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25 of Adar II, 5774March 27, 2014

Volume 11 :: No. 5

Celebrating 11 Years in Central Ohio

see CHICKS page 2

Bubbe Misehs

“Fluffy Chicks”By Bebe Lavin

As spring is approaching, the Easter eggs in various forms of candy appear in the stores. So do marshmallow chicks which bring to mind the live chicks that appeared during the spring seasons of long ago.

At this time of year, my father would bring home six or seven fluffy yellow or white live baby chicks. We would keep them warm in the space under the stove in our walk-up apartment. The old-fashioned white stove stood on six strong steel legs. The chicks were fed, and they thrived. Sometimes they ran about on the kitchen floor. Each year the day would come that when my brother and I returned home from school and checked for the chicks beneath the old stove’s space, the space was bare.

Our dad had taken the chicks to a farm way out in the country. All of this happened for several years running. Each year we named the chicks, and I wrote a story about them. I no longer have the childhood writings, but I do have the memories. Today, a very senior adult, I once again write about the adorable little chicks.

It also happened that my father twice brought home a puppy. Cookie was a fox terrier and Shellie was a cocker spaniel. We kids were thrilled each time. Two factors explained their short stay in our one bedroom apartment. My mother was very afraid of dogs. And the apartment building owners prohibited pets in the building. Once again, after a week or two, my father went to a farm way out in the country where he brought the pups. Of course, once again, I do not have the childhood writing but do have the memories.

Many years later, my husband, I and our three children lived in a house with a nice yard. Over the course of the years, we had two dogs, April and Carmen. April, an Airedale, was our first dog. She was with us for about 12 years. After she died, a few months later we bought Carmen, also an Airedale, who was with us for 10 years. They were wonderful dogs, and we loved them. And by the way, our decision to buy Airedales was based on several factors. One was we wanted a big dog that was good with children. And second, the dogs had to

By Jerry Silverman and Steve Gutow

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

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

Semitism.The BDS movement aims to isolate and

punish Israel, using the same techniques applied to apartheid South Africa. Not hesitating to misrepresent facts and ignore context, these Israel bashers take advantage of ignorance and naïveté within civil society circles, mostly in Western Europe, to advance their anti-Israel agenda.

BDS advocates view the situation in the

West Bank through a one-way lens, seeing only a single perspective. They cite, for example, the security checkpoints that make life difficult for Palestinians but conveniently overlook the reasons for those checkpoints. They ignore the fact that hurting Israel’s economy would also hurt Palestinians who earn their livelihoods

CATCO-CATCO Is Kids Announce 2014-15 Season: 30th Anniversary Highlighted by Collaborations with Central Ohio Arts Groups

Gallery Players, SRO, Opera Columbus and Columbus State Community College Theatre Department, are among the central Ohio arts organizations that CATCO and CATCO is Kids will collaborate with during their 30th anniversary 2014-15 season, which will also include the world premiere of a new play written by Columbus playwright Herb Brown.

“We can think of no better way to celebrate CATCO’s 30 years of bringing professional theatre to central Ohio than to collaborate with other arts organizations in our community and produce a world premiere of one of our community’s most revered and celebrated playwrights” said

Steven C. Anderson, CATCO’s producing director. “All of our collaborations make this a not-to-be-missed season.”

Brown’s new play, The Final Table, is a historical-based comedy that profiles five former presidents – Eisenhower, Nixon, Johnson, Harding and Truman – in a high-stakes poker game.

It will be presented April 8-26. CATCO presented Brown’s highly acclaimed play, You’re My Boy, about the contentious relationship between Nixon and Eisenhower during the 2005-06 season.

C o n t i n u i n g CATCO’s trend of summer musical programming, the season opens July

23-Aug. 10 with David Yazbek and

Beating Back the Assault on Israel’s Legitimacy

see CATCO page 2

By Barbara Abel Topolosky

It has been a tough winter in Columbus, Ohio, especially for people and families that are homeless. The YWCA, built in 2005, could

only accommodate 50 families. By 2008, they were flooded with 150 families. Since that time, the need has dramatically increased. According to the Columbus Shelter board’s website

(http: www.cbs.org), over the last three years, homelessness has grown by 14 percent among single men and

Temple Israel and Tifereth Israel Congregants Perform a Mitzvah

see LEGIT page 11

Bar/Bat Mitzvah & Wedding Guide

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPermit #36

Miamisburg, OH 45342

CATCO favorite Ken Erney (center) will return to the CATCO stage in December again at Ebenezer Scrooge in Patrick Barlow’s new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Dec. 3-21, 2014. Photo credit: Dave Alkire

see MITZVAH page 9

2 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

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CHICKS FROM PAGE 1match a few of our human family traits, i.e., curly hair and big feet. My husband even carpeted April’s doghouse. For real!!

After a horrendous winter weather wise this year, hopefully, spring is just around the corner.

Today no one would likely consider having baby chicks kept inside a dwelling. And stoves no longer rest on steel legs with space beneath the structure. Also, there are no pets in the apartment, only pet memories. And here’s a story

about them all these years later. Bebe Lavin has written the

Bubbe Misehs column for many years. If you have a bubbe miseh

(grandmother’s tale) you would like to share, contact Bebe at:

bebe@thenewstandard.com.Also send your comments, both

yea and nay, to the same e-address or greet her in Kroger’s, the Bexley Library, etc.

