Commentary: The ambiguous Mr. Obama
By Ira Sharkansky
Ira Sharkansky
JERUSALEM– More than any other national leader, Barack Obama has a global constituency. The world does not vote in American elections, but his capacity to fulfill his obligations depends on the cooperation of other national leaders, and the opinions of publics that have at least a minimum of influence on them.
Balancing those far flung publics is not easy. The task may have something to do with the 20 percent of Americans who are think that their president is a Muslim, and his forth and back postures with respect to the controversial idea to build a mosque near Ground Zero.
The tensions built into the world context of his presidency also help us to understand his repeated efforts to divorce the concepts of Islam and terror, while he is leading the greatest crusade against Islam since the 13th century.
Politicians lie. Of course. They have to. How else to juggle the multiple obligations they are expected to serve. They say one thing and do something else. The higher the office, the more likely the dissembling. And Obama’s is the highest.
His loyal supporters may already be furious at me. He did not begin the war against Iraq. He has proudly announced the withdrawal of combat troops, but commentators are not confident that he is leaving behind anything close to a victory, or a regime that can keep things stable. He has adopted and expanded American military efforts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia.
Barack Obama makes Richard the Lionheart look like a boy who got into a schoolyard brawl.
Guantanomo is still holding jihadists, despite the president’s campaign pledge to close it down. This may not be his desire, but who can be sure about the desires of a politician who has to serve so many interests, and is beholden to Congress, the courts, advisors who may convince him to abandon some commitments, and–in this case–the governments of other countries not enthusiastic about taking some of those prisoners off his hands?
Obama has had a mixed record on Israel, but mixed records are the nature of political leadership.
After his Cairo speech and demanding a freeze of building for Jews in neighborhoods of Jerusalem, only 4 percent of the Israeli Jewish population felt he was supportive. Since then, however, he has backed off from his sweeping demands against the country’s capital city, and his invitation to Israeli-Palestinian talks is close to the Israeli desire of no preconditions.
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal describes what has been seen for some time in Israeli media, that American military aid remains at a high level, with Israeli access to some of the most advanced weaponry, and joint exercises that may surpass what previous administrations have offered. One passage in the WSJ reinforces the image of a crusade against Islamic extremists.
“The intensified partnership is part of the Obama administration’s broader policy of boosting military support for American allies in the Mideast amid heightened tensions with Iran and its allies such as Hezbollah and Hamas . . .”
Judging presidents is a task best left to historians and others with a broad perspective, some years after an incumbent has left office. Archives, memoirs, and contemplation can take the place of partisan passions. Even distance leaves open a number of difficult issues. How much credit should be given to any president for the nature of a national economy that responds to international and non-governmental stimuli, as well as to what the president does on top of what former presidents did? A dispassionate assessment of what came out of Congress and the White House under the heading of health reform might conclude that it is a mess not likely to deal with the self-serving efforts of insurance companies and HMOs, but only a child would think that a president can dictate legislation in such a context, or even maintain control over the details in a bill that grows from 1,000 to more than 2,000 pages.
Obama stirs passions. Soon after his inauguration, there were reports that he was the most threatened president since the Secret Service began its protection after the assassination of William McKinley. More recent news is that the tempo has declined to what has been the norm.
The President’s 2008 campaign stimulated great emotion, but a careful study of his nomination indicates that it had something to do with the formulas used by state Democratic parties to divide the delegates between him and HIllary Clinton (Mattan Sharkansky, “The Impact of the Electoral System on Delegate Allocations in the 2008 American Primaries,” Representation, 46/2, July 2010). Obama’s victory in November was more clear cut, but we can argue if that was on account of Obama, McCain, or Palin.
Currently the tea leaves do not look promising for his party’s success in the mid-term Congressional elections, and I have not seen any rosy predictions for his success in 2012. That, too, is part of the job. George Washington might have still been a national hero when he left office, but that is not the image of presidents that I have been observing since FDR.
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Sharkansky is professor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University
The Jews Down Under~Roundup of Australian Jewish News
Garry Fabian
Compiled by Garry Fabian
Christians, Jews meet on boycott
SYDNEY, 20 August – Australian Jewish and Christian leaders have met in Sydney to heal the wounds caused by a call last month for Australians to boycott Israeli goods made in occupied Palestinian territories.
The National Council of Churches in Australia called for Australians to consider the boycott at the request of Middle Eastern churches, but the Jewish community was outraged.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) president Robert Goot wrote to the council that the resolution was a “most unpleasant surprise… we feel that we have been badly let down by people we have long thought of as our friends”.
Last week senior members from both councils – including heads of the Australian Catholic and Anglican Churches, Archbishops Phillip Wilson of Adelaide and Phillip Aspinal of Brisbane – met to restore good relations. Yesterday both council released a joint statement saying there had been
a “serious exchange of views” which helped Christian leaders better understand Jewish concerns and Jewish leaders better understand why
the resolution had been adopted.
But the resolution- which called for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and to all acts of terrorism, and suggested churches
consider a boycott of Israeli goods from the occupied territories – remain in place.
Representatives of both groups will meet again to work on a “more comprehensive” statement for the Christian council to consider at its next meeting in November.
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The race for the Jewish vote
MELBOURNE, 20 August – As the election race enters itS last days, all political parties try to offer something for everybody. The Opposition Liberal Party’s go-to man this election campaign took time out of his busy schedule on Monday to drop by Adass Israel School.
Goldstein MP Andrew Robb, the shadow minister for finance and the party’s campaign spokesperson, visited the school to officially confirm the Coalition would also commit $15 million to securing Jewish schools.
He was joined by the local Liberal candidate Kevin Ekendahl, the Liberal incumbent in Higgins Kelly O’Dwyer and Kooyong Liberal hopeful Josh Frydenberg.
Earlier in the campaign, the ALP announced it would add $15 million to the Secure Schools Program, which it introduced in 2007 to protect
vulnerable schools from serious security threats.
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Jewish Group calls for partial boycott
MELBOURNE, 19 August – The Australian Jewish Democratic Society (AJDS) has defended its new policy to support partial boycotts of Israel,
posting on its website that it has become “the first community-affiliated Jewish organisation” to call for divestment from Israel.
But its support of limited boycotts and its emphasis on communal affiliation to underscore its position have triggered a strong reaction from the Jewish community.
An August 13, the AJDS website stated while not supporting full boycotts, it “envisages boycotting specific Israeli academics openly supportive of the occupation” and other sanctions, but would consider each case on its merits.
AJDS executive member Tom Wolkenberg said the shift follows a 12-month review, which culminated in a special meeting of the organisation on August 8 where the new policy was adopted.
Asked if embracing a partial boycott was the first step, he said: “I don’t think it can at all be seen as the thin edge of the wedge.
