepchildren, Dr. Scot Denmark and his wife Linda Denmark, Lisa Denmark and her husband Dan Flanagan, Dinah Denmark and her wife Alice Greene. Mr. Felman was a graduate of Fairview High School, The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in history and his law degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and attended flight preparatory school. After graduating from college, Mr. Felman took over his father’s parking and real estate business in downtown Dayton. He believed in downtown Dayton and was devoted to its future through developing properties which would attract other businesses. Mr. Felman also maintained a general law practice with emphasis on real estate. He was a voracious reader, enjoyed drawing, playing the piano as well as watching and playing sports. Mr. Felman was committed to his family and his faith. Interment was at Beth Abraham Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Beth Abraham Synagogue or the charity of your choice.

Phyllis Heider, age 86, of Hallandale, Fla., formerly of Dayton, passed away April 4. Mrs. Heider was born Fela Kleiner, in Sosnowiec, Poland to parents Moishe and Liba Kleiner on Dec. 7, 1927. Liba saved Fela from being sent to Auschwitz, first by saying Fela was older than she was, and then when Liba entrusted Fela

to the care of a Polish woman named Mrs. Pachowa, who hid Fela in a concentration camp, under her supervision. Fela cried and resented her mother, not knowing this would be her best chance for survival. Mrs. Pachowa hid Fela in a large kettle in the camp kitchen. The SS discovered Fela and were going to send her to Auschwitz but Mrs. Pachowa asked to have Fela sent instead to Bergen-Belsen, where Fela was ultimately liberated in 1945. About the same time, her future husband, Sam Heider, was liberated at Dachau. He was sent to a DP camp at Landsberg am Lech, Germany. Sam learned that young Jewish women were at Bergen-Belsen and went there for a dance, where he met Fela. Af first, he asked her in Yiddish if she would like to dance. She didn’t understand Yiddish so he asked her in Polish. She told him she didn’t know how to dance. Sam replied, “Don’t worry. I don’t know either.” A year later, they were married in the DP camp at Landsberg. Shortly thereafter, the couple immigrated to America with their son, Morris, and settled in Dayton. While in Dayton, Mrs. Heider began searching for her sister Frania, knowing only that she had escaped to Russia during the war. After years of searching, during a Chanukah party in Cincinnati for Holocaust survivors, a friend from Mrs. Heider’s childhood in Sosnowiec, Poland told Mrs. Heider of a woman she met in Israel who also originated from Sosnowiec, named Frania Kleiner. After 36 years, the two sisters were reunited. Mrs. Heider is survived by her beloved husband of 68 years, Sam; three children and spouses, Morris Heider and Kathy LeGrand-Heider, Linda and Larry Richards, and Sharon Heider; grandchildren Lea, Matthew and Mason

RELIGION

Continued from previous pageIDF high-tech field hospital in the Golan Heights. Here is what one rebel fighter being treated at the facility said:

“They taught us about the Zionist enemy, the Zionist oppressor; but when we saw the Zionists (we realized), they were nothing like what we’d been told. They’re human be-ings just like us, human, and even more than that.”

Many Israeli-Arabs would say the same, despite some out-standing issues of inequality. Guess who graduated first in last year’s medical school class at Technion, Israel’s MIT?

The answer may surprise you, writes Diana Bletter for the Huffington Post: “It’s a 27-year-old stereotype-buster: a charm-ing, feminist, smart, open-minded and observant Islamic woman named Mais Ali-Saleh who grew up in a small village outside of Nazareth, in Israel’s Galilee.”

As Ben-Gurion dreamed about his newly found na-tion, “In our state…(non-Jews) will be equal citizens; equal in everything without any excep-tion; that is: the state will be their state as well.”

Ben-Gurion understood that to be a Jew is to be a dreamer; to overlook the harsh realities of the moment and see past them to the stars.

This may be the reason why Israel is one of the happiest countries in the world, despite the fact that Israel has been in a perpetual state of war — or under the threat of war — since it declared independence in May 1948.

