THE CHICAGO JEWISH NEWS April 3-9, 2015/14 Nisan 5775 www.chicagojewishnews.com One Dollar Will Rahm Emanuel be Chicago’s last Jewish mayor? Meet a Navy Seal who’s Jewish Google’s new Jewish CFO Rabbi Shlomo Riskin on one big Jewish family Interview with Nancy Spielberg on her new movie 2 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Meet Eric Greitens, Jew and Navy SEAL By Gabe Friedman JTA It would be unfair to say that few Jews have résumés as impressive as that of Eric Greitens – because there are few people in the world who have a comparable track record. Greitens, 40, is a former Navy SEAL, the recipient of seven military awards (including a bronze star and a purple heart), a former Rhodes Scholar and the founder of The Mission Continues, a nonprofit that helps veter- Happy Passover from Park Plaza! At Park Plaza, holidays are a very special time for our residents. We celebrate Passover with meaningful Seders and delicious foods, all surrounded by family and friends. Our residents love watching their grandchildren and great-grandchildren hunt for the Afikomen and sharing other Jewish rituals. It’s one of the many ways Park Plaza enriches the lives of our residents every day. With a choice of luxury apartment rentals, social events, inspiring classes, daily exercise and so much more, our residents thrive in a vibrant, care-free environment. Call to arrange a visit and see how senior living is meant to be! Pri startces in at g $ 1,750 ans integrate themselves back into their communities through volunteer work. He served in Iraq from 2003 to 2007. His second book, “Resilience: HardWon Wisdom for Living a Better Life,” is a collection of inspirational letters to a fellow Navy SEAL struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. (His first book, “Strength and Compassion,” is a collection of essays and photographs.) Greitens, who was raised in the Maryland Heights suburb of St. Louis and attended the city’s B’nai El synagogue, which is Reform, talked about his Jewish upbringing, and his new book. There probably aren’t many Jews in the Navy SEALs. Is that true? There was one other Jewish Navy SEAL that I knew when I was going through BUD/S, or Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL training. The guy was actually in my class of all things. I actually don’t know the exact statistics, but I suspect that there is Jewish representation in the military consistent with our representation in the American population. Part of the reason I joined the military was because of the Jewish education I received. What’s beautiful about the military is that it’s probably the most well integrated institution on the planet. You have Jews and Christians and Hindus and Buddhists and Muslims who are all serving the U.S. Army, from every corner of the United States, and they all come together and serve. You had several positive Jewish role models growing up? Yeah I did. One guy, my teacher at B’nai El Sunday school, was named Bruce Carl. When I was 16 years old, he asked me to come down to a homeless shelter to do some work. I had done a number of different community service projects before, so I thought “OK fine.” But Bruce said “We’re also going to spend the night.” For a 16-year-old kid from the suburbs of St. Louis, the prospect of spending a night in a homeless shelter in downtown St. Louis was a little bit scary. But Bruce said one, you need to know how all of your neighbors are living and two, it’s important to understand that you can make a difference now in the lives of people around you. At B’nai El I was also influenced by a number of Holocaust survivors who were brought in to talk with the [religious school] class. So when I was in college, ethnic cleansing was happening in Bosnia. In 1994, I was 20 years old, I went to Bosnia and lived in refugee camps and worked there with unaccompanied children. These were kids who were separated from their parents or whose parents had died during the war. I don’t think I would have been inspired to go to Bosnia without the Jewish education that I reSEE SEAL ON PAG E 1 6 Upcoming Events OF JEWISH COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Jewish Healing Network with The Lauri S. Bauer Foundation for Sudden Loss present: The 3rd Annual Conference on Help, Healing and Hope after Loss To Begin Again After Loss: Putting the Pieces Together Don’t miss Rabbi Naomi Levy, best-selling author of To Begin Again, as she shares her inspiring message about grief, loss and healing through personal stories and Jewish wisdom. rabbis in America by Newsweek, Rabbi Levy has appeared on Oprah and NBC’s Today. Jewish Community Programs include: • Jewish Center for Addiction • Partnership for Safer Communities • Jewish Healing Network • JCARES Thursday, April 23, 2015 • 7 pm Doubletree by Hilton Hotel 9599 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, IL Event is free; Register at: http://bit.ly/bauer_registration • Project Shield • Project Esther: The Jewish Adoption Network • Holocaust Community Services jcfs.org 6840 N. Sacramento Avenue, Chicago www.park-plaza.org Y 773.465.6700 (Yehuda) JCFS Chicago jcfs.org/blog JCFSChicago JCFSChicago • Professional Consultation Services JCFS is a partner in serving our community, supported by the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation. 3 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Jewish refugees safe from war, but facing economic crisis in Kiev By Ben Sales JTA KIEV – In a crowded room of the Tolkachov family’s tiny apartment here, a couch and twin bed sit kitty-corner from each other, sandwiching a small crib. In another corner, a wooden table is cluttered with a computer and some toys. Since October, three generations of the Tolkachov family – grandmother, parents and 22month-old baby – have all slept in this one room. To keep clean what little space they have, everyone takes off their shoes when they come in. The Tolkachovs weren’t always poor. Ilya, 26, worked for an import-export business in Lugansk, the war-torn city in eastern Ukraine. His wife, Luba, 28, was an administrator at the local university. Ilya’s mother, Maria, lived nearby with her husband, a retired Ukrainian army officer. In his spare time, Ilya gave photography lessons at the local branch of Hesed, a Jewish senior citizens center. Last summer, the family began hearing explosions near their home in Lugansk. Ilya claims they saw Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 fall out of the sky in July after being shot down over Torez, Luba’s hometown. After the crash, the family packed some clothes and went to visit Luba’s family in Kiev, intending to stay no longer than a few weeks. They have yet to return home. “Everything that we have, we needed to leave in Lugansk,” Ilya said. “Our flat, all of our belongings, our memories, we have to leave in Lugansk. This is just one more step to a better life.” So far, that better life has remained elusive. Ilya managed to find a job in his field, but due to the economic crisis that hit Ukraine because of the war, they make rent only with aid from Jewish organizations. His father remains in Lugansk, scared that he could be forced to re-enlist if he moves. The Tolkachovs’ story is common among Jewish refugees in Kiev who fled their homes in the embattled eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatist forces have been fighting the Ukrainian army since last spring. Safe from bombs and gunfire, in the capital they face different hardships. The Ukrainian hryvnia has lost more than half its value against the dollar just since January, shattering the economy and making even staple foods expensive. Refugees say it’s hard to find work or places to live in Kiev, where many locals view them as hostile elements – culturally Russian imports from a separatist region who have brought crisis upon themselves. According to the United Nations, nearly 1 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced as of February. “There’s a stereotype that people don’t want to give those people apartments for rent or give people a job,” said Anna Bondar, public relations manager for the American-Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, or JDC, in the Kiev region. “They think in the beginning that these refugees were not against the situation, and many of them are pro-Russian, and that’s why they’re blaming them.” Nina Tverye, who left the eastern city of Donetsk with her grandson in July, said “it makes it feel better” to spend time with other refugees. Tverye said refugees spend all their time talking about the war. “From this we start the day, and with this we finish the day,” Tverye said. “We are always discussing what is happening.” Children from the Russianspeaking east face the added challenge of integrating into Ukrainian-speaking schools. At Or Avner, a Chabad-run elementary and middle school in Kiev, 15 refugees have been absorbed into a student body of 160, and the school provides tutors to help with the language difficulty as well as clothes and daily hot meals to take home. But though a psychologist visits the school weekly to meet with refugees, the school has treaded lightly in explaining the war to its students. Teachers are afraid of wading into a controversial subject, so they stick instead to biblical tales on the importance of welcoming guests. “Children are very sensitive, so when the parents are tense – they lost their job, the future is in question – we receive frightened, nervous, foreign children,” said Elka Ina Markovitch, the school’s founder. “When a child comes from a stable family, they still react in as calm a way as possible. An unstable family reacts unstably.” Lifetime Income for Retirement. And an even greater outcome for Israel, science and education. Learn why Ruth chose her plan. See a video profile: afhu.org/cga3 Sample AFHU Hebrew University Gift Annuity Single-Life Rates Age 67 70 75 80 85 90 Rate 6.2% 6.5% 7.1% 8.0% 9.5% 11.3% Rates are calculated based on a single life. Cash contributions produce annuity payments that are substantially tax-free. CALL OR EMAIL NOW. THE RETURNS ARE GENEROUS. THE CAUSE IS PRICELESS. For information on AFHU Hebrew University Gift Annuities, please call AFHU Midwest Region Executive Director, Judith Shenkman at (312) 329-0332 or email: jshenkman@afhu.org 500 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1530 Chicago, IL 60611 s 877-642-AFHU (2348) afhu.org/CGA3 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Research engine for the world. Engine of growth for a nation. Ilya and Luba Tolkachov and their 22-month-old son in the tiny oneroom Kiev apartment they share with Ilya’s mother. (JTA) 4 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Contents Jewish News ■ The family of the Israeli killed in the crash of Germanwings flight 4U 9525 accused the airline of failing to monitor its staff. The family of Eyal Baum, who died in the crash, leveled the accusation in interviews to Israeli media. “We want to know how come the airline failed to screen and check the co-pilot,” Ronny Baum, Baum’s brother, told Israeli media. The family’s attorney said that the family “has enormous anger at the airline.” ■ A Polish court changed the date of death of the martyred Polish-Jewish humanitarian Janusz Korczak to reflect he was killed in the Treblinka concentration camp. The Lublin District Court confirmed that Korczak died on Aug. 7, 1942, not May 9, 1946, as a postwar court had ruled. The date of death was changed at the request of the Modern Poland Foundation in a case that has been ongoing since 2012. Janusz Korczak, the pseudonym of Henryk Goldszmit, was a doctor, teacher, writer and humanitarian. During the Holocaust he ran an orphanage for Jewish children in the Warsaw Ghetto. Though he was offered sanctuary by the Polish underground, he chose to go with his more than 190 orphaned children when they were transported to Treblinka. He was killed together with the children when they arrived at the Nazi camp on Aug. 7, 1942. Postwar Polish courts set the dates of those who died during the war, but whose deaths were not officially documented, as one year after the end of the war. ■ Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been accused of sexually assaulting a young woman in a Manhattan movie theater. New York police questioned Weinstein, 63, after a 22-yearold Italian woman said he had touched her breasts and genitals during a Friday night screening at the Tribeca Film Center, the New York Daily News reported. Weinstein is co-founder of Miramax. He recently