“It’s looking purely at the occupation and how a very limited BDS [Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions] policy could in some way be a lever to change the situation with the occupation.”
Wolkenberg also defended the AJDS decision to invite Australian-Palestinian activist Samah Sabawi to the special meeting, saying, “It was
more to try and be provocative and let all issues, everything, be on the table”.
Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) president John Searle said the AJDS “has placed itself clearly outside the prevailing views of
Victoria’s Jewish community” and called on the group to reverse its stance.
“The fact that the AJDS has sought to legitimate its views by describing itself as a community-affiliated Jewish organisation, claiming credibility by associating itself with the JCCV, is reproachable.
“While the AJDS is an affiliate of the JCCV, this is a tribute to the latter’s inclusive nature rather than an acceptance of the AJDS’ views.”
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry also voiced its concern, with executive director Peter Wertheim slamming the AJDS position as “naïve” and comparing it to “the global assault on Israel’s legitimacy”.
Zionist Federation of Australia president Philip Chester described the BDS campaign as “nothing more than a deliberate and concerted campaign to delegitimise” Israel.
“This decision by the AJDS is completely at odds with the position of every responsible organisation in our community and deserves the most severe condemnation.”
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Extremists move against Dreyfus
MELBOURNE, 20 August – Voters in the Melbourne seat of Isaacs are being urged not to vote for ALP candidate Mark Dreyfus ( who is Jewish) due to his support for Israel.
An advertisement, endorsed by the Australian Muslim Palestine Committee, appeared last week in The Dandenong Leader, saying “When voting put Dreyfus last. No more support for Israel.”
Meanwhile, Australian Muslim Palestine Committee president Asem Judeh wrote this month in Muslim newspaper The Crescent Times, “It is well known that the Israeli state has sponsored murderous and terrorist acts, and that it has systematically deprived Palestinians of their land and basic rights.
“One reason the Israeli lobby is so organised and aggressive is because it has to ensure that Israel is above criticism.”
Judeh then continued, “The Zionist influence is growing. There are two Zionist Jews [sic] Labor MPs, Michael Danby and Mark Dreyfus. After this election, another Australian Jew will become Liberal MP.
“Those MPs are the organised lobby representatives. Their job is to silence any MPs who dare to criticise Israel in the Parliament. They use parliamentary committees to defend Zionism and attack those who dare to criticise Israel.”
Dreyfus, who is Jewish and represents a very multicultural community that includes many Muslim families, condemned the campaign.
“These ads taken out against me are misleading and an affront to how parliamentary democracy is practised in this country,” the QC said. “I am confident that the local community recognises this hate campaign for what it is, and will reject a campaign that prejudges me for my
religious faith, not on my record of working for my local community.
“No Australian, politician or otherwise, should be prejudged or vilified for their religious belief.”
Dreyfus added that he has worked hard with the Muslim community and appreciated the support he had received in return.
“The response from local Muslim community leaders has been heartfelt and touching,” he said.
“A group of local Muslim community leaders came to my office last week to condemn this campaign and assure me that this campaign does not reflect the views of the local Muslim community.”
Muslim politician Adem Somyurek, a member in Victoria’s Upper House, also threw his support behind Dreyfus, drawing parallels between the
campaign and anti-Muslim comments made by disendorsed Liberal candidate for Chifley, David Barker.
“This advertisement . does two things: first, it seeks to question the candidate’s loyalty to Australia; and second, it publicly identifies the
candidate as a member of a minority faith and in doing so has as its objective electoral backlash by bigots, in this case anti-Semites in the community,” he said.
O’Connor pledges more funds to protect Jewish schools
SYDNEY. 19 August – Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O’Connor re-affirmed that Labor would put another $15 million into the Secure Schools Program when he visited The Emanuel School last Thursday.
O’Connor, who was joined by Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and Arts and Kingsford Smith MP Peter Garrett, had earlier
made the same pledge in Melbourne.
Also at the announcement was Wentworth Labor candidate Steven Lewis.
This week, the Coalition, led by shadow education minister Christopher Pyne and shadow attorney-general Senator George Brandis, also
pledged its support for the additional $15 million commitment.
The program, which provides schools with fences, closed circuit TV and other infrastructure, is designed to protect students and teachers from
terrorist threats. It was first introduced by the Rudd Government in 2007.
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The Age’s ‘anti-Israel bias’ condemned by Jewish leaders
MELBOURNE, 20 August==Jewish Community Council of Victoria President John Searle and Zionist Council of Victoria President Dr Danny Lamm have again strongly criticised Melbourne broadsheet The Age for its ongoing anti-Israel bias over a number of years.
The leaders of Victoria’s peak Jewish bodies jointly observed that during the tenure of Andrew Jaspan and particularly that of his successor
Paul Ramadge, The Age had increasingly engaged in a war of words against Israel. Apart from steering its readership to a more anti-Israel
position, Searle and Lamm consider that The Age’s strident line had also had the hopefully unintended by-product of legitimising antisemitism in this country.
“There is no particular reporting or opinion piece that has prompted our criticism at this time. Frankly, our community has simply just had
enough of The Age’s lack of balance”, Searle noted. “Despite our best efforts to present Israel’s case, there have been too many instances
of anti-Israel statements to count, ranging from the blatant such as Michael Backman’s ugly smear job in 2009 to the more subtle and insidious”, Searle continued. “An example of the latter includes a recent article reprinted from The UK’s The Daily Telegraph which stated “Netanyahu will come under fierce pressure from Obama to extend a
10-month freeze on Jewish settlements in the West Bank”. The Age’s version made the following insertions “illegal Jewish settlements in the
occupied West Bank” (The Age, 070710). Such changes make a world of difference.”
“We make this statement with regret”, Lamm continued. “However we have spoken to Mr Ramadge on a number of occasions, both privately and in public forums. While he is adept at making the right noises about The Age’s impartiality, his follow through leaves a great deal to be
desired. We believe that The Age’s record speaks for itself. Quite simply The Age is not a friend of our community.”
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Australia faces hung Parliament
CANBERRA, August 23 – The Australian Federal elections produced an outcome, or more accurately non-outcome, with both The Australian Labor Party, the current government, or the Liberal/National Party Opposition gaining an outright majority of seats. While some seats are
still in the balance, due to postal and absentee votes still to be counted, the balance of power is still in the hands of four independents and one seat won by The Greens.
What will be the impact on the Jewish Community?.
While on the domestic scene it will not change very much, one of the worrying developments is that in the Senate (The Upper House) The Greens will have the balanced of power. The Greens, while until now have not been in a position to influence Government decisions,
This is now changed with them holding the balance of power and having a strong impact on Government policy, irrespective if when the dust settles, Labour or the Conservatives will form Government.
