32
President Bush’s ringing endorse- ment of Ariel Sharon’s Gaza with- drawal plan has exposed differences at the heart of the diplomatic ``Quartet” charged with shepherding the Israeli- Palestinian peace process. While the European Union’s Irish presidency said the union was broadly in favor of Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, such a move would have to be carried out ``in accordance with certain conditions” identified last month by European heads of state and govern- ment. According to Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, that would entail Palestinian Authority cooperation in any Israeli withdrawal, as well as the long-established E.U. view that any changes to Israel’s pre-1967 border -- known as the Green Line -- could only be made by agreement between the sides. Thrown into turmoil by Bush’s move, the Quartet has called a top-level meet- ing for April 28 in Berlin, a senior E.U. diplomat said last Friday. The European Union and the United States are part of the Quartet that developed and nominally has been overseeing the ``road map” peace plan. The other partners are Russia and the United Nations. The road map sets out a phased process that eventually is to lead to a Palestinian state. In the first stage, Israel was to take down illegal settle- ment outposts and the Palestinians were to outlaw and dismantle terrorist groups. While Israel took some initial, halting steps against the outposts, the Palestinian Authority made clear that it would not move against ter- rorist groups. Despairing of finding a Palestinian partner, Sharon ultimately decided on a unilateral withdrawal and evacuation of settlements -- thereby setting new Naphtali Weisz heard a lot of talk about Judaism, the community and Congregation Beth Jacob when he was growing up. “Every Shabbos I would walk with my father and we’d pick my grandfather up on the way,” said Weisz, 23. Weisz’s grandfa- ther was Rabbi David Stavsky. The rabbinical and law student learned to listen between the lines. “I guess I didn’t realize until later how intellectual he really was; how he could look at an issue and analyze it and know what the repercussions would be...He was a very smart people person, and that was really his main talent.” Rabbi Stavsky died March 25 at age 73 of cancer. Synagogue members say finding a leader as charismatic as he was will be difficult. Rabbi Stavsky is credited by many with revitalizing local interest in Orthodox Jewish obser- vance. He was a main founder of Columbus Torah Academy. He pushed to rebuild the community mikvah. He helped bring in the staff of the Columbus Community Kollel—an outreach learning center on E. Main Street. David Stavsky was born in 1930 on New York’s Lower East Side. He was the youngest of Lillian and Harry’s six children. Harry Stavsky was a watchmaker, and the family lived above his store. The family attended shul regularly and young David attended religious schools, including the Rabbi Jacob Joseph school on Staten Island. He later participated in B’nai Akiva, a religious Zionist youth group. A childhood Feature From the Kindertransport to mah jongg: A Judaica treasure-trove See BROWN on page 4 The New Standard An Independent Central Ohio Jewish Monthly Iyar 5764 May 2004 Volume 1 :: No. 8 See STAVSKY on page 25 Members of the Columbus Orthodox Jewish community may find themselves unable to carry items outside their homes on the Sabbath. Bush backing for Sharon initiative strains already tense relations with ‘Quartet’ By Ruth Portnoy THE NEW STANDARD David Stavsky at 15 on the streets of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. See SHIFT on page 11 Rabbi David Stavsky led with Lower East Side smarts See also... • Encountering greatness pg.14 It’s a typical late Thursday after- noon in the Minnie Cobey Memorial Library at Congregation Tifereth Israel. A baker’s dozen of giggling sec- ond-graders are propped on pillows on the floor as librarian Sally Brown pre- pares to read “The Purim Surprise” by Lesley Simpson. She prefaces the tale with, “Today the rabbis are fasting.” “What’s ‘fasting’?” asks one of the boys. “It’s when you don’t eat,” says Brown. “FOREVER!?” another child gasps. “Nooooo… they are fasting today, in preparation for Purim on Sunday,” says Brown. “On what other holiday do we fast?” The children think. One provides the correct answer: Yom Kippur. Sally Brown has just made a Jewish connection. Not many American synagogues have the luxury of employing pro- fessional librarians. Congregation Tifereth Israel, at 1354 E. Broad St. near Downtown, is one of the lucky ones. Brown has been an integral part of life there for 18 years. She holds a master’s degree in library science from Drexel University in Philadelphia. She’s so active you’d swear she must have a clone. Not only does she assist religious- school teachers with their curriculum and read to the children, but Brown helps lead two book discussion groups each week (a daytime discussion for Hadassah and another in the eve- ning), runs a pseudo-bookmobile to a satellite educational program in New Albany, answers reference ques- tions and helps congregants of all See also... • Rantissi killing helps with Gaza plan pg.10 By Linda Resnik THE NEW STANDARD Not many synagogues have the luxury of employing professional librarians JCC HELPS TEACHERS WITH TUITION President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon shake hands during a news conference at the White House on April 14, 2004. Paul Morse :: White House By Philip Carmel JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY Courtesy of the Stavsky family pg 16 pg 2 pg 8 $1 HANGING BY A WIRE

The New Standard Vol. 1 No. 8

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The New Standard was a free distribution semi-monthly Jewish news publication servicing the Greater Columbus, Ohio area. The paper was founded by Daniel Newman in 2003. In 2005 the paper received a Simon Rockower Award to Noam Shpancer for excellence in Commentary writing from the American Jewish Press Association. In 2007 the paper received two Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Feature Writing. First place for Bill Cohen's “The Jewish Comfort Zone” and Third place for “Preparing the Dead: Burial Societies Provide Vital Service for Fellow Jews” by Jennifer Hambrick. Its readership was 30,000 and was audited by the CVC.

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President Bush’s ringing endorse-ment of Ariel Sharon’s Gaza with-drawal plan has exposed differences at the heart of the diplomatic ``Quartet” charged with shepherding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. While the European Union’s Irish presidency said the union was broadly in favor of Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, such a move would have to be carried out ``in accordance with certain conditions” identified last month by European heads of state and govern-ment. According to Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, that would entail Palestinian Authority cooperation in any Israeli withdrawal, as well as the long-established E.U. view that any changes to Israel’s pre-1967 border -- known as the Green Line -- could only be made by agreement between the sides. Thrown into turmoil by Bush’s move, the Quartet has called a top-level meet-ing for April 28 in Berlin, a senior E.U. diplomat said last Friday. The European Union and the United States are part of the Quartet that developed and nominally has been overseeing the ``road map” peace plan.

The other partners are Russia and the United Nations. The road map sets out a phased process that eventually is to lead to a Palestinian state. In the first stage, Israel was to take down illegal settle-ment outposts

and the Palestinians were to outlaw and dismantle terrorist groups. While Israel took some initial, halting steps against the outposts, the Palestinian Authority made clear that it would not move against ter-rorist groups. Despairing of finding a Palestinian partner, Sharon ultimately decided on a unilateral withdrawal and evacuation of settlements -- thereby setting new

Naphtali Weisz heard a lot of talk about Judaism, the community and Congregation Beth Jacob when he was growing up. “Every Shabbos

I would walk with my father and we’d pick my

grandfather up on the way,” said Weisz, 23. Weisz’s grandfa-ther was Rabbi David

Stavsky. The rabbinical and law student learned to listen between the lines.

“I guess I didn’t realize until later how intellectual he really was; how he could look at an issue and analyze it and know what the repercussions would be...He was a very smart people person, and that was really his main talent.” Rabbi Stavsky died March 25 at age 73 of cancer. Synagogue members say finding a leader as charismatic as he was will be difficult. Rabbi Stavsky is credited by many with revitalizing local interest in Orthodox Jewish obser-vance. He was a main founder of Columbus Torah Academy. He pushed to rebuild the community mikvah. He helped bring in the staff of the Columbus Community Kollel—an outreach learning center on E. Main Street. David Stavsky was born in 1930 on New York’s Lower East Side. He was the youngest of Lillian and Harry’s six children. Harry Stavsky was a watchmaker, and the family lived above his store. The family attended shul regularly and young David attended religious schools, including the Rabbi Jacob Joseph school on Staten Island. He later participated in B’nai Akiva, a religious Zionist youth group. A childhood

Feature

From the Kindertransportto mah jongg:

A Judaicatreasure-trove

See BROWN on page 4

The

NewNewNewStandardAn Independent Central Ohio Jewish Monthly

Iyar 5764

May 2004Volume 1 :: No. 8

See STAVSKY on page 25

Members of the Columbus Orthodox Jewish community may find themselves unable to carry items outside their homes on the Sabbath.

Bush backing for Sharon initiative strains already tense relations with ‘Quartet’

By Ruth PortnoyTHE NEW STANDARD

David Stavsky at 15 on the streets of the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

See SHIFT on page 11

Rabbi David Stavsky ledwith Lower East Side smarts

New

See also...

• Encountering greatness pg.14

It’s a typical late Thursday after-noon in the Minnie Cobey Memorial Library at Congregation Tifereth Israel. A baker’s dozen of giggling sec-ond-graders are propped on pillows on the floor as librarian Sally Brown pre-pares to read “The Purim Surprise” by Lesley Simpson. She prefaces the tale with, “Today the rabbis are fasting.” “What’s ‘fasting’?” asks one of the boys. “It’s when you don’t eat,” says Brown. “FOREVER!?” another child gasps. “Nooooo… they are fasting today, in preparation for Purim on Sunday,” says Brown. “On what other holiday

do we fast?” The children think. One provides the correct answer: Yom Kippur. Sally Brown has just made a Jewish connection. Not many American synagogues have the luxury of employing pro-fessional librarians. Congregation Tifereth Israel, at 1354 E. Broad St. near Downtown, is one of the lucky ones. Brown has been an integral part of life there for 18 years. She holds a master’s degree in library science from Drexel University in Philadelphia. She’s so active you’d swear she must have a clone. Not only does she assist religious-school teachers with their curriculum and read to the children, but Brown helps lead two book discussion groups each week (a daytime discussion for Hadassah and another in the eve-ning), runs a pseudo-bookmobile to a satellite educational program in New Albany, answers reference ques-tions and helps congregants of all

See also...

• Rantissi killing helps with Gaza plan pg.10

By Linda ResnikTHE NEW STANDARD

Not many synagogues have the luxury of

employing professional librarians

JCC HELPS TEACHERS WITH TUITION

President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon shake hands during a news conference at the White House on April 14, 2004.

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By Philip CarmelJEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

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pg 16 pg 2pg 8

$1.00

Iyar 5764

$1.00

HANGING BY A WIRE

The New Standard2 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 3

Kim Moore was enchanted with the

tiny version of an adult door she saw leading into the LeoYassenoff Jewish Center preschool. “It showed me that this place is abso-lutely centered on children,” she said. But the college student knows she faces a downsized expectation of what she’ll earn as she builds her career in early childhood education. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the 2002 median early-childhood teacher salary as $17,270. And turnover rates are high.

It’s almost not worth the school-ing she needs. Moore, 31, a single mother of two, attends Columbus State Community College, working toward her associate’s degree. She would have had to find a part-time job to cover her expenses if it hadn’t been for a new pro-gram that lets her put her new skills to work right away. Moore is one of two teachers receiving a $2,000 stipend to pay for her tuition, books and lab fees so she can work at the JCC. She attends school part time and works full time. The subsidy is made possible by a $6,200 grant from the Columbus Jewish Foundation.

The JCC is trying to keep Moore, and bring in others like her, to ensure that they get the best on-the-job train-ing they can. It hopes to attract more teachers who have the right train-ing, said Carol Folkerth, JCC associate executive director. Students receiv-ing the grant make a two-year commitment to stay and work at the JCC program in Columbus, Dublin or New Albany after graduation. The JCC program typi-cally isn’t overwhelmed with qualified applicants, Folkerth said. An average of five applicants usually applies for an average of six openings each year. Keeping students in the college program isn’t easy, either. Potential teachers often leave for more lucrative fields or because they graduate and relocate, said Virginia Carey, who coordinates the early childhood program at Columbus State. She hopes the JCC grant will keep a few more in the profession. The program spends time to educate students about the ways children gather and process information. “The training is very specific to early childhood development. It’s not just a matter of having a college degree in whatever,” she said. Carey said the JCC program pro-vides an important link between classroom lectures and the real world. Barbara Topolosky, the JCC’s early-childhood director, said: “Their program is very focused. They give students training that is practical as opposed to more philosophical: how to go into a job, how to develop lesson plans.” Moore said she can see how her col-lege training translates into games and activities geared to get children excited about their world. “There are certain techniques you use to get a child’s neurons going,” she said. Even a simple activity like coloring a piece of paper benefits the child. “It helps their pre-writing skills,”

she said. “Even though it looks like

they’re just scribbling, the kids are learning how to hold a crayon, how to move it from left to right and how to stay on the paper.” Playing with shaving cream fosters a child’s sensory development, said Moore. She fills a tub with shaving cream and foam bugs, and invites the children to reach in and find them. “We talk about how the shaving cream feels, smells, what color it is,” said Moore. “They just love it. These kids are like little sponges. They just take everything in.” Folkerth and Topolosky hope the JCC’s subsidy program can continue after this year, possibly with the help of corporate sponsorships. The foundation grant was meant as seed money to see if the program attracted qualified teach-ers, said Topolosky. Folkerth and Topolosky also hope the subsidy will serve as a model for other communities, so they may enlarge the doorways into the profession. “We invest in them and they invest in our kids,” said Folkerth. “We place the highest value on having a qualified staff person in this position. We know that the parents will feel better, plus the children will have the guidance of someone who is well-educated.”

Columbus and OhioBy Renée M. LaReau

THE NEW STANDARD

Grant increasing pool of talented preschool teachers

Preschool teacher Kim Moore helps Nolan Winston, 2 with his shoelaces.

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The Women’s Zionist Organization of AmericaThe Columbus Chapter of Hadassah invites the

entire community to attend an evening with

National Hadassah President ~June Walker~

Join us to learn about the work of Hadassah in Israel and the United States.

Thursday, April 29 8 pm at

Agudas Achim Synagogue

The presentation and dessert reception are free to the public, but require a reservation by calling the

Hadassah office at 235-81112700 East Main St. Suite 106, Columbus, OH 43209

[email protected]

Do you have writing experience?The New Standard is looking for free-lance reporters to cover the range of stories in the central Ohio Jewish community.

Candidates should have experience writing stories for publications. They should understand newspaper style and know how to dig for information, ask questions and write a lede.

Very rewarding work! Get in on a fabulous new publication!

Contact us at [email protected].

The New Standard2 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 3COLUMBUS & OHIO

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Six million paper clips piled in a classroom. Each clip represents a person. Each clip has been made real for the students of Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee. The students spent months collect-ing the wire clips to make the numbers of Holocaust dead real to them. And teacher Sandy Roberts said she felt moved in ways she had never expected. The experience brought her deep humil-ity; she realized that so many challenges - to right wrongs and prevent suffering - “remain unmet.” United Jewish Communities was similarly moved. The organization gave Roberts a service award at the Washington 14 conference held in late March at the Washington, D.C., Hilton. Many of us reached for our tissues as Roberts described what some of her students – mostly white and mostly Christian – said during the project. “One of the students said, ‘Ms. Roberts, when you touch them, can you feel the souls?’” recalled Roberts. The conference was full of surprises like this one. The three-day event was, on its surface, about sitting in rooms listening to speakers with 1,799 other Jews between 25 and 44 years old. But every once in a while, I had to write something down:

“If the Judaism we offer our children does not speak to the great moral issues, we will fail to inspire them...What is a more religious act: to welcome the Sabbath, or the refugee?” - Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, speaking about social action.

“We do have a fragmented Judaism...It’s a matter of deciding which aspect of the text we’re going to ally ourselves with.” – Judith Plaskow, founder of “The Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion,” speaking about the dichotomy between women’s importance to the Jewish story and their lack of centrality in Orthodox prayer practice.

“I was brought here by the promise of attractive women and politics.” - Dr. Alan Jacknow, a Los Angeles co-chair-man of Washington 14, introducing a portion of the weekend.

Widely disseminated publications writ-ten by an ayatollah (Muslim leader): “These are the Jews,” “Beware of the Jews,” “Between the Jews and Muslims,” “A Pact with the Jews Means Surrender.” (During a session on inter-nal messages of the Muslim world.)

One thing I heard surprised me. It came from several people as we were organizing to visit Capitol Hill to lobby for votes important to UJC: “You mean we can just go there? We can just walk into the building and into their offices?” The answer is yes.

I admit I’m a rhetoric-weary jour-nalist, and often I have to prod myself into believing that the political process works. But the statement reminded me that there are folks who are estranged from their own voices. A few people told me they don’t even vote. My recommendation: Walk the tiled halls past all those heavy wooden doors with their brass nameplates. Sit on the leather furniture (furniture YOU paid for with your taxes) and shake a few hands. Eat taxpayer-funded lollipops out of desk jars and tell the folks YOU elected what you want them to do. We visited Rep. Pat Tiberi and Senators Mike DeWine and George Voinovich. A few of us talked about the issues. My husband, Alan, volunteered to speak to Tiberi and Voinovich about a proposal to provide Homeland Security funds to “high-risk” agencies such as synagogues. I listened to other young, crisply dressed professionals speak about making sure Iran doesn’t acquire nuclear weapons and properly funding Medicaid. Does it matter that we were there? Consider this: Jews are a minority in this country. Yet Joyce Garver-Keller, director of Ohio Jewish Communities, points out that our loud voices get results. For example, our government supports Israel because Jews here take the lead in raising the issue. Jews also took the lead in extending welfare benefits to refugees who had been in the United States for five years, but had not yet become citizens. “The Jewish community waged a strong campaign with a very loud voice in speaking to the issue of elderly refu-gees whose citizenship had not been pro-cessed,” said Garver-Keller. “We were once strangers in a strange land.” On the walk through the tunnel connecting the House and the Senate, one of my fellow Columbus participants began speaking about her father, a Holocaust survivor. He did not have a voice in his native country. In America, we treasure that privilege--and we take our freedoms so seriously that we spend years debating moral issues and devis-ing laws to direct them. My friend went to the U.S. Supreme Court that week after we returned to Columbus. She listened to arguments about allowing the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. But some day she may be there as more than a spectator. Cindy Ebner recently joined an elite group of lawyers allowed to argue cases before the high court. She told me her father was there to attend her swearing-in ceremony earlier this year. He couldn’t keep a dry cheek.

RUTHPORTNOYEditor

Washington 14, more than just a walk through the nation’s House

Help us grow, support our

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The New Standard4 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 5

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ages select reading material. She also purchases books and periodicals, cata-logs them and posts “Sally’s Selections” on the synagogue Web site (visit www.tiferethisrael.org to see her lat-est picks). Recently, Brown coordinated an educational program on the Chevra Kadisha, the Jewish burial society. Her congregation’s gem of a library was dedicated in 1949 by the Cobey and Melton families, and was generously endowed. The perpetual fund pays Brown’s salary and provides for contin-ued collection development. There are 7,000 books, shelved floor to ceiling, with information on Jewish holidays, Jewish values, Israel, and topics from prayer to the Holocaust to divorce. Brown puts a premium on buying books written by rabbis in the Conservative move-ment, with which the synagogue is affiliated. A growing collection of videos awaits on everything from the Kindertransport to Mah Jongg. “It’s a tremendous resource,” said Tifereth Israel’s Rabbi Harold Berman. “It’s very well used at all times of day. Sally’s wonderful. She’s terrific with kids, is open to everybody and she sees the library as fully integrated with the synagogue.” Library customers visit the shelves for the same reasons they might visit the rabbi. “They come for life-cycle events,” says Brown – births, weddings, mourning. Baby-naming books are very popular. And parents want to learn more about the Torah portions their children are studying for their b’nai mitzvah ceremonies. Children come to learn about the Jewish holidays. Brown recently sat sharing the story of a young girl help-ing her mother deliver shalach manot (Purim treats) to total strangers—a holiday custom. Afterward, students were encouraged to check out books: fic-tion, non-fiction and biographies about famous Jews--Albert Einstein, Moses, Anne Frank, Hannah Senesh, Hank

Greenberg and more. As part of a reading incentive pro-gram, the kids selected books in three subjects from those on a large Tic-Tac-Toe board, then were to write book reports. Children who complete the challenge get their accomplishments cited in the synagogue newsletter, and a donation is made to the Jewish Braille Institute. The children are enthusiastic and clamor for their reading material. One of the categories is “Jews in Sports.” It’s a popular topic. “If everybody wants (books on) Jews in sports, I’ll tell you right now we don’t have enough!” Brown yells aloud. One boy selects “The Number on My Grandfather’s Arm,” by David A. Adler. “This is a sad, sad book,” Brown cau-

tions him. “I know. We read it last year,” he replies. “I know you can handle it,” Brown says. Brown works 29 hours per week, including nine to sup-port the religious school. Her

job is getting more intense. The library has grown over the last 25 years. Rabbi Berman notes the greater variety of

Sally Brown shows a Hebrew school class at Tifereth Israel one of the many books in the synagogue’s collection. Danielle Weinstein, left, Ariana Benis and Natalie Feldman look on.

