north jersey jewish standard, may 16, 2014

National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene celebrates Fiddler at fifty

JSTANDARD.COM

201483

SPORTS: BUSTED UMP SPEAKS page 10GILAD SHALITS DAD THANKS YOU page 12LOCALS DO WELL IN BIBLE CONTESTS page 14SINGING A SEPHARDIC SONG page 52

Jewish Standard

1086 Teaneck Road

Teaneck, NJ 07666

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Raising the Roof

page 22

MAY 16, 2014VOL. LXXXIII NO. 36 $1.00

NORTH JERSEY

IN THIS ISSUE

VOTE!

READ

ERS CHOICE

SEE PAGE 55

A supplement to The Jewish Standardand Rockland Jewish Standard

SPRING 2014

Events &

Celebrat

ionsEvents &

Events &

2 Jewish standard MaY 16, 2014

JS-2

Getting treatment at Holy Name Medical Center can make all the difference. Strokes are the fourth most common cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of disability. When a stroke strikes, the fi rst 60 minutes are critical. Immediate treatment by stroke experts is essential. At Holy Name, a dedicated staff specially trained in stroke diagnosis and treatment is available 24/7 to give the right care at the right time. Our expertise in stroke care has earned us The Joint Commissions Primary Stroke Center designation and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Gold Plus Award. So check out the Spot a Stroke info below. And if you or a loved one experience any symptoms, get to an ER you trust, FAST.

To learn more about our Stroke Center, visit holyname.org or call 1-877-HOLY-NAME (465-9626) prompt 4.

Minutes after a stroke, brain cells start to die.

FFACE

DROOPING

AS TSPEECHDIFFICULTY

ARMWEAKNESS

TIMETO CALL 911

SPOT A STROKEHealing begins here. 718 Teaneck Road Teaneck, NJ 07666 holyname.org

JEWISH STANDARD MAY 16, 2014 3

JS-3*

PUBLISHERS STATEMENT: (USPS 275-700 ISN 0021-6747) is published weekly on Fridays with an additional edition every October, by the New Jersey Jewish Media Group, 1086 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666. Periodicals postage paid at Hackensack, NJ and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to New Jersey Jewish Media Group, 1086 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666. Subscription price is $30.00 per year. Out-of-state subscrip-tions are $45.00, Foreign countries subscriptions are $75.00.

The appearance of an advertisement in The Jewish Standard does not constitute a kashrut endorsement. The publishing of a paid political advertisement does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate political party or political position by the newspaper, the Federation or any employees.

The Jewish Standard assumes no responsibility to return unsolicit-ed editorial or graphic materials. All rights in letters and unsolicited editorial, and graphic material will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and subject to JEWISH STANDARDs unrestricted right to edit and to comment editorially. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. 2014

NOSHES ...................................................4OPINION ................................................ 18COVER STORY .................................... 22FLASHBACK 1954 .............................34GALLERY .............................................. 36HEALTHY LIVING & ADULT LIFESTYLES .......................... 38TORAH COMMENTARY ................... 47CROSSWORD PUZZLE ....................48 ARTS & CULTURE ..............................49CALENDAR ..........................................50OBITUARIES ........................................ 53CLASSIFIEDS ......................................54

CONTENTS

Candlelighting: Friday, May 16, 7:49 p.m.Shabbat ends: Saturday, May 17, 8:55 p.m.

The secret sharers There are some billionaires who flaunt their charity by taking out full page ads in the Los Angeles Times to advertise their gifts.And then there are those who

hide their generosity behind dummy corporations and anonymous founda-tions.Not surprisingly, we tend to hear

less about the latter group.This week, however, Bloomberg

Businessweek yes, the magazine now named after its billionaire owner outed three reticent donors. Former partners in a pioneering

hedge fund, TGS Management, C. Frederick Taylor, David Gelbaum, and Andrew Shechtel have given billions to causes such as fighting Hunting-tons Disease and fighting landmines.The three used a Roseland law firm,

Lowenstein Sandler, to cover their tracks as they set about doing their goodly work.Among the foundations set up

for this quiet charity is the Matan BSeter Foundation, Hebrew for giv-ing secretly.The Matan BSeter Foundation fun-

neled its donations to donor-advised charities run by mutual funds, mean-ing that recipients would have had

no idea where the gifts originated. It distributed $65 million to charity in 2011 alone.Businessweek reporter Zachary R.

Mider tracked down Mr. Shechtel at the Jewish Funders Network confer-ence in Miami in March. Heres how he tells the story:Shechtel stretched out on a hotel

deck chair by a pool looking out over the beach. Earlier that day, his wife, Raquel, had given a presentation on encouraging Jewish teens to donate to charity. The hotel was crawling with fundraisers, but when I asked half a dozen conference attendees about Shechtel, none had heard of the guy. They didnt know they were in the presence of one of the coun-trys biggest Jewish philanthropists.Shechtel leaned forward and

smiled when I approached. His col-lar was open, and he had a round face and a close-clipped black beard flecked with white. He wore bright orange socks. When I introduced myself, his expression changed. He didnt want to talk. He dismissed me with a few words and turned away. He just wanted to be another guy by the pool, watching the shadows stretch out over the sand. LARRY YUDELSON

Sweetredemption The Jerusalem Talmud teaches that redemption will come for Israel like the approach of the dawn.Candy makers in Brooklyn, however,

seem to think it will crawl in like gummy worms.What else to make of the Geula

meaning redemption brand of can-dy worms found in a Boro Park store? LARRY YUDELSON

Fresh off its merger with MyJew-ishLearning, which publishes Kvel-ler, a Jewish parenting blog, JTA, the one-time Jewish Telegraphic Agency, has come out with one of its most in-depth investigations in some time: Americas Top Mohels.Uriel Heilman, JTAs managing edi-

tor and author of the report, cautions that The list is not meant as a defini-tive ranking.He writes:I did not inspect thousands of

instances of their workmanship. I did not rate them according to precision, style or performance. I relied on some tips (!) from insiders, with an eye to-ward quantity and diversity.We offer one local entry belowAndrew Silow Carroll of Teaneck,

a former JTA managing editor and now editor of the New Jersey Jewish News, expressed concern on his blog that the list may mean the death of Jewish satire as an art form.However, he said he would not give

up so easily on Onion-style respons-es to the Forward 50 or Newsweeks late and not lamented Most Influen-tial Rabbis.He proposed that the following lists

remain to be compiled:

Americas Least-Empowered Assistant Rabbis

The Nations Most Over-Qualified Sunday School Teachers

36 Gabbais Who Are Making a Difference

The NBAs Least-Inspiring Jewish Owners

New York Times Op-Ed Writers, Ranked by How Much They Hate Israel

13 Reasons We Love Aliza, recited (shut up, you guys!) by (I mean it, quit it!) Aliza Greenbaums best friends (no, you go first) at her recent (giggle) bat mitzvah (We love you, Aliza!)

Foreskin count: 20,000+.

Market niche: New York-New Jersey area, with a focus on high-end clients. Ive been to Japan, Hong Kong, Bermuda, Aspen. I do everybody: religious, assimilated, interfaith families, non-Jewish cir-cumcisions. Most of my referrals come from the medical community their kids, their grandkids, their patients kids.

Trademark: I wear a bow tie, and because Im a cantor I can sing. I dont tell jokes. I do not hand out refrigerator magnets or business cards. I try to make each bris warm, meaningful, inclusive and spiritual.

First bris: In Brooklyn during the blizzard of February 1978. We knew it was coming, so I stayed over in Brooklyn the night before. The snowstorm brought the city to a standstill, and only about six people made it, including the parents and the baby.

Most memorable bris: My record is 11 in one day a pair of twins and seven others. I once did a bris in Long Island where the family built a 4-foot platform across the swim-ming pool. One wrong turn either way and youre in the pool.

Inspiration: My grandfather was a rabbi, a dayan (religious judge), a shochet (ritual slaughterer) and a mohel he did it all. Im just a can-tor and a mohel.

Time: 15-20 seconds, no prep.

Device of choice: A modified Mo-gen clamp. I altered it so it doesnt close completely and stop the blood flow if its on too long that was Rabbi Moshe Tendlers sugges-tion.

Anesthesia: No. Many parents want to use products that are not ap-proved, formulated or tested for use on infants of this age.

Price: $800

Entourage: Im a solo act, but sometimes my son drives me around so I dont have to find park-ing.

What you do when youre not circumcising: Im in the Screen Ac-tors Guild, and I have a motorcycle. Ive been in commercials, movies, TV. I did a film with Paul Rudd and Rashida Jones, Our Idiot Brother. I played a mohel, but the scene was cut. How ironic.

Website: emoil.com JTA WIRE SERVICE

... and beyond!

Noshes

4 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 16, 2014

JS-4*

Michael Douglas Su ers Hora-Related Injury Headline in Tablet, after the actor reported being in pain after getting carried away at my sons bar mitzvah.... You know they put you up in the chairs over the top I think something happened there.

Want to read more noshes? Visit facebook.com/jewishstandard

since 1978 to win the Triple Crown the Derby, the Preakness Stakes (to be aired on NBC, on May 17 at 4:30 p.m.), and the Belmont Stakes, set for June 7.Art Sherman was

loath to predict any-thing about the Triple Crown. He said he is just enjoying the atten-tion that is going to the oldest trainer, ever, of a Kentucky Derby win-ner. I have been photo-graphed more times in the last few days than in my whole life people on planes are asking for my autograph, he said. Meanwhile, Arts other son, STEVE SHERMAN, 47, is having a banner year as a trainer at a Northern California race track.No, Art Sherman didnt

become a religious Jew

with age. His wife of 53 years, Faye, isnt Jewish. Still hes a pretty Jewish guy mentioning how much he loves eating lox and eggs with one of the several Jews who own horses he trains. He also fondly recalled that he, his wife, and his nieces loved their trip to Israel two years ago.