The issue on the mind of the Jewish community is that The Greens have taken an anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian stand for a number of years in
the past, and now that they in a real position to influence Government policy, how will this play out in the future? It presents a scenario that
has serious implications, both Labor and Conservatives having been very supportive of Israel over a long period.
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Jewish Battlegrounds decided at Election
CANBERRA, August 23 – While the next government is yet to be decided, a number of Jewish MPs were successful on polling day.
Despite a strong swing to The Greens in Melbourne Ports, home to around 20,000 Jewish voters, Labor’s Michael Danby held on for the fifth time.
In Wentworth, with a similar number of Jewish voters, Liberal Malcolm Turnbull was given a resounding endorsement to continue as the local member.
In the leafy inner-eastern Melbourne seat of Kooyong, Josh Frydenberg made history by becoming the first Jewish Liberal MP in Canberra.
Declaring his win before an audience of hundreds of friends and party faithful, Frydenberg said he was proud to have been elected as only the
seventh ever member of the 110 year-old seat.
“We have won Kooyong and we can win government tonight,” he said, after thanking his family and campaign team for their support.
Labor incumbent Mark Dreyfus increased his support in the Melbourne southern bayside seat of Isaacs.
“Regardless of the final decision tonight, the people of Melbourne Ports can be assured we will stand up for them in Canberra,” Danby said.
“We have our own opinions here, we stand for a more cosmopolitan and pluralist Australia,” he said, referring to the strong national swing that saw Labor lose many seats.
“I don’t care what bogans and rednecks think elsewhere we stand up for it here and our opinions count as much as their’s.”
His Liberal opponent Kevin Ekendahl saw his party’s primary vote reduced in the seat.
Ekendahl had one message for Danby: “stop being complacent”
“Get out into the electorate. Start working hard,” Ekendahl said.
In the Sydney seat with the most Jewish voters, Wentworth, Liberal Malcolm Turnbull increased his majority by a whopping 11.5 per cent.
His opponent Jewish lawyer Steven Lewis said despite the defeat he had enjoyed the campaign.
“It was a great campaign. We fell short today but we had great enjoyment in what we did, we threw everything into it,” he said.
“Everyone said it was going to be a big ask, but we did the best we could given the facilities that we had.”
Lewis declined to say whether he would consider running again in the future.
“We’ll take it one day at a time,” he said. “It’s a bit too early to speculate on that right now, we’re still waiting for the [rest of the] results to come in here today.”
But he was full of thanks with those who had assisted with his campaign.
“I’ve been working with a great group of people, volunteers who have come in to help us, day in and day out. I’m surrounded by some fantastic people in the party and we’re just grateful that we did the best job we could.”
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Fabian is Australia bureau chief for San Diego Jewish World
A daughter-in-law’s eulogy for San Diego’s Idell Neumann
By Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann
Idell Neumann, at approximately age 60
PALO ALTO, California — My husband, George, and I were spending the weekend celebrating the wedding of our friends’ daughter when we learned that Idell Neumann—Baba in our household—had taken a turn for the worse. Eight days later, a Sunday night, I was officiating at a wedding when she died.
The intersection of weddings and funerals, in an odd way, is fitting. It’s fitting Jewishly—as the Song of Songs teaches, “Set me for a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is strong as death. Many waters cannot quench love.” (8:6) It’s fitting personally—Idell came into my life because I married her son. And it’s fitting for how Idell lived—as we were trying to decide whether to come to San Diego immediately or whether to attend the wedding first, my cousin, herself no stranger to sorrow and more or less a contemporary of Idell’s, said, “You came for a simcha, you deserve a simcha.” Idell would have said the same thing—in her life, she focused more on simchas than on sadness.
And in this recent period of decline, when people often reveal their essence, Idell was sweet and generous, grateful and affectionate. She lived with those qualities in evidence for over eight decades.
It must be said, because every one of us here feels it. This is only the last in a long string of goodbyes to Idell Neumann (b. June 7, 1928; d. Aug 1, 2010). How painful it has been to see a woman so supremely competent, with so much agency, blessed with such a sense of self and concern for others, lose those qualities of mind and action. But somehow, she never lost the quality of heart.
She was aware at the start of the Alzheimer’s Disease how much she was losing. She told me that she had been so good with numbers and now she couldn’t calculate how much to leave for a tip when the check arrived. She resisted the recommendations of the social worker from Jewish Family Service. She thought of Letty Matulac, who even then, was taking exquisite care of her, as her friend, and they were two happy women going out to lunch, or to the market. She so valued Letty’s companionship, and as we all know, being her companion became more and more challenging as the disease progressed. What is remarkable is that Letty always treated her with the same respect, the same upbeat attitude, the same expression of joy and delight in her company as she had when Idell was still “herself”. I don’t think we can thank Letty enough for being the kind, attentive, thoughtful caregiver that she is. As a fellow clergy person, it is clear to me that the attentive, loving care that Letty lavished on Baba was a ministry. Letty provided a Divine caress every time she would moisten Baba’s lips or a Holy word, when she would call out to her so sweetly, “Idell? Idell? Your family is here to see you.”
George commented that Letty became Idell’s second nervous system, was as connected as if through an umbilical cord, and I think we all marveled at how long she lived past the medical predictions, and we knew it was because of Letty. Even in the last week, as she lay dying, she remained warm and pink and so well groomed in the warm embrace of Letty and Eddie’s home. Letty, you affirm the biblical truth that love is stronger than death.
When the siblings started to reminisce about their mother, the first image they all had was of Idell, the cook. Making gefilte fish from scratch. Her inability to make matzah balls that were sinkers, her floaters were so exquisite. Sidney Neumann’s comment that she had “taam”—you’d take a recipe, give it to someone else or give it to Mom. In the first case, the recipe came out like individual ingredients. For Mom, it came out greater than the sum of the parts. Linda Terriere said Mom and Lynette Terriere Schreiber cooked together—the two of them were in the kitchen and had their special time. Chana Karlin-Neumann, too, said that her earliest memories were of cooking with Baba and being in the kitchen with her. She was always my first call when I was trying to cook something new—matzah balls, turkey, her delicious zucchini crepes. Linda, Benita Neumann and I each treasure some of her recipes. And I’ve just learned that Lynette has the recipe for her famous, multi-layered mocha chip cake.
Linda described the day when Mom decided she was going to make Grandma Rose Neumann’s rugalach. “We got out a nice big bowl and Grandma said, “It’s not big enough”. So Mom bought that huge bowl that she made gefilte fish in. The recipe also called for a pinch of this, a pinch of that—we had to figure out how much a pinch is. In that big bowl, she made a gigantic recipe– she used 5 pounds of flour, sugar. But let me tell you how many cookies that was! So, she adapted the recipe. And Grandma Rose approved—she said they were perfect.”
In thinking about Idell the cook, I couldn’t help but think about how she has adapted her own recipes for life. So as I was listening to the siblings, I typed a note to myself: Idell’s recipe for life.