urged Jews in the fight against anti-Semitism to “stand up and kick these guys in the ass.” Weinstein has produced a litany of hit films, including the Holocaust action movie “Inglorious Basterds” and “Pulp Fiction.” ■ Many high-profile Jewish leaders called on New York’s attorney general to go easy on William Rapfogel, the former chief of New York’s Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, who stole $9 million from the charity, according to a new report. The Rapfogel backers included 19 rabbis, several politicians, and some of the most prominent Jewish leaders in New York City and the country. Rapfogel was sentenced to 3 1/3 to 10 years in prison for his role in the two-decades-long insurance kickback scheme and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution, the amount he personally stole to “fund a lavish lifestyle,” the attorney general said at the time of the sentencing. The Met Council, which provides services to the poor and elderly in the New York City area and receives funding from state and city government as well as from private sources, has been struggling in the aftermath of the scandal. Among the letter writers in support of Rapfogel, were national leaders such as Julius Berman, the chair of the Conference of Jewish Material Claims Against Germany; Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of the Orthodox Union’s Kosher Division; Shmuel Lefkowitz, the chief lobbyist for Agudath Israel of America; Howard Friedman, the president of AIPAC; Richard Stone, exchair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Presidents Conference; and Steven Weil, senior managing director of the Orthodox Union. ■ A 32-year-old woman was arrested for alleged sex crimes at a bar mitzvah in Scottsdale, Ariz. Lindsey Ann Radomski reportedly exposed her breasts to several guests at the party before engaging in oral sex with a 15-year-old boy, Azcentral.com reported. Radomski, who was charged with sexual abuse and sexual conduct with a minor, told authorities that she was intoxicated and did not remember the encounter with the teen. Police said that after the 80 to 100 guests had left the party at a private home, Radomski invited several boys into a private room and let them fondle her breasts. After the other boys left the room, she performed oral sex on the 15-year-old. She had previously exposed herself to adults and children at a backyard pool, police said. Radomski is a yoga instructor and had recently undergone breast augmentation surgery. ■ Lena Dunham’s New Yorker piece titled “Dog or Jewish Boyfriend? A Quiz” was “tasteless” and “offensive,” the AntiDefamation League said. In a list of 35 statements, the actress and writer of the popular HBO show “Girls” begins by asking, “Do the following statements refer to (a) my dog or (b) my Jewish boyfriend?” JTA THE CHICAGO JEWISH NEWS Vol. 21 No. 26 Joseph Aaron Editor/Publisher 6 Torah Portion Golda Shira Senior Editor/ Israel Correspondent 7 Passover Food Pauline Dubkin Yearwood Managing Editor Joe Kus 8 Arts and Entertainment 10 Cover Story Staff Photographer Roberta Chanin and Associates Sara Belkov Steve Goodman Advertising Account Executives Denise Plessas Kus 12 Focus on Education Production Director Kristin Hanson Accounting Manager/ Webmaster 15 Community Calendar Jacob Reiss Subscriptions Manager/ Administrative Assistant 16 CJN Classified Ann Yellon of blessed memory Office Manager 18 By Joseph Aaron 19 Death Notices www. chicagojewishnews .com Some of what you’ll find in the ONLINE version of Chicago’s only weekly Jewish newspaper DAILY JEWISH NEWS For the latest news about Jews around the world, come by everyday and check out what’s making headlines. 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For Israel Advertising Information: IMP Group Ltd. 972-2-625-2933 Like Chicago Jewish News on Facebook. 5 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Ruth Porat, Google’s new CFO complete his education, even taking correspondence courses while he served in the British army during World War II. While Porat may bring a wealth of experience from Wall Street to one of the world’s rich- est companies, her father has expressed the hope that his children will never be motivated by money alone. “One of the dangers of our times is materialism that leaves the soul empty and creates an il- lusion whereby higher consumption is equated with a better life,” Dan Porat, now 91, wrote in his memoir. “I hope my children and their children will not fall prey to this way of thinking.” @ To the business press, the symbolism of Ruth Porat’s move from her position as chief financial officer of Morgan Stanley to her newly announced perch as Google’s CFO of the future couldn’t be more obvious – it represents a shift in power from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. And there’s no question that it’s a big deal when one of the most powerful women in finance decides that the grass – or at least the money – is greener on the other side of the country. But Porat’s career leap to the Mountain View, Calif., tech giant, also means that she is moving back home to the Bay Area, where she grew up. And a brief look at her family history reveals that the forces that led them to end up in northern California were nothing less than the defining events of 20th century Jewish history: the Holocaust and the founding of the state of Israel. Porat’s father, Dan, was born in 1922 in what is now Ukraine, and he later moved with his family to a shtetl in the Carpathian Mountains and then to Vienna, which is where they lived when the Anschluss of 1938 brought the Nazis to power. In a memoir, Dan Porat recalls going to watch Hitler ride triumphantly into the Austrian capital. Thanks to his strong grasp of Hebrew learned at cheder, he was able to escape to a kibbutz in British Mandate Palestine; the rest of his family was killed in the Holocaust. Dan Porat volunteered to fight in the British army. Meanwhile, Ruth Porat’s mother, Frieda, was born during her family’s voyage to Palestine and grew up there. She and Dan married in 1946, and he fought in Israel’s War of Independence. In 1954 they moved to England, where Ruth was born, so Dan could pursue his graduate studies in physics. Unwilling to live in England as a non-citizen, and fearing that Israel was too dangerous for his family, Dan obtained a joint appointment at Harvard and MIT and moved the family to Boston when Ruth was 2. However, the climate did not agree with Frieda. “Frieda wanted to move back to Israel because she could not physically tolerate the New England climate,” Dan Porat wrote in his memoir. “I saw her suffer in the cold she was not used to and promised to bring her to a climate close to that of Israel.” In 1962, the Porats moved to Portola Valley, Calif., and Dan Porat went to work for the physics design team at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. Frieda, in turn, pursued a career as a psychologist and organizational consultant, founding the Center for Creativity and Growth and writing several books, including “Creative Procrastination,” “Creative Life Management” and “Creative Retirement.” She died in 2012. Ruth Porat attended Stanford University as an undergraduate, as did her two siblings, and currently serves as the vice-chair of the university’s board of trustees. She has worked at Morgan Stanley since 1987, with one interruption, and during the 1990s she was co-head of the firm’s technology investment banking group. A major Democratic donor, she was considered a potential candidate for deputy Treasury secretary in 2013, but she withdrew her name from consideration. In 2014, Porat and her husband, Anthony Paduano, established a post-doctoral fellowship in her father’s name for the study of physics at Stanford, honoring his dogged and ultimately successful efforts over the years to @ By Anthony Weiss JTA Sheerit Hapleitah of Metropolitan Chicago Umbrella Organization of the Holocaust Survivor Groups in the Community Wishes all our members and friends a happy and Zisen Pesach with joy, peace and prosperity for all. @ Members of the Executive Committee Please join us on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. at Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue 8825 East Prairie Road, Skokie for our Annual Yom HaShoah Memorial Service to pay tribute to our Six Million Kedoshim and to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation from the concentration camps. @ Charles Lipshitz, President David Levine, Chairman I. Moshe Hubscher, Co-Chairman Henry Jelen, Co-Chairman @ Ruth Porat, who will join Google as its chief financial officer, with the former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, left, and former House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank at a panel discussion at the Brookings Institution in Washington. 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Mon. - Sat. 9-5:30 Closed Sun. www. chicagojewishnews .com The Jewish News place in cyberspace All in one family Pesach message: inclusion, even for ‘wicked child’ By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Guest Torah Columnist First Days Pesach The Passover seder we have just celebrated is an evening dedicated first and foremost to the relationship between the generations, to parents communicating to their children the agony and the ecstasy of Egyptian enslavement and exodus – that seminal biblical drama that most profoundly forged our Israeli identity and traditions. Indeed, the masterful booklet that tells the tale and structures (“seder” means order) of the entire evening is called the Haggadah (literally, telling), from the biblical verse “And you shall tell your children (vehigadeta) on that day” (Exodus 13:3). But what if your children – or one of your children – is not interested in hearing? What if he or she is willing to participate in the meal, but is totally tuned out of and turned off to the ritual that surrounds and informs the meal? How are we, the parents, teachers and communicators, supposed to respond in such a case? The Haggadah is not only a text of the Egyptian experience; it is also a masterful guide to the art of effectively parenting – communicating the message of our mesora (tradition). By its very place as the centerpiece of a much-anticipated evening dedicated to the performance of many commandments – commandments that parents are to experience together with their children – we learn that we can only successfully impart a value that we ourselves believe in and act out; children will learn not by what we say, but by how we perform. Moreover, our children-students must feel that they are the prime focus of the evening, and not mere adjuncts to an adult happening; and the message must be molded in such a way as to respond to their questions and concerns (Maggid begins with the “Four Questions”). Each individual must be given the opportunity to ask his/her questions and to receive answers appropriate to both question and questioner (note the “four children” of the seder). Finally, the atmosphere around the table must be more experiential than cerebral, punctuated by familial stories and the fun of games (hide-the- Rabbi Shlomo Riskin afikoman), and warmed by wine, food and love. Such is the Haggadah’s formula for effective communication between parents and children – not just one evening a year, but every single day of every year. But what of the apathetic, uninterested child? One of the four prototypical children of the seder is the “wicked child,” whom the author of the Haggadah designates as such because of the biblical question ascribed to him: “What is this service (avoda) to you?” (Exodus 12:26) Why does the Haggadah assume a negative attitude on the part of this child, who is merely seeking a relevant explanation for a ritual he doesn’t understand? The Haggadah’s answer to this child also seems unduly harsh. “‘What is this service to you’ – and not to him. And because he took himself out of the historic Jewish community, he denied the basic principle. And so you must set his teeth on edge (hak’heh), and tell him, ‘It is because of this (ritual) that G-d did for me (so many wonders) in taking me out of Egypt.’ (Exodus 13:8) ‘G-d did for me’ and not for him! Had he been there, he would not have been redeemed.” The seemingly abrasive response of the Haggadah seems to be the very opposite of everything we’ve been positing: Set his teeth on edge! Does this mean (G-d forbid) rap him in the mouth? And why switch from second person to third person in the middle of the dialogue? First the Haggadah reads, “And you tell him,” and then concludes – as if you aren’t even speaking to him – “Had he been there, he would not have been redeemed.” Has he been closed out of the family seder? I believe that the most fundamental message of the seder – indeed, of family dynamics, of classroom management and of national policy as well – is to be inclusive and not exclusive, to make everyone feel wanted and accepted rather than rejected or merely tolerated. Indeed, it is in the context of the response to the wicked child that the Haggadah teaches that the most basic principle of our faith is to include oneself – as well as everyone who can possibly be included – within the historical community of Israel, to be part of the eternal chain of Jewish being, to be a member of the family. Therefore, the problem with this child’s question is not his search for relevance; that is to be applauded and deserves a proper response. The problem is that he has excluded himself from the familial-national celebration; he sees it as applying to “you” and not to “him.” Tell him, says the author of the Haggadah, that although we are living thousands of years after the fact, G-d took me – and him/her as my child – out of Egypt, because we are all one historic family, united by our family celebrations and traditions. Tell him that the most important principle of our tradition is to feel oneself an integral part of a family that was once enslaved and is now free – and to relive this message of the evils of slavery and the glories of freedom, because if they happened to our forebears, it is as if they happened to us. Since we were formed by them, we are them and they are us. And so is he/she. And don’t tell it to him matter-of-factly by rote or harshly with animus. Tell it to him with the flame and passion of fire that blunts sharp iron, with the warmth and love of a family that is claiming and welcoming its own as one who belongs – no matter what. Encourage the child to take part in and feel a part of the familial- national celebration. Then, but only then, will the child feel redeemed. And why the switch from second person to third person? Perhaps the child asked this question, and left the table. He spoke and ran, leaving you no choice but to address him as a third person no longer in your presence. What do you do then? I would suggest that when we open the door for Elijah, it is not in order to let the prophet in. After all, anyone who can visit every Jewish seder more or less simultaneously will not be obstructed by a closed door. I believe that we open the door – in the spirit of the herald of redemption who will restore the hearts of the children to the parents and the parents to the children – in order for us to go out, to find the “wicked child” and lovingly restore him to the family seder table. This is the greatest challenge of the seder night. Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is the chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel. 7 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Passover Food Have an egg-stravaganza Pesach stuff they’re selling). I use a balsamic vinaigrette. It’s just equal amounts of balsamic vinegar and olive oil mixed together. By Eileen Goltz Food Editor Many of us use so many eggs during Pesach that I thought I should address the big questions about how many we should actually consume. Eggs have seriously gotten a bad rap in years past in terms of how many or how few should be included in a weekly diet. I’ve done quite a bit of research and it (egg pun here) boils down to moderation in all things. One to two eggs a day is fine but no more than six to eight per week seems to be the best numbers I’ve come up with. The medical evidence that egg yolks add significantly to a rise in cholesterol in healthy individuals just isn’t substantiated. So for Pesach, don’t avoid, just don’t over-indulge. I always have a dozen or so extra eggs and a bunch of leftover hard-cooked eggs so I have acquired quite a few fun recipes to use them up. I know that mustard is usually a staple of the deviled egg recipe but since mustard isn’t kosher for Pesach I’ve come up with a great substitute (besides the “fake” kosher-for- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, tarragon, chives, plus more for garnish 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 hot chilies, thinly sliced Lox and Egg Stuffed Avocado (Parve) A really unusual breakfast treat. 4 avocados, halved, pit removed (they should be large) 6 ounces lox 8 small eggs Salt Pepper 1/2 cup minced red bell pepper Fresh parsley, minced Preheat oven to 425°. Scoop out a few tablespoons of the center of the whole avocado so that you can have the egg and lox fit in the whole. Save the scoopedout avocado to use in another dish or in a salad. Place the avocado halves on a cookie sheet and place a few pieces of lox in the bottom and up the sides of the hole in the avocado half. Gently crack the eggs into a cup and then gently pour them into the avocados. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper and bake 15-20 minutes or just until the egg is set. To serve, place on a plate and sprinkle the top with the minced red pepper and chopped parsley and serve immediately Serves 8. This recipe can be doubled or tripled. Beet Red Deviled Eggs (Parve) 1 cup apple cider vinegar plus 3 tablespoons, divided 1 tablespoon sugar plus a pinch, divided 2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt plus a pinch, divided 1 small red beet, peeled and halved 12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled 1/2 cup mayonnaise In a medium pot, mix 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt and 3 cups water. Add the beet and bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour into a large heat-safe jar or bowl (including beet). Add eggs, stir, and refrigerate at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally, or overnight for a darker shade of pink. Remove eggs from liquid. Halve eggs (reserving the whites) and gently transfer the yolks to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar, the mayonnaise and herbs to the yolks. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, then spoon or pipe the filling into the egg whites. Place the chilies, the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and the remaining pinch each of sugar and salt in a bowl and let stand 15 minutes. Drain the chilies, then sprinkle over the deviled eggs. Sprinkle with additional herbs, if desired. Serve. Makes 24. Modified from yummly.com Creamy Horseradish-Stuffed Eggs (Dairy or Parve) 12 large eggs, cooked and peeled and cut in half lengthwise 6 tablespoons sour cream, plain yogurt or mayonnaise 3 tablespoons (or more) prepared white horseradish 2 tablespoons sweet pickle juice from jar of sweet pickles 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons minced parsley Place the yolks in a bowl. Add the sour cream, horseradish, pickle juice, pepper and salt and mix until smooth. (You can add more horseradish if you like it with a bit more kick.) Spoon the yolk mixture into the white shells. Decorate the top with minced parsley. Makes 24. Modified from epicurious.com One Big Deviled Egg Platter (Parve) 12 hard cooked eggs, yolks and whites separated ¾ to 1 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon mustard substitute Salt and pepper SEE FOOD ON PAG E 1 6 We are your Passover Shopping Headquarters! Prices effective thru 4/7/15 Osem, m, Manischewitz or Yehuda Passover Matzos 5 lb. Package Select Varieties Manischewitz Passover Egg Matzo 12 oz. 99 3 Limit 2 2/$ 4 Kedem Grape Juice 99 64 oz., Select Varieties Streit’s Macaroons 10 oz. can, Select Varieties 2 2/$ Limit 2 5 Mrs. Adler’s Gefilte Fish 24 oz, Select Varieties Holiday Fruit Slices 8 oz. 99 2 99 1 Some items not available in all stores Manischewitz Matzo Ball Soup Mixes 4.5-5 oz. Select Varieties Joyva Raspberry Jelly Rings 9 oz. Single Item Price 2.49 99 2 Yehuda Matzo Meal, Farfel or Cake Meal 9-16 oz. 2/$ Resealable Canister 5 TEN for Lieber’s Potato Chips 5 oz. Prices are good, unless otherwise indicated in-store, at all Illinois Jewel-Osco stores. 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Division St., Morris, IL and 763 E. 162nd St., South Holland, IL CJN_PASSOVER 8 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Arts & Entertainment The wild blue Israeli yonder Documentary tells of American pilots’ exploits By Pauline Dubkin Yearwood Managing Editor It was a story that Nancy Spielberg didn’t know. Neither did most Americans, even American Jews. But, says Spielberg, “it sounded just crazy enough to be true” – how a group of (mostly) Jewish American pilots smuggled planes out of the United States, trained behind the Iron Curtain in Czechoslovakia and flew for Israel in its 1948 War of Independence. This “band of brothers” is credited with turning the tide of the war. A new documentary, “Above and Beyond,” produced by Spielberg and directed by Roberta Grossman (“Hava Nagila: The Movie”) tells their story. It continues at Landmark’s Renaissance Cinema in Highland Park. Spielberg, an actor, producer, philanthropist and yes, sister of Steven, who worked on Nancy Spielberg some of his early films with him, had just finished executive-pro- ducing the PBS documentary “Elusive Justice: The Search for Nazi War Criminals” and was looking around for a new project, she said in a recent phone interview from her New York home, where her tale of seeing a coyote in her yard staring down her dog had just made the New York Post. “Somebody sent me an article; it was an obituary of this man who was described as the father of the Israeli Air Force,” she says. “He was described as an American – how was he credited as the founder of the Israeli Air Force?” The man, who died in 2011, was Al Schwimmer, an American engineer who used his World War II experience and contacts to smuggle surplus war planes into Israel as the new country was voted into statehood and then attacked by surrounding countries. “Israel had some light planes but no air force at all, no means to defend itself,” Spielberg says. “Schwimmer and his buddies started to buy up surplus planes and put together a whole underground to smuggle those planes out of the United States.” After he returned to the United States in 1950, Schwimmer was convicted of violating the U.S. Neutrality Act for smuggling planes into Israel, was stripped of his voting rights and veteran benefits and fined $10,000. In 2000, he was pardoned by President Bill Clinton, although he had refused to ask for a pardon because he believed that his actions were moral and a form of civil disobedience in the service of justice. “He went from being a man who flew transport in World War II to being a criminal hunted by the FBI. He was indicted, but in the process, he did something to help save Israel,” Spielberg says. By the time she had learned something about Schwimmer and the other American pilots and crew members he recruited – many of whom became the nucleus of the Israeli Air Force – she had decided she had to make a film about them. “People don’t know about this. I didn’t know it,” Spielberg says. “The story hooked me. I said, I’m going to do this. I started researching, raised money, hired a team. It so hooked me, I haven’t come come out from under its grip.” After she made a brief sample reel, Spielberg began raising money in a number of cities, the first and most important of which, she says, was Chicago, where a small cocktail fund-raiser garnered thousands of dollars and, even more importantly, personal memories and albums that had never been shared before. In the end, Spielberg interviewed six of the American airmen (average age 92) plus former Israeli President Shimon Peres, who was friends with Al Schwimmer and helped recruit him to Israel. “There were volunteers from all over the world, but I focused on the American pilots,” Spielberg says. “There are just a handful left, and they are salty characters. Their stories involved a lot of skirt-chasing – they were top guns.” What attracted these World War II heroes to a dangerous assignment in a country many of them hardly knew? There were several factors, Spielberg says, including the fact that “they came back from World War II as celebrated heroes but commercial airlines wouldn’t hire Jews. They couldn’t get jobs. They grew up with a lot of anti-Semitism and it affected their whole psyches.” In addition, she says, “these flyboys missed the action, their ‘band of brothers.’ It was hard to go from heroes to being ordinary joes. They missed their glory days. Many of them helped liberate the camps and saw what was being set up as another potential slaughter” at the hands of the Egyptian Air Force, which was huge and well equipped with British-supplied planes. “My first thing (in making the film) was to honor these guys, give them their chance to be recognized,” she says. “They CONTINUED O N N E X T PAG E 9 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Arts & Entertainment CONTINUED The Chicago Jewish Play Reading Festival 2015 F RO M P R E V I O U S PAG E were sort of pushed to the side and in their final days they should be recognized. That’s number one. Plus, this is a critical piece of history that should be recorded.” Spielberg had another motive. “I want people to stop slandering Israel,” she says. “What’s happening today is the line between being anti-Semitic and anti-Israel is completely blurred. That is frightening to my core.” She notes that some of Hollywood biggest names, including actor Michael Douglas and studio executive Harvey Weinstein, are beginning to speak out on the issue. “The PR that’s out there is so skewed in the wrong direction,” she says. “I want people to look back to what could have been. In 1947 there was a partition plan for a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews accepted it but the Arabs rejected it and vowed to fight, to push the Jews into the sea. It can’t help but make you think what today would be like if in 1947 the Arabs had accepted the partition plan.” Today, she says, she believes Jews don’t speak up enough for themselves. “We ignore it and think maybe it will go away. But Paris Time by Steven Peterson April 12, 2015 7:00 PM Congregation Solel 1301 Clavey Rd., Highland Park, IL 60035 An interfaith couple lives the dream life in Paris, until the occurence of an anti-semitic incident at work. Volunteer pilots, 1948. when we stay silent, the louder voices are heard,” she says. Meanwhile, Spielberg has been on the road promoting the fim, which has been in some 70 festivals and won awards in many. “We sell out every screening,” she says. “There is a very emotional response. The Christian evangelical community, the aviation community, they’re also loving it.” The movie will soon be released on iTunes. “A lot of Hollywood is Jewish,” Spielberg says. “Maybe this will sort of be a wake-up call in some ways. I wish I could get the anti-Israel people to look at Israel with fresh eyes. I want people to see an example of people who go to help others in need. That’s the American spirit.” “Above and Beyond” continues at Landmark Renaissance Cinema, Port Clinton Square, 1850 2nd St. #110, Highland Park. For times and tickets call (847) 4327903. Oh, God! by Anat Gov April 26, 2015 7:00 PM Congregation Beth Shalom 772 W. Fifth Ave., Naperville, IL 60563 Ella, a therapist, gets a new patient, God, and he’s depressed. “THIS DEFINES DREAM CASTING.” . MATTHEW HYDZIK JENN GAMBATESE BROADWAY COM Rodgers and Hammerstein’s TICKETS FROM $29 SPECIAL DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE DENYCE GRAVES JARROD EMICK CHARLOTTE D’AMBOISE TONY ROBERTS OPENS APRIL 10 LYRICOPERA.ORG | 312.827.5600 STARRING STEVEN PASQUALE and LAURA OSNES All-star cast directed and choreographed by Rob Ashford and conducted by David Chase Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL. Music by RICHARD RODGERS. Books and Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II. Based on Ferenc Molnár’s Play “Liliom”. As adapted by Benjamin F. Glazer. Original Dances by Agnes de Mille. New Lyric Opera production generously made possible by The Negaunee Foundation, an Anonymous Donor, Robert S. and Susan E. Morrison, Mr. and Mrs. J. Christopher Reyes, Liz Stiffel, Mrs. Herbert A. Vance and Mr. and Mrs. William C. Vance, and Jim and Vicki Mills/Jon and Lois Mills. LONG LIVE PASSION 10 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Will Rahm Emanuel be Chicago’s last Jewish mayor? By Pauline Dubkin Yearwood Managing Editor Four years ago, Rahm Emanuel made history by becoming Chicago’s first Jewish mayor. Now he is facing another unprecedented situation: an April 7 runoff election against Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. Emanuel needed a vote of 50 percent plus one to avoid a runoff. He received just 46 percent of the vote, apparently having angered some Chicagoans with his push to close more than 50 public schools, his perceived antipathy toward unions, including the Chicago Teachers Union, which went on strike for the first time in 25 years and, perhaps most important of all, his abrasive personal style. A week before the runoff, the Chicago Tribune reported that Emanuel has opened a “substantial lead” over Garcia, with 58 percent of voters compared with 30 percent for Garcia, according to the paper’s latest poll. The mayor’s TV attack ads “(drove) up negative perceptions of Garcia,” according to the story. Garcia is a former Illinois state senator and Chicago alderman. In his ads, Emanuel has accused Garcia of lacking specifics on how he would address the city’s thorny financial problems. Garcia has said he would favor an expanded state sales tax on services and a graduated state income tax that would charge higher-income earners more. Both remedies are considered politically difficult, according to the newspaper. The story also noted that the city’s first mayoral runoff is “uncharted territory for Chicago” and that the election falls during spring break for Chicago Public Schools, which might affect voter turnout. Paul Green, Roosevelt University professor of Policy Studies and director of the Institute for Politics there, said he, like many, was surprised that the vote ended in a runoff. As for Emanuel’s chances, he said, “I had predicted there would not be a runoff. Given that performance, I am not predicting anyone to win.” “The reason there is a runoff is that (Emanuel) underestimated Garcia’s support in areas that Rahm did well in the first time,” he said. Second reason, according to Green: “The lack of a real ground game” on the part of Emanuel’s campaign that would have included “getting out the vote for early voting and on election day.” This time around, he said, “they are making changes, putting up yard signs, not just having 30-second commercials. Turnout is the magic word.” The Emanuel campaign, Green said, “underestimated Garcia. The turnout in (formerly) strong areas wasn’t very good. Their ground game, getting people to the polls, they were slack on that.” In terms of job performance during his first term, “it’s a tale of two persons,” Green said. “Policy-wise he did a remarkable job in attacking the issues – schools that weren’t performing, working with city colleges. He talked straight on the pension issue and was good on recruiting new business to come to Chicago and attracting young people. He’s doing that.” On the other hand, Green said, “something he can’t change is his personality. He needs to lighten up. I don’t know why he doesn’t want to use his family (in ads), show himself as a family man. (Former Chicago mayor) Rich Daley went to the bank on that. People want to see someone who reminds them of themselves. Rahm is his own worst enemy when he gets overly brusque.” In fact, a recent New York Times story on Emanuel and the runoff noted that, after many Chicagoans soured on the mayor because of his “hardball tactics toward unions, his decision to close dozens of public schools and, for some people, his personality,” Emanuel may be trying to smooth out some of his sharp edges. “He recorded a campaign ad in which he wore a V-neck sweater, sat in what appeared to be a living room and acknowledged his faults,” Times reporter Julie Bosman wrote after repeating a well-known anecdote about Emanuel’s legendary temper and use of profanity. “ … a former boss, President Obama, once joked that the loss of part of a middle finger after a meat-slicer accident when Mr. Emanuel was a teenager ‘rendered him practically mute,’” she wrote. Mayor Rahm Emanuel lights Chanukah candles at the Jewish Federation building. “They say your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness,” Emanuel says in the TV ad, looking into the camera, the Times recounts. “I’m living proof of that. I can rub people the wrong way, or talk when I should listen.” In an interview with the Times, he said that during his first term, “I should have been doing the listening, not the talking.” Green said that Chicago Jews are as affected by the two sides of Emanuel’s personality as any other group. “They admire him for his brains and his ability to tackle a tough job, but some of his personality traits are kind of a turnoff,” he said. “I think that is really costing him. He has to be who he is, and he is not Mr. Rogers. He can’t be warm and cuddly, but he should lead with his policy strength and not the attitude and use of profanity. None of that is politically smart. He does control it but it’s still there.” In general, Green said, Emanuel’s being Jewish was not a strong factor one way or the other in the election outcome. “In some areas there is still some lingering anti-Semitism, and he’s very smart in not overemphasizing his Jewishness,” he said. “But there are not that many Jewish voters. He’s not running for mayor of Highland Park.” Dick Simpson, political science professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a former Chicago alderman, said he, too, was surprised at the runoff. “The low turnout – around 30 percent turnout – would usually be to the advantage of the incumbent,” he said during a recent telephone conversation. “Anyone would have predicted he could avoid a runoff.” The election “was a referendum against Rahm. A lot of people don’t like him – (his stance on) schools, crime, his arrogance. There are a lot of different reasons people cast the votes they did,” he said. Simpson said he won’t prognosticate on the results of Tues- 11 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 day’s election, in which many Chicagoans have already made their choice through early voting. “I’m not certain” of the outcome. “It’s too close to call,” he said. “It depends on who turns out. People are raising issues about Garcia’s ability to govern the city. Rahm is doing a good job with the media now but not in the precincts.” As mayor, “he did make some tough decisions and did some things that were quite positive,” Simpson, 44th Ward alderman from 1971 to 1979, said. “But he didn’t manage to involve other people in making choices and then carrying them out. That was his big flaw that put him in this position.” Simpson said that while he hasn’t seen any polls – probably none exist – about how Emanuel is viewed by the Jewish community, “he’s the first Jewish mayor and it’s very interesting that he has not made much of that outside of the Jewish community and I’m not sure within the Jewish community,” he said. “People knew Harold Washington was the first black mayor and Chuy Garcia would be the first Latino mayor,” he said, but Emanuel’s Judaism “hasn’t played a significant role in defining Rahm. That is probably a good thing. The Jewish community is more liberal generally – maybe a 60-40 split, but not 100 percent.” Whoever becomes mayor, he noted, will face a somewhat different City Council than during the last term because more progressives won seats during the last aldermanic election. “The City Council will be more progressive – not hugely but more significantly than last time,” he said. “Whoever is mayor will be dealing with a different City Council. With more progressives there will be a lot more budget cuts, more tug of war,” he said. Ron Grossman, a Chicago Tribune reporter who specializes in covering the Jewish community and Chicago Jewish history, said that aside from the question of who would be the best administrator of the city, “something resonates with me” and, he believes, with other voters: “Chuy (Garcia’s) campaign that the mayor is for the one percent.” In particular, Grossman said, he decries “the cockamamie proposal of (Emanuel’s) to put the Lucas shmatte museum on the lakeshore.” The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, with a flying saucerlike design, has been proposed for a spot on Chicago’s lakefront. Its future in Chicago is in question since a federal judge ruled that a lawsuit to stop the museum filed by Friends of the Parks could go forward. Grossman said he and probably other voters find the project “outlandish. It is a project of the old boy network. I think