Yet, the World Happiness Report released by Columbia University’s Earth Institute ranked Israel the 11th-happiest country, according to the sur-vey of 156 countries. This puts Israel just behind their mates in Australia and ahead of our own country coming in at 17th, and way ahead of all its neighbors in the Middle East.

Theodor Herzl said, “Im tirtzu, ein zo aggadah, if you will it, it need not remain a dream.” The dream can become a reality.

What an amazing reality it is. Just because Israel still faces many critical challenges, this should not invalidate the miracle of the dream realized; it just means that it is time for the next dream to be realized — the dream of peace that will take Israel to the next level.

Let’s raise a glass of world-class Israeli wine and toast to 66 spectacular years and many, many more. L’chaim!

Richards, Max and Mallory Green, Kelly and Molly Weiner. Interment was at Beth Jacob Cemetery. If desired, memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Heider’s memory to The Holocaust Education Fund, c/o Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, 525 Versailles Dr. Dayton, Ohio 45459.

Doris Tolpen died Nov. 15. Mrs. Tolpen and her husband, Herb, moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico 10 years ago. They were married for 60 years. Mrs. Tolpen was born Nov. 3, 1934. She was a 1952 graduate of Fairview High School in Dayton. She is survived by her husband, Herb; son Farley Tolpen of Australia, daughter Maxine Marshall of London, England, and Dr. Anthony Tolpen of Irvine, Calif. During her years in San Miguel, she worked tirelessly to improve the lives of both the Mexican and foreign communities. Mrs. Tolpen was a member of Ohav Shalom Synagogue and was active with the Mid Day Rotary, Shalom San Miguel, and served on the board of the Red Cross Auxiliary and the executive committee of Democrats Abroad. The Tolpens were among the founding members of San Miguel Democrats Abroad. She was also the first person from San Miguel to serve in the national office of Mexico Democrats Abroad. As national vice chair, Mrs. Tolpen represented Mexico at important international conferences of Democrats Abroad in Vancouver, Canada and Heidelberg, Germany.

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Join Marshall Weiss every Sunday at noon and 6 p.m. for the Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley Radio Reading Service broadcast of The Jewish News Hour.

Radio Reading Service provides audio access to newspapers, magazines and other print media for those unable to read on their own. Listeners tune in with special radio receivers.


JEWISH FAMILY EDUCATION

Mishpacha & MenschlichkeitThe Jewish Family Identity Forum

Bible rescueA look at the Holy Book series

The principles for managing successful businesses echo the ones we find in the Bible for managing ourselves.

Preparing the kitchen for Passover is a grueling process. Packing away the chametz (leaven). Polishing the silver. Cleaning the oven. And the list goes on.

Rescuing me from some of the tedium this year was the

popular reality television show Bar Rescue. In each episode, nightlife industry consultant Jon Taffer analyzes a failing pub or nightclub and then works with its owners and staff along with outside profession-als to overhaul the business.

While the physical remodel-ing was invariably dramatic, it was the transformation — or not — of the staff that I found most engaging.

As the episodes played endlessly in the background, I started to notice the behavior patterns that inevitably con-

Candace R.Kwiatek

Literature to shareJerusalem Besieged by Eric Cline. Just in time for Jerusa-

lem Day (May 28), this well-researched volume combines archaeology, biography, primary sources, maps, legends, travelogues, art, and current events into an informative and easy-to-read, story-like history of this most significant city. My all-time favorite Jerusalem resource.

Lights Out Shabbat by Sarene Shulimson. This delightfully

illustrated PJ Library paperback highlights the rituals of Shabbat celebrated by a little boy and his grandparents despite a snowstorm that knocks out the electricity. The beauty of tradition, the light of Shabbat, and the warmth of family all come alive in this lovely book for preschoolers.

tributed to failure. Each time those negative patterns were eliminated, the business turned around.