And as I typed that in, without my intending to; my fingers managed to make a happy face emoticon—And I don’t actually know how to make an emoticon! It was as if Idell was directing the keyboard…and I thought, “how appropriate.” Her recipe for life was unfailingly sunny. She nurtured orchids and children, friendships and family.
People could have taken her lot in life as a tale of struggle—one way to tell her story is that she had a husband whose war wounds troubled him throughout his life and many people she loved were fighting illnesses, but that’s not how she chose to see things. Her recipe for life, like the happy face emoticon, was sunny.
So here are a few of Idell’s recipes for a good life, modeled on the Pesach dinner she prepared so lavishly.
- Eggs: Celebrate the new and be adventuresome.
She never regretted trying new things—even when she tried to lick the fence in one of those cold Manitoba winters and got her tongue stuck on it and they had to throw hot water on her to get it unstuck.
At 19, she left home and by all accounts a happy childhood with her dog and joined her brothers, to explore a new country, a new future, and ultimately, make a new life for herself in Southern California.
When Linda and George were in school, she went back to graduate school herself, to become a research psychologist. And then, she became an indispensible contributor to the Naval Personnel Research and Development Center (NPRDC). Her ability to balance her professional responsibilities and her domestic commitments with seeming flawlessness was a source of great inspiration for many of the cousins, particularly the young women in the family who were trying to figure out how to have in their lives both love and a livelihood.
She even, according to some friends, had a bit of a wild streak. She got a kick out of men flirting with her in restaurants and once, at a work party, she had some wine, climbed up on the top of a picnic table and danced!
- Gefilte Fish: Know what you are made of.
Idell was just a kid when she met Sidney. He was eleven years older than she was, divorced, already a father and wounded from the war. But she told Becky Hetter that it took just a few days and she knew he was the one. He had great admiration, even reverence for his mother, and he offered those to her in abundance. But her parents didn’t approve, and her father called her back to Canada. She obliged him, but before going, on February 8, 1949, she secretly married Sidney, with their friend Jordy Saunders and others as witnesses before a Justice of the Peace. Then, they got married again with a rabbi in March, when they “did it right.” As much as she respected her parents and honored them, Idell followed her own star.
George says that his mother had simple needs. Simple not in sense of unsophisticated; she certainly was sophisticated, well-educated and “with it”—she had a computer before her kids did—in fact, her introductory letter to my parents began, “Forgive me for typing this letter, but I’m committed body and soul to my computer!”; but simple in the sense that there was relatively little that she desired. And what she did desire, she had—love, a growing and loving family who appreciated her, meaningful work, friends, a garden, Padres games with Jack Neumann, her dogs—the Sabra dynasty and others, Sunday dinners with Marilyn and Arthur Neumann, contentment and travel with Sidney, lunch with her friends, great music, a home she loved, a well-equipped kitchen, philanthropic commitments and appreciation for her contributions, and while she may not have desired this, we all admired it—beautiful white hair!
- Matzah ball soup: The pot is large: live generously
Baba took great pride in finding and offering gifts. Zev Karlin-Neumann remembers that she never missed a birthday, and invariably picked out something “detective-y” for him. Chana remembers wonderful boxes of clothes from Nordstroms. I remember that for their bat and bar mitzvahs, she gave them each a tallit—but she wanted for them to pick it out, so they’d be happy wearing them throughout their lives.
Jack returned to the family in a somewhat abrupt fashion—he remembers it like it was yesterday. From 1948-1961 he hadn’t seen his Dad, when he and a couple of friends drove down to Tijuana from UCLA; He had just turned 18 and was deliberating: Should he call? How would he be received? Well, he looked in the phone book for Sidney Neumann and took a leap. He called—at the ungodly hour of 6:30 or 7 a.m. and shortly after appeared at the door. He said that it was a wonderful experience—he was greeted with Mom’s trademark warmth, making him immediately part of the family.
Benita’s experience was somewhat less of a surprise—but no less welcoming. Her first welcome was in abstentia—when she was Jack’s girlfriend in 1969. The folks were in Europe, but Baba left a gift—a box of stationary, which to her conveyed, “Please stay in touch.” And when she returned in 1994 to become part of the family, Baba was most gracious, taking her around to introduce Benita to her friends, sending her beautiful bouquets of flowers on her birthday, with impeccable social graces and generosity.
- The main meal: Enjoy what is well prepared, hearty and substantial
The siblings agreed that Mom had this amazing ability to do things so excellently, perfectly—whether it be cooking, gardening, sewing, knitting, embroidery or playing piano and she had a beautiful writing hand. With her diverse talents, George said she reminded him of the Chinese attribution of “Master of the 5 Excellences”— she was the epitome of femininity and competence.
The orchids she grew and the attention she gave her garden was legendary. George said that gardening was her yoga—it renewed her.
There is a reason I choose Pesach as the quintessential meal for Idell’s recipes for life. She would knock herself out to have the family reunion around that most difficult and challenging culinary event, and she’d do it as if she were expertly commanding a military campaign, planning in advance what needed to be done, labeling every bowl and plate for what should go into it. Her copious organizational skills were nowhere more apparent on the home-front than during Pesach.
She made gefilte fish from scratch. I’d never met anyone who did that until I entered the Neumann family. George was legendary among our friends and community for his annual ritual of making gefilte fish from scratch, a ritual, of course, that he learned from and shared with his mother. For years, she got fish in San Diego, and when her fish market closed, she arranged for us to send her fish from Phil’s Fish Market in Los Angeles. When we moved away, we arranged our own courier system—preparing it in dry ice and shipping it on the Greyhound Bus from LA to San Diego. I recently found an email from her—from 2000—when Phil’s closed. Mind you, we were already living in Northern California for a decade by this point.
“Dear Patty,
Ran into a little (!) snag the other day. The wonderful Phil’s Poultry and Fish Market in L.A. seems to be out of business. How could they do that to me after being a loyal customer for 15 years?
With your L.A. contacts do you think someone could find a market that would be willing to prepare and ship an order to San Diego? If it is possible for you to get me a name and phone number, I will certainly do the rest. Hate to trouble you with such a request, but I really don’t know how else to proceed.”
Well, we did manage to keep her—and George—in whitefish and pike so the tradition of handmade gefilte fish could continue. Now that’s commitment! But it was not only Pesach that she prepared so carefully and with such organizational prowess.
I used to regard it as excessive that her linen closets were labeled—until Chana and I bought the same blue Jersey sheets—she has a double bed and ours is a queen—and I finally realized that Baba was not obsessive, but smart—all her sheets were white, so it made sense to know which was for a twin and which was for a king!
