Israel Turns 68 Jews and the Taming of America’s Wild … Tulsa to Israel: Children Helping...

Nissan / Iyar 5776May 2016

Israel Turns 68Jews and the Taming of America’s Wild WestFrom Tulsa to Israel: Children Helping Children

CONTENTS may 2016 • nissan / iyar 5776volume 87 • number 5

4 From the Editor

5 What’s Nu? News Briefs by Brian E. Brouse

5 Israel Turns 68 by Rabbi Charles P. Sherman

6 Midrasha Teens Travel to New York by Jenn Selco & Danny Kraft

8 May Community Events

12 Jews and the Taming of America’s Wild West by Louis Davidson

14 Twelve Tribes, New Paintings on display at SMMJA by Mickel Yantz

15 Touro Centennial Banquet at The Synagogue 16 Mazels 18 Muskogee Jewish soldier’s WWII letter, written on Hitler’s stationery, now in the Holocaust Museum by Phil Goldfarb

19 A United Effort by Heather Lewin

20 From Tulsa to Israel: Children Helping Children by Lillian Hellman

23 Butterflies

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6

18

12

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The world is theirs to explore.T h e a d v e n T u r e b e g i n s aT h o l l a n d h a l l.

HollandHall.orgFollow the journey on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HollandHall

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What’s Nu? News BriefsFedWorld reports from eJewish Philanthropy that “Slingshot ’16, the eleventh annual guide to North America’s most innovative Jewish organizations, has recently been released. The guide, a go-to resource for volunteers, activists, and donors looking for new opportunities and projects, will help ensure the Jewish community remains relevant and thriving. The organizations included in the guide are driving the future of Jewish life and engagement by moti-vating new audiences to participate in their work and responding to the needs of individuals and commu-nities—both within and beyond the Jewish community—as never before.” For the third year in a row, The Altamont Bakery has been listed. Even though it’s a commer-cial bakery enterprise, it is about building relationships between Congregation B’nai Emunah volun-teers and partner bakers from the Altamont Apartments and other mental health facilities in the city.

—FedWorld reports in eJewish Philanthropy that the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund has released a new report Beyond Fundrasing: What Does It Mean to Build a Culture of Philanthropy? A culture of philanthropy is one in which everyone—board, staff, and execu-tive director—has a part to play in raising resources for the organiza-tion. It’s about relationships, not just money. It’s as much about keeping donors as acquiring new ones and seeing them as having more than just money to bring to the table.

—Merrick Garland, a judicial moderate judge who is Jewish, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to be a Supreme Court Judge. There are currently three Jews and five Catholics on the Supreme Court. As of the time of this writing, his confirmation is pending.

—

FedWorld reports that The Jewish Agency, which is responsible for Jewish immigration to Israel, said 19 people had arrived recently from Yemen, including a rabbi carrying a 500-year-old Torah scroll. Some 50 Jews had chosen to remain in Yemen. Since 1948 over 51,000 Jews have immigrated to Israel from Yemen, most as part of Operation Magic Carpet in 1949–1950.

—Following the terrorist attacks in Brussels, the Jewish Federations of North America issued this state-ment: “Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Brussels today after their city was blindsided by a series of senseless and brutal acts of terror. We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms and reaffirm our support of the Kingdom of Belgium and its people. We call for a united international front to condemn these acts—and all acts—of terrorism of any kind. We send our thoughts and deepest sympa-thies to the victims of these attacks, their families, and the entire Belgian community during this difficult time.” The Brussels Jewish commu-nity scaled down Purim celebrations as they recovered from the attacks.

—FedWorld reports on an article by Lisa Klug in The Jewish Times: “A new retrospective at the Contem-porary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, Roman Vishniac Redis-covered, not only reveals how Vishniac influenced contemporary impressions of Jewish life in Eastern Europe, but also uncovers the full depth of his work, which includes European modernism, photo-graphs of New York City in the 1940s and pioneering color photo-microscopy—scientific photography through the lens of a microscope.”

—Compiled by Brian E. Brouse Compiler’s Note: Special thanks to

Jewish Federation of Tulsa Presi-dent Myron Katz for giving me this

opportunity during his presidency.

Israel Turns 68by Rabbi Charles P. Sherman

When we say the word “Israel,” the first thing that usually comes to peoples’ minds is the Jewish State. Actually the name of the

modern State of Israel was not a given. When put-ting together the Declaration of Independence of the new country, the founders debated what would be an appropriate name. There were a variety of op-tions, including Judea, Zion, State of the Hebrews, and State of the Jews. Zion was rejected because, according to the United Nations Partition Plan of the time, Jerusalem (Zion) and most of the Judean Hills would be outside the new state. Similarly, the argument was how shall we give the name Judea to a state that does not include Jerusalem and Hebron and leaves the Judean Hills outside its border.

In a meeting of the People’s Administration on May 12, 1948—just two days before the declaration of the State—on the subject of “deciding the name of the state,” the man who would become the coun-try’s first Prime Minister David ben Gurion said, “We have decided that the name of the state will be ‘Israel’ and if we add the name of the state then the ‘State of Israel.’ We will take a trial vote. Who is in favor of Yisrael (in Hebrew)?” The People’s Administration consisted of 13 members, 10 of whom attended that May 12 meeting. There were 7 votes in favor.

It was a well-considered choice because the State of Israel (Medinat Yisrael) was now linked to B’nai Yisrael (the Children of Israel), the Jewish People who share a common sense of family history, and to Eretz Yisrael, the land that has long been the object of Jewish hopes and aspirations.

As individuals we are Jews, collectively we are Israel, and the hopes we have for the Jewish State are linked to our historical connection to the land and our bonds to one another.

The way I have explained to my Phillips Theo-logical Seminary students and other non-Jews the ties American Jews have to Israel is that Israel is the old family homestead, a place which houses some of the family and is dear to the rest. It is the birth-place of the Jewish Bible and the site of supremely memorable incidents in Jewish history. It is a haven for fellow Jews after the agony of centuries of perse-cution. Israelis are our brothers and sisters, and world Jewry views them with family pride. The needs of Israel and Israelis are many, and Jews throughout the world have seen it as our respon-sibility to assist wherever possible.

May Israel’s 68th birthday be safe, secure, and joyous.

From the Editor

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May is yet another busy month for Jewish Tulsa. The month starts off with a flurry of activities that help us to remember and celebrate.