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Active Judaica librarian keeps the books

Births, weddings, mourning and baby-naming books are

very popular

See BROWN on Page 7

The library committee at Congregation Tifereth Israel helped devise a creative way of enabling congregants to check out selected library books on Shabbat.

Since writing on the Sabbath is prohibited, a person simply peels a round sticker off the book’s cover and sticks it by his name on a printout of the congregant roster. No writing is involved to check out these books from the “Library on Wheels” cart in the synagogue atrium.

A Shabbatdilemma solved

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The New Standard4 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 5COLUMBUS & OHIO

Whether it is playing a viola, studying the Talmud or patching a bit of drywall, Charles Libicki makes it look easy. He is also always willing to help. His friends at Ahavas Sholom want him to know how much he means to them. They will honor Libicki with the Amud HaChesed, Pillar of Kindness, Award for his major involvement in Congregation Ahavas Sholom and the Columbus Jewish Community. Libicki, a native of Lorain, Ohio, took to playing the viola in the high school orchestra. It was there that he met his wife of 38 years, Penny Wenger, another viola player. “We have been nearly inseparable ever since,” Libicki says. Libicki graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received a bachelor’s in biology and master’s in earth sci-ences. He earned his doctorate in civil engineering from Ohio State University in 1986. Libicki moved to Columbus from Boston not only for a job at the Ohio EPA but also to find a young Jewish community. “We were looking for a young community, for whom Judaism was not just a facet of their lives, but actually defined their lives.” Libicki says. When they found Ahavas Sholom, “not only were the people welcoming and friendly, but they were obviously serious about Judaism and knew their stuff,” he

said. Libicki is co-owner of Interface Logical Systems, Inc., a supplier of computer systems for weights and measures which he initially worked for while a research assistant at OSU. As busy as Libicki is running a small business, he always finds time for his synagogue, Ahavas Sholom, much of the time in leader-ship roles. Libicki has been trea-surer, vice president, president and now is board chairman.

Rabbi Jonathan Rosenberg of Ahavas Sholom said he is impressed with Libicki’s ability to make the most difficult proj-ects seem easy. “I remember once when the shul needed some drywall repair,” he said. “There was Charlie taking care of

all of the menial tasks as if he was a professional. This is the same person who is at the top of the class when it comes to Talmud study and Jewish knowledge. It’s hard to find one individual who is so multital-ented.” At the end of the year, the Libikis move to Israel to fufill their lifelong dream of emigrating there before the age of 50. Ahavas Sholom is producing a journal in Libiki’s honor. The synagogue will host a dinner June 13. For more information about the dinner or to place an ad in the jour-nal, please contact the synagogue office at 252-4815.

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Proposal would provide funds for building security A Congressional bill introduced by Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) would provide $100 million for “high-risk” institutions to protect themselves against terrorism. The High-Risk Non-Profit Security and Safety Enhancement Act of 2004 would authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to disburse the funds to non-profit organizations demonstrating a high risk of terrorist attack. Funds could be used for security enhancements, such as concrete barriers, reinforcement of windows and doors and technical assistance to assess needs, develop plans and train personnel. The bill includes $50 million in available grant funds to help local police departments with these increased efforts.

High school student among finalists for public service award Amy Levin, a senior at Bexley High School, was among 15 central Ohio finalists for a local Jefferson Award for volunteerism. The awards, from the American Institute for Public Service, recognize “ordinary people who do extraordinary things without expectation of recognition or reward.” Central Ohio residents nominated more than 200 people for the award. Levin is a regular volunteer at the South Side Settlement House. She also started her high school’s service club. Voinovich puts it to the State Dept. U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) to require the State Department to submit an annual report detailing acts of anti-Semitism worldwide. “Unfortunately anti-Semitism is still widespread throughout the world and is disturbingly on the rise, particularly in Europe,” he said. “This amendment aims to ensure that the international community pays close attention.”

JCC Offers New Chair Lift for Pool The JCC now has available a PAL, portable chair lift. The new, battery powered chair lift will provide consistent and safe access and entry into the water for wheelchair users, for those without the capability of descending the stairs, and for those recovering from ankle and leg injuries. The power lift was made possible by a grant presented to the JCC by Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro’s Office.

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It was a simple armband, on display at a trade show of war memorabilia. But it had a special past. It was worn by inmates who cleared out the cremato-ria in a Nazi concentration camp. Warren E. Motts felt he had to own it. He already had one piece of Holocaust history, a section of barbed wire from the Dachau concentration camp. He also had a lot of other war memorabilia in his museum--the Motts Military Museum in Groveport. But once he put the two items togeth-er, he couldn’t stop thinking about them. The museum now is preparing an exhibit of items from his now larger col-lection. A new wing is being constructed to provide space for the entire Holocaust display, which will comprise about 30

percent of the total museum. The exhibit’s grand opening will in September. Motts’ wife, Daisy believes it is the duty of the museum to speak out and honor the peo-ple who lived through the Holocaust. “We have people coming in with the con-centration-camp num-bers on their arms,” she said. “We do a lot of educational tours with grade-school and high-school kids. We teach and show that sacrifices were made so that we can live in freedom.”

The Motts collection includes clothing, hats, shoes, whips, Jewish stars, striped concentration camp uniforms, inmate identification tags reflecting different jobs in the camps and a rare can that once contained poisonous gas used to kill Nazi victims. A private museum in Kentucky has a library of Holocaust books Motts hopes to purchase. He also will display 30 photos taken by his friend Charlie Moore at Buchenwald concentration camp. “He was a combat historical photog-rapher who was present at the inva-sion of Normandy and liberation of Buchenwald,” said Motts. “His job was to document history. When Charlie took the pictures, he told me he couldn’t bring himself to photograph all the horrible things he saw. If he ever thought people would deny it, Charlie said that he would have shot the whole thing.”

COLUMBUS & OHIO

corrections Several errors regarding Congregation Agudas Achim occurred in our March 29 issue, in a story that ran on p. 2. Here is the correct infor-mation: -The synagogue’s address 2767 E. Broad St. -The synagogue’s youth group is not affliated with the National Council of Synagogue Youth. -The synagogue’s membership is composed of about 600 families.One clarification is also helpful: Even though Agudas Achim does not have a permanent mehitzah, it has occasional-ly erected a temporary separating wall for special events or to accommodate special requests.

The Irvin Miller Fund mentioned on page 3 of the March 29 issue neglected to say Irvin Miller was a Holocaust Survivor. Hilda Gilbert was shown at the far left of a photo of three women pledging allegiance to the American flag dur-ing a women’s Jewish War Veterans Auxiliary meeting on p. 9 of the March 29 issue. She was incorrectly identi-fied.

“The New Standard” is making a style change: We will use the title “Rabbi” in front of all references to rabbis in our community, rather than simply using the rabbis’ last names. We welcome further suggestions for style changes.

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Holocaust artifacts being readied for exhibitBy Susan D. Schubert

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Warren Motts looks at photos of Buchenwald taken by a combat photographer.

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The New Standard6 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 7COLUMBUS & OHIO

materials, particularly on the Talmud. The library’s cataloging scheme also has been modernized and placed on a com-puter, and Brown was given more office space. “I do a lot of outreach,” Brown says. An increase in library programs has mir-rored a burgeoning level of programming in the building. “It’s exhausting,” she says. But Brown adds, “I really like the job. I enjoy hearing what adults like to read, I enjoy difficult reference questions, and I enjoy always learning about Judaism. One of my frustrations, though, is that even though I read a great deal, especial-ly current fiction, I cannot read every-thing. I must be selective.” Brown stays current with community literary activities. She has served on the JCC Book Fair steering committee

for many years, and is a board member of the Jewish Teacher Resource Center and Association of Jewish Libraries. She attends the national AJL confer-ence each year to keep up with the latest trends in Jewish books and learning. She is always willing to offer a reading rec-ommendation. Teachers, students and members of the general community are welcome to use the Minnie Cobey library. Hours are Sunday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and by appointment. For information, call 253-8523, ext. 112. The library’s card catalog is also searchable seven days per week through the Columbus Online Jewish Resource Center, www.columbusjewishlibraries.net, a collaborative database.

BROWNFROM PAGE 5

The Early Childhood Services program at the Leo Yassenoff Jewish Community Center is seeking nominations for the Shehechyanu Award. The annual award, established by the Holly and Brad Kastan family, honors a JCC preschool teacher who consistently demonstrates love and respect for young children and their families, brings creativity to classroom activities and

spreads the joy of learning to children. Preschool families from JCC North, JCC New Albany and the main College Avenue locaion are encouraged to submit nominations for a current or former teacher who meets these qualifications. The deadline for nominations is March 31. For more information call Carol Folkerth at 559-6223.

Nominate a special pre-school teacher

In one photo, Moore captured a group of German citizens visiting Buchenwald after liberation. Motts said, “I found out that General Dwight D. Eisenhower forced the Germans to walk through the camps, take stretchers and bury the dead because they claimed they didn’t know about the concentration camp in their own town.” The collection also includes personal items from a survivor of Dachau, donated by his widow. According the American Appraisers Association, the Motts Holocaust collec-tion is the second largest of its kind in the United States and the sixth-largest in the world, based on number as well as uniqueness of the items. “Even though I’m not Jewish, I feel it’s a privilege and a calling for me to collect Holocaust memorabilia as a significant part of this U.S. military history muse-um,” said Motts. The Motts Military Museum encom-passes all periods of military history from all conflicts the United States has been involved in. The collection includes a teacup and saucer an army nurse found after the United States bombed Nagasaki; one of General William Westmoreland’s jackets; and fatigues worn by U.S. Army nurse Sharon Lane, a Zanesville native who was killed in Vietnam in 1969.

The museum also owns a Civil-War-era pin bearing Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s picture, an Iraqi flag that flew during the first Gulf War 15 years ago and play-ing-card-sized photos of today’s “most-wanted” terrorists. Motts, a retired professional photogra-pher, started his collection of American military historical artifacts in his home. When the exhibit outgrew his home, a friend, Robert Richards, donated $50,000 so he could buy the current building, said Motts. When Richards died, he left the museum the building. Motts covers expenses through muse-um memberships, a building fund drive and donations. Still needed is $50,000 to finish cataloging, preserving and display-ing the Holocaust exhibit, he said. “We want to find more Holocaust memorabilia, survivors, speakers as well as those who are committed to perma-nently preserving this history,” he said. He also wants to spread the message of the museum. “My husband starts out the tours with the question, ‘How does it feel to be free today?’ ” said Mrs. Motts. “Sometimes we take our freedoms for granted. We need to stop a minute and realize that people gave their lives.” For more information about the Motts Military Museum,visit http://www.mottsmilitarymuseum.org.

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The New Standard8 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 9

Eliza Delman is grateful for Columbus’ eruv. The marked – square mile area on the East Side is a “safe zone” where she can carry the supplies she needs whenever she leaves the house to

attend synagogue or take her two small children, ages 2 and five months, on a Shabbat walk. “Diapers, a snack, coats, hats,” she runs through the mental checklist. The eruv, partially by rubber tubing, wooden slats and wires hanging on utility poles, allows Delman, an observant Orthodox Jew, to carry these items on the Sabbath and the holidays as long as she remains

inside of it. But that could change. The eruv society is running out of money. Right now, it’s approximately $3,000 in debt. Operation and maintenance expenses for this year could drive that deficit as high as $7,000. “If we got a major repair bill, we may not be able to pay it,” said Sanford Lefkowitz, Eruv Society treasurer. Families like Delman’s also would be virtually housebound.

“It would mean I can’t go out for any meals,” Delman said. “My friends who are coming to me can’t bring anything – dessert or a bottle of wine.” Jewish law doesn’t allow a person to carry anything outside during the Sabbath or on holidays. But the 17-year-old defined area has created an extension of private living space into the outdoors. Jews who live within the eruv may carry many items and

push strollers to synagogue. It takes money to maintain the structure – both for materials and to pay individuals who check the status of the wires. Members of the society have donated money for this purpose, Lefkowitz said. But the funds are drying up. Since its construction in 1987, the eruv has required constant maintenance. The society spends an average $3,000 to $4,000 per year keeping it in place. The last major repair required an additional $1,500. Major repairs are contracted to a local electrical company. The society also maintains a telephone hotline

that reports on the status of the eruv. Jonathon Cassell, president of the Eruv Society, said checking the posts and wires, attached to 185 utility poles, is crucial. If repairs are not done correctly, the community is at risk of violating Sabbath laws. Kim Geiger and her husband, Steven, started checking and repairing the eruv 12 years ago. Every week before Shabbat and prior to the Jewish holidays, Kim checks the northern half. Steven checks the southern half. Age, storms, drivers, garbage trucks and landscapers cause damage to the setup, said Kim Geiger. “People really notice when it’s down,” she said. Over the years, Kim Geiger has become an expert at devising methods

Map of area the Eruv encompases(above)

Rabbi Stavsky, David Kornberg and Michael Weisz erecting the eruv in 1987(left)

COLUMBUS & OHIO

No cash will cause some to not carryBy Geneva Ringel

THE NEW STANDARD

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ERUVFROM PAGE 8

to fix the wires or replace a board when she spots a needed repair. She collects spare wood, string and rope and keeps a variety of tools and supplies in her car. Sometimes she has to ask for help—especially if the needed repair is more than 10 feet from the ground. Many people who rely on the eruv do not realize the enterprise takes such effort and costs money, said Rabbi Jonathan Rosenberg of Congregation Ahavas Sholom. “We need people to realize there’s a cost involved, but we all benefit,” said Rabbi Rosenberg. Since no dollars come from the four Columbus orthodox synagogues or from the Columbus Jewish Federation, individuals must provide it. A recent fund-raising appeal to approximately 500 families who attend Orthodox synagogues yielded 50 or so responses, said Lefkowitz.

In the next week few weeks, the Eruv Society plans to revive its fund-raising efforts. “We need to make people aware that we need money and where to send it,” said Lefkowitz.

Donations may be sent to The Eruv Society, c/o Sanford Lekowitz, 165 S. Chesterfield Rd., Columbus, OH 43209. Checks should be made out to Eruv of Columbus. The number of the eruv hotline is 898-2807.

An eruv is a major attraction for some observant Orthodox Jews seeking to relocate. “The benefits of an eruv are unbelievable,” said Rabbi Jonathan Rosenberg of Congregation Ahavas Sholom. He points out families with young children feel less isolated. Friends can share the holidays. Synagogue culture depends on this community spirit. “It’s a basic amenity for a modern Jewish community,” said Rabbi Rosenberg. The concept arose because Jewish law forbids the carrying of objects in a public domain on the Sabbath and on major holidays. An eruv, which is a Hebrew word meaning “to mix or join together,” symbolically transforms a public area into a large private area. Not all movements of Judaism recognize the need for such a space. Those who choose to live within or near one are usually members of the Orthodox or Conservative movements. But even those who rely on the eruv disagree about its governing rules. Rabbi Rosenberg said the legal aspects are complex. Authorities disagree on construction guidelines and management. And one variable can change an eruv’s acceptability. To begin with, an eruv must be distinguished from its public surroundings. This can generally be done with a wall or simply by using existing topography. The Columbus eruv encompasses much of the Bexley and Berwick neighborhoods on the East side of Columbus. Half of the border is created by the banks of Alum Creek on the western side and a fence along I-70 to the south. The remaining border is created by wires strung between 185 utility poles on the northern and eastern side of the eruv. Jewish law requires the utility poles and wires to form a wall of “doorways,” with the poles serving as “doorposts” and the wires as “lintels.” An eruv is also much more than a physical enclosure. In order to keep it viable, its managing community must share an annual communal meal. Through a proxy, someone acts on behalf of the community and accepts the meal – a box of matzah. Matzah is used because it can be eaten year-round. This year’s symbolic meal was at Ahavas Sholom right before Passover. The building of an eruv is not always welcomed by a community. Most recently, city officials in Tenafly, N.J. challenged the structure there. The dispute grew into a legal battle in the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where the court ruled in favor of the Tenafly Eruv Association. Incidents like these led the builders of the Columbus community eruv to keep their efforts low key. Phil and Julie Weinerman were among the young couples when the eruv was initially discussed in October 1982. They were advised by other eruv associations to proceed quietly. “There was some concern about negative reactions,” said Phil Weinerman, past president of the Columbus Eruv Society. “There was no coverage, no thank yous, and no pictures.” Instead the founders of the eruv relied on quietly solicited local community support. It was completed in 1987. “We wanted to create the eruv in a way that was respectful and proper with the community and the utility companies,” said Weinerman. “We felt like we were representing the Jewish community.” The eruv so far has not been challenged by the wider community. Government agencies and American Electric Power all have been accepting and helpful, he said.

What is an eruv?By Geneva Ringel

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The New Standard10 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 11

U.S. digestU.S. reacts to Rantissi killing The United States declined to condemn Israel for its assassination of Hamas’ leader. Israel should “consider carefully the consequences of its actions,” the White House said after Abdel Aziz Rantissi was killed in an airstrike Saturday in Gaza, along with two bodyguards. “The United States is gravely concerned for regional peace and stability,” spokesman Scott McClellan said in a statement. McLellan reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and other terrorist groups, but urged “all parties to exercise maximum restraint” at a moment of hope, referring to Israel’s pledge to withdraw from some territories in exchange for U.S. recognition of a measure of Israel’s claim to the West Bank.

Kerry upbeat on Sharon plan Sen. John Kerry expressed qualified support for Ariel Sharon’s plan for unilateral Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. “I think that could be a positive step,” the Massachusetts senator and Democratic candidate for president said Thursday. Kerry had hoped to meet Sharon during the Israeli prime minister’s two-day visit to the United States this week, but Sharon declined, citing a lack of time.

Crown Heights play defended A fringe U.S. politician took out a full-page ad in The New York Times to defend a play some have said blames Jews for the 1991 Crown Heights riots. Lenora Fulani denied that the play, called “Crown Heights,” is antisemitic and says she is a bridge builder who wants to bring blacks and Jews together. “Crown Heights,” by Dan Friedman and Fred Newman, tells of a rabbi’s car striking a young black child, and shows a young African- American later accidentally stabbing a rabbinical student to death after being beaten by Jews, the New York Sun reported earlier this year. The play relies largely on accounts of the riots by Fulani, a black political activist, because religious Jews refused to cooperate, Friedman told the Sun. Although she never has held political office, Fulani has run for U.S. president several times. In the actual Crown Heights riots, a young black child was accidentally run over, and a religious Jew was fatally stabbed in a riot by a man in a crowd calling for the death of Jews.

Bulldozers to Israel OK’d Caterpillar shareholders rejected a proposal that would have asked the company to stop selling bulldozers to the Israeli army. The measure, which was prompted by Israel’s use of the bulldozers to raze the homes of suspected Palestinian terrorists, overwhelmingly was defeated at the shareholders’ meeting Wednesday in Chicago.

A new Sabbath queen Madonna will not play on Friday nights during her upcoming tour, which includes Israel. The move by the singer comes as her interest in Kabbalah appears to be broadening. Though Madonna is not Jewish, “she is observing Shabbat on Friday evenings,” her longtime publicist, Liz Rosenberg, told New York magazine.

Beyond Columbus

The weekend airstrike on Abdel Aziz Rantissi was not just the second timeIsrael has killed the leader of Hamas in less than a month. The strike also appears to have won Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon some political support as he prepares to pres-ent his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip to the Likud Party’s membership early next month. Had Israel wanted to portray Saturday’s assassination of Rantissi as retaliation, it need only have pointed to a suicide bombing at the Erez crossing on the Gaza-Israel boundary a few hours earlier. That attack, claimed jointly by Hamas and the Al-Aksa Brigade, killed a border police sergeant, Kfir Ohayon, and wound-ed three other Israelis. But Israeli officials said the plan to kill Rantissi had been in the works for some time. The timing of what Israel calls a ``targeted killing” also strengthened Sharon for his first meeting with gov-ernment ministers since returning from Washington last week. While in the United States, Sharon received the Bush administration’s backing for his contro-versial plan to disengage Israel from the Gaza Strip and much of the West Bank. Several Cabinet members, including

a few from Sharon’s own Likud Party, had said the withdrawal plan risked inflaming Palestinian violence. But on Sunday, two major skeptics of the plan -- Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Limor Livnat -- quickly endorsed Sharon, while Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom also looked likely to do an about-face and close ranks with the premier on the Gaza with-drawal. ``It is hard to preach to Sharon about ‘get-ting tough on terror’ the morning after the army, on his orders, killed Rantissi,” a senior source in the Prime Minister’s Office said. The emerging consensus bodes well for Sharon as the May 2 referendum on the disengagement plan among the Likud’s 200,000 members looms. Even if the National Unity bloc and National Religious Party leave the gov-ernment in protest, Sharon has hinted that their four seats can easily be filled -- perhaps by the opposition Labor Party in a national unity government.