The new season of The Bachelorette on ABC begins on

Monday, May 19, from 8 to 10 p.m. ANDI DORF-MAN, 27, who publicly rejected the titular star of last seasons Bach-elor program, is the first Jewish woman to be the star of The Bachelor-ette. Dorfman usually is described as beautiful and very smart she is an assistant district at-torney in the county that

includes Atlanta. N.B.

CHROME TURNS TO GOLD:

The horseshoe fits for this Cinderella

Art Sherman with California Chrome

California Chrome, the winner of this years Kentucky Der-

by it was run on May 3 is a for-real Cinderella story, as are his owners and trainer. The horse is owned and was bred by Perry Martin and Steve Coburn, one an engineer and the other a press op-erator, who live, respec-tively, in a small city in far Northern California and in a small Nevada town near Lake Tahoe. Neither earns much money, but they took a chance and bred two horses, worth $10,500 together. That yielded a foal, California Chrome, who showed early promise.When Chrome was

two years old, they told ALAN SHERMAN, 45, a trainer based part-time in the San Francisco area, about him. Sherman talk-ed to his father and boss, trainer ART SHERMAN, 77, and they agreed to train him. Coburn told a Sacramento newspaper that he chose Art Sher-man because Hes a regular guy. He doesnt have a huge barn. He can spend quality time with every horse. You can tell Chrome likes him, and he really loves this horse.Like Chrome, Art Sher-

man had modest be-ginnings. He was born in Brooklyn, where his

father, the son of Rus-sian Jewish immigrants, scraped out a living in construction. In a recent telephone interview, Sherman told me that his fathers brothers were doing a bit better in Los Angeles so they moved there in 1945, when he was 7, and his father opened a small barber-shop.The family wasnt reli-

gious, Sherman said, but they sent him to Hebrew school for awhile. He left when his teacher, a rabbi, hit him, and he never returned. Meanwhile, Art was only 52 when he was 15, so a barbershop customer encouraged him to become a jockey. Nobody he knew rode horses, but he found his way to a track and found that he could learn what he needed by working at a nearby ranch that trained jockeys.Art had only mod-

est success as a jockey. In 1980, he became a full-time, licensed trainer and gradually he became pretty successful. But un-til Chrome, he never had a really big-time thor-oughbred. Chrome won five big races in a row before the Derby and entered the race a heavy favorite. Pundits say that he has a good chance of being the first horse

On TV: Walters Retires On Friday, May 16, BARBARA WALTERS, 84, retires from her ABC show, The View, and from regular on-air work. That same day, at 9 p.m., ABC will mark this milestone with a two-hour retrospective of her career. Walters told TV Guide that I made this choice. She added that she still will be executive producer of The View and would do something for ABC in the event of the death of a major figure she knew.

Walters said her biggest regret was never being able to interview Queen Elizabeth or a pope. On the other hand, she said that the thing that she is most proud of is: That there are there are so many women in television now. Thats my legacy. Top female TV anchors were quoted praising Walters and her groundbreaking interviews. Katie Couric said, Her [MENACHEM] BEGIN and Sadat interview was historic. It was just unheard to have these two adversaries together. N.B.

Barbara Walters

California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at [email protected]

AudiTruth in Engineering

powered by

425 Rt 3 East, Secaucus, NJ 07094Available Now

All-New 2015 A3

audimeadowlands.net

31715 A3_StripAd_Available Now.indd 1 3/31/14 3:44 PM

JS-5

Jewish standard MaY 16, 2014 5

Loca

`

646 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666Tel: 201-855-8500 Fax: 201-801-0225

American Black Angus Beef1st CutBrisket

FreshChicken

Drumsticks

Round or Blade BoneShoulder

Lamb Chops

HomemadeChickenShwarma

Fresh GroundBeef Patties6 pack

$999 $429lb.

lb. lb.lb. lb.lb.

lb. lb. lb.lb.

We reserve the right to limit sales to 1 per family. Prices effective this store only. Not responsible for typographical errors. Some pictures are for design purposes only and do not necessarily represent items on sale. While Supply Lasts. No rain checks.

PRODUCE

MEAT DEPARTMENT

SUSHI

FISH

BAKERYOR

GANIC OR

GANIC OR

GANIC

ORGA

NIC OR

GANIC OR

GANIC

ORGA

NIC OR

GANIC OR

GANIC

ORGA

NIC OR

GANIC OR

GANIC

ORGA

NIC OR

GANIC OR

GANIC

ORGA

NIC OR

GANIC OR

GANIC

ORGA

NIC OR

GANIC OR

GANIC

ORGA

NIC OR

GANIC OR

GANIC

ORGA

NIC OR

GANIC OR

GANIC

ORGA

NIC OR

GANIC OR

GANIC

ORGANIC ORGANIC ORGANICORGANIC ORGANIC ORGANIC

Salmon TempuraRoll

Spicy TunaRoll

Carb FreeSalmon Sliders

BreadedLemon Pepper Fillet

CucumberRoll

$850

$550

$1199

$499

$395

GROCERY DEPARTMENT

DAIRY FROZEN

Assorted SunshineCheez-ItCrackers

$29915.3 oz.

lb.

American Black Angus Beef CaliforniaSteaks

$799American Black Angus Beef

BonelessFlanken

99

$279

$899Fresh

ChickenWings

Visit Our Website at

:

www.thecedarmarket.com

STORE HOURSSUN - TUE: 7AM - 9PMWED: 7AM - 10PMTHURS: 7AM - 11PMFRI: 7AM - 2 HOURS BEFORE SUNDOWN

Sign Up For YourLoyalty CardIn Store

646 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666201-855-8500 Fax: [email protected]

646 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666201-855-8500 Fax: [email protected]

M A R K E T

M A R K E T

TERMS & CONDITIONS: This card is the property of Cedar Market, Inc. and is intended for exclusive use of the recipient and their household members. Card is not transferable. We reserve the right to change or rescind the terms and conditions of the Cedar Market loyalty program at any time, and without notice. By using this card, the cardholder signies his/her agreement to the terms & conditions for use. Not to be combined with any other Discount/Store Coupon/Oer. *Loyalty Card must be presented at time of purchase along with ID for verication. Purchase cannot be reversed once sale is completed.

CEDAR MARKET

LoyaltyProgram

CEDAR MARKET

LoyaltyProgram

Fine FoodsGreat SavingsSale Effective

5/18/14 - 5/23/14

U.S.D.A. Bag OrganicHass

Avocados

2/$6for.U.S.D.A. Organic

Sweet Mangoes

3/$5for

16 oz.

12 oz.

22 oz.

$189

GranulatedDomino Sugar

for

Locally GrownFarm Fresh!Spinach2/$1bunches

New Crop!Fresh Blueberries

2/$5pintslb.Red Seedless Grapes

69lb.SweetVidalia Onions

69lb.Farm Fresh!RomaineHearts

2/$3pkgs.US #1Idaho Potatoes

39lb.

AssortedHellmannsMayonnaise

$34930 oz. btl.

AssortedKraftBBQ Sauces

9918 oz. btl.

Save On!Heinz Vegetarian Beans

9916 oz. can

AssortedVintage Seltzer1 Liter

2/$133.8 oz. btl.

AssortedVlasic Pickles

Marble Cake

My Grandmas CheeseCake

Chocolate Mini Buns

2/$4 $499

$699

$599

16-32 oz. jars

Save On!Frenchs ClassicMustard

2/$314 oz. btl.

GefenCluster Nut Bags

2/$54.25 oz. bag

AssortedPringles Potato Chips

2/$35.96 oz. pkg

AssortedOsemSaladCroutons

2/$35.25 oz. pkg.

AssortedBissliFamilyPack

$49912 ct. pkg.

GefenOriginalBread Crumbs

$17915 oz. cont.

Sa ve On!Heckers All PurposeFlour

$2495 lb. bag

forfor

for

for for

Save On!American FarmerPopcorn

$1995.5 oz. pkg.

Save On!Haddar PretzelMultipack

$34930 pk.

IntiyanWhole Hearts of Palm

$17914 oz. can

NakanoNatural Rice Vinegar

$19912 oz. btl.

General MillsTrix Cereal or Cocoa Puffs

$27910-12 oz. box

AssortedRokeach Gefi lte Fish

$59924 oz. jar

AssortedSabraHummus

2/$510 oz. cont.

AssortedBaileys Coffee Creamer

$17916 oz. cont.

HomestyleFloridas Natural Orange Juice

$19959 oz. cont.

AssortedStonyfi eld Smoothie

$2994 pack

Original OnlyPhiladelphia Cream Cheese

$1998 oz.

AssortedHersheys Chocolate Milk Shake12 oz. cont.

AssortedChobaniYogurts

5/$5996 oz. cont. 32 oz. pkg.

Save On!Batampte Sauerkraut

$299Save On!Tofutti Sour Cream

$14912 oz. cont.

AssortedAmish Organic Milk

$34964 oz. cont.

Real KosherClassic Franks

AssortedMcCainFrench Fries$299 $24912 oz. pkg. 20-30 oz. pkg.

Mendehlsons Pizza Box8 Slice $79936 oz. pkg.

KineretChocolate Chip Cookie Dough $27912 oz. pkg.

MacabeeMozzarella Sticks

$2797 oz. pkg.

9 InchPepperidge FarmPuff Pastry Sheet

$39917.3 oz. pkg.Save On!Birds Eye Sweet Mini Corn

2/$72 ct. pkg.