that de- serves consideration when people make their vote,” he said. “It does reflect a wider split between the haves and the have-lesses, and increasingly neither (candidate) represents the latter group.” In the runoff, he said, Emanuel may benefit from a mindset among voters that may have had reservations about him but now feel “he got his ears pinned back. Now let’s vote for him.” Alan Gitelson, a political science professor at Loyola University in Chicago, said that “everyone was both surprised and not surprised” about the runoff. Emanuel “had significant resources, a significant organization behind him in terms of promoting his election and he lost on the first round.” Among the reasons, he said, “there were five candidates in the race and turnout was very low. That probably hurt Rahm. There was considerable opportunity for people to choose a variety of different candidates. Chuy (Garcia) put up a strong fight.” Besides Emanuel and Garcia, others on the ballot were Chicago Alderman Robert Fioretti, community activist William “Dock” Walls and medical supply company executive Willie Wilson. Enhancing Garcia’s chances, Gitelson said, were strong support from the Chicago Teachers Union and “a reasonably large number of volunteers and the ability to mobilize individuals. It was not a certainty that there would be a runoff but it was likely. The media was surprised but they are frequently surprised by a lot of things.” He too noted that the latest polls show that Emanuel is pulling ahead. “He has had a significant TV blitz. He opened his second campaign with an ad in which he took blame for at times being arrogant, at times not listening,” Gitelson said. “That has probably been useful and helped him gain support. (Emanuel) has a considerable war chest and is certainly outspending Garcia in terms of TV ads. That is critical because it will mobilize people for turnout.” Garcia has also been fundraising with the idea of putting together an effective media campaign, Gitelson said, and has his own TV ads “but not equal to Rahm’s. Ads do have a significant impact on trying to get out individuals to vote for the second time if not the first time,” he said. While many individuals in the Jewish community do support Emanuel, he said, and probably more will support him on this second try “his success will not be based on the Jewish vote. It will be based on his ability to get African American and Latino voters. He has support from a lot of Latino leaders and African American leadership. Mayor Emanuel speaks at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center annual dinner. The question will be whether he will be able to mobilize those constituencies. He is working harder this time to win those constituencies.” Jewish votes, he said, “are as important as any other votes but are not the key to winning.” Emanuel does not have to be concerned about raising additional funds, but rather about turning out as many voters as possible, he said. “Jewish people tend to vote in large numbers relative to the population, so there will be high turnout,” Gitelson said. “The Jewish vote will be heavily for Rahm but it certainly doesn’t guarantee his success, and there will be some Jewish individuals who are likely voting for Chuy.” Neil Steinberg, a Chicago Sun-Times columnist who often covers city politics, said he, too, was surprised by the runoff. “Rahm had this air of invincibility,” he said. “He didn’t play a game that wasn’t already rigged to win. I just figured of course he is going to win. He’s the buzz saw.” The runoff “might just be a hiccup,” he said. Emanuel’s closing of 50 schools “was the central thing against him,” Steinberg said. “But nobody pointed out the harm in that.” Dire predictions, such as danger to students from closed schools going to their new schools, failed to materialize, he said. “It’s more a matter of style, (Emanuel) being pushy and aggressive,” he said. “That’s sort of the calumny against Jews. People don’t like them. I don’t like Rahm either. I see him more as a guy who has to win everything. He can’t really process ambiguity too well.” Emanuel, he said, probably chafes at some aspects of the job. “The idea that he is the leader of the city of Chicago and has to waste his time at meetings with a bunch of mopes, I’m sure that’s offensive to him,” Steinberg, who interviewed Emanuel for a piece in Esquire magazine last year, said. There are significant differences in style between Emanuel and former Mayor Richard M. Daley, although “Rahm is not a teddy bear but neither was Daley. Rahm is Daley with a circumcision but that’s a key difference. The Daley myth was that he always showed up at your wake. The Rahm myth is that he’s skiing in New Hampshire,” he said. He said he sees Emanuel as “more of a J Street Jew. He’s not an AIPAC kind of guy.” “Chuy is like someone plopped off a shelf,” he said. “He didn’t think of running until (former Chicago Teachers Union president) Karen Lewis told him to.” Lewis was planning a run against Emanuel but had to step down when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. “To me, austerity is really hard for Americans to get their heads around,” Steinberg said, referring to the city’s financial woes. “I see Rahm as a guy who is really trying to get us out of this hole, trying to get jobs, not having time for niceties and that’s what has bitten him in the ass. He is a sort of guy who is a vigorous skilled macher trying to fix things.” Garcia, he said, “is going to be in the exact same position” if he wins. “From my point of view it’s a win-win,” Steinberg said. “If we get Chuy the circus comes to town; we can sit back and watch him do the sort of black swan event we all live for,” he said, referring to Garcia’s relative inexperience at running a large, problem-beset city. But it was Emanuel’s arrogance, he said, that probably hurt him the most. “He is arrogant, you can’t get away from that,” he said. “He was never in the realm of human beings. He was like a shark right out from the womb. He is really bad at people.” One person who believes that Emanuel is the right man for the job is David Axelrod, the former Chicago reporter and political operative who helped put Barack Obama in the White House and worked closely with Emanuel beginning in 1984, when both men worked on Paul Simon’s Senate campaign. Axelrod, in a recent interview with the Chicago Reader, said the city could face grave consequences if it doesn’t reelect Emanuel, and asked, “Who is best equipped with the energy and ideas and experience to deal with some really big problems?” The answer, he believes, is Emanuel, who he helped make the decision, in 2010, to leave his job as White House chief of staff and run for Chicago mayor. “When we worked together in the White House, we clashed from time to time on tactics,” he told the Reader. “But the White House wouldn’t have gotten half of what we got done without him. That same drive has been employed to relentlessly pursue other public policy advances.” Noting that he also knows and likes Garcia, Axelrod told the newspaper that the runoff “is not a congeniality contest. It’s a decision about who can handle what’s coming down the pike, and how to keep both the neighborhoods and downtown strong. Cities are dynamic and they’re fragile, and mayors do make a difference.” 12 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Focus on Education AMYRA WEISSBERG HENRY Licensed Clinical Social Worker Educational Consultant • Extensive experience in special education and with learning challenged students. • Conducting full individual evaluations for all educational needs. • Bringing fresh eyes to academic problems. • Providing educational consultation related to learning difficulties and academic underachievement. Amyra W. Henry, LCSW 847.380.2591 amyrahenry@gmail.com Amyra Weissberg Henry (847) 380-2591 amyrahenry@gmail.com Amyra Weissberg Henry, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, has over two decades of experience working with children and adolescents in the public schools. Ms. Henry’s experience in special education has included challenges related to early childhood developmental delays, learning disabilities attention, executive function deficits, emotional/behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorders, physical/medical conditions, as well as sensory needs. In a day when schools are Wanted Worldwide. The career-boosting, community-building Jewish education that’s launching a new generation of Jewish leaders. The Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies (MAJPS), first piloted in Chicago in 2008, has proved so impactful for graduates and the organizations they serve that the program is sought after by Jewish communities worldwide. Citywide cohorts are now being offered around the US and national cohorts are underway in Canada and Israel. Do you work for a Jewish organization? Want to work in the Jewish community? Have staff members who deserve an opportunity to grow as Jewish professionals? The next Chicago MAJPS cohort begins this fall. Interested in finding out about bring the MAJPS to your own community? Contact Tal Rosen, Director of the Center for Jewish Leadership at Spertus Institute, at trosen@spertus.edu. Spertus Institute is a partner in serving our community, supported by the JUF/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. minimizing student evaluations due to financial shortfalls, parents of struggling students are finding it necessary to seek private psycheducational assessments to identify their children’s needs, and to access crucial services and accommodations. Ms. Henry is committed to assisting students, parents and schools find remedies for academic underachievement leading to student failure, negative feelings about school, and academic discouragement. Having worked for a special education cooperative for many years, Ms. Henry feels strongly about helping parents effectively navigate the frequently challenging, arcane special education process. She is dedicated to fostering student success by providing accurate evaluation of academic difficulties, and by building positive collaborative relationships between schools, parents and students. Chicago ORT Technical Institute (847) 324-5588 www.ortchicagotech.edu On a beautiful Sunday in April 2014, women at Ort America’s “Lunch with a View” gathered to raise money to enhance the educational opportunities available for those who could benefit from a scholarship or grant. From this fundraising event, Chicago ORT Technical Institute raised funds to provide a full scholarship for 10 Jewish women who were interested in the school’s Medical Assisting program, Pharmacy Technician program, Digital Graphics and Web Design and Accounting Program. There are still some spots remaining and the school is currently accepting applications from young women who may benefit from this generosity. Chicago ORT Technical Institute is a vocational training school accredited by the nationwide Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training. Chicago ORT strives to provide the professional skills, as well as knowledge necessary for employment and career advancement. The mission of the school is to meet the educational and vocational needs of diverse students in a supportive, caring environment that provides skills and knowledge necessary for employment and career advancement. They are affiliated with World ORT which trains over 300,000 students worldwide each year. The Institute offers training by well qualified faculty who are working professionals in their field. Class sizes of 1015 students enable Chicago ORT to provide individualized attention. These programs are 10 month programs that allow students to enter the workforce quickly. Depending on program, students prepare to get certified as a Certified Medical Assistant (CCMA), Phlebotomy Technician Certification (CPT), Electrocardiogram (EKG) Technician Certification (CET) and Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). The certifications for these programs are included in the scholarship. Sinai Preschool (312) 867-7010 www.sinaipreschool.org The mission of Sinai Preschool is to provide high quality early childhood education by incorporating Jewish values and traditions within a broader relationship-based curriculum. Sinai Preschool has served families of all races, religions and ethnicities in a Jewish setting for over 50 years. Dedicated, nurturing teachers help each child build self-esteem and foster natural curiosity and creativity in our newly