OpinionThe Jewish National EditionPost&Presenting a broad spectrum of Jewish News and Opinions since 1935.

Volume 80, Number 6 • July 2, 2014 • 4 Tamuz 5774www.jewishpostopinion.com

See About the Cover, p.2.

On the other hand, if we can raisesomeone’s level of positivity, he or she willhave a happiness advantage. A brain thatis positive performs significantly betterthan one that is negative, neutral orstressed. It is more energetic, productive,and creative.

In both the TED speech and in moredetail on the TV show Achor spoke aboutfive simple practices one can do to trainone’s brain to be more positive in just aspan of two minutes, if done for 21 days ina row. One can rewire one’s brain tobecome more optimistic. By doing theseactivities one can train one’s brain just likewe train our bodies with physical exercise.Below are the five practices:

1) Writing down three new things youare grateful for causes the brain to scanthe world for the positive instead of thenegative which is what the majority ofmost newscasts contain.

2) Journaling about one positive experience you have had over the past 24hours allows your brain to relive it.

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3) Exercising teaches your brain thatyour behavior matters.

4) Meditating allows your brain to getover the cultural ADHD that we havebeen creating by trying to do multipletasks at once. It allows our brains to focuson the task at hand.

2 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT July 2, 2014

The following has been in our Indiana edition, but not yet in our National one.

On Sundays June 1 and 8, I watchedShawn Achor interviewed on Oprah’sSuper Soul Sunday TV show. Achor is theCEO of Good Think Inc., where heresearches and teaches about positive psychology. While a student at Harvard,he studied that relatively new field andeventually taught it. His class became themost popular one at the school.

Besides authoring two bestsellingbooks, The Happiness Advantage andBefore Happiness, Achor was a speaker forTED (www.ted.com) in Bloomington, Ind.,in May 2011.TED is a nonprofit devoted tospreading ideas, usually in the form ofshort, powerful talks (18 minutes or less).TED began in 1984 as a conference whereTechnology, Entertainment and Designconverged, and today covers almost alltopics – from science to business to globalissues – in more than 100 languages.

That 12 minute speech has been viewed7.8 million times at the following site:www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work. After viewingit, one of the reasons for his popularity atHarvard has to be how hilarious, LOLfunny his presentation is.

What is the key to understanding thescience of happiness? Achor said we thinkthat one person can predict another’s happiness level by observing that person’sexternal world, but that is not an accurateway to gauge happiness. Ninety percent ofone’s long term happiness is predicted notby one’s external world but by how one’sbrain processes the world.

“It’s not necessarily the reality that shapesus, but the lens through which your brainviews the world that shapes your reality.And if we can change the lens, we canchange not only your happiness but we can change every single educational andbusiness outcome at the same time,” he commented emphatically.

He said we need to reverse the formulafor happiness and success. Instead ofthinking success leads to happiness, it ishappiness that leads to success.

We think that if one simply achievesone’s goals that will make one happy butwhat happens instead is he or shebecomes momentarily happy when thegoal is achieved, but then the original goalchanges to something more. For example,the goal might have been to get an A on atest but after that is achieved the goalbecomes to get an A in the class. Thatmeans happiness gets postponed until theend of the semester.

Editorial Inside this IssueEditorial.....................................................2About the Cover ......................................2Rabbi Benzion Cohen

(Chassidic Rabbi).....................................3Rabbis Dennis Sasso ..............................4Ted Roberts

(Spoonful of Humor) ...............................4Melinda Ribner

(Kabbalah of the Month) .........................5Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.

(Wiener’s Wisdom)..................................6Amy Hirshberg Lederman

(Jewish Educator) ....................................6Rabbi Jon Adland

(Shabbat Shalom).....................................7Howard Karsh

(Jewish America) .....................................8Jim Shipley

(Shipley Speaks) ......................................8Rabbi ben Asher/bat Sarah

(Gather the People)..................................9Sybil Kaplan

(Seen on the Israel Scene)......................10Dr. Miriam Zimmerman

(Holocaust Educator) ............................11Things to love about being Jewish....13Niagara-on-the-Lake Canada ..............14G-father of Jewish vegetarianism ......14Rabbi Elliot B. Gertel

(Media Watch).......................................15Edward Hoffman, Ph.D.

(Book Review)........................................16Rabbi Israel Zoberman

(Book Review)........................................16Sybil Kaplan

(Book Review)........................................17Sybil Kaplan

(My Kosher Kitchen) .............................18Rabbi David Wolpe

(Why Faith Matters) .............................18Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

(Book Excerpt) .......................................19A. Frank sapling update ......................20Rabbi Zoberman at Congress .............20

8th annual “Jerusalem Hug”BY JERUSALEM PEACEMAKER ELIYAHU MCLEAN

The eighth annual Jerusalem Hug heldon June 23 was a success. A hundredIsraelis, Palestinians and internationalsgathered to demonstrateour shared love ofJerusalem. We made thefront page of the June 24Jerusalem Post with theheadline: “Hugging theWay to a Common Goal”.

We started with a listening circle andenergy workshop on the grass betweenJaffa Gate and Zion Gate, then proceeded

I am saddened to hear that the bodies of the three kidnapped Israeliteenagers were found. Baruch DayanHa’emet. I was in Hebron at the Tombof Patriarchs today and joined in a public prayer for them.

On June 17, Jerusalem Peacemakershad joined a shared prayer by Jews andMuslims for their safe return. This wasorganized by Tag Meir. Haj IbrahimAbuelhawa had been one of the onlyMuslim leaders willing to speak publicly to the media, and in Arabic,praying that they return home to their mothers. See more about that atthis link: www.timesofisrael.com/at-kidnapping-site-jews-and-muslims-join-in-prayer/

Eliyahu, June 30, 2014

About the Cover

(see Editorial, page 3)

1427 W. 86th St. #228Indianapolis, IN 46260email: jpostopinion@gmail.comphone and fax: (317) 405-8084website: www.jewishpostopinion.compublisher & editor: Jennie Cohengraphic designer: Charlie Bunes

OpinionPost&The Jewish

Jewish News and Opinion since 1935.

Eliyahu McLean

(see Cover, page 4)

July 2, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 3

I took my tefillin to a local sofer (Torahscribe) to have them checked. My tefillinget a lot of use, and indeed they neededsome repairs. Besides putting them onevery day myself, I also use them to helpmany others to do this Mitzvah.

Miracle of miracles! As soon as I fixed my tefillin, Hashem fixed my knee. Ithank Hashem and the Rebbe that thepain is gone.

And I thank Hashem for giving us theRebbe. Life is not always easy. Especially ifit is lacking meaning and spirituality. Icame in contact with Lubavitch 45 yearsago. I met there happy people, loving people. I gave it a try, and soon decided tojoin. Now everything in life has meaningand beauty.

Do you need a blessing? Are you facingan important decision? Do you havedoubts about spirituality and Hashem?Do an experiment. Ask the Rebbe! Youhave nothing to lose, and a whole lot togain. If you need assistance, contact yourlocal Chabad Rabbi, go to www.igrot.com,or send me an email.

Make your life better. You are an important part of the world. When yourlife gets better, the whole world gets thatmuch better, and comes closer to the timewhen there will only be good. We wantMoshiach now.

Rabbi Cohen lives in K’far Chabad, Israel.He can be reached by email at bzcohen@orange.net.il. AAAA

MiraclesA few months ago I went to a wedding

here in Kfar Chabad. A good friend ofmine married off his son. I had a greattime dancing, singing, even jumping upand down. However, the next morning Iwoke up with a lot of pain in my left knee.

I said to myself “Oy vei, maybe I am getting old.”Many times in my life I havehad pains in my knees. From fallingdown, from accidents. But from dancing ata wedding?

For a week I limped around. I had to becareful even how I sat down or laid downin bed. The pain was slowly easing up. Butthen one day I was late for my daily visit tothe geriatrics ward and I walked fast. Thepain came back full force.

I said to myself “Oy vei! You are reallygetting old! Did you forget that you have aRebbe?” Our Rebbe, the LubavitcherRebbe, is a prophet and miracle worker.We believe that he is the long awaitedMoshiach (Messiah). When we are indoubt, when we need a blessing, we askthe Rebbe.

How do we ask the Rebbe for blessingstoday? One way is to look at a picture ofthe Rebbe and ask him. The Rebbe oncetold someone that when you look at thepicture of a Rebbe, the Rebbe looks backat you.

Another way is to write a letter to theRebbe. Then we take one of the volumesof the Rebbe’s letters, open it, and put theletter inside to where the book opened.Then we carefully read the letters on thepages where the book opened, and seewhat the Rebbe has to tell us. We don’tbelieve in coincidences. If the book openedon this page, then here is where we willfind the Rebbe’s answer and blessings.

As of today, about 40 volumes of the letters that the Rebbe wrote to manythousands of people about many topicsand subjects have been published.

I needed a blessing for my knee. I took apen and paper and wrote to the Rebbe,asking for a blessing for my knee, and forthe complete redemption of all of theworld. Then I said “Long live our Rebbeand Moshiach”.

I took down a volume of the Rebbe’sletters, opened it and put my letter inside.Then I sat down and read the pages wherethe book opened. On one page was a letter that the Rebbe had written around50 years ago. The Rebbe sent his blessingsfor a complete recovery, and suggested thatthe man should have his tefillin checked.

BY RABBI BENZION COHEN

Chassidic Rabbi

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EDITORIAL(continued from page 2)

5) Doing random or conscious acts ofkindness by opening your inbox to writeone email praising or thanking someonein your social support network helps inthree ways. It helps the person doing the act of kindness, the person receiving itand those in relationship with those twopeople. (On the TV show it was discussedthat this does not have to be done byemail but could be with a phone call, awritten letter and – even better – in person.)

Below in italics is a news story from our July 3, 1970 National Jewish Post &Opinion. This is reprinted in honor of the40th anniversary of the ordinations of thefirst ever rabbinic couple, Rabbis Dennisand Sandy Eisenberg Sasso. Rabbi Israel Zoberman of Congregation BethChaverim in Virginia Beach is also celebrating his 40th this year (see p. 20).

Love Unites Female, Male RabbinicalStudents. By Harry Hoffman

Sandy Lynn Eisenberg and Dennis Sasso,both 22 and both studying to become rabbis,were married last Friday night in a wedding

unique in Jewish history.The ceremony took place at 6 p.m. in

Congregation Keneseth Israel, in suburbanElkins Park, with Rabbi Bertram Korn officiating.

As Rabbi Korn said to the bride and bridegroom standing under the chupah:“Sandy and Dennis, this is an historic wedding. For the first time in the story ofJudaism, two students for the rabbinate arebeing wed.”

If she graduates, Mrs. Sasso will be thefirst woman ever to be ordained as a rabbi.

The bride and her husband are both second-year students at the ReconstructionistRabbinical College here.

Mr. Sasso is the son of Mr. and Mrs.Colman Sasso, of Panama City, Republic ofPanama.

The wedding ceremony was liturgically anunusual blending of diverse rituals in that itcombined reform and traditional aspects ofboth traditions.

The marriage certificate was, in this case,composed by the bridal couple in order to, asthey said, “combine the spiritual essence of the old certificate with contemporary concepts of mutual respect between man and woman in marriage.

While it is customary for only the groomto pronounce the marriage vow, both said theancient words, but in their own dialect.

“You are consecrated to me according tothe laws of Moses and Israel.”

Processional music played as the bridewalked down the aisle was adapted from anold Sephardic melody from the island ofCuracao.

Mrs. Sasso, who grew up in CongregationKeneseth Israel, is a graduate of TempleUniversity. Her husband was graduatedfrom Brandeis University.

It is important to note that in 1970 nowomen rabbis had been ordained in theUnited States. In 1972 Sally Priesandbecame the first one in the Reform movement after graduating from HebrewUnion College in Cincinnati. Since Sandydid not graduate until 1974, she was the second woman rabbi but the first one ordained by the ReconstructionistRabbinical College in Philadelphia. Alsointeresting is the phrase in the article:“If she graduates….”

I wonder if the reporter thought shewould drop out of school now that shewas married. To me it demonstrates howpeople felt back then about a womanbeing a rabbi. Sandy brilliantly achievedthat role at the same time as she – withher husband’s devoted support – raisedtwo successful children. She proved thoseskeptics wrong by revealing the immense,versatile contribution one woman is capable of making!

Jennie Cohen, July 2, 2014 AAAA

4 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT July 2, 2014

departing, the pope extended an invitationto Presidents Shimon Peres of Israel andMahmoud Abbas of the PalestinianAuthority to visit him in the Vatican topray for peace. They both accepted.

May prayers translate into praxis andpiety into peace.

Rabbi Sasso has been senior rabbi atCongregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolissince 1977. Reprinted with permission fromThe Indianapolis Star June 3, 2014. AAAA

Thomas Jefferson, the author of theDeclaration of Independence was notJewish. Sure, Adam Sandler, Goldie Hawn,Kirk Douglas, Alan Greenspan, and BillGoldberg (a wrestling champ like Jacob)are Jewish. So is Madelaine Albright(though she forgot to tell us for a longtime). And so was Sigmund Freud andAlbert Einstein and Binyomin Disraeliand Jesus Christ. That’s the good news.