Richs WhipNon Dairy Topping 798 oz. cont. Grilled & Breaded

Moms Chicken Tenders

$74916 oz. pkg.Sliced in TubDole Strawberries$24916 oz. cont.

Save On!ChopsieParve Kishka $24916 oz. pkg.

American Black Angus BeefMiami

Strip Steak

$799

FreshChickenCutlets

4 lb. bag

lb.

SweetGrapeTomatoes

5/$5Great on the Grill!#1 Portobello Mushrooms

$269Sunday & Monday Only

New Item!

SuperFamilyPack

$999$599FamilyPack

$499

SuperFamilyPack

Local


JS-6*

Never again for everybodySSDS broadens its Holocaust curriculumLois GoLdrich

When Jewish schools teach about genocide, they stress the mass killing of Jews during World War II.That is entirely as it should be.Still, says Beryl Bresgi, librarian and

coordinator of Shoah studies at the Solo-mon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, these studies should go even deeper.

We teach the Shoah as a unique event that happened to the Jewish people, but it has universal implications, she said. It should be never again for everybody.

The Shoah should be studied within the context of the world and the choices that people make, added Ms. Bresgi, who recently visited Rwanda together with Ruth Gafni, Schechters head of school.

The trip came about through a conflu-ence of things, Ms. Bresgi said, explaining that the direct cause was a donors inabil-ity to participate in a mission to the Afri-can nation and his suggestion that she and Ms. Gafni take his place.

He lost both of his survivor parents and wanted to donate a Shoah center at Schechter, Ms. Bresgi said. We were working on that. As they were speaking sometime last spring, he said, You wont believe it; I have Stephen Smith in my office.

Dr. Smith is the executive director of the USC Shoah Foundation. As it happened, the New Milford school already had been in touch with the foundations IWit-ness program, which uses the collected, indexed, and catalogued testimony of hun-dreds of Holocaust survivors. It also pro-vides resources for educators to build cus-tomized activities based on that testimony.

Dr. Smith knew we were looking into the IWitness program, Ms. Bresgi said. We made a nice connection.

In February, the donor a supporter of both Schechter and the Shoah Founda-tion was invited to go to Rwanda with the foundation to see the work being done by the organization with testimony from both perpetrators and survivors.

It was both complicated and interest-ing, Ms. Bresgi said. He couldnt go, so he invited Ruth and me to go on the mission.

She said she had already begun think-ing that as the culmination of the schools Shoah program in eighth grade, she would like students to make digital recordings of the stories of survivors from their own community. The trip to Rwanda, she thought, might give her some new insights into that project.

Since the school had decided to embrace the Shoah curriculum Facing History and Ourselves which confronts the issue of the Holocaust and human behavior this seemed like a good opportunity to learn and investigate.

Ms. Gafni and Ms. Bresgi, the only school educators on the trip, joined foundation supporters as well as educators from the foundation itself.

It lasted eight days, Ms. Bresgi said. We were on a bus with two Rwandan survivors, working as Shoah Foundation

cataloguers. There are a lot of schools there. The language of instruction is English, she added.

Five or six secondary schools are using the testimony of Holocaust survivors, she said. The students were fascinated that genocide could happen to Europeans.

Ms. Bresgi said that the messages of the trip still are emerging she returned shortly before Pesach and then she and Ms. Gafni went to Poland with the schools eighth graders, who had a chance to visit the Museum of the History of Polish Jews and speak with some survivors there. Then Ms. Gafni went on to Israel with the students, and Ms. Bresgi returned home.

Whatever the final outcome of the Rwanda visit, it already has borne tangible fruit. First, the school made a connection with the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, founded by the late Anne Heyman.

ASYV, a residential community in rural Rwanda, cares for young people who were orphaned during and after the genocide there in 1994. It is modeled on a similar program created for Jewish children in Israel after the Holocaust.

These children were born into destruc-tion, Ms. Bresgi said. There was no infra-structure, no roads, no running water. Twenty years later, look at whats been

done. Through great investment from the West, they have a strong government, and women have been empowered. Their slo-gan is remember, unite, and renew.

Theres a strong sense of dont for-get, dont allow denial, she said. But so is the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Its a waste of time to indulge in revenge. It helps both the perpetrators and victims, who are living together. There is no diaspora.

Reconciliation is powerful.During the trip, Ms. Bresgi said, she

asked a man who had suffered great loss about the idea of revenge.

Im more interested in getting my mas-ters degree than in killing my neighbors, he said.

In addition to forging a connection with the youth village, Ms. Gafni and Ms. Bresgi learned that eight residents of the village were planning a visit to the United States. Happily, the school was able to join the group of host organizations. The young Rwandans visited the New Milford school on Yom Haatzmaut.

Leah Silberstein, the schools direc-tor of communications, said the visit included learning, impromptu singing, and a joint game of soccer. But most of the

Blaize Wamukwaya sings for SSDS students.

We teach the Shoah as a

unique event that happened to the Jewish people, but it has universal implications.

Beryl BreSgi

Local

JS-7*


June 1 11am to 4pm 57th-74th St on Fifth Ave nYCCelebrateIsraelnY.org

Join the conversation

Facebook: CelebrateIsraelParadeTwitter: @celebrateisrael

#TogetheronFifth

A project of: Special thanks to:

Dont miss the 50th Annual Celebrate Israel Parade, the worlds largest public gathering in celebration of Israel led by a delegation of Knesset Members,

featuring SpaceIL, and performances by Israeli recording artists Chen Aharoni, Hagit Yaso, DJ Mr. Black; and SOuLFARM.

Tune in to watch the Parade live on FOXs My9 or on the web, starting at noon.

646.437.4202 | LOWER MANHATTANWWW.MJHNYC.ORG/TOWN

Discover the rich history of Oswiecim, Polandthe town the Germans called Auschwitzthrough photographs that trace the life of the town and its Jewish residents, from the 16th century through the post-war period.

OpENs MAY 16, 2014

IMAGE: Hotel Schmiedler, 1912. Courtesy of Mirosaw Ganobis

visit revolved around exchanging stories about each others lives and enjoying each others music.

After Blaise Rwamukwaya, 20, men-tioned that the eight visitors would be happy to sing for their hosts, nearly 50 SSDS students and faculty leapt from their chairs in the schools library and made their way to Makom Shira, the schools music room, for an impromptu concert, Ms. Silberstein said. Agahozo-Shalom students surprised everyone with their version of such American pop songs as John Legends All of Me and Bruno Mars Count on Me. They also sang an a capella South African hymn.

SSDS students responded with a spon-taneous rendition of Let It Go, from the animated film Frozen, followed by Hatik-vah, Ms. Silberstein said.

The SSDS students were spellbound as Innocent Nkundiye, the 22-year-old self-proclaimed poet of the group, performed a spontaneous poetry slam he called We are the New Blood of Rwanda, referenc-ing his generations efforts to help heal and rebuild Rwanda after the genocide.

In addition, Ms. Silberstein said, when Jacky Tuyisenge, 18, told the SSDS mid-dle school students that she has fully embraced the value of tikkun olam,

repairing the world, a concept she learned at Agahozo-Shalom, an SSDS seventh-grader replied, That is what we learn here every day, too.

Ms. Bresgi is proud of the schools approach to teaching about the Shoah. While students learn about the events that

have befallen the Jewish people, the new curriculum helps show that this happens to other people a lesson the Rwandans visit brought home forcefully.

Children should have a sense of their responsibility to speak out even in mid-dle school, to see what needs to be done

locally and help out, she said.They should have the awareness of

injustice. We dont expect them to join the U.N. and solve the worlds problems, but we want to raise awareness of their responsibility and empowerment, starting right here. And thats pretty big.

Agahozo-Shalom and SSDS students gather at the New Milford school.

Local


JS-8*

Are you yearning to live debt free, pay for college or allocate funds for retirement? Establishing Financial Freedom will provide guidance for living contently within ones means

and lead to personal financial sustainability.

The group will meet every Tuesday from 11:00am to 12:00pm, beginning Tuesday, May 27, 2014.

For more information please contact Jewish Family Service at 201-837-9090 or visit our website at www.jfsbergen.org 1485 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ.

Breast cancer and bone healthDemarest doctor does groundbreaking study based on Israeli dataAbigAil Klein leichmAn

Does breast cancer affect bone health?It is very likely that there is a connection,

according to Dr. Ethel Siris of Demarest.Just before she headed off to her grand-

sons bar mitzvah in Jerusalem, Dr. Siris spoke to the Jewish Standard about the groundbreaking study on breast cancer and osteoporosis that she is co-leading at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva.

Dr. Siris (pronounced like Cyrus) is a professor of medicine at Columbia Uni-versity Medical Center and directs its Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center. She also is a past president of the National Osteopo-rosis Foundation and a member of the National Bone Health Alliances executive committee.

I do some public policy work and take care of a lot of patients, she said.

She shares some of these patients with Dr. Larry Norton, medical director of the Evelyn Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Breast-cancer patients always have been assumed to be less susceptible to osteopo-rosis, and vice versa. This simplistic con-cept did not account for the fact that many of our patients had both breast cancer and osteoporosis, and we needed to look at this, Dr. Siris said.

Although long-term medications to con-trol breast cancer can lessen bone density because they lower estrogen levels, Dr.

Norton suspected that breast cancer itself impacts bone metabolism.

So with funding from the New Jersey-based Cure Breast Cancer Foundation, a retrospective study of 15,000 breast-cancer patients began in 2010 at Soroka, which serves all of southern Israel. Prelim-inary results were published in the jour-nal PLOS One, and the study moved into a seven-year prospective phase.

The retrospective study taught us that when people with breast cancer have frac-tures, those fractures seem to occur at better levels of bone density. Normally, the risk of fracture goes up as density goes down, Dr. Siris said.