At the same time, by their own admission, everyone on the staff became happier, more productive, and ultimately suc-cessful. And that’s where the connection to the Bible comes in: the more I watched, the more I realized that the prin-ciples for managing successful businesses echo the ones we find in the Bible for managing ourselves.

Rescue Rule 1: Rules rule, not emotions. The common de-nominator in nearly every one of the failing bars was emotion-based decision-making. The owner would hire unqualified friends and family members, fail to enforce consequences for theft, hesitate to terminate incompetent workers, or allow staff to choose their preferred jobs, all to avert hurt feelings, give second chances, avoid personal discomfort, be under-standing, or keep the peace. What the owner ended up with instead was chaos.

Recognizing this human ten-dency to make moral decisions — what is right or wrong, good or bad — based on emotions, the Bible instructs otherwise.

Judges must not pervert justice by showing partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great in court (Lev. 19:15). Landowners must leave part of their fields and vineyards for the needy and the stranger (Lev. 19:9-10). An ox (domes-ticated animal) that kills a human must be destroyed (Ex. 21:28).

Rebuke must be (appropri-ately) given to someone when necessary (Lev. 19:17). These are just some of the many emotion-laden situations the text address-es, cautioning that when emo-tions alone rule, the moral char-acter of society suffers.

Rescue Rule 2: Rules have a purpose. Another universal factor in the failing bars was inattentiveness to or even a purposeful disregard for health and safety rules.

Warm draft beer in old kegs. Vegetables and raw meat prepared on the same surfaces. Uninspected fire extinguish-ers. Lackadaisical nightly cleanings. These and other violations resulted in customer

dissatisfaction, staff and patron illness, and hazardous mold and fire conditions.

Similarly, biblical rules are for the moral health of the com-munity. Don’t gossip. Don’t put a stumbling block before the blind. Apply laws universally. Don’t use inaccurate weights and measures. Observe Shab-bat and the festivals. Don’t make gods out of worthless things. Rules have a purpose: sometime obvious, sometimes obscure, but invariably rel-evant. Dismissing them as ar-cane, old-fashioned, or simply bothersome, you end up with

no way to objec-tively judge when you’re morally off track.

Rescue Rule 3: Being good means doing good, not believ-ing you’re good. Many of the worst offenders in the bar sce-narios believed

they were good: the chefs and bartenders and owners who, despite moldering stockrooms, scrapped meals, abandoned drinks, bug-littered liquor bottles, and accounts in the red, still pointed to their degrees and titles in deluded pride.

Believing and doing are not the same. It is interesting to note that God self-identifies to Moses as “I am that I am.”

God is a verb, David Cooper concludes in his book of the same title. If we are to imitate God, then our identity is found in action, not thought. Do good. Be Torah.

Rescue Rule 4: You are responsible. At the failing nightclubs, whatever went wrong, it was always someone else’s fault: the picky manager, the slacking dishwasher, the ignorant customer.

On the other hand, the earli-est chapters of Genesis teach that each human has free will

and alone is responsible for choices and their consequences.

From the prophets to the Babylonian exile to the High Holy Day prayers, the chal-lenge has been to take respon-sibility for our behavior and improve ourselves as individu-als and as a community instead of looking for someone to blame.

Rescue Rule 5: You can’t live in the past, but you have no roots without it. One epi-sode of a similar reality show, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, featured the son of Italian im-migrants who started a restau-rant. Unable to modernize after they died and he took over, he saw it go downhill as the neighborhood’s demographics changed.

Unwilling to give up his legacy, the son worked with Ramsay to maintain the restau-rant’s Italian roots while updat-ing its menu and ambiance.

His story is not unlike that of the Jews in Babylonia: how do we maintain a strong Jewish identity while adapting to the majority culture? What things are “roots” that cannot change in order for us to remain Jews, and what things are the “menu and ambiance” that can be altered?

The early chapters of Genesis teach that the entire universe reflects the orderliness of creation.