Rantissi, a trained pediatrician given to anti-Semitic rhetoric, had topped Israel’s wanted list for years, and sur-vived a similar airstrike on his car last June. He succeeded Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin, whom Israel killed last month, on March 24. The airstrike that killed Rantissi also killed two of his bodyguards. The United States declined to rebuke Israel for the killing, though it did express concern over the hostility that Rantissi’s death may exacerbate. Israel should ``consider carefully the

Hamas killings helps Sharon sell Gaza planBy Dan Baron

JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

A Palestinian woman chants anti-Israel slogans during the funeral of Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin, in Gaza City, Monday, March 22, 2004. Yassin was killed by missiles fired from an Israeli airforce helicopter, as he left a mosque near his home.

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briefs from JTA wire service

See PLAN on page 27

The New Standard10 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 11

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borders. In what has been seen as a signifi-cant policy change, Bush told the Israeli prime minister in Washington on April 14 that it would be ``unrealistic” not to take into account facts established on the ground over the past 40 years when Israel’s final borders are determined. That was taken as an endorsement of Israeli plans to annex certain West Bank settlement blocs that are close to the Green Line and that are home to tens of thousands of Israelis. However, Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell later sought to clarify that the president was not endorsing specific changes to the border. ``All final status issues must still be negotiated between the parties,” Bush said last Friday. ``I look forward to the day when those discussions can begin so the Israeli occupation can be ended and a free and independent and peaceful Palestinian state can emerge.” Still, for European leaders, even tacit acceptance of changes to the Green Line is unacceptable. Moreover, they said that Bush’s statement that Palestinian refugees and their descendants from Israel’s 1948 War of Independence would be settled in a future Palestinian state -- and not in Israel, as they demand – was an attempt to determine the outcome before the two sides sit down to negotiate. Emma Udwin, spokeswoman for E.U. External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten, told JTA that the European Commission ``would of course be in favor of any initiative if it offered a real-istic, fair and sustainable settlement, but the absolutely essential point is that

it should be agreed by both sides.” ``We’re not look-ing for the big idea, because the road map is not rocket science,” she said. ``Experience has taught us what needs to be in any peace agreement for it to be accepted by both sides.” In fact, the most recent detailed peace proposals -- such as those presented by President Clinton just before he left office in early 2001, or the ``Geneva accord” drawn up last year by left-wing Israelis and Palestinians -- closely resembled Bush’s state-ments, envisioning Israeli retention of major settlement blocs and a minuscule refugee return to Israel, if any. Some of the Bush proposals drew support from European diplomats. Javier Solana, the E.U.’s foreign policy chief, described them as ``an opportu-nity to restart the implementation of the road map.” But Solana was sharply critical of Bush’s comments on refugees. ``A permanent settlement must also include an agreed, just, fair and realistic solution to the refugee issue,” he said in a statement. Israelis long assumed that Palestinian demands for a complete withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza Strip and a ``right of return” were merely negotiating ploys.

The refugee issue, in particular, is criti-cal to Israel. Most Israelis consider the demand for a ``right of return” a veiled call for the destruction of the Jewish state by demographic means -- some-thing fundamentally at odds with a peace process aimed at a two-state solu-tion. While Brussels-based officials largely observed diplomatic niceties, senior poli-ticians from E.U. member states were considerably more caustic about the U.S. approach. French President Jacques Chirac called the Bush proposals ``dangerous.” ``On the borders, I believe that international law should be respected,” Chirac told reporters in Algeria. ``If we play around with international stability or the norms of international law accord-

ing to circumstances or individuals, it’s an unfortunate precedent.” Similar reaction came from German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who urged the Americans to adopt a more neutral role between Israelis and Palestinians. ``The interests of both sides have to be considered and any solution must be within the framework of the road map that would guarantee peace and security for the region,” Fischer said in a state-ment. Bush did receive some support from his strongest ally in Western Europe, British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Meeting with Bush in Washington last Friday, Blair said that if Israel follows through on its proposal, ``the concept of a viable Palestinian state becomes a real possibility -- not some-thing that’s put in a document and talked about or discussed in resolutions or speeches, but actually is a real, live possibility.” However, Blair’s own foreign secre-tary sought to distance Britain from the Bush proposals. ``President Bush has to make his own judgments. We make our own,” Jack Straw told reporters in London. While British press reports suggested that Blair had been consulted over the general terms of Bush’s remarks to Sharon, they also reported that British attempts to tone down the comments had fallen on deaf ears in Washington. On the other hand, a senior E.U. dip-lomat in Brussels told JTA that while he was ``not surprised” by Bush’s new ini-tiative, the Americans ``did not consult with us about this.” Most European leaders admitted that Sharon had landed a major diplomatic

An Israeli border policeman and female soldier keep guard on Jaffa road in downtown Jerusalem. The killing by Israel of Hamas leaders in a helicopter missile strike in Gaza City has prompted threats of unprecedented revenge by Palestinian terrorists.

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See SHIFT on page 27

BEYOND COLUMBUS

The New Standard12 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 13

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On April 18, Jews across America marked the events of the Holocaust. At Beth Jacob Synagogue in Columbus teen-agers read poems and prayers, then carried lit candles, forming an aisle through which Holocaust survi-vors walked to the bimah. Survivor Abe Weinrib led about 350 people gathered that evening in the Kaddish prayer. Some who attended the Yom Hashoah ceremony were concerned about how future generations will handle the annual observance – and even if they will bother. The holiday “gets lost in the shuffle” of preparing and ending Passover observance and planning to mark Israeli independence, said Rabbi Howard Zack, president of the Columbus Board of Rabbis. Holocaust survivor John Schwarz said the memory of that period could fade permanently. “More and more people are say-ing it never happened,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen 100 years from now.” Nationwide, synagogues are searching for ways to keep observance from going stale--mixing in different kinds of events, including reciting the names of Holocaust victims, watching videos of survivors’ accounts and con-ducting Shoah seders. At a small, suburban New Jersey synagogue, Bar Mitzvah children recit-ed the poem ``Butterfly” by a teenage death-camp inmate and a choir sang the El Maleh Rachamim blessing of God’s compassion. Jeff Marder, a keyboardist for Cirque Du Soleil in Las Vegas pre-miered a new musical called ``Never Forget” that Beth Haverim, a Reform synagogue in Mahwah, and Ramapo College’s nearby Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies commissioned. Zack said he wanted to get young people involved. He said observance in Columbus has been mostly about the adults—the survivors and the rabbis. “Very shortly there will be few

if any survivors left to tell their tale, and if we can’t find the way to engage the younger generation, who will com-memorate Yom Hashoah in 10 years?” he said. Such efforts are fueling a grow-ing international debate about how the relatively new Yom Hashoah should be ritualized, or whether the holiday should be folded into others. Some have suggested folding it into Tisha B’Av, a day of mourning set aside to lament the destruction of the First Temple in 586 B.C.E, the Second Temple in 70 C.E. and subsequent Jewish tragedies as well. Among those who advocate adding the Holocaust to the list of misfortunes commemorated on that day is Ismar Schorsch, chancellor of the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary of America. The Shoah is already mentioned in Tisha B’Av observance, said Zack. “If you look at the books of elegies that are read on Tisha B’av, they all now contain elegies to the Holocaust,” he said. But he said combining the two diminishes the importance of both. “It’s like celebrating two simchas on the same day,” he said. Menachem Rosensaft of New York, founding chairman of the International Network of Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, agrees. Rosensaft insists that Holocaust remembrance ``is not just an obligation for those with a direct, familial link with the dead.” ``This was the greatest tragedy in post-biblical Jewish history,” he says. As survivors vanish, the next genera-tions ``are in a position to ensure that the remembrance of Holocaust victims will be a permanent, separate part of the Jewish national consciousness.” The debate echoes arguments that surfaced in Israel in the early 1950s, when the young state sought ways to mark the still-fresh Holocaust. Some fervently Orthodox leaders of the time said that general prayers of kaddish, or mourning, should take

Students hold candles at the Columbus Board of Rabbis Yom Ha’Shoah observance Aptil 18 at Congregation Beth Jacob in Berwick.

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As Yom Hashoah gains traction, debate grows over how to mark it

By Joe BerkofskyJEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

See SHOAH on Page 27

BEYOND COLUMBUS

The New Standard12 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 13

The longest sustained anti-Semitic attack in Canadian history. That’s how Bernie Farber, executive director of the Ontario branch of the Canadian Jewish Congress, sums up the recent barrage of attacks against Jewish targets here. In response to those attacks, Jewish officials have mobilized to step up security at schools and other institutions -- and to ask Ontario’s provincial government to supplement the police budget to cover additional surveillance and patrolling of Jewish sites. ``Until now, the community has taken care of its own security needs, but” the financial burden ``is becoming onerous and it’s having a significant impact on the community,” Farber said. ``We shouldn’t have to bear these costs alone,” he said. ``This is a unique situa-tion faced only by Jews. We pay taxes like everybody else and we’re as deserving of protection as anybody else.” Toronto Jewish officials had hoped that the rash of anti-Semitic incidents in March would cease after three teen-agers were arrested for desecrating the Bathurst-Lawn Cemetery. But vandals have struck three more Jewish cemeteries in southern Ontario since then -- including Toronto’s 155-year-old Pape Avenue Cemetery, the oldest Jewish cemetery in the province. More anti-Semitic incidents also have been reported. According to Farber, quick action is required to extinguish these sparks of hate. ``We need something right away,” he said. ``It’s like a fuse burning out of con-trol. We need to stop it hard and fast, and we can best do that with the assistance of the provincial government. We need them to be partners on this.” Earlier this month, a United Talmud Torah elementary school in Montreal was firebombed, destroying the library. Many say there never has been a more pressing need for additional security at Jewish day schools in Canada. Yet parents already face a ``maxi-mum financial burden” as they cope with steep religious-school tuition, said Ed Morgan, chairman of the Canadian Jewish Congress’ Ontario branch. Increasing police budgets would relieve the pressure on parents to shoulder the additional cost needed to protect their children, he said. ``Security is a police matter,” he said. ``We trust the police. We want them to do it.” Farber, Morgan and representatives of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto met April 15 with the province’s attorney general, Michael Bryant, and its minister of community safety and correctional ser-vices, Monte Kwinter. ``Both ministers were very understand-ing of our situation,” Morgan said. ``Of course, they didn’t write a check for more police resources on the spot, but they indicated that they would take the issue to their Cabinet colleagues and see what they could do to direct more resources to the problem.” Bryant also reportedly gave assurances to the Canadian Jewish Congress that anyone caught perpetrating anti-Semitic attacks would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. For years, a Canadian Jewish Congress committee has been working quietly behind the scenes, assessing and improv-

ing the community’s security needs. The large advocacy organization B’nai Brith Canada also has sent security and counterterrorism experts into many local schools and synagogues. B’nai Brith’s security analysis should be ready soon, according to Frank Dimant, the group’s national executive vice-president. Both organizations acknowledge that much needs to be done to shield Jewish institutions from malevolent acts by homegrown anti-Semites or agents of international terrorism.

``I

think we’re looking at millions of dollars that have to be spent to try to provide a better security system for the community,” Dimant said. ``Right now you have some synagogues that will have some security personnel in place on Saturday mornings,” he said. ``But what happens Saturday afternoon? What happens the rest of the week? I think there are lots of other issues that don’t lend themselves to being discussed in the media at the moment. But let’s just say we have a lot of homework to do.”

World briefsPro-Israel lawmaker likely to lose seat One of Europe’s leading pro-Israel legislators is unlikely to return to the European Parliament following elections in June. French Socialist Francois Zimeray was not chosen for a high position on the party’s list at a closed-door meeting of the party’s National Committee in Paris on Saturday. The founder and head of the pro-Israel Medbridge group of European legislators, Zimeray has been heavily involved in demanding that the European Union investigate the misuse of funding it has provided to the Palestinian Authority. Zimeray also led a recent delegation of some 170 European legislators to the Middle East.

German Jews meet on funding German Jewish leaders are meeting ahead of talks with the federal government regarding a funding dispute. Paul Spiegel, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, called Sunday’s board meeting in Dusseldorf to prepare for Wednesday’s talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Berlin. The talks are meant to avert a lawsuit by the Union for Progressive Jews in Germany. At stake is future funding for congregations in the Progressive Union, Germany’s Reform movement, and the status of the Central Council as the sole umbrella organization of Jewish groups in Germany. The talks are aimed at averting the union’s lawsuit on charges that the government has failed to support all streams of Judaism in keeping with the historic contract signed between the Central Council and the German government last year.

Teen terrorist in court Israel indicted a 16-year-old Palestinian would-be suicide bomber. Prosecutors at an Israeli military court said Sunday that Hussam Abdu, whose arrest outside Nablus last month was televised internationally, had been dispatched by the Al-Aksa Brigade. Abdu, who at first gave his age as 14, could face life in prison, but security sources said his mental retardation likely would be a mitigating factor. The incident caused a backlash of Palestinian anger against terrorist groups using children for attacks on Israelis.

Israeli hoops team wins big An Israeli basketball team celebrated its prestigious European championship. Some 8,000 fans turned out Wednesday night at a rally for Hapoel Jerusalem. The celebration came a day after the team defeated Real Madrid 83-72 to win the ULEB Cup Final. It was only the second time that an Israeli team has won the trophy.

West Bank fence clash At least 10 Palestinians were hurt in clashes with police over the West Bank security barrier. Witnesses said one of the casualties in Sunday’s confrontation at the village of Bidu, which has seen recurrent violence as Israel presses ahead with plans to erect the fence on outlying farmland, was hit by live gunfire.

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The burned library at Montreal’s United Talmud Torah, April 8, 2004.

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By Bill GladstoneJEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

BEYOND COLUMBUS

The New Standard14 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 15

During the course of our lives, most of us encounter very few truly great men and women. Rabbi David Stavsky, of blessed memory, was a great man. Those of us who knew him also know that we are better for having known him. The facts about Rabbi Stavsky’s life were duly reported by “The Dispatch,” although not on the front page, where the story belonged. Rabbi Stavsky was a larger-than life epic figure in Central Ohio for half a century, and was known and respected around the world. Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman acknowledged Rabbi Stavsky’s special role in the com-munity, not only by paying his respects at the funeral, but also by attending the dedication of Beth Jacob Congregation’s David and Ruth Stavsky Sanctuary last year. When Rabbi Stavsky died, “The Dispatch” published a small article on page B5. That article failed to make any reference to Rabbi Stavsky’s leadership on behalf of Zionist causes and the State of Israel for more than four decades. The family’s obituary put it best, describing Rabbi Stavsky as an “ardent religious Zionist, whose love and devotion to the State of Israel was inte-gral to his rabbinic life.” Rabbi Stavsky’s sermons on any subject were worth listening to, but when he spoke about Israel, it was a unique treat. He thundered with authority and with a knowledge of history. He was forthright and unambiguous; speaking with a clarity that was unequivocal. The rabbi delivered a sermon called “Stop Apologizing” almost fifteen years ago that still resonates today. Before the Oslo agreement or the handshakes on the White House lawn, Rabbi Stavsky responded to an incident where the Palestinians threw rocks from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem at the Jewish worshippers pray-

ing in the Kotel plaza. Rabbi Stavsky quoted the passage in Ecclesiastes: “Ain Chadash Tachat Hashemesh”- “There is nothing new under the sun.” It was ironic that weeks after the great rab-bi’s death, Palestinians were still throwing rocks from the Temple Mount at Jewish worshippers praying in the Kotel Plaza. His sermon resonates. “No Arab voice argues that they should not have had an arsenal of rocks and stones hidden in their mosque,” Rabbi Stavsky said. “No conscience-stricken Arab proclaims ‘They should not have pounced on the Jews when they gathered to pray.’ Not one such voice of dissent has been heard. There has been no condemnation; no disagree-ment. In fact, the very opposite has occurred. The Arabs have spoken ‘Peh Echad’--with One Mouth. Suddenly, they have buried their differences,

and demand ‘Jihad’-Holy War, war against the barbarous Jews! Still, within our own fold, we harbor those who have not yet learned. These are Jews who, in spite of the evidence, say that somehow, somewhere, I don’t know how, we, in fact, provoked the Arabs. This self-hating response is a sad, even tragic distortion of truth, a calumny against Jewish dignity and self-esteem. In our post-Holocaust

world, no American Jew, no Jew anywhere should apologize for beleaguered Israel’s justified response to outright aggression and murder. We dare not apologize. Jewish destiny is at stake.” Rabbi Stavsky was vigilant about Jewish des-tiny all the days of his life. The heartfelt words of his sermon are as inspiring now as when he first spoke them in 1990. He was always calling us to be proud Jews. Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Jews called him their teacher. Mayor Coleman said at the Stavsky Sanctuary dedica-tion that he was “Columbus’ Rabbi.” May his wid-ow and family find comfort in the love so many felt for Columbus’ Rabbi. May the memory of this great man be a blessing for us all.

Larry Pollak is a Columbus attorney who fre-quently comments on the media’s portrayal of events in Israel. He can be reached [email protected]

Editorial & Opinion

Encountering greatnessin Columbus, Ohio

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NewStandardAn Independent Central Ohio Jewish Monthly

You can choose the next President

Remember the “trick” question that many of us heard growing up? “Would you rather have $100,000 today or a penny doubled each day for a month?” It turns out

that the penny doubled each day for a month yields millions of dollars. How is this possible? It’s the magic of geometric growth. In this political season geometric growth is the key to determining the next president of the United States, especially for Ohio voters. In the last presidential election President Bush won Ohio by a slim margin. Historically no Republican and few Democrats have won the presidency without Ohio. Most analysts feel that victory in Ohio will be essential to victory this year. Lose Ohio; lose the election. Exponential progression can put the results of the highly contested election in Ohio and the making of the next U.S. President in the hands of the readers of “The New Standard.” If you believe strongly in one of the candidates; if you speak to two people; if each of them speaks to two others; if the trend continues, then exponential growth can sway huge numbers of voters. If you feel strongly about the need to elect a particular can-didate this cycle, here’s how you can make a difference:1. Send a check to the candidate of your choice2. Create a fact sheet stressing your candidate’s strong points.3. Speak freely and at every opportunity, even to strangers,

about your candidate.4. Pay special attention to younger voters who may not be reg-

istered. Point out that a simple name and address form at the library is all it takes.5. Hand out your fact sheet to those who are responsive to

your viewpoint (Don’t put the sheet in the hands of those who appear negative.)6. Do more than sell your candidate; sell the need for your

“converts” to go out and campaign just as you are. Give them the example of geometric growth so they will understand why they can really make a difference. Activism will win the day. Rarely have voters been in such a powerful position as we are in Ohio this year. We will literally determine the next pres-ident, and each of you has the power to make a huge differ-ence. Yes, every vote counts, and this year words, passion and effort count, too. This is your chance. Don’t let it pass you by.

LARRY S. POLLAK

H a s b a r a

He thundered with authority

and a knowledge of history.

The New Standard14 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 15

Columbus will miss our “Mr. Chips”“Some dream of worthy accom-plishments, while others stay awake and do them.” I am a Septuagenarian and ruminating on the anecdotal past is seemingly become de ri-gueur. Yesterday, “out of the clear blue,” as it is often referred, I recalled , somewhat vividly and clearly that it had to be in 1949, as a student at New York University, I attended a class that offered a review of 20th Century English Authors. James Hilton’s “Shangri-la and good bye Mr. Chips,” were two that were dis-cussed. Mr. Chips was the Head Master at an English Academy,

and the story, I believe dealt with his abilities to teach and his humanity shown to his students. I certainly know that in the real world it was a shame that we did not have many Mr. Chips. Now as I fast forward to the present, like many of us in this community, I have been strug-gling these days ,as I recall my personal relationship with and the impact of Rabbi Stavsky. I have always held that albeit that academic knowledge is indeed important, it is sterile if it is not implemented and trans-lated into action. By his drives and strengths I believe he was the consummate practitioner to that end. The ideal teacher - student relationship is one in which both are in pursuit of intent and

truth. For twenty years at the Sunday Morning Talmud class, our relationship was the ideal. In a sense I always felt that he the teacher and I the student were both at the same time able to pursue the truth wherever it took us. Rabbi Stavsky’s enthusi-asm and deep engagement in the weekly topic generated a similar engagement in the students. By unbound energies and patience he forged and mined his stu-dents and led them to a real and safe progress in the discovery of divine truths Albeit, our Mr. Chips now sits on high, he will always remain in my own personal pantheon.