It seems breast-cancer patients had bet-ter bone density than peers who did not have breast cancer. Something unusual is going on here, and it also happens in peo-ple with type 2 diabetes and those who take large amounts of steroids.

It could be that density alone does not address the quality of the bone. Steroids and diabetes, and maybe breast cancer, impact the quality of the bone even if it is dense and does not have metastases. This is a totally new concept, and a compli-cated, fascinating area to explore.

The Israeli hospitals diverse population

of Jews from different ethnicities, as well as Bedouin Arabs, provides an unusually rich testing environment.

Soroka was carefully chosen for this research, Dr. Norton said when he was visiting Israel in April with colleagues, including Dr. Siris, for a cancer conference at the Beersheva teaching hospital.

It is one hospital serving many people in one geographic area; it keeps immacu-late records; it has superb clinicians and great science; and it has Ben-Gurion Uni-versity right there.

The immaculate records can be cred-ited in part to the Israel Health Founda-tion, formed in America at the request of Israels Clalit health maintenance orga-nization, which runs Soroka and other hospitals.

Healthcare in Israel is wonderful because everybody gets it, but resources are limited, Dr. Siris said. I enthusiasti-cally got involved in the IHF, and one of the efforts is to support Soroka. We now have good electronic medical records there partly as a result of the IHF.

Years ago, as a member of American Friends of Soroka Medical Center, Dr. Siris helped raise funds to buy bone-density equipment for Soroka. She recognized its

potential for U.S.-funded research.Hundreds of women newly diagnosed

with breast cancer at the southern hos-pital are being matched with cancer-free control partners who have similar clinical characteristics.

We will collect data on them so that over time we can look at what happens to their bone density and what corre-lates with ultimately having fractures, Dr. Siris said.

Cure Breast Cancer Foundation founder Andrew Abramson of North Caldwell, whose wife Lisa has suffered three bouts of breast cancer, says this is the first Israeli study his foundation is supporting.

It was a byproduct of research were done in New York with Dr. Siris, he said. My wife is on the verge of osteoporosis, so she could very well be helped by the results of these studies.

Dr. Siris first got interested in Israeli healthcare when her son, Benjamin (Boruch) moved to Israel in the late 1990s. She and her husband, Sam, a psychiatrist, began visiting several times a year.

We wanted to give back, so when IHF got organized it was an obvious opportunity for me to share knowledge and expertise with the excellent people in Israeli healthcare and raise some money for them, she said. The current study is an example of how the IHFs efforts are helping to do good things in Israel and will help others around the world.

Dr. Siris notes that her son was hosted in Teaneck and Bergenfield homes several years ago, when his first wife was being treated at Sloan Kettering for osteosar-coma, or bone cancer. After she died, he wrote a book called Noas Strength, using the name Boruch Sirisky. It was published by Mosaica Press. In the book, Benjamin Siris expresses his gratitude to these Bergen County families.

He has since remarried and now has four children. The eldest just celebrated his bar mitzvah, and his New Jersey grandparents were proudly in attendance.

The Sirises also have a daughter, Sara Siris Nash, a psychiatrist at Columbia University Medical Center.

Dr. Ethel Siris speaks at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva.

Healthcare in Israel is wonderful because

everybody gets it, but resources

are limited.Dr. EthEl SiriS

JS-9


a survey of the jewish population of northern new jersey

surveysays

2014

Bergen County YJCC | Daughters of Miriam Center/The Gallen Insti tute | J-ADD, Jewish Associati on for Developmental Disabiliti esJewish Family Service of Bergen County and North Hudson | Jewish Family Service of North Jersey | Jewish Federati on of Northern New Jersey | Jewish Home at Rockleigh/Jewish Home Family | Kaplen JCC on the Palisades | Wayne Y

complete the

surveyand ent

er to

win* an

ipad!

* Complete the survey for a chance to be entered into a drawing for an iPad Mini! Three winners will be randomly selected from all who complete the survey and request to be entered into the drawing. Questi ons? [email protected]

Comi

ng Soo

n!

Local


JS-10*

Close calls of a major league umpireMajor league baseball umpire Al Clark talks about his ups and downs

Phil Jacobs

L ike players, coaches, and managers, Major League Baseball umpires have numbers.Al Clarks was 24. He wore it on his

uniform shirt for 26 seasons.But thats not the number that Mr.

Clark keeps above his bathroom mir-ror, where he can see it every day.

The number that does hang there, 26140-50, was assigned to him by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He wore it for the 120 days he was incarcerated after a baseball memorabilia scheme resulted in a mail fraud conviction in 2004.

Three years before, Mr. Clark had been fired abruptly, when the league learned that he had traded in the first-class airline tickets it had given him for seats in the economy section. He pock-eted the difference, and used it for per-sonal travel.

It was a steep decline for a man who once had to make split-second decisions in stadiums packed with fans and who could call such places as Yankee Stadium or Shea Stadium my office. He had been a top-tier umpire, who worked two World Series and two All-Star Games; suddenly he was teach-ing fellow convicts how to umpire a baseball game in a worn-out prison recreation yard.

Its no wonder that the book he wrote with sports writer Dan Schlossberg is called Called Out But Safe: a Baseball Umpires Journey.

Mr. Clark, 66, will be in the metropolitan area this weekend to sign the books which are published by the University of Nebraska Press and answer questions. See bottom of the article for times, locations and dates.

Mr. Clark now lives in Williamsburg, Va., but he grew up in Trenton, where his family belonged to an Orthodox shul, Ahavas Yis-roel Congregation.

His excitement was tangible over the phone as he talked about how he was the shuls shofar blower during high holidays.

I enjoyed studying Jewish history and Judaism itself, he said. Friends called me the Yiddishe umpire. I never hid my Juda-ism during my career. I was never embar-rassed by it.

Still, when there were games to be played on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, Mr. Clark went to work.

My name was not Sandy Koufax or Hank Greenberg, he said. (Those two Jewish Hall of Famer players famously did sit out Yom Kippur.) As a young umpire I was too timid to ask for the Jewish holidays off. Once the precedent was set, because I did work dur-ing the high holidays early in my career, I had to keep working on the holidays.

Mr. Clark grew up around professional sports. His father, Herb, the sports editor for the Trenton Times and the Trentonian, covered the New York Yankees.

Mr. Clark starting umpiring in local youth leagues when he was in junior high.

Look, no one grows up wanting to be an umpire, he said with a laugh. I grew up wanting to be a major league baseball player. But theres this harsh reality that says youre not good enough.

Mr. Clark attended Eastern Kentucky Uni-versity as a health and physical education major. But he did not complete his degree; instead, he graduated from umpire school. He went to work in the low minor New York Penn League before he was promoted to the MidWest League, which had teams in small towns throughout Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

When he did play high school baseball, during his junior and senior year, Mr. Clark was a catcher. He thinks it is the catchers vantage point that led him to his career as an umpire.

As a catcher, I saw the same things that the umpires did, he said. I liked the idea of being in control. There is a Type A per-sonality one needs to be an umpire. Once I got my drivers license at age 16, I started umpiring wherever I could all through high school and college. I umpired amateur leagues and semi-pro leagues all through central New Jersey.

Mr. Clark got the call to the big leagues in the spring of 1976, after spending time in the

minor leagues. His first game as a Major League umpire was in Arlington, Texas; the contest was between the hometown Rangers and the Minnesota Twins.

Yes, I remember it, he said. It was great. I dont remem-ber my feet ever touching the ground. I worked third base for that game.

I l ived a dream, he continued.

He also had many major moments. Among them:

He was scheduled to umpire the 1989 World Series. That game was postponed when an earthquake stopped everything in the San Francisco Bay area.

He umpired the 1978 playoff tiebreaker game between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox, when Buckey Dent hit his leg-endary three-run home run to give New York the win.

He was behind the plate on September 5, 1995 when Baltimore Oriole Hall of Famer Cal Ripken tied Lou Gehrigs record of 2,130 consecutive games.

He was third base umpire the next eve-ning, when Mr. Ripken broke the record.

He umpired in the 1983 and 1989 World Series.

He umpired in the All-Star games of 1984 and 1995.

He was on the umpiring staff for the opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore; Jacobs Field in Cleveland, and the ballpark in Arlington, Texas.

Mr. Clark said that he covered his career low points honestly and straightforwardly in his book.

I went away for 120 days to federal prison camp, he said; the prison is in Petersburg, Va.

I do believe in turning something that is negative into a positive. So I asked if I could take about 40 inmates and teach them about officiating. We went out onto the intramural fields at the prison with the hopes that some of those guys would learn something and use what they learned after jail.

I learned in jail that if you dont occupy your mind with something sub-stantial, doing something to help others,

your time could be troublesome. Depres-sion is a huge enemy of inmates. I wasnt going to allow that to happen to me, and I wasnt going to allow it to define who I am.

I had 26 straight years of success and then I fell down, he continued, We are all one decision away from having every-thing taken away from us.

Mr. Clark said he remains humbled by his experiences experiences that he calls a rags to riches to screw-up to redemption to being okay story.

I feel privileged to have been employed by Major League Baseball for 26 years, he said. I lived a dream every day. On one stretch of three consecutive days I umpired games at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Fenway Park in Boston, and Camden Yards in Baltimore. If you are a fan of baseball like I am, it doesnt get any better.

Yes, there was a totally Jewish moment for Mr. Clark. As the 1998 season wound down, with Rosh Hashanah just days away, Shawn Green, a Jewish player for the Toronto Blue Jays, came to the plate against the Milwaukee Brewers. Jesse Levis, another Jewish player, was catch-ing for the Brewers that day.

I took off my mask and swept off home plate, and while my mask was off I said good yom tov to Shawn and to Jesse. They responded to me and to one another with a good yom tov. That hap-pened in a major league baseball game.