Thus, it is no surprise to me that the successful moral busi-ness is founded on the same principles as the successful moral individual. So don’t wait until you or your business are in need of rescue. Pick up your Bible and read and reflect on it a bit today and every day. Family Discussion: Looking over the rescue rules above, which one is most challenging for you? Why? How do you think you or your projects might improve if you applied that rule?

Is your son or daughter graduating from high school this year?

The Observer is happy to offer you a FREE announcement, including a photo, in our June graduation issue.To receive a form for this free announcement, contact Karen Steiger at 853-0372 or [email protected]. All forms must be received by May 2 to be included in our graduation issue.


Arts&Culture

By Julie Wiener, JTAIf it is true that there is no such thing

as bad publicity, then Gary Shteyngart may be one of the best things to hap-pen to the Conservative movement’s at-times-beleaguered Schechter Day School Network.

Shteyngart, the Soviet Jewish im-migrant writer known for acclaimed comic novels like Absurdistan and Super Sad True Love Story, devoted an entire chapter in his bestselling new book to his experience at his alma mater, the Solomon Schechter School of Queens.

The problem is, nothing of what he has to say in Little Failure — a tragicom-ic memoir — is particularly flattering toward the school he attended for eight years. His classmates are designer-clothes-wearing, “noisy, undisciplined” bullies, the coursework unchallenging, the school rabbi “large” and “sweaty.”

The school was an “unhappy, alien place” for a Russian boy new to the country. When he first enrolled, Shteyngart relates, he sat alone in the cafete-ria, unable to speak English, unfamiliar with the Hebrew prayers, ashamed to speak in class and mocked by his fellow students.

On the other hand, Schechter is hardly the only institution that Shteyngart skewers in the book, and his descriptions of virtually every-one, including himself and his parents, are also frequently unflattering.

The Solomon Schechter School of Queens, or SSSQ, is currently featuring Shteyngart in the Spotlight on Alumni section on its website, which promotes his books and describes him as an “award winning author” but neglects to mention the school’s featured role in Little Failure.

“I do believe the insights of a bril-liant, articulate graduate offer a rare gift of understanding into the nuanced impact a school can have on a child,” Rabbi Shira Leibowitz, SSSQ’s cur-rent head, told JTA via e-mail. “While The Solomon Schechter School of Queens has changed since the time Gary Shteyngart attended, he offers important perspective relevant today in a school with a very large immigrant population.”

In recent years, the Queens school’s student body has been roughly one-third from Russian-speaking house-holds, one-third Israeli and one-third American Jews whose families have been in the United States for multiple generations.

In an email interview with JTA, Shteyngart said his feelings about

Gary Shteyngart’s super sad but true day school story

SSSQ, which he attended from first through eighth grade are “mixed.”

Would Shteyngart, who spoke almost no English when his parents enrolled him at Schechter, have fared any better at a public school? (It was an option that his parents avoided, he writes in his book, because “we are scared of blacks.”)

“During my book tour, I’ve met many people my age who émigrated around the same time who were pulled out of Schechters by their parent and sent to public school, and they found the diversity there to be a lot more wel-coming,” he explained. “I’m sure there are people who’ve had the opposite experience also.”

However, he said that his alma mater seems to have improved since his time there in the 1980s.

“I think there are tons more kids from the former Soviet Union in SSSQ and there’s much more of an effort to integrate them,” he wrote. “This is very positive.”

Rabbi David Fine, a classmate of Shteyn-gart’s (described as the Mighty Khan Caesar in the book), recommended Little Failure in a post on a Listserv for Conserva-tive rabbis, noting,

“while it, like everything else, is not spared his biting satire and critique, and while Shteyngart does not come out of the Movement identifying as a Conservative Jew…nevertheless the publication of this book will probably bring the name ‘Solomon Schechter’ to more people than ever before. This marks an important ‘mainstreaming’ moment, even as presented through the immigrant experience of a satirical humorist.”

For its part, the Schechter network — which a few years ago launched a “re-branding” effort, but has nonetheless shrunk considerably in the past decade, as several of its schools have closed or become pluralistic “community” Jewish schools rather than specifically Con-servative-affiliated schools — does not profess concern about the negative PR from one of its most famous graduates.