Jeffrey Lane’s smash Tony-award nominated musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which highlights the antics of two conmen living on the French Riviera. It will be followed Oct. 22-Nov. 9 by My Name is Asher Lev, a new play by Aaron Posner, adapted from the novel by Chaim Potok, about the conflict between tradition and passion. It will be co-produced with Gallery Players.

For the holidays, Dec. 3-21, CATCO will present a revival of A Christmas Carol, a new adaptation by Patrick Barlow, featuring CATCO favorite Ken Erney once again in the title role as Scrooge.

CATCO will produce Feb. 4-22, in association with Opera Columbus, Master Class, a play by Terrence McNally, which treats the audience to a master class taught by opera sensation Maria Callas. The season will close with the off Broadway sensation

Murder for Two, music and lyrics by Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair, respectively, May 22-June 14. Dueling pianists will star in this marathon musical murder mystery.

At CATCO is Kids, formerly known as The Phoenix Theatre for Children, the season will open with Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet’s Revenge of the Space Pandas, first produced on the CATCO stage in the early days at its original Park Street Theatre. The play will be produced in association with the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, Davis Performing Arts Programs, at the Columbus Performing Arts Center. Next up will be A Christmas Carol, which is also part of the CATCO season.

During Jan. 16-25, CATCO is Kids will bring P.D. Eastman’s classic to the stage with Go, Dog, Go! It will be followed by Anderson’s

adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book produced in association with Columbus State Community College March 6-15.

The children’s season will end May 1-10 in a co-production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice with SRO in association with the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, Davis Performing Arts Programs.

“We’re excited to collaborate with our theatre colleagues at SRO and Columbus State to bring a mixture of theatre – musicals, classics and contemporary works – that will delight our young theatre fans and their families, said Joe Bishara, CATCO associate producing director.

New subscriptions for the 2014-15 at CATCO range from $69 to $195 per person for the six-show season. At CATCO for

Kids, subscription prices are $60 for adults for the five-show season and $40 for children. S u b s c r i p t i o n renewals begin March 28, 2014; new subscriptions

will be processed beginning May 27.

Flex Ticket subscriptions are available for $210, a minimum of six tickets at $35 each.

Single ticket prices are $11.50 for $11@11 matinees; $30 for Thursday performances; $41 for Sunday performances; and $45 for Friday and Saturday performances. For more information, visit catcoistheatre.org. Single ticket sales for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the season opener, begin June 16, 2014, with a special $25 ticket offer.

CATCO’s 30th season is sponsored by support from The Ohio Arts Council, which helps fund the theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, education excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. CATCO also appreciates the support of the Herbert Peterson, Nina B. Pohlman, and Grace K. and Robert L. Rohe Funds of the Columbus Foundation, assisting donors and others in strengthening our community for the benefit of all of its citizens, and the Greater Columbus Arts Council, supporting the city’s artists and arts organizations since 1973.

CATCO FROM PAGE 1

Kfar SabaShir 2gether

Columbus

Columbus is in for a Jewish musical extravaganza. The Galron Ensemble from Israel will be appearing at Temple Israel on April 8. This group will provide excellent Israeli musical entertainment.

Joining them on stage will be the OSU Symphonic Choir, the MeshugaNotes, an acapella group from OSU Hillel; Koleinu, the

Jewish community choir; and a youth choir made up of young singers from synagogues and the day schools.

The event committee includes Cindy Leland (chair) Gail Rose, Cantor Jack Chomsky, Susie Blank, Eran Rosenberg, Cantor Bat-Ami Moses and Alice Fleishman Levitin

For more information contact Lior Abarbanel, Community Shaliach-labarbanel@tcjf.org.

The Jewish Federation of Columbus and the partnership2gether Committee Program

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4 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

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24 of Adar II 5774 - March 27, 2014

Bar/Bat Mitzvah & Wedding Guide

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 5

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TheStandardPublications.com

24 of Adar II 5774 - March 27, 2014

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6 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

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For many brides and grooms, the ketubah signing that precedes the veiled walk down the aisle has a bit of mystery about it. They may not be sure exactly what the ancient Aramaic text says, but the signing ceremony sets just the right air of solemnity as a prelude to the veiled walk down the aisle.

Some couples who do read the text carefully encounter a document that seems at least mildly chauvinist, with the husband taking an active role and the wife only consenting to become his wife. Although some couples decide to write their own egalitarian ketubah and forego the traditional document, many decide

to also have a standard ketubah. Donna Frieze, a convert to Judaism,

had an additional kosher ketubah to ensure the legality of her marriage. “Later in life,” she said, “we don’t know if we or our children would want to go to Israel and if there would be any question about our marriage.”

Despite concerns by feminists with the male-oriented language of the ketubah, the document originally developed as an insurance policy to protect the bride if the marriage ends -- either through divorce or death of the husband.

T h e m o s t fundamental role of the ketubah, said Rabbi Yosef Blau, spiritual advisor at Yeshiva University, is to elucidate the responsibilities and obligations a husband accepts in a marriage. According to Maurice Lamm’s the “Jewish Way in Love and Marriage,” the ketubah specifies that the husband is setting aside 200 silver zuzim, called a mohar, that will be paid to the bride in the event of his death or a divorce.