But alas, fellow Jewish Americans,George Washington – what a jewel hewould be in our crown – is not. We knowthis because no Jewish property holderwould sit on a 400-acre real estate package in suburban Washington withoutONCE calling up a developer to carve it upinto house lots. Besides, whoever heard ofa Jew with a mouth full of wooden teethbecause he couldn’t afford a date with hisorthodontist.

So, I’m afraid our first president neverattended a minyon. But he was a believerwhen it came to religious freedom.

America – the new Zion – founded bythose quirky Puritans has provided aflourishing home for Judaism. Thefounders envisioned their brave newworld with all the sanctity of Jerusalem.They were a rare breed, with an affinity forZion because they were Old Testamentbelievers; separatists who’d left theChurch of England in their theologicaldust. Their basic idea was to introducereligion into every facet of their life. Like itor not – church and state were one to them.

In a way, they were the Chasids ofChristianity – without the joyfulness –they prayed more than they played.They spent more candlelit New Englandnights studying Leviticus than playingStud Poker.

4th of July – our holiday too!

In the dull old days when public schoolstaught American History instead of HotAir Ballooning every high school freshman knew that those prim Puritanshad a strong Old Testament core.McCauley, the famous English historian,tells us that they “began to feel for the OldTestament a preference…which showeditself in all their sentiments and habits”.They were not frivolous folks. These,then, were the forebears of the group ofdead, white Caucasian males who signedthe Declaration of Independence thatepochal 4th of July, 1776.

Who would have thought that theproclamation of the ConstitutionalCongress on that hot July day inPhiladelphia would eventually affect thelost, wandering tribes of Israel. But it did. A little over a hundred years later, thedispossessed of Israel flocked to the NewZion. They knew a good thing when theysaw it.

Our team missed the Mayflower by acouple of centuries. We also missed theQueen Mary. There were no deck chairson the cattle boats that brought our ancestors to the New World of goldenstreets paved with dreams. They werestuffed in the hold like pickles in a jar andprobably didn’t spend the eight-day crossing mourning what they left behind –the poverty, hunger, persecution that ruledthe masses of Eastern Europe – Jew andGentile alike.

There’s a deep ache in our hearts whenwe think of the old world they leftbehind, because a few decades later it wasconsumed in the ovens of the Holocaust.

Spoonful of HumorBY TED ROBERTS

(see Roberts, page 5)

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In 1904, Theodor Herzl, the founder ofmodern Zionism, appealed to Pope Pius Xfor his support in the establishment of aJewish homeland. The pontiff declined:“The Jews did not acknowledge our Lord,and thus we cannot recognize the Jewishpeople.” Last week, Pope Francis visitedIsrael and placed a wreath at the grave ofTheodor Herzl.

The visit of Pope Francis is importantbecause it affirms the church’s efforts toimprove its relationship with Judaism andIsrael, while supporting the legitimateclaims of the Palestinians.The visit, thoughlabeled “purely a religious trip,” could notescape political overtones and caused ripples of discomfort and controversyamong Palestinians and Israelis. Someultra-Orthodox Jews painted graffiti andprotested the pope’s visits to certain sites.Omar Barghouti, an anti-Israel activist,labeled the pope’s visit to Herzl’s grave as“a nauseating, offensive act.”

In 1965, Pope John XXIII led theCatholic world toward improving relationswith Jews after nearly two millennia ofnegative theological teaching aboutJudaism that made no room for the Jewsas a sovereign people in their own land.While in 1947 the Vatican had voted infavor of the United Nations partition ofPalestine, it was not until 1993 that it finallyrecognized Israel.

The Vatican’s recognition of Israel and its denunciations of anti-Semitism havehelped to amend the church’s earlierteachings about Jews and Judaism. Thereis also an interest on the part of the churchto be a player in future peace negotiations,especially regarding the city of Jerusalem.

During his trip, the pope met withPatriarch Bartholomew, the archbishop ofConstantinople and leader of EasternOrthodox Christianity, to reaffirm bondsand issue a joint declaration of “concernfor the situation of Christians in theMiddle East,” especially for the churches“in Egypt, Syria and Iraq, which have suffered most grievously due to recentevents.” Pope Francis’ visit to the HolyLand testifies to the church’s ongoing desireto be a partner in effecting peaceful resolutionto the problems affecting the region.

Pope Francis was careful in words andgestures to affirm the legitimacy and securityof Israel and to promote the rights andstatehood of the Palestinian people. Upon

Pope’s Israelvisit is positive signBY RABBI DENNIS C. SASSO

COVER(continued from page 2)

with a human chain around the Old Citywalls with more and more joining, stoppingfor prayer and song circles at Jaffa Gate,Kikar Tzahal, New Gate and a final ‘Hug’of the walls above Damascus Gate.

We didn’t manage to get permits forPalestinians from the West Bank, given thecurrent political climate, but many fromNablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Abu Disand Hebron sent their prayers and intentions for peace that we included inthe event. The closing drum circle at thetop of the Old City walls brought Arabsand Jews, young and old, religious andsecular, together for hours of drummingand chanting in unison.

See more at www.jerusalemhug.org onFacebook at www.facebook.com/events/440550596091327, and a video of the onefrom 2013 on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAsCcVAEfEs. Photos by DidaMulder,Yair Bartal, and Rob Schrama. AAAA

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July 2, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 5total surprise if we were unwilling to seewhat was really happening below the surface. The physical and spiritual heat ofthis month encourages us too often tomake quick judgments about people andour life situations that are based on externalities and not the truth or essence.

In this week’s Torah portion, even Mosesbecomes angry and hits the rock after thedeath of his beloved sister Miriam. For thiswe are told that he was not permitted toenter the Land of Israel. May this remindus how important it is to not act upon ouranger at any time but particularly thismonth. Take lots of deep breaths thismonth, open your heart and eyes to seewhat is really happening.

Tammuz is also a time of judgment. Wemay be confronted by things of the past andfind that now we have the opportunity tochoose differently than we did before.Remember that nothing is by chance orcoincidental. This is such a thing as divineprovidence. We may reap the results ofpast karma this month, so we need to beflexible and accepting. Remember thatthe healing of seeing of this monthenables us to see through appearance, tosee through deception. We may feel hurt,we may feel betrayed, some of what webelieved previously may crumble beforeus, but with the gift of true seeing, we willbe happy and uplifted.

Below is a favorite story from my bookKabbalah Month by Month to remember insituations where one might feel a tendencyto judge a little too quickly.

“There was much opposition toChassidism in its formative years. Anopponent of Chassidism had heard manyamazing claims about the ChernobylRebbe and wanted to meet this Rebbehimself to see if there was any validity towhat his followers said about him. Heunderstood that followers see their Rebbe as a wondrous being, an angel,an intermediary, but he assumed this was just wishful thinking on the part ofsimple people.

“He traveled to see the Rebbe and hadthe privilege of sitting at the table withhim for a meal. As he watched the Rebbeeat, he did not see anything extraordinary.With the food falling out of the Rebbe’smonth onto his beard gave the impressionthat the Rebbe did not even have themanners of a cultured person. He wasready to dismiss the Rebbe and all theclaims he had heard about him, yet hestopped himself.

“He excused himself from the table,went to the corner, and prayed to God.‘Master of the Universe, please let myeyes be open to see the truth of what is.Please let me see the essence of the Rebbeand not the externalities.’

When he returned to the table, he now

saw that the Rebbe was shining from onecorner of the world to another. The Rebbewas indeed a great light. His eyes hadbeen purified through prayer so he couldsee the hidden truth.”

So let us remember during the course ofthis month before becoming reactive orpassing judgments on others or even ourselves, take a few moments to breathe,to feel our own feelings, open our heartsand pray for divine assistance and clarityto see ourselves and others as they are.

The month of Tammuz began on theeve of June 28. Tammuz is the gateway tothe summer. From a secular perspective,summer appears to be carefree, a time torelax, to travel, to have fun. ButKabbalistically the month is not what it appears to be. The heat that one experiences this month is not just physical. It is also emotional and spiritual.

The Jewish calendar is divided betweenmonths assigned to Esau and monthsassigned to Jacob from a Kabbalistic per-spective. The first three months (Nissan,Iyar and Sivan) are given to Jacob. Therewe find so many Jewish holidays. The nextthree months Tammuz, Av and Elul weregiven to Esau. After many battles Jacobreclaimed part of Av, all of Elul butTammuz is totally in the domain of Esau.Like the nature of Esau, Tammuz is a timewhen people engage in physical pleasuresand warlike behaviors. Just look at what ishappening in our world today. Tammuz is a time of unique challenges and tests,particularly for the Jewish people.

The healing opportunity of the month isseeing. The challenge this month is to seelife as it is and not as we want it to be.The question to be particularly mindful ofduring this month is, “Am I seeing thingsin my life as they are, or am I simply projecting my own needs, desires andfears onto a person or situation? Do Iavoid seeing or deny the truth, the realitybecause of prejudice?” Please reflect onyour “seeing” on a personal as well as acommunal level. Do not be afraid to question your assumptions. Go beyondappearances to see the intrinsic truth.Trust that whatever is true – painful as itmay seem to you and as deceptive as it once was – will lead you to greater freedom. God is truth, and truth bringsfreedom.

Tammuz is ultimately a good month.We can grow through challenges in waysthat may not be possible at other times inthe year but only if we can see clearly whatis taking place. Tammuz is a month ofreversals. May we see wonderful reversalsthis month.

The Divine permutation for the monthis reversed. What this means is that youmay expect one thing to happen butsomething else happens. This can be a

Kabbalahof the MonthBY MELINDA RIBNER

Hold off on judgmentthis month

(see Ribner, page 6)

What would those martyrs – pious andprofane alike cleansed by their sacrifice –say about America in 2014? What wouldthey think to see our cars and homes andVCRs and bulging pantries? What wouldthese cultural loners say to our integrationwith a warm, tolerant society?

So, there was this grim, old world fastreceding in the rear vision mirror of theGood Ship Hatikvah – steaming for theshining city on the Hudson where theonly king was “Abie, the King of CornedBeef”on lower Hester Street.

They poured out of their boats into thesidewalks of New York, which they foundto be of concrete, not gold. But concretewas better than the muck and mud ofPolish villages. And sweatshop bosses hadhearts as hard as the concrete sidewalks,but they couldn’t kill you or take yourdaughters for pleasure and your sons for their army. The Charter of the NewJerusalem prevented that.

They could only fire you. And rightaround the corner was another who’d giveyou the same handful of silver that boughtlots of bread and vegetables and even meat.

There was too much work and not muchleisure. But nobody starved. And if a family jammed up in a cheap flat andemptied all their silver in a single pile,eventually they could transform themselves into the nobility of this BraveNew World. Here, it only took money;money for goods, money for education.This was a game they knew how to play.Suffer now – prosper tomorrow. A bargain– a very small price compared to the fateof those they left behind. L’chayim!

Ted Roberts, a Rockower Award winner, is a syndicated Jewish columnist who looksat Jewish life with rare wit and insight.When he’s not writing, Ted worships at Etz Chayim Synagogue in Huntsville, Ala.Check out his Web site: www.wonderwordworks.com. Blogsite: www.scribblerontheroof.typepad.com. His collected works TheScribbler on The Roof can be bought atAmazon.com or lulu.com/content/127641. AAAA

ROBERTS(continued from page 4)

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Wiener’sWisdomBY RABBI IRWIN WIENER, D.D.

Alive and wellThe summer is here and certain parts of

our country experience extreme heat whileother parts undergo humidity changesand lots of rain. Such is the routine ofnature. It never changes, just varies a bithere and there. The same holds true forthe cycle of life and the expressions offrustration and satisfaction.

Life is not about heat or cold. Life is notjust about comfort or distress. Our journeyinvolves seasons that bring about holidays. It seems that time is counted byholidays. We go from one holiday to thenext and adjust ourselves to the next eventand the next. We finished Passover, wemoved to Shavuot and then, the holiday ofholidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Passover and Shavuot represent plantingand harvesting.When we start out in life weplant the seeds of our future by our actionsand deeds. The growth that occurs isdetermined by the fertilizer we use and thewater needed to assist in the developmentof that which has been planted.

What is fertilizer? It consists of traditionsand customs. It contains environment andhabits that are learned from these exposures.As we get older we discard some anddevelop others. This is part of growth. Aswith that which is planted, it too acceptsthe environment that surrounds it,discarding some foliage and growingreplacements. Life imitates nature asnature imitates life. They are inseparable.

What is the water that sustains us? Forvegetation it is rain. For us it is the waterof knowledge and the benefits ofexchange of ideas. It is allowing our mindsto expand to absorb all that is around us,such as the plants do as they drink up theflow from springs and rivers.

Both Passover and Shavuot are symbolsof the cycle of life. On Passover we understood the planting of the seedsof redemption. We achieved this becausewe continually fed the seeds with oursweat and the unimaginable hardshipsthat occurred. Eventually the seeds grewinto a desperate need for room to grow –to escape the confines of chains andshackles.