Sincerely,Bernard Gerson

The Bush team, it is clear now, had an ambitious, new-world-order plan in mind when it decided to invade Iraq. The plan called for an application of the domino principle, by which once Iraq is forcibly infected with the virus of democracy and modernity, it will help spread it to other regional nations, mak-ing allies of former enemies and open-ing capitalist markets in once musty bazaars. This is not a bad plan. Clearly, the new fault line in world politics, replac-ing the old Cold War line, runs between the radicalizing Islamist, totalitarian and economically impoverished Middle East and the moderate, democratic, and prosperous West. This fault line needs to be handled, but the Bush team has chosen a wrong-headed strategy. First, victory often can be achieved, and should relentlessly be pursued, by means other than warfare. The Soviet Union was brought down without war, and the domino effect of its collapse has reshaped Eastern Europe. War, after all, is a risky and primitive strategy. Even high-tech war is inher-ently a messy, old-fashioned solution that has grown more expensive, devas-tating, and dangerous and less efficient and successful over the years. Modern war, in a morbid but infor-mative sense, is like modern marriage. You know how you go in—delirious with passion, determination, hope and grand designs—but you don’t know how you’ll end up. Like modern marriages, modern wars all too often end in bitterness, with an aftermath of regret and a legacy of all-around bad behavior; with innocent children the principle victims and the lawyers getting rich. The money, time, commitment and energy that war requires could instead be used to enact other, more efficient

means to produce the desired change. For example, the resources used to develop weapons of war could be used to develop new sources of energy that would free the Western economy from its dependence on Middle Eastern tyrants and force the oil-rich countries to develop viable, diversified economies with the attendant openness, shared interests and emerging civil freedoms more in tune with the modern world. But even if we concede that war was necessary to resolve the threats emanating from the new fault line after 9/11, the Bush team still tragically erred by choosing to fight the wrong war. It did so not, as many think, by going to Iraq instead of focusing solely on Afghanistan, but by going to Iraq instead of going to the West Bank and Gaza. Taking Iraq will not commence the desired domino effect, because Iraq cannot be taken in the sense needed to enact the effect. There will be no democracy in Iraq, because Iraqi society cannot pos-sibly make the quick jump from where it was and is to where it needs to be for democratic reforms to succeed. And even if it did become a democ-racy, by some miracle or Rumsfeld-induced national hypnosis, it still would not create a domino effect in the Middle East. Iraq is not a Middle Eastern lead-er; the Iraqi struggle is not the defin-ing, iconic struggle in the region. That honor is solely reserved for the Israeli-Palestinian war. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become the symbol of Arab grievances. The Palestinians have come to represent the Arab world’s grievance against the brutal West, symbolized, to great effect, by Israel. Thus, for the domino effect to work, it should have begun with a reso-lution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And it is likely to have worked had it been tried. First, an imposition of a solution for that conflict would read-ily generate a true worldwide coalition

of nations -- American, European and even Arab -- as the world by-and-large now recognizes the dangerous, corrosive effects (past, present and future) of this ugly on-going conflict Islamic extremism is feared in equal measure by countries that are otherwise at odds, including Egypt and Israel, and, for that matter, France and the U.S. That broad coalition would have had the ability to summon not only overwhelming military and economic resources but also true moral legiti-macy--no one could suspect it went into Gaza for the oil, or to settle a president‘s unfinished family business. Moreover, unlike Iraq, Palestine could conceivably become a democratic state quickly, and relatively painlessly. The nation of Palestine is young and

malleable. As neighbors of and workers in Israel, Palestinians come in regular contact with democracy; they have nascent democratic institutions already in place; they are in general a more literate and educated people than the Iraqis. Palestine, a small country

with no natural resources with which to tempt the baser impulses of foreign conquerors, could easily have been mon-itored, assisted and guided into a demo-cratic, peaceful future, its infrastructure quickly built. Moreover, decisively settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would have helped stem Hezbollah’s growing, poisonous influence toward the Islamization and radicalization of the region. The operation would have served to effectively combat the growing Islamist extremism--the most dangerous threat to world peace today--since the Islamist movement draws its symbolic lifeblood from (and owes much of its recruiting success to) the desperate conditions and continued friction in the Middle East. A quick and decisive intervention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, enforced by U.S. and European military forces and a multinational force of UN peace-keepers, would have been unlikely to face real resistance, even within the Arab world. After all, the invading

forces would not have occupied the Palestinian towns, but rather helped remove the Israeli settlements from the hilltops and Israeli troops from the streets. Palestinians would have gotten a land of their own, reassurances of pro-tection, aid, and legitimacy from the world community and a real chance at a viable future, nationally and individu-ally. Israelis would not have risen in arms against the U.S., upon which they are totally dependent in multiple ways. The government and army would have cooperated and retreated, the settle-ments would have been removed quickly and easily, with handsome monetary compensations for the re-settled fami-lies, the large majority of which are not messianic idealists but opportunistic pragmatists. The majority of people on both sides of the conflict--fatigued, bloodied, and increasingly mired in morbid hope-lessness-- would have in all likelihood embraced the intervention. The emer-gence of an independent, democratic Palestine would have reverberated--a domino piece, falling--around the region and the world.

Noam Shpancer was born on Kibbutz Nachashon near Jerusalem. He served in the Israel Defence Forces in an infan-try division and was a reservist during Israel’s Lebanon war. He received his Ph.D. at Purdue University, with spe-cialty areas in clinical and developmen-tal psychology. He now lives in Eastmoor and is an associate professor of psychol-ogy at Otterbein College in Westerville. He can be reached at [email protected]

Unlike Iraq, Palestine could conceivably

become a democratic state quickly

Letters to The New Standard

The U.S. is fighting the wrong war in the Middle EastOPINION

O P - E d

NOAMSHPANCER

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The New Standard16 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 17

Comic-book stories have been strong since the days of Jerry Seigel and Joe Schuster’s 1938 invention, “Superman.” Today’s fi lm version of “Spider-Man” raked in millions of dollars, and the recent adaptation of “American Splendor,” based on the life of comic-book creator Harvey Pekar, is a critical darling and multiple Oscar nominee. It’s hard to remember that comics were once considered something forbidden. In the 1950s, William M. Gaines’ “Tales from the Crypt” spurred the great comic-book witch hunts. They ultimately drove Gaines out of comics (he would soon found “Mad Magazine”) and resulted in the Comics Code. This code toned down all blood, made sure comic stories featured no more artfully-ripped clothing on female characters and banned, among other things, drugs and supernatural elements. It wasn’t until the 1960s, with Stan Lee’s humanized plot lines, that super-hero characters such as Spidey, the Hulk and the Fantastic Four might worry about things like money and marital fi delity. Enter “Hellboy,” by Mike Mignola. This weighty comic, now a feature fi lm, has all the elements one might expect in such an illustrated story: The heroes are hard-bitten and likeable. The bad guys are about as bad as they can be. The action is well handled. The editing is brilliant. The set-design is awe-inspiring. Yet the story has a twist: It does not take an absolute view of good and evil. The plot begins in the waning days of World War II. Knowing they are about to lose the war, the Nazis attempt to open a portal into Hell so they can conjure a demon to destroy the world. Leading this effort is Grigori Rasputin--yes, THAT Rasputin--who didn’t die in Russia at the turn of the century, but survived as a dark wizard eager to work for Hitler. Allied forces foil Rasputin’s plans, but not before a baby demon escapes from hell. Far from being pure evil, the demon child is like most children: curious about his

surroundings, wanting attention and affection and enjoying Baby Ruth bars. The demon is raised by Professor “Broom” Bruttenholm, played by John Hurt. But when Hellboy grows into an adult demon, he goes to work for a top-secret government agency tracking supernatural phenomena. When Rasputin is reborn, once more attempting to open the portal to hell, Hellboy and his fellow heroes are called in to save the world. Perhaps because it is couched in such comic-book archness, “Hellboy” seems so far to have escaped the controversy that, in a post “Passion of the Christ” atmosphere, could have erupted around it. Or it could it be the fi lm’s interesting “nurture versus nature” perspective—

with them. Isn’t Samson basically Superman, and isn’t Delilah his Kryptonite? Think about “The Passion of the Christ.” Jesus is whipped, crucifi ed and then resurrected. Take away his philosophical bent toward peace, and his ability to defy death would put him right at home among the X-Men. Ken Kesey, author of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” said that comic books are today’s mythology. Most fairy tales and myths are about teaching us how to “be” in the world. The teaching of “Hellboy” is simple: You can “be” a

mensch, no matter where you come from.

Hellboy is currently playing at AMC Easton Town Center and AMC Lennox Town Center at 777 Kinnear Rd call 429-4AMC for showtimes and at the Drexel Arena Grand Theatre downtown at 175 West Nationwide Blvd call 470-9900 for showtimes. The fi lm is rated PG-13.

“Hellboy”has many similarities to the Jewish folktale

“The Golem.” Veteran Jewish actor Ron Perlman, 54, plays the hellish -looking Hellboy. Perlman played

Jewish connection

Arts & Entertainment

A Nice Jewish “Hellboy” SHELDON GLEISSER

O N F I L M

darling and multiple Oscar nominee. It’s hard to remember that comics were once considered something

In the 1950s, William M. Gaines’ “Tales from the Crypt” spurred the great comic-book witch hunts. They ultimately drove Gaines out of comics (he would soon found “Mad Magazine”) and resulted in the Comics Code. This code toned down all blood, made sure comic stories featured no more artfully-ripped clothing on female characters and banned, among other things, drugs and supernatural elements. It wasn’t until the 1960s, with Stan Lee’s humanized plot lines, that super-hero

by Mike Mignola. This

feature fi lm, has all the elements one might expect in such an illustrated story: The heroes are hard-bitten and likeable. The bad guys are about as bad as they can be. The action is well handled. The editing is brilliant. The set-design is awe-

Yet the story has a twist: It does not take an absolute view

The plot begins in the waning days of World War II. Knowing they are about to lose the war, the Nazis attempt to open a portal into Hell so they can conjure a demon to destroy the world. Leading this effort is Grigori Rasputin--yes, THAT Rasputin--who didn’t die in Russia at the turn of the century, but survived as a dark wizard eager to work for Hitler. Allied forces foil Rasputin’s plans, but not before a baby demon escapes from

Far from being pure

“nurture versus nature” perspective—one that is also Jewish. Judaism teaches that there is no Devil, but that God has two hearts. In other words, good and evil exist in one being, just as it does in all of us. Therefore, Hellboy’s upbringing seems to have won out over his genetic legacy. How else can one explain his basic decency and his willingness to remain here and fi ght the good fi ght? He had a good foster father who taught him right from wrong, to overcome his demonic nature and be, well, a

mensch. It isn’t easy. Hellboy is

nearly 7 feet tall and has a tail as red as a fi re engine.

He fi les down his demon horns in a futile attempt to

fi t in. Isn’t this the story of most Jews: immigrants

from a far-away place who needs to “pass”?

Perhaps Jews are comfortable in the

world of comic books because

the Bible has so much in

common

plays the hellish -looking Hellboy. Perlman played a similar character in the hit TV series “Beauty and the Beast.” The Hellboy character has a love interest, played by Selma

Blair, 29. Blair is a Jewish day-school graduate

whose Hebrew name is Batsheva.

See PASSION Page 19

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The New Standard16 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 17ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FILM

``I was fi lming ‘Funny Girl’ with Barbra Streisand in 1967, when the Six-Day War broke out, and the Arab press called me a traitor for kissing a Jewish woman,” reminisced actor Omar Sharif. ``When I told Barbra about it,” Sharif added, ``She said, ‘You should see the letter my aunt wrote about kissing an Arab man.’” Sharif is promoting ``Monsieur Ibrahim,” the latest of his more than 70 movies and a love story of a different kind -- between an elderly Muslim and an abandoned Jewish boy. Sharif’s title character is the owner of a small food market on a seedy Paris street, where Orthodox Jews do their best to ignore the parade of prostitutes and their customers. In a small apartment above the street lives 16-year old Moise, nicknamed ``Momo.” Abandoned by his mother, Momo lives with his morose father, cooking his meals and driving him crazy with ear-splitting rock music on a transistor radio. Momo also does the shopping for the truncated family at Ibrahim’s market and rationalizes his petty thievery there because he believes it’s all right to steal from an Arab. Ibrahim is actually not an Arab, but a Turkish Muslim who imparts philosophical musings from his personalized interpretation of the Koran to the boy. Momo is Jewish, but he links the faith of his ancestors mainly to his father’s depression. When the father walks out on the boy to fi nd a job, Momo’s only friend -- outside of the hookers whom he has

started to patronize -- is Ibrahim. Despite moving performances by Sharif and by Pierre Boulanger as Momo, and director Francois

Dupeyron’s description of the picture as ``a hymn to tolerance, a cry for hope,” the French fi lm suffers from excessive sentimentality. Jewish viewers may also feel uneasy by the contrast between

Ibrahim’s strong Muslim faith and the way Momo views his Judaism as meaningless. Sharif seemed taken aback by the last observation. ``The only objections I heard from French Jews was that no Jewish mother would ever

abandon her child,” he said. At 71, Sharif is grayer and

more pensive than when he broke women’s hearts from Cairo to Los Angeles, but he is still a handsome and well-built presence. Already a star in his native

Egypt, he came to Hollywood in 1962, and during the following

six years won international fame in three movies: He played an

Arab desert warrior in ``Lawrence of Arabia,” the title role of ``Dr. Zhivago” and a Jewish gambler in ``Funny Girl.” Since then, he’s mainly been

involved in fi lms considered second-rate. Born Catholic but later converting to Islam, Sharif is widely read and has followed the Arab-Israeli confl ict with great interest and sorrow. He still considers Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s 1977 peace mission to Israel as ``the greatest moment in television history, greater than man stepping on the moon.” In Cairo in the late 1970s, Sharif met then-Gen. Ariel Sharon, who urged the actor to visit his many fans in Israel, but Sharif said he does not plan to take up the invitation until there is ``a glimmer of peace.” His views on an Israeli-Palestinian settlement parallel those of such dovish Israelis as Yossi Beilin, but Sharif holds out little hope for peace soon. He expects that his new fi lm’s message will resonate in Israel, where local distributors purchased the fi lm for the highest price they ever paid for a French import. If viewers take anything away from the movie, he hopes it will be the lesson that ``We can live together and can love each other.’’

“Monsieur Ibrahim’’ is now playing at the Drexel East Theatre at 2256 East Main in Bexley call 231-9512 for showtimes. The fi lm is rated R.

Muslim-Jewish friendship focus of Omar Sharif’s new film

started to patronize -- is Ibrahim. Despite moving performances by Sharif and by Pierre Boulanger as Momo, and director Francois

Dupeyron’s description of the picture as ``a hymn

Ibrahim’s strong Muslim faith and the way Momo views his Judaism as meaningless. Sharif seemed taken aback by the last observation. ``The only objections I heard from French Jews was that no Jewish mother would ever

abandon her child,” he said. At 71, Sharif is grayer and

more pensive than when he broke women’s hearts from Cairo to Los Angeles, but he is still a handsome and well-built presence. Already a star in his native

Egypt, he came to Hollywood in 1962, and during the following

six years won international fame in three movies: He played an

Arab desert warrior in ``Lawrence of Arabia,” the title role of ``Dr. Zhivago” and a Jewish gambler in

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The New Standard18 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 19

Jewish creativity expresses itself in many ways. Danièle Schiffmann, a French-Jewish artist born in Tunisia, uses water and a variety of plant fiber pulps to make the paper that forms her artistic expression. She has exhibited her paper art widely in France and Japan and now is show-ing it in Ohio. An exhibition of her work opened at the Dublin Arts Council Gallery on April 8 and will be on display until May 22.. Schiffmann has lived in Columbus seven times over the last 15 years, sometimes for several months and occa-sionally for a shorter period. She finds

Columbus to be a wonderful and inspir-ing place in which create her art. In 1990, she held her first exhibi-tion in Columbus at Gallery 200, and this trip to Columbus was planned expressly around the current exhibition. Schiffmann says she is particularly happy to be able to show her work in the lovely setting of the Dublin Arts Council Gallery, a beautiful 1941 stone house which stands on a hill overlooking water, the primary element which both inspires and drives her creative process. Schiffmann’s work is intuitive, spiri-tual and generally abstract. She has discovered a special technique of layer-ing in her papermaking that allows her to “traverser” or go through the layers at the same time as she makes

the paper itself. This special technique unifies the layers and permits her to create her visual message in her medi-um at the same time that she can express strong and com-plicated emotions. In creating her handmade paper, she uses a variety of pulps: the plant fibers of hemp, abacca, cotton and flax. She soaks the pulps in water and then places them on screens so that she can manipulate dyes and water to move the pulp. Describing the process by which she creates, Schiffmann says: “My works of art are best achieved by allowing water and fiber to do the work.” Schiffmann twice has won prizes for her work at the annual International Competition of the Museum of Paper Works of Contemporary Art in Imadti, Japan. She has exhibited her work frequently in galleries throughout France, but she has also had a one-woman show in Kyoto, Japan, in 1995. From a very young age, Schiffmann knew that she would be an artist. Her first artistic efforts were made in painting and etching; she worked with woven fabric before she shifted her focus to paper. As an artist, she has always felt a strong universal identification, but she has also always known herself as a

Jew. She is currently very much inter-ested in exploring her Jewish identity, and recently she began to think of her intense involvement with water as “very Jewish.” She speculates: “perhaps the use of water in my work mirrors Jewish movement from place to place over the centuries, and imitates the marks Jews made wherever they rested or settled,.” Schiffmann grew up in Tunis, the capitol city of Tunisia, in a large, extended Jewish family that was obser-vant and had lived there for many generations. With three brothers, she keenly felt her identity as the only girl. She was educated in French schools and always loved French culture. The situation for the Jewish com-munity in Tunisia became particularly difficult in 1964. Jews were accused of being unpatriotic, especially after the Tunisian government aligned itself with the other Arab countries. There were demonstrations against the Jews. Schiffmann remembers the shock and distress she felt when she observed the long-time family maid, to whom she felt very close, demonstrating with a sign that said, “out with the Jews.” Schiffmann left Tunisia for Paris when she was 21. Her father and her older brother had emigrated to France earlier, and eventually the entire family left Tunisia. She married and has lived in Strasbourg for many years with her mathematician husband, Gerard Schiffmann. “The work of an artist is always a self-portrait,” she says. By this defini-tion then, Schiffmann’s work might be seen as the expression of a cosmopolitan Jewish sensibility. In any case, her exhi-bition provides an opportunity to view exciting, innovative contemporary art.The Dublin Arts Council is located at 7125 Riverside Drive and is open from 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesdays. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday the hours are 9: a.m.-5 p.m. The Council is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Admission is free. For further information, see www.dublinarts.org or call 889-7444.

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IT�S YOM HA�AZMAUT�COME CELEBRATE with IDF SOLDIERS!

FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCESAND

TEMPLE ISRAEL Present an

IDF MUSICAL ENSEMBLE CONCERT

Tuesday, May 4th, 2004 7:00pm

Temple Israel 5419 E. Broad St., Columbus

Come Celebrate Israel�s 56th Birthday with The Young Men and Women of the Israel Defense Forces

The Program Includes: - Live IDF Musical Ensemble Concert - Briefing on the Current Situation from a young IDF Combat Officer - Chance to visit with the Soldiers after the Concert - Refreshments (dietary laws observed) - Sales of IDF T-Shirts and the Ensemble CD�s

Tickets: Patron (per couple-priority seating): $360 � Adult: $36 � Child (under 18): $18

Advanced ticket purchase: At Temple Israel � By phone at 888-318-3433 (ext. 20) � Or send check payable to: Friends of the IDF, 36949 Chagrin Blvd., #312, Beachwood, OH 44122 For more information call (216) 378-1901

Donations to FIDF are tax deductible

IT�S YOM HA�AZMAUT�COME CELEBRATE with IDF SOLDIERS!

FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCESAND

TEMPLE ISRAEL Present an

IDF MUSICAL ENSEMBLE CONCERT

Tuesday, May 4th, 2004 7:00pm

Temple Israel 5419 E. Broad St., Columbus

Come Celebrate Israel�s 56th Birthday with The Young Men and Women of the Israel Defense Forces

The Program Includes: - Live IDF Musical Ensemble Concert - Briefing on the Current Situation from a young IDF Combat Officer - Chance to visit with the Soldiers after the Concert - Refreshments (dietary laws observed) - Sales of IDF T-Shirts and the Ensemble CD�s

Tickets: Patron (per couple-priority seating): $360 � Adult: $36 � Child (under 18): $18

Advanced ticket purchase: At Temple Israel � By phone at 888-318-3433 (ext. 20) � Or send check payable to: Friends of the IDF, 36949 Chagrin Blvd., #312, Beachwood, OH 44122 For more information call (216) 378-1901

Donations to FIDF are tax deductible

IT�S YOM HA�AZMAUT�COME CELEBRATE with IDF SOLDIERS!

FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCESAND

TEMPLE ISRAEL Present an

IDF MUSICAL ENSEMBLE CONCERT

Tuesday, May 4th, 2004 7:00pm

Temple Israel 5419 E. Broad St., Columbus

Come Celebrate Israel�s 56th Birthday with The Young Men and Women of the Israel Defense Forces

The Program Includes: - Live IDF Musical Ensemble Concert - Briefing on the Current Situation from a young IDF Combat Officer - Chance to visit with the Soldiers after the Concert - Refreshments (dietary laws observed) - Sales of IDF T-Shirts and the Ensemble CD�s

Tickets: Patron (per couple-priority seating): $360 � Adult: $36 � Child (under 18): $18

Advanced ticket purchase: At Temple Israel � By phone at 888-318-3433 (ext. 20) � Or send check payable to: Friends of the IDF, 36949 Chagrin Blvd., #312, Beachwood, OH 44122 For more information call (216) 378-1901

Donations to FIDF are tax deductible

Tuesday, May 4th, 20047:00pm

Temple Israel5419 E. Broad St., Columbus

VISUAL ARTS

Jewish artist from Tunisia shows her ‘works on paper’ in DublinBy Helena Frenkil Schlam

THE NEW STANDARD

Daniele Schiffmann speaking at the opening of her exhibit at the Dublin Arts Council Gallery on April 14

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The New Standard18 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 19

to the public. 8 pm. in OSU Hillel’s auditorium. Call 294-4797.

ONGOING WEDNESDAYModern Israeli DanceNo experience necessary. All ages. At 7 pm. in Hillel’s auditorium. Call 294-4797.

EXHIBITSTHRU MAY 2Wonders and Miracles: Art of the Passover HaggadahAn exhibition of historical and modern haggadot. Columbus Museum of Art, 48- E. Broad St. Museum hrs: 10 am to 5:30 pm Tues. – Sun; 10 am – 8:30 pm Thursday. Call 292-0967.

MARCH 19 THRU APRIL 26Sculpture at the JCC “Six Triangles,” sculptures by Columbus artist Craig Schaffer, Goldberg Gallery of JCC. Hrs: 8 am to 10 pm Monday thru Thursday; 8 am to 6 pm Friday, and 9 am to 8 pm Sunday. Free. For more information, call 559-6225.

MAY 2-28Contemporary concentration camp photosPhotos of “Theresienstadt Today” by Alan J. Rubin, photo editor of the “High Street Neighborhood Guide” and free-lance photographer. JCC. Hrs: 8 am to 10 pm Monday thru Thursday; 8 am to 6 pm Friday, and 9 am to 8 pm Sunday. Free. For more information, call 559-

6225.

MAY 22 THRU AUG. 15Photographs from the Whitney Museum“Visions from America,” at the Wexner Center for the Arts, Belmont Building, Spring St. and Neil Ave. in the Arena District. Work by 100 artists from the museum’s permanent collection. Includes Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol. Gallery hours: 11 am-6 pm Tues. and Wed.; 11 am to 9 pm Thurs. and Fri.; noon to 6 pm Sat. and Sun. Closed Mon. and holidays. Call

Sculpture with Modern Materials“Particle Theory: Lucky DeBellevue, Roger Hiorns and Shirley Tse.” At the Wexner Center’s Belmont Building (see above item). Seven works of fabricated materials such as ceramic, pipe cleaners and blue crystals.

THRU MAY 13Oil paintings Photo-realistic and impressionistic oils by Ryan Orewiler at Sher-Bliss, 274 S. Third St. Call 221-9636.

ONGOING THRU JULY 31Lawrence WeinerConceptual artist Weiner inscribes an enigmatic message using black bricks inlaid into existing brick paving located at an intersection of pedestrian paths. Wexner Center for the Arts, The Belmont Building 330 West Spring St. near the Arena District, Hrs: 11 am-6 pm., Thu-Fri: 11 am.-9 pm., Sat-Sun: Noon-6 pm.

ACTIVISMMAY 2Parent NetworkBarbara Levy Esquire to speak on parents’ rights under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act. Home of Jeff and Erin Pearson. 7:30 to 9 pm. Call Marlene Tewner at 559-3240.

MAY 17Volunteer recognitionCongregation Beth Tikvah volunteer recognition banquet and annual meeting. Call 885-6286.

APRIL 22Democracy in ActionLeague of Women Voters annual event. Honorees are Lorann and Tammy Crane. 5:30 to 7:30 pm, Statehouse Atrium, Third and Broad streets Downtown. Costs: $25, $50 and $100 for patron. Call Barbara McAdam Muller, 457-4610/Amy Pulles, 863-9345.

APRIL 29Friendship Circle PaintballTeens and families spending time with other teens with disabilities. Meet at the New Albany Chabad Center at 6:30 pm. Call 939-0765 for a complete list of activities.

MAY 2, JUNE 6Friendship Circle Children’s CircleCircle Friends and siblings will meet for an afternoon of sports, music and art. (see April 29 for organization description) 1:30 to 3:30 pm. Call 939-0765 for a list of all activities.

MAY 20Friendship Circle RecognitionFamily and friends of this organization for children with disabilities will celebrate their fourth year of achievement. 5:30 pm.

ONGOING Book CollectionDrop off new or gently used children’s books for the Reach Out and Read Program at Children’s Hospital. Sponsored by Pops Dworkin chapter of BBYO. JCC. Call 559-6378 / [email protected]

Art & Writing ContestU.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, for junior high and high school students. Visit www.ushmm.org.

BOOKSMAY 16Hadassah Halayla Book GroupDiscuss “The Bialy Eaters,” by Mimi Sheraton and “Tender at the Bone” and “Comfort Me with Apples,” both by Ruth Reichl. Sammy’s Bagels, 40 N. James Rd. Call Arlene at 235-8111.

Congregation Beth TikvahDiscuss “A Palestine Affair,” by Jonathan Wilson. 9:15 am.

DANCEONGOING TUESDAYIsraeli Folk DancingA Hillel tradition continues! Free. Open

TNS CalendarPlease send calendar entries to [email protected]

Common locationsBreslov Kabbalah Centre2671 E. Main St.231-8671Chabad Center6220 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., New Albany939-0765Columbus Community Kollel2501 E. Main St.237-7133Columbus Jewish Federation1175 College Ave.237-7686Columbus Jewish Foundation1175 College Ave.338-2365Columbus Jewish Day School79 N. High St., New Albany939-5311Columbus Torah Academy181 Noe-Bixby Rd.864-0299Jewish Family Services1151 College Ave.231-1890Jewish Singles 40+Janice Jennings 866-3265 [email protected]

Leo Yassenoff Jewish Center (JCC)1125 College Ave.231-2731OSU Hillel Foundation 46 E. 16th Ave.294-4797Schottenstein Chabad House207 E. 15th Ave.294-3296Torah Center2942 E. Broad St.235-8070SynagoguesBeth Jacob Congregation1223 College Ave.237-8641

Congregation Agudas Achim2767 E. Broad St.237-2747

Congregation Ahavas Shalom2568 E. Broad St.252-4815

Congregation Beth Tikvah6121 Olentangy River Rd.885-6286

Congregation Tifereth Israel 1354 E. Broad St.253-8523

Congregation Torah EmetThe Main Street Synagogue2375 E. Main St.238-6778

Temple Beth Shalom5089 Johnstown Rd.855-4882

Temple Israel5419 E. Broad St.866-0010

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The New Standard20 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 21

FILMSTARTS APRIL 23“My Architect”

Filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn’s intimate exploration of his father’s life. Louis Kahn, the renowned architect, was found dead in Penn Station in 1974. Drexel East Theatre at 2256 East Main in Bexley call 231-9512 for showtimes. The film is not rated.

APRIL 29“Ticket to Jerusalem”Hybrid of documentary and fiction about Jabir, a man who runs a mobile cinema for refugees throughout the West Bank. 4 pm. Wexner Center for the Arts, film/video theater, 1871 N. High St. Call 292-3535 or 292-0330.

FITNESS & WELL BEINGMAY 4, 11, 18Self-Defense for WomenPresented by a police officer. JCC. $25 for members. 6 to 9 pm. Call Jody Decker at 559-6207.

ONGOING TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYSBoxing Conditioning ClassLed by boxing coach and former pro and Olympic gold medalist, Jerry PageJCC. 6:45 – 7:45 pm. Call Stacy Dyer at 559-6217.

ONGOING TUESDAYS KabalatesCombines Kabbalah and Pilates (get it?) An intense workout for your body and soul. Class for women with a 10-minute Kabbalah lesson by Sarah Deitsch. 7 - 8:15 pm. The Schottenstein

Chabad House. Call Sarah at 378-6217.

ONGOING, FOURTH THURSDAYGrief support group, Jewish Family Services, 6:30 to 8 pm. Free.

LECTUREAPRIL 25Finding Jewish Spirituality in Jewish Life, cont.Second installment on Spiritual facets of religious Zionism. 10 am – 11:30 am. Torat Emet/ Main Street Shul

APRIL 29National Hadassah President speaksNational Hadassah President June Walker will speak to Hadassah members and the community. Dessert reception. No cost, but RSVP required at 235-8111.

Nazi effects on the art worldArt historian Julia Veinhage of the Cincinnati Museum of Art will talk about the Nazi suppression of “degenerate” art and theft of Jewish-owned art works. 7 pm OSU Hillel.

APRIL 30Beyond people of the bookProfessor Stefan Reif Director of Genizah Research at Cambridge University Library, part of the Thomas and Diann Mann Distinguished symposium series of the Melton Center. 3:30 pm at the Ohio State University Main Library, room 122, 1858 Neil Ave. Call the Melton Center at 292-0967.

MAY 5Annual Gaynor LectureCelebrate 350 years of American Judaism with Marc Lee Raphael, Professor of Judaic Studies and Religion at the College of William and Mary. Annual Gaynor lecture on “Return to Tradition in American Judaism? 1970-2000.” Jewish Center, 7:30 pm. Dessert reception. Free. Call 559-6276.

MAY 12Ambassador RossDennis Ross, who served under presidents Bush and Clinton, will talk about his role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Mid-East peace process and his upcoming book, “The Missing Peace.”OSU Hillel. 7:30 pm. Free, but reservations required.

MAY 16Women and families in Nazi GermanyBy Prof. Marion Kaplan, Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, NYU. Friends of the Melton Center Distinguished Humanist Lecture. Fawcett Center for Tomorrow, 2400 Olentangy River Rd. 7:30 pm. Call Helena Schlam at 292-0700.

MAY 23“Sorority Life” producerHadassah welcomes Becca Ballon of the TV reality series, speaking about promoting positive images of women in the media and maintaining a Jewish identity in college. OSU Hillel. 7 pm. Call 235-8111.

LEARNINGAPRIL 25Finding Jewish Spirituality in Jewish LifeProf. Matt Goldish lectures on spiritual facets of religious Zionism. 10 am – 11:30 am. Torat Emet/ Main Street Shul.

MAY 2“Modern” Orthodoxy?Prof. Robin Judd will talk about modern practices. 10-11:30 am. Torat Emet/ Main Street Shul.May 16

Belief and PracticeWith Prof. Robin Judd of OSU. 10-11:30 am. Torat Emet/ Main Street Shul.

MAY 23Magical SafedYossi Charles on the Israeli city of Safed and the 16th-century religious renaissance, “A Guided Magical Mystery Tour.” 10-11:30 am. Torat Emet/ Main Street Shul.

THRU MAY 16 Hebrew Reading Crash CourseSunday mornings at Congregation Tifereth Israel, 10:15 to 11:30 am. Start with the basics, move foward quickly.

APRIL 30-MAY 2Resler Scholar-in-Resident Amy-Jill Levine speaks about “Jesus and Judaism” and Biblical themes. Congregation Beth Tikvah. Free. Open to the community. Call 885-6286.

A man who attended a Dennis Kucinich rally at a hotel in Dayton, Ohio yesterday was “just looking for a bathroom,” Kucinich campaign aides confirmed today. Riley Owens, 27, was looking for a lavatory to use after having a cocktail in the lounge of the downtown Dayton Marriott when he stumbled into the Kucinich rally, a “town hall”-style gathering in the hotel’s Renaissance Room. Rep. Kucinich (D-Ohio) was detailing his plans for rewriting the federal tax code when Mr. Owens wandered into the room, creating excitement among the Ohio con-gressman’s volunteers. “When that guy walked into the room, we were like,

maybe this thing is starting to catch fire,” said Jason Landau, 23. “I’d be lying if I said we weren’t all pretty stoked by it.” Upon seeing Mr. Owens enter, Rep. Kucinich singled him out, asking him if he had any questions, to which Mr. Owens replied, “Is there a bathroom around here?” After the rally, Mr. Kucinich remained upbeat about his seemingly quixotic campaign, telling reporters that Mr. Owens’s sudden appearance was “a good sign.” “He may have come looking for a bathroom, but we gave him a lot of food for thought,” Mr. Kucinich said, adding that campaign aides spent thirty minutes sharing campaign literature with Mr. Owens before he “ran away.” In other news, former Iraqi Information Minister Muhammad Said al-Sahhaf blasted President Bush’s news conference Tuesday night, calling Mr. Bush’s performance “derivative” and demanding royalty payments.

Andy Borowitz, a former president of the Harvard Lampoon, is a regular humor contributor for The New Standard. He is the author of Who Moved My Soap? The CEO’s Guide to Surviving in Prison available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and other Columbus bookstores.

ANDYBOROWITZ

Man at Kucinich rally just looking for bathroomBO R OW I TZ R E P O RT

SATIRE

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The New Standard20 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 21MAY 3Pardes Days of LearningWith David Bernstein, Dean of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Israel.Session I: “What Torah Study is Really About,” including kosher lunch. Noon at 22 W. Gay St. Session II: “How Good is Good Enough?” A reading from Maimonides and a look at the life of King David. 7 pm at the Columbus Jewish Foundation board room. Free, but RSVPs are requested to [email protected].

World of MidrashFinal in the series with Rabbi Gary Huber at Congregation Beth Tikvah. 8 pm.

ONGOING WEEKDAYS AND SUNDAYSGemara Shiur: Tractate ShabbosTalmud study lead by Rabbi Ginsberg at Congregation Ahavas Sholom, after daily morning services. Shacharit begins 6:45 am on Tue., Wed. and Fri.; 6:40 am Mon. and Thurs.; 8:15 am. Sun.

MAY 20Beth Tikvah DowntownersHave lunch and learn with Rabbi Gary Huber, noon to 1 pm, Porter, Wright, Morris and Arthur law offices, the Huntington Center, 41 S. High St., 28th Floor, Room 28D.

MAY 25Shavuot TorathonCongregation Beth Tikvah study and snacks. Theme is “Jewish Law Across the Centuries.” RSVP to the temple office.

ONGOING SUNDAYSHebrew ClassesBeginning and intermediate Hebrew for adults. 11 am. Temple Israel.

Daily servicesThe community is invited to join Wexner Heritage Village residents in worship, with Rabbi Cary Kozberg. For more information call 231-4900.

Bagels and MoreA potpourri of everything Jewish for beginners with Rabbi Katz. 11 am. At the Columbus Community Kollel. No reservations necessary

Dare to DavenLearn how to lead teffilot, with Rabbi Epstein. 8:45 am. At Congregation Torat Emet.

Parent/Child Parsha ProgramA family review of the week’s Torah portion for grades 3–6, with Rabbi Katz. 7:30 pm., the Columbus Community Kollel.

Biblical PersonalitiesStudy of various personalities in the Scripture, with Rabbi Doniel Pransky. 8 pm. at the Columbus Community Kollel.

Ongoing daily: Talmud ClassTractate Shabbos, after Shacharis, Sun. – Fri. Taught by Rabbi Ginsburg at Ahavas Shalom

Parsha ClassLearn with Rabbi Dick at 9:30 am. at Agudas Achim

The Midrash Says...Study of sometimes bizarre Midrash of the weekly Torah portion, with Rabbi Tuchman. 9 pm. at the Columbus Community Kollel.

Women’s Torah ClassWith Rabbi Zack at 10 am. at Congregation Torat Emet

How to Pray JewishlyLearn or review basic Hebrew prayers. Bagels, juice and coffee provided. 11:10 am – 12:40 pm at Temple Beth Shalom. Call Rabbi Apothaker at 855-4882.

ONGOING MONDAYSTalmud ClassTractate Ta’anis taught by Rabbi Rosenberg at 8 pm at Congregation Ahavas Shalom.

Women’s Study Group: Gemara Shiur, Tractate Ta’anasA detailed study of the book of Samuel with Rabbi Katz, 8 pm., the Columbus Community Kollel. No reservations necessary. Call 237-7133.

“Know Your Torah”Learning at 8 pm at The Torah Center. Call 235-8070.

Talmud Class - Tractate Rosh HashanahLed by Rabbi Epstein, 8 pm. at Congregation Torat Emet

Kabbalah UnpluggedLearn about the secret power of prayer, with Rabbi Levi Andrusier. 7:15 – 9pm. $80. Capital University at 2199 E. Main St. Call 294-3296/[email protected].

ONGOING TUESDAYSTalmud (Mystical Aspects)Taught by Rabbi Goldberg. 7–8:30 pm. Breslov Kabblah Centre. Call 231-8671

TNT (Tuesday Night Torah)Led by Rabbi Zack, 8 pm., Congregation Torat Emet

Morning Brew of ParshaA review of the week’s Torah portion with Rabbi Henoch Morris. 8:40 am, Columbus Community Kollel.

Hebrew Classes for AdultsAdvanced level, 7:30 pm. Congregation Beth Tikvah,

Yiddish ClassesIntermediate, 7:30 pm. Congregation Beth Tikvah.

Senior StudiesMitzvah Medley. Learn about the 613 commandments or mitzvot that the Torah requires of all Jews, with Rabbi Yaakov Weinrach, 2:30 pm. at the Columbus Community Kollel.

Beis Midrash Program for MenChavrusa (partner) studying of Jewish texts the way your great-grandfather did. Facilitated by Rabbi Doniel Pransky, any block of time you have between 8:30 -10:00 pm. at the Columbus Community Kollel.

ONGOING TUESDAY THRU MARCH 23Contemporary Jewish WritersTaught by OSU Prof. Steve Fink. 7:30 – 8:30 pm. Six classes. Congregation Beth Tikvah

ONGOING WEDNESDAYS Parsha of the Week (Mystical Bent)Taught by Rabbi Goldberg. 6 - 7:30 pm. Breslov Synagogue and Kabbalah Centre. Call 231-8671

Kabbalah UnpluggedThe secret power of prayer, with Rabbi Aryeh Kaltmann. 8 – 9:30 pm. $80. Chabad Center at 6220 E. Dublin-Granville Rd. Call 294-3296/[email protected]

Introduction to JudaismWith Rabbi Brickner and Rabbi Lefton. 7 pm. Temple Israel

The Shabbat Table Tefilla class for women, with focus on rituals around the Shabbat table, led by Linda Zack. Torat Emet.

Lunch ‘n LearnVarious topics. Noon. Through Temple Israel. Alternates location between Temple Israel and Fifth Third Bank, downtown. Call the temple for information.

Hebrew Classes for AdultsIntermediate level. 6:30 pm. at Beth Tikvah.

Torah, One Topic at a TimeUnderstanding a Torah lifestyle and topics of the day with Rabbi Tzvi Tuchman. 10 am. Every other week at the Columbus Community Kollel. Please call to confirm dates.

Mitzvah Medley (for Men and Women)Is a mitzvah just a good deed? Learn about the 613 commandments or mitzvot that the Torah requires of all Jews with Rabbi Weinrach 8:00 pm. at the Columbus Community Kollel. No reservations necessary.

Across 1. Village of Simeon5. Newman or Hoffman10. Laughing sound13. Punim (Eng)14. Nazirite no no15. Ribicoff and Geiger17. “Martyrology” action18. Acted the bigot19. Scape for one20. Order22. __ Mitzvah23. Change for a NIS24. “Fear of Flying”, author26. Concentration camp28. Dike30. Kosher fish31. B.C.E. word32. Seder guest?34. Affirmative35. 3,10039. Cain’s victim40. Feeling for Haman42. Ark builder43. Misplace44. Usurous instrument45. Steinem47. Columnist Landers48. Poet Baeck

49. 55150. Dave Brubeck

54. Lauder56. Bautista stat57. Copeland on track59. Poet Nelly62. “Rock of __”63. Bea Arthur role65. Teva product66. The Golden __67. Shalom!!68. Royal title69. Israeli coin70. Biblical spice71. Sun __ of Ahaz

Down 1. Fays (Eng.)2. Agadah3. Yeshivas4. Mobster Lansky5. Biblical sign of mourning6. Lubavitcher followers7. Father (Yid)8. Egyptian Slave master9. Comedian Buttons10. Gad’s son11. First American Rabbi12. Shema starter 2wds

16. Sagan sight21. Like the Rothschilds23. Nizer org.?25. Esther and Mordecai27. Etrog cousins?28. Monty Hall specialty29. Spainish philosopher33. Shikker’s choice?34. Thou35. Alphabet run36. Purim hero37. Send38. Eighteen41. Opposite46. “Purim”, or cast __47. El Al milieu48. Bagel maker50. Sukkah decoration?51. Begin’s underground52. Son of Gad53. Shnozzes (Eng)55. Enjoyed the Seder58. Violinist Leopold60. Dance61. Chometz action on Pesach63. Movie house64. Number ending

Solutions on Page 26

CROSSWORD by Kathi Handler © copyright 2004 [email protected]

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The New Standard22 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 23

Tifereth Israel. Call 253-8523.