The husband also agrees in the ketubah to support his wife with

food, clothing, and “other necessary benefits,” which the Talmud defines as satisfactory conjugal relations.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs, a Conservative rabbi who was ordained in 2003, maintained that a ketubah can express greater mutuality and still be in consonance with Jewish law. Using as a basis for her ketubah a document created by Rabbi Gordon Tucker and posted, with commentary, at www.ritualwell.org, Rabbi Jacobs and her husband Guy Austrian expressed mutual responsibility for each other in their ketubah: “The groom and bride also agreed of their own free will to work for one another, to honor, support, and nurture one another, to live together as a family, and to create their home in love, companionship, peace, and friendship as befits the sons and daughters of Israel.”

The traditional ketubah also lists two additional transfers of property. One is the bride’s dowry, or nedunya, of silver, gold, valuables, clothing, and household furnishings, which the groom accepts in the sum of 100 zuzim. The second is an additional 100 zuzim, called tosefet ketubah, that the groom provides as a wedding gift to the bride. In the Sefardic world, the tosefet ketubah is often a negotiated sum that is specified in the currency of the land.

The groom must secure these monetary obligations with a lien on his property: “I take upon myself and my heirs after me,” reads the ketubah, “the surety of this ketubah, of the dowry, and

Commitments Made When Signing Traditional Ketubah

see KETUBAH page 9

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 7

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Columbus & Ohio 724 of Adar II 5774 - March 27, 2014

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The modern American bar mitzvah, it is, by its very nature a meeting (at times a collision) of vastly different worlds. Carefree Jewish childhood meets responsible Jewish adulthood. Meaningful religious ceremony meets glitzy secular celebration. Ancient Jewish tradition meets 21st century excess. With so many polarities at play, it’s no wonder that focusing on the mitzvah instead of the bar (food, salad and otherwise) is among the defining challenges of modern Jewish parenthood.

And if we parents find it tough to remain centered when it comes to our children’s Judaic rites of passage, our kids find it that much tougher. In fact, if our budding b’nai mitzvah had their way, they’d likely skip the ceremony altogether and dive headfirst into the party!

Still, just as we make sure our kids eat a balanced dinner before letting them dive into dessert, it’s our parental responsibility to help them maintain a healthy bar/bat mizvah mindset. The following suggestions will help ensure your child has a chance to savor the spiritual meat and potatoes of his or her bar or bat mitzvah ceremony; and that the hot-fudge sundae of a follow-up party remains exactly what it’s meant to be - a sweet treat at the end of a yummy and nourishing journey.

Have a Family Focus SessionA few months out of your child’s big

day, before crunch-time sets in, sit your crew down for a pre-simcha pow-wow. Talk about the significance of becoming a bar/bat mitzvah (the official kick-off of a Jewish child’s lifelong obligation to study Judaism, embrace its beliefs, practice its customs, and obey its laws) and what it means to your child and family in terms of personal and spiritual growth. Discuss the history of this core Jewish ceremony and how fortunate we are to be living in a place and time when we can freely and openly celebrate it. (Should you need a bit of help on this front, Eric Kimmel’s “Bar Mitzvah: A Jewish Boy’s Coming of Age or Bat Mitzvah: A Jewish Girl’s Coming of Age” present the religious, cultural and historical aspects of the bar/bat mitzvah in a lively, kid-friendly way.)

Create a list of what you hope your child and family will take away from the bar/bat mitzvah experience (i.e. Jewish commitment, lasting family memories, appreciation and reverence for our beautiful, longstanding traditions). Spend some time talking about the outcomes you consider less important (i.e. hosting a five-course meal for business colleagues). Finally, come up with a game plan for staying focused on those elements that matter most to you and your family. (Tip: You may want to type up a list of your family bar/bat mitzvah goals and hang it prominently in your home just in case you need a little reminder as things progress…)

Perform Some Pre Bar-Mitzvah Family Mitzvot

What better way to keep the momentum going from your family focus session than with some familial acts of gemilut chasadim – acts of loving kindness?! Not only will turning your crew into a mitzvah brigade benefit others, it will keep your family on the spiritual track as they coast into the big weekend – and far beyond.

Try to organize mitzvot that reflect the bar/bat mitzvah child’s interests. If your son is a nature lover for example, go to a local park and pick up litter; or plant some flowers for an elderly neighbor. If your daughter is an avid reader, go door to door collecting gently used books to donate to

underprivileged children. Families of artsy kids can create cheerful get well cards and bring them to a local hospital, while those of animal loving kiddies can volunteer for the morning at a local animal shelter (heads up though - this particular act of gemilut chasadim landed me a high-maintenance - albeit very cute - lab/something mix).

Call your local Jewish Family Services for specific volunteer opportunity in your community or visit www.pointsoflight.org , a Washington DC based volunteer center national network.

Bring the Parsha to LifeThe main event of the bar mitzvah

ceremony is a Jewish child’s first crack at reading from the Torah; a shining moment at which the bar mitzvah symbolically receives the holy scroll, just as the nation of Israel did thousands of years ago. Considering the momentousness of the occasion, a child’s bar mitzvah parsha will forever hold a special place in his heart. (And if the moment alone weren’t enough to forge an intimate connection between the bar mitzvah kid and his portion, those hours spent writing the D’var Torah and months of tedious trope practice are sure to seal the deal!) We would be amiss, therefore, not to seize the opportunity to bring to bring this nugget of Jewish text to life for our child and family.

