Member Spotlight: The Walensky Family

2T E M P L E E M A N U E L F R O M T H E G A T E S

Member Spotlight: The Walensky FamilyOur first trip to Israel as a family, and

with the Temple Emanuel community, was simply magical. We were awestruck, mesmerized by what our eyes were seeing for the first time, what our minds were taking in regarding Israeli history and culture, and what our hearts were feeling as we deepened old friendships and forged many new ones. For us, the trip came at a perfect time. It reinforced the commitment to Judaism and Israel that blossomed in Seth last

year in anticipation of his Bar Mitzvah, and catalyzed even further excitement for Matthew’s Bar Mitzvah in the year ahead. We are blessed with a rushing stream of beautiful and indelible memories from our trip, just a few of which we encapsulate below.

We remember our first look from atop Masada with the sprawling but shrinking Dead Sea below. Praying on top of Masada was an unforgettable opening ceremony for the trip. Hearing our community of children read Torah and the inspirational words of our morning service leaders, Rabbi Robinson and Terri, in that incredible setting was beyond words. We snapped a photo of our oldest son Seth gazing into the distance during services, magnetized by the views and the sheer significance of just being there.

Every scene came with new meaning. We climbed along the rooftops of Jerusalem to witness the visual intersection of three religious domes – Muslim, Christian, and Jewish. A circle of Temple Emanuel children formed to play at this remarkable and complex historical nexus. We pulled out our cameras to photograph this spectacular moment. With one click of the shutter, the scene was captured and, with the second click, two young Israeli Defense Force soldiers walked into the frame as they patrolled the rooftops.

The photo is a stark reminder of the formidable challenges that remain in order to sustain the free and fun-loving play of Jewish children in the holiest city in the world.

A real sense of feeling “at home” was palpable throughout the trip, but perhaps the most poignant example was during the dinners and school events we shared with the families of the Zichron Yosef School. A Boston-Haifa partnership indeed. We ate, we danced, we sang, and we rejoiced as one.

The chemistry among the Boston and Haifa children was remarkable; the connections and

sense of unity were instant. The similarities we share as Jews, and more generally speaking as citizens of

the Earth, far exceed the differences. And who knew that you could get falafel and hummus at an Israeli gas

station? Or that the word salary came from the monies earned from mining salt from the Dead Sea? Or that your kids find shakshuka delicious? Every moment – from Havdallah on the beaches of Tel Aviv to the culminating moment of Israeli Independence that we relived at Independence Hall – was rich with meaning, new insights, and very special feelings.

Finally, we should mention one of the most unexpected and treasured outcomes of our trip to Israel: we returned to a Temple Emanuel that was simply a different place for us. Having created indelible bonds with 77 Temple members who shared so many cherished moments, we now belong to a much larger and more intimate Jewish family. Rabbi Gardenswartz regularly reminds and urges us, “Go to Israel!” Now we understand why. No matter how much you give to Israel, spiritually or monetarily, what you receive in return is life-altering.

May/June 2014 • Iyyar/Tamuz 5774 THE GATE OF ISRAEL Volume 2 • Number 2

From the GatesT E M P L E E M A N U E L

מהשערים

מהשערים

מהשערים

מהשערים

Learning Hebrew in 2014By Cheryl Vogel

How did you learn Hebrew when you went to religious school? If you are “of a certain age,” then you probably learned Hebrew just like I did. Each letter of the alefbet was introduced and then practiced with each vowel: A A A , ¨ ¨ ¨ and so on. Every year, it started over the same way because students lost their Hebrew learning over the summer. I, for one, was bored by this teaching style; no doubt, others were too.

Fast forward to 2014. Learning Hebrew is fun! Not only do we have exciting textbooks with fun stories and activities, but teachers spend many hours outside the classroom learning new teaching methods and developing stimulating lessons.

As one of the Kitah Dalet teachers at Temple Emanuel, I was given the opportunity to engage in a professional development program to learn how to teach Hebrew using the method “Hebrew Through Movement (HTM).” HTM is an adaptation of James J. Asher’s Total Physical Response (TPR) which is based on theories of language acquisition where students learn through listening and responding to commands.

The vocabulary builds from simple commands like mewl

zayl

ogley

`qk

zlc

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“stand up” and

mewl

zayl

ogley

`qk

zlc


“sit down.” First the commands are modeled by the teacher, and then copied by the students. More verbs are added, as well as nouns that name typical classroom items, e.g.,

mewl

zayl

ogley

`qk

zlc


“table,”

mewl

zayl

ogley

`qk

zlc


“chair,” and

mewl

zayl

ogley

`qk

zlc


“door.” Hebrew Through Movement is interactive. The students enjoy moving around

the classroom and mastering new commands and vocabulary. They learn in a friendly environment where if they are unsure of the meaning of a command, they can look over at a classmate and follow their lead.

The HTM program uses flashcards with the vocabulary words that are posted on a word wall in the classroom. The word cards enable the students to connect auditory with visual learning, and carry their new learning to their reading.

Coincidentally, much of the vocabulary we have learned in HTM is also used in our Hebrew textbook, Shalom Ivrit 2. While the HTM commands use the infinitive verb form, Shalom Ivrit conjugates the verbs so that the students learn how it is used in Hebrew reading and writing.

Each HTM lesson is approximately 15-20 minutes long, with the rest of the Hebrew period dedicated to Shalom Ivrit. HTM also provides special Jewish holiday units which introduce special holiday vocabulary and verbs, in addition to lessons on the synagogue and prayers.