The Annual Interfaith Holocaust Commemoration is the first big event on the calendar on May 5. This annual event always draws a standing-room-only crowd, and this year’s event features Holocaust survivor Tomi Reichental, author of I Was a Boy in Belsen, who will share his story as he addresses the topic “Close to Evil.” The following week for two days in a row, our focus turns to Israel. With Yom Ha’Zikaron on May 10, we will gather together for Israel’s Remembrance Day for the fallen soldiers and victims of terror. The next night on May 11, we will move right into our Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration in honor of Israel’s 68th anniversary of independence. This year’s event includes an amazing Israeli dinner and special performance by Synopsis Israeli Dancing Group from Tiberias. Be sure to check out the calendar of events for all the other programs that are taking place in May by our wonderful Jewish community organizations.

Looking forward to early June, I do want to encourage all of you to mark your calendars now for the Jewish Federation of Tulsa’s Annual Meeting. On the evening of June 1, we will gather for the installation of new board members and officers. Board President Dr. Myron Katz will pass the torch to President-Elect Lori Frank. Your involvement is important—we are, after all, your Federation!

Another event you won’t want to miss is the performance of My Yiddishe Mamas—The Early Years on Sunday, June 5. This special show is a tribute and a love letter to the historic women entertainers who blazed the trail upon which creator, Rebecca Ungerman, now forges her career. Featuring Ungerman, Jennifer Paxton, and Machele Miller Dill, the music and stories of these song-slinging, Jewish women will delight audiences of all backgrounds and ages. The CSJCC has purchased a block of tickets at a reduced price of $15. Please contact Mindy Prescott at 918.935.3662 to reserve a spot.

I hope you can come to one or more of these great events during this month. Let’s join together and celebrate all the great things that are happening in Jewish Tulsa!

–Melissa

6 JEWISHTULSA.ORG JEWISHTULSA.ORG 7

Midrasha Teens Travel to New York

by Jenn Selco & Danny Kraft

Over spring break, 18 Jewish teens from Tulsa, Oklahoma headed east for a Midrasha travel experience to New York

City, with the goal of learning about the early American experience that three million Jews had between January 1882 and November 1954. Prior to the trip, we learned about the ancestors of some of our students who came through Ellis Island, made decisions about our itinerary, and actively read The Other Side of the Hudson: A Jewish Immigrant Ad-venture, a Kenneth Roseman Do-It-Yourself Adventure Book.

During our five-day and four-night stay, we visited four of the five boroughs of New York, walked the HighLine, learned the history of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and discussed current labor laws, visited an authentic recreation of a Jewish sweatshop worker’s apartment, sat in awe under the restored stained glass of the Eldridge Street

Synagogue, took photos with the Statue of Liberty, participated in a mock entry-screening at Ellis Island, soared to the top of the OneWorld Trade Center building, held a ceremony at the 9/11 memorial pools, saw the grave of Alexander Hamilton, met with the Manhattan BBYO regional board, were entertained by the Blue Man Group, learned about the history of bagels, tasted incred-ible donuts, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, saw Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway, enjoyed a wide variety of delicious kosher foods, and much more!

We especially want to thank the Jewish Federation of Tulsa Foundation, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the B’nai Israel Committee, Temple Israel, and Congregation B’nai Emunah for helping to fund this amazing opportunity for our students. Without the generous support of the community, this trip would not be possible. Our Midrasha teens look forward to future travel experiences where they can learn about Jewish history and life in other parts of the country.

Midrasha Students with Tess Primack from Fiddler on the Roof cast.

CELEBRATING OUR MIDRASHA SENIORS

Mazel Tov to the following Midrasha Seniors: Elie Benar-rous, Rachael Brodsky, Micah Cash, Amy Coretz, Brooke Dubin, Erik Haake, Taylor King, Nathan Levit, Jakob Mathews, Paige Rudd, Nathan Stolper, Dakota Suter, and Ben Wein-traub. May you all be blessed and continue to be well supported in all your future endeavors. We are all so proud of you! On behalf of the B’nai Israel Committee of Midrasha, please join us for Midrasha graduation when we honor our seniors and celebrate

the 2015–2016 year of learning at Congrega-tion B’nai Emunah on May 4 at 6:45 p.m. A

reception in honor of all of our students will follow.

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MAY COMMUNITY EVENTS

Jewish Federation of TulsaAnnual Interfaith Holocaust Commemoration • Thurs., May 5 • 7 p.m. • Tomi Reichental author of I Was a Boy in Belsen will share his story as he addresses the topic

“Close to Evil” as the featured speaker for the Tulsa Council for Holocaust Education’s 19th Annual Yom HaShoah/Interfaith Holocaust Commemoration at Temple Israel, 2004 E. 22nd Place. The public is invited to the free presentation, which is recommended for ages 12 and older. After the commemoration, Reichental will sign copies of his memoir which addresses his life before, during and after the Holocaust. Copies of the book will be available to purchase at the commemoration or may be purchased in advance at the Jewish Federation of Tulsa. Parking is limited at Temple Israel, but overflow parking will be available at Utica Square. For more information, call 918.495.1100.

Yom Ha’Zikaron • Tues., May 10 • 7 p.m. • Join us for Israel’s Remembrance Day for the fallen soldiers and victims of terror. Following the ceremony, will be a shira be’tzibur, an Israeli sing-along for the fallen soldiers. For questions about this event, contact Shiri at 918.495.1100.

Men’s Club • Wed., May 11 • Noon • A delicious lunch will be followed by our guest speaker Dr. Joel Spalter whose topic will be Israel Remembrance Day. Cost of the luncheon is $8. Please RSVP to Falisha at 918.495.1100 or [email protected] by noon, May 10.

Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration • Wed., May 11 • 6 p.m. • Join us at the Charles Schusterman Jewish Community Center to celebrate Israel Independence #68. This special evening includes a scrumptious Israeli dinner and special performance by Synopsis Israeli Dancing Group from Tiberias. Adults/$8, Children 12 & Under/$6. RSVP to Debbie at 918.495.1100.

Ladies Who Lunch • Mon., May 16 • Noon • Come enjoy pleasant conversation and great food at McNellies South City, 7031 S. Zurich Ave. Each person pays her own check. Please RSVP to Mindy @ 918.935.3662 or [email protected] no later than Fri., May 13.

Men’s Club • Wed., May 25 • Noon • A delicious lunch will be followed by our guest Speakers Adam Stewart and Karla Taylor from Saffa Pharmacy. Their topic will be “The Importance of Patient Relationships with their Pharmacist”. Cost of the luncheon is $8. Please RSVP to Falisha at 918.495.1100 by noon May 24.