MAY 21Leadership service and installation Shabbat service and ceremony honoring the new board of trustees. Congregation Beth Tikvah. 8 pm.

MAY 22Last OSU Hillel minyan for the year. Special guest Israeli historian and musician Yossi Chajes. Services begin at 10 am. Kiddush lunch follows. Call 294-4797.

SOCIALAPRIL 22Speed dating.Meet your future mate or make new friends. At Barrister Hall, 560 S. High St. 7 pm. Cost is $10 at the door. Call Cydney Singer at 559-3209.

APRIL 25Yom Ha’atzmaut CelebrationMeet at the Jewish Center to mark Israel’s anniversary with fun family activities. Balloon, artist, food, stories and more at 5:30 pm; ceremony of memory and hope at 7 pm; Seeds of Sun concert at 8 pm.

APRIL 29Humor and relationshipsCanada’s Aryeh Pamensky gives his insights. Dublin Community Recreation Center, 5600 Post Rd. Sponsored by the Columbus Community Kollel.

Last YJP Happy HourWrap up the year at the Blues Station, 147 Vine St. in the Short North. Meet new people; see old friends. Special guest Ron Emrich, Road of Life Chairman, speaking about childhood cancer prevention. Call Cydney at 559-3209.

MAY23Comedy at the Green RoomComedian Joel Chasnoff headlines Teen Comedy Night at the Green Room, next to Brewmaster’s Gate on Front Street in the Brewery District. 9:30 to 10:30 pm Tickets also are $1, cash bar. Call Lauren at 559-6280.

MAY 11 AND ONGOING SECOND TUESDAYSYJP DinnerFor young Jewish professionals. Call Cydney at 559-3209.

ONGOING SUNDAYSB’nai Brith Bowling Men’s LeagueIBBBA affiliated. From 9:30 am at Holiday Lanes, 4589 E Broad St. Call Jeff Wasserstrom, 760-0025; Lawrence Binsky, 235-7575; or Ken Kerstein, 235-7865.

MAY 16Fashion Show and receptionZahava, a younger-women’s division of Tifereth Israel Sisterhood. At Steinmart on Morse Road. 6:30 pm. Call Bari at 338-8786.

JUNE 28JCC GalaA night of song and laughter featuring singer Mike Burstyn and the Columbus Jazz Arts Group, with comedian Steve Solomon. Riffe Center Downtown. Tickets are $175, $250 and $500. Show tickets only are $20 to $60. Proceeds benefit the JCC. Call Rozanne Stern at 559-6234.

ONGOING MONDAYSKnitting ChavuraGet together to knit for charity. 11 am at Temple Israel.

ONGOING THURSDAYSParsha PerspectivesThis weekly class covers the people, places, and events of each weekly portion as well as the essential ideas and concepts in each portion. With Rabbi Methal. 9 pm at the Columbus Community Kollel.

Hebrew classesFor adult beginners. 7 pm. at Congregation Beth Tikvah.

Melachim II ClassWomen’s class. Taught by Rabbi Rosenberg at 10:30 am. At Congregation Ahavas Shalom.

ONGOING SATURDAYS (SHABBAT)Torah Study Group Arthur Ksienski leads a discussion of the week’s Torah portion. 2:30 pm. in the Beth Tikvah Library. Call Barb Krumsee ([email protected]).

MUSICAPRIL 22Cantorial ConcertFeaturing leading members of the Cantor’s Assembly; open to the general Columbus Jewish community. 7:30 pm-10 pm at Congregation Tifereth Israel. General admission $10. Call Cantor Jack Chomsky at 253-8523 Ext. 115 / [email protected].

APRIL 25Seeds of SunMusical concert as part of JCC Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration. 8 pm.

MAY 4Israel Defence Force musical ensembleMusical concert as part of Temple Israel/Friends of IDF Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration. 7 pm. Adult: $36 , Child (under 18): $18 call Temple Israel at 888-318-3433 (ext. 20) to order tickets.

ORGANIZATIONSMAY2Flowers for the Living AwardReception honoring recipient Steve Shkolnik. 7 pm Congregation Agudas Achim.

MAY 12National Council of Jewish Women installation luncheonStarts 11:45 am, Winding Hollow Country Club, 6140 Babbit Rd. Award recipients include Cathy Stone, zt”ll, and members of the “Girl Power” project. New co-presidents are Toby Furman and Jean Krum. Cost is $22. Send check to NCJW c/o Becky Luck, 28 S. Roosevelt Ave., Columbus, OH, 43209.

MAY 23Hadassah InstallationIncludes brunch and entertainment by folk singer Bill Cohen. Program starts at 10 am. Catering by Scott, 2980 E. Broad St. 11 am. Call 235-8111.

Chinese Auction“Lights, Camera...Auction II.” To benefit Jewish education programs of the Columbus Community Kollel. 7:30 to 9:30 pm in the Statehouse Atrium, Third and Broad streets Downtown. $25 per person. Call 237-7133.

SENIORSMAY 3Nature WalkColumbus Metro Park location. $3 for JCC member; $5 for non-members. 10 am. Call 559-6214.

MAY 16See the ShowGallery Players production, “The Book of Ruth” and boxed lunch. 1 pm. $12. Call 559-6214.

MAY 19Celebrate your birthday!For everyone born in May. Jewish Center. 11:30 am. Free. Call 559-6214.

Yiddish ClubMeet, kibbitz and speak your (or your grandmother’s) native tongue. JCC. Free. 1 pm. (Next meeting: June 16)

MAY 24Ask the PharmacistWith Frank Walters of Medco. 11 am. Free.

JUNE 10Take me to the BallgameClippers Game. Call 559-6214 for details.

ONGOING TUESDAYSSenior StudiesLearn about the book of Joshua with Rabbi Weinrach, 2:30 pm; Columbus Community Kollel. No reservations necessary. Call 237-7133.

SHABBATAPRIL 30Shabbat family dinner and concertJustine Hackman Memorial Young Artist Competition at 4:30 pm followed by a service and dinner. $18 ($9 per child 12 and younger). Congregation Tifereth Israel. Sponsored by Hasassah and

My husband and I are Zionists and encouraged our 16-year-old son to spend a month on a Kibbutz. While he was in Israel he met a group of yeshiva students, began studying about Judaism and now wants to keep a kosher home. We don’t eat pork, and we agreed not to bring shellfish or non-kosher meat into the house. But he wants us to buy all new dishes-2 sets-all new pots and pans and even replace our dishwasher. I’m inclined to tell him to live with our compromise for a year until he goes off to college when he can keep his own kitch-en. What do you think?

--Am I still my kid’s mom?

You are the ones who sent him off to Israel to discover his roots. Your son just dug a little deeper than you planned or hoped. Your son did not join a cult, he discovered Judaism. I am sympathetic to the expense, the inconvenience, the per-ceived zealotry and the Sunday nights without Chinese food. But respecting your son’s religious beliefs is more important than forcing him to respect your house rules and compro-

mise. Your son’s transformation does not mean you can’t eat treif off a separate set of dishes as long as you are vigilant about keeping them separate. Once he goes off to college you can go back to the way things were. (For the record, you don’t have to get a whole new dish-washer. You only have to replace the racks. He can always hand wash.)

Do you think it would be immoral of my husband and me to ask our relatives to get a hotel room for future visits?

--Struggling

Sounds like the last visit didn’t go so well. Not only is your idea not immoral, it may be a matter of self-preserva-tion. Shalom bayis (peace at home) and houseguests--partic-ularly when they are relatives--seldom fit in the same sen-tence. Did they rearrange the furniture while you were at work, offer unsolicited marital or career advice over break-fast, or spend the entire visit dredging up family memories and long-gone relatives? Did you and your mate find yourselves reverting to child-hood behaviors and loyalties, were you infantilized, did you uncover repressed memories that were better left repressed? Perhaps none of the above ever happened and I’m just projecting my own memories of past family visits on to you. Sharing space with your own mate can sometimes be a chal-lenge, but it is not optional; sharing space with your extend-ed family is optional so, if it doesn’t work, don’t do it.

Write to “Ask Wendy” at 954 Lexington Avenue #189, New York, N.Y .10021 or at [email protected]

WENDYBELZBERG

My son went from kibbutz to kosher; how to cope?A s k W e n d y

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The New Standard22 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 23

ONGOING TUESDAYSB’nai Brith Bowling Mixed LeagueIBBBA affiliated. From 8 pm at Main Lanes, 4071 E. Main St. Call Jeff Wasserstrom, 760-0025; Lawrence Binsky, 235-7575; or Ken Kerstein, 235-7865.

ONGOING WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYSBridge Anyone?55+ Chavurah at Temple Israel. Noon at MCL Cafeteria, 5240 E. Main St., Whitehall. Call Shirley Berger, 231-3290.

ONGOING THURSDAYSLine DancingLearn new dances or practice old ones with instructor Angela Fasone. 7 pm at the JCC. Call Ilana, 559-6214.

THEATREMAY 8-16The Book of RuthPlay by Deborah Lynn Frockt about a Jewish girl and her grandmother in Terezin. Winner of the prestigious AT&T On Stage Award. Showtimes: 8 pm May 8; 2:30 pm May 9; 7:30 pm May 13; 8 pm May 15; 2:30 pm May 16. Special school-groups show times May 13 and 20. Call Allison 559-6248 / email [email protected].

TOTSAPRIL 28Pasta and Picasso NightArt show displaying the work of preschoolers, teachers,parents and community members, silent and live art auctions, and a pasta, pizza and salad dinner. 6pm-8pm.Dinner tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for kids. Children under 2 eat free. Call 559-6294 for information.

APRIL 24Torah TotsAn innovative Shabbat morning program for children ages 2-6 and their parents Main Street Shul/Torat Emet 10 am

MAY 15Havdalah in PajamasBring a pillow, blanket of stuffed animal for a cozy end-of-Shabbat program at Congregation Beth Tikvah. 7 pm. RSVP by May 10 to Karen Elson.

MAY 21Tot Shabbat at Beth TikvahJoin educator Karen Elson for a service, music and stories. 7 p.m.

ONGOING MONDAYSThe Art of Positive Parenting

A six-week class from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. JCC. Call Nikki Henry at 559-6289.

Tot TennisInstruction by Pam Lippy from 1:30 – 2 pm. at Temple Israel. Call Agin at 866-0010 ext. 113 or e-mail at [email protected].

Infant/Toddler Chat TimeChat about developmental information, guidance and discipline. This is an opportunity to confer with other parents and children. 12 – 1 pm. JCC. Call Nikki Henry at 559-6289.

Toddler TimeExperience arts, sensory, music and story time for 16 mo. – 2 1⁄2 yrs. 9 – 10 am. JCC. Call Nikki Henry at 559-6289.

ONGOING TUESDAYSInfant MassageLearn the art of infant massage and the benefit of touch as a way to communicate with your baby. 7 – 7:45 pm. JCC. Call Nikki Henry at 559-6289

ONGOING WEDNESDAYSNoah’s ArkSensory activities for 3 – 4 yr. olds. 1 – 2 pm. JCC. Call to register and for fees, Nikki Henry at 559-6289.

Mommy and Me YogaLearn the basic yoga principles and have fun with movement, stories and song, for walking toddlers – 3 yr. olds. 9 – 9:30 am. JCC. Call to register and for fees, Nikki Henry at 559-6289

Sing- and Dance-Along for preschoolersChildren can move and groove with Joanie Calem, from 1:15 – 1:45 pm. at Temple Israel. For schedules and to register call Agin at 866-0010 x 113 or e-mail at [email protected].

ONGOING THURSDAYSSensory Time for InfantsFor infants 6 weeks through 18 months, 10:30 am. at the JCC. Call Nikki Henry at 559-6289

ONGOING - FRIDAYSTot ShabbatWelcome Shabbat each week with blessings over wine and challah and music! 10:30 am., JCC.

Computer QuestBasic computers for 3 – 5 year olds at the JCC North. To register call Debbie or Linda at 764-2414.

Yoga for two!Parent-child yoga classes with Tracey Gardener from 1 – 1:30 pm. at Temple Israel. For schedules and to register call Agin at 866-0010 x 113 or e-mail [email protected].

KIDSMAY 4Stepping StonesA free monthly intergenerational program at Wexner Heritage House. make crafts and play with live baby

chicks. Sponsored by Wexner Heritage House and Bikur Cholim of Columbus. 10 am. RSVP to Bitsy, 237-4360 or Leslie, 559-0249.

ONGOINGKaleidoscope, after-school programDaily, For those in 1st through 6th grade, from 3 – 6 pm. Includes a variety of activities at the JCC 1125 College Ave, also at JCC North and in New Albany. Call Rachel Fox at 559-6266.

ONGOING SUNDAYSFloor Hockey ClassesKids in K – 4th grade can learn the fundamentals of floor hockey, including passing and shooting, at the JCC. March 7 – April 25. Call 559-6217.

ONGOING TUESDAYSShalom GigglesChildren and adults learn Hebrew through songs, finger plays and more. 9:30 – 10 am. Begins Jan. 13. JCC. Call Nikki Henry at 559-6289/[email protected].

ONGOING WEDNESDAYSKids on StageHave you always wanted to be on stage or are just curious about acting? Local actor and singer Michelle Schroeder leads kids from grades 1 – 6 in the world of improv, acting and scene work. 4:30 – 6:30 pm. JCC. Call Allison Green at 559-6248/[email protected].

TNS CALENDAR

April 25

Seeds of Sun, a five-member contemporary Israeli band, will provide the main musical entertainment at the Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration being held Sunday April 25 at the Leo Yassenoff Jewish Center. The band blends the old and new in a free concert that starts at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:45. But the evening starts at 5:30 p.m. with family-friendly activities such as face painting, storytelling and crafts. Adults can join in at 7 p.m. at a Yom Ha’Zikaron (Day of Remembrance) ceremony of hope to remember those whose lives paid for Israeli independence.

May 4

Celebrate Israel’s birthday with a night with the Israel Defence Force. The IDF musical ensemble will per-form 7:00pm, Tuesday, May 4 at Temple Israel, 5419 E. Broad St. Adult: $36 , Child (under 18): $18 call Temple Israel at 888-318-3433 (ext. 20) to order tickets.

Happy 56

Two music groups come to help celebrate Israel turn 56 yearsTHE COLUMBUS JEWISH FEDERATION

&

THE LEO YASSENOFF JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

present

An Interactive Yom Ha’Atzmaut Celebration

featuring

SEEDS OF SUN*

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RABBI ELKA ABRAHAMSON EVENT CHAIRS RABBI MISHA ZINKOW

Self described Ambassadors of Israeli music, SEEDS OF SUN is a

five-member band offering a contemporary blend of the old

and new, the east and the west, the liturgical and the modern,

brought to you by a fresh and innovative ensemble of Israeli

Jazz and world music.

ISRAEL @ 56

5:30

BALLOON FUN / FACE PAINTING / AND MORE

PARTICIPATE IN A COMMUNITY-WIDE ART PROJECT

7:00

CEREMONY OF MEMORY AND HOPE

7:45

CONCERT DOORS OPEN / 8:00 SEEDS OF SUN CONCERT

THE CONCERT AND ALL ACTIVITIES ARE FREE!

FOOD ITEMS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE

SO BRING THE FAMILY FOR DINNER AND THE CONCERT TOO!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE

COLUMBUS JEWISH FEDERATION AT 614.237.7686

*

Seeds of Sun

The IDF musical ensemble

Hadassah’s national president, June Walker, will speak to Hadassah members and the community at 8 p.m. April 29 at Congregation Agudas Achim, following a distinguished donors dinner. A dessert reception will follow her talk. There is no cost for the 8 p.m. community-wide event, but those planning to attend must RSVP. For information, or to register for the April 29th event, please contact Arlene at the Hadassah office, 235-8111, or [email protected].

Celebrate 350 years of American Judaism with Marc Lee Raphael, Professor of Judaic Studies and Religion at the College of William and Mary. Annual Gaynor lecture on “Return to Tradition in American Judaism? 1970-2000.” Jewish Center, May 5 at 7:30 pm. Dessert reception. Free. Call 559-6276.

US Ambassador to Israel, Dennis Ross, who served under presidents Bush and Clinton, will talk about his role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Mid-East peace process and his

upcoming book, “The Missing Peace.”OSU Hillel. May 12, 7:30 pm. Free, but reservations required.

Speakers Bet

Dennis Ross

June Walker

The New Standard24 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 25BEYOND COLUMBUS

TEENSAPRIL 25Middle East UpdateWith Prof. Don Sylvan of OSU. Frank discussion of foreign affairs with question-and-answer session. Cup O’ Joe, 2418 E. Main St. 4 pm. Call 559-6286.

MAY 23“Sorority Life” TV personalityHadassah welcomes Becca Ballon of the TV reality series, speaking about promoting positive images of women in the media and maintaining a Jewish identity in college. OSU Hillel. 7 pm. Call 263-8111.

Comedy at the Green RoomComedian Joel Chasnoff headlines Teen Comedy Night at the Green Room, next to Brewmaster’s Gate on Front Street in the Brewery District. 6:30 to 9 pm for teens ages 13 to 18 (parents invited). Cost is $1. Adults stick around for J-Link outreach adults-only comedy program. Tickets also are $1. Call Lauren at 559-6280.

ONGOING - MONDAYSMars, Venus & Universe of RelationshipsTeen Learning Center, for 8th graders. 8 - 9 pm. Columbus Community Kollel. Contact Rabbi Tuchman 237-7133 ([email protected]) or Mrs. Esther Pransky 231-1208 ([email protected]).

Ten Habits of Successful TeensA fun, relevant, Jewish learning experience at Teen Learning Center geared for 9th and 10th graders.

8 -9 pm. Columbus Community Kollel, Contact Rabbi Tuchman 237-7133 ([email protected]) or Mrs. Esther Pransky 231-1208 ([email protected]).

ONGOING WEDNESDAYSCommuniteenJewish learning for teens at the JCC. 7:30 - 9 pm. Call 559-6286.

Rabbi’s class at Beth JacobWith Rabbi Tzvi Katz. 5:30 p.m., includes dinner. Study begins at 6:15. Call Congregation Beth Jacob.

ONGOING THURSDAYSContemporary Jewish IssuesA fun, relevant, Jewish learning experience at Teen Learning Center, 11th and 12th graders. 8-9 pm. at the Columbus Community Kollel. Contact Rabbi Tuchman 237-7133/ ([email protected]) or Mrs. Esther Pransky, 231-1208 /([email protected]).

ONGOING SATURDAYSTeen Minyan Youth-led services each Shabbat morning. Congregation Ahavas Sholom; contact Rabbi Noach Burr at 237-4360.

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email it to:

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The New Standard24 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 25

Obituaryfriend, Rabbi Philip Singer of Avenue O Jewish Center in Brooklyn, said David learned the neighborhood politics quickly. “In front of

the school there were people who sold candy, but we didn’t have the money to buy from the vendors,” said Rabbi Singer. He said David would negotiate to get a payment plan for candy, allowing the young-sters to

partake of the treats. As he grew up, young Stavsky contin-ued to gain street smarts. “There was a certain edge to him,” said Rabbi Zevulun Charlop, a Yeshiva University classmate who now is a dean there. “He had the ability to change things...He was a fighter..You didn’t mess around with him. In the arena of ideas he gave as good as he got, and he gave a little better.” But Rabbi Charlop added, “He put on no airs; he was always down to earth; always real.” Classmate Eli Greenwald, now rabbi at the Torat Israel Sefardic Congregation in Manhattan Beach, said a little toughness didn’t hurt in rabbini-cal school. He remembers the future Rabbi Stavsky as “bright and persever-ing.” He noted that preparation was intense and the exams required for ordi-nation were grueling.