Begin by breaking out a translated copy of the child’s portion and reading your it aloud in English. Spend some time reflecting on the biblical events of the week and discuss how they might relate to modern day life. If your child is still having trouble connecting with the text, track down a copy of “Tell it From the Torah” (Simcha Media) by Gedalia Peterseil where you’ll find kid-friendly Torah translations, parsha-related activities and even biblical jokes and humor. Or tap into your dramatic side by performing a humorous parsha-inspired skit from “Sedra Scenes” (Behrman House) by Stan J. Beiner.

There’s also a growing trend toward integrating the bar/bat mitzvah Torah portion into the evening celebration. Find innovative ideas for achieving this text/party connection in “Mitzvah Chic” (Fireside) by Gail Anthony Greenberg.

Take a Stroll Down Memory LaneAmong the fundamental components

of the bar/bat mitzvah is the notion of l’dor v’dor, the passing of Jewish ritual and responsibility from generation to generation. In this sense of continuity – of being embedded in longstanding tradition - we have, perhaps, our most powerful means of keeping our children grounded throughout the bar mitzvah process. When we place excessive focus on party planning, however, pouring our energies into an over-the-top blowout that seems to pronounce our child the epicenter of the universe, we quickly lose this precious sense of connection with past and future generations.

We can bring our kids (and ourselves) back into the l’dor v’dor frame of mind by sharing memories of our own bar or bat mitzvah. So unearth those dusty photo albums, reminisce with your kids about that grumpy bar mitzvah tutor, or try reciting your own Torah or Haftorah portion once again. All these things help our children grasp that they aren’t just living in the moment; that they are part of a multimillennial chain of Jewish people - of something much bigger and grander than any party could ever be.

Helping Kids Maintain a Healthy Bar/Bat Mitzvah Mindset

8 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

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Editorial & Opinion8 24 of Adar II 5774 - March 27, 2014

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Since her son was younger than many of his friends, Gail Anthony Greenberg had a chance to see lots of b’nai mitzvah ceremonies and parties.

As her son’s own day approached, she knew she wanted something more meaningful than the “Groundhog Day syndrome,” an uninspiring repetition with nothing special to separate one event from another.

”MitzvahChic: A New Approach to Hosting a Bar or Bat Mitzvah That Is Meaningful, Hip, Relevant, Fun and Drop Dead Gorgeous” — Greenberg’s self-published contribution to b’nai mitzvah literature — was “born out of necessity,” she said. There were no books that addressed her concerns so she wrote one in an attempt to incorporate spirituality into the post-service parties.

The title “came to me in a dream,” she said of her desire to mesh reverence and spirituality with the fun of what is, after all, still a birthday celebration.

“You can do both,” she said. “And when you put it all together, it’s glamorous and fun,” she said.

Greenberg, who attends a Reform congregation near Philadelphia, has a different slant on “themes” for b’nai mitzvah. She suggests incorporating the Torah portion and mitzvah project into the party as well as the child’s interests. Working with the last aspect alone, she says, “doesn’t always satisfy on an emotional level. Let’s not just keep doing Hollywood, shopping [or] themes that aren’t that personal.”

She shuddered over one staple of b’nai mitzvah parties. “The candle-lighting

ceremony is excruciating to sit through and dismissive of too many people. You need to honor people all through the ceremony and service.” She advocates making all guests feel “treasured,” not just close relatives and friends.

The goal of a MitzvahChic event, she writes, is “to create the emotional connections that allow everyone present to enter the family’s joy.”

Sadly, she realizes, many adults are “afraid to stray from the formula. I know there’s a world of people out there who will never go in this direction.”

While much of the book deals with the multiple aspects of planning the party, Greenberg devotes much space to the “Basics of the Service,” and even has a chapter “For the Non-Jewish Parent.”

A companion Web site (mitzvahchic.com) offers dozens of additional suggestions and links and features a forum where visitors can ask questions. One of the most heartrending, she said, came from a woman who had not been expected to live to see her son become a bar mitzvah. Would it be okay to talk about that in her speech, the mother wanted to know.

“That was the first time I realized I wasn’t just fooling around giving party ideas,” Greenberg said. “There are really big issues. It gave me a very serious feeling about how much respect and deference I needed to show, not just how to decorate for a hockey theme.

“People are recognizing that enough’s enough — this event has got to evolve in a more satisfying, yet fun, way.”

Bar/Bat Mitzvah: Mixing the Sacred with the Inane

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of the additional sum, so that all this shall be paid from the best part of my property, real and personal, that I now possess or may hereafter acquire.”

In the notes to Rabbi Tucker’s ketubah, which Rabbi Jacobs described as “the bare minimum of what you need halakhically,” he claims that the only obligatory elements of the ketubah are the mohar and the lien it engenders. Concerning these monetary payments, added Rabbi Jacobs, “they are part of a ketubah, but it is not necessary to specify how much.”

Rabbi Tucker included language to allude to both the mohar and the lien on property: “The groom and the bride also accepted full legal responsibility for the obligations specified here, as well as for the various property entering the marriage from their respective homes and families, and agreed that the obligations of this ketubah may be satisfied even from movable property.”

The standard ketubah, despite its formulaic nature, is required for every Orthodox marriage. Because the standard ketubah does not require a husband to grant his wife a religious divorce and a get, Blau supported the idea of a bride and groom signing, in addition

to the ketubah, a separate prenuptial agreement -- also to protect the bride in case of a divorce.