My Yiddishe Mamas—The Early Years • Sun., June 5 • 2 p.m. • Tulsa Performing Arts Center—Norman Theater • This special show is a tribute and a love letter to the historic women entertainers who blazed the trail upon which creator, Rebecca Ungerman, now forges her career. My Yiddishe Mamas is a show about American music, the early days of Jazz and popular song, spanning the decades from the early 1900s to the 1960s. Featuring Ungerman, Jennifer Paxton, and Machele Miller Dill, the music and stories of these song-slinging, Jewish women will delight audiences of all backgrounds and ages. The CSJCC

has purchased a block of tickets at a reduced price of $15. Please contact Mindy Prescott at 918.935.3662 to reserve a spot.

The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art

Exhibit: Yom HaShoah Contest • May 5–May 22 • The 2016 Yom HaShoah theme will focus on the story of Tomi Reichental. Artworks can relate to Tomi’s story or to the broader theme of the Holocaust itself. The work of the 20 finalists of all the middle and high school students in the Tulsa area who are eligible to enter the contest will be displayed at the SMMJA.

50th Anniversary Party • Sun., May 15 • 10:30 a.m. Brunch/Noon Dedication • Museum members and donors are invited to celebrate the Museum’s 50th Anniversary at a special brunch. The day will also include a performance by the Tulsa Rock Orchestra and the dedication of the stained glass donated by Temple Beth Ahaba-Muskogee at 12:00 noon. Brunch RSVP required by contactingTracey Herst-Woods, 918.492.1818.

Exhibit: Jews Rock! • Now–June 24 • This exhibit features photographs of music’s Jewish icons through the lens of photojournalist Janet Macoska including: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Paul Simon, and more. Local memorabilia and programs showcases these famous careers and share their cultural background and musical influence on the music industry.

Exhibit: 12 Tribes • Now–Summer • This exhibit showcases paintings by Ft. Gibson artist Carla Weston who painted them after living on two different kibbutzim in Israel where she studied Hebrew, taught high school English during the Yom Kippur War, and survived a terrorist attack shortly after the war. Each painting uses Hebrew and symbolism juxtaposed for a unique modern effect.

Exhibit: Yaacov Agam • Now–Nov. 16 • We are happy to showcase the SMMJA permanent collection of Israeli sculptor and experimental artist Yaacov Agam. Best known for his contributions to optical and kinetic art, the museum has a variety of samples from various donors of Agam’s work that splash color and visual stimuli throughout the Sanditen Gallery.

Congregation B’nai EmunahSmart Conversations: Between the World and Me • Tues., May 3 • 7 p.m. • Every so often, a book comes along that demands public conversation. Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me is just such a work. Written as a letter to his adolescent son, these pages confront the notion of race in America and how it has shaped American history, many times at the cost of black bodies and lives. Join Rev. Ray Owens of Metropolitan Baptist Church, City Councilor G.T. Bynum, former YWCA CEO Felicia Collins Correia, and Booker T. Washington High School Student Micah Cash as they add to the local discourse on these essential topics. For details or more information call the Synagogue office or visit our website.

BiBi-DiBi: Babies+Blessings+ Dinner+Bedtime • Fri., May 6 • 6 p.m. • Very young children and their parents are invited to join us for another soft and cuddly Shabbat experience. Parachutes, rattles and toys sit at the center of our circle while parents and kids share in the blessings of a peaceful Shabbat. A delicious, kid-friendly Shabbat dinner accompanies this program. Please call our reservations hotline at 918.935.3373 or visit our website by Thurs., May 5, to reserve your spot on the floor.

Seventeenth Street Delicatessen • Sun., May 8 • 6 p.m. • A pop-up Jewish delicatessen in Tulsa, Oklahoma! House-cured pastrami, fresh-baked rye bread, half sour pickles—the only thing missing is the formica countertop. You’re hungry for this, and we’re ready to feed you. For $18 a person, fulfill the nostalgic longing of the Jewish people over a deli dinner. While we are already at capacity for our May event, visit tulsadeli.org today to reserve your spot in June. Come hungry, leave happy.

Shabbat for Everyone: Graduation Edition • Fri., May 20 • 6:15 p.m. Dinner/7 p.m. Service • Join in on The Synagogue’s school-end festivities at a special Shabbat service honoring graduates, students, and faculty. Services led by Klay Kodesh, our instrumental and vocal ensemble are the perfect way to enter the weekend and connect with family and friends. We prepare a lovely Shabbat dinner so you can relax. A joyful and lively musical service will brighten your evening, lift your spirits and send you singing into a restful weekend. No reservation is needed for the service, but please call our reservations hotline at 918.935.3373 or visit our website by Wed., May 18, to guarantee your place at the dinner table.

Centennial Touro Award & Banquet • Sun., May 22 • 6 p.m. • Congregation B’nai Emunah’s Board of Directors is honored to share that the 2016 Touro Award honorees will be all Past-Presidents over the last 50 years. Reservations may be made by calling the Synagogue Hotline at 918.935.3373 at a cost of $75 per meal. Members of the community are invited to signal their regard for our honorees in specially-designated contributions. Please call the Synagogue office at 918.583.7121 for details or to make your benefaction.

B’nai Emunah Preschool Graduation • Fri., May 27 • 10:30 a.m. • The Synagogue takes great pride in the work of our preschool, B’nai Emunah Preschool. School Director Shelli Wright and her staff have created a vibrant learning environment that is looked upon as one of the premier learning institutions in the city. Members of the community are invited to attend a graduation ceremony for our students who will continue their education in kindergartens across Tulsa next year.

Temple IsraelWomen of the Wall • Sun., May 1 • 10 a.m. • Learn about Women of the Wall, the international movement for equality at the Kotel, the wailing wall in Jerusalem, considered to be one of the holiest sites for Jews. The story raises questions about religious pluralism in Israel and speaks to the status of women in Israeli life. We will view excerpts from Praying in Her Own Voice, the powerful documentary by Director Yael Katzir. Rabbi Karen Citrin will share her personal experiences praying with the group, and we will discuss the recent resolution for the establishment of an egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall. Thank you to Sisterhood for promoting this program and providing snacks and coffee.