It was not an easy transition. It is mostdifficult to take something that is wild anddomesticate it. Our people were spread allover the known world through servitudeand to bring them all together with one goal, the goal of freedom required

determination and perseverance. Thedescendants of the first migrants into theunknown knew only despair. They reliedon the glimmer of hope that was handeddown with each generation. They couldonly imagine. This is what they clung to.This is what finally gave them the abilityto sprout and flourish.

Shavuot, on the other hand, was theresult of nurturing a hope, a faith that we were determined to breathe the air of freedom and salvation. However,to achieve a true understanding of independence we needed to control ourfuture by learning from the past. Thiscould only be done with civility and anorganized effort for connection to eachother and the world around us.

The experience in the wilderness taughthumility, for it was necessary to rely oneach other as we relied on God.The lessonwas quite simple: if one suffers, all sufferbecause we are one in spirit and in this welearned the lesson of survival.

Sinai was the culmination of the hardships we endured woven into a fabricof human existence consisting of laws andobligations that would ensure the futurefor us and all who follow. The Law was designed to teach a rag-tag group of nothing the value of life and the exceptional opportunity given to make life worth living.

The High Holidays, as they are referredto, enable us to absorb these lessons,attach them to our daily lives and thenreview the progress that we have made all these centuries. It is an opportunity torenew our commitment to the pledge madeby our ancestors: To do, to listen, to teach,to remember, to continue searching forthe answers that will afford us the abilityto appreciate the benefits of discipline.

God has told us through the values putbefore us that creation was designed toenable us to enjoy all that was created –not for just one, but for all. We seem toforget this as we struggle aimlesslythrough life. We overlook that which isgood and concentrate on the bad things

that are part of our journey.Tragedy has itsmoments, but fulfillment is the waterneeded to complete the planting for thecontentment of life.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are thebrakes on the train of our existence. Theyare the emergency cords that will bring acomplete stop to what we have been andwhen the train starts again, we will rideinto a new chapter that will, hopefully,ensure a future of happiness and comple-tion; the witnessing of celebrations thatwill make us smile and laugh. After all,creation was designed to help this process.

There is so much that can be written orspoken about what these holidays mean.We all have different ideas and concepts.The one thing that unites us is the under-standing that we all plant seeds, we waterthat which has been planted and then westep back and watch the harvest of ourindulgence grow into a New Year filledwith all we want and need. Perhaps thiswill also give us a greater appreciation ofGod, even when we doubt.

Then the inscription in the Book of Lifewill indicate longevity, healthfulness, andsatisfaction. Above all, it will be writtenthat this year will find us in tune with lifethrough the belief that God is everythingin our lives.

Rabbi Wiener is spiritual leader of the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation nearPhoenix, Ariz. He welcomes comments atravyitz @cox.net. His new book Living withFaith can be obtained on Amazon.com. AAAA

6 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT July 2, 2014

JewishEducatorBY AMY HIRSHBERG LEDERMAN

Living with death: Aninspiring commitmentto friendship

By her own account, my mother is nota religious woman. She does not read theBible, know Hebrew or put much stock inthe observance of Jewish rituals. She hasbeen known to comment on my owndegree of commitment to Judaism in anxious, hushed tones, the kind she useswhen someone in our family is seriouslyill. My brother once told me she told himabout the “weird tent with hanging fruit”in our backyard (our Sukkah) and thecleaning frenzy I engage in beforePassover as evidence that I’ve gone off thedeep end and joined some bizarre cult.

(see Lederman, page 7)

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May we be blessed with good eyes to seeGod in everything that is taking place inour lives.

Melinda Ribner L.C.S. W. is the author ofThe Secret Legacy of Biblical Women,Everyday Kabbalah, Kabbalah Month by Month, and New Age Judaism.Internationally known for her pioneeringwork in kabbalistic meditation and healing,she is also a spiritual psychotherapist andhas used kabbalistic wisdom as part of treatment. www.kabbalahoftheheart.com. AAAA

RIBNER(continued from page 5)

July 2, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 7

LEDERMAN(continued from page 6)

So it was with both amazement andawe that I recently witnessed her responseto the painful and inevitable death of herclosest and oldest friend, Eleanor, fromcancer. For in those long six months, shemet the task of loving and caring forEleanor with instincts and behavior thatare deeply Jewish.

She knew from the start how to providecomfort care, the kind that in its earlystages took the form of a pot of chickensoup and a brisket big enough to feed theneighborhood but sadly ended with thestroking of a barely conscious foreheadcovered in sweat. She understood intuitively that visiting the sick, or BikurHolim, often meant sitting quietly byEleanor’s bedside, asking nothing, justgiving her friend the sense that she didn’thave to bear her sickness alone. And she helped create Shalom Bayit, a calmpresence in the house, through her hugsand advice when Eleanor’s adult childrenbecame stressed and argumentative overwhat to do for their dying mother.

We talked often during this time aboutthe questions that plagued her; theologicalquestions that became real through theprocess of participating in the last stagesof life of her dearest friend. “Why didEleanor have to suffer so much? Who

should be the one to determine the timeof her death: the doctor, her family,Eleanor, God? What words of comfortcould she speak to her dying friend about the significance of her life, about the children and grandchildren she wouldleave behind?”

We covered much more territory thansimply pondering those questions. Talkingabout Eleanor gave me a chance to findout more about my mother – her values,her needs and concerns, her own fears ofdeath. It was a gift that Eleanor gave to us,a time to talk safely in the third personabout a very first person matter.

The Talmud, the sacred Jewish text thatinterprets the Torah, says that when a person meets his death, he will be askedthese questions:

“Did you conduct yourself honestly inyour business?

Did you take time to study the Torah?Did you busy yourself with having

children?Did you think about the World-to-

Come?”This text is instructive in that it establishes

that the first question we are asked uponour deaths is not “Did you believe inGod?” or “Did you perform all of theJewish commandments?” but rather “Didyou act ethically in your business life, inthe way you treated your employees andin the manner in which you served yourclients and patrons?”

The heart of Judaism is found in Jewishethics, in the way we treat others in our dailylives. While numerous qualities such asjustice, mercy, righteousness, compassionand loving kindness are highly esteemed,at the core of Jewish ethical living is thedemand for human decency. It is as simpleand as difficult as that.

Jewish tradition does not limit thedomain of religious observance nor does itconsider the performance of Jewish ritualas superior or more “religious” than themanner in which we live out each day.Praying three times a day is consideredequally as important as visiting a sickfriend or not saying something hurtfulabout someone you know.

My mother may not be considered areligious person by certain standards. Butin loving and caring for her friend, sheresponded in the only way she knew how,from her heart. And in this act, she confirmed her essence as a spiritual beingengaged in a deeply human experience.

Amy Hirshberg Lederman is an author,Jewish educator, public speaker and attorneywho lives in Tucson. Her columns in the AJPhave won awards from the American JewishPress Association, the Arizona NewspapersAssociation and the Arizona Press Club forexcellence in commentary. Visit her websiteat amyhirshberglederman.com. AAAA

ShabbatShalomBY RABBI JON ADLAND

Pirke Avot 2:2 – Rabban Gamaliel theson of Rabbi Judah the Prince said: Great isstudy of the Torah when combined with aworldly occupation, for toil in them bothputs sin out of mind. All study of the Torah,which is not supplemented by work is destined to prove futile and causes sin. Letall who occupy themselves with communalaffairs do so for Heaven’s sake, for then themerit of their fathers sustains them and their righteousness endures forever. And as for you, G-d will then say: I count youworthy of great reward as if you had done itall yourselves.

June 27, 2014, ChukkatNumbers 19:1–22:1, 29 Sivan 5774

I am going to take a break from writingduring the month of July. I like to write“Shabbat Shalom” first thing in the morning on Friday and between July 4th,my Friday at woodworking school andtraveling to a wedding, I won’t be able todo that. It is hard to believe that I havebeen writing “Shabbat Shalom” for 18years. It is even harder to believe thatthere are a few people on this list (besidesfamily) who received the earliest ones I sent.

The first one I have saved was fromApril 19, 1996. There may have been earlier ones, but they aren’t in my files. Istarted writing “Shabbat Shalom” toencourage my congregants at TempleAdath Israel in Lexington, Ky., to thinkabout Shabbat and possibly even tobecome more engaged in celebratingShabbat and living a more active Jewishlife. There were probably 20 emailaddresses it was sent to. I didn’t get intotopical issues or remembrances of peoplewho influenced my life or reflecting onwhat is happening in the world or this dayin history. It was about Shabbat. (I amnot even sure when I added in the closingwords about lighting Shabbat candles, butit has been around for awhile.)

Here is what the April 19, 1996 “ShabbatShalom”said:

A rabbi and a soapmaker went for a walktogether. The soapmaker said: “Whatgood is religion? Look at the trouble andthe misery in the world after thousands ofyears of teaching about goodness, truth,and peace – after all the prayers and sermons and teachings. If religion is goodand true, why should this be?”

The rabbi said nothing. They continuedwalking until he noticed a child playing in

the gutter. The child was filthy with mudand grime. Then the rabbi said: “Look atthat child. You say that soap makes people clean, but see the dirt on thatyoungster? Of what good is soap? With allthe soap in the world, that child is stillfilthy. I wonder just how effective soap isafter all?”

The soapmaker protested and said:“But, Rabbi, soap can’t do any good unlessit’s used!”

“Exactly,”replied the rabbi.“So it is withJudaism or any religion. It isn’t effectiveunless it is applied and used.”

“Judaism is filled with many positivemessages and examples of how to act inthe image of God. Yet, unless we use it, itwon’t be effective. I encourage you to addone new aspect of Jewish living to yourlife. It can only enhance your life, soul andrelationship with God.”

Still a great story and lesson today.Judaism isn’t effective unless it is used. Iam not simply talking about the 613mitzvot or the holidays or the life cycleevents, but the totality of Jewish thoughtand practice. Even if you just take a smallslice of this Jewish pie it is well worth it.Judaism can add meaning, depth and spirituality to your life.

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(see Adland, page 13)

8 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT July 2, 2014

(see Shipley, page 9)

ShipleySpeaksBY JIM SHIPLEY

Terror, large and small

Today I want to write about the threekidnapped teenagers in Israel.That’s today.However, by the time this is printed, thecrisis may well be over, for good or evil.This act, however it plays out, is terror,plain and simple. For the three sets of parents in Israel, it is of little concernwhether just these three or another onehundred were kidnapped. Terror of anykind is really a personal experience.

When terrorists blew up the Sbarropizza restaurant in Jerusalem, most of thedead were teenagers. Koby Mandel was 13when he and a friend were bludgeoned todeath by adult Palestinians. That was anact of terror.

The Israeli Olympians in Munich weremurdered by terrorists. All of these despicable human beings called the murders and the kidnappings “political”.No. There is nothing political about murder. Not in Israel, not in Serbia or

Rwanda or Poland, Hungary, Germany,Romania and France in the 1930s and 40s.Murder is murder. Terror is murder.

Children become tools in a terrorists’mindset. Arabs kill Jewish teenagers anduse their own teenagers as human bombs.Muslims, mostly Arabs have killed moreMuslims, mostly Arabs than all the armiesof the West fighting futilely in the MiddleEast.The great sectarian war that has beenbrewing since France and England carvedup the Middle East into a group of non-countries in 1919 is now at a boil.

So, Sunni Militias under the name ofISIL (The Islamic State of Iraq and theLevant) slaughter surrendering Shia soldiers from the Iraqi army. This is alsoterror. This war which will escalate tocover most of the region is really onegroup of terrorists attacking anothergroup of terrorists.

We have not encountered a situationlike this since the Middle Ages. TheCaliphate destroyed the Roman armies.Roman armies that were a long way fromRome. The Catholic Kings of Europe setabout a Holy War to destroy the Caliphate.What the Crusaders did in takingJerusalem was clearly an act of terror.

One can grow weary in a hurry trying tofigure out where the next threat lies oreven to sort out the good guys from the bad guys. One thing history has taughtus. When strife occurs, when economiesfalter, Jews will ultimately suffer. We are“The Other”. We are that in every nationon earth save one: Israel. Israel is ourhomeland. It is the only place on earthwhere an undefeated Air Force proudlydisplays the Star of David on its aircraft.

Zionism became a word when aHungarian journalist came to the conclusion that the only way Jews wouldever be truly safe would be in their ownland. There was discussion over the yearsdebating where that land should be.Ridiculous. The Jews had a land of theirown. They were driven from that land bythe Romans. The Romans were followedby the Caliphate which was followed bythe Turks and then The British.

There was no indigenous government in the land until the Third JewishCommonwealth was declared in 1948.That piece of desert with few naturalresources had little value some 60 yearsago.The Jews, returning to their land, havechanged all that. The desert blooms, themain export of the country is not so much tulips, roses and oranges. It isbrains. The tiny land has produced themost Nobel Prize winners per capita ofany nation on earth.