Mr. Clark said he ran into anti-Semitism only once and that was before he went to the majors.

The career of Denny McLain, a 31-game winner with the Detroit Tigers, was com-ing to its end. Mr. McLain was playing for a minor league team. After a game in Indianapolis, Mr. McLain attacked Mr. Clark. What was this Jew bastard was doing in our game? Mr. Clark reports Mr. McLain as saying. Theres no place for your kind in our game.

He reported the incident, and Mr. McLain received a league suspension.

He is not a fan of any particular team, Mr. Clark said. Instead, hes a fan of the game of baseball.

It is a tremendous game. I loved being on the field, he said.

So here is one more number. Mr. Clark umpired 3,392 baseball games.

You can meet him away from the field:May 17 Bookends Book store, ridgewood, 11 a.m. -1 p.m.May 18 Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, campus of Montclair state University, 2-4 p.m.May 19 arm & hammer Ballpark, trenton, 5-7 p.m.May 23 somerset Patriots minor league baseball team, somerset, 4:30 -7 p.m.May 24 diamond nation, Flemington, 10 a.m. -2 p.m.May 25 Unionville Vineyard wine tasting party, ringoes, 4-6:30 p.m.

Former umpire Al Clark signs copies of the book where he talks about his career and his legal battles.

Local

JS-11*


rear zipper

available colors

W-I-D-Eavailable in

width

W-I-D-Eavailable in

width

Genuine Leather

Genuine Leather

W-I-D-Eavailable in

width

Champion Oxford & Slip-On

canvas $37.99 leather $42.99

SHOP ONLINE: MARTYSHOES.COMFOR THE STORE NEAREST YOU, Call 1-888-6-MARTYS (888-662-7897) FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $35

WESTWOOD: 201-497-6637 HACKENSACK: 201-488-3122 MIDLAND PARK: 201-857-2433RAMSEY: 201-825-5823 CARLSTADT: 201-933-8481 LODI: 973-779-9400

$5 OFFANY PURCHASE OF

$19.90 OR MORE!STORE COUPONONLY!Expires05/31/2014

Cannot be combinedwith any other offers.

Limit one couponper customer.

JMG

Extra Value Coupon

$10 OFFANY PURCHASE OF

$39.90 OR MORE!STORE COUPONONLY!Expires05/31/2014

Cannot be combinedwith any other offers.

Limit one couponper customer.

JMG

Extra Value Coupon

Spring FootwearSavings

Genuine Leather

W-I-D-Eavailable in

width

W-I-D-Eavailable in

width

Direct Line Carpet & Flooring

Commercial and Residential CarpetVinyl Laminate Remnants

Direct Line Carpet & FlooringFREE

ROOM OF CARPET*

Family Owned and Operated Since 1989364 CEDAR LANE, TEANECK

201-357-4087M-F 11-5 and Evening appointments available

*Restrictions Apply

YUs tennis team makes historyAbigAil Klein leichmAn

The Yeshiva University Macca-bees mens tennis team made history on April 27, when it became the universitys first athletic program ever to earn a berth in a National Collegiate Athletic Associa-tion tournament.

The distinction was won automatically when the Macs bested Mount Saint Mary College in the championship round of the 2014 Skyline Conference postseason tournament.

Though the Macs did not get far in the NCAA Division III mens tennis champi-onship they lost to Skidmore College 5-0 in the opening round on May 8 at Mid-dlebury College in Vermont the teams head coach, Ira Miller of Tenafly, still was pumped about the unprecedented accomplishment when talking to the Jew-ish Standard three days later.

I was very proud of the teams per-formance, Mr. Miller said. Before work-ing with the Macs, he coached the tennis teams at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck for 15 years, and before that he did the same at Drew University in Madi-son for seven years. We showed we can compete with a nationally ranked team. I think we also learned what we need to do to go even further into the tournament.

The Macs season ends with a 13-3 over-all record. Mr. Miller noted that the team won 10 of those 13 matches with a score of 9-0.

YUs appearance at the Division III championship was historic for another reason as well. It was the first time that NCAA officials needed to change the schedule for a regional round due to Jew-ish Sabbath observance.

Originally, the men were supposed to begin playing on Friday, and if they won they would play the next match on Satur-day, Mr. Miller said. If we won on Fri-day, we werent going to play on Saturday unless it was very late at night. So they

decided to start our regional round a day early, on Thursday.

In the history of the NCAA, they never had to accommodate anybody for Saturday play. In the 1950s, Brigham Young Univer-sity said they wouldnt play on Sunday, and others have since followed suit, but this was the first Saturday exemption.

YU has been part of the NCAA Division III since 1956. The nonprofit association regu-lates athletic programs at colleges and uni-versities throughout North America. The Skyline Conference includes YU, Mount Saint Mary, Farmingdale State, Maritime, Mount Saint Vincent, NYU Polytechnic, Old Westbury, Purchase, Sage, and Saint Joseph-Long Island.

Macs team member Avi Seidman of Ber-genfield, a YU sophomore who finished the season with a 4-0 record, said that for him the highlight of the season was the camaraderie that we had. We took it match by match and everyone worked hard. No one messed around. We knew where we wanted to go and took it step by step.

Mr. Seidman first played competitive ten-nis at the Frisch School in Paramus. He said he attributes YUs Skyline Conference vic-tory to the coach, who began working with the Macs in January and instituted a rigor-ous training regimen. He brought all the drills and focus that we needed as a team. It was an incredible season and everyone tried their hardest.

In relation to the loss to 20th-ranked Skidmore, We werent prepared to play a team at that high a level, Mr. Seidman said.

As we get better, we will get better draws, Mr. Seidman said. We need to start playing tougher teams. Next spring, we will set out to defend our conference champi-onship and hopefully make it deeper into the NCAA tournament.

Meanwhile, Mr. Miller will direct the Adi-das summer tennis camp at Ramapo Col-lege in Mahwah, for boys and girls, from 8 to 18 years old. Hes holding a free clinic there on June 1 from 1 to 3 p.m.

YUs tennis team won its division championship this year. DAviD Spiegel

Local


JS-12*

Freeing GiladNoam Shalit tells local students how Hamas released his sonJoanne Palmer

Some questions every parent hopes never to have to answer:

How far would you go to rescue your child?

How brave would you be?How resourceful?How resilient?How smart?How crafty?How compliant?How non-compliant?Noam Shalit had to face those questions.In 2006, his son, Gilad, then 19 years

old, a corporal in an Israel Defense Forces tank unit, was kidnapped by Hamas in an attack that killed three IDF troops and wounded three others. Gilad, also shot and hurt, was forced through tunnels back into Gaza.

Gilad was held in captivity for five and a half years, and released pale, weak, and with a still-mangled hand, but alive in 2011.

Noam Shalit has been touring Bergen and Rockland counties, talking about his sons captivity and his familys response to it, not to sell anything but to thank the American Jewish community for the sup-port that helped keep him and his family from sinking. Last week, he spoke to stu-dents at the Solomon Schechter School of Bergen County in New Milford. After the presentation he talked more about his experiences, and about Gilads.

The first they heard about the episode that would mark their lives was a few lines on a radio news broadcast, Noam Sha-lit said. It was a Sunday morning, the beginning of a regular summer week. We were at work, my wife and I, and I heard a report about an incident. He is trained as an industrial engineer, and his wife, Aviva, was a secretary. But as far as I knew, that wasnt where Gilad was stationed.

And then, at 9:30 a.m., they called me to the City Hall office, and I saw the IDF representatives, and they told me.

It was a very big shock, and I had a strong feeling of dj vu. I had faced army officers like that 40 years ago, when they came to tell us that my twin brother, Yoel, was killed in the Yom Kippur war.

Later, when he returned home to Mitzpe Hila in the Galilee, his street, where we dont usually see anything but cats and dogs, was full of journalists and reporters and trucks from media from all around the world. Until then, I had never seen a microphone in front of me.

That changed quickly.For the first two years, the Shalits kept

a relatively low profile, Mr. Shalit said. But then we realized that the government was in no hurry to get him back. Its not

that government officials didnt want his son returned, Mr. Shalit elaborated, but the price they were willing to pay wasnt high enough. It also wasnt that they werent acting in good faith, but in Israel there is what I called the trust system. Its you can trust me until you cant. I know it, so I was very alert to it.

Mr. Shalit knew that if his son contin-ued to be out of sight, soon hed be out of mind, and soon after that hed no longer be anything. Including alive.

In part, that knowledge was instinctive, and in part it came from his friendship with Tami Arad. Her husband, IDF aviator Ron Arad, had been kidnapped by Hez-bollah in 1986. His captors released a few

letters and photographs to prove that he was still alive, and the Israeli government negotiated for his release, but no agree-ment ever was reached, and there were no more signs of life from him. He is now presumed to be dead, but no one except his kidnappers and eventual executioners knows where, when, or how he died.

That was a precautionary tale Mr. Shalit took to heart.

A year after Gilad was captured, the bodies of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwas-ser, two other young IDF soldiers who had been taken prisoner, were released. And then, when Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was forced to resign in 2009, we demanded that he conclude the crisis before he stepped down from office. He didnt, so we went for the first time to protest in Jerusalem, during his last days in office.

He and his supporters established a headquarters and engaged a public rela-tions firm. We upgraded our campaign gradually until the summer of 2010, when we saw that we now are facing four years of captivity, and nothing would happen.

I told Prime Minister Netanyahu that four years of captivity with no results, no light at the end of the tunnel that wasnt a train, was for us a causus belli, a rea-son to wage war. A public relations war, he meant. I told him that we are going to the

public, Mr. Shalit said. We were going to test our case publicly.