The feedback from parents has been very positive. Parents have told me that their kids are speaking

Hebrew at home, using vocabulary they have learned in HTM! How many of us went home speaking Hebrew

after our afternoon religious school experience?Our class has made a couple of videos that the coordinators of HTM, the

Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, have spliced into holiday videos for Chanukah and Purim.

You can view these videos at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se5qlqCcae8and www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOKwf4STCmI

All in all, HTM has been a great success for the students and fun to teach. I look forward to using this teaching method again and again.

generated at BeQRious.com generated at BeQRious.com

2 T E M P L E E M A N U E L F R O M T H E G A T E S

Community Prayer: May-June 5774-2014

DAILY SERVICESSundays at 8:00 am & 7:30 pm

Monday through Thursday at 7:00 am & 7:30 pm

SHABBAT SERVICESFriday at 7:00 am & 6:30 pm, Shabbat Alive at 6:30 pm

Saturdays at 6:45 am & 9:30 amChildcare at 10:00 am & Tot Shabbat at 11:00 am

Please refer to the online calendar for exceptions to the daily service times.

Affiliated with the UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM and SYNAGOGUE COUNCIL OF MASSACHUSETTS

Contact Information

Temple Office ...................................................................................... 617/558-8100Youth Office ......................................................................................... 617/558-8121Nursery School Office ...................................................................... 617/558-8130Religious School Office ................................................................... 617/558-8120

www.templeemanuel.com

For the full May and June Calendar, go to:WWW.TEMPLEEMANUEL.COM/CALENDAR-VIEW

From the Gates

Ari Shavit: His Book and His SpeechBy Steve Bookbinder

For the last three months, we have been discussing Ari Shavit’s book in Talmud class and recently, many of us heard his speech. As both an author and a speaker, Shavit tells the story of Zionism and the State of Israel in a gripping, evocative and provocative way. His book is not a history, but rather a tapestry – selected events and portraits sewn

together to convey the triumphs and failures of Zionism and the State of Israel. Sometimes I disagree with his selection of seminal events, e.g., the absence of any comment on the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, one of the most significant moments in Israeli history. Nonetheless, Shavit has given us an Israel “warts and all” with his stated goal that as one sees a more realistic picture, one’s love for the State will be strengthened.

The journalist’s credo is “show, rather than tell.” Shavit’s greatest skill is his ability to “show” – to paint a picture and transport us back in time – to his grandfather’s arrival in Palestine, to the tragedy at Lydda. Through these pictures, Shavit brilliantly conveys the reality of two narratives – those of the Israelis and those of the Palestinians. These narratives, together with those of Mizrachi Jews, settlers, and others, have created a new conversation about the issues facing Israel by illuminating how we got to where we are. Shavit’s triumph has been to get people, who, in his words, have preferred a “Disneyland” version of Israel, to look at the paradoxes of the matsav, the situation.

When it comes to “telling,” Shavit relishes deflating both sides of the opinion spectrum. He does not shy away from harsh criticism of the occupation as a “moral and political disaster,” but is equally scathing about the failure of the West to fully appreciate the dangers that Israel faces. He succeeds in making those on all sides of the issues uncomfortable. That is the strength of his “telling” – to make everyone examine his or her assumptions about the situation.

However, when Shavit makes political and social recommendations, he is less successful. He gives us the “what and the why,” but not the “how” of what it will take to address the issues. Consequently, we all walk away with different impressions of what he implied should be done. Listening to or reading him is like taking a Rohrschach test in which subjects’ perceptions of abstract inkblots are analyzed to identify thought patterns and emotions. I read his book and heard him speak, and so did you, but you heard one thing and I heard something very different.

In his lecture, Shavit’s core recommendation for American Jews was to re-educate our youth, so they can contend with the ignorant and at times,

hostile threats on university campuses in discussions about Israel. In his opinion, Birthright is great in some ways, but it is also another version of

Disneyland that does not equip students to deal with the issues.

There is no doubt that these problems exist on campuses, but I believe Shavit does not understand the depths of the divisions in American society or in the American Jewish community, and therefore his conclusions are simplistic and superficial. He does not understand that for decades, many people like me have been speaking about issues like the occupation and settlements, but we have been dismissed, insulted, ridiculed or at best, tolerated. We come from strong Jewish educations, went to Ramah and Israel, and studied Hebrew. Many of us have turned to new organizations like J Street and the New Israel Fund because we have concluded that the establishment organizations have not wanted to deal with the realities described by Shavit. The problem is not just with college students, but with Jewish adults as well, who have given up on trying to participate in the dialogue about Israel. Perhaps Shavit’s efforts will help to reverse this trend.

One forum where there is opportunity to express differing opinions is the Shabbat morning Talmud class. Rabbi Gardenswartz has skillfully led us in a respectful examination of the tough issues and questions identified in the book. Class participants represent a range of opinions, but all of us are appreciative of the Rabbi’s efforts to help us struggle with the issues. There is no attempt to force agreement or consensus. Some may find this frustrating; I do not. Most of us are attempting to deepen our understanding of the material and of each other. For those of us who have been ardent Zionists and supporters of the State of Israel all our lives, but also question the policies of the current Israeli government coalition and the American Jewish establishment, the class can be an oasis of civil discourse.