Elaine Cohen, executive director of the Schechter Network, told JTA she has not yet read Little Failure, but said she does not believe “parents will make a day school choice based on the com-ments of an acerbic, idiosyncratic comic writer.”

Asked if he would consider sending his own children to a Jewish day school, Shteyngart said he plans to send his child, a boy born last fall, to a “progres-Continued on Page 31

Brigitte Lacombe

Author Gary Shteyngart


THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • MAY 2014

Arts&Culture

Home is more than a living space; it is the center of memories for families and friends. Our goal is for you to have the comfort you desire, the compassion you need and the respect you deserve.

The Carlyle House takes a fresh new approach to senior living. Community and family are at the core of what we stand for and we want each and every resident to enjoy their senior years to the fullest extent possible.

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Barry Avrich, director of “Quality Balls, the David Steinberg Story” visits Dayton before

the screening of his film. Join us as he talks about Madmen, Monsters and Moguls: Fascinating Stories from Hollywood and the Entertainment Industry.

Food, drink and Dayton Jewish International Film Fest ticket included.

For tickets and information, call 277-8966.

Tuesday, May 6, 5:45-7:40 p.m. CADC Art Gallery 45 S. St. Clair St., Dayton

Proceeds benefit Hillel Academy.

Starts at 7:40 pm

The Neon

Meet the director

Hillel AdBarryAvrich3.indd 1 3/31/14 10:54 AM

By Marc KatzSpecial To The Observer

Even though the locally-produced documentary Take Us Home is a little past its film cir-cuit prime, it continues to have a shelf life as producer and director Aileen LeBlanc and Dayton’s Levin Family Founda-tion, the film’s primary sponsor, work to push it further.

The documentary about the Falash Mura — Ethiopians of Jewish descent, who attempt to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) — was filmed on loca-tion and edited in the Dayton area, where LeBlanc lived at the time; it has won awards but not commercial success.

“When people think you’re making movies, they think you’re making money,” said LeBlanc, who worked at WYSO in Yellow Springs when she made the film, but now is at station KMUW operated by Wichita State University in Kansas.

“Documentaries don’t make money. Usually, they are a labor of love and very painful. Once you get your film done, which is hard and long, then it’s like, ‘What do you do with it?’ And that’s where we are now with Take Us Home.”

Since its world premiere at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival in June 2012, the movie has won some awards — including the Van Gogh Film Editing Award for World Cinema Documentary from the 2012 Amsterdam Film Festival and Best Documentary at the 2014 Texas Black Film Fes-tival. It has also screened at film festivals in Dallas, San Diego, Palm Beach, Nashville, Louisville, Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, and has a request from Chicago for a showing there.

It’s been shown in class-rooms — including colleges — and has been pitched for public television, though Karen Levin, executive director of the Levin Family Foundation, said the film would have to be cut 15-20 minutes to fit a television format.

“My goal is to get it to Israel,” Levin said. “There are still thousands of people left be-hind (in Ethiopia). Every time a group sees it, it’s one more

Finding a home for Take Us HomeProducers of documentary about Ethiopian aliyah consider next steps

group of people who find out about a population they had no idea about.

“It’s the same thing that hap-pened to our grandparents (in Europe), that happened to these Ethiopians. It’s just their skin color is different. This is a film about history and it will never go out of style.”

LeBlanc isn’t sure where the film will resurface, or who will find favor in it. Expecting it to be most popular at Jewish film festivals, it has become more popular at black film festivals.

She has also found that most Jewish film festival documen-taries today have a Palestinian component that highlights conflict in and around Israel.

“I didn’t see this film as a Jewish film or a black film,” LeBlanc said. “I just saw it as a film.”

LeBlanc, work-ing at a new job, has not pushed the movie as much lately, but she did

say, “it still seems to have a life of its own. It’s doing pretty well.