And as I write this, three Jewishteenagers are missing and could be usedas trading pawns for Palestinian terrorists

JewishAmericaBY HOWARD W. KARSH

Rise of anti-Semitism

Two separate articles that I read recentlycreated an idea for a column. The first is areprint of letter titled, “A Letter to theWorld from Jerusalem” by Eliezer BenYisrael from summer 1969. Link:www.jr.co.il/articles/politics/a-letter-to-the-world-from-jerusalem.txt

It is a message that needs to be rereadevery now and then, when the worldseems to forget the struggle that has goneon in the name of the State of Israel,but perhaps, it is just another call from aparticular time in history of the Jews,trying to understand why Jews are vilifiedand opposed.

The other was a recent series of articlesin the Jewish Press about the rise of anti-Semitism in the world. I have writtenrecently in these same pages that I ampersonally alarmed by how many recentattacks against Israel are led by Jews. Wehave free choice, a gift of G-d, and we livein a free country where we have the rightto our own opinions, but for me at least,the whole agenda of J-Street and theworld-wide efforts to isolate and createpressure on the State of Israel to takeresponsibility for political outcomes not intheir interests and not in their control,make no sense.

With regard to the first issue, the rising incidents of anti-Semitism, I waswondering if there has ever been a poll, aserious, well developed poll to determinehow Jews feel about the non-Jews. If we were going to write our own “Letter to the World 2014, from everywhere in the world where Jews live, what kind ofgrade would you give the world?

Because we have been victims and victimized for almost all of our history,just the fact that we survive irritates people. In the first chapter we would wantto thank the United States of America forthe privileges it has given us, even thoughthe majority of Americans think that thosevery same rights are coming to them. Weknow better. We have scars.

I am often tired of trying to appease theworld which has a poor record of Jewishtreatment, by indicating that it could havebeen even worse. We could have all beenmurdered in the Holocaust. The questionof why we were not, has never found itsway into history. It just didn’t work out,

thank G-d, but neither was it because amovement arose to stop it from happening.Hitler, it seems, simply made some wrongmoves and ran out of “gas.”

It seems to me that we could learn agreat deal from the Gay Movement in creating an aggressive agenda that has nofinite goals. They simply will not stop ever.There will always be another wall to climb,another ceiling that is holding them back.

The ADL and Abe Foxman never triedto do that. They were always working tominimize the danger. J-Street believes thatif we can only give everything away, ourenemies will live in peace.The Palestinianswill never rest until they have driven usinto the sea, and there will be no free passof the proponents of “J-Street, the VassarMovements to punish Israel economically,and all the rest.”Hitler didn’t differentiate.Neither did the leaders of the Crusades, orthe sadistic perpetrators of the pogroms.

Jews have always searched for both thereasons and answers to why we have suffered from the disdain of the nations.None of the traditional answers or corrections have worked. But it is even morehurtful to see the victims as “victimizers.”

Karsh lives and writes in Milwaukee,Wisc., and can be reached at hkarsh@gmail.com. (Submitted May 21, 2014).AAAA

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July 2, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 9

We read in the Torah, Numbers 20:12,that God tells Moses he is not to go intothe Promised Land. This dumbfoundingirony follows Miriam’s death, when thepeople had no water to drink, becauseMoses struck the rock to bring forth water,instead of speaking to it as God haddirected him.

It brings to mind the idea of “sin,”which, to modern, forward thinking,secularly educated Jews, seems retrograde,a throwback to an ancient time of religiousignorance and superstition.

Modern thinking, however, includingthat of many Jews, in this and other religious matters, unfortunately is oftendominated by Christian concepts andpractices, which frequently are antitheticalto those of Torah and Judaism. Protestantsteach that sin, including original sin,extinguishes human capacity to be at onewith God, except by God’s rescue of thesinner – salvation is by faith and by grace –at God’s initiative. Roman Catholics typi-cally teach that humans can reach towardGod for redemption, but only because ofthe sacrifice Jesus made for them.

The essence of the Jewish view of sin,however, is that each of us has the where-withal of free will to choose directly orindirectly to go off the path of righteous-ness, thereby missing the mark and bring-ing grief to ourselves and others – and wemay in turn chose to return to that path.

Thinking about Moses’ life in this context, in relation to his sin, what he haddone and the extraordinary consequencehe suffered, it occurred to us that theessence of his lapse, or misstep from thepath, was that he took the creation forgranted, treating it as a static phenomenon.He failed for an instant to appreciate thatGod is continually masterminding the creation, that the creation is a constantprocess, and that its wonders can emergefor us at any moment if we chose to putourselves in the right place at the righttime, or if we chose to avoid being in thewrong place at the wrong time. And thismisstep had potentially devastating consequences for the faith and hope of the people.

Moses apparently felt that more thanGod’s masterminding was necessary for the flow of water to begin at that particular moment, that it was necessaryfor him to strike the rock. And in thataction, he implicitly took the creation for granted, because he rejected God’sassurance that the water would flow whenhe spoke to the rock.

What, more precisely, is the creationthat we shouldn’t take for granted? An easier question to answer would be: What within our view is not a part ofthe divine creation, and thus may be takenfor granted?

Certainly we should not take for grantedthose who are most dear to us. Certainlywe should not take ourselves for granted.

We concluded that, like Moses, if wewant to avoid dying in the wilderness,denied entry into the promised land of this life, we must stay on the path ofrighteousness, continually appreciatingthe divine masterminding in all of creation, not taking it for granted.

But how do we begin to ensure that outcome?

By not taking ourselves for granted, bynot treating ourselves as something otherthan the moment-to-moment creation ofGod, with the infinite capacity to live inGod’s image.

It requires an ongoing commitment to integrate into our lives the practices,symbols and rituals that enable us alwaysto strive to remain on the path – activelycommitted to righteousness, truth, andjustice, freedom, peace, and kindness –instead of unconsciously acting as if theseideals uphold themselves, leaving us permanently free to do what is convenientor makes us comfortable or satisfies our sensual urges or material appetites atany moment.

To say that such an extraordinary commitment is required begs the obviousquestion: How are we, each of us alone as individuals, to maintain such a commitment, given our pressures and disappointments, which can drain ourenergy and dissipate our spirit?

Torah and Judaism neither contemplatenor counsel that, as isolated individuals,we are to uplift ourselves in the image ofGod, that alone we are to recognize God’smasterminding of creation and continuallyalign ourselves with it. On the contrary,we have been commanded for our owngood to act as members of a family, akehilla, and a people, whether in prayer or the communal life that precedes andfollows it. Our tradition has taught us thatthe most efficient and effective way toremain on the path of righteousness is through active participation in a congregational community, having thesupport of many others who are pursuing

BY RABBI MOSHE

BEN ASHER, PH.D.AND MAGIDAH

KHULDA BAT SARAH

Our most grievous sin

Gather the People

the same path, and giving them support in return.

We concluded to our surprise that,like Moses, our most grievous sin – thatwhich causes the most grief to us andthose we care about – is taking the cre-ation for granted. But not surprising to uswas the realization that the most effectiveantidote to taking the creation for grantedis one’s own committed participation inand strengthening of a congregationalcommunity.

© 2014 Moshe ben Asher & Khulda bat SarahRabbi Moshe ben Asher and Magidah

Khulda bat Sarah are the Co-Directors ofGather the People, a nonprofit organizationthat provides Internet-based resources forcongregational community organizing anddevelopment (www.gatherthepeople.org). AAAA

SHIPLEY(continued from page 8)

in Israeli prisons. There is no peaceprocess. There can be no peace process as long as sections of the Palestinian government are sworn to wipe Israel offthe face of the map.

And the worst is yet to come. The U.S.entered into the age old schism betweenSunni and Shia with little forethought,little knowledge and on the basis of liesperpetrated by a few misguided soulswithin the Bush administration. And, nowwe reap the whirlwind. Terrorism on agrand scale.

Never mind what we “should havedone”. Done is done. As the Sunni Shiaconflict consumes almost all the MiddleEast as it must, Israel stands alone. Theonly nations not really involved are Tunisiaand the semi-autonomous region ofKurdistan – interestingly enough, the onlytwo areas of the Middle East in which theU.S. did not become involved.

This is the time that all Jews must standtogether. Israel, as this plays out, will faceits strongest test since the 1973 war. Theywill need real support and a unification ofall Jews. No matter what you may believeof the government of the Jewish State, nomatter your political leanings, Israel isgoing to need our total support.

I do not expect American Jews to gothere and take up arms. But you candefend Israel in a number of ways. Just do not be a bystander or a nay-sayer.If you are a Jew you are in one way oranother a Zionist.

Jim Shipley has had careers in broadcasting,distribution, advertising, and telecommuni-cations. He began his working life in radio in Philadelphia. He has written his JP&Ocolumn for more than 20 years and is directorof Trading Wise, an international trade andmarketing company in Orlando, Fla. AAAA

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(see Kaplan/Israel, page 12)

10 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT July 2, 2014

the family is guided by Shmulik to theTemple where Charlie must make a sacrifice; to a romantic meeting betweenRobin and a young King Solomon; thenCharlie transforms Philip the Mean in the Crusader period to a nice guy; in a1922 Jerusalem bus station, Mattie convinces an angry, frustrated Mrs. MorrisMyerson not to leave the kibbutz and go toAmerica; finally there is a confrontationwith Gedaliah, the “cherub,”who sees thefamily recover their heirloom.

The script is written by Bernie Kukoff(with Lucile Lichtblau and Alan Gelb).Kukoff previously produced five Broadwayand off-Broadway shows (including AllShook Up, the Elvis Presley musical; TheThing About Men; and I Love You, You’rePerfect, Now Change.) Kukoff also createdthe Gary Coleman show, Diff’rent Strokes;and produced some of The Cosby Shows.

The great singing voices of the cast render the wonderful, catchy, creativemusic and lyrics of talented, formerClevelander, Danny Paller. Watching theface of Paller, while he stood at the backand sang with the cast was truly amazing. Hesays he has seen the show about 15 times butthere is “something differ-ent every time you watchit, with different nuanceseach performance.”

When the show premiered in the winterof 2013, they performed in a theater; morerecently, Daniel Alter, the general managerof the company, came up with the idea toconsider doing it at David’s Tower.

“Here there is a different use of space,”says Paller,“and the scenery just makes it.”They restaged the production in the

process, sending photographs to NewYorker, Kukoff. “Because of the location,”says Paller, “there is more of a cinematicstaging.”

The musical will run from July 4 toSeptember 5 at 4 p.m. Tickets are 85 NISwith special rates for students and groups.Ticket reservations may be made throughthe web site www.towerofdavid.org.il oremail tickets@tower.org.il or when inJerusalem, phone *2884.

So they finally recognized the value of seniors

According to an undated AmericanJewish Joint Distribution Committee website report, the elderly are expected tonumber almost a million by 2015, or about11 percent of the population. Those whocare about Israel might then be interestedto know how senior citizens are treatedhere.

Julian Landau, a 78-year-old who cameto Israel from the U.S. in 1969 and whonow volunteers at the offices of the

Close your eyes and imagine yourselfsitting out of doors in the citadel ofJerusalem, known as the Tower of David,protected by a high wall and large towers.The outline of the citadel dates from the Crusader period; the citadel itself ismid-16th century.

The stage in front of you is framed witha black iron fence on some sides, andthere is an ancient wall as a backdrop.Thisis the new setting of Ah, Jerusalem, amust-see musical, a truly enjoyable tale ofromance, history and comedy. A cast ofseven carries you through several periodsof history as they meet a challenge.

Indianapolis Axelrod family – Charlie, a46-year-old psychiatrist, his wife, Mattie,and their 17-year-old daughter, Robin, areabout to depart for Cancun when Charlieis awakened by an Orthodox, keepah andtzitzit-wearing man, claiming to be hisUncle Mordechai from an 18th centuryshtetl. Uncle Mordechai challengesCharlie to go to Jerusalem and find a scrollgiven to a relative, Naftali, within threedays, to redeem the family name.

The songs,“It’s Jerusalem Air,”and “Prayfor the Peace” create the setting for theintroduction by Shmulik, an Israeli tourguide, who assures the family that they areabout to have an encounter with Jerusalemthat will change their lives forever.

From here on, we are treated to a wonderful musical blending of profes-sional voices and clever choreography as

Seen on theIsrael Scene

Don’t missEnglish-languagemusical in a new setting

BY SYBIL KAPLANPHOTOS BY BARRY A. KAPLAN

Uncle Mordechai meets Charlie.

The Axelrods arrive in Jerusalem; Shmulik, the tour guide, wears red shirt and blackvest.

Matti, Charlie and Robin find the familyscroll.

Danny Paller

July 2, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 11dominated the entire film. I have metmany stoic nuns in my years as a“Catholic”educator, a few of whom I havecome to love very much, but this novitiate’s demeanor could fill a book on arrested emotion. It would be a veryshort book.

She never allowed the audience tounderstand her emotional life, her motivations, or her responses. Her characteristic deadpan never varied,whether she was told she must meet heronly living relative, an aunt, before she cantake her vows; or when she learned shewas a Jew; or when she found herself digging up the alleged graves of her parents. Was she so wounded by herupbringing in a convent that she suffersfrom emotional castration? The audiencewill never know.