Becky commented on how principled she was. She had an unfailing work ethic and was utterly reliable—and prompt—much to the shame of some of her co-workers, who abandoned their old ways out of respect for her virtue. She worked with utter discipline, civility and discretion. She was utterly invaluable and trusted implicitly in her work, both at NPRDC and later as a volunteer for the Technion.
5. Afikomen: The meal concludes
When Idell retired from NPRDC, she insisted that she didn’t want a big retirement banquet. Rather, she wanted one of the more common pizza lunches with cheap wine at the beach, often held for someone’s birthday. But everyone wanted to be at Idell’s retirement lunch—the list grew from 60 to 80 to 100 people. There were so many pizzas, that they wouldn’t fit in a car. They had to be delivered in a truck!
She didn’t want speeches, didn’t want anything formal. What she did want, though, was a picture. There used to be a cartoonist who worked at NPRDC and when people retired, he made wonderful caricatures of people. The only thing she was disappointed about was that he no longer worked there. But Idell wasn’t the only crackerjack researcher in the place—Becky put her research skills to work and managed to find the guy.
Now, as you probably know, Idell was NOT a PC. She was a Mac. When everyone else went to PCs, she held out. She didn’t want a PC. So Becky found a gigantic PC box, and she wrapped the wonderful cartoon of Idell sitting with all the computers done by the artist and put it in the PC box.
When it was time to present the gift, Becky said. “I know you have been fighting against getting a PC for years. But you shouldn’t be behind the times. So we got this for you. She could tell that Idell hated it. But, as always, she was gracious and polite. She said, “Well I don’t know, you shouldn’t have….” And, then she opened the box. When she saw that what was in it was not a computer, but her picture, she laughed and laughed. “This is the thing I wanted…”
I love the image of Idell laughing at a joke on herself. She was never “behind the times.” She was always ahead, and now she is ahead of us all in saying goodbye, in gathering together the people she loved, and feeding them—pizza or Fairouz’s middle eastern food or Pesach dinner. But every delicious meal comes to an end, replete with the aroma of good food and the memories of delicious tastes and animated conversation. Now we are to find the afikomen, the symbol of the end of the meal. Rabbi David Zeller, a teacher of mine who also left us too soon, taught, “At the end of the Pesach meal, children look for the hidden afikoman and return the afikomen to us because children return the lost parts of ourselves to us. Baba loved the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren that she was blessed with. And in their lives, we see the vitality, the love, the brilliance, the organization, the heart that Idell offered to all of us in such abundance. Because of them, and all of us gathered here today, the taste of the afikoman—and the recipes of Idell’s life, will always be with us. Zecher tzodeket l’bracha. May the memory of this righteous woman always be for us, a blessing. B’teavon—hearty appetite!
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Graveside funeral services were held on Aug 3, 2010 at Home of Peace Cemetery (3668 Imperial Ave, S.D.) by Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann, Sr. Assoc. Dean for religious Life at Stanford University, and daughter-in-law to Idell.
Palestinian and Israeli visitors ponder business together
Emad Nuseibeh and Amir Gur-Lavie (Photo: Bonnie Stewart)
By Donald H. Harrison
Donald H. Harrison
LA MESA, California – Emad Ahmed Fuad Nuseibeh, a major Palestinian grower of vegetables and herbs, and Amir Gur-Lavie, an owner of Zeta, a large distributor of Israeli olive oil, cheerfully agreed to pose together following a dinner at Vine Ripe Market here. Nuseibeh and Gur-Lavie smiled warmly like old friends, whereas, in fact, they had only met a few days before.
The market and restaurant is part of a chain co-founded by Ali Baba Abdallah, a Palestinian refugee who had lived in Jordan and Lebanon before immigrating in 1982 to the United States, where he built a successful career as a grower and marketer.
The two men were among a group of Palestinians and Israeli Jews brought together through the combined efforts of the Peres Peace Center in Jaffa, Arab businessman Sam Husseini of Jerusalem, and the Hansen Institute for World Peace at San Diego State University. They and others met to discuss and to refine an idea that the Peres and Hansen groups have been developing over several years now: creating a blended olive oil made from Israeli and Palestinian olives to be sold as a “peace product” in U.S. stores.
Ali-Baba Abdallah (Photo: Bonnie Stewart)
If the project comes to fruition, the new brand may have a ready customer in Abdallah, whose store specializes in foods from the Middle East, both Arab and Jewish. Abdallah explained that in San Diego there are many immigrant communities who hunger for foods from home, and he makes it his business to satisfy their tastes. The chance for Arabs and Jews to peacefully mingle together as customers in his store is a side benefit paralleling the joint goals of the Peres Peace Center, the Hansen Institute and Husseini’s Lion Heart business development company, a new partner in the peace consortium.
As Abdallah had tray after tray of Middle Eastern appetizers, salads and entrees brought to the long table in a patio area alongside his market on Fletcher Parkway, the meeting was one for socializing amid the familiar tastes and aromas of the guests’ Middle Eastern homes.
The Palestinian and Israeli business people on that day had toured such markets as Ralphs, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Henry’s and now Vine Ripe, to gain an insight into California food consumer tastes. The tour followed days of lectures and panels at San Diego State University on trends in the American food industry, as well as a visit to the Temecula Olive Oil groves in Aguanga, California. The group also had some recreational outings together, including the San Diego Zoo, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, La Jolla and on the following day would visit the Star of India at the Embarcadero.
When the meal was done, Nuseibeh and Gur-Lavie both agreed to share their impressions with this reporter.
Like the other Palestinians at the meeting, Nuseibeh lives in East Jerusalem, now claimed by Israel but which could possibly become the capital of a new Palestinian state, depending on how direct peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian officials —scheduled to begin next month—settle the volatile question. Nuseibeh also owns a large farm near Jericho, where he grows various desert produce, and another where he produces herbs sold directly to the U.S. market.
The San Diego trip “was a great experience for me,” said Nuseibeh. “We have met great people who in fact are our neighbors but we didn’t know them until we reached here in the States. I hope that, after knowing them, how they are thinking and what kind of businesses they have, that we can do some business together, in order to cut, or break the obstacles that have prevented us from working together.”
Asked about creating special olive oils, that might blend Israeli and Palestinian varieties, and maybe even some of Nuseibeh’s herbs, Nuseibeh responded:
“I think it is a good idea to start a business together, but there are a lot of obstacles, a lot of problems,” that must be resolved first, he said. “We have to do things here in the States, a lot of work, a lot of research, and I don’t think at this moment that we as Israeli and Palestinian business people can come up with the money. I hope we can find a source for finance, and I think that with these ideas that we have—to work with good-willed people—we will be able to succeed.”
The Nuseibeh Agricultural Co. for Marketing and Production (NAMP) has for over a half century exported oranges to the United Kingdom, as well as a variety of citrus and bananas to Jordan and to the Gulf countries. When exports to Jordan slowed down, Nuseibeh developed herb products, which he sold to the Israeli market. Initially, sales to the U.S. market went through Israel, but now NAMP is shipping about $1 million annually in herbs directly to the United States.