“It’s about people. I think it could have a longer life (than usual for a documentary of this type). The University of Dayton brought me back for a screen-ing a couple of months ago (in November). A class used it for a project for the semester. It was important for us to have an educational component from the beginning.”

To Levin, her interest never changed. “The purpose of this was never ‘to make money,’”

she said. “The purpose was to tell a history story. I can report to you Worku, who is one of the featured boys in the film, is in computer training in the Israeli military and is being consid-ered to become an officer. He is doing excellent.”

Unfortunately, most Ethio-pians haven’t thrived in Israel. And the Jewish state signifi-cantly slowed down aliyah for Falash Mura last year. Until their rescue and absorption, Take Us Home will continue to tell the story.

Documentary filmmaker Aileen LeBlanc during filming in a Falasha village in Ethiopia in August 2008 for Take Us Home

Le Blanc Productions

Expecting it to be most popular at Jewish film festivals, it has become more popular at black film festivals.


It is the sixth most popular website on the planet. It has become the go-to repository for information replacing venerable — and dusty — encyclope-dias. And it’s where controversy over Israel and Judaism are a daily affair.

Welcome to the Wikipedia edit wars.If you are like most people, you visit

Wikipedia to read up on practically any topic under the sun. While the text may seem pretty sedate and respectful, each page has tabs labeled Talk and View History where you are likely to discov-

er cauldrons boiling with arguments, sarcasm and worse. That’s where Wiki-pedia editors hash out controversial content and attempt to reach some type of consensus.

A typical debate raging behind the scenes is whether the Wikipedia Israel page should carry an infobox describ-ing Tel Aviv as the country’s “second capital (bit.ly/wikiwars6).” Or whether Jerusalem should be described as “the third holiest city in Islam” or “gener-ally considered the third holiest city in Islam (bit.ly/wikiwars7).”

Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wiki-pedia, has noticed these debates but he’s not worried that accuracy is being warped.

“Topics relating to Israel and Pales-tine are…in the group of articles that are always heavily edited, heavily dis-cussed, heavily debated…and of course it will happen every day that someone will come in with an agenda, in any di-rection, trying to push that agenda, but the community is quite vigilant about trying to be neutral, trying to follow reliable sources, and I think in general we succeed (bit.ly/wikiwars1).”

Wales is referring to some of the ground rules designed to keep Wiki-pedia content as accurate — and the discussion as civil — as possible. If you follow them, you too are welcome to

FOODTHE JEWISH INTERNET

Israel, Jews, and the Wiki warsjoin in. But break a rule and your contri-bution will probably disappear in min-utes. Here’s a tutorial to get you going editing Wikipedia (bit.ly/wikiwars2).

You don’t have to be passionate about Israel to find debate. Researchers recently sized up the 10 most controver-sial topics in each of the most popular language versions of Wikipedia. Here’s a sampling of topics causing waves: Circumcision (English), Muhammad (Arabic), Adolph Hitler (German), Criti-cism of the Koran (Persian), Telepathy (Czech), Islamophobia (French). The full research is available online and is a fascinating read (bit.ly/wikiwars3).

What do Israelis (or at least Hebrew-speakers) like to argue about on Wiki-pedia? Just about everything from religion to politics with some sports thrown in for good measure. Here are The Top 10 Controversial Entries in the Hebrew Wikipedia (bit.ly/wikiwars4):

10. Ariel Sharon9. Beitar Jerusalem F.C. (football

club) 8. Gaza War7. Daphni Leef (Israeli social activ-

ist and organizer of a Tel Aviv tent camp, sparking the 2011 housing protests in Israel.)

6. Jewish settlement in Hebron5. Benjamin Netanyahu4. B’Tselem (Israeli non-governmental

organization)3. 2006 Lebanon War2. Chabad messianism 1. Chabad

Sometimes, arguments are best kept in the family. Over at the Judaism entry some people feel there are just too many photos depicting Ashkenazi-orientated Jewish objects. How’s this rebuttal: “Like which photo? The shofar, the chanukia, the mezuza, the Jerusalem succah? If these objects are Ashkenazi oriented, you seem to imply that Sep-hardi people don’t do mitzvot!…Take your inferiority complex somewhere else, please (bit.ly/wikiwars5).”