Although the Orthodox community is committed to the existing ketubah document, whose language come from the Mishnah, Blau said he has no problem with a bride and a groom making additional agreements and commitments, as long as they do not controvert Jewish law.

When Rabbi Jacobs and her husband got married, they did not want to have two ketubot, but rather one ketubah that satisfied both Jewish law and their own values. “We wanted something that to our standards was halakhically acceptable,” she explained, but also egalitarian.

Using Rabbi Tucker’s ketubah and adding to it three additional paragraphs of a more personal nature enabled Rabbi Jacobs and her husband to have a single ketubah, something that is often not true for couples Rabbi Jacobs has married. If they have written their own ketubah, but not in a way that satisfies Jewish law, she requires them to have an additional kosher ketubah -- even if it is a computer printout that will go in a safe deposit box after the ceremony.

KETUBAH FROM PAGE 6

women and by 65 percent among families.

When the situation became dire, The Columbus Shelter Board reached out to various organizations in the community. Two Jewish synagogues answered the call: Temple Israel and Tifereth Israel.

At Temple Israel, Senior Rabbi Misha Zinkow, asked congregant, Paula Kaufman, to coordinate the program. Cantor Jack Chomsky recruited Taylor Pressler Vydra.

“I figured it was possible. I started to find out how to go about doing this. I got in touch with the Shelter Board Outreach Coordinator…I received a grant from the Lurie Family Grant program…We had many volunteers come forward. Rabbi Zinkow was very confident that volunteers would come forward. Elaine Tenenbaum, Executive Director, was also enthusiastic and helped with logistics,” explained Kaufman.

The rabbi was correct. More than eighty people have participated in the program since January that runs one week each month. Drivers are needed to pick up people from the YWCA center, so they can sleep at the Temple. When morning comes, drivers are needed to take them back to the YWCA.

On a recent evening, five young mothers and their bright- eyed little children arrived at Temple Israel at 8:15 p.m. The main objective was to have a snack and get ready for bed. The children didn’t seem tired, but the young mothers looked like they were ready for sleep. Since it was the last day of their stay, they had their blankets and pillows situated. The

kids played, colored in coloring books provided by the congregants, had a snack and finally got ready for bed. It was lights out at 9:30 p.m. When they woke up at 6:00 a.m., they readied for the day.

Several of these young mothers have jobs, are going to school to learn a new skill and are preparing to get into their own apartments. Others are still seeking employment.

Tifereth Israel’s congregants also actively participate in helping the overflow from the YWCA. It’s been going on since February and will continue this April. The same routine goes on at their synagogue. They are able to accommodate two families at a time.

“It is such a wonderful and rewarding experience. I’ve been hearing back from all the people who volunteered that they were inspired by the people that they met, “said Taylor Pressler.

“Theoretically this is the last time we’ll need to do this. The Columbus Shelter Board has a new large facility opening later this spring that will accommodate many more people,” said Cantor Chomsky. It’s not certain when this opening will occur, so it’s not too late to participate.

Chomsky also expressed a sentiment that many feel. “We hope and pray and work toward ending homelessness in our community.”

To donate and participate contact:Paulakaufman@insight.rr.com or w w w . s i g n u p g e n i u s . c o m /

go/10C094AA8AF28A3F58-April 1Tayor.pressler@gmail.com

MITZVAH FROM PAGE 6

10 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

24 of Adar II 5774 - March 27, 2014

Tel Aviv will permit a limited number of grocery and convenience stores to stay open on the Sabbath and holidays.

The municipality’s City Council approved an amendment on Monday giving the stores the go-ahead, but the country’s Interior Ministry also must approve.

It is illegal in Israel to open retail businesses on the Jewish Sabbath, which begins at sundown on Friday and ends after sunset on Saturday.

“We mustn’t turn this issue into a religious war,” Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said during council debate on the issue, according to reports.

Huldai also said, “The principle that led to this bill is keeping the Tel Aviv spirit, one that cares for the Shabbat as the day of rest, as a social value in the Jewish State, and also allows for the provision of services and the freedom for everyone to use this day of rest as they wish.”

Haredi Orthodox Councilman Rabbi Naftali Lubert said the vote was “a black day,” Ynet reported, and called those who voted for the amendment “traitors.”

Last June, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality to enforce a by-law that bans its businesses from opening on Saturday.

The high court ruled that the municipality and two large supermarket chains violated the municipal by-law

against opening on the Sabbath. The court suggested the city could change the by-law to allow businesses to remain open on Saturday.

The owners of the small shops claimed they were losing customers to the chains that could afford to remain open on Saturday and absorb the modest fines levied for their transgression.

Tel Aviv Allowing Some Stores to do Business on Shabbat

Tel Aviv allowing some stores to do business on Shabbat

Tel Aviv will permit a limited number of

grocery and convenience stores to stay open on the Sabbath and holidays.

The municipality’s City Council approved

an amendment on Monday giving the stores the go-ahead, but the country’s Interior Ministry also must approve.

It is illegal in Israel to open retail businesses on the Jewish Sabbath, which begins at sundown on Friday and ends after sunset on Saturday.

“We mustn’t turn this issue into a religious war,” Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said during council debate on the issue, according to reports.

Huldai also said, “The principle that led to this bill is keeping the Tel Aviv spirit, one that cares for the Shabbat as the day of rest, as a social value in the Jewish State, and also allows for the provision of services and the freedom for everyone to use this day of rest as they wish.”