I know that the majority of Temple Emanuel members probably do not agree with some of my views. For this reason, Shavit is all the more remarkable. He manages to be bold and assertive (e.g., the immediate need for a two-state solution) and is heeded by those who have not been willing to listen in the past. That is his gift to the Jewish people – to help us grapple with the messiness of the truth. My hope is that people read not only his book, but a range of books on Israel and also see great Israeli films like “The Gate-Keepers” to further our understanding of the possibilities for the future. Shavit insists we must renew our efforts to engage with Israel and all elements of the American Jewish community, especially with those with whom we disagree. The challenges can seem so discouraging, but as Pirke Avot teaches us, “It is not your responsibility to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” Despair, in our tradition, is not an option.

For the past six months, the Temple Emanuel community has been reading and discussing Ari Shavit’s book, My Promised Land, in Talmud and Sisterhood classes, at services, and in the hallways of our shul. The following articles represent two distinct views of this controversial and thought provoking book.

Temple Emanuel celebrates Purim!

Saturday, May 31, 2014Parshat Naso

Bar Mitzvah of: Isaac Chapin, son of Jill Schulman

and Mark Chapin

Saturday, June 7, 2014Parshat Beha’alotecha

Bar Mitzvah of: Andrew Gershon, son of

Jennifer and David Gershon

Saturday, June 14, 2014Parshat Shelach Bat Mitzvah of:

Michelle Yankner, daughter of Dana and Bruce Yankner

Saturday, June 21, 2014Parshat Korach

Saturday, June 28, 2014 -Shabbat Rosh Chodesh-

Parshat Chukat

Saturday, May 3, 2014Parshat Emor

Bar Mitzvah of: Jason Wolf, son of

Sherri and Doug Wolf

Saturday, May 10, 2014Parshat Behar

Bat Mitzvah of: Abigail Klar, daughter of

Janice Gross and Stephen Klar

Saturday, May 17, 2014Parshat Bechukotai

Bar Mitzvah of: Harrison Druker, son of

Jodi Mackinnon and Neil Druker

Saturday, May 24, 2014Parshat Bamidbar

Bat Mitzvah of: Dalia Bernstein, daughter of

Melissa and Bernard Bernstein

Music of Beethoven - Free Concert Sunday, May 4 at 3:00 pm

Dessert Reception to followSponsored by the Saul B. and Naomi R. Cohen Foundation

Israel’s Water Solutions: Innovation and Cooperationfeaturing Professor Eilon Adar of Ben-Gurion

University of the Negev Tuesday, May 13 at 7:45 pm in Reisman Hall

Sponsored by Israel Action Committee, TE Brotherhood “Roots” in Israel JNF Program and Temple Emanuel Rabbi Albert I.

Gordon Religious School

Tikkun Leil ShavuotJoin us on Tuesday, June 3rd at 6:30 pm

for dinner followed by a program featuringIlan Stavans, a leading chronicler of Jewish Life in Latin America.

He will speak on “Pope Francis and the Jews .” Following services and collation at 8:30 pm, Carol Saivetz, Temple member

and Researcher, Security Studies Program, MIT will speak on “Between Russia and Ukraine: Why are the Jews in the middle?”

For more information about this event, check the TE website.

Join the Community-wide Lag B’Omer Celebration

Sunday, May 18 from 11:00 am - 1:00 pmPicnic lunch, singing, games, and fun!

T E M P L E E M A N U E L F R O M T H E G A T E S 3

MEMBERS’ MILESTONESENGAGEMENTSLinda and Ken Polivy announce the engagement of their daughter, Elana, to Aaron Block

BIRTHSMAZEL TOV TO:Debbie Simkin on the birth of a grandson, Jacob Byron SimkinFran and Stephen Novakoff on the birth of a grandson, DavidRuth Isaacs on the birth of a grandson, Sidney Parker NadelBarry and Toby Farman on the birth of a grandson, Joseph Dondis KlingerBob and Barbara Brown on the birth of a granddaughter, Zoe Reese BerensonMitchell Wand and Barbara Freedman Wand on the birth of a granddaughter, Nora Rose Freedman-Wand

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARIES55 YearsNancy and Edward RobertsKaren and Michael RotenbergRoberta and Marvin Milton

50 YearsEsther and Sumner FeldbergRuth Nemzoff and Dr. Harris BermanDrs. Dixie and Jonathan BorusMarcia and Ralph KohlMarsha and Marc SlotnickGail and Bill LevineLeslie and Dr. Howard Shapiro

45 YearsMathilda and Edward GottliebLesley and Robert PerlmanChana and Steven MeyerJoyce and Michael BohnenCarol and Zick RubinDonna and Harvey LevineBetsy and Dr. Martin Solomon

40 YearsRuthanne and Dr. Kenneth GrundfastGail and Rabbi Jeffrey SummitRuth Rose-Jacobs and Jerry JacobsDeborah Shilkoff and Stuart KaufmanDrs. Gail and Lawrence WolfePhyllis and Dr. Richard Wilker

35 YearsPamela and James SchwartzSusan and Ira VishnerRandi Eisner and Dr. William Schwartz

30 YearsJennifer and David GormanDrs. Judy Garber and Myles BrownRonna and Michael BenjaminJeanette Fogel and Avram Gusman

25 YearsAnetta and Dr. Andrew PlautSara Schaff and Dr. Glen StockDonna and Dan StangerBetsy Davidow and Allen FeinsteinDrs. Dana and Bruce YanknerSusan and Lewis CohnMonica and Joel GrinbergDrs. Ellen and Ernest Kornmehl