renovated, state of-the-art indoor/outdoor play space. We offer Camp, Parent-tot, Preschool and Junior Kindergarten programs for children from infancy to age 5 in 2, 3 or 5-day classes with optional Enrichment classes to extend the day. Lead teachers have master’s degrees and provide exceptional student/teacher ratios. Children matriculate to all private, parochial and public Chicago area schools. A hidden gem in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership (312) 322-1700 www.spertus.edu Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership offers dynamic learning opportunities, rooted in Jewish wisdom and culture and open to all. Based on the belief that a learning Jewish community is a vibrant Jewish community, these opportunities are designed to enable personal growth, train future leaders, and engage individuals in exploration of Jewish life. Graduate programs, professional workshops, and mentorCONTINUED O N N E X T PAG E 13 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Focus on Education CONTINUED F RO M P R E V I O U S PAG E ships are offered in the Chicago area, as well as in select other locations across North America and through distance learning. Spertus Institute’s leadership programs for Jewish professionals, under the umbrella of the new Center for Jewish Leadership, are tailored by our worldclass faculty and staff to meet individual and community needs. Spertus Institute’s public programs – including films, speakers, seminars, concerts, and exhibits – are offered at the Institute’s Michigan Avenue facility, in the Chicago suburbs, and online. Visit us at spertus.edu. Summer Programs at Parker 2015 (773) 797-5104 fwparker.org/summers Francis W. Parker School’s Summer Programs at Parker 2015 offers exciting summer educational programs and recreational activities for students entering JK through 12th grade. Our campus offers access to many fun-filled day camp activities, enrichment courses, sports conditioning camps, performing arts classes and a wide range of STEM-based course offerings. SUMMER Programs at Parker 2015 Educational and Recreational Activities for Junior Kindergarten through 12th grades Register online at fwparker.org/summers WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS: THE WONDER OF DISCOVERY! Dedicated, nurturing teachers, innovative classroom materials & outdoor play space help each child build self esteem and foster natural curiosity and creativity. 15 West Delaware Place Chicago IL 60610 312.867.7010 www.sinaipreschool.org FLEXIBLE PROGRAMS ve-day programs Two, three & fifive-day programs Junior kindergarten 12 to 24 month parent/tot classes Parent/tot classes Enrichment program Enrichment program Experienced teachers Experienced student/teacher teachers Exceptional ratios Exceptional student/teacher ratios Matriculation to all private, parochial & public schools Matriculation to all private, parochial & public schools • MEDICAL ASSISTANT • PHARMACY TECHNICIAN • ACCOUNTING CERTIFICATE CERTIFICATE • COMPUTER SUPPORT TECHNOLOGY-CISCO • DIGITAL GRAPHICS AND WEB DESIGN • ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE MANAGEMENT 14 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 British colonel finally granted wish: burial in Israel near soldiers he led By Hillel Kuttler JTA WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT NEXT? A conversation about Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the prospects for peace With Jeremy Ben-Ami and Rabbi Seth M. Limmer Monday, April 13 | 7:30 PM Chicago Sinai Congregation 15 W Delaware Place RSVP: 312-298-9435 | timna@jstreet.org www. chicagojewishnews .com The Jewish News place in cyberspace MOSHAV AVICHAIL, Israel (JTA) – On a crisp morning in this community near the Mediterranean Sea, the sound of Israel’s flag whipping in the wind likely pleased the soul of John Henry Patterson, whose ashes were buried a few yards away. Patterson was a lieutenant colonel in the British military, and during World War I he commanded the Zion Mule Corps and the Jewish Legion – the first Jewish military units in two millennia. Although he was Christian, Patterson had expressed an interest in being buried in Israel alongside the men, many from prestate Israel, he had commanded. Patterson had been reared on the Bible and a love for the Jewish people and their land. But his family could not afford to transport the body to Israel when he died 67 years ago in Los Angeles. Now his wishes were finally honored: his remains and those of his wife, Frances, were moved to the cemetery at Avichail, a moshav founded by many of his soldiers. The ceremony marking the transfer of the remains culminated several years of effort by a diverse cast of characters, among them Jerry Klinger, a history en- rufz LINCOLNWOOD JEWISH CONGREGATION A.G. BETH ISRAEL YOM HASHOAH COMMEMORATION Thursday, April 16, 2015/27 Nisan 5775 @ 7:00 p.m. The Sixth Annual Man’s Search for Meaning, The Next Generation: A Dialogue After viewing a clip from Kristallnacht Remembered, a highly-acclaimed documentary film narrated by WBBM Newsradio 780’s Regine Schlesinger, Steven H. Hanus, M.D., will chair a panel discussion on Dr. Victor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning. This panel will especially focus on the recent wave of Anti-Semitism/Anti-Zionism in the US & worldwide. Panel members include Chicago Rabbinical Council Av Beth Din Rabbi Yona Reiss, J.D., Chicago Tribune journalist, author & filmmaker Howard Reich, Renee Birnberg Silberman, Dr. Joseph Silberman and Rabbi Joel Lehrfield, Ph.D. Open to the public at no charge. Please RSVP (847) 676-0491 or RabbiGordon@LJCong.org LINCOLNWOOD JEWISH CONGREGATION A.G. BETH ISRAEL 7117 N. Crawford, Lincolnwood rufz REMEMBER John Henry and Frances Patterson's new gravesite in Israel. The inscription reads "As I speak of him, I will remember him." (JTA) thusiast from Washington, D.C.; Myrna Strapp, a civil litigator in Los Angeles recruited last year after several lawyers declined requests to handle the filings required to facilitate the transfer; Karen Washington, an AfricanAmerican woman who worked at the Los Angeles cemetery where Patterson’s remains were interred originally; and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke at the gravesite and has personal ties to Patterson. The reburial occurred just shy of the centennial of the British War Office’s appointing Patterson to lead the Zion Mule Corps, which would fight in Gallipoli, Turkey. The corps was disbanded in 1916, but later reconstituted as the Jewish Legion (also called the 38th Royal Fusiliers), with Patterson in command through 1918. “The whole issue of the Jewish Legion is something that’s not so well known,” Yossi Ahimeir, director-general of the Jabotinsky Institute, said in an interview in his Tel Aviv office. “This is the year that we should connect Patterson and the Jewish Legion – and should [educate Israelis] that not all non-Jews were against Israel. There were Brits who helped the Jewish nation, and Patterson stood out the most.” The path leading to the ceremony proved rocky. Strapp, representing Patterson’s grandson, Alan, had to overcome a local law that permits only the child of the deceased to authorize moving the remains. A judge ruled against her, but Strapp won on appeal last summer. She, Klinger and Chizki Sivak, a lawyer residing at Avichail who is married to the granddaughter of a Zion Mule Corps officer, also needed approvals from such agencies as the Los Angeles Department of Public Health and the Netanya-area rabbinate in Israel. Klinger, Strapp and Sivak, along with Israeli consular officials and a Netanyahu aide, col- lected the urns at the AngelusRosedale Cemetery mausoleum. A shroud was placed over the urns. Psalm 23 was recited. With that, “the colonel was under the protection of the Israeli government,” Klinger said. Strapp, who took the case as her final one before retiring, couldn’t be in Israel for the reinterment because she was preparing to make aliyah later that month. But she watched the broadcast transmission of the ceremony, which included Netanyahu noting that his late father, Ben-Zion, worked in England and in the United States with the Zionist leader Vladimir Jabotinsky and Patterson to advocate for a Jewish army to fight the Nazis. When Benjamin Netanyahu’s elder brother was born in 1946, Ben-Zion bestowed upon Patterson the honor of sandak, or godfather. The boy, Jonathan, was named for Patterson and for Jonathan’s grandfather, Nathan Mileikowsky. Jonathan “Yoni” Netanyahu would become a lieutenant colonel like his namesake, and was killed leading the Entebbe rescue operation in 1976. Patterson “can be called the godfather of the Israeli army,” the prime minister told the assembled as he stood before a screen that read in English, “LieutenantColonel Patterson: We Salute You.” “In doing what we are doing today, we are repaying a great historical debt and a personal debt to a great friend of our people, a great champion of Zionism, and a great believer in the Jewish state and the Jewish people,” Netanyahu said. In October, Strapp and her husband plan to welcome Washington, the Los Angeles cemetery official, who will be visiting Israel with her church group. As it turns out, the Strapps’ central Jerusalem apartment stands just two miles from Patterson Street, named for the man who first brought Christians and Jews together in 1915 and is doing so still. 15 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Community Calendar Saturday April 4 Temple Beth Israel presents annual “Share-A-Seder.” Bring hard-boiled, peeled eggs and kosher for Passover matzah, wine and/or grape juice for your family. 6-9 p.m., 3601 W. Dempster, Skokie. $32 adults, $10 ages 2-12. Reservations, tbiskokie.org or (847) 675-0951. Temple Judea Mizpah hosts Congregational Community Seder. 6-9 p.m. 8610 Niles Center Road, Skokie. $40 members, $44 nonmembers, $20 ages 8-12. Reservations required, templejm@aol.com or (847) 676-1566. Beth Hillel Congregation Bnai Emunah holds CommUNITY Second Night Passover Seder led by Rabbi Anne Tucker and Cantor Pavel Roytman. 7:30 p.m., 3220 Big Tree Lane, Wilmette. $55 adults, $45 children, (free for ages 12 and under.) Reservations required, (847) 256-1213. Friday April 10 Congregation Beth Judea hosts Passover Shabbat dinner and service. 6 p.m., Route 83 and Hilltop Road, Long Grove. $28 adult, $15 ages 6-12, $6 age 5 and under. For non-members add $3 to price. RSVP required, bethjudea.org or (847) 634-0777. Saturday April 11 Temple Beth Israel Sisterhood presents Trivia Night competition and dinner for adults. 6-10 p.m., 3601 Dempster, Skokie. $20. (Baby-sitting available, $10 includes movie, pizza and snack for ages 12 and under.) Reservations required, tbiskokie.org or (847) 675-0951. Sunday April 12 Congregation Beth Shalom hosts LifeSource Community Blood Drive for ages 17 and older; must weigh 110 pounds or more. 8 a.m.-1 p.m., 3433 Walters Ave., Northbrook. Appointments, swelisco@edarch. com or (847) 498-4100. National Council of Jewish Women Chicago North Shore Section holds collection drive to assist women and children leaving domestic violence shelters. Needed are new sheets, new towels, non-garment bag luggage, small toiletries, backpacks, purses, children’s books and new stuffed animals. 10 a.m.-noon, Extra Space Storage, 1620 Old Deerfield Road, Highland Park. (847) 853-8889. Reform Cantors of Chicago present “Singing for S’mores” fund-raiser for OSRUI and URJ Camp scholarships, with raffle for 2week sessions at OSRUI. 4:15 p.m., Beth Emet Synagogue, 1224 Dempster, Evanston. $18 adults, $10 ages 7-17. Raffle tickets $10. singingforsmores2015. eventbrite.com. Continuum Theater presents staged reading of “Paris Time,” Steven Peterson’s story of interfaith couple faced with anti-Semitism in the workplace, followed by discussion and refreshments. 7 p.m., Congregation Solel, 1301 Clavey Road, Highland Park. $10. continuumtheater.org or (800) 838-3006 Ext. 1. Thursday Saturday April 16 Israel Cancer Research Fund Young Leadership presents Revolving Tables, mentoring and networking event for young professionals. 5:30-9 p.m., Ivy Room, 12 E. Ohio, Chicago. $118. jennifer.flink@icrfonline.org or (847) 914-9120. Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership hosts author Martin Goldsmith discussing his book, “Alex’s Wake.” 7 p.m. 610 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. $18; $10 Spertus members; $8 students and Spertus alumni. spertus.edu or (312) 322-1773. Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation A.G. Beth Israel presents panel discussion, “The Sixth Annual Man’s Search for Meaning, The Next Generation: A Dialogue” following film clip from “Kristallnacht Remembered.” 7 p.m., 7117 N. Crawford, Lincolnwood. RSVP, RabbiGordon@LJCong.org or (847) 676-0491. April 18 West Suburban Temple Har Zion presents Anne Hills and Michael Smith in concert, “Stars in the Sky.” 9 p.m., 1040 N. Harlem, River Forest. $25. wsthz.org or (708) 296-5465. Sunday April 19 Temple Beth Israel Brotherhood presents author Ken Green speaking about his book “I’m From Division Street” after lox and bagel breakfast. 9 a.m., 3601 W. Dempster, Skokie. $5 suggested donation. tbiskokie. org or (847) 675-0951. Jewish Child and Family Services presents workshop for parents of 3rd-8th graders on “Helping our Girls Feel Good about Being Female.” 9:45-10:45 a.m., Temple Sholom of Chicago, 3480 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. RSVP, traceykite@jcfs.org or (847) 745-5411. Sheerit Hapleitah of Metropolitan Chicago sponsors 70th annual Holocaust memorial service featuring Roey Gilad, Midwest consul general of Israel and Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen. 1:30 p.m., Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue, 8825 East Prairie Road, Skokie. (773) 764-6350. Congregation Solel hosts Yom Hashoah Commemoration. 7 p.m., 1301 Clavey Road, Highland Park. soleloffice@solel.org or(847) 433-3555. Monday April 20 National Louis University presents author Ken Green speaking about his book “I’m From Division Street” at Lunch and Learn program (bring your own lunch). 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., 5202 Old Orchard Road, Room 464, Skokie. joan.marks@nl.edu or (224) 233-2366. Max and Benny’s Restaurant presents Chicago author Lisa Barr speaking on her book “Fugitive Colors.” 7 p.m., 461 Waukegan Road, Northbrook. RSVP, richardreeder34@gmail.com or (847) 272-9490. Danziger Monday Kosher Catering April 13 Congregation Beth Judea Sisterhood presents author Cyndee Schaeffer discussing her book “Mollie’s War.” 8 p.m., Route 83 and Hilltop Road, Long Grove. RSVP, (847) 634-0777. “The Ultimate in Kosher Catering” Exclusively available at many of Chicago’s & South Florida’s throughout the metropolitan area. Tuesday April 14 Congregation B’nai Tikvah hosts conference on antiSemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses. 7:15 p.m., 1558 Wilmot Road, Deerfield. ncrane@bnaitikvah.net. Call for an updated and complete listing of available locations. Chicago South Florida Glatt Kosher 3910 W. Devon Avenue " #$%'$!$$ ! ()#$%'$!$ $'*+,-/ " #'5%''55 242(,,' ()#'5%''5 www.danzigerkosher.com 16 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Seal CONTINUED F RO M PAG E 2 ceived and a number of the teachers I had. One passage towards the end of your book “Resilience” discusses the importance of the Sabbath and quotes Abraham Joshua Heschel. How does Shabbat fit into your life now? Just seven months ago my first child Joshua was born, and I think for a lot of people, when you have a child, it makes you think about your Judaism. [My wife] Sheena and I try every weekend to observe the Sabbath. We’re not perfect at it, but we really try. What are some of the other Jewish ideas or values that come up in the book? One of the people who I quote, Solomon Gabirol, who was a Jewish scholar and poet, said that wisdom and peace lay in CJN Classified CEMETERY LOTS Waldheim Cemetery OKOJ LOT 526, GATE 36, ROW 26 NUMBERS 2,3 The 2 Plots for $5000 or Best Offer. Contact: Harve Sultan 563-570-2864 being reconciled to the uncontrollable. We now think of the prayer “G-d grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference.” That idea is right there in this Jewish scholars’ writing. It was his idea. Another one of the role models I read about when I was in Sunday school was Hannah Senesh. She emigrated from Hungary to Palestine, and these were her words: “One needs something to believe in, something for which you can have whole-hearted enthusiasm.” Now what she did later was volunteer to parachute into a war zone to sneak behind Nazi lines and rescue Hungarian Jews. I write about her in the chapter on happiness, in which I talk about how happiness is very much tied to having a purpose that is worthy. There’s also a passage I quote from “Gates of Prayer” [the Reform movement’s standard prayer book from 1975 to 2007]. In the chapter about mastering pain, I mention that people who are suffering often turn to prayer. Some people feel weird or guilty because they pray more when things are hard, and they feel ashamed of this. Now I find myself praying more when things are harder, but I also find myself drinking water more when I’m thirsty. I’ve finally begun to understand that praying more when I’m troubled is just as natural. The quotation from “Gates of Prayer” is “Prayer cannot bring water to poached fields or mend a broken bridge or rebuild a ruined city, but prayer can water an arid soul and mend a broken heart and rebuild a weakened will.” Do you think American society is doing enough to help veterans with PTSD? Too often the response to people that have post-traumatic stress disorder is to give them drugs. There may be a place for medication in some lives, but THE CHICAGO JEWISH NEWS UPCOMING SPECIAL AD SECTIONS in April REAL ESTATE For Sale Lg. 1 BR in Barcelona complex across from Old Orchard Shopping Center Lg. Patio 3 Walk In Closets, Inside Free Assigned Parking, Pool, Jewel Shopping 24 Hours Monthly assessment $253.57 Real Esate taxes $64.18 per month - cheaper than rent! $125,000 Call (847)830-3686 For only $40, you can place your classified ad in this space! To take advantage of CJN Classified page call 847-966-0606. For only $50, you can place your classified ad in this space! To take advantage of CJN Classified page call 847-966-0606. April 10 Spring Dining Eric Greitens as a Navy SEAL in Iraq. (JTA) what we found at The Mission Continues is that having the right kinds of role models in your life, having the right kinds of mentors and friends, having a sense of purpose, all of those things were the things that veterans actually need to live meaningful lives again. Food Asparagus Stuffed Eggs (Parve or Dairy) CONTINUED F RO M PAG E 7 Paprika for dusting 4 green onions, sliced thin Crackers Place the yolks in one bowl and whites in another. Chop the whites into bite-sized pieces and place them back in the bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper to the yolks and mash until combined and there are no lumps. On a platter mound the yolk mixture in the center, surround it with the egg white chunks, and sprinkle the top with paprika and sliced green onions. Serve with crackers. Serves 6. Submitted by Kari Rae Branston, Chicago Avocado and Pepper White Fish Eggs (Fish) April 17 Israel’s 67th Birthday April 24 LifeStyle To advertise in Chicago’s only weekly, quality, independent, fearless Jewish newspaper, Call (847) 966-0606 6 hard cooked eggs, cut in half 1 medium avocado, diced 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon pepper Salt to taste 1/4 pound peppered white fish, flaked Place the yolks in a bowl and add the avocado, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder, pepper, and salt to taste. Mash to combine so there are no lumps. You can use a spoon or pastry bag to fill the egg shells. Place the filled eggs on a platter and top with chopped parsley and paprika. Top with some flaked white fish and serve. Makes 12. Note: don’t make these too early as the avocado tends to brown quickly. 6 large hard cooked eggs, peeled 4 medium asparagus spears 2 teaspoons very finely minced shallot, scallion or chives, plus a pinch extra for garnish 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, whipping cream, sour cream and/or soft butter 1/2 teaspoon mustard substitute Few gratings fresh lemon zest (optional) Salt and pepper to taste Cook asparagus spears in salted simmering water until full tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and plunge in cold water. Drain and dry out as much as possible. Cut ½ inch off the tips of each spear and cut these tips lengthwise (they’ll be your garnish). Puree remaining asparagus in a food processor. Remove the excess water from the puree by spreading it on paper towels. To slice your eggs dip your knife in water before cutting each in half lengthwise. Cut a small piece off the bottom of each half so it will sit still on the plate. Remove the yolks to a small bowl and mash them. Add the asparagus puree, shallot or chives, mayonnaise or cream, mustard substitute or lemon zest (if using). Mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the mixture into each egg half (you can use a piping bag with a star tip if you prefer). Decorate each stuffed egg with the saved asparagus tips. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 12. This recipe can be doubled or tripled. Adapted from “Julia Child’s Kitchen” (Knopf, 1975). 17 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 By Joseph Aaron CONTINUED F RO M PAG E Get PesachSameach Home Care Chag 18 compare Obama to Haman then you know nothing about Jewish history and even less about the Jewish present. But Riskin did just that. And to top it off, he actually compared Bibi to Mordechai, the hero of the Purim story, the man who saved the Jewish people and one of the greatest Jews of all time. Bibi as Mordechai? I don’t know what Riskin is smoking but it’s eaten away all of his Jewish sechel. And then we have another rabbi, Shmuley Boteach, who took out a full page ad in the New York Times accusing Obama of appeasement, just like British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain did with Adolf Hitler. So Riskin says Obama is Haman and Boteach says Obama is Chamberlain. That’s how badly Iran Derangement Syndrome is affecting Jews, causing them to hallucinate insane thoughts. Obama wants to curb and control Iran’s nuclear program by arriving at a negotiated agreement. Nothing could be further from Haman’s genocidal plan to annihilate all the world’s Jews and Chamberlain’s blind ignorance of the Nazi threat. And then we have David Horovitz, editor of the Times of Israel, who wrote one of the most spectacularly boneheaded columns I have read in a long time. Headlined, “Obama’s peace for our time,” evoking yes, Chamberlain’s claim after signing the Munich agreement with Hitler, and asking “Mr. President, are you absolutely sure you’ve got this right?” Horovitz, whose English accent makes him seem way smarter than he truly is, begins by writing “Doesn’t it trouble you, just a touch, Mr. President, that you might have this all wrong?... Do you not have the slightest fear that, when history comes to judge you, it will bracket you alongside Neville Chamberlain? Do you not hear a grim historical echo, and ask yourself whether you are not...emboldening another ruthless would-be superpower, motivated by another hideous ideology?... “I fear you have surrounded yourself with people who dare not question you with sufficient intellectual vigor. I fear that you are willfully blinding yourself to the tragedy you are about to inflict upon us all…It is the certainty with which you are pursuing what seems an unfathomable course of appeasement… it is that certainty of yours that worries me most of all.” So, according to Dave, Obama is Chamberlain and the Iranians are the Nazis and all this is a replay of the Holocaust. Showing a truly stunning ignorance of history and the vast differences between then and now, Iran and Hitler. But I’ll tell you what really got to me about his column, which is that Dave seems totally unaware that what he is saying about Obama is exactly the problem with Bibi. Bibi, are you absolutely sure you’ve got this right? Doesn’t it trouble you, just a touch, Bibi, that you might have this all wrong? I fear you have surrounded yourself with people who dare not question you with sufficient intellectual vigor. I fear that you are willfully blinding yourself to the tragedy you are about to inflict upon us all…It is the certainty with which you are pursuing what seems an unfathomable course of appeasement… it is that certainty of yours that worries me most of all. Bingo. That is precisely the problem with Bibi. Thanks to the overwhelming influence of his father, who taught him the world has always hated Jews and will always hate Jews, Bibi decided 20 years ago that Iran was thisclose to a nuke, and since then, he has done nothing but insist on that, made it out to be an existential threat, never