Haredi Orthodox Councilman Rabbi

Naftali Lubert said the vote was “a black day,” Ynet reported, and called those who voted for the amendment “traitors.”

Last June, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality to enforce a by-law that bans its businesses from opening on Saturday.

The high court ruled that the municipality and two large supermarket chains violated the municipal by-law against opening on the Sabbath. The court suggested the city could change the by-law to allow businesses to remain open on Saturday.

The owners of the small shops claimed they were losing customers to the chains that could afford to remain open on Saturday and absorb the modest fines levied for their transgression.

Tel Aviv Allowing Some Stores to do Business on Shabbat

Gardenswartz Takes the Stage to Beat Bullying

Sitting through his eighth-grade assembly as a police officer spoke of the dangers of bullying, Jacob Gardenswartz thought there had to be a better way to teach these important lessons.

“I got the idea to really make it incredible so kids would stay engaged and wouldn’t tune out,” said Gardenswartz, now a senior at the Francis Parker School in San Diego.

He set out to recruit other young actors, mostly from his friends, and formed Theater of Peace: The Beyond Bullying Experience, a performance of short, interactive skits that educates elementary, middle and high school students about bullying.

A group of eight or nine actors meets weekly for rehearsals and performs once or twice a month at schools around San Diego, said Gardenswartz, who also serves as a director alongside an adult director.

The ensemble tackles issues related to racial, religious and sexual orientation intolerance and discrimination, as well as domestic abuse, eating disorders and cyber-bullying. In the four years since its inception, Theater of Peace has performed at over 200 assemblies and reached more than 2,000 students across the city.

“Bullying is not a black-and-white issue in my mind,” Gardenswartz said. “It is something that every student has had some interaction with. Our program targets the bystanders. We say that we turn bystanders into upstanders, to stand up for their friends and classmates.”

Last month, he received the Peter Chortek Leadership Award, which recognizes San Diego Jewish high school students who demonstrate excellence in community service and leadership.

Gardenswartz said that he hopes to start a club for Theater of Peace on whatever college campus he attends in the fall and perform the program at schools in that local community.

For now, he is proud of the impact that Theater of Peace has made in San Diego: “As

long as we’ve helped even one student, we’ve succeeded.”

Gardenswartz recently shared with JTA his biggest social justice influence, most meaningful Jewish learning experience and how he likes to celebrate his favorite Jewish holiday.

Who or what have been the biggest influences in your life?

My family, they are incredible and have always been very supportive. They believed in me and helped create a strong background in social justice.

Can you share with us a meaningful Jewish experience that you have had so far?

My sophomore year I attended the ADL’s Manhigim Institute and learned about combatting anti-Semitism and advocating for Israel. It was great to further my Jewish education and learn about intolerance and also apply it to my program.

What’s your favorite Jewish holiday?I love Passover. I love tradition and the

family component. We put on little Passover plays. It’s very fun. We’re theatrically inclined.

If you could have lunch or coffee with anyone and tell him or her about Theater of Peace: The Beyond Bullying Experience, who would it be?

Beyonce!What do you think you want to be doing

when you “grow up” or would like to be doing professionally in perhaps five or 10 years?

I’m not sure yet. I like everything and have not completely made up my mind yet. I’m interested in seeing what works and what doesn’t.

What sort of things do you like to do to have fun?

Hang out with my friends, utilize the beaches in San Diego, go to plays and concerts, and being involved in my school and local community.

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 11

Celebrating 5 Years of Award-Winning Journalism in Central Ohio www.thenewstandard.com

LEGIT FROM PAGE 124 of Adar II 5774 - March 27, 2014

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from Israeli-owned businesses.BDS backers don’t bother to protest the

many countries that have horrific human rights records, instead singling out the world’s only Jewish state, often based on false or misrepresented information.

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

With calls for BDS escalating in the mainline Protestant churches, on college campuses and elsewhere, Jewish community leaders realize that the situation calls for more than an ad hoc approach: Local communities need a strategic approach with national support and coordination.

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

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

Experience and research demonstrate that what works best with these audiences — mostly made up of political and religious progressives — is not an all-good-vs.-all-bad characterization of Israelis and Palestinians. Instead, a more nuanced narrative is the one that is likely to defeat the one-sided and hostile stance of those seeking to delegitimize Israel.

This means honestly conveying the situation’s complexity, expressing empathy for suffering on both sides (without implying

moral equivalency) and offering a constructive pathway to helping the parties move toward peace and reconciliation based on two states for two peoples.

Whether we are dealing with a boycott of Israeli academic institutions adopted by the American Studies Association or an attempt to remove Israeli products from a Brooklyn food co-op, the most effective opponents of these initiatives are the people who travel in those circles.

While we in the organized Jewish community should not remain silent in the face of Israel’s delegitimization, we should strongly support and accentuate the efforts of these third-party validators who share our values and viewpoints. The 247 (and counting) universities and colleges that have denounced academic boycotts generally — and academic boycotts of Israel specifically — are just such validators.

It is not enough to only expose the true goals of the boycotters and their allies. Israel’s supporters must also go on the offensive and drain the swamps of ignorance that allow the poisonous ideas of the Jewish state’s opponents to incubate. Thus, we are taking the initiative to inoculate vulnerable politically progressive sectors, presenting a more factual perspective on Israel and taking prominent leaders to the region to see the real situation firsthand.