The film cries out for a word that is theopposite of lyrical poetry to describe conflicts that never escalate into dramatictension and behavioral facades that neverleak emotion. The one big unknown iswhether or not she will return to hermonastic life after her coming of age experience that includes both a new identity and sexual exploration. I decidedthat I would have been disappointedwhether she took vows or removed her habit for good because the actress provided no clues as to why Anna/Idamade this decision. My emotionalestrangement from the lead characterresulted in indifference bordering on apathy.

The Book ThiefIn contrast, the luminous Sophie

Nélisse effortlessly projected emotionaldepth in her starring role as 12-year-oldLiesel Meminger in The Book Thief. This2013 movie, based on the popular novelby Markus Zusak, is now available “OnDemand.”Thus, we were able to view thefilm in the comfort of our own home.

There is a lot to love about this movie: a great cast including Geoffrey Rush andEmily Watson as Liesel’s adoptive parents,Hans and Rosa Hubermann; a wonderfuldirector, Brian Percival, borrowed fromDowntown Abbey; and the marvelousSophie as Liesel, whose expressive visagein almost every scene carries the movie.The casting director did a perfect job increating an ensemble cast with depth ofcharacter and plausible emotions.

Early into the footage, the film depictsthe book burnings in Nazi Germany, instark contrast to a child who “borrows”books to feed her hunger to learn aboutthe world. Intellectual tension betweendestroying books because they are perceived as threats to seeing books as life enhancements suffuses the film. Itprovides an ominous foreshadowing

of German poet Heinrich Heine’s observation from a hundred years earlier(paraphrase), “When they burn books, theywill, in the end, burn people.” Born a Jew, Heine, like many of his Jewish contemporaries, converted to Christianityin the 1800’s; which was, according to JewishEncylopedia.com, an act heregretted all his life.

In The Book Thief, collectively, booksbecome another important character inthe action, providing key plot points.

Leisel’s communist mother is unable tocare for her children; hence the adoptionby the kindly Hans and gruff-spoken Rosawho convincingly conceals her heart ofgold. Rosa calls Leisel,“Soumensch (femalepig),” at first, as a curse. Later, the termevolves into an expression of endearment.

Like the movie Ida, The Book Thiefdepicts events about the Holocaust fromthe experience of non-Jews. The latter filmemploys Death as a narrator/commentatorthroughout the film to provide continuityand additional layers of meaning. Themasculine voice of Death points out thatat this time in Nazi Germany, he isextremely busy. Although in general I donot like such conceits, in the film’s context,Death provided irony and closure.

Both Richard and I felt The Book Thiefwas an outstanding film. The promise ofIda, in contrast, was never fully realized.Neither of these fictional films is educational enough about the Holocaustto replace Defiance in my classroom. I recommend both of them, despite reservations, but only to audiences whoalready have in-depth knowledge aboutthe Holocaust.

My reluctance comes from a teaching of Holocaust survivor and activist ElieWiesel. Wiesel points out the danger ofusing art to depict the Holocaust. By definition, art transforms and often beautifies. He advocates using oral historyand non-fiction to tell the Holocaust story.

Viewing these films has whetted myappetite for this summer’s San FranciscoJewish Film Festival (www.sfjff.org). Ialready received a save-the-date card: July 24 to August 10, 2014. If you live in the Bay Area or are planning a trip to

HolocaustEducatorBY MIRIAM L. ZIMMERMAN

Ida and The Book Thief

Memorial Day Weekend 2014: twoHolocaust films in two days; fortunately,my husband Richard willingly accompanies me on most of my discretionary Holocaust activities. Ida, anaward-winning Polish film by PawelPawlikowski, opened in San Franciscoduring the long weekend.

Thanks to numerous trailers availableonline, we knew the story of Ida before thelights darkened in the single-screen ClayTheatre, in the Fillmore district of the City.Spoiler alert: just before taking vows that will consign her to a nunnery forever,18-year-old Anna, an orphan reared in aconvent in 1960’s Poland, discovers thatshe was born a Jew. Her real name is Ida Lebenstein.

I wanted to like this film. I am searchingfor a feature-length film to show myHolocaust class at Notre Dame de NamurUniversity, to replace Defiance, aboutJewish partisans in Belarus during the war. I have shown Defiance for the lastseveral years and want something lessreminiscent of a Hollywood thriller. Thetheme of a novice nun discovering herJewish roots should play very well in aCatholic setting, so I thought.

Unfortunately, students would learnvery little about the Holocaust from this film. It is a beautiful period piece,capturing the desolation of 1960’s communist Poland in perfectly shot blackand white montages. In this plodding 80-minute film, less is definitely more.

My quarrel with this film is with thechoice of an actress whose one expression (see Zimmerman, page 19)

First-time actress Agata Trzebuchowska(left) portrayed Anna/Ida, with seasonedactress Agata Kulesza, who superblyplayed the worldly Wanda, Ida’s aunt.

Sophie Nélisse as 12-year-old LieselMeminger in The Book Thief.

12 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT July 2, 2014

for men and women and unemploymentrates. It concluded that while 80,500 seniors are currently employed, another219,800 – or approximately 30 percent –are employable.”

“The figure of NIS 6.4 billion wasreached by using the minimum wage tocalculate a conservative estimate of thevalue of the senior citizens’ potentialwork.”

“Certainly, even under different circum-stances not all of these seniors would seek or find work, but keeping them out ofthe labor force is clearly a great economicloss to Israel and a personal loss for eachof them,” said Zev Golan, co-author of the study.

“Seniors made up 4.8 percent of theIsraeli population in 1955, but will reach13–14 percent by the years 2025–30,according to JIMS. Twelve percent of the65+ population is currently employed, but71 percent of men and 63.1 percent of thewomen aged 60–64 are in the labor force.

“The agenda in Israel is focused on raising the employment rate in the haredi[ultra-religious] and Arab sector,” saidKeren Harel-Harari, the study’s otherauthor. “Senior citizens are ignored,though many of them want to work andmany of them were working until theywere forced or encouraged not to.”

Sometime after we arrived in Israel,someone asked us if we had checked withthe National Insurance offices to see if wequalified for Israeli social security. Itskipped our minds until one very cold andrainy day when we were in their officesand no one else was there and we decidedto speak with a clerk about Israeli socialsecurity. She took some information andsaid she thought we qualified, particularlysince I had lived and worked in Israel previously for 10 years, I was a returningIsraeli while Barry was a new immigrant,and we were both of the right age.

A few weeks later we received a letterapproving us with Barry receiving onethird and me receiving two thirds andevery month, the money is promptly putinto our bank account.

The AACI has a special senior division,RAPS (retired active persons) for thoseover 55 with branches in every major city,many smaller cities as well as kibbutzimand moshavim.

In Jerusalem alone a large number of senior citizen residences exist andapproximately ten have a sizeable numberof English speaking residents. These BateiAvot (Seniors Residences) are visited byvolunteer members of the AACI at leastonce a month and every homeboundmember is visited on the eve of holidays,receiving a small gift. In addition to thebenefits accruing from membership inAACI itself, the Seniors Division conducts

activities and programs of special interestto seniors and their needs.

The AACI branches conduct regularmeetings where topics of interest are discussed and special interest groupsmeet. They include Hebrew conversation,Yiddish, choral groups, handicrafts, folkdancing and exercises and other interestgroups determined by members. Periodic“retreats”dealing with topics of interest tomembers are held by branches andregions. Every AACI branch has aWelcome Committee which works in conjunction with the general AACI Klitah Committee to welcome the newsenior immigrants. The Seniors Divisionarranges for people to be invited to sederim on Pesach especially for those whodo not have families in Israel. TheDivision also grants emergency loans.

Once every year a Seniors Congress isheld where members and associates meetfor 3 or 4 days to enjoy being together,touring the region where the Congress isheld and discussing pertinent problems ofthe membership and seniors in general.Together with Histadrut Hagimlaim (theIsrael Pensioners’ Organization), they participate in furthering legislation guarding and protecting seniors rights.

New immigrant seniors receive an“absorption basket”of money upon arrivalin the country and for a period of time over the next year or so. There arespecial ulpanim (language classes) forwomen over the age of 60 and men overthe age of 65 which last for more monthsthan for younger students, have less hours of classes, are geared to the olderstudents and where teachers pay moreattention to their needs. Apartment rentalsubsidies and mortgages are available toseniors and there are various forms ofhousing available such as nursing homes,partial-support homes and retirementbuildings.

Senior citizens can purchase monthlydiscounted transportation and theNational Insurance Institute (as Julianmentioned above) pays a special old-agebenefit to senior citizen immigrant residents of Israel.

The Ministry of Senior Citizens’ Affairsissues a senior citizen certificate for discounts in a variety of areas. TheMinistry of Social Affairs and SocialServices offers home help, meals,transportation and other forms of aid.

Sybil and Barry Kaplan are a journalist/photographer team of foreign correspondentswho live in Jerusalem. Sybil is a food writerand cookbook author who leads weekly walksin English in Machaneh Yehudah marketand is co-president of one of the English-speaking chapters of Hadassah-Israel. TheKaplans are also active members of KehilatMoreshet Avraham. AAAA

Association of Americans and Canadians inIsrael (AACI), which offers many servicesto seniors, spoke with a reporter candidlyabout this issue.

“The Israel government treats its citizens poorly,” he stated, because themain thing it gives them – whether theyare natives of immigrants – is a pension.But who can live on under 2,000 NIS a month?”

Actually, U.S. citizens who meet therequirements of the Social Securityadministration can also receive US Social Security.

There is an organization called Kenl’Zaken which has conferences for seniorcitizens and informs them of their rights,but the government per se really has littleinvolvement with seniors.

In or out of the work force, seniors areguaranteed health care and its services are mandatory including primary care andspecial care, general hospitalization,rehabilitative care and ongoing treatments. Four health funds providehealth services and offer supplementaryhealth insurance.

If they worked in Israel, pension fundswere deducted from their salary and arepayable after retirement. For those whoworked in Israel, left and then returned,today there is a new web site to find out ifthere is pension money waiting for youthat was deducted in previous years.

A few months ago, I actually received aletter stating when I lived in Israel before,one of my employers had taken out pension money from my salary and now the insurance company neededinformation so they could return it to me.After about a month of jumping throughsome hoops and filling out some forms, the money actually appeared in our bank account.

One important issue is “old age” is notwhat it used to be because people up tothe age of 80 and older are active and cancontribute to the economy, as a surveyrevealed in April of 2012.

In an article titled, “Senior CitizenEmployment Vital to Israeli Economy,”thesurvey by the Jerusalem Institute forMarket Studies (JIMS) revealed that 30percent of Israeli senior citizens who arenot working are able to work and their netemployment would be worth 6.4 billionshekels in income.

“The study, ‘Senior Citizens: A GreatUnexploited Reservoir of HumanResources,’ took into account existingpolls, which show that 70 percent ofIsrael’s 700,000-plus seniors want to work. It added other factors, including the health of the seniors, labor differentials

KAPLAN/ISRAEL(continued from page 10)

July 2, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 13have ceased to exist. We have surviveddespite being exiled from our land – twice!– scattered across the globe and persecutedwith a vengeance. This tiny nation miraculously returned to their homeland,revived their language and is making a mark on the world that far surpasses its numbers.

As Leo Nikolaivitch Tolstoy wrote in1908: “The Jew is the emblem of eternity.He who neither slaughter nor torture ofthousands of years could destroy, he whoneither fire, nor sword, nor Inquisition wasable to wipe off the face of the earth. Hewho was the first to produce the Oraclesof God. He who has been for so long theGuardian of Prophecy and has transmittedit to the rest of the world. Such a nation cannot be destroyed. The Jew is aseverlasting as Eternity itself.”

Each Jew is part of this eternal chainthat includes such luminaries as Abraham,Moses, Rabbi Akiva, Maimonides, Rashi,the Vilna Gaon… We are the current linkin the chain; we are writing our chapter ofthe continuing Jewish story.

6. Revolutionary views on womenWhen ancient civilization degraded

women, viewing them essentially as chattel, the Torah gave women full protection of their rights in marriage,obligating the husband to honor andcherish his wife. The respect for women’sinternal strengths – deep insight, spiritualityand intellectual prowess, steadfast commitment to Judaism’s moral vision – isobvious from many biblical accounts ofJewish women. “In the merit of righteouswomen, the Jewish people were redeemedfrom Egypt,”(Talmud, Sotah, 11b).

7. The Jewish familyThe heroes of the Jewish people are the

generations of committed mothers andfathers who embraced the sacred task tocreate a vibrant, loving home and instillJewish values in their children. In Judaismit is the home, not the synagogue, thatplays the most central role. Jewish life isbuilt around the family coming together –to eat, to learn, to celebrate, to mourn, andmost importantly to transmit the torch ofour shared heritage to the next generation.

8. God-consciousnessJudaism nurtures the awareness that

God is actively involved in everything.There are no accidents; everything thathappens to us is purposeful and for thebest. We can feel secure knowing that weare wrapped in God’s loving embrace.