“You appeared before a panel of three great rabbis. You got grilled, and it could be on anything. Ostensibly, it was on 100 pages of Talmud. But there could be a reference to some place anywhere else in the volumes. You had to know everything.” Rabbi Stavsky received his semi-cha (ordination) in 1955 from three major Orthodox figures: Rabbi Moishe Shatzkes, Rabbi Samuel Belkin and Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. But his first experience didn’t come from a syna-gogue. It came from the army. Shortly after graduation, Rabbi Stavsky vol-unteered to be a chaplain and was sta-tioned in Denver. It was there that he met his future wife, Ruth Burger. Shortly after the pair were married, they moved to Columbus, where Rabbi Stavsky took the pulpit at Beth Jacob. There, he faced a challenge. Nationally, Jews were moving away from a more-observant lifestyle, and the Beth Jacob membership rolls had dwindled and aged. The new rabbi set immediately to work infusing new energy into the weekly routine. Many of his programs remain traditions at the synagogue, including the Rebbe’s Tisch, a question-and-answer session that includes lunch. But the rabbi realized that the future was with young people, and he concen-trated on programs to make observance interesting and fun. He organized study groups and social events. He brought teen-agers into the National Council of Synagogue Youth and established a new chapter of the group. He arranged for the young people to attend events outside of Columbus and to invite peers from other cities to Beth Jacob. “I remember going to Michigan (for one event),” said Rabbi Chaim Rosen, who now lives in Brooklyn. “It was a big beautiful shul; we never saw such a shul. There was a lot of ruach (spirit).” Renee Zaitschek remembers the many events at the Stavskys’ East Side home. The couple had five children, Ruth Stavsky created a warm atmosphere for the teen-agers at such times as Sukkot. “There was music and refresh-ments. And that was great,” said Zaitshcek. “Simchas Torah was fantastic. There was dancing. It was lively. It was fun.” Rabbi Jonathan Rosenberg of Congregation Ahavas Sholom in Bexley was a member of that Beth Jacob crowd and marveled at Rabbi Stavsky’s ability to “communicate with us. If you think back to the 70s, there was more of a per-ceived division between authority and the kids. He was able to breach that.” Barbara Vinar recalls how Rabbi Stavsky took a personal interest in the lives of his congregants. He once tried to help her find a temporary job that wouldn’t force her to work on Saturday. He ran interference for families who encountered conflicts at school and work as they tried to observe the holidays. “My mother used to get harassing calls from the attendance office,” Vinar

said. “He called in and told them, ‘These kids were out for a legitimate holiday.’ He used to send calendars to the atten-dance office...He just had that spark. They listened.” Rabbi Rosen said Rabbi Stavsky helped arrange for him to leave Columbus to study at a Yeshiva during high school and later encouraged him to go on for university-level course work. “He encouraged my learning a lot,” he said. “When I came in from out of town, he would ask me to say a few words Shabbos morning or at shal shudas (the meal eaten Shabbos evening, just before dark)...He was concerned about how I was doing financially. He started a fund to help people pay tuition.” Weisz—one of the 15 Stavsky grandchildren—had a special place in his grandfather’s life, helping him pre-pare for the holidays, includ-ing doing research for his sermons. “He would always incorporate current events and popular cul-ture trends,” said Weisz. “He would tell me, ‘Find me interest-

ing things about cell phones.’ So I would go online...I was proud to be able to par-ticipate.” As a member of the Columbus Board of Rabbis—a body he found-ed—Rabbi Stavsky could have strong opinions, and he

wasn’t afraid to defend them, said Rabbi Harold Berman of Congregation Tifereth Israel. Rabbi Stavsky would often weigh the value of decisions, considering how they might affect the Orthodox and Beth Jacob communities. “He was hard-working He had a fierce

loyalty to his congregation,” said Rabbi Berman. Some say he could be difficult to deal with. They describe him as headstrong, opinionated. “He could get a little gruff sometimes,” said long-time Beth Jacob member Dr. Charles Young. “But he only did that to make his point.” Dr. Young recalled the time before the current Leo Yassenoff Jewish Center was constructed in 1981. Rabbi Stavsky heard about a plan to relocate it and encour-aged community members to attend a meeting and speak

out in favor of placing the new building at its current location

on College Avenue—down the block from Beth Jacob.

“They were going to go out to Gahanna, I think,” said Dr. Young. “He mobilized and got a lot of people (to go). And he said,

ing things about

So I would go online...I was

Rabbi David Stavsky helped bring a number of programs and innovations to Columbus during his 47 years at Congregation Beth Jacob. Here are some of them:

•Columbus Torah Academy •The Columbus Board of Rabbis •The Columbus Community Kollel •The community mikvah •East Central Chapter, National Council of Synagogue Youth •Relocation of Beth Jacob from Bulen Avenue to College Avenue

He wrote several collections of his sermons, including:“Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land” (1976)“Hope, Hostage, Terror, Trust, Recovery” (1984)“A Rabbi Speaks...” (1991) He received a number of awards from organizations such as the Religious Zionists of America, the National Conference of Synagogue Youth, the Rabbi Isaac Elchanon Seminary and the Union of Orthodox American Congregations.

A life remembered

See STAVSKY on Page 26

Moishe Appelbaum (Appelbaum Photography) :: TNS

STAVSKYFROM PAGE 1

David Stavsky at 5 on the streets of New York.

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An amateur photographer, Rabbi Stavsky would make his own Rosh Hashanah cards

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Looking over the plans for new Beth Jacob synagouge on College Avenue in Berwick. Many of the architectural elements in the structue were Rabbi Stavsky’s vision

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Walking the Torahs over to the new Beth Jacob structure in 1969

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The New Standard26 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 27

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Ethics & Giving

QWe found a way to attain an overwhelming cost advantage over our competitors. Is it ethical

for us to lower prices so much that they are left with almost no business?

AThe issue of fair business com-petition is an ancient one, which is extensively discussed in the

Jewish sources. The most prominent insight we observe is that “fair” competition does not only mean that the rules are fair, but means above all that the rules apply equitably to all players. The Mishna states: “Rebbe Yehuda says, a storekeeper should not distribute treats to children, since this accustoms them to buy from him; but the Sages permit it. And [Rebbe Yehuda says] that he shouldn’t undercut the going price; but the Sages said this is praiseworthy.” The Talmud explains why the

authoritative majority opinion -- that of the Sages -- finds no fault with such inducements: “He can say, I give out nuts, you can give out prunes.” (1) In other words, attracting customers by providing an advantage in merchan-dise or price is permissible and even praiseworthy, provided the merchant is not exploiting any unfair advantage unavailable to competitors. In your case, all producers are con-stantly seeking ways to cut costs, and so you can say to your competitors, “I saved money on raw materials; you go ahead and save money on payroll.” The fundamental ability to compete is com-mon to all sellers in your market. Yet many authorities added a caveat to this principle: it is appropriate to draw customers, but not to the extent of depriving a competitor of his livelihood entirely. (2) The Jewish sages through-out the generations were passionately concerned to maintain each individual’s ability to support himself at some mini-mal level. This approach isn’t in complete harmony with some modern ideologies. Free-market advocates inform us that the growth and development of the market necessarily involves business failures, and that ultimately the entire system works more efficiently when

there is no interference in this process. And there is much truth in this insight, and much to be gained from the action of the “invisible hand” of competition. But practically speaking, there are some individual instances where the hardship of a business failure really outweighs the economic benefits to the market. Consider this: Almost any eco-nomics professor will tell you that keep-ing an inefficient business in operation by limiting competition amounts to no more than a tax on consumers. Perhaps the gross income of this inept firm is a million dollars a year; ten percent of this is just a de facto subsidy paid by customers in the form of inflated prices for the firm’s product. Result: $100,000 of consumer money wasted. This is undoubtedly correct, and as an econom-ics professor myself I teach the same thing. But sometimes we need to ask our-selves what the alternative is. Perhaps right now there are no employment opportunities in the region of the fail-ing plant. If the company goes out of business the burden on the dole will be five hundred thousand dollars a year! Result: • $500,000 wasted, instead of one hundred thousand. •A tax imposed on all citizens, instead

of one that applies only to those who voluntary choose to buy this firm’s product. •Scores of frustrated and idle unemployed who feel they are not con tributing to society, instead of scores of busy workers who are proud of their work, even if they are aware that there are other, competing firms which may do a better job.

Now the fact remains that in today’s business environment, drawing the line at driving a competitor out of business is not in the “rules of the game,” and in most cases people can find an alterna-tive livelihood. So in all probability is it not unethical for you to fully exploit your cost advantage, thus providing a substantial benefit to your workers and to the consumers in your market. But before you adopt this approach, take a minute to look at the bigger pic-ture. If you can make a similar return with more gentlemanly competition, which does not deprive your competitor of his livelihood, this is a praiseworthy and ethical course of action -- one you should carefully examine and consider.

SOURCES: (1) Babylonian Talmud Bava Metzia 60a. (2) Bava Batra 21b.

Can I use my cost advantage to drive a compet i tor out of business?

RABBI ASHER MEIRBusiness Ethics Centerof Jerusalem

J E W I S H E T H I C S

TNS CALENDAR

STAVSKYFROM PAGE 25

‘This is the place where it should be. If it goes, everything around it will go.’ ” Rabbi Rosenberg said he turned to Rabbi Stavsky for guidance on more than one occasion during his 12 years at Ahavas Sholom. “He was somebody that had a very clear understanding of the community,” he said. “He knew how to push and when to pull back...One thing he was strong about was not to underestimate the authority of being a rabbi...He said you have stand up for what’s right even if it’s not popular. But he was practi-cal, too, and he would always admit his mistakes.” When Rabbi Stavsky became ill last year and announced his retirement, he handed Rabbi Rosenberg some of his responsibilities, including supervising the eruv—a specially marked outside area where carrying is permitted on the Sabbath and holidays—and handling Jewish divorces for the community. Rabbi Stavsky also had a chance to talk to the community about his years in the rabbinate, at a tribute din-ner held in his honor July 20. Rabbi Charlop said he won’t forget the occa-sion. As he recalled: “He walked up very deliberately and began to speak with a low voice. Then his vitality returned and he spoke about amuna (faith), bet’chun (trust), and he asked, ‘What’s the difference?’ ” Rabbi Stavsky told of a tightrope walker who offered to carry his encour-aging coach on his back. “Then he said,

‘I am now riding on God’s back. And I’m going to make it across.’ ”

Rabbi Stavsky is survived by his wife, Ruth and his children, Joel (Ronnie) Stavsky, Chanita (Michael) Weisz, Averim (Evelyn) Stavsky, Jordan (Etti) Stavsky and Seth (Lisa) Stavsky. His family and members of Congregation Beth Jacob are establishing a fund in Rabbi Stavsky’s memory. Anyone wish-ing to contribute can send donations to the synagogue at 1223 College Ave., Columbus, OH, 43209.

Answers to Crossword on page 21

The New Standard26 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 27

Would you like to continue support-ing your favorite charity, synagogue or the Jewish Federation’s annu-al campaign 100 years from now? You can.....and here’s how: Simply add up your annual gifts for the year and multiply by 20. Then, establish a gift for that amount through your will or other planned giving device. The “multiply by 20” formula will assure an annual charitable gift at the same dollar value you are giving now. Long after you’re gone--even 100 years from now--your favorite charity will con-tinue to receive an annual gift, provided that you instruct the charity to endow your bequest proceeds. When you provide instruc-tions to endow a gift, the charity must honor your wishes and keep the gift intact. Your bequest can never be “spent down.” It’s like an arte-sian well. Because the charity can spend only the fund’s investment earnings, your giving goes on and on, year after year. Here’s an example of how this works: Sylvia customarily makes a $1,000 annual contribution to ABC Charity. ABC depends on her giving, and Sylvia wonders how it will fare when she’s no longer around to provide a yearly gift.

Sylvia discusses this matter with her attorney, who understands her desire to make a “forever gift.” He prepares a simple codicil to her will that leaves a $20,000 endowed fund for ABC’s ben-efit. The first year’s earnings from the bequest will be $1,000 (assuming a 5% yield, which is the standard payout used by most foundations). However, the annual gift amount will grow as the endowment appreciates over time. Sylvia is pleased because she knows that money from the endowment fund will be generated every year, just as though she were sending checks herself. Your planned gift can be tai-lored for one or more beneficiaries and provide perpetual support for the charities that matter most to you. You can designate your charities of choice through a simple provision in your will. There are many ways to make a “forever gift” like Sylvia’s, but bequest provisions are the simplest and most common. Nationwide, 76.3 percent of all charitable gifts are made by living individuals. Bequests account for only 7.5 percent of the combined giving total. Clearly, Sylvia’s concern about the future-well being of her favorite chari-ties is well-founded. A simple codicil to your will can support your favorite charities for the next century and beyond. The next time you review your estate plan, think about provisions for your favorite charities, and remember to multiply by 20. Jackie Jacobs is executive director of the Columbus Jewish Foundation.

You may be gone, but your money lives on through planned giving

JACKIEJACOBS

P L A N N E D G I V I N G

consequences of its actions,” the White House said after the assassination of the Hamas chief. ``The United States is gravely con-cerned for regional peace and stability,” spokesman Scott McClellan said in a statement. McClellan reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and other terrorist groups, but urged ``all parties to exercise maximum restraint.” Most of the international community, including the European Union, con-demned the assassination as a blow to diplomatic progress. Speaking at an informal meeting of E.U. foreign ministers in Ireland on Saturday, the E.U.’s foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said the bloc had ``consis-tently condemned extrajudicial killings.” He added: ``Israel has a right to pro-tect its citizens from terror attacks, but actions of this type are not only unlaw-ful, they are not conducive to lowering tension.” The Palestinians, as well as their Arab backers, went further, accusing the United States of having given Israel the go-ahead for the action. ``It is no doubt a crime,” Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed

Qurei told reporters in Ramallah. ``Unfortunately the Israelis feel they are supported by the United States admin-istration.” On Sunday, tens of thousands of Palestinians lined the streets of Gaza, many calling for revenge, as Rantissi’s body was carried for his burial. U.S. officials denied any involvement in planning or approving the Rantissi assassination. But some Israeli analysts agreed that, following the White House sum-mit last week at which Bush approved Sharon’s unilateral withdrawal, Israel now believes it has a lot of latitude to act in its interests while the Palestinian Authority languishes on the diplomatic sidelines. ``The campaign of assassinations against Hamas leaders is (to a degree) linked to Israel’s desire to ‘purge’ the Gaza Strip before evacuating it and handing over control to the Palestinian Authority,” wrote Sever Plotzker in Yediot Achronot, an Israeli daily. ``Seen from this angle, the assassinations are fused, for the first time, with an Israeli diplomatic initiative that enjoys ever-widening international support.’’

PLANFROM PAGE 10

coup with the Bush administration, but said the protagonists remain as far from a peaceable settlement as ever. Cowen made that point at an infor-mal gathering of E.U. foreign ministers in Ireland last weekend. ``Israel and the United States are not in conflict, and the fact that Prime Minister Sharon can come to an agree-ment with the president over what cer-

tain elements of the final status should be cannot be a substitute for the neces-sity for Israel to reach an agreement with those who it is in conflict with,’’ Cowen said. Still, he said, Bush’s endorsement of Sharon’s plan had brought new move-ment in the peace process after months of inaction.

SHIFTFROM PAGE 11

place on the 10th of Tevet, which marks the start of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. But in 1951 Israel’s Knesset made Yom Hashoah a legal holiday, and even-tually Israelis began observing the day with sirens that bring the nation to a standstill. Efforts to ritualize the holiday have ebbed and flowed, though none have become universal. In 1988, the Reform movement published ``Six Days of Destruction” by Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel and Rabbi Albert Friedlander. The book wove survivor stories with the six days of creation. For years, Avi Weiss of New York, an Orthodox rabbi, has held special sed-ers revolving around a Yom Hashoah Haggadah he published. Meanwhile, the public, non-sectarian ritualizing of Yom Hashoah also grew. In 1980 Congress passed legislation cre-ating the National Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, whose role was to coordinate a national annual service during a week of remembrance. That service, which includes the lighting of a six-branched menorah and a processional by a U.S. Army band car-rying flags of the 36 divisions that lib-erated the concentration camps, takes place in the Capitol rotunda. Other public events at military bases and state capitals have grown. Last year, for the first time, all 50 U.S. states marked the holiday, museum spokesman Arthur Berger says. ``It really is a national effort to

remember what happened,” he says. Yet the question of how Jews should religiously remember the Holocaust continues to spark debate. Rosensaft, for example, does not preach a specific ceremony, but rather suggests that synagogues hold a ``yiz-kor-type” service that may include survivor narratives. Meanwhile, Rabbi Stephen Tucker, of Temple Ramat Zion in Northridge, Calif., says his Conservative synagogue has read from “Megillat Hashoah,” the new Conservative publication that has sold more than 10,000 copies so far. Others maintain that the syna-gogue may be the wrong place to observe the holiday. Rabbi David Nelson , director of the Jewish Life Connection for the Bergen County Y-Jewish Community Center in Washington Township, N.J., sponsored a``re-imagining the Holocaust” week at the center, meant to examine the debate around Yom Hashoah rituals. Some say the debate mirrors Jewish history itself, as Jewish observance ebbs and flows around Jewish law and its interpretations. ``The Jewish people are still creat-ing liturgy,” said Rabbi Irving “Yitz” Greenberg, president of the Jewish Life Network and the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. ``You can see how it grows and spreads and competes, and you see a new dimension of Jewish tradition grow before your eyes.’’Ruth Portnoy contributed to this article.

SHOAHFROM PAGE 12

Columbus’ Most Unique

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The New Standard28 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 29

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Jacob Allen Portman will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on May 8, 2004, Parshat Emor at Congregation Ahavas Sholom. He is the son of Miriam and David Portman and the brother of Aaron, Noah and Rebecca. Jacob is the grandson of Sam and Susan Portman of Jerusalem, Israel, formerly of Columbus, and Candy Davidson and the late David M. Davidson of Dayton, Ohio. Jacob received his Bar Mitzvah training from Eric Schramm, and he studied his parsha with his father. In addition, Jacob learned Mishna with Rabbi Tzvi Katz of the Columbus Community Kollel. A seventh grade student at the Columbus Torah Academy, Jacob is active in student council and is a member of the Junior High Basketball Team. He is also a student at the Central Ohio Art Academy and has won numerous awards for his artwork. As a chosen Tzedakah Project, Jacob is donating a portion of his gifts to Shaare Tzedek Medical Center- The Dr. David Applebaum Urgent Care Center- in Jerusalem. He is establishing a fund as a B’nai Tzedek with the Columbus Jewish Foundation. Jacob and his family, Miriam, David, Aaron, Noah and Rebecca would like to invite the community to share in his simcha and join him for services and kiddush following.

Jacob Allen Portman

Aviva Rosenberg will be returning to the CTA teaching ranks as Judaic Kindergarten Teacher for 2004/05. Ms. Rosenberg received a degree in Special Education from Florida International University and her Judaic credential in Israel. Currently, she is the Judaic Specialist at the New Albany JCC Preschool location. Principal Patty Sapp noted, “Aviva’s warm and caring personal style, along with a myriad of valuable teaching experiences, make her a tremendous asset.”

Rochell Weisfogel, long-time CTA staff member, has been appointed Director of Development Opportunites for the 2004/05 school year. In addition to continuing her teaching duties in the high school, Rochell will be responsible for developing new funding and grant opportunities. A graduate of Stern College and Fernkauf Graduate School, Rochell was the natural choice for this position, according to Rabbi Elbaz, as “Her energy and organizational skills, as well as her longstanding commitment to CTA, will enable her to rise to the challenge created.”

The Columbus Division of Fire has promoted Eastside resident, David T. Bernzweig to the rank of Lieutenant, Fire Chief Ned Pettus, Jr., announced today.

Bernzweig, a certified paramedic, joined the Division in 1996. His assignment prior to this promotion was on the Engine Company at Station 7, located at 1425 Indianola Avenue. His previous assignments include the Engine Company at Station 1, located at 300 N. Fourth Street and a Recruit Instructor with the Division’s Training Academy.

In addition to his regular duties, Bernzweig serves as a certified Rescue Technician and CPR Instructor with the Division. He is a member of Federal Emergency Management Agency Ohio Task Force One Urban Search & Rescue Team and a member of the IAFF Local 67 Executive Board.

He and his wife, Esther, have two children, Harry 3 and Eli 1.

PORTMAN BERNZWEIG

ROSENBERG

WEISFOGEL

Elana Goldstein will celebrate her bat mitzvah on Saturday, May 1, 2004 at Tifereth Israel. She is a 7th grader at Bexley Middle School, but attended the Columbus Jewish Day School for the four years previously. Parents names: Helene Cweren and Paul Goldstein ; grandparents are: Hannah Cweren and the late Charles Cweren of Houston, TX; and Alfred Goldstein and the late Elizabeth Goldstein of Oak Park, MI. Sister is Leah Goldstein.