The joint meeting in San Diego with Israeli agriculturalists was not limited to olives, Nuseibeh said.
“We are thinking of ways to combine the Israeli produce and the Palestinian produce,” and to devise “new ideas in order to work together for their benefit and our benefit,” he said. “At the end, it is business. So we are trying hard to find new things, new ideas. It may not be in olives, or vegetables, or herbs; maybe it is a new idea that could succeed.”
Indicating other Palestinians and Israelis seated at the table, Nuseibeh added: “Everyone has their own experience. Some of us have experience in marketing or in finding finance; others have experience in growing and having good, high quality produce, and so the thing is we have to find something that can work in order to succeed in this.”
Whatever products are eventually developed, Nuseibeh said the meetings are a harbinger of what real peace between Israelis and Palestinians might mean. “We need it for both of us, the Israelis and the Palestinians,” he declared. It is a need, it is a must. And when we are doing this, maybe it is a small step, but everyone profits, the Israelis and the Palestinians. You are going toward the same light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe what we are doing is a small step, but at the end, Palestinians and Israelis are people who want to reach that same light and to get to the end of this mess we have. It might help, this thing we are doing. We are not going against anyone. The peace process is going on; maybe it (the San Diego meeting) is a mile out of the million, but it is a mile.”
Gur-Lavie is the owner of Zeta in the Galilean town of Mitzpe Hila – known throughout Israel as the hometown of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier who has been held in captivity for several years by the Hamas government in Gaza. Besides owning the company which produces three million bottles a year of olive oil, Gur-Lavie serves on a committee with Shalit’s parents trying to keep the issue of ending Shalit’s captivity before the world.
About the San Diego meetings, Gur-Lavie said: “I don’t know what will be the result, but the main goal we have already reached. It was wonderful. We (Palestinians and Israelis) had the possibility to sit together and to think together, and anyhow we have new friends, and we hope also to have new products for the grocery market. We need to find the way to do it. I am sure that we will find the way to do something—perhaps small, perhaps big—but actually the biggest thing, we already have done.
Bentzi Elisha, who is the chief executive officer of Zeta, added. “Sometimes we have to come to the States to find that we can be together and talk about everything, and laugh about the same things – really, because we became friends.”
The Hansen Institute has been quietly bringing Arabs and Israelis together—even in the absence of diplomatic relations between their countries – since the time following the Camp David accords between Israel and Egypt during Jimmy Carter’s presidency.
Bonnie Stewart, the executive director, has witnessed a process many times in which the Arabs and Israelis first regarded each other with suspicion and had to air out some of their political differences before getting down to business discussions.
Not so this meeting, commented Gur-Lavie. “We had heard this would happen… but we didn’t feel that, even at the airport. We started with friendship. Look, we also talk very openly about the problems. We know we can’t avoid the problems but we think that with friendship we are able to talk about it … We know that is from business that maybe we will be able to make the peace sooner. If we wait for the conflict to be solved, and then talk about business, maybe it will take 100 years.”
While creating a peace product is a relatively new idea, Gur-Lavie said that his company has been bottling both Israeli and Palestinian olive oils for years. Noting that his company recently won four Gold Medals in an international olive oil competition, he expressed confidence that something “unique and of a very high quality” eventually can be created and marketed.
Both Gur-Lavie and Nuseibeh had praise for San Diego State and the Hansen Institute specifically, and for San Diego generally.
Said the Israeli of San Diego: “It is a very nice and pleasant place to be. I have been in many places in America, but such a nice hospitality! All the Americans we are with from the Hansen Institute and the University are doing an excellent job. They believe that it is important to help us bring the peace, and I really just want to say thank you.”
Nuseibeh concurred, saying: “People in the Middle East know Americans in two or three things, in their bullets, in their bombs that say ‘made in the U.S.A.,’ and in their vetoes in the U.N. They don’t know the people, but this time and my last visit to the U.S., I met a lot of people and I found something else. I found people who want to help, people…who need to know how they can make the people in front of them as happy as they are…. If someone here is convinced by a cause, he will devote his life, money, fortune and time to the cause. And it doesn’t matter how much effort it will take. There are many people in the Middle East who do not know the Americans well; they should see the people, the American people.”
Besides Nuseibeh and Sam Husseini, other members of the Palestinian delegation included Abdel Muti Qutob, whose businesses include agriculture produce in the Auja region near Jericho, as well as real estate development elsewhere; and Rami Assali, financial and administrative manager for Search for Common Ground, a non-governmental agency in Jerusalem.
Israelis in addition to Gur-Lavi and Elisha included Ofer Ensher, managing director of Hefer Systems & Controls, which is a large company in the fields of water and waste water processes; and the following staff members of the Peres Center for Peace: Roi Dai, the finance director; Oren Blonder, director, and Moran Diment, manager, in the agriculture, water and environment department.
Numerous Americans interacted with the two delegations. Among those who participated in seminars with them were Stewart, the director of the Hansen Institute; Sanford Ehrlich, Qualcomm Executive Director of Entrepreneurship at SDSU’s Entrepreneurial Management Center (EMC); Alex DeNoble, chair of the Management department of SDSU’s College of Business Administration; Bernard Schroeder, director of EMC programs; Evan Schlessinger, president of the Springboard Company, which helps bring new products and innovations to market, and Marvin Spira, president of Marketing Consultants, International, which specializes in the marketing of food products.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.
Rabbi seeks help from other clergy in stopping hate
EDISON, New Jersey. (Press Release)–Rabbi Bernhard Rosenberg, pulpit rabbi at Congregation Beth El here, is tired of counting swastikas and hearing antisemitic cat calls when he heads home from synagogue.
It happened to him again on Friday night August 20th on Route 27, where Jew-baiting by local teens has become trendy over the last year.
On Friday night the lighting was so poor near the shopping center, he could discern only that the vehicle from which the epithets emanated was a dark-colored one and that the voices were female. The rabbi is also tired of calling the police, since there is little or no evidence left behind–and it doesn’t help when these hate crimes are dismissed as youthful pranks.
In recent weeks, Rosenberg appeared on local and national news stations, and other media, but the publicity, he feels, has now led to copycats who want to get in on the action. “The screaming girls are thinking what they did was cool. It wasn’t. And the local police and mayor have ignored my requests for assistance in dealing with these things. They don’t even follow proper reporting procedures under the State’s hate crime laws.
“Since the community can’t be protected from these obnoxious hate crimes, and the police won’t follow through, we, as citizens of Edison, must see how we can change these teen behaviors from the pulpit and in our classrooms. Danger lies ahead if we do nothing. Educators and clergy must get together to solve this problem.