9. Enjoy the physical worldJews are not ascetics; living a Jewish life

requires a full immersion in the world.Thechallenge is to use the physical as a meansto an end, elevating it towards the spiritual,and not let the physical take control ofyou. So enjoy that vanilla frappaccino. TheTalmud teaches that in the World to

Come, the Almighty will take us to task fornot partaking in any permissible pleasurethat was available. (Jerusalem Talmud,Kiddushin)

10. Action is paramountWhile feeling and intent are obviously

important in everything we do, the Torahis most concerned about action. Do themitzvah, the commandment, even if your heart isn’t in it. Being good is tooimportant to be conditioned upon thoserare moments of inspiration and puremotivation. That’s why Judaism’s terminology for charity is ‘tzedaka,’ whichcomes from the Hebrew root ‘tzedek,’justice. The word ‘charity’ comes from theLatin word ‘caritas’ – affection, dearness,since charity connotes an act of kindnessthat stems from love and concern.

Tzedaka doesn’t rely on feelings of loveto kick in. Do the just and right thing andwrite that check. And by forcing yourselfto do the right thing, chances are yourfeelings will get in on the act.

Rabbi Nechemia Coopersmith lives inJerusalem with his wife and children. He isthe chief editor of Aish.com, one of theworld’s largest Judaism websites. He is theauthor of Shmooze: A Guide to Thought-Provoking Discussion on Essential JewishIssues – a must-have little book for anyonewho loves a good question. From AishHatorah Resources. Aish is the place foreverything you want to know aboutJudaism. AAAA

BY RABBI NECHEMIA COOPERSMITH

10 things to love about being Jewish

Take a moment to appreciate thismost precious gift.

I did an informal survey last week asking my Aish colleagues what they loveabout being Jewish. Many overlappingthemes emerged in the replies. Here arethe top 10 in no particular order.

1. The Jewish people is one big familyWherever we go around the world, we

feel that instant connection when webagel each other. And being part of a bigglobal family means each of us has aninternational network of people who genuinely care and will help each other.

“All Jews are responsible for one another(kol Yisrael arevim zeh la-zeh)” (Sanhedrin27b). The medrash tells the story of a passenger on a boat who takes out a drilland begins drilling a hole under his seat.The passenger next to him sees what he’s doing and says, “What on earth areyou doing?!”

The man with the drill replies,“It’s noneof your business. I’m only drilling undermy own seat.”

We’re all in the same boat. Every Jew ismy responsibility; we are different parts toan organic whole.

2. Learning TorahThe Jewish people received God’s

instruction manual for living, the blueprintto the universe whose wisdom and valueshave changed the world. We have theprivilege to plumb its endless depths andrefine ourselves by wrapping our headsaround the source of Truth that transcendsthis world.

3. ShabbatOne day a week we unplug from the

incessant noise and hard work of ‘doing’torefocus on just ‘being.’ Shabbat brings aninner peace within oneself, and provides aweekly opportunity to connect and relateto family, friends and God.

4. Being Jewish means you’re a revolutionary

Starting with our forefather Abrahamwho went against the entire polytheisticcivilization and brought monotheism tothe world, Jews are part of a revolutionarymovement charged to change the world.With the national mission to be a lightunto nations, every Jew can lead by example and deed. We are partners withGod in fixing the world.

5. Part of a chain of history that defiesall odds

The Jews are one of the oldest nations inthe world, and by natural law we should

ADLAND(continued from page 7)

I’ve always believed in mitzvah goreretmitzvah – that one mitzvah leads toanother. There are too many of us whohave embraced and enjoyed the freedomsoffered to us in this country and in this agewho have forgotten about our Jewishsouls, the Jewish community, and livingJewish lives. I can only urge you to find away to connect or reconnect. For thosewhose Judaism is ever-present, continueto be role models through your Jewishactions and words.

When you light your Shabbat candles,light one for zachor (remember) theSabbath day. May the memories of ourancestors who preserved its observancemotivate us toward making it a part of ourlives today. Light the other candle forshamor (observe) Shabbat and let thisobservance lead to participation in Jewishlife that is meaningful and spiritual.

Rabbi Adland has been a Reform rabbiRabbi Adland has been a Reform rabbi formore than 25 years with pulpits inLexington, Ky., Indianapolis, Ind., and currently at Temple Israel in Canton, Ohio.He may be reached at j.adland@gmail.com. AAAA

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14 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT July 2, 2014

tidbits from the list. NOTL was the site ofan Indian village called Onghiara and later Butlersburg in honor of a Britishcommander who lived in the town’s garrison. NOTL was the capital of UpperCanada until the War of 1812 betweenCanada and the United States caused thecapital to be moved to York now Toronto.

NOTL acquired its name because thetown fathers wanted to differentiate itfrom Niagara Falls some 20 miles to thewest. The town was the first in Canada tohave a newspaper, a lending library, anhistorical museum and the first provincialparliament. Although most of NOTL wasincinerated by American troops in 1812there are several houses still standingfrom that period which may be visited.Thechief municipal officer in the town isknown as the Lord Mayor, a vestige of theBritish presence in the town.

The historic nature of NOTL, its physical beauty and literacy (and its proximity to the American border – minutes away from New York State) aredoubtless factors in explaining why the Shaw Festival decided to set up itstheatrical enterprise in the town.

In the 2014 season the Festival is presenting ten plays by Shaw and his contemporaries, some modern dramasand a version of Cabaret that has gatheredenthusiastic support from the critics. Thisreviewer has been privileged to see twoproductions this summer – Arms and theMan by Shaw, directed imaginatively byMorris Panych, a Canadian luminary ofthe theatre and what can only be calledthe “sleeper” offering of the season TheCharity That Began At Home by Sir JohnHankin. This British playwright, a Shawcontemporary (who took his own lifebefore he was 40) has confected a kind ofDowntown Abbey with comedic steroidsthat highlights the idiosyncrasies of theBritish aristocracy. The ingenious plot pivots around Lady Denison (brilliantlydepicted by Fiona Reid) who has the

BY HAROLD JACOBSON AND ROSE KLEINER

Shakespeare put it nicely when he saidthat “all the world’s a stage.”After visitingNiagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL), arguablyCanada’s most beautiful small town, itwould seem happily that all the world’s atheatre. As the home of the world famousShaw Festival, a repertory group that features the best of George BernardShaw’s works, the town provides four different venues for his plays as well asspace for some of Shaw’s contemporaryplaywrights and the occasional Canadianproduction also.

But NOTL is a generic theatre exhibitingubiquitous and extravagant floral displaysin front of almost every private home garden perfuming the town’s air and giving it both visual and sensory pleasure.The latter has been enhanced in recentyears by the development of a vinicultureindustry which draws thousands eachsummer to wine tasting events in thenumerous wineries in and around NOTL.A drive around the perimeter of NOTLaffords an unparalleled view of the hundreds if not thousands of acreage now dedicated to cultivating the vine. Oneof the area’s most spectacular successes isice wine, whose grapes must be harvestedin temperatures hovering around thefreezing point. If you have to ask the priceof a bottle of this sweet elixir, you can’tafford it.

The sidewalks in NOTL on the town’smain street, Queen, has its own version oftheatre, with a Babel of languages spokenby the theatre-goers and others who findan exoticism in the town that is sui generis. There are no chain restaurants orfast food outlets in NOTL but plenty ofcozy eating facilities, ice cream parlours,high end gourmet shops, quality linen andwool emporia. The Prince of Wales Hotel,resplendent in its design in the center ofNOTL is arguably the most distinguishedof the score of hotels and bed and breakfasts in the area. This season will putspecial pressure on the hotel industry as itinaugurates the first International MusicFestival in the Niagara Region and it willfeature a fragrant bouquet of classicalmusic intertwined with wine tasking.

Why has the Shaw Festival implanteditself in NOTL? Here are some possibleanswers to explain the special cachet ofthis isolated town in south-westernOntario which is so off the beaten track that there is no access to it by train orbus. Twenty-two answers to this questionare provided by the town’s glossy Niagaraon the Lake magazine. Here are a few

Theatre at Niagara-on-the-Lake Canada

BY JEFFREY COHAN

Richard Schwartz, author of the seminal book about the Jewish ideal ofvegetarianism, is entering his ninthdecade on quite a roll. Eightieth birthdayevents were held in Jerusalem and NewYork this spring to honor his achievementsas an animal-protection and environmentaladvocate.

He continues to enjoy excellent health,which he attributes to God’s blessings andto his vegan diet. And a large network offriends and family members has showeredhim with praise, gifts, and affection.

But if you ask Schwartz what has meantthe most to him in his 80th year, he willtell you it’s the rise of Jewish Vegetarians ofNorth America (JVNA), which this year hasbecome the fastest growing veg-advocacyorganization in the United States.

“It’s urgent that JVNA keep getting support,” said Schwartz, the presidentemeritus of the nonprofit organization.“We’ve got to keep getting the vegetarianmessage out there,” he said. “By doingthat, it will be a healthier world, it will

The grandfather ofJewish vegetarianismturns 80 with energy

A flower bedecked street in Niagara-on-the-Lake Canada.

(see Cohan, page 15)

Richard Schwartz. Photos by Steve Shuster.

(see Jacobson/Kleiner, page 19)

July 2, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 15

Over the Top Judaism: Precedents andTrends in the Depiction of Jewish Beliefsand Observances in Film and Television.He has been a media critic since 1979. AAAA

MediaWatchBY RABBI ELLIOT B. GERTEL

Captain AmericaCaptain America: The Winter Soldier,

the most recent installment of the Marvelfranchise, offered more impressive high-tech action scenes than any fan in the history of the comic strip could hope tobehold in one sitting, along with powerfuldoses of good citizenship training incourage, patriotism, and dissent againstwould-be dictators within American government itself. The cast and directionprovide compelling and engaging entertainment.

One wonders, however, whether thesuggestion here is that heroes have to befrozen from the fallen soldiers of WorldWar II because there is less conviction inpost Great Generation America. Muchmore shocking still, however, is the suggestion that remnant mad scientistsfrom the German Nazi era are morebenign than an American senator namedStern who supports cyber-fascist organization, HYDRA, run by AlexanderPierce (Robert Redford), head of Americanintelligence agency SHIELD, who in hisspare time plots to sacrifice seven millionpeople to bring order and well-being tothe majority of folk. At one point the complicit Senator Stern, played by Garry Shandling, looking like everyone’sfavorite Jewish uncle (because of previousroles), publicly offers a fascist salute,“Hail, HYDRA!”

Why suggest a Jewish character in aNazi-style pose, and why wouldShandling want to play along? Clearly,when it comes to depicting Jews, thisfilm’s producers, Anthony and Joe Russo,and writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen Freely, show none of John Turturro’s (Fading Gigolo) scruplesregarding the depiction of Jewish characters.

Rabbi Gertel is the author of two books,What Jews Know About Salvation and

COHAN(continued from page 14)

be a more compassionate world, a moreenvironmentally sustainable world, amore just world, a more peaceful world.This is really the issue of the day.”

Schwartz is perhaps best known as theauthor of “Judaism and Vegetarianism,”which is in its third edition and which stillreigns as the most authoritative book everwritten on the subject. He has also beenassociated with Jewish Vegetarians ofNorth America since the organization’sbirth in 1975.

Just in the past 12 months, JVNA hastransformed from a small, all-volunteergroup into a professionally led organizationwith a new website and newly installedExecutive Director, Board of Directors,Advisory Council and Rabbinic Council.

Board members include Alex Hershaft, aHolocaust survivor and one of the mostprominent leaders of the veg-advocacymovement. Members of JVNA’s newlyformed Rabbinic Council include suchwidely respected and recognized figuresas Rabbi Steve Gutow, the president andCEO of the Jewish Council for PublicAffairs, and Rabbi David Wolpe of SinaiTemple in Los Angeles, who was namedthe most influential rabbi in America byNewsweek last year.

Meanwhile, the organization’s newAdvisory Council includes Paul Shapiro, thevice president of farm animal protectionfor the Humane Society of the UnitedStates, and Caryn Ginsberg, author of“Animal Impact.”

Fund-raising is at an all-time high forJVNA, which has allowed the organizationto make presentations at synagogues,universities and conferences from coast-to-coast.

The explosive growth of JVNA coincideswith the growing interest in plant-basedeating in the United States.

Meat consumption, nationally, hasdeclined by 12 percent since 2007,according to U.S. Department ofAgriculture figures, while plant-basedalternatives are proliferating on supermarketshelves and on restaurant menus.

Amid all these positive developments,the birthday celebrations for Schwartzwere energetic. The JVNA-organized party in New York, held May 19, sold out more than two weeks in advance.Some of the most prominent figures in the veg-advocacy movement came to paytheir respects to Schwartz.

“Richard is an Orthodox Jew. I’m a veryunorthodox Catholic. For both of us, ourfaith has been critical to us in our belief incompassion for animals and the vegetarianmovement,” said Bruce Friedrich, seniorpolicy director for Farm Sanctuary.