Mark Mietkiewicz may be reached at [email protected].

Mark Mietkiewicz

that wants to be a comedian.” His own stand-up plans include a likely North-east run this summer, but he noted that controversial topics in his act are a thing of the past.

“I’ve lost my edge. I don’t deal with politics anymore,” he said.

Steinberg hopes to return to directing and to continue to produce Inside Com-edy, which he called “one of my favorite things I’ve done.”

Over the years, he has also directed episodes of Newhart, Curb Your Enthu-

Continued from Page 20Steinberg siasm, Designing Women and Seinfeld,

among other programs.Reflecting on his success, Steinberg

attributes a lot of it to being in the right place at the right time. “The most important ingredient is luck, and that’s what I’ve had all the way through, and then being able to cash in on it.”

As for the notion raised in Quality Balls that he was the subject of Carly Simon’s hit song You’re So Vain, Stein-berg demurs.

“You’d have to ask Carly about that. She’s a close friend of mine, and I am vain,” he said. “But I can’t confirm or deny.”

Beth Abraham is Dayton’s only Conservative synagogue, affi liated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

We are an enthusiastically egalitarian synagogue.

We also have an ener-getic Keruv program that reaches out to intermarried couples and families in our synagogue and in the Dayton Jewish community.

For a complete schedule of our events, go to bethabrahamdayton.org.

Beth Abraham is Dayton’s only Conservative synagogue, affi liated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

We are an enthusiastically egalitarian synagogue.

We also have an ener-getic Keruv program that reaches out to intermarried couples and families in our synagogue and in the Dayton Jewish community.


Beth Abraham is Dayton’sonly Conservative synagogue, affiliated with the United Synagogue ofConservative Judaism.

We are an enthusiasticallyegalitarian synagogue.


Tikkun LeylShavuot

Tuesday, June 36:30 p.m.

Dairy Dinner • Study SessionEvening Service

Men’s Club ComplimentaryMother’s Day BrunchSunday, May 1110 a.m. Featuring lox and bagels, blintz souffle, musical entertainment . R.S.V.P. to 293-9520 by May 9.

Graduate ShabbatSaturday, May 24, 9 a.m.

Philosophicaland TheologicalUnderpinnings

Of Judaism

Tuesday, May 27, 7 p.m. Panel discussion with dessert reception to follow.

Free and open to all.

Rabbi ChessinTemple Beth Or

Rabbi GinsbergBeth Abraham

Rabbi MangelChabad

Rabbi SofianTemple Israel

— Rescheduled —

2014


This month we celebrate Yom Ha’-atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. We are proud that the state of Israel is a beacon of hope to the Jewish people around the world. We are proud of Israel’s achievements in the sciences, in medicine, in technology and in the arts. We are also proud of Israel’s strong

military, which protects the Israeli population from constant threats and attacks. And, since defense is the key to Israel’s existence, let us explore the meaning of the word Tzahal, a collective name for the Israeli Defense Forces.

On May 26, 1948 Tzahal was offi-cially declared as Israel’s defense force. Tzahal is an acronym built on three Hebrew words: Tz’vah, meaning army of, Haganah, meaning defense, and Le-Israel meaning for Israel.

To this day, Tzahal is the force, which protects the state and her population by a strong air force, an exceptional navy and an unusually dedicated army.

Tzahal is a merger of different Jewish defense organizations, which preceded it. The Hashomer (the guard), the Haga-nah (the defense), the Irgun (the organi-zation), and Chyl (the Jewish Fighting Brigade), all of which fought either in pre-state Israel proper or in Europe to defend the unprotected Jewish popula-tion.