20 YearsAlicia and Nessy ShemsSari Korman and John HuntAbby and Nelson Stacks

Goldman; Herbert and Jean Epstein in memory of Elinor Peretsman; Jonathan and Judith Chiel in memory of Stella Levine; Joseph Barrow in memory of Beatrice (Triss) Barrow; Charles and Elizabeth Brown in memory of Bertram Morris Brown; David and Debra Smookler in memory of Hyman Smookler; Marcia Yanofsky in memory of Tena and Harry Miller and Robert Yanofsky; Maxine Wolf in memory of Anne H. Bunnin; Marcia Yanofsky & Family in memory of Natalie Levine; Lillian Wilker in memory of Ruth O. Goldman; Carol Rosenfelt in memory of Selma Lotto; Shirley Saunders in memory of Joseph and Rae Gann; Frances and Gary Feldman wishing speedy recovery to Shep Cutler; Beverly Weinfeld wishing Cynthia Slavet a speedy recovery; Miriam Rosenblatt in honor of Cynthia Slavet who is sorely missed; Ruth Laufer Friedman in honor of Judy and Malcolm Hindin; The Rashi School in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Jennie Gliklich; Jack Leitner in appreciation of Julia Priest; Reuben and Lizzie Grossman Foundation in appreciation of Temple Emanuel’s good work

Bereavement Support Fund:In memory of Deborah Guthermann:Fred and Margot Kann, Allan and Sandy Ropper, Roberta Jacobs, Louise Citron, Beverly Weinfeld, Lyn and Gilbert Daniels, Arlene Bernstein, Ruth Cope, Hal Katzman, Kimberly and Gary Creem, Renee and Steve Bellin, Lawrence Wittenberg and Barbara Kane, Maida Rubin, Joel and Mozelle Berkowitz, Phyllis Ara, Barbara and Frank Resnek, Marcia and Alan Leifer, Trudy and Barry Karger, Anita and Sidney Redner, Ruth Harris, Nathan and Phyllis Kalowski, Sharon and David Steinberg

Ruth Harris in memory of Kevie Carmen and Charlotte Carmen Evans; Nathan and Phyllis Kalowski in memory of Rae and Morris Newman; Sharon and David Steinberg in memory of Pearl Mindlin; Gilbert and Lyn Daniels in memory of Samuel Tolkoff; David and Lois Slovik in memory of Arthur Slovik; Erin Appel in memory of Vivian Goldwasser; Marilyn Goldman in memory of A. Leon Goldman; Betty Ann Blum in memory of Maxwell V. Blum; Dean and Toby Rodman in memory of Dr. Israel Kamens; Frances Fisher in memory of Lois Z. Soosman; David and Jill Grossman in memory of Anne G. GrundfastIn Support of the Bereavement Committee:Alan D. Gould, Kenneth and Ruthanne Grundfast

Aaron Bell Student Cantorial Arts Fund:Stanley and Karen Steinberg in memory of Milton Steinberg and Selma Steinberg; Harriet Bell in memory of Allan J. Rosenthal and Ethel Gould

Adult Education Fund:Eliot H. Sagan in honor of Audrey J. Mahler’s birthday; Lynne Heller in memory of Rabbi Zachary Heller;

Miriam Gilman in memory of Paul Gilman; Raylea Pemstein in memory of Abraham Sacher

Anita and David Granoff Fund to Encourage Teen Torah Readers:Mady and Bruce Donoff in honor of David Granoff’s birthday; Gail and Bill Levine in honor of Sarah’s Bat Mitzvah; Carol Saivetz and Harry Penn in memory of Richard Saivetz; Michael and Karen Rotenberg in memory of Anne Rotenberg Fine

Berkson Garden Fund:Jason and Charlotte Berkson in memory of Ann and Max Berkson

Cantor’s Music Fund:Melvin Norris in honor of Cantor Rosemberg’s Music Programs; Cynthia Abramson in memory of Charles Abramson; Edgardo and Ayelet Sternberg in honor of Michael Crystal’s birthday; Arlene Fleischmann in appreciation of Cantor Rosemberg; Fred and Margot Kann in honor of the marriage of Samantha Green, and the engagement of David Thau and Lisbeth Zeggane; Frank and Paula Aronson in memory of Haskell Aronson; Jeremy Schmahmann and Jinny Sagorin in appreciation of Cantor Rosemberg; Richard Kaitz in appreciation of Cantor Elias Rosemberg; Sara and Marcus Weiss in memory of Barbara Silverstein, and Elise Nagler; Amy B. Klein and Brian Lefsky in celebration of Sandy Cohn Thau’s 60th birthday; Walter and Phyllis Strauss in memory of Barbara S. Romanoff; Mady and Bruce Donoff in memory of Barbara Silverstein; Bunny and Janet Shapero in celebration of Sandy Cohn Thau’s 60th Birthday; Fred and Margot Kann in honor of David Granoff’s birthday; Robert Stacks and Leslie Bornstein Stacks in memory of Ada Stacks

Temple Emanuel Minyan Fund:In memory of Deborah Guthermann:Shira Persky and Steve Koevary, Gary Rubin and Terry Engel Rubin, Molly-Jane and Bruce Rubinger, Mady and Bruce Donoff, Eric and Goldie Ungar, Joan Almaliah, Lloyd David, Rita and Herbert Gann, Elyse and Sanford Friedman, Shirley Saunders