Mr. Shalit and many supporters marched from the Galilee to Jerusalem. It took 11 days in the heat of an Israeli sum-mer. We were roughly 10,000 people every day. Overall, about 200,000 people participated in the march in some way.

In Jerusalem, the group settled in a park across from the prime ministers home. Mr. Shalit and his supporters erected a tent, where he spent most of his daylight hours for the next 15 months. We set up a sign in from of the house, with a counter showing the days of Gilads captivity, he said. We updated the counter every day.

The prime minister could not ignore us. He saw us every day when he goes out to work, and every evening when he comes back home. And his family couldnt ignore us.

This happened at just about the time social media took off, and Twitter and other platforms made Gilad Shalits plight and his fathers fight to rescue him a cause celebre.

In order to spearhead the struggle for his son, Noam Shalit had to quit his job, sup-porting himself on his companys generos-ity, and on the kindness of both friends and strangers. Of course, when you live in a tent you dont need much, he said.

Gilad Shalit eventually was released in a

Noam Shalit told Schechter students about how his son was captured, how he was freed, and how it all felt. leslie BarBaro

The students listened intently as Noam Shalit told them his sons story. ssDs

Local

JS-13


JS-13

Freeing GiladNoam Shalit tells local students how Hamas released his son

public, Mr. Shalit said. We were going to test our case publicly.

Mr. Shalit and many supporters marched from the Galilee to Jerusalem. It took 11 days in the heat of an Israeli sum-mer. We were roughly 10,000 people every day. Overall, about 200,000 people participated in the march in some way.

In Jerusalem, the group settled in a park across from the prime ministers home. Mr. Shalit and his supporters erected a tent, where he spent most of his daylight hours for the next 15 months. We set up a sign in from of the house, with a counter showing the days of Gilads captivity, he said. We updated the counter every day.

The prime minister could not ignore us. He saw us every day when he goes out to work, and every evening when he comes back home. And his family couldnt ignore us.

This happened at just about the time social media took off, and Twitter and other platforms made Gilad Shalits plight and his fathers fight to rescue him a cause celebre.

In order to spearhead the struggle for his son, Noam Shalit had to quit his job, sup-porting himself on his companys generos-ity, and on the kindness of both friends and strangers. Of course, when you live in a tent you dont need much, he said.

Gilad Shalit eventually was released in a

prisoner exchange, which always is touchy and controversial. The prisoner exchange was the idea of the Egyptians, who were mediators at the time, Noam Shalit said. But Olmert made a huge strategic mistake when he asked Hamas leaders to issue a list of 450 prisoners to be released. Once they issued the list with the names of the most hardcore prisoners they didnt want to withdraw from it. You told us to provide the list, and we did. So what do you want now? they asked.

Although negotiations had been under-way for some time, it was not until the third negotiation that they bore fruit. That time, the special coordinator for captive and missing soldiers, as the lead nego-tiator was called, was David Meidan. He was a senior officer of the Mossad at that time, Mr. Shalit said. He was able to read the map much better than his predeces-sors. He was born in Egypt, he is fluent in Arabic, and he knows our cousins the Palestinians very well. Through all sorts of backchannel shortcuts, as well as more straightforward diplomatic channels, a deal eventually was cut.

According to polls, 70 percent of Israelis were in favor of the exchange, although no one saw it as anything other than painful.

Nobody, including us, was happy to see prisoners going free, Mr. Shalit said. It was especially hard for the families of terror vic-tims. Unfortunately, the government failed to create any other alternatives.

It was Sukkot eve 2011, he continued. David Meidan texted me a message to say that they had reached a deal. Still the cab-inet had to approve the deal and it was Netanyahus right-wing cabinet. I doubted that he could lead the cabinet to approve it, but eventually there was a lot of support.

Twenty-seven out of 30 cabinet ministers voted in favor of it.

And so, on erev Simchat Torah, Palestin-ian prisoners were released, and Gilad Sha-lit was let free.

Gilad talked very little about his captiv-ity, and we dont want to pressure him, Noam Shalit said. He offered a few details, among them the fact that his love for sports kept him sane. He had the chance to see some soccer channels that his cap-tors allowed, and he made a ball out of rolled-up socks, and used a garbage can for a basket. He craved sunlight, and when he first was released he would ride his bike, pedaling freely in the light, going where he chose.

Now Gilad Shalit is in college in Herzliya, studying economics and sustainability. He has a girlfriend. He is recognized wher-ever he goes, so his life is different now, his father said. He has some disability in his hand he was not treated well, and when he came back he had a complicated opera-tion. Otherwise he is quite well. His first year in university was not easy after eight years of disconnection from school, but he is looking forward to finishing.

Noam Shalits life also has changed. He ran unsuccessfully for Knesset as a member

of Shelly Yachimovichs Labor Party, at her request, and is not interested in trying again. He sells real estate, does some teach-ing for the IDF, and goes on the occasional speaking tour not for money, but to say thanks.

When he is asked what he thinks of pris-oner swaps in general, he is careful in his reply. I am in favor of peace negotiations, and of separation from the Palestinians, he said. I am in favor of two states for the two people. I believe that one state for the two people would be a disaster for Israel and the Israeli state.

We need to separate from the Palestin-ians, and to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal, including releasing Palestinian prisoners. Im not sure about the timing, or if there are other ways to do it, but I believe that eventually there will be a peace agree-ment, and at the end of the conflict Israel will have to release the Palestinian prison-ers, one way or another.

So an onlooker is left with the question how did he do it? How did he manage to get his son out of captivity and back into the sunlight, free from Hamas? How did he manage to shift public opinion and political reality?

Where did his strength come from?

I am in favor of two states for

the two people. I believe that one state for the two

people would be a disaster for

Israel and the Israeli state.

Noam ShaliT

MOROCCOpop. 32.3M

ALGERIApop: 37.4M

TUNISIApop. 10.7M

LIBYApop. 5.6M

EGYPTpop. 83.7M

ISRAELpop. 7.9M

WEST BANK(Judea & Samaria) pop. 2.1M

GAZA STRIPpop. 1.7M

JORDANpop. 6.5M

SYRIApop. 22.5M

IRAQpop. 31.1M

KUWAITpop. 2.6M

SAUDI ARABIApop. 26.5M

YEMENpop. 24.8M

IRANpop. 78.9M

OMANpop. 3.1M

UNITED ARAB EMIRATESpop. 5.3M

QATARpop. 1.9M

BAHRAINpop. 1.2MLEBANON

pop. 4.1M

who is David?who is Goliath?

jns.org/subscribe-to-our-newsletterjns.org

Theres no lack of media coverage on Israel, the Middle Easts sole democracy with civil rights and a free press. What is lacking is objective coverage. This tiny Jewish nation, the size of New Jersey, with less than eight million people, a quarter of them non-Jewish, generally receives inaccurate, harsh, even hostile coverage from the worlds press.

The Jewish News Service (JNS.org) was created to correct that. Our weekly reporting, including exclusive distribution rights for Israel Hayom, Israels most popular daily, now appears in 31 Jewish weeklies. We invite you to join us in getting the truth out about Israel. Go to jns.org/subscribe-to-our-newsletter today.

Local


JS-14*

Local girls win national Bible contestAbigAil Klein leichmAn

Two seventh-graders at the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey in River Edge swept the top two spots in the Hebrew middle school division of the 55th annual National Bible Contest-Chidon HaTanach on May 11 at the Manhattan Day School.

Tehila Kornwasser of Teaneck won first place, and second place went to Nechama Reichman of Englewood.

In the Hebrew high school division, Shalva Eisenberg of Passaic placed second. Her older brother, Yishai, tied for first place in the International Bible Contest for Jewish Youth in Jerusalem last year.

Because her score was high enough, Shalva has qualified to join the first-place winners at the international round in Jeru-salem next May.

The Hebrew middle-school contestants had to answer detailed questions about peo-ple, places, and events in the books of Gen-esis and Judges, as well as parts of Psalms and commentaries on Genesis by Rashi. The high-school syllabus also included parts of the book of Ezekiel.

Tehila said the most difficult part of the quiz was the second half, which requires contestants to identify minor differences between similar verses in the syllabus mate-rial. Altogether, contestants must answer about 125 questions.

Last year she placed fifth, and also launched a bat mitzvah fundraising project

for the Babian family of Israel, whose finan-cial straits were publicized after their son Elior tied with Yishai Eisenberg for first place internationally.

Tehila attributes her performance to a love for learning Torah, which I got from RYNJ and my amazing family, the help and support of my Chidon teachers, and an insane amount of studying.

As a first-place winner, Tehila has won a place in next springs international round.

She and Nechama studied with a group coached by Reuven (Ruby) Stepansky of Passaic.

Mr. Stepansky has a record of coaching local Bible Contest champions, including Asher Brenner, then an eighth-grader at YBH of Passaic-Hillel, who won first place in the

Hebrew middle school division last year with a perfect score.

He started coaching three years ago at the request of the Eisenberg siblings father, Saadia. I believe that Hashem has given me the enthusiasm of learning and allowing the Tanach, and learning in general, to be an integral part of life, he said, adding that he tries to convey his enthusiasm and attention to details.

I make the learning fun by includ-ing germane but tangential material as it relates to the Tanach, such as Hebrew grammar, history, and Jewish law, he added. For the students, I believe the fun is a key aspect.

Tehila Kornwasser is on the left and Shalva Eisenberg is on the right. Behind Tehila is Avi Shaver of Minneapolis, English division winner, and behind Shalva is Benjamin Kepecs of Riverdale (SAR High School), Hebrew high school division winner. On the left is Bible Contest Coordinator Rabbi Ezra Frazer and Lerone Edalati, project manager at the Jewish Agency. On the right is Rabbi Dr. Mark Licht of the U.S. Chidon Steering Committee.