“It is my personal belief, that once these kids get bored with yelling epithets about Jews, they will move on to baiting Muslims and Latinos, going from verbal violence to physical violence. Their behavior is an indicator of a failure in our educational system, which mandates Holocaust Education—but that doesn’t always work.
“The point of learning about what happened to the Jews during World War II is that we aren’t supposed to behave the way the Nazis did. We are Americans who believe in the Bill of Rights and that all people should be treated with respect and dignity. Our children need to know that and live by that.
“The only way these current hate crimes will stop is by working with students before they are hard-wired for hate. I hope that local clergy and educators will join me in showing our children that hatred doesn’t work. If we ignore what’s happening and do nothing, our children will take it as a license to escalate their behavior, and more people will be hurt. We’ve got one goal: to stop the hate.”
Rabbi Rosenberg can be contacted via chaimdov@aol.com
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Preceding provided by Congregation Beth El in Edison
Jane Schaffer, expert on essay composition, dies
SAN DIEGO (SDJW)–Jane Schaffer, a master teacher whose methodology for writing essays is taught in high schools around the country, died of brain cancer early Sunday morning at home. She was 64.
Schaffer, wife of San Diego Jewish World contributor and former San Diego Jewish Times columnist Dan Schaffer, had valiantly fought the cancer up until the time earlier this month when she slipped into a coma.
Her brave fight was the subject of a prize-winning essay written by her daughter, Sarah Cooper and reprinted on San Diego Jewish World. The essay may be accessed by clicking here.Arrangements for a celebration of her life are being made, family members said.
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Preceding was a San Diego Jewish World staff report
NJDC defends congressman’s Israel record against Jewish challenger in Florida primary for U.S. Senate seat
WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release) – National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) Chairman Marc R. Stanley, Immediate Past Chair Michael M. Adler and Vice-Chair Stephen Bittel on Sunday jointly issued the following statement:
U.S. Representative Kendrick Meek has a stellar record of support for Israel, and it is wrong for anyone — of either political party — to call that record into question. He has been a true friend for many years to the Jewish community, embracing the U.S.-Israel relationship and so many other issues of interest to American Jews.
That’s why it is so deeply disappointing to see Florida U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene and his campaign circulating materials and direct mail pieces politicizing support for Israel, and painting his Democratic primary opponent — Rep. Meek — as less than supportive of Israel. The fact is that Rep. Meek’s support for Israel and his excellent record on this issue is beyond question, and any political attacks in this campaign season that politicize support for Israel are simply wrong — regardless of the party affiliation of the campaign launching the attacks.
NJDC has repeatedly opposed the use of the U.S.-Israel relationship as a campaign wedge issue, and we have fought against the growing and unfortunate trend of politicizing support for Israel — a point on which we are in complete agreement with Israel’s Ambassador Michael Oren. While the GOP has been the chief perpetrator in playing this dangerous game, it is always wrong to turn support for Israel into a political football, regardless of whether it’s a Republican or a Democrat who is doing it.
It’s always good to have another Democrat on the national stage discussing the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship. But politicizing the issue of U.S. support for Israel — instead of positively communicating one’s message on this issue — is the wrong way to go about it.
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Preceding provided by National Jewish Democratic Council
Adventures in San Diego Jewish History, January 21, 1955, Part 3
Compiled by San Diego Jewish World staff
Birdie Stodel Women Plan President’s Day
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 5
Past Presidents met at the home of Mrs. David Schwartz to plan “Past Presidents’ Day” which will be held on Monday, Jan. 24, at the Beth Jacob Center. They will be hostesses at the luncheon to be held at 12:00 o’clock. All past presidents will participate in the program of the day.
Over 25 members will be initiated on this day. The initiation will be headed by Mrs. Robert Siegel who will act as president, Mrs. Jennie Siner as counselor, Mrs. Harry Schwartz and Mrs. David Schwartz will give responses. All other past Presidents will form a living Menorah.
This year’s class of initiates will be presented in honor of Past President Mrs. Harry Schwartz and Mrs. James Geller.
Mrs. Marco Ratner is in charge of table decorations.
Past President Mrs. Jeremiah Aronoff, who is in charge of affairs for the day, promises a long, pleasant social afternoon.
Mrs. Morrie Kraus, president, urges all members to attewnd. Make reservations by calling any past presidents.
Don’t forget our chapter’s 26th anniversary will be celebrated in February. Details and date to follow.
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J.W.V. News
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 5
Members of San Diego Post 185 listened to a very interesting talk given by Bob Elliott, the newly named Padre manager, at their January 19th meeting. Elliott, who was introduced by his friend, Jerry Krakoff, told of his baseball career and his hopes for 1955. The 40 and 8 organization of the American Legion were also present as guests of the Jewish War Veterans.
A committee of Past Commanders were appointed to choose a slate of officers to be elected in March. Bud Samuels, Commander, has assigned the duties of Finance Officer to J. David Brooks until the next election.
Post 185 will march in the military parade to be held January 30 in National City for the purpose of raising funds in the March of Dimes campaign. Stanley Yukon, Post Commander, will be in charge of the JWV contingent.
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Council Slates Valentine Ball
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 5
Final arrangements for the “Valentine Ball” at the Mission Valley Country Club have been completed. The date is Saturday evening, Feb. 12, 1955.
Join your friends in the cocktail lounge at 8 p.m. for a social hour. Buffet supper will be served at 8 p.m. and there will be entertainment and dancing. Decorations will be in the Valentine theme.
Make up your tables (you may have as many as twenty at a table) and call your reservation in to Mrs. Ben Lemson, JU 2-7628; Mrs. Paul Moss, JU-2-1504 or Mrs. Monroe Gardner, JU-2-5940. Reservations close Feb. 8.
Mrs. Sidney R. Silverman and Mrs. Sidney Smith are Co-chairmen of the event.
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Council Women To Have Speaker
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 5
The next regular luncheon meeting of Council will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 1st, at noon, at the House of Hospitality in the Copper Room.
The principal speaker will be Mrs. Joseph Willen of New York City. Mrs. Willen is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of Jewish Women and President of the International Council. In 1951, Mrs. Willen was chosen as part of a panel of eleven leading American women, and made a four weeks’ tour of Germany under auspices of the State Department.
Mrs. Willen will speak on “Council’s Role Overseas”. A most interesting and stimulating afternoon is anticipated. Mrs. Harry Blumberg will give a report on Service to the Blind.
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(Religious Principle)
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 5
A big part of any man’s religion consists in getting along with other people.
(San Diego Hebrew Home)
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 5
Application for admission to the Hebrew Home for the Aged may be made through the Jeiwsh Social Service Agency, 333 Plaza, BE 2-5172.
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(Dollars and Sense)
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 5
If the man who is always in debt will keep a record of his expenses he may find it is sense he lacks—not dollars.