listening to those who had other views such as his head of the Mossad, never questioning whether he is right, never reevaluating or readjusting in the light of new facts and new realities, never trusting that others know things too, tenaciously clinging to a stubborn certainty that he is right. And so he calls it a bad deal before he even knows what the deal is, talks endlessly about the threat as if he is the only person in the world smart enough to see it, insults the president, the secretary of state and the leaders of China, Russia, Germany, France and Britain, all of whom are parties to the agreement, which he arrogantly insists is lousy simply because it doesn’t include his totally unrealistic demands. No, Bibi is right and that’s all there is to it, and everybody must believe as he does and do as he says. I hear Riskin and Boteach call Obama dastardly names, I read Horovitz question Obama’s “certainty” about his course. But there seem to be no Jews calling on Bibi to open his mind, not be so sure he is so right, consider other courses of action, better ways to handle this, more realistic ways to look at this. Since there are so many Jewish doctors in the world, one can only hope that one day soon one will come up with a cure for Iran Derangement Syndrome and help Shlomo and Shmuley with their crazy assertions and Horovitz with his hypocritical certitude. The Jews need help before it’s too late and we are all acting like lunatics. using your Wishing you… Long Term Care Happiness, peace, prosperity And all the joys of Passover! Insurance Benefits Get care using yourfor We helphome our clients attain approved Home Care andTerm maximize the value of Long Care their Long Term Care insurance benefits Insurance Benefits with our FREE support services. Mitch Abrams Managing Director Call us to schedule a free evaluation. (847) 480-5700 ; Care for people of ALL ages www.TheHomeCareSpot.com ; Scheduling available 24/7 ; Around the clock care ; LTC pricing review ; Free claims processing and benefits management The Chicago Jewish News gratefully acknowledges the generous support of RABBI MORRIS AND DELECIA ESFORMES 18 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 By Joseph Aaron The current Jewish disease www. chicagojewishnews .com The Jewish News place in cyberspace Jews crack me up. I was actually going to start out by saying that Jews make me sick, but I’m trying to be a kinder, gentler Joe. Which is not easy considering the circus of panic and idiocy that is engulfing the Jewish world about the Iran nuclear issue. Everything bad about today’s Jews is in full vivid display with this one, our neuroticism, our paranoia, our needing to feel under siege, our exaggerating things, our inability to see how much has changed for Jews and how much for the better. All of those outdated destructive feelings being fueled and encouraged by the moral and mental midgets we call our leaders, starting with Prime Minister Bibi, but including prominent rabbis, prominent Jews who are famous but famously ignorant of Jewish issues such as Sheldon Adelson and Alan Dershowitz, and professional chicken littles like Abe Foxman who, thank G-d, will soon not be head of the ADL, and Malcolm Hoenlein, head of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, who plans to hold that job until death, and perhaps beyond. They all know the best way to get Jews’ attention, to get Jews to donate, to get Jews to fall in line is to scare them, terrorize them, make them think either that a second Holocaust is very close or has already started. To make Jews believe anti-Semitism is rampant, worse than ever, just like 1939 all over again, to make them think Israel is on the verge of destruction, to make them feel the media is out to get them, Obama hates them, the whole world is aiming right for them. Deluding ourselves that things are horrible when the reality is that things are great, is not only sick, but it wastes so much Jewish energy that should be focused on making the best of the good times in which we live. But we seem to find one bogeyman after another to keep our fear alive. For a while, it was Farrakhan, then some politician in Austria who was supposedly the next Hitler, then David Duke, then Ahmedinejad. All of whom are today totally irrelevant and harmless but who, when they were in the Jewish spotlight, were made out to be major threats to the Jewish people even though the reality is they never were. Today’s bogeyman, of course, is Iran, which we have made out, in Bibi’s absurd words, to be an “existential threat” to Israel. Even though it is not. So says the current head of the Mossad, the two previous heads of the Mossad, the current and former chiefs of staff of the Israeli army, and hundreds of top Israeli military and security experts. But Bibi knows Iran as bogeyman is good for him, gets him elected, gets him political support in Congress and so, for more than 20 years now, he has been telling us Iran is one year away from having a bomb. I actually compiled a list of 10 arguments to rebut Bibi’s lunacy, but I think I’ll share that with you some other time. For this time, I’d like to look at how insane this whole Iran thing is making us. Three examples. The first comes from former American Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, now chief rabbi of the settlement of Efrat, otherwise known as the Scarsdale of Israel. In talking about Iran, Riskin compared President Obama to Haman. Yes, Haman, the greatest villain in all of Jewish history, a man who set out to wipe every Jew off the face of the earth, a man so dastardly that to this very day, many centuries later, once a year Jews go to synagogue and boo and shake noisemakers at the mere mention of Haman’s name. And yet the imbecilic Riskin actually had the gall to compare President Obama to Haman. That is how nuts Jews have gotten. Look, you don’t agree with Obama’s trying to negotiate a deal with Iran. Okay, that’s your right, though I would ask you what you would do that would be better. And if you say bomb Iran, please tell me why big mouth Bibi has not done that. And tell me, do you really think we’d be better off if Obama was not trying to bring Iran back into the family of nations, work out an agreement that will rein it in, whereas no agreement would simply allow Iran to proceed full speed ahead? Okay you can disagree with Obama on that, be angry that he’s a human being and so yes has been offended by Bibi’s insulting, ungrateful behavior toward him. But if you think there is any basis to SEE BY JOSEPH AARON ON PAG E 1 7 19 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 Death Notices Arlane Ginsburg, nee Davison, age 83. Beloved wife of the late Raymond. Cherished mother of Michael (Dr. Beth) Ginsburg, Jeffrey Gins- burg (Laura Weinman) and Fonda Ginsburg. Devoted grandmother of Samantha, Jacob and Matthew. Contributions in Arlane’s name to Rainbow Hospice would be appreciated. Arrangements by Mitzvah Memorial Funerals. Sol Martin Goldman, age 67. Devoted son of the late Milton and Lorraine. Dear brother of Aviva Sadkin. Beloved uncle of Alana Sadkin. Fond cousin of Doris, Dan (Bobbi) and Rachel (Alfredo). Contributions in Sol’s name to Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital would be appreciated. Arrangements by Mitzvah Memorial Funerals. Blanche Zlatin, nee Zimmerman, age 87. Beloved wife of Abe; loving mother of Iris Glenn, Susan (Mark) Cohen, and Cheryl (Dr. Leon) Kosek; loving grandmother of R. Joshua Glenn, Holly Hom- mey (Michael), Jon Levin (Catherine Lind), Joseph Kosek, Andrew Kosek, and Debra Kosek; loving great grandmother of Avi Levin; and loving companion of Honey, Yuki, and genera- tions of adored pets. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Paws Tinley Park (www.pawstinleypark.org). Arrangements by Mitzvah Memorial Funerals. Roslyn Elaine Zukernick, nee Matsoff, age 90. Beloved wife of the late Larry. Cherished mother of Roberta (Michael) Rubinson and Janet Berres. Devoted grand- mother of Ben (Natalie) Ruzicka, Dan Ruzicka, Yori Rubinson, Bina Rubinson (Jason White), Miriam (Danny) Rosen and Bette (Andy) Zablocki and great-grand- children Brandon, Asher, Isaac, Blake, Hannah and Kinney. Dear sister of Natalie Matsoff. Arrangements by Mitzvah Memorial Funerals. Meyer M. Becker, age 93. Beloved husband of Sheila, nee Rohr. Dear step-father of Robin (Steve) Welch and Marilyn (Alvin) Zurakov. De- voted step-grandfather of Rachel, Ryan, Jordan and Madeleine. Arrangements by Mitzvah Memorial Funerals. Ida Lee Immergluck, nee Stein, beloved wife of the late David Immergluck. Loving mother Joel (Helene) Boyer and Lanny (Lisa) Boyer. Cherished grandmother of Michael (Yocheved) Boyer, Jenna Boyer, Alex Boyer and Nathan Boyer. Adored great grandmother of Bracha and Tzvi Boyer. Fond best friend to many. Special and loving member to all her family. In lieu of flowers remembrances to the Autism Foundation of your choice would be appreciated. Arrangements by Mitzvah Memorial Funerals. Bernice Lesser passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 29; beloved wife of the late Allan; mother of Sue Ann (Hal) Lash, Michael Lesser, and Gail (Tony) Modro; Bubbe to Adam and Andrew Lash, Mark Lesser, Melissa, Sam and the late A.J. Modro. In lieu of flowers, donations to the AntiCruelty Society. Arrangements by Lakeshore Jewish Funerals, (773) 625-8621. Still Directing! Mitzvah Memorial Funerals 630-MITZVAH (630-648-9824) Names you have trusted for decades... Still here to serve you when needed I.Ian “Izzy” Dick Seymour Mandel In December of 2014 Izzy and Seymour celebrated their 91st and 80th birthdays respectively. This make them the two oldest practicing and most experienced licensed Jewish funeral directors in the state of Illinois. Izzy and Seymour serve the families that call them through Mitzvah Memorial Funerals. Combined with Lloyd Mandel, Bill Goodman and Larry Mandel, Mitzvah Memorial Funeral has the most experienced staff of Jewish funeral directors in Chicago with over 200 years of combined experience. Mitzvah Memorial Funerals also provides the lowest price! In most cases we save families $2000-$5000 versus what Chicago Jewish funeral homes with chapels charge for the same or similar services and casket. If your Synagogue has a discounted funeral plan that we are not currently a provider of you can still choose us. We guarantee to be at least 25% less!* Lloyd Mandel Founder, 4th generation Jewish Funeral Director, also licensed in Florida (no longer with Levayah Funerals) our community. Seymour Mandel 3rd generation Jewish Funeral Director, Past President of the Jewish Funeral Directors of America (J.F.D.A.) (Formerly with Piser) William Goodman Funeral Director, Homesteaders Insurance Agent (no longer with Goodman Family Funerals) Ian “Izzy” Dick Oldest licensed Jewish Funeral Director in the State of Illinois WITH MORE THAN 200 YEARS of combined service, Weinstein & Piser Funeral Home is dedicated to honoring heritage and faith. Let us help you and your loved ones create a meaningful service that truly captures the essence of the life it represents. Proudly serving your family (clockwise from left) are William Barr, Licensed Funeral Director; Alan Yaffe, Former Owner and Licensed Funeral Director; Robert Sheck, Manager and Licensed Funeral Director; Todd Lovcik, Licensed Funeral Director; Jamie Greenebaum, Licensed Funeral Director; and Arlene Folsom, Licensed Funeral Director. Lawrence “Larry” Mandel If you have already made pre-arrangements elsewhere you can switch to us. In most cases we will refund your family thousands of dollars. 4th generation Jewish Funeral Director, Homesteaders Insurance Agent (Formerly with Piser) 847-778-6736 We also offer pre-arrangements and fund through Homesteaders Life. Find out why Mitzvah Memorial Funerals was entrusted to direct more than 800 funerals since opening. www.comparemitzvah.com *Guarantee is on base price of funeral plan including services, casket and miscellaneous items. Not included in this are the cemetery charges, vault and cash advance items. coming together to better serve 500 Lake Cook Road, Suite 350, Deerfield, IL • 8850 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL 630-MITZVAH (648-9824) • www.mitzvahfunerals.com WEINSTEIN & PISER Funeral Home 111 SKOKIE BLVD., WILMETTE 847-256-5700 Proudly owned and operated by Alderwoods (Chicago North), Inc. 20 Chicago Jewish News - April 3-9, 2015 jna dj Wishing everyone a Happy Passover from all of us at
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