Arthur and Cheryl Sober in memory of Arthur Louis Harris, and in appreciation of Dan Nesson; Herbert and Rita Gann in memory of Esther Kaplan and Michael Kaplan; Sanford and Elyse Friedman in memory of Anne G. Grundfast; Bernice Feldberg in memory of Leonard Lenchitz; Mildred Levine and Marsha Nourse in appreciation of Dan Nesson and the Daily Minyan; Ronald and Ronni Casty in memory of David Casty; Lois Cohen in memory of Eli Winer; Daniel and Lynn Mandeau in memory of Eva Mandeau; Sumner Sturman and Joan Burroughs in honor of Joan’s birthday; Judith Mir in memory of Leon Mir; Willie Goldwasser in celebration of his Bar Mitzvah anniversary; Sanford and Elyse Friedman in memory of Olga Garfinkel Weinstein; Anne Rayman and Robert Singer in honor

of Robert’s birthday; Ruth Tepper in memory of Eric Flescher; Rita and Herbert Gann in honor of Joella Rebecca Gannin appreciation of the Temple Daily Minyan: Robert and Rena Fein, Allan Berliant, Marilyn Tushman in, Jeralyn and David Ellowitz, Arnold and Golda Kagan, Cynthia Kagno, Joan Almaliah, Isidore and Debra Berenbaum, Fred and Margot Kann, Norman Zarsky and Nancy Sargon; William and Barbara Poplack in honor of Harvey Grant’s 90th birthday; Daniel Bricklin and Carol Singer in memory of Baruch Bricklin; Carol Singer Bricklin in memory of Paul Singer; Barbara and William Poplack in memory of Matilda Zwetchkenbaum; Barbara and William Poplack in honor of Willie Goldwasser’s Birthday; Marilyn Tushman in honor of Joella Rebecca Gann

David & Diane Feinzig Education Fund:David and Diane Feinzig in memory of Sydel Rothman, Stella Levine, and Harold P. Berk

David Shapiro Scholarship Fund: Robert and Barbara Brown in memory of Ruth Kopelman and Issac Richard Brown

David Sherter Memorial Fund:Arlene London in memory of Joe Kozol and in honor of Jacob Blau’s Bar Mitzvah

Dr. Trudy Karger Family Education Fund:Trudy and Barry Karger in memory of Ruth Goldman

Druker Book Fund:Ronald and Susan Kahn in memory of Sylvia Becker

Edelstein Jewish Continuity Fund:Alan and Sybil Edelstein in memory of Anne Goldberg Grundfast, and in honor of Lester W. Katz’s special birthday

Elizabeth & Simon Cohen Scholarship Fund:Saul and Naomi Cohen

Evelyn & Herbert Berman School Fund:Jacob Jay and Evelyn Matloff in memory of Selma Dubin; Evelyn Matloff in memory of Jeanette Berman

Family Table Gift Fund:Theodore and Diane Korelitz in memory of Edward Blumsack and Debbie Guthermann; Louise Wolfe and Stefan Ahlblad in memory of Irving Wolfe; Marcus and Sara Weiss

General Prozdor Scholarship Fund:Arlene Feinberg in memory of Della Hirsch

Harold and Nancy Parritz Israeli Action Fund:in honor of Harold and Nancy Parritz’s 60th Wedding Anniversary:Miriam Rosenblatt, Marilyn Breslau, Aviva and David Parritz, Beverly Weinfeld Marilyn Breslau in memory of Roberta Myers; Shirley Saunders in memory of Joseph Gann; Annette Matross in memory of Dora Brittain; Edwin and Sherry Holstein in memory of Eric

Rubin; Denise and Jacques Telio in memory of Debbie Guthermann; Trudy and Barry Karger in memory of Elise Nagler; Nancy and Harold Parritz in memory of David I. Seder and wishing a speedy recovery to Cynthia Slavet

Isadore & Lillian Shapiro and Louis & Marion Kay Memorial Camp Fund:Susan Margolis in memory of Etta Suchman; Alan and Marcia Leifer in memory of Barbara Silverstein; Valerie and Arnold Lowenstein in memory of Loretta Labovitch; Brian and Arza Goldstein in memory of Sondra Goldstein; Natalie Slater in memory of Mandel Slater

Levenson Music Fund:Charlotte R. Kaufman in memory of Anne Grundfast; Dennis and Marilynn Buchenholz in honor of Sandy Thau’s birthday

Martin & Roslyn Gold Youth Leadership Fund:Allan Toledano and Roz Garber in memory of Maxine Fedder; Bruce and Susan Gold in memory of Debbie Guthermann; in honor of the birth of Ari Nathan Wertlieb; Marilyn Goldman in memory of Jack Pollack

Prayer Book Fund:Joan Goldblatt in memory of William Goldblatt; Eli and Nina Schneider in memory of Hirsch Schneider; Gail and William Levine in honor of David Decker; Helaine Meyers in gratitude to Lisa Hills; Morris and Nancy Steinbock in memory of Henry Postar; Walter Angoff in memory of Nathan Angoff

Rabbi Samuel Chiel Kallah Fund:Melvin and Helene Stavis in memory of Betta Stavis; Abigail P. Johnson in memory of Rabbi Samuel Chiel; Lawrence and Adele Fleet Bacow in memory of Rabbi Samuel Chiel; Trudy and Barry Karger in memory of Stella Levine and Steve Snider; Sharlene and Robert Finkel in memory of Dr. Israel M. Kamens