The Israel Action Network, of course, does not work alone in this arena. On a daily basis, numerous organizations stand up for Israel. Through the IAN, JFNA and JCPA are working together to convene around a common strategic planning table not only our affiliates but also a range of other North American, Israeli and European groups in order to share best practices and coordinate our collective resources in confronting this global danger.

There is no imminent threat to the critical and broad North American support for Israel. But American support for Israel is not something to be taken for granted in light of the organized campaign we now face. While should not be panicked, we cannot be complacent either. We pledge to continue to work hard to prevent any erosion of that support.

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

12 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

24 of Adar II 5774 - March 27, 2014

The National Council of Jewish Women will install Debbie Hoffmann of Beachwood, OH as President and Susan C. Levine, of Lyndhurst, Ohio as Treasurer at the organization’s 46th National Convention March 8, 2014. The delegates will join with nationwide members to celebrate the organization’s 120th anniversary in St. Louis, Missouri. The convention will lay out policy and advocacy goals for the 2014-2017 term, elect officers, and honor national leaders making a difference on issues of concern to NCJW.

“As we look towards the future of NCJW, I am heartened by the new wave of leaders taking a stand for women, children, and families, “said Hoffmann. “We are united in our beliefs and efforts for social justice in our communities and nationwide. Moving forward, we have a strong new initiative against one of today’s hidden evils, sex

trafficking, and we will continue our work to protect women’s reproductive rights, and safeguard civil liberties.”

Hoffmann previously served as NCJW Treasurer, National Commissioner, and on the Board of Directors. She has served on numerous committees while a board member and as President of NCJW, Cleveland Section. Hoffmann also chaired the Diabetes Partnership of Cleveland. She is currently a trustee at the Cleveland Jewish News Foundation.

Levine added, “For 120 years, NCJW has never backed away from its core values, social justice for women, children, and families, and has always been unafraid of tackling the unpopular, unrecognized issues, often inspiring others to join in the fight. Today, we face sex trafficking and attacks on reproductive rights. In the next triennium,

we will continue our longstanding tradition of advocacy, helping to shed light on these issues and effect real change.”

Levine has also served as President of NCJW, Cleveland Section and National Commissioner. She was the Vice Chair of the NCJW Washington Institute and is currently a National Board member. She was a member of the Granting Committee for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Northeast Ohio Affiliate and is currently President of the Cleveland Jewish News Foundation Board and serves on the University Hospital’s Ahjua Leadership Council.

The convention will lay out the organization’s plans for combatting human trafficking and continuing the fight to protect women’s reproductive rights. Attendees will participate in a conversation on human trafficking with Bradley Myles, CEO of the

Polaris Project, Malika Saada Saar, Special Counsel on Human Rights at The Raben Group, Holly Austin Smith, a survivor of child trafficking and an advocate against all forms of human trafficking, and Kimberly Ritter, an executive at Nix Conference & Meeting Management who spearheads the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) trafficking initiative, which is dedicated to combating child sex trafficking on hotel properties; and “Feminist Voices for Change” — a dynamic panel of women across different generations and disciplines who discussed the role of modern-day progressive social change leaders.

Additionally, NCJW will honor Jezebel Founder Anna Holmes, Military Sexual Assault Litigator Susan Burke, abortion rights activists Dr. Julie Bindeman and Dana Weinstein, and later abortion provider Dr. Shelley Sella.

Two Ohio Leaders to Be Named to National Board Of the National Council of Jewish Women

By Sybil Kaplan THE NEW STANDARD

ISRAEL WRITER

The National Board of Hadassah came, in part, to Jerusalem this week and set up a tent this morning opposite the Knesset. Members of Hadassah-Israel from Petach Tikvah and Beer Sheva, as well as Jerusalem; staff from the Hadassah nurses school; doctors; and other supporters joined them to show support for the organization and its members.

Current National President, Marci Natan; past National presidents--Nancy Falchuk, Bonnie Lipton and Marlene Post--mingled among those attending.

A great many members of the Israeli press assembled to interview those attending.

I am a co-president of one of the two English-speaking chapters of Hadassah-Israel in Jerusalem, and I felt very proud that my co plus four board members came to show our solidarity with Hadassah the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. Roz Soltz, the mother of one of my board members and founder of my chapter, came in a wheel chair because she deemed her presence so important to show solidarity.

The director of the HWZOA office, Audrey Shimron;the deputy director, Barbara Goldstein; and the PR diretor, Barbara Sofer were all there speaking with the press. Mrs. Sofer challenged the speaker of the Knesset, Reuven Rivlin, who came across the street to the tent area, as to why the government has

not stepped in to help with the situation. Giving Support to Hadassah Women’s Zionist Organization of America

PHOTO: Sybil Kaplan (co president Nachama Hadassah-Israel); Anne Rothenberg (co-president Nachama Hadassah-Israel); Elisheva Lahav (publicity Nachama Hadassah-Israel); Alyssa Friedland (past president Nachama Hadassah--Israel); in wheel chair, mother of Alyssa, Roz Soltz, founder of Nachama

Some of you may have noticed that I have not written much for The New Standard in the past year or so. I am going through a crisis period in my life. I love Judaism and I love Israel but I am starting to have a problem with some of our Jews.

Let me kind of give you a little background. I grew up in one of the first generations that had an Israel. It was only nine years after Israel was born that I entered this earthly realm. I grew up hearing about the Holocaust and its horrors and at the same time basking in the pride of Israel fighting for its survival against immeasurable odds. I can remember watching intently on television how Israel in six days fought the gloom and doom of its pending destruction by fighting back and surviving.