Sunday Morning Adult Education Series • Sun., May 1, 8, 15 • 10 a.m. • All are welcome to participate. Come enjoy a bagel and a good cup of coffee, and learn about interesting Jewish values and concepts with the Rabbis and guest teachers. Open to parents, grandparents, and other adults. Learn while the kids are in classes. The May 8 topic is: Kibud Av V’Em—Honoring Our Parents (aka Jewish Parenting 101).

Congregational Annual Meeting • Sun., May 1 • 7 p.m. • The Temple Israel Family will gather for its Annual Meeting. The Temple will elect new officers and trustees and will honor Mark Lobo, Dr. Gregg & Susan Woitte with the esteemed Amudim (Pillars of the Temple) Award. President Stan Kessler, Incoming President Lesley Bumgarner, and Co-Rabbis Karen and Micah Citrin will address the congregation. Temple volunteers will be recognized and blessed.

Shabbat Evening Picnic and Service • Fri., May 6 • 5:45 p.m. Picnic Dinner/6:30 p.m. Shabbat Service • Weather permitting, we will bring in Shabbat together outdoors for the first time this year. Bring your own picnic Shabbat dinner. Following the service, there will be a special Oneg to honor and thank Rabbi Karen, Rabbi Micah, Itai, and Yonah Citrin. All are welcome.

TGIS! & Jammin’ for Jerusalem • Fri., May 13 • 6 p.m. • Join us as we jam for Jerusalem! A savory Pre-Oneg starting at 5:30 p.m., followed by a joyful musical service for all ages featuring the TI Band, Choirs, and a May Birthday Blessing. Celebrate Israel and Shabbat! Then enjoy Shabbat dinner by Itzik Levin. RSVP for dinner and payment by contacting Jory at [email protected] or 918.747.1309 by Wed., May 11.

Shorashim End of the Year Celebration • Sun., May 15 • 9:30 a.m.–Noon • Our religious school spent our year learning about Middot and Mitzvot: Holy Values, Holy Deeds for You and Me. We’ll wrap up the year with a memorable Middot and Mitzvot Macabbia! Enjoy games and learning, special study with Rabbi Karen and Rabbi Micah for parents, a joyful communal song session, and a delicious lunch celebration beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Confirmation Shabbat Service • Fri., May 20 • 7 p.m.• Temple Israel will confirm five students. Mazal Tov to Gracie Arlan, Ava Bumgarner, Charlotte Bumgarner, Lance Lehman, and Matthew Stolper. Share in the celebration of Confirmation as our 9th & 10th grade students affirm their commitment as lifelong students of Torah and lead the congregation in festive prayer and song. The students will share inspiring reflections about their connections, followed by a special Oneg in their honor.

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Jews and the Taming of America’s Wild Westby Louis Davidson

Early jewish pioneers were more than stereotypical ped-dlers, merchants, and bankers. They were gold prospectors,

cowboys, lawmen, ranchers, and enter-tainers. This hardy lot went out west on horseback and covered wagon; some took the long, roundabout southern route by sailing ship, braving the treacherous waters of Cape Horn, or crossing the Isthmus of Panama, where they fell prey to malaria and hostile tribes before taking ships back up the Pacific coast.

First, just where and when was the Wild West? In 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition set out from St. Louis, Missouri, seeking a practical route to the Pacific Ocean. Most of the lands east of the Mississippi River and the previous French territory, Louisiana, had been explored while the vast prairies and mountains to the west were largely unex-plored and uninhabited by Caucasians. St. Louis, on the west bank of the Missis-sippi near its confluence with the Ohio and Missouri rivers, was the westernmost large city (population 1,200). Lewis & Clark’s mission to explore the area that lay beyond defined it as the Wild West. As well as being an area, it was an era of settling and taming lawless lands that

began with Lewis & Clark’s return in 1806 and stretching until 1912 when Arizona became the last west-of-the-Mississippi contiguous state to join the Union.

Jewish merchants and tradesmen were crucial to western settlement as it was their mercantile establishments which were often the catalyst, turning a remote crossroads with little more than a bar and stable into a thriving town. “So successful were the Jewish pioneers that by 1900, there wasn’t a single settlement west of the Mississippi of any significance which had not had a Jewish mayor. This includes Deadwood, Dodge City and Tombstone,” according to historian Kenneth Libo, co-author of We Lived There, Too, an illus-trated collection of first-person accounts by Jewish immigrant pioneers.

It was Tombstone’s O.K. Corral that was the location of the shootout between Sheriff Wyatt Earp and the Clanton clan. While the gunfight is famous, a lesser known tidbit is that it was the romantic rivalry over Earp’s common-law Jewish wife, Josie Marcus, which led to the show-down. Josie was born in Brooklyn to a family of Prussian immigrants who later moved to San Francisco. In her early teens, the rebellious Josie rejected her life of ease and wealth in San Francisco, where she received a Jewish education, and ran away to the gold rush in Tombstone, Arizona. She was “an incredible beauty,” remarked

Wyatt’s friend, Bat Masterson.In 1848, the first synagogue west of the

Mississippi was established in St. Louis. Less than half a mile from the huge conti-nent-dividing river, the United Hebrew Congregation wasn’t very far west. The 1848 California Gold Rush kick-started settlement in towns such as Sacramento, Stockton, and San Francisco. The West’s next four synagogues were built in those cities between 1852 and 1854. The first acting rabbi on the west coast was Leon Dyer who served Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco in 1849–50 before it had a synagogue building of its own.

Dyer was a colorful character in his own right. Born in Alzey, Germany, he immigrated with his parents to Balti-more. Self-educated, he worked in his father’s beef-packing business (the first in America and Kosher, no doubt). When the great Baltimore bread riots broke out, Dyer was elected mayor and soon restored order. Later, as quartermaster-general of the State Militia of Louisiana, he personally fought in Texas’ struggle for independence from Mexico. Becoming a major in the Texas forces, Dyer was active in clearing bands of plundering Mexican troops from West Texas. When captured Mexican General Santa Anna was taken to Washington, it was Dyer who accompanied him. In 1848, then Colonel Dyer, crossed the mountains and plains to California where he employed his rabbinic training by establishing Congregation Emanu-El before returning to Baltimore two years later.