At the New York event, Friedrich comparedSchwartz to the Biblicalprophets. “If you careabout the environment, oryou care about yourhealth, or if you care aboutanimal welfare – all threeof which are profound principles of theTorah – if you care about any of thoseissues, Richard has a message for you, andthat message is vegetarianism,”he said.

Steve Schuster, a member of the JVNABoard of Directors from Boston, describesSchwartz as an inspirational leader. “Thefirst time we exchanged emails, probably10 or 12 years ago, the change in mebegan immediately,” Schuster told theaudience in New York. “I went from thinking a lot about vegetarianism,thinking a lot about animal welfare,to actually transforming into an activist.When I think of (Schwartz), I think oftikkun olam personified. He’s taught us all that we must act. When we see aninjustice, we have to spring into action.”

To JVNA leaders and members, theabhorrent conditions on the nation’s factory farms – which produce more than90 percent of our country’s meat, dairyproducts and eggs – constitute just suchan injustice.

While Schwartz remains active on theBoard of Directors of JVNA, he is passingthe baton to a new generation of leaders,who are building on the foundation he laid.

“Many of us around the world arepledging to continue the work that hebegan,” said Rabbi Adam Frank, a JVNAsupporter in Jerusalem. “He has broughtTorah and awareness and sensitivity to aworld that is sorely lacking it.”

Jeffrey Cohan is the executive director ofJewish Vegetarians of North America andthe son of Edwin Cohan and grandson ofCharles Cohan, both of whom lived inIndianapolis. AAAA

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Friedrich

Jeffrey Cohan (L ) with Rabb Dovid Sears.

Garry Shandling as Senator Stern inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier.

Bond betweenMussolini andPope Pius XI

The Pope and Mussolini (The SecretHistory of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascismin Europe). By David I. Kertzer. New York:Random House. 2014. Pp. 549. $32.

We are in the debt of prolific and award-winning author David I. Kertzer, the PaulDupee, Jr. University Professor of SocialScience and professor of anthropologyand Italian studies at Brown University.His eye-opening and sobering account is amust-read for allseeking the indis-pensable truthconcerning thecritical thoughcontroversial bondbetween BenitoMussolini, Italy’sFascist dictator,and Pope Pius XI,the Vatican’s leaderrepresenting atthat time 300 million Roman Catholics.

We are also grateful to the late PopeJohn Paul II who made possible this nearlydecade in-the-making breakthroughstudy, upon authorizing in 2002 the opensharing of the Vatican’s Secret Archives ofPius XI papacy with full disclosure in 2006,along with Kertzer’s availability of theItalian government archives of the CentralState Archive and that of the ItalianForeign Ministry.

In a mesmerizing tale, gradually drawingthe reader deeper and deeper into a complex web disentangled and clarified

BookReviewREVIEWED BY RABBI ISRAEL ZOBERMAN

(see Zoberman, page 17)

16 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT July 2, 2014

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produce his recent memoir, My Life inJewish Renewal. We communicated byphone and email.

In Reb Zalmans’s conversations with SaraDavidson, he listens empathically to heranxieties about coping with her mother’sAlzheimer’s condition, her frustrations asa writer about the collapse of theAmerican book-publishing industry, andher existential/spiritual uncertainties as anaging, non-religious Jew.

The heart of The December Project lies inhis gentle advice, often laced with self-deprecating and good-spirited humor. Forexample, in response to Sara Davidson’sintense worry that she will inherit hermother’s Alzheimer Disease, Reb Zalmancomments that persons with this condition retain self-awareness, respondmeaningfully to love and care, and livefully in the moment.

When Davidson shares self-pitying feelings about the burdens of aging,he energetically declares – paraphrasingJudaism’s classic text Pirkey Avot – “You’renot obligated to complete the job, butyou’re obligated to do your part.”He adds,“You’re a cell on the planet and you haveresponsibilities to your family and yourcommunity.” He contends that Judaismhas always been concerned with the BigPicture of history – and that merely striving to live individually in the presentmoment is not the Jewish ethos at all.

An especially useful section of TheDecember Project comprises 12 activitiesdesigned by Reb Zalman, Eve Elsen, andSara Davidson to bring greater clarity andjoy to our elder years. The goal is to “makeeach day sweeter and more meaningful…{and} accept the challenging times and seetheir value.” Not surprisingly in light ofdozens of recent studies from PositivePsychology, they recommend the cultivation of gratitude as a foundation forthis phase of life. Other activities include

“Make Friends with Solitude,”“Dis-Identify with the Body,” “Forgive,Forgive,”and “Make Room for Intuition.”

As a psychologist, I found the latteractivity to be particularly useful, asAmerican society offers us little training indeveloping our intuitive capabilities. Howdo we so?

“Practice listening for intuition aboutsmall things,” Reb Zalman and his colleagues advise, “which have relativelysmall consequences.”Then “keep notes onyour Intuition page {of your journal}, andafter a time, look for patterns. If you leaninto what you receive,” they recommendwith much broader applicability,“you’ll begin to get a sense of when it’s the real juice.”

In a way, discovering “the real juice” ofspirituality relevant to old age is what TheDecember Project is all about. I would have

liked to have heard Reb Zalman bringmore of his own elder-experiences involving Hasidic prayer, meditation, andinspirational Torah study to the fore, butthat is not the book that Sara Davidsonchose to write. We can be grateful that she and Reb Zalman have created this thought-provoking work. Highly recommended.

Edward Hoffman, Ph.D., is an adjunctpsychology professor at Yeshiva Universityand author of The Kabbalah Reader(Trumpeter/Random House). AAAA

REVIEWED BY EDWARD HOFFMAN, PH.D.

Spirituality relevant to old age

The December Project. By SaraDavidson. HarperOne. $26.95. 193 pp.

In our celebrity-and media-driven culture, it is apleasure to read abook of earnestand lively dialogueon a major life-theme: growingold. As more and more babyboomers enterwhat Rabbi ZalmanM. Schachter-Shalomi calls the“elder years,” it’s certainly a topic ofincreasing importance in America today.The book chronicles two years of weeklyconversations between Reb Zalman (as heprefers to be known) and his 70-year-oldfriend Sara Davidson, a Jewish writerwhose many books include the acclaimed1960s memoir Loose Change.

Now close to 90 years old and physicallyfrail, Reb Zalman offers his perspective on the bodily, mental, and spiritual challenges of old age. As the founder ofthe Jewish Renewal Movement – rooted inwhat he initially called neo-Hasidism –Reb Zalman has for more than 40 yearsbeen a leading figure in AmericanJudaism. A refugee who escaped fromNazi Europe with his family as a teenager,he received smicha from Chabad inBrooklyn and became a well-respectedprofessor of Jewish studies in Canada during the 1950s and 1960s.

However, he eventually left theLubavitcher orbit in the late 1960s to follow his own star – and his circle ofmentors and colleagues included suchmavericks as Abraham Joshua Heschel,Shlomo Carlebach, the Catholicmonk/theologian Thomas Merton,Timothy Leary, and Abraham Maslow.Reb Zalman was also close with both theSixth and Seventh Lubavitcher Rebbes.

Living with his wife Eve Ilsen in the university town of Boulder, Colo., RebZalman has faced a variety of health problems in his 80s but has remainedintellectually dynamic and upbeat. Indeed,having long worked with Reb Zalman onwriting projects related to spiritual psychology, I felt honored to help him

BookReview

July 2, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 17

Living Beyond Terrorism. By ZievaDauber Konvisser, Gefen Publishing,$26.95 paperback, $9.99 e-book, 356 pp.,May 2014.

It was Aug. 9, 2001. i was in Jerusalemafter 19 years absence, to attend aNational Convention and do research towrite a memoir, Witness to History: TenYears as a Woman Foreign Correspondent inIsrael (still unpublished). I was staying atthe Sheraton (nowthe Leonardo) andwhen I came out, Iwas to cross thestreet to the KingsHotel and meetmy good friendand personalguide, Pat (z”l).She and I weregoing to the BibleLands Museum fora reunion with her former boss and a former friend of mine, Ruth Abileah. Allthe traffic from the hotel down KingGeorge into town was blocked.

We heard there had been a terroristattack but decided to go on with ourplans.

When we returned to the hotel,National board members were waiting forus and told us to go and call our familiesand tell them we were okay.

One by one, Hadassah women came inand told stories of being on Ben Yehudah,of having wanted to eat at Sbarro Pizza on the corner of King George and Jaffa Road, of hearing an explosion andambulances. It was the Sbarro pizzarestaurant terrorist attack.

Dr. Zieva Dauber Konvisser is a fellowof the Institute for Social Innovation atFielding Graduate University. In 2003, shewas at the Israel Center for the Treatmentof Psychodrama in Jerusalem, beginningresearch on the “possibility if posttraumaticgrowth coexisting with posttraumaticstress.”

According to the founding director ofthis center, Professor Danny Brom, in thebook’s foreword, Dr. Konvisser contributesto “the study of politically motivated violence by documenting many of thechallenges that confront people whoexperience such violence and by elucidatingthe many ways people find to overcomethe horrors of their encounter with deadly

violence. Equally, this book contributes to the development of the concept ofposttraumatic growth.” Dr. Konvisser herself explains in the preface that thefocus of this book is on “resilience orrecovery and posttraumatic growth.”

Dr. Konvisser is a second-generationHolocaust survivor, having lost more than30 relatives in Vilna. During a trip to Israelin 2002, she reflected how survivors of terrorist bombings moved beyond theirtraumas and subsequently visited Israeleight times between 2004 and 2010 tospeak with such survivors.

She spoke with 24 survivors in 2004who made up the research study samplefor her doctoral dissertation then revisitedthem in 2007, interviewed seven moreplus 15 Arab Israelis. In 2013, she againasked them to reflect upon and describechanges in “their family, work, healthand/or outlook in life since the interviews.

The result is 36 stories as told by 48 survivors and family members with 33incidents described.

The book is a tribute “to those who survived attacks with or without disabilityor loss, as well as family members of thosewho perished….By telling and retellingtheir stories, we celebrate their lives aspeople – as human beings.” Some aremore familiar as the Sbarro Pizza attack,the Café Hillel bombing with the bride-to-be and her doctor father, and the stoning of Koby Mandell, others includeshooting attacks on roads, suicide

Resilience to master any crisis

Book ReviewREVIEWED BY SYBIL KAPLAN

ZOBERMAN(continued from page 16)

by the skillful author, the inescapable conclusion emerges; clearly, the commonnotion that the Vatican opposedMussolini’s anti-Jewish racial policies isdebunked. The book’s impeccable academic standing of painstaking researchwith meticulous notes reflects the extraor-dinary care undertaken by Kertzer and histeam, mindful of the great sensitivities ofthe discussed issues. Though Pius XI andMussolini are the main protagonists, thefigure and impact throughout of CardinalSecretary of State Eugenio Pacelli who in1939 became the much debated Pope PiusXII, hovers over the entire book.

The year 1922 brings fatefully and fatallytogether two unlikely men to rise to greatpower. Achilli Ratti, a priest and librarianappointed Archbishop of Milan, who in1922 becomes Cardinal as well as PopePius XI in a surprise replacement for PopeBenedict XI. His partner to be, BenitoMussolini, a radical socialist leader trans-formed into Italy’s Fascist movement’sfounder, prime minister, and dictator who

would inspire Hitler’s own ascent intoabsolute power.

Both Pius XI and Mussolini sharedhumble backgrounds, authoritarian personalities and disdain for bothCommunism and modernity representedby the French Revolution which theyregarded as the tragic outcome of aMasonic-Jewish plot. The Protestants toowere deemed a threat by Pius XI and his 1928 encyclical forbade interfaith dialogue, while dissolving Friends of Israel,an international Catholic organizationfocused on converting Jews when itsought to further aid its purpose byremoving the deicide charge, the allegeddrinking of Christian blood at the Passoverritual and the Good Friday liturgy reference to the “perfidious Jews.”

The Lateran Accords of 1929, based onmutual interests between Pius XI andMussolini, ended Italy’s hostile churchand state separation going back to 1861. Arestored privileged Church presence insociety’s institutions, with the Vaticanreciprocated support for Mussolini asCatholic priests enhanced the Duce’sincredible personality cult in spite of persistent attacks on them by the manipulative leader. It was CardinalPacelli who when elected Pope Pius XIImade sure that gravely ill Pius XI’s intendedspeech copies – finally somewhat disengaging from Mussolini’s racial policies – for the tenth anniversary of theAccords’ celebration, would disappearupon Pius XI’s death. The Germans vigorously campaigned for Pacelli’s election, “Mussolini’s most powerful allyin the Vatican”(p. 352).

Two missed opportunities to stymieHitler’s rise: Pope Pius XI’s support forHitler in the March 1933 elections in spiteof Germany’s Catholic bishops valiantopposition to Hitler, and Mussolini’sdenied request to excommunicateCatholic Hitler following his 1938 invasionof Austria, Italy’s benign neighbor.Though the Vatican derided Nazism asneo-Paganism it was indifferent to the bitter fate of fellow Jewish Italians whowere for long an integral and importantpart of Italian society.