Tehila Kornwasser, left, and Nechama Reichman with RYNJ teacher and Bible Contest coach Sharon Motechin.

Tanach and Israel perfect togetherLocal student talks about international Bible contest in Israel

ShirA lichtmAn

This has been the best experience of my life, Daniel Peyser of Teaneck said.

Dani, a senior at the Torah Academy of Bergen County in Teaneck, was talk-ing about making it into the international round of Chidon HaTanach and being sent to Israel to compete in the finals, which took place on Yom Haatzmaut.

Dani always had been drawn to the sto-ries of Tanach but his love for Israel was even stronger than his love for Tanach. As he grew up he began to appreciate the cen-trality of Israel in Tanach; Israel is the set-ting for so many of its stories.

Dani heard of Chidon HaTanach for the first time when he was in seventh grade. In eighth grade he signed up for weekly pre-paratory classes in school. He didnt do so well then, but he didnt give up.

In 10th grade he took another shot at it. By then he was more familiar with the text and had acquired the skills to study it on his own. He had a tutor over the summer.

The more he studied, the more he got into it, and the more he felt that he was devel-oping a personal connection with Tanach. Dani had been taught different parts of Tanach his whole life, but only as he read them over and over again was he able to appreciate their meaning and the way all the parts came together. Adopting a habit of studying every day, Dani learned that consistency is most important.

That year, he placed fifth nationally.Still Dani refused to give up on his dream

of winning first place, and its guaranteed trip to Israel

In 11th grade he was at it again, this time placing second, one spot short. Oh well, he figured

A few months later he learned that the top contestant in his region dropped out. His dream was coming true he was going to Israel!

Dani had been to Israel many times to visit family and friends, but never on a pro-gram. His goal was to win the nationals so that he could go to Israel. He wasnt there

to win. He didnt expect to win. Being part of the pro-gram and getting the expe-rience of meeting new peo-ple from around the world who shared his passion for Tanach was what interested him the most.

But not only did he make it to Israel, he also man-aged to place second in the diaspora competition and eighth in the interna-tional one. The highlight for him was meet-ing kids from all over the world (France, Turkey, Colombia, Netherlands, Finland, Croatia, Costa Rica, and Uruguay). Its amazing, he says It really feels like kibutz galuyot here.

The group studied together, giving each other advice and tips even though they were competing. It was so nice, Dani said.

Being on stage, live on national TV, was nerve wracking, Dani said. But they

were all in it together. Just before he went on stage, Dani tried lightening up the mood by telling his fellow contestants to put their notes down and try to enjoy the experience.

Dani did not want to look nervous on stage. This was more important to him than answering correctly. He tried his best to appear friendly and cheerful.

Cheering him on in the audience were his aunts, cousins, and his sister, Avital.

Dani knew where Avital was seated and he looked in her direction often, trying not to think about the fact that millions of people were watching him on live TV.

Dani didnt expect to win. He knew he was up against geniuses who knew Tanach by heart. He felt fortunate and privileged to be on stage with them. Dani was proud of himself for learning all the material and placing at the top of the U.S.

Dani Peyser

Local

JS-15


Thursday evening, May 29, 2014 at 6 PM29th of Iyar, 5774s"ga, rhhtc y"f

Hilton Pearl RiverPearl River, New York

SOLOMON SCHECHTER DAY SCHOOL OF BERGEN COUNTY

Mazel Tov to our honorees, whose leadership

lights a path for others

Eli Ungar: 2014 Tree of Life Recipient

Ruth Gafni: 2014 Shirley and Harris zl Shapiro Community Award

RSVP to [email protected] www.ssdsbergen.org/annual-community-celebration

Recognizing his extraordinary work and dedication to Schechter Presented to a Schechter leader who is a

role model for the Jewish community

275 McKinley Ave., New Milford, NJ 07646 Phone: 201-262-9898 Fax: 201-262-3026

Tehila Kornwasser, left, and Nechama Reichman with RYNJ teacher and Bible Contest coach Sharon Motechin.

Nechama gave kudos to most of all, Hashem, and to her coaches Mr. Stepansky, RYNJ teacher Sharon Mote-chin, and Rabbi Moshe Stavsky of the Bais Medrash of Bergenfield and the Ramaz Upper School. In addition, I would like to thank my school for introducing me to Chidon HaTanach. I very much enjoyed this wonderful experience, especially because I experienced it with my classmate and good friend, Tehila Kornwasser.

Though she did not qualify for a trip to Israel, she may reenter the competition any time through 11th grade.

Shlomi Helfgott of Teaneck, a student at the Yavneh Academy in Paramus, placed seventh in the Hebrew mid-dle school division. Altogether, 134 students participated in the contest.

At this years international round, broadcast on live television in Israel on Yom Haatzmaut (Independence Day), May 6, North Jersey students Elisheva Friedman of Passaic and Dani Peyser of Teaneck were among the 16 finalists.

Rabbi Ezra Frazer, coordinator of the National Bible Contest for the Jewish Agency for Israel, related that when he was introduced on stage in the 1995 International Bible Contest, host Avshalom Kor mispronounced Teaneck as Teanock, and was corrected by head judge Yosef Burg.

This year, when Dr. Kor introduced Dani Peyser, he said, Dani Peyser of Teaneck, New Jersey a city that has provided us with many Tanach champions, which speaks to the tremendous number of children from this region who have represented the United States in the Interna-tional Chidon over the past 20 years.

As a young Chidon participant in Teaneck, I felt that the Chidons values dedication to Torah study and con-necting that study to a love of Israel corresponded to the core values of my community, Rabbi Frazer con-tinued. I believe that the continued success of children from northern New Jersey in the Chidon reflects the fact that we have many communities in this area that continue to cherish these values.

category in the diaspora chidon. Im so fortunate to have even made it to olami, the international con-test, he said. Im just so happy to be a part of this. The people are amazing.

The contestants went on trips together, and had team building exercises. It was surprising to find that the group had much more in common than just Tanach. During one of the activities the kids paired up and had to find at least five similarities between them. Dani was amazed to learn how much he had in common with these kids he never met, from all around the world.

The program broke down so many barriers, he said. Everything from personal, religious, cultural, and age barriers were broken.

Dani will be studying in the Maale Adumim yeshiva in Israel next year and hopes to make aliyah and join the army soon after.

His new goal is to finish Tanach. Just having the basis is so great, he said. Only after having that foundation of the general knowledge can he delve deeper. His knowledge of Tanach strengthens his connection to the land and to Judaism, and he hopes to use it in to pursue other aspects of his Torah learning.

As they hiked through the mountains of Israel, the kids tested each other on the various things that happened in those places in Tanach. Thats what it was about. Dani said. Learning Tanach in Israel was a perfect combination.

Local


JS-16*

SSDS marks 40th anniversary with honors for leadersSolomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County celebrates its 40th anniversary by honoring Eli Ungar, its board president, and Ruth Gafni, its head of school, during its 40th annual community celebration on Sunday, May 29. The party, set to begin at 6 p.m., is at the Hilton Pearl River.

Mr. Ungar, who is completing a three-year term as president, will receive the Tree of Life award, which recognizes his work and dedication to Schechter. A product of local Jewish day schools, he was president of Brown Universitys Hil-lel, later joining the boards of Brown Hil-lel Foundation and the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs. He also chairs the board of the Jewish Home Family. He is a co-founder of Antheus Capital, a private real

estate company. He and his wife, Harley, live in Englewood. They have three chil-dren, all SSDS students.

The Shirley and Harris zl Shapiro com-munity award will be given to Ruth Gafni, Schechters head of school since 2008. The award is presented to a Schechter

leader who is a role model for the Jewish community. Before she went to Schech-ter, Ms. Gafni, who is from Givatayim, Israel, was the director of special needs and English as a Second Language pro-grams and coordinated the gifted and tal-ented program in the Ridgewood public schools, where she was honored as edu-cator of the year. In 2013, Ms. Gafni was a contributing author in a book, Grow-ing Jewish Minds, Growing Jewish Souls. She lives in Fair Lawn with her husband, Yigal. The Gafnis have two daughters.

Tickets and ads for the tribute jour-nal are on sale at Schechters website, www.ssdsbergen.org. For information, call Amy Glazer, director of institutional advancement, at (201) 262-9898, ext. 277.

AIPAC Bergen/Rockland event in JuneAIPACs annual Bergen & Rock-land dinner is set for Wednes-day, June 11, at 6:30 p.m. The pro-Israel activists will celebrate the organizations mission: to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of Israel and the United States.

The buffet dinner, with its accompanying keynote talk, is a way to thank local AIPAC club members.

The speaker, Jeremy Bash, was chief of staff for CIA director and defense secre-tary Leon Panetta. Mr. Bash has spearheaded a num-ber of key national security initiatives throughout his career.

Debbie and Mickey Har-ris of Demarest and Nina Kampler and Zvi Marans of

Teaneck are the evenings co-chairs, and

more than 120 area couples are serving as vice chairs or host committee members.

AIPAC club membership starts at $1,500 per couple; and two seats to the celebration are included in the donation. The evening will include catering by Foremost, music, and a reception. The location will be provided when the res-ervation is made. For more information, call AIPACs Bergen and Rockland direc-tor, Arielle Brenner, at (917) 210-6327 or email her at [email protected].

Teaneck shuls have upcoming Shabbat events

Eli Ungar Ruth Gafni

Jeremy Bash

Cantor Yaakov Motzen

On Shabbat, May 16 to 17, Cantor Yaakov Mot-zen will be baal tefillah at Congregation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck. Kabbalat Shabbat ser-vices are at 7 p.m., and Shabbat morning dav-ening begins at 9 a.m. Cantor Motzens career spans 45 years in many countries. The shul is at 389 West Englewood Ave. For information, call (201) 837-2795.