It should be noted that the groups out of which Tzahal evolved repre-

LESHON IMA - MOTHER TONGUE

Tzahal: Israeli Defense Forcessented the Jewish political and social spectrum. For example, Hashomer was an organization of young volunteers defending Jewish settlements in Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel) during 12 long years of Arab terror (1908 -1920).

The Haganah was established in 1920 to protect the Jewish population from further Arab attacks. It grew in size and by 1929 was an organized force in whose ranks served Jewish volunteers who fought in World War I as well as those who fought in pre-state Israel proper.

Another part of the spectrum was the Irgun, a group that in 1931 separated itself from the Haganah and organized as the underground to fight the British Army and its colonial control of Eretz Yisrael.

Last but not least, we should mention Chyl, a Hebrew acronym for Chativah Yehudit Lochemet, meaning The Jewish Fighting Brigade, a group of volunteers from Israel who joined the British mili-tary and in 1944 was recognized as a special Jewish unit. The Brigade fought during World War II alongside the British army, particularly in Italy. The fighters of the Brigade also helped bring Jewish survivors to the safe shores of Israel after the war.

On this Yom Ha’atzmaut, the Day of Israel’s Independence, we salute Tza-hal the force, which succeeded to unite under one flag all Israelis regardless of social and political persuasions, assur-ing all of us a joyful celebration of the modern miracle of statehood.

Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin is a professor of biblical literature at Spertus College in Chicago and an adjunct professor of Bible and Hebrew at New College of Florida.

noon to 6:30 pm

June 8130 Riverside Drive • Dayton, OH 45405 • www.tidayton.org

bigger and bettermore to eat and drink

Jewish favorites reinterpreted by C’est Tout, El Meson, Pasha Grill, & Smokin’ Bar-B-Que

reflect the flavors of France, Latin American, the Mediterranean and the southern U.S.

more music to hearThe Cincinnati Klezmer Project,

rock and folk music from local favorites,the Shimmy Cats Dance Troupe,

and two surprise guest appearances!

more to learnLearn about Righteous Gentiles, the history of

storytelling, and interfaith dialogues. Play kids’ games and make projects that teach

about Jewish holidays and celebrations!

more to winWin a television, Dayton Dragons tickets,

limited edition bicycle, an item from Weber Jewelers, dining certificates or $500 cash. Purchase tickets from

a volunteer, at Temple, or on Temple’s website.

Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin

sive, nondenominational” school.Despite his critiques of his day school

— which he refers to in his memoir as a “Hebrew school” — Shteyngart has made small donations to it, earmarking his dollars for students from the former Soviet Union.

Did he gain anything from his years there?

“Well, I learned a lot about the religion which is certainly useful for my work and for writing about other religions and cultural experiences,” he responded. “There were at least two wonderful teachers there, a substitute teacher who encouraged me to write and had me read my stuff out to kids at the end of English period, and a social studies teacher who began chipping away at the insanely conservative person I was. Furthermore, I don’t think there are too many writers who enjoyed their early schooling, else they would have become productive members of

Continued from Page 27

Shteyngart society.”Ultimately, perhaps the Leningrad-

born author best sums up the compli-cated Shteyngart-Schechter relationship toward the end of the book, as he de-scribes attending SSSQ’s 25th reunion.

“And as I glance around at my former classmates, a thought occurs to me. This is a community. These people know one another, understand one an-other, came of age with one another,” he writes. “They were tied by kin and out-look, as were their parents before them. Moms making rugelach in advanced baking ovens, dads talking mileage on their new Lincolns, the drowsy, hypnotic hum of cantors and rabbis on Saturday mornings.”

The issue, as he explains it, was that he was an outsider to this tight-knit American Jewish milieu.

“What happened here, this was no-body’s fault,” he continues. “We Soviet Jews were simply invited to the wrong party. And then we were too frightened to leave. Because we didn’t know who we were. In this book, I’m trying to say who we were.”


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• Exemplary secular and Judaic education

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Hillel Ad Rev 3.26.indd 1 3/31/14 8:16 AM


the dayton jewish observer, may 2014

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