I belonged to a temple that was very active politically. I marched for Soviet Jews down 5th Ave. I remember clearly the temple raising money for Israel. This was no Orthodox synagogue - it was Reconstructionist: extremely liberal women praying at the torah in the 1970s musical instruments, etc. I loved it. Our rabbi packed them in on Friday evenings with fiery sermons about racism, anti-Semitism and social action. He was even threatened with having his house bombed because he called for blacks to move from Harlem to Smithtown, Long Island. This was the background that I had. A proud Jew, proud of Israel, my heritage, my religion, my rabbi.

So how does one who loves his country (The United States) love Israel (I consider them to be family) and his fellow Jews become a radical in 2014?

For me this all started when I was sitting

in the audience at my reform synagogue and my rabbi (not there any longer) accused Ariel Sharon of being one of the reasons for 9/11, and the second intifada. The fact that Osama Bin Laden didn’t even use Israel as an excuse initially had no impact on this rabbi. I asked the rabbi for a meeting and we discussed this. I was appalled at what he said. I was treated like I was the pariah, the outlier. I am not one of those who blindly supports everything my country or Israel does, hardly. This rabbi however was rabid in his - I will say it - hatred for Ariel Sharon, and his “ilk” and was not a fan of Israel. Our rabbi, not a fan, why? This was not his Israel. It was not the liberal, leftist, socialist view of Israel. It did not conform to their narrative of what a Jewish state should be. I loved the idea of a Kibbutz and found that building a new country was in a way romantic, and idealistic. I did always however view Israel as the national home for Jews. Jews who had no home, no permanent land. Whether or not they were reform, orthodox or just being Jews, didn’t matter to me. It was just, it was right, and it is my people.

I am a person who reads everything, does my homework, tries to talk and listen to both sides. I know that “You are entitled to my opinion” says the opposite but really that is tongue in cheek and I am always open to new ideas.

I know the facts. That is why I have become increasingly shocked at our community. How can we have supported the constant drum beats of Anti-Israel news reports from NPR (many used to call it National Palestinian Radio) when we are its major funders? How can we not stand up and be counted when the world is becoming increasingly anti-Semitic, often in the guise of ‘anti-Israelism’? Ok so you don’t’ support the settlements, the Haredi getting out of military service (I don’t like that either) however these are our distant cousins our family. We all know our history. Why aren’t

we as a community screaming at what is happening in Iran? Are we that, shall I say clueless, stupid, arrogant that we don’t think that the holocaust couldn’t happen again? Personally I tend to believe it when someone says that that they want Israel to be destroyed. I also believe it more when they say that want to destroy Israel, and then spend all of their national treasure building the ability (Iran’s nuclear program) to make that happen? Am I paranoid? Does our recent history of the holocaust, pogroms, expulsions, wars resonate with anyone? Is it so farfetched? We are not a “dumb” people. At least I don’t think that we are.

In my former temple I actually heard a teacher make a comment to me about being one of those patriotic Israel types. Can you imagine this coming from a synagogue that I am one of those patriotic types? What is a “patriotic type “? Does that mean that since I support our country and Israel I am a Neanderthal? Yes we have problems but as Alan Dershowitz has said, Israel with all of the problems that it is facing has the BEST human rights record in the world. Better than the United States. From listening to many on the left and of course the Israel haters you would think that we are worse than the Nazis.

Now here I am at a synagogue that the cantor started a chapter of J Street. That issue was covered in my last column however due to pressure I am assuming the cantor resigned his position with J Street as co-chairman (the cat was already out of the bag, so it didn’t matter) of the local chapter but is still active on its Facebook page. A page - I might add - that I was banned from. I am proud of that. I was accused (after having removed my posts) of posting “specious” remarks etc. When I posted (which admittedly was quite a bit because nobody else was posting) I always posted with facts, links etc.

I was also summarily dismissed by the staff

and board of Tifereth Israel for wanting to screen the J Street challenge at the synagogue. I felt it was only fair since the cantor publicized it in his newsletter and the cantor of the largest synagogue in Columbus has promoted himself, and the organization all over town. I was dismissed with a curt letter from the President. I had asked for a meeting in person to show the film and discuss. They of course said no prior to having seen the film. The excuse: we already have quite a few Israel programs here at the synagogue.

To the temple’s credit Rabbi Berman and later Rabbi Ungar have asked for and have received the video to view. This 60 minute movie has Alan Dershowitz, Brett Stephens, of the Wall Street Journal, Ruth Wisse professor of Yiddish studies at Harvard, and Caroline Glick editor of the Jerusalem Post and others. Ben Ami, President of J Street was asked to be interviewed but was “busy.”

I then pursued having the film at the JCC and after getting a date once again was turned down summarily.

Here I am, a person who is active in the community, spends the time on Israel issues, writes to the newspapers to fight the tidal wave of lies that are printed and I am treated by my own community as a radical pariah?

Go figure. That is why I am so exasperated with our

people. When did we determine that we had all the answers, and that nobody else had an opinion? What happened to questioning?

When did we become another people that worshipped at the altar of “group think”?

When does loving our people, Israel, and wanting to do everything in my power to stand up for our own people make me a radical?

Signed, an exasperated, frustrated Larry Levine

LARRY LEVINE

You are entitled to my opinion Column from an Extremist