Avi SilvermanOn Shabbat, May 17, at 6:45 p.m., Avi Sil-verman of Nefesh BNefesh will discuss Medinat Yisrael: Does it Still Inspire? at Con-gregation Beth Aaron, Teaneck. The shul is at 950 Queen Anne Road. For informa-tion, call (201) 836-6210 or go to www.bethaaron.org.

Professor Aaron Koller Aaron Koller, associate professor of near eastern and Jewish studies and assistant dean at Yeshiva Col-lege, will focus on Submissiveness vs. Assertiveness in the Jewish Tradition dur-ing Shabbat, May 23 to 24, at Congregation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck.

He will give an introductory talk on Fri-day evening, before Maariv. On Shabbat, his topic during the 9 a.m. minyan will be On the Economics of Shemitta and Yovel. At 6:40 p.m., he will talk about Bar Kokhba in Rabbinic Thought and after Minchah, at 7:40, the subject will be The Aqeda: Submission or Assertive-ness? For information, call (201) 837-2795.

Support group aims to help people live within their meansThe Jewish Family Service of Bergen and North Hudson is starting a support group, Establishing Financial Freedom, begin-ning May 27. The groups goal is to help guide people through the process of living within their means.

The group will meet every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to noon at JFS, 1485 Teaneck Road, in Teaneck. For information, call (201) 837-9090 or go to www.jfsbergen.org.

Basketball star at Ben Porat YosefBen Porat Yosef in Paramus was rocking last week when CMEK, a basketball program for youngsters, hosted a free training session with Tamir Goodman for student athletes and their parents.

Mr. Goodman, who invented Zone 190, a basketball-training device that enables players to harness their skills by repli-cating game-time scenarios, demonstrated his invention with children participating in cutting-edge basketball drills.

Goodman grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Baltimore, with six brothers and two sisters. He began playing basketball when he was 5 and garnered national attention in high school, averaging 35.4 points per game for the Talmudical Academy of Balti-more. He earned recognition in Sports Illustrated and was interviewed by ESPN,

60 Minutes, and Fox Sports. In 11th grade, he was ranked the 25th-best high school player in the country even dubbed the Jewish Jordan in Wikipedia.

Event highlights were when Simon Fis-chman and EJ Heumann (both in pre-k at Moriah) scored on the 10-foot hoops.

For more information on Tamir Good-man, go to Zone190.com.

For information on upcoming CMEK programs, special events, and camps, go to www.CMEK.com

Tamir and Chad Mekles

Tamir leading basketball drills.

Local


JS-17*

Schlossbergs are GBDS honoreesDr. Sy and Elaine Schlossberg will be honored for their con-tinuous leadership and sup-port of the Gerrard Berman Day School, Solomon Schech-ter of North Jersey, at Gala in the Garden, to benefit Acad-emies at GBDS, June 8, at 6:30 p.m., at a private home in Franklin Lakes.

The evening includes food, an auction, and a live

performance by the a capella group Six13. Berman Society members are invited for a lakeside champagne recep-tion at 5:30 p.m. Leah Matsil and Howard Greenberg and Michal and Zachary Levison are the event chairs.

For information, call Amy Silna Shafron at (201) 337-1111 or go to gerrardbermands.ejoinme.org/gala.

Dr. Sy and Elaine SchlossbergThe a capella group Six13

Emunah luncheon to honor empowered womenEmunah will pay tribute to Empowering Women at its spring luncheon on May 20 at the Prince George Ballroom in Manhattan. Dr. Ruth Gruber, the distinguished journalist, writer, photographer, and her-oine, who used her talents to rescue fellow Jews during and after World War II, will be the guest of honor.

Sheryl Schainker of Teaneck and Melodie Scharf are the luncheon chairs.

Proceeds from the event will support Emunahs girls educational and vocational high schools and its college for young women in Israel. For information, call (212) 564-9045, ext. 306.

Dr. Ruth Gruber

Michael Oren to receive honorary degree at TouroMichael Oren, Israels ambas-sador to the United States from 2009 to 2013, will receive an honorary degree at Touros 40th annual commencement exercises at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center on May 26. More than 700 candidates are set to receive baccalaureate and associate degrees from eight of Touros schools: Lander College of Arts and SciencesFlatbush; Lander Col-lege for men in Queens; Lander College for Women The Anna Ruth and Mark Has-ten School in Manhattan; the School for Lifelong Education in Brooklyn; Machon

LParnasa Institute for Profes-sional Studies, also in Brook-lyn; Touro College Los Ange-les, and Touro College South in Miami.

At the conclusion of the 2014 commencement season, the Touro College and Univer-sity System is expected to have awarded approximately 6,000 doctor of philosophy, doctor

of osteopathic medicine, doctor of phar-macy, juris doctor, masters, and bacca-laureate and associate degrees to students from 32 schools and colleges in the United States and around the world.

Michael Oren

Local named to Ben-Gurion high postThe American Associates of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev welcomes Diane Romirowsky of Teaneck to the organization as a major gifts director for the North-east, including greater New York and New England.

Ms. Romirowsky has more than 25 years of experience as a major gifts development professional, working with high net-worth donors and family foundations on behalf of Israel universities, educational institutions, and other prominent Jewish

nonprofit organizations.Before she joined AABGU,

Ms. Romirowsky was a development consultant at the United States-Israel Bi-National Science Foundation; before that, she was develop-ment director at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Ber-gen County in New Milford.

She also has held develop-ment positions for two other American friends groups of Israeli universities, and she was a development professional at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Diane Romirowsky

Harlem Hebrew is a dual-language public school of academic excellence located in NYC CSD 3. We seek dedicated, caring, teachers

committed to guiding students while working with an exceptional team of colleagues in an innovative program for the 201415 academic year.

K2 Opportunities include: Full Time General Education teachers NYS Certified Full Time Special Ed teachers NYS Certified Full Time Hebrew Language teachers (must be fluent readers, writers and speakers of modern Hebrew)

Positions offer: Competitive salary and benefits package. Looking to hire candidates with strong classroom management skills. We are an EOE.

Qualified individuals please forward your resume and cover letter to:

[email protected]

Keep us informedwe welcome announcements of events. announcements are free. accompanying photos must be high resolution jpg files, and allow at least two weeks of lead time. not every release will be published. Please include a daytime telephone and send to:

NJ Jewish Media Group 1086 Teaneck Rd., Teaneck, NJ 07666 [email protected] (201) 837-8818

Editorial

1086 Teaneck RoadTeaneck, NJ 07666(201) 837-8818Fax 201-833-4959

PublisherJames L. JanoffAssociate Publisher EmeritaMarcia Garfinkle

EditorJoanne Palmer

Associate EditorLarry Yudelson

Guide/Gallery Editor Beth Janoff Chananie

Contributing Editor Phil Jacobs

About Our Children EditorHeidi Mae Bratt

CorrespondentsWarren BorosonLois GoldrichAbigail K. LeichmanMiriam RinnDr. Miryam Z. Wahrman

Advertising DirectorNatalie D. Jay

Business ManagerRobert Chananie

Classified DirectorJanice Rosen

Advertising CoordinatorJane Carr

Account ExecutivesPeggy EliasGeorge KrollKaren Nathanson Brenda Sutcliffe

International Media PlacementP.O. Box 7195 Jerusalem 91077 Tel: 02-6252933, 02-6247919 Fax: 02-6249240Israeli Representative

Production ManagerJerry Szubin

Graphic ArtistsDeborah HermanBob O'Brien

BookkeeperAlice Trost

Credit ManagerMarion Raindorf

ReceptionistRuth Hirsch

JewishStandard

jstandard.com

FounderMorris J. Janoff (19111987)

Editor Emeritus Meyer Pesin (19011989)

City EditorMort Cornin (19151984)

Editorial Consultant Max Milians (1908-2005)

SecretaryCeil Wolf (1914-2008)

Editor EmeritaRebecca Kaplan Boroson

TruTh regardless of consequences

Why never again happens again and again

In my last column I recounted how last month I traveled to Rwanda, at the invitation of President Paul Kagame, to speak at Amohoro National Sta-dium to mark the 20th anniversary of the geno-cide. A survivor took the microphone, and in a slow voice, recounted episodes from the slaughter of the countrys minority Tutsis.

The stadium was filled with the sounds of women quaking, men thundering, children shrieking. The sounds were of the trauma of people reliving the hor-rors as they were recounted.

The UNs secretary general, Ban Ki Moon, got up and said that never again must mean just that, never

again. But even as he said it, children continued to be gassed in Syria. Women were being machined gun to death in South Sudan. Chris-tians were being slaugh-tered in the Central African Republic.

And why?Because the world has yet

to embrace Jewish values.The Jews were the ones

who taught the world that every human being Jew,

Christian, Muslim, and atheist; white, black, and every shade in between were created equally, all in the image of God. The Jews were the ones who gave the world the Ten Commandments, with its fiery exhorta-tion, Thou shalt not murder. And the Jews were the ones who declared, in the book of Leviticus, Thou shalt not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.

Let my Christian brothers speak of loving your enemies. Let my Catholic friends tell me to turn the other cheek. When it comes to mass murder, I can-not but reject both New Testament teachings. Instead, I embrace Solomons proclamation in Proverbs: The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. I will embrace what King David proclaimed regarding the wicked, I have hated them with a deep loathing. They are as enemies to me.

Because Lincoln hated the abomination of slavery he fought to stop it, as he said in 1854 in Peoria, I can-not but hate slavery. I hate it because of the monstrous

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach of Englewood has just published K

north jersey jewish standard, may 16, 2014

Documents