Ritual Director’s Fund:Henry and Carole Berman in memory of Anna Alintuck and Edith Glick Shoolman; Gregory and Sofia Kaidanov in memory of Abram Kaidanov; Estelle and Guy Gomolka in memory of William Gomolka; Sheila Goldstein in memory of departed loved ones; Gilbert and Lyn Daniels in memory of Esther Daniels, in honor of Rosamond Grant, in appreciation of Dan Nesson, and for an honor received; Bruce and Molly-Jane Rubinger in memory of Helen S. Isaacson and Samuel Rubinger; Arlene Fleischmann in appreciation of Dan Nesson; Arthur and Cheryl Sober in memory of Arthur Harris; Elliot Singer and Susan Holzman in memory of Solomon Singer; Laura Beshansky in memory of Richard Olans; Marcie Abramson and Jeffrey Hunt in memory of Barbara Silverstein; Amy Abramovitz in memory of Julius Mintzer; Arlene Fruman in memory of Jeffrey Fruman; Laurie and Richard Gliklich in honor of Jenny’s Bat Mitzvah; Penny Scharfman in memory of Toby Scharfman; Beatrice

Carp wishing Cynthia Slavet a speedy recovery; Channah Berkovits in memory of Nathan, Rachel, and Eva Berkovits; Kenneth and Ruthanne Grundfast in appreciation of Rick Thau

Rosamond and Harvey Grant Fund In memory of Michele Esta Grant Epstein:In honor of Harvey Grant’s 90th birthday:Eric and Goldie Ungar, Kenny Wintman, Fred and Margot Kann, Maida Rubin, Gilbert and Lyn Daniels, Sara and Marcus Weiss, Ruth and Jonathan Tepper, Brian Lefsky and Amy B. Klein, Bunny Shapero, Janet Shapero, Beverly Weinfeld, Pamela Flash, Mady and Bruce Donoff

Eric and Goldie Ungar in honor of Asher Lev Liss and in memory of Etta Suchman; Harvey and Rosamond Grant in honor of Asher Lev Liss, and in memory of Daniel Novarr, Etta Suchman, and Thelma Lane; Marcie Abramson and Jeffrey Hunt in memory of Charles Abramson; Milton and Harriet Binder in memory of Phyllis Markowitz; Gilbert and Lyn Daniels in memory of Mildred Tolkoff and Anne Grundfast; Arthur and Linda Greenberg in memory of Janet Bearse Robinson; Fred and Margot Kann in memory of Thelma Lane; Ivan and Anna Stern in memory of Klara Devenyi and Tibor Molnor

Rosenblatt Stars of David Fund:Stephen and Frances Novakoff in memory of Richard Goldstein; Miriam Simen in memory of Sadie H. Schneider; Steven and Sheryl Dropkin in memory of Phyllis Markowitz, Howard Golick, and Herbert Heinstein; Miriam Rosenblatt in memory of Howard Golick; Lester and Barbara Gore in memory of Charlotte Gore Levenson

Samuel Diengott Scholarship Fund:Beatrice Carp in honor of Ruth Diengott; Marilyn Goldman in memory of Seymour Myer Goldman; Caryl Diengott and Evan Pressman in memory of Samuel Diengott

Saul B. & Naomi R. Cohen Chamber Music Fund:Saul and Naomi Cohen in memory of Leo Stone; Marcia Ullian Jackson in memory of Dr. Robert Ullian

Smith Holocaust Education Fund:Martin and Frieda Schwartz in memory of Elizabeth D. Schwartz; Harold and Carol Lazar in memory of Irving Lazar; Alex and Debra Teperman in memory of Larry Winograd; Dida and Clive Martin in memory of Rudolf Baum and Hannelor Baum; Arlene Feinberg in memory of Ben Feinberg

Sylvia & Morton Grossman Person to Person Fund:Paul Milner in memory of Deborah Guthermann

Temple Emanuel Israel Tree Fund:Eric and Goldie Ungar in honor of Lily and Frank Kirschner’s wedding anniversary; Wayne and Robin Goldstein in honor of Michael Crystal’s birthday; Moise and Batia Shems

Members’ Milestones and DonationsLaura and David SilvianMiriam and Eric BavlyLisa and Arieh Coll

15 YearsSarah Perry and Tony KingsleySusan Janosky and Lawrence HamelskyCaroline and David Altman

10 YearsCliff Atkins and John WeltmanNicole and David BordenAllison and Seth KesslerDanielle and Michael HackelRachel Fish and Dave CutlerWill Verbits and Richard Backer

5 YearsJulie and Stephen FeinbergTamara and Clifford Flekser

DONATIONSTemple Emanuel gratefully acknowledges the generous donations to our synagogue funds. To learn more about the variety of funds and ways of supporting the synagogue’s ongoing efforts, please call the office @ (617) 558-8100.

Temple General Fund:In memory of Herbert Heinstein: Stanley and Karen Steinberg, Moise and Batia Shems, Roberta Gross-Torres, Ernest and Ellen Kornmehl, Herman and Judith Swartz

In memory of Phyllis Markowitz : Allison and Elliot Mael, Myrna and Paul Fruitt, Lee and Stephen Whitfield

In memory of Anne G. Grundfast: Roberta Gross-Torres, Louise Citron, Linda & Joseph Miller