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Too many dollars in the wrong man’s pocket soon crowds out the sense in his head.
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Pioneer Women To Hold Annual Bazaar
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 6
Pioneer Women’s Annual Bazaar will be held on Sunday, Jan. 30th, at Beth Jacob Center at 10 a.m until midnight. Delicious foods will be served all day, prepared under the supervision of Goldie Kitaen, so bring your family and friends for a delightful day of fine food and fun. New merchandise of all kinds will be on display and will be on sale at prices to please you.
Mrs. Rose Brooker and Mrs. Rose Abrams are chairmen and they are asking the support and co-operation of all members and of all who are interested in the important work of Pioneer Women in Israel.
Mark the date, Jan. 30th, on your calendar and be there.
The next meeting of Negba Club will be held on Thursday, Feb. 3rd and an interesting program and fine luncheon at noon is being planned. Plans are being made for welcoming Pioneer Women’s Delegates from Israel.
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Couples Club To Visit Globe Theatre
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 6
The next social of the Couples Club to be held on January 22nd is a planned theatre poarty to the “Old Globe” to see the comedy, “Affairs of State.” The entertainment committee report hevy bookings and regret that no more reservations are now possible for our particular group.
Take away the sculptor’s chisel or the artist’s paint brush and you deprive him of his most important medium of expression, take away a Rabbi’s voice and you bring about the same result. We of the Couples Club are happy indeed that our Rabbi, Monroe Levens, will soon be blessed once more with his most capable “tool of trade.”
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Volunteers Needed
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 6
An urgent appeal for volunteer workers went out today from the headquarters of the San Diego County Heart Association, 1651 Fourth Avenue.
Any man or woman who can spare even an hour a day for helping in the Heart Association offices, folding literature, stuffing or addressing envelopes, etc. is urged to phone the Heart Association at Belmont 4-5102.
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Public Speaking Class Now Open
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 6
Esther I. Siegel announces that registration is now open for her adult class in Public Speaking which meets every Wednesday morning in her studio in the Barcelona Hotel. The course emphasizes practical training in diction, self-confidence, relaxation and vocabulary building. Anyone interested in becoming more effective in business, social and club life is asked to contact Miss Siegel, Barcelona Hotel, Belmont 2-0153. Tuition for this course is a special rate of $18 for 10 lessons. Private and class instruction is also available for children in Speech Arts and Dramatics.
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Temple Sisterhood Gets Set For Country Fair Feb. 6th
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 6
There’s a buzz of activity throughout the Temple Beth Israel family as final preparations get under way for the big Country Fair to be held on Feb. 6 from 3:30 to midnight.
The American Legion Hall at 2690 B St. is being transformed into a rural fairground under the able direction of Harriet Dickman.
There will be fun for all – young and old will enjoy the many activities that are being planned. Betty Karel is in charge of special games for the youngsters and Helen Siner has planned exciting gaming events for their parents. Enjoy the delicious buffet being served from 5 to 8 p.m. Homemade specialties prepared by our own expert cooks, under the direction of Louise Hertz, Zelma Goldstein and Charlotte Haas, at the modest prices of only $1.85 for adults and $0.85 for children.
Many workers are still needed, especially for the buffet.
Help make this event a success – call Louise Hertz, CO 4-3021, and volunteer your services.
Finances for the Country Fair are being handled by Ruth Smoller and Ruth Silverman.
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New Director For Center Nursery
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 6
Mrs. James Fry was made permanent Director of the Cooperative Nursery School of the Jewish Community Center this month after serving on a probationary basis for three months.
Mrs. Fry has had ten years of experience in the educational field, ranging from work with a demonstration class of primary age children at Tufts College to a position as Educational Consultant to the Universalist Church of Japan.
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Open Forum Has India Speaker
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 6
The fourth lecture of the S.D. Open Forum will be held on January 30th, at the First Unitarian Cnhurch, 1541 Sixth Ave., at 8 p.m.
Mr. Amiya Chakravarty, U.N. Advisor to the Indian Delegation, Professor of Comparative Oriental Religions and Literature at Boston University will be guest speaker. His topic –“An Asian looks at the World.”
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Deceased
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 21, 1955, Page 6
Molli Simon, aged 72, on Tuesday, Jan. 18th. Mrs. Simon resided in San Diego since 1939. Survivors are sons, Leo, of New York City and Jack of Denver, Colo.; daughters, Sylvia Greenberg of Detroit, Mich; and Rose Kohn of Los Angeles; a sister, Fern Raphael of Chicago, Ill; a brother, Nathan Niederman, of New York; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Mrs. Simon was a member of Temple Beth Israel, Temple Sisterhood, Hadassah, and the Council of Jewish Women.
Services were conducted by Rabbi Morton J. Cohn at Merkely Austin Mortuary. Final resting place is Greenwood Memorial Park.
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William Schusterman, husband of Goldie Schusterman, died on January 2nd, at the age of 59 years. He is survived by his wife; son, Arnold; and daughters, Doris Borenstein and Sally Kaplan; two brothers and seven grandchildren. Rabbi Baruch Stern officiated at services held at the Merkely-Austin Mortuary; interment at Home of Peace Cemetery. He was a board member of Congregation Beth Jacob and B’nai B’rith Lasker Lodge.
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“Adventures in San Diego Jewish History” is sponsored by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg. Our “Adventures in San Diego Jewish History” series will be a regular feature until we run out of history. To find stories on specific individuals or organizations, type their names in our search box.
Shofars to be blown for peace on day before Rosh Hashanah
LA JOLLA, California (Press Release)–The grassroots group, San Diego Israel Coalition, has issued a call for shofar blowers to assemble at Congregation Beth El at 10 a.m., Tuesday, September 7–the day before Rosh Hashanah — to sound their support for “peace in Israel and around the world.”
“The blowing of the Shofar at Rosh Hashanah is a call to ‘wake up’ spiritually and intellectually, examine our actions, and commit to personal improvement in the new year, according to Audrey Jacobs and Michael Lurie, co-chairs of the organization.
“Our ‘Shofar for Israel’ is a symbolic call to all people of goodwill here, in the Middle East and around the world to renew our commitment and efforts to pursue peace in Israel in the coming year.
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Preceding based on material provided by San Diego Israel Coalition
Ner Tamid schedules ‘family-friendly’ Shabbat welcome
POWAY, California (Press release)–A Shabbat celebration for returning and new members of Ner Tamid Synagogue, 15318 Pomerado Road, at 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 27, will feature Rav Nadav Caine at the pulpit and singer Cara Friedman on the guitar.
Following the “family-friendly” service, the Conservative congregation will serve ice cream, cookies, fruit and other desserts.
More information is available on Ner Tamid’s website.
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Preceding based on material provided by Ner Tamid Synagogue
sdjewishworld 