GOLDSTEIN

Elana Goldstein David T. Bernzweig

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The New Standard28 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 29

Mixed Mushrooms Over Fried Noodles

2 servings

5 dried Chinese black mushrooms3 medium-size bok choy stalks, root ends trimmed, halved length-wise1 carrot, peeled, thinly sliced9 ounces fresh chow mein noodles1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil5 tablespoons water1 tablespoon soy sauce1 teaspoon cornstarch3⁄4 cup straw mushrooms1⁄2 cup fresh button mushrooms, sliced1⁄2 cup mixed wild mushrooms, sliced (stems removed)salt and pepper to taste1⁄4 cup rice vinegaradditional soy sauce

Cover dried mushrooms with hot water and let stand 1 hour. Drain and cut off stems. Rinse caps well, and squeeze dry. Cut mushroom caps in half and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add bok choy and carrot, and cook 3 minutes.

Remove using slotted spoon and drain well. Add noodles to water and cook 45 seconds. Drain 5 minutes.

Heat wok or heavy skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Add 1⁄4 cup oil and heat 1 more minute. Slide noodles down side of wok into oil. Spread noodles out and cook until bottom is crisp and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Turn noodles over in one piece and cook until second side is crisp and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer noodles to a plate.

Mix water, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Heat clean wok or heavy large skillet over high heat 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons oil

and heat 30 seconds. Add black mushrooms, and stir-fry 45 seconds. Add straw, button, and wild mushrooms, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add bok choy and carrot, salt, and pepper, and stir-fry 30 seconds. Stir soy sauce mixture and add to wok. Stir until sauce boils and thickens--about 2 minutes. Spoon sauce over noodles.

There is an old joke that asks, “How long have Jews been eating Chinese food?” The answer is 3760 years, which is the difference between the Jewish year of 5764 and the common calendar year of 2004. The implication, of course, is that Jews have been enjoying Chinese food for as long as anyone can remember. There are many reasons Jews have been drawn to Chinese cuisine. Certainly one of the main reasons is that Chinese cuisine tastes wonderful; another is that a lot of the ingredients used are readily available everywhere. This is very helpful since Jews have migrated to most areas of the world. Another reason is that Chinese cuisine is very easily made kosher. The Chinese population in general is lactose intoler-ant; therefore, their dishes usually do not contain cheese or any other dairy products. In fact, most Chinese dishes can be made parve. This makes them nice additions to either a dairy or a meat meal. The Chinese use food for healing, and some of their basic recipes are very healthful. Unfortunately, the original recipes have been changed over the years to cater to American palates, so some of the original health benefits have been compromised. The Chinese have been able to take a single item and produce many differ-ent ingredients. Take, for example, the soybean. We have soy oil, soy marga-rine, soy flour, soy sauce, shoyo, tamari, tofu, and tempe. Soy also has been converted to soy cheese, soy milk, and

many kinds of soy meat. Many doctors are encouraging their patients to add soy to their diet. A while back, my sister asked if I would help her with a dinner party she

was planning with a Chinese theme.

She had decided on a

few meat main dishes,

but she wanted a vegetarian main dish as

well. She wanted it to be upscale and not the

standard stir-fry. Although tofu and meat substitutes

have their place, I wanted to prepare

something that was parve but didn’t use either of those ingredients. After much searching, my sister found a recipe for “Sweet Tangy Mock Pork.” It sounded promising; it didn’t use tofu or meat substitutes, so now I had to adjust it to make it kosher using the products that I could find. After some tweaking, I was ready to make the dish for the dinner party. My sister’s mother-in-law came up to me afterward and said that her husband loved the dish, but that she hadn’t wanted to try it because she does not eat veal. I assured her that even though her husband had thought it was veal, it really was vegetarian I recently made the dish, and again someone thought it was meat. He even refused ice cream at first, thinking he would have to wait six hours (as many observant Jews do) to eat dairy. I was happy to be able to reassure him that he could enjoy the ice cream. Now, I do have to say that the dish is a little bit of work, but if you really want something very special, it is worth it. I am also including a recipe for a Chinese mushroom-and-noodle dish that I find very delicious and somewhat less work.

Food & Recipes

CHEF LANA COVEL

Kosher and Chinese—A Good Match Kosher Sweet Tangy Mock Meat

but she wanted

well. She wanted

had to adjust it to make it kosher using

make the dish for the dinner party. My

eat veal. I assured her that even though her husband had thought it was veal, it

reassure him that he could enjoy the ice

want something very special, it is worth

Chinese mushroom-and-noodle dish that

Kosher Sweet Tangy Mock Meat

6 servings

Step 1—Walnuts6 ounces walnut halvesOil for deep frying (2 to 4 cups, depending on the size of your pot)

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add walnuts and boil 11⁄2 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Heat oil in wok or deep pot. The oil should be 375°F. Add parboiled walnuts and cook until deep brown, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Transfer fried walnuts to paper towel using a slotted spoon. Let cool 1 hour. Reserve oil in wok or pot.

Step 2—Batter1 cup fl our3⁄4 cup cold water2 Tablespoons cornstarch1 Tablespoon vegetable oil1 teaspoon tamari sauce (you can substitute soy sauce)1 Tablespoon oilsalt and white pepper to taste

Note: Reserve for later use 11⁄2 teaspoon baking powder.

Mix fl our, cold water, cornstarch, tamari sauce, oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Cover batter and let stand 1 hour.

Step 3—Sauce1⁄4 cup water3 Tablespoons catsup2 Tablespoons honey11⁄2 Tablespoons kosher Sake1 Tablespoon tamari sauce(you can substitute soy sauce)2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (or to taste)

Mix water, catsup, honey, Sake, tamari sauce, and Tabasco sauce in a small bowl.

Step 4—Dredging the Cooled Walnuts1⁄4 cup fl our

Mix cooled walnuts with fl our. Transfer fl oured walnuts to colander, and shake off excess fl our.

Step 5—Walnuts Deep-Fried in BatterHeat reserved oil in wok or heavy large skillet to 350°F. Mix reserved baking powder

into batter, and then add fl oured walnuts. Drop teaspoons of the walnut batter into hot oil (fry in batches; do not crowd) and cook until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer cooked walnut nuggets to paper towels to drain. When all of the batter has been used, discard oil, and clean the wok or skillet.

Step 6—Vegetables 1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch triangles1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch triangles1⁄4 cup green onions, fi nely chopped1 Tablespoon fresh garlic, peeled and fi nely chopped1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Mix peppers, green onions, garlic, and ginger in bowl. Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in clean wok or heavy large skillet over high heat. Add pepper mixture, and stir-fry over high heat 2 minutes. Add cooked walnut nuggets, and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add honey Sake sauce, and stir-fry over high heat until sauce boils and sticks to walnuts, about 3 minutes. Transfer to platter and serve immediately.

I serve this dish with rice.Granted, it is a lot of work, but it’s well worth it.

Chinese food?” The answer is 3760 years, which is the difference between the Jewish year of 5764 and the common calendar year

of course, is that Jews have been enjoying Chinese food for as long as anyone can

would help her with a dinner party she was planning with a

Chinese theme. She had decided on a

few meat main dishes,

but she wanted a vegetarian main dish as

well. She wanted it to be upscale and not the

standard stir-fry. Although tofu and meat substitutes

have their place, I wanted to prepare

something that was parve but didn’t use either of those

COVEL

The New Standard30 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 31

Beracha is a chavurah that has been meeting regularly in the Berwick neighborhood for many years. Each week, Torah study is a regular part of our Shabbat Shacharit service. As we prepared to count the omer this year, we attempted to dis-cern the meaning of this process by turning to Leviticus 23:15. Moses is told to command the people to perform a mitzvah (typ-ically translated as “command-ment”). But rather attaching to it a reward and punishment, we used the grammatical structure of the word to broaden the defini-tion to “connections.” These con-nections operate in three direc-tions – inward connection with self, external connection with others and spiritual connection with Ad-nai. Thus, we view mitz-vot as the threads in the tapestry of humanity that allows us to strengthen those connections. These connections naturally lead to feeling good, free, peace-ful, enthusiastic, creative, and even passionate. When we are feeling good it is a sign that we are more connected, more hear-ing. Conversely, when we are feeling stressed, worried, scared, disempowered, angry or other-wise closed off, it is a sign that we have become less connected. Connection to Ad-nai Echad allows a community to become a closer family. The more we con-nect, the more we find joy and appreciation both within and between every color “tent”; both within our own MaTovu com-munity and all those that extend ever further beyond ourselves. When we see the letters that inspire us to say the word “Ad-nai,” we are reminded of the words of the Shema and think of our joyous connection to and participation within the oneness of the all-encompassing world. To the extent that we “hear,” we are tapped into clarity, knowledge, safety and power. So when we approach the mitzvah of the counting the omer, we see another opportuni-ty for a connection. We ask our-selves questions to help discover the whens, whats, whys, wheres,

When does this counting begin and end?Leviticus, 23:15 tells us that from the second night of Passover to the day before Shavuot we are to “bring an omer of elevation.”

What does the ending signify? The 49th day is the day before Moses receives Torah, perhaps humanity’s most concrete and moving description of conscious-ness of total oneness. Could clarity and abundance ever have been more present for humanity?

What is an omer anyway? Exodus: 16:16, is the first time we find reference to an omer. We are complaining of hunger, Ad-nai responds by fulfilling our needs: “Gather as much of it as each of you requires to eat, an omer to a person for as many of you as there are.” Exodus 16:18 tells us, “but when they measured it by the omer, he who had gathered much had no excess and he who had gathered little had no deficiency: they had gathered as much as they needed to eat.”

What does that suggest to us? Is an omer a term of measure-ment that is imprecise? Does this measure change according to each person’s need? Does this mean that an omer is relative? In Exodus, an omer is what an individual needs. In Leviticus 23:10, an omer is what an indi-vidual offers. What impact does this nature of duality have for us?

Why do we count it? Ad-nai commanded us to count it. Remember, a mitzvah is a connection. We are not com-manded to count every day of every week in this introspective manner, just these specific seven weeks. To make this act of counting a connection, we look to the step-by-step experience, of moving from mitzraim to ever deeper, more meaningful levels of free-dom and openness. An act that allows for connec-tion allows us to go from the nar-

row place to the open place, and ultimately to a place of receiving and giving, knowing that there is abundance in the world where we are full partners with Ad-nai.So as we mark the days between Passover and Shavuot, what do we do to transition from what we need (Exodus) to what we offer (Leviticus)? We have considered the following areas to contemplate and actual-ize during these 49 (7 X 7) days:How would our world look if dur-ing this time we think about its abundance? There is enough of everything – time, love, money, appreciation… How much do I need today? As our ancestors gathered their manna each day, how did they know how much they needed? An omer was always just the right amount – is that true for us today? How do we become con-scious of this?How can we each make this counting relevant this year? What will make the journey from slavery to freedom to Torah meaningful today? Do we enter into the counting only as an indi-vidual or do we also look at the community needs? Would mak-ing a daily donation to the food pantry be a valuable lesson as we move into real freedom? Do we notice that another person’s bounty does not subtract from our abundance? Is it possible that we really don’t need anything? We may have wants but no real needs. Might we notice that another person’s bounty doesn’t subtract from individual “enoughness”?We invite each person to come to his own understanding of the seven-week journey. We wish you a trip filled with connections to self, others and with Ad-nai.

Beracha meets every Sat. at 9:30 am in the Wexner Heritage House Training center. They join with the Heritage House congregation for Torah service and Musaf at 10:40 am. To contact the cha-vurah call 239-0500.

April 6 and concludes

sunset on May 24.

TorahRabbi TzviTuchman

Rabbi Tzvi Tuchman is program director for the Columbus Community Kollel. He has been a faculty member of the Kollel since it was founded in 1995. Rabbi Tuchman teaches a Midrash class on Sunday nights, a Torah class on Wednesday nights and two teen study classes for different ages, on Monday and Thursday nights. (see calendar)For more information about the Kollel call 237-7133.

:: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004

and hows, associated with this mitzvah thread-in-the-tapestry. Some of the questions we asked ourselves were:

When does this counting begin and end?Leviticus, 23:15 tells us that from the second night of

row place to the open place, and ultimately to a place of receiving and giving, knowing that there is abundance in the world where we are full partners with So as we mark the days between Passover and Shavuot, what do we do to transition from what we need (Exodus) to what we offer (Leviticus)? We have considered the following areas to contemplate and actual-

The counting of the Omer began April 6 and concludes after sunset on May 24.

Torah

Counting the

BERACHACHAVURAH

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NewStandardAn Independent Central Ohio Jewish Monthly

Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim Rabbi Yissocher Frand once noted that martyrdom in Judaism is demanded of a person only rarely. He must be prepared to give up his life rather than commit one of the three cardinal sins: idolatry, illicit relations and murder. Otherwise, he is allowed to violate any prohibition in the Torah in order to save his life. The Talmud derives these guidelines from a verse in this Torah portion: “And you shall keep My decrees and My laws, that a person shall do them, and he shall live by them, I am G-d.” The Torah wants the Jew to “live by them,” not to die by them. The Gerrer Rebbe, a Chasidic master from the previous generation, offered a unique interpretation of the phrase, “and you shall live by them.” He said it means that a person should “live by the Torah.” His zest for life should derive from the performance of mitzvos and chesed (good deeds) with his family and friends on behalf of his commu-nity and the entire Jewish nation. One should seek his “liveliness” in building a closer relationship with the Master of the Universe. That is the key to eternal life. For many people, this means the prospect of learning and growing. For others, it is the opportunity to do something good for someone else. Yet for oth-ers, it is the prospect of a good steak or a game of baseball. Parshas Emor (Taken from Peninim on the Torah, Rabbi Scheinbaum) The opening verse of this Torah portion requires some analysis. “Say to the Kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them...” The commentators question the repetition of the expres-sion “say” and offer many insights. Rashi (11th-century commentator) cites the Midrash which views this redundancy as a special enjoinment to the Kohanim (priests) to speak to their

children. By doing so they guard themselves from contact with any form of spiritual contamination and will safeguard the holiness of their families. One may infer an impor-tant lesson from this. Children develop a procliv-ity to follow the direction in which adults encourage them. However, they emu-late only those activities that the adults themselves practice and honor. If the parents maintain a lifestyle which is not consistent with what they want for their children, they are sending mixed messages. This is the reason for the two “sayings.” The adult is admonished to teach his children and to personally act in the prescribed man-ner, so that his educational goals will be realized.Parshas Behar/Bechukosai (Based on Rabbi Frand) G-d promises that things will go well as long as the Jewish people follow His decrees. The land will be fertile and the crops will be plentiful. Then the Torah records, “And I will make peace in the land.” Rashi, quoting the Midrash, com-ments, “From here we see that peace is worth as much as everything else combined.” Peace is the greatest blessing for a family, a community or a nation. Any other blessings we may enjoy become worthless if we are caught up in con-flict. We unfortunately are witnessing with our own eyes the truth of this state-ment in Israel. The land has grown agriculturally and technologically as well as spiritually over the last 50-plus years. However, we have not had the oppor-tunity to truly enjoy these blessings from G-d as we continue to fight for our very survival amongst our neighbors. The last Mishna in the Talmud states, “The Holy One, Blessed Is He, found no vessel to contain the blessings for the Jewish people other than Peace.” May we see the fulfillment of this ultimate blessing speedily and in our days. Amen.

The New Standard30 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 Iyar 5764 :: May 2004 ::The New Standard 31

YOU WILL NEVER KNOW HOW I FEEL AND I HOPE SO. I WALK WITH G-D AND I HAVE LEARNED TO LOVE HIM MORE EACH DAY. ALL THAT YOU SEE IS NOT FOR ME, BUT ONLY YOU. I HAVE SEEN AND DONE IT ALL, THE ROAD IS LONG AND FROM THIS ROAD IS NO WAY OUT. I LOOK ALL AROUND AND LOOK FOR SIGNS AND I SEE NOT ONE. I GAVE SO MUCH AND ITS NOT FAIR, BUT LIFE IS NOT FAIR. SING A SONG OF LIFE, LET MY SONG BE ONE THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME. I HAVE LOST SO MUCH, BUT YET I HAVE SO, SO MUCH TO LIVE

MARC LEVISON

M Y T H O U G H T FO R TO DAY S h a b bat / Yo m To V t i m esFOR. MY THOUGHT FOR TODAY, ALL OF YOU HAVE HELP ME AND EACH DAY REACH OUT AND YOU THERE. A SMILE IS ALL I NEED, A KIND WORD, A HELPING HAND, THERE IS NOT MORE ANYONE COULD NEED. THE SIGNS ARE ALL THERE, JUST LOOK FOR ALL THE FLOWERS ALONG THE ROAD, SING A SONG, SING A SONG OF LIFE, REACH OUT I BE THERE, THIS MY ROAD, ENJOY, MARC

Marc Levison suffers from ALS, a fatal neuromuscular disease charac-terized by progressive muscle weakness resulting in paralysis. He has had ALS for thirteen years and has been typing his thoughts via his computer for 5 years. He emails his “Thought for Today” on a periodic basis. If you would like to receive his thoughts, email him at [email protected]

Eruv Hotline

Check the Eruv status every

Friday.

898-2807

Shabbat Tazria/MetzoraApril 23 Candlelighting 6:56*/8:01 pmApril 24 Shabbat ends 9:04 pmShabbat Acharei Mot/KedoshimApril 30 Candlelighting 7:01*/8:08 pmMay 1 Shabbat ends 9:12 pmShabbat EmorMay 7 Candlelighting 7:06*/8:15 pmMay 8 Shabbat ends 9:20 pmShabbat Behar-BechukosaiMay 14 Candlelighting 7:12*/8:21 pmMay 15 Shabbat ends 9:28 pmShabbat BemidbarMay 21 Candlelighting 7:17*/8:34 pmMay 22 Shabbat ends 9:42 pm

Paul Palnik has permitted The New Standard to republish his award winning work to run along with our other religious features.

Palnik, born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1946, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts degree in Graphics from The Ohio State University in Columbus. He has worked as an artist and writer for American Greeting Corp. in Cleveland and as a cartoonist for The Jerusalem Post in Israel. Palnik exhibits his work in art shows throughout the U.S. He is the creative director of meltonarts.org which is a coalition of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City, the OSU Melton Center for Jewish Studies in Columbus and Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Nobel prize winners Isaac Bashevis Singer and Elie Wiesel praised Palnik’s work. Singer is quoted as saying, “He is in his own way an artist who expresses his philosophy in images and fantasies drawn with originality.”

Elie Wiesel said of the artist: “Palnik’s work is a gift, a beautiful gift.”

Paul has opened a new studio space in the Short North. He is open Tues-Fri 12 noon - 4 pm. and after Shabbat on Sat. evening. You can contact Paul at 298-8496 or toll-free at 1-800-cartoon. His works are available online at www.1800cartoon.com.

TORAH

Beth Din (the Rabbinic Court) servicesare available through the Conservative and Orthodox movements in Columbus

primarily to process gitten (divorces). People in need of such services can reach Rabbi Goldberg at Beth Jacob

237-8641 or Rabbi Berman at Tifereth Israel 253-8523 to coordinate.

*Many congregations in the orthodox community take Shabbat in early during the summer months. Please consult your rabbi for details.

The New Standard32 :: Iyar 5764 :: May 2004

Your survey can be faxed to us at:

614-624-3499 ATTN: Al Ryan

or mail it to:

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Please consider making a donation to this effort:

THE COLUMBUS JEWISH FOUNDATION WITH NOTATION

VAAD HOIR ACCOUNT.

Your survey can be faxed to us at:

614-624-3499 ATTN: Al Ryan

Please consider making a donation

THE COLUMBUS JEWISH FOUNDATION WITH NOTATION

VAAD HOIR ACCOUNT.

Dear Community Member,

The Columbus Vaad Ho-ir, which supervises kosher food in our community, has been granted a

unique and exciting opportunity by the Columbus Jewish Foundation. We were recently awarded

a grant in order to develop additional kosher establishments and understand the needs of the entire

community. This is a matching grant that requires involvement of the community as well as the

Columbus Jewish Foundation.

Recognizing that the Vaad needed to grow and change in order to benefi t the whole community,

we approached the foundation with this grant proposal. The proposal includes attempting to develop

5 new establishments over the next 18 months. If successful, this grant will allow us to develop

new kosher establishments or add-on to preexisting ones, at little or no start up cost to the provider.

Simply put, this grant allows new kosher businesses to receive kosher supervision for 6 months at no

cost to the company with a gradual increase in fees over the next 6-12 months. The Vaad hopes this

will encourage new business and give it time to grow.

The Vaad is a non- profi t organization that has been limited in its ability to grow new kosher

establishments. We need a community effort to make this growth happen. Therefore, the Vaad

would like to ask you to take a few moments to fi ll out this survey so you can tell us what kosher

services you would like to see in the Columbus area. As a group, we can make this grant an effective

reality.

Thank you for all your support over the years and we look forward to working as a team with you

in this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Leslie Chase, Co-Chair

Alan Ryan, Co-Chair

Vaad Grant Committee

Vaad Grant Committee

Attention Leslie Chase143 S. Roosevelt Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43209

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