Deborah Yoburn in memory of Lee Sciacca; Ryna Greenbaum in memory of Julie Miron; Caren Kimball in memory of Abraham Bailey; Joseph Barrow in memory of Abraham Barrow; Alan and Caryn Kovacs in memory of Ethel Bronstein; Alan Beloff in memory of Ida Beloff; Nan Wetherhorn in memory of Jackie Wetherhorn; Leah Glazer in memory of Mary Oster; Marilynn and Dennis Buchenholz in memory of Minar Newman; Phyllis and Robert Schwartz in memory of Carolyn Knight and in honor of Elyse Friedman; Richard and Phyllis Wilker in memory of Harry Bloom, Debbie Guthermann, and Ruth O. Goldman; Marshall and Jane Lukoff in memory of Bernard Lukoff and George Strickland; Sylvia Rudolph in memory of loved ones; Fred and Ray Erlich in memory of William Erlich; Arnold and Dale Zaff in memory of Fred Zaff; Bruce and Madelyn Donoff in memory of Irving Donoff; Alan and Esther Beloff in memory of Philip Fishbane and Rose Maltzman; Roberta Gross-Torres in memory of Elise Nagler; Jeremy Schmahmann and Jinny Sagorin in memory of Elise Nagler and in honor of Esther and Leslie Silverstone’s anniversary; Gary and Irene Bloomstone in memory of Eve Trapunski; James and Pamela Schwartz in memory of Shirley Sacks; Shirley Kestenman in memory of Seymour “Shim” Silverstein; Jack Burman in memory of Beatrice

Our Congregation has sustained the loss of our

membersPHYLLIS MARKOWITZ

DR. ISRAEL SCHEFFLERHERBERT HEINSTEIN

BARBARA SILVERSTEINDEBBIE GUTHERMANN

LOUISE LIEBERMANMay their memory always

be for a blessing.

CONDOLENCES TO:Dr. Ken Grundfast on the death of his beloved mother, Anne G. GrundfastScott Lane on the death of his beloved mother, Thelma LaneAriela Katz on the death of her beloved father, Dr. Joseph VardiLynne Goldberg on the death of her beloved father, Alvan GoldbergDebora Rottenberg on the death of her beloved sister, Barbara SilversteinJane Goldman Ostrowsky on the death of her beloved mother, Ruth GoldmanMarcia Leifer on the death of her beloved father, Melvin SiskindElizabeth Marks on the loss of her beloved father, Stuart Marks

in memory of Ronnie Marx; David and Renata Brailovsky in honor of the special birthday of Eli Saltzman; Joan Goldblatt in memory of Sarah Lewis; Hanka Kornfeld Marder in memory of Paula Waters; David and Renta Brailovsky in memory of Brian Bilchik’s father; Gail and Bill Levine in memory of Barbara Silverstein

Temple Emanuel’s Memorial Park Fund:Barbara and Edward Krupat in memory of Jacob Riemer

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE RABBI MARSHALL R. LIFSON LIBRARY FUND:Leslie Fishman in memory of Herbert Fishman; Kenneth and Gayle Lutchen in memory of Herb Lutchen; Elizabeth Kanter Groskind in honor of Molly Goodman; Harvey and Rosamond Grant in honor of Margot and Fred Kann and Dr. and Mrs. Gil Daniels; I. Larry and Muriel Morris in memory of Dorothy Weisburgh; Lewis and Esther Muhlfelder in memory of Lewis Muhfelder; Diane and Theodore Korelitz in memory of Louise Lieberman

The Jordan Bennett Weiss Youth Collection:Marc Laredo in memory of Ann Laredo

Lois Alexander Children’s Book Collection:Edward Alexander in memory of Julia Alexander; Peter and Marilyn Bernstein in memory of Phyllis Bernstein Steinberg; Kenneth Bresler in memory of Beulah Bresler; Amy Sales in memory of Frances S. Marcuson; Selma Waldstein in memory of Lily Shoshana Wiley

The Landmine in Ari Shavit’s My Promised LandBy Larry Heimlich

Ari Shavit’s talk at Temple Emanuel on April 2, 2014 was authentic and inspiring. He began by reminding us of the prescient beliefs of his great grandfather and other Zionists that Jews would continue to be persecuted and needed a place of safety and refuge. That place was Palestine. Shavit told us how Zionism created the “eighth wonder of the world” and how the surrounding “one state” countries were the capricious designs of the Western powers after WWI. He told us that the issue of settlements needs to be dealt with, but within the framework of Israel’s existential threat.

Shavit told us what we know: Israel has become a “cliche” and Israelis have lost the narrative in the court of world opinion. Anti-Israeli sentiment and anti-Semitism is growing. Nowhere is this more vivid than on college campuses, the source of leadership for the next generation. Shavit’s solution is to develop “new messages” that will engage and empower our Jewish young to remind them of

their roots, to recognize what is real and what is deceit and encourage them to seek solutions and understanding.

Shavit’s talk was moving and insightful, but it was not the talk of My Promised Land. He was not the Shavit of the book. In his determination to tell readers about painful truths in Israeli history, he presents stories in his book in an unbalanced and disturbing fashion. By emphasizing the negative, he distorts that history thereby providing fodder for the enemies of Israel.

Shavit chooses to focus on challenging events or shortcomings of a people under siege and facing existential threats. Many are distressing and not in keeping with the high moral ground that is the historical cornerstone of our religion and a Jewish State. He dwells on them, despite the fact that many readers are sufficiently knowledgeable and sensible enough to know that history is never completely unsoiled or entirely innocent. In his determination to counter the idyllic vision

For the past six months, the Temple Emanuel community has been reading and discussing Ari Shavit’s book, My Promised Land, in Talmud and Sisterhood classes, at services, and in the hallways of our shul. The following articles represent two distinct views of this controversial and thought provoking book.