While their numbers were relatively small, Jews played an outsized role in

the settling and development of the Wild West. My mother’s uncle, a German Jewish immigrant, arrived in Taos, New Mexico with only five dollars in his pocket. There he began a small trading post and ran mule teams of goods across the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to Las Vegas, New Mexico. His business thrived to become one of the largest mercantile firms in New Mexico. Not far away, Albuquerque’s first mayor was a Prussian Jew named Henry Jaffa. The iconic name of Levi Strauss belongs to the German-Jewish immi-grant who opened a dry goods business in San Francisco in 1853. He made tents for the gold prospectors but struck gold himself with the riveted denim pants that still bear his name. These Jewish pioneers didn’t limit themselves to their roles as territorial merchants and ranchers; they were active in community affairs and state building.

Where the Jews went, cities grew and synagogues were built. Only ten pre-1912 synagogue buildings still exist west of Louisiana and the Mississippi River. Seven are in actual use as synagogues. All may be viewed inside and out at www.syna-gogues.org. Together they are the last visible remains of the Jewish Wild West.

The most senior of this distinguished club is actually in Canada. While not generally visualized as the Wild West, Pacific coast Canada is west, was wild and it did have its own gold rush. It has the distinction of having the oldest contin-uously-active synagogue building on the North American continent: Congregation Emanu-El of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, dedicated in 1863 and featured in Tulsa Jewish Review, March 2016.

The port city of Victoria was the first substantial settlement on the British Pacific Coast, even before the Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858 made it a major trans-portation and supply hub. From its earliest days, the synagogue had very prominent congregants such as Canada’s first Jewish mayor, the first Jewish Member of Cana-dian Parliament, and Canada’s first Jewish judge. More than half of the funds neces-sary for the building’s construction was donated by non-Jews, a measure of the high esteem in which the small Jewish community was held. The fine red brick Romanesque-style synagogue serves Victoria’s Jewish community to this day.

Most of the Wild West synagogues were either constructed from wood in the carpenter Gothic style or red-brick

Victorian style. A notable and unusual exception is Rundbogenstil-style Ahavath Beth Israel of Boise, Idaho completed in 1896. Literally meaning “round arch style,” Rundbogenstil was created by German architects seeking a German national style of architecture. It was particularly appropriate for the Boise Jewish congre-gation whose founders were primarily from Germany and central Europe. They came by way of the Oregon Trail following the 1864 discovery of gold. Accentuated

“eyebrows” over neo-Gothic arches and exaggerated eaves overhanging simple façades characterize this aesthetic which was employed in many synagogue designs. This year Ahavath Beth Israel celebrates 120 years of continuous use as a synagogue.

German-born Nathan Appel, Arizo-na’s first known Jewish settler, in 1856 followed the Santa Fe Trail to the terri-tory’s new capital, Tucson. He fathered ten children, was sheriff, saloon owner, and wagon train leader. By 1886, a Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society had formed,

but it was not until 1910, two years before statehood, that the territory’s first syna-gogue was built in Tucson. Distinctly different in architectural style from the Wild West’s other synagogues, Temple Emanu-El has outsized Rundbogenstil features with a Southwestern-Spanish flair. It has been described by University of Arizona historian R. Brooks Jeffery as “an eclectic blend of stylistic elements, including the symmetrical facade and triangular pediments of the Neoclassical, the squat towers and arched openings of the Romanesque and the pointed domes common in Moorish architecture.” Today the building serves as the Jewish Heri-tage Center of the Southwest, reflecting the growth and relocation of the Temple Emanu-El congregation.

Visiting the Wild West’s remaining synagogues, you may not find rabbis wearing woolly chaps or gold prospec-tors wrapped in tefillin, but you will find warm welcomes and a fascinating history.

Beth IsraelSan Diego, CA

Congregation Emanu-ElTuscon, AZ

Ahavath Beth IsraelBoise, Idaho

Ahavath Beth IsraelBoise, Idaho

Congregation Emanu-ElSan Francisco, CA


Twelve Tribes, New Paintings on display at SMMJA

by Mickel Yantz, SMMJA Director of Collections and Exhibitions

Carla weston had everything planned. It was 1973, and she was traveling to Israel to learn Hebrew. She arrived at the kib-

butz, and then everything changed. Egypt also had a plan to travel to Israel, but not on the same friendly terms as Weston. The Yom Kippur War began on October 6 with a massive and successful Egyptian cross-ing of the Suez Canal. The kibbutz on which Weston was staying survived a ter-rorist attack shortly after the war began. The teacher she had planned to study with left, but Weston didn’t. Weston graduated with honors in English and fine arts, and finished her graduate studies with an M.A. in comparative literature. Weston wanted to help, so she started teaching English to the locals during the war. While she was

there, she created drawings that inspired her based on the history and culture. One of those topics was the 12 Tribes of Israel. These drawings continued, and she kept them as she returned back to the US.

Years later while raising her children, Weston decided it was time to take those drawings and make them into full size paintings: one painting for each tribe. The paintings are very stylized and juxtapose Hebrew characters with a symbol of the tribe, whether it’s a deer, lion, or a loaf of bread. The color treatment is unique to each one, yet as a group, beautifully work together to share a balance of cool and warmth. Below each painting is a label with the exact verse describing the tribe from the Book of Genesis.

I visited with Carla as she toured the museum. “The one painting that’s dear to my heart would be the Naphtali. When I started painting this series, I was raising my three children. The oldest was four, my daughter was two, and I had a newborn. I had finished painting the Naphtali, but I wasn’t very happy with the coloring. Soon after that, I had talked to my kids and told them that I really needed their help to get these paintings done. What I meant was that I needed them to give me some time alone to paint. What I didn’t know was that

my two-year-old daughter took the advice very literally. She took her crayons and just went to town coloring on top of the finished Naphtali painting.” Laughing, Carla continued: “I guess it was exactly what

I needed, because I repainted it and the colors came together wonderfully. If you x-rayed the painting, you would probably see my daughter’s drawings underneath it.”

Weston currently lives in Oklahoma with her husband, two dogs, and two quarter horse mares. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, trail riding, and competing in team penning and sorting events. Her paintings are on display at The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art throughout 2016 and are now a part of their perma-nent collection.