In fact, Mussolini’s government utilizedmedieval anti-Semitic Church literature toimpose harsh discrimination laws, drivingmany Jews to commit suicide or be baptized to escape persecution. A thousand Jews hiding in Rome’s Catholicfacilities were transported to Auschwitz.Pope Pius XII’s protest via CardinalMaglione was not assertive enough. Mostof the total 7,500 Italian Jews who were inAuschwitz perished.

Rabbi Israel Zoberman is the spiritualleader of Congregation Beth Chaverim inVirginia Beach. AAAA

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(see Kaplan/book, page 19)

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18 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT July 2, 2014

Antipasto Salad(4 servings)Traditionally, an antipasto is the first

course served before an Italian meal, butthis salad is a nice start for any meal.

2 cups bite-size pieces romaine lettuce2 cups bite-size pieces head lettuce1/3 cup shredded white cabbage1/3 cup shredded red cabbage1 small chopped red onion1 small chopped red pepper1 small chopped green pepper1/3 cup halved cherry tomatoes1/8 cup chopped black olives1/2 cup chopped drained

artichoke hearts1/3 cup mozzarella cheese cubes1/2 cup any other kosher Italian

cheese cubesDressing1/3 cup olive or canola oil2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar1 crushed garlic clovedash paprikadash oreganodash basildash dry mustard

Mix dressing ingredients in a jar. Closelid and shake well. Set aside. In a saladbowl, combine lettuces, cabbages, onion,peppers, tomatoes, olives, artichoke heartsand cheeses. Just before serving, pourdressing over salad and toss.

Asian Cole Slaw(4 servings)When I serve oriental food, particularly

stir fry, I find it hard to choose a side dish other than rice or noodles so a coleslaw fits.

Salad1 cup shredded bok choy1/2 cup shredded carrots1 diced cucumber1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts or1/2 cup sliced, cooked kohlrabi*1/2 diced red pepper1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro1/4 cup bean sproutsDressing3 Tbsp. rice vinegar1/3 cup sesame oil1 tsp. sugar1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce1 minced garlic clove1/2 tsp. ginger (optional)

In a jar, combine rice vinegar, oil, sugar,soy sauce, garlic and ginger.

Close with a lid and shake well. Setaside. In a salad bowl, combine bok choy,carrots, cucumber, water chestnuts orkohlrabi, red pepper, cilantro and beansprouts.

My KosherKitchenBY SYBIL KAPLAN

Summer salads go international

God Bless Funeral Directors

Admittedly, I am very old fashioned inmy kitchen. I have two sets of woodantique library card catalogue file drawerswhere I store recipe cards plus another setof wood drawers which a former neighbor,a wood worker, made especially for me.And yes, I use these index card recipes allthe time. I have a sticky variation of thepost-it notes with a blue tab sticking upwhich I then attach to any recipe cards Iuse very often so I can find them easily. Ofcourse the cards are divided and subdividedand further divided for easy finding. Sowhen Jennie suggested a column on salads, I went to “salads around theworld,”and picked out these for summer.

Bread Salad(4 servings)Italians call is panzanella; in Middle

Eastern countries, in Arabic, fatt means“crush,”and the Turkish suffix “ush”equalsfattush, particularly popular in Lebanon.Any kind of crusty, heavy, dense day-oldbread will work.

3 medium chopped tomatoes or16 cherry or plum tomatoes, halved3 kirby cucumbers, cut up, not peeled1/2 chopped red pepper1/2 chopped green pepper1/2 chopped another color pepper4 sliced green onions1/3 cup black olives3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro2 cups cubed bread8 chopped hard-boiled eggsDressing1/4 cup olive or canola oil2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar2 minced garlic cloves1 tsp. paprikasalt and pepper to taste

Three to four hours before serving in a jar,combine oil, vinegar, garlic, paprika, saltand pepper. Close with a lid, shake and setaside. In a salad bowl, combine tomatoes,cucumber, peppers, onions, olives andparsley. Add 1/4 cup dressing, mix andrefrigerate about 2 hours. One to two hoursbefore serving, add bread cubes and toss.

Refrigerate for half an hour. When readyto serve, sprinkle chopped eggs over saladand remaining dressing. Mix.

Why FaithMattersBY RABBI DAVID WOLPE

A word for a profoundly Jewish butoften disrespected profession: God blessfuneral directors.

As a rabbi, I have marveled for many yearsat the skill and care of funeral directors.My father, a rabbi in Philadelphia, wouldoften recount how his friend, JosephLevine, would care for those who werebereaved and frightened, and gently guidethem. I have seen the same care repeatedlyin my own years conducting funerals andmeeting with families who had suffered aloss. Death is the most sensitive time;when a funeral director is unkind, theresults are devastating. But day after day, amortuary worker must speak with familieswhom he or she does not know, and be warm without being cloying, caringwithout presuming too much, discussfinancial arrangements at a time when thefamily can barely add two and two.

Because my own synagogue has twocemeteries, I have seen this work up close.In the Jewish world we do not sufficientlysalute and applaud those who stand onthe emotional front lines day after day.They help usher us through our most difficult transitions, and most of them do it with heart and skill. God bless funeraldirectors. (From The New York JewishWeek 6-25-14.)

From his Facebook posts:“A child is an orphan when he has no

parents. A nation is an orphan when it hasno children.” The Rebbe of Ponevezh. Mayall the children of Israel be safe. ~ 7-1-14

The bodies of the three kidnappedyouths, Eyal, Gilad and Naftali, have beenfound north of Hebron. “For the thingwhich I greatly feared has come upon me,and that which I was afraid of has comeunto me.”(Job 3:25) Baruch Dayan Emeth.~ 6-30-14

Wolpe is the senior rabbi of Temple Sinaiin L.A., and author of Why Faith Matters. AAAA

Just before serving, add dressing andtoss.

*In Israel, we don’t have water chestnutsreadily available, so I substitute with cookedkohlrabi which is very available and veryinexpensive.

See Sybil’s bio on page 12. AAAA

July 2, 2014 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT 19

KAPLAN/BOOK(continued from page 17)

bombing on buses, in buildings and military operations.

Among the most amazing things is oneof the three appendices which lists 58organizations supporting terror survivorsand families. There is also a glossary and aselected bibliography at the end.

This is a very difficult book to read.Every story is upsetting and painful.Whether one has personally experienced aterrorist attack in Israel, is related to some-one or acquainted with a victim; whetherone visits Israel on a regular basis or hasnever visited Israel and has only heardstories or read about terrorist attacks andtheir victims – this is a book to read tounderstand the 12 qualities one may “cultivate to master any crisis”.

They struggle, confront and ultimatelyintegrate painful thoughts and emotions.

They adjust their future expectations tofit their new reality and focus on theimportant things in life. They call on theirinner strength, core beliefs and values.

They stay in control and do not fallapart. They are helped to move forwardwith strength gained from their past experiences and prior adversity. They arehelped by spirituality or grappling withfundamental existential questions.

They stay healthy and focus on theirbody image. They are creative, find the silver lining and give back, moving forward with action. They stay connectedand seek outside resources to help themsurvive rough times. They tell their storiesand make sense of their lives. They arehopeful, optimistic, and celebrate life.Theydiscover who they are. May we all learnfrom their misfortunes.

See Sybil’s bio on page 12. AAAA

j i j iZIMMERMAN(continued from page 11)

San Francisco, try to be in the City duringthis time to participate in the oldest and arguably the best Jewish film festivalin the world.

If not, take advantage of its year-roundprogramming, including a free short filmrotated monthly on its YouTube channel,https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL

80ADAAD046DCDEAB. If you can’t visitNorthern California this summer, you canalways view Jewish film in cyberspace,thanks to the San Francisco Jewish FilmFestival. The preceding is an unsolicitedplug for excellence in Jewish film.

Dr. Zimmerman is professor emerita atNotre Dame de Namur University (NDNU)in Belmont, Calif., where she continues toteach the Holocaust course. She can bereached at mzimmerman@ndnu.edu. AAAA

JACOBSON/KLEINER(continued from page 14)

unwisdom to invite ungracious and boringguests to her estate because congenialpeople do not provide the requisite behavioural conduct. The results of thisdecision are uproariously deployed acrossthe stage in a witty series of dialogues,monologues and expostulations. Don’tmiss this gem at The Shaw Festival.

Observant Jewish travelers to the Niagararegion will find many kosher products inNOTL’s Value Market, located at the eastend of the town’s main street, Queen. Thereare no kosher restaurants in the town but 20minutes away by car, in Niagara Falls,Ontario there is one pizza outlet at 6417Main St. – phone number 289-296-4000.The Chabad website in Niagara also containsvaluable information about kosher products. AAAA

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YaH! You have scanned me and discerned me;You know when I am relaxed or agitated.From afar,You comprehend my fantasies.You design my conduct and my repose;You direct my paths so I can manage.

Before my mouth opens,You know what I am about to say;You have shaped my past and my future,Your hand, gently on my shoulder.

All this awes my awareness;It is beyond my skills to fathom.

Whereto can I withdraw from Your spirit?Flee from facing You?

If I would mount up to Heaven –there are You.If I make my bed in Hell –You are there, too.

Soaring on the wings of the dawnto find shelter in the setting sun,it would be Your hand that would carry me,Your right hand, holding me safe.

If I want to find oblivion in darkness,trading light for darkness –to You, it would still not be dark.Night is as bright as day for You;Dark and light – the same in Your sight.

You have designed my innards,shaped me in my mother’s womb.

I am overcome with thanksat Your awesome wonders,Your astonishing works,of which my soul is aware.

My essence is not hidden from YouWho have made me in concealment,Who has knitted me beneath the surface;Your eyes have seen me as embryo.

My days are all inscribed in Your ledger;Days not yet shaped –each one of them is counted.

How precious are Your stirrings in me,O God!How powerful their impact!I can’t number them – beyond all sand grains.When I emerge from my reflection,I am still with You.

If You, God, would only rid us from our evil!If only the cruelty would disappear!And defiance of You vanish,Forgiveness overtaking enmity!

I detest hatred of You,YaH!Quarrelsomeness repels me;I loathe hostility to the utmost.

God! I open myself to Your scrutiny;know what is in my heart.Examine and know my longings;see and remove any defiance from meand guide me in the waythat serves Your intent for our Earth.

Reprinted with permissionfrom Reb ZalmanSchachter-Shalomi’sforthcoming Psalmsin a Translation forPraying, publishedPhiladelphia byALEPH: Alliancefor Jewish Renewal,258 Pages. $21. © 2014 RabbiSchachter-Shalomi.Available paperbound from Amazon.com, as an e-book from iTunes Books, and as two volumes of recordings from Amazon.com/mp3. Nook and Kindle versions forthcoming. AAAA

Psalm 139

BookExcerptBY REB ZALMANSCHACHTER-SHALOMI

20 The Jewish Post & Opinion – NAT July 2, 2014

1427 W. 86th St. #228Indianapolis, IN 46260

OpinionPost&The Jewish

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

US POSTAGEPAID

INDIANAPOLIS, INPERMIT NO. 1321

In our May 1, 2013 edition, we published the news story with photosfrom the first US planting of a saplingfrom the chestnut tree that stood outsidethe secret annex in Amsterdam whereAnne Frank was in hiding with family andothers during World War II. This plantingtook place inside the Anne Frank PeacePark in front of The Children’s Museum inIndianapolis on April 14, 2013 (photo left).

The tree had given hope to the 13-year-old who was cut off from the outsideworld from 1942–1944. In her diary shewrote,“(Peter and I) looked out at the bluesky, the bare chestnut tree glistening withdew, the seagulls and other birds glintingwith silver as they scooped through theair… ‘As long as this exists,’ I thought,‘thissunshine and this cloudless sky, and aslong as I can enjoy it, how can I be sad?’”Feb. 23, 1944.

In 2009 that 170 year old tree was dyingand many saplings from it were planted allover the countryside in Holland. TheChildren’s Museum in Indianapolisreceived saplings at that time but they hadto be in quarantine for three years beforethey could be planted. Even with the brutal winter this year, see how much thesapling (photo right) has grown in 14months?

On the back page of our last edition wasa photo of another sapling from that treeplanted at the capitol in Washington DCon April 30. Along with the other ninebeing planted at different locations in theUS, these growing saplings are a symbolthat we can thrive again after the worstgenocide in history.They demonstrate thattolerance can prevail over prejudice. AAAA

The Anne Franktree sapling oneyear later

Planted in the Anne Frank Peace Park outside The Children’s Museum in Indianapolis on April14, 2013 (photo left), this sapling is from the chestnut tree that stood outside the SecretAnnex in Amsterdam where Anne Frank hid with her family and others from 1942–1944.Although saplings from this tree have already been planted all over the countryside inHolland, this was the first one planted in the United States. (Photo right: June 12, 2014.)

On June 25, Rabbi Israel Zoberman offered the openingprayer at a session of the House of Representatives inCongress. He received this honor on the occasion of his40th Anniversary in the Rabbinate. L–R: Congressman ScottRigell (2nd District of Virginia), Rabbi Zoberman ofCongregation Beth Chaverim, Virginia Beach, Va., andSpeaker of the House John Boehner (8th District of Ohio).