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From the GatesT E M P L E E M A N U E L

What’s HappeningMay 2-4 ....................................................................TE Family RetreatMay 4 ............................................................Chamber Music ConcertMay 5 .......................................................................... Yom Ha’ZikaronMay 6 ......................................................................... Yom Ha’Atzmaut

May 13 ............................................................. Israel Action ProgramMay 14 ..........................................Annual Congregational MeetingMay 18 .................................. Community Lag B’Omer CelebrationMay 26 ...........................................................................Memorial Day May 28 ................................................................... Yom YerushalayimJune 3 .................................................................. Tikkun Leil ShavuotJune 4-5 ................................................................................... Shavuot

מהשערים

מהשערים

מהשערים

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The Yad Vashem visit was especially moving. Sylvain called his dad, a Holocaust survivor who lives in Brussels, from the steps of the museum to let him know that we and his granddaughter had just visited. We also loved bonding with the Temple community: over breakfast at the hotel; while climbing Masada; while digging for ancient artifacts at Beit Guvrin; and while walking the streets of Tel Aviv. Israel manages to be simultaneously exotic and deeply familiar. And we loved eating falafel every day!

There is always some moment, that moment when you actually “see” and you carry that image in your mind’s eye forever.

For me it was visiting our sister school Zichron Yossef on a beautiful Friday morning in Haifa. We met in the assembly hall and were treated to a well rehearsed series of singing and dance performances. Then that moment… I saw it all in a different way. Some of these 11 and 12 year babies were assigned to wear Israeli army uniforms, innocent in khaki, yet knowing they would serve to defend their Israel – Our Israel.

At that moment I saw the difference between their Israeli nationalism and my American nationalism. Born to defend. Some of these children would die. Joy turned to sadness and quickly back to joy as we all went outside to celebrate the coming of Shabbat with song and dance in the courtyard.

I was tearful when leaving, turning back for one final look at the school and noticed for the first time the 12-foot high fence protecting these little beauties.

Go to Israel, please go.Stan, Karen and Daniel Steinberg

For me, the most breathtaking moment of the trip was visiting the Kotel. Standing outside the barriers, with my little family, knowing that families just like mine have traveled here together for thousands of years to touch the stones – it was positively overwhelming. I was incredibly grateful that we had actually done it, we brought our once hypothetical children to this place, as a family, to experience the interconnectedness of generations. Then, experiencing the new pluralistic section of the Kotel with Rabbi Robinson, and touching the newly exposed rough stones, it was a sharp contrast to the smooth stones touched by generations. I will never, ever forget it.

of Israel which dominated Jewish discourse in the past, he replaces it with a caustic version lacking context.

Many Americans were introduced to his book through The New Yorker’s publication of the chapter on the expulsion of the Arab residents of Lydda. Some critics have contested the specifics of his version of a tragic story. What Shavit omits is the other side’s version of the battle. He characterizes the Lydda story not as the unfortunate result of an armed conflict but as a Zionist original sin. What armed conflict can ever be described as morally pure or perfectly just, especially as the combatants are fighting for their lives and decisions are made in the heat of the battle? It’s common for victors to write the history of a war, but Shavit changes that standard and presents the Arab side instead.

In another chapter, Shavit introduces us to a sordid view of a small group of young Israelis at a Tel Aviv night club that could be a night club in any city in the world at almost any time in history. He fails to reveal that while these young Israelis revel through the night others are building a “start up nation.”

In the chapter devoted to “Dimona”, Shavit’s shorthand term for Israel’s nuclear weapons, he erroneously and dangerously argues that Israel’s success with its nuclear capabilities is the motivation for Iran’s determination to develop a nuclear weapon. While Israel has maintained an opacity about its purely defensive nuclear capabilities, does anyone imagine that the regime in Iran is developing a bomb merely to counter an Israeli nuclear threat?

The flaw in Shavit’s perspective is captured in an amusing quote from “the engineer,” the former Director General of Dimona who tells Shavit “If everyone spent as much time thinking as you do, they would never act. If everyone had spent as much time thinking, these thoughts would have paralyzed them and kept them from building Dimona.” Indeed, it would seem that Shavit’s over-analysis of historical events has contributed to the emotional trauma that is presented in the book.

Shavit talks about Israeli colonialism; he tells of plots to blow up the Dome of the Rock; he portrays the social problems Israeli Arabs have in the

only democratic state in the Middle East. It feels like he is constantly picking at the scab that is trying to heal the wounds of a great but besieged nation.

Shavit fears, as we all do, the existential threat faced by Israel. But he skews his stories and

characters to evoke sympathy for Arabs while not relating the Israeli perspective. This is the

landmine in My Promised Land.

The day after his talk I took a walk through the campus of Boston College, a mile from 385 Ward Street. I was stunned as I encountered two very large walls erected in the middle of the campus in “celebration” of Israel Apartheid Week. The walls purported to represent IDF checkpoints and were papered with anti-Israeli propaganda, “opinions without facts” (as Shavit said), lies and distortions. I looked for the text of Shavit’s telling of the Lydda story and was relieved not to find it, at least not yet.

Most of us believe that war is hell, not every citizen is moral, nations do what’s in the best interests of nations, and democracies permit freedom of the press and the telling of many truths (elu v’elu). But it doesn’t mean these truths should be unchallenged. Is Shavit being a provocateur for his audience, knowing that he will draw more attention to the book by providing inflammatory rhetoric and views of Israeli history and society? Is he more the “profit” than the “prophet?”

Judaism, Zionism and Israel are under increasing attack today on high school and college campuses. Our future leaders are the audiences that need to learn our narrative. As I walked away from this pretend checkpoint I thought about the dangers of Shavit’s stories. Would we want this book to be required reading or discovered as resource material in our schools for students looking to understand the Jewish experience? I think not.

The Landmine in Ari Shavit’s My Promised Land – continued from page 3

Memorable Moments from the TE Israel Trip

Documents

Member Spotlight: The Walensky Family