Gad by Carla WestonAcrylic

Photo by SMMJA

Naphtali by Carla Weston Acrylics

Photo by SMMJA

Touro Centennial Banquet at The Synagogue

Fi f t y y e a r s o f vol -unteer leadership. The challenging work of building a congregation. Men and women

who have risen to the occasion. All of this will be celebrated in May at Congregation B’nai Emunah’s 2016 Touro Awards Banquet. Named for American philanthropist Judah Touro, the event will honor the twenty-one presidents who have served the Synagogue since 1966, the last time the congregation officially saluted

its highest office-holders. Sched-uled for Sunday, May 22, at 6:00 p.m. the event will begin with a dinner by noted restauranteur

James Schrader of the Palace Café and in-clude photographic glimpses from the lives of the Synagogue’s leaders. The highlight of the evening will be an ensemble theater piece entitled “Minutes,” featuring some of the thrilling gains and poignant losses of a congregation navigating the second half of the twentieth century and beyond. Honorees at the banquet include Curtis Green, Howard Alexander, Dr. Marcel

Binstock, David Charney, Brian Brouse, Jack Zanerhaft, Stacy Schusterman, Tom Adelson, Dr. Jamie Cash, Dr. Leor Rou-bein, Jolene Sanditen-Stephens, and Craig Silberg. The legacies of Dr. Manuel Brown, A.H. Eichenberg, Charles Jacobs, Ed Cohen, Joseph Pertofsky, Charles Goodall, Ron Kriegsman, Sidney Brouse, Scott Foreman Zarrow (all of blessed memory) will also be honored. Chaired by Molly Berger and Terry Marcum, this year’s banquet is an of-ficial Centennial Event, part of the congregation’s year-long celebration of its hundredth anniversary. Every month since October, 2015, B’nai Emunah has celebrated its founders, looked closely at its early history, published new volumes of commemoration, and added to its cu-linary legacy. The program will continue throughout the summer and fall with ar-chival exhibitions, a commissioned song cycle, multi-media installations, and the publication of Synagogue’s liturgical innovations, then culminate in a con-gregational gala on December 11, 2016.

Along the way, B’nai Emunah will share a book of personal essays on the meaning of Jewish life in Tulsa, the experience of bar and bat mitzvah at the Synagogue, and a large-scale Lego model of the Synagogue. Current President Craig Silberg and Immediate Past-President Jolene San-diten-Stephens have undertaken the fundraising portfolio for the centen-nial edition of the Touro Banquet. “We hope that people will honor their family members and friends,” Craig said. “Our centennial year is a good time to strength-en all of Jewish life in Tulsa.”

Judah Touro, himself, was a rare combination of devotion to the cause of early American Jews and broad-minded concern for the community at large. To this day, many public institutions in New Orleans bear his name and the imprint of his philanthropy. His unselfish giving continues to inspire and challenge us long after the century in which he lived.

Banquet reservations can be made by calling the Synagogue Hotline at 918.935.3373 or returning the reserva-tion card sent to the entire community. Guests may also go online to make their plans at www.tulsagogue.com. Those who would like to share each other’s company at a banquet table are invited to express their preferences as soon as possible.

Touro Banquet Chairs: Terry Marcum, Molly Berger,

Jolene Sanditen-Stephens, and Craig Silberg

Questions? Contact Shiri at 918.495.1100

Jewish Federation of Tulsa presents

YOM HA’ZIKARONIsrael Remembrance Day Ceremony for the fallen soldiers and victims of terror

Tuesday, May 107:00 p.m. at the flagpoles

Charles Schusterman JCC

Followed by shira be’tsibur...Israeli sing-along for the fallen soldiers


Bat Mitzvah: Lexi Sotkin

Alexi Hart Sotkin is a seventh grade honor student at Jenks Middle School taking advanced

placement courses with a goal of studying Forensics in her future. She enjoys volunteering at B’nai Emunah Sunday School with the tots which fills a special place in her heart, as well as participates in Midrasha to continue her Jewish lifestyle. She participated competitively in gymnastics and power tumbling in which she has placed first and second in State and first in Regionals. She also enjoys golf, tennis, surfing, and spending time with her family and friends. Lexi has a deep compassion for animals and has adopted Lia, the dog who won her heart. Alexi is the daughter of Michele Sotkin and Jason Sotkin and sister of Reid. She is the granddaughter of Albert and Robbie Selkin of Norfolk, Va. and Steve and Jeanne Sotkin of Brevard, N.C. Alexi has been studying with Greg Raskin and is thankful to him for his time and continuous encouragement. She had her Bat Mitzvah at B’nai Emunah on April 16, 2016, and celebrated with her many friends and family, many of whom traveled across the country to share this Mitzvah with her.

Bat Mitzvah: Luci Bode

Lucianna Bode is the daughter of Brian Bode and Brenda Harvey and the step daughter

of Erin Bode. She is the sister of Sera, Maddy, Kaylee and Sofie. Luci is the granddaughter of John and Klara Bode of Tulsa and Claudia Harvey of Haskell and Harry Harvey of blessed memory. She celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at Temple Israel on Shabbat Acharei Mot, April 30, 2016, which corresponded to 22 Nissan. Luci is in the seventh grade at Carver Middle School. Luci likes to read, paint, talk with friends, and hang out with family. For her Mitzvah project, Luci is collecting canned foods for the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. Luci is especially grateful to Rabbis Karen and Micah Citrin, Cantor Faith Steinsnyder, Jenn Selco, and her parents for helping her to prepare to become a Bat Mitzvah.

Bar Mitzvah: Itamar Achiasaf West

Itamar Achiasaf West, son of Benjamin and Shiri West, will have his Bar Mitzvah at Congregation

B’nai Emunah on May 14, 2016. Itamar arrived from Israel with his parents for his mother Shiri’s work as the Jewish Agency Shlicha for the Tulsa Jewish community. Itamar is a man of various cultures, having been born in Canada, brought up in Israel, and living in Tulsa for three years now. Itamar is a seventh grader at Thoreau Demonstration Academy. His passions include playing baseball, reading in both Hebrew and English, and spending time with his friends from school and from the Jewish community. He also enjoys tennis, skiing, and music. Itamar loves all animals, especially his cat and dog, and will be volunteering for the La Fortune Animal Shelter this summer. He is a committed camper at Greene Family Camp in Texas and is an active student at Midrasha and helper at B’nai Emunah’s Sunday School. But most of all, Itamar loves to meet, learn from, and interact with people and build community. He listens and shares with those around him, and is always willing to open his heart to everyone he meets.

Bar Mitzvah: Aaron Cook

Aaron Robert Cook, son of Miriam and Melissa Von Aschen-Cook, brother of Alexander

Cook, and grandson of Nancy Rosen, will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah at Temple Israel on Shabbat Behar, May 28, 2016 which corresponds to the 20 Iyyar, 5776. Aaron is a seventh grade student at Carver Middle School, a talented artist, and competitive swimmer. For his mitzvah project, Aaron is collecting donations for and requesting hours of service at Tulsa SPCA. Aaron is especially grateful to Rabbis Karen and Micah Citrin, Cantor Faith Steinsnyder, Jenn Selco, and his parents for helping him to prepare to become a Bar Mitzvah. Please join the VonAschen-Cook family for Shabbat services at 10:30 a.m. A Kiddush luncheon will follow the service.

Mazels This Month’s AdvertisersThis publication is brought to you each month thanks to the support of our

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Muskogee Jewish soldier’s WWII letter, written on

Hitler’s stationery, now in the Holocaust Museum

by Phil Goldfarb

Da n n y jaco b s o n wa s a 26-year-old Army sergeant, thousands of miles away from his hometown of Muskogee,

Oklahoma, when he penned a four-page letter to his wife back in the states.

World War II was winding down, Hitler had committed suicide six days earlier, and half a dozen administrative clerks from the 179th Infantry had set up shop in a Munich apartment. One of those clerks

was Jacobson, the son of Samuel and Anna Jacobson, owners of The Globe Clothing Company in Muskogee. But this wasn’t just any apartment. It was one of Adolf Hitler’s many German residences, where he had lived with his longtime companion Eva Braun. And the off-white stationery Jacobson used for his letter? Hilter’s very own. It included the Führer’s name and the Nazi swastika printed on the top left corner.

“Dearest Julia,” wrote Jacobson in a tidy script on May 6, 1945, “And so, Hitler’s treasured stationery has come to this. Imagine how many times he would turn in his grave if he knew a Jew was writing on his precious personal stationery.”

The almost seven-decades-old letter is now a part of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. How it got there, after being kept in obscurity until 2014, is the tale of a committed son and a doting family who persuaded a 95-year-old man that this missive was worth attention.

Still, the retired jeweler can’t under-stand what the fuss is about. According to an interview in 2015 with the Miami Harold, Jacobson stated, “I don’t get it,” sitting in the tidy livingroom of the sunrise apartment he shares with his third wife, Joy. “It’s just a letter. I must’ve sent 20 others on that stationery.”

This one, however, survived. His son Joe Jacobson, a thoracic cancer physician and chief quality officer at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, donated the letter and an early 20th century Rosenthal statu-ette, both souvenirs Jacobson took from Hitler’s living quarters, to the Holocaust Museum in 2015.

“I had held onto the letter for the past 20 years, pretty much out of sight all that time,” the younger Jacobson said. “But I realized the letter was an artifact, and I was afraid it would get lost somehow. I was nervous about holding on to it.”

The letter is rich with the telling details of a soldier’s daily life. Written to a woman he had married a month before shipping out, it has a light tone and a hopeful message as he describes Hitler’s personal quarters as relatively untouched in a city that had been bombed “beyond repair.”

In the first page, he calls the Nazis “the Supermen of the world … a very defeated and broken people.” He characterizes the weather as “warm enough to get along without a heavy jacket” and gushes about a stack of five letters he had received from her.

He also writes about the mundane: “Uncle Sam gave us another typhus shot yesterday morning; he’s certainly taking care of his boys.” And he closes in the loving fashion of a young newlywed:

“Loving you forever sweetie.”Teresa Pollin, a curator at the Holo-

caust Museum, says history comes alive with these personal mementos. The letter is now being treated by museum

A United Effortby Heather Lewin, Director of

Development and Community Relations

At this time of growing unrest and uncertainty in our world, it is comforting to remind ourselves that a single posi-

tive action from one individual can have a ripple effect. You have the power to Do good everywhere. From anywhere. And because we are all in this together as a Jewish community, you don’t have to try and do it alone.

We officially kicked off the start of our 2016 Tulsa Jewish United Fund Campaign with an evening of learning and discussion with OU Schusterman Visiting Professor, Dr. D. Gershon Lewental. An engaging and informative speaker, sharing his deep and personal connection as an Israeli, Dr. Lewental demonstrated one of the many benefits of supporting Campaign—keeping Tulsa’s connection to Israel alive and vibrant. If you were unable to attend, know that there have been several requests for Dr. Lewental to return!

Watching participants smiling and enjoying themselves was a warm reminder of what makes our center special. As we see our local families becoming part of the soci-etal trend of parents, kids, and grandkids living miles and miles apart, our bond as a community is more important than ever. It is with that in mind that I hope 2016 will mark the launch of a special effort to rebuild and revitalize interest in Campaign, the many good works of Federation, and the

wonderful programs offered at the CSJCC. I am pleased to inform you that this

renewed energy can already be seen in the number of eager volunteers who made calls on Super Sunday, raising thousands of dollars more in pledges than last year. Also, we are welcoming back to Campaign members of our community who are choosing to give once again—responding to our written appeal—to join this united effort to do our part as Tulsa Jews in repairing the world.

For these efforts to continue indefi-nitely, we need to look to the future, to the Jewish legacy each one of us hopes to leave behind for future generations of Tulsa Jews. We already know being a Jew here is special; in the coming months, we will continue a community discussion on the different ways to ensure that will always be the case. Making a Planned Gift enables you to be present forever.

Community Development is not just about raising money. It is also a charge to help ensure our future by encouraging participation, to give people a sense of ownership and pride in our amazing facility and events.

We hope you will attend this year’s JFT Annual Meeting on June 1. With the installment of a new Federation President, Lori Frank, and new board members (plus a few other surprises—STAY TUNED!) your presence at this meeting—and at all things Federation—is important. Join us.

To volunteer for/give to the Tulsa Jewish United Fund Campaign, contact Heather Lewin at [email protected] or 918.495.1100.

conservators, but no decision has yet been made about where or when it will be displayed. The staff is working on an exhibition of Americans in the Holocaust.

“This seems like it would fit in very well with that.”

She says the first line of the letter says it all. “It’s quite unusual and ironic that he, being a Jewish solder, is using Hitler’s stationery.”

Jacobson, who was drafted in the fall of 1940, worked mostly as an administra-tive clerk during the war, following his division through seven major campaigns from Africa to Italy to France to Germany. When he and his fellow soldiers were given the order to go to the apartment building in bombed-out Munich, he had no idea they would be walking around Hitler’s living quarters.

“When you’re in the Army, no matter what your position, you do whatever they tell you to do,” he says. “And wherever we went, we took our rifles with us.”

Once in the apartment, which had been obviously abandoned in haste, Jacobson realized where he was but didn’t consider it a big deal. “At that particular time it didn’t hit me that I was in this special moment in history,” Jacobson adds. “We were just doing our job.”

The wife he had written to was living in her hometown of Baltimore with her mother, a sister, and two cousins. The couple had met because their fathers were good friends. “It was somewhat of an arranged marriage,” Joe Jacobson says.

That marriage lasted more than 30 years, until Julia died of cancer. Together they would raise two children—Joe and his older sister, Joyce Fox of Sarasota— and build a successful jewelry business in Baltimore.

Jacobson retired shortly after Julia’s death. He remarried, and the daughter of his second wife was the first to discover the letter among other war mementos. She had it framed in the 1970s, but Jacobson paid little attention to it. Finally, in the early 1990s, he gave his son the letter.

At the museum in Washington, curator Pollin believes the letter holds special significance in these times, when European Jews are again facing rising anti-Semitism. “A letter like this,” she says,

“shows that justice prevailed. One has to hope that it will again.”

Phil Goldfarb is the President of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Tulsa. His e-mail address is: [email protected].

Danny Jacobson holds a photo copy of a letter written on Adolf Hitler’s stationery with a photo of himself

as a young soldier in World War II. He found the stationery in an

abandoned apartment in Munich.


From Tulsa to Israel: Children Helping Children

by Lillian Hellman, Director, Mizel Jewish Community Day School

It is a mitzvah to send gifts (Mishloah Manot) to one another during Purim, but this year, the custom took on an international and collaborative role,

encompassing both Tulsa and Israel. Eighth grade students and teachers

from Carver Middle School visited Tibe-rias, Israel during Spring Break, as part of Tulsa’s Partnership2Gether Program. Earlier in the year, a group of Israeli students and their teachers had visited Tulsa, and the bonds of friendship were established. But what started as just an exchange of some middle school children, soon blossomed into an amazing expe-rience for many more students in Tulsa and Israel.

Alin Avitan, the Hebrew and Judaic Studies teacher at both Mizel Jewish Community Day School and B’nai Emunah Religious School, came up with the idea to have our students send the tzedakah money that is collected at the respective schools, to purchase gifts for the pediatric ward at the Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Poriya, Israel. Our

students created beautiful Purim cards for the patients, and the Carver students delivered them to the hospital along with $300 from Mizel and $300 from B’nai Emunah.

But it did not stop there. Our sister schools in the Tiberias area, including Kadooire School, Nofarim, and Har Nof, were also brought in to participate in this amazing project, thereby strengthening the bond between our students and our countries.

Teaching the mitzvah of giving is an important Jewish value, yet it can be a rather abstract concept for children to internalize. But seeing the photos of the doctors, nurses, patients, and students next to stacks of toys that would bring cheer to sick children, made the signifi-cance of our gift a reality.

In a conversation with the Israeli teachers, Alin shared her excitement and satisfaction with the results of this successful educational exchange. She said,

“Because of experiences like this, we realize the reason we go into teaching.”

Jewish Federation of Tulsa’s

#68YOM HA’ATZMAUT CELEBRATION

Wednesday, May 11 at 6:00 p.m. Sylvan Auditorium Charles Schusterman JCC

Israeli dinner with choice of favorites such as bourekas, shwarma, falafel, salads & desserts!

Featuring a special performance by Synopsis Israeli Dancing Group from Tiberias

Adults $8 / Children $6 / Please RSVP to 918.495.1100

Matthew Ozment, O.D., Dipl ABO

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General FundFROMLaurie & Bob BermanJoan & Curtis GreenFrieda GrossbardMyrna LubinJoseph SecanBessie SpeyerSusan SurchevBarbara & Dave SylvanMaxine Zarrow

BIRTHDAYMarvin Robinowitz

IN MEMORYBob GolanFay GoldmanMarjorie LubinAlexander UrbanBorry WarsawBobbye Wimp

Wellness FundFROMDebbie MoutsosNancy SiesRodney Strain

Butterflies Honoring Donors to the Tulsa Jewish Retirement & Health Center

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Before

After

After

Jewish Federation of TulsaAnnual Meeting

Save the Date

Wednesday Evening - June 1, 2016Barbara & Dave Sylvan Auditorium -

Charles Schusterman JCC

Installation of New Board Members and Officers,

including President-Elect Lori Frank

More information? Call 918.495.1100 or [email protected]

This Yom HaAtzma’ut, celebrate red, white, and blue.

AFMDA Midwest RegionCari Margulis Immerman, Director

3175 Commercial Avenue, Suite 101 Northbrook, IL 60062

Toll-Free 888.674.4871 • [email protected]

Magen David Adom, Israel’s largest and premier emergency medical response agency, has been saving lives since before 1948. And supporters like you provide MDA’s 27,000 paramedics, EMTs, and civilian life guardians — more than 90% of them volunteers — with the training, equipment, and rescue vehicles they need. So as we celebrate Israel’s independence, make a difference in the health, welfare, and security of the Israeli people with your gift to MDA. Please give today.

THE TULSA COUNCIL FOR HOLOCAUST EDUCATION AND TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY PRESENT

19th Annual Yom HaShoah: An Interfaith Holocaust

Commemoration

CLOSE TO

EVILF E A T U R I N G

TomiReichental

7 p.m. Thursday, May 5

Temple Israel 2004 E. 22nd Place

Parking is limited at Temple Israel, but overflow parking is available

at Utica Square.

In 1944, 9-year-old Tomi Reichental was deported from his native Slovakia to the notorious Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. After the war, Tomi eventually settled in Ireland, where he married, had a family and never spoke of his ordeal. Since breaking his silence, Tomi has come close to evil in the form of one of his former SS guards and forged an unusual friendship with the granddaughter of a man who played a role in the murder of 35 members of his family.

Tulsa City-County Library will provide a mobile library at the commemoration. Please bring your library card to check out the books and other resources.

The Holocaust Commemoration is sponsored by the Tulsa Council for Holocaust Education (a committee of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa) and the Tulsa City-County Library. Call the Jewish Federation of Tulsa at 918-495-1100 for more information.

THE TULSA COUNCIL FOR HOLOCAUST EDUCATIONS P O N S O R E D B Y

Israel Turns 68 Jews and the Taming of America’s Wild … Tulsa to Israel: Children Helping...

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Transcript of Israel Turns 68 Jews and the Taming of America’s Wild … Tulsa